Superhero Soap Opera Plus Real World Politics...

The Christian Science Monitor had an article on this subject that was pretty interesting.

See it here.

The Smokehouse

The Smokehouse is open.

The links list at the side here are the Friends of Cigar Smoke.

Only the best get on the list. That generally is going to mean that I steal some of my content from them.

HA!

First member of the Smokehouse is ctrl alt dinges, friend Chris's blog. Check it out.

The Texans Hawaiian Shirt

It's damn sharp.

It's not $95.00 worth of sharp, but it is sharp.

Love a Dog...

This appeared in the January 2006 issue of Outside magazine...

A big, big thank you to Ann Patchett. This is greatness. Ms. Patchett is the author of Bel Canto and four other books.

The handsome boy in the pics above is my dear, departed Puff.

by Ann Patchett

I did not rush into getting a dog of my own. Despite happy dogs of my youth, I wasn't sure about the commitment. What about those spontaneous trips out of town? What about vet bills and sleeping late and going for walks in the pounding, freezing rain? It seemed like a level of adulthood I wasn't ready for yet.

Oh, nobody's ready. It's just that one day you're walking through the park not even thinking about a dog, but there she is, the giant ears, the bright eyes, the tail that wags a full 75 percent of her body. In an instant, all those solid reasons become nothing more than a collection of flimsy excuses. The girl who is trying to give her away (she found the puppy by the side of the road in a snowstorm) gives her to you because this is Your Dog.

Or that's how it was for me and Rose.

Like any love, it was giddy at first. I couldn't get my work done. I kept having to stop and roll around on the floor with her. She followed me from room to room, licking my ankles. She was small and white, maybe a cross between a Jack Russell and a Chihuahua, without the deep neurosis of either breed. If shedding were an Olympic sport, she would have brought home the gold. I was besotted.

This is not to say that I didn't know love until my dog came along. I've loved plenty of people. I've loved plenty of dogs, for that matter. But Rose is my dog, and I am her person. Our commitment to one another is unshakable. She would throw all of her 17 pounds in the path of any pit bull to protect me, and I would do the same for her. Dogs know something about love writ large. The rotten part is that their life span is so much shorter than ours. Barring some seriously bad luck, I will outlive Rose by a large margin. She is 11 now. She has cataracts, and her back legs are weak. When we take long hikes, I always wind up carrying her home on my shoulders. Rose has taught me how to be a better person. I'm not sure I've taught her anything, except how to tell me when she wants another biscuit. Rose could not be a better dog. When she dies, I imagine I will howl like her ancestors, but the inevitable end of a relationship is no reason not to go there in the first place.

Visit Ann Patchett's website here.

BOOM!

This is disturbing...

The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant in Rainier, Oregon was imploded by engineers from Controlled Demolition, Inc. I joined several friends on a bluff across the mighty Columbia River in Washington State.

Seeing one of these thing fall down and blow up is extremely unsettling.

Guilty...

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/business/enron

We all knew they were guilty...but...show of hands...how many of us actually expected them to be convicted?

Ethanol Propaganda with Ed Wallace

With thanks to Craig for pointing this article out to me...

Ethanol: A Tragedy in 3 Acts

Amid the current panic about gas prices many people are embracing ethanol. But that's not such a good idea


During the comment period for the RFG (reformulated gas) program, supporters of ethanol had argued that the volatile organic compound (VOC) emission standards in the program -- 42 U. S. C. 7545 (k) (3) (B) (i) -- would preclude the use of ethanol in RFG because adding ethanol to gasoline increases its volatility and raises VOC emissions, especially in the summertime.

Background
The American Petroleum Institute v. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [Docket #94-1502 (Heard by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and decided on April 28, 1995)]

If there were ever a time when the truth in advertising standards should be put back into place, it's now -- during the current (third) attempt to convince the public that the massive use of corn-derived ethanol in our gasoline supply will alleviate our need for foreign oil. Ultimately, the answer to just one question determines ethanol's actual usefulness as a gasoline extender: "If the government hadn't mandated this product, would it survive in a free market?" Doubtful -- but the misinformation superhighway has been rerouted to convince the public its energy salvation is at hand.

Act I, Scenes 1 and 2
The use of ethanol to reduce our dependence on foreign oil is nothing new. We also considered it during our nation's Project Independence in 1974, the year after the first Arab oil embargo. After the second energy crisis in 1979, an income tax credit of 40 cents per gallon of 190-proof ethanol produced was instituted as an incentive for refiners of ethanol to blend this product into gasoline.

Because this federal largesse now existed, within five years, 163 ethanol plants had been built -- but only 74 of them were still in operation. As gasoline availability opened up in the 1980s and gas prices went down, many ethanol plants simply went out of business.

Shortly thereafter, in yet another attempt to broaden the product's usage, Congress enacted a law that allowed car manufacturers to take excess mileage credits on any vehicle they built that was capable of burning an 85% blend of ethanol, better known as E85. General Motors (GM ) took advantage of the credits, building relatively large volumes of the Suburban as a certified E85 vehicle. Although in real life that generation of the Suburban got less than 15 mpg, the credits it earned GM against its Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) ratings meant that on paper, the Suburban delivered more than 29 mpg.

