Oh god what happened is everyone ok!?

Rest assured, Peachaholics, NientePeaches.com has not been bought out, taken over, hijacked, broken, overloaded, or demolished. It was time for more content, and therefore a redesign. Isn't she pretty? But like all pretty girls, she is full of holes, so tread gently, and try not to break anything that isn't quite finished yet.

Speaking of content... Niente Behind the Scenes with Sir Rutherford Welch: Episode 1 is up and ready to be burned into the back of your eye sockets. Watch it and weep from every orifice! Every single one.



And don't forget to check out the newly re-designed site with more cantent and shiny stuff!:

NIENTEPEACHES.COM!

Things to come...

In the coming weeks and months, Niente Peaches will be posting the freshest and juiciest behind-the-scenes footage of Niente.

A story of grief and redemption set amongst the background of WWII Lithuania, Niente will be a fun-filled summer romp for the whole family. Set amongst the background of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, this action-packed, explosive, and explosive action epic will be set amongst the background of the Hindenburg disaster and its impact on aviation technology. This six-hour documentary will feature cameos from Will Arnet, Sean Bean, Jon Stewart, Kaiser Wilhelm, the Olsen Twins, 78 of the 251 known Pokemon, and the best Steve Gutenberg impersonator ever. Can't wait to see you there!

Also, new comics, new trailers, new graphics, new products (how I love my Niente t-shirt and mug), and new... well that's it, actually.

In thirteen days I will be leaving the country in what I am told is an "Aero Plane"? From what I understand, this is some sort of gigantic metallic bird. I asked someone and they told me that it won't be full of organs and poop, but rather cramped seats, screaming babies, and a ventilation system designed solely to circulate the SARS and whatnot. I'm skeptical of the whole thing.

I will be arriving in the greatest country in the world: Europe.

From my new outpost in Barcelona, I will continue to bring you the latest, but in a foreign language you will never understand. To prove my point, here is the last paragraph translated from english to german, then to italian, then french, then japanese, then russian, and then back to english.

13, I remained in Japan, however, say that the "plane"? I know this is a kind of giant metal bird. Therefore, I, and she told me nothing to tell us. Full body down, but the narrow seat, crying children and ventilation systems, severe acute respiratory syndrome as a trick. All of this I am skeptical.

Stay tuned.

December's Videosift Sift

Thought we could all use a chuckle, so here are the best of the best videos from Videosift this month, sifted by yours truly for your glorious entertainment.

Why don't you ever call anymore? I made some soup for you, and you never came and ate it. That's fine. Your dad and I can just sit here alone all day. No. Go on. Go see your friends.










If you haven't been keeping up with the podcasts, go do that. Otherwise, just watch the behind the scenes teaser again. And again. And again. Turn down the lights. Put on soft music. And watch it again.

In other news...

Time for something a little less serious. A recap of this month's news:

-Rudy Guiliani's campaign has come to a screeching halt after it turns out that while mayor of New York he routed money into obscure departments of the NYPD to fund nights out with his then mistress. Moreover, some of that money went to hire police officers to cheaufer the woman around town and, not kidding, walk her dogs. Guiliani slipped to fourth in the Iowa polls, and then this happened. Can't make this up, folks.

This is worth celebrating because Guiliani is a crook, a liar, and the second coming of Bush.

-Another Spears sister is whack. This is not a surprise. Meanwhile (true story), the mother is planning to write a book about parenting.

-A fire blazed through one of Cheney's offices in the white house caused by "an electrical failure". It's unclear as to what documents were "lost". The Daily Kos speculates a few things, however.

If seeing that link didn't compell you to click it, I urge you to do so, because the article features a list of every major Bush scandal to date, which is very eye opening and past due.


-In other news, Ron Paul doesn't believe in evolution, Fred Thompson was in "Hunt for the Red October", Hillary Clinton still sucks, Huckabee is creepy and puts subliminal crosses in his commercials, and no one will admit that Kucinich is the best man for the job. Also, everyone is a liar.

More stuff later. I promise it won't all be political.

It's all so simple now...

Over the past few days, I've been following the legislative passing of new Iraq troop funding which guarantees US military presence for at least one more year. It may have been a bit hard to spot because another Spears sister is all over the news, but it's a major story. I'll spare you the details, which you can read about here, here, and here just for starters.

It got me to thinking about the true motivation behind the invasion of Iraq. Here are the reasons we have been given so far:

1. Iraq had nuclear and chemical weapons or had the capability to make them. We know this isn't true.

2. Iraq had ties to Al Quaeda and the 9/11 attacks. We know this isn't true, and a short history of the Ba'athist party and the difference between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims will confirm that.

3. Saddam was a dangerous dictator and a threat to the security of his own people. 70,000 dead Iraqis and a new totalitarian government later, we know that this was not the purpose of the war.

So none of that fits. Then there are the reasons that we ASSUME we went to Iraq for:

1. Oil. Take the Iraqi oil fields, make some money, pressure the Saudis to lower their prices. The price of oil has skyrocketed, and the Iraqi people haven't seen any money. Meanwhile, the US is gearing up for a recession. I don't think oil was the primary objective.

2. Business. Take Halliburton and the slew of other contractors who have all bathed in piles of cash as a result of the war and you see that Bush owed a lot of people a lot of favors. Why take the former CEO of Halliburton as VP instead of another candidate? This one makes sense, and is at least part of the reason why we are there. Follow the money and it's hard to say otherwise.

3. Iran. A stronghold in Iraq keeps Iran in check. Saddam kept the Iranians in check. Now there is no one to do it. Iran had little to do with it.

Then I saw the above-mentioned stories, and it all became clear.

The goal of the Iraq war isn't money, or security, or aid. It was power.

Here is my prediction: in the coming years, congress will continue to approve Iraq funding. It will become increasingly quiet as the number of American troops begins to dwindle, and it will ultimately end up being tucked away in the presidential budget for the world to ignore.

This money will fund the upkeep and security for the US military bases now being built and established in Iraq. This goes well beyond the Green Zone and the new embassy. We're talking about a PERMANENT American presence in Iraq.

This will be done for two reasons. One is to provide security for the countless contractors operated by the businesses standing to gain the most from US influence over Iraq. The other is the one I want to focus on.

Our leaders wish to shape the middle east into a functioning western society and economy, and one way in which they plan to do it is to keep US troops on the ground at all times, and liasons continuously pressuring the new corrupt Iraqi government.

A war on terror is not a war against one country. It is an endless crusade (like the war on drugs). When we have finished with Iraq, we will move on to the next country most easily percieved as a threat. Up until recently, this would have been Iran. I'm not convinced that it isn't anymore.

