You get what you pay for?

There should be a checkmark under iPhone for "breakable glass."



Why are iPeople so annoyng? OK, they paid a lot of bucks for the trendy phone. Hey, it's their money. But do they always have to have it out, scrolling through photos, albums, etc. at all times? I don't see them do anything else (email? phone conversation? games?). I take the train to work and I've literally seen people scroll through album covers for 15 minutes. Pick a song already! The colors of the albums look great though...

I own a Crackberry, so I shouldn't be judging others. Guilty as charged.

Chicago Style

Regardless of whether or not the Cubs and Sox make the postseason (Sox better wake up soon), you can't argue theat the history of baseball in this town is baseball itself and the stuff of legends.



102 Chicago baseball tidbits


PS: To alll of the Sox fans who say Wrigley is a dump, take a look at how generic The Cell looks in the above photo. Newer isn't always better.

If celebrities were from the Midwest...

This is too funny!!

Midwestern Style

Soldier running from a fight?

In all honesty, McCain being concerned about the economy is admirable and it is something that requires quick action/attention. However, McCain suspending his campaign worries me for 2 reasons:

1. He can't multi-task? Assuming he's not a secret financial expert doing the actual number crunching to calculate the liquidity in the markets, he can't vote on a bill AND work on his lobby to be the Leader of the Free World? I didn't realize casting a vote is so difficult. (Election Day should be a holiday for all of us then, right?!)
2. Isn't the point of a running mate the fact that you need a right-hand person to help burden the load? A back-up, in essence? Why doesn't McCain send Sarah Palin to Washington, since she's so good in fiscal matters? Or better yet, push back the Prez debates and have the VP's debate tomorrow night?

I'm hoping McCain is suspending his campaign for the right reasons and not for political reasons. Let's be realisitic: the most successful part of mcCain's campaign is to reel-in corporate spending and reducing taxes. Guess what? A $700 billion bailout is protecting CEO's who mismanaged corporate spending and will increase taxes. McCain suspending his campaign: addressing the economy issue or running from it? You decide.

McCain Suspense!

Obama to McCain: Oh no you didn't?!

Division champs!

Cubs clinch!

Unholy matrimony?

Warning to male readers: do not let your wife/girlfriend force you into watching the Sex in the City movie. Unless you feel like answering a bunch of questions (more like defending yourself as a man/husband/boyfriend, really...), don't do it. It's a piece of garbage chick flick, a waste of time and will only do you (and your marriage/relationship) harm. A couple of f*ckey time scenes, but no boobage or vag (so it doesn't even have nudity going for it).

Magic #: 1

Well, we didn't get the win today, but we'll get'em tomorrow. It's better to clinch and celebrate right after the game anyway. Yet another work of fate set-up for "Our Year."



And how sweet it'll be to clinch while playing St. Louis!

A Great Depression? You said it.

So let me get this straight: Americans who couldn't afford the down-payments on 30 year fixed mortgages, and decide to option risky low or no-interest loans, are now going to ruin the finances of every American, in addition to theirs? Yeah, that's a heck of a plan.

America Out On Bail

A grim-faced President Bush acknowledged risks to taxpayers in what would be the most sweeping government intervention to rescue failing financial institutions since the Great Depression. But he declared, "The risk of not acting would be far higher."

"As we all know, lax lending practices earlier this decade led to irresponsible lending and irresponsible borrowing. This simply put too many families into mortgages they could not afford," Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said.

Since when did "keeping up with the Joneses" become the mea culpa for being a greedy selfish asshole?

You Gotta Have Heart.

Yet another ode to the Cubs. At least one Chicago team won't have to hijack a cheesy 80's song as their World Series theme song.


Video From Mouthpiecesports.com

Magic number: 2!