Other manufacturers also built E85-capable vehicles -- one such car was the Ford (F ) Taurus. Congress may have intended simply to create a market for this particular fuel by having these vehicles available for sale. But what the excess mileage credits actually did was save Detroit millions each year in penalties it would have owed for not meeting the CAFE regulations' mileage standards.

Act II, Scenes 1 and 2
In the mid-'90s the Clean Air Act of 1990 kicked in, mandating that a reformulated gasoline be sold in the nation's smoggiest cities. So the Clinton Administration again tried to create an ethanol industry in America, by having the Environmental Protection Agency mandate that fully 30% of the oxygenates to be used in gasoline under that program come from a renewable source. But members of the American Petroleum Institute had already geared up for the production of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), their oxygenate of choice. The ensuing lawsuit was argued before the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on February 16, 1995.

The EPA took the position that it had been given a mandate to find ways to conserve the nation's fossil-fuel reserves, so it needed a renewable fuel -- and ethanol neatly fit that bill. But there were problems with that argument, not least of which was the fact that the judges could find no charter or mandate from Congress that gave the EPA the statutory right to do anything about fossil fuel, reserves or otherwise.

Even more damaging, the EPA's own attorney admitted to the judges that because of its higher volatility, putting ethanol into the nation's fuel supply would likely increase smog where it was used. One of the judges, on hearing that the EPA was actively promoting a substance that could in fact diminish air quality, wondered aloud, "Is the EPA in outer space?"

The final decision favored the American Petroleum Institute. The judges agreed that the EPA was bound by law only to promote items that would improve air quality -- not to reverse the nation's advances in smog reduction. That decision was apparently forgotten with record speed. In the summer of 2000, ethanol as an additive was mandated for the upper Midwest, including the city of Chicago and parts of the state of Wisconsin.

Act II, Scenes 3 and 4
After Asian economies had collapsed in the late '90s, the price of oil had fallen to as low as $10 a barrel. Gasoline was selling in many parts of the U.S. for as little as 99 cents a gallon. But by 2000, the per-barrel price had risen to $32, and gas was averaging $1.55 a gallon nationally. As they are today, the nation's drivers were incensed by the rising prices of gasoline and oil. And then reformulated gasoline made with ethanol hit Chicago and points north. Gas prices there suddenly soared over $2.00, with a few stations selling their product for as much as $2.54 per gallon.

At some stations in southeast Wisconsin, where reformulated gasoline wasn't required and gas cost considerably less, pumps ran dry in the panic, as savvy consumers topped off their tanks. Citing the Lundberg Survey, the Associated Press on June 12, 2000, stated, "Dealers in the Midwest, where many cities use a reformulated gas blended with the corn derivative ethanol, are paying a premium at wholesale."

Just a few months later, Brazil -- which had worked toward energy independence since the mid-'70s oil crisis and had already mandated that the percentage of ethanol in its fuel be raised to 24% -- was forced to import ethanol refined by the Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM ) when the nation's sugar-cane crop suffered a devastating drought. Brazil understood that a year of poor crops was just as damaging to its national fuel supply as Iran taking its oil off-market would be to the rest of the world.

Then came the third act in this ethanol play -- and possibly the most misleading and disingenuous PR campaign ever.

Act III: Cue the Fact-Checker
It started with Congress, which mandated that even more ethanol be used to extend the nation's fuel supply. From General Motors, an ad campaign called "Live Green, Go Yellow" gave America the impression that by purchasing GM vehicles capable of using E85 ethanol, we could help reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

What GM left out of its ads was that the use of this fuel would likely increase the amount of smog during the summer months (as the EPA's own attorneys had admitted in 1995) -- and that using E85 in GM products would lower their fuel efficiency by as much as 25%. (USA Today recently reported that the Energy Dept. estimated the drop in mileage at 40%.)

But one final setup for the public has gone unnoticed. At the Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov, which confirms the 25% to 30% drop in mileage resulting from the use of this blended fuel, another feature lets users calculate and compare annual fuel costs using regular gasoline to costs using E85.

But the government site's automatic calculations are based on E85 selling for 37 cents per gallon less than regular gasoline, when the USA Today article reports that at many stations in the Midwest E85 is actually selling for 13 cents per gallon more than ordinary gas. Using the corrected prices for both gasoline and E85, the annual cost of fueling GM's Suburban goes from $2,709 to $3,763. Hence the suggestion that truth in advertising should come back into play. Possibly GM could rename this ad campaign "Shell Out Green, Turn Yellow."

Epilogue: Get this Wasteful Show Off the Road
The other negative aspect of this inefficient fuel is that numerous studies have found that ethanol creates less energy than is required to make it. Other studies have found that ethanol creates "slightly" more energy than is used in its production. Yet not one of these studies takes into account that when E85 is used, the vehicle's fuel efficiency drops by at least 25% -- and possibly by as much as 40%. Using any of the accredited studies as a baseline in an energy-efficiency equation, ethanol when used as a fuel is a net energy waste.

Furthermore, no one has even considered the severe disruption in the nation's fuel distribution that mandating a move into ethanol would cause. Over the past month, gas stations from Dallas to Philadelphia and parts of Massachusetts have had their tanks run dry due to a lack of ethanol to blend. The newswires have been filled with stories bemoaning the shortage of trucks, drivers, railcars, and barges to ship the product. Ethanol can't be blended at refineries and pumped through the nation's gasoline pipelines.

