Another Quiz
2/25/2005
I feel silly posting this, but I thought I'd share another quiz result. This probably won't surprise anyone that reads this journal.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, February 25, 2005,
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Brain Gender
2/24/2005
Don't normally post silly quizzes, but I thought the results of this one were fairly spot on.
| Your Brain is 46.67% Female, 53.33% Male |
Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve |
Pretty interesting for a guy who isn't gay, hates sports, and never gets out much.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, February 24, 2005,
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Mucho Gracias!
2/23/2005
To those of you who have signed up to help me win my free iPod: MANY THANKS!
If you need some suggestions about what services to try, I highly recommend the Blockbuster service. Not only does it give me instant credit, but also it's just a good service. Not as good as Netflix, mind you, but good enough to be more than worth the effort.
Remember, I don't get credit until you try a service. Merely signing up doesn't get me there (or you, for that matter, if you are wanting to try and earn your iPod). And for those of you who want to try this, I will gladly pimp your link if you help me get my free one.
I'll post something real tomorrow.
posted by novachild @ Wednesday, February 23, 2005,
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Another Thing (Wead Pt. 2)
Why would he have any regrets unless he felt that the tapes showed something the public probably should not see?
In that case, he is a closet-case censor with only self-interest in mind. The public has a right to know the track record of their elected officials. It's a part of the fucking job! If you don't want to be scrutinized, don't put your ass in the firing line!
If anyone buys this shit that he's a 'traitor' to the president, they are fooling themselves and perpetuating a lie.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 23, 2005,
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Doug Wead - A Fraud?
Mere hours after releasing an hours worth of recordings of then Govnernor Bush, Doug Wead has regrets?
What other reason would he have for turning the remaining (unpublicized) tapes over to Bush instead of to a public source? What is he hiding? The fact that he says he's a friend of the Pres has me worried about his motives.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 23, 2005,
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Open Mic Part II
2/22/2005
Well, I did it again. I went to Gypsy Coffeehouse downtown Tulsa and read some old, dusty poetry. The audience is mostly teenagers, but apparently more mature poets are frequenting the place. Which is good, because a receptive audience is better than a stoned, apathetic one.
I'm realizing how constrained my social skills have become, and I'm blaming it on my overuse of computers for communication. I spend roughly 14 hours every DAY behind a PC, typing, messaging, emailing, reading, getting entertained. It's just not healthy. My eyesight is also suffering, as well as the general color of my skin. It's time to make a change, I think.
Back to my experience at Gypsy. What potential this has for me, to get out there and re-learn how to communicate with my mouth, re-learn how to be ok with being a little nuts in public, making a scene, getting out my complicated threads of emotions and philosophical wanderings. I met a few exciting people tonight, one 30-something folk guitarist interested in a poetry/music combo, an african american 'rapper' poet (can't remember her name; it was arabic I think) who's got some real rhythm and sincerety. I met Betty, the lady who MCs and puts the show together, and I met a few others who struck me as particularly talented and beaming with creativity. One bloke plays guitar and sings, and he's simply brilliant. Another is an 'inspirational speaker' of sorts, about my age or younger, and he's rather subdued off stage. I found it tough to speak any sensible english to most of these people, mainly because I was awash with anxiety from being a total stranger and having no remaining social graces.
Tonight... just jamming out to Joshua Tree (the only U2 album I listen to from start to finish), shaving with my $140 electric shaver, petting the dog with my foot. I'll be going back next week for sure, but in the meantime I've got chores and maintenance to do.
Oh, hats off to Dr. Gene Scott - he died on Monday. One less flaky televangelist to giggle about, but he will be missed. After all, what other evangelist can use bikini-clad supermodels in his fund-raising commercial filler?
This world is one crazy place.
posted by novachild @ Tuesday, February 22, 2005,
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Tuesday Meme
Today's meme is completely original, inspired by no one and hopefully will be spread far and wide.
Is Christianity really Stupid?
Yes. it is. And communism is good! If you don't believe me, ask Reverend Pirkle himself.
(screencap of Reverend Pirkle, the man who made the phrase "Christianity is Stupid" as popular as, well, Peanut Butter and Pickle sandwiches).
The phrase that everyone will forever associate with my favorite 'band' Negativland was harvested from the 1971 hicksploitation shockumentary If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? It's basically a 75-minute bitchfest on the evils of Communism, with attacks on such satanic things as cartoons, drive-in theaters and (gasp!) dancing! This movie is a meme unto itself. And it can be rented at Greencine!
I stole the screencap here, a good review of a pretty nauseating film.
Should organized religions be taxed?
Absolutely. They peddle a product just like anyone else. God isn't something you can buy and sell on the market, but they offer a service: making their audience feel good.
Preachers are like sports commentators for an invisible game. They are wordsmiths and vaudevillians (villains as well). They are stand-ups and clowns and use lots of props. They sell tee-shirts and CDs and 'christian' this and 'christian' that. Of course they should pay.
Churchgoers want quality for their money, just like car buyers or restaurant-goers. If that sermon is more than an hour, its value begins to dwindle. People want to feel good; they don't care whether the preacher is divinely inspired or not, just as long as they are spouting something that will make toes jingle and hearts pound. Many of those very same organizations assume the divine right to condemn science as heretical, and many of them back politicians in the effort to push corrupt policies onto the populace. Make them pay their fair share if they are going to assume the role of political lobbyists.