What a game today! I can't decide if the Cubs were resourceful enough to stay in the game or if the Brewers weren't good enough to stay in it. I'm going with the former. Hope they clinch tomorrow and can relax some guys before the playoffs. I think the rest from Ike did them well and they could use more of it. I still can't decide if I want them to start against the Mets or Phillies? Still have a week to think about it...in the meantime:

BOOTAY!


Don't be said, kid. The Cubs may have lost, but your mom's a MILF.

The magic has taken a break.

No Love Lost

So, the weak link in the chain started and lost today. The only positive to Marquis losing tonight is he'll have no argument to give when he whines about not pitching in October. Now the earliest the Cubs can clinch is Friday night against the St. Louis Tards.

Ruh Roh!

Sounds like a job for Scooby and his friends!



Hacked-Up Hockey Mom

Halloween just around the corner...

GOP Leaders not sold?

Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said his party's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, lacks foreign policy experience and called it a "stretch" to say she's qualified to be president.

"She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said in an interview published Thursday by the Omaha World-Herald. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."

Hagel Wipes Off Lipstick

Which comes next?

The sex tape or a stint in rehab?

Miley Cyrus is dating a 20 year-old man, who's an underwear model and a reject from Nashville Star. For those of you who don't know, Nashville Star is a country version of American Idol that is hosted by: Billy Ray Cyrus. So, I have a couple of questions, as a father myself:

1. Is it illegal for her to date him? I know she's taking the Britney Spears route and saying she's still a virgin (which is hilarious since now it's been confirmed by Britney's mom's tell-all book it was all a lie after Britney was 14), but should she even be allowed to hang with him? No good can come of it, right?
2. Even in the real world, what 20 year old man is waiting 'til marriage for his 16 year old girlfriend? That said...
3. Why would a 20 year old man be interested in a 16 year old girl? Assuming he's not dating her for fame (yeah, right.) or for her skills in the sheets, what else could he see in her?
4. How quickly is Billy Ray Cyrus sending himself to hell for whoring out his daughter physically and professionally?

It's just sad to watch. She does seem talented, creative and mature for her age. But that's no excuse to allow her (encourage her?) to grow up too fast.

They look like they have a lot in common!

Dang, I have to buy a shotgun one of these days.

In response to the Megan Fox posting...

Shouldn't Lehman Brothers brokers stop working after being fired?

Megan Fox in GQ

Unreal. Why isn't she in better movies? And by better movies I mean movies that Mr. Skin would rate well!

Magic # 4

2 photos for 2 points droppped!

Finding comedy in the economic crash.

Cubs making history - again.

The last two games represent the first time in major league history that any team has allowed only one hit, total, in two consecutive games.

Cuban perspective

Mark Cuban, prospective Cubs owner, former Dancing With The Stars outcast and Dallas Mavericks owner posted his take on the financial sector downturn yesterday. We all know greed is the catalyst for yesterday, but Cuban, a billionaire himself, has an interesting take on how men reach a certain level in the investments sector, they have nothing to do but make calls that risk the money of others' to fatten their own pockets.

Mark Cuban's blog

AIG - Lehman - Merrill Lynch: 3 Companies facing cash crunch oblivion. A bankruptcy, an desperation sale and pure desperation. What do all 3 companies have in common? Share buybacks. Billions and Billions and Billions in share buybacks over the last 18 months.

Can anyone say 'financial engineering?' Think all 3 companies could have used that cash they spent trying to pump up their stock prices? All that cash going to people who sold the stocks, huge losses going to those who held the stock. Thats why dividends are far better than share buybacks. At least in this case all shareholders could have gotten something back other than “the bag” remaining shareholders continue to hold.

Again, there is no risk to CEOs for playing these financial engineering games. All it does it pump up the stock. They sell into the rise and put money in the bank.

One last point, has the irony of 3 of largest companies in the country who make their money giving financial and insurance advice to companies and individuals, are facing ruin from the advice they gave themselves ? If this isnt a lesson to every individual who is taking advice from an investment firm, i dont know what is.

