Jockey Full of Bourbon

well, that didn't take long...

GOP officials: Craig to resign Saturday - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo...

BOISE, Idaho - Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will announce Saturday he will resign from the Senate amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an airport men's room, Republican officials said Friday.

damn, that was quick.  the Repugnican leadership did learn its lesson from l'affaire Foley

this is sad

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China dishes up menu translations

http://news.bbc.c...

China is working hard to present a positive image during the GamesChina is taking action on the English translations of its restaurant menus in its campaign to brush up the country's image for next year's Olympics. The Beijing Tourism Bureau has released a list of 2,753 dishes and drinks it think...

 

this saddens me in many levels.  on a personal one, I've always enjoyed the more whimsical English names for Chinese dishes:  "Virgin chicken", "Buddha's delight", "Ants in a tree", "Eight treasures rice"...

the idea that,

The names of many Chinese dishes have historical, cultural, regional and political connotations that would not necessarily be understood by foreigners, (...)  But the poor English translations "either scare or embarrass foreign customers and may cause misunderstanding of China's diet habits".

is soooo depressing.  wouldn't a traveler want to learn about historical, cultural, regional and political connotations ? even if just to compare to one's own.

bottoms up!

Your Score: Bourbon

Congratulations! You're 123 proof, with specific scores in beer (120) , wine (133), and liquor (78).

Screw all that namby-pamby chick stuff, you're going straight for the bottle and a shot glass! It'll take more than a few shots of Wild Turkey or 99 Bananas before you start seeing pink elephants. You know how to handle your alcohol, and yourself at parties.

Link: The Alcohol Knowledge Test written by hoppersplit on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

take OK Cupid's Alcohol knowledge test

Wall of death : : Another brick in the wall

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall(part2)

Pink Floyd

previously on Calliope No. 8:

http://calliopeno...

Coney Island Blue :: Wall of Death

[taps microphone]  hello?  hello?
                            anybody here...


see what you made me do, Calliope No. 8? 
...reduced me to posting the obvious.

gah

comments by Jamie Foxx on Michael Vick caught my eye:

“It’s a cultural thing, I think,” (...) Most brothers didn’t know that, you know.

I used to see dogs fighting in the neighborhood all the time. (1)

I didn’t know that was Fed time. So, Mike probably just didn’t read

his handbook on what not to do as a black star.” (2)

 

even if these highly doubtful statements were true and Michael Vick grew up "in his neighborhood" thinking there was nothing wrong in sponsored dogfighting, he did grow up and move away, didn't he?  to a little place known as Virginia Tech where he spent a few years, no?  was he so sheltered that he never got his childhood notions challenged? that he expected the entire world to be like he knew at home? 

if so, wouldn't that be fucking sad?

 

(1) I used to see dogs fighting in my neighborhood too, Jamie. couple of distinctions: they'd get away from each other before much damage was done; they were not bred and trained to fight; it was not an spectacle

(2) nope Jamie.  the handbook Mike didn't read was the other one: the one on being a human being. his loss

 

The soundtrack to my summer

This summer hasn't been too great, more downs than ups; one of the highlights is the musical compilation
Tropicália: A Brazilian revolution in sound, which has taken almost uninterrupted residence in my car's CD player.

Tropicália was a short-lived Brazilian arts movement that peaked in the 1967-1968 period, partly inspired by the same effervescence that generated the Summer of love  and Paris May 1968; a worldwide sense that national barriers were breaking down and cultures were taking, giving, borrowing and loaning to each other. 

while Tropicália was not limited to music, its major impact and legacy is musical; exuberant, limitless, daring.  here are some tracks:

13-Caetano Veloso _ Tropicália

This track by Caetano Veloso, one of the leaders of the movement along with Gilberto Gil, became a sort of anthem

15-Gal Costa _ Vou Recomeçar

11-Tom Zé _ Jimmy, Renda-Se

16-Os Mutantes _ Panis Et Circenses

Gal Costa, Tom Ze, and Os Mutantes

two versions of the traditional Bat Macumba

01-Gilberto Gil _ Bat Macumba

Various

20-Os Mutantes _ Bat Macumba

Various

Bedtime for Gonzo

A Farewell To Assholes Dept.: HEY EVERYONE, GONZO FINALLY RESIGNED - Wonkette

http://wonkette.com/politics/a-farewe...

