- Now this is rich. The Chinese government is now grasping for straws in their pathetic effort to justify their continued oppression of Tibet. Their new lie, er, reasoning is based on the fact that they allegedly searched monasteries in Tibet’s capital city of Lhasa and found weapons. “As a result, they have branded the Dalai Lama “a wolf in monks clothing” and have accused the D. Lama and his followers of plotting suicide attacks against Chinese interests. Wu Heiping, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Public Security, used made-up facts and figures which show a stockpile consisting of 176 guns, 13,013 bullets, 7.725 pounds of explosives, 19,000 sticks of dynamite and 350 knives. Nice try, China. You were actually doing well on those first two figures, ending them in odd, unusual numbers, making it look like they were actual legit tallies. But those last three, ending them on much more traditional, round numbers like 5 and 0, that doesn’t work. It just look like you got lazy and jotted down the first number that came to mind. The Dalai Lama has continually opposed using violence in the resistance movement and as much as I wish he felt otherwise, I believe the man. Besides, there are two possible explanations here and neither of them favor the Chinese. One explanation is just as I’ve said, that this story is a total fabrication by the Chinese designed to bolster their own unjustified case against Tibet. A second possible elucidation is that there really were weapons in those monasteries and someone is planning attacks on the Chinese. If that’s true, then allow me to be the first to say that those attacks would be totally, 100 percent justified. The Chinese are a bunch of repressive, overbearing Communist douche bags and if Tibetans chose to attack them, the world would do well to stand up and applaud. So sorry, China, but there’s no way you win this battle, suckers….
- Thursday morning rolled in with a unique feat in Major League Baseball that likely won't ever happen again. Both the Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals, two of MLB’s lowliest franchises, began the day undefeated and in first place in their respective divisions, the NL East and AL Central. The last time either of these teams finished higher than fourth in their division, the Nationals were still the Montreal Expos and the Royals were still playing on their nasty old Astroturf surface in their home stadium. So even though it’s early and the Nats are just 3-0, with the Royals 2-0, the optimistic among us can’t help but hope that this strong start will signal a better season for fans of these two downtrodden teams. Of course, by the end of the day on Friday, the Nats had suffered their first loss, albeit an 8-7, 10-inning loss in Philadelphia. Still, they ended the day in first place and the Royals won their game to move to 3-0, still atop the AL Central. Of course, the Royals built their now 3-0 start on the backs of the suddenly frazzled Detroit Tigers, a team that spent buttloads of cash in the offseason bringing in big-name players like Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera but were swept at home by the Royals, the AL Central’s perennial doormat. Worse yet, Cabrera missed the final game of the series with a leg injury and slugger Gary Sheffield left the game in the eighth inning with a torn tendon in his finger. In the span of three games, the Tigers managed as bad a start to their season as you can possibly have within the context of a single series. That horrible start continued Friday as the mediocre Chicago White Sox came into Detroit and handed the Tigers an 8-5 loss to drop the Motor City Kitties to 0-4. Four games in, already 3½ games behind Kansas City. Those big offseason acquisitions aren’t looking too good thus far, Detroit, but I can't say I feel bad for you.
- There’s good news and bad new abounding for Smallville fans like myself. We recently learned that the Superman-themed show about the early life of Clark Kent will be back for an eighth season, but yesterday we also learned that Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar have announced their exit from the series, effective at the end of this season. In an open letter, the two outgoing executive producers reflected on their "seven amazing years,” and also "look back knowing that the show will continue into Season 8 without us.” I definitely extend a big thank you to both men, but I can’t say I’m too heartbroken about this one. In an era when TV shows are jerked around by networks, actors come and go all the time and shows are canceled inexplicably, two well-paid execs deciding to leave a show just isn’t a reason for concern. Other show execs, including executive producers Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will guide the show next season, so familiar faces will be on hand. The show shouldn’t veer too much off course, so if you watched and hadn’t been told about the change at the top, it really wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Millar and Gough also praised the CW series' "remarkable" production team and "a wonderful cast who we have watched mature with admiration and affection," the duo say. "We have been rewarded with a fan base that is as loyal as it is vocal. We are incredibly proud of our work on this show. We achieved what we set out to do. We never compromised our vision. We leave knowing that Smallville is the longest-running comic-book-based series of all time [and] was featured on the covers of Rolling Stone, MAD Magazine, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. The pilot had the highest-rated premiere in the history of the WB [where it originated]. Even in its seventh year, it is still the No. 1 scripted show on the network." Some TV pundits and critics are debating what brought on Gough and Millar's abrupt exodus, but their letter offers no details. Honestly, as a fan of the show it doesn’t matter to me. What does matter is that Kristin Kreuk (the prettiest girl on TV if you ask me) and Michael Rosenbaum are going to be available for only small parts of the season. That will affect fans more than two EP’s leaving, so I wish Gough and Millar well but the ‘Ville will be fine without them.
- B.O. is gaining momentum in Pennsylvania, with my main man Barack Obama having nearly sliced Hank Clinton’s lead in the polls in half since mid-February. Not only that, but on Wednesday Obama gained the endorsement of two Democratic superdelegates and an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and former Montana Sen. John Melcher are the superdelegates jumping aboard the B.O. Express and I wholeheartedly welcome them onto the train. Pennsylvania’s primary is still more than two weeks off (April 22), so there is time for Obama to close the gap even more. It is key to remember that although a win in the state would be nice, Obama doesn’t need it to secure the nomination. He has enough of a lead that merely making things close in the Keystone State will be a major blow to Hank and thus a huge victory for all Americans. On behalf of all Americans, I thusly want to urge all Pennsylvanians to make sure they are registered to vote and that they vote for America on April 22 by choosing Barack Obama. Actually, it’s not so much choosing Obama that’s vital as it is not choosing Hank Clinton. Vote early, often and emphatically, Pa. residents. You have an important task here, so don’t find a way to f’up like voters in Ohio did last month.
- It had been my understanding that the new, more relaxed standards for acceptance in the U.S. Army had only been in effect for a few years. I’m going to have to do some research on that topic now in light of the case of Kevin Christopher Brown, an Army vet who decided that it would be a good idea to pack his suitcase full of materials to make a pipe bomb as he prepared to fly back to Jamaica from Orlando. According to Brown, he had served in Iraq and seen similar bombs made there, so he wanted to show his friends back home how to construct their very own pipe bomb. Right, because when you haven’t seen friends for a long time, what do you want more than to spend time together, crafting homemade incendiary devices? Whatever happened to catching up, shooting pool, having a beer and watching a game on TV? And oh, by the way, who the heck thinks they’re sneaking pipe bomb-building materials through airport security at a major airport like Orlando International Airport? Police are now looking into Brown’s claims of having served in Iraq as well as his mental health. I have to agree with the latter, largely because you have to be totally insane or just a complete moron to think you’re going to take bomb-building materials with you on a plane. Not since MIT student Star Simpson was arrested last year at Boston’s Logan International Airport after walking into the airport wearing a computer circuit board and wiring on her sweatshirt as an alleged fashion statement that authorities believed to be a bomb has someone been so clueless about airport security. I really feel good about the safety and security of America when we have people like Kevin Christopher Brown defending it, don’t you? Someone? Anyone?
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