George W. Bush is loved by Canadians far and wide. In fact, he is probably our favourite US President. You may be shocked at this statement, but, let me explain. You see, for years, we have had to suffer through mediocre comedy. Lots of scripted jokes about Blacks, Mexicans, Jews and other minorites, told by the same comedians over and over and over. Jokes about politics, and midgets, and all sorts of handicapped people. But, George Bush provides us all with pure comedy gold every time he opens his mouth. We love Bush because is the greatest example of stupid people making beating the odds, and making it to the top.




Thank You George.

Hey, folks. LP here, letting you all know that I'm going on a bit of a vacation for a while. It will be some time before I can return to manage BP, but while I'm gone, I'm sure the other Prophyts can handle things. Updates might be less frequent, but don't give up on us! I promise that, once my vacation is over, I'll be back in full form, ready to continue to keep you informed about all the happy crap we cover here.

Thanks for making the first few months of Blog Prophyts so successful! I didn't think we'd get the reach that we have this quickly, but hey, I'm not arguing! Already we have some incredible contributors (The Corporal inparticular), and even our first "celebrity" friend, Chris Savino! You guys rock!

Leave the light on for me, I'll be back when I can. Until then, Good Journey to you all!

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has grown some balls, apparently. He's proposing legislation that would curb the scope of the already-illegal NSA Domestic Spying program initiated by President Fucktard after 9/11. He wants to bring it under the jurisdiction of the FISA Court. The Fucktard Administration, however, wants things the other way, with no court approval. I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I hope Specter prevails. (Link -- via The Daily Kos)

Dubya and DPW have offered to delay the DPW takeover of the UK company currently managing major US Port facilities in order to assure Congress that there are no threats to National Security by letting a state-owned company from a nation that produced two 9/11 hijackers (and who's Royal Family has/had direct ties to Osama bin Laden) take control of major gateways into the US. Um, yeah. (Link)

OK, so it might be a racist statement, but facts are facts: The terrorist threat is coming from Arabs. Granted, a crazy fringe group of Arabs, but Arabs all the same. DPW is owned by a very rich Arab family. These ports are major entry points into the United States. And you're trying to convince us that Arab terrorists couldn't weasel their way into this company, gain access to these ports, and launch an attack on US soil? You're trying to tell us there's no chance of this? Um, how about yes, there is a chance! If there's one thing terrorists aren't, it's stupid. They were smart enough to hit us where it hurts on 9/11, and they can do it again.

Doesn't help that we're no safer today than we were on 9/10/2001. Homeland Security has failed. The "War On Terror" has failed (speaking of which, how exactly do you go to war with a human emotion? Shouldn't it be the war on "terrorism?"). The War in Iraq has proven to be the biggest tactical mistake in US Military history since Vietnam. And now, our Government wants to grant port access to a company from an Arab nation with direct ties t al Qaeda?

Don't you people see a problem here?

One more thing: This article states that there are five ports in question. The media have been reporting that there are, in fact, six (the article excludes New York City). Rumors are also popping up on the net that the number is much higher, in the range of 20-some-odd ports in all that we're not being told about. Somthing isn't right here...

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into NOLA, each and every level of Government - from Mayor Nagin to Governor Blanco all the way up to the White House - failed. Miserably. It took four days alone for a response from the Feds. Meanwhile, WalMart picked up some of the slack in a big way. While they may be an Evil Empire company, they certainly have better organizational skills than FEMA seemed to have. Within one week of Katrina obliterating the Gulf Coast, they had recovered 83% of their facilites directly affected by the storm. (Link -- via Fark)

But one thing the mainstream media always seems to miss is the part of the Katrina effort that was spearheaded by regular people. That's right, ordinary citizens sprang into action while George W. posed with a presidential gee-tar and Governor Blanco prayed. As Katrina made its way to NOLA, members of Fark scrambled, offering shelter to fellow Farkers and their families who would be affected by the storm. And the effort didn't end there.

After Katrina, a Geek Squad with ties to BoingBoing began efforts to establish a communications network inside several refugee "camps," including the Superdome. A Low Power FM network was proposed for inside the dome to broadcast news, updates, and information to people housed there. What happened? They were met with red tape put up by FEMA, who themselves were proven to have absolutely no organizational structure whatsoever. The LPFM team was told they would need so much equipment: They got it. Then they were told that they would need a temporary license from the FCC. They already had it. They were stonewalled at every turn, usually by FEMA staffers who were each as clueless as the others as to what exactly the command structure - or even basic proceedures, for that matter - was.

Yep, the Government hindered regular folks' efforts to help out with the post-Katrina mess.

People drove to the Gulf Coast in droves - some, to find family and friends; others because they simply wanted to lend a helping hand - and were met with chaos similar to the LPFM teams. A disorganized FEMA turned up the cranky yet again, and some of these folks were turned away.

Now, why in the hell would you turn away free help? Especially given the scope of the largest natural disaster in US history! And why hasn't the mainstream media covered this? Probably because FEMA and local governments didn't like the notion that the Civilian response was larger, faster, and more well-organized than their own. When regular people with little-to-no relative financing do a better job than a well-financed agency, it doesn't look good. It practically begs to give those departments a black eye. It would call their entire operation into question, and heads would of course roll big time.

Blog Prophyts wishes to recognize and commend the Civilian Katrina Effort. We're proud of all of you. Hopefully, we'll never have to deal with a disaster like Katrina ever again. But, if and when it does happen again, we know that we can count on all of you to give a repeat performance.

American People - 1, Government - 0, for those of you keeping score at home.

You always hate to lose anyone. But when the person you've lost happens to be one of the most beloved actors in history, that sinking feeling you get in your heart always seems to sink quite a bit lower. Don Knotts, remembered best as Deputy Barney Fife (The Andy Griffith Show) and Ralph Furley (Three's Company), has died at age 81.

Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and doesn't mind being remembered that way.

His favorite episodes, he said, were "The Pickle Story," where Aunt Bea makes pickles no one can eat, and "Barney and the Choir," where no one can stop him from singing.

"I can't sing. It makes me sad that I can't sing or dance well enough to be in a musical, but I'm just not talented in that way," he lamented. "It's one of my weaknesses."

We'll miss you, Don. (Link -- BoingBoing -- Fark Thread -- Don Knotts at IMDb)

Despite the fact that only 17% of Americans think the DPW deal is a good idea. Despite the fact that quite a few Republicans think that the DPW deal is a bad idea. Despite the fact that the UAE was home to two of the 9/11 hijackers. Despite the fact that the UAE Royal Family has more direct connections to al Qaeda

Despite all this, Bush won't back down. (Link)

I'm sure you're all sick and tired of my political rantings, ravings and postings this week, so here's a little something outside the realm of politics for you: Wil Wheaton at the World Poker Tour Invitational! (pic courtesy of Pauly)

When the smoke cleared, Wil busted out in 21st place, and won the Celebrity Last Longer challange, netting 10K for his chosen charity, City of Hope. Congrats to Wil! Pauly even won some cash on a side bet, wagering that Wil would outlast Gus Hansen after being given some sweet 6-1 odds. Guess the Danes won't ever doubt Wil "Fucking" Wheaton again, eh?

Pauly has all sorts of coverage of the event, minus the final table (the cat got his tongue, so to speak), including tons of pictures. Wil's in a bunch of them, including one with Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) and Danny Masterson (That 70's Show), two of the many celebrities he outlasted.

