Illinois: Where our Governors Make the License Plates

Here's a Way to Waste Time at Work!

So MOST of Dodge County is closed due to snow, but your boss bucks the curve and has you come in... looking for a way to waste some time until you can go home?

Check this game out! I love it!

http://www.games.com/game/bubble-town/

Thank you, Brenda!!!

Brenda from Mane Stage in Beaver Dam gave me a Christmas mix CD and it's AWESHUM!!!

:)


Thanks, Brenda!

A Vehicular Haiku

My car is deceased.
A paperweight in the lot.
Stupid Battery.


If you aren't snapping your fingers to the grooviness of it all, you don't have a pulse.)

If you missed the Morning Show today...

You missed us talking about cancellations!!! So much for all that show-prep. It may have been easier (and less time consuming) to talk about what is actually open in our listening area.

I certainly hope this is not an omen of worse things to come...

Stefani's Corner: Bringing Back Saturday Morning Cartoons

Jason Wilde (beat reporter from the Wisconsin State Journal) and I kicked off a new segment that will air every Thursday! It's "Stefani's Corner." Wilde and I debate a new topic every week.

Today's topic: Should we bring back the Saturday morning cartoons from our childhood for a new generation to enjoy. (***Jason and I had discussed the topic and chose positions three days before this debate. If you would like us to debate a topic, email me at sbishop@gkbradio.com***)

Here are my thoughts... enjoy!

I remember waking up at six-o-clock in the morning on Saturday with the excitement of a child on Christmas. I would Run in to the kitchen to grab a box of cereal and then make a b-line to the living room… it started with the wacky-mad-cap shenanigans of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, and ended in a triumphant spray of color, comedy, and Acme products courtesy of our friends at Warner Brother. Now when I turn on the TV on a Saturday morning I have my choice of golf, Reba, or Reba… that woman’s everywhere - but should we bring back the morning cartoons from my childhood for today’s generation to enjoy? No…

Children these days have it too good, with their complicated shoes, emo haircuts, and video game systems with more than 8-bit graphics.

They aren’t going to be satisfied with the 70’s style-thickly drawn lines of School House Rock… not unless the little girl singing about nouns and the conducter from Conjunction Junction happen to morph in to some Super Grammer Robot Karate Ranger Ninja that shoots punctuation marks out of it’s eyes. The Smurfs won’t be entertaining unless they are drawn Manga style with giant mouths and live in little pokemon balls. Scooby-Doo? Well, nobody liked Scooby Doo – and Scrappy Doo can just eat it… moving on.

This is the problem – if you bring back the classics from the 80’s, they won’t translate well and will have to be completely revamped to suit the jaded minds of today’s youth. Strawberry Shortcake will have to shout constantly like Dora the Explorer. Jem won’t seem outrageous, (truly, truly, truly outrageous) unless you can play along with her hokey songs ala Guitar Hero… (wait… Jem Guitar Hero… I’m copywriting that).

Didn’t they try to bring cartoons from the sixties and seventies back during the eighties?
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (1986)
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-90)
The New Archies (1987-88)
The New Scooby Doo Mysteries (1984-85)
New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show (1984) – already mentioned what an abomination that was!

Yeah, let’s go ahead and bring the Gummie Bears back, only this time the Gummie Bears will drive Transformer-like cars and live in another dimension! Yeah! How about Heathcliff and the Cadillac Cats – if they produce new cartoons Heathcliff won’t live in a dump anymore – he’ll live at the Playboy Mansion... that will make it EDGIER!

Don’t even get me started on what the Thunder Cats would be like…

Some cartoons just shouldn’t be remade. They were great for their time, and are some of our most cherished memories. What we found funny and entertaining from our generation might not be what the new generation is looking for… Who knows, maybe in a few years, this generation will be reflecting fondly on their Saturday Mornings… I mean Reba is funny, and cute.

The Origin of the Pledge of Allegiance

...so Rick made me look up the origin of the Pledge of Allegiance, but we weren't able to get to it today. As promised, here's a blog containing all the facts I've dug up, so push some useful knowledge out of your head and make some room for this...

From the 'Lectric Law Library's stacks
The Strange Origin of the Pledge of Allegiance

By John W. Baer, professor of economics, Anne Arundel CommunityCollege.

