I can't decide if this guy has a really terrific sense of humor or is just flat-out insane. Hopefully we've got another Rocket Man on our hands:

The one-time James T. Kirk of "Star Trek" fame has released an 11-song collection this month, a follow-up to his 1968 spoken-word debut that garnered such critical infamy it became a camp classic.

So it must be asked: Is this a trick or a treat?

"It's a treat for me," Shatner, 73, said by telephone from Los Angeles, where he was taping an episode of "Boston Legal," his latest TV show. "I hope nobody turns a trick on it."

The new album -- slyly titled "Has Been" -- once again puts Shatner's choppy, emphasis-added words to music. But this time he's penned his own lyrics and tempered the cheese quotient with a few musical friends. Ben Folds, who produced and arranged the new album and co-wrote many of the songs, wrangled guest appearances by Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins and Brad Paisley.

Still smirking?

...

As is often the case with Shatner's projects, the CD seems to forever flit between self and self-parody.
...

And in "You'll Have Time," he bluntly counsels "Live life like you're gonna die / Because you're gonna / I hate to be the bearer of bad news / But you're gonna die."

Ahem. I sense gold.

Thanks to RDB.

Posted by: Ace at 01:13 PM | Comments (15)
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British Sissy-Paper Calls Off Campaign to Swing Ohio Voters

British Writers Objected To Mass-Emails Suggesting That They Clean Their Teeth, Calling them "Chocolate Mouth"

A petty little victory, but this is just the place for such pettiness:

The Guardian yesterday ran up the white flag and called a halt to "Operation Clark County", the newspaper's ambitious scheme to recruit thousands of readers to persuade American voters in a swing state to kick out President George W Bush in next month's election.

The cancellation of the project came 24 hours after the first of some 14,000 letters from Guardian readers began arriving in Clark County. The missives led to widespread complaints about foreign interference in a US election.

It also prompted a surge of indignant local voters calling the county's Republican party offering to volunteer for Mr Bush.

Here's the thing: the rest of the world is so pleased with itself -- so self-satisfied with its ostensibly superior culture and education -- that they really imagined US voters wanted unsolicited mass emails. Because, you see, these aren't your normal unsolicited mass emails. These are from Europeans.

Thanks to NickS.

Posted by: Ace at 01:08 PM | Comments (17)
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What's the opposite of cowbell? Because this would be that.

Posted by: Ace at 01:00 PM | Comments (9)
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Michele's got a really tough lyric-fragment quiz. I figured I'd counter-program and go slightly easier. But I don't know how much easier.

Again, mostly one-hit wonders from the 80's and nineties, a couple of classic-rock tracks, one disco hit (just to mix it up), and an oldie. Couple of real gimmes tossed in to keep people from becoming completely frustrated. more...

Posted by: Ace at 12:17 PM | Comments (22)
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Employment up in 8 of 10 battleground states:

WASHINGTON - Unemployment declined last month in eight of 10 states that are hotly contested in the presidential race, including Pennsylvania and Ohio where job losses and a struggling economy have boosted Democrat John Kerry's election hopes.

Friday's Labor Department report on regional and state employment in September was the last snapshot of the labor market before the election.

Ohio's unemployment rate declined to 6 percent in September from 6.3 percent the previous month. Employers' payrolls grew by 5,500, helping to send down the rate. But more jobseekers dropped out of the labor pool, too, contributing to the rate decline.

Among the closely contested states, unemployment rates declined last month in Pennsylvania, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Nevada and Colorado in addition to Ohio.

Rates climbed in two battleground states, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Posted by: Ace at 10:46 AM | Comments (8)
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More foreign leaders for Kerry.

Posted by: Ace at 09:03 AM | Comments (3)
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Too late to influence the election, but it's nice to know the economy is getting healthier.

Jobless claims down again:

WASHINGTON - The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits fell sharply last week, offering a dose of encouraging news that the recovery in the labor market may be strengthening a bit.

The Labor Department (news - web sites) reported Thursday that new filings for unemployment insurance declined by a seasonally adjusted 25,000 to 329,000 for the week ending Oct. 16. That marked the lowest level since early September. In the prior week, claims had climbed by 16,000.

The latest snapshot of the layoffs climate was better than economists were expecting. They were forecasting claims to total in the 345,000 range.

The more stable, four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week fluctuations, decreased by 5,500 last week to 348,250, the best showing since late September.

Thanks to Mark.

And highlights from the Joint Economic Committee's latest report on state employment:

* Over the past year (since September 2003), the unemployment rate has fallen in 46 states. 36 states have unemployment rates at or below the national unemployment rate of 5.4 percent.