Congrats to Wil on his strong finish! (WWdN:IX -- Wil's CardSquad Post)

I think I've incited a bit of a jihad, but we won't know for sure until I check my email when I get home from the doctor. At any rate, one of those "Focus On Family" organizations, the so-called American Decency Association, is calling for a boycott of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (hubba-hubba) and all of the advertisers found within. Bet you can't guess what word they use to describe it. I'll give you a hint: It rhymes with "Hut." Anyway, I sent an email to the address provided. Depending on the response (if any), we might have something funny to read later today. I'll keep you posted. (Link -- via Fark)

Casey does it again! This time, he's got video on the connections the Bush White House has to the UAE Royal Family. See for yourself:



Friends And Family. Go figure, right? Thanks, Casey! (Link)

Claudia Rosett, the author of this article for The Weekly Standard, is calling it Cash-for-Kofi, and what sucks is, she's right. Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, accepted an Environmental award in Dubai recently. And wouldn't you know it, that award came with a cool $500,000 in cash. No sweat, right? Wrong. Gotta remember that this is the same guy who let Saddam bribe his way out of the embargo during the Oil For Food scandal. Seems like the UAE Royal Family is going on a shopping spree for world leaders lately... (Link -- via Fark)

OK, so I'm kinda ripping off Cory Doctorw's idea of rounding up news and posts of a particular story. Oh well, I'm sure he won't mind when he finds that I'm on his side in most issues, so here we go. First up on the block is some new linkage goodness, all from Fark's new Politics tab:

Joshua Micha Marshall's Talking Points Memos for this week include quite a bit of opinion about the UAE/US Port story. (Link -- Thread)

WPMI is carrying a Chicago Times story on what the American Shipping Industry thinks of all this. The kicker? They're totally cool with it! WTF?!? Well, when bombs go off in their places of business, don't come crying to us. (Link -- Thread)

Bloomberg has a story about how President Moronpants didn't even know about the deal until after it was approved. Gee, for a guy so concerned with the safety of America, don't you think he should have been informed? Also noted is (BP's Home State) Pennsylvania Republican Curt Weldon, who says that even if the President Vetoes any action designed to stop the sale, Congress will override him, which is perfectly legal and even written into the Constitution! Hooray for Checks and Balances! (Link -- Thread)

Senator Chuck Schumer thinks that letting the Evil Empire of Halliburton run the six US ports in question is a better idea than giving it to UAE Roayl-owned Dubai Ports World. The scary part is, it would be a better idea. (Link -- Thread)

And here's a kicker for you: The CIA refused to target Osama bin Laden once, even though they knew where he was. Why? Because he was hanging out with members of the UAE Royal Family. Um, hello? The UAE Royal Family? Don't they own Dubai Ports World? Oh yeah! They do! So, DPW has more of a connection to Osama (a direct connection, in fact) than Iraq ever had! (Link -- Thread)

And now, to our previous coverage of this ongoing problem that our Government is unloading on us.

Wake Up Call #1: As the story broke, we went straight to the Daily Kos for insight.

Port Problems: New revelations that show DPW gaining control of the six US Ports will also give them some measure of control over US Military shipping operations.

Wake Up Call #2: Casey Lee Cobb of Open Your Mind's Eye provides us with an crucial video montage, including an OpEd segment by CNN's Jack Cafferty. Also featured, another OpEd piece from a Daily Kos contributor.

Too Many Concessions: Yes, I know I posted this this morning. But it's still part of our roundup. We discover that concessions were made to DPW, including waiving standard proceedures that apply to pretty much any foreign company doing business on American soil. Too much giving in, if you ask me. The scary part? It allows DPW to do business here and not be held accountable. For anything.

So, there you have it: Roundup #1. Hopefully, the situation will improve by the time we do Roundup #2, but chances are it won't.

I would like to take this oppertunity to thank everyone in the United States who voted for George W. Bush for their infinite wisdom in using morality to elect a corrupt idiot who's willing to sell you all out. Go fuck yourselves. Your children can enter the Military first and be sent to die for your beloved, God-fearing "leader," and your children can foot the bill for this illegal war and the expansion of the National Debt it's brought about, because my kids aren't forking over one thin dime for this shit.

Ready to be amazed? Well, you shouldn't be, given the Bush Administration's track record when it comes to dealings like this. The US Government has made concessions to the UAE company Dubai Ports World, giving them special consideration (for what reason, I don't know) and waiving requirements routinely imposed on any other foreign company doing business in the US. DPW won't have to keep records of any of its business on American soil (which courts could request in any investigations). DPW also won't have to have an American liason through which to deal with the US Government. Basically, they have free reign over what goes on and don't have to answer to anyone.

Think that's not a security risk? Then you're an idiot. (Link -- via Fark)

Well, its official. The entire world is laughing at how ridiculously stupid George W. Bush really is. Think about it. He invades Iraq, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people - Iraqi and American - all to "keep America safe". Then, he pushes through a deal that gives the Arabs pretty much complete control of shipping activity in 6 US cities. Oh, and isn't part of that US Military Shipping?

That's great.

No. Actually, its hilarious!

I suppose the only question is; how much money did it take for Georgie to sell all that "American Safety" up the river?

Casey Lee Cobb from Open Your Mind's Eye (a fellow Impeach Bush Coalition member blog and site we've proudly linked to in the past) sent me an email this afternoon concerning a video montage he's created, calling attention to the Dubai Ports World/Bush Administration problem currently making the rounds in the news. He asked me to post, at the very least, a link to his article which displays the video (shared through YourTube here), and I couldn't be happier to comply. This is a serious situation, folks, and this video proves it. Along with some creative graphics and editing from Casey (I think), this vid features an editorial from CNN's Jack Cafferty, as well as a FOX News interview with Bush stating that he thinks the sale of managment rights to six major US ports, to a country which produced two of the 9/11 hijackers and has immensely clearer ties to terrorism than Iraq ever had, is perfectly hunky-dory. Wake up, people! Your Government is selling you out to Terrorists! (Link)

And here, friends, is Casey's Video:



Update: The Daily Kos has a good post up featuring an opinion piece by hekebolos, describing how Bush has violated his own promise to defend America (a promise he isn't capable of keeping) by allowing this sale to go through, and threatening to Veto any effort by Congress to stop it.

The Portgate scandal is crucial because Bush has violated his own doctrine. When Bush said that we need to justify holding a Middle Eastern company to a higher standard, he showed that he in fact does not agree with the key point of his own doctrine: namely, that in a post-9/11 world, you can never be too careful.

Never be too careful indeed... (Link)

In more ways than one, apparently. Cheney's weekend hunting accident, which resulted in the "accidental" shooting of a lawyer/campaign contributor and an investigation delayed over 24 hours, takes a turn for the obvious. Cheney admitted to having "one beer" that morning. Apparently, he didn't take into account that "impairment begins with the first drink," and the fact that he's on blood thinners, which would boost the effectiveness of alcohol quite a bit. Well, several Secret Service agents are claiming that Cheney was indeed blitzed that day, and the delay in allowing cops to investigate was to allow him and his friends to sober up, thus eliminating any "under the influence" charges. How's that for a cheap abuse of power? (Link -- via Fark)

This hottie right here is Casey Hicks, and this is her mugshot, taken in 2002 following her arrest for selling Ecstasy to an undercover cop. Somehow, she plea bargained down to the point where she was sentenced to probation, which she is finishing up in Florida. Well, her lawyer found out about The Smoking Gun's posting of the photo (which, by the way, is still available on the Florida D.O.C. website) and threatened to sue them, alledging that alot of us bloggers use her picture to spank the monkey. Um, OK. First of all, mugshots are public property, since they are produced by a Government agency. And second, while she is kinda good looking, I don't think I'll be spanking off to this pic anytime soon. Something about "jailhouse gray" just doesn't do it for me... (Link -- via Fark)

It's taken almost 10 years, but the asshat photographers who took some of the final pictures of Princess Diana and her companion, Dodi Al Fayed, as they left the Ritz Hotel in Paris and after their accident in the Alma underpass. The higher court, in contrast two to lower court acquittals, determined that the three flash freaks were guilty of invading Di and Dodi's privacy under French law, fined them each one Euro (which is symbolic more than anything), and ordered to pay for the publication of their conviction notices in three newspapers of Dodi's father's choice. It's pretty much a de facto way of saying "Yes, these assclowns were being assclowns the night Di and Dodi died."

