I came across this on Facebook and thought that I would give it a go. Someone sent me a list of questions that I guess you’re supposed to answer, so here goes…
The perennial 80’s classic Better Off Dead in which a young John Cusack tackles the K12 and wins the heart of a French foreign exchange student.
The last full book I read was Robert Fisk’s The Great War For Civilization, but the most recent was a number of my favourite pages from The Collected Poems of Czeslaw Milosz.
Right now I would have to say it’s South Park. While I’m a fan of numerous animated shows, such as Family Guy, I don’t think anyone pushes the envelope anywhere near as much as Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In fact, Season 10 of the show probably contains some of their best work – the World Of Warcraft episode, for example, or the Season’s opener in which they confront the fact that Isaac Hayes left the show’s cast because he was offended by the now infamous Scientology episode.
The podcast that I did with Jeremy Taggart for Taggart’s Take. And man, when all three episodes air, are we in for it.
The World Of Warcraft episode in the 10th season of South Park.
There are, of course, a lot more questions, but I just became suddenly disinterested in doing this.
President Bush is set to request a further $50 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If granted, and using my trusty Dashboard calculator – that’s a $50bn supplemental on top of the original $460bn 2008 fiscal defense budget and the $147bn supplemental for the wars that is current pending – that’s a grand total $657 billion dollars for the fiscal year 2008.
Today the President marked the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, saying…
“Hurricane Katrina broke the levees, it broke a lot of hearts, it destroyed buildings, but it didn’t affect the spirit of this community”
He also claimed that ‘better days were ahead’. I would hope so, being that it’s been two years. The government has pledged $114bn to help in ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts. Using my trusty Dashboard calculator, that’s $543 billion dollars less than the fiscal defense budget for a single year – and $83 billion dollars less than the supplementals requested for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Of course, there were those that weren’t too pleased that the President showed up to mark the somber occasion, being that two years after the fact federal efforts to help address the issue have taken a back seat to, for example, lucrative arms agreements with foreign nations.
Hmm, let’s see.
Israel has received a 25% increase in yearly military aid, numerous Middle Eastern nations, all of which are primarily Sunni, are due some $20 billion dollars over the next decade (most of which will be pumped back into the US defense industry – good for business), the US is now funding Sunni insurgent factions in Iraq, gifting them millions of dollars, the Pentagon paid almost a million dollars to ship two 19-cent washers to an Army base in Texas and has spent some $20.5 million over the last six years in fraudulent shipping costs (that’s what we like to refer to as the ‘reallocation of funds’ to programs that are off the books), the US Embassy in Baghdad will come in at a whopping $592 million dollars - and that’s just off the top of my head.
There is, of course, a lot more – aid to Latin American, African, Eastern European, and Asian countries, not to mention aid funneled through the USAID program to a variety of groups in different locales.
It’s a shame that New Orleans isn’t in Israel, in need of an embassy, or, for that matter, a few washers.
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Haha the World of Warcraft episode was good. The Nintendo Wii one where cartmen freezes himself to pass the time quicker is also hilarious, haha.
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take care of your own people before you you go “take care” of others. man, sad
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My uncle founded Pathways to Housing, whose aim is to find homes for the homeless, thus creating a stable environment - interestingly enough, it was their listening to these people that motivated them to find housing first before addressing their ills.
In an interview with Mother Jones, he states his firm belief that $10 billion dollars is all that is required to end homelessness permanently in the United States - $10 billion: 1.5% of the national war budget for a single year, 1.5% of what the United States government spends on death and despair.
Further, Matthew, I trust you have an understanding as to how much of this $657 billion is spent on “pork” projects.
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ooh ooh ooh…I can’t wait for part 3 to air!!!! “Matthew Good is on FIRE!!!” Even the boys were on air there at the end…. I love your laugh!!!
It is very troubling that our own people cannot even get help… I do have to say that Bush’s comment is somewhat correct…. hurricane Katrina did not effect the spirit of the community… Bush’s administration did!
