Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Recommended Reading

Matt Yglesias says that the original Bush administration estimates of the cost of the Iraq War — which ranged from $200 million to nothing at all — were waaaaay wrong. The total cost is going to be over one trillion dollars. How many businesses would just shrug and not get upset if some cost estimator was off by that many jillion percent? And if so much of the overage had just gone into contractors' pockets without work being properly completed?

• Posted at 10:14 PM · LINK

Pete's Back!

Heading to Vegas soon? I might go, just so I can see one of my favorite comedians, Pete Barbutti. Pete's set up shop at the Four Queens downtown with singer King Errisson in a show called "Back to Back." Sounds like a winning parlay to me.

Pete holds the world's record for more appearances on The Tonight Show with Mr. J. Carson than any other comedian. There's a reason for this. He's awfully funny in front of an audience. Matter of fact, a few years ago, I got to hang out backstage with Pete a few times and he was even funnier back there, telling stories about Vegas and other performers and working for sleazy club owners. Someone is missing a bet by not grabbing guys like that (and alas, there aren't many guys like that left) and doing a cable show where they could share their anecdotes. In the meantime though, get thee to Sin City and see Pete Barbutti live and in person. You won't regret it.

• Posted at 9:57 PM · LINK

Elephant Joke

Stephen Colbert causes trouble.

• Posted at 8:21 PM · LINK

Highly Recommended Reading

Here is a very important article in Vanity Fair about what happened the morning of 9/11, complete with audio excerpts from tapes made in the NORAD control room. Among other things, the piece demonstrates that a lot of what is commonly believed about the government's actions on that dreadful morning has been misreported.

• Posted at 3:24 PM · LINK

Here's Why There's Trouble in Iraq...

With temperatures like that, how could they not be killing each other in the streets?

• Posted at 12:14 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

A beer commercial from 1958 starring one of the funniest men who ever lived.

• Posted at 12:12 AM · LINK

Recommended Reading

Larry Gelbart writes about...oh, just go read it. You'll understand what it's about.

• Posted at 12:11 AM · LINK