Honestly, three Euros and a couple of newspaper ads can't make up for what was lost that night in 1997: The most beloved Royal in history. (Link)

I've been sitting here for two minutes, trying to figure out a good way to lead this article off. Trouble is, how do you add humor to something that's already beyond teh funnay? Here's the first paragraph:

Austrailian military police are hunting for a well endowed serial flasher nicknamed "Donkey Dong" who is terrorising underwear salespeople.

It just begs the question: Have any of his "victims" been named Pauline? And, is there a Donkey Dong Junior? Don't even get me started on hammers and fireballs... (Link -- via Fark)

Unless you've been living under a rock or totally buy into Republican Rhetoric as if it were the gosh-honest truth, then you know that there is an underlying problem with the sale of a British Port company to the Dubai Ports World, an Arab port company owned completely by the Royal Family of the United Arab Emerates (UAE). The problem? The company they're buying controls some port operations in six US cities. Oh yeah: They also handle US Military shipping. Well, now Bush is threatening to veto any legislation that blocks the sale of the company, and Donald Rumsfeld (who, as Secretary of Defense, sits on the board that approved this sale) says he didn't even know about this whole thing until over the weekend. There's something not quite right here... (Link 1 -- Link 2 -- both via Fark)

I knew it would happen. I knew it. I told people, but they said I was being paranoid. Well, guess what. I was right. Now that Bush has his conservative cronies sitting on the Supreme Court, Abortion has come up on the caseload once again. While it's not a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, it's most likely the first step in the crusade by the whack-job Religious Right to force their moral code on everyon else. (Link)

You're all lurking, that's where you are. According to ClusterMaps, we've had quite a few visitors from quite a few diverse places: The UK, Spain, France, Germany, Greece, South Africa, India, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, The Philippines, Austrailia, Argentina, Canada, and all over the US.

But are you all really that quiet?

Well, we'd like to know! A new section of links will be started if we get enough responses. You all come here and listen to us spouting off at the mouth, now we want to know what's on your mind! Do you have a blog? Do you contribute to one? Just leave your URL in the comments of this post, and we'll go check it out.

BP was started with the intention of becoming a sort of community hub. Now that we know potential community members are here, it's just a matter of getting you all out from behind the couch. We encourage discussion here at BP, not just one-sided rhetoric. That's just to get you folks talking! So, drop us a comment! You know you want to tell me off, at least...

Long thought to be a Rock and Roll Urban Legend was the story that Whitesnake was named after David Coverdale's own penis. Well, according to him, it's true: The band is, in fact, named after his schlong. Well, that puts a different spin on what was one of my favorite bands growing up in the 80s.

"Totally. Probably if I was from Asia it would be a different colour. But being a Yorkshire lad and all..."

Thanks, Dave... (Link -- via Fark Entertainment)

Note: Yes, Fark has sections now. They appear as tabs across the main Fark page, and contain stories that might not have made the front page, but damn well were good enough to still merit some attention.

It's the 5th anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Why haven't people been able to just accept this fact? Even Kurt Cobain's little freak fans have shut up in recent years since his death in 1994, although "Alternative" radio still plays their crap way too much. Same with Earnhardt: #3 is everywhere, and the market is pumping it out as fast as morons can buy it. Read on... (Link)

Interesting, isn't it. How one guy can seemingly break all the rules, get away with it, and manage to do it all in the public eye. Kos contributor DavidNYC Says:

"In [Texas in] 2005, only one [hunter] in 36,000 was involved in a hunting accident.

"In fact, there were 1.1 million hunting licenses issued in Texas last year but only 30 reported accidents.

"[...] In 2005, only ONE hunting accident in the entire state of Texas involved alcohol. One accident, one million licenses. Yep, that makes Dick Cheney - who drank the day he shot Harry Whittington - one in a million."

The heart of the BP universe resides in Pennsylvania, itself a big-time hunt-crazy state. If we're not the nation's hunting leaders, we're certainly in the top three. People come from all around (both from the US and abroad) to hunt here. And our Game Comission has the same rules as the one in Texas, along with the same general tagline:

Alcohol and hunting don't mix.

Dick Cheney is not above the rules. (Link)

Say something over and over enough, and it becomes the truth. This is the current Domestic Information policy of the Bush Administration. For example, say "Iraq is because of 9/11" over and over enough, and hope that the unsuspecting public begins to follow along in that mantra.

Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms.

You mean like "I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace?" Give you three guesses who that quote is attributed to. This and more can be found by simply clicking this link right here... (Link)

Here at BP, we love entertainment. Games, TV, Movies, Bands; Anything that makes us forget the rest of the world for over an hour and a half and just enjoy the moment. But, you see, there's this little problem with entertainment lately. A whole lot of it just isn't entertaining. While the Gaming industry has managed to at least be fresh and creative, and the Music industry faces its own issues, the Film industry (along with TV) has pretty much been taking a dump on consumers for quite a while.

Hollywood hasn't put out much along the lines of decent films in recent memory. For at least the entire 21st Century so far, we've gotten nothing but pop-culture rehashes (Charlie's Angels, Dukes of Hazzard, Starsky and Hutch), juvenile parody (the Scary Movie series, Date Movie, Not Another Teen Movie), comic book/video game movies that don't quite cut the mustard (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Doom, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and all Batman films prior to Begins), and an endless stream of sequels who's sole purpose is to milk the living shit out of something that was barely a hit the previous year.

The movie critics aren't helping matters much, either. In fact, the respectable film critic is a rare monster these days. Personally, I rely on the discerning minds of the guys and gals at Hollywood Bitchslap. Found through an optional box on my Slashdot front page, I soon learned that these folks weren't screwing around. Honest reviews of 9/10 of the crap Hollywood dishes out. Coverage from all the major film festivals.

And features that expose Hollywood and their lackeys for what they are: Scheisters.

For the last 3+ years, HBS has run the Criticwatch: monitoring the quotes and sources for films ranging from the excellent to the just-like-all-the-other-crap crap. They've managed to expose a phony, imaginary critic used by Universal to plug movies on websites. They've introduced us to Earl Dittman, a writer for Wireless Magazine (a publication that's hard to find for the average Joe or Jane) who has become king of the Quote Whores in only three short years. They've even taken formerly respected publications like Rolling Stone and caught them red-handed with their fingers in the cookie jar, exchanging good blurbs for what amount to advertisments that were for the magazine as much as they were for the film they plugged.

Believe it or not, HBS has been somewhat passive in their efforts. But now, the gloves are off. Chris Parry, along with the super film sleuth skills of the one and only Erik Childress, are stopping the buck right here. They're going after the Studios, their Marketing monkies, and the Quote Whores head-on: Any movie that carries what they feel are tell-tale signs of shameless quote whoring will be tagged prominently as such in any and all material describing them. The bile and venom are about to boil over.