Giving tax-exempt status for charitable work is one thing. But the charitable work that comes out of most Christian organizations is often tainted with the desire to spread fear and loathing.
They peddle their wares and they should pay Uncle Scam like everyone else.
Here's an article at diesm.com about this very subject.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, February 22, 2005,
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Free IPOD: Help!
Yes, novachild still doesn't have his free iPod. And he's too embarrassed to spam all of his friends again.
So let's help everybody out. Miss M is kindly donating a blog post to the cause. Visit her site, get hooked on her journal, give her money, buy her little cute penguins and quality bead jewelry. And help novachild get his IPOD! (it has to be with this link)
Now back to regular scheduled programming.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, February 22, 2005,
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GOP vs. Frodo Baggins
Man, some hostile politicking going on in my country right now. The GOP are reminding me of the Great Eye of Sauron, bent on finding their ring to control Middle Earth. Meanwhile, we need a Frodo and Sam and Merry and Pippin and Strider and Legolas and Gimli and Gandalf.... etc.
The more hateful attacks from the right, the more nauseated I get. Then there's the scrubbing of the White House web site, just in time for the Swift Vet's ads against the AARP (curious coincidence?).
If that isn't enough, there is speculation that the US is going to wage war on Iran. It's got me so bent out of shape; I haven't been this worried about the state of my country since, well, yesterday.
We need some heroes right about now. Some real outspoken people to take on the sinister mechanisms of the Bush white house. Someone to step up to the plate and lay it out for everybody, someone with universal clout and a deep desire to reveal the Truth. Who would that be?
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, February 22, 2005,
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Global Warming, Continued
2/18/2005
Reflecting my concern regarding the threat of Global Warming, here is the latest newsworthy item. Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California has released a statement confirming once again that Global Warming in the oceans is a clear and present danger.
Scripps Researchers Find Clear Evidence of Human-Produced Warming in World's Oceans
Everybody's picking up this story:
Financial Times: ‘Global warming real’ say new studies
ABC News: Scientists say global warming is undeniable
CNN: Scientists: Global warming is real
Reuters: Ocean, Arctic studies show global warming is real
BBC: Greenhouse gases 'do warm oceans'
Wired: Experts: Global Warming Is Real
and many, many more....
I only hope that our cold, callous and self-serving President reads newspapers now.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, February 18, 2005,
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Friday 5 Meme
1. Describe the last time you were frightened:
About 3 weeks ago, I had a dream that several people I knew (who are dead) were coming up the stairs to talk to me. It was such a vivid dream that I awoke in a sweaty panic. And just thinking about that dream still gets my heart racing a bit.
2. What does your hair look like?
Short, boring, receding a bit. I spend less than 3 minutes on it in the mornings, because I really don't care what it looks like . Well, not like I used to when I was young and single and lookin' fur love.
3. Have you ever dyed your hair a new color?
Many times. I've been just about every color but pink. I prefer being a redhead, honestly. But the job situation won't allow it. One of these days I intend to work at a place that won't mind tattoos, crazy hair, wild clothes. At least that is my dream. I'm still a punk rock brat inside.
4. Do you like heights?
Not particularly. I used to play Super Mario Brothers quite a bit, and I'd have dreams about being in the game. And when I jumped, I'd miss the brick or the little landing pad and fall straight off the screen, waking up in a cold panic. Nothin' scarier.
Almost fell into the Grand Canyon once. I was sitting out on a ledge with a sexy, young german blonde girl who knew absolutely no English. We started smooching, and at some point my feet started slipping and my ass slid down closer to the edge. Fortunately, between my torn jeans and her slender hand, I am still alive to tell the tale.
5. Girl Scout cookies, candy bar sales -- what's the worst fund raising you've had to do?
Sell magazines for my Middle School. What a joke. These schools, so desperate for money, will peddle their embarrasing fund-raisers to the kids with no shame at all. I was used, like so many other kids. And I never did get a prize for all that hard work.
Also, it's a bit difficult to sell magazines when you're wearing a Slayer: South of Heaven tee shirt and smoking cigarettes. Small towns... just love 'em.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, February 18, 2005,
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Ian Mackaye: Really Cool Guy
2/16/2005
Check out this interview at downhillbattle.org.
If people lose their incentive to make music because they're not making money, they're not musicians. They're business people. Musicians don't have a choice in the matter, you gotta make music. There's no choice! It's not a fucking job description, there's no choice!I caught Fugazi in Norman about 9 years ago. Went with my friend Mark (I really wish you would look me up some time because I'd really like to talk to you). It was one of the best weekends of my life. No 'star power.' No buttrocking. None of that shit. Just a couple of hours of raw, inspired musical bliss. Pure bliss.
The only other show I've seen that compared to the sheer intensity of that moment was the time I caught Negativland during the True/False tour. Those two shows - and the inspiration they created in me - have made life something better than it was before. Both bands have had a major influence on my approach to creativity.
Would do anything to see Fugazi in Oklahoma again.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 16, 2005,
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This Title Rephrased to be Less Aggressive and PG-Rated
This new technology by Macrovision is designed to crash ripping software. Software that can be used to make copies of DVDs. It will be BUILT INTO your computer hardware. Fuck that.
Let's look into the past a little.
