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So today's the day. I feel that holding these elections now is a huge mistake. But then again, that's not my call to make. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I know that's being naive. Anyways, here are some of the details surrounding this historic day in Iraq.
Especially if it's snowy where you are.
That would surely buy a lot of razors.
They're getting a ton of new affiliates. The network is growing, even on ClearChannel stations. And the shows keep getting better. I am very proud of Air America, and extremely proud of all the hosts who put so much into their shows. The quality shows every minute of every program and the country may be starting to wake up.
Business 2.0 has compiled their 5th annual 101 Dumbest Moments in Business list.
I can't wait to get home and commence ta' downloadin'. Don't know about you, but I love Brazilian pop music.
A fascinating tale of one woman's hatred and ignorance blossoming into tolerance and understanding -- all on the letters pages of the Ridgecrest Daily Independent.
So Dick Cheney went to remember the Holocaust yesterday. Why didn't Bush go? I guess he was busy. Why did Cheney wear a green parka, brown boots, and a ski cap with decorations when the other guests were dressed in all black as a symbol of mourning? That I don't know. Cheney stood out in a sea of black-coated world leaders because he was wearing an olive drab parka with a fur-trimmed hood. It is embroidered with his name. It reminded one of the way in which children's clothes are inscribed with their names before they are sent away to camp. And indeed, the vice president looked like an awkward boy amid the well-dressed adults.As Lizz Winstead noted on Unfiltered this morning, wearing a cap that says "STAFF" to a concerntration camp has got to be one of the dumbest accessory choices ever. Does one really want to be associated with the staff of human incineration factories? On a related note, here's another clipping from the Washington Post: More than two dozen presidents, prime ministers, members of royalty and other leaders sat in the bitterly cold open air into the night to remember the 6 million victims of the Holocaust, most of them Jews. ELEVEN MILLION. BIG DIFFERENCE. Over 6 million Jews were killed, but over 5 million black people, Gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped, and other non-aryan human varieties were also exterminated by the Nazi machine. How does a major international newspaper get such an important detail so very wrong?
Ms. Olson was featured this morning on Unfiltered's Party Machine. Her flavor and rhythm she injects into her spoken word performances is breathtaking. Awesome awesome awesome.
Cool.
Hey, Hayat went to SCAD. I went there too.
I was listening to this on the subway the other day and felt that it needed to be shared. If you can find a copy of "Youthful Indiscretions" by Jill Sobule, obtain it.
George was at the party in the bathroom with a mirror
If you need some new T's, I'd recommend DieselSweeties. Killer pixel designs, and they're all handprinted and distributed by independent companies. Rock!
And you thought you had a sketchbook. Link
The rights of companies are eclipsing the rights of citizens under Michael Bloomberg. He pretends he cares about New Yorkers, but he doesn't care about anything other than cash. Who's surprised?
Join the Drinking Liberally chapter in your area for Chimpy's SotU address. Find out where here.
Read the HRC Press Release here.
This particular HRC notice struck me for two very personal reasons: 1) I am a strong supporter of GLBT rights, and 2) I'm an animator working in children's programming. I've already sent my letters to Margaret Spellings and PBS. I urge you to do the same.
UPDATE
Dubya always seems to try to show that he's a personable guy by making stupid jokes in public places. (i.e. "Got any wood?") Instead he further confirms my thoughts of him. My grandmother already vehemently hates the man, and you can be assured she thinks he's an even bigger ass after she heard this bash against seniors: Q: I seem to remember a time in Texas on another problem, taxes, where you tried to get out in front and tell people it's not a crisis now, it's going to be a crisis down the line -- you went down in flames on that one. Why --NOTE: Terry Moran of ABCNews says Bush was joking about the reporter's poor memory, i.e., this was an Alzheimer's joke, or at best, a senility joke. You may read the rest of the transcript here.
For the first time since the Radio 1 listen-again player's debut (which allows you to listen to any show on Radio 1 whenever you want) on my birthday a couple years ago, the design and functionality receives a well-deserved overhaul. ![]() ![]()
CHRISTIAN RIGHT – NO MORE FOLLOW THE LEADER?: Heady off the success of their threats of the chairmanship of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), an alliance of conservative Christian groups have a new target in their crosshairs: President Bush himself. Calling in their debts, the coalition, "known as the Arlington Group," is now questioning how Bush is choosing to spend his political capital and threatened that his priorities would not pass unless he prioritized theirs: a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The letter's signatories, who include Jerry Falwell and Dr. James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family, also call for the creation of "a top level official to coordinate opposition to same-sex marriage."