Thus, Iraq is just a foothold into the middle east as a whole, and the war on terror is a war on every middle eastern government that is harboring terrorists and is generally bad for the world economy, and especially the US economy.

I believe that our current congress and most of the candidates currently running for president now understand that fact, and have come to see it as a viable solution to the mess in Iraq. No one is fighting to get the troops out anymore because they will never all be out.

Suffice it to say that historically, US involvement in the middle east has led to nothing but trouble down the line. Let's keep in mind that it was the US government who toppled democratically elected governments to install Saddam and the Shah (ultimately the Ayatollah, but mostly by accident) to keep each other in check. This, of course, has not worked out well for us or for them.

So. What do you think? Is this a good thing? A bad thing? Does this vindicate Bush, or justify his means?

You already know what I think. Let me know what you think.

Led Zeppelin at O2

Ernie writes-

Well I'm to much of a zep head not to talk about this. Here's the set list:


Intro
Good Times Bad Times
Ramble On
Black Dog
In My Time Of Dying
For Your Life
Trampled Under Foot
Nobody's Fault But Mine
No Quarter
Since I've Been Loving You
Dazed And Confused
Stairway To Heaven
The Song Remains The Same
Misty Mountain Hop
Kashmir
ENCORE:
Whole Lotta Love
Rock And Roll


From what I've listen to and what I've read it was a huge success. What can I say that hasn't already been said? Not too much, but right away there have been bootlegs surfacing. In a jungle of shaky images from YouTube of the show there are ones that are tolerable to watch, here's one of them:



But wait until the DVD comes out to really get what you're seeing.

Post # 100!

Ernie writes-

Well this is our 100th post! In celebration, we have our webspot for the fourthcoming Niente: Behind the Scenes series. It features music written and performed by Tom Stroll, enjoy!:

Niente Radio Episode 3 Now Up!

Ernie writes-

Here you are kiddies, the next episode of Niente Radio.

Episode 3

(Side A) Old Man Stroll Strikes Back:



(Side B) Russian Thanksgiving:



Here's Some Supplementary Material for You All:

1. The featured song in this episode was Black Jack by The States. Here's their site TheStatesOnline and their MySpace TheStatesOnline@MySpace.

2. Justine Cotsonas appears on As the World Turns as Sophie Duran. As the World Turns can be seen on CBS, weekdays at 2PM. Don't miss it!

3. Despite what Old Man Stroll says about Colbert we still love him! Have a look ColbertNation if you haven't already ColbertNation.

Later this December expect to see:

1. A Re-Design of our site.
2. The first installment of Niente: Behind the Scenes.
3. The teaser trailer to Niente: The Movie!

All the best!

Update: Hate to say I told you so...

Caught this in the NY Times. It is a transcript of the White House response to learning that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program way back in 2003.

Today’s National Intelligence Estimate offers some positive news. It confirms that we were right to be worried about Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons. It tells us that we have made progress in trying to ensure that this does not happen.

So wait, they are right because they were wrong? Not buying it, assholes.

Take a moment and think about this. They are taking credit for solving a problem before they ever even knew that it was a problem.

Link to the article.

Hate to say I told you so....

But man did I ever call it!

The New York Times is now reporting about a national intelligence estimate that says that Iran halted it's nuclear weapons development program in 2003 after a cost/benefit estimate determined the program to be too expensive to continue.

No nukes. No intent to get nukes.

I called it, and now I'm going home.

More on this later.

Suprise!

Ernie writes-

So I'm giving you some info a day earlier than I said I would. But if you check back tomorrow you can think, "If I haven't seen it, it's new to me!" So anyway, the shoot will be continuing into a second day. It was bitter cold in NYC this past Sunday and it began to effect our actors and ultimately our equipment. In the mean time we'll be bringing you a podcast this month and we'll be hard at work editing scenes that have already been shot. In addition we'll be preparing for the teaser trailer this December as well as the first Behind the Scenes installment!

Moving on. I asked you all to keep this question in your head, "what is Chock-Full-O-Stroll?" Well ask and ye shall receive. Answer, it is a candy bar that exisits in the Niente Universe. It was constructed by myself and Steve Kompar. You'll be sure to see in featured in Niente: The Movie! Here's a few pictures of it being born:

New Shoot This Weekend

Ernie writes-

We will be filming the first scene in this next season of shooting for Niente: The Movie. I won't reveal too much about the scene but I will say that it is:

-Funny
-Delicious
-Pretty
-Action Packed

There will be production stills for your viewing pleasure once the scene is done shooting. I will leave you with a question to remain floating in your head, "What is Chock-Full-O-Stroll?" It will be answered on Thanksgiving Day. Following that answer you get those production stills I promised, as well as a new installment of Niente Radio!

Enjoy!

More Updates!

Ernie writes-

The writers strike slows down other entertainment but Niente wheels just keep a rollin'! Here's what you can expect in November and December:

1. At the end of November look for the third installment of Niente Radio on iTunes.

2. The beginning of December brings a new web comic by Ben Gawle!

3. In middle of December look for yet another installment of Niente Radio on iTunes.

We then close the month and the year with the two greatest things Niente Peaches has given you to date!

4. First, we will feature the first part of a 10 chapter webisode series hosted by Sir Rutherford Welch. Join him as he examins the production of Niente: The Movie in a series we call Niente: Behind the Scenes.

5. Then...we will be releasing the teaser trailer and the first real look of the film Niente: The Movie.

While all your favorite shows are on hiatus be sure to tune in right here for a whole lot of great things this November and December. And it's all for free kids!

No need to thank me, just keep peaching!

New Contest, People!

Ernie writes-

Ok,

So now that Crazy Photo Shop Contest #1 is over and done with, let's move on to the next one. This time it's, Crazy Video Contest #1! Look here for details:

CRAZY VIDEO CONTEST #1

Enjoy!

Bonus Video Goodness!

Plus, Andy Rooney!

I don't know if anyone ever watched 60 Minutes on CBS anymore, but lately every time I turn it on something entirely relevant is going on, so I greatly recommend checking it out from time to time.

Case in point, last Sunday they did a story on newly elected French president Nicolas Sarkozy. I found it fascinating, and I think you will too.

Part 1: A little background on the man, and his super hot family.



Part 2: Watch the interviewer thoroughly offend Sarkozy, then criticize him for being offended.



Why did this happen? The president of France does his first real interview in the states, and the interviewer insists on badgering him about his recent divorce. Is he not justified in telling her off? At what point do personal issues enter a political conversation? They've yet to ask him any questions about his political opinions and policies, but they insist on asking him about the one thing they knew he wouldn't want to talk about.

