I've added some more blogs that I strongly recommend to my bloggees, as I endeavor to focus more on analytical thinkers and less on cut-and-paste linkers (ED.--sorry) Three in particular that I would like to point out are Matthew Yglesias, who, as some of you may already know, razzed my first post on the Dream Team IV debacle; Sam Heldman, another lawyer whose site comes highly recommended by TalkLeft, and Shadow of the Hegemon, who was inexplicably left off the revised Alterlinks list (I, on the other hand, was plicably omitted), even though he had single-handedly carried the torch for the blogger's god-given right to anonymity in a series of posts last month. Having plugged those blogs, I am off for the weekend to work on Condredge's Acolytes, and I shall leave you with this chilling piece about how easily and quickly lies can spread through the media, in this case over a Moonie slander about the NEA. Back Monday.

Wow !! Now its come out in the press that Ilsa, She-wolf of the SS may have registered to vote in the 1980 election when she was only 16....

It looks like I might not be the only one who has a write-in campaign a-brewing: Richard Riordan, bolstered by polls showing the two major party candidates locked in a tight battle to see who can generate the greatest amount of loathing from the electorate, is now hinting he might pursue a write-in candidacy to be governor of California. RUN, DICK, RUN.

I have mixed feelings about the upcoming adventure in Iraq; on the one hand, I don't trust the current Administration, and fear that this is geared more towards domestic politics than serving any perceived American interest; on the other, this is Hussein we're talking about--there is no scenario I can think of in which the world benefits by letting him live another day. If this isn't going to be another US-led debacle, where we end toppling one dictator, only to have another, slightly more benign one take his place, to the ultimate detriment of American foreign policy, we need to have an exit strategy, as well as a valid conception of what a future post-Saddam Iraq will look like. Which is why this story really scares me....

Jeez, the Dream Team got beat again, 81-78, to Yugoslavia. George Karl is sure having a great year; first the Bucks collapse, and now his team gets out-gutted in the final minutes by Vlade Divac. Now, the US won't even medal in the World Championships, even though we're hosting the damn thing, and will have to qualify just to play in the next Olympics. Maybe Mr. Yglesias was right; if you give these other countries just an inch they'll violate you in your own crib. Next time, just send the Lakers.

Is it unpatriotic of me to be absolutely delighted that the Dream Team (IV) got its ass kicked last night by Argentina? Who plays for Argentina? The only Argentinean hoopster I've ever heard of might have wrestled in the WCW years ago. Losing to Argentina never would have happened on Bill Clinton's watch.

The so-called "retraction" by the NY Times of its earlier claim that Henry Kissinger was to be counted among the opponents of the Bush policy re Iraq seems much ado about nothing. Basically, they admit to having blown a trivial point (whether Kissinger thought that something should be done about Iraq); obviously, the larger issue concerning the opinions of the former Sec'y of State was whether he supported the Bush policy of unilateralism, something the paper continues to accurately maintain in spite of the objections of the likudniks in DC.

I'm spending my first morning at my new residence, a delightful spread south of Valley Vista in Sherman Oaks. I believe this will reinvigorate my write-in campaign for mayor of the SF Valley, which admittedly had stalled during the two months I had lived in my mom's basement. My staff (or is entourage? flunkies? booze-buddies?) had come to fear that my continuing domestic situation would become an issue, particularly since some of my opponents actually live on their own, have successful, ongoing businesses, etc. This new place has DirecTV and TiVo, as well as this ergonomically-fitted keyboard I'm typing on right now...OK, I admit it--I'm now living with my sister, essentially house-sitting while she and her husband plan their permanent move to Berkeley. More later....

Congress resumes its debate today on the "Bankruptcy Reform" Act, better known as the "Let the Credit Card Companies Gang-Rape the Consumer" Act of 2002. Obviously, the political grounds for attacking this monstrosity are much stronger now that we are in a double-dip recession, so let's drive a stake through this thing!!

From a joke posted on WilWheaton.net:

-How do you get Gray Davis to change his position on an issue?
--Tell him the check bounced.

For as long as I can remember, the bar originally known as Stats, then Gavin's, and now Joxer Daly's, has used ceiling fans to cool the place, rather than air conditioning. As those of you who have visited Matt Welch's website know, we are in the midst of a heat wave in Southern California, so it was pretty much necessary to blast those things all night. When the fans are going full speed at Joxers, they go pretty damn fast.

Well, anyway, after an afternoon of carousing and football-watching in Santa Monica, Saturday night I ventured down to Joxers to see the Samurai Homeboys, and perhaps to do some boozin' with Susan, and toasting Storm Mixalot on his last day in Los Angeles before his big move north, and of course to have a pretty good time. As I mentioned last week, the Homeboys always put on a great show, and I was looking forward to their concert for some time; it had been a year since I last saw them perform, and this was their first time at my home bar. What I couldn't have anticipated was perhaps the most UNFREAKING BELIEVABLE performance by a lead singer in the history of pop music.

In the first set (they did four, and they performed for just under 3 1\2 hours), the aforereferenced singer, the Rev. Carl Roberts, got atop one of the tables just off the stage, and with microphone in hand, balanced himself on a partition that separates the stage area of the bar from the bar area, where patrons sit and watch games. As he's doing this, I'm wondering if he's noticed the ceiling fan right above where his foot is balanced, but when he ducked below it on his first pass, I realized that him being the consummate professional, he obviously had cased the place beforehand, and knew where everything was. So I was relieved, and he continues to sing.

And as he's continuing to sing, I grab the 12 oz. liquid free weight I've been curling for the past hour when suddenly, I feel what appears to be spray hitting my hands and face. I look up, and to my horror saw that the Rev. Carl had miscalculated a bit with the ceiling fan: the right side of his face had been split open, blood gushing out everywhere, as the onlookers at the bar gazed in horror. AND HE CONTINUED TO SING, WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT !!! With his face bleeding like Jerry Quarry in his first fight with Ali, he not only completed the song, but nailed the next song as well before taking a break. After the blood had been wiped away, it was clear what an incredible break he had been given; the ceiling fan had cut him less than an inch from the side of his eye. Nevertheless, he and the band performed three more sets, and by the end of the evening, the joint was packed; apparently the early proceedings had already become part of rock lore.

The Homeboys play at O'Brien's in Venice a week from Saturday, and return to Joxers on the 28th of September. If you want to see a great show, even one without bloody encounters with fans, you would be well-advised to check that band out.

Fred Sanford is back !!! And his recommended Book of the Month is by Michael Ledeen !! I guess if Sullivan is Fred, and Paglia is Grady, than Ledeen must be Rollo. Or maybe Ledeen is Grady, and Paglia is Aunt Esther. Well, it's starting to be a rather strained analogy, but LORD, WHAT A FREAKSHOW.