This is only one front on the war against Big Media. And while it may not seem important yet, I'm sure it will very soon. (Link)

Who knew, right? Alright, flash back to Hurricane Katrina. In the nightmarish aftermath (that some say was a bigger disaster than the storm itself), when Government response on all levels failed miserably, the public stepped up to the plate. Through the power of the Internet and websites like BoingBoing and Fark spearheading efforts, steps were taken to bring New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast into some form of operating order.

Unfortunately, bureaucratic red tape thrown up by FEMA, the FCC, and other late-responding Government agencies prevented some of the more essential needs from being adequately met with any great speed. A low power FM station within the Astrodome was given the run-around by feceral agencies, as was community WiFi access for those displaced by the storm. Surprisingly, the FCC was more forgiving, granting most of the licenses applied for. FEMA, however, had by this time lost all control, and command descended into chaos.

But Community WiFi has hope! There are several bills being submitted by bi-partisan groups that would allow for the fostering of WiFi technology. While they may not be anywhere near enough for it to truely thrive, it's most certainly a good-sized step in the right direction. (Link -- via BoingBoing)

I'll let the quote from BoingBoing take ya home on this one.

Harry Whittington was shot at close range, between 15 and 18 feet, not the 90 claimed by Dick Cheney and the Secret Service. It is now clear why they refused to let Sherriff's Deputies interview Cheney for over 13 hours and why they claimed that Whittington's injuries were superficial when in truth they were grevious.

The mainstream media is ignoring this literal smoking gun evidence. Anytime they wish, the local police can conduct their own ballistics tests and they will have the exact same findings. The media can conduct their own tests. The ballistics of shotguns and birdshot is well known to tens of millions of Americans who hunt fowl.

(Link -- via BoingBoing)

If you don't read The Daily Kos, you should. Why? Because it's probably the only way you'll get interesting tidbits like this one in any detail. Chances of the mainstream media running with an obviously damning story like this are slim to none. But bloggers like Kos run with it, and the rest of us should be thankful for that fact.

High-ranking Government officials have approved the sale of a British company that manages one of the larger shipping terminals in New York City to the Dubai Ports World company, which is controlled by the royal family of the United Arab Emerates. Apparently, they don't seem to see any obvious security concerns. This isn't just limited to NYC, either. DPW would gain control of ports in Philly, Baltimore and more, too. From Kos contributor georgia10:

So Gonzales, Rice, Rumsfeld, Snow, and an other Bush administration officials conducted a security review and decided--unanimously--that the sale did not post a national security threat. How thorough was their investigation? They did not conduct background checks on senior managers of the company, nor did they ask how the company screens its own employees. You know, just in case a terrorist wants to infiltrate the company that now has unprecedented and unfettered access to our ports.

There's more, read on. Disturbing, isn't it. (Link -- via The Daily Kos)

One of the limitations of Fark's front page is that headlines have to be somewhat truncated and to the point. This leads to awkwardly flamboyant headlines that often only highlight one facet of a story. Well, this one does have its connections to eBay, but that really isn't what this is about. If any BP readers have some connections in New Zealand (aka Middle-earth), and don't mind helping a bloke out with his mother's last wish, then by all means, read this article.

Using eBay is a good way to attract attention quick, but I'd think there are better ways to get the word out. One, start a website of your own; A site with this kind of concept is left-of-center enough to make the Fark front page on its own without eBay. If you don't want to schill out the dough for a site, at least hit up some message boards. That, too, might make the Fark rounds on its own merits. If you've at least got some cash to spend, an Internet text ad wouldn't hurt, I'm sure.

Let's face it: No matter how you look at it, this story is Farkworthy on its own without eBay's name attached to it. (Link -- via Fark)

Wil just sent me on an hour-long walk through my childhood. So, who here remembers Intellivision? Hmmm? Anyone? I sure as hell do. Yep, I had me one of those there contraptions you see over yonder. And hot damn, was it the absolute king shit system for its day. This is pre-NES goodness, and I've gotta share it with all of you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to kill several more hours with the Blue Sky Rangers: Gods of my childhood, and Legends of the home video game universe. (Link -- via WWdN:IX -- Shameless Link)

As if Austrailia's SBS Dateline program didn't run enough, now Salon has more of them. These include some not broadcast on SBS. (Link) to the Salon report, (Link) to their reasoning for posting the photos, and what article would be complete without the requisite photo gallery. (Link -- via BoingBoing)

Warning: Some BP Readers might find these images disturbing, and some are NSFW.

The Big Four (Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo! and Google) are in a bit of hot water for helping the Communist Regime in China crack down on dissidents. We all remember Tain'anman Square in 1989. The Great Firewall of China. And now, it looks like Chinese Agents are bringing their fight to American shores. A student in Atlanta claims he was assaulted by a bunch of thugs he believes are working for the Chinese Government. Why was he targeted? He's part of the Falun Gong media network. The Falun Gong are outlawed in China. If this is true, then America is getting a bit of what it is dishing out in the Middle East. Of course, the American People won't stand for this. But then again, I'm sure qutie a few Iraqis and Afghans aren't, either. Things that make you go "Hmmmmmmm..." (Link -- via Fark)

It's the coolest picture you'll see all week, gauranteed. This is a shot of a bolt of lightning hitting the shooter's neighbors' house, about 20 meters away. NICE! If the image were just a little bigger, this would make some bitchin' desktop wallpaper. I love the purple hues in this shot. Sometimes, with great power comes great beauty; With utter chaos comes pure grace. (Link -- via Fark)

From the Fark Thread: A hillarious pwn3d variant using the image by HelmetTesterTJ:

And a comment by mciann, with highlights:

That picture is scarier than it seems.

See these little tendrils of light I've highlighted? They are stepped leaders - the beginnings of a lightning strike. They go up from the ground to meet the descending charge. One will connect and make the lightning. The others that -almost- created lightning are shown above. Note how close the nearest stepped leader is to the camera. The photographer nearly got themselves KILLED.

Ahhh, the raw power of Mother Nature...

Gamers of the world rejoice: The current rumor making the rounds on the web is that Sony's PlayStation 3 will be released into the wild in September of this year! Along with the release notes, they're hinting at the new Sony online service, tentatively called HUB. The bad news is, it looks like HUB will be a pay service, much like Microsoft's XBox Live. Now the question becomes thus: Will the PS3 be crippled by DRM? Sony did offer up a Linux kit for the PS2, so we can at least hold out hope that they won't lock the PS3 down, but don't count your chickens before they're processed and tossed in the deep frier... (Link -- via Slashdot)

Cory Doctrow has posted the sixth roundup article in the Sony DRM case over at BoingBoing. Plenty of updates this time around, although it doesn't cover the HDCP problem now arising (covered earlier by BP here). Sure, it is more PC than CD, but still a DRM issue none the less. Anyway, read on for the latest collection of articles about the DRM scandal. (Link -- Parts -- I, II, III, IV, V)

Click the Pizza.

You know you wanna.

Go on, click it...

(via Open Your Mind's Eye)

Just in case it had slipped your mind, there's all-new torture goodness coming out of Iraq's most infamous prison. Oh yeah, more prisoner abuse footage! Way to go, Georgie! (Link)

Update: Fark finally caught up with us (Link -- via Fark), as well as BoingBoing, who has quite the comprehensive coverage as usual. All bow before BoingBoing. WARNING! Many of these images are NSFW, and may be disturbing to some readers.

In 1999, President William Jefferson Clinton was the subject of an Impeachment hearing. The reason for his Impeachment? Disavowing any sexual contact with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, then later admitting to it. He got a blow job and lied about it. This exact thing happens thousands (if not millions) of times daily throughout the world. The Republican-controlled Congress, fresh off its wins using the "Contract With America" scam, cried, bitched, and started a moral witch hunt; Clinton was brought to trial.