The recent price spikes for gasoline have forcibly reminded the people of Chicago and Wisconsin of what happened when ethanol was forced on them during the summer of 2000. Moreover, the promise of energy independence that Brazil has explored through ethanol is widely misunderstood. Recently a Brazilian official, commenting on our third and most recent attempted conversion to ethanol, said that when Brazil tried using agricultural crops for ethanol, it achieved only a 1:1.20 energy conversion rate, too low to be worth the effort.

FINAL BOW? On the other hand, ethanol from sugar cane delivered 1:8 energy conversion, which met the national mandate. Unfortunately for us, sugar cane isn't a viable crop in the climate of our nation's heartland. But the part of Brazil's quest for energy independence that the media usually overlooks is that ethanol wasn't the only fuel source the country was working on: Its other, more important, thrust was to find more oil. To that end, last week Brazil's P50 offshore oil platform was turned on. Its anticipated daily output is high enough to make Brazil totally oil independent.

More smog, infinitely worse gas mileage, huge problems in distribution, and skyrocketing prices for gasoline. Maybe now that we're witnessing the third act in America's ethanol play, the upcoming epilogue will close this show forever. Even great advertising works only if the product does.

Ed Wallace
570 KLIF AM - Dallas
Fort Worth Star Telegram

SIDEBAR FROM MARK: Add in that Brazil's economy has been staggering under the weight of transition for 31 years...that's 31 years, my friends. More smog...what the hell is the EPA thinking.

Who polices the EPA? Them ignoring the judge's ruling in the 1995 case is a crock.

OCEC...The Organization of Corn Exporting Companies

The Brazilians have focused more on sugar cane ethanol as opposed to the corn-based.

People are high if they think that the $0.51 gas tax wouldn't transfer to ethanol.

The lower fuel mileage from ethanol is a propaganda secret that needs to be pushed out into the public domain. That is an important fact that needs wider exposure.

And as I've previously stated, the damned EPA needs to get back to clean air, clean water, and a clean living environment.

The concept of Big Oil scapegoating ethanol is a crock. It's not like Big Oil has any credibility with the public...billion dollar profit margins made off the backs of the American people will do that.

Oh...and someone needs to tell GM that I still haven't received my damn Think Green t-shirt. A propaganda campaign that promises a free t-shirt should deliver...dammit.

E85 and ethanol are a reality. And our government seems dedicated to pushing it forward. Remember money talks and bullshit walks...follow the money. Who's getting rich off of ethanol manufacturing and sugar cane and corn growing? Betting ADM is somewhere in the mix...and the American family farmer isn't.

Boo on the EPA...

If we can't drink it, breathe it, or swim in it, then, what in the hell has the EPA been doing with the millions and millions of dollars that have been pumped into that agency over the years.

Me: I mean...c'mon...if it's polluted, find the person or corporation that is doing the polluting and stop them.

EPA: No, Mr. Anderson. It's not that easy.

Me: Bullshit. Hire the guys who write for CSI and the Dog the Bounty Hunter guy, or create a reality show where finding the polluter gets you a prize and this would be a done deal.

EPA: Those are just television shows.

Me: And the EPA is just a governmental organization that can't do its job ala FEMA.

Clean air. Clean water. If it's not clean, find out why and stop whoever is doing it.

In a world where I can get a ticket for running a red light, when the cop isn't there. There should be a way to do this.

And another thing...if the ocean is this bad, just imagine what that lake that you take the kids to on the weekend has in it or that river that you sneak away to go fishing in a couple of times a summer has in it.

It all comes down to we're not nearly as freakin' safe as we would like to think we are. But we've all got our ostrich heads so far in the sand that we fail to recognize the clues when they do pop up.

And this is another one of those stories that probably won't make the news. It'll be buried by Iraq, Iran, and whatever the hell Jessica Simpson is doing now.

Surfing and Great Britain

Two concepts that don't usually fit together in my mind.

That is...until I read this. Apparently there are some shredding good waves in northern Cornwall off of Newquay Harbor.

Hmmm...double standard much...

Okay...Jason Terry got suspended for a game for hitting Michael Finley in the nads...after Finley had laid down on Terry's head while Manu Genobli was laying across his chest, holding him down while he was fighting for the ball and trying to call a timeout...

As we've already discussed, I would have hit him in the nuts. No body gets away with dropping the knee on my head. Just not happenin'.

But, here's the thing.

Tim Duncan broke Sagana Diop's nose in Game 7.

Okay...Finley was able to get up and complain about getting lightly punched in the sack. Diop is going to have to wear a face mask for the next few weeks.

Now then, following the NBA's logic...shouldn't Tim Duncan be suspended for the first game he's available to play next season.

Just think it should be a level playing field.

NASCAR by the Numbers...per Forbes

Forbes does NASCAR

Think about how upset Valvoline and Stanley Tools were when they spent all that money on the Everham Motors/Scott Riggs #10 Dodge and, then, first race of the season, they get to sit in the stands...with their driver cause he didn't qualify.

