Here are the prizes for the contest:

A 90 minute DVD titled “Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny,” hosted by Newt and Callista Gingrich
S. Fred Singer and Dennis T. Avery’s “Unstoppable Global Warming Every 1,500 Years“
Mark Levin’s “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto“
Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue: An American Life“
An autographed copy of “Obama – Why Black America Should Have Doubts“
An autographed copy of Michelle Malkin’s “Culture of Corruption“

Or Bonfire Night as its more commonly known.

It always happens to be the second anniversary of my colon cancer operation. I never had any trouble ” remembering the 5th of Nov” and thanks to that operation I never will.

SimplyJews has tagged me with this meme. Here are the rules.

* Write one superpower you would like to have and what you would do with it.
* Write why you chose that super power over everything else.
* Tag and link lots of people, and write why you think they will have an interesting meme.

I have never really been into superpowers or superheroes. I am more of a Batman or Ironman with all their toys and wealth. So I guess my wish would be to be uber-wealthy and have a contact with all kinds of neat gadgets. Most of them would be subtle and stealthy of course, so as not to let on what I am up to. It would allow me to do all the things I want to do in life for myself and others without having to fundraise all the time (or bug people about paying me).

I tag Jon Pearce from Samizdata.

Murray from Hitting Metal With a Hammer

And, last but not least Ghost of a Flea.

I think “Who Made Who” would work as a slap to Obama. Especially the line “who made you?’

Megabot, Ep. 1

Very funny first episode, interesting to see if they can keep it up.

Via: io9

Here is the shortlist. Some that made it are face-sucking awful. The two I prefer are Release your inner Tory and A picture of Gordon Brown with the word ‘Fail’ underneath. Neither are that dependent on Brown being in charge, which I highly doubt he will be come the next election.

Initiator

Initiators are ingenious and energetic in coming up with new ideas. While they may undertake too much at times, they typically manage to get the job done through sheer force of will and determination. Because they are so focused on their own needs and goals, they may forget that other people have goals and needs, too. This can make the people around them feel uneasy and anxious.

To be more successful in a relationship:

Stress the value of other people’s work and contributions.
Be more forthcoming in talking about your own feelings.
Use self-deprecating humor to put people at ease.

Take the survey and see what you get.

Wonder if they realise Top Gear has done this better? Found via: Jalopnik

Calling it the planet’s last, best hope for saving rock music, the Guardians of the Protectorate of Rock announced Monday that they would take the extraordinary step of unleashing a never-before-heard Jimmy Page riff, hidden for decades in a mythic, impenetrable vault.

Can you dig?

Fun

By acting like thugs and trying to force this advert off the air?

Guess free speech is lost on this lot. Via the Hill

Lets irritate the hell out of drivers to show our distaste for the Cap & Trade bill! Clearly this is satire or straight out of the counter-teaparty movement.

Via: Jalopnik

kashmir from Steve Scott on Vimeo.

Its my favorite Zep song and top 5 songs of all Kashmir. Wasn’t that bothered about the mighty Zep until I heard that song.

Found via: Marmalade Sandwich

Kim, George and I were lucky to be treated to a cracking rock band after we “crashed” their final night of reunion event. The beer was flowing, the vibe was great and the tunes were damn impressive. This class are the fortunate ones. One of their classmates runs a microbrewery and the rest are in a cracking band (well that played last 30 years ago) that sound if they were a on-going concern. We got the tip-off about a “proper rock-band” by a member of the Colby administration and it was well worth leaving the free drinks for the BYOB.

Hats of the class of ‘79 for showing us all how to have a damn good time and let your hair down. There is hope for all the classes. See you guys at 25 for 89 and your 35 for 79.

In other news my talk to the alumni on all things online writing was well attended and lively. I met some great fellow writers at the book signing and Kim/George/I discovered a cracking microbrewery in ole’ Waterville town. This place called, Mainely Brews, comes close to Gritty’s, which is saying a great deal.

