WDR Recommends: A Little Light Reading

We understand that many of you shape your entire worldview by solely looking at this blog. This makes you more knowledgeable than 94.3% of Internet users, and for that, you deserve a pat on the back (WDR Courtesy Note: before forcibly taking your neighbor's hand and placing it on your backside, it is best if you ask for their permission, preferably in writing). However, we feel that your education would be slightly incomplete if you solely rely on us, so we're providing some interesting links that we've come across.


The Right Has No Clue What To Do. Paul Krugman offers up a column that states clearly what I've been saying in private for some time now--the Right knows how to capture a phrase, but never follows through on their promises. All this talk of "small government" was en vogue during the 90's when the Republicans came into power once again, but we saw greater spending and greater deficits--you know, just like Reagan. And we're seeing the rise of that rhetoric once again, and just as repeated history dictates, we're seeing no actual solutions from the Right. Spending cuts sound like a good idea, until you try to figure out what needs to be cut.

Labeling a "Terrorist" Glenn Greenwald provides a scathing critique of the unwillingness to label the "Tax Protester" a terrorist, despite fulfilling every qualification for the term--except for being a Muslim/Arab. This looks at our nonsensical application of the word, from those who target military targets but are Muslim ("Terrorist") versus those that kill civilians, but are white ("Separatist" or some other term). You would think that this is important, considering that if you are labelled a terrorist you can be shuttled off to Guantanamo and be deprived of basic due process, even if you're an American citizen.

Milk Inspires Poetry A product review for a gallon of milk sparks creativity in the minds of Amazon users. Also check out this product that other users bought.

Other People Learn of the Brilliance of "Lady Terminator" A look at Indonesian exploitation films, and finally we have a reason why Lady Terminator exists and is nearly indistinguishable from a porno.

WDR Recommends This week, we recommend renting Black Dynamite. This is an absolutely hilarious film that examines the Blaxploitation era in a whole new light, and will have you on the floor laughing as you repeat back lines like "Now Aunt Billy, how many times have I told you not to call here and interrupt my Kung Fu!"

Nic Ouzo's Wild European Adventure: There's a Reason Why You Can Never Find A "Dutch" Restaurant

One of the initial questions I had when I first found out I was going to the Netherlands for the summer, was what exactly is Dutch cuisine (this gives you a good idea of what my priorities are in life). And even though the person I was asking had lived in Holland for 3 months, she couldn't give me much of an answer. And now here I am, three months later, and I too can't give much of an answer.

My initial guess would have been that the great Dutch dish was some sort of herring on a stick, and I probably wouldn't have been too far off in that assessment. I seem to recall seeing that sort of dish around, though not in pushcart form (I've been in New Yawk for too long). However, my sense of what would really constitute Dutch cuisine may be a bit off since I'm living in The Hague, which is truly an international city. Not only does one get to view beautiful women of all races from every corner of the globe, but one gets a diverse sampling of various international dishes. And what I've really learned is that the Dutch don't really know how to cook Thai food.



The one true Dutch dish is apparently French Fries. That's it. You can get all sorts of sauces with them, but the Dutch go apeshit for mayonnaise. In fact, all of North/Central Europe loves to drench their food in the stuff, which is bad news bears for me. For you see, even though I'm an incredible fatass, the one healthy choice I've ever made was to decide not to like mayonnaise--it makes me so sick that I can barely listen to the Smashing Pumpkins song, even though it's brilliant. Combine that with my recent decision to try to eat somewhat healthy, kicking out some old favorites, with french fries being the first to go. Needless to say, I have not partaken in a Dutch classic.



However, the Dutch have proved themselves capable of one thing, and that's making a sandwich. Which is a good thing, since it's about the one relatively inexpensive thing you can buy. It's not just that they prepare a good sandwich and you can find one everywhere (they're big fans of selling truck-stop style sandwiches, which is decent train-food), but that they're very creative in making new recipes. In fact there are two that I want to import to the US--one is a spicy chili sauce chicken mixed with a lightly-fried mushroom sandwich, while the other is a concoction sure to give Joe Reefer half-a-chub: ham, cheese, and pineapple, and all toasted. We should all bow down to our Dutch sandwich masters.

