In my opinion, Peter Boyle made Everybody Loves Raymond. It was certainly an ensemble cast, but Frank was that added touch that really made the show special, IMO. And I will never forget his part in Young Frankenstein (still one of the funniest movies ever).

GREAT interview in GQ magazine with Al Gore. You should really check out the incredible diatribe he gives on the failings of the Bush administration (on page 4). Such candor from a politician is so refreshing. But here's the best quotation:

Do you know if President Bush has seen the movie [An Inconvenient Truth] yet?
Well, he claimed that would not see it. That’s why I wrote the book. He’s a reader.

Weird how the simplest of games can amuse you for so long. Save the red square.

From this article about Britney Spears:

"She's a beautiful girl and now that she's single and she's having fun, I think she's just trying to express herself," said New York-based celebrity image consultant Amanda Sanders. "Unfortunately, it's the wrong message that's coming across. And the shame is she was really such a role model."

You've got to be kidding me. If being a role model is about fashion and sex, then I guess Britney's done a great job. "Hey kids, watch me! I'll teach you how to be a whore while you're still a teenager!! Oh, and support our president because he's the president!"

Be afraid, Jim.

Today's Dilbert Rules!!!

Wow, what a total and complete waste of $80 that was. I'm so pissed off right now. I bought a car adapter/FM transmitter for my iPod last night. I spent a little extra on one that provided a nice cigarette-lighter stand of sorts, so I'd have a place to keep the ipod instead of letting it slide around on the passenger seat.

But the sound quality SUCKS. BIG TIME. Holy static. It's worse than listening to a far-away AM station. I'm gonna try and return it, because this thing is such a piece of shit.

I should have done some online research first, that was stupid on my part. I should know better. Having read up on these things this morning, it sounds like there really aren't any good FM transmitters out there. It's just a crappy technology to begin with.

So, I guess I'll be using the headphones when I drive to Detroit this week. Poop.

This may be one of the best "message" pieces of design/illustration I've ever seen. I just love it:



Credit goes to coming_clean, who shared this with the graphicdesign community.

In an impressive display of overkill, TBS broadcasted The Wizard of Oz repeatedly all weekend long. I'm not sure they had any other programming? It seemed like every time I surfed past the channel, the same movie was on.

Anyway, I actually watched one full airing of it while I was house cleaning Friday night (my social life is the envy of all). I haven't seen it since I was a kid. I was quite impressed with how well it's stood the test of time. And it really is a pretty neat story.

Being an adult now, I picked up on a lot of things I surely missed as a child. You know, all the symbolism and hidden meaning and true nature of good & evil, blah blah blah. But most importantly, I'm convinced now that The Cowardly Lion is gay! Don't believe me? Just watch/listen to him sing the song when they're waiting outside the Wizard's hall. You know, the "King of the ForrEhEhEhEhEhEhEhEhEhst!" one. Not exactly the most macho performance there.

( Oh, and of course, there's the bow. )

It's Election Day - I'm sure you didn't know that from the plethora of calls, emails, TV and radio ads, and disheveled volunteers knocking at your door. Y'all probably have a good idea of where I stand on the issues and who I'd vote for, so I won't bother inundating you with more of that.

Instead, I'd like to call your attention to this press release from Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). As you may or may not know, the entire state of Oregon votes exclusively by mail. There are no polls to go to today, no lines to stand in, no broken machines to fix. They've been doing it this way for over 10 years, and given all of the reports this morning of problems at the polls (especially in Ohio and Florida), I think Wyden is right: there's no reason the whole country can't vote by mail:

The transparency of Vote by Mail eliminates virtually all fraud, while addressing many traditional voting challenges:

• Vote by Mail eliminates poll problems--there are no long lines, polls to open late or even confusion about where to vote.
• Vote by Mail eliminates voter roll issues and the need for provisional ballots--ballots are mailed only to registered voters at their official address. Those who do not receive a ballot have ample time to resolve the issue with election officials.
• Vote by Mail virtually eliminates voter fraud--no vote is processed or counted until a trained election official is satisfied that the signature on the ballot matches the signature on the voter's registration card.
• Vote by Mail reduces the risk of voter intimidation--a 2003 study of Oregon voters showed that groups--like the elderly--who are most vulnerable to coercion prefer Vote by Mail.
• Vote by Mail creates a paper trail.
• Vote by Mail increases voter turnout--by eliminating the need to stand in line at the polling place, voting becomes convenient for hourly wage employees and other working families. Oregon's consistently ranks among the top five states in voter participation.
• Vote by Mail encourages educated voters--receiving ballots weeks in advance, gives voters an opportunity to research issues and deliberate in a way that is not possible in a voting booth.
• Vote by Mail saves taxpayer dollars--because there is no longer a need to transport equipment to polling stations and to hire and train poll workers, Oregon has reduced its election-related costs by 30 percent since implementing Vote by Mail.

In other words, sometimes technology isn't the answer.

Combine a Vote By Mail system with Instant Runoff Voting, and sign into law some real campaign finance reform, and we might just have an election system worth touting to the rest of the world.

This ad is running in Colorado right now, where there's an anti-marriage amendment on the ballot.



The Bush impersonation stuff is cute and clever, but I'm particularly fond of the very end:

Amendment 43 isn't meant to change the law. It's meant to change the subject.

