Ahoy, mates!

So, do tell:

Where’s the best place to live in Seattle? Which are the best schools (public or private (for the children under 18))? Is it really so very rainy or is that just an urban legend?

I have reason to believe this may be in my (relatively) distant future:

http://depts.washington.edu/bioe/programs/phd/phd.html

Shorter version of the latest manufactured “scandal” surrounding the Obama campaign:

1) Obama makes a speech stating that, after 30 years of being hung out to dry by Republican/Clintonian economic policies that shipped their manufacturing jobs out of the country, many working class Rust Belt voters are understandably angry and bitter

2) Hilary Clinton and John McCain, two enthusiastic architects/supporters of the policies that shipped said manufacturing jobs out of the country, accuse Obama of being “out of touch” with working class Rust Belt voters

3) Overwhelmed by cognitive dissonance, Aaron bangs head against wall repeatedly

(much, much longer tirade on this “scandal” posted nyah)

However, unlike Al Gore and John Kerry, Obama seems to have learned the lesson of what to do when Republicans (and yes, I’m counting Hilary as one) spin your words to try and make them mean the exact, polar opposite of what they actually mean:

Namely, you don’t ignore it and hope it goes away. You FIGHT BACK.

Last year, I turned to the blog for some suggestions, and I really liked what everyone had to say.

So I’m doing it again. I’ve got $1000 in tax refund money, and once again, I do not need this money. Suggestions, anyone?

Hell, have fun. Make it as outlandish as you want. Sure, I could break down and get a 360, but that’s obvious. Plus, I’m still playing God of War 2 and Final Fantasy 12. With Guitar Hero 1+2 to practice with if I get bored.

In other news, I saw Children of Men last weekend. I’m willing to say it was the best picture of 2006.

I have a friend who wants to send me something from Japan. Suggestions? I know nothing about the land of the Rising Sun.

I also saw Andrew WK at one of the parties he’s doing on his speaking tour. I swear, I have never seen anyone like him perform. Tiny place, he does some ‘ambient’ stuff with a DJ there, and then starts playing some of his songs, just with the DJ. The place goes apeshit, and the next thing I know, Andrew is pulling people up onto the stage: “Hey, you can dance, too!”

The rest of the set was performed with something close to 30 people on stage. Everybody had a great time. I laughed, down in front, because really, who does stuff like that? I’m not saying you should go see him live. Most likely his music is not your bag. But he’s a hell of a show.

The last batch of beer I made came out super-awesome. However, I made it for my girl’s birthday, so you probably won’t get any.

Things have been a little weird, otherwise. I guess I’d better get back to writing again.

I got my wisdom teeth out today, all four impacted beauties. I do not expect it to go nearly as well as Zandra’s and this is because I fully expect to have at least one dry socket. And despite my vicious come-downs from the hydrocodone, I have really tried to keep a sense of humor about this. In fact, when I was writing the check for the procedure, in the “for” section of the check (you know, the memo section?) I wrote: the exact price of human agony. I also thought of a funny exchange I really wanted to have with my dentist, but I got too groggy to remember to have it. It was going to go like this:

Doctor: Well, Melissa, do you have any questions?

Me: Yes, a few. First of all, how long until I can eat solid foods?

Doctor: About a week.

Me: Okay, and how long until I can workout?

Doctor: Also about a week.

Me: Brush normally?
Doctor: A few days.
Me: Chew gum?

Doctor: A few weeks.

Me: Fellate?

Hey kids. Some help for a school project. Please?

Do any of you read a print newspaper anymore? Have you let your subscription(s) lapse? If not, why not? If you still do subscribe, why? Do any of you look at classifieds in the paper? Or do you look at the classifieds online? What are your thoughts–is newsprint going the way of the dinosaur?

The evidence shows that print subscriptions are in decline and that the internet is/has supplanted print, so that’s not really up for debate. I’m just trying to get some qualitative opinion on the matter–why is this happening?

It was lost in the media frenzy over the 3rd anniversary of Mr. Bush’s other colossal blunder, but on Monday, the “party of fiscal responsibility” voted to raise America’s debt ceiling to Nine. Trillion. Dollars.

This is the fourth time in DubYa’s execrable reign that the debt ceiling has been raised. In the 200+ years of American constitutional government prior to his taking office, we had amassed roughly 5.5 trillion dollars of debt. In five years of his rule, with his party controlling both houses of Congress, he’s managed to amass an additional 3 trillion.

All 44 Democrats (and one independent) voted against this hideous bill. 52 out of 55 Republicans voted for it. You hear that, assholes? Your right to call yourselves the “party of fiscal responsibility” is hereby revoked. From now on, if any of you chuckleheads dare to mouth the words “tax and spend Democrats” in my presence, you will receive a quick and vicious punch to the teeth.

How much money is a trillion dollars? Can we even conceive of how big a number that is? The Republican in charge of the Senate Budget Committee sure can’t. He even admits it.

So how is the “party of fiscal responsibility” going to get us out of this mess? Are they going to cut spending? Are they going to (Gawd forbid) raise taxes? Are they going to do both?

Hell, no! They’re just going to print a whole hell of a lot more money to inflate us out of debt! And to cover their tracks, they’re going to stop telling anyone how much they’re printing!

Lessee here: the Republican Party fucked up the war, fucked up the Constitution, and now they’ve fucked up our economy in perpetuity. Have we finally had enough yet? Can we please fire them in November?