In Clinton's trial, there were four charges brought against him: Two counts of Purjory, one of Obstruction of Justice, and one of Abuse of Power. Only one count of Purjory and the Obstruction charge made it. The House voted to impeach him, the Senate did not.

Four charges.

The IBC, however, has compiled a laundry list of charges against President George Walker Bush that makes Bill Clinton look exactly like what he was: a simple, unfaithful husband. From their website, written by Richard Matthews:

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush, President of the United States, has so conducted himself and his office as to cause the people of the State to doubt his integrity and to believe that his official actions as president have constituted High Crimes and Misdemeanors having repeatedly and intentionally violated and ignored the United States Constitution and other laws of the United States; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has ordered the federalization and deployment of this state's National Guard members overseas and thus has exceeded the authority granted in the provision of the United States Constitution that Congress shall have the power to "provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the laws of the Union, to suppress insurrections and repel invasions," reserving to the State Assembly, the State Senate, and the Governor of this state the authority to direct the training and arming of members of the state's National Guard for defense of the state; and

"WHEREAS, The federalization and deployment of National Guard members has rendered the National Guard force unable to carry out its state activities effectively and thus deprived the state of its Constitutional power to keep the National Guard for defense of the state; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has allowed stop-loss orders that violate the mutual understanding between Californians in the Armed Forces including the National Guard and the state and nation they agreed to serve; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has admitted that he willingly and repeatedly directed unwarranted surveillance of U. S. persons, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of the United States; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed a felony under 18 U.S.C. 1001 by withholding information from Congress about doubts in the intelligence community about Bush's justification for war; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed a felony under section 1001 by providing information to Congress he knew or should have known to be false, including the claim that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger and the claim that Iraq gave aid and comfort to the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed a felony under section 1001 by providing information to Congress he knew or should have known to be false, including the claim that the cost of the Medicare bill would not exceed the limits Congress intended; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed felonies under 18 U.S.C. 641 and 643 by embezzling funds authorized for use in the war in Afghanistan and diverting it to an as-yet unauthorized build-up towards war in Iraq; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed felonies, namely espionage, fraud, or obstruction of justice, through involvement in the cover-up of the leak of Valerie Wilson's identity; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has committed an act of terrorism under 18 U.S.C. 2339A by ordering the kidnapping of President Aristide, a violation of 18 U.S.C. 956; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has approved of torture under the name of stress and duress, has denied the applicability of existing laws and treaties against torture, and has indicated in his signing statement of H.R. 1815 his future intention to continue to disregard such laws and treaties; and

"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has repeatedly acted to expand the power of a unitary executive in violation of the principle of balance of power; and

"WHEREAS, the administration of the United States' invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq has resulted in the waste of assets, through incompetence, insufficient oversight, insufficient planning, and no-bid contracts..."

That's a few more than four. So many, in fact, that I decided to shrink the text size. Bill Clinton simply lied about a blow job. Dubya has so much more against him. It's obvious that, by the simple precident set forth in the Clinton Impeachment, Bush should be brought before Congress to answer to these charges.

And while we're at it, we should bring Vice President Dick Cheney before Congress, too. He's just as guilty as Dubya of many (if not more) of the above charges.

But nothing is happening.

Why?

We still have a Republican-controlled Congress. And we have a Constitution that is eerily hush-hush on what constitutes a "high crime or misdemeanor." The Republicans obviously want to stay in line with their leadership's ideals, and likely won't bring Impeachment upon the Administration without adequate pressure. The Democrats still lack the backbone to speak up on issues like RealID and Domestic Wiretaps, let alone Impeachment. The don't have the numbers, nor the spines, to force the hand of the Right.

The only possible way to get this on the table is if the States themselves force the issue. There are enough States with the gumption to do it, too. Blue States like California, New York, Connecticut and my native Pennsylvania. If enough States sign on, then Congress will have no choice but to listen.

I'm urging all Stateside BP readers to get involved. Write your local State Reps. Send them copies of the Articles of Impeachment above. And don't just send one. Send in one every three days. Get your friends, your family, to start sending them. Let them know that we've had enough.

It's time to take back this country. Our country. It's time we had Government Of The People, By The People, FOR The People again.

Slashdot has a rather interesting discussion going on right now (though for some reason the main write-up lacks a link to any sort of article) about Computer Addiction. Is it really an addiction like crack or heroin, or is it just a modern way of life for a lot of folks? I've chimed in.

I'll warn you up front: Slashdot discussions are... Interesting things. Folks there tend to blur lines when it comes to their posts and the emotions they express. Their brand of humor might differ greatly from that of the average BP reader, so please: Take everything there with a grain of salt. Especially with this topic, since most typical Slashdot users could be considered addicts themselves... (Link)

Well well well. Lookie what we have here:

Participants confirmed parts of the worldwide simulation challenged government officials and industry executives to respond to deliberate misinformation campaigns and activist calls by Internet bloggers, online diarists whose "Web logs" include political rantings and musings about current events.

Looks like the Government wants to keep us quiet. Well, guess what: Not happening.

Let me make this perfectly clear to any Government Agency listening:

Blog Prophyts wholeheartedly supports the impeachment of both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, and is a proud member blog of the Impeach Bush Coalition.

Blog Prophyts also supports the complete restructuring of the United States Government, with the intended result of returning our beloved democracy to the people, not the special interests.

Blog Prophyts will never be totally silenced until we are all dead and buried.

And just to make sure the Government finds this site and knows how we feel, here are a few key serarch terms to make sure Google points them to us:

Osama bin Laden, Taliban, Radical Islam, Militant Muslims, Impeachment, Government Reform, Free Speech, Activist, Troublemaker, Anti-Bush, Anti-Globalization, Anti-Consumerism, Bush Sucks, Bush Is An Ass, Revolution, Anti-War, Iraq, Wiretapping, Domestic Spying.

Now, come get us, fuckers... (Link -- via BoingBoing)

Accordign to FOX News (take that with a grain of salt, folks), Iran has begun enriching uranium again, despite the will of the United Nations. For those of you living under a rock, uranium enrichment is the process by which one can obtain nuclear feul, or make a nuclear weapon. While it's being reported that they've begun feeding uranium gas into only three such machines (hundreds are needed to produce bomb quality stuff), it's not very encouraging that they're starting the process at all. While we're all for nuclear feul as an alternative, it's probably not in the World's best interest to allow a country like Iran and the problems it has to take this step on their own... (Link)

So anyway, there's this giant row over cartoons drawn by European news contributors that have Muslims' panties (do they even wear panties?) in a bunch. Protests, attacks on embassies, yadda yadda yadda. Well, I've done a little Google work and found two: One, the infamous Mumammad Bomb Cap, as well as one depicting him driving a rental truck carrying a dirty bomb.

To any and all Muslims who want to bitch, moan, complain and otherwise whine about me posting these: SCREW YOU! Go eat some bacon. And I invite you... No, I DARE you, to come get me. Go right ahead. Try and exact your pointless, stone-age revenge upon me for desecrating your Prophet. This Prophyt only has two words for you and your backwards sense of faith: SUCK IT! Also, The Corporal would like to tell you all something...

Now, someone bring me a Bible. I've got a turtle head poking out...

Wow. This is crazy! When I closed Rancho Relaxo, I thought I was giving up an already-large reader base and starting from scratch. In many ways, that's exactly what I did. But I never expected BP to grow into an internationally read site in such a short time.