This is a difference between American and French culture. On our news networks, it is perfectly normal for tabloid news to butt into the personal lives of important people. In France, apparently, this is not the kind of story that the news network FOCUS on.

Finally, here is what Sarkozy SHOULD HAVE said (sloppy work, but watch until the end):

Niente: The Movie is on Wiki!

Ernie writes-

Ya know when you're really bored and you do something stupid like google your name? Well, I googled "Niente: The Movie" the other day and found that right smack dab at the top of the results was a wikipedia article about "Niente: The Movie!" Holy crap, that's awesome! Have a look:

google search result

The article is small now, but with hope it will get bigger! As I understand it, I cannot edit this article or add info, being apart of Niente: The Movie. So if any of you loyal fans out there want to add or edit info please go right ahead! If you do so and let us know who you are, there will be a prize for you! You can e-mail us by clicking here.

FYI: Wiki has disclaimers about not using unauthorized material such as photos etc. Consider this permission to use any content from the site to add to the wiki article. Go right ahead using our photos! We'd only ask that you use proper captions.

Crazy Photoshop Contest #1 Winner

Ernie writes-

And the winner is...

BEN GAWLE! Congradulations my friend you have one the following prizes:

• A t-shirt featuring their logo and a custom message.
• A special contributor credit in Niente: The Movie (!) The credit will say, "Executive in Charge of Being Aweome"
• Free promotion, on this site, to any of your projects (websites, movies, businesses, blogs) in the form of a banner ad, weblink, or promotional post, or some combination of the three.
• Internet fame and lore.
• The pleasant feeling of a job well done.
• Three french hens.
• Two turtle doves.
• And a partridge in a Niente Peach tree.



Ben's graphic work will appear on the site and elsewhere in many forms. Thank you, to all who participated. Look for the next contest to be announced on Wednesday Nov. 7th! The next contest will have a possible three places, so don't miss out!

Niente Radio Episode 2 Now Up!

Ernie writes-

The second installment of Niente Radio is now available for your listening pleasure.

Episode 2 The Brail Syndrome-
For the second episode of Niente Radio, Ernie will be discussing the production status of Niente: The Movie, with his good friend Steve Kompar. Together they will also respond to fan letters on the air! Don't miss the next exciting installment of Niente Radio!

Listen to it by clicking here:




Here's some supplementary info:

1. Click here to view a complete list of the cast with profile photos. Bios will be coming soon!

2. This episode of Niente Radio featured the song Blue Hawaii by Tom Stroll. More of his work can be found at TomStroll.com.

3. Crazy Photo Shop Contest #1 ended today! We'll be announcing the winner on 11/5/07. And the next contest will be announced 11/12/07.

4. New items will be added to the Niente Peaches Store on 11/7/07.

5. Look for the first trailer for Niente: The Movie December 2007!

6. And the first installment of Niente: Behind the Scenes will be 12/24/07!

The updates will be announced here so make sure you check back each week!

Niente Peaches Update

Ernie writes-

I hope you all have been enjoying some fantastic news reporting by Igor, now it's time to make some Niente Peaches related reports.

1. The second episode of Niente Radio will be up on iTunes October 31st. Don't miss it!

2. A couple new stills have been added to the Behind the Scenes page.

3. Pre-Production has begun for the fall/winter season of shooting.

4. The complete first season index of Niente Radio is now up.

5. The deadline for Crazy Photoshop Contest #1 is closing in (Nov. 1st)! Submit while there's still time!

There will be a few more updates during the first full week of November so stay tuned!

Update: Fucktober

Yesterday I talked a little about the fires in southern California and droughts in the southeast. Just thought some of you might be interested in an update.

Since yesterday, the situation in California has rapidly disintegrated into fuck-all. More than 500,000 people have now been forced from their homes. Apparently, 500,000 is how many is takes, since the Governator called in the National Guard earlier today.

I could tell you how bad things are, but I think this is more effective.



Meanwhile, Duke University is taking a beating for watering their lacrosse turf before a game yesterday, despite the entire area being gripped in a crippling drought. Let me repeat that. They were watering their turf. That's FAKE GRASS, for the record.

What the shit, people?

Time for a quick commercial break...

I smell trouble...

Igor Writes-

So a few days ago I was having one of my many sleepless nights when my channel surfing landed me in prime news real estate. In this case, I was watching MSNBC's special report on Russian President Putin's recent visit to Iran.



As some of you may or may not know, Iran recently signed a pact with Russia, outsourcing the construction of its new nuclear power generators to Putin. What Russia seems to understand, as does much of Europe, since Putin also planned to meet with the leaders of France, Germany, and the UK to discuss Iran, was that Iran is seeking nuclear power not in order to develop weapons, but so that it can have what every modern industrialized nation already has, NUCLEAR POWER.

Of course, MSNBC spotlighted Putin's recent power grabs, pointing out that there was no way for him to lose the next election and that Russia is basically one step away from totalitarianism. The point that they were trying to make is that the friendship between Iran and Russia is a union of two batshit insane countries which could disrupt the balance of power throughout the middle east and the rest of the world.

So there's that.

Too bad it's all bullshit.

If you know anything about Russia, you'll know that it's political situation really is a shambles, but it doesn't particularly work to the advantage of Putin just yet. While he'll be elected, the country is so bitter and divided that he'll be lucky if he can find where the country keeps its nukes.

If Iran thinks that putting Russia in charge of building power plants is a good idea, then they've clearly never been to Russia. They'll be lucky if the building doesn't fall apart within the first week.

That being said, why can't Iran have nuclear power? "Duh, Igor, we can't let them have nukes!".

Yeah, well, tough.

Until I see an ounce of proof that Iran supports terrorism, they have every right to hoard nuclear weapons left and right. Go on, find me the evidence that says that Iran is evil and its president it a lunatic. Find it and I'll reconsider. Until then, if my country can have nukes (and based on the last post, it's clear that we have no clue as to what we are doing), then Iran has the same right. That is, if they want nukes at all.

Ahmeninejad continues to insist that he is simply looking to boost his country's power grid, by looking to the future to nuclear energy. I've yet to see any proof that they plan to do anything else with it. If anyone can find the documents that says that they are hoarding nuclear scientists, or building secret labs, or are downloading the Anarchist's Cookbook, then please go ahead and send them to me, because I sure as hell haven't seen any. I'm talking to you, MSNBC/FOX/CNN.

I submit that what we are really seeing is the continual effort by the government of this country to push for war with Iran. To what end, I don't know. I don't want to know. All I do know is that they have been trying for months (frequent readers will note that I've written about this before) to discredit Ahmeninejad and Iran as a whole. What they discovered was that people weren't buying it.