Now that's how you frame the debate, people. This is the smartest ad I've seen this campaign season.

Check out this awesome story over at Daily Kos from the Communications Director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Here's a blurb:

Following Governor Dean's election as DNC Chairman, the Nebraska Democratic Party was one of the first to enter into a partnership with the national organization. The 50 State Strategy has been critical in our efforts to rebuild the party from the ground up. A communications director, campaign/field director and two field organizers were hired by the DNC to facilitate party building and campaign activities.

Our staff and organizers have traveled throughout the state holding trainings for party activists and candidates; and meeting with local party leaders to solicit their guidance. We have recruited new leaders and volunteers in communities throughout the state - in many areas where Democrats lacked a presence. The success of their efforts was realized this past summer as county conventions were held. In 2002, 30 county conventions took place. In 2004, in the midst of the excitement of a presidential election cycle, there were 36. This year, there were 69. Our Republican friends had 67 conventions.

Due to these efforts, we have three strong Congressional candidates in Nebraska's three Congressional districts - former Lt. Governor Maxine Moul, Omaha Attorney and former Chamber of Commerce executive Jim Esch, and cattle rancher Scott Kleeb. In addition, the party recruited strong candidates for the state's Unicameral legislature, many of whom are running in areas where Democrats have never been competitive before. These folks will be the farm team if you will - providing us with future candidates for higher office.

Yeah, that last sentence is the key. Dean really gets it, he knows that there's no hope for the Democrats in the future if we don't start growing the bench. That's what makes local elections so important from a national perspective. These officials -- the city councilmembers, the county commissioners, the park board commissioners -- will be running for governor, congress, and president one day.

While it still pains me to say it, I really do believe now that Dean was better off as Party Chair than as President (for the record, he also would have made a vastly superior candidate than John Kerry). We're still going to be thanking him 40 years from now for the groundwork he's laying today.

Honey, I found the FAB-est podcast: Feast of Fools! It's kept me giggling at work all week long.

... cuz I can't turn them off:

1. I Need To Wake Up - Melissa Etheridge
2. Everybody Here Wants You - Jeff Buckley
3. In the Sun - Michael Stipe & Chris Martin
4. An Hour At Lloyd's - CLOP
5. The Deadbeat Club - B-52's
6. Love Vibration - Josh Rouse
7. September - Earth, Wind, and Fire
8. If I Could - Blue Merle
9. Kick Push - Lupe Fiasco

Christ, he said it over a month ago and I'm just hearing it? What the hell?

"Y'know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." - George W. Bush, 9/6/06

Holy crap, when did President Shrub learn how to say big words like "connect" and "hard"? The times they are a-changing!

"Well I think America Online will have a new warning that says, 'You've got younger mail.'"

- Robin Williams on Real Time with Bill Maher (10/6/06)

God these things drive me crazy. What the hell good are they? What possible value is this absurd poll contributing to CNN's "news" reporting?



The question itself is so offensive.

Man, are the Wild looking really hot this season. They just beat Vancouver in an exciting shootout for their 3rd win out of 3 attempts so far. There was some really fancy shooting from our boys tonight, this offense is just smokin'! I think if Manny and the D can keep up with the offense, we're gonna be one hell of a force to reckon with this season. Yeah baby!

I haven't seen the Wings in action yet this season. Hopefully I can catch a game on TV soon. Or, at the very latest, I'll see them live in action on December 1st when they visit Minnesota. Now that'll be a game!

It's blowing my mind, but it seems more and more likely that we may actually pass the Instant Runoff Voting ballot measure in November. Everybody and their brother has endorsed it, and the Star Tribune just followed suit today. Here's their editorial, which is both fun and right on:

Editorial: Minneapolis should try voting by number
Top 10 reasons (most of them serious) to vote YES on the instant runoff voting charter question on the November ballot.
Published: October 09, 2006

10) If you like majority rule, you need a new voting method. The one Minnesota uses now is plurality rule.

9) Third parties -- and fourth, fifth and sixth parties -- are here to stay. Without a change, pluralities, not majorities, will decide the winners in more and more elections.

8) Rank three or more candidates in order of preference, and you've cast a guilt-free ballot. You can vote for your favorite without worrying that you've actually helped elect your least favorite.

7) Getting the whole state to switch to an untested new way of voting is nigh unto impossible. Instant runoff voting needs a test.

6) Long-ballot Minneapolis, where just about everybody except the dog catcher is elected, is a great IRV testing ground. If instant runoff voting can make it there, it can make it anywhere.

5) A new way of voting will take some explanation. Where better to do that than in the city that may be the Public Meeting Capital of the World?

4) Instant runoff voting would eliminate the city primary, which isn't the great exercise in democracy it's cracked up to be. Only about one out of seven of the city's registered voters came to the polls on Sept. 13, 2005, to decide which candidates would advance to the ballot two months later.

3) Keeping more candidates in the running in October will enrich the political stew. The ideas they tout will get wider exposure.

2) Instant runoff voting will inspire candidates to appeal for those important second-choice votes. That should stifle at least some of the smear tactics Minnesota is seeing too often today.

1) If kids can learn to paint by number, grownups can learn to vote by number.