“Would you like coffee or tea sir,” asked the nice secretary of advanced years who came with enough recommendations to make anyone blush.

“Thanks a pot of tea would be nice,” I replied, “use a couple of those PG Tips bags in that nice pot please. A couple of slices of lemon and a couple of cuts.”

I was staring out of the window overlooking the snow covered streets of this 2nd of January 2010. “Ugh, put up or shut up man.” I thought to myself.

“Very well sir,” replied Mrs Bonchance, “remember you have a meeting of the board here at 11am.”

“Yes, thank you,” I remembered wondering if I could do these early mornings after a life of a more writer/rocker mornings. “Order in sushi for however many we have plus cooked stuff for those not into raw fish.”

With that she walked out the door, closing it behind her. She left me in the rather generous, if not huge, office in downtown Portland, ME.

I quickly checked my personal email, Twitter and Facebook before reading the newspapers about the newest twist in efforts to reform the American motorcar industry.

I confess I was shocked when the Obama administration took me up on my offer to take Dodge off their hands for $50 after bankruptcy court. FIAT didn’t want another performance mark to compete with Alfa Romeo. I got the company instead of it dying a death.

There were mass protests in various parts of the rust belt when I moved the company head-quarters to Portland, ME in One City Center. “If the company is going to be run by a Dodge it might as well be in a state with high concentration of that name.” I said when asked by a Detroit News reporter who seemed rather irked that he was losing one of his major sources of info.

The Mayor of Portland on the other hand gave me a copy of the key to the City and said something amusing. “Its good to see Dodge back in the hands of its namesake. Having Dodge Motorcar based in Maine will bring a much needed boost to the Maine economy.”

The fact we were keeping this operation as small and lean as possible didn’t seem to register with the Mayor or the Governor of the State of Maine. I repeatedly stated, “we are not going to be moving any factories to Maine any time soon. We shall continue to manufacture in existing plants. We merely want to have a new base of operation away from all the bad memories of the recent years.”

As I read my noted to give to the board and ticked off the models we were going to keep I wonder how the meeting would go. I wrote the speech in my head, “alright we must trim the fat from Dodge and reduce the number of models. We are going to be a performance marque. No more bloated wallow-mobiles. Bring back the Dodge Viper, keep the Challenger, the Charger (but rename it), introduce a proper two-door Charger., a smaller and less scary Viper-like car, get rid of the awful SUVS and minivans, keep the trucks but pair down all the multitude of options.” I said to myself.

The performance enthusiasts and truck fans were on my side. The internet was abuzz with suggestions and prognostications on what the “new Dodge” would be like. I held an online conference call with a major “tuner” site telling them about my plans for making American-made cars that they could use for their “scene”.

The hate mail coming into our new email was piling up. It varied from fans of minivans to annoyed Michigan natives cursing me for trying to make the company “wimpy & East Coast.” A website called Jalopnik, which I was prone to read anyway helpful was keeping track of all incidents of my effigy being burn in the center of the US. I suggested to our promotions people that we give a car to the person who does the best one. They didn’t share the same sense of the perverse as I did.

The UAW said of my plans, “he aims to destroy everything that made Dodge great. He is an anti-union zealot who believes the best jobs are made by low paid unskilled workers. We at the UAW encourage all Americans to boycott Dodge until they accept unionized labor.”

I replied in a press release. “I thank the UAW for their best wishes and remind them that their policies and stranglehold on the American car lead both GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy and eventual failure.”

My press officer, one J Dodge, reject the first version of the press release informing me that telling them to “F.O.A.D.” was not professional or helpful.

As a company we sought out the best of the Dodge clan worldwide to help us succeed. There were already plans to export to Japan and England, accepting that there is nothing wrong with driving on the other side of the road. We even hired a mechanic from Gorleston, East Anglia in England with the name Doidge. His name was the anglicized version of our last name, a Norman name, and in a wonderful cliché he worked on cars.

