The Mr. Nice Guy Show Blog

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My thoughts on what's goin' on in the world,

just like years ago on the radio.

Thursday, December 04, 2003

Photo-Opfuscation

Today's Washington Post reports that the turkey the turkey was holding last week during his 6am Baghdad time dinner with the troops

was fake!

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The Bird Was Perfect But Not For Dinner
In Iraq Picture, Bush Is Holding the Centerpiece
By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 4, 2003; Page A33

President Bush's Baghdad turkey was for looking, not for eating.

In the most widely published image from his Thanksgiving day trip to Baghdad, the beaming president is wearing an Army workout jacket and surrounded by soldiers as he cradles a huge platter laden with a golden-brown turkey.

The bird is so perfect it looks as if it came from a food magazine, with bunches of grapes and other trimmings completing a Norman Rockwell image that evokes bounty and security in one of the most dangerous parts of the world.

But as a small sign of the many ways the White House maximized the impact of the 21/2-hour stop at the Baghdad airport, administration officials said yesterday that Bush picked up a decoration, not a serving plate.

Officials said they did not know the turkey would be there or that Bush would pick it up. A contractor had roasted and primped the turkey to adorn the buffet line, while the 600 soldiers were served from cafeteria-style steam trays, the officials said. They said the bird was not placed there in anticipation of Bush's stealthy visit, and military sources said a trophy turkey is a standard feature of holiday chow lines.

The scene, which lasted just a few seconds, was not visible to a reporter who was there but was recorded by a pool photographer and described by officials yesterday in response to questions raised in Washington.

Bush's standing rose in a poll conducted immediately after the trip. Administration officials said the presidential stop provided a morale boost that troops in Iraq are still talking about, and helped reassure Iraqis about U.S. intentions.

Nevertheless, the foray has opened new credibility questions for a White House that has dealt with issues as small as who placed the "Mission Accomplished" banner aboard the aircraft carrier Bush used to proclaim the end of major combat operations in Iraq, and as major as assertions about Saddam Hussein's arsenal of unconventional weapons and his ability to threaten the United States.

The White House has updated its account of an airborne conversation in which a British Airways pilot wondered into his radio if he had just seen Air Force One and was told that it was a Gulfstream 5, a much smaller plane. White House officials first said that the British Airways pilot had talked with the Air Force One pilot. Bush aides now say the conversation occurred between the British Airways pilot and an air traffic control worker.

"I don't think everybody was clear on exactly how that conversation happened," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

British Airways said it has been unable to confirm the new version. "We've looked into it," a spokeswoman said from London. "It didn't happen."

(edit to end)
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Amazing.

-M!
Fair Use Notice

Cheering for the Turkey

Concise, glorious article by Dick Feagler in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"...when the kids die and come back home in flag draped coffins, the cameras that courted George W. Bush turn their backs, by order, on the caskets."

"And we - a lot of us in America - don't care."

"I have lived through three wars. But I've never seen America yawn at a war before. In the past, when we sent kids off to kill and be killed, we at least paid some attention to the whys and wherefores."


-M!

Wednesday, December 03, 2003

Fair and Balanced Jellyfish

Excellent item from this week's issue of The Onion on the subject of the candyass, Alan Colmes. Enjoy!

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Alan Colmes Loses Argument With Nephew
NEW YORK—Alan Colmes, the liberal co-host of the Fox News debate program Hannity & Colmes, lost an argument to his nephew Bryan while babysitting the 8-year-old Monday. "I wanted to stay up late to watch television, but Uncle Alan said, 'There's already too much self-parenting in America,'" Bryan said. "So I started screaming, 'Mom lets me, Mom lets me,' real loud. He gave in after, like, 20 seconds." In the past two years, Bryan has won arguments with Colmes on the subjects of Pokémon cards, Crunch Berries cereal, and steel tariffs.
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-M!

Fair Use Notice

Tuesday, December 02, 2003

The Simple Life

Tuesday, 7:25pm CT
In a few moments, I will sit down to watch the premiere of the new Fox reality show, "The Simple Life."

This is the show wherein hotel heiress and obvious airhead Paris Hilton and her buddy Nicole Ritchie leave their extravagant LA lives for a 30 day stay on a farm in Altus, Arkansas.

I don't like reality TV and don't like Fox...but I'm strangely intrigued by the show and the concept and the good reviews it's gotten. Usually, my tolerance for dopey TV doesn't last more than three or four minutes before I turn it off.

Will this be different?


When the show is over, in about half an hour, I will come back here and post my thoughts.

Tuesday, 8:25pm CT
Miraculously, I actually stayed with "The Simple Life" for the entire 30 minutes.

It is an interesting concept. I'll stick with it. 'Makes me appreciate "real" life vs. what two Hollywood goofs are living. Would we really wanna trade places with 'em...even for a few days???

And, oh yeah, Altus, Arkansas looks to be about 315 miles south of where I am right now. And I mean straight line south of here, the next state over.

-M!

She's Suing The Prez!

A 9/11 victim's wife explains why she is suing the president under provisions of RICO, the racketeering act.

Scary stuff.
Alarmist? I'm guessing not.

-M!

Radio Memories

This is so weird...

On the Web, a 60 minute aircheck, 28 YEARS OLD, 1975, of Gene Klavan, the guy I grew up listening to on the radio, and IDOLIZED.

Unfortunately, on it, he pretty much sucks. It was the 9-10 hour and he was obviously winding down from the 6am start time...and seemed to have other people in the studio he was talking to during the songs.

Still, y'can hear how clever he was, a couple of the many voices he did, and the incredible mix of stuff they played. Also the influence he had on the way I sounded on great stations like WSGO and WSYR.

Very odd to hear now.
Nice man. There were several times when I actually visited him at the station and he let me watch him do the show.

-M!

Monday, December 01, 2003

Nelly

Nelly Furtado's anxiosly awaited second CD, Folklore, came out last week. I bought it on Saturday and it is wonderful.

The same richness and warmth and depth we heard in the first CD, Whoa Nelly. An incredible maturity that we don't hear from other pop chicks. Maybe it's because she's from Victoria, British Columbia: a city I love in a country I love. She was live on BBC1 last week with Jo Whiley and didn't let me down: a sweet, lovely, sincere personality to go with the unique talent.

Nelly Furtado turns 25 years old tomorrow. I wish her a happy birthday.
She gave us all a great gift last week.

-M!

Hypocrisy on the Dial

Hey, the great folks at FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting have some fun reading for us on...

1) Fox news candyass Alan Colmes.

2) What windbag, Republican shill Rush Limbaugh has had to say over the years about drug abusers [like himself].

-M!

That Courageous Trip

Ooooh, I love it:
'Turns out I wasn't the only person who thought the president's secret Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad was a bunch of shit...

AFP on world media reaction.

David B. Livingstone: A Chickenhawk Thanksgiving in Baghdad.

Steve Gilliard: 150 Minutes Over Baghdad: Our President Abroad.

Doug Basham: A Coward Goes to Baghdad
(Basham also does a daily talk show from 8-9am PT from Las Vegas that's very good and broadcast online. Check it out!).

-M!