:: Archipelapogo ::

:: 26.11.02 ::

United We Spend

Since I'm feeling all preachy and whatnot, don't forget that Friday is Buy Nothing Day. This is my fourth year participating, oddly enough. If you think it's all a load of bollocks, at least go check out the presentation before you go purchase a bunch of crap.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Whoopee! We're all gonna die!

Sean thinks that the war with Iraq will start sometime in December. Sadly enough, he's probably right. I had this great idea to re-write Country Joe's I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin-To-Die-Rag. Via some google searching, I found it was far from an original thought. So in the true spirit of blogging, here's somebody else's version! Yay!

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Another Bush needs your help again.
He's got himself in an awful huff
Way on over in the Persian Gulf
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a crap,
Let's go and bomb Iraq;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on generals, let's move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Gotta go and get those towelheads—
The only good muslim is the one who's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a crap,
Let's go and bomb Iraq;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Huh!

Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on old Sadaam.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a crap,
Let's just bomb Iraq.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on mothers stop the SUV,
Pack your boys off to the Middle East.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send 'em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a crap,
I said let's bomb Iraq.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Here's the link to this guy's version.

Maybe instead I'll take the time to update the Dead Kennedys' Kinky Sex Makes the World Go Round.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Hoopla

Thanks to a strong victory last week (8-2), I'm tied for first place in the SportsFilter yahoo fantasy NBA league. Now that Shaq's back, I'm pretty pleased with my team. Barring any injuries or major fall-outs, here is what should remain my roster for a while:

Guards:
Steve Nash (Mavs)(!), John Stockton (Jazz), Kerry Kittles (Nets), David Wesley (Hornets), Eric Snow (76ers), Steve Smith (Spurs) and Stephon Marbury (Suns).

Forwards/Centers:
P.J.Brown (Hornets), Rasheed Wallace (Blazers), Malik Rose (Spurs), Theo Ratliff (Hawks), Hidayet Turkoglu (Kings), and Shaq.

It's pretty strong. Theo Ratliff is the leading shot blocker this year, I get rebounding from Rasheed and Malik, Points from Shaq, Stephon, Nash, and sometimes Kittles, and assists from Stockton and Nash, mostly. I think I've got a pretty tough team to beat, all things considered.

Oh, and the Mavs are 13-0. You may start the bandwagon now. And can I just say once: Steve Nash for MVP!
:: Scott [+] ::
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Oh, by the way

I'm considering shopping around for a little digital camera. Something pocket sized is preferred. And I really can't spend more than about $170 or so on it. Anyone have any suggestions? (I'd prefer somebody recommend or un-recommend something that they own and use.)
:: Scott [+] ::
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Blah

Apologies for having little of interest to say. When I left my apartment at 7:20 this morning, the sun had not quite risen over the horizon. By the time I get home around six (working late, taking half day next Wednesday), the sky will be completely dark. And you could not have asked for a nicer November day.

1. Piss.
2 Moan.
3. Repeat steps one and two ad nauseum.
:: Scott [+] ::
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QuickLinks

..::Make an online Kaleidoscope. Way cool. (via dejah)::..

..::MetaFilter debate o' the day. Don't forget to read the linked article. Excerpt:

A fact sheet on the effectiveness of condoms in preventing the transmission of the AIDS virus has disappeared from the Centers for Disease Control Web site. According to lawmakers who have protested, the missing sheet was based on public health data showing that "latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV" and other sexually transmitted diseases. In its place is a notice: "Being revised."

(oddly enough, posted by the aforementioned dejah. go her!)::..

..::Very cool photoshop action available to download. Based on some of the cinematography in Amelie. Even if you don't use photoshop, or know what it is, or you haven't seen Amelie (shame on you!) check out the difference in the pics on the linked page. They're very very cool. I have some pictures at home that I'd love to try this out with. If only I had a scanner...
(via pugachev)::..
:: Scott [+] ::
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What, no Bangles INXS?