Wow! "...a Top 25 finisher at the Daytona 500 got the equivalent of 7 million dollars of 30 second commercials." Sponsors must be getting their money worth...especially if their driver is named Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kurt Busch...you know...the favored sons of NASCAR.

The apparent return on investment is huge in NASCAR. Another example from the article, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won one race last year and came close a number of other times. Not to mention the whole "favored son" attitude, which gets him on television even when he is running 30th and mired back in the pack. Estimate places the value of Earnhardt's season for his sponsor, Budweiser, at $149 million dollars...after spending 20 to 25 million on the #8 DEI Chevy team.

Ratings numbers have pushed NASCAR into the #2 slot in major sports, behind only the NFL. That's incredible.

Money drives the sport.

But I still don't agree with the Top 35 are guaranteed a spot in the field. If you go to the track and have the money and the car to qualify, and run faster than one of these "established" teams, then, you should, by God, get in the race. Everyone has sponsors who are spending good money to get themselves in, and some of these old school bastards are spending their own money to get in.

The Top 35 rule makes it harder to get one of those "rags to riches", "an unknown comes out of the stands at Augusta"-kind of stories.

Ah well, glad to see that the sport is healthy and growing.

Thanks to Forbes.

Menstrual Cycle Optional

No, I'm not the Minstrel of the Menstrual Cycle...

All I'm going to say is that eggs have a tendency to go bad when they are left in the fridge for too long.

No way do they know what the long, long term consequences of this are going to be.

I'd recommend a hell of a lot more research before this gets on the market. I mean...this is being reported like its great good news, but where are the cancer risk studies...where are the blood clotting studies...where are the liver function studies...I know a lot of women are going to get all fired up about this possibility, but let's hope that someone has their foot on the brake so that we don't have a Vioxx/Ephedra style disaster on our hands.

And while we're at it, let's put this on the list of things that I never thought would show up on my blog.

Axl, Axl, Axl...

Axl Rose started losing his touch when he destroyed what was one of the best rock and roll bands ever, Guns and Roses.

Then, he lost his hair.

And now...

now...

He gets picked on in a bar by Tommy Hillfiger...

...and worse than that...so much worse than that...he bitches and whines about it making sure the whole world notices.

Sigh.

Picked this up over at Would You Blog Me...the same wonderful site where I found the Eddie Van Halen's teeth story from a month or so back.

This just isn't turning out to be a good year for Over-The-Hill rock stars when you factor in Sir Paul's marital problems.

Sigh.

I still can't believe that Axl freakin' Rose got beat up on by Tommy Hillfiger.

What's the world coming to?

The NEXTEL NASCAR All Star Challenge at Charlotte, NC...the Just Us Cupdate

Jimmy Johnson wins the All Star Race in Charlotte, NC.

Scott Riggs won the NEXTEL Open to qualify for the All Star race, Kyle Petty voted in as Most Popular Driver(not already in the Challenge)

Toyota...2007...and Beyond

Raceflash: The NEXTEL Open

Raceflash: The NEXTEL NASCAR All Star Challenge

Larry Mac looking at Robert Yates and Dale Jarrett...the end of an era

Dale Jarrett beginning to feel backlash as he prepares to leave Ford for Toyota

Look for pit stops every 35 to 40 laps during the Coca-Cola 600. The longest race of the year...with a gas tank 7 gallons smaller...yeah...that makes sense

NASCAR...the Unleaded Future

GM quietly asked NASCAR to begin considering moving to Ethanol

The Running of the Toyota Red Bulls, the Silly Season-Team Building Rumors Begin

Uh huh...guess Chad Knaus wasn't the only one cheating at Daytona. Notice they don't name names.

Where are the drivers of tomorrow

Schrader wins the ARCA Race at Toldeo

Things happen on a race track...you slip up...you slip down...you get loose...you run up the track...you come down on someone in your blindspot...stuff happens...but I'm beginning to think that these guys really don't like one another

Last year, LMS ate tires. This year, the tires can't stick. Mr. Car Meet Mr. Wall

Mark Martin...Rap Icon...Uh huh...yeah...sure

Of 5 cars entered, Roush only had one see the checkered flag...and it had a bashed in passenger side.

Humpy wants to keep the working man in NASCAR's future

Chad Knaus begins to wonder about where his contract extention is

Spider Man and Joe Q...

Thomas Deja hits Spidey and Joe Q right on the head with his latest Scrimmages.

As long as Marvel has multiple imprints, why couldn't one of them show us an aging Peter Parker who has a wife, kids, and a mortgage? They can still tell the teenage ansty Spidey stories in one of the other prints.

C'mon there are stories there to be told.

Does your home insurance cover when a supervillain crashes through your big bay window?

...if you are on his back beating the crap out of him after he just robbed a bank down the street.

How do you explain to the in-laws that you missed Christmas dinner because you were battling a terrorist who could shoot electric bolts out of his ass in Times Square?

When your son or daughter gets into the "my dad could beat up your dad" fights at school, what do you do when he/she reveals your secret identity?

Hmmm. I think there are a plethora of stories that could be told about a SpiderMan who is growing up and becoming responsible.

Even in Those Pants...This Man Was a Bad Ass!

Bruce Lee was the "F"in' Man!

10 Things I Hate About Commandments...

Stolen from Dinges and YouTube.

