Radio Free Kirkopolis

An Oldie But A Goodie

Iron Chef- Cat Cora

Since “Queer Eye” Has Been Canceled, We Now Move Into “Funny, Gay Men II”

For all I know this guy’s been a YouTube phenomenon for some time, yet I’ve been busy so I haven’t quite kept up on things.
Anyhoo, as a straight guy with no idea how the other half thinks, the materialistic advice of an anonymous gay man really does the trick (so to speak). To ease my fellow Mid-Westerners into this, I choose a take co-starring his ‘quite the hottie’ friend Stephanie.

Interesting side note: As I’m posting this I’m also checking in on this week’s NASCAR race- That’s right, y’all bitches better be checkin’ out how no homo I be!!!

In case you’ve forgotten, Pat Tillman was a stand-out defensive back for The Arizona Cardinals who, after Sep. 11th, and along with his brother, abruptly walked away from a multimillion dollar contract to join the Special Forces. Pat was then killed in a friendly fire incident which was summarily and disgracefully covered up by the U.S. Army (who wove some heroic tale of ‘taken by enemy hands’) in a propaganda fiasco to save face from the fact that Pat’s death was due to the gross incompetence of his field leaders (facts of which have now been confirmed by the military).

From TruthDig.com

After Pat’s Birthday
By Kevin Tillman

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.
Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,
Kevin Tillman

So I worked a ton on Friday, was pretty exhausted and therefore didn't go to the gym. Instead I went this a.m. (Saturday) to make up for my Friday. Now Saturdays are usually one of my days off so I walked into a bunch of people I didn't know and didn't want around me. I have a routine and so do the people I normally work out around. These new people were not my workout friends and are not welcome in my workout world. These people just used the stations with no real zest and refused to re-stack their weights. I freaking HATE that.
I could feel all of them, looking at me, listening to their Kenny Chesney playing iPods. And what's worse, not one of the many girls was even remotely attractive. Where oh where is the motivation?
I really do fear change.

Gosh, I sure hope they have kids-

Moss Confirms Engagement to Doherty
Supermodel Kate Moss confirmed speculation at a London party on Tuesday night that she is to wed her rocker boyfriend Pete Doherty.
The catwalk beauty sparked rumors of marriage when she was photographed wearing an engagement ring in Florence, Italy, last Thursday.
And when the couple attended the Moet and Chandon masked ball in London earlier this week, they confirmed they're going to wed.
Moss said, "We are engaged," while Doherty added, "We are getting married."
The loved-up couple reportedly serenaded each other in a karaoke room at the celebrity event. Other guests included actress Scarlett Johansson and models Gisele Bundchen, Erin O'Connor, Elizabeth Jagger and Jerry Hall.

This (again) begs the re-asking of this question, “Who the f**k is Pete Doherty?”
I think he's one of those people who's famous for no real reason at all- like Charo.

From MLB.com-

Joe Niekro recognized the pitch as soon as it left his brother's hand. After all, it was the pitch that their dad taught them when they were just kids growing up together in Ohio.
There it was -- the signature Niekro knuckleball -- dancing toward home plate at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on May 29, 1979. By the time Phil finished his delivery, Joe had had swung, sending the baseball over the left-field wall for a home run -- the lone long ball of his 22-year career.
Joe lived in the shadows of his older brother's career, which was honored with an induction into baseball's Hall of Fame. But on that day, it was the younger Niekro who walked away the winner. Over 22 Major League seasons, the same pitch that Phil made famous helped Joe Niekro win 221 games, including a club-record 144 for the Houston Astros.
On Friday, Joe Niekro passed away. According to The Tampa Tribune, Niekro suffered an aneurysm and was taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital before being transported to St. Joseph's hospital on Thursday. He was 61.

I actually remember watching him play, all decked out in those horrible orange, striped, polyester uniforms of the Astros (and a hell of a hurler for my Cubs I might add). In addition to the knuckler, Joe (and Phil) were also masters of the spit and scuff balls- which, like steroids, are only legal if you’re name is Roger Clemons. Anyway, he was a throwback, and a pitcher’s pitcher. He was good for the game, fun to watch, and will be sadly missed.

