Via Time:
The website Herobuilders.com offers an assortment of action figures, including politically themed figures. In addition to featuring a disproportionate amount of Sarah Palin figures, the site also has a talking Jimmy McMillan doll, otherwise known as "the rent is too damn high" guy.
What does Jimmy McMillan the action figure say? We'll give you one guess.
If you're thinking of Christmas gifts early, or know someone who really gets into the spirit of midterms, the talking McMillan will run you $49.95. Or you could save and get the non-talking McMillan figure ($39.95) but then you'd really be missing out on the best part of the action figure.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Government Doesn't Suck March
It's not as catchy as the Rally to Restore Sanity, but there's no subtlety in that title.
Ed O'Keefe's blogging:
Ed O'Keefe's blogging:
Organizers of the "Government Doesn't Suck March" (their choice of words, not ours) were inspired in part by last week's Washington Post poll that revealed widespread negative perceptions of federal workers.
"We hear it day in and day out: the government sucks, federal employees are lazy and their positions are redundant," said march organizer Steve Ressler, founder of GovLoop, a social networking Web site for public servants.
Steve Ressler
Steve Ressler, center, chats with fellow federal workers at a recent conference. (Katherine Frey/Post)
"It's time to turn the tables and remind the world that government employees just happen to be people -- people that don't suck," Ressler said in a message sent to The Federal Eye on Sunday announcing the march. Government workers "are a lot of cool cats" who work hard, listen to good music and watch Stewart's "The Daily Show," "but that's all after they've spent a whole day keeping the country running," he said.
Top 10 Campaign Fails of 2010
The Huffington Post is writing about some of the worst moments from the 2010 campaign trail. Those cringe worthy, "OMG did they really say that?" moments from this election cycle.
Find the full list on HuffPo, but here's the top 3...
Find the full list on HuffPo, but here's the top 3...
No More Viral Ads?
Gawker does have a point.
They've declared the age of the viral political ad over. They write, "It started this summer, a wave of demented campaign ads that fell into the laps of lazy political bloggers like manna from heaven. Many went viral. But now the genre is killing itself by trying way too hard....Now virality has become the sole aim of craven political ad directors who are supplanting their subjects as the true stars of the game....But the game's up. Now that their code has been sequenced, the potency of these viral videos is basically zero. Ehllinger's Wicked Witch video has a little over 2,000 views on YouTube. The viral video candidates of the summer all lost, leaving only memories and a bunch of really stupid campaign ads.
Here are some of my faves:
They've declared the age of the viral political ad over. They write, "It started this summer, a wave of demented campaign ads that fell into the laps of lazy political bloggers like manna from heaven. Many went viral. But now the genre is killing itself by trying way too hard....Now virality has become the sole aim of craven political ad directors who are supplanting their subjects as the true stars of the game....But the game's up. Now that their code has been sequenced, the potency of these viral videos is basically zero. Ehllinger's Wicked Witch video has a little over 2,000 views on YouTube. The viral video candidates of the summer all lost, leaving only memories and a bunch of really stupid campaign ads.
Here are some of my faves:
Friday, October 22, 2010
Voting Machine Conspiracy?!
Via Gawker:
As you can see in the video, Relyea is trying to cast his vote for Rick Perry, the Republican candidate for Governor (I know, I know). But when he presses his finger to Rick Perry's name, the machine selects Deb Shafto—the Green Party's candidate. And not just her, either: the Green Party candidates for each of the other offices are also selected. He tries again, and the same thing happens. Isn't that, you know, a little bit weird?
President Obama's "It Gets Better Video"
Last night, President Obama released his own video for the "It Gets Better" campaign. He joins Secretary Clinton, who on Tuesday released a video as well. This morning, the White House blog is linking to several sites for LGBT teens who have been victims of bullying, or just need someone to talk to.
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LBGTQ youth by providing resources and a nationwide, 24 hour hotline. If you are considering suicide or need help, call: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).
BullyingInfo.org is a project of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) focused on providing tools and resources for youth, parents, teachers and mental health providers to prevent and address bullying.
It Gets Better Project
President Obama’s video is just one of thousands of videos submitted by people across the country to inspire and encourage LGBT youth who are struggling. You can watch more videos at ItGetsBetterProject.com.
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LBGTQ youth by providing resources and a nationwide, 24 hour hotline. If you are considering suicide or need help, call: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).
BullyingInfo.org is a project of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) focused on providing tools and resources for youth, parents, teachers and mental health providers to prevent and address bullying.
It Gets Better Project
President Obama’s video is just one of thousands of videos submitted by people across the country to inspire and encourage LGBT youth who are struggling. You can watch more videos at ItGetsBetterProject.com.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Obama Heads to "Daily Show"
via AP:
President Barack Obama is taking his campaign message to "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart.
