What Does Greg Feel Like Doing Tonight?
Eat a steak at Dan Tana and watch Entourage until he passes out on his couch.
What Will Greg End Up Doing Tonight?
Vote. Eat a steak from Vons. Read a Script for Class. Watch Battle of Algiers on ESPN.
Fall asleep early....
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
High Traffic
A lot of people checking up on the blog, despite my lack on contributions. I suspect the election has something to do with it. It does have the feel of something important right now. Maybe it's the press, maybe it's the fact I'm involved with this redistricting game...who knows.
I don't have any bold predictions or interesting thoughts. In my district Becerra is running unopposed for the House. Feinstein will surely win the Senate. Gov'ner Arnold will probably be the first Republican I vote for.
I'll vote NO on all the Propositions because I always vote NO on Propositions unless I'm firmly convinced they are a good idea.
I won't get excited about a Republican or Democrat victory. I won't suspect the election results are rigged. I'm concerned with getting a job after school and LA getting annihilated by a loose nuke.
In that order.
A lot of people checking up on the blog, despite my lack on contributions. I suspect the election has something to do with it. It does have the feel of something important right now. Maybe it's the press, maybe it's the fact I'm involved with this redistricting game...who knows.
I don't have any bold predictions or interesting thoughts. In my district Becerra is running unopposed for the House. Feinstein will surely win the Senate. Gov'ner Arnold will probably be the first Republican I vote for.
I'll vote NO on all the Propositions because I always vote NO on Propositions unless I'm firmly convinced they are a good idea.
I won't get excited about a Republican or Democrat victory. I won't suspect the election results are rigged. I'm concerned with getting a job after school and LA getting annihilated by a loose nuke.
In that order.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
I Think He Might Be Right
One of the best Iraq essays I've read. From strictly the American point of view.
One of the best Iraq essays I've read. From strictly the American point of view.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Idiots
So many weird things here. First, the video quality is unbelievable on this hotair video on waterboarding. A Fox News Correspondent agreed to put himself under the waterboard techniques as done by our CIA guys.
They and Andrew Sullivan focus on whether this shit is torture. I'm sitting here thinking - how the fuck is this useful? How does it make these people speak? Wouldn't they rather die than talk? I don't know, I find it confusing.
So many weird things here. First, the video quality is unbelievable on this hotair video on waterboarding. A Fox News Correspondent agreed to put himself under the waterboard techniques as done by our CIA guys.
They and Andrew Sullivan focus on whether this shit is torture. I'm sitting here thinking - how the fuck is this useful? How does it make these people speak? Wouldn't they rather die than talk? I don't know, I find it confusing.
Entourage
I'm late to the game, but the show is damn good. Watching the first season. Before there was Baldwin, there was Pivan. The guy is awesome.
Two best moments in the show. End of episode 4, I think, Piven asks the main dude if he thinks his new assistant is hot. Piven admits, he can't tell. The main dude has been dating the girl and says, "Yes," to which Piven responds, "I think I'll bang her."
Then, the long steadicam, Goodfellas rip off on Piven at the beach house. Better than Goodfellas.
I'm late to the game, but the show is damn good. Watching the first season. Before there was Baldwin, there was Pivan. The guy is awesome.
Two best moments in the show. End of episode 4, I think, Piven asks the main dude if he thinks his new assistant is hot. Piven admits, he can't tell. The main dude has been dating the girl and says, "Yes," to which Piven responds, "I think I'll bang her."
Then, the long steadicam, Goodfellas rip off on Piven at the beach house. Better than Goodfellas.
Friday, November 03, 2006
I Still Don't Get the WMD Thing
Everyone, right and left, is still so hopped up on the WMD thing. Today, the hawk blogosphere is creaming their pants because the NY Times points out Saddam was close to getting a nuke.
It doesn't change the fact Iraq is a mess, nor does it retroactively justify the invasion. Nor do I expect it will change anyone opposed to the invasion originally to shift their thinking. I've decided, for my own personal reasons, the possession of WMD argument was one of the least important justifications for going into Iraq. I think Bush and Blair emphasized the reason too heavily and that it was essentially a legal ruse to get the UN on board, when the real good reasons for going into Iraq were political, strategic, and moral - not legal.
