Video of the Day: Live

"Unbelieveable" by EMF & Tom Jones

Video of the Day: Halloween Edition

"Hybrid Moments" by Misfits

Milo Gets His Own Doll

PunkNews.org is reporting that the Descendent’s Milo Aukerman is getting his very own doll. Now you too can have your very own littler version of the king of nerd rock in your very own home. You can pre-order one here.

For Halloween...

Video of the Day: Live

"Motown Junk" by Manic Street Preachers

31 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time

At least according to Moviefone’s Inside Movies. The list isn’t bad, but I would have put Evil Dead on the list over Evil Dead 2.

And for some more Halloween inspired movie list fun, check out Inside Movies Sexiest Movie Vampire list.

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing all Swingin’ Utters tunes.

1. “Twenty-Three” by Swingin’ Utters (from Brazen Bead [EP})
2. “Glad” by Swingin’ Utters (from Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, and Bones)
3. “I Need Feedback” by Swingin’ Utters (from Five Lessons Learned)
4. “Where Are They Now” by Swingin’ Utters (from Hatest Grits: B-Sides and Bullshit)
5. “Bigot’s Barrel” by Swingin’ Utters (from A Juvenile Product of the Working Class)
6. “The Dirty Sea” by Swingin’ Utters (from The Sounds Wrong EP)
7. “No Eager Men” by Swingin’ Utters (from The Streets of San Francisco)
8. “Teen Idol Eyes” by Swingin’ Utters (from Swingin’ Utters)
9. “’39” by Swingin’ Utters (from BYO Split Series, Vol. 2)
10. “Counterfeit Cassius Clay” by Filthy Thieving Bastards* (from A Melody of Retreads and Broken Quills)

*Note – The Filthy Thieving Bastards are an Utters side project.

R.I.P. Chuck Biscuits

Legendary punk rock drummer Chuck Biscuits died on Saturday after a long battle with throat cancer. Chuck played in Black Flag, Social Distortion, D.O.A., Danzig, Fear, the Circle Jerks, Samhain, and even Run D.M.C. Rest well Chuck and keep playing ‘em loud and fast in heaven.

UPDATE 10/30: It appears that the reports of Chuck Biscuits death may be a hoax. Both PunkNews.org and PopEater are reporting that the story may not be true (thank you Steve for the heads up on this). Apparently the announcement was made on one blog, but it appears that he may have been duped (but to give the guy credit he seems to be trying really hard to suss out exactly what is going on).

UPDATE 10/30 # 2: This has now been officially labeled as a hoax. Chuck Biscuits is alive and well. For the full scoop check out this story.

When is it a Cult?

Here is an eye catching headline: Is Scientology a Cult? Is Paul Higgins the Next Martin Luther?

The story deals with Scientology and the recent defection of Paul Haggis. The article also brings up the question, is Scientology a cult?

From the story –

Is this revelation, then, conclusive proof that Scientology is the cult that many claim? It all depends on what is meant by "cult."

The word really has two meanings. One is the original sense of any regular practice of faith and body of beliefs. But since the middle of the last century and the rise of what are now generically termed "New Religious Movements," or NRMs -- such as Scientology -- the word "cult" has been used as a pejorative label slapped on anything that seemed odd or evil. (Or from California.) Charles Manson's cabal was called a cult, as were the followers of Jim Jones, who committed mass suicide at their community in Guyana in 1978. The Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh, who perished in an FBI siege in Waco in 1993 were considered a cult, as is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) led by the now-jailed Warren Jeffs, who promoted polygamy and sex with underage girls.

Given such associations, it's no surprise that no one wants to be known as a cult, and that the term has become so loaded that experts in religion caution against using it. So is there any such thing as a cult? The commonly accepted definition of a cult today is anything that is "weird" or new or well out of the mainstream. (Scientology claims 10 million members worldwide. Others say the global figure is closer to 100,000, and a large-scale national survey in 2001 put the number of U.S. followers at 55,000.)

Under those parameters, Scientology is an easy target. Not only is it new (circa 1953) but it has a complex and obscure set of beliefs and practices that sound exotic. For example, L. Ron Hubbard taught that people are at their core spiritual beings called thetans whose existence spans many human lifetimes. People are supposed to move closer to their true spiritual nature through extensive "audits" that seek to put them in a "Clear" state. As they move higher up in the church echelons (and make regular payments) further revelations about the extraterrestrial origins of the universe and other mysteries are disclosed to adherents. Many of these have not been made public, though the disclosure of the belief that an alien ruler named Xenu brought people to earth 75 million years ago in jet planes and planted them around volcanoes is one of the more unusual tenets that have come to light.