The East Anglian news acted as if the man had won the lottery and he became a bit of a celebrity in the east of England. When asked about the appointment I replied, “well it would help to have someone who actually fixes cars on the board wouldn’t it?”

Just then my secretary popped in, “Mr Dodge. You have a briefing with the automotive press at the Holiday Inn by the Bay at 3pm today. All the majors have confirmed including Car. We have Jeremy Clarkson coming as well. He was in Quebec filming something so agreed to come along.”

“Oh shit, Clarkson is coming along. He is going to take the piss out of me something chronic.” My brain screamed. “Oh cool, arrange dinner for Mr Clarkson at Gritty’s if he is free. Invite a couple of the other more interesting mags along as well. Keep it to car magazines please.”

Just then J Dodge walked in. “Alright Marty,” the bastard called me by my reviewing name to let me know he did research into my background, “think its time we figure out what we are going to say to the press.” He paused and smirked, “fun time is over no more pissing off the press because its fun. We need to make sure they take us seriously now.”

I grimaced.

“Well, mostly,” he replied, “you’re a car company CEO and owner not some cynical blogger now.”

It was then it hit me. Suddenly life seemed rather serious and all the employees that depended on me became all too real.

“Ok, how do we suggest we let em’ know…’

From watching the first episode I am not that impressed. Judge and Co. seem to wimp out of really taking the piss out of the right-on Gorebies. There aren’t really any l.o.l. moments merely a few hehs. I hope they will show a bit more courage with their humor as the series progresses. So far its nothing special, certainly not up to King of the Hill standards.

Another opinion here over at BigHollywood.

In response to Sonia Sotomayor’s appointment to the Supreme Court, mobile music site mSpot has pulled together a list of five (and certainly there are many more) ringtones that speak — or rather, sing — to the big news.

The beauty of these ringtones is that mSpot allows you to edit up to 30 seconds of your favorite law-abiding tone – you don’t have to download what the carrier pre-selected.

We went ahead and selected a few choice lyrics for you…

Daughter of Justice - The Undecided
“We live in a world with so few answers, where is the justice that she seeks? Who will end this poverty?”

Courthouse - Chris Isaak
“People take their places, down at the courthouse / People stand in line to see you fall.”

Ladies’ Choice - Zac Efron (from Hairspray)
“…shop around little darlin’, I’ve got to be the Ladies’ Choice, Ladies’ Choice.”

Judgement Day – Whitesnake
“With only love to light the way.. on the road to judgement day”

She’s the One - The Ramones
“Yeah yeah she’s the one.. When I see her on the street, you know she makes my life complete”

Suggestions welcome in the comments.

My 14 year old dog Vera, who is now on HRT (yes that one), is a bit more full of herself these days. The menopausal Groenandale decided she was going to sit in the front passenger of the WRX…period.

What I didn’t show was her opening her mouth and showing her large canines when I tried to move her. Not in an aggressive way, but in a don’t move me please sort of way.

Her “mother” and she are going to have a stern talk the next time we all go out in the car.

Pelosi with her deep one eyes
Tries and tries to deny
What she did not hear it said
Scrambling to save her cred
She rousts the ire of the CIA

Over @ No Quarter

Found via the always amusing Jalopnik.

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As ‘Fun, Watchable’

Via: Dean

It seems the leftie tea-party haters…have noticed me. Someone named TBogg has done a nice hatchet job on me over at his site. Mention all sorts of things I get up to as well. Nice of them to notice. The comments are amusing as well.

Via: Mr Green

Baby, baby
Stick your head in gravy
Wash it out with bubble gum
and send it to the Navy

Not sure what the Navy would do with a head encrusted with gravy and bubblegum, but I suppose they could turn it into some sort of bio-weapon. Other schoolyard rhymes from around the world (with all the childish vulgarity that you’d expect) here.

the blog québécois