The Ford Taurus is an ugly-assed car. Always has been, always will be. Sure it was used for several years as Ford’s racehorse for NASCAR, but to even suggest that it looked even remotely like the road vehicle is laughable at best. Nope, the Taurus was just a damned ugly car.
But it was a good one.
It had the MPG of an economy car, had the crash test rating of a Sherman tank, handling of an Indy road car, and more reliable than someone who can’t think of any more euphemisms.
Two years ago I took one about 14 hours up to darn near the Canadian border for work. It was December and I had to drive about 4 hours along Lake Michigan. During that time I drove through what is known as a ‘lake effect’ which is basically non-stop, icy snow. Anyhoo, the Taurus (white by the way, so there was no chance of being seen in the blizzard) had a quite powerful and heavy V-6 that sat on top of its front wheel drive- making for some near flawless handling.
My dad drove one for a few years and loved it- and trust me, this guy is famously discriminatory about his vehicles.
With that being said, the Taurus, and even worse, several people’s livelihoods are no more-

HAPEVILLE, Ga. - The last Taurus sedan rolled off the assembly line on Friday and 1,950 jobs went with it.
…The nation's second-biggest automaker announced 10 months ago that it would close the plant as part of a reorganization plan to boost Ford Motor Co.'s profits. Friday's milestone concluded 21 years of making the popular sedan, with sales of more than 7 million vehicles.
…In the last five years, the plant was ranked as one of the top 10 most productive assembly lines in North America.
"The Atlanta plant and the employees there had a great run — the vehicles they built there were very important to the company," said Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari. "Unfortunately, we're in a transition period where we are working to align our capacity with the customer demand and as a result we have to idle several assembly plants."
The workers who lost their jobs could choose among eight separation, educational and
In the last five years, the plant was ranked as one of the top 10 most productive assembly lines in North America.

Let’s face it, the Taurus aint exactly the T-bird or the Camero. We won’t see a nostalgic re-introduction of it. Nope it’s just gone, and along with it one of the few examples of great American auto engineering in a long time.
To those who built her- best of luck and a job very well done.

From The Toronto Star

Everyone knows Rush Limbaugh's just faking
Oct. 27, 2006. 01:00 AM
LINWOOD BARCLAY

Now, I know this may offend those who suffer from this particular condition, and these individuals might not like it much when I suggest that a certain person with this diagnosis is exaggerating his symptoms, but I have to say, I think Rush Limbaugh is just pretending to be a dick.
While the right-wing radio host does exhibit most, if not all, of the common characteristics of this behavior, it's so rare for all of them to coalesce at a single moment that one can only conclude Limbaugh's most recent performances are nothing short of fraudulent.
I'm no expert diagnostician, but nobody could be this big a one. Limbaugh must be acting.
Consider what Rush Limbaugh said this week about Michael J. Fox.
The Canadian-born actor did an ad for a U.S. politician who supports stem cell research, a controversial field that many believe could lead to a cure for Parkinson's disease. Fox suffers from Parkinson's, and anyone who has seen him in television interviews in the last few years is aware of his symptoms. Awkward, involuntary movements, occasional speech difficulty, tremors.
Those symptoms are much in evidence in the ad.
Said Limbaugh on his radio show: "He is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He's moving all around and shaking and it's clearly an act." Limbaugh also suggested Fox probably went off his medication before filming the ad.
It's difficult to imagine that anyone could say anything so amazingly uninformed, so incredibly moronic, and actually believe it. That's why I'm so convinced Limbaugh was acting.
At this point, it's probably useful to review the most common symptoms exhibited by a person with EDS (extreme dick syndrome) for those not up to speed on them:
1. Exhibits a level of arrogance rooted in a feeling of superiority, without having any attributes to feel superior about.
2. Is capable of achieving levels of hypocrisy (railing against drug addicts when you are one, for example) previously thought unattainable.
3. Blow-hardedness.
4. Is indifferent to the woes and misfortunes of the disadvantaged.
5. Lies his ass off.
6. Goes to the "6 items or less" checkout with a dozen things.
7. Never lets ignorance of a subject keep him from shooting his mouth off about it.
8. Believes facts are overrated.
9. Chews with his mouth open.
10. Always finds some little thing the waitress did wrong to justify not leaving a tip.
Anyone who has four or more of these symptoms is very likely suffering from EDS. Sadly, at the moment there's no known cure for this condition. Researchers are still debating whether you're born with it, or it's a lifestyle choice. The real problem is, people with this condition don't make for a very sympathetic cause.
But in Limbaugh's case, it's probably a moot point, since he's just putting on a show.
My guess, in fact, is that Rush Limbaugh is a liberal plant. A Democratic plant. The Democrats, who appear to be on the verge of winning back both houses of Congress, don't want to leave anything to chance. What better way to turn things their way than for a prominent spokesperson for the right wing (nudge nudge, wink wink) to say something so astonishingly and despicably vile that it will make fair-minded Republicans vote Democrat, or at the very least, stay home.
I know these statements of mine are going to enrage genuine sufferers of EDS everywhere. "How dare he say that!" they'll say. "We know we're rude and insensitive and total jerks 24/7, and he's got a lot of nerve suggesting otherwise."
I will say this, however. If it can be determined by an independent panel of experts that Rush Limbaugh is, in fact, a dick, I will apologize, unreservedly.