Somehow there wasn't a lot of support for another pointless war. So now, the news networks are forced to up the ante. Who do we hate even more than the Iranians? THE FUCKING RUSSIANS. The right-wing fucknuts behind this idiotic War on Brown People are all Reagan-Era Cold War paranoids, who haven't trusted Russia since WWII.

So now we have the Iranians and the Russians in cahoots. Can it get any worse? I can't wait until North Korea jumps on board this fuck-train. Better yet, Syria, since they seem evil and are brown too. North Korea wouldn't be a prime candidate anyway. We aren't scared of them anymore since they stopped threatening us after peace talks and economic sanctions forced them to calm the hell down.

Somehow, peace talks with North Korea worked, but with Iran all we can do is make veiled threats of nuclear attacks. Are we really the kind of country that would strike first with nukes? Hell, should we be the kind that strikes first at all?

It's time for us to see this for what it really is: propoganda. That's all there is to it. This is nothing new.

Aw, hell, let's just nuke 'em. They're brown, after all.

A nation smacks its collective foreheads...

Here's a headline that will be in the news for the next few days, but that no one will care about: THE ENTIRE FUCKING SOUTHWEST IS ON FIRE. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. 250,000 people have been evacuated from the San Diego area as wildfires are spreading like, well, wildfires.

Photo: Courtesy of CNN

The only thing that they mayor of San Diego had to say to America was "It looks as though a lot of people are going to lose their homes". What?!?

At this point I would expect her to say something like "For the love of christ, send us some freaking help!". But in fact, with over 1000 fire engines on their way, there is no one left to help, with other southwestern states dealing with their own wildfires, some of which have been raging for what seems like years.

At what point do we call this a crisis? At what point do we send in the national guard? The army? FEMA? Anyone?

How many people have to be displaced? 250,000 seems like enough. Do we need to see one million before anything can be done?

It's 2007, for fuck's sake, by now we should be able to keep our country from catching fire!

In the meantime, there's another headline: THE ENTIRE FUCKING SOUTHEAST HAS NO WATER. Droughts are pretty much destroying Georgia, and the government is locked in debate at to release strategic federal water reserves to the people who WILL SOON BE DYING if this unseasonably hot October weather continues.

Have we really come to a point at which beaurocracy keeps us from helping people who are in dire need? Do we need levees to burst before we jump to action?

Call your damn senators, and tell them to send fire trucks and bottled water. You hear me, Nestle Waters Inc?

Hmm... wildfires, droughts, hot Octobers... what does all of this mean? Oh well, if it were anything important, I'm sure that government scientists would tell us all about it. If, of course, they weren't so busy trying to dismiss global warming.

New Comic Added!

Ernie writes-

Hello All!

The Almighty Benny is at it again with this month's comic strip. Take a look:

Tragedy of Oranges

P.S. Look for a new installment to the Niente Radio podcast at the end of the month as well as some new behind the scenes stills. Plus! There will be a new contest this November!

Don't touch that dial or I'll break your fingers!

Applebees Knows No Age

Ernie writes-

This taken from AP:

"A 6-year-old boy was hungry and decided he'd go to Applebees. So he grabbed the car keys, took his booster seat from the back seat of his grandmother's car and placed it in the driver's seat, then made a go of driving himself to the restaurant Tuesday."

Read the full story here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/09/ap/strange/main3351103.shtml

No comment needed.

On another note, we are in post production for scenes and plan to have trailer up in November! But before then, stay tuned for a new comic strip and radio episode!

YouTube Gold

Ernie writes-

So, not having any luck on YouTube finding good videos? Have a look at the work of caroline372. It's YouTube Gold! Have a look:

Ringo Starr Makes a Piece of Toast



Sir Mick Jagger Tries to Sell His Car



Word Association with Liam and Noel Gallagher



http://youtube.com/user/caroline372

Enjoy!

Movie Review: House of 1000 Corpses

It sucked. Balls.

Wham Bam Thank You Blog Readers

So yeah, it's been a while since we last saw each other. Why haven't you called or written?

Look, I've been busy with work and school and things, and a long-distance relationship is hard. You know that. Don't give me that look.

That being said, it's time for some new posts, new contests, and new Niente! content. So be ready.

Are you ready?

Here's something to whet the appetite:




Who loves ya, baby? That's right, Niente Peaches does.

Niente Radio Premiere!

Ernie writes-

Hello all!

Niente Radio Episode #1 is now out! Click here to listen! And if you like us then subscribe, and if you don’t like us then we’ll bug you in a month for the second show. Once you’ve heard the episode here’s some supplementary reading to take a poke at. Don’t worry; some of it is supplementary watching too!

Here tis:

Ted Stevens
1-18-08 (Trailer)
Mike Gravel Goodness
The Giver
Israel’s Wall


Join us next month with an actual guest and sketches! Yes sketches! With the ha-ha and the woot-woot!

The first episode of Niente Radio, featured "Passing Trains" by Tom Stroll. Please visit Tom's site for more details:

TomStroll.com

Hey there film geeks!

Ernie writes-

We've just added a page with a list of the tech specs for Niente: The Movie. What equipment we shoot with, filmstocks we use, etc. Take a look!:

Niente Tech Specs

Enjoy!

PLUS! Look for the first episode of Niente Radio next week!

NientePeaches.com!

Ernie writes-

Hey Kiddies!

NientePeaches.com is now up have a look see! Stay tunes next week for the first episode of Niente Radio!

Last Update

Ernie writes-

Hello all,

Fear not, we are still here. This will be the last post before the site goes up on the 9th of September. Once it's up you can expect:

-Podcast Updates
-Contests
-Comics
-Stills From the Movie and Production
-And of course daily posts on the blog

For now enjoy some more stills from this past season of shooting:


Producer, Tom Stroll, Multi-tasking


Director of Photography, Daniel Joyella (Left) discussing framing with Tom Stroll (Right)


Tom Stroll (Left), Ernie Zahn (Mid-Left), Lizz Callaghan (Mid-Right), Bill Booth (Right)

See you all on the 9th!

Reports From the Set and Other Updates

Ernie Writes-

The site is nearly complete and we're nearing the end of this season's shooting. Here's a few stills from the season so far:



Behind the Scenes Shot of Tom as The Knight



A Still of Myself as Ronald McDonald's Inner Beast



Me as the Same Character, but I Look Cooler Here

Enjoy!

Also end of August prepare for the first installment of Niente Radio!

Sleepy Time, Time

Ernie Writes-

We've been on a bit of a hiatus recently as we are in the midst of shooting a couple new scenes as well as designing the Niente Site, which will be complete with: comic strips, trailers, photos, behind the scenes footage and much more. But just as you would find when there is a rain delay for a baseball game, here's Abbot and Costello:



See you all very soon!

