Doomed.

Seriously?
For VICE PRESIDENT?

Senator McCain, this is insane... "country first", my ass.

My favorite XKCD so far:

I read several blogs and comics online whenever I get a chance. Some of them stack up a LOT before I get to them, but others I check as soon as google's reader tells me there's an new post.

The new XKCD post is a good example of what I read immediately. Incredible stuff. Go read it and then spend some time reading some of the older comics as well, if you can.

Presidential Debates 2008 DRINKING GAME!

That's right folks! It's time for the first 2008 presidential debates!  What better way to support your candidate than to get a case of cheap beer and watch it with some friends?  (Okay, there might be better ways - but whatever - this is the FUN way)

The rules are simple.  Go grab 2 beers.  When one is empty, whoever has the least beer needs to go grab you a refill (and a refill for whoever else needs one) because at any given time, you might just need both beers.  This game will not leave you in any condition to drive.  I bear no responsibility for anything you say or do or who you choose to vote for.

Take a drink when:

• HOTWORDS:
• "Change" (as a verb)
• "Maverick"
• "9/11"
• "Freedom"
• "Axis of Evil"
• "Bin Laden"
• "Celebrity"
• "Evil"
• "Extremist"
• "Left / right-wing"
• "Hope"
  
• "Jobs"
• "Victory"
• "Surge"
• "Al-Queda"
• "Experience"
• "Folks"
• "Main-Street"
• "Hard-Working"
• McCain paints Obama as an elitist
  
• McCain begins a sentence with "My Friends"
• Obama begins a sentence with "Look"
• Obama mentions McCain's X number of houses
• The crowd applauds Obama (only)
  
• The commentator repeats a question because the candidate avoided it the first time
  
• Obama compares McCain to Bush 
• Anytime someone mentions a #-point plan, take a drink for each point
• Either candidate laughs / chuckles / guffaws / chorles
• Freudian slips
• A candidate runs out of time and talks over the moderator
• Anyone messes up the name of a foreign leader or country
• Either candidate refers to McCain's POW status

Take two drinks when:

• McCain says "change"
• Obama mentions McCain's military background
• The crowd applauds McCain (only)
• McCain takes credit for Obama's idea
  
• Obama takes credit for McCain's idea
  
• Either candidate makes a joke that the audience actually laughs at beyond a polite chuckle
• Standing ovation
• The moderator asks the crowd to quiet down

Chug your drink when:

• Obama rhymes
  
• McCain accuses democrats / Obama of doing something Republicans / he's known for having done
• McCain makes it more than 10 seconds on camera without blinking.
• Anyone points with their index finger
• Anyone dies of old age
• Obama says "Cracka please!"
• Kang or Kodos makes a guest appearance
• Obama brings up the Keating Five
• McCain lifts an arm over his head

Debates? SHMEBATE!

This is turning into something outright hysterical to watch - Obama was in Washington DC yesterday, along with McCain, and everyone was working furiously to get some sort of deal done and.... oh wait.

Never mind that, it turns out that one side showed up with a proposal, ready to debate, and the other side showed up with an unworkable proposal full of bullet points and said that they would NOT debate. Guess which side is which?

So McCain might or might not show up at the debates tonight, citing the fact that he has a lot of work to do... or something. On a Friday night. Obama says he's going to be at the debate. So... I have a solution. McCain sends Palin to debate Obama. After all, she's a VP candidate - she should be able to step right the hell in and debate with anyone, right? Yeah... no. I just don't think that would work too well for the Palin side of the equation. I'd almost feel badly for her.. it would be like watching Edwards go up against Cheney again. Just a total mismatch in skill levels. (for those of you who don't remember, in 2004, Cheney tore Edwards to little pieces in their "sit down" debate. It was painful to watch.)

Fun stuff, politics.

UPDATE: Debate's back on. I'm getting some cheap beer and watching this tonight. woot.

Skeptic's Circle 96

SO.
It's time for YET ANOTHER SKEPTIC'S CIRCLE!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!
Right then. Before you go any farther, a few words about this edition-

I am posting EVERYTHING that was submitted. No filter. In fact, as I write this, I'm visiting each of these submissions for the very first time. You see, my life has taken a turn for the Really Frickin' Busy, and I completely blew my duties in terms of asking for submissions last week. Sure, I was in Houston at one point fixing a network that was killed by a little storm, but whatever. The circle must go on, right?

First up is a post at PodBlack Cat featuring an interview from the coming-soon and sure-to-be-entertaining-and-informative SkepticZone. Click here to visit and check out the video. In their words:

"the following segment is from an interview I did for the soon-to-be-launched podcast/vodcast The Skeptic Zone! Our site at www.skepticzone.tv will be running from Friday, September 26th and I was proud to have this interview out of the many I filmed selected for the first show."