Maybe McClellan meant "we are on crack?" Another year, another record deficit. The federal budget deficit will reach a record $448 billion this year, exceeding last year's record of $412 billion. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), "the long-term outlook for the US budget deficit has deteriorated since the end of last year." For most Americans these enormous, persistent deficits would be cause for concern. But not for White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. According to McClellan, the new numbers show "we are on track."
Broadcast & Cable
Ted Turner called Fox a propaganda tool of the Bush administration and indirectly compared Fox News Channel's popularity to Adolf Hitler's popular election to run Germany before World War II.
From this post on the (incredible lack of) neuroscience related to sex, I meandered over to the O'Reilly (the publisher, not the dick) page on the book Mind Hacks. PDF samples are provided for a few sections. I'll be purchasing it this week along with Perfectly Legal.
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The U.S. Senate voted 85-13 to confirm Condoleezza Rice as U.S. Secretary of State. This is still breaking news, so I don't have a link for you yet. It's looking more and more grim. I am proud to report, however, that my home-state senators (Kennedy and Kerry) were two of the thirteen who voted nay. I feel like bringing back 1973's anti-Nixon bumper sticker, "Don't Blame Me: I'm From Massachusetts."
UPDATE
Here are the details.
A new report co-published by the Center for American Progress warns that global warming is quickly approaching the point of no return, after which "widespread agricultural failure, water shortages and major droughts, increased disease, sea-level rise and the death of forests" will become irreversible. The findings were a product of a taskforce co-chaired by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Stephen Byers, a close confidant of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who called on world leaders "to recognize that climate change is the single most important long-term issue that the planet faces." The task force urges G-8 countries "to agree to generate a quarter of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 and shift agricultural subsidies from food crops to biofuels."
Fark has a great Photoshopping competition up. Join in the crazy hilarity. Your assignment is to use sex to sell a product that would not normally be sexy.
Screw the Oscars. They don't mean anything and the best films aren't even honored this year. The Razzies are the important film awards and their noms came out today as well.
Yushchenko [...] said today that the European Union strategy must include the prospect of Ukraine's membership.
The internet's most popular search engine, Google, is testing a service that promises to extend its reach from web pages to television programmes.
Oh, except for Poland. And if you watched the debates, you'll already know how important Poland is.
The gulf between how Americans view themselves and how the world views them was summed up in a poll last week by the BBC. Fully 71 percent of Americans see the United States as a source of good in the world. More than half view Bush's election as positive for global security. Other studies report that 70 percent have faith in their domestic institutions and nearly 80 percent believe "American ideas and customs" should spread globally.
You must take the Two of the city's subway lines - the A and the C - have been crippled and may not return to normal capacity for three to five years after a fire Sunday afternoon in a Lower Manhattan transit control room that was started by a homeless person trying to keep warm, officials said yesterday.
Remember the Calvin and Hobbes strips where Calvin made snowmen that appeared to have been hit and cut in half by his dad's car, or eaten by "snow sharks?" A snow-sculptor has created real-life versions of these and posted photos to the Web. Link (via Waxy)
The Bush administration is seeking about $80 billion in new funding for military operations this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, pushing the total for both conflicts to almost $300 billion so far.
The foundation run by Microsoft magnate Bill Gates has announced it is dedicating $750m (£400m) to a worldwide infant vaccination programme.
Torture is still going on in Iraq? Conditions are worse than under Saddam's regime? Get out. BAGHDAD - Twenty months after Saddam Hussein's government was toppled and its torture chambers unlocked, Iraqis are again being routinely beaten, hung by their wrists and shocked with electrical wires, according to a report by [Human Rights Watch].
When President Bush flew to Canada in his first international trip following his reelection, the White House portrayed it as the beginning of a fence-mending tour to bring allies back into the fold after a tense first term. But after Bush left, the Canadians were more furious than before.