Have you ever tried to record a DVD to videotape, only to find that the resulting picture was horrible, wavy and distorted? Well, that's macrovision, a tool designed to 'protect the interests of the film industry.' What it actually does is inhibit your ability to make a perfectly legal backup copy of something that you purchased with your hard-earned cash. It also makes it impossible to daisy-chain your DVD player to your VCR. In effect, it cripples the functionality of the hardware you've already purchased. And it's intentional.
Another thing. DVDs wear out, just like videotapes, just like records. Sometimes even faster. Like all the rest of the crap this greedy world is spitting out onto Wal-Mart shelves, DVDs are designed with intentional flaws. This is bad for the environment and it wastes valuable resources. But making the rich richer is apparently more important than providing a future for our children and grandchildren.
Sure, pirates are a nuisance. But not the nuisance they would have us believe.
Here's an article written in 1999, just after CSS was cracked. I thus quote:
... the entertainment industry continues to spend millions of R&D dollars coming up with new copy protection schemes, which will eventually be broken in turn. Wherever there exists a technology to prevent us from duplicating digital media, some hacker is going to be intrigued enough to go and break it. It happened for DVDs, it happened for Sony PlayStation games before that, and it will continue to happen.The industries will keep buttering up the consumers, making it look like the future of the industry is at stake because some 19-year-old Norwegian hacker cracked their encryption. They'll continue to make it look like they are merely protecting the rights of the film studios, that it's the little guy that is affected (like those anti-piracy commercials at the movies last summer). But in reality they are bending the consumer over backwards and fucking them up the ass. Those R&D costs are reflected in licensing, and licensees pass those costs onto the consumer. Thereby making the studios far more money than they could ever lose from pirateering. If region coding weren't enough.
Meanwhile, consumers will keep paying for these efforts, as the associated licensing fees and surcharges are passed along into retail prices. So I wonder: Does the consumer lose more because CSS encryption was cracked? Or because it was there to be cracked in the first place?
With the ungodly amounts of money already being raked in my the Motion Picture industry, it's not like they're starving for cash. But if the public continues to buy this bullshit, it's we who will be buying the farm while they waller in our money like gluttonous pigs.
Consumers allow big companies get away with the virtual rape of our culture. The MPAA, the RIAA, and government organizations like the FCC constantly lobby and rage against the rights of the consumer. For money. For power. For ownership and control. When the public finally learns that they are being screwed out of everything they fund and produce, that all of our ideas are owned by corporations that will demand a constant cashflow to maintain the accessibility of cultural content, it will probably be too late to do anything about it.
But we keep hiring greedy motherfuckers to run the show, to make decisions for us so we can pretend to live in a 'free' fantasyland of artificial dreams and empty promises. These people are OUR employees. The president, the vice president, senators, congresspeople that push these policies into action. We give them power, and they fuck everything up because we decided in advance to not think, to not educate ourselves, to not stand up for what is ours.
It's just a simple thing, a DVD. So one might think it's not worth all this hard-headedness on my part. But things compound and get ugly. Everywhere you turn, something is hijacked by opportunists. Something must be done. Or said at least.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 16, 2005,
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Inhofe is a Nitwit
2/15/2005
Senator Inhofe is a nitwit. He wants to repeal the Cockfighting ban by making the chickens wear boxing gloves. This is the same Senator who is outspoken about believeing Global Warming to be a hoax.
How embarrasing it is to live in Oklahoma, and more than occasionally, the United States. Perhaps we should put boxing gloves on our Senators and let them score points?
UPDATE: Correction!!!! Actually it was State Democratic Senator Shurden who proposed this idea. This makes the situation even worse! If our Democratic leaders can be so ignorant in OK, then we truly are doomed!
Inhofe is still a nitwit.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, February 15, 2005,
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Support the DNC
2/14/2005
Just doing my part to help my favorite blog, Daily Kos, support the DNC. To start, fill out the form below:
posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, February 14, 2005,
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My thoughts on 'redefining' marriage:
2/11/2005
(posted this at Mark Perkel Rantz, but I thought I'd better archive it here in case he doesn't want to approve it. Would hate to lose it to the ether!).
With so many words sporting multiple meanings, it's a shame that we allow this meme to propagate, spending all of our valuable time in a quest to make sure 'marriage' means one thing or another instead of what it already represents to so many people.
In reality, words can mean many things! The term 'marriage' can and DOES mean a union between a man and a woman - or a union between those of the same sex. Nobody has the power to change what is in people's hearts. It has nothing to do with religion or politics or legal documents, and I hold sacred everyone's birthright to marry whom they will - regardless of sexual appratus.
That said, I agree with other posts that the government has an obligation to provide the same financial and legal benefits to gay couples that straight couples have. Anything less is state-sanctioned prejudice.
I thus quote the Fourth Edition of the ~American Heritage Dictionary~:
mar·riage: n.If one wishes to 'limit the freedoms' of those of a certain sexual inclination, one shouldn't be ashamed to hide this prejudice behind a definitive technicality. This is what is happening en masse, and the issue has grown into a fog of fear, ideology, intolerance, bigotry, political correctness and indignation on all sides.
1. The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife. 2. The state of being married; wedlock. 3. A common-law marriage. 4. A union between two persons having the customary but usually not the legal force of marriage: a same-sex marriage. 5. A wedding. 6. A close union: “the most successful marriage of beauty and blood in mainstream comics” (Lloyd Rose). 7. Games. The combination of the king and queen of the same suit, as in pinochle.
posted by novachild @ Friday, February 11, 2005,
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Protestors Arrested
Indymedia is posting some photos of today's protest of "Abu-Graib Gonzales," and I thought I'd share a couple of them here.