And not to mention, that in hindsight the WMD argument has come back to haunt Bush and Blair, giving the war opposition ammunition to avoid the real issue of this weird symbiotic relationship autocratic middle eastern states have with international jihadist organizations. From the debate perspective, it was a weak line of reasoning.
Even if we found WMDs in the first place, that wouldn't have justified the invasion in the eyes of war opponents. Prior to the invasion war opponents were not arguing that Saddam didn't have WMDs. They were arguing that he was containable and that we should only go in with UN backing. Whether he had weapons was, as I said before, unknowable.
I supported the war - not because I knew Saddam had WMDs - but because I thought amoung other things - we would never be able to be sure he did or did not have WMDs. I also think the only long term solution to the issue of jihadism was a shaking up of the Middle East, with an alternative to autocratic governments. I also think we need to wean ourselves off Saudi oil, and a west friendly Iraq sans Saddam could be used as to balance the Saudis - who are blackmailing the world with their control of oil reserves. I also think thugs like Saddam, who thumb their noses at the world, and more importantly the United States, deserve a commupatance, that in general, we'd gotten too soft on mega-assholes and Saddam was the biggest mega-asshole of them all.
Saddam was not behind 9/11. I think the relationship between Saddam and Islamic Jihadist groups was an implicit one, where they benefitted from one another, but did not actively work with one another to a degree that justified immediate retaliation, anyway. I just think the jig was up with the guy, and it was time to deal with him the way we should have 12 years before in Gulf War 1.
I always knew there was a potential downside, that invading Iraq would inflame angry around the Muslim world and make France, Russia, and the rest of the axis of weasels squirm. But I also thought it was time to take a bold, different approach to dealing with pieces of shit.
I didn't not think about the ethnic tensions and hatred. Part of that is because it is so foreign to my own personal mindset, I don't really understand it. I didn't worry so much about the notion of Iraqi nationalism and that there would be a widespread anti-US insurgency like the Viet Cong. And it turns out I was right. There isn't a widespread nationalist impulse in Iraq. There are sectarian elements who fight viciously because they fear being slaughtered by one another.
I still think it was worth the risk. I strongly suspect the administration has bungled the operation and that we could be in a better position today if we figured out the insurgency earlier. But I don't regret going at it alone, but I regret that we weren't good enough to make it a resounding success. Iraq has been humbling. And I don't think we'll be doing it again in the near future.
And despite the negative elements that I did not anticipate, the insurgency and chaos that has been difficult to quell, there are some positive things for the US that we've gotten out of Iraq, that I did not anticipate. One, we're getting a taste of what war is going to look like for the 21st century. We're training troops for the future. We're also starting to see that the democratic reformists in the Middle East are a bunch of bullshitters without any balls whatsoever. For years, "liberals" in the Middle East have been claiming that if the US didn't bail on them and supported them, got the guns from their heads, that we'd see reform. Well, it's looking more and more to me that these fuck faces, for the most part, have been trying to play us to their own advantage. Either they are incapble or disingenous, either way, they aren't to be trusted and don't deserve another opportunity. We've sacrificed too much for them, and it makes me long for the days of real politik, playing groups off one another in a cynical, British style foreign policy. I admit to having twinges of liberal guilt about bailing on the Kurds in 1991, deposing elected governments in Iran, playing Saddam off the Ayatollah's, and so forth. That guilt is fading and that's what they can look forward to in the future.
Enough.
Everyone, right and left, is still so hopped up on the WMD thing. Today, the hawk blogosphere is creaming their pants because the NY Times points out Saddam was close to getting a nuke.
It doesn't change the fact Iraq is a mess, nor does it retroactively justify the invasion. Nor do I expect it will change anyone opposed to the invasion originally to shift their thinking. I've decided, for my own personal reasons, the possession of WMD argument was one of the least important justifications for going into Iraq. I think Bush and Blair emphasized the reason too heavily and that it was essentially a legal ruse to get the UN on board, when the real good reasons for going into Iraq were political, strategic, and moral - not legal.
And not to mention, that in hindsight the WMD argument has come back to haunt Bush and Blair, giving the war opposition ammunition to avoid the real issue of this weird symbiotic relationship autocratic middle eastern states have with international jihadist organizations. From the debate perspective, it was a weak line of reasoning.