Embryonic stem cells, hailed as a potential treatment for a range of diseases, are contaminated by an animal molecule, researchers suggest. In related news, our President is an idiot: Yes, that's exactly what the highly controversial and rare stem cell lines are for: basic research. [Scott] McClellan says Bush knew about the issue in 2001, but agreed with the view of top government scientists that it wouldn't prevent research into potential breakthrough disease cures.So, not only are those "top government scientists" idiots, but if Bush knew about this issue in 2001, and then in 2004 agreed to keep these lines open while not funding any new ones, he knew he was shutting the system down completely since the current options are now corrupt.
Pew has just released an amazing-looking study on Internet search behavior. Two factoids from the exec summary left my jaw hanging:Nearly half of searchers use a search engines no more than a few times a week, and two-thirds say they could walk away from search engines without upsetting their lives very much....Link Lots of photos of killer gear. ![]()
REP. THOMAS: Well, it was one of my ways of getting people to focus on the issue of age. To move from 65 to 68, which we did in 1983, was a benefit cut. But it also creates hardships based upon the occupation that you have, and it creates inequities on who you are and how long you live. You could just as easily have a discussion about occupations as to when would be a fair or an unfair time to require. We also need to examine, frankly, Tim, the question of race in terms of how many years of retirement do you get based upon your race? And you ought not to just leave gender off the table because that would be a factor.Joshua Micah Marshall weighs in... Does Thomas want the SSA actuaries to dust off the old racial classification systems from the Old South or limpieza de sangre codes from colonial Latin America with their comic and hideous lists of "mulattoes" (one-half) and "quadroons" (one fourth) and even "octoroons" (one-eighth) depending on one's precise mixture of white and black 'blood'?
Matt Cooper, a 21-year-old college student at UC Davis, is planning on running for president in 2020 (the first year he is old enough to do so). This kid's got some balls. It will be interesting to see where his career goes.
Bandwidth density.
I want Vanilla!! What do you mean you're out?
Is he saluting us? Oh dear... Bobby, Bobby! Turn away! Don't watch the bad man! Thomas, how could you let this happen? I never want this internets machine on in the house ever again.
It's as if ten planes from Colombia done cracked open over Boston. Dayumn.
The Iraqis seem to be getting a raw deal with this freedom and democracy invasion and occupation. Who knew they'd have to supply their own utilities when another country takes over? Not them, because now they're out of the little things that make life worth living: water, food, electricity, transportation, and their brothers, sisters, moms, dads, children...
Most of the Iraqi capital - particularly the western districts - has been without water for the past seven days. I don't think this whole "Iraq" thing is going all that smoothly.
Park Slope, Brooklyn, under the cover of powder: January 22 & 23, 2005.
This... is Blizzardblog.
Union St. & Fifth Ave.
Fifth Ave.
President St., right outside my apartment.
My car somehow managed to escape impactment.
Fourth Ave.
Eastward on President St.
Westward on President St.
Union St. subway stop
Union St.
Union St. For photos of Manhattan (where I decided not to go today since it's around zero outside) and a few other locations, the NYT has a nice roundup.
View from the living room.
Can you find the car in this picture?
How about the fire hydrant?
The front of my house.
Those were garbage cans.
Dad and the trusty snowblower.
My street.
Why do I live here?!
Over two feet in the Boston area so far. And it's still snowing.
I'll be out with my digital camera once it dies down a little bit. Photos will be up later tonight.
A co-worker sent this article to me, regarding America's stance on torture, and it's definitely something worth sharing with all of you.
This is very exciting indeed! The trailer went up yesterday, so be sure to take a look.
Gee, what a surprise! The vast majority of people in the middle of the country said they voted for Dubya based on moral values (i.e. they don't wanna give those darned gays marriage rights). But now it appears that he is flip-flopping on that very issue. So, are you kicking yourselves yet?
Once again the religious right feels the need to blame someone (or something) for homosexuality. In the 90s it was Tinky-Winky. Now they've shifted their sights on SpongeBob Squarepants. Why, you might ask? All because of a video that teaches children about tolerance.
Nile Rodgers, who wrote the song and is founder of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) which released the new video, says it is intended to help teach children the values of co-operation and unity.That means teaching them to be gay, apparently. C'mon people!! What were y'all smoking?! You know, if they were in fact the "God-loving" group they claim to be, you'd think they'd preach tolerance. Ohhh, but that's right: God loves everyone... except the gays.
