Reading the NY Times

Couple of interesting NYT articles caught my eye today.

Interrogation Memos Detail Harsh Tactics by the C.I.A

The documents were released with minimal redactions, indicating that President Obama sided against current and former C.I.A. officials who for weeks had pressed the White House to withhold details about specific interrogation techniques. Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A. director, had argued that revealing such information set a dangerous precedent for future disclosures of intelligence sources and methods

...In dozens of pages of dispassionate legal prose, the methods approved by the Bush administration for extracting information from senior operatives of Al Qaeda are spelled out in careful detail — like keeping detainees awake for up to 11 straight days, placing them in a dark, cramped box or putting insects into the box to exploit their fears.

Together, the four memos give an extraordinarily detailed account of the C.I.A.’s methods and the Justice Department’s long struggle, in the face of graphic descriptions of brutal tactics, to square them with international and domestic law. Passages describing forced nudity, the slamming of detainees into walls, prolonged sleep deprivation and the dousing of detainees with water as cold as 41 degrees alternate with elaborate legal arguments concerning the international Convention Against Torture.

TOR's Take:
Panetta's agrues that revealing this information sets a dangerous precedent for future methods. What exactly have they revealed in this which is even remotely new or novel.. We have heard about water-boarding, naked head-stands and rabid dogs a hundred times. From what I can tell, the the only new thing I'm seeing is that they sent a few instects into a room.

If this is the best interogation the CIA has we are trouble, what's next they are going to have the terrorits sit on a plane in between those two twins from the Guiness Book of World Records and a screaming baby on his lap?

funny you mention fat people on planes. The NY Times also reported that 'Obese Airline Passengers Must Purchase an Additional Seat'

United Airlines will start bumping obese passengers from sold-out flights and asking them to buy two tickets or upgrade to business class, the airline announced. United says it received more than 700 complaints last year from passengers who were uncomfortable because the person next to them "infringed on their seat," a spokeswoman for the company said.

I am 100% behind this thought and think that if you ahve a size 48 ass you should need two metrocards


An unrelated NY Times report says

Citigroup reports a profit bank’s reported income of $1.6 billion was helped by an accounting adjustment that allowed a one-time gain of $2.5 billion on its derivative positions

I need to figure out how to make one of those one-time accounting adjusments to my savings account

Economic downturn my ass

Saturday Night in Brooklyn and there isn't a decent restaurant without at least a 45 minute wait.  We are told by everyone that Americans have put themselves on a financial diet but apparently not in Park Slope!!!  It's unbelievable to think that you can't get a pizza, piece of sushi or Steak without feeling like i'm waiting on the kind of line you usually get at TGI Fridays.   


Maybe everybody forgot it was 2009 and thought it was 1999 for just long enough to not allow me to get a table, it is really embarrassing to see these people spend money like they're on an AIG bender, then again i'm the guy who is dying to try those BK Bites, if they ever made the Little Big Mac's I'd buy stock in McDonalds knowing  how much business I'd bring in myself


What is more miserable that "I wish this game went into overtime" Buffalo Wild Wings commercial or the food at Buffalo Wild Wings?   


There is also not a less athletic big-time college athlete than Tyler Hansbrough,.  This dude is built like a bit-time athlete like i'm built like a porn star. it's hard to tell what's more miserable his personality or his athleticism


then again the rest of the UNC white basketball players look like outcasts from the Jonas Brothers

Jimmy Skimpy

Saw an ad in the subway for the Bowlmor bowling alley in Union Square. The ad focuses on all the big celebrities that have bowled there including Michael Phelps, Cameron Diaz, Will Smith etc.. Then as I go through the list of celebrities it mentions Jimmy Fallon and Michael Kors.. These two jackasses aren't the kinds of celebrities you should be proud to have had at your place they are the reason I would NOT go to bowl at your hellhole

As a follow up to yesterday's rant on McDonalds hating white people... After checking my call log, I remembered calling the McDicks 800 number Friday Night to complain, I am sure that message will be replayed at some point on a FOX show entitled "world's drunkest dialers"

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Enjoying the View... from China

so Day 5 of my great China trip and I am 100% sure about a few things

1) My lung capacity has decreased 25% since getting here, the smog is so thick that you are better off using a Marlboro Red as a filter.