Well, the albums #1-50 are up now too. By Michael Jackson's "Bad", I of course meant Thriller, which popped in all the way at number 27(!). Surfer Rosa made it in at seven, and Doolittle at 4. Number One is not a big shock at all. Not. At. All. Do I agree? Maybe, maybe not, but I'm not mad, and that takes all the fun out of the list, huh? It does remind me that no matter how crappy today's music is, there are a ton of old albums I should go get. So life doesn't suck too much.
:: Scott [+] ::
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What, no Bangles?

Pitchfork Media's (link fixed...sorry) got the top 100 albums of the 80's going on. Today they give us numbers 100-51.Tomorrow, the top 50. Enjoy. What will be number one? Leave a comment today, look cool tomorrow.
:: Scott [+] ::
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There's a fungus among us

During a rare moment in my car the other day, I was listening to NPR and heard a lady reporting about some Bush speech. She was talking about now with the repubs controlling all of congress and the White House and how they'll be able to pass bills through the system like Indian food through a 90 year old man (I swear she said that! Okay, not really.) She played a blurb from the speech in which bush was saying that the most improtant thing to be passed first was the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security (cue Pink Panther music here).

The reporter lady then came back on and said that many experts in D.C. were saying that the OHS is very important with the impending invasion of Iraq. This, she said, is due to the fact that many experts agree that there is a much higher chance of another terrorist attack if we invade Iraq. Um. Isn't one of the major excuses for this invasion for protection? But if we do it, then we're actually in more danger? (cut to shot of Scott banging head against dashboard, then driving an old woody station wagon off of a cliff, followed by flames and smoke rising, a la the 'O Doyles in Billy Madison).
:: Scott [+] ::
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Chicago Will Be Ours!!!

I finished The Jungle by Upton Sinclair yesterday on my commute home from work. This was a very good book. The story, which is I guess what you would call Historical Fiction, is about the life of Lithuanian Immigrant Jurgis Rudkus. Jurgis comes to the States in the first years of the 20th Century and winds up in Chicago with the hopes of obtaining a good job. He, like most immigrants, winds up in the Meatpacking District, and lives with his father, soon to be wife, and future in-laws.

The book then launches into antecdote after antecdote of corruption, swindling, exploitation, and filth in the Meatpacking District. Jurgis winds up going through many trials as he seeks new job after new job for various reasons. He becomes a tool of the political machine in Chicago, and then is let down by them as well. Through it all, he lands in jail multiple times, has many family members die of various causes, and almost dies himself of starvation or by freezing to death.

The last couple of chapters veer away from the story of Jurgis's life and more into Sinclair's (seeming) Socialist agenda. This is done when Jurgis attends a rally and becomes enamorated with the movement. He begins to educate himself and get involved with the party and his new 'comrades'. In the last chapter, Jurgis is there only out of habit, it seems, and the plot takes on a meeting of socialist intellectuals who launch into debates about ideals and where the movement is heading. It's a very interesting and well-written piece, which could probably stand on it's own as a fictional essay or very short story, but it seemed to be a lousy conclusion (or lack thereof) to the book. I didn't really want Jurgis to win or lose, but I wanted to know what happened.

You can read the last chapter here

I would recommend this book, but I'd be careful as to who I'd recommend it to, as the obvious agenda would put some people off of the whole thing, unfortunately. The book is very intense and powerful throughout though, and it's depiction of the meatpacking industry led to the passage of the U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act that eventually led to the founding of the FDA in 1931. So it's also enjoyable from a historical perspective. I liked it.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Whack!

Now this, my friends, is a google-whack to be proud of.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Wait, you mean it's not a menu?

via SpiderFarmer, a .PDF of Street Terms for Drugs and the Drug Trade.

All I need are some tasty waves, some Jerry Springer, some Apple Jacks, and some AC/DC, and I'm fine.