Liquid methane on Titan! Good for scientists, bad for vacationers...
The dramatic photos of Saturn's moon Titan, taken by Europe's Huygens spacecraft, show drainage channels filled with liquid methane rain.
The size of a credit card. *drool*
Fourth of July Address, 1821... Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will {America's} heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force. She might become the dictatress of the world. She would no longer be the ruler of her own spirit!
Mr. Wolcott sums up the events of the day as presented to the nation through a lens, wireless microphones, and commercial breaks.
Despite the fact that there was no specific terrorist threat, the security was unprecedented even for these unprecedented times, with FBI snipers on rooftops, clusters of antiaircraft missiles, layers of police and checkpoints, video command centers monitoring every spilled cup of coffee (CNN's Kelli Arena provided an inside peek), and rows of empty bleachers. The commentators noted this clampdown with a sigh of regret, and mentioned the "irony" of President Bush using the words "freedom" and "liberty" dozens of times in his address while the city was under such tight constriction. But this has gone past way irony now into total cognitive dissonant breakdown. Commentators refuse to recognize the ominous import of the stepped-up militarization of the parade and pageantry, and increasingly of civilian life in this country under a president who likes to wear neat little uniforms that say, "Me commander-in-chief."
Media Matters for America inventoried all guests who appeared on FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC during the channels' January 20 inauguration coverage. Between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Republican and conservative guests and commentators outnumbered Democrats and progressives 17 to 6 on FOX, 10 to 1 on CNN (not including a Republican-skewed panel featuring Ohio voters), and 13 to 2 on MSNBC. Moreover, the rare Democrat or progressive guest usually appeared opposite conservatives, whereas most Republican and conservative guests and commentators appeared solo or alongside fellow conservatives.
The "President's" motorcade was hit with snowballs as it went past protesters. That makes me happier.
That is what theocracy looks like. THIS is what democracy looks like.
I guess it could be worse. They could have already started with the car bombings and suicide missions...
Oh, well that's good. At least it's not a surprise? Hello? Now all we need is a few more hundred thousand troops to keep the 200k+ strong insurgency at bay so the Iraqi people can participate in their newly created "democracy." They must feel very grateful for their freedom.
From the Numeralist via Kos.
Watch it go.
Atrios clued me into a killer interview posted on AMERICAblog between anti-gay Alabama Sherrif Holcomb and Mike Signorile of Sirius. The full transcript is here. Brilliant.
M: Thanks for giving us this interview today, sir. It--Addition On the subject of gayness, Atrios also pointed out a cartoon in The Nation this week that is not just in very bad taste, it's also not funny. What you hear is the sound of me reconsidering my subscription.
No, really. Could he have been mentioned or praised any more in Chimpy's address? Probably, but only in a church. How do they get away with this shit? In Europe, as I'm sure you're already well aware, any mention of religion, god, or closing a speech requesting that HE bless the country would not be tolerated. Why is it so different here? Didn't our founding people flee England because of religious enormity? Or was it just to kill Native Americans? I can never remember.
Link via BoingBoing:
First a drink suggestion for tonight from the Unfiltered drinkologist:
Drinkologist Un-Inauguration Suggestions: If you're not staying in tonight and feel like going out with friends, Drinking Liberally is hosting an event at The Tank tonight in NYC. It's on 42nd between 9th and 10th ave.
Air America just finished interviewing Drinking Liberally's own Emily Farris about tonight's UnAugural Ball at The Tank, 432 West 42nd Street. Figured I'd pass this on, from my pal Scarlet:
Can't beat that. If you've never been out freewayblogging before, allow me to assure you that it is well worth it. It's cheap, easy to do, and your message is seen by thousands. Just be sure to keep clear of the authorities. They tend to have a problem with us meddling kids.
I stop by the Virgin Megastore cafe pretty frequently to read and listen to good music. Today it was snowing and strange outside.
This is a photo of my bedroom. In the lower left corner is one of my monitors, on which you'll see the top of my instant messenger window for scale.
This is my personal workstation where I'm freelancing. A G5 and a Sony LCD. And free coffee.
An uncharacteristically beautiful winter day in NYC from the train window.
The messiest office I have ever seen...
Via the Majority Report blog from steambomb:
Please direct your business accordingly
First I overheard at Virgin Megastore...