One thing you will find in Holland is American fast food. McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway--all are here. Now some will lament how Americanized everything has become (I remember shedding the metaphorical tear when I saw a T.G.I.Friday's in Thessaloniki), but hell, these places provide really convenient cheap food right when you need it most, especially later at night (because everything in Holland shuts down at like 6 pm). So I felt better about this American influence, at least until I rode the train to Vienna with some University of Florida students. Oh, they were fine enough people, but after hearing them complain about how the food sucks in Europe and how THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT BUFFALO SAUCE is, I was ready to give up. Of course, if we left the Dutch on their own to approximate American food, we'd end up with only stuff like this:



I actually just visited this place, and there really isn't even fried chicken on the menu--it's a bunch of Turks selling things like crappy falafel. Whatever, I'll go get myself a crazy pineapple sandwich and call it a day.

The College Football Fan's Dilemma: When Is It Okay To Root For Your Rivals

Or: Potentially Acceptable Uses of the Phrase "Go Auburn"

While Mr. Zhuang spent last weekend cheering for his Mighty Ducks of Oregon to defeat Broseph U (also known as the current residence of Joe Reefer (who did no cheering at all for his school)), I sat in my room for some quiet contemplation. With no specific rooting interest that weekend since LSU was taking some time off to get in nightclub fights over the weekend, I certainly had the time to think. So it was during that time that I puzzled over one of those eternal questions: who do I root for when a team that my team has beaten faces off against a team that has beaten my team? In other words, do I want my team's defeats to look more impressive, or their triumphs?

Of course, this is only a question because of the nonsensical lack of a playoff in BigTime College Football, so instead of proving everything out on the field, one must have to contend with impressing fallible human voters and cold heartless computers each week. And without spending a sizable chunk of change on hookers and blow and RAM chips, one must seek other ways to impress the voters. And arguments about strength-of-schedule seem to be the prime method of choice.



As for the question at hand, I suppose it's a matter of philosophy--do I want my accomplishments to speak for themselves, or be able to explain away my failures easily? Due to the premium put on losses in college football (with more than one pretty much guaranteeing an absence from championship contention), it would seem that the focus should be on the quality of the opponent in the losses. If your team battled hard against a great opponent, it looks much better than crapping the bed one week against Directional State U.

However, with a resume of a series of impressive victories, one could certainly argue that their team had performed admirably, and that their one loss to a mediocre team was a fluke. What we have is an aberration, not something around which one can build an argument. Say we take the inverse of the situation: your team loses one game to a quality opponent, but then all your victories seem less impressive as your quality opponent then proceeds to defeat your other opponents--you have victories over three- and four-loss teams over two- and three-loss teams as a result. What was once an impressive looking resume is now just a mediocre set of half-assed accomplishments.



So who do I root for? I'd still say you should root for the team you lost to, simply due to the scarcity of losses. Which means that the Kentucky Wildcats better get their act together and take care of some fuckin' business.

Hump Day Helper -- No More Summer Edition

Because it's Wednesday, and we all need a pick-me-up to make it through the rest of the week in our respective hells, WDR is providing some fun.

I know the calendar says that summer ended more than a week ago, but in reality it actually happened last Friday afternoon. That was when the weather suddenly went from bright and sunny mid-70s to, well, stereotypical Oregon weather. So I say "fuck that", it's time for some summertime music.

This week's choice is from My Morning Jacket. If you don't know of this band, then your life is woefully incomplete, my friend. Please consult this post for a video that should make you a convert to the cause. There's a good reason why they are one of the bands that I need to see before I die. Every person that I've had listen to this band has agreed, and if you watch their live DVD Okonokos, it would be best to describe it as a religious experience. The music of MMJ is difficult to describe--it's often understated, with a simplicity that is not often apparent at first glance. They mix many different styles, but not in a way that's obvious at all. It just rocks.

This video has two things going for it. One, the song itself, which uses a laid-back take on the Hawaii 5-O riff to form the backing of a cheery reggae song, which then at the end morphs into a slinky, eerily sexy groove that's reminiscent of Air (though you'd have to listen to the album version to get the full effect). And two, the video will leave you wondering what just happened, much like Radiohead's "Just". Nothing wrong with any of that.

And I'll make it up to you right now, at the penny arcade...