Cine-Caust

Ernie writes-

Some people still claim it was a myth. But this documentary proves that the video format attempted to clense the film format in the early 80's. Take a look:

Click To Play

More great films like this one can be found here:

CLICK HERE

Grand Opening!

The official Niente store is now open!

Items will be added as new graphics are created, so there isn't much in there now...

But anyway, get your Niente gear here.

http://www.cafepress.com/nientepeaches

Top 10 actual reasons for Bush's recent colonoscopy.

As you know, Overlord Bush recently gave his presidential powers over to Chancellor Cheney while he was under sedation for his colonoscopy.

After some careful and painstaking research, I believe I've come up with a few reasons for why he had a colonoscopy at such a critical time.

1. Those WMD's have to be in there somewhere, right?

2. It gives Cheney the option of starting a world war with no effect on Bush's image.

3. Ha! Bush can't testify before an investigative commitee if he's sedated, can he? Take that, congress!

4. The mission was to retrieve the stick, lodged deep inside the president's ass, that has been the cause of his behavior all along.

5. Any autographed pictures taken by the robotic ass-camera must be worth millions, right? *check e-bay*

6. (insert head-up-ass joke here)

7. Cheney was president to begin with. He just wanted to have it on the record.

8. Where do you think we've been keeping those strategic oil reserves? Eh?

9. Oh my holy christ, it's the goatse guy. Let us never speak of this again.

10. The live camera feed from inside the president would be the most interesting report CNN has ever come up with. Fox News anchors will be tripping over themselves to compliment the president's ass.

Crazy Photoshop Contest #1

Ok, folks, it's time to get down to it. We need your help. Since none of us have any particular skills of any use, or any money to go out and hire anyone, we have to whore ourselves out to the lowest possible bidder.

Today, you, the reader, are our "john", if you will.

Your mission: design the best, brightest, most original Niente Peaches (or just Niente) logo you can come up with. For fame and prizes!

Guidelines:

• You have two weeks. In other words, a winner will be announced August 8th.
• Don't use any copyrighted material and don't steal anything from others. We could get in trouble.
• Tell as many people as you can about the contest. We also rely on you for word-of-mouth advertising.
• No goaste. That's right out.

Prizes:

The contest winner will recieve...

• A t-shirt featuring their logo and a custom message.
• A special contributor credit in Niente: The Movie (!)
• Free promotion, on this site, to any of your projects (websites, movies, businesses, blogs) in the form of a banner ad, weblink, or promotional post, or some combination of the three.
• Internet fame and lore.
• The pleasant feeling of a job well done.
• Three french hens.
• Two turtle doves.
• And a partridge in a Niente Peach tree.

You can submit your entries by sending links in the comment section or by attaching your submissions in an email to igorz@brandeis.edu and/or bfspublicrelations@gmail.com.

Good shoppin'!

Things happening this week...

Igor Writes-

Later this week:

1. Guest posts!

2. Contests!

3. Merchandise!

4. Free money!*




*There will be no free money.

Brilliant Idea #2

Now that HDTV is becoming standard, and every cable company is advertising that they have the most HD channels (don't ask me how that's possible), TV is increasingly becoming all-digital. In fact, in a few years it will be ILLEGAL to broadcast in analog.

People who have HDTVs generally have home theater systems to go along with them. Why not offer advanced audio options, too? Perhaps HD channels with optimized surround sound?

When the snooty hospital director walks in on Dr. House watching soap operas in the break room, I want to be able to hear her directly behind me, which is something that is glaringly missing from Fox HD.

Get on it, Cablevision.

Edit - My colleague informs me that some Fox shows are presented in 5.1 surround sound. Have you ever listened to any of those programs? It's the most half-assed 5.1 I've ever heard. So there.

10 Steps to Better Blog Posts

Igor Writes:

1. Always write top 10 lists.
It's quick, it's easy. You don't need to put any thought into it or even follow a particular subject. Plus, people can skim it if reading isn't really their thing. You can use other people's material without being accused of plagarism!

2. Use material that everyone already knows about.
Nobody wants to see original material. Anyone can do original material. But if you recycle things that people have already seen and are sick of, you'll seem legit.

3. Throw ads into your blog posts.
It looks more proffesional and your fans will respect it, especially our fans at Illberto's Clam Palace in Benoit, Michigan. Illberto's: Great seafood for a great price.

4. Pictures
Use lots of them. They don't need to be related to what you are writing about, but they will make your post seem longer and impressive. They will assume that you had to write a lot of code. Make sure you take them directly from another website. Feel free to stretch them to any size you want. Just because a picture is pixelated and misshapen doesn't mean it won't be effective. If all else fails, lolcats.


5. Ask for money.
Don't be afraid to be shameless. Your fans know that you only write a blog for the cash. Treat them as customers. They owe you.

6. Ignoer things like speling and grammer.
noone is paying attension dont worry about punctuation and things: waste of time

7. Racism can be useful.
A small element of racism makes your blog stand out, and brings in niche readers. Don't be afraid to use it out of context. Asians are smelly.

8. Abuse sites like Digg and Reddit.
Tell all of your friends to sign up for three accounts. Instant traffic with no reprocussions!

9. Respond to comments.
Don't take any shit. If anyone offers criticism, whether or not it is warranted, take the time and effort to discredit them. Call them gay. Make sure you flame their blog. For added effect, threaten legal action.

10. End all posts as awkwardly as possible.
Fuck off.

SHIT FUCK!

This is why you avoid Friday the 13th like the plague (that's when it happened).



Meanwhile, 193 subscribers to Niente Radio means everyone knows that it's awesome. If you haven't already, then subscribe.

Idea!

Igor Writes-

When are we going to have away messages for our cell phones?

If I'm at a movie, at the gym, in an office, I should be able to push a button and record a message like:

"Sorry guys, I'm watching transformers with the crew. Leave a message."

I should get a patent and also not post these kinds of things.

Thanks, Ben

Mike Gravel Is Awesome!

Colostomy bags, congress, filibusters, and one great story about the classified documents that blew the lid off of the Vietnam war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_papers

Recommendations

1) This American Life podcast, which you can get on iTunes. NPR's most popular show can now be heard as an hour-long podcast, which is always fascinating. Subscribe to it, and to Niente Radio while you are at it. http://www.thislife.org/

2) YouTube artist Pat Condell (user name patcondell). A staunch atheist who says exactly what we are all thinking, and says it in an entertaining and hilarious way. http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=patcondell

3) The Show with ZeFrank. Haven't seen it? What's wrong with you!!?? Watch it right now and be merry. http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/

4) Crooks and Liars. Rapidly becoming my favorite political blog. Great stuff every day, complete with videos. http://www.crooksandliars.com/

Enjoy!

