All tomorrow's parties

So, honestly, the daily White House press briefings are the most compelling content on the web. The confrontation, the absurdity - it's all there.

But, as others have noted, the reporter from the India Globe, Raghubir Goyal doesn't seem to enjoy the fun as much as others. While everyone else is banging away on "Does Karl Rove still have top secret clearance despite being a jackass?" - Goyal routinely disrupts the journalistic condemnation with some boring ass question about Pakistan. He's like the guy at the naked Twister party who just wants to play Scrabble.

Well, today he has redeemed himself. By going crazy.

Q (Goyal): Scott, lately we have been in the news. My short comment is part of my question. First of all, I am really thankful to the President for inviting me to the grand State Dinner for the Prime Minister of India last week; it was great.

Q (reporter who didn't get invited): I wasn't there --

Mr. McClellan: There are other opportunities.

Q: But my -- one of my comment is that, again, I said before that I am really thankful to this press corps, White House press corps, that you have been so supporting and helpful and also very kind and nice to me for those years -- 15 or for also 25 years here at the White House, ever since President Clinton.

Mr. McClellan: I appreciate that. Let's get to your question, because I do want to try to meet this meeting with --

Q: You're a nice guy. (Laughter.)

Mr. McClellan: -- or make it to this meeting.

Q: What I'm saying, Scott, that why do you have problems that I should ask the same questions that everybody asked, because when the Prime Minister of India is here, I should not ask the same questions everybody is asking. I did the same thing during President Clinton. Why should I ask about Monica Lewinsky when Prime Minister of India --

Mr. McClellan: People in this room have the right to ask whatever questions -- have the right to ask whatever questions they want.

Q: What I'm saying is really that it was a grand -- beyond red carpet -- what India Globe said that Prime Minister of India got from the President and from the United States and also grand -- renewed of new friendship and new relations between the United States and India.

What my question is that from this -- from that grand dinner and red carpet -- beyond red carpet welcome, where we do go and also because I have not seen much in other paper. Like, I didn't come for the last two days, and I didn't see any question on the Prime Minister of India in town, rather than other question. So where -- what President --

Mr. McClellan: The two leaders had a very good visit.

Buck up, Princess

From today's White House press briefing:

Q: Scott, I just wonder -- Scott, on a personal, human note, how are you holding out? Are you enjoying this? (Laughter.) Seriously.

And they didn't even get into the new story that Bush approved covert ops to buy the election in Iraq. Or that the British are pulling out.

Oh and the war cost is now at $314B with another projected $450B over the next 10 years.

Coniferous

Sutter, Lane, Aaron and I are camping at Crystal Basin this weekend. They got some tall trees here yo.

The Great Outdoors

Two Awkward Conversations

Overheard while walking down Valencia St. on Sunday:

Girl: Did you see the women marching with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer?

Boy: Nuh-uh ... Were they topless or something?

Girl: No! What is wrong with you?!

Overheard at the White House press briefing this morning:

Q: Scott, I mean, just -- I mean, this is ridiculous. The notion that you're going to stand before us after having commented with that level of detail and tell people watching this that somehow you decided not to talk. You've got a public record out there. Do you stand by your remarks from that podium, or not?

Mr. McClellan: And again, David, I'm well aware, like you, of what was previously said, and I will be glad to talk about it at the appropriate time. The appropriate time is when the investigation--

Q: Why are you choosing when it's appropriate and when it's inappropriate?

Mr. McClellan: If you'll let me finish --

Q: No, you're not finishing -- you're not saying anything. You stood at that podium and said that Karl Rove was not involved. And now we find out that he spoke out about Joseph Wilson's wife. So don't you owe the American public a fuller explanation? Was he involved, or was he not? Because, contrary to what you told the American people, he did, indeed, talk about his wife, didn't he?

Mr. McClellan: David, there will be a time to talk about this, but now is not the time to talk about it.

Q: Do you think people will accept that, what you're saying today?

Mr. McClellan: Again, I've responded to the question.

Cardinals at SF

My mom says "It's weird to hear people boo the Cards."

Presidiyoda

Posejobs

Last night, a group of anarchists held a protest here in the Mission. I found out about it when Sutter and I were headed to dinner and we saw a single file of 25 policemen in riot gear trailing after 5 teenagers in black hoodies. They (the teenagers) broke a couple windows and sent a cop to the hospital with a head injury.

As a result, I believe the G8 leaders are due to announce the end of capitalism any moment now.

The Chron has The Man's version of what happened. And you can also check out the protester's website for their minute-by-minute account. This comment left on the latter pretty much sums it up for me:

Thanks for making the left look like a bunch of retarded highschoolers yet again. Do us a favor, next time, bust up your own neighborhood in marin or wherever the fuck you idiots come from. Leave liberal citys and people the hell alone, you fucking pose-jobs.

We Grilled Our Pants Off

The dishes are done and the photos are tagged - this year's July 4th BBQ is complete! As in past years, this BBQ was heavily documented such that we will be able to reconstruct the entire event based on the photographic record even if all the participants have their memories wiped by aliens.

Also there were two grills this year! That was a new feature.

Update: See also Sutter's, Brett's, Mai's and Willo's.

Candy-colored clown they call the sandman

It took me awhile to place the music they were playing during breakfast at the coffee shop around the corner. When the theme song to Twin Peaks came on I realized it was a collection of Angelo Badalamenti tunes.

An interesting choice for breakfast. That creepy "Mysteries of Love" song from Blue Velvet made me want to check my fruit and granola for misplaced body parts and/or Kyle MacLachlan.

Treetoe and Pooch

GamePro has an article about how the endgame of WoW is pretty uncasual - as it relies on 40-man raids and repetitive crawls through the same instances. There's some truth there I think.