White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer says Obama is taping an appearance on Oct. 27, just days before the Nov. 2 elections. Stewart is coming to Washington next week for the "Rally to Restore Sanity" he is holding three days later on Saturday, Oct. 30, on the National Mall.
The host of the Comedy Central show says the rally is for people who think the loudest voices shouldn't be the only ones people hear.
Obama recently endorsed Stewart's event. It will be Obama's first appearance as president on Stewart's program.
Mama Grizzly v. Mama Grizzly
So what happens when mama grizzly Sarah Palin meets a real mama grizzly? Well, you’ll have to wait until Sarah Palin’s Alaska premiers next month, but TLC’s released a clip of just that encounter to build more buzz for the show. In the clip, Palin is fishing with Todd, Piper, and her niece McKinley, when they come across a bear. Then, more bears, and eventually a bear fight. And then, the bears start getting closer to the Palin boat. I’m assuming they get out of the way of the hungry bears considering we saw Sarah Palin on the campaign trail over the weekend, but we’ll have to wait to see how the family escaped.
Solid As Barack
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama appeared in a video released Tuesday, urging their supporters to volunteer the weekend before Election Day on Nov. 2. . The Hill’s blogging, “The video was cut for Organizing for America, an offshoot of Obama's grassroots political operation that helped propel him to victory in 2008. Both Obamas urged supporters to sign up for shifts making phone calls and getting voters to polling places. The video is yet another sign Democrats are keying in on their base supporters to help keep the congressional majorities intact against an expected Republican wave."
Sec. Clinton Says It Gets Better
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton starred in a PSA for LGBT teens who’ve been victims of bullying. The Washington Post is blogging, “The campaign to tell teenagers "It Gets Better" received huge political backing Tuesday when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took to YouTube to address teen bullying and tell them “They are not alone.”
Monday, October 18, 2010
President Obama on "Mythbusters?"
President Obama will appear on an episode of the Discovery Channel show “MythBusters” on Dec. 8, White House officials said Sunday.
Obama has already taped his cameo on the show, which, according to the Discovery Channel, “aims to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends by mixing scientific method with gleeful curiosity and plain old-fashioned ingenuity.”
The Obama episode will air at 9 p.m. The Discover Channel says Obama "challenges hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman to revisit an ancient and somewhat controversial myth: Did Greek scientist and polymath Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors and the reflected rays of the sun?”
More here.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sharks with Friggin' Laser Beams!
Via TPM:
West Virginia's Republican nominee for Senate, John Raese, has a plan. And that plan is to put 1,000 lasers in orbit to save us all.
Not 999. Not 1,001. 1,000 frickin' lasers.
"If there is a rogue missile aimed at our country, we have 33 minutes to figure out what we're going to do," Raese said told the crowd at a recent campaign stop, according to NBC's Shawna Thomas and Carrie Dann. "We are sitting with the only technology in the world that works and it's laser technology. We need 1,000 laser systems put in the sky and we need it right now. That is [of] paramount importance."
The cost of such a program? A cool "$20 billion," according to Raese.
Raese's not the first to suggest putting lasers in the sky to, well, do whatever one does with 1,000 sky-lasers. The notion of space-born orbiting platforms packed with missile-destroying lasers is not a new one, and Raese's 1,000 lasers appear to be his (maybe rudimentary) understanding of how the plan for a missile defense shield works. But, as the crack NBC duo reported, putting the idea of a missile defense program into practice has proven rather difficult in reality:
Laser-based technology has been long discussed as a promising method for deterring missiles, but experts say that components of a system like the one Raese described are in the infant stages of research and development and would require the negotiation of staggeringly complex international treaties.
The "1,000 lasers" quote isn't the only memorable one to come out of Tuesday's Raese appearance in Inwood, WV. Our personal favorite came when, according to the Martinsburg, WV Journal-News, Raese channeled Larry The Cable Guy while pontificating about a return to American exceptionalism.
"Weak people breed weak nations. If we are going to be weak, we are going to lose it (the nation), aren't we," Raese told the crowd. "Are we going to be weak? I don't think so ... We're not going to be weak and we're not going to lose our nation. We have two election cycles. We have got to git-r-dun."
The Dating Game...
I hope you've put on your Sunday best because Politico's playing...The Dating Game....
Just a day after Hillary Clinton was crowned the most popular politician, she made it onto another list, nabbing a spot as one of the most datable politicians in a survey conducted by online dating site, Zoosk.
Zoosk polled 1,000 singles about politics and love to find out which politicians they deemed datable and whether an inclination towards tea party views made someone hot or not.