2) I believe I have eaten every single part of a chicken: legs, breast, wings, feet, eyes, beak, snout whatever.. Can you say Avian Bird Flu

3) I have been hitting the gym every morning at 6AM and am literally the only person at the gym, not one other guest.. not even an attendant, I turn on the lights, turn on the machines and turn on the TV.

4) somehow there are a few websites which I can't seem to get here.. YouPorn, RedTube, Tube8 etc. are all not reachable. weird



few Palin updates
1) she switched colleges 6 times including one time because it rained too much.. think she is high maintenance?
2) National Enquirer is already rumored to be going after an extra marital affair, with any luck they find out the dude was John Edwards.
3) when she won the mayor of Wasilla, she got a total of 909 votes.. That may be more than Biden got when he ran for the Democratic Nominee, but not by much.
4) the band HEART has asked the GOP to stop playing the song, Barracuda, I have asking Heart to stop airing this song for about 10 years but have had not luck.
5) Not has she has entered every 13 year old's wet dreams, the way her voice cracks every 6th word, she sounds a lot like a 13 year old boy?


So McCain decided to give yet another speech in front of a green screen, my boy Colbert is going to have a field-day with this one.
You can say one thing for Jon Stewart, this election has given him some juice again.. This guy is like David Justice, takes a lot of days off and only turns it on in the playoffs. just my luck, when Jon Stewart's playoffs start, I'm stuck in China

Just heard Giuliani's speech at the RNC.. He isn't just campaigning for McCain 24/7 he is campaigning for him 9/11..

Funny thing was that the green screen was the grass of a picture of a middle school in California.. Name of the middle school "Walter Reed Middle School", think somebody may have made a boo-boo?


Britney is rumored to open the VMA's this year..and from what I've seen on What Would Tyler Durden Do.. she might be hot again.. This coming right after excerpts of her Mom's book came out with claims of Britney doing the dirty deed at age 14. I guess it was pretty obvious that she was not that innocent.



this is totally awful (but pretty funny) http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2008/09/05/sarah_palin_rap/index.html

Surprise Here's Obama

The Obama "surprise" appearance was spoiled just SLIGHTLY by the MSNBC crew. These idiots can never let the moment be, they have to hear themselves talk.

Reminds me of when 880 broke into commercials between innings of their Yankee Broadcast to announce Roger Clemens was coming back and going to address the crowd. "oh My goodness Gracious"

Keith Olberman = John Sterling

Chris Matthews = Michael Kay

Rachel Maddow = Suzyn Waldman

Chuck Todd = Brian Fergunson

Too bad the Yankee broadcast doesn't have somebody as hot as Nora O'Donnell

Couple of notes

The handoff from Biden to Obama was terribly staged, not only did the news stations jump the headline, the entire thing felt contrived and phony. It took way too long for him to come out on the stage, poor Biden was standing there like a circus monkey. But most importantly why would the DNC take away from his 75,000 person address tonight by having him come out for 3 minutes last night?

Although maybe he was trying to score some points with the ladies...
Not sure but did Obama kiss Biden's wife on the lips?
Plus did you see the way that Nancy Pelosi hugged Obama? I think she had the back leg up and everything.


I thought Biden might have a heart attack in the middle of his acceptance speech, or at least rip off the mask to reveal Howard Dean. Not a very smooth delivery out of him, but I guess Biden's auditory speech ability is NOT what brought him to this ticket.... right?

Problem with many of these politicians is that they don't have the ability to be forceful without screaming. Most people aren't blessed with a great set of pipes like Bill, Obama and John Sterling, but the guys that don't have this ability (Biden, Hillary, Michael Kay) would do us all a lot of good by not just screaming when they are trying to intense. Biden comes across as an absolute psychopath.



How do like to be Bill Richardson, first you throw Bubba and Hil under the bus in hopes of getting the VP slot, then you find out a guy with fake hair and teeth got it instead and then the DNC bumps you from your prime time speech.... Oof


Michelle Obama has got to stop wearing turquoise colors, between those colors and that huge forehead she looks like a billboard for an aquarium.