But, thanks to ClusterMaps, I have a new approach to viewing site hits: Pinpointing exactly where readers are on a nifty little map! This map above (click it for a larger view) shows BP's visitors for the last week (February 6-12). Check it out! We even have a hit from China! With all the censorship over there, that's pretty amazing.

Thanks are most certainly due here! First of all, to Chris Savino, who's site first introduced me to ClusterMaps. And to Corporal Kickyourass, who's vast reader base is slowly seeping over into our own. Technorati, for giving us the tools we need to crosslink our posts, allowing users to search and find us. And, most of all, all of you, for coming to read our lame little blog in the first place! While BP's initial existance is my fault, it continues to exist thanks to all of you. You guys rule! Now, go get a ClusterMaps account for your own site, and see what kind of traffic you're getting... (Link)

If you spent hundreds on video cards that are HDCP enabled in order to be ready to watch those new HD-DVD movies, you wasted your money. Turns out that a consortium of manufacturers, including Dell and the already-humiliated Sony, have decided that HDCP-enabled discs can only play on comouters built by OEM's, such as themselves. You can't build a custom PC to do it, HDCP won't allow it. It's time we showed our power as consumers and boycotted these companies hardcore. Slashdot and BoingBoing both have coverage in the continuing connundrum that is DRM. (Link)

If I hear one more goddamn thing about the cartoons depicting the holy whatshisface I swear to you all, I am going to Jihad all over the place.

It was a cartoon. Get over it! Did any of you stop to think that I happen worship Batman? Yes! Batman! And you insensitive bastards kept putting him in shitty cartoons, and vomit inducing movies, starring the likes of George Clooney and Val Kilmer.

I'm going to go and riot in the streets, protest at embassies and consulates, and demand apologies from everyone involved. I want a war!

Sounds retarded, right? My point exactly.

Well, isn't this interesting. It would seem that some 450 churches are celebrating the birth of one Charles Darwin (by the way, today is the 197th anniversary of his birthday). Interesting, isn't it. It would appear that Christianity has no problem with Darwin's theory of bilogical evolution, and that people shouldn't have to choose between faith and science at all. Now there's some clear thinking. Go ahead and believe God created life. Just don't think he literally did millions of years of work just 6,500 years ago. (Link -- And Another -- via Slashdot)

Those gun-crazy Republicans are at it again. Granted, this was a total, 100% accident. Cheney most likely didn't do anything truely stupid that resulted in this guy getting shot. But come on. Guys like this running a war? Playing with human lives? Come on! Why isn't Cheney over in Iraq with his little shotgun right now? How about Georgie? Nope, they're out on the ranch, huntin' and-a fishin' and being good old boys while their stocks skyrocket thanks to the reconstruction contracts they handed to those particular companies. Oh. And accidentally shooting their huntin' buddies. (Link -- via Fark)

Rock on! The word is out that Marilyn Manson is making a film that will show a darker side to Lewis Carroll, famed author of the acid trip in children's story clothing that was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through The Looking Glass, et al. It's a story only a guy like Manson could tell, really, though I think Johnny Depp would take to the part a little better. But hey, I'll give the shock rocker a chance, I think he'll pull it off rather well. (Link -- via Fark)

Oops. Remember the whole Whitewater affair? Where the Clinton's got in some serious doo-doo over their land dealings? Remember Ken Starr, the Republican lapdog who was hired as an "Independent" counsel? Well, looks like he goofed. While defending a death row inmate, it would appear that he sent six forged letters from the jury to The Governator of Caa-lee-for-nee-aah. They were hoping Ahhhhnold would grant their client clemency, but alas, the Jurors said they never wrote, signed, or endorsed those letters. Way to screw up, Starr! (Link -- via Fark)

How's this for sweet: It seems that scientists have come to the conclusion that traveling close to the speed of light is, in fact, possible, and could be ready by the end of this century (which sucks, because I'll be dead then)! Rock on! It would seem that they've solved Einstein's Gravitational Field Equation, and that by the year 2100, we could be zooming around the cosmos. Star Trek, here we come! (Link -- via Slashdot)

This... This is just too silly. We all know how Disney loves to over-do the movie-tie-in merch they schlep onto kids. Well, this is no different, but I think Cap'n Crunch might be given a run for his money, especially with the cereal-eating girl population. Yes, screen heartthrob Johnny Depp will be coming to a breakfast table near you, as the star of the box front for Pirates of the Caribbean... Cereal. Um, OK. How messed up is this? Very. At least PotC was a good movie, and the sequel should be decent. Dunno if I'm going to want to eat the cereal, though. That's just too... Creepy... (Link -- via BoingBoing)

The Blogosphere is about to become polluted with political rhetoric. Not that it already isn't (as this blog will attest to), but this is incredibly crappy stuff indeed. The Republican Party plans to use blogs to get the message out that Democrats are "weak" and "unable to defend America." Well, I'll have you know that the Republican Party hasn't done much better protecting America: We're still no safer than we were on September 10, 2001. When this kicks off, we'll start a commenting campaign to infiltrate the GOP blogs and make sure that the Independant Voice is heard! (Link -- via Fark)

The Catholic Church is experiencing some turbulance (again), and this time, it's over supposed "miracles" like a statue of the Virgin *snicker* Mary that's supposedly crying blood. Another plaster statue was said to have turned a pinkish, fleshy color and moved. Jesus on a grilled cheese, Mary in a salt deposit on an overpass... When will people quit this nonsense? At any rate, this could totally bring down the Church's male-dominated ideology, which is a good thing. (Link -- via Fark)

It's an award usually reserved for actual journalists. But Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park, Congo, Sphere, The Andromeda Strain, et al) is an exception. When he writes a book, he completely throws himself into the subject matter, investigating every possible nuance of it until he has a firm grasp. This is why so many of his novels are so engaging. It's nice to see such a talented author recognized for his investigative skills. (Link -- via Fark)

One of the nice things about being a blogger is the fact that we've managed to create this sort of community: a network of folks who tend to help each other out, even if it is in the most insignificant ways possible. Today, BP has one such oppertunity, and I think it's for a wonderful cause.

Bone Marrow Transplants. Tricky stuff, because there are about 20,000 types of bone marrow in people. Sometimes, it boils down to a cancer patient needing one to survive, but the vast amount of marrow types takes a person's chances of finding a match to 1:20,000. Those odds get even more limited when you throw in Ethnic background, as is the case of the person we're trying to help today.

All we can do is post a link. But in posting that link, maybe we'll be able to find someone to help this young lady out in her time of need. For more information, click the link and head on over to WWdN:IX for the story. (Link)

Think Republicans want to fix our nation's problems? Nope. They're too interested in this kind of crap. Here's a "Top 10" list of things Republicans think Congress should make their top priorities. Things not on the list include:

Education
Welfare Reform
National Debt Reduction
Finding Alternative Energy Sources
Eliminating Discrimination
Foreign Policy Reform
Stopping Special Interests From Buying Politicians

Anyone see the problem yet? Their priorities are all out of whack. Let's face it: Voting Republican is Voting to Ruin America. Granted, the Democrats can't seem to do any better with regards to... Well, anything, really. But at least they won't proclaim that building a fence along the entire Mexico-US border is a higher priority than education our children. (Link -- via Fark)

Check it! l33t n1nj4 pr0n from the 1800's! Need I say more? Thank the maker for BoingBoing! (Link -- via BoingBoing)

Take a look at that right there. This is a proposed $380M (that's all?!?) skyscraper that will transform the Louisville, KY skyline and take architecture and building design to the next logical level.