A modest proposal...

Igor Writes-

I've been following this situation for nearly 7 years now, and I believe that the time has come. We must invade.

Now I know that you will think that this is hasty, but hear me out.

I have good reason to believe that this regime has weapons of mass destruction and the means to use it. They have repeatedly threatened other countries with them.

Run by radical religious fanatics, they continue to defy the United Nations, occupying non-threatening nations despite a global backlash.

They have repeatedly denied investigatory access by their own legislative body. In fact, over the years, the regime has stripped away the power of the legislative body until it has become merely a figurehead.

This regime has corrupted the justice system of its government, and is clearly attempting a power grab, moving steadily closer to full totalitarianism.

This regime spies illegally on its own citizens. Though it will not admit to doing so, it has been known to kidnap citizens, locking them away in secret prisons strewn throughout the world without trial. It has consistently engaged in the torture of captured enemies and alleged enemies.

It has stripped it's people of the fundamental right to fair trial, and is attempting to eliminate free speech as well.

It is well known that the regime has thrown and stolen two democratic elections, and may be looking to circumvent a third.

This regime has, in the past, been known to directly fund terrorism, including the infamous Osama Bin Laden.

By now, I don't need to tell you what nation I am talking about.

We need to take action now. We can not wait for a mushroom cloud on our soil.

We need to fight them there so that we don't need to fight them here.

We need to do it now.

Monday Evening Theoretical Physics Time!

Igor Writes-

I saw this video about 3 months ago (2 parts) and have been dying to discuss it with someone.

This is complicated as hell. But it does make sense. Perfect sense. You just have to think about it in the right way.

Fascinating.

Imagining the Tenth Dimension

Part 1


Part 2


Kind of a mind fuck, no? I want to hear from you about this.

The greatest news story ever...

Igor Writes-

I swear I'm not making this up.

A Staten Island homeless man was arrested in late June and is being held on bail for $2,500.

What was his crime? I'll let the article tell the story.

Potts is accused of savagely attacking a peacock outside the Burger King at Page Avenue and Amboy Road in Tottenville on the morning of June 28. The defendant allegedly thought he was slaying a vampire that "came out of the darkness" even though the attack occurred in broad daylight.

Yes, you read that correctly. He mistook a peacock for a vampire coming out the the darkness. In the middle of the day. Wow. But there is more to it.

A few days after the incident, the man was in a confrontation with his stepfather, then ran down the street with a shovel, shouting that he had the bubonic plague.

Can't make these things up, folks.

Link to original article.

Update: WTF???

I found this video linked to another one that I had posted, and this one is much worse. What the shit, guys?

To be fair, I think these are British soldiers, but still not cool.

I know this represents like 1% of what really goes on out there, and in all likelyhood I have no right to comment. But I calls 'em as I sees 'em, and this is unacceptable.

Or is it? What do you think?

You all knew I would post this...

Igor Writes-

The next installment of Keith Olbermann's Special Comment:



Whether you agree or disagree, you have to admit that he makes a good point. Up until recently, our society has demonized the politicization of high national offices (such as the pres/vice-pres). Even Nixon was forced to resign once it turned out that he was obstructing justice to cover up a political scandal.

We know that Bush is using his power to obstruct justice. This whole thing smells fishy. Clearly, SOMEONE is trying to cover up the massive politicization of the department of justice and the entire executive branch. I have an idea of who is leading the charge.

I hope they do resign.

I'm sure I'm on a list anyway...

Igor Writes-

Update: I had to think long and hard about whether or not I wanted to make this post. But, as long as we're all being honest here...

Ok, I know how this looks. I want to say right off the bat, I'm not unpatriotic. I don't hate our troops. I don't hate our country.

I do, however, have to wonder why I keep seeing things like this:



Why are there so many videos of soldiers being dicks to Iraqi civilians?



I think what's happened here is that a) none of these soldiers are trained to deal with civilians, which now seems all but obvious, and b) after seven tours of duty you tend to get frustrated and bored.

Again, what I'm saying here is that the military, lead by Arch-Emperor Bush himself, dropped the ball on this. I believe that part of what is happening to American troops in Iraq has at least something to do with the military giving insufficient training on how to get along with the civilian population.

Do you agree? Disagree? Am I a dirty rotten commie insurgent bastard? Let me know.

Pizzin' It

Igor Writes-

If you happened to miss the other cello quartet video, go look right now. Stop reading this, and go watch. You are not reading this.

Anyway, here's a follow-up:



As long as we are covering cellos, here's another ditty that I picked up:

Niente Radio!

Ernie Writes-



So we've decided to begin Niente Radio on iTunes with its first episode in August instead of October. We're ahead of schedule with production and other things so we decided to not make everyone wait for this glorious program.

If you aren't aware of it, "Niente Radio" is a 20-minute monthly, periodical that can be found on iTunes if you search "niente" in the iTunes store. OR you can click on the link at the top of this blog, "visit our freakin' podcast already!"

The show itself will consist of general political/social discussion and 2-3 sketches per episode, plus a new guest for every show!

Subscribe now and get a free subscription to "Niente Radio!"

Plastic Fantastic

Igor Writes-

First of all, let me drop a link. My friend Chris is a bit of a weather freak and has started a website devoted to local weather (and probobly Boston once school starts up) which is 687% more adept at predicting the weather than weather.com or any of the other local chumps. It also caters to students, and goes as far as to tell you what to wear to class. You can find his site here. Expect a link in the sidebar as well.


Second, I love cello. A lot. This video shows just why. Just wait until you figure out what it is. It's worthwhile.



Retro album of the day: Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

I could eat a peach for hours...

You can now find us at our spiffy new domain, http://www.nientepeaches.com

The old address will work too, but come on, this one is cooler.

Why You Should Vote For Mike Gravel

Igor Writes-

The best campaign video ever. EVER. Make sure you watch the whole thing.



Gravel 08!

Videos: The Best of June

Igor Writes-

Look away Parvaneh, look away.



Oil tankers are perfectly safe, except when the front falls off.



William Fucking Shatner.



Remember "the landlord"? Well this is part two.



A news reporter gets tired of hearing about Paris Hilton.



Before Mike Rowe was awesome on Dirty Jobs, he was awesome on late night QVC, selling cat toys.



Enjoy!

Open call...

I keep hearing "U.S. officials" complaining that Iran is training and financing anti-american forces in Iraq.

I would like anyone with any actual evidence besides "U.S. officials say..." to pelase present it.