Even if we found WMDs in the first place, that wouldn't have justified the invasion in the eyes of war opponents. Prior to the invasion war opponents were not arguing that Saddam didn't have WMDs. They were arguing that he was containable and that we should only go in with UN backing. Whether he had weapons was, as I said before, unknowable.
I supported the war - not because I knew Saddam had WMDs - but because I thought amoung other things - we would never be able to be sure he did or did not have WMDs. I also think the only long term solution to the issue of jihadism was a shaking up of the Middle East, with an alternative to autocratic governments. I also think we need to wean ourselves off Saudi oil, and a west friendly Iraq sans Saddam could be used as to balance the Saudis - who are blackmailing the world with their control of oil reserves. I also think thugs like Saddam, who thumb their noses at the world, and more importantly the United States, deserve a commupatance, that in general, we'd gotten too soft on mega-assholes and Saddam was the biggest mega-asshole of them all.
Saddam was not behind 9/11. I think the relationship between Saddam and Islamic Jihadist groups was an implicit one, where they benefitted from one another, but did not actively work with one another to a degree that justified immediate retaliation, anyway. I just think the jig was up with the guy, and it was time to deal with him the way we should have 12 years before in Gulf War 1.
I always knew there was a potential downside, that invading Iraq would inflame angry around the Muslim world and make France, Russia, and the rest of the axis of weasels squirm. But I also thought it was time to take a bold, different approach to dealing with pieces of shit.
I didn't not think about the ethnic tensions and hatred. Part of that is because it is so foreign to my own personal mindset, I don't really understand it. I didn't worry so much about the notion of Iraqi nationalism and that there would be a widespread anti-US insurgency like the Viet Cong. And it turns out I was right. There isn't a widespread nationalist impulse in Iraq. There are sectarian elements who fight viciously because they fear being slaughtered by one another.
I still think it was worth the risk. I strongly suspect the administration has bungled the operation and that we could be in a better position today if we figured out the insurgency earlier. But I don't regret going at it alone, but I regret that we weren't good enough to make it a resounding success. Iraq has been humbling. And I don't think we'll be doing it again in the near future.
And despite the negative elements that I did not anticipate, the insurgency and chaos that has been difficult to quell, there are some positive things for the US that we've gotten out of Iraq, that I did not anticipate. One, we're getting a taste of what war is going to look like for the 21st century. We're training troops for the future. We're also starting to see that the democratic reformists in the Middle East are a bunch of bullshitters without any balls whatsoever. For years, "liberals" in the Middle East have been claiming that if the US didn't bail on them and supported them, got the guns from their heads, that we'd see reform. Well, it's looking more and more to me that these fuck faces, for the most part, have been trying to play us to their own advantage. Either they are incapble or disingenous, either way, they aren't to be trusted and don't deserve another opportunity. We've sacrificed too much for them, and it makes me long for the days of real politik, playing groups off one another in a cynical, British style foreign policy. I admit to having twinges of liberal guilt about bailing on the Kurds in 1991, deposing elected governments in Iran, playing Saddam off the Ayatollah's, and so forth. That guilt is fading and that's what they can look forward to in the future.
Enough.
Which Shows How Insensitive I Truly Am
I might be sad when this guy dies. He gives me lots of laughs.
I might be sad when this guy dies. He gives me lots of laughs.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Internet Video
For the first time, I see where all this is headed. First, I've started watching TV shows on the internet because they are fast enough and good enough quality to make it worthwhile. And the convenience factor. Awesome. I watch 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights. 30 Rock has one awesome line each episode I've seen. Usually Baldwin has the line, but this week, when Tina Fey gets dressed up sexy, the fat ugly guys goes, "Uhhh, I just threw up in my mouth." I laughed out loud.
But with You Tube taking down copyrighted stuff and television putting all their shows online, the whole business of video over the internet is starting to make sense. Because, let's be honest, who the fuck wants to watch a bunch of home videos on you tube? Losers, that's right. And who would want to pay for those videos? Not even the losers...
...an idea about some sort of movie/tv democratic freedom utopia opportunity via You Tube video is a total joke. It might - and I emphasize might - serve as a calling card for some people to get some opportunities they might not have otherwise had. And if one can take advantage of that - power to them - but it ain't a revolution...it's just a new tool.
