Depends on Your Definition of 'Throes'

So sayeth the Cheney...

THEN: On the insurgency against US troops and the fledgling Iraqi government: "...I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency." - CNN, Interview by Larry King, June 20, 2005.

NOW: "..."I don't think anybody anticipated the level of violence that we've encountered." - Statement to National Press Club, June 20, 2006.

As the Wash Post media writer says about Cheney's statement yesterday to the National Press Club:

"But the difficulty here is that Cheney is subtly qualifying his remarks. He still believes in the last throes, but contends that nobody anticipated this level of violence, which is Beltway-speak for we didn't anticipate this level of violence."

Of course, in my book, Cheney's "I don't think anybody anticipated..." defense flies in the face of another Cheney nugget of wisdom, this one pre-war: "...my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators." - "Meet the Press," March 16, 2003.

So when will his credibility to make these kinds of statements finally and truly be questioned????

Five For Friday: Cheneyvision Edition [Jonworld]
Cheney Stands by His 'Last Throes' Remark [Washington Post]
Media Notes: Fact-Checking the Veep [Wash Post]

Seven for Sunday, 6/18

There's a new number 1 as I finally download and dig into the most recent Franz Ferdinand.

1. Walk Away - Franz Ferdinand - Sounds like a mix of Doors and early Beatles.
2. Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Does sound similar to that Tom Petty song.
3. 20th Century Boy - Def Leppard
4. The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand
5. Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand
6. Evil and a Heathen - Franz Ferdinand - "There's not a lot I wouldn't do"
7. Whatsername - Green Day

Moving on Up...

I'm long overdue in noting changes to the blogging locales of some buddies. But they likely make up most of Jonworld's regular customers, so I've got to point out their new blogging directions. There's also a little irony involved. Or is it just a coincidence? I sometimes get them mixed up, so go ask Alanis.

Anyway, my buddy LT has let Dashboard slide in recent weeks, but he's had good reason. His real job is cutting into his recreational blogging. You can check him out now, blogging at his daytime job with Arkansas Business. AB recently redesigned its Web site (nice work, too) and Lance has his own blog devoted young professionals trying to climb the proverbial "Ladder." (I'm feeling doubly - you know, it's what Spinal Tap records in...doubly - embarassed because LT linked to one of my posts the other day).

Then there's AlanG, who started visiting Jonworld not long after its launch. He's always quick with the wit and is a Seinfeld fan to boot, so there you go. He recently decided to pack up his Electric Key Orchestra Journal and plug in a new site, full of wit and fun: Retirement is a B!tch (...then you die). Or fall off the ladder.

Check em out.

Love Malvern Style?

Nice to see my high school alma mater, Malvern High School, making headlines. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of headlines you want: two teachers arrested on charges of sexual assault of a student.

In May, a substitute teacher was arrested after a student claimed he had sex with her. Said one student, "she was like the coolest sub here." Indeed.

Now this week, another teacher has been arrested. Heather Carter, 30, is charged after a 17-year-old female student said the two had a sexual relationship.

Guess that probably overshadows the Malvern Quiz Bowl team placing third in the small school division of the high school national championship tournament held earlier this month. Go Leopards!

Teacher Surrenders After Student Claims of Sexual Encounter [Today's THV]
Teacher Arrested for Sexual Assault [Today's THV]

...And in Sports

For a politics and culture Web mag, Slate has had a spate (a Slate spate, if you will) of insightful and interesting sports articles, most recently analyzing the World Cup soccer tournament now underway and the underwhelming Stanley Cup hockey finals.

So is it cultural arrogance that keeps Americans from liking soccer? Is it really a commie sport because they don’t use their hands? Dave Eggers, in excerpt from his book, examines those issues as well as tracking the ups and downs of the sport in the U.S.

And the poor NHL. Back in 1999, I started getting in to hockey when Little Rock became home to one (the GlacierCats) and then another (the RiverBlades) team. I grew to really enjoy the sport (along with the NHL’s Dallas Stars who brought home the Cup in ’99 and gave me one of my all time favorite sports moments that I witnessed in person). It was a power game like football, it moved fast like basketball and had more strategy than might appear at first glance like baseball. And I had never felt such energy as in playoff hockey…particularly overtime playoff hockey when it could all be over in a flash.

Then minor leagues overgrew. Both of the LR teams ultimately folded. Then a strike wipes out the NHL’s 2004-2005 season…and no one seemed to miss it. And it came back this year and no one seemed to care.

Slate’s Christ Shott argues the NHL should go back to move forward. But don't take away my Dallas Stars!

And a few weeks back, Slate took on the NBA and wondered if timeouts were killing the league. I’ve never much cared for pro basketball. Too much one-on-one, showboat stuff. Not enough teamwork. But I’ve got friends who are crazy over it…and I’d be happy if the Mavs go on and win it all this year (since Dallas is my adopted pro town between the Cowboys and the Stars).

The True Story of American Soccer [Slate]
Ice Guys Finish Last [Slate]
A Timeout to Kill [Slate]

Seven for Sunday, 6/11

Changes are afoot on the music list, some obvious, some percolating just out of the top 7. Finally downloaded the Franz Ferdinand album "You Could Have It So Much Better." Had been holding off, despite liking every single off the first two albums so far. Just had a gnawing concern I wouldn't like much past the singles.

