A Beer List

That I disagree with. GQ magazine put together a list of 50 beers from around the world all beer enthusiasts need to try before they die. Having tried over half the beers on the list, I'm unimpressed. The list does include some very good beers, but also a few that are rather mediocre. I can think of several that should be on the list, but aren't, starting with "Tactical Nuclear Penguin" (http://pygalgia.blogspot.com/2009/11/more-beer-news-tactical-nuclear-penguin.html). Also, Ska Brewing's "Decadent".

So, what beers would you suggest that a beer lover try before their drinking days are over?

On Time Boobies

Happy Friday. The Boobies are here, right on time.

Unbolted Nuts

Some loose screws are beyond tightening. Take Sue Lowden, the repub front runner to replace Harry Reid as senator from Nevada (where I am this week), who came up with a brilliant plan that Greg Sargent calls "Chickens For Checkups":

"I'm telling you that this works," the Republican candidate explained. "You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor. They would say, 'I'll paint your house.' I mean, that's the old days of what people would do to get health care with your doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people. I'm not backing down from that system."

Under this system, I think my shoulder would cost me an Ostrich farm at least.
But that wasn't the nuttiest thing I read. This was:

The Georgia state legislature, on top of the latest threats, is holding hearings on a bill to ban implanting people with microchips -- as one rumor suggested the Health Care Reform bill mandated.

But the good folks who run the Judiciary Committee seemed to have gotten a bit more than they reckoned with when one of their hearing witnesses claimed that she had already been implanted with a microchip.

And not just any microchip, but one the Pentagon had implanted in her "vaginal-rectum area", apparently to track her movements.

The Journal-Constitution reports that things started getting weird when a woman who described herself as a resident of DeKalb County told the committee: "I'm also one of the people in Georgia who has a microchip." Apparently no lawmaker took this as a warning sign, and she was allowed to continue her testimony.

"Microchips are like little beepers," the woman told the committee. "Just imagine, if you will, having a beeper in your rectum or genital area, the most sensitive area of your body. And your beeper numbers displayed on billboards throughout the city. All done without your permission."

"Ma'am, did you say you have a microchip?" state Rep. Tom Weldon (R) asked the woman.

"Yes, I do. This microchip was put in my vaginal-rectum area," she replied.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/ga-lawmakers-hear-testimony-from-woman-claiming-dod-implanted-a-microchip-inside-her.php?ref=fpb

It's safe to say it wasn't a "smart chip".

Reading stories like these make me grateful about how "normal" my family is.

Correct Me If I'm Right

If Adolf Hitler were still alive and living in Argentina, he'd be turning 121 today. Given how unlikely this is, can we all just agree: he's dead.

A Label

If I had a brewery, this would be on the bottle labels.

(Found at Blackadder, where you can find many more amusing things.)

A Boobie From the Road

I'll be away from home for another week, but I can't let Friday pass without a Boobie. Posting will most likely continue to be minimal.

Armed and Crazy

Armed and crazy is one thing. Armed, crazy, and state sanctioned is downright scary:

OKLAHOMA CITY — Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

Tea party movement leaders say they've discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force. They say the unit would not resemble militia groups that have been raided for allegedly plotting attacks on law enforcement officers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/13/oklahoma-tea-party-plans_n_535412.html

Meme to Oklahoma: remember what happened in one of your cities? The one named "Oklahoma City"? You might want to think about that before you align with a militia.

Family Matters

I've got some family stuff to attend to, so posting may be even lighter over the next ten or so days.
Co-Bloggers, the door is open.

Wealth Distribution

Which explains a lot about our society. Yeah, some redistribution is in order.

(H/T to Zandar Versus The Stupid)

Slightly Useless Views

Things that could make me change my mind: I'm usually liberal about equal relationship rights, but having seen the whole Palin-Bachmann lovefest, I now oppose same-sex marriage-at least for them.
For baseball fans: I'll be writing about a game tonight at http://www.azsnakepit.com/. I've always dreamed of being a baseball blogger.

