Nature's Promise: Organic, Good Sense of Humor

I have to give Giant (one of the Mid-Atlantic supermarket chains) a lot of credit for its organic line, Nature's Promise. For one thing, I like how their products are certified by an actual certifying organization. I've heard that some places claim organic based on their OWN standards. Also, I dig the packaging. On the bag of blue corn tortilla chips we just bought there's a little blurb on the front of the bag that says:

"Made with organic corn and natural, non-hydrogenated oils - our chips se hablan delicioso!"

Fun with Flickr

Just found this site, which allows you to spell anything as if it were a ransom note, using images from Flickr.

Taco Bell's Marketing Department: Always thinking outside the bun.

Another fine post over at Beat It, Nerd.

They were talking about this promotion during the game last night and Joe Buck claimed that if Taco Bell didn't have to make good on the offer -- meaning no one hit a home run during game three of the World Series -- then HE got to decide Taco Bell's next promotion! Don't know if he was telling the truth or if he was just giving Tim McCarver a hard time.

This commercial KILLS me.

And if you're familiar with the baseball play-calling of FOX's Joe Buck it's that much funnier.

Thanks, Elijah.

It's no wonder people don't ever bother to contact their Members of Congress. Every time I've written either a Senator or a Representative I've gotten what seems to be a pre-fab response in return. I know these guys have a lot to do, and I'm 75% certain that Rep. Elijah Cummings never even saw my letter, but come on, Hill Staffers, try to make it sound a little less canned.

But I guess what really bugs me about the following letter is that it doesn't even address what I wrote about. I contacted Rep. Cummings about my disappointment in his voting in favor of the Deleting Online Predators Act. I only mentioned the fact that I was glad he voted against H.R. 88 at the beginning of my letter as a way of buttering him up.

Dear Andy :

Thank you for contacting me regarding the federal marriage amendment bill, H.J.Res . 88. I appreciate hearing from my constituents on issues before Congress.

Currently, Massachusetts is the only state that permits gay or lesbian couples to marry. On the federal level, Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 to prohibit recognition of same-sex marriages for purposes of federal enactments. H.J.Res . 88, if enacted, would declare that marriage in the United States consists only of the union between a man and a woman. While uniformity may be achieved upon ratification of a constitutional amendment such as that which is proposed in H.J.Res . 88, states would then no longer have the flexibility of defining marriage within their borders. Moreover, states may be prohibited from recognizing a same-sex marriage performed and recognized outside of the United States . Currently 43 states have enacted statutes limiting marriage in some manner.

For these reasons, and because of my belief in the essential freedoms embedded within the Constitution, I do not support the Marriage Protection Amendment. The United States Constitution and its amendments were designed to protect and expand individual liberties and provide equal protection under the law. The Marriage Protection Amendment would be the first constitutional amendment that restricts the rights of a whole class of people. Once discrimination is enshrined into the Constitution, attempts will be made to justify further discrimination and exclusion of other groups or classes of people by relying on interpretations of the same principle.

It is my belief that we must temper the prevailing values in this country with a steadfast defense of individual rights. In light of this necessary balance, I voted against H.J.Res . 88 when it came to the floor of the House for a vote on July 18, 2006. As you may be aware, this bill garnered a 236-187 vote and thus failed to reach the two-thirds vote necessary to pass the House as a Constitutional amendment.

As Members of Congress, we are required to honor the spirit and the law of the Constitution and we have the responsibility to prevent discrimination - whether it is based on gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristic. Rest assured that as the 109 th Congress continues, I will continue to fight against any and all discrimination. If I can be of further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings
Member of Congress

Yet another Colbert video

Watch him skewer Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum for comparing the war in Iraq to the Lord of the Rings (honest!).

Thank you, Examiner, for ruining my day

Some depressing news from within and without U.S. borders today:

1) How awful is this? - I don't know what it is, but there's something so stomach-churning about killing creatures that are as big as whales.* And the process and spectacle of killing them, with the spears and the hooks and the splashing and the blood, just strikes me as so barbaric that I have trouble understanding how anyone can do it without wanting to commit suicide afterward.

2) This also kind of sucks. - Seems that Kenneth Lay can go to the grave an innocent man. He was convicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, but since he died while his case was on appeal, a federal judge ruled that the conviction had to be "vacated." On one hand, I understand the reasoning behind the ruling. The guy didn’t get a full shot at making his case. But really, is there anyone on Earth who thinks he isn't guilty?

* The exact opposite can be said about tiny living things like mosquitoes and bacteria, which I have no trouble killing. But that's a philosophical discussion for another time.

Colbert Strikes Again

Hilarious!

I need some help

The problem is this: the Rolling Stones have always been a sore spot for me. I've never understood how they are consistently put on the level of The Beatles, whose influence is far beyond any other band in the history of rock. Yes, they have some good stuff, but can they really be considered ON PAR with the Fab Four? I think not.

Like I said, they have some good stuff and there are quite a few songs I genuinely love: "Mother's Little Helper," "19th Nervous Breakdown," "I Am Waiting," and basically all of Her Satanic Majesty's Request. But a lot of the other stuff I've heard really grates the hell out of me.

So here's what I need from all you Stones lovers out there: based on what I like as listed above, what other Stones songs/albums do you think might be worth a shot? And God help you if you mention Goat's Head Soup or Some Girls.

What's opera, Doc?

I just heard about something that might be really cool. It's called Opera Vivente, a small opera company located here in Baltimore. Their venue is a church of only 200 seats, which could be neat, and they perform in English, which may upset purists, but if you've ever been to an opera in another language (especially Russian; I'm looking at you, Mussorgsky) you know how distracting surtitles can be from the music.

Anyway, Opera Vivente is performing Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte this month and I think I might have to drag the wife to it.

It also reminds me of the Baltimore Opera's Extreme Opera program, which allows students (and those who haven't yet thrown out their college IDs, heh) to see performances for $20 each! I took advantage of this a few years ago but had totally forgotten about it until now. I really need to get me back into the opera scene.