"I can't believe I had my tongue in your asshole." (Bonus: their names were Lewis and Lois) Second heard on the Majority Report, quoting an entertainment "journalist"... "Brad and Jen was our tsunami."
Teen Beat. It's like Teen People, but with Bill Gates in 1983. Eek! (also via kottke)
Cancer's now the top killer in the US for people under 85. This is actually good news because the former numero uno, heart disease, and cancer deaths are both down this year. But heart disease is getting a bit more infrequent...
You guys are supposed to be in D.C. for tomorrow's festivities, not Boston.
(They're having a field day over this on the local news. I could give a shit.) Dear Media Reformer, Last week, 16,000 Free Press e-activists sent a letter to Congress and the FCC calling for an investigation into "payola pundit" Armstrong Williams -- and it worked. Less than 24 hours after the petition drive started, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein urged an investigation. Fellow commissioner Michael Copps echoed the call, stating that "in a single day, the number of complaints coming into the FCC has grown from a few to thousands." On Friday, Chairman Michael Powell responded to the public outcry, instructing the FCC Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into the payola allegations. Your petitions also prompted members of Congress to contact Chairman Powell, asking for a full report. A letter from Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) demanded that "the political discourse of our nation must not be for sale to the highest bidder." Your active participation made the difference, proving once again that online activism is still a powerful force to reckon with as we build the movement for media reform. Now we must remain vigilant to ensure a thorough investigation into the full scope of taxpayer-funded propaganda. Concrete measures must be adopted to pre-empt the next Armstrong Williams. As always, we'll keep you updated as the story develops. Thanks for all that you do, Josh Silver
What the fuck?!
Now this is just plain silly. [via my brother]
The Brothers Quay (two of my very favorite stop motion artists) are up to something. They are at work on what I believe to be their second (I could be wrong about that) feature length, live action film, titled The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes. The stills look somewhat promising. I can only hope.
According to AP, Fox is going to steer clear of most reality programming.
"In the case of this fall we drifted to too much on the unscripted side," Berman said. "But I think the audience expects loud things from Fox. Sometimes they work ... and sometimes they don't."If that's really true, then why is Ruper Murdoch's News Corp launching an entirely reality-based channel?
I just sat down at the computer with a glass of milk and a few Oreo cookies. (So much for that other New Year's resolution.) I was surprised to see that Oreos now have "Got Milk?" embossed on them, right below the Oreo logo. Can't I have a cookie and just have it be a cookie, not an advertising outlet? It's a bit redundant anyways. I mean, who is going to see the "Got Milk?" slogan and think, "Oreos and milk! Why didn't I think of this before?!"
On this Martin Luther King Day, I have to wonder: What would Dr. King say about the current state of civil rights in this country? I doubt he'd be pleased.
VW closed a deal to pay NBCU around $200 million to place their cars in all kinds of programs and networks. This marks one of the largest product placement deals ever.
It looks like XM is going to be equipping their new players with recording and purchasing capabilities. I hope they also integrate XM into iPods. My life would be complete.
Maybe she was injured cranially too many times on the set?
How the hell do you shoot a four-inch nail into your head and not even realize it?
I can't wait to head down to Central Park with my camera and take photos of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's new project. I've been reading up on their debunking of myths surrounding themselves and their art.
I have a lot of people on my buddy list. This was one girl's away message this evening. I can't even comprehend what it may have been about, but it is the funniest away message that has appeared on my buddy list in my 9 years of using Instant Messenger.
My photo documentation. More to come.
Coming to New York and don't know wtf to do? Check out the Morning News' guide.
If you need to be reminded of how horrific this scandal was, be sure to look at the slideshow.
Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr., convicted of physically and sexually mistreating Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, was sentenced Saturday to 10 years behind bars in the first trial arising from the scandal fueled by graphic photographs.And don't forget about these.
[This was forwarded to me by a number of WA readers...]
Subject: Not One Dime Day From: Bill Moyers Not One Dime Day - Jan 20, 2005 Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending. During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one damn dime for nothing for 24 hours. On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target... Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter). For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down. The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. Now 1,200 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan - a way to come home. > There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed. For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people. Please share this email with as many people as possible. Commercial speech must not be the only free speech in America! Bill Moyers ALSO If you're going to be in the DC area for the most expensive innauguration in history, try turning your back on Bush. It's easy, fun, and free!