The sofa-surfing antics of prominent Scientologist Tom Cruise -- whose internal video boosting Scientology became a huge hit on YouTube when it was leaked in 2008 -- have not exactly burnished the church's mainstream image. Scientology is also very antagonistic towards psychiatry -- hence Cruise's clash with actress Brooke Shields, whom he slammed for using Paxil to battle postpartum depression. (Shields fired back in a New York Times op-ed.)

But viewed from certain perspectives, almost any religion can seem "weird," and it's generally not fair to hold a belief system responsible for the offbeat antics of its adherents.

What can legitimately be considered hallmarks of a cult are, to name a few: a devotion to secrecy as regards beliefs and membership; a belief system that is so esoteric as to be incomprehensible or so derivative as to be patently false; financial requirements that can become onerous; practices or requirements that isolate members from loved ones or bar contact with anyone outside the religion; an obsession with a particular leader who may be charismatic and authoritarian; and of course any systematic physical or sexual abuse. The end result is an emotional and spiritual dependency that is harmful to a person's well-being.

People can and will disagree as to whether Scientology qualifies under any or all of these categories. Ultimately, determining whether a group is a cult comes down to Justice Potter Stewart's famous threshold for defining obscenity: "I know it when I see it." But another intriguing aspect of Haggis' dissent is that he does not seem to be a classic apostate or angry exile -- someone who has wholly renounced his former beliefs and co-religionists and now means to do them harm.

I once had a discussion with a group of friends on this topic. I specifically asked the question “when does a cult become a religion?” At one people a friend pulled me off to the said and used a very off color and offensive analogy to illustrate a simple point – they are a cult when they are not in the room. In other words, most people see nearly any “strange” religion as a cult. I have to admit that the idea did make me stop and think for a long time and while I think that there is a lot of validity to it, I don’t think it is the whol picture.

There are some organizations that based on their behavior can only be called a cult. Then there are some that could be considered “cult-like” but I would hesitate to call a full blown cult. This is one of those things that is almost impossible to nail down with a firm definition.

Not a Lot to Say

Lately when I’ve sat down to do some blogging I’ve found that I just don’t have a lot to say. Occasionally there will be a story or a blog post the peaks my interest enough to write a response too, but more than that I seem to just find random stories (usually of the scientific or music variety) and post about them (and often the majority of those posts are quotes of the original story). Maybe it has something to do with my very full schedule and lack of sleep but I also think that it has something to do with my absolute disgust with what is going on in our country. I still follow the news and listen to a variety of talk radio shows and ready political blogs (even though admittedly that is becoming less and less unless it is a blog written by someone I know) but I just can’t bring myself to write anything about what is going on. The country feels like it is falling apart and that the end of the world is quickly approaching.

Ironically after I first typed this up, I ended up posting a few things dealing with politics. Funny how that works, eh?

Fossilized Monster Skull Found in UK

According to this story, a fossilized skull of a pliosaur has been discovered on the southern coast of England.

From the story –

The skull was discovered in Dorset by a collector and measures 8 feet in length. The discovery was announced Tuesday.

Scientists believe the creature would have been about 52 feet long.

David Martill, a paleontologist from the University of Portsmouth, says pliosaurs had short necks and huge, crocodile-like heads with powerful jaws and a set of razor-sharp teeth.

He said they used paddle-like limbs to propel their bodies through the water and were generally carnivores.

The skull will be put on display in a Dorset museum.

The pliosaur was a nasty piece of work that was one of just many of the monstrously dangerous creatures that roamed the Earth’s ancient seas. For those interested, the pliosaur played a key part in Steve Alten’s latest book MEG: Hell’s Aquarium.

Jim DeMint Proposes Term Limits Legislation

In a move that is sure to unite everyone in Washington against him, Republican South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint has proposed legislation that would put term limits on both houses of Congress.

Money Quote –

Let’s face it, Washington has become far more powerful than any one person or party. If we want to change the policies, we must first change the process. By imposing term limits, we can ensure frequent turnover which allows for new ideas and fresh perspectives in Congress. Additionally, term limits will keep politicians in-tune with their constituents and less focused on pleasing those who promise to help get them re-elected.

We should all back Senator DeMint on this and pray that it gets passed and signed into law.

Quote of the Day

"The United States will always seek to counter negative stereotypes of individuals based on their religion and will stand against discrimination and persecution," Clinton stated. "But an individual's ability to practice his or her religion has no bearing on others' freedom of speech."

-- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Thanks to Man of the West for the find.

Here We Go Again: The 2009 Christmas Culture War has Begun

Every year around this time, we get people screaming and moaning about the “war on Christmas.” I was hoping to put off this “battle” as long as possible this year, but unfortunately I got an email with the following subject line “First Battle of the 2009 Christmas Culture War is here.”