* Non-farm payroll employment has increased in 47 states over the past year. The largest over-the-year gains in employment occurred in Florida (+125,500), Texas (+123,700), California (+121,900), Virginia (+81,900), and New Jersey (+68,800).

* In 2004, 49 states have added new payroll jobs.

* Non-farm payroll employment increased in 33 states in September. The states with the largest payroll job gains during September were Kansas (+12,400), New Jersey (+12,000), Missouri (+10,400), Nevada (+6,700), and Texas (+6,500).

Posted by: Ace at 08:59 AM | Comments (7)
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Might as well slap this buffoon up before I turn in:

Here's [link omitted] an over-wrought attack on yours truly as the Judas of Bush-supporters. Please. Oh, and I'm also "Zarqawi's microphone." Actually, I'm even more important that that: "I suspect Andrew Sullivan has done more damage to the president, and more help to Kerry, than George Soros and MoveOn with all their billions." My power, it frightens me.

If someone attributed such power to me, would I link it? You betcha. But I'd be perfectly transparent about my reasons for doing so (i.e., ego stroke-- I can't believe this guy thinks I matter!)

Sullivan is posting a nobody making dopey statements primarily so he can call attention to this ninny's idea that little Andrew Sullivan is more important that George Soros' billions.

Jackass.

It's a jackass statement. And it's even more jackass for Sullivan to print it, even why saying "Moi? Important?"

A simpler explanation is that I'm a blogger who tries to call things as I see them. When facts change, I try and adjust.

The main fact that's changed is.... oh, for crying out loud, everyone knows what we're talking about here.

I never believed the Iraq liberation would be this botched; and it behooves those of us who supported it to be accountable. (God knows, the Bush administration won't take responsibility.) I've learned in life that error is not something to be afraid of. But fear of admitting error is.

And yet Sullivan then goes on to call Bush to account for Sullivan's errors. As I've pointed out before, Sullivan continues to insist he was right all along on Iraq while simultaneously claiming that it's all going wrong now-- he personally NEVER has confessed to any error as regards the war. Not that he thought the pacification would be easier, or that Iraqis would be more helpful in making their own peaceful futures, etc.

He's quite ready to confess the errors of others, especially those who oppose gay marriage (though I'm quite sure that's coincidental). But confess his own errors? Not so much.

Tell ya what, Andy-- I'll get on Bush to admit his errors the moment you confess yours.

Since you're so big on "adjusting" as facts change and such a big believer in admitting error.

Let's face it-- since you're now apparently more influential than George Soros' billions, your leadership-by-example would be most salutory for our political dialogue.

Update:

Ace, I believe that you are the single most powerful blogger in the history of blogging.

No, that's just ridiculous. Stop it.

More Powerful than Instapundit.

Now come on! This is just getting silly.

The trendsetter for the Corner.

Really? Moi? Do you really think...?

Quicker on the breaking news than Drudge.

This is just too ridiculous. I'm going to let you just make a couple of absurd compliments, and then that's it for you, buddy.

Sexier than Wonkette's faux lesbo pics.

(Batting eyes.)

Gayer than Andrew Sullivan (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Hey!

"Phat-ter" than Filet O Fish (but not fatter, since no one is). That pretty much says it all. -- Senator Philabuster, with the Comment of the Day

It doesn't QUITE say it all though! Because Jake has an interesting follow up:

Ace is more important in this election than President Bush.

No, please don't (yes yes) stop! I'm not worthy! (Am I? Tell me I am.)

Okay. Now, no more of this silly nonsense!

Posted by: Ace at 01:08 AM | Comments (16)
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Here are the answers to the lyric fragment quiz: more...

Posted by: Ace at 12:16 AM | Comments (5)
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I think I know how these filters work-- they look for words similar to banned words (usually those used by spamming companies), and then they bounce any comment that contains a permutation of them.

I was just disallowed from posting a comment about The Office due, the software said, to the banned phrase "me.com." Well, I didn't have "me.com" in my comment, but I did use the word "comedies" a couple of times. When I replaced that word with "shows," I was able to post.

Not the word I wanted, but the only word I was allowed.

I apologize for this snag, which I know has hit people from time to time. It's a feature of Moveable Type, and it sometimes doesn't work quite right. I know it's frustrating to have an unobjectionable comment banned for some stupid reason, but I don't think there's any way to turn it off-- and if it were turned off, the comments would be filled with spam about rape porn and casino gambling.

Posted by: Ace at 11:34 PM | Comments (9)
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