Pick of the Pickers
There was a strong thread over at Eschaton the other day in which a number of us were knocking about the idea of "Who is the best acoustic guitar player?"

Naturally the idea of a "best" in this area is very subjective but we did come up with a pretty good list. We (okay, I) limited the to living players to avoid getting into long lists of deceased bluesmen.As a result Robert Johnson, Jerry Garcia, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Django Reinhart and other luminaries are not included.

The list we came up with, in no particular order:
Tony Rice
Leo Kottke
Kelly Joe Phelps
Jorma Kaukonen
Doc Watson
John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola & Paco De Lucia
David Grier
David Bromberg
Pat Metheny
John Hammond
Ry Cooder

others I would add upon reflection

Taj Mahal
Bruce Cockburn
Kotaro Oshio

Add your comments, complaints and further suggestions below

The witless wisdom of the American Taliban
See all a collection of charming sentiments and pithy quotes here but I've lifted a few of my favorites


"I don't know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
-George Herbert Walker Bush



“George Bush was not elected by a majority of the voters in the United States, he was appointed by God.”

-Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, U.S. Army

"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good...Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism."

-Randall Terry, Operation Rescue

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
The Observer | International | Revealed: grim world of new Iraqi torture camps

you get tar, I'll get the feathers
Fox newscreep John Gibson wonders why there is so much anti-Americanism in Canada, and why we feel so "smugly superior" to the Americans. Could it be because jackasses like him write essays likeMacleans.ca | Canada Switchboard | Essay | Un-Happy Birthday, Canada

I wonder why they call it Black Sturgeon Lake?
CBC News: Manitoban struggles 90 minutes to land huge sturgeon

And he had the class to let the big fish go. My nominee for Canuck of the month!

The envelope please...
Apparently all you mugs are allergic to posting comments as only one person attempted to guess the twenty lines listed below

1. "I bet I can eat 50 eggs"

2."We're on a mission from God"

3."Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

4."Where do you want me to hold it?" - "between your knees!"

5."Saigon, shit, I'm still in Saigon"

6."We deal in lead, friend"

7."Goooooood Morning Vietnaaaaam!"

8."That's mighty big talk from a one-eyed fat man" "Fill your hand you son-of-a-bitch"

9."Peel me a grape, Beulah"

10."I'm out of order? You're out of order! The whole damn system is out of order"

11."Was you ever bit by a dead bee?"

13."Never get out of the boat"

14. "The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club."

15."Quick, close the doors, there's a traitor inside trying to escape"

16. "Who are those guys?"

17. "What are you rebelling against anyways?" "Whaddya got?"

18. "I love children, could never eat a whole one, but I love the little tykes"

19. "The new phone book's here! the new phone book's here!"

20. "I crap bigger than you"


and the answers......


1. Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

2. Dan Akroyd and John Belushi in The Blues Brothers

3. John Belushi in Animal House

4. Jack Nicholson's famous toast scene in Five Easy Pieces

5. Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now

6. Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven

7. Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam

8.Robert Duvall and John Wayne in True Grit

9.Mae West in Diamond Lil

10. Al Pacino in And Justice For All

11. Walter Brennan in To Have and Have Not

12. Ha-Ha! Tricky me - there is no number 12!

13. Fredrick Forrest in Apocalypse Now

14. Brad Pitt in Fight Club

15. Errol Flynn in Robin Hood

16. Robert Redford and Paul Newman in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

17. Marlon Brando in The Wild One

18. WC Field in The Bank Dick

19. Steve Martin in The Jerk

20. Jack Palance in City Slickers

Isn't he dead yet?

The rest of the freakin' story from a moldering racist warmonger