Every class day over 60 million public and parochial school teachers andstudents in the US recite the Pledge of Allegiance along with thousandsof Americans at official meetings of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Elks,Masons, American Legion, and others. During the televised bicentennialcelebration of the US Constitution for the school children on September17, 1987, the children as a group did not recite any part of theConstitution. However, President Reagan did lead the nation's schoolchildren in reciting the Pledge. Yet probably not one of them knows thehistory or original meaning of the Pledge. In the presidential campaign of 1988, George Bush successfully used thePledge in his campaign against Mike Dukakis. Ironically, Bush did notseem to know the words of the Pledge until his campaign manager told himto memorize it. The teachers and students in the New England privateschools he attended, Greenwich Country Day School and Phillips AndoverAcademy, did not recite the pledge. By contrast, Dukakis and his mother,a public school teacher, recited the Pledge in the public schools. YetBush criticized Dukakis for vetoing a bill in Massachusetts requiringpublic school teachers but not private school teachers to recite thePledge. Dukakis vetoed the bill on grounds that it violated theconstitutional right of free speech. [[Actually, the case Dukakis cited (and was subsequently attacked byBush for it) was a religious freedom case (!); see the file with thespeech by ACLU director Ira Glasser which, like this article, contains alot of information you don't hear much about in the mainstream press. Italso happens to be among the best speeches I've ever heard, anddemonstrates devastatingly what many of us already knew; what a bad jobDukakis did responding to Bush's attacks about being "liberal" and (Godforbid) and being a member of the ACLU. -- HB]] How did this Pledge of Allegiance to a flag replace the US Constitutionand Bill of Rights in the affections of many Americans? Among thenations in the world, only the USA and the Philippines, imitating theUSA, have a pledge to their flag. Who institutionalized the Pledge asthe cornerstone of American patriotic programs and indoctrination in thepublic and parochial schools? In 1892, a socialist named Francis Bellamy created the Pledge ofAllegiance for *Youth's* *Companion*, a national family magazine foryouth published in Boston. The magazine had the largest nationalcirculation of its day with a circulation around 500 thousand. Twoliberal businessmen, Daniel Ford and James Upham, his nephew, owned*Youth's* *Companion*. One hundred years ago the American flag was rarely seen in the classroomor in front of the school Upham changed that. In 1888, the magazinebegan a campaign to sell American flags to the public schools. By 1892,his magazine had sold American flags to about 26 thousands schools(1). In 1891, Upham had the idea of using the celebration of the 400thanniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America to promote theuse of the flag in the public schools. The same year, the magazine hiredDaniel Ford's radical young friend, Baptist minister, Nationalist, andChristian Socialist leader, Francis Bellamy, to help Upham in his publicrelations work. Bellamy was the first cousin of the famous Americansocialist, Edward Bellamy. Edward Bellamy's futuristic novel, *Looking**Backward*, published in 1888, described a utopian Boston in the year2000. The book spawned an elitist socialist movement in Boston known as"Nationalism," whose members wanted the federal government to nationalmost of the American economy. Francis Bellamy was a member of thismovement and a vice president of its auxiliary group, the Society ofChristian Socialists(2). He was a baptist minister and he lectured andpreached on the virtues of socialism and the evils of capitalism. Hegave a speech on "Jesus the Socialist" and a series of sermons on "TheSocialism of the Primitive Church." In 1891, he was forced to resignfrom his Boston church, the Bethany Baptist church, because of hissocialist activities. He then joined the staff of the *Youth's**Companion*(3). By February 1892, Francis Bellamy and Upham had lined up the NationalEducation Association to support the *Youth's* *Companion* as a sponsorof the national public schools' observance of Columbus Day along withthe use of the American flag. By June 29, Bellamy and Upham had arrangedfor Congress and President Benjamin Harrison to announce a nationalproclamation making the public school flag ceremony the center of thenational Columbus Day celebrations for 1892(4). Bellamy, under the supervision of Upham, wrote the program for thiscelebration, including its flag salute, the Pledge of Allegiance. Hisversion was, "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which itstands -- one nation indivisible -- with liberty and justice for all." This program and its pledge appeared in the September 8 issue of*Youth's* *Companion*(5). He considered putting the words "fraternity"and "equality" in the Pledge but decided they were too radical andcontroversial for public schools(6). The original Pledge was recited while giving a stiff, uplifted righthand salute, criticized and discontinued during WWII. The words "myflag" were changed to "the flag of the United States of America" becauseit was feared that the children of immigrants might confuse "my flag"for the flag of their homeland. The phrase, "Under God," was added byCongress and President Eisenhower in 1954 at the urging of the Knightsof Columbus(7). The American Legion's constitution includes the following goal: "Tofoster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism." One of itsmajor standing committees was the "Americanism Commission" and itssubsidiary, the "Counter Subversive Activities Committee." To the fearof immigrants, it added the fear of communism(8). Over the years the Legion has worked closely with the NEA and with theUS Office of Education. The Legion insisted on "one hundred percent"Americanism in public school courses in American history, civics,geography and English. The Pledge was a part of this Americanismcampaign(9) and, in 1950, the Legion adopted the Pledge as an officialpart of its own ritual(10). In 1922, the Ku Klux Klan, which also had adopted the "one hundredpercent Americanism" theme along with the flag ceremonies and thePledge, became a political power in the state of Oregon and arranged forlegislation to be passes requiring all Catholic children to attendpublic schools. The US Supreme Court later overturned thislegislation(11). Perhaps a team of social scientists and historians could explain whyover the last century the Pledge of Allegiance has become a majorcenterpiece in American patriotism programs. A pledge or loyalty oathfor children was not built around the Declaration of Independence -- "Wehold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."Or the Gettysburg address -- "a new nation conceived in liberty anddedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal..." Apparently, over the last century, Americans have been uncomfortable with the word "equality" as a patriotic theme. In 1992 the nation willbegin its second century with the Pledge of Allegiance. Perhaps the timehas come to see that this allegiance should be to the US constitutionand not to a piece of cloth.

It's 16 degrees... harumph...

I've lived in the Midwest my entire life, but I NEVER get used to the winters here. This is what I'm going to look like until the great thaw in April:

My Beef: Snakes in the Grass

It's hard to avoid snakes while walking on the trail of life. They can be everywhere, and you need to be on guard. It's an unfortunate reality; there are those people in the world who get through life and work their way up the ladder by throwing others under the bus.

Remember, the squeaky wheel may get the grease, but it's the worst wheel that's the loudest.

A friend of mine is having problems with a co-worker... if the two of them have successful projects at work his co-worker is the first to gloat about how he "did such a great job." The moment something goes wrong and their meetings aren't well received, he is also the first to run screaming to the higher-ups and start whisperings around the company that the reason they didn't do so well is because my friend "dropped the ball." It amazes me that this has gone on for as long as it has; after all, everyone recognizes this man as a coiled, venomous, creature waiting to strike at anyone. When it comes down to it, this man isn't creative nor talented, and he's grasping at every blade of grass to keep his job and he doesn't care who he has to bad-mouth to keep it.

Alex Karras once said, "It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind."

Dropping Weight and Dropping a Listener

This morning before headlines, I mentioned that my co-worker John asked me if I had lost weight. I told him, "Yes, it's this great new diet that's really easy to stick to. It's called the Poverty Diet."

This may be surprising to some folks, but starting out in radio and working in a small market, you don't make a lot of money - in fact, you make VERY LITTLE money. Add to this fact the troubled economy, the price of gas (whether or not it is going down, it's still a necessary cost), and the student loan payment that seems to double every month, one becomes very aware of how far their dollar doesn't go.

I joked about this on the air; that my breakfast this morning is an apple and some peanut butter (totally true), that I will be posting my "meal plan" on my blog so that other people can "slim down like Stefani;" it's easy, really; all you need to do is eat that stuff in the cabinet you forgot you bought... lots of tomato soup and tuna (also true).

That's the reality of my situation. I am down to the last few things in my cabinets and I'm crossing my fingers that I make it to pay-day like so many other people out there.

