The Last Candle

Jeff Jarvis, my favorite liberal blogger, has published a podcast-delivered fisking an episode of Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect show featuring the infamous Ward Churchill. It’s far from some of the best fisking I’ve seen — Jeff Harrell’s righteous fiskings of Markos Zuniga’s Guardian columns are some of my favorites — but this is a really cool presentation. I need to find me a good, dedicated political podcast page… <p/> Of course, the true question: how can I work podcasts into this place? Perhaps Tod would be interested in another interview; the last one turned out very well, after all.

For my second liveblog (the first was liveblogging a test during the test — yes, it was lame), I proudly announce: 20 minutes of Pigcam liveblogging! And start!

• 8:51 PM: He’s out — and eating. What a surprise. I can almost smell the fat drifting off of his fat piggish haunches.
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• 8:53 PM: Still eating. His face is literally buried in the bedding — he’s probably looking for some tiny corn scrap or peanut kibble. I’ve seen him eat for hour-long stretches at times, so I won’t be surprised if he’s porking out for the next 45 minutes.<p/>In other news, this Caedmon’s Call song I’m listening to from iTunes isn’t nearly as great in full length as the sample supposed. Bummer. I’m going to just start making 30-second sample compliations and live off of those. Free of charge, they are!
• 8:57 PM: Pig has assumed large burnt meatball form, where he turns to the camera so that he’s perfectly round.<p/>This Gaelic Storm song, Courtin’ in the Kitchen, more than makes up for the Caedmon’s Call Christian rock mediocrity. Just about anything by Gaelic Storm is good — especially if you like a good Irish jigs or bar song. And really: besides those damn Reds, who doesn’t? In the Irish tradition, I wish I had an ale here myself, so I could do a bit of “singing.”
• 8:5? PM: Webcam image has been red X’d. Methinks pig discovered that he was under watch and took offensive measures. Go, fatty, go.
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• 9:02 PM: Image is back; pig is GONE. Stay tuned.
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• 9:05 PM: He’s back. I didn’t notice this before, but there are a few generous bits of lettuce strew about his feasting area. As long as the lettuce remains, the pig will remain in the camera’s view. I applaud my sister for this brilliant maneuver, as the pig is compelled into the watcher’s eye in the interests of lettuce-chomping, thus giving the audience a hefty dosage of viewing of this fine heifer as the plumping continues.
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• 9:11 PM: The pig seems to have ate himself to death. Had to happen sooner or later.<p/>Current song: Abba’s Take a Chance On Me. Before you say anything: don’t. Just shut up. First, there’s nothing wrong with Abba. Second, if there was, you wouldn’t know anyway.
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• 9:13 PM: Back from the dead! Pig’s looking into the food bowl, but — wait for it — the bowl’s empty. I don’t think we’ll need to employ the local police to figure out who “stole” the pound or so of grainery that’s gone missin’.<p/> Now playing: John Tesh’s Wimby Thrills. If I was in a power metal band and my fellow band members discovered what I’ve been listening to, I’d probably get bonked over the head with a Flying V next time I stepped into the studio. I would counter, naturally, by jabbing him in the stomach with a Warlock and then putting the vagrant’s head through the bass drum. Win!
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• 9:20 PM: The 20 minutes are almost up, and the pig has gone missing again. Figures. I didn’t expect him to be courteous enough to give one of his masters a good show.<p/>Final “Owen has gone soft” song: GREEN DAY! Specifically the Dream Theater-esque medley Jesus of Surburbia/City of the Damned/Pudding on My Waffles/Kerplunk! Was Better from their newest album. While comparing Green Day to Dream Theater is like a cookoff with Iron Chef Sakai versus Ronald McDonald (the ingredient: bacon grease), Jesus of Suburbia is a nice change of pace from Green Day’s frantic releasing of punk-rock power chord anthems. From what I hear, their last two albums were kind of junky, so perhaps they’ve decided to, y’know, make a time machine and go back to the 90’s to cry mess with their sound a little bit and make something interesting. Hopefully they make more stuff like Jesus of Suburbia in the future.<p/> Not as if I really care. When’s the next Blind Guardian album out?
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• 9:30 PM: Pig: still eating. 20 minutes is up, and I don’t think this session has been anything but as successful as the first liveblog. I got an A in that class, too. Addtionally, the pig has zero class, but gets an A for curvature.