Never Complain About Bad Food in a Restaurant

Kevin Hansen, who dined at the steakhouse with friends and family Saturday, said he ordered a 16-ounce ribeye cooked medium rare, with a warm, red center, according to the criminal complaint filed against cook Ryan Kropp. Hansen declined an offer of a new steak, but Liberatore persisted and offered a new steak he could take [...]

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Why Is It Okay To Make Fun of Asian Americans?

Many whites hate the phrase “politically correct” because they see a double standard. Why is it that Don Imus gets in trouble for calling women hos when Snoopy Doggy Dog can get away with it? In this post, I’m not prepared to either defend or castigate Snoop or Don Imus for the above, because what [...]

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Race in Theater/Film

Since starting my own blog, I’ve had less time to comment on other blogs I read. The Stranger has for a long time been one of my guilty pleasures, but I can never seem to get any satisfaction from any of the threads. No matter how hard I try, my comments are always taken in [...]

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Will Someone Please Punish Bad Drivers Who Kill People

Any frequent pedestrian knows what it’s like to dodge cars. It’s a humbling experience imagining your body and a steel beast colliding. Time and time again, bad drivers are given a slap on the wrist if they kill people. Unless of course, they are drunk and then they are punished severely. It doesn’t make much [...]

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Animal Rights Activists Saving Us From Mad Cow Disease

Animal rights activists have gotten a lot of flack over the years for spray painting fur coats, throwing bricks through McDonald’s etc. But it appears they are the only ones effectively lobbying on our behalf to prevent mad cow disease: The Humane Society of the United States has filed a suit against the U.S. Department [...]

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Those Born Abroad Can Be President

I have been under the impression since my high school U.S. History class, that if you are born on a military base to American parents who are serving their country then you are in fact eligible to be president of the United States. Apparently, it’s not so cut and dry. The subject of John McCain’s [...]

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Eggs to be Pasteurized

America, the land where we add fluoride to everyone’s water supply to prevent tooth decay in children, where we circumcise 60% of boys most of whom have no religious need to do so, and where we encourage people to take drugs to combat the normal hassles in what we call life. It seems now we [...]

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But I Don’t Wanna Give Up Trout

I love trout. Trout and butter and almonds, trout grilled on the barbecue with herbs inside. After I read this nausea inducing article on maggots being the answer to the trout farm, I swore off farmed trout: University of Idaho and Idaho State University scientists are working on a new maggot-based feed capable of fattening [...]

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Are You Sure You Don’t Like Yodeling?

Can’t say that there is much in the news to blog about, but I noticed not too many people have looked at my post on Caparezza. So I’m going to give it another go. Do you like rap, yodeling, computerized singing, or Italian? If you answered yes to any of these, then you may like [...]

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Greatest American Hero Theme Song

Ocasionally I have the need to explain certain aspects of American pop culture to my husband who did not grow up here. I loved The Greatest American Hero, but for the life of me I can’t remember how he got his magical powers. The intro seems to suggest that he finds a suit, but I [...]

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Bush Will Still Be a Jerk in Retirement

Apparently in the future we will be thanking God for George Bush, because if George says it then it must be true. As for his own legacy, Bush said: “I believe 50 years from now, people will look back at this period of time, and say, thank God the United States of America did not [...]

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Americablog on the Obama Picture

I think Americablog really says it all right here: Tubbs Jones is saying this in order to accomplish several Republican messaging goals: 1. Suggest that Obama is un-American (he’s from “over there,” and a very black over there to boot). 2. Remind people that Obama is black. 3. Reinforce the hate emails alleging, falsely, that [...]

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Stupid Travel Advice Misses the Mark

Does it seem like those in the media don’t really live in the same world as you? Here’s a completely ridiculous article on CNN about delaying travel if you’re feeling ill. The death of a passenger last week aboard an American Airlines flight underscores the importance of taking precautions before flying, an expert said Monday. [...]

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I Drink Your Industrial Sludge McDonald’s Milkshake!

Just read this on the Oscar Blog at CNN. Finally, a comment from “There Will Be Blood” cinematographer Robert Elswit that should give us all pause. Asked what the film used to create its “oil,” Elswit said it’s something most of us have imbibed at one time or another: “It was industrial material used by [...]

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A Sign of the Times: Doomsday Seed Vault

The BBC does a good job explaining exactly how this seed vault will work. The vault is intended to act as insurance so that food production can be restarted anywhere on Earth after a regional or global catastrophe. Built deep inside a mountain, the structure will eventually house a vast collection of seeds; safeguarding world [...]

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Nader Welcome

I don’t support him, but there’s nothing to say that you can’t have three candidates running for president. I’m sure the Republicans would feel similarly if Michael Bloomberg were to enter the race, but I don’t oppose that either. But the one thing that does trouble me is a question I’ve been reading on the [...]

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Why Questioning Obama’s Patriotism Won’t Work

Over the past seven years, I have been comforted by the fact that there never will be another George W. Bush. At least not for a while. We humans tend to like things we consider original and shun things that are a knock-off. Once a trend becomes ubiquitous, we no longer want to be associated [...]

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Perhaps I Was Too Hasty With the Security Issue

Apparently, and who would have thunk, security is pretty bad for a lot of political events. So ignore my earlier post. For details, see AMERICAblog.

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Podiatrist By Day, Bicycle Thief By Night

I’m always fascinated by kleptomaniacs or pathological liars, because they often have fairly stable jobs and would seemingly have little reason to deceive. On a drizzly day last February, a young, athletic man in hospital scrubs walked into a triathlon-supply store in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood and said he wanted to buy a very expensive bicycle, [...]

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No Weapons Checks at Debate

Normally, I’m not one to believe in conspiracies. But this seems wrong. Security details at Barack Obama’s rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena. The order to put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses [...]

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San Francisco Zoo Exhibit Reopens

In this article from the Associated Press, there is this innocent yet misguided quote from a zoo goer: “They are such beautiful animals,” marveled zoo member Breanne King, who brought her two daughters to see the animals. King said her eldest, 10-year-old Kristina, still has questions about the tiger attack. “Why did Tatiana kill somebody?” [...]

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The Key Hillary Moment of the Debate

I think she won the debate, but it doesn’t affect my vote for Barack Obama. Oddly enough, Hillary was the more eloquent speaker considering Obama gets so much flack for the same. I thought she effectively argued her experience point — only it had the eery effect of the fear-mongering Republicans: I’ve served on the [...]

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Lonely Planet Boycott Planned

The TUC has called for a boycott of Lonely Planet guidebooks until the Burma edition is withdrawn from sale.The trade union umbrella organisation says travel to Burma is unethical and helps prop up the military government. The pros and cons of travel to Burma are set out at the front of its guidebook: It’s reasons [...]

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But Can Your Taikonaut Beat Our Astronaut in a Fight?

I think not! I give you American hero Buzz Aldrin.

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Space Race is on Again with China

First they blow up a satellite, then we blow up a satellite. They’re going to put a man on the moon, so we are going to put a man on the moon — again. Let’s hope this Communist outpost in space is science fiction. It’s written by the illustrious “staff writers” at www.space-travel.com. Chinese taikonauts [...]

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