(Heroin, Crack/Cocaine, and Codeine Cough Syrup, respectively).
:: Scott [+] ::
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Dallas gets mad props

Sorry for the unusual absence yesterday. Note to self: Scheduling meetings for both the morning and afternoon seriously hampers internet time. I went to the Jurassic 5 show last night (PugAchev also went. In fact, he bought my extra ticket off of me, so that was quite cool.) The show was, of course, probably 75-80% white or asian people, but it was cool. J5 put on one hell of a good live show. I missed them when they came around in August, and was quite happy to shell over my $20 this time around.

J5 got the crowd going really well. Their DJs got to show off some quite impressive stuff, and there was a lot of crowd interaction, which was cool. The best part, of course, was the chant of "Fuck Bush" that went on for a little while. You gotta like it. (you've also got to wonder where the 61% of the population that support that guy live). But it was cool to see J5 at the Gypsy Tea Room, b/c I'm sure next time they come around it'll be at either Deep Ellum Live, or (shudder) the Bronco Bowl. I was quite pleased though.

The Beatnuts opened and did 8-10 songs about guns and hos.

Before the beatnuts, and then again inbetween the Beatnuts and J5, there was some breakdancing. The guy running the PA was nice enough to bust out some old school Run DMC, which was real nice. Some of the breakdancers that I saw were pretty good. Some just appeared to wiggle around on the floor, but what can you do? Even more puzzling were the couple of guys that would do the dancing that can best be described as a cross between Tai Chi, Miming, and a Crystal Meth freakout. I guess it's what the kids that can't breakdance do. Crazy kids.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Picture of the week

Right here.

via Mr. Pants
:: Scott [+] ::
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Fun stuff

A couple of cool links from anil's sidebar:

Be a corporate exec! Lead Pres. Bush around by the nose. Hint: if you take it down really slowly, therby elongating the nose, he looks kind of like Prince Charles.

A Postmodern Analysis of the Beastie Boys' Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego:

Hyperreality, the copying of images that are themselves copies, and the equating of images and their underlying content, is also present in "Shadrach." One example is "I've got the girlies in the coupe like the Colonel's got the chickens." (38) The Beastie Boy who raps this is demonstrating his romantic prowess - how many young women he has in his car, fawning over him. Yet the comparison in this simile of excess is not an example of a real-world romantic success, not even an example of real-world excess in anything. The comparison is to how chickens are ubiquitous in the media-created image of Kentucky Fried Chicken's Colonel Sanders, who is designed to sell cooked chicken.

:: Scott [+] ::
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What a night, huh?

Denise and I finally went to see Bowling for Columbine on Friday night. It was excellent. I'm no apologist for Michael Moore, but he is one hell of a film-maker. It didn't drag on too much (but it did seem really long, whatever that implies) and had some very nice sections. Parts of it did seem a bit simplified (probably through editing or something) but overall, I was pleased. And I know that's exactly what Mr. Moore was shooting for. My personal pleasure. Thank you, sir.

My indoor soccer season ended last night. We finally won a game though (2-1), so that was nice. Go out on a high note, eh?

The Mavs are 6-0 and schooled Detroit in a massive way. That was their first real challenge of the year, and they rose big time. They've got Portland tomorrow night, and then Boston and New Jersey this weekend, so they will be tested.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Now I can read at work!

Slow day at work? Read The Jungle with me. I'm on Chapter XII right now.
:: Scott [+] ::
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And they say it's dead

Punk Rock Aerobics at CBGB's.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Random Stickering Good

MeFi's had some good links today. Here's my favorite. The "I Just Threw Up" sticker project. Throwing stickers, especially speech bubbles, on random pictures is a form of entertainment that's difficult to match. My favorite is the Britney Spears skateboard.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Quiz Time!

Which Founding Father Are You?

:: Scott [+] ::
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See? This is the crap I'm talking about!

Campaign Money Finds New Conduits As Law Takes Effect -- With the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law taking effect tomorrow, top Republican lobbyists and Democratic operatives are putting finishing touches today on shadow organizations designed to evade the intent of the law and continue the flow of unregulated "soft money" into presidential and congressional campaigns.