When will this lunacy ever stop? When will the Christians stop complaining about people and store using the term Happy Holidays (it is apparently part of an attack on their religion)? And when will atheists get the stick out of their asses over things like Nativity scenes and Christmas trees?

I guess that I shouldn’t hold my breath that either side will see some common sense and decency and give up this ridiculous “war.” We have much bigger problems than Happy Holidays and Nativity scenes people. Grow up and get a life.

The Web Goes Truly Multilingual

According to this story, the ICANN has changed the rules of web address to allow the use of non-Latin alphabets.

From the story –

According to the Daily Mail, the ICANN board will pass a resolution this Friday that would allow entire Web addresses to be written in in non-Latin alphabets. Those languages could be anything from Japanese to Arabic, or Hindi to Greek. The change means that many people around the world could more easily navigate the Web, and even create Web sites in their native tongue. Of the 1.6 billion people who use the Internet, about half are native speakers of languages that do not use the Latin alphabet. Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush says, "This is the biggest change technically to the Internet since it was invented 40 years ago." If approved, the first non-Roman domain names should hit the Web sometime in mid-2010.

But why now? For years, the group has been testing a new translation system to convert multiple scripts into a single address, and it finally feels ready to put the system to use. We don't want to count our chickens before they hatch, but this is big news, folks. It's akin to the introduction of a three-point line in basketball, or the
forward pass in football. This resolution will totally change the game.

I guess if the web crashes sometime soon, we’ll know why. :-P

Problems with Neighbors

Yesterday there was an incident in our neighborhood that involved my daughter. It scared her so much that she was shaking and in tears for well over an hour afterwards and it is all thanks to the wonderfully bad behavior of a neighborhood kid and his mother.

Here’s what happened. My daughter and son were at their friend’s house playing in the front yard. Two boys from down the street ride by on their bikes and start calling my kids’ friend names. My daughter told the older boy (the one doing the name calling) to stop and he called her the b-word (my daughter is 9 by the way). The boys rode off and the kids told one of their friend’s mother’s (let’s call her Mom A) what happened. Mom A took all of the kids down to the boys’ house to talk with their parents’ about what happened. When Mom A started to tell the boys’ mom (we’ll call her Mom B) what happened, Mom B flipped out and started yelling at Mom A. Mom B apparently made a move to get up into Mom A’s face, but her husband (Dad B) got in front of her. Mom B not only didn’t listen at all, but she laid the blame on my daughter and the other kids (not her sons). Now just for reference, Mom B’s boys are not what you would call well behaved. One of them brutally stomped a frog to death in front of my son. At that point it became a standing rule in our house that our kids are to avoid these boys. This is obviously easier said than done when kids are out playing in the neighborhood. So after this incident my little girl completely broke down and ran home. Mom A followed and told me the entire story of what happened, including the fact that she had called the police. My daughter is a gentle soul and her only crime was standing up for her friend. And for doing the right thing, se got to witness the ugly side of humanity. Because of the situation, I stayed home from work (which may cost me my job but that’s a post for another day) to help calm my daughter down and to make sure that she was okay. When the police came, the officer talked to my daughter and he was extremely nice and gentle and helped in calming her down.

Luckily for us, these kids and their parents (Mom and Dad B) don’t know us or where we live. I already didn’t like the boys and the few times that I have been around them they honestly came of to me as sociopaths in training. Here we have two kids who exhibit destructive and rude behavior being raised by parents who also exhibit destructive and rude behavior. Now to be fair, I have no idea what is going on in their lives. They could have some really messed up things happening in their world, but even so that is no reason to kill a frog, scream a another parent, or call a 9 year-old girl a bitch.

Going forward, our kids have explicit instructions that they are to avoid these boys at all costs, going so far as to come home if they come around. I’m not trying to shelter my kids, but I’ll be damned if I let them be around little psychopaths while in their own neighborhood. I refuse to let those boys make my kids feel unsafe around their home.

To the other parents out there, how would you handle this situation? Or, have you ever run into anything similar and if so how did you handle it and what was the outcome?

Big Snakes Invade U.S.

And no it’s not a bad new horror film…it’s real.

Illustrating the Left-Right Breakdown

Andrew Sullivan has a post with a diagram that illustrates the left-right breakdown in American politics called Illustrating Left and Right.

Sullivan quotes one of the co-creators of the diagram who stated, “Of course, the political spectrum is not quite so polarised. Actually, it’s more of a diamond shape, apparently. But this is how it’s mostly presented via the media – left wing vs. right wing, liberal vs. conservative, Labour vs Tory. And perhaps in our minds too…”

On this he is correct. The true political spectrum in this country is diamond shaped with liberals in one corner, conservatives in the opposite corner, and the last two corners occupied by the libertarians and the authoritarians. In this one can easily see how both conservatives and liberals can eventually become authoritarians.