Fear not, the album, is pretty solid, I thought. It's loud and jangly and fun and funny. It is bound to get a good listening to in the coming weeks, along with the latest Rob Zombie. Although I've had Educated Horses a couple of weeks, it really started to catch on last week.

So what have I been listening to? Here's a list, based on my iPod playcount:

1. Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers - But the RHCP stay strong.
2. 20th Century Boy - Def Leppard - A loud and delightful throwback.
3. The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand
4. Walk Away - Franz Ferdinand
5. Foxy, Foxy - Rob Zombie
6. Whatsername - Green Day - Nice bit of nostalgia surely we all feel at some point. "I remember the face but I can't recall the name/Now I wonder how whatsername has been"
7. No Way Back - Foo Fighters

Have This, I Must

Gizmodo points me to the latest must have...a Yoda backpack. Made to look like the Jedi training scene in Empire Strikes Back.

As Gizmodo puts it:

"Star Wars nerds can add one more scene of the original trilogy to their re-enactment list. Inside this Yoda backpack you can place your lightsaber, your MacBook, and a cellphone to call mom to pick you up when you’re all done. If they’d only make a slave Leia full-sized plushie."

Ohhhh...slave Leia...

Yoda Plush Backpack [ThinkGeek]

Hogs = Groundskeeper Willie

Sometimes it takes a while for the good stuff to trickle through the Internets. Buddy Murray emailed this link to my yesterday and it provided many a chuckle.

Sometime back - but more recently updated - Hey Jenny Slater linked SEC and several other college football teams to Simpsons characters. Now I do like me some Simpsons and this was well researched and well done.

The Georgia Bulldogs were compared to Homer. My Arkansas Razorbacks were tagged as the Scottish, kilt-wearing and derranged Groundskeeper Willie. I can think of worse...least they aren't sidekicks Lenny and Karl. Says Hey Jenny about the Hogs:

"A loner, an outsider, a funny-talkin' sort who comes off as just plain weird to most other people. Yet there's just something indescribably dangerous about them that can be counted on to rear its ugly head every once in a while."

Now Hey Jenny gives props for the idea to other sites which alternately compared ACC programs to Smurfs or football teams to rap acts. There, the Hogs are referred to as old school act Kool Keith:

"At this point, hardly ever mentioned when the mainstream talks about old school powers, but if you check the facts, they're up there. However, they may as well exist on another planet as far as the general public is concerned. Notoriously mercurial, and in the 2000's, they've been capable of just about anything, good and bad."

Letting No Good Idea Go Unstolen [Hey Jenny Slater]
Smurftacular Look Back at the ACC Season [Golden Tornado]
http://sexy-results.blogspot.com/2005/07/school-spiritms.html [Sexy Results]

Seven for Sunday, 6/4

As expected, the monthlong Metal Month on VH1 Classic finally got to me - about a week late, I guess. But I indulged in some longtime favorites, though the top of the chart remained the same. So here's where my iPod took the past week.

Here's the top 7, based on my iPod playcount (last week):
1. Danni California - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1)
2. 20th Century Boy - Def Leppard (-)
3. The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand (7)
4. No Way Back - Foo Fighters (6)
5. Photograph - Def Leppard (-)
6. Foolin' - Def Leppard (-)
7. We Will Rock You - Queen (-)

Aren't You That Girl?

Remember that girl from the sad but really sweet movie "My Girl"...you know the one with the luminous eyes who gave the engaging performance as a tom boy whose best friend (Macaulay Culkin) dies in an accident? Wonder where she's been since? Well, I did...and finally I have an answer...as well as an answer to how she deals with all those folks who approach her and say "Aren't you that girl from 'My Girl'?" and "Where have you been?"

Here's her nicely done essay on the topic, "Peaking at 10," which I was put on to from Pop Candy.

She writes about her conclusion on dealing with success at a young age:

Success at a young age not only gives you a taste of grandeur and attention that you forever strive to duplicate, but it also gives you that precious sense that you can achieve absolutely anything. The trick is to learn how to let the past drive you to your next, bigger, and better peak.

The essay apparently is part of a collection, "Before the Mortgage: Real Stories of Brazen Love, Broken Leases and the Perplexing Pursuit of Adulthood."

Peaking at 10 [Sirens Magazine]

Props for the Peppers

Slate's Jody Rosen (who previously had an interesting piece on "Poptimism/Does hating rock make you a music critic?") goes Under the Bridge downtown and praises the new double album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I've been loving the 28-song marathon. I've read good reviews and not so good reviews.

With the new album debuting at #1 in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere, Rosen notes "The Chili Peppers are one of the world's top-grossing live bands and have attained, in the third decade of their career, the near-universal esteem of critics, who recognize them as the skilled standard-bearers of commercial rock."

She also points to the oft mentioned the good and the bad: singer Anthony Kiedis' "limited—almost nonexistent—vocal range" but also outstanding the musicianship of guitarist John Fruscante and bass master Flea.

So where's she going with this? To a point that I certainly agree with:

"In a landscape cluttered with dour rockers—post-grunge mopers, emo mewlers, and ineffectual indie depressives—there's charm in the Chili Peppers' old fashioned belief that the point of rock is to make merry."

The Improbable Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers [Slate]
Seven For Seven, 5/21 + Chili Peppers [Jonworld]
Stadium Arcadium Review [Rolling Stone]
Stadium Arcadium Review [The Onion A.V. Club]