These new committees are being created with full knowledge of, and advance clearance by, the House and Senate leadership, including top Democrats who led the fight for passage of the McCain-Feingold measure prohibiting the national parties and candidates for federal office from raising and spending soft money.

Read. Cringe. Cry. Scream in frustration.

via the superb SCOTUSblog, which in about thirty seconds merited a permanent link on the side bar (coming after the meeting I'm late for).
:: Scott [+] ::
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Politicks

Everybody is should be thinking about politics today, it being election day and all. I've been holding back on this post for quite a while, but I think it's a good day to release the hounds (or at least attempt to). It's a bit of a large task, but here we go:

Three steps towards a greater democracy in the United States

1). Campaign Finance Reform: There have been some attempts made at this over the past few years (McCain-Feingold, for example). Some of them were good steps in the right direction, some were pointless and ineffective, but none have made a lick of difference so far. Without the companies that are donating millions of dollars to both parties each year, we could have avoided the rolling blackouts in California, which led to the Enron scandal (they had their paws all over Phil Gramm's wife and the Energy Commission). We need to have a government that listens to the people more than the executives. We need a government that can't be allowed to take kick-backs for legislation, whether they come from Philip-Morris or the UAW. Yes, lobbyists can be good. But there should be no exchange between the lobbies and the politicians. We need a clean government.

2). Do Away With the Electoral College: In my unfounded opinion, the electoral college made sense during the founding of this country. Without it, elections would be prone to massive fraud and completely slow results. Via the electoral college, the results could be somewhat certified and reported in an inexact but timely manner. Flash forward by 230 years and we have absolutely no use for this mechanism anymore. With the invention of numerous forms of technological communication, we can find out what is happening right now in, say, Guam or Sri Lanka, much less Virginia. The fact that I live in a state that is so overwhelmingly conservative (and Oklahoma probably more so) should not negate my vote, which is what the Electoral College effectively accomplishes. The same goes for a conservative in New York. His vote should count just as much as mine, which should count just as much as the people who hold the majority opinion in a section of the country. This, I believe, would give more people more incentive to vote. I think many additional people would have turned out to vote in 2000 in Oklahoma to vote for Gore should they have known that they're vote would have counted. Bush and Gore didn't even bother campaigning in Texas. They had absolutely no reason to spend even one dollar here. The majority of Presidential campaigns are targeted to those in the swing states. Effectively, those are the only people who have votes that count, as they decide who gets to be President. Why did somebody in Orlando's vote count more than mine? This is democracy? Bah!

3). Decrease the income disparity -- This is a very difficult goal to accomplish. It involves attacking both flanks of the problem here... Too many people don't make enough money, and too many people make way too much. How do we get the people with too much money to give some to the people with too little money without being unfair or autocratic? Very tough to say. You can raise minimum wage, but you're going to have to adjust for the ensuing inflation, which will basically hurt everyone that doesn't make minimum wage (and basically hurting the lower to middle class folks). You can enact a maximum wage. The major argument against this is that it would hurt people's incentive to try to strike it rich, often stunting innovation. I don't know that I necessarily agree with that. I think so long as you enact this maximum wage to a number that is still ludicrously high (say $15 million a year) which is something that many aren't going to be able to accomplish short of the lottery or something fantastic and new, then the incentive is still there. But you are putting a cap on the insane amounts of money that people can earn in one year. Can anybody really spend that much in a year? There's no need to. I'm reminded of Eddie Izzard's description of the American Dream in Dressed to Kill. It goes something like this: "The American dream is to be born in the gutter with absolutely nothing. Then you've got to pull yourself up by the bootstraps. Then you get all of the money in the whole wide world, stick it all in your ears, and do this (he then sticks his tongue out and goes PPPpppppthhbbbbbttttt)."