Sad that such a forward thinking building has to be in a state infamous for it's backward thinking traditionalists.

Remember SimCity2000? The Arcologies? Arcos were giant buildings that could house and sustain the population of a small city, roughly 50-100K people. Well, this is pretty similar, only in a posh, up-scale, spend-money-here mode of thinking, which is rather lame. But you have to start somewhere when building your way up to self contained metropolis complex.

Hey! New meaning of Metroplex. Anyway, I hope this works out. It's a neat design very similar to the large, black Arcos in SC2K, and is a great way to experiment with the Arco concept on a small scale. Residency isn't at a decent to-Commerce rate yet. (Link -- via Fark)

There's a reason why we asked The Corporal to write for us. This entry over at Curbed Enthusiasm is the reason. Teh. Funnay! (Link)

Wow. That didn't take long, did it. If you look over on the sidebar, down in the Arena section, you'll notice our ClusterMap. Instead of an everyday, run-of-the-mill, sometimes-slow-loading hit counter, we have this tiny globe thumbnail that shows us where are readers are coming from (without revealing personally identifyable data).

The Corporal has one. Chris Savino has one. Angel has one now, too. And I'm sure that if Derreck gave a hoot about his site, he'd have one, too.

Since we signed up two weeks ago, we've been able to see some cool reader patterns. But yesterday's view took the cake. With the addition of a reader in Austrailia, we've finally touched on all six populated continents! Cool! I certainly didn't expect to take the site much beyond North America, but I guess sometimes what we have to say is interesting (in one way or another) to the outside world!

At least we know that what we're doing here at BP is worth the effort. Some folks start blogs that no one will ever read. And of course, a blog really isn't worth its salt until it has folks that read it. Thanks to all of you who check in regularly.

If you've got a blog (or website) and would like a ClusterMap of your own, we highly suggest you sign up for one! They run monthly contests where they give away ClusterMaps+ accounts, and they most certainly don't spam the crap out of your inbox. They're hella cool! (Link -- Get One!)

Straight out of Toon Town, I guess, since that's the only place that this could happen at first glance. You'd look at the headline "Four die in Afghan cartoon riot," and the first thing that comes to mind is "Is John Kricfalusi at it again?" But no, that's not the case here. We've all heard about the political cartoons that satirize Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Somebody call the Waaaaaaahmbulance, becuse the Muslims are cranky again. At any rate, protestors turned violent (surprise) while heading to an American Military base (surprise, though we had nothing to do with the cartoons, the Danes did), and police were forced to fire into the crowd, killing four people. I guess one of Muhammad's teachings was "Thou shalt not take a joke." (Link)

Well, if it isn't apparent with all the crap coming out of Hollywood these days, then these numbers should tell you what's going on in black and white: The system is failing. So-called "blockbusters" are costing more and more to make (suddenly Kevin Costner doesn't seem so insane), and people are just not going to see them, so they're not getting the returns they're used to.

Some words of advice to Hollywood: How about putting out movies people want to see, not rehashed crap and superficial sequels. (Link -- via BoingBoing)

Around here, late in life. Heh. But seriously, folks. A couple of researchers at Dartmouth aim to answer that very question. Do they? Lord knows. But it's still fun to try and find out. (Link -- via Slashdot)

Time to round-up all the post Super Bowl insanity coverage for the year. And what a year it was. For a few meager pics of our Super Bowl party (there might be video soon, there was a DV cam there) check out my site. (Link)

Time to search the Blogosphere for Steelers chatter! One guy unloads on the game itself, and you know what? He's mostly right. Calling the Super Bowl winner "World" Champion is a bit much. And he's right: The ads were lame this year. Oh well. Damn foreigners. (Link)

Ed Kleese, a sports blogger from Oklahoma, summed up the reasons that the Steelers took the title home in fine style.

While I am sure the Seattle Seahawks can boast of a team filled with quality people, no team in the NFL can boast the kind of personality that Pittsburgh displayed during their run to Super Bowl XL. It took over 25 years, but the Steelers finally made it back to the top of the NFL mountain, in no small part due to some key cogs that are easy to root for both on and off the field.

Who and what are those key cogs? Read on... (Link)

Some guys can turn anything into a hard sell. Take Pat Cleary of the National Association of Manufacturers:

Anyone who saw the trick play/pass from Antwan Randle-El to Hines Ward would appreciate the innovation that manufacturers employ every day. And, we all appreciate the contribution of Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, just like a solid manufacturer, grinding it out every day, running straight ahead, sometimes in the face of incredible odds.

Wow. You can put corporate spin on anything these days, can't you. Though he is right about one thing: The Steelers are the Working Man's Super Bowl Champions. (Link)

Proof that some Country Music folks just shouldn't be allowed to access the Internet: Big, flamboyant headline, and then? Save to My Web... (Link)

And finally, an honest, detailed review of the game by none other than... wait for it... wait... SportZilla! (Link)

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Blog Prophyts joins pretty much the rest of the Internet in wishing Fark founder Drew Curtis a happy birthday! Without Drew, Blog Prophyts wouldn't have half of the content it has today! Thanks for letting us be such low-life leeches! In all seriousness, happy birthday to an internet pioneer, and all-around great guy. Now, everyone send him Boobies and Beer eCards... (Link -- via Fark of course)

Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward's touchdown catch from Randal El: Look at that guy smile!

To all the haters, intimidators, and wannabes: Suck It!

The Steelers are your 2005/2006 Super Bowl Champions! The #6 seed has done the impossible: Leveled the NFL's four best teams en route to a storybook finish in the biggest game of the year.

I'll give the Seahawks the credit they deserve: They gave us one hell of a game, that's for sure. But you know what? Second Place? That's the First Loser.

All the press coverage you could ever want is right here. Read your fill, kick back with an ice cold leftover from last night's party, and relish this once-in-a-lifetime moment: The Bus is going to Canton, and he's taking some hardware with him!

(SI Box Score -- St. Louis P-D -- SI.com on MVP Hines Ward -- ABC News -- Detroit Freep -- The Independent -- Sydney Morning Herald -- Melbourne Herald-Sun -- CBS Sportsline -- Scotsman on Bettis -- SLAM!/Canoe -- Washington Post on Hines Wards' South Korean Connection -- Fark Thread)

Morning in Pittsburgh on Super Bowl Sunday. Windy. Hella windy. Especially up here in Mount Washington. The wind is most likely gusting up and over the hill from the tri-river valley below. Cold. Brrr brrr chilly cold.

On the TV, they just had the respective mayors of Seattle and Pittsburgh. The wager this year isn't very surprising, at least on Pittsburgh's side: 25 local eateries and businesses will be chipping in to throw Seattle's top dog a Steel City Tailgate Party. Seattle, on the other hand, is preparing a selection of beer and wine! Aha!

Give the Jet City credit. The Seahawks will be a quality opponent, let there be no doubt about that. And the city of Seattle (what's up Jolene and Davin!) itself is being great sports about the whole thing. There's alot of energy in Detroit right now.

And alot of energy here in Pittsburgh, too. It's crazy insane. Streets will be shut down to become pedestrian areas in all the major neighborhoods: Oakland, the South Side, Downtown, and the Strip District will all become large, neighborhood-wide parties. It will be awesome.

Us? If the wind dies down and temperatures normalize, we'll most likely take a walk up to Grandview Avenue to oversee the insanity from above. Maybe. we'll see.

Everyone party carefully, alrighty?

