I blame this guy

That was a depressing loss yesterday. It is hard to get excited about the rest of the season. Sure, the Steelers aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I fully expect them to win the division, make the playoffs, and possibly win a playoff game or two. But with the Colts and Patriots playing the way they are, its hard to see them being in contention for a Super Bowl.

All work and no play makes something something

So I continue to be insanely busy, but I wanted to comment again on Mad Men. I just finished the first season and I'm already giddy for season two.

Following the Soprano's formula, the second to last episode of the season was the most exciting. Don's dual identity comes to a head, the election party leads to a drunken revel, Sal kisses a girl and pretends to like it. The confrontation between Pete and Don was building all season and it was played perfectly. Weaselly little Pete had no real clue how to use the knowledge in the box, but somehow he was going to try anyway. Don looks to run, again, until he realizes he's got nowhere to go. Then of course, Cooper, the good Randian he is, couldn't care less about Don's secret.

Still, now that we know Don't secret, we know that he is in serious trouble. Cooper may not care about Don being a deserter and a fraud, but the US Government surely would. Don committed serous felonies in his escape, and now his arch-rival knows it. As the years go by and technology improves, his lie is going to be harder to keep.

The episode was called Kennedy and Nixon, and the writers suddenly made the Nixon campaign storyline, which had seemed to be merely historical flavoring, suddenly very relevant. Matt Weiner fooled us with clever casting. What is obvious in hindsight, that Pete was Kennedy and Don was Nixon, was impossible to see because of Don's Rock Hudson looks vs. Pete's doughy little sneak look. But the signs were there all along. Pete is a clever and ambitious, but not particularly smart, young man who is both propelled and controlled by his family wealth and name. Don is a self made man (named Dick even!) who pulled himself up by his bootstraps through hard work, guts, and a total lack of scruples. Dick admired Nixon for being a self made man who, six years out of the Navy, was Vice President of the United States. Pete admired Kennedy for not wearing a hat. Don was obviously crushed when he learned that Nixon lost because Joe Kennedy stole the election from him. One gets the feeling that Don has his own Watergate down the road (either that, or the show suddenly stops while he's eating onion rings in New Jersey....you know, that is always a backup). Meanwhile, Pete dealt with his setback by using his family connections to snag a Clearasil campaign. Life isn't fair (or, the Universe is Indifferent).

A lot less to say about the finale. Betty is even more childlike than we thought. I thought the Peggy pregnancy plot was far fetched. She didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth? The baby never kicked? I can believe that Peggy would be naive enough in 1960 not to know the symptoms, but surely Joan would have noticed at some point and gave her a little talk. To their credit the writers did set this up way back in the pilot, in which Peggy slept with Pete on the same day that (once again I believe that Peggy would have not known how contraceptives work, considering that they were generally illegal in 1960, especially for a single woman). Anyway, here is to season 2. And bring back Rodger Sterling!

Busy Busy

Work has been very busy lately, so posting has been light. I hope to have something posted about the Patriots scandal soon.

In the meantime, there is plenty of other stuff to do on the Internet. For instance, you can occupy yourself by looking at pictures of abandoned Chi Chi's. Is technology not grand?

Why we are all going to get Diabetes

Mike Huckabee would be mortified. Ladies and gentlemen.....deep fried Coke.

I guess that is the perfect thing to wash down your doughnut hamburgers.

Mike Huckabee = William Jennings Bryan

I've already stated that Sam Brownback needs to get out of this race. It would be absurd to say the same thing about Mike Huckabee. He's on a roll, and he deserves his spot on the podium. Nonetheless, Republicans jumping on that bandwagon are making a mistake. The key to reviving the fortunes of the Republican party will not be found in a marriage of John Edwards and Pat Robertson.

I understand Huckabee's appeal. Social conservatives can't be happy with the current field, and Fred Thompson has yet to officially debut. Huckabee is probably the most charismatic guy in the race, and his social conservative credentials are impeccable.Unfortunately, Huckabee has shown a persistent hostility to the pro-growth wing of the Republican party. He refers the most important economically conservative group, the Club for Growth, as the Club for Greed. His recent support for a national ban on smoking show both an extreme nanny state instinct and a complete and utter disregard for the principles of federalism. As Governor of Arkansas, he was a prototype of the "big government conservative" style of government that has nearly ruined the party. If we don't reconnect with our small government, slightly libertarian roots, the GOP will lose the west for good, and its hard to see what in the Huckabee platform will sell in the Northeast, in the suburbs, or in the upper Midwest as well. In fact, I think Mike Huckabee's appeal is basically the same as William Jennings Bryan.

Up top I've included the electoral map from the 1900 election. Bryan did better in 1896, but the west turned against him between the two elections, making the 1900 comparison more apt. Either way though, if replayed in 2008 both lineups would continue to be a loser under the modern electoral college, and Congress would be a problem as well.

Michael Jackson is Dead

No, not the weird chameleon guy with the plastic nose. I mean this guy.

Michael Jackson, a leading beer critic who helped start a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide in the 1970s, was found dead on Thursday at his home in West London. He was 65.

The beer hunter was one of the first guys who really started to popularize good beer. He was pushing quality beer at a time when that was considered an oxymoron. Home brewing had not yet been legalized, Anchor Steam had not yet kicked off the craft brewing revolution, and imports were rare. You can disagree with some of Jackson's particular reviews (he was more fond of fruity Belgium beers than I am), but it is worth trying any beer he recommends at least once. The man just knew his beer. For anybody who loves good beer, the man was a hero. Good bye Mr. Jackson. I shall enjoy a pint in your honor.

Lets buy Wilie Reid some Stick-Um

Much better performance by the Steelers. Still, some major issues. Jerome Bettis and Antwaan Randle El left after the Superbowl, and we still have not replaced them. We have no good answer in goal line situations or on punt returns. And the offensive line is worrisome. But Ben looks good, Parker looks good, Santonio Holmes looks good, Heath Miller is always amazing when he allowed to catch the ball (throw to our best weapon? But he is a tight end! Tight ends are only allowed to block! Who is this Antonio Gates fellow?). The defense looks like its old self. So..., we've got strengths, we've got weaknesses. Lets bring on the season.

My first Troll

Got my first nasty comment over at Save the GOP. I saw this story on CNN, and posted this comment.

I have no interest in the politics of this. I just hope that this child is able to recover from his injuries and live a normal life.

Which prompted this comment.

This is not non-political. You only care about him because he got hurt by an Arab. If he’d gotten maimed by an American soldier, it would have been fair spoils of war in your book.

I don't really need to respond to this, although I did over here. Pretty ugly way to see the world, don't you think?

Maybe he's trying to intimidate Estonia

I think we can be very thankful that we never got a picture like this of Boris Yeltsin.

Back in town

I'm back down to D.C. I have a couple posts up at Save the GOP. Here and Here.

Also, I expected much better Buffalo wings at the Buffalo airport. I know its an airport, but still. They are the hometown food, and they aren't that hard to make. These were the worst wings I've ever tasted. They were the hottest available, and I didn't even need any water. They were too small, with little meat, and greasy skin. You can do better, Buffalo Airport All-Star Grille. I know you can.