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09 Feb 2010 09:43

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World: Ukraine’s election heads into dramarama with contested result

  • Yulia Tymoshenko lost, but she won’t concede. Despite wishes by the West that she concede (and their acceptance of Viktor Yanukovich’s victory), Tymoshenko, whose hair is made of stone, was quoted as saying she “will never recognize” Yanukovich’s victory, and her supporters will fight the result. Tymoshenko’s loss would be a huge blow to the Orange Revolution which took place after the 2004 election and got her into office. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Feb 2010 10:06

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Culture: Audi’s “Green Police”: A great joke people don’t seem to get

  • The second-best ad on last night’s Super Bowl is a huge talker – an Audi ad that takes the idea of political correctness to a stupidly high degree. Problem is, it hits a little too close to the bone for a lot of people. Why? Because it takes political correctness to a level that many people have suspected already existed for years, whether or not the “green police” really existed. Reason Magazine (who you figure would be all over this) nail the comparison: This is Mike Judge‘s vision of the future. Satire at its best makes you feel most uncomfortable. (The use of Cheap Trick in the ad is also pitch-perfect and completely non-controversial.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

07 Feb 2010 19:40

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Politics: No, really? Sarah Palin’s thinking of running for president in 2012

  • I think that it would be absurd to not consider what it is that I can potentially do to help our country. … I won’t close the door that perhaps could be open for me in the future.
  • Sarah Palin • Speaking on “Fox News Sunday” about her chances of running for president in a couple of years. Wonder what might have suggested that – the dropping out of the Alaska governor position, the commentator position on Fox News, the presidential-sounding speech she made just last night at the Tea Party convention? We just didn’t see it coming. We must be dense. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2010 13:06

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Politics: The final word on the whole Sarah Palin Tea Party thing

  • I know many of you think I am over-estimating her and under-estimating the common sense of the American people. I hope to God you’re right.
  • Super-blogger Andrew Sullivan • Regarding the Tea Party convention. For some reason, Sullivan thought it was a great idea to live-blog her performance last night. Don’t get him wrong; he doesn’t like Palin, either, but he realizes her importance. Begrudgingly. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2010 09:58

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Politics: Did Sarah Palin hijack the entire Tea Party movement? Maybe

  • Palin, while explicitly saying the movement had no leader, implicitly offered herself up as one. After this speech, which was widely covered on the internet and carried on television, the tea party movement and Sarah Palin will be inextricably intertwined.
  • Nashville Post conservative critic A.C. Kleinheider • Regarding this weekend’s Tea Party convention, which he says hurt the movement by giving it a de facto leader in the form of Sarah Palin. He was particularly annoyed that her speech invoked Ronald Reagan, who, among other things, was a huge spender while in office. It kinda goes against the message the Tea Party is trying for, he argues. Ultimately, that’s probably what’s going to happen to the movement – people who don’t understand that it’s against big government are going to try to co-opt it as a movement for Republican ideals. While we’re not exactly in favor of what the Tea Party is pitching, we definitely think there’s a lot of missing-the-point going on. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Feb 2010 20:10

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Politics: The Tea Party movement wants to win, but can’t seem to organize

  • The movement is maturing. The rallies were good for last year, because that’s what we could do last year. This year we have to change things. We have got to win.
  • Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips • Regarding his organization’s goals (along with the overall movement’s goals) for 2010, which they tried to push at this weekend’s convention in Nashville. They want a conservative congress in 2010 and a conservative president in 2012. Problem is, the movement doesn’t really have a leader and kinda shares disdain for Republicans and Democrats. “This movement doesn’t need a leader,” said Anthony Shreeve of the Tennessee Tea Party Coalition. “It’s a ‘We the People’ movement.” Too bad he undercut his point by protesting the convention outside. Get organized, kids. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Feb 2010 18:10

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Politics: Three political ads nearly as weird as Carly Fiorina’s Demon Sheep

  • Organ harvesting fun! Political ads as weird as Carly Fiorina’s are surprisingly easy to come by, apparently. Some coroner in the New Orleans area released this doozy of an ad that, unlike Fiorina’s masterwork, was fairly well-done. (Hat tip MHTE)

  • Mop-top message This wonderful ad, by Demon Sheep mastermind Fred Davis, reimagines Rod Blagojevich’s hair as a disease that has infected the Illinois state capital and the citizens of Springfield. It’s mind-numbingly effective.

  • The Ox Vs. The Rat In Georgia, conservatives compare liberals to rats. Roy Barnes, the former Georgia governor running for reelection in 2010, is portrayed as a rat in this ad. John Oxendine is portrayed as an ox. The ox kicks a lot of rat ass at the end of this clip.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Feb 2010 16:05

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Politics: Jon Stewart deblusters the blustery language blogs use

  • Well, he took the wind out of our sails. Jon Stewart’s brilliant approach to the way that the blogosphere makes things seem crazier than they actually are is pretty brilliant. Moreso, even, than his multi-part steel-cage match between him and Bill O’Reilly earlier this week. (Both of them are so good at what they do that they pretty much cancel each other out.) We hope MSNBC host Rachel Maddow doesn’t eviscerate us for this post.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

05 Feb 2010 12:09

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Politics, U.S.: Richard Shelby turns the Senate into his personal gridlock

  • 70 Obama nominees blocked over an Air Force tanker deal source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Feb 2010 10:34

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Politics: “Demon Sheep” still a heavy source of debate among wonks

  • It just oozes that special brand of ludicrous hilarity that the Internet loves. The thing’s going viral, but not necessarily in a way that will help Carly Fiorina’s campaign.
  • WeeklyStandard.com conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham • Regarding Carly Fiorina’s “Demon Sheep” ad, which has continued its viral rush to insane popularity (and many parodies). The clip, built largely from stock photos and spare footage (hence the heavy use of the Ken Burns effect), cost $15,000 to make, which is about $14,500 more than we expected. The Fiorina campaign is very much in the “any publicity is good publicity” mode (as they should), while the target of the ad, State Rep. Tom “Demon Sheep” Campbell, is using it in favor of his political campaign (as he should). If this works, Carly Fiorina is a genius. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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