Money Quote –

Taken like that, it's harmless enough, I guess. But this dumb and lazy-ass "right-left" rubric really does have to stop some time.

Video of the Day

"Everybody Knows" by Concrete Blonde

Alexandria Not Alexander’s

According to this story, Alexander the Great may not have been the first to settle the great city of Alexandria.

From the story –

The latest clues that settlements existed in the area for several hundred years before Alexander the Great come from microscopic bits of pollen and charcoal in ancient sediment layers.

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. The city sits on the Mediterranean coast at the western edge of the Nile delta. Its location made it a major port city in ancient times; it was also famous for its lighthouse (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and its library, the largest in the ancient world.

But in the past few years, scientists have found fragments of ceramics and traces of lead in sediments in the area that predate Alexander's arrival by several hundred years, suggesting there was already a settlement in the area (though one far smaller
than what Alexandria became).

Christopher Bernhardt of the U.S. Geological Survey and his colleagues took sediment cores (long cylindrical pieces of sediment drilled from the ground) that featured layers going as far back as nearly 8,000 years ago as part of a larger climate study of the area.

In these sediment layers, Bernhardt and his colleagues took samples of embedded ancient pollen grains to look for shifts from primarily native plants to those associated with agriculture. They also analyzed levels of microscopic charcoal, whose presence can indicate human fires.

At a mark of 3,000 years ago, Bernhardt's team detected a shift in pollen grains from native grasses and other plants to those from cereal grains, grapes and weeds associated with agriculture. They also found a marked increase in charcoal particles, all of which suggests that a settlement pre-dated the great city of Alexandria.

"They're definitely using the landscape," Bernhardt said.

Interestingly, this idea is also supported in the stories of Homer: In Book 4 of "The Odyssey," there's a mention of a one-day sail from the coast near the Nile to the nearby island of Pharos. This suggests that a port settlement of some sort was already there, the researchers say.

"Fiction is true," in this case, Berhnhardt said.

Whether the early settlement was Greek, Egyptian or affiliated with some other culture isn't known. Nor can scientists say exactly how big the settlement might have been.

"At this point I don't think you can tell much about the people themselves," Bernhardt told LiveScience, adding that archaeologists are interested in learning more about them.

One of the great losses of history was the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.

Good Capitalism is Christian Capitalism?

Man of the West has an interesting post entitled Conservative Anti-Capitalists? that his response to a recent Carl Horowitz column called The Anti-Capital Impulse on the Right.

From the post –

What actually happens in the world is this, and I think you can see the process happening around you right now: you can have freedom, liberty, and property rights, the having of which necessarily entails the possibility of doing immoral things with them, and if enough people persistently do those immoral things, eventually the building blocks of society break down, and so much societal chaos ensues that people begin to clamor for order at any price, even the price of the liberty that they formerly cherished. The only way around this is for the members of a society, a culture, to regulate their own behavior, to, as Burke puts it, "put moral chains on their own appetites," that is, though they may have the means and the liberty to run around on their spouses and drink themselves into the gutter, they do not have the inclination. The most effective way of accomplishing such a state of affairs is through the thorough Christianization of a society, which means, ultimately, that the maintenance of liberty and property rights rest on the foundation of the preaching, teaching, and living out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and where the church fails in this, in the long haul, society suffers collapse, tyranny enters--sometimes swiftly, sometimes by degrees--and the abuse of liberty brings about its own downfall.

If I am interpreting this correctly, MOTW is saying that instead of a strong government presence, society needs a strong church presence to maintain control over the masses. At the end of the day, the masses still need to be herded but it is better that they are herded by Christianity through Christian churches. Earlier in the post he stated the following, which I think supports my conclusion –

For my part, I pretty much always default to liberty. I have an almost total distrust of government's capacity to execute anything successfully, even its legitimate, God-ordained functions, let alone what you might think of as governmental extracurriculars, such as legislating morals.

The thing that is a constant within conservatism, especially religious conservatism, is the idea of order. To many conservatives, order is the hallmark and the endgame. This was firmly established by Alexander Hamilton and his Federalist Party at the dawning of the republic. Since then conservatism has grown and evolved to embrace many liberal (and by liberal I mean classically liberal) ideals, but its core still revolves around the idea and ideal of order. You can hear this in the words of politicians, bloggers, and talk show hosts.

My question now is, what about societies that are Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu, can they not have successful capitalism? Also, seeing that the church is made up of people, isn't it possible that the church can become just as corrupt as the government and thus fail?

Currently Listening

The computer is picking the songs today.