The list of CEOs who have walked away with huge severance packages is a long one. The problem however isnt how much they got paid.

There is zero downside to a CEO for taking chances beyond the embarassment of getting fired. Would you let someone fire and embarass you for a check for $20mm dollars ? So would CEOs.

He also talks about the need for more regulation/oversight. Sounds like a buzz phrase doesn't it? Democrats and Republicans keep saying it over and over again. But what exactly do they mean? Who knows. They probably mean nothing because they'll say anything to get elected and once elected won't care about companies filing for bankruptcy. Here's Cuban's explanation of effects of deregulation in the markets and why it's lead to many companies, over recent years, going under:

The 2nd option would be to prevent certain types of companies from being or going public. Law Firms can;t go public. Investment firms like Goldman Sachs used to not be able to go public. They were partnerships. Partners were paid for the most part in cash. If the partnership had money to pay, it got paid. If not, not. I promise you, their tolerance for risk was far lower than it is today for Goldman because there was a direct link between the risk and reward for partners. I also guarantee you that if the business makes sense, there will be other companies that step in to handle any business that a partnership cant grow to handle.

And what about the CEOs that just screw up companies, but not to the point of federal bailouts ? You cant protect against hiring a bad CEO. It happens. You can pass a law saying that officers and board members can’t be paid in stock. Let them take their cash earnings and go on the market and buy stock or options like everyone else. Putting their own cash money on the line will create a link between the risk and the reward. They will be in the same boat as every other shareholder . It’s their money on the line.

Crazy ? Some people might say that it would make it tougher to find CEOs for big companies. Companies couldn’t pay them enough. I say thats crazy. What are those potential CEOs going to do otherwise ? If the market for CEO pay isnt high enough for them, they can go out and start their own companies and take on the risk.

As long as we pay CEOs with lottery tickets, I mean stock, that they don’t have to pay for, risk and reward will be decoupled. As long as that is the case, you can count on many a future bubble and meltdown and there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to stop them.

At least he's being honest. I get nervous when fiancial experts speak in generality and non-specifics. Then say, "Don't panic." WTF?!!!

Recent floods

Making lemonade from Mother Nature's lemons!

Magic # 6

Thank God for chicks in Cubs gear. The only positive to my weekend and Monday. Did I mention I'm getting over the stomach flu from this weekend. And now my wife and daughter have it. Good times.

Can you tell I Like these posts and searching for them?

My math not so good.

So $50,000,000,000 doesn't
= $1,000,000,000,000?

Top Economist: Americans Should Worry About Bank Deposits if Congress Doesn't Act

Time to put your money under your mattress.

Or in the coffee can. Or the freezer. Or up your bum. I don't think you have to follow a strict code when squirreling away money. The point being: the fit has hit the shan. Here's some of the wonderful headlines from today.

Stocks tumble amid new Wall Street landscape

Americans can remain confident in the soundness, resilience of financial system

Not to sound the panic alarm, but is the economy finding ways to hit all new lows? Just when you think it can't get worse:
Stocks in the toilet? Well, at least I have my house.
Housing downturn? Geez, thank God I still have my savings.
Banks crumble and FDIC can't cover? I'm f*cked!

And as an added bonus: remember the highest unemployment rate in 5 years from last month? I don't think 26,000 Lehman employees and Washington Mutual's employee base is going to help those numbers.

What am I worried about? I can up my street game and hustle!

Magic number: 8

And Big Z puts up a no hitter. Crazy game to watch (should Lou let Z go for it with 100+ pitches...after 12 days to rest a sore shoulder?!), but definitely worth the payoff. Now that the Cubs have almost wrapped up the division (mathematically possible to lose, but not likely), can't we finally rest some arms for October?

Guess the 2 days rest (and playing at Wrigley North) helped our boys out of their slump! We get 2 Cubs chicks pics: 1 for dropping another number and 1 for the no-hitter (first for a Cub since '72).