Finally, it looks like TV has gotten smart...because suddenly, I'm watching TV again, which I virtually stopped doing. I didn't even watch Arrested Development, despite loving the show, because it wasn't convenient for me to keep up. Now I watch Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock at some point during the week. It I catch the live episode, great. If not, I'll watch it sometime on the internet.
And yes, I watch the commericials. Count it a winner.
For the first time, I see where all this is headed. First, I've started watching TV shows on the internet because they are fast enough and good enough quality to make it worthwhile. And the convenience factor. Awesome. I watch 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights. 30 Rock has one awesome line each episode I've seen. Usually Baldwin has the line, but this week, when Tina Fey gets dressed up sexy, the fat ugly guys goes, "Uhhh, I just threw up in my mouth." I laughed out loud.
But with You Tube taking down copyrighted stuff and television putting all their shows online, the whole business of video over the internet is starting to make sense. Because, let's be honest, who the fuck wants to watch a bunch of home videos on you tube? Losers, that's right. And who would want to pay for those videos? Not even the losers...
...an idea about some sort of movie/tv democratic freedom utopia opportunity via You Tube video is a total joke. It might - and I emphasize might - serve as a calling card for some people to get some opportunities they might not have otherwise had. And if one can take advantage of that - power to them - but it ain't a revolution...it's just a new tool.
Finally, it looks like TV has gotten smart...because suddenly, I'm watching TV again, which I virtually stopped doing. I didn't even watch Arrested Development, despite loving the show, because it wasn't convenient for me to keep up. Now I watch Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock at some point during the week. It I catch the live episode, great. If not, I'll watch it sometime on the internet.
And yes, I watch the commericials. Count it a winner.
Who Knew?
I thought the left had a monopoly on political correctness. Now Instapundit is getting wobbly over a little Halloween fun.
Gimme a break.
I thought the left had a monopoly on political correctness. Now Instapundit is getting wobbly over a little Halloween fun.
Gimme a break.
Fareed Zakaria
I'm in favor of his proposal for Iraq.
It's a must read for those interested in the region.
I'm in favor of his proposal for Iraq.
It's a must read for those interested in the region.
Sullivan Is Right
Kerry made a boo boo. Bush completely exploited it for partisan gain. So what? Democrats should be so clever as to do the same. God knows, Bush has enough gaffes that are exploitable.
In soccer, a lot of times wimpy, stupid players whine about another team fouling when the other team is simply playing harder. You can make hard, clean tackles that physically hurt, but are completely legal and even desirable to gain psychological advantage.
On the other hand, you can mean well, be gentle on the other team, but simply be slow or uncoordinated and commit fouls.
Democrats remind me of teams that don't play hard and whine about how the other team is fouling or the referee not calling the game fairly. I feel like saying, shut the fuck up and grow a sack.
If he truly misspoke, Kerry should just say, "look, I've got nothing to really apologize for. I simply misspoke - make your jokes and be done with it. Of all the people, GW should know about misspeaking." Or something to that effect.
Kerry made a boo boo. Bush completely exploited it for partisan gain. So what? Democrats should be so clever as to do the same. God knows, Bush has enough gaffes that are exploitable.
In soccer, a lot of times wimpy, stupid players whine about another team fouling when the other team is simply playing harder. You can make hard, clean tackles that physically hurt, but are completely legal and even desirable to gain psychological advantage.
On the other hand, you can mean well, be gentle on the other team, but simply be slow or uncoordinated and commit fouls.
Democrats remind me of teams that don't play hard and whine about how the other team is fouling or the referee not calling the game fairly. I feel like saying, shut the fuck up and grow a sack.
If he truly misspoke, Kerry should just say, "look, I've got nothing to really apologize for. I simply misspoke - make your jokes and be done with it. Of all the people, GW should know about misspeaking." Or something to that effect.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Oh Kerry
Trauma. It's like our country is reenacting the same political trauma over and over. Kerry has a liberal freudian slip and the Republicans jump on it for political advantage.
Snooze.
Trauma. It's like our country is reenacting the same political trauma over and over. Kerry has a liberal freudian slip and the Republicans jump on it for political advantage.
Snooze.
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