For the full story, check out this post and the story on Indymedia. Thanks anonymous for sharing the news. Apparently three of the dozen or so protesters were arrested for standing on the steps, which is against Federal law. Of course, demonstrating on concrete steps must be a far worse crime than torture, because not only do we NOT arrest torture-lovers, we appoint them to important positions within the cabinet. Those stairs are the victims of a far worse crime than electrocuting prisoners testicles and threatening them with dogs!
I have to admit - these folks have some real testicular fortitude, whoevery they may be. Hats off (or should that be 'hoods?').
I just started reading Guantanamo, written by Michael Ratner and Ellen Ray and published by Chelsea Green. It was mailed to me as a way of showing thanks for supporting the protest of Gonzo-les, and so far it's about as gritty and anger-inducing as one would expect. How we can take the moral high ground is beyond me. Stepping down to the level of rape and torture is not the way to win the hearts and minds of Iraq, nor is it something that 'Liberators' do.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, February 11, 2005,
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Nukeyalur Boy, Don't Shit Where Ya Eat!
Dear Mister President:
I'm not praising North Korea for bolstering their nuclear arsenal; in fact, it worries me probably more than it worries you. I don't have a bunker I can go crawl in, watch TV, have a dry martini, and I'm not the one spouting off carelessly-chosen verbiage to the rest of the world. Axis of Evil indeed.
The world is a much bigger place than Texas, and not everybody in the world responds to bullys in the same way. Mabye down yonder people back down from the bigger man. But Texas doesn't have its own Martial Art, and most Easterners know that victory is a mental state, not a show of egotism and pride.
Sincerely,
Ed Svengali
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, February 11, 2005,
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More Drive-In Thrills
2/09/2005
Yes, it's only February and the Drive-In season is several months away. But I want to remind anyone reading about a super-important contest that will affect thousands of family moviegoers in my home town (especially myself, as going there is one of my favorite pastimes).
The only operational Drive-In theater in the Tulsa Metro area has a chance to be revitalized in a $25,000 contest. Again, I urge everybody to follow the above link to my previous post, then go to the web site and vote for Admiral Twin - every day. And spread the word!
The owners rebuilt and repainted the screen about 6-7 years ago, but apparently it was done on the cheap because it's looking a bit rough already. The grounds need some upkeep, the box offices are shabby and the fence surrounding the place is rusted and twisted in places. Some of the ramps really need to be touched up, and the concession stands look worse than old, abandoned mobile homes in the Arkansas countryside. So let's get to work and make it a winner, because I want this tradition to be around for my kids and grandkids.
I harbor a secret desire to own and operate a Drive-In. Of course, this dream may never come true, because it's simply too expensive for a dirt-poor fellow like myself to achieve (at least not this early in my life). But one of these days I hope to be at the helm of a successful Drive-In theater. Not for the money (what little there is), but to provide smiles and warm memories for generations of families to come.
As far back as I can remember, my parents would take me to Drive-In theaters. We used to go to the Admiral Twin quite a bit. The only time my sister and I were not at each other's throats was when we were equally enthralled by something, and the Drive-In is one of those places I can remember seeing my sister so happy. There was also a great drive-in around Fayetteville, Arkansas (or Springdale, one of the two) that would show triple-features. It was a single-screen theater, and they still had the window speakers back then. I remember one night's line up: a movie about the Donner Party (I think), followed by Swamp Thing and Where the Red Fern Grows. It was a strange combination, but it's still a warm, comfortable memory. My country cousins were there, and we all sat in the back of dad's pick-up truck with blankets and chairs. Staring up at the stars and the clouds, watching a movie, munching on popcorn and drowning ourselves in soda. And falling asleep with the window speaker gently sounding in the background, a warm summer breeze caressing my face...
Damn. I miss summertime already.
posted by novachild @ Wednesday, February 09, 2005,
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A bit of advise for Ian Wilmut
Apparently, the man in charge of cloning Dolly the sheep some years ago has received the go-ahead to clone human embryos for stem-cell research. And as expected, it appears that the US influence is going to create some controversy and deadlock.
I'm fairly neutral to the idea. I'm curious about where it will and could go, but I can see the reason for concern on both sides. And with the history of violence caused by right-wing activist groups (are we afraid to call our own people terrorists? After all, we harbor them.), it won't surprise me if something particularly nasty happens to the scientists or to the people involved. Still, I think the good does outweigh any ethical disputes this issue raises. But Ian Wilmut will still need to watch his back. It's one thing for religious nuts to bomb abortion clinics, and quite another when scientists 'tamper in God's domain.' This project should have the level of security allocated to atomic research, and that may not even be enough.
The conservative agenda is clearly the mainstream in this country, by a fine margin of course. The actions of right-wing extremists are justified in the eyes of the tyrannical 'moral majority.' The Iraq war is a prime example. The re-election of George W. Bush is the nexus for these people. They think it's their birthright to turn all of our common sense upside down in the name of God and 'freedom.'
So watch your back and do the best work you can do. That is all anyone can hope for.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 09, 2005,
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GM Follow-Up
My reply, if anybody cares (see prev. post):
Dear K.R.:
It's a shame that Frito-Lay can provide details regarding animal-derived ingredients freely on their web site, but GM cannot even respond to an email inquiry regarding the very same details. GM should be ashamed to withhold vital dietary information from consumers.
