I know we really should stay away from politics on this site, as it never ends well. But I consider this to be less about politics and more a “people watching” exercise.

I think Michelle Bachmann is nuts and despite your views politically, you have to admit she’s said some REALLY fucked up shit over the last few years. Give this girl a spotlight long enough and she’ll tell you the spotlight is made up of the tears of angels and children with utmost sincerity.

This gift of hers has made her the target of a lot of folks and given her Democratic rivals a whole heap of ammunition to use against her. Her latest Democratic challenger, Tarryl Clark has created the site Michelle Bachmann Said WHAT? that pokes fun at the Minnesota’s “favorite” Tea Party idol. The site’s pretty damn funny and even has a soundboard. Always good for a laugh.

What’s even more hilarious is how someone can say all this stuff and STILL manage to win every time she’s up for election. I’m betting even money she’ll be right where she is when this election is over as well. Granted, this site’s purely political in nature, but it’s humorously done and at this point, what’s left?

Make no mistake, this girl’s nuts. And what’s more amusing than that? Eh? Here’s one to tide you over:

Sigh.

John says I did a “pump fake” in regard to posting this latest After Hours. I have to sadly say that I agree with that statement. I was all full of piss and vinegar when the idea for this After Hours struck John and I after a phone call we shared. While we are, indeed, full of piss and vinegar in this episode, I held back out of fear that we may have come off as…..less than open minded.

After much thought, however, I have to say that at the very least, we tried our best to present a middle of the road perspective on a topic that seems to have NO middle ground these days.

As I state in the opening: BE WARNED. The topic that is the center of this week’s After Hours has the potential to piss you the fuck off. We talk about one of the things you’re just not supposed to discuss with other people you care about and that would be POLITICS. We realize we have some strong opinions on this show. We realize you may and probably WILL not share some or all of them. That’s fine.

See, the point is not to cram our political agenda down your throats. The point is to “vent our spleen” on the fact that our world is being run by fucking morons. On BOTH sides of the political aisle. Our cry is one of common sense. It’s a cry for decency in our elected officials and those that support them. It’s a rebel yell for folks to think and investigate before they open their mouths.

For that, I don’t feel the need to apologize because I believe that what is at the heart of this conversation is important. So much so that I’m willing to piss a few people off who may not be able to listen past the raised voices and passionate ideas expressed by three morons in an attic with audio gear.

So, I guess the only thing I’m willing to apologize for is the lack of funny and for waiting so long to post this episode of After Hours.

As always, LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK.

You’ve been warned.

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After Hours 23: Xenophobia

We’re all sick of the election, aren’t we? By the time it was over, I was ready to vote for anybody just to be done with it all. Sarah Palin for Ultimate Supreme Commander for Life? Sure, what the hell. As long as she stopped pretending to know stuff. But this time around, while the politicians made our ears bleed with their bullshit, I decided to play a little game. Beginning early in the year, I began collecting every single political mailer that landed either in my mailbox or on my doorstep. This included not only mailers directly from the campaigns, but also from their supporters. For example, as a nurse my wife is in a union, and unions are largely pro-Democratic. So every flier we got from her union instructing her to vote for so-and-so went into the pile. Oh and what a pile it became, eventually filling up an entire grocery store paper bag. Here’s the mother lode:

My objective was to find out after all was said and done, which political party sent out the most junk mail. I’m not what you’d call a rabid environmentalist, but I am irritated by how much paper is wasted in our society. Just go to Petco or Home Depot to find out what I’m talking about. I can go to Petco and buy a single bag of dog food, yet my receipt is nearly a yard long. What the hell?

So anyway, following are the results of The Great Post-Election Mailer Weigh-In!
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In an article posted on Entertainment Weekly’s web portal, it was reported that NBC has ordered the remaining “back nine” episodes of the current remake of the 80′s show, Knight Rider. For those that smartly decided not to tune into this pile of refuse some NBC handler calls a “show”, let me state that it could possibly be one of the worst offenses to our television “culture” since Paris Hilton toured the streets of suburbia in search of a job. The writing is akin to something a low achieving high school student might scribble in his notebook while bored in an English class he’s failing. The acting is the caliber of a community theater performance in a town full of illiterate half breeds with no imagination. The wittiness and “smart” plot have, at it’s core, the desire to create a circumstance where its good looking female lead ends up in a bikini at some point in the episode.

Okay, that last one I can get behind.

What strikes to the core of my humanity is not that some stuffed suit, out of touch executive at the top of Rockafeller Center followed up on his instincts regarding lowest common denominator television. What really sends me into a Wellbutrin remedied state of mind is this response, found in the comment section under the Entertainment Weekly post. And I quote:

Richard S Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 01:23 PM EST
The new Knight Rider is dumb as a brick, wrong-headed and misguided in almost every way. Does that matter? Heck no. I just switch off the critical faculties and enjoy.

My friends, does there come a point in time where we stop giving out the free pass to entertainment that not only suits the lowest common denominator of our great society, but does it’s level best to propel it forward to greater heights of banality? I mean no offense to Mr. Richard S., but after reading a post of that nature, echoed by others in the comments section, one has to start fearing for his own race at some point. While I’m all for escapism and am completely aware of the irony of an editorial on this subject from one of the “Drunken Gamers”, I’m honestly starting to feel insulted. (more…)

In this blessed time of political convention hysteria and jockeying by the presidential nominees, there are so many things to be thankful for…. not the least of which may be slanderous hypocrisy, name-calling, poor timing, beauty pageants, and strippers. Shameless and adolescent love-for-country, notwithstanding, there are a precious few intellectually intriguing products that ought to be mandatory consumption during this festive season. I offer you, my fellow Americans:
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