For all the accolades MSNBC threw at Bill "Mike Shannahan" Clinton, I thought he did not come across as very genuine. He seemed annoyed at the reception he got, he never gave you ONE reason why Obama was actually "Ready To Lead"

Other than the fact that Bill was also young in '92. I for one did not think that speech helped Obama much cause it upstaged Biden but wasn't all that helpful either.

What the heck is up with Michele Obama's mother's hat?

The podium that the DNC speakers stand in front of made Michelle Obama look like she was a contestant on Jeopardy.. Alex Ill take "nice dress with ugly broach" for $300 please.

When I heard "Michele knocks this one out of the park" I thought I was listening to John Sterling when instead it was Keith Olberman who started ranting and raving.  Almost expected him to go into the "It is High, It is Far, It is GONNNNNNE" thing

Nice to see Obama hanging out with some family in Kansas City although when they panned out it looked an awful lot like a hostage video. You knew that his kidnappers were not happy when he says "I'm here in St. Louis"

Then again one of the guys they arrested for the attempted assasination plot in suburban Denver looked like Cletus the hick on the Simpsons.

Not sure if the DNC let a single normal looking dude other than maybe Joe Biden into the Michelle Obama speech. I guess being a vice presidential nominee has its perks, not only are you the only dude who doesn't look like he should be commited to a mental institution but for the first time in your life you finally got your hands on some decent suits..

(NYTimes.com)

What you gotta love about this convention is that there isn't a politician of note in the audience on day one and the presenters are trying to push a populous message about how difficult the average American is havin it and they are speaking in front of an auditorium of delegates what looks like they are tailgating with Hoggetts outside of a Redskins game.

The Great Wall of information

So at what point did Michael Strahan's cell phone start ringing today? The gap-toothed one played at a high level last year without the benefit of training camp, no reason to think he couldn't do it again this year.

You just know Carl Pavano will pitch just well enough to convince Brian Cashman to throw another $20 million for 2 years at him.

There literally isn't one rhythmic gymnasts in the top 10 who is not part of the old Soviet Bloc. Maybe Putin's real goal is to make sure the Ruskies sweep in London in 2012?

I'm sure this won't be the manliest statement I've ever made but an Olympic event I never would have thought I would like was synchronized swimming. This is like Cirque de Soleil in the water although watching 6 different teams was a bit much. I would like to see a synchronized eating event. A bunch of biker dudes tossing pork bellies over a grass hedge and catching it blindfolded with their mouths


Saw a restaurant today on Bleeker called New York HotDog’s and Coffee. This is the kind of combination I’m into. Who doesn’t like to wash down a chili cheese dog with a double mocha cappuccino?

Now I'm a huge fan of lesbians especially ones who don't like to wear brassiers but is there any chance Lindsay Lohan could at least help my fantasies by dating a chick who is at least slightly attractive?

Enough of not complaining.. now it is time for some complaining
Had this conversation with the Lad yesterday, tapas with a big crowd might be the worst idea ever.. First of all you wind up spending $50 a person and you find yourself at the pizzeria down the street 20 minutes after you walk out of the restaurant. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that each individual tapa costs about $16 that you are under the false belief that two of these things should fill you up.

But more importantly you wind up sharing everything, which is the biggest issue I have with this. Everybody loves the idea of trying many different things but because everybody wants diversity nobody winds up doubling up on any specific item. This basically leads to a table filled with a ton of items that nobody is really into. So the bad news for you is that you get on small piece of the spicy strip-steak you ordered but the good news is that you can try to fill up between the bland potato cakes and the tomato and sardine mix. Three quarters of the items on the menu seem to have been added solely so you can have some inane dinner conversation about how interesting the combination of green peppers and turkey ham sounds. The food comes out and everybody dives into the garlic shrimp while the bowl of broccoli with Velveeda cheese sits there getting about as much attention as Evan Bayh will get for the rest of his life. Because you feel bad for hammering any of the individual items, you very quickly recognize that along with heartburn you will be left completely unsatisfied.


Of course I was the clown who suggested we all go for Tapas in the first place.

I keep checking my text message for some word...