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today....

Sure the Oscars are like 4 months away, and sure everyone is already thinking ‘Best Actor’ for Jack Nicholson in “The Departed” (probably should be ‘Supporting Actor, but do you really thing anyone would dare suggest Jack would support anyone else’s performance?) but let’s not jump to conclusions.
I got me an early prediction- coming out of nowhere with the ferocious blow of a Raging Bull left hook will be the amazing and yet to be truly honored Forrest Whitaker as Idi Amin in “The Last King Of Scotland”.
I’ve seen bits and pieces and from those brief moments I’m already mesmerized by a presence that overcomes everything else on the screen. I was almost fearful of what I saw (and it was only for a few brief moments) and am quite certain by researching that I am not alone. Those who have seen the movie are simply astounded. In brief, he plays a certainly evil man with no theatrics, but with just plain evil.
The movie opens soon here in the sticks and I'll be sure to give ya a full review.

So remember my dear minions, you read it here first….

You send your lover off to China
Then you wait for her to call
You put your girl up on a pedestal
Then you wait for her to fall
I put my summer's back in a letter
And I hide it from the world
All the regrets you can't forget
Are somehow pressed upon a picture
In the face of such an ordinary girl

When you sleep
You find your mother in the night
But she fades just out of sight
So there isn't any sweetness in the dreaming
And when you wake the morning showers you with light
And it makes you feel alright
But it's just the same hard candy
You're remembering again

Go ask her to come around
And see me late after dark
Don't ask me to come around
Then wait to if there's a spark

A.D.

Who Wants A World Full Of Ugly People Anyway?

First saw this over at Shari’s page and it really opened my eyes, and then I discovered it wasn’t that my eyes were open, but somebody using Photoshop opened them for me (snort!).
Anyway, quite interesting-

Just When I Thought I Couldn’t Hate Miami Any More… They Prove Me Wrong

Ah, U of M football. The breeding ground for the NFL quarterback, that fertile soil that grows the NFL linebacker, that sess pool lagoon of rotted sewage that produces such fine citizens as Ray Lewis and Jeremy Shockey. Boy have they done themselves proud once again.
Good Lord, check out this fight. Even for football, which gives some tempers a little liberty, this is disgraceful.
Really, what kind of alumni can give money to such a rotted program like U of M football? These guys make Cincinnati basketball look like one of the Academies.
I find it funny that during the commentary, the great Lou Holtz says, “The inmates cannot run the prison.” Ironic since a good percentage of Miami’s players are either past, present or future incarcerated guests of the state. Frankly, I can’t believe that they didn’t recruit Maurice Clarett a little harder, guess they couldn’t pay as well as Ohio State.
College football (and all collegiate sports for that matter) is a good thing. With all the cheating, alumni payoffs and grade fixing you hear of, really 99% is positive. The last few years, as my SIU Salukis have been quite successful, I find myself excited while I watch them play and win- my point being is that actions such as these are a pure example of a few bad apples ruining the pot- Miami is and always has been one of those apples.
If I was a student, faculty or alumnus of Miami I would be embarrassed and ashamed of my University.
If I was the NCAA or UofM’s governing body I would cancel the rest of the season.
Yes, heads should roll, but I suppose it would cost too much money.