I have repeatedly stated my skepticism of the buildup to the future Iran war, but I would seriously consider changing my mind if there was any evidence of any of this.

Plus, I no longer ever trust the word of "U.S. officials".

Meanwhile, remember I told you that the Iranian people are mad at their own administration? Well, the Iranian government recently implemented a rationing program for gasoline, which promted this response:

Amazing/Hilarious/OHMYCHRIST

Just watch this. Oh, and notice how the subject appears to be Darfur.

Feedback

Igor Writes-

Lately we've been getting more traffic. I like the way this is going.

So, before we go on, I'd love to hear what you all think about this blog.

What are we doing well?

What do we suck at?

What do you want to see?

What are you sick of?

What is the square root of a negative number?

Leave us some comments.

P.S: We may be buying a proper domain, so be sure to change your bookmarks and whatnot when that happens.

I say Iraq, you say Iran, can we please call the whole thing off?

Igor Writes-

Ok, so to this point, the argument I hear for considering an invasion of Iran is that such an unstable government shouldn't be permitted to have nuclear weapons.

I consider this to be fundamentally incorrect.

First of all, Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they are pursuing nuclear technology to more easily provide energy for their citizens. But let's assume they are lying. Let's assume that they want an a-bomb and want one badly.

Can you blame them?

The United States has repeatedly threatened Iran, stating that "every option is on the table". What, precisely, is Iran expected to do about that?

By building a nuclear arsenal, they are in fact insuring that the United States WON'T invade Iran.

Consequently, since the United States is the largest offender of nuclear proliferation, Iran is unable to attack America or any of its allies (I'm looking at you, Israel) for fear of being completely flattened.

What, then, gives us the right to say which nations deserve nuclear arms and which ones don't? Who died and made us king of the world?

As I see it, either everyone has nukes, which is dangerous but not insanely so because everyone would be too afraid to attack, or no one gets any, which is significantly safer, but involves more ground invasions.

This situation, in which America holds the world hostage while Iran scrambles for an insurance policy, is unhealthy and can only lead to the deaths of many more innocent people.

The next argument, and understandably so, is that if Iran gets nukes, then the terrorists will get some too. There are a number of reasons why that won't happen.

First, there is a lot of political upheaval in Iran right now. The current administation is unpopular and there is rioting (not about america, surprisingly enough). Therefore the government would never hand over a nuke to any terrorist group for fear that they themselves would end up being the ones terrorized.

Second, nukes are, for lack of a better word, power. The Iranian government, if it were to hand a nuke to a terrorist group, would be handing power to a group that isn't the Iranian Government, which will never happen.

Third, until someone actually proves that Iran supports anti-american terror groups, I'm going to take this a simple pre-war Iraq-style propoganda. In fact, I've yet to see any hard evidence that Iran is developing the technology for a bomb. I've heard people say it, and papers report it, but no evidence quite yet. Remember that this same government conviced us all that Iraq had massive hidden stockpiles of WMD.

Am I completely nuts?

I'd love to hear what you all think, so leave some comments, which I will definitely respond to.

Insert Title

Ernie Writes-

Many things going on in the realm of politics is pissing me the hell off right now, so let's turn to the world of sports. For 2007, a New Jersey dog has been crowned, "World's Ugliest Dog." I'd like to make a punchline but I think this pretty much speaks for itself:



Leave it to New Jersey to have the world's ugliest dog



AND leave it to a New Jersey dog owner to be proud about it.

The United States of Cheney

You may have heard that Cheney does not consider himself part of the executive branch. Well, earlier today, he took a further step away from our government.

As of 4:35pm, Vice President Richard Cheney has seceded from the union to form his own nation, Chenania.

Some current facts and figures about Chenania:

Population: 1
Capital: Halliburton Headquarters
Income Per Capita: Ridiculous
Official Language: Lies
Official Bird: Chicken-Hawk
Miscellany: Shooting people in the face is not a crime.

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlord.

The Caging of the American Voter

Igor Writes-

Over the last few weeks, you have probably heard the term "caging". As of yet, I haven't heard a good explanation on any network news stations of what caging is and WHY IT CAN BRING DOWN KARL ROVE AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

Background...

The latest scandal in the Bush administration is the myriad missing e-mails lying around in cyberspace. By law, administration members are required to archive all mail sent and received. Lately, however, tens of thousands of e-mails related to the firing of the 8 white house attorneys in the Alberto Gonzalez (remember him?) case have gone missing, which is just terribly convenient.

Can I just add here that there is no way for an e-mail to truly disappear. It is well known that once an e-mail is sent, it passes through so many servers that it can always be found. Why haven't they been found, then?

Anyway, investigators within the Justice Department dropped in of the office of Dick Cheney, demanding to inspect his records, to see is his office complied with e-mail archive regulations.

Cheney had the investigators removed, claiming that since he is not part of the executive branch, he cannot be investigated.

Let me repeat that. Cheney claims that he is not a member of the executive branch! How fucking convenient is that?

You can only be a member of one of three branches. Since he is not a judge, a lawyer, or a legislator, how can he not be part of the executive branch?? He's second in line to the head of the branch!

After hearing that the Oversight Investigative Committee had balked over Cheney's actions, he then threatened to dismantle the committee. The irony here is that if Cheney isn't part of the executive branch, he has no authority to dismantle any committee!

Whoops...

Meanwhile, the owner of a website called RNCHQ.ORG, which is suspiciously similar to the domain of the Republican National Committee's Headquarters website, claimed that he received thousands of e-mails from the office of Karl Rove, meant for the real
RNC. Whoops.

Of course, he published the now infamous e-mails on his website, and passed them on to a BBC reporter named Greg Palast.

Palast, while reading through these e-mails, found something really interesting. This is where the story gets twisted.

A set of e-mails sent from Karl Rove's deputy Tim Griffin to what he thought was the RNC in 2004 mentioned caging.

Caging?

What the hell is caging, you ask?

Caging is a form of voter suppresion in which mass mailings are sent to registered voters marked "Do Not Forward, Return to Sender if Undeliverable". If a voter is not home, or the letter cannot be delivered, it is sent back to, in this case, the RNC, which then challenges the registration of that voter on the basis that they falsified their address. When that voter shows up at the polls, they vote normally, but their vote doesn't count and they are never told about it.

This is 2004, mind you. I believe there was some sort of election going on?

This, as it will become clear, it completely predatory, and used to keep Democratic voters away from the polls.

The real kicker is, the RNC sent thousands of these to African American soldiers stationed in Iraq. Except they sent the letters to their American homes. Which means that thousands of black soldiers were disenfranchised in the 2004 election. Moreover, other targeted groups included the homeless and students away from home, both of which overwhelmingly vote Democrat. The worst thing is, these disenfranchised voters are walking around our town and serving in Iraq even to this day not knowing that their votes weren't counted.