My sense of humor rests in making light of situations. I am the woman at the wake who chooses to tell a funny story about the dearly departed instead of weeping. When I get a bit of bad news, I'm the first to have a laugh about it. Positivity and humor are the best medicines to get through a hard time and I make no apologies for finding the silver lining. I celebrate life - its highs and its lows - I don't mourn it.

That having been said, I will restate my last point; "I am down to the last few things in my cabinets and I'm crossing my fingers that I make it to pay-day like so many other people out there."

We received an irate call on the show from a woman who said that we lost her as a loyal listener because "how dare we joke about poverty when so many children go to school hungry and the reality is that there are people who are ACTUALLY down to their last few cans of food."

Yeah.

People like ME.

We never joked about poverty in general. We never scoffed at people trying to make ends meet. We were merely making light of my bad situation with the understanding that other people can feel that pain.

For those people who can relate to eating half a can of soup to make sure that they have something for lunch the next day, or cutting a piece of bread in two in the hopes that they can eat some toast for breakfast.

I hear you.

For those people who are hoping the weather stays relatively warm for as long as it can because the budget for heat this winter is slim.

I hear you.

For those people who are frustrated in making the decision about where their last five dollars goes... in the gas tank... extra formula... chipping away that debt to the electric company so your lights don't get shut off.

I hear you.

Now, I have my head on straight and I will get through this minor bump in the road of my life. There will come a day when I look back on my early years in radio and wonder with great humility how I was able to stay sane in the face of the economic blows. In the meantime I will continue to laugh. Without laughter I have nothing.

...and to the woman who called: In your attempt to be an advocate for the struggling masses, you have, instead, berated a person whom you were so quick to be a voice for. You say that we've "lost a loyal listener," but obviously you weren't listening.

(For those out there who would love to help the less fortunate, tune in to 95.3 WXRO and 1580 WTTN the morning of December 11th for our Holiday Food Drive. Remember, too, that Leslie will be handling the Stocking Stuffer Program to provide gifts for children who otherwise wouldn't have a merry Christmas, and as always, we host The Children's Radiothon every June on WXRO and WBEV to raise money for children's programs in Dodge County... don't touch those dials!)

Stick, Skateboard, Baby Doll Added to the Toy Hall of Fame

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- The lowly stick could be a magic wand, a knight's sword or a fishing rod.
Now the universal plaything has landed in the National Toy Hall of Fame, along with Baby Doll and the skateboard.
The three were chosen Thursday to join the lineup at the Strong National Museum in Rochester, N.Y. Previous inductees include the bicycle, Mr. Potato Head, Crayola crayons and the cardboard box.
Curators say the stick is a special addition. They praised its all-purpose, all-natural, no-cost qualities. They also noted its ability to serve either as raw material or an appendage transformed by a child's imagination.

...and, might I add, they didn't have to find the "inventor" of the stick to make a lame speech at the induction...

Yes! The stick! I've built forts (well, lean-tos, mostly), I've had sword fights, and most importantly, I built a VISIBLE line that my sister couldn't cross. The only thing better than the stick was the cardboard box. A refrigerator box was a castle, a space ship. When you were small, a common packing box was a car! I feel sorry for the generations to come. With all of the advancements in technology that have been made in the past 20 years, fewer and fewer children are using their imaginations. Children don't play with toys anymore, the toys play with the children. Everything has to blink and light up, sing songs and talk to children. (The only "toy" we had that interacted with us was a Speak-N-Spell - and if you remember that thing, you know you couldn't make out what that mechanical voice was saying unless you read along with the word on the screen.)

Hey kids! Go outside. Play Hide-N-Seek, Ghost in the Graveyard, Tag, Hopscotch, Mother-May-I, Red Rover. Pull out a board game! Try to be the first children EVER to make Mousetrap work! Have one of those marathon Monopoly games that you have to put on hold for a few days and pick up next week! There are so many great games out there; Clue, Sorry, Parcheesi, CHESS, Twister. Pick up some crayons and draw, paint, sculpt with Play-Doh. Using your imagination is the BEST thing about being a child. It will exercise that important part of your brain that can lead to many fun and rewarding jobs like advertising, graphic design, fashion design, film, theatre, architecture.

Think about what this world would look like without imagination. There would be no Eiffel Tower, no Mona Lisa, no Sydney Opera House. No one would think the new Corvette looked cool because it WOULDN'T.

Take a moment, friends, and enjoy a retro day dream...

Legos. Tinker-Toys. Lincoln Logs. Cootie. Hungry Hungry Hippos. Erector Sets. Super Balls. Hot Wheels. Skip-Stick. Mud Pies. Running through a sprinkler. Catching fire-flies. Doing cart-wheels for hours. READING Nancy Drew. Drawing on the sidewalk with chalk.

Politics and Religion... lets talk!

I often have a difficult time coming up with something to complain about for our segment "What's Your Beef?" I'm not someone who dwells too much in the negative; there's too much of that in the world, anyhow, without me adding to the problem.

Today was different, though. I had something to say.

Why is it that two people can agree to disagree about everything under the sun with the exception of politics and religion? Why do people feel the need to get in someone's face over their beliefs and tell that person they are wrong?

I used this analogy on the air; if I were in a bar and a woman confronted me, saying, "Those shoes you are wearing are the ugliest things I've ever seen and you are wrong for wearing them," I'm sure everyone within ear-shot would agree that a statement like that is rude and uncalled for. What difference does it make to others what shoes I wear? Does it negatively affect someone's day to know that I'm a fan of my Chuck Taylor hi-tops with a hole in the right toe?

It seems, however, totally acceptable for someone to be confronted with "Those opinions you have regarding politics and religion are the ugliest views I've ever heard and you are wrong for having them."

Friends are lost and enemies made with statements like this.

Blood has been spilled over differences of opinion.

Today is election day. When you are at the polls please keep in mind that every one's footwear is their own concern, and if you really want to know why he decided to go with the steal-toe boots that lace up to the knee, or why she prefers her black strappy sandals (that seem to go with everything) - ask... don't attack. We'd have a lot less problems in this world if we behaved like adults.

I received this email after the show, and I thought I'd share an excerpt with you. The subject line was "love your shoes..."