This rocks.

NY Times Quote of the Day...

"You get a lot more authority when the workforce doesn't think it's amateur hour on the top floor."

--GEN. MICHAEL V. HAYDEN, President Bush's nominee for C.I.A. director.

Ain't it the truth.

William Hung finds Another 15 Minutes of Fame

He is the Artichoke King.

Ricky Martin must be spinning in his grave...

What...he's not dead.

Hmmm.

Are you sure?

The NBA's Mark Cuban Vendetta Takes Another Step

Read the article.

The refs didn't call anything on the court. It's not a part of the box score.

That means it doesn't exist folks.

Suspending a player for something suspected of happening after they slow the tapes down is bullshit.

The NBA doesn't like Mark Cuban. And taking it out on the Mavericks and their fans in what could potentially be their best season ever is a crock of shit.

The NBA is trying hard to manufacture a Game 7 in this series.

If the ref didn't call anything, then all you've got is Michael Finley being the same damn crybaby that he was here in Dallas. He's soft. All the way up until one of his teammates is holding someone down and he can drop a knee on them. But when they try to push you away afterwards...Oh...then, they are punching you.

Michael Finley is a big giant puss.

And the NBA needs some hemorrhoid ointment for their brains.

This was the biggest BS call of the season...and it didn't even happen on the court.

5 From the Smoke #4

Heard these via a sampling of the Launchcast stations.

song Tear You Apart(2005)
artist - She Wants Revenge

from the CD, These Things.[Alternative Rock]

Reminds me of Oingo Boingo. I'd listen to it again.

Sample here.

TtCS ranking 4 Stars
-----------------------------------------------------------

song MakeDamnSure(2005)
artist - Taking Back Sunday

from the CD, MakeDamnSure.[Alternative Rock]

The angry male perspective on break ups and stalking. "I wanna bring you down so badly, in the worst way"...good lyric.

Love the lioness chasing the deer in the video.

Sample here.

TtCS ranking 3 1/2 Stars
-----------------------------------------------------------

song Jesus of Suburbia(2004)
artist - Green Day

from the CD, American Idiot.[Alternative Rock]

The irreverent greatness of Green Day.

"Grafitti in a bathroom stall,
like holy scriptures of the shopping mall..."

A little bit of lyrical social commentary there, for sure.

"In a land of make believe,
that don't believe in me..."

Yes...I do like angst.

6 minutes and 29 seconds...it's a little short as far as rock opuses go, but I still like it.

Video link

TtCS ranking 5 Stars
-----------------------------------------------------------

This next slot was going to be our second inductee into the 5FtS Hall of Fame, but I ran across a song that had to get included.

Thomas Deja has started doing a comic book podcast called Other People's Toys and the song that he used to lead off the first one is just too funny. A little Bare Naked Ladies-like...if Lex Luthor or Dr. Doom were singing it to the love of their life that is.

song Skullcrusher Mountain(year)
artist - Jonathan Coulton

from the CD, .[Light Rock]

The lyrics to Skullcrusher Mountain are here.

Song sample

Purchase the EP here at CDBaby.

TtCS ranking 5 Stars
-----------------------------------------------------------

Especially for Doom...

song Cheek to Cheek(2004)
artist - Regis Philbin

from the CD, When You're Smiling(2004).[New Vocal Standards]

This is a great song in the right singer's hands.

Not here...not now...not him.

Sample here

This looks a lot like trading on his talk show popularity.

Hell, I can do a better rendition of it than this...in the shower...with no one listening.

TtCS ranking 1/2 Star
-----------------------------------------------------------

Callous and Impolite...

Katie Couric was interviewing Laura Bush last week in relation to a library program related to making sure there were enough library books in the schools reopening in Katrina's wake.

Couric interrupted Mrs. Bush, three times that I saw...and I'm sure it was more than that.

It wasn't hard hitting journalism. It was Couric being an ass. Obviously designed as a feel good piece on the recovery from Katrina, Couric had to put her hard edge in it to try and prove that she still has the cojones to do "real" news.

I won't be watching when she takes over the center seat over at CBS Evening News.

You could be rude to Hillary all you wanted. She got out there and put herself in the center of policy issues and such. Thereby making herself a target for pundits and politicos.

While all Laura is doing is keeping busy being a First Lady in the classic sense, taking up causes, literacy, books for the Gulf Coast, etc.

The barely veiled rudeness shown to the First Lady was the last straw. I won't ever watch the Today Show while she is still there and I won't be watching the CBS Evening News when she takes over.

Wisdom from Beer Commercials...

What you do for a living doesn't have anything to do with being alive.

Dodge Charger 500 at Darlington, SC...The Just Us Cupdate

The Race Report

Biffle in Victory Lane at Darlington

The Japanese are Coming

Margolis's Yahoo Darlington Observations

I usually agree with Marg. But as to the matter of Schrader giving Biffle room and not giving it to Gordon and Gordon being pissed. Well, Schrader respects Biffle because Biffle respects Schrader. Schrades moved over as much for Gordon as Gordon would have for him if the situations were reversed.

500 miles with the flu…respect to Jr.