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I find those questionnaires are too long. I don’t mind 10 or less questions, but some are 25-50.
I’m not a teenager anymore so I don’t have time or interest in such things, but some of my much younger acquaintances from University or relatives seem to think I care to fill those out.
I loved Better Off Dead. “I want my two dollars”.
I have the DVD of Say Anything. That’s such a great movie!
UPDATED:
Of course we know it costs a million to ship two washers. I recollect another movie, Independence Day, when the former Taxi star says “You don’t really think it costs $15 000 for a hammer, $20 000 for a toilet seat do you?” in response to a funding question from the president.
I am just unsure of where the money is going, if they are publicly declaring the money to be spent on the war. Maybe the washers is buying silence with the foreign interrogation program? Or maybe they are building a centre at home to accomplish this task?
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Cartman as dog the bounty hunter….
To knock them outta the park as long as they have is really something.
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The “Night of the Living Homeless” South Park episode was my favorite one to date.
Good call on Czeslaw Milosz too.
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My googling skills are failing me this morning. Where can I find the Taggart’s Take podcasts mentioned?
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Taggert’s Take Podcasts: http://www.edge.ca/station/podcasts.cfm
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The one where Stans dad picks fights with other drunk dads at little league games…
The music they use for his fights and training as the boys climb higher in the little league standings?
“You’re the best” by Joe Esposito
The same song used for the karate tournament montage from Karate Kid…
Perfect.
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Have you read The Captive Mind? I guess that’s probably a dumb question if you are into the poetry too.
I first read it 2 years ago on the banks of the Bow River. Had a real impact.
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cartman has got to be the best animated character ever created
i have no idea where they come up with that stuff, but it’s pure genius
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I’m happy that I’m not the only one who cried when watching that episode.
That show is so hilarious.
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Go down the hill really fast if something gets in your way….. turn.
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“take care of your own people before you go “take care” of others. man, sad”
-I think that’s a selfish statement. I dont agree that it should be “help us first, and then when we are good, give whats left over to others in need” But simply, an even distribution of the funds available. Also I think Americans as a nation need to stop and see what they can offer to people in need within their country. Unfortunately it seems most only feel the need to donate when it effects them directly. Even we from Canada could send down blankets, food, furniture, cds, toys etc. And perhaps large corporations such as IKEA and The Brick could donate household supplies. Home depot could supply building supplies etc. There’s a lack of unity going on that could help enormously when these tragic situations occur.
-Really though I’m just a silly uneducated girl. I honestly have no idea what im talking about.
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Holy shit part one of this interview is ridiculous. Down Beat LOL
“lets get the fuck out of here…like they say in lord of the rings”
hahhaa
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Quoting Karl Hungus:
even my MOM loves cartman.
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Mmmmm… John Cusack… very good choice! :)
And I agree with angelboo’s comment about the spirit of the community!
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THE Jeremy Taggart, you might just lose some fans of old for this apparent blaspheming! /end beating dead OLP feud horse
whatever happened to your own podcasts by the way. you and tony had some great moments, though I never saved them.
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Man…Jeff Martin….he’s so gonna come after Taggart with a guitar painted like the flag of Ireland.
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hah ohh nevermind, the whole feud is infact addressed within.
Taggart sounds like a Bob and Doug McKenzie sketch, funny stuff.
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Politics and money feed greed or is it greed that feeds politics money, whatever it’s greed at the end of the day. Religion feeds hate. From a women’s point of view, if it wasn’t for our so called horrid politicians women, children, gays and animals of our civilized world would probably still be beaten into submission in record numbers on a daily basis. I believe our North American politicians may be dumb or greedy but not hateful. Nature shows no hate(anger perhaps) or greed and just keeps giving, no matter how much it is destroyed. The whole world has a chance to stop and look at the sky or beautiful sunset. Even in the most hideous place you will see a flower pop out of the ground. We are very fortunate to have a vast array of beauty with the ability to pacify. If we could just get the world to open their eyes, the answers are all around us. I cry for everything, smile at everyone and always flip to the back page of a book.