How would you like getting a call from the chick you've been after to tell you that she is going to the 8th grade dance with some other douche-bag? This is probably what is going through a couple of guys heads right now as Obama calls them that he's made up his mind and he's not going with them..

David Brooks is calling for him to take Joe Biden, which I'm all in favor of because I do like how it constasts prefectly with Stretch; one will talk for hours without ever saying anything while the other other has made a career a career of shoving his foot so far in his mouth that he can kick himself in the ass. If Obama is going to be president we need somebody to keep us entertained. It was like when Dole lost to Clinton in 1996, Conan O'Brien lost his best piece of material.

So if McCain does win the election, he'll have to remember yet another house of his.
If I ever can't remember how many houses I own, don't wake me up.

What I've noticed about beach volleyball is that the chicks hug after each point, but the guys hardly even look at each other.. I'm not complaining by the way

My buddy OC Zed makes the best call "The men's beach volleyball tandem of Dalhausser & Rogers look like they should be working at Office Max"

As you have read in the blog from earlier about The State of Sports Radio in New York there really isn't anything worthy going on in the sports-talk arena. The talent level is low and the material has just gotten stale. The entire market needs some new blood, some strong opinions, some guys not afraid to get dirty and willing to start some fires.

I give you Tiki Barber who allegedly called his female co-host a "gold medal c*nt" on the air yesterday. This is the kind of fire we need out of Kellerman and Kenny.

Sadly a bunch of NFL players were probably not that sad about Gene Upshaw's passing.. Not for anything personal but for the way that the Union got manhandled by the owners for the last 2 decades.


FASHION TIP#2. Ladies if you hip size is 10 points larger than. your bust size you should NOT wear pant-suits. When you wear one of those bright colored ones you look like a Thanksgiving day float. The jacket never fits right, your legs look like tree stumps and your ass looks like a cartoon characters foot after an anvil has fallen on it.


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Some men, you just can't reach

I love the Jewish culture but I will never understand the public showing which is part of a bris.. I've gone to one of these things which I remember going something like this.

I remember sitting there in a suit staring at a stage, I remember hearing the Mohel chant something in Hebrew, then came the loudest scream I have ever heard, followed with some very uncomfortable silence and then I had a bagel with lox.

Mazel Tav I guess.

I went to Rutgers and knew a couple of Javelin throwers, none of them looked like Leryn Franco the javelin tosser from Paraguay

From what I can tell she is not a very good javelin-er but really....who cares

Just saw a bunch of 20 year old girls on 6th avenue handing out fliers. They were all wearing bikinis, there were easily 15 guys staring at them from all sides.. I don't remember what they were giving out.

the Metro reports that there are rats in the subways..and that water is wet

Did get a text today and got really excited because I thought that Obama had chosen "Terrell Owens" as his running-mate, turns out the text was from a guy in my fantasy football league looking for trade advice.

My gym put up a sign in the sauna which reads "any person who participates in inappropriate behavior in the men's room will have their gym membership revoked". Glad I was wearing slippers.

Do you think that Favre's arm or Chris Mortenson is more fatigued.

watching PTI last night, they were interviewing Chad Johnson who claimed that he can outswim Michael Phelps, although I'm not sure he should be allowed to be in the pool without the those floaties. This is the same guy who said he could outrun a horse, he is funny but he seems to be about 3 donuts short of a dozen.

How I miss the General Patton type memo's George Steinbrenner would send through the media about how the Yankees should make the playoffs every season.  Apparantly Hank didn't get that memo as he is already making excuses for a dissapointing season which still has a quarter of its games left.

For those of us who under the false illussion that we are not total nerds, I've been playing GoalLineBlitz.com online and realize i'm just playing Dungeon's and Dragon's with worse graphics.

I'm not sure who should be more insulted by that picture of the Spanish basketball making the slanted eyes, the Chinese people or Alan Colmes?

With no Michael Phelps racing for a gold last night, I finally got a good night sleep.

Headline on CNN.com today  "Why Scarlett Johansson kissed Penelope Cruz"..   Match Point might be more anticipated than the Dark Knight or at least Wild Things.

Is it just me or does John McCain look like he's hosting PTI in this picture?