And yeah, the All Star Race is usually great…all the way up until we get the Dale Jr. fans swaying the vote for the last driver to get into the field…I mean gosh…who could it be…hmmm…let's see…bet Martin Truex Jr. makes the final heat based on fan voting.

Darlington Race Flash

Dale Jarrett's Crew Chief's Suspension Upheld. He's Sitting for 4. See You Around the End of June.

Lowe's Signs Contract Extension with Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports

Darlington is Happy with the Results of Its Mother's Day Weekend Race

Dale Jarrett and Michael Waltrip…Decidedly not Young Guns…Instead It's Rusty Pistols for Toyota

More Silly Season Stuff…Way too Early in the Year for this Stuff. This isn't Supposed to Start Until After Labor Day…UPS, The #88, Robert Yates, Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott

Complete Finishing Order

1 Greg Biffle (16)
2 Jeff Gordon (24)
3 Matt Kenseth (17)
4 Jimmie Johnson (48)
5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
6 Ryan Newman (12)
7 Kyle Busch (5)
8 Mark Martin (6)
9 Jeff Burton (31)
10 Denny Hamlin (11)
11 Reed Sorenson (41)
12 Tony Stewart (20)
13 Robby Gordon (7)
14 Martin Truex Jr. (1)
15 Ken Schrader (21)
16 Joe Nemechek (01)
17 Casey Mears (42)
18 Kyle Petty (45)
19 Kurt Busch (2)
20 Tony Raines (96)
21 Kasey Kahne (9)
22 Bobby Labonte (43)
23 Clint Bowyer (07)
24 Dale Jarrett (88)
25 David Stremme (40)
26 J.J. Yeley (18)
27 Dave Blaney (22)
28 Sterling Marlin (14)
29 Elliott Sadler (38)
30 Travis Kvapil (32)
31 Scott Riggs (10)
32 Jeff Green (66)
33 Scott Wimmer (4)
34 Terry Labonte (44)
35 Michael Waltrip (55)
36 Kevin Lepage (49)
37 Kevin Harvick (29)
38 Jeremy Mayfield (19)
39 Carl Edwards (99)
40 Stanton Barrett Jr. (95)
41 Brian Vickers (25)
42 Jamie McMurray (26)
43 Derrike Cope (74)

The Just Us Cup-date

Place - Driver
Finishing Points
Deduction (DNQ/Prov -5, DNF -5,
Bonus (Pole +5, Most Laps Led +5, Win +5)
TOTAL

1st - Greg Biffle (16)
Finish - 70
Win - 5
Most Laps Lead - 5
TOTAL - 80

2nd - Jeff Gordon (24)
Finish - 65
TOTAL - 65

4th - Jimmie Johnson (48)
Finish - 60
TOTAL - 60

5th - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
Finish - 55
TOTAL - 55

8th - Mark Martin (6)
Finish - 50
TOTAL - 50

15th - Ken Schrader (21)
Finish - 45
TOTAL - 45

19th - Kurt Busch (2)
Finish - 40
TOTAL - 40

21st - Kasey Kahne (9)
Finish - 35
Pole - 5
TOTAL - 40

24th - Dale Jarrett (88)
Finish - 30
TOTAL - 30

29th - Elliott Sadler (38)
Finish - 25
TOTAL - 25

35th - Michael Waltrip (55)
Finish - 20
TOTAL - 20

37th - Kevin Harvick (29)
Finish - 15
TOTAL - 15

39th - Carl Edwards (99)
Finish - 10
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 5

42nd - Jamie McMurray (26)
Finish - 5
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 0

Next Up:

May 20th...non-points races...NASCAR Nextel All Star Challenge/Nextel Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway... No Just Us Cupdate next week. Resumes week after.

May 28th...points race...May 28th...Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway

Location: Concord, NC
Banking/Turns: Oval
Distance: 1.5 miles
Shape: Oval

65,000 cubic yards...

A 65,000 cubic yard rock fell off of Mount St. Helen's face...and the height of the damned mountain remained the same because of lava pressure from inside.

It's only a matter of time before the old girl takes another shot at screwing up life in the Pacific Northwest.

New on CafePress

The "Will Have Sex For Food" moniker is available on many products.

Click here to visit the Through the Cigar Smoke store on CafePress.

Die Terrorist, Die

From IFilm.

Very heavy metal.



Die motherf*&^%r. Die motherf*&^%r, die.

If you only get sound, try this link.

Superman vs. Captain Marvel

This was very well done. I just wish the clip was lighter so you could see better.

Makes you swallow hard when they collapse the building while fighting with each other.



Good stuff.

I am so going to have to get the Justice League Unlimited DVDs. Some of the best superhero cartoons ever made.

Thanks to the guys over at Zilla and the Comics Junkies for having this on their blog.

Curt's Requiem

My friend is going through some difficult stuff, dealing with grief and relatives and such. He posted a requiem for his wife, something that he wrote for her nearly 20 years ago. It's a nice, sad love song without music.

Hope he doesn't mind, but I'm going to link to it.

Read it here.

Mark Cuban, the NBA, and the $100,000 Blog Entry

Cuban was fined $200,000 by the NBA.

$100,000 was deserved. He ran onto the court in Game One between the Spurs and the Mavericks to dispute officiating.

It's a crock that they fined him another $100,000 for his suggestion, via his blog, that only the best officials should be officiating in the NBA playoffs.