Millions of vegetarian consumers across the world could benefit from this information. Your response is sending a message that GM just doesn't care.
Cheesemaking is not a secret art; it's been around for thousands of years. It seems a bit tacky to ignore my question, quite frankly. This has left me a bit cold, and I simply cannot use GM products until this dietary information is obtained.
What a shame that GM can be so disloyal to a customer that has enjoyed their products for so long. After all, it's people like me that have contributed to your billions in profit over the years. Let me know if you change your mind. Thanks for your help.
Cheers,
Ed Svengali
I can't help it. I know my reaction probably won't amount to a hill of beans to these people. It's not that I feel a need to 'step in' or 'call them out.' No. It's more of a feeling that if I don't say something, my conscience will not be clear. I don't want to be just another sheep in the consumer pool, because that's the reason we have these problems to begin with. The whole schema is designed to make the rich richer, make the poor poorer, and keep the consumers from asking too many questions. Fuck that.
I've spent too much of my life blindly swallowing the crap these big companies dish out. Most of it is useless garbage containing undigestible fluff and things most people would not touch if they could identify the source. I'm an educated consumer, so I don't want to stuff any old thing down my throat without knowing where it came from.
Wonder if they'll write me back?
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 09, 2005,
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Why Can't GM Answer a Simple Bloody Question?
One of my little closet cravings is Totino's cheese pizzas, folded over like a taco and crammed into my mouth. I know it sounds horribly unhealthy, but who doesn't have something awkward in their diet? Since I learned about animal rennet, I have excised most frozen pizzas from my diet (which helps my waistline a little). But I still crave them, so I decided to ask General Mills:
Original Message:
My parner and I are lacto-ovo vegetarians. We wish to know if the Totino's and Jeno's Cheese pizzas are suitable for our diet. Is the cheese processed with animal, vegetable or microbial rennet? Does the sauce and crust contain any animal-derived products (aside from milk and eggs)? If you have a list already prepared that details what products are suitable for vegetarians, I'd also appreciate receiving this as well. Thank you!
Dear Mr. Svengali:
Thank you for contacting Pillsbury with your inquiry. We would like to answer all the questions we receive about our company and our products, but regret we are unable to provide you with the information you requested. We appreciate your interest.
Sincerely,
K. R.
General Mills Consumer Services
It would take the same amount of white space to give a yes or no answer. It would also help clarify a detail that many other companies already have posted on their web sites (thank you Frito Lay). So what's the point in having Customer Service if it doesn't service the customer? If all the CSR is doing is protecting the interests of the Company and withholding important dietary information, then why call them CSRs at all? It's not like cheesemaking is a secret art; it's been around for thousands of years, and the process is relatively simple. And the question is simple. And completely within the right of the consumer to know.
An "I don't know" answer would have been better. "Sorry, but we can't guarantee that our products are suitable" would have been better.
Another thing: there are millions of vegetarians that need to know this information. By refusing to provide these simple details, GM cuts out a small chunk of their business. They are saying basically that they don't give a rat's ass about the dietary needs of millions of consumers. Which doesn't look too good in my opinion.
I suppose I shouldn't care. Corporations are inherently evil, anyhow. It doesn't surprise me. But if Frito-Lay can post this info on their web site, GM should be able to at least answer an email inquiry. Needless to say, I won't be buying GM products anymore, not if I can help it. Not until they answer my question. Maybe I'll write them back?
Guess I'll stick to Amy's brand. Organic is healthier anyhow.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 09, 2005,
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Stats
2/08/2005
Only 8 days into January and we've got 1,500 visitors to the site.
The number 1 referrer is brambos.com, because novachild.com hosts a mirror for Tu2 (half my bandwidth! It's still getting lots of attention). Then Google. The rest comes primarily from other bloggers (thanks M!), but I'm starting to see some from the review Chvad posted as well (see yesterday's post for the link).
Some visitors are being referred from a whois server, leading me to believe that I'm getting some traffic from that little christian rock band in St. Louis or wherever. I'm still tempted to turn my site into a shrine for satan just to spite those little buggers. But I have to admit, their singer is pretty and her voice isn't bad. And while I love to support independent musicians, it's hard to appreciate the ones who lift band names from other artists. Yes, trademarking is the all-important deciding factor in these situations, but all one really has to do is look at WHEN the domain was registered and when I released my first CD commercially. And knowing that they KNEW of my existence before picking the name, I have to say that was a little underhanded to 'step on my toes.' I wonder what the fans would think.
Some of the google referrers are coming from people who are looking up names of old bands I was in. That's the power of Google! Just remember that if you ever make the mistake and join a band you don't want to be known for, Google will find you out.
Super scary!
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, February 08, 2005,
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"Traveller" Review on Chaindlk.com!
2/07/2005
Thanks Chvad of TOTS for putting out the word. Maybe I'll get my money back from this printing, after all?
Seriously folks. If you haven't bought Traveller yet and are planning to, you might want to get in gear because I don't plan on ordering any more. Once these are gone, they are gone. Reason? Not breaking even or even coming reasonably close. I'm going to use electronic distribution next time round, so no hard copies. Better for the environment, better for my pocketbook.