"Hey Stefani,

Love your shoes! Good beef today. I'm a conservative who was raised by liberal parents who, to this day, wonder where they went wrong with me. My father and I have openly disagreed on politics all of my adult life, while my mother respectfully ignores the subject. We remain extremely close. My parents are my moral compass and I respect the way they have lived their lives. They respect my willingness to take professional chances and the successes I've achieved from it. We agree to disagree on the government's role in our lives.

It upsets me when people refuse get along due to political differences."

At least I'm not the only one out there who feels this way... - thanks, RW.

Alright... now for some pseudo-political humor!

Enjoy...

This Guy's my HERO!!!!!

Teenager changes name to Captain Fantastic
A teenager has changed his name to Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined.

The record-breaking name, now thought to be the world's longest, was the idea of music graduate George Garratt, 19.

He changed his name by deed poll online for £10 last week.

Captain Fantastic said: "I wanted to be unique. I decided upon a theme of superheroes."

Captain Fantastic joins a number of people with unusually long names, including Rhoshandiatellyneshiaunneveshenk Koyaanisquatsiuth Williams, a girl born in Texas in 1984.

The teenager, from Glastonbury, Somerset, added that while he thought the new name was "crazy", his grandmother was no longer speaking to him.

Unbelievable...

Woman doles out candy after Obama backers denied treats
By AMBER HUNT • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • November 2, 2008

Janette Fleury ended up passing out a life lesson with her candy this Halloween: Sometimes adults act like children.

Across the street, a fellow supporter of Republican presidential candidate John McCain was denying costumed children candy if their parents supported Democratic rival Barack Obama.

“They came to my house and saw the McCain sign and asked, ‘Are you going to be like that, too?’ ” Fleury said today. “I told them, ‘No. Sometimes adults just act stupid.’ ”

It was perhaps an unexpected message coming from a 51-year-old woman wearing a witch’s hat. But Fleury felt it was necessary after neighbor Shirley Nagel turned Friday night’s annual candy quest into a political debate with youngsters.

On Friday, Nagel had a sign in her Grosse Pointe Farms yard reading: “No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters,” according to WJBK-TV (Fox2).
When children approached, Nagel quizzed them about their parents’ political leanings, Fleury said. If they were pro-Obama, Nagel turned them away, she said.
The fire was stoked further when Nagel’s next-door neighbor put out a large Obama poster and his own homemade sign promising candy for all.

Nagel told WJBK-TV that “Obama’s scary.” When asked about children who’d been turned away empty-handed and crying, she said: “Oh, well. Everybody has a choice.”
Fleury said most of the rejected children didn’t appear upset. Rather, many walked away chanting Obama’s name, she said.

Nagel couldn’t be reached for comment today. The Associated Press reported that her front-yard sign was taken down by Saturday afternoon. Phone calls placed by the Free Press were forwarded to a voice mail in-box that was full.

Fleury takes her politics seriously, too, but she said that there’s a time and a place for them.
“I just don’t think politics should be intertwined with Halloween,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact AMBER HUNT at 586-469-4682 or alhunt@freepress.com.




They are CHILDREN. Unbelievable.

So I may have gotten myself fired...

But it's HALLOWEEN for crying outside!

I decided to dress up as my co host, Rick Armon, to celebrate the occasion.

This is Rick:

This is me! (Just look at that glorious chest hair and too-cool-for-school shades!!!)

Some of the ladies in the office felt the spirit of the day. Back row (from left): Robin, Danielle, Sherri, Jill, Sharon, Patti. Front Row: Brenda, Deb, Leslie, and Rick - I MEAN STEFANI...

(I hope I have a job come Monday...)

Mario vs. Thomas

We received a call this morning from Jerad who has a mission; to get his friend's Youtube video one million hits.

These are some truly talented kids with too much time on their hands - and I loved every second of the video.

Let's spread the word!

Here's a link to the stop motion film shot and produced by a couple of seniors in our wonderful listening area... won't you give it a watch?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsOfee8nsjY

Let me know what you thought! Make a comment below...

Joaquin Phoenix Retires

...cue the sappy music and roll credits, Joaquin Phoenix announced his retirement from acting some time last evening.

While being interviewed by Extra TV at the Paul Newman Benefit, Phoenix stated, "I want to take this opportunity... also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor... I'm not doing films anymore... I'm serious."

To tell you the truth, I've never jumped on the Joaquin Phoenix bandwagon. Sure, he's been nominated for two Oscars (2001 for "Gladiator," and 2006 for "Walk the Line"), but most of the films I've seen him in have left me wanting. I don't place blame on Phoenix's performance for these movie blunders, but I've never been able to detach him from the films.

Wait!

He was in "Quills"... that was incredible.

Best of luck, Joaquin! I hope you enjoy your musical endeavors.

Top 20 Creepiest Celebrities

Market research firm e-Poll, which tracks the popularity of celebrities (what would we do without their important work?), has compiled the results of a poll to find the 20 creepiest celebrities...


Coming in at:
#20
M. Night Shyamalan


Having gained instant fame and popularity with his 1999 debut, "The Sixth Sense" writer/director/actor/all-around-disappoint-er has been trying desperately to recapture that certain something that made his first film a box office smash. He has failed.



I'm not sure what's scarier; the fact that he continues to make appearances in his films ala Alfred Hitchcock, or the fact that somehow the studios continue to back his films




#19
Tommy Lee

What???? Tommy Lee CREEPY???? There have been a lot of adjectives thrown around about the Motley Crue drummer (talented, partier, gifted in the nethers), but creepy is a new one for me. I disagree with him being on the list, but apparently 31% of people find him a bit on the icky side.

#18

Tom Green

(I didn't know that Tom Green was relevant anymore...)

In January of 1999 MTV delivered a new brand of "entertainment" known as "The Tom Green Show."

It wasn't funny.

The network realized this and cancelled the show... but Tom wasn't finished making a fool out of himself, yet; he "married" Drew Barrymore, penned "The Bum Bum Song," and made a one-hour television extravaganza featuring his (very graphic) testicular cancer surgery.

I'm not afraid of much, people, but I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark ally... or a LIT ally.

#17

Gene Simmons

I totally disagree with this one.

Is it still 1974?

His name is Eugene for crying outside! How creepy is Eugene?