The man is right. The best officials should be working those games.

There are so many blown calls and ghost calls in every game.

The best of the best make the playoffs. They deserve the best possible officiating. And, we, as fans, should demand it.

The Crown Royal 400 at Richmond, VA...The Just Us Cupdate

The Race Report

To Busch or Not to Busch

Wow! 3 Separate Rules Violations Buy Jarrett's Crew Chief a Seat on the Bench Until Next Month

For Jr. Fans, One Win Does Not Remove the Stigma of Overratedness. It's a Big Step, But the Rumor Will Persist…Sorry

Jr. Wins at Richmond

Contenders Struggle at Richmond

Margolis's Yahoo Richmond Observations

Silly Season 2006 - An Early Beginning - The #49 Cans the First Driver of the Year

Race Flash - Richmond

RCR Keeps Kevin Harvick in the Stable

If Jarrett Jumps to Toyota, Ward Burton may be in the #88

Toyota Engines, Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, and Bill Elliott

Complete Finishing Order

1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
2 Denny Hamlin (11)
3 Kevin Harvick (29)
4 Greg Biffle (16)
5 Kyle Busch (5)
6 Tony Stewart (20)
7 Carl Edwards (99)
8 Ryan Newman (12)
9 Sterling Marlin (14)
10 Clint Bowyer (07)
11 Mark Martin (6)
12 Jimmie Johnson (48)
13 Elliott Sadler (38)
14 Scott Riggs (10)
15 Jeff Burton (31)
16 Ken Schrader (21)
17 Casey Mears (42)
18 Jeff Green (66)
19 Jamie McMurray (26)
20 Dave Blaney (22)
21 Dale Jarrett (88)
22 J.J. Yeley (18)
23 Reed Sorenson (41)
24 Bobby Labonte (43)
25 Kenny Wallace (178)
26 Kyle Petty (45)
27 Travis Kvapil (32)
28 Joe Nemechek (01)
29 Kurt Busch (2)
30 Tony Raines (96)
31 Michael Waltrip (55)
32 Jeremy Mayfield (19)
33 David Stremme (40)
34 Kasey Kahne (9)
35 Mike Wallace (49)
36 Scott Wimmer (4)
37 Brian Vickers (25)
38 Matt Kenseth (17)
39 Robby Gordon (7)
40 Jeff Gordon (24)
41 Martin Truex Jr. (1)
42 Kevin Lepage (49)
43 Derrike Cope (74)

The Just Us Cup-date

Place - Driver
Finishing Points
Deduction (DNQ/Prov -5, DNF -5,
Bonus (Pole +5, Most Laps Led +5, Win +5)
TOTAL

1st - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
Finish - 70
Win - 5
TOTAL - 75

3rd - Kevin Harvick (29)
Finish - 65
Most Laps Lead - 5
TOTAL - 70

4th - Greg Biffle (16)
Finish - 60
Pole - 5
TOTAL - 65

7th - Carl Edwards (99)
Finish - 55
TOTAL - 55

11th - Mark Martin (6)
Finish - 50
TOTAL - 50

12th - Jimmie Johnson (48)
Finish - 45
TOTAL - 45

13th - Elliott Sadler (38)
Finish - 40
TOTAL - 40

16th - Ken Schrader (21)
Finish - 35
TOTAL - 35

19th - Jamie McMurray (26)
Finish - 30
TOTAL - 30

21st - Dale Jarrett (88)
Finish - 25
TOTAL - 25

29th - Kurt Busch (2)
Finish - 20
TOTAL - 20

31st - Michael Waltrip (55)
Finish - 15
TOTAL - 15

34th - Kasey Kahne (9)
Finish - 10
TOTAL - 10

40th - Jeff Gordon (24)
Finish - 5
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 0

Next Up:

Saturday, May 13 - 6:55 pm
Darlington Raceway
Location: Darlington, SC
Banking/Turns: Oval
Distance: 1.366
Shape: Oval

Packers' Draft 2006

Yes, it's late, but so what.

There just isn't a whole lot to it.

If Hawk develops, then the defense will be better.

An improved D will not make Favre pull the ball down and take the sack like he should on occasion. Favre is the MAN, but I don't want to see him throw 18 or 20 INTs this year.

Nope...

I just don't have the stomach for it.

US Government Tells Little Brother Not To Do Something

The US Government criticized the Mexican law severely, fearing drug tourism from the United States.

Well...and...

Vincente Fox listened...Hope he wasn't too intent on winning his next election.

A Mexican, heck, any Latin American Head of State, who can be shown to have caved to U. S. pressure is very likely to lose his next run for office. With the high level of Venezuelan propaganda loose in the region and the growth of leftist politics and parties, being a "Friend of America" isn't good for their political future.

The Aaron's 499 at Taladega, AL...the Just Us Cupdate

The Race Report

Johnson Goes 2 for 2 at the plate...tracks.

Say what you want to say, but Johnson is tearing it up this season. I'll give the man some grudging credit. I don't like him...but you can't argue with his results.

Trading Paint on Yahoo: Jerry B Answering the Fan's Questions about NASCAR

Best quotes from the NASCAR fans asking those questions:

… say what you really want to say about Jimmie Johnson. OK, you won't, so I will. He'd leave his grandmother out to dry if it'd ensure him a win.