1. “Miranda” by ALL (from Pummel)
2. “Paper Lanterns” by Green Day (from 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours)
3. “Monopoly” by Urge Overkill (from Exit the Dragon)
4. “Love Without Anger” by Devo (from Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology Disc 1)
5. “Keep the Glove” by Dinosaur Jr. (from Fossils)
6. “Outside Life” by Swingin’ Utters (from Hatest Grits: B-Sides and Bullshit)
7. “You Blister My Paint” by Screeching Weasel (from Weasel Mania)
8. “www.sara” by ALL (from Problematic)
9. “Fan of the Banter” by Teenage Frames (from More Songs, Less Music)
10. “I Still Miss Someone” by Johnny Cash (from The Essential Johnny Cash)
11. “Leaving Here” by Pearl Jam (from Lost Dogs: Rarities and B Sides Disc 1)
12. “The Toilet Song” by The Bouncing Souls (from The Bouncing Souls)
13. “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam (from Ten)
14. “On a Plain” by Nirvana (from MTV Unplugged in New York)
15. “Genital General” by The Briefs (from Steal Yer Heart)
16. “Gift” by Sugar (from File Under Easy Listening)
17. “Pledging My Love” by Tom Jones (from Gold Disc 2)
18. “Wrong Number” by The Cure (from Greatest Hits)
19. “All I Got” by Lemons (from The Blasting Room)
20. “Baby Baby” by The Vibrators (from No Thanks The ‘70s Punk Rebellion Disc 2)
21. “Just Don’t Tell” by The Truents (from Cheap Shots and Low Blows, Vol. 1: The TKO Singles 1997-1998)

Video of the Day III

"Need You Around" by Smoking Popes

Video of the Day II

"A Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World

Video of the Day: Live

"Stranger Than Faction" by Bad Religion

Video of the Day

"Through My Fingers" by Pegboy

What Religion Should You Follow?

Unreasonable Faith has a great flow chart for those looking for that perfect religion.

My Fiction -- Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 4

Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 1
Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 2
Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 3

Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 4

Zack Anderson ended the last class of the day in normal fashion. He had thought a lot about his encounter with the vampires and the warnings of his old professor in the days that had followed. Lynn Rose had been very persistent in her desire for Zack to stay away from the vampires…too persistent he thought.

How did she know so much? Zack thought as he gathered his things and closed down the studio. He headed downstairs and out onto the street when he stopped dead in his tracks.
“Hello, Zack.”

Zack’s face turned to a look of horror. In front of him stood a vampire holding one of his students by the back of his neck.

“Help,” Peter Stevenson whimpered.

“Let him go,” Zack stated.

“Now why should I do that? You killed one of mine, why should I not return the favor?” the vampire responded.

Peter started to cry and Zack moved towards the vampire. When he was almost upon him, a group of five other vampires stepped out of hiding and grabbed Zack. Holding him tight, Zack could not move against the vampires.

“Now here is your warning,” the vampire holding Peter said. “Interfere with us again and others will share this ones fate.” Smiling the vampire bite down into Peter’s neck and began to drink. Zack fought against the vampires but there were too many and they were too strong.

“No!” Zack cried as the vampire drank the life out of his student.

After he was finished, the vampire dropped Peter and starred into Zack’s eyes. “Now you know what will happen to your friends and family if you do not do as you have been told. Have a nice day.” The vampire motioned to the others to let Zack go and began to walk off.

Once free, Zack ran over to Peter and checked his pulse. Somehow he was alive but barely. Frantically Zack pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called 911.

****

Zack was in the ER waiting room with Peter’s parents when Lynn arrived.

“How is he?” she asked.

“Not good,” Zack said as he stood up and walked with Lynn to another part of the waiting room. “He lost nearly all of the blood in his body. The doctors are trying to give him transfusions but they said that they were not sure if it will work. Peter’s parents are in shock.” Zack and Lynn turned to see the doctor come out of the operation room with a sad look on his face. Zack went over to be with Peter’s parents. Lynn followed but stayed behind out of respect. She was here for Zack and did not know Peter’s parents.

“I’m so sorry,” the doctor said as Peter’s mother burst into tears. “The blood loss was just too great. We tried everything in our power to save him.”

“Thank you doctor,” Mr. Stevenson said while holding his wife. The two distraught parents sat down and held each other. Zack stood still, unable to bring himself to move or even think. I should have been able to save him.

Mrs. Stevenson looked up at Zack. “Thank you for trying to save our son. He loved your classes and thought very highly of you,” she trailed off as the tears welled up again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t have saved him.”

“You did all you could Zack,” said Mr. Stevenson.

“Why would someone do this? He was just a boy,” Mrs. Stevenson cried. Mr. Stevenson held his wife and then the two stood and walked to the nurse’s station to see what they needed to do from there.

Zack stood in silence knowing why this had happened. It was because of him.

