Notes of a Defeatist

Fanboys finally put a stop to the further ruin of the Star Wars franchise. 

If only they could have gotten to him before Indy 4 happened.

Tags:   George Lucas · Movies · Star WarsNo Comments.

Wisconsin residents are still obsessing with the minutia of everything Brett Favre related. I gave up regularly listening to sports radio two years ago, just to avoid hearing the never ending discussion of when Favre would retire.

These jackasses have been leading rallies to get Favre reinstated, which considering there’s an election looming and a war going still raging only make this fiasco even more ridiculous. 

Now, people are even resorting to limericks.

My favorite: 

“There once was a QB with class,

Who thought the team should kiss his ass

He said “Just release me!”

“You should do this to please me”

Nah, I’ll just go back home and cut grass.”

Tags:   Brett Favre · football · Green Bay · limericks · Packers · WisconsinNo Comments.

Further proof that Bush really really hates you. 
From Telegraph U.K.:

President George Bush: ‘Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.

The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.”

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

Mr Bush, whose second and final term as President ends at the end of the year, then left the meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido where the leaders of the world’s richest nations had been discussing new targets to cut carbon emissions.”

 

Tags:   Embedded In America · environment · funny · George W. Bush · jackass · PR mistakes1 Comment

 Earlier this week screenwriter/novelist David Benioff dropped by Harry W. Schwartz on Downer to read from his new novel City of Thieves.

The new novel deals with the Fall of Leningrad, Nazis, war ravaged Russia, the stories grandfathers tell, and an impossible mission. I’ve only just begun it, but Benioff’s prose is absorbing and it’s a hard book to put down.

Having loved the 25th Hour, I found that with David Benioff’s work, you don’t read it in short spurts only to eventually get to the ending. Instead there’s lots of time well spent, engrossed, and eagerly awaiting to return to the pages when torn away.

Here’s audio from Benioff’s reading at Schwartz’s.

Tags:   25th Hour · Audio · Books · City of Thieves · David Benioff · Harry W. Schwartz · Milwaukee · Novel · reading2 Comments

michael_jackson, originally uploaded by bartleby78.

Found this at work in a book.

It now graces our break room, which we all love looking at during lunch.I don’t know what I love more—the leg kick, glove sticker, or head tilt with cigarette.

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Parents fight over which gang their toddler should join.

from DenverChannel.com

 

COMMERCE CITY, Colo.— 

A couple fighting about which gang their 4-year-old toddler should join caused a public disturbance that resulted in the father’s arrest, Commerce City police said Thursday.

On Saturday, Joseph Manzanares stormed into the Hollywood Video store where his girlfriend worked, threatened to kill her and knocked over several video displays and even a computer, Commerce City police Sgt. Joe Sandoval said. After he ran out of the store, police were called and the 19-year-old was arrested at his home.

His girlfriend told police that they had been arguing about the upbringing of their son and which gang he should belong to. The teen mother, who is black, is a member of the Crips. Manzanares is Hispanic and belongs to the Westside Ballers gang, the woman said.

 ”They have different ideas on how the baby should be raised. Basically, she said they cannot agree on which gang the baby would ‘claim,’” Sandoval said. Manzanares was charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, and domestic violence. He was transported to the Adams County Detention Facility.

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to a year of probation. The misdemeanor harassment charge was dropped.

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Too Much Coffee Man Opera: The Refill, the sequel to last years sold-out Too Much Coffee Man Opera, opens April 4th, 2008 at Brunish Hall in the Portland Center of Performing Arts and runs until April 20th. Admission is $20-$25 and tickets can be purchased online atwww.ticketmaster.com.

“Last year’s performances sold out so fast, we really wanted to get the word out early so fans will have a chance to see this limited engagement,” said Shannon Wheeler, the creator behind Too Much Coffee Man.

Not only will fans get a chance to see the sequel, but those who missed out on the original will have an opportunity to experience both shows as Wheeler and his crew have brought the first show back for an encore that run before all showing of the the sequel. The first and second shows will play back to back with a short intermission between.

For many comic fans the original Too Much Coffee Man Opera was their first exposure to opera. While many opera fans saw Too Much Coffee Man for the first time. All attendees were impressed by the humor… and the music.

“This isn’t coffee-related-lyrics slipped into Wagnerian tunes. It’s original music with a personal story line about identity, love, and rejection,” said Stacey Murdock, who plays Too Much Coffee Man.

The Too Much Coffee Man Opera is the story of an idealistic hero, named Too Much Coffee Man, as he competes with rival Espresso Guy for the attention of a Barista. Unfornately, she has her own agenda, to be a super hero.

The second opera, entitled Too Much Coffee Man Opera: The Refill l, picks up two years later. The Barista has fulfilled her superhero dreamS and she’s married a Martian. Unfortunately she’s bored. She hopes caffeine will cure her ennui and calls Too Much Coffee Man for help. Antics ensue as Espresso Guy tries to win her back by pretending to be Too Much Coffee Man.

Shannon Wheeler created the comic book Too Much Coffee Man over a decade ago to parody the emerging coffee scene and to satirize the patrons (who would sit in coffee shops writing comics). Even though the comic book is humor based Wheeler and his co-creators took their opera project seriously.

Too Much Coffee Man Opera: The Refill re-unites the all star line up of creators who birthed the original This includes, Emmy award-winning Composer Daniel Crafts, award winning Canadian poet Damian Willcox, baritone Stacey Murdock performs as Too Much Coffee Man, tenor Matt Dolphin plays Espresso Guy and mezzo-soprano Jasmine Presson performs as the Barista with Meg Chamberlain producing.

Randy Rollison, a veteran of many stage productions throughout the U.S, including the world premiere of The Vagina Monologues, has taken the helm as director. He’s determined to take this show up to the next level or, at least, do something really weird.

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Really though, deer piss?  

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With the country swimming in primaries, campaign strategies, and of course the promise of changeone has to wonder, why does anyone really want to be President?

As would be expected, the perpetually antiquated Andy Rooney has a some insight.

Maybe this explains some of the appeal the position holds for our current leader.

I can’t wait to see how history portrays this administration. Maybe, just maybe, America may gain a sense of humility.

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becca, originally uploaded by bartleby78.

 

Yesterday, Maren Helen Walton was born in Virginia, to Becca and Forest Walton.

Congratulations to both Forest and Becca!

Earlier today, my Mom left me this message:

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