Camp Cupcake

I know this is a bit evil but I almost lost it when I saw the following:

Speaking of celebrities, I just Read that Velvet Revolver rumored to be considering Lenny Kravitz as their new front-man. In an interview Slash blamed the fallout with former frontman Scott Weiland on his "his increasingly erratic onstage behavior and personal problems..." Glad I took Weiland in the DeathPool.

Maybe she should have tried out for the USA Boxing team.. I think we all felt pretty bad for Alicia Sacramone when she fell off that balance beam but I feel worse for this guy

Not sure I'm that surprised, with that neck she could be the female Zack Thomas

(getty images)

If the actor who plays Godfather on Generation Kill can't make it, they can get Dave Campo to fill in and nobody would notice.

Novel suggestion from the Mrs. for the New York City MTA.. How about setting up some metro card vending machines on the platforms in addition to the ones on the outside. I think my reason why is pretty obvious, generally you only find out when you have used your last$2 on your metrocard after you have swiped your card and are through the turnstile. Wouldn't it make sense if you had an option to refill your card as you wait on the platform for the train.

Got a comment about my blog on the last great Rock Band

this was the comment

"Pro Pain rocks you sissy,

I gonna get ya and leave you for dead
I am gonna crush you with a blow to the head
your never forget me for the rest of your life cause
I'm gonna cut you like a switchblade knife. "

I think I can rest my case

Anchoring the Olympics

Caught a good new blog today you should check out.. http://swallowaknife.blogspot.com/


The only Olympic sports I can get into are the ones you don't ever see on TV.. That 4x100 relay was one of the best moments in all of sports.

Always find it funny that the last leg of a relay is called an anchor, especially in a swimming event. Seems like they could have used another word.

Watching the NBC telecast of the Women's gymnastic's yesterday, it became pretty apparant that Béla Károlyi (who does commentary for the peacock channel) has just become a Dick Vitale type hack. I thought he was going to pop an artery right on stage.

It always seems to me that if you have a clear blue sky that the stock market does well.. No idea why, I'll track it for you.

Has the Florida vs Georgia SEC matchup now been officially surpassed as the best rivalry by the Russia-Georgia rivalry?

David Axelrod is following the Karl Rove play book in one respect, he doesn't seem to care about his personal appearance what so ever.. With that Bela Karolyi mustache and that Jeff George haircut he could almost pass for Ron Jeremy.. I guess Axelrod can pretend he's got a big one and Rove's head just looks like a big one.





(reuters pictures)




Focus on the Family Action has pulled a video from its Web site that had asked people to "pray for rain" of biblical proportions in Denver on the day Obama is scheduled to make his acceptance speech at MileHigh stadium..

If it works I'll be screaming that Parcells didn't try this in the AFC championship in January '99.

Tour de Force

I'm convinced that most people will be convinced it's John Edwards if Obama takes Evan Bayh as

his running mate.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Is it Un-American to hope Team USA loses again?

I run 5 miles most mornings and am amazed with the amount of other people in the park at 6am but what has always irks me when is when I see a pack of Tour de France guys flying by. Why is biking the only sport where the participants feel obliged to wear the stupid uniform? I don't put on baseball pants or put on eye black if I'm going to play softball. I know about aerodynamics and drafting etc but this isn't even a race. I don't care if this saves you 3 seconds per mile, there is no reason a grown man should be covered in spandex. I'm convinced that this is just a thinly disguised meat-market.

Righetti Fashion Tip

Ever wonder why the old guys in the gym tuck their undershirts into their boxers?

It keeps the undershirt tight and flat which prevents you from looking like you are smuggling a cat in your puffed out button down shirt. Try it!!

Observations from Coney Island

What a view.. 100,00 people who shouldn't be in bikinis squeezed together in the heat on the boardwalk at Coney Island

I read recently that relative to the rest of the country New York city had some of the healthiest people. It was some list of the most obese cities in the US, not a list you want to end up on top of.. NY was in the bottom 10 of US cities., apparently they did not take into consideration the daily coney island battle of gluttony which puts Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi to shame.. Between the Fried Clams, Fried Shrimp, Fried Oreos and Fried Fries I was surprised nobody has come up with the idea of just frying up lard and selling it for $8. By the looks of it, there is an audience

I saw some woman pass out while standing in line to stuff at Nathans, probably the healthiest thing she did was pass out before she stuffed her face.