Needless to say, caging is a felony. And not one of those wishy-washy "oops, I didn't use enough stamps" felonies, but voter fraud. These e-mails, one of which was titled "RE: Caging List" with a 51-page Excel spreadsheet called "caging" with a file name "caginglist.xl1s", are not subtle in any way.

This is concrete proof. Not speculation, not inference, but hard, digital proof.

The day after Palast wrote this article for the BBC, Tim Griffin, sender of the e-mails and deputy in the office of Karl Rove, resigned.

If the e-mails aren't enough proof, you can also take the word of Monica Goodling, former Department of Justice liaison to the White House, who was recently granted immunity for her testimony against Alberto Gonzalez. If you recall, Gonzalez tried to blame his deputy, Paul McNulty, for the entire scandal. Well apparently, according to Goodling, McNulty knew all about voter caging in 2004, but said nothing in order to keep his job.

What now?

So why is no one talking about this? Why isn't this a headline on every major news station and newspaper?

Probobly because it could bring down the entire Bush administration, or at least the entire office of Karl Rove and Bush's election campaign staff.

What can you do about it? Make it news. Write your papers, your news stations, Digg the hell out of the story, petition Google News. There are ways.

Who knows, maybe Kerry won the election after all.

Links

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/3956129.stm
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry_won.php
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_greg_pal_070620_medical_alert_3a__wash.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caging

On the table...

Igor Writes-

Didn't believe me when I said that our government is threatening nuclear war against iran?

Take a look at this.

Our government is broken.

Beam me up, Jesus...

Igor Writes-

Video attack!!!

This has nothing to do with anything. I just really like Brahms.



If I explain this video, I'll ruin it. Watch the whole thing. (Thanks to Ben for this one)


Norwegian Kids Mess With Train - Watch more free videos

This video is fantastic in many ways. Star Trek fans, rejoice. The rest of you can rejoice too, if you like.




In other news, I heard a great story the other day. Entirely true, too.

After his well-documented trial, O.J. Simpson told reporters that he would do whatever it took to find his wife's killer. So he set up a hotline for anonymous tips. According to an un-named source, most of the tips he recieved were "You did it".

Finally, are you all aware that we have an RSS feed? If you know what that is, feel free to use it. It makes us feel better about ourselves.

Fallout!

Ernie Writes-

This is not too new, but there's a small point I'd like to make. Before that point is made, here is the context:



That act was almost as classic as his excuse:



Seeing that BBC reporter get worked up, pushed into a corner with his self control completely diminished by a young man with a well maintained temper as to worsen the image of the BBC man, reminded me of something. At the time I could not quite put my finger on it, but then I remembered my Mcgoohan:



Gotta love them dry bones!

Follow-Up

I think Kieth Olbermann said it best (essential viewing)...

Speaking of congress...

Igor Writes-

Why isn't everybody furious??!?

When we swept the Democrats into office, it came with the message "we do not approve of the Iraq war". Despite that, the Democrats have caved in to the president at the cost of who knows how many American and Iraqi lives.

Do you realize that an estimated 65,000 iraqis have died as a result of this war? Does anyone really believe that less than 90% of those 65,000 are civilians caught in the crossfire? That's too scary to even think about it. Which is exactly why they should.

So congress passes a bill, authorizing new funding for Iraq contingent upon a gradual reduction of troops starting in September. Despite the glaring fact that between now and September nothing will change except the number of casualties, I liked that the Democrats at least were trying.

If you ask me, they should have simply cut all funding, forcing the president to call back the troops. Even Bush isn't heartless enough to leave the troops with no money and equipment.

In any case, congress' bill was promptly vetoed. This was a crossroads. All the Democrats had to do was to continue to pass the same bill over and over until they forced Bush's hand. But they caved. And now people will have to continue dying.

This is a travesty. The same democrats that are currently running for president and shouting how much they deplore the war in Iraq did NOTHING to prevent the extension. And for this, we should be furious.

In reality, congress has been playing this game for years. McCain and Bush would constantly bicker over legislation and policy, making McCain look centrist and independent, empowering congress. But if you look closely, what really was happening was that Bush would propose something so preposterously reactionary that anything that McCain counter-proposed would seem much more grounded. In reality, The compromises that McCain and Bush would come to were still really ridiculous and right-leaning, but didn't anger people as much because it looked as if someone had actually stood up to the president. Of course now we see that McCain has no credibility and is just as much of a liar as the next guy.

The same thing is happening with this congress. They are "compromising" the president, in reality bending the will of the people toward Bush's agenda, keeping up only the semblance of debate and disagreement.

No one is on our side here. The government seems to want nothing to do with public opinion. The government, that is, including the Democrats and Republicans, which in my eyes are now in the same boat. The same sinking boat. And both parties refuse to abandon ship (if you'll excuse the nautical punnery).

I guess the real question is: what can we do about it?

Well, you can elect a guy like Mike Gravel, who is far enough out there such that he won't conform to anyone's ideals, but that doesn't look like it can possibly happen.

So you see, we are setting ourselves up to be played by both sides when we have only these two lousy political parties to choose from.

I for one, no longer trust anyone.

Come here often?

Igor Writes-

First of all, I wanna apologize for the recent lack of posts. I've been swamped and therefore rarely near my computer. I do, however, have a metric assload (2.23 american assloads) of bookmarks to share with all of you.

I have to mention here that I love the new Google Video, which now lists YouTube, MySpace, and a slew of other videos with a much more intuitive search function. Besides being a place to upload videos, it has become the first true video search engine.

You may recall me mentioning a 60 minutes interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is a great interview, and you can actually see the American media trying to label him insane, while he tries to avoid the more confrontational questions. Nonetheless, defenitely worth watching.

Here it is:



Meanwhile, pundits and politicians alike still threaten war against Iran. For reasons I've already gone over, I think it would be a huge mistake...

On a lighter note, here's your daily Orson.



More Americans being idiots!!



This next video, while also hilarious, has no embed code, and shame on them for that.

Link

Alberto Gonzales Update!!

This week, congress decided to take a no-confidence vote about Alberto "I don't recall" Gonzalez, which is a completely non-binding resolution saying essentially, "we, congress, don't like Alberto Gonzalez.

However, before they could have that debate and vote, they had to debate and vote on the merits of having a no-confidence vote. You read that right, they voted to decide whether or not to vote on a completely superficial statement. Moreover, the measure was overturned, so nothing got done anyway.

Your tax money, hard at work.


Hehe, you slay me, LolPresident