Still working on a follow-up EP. Probably won't be ready for months, though. Gots to cook a little.
posted by novachild @ Monday, February 07, 2005,
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Monday Madness
Yet another meme. The upsurge of memes on this blog is a reaction against our traditional anti-Bushco spiels. No, I have not forgiven Bush and his cronies for being the bastards they are. But I figured that I ought to write about something else every now and then, and memes might help me focus on other things. So without further ado....
1. How many clocks (not watches) are in your home? How many of them are digital? How many do you really look at during the day?
My PC is my main clock. I glance down at the little numbers every 20 minutes, and because I rarely leave the computer I always know what time it is. This nasty habit drives my wife crazy. "Honey, it's 7:49, time to go."
Three digital clocks in the bedroom (I set two of them every morning to make sure I wake up); one of these is an 'atomic clock.' It connects to the official time radio signal every few minutes to perpetually correct itself. And it goes for a year without needing a battery change I love that one.
Two of my VCRs have clocks, but they are perpetually flashing noon. 'Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day.' I know how to set them (it's not rocket science), but they are unplugged so often that I just don't bother. And we don't do any 'time-shifting,' so programming the VCR isn't something we ever have a use for.
2. How many lamps (non-overhead lights) do you have in your home? What's your average wattage? Are any of them energy saver bulbs?
Two lamps. One of them has an energy-saver bulb, but the other does not because they will not fit. We don't do much light at our house; if we did, we could see just how many evil dust bunnies are collecting everywhere. Don't know about the wattage. I tend to buy 40-watt bulbs because I like it dim.
3. How many house plants do you have in your home? How many need more attention than you give them?
Plants? Are you kidding? We don't need no stinking plants. Truly, I kill plants by the merest glance. My thumb is not green. Plants hate me. We tried growing mold in the bathtub once, but even that shrivelled up and died.
We would do well to have plants in the house. Some oxygen is a good thing, but alas it cannot be. There is no light, and they simply die.
4. How many photos/pictures/drawings/child's art are on your walls? How many from each of the four categories?
Photos: I'd say around a dozen. We're family people, but we don't go overboard. A drawing I made of my wife sleeping is hanging in the hallway, and the living room and bathroom are decorated with several of my abstract paintings. One of these days I'll post some photos (if I ever get a camera!).
No kids, so no child's art. But I still consider myself a kid, so my paintings could very well fit this category.
One meme down, a bazillion jillion to go.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, February 07, 2005,
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Things I Want to Do, Things I have Done
A little meme I stole from Felinevamp.
10 Things I want to do:
- Lose about 35 lbs.
- Petition the tooth fairy to push the reset button on my mouth o' teeth.
- Try a traditional bottle of Absinthe.
- Be a character in a Terry Pratchett novel.
- Learn Spanish.
- Get my A+ Certification.
- Buy a nice hand painted Didjeridoo from didjshop.com (Key of E, concert class pref.).
- Learn to play the Piano.
- Visit Australia.
- Move to a Blue State.
10 Things I have done:
- Played and sang in a punk band.
- Ate 'black eggs' at a Chinese New Year festival.
- Learned some martial arts.
- Went to college for a semester.
- Sat at the very edge of the Grand Canyon.
- Played a game of Pool with Grizzly Adams.
- Organized a local Science Fiction group.
- Won a few spelling Bees when I was in 4th grade.
- Joined the Cub Scouts.
- Disavowed religion and pursued my own spirituality.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, February 07, 2005,
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"There is no mental suffering by the mere act of photographing,"
2/05/2005
There is nothing to mourn. There is nothing to feel. Does she hear the music? Sabrina? American history, Disney-style.
We are blank as farts. We are as meat moving around in concrete and steel constructs, singing a happy song. Meaning is easily defined by employers and governments. As long as they don't see us coming, we can do anything we want.
This is the message. You are tuned in. God Bless America.
The flash face of terror behind every naked face, many soaked with tears and stained with lunctime kool-aid. They will grow up to be the enemy, because they wish a different sort of freedom. The freedom to pursue happiness, not be led blindly by warped truths, by naked pathetic fear. The freedom to express who they are, who they wish to be, and challenge the flimsy constructions their grandparents built and their parents ignored.
Shiva stirs in her infinite womb, and a fire is kindled. The emptiness of dreams twists and writhes at the other end of her gaze, for even god will be consumed. Meanwhile, our soldiers topple cities, rape and pillage, feed the flesh of our enemies to infernal machines. Build roads with their remains for endless miles of asphalt.
I am a chorus of fleeting memories, awaiting some breathe of life to spin my mortal coil from recycled television transmissions and green plastic everlasting. The sound of meat grinding, change is happening. The sad thoughtless creatures peddle twisted renditions of old klansman songs - screaming beneath the sound of the guitars and industrial machines. Meat meat meat. Grinding. Twisting, shredding into piles.
The end is coming, but not the end. The end of masks, of bitter mothers trapped inside silver prisons with unfinished crosswords collecting dust. The end of routine beneath dense fog of distant memory. Then comes the shame, the torment, as the creature disowns the spoor it leaves behind. Lies. Truth. Information passes through thin, cold lips of America's priest, spilling into the dirty calloused hands of its people, taking the skin from the fingers. The reaper. The sower. The same endless pattern goes on and on.