The findings? Tall, toothy Californian Gavin Newsom was crowned the most datable male politician with 33 percent of the female vote, while Sarah Palin won most datable female politician, with 32 percent of the male vote.
Coming in behind Mr. California were President Obama with 24 percent, Sen. Scott Brown grabbing 15 percent, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with 14 percent and John Edwards at 5 percent. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
In the political dames department, the men seemed to prefer bespectacled brown-haired Republican women. Christine O'Donnell nabbed the silver medal right behind Palin with 22 percent of the vote. Next up was Democrat M. Teresa Ruiz from New Jersey with 18 percent, followed by Hillary Clinton with six percent and Condoleezza Rice with five percent.
O'Donnell Debates Coons
As you know, last night was the debate between Deleware Senate candidates Christine O’Donnell and Chris Coons. While most people were concerned with the rescue of those miners trapped in Chile, the debate still managed to get a good amount of buzz on the web.
On Wednesday evening at 6pm, Christine O’Donnell peaked as a trending topic on Twitter. Around that same time, "Christine O’Donnell debate" was a hot search on Google, registering as a spicy topic. Related topics included "witch," "chris coons," and delaware debate.
Blogging about the debate was the National Review’s Jim Geraghty, who thought the moderators did a pretty lousy job. He writes, “The moderators were pretty awful. Both Blitzer and the local reporter seemed hell bent on… well, the metaphor burning a witch comes to mind.
Yes, Christine O’Donnell has a lot of quirks, a lot of questionable decisions in her past and a lot of evasive answers about those bad decisions. But it was pretty clear that neither moderator was all that interested in holding Coons’ feet to the fire or interested in what he had to say at all.”
Slate’s Dave Wiegel was also watching and said, “nothing much surprised him. Coons passed up a number of chances to nail O'Donnell, but he didn't really disguise his irritation at having to debate a product of the cable news universe, "Hide your contempt" is usually a good rule to follow, but does it work when most of the electorate thinks your opponent is unqualified for office? We're testing that.”
But the Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawick says the real winner last night was CNN. “If you want to do some useful ratings watching at CNN, check out the Nielsen numbers Thursday for Wednesday night's telecast of the Delaware Senate debate between Christine O'Donnell and Chris Coons co-moderated by Wolf Blitzer.
On Wednesday evening at 6pm, Christine O’Donnell peaked as a trending topic on Twitter. Around that same time, "Christine O’Donnell debate" was a hot search on Google, registering as a spicy topic. Related topics included "witch," "chris coons," and delaware debate.
Blogging about the debate was the National Review’s Jim Geraghty, who thought the moderators did a pretty lousy job. He writes, “The moderators were pretty awful. Both Blitzer and the local reporter seemed hell bent on… well, the metaphor burning a witch comes to mind.
Yes, Christine O’Donnell has a lot of quirks, a lot of questionable decisions in her past and a lot of evasive answers about those bad decisions. But it was pretty clear that neither moderator was all that interested in holding Coons’ feet to the fire or interested in what he had to say at all.”
Slate’s Dave Wiegel was also watching and said, “nothing much surprised him. Coons passed up a number of chances to nail O'Donnell, but he didn't really disguise his irritation at having to debate a product of the cable news universe, "Hide your contempt" is usually a good rule to follow, but does it work when most of the electorate thinks your opponent is unqualified for office? We're testing that.”
But the Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawick says the real winner last night was CNN. “If you want to do some useful ratings watching at CNN, check out the Nielsen numbers Thursday for Wednesday night's telecast of the Delaware Senate debate between Christine O'Donnell and Chris Coons co-moderated by Wolf Blitzer.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Strange Things Are Happening...
If you listened to the Readout at any point last week, you probably heard me mention the strange things happening to President Obama. On Tuesday night, his presidential seal mysteriously fell off his podium. On Thursday, a number of people fell ill during a rally at Bowie State University. But Sunday just might take the cake for the strangest events of the week.
Yesterday, while speaking in Philadelphia, someone threw a book at President Obama in the middle of his remarks
And as if that wasn't weird enough, police had to eject a naked man, who was attempting to win a million bucks for a publicity stunt. According to the Weekly Standard, 24-year-old Juan James Rodriguez, was the culprit. He was attempting to claim the $1 million prize offered by British billionaire entrepreneur Alki David to the first person to streak at an Obama event, provided that Alki’s video-sharing website is written on the streaker's chest. (Pictures at Gawker...I'm not posting them here...sorry).