#16

Woody Allen

If it weren't for the Soon-Yi Previn affair, Woody Allen wouldn't be on this list. Although she is the adopted daughter or Mia Farrow and her ex-husband, Andre Previn, Farrow and Allen had been dating long enough for Soon-Yi to be HIS child.

:(

#15

David Blaine

Illusionist and street magician, David Blaine, first freaked out television viewers in 1997 with his special, "David Blaine: Street Magic."

Critics were raving: "Blaine can lay claim to his own brand of wizardry!"

In 1999 he was buried alive.

Blaine was raving (humbly): "I saw something very prophetic ... a vision of every race, every religion, every age group banding together, and that made all this worthwhile."

In 2000 he was frozen in a giant block of ice... and survived.

So I suppose it's official; David Blaine is a demon, and because demons are creepy, Blaine should be higher on this list, but we'll let it slide.

#14

Keith Richards

After all of the self-abuse Richards' body has endured it's a little creepy that he's still alive.

#13

Don Imus

Don Imus, or "Cap'n Mumbles," comes in at number thirteen because listening to him on the air sounds like an uncomfortable conversation you accidentally had with that creepy old man you met at the nursing home when you went to visit your Grammy-Gram. You know the conversation; disjointed, disconnected, teetering on the brink of death and he's bringing you with him.

Imus IS creepy.

#12

Carrot Top

Don't be fooled, my friends. Carrot Top is no longer that scrawny, freckled, crazy-haired darling who shows up with a box of magic and laughter.

He looks like THIS now... yes that's make-up...

#11

Courtney Love

The only woman to make the list, Love gained fame by fronting the grunge band "Hole," and gained infamy for her many public appearances while under the influence. As seen in this photo, Ms. Love is stunning when she's in her right mind, but most of the time she's a train wreck.

#10

Paul Reubens

The man that gave us Pee Wee Herman is NOT creepy. Whatever he did in a theater all those years ago is HISTORY!

Of all the people on this list, he's the LEAST of the creepies.

I think you'd be surprised to find that Reubens has been very busy for the past few years:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000607/

#9

Flavor Flav

I don't know who is creepier... Flavor Flav or the hundreds of women that are willing to throw themselves at him.

I think he's half retarded.

#8

Criss Angel

Magician. Illusionist. Musician. Escapologist. Stunt performer.

Not creepy. Why, you ask? Because he looks and acts like every guitarist/lead vocalist in a band that's "gonna make it." That's not creepy!

What do you call a musician without a girlfriend?

Homeless.

#7

Ozzy Osbourne

Maybe in the Black Sabbath days, I would agree with Ozzy being on this list; dark lyrics with religious undertones, heavy, driving guitar.

It's been a long while since he bit the head off of that dove, people. He has a family now...

#6

Andy Dick

Jim Rutledge, a co-worker of mine, had this to say: "I don't know if I find him creepy. I find him unfunny." That about sums up Andy Dick. When Andy Dick is playing a character in a movie, he CAN be funny - not all the time, he has his moments, but there's something down-right gross about him.

#5

Howard Stern

Some people love him. Some people hate him. Most people love to hate him... that's what has made Howard Stern so successful. He doesn't cross the line, he burns it, urinates on it, has two female porn stars make out next to it, and then he has a midget do a jig.

The man can conduct amazing interviews.

That sums up Howard Stern, but creepy? Meh...

#4

Stephen King

A picture is worth a thousand words...

#3

O.J. Simpson

I've seen handsome men before, but this guy's a lady killer!

(I'll be here all night! The ten o'clock show is different than the eight o'clock show... try the veal and tip your waitresses.)

#2

Michael Jackson

From "Off the Wall" to "Dangerous," Michael Jackson was the king of pop... after 1993, however, he's taken on the new throne as the king of Verminophobia, odd adult/child sleep-overs, and John Hughes style reclusive behavior.

Do NOT go trick-or-treating at this man's house... ranch... freak show tent, whatever.

#1

Marilyn Manson

After all these years he is still managing to inject a little fear in to the hearts of many... 76% of people, to be exact.

I never understood why.

His name is Brian, he wears trick contacts that you can purchase at many Halloween stores, and he wears VERY pale foundation. When you think about it, he's like a high-maintenance girlfriend.

Here's what he looks like without all the fuss...

...oooooooh... totally normal.

He does get a swift kick in the pants, though, for cheating on his beautiful wife, Dita Von Teese...

...with (then 19 year-old) Evan Rachel Wood....

And there you have it! The list of the top 20 creepiest celebrities, compliments of e-Poll.

Who DIDN'T make this list, but should have (in my humble opinion):

Tom Cruise
Christopher Walken
Clint Howard

Crispin Glover
Gary "You-Can-See-An-Elephant-In-360-Different-Ways" Busey

Jackie Earle Haley

John Malcovich

Josh Brolin (based on his character choices)

Nick Nolte

Tilda Swinton (she's an alien)

I have been healed

What a week I had... I felt (and sounded) horrible, so thank you, listeners, for putting up with my childlike voice while my throat healed. Of course, right after I feel fine, I have to go and push the limits at the Y during "Power Hour." Great class, don't get me wrong, but I think rebounding after being sick for as long as I was called for something I little less cardio intensive... like yoga... or sleeping.

Power Hour = A very sore Stefani.

I am having one of "those days" today. You know the "days" in question... they start out with a nasty glance toward your alarm clock and continue from there with grunts and mumbles until you finally make it out the door... maybe I'm not 100% over my illness, yet. Maybe it's just Tuesday.

The $700 BILLION dollar bailout... a SOLUTION...

Occasionally a gem finds its way in to my email's inbox that simply cannot be ignored...




The Birk Economic Recovery PLan


Hi Pals,

I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bon-a-fide U.S. Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college - it'll be there
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car - create jobs
Invest in the market - capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it.
Sell off its parts.
Let American General go back to being American General.
Sell off the real estate.
Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can 'never work.'

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!

How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion 'We Deserve It Dividend' more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

Birk

T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic

PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it's either good for a laugh or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!

Pump Up Your Volume... it BEGINS!!!

We kicked off our "Get Pumped" promotion with the YMCA of Dodge County, yesterday, and so begins the conscious effort to:

A: Eat Healthier

B: Work Out Harder

and

C: Not beat myself up because I don't look like a super model.