So now it's time to catch a train, you say. The violins vibrate behind you, and your beautiful hair waves like a black flag in the breeze. The snow has melted, and distant ships set sail, bellowing empty blue horns into the cold, grey slate of concrete and dead trees. The sea retreats. Parades end. Men in sheets retreat into their brick-lined caverns. Time to move on.
The images of their imprisonment become candy for our eyes. We are edutained. Their shame becomes our pride.
"The U.S. government dropped the main charge on Saturday against a female soldier who posed in front of a pyramid of naked Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison."The slow, pounding pulse of her own cold leathery heart. It is a nexus. Babylon the Great lifted from her sorrow, led to the altar and given USDA approval. She is ground up, seasoned, and fed back to us as an example of compassion.
"Attorneys for Harman argued that charges related to the photographs of hooded detainees should be dismissed, because victims must be aware of abuse in order to be abused."We the satisfied victors devolve into mumbling, drooling cannibals eating our own legs. In the name of Truth and Justice we shall prevail.
In another photo from a separate incident, the Virginia native flashes a broad smile in front of a dead Iraqi.And they lived happily ever after, the beauty and the beast.
posted by novachild @ Saturday, February 05, 2005,
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HELP MY DRIVE-IN WIN!!!!
2/04/2005
Hampton Landmarks is holding a contest where they will spend 20 grand to refurbish a ‘hidden landmark.’ The only surviving drive-in theater in my home town (Admiral Twin) is one of two contenders.
The Admiral Twin has a long history of family entertainment, and I spend at least a dozen weekends there each summer. The joy of sitting in the open air under the stars watching movies is one of my favorite pastimes, and it's a dying tradition. The Twin is looking fairly shabby these days, as the drive-in industry isn't exactly a moneymaker. In fact, nearly ALL of the ticket sales at a drive-in go back to the movie industry, and 90% of the theater income is based on concession sales!
I’m urging everyone to vote for Admiral Twin in the contest.
You can vote every day until March 31st. Please do what you can, because it's just got to win! If you know others who may help, please email this blog entry to them. If you have a blog, please post this plea in your blog for all to see. If you have a web site, please link to my blog entry if you wish.
Vote early, vote often, and may the best landmark win.
For more information on Admiral Twin, its current state, its history, check out these sites:
http://tulsatvmemories.com/drivein.html
http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/oktadmi
Trivia Tidbit: The Admiral Twin Drive-In Theatre was a setting for Francis Ford Coppola's 1982 movie, "The Outsiders".
posted by novachild @ Friday, February 04, 2005,
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It Seems Impossible
I really try to stick to the game plan and post more personal observations rather than bitchfests. I feel guilty somehow for doing nothing but complaining while the world falls apart.
I suppose this is what a journal's for, to keep track of daily thoughts and see where things are going. Sometimes this means letting go of things, changing thought patterns, re-aligning 'goals' and aims.
So here's my new leaf. I will do my absolute best to delay my long-winded rants against BushCo and instead focus more heavily on personal feelings and observations. These things really do affect me, but it will improve my focus on what I'm writing about if it isn't as emotionally charged as an instant gut reaction (liveblogging).
So crossing fingers, hopefully I can stick to the plan.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, February 04, 2005,
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Gonzo-les was Sworn In Today
2/03/2005
And I haven't a brain cell left after such a long, multitasking day. But I did get to check out Point Pleasant for the first time 2nite, and it seems to show a little promise though I wish they'd cut down on the soap opera element. Of course, this comment is coming from a self-professed fanatic of Dark Shadows. Hey, it's my sleep remedy!
Anyhow, it was inevitable that the torture-loving dickwad would be voted in anyhow. We all knew it. But what we didn't know was that so many Senators would vote against him, nearly 1/3 of them. Which, even though they lost the vote, is still a powerful statement. There are a few decent people in the world, after all.
There is an official protest scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 9. I don't know if anything's going on in my home town or not, but I'm not one to get outside much. I KNOW how cops can be about people wearing masks (I've been harrassed before), and the whole idea of using the hoods is a tad frightening. But if you've got the stomache for it, here are the details:
On Wednesday, February 9, individuals will meet to counter the confirmation of President Bush's favorite Texas lawyer, "Abu Ghraib Gonzales."
WE PROTEST AGAINST ALBERTO GONZALES! AGAINST TORTURE! AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ! AGAINST RACIAL TOKENISM! AGAINST THE RECKLESS DISREGARD OF HUMAN LIFE, FROM BAGHDAD TO TEXAS! AGAINST BUSH, BUSHTHINK, AND BUSHOCRACY! IN FAVOR OF ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ALL THE EARTH'S PEOPLE!!! IN FAVOR OF U.S. INTEGRITY IN THE WORLD!! IN FAVOR OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS!!!
In Texas, Alberto Gonzales sentenced dozens of people to the death penalty, and in Washington DC he sought to ensure that President Bush had the power to detain any suspects of terrorism indefinitely in prisons such as Guantanamo Bay, even those without any evidence of wrongdoing.
Finally, Gonzales enabled the horrific torture of Iraqi prisoners, such as those in Abu Ghraib prison. Abu Ghraib Gonzales started the slow ruin of the United States' reputation for human rights across the world. We do not want Gonzales as our Attorney General. We meet to demand human rights for all of the world's people!
We oppose Abu Ghraib Gonzales!