So what do you think? Anything out there that would be more effective in creating a better democracy for us all? Let me know your thoughts, please.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Police scolded as Bush protester acquitted

The story of Bill Neel, aged 65, who was protesting the President at a Labor Day event. Neel was arrested for "disorderly conduct", a charge that was dismissed by Judge Shirley Trkula. Neel was carrying a sign that stated "The Bush family must surely love the poor, they've made so many of us". Judge Trkula stated that the police went "a little too far".

I'm glad to see this happen. However, Neel was a borderline elderly man. I wonder if the result would have been the same if the person charged was a little younger and a little more granola in lifestyle? Who knows. At least this guy had a ridiculous charge dropped.

via the Village Voice.
:: Scott [+] ::
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Swappy Goodness

I did a CD Swap with some people on a site that shall remain nameless. I'm pretty sure most everyone I sent CD's to has received them by now, so here is the track listing:

1. -- From Monument to Masses - SM-NL
2. -- Pretty Girls Make Graves - Speakers Push the Air
3. -- Desaparecidos - Man and Wife (the Latter)
4. -- Spooks - Swindley's Maracas
5. -- Mike Ness - Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)
6. -- And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Totally Natural
7. -- Soul Coughing - I'm Rolling
8. -- Mojo Nixon - Don Henley Must Die
9. -- Interlude
10. -- Brother Inferior - Bent Over Backwards
11. -- The Showcase Showdown - I Love the FBI
12. -- 31 Knots - Amateur Idiot
13. -- Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
14. -- Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Torture
15. -- Planes Mistaken For Stars - Fuck With Fire
16. -- Idlewild - American English
17. -- Ani DiFranco - Napoleon (live)
18. -- Peter and the Test Tube Babies - Up Yer Bum
19. -- The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Ready, Steady, Go!
20. -- The Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (live, acoustic)
21. -- Hepcat - Prison of Love
22. -- Don Caballero - Belted Sweater

Hopefully those that received it enjoyed at least some of it. I've not received any of mine yet (probably due to a faulty mailbox that is now fixed). When I do, I'll let you know how they are.
:: Scott [+] ::
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A rare sports moment

I don't pay too much attention to sports, much less have enough knowledge to post about them, but here's a feeble attempt for now. I watched the Mavericks game against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday evening, and the Mavs continue to look damn good. All the analysts and whatnot say that the Mavs need to step up on defense, which is true, considering they had the second highest points allowed last season (highest went to Golden State, I think). The Suns were held to only 83 points, which is good, but not great, considering that it's, well, the Suns who didn't make the playoffs last year.

The offense looked pretty good, but not great, as there was some sketchy shooting throughout the game. But offense isn't where the Mavs need help. Raef LaFrentz twisted an ankle pretty severely, putting him out for at least a week, which is bad since the team is already short on big men. Popeye Jones is out for at least another 2-3 weeks, so they're stuck with Shawn Bradley playing the bulk of the game. Bradley played well Saturday night, but the Suns don't have a very prominant big man, so that may not say a whole lot. They've got four games this week, but none of them area against great teams. The Raptors will probably be the toughest game, but even without LaFrentz, I think they can hold them down.

There's no question that the Mavs will make the playoffs. Assuming they don't choke or get shafted with the Lakers or Kings in the first round, they should make at least the second round. Hopefully they'll draw the Kings again at some point in time, as that was one hell of an entertaining playoff series last year. I think they can match up with the Kings well too, and have a possibility of beating them. The Lakers though are a different question. We'll have to see. Until then, go Mavs!

Sports Part II: Baylor announced last night that head football coach Kevin Steele has been fired. Probably about two years too late. He'll finish out the season, I guess, but I say good riddance. I wonder if anybody can coach the Bears right now and do well with them. They gave Steele a good four or so years, and he didn't do much at all (except beat KU! hahahaha!). Hopefully whoever they bring can do something, but I'm not real optimistic. Nor will I lose any sleep over it.
:: Scott [+] ::
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