Getting fit is tough, friends. The temptations are all around us to fall off the diet wagon (especially if you work in an office environment where at least once a week there are FAR TOO MANY treats in your break room), to stay home and watch your favorite show INSTEAD of doing squats, and to quit all together when you don't see the results you want to achieve. I have to come back to reality, though, and realize that I'm not going to have that flat stomach or chiseled arms - my genetics are against me here - but I can still be proud of the little victories that signal change in my body inside and out.

I'm not a gym rat.

I don't know how to use MOST of the equipment at the Y.

Sometimes I down-right DREAD getting off my couch and doing something physical after I've been working all day.

But I'm going to do this.

I'm making a commitment right now to follow our "Get Pumped" program seriously - but I will need your help.

Every week the Y will open classes (which Rick OR I will be attending) to 5 or 6 non-members. Email the show (morningshow@wxroradio.com) or give us a call (887.9595 or 800.281.1580) and let us know you're interested. Who knows! You and I could end up being work-out buddies helping each other through the successes of getting in shape... maybe you can show me how to use that machine that looks like an iron maiden.

If you ARE a member - just stop in a class and check it out!

I'm looking forward to seeing you all stop by the Y!

Tomorrow, Friday, Septemeber 19th, I will be attending the 10:10am Boot Camp class. If you have that hour free and would like to see what Rick is so afraid of... (teehee)... email the show and let me know!

The "Air Car"

Yeah... I want one...

(CNN) -- You've heard of hybrids, electric cars and vehicles that can run on vegetable oil. But of all the contenders in the quest to produce the ultimate fuel-efficient car, this could be the first one to let you say, "fill it up with air."

That's the idea behind the compressed air car, which backers say could achieve a fuel economy of 106 miles per gallon.
Plenty of skepticism exists, but with many Americans trying to escape sticker shock at the gas pump, the concept is generating buzz.
The technology has been the focus of MDI, a European company founded in 1991 by a French inventor and former race car engineer.
New York-based Zero Pollution Motors is the first firm to obtain a license from MDI to produce the cars in the United States, pledging to deliver the first models in 2010 at a price tag of less than $18,000.
The concept is similar to how a locomotive works, except compressed air -- not steam -- moves the engine's pistons, said Shiva Vencat, vice president of MDI and CEO of Zero Pollution Motors.
Gas still plays a role
The six-seater planned for the U.S. market would be able to reach speeds of more than 90 mph and have a range of more than 800 miles thanks to a dual energy engine, Vencat said.

The design calls for one or more tanks of compressed air under the car's floor, as well as a tank holding at least 8 gallons of fuel.

Whether the engine uses just air or both air and fuel would depend on how fast the car is going. It would run purely on compressed air at speeds less than 35 mph, Vencat said.
Since the car could only go a short distance when using just air, fuel is needed to get the full range, he explained.
"Above 35 mph, there is an external combustion system, which is basically a heater that uses a little bit of gasoline or biofuel or ethanol or vegetable oil that will heat the air," Vencat said.
"Heating the air increases its volume, and by increasing its volume, it increases [the car's] range. That's why with one gallon of gasoline or its equivalent we are able to make over 100 mpg."

Is it for real?
Experts aren't sure Americans will be zipping around in air cars and getting 106 mpg, or more than twice the fuel economy of hybrid-electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius.
It is possible to power a car with compressed air, but the mileage claim is "at the edge of possibility," said John Callister, director of the Harvey Kinzelberg Entrepreneurship in Engineering program at Cornell University's College of Engineering.
He noted that such dramatic fuel efficiency is associated with tiny experimental cars, not bigger mainstream ones.

"No one's really proven a six-seater passenger car [can get] any better than 75 miles to the gallon. So this would represent a big step forward," Callister said.
"They would have to prove that before they can throw rocks at the Prius."
Another expert expressed concern about the amount of energy it would take to generate the required air pressure: 4,500 pounds per square inch, or more than 120 times the pressure inside the tires of a typical four-door sedan.
"That is above what you normally find even in an industrial setting," said William Bulpitt, senior research engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology's Strategic Energy Institute.
"That takes quite a compressor to do. ... It takes horsepower to compress the air up to that pressure."
If you count that energy, it's hard to believe the car would be that much more efficient than an electric vehicle, Callister said.
India shows interest
The compressed air car will get a chance to prove itself next year when it competes for the Automotive X Prize. The multimillion-dollar award will go to the team that "can win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 mpg equivalent fuel economy," according to the X Prize Foundation.
The air-car concept has also drawn the interest of Tata Motors, India's largest automaker. The company announced an agreement with MDI last year to further develop and refine the technology.
However, the cars have yet to hit the streets in India or anywhere else.
"The project is under progress. We do not yet have any timeframe for launch," said Debasis Ray, the head of corporate communications for Tata Motors.
Only prototypes exist at this point, Vencat said.
Light design
The body of the car planned for the United States would be built with fiberglass and injected foam. The chassis, composed of aluminum rods, would be glued together, not welded.
The design allows the car to be as light as possible, Vencat said.
For anyone who has doubts about its safety, he insisted computer simulations show that the vehicle would pass crash tests and meet all U.S. safety standards.
"Do you think somebody would actually put millions of dollars into making a car that will not pass safety regulations? There's no point in doing that," Vencat said.
Callister pointed out that there haven't been any lightweight, 100-plus mpg cars to pass crash tests but said it could be done through a "very clever design" of a lightweight frame.

good prototype could dispel many of the doubts about the compressed air car, he added.
"I don't think we should discount this advance if it happens," Callister said.

Underwear Inspector... really?

Here's an article from AP that will make you crazy! What goes through a parent's mind when they let something like this happen...

Taken from AP
19 indictments for accused underwear-survey conman

CINCINNATI (AP) — A man accused of conning parents into allowing him to be alone with their children to conduct a "marketing survey" of underwear was indicted Monday on 19 criminal counts involving 11 minors.
Ben Hawkins, 44, of suburban Cincinnati was indicted on charges including kidnapping, gross sexual imposition and attempted gross sexual imposition.
He contacted parents by taking out ads in an alternative newspaper and online and by responding to ads for in-home child care, investigators said.
He would meet the families at public places such as schools and hospitals or at the children's homes, then he would tell parents he needed to be alone with the children for research, prosecutors said.
Police said Hawkins told the children he wanted to measure their underwear and then touched them sexually.
The scam was perpetrated on boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 16 over a five-month period starting in March, prosecutors said.