Sunken City Explored

According to this story, scientists have finally been able to explore the remains of a sunken city that is at least 5000 years old.

From the story –

A team from the University of Nottingham in England is working with the Greek government in exploring the site. So far, archaeologists and geologists have learned that Pavlopetri is about 1,000 years older than they first thought, according to the BBC.

[…]

"It has remains dating from 2800 to 1200 B.C., long before the glory days of classical Greece," he said. "There are older sunken sites in the world but none can be considered to be planned towns such as this, which is why it is unique."

The city may have inspired the myth of the lost city of Atlantis, the Guardian said.

The divers have found a wealth of material on the sea floor, including pottery shards, streets, courtyards, tombs and 97,000 square feet of buildings, the Guardian reported.

"But what really took us by surprise was the discovery of a possible megaron, a monumental structure with a large rectangular hall, which also suggests that the town had been used by an elite, and automatically raised the status of the settlement," Henderson said.

The site was discovered in 1967 by Nicholas Flemming, a marine scientist at the University of Southampton, the BBC said. He is a part of the new expedition team, which plans to study the city for five years and publish its research in 2014, the BBC said.

Greece's underwater antiquities department is co-directing the study. The site "is significant because as a submerged site it was never reoccupied," Elias Spondylis, an official with the agency, said in an interview with the Guardian. "As such it represents a frozen moment of the past."

Video ofthe Day III

"Over It" by Dinosaur Jr.

Video of the Day II

"Don't Call Me Dude" by Scatterbrain

Video of the Day

"Girl Power" by Shampoo

Chad Price’s New Solo Album Streaming on PunkNews.org

ALL / Drag the River singer Chad Price’s new solo album, Smile Sweet Face is streaming over on PunkNews.org. Interestingly the article referred to Price as ALL’s former singer, but according to ALL’s website, he is still in the band.

Hole Reuniting

PunkNews.org is reporting that Courtney Love has reunited her band Hole. This is actually pretty cool news. Hole’s last album, Celebrity Skin, was really good (as was Live Through This). Hopefully their new material will hold up.

My Fiction -- Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 3

Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 1
Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 2

Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 3

Lynn Rose and Zack Anderson quickly walked to Lynn’s house, constantly looking over their shoulders the entire way. Once at her house, the two ran inside and Lynn locked the front door.

Zack sat down on the long couch in Lynn’s office. The walls of the room were covered in African, Jamaican, Indian, Asian, and Native American art and bookshelves were filed with books on ancient religions, anthropology, history, psychology, and a handful of novels. Breathing heavy, Zack sat and rested while Lynn went to the kitchen. Returning with two classes of water, Lynn handed one to Zack and pulled a chair next to the couch.

“What the hell just happened Lynn?” Zack asked. “What were those things?”

“Vampires,” Lynn replied.

“Va…vampires,” Zack sputtered while talking a drink of water.

“Vampires,” Lynn replied flatly.

“But that’s not possible. Vampires aren’t real. They..they’re…that’s…how?” Zack asked looking bewildered.

“I don’t know, but I do know that they are very dangerous and you are lucky to be alive,” Lynn replied.

“How is this possible? How many are there? Should we go to the police?”

“No!” Lynn snapped. “The only thing we can do is to pretend this never happened. You have to stay away from these things Zack. Promise me that you will stay away.”

“Why,” Zack asked. This request bothered Zack, but he wasn’t sure why. There was something else going on here. Something Lynn wasn’t telling him.

“Please, for me. Promise that you will stay away from those things,” Lynn pleaded.

“Okay,” Zack responded, but still had misgivings about the entire situation. Lynn knew more than she was letting on, he thought.

“Thank you,” Lynn said with a sigh. “Now let’s get you home. I think I’ll drive if you don’t mind.”

Currently Listening

1. “I.F.H.A. (One Love)” by One Man Army (from BYO Split Series, Vol. 5)
2. “Ask” by Avail (from Over the James)
3. “This is Your Life” by Dropkick Murphys (from Blackout)
4. “Helpless” by Face To Face (from Standards & Practices)
5. “A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing” by The GC5 (from Kisses From Hanoi / Horseshoes and Handgrenades)
6. “Ready, Steady, Go” by Generation X (from Anthology Disc 1)
7. “Lesbian Girl” by Hagfish (from Buick Men)
8. “Monahan’s” by Hudson Falcons (from Desperation & Revolution)
9. “Mandy” by Me First & the Gimme Gimmes (from Have a Ball)
10. “Someday I Suppose” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (from Don’t Know How to Party)

Video of the Day

"Standing Still" by Orange

My Fiction -- Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 2

Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 1

Memphis Vampire Hunter: Chapter 2

The next day, Zack woke up early and took his car to the University of Memphis to visit an old friend and professor.