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If you dig South Park definitely check out http://www.allsp.com , if you haven’t already. It streams all the shows so far from the first to the eleventh season. No, I’m not a representative of the site or anything haha, it’s just a really snazzy site that I dig.
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Taggert podcast priceless.
http://www.artifact7.blogspot.com/
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Quoting Patrick Pitt:
The Cesar Milan episode….brilliant
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pff. who plays WoW. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is where it’s at.
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wow, way to rip jeff martin a new one, taggert!! Shit, I couldn’t stop laughing!! Jeez!
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Taggert interview is hilarious. You skinny Coquitlamian mutherf*&ker!
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Cartoons are the best thing on the television anyway. For those who love Star Wars and haven’t seen it yet, go to adultswim.com to see the Star Wars/Robot Chicken special. It’s Hilarious!!!
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Uh, Jeff who?
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*Edit, nevermind
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Angelboo, what podcast?
The one with the guy from OLP that sounded drunk?
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:(
Where be part three???
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Matt I just listened to the first 2 episodes of your interview on Taggarts Take. 2 words, fucking hilarious!
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Quoting tsoderlu:
yep that’d be the one!!! Part three will be there tomorrow… um err.. later today!
Taggert’s Take Podcasts: http://www.edge.ca/station/podcasts.cfm
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“Niccccceeeeeeee”. Yep, the episode with Cartman as the Bounty Hunter and little Ike and his affair with the “hot” female kindergarten teacher is brilliant. “Go with Christ, Bra”.
The metrosexual episode is awesome too, where Mr. Garrison hits on the sharply dressed, newly fashionable men. “How about we go in the back and I give you a handjob?” HAHA
Or spontaneous combustion, where everyone is exploding from holding in farts because they have new significant others and they’re behaving themselves.
And finally, “Chinpokomon” where the Japanese are hypnotizing all the American children and they distract the American Men from the plan by complimenting them on their “Rearry big penis”
South Park is absolutely brilliant, and “Team America”, by Parker and Stone, was equally brilliant.
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love taggerts take. the man defines obscurity- in a good way
too much money is spent… sorry. thrown away on that kinda stuff. it only causes more politics to throw money in to prevent it…. now… whos making the money in all of this?
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Quoting angelboo:
Thanks for that! Those podcasts are a perfect blend of the serious and the hilarious…
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matt you should start playing world of warcraft, it’s probably the best possible addiction anyone could have.
look me up.
server: black dragonflight
character: grimes
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Those surveys go on forever.
I think if Matt went on WoW we’d never see him again (coz it’s awesome.)
And I think you should do another posts where readers ask you questions. Give me about an hour and I can probably think up quite a few…
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This is one kid that is relieved to hear Jeremy Taggart and Matt Good make nice … not a big OLP fan, but we bought a CD or two for the kiddies a few years back, and their live DVD impressed me somewhat–I didn’t think they deserved the comments about being put-together, but I was reserving judgement given the press love for sensationalism and controversy, especially around Matt Good.
Didn’t know Taggart was such a hoot. The interviews were quite entertaining.
Love John Cusack, and his sister Joan. High Fidelity is my personal Cusack favourite. Watched Better Off Dead a few months ago with my kiddies because they appreciate good movies, but that 80’s music made me cringe at times.
Katrina vs the war budget is as disgusting as ever. Where are the greedy construction corporations that can exploit tragedy right in the US? Is it because no foreign lenders care to invest?
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I listened to part 3 of the Taggart’s Take…he’s a total character btw, but I looked up the lyrics of those Dylan songs you’d mentioned, and I’m glad you did…..those are some great lyrics.
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I think my brain is going to explode…Matt’s actually getting a long with OLP? Whoa. Now I don’t feel so guilty putting them side by side on my mix for this trip I’m currently on.
Heard of Taggart’s Take, haven’t had the oppourunity to remember to download it. I’m going to have to now, am I? Oh yeah, I can’t right now. I’m about 2 hours east of London, England on a computer that’s not my own. (Remember the trip?)