Enjoy prison, Ben! I'm sure the other inmates can't wait to meet you...

Sasquatch!!!

There was a beef brought up on today's show regarding a particular person, whom we will call Sasquatch, who finds it amusing to call our show and say nonsensical things.

Sasquatch also called the show to defend himself saying, "I don't like radio shows that make fun of their viewers."

Yeah, Dude. We know it was you.

I just want to put this in perspective for those who thought Rick was being too harsh when he referred to him as our friend, Brain Dead. (I don't condone what Rick said, but I digress...)

Imagine you do not have caller id and you are waiting for a VERY important phone call. Maybe it's a job offer you're waiting to hear back from, or results of a blood test... a very important blood test. Every time your phone rings, you get nervous and anxiously answer the phone only to find that it's some prank caller shouting "Sasquatch!" and then hanging up to high-five his ONE friend who thinks it's funny, too.

Are you in Junior High?

We encourage people to call the show - we love it! We want to know your opinions, we want to know your thoughts. We want you to interact with trivia, with survey, with EVERYTHING!

But please, friends. Rick and I are not the only people who roll our eyes when we get calls like that. Our listeners do, too.

If you want to join in the fun and be part of the show, throwing your two-cents in from time-to-time, great! Just be constructive, be on topic, and please be respectful.

Thanks!

~The Management

Farve... oh Farve...

This Farve debacle... ugh.

When Farve retired (...or something...) he stepped down while still maintaining the mystique around the "great Packers Quarterback." Now, though, Farve has sullied his record by carrying on the way that he has.

Enough.

Just retire, play a little golf, hang out with the family, spend some time working on little projects around the house like everyone else.

Bishop's Book Club

***DISCLAIMER***

I've talked about opinions on the morning show, that everyone has the right to have their own. Opinions are nothing more than the culmination of knowledge gained, resulting in a personal view and idea.

You don't have to agree with me, infact, I welcome the opportunity to wax differences any day. If the following books do not appeal to you, fabulous! But, please, if you are going to comment, be constructive and adult.

Before I made the trek back to the land of cheese and Farve-confusion, I browsed the shelves of Borders in search of the book "Impeach the President; the Case Against Bush and Cheney."

If you aren't a fan of political non-fiction because it tends to be legal-jargon heavy and trips over it's own well-intended wording, then this book will be surprislingly refreshing.

It shoots from the hip and speaks frankly.

I made the mistake, though, of cracking it open just before settling down for the night and ended up staying up WAY passed my bed time. It's just that good, folks.

As soon as I finish "Impeach" (which should be VERY soon, the rate I'm reading), I'm going to turn my attention to "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder."

Here's an article regarding the book complete with a full interview of author, Vincent Bulgosi:

Vincent Bugliosi goes after the president in his new book, "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder"

By Mark Rahner

Seattle Times staff reporter; Seattle Times staff reporter

The man who put Charles Manson in the big house wants to do the same thing for the occupant of the White House. At the very least. Just the title of legendary prosecutor and best-selling true-crime author Vincent Bugliosi's new book makes it a hot potato: "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" (Vanguard Press, $26.95, currently No. 12 on The New York Times hardcover nonfiction list). Nutshell: Because the president lied America into war, he's responsible for every resulting death.

In other words, light reading.

Bugliosi, 73, told me by phone from his Los Angeles home I was the only one from a major paper to interview him so far, and no TV either. Said he's been "blacked out" for the first time.

Q: I know someone who can expect an audit this year.

A: (Laughs.) Oh boy, that's funny. I don't know, that's not too serious a response to me. People say to me all the time, "You've got to be crazy to take on the president of the United States, you've got to have a lot of courage." I don't think in terms of courage, I don't think I'm the craziest guy. This is all motivated by anger.

Q: Your reception for this book has been a little different from previous ones.

A: Well, you know, I've never thought about a publisher. That's an automatic, you know? Every true-crime book of mine has been a best-seller. I've had three that got up to number one, and no other true-crime author has had more than one. With this case I had a very difficult time getting a publisher, to the point where I had to fly back east, and the fear was palpable when I met with the publishers. The publishing industry is fairly liberal, and they were sympathetic to the book and they realized immediately the marketability of the book but they'd say things like this to me: "Mr. Bugliosi, are you sure you want to publish this book?" So I had a very difficult time getting a publisher, for the first time in my over-30-year career. The next level is getting the audio. Well that was always an automatic, I never even spent a moment talking about it. This time I get a call from my agent. "Vince I can't get any audio company in America to do the audio on this book." So we had to get the British Broadcasting Company to do it, and it's available now in America.

Right now as I'm talking to you, Mark, there is a documentary for the big screen being produced. It's going through editing now, based on my book. The producers couldn't raise one penny in America for it. The money had to come in from Canada. With all my other books, the only question I asked was "What day am I flying back to New York City?" You fly back to New York City. That's where you start the tour. You start out on one of the morning shows, you do other national TV shows, and you start traveling around the country. They couldn't get one booking on one show. Not one. Over a 30-year history, never got rejections like this. The fear, again, was palpable. Liberal as well as conservative, totally blacked me out.

Q: I'll tell you the reason for that: No sex.

A: That's why I'm being blacked out? No, no, no.

Q: Sex equals outrage. I thought Clinton proved it.

A: Oh, yeah, yeah, right. No, it's fear. The left wing fears the right wing. The right wing doesn't fear the left. But the left one is fearful. They're not going to put me on, because if they do they're fearful of being savaged by the right wing. And the right wing doesn't want to put me on where I'm talking about prosecuting their guy for murder and he could end up on death row. So they're just terrified of it.

Q: You say you're a Democrat, but you go to some lengths to show that your argument and motivation are nonpartisan.