Individuals will kneel in silence and solidarity on the front steps of the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building in Washington DC, and at courthouses across the nation, wearing the black hoods of Abu Ghraib prisoners. Creative signs and displays are encouraged. Our signs will speak for us: WE OPPOSE ABU GHRAIB GONZALES! We kneel to represent those subjected to the cruel acts of torture in Iraqi prisons, those who had no voice.
We kneel on the steps of our symbols of justice, our courthouses, to demand ethical treatment of all individuals. Our government turned a blind eye to the prisoners subjected to the horrific torture in Abu Ghraib, but it cannot turn a blind eye to us.
IF YOU'RE IN DC: Please come to the Supreme Court at 12:00 noon, on the east side facing the Capitol Building. There will be hoods provided to you. Please dress in black if you can or other neutral clothing. We will demonstrate at the Supreme Court and then march to the Capitol Building.
IF YOU'RE IN ANOTHER CITY/TOWN: Get a group together to converge on your courthouse wearing black hoods! Prepare your hoods in advance using the instructions contained in this e-mail. It's suggested that you have at least one written sign that states why you're there. You also may want to contact your local newspapers, radio and TV stations to let them know when, where, and WHY you will be there. If you are doing your own action in your own town, good luck. (It is not likely that the police can or will try to arrest you, though local laws differ from town to town.) Please contact the Washington DC activists working group to let us know you are doing this. Send an e-mail to Lacy MacAuley at Butterfly@Lacy.com.
## Fashion Statement ##
Because the image is central to this action, it's suggested that you wear black clothing. If you don't have black clothing available, wear muted colors, such as beige or brown.
## Make Your Own Abu Ghraib Hood! It's easy! ##
1. Start with a piece of black fabric, scissors, and a stapler. The best type of fabric is black, lightweight quilting 100% cotton fabric. In daylight, you should be able to see fairly well through this fabric. (One yard of fabric from your local fabric store makes two hoods.) 2. Cut a rectangle that is 36" long and 24" wide. 3. Fold the rectangle in half so that you have a folded piece of fabric that is long and thin, 36" long and 12" wide. 4. Staple along the 36" free edge of the long, thin rectangle, so that you are sealing up a black fabric tube with staples. If this doesn't seem secure, add more staples or use duct tape. 5. Carefully turn the tube inside out so that the staples are invisible and on the inside. 6. Cut a long, thin strip of black fabric to use as a tie-cord. 7. Pinch the top of the tube into a pleated bunch. The gathered fabric in your hand should resemble a rosette. 8. Tie the tie-cord around this bunch as close as possible to the top of the hood and pull it tight. The top of the hood should be within an inch of the tie-cord. 9. Cut off the ends of the ie cord so they do not stick out. You have an Abu Ghraib hood! Scary, huh?
SAY NO TO GONZALES!SAY NO TO TORTURE!SAY YES TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS!
posted by novachild @ Thursday, February 03, 2005,
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Freedom From Fear
2/02/2005
Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy - and chief among them is freedom from fear.Tonight, I am convinced more than ever of several disturbing facts. 1) Dubya is a complete bastard. 2) This country is being overrun by complete bastards. 3) By 2008, there won't be a United States worth fighting for if we continue to allow bastards to run the country. So Democrats, progressives, people with common sense, get your shit together and wipe this mistake from the board. Block his every punch, parry his every thrust.
The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom.Is this more of your self-effacing humor?
The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else.So what in the hell are we doing in Iraq? Idiot. Tell that to the faces of all the disfigured, fatherless children and widows of Iraq. Tell that to the face of the US soldiers who are mamed and killed in the name of spreading 'freedom.'
Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.We don't have a right or desire to impose our forms of government, but we do have a right and desire to 'advance' freedom across the globe? Have you ever heard the term doublespeak? Have you even read Orwell? What about Jesus? When was the last time you turned the other cheek?
Bush, I turned my back on you during the parade and inauguration. You are not my President. You are the leader of some fictitious country that exists only in your head. Real leaders don't lie about the reasons for war, cheat their own people out of an economy, appoint torture-lovers and push push push for more death and destruction overseas. Real freedom means equal responsibility for everyone to respect the views and cultures of others. Real freedom means open at the top. Real freedom means gays and lesbians can marry. Real freedom means Doctors and patients make their own health decisions, not greedy warmongering politicians. Real freedom means we stop acting like idiotic cowby redneck pricks and start respecting the world we live in.
The freedom you peddle to the masses is not the freedom they taught me in Political Science. It is not the freedom I read about in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No, the freedom you speak of is Free Beer. Opportunism over sustainability. Greed and preference to the wealthy over the working man. Freedom to be a prick, a coward, and a worthless leader. Freedom to devolve.
Sure, you can have that if you want it. So many voters are with you on that point. It will be good riddance when your kind start climbing trees again.
posted by novachild @ Wednesday, February 02, 2005,
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Canada Wants to Legalize Gay Marriage!
2/01/2005
With all the bad news lately, it's nice to hear that one of our neighbors has the intestinal fortitude to give equal marriage rights to same-sex couples.
If the law is passed, Canada would become the third country after Belgium and
the Netherlands to permit same-sex marriages.
Canadians aren't without their disagreements. And a proposal isn't a guarantee that it will pass, though a majority of Parliament members have already backed the bill. At the least it's an honest attempt to try and affect some positive change, to stand up and give equal rights instead of letting hatred and prejudice rule the day. The shameful Bush administration could learn a thing or two from the Canadian Liberal Party.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, February 01, 2005,
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