I Don't Like You Either

Slate V: The Best Viral Political Videos of 2008

Department of Needful Diversions, Presenting: The Beijing Olympics (Alternate Universe Version)

This is a whole ship full of awesome, and we found it via The Red Tory 3.0.

The Red Tory said, and it was a true word:

I think this deadpan (東京オンリーピック　開会式＜フルバージョン＞) animated take-off of the Olympics may be one of the subversively funniest videos of the year....

As he says, "the giant motorized pigeons feasting on acrobats [and]...[t]he giant Buddha sweeping teams of competitors off his tongue into the Olympic pool" are alone worth the time.  But there so much more. 

It is a veritable televisusal feast.

Needful Diversions: Shirtless Presidents (Meme O' the Week)!

HuffPost has a whole slideshow of presidents OTHER than President-elect Obama whose pecs became public domain.   (Reagan frightened us, and we were sad to see that when he isn't leveling his razor-like stare at the camera, Putin is kind of a....well, a hottie.) 

Even more shirtless presidents (American) here at Gawker.    And if that ain't enough, go here.

Needful Diversions (For Pagans Only): Atheistic Elves Get All Elfed Up, Sacrilegiously Dance Xmas Jigs to Traditional Xmas Tunes!

Department of Valedictions: This Final Christmas Under Bush, Give the Gift of Satire to a Fellow Progressive: "Songs of the Bushmen" by Harry Shearer

 Though it was nominated for a Grammy, we just don't think there's been nearly enough screaming about Harry Shearer's musical send-up of the Bush administration's main players.  If you've had all the peace and good will you can handle, you might enjoy a bit of black comedy, in diverse musical stylings. 

If you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for a progressive friend, we don't see how you could do better than this album (available at I-Tunes):

Needful Diversions: Rare White Lions Born in Belgrade

Because it's important to remember that there are still some nice things happening (via Huffington Post).

Dept of Needful Diversions: You're Probably Fed up with the Blagojevich Scandal, So Check Out the Hamster on a Piano, Eating Popcorn

I posted the video in its original form ages ago at my first blog, but here it is with the musical accompaniment that---pace HuffPost--- has caused it to go viral.

Needful Diversions: Remembering Odetta Holmes

One great musician, gone from us on Tuesday.  

Needful Diversions: A Charlie Brown Christmas ("Hey Ya")

Via  Skippy, an internet Christmas special:
Yeah. We needed that.

Dept of Valedictions: Bush is Still in Office for 50 Days, So Let's Watch His Cover of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" Again

Needful Diversions: Sometimes I Get Tired of Politics So Here, Instead, is a Shrimp Running on a Treadmill

by Teh Puppet Mistress | H/T Radio Free Mike.  What makes it awesome is that it is running to the Benny Hill theme.

Election Night Hilarity at BBC News: Gore Vidal vs. Anchor David Dimbleby

by Nicholas | "Mad as a box of frogs," said the bloke who posted it, and he didn't mean Dimbleby.  I cannot improve on this as a summary.

Needful Diversions: It's Halloween, So Here's a Terrifying Cackling Retromercial

by The Puppet Mistress | Via Rumproast.

What Would Your Name be if Sarah Palin Were Your Mom?

by Damozel | Heh.  What's your Palin name? I personally like "Jeep Pike Palin."

Needful Diversions: In these Stressful Times, Please Enjoy this Video of a Baby Beluga Getting a Tongue Rub from the Trainer

Via Cute Overload.

Daily Show: "Project Beltway"

Are the Palin family "a bunch of grifters"?

Former Python John Cleese: Michael is No Longer the Funniest Palin

by Nicholas | 

Bonus Pythonage below, for those who wish to learn or reminisce:

Jon Swift is Afraid: Obama Will Censor Free Speech

by Blue Stockings |  Goodie goodie, more Swiftian goodness from the master!

“Conservative-friendly media better get ready,” warns Brian C. Anderson. “Should Barack Obama win the presidency and the Democrats control Congress, as now seems likely, they will launch a full-scale war to drive critics — especially on political talk radio — right out of legitimate public debate.”

He cites some shocking proof of Obama’s intention to curtail the free speech rights of conservatives. When the NRA tried to run ads targeting Obama, his lawyers sent “bullying” letters to stations that ran them, according to Anderson. If Obama is elected, lawyers will be free to send bullying letters to anyone they want. You will have to be careful of what you say or write lest a lawyer get wind of it and fire off a bullying letter.....

Snark-O-Rama: A Compendium of Mordant Commentary On Current Events

by Teh Nutroots & The Puppet Mistress |  Today we implement what we hope will be a regular feature:  a round-up of bloggers who hate teh stupid as much as we do. 

At Balloon Juice, John Cole:

Wise People Suck.  At Saddleback, John McCain named John Lewis as one of the "wise men" on whom he'd rely during his Administration.  Now this wise man has a few wise words about the tactics being used by McCain & Palin, speaking "as one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement."

The Bride to Nowhere.  McCain's chief of staff would rather he suffer "an honorable defeat" than be disgraced by Palin's continuing antics.  John Cole laconically sums up how McCain and their neocon "helpers" created this unruly monster.  "Pitbulls don’t know when to stop biting," the piece begins....

Deb has always wondered that the GOP's Plan A was to lose this election.  If not, it's clear they've got a Plan B. See John Cole's piece, The Fall Guy.

Needful Diversions----"Glory" from Pippin: A Tribute to War

Blue Stockings | This is Ben Vereen doing it Fosse-style in a celebration of war (from the seventies musical "Pippin.")   I loves me some Ben Vereen. Charlemagne, you lead us on to power!   

This one goes out to McCain, Palin, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Gonazalez, and all neocons wherever they are.. 

Ride the Wayback Pony: The George W Bush Singers Sing "The State of the Union"

Inspirational!  From "Songs in the Key of W"

John Oliver Explains British Politics & Dry Wit to Jon Stewart

Oliver has a question---just one--- for the Prime Minister.

Needful Diversions: The Mean Kitty Song

Because after the horror of aerial hunting, I needed to see this again:

Bush's Legacy Embraced by McCain: A Party For Which the End Justifies the Lies?

by IDLYE | Steve Benen writes: "John McCain was presented with a choice: lose the election or lose his honor. As has become painfully clear, McCain chose the latter."  He's comforted that others have reached the same conclusion.  I call that "cold comfort." 

Anyway, it's only a symptom of a much graver disorder.

At WaPo, E.J. Dionne marvels at what the GOP's apparent comfort in distorting facts---and the public's willingness to let them justify the end by the means---tells us about the state of political discourse, where a lie is as good as the truth as long as you agree with the objective behind it.  This is the true legacy of the Bush administration, and it scares me way more than McCain does.

Needful Diversions: Spongebob Sings Eminem; Gangsta Teletubbies

"Just Lose It"

MORE:

Needful Diversions: Chinchilla Power

Panicking?  Don't.  Take slow, deep, healing breaths....then watch this:

Stone Temple Pilots "Big Empty" Acoustic Cover

This sort of captures my feelings about the current state of the world.