Link:
The 19-year-old publisher of a Web site facing a lawsuit over an article about a top-secret $499 Apple computer said Friday he can't afford to defend himself.
It's only available until Saturday night around 9pm est. Take a listen. This man is taking drum'n'bass in a direction it's badly needed to explore for a very long time.
I guess it's better than being named Google.
A Romanian couple has named their son Yahoo as a sign of gratitude for meeting over the Internet, a Bucharest newspaper reports.
...or maybe Alabama ...or Mississippi
I still can't believe this even happened in the first place.
This is one of the most disturbing crimes in Massachusetts' history.
Hmm, somehow I doubt the last sentence.
I just got one!
It's not what you think.
Here's more about the site's creator, Damali Ayo. She writes: "Art should make you think and feel. It doesn't have to match your couch." Amen.
I think this might be the best toy store ever. Kid O.
Killer stuff to encourage creativity without all that pesky brand infiltration. It almost makes me want to have a kid. RAD. I loved Montessori school. (Well, as much as I could. I hated school. Hated.) And this embodies the whole spirit. Their toys provide the inspiration while the kids provide the creativity. Brilliant. I hope it catches on. [via Josh Rubin]
This reminded me of my very good friend Iriana whom I haven't seen in far too long. This is essentially what she told me when I asked how she could be so kind and thoughtful to almost everyone. She helped me to understand how it is possible to become a truly good person by appreciating and listening to other people.
I just tell myself to listen with affection to anyone who talks to me, to be in their shoes when they talk, to try to know them without my mind pressing against theirs, or arguing, or changing the subject. No. My attitude is: 'Tell me more. This person is showing me his soul. It is a little dry and meager and full of grinding talk just now, but presently he will begin to think, not just automatically to talk. He will show his true self. Then he will be wonderfully alive.'Brenda Ueland via kottke
Really interesting liveblog of the events from MacWorld 05 today.
Hey neat.
Beautiful photos of New York City through a pinhole camera. [via kottke]
House Bill 1677 has been withdrawn thanks to some bloggers... and not a moment too soon.
A Chesapeake lawmaker withdrew a bill on Monday that would have required women to report fetal deaths, after he received more than 500 e-mails from people concerned that the measure would punish women who have miscarriages. [via AMERICAblog] Here's the bill: Report of fetal death by mother; penalty. Provides that when a fetal death occurs without medical attendance, it shall be the woman's responsibility to report the death to the proper law-enforcement agency within 12 hours of the delivery. Violation of this section shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.Typical uniformed, over-stepping bastard. The wording of this bill clearly includes women who have had miscarriages. And he's offended?!
Before I get right to the point, let me paint a picture for you:
Truro, Massachusetts it is the second to last town on Cape Cod, four miles across at its widest point, and only a mile across at its narrowest point -- the Atlantic Ocean on one side, Cape Cod Bay on the other. It's located next to Provincetown, a candy-colored artists' paradise and gay mecca, which is the very last town on the Cape, and one of my favorite places in the world. The year-round population of Truro is only about 1,300, but it triples in the summertime. My parents own a home in Truro, and I've spent my summers there since before I could walk. It's quiet, serene, and has some of the most breathtakingly beautiful landscape in existance. There isn't a single traffic light in town. We used to leave our doors open. That's the sort of place Truro is. Nothing happens there. Ever. At least not until January 6, 2002... Christa Worthington, a former fashion writer was found stabbed to death on the kitchen floor of her home near Pamet Harbor, her 2 1/2 year old daughter at her side. The story made national news. I was living in Savannah, Ga. at the time and heard about it on NBC Nightly News. It was in every area newspaper, and my mom sent me all the clippings. Everyone was shocked. Things like this just didn't happen in Truro. At the time, the prime suspect was Tony Jackett, the town's fishing constable, and my neighbor. He had been having an affair with Christa. He's no longer a major suspect. In fact, NO ONE is a major suspect, and this is creating quite of problem for the people (namely the men) of Truro. Within hours of the murder, Christa had sex with someone, though it is not known whether it was consensual or nonconsensual, or whether the sex act may have occurred after her death. Now, three years later, the police are asking for a DNA sample of EVERY male resident of Truro. It's something that, to my knowledge, has never been done before. And it is also a major intrusion of one's civil liberties. You may decline to give a DNA sample, but the police plan to take note of those who will not give up a sample. Now supposedly they will "destroy" collected samples once they've tested them. I don't believe that for one minute. It's gotten to the point that the ACLU is stepping in to ask the town to stop collecting samples. There is still no sign of the murderer whatsoever. So what if you lived there? Would you give a DNA sample?
