Hot on the heels of the Spidey 3 trailer comes a teaser for next summer’s Transformers movie.

This July, Chop Suey is offering 20% off of used books if you present a reciept from one of the following bookstores:

Black Swan Books

Book People

Books Plus

Book Room

Cafe Gutenberg

Ex Libris Books

Fountain Books

Midlothian Book Exchange

Narnia

Owens and Ramsey

Phoenix Rising

Price and Sons

Richmond Book Shop

Stories

Velocity Comics

Whitings Old Paper

…when a world leader up and suddenly kisses your stomach?

So last week I mocked some guy running for Reno city council for having a MySpace page for his campaign. Well, it seems I didn’t really have to look nearly to the other side of the country for a campaign in MySpace.

James Webb is doing his part to cater to that elusive 14-23 year old voting block that just LOVES MySpace and the half nekkid girl spambots that infest it.

Maybe I’m just behind the curve and MySpace is in the same place blogging was a few years ago: shunned, mocked, considered utterly worthless for campaign purposes. Hey, blogging’s still viewed that way by a lot of folks. But still, MySpace? The webservice that gets in the news only when fourteen year old girls run off to meet up with their 20-50 year old BFF they met there? I dunno…

Oh well, at least George Allen has more friends on MySpace then James Webb.

A new SurveyUSA poll in the VA Senate race puts Republican incumbant George Allen way up over Democratic challenger James Webb by 19 points. A breakdown of the polls is available here.

Only 80% of the people approached were registered to vote and only 54% of that 80% said they were going to vote this November. I’m sure some of those who said they didn’t intend to vote will eventually decide to (thus explaining the very low 3% undecided number) but just the same, that’s not a lot of interest or a whole lot of room for the candidates to maneuver. I fully expect it to get closer between now and then, but that’s only if the Webb camp can get its act together and start running like a professional, big league campaign.

350pm UPDATE: The Dem response to this poll seems to be that Allen’s been out there more as of late than Webb. Didn’t Webb just come off a primary win that gave him huge exposure statewide and beyond? Didn’t Webb’s primary performance get credit for his being within 5 points on the Zogby poll? So why does that performance and exposure not count now?

Bubba Nosferatu - This prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep finds Elvis shooting a film in Louisiana when he runs afoul of a coven of she-vampires.

I can’t wait.

Speaking of my inability to wait and movies, I highly recomend checking out the trailer for Spider-Man 3. Looks great. Not only because I’m a comic dork but a big Sam Raimi fan too.

Last night Israeli troops entered the Gaza Strip to try and force the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit who is being held prisoner by a Palestinian militant group. Today Israeli airplanes flew over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s house in an effort to get Syria to put pressure on the Palestinians to release Cpl. Shalit.

The mission was the latest in a dramatic series of events raising tensions in the Middle East, including Israeli military raids into Gaza, where Cpl. Gilad Shalit was believed to be held captive by groups linked with Syria.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Israeli planes had flown over the Syrian president’s country home and Israeli television reported al-Assad was at home at the time.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres has complained that Syria allowed Hamas political leaders based in Damascus to order Shalit’s kidnapping.

Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon told Army Radio Wednesday that Israel sought to assassinate Hamas’ Syria-based political chief, Khalid Meshaal, according to The Associated Press.

Syria’s response?

Syria says its air defenses fired at Israeli jets flying over the president’s house, forcing them to flee, The Associated Press reports.

How far is this going to go?

So instead of just increasing fines and jail time for pimps and prostitutes, let’s just sic the IRS on them. So if someone files a W2 claiming their pimping wages, can that be used as evidence in court should you go arrest them for, well, pimping? Or is it akin to purchasing a license? What a waste of time and money…

UPDATE: Odd. Right when I posted this, Roger Alan Wade’s “She’s Gone Back To Whorin’” started playing on the radio…

This thing just keeps going. Via Instapundit, Travis at Rain Storm sees a conspiracy behind the whole thing:

It’s the old guard Dems and a few Ivy League journalists, seeing the times a changing, focusing all their resentments on a handful of insightful bloggers who might have referred to them as “wankers” a time or two.

So they’ve been throwing a swift boat hissy fit, telling stories out of school about those mean bloggers who called them such awful names. What a bunch of whiny ass wankers.

It’s the traditional media using blogging tools to give as good as it gets, if you ask me. Blogs are only relevant in as much as the MSM allows them to be, either by providing fodder by way or article or by picking up on stories that run around the blogosphere. This is what happens when bloggers continuously bite the hands that feed them.

Why is it that last week James Webb’s mum on the Senate’s Iraq War debate yet he’s quick to stand against the Flag Burning amendment the day before the Senate even addresses it? From his press release:

This is yet another example of deliberately divisive politics that distract Americans from the real issues that are facing our country…

So where were you last week, Sec. Webb?

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and gaze in awe and wonder at the amazing feats of Virginia bloggers!

Democrats gathered in Charlottesville for a political carnival on Saturday. Greg Bouchillon and J.C. Whitmore were in attendance. No word on the deliciousness of the funnel cake.

Let us journey with Kat (aka Romeocat) as the family goes to the National Air And Space annex out near Dulles (with SWEET photos of neat planes and more). I am jealous.

If fortune telling and future gazing is your thing, Virginia Conservative Chad Dotson knows just who you should get in touch with.

