Does this sound weird to anyone else?

From a story on bbc.co.uk about the Iraq election:

At one stage, an election official in Falluja said that so many people were voting, they had run out of ballot papers

ummmm….does this scream “electoral fraud” to anyone else?

How can you run out of ballot papers? Surely you know how many you need based on the number of registered voters, plus a few for spoilage purposes?

Story here

Tom Benson Says New Orleans is Unlivable

saintsdoggle is reporting:

WWL radio reports this evening that Tom Benson has told Saints employees at a meeting in San Antonio today that the team’s training facility is still occupied by FEMA and National Guard troops, and that employees must stay away from New Orleans as it is “unlivable.”

Benson can go to hell. Where the hell are my parents living? Sure its hard, but they are living there.

And the Saints training facility in Metairie was not damaged, and is not occupied by anyone at this time. Tagliabue just toured the damn place and said it was in first-class shape.

It’s obvious that Benson has given up on the city, and is trying to spread his feelings among his staff. The Saints are a symbol of New Orleans, just like Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, Jazzfest, and Cafe du Monde. That’s what the country thinks of when they think of New Orleans. When those things go, so goes the city. Just like cancelling Mardi Gras would tell the rest of the country that there is no hope of rebuilding New Orleans, so does moving the Saints out.

Ray Nagin has decided that Mardi Gras will go on, even if it is to be scaled down, but Benson has decided that he’d rather leave the city that gave him all his money to flounder on its own. Thanks Tom. Way to sell out the people who put you where you are.

New Respect for Aaron Brooks?

Wow, I never thought I would say that again after Aaron Brooks’ debacle on Monday Night Football, but take a look at what he had to say in an interview with Westwood One’s Jim Gray:

JG: Do you think that the league has dealt with the Saints fairly throughout this whole tragedy?

AB: No (pause), not at all. I feel that more should have been done. And if they want to put the burden on the owner, I think some needs to fall on the Commissioner, on the NFL. I think everybody’s involved in the situation. I felt like the Commissioner should have came down and spoke to us immediately after it happened – regardless if anyone, whether it was the coach or owner who denied him the right to come down, I thought he should have came down anyway. Because he’s first of all the Commissioner of the NFL. Everything goes through him and the owners and our team needed to be addressed from that standpoint. And I think a lot of it has been swept under the rug. I think it was more of a political platform than anything. And I say that because our first home game was in New York after we just finished traveling from Carolina and other places to play a home game in New York. And when we get there, we got the Commissioner, we got the President, we got all these politicians on the football field in our way so that we can’t warm up. So, I took it personally. I had had to cuss him out. I told him [NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue]: ‘Get the hell off the football field.’ And I thought that was [b.s] because it wasn’t about that. It was a great cause, and I hope all the money went to all the shelters that were needed but I just thought it was [b.s.] and I think that they (inaudible) enough to help us out in the situation. And for those who don’t understand, come down to San Antonio to see what our conditions are like and what we are going through, and see our facility is being shuffled from month to month. And, it’s just bad. And, it’s just uncalled for. The league is worth over billions of dollars and you can’t accommodate a football team that’s probably worth over $600 million better than what we’ve been treated. I just think it’s [b.s.], Jim.

Continue reading New Respect for Aaron Brooks?

My Favorite Thing About Christmas

My favorite thing about this time of the year is when people start getting all indignant about other folks wanting to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Get over it.

“Oh my God goodness! What will happen to Christmas if is not sanctioned in the way I wish to celebrate it by society as a whole! Oh my God goodness, my culture and heritage is oppressed! Whoa is me and Christianity! However will we overcome? Soon the government will be throwing us to the lions! Oh the state of the true religion religion of the majority in this country! The damn political correctness crowd will be the downfall of the American Way!”

Here in Atlanta, people actually make it on the news complaining about “Happy Holidays.” There was a news story on last night about someone who took out a billboard that read:

To hell with the “holidays”; keep Christ in your Christmas

I can understand complaining about “Xmas.” “Keep Christ in Christmas” seems legitimate to me. (of course, I do find it funny that the cross is the symbol of Christianity, yet folks don’t like Xmas).

I’m not even going to mention the irony of swearing in your religious statement.

Vegas

Dave is no longer allowed anywhere near Las Vegas…

System Would Let Gamblers Bet and Bet and Bet on Game
By PETER SANDERS

LAS VEGAS — Gamblers watching an Indianapolis Colts game here may have a hunch that, on the next play, star quarterback Peyton Manning will throw a long bomb to receiver Marvin Harrison for a touchdown. But right now there is nothing they can do about it — casino sports books don’t accept bets on individual plays.

That may be about to change. Boosted by improved technology that makes it easier to take bets on every play in a sporting event — rather than just the outcome — gambling-technology companies are on the brink of launching new products they hope will entice gamblers at casinos to keep wagering throughout hours-long games.

A Christmas Gory

Around the holiday season, I always feel the need to try and return balance to the universe by being a bit of a grinch. People love this about me, and really appreciate what I’m trying to accomplish when I remind them that feeling guilty, spending money on things you can’t afford, accepting gifts that other people can’t afford, and loving the baby Jesus Almighty Dollar is what Christmas is all about.

To counter whichever TV station that will play A Christmas Story repeatedly for a week, thus sucking the joy out of an otherwise fine film, I offer this trailer:

A Christmas Gory

Enjoy!

Top 10 Reasons Why Paul and Dave Are Single for the Holidays

10. Just because our grandmas say we should be with someone of the opposite sex doesn’t mean we have to be.
9. Still holding out for Tierney’s sister and brother.
8. “I’m not nodding off, baby … you just startled me.”
7. Dave’s fat.
6. Paul’s gay.
5. Hosting Christmas party with reenactment of the Nativity Scene featuring babe in swaddling clothes burning in recently tested fireplace.
4. Koster’s got all the 22-year-olds.
3. Rich Joey won’t buy us significant Asian others? Or will he …
2. Have you ever hung out with Kent and Leslie?
1. Because Brent Joseph is!

Merry Christmas from Paul and Dave.