“Why hello Zack, what brings you by?”

“Hi Professor Rose.”

“Please Zack, call me Lynn. You haven’t been in my class for years. Come in, come in.” Lynn Rose is a professor of religious studies and was Zack’s professor and councilor while he attended the university.

Zack entered the room and sat down in a chair in front of Lynn’s desk.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“No thank you.”

“Okay. What is on your mind? You look spooked.”

“I saw something last night, something that I can’t explain.” Zack proceeded to explain to Lynn the events of the night before. “And when he looked up at us…he didn’t look human. I didn’t know who else to turn to,” Zack said as he leaned forward in his chair resting his elbows on his knees and putting his head in his hands.

Lynn took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh. “I’m glad you did. I think I know what you saw, but I will need to do a bit of research to make sure. Why don’t you swing by my house after your last class tonight and we’ll see if we can’t figure this thing out together, okay?”

“Sure. My last class gets out at 7PM. I can be there at 8,” Zack replied.

“Excellent. I will see you then,” Lynn replied with a smile. “Tonight we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

****

After his last class, Zack changed and left for Lynn’s house. Lynn lived in one of the historical neighborhoods near the warehouse district, not three miles away from Zack’s school. It was a clear and cool night, the sky full of stars and a half moon.

As Zack walked through the streets of the warehouse district towards Lynn’s neighborhood, he heard a scream from an alley. Zack stopped, looked around and then after hearing a second scream, ran into the alley. Before him, he saw three men standing over a terrified homeless person.

“Is there a problem here gentlemen?” Zack asked.

The three look at each other, look at Zack, and smile.

“C’mon, leave him alone.”

Zack walked towards the three and suddenly their faces changed. Where three men were seconds ago, Zack now stood before three demons. Their eyes were yellow and teeth extended into sharp fangs. The three snarled at Zack and one lunged for him. Zack pivoted on his right foot and used the monster’s own weight and momentum against him, throwing him across the alley into a group of crates. As Zack turned back around, the second monster punched him in the face. Zack fell to one knee, amazed by the attacker’s strength. The monster threw a second punch at Zack and again hit him in the face. Now on both of his knees, Zack shook his head to clear the stars that were forming in his vision. Laughing, Zack’s attacker walked behind him. Now on his hands and knees, Zack cleared his thoughts and began his meditation breathing. When he sensed his attacker directly behind him, Zack jumped onto his hands while kicking straight behind him with both feet. His attacker was thrown back against the wall. Getting to his feet, Zack sensed an attack from his right just in time to block the incoming punch with his left hand while simultaneously kicking the monsters feet out from under him and striking his chest with his right arm. The monster fell hard to the ground.

At that moment, Zack’s first attacker got up from the mess of broken wooden crates and jumped onto Zack’s back. The two struggled while Zack moved them to the other side if the alley. Once at the wall on the other side of the alley, Zack, with monster in tow on his back, slammed into the wall. The first attempted only stunned the monster slightly.

While proceeding to slam the monster into the wall, Lynn walked by the alley’s entrance and upon seeing the struggle, ran in. Looking at the situation with shocked horror, Lynn ran to the remains of the crates and grabbed a piece of wood that had a sharp, pointed end.

After the sixth slam into the wall, the monster finally released his grip on Zack and fell to the ground. At that moment Lynn tossed the piece of wood to Zack.

“Zack! Here,” she cried.

Startled to hear Lynn’s voice, Zack completely missed the piece of wood and it fell to his feet in front of him.

“Lynn, get out of here,” Zack replied as he kicked his fallen attacker in the face to keep him down.

“Use the stick.”

“What stick?” Zack asked looking confused.

“In front of you,” Lynn replied pointing at his feet.

Picking up the stick looking exasperated, Zack asked, “what the hell am I suppose to do with this?”

Shaking her head in equal confusion Lyn replied, “aim for the heart?”
At the moment the downed attacked got to his feet, grabbed Zack by the shoulder, and spun him around.

This is insane, Zack thought as he blocked an incoming punch and thrust the piece of sharp wood into the monster’s chest. Staggering backwards, the monster gave Zack a terrified look just as his body turned into dust.

“The hell?” Zack stammered. In the confusion, the second monster that Zack had mule kicked into the far wall, jumped onto Zack’s back knocking them both over. Both jumped to their feet and the monster lunged for Zack. Grabbing his left arm, Zack used the monster’s own momentum against him and smashed him face first into the brick wall of the adjacent building. Upon impact, Zack drove the piece of wood through the monster’s back and it turned into dust. The third monster stared at Zack in shocked disbelief and then ran down the alley. Before Zack was able to pursue, Lynn ran up to him and held him back.