A: The main reason I'm a Democrat is, in the absence of some compelling reason to be otherwise, I am always for the little guy. But my orientation is not rigid. I supported John McCain in 2000 in his run for the presidency.. I think if you were to ask my peers around the country, the main word that they apply to me more than any other word is the word "credibility." And the reason I have credibility is that no one knows what I'm going to say until I open my mouth. Because the evidence takes me where I end up talking about it. I have no predisposition toward a certain side, so if a Democratic president did what George Bush did, I would have written the same identical book. My only master, my only mistress, are the facts and objectivity.

Q: You say that life imprisonment should only be a fallback position. If this seems like a radical idea at first, then you haul off and cite the law.

A: What is radical is the notion that the president is above the law, and there's just absolutely no support for that proposition. The U.S. Constitution is very clear. After the president leaves office, he can be prosecuted for all crimes he committed while he was in office. Why do you think Ford pardoned Nixon? After Nixon resigned ... there was quite a demand in this country to prosecute him for Watergate-related crimes I think they were, well, let's see, there was wiretapping, obstruction of justice, subornation of perjury ― infinitely less serious crimes than what George Bush has done.

Q: A specific law relates to the way you prosecuted Manson.

A: It's the law of what they call "vicarious liability," that you yourself have not physically committed the act, but you're guilty for the act being committed by another party. If a person deliberately sets in motion a chain of events which he knows will cause ― that's the key word ― cause a third-party innocent agent, here Iraqis killing Americans, to commit an act, he is criminally responsible for that act. Under the law, he cannot immunize himself from criminal responsibility by causing a third party to do the killing. He's still responsible. So here's Bush then deliberately setting in motion a chain of events which he knows ― unless he's going to argue, "Well your honor, I was planning a war without casualties." If he wants to sound silly, OK, but that would be rejected out of hand. He had to know that he was setting in motion a chain of events that would inevitably result in the death of American lives.

Q: If Americans don't have the stomach for impeachment, what do you think is the real chance of Bush being prosecuted?

A: There's a substantial likelihood as a direct result of this book, that Bush is going to end up in an American courtroom being prosecuted for murder, and the main reason I say that is because of the great number of prosecutors that I've established jurisdiction for in my book. Bush can be prosecuted for two crimes here: conspiracy to commit murder and murder. Under federal law, we're only really talking about one prosecutor, that's the attorney general back in Washington, D.C., operating through his Department of Justice. There are 93 U.S. attorneys throughout the country. Theoretically they could bring an action, but from a practical standpoint it's not going to happen. They're not going to do it without getting the consent of their boss in Washington, D.C. But on a state level, I've established jurisdiction and did a lot of work on it for the attorney general in each of the 50 states and the 950 approximately district attorneys in counties within those states to prosecute Bush for the murder of any soldier or soldiers from their state or county who died fighting in Iraq in George Bush's war. I'm offering my services in any way that the prosecutor sees fit, which would include all the way from being a consultant up to an including being appointed a special prosecutor.

So what I'm telling you here is that this is not just an academic theoretical legal treatise. This is a legal blueprint to bring this guy to justice. I'm very, very serious about it. At my age, I don't have time for fanciful reveries. I mean I've got a good reputation as a prosecutor, I think. And in the area of the criminal law I think I have credibility. I never in a million years would throw all of that out the window ― because my legal reputation's on the line here ― and talk about prosecuting Bush for murder unless I felt there was more than enough evidence to convict him and I was standing on very strong legal ground.

Q: What do you think are the chief arguments against you?

A: There's one argument of course, "Mr. Bugliosi, how can you prosecute Bush for murder? Congress approved going to war Oct. 11." What they don't know is that it's boilerplate law that fraud vitiates ― meaning negates ― consent. A consent induced by fraud is no good. Yes, Congress did approve, but they were deceived into war.
The main argument I seem to be getting from people is that the idea, the notion is crazy. How can you prosecute a president for murder when he takes a nation to war? It's the ones that haven't read the book. And I say, "Do you think the president's above the law?" "No." "So, why do you think it's crazy?" "Well, presidents go to war all the time and no one prosecutes them." "Yes, they go to war, but not under false pretenses."

Q: Tell me about the moment you decided you were going to do this.

A: I'll give you one kind of defining moment here in this evolutionary process, and it served as kind of the emotional underpinning of this book, and that's the fact that throughout this hell on earth that Bush has created in Iraq ― over 100,000 people dying horrible deaths and hundreds of thousands of their survivors having nightmares over what happened to their loved ones ― George Bush has smiled through it all. You look at a photo of Bush and six or seven other people smiling, he's got the biggest smile on his face.

Q: When Bush did the routine in 2004 of looking around his office and joking, "No weapons of mass destruction here," I thought, Hey, people died for that.

A: I know that, I know, he's just joking around. Listen, March of this year he shows up at a press conference to endorse John McCain and McCain is late. What does George Bush do? Big smile on his face, spontaneously he goes into a soft shoe tap dance routine to entertain the assembled media. This is a happy man.

Q: If there's no precedent for such a case, you also say there's no precedent for any of this whole scenario.

A: Yeah, there's never been a prosecution of an American president for murder, or actually for any crime that I know of. But that doesn't mean that the law is not already on the books. There's no federal or state statute that says that murder only applies to certain people, not to presidents or hairstylists or engineers, and only when the killing takes place in certain places like a car, a home or out in the street, not a battlefield. So the legal architecture is already there. And what I had to do was to see whether a president taking a nation to war fell within the existing legal architecture. No one has ever tried to do that before.

Q: Your anger throughoutthe book is palpable.

A: Yeah, I'm very, very angry at this guy. Very angry. And it may sound presumptuous, but I can tell you ― and people will say, "He sounds like a loudmouth," whatever. I'm going after George Bush, OK? Now whether I succeed or not, that's a totally different issue. But I'm personally not going to be satisfied until I see him in an American courtroom being prosecuted for murder. I want an American jury to decide whether Bush is guilty or not guilty of murder, and if they conclude that he is, and they convict him of first-degree murder, then it'll be up the jury to decide what the appropriate punishment is.

Q: I think even people who don't agree with you canagree on one thing: Man, you've got cojones.

A: It's all anger. That's all it is. I don't want to see anyone even get away with one murder, OK?

O.J. Simpson got away with two murders, and I was so outraged that I wrote a book, "Outrage, the Five Reasons Why O.J. Simpson Got Away with Murder." Shot up to number one on The New York Times.


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