You can download my newest mix CD here. It's a blend of house, funk, electro, bossanova, downtempo, and all kinds of things.
UPDATE: Royal Sapien 2.0 is now LIVE! Download free MP3's, stream dozens of songs, and purchase the full catalog.
The arrest of former Ku Klux Klan leader Edgar Ray Killen Thursday in one of the most horrific crimes of the civil rights era was for some a satisfying culmination of a long-delayed hunt for justice. But others here would rather forget the crime, along with the stain of violent racism it left on the town.
"It's been so long ago. I wouldn't mess with it."Wouldn't mess with it, huh? It's pretty disgusting that people like this still exist. And they always have three names, don't they. Palestinians head to the polls Sunday to elect a new president and successor to Yasser Arafat. The election is considered a key step toward renewing peace talks with Israel.
Hey, we bombed the wrong target!
Possibly innocent lives? America: FUCK YEAH!
Rumblings are afoot of the new version of Adobe's Creative Sweeeet 2.0 over at Think Secret. Get the details on new Photoshop and Illustrator features here. Significant developments are planned -- much more useful than some previous hyped versions.
In other news regarding Think Secret, they're being sued by Apple for running stories on the new iMac and iWork, and are asked/told to name their sources.
Recycle your spam into wearable fun! Spamshirt.com.
Nelson Mandela's son dies of AIDS
"I announce that my son has died of AIDS," he said. "Let us give publicity to H.I.V.-AIDS and not hide it, because the only way to make it appear like a normal illness like TB, like cancer, is always to come out and say somebody has died because of H.I.V.-AIDS, and people will stop regarding it as something extraordinary."
Let's not forget, this is the same man who called the Geneva Conventions "quaint."
Wait, what?
The Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, will be hosts of the youth concert, where the teenage singer JoJo will appear along with Kid Rock. The Kid, as he is called, notably said at a party during the Republican National Convention that if he were president he would never get caught having sex in the Oval Office but would instead install cameras in the Lincoln Bedroom.
Wes Anderson outdoes himself again. Go see this movie!
The soundtrack is also pretty kickass.
You've probably heard of Andrea Yates, the Texas woman who drowned her five children in the bathtub of her home. She confessed to the crime, and her guilt is not in question. Her mental state, on the other hand, is. Now because of false testimony, the ruling has been overturned. Here's the clincher:
NO! You DO NOT kill your children because of something you see on television! You just don't! Of course she's insane. And Jerry Orbach is rolling in his grave.
Yeah, what Ben said.
I've been working 15 hour days between my "actual" job and freelance work at night (i.e. no time to post). We still love you, loyal readers! But I do hope to make up for my absence these last few days. I've got the rest of the week off from work thanks to the removal of some wisdom teeth. Nothing to do but watch movies and sit on the computer. I'm also rather high on vicodin, so bear with me if my writing is skewed.
I haven't forgotten about the blog, I've just been working all the time. I'll post some mp3s to make up for my absence. As a side note, I'm reserving a couple hours this weekend to check the links on Jason Kottke's website. He's been going nuts lately.
Or something. I don't know. Here.
I want one immediately. I need a new phone. Happy Chrismakwa to me.
A long time ago, they were the Los Angeles Angels. Then, in my lifetime, the California Angels. Then they were the Anaheim Angels, which I guess made sense because the stadium was in Anaheim. (Note: the New York Giants actually play in New Jersey) But now they're calling themselves the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim?!? What the fuck kind of name is that?!
Once again, I'm glad to be a Red Sox fan.
Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but I think she's pretty attached to her hands and feet too.
Stop the sale of conflict diamonds. A Flash animation from Amnesty International, via Allyson.
To all of our WA readers, have a joyful and prosperous 2005!
To ring out the old, I leave you with the Top 25 Odds and Ends stories of 2004. Enjoy. |
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July 2004
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