So would most Cup drivers when it came down to nut cutting time.

Fact of life on the asphalt. When it's time to go, by God, it's time to go. Inches apart, 190 mph, the checkered flag in sight, individual sport...there are no teammates. You can apologize to the guy you share the garage with next week. But right then, if you failed to go for the checkers, you don't belong behind the wheel of the car.

And, lest we forget, mention of someone who the rest of the country haven't seen yet...That would be Jeffrey Earnhardt. That's right. Kerry's son...the grandson of the Intimidator.

The Old Wolves Blame the Young Guns for the Big Ones at the Plate Races

Hmmm, amazing that if we go back and start looking we'll find that the "Young Guns" aren't always the ones who cause the "Big One". Look no further than Saturday's Busch Race...Tony Stewart...Pot meet Mr. Kettle.

Sigh...I can't believe this crap. I'm put in the position of defending Jimmie Johnson and the whole "Young Gun" concept this week. What the hell is going on?

Questions About Kasey Kahne's Health Following the Big 'dega Crash

Margolis's Taladega Observations

Toyota Apparently Interested in Dale Jarrett

Lee Spencer Suggests a Restrictor Plate Solution

Less horsepower...smaller engines...Is she insane?

The Aaron's 499 Race Flash

Complete Finishing Order

1 Jimmie Johnson (48)
2 Tony Stewart (20)
3 Brian Vickers (25)
4 Jeff Burton (31)
5 Jamie McMurray (26)
6 Matt Kenseth (17)
7 Kurt Busch (2)
8 Carl Edwards (99)
9 Scott Riggs (10)
10 Robby Gordon (7)
11 J.J. Yeley (18)
12 Dale Jarrett (88)
13 Jeremy Mayfield (19)
14 Jeff Green (66)
15 Jeff Gordon (24)
16 Elliott Sadler (38)
17 Tony Raines (96)
18 Kyle Petty (45)
19 Travis Kvapil (32)
20 Casey Mears (42)
21 Scott Wimmer (4)
22 Denny Hamlin (11)
23 Kevin Harvick (29)
24 Dave Blaney (22)
25 Michael Waltrip (55)
26 Reed Sorenson (41)
27 Joe Nemechek (01)
28 Kevin Lepage (61)
29 Bobby Labonte (43)
30 Chad Chaffin (34)
31 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
32 Kyle Busch (5)
33 Ryan Newman (12)
34 David Stremme (40)
35 Mark Martin (6)
36 Martin Truex Jr. (1)
37 Sterling Marlin (14)
38 Greg Biffle (16)
39 Kasey Kahne (9)
40 Clint Bowyer (07)
41 Kirk Shelmerdine (27)
42 Ken Schrader (21)
43 Hermie Sadler (00)

The Just Us Cup-date

Place - Driver
Finishing Points
Deduction (DNQ/Prov -5, DNF -5,
Bonus (Pole +5, Most Laps Led +5, Win +5)
TOTAL

1st - Jimmie Johnson (48)
Finish - 70
Win - 5
TOTAL - 75

5th - Jamie McMurray (26)
Finish - 65
TOTAL - 65

7th - Kurt Busch (2)
Finish - 60
TOTAL - 60

8th - Carl Edwards (99)
Finish - 55
TOTAL - 55

12th - Dale Jarrett (88)
Finish - 50
TOTAL - 50

15th - Jeff Gordon (24)
Finish - 45
Most Laps Lead - 5
TOTAL - 50

16th - Elliott Sadler (38)
Finish - 40
Pole - 5
TOTAL - 45

23rd - Kevin Harvick (29)
Finish - 35
Prov - -5
TOTAL - 30

25th - Michael Waltrip (55)
Finish - 30
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 25

31st - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8)
Finish - 25
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 20

35th - Mark Martin (6)
Finish - 20
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 15

38th - Greg Biffle (16)
Finish - 15
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 10

39th - Kasey Kahne (9)
Finish - 10
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 5

42nd - Ken Schrader (21)
Finish - 5
DNF - -5
TOTAL - 0

Wow! 5 DNFs this week.

Next Up:

Saturday, May 6th
Location: Richmond, VA
Banking/Turns: Oval
Distance: 0.75 miles
Shape: Oval

So, Arnold Swarzeneggar, Paul Tagliabue, and the City of Los Angeles Walk into a Bar...Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

Haven't they tried having two teams in Los Angeles before?

Didn't seem like it worked too well then, did it?

Hell, they couldn't support one team in L. A.

What makes the NFL and Ah-nold think that they could put two teams there and the football fans in Los Angeles and Southern California would supported it.

I'd rather see NFL franchises land in San Antonio, Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, Portland, and Salt Lake City before they even consider Los Angeles.

Heck, maybe even Mexico City. An NFL franchise in Mexico City would be a money making son-of-a...you get the idea.

I'm Amazed...

When I reported last week on the bill in Mexico's legislature to legalize drugs, I figured it would die before it got to their President's desk.

This story surfaced today.

Not only is it going to pass, Vincente Fox has said he will sign it.

I'm dumbfounded.

I can also hear college students all over the country updating their travel plans for this summer.