In one final display of hilarious ineptitude, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned on a Friday afternoon, the traditional home of the unwelcome newsdump, and then waited until a Monday morning to announce it. Way to go, Fredo — you will be missed!

fuckin' A
and
Hallelujah

now comes the fear:  who will be dragged off the deep morass of this administration to replace him?

based on pure, unadulterated ineptitude and blatant politicking, the likely choice has to be Michael Chertoff

fQotD: is MFBT!!

When drinking alone, what do you do?  Sing along to the radio?  Think about your day?  Something else?

A:  cry in my beer. 

MFBT by Married to the Sea

Booze-time

a propos of absolutely nothing...

...except this picture gave me a laughing fit:

Bush eated it

obvy, a Photochop job, still marvelous.
c'mon, contest time.  make your best LOLcat !

picture from SLOG: The Stranger's blog (last item)

voila!

I eated it cap

capped via I Can Has Cheezburger Factory

QotD: Passing The Drive Time

When driving alone, what do you do?  Sing along to the radio?  Think about your day?  Something else?
Submitted by carapiccoladiva.  

oh gosh...  let me think

when driving alone I do the same thing as when driving not alone:

drive

Mine! mine! mine! no, mine! not yours, mine!

edit:  not my guinea pigs.  gerald56 video yanked from YouTube

Three Guinea pigs fighting for a cucumber

another edit:  OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!!!!  ponies!!! eleventy1111!!!.  
after two years and dozens of submissions,
 I CAN HAZ CUTEOVERLOAD!!!

!yay!
!yay!
!yay!

Baby's in black : : Black and blue

previously on Calliope No. 8:

http://calliopeno...

Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby :: Baby's In Black

Lyle Lovett-Pontiac-08-Black and Blue

Lyle Lovett

I'm sore all over Calliope No. 8

hear ye, hear ye: check out the fQotD banners by valerae!

check out the cool banners val made!

funny and clever, with a bit of attitude.  teh awesom-O.   recommended for use whenever the QOTD raises your heckles.

FQotD worthy

FQotD talkin

FQotD nom nom nom

FQotD jockey

thanks  val!  you rockz.      and if you don't know val,  get to know her!

Get to know me! via some vaguely interesting posts

val started it and threw the challenge

so here I pick up on the challenge and offer a peek onto my blogsonality:

I <3 Tom Waits
Nuffs harsh teh qte in Cute Overload 
Participated in NaBloPoMo
Introducing Steven E.
Declared my passion for ramen
...and for homemade mac'n'cheese

Began the fQotD
Liveblogged the 2007 State of the Union address
Spent some quality time with Ignatius J. Reilly
Ranted about "Disney Princess" wedding dresses
Quadrophenia!!
Got an Angry Bunny mug
Spent some time with dad
Remained unaffected by Harry Potter


exciting, eh?

and a few VOX groups:

Calliope No. 8  where I spend entirely too much time
Butters lovers  well heck, is Butters!
Cuteologist Anonymous  is teh qte
Social Justice because one should never lack reasons to be pissed off
Vegetarians and Vegans there is more to life than chocolate

fQotD: write your own children's book

several folks in my 'hood have answered today's qotd by posting their fave children's books. wonderful choices.  just to be contrary, I thought to write my own.

Stevie has a breakfast

Stevie woke up  hungry.  he decided to look around for something to eat.

ahoy!  there is something to check out

This looks tasty

mmm.  it seems to be alone and unprotected

The coast is clear

it's mine!  all mine!

Stevie enjoys a healthy breakfast

quite tasty, actually.  much better than kibble. 

Slurp slurp

what!?  you say it is your breakfast? back off missy!