The Stevens Retirement

Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement. Not a big surprise, as he's about to turn ninety, and has been on the court for 34 years.

This is a big reminder why presidential elections matter. As this will be the second Supreme Court appointment of this presidential term, imagine what the alternative might have been. If St. Sleazy McCain were in the White House, we would be looking at the "Extreme Court" for decades to come. Regardless of how you feel about Obama on other issues, at least his court nominees will likely maintain some moderation on the bench.

Stevens is considered a "liberal" giant (though he's actually very moderate, he looks liberal when compared to the conservative extremists beside him), and no new justice will be able to match his stature for many years. The court will still be dominated by the five conservatives, and the current congressional split guarantees that Obama's nominee wont be very 'liberal' in order to get confirmation.

Regardless of who Obama chooses, the political circus will be awash with overheated rhetoric. Expect a very loud, tough fight.

A Boobie for Friday

Friday already? This week went by too quickly.

I'm Offended

It's bad enough that I have to live with the insult that is Eugenio Velez playing for my beloved Giants, but then to see my home city miss-spelled on his uniform? Outrage!

Worse, he "took the news well", saying "No, no, I didn't know," Velez said. "That's the first I've heard."

San Francisco deserves better.

(OK, last time I complained about Velez, he had three hits. If I keep ragging on him, he'll probably make the All-Star team.)

Nicorette, Dude

Under the heading of "stupid people doing really stupid things" the latest winner is Mohammed al-Madadi, the third secretary at the Embassy of Qatar, who apparently trying to sneak a smoke on a plane and then joked about lighting his shoe on fire. Needless to say, this didn't go over well with the flight crew.
Here's a modern reality: If you are an Arabic looking man named "Mohammed" you cannot get away with joking about terrorism, even if you have diplomatic immunity. America has a certain level of paranoia about certain stereotypes. It's unfair, but it means that if you do something that foolish you will be arrested.
Smoking has been banned on airlines for many years. I admit that I'm a smoker, and it's another reason why I dislike flying. But that's what 'nicorette' is for; just chew some gum, and tough it out.
And if you're going to behave that stupidly, you probably aren't qualified to be a "diplomat".

Suggestive T-Shirts

I just don't feel like posting any serious political stuff lately. So here are some t-shirts I've seen around the web.

(yeah, I suppose some could be called 'sexist'; but if we weren't supposed to notice breasts, they wouldn't be right in front.)

A Truly Religious Holiday

For Christians, today is the holy day of Easter. I wish you all a happy one. And I failed the Jewish side of my ancestry by failing to mark Passover again this year. Ooops.
But for some of us, today marks a truly religious holiday: the first day of the baseball season. While tomorrow is opening day for most teams, the season starts tonight with the Yankees (Boo!) playing the Red Sox.
I am a believer in the words of Susan Sarandon from the movie Bull Durham that "The only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball." So today is a holiday for me, and I'll be celebrating with the traditional sacrament: beer. Cheers!




And please don't harangue me about the scandals in my church. At least we're not Catholic priests.
Added: Slightly off topic, here's a pictorial

histories of baseball and politics.

Cute Critters

A couple of Giant Isopods for Saturday. Aren't they cute? You can see more here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yahooeditorspicks/galleries/72157623618461809/#comment72157623744116106

I haven't had any enthusiasm for writing about politics lately, but maybe the Giant Isopod should replace the Elephant as the symbol of the Republican party.

Don't Look Now

But the President admitted that he really is "Black": from the online NY Times, he revealed it.
Really big news, isn't it?

Good Friday Boobies

Every Friday is a good Friday for Boobies.

Nature's April Fool's

OK, it's not exactly a joke, but Ma Nature decided to give us a few more inches of snow to begin April. Given that we've had over ten feet of the white stuff this winter, this does seem to be a rather cruel joke, even if April snow is not unusual here. I'm ready for winter to be over, thank you very much.