So, good news to the New York Mets- You are no longer my most hated sports team. Enter- the Hurricanes.

And on I read
Until the day was done
And I sat in regret
Of all the things I've done
For all that I've blessed
And all that I've wronged
In dreams until my death
I will wander on
C.C.

Your Weight is Ideal

Your BMI is 24.9 - a healthy BMI falls between 18.5 and 25 Congratulations, you are the perfect weight for your height.Even though you may not be entirely happy with your weight, you are healthy.So gain or lose a few pounds if you want, but don't go too crazy! Don't agree? Blame the government standards we based this test on!

Been a bad start to the week.
I either ate something bad, have the flu, or a nasty ‘just turned fall’ stomachy cold thing going on. Frankly I don’t give a hoot what I’ve come down with as long as it goes away, and soon. I even called into work today, something I rarely do. Well, actually I went in for about an hour or two to make sure everything was set up for the day, then I went home (for some reason, even though it’s very responsible of me, going in to set up then going home, as opposed to just not coming in at all, makes me feel more guilty than the latter). From there I went back into bed and then slimed my way out around 8am.
You know what would make me feel better? Not Theraflu, not Nyquil, not penicillin, but a nice grilled cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup.
A few things about this most honored of comfort foods-
First, you must use milk, not water in tomato soup.
Second, one must remember that the soup is used for the purpose of dipping, not sipping.
Third, try putting a little honey on the sandwich before grilling it- surprisingly good.
Fourth, and most important, said sandwich must be smushed with the spatula before serving. This, my dear legions of readers, is vital.

Other comfort foods of note:
Hot dogs and potato chips
Macaroni and cheese
French Toast- for dinner
Chicken noodle soup,
Honeycomb cereal, dry- no milk
P.B.&J- cut in half, diagonally

From IMDB News-

Ryan Phillippe has attributed his Golden Globe exuberance earlier this year to being "plastered." The actor memorably jumped up and down, yelled and pumped his fists in the air when wife Reese Witherspoon picked up the Best Actress award for Walk the Line. But a red-faced Phillippe admits he had so much to drink with Hollywood legend Shirley MacLaine during the ceremony he barely remembers his antics. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Phillippe says, "Shirley MacLaine and I drank like crazy, just putting away bottles of wine and making fun of everyone. I was plastered!"

So, his wife is like 40 times more famous than him, she’s on her way to a sure-fire Oscar in a few weeks, and he decides to get ‘faced with a faded version of who he’s married to and would be more than happy to “show him a thing or two.” On top of that they make fun of famous people all night.
That is soooo something I would do.

Claire Frolani.

Made chili yesterday. Now, around my neck of the woods chili’s a pretty big deal. We’re smack dab in the middle of the country so there are several schools of how chili should be made- with beans, without beans, ground beef, stew meat, venison (deer) meat, hot, mild, 3 alarm… the list goes on for some time.
Personally I like to keep mine simple. One packet of chili seasoning, can of diced tomatoes, can of hot kidney beans, and pound of ground beef then I splash in some garlic and cajun spices. Also, no onions, EVER. At the end I’ll sprinkle on a little cheese, just to give my digestive system a goal to work toward.
Really the only major thing to factor in the whole chili making process is weather to use Saltines or oyster crackers. Now this is an important decision, especially for the first chili of the year, as it’ll take me a while to go through a whole box of either. This decision will most likely affect every bowl of chili I make for the rest of the chili eating season- big to do's.
I decided on the oyster crackers. They’re a little easier to handle, less mess, and from time to time they make for a pretty good snack.
Anyway, I made the chili and watched Notre Dame beat the crap out of Standford. Today I broke out my favorite hoodie… NOW the fall is officially here.