Get away from my breakfast

The End

Lie still, little bottle : : You and me and the bottle makes three (baby)

previously on Calliope No. 8:

http://calliopeno...

Broken Bottle :: Lie Still, Little Bottle

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - You And Me And The Bottle

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Product recalls, lead paint, suicide

back on August 1st, Mattel announced the recall of 1.5 million toys under the label of its "Fisher-Price" division * due to the use of lead-based paint, illegal in the US, by the Chinese toy producer.
today Mattel is adding 3 more products to the recall:  one due to the use of lead-based paint and two due to magnet hazards.  according to the recall notice:

Hazard: Small magnets inside the dolls and accessories can come loose. The magnets can be found by young children and swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal.
Incidents/Injuries: Since the previous recall announcement, Mattel has received more than 400 additional reports of magnets coming loose. CPSC was aware in the first recall announcement of 170 reports of the magnets coming out of the recalled toys. There had been three reports of serious injuries to children who swallowed more than one magnet. All three suffered intestinal perforations that required surgery.

news stories on the first and second Mattel recalls.

complete list of Mattel recalled toys

80% of toys sold in the US are manufactured in China.

it was reported by a Chinese state-run newspaper, that " Days after the Fisher-Price recall, Chinese officials temporarily banned the toys' manufacturer, Lee Der Industrial Co., from exporting products. A Lee Der co-owner, Cheung Shu-hung, committed suicide at a warehouse over the weekend, apparently by hanging himself, ..."

it was reported that the tainted paint was supplied by Cheung's best friend:  "The boss and the company were harmed by the paint supplier, the closest friend of our boss,".  Cheung's suicide is under investigation.

* gah.  I didn't even know Fisher-Price belonged to Mattel;  I'd always liked F-P:  they seemed so...innocent

Karl Rove leaves the White House and all I got is this lousy video...

Dancing Bear already has a great post on the resignation of Karl Rove aka "Turd Blossom" .  I can't add much more except my fervent wish that Rove spends the next 10 years testifying as to his doings in the White House to a hostile Congress.

here's a little clip to remember the motherfucker by:

MC Rove

edit:  ugh.  according to some sources, Rove is in talks to join Fred Thompson's campaign.  Thompson is expected to  announce he is joining the race for the White House in September.  another "things that make you go "ummmm"" bit: Rove's protege Tim Griffin joined Thompson non-campaign back in June. 

edit 08/13/2007@12:25:  added note and links, Rove to join Thompson campaign

Bottleneck : : Broken bottle

previously on Calliope No. 8:

http://calliopeno...

Tonight the Bottle Let me Down :: Bottleneck

Alejandro escovedo - broken bottle

Alejandro Escovedo

oh noes! the bottle is now broken Calliope No. 8

LEGO maniac!!

Giant Lego man washed up on Dutch beach - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/0...

EmailGiant Lego man washed up on Dutch beachPosted August 8, 2007 06:03:00 Washed up: Children play around the giant Lego man (Reuters: Paul Vreeker)A giant, smiling Lego man has been fished out of the sea in the Dutch resort of Zandvoort.Workers at a drinks stall rescued the 2.5-metre tall model, which had a yellow head and blue torso."We saw something bobbing about in the sea and we decided to take it out of the water," said a stall worker. "It was a life-sized Lego toy."A woman nearby added: "I saw the Lego toy floating towards the beach from the direction of England."The toy was later placed in front of the drinks stall.-ReutersTags: human-interest, offbeat, netherlands

this is so beyond cool!  Maggie, you should go over that beach and file a report.

for those who slept (or weren't yet born) through the U.S.'s painful attempt to switch to the metric system, 2.5 meters is a bit over 8 feet.

the Tesla roadster - getting the "wimp" off of the electric car

SF TECH CHRONICLES - The Tesla roadster (1st item)

http://www.sfgate...

The cars, already popular with celebrities including George Clooney and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will be available in showrooms in Menlo Park and Los Angeles. The Menlo Park showroom will occupy a former Chevrolet dealership on El Camino Real. There's a metaphor there somewhere.

