Mikey Likes It! but you love Mike. The e-mails on the interview we did with Mike read like love notes. It's as though he's the thinking person's Orlando Bloom! Monday through Friday, Mike notes a few stories of interest each day while digging into the e-mails, let's it all hang out and waves it in front of your salivating mouths. (Or something.)
While reading this entry, we all had a pause where we asked ourselves, "Did he just say that?"
May he always shock and surprise us. Welcome to the community, Mike.
London, Fox Pretends It's News, Pru, crotch rot and Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man
Good evening everybody. We're going to kick things off with some Democracy Now!
London Death Toll Climbs to 50
The confirmed death toll from yesterday's coordinated bomb attacks in London has risen to at least 50 - making it the deadliest attack in London since the Second World War. More than 700 people were injured in the attacks. A massive intelligence investigation is now under way and evidence is emerging that the attacks may have been carried out using timing devices, raising comparisons to the Madrid bombings. A previously unknown group calling itself the Secret Organization Group of al-Qaeda of Jihad Organisation in Europe claimed to be behind the attacks. In a statement posted on an Islamist website, the group said the attacks were "in revenge of the massacres that Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan."
We're staying with Democracy Now! for another piece, the Fox Pretends It's News reaction:
FOX News Hosts Celebrate London Attacks
During their coverage of the breaking news events yesterday, several FOX News hosts or reporters made comments that are raising some eyebrows. The network's Washington Managing Editor Brit Hume told host Shepard Smith, that when he heard about the London bombings, he saw it as an investment opportunity:
"I mean, my first thought when I heard -- just on a personal basis, when I heard there had been this attack and I saw the futures this morning, which were really in the tank, I thought, "Hmmm, time to buy." Others may have thought that as well."
Meanwhile, one of the network's anchors, Brian Kilmeade, said the attacks worked to the Western world's advantage and he blasted the international gathering at the G8 for focusing on global warming and African aid instead of terrorism. Here is some of what he said right after Tony Blair spoke yesterday. This is FOX anchor Brian Kilmeade talking to another FOX's Paul Varney:
KILMEADE: And that was the first time since 9-11 when they should know, and they do know now, that terrorism should be Number 1. But it's important for them all to be together. I think that works to our advantage, in the Western world's advantage, for people to experience something like this together, just 500 miles from where the attacks have happened."
VARNEY: It puts the Number 1 issue right back on the front burner right at the point where all these world leaders are meeting. It takes global warming off the front burner. It takes African aid off the front burner. It sticks terrorism and the fight on the war on terror, right up front all over again.
KILMEADE: Yeah.
FOX News hosts Brian Kilmeade and Paul Varney, speaking yesterday on FOX. Thanks to Media Matters for those clips.
Now we're going to return to the real world and get Pru's reaction to the bombings. Pru is UK citizen and a member of The Common Ills community:
Pru: Maybe we're better informed by our media? Maybe our proximity and awareness of other nations prepared us? While yesterday's attacks were nothing like the attacks on the United States on September 11th in terms of scope or damage, they were attacks none the less. We, as a country, have suffered a great loss.
But as I looked around yesterday, I saw grief that was mature and reasoned. There was no need to question, "Why us?" It's perfectly obvious why us. We have engaged with and supported the policies of the United States not limited to the invasion and occupation of Iraq. This has been done despite the large objection coming from the people of our country and despite the fact that the objection has only grown as we have been confronted with the reality that there is no "win" in Iraq, not for us, not for the States.
"Why us" does not trip off our tongues because the answer is obvious and frightening.
Equally obvious has been the answer which is that we must pull out of the illegal occupation. Thursday's events make that quite clear and, all around me, that was the sentiment most often shared.
Prime Minister Tony Blair did not shirk the way the Bully Boy did. He was present and accounted for. However, what he had to offer were empty words that, while more eloquent than anything that tumbles out of the Bully Boy's smirking mouth, said very little. Terrorist attacks. Check. Empty words supposed to warm us. Check. The reasons for the attack? Silence.
All around I heard people asking the hard questions and supplying the tough answers that the Prime Minister refused to address. We've grown to expect that from him and there is a sense among some that what is in the best interest of England is not the primary concern of our current Prime Minister.
There was also a sense that for all his posturing and playing poodle to the Bully Boy, Prime Minister Blair has done very little that has truly protected our country. Possibly there is no way to protect one from the events of today; however, Prime Minister Blair has asked for outlandish powers and even those granted him have been ineffective as was demonstrated before our own eyes.