BP contributor Corporal Kickyourass isn't someone you want to mess with. For starters, he's RCMP. Yep, a Mountie. Dudley Do-Freakin'-Right. He serves Canada well, often times protecting it from its own brand of stupidity. We like to talk a lot about idiots in Washington. But up north, they have idiots who are just as bad, if not worse, than what we've laid claim to here.

As a former Emergency Services worker myself, this story comes close to home as the Corporal dishes out the law in a situation where total ignorance can simply just not catch a break. Doesn't need a break, really. I mean, this guy was just asking for a night in the cooler. How one person can be that self-centered is beyond me. If it were you in that Ambulance, wouldn't you want your route to the medical care you need be completely unblocked? Welcome to Common Sense: Poplation - Not this guy... (Link)

Wow. From the moment I hit Blairsville, I knew it was on. On Shiloh Street, not a single person wearing something other than Black and Gold. All over the TV, and all over town.

It's good to be home again.

I've arrived in Pittsburgh, and boy, was it worth the trip already. The fans in this town are bleeding their colors every moment of every day, and it's a very beautiful thing indeed. The love this city has for its home team is incredible. To have made it to the Super Bowl in such dramatic fashion, especially with the story of two men: One called Big Ben. The other, The Bus.

I've blogged about Jerome Bettis enough lately. But the story of The Promise is one worth getting into a bit, because it's one of those endearing moments in Sports that just grabs you. Like Ruth calling his shot, or Eruzioni scoring the fourth and final goal in Lake Placid. It's like Tiger winning the Masters, and of course, like Franco and a catch still considered to be Immaculate.

The Bus was considering retirement after last season. Though they'd had the best season in team history (15-1, with a rookie quarterback winning most of them) only to be stopped by conference rival New England in the AFC title game. They knew it was their best chance in a decade, and Jerome was nearly ready to hang up the cleats.

And then along came Big Ben. Roethlisberger convinced Bettis to stay by promising to get him to the Super Bowl in Detroit this year. This promise was kept secret until around the time of this year's AFC title game. But the road there was a striking one. They were nearly counted out mid-season, but a win against the Lions (including three Bus TDs) earned them the last wild card spot, and making them the 6th seeded team. Getting to the Super Bowl would be a monumental task.

Division rival Cincinatti had a great year, and had even beaten the Steelers earlier in the season. But after asking "Who Dey" one too many times, the Bengals were sent home in the wild card game with an answer of "Dey Goin' Home." The #3 seeded team was out of the road.

Perhaps the most striking victory, though, was the Heart Attack in Indy. The Colts were the NFL's top team, and had handled the Steelers quite easily on a Monday night mid-season. But the Steelers came out swinging, and for most of the game, it looked like they'd cruise to a surprise upset win. But then came the last four minutes. The Pick Overturned. The Fumble. The Tackle. The Missed Field Goal. The #1 Team going home.

A win by Denver over New England only served to bolster our chances: We wouldn't have to potentially suffer the same fate two years in a row. This set up a Mile-High showdown which first brought me to the city two weeks ago. The Steelers never lost the lead as they marched to a well-fought victory, punching their tickets to Detroit.

And most importantly: Keeping The Promise that a then-rookie quarterback made to a veteran on his last run.

The stage is set. In 24 hours, the last incredible game of an already astounding season will be played. This is for all the peanuts. The Bus is home, his final stop before a little place they call the Hall of Fame. Let's get him some hardware to take with him.

GO STEELERS!

Before I leave for Pittsburgh, I though I'd share this... Ummmm... Nugget of joy? I dunno what to call this, except really, really messed up. Yep, that over there is a tattoo of a Pac Man level, complete with dots, ghosts, and cherry... On some dude's ass. Woah. That's... Woah. What scares me is the pixelated nature of the ink work. That must have been quite the effort, all those precise little lines and... Man, this is messed up. (Link (JPG) -- via BoingBoing)

Blog Prophyts is saddened by the news of the passing of John Baker, who died of a heart attack in Clearfield, PA this past Tuesday. John was both well-known and well-loved in the Central Pennsylvania music community, and will be sorely missed. I had the honor and pleasure of working very closely with John and his partner, Sherry Lender, in both live performances and in helping to record some of his last work. I'll miss Wednesdays at Electric Avenue, singing stuff like Stairway To Heaven and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune, then the piper will lead us to reason...

Rest In Peace, John...

It's finally here! Super Bowl XL (that's 40 for all you non-Roman-numeral folks) is this Sunday! The Seattle Seahawks will take on my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers under the roof of the Pontiac Silverdome, and BP is here with all your Steelers-related Super Bowl insanity! For the last half hour, I've been scouring the internet for all sorts of nifty info, and I think I've found enough to get you all hyped up for what should be an incredibly memorable night.

Let's get started with coverage of Media Day (which was yesterday) over on Fark. Apparently, some craziness ensued, including oddball questions and hot chicks. One of the questions listed in the Fark headline is my favorite: "Which would hurt more? Losing to the Steelers or sitting on the Space Needle?" (Link -- via Fark)

Roethlisblogger

Yep, that's right, Big Ben is keeping a blog! OK, so he's dictating his thoughts to his Agent, Ryan Tollner, who's actually posting them. According to the site, he'll be posting something every day during Super Bowl week. If you've ever wanted to get inside the QB's head, here's your chance! (Link)

Damn Domain Squatters

Bloody hell. While I was in Pittsburgh this past Monday, Angel and I ran up to CoGo's to snag up some snack food and a couple of 20oz sodas, when I noticed an interesting bill posted on a trashcan: Mrs. Roethlisberger.com. Said what? OK, I figured it was some Pittsburgh fan chick who wanted to catch Big Ben's attention. So today, I finally broke down and visited the site. Lo and behold, all it is is someone trying to capitalize on the Steelers' remarkable run (and their remarkable QB) by selling off the domain in hopes of being able to afford Super Bowl tickets. Lame! (Link)

One For The Bus

Originally set to retire last year, Jerome "The Bus" Bettis held off on the decision after Roethlisberger told him he'd lead him to a Super Bowl. Well, Ben kept his promise, and Jerome is now in his home town of Detroit, MI, ready to play what might be the last game - and most certainly will be the greatest game - of his career. If anyone deserves a Super Bowl win, it's Bettis. He's the 5th All-Time leading running back in NFL history, and has had a storybook career to this point. He's deffinately headed to the Hall of Fame (like so many great Steelers before him), and we'd like to see him pull into Canton, OH with a Super Bowl Ring! Check out Bettis' entry in Wikipedia for all the info you could ever want! (Link)

Homeland (In)Security

Now that they've got global terrorism under control (snicker snicker), the Department of Homeland Security is setting its sights on the next big threat to the American way of life: Counterfeit Super Bowl T-Shirts. Gee, thanks for putting my tax dollars to good use there, guys... (Link -- via Fark)

Meanwhile, the Steelers remain a three point favorite to win on Sunday. Yikes. Not much of a margin, is it. But hey, at least we're not the underdogs anymore! We were counted out mid-season, only to come back and snag a wild card. Then, we proceeded to take out the top three teams in the AFC, including the heavily favored Indianapolis Colts, becoming the first 6th seeded team in modern NFL Playoff history to not only make it to the AFC title game, but win the sucker and head on to the Super Bowl! Rock on!

One last note: This weekend, I'll be in Pittsburgh yet again to watch the game with Angel and her family, so there won't be many updates to BP during that time. I'm leaving Friday and will return sometime Monday morning, when I'll resume regular BP posting, hopefully with a giant rant about the Steelers winning the big one. This weekend will also mark the posting debut of Angel, the newest Prophyt to join the crew! Make sure you all welcome her nice, OK?