Magic number: 9

Single digits, baby!

Smooth moves.

Anyone can be President. How disapppointingly true.

Magic number: 10

God bless the Wrigley bleachers. I miss summer already.

Is it "Bleacher Bums" or "Bleacher Buns?"

Both God and Satan on our currency? A point-counterpoint discussion.

Great Seal secrets revealed!

Among the highlights of this exhibit put on by the government:

_That known Masons like the first U.S. president, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin had no role in designing the final seal, which uses elements of traditional heraldry, such as the unfinished pyramid to symbolize a work in progress, arrows for war and an olive branch for peace. Masons share some of those symbols, but they have never been exclusively the domain of the order.

_That the phrase "Novus Ordo Seculorum" below the Roman numerals for 1776 at the base of the pyramid translates as "A New Order of the Ages" that began with independence and does not imply the United States will be the lynchpin of a sinister "New World Order."

_That the words "Annuit Coeptis" (" Providence favors") and the eye of providence that hovers over the pyramid refer to unexpected interventions of fate that assisted the colonists in creating a new country.

_That the references to 13 refer to the number of colonies that formed the original United States .

"People are just not aware of the complexity and intent of the symbolism and what our Founding Fathers were trying to do with it," said Priscilla Linn, senior curator at the U.S. Diplomacy Center. "The hidden treasure in the Seal is the courage and presence of mind of the people who created it and created these values for the whole country."

And now for the truth: Lucifer has been running the U.S. Mint's printing presses all of this time!!

Satan is a pimp!

The biggest revelation to me is that U.S. Presidents flash symbools for the devil! And we all know how often Texans give the horned owl symbol. They're "horny" rednecks.


No wonder God sends hurricanes to clean those sinners. Oh wait, I think Texans are just down with the shocker. My bad.
They're still horny rednecks!

PS: We all know God sends hurricanes to raise oil prices. Duh.

Good old trailers

Top Trailers

Magic number: 11

We dropped 2 points, so we get 2 pics.

Available for outdoor parties and BBQ's.

Be the envy of all of your neighbors! Everyone will want to cum to your party witha goood time like this.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Sarah Palin answers her critics.

See more FUNNY videos at Funny or Die

Ken Lee

Had to post this. Still one of my favorite videos ever. Classic.

Wife gone? Don't stick the pages toegther.

And I thought a box in the back of the closet was safe?

Magic #13.

Is it safe to start counting yet? I can't wait for the postseason. Chitown is going to be crazy!

This time, it's personal.

I'm a big James Bond fan. My dad used to read the Ian Flemming novels and I grew up watching the movies over and over again. Casino Royale was a departure for Bond movies, but I think it was needed because the follow-up looks kick azz.

Quantum of Solace

Dossier


I had to post pics of this guy from the movie. I think he's going to be the henchman to the main villlain. His name is Elvis. I'm thinking of getting his haircut to pair up with my November stache. I'll get jobs and women like crazy. Trust.

Movember

I would like to see the look on a potential interviewer's face when I walk in with a porn stache. They'd probably hire me on the spot!

Grow a moustache for charity!

Speaking of freedoms and living a lucky life...

I always wanted to work for the energy markets because the money is good and profits are at an all-time high. But who knew you get coked and laid?!!

Oil brokers sex scandal may affect drilling debate

The two-year, $5.3 million investigation by Interior's inspector general found workers at the Minerals Management Service's royalty collection office in Denver partying, having sex, using drugs and accepting gifts and ski trips and golf outings from energy company representatives with whom they did government business.

The investigations exposed "a culture of ethical failure" and an agency rife with conflicts of interest, Inspector General Earl E. Devaney said.

Between 2002 and 2006, 19 oil marketers — nearly a third of the Denver office staff — received gifts and gratuities from oil and gas companies, including Chevron Corp., Shell, Hess Corp. and Denver-based Gary-Williams Energy Corp., the investigators found.