You just know that we are doomed when you can get a hot dog from a vending machine only 30 yards from Nathans. A vending maching? you gotta be kidding me.

Is it true they changed the rules for the HotDog competition to ensure an American will always hold the 12 minute record?

Talking about rules, when did the rule in Volleyball change that you can now score a point regardless if you are the team serving??? I can't understand changing a rule which seemed to work perfectly well when I learned it in 7th grade gym.

Talking to a 7th grade history teacher over the weekend, reinforced my belief that we are raising a country of pansies.. She says that a ton of the parents call her for a second text book so that their wimpy kids don't have to lug a heavy book home.. She also gets tons of parents calling to say that their kid should get a do-over for some quiz because they had a migraine. This is what we are getting ready for, Shoot me, there is no crying in baseball and there are no do-overs in life
But in a DVR world, we have made it to easy for everything..

Just realizes that Janie's got a Gun came out in 1989.... I was 14.. My son will never get music like that in his lifetime

My buddy The Bump just sent me a text that NBC played the old NBA on NBC theme song before the USA vs China basketball game.. Class.. But who notices these things.

Also heard that Alice Cooper and Randy Johnson opened a hot-dog stand called Randy Cooperstown together with the signature dog is called Randy Johnson Big Unit

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Lets not forget where this started

My take on Today’s Headlines.

I'm not so sure I feel that bad for those K2 climbers and I sure wouldn't want a penny of public money spent to rescue them. You want to be Evil Knievel, then you have to accept the risks, if I want to scale the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge and plummet to my demise well...sucks for me (and probably sucks for the afternoon rush hour too). My stupidity should not cost you a penny and if i were to survive, i hope they come to me for the cleanup costs.

Maybe I'm the only one but I wouldn't mind seeing Cindy McCain participate in that Buffalo Chip Biker show's beaver hunt.

Maybe we should add a fifth debate to the fall schedule.. Cindy McCain vs Michelle Obama in a wet t-shirt contest.. I got my money on Blondie.

Although she reminds me an awful lot like the chick from Seinfeld who only looked good in that one booth in the diner, she’s kind of two-faced, sometimes you think ‘that is one hot chick’ and the next time you think to yourself ‘she looks like she should be married to a 72 years old dude'

I can't stand sitting at a restaurant and having somebody double dip but this is ridiculous.
Iraq shows a $79 billion oil surplus but less than $4 billion spent for reconstruction from 2005-07.. Might be time to realize we are not just putting our children's financial future in trouble with the amount we borrow to pay for Jr. Bush's war but also that our $4 gasoline is lining their coffers.

Something tells me that this Anthrax killer has a lot more Revenge of the Nerds in him than Scott Ian. I love the theory that some sorority chick didn't put out 30 years ago and now he holds the country hostage..

Stream of Consciousness

By the way what happened to the opening credits on the Colbert Report? The words "President Bush, will you have a hotdog with me" use to very quickly flash against the screen.
now it says "fiber" or "multi grain" or something, just something i noticed


Would ESPN explode if Favre went into hiding, I have never seen so many grown men so infatuated with another man.. This must be how the apostles treated Jesus, cause I’m convinced these idiots all believe that he can walk on water or at the very least part the seas. It's like they've all gone diving in the shallow end of the pool and just don't realize it.


I am NOT a Sean Hannity fan but I was thinking about that Hannity and Colmes show today and thought, has there ever been a less perfect match in terms of popularity
it's like if Brett Favre and Kellen Clemens throw parties on the same weekend, Clemens sitting there alone with his dog and a 10 foot hoagie and a bucket of beers while Favre is filming Girls Gone Wild.

Alan Colmes is the Nicole Richie to Hannity's Paris Hilton in Simple Life #1.. But thinking about season #2 and Richie’s growing popularity, maybe this does bode well for Colmes’ future.

Clemens woke up this morning had a nightmare that he was stuck in Jeff Garcia’s body (weird voice and all). Kids, this is what happens when you have a goatee. Gonna grown something, make it a ‘stache, but leave the gold thong at home. .