I couldn't find any real heroes this week. As, I am going to try to see United 93 before I weigh in on it, but I did find two hacks in the realm of entertainment. Enjoy:


My hack this week is rock's Neil Young, for his "Impeach the President" song. Tucker Carlson has the scoop:

t’s been 40 years since Neil Young produced his first album in the United States. For the last 20 or so, he hasn’t had many hits. But Young hopes to change that with a new song he’s calling, "Let’s Impeach the President."

The lyrics are as subtle as the title, and just about as smart. (Keep in mind that convicting Bush would make Dick Cheney the president.) In any case, here’s a sample of Young’s latest protest tune:

What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees

Would New Orleans have been safer that way

Sheltered by our government’s protection

Or was someone just not home that day?

What does that even mean? The U.S. government is sheltering Al Qaeda? In New Orleans? Huh? It's literally nonsense.

But politically, it does mean something: good news for Bush. An arrogant, out-of-touch rich guy from Canada weighing in on American political issues he clearly doesn’t understand? That’s a political gimmee, manna from Heaven for the GOP. As a strategist I spoke to tonight put it, "It’s people like Neil Young who give Republicans a chance."

The New York Times reports on monopoly:

ATLANTIC CITY, April 27 — It has been a long time since anyone could try to buy a hotel on Ventnor Avenue for $400.

But news that the toy maker Hasbro is planning to drop Atlantic City from its flagship version of Monopoly has left people on the streets of this gambling resort startled and local officials protesting.

Since the game made its debut in 1930, it has sold 250 million copies, making famous the names of Atlantic City's byways, like Baltic Avenue, Park Place and the Boardwalk. And while the game has spawned 200 spinoffs — including Hawaii-opoly, Star Wars Monopoly and even a SpongeBob SquarePants edition, set in the fictional town of Bikini Bottom — Atlantic City has remained the locale for the standard edition, which is by far the most popular.

Now, however, Hasbro has announced plans to update the game to a "here and now" version, raising rents and letting the public vote on streets, neighborhoods and national monuments to fill the 22 properties on the board. And Atlantic City is not among the choices.

The company will still produce the Atlantic City-based, "classic" version of the game, but the "here and now" version is projected to be their best sellers.

In Atlantic City, where many residents consider their connection with Monopoly a point of civic pride, Hasbro's decision makes about as much sense as Scrabble without vowels, and has spurred officials to organize a lobbying campaign to pressure Hasbro into reconsidering.

"Sure, put in the Statue of Liberty and Disney World and other places," said Jeffrey Vassar, executive director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which has a "Help Keep Atlantic City on the Board" petition on the city's Web site, www.atlanticcitynj.com. "But it's a slight to not have the Atlantic City Boardwalk as one of the stops," he added.

Posted by Ryan S. on Friday, April 28, 2006 at 12:06 PM | Permalink |