 

on the drive to work this morning I was listening to a radio piece about the Tesla roadster,  one sexy beast of a car. 0-60 mph in 4 seconds and costs 1-2 cents per mile to operate.  

did I mention it has no gas tank or tailpipe? the Tesla is a 100% electric car.

 

one seriously badass puppy

 

Tesla roadster

 

[makes grabby hands]  I WANTZ, I WANTZ, I WANTZ !

 

one little hurdle before I can get my hands on one of these beauties: how to come up with the $100,000 they sell for.

[sigh]

Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) : : Evening Gown

Alejandro escovedo - Evening Gown

Alejandro Escovedo

previously onCalliope No. 8

http://calliopeno...

Velvet Pants :: Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)

Peter Pan lovers, rejoice !

Peter Pan peanut butter returns to shelves after salmonella outbreak -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busines...

Peter Pan peanut butter will return to stores this month with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee to reassure consumers that ConAgra Foods has fixed the problems that allowed salmonella to contaminate the product. ConAgra said Wednesday that its peanut butter will begin appearing on store shelves this month, but it can't predict when stores nationwide will resume selling Peter Pan. The Omaha-based company recalled all its peanut butter in February after government investigators linked the bacteria outbreak to ConAgra's Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.

erm,

I meant Peter Pan "peanut butter" lovers, rejoice!  get your minds off the gutter.

PP peanut butter now comes with a "100% satisfaction guarantee"

Taintfreepb

from ConAgra Foods.


it took ConAgra 6 months to get PP back on the shelves after a salmonella contamination problem that stopped the production of PP last February and has been linked to 625 salmonella cases.  it must have been a pretty deep-seated problem;  PP is now being made at a different site.

big fat fucking deal

It’s 756 HRs, one steal: Bonds forever tarnishes record - MLB Coverage - BostonHerald.com

http://redsox.bos...

"He might have gotten to 756, but does it feel like he got away with it? There is no one left who genuinely, honestly believes in his heart that Bonds did not cheat. We got fooled once, in ’98, and the joke was on us. We got fooled twice, last night in San Francisco, and the joke was on Bonds. H...

I'm by no means a baseball fan, but that doesn't keep me from being sad and angry that last night

Barry Bonds broke stole Hank Aaron's record for career home runs hit.  Bonds's record will most likely go into the record books with an asterisk ( * ), to remind us that the real, untarnished record still belongs to Aaron.

allow me a digresion:  a long time ago, back on the time of the dinosaurs, I lived in Venezuela which is a totally baseball-crazy country. back then we were all following Aaron's chase for the record.  and I remember reading/watching about the hatred and death threats heaped on Aaron from those who did not want to see Babe Ruth's record broken "by a black man".  and Aaron lived through all that with dignity and grace while steroid- and (illegal) performance enhanced-drug free.

"steroid- and (illegal) performance enhanced-drug free" is a phrase that will never be applied to Barry Bonds. even if you havent' read Game of Shadows (and if you are a baseball fan you should) it is pretty clear that Bonds both used an array of non-permitted substances and then committed perjury by lying about it to a federal grand jury. 

if you have doubts just look at these pictures

my neighbor Cap'n Crook is allowing me to link to the post he wrote when Bonds tied Aaron.  it expresses my anger and frustration better than I ever hope to do. check it out.

to end, here's a quote from the Boston Herald article linked atop this post:

Liars, cheaters, frauds, phonies. Together they spit on Maris and Mantle and Mays, and all the other

180-pound stars who did it for real. They chose the shortcut, better hitting through chemistry,

and thought they were going to get away with it. They had the union zealots behind them,

they had a linguini-spined commissioner and they had the starry-eyed sycophants from

ESPN who wanted to believe that flaxseed could make a man’s head grow a size and a half.

Drugs : : Handshake drugs

previously on Calliope No. 8

http://calliopeno...

No Dope, No Drugs : : Drugs

06-Handshake Drugs

Wilco