Why the push for offshore drilling? Do you know?

Coming up on this weekend's show:

• A look back at the Iran War to come
• Ice Cream or Soap?
• A lot of fun with advertising
• much much more?

Can somebody out there please explain to me why McCain and the republicans are pushing so hard for more offshore drilling? I really don't understand the rationalization for it.

First of all it will take years to get the drills set up. Then it will take years from the time they actually start drilling before it has any impact on the price of gas. And then finally there's a ton of land leased to oil companies that they aren't bothering to drill yet because the price of oil isn't high enough to make it worth their while.

So why the big push for more oil leases now? I don't just mean that to be contentious but there must be some upside for somebody and I can't figure out what it is. I know McCain changed his mind about this after getting some nice donations from the oil companies but why do the oil companies want the ability to drill in more places when they aren't drilling in so many places already? Are they just afraid that somebody else will get the rights to use that space?

It seems like the whole thing is either a nonsense wedge issue like Gay Marriage was in 04 or there's some financial gain for somebody but it doesn't seem that divisive of an issue and I don't see who makes money on this.

Can somebody please explain this?

Untitled Numer Thirty Three (recap)

Heard on this show:

• She's Such A Scream - Tom Waits

• Brazilian Bubble - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra

• I want you to be you - William Shatner

What Do You Care - I was sitting in our local mall/movie theatre the other day where they show movie trailers on video screens all through the foodcourt Which is where all the movie trailers came from in this. Liv Tyler was in every other trailer. Seriously? Is she that good an actress? I don't think so. She's certainly good looking though. I didn't include Scarlett Johanssen in this list because she's actually as good an actress as she is looking.

Ben Cohen - This is one of those that was sitting in my notes and I don't remember why I wrote it. Obviously the thrill of putting in random scientific jargon always appeals

Daphne Abernathy being offensive - This is just boiling down the running joke of getting her to say things she never would outside this (and other) show(s) to its basest elements

Shop n' Slave - Was inspired in large part by Walmart's opining about the presidential race and by the fact that at this point, I'd really be willing to go for part time slavery because of my recent financial tragedies. Honestly, I wouldn't be totally surprised if this model was adopted soon.

Silly News - pointless fact: The Bandsaw and yelling sound effect that I used in this and have used a few times before, isn't actually a pre-existing sound effect. It's two sound effects that I use in tandem fairly often.

Popularity Contest - Okay, I had to react a little bit about the whole onslaught of McCain ads. heh. Little did I know Paris Hilton was going to come along with the best political satire in a long long time days later.

A Whole Bunch of Monsters n' Shit - I've got no beef with Guillermo Del Toro really but the trailer for Hellboy II really looks like it's just a whole bunch of monsters n' shit.