"Employees frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and natural gas company representatives" who referred to some of the government workers as the "MMS Chicks."

9-11

It's amazing it's been 7 years. It doesn't seem like that much time has passed. And how different is the country now? And the world, for that matter. I knew it would never be the same, I just didn't realize how.

Joining the fire department gave me a unique perspective on what some of the NY crews must've gone through on that day. You know you sign up for duty and danger will be involved. And every time you pull hose into a burning building, hop on a roof with an axe or use the jaws on a crushed door, you know there's a point where your adrenaline and training take over. And then its over, and you go back to your family, job, etc. You do it because someone has to and you accept all of the sacrifices that comes with it. It's great getting to ride in parades, people asking you about the action you've seen and kids wanting to try on your gear, but it can be a hard life (much harder than most people realize).

On 9-11, I just can't imagine how guys dealt with it mentally. Adrenaline and training don't shield your eyes or your heart from extreme suffering. And for the guys who lost their lives, accepting the ultimate sacrifice, hopefully being unshielded allowed them the witness the ultimate peace.

Part of me is sad right now. But, I'm actually more angry. Angry that we never caught Osama bin Laden (when I beleive we could've right away in Afganistan). Angry that we can't get through an airport line without being strip-searched, but our borders and shipping yards are virtually unprotected. Angry that the Ground Zero memorial still isn't built, 7 years later. Angry that the Iraq war, which was initiated in the name of 9-11, has propogated an increase in terrorism, has destroyed the American economy and killed thousands of lives.

But, life goes on for us. We're the lucky ones. We're not in the line of fire. We weren't in the attacks. We're Americans entitled to rights and freedoms. We make livings, go on vacations and get laid. Try to take some time today to remember how lucky you are. And remembered the men and women who aren't so lucky.

Hypocritical much?

The Daily Show has been on fire lately. You can't argue when it comes from the horse's mouth (and is recorded!).

F*ck. I can't help it!

I can't stop hearing, thinking, and posting about Palin whores. Maybe that's what they want? Maybe they are hot? Is Tina Fey hot though? Anywhore...

Last night, Sarah Palin talked about her cost-cutting measures as governor, saying "While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay."

Reminder: Alaska is already one of the richest per capita states in the country. She did list the previous governor's Westwind II plane on the popular auction site—three times. HOWEVER, no buyer ever made the minimum bid.

According to AskMen.com, she eventually sold the machine through a broker for a cool $2.1 mil, "at a loss of around half a million dollars."

Even funnier.

Genius!

Politics has bummed me out, so here's some laughs.

I.O.U.S.A.

I said that was (hopefully) the last Sarah Palin post...

Not the last Bristol Palin post. This girl knows how to party. Or at least she used to. I'm surprised all of her boozin' allowed her body to get pregnant!

These are photos from the Perez Hilton site. I think they're from Bristol's myspace account (possibly hacked?).

I thought pennies smelled like the trees they grew on?

Republican porkbarrel spending got me to thinking about how I can get ahead in life too! You too can join the elite. Trust.

Hopefully the last Sarah Palin post...

I'm tired of posting about Sarah Palin, but every day there's more scandal and drama. So, I feel compelled because it's just too juicy. However, this post will actually focus on Palin's politics, not her drama. Here's a new article showing how she definitely isn't qualified to be Veep of this country and either is lying about her own experience/accomplishments or in denial.

Palin's RNC praise

My personal favorite:

PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."

Keep in mind, Alaska has an estimated population of 670,053 and ranked 48th out of 50 states by population. That's a lot of money requested from US taxpayers for a state with a population less than a third of most major US cities. AND: Alaska is already the 6th richest state thanks to a tax on the oil they export to the rest of us!

Welcome to the family?

The possible future "Leader of the Free World" shaking hands with the dude who knocked up his Second-In-Charge's teen daughter. Maybe he'll be appointed to McCain's cabinet next?

It really is like a movie.