That guy who isn’t that chef Emeril (but still makes a kick ass chicken and veggie dish from what I hear) has some thoughts on the Gay Marriage Amendment. If those don’t tickle your fancy, consider this: If you take the tile of his post “My Thoughts On The Gay Marriage Amendment” and translate it to French using AltaVista’s BabelFish and then translate it back into English, it becomes “My Thoughts On The Merry Amendment Of Marriage”. So just by using the title and translations, we can all assume that he and everyone else who speaks of this “Gay Marriage Amendment” think it’s a merry thing to do. Or so the French would have us believe. On a side note (because I’ve been staying on topic up to now), I’m Not Emeril’s favorite Beatle is the recently late Billy Preston.

Before you leave, be sure to make your own planet (sponsored by Shaun Kenney).

What kind of a carnival would it be without food? Oh, wait. Waldo’s talking about organic and healthy stuff. Carnivals are all about cotton candy and funnel cake and corn dogs and getting sick on the ferris wheel. So ignore Waldo. He’s just talkin’ crazy.

Kilo ventures into the great unknown and pulls back the curtain on the bearded lady we all know and love as Zogby Interactive.

Ghana knocked the US out of the World Cup tourney on Thursday and nobody in Virginia really cared.

Let Spank That Donkey teach you a thing or two about Geo Strategy. His pet peeve is people who fail to use cruise control on the highway. You are all put on notice.

Gasp in shock and horror as Rick Sincere recounts his lunchtime escapade with the one and only Dick Cheney!

Snoopy at RiverCity Rapids highlights a big chunk of people who may be thinking about running off to join the circus in a near future. Seriously, though, Richmond as a 47% graduation rate. Really. Only 47% of Richmond students actually graduate. More than half don’t finish. Where’s the outcry?

If you’re a true carny lover, then please visit the Virginia Blogging Conference Carnival hosted by the one and only Semi Truths.

And now for tonight’s main event….

The JD Code

For the longest time I’ve firmly believed that Jaded JD is a fourteen year old girl who’s really into Kylie Minogue. But now I’ve found that I’m wrong. Oh so horribly wrong.

You see, I’ve cracked the JD Code.

Closer to the Bible Code than the DaVinci Code (but not where near as sweet as Morse Code), the JD Code simply requires you to be a super genius and just know what to look for.

Let’s take JD’s post earlier this week where he opines upon Blogethical landmines. Sure, he may make some good points on ethics in blogging and disclosure and all that jazz. But if you go through the post and circle letters in a pattern that may appear random to more simpleminded individuals but is really a highly mathmetical process only attainable by folks like me, you will find JD’s TRUE identity!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen of the Virginia Blogosphere, Jaded JD is Bob Saget!

The JD Code also revealed that Bob at times will go by the names “Sue”, “Satan”, “Larry The Cable Guy” and all three of the Rice Crispy elves. He also predicts a cataclysmic event to befall the city of Lovington, Nebraska sometime between 2010 and 3243, but while Bob Saget might be loved and adored by millions for his work on Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos, he’s not exactly known for his psychic abilities. Perhaps time will tell…

Thanks for joining us on this leg of the tour of the Virginia Blog Carnival. I’ve been your barker, Jason “Not Shaun” Kenney. If you or someone you love would like to host next week’s VBC, check this out for details. We now return you to your regularly scheduled non-sense.

CREDITS
(Listed In Order Of Appearance)

The Daily WhackJob
Cville Unity Rally Today

Richmond Democrat
Virginia Democrats unite in Charlottesville (photos)

CatHouse Chat
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Virginia Conservative
Mark Warner’s astrologer

I’m Not Emeril
My Thoughts On The Gay Marriage Amendment

Shaun Kenney
Make Your Own Planet

Waldo Jaquith
“Organic”: It’s not what you think.

Spark It Up!!!
What is Zogby Interactive?.

Spank That Donkey
Geo Strategy Lesson For Liberals.

Rick Sincere News and Thoughts
My Lunch with Dick Cheney

River City Rapids
47 Percent

Semi Truths
VA Bloggers Blog Carnival

and Bob Saget as Jaded JD
Blogethical Landmines

As seen by a Russian tourist. Think China shortly after Mao’s death.

I shall be hosting the upcoming VBC. If you’re interested in participating or have seen some super sweet posts in the last week that you think should be included, check out the submissions guidelines here. All entries are due by 6pm tomorrow evening. Woo doggie!

French paper Le Monde continues to try and nail Lance Armstrong on doping:

Seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has admitted he took banned drugs including erythropoietin (EPO) at the time he was being treated for cancer, the French daily Le Monde reported on Friday.

“According to new testimonies gathered from October 2005 to January 2006 by a court in Dallas, the seven-times Tour de France winner told a Indiana University Hospital doctor on October 28, 1996 he had taken performance-enhancing drugs,” Le Monde said.

Jon Henke has a great analysis of the Kosola mix-up:

I’m not particularly concerned about the recent Kos/Armstrong allegations, if only because (1) I fully expect the new wave of political power-players to engage in power-brokering, and (2) I’m not at all convinced that some of the activities are even remotely problematic. The Townhouse email group, for example, is not a “smoke-filled back room”. It’s an email group. Heck, I’ve set up one of those — called Blogosphere — and anybody is welcome to sign up, exchange links, make suggestions or otherwise exert your insidious influence to make the blogger-marionets dance.

That said, the apparent insistence on party and message discipline is worrisome. It indicates that the Progressive Movement has internalized the very flaws that so often characterized the Republican majority, and against which the Democrats have railed.

He also links to a Barack Obama diary at DailyKos that makes a great argument for the sake of the “progressive” movment as well.