We are a determined people and the determination we share now is not one of vengeance but one of addressing the events that led to the attacks. What Prime Minister Blair clearly wishes to avoid is not being ignored by the people of my country. Our determination to withdraw from the Bully Boy's illegal war of choice has only grown stronger.
Hearing reports that the insect known as Fox News in the United States was bragging that the attacks had taught us something caused me to recoil. Then I realized that they were correct about the teaching, just incorrect about the lesson itself. What it has taught us, the lesson, is what we already knew: an illegal war of choice leaves us all at risk, an illegal occupation that provides the window dressings of success but no real improvement is as meaningless as any words our Prime Minister could muster. The lesson confirmed what we already knew. The occupation must end and troops must withdraw. Until that happens safety is a myth that will destroy us all.
The Fox insect! If you know Pru from her comments at The Common Ills, you know she's way cool.
Ma was the first online this morning and while I was scarfing down breakfast, she goes Pru has written the most sensible thing on the bombings she's read. So I knew it would be good and it was.
Now let's dip into the e-mail. Roy e-mails to say he's 17, does trick riding on horses and this time of year really works up a sweat. He read Rebecca's thing on crotch rot awhile back and is wondering if he's got that.
Roy, I think crotch rot is a medical condition. As you explain it later in your e-mail, you're talking about odor and that's what Rebecca was talking about.
So let's talk about it. Last summer, it was time to paint the house and Dad decides the middle of August is the perfect time. We were out there for hours and two and a half days. Primer and three coats. Dad's convinced when I move out I'll be like my other brothers and never come back to help with the house lol. So he wanted to get a good paint job in while he still had me under the roof and able to help.
Dude, I stunk. I never sweat so much in my life. Never in practice, never during a game. The first day I noticed I was pretty rank all over. I showered and didn't worry about it. The second day, rank again but after the shower still rank. I sniff my pits, nothing there but soap smell. Then I figure it's my socks in the hamper or something so I start to head out but it hits me. I grab the towel around my waist, take it off and take a sniff. Wanted to die. It was my crotch.
I couldn't wash that smell out. The next day only made it worse.
Friday was coming up and I did have a date. I call my buds and they just laugh at me. I call my bros and they're all "That is so gross! Don't ever tell me that kind of story again!" So I didn't know what to do. I must have showered six times Friday trying to get rid of the smell. I figured it was cancel the date or make the most of it. Cologne didn't help and it only made it burn. I'm putting on my Old Spice High Endurance deodorant under my arms when it hits me, what if I used it on my crotch?
I swipe it over my pubes and that part of the skin that's between your legs and crotch. Dude it killed the smell completely. For good. I didn't have to reapply or anything.
So maybe that would help with you? But if you try it, make sure you're using your own deodorant cause nobody's gonna want to put it to their arm pits after it's been dancing around down below.
So now let's talk about Betty who's written yet another hilarious thing at her blog Thomas Friedman is a Great Man. Have you checked it out yet? If you haven't, you need to. Here's a part of her latest:
I have to live with it. Do I also have read it's writings?
We had a "roof picnic" Monday. It was a nightmare. Nicky K and Mrs. Kristof were there as well as this woman named Patti Limerick Nelson.There was Thomas Friedman the not so great man up on our roof wearing a "Kiss the Chef" apron. Did I mention it was over his shorty robe?
I kept begging him to put on some clothes but he insisted on wearing the shorty robe because he wanted an "all body tan" to go with his highlights. He's had more done. Mrs. K again asked if he was getting more gray hairs and Thomas Friedman again pouted.
While he was pouting and on the ledge of the roof insisting that since no one understood him, appreciated him, valued him or even wanted him for their partner in charades (his fault, he can't keep his mouth shut even when he's acting out the clues) he might as well jump, Nicky K, probably because of the heat, launched into a version of Van Halen's "Jump."
Might as well jump
Go ahead and jump
Thomas Friedman stopped sobbing long enough to give Nicky K a good glaring.
Mrs. K tried to save the moment by launching into her own version of Third Eye Blind's "Jumper:"
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
You could cut ties with all the lies,
That you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again,
I would understand,
I would understand.
Wiping his eyes on his the bottom of his apron, which unfortunately was caught on his shorty robe therefore leaving us all with a not so good look at his Thomases and Friedman, Thomas Friedman decided to rejoin the picnic.
But by that time the burgers had burned. And then some.
Read the whole thing, it's hilarious. I'm going to do at least one entry this weekend. It might be tomorrow or it might be Sunday. Hope everybody has a great weekend. Keep it cool and stay cool.