Yesterday, while speaking in Philadelphia, someone threw a book at President Obama in the middle of his remarks
And as if that wasn't weird enough, police had to eject a naked man, who was attempting to win a million bucks for a publicity stunt. According to the Weekly Standard, 24-year-old Juan James Rodriguez, was the culprit. He was attempting to claim the $1 million prize offered by British billionaire entrepreneur Alki David to the first person to streak at an Obama event, provided that Alki’s video-sharing website is written on the streaker's chest. (Pictures at Gawker...I'm not posting them here...sorry).
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Paris Hilton is Back...That's Hot...
Loves it....via Radar Online
Paris Hilton and her recent legal wrangling are at the center of a mudslinging campaign in the upcoming Las Vegas district attorney's race, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Democratic candidate Don Chairez, in a new television ad, implies the socialite's cocaine possession earned her little more than a slap-on-the-wrist from his opponent, incumbent District Attorney David Roger.
Chairez alleges Roger gave the heiress "a sweetheart deal" when giving her a year of probation after she pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession and obstructing an officer in connection with her August 26 arrest in Sin City.
"The message I'm trying to send to voters is that in traditional Las Vegas politics, money talks," Chairez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "There are two standards of justice. If you're a regular middle-class person who can't afford a high-power lawyer, you will not get as good a deal as someone who can afford a high-profile lawyer."
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Things Aren't So Nice in Chicagoland
Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is hitting the campaign trail this week. His quest for the Mayor's office is underway, buy the man who was the second most powerful person in Washington a few days ago, is not being recieved as warmly as he would like in his hometown. The Chicago Sun Times writes:
The reception wasn't as warm at Izola's restaurant on 79th Street.
Hecklers tried to provoke a confrontation with Emanuel, holding a "Dump Quinn in 2010" banner and yelling "Get out of our neighborhood!"
Their main complaint was that the stimulus dollar "shovel-ready jobs" aren't coming to their neighborhood.
Emanuel shook the main heckler's hand and spoke politely to him.
"Welcome to Chicago!" the heckler said.
Bozo-Gate
Seriously?
Since Christine O’Donnell’s upset victory in the Delaware Republican Senate primary last month, the out-of-nowhere Tea Party sensation has been dogged by charges that she inflated her resume, exaggerated her educational record and had said some things over the years, that her detractors found, shall we say, clownish.Or did he...
The latest suspicion of inflated credentials, which arose over the weekend, involved Ms. O’Donnell’s father, Daniel O’Donnell, a long-ago local television personality in the Philadelphia area whose main claim to fame, according to the O’Donnell family, was that he used to play Bozo the Clown.
Jon Stewart Responds to Rick Sanchez
Last night on his show, Jon Stewart finally addressed the comments former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez made to Sirius XM host Pete Dominick. How do you think Stewart handled the situation?
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Hurty Sanchez | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
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Monday, October 4, 2010
House GOP Conference Video Contest
House Republican Conference Vice-Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) announced a winner last week for the group's video challenge. In this contest, the Republican Study Committee won overall with its video titled "Those Voices Don't Speak for the Rest of Us." (Hit count...758,000+)
The Roots w/Obama in Philly
Hip hop group The Roots (who can be seen nightly as the house band on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon") will perform at President Obama's "Move America Forward Rally" in Philadelphia on October 10. The gig will take place near Philadelphia's Robert Fulton Elementary School.
Rush Limbaugh on Family Guy!
Rush Limbaugh guest starred as himself on this weekend’s episode of Family Guy. Popwatch is blogging, “Throughout the episode, Rush didn’t hesitate to take his share of punches — including a particularly ego-free joke about man-boobs. But he threw plenty, too, ribbing bleeding-heart liberal values, and going to town on the left-leaning haters. They even let him convert liberal Brian the dog.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Naked Cowboy for President!
He tried his hand at running for Mayor back in 2008, but New York Times installation, The Naked Cowboy, is setting his sights higher this time. He’s turning in the tidie widies, nixed the Brett Michaels hair, and is looking to officially declare his candidacy for President of the United States. TMZ caught up with The Cowboy -- real name Robert John Burck – who told them that he has a "very conservative policy” but he’s learned a lot from his last foray into politics. His web site, Naked Cowboy.com, says he will make some sort of official announcement on October 6th in Times Square. The son of a "career politician", he mentions he has a bachelor's degree in Political Science and has "participated in making New York City the number one tourist destination in the World".
TMZ has the video
TMZ has the video
Obama Endorses Stewart's "Sanity" rally
Via Mediaite:
Add another name to the list of those who find Jon Stewart one of the most reasonable voices in news, real or fake: President Barack Obama. Speaking in Arlington, Va., Obama gave a tacit thumbs-up to Stewart’s upcoming Rally to Restore Sanity – and those who exemplify the “sanity” it promotes.
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Mob Swap | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
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