Next, a poem.
Now, please understand that I tend to cringe when I hear the word "poem". It reminds me entirely too much of my teenage self, my black trenchcoat, my Cure posters, and my assortment of notebooks filled with words which loosely could be called poetry (if you REALLY wanted to call them that - mostly they were self-absorbed crap, but whatever). This post is awesome. No, seriously, go read it. Click here and read it OUT LOUD to a coworker. To top it off, the blog is called The Digital Cuttlefish. Cuttlefish rock.

Seth Manapio brings us two posts from his wonderfully named blog, "Whiskey Before Breakfast". First is "They Have Us Surrounded", which seems to include... another poem. If we have to start writing poetry in order to blog, I quit. (it's actually only a part of a post, the rest of his post is hysterically good - as is the poem. Go read it.) His second post, "Outflanked. Again." takes a balanced look at a weird situation in England that's been blown out of proportion by everyone everywhere. Except by me. Because I haven't paid any attention to it. Of course.

I can't say anything that would intro the next blog's submissions other than... great name. The Perky Skeptic writes perkily over a series of things. This first post deals with the mindset of magical thinkers and fear. Second up and Third up are posts regarding a single topic, the actual harm caused by astrology. These are both must-reads, and are written from the very real perspective of a lady whose father was an actual professional astrologer. (professional astrologer.... eek.)

Evolving Mind tackles the subject of.... swimming with dolphins. No, seriously. Go read it. :)

Greta Christina is one of my favorite bloggers. She tackles the subjects of life, sexuality, and reality with a clarity that's astounding. You may know her from her older post, Atheists and Anger. That's NOT the submitted post, but it's a must-read and an absolute favorite of mine. Pardon me while I pause to read her new submissions to the circle. Ah, they're a two-post single submission, I see. Here is part one, and here is part two. Ahh.. "The Top Ten Reasons I Don't Believe in God", parts one and two. Good stuff, Greta. Very, very good stuff. #5 and #10 are my favorites, but I kept nodding while reading. Lots of great links and information in both posts, as well.

ACTION SKEPTICS chimes in with a great post called The Appeal to Metaphysics. (Yeah, I know, the real title of the site isn't capitalized BUT come on, it's ACTION! SKEPTICS!!!) Anyone that can use the word "busybodies" in a serious manner gets my thumbs-up, I have to add.

Next up, Skeptics Play uses a book review to discuss the concept of false memories. I like the tie-in of science and popular culture in this post, and I like the idea of using the movie as a reason to discuss the science.

I really like the name of this blog- The Bay of Fundie. It sounds... FUN. I know, that's not his intent, but what fun is the world if you take the FUN out of fundamentals? I think it's a BORING world.. because you get... damentals. Sounds like a bad 1990's rap/rock XTREME act, eh? SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!! DAMENTALS appearing LIVE with SPECIAL GUESTS LIMP BIZKIT!!!! Wait... where was I? Oh yes, the article. Go read this wonderful little write-up, in which Bay of Fundie skewers a creationist trying hard not to learn anything. As a bonus, you get the opening to The Six Million Dollar Man. How much better could it get?

AND FINALLY, one of my personal faves, Bing from Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes chimes in with a great post about... well, as he puts it in his submission entry:

"It's about...I have no idea. It's about the weirdest damned thing I have heard of in a while. It's TimeCube stupid."

Whew. That's it. Thanks for coming out to the circle here at Endcycle. Take a look around before you leave - you might like what you see. :)

For more information about the Skeptic Circles, check out Circular Reasoning. Here's the schedule and other information.

Skeptic's Circle INCOMING

SO HERE'S THE THING.  I AM TYPING IN CAPS TO EXPRESS ANGER.  GRRR.  ANGER.  RAWR.  SEE?  ANGRY.  VERY ANGRY.

Why?  Because I just typed up a whole wonderful and HILARIOUS thing about accepting submissions for the skeptic's circle, and my browser window decided to crash.  I do so love Chrome, I do - and it's only fubered me ONCE.... of course, that ONE time was RIGHT AS I WAS FINISHING A BLOG POST. kldjakljdklawjdkljwakldjwal


SO ANYWAY

Here's the deal - I am hosting the next Skeptic's Circle on Thursday the 25th of September.  I would like for all submissions to be in no later than 9PM on Wednesday the 24th of September (eastern).  For information about what the deal is, submission guidelines, and a schedule of future circles, go to http://skepticscircle.blogspot.com/2005/10/skeptics-circle-archive-and-schedule.html and check it out.

Submit your submissions submissively to neverdiveagain AT gmail DOT com, submissives.  Thanks!