“Let him go,” she said.

“What the hell is going on Lynn?”

Ignoring the question, Lynn went to the homeless person, “Are you okay?”

Shaking his head, “I think so. What was that?”

“You need to get out of here,” Lynn stated. Reaching into her pocket, she hands the man $20.00, “Go get something to eat…in a different part of town preferably.”

“Thank you,” the man said and then looked to Zack, “and thank you for saving my life.” The homeless man gathered his few belongings and left the alley.

Breathing hard Zack looked at Lynn, “What the hell is going on?”

“Not here,” she replied. “We need to get you someplace safe.”

Time to Quit Your Job?

Check the list. My job definitely fits #’s 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Quote of the Day

For the record, I don't think the West is dying, nor do I think it ought to die. I am an advocate of the values of the Western Enlightenment, the great tradition of classical liberals that arose in the West. I happen to think that many values that dominated in the West are right and proper and are superior to other values. But they are not superior merely because they dominated the West, but because they work and are right. Nor are they good merely because they are part of our tradition.

I was also accused of being an opponent of "traditional morality." Again, this is wholly besides the point. I am a moralist, in that I have a firm code of morality about how people should act toward one another. Only a complete non-thinker supports a moral principle solely because it is traditional. It was traditional to enslave people. It was traditional to rape women during war. It was traditional to burn people at the stake. Are these the traditions that the author of this "love letter" wishes to support? Well, given his general tone, they might be.

That a "value" or "moral principle" is "traditional" neither says anything in favor of it, or against it. There are traditional values, that are long-standing values, that I support strongly—such as property rights. But there are others, such as racism, which go back centuries, which I oppose.

The "traditionalist" is the non-thinker. He is bound by the thoughts of dead people because he is unable to think for himself. The advocate of "traditional" morality is not an advocate of moraity at all. In fact, they advocate nothing but the past. Which past? Whose past? Would our writer, if born in Saudi Arabia, be an advocate of stoning women to death? Would he support the burka? Would he say the Koran is true merely because it is the tradition of his tribe?

There is no position more sterile than supporting the "traditional" since it is entirely relative to where you live and controlled by what era you are living in. The traditional morality of a native in a land of cannibals is vastly different from the "traditional" morality of someone living in Iraq in 1500. or in Chicago in 2009. To say you support "traditional" morality says you have abrogated the right to think for yourself and rely on whatever ancient dead people preferred. It's not even clear which dead people one must cling to. Is it those of the last 100 years, 200 years, 500 years, or can we go back to our ancestors in the African bush and cling to their values—it would be interesting to see conservatives try that.

-- CLS from the post Love letters and traditional morality

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing a 4X10 with Face To Face, The GC5, The Heartdrops, and The Thermals.

1. “Graded on a Curve” by Face To Face (from How to Ruin Everything)
2. “Nothing But These Songs” by The CG5 (from Kisses From Hanoi / Horseshoes & Handgrenades)
3. “1 2 3” by The Heartdrops (from This is The Heartdrops)
4. “I Hold the Sound” by The Thermals (from The Body, the Blood, the Machine)
5. “How We Fade” by The Thermals (from Now We Can See)
6. “Liquid In, Liquid Out” by The Thermals (from Now We Can See)
7. “Culture Wars” by The GC5 (from Kisses From Hanoi / Horseshoes & Handgrenades)
8. “What Difference Does It Make?” by Face To Face (from Standards & Practices)
9. “Sparkling Streets” by The GC5 (from Never Bet the Devil Your Head)
10. “Shoot the Mon” by Face To Face (from How to Ruin Everything)

The Audacity of Nature…

Or the ineptitude of people. You decide.

Making an Entrance

Kramer style.

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the find.

Political Entertainment

Scott Adams has an excellent post about the entertainment element of political talk radio.

From the post --

All of this gets me to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Both of them have been in the news a lot for their outspoken and controversial views. And once again, people don't seem to understand that their jobs are entertainment, nothing more. I enjoy sampling the content from the far left as well as the far right. When I listen to Limbaugh, I generally have two reactions:

1. I don't agree with the viewpoint expressed.
2. This man is an entertainment genius.

Talk show hosts have no legal or ethical obligation to do anything but entertain. And judging by their successes, Limbaugh and Beck are brilliant at their jobs. I find it mind boggling that anyone believes a TV talk host is expressing his own true views.

You could make a case that the things Limbaugh and Beck say influences the gullible masses in ways that are not helpful to society. But that's probably true of every pundit, left or right. It's a price of free speech.

Do you think that Limbaugh and Beck have the same views in private as they spray into the entertainmentsphere?

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the find.

A Psychological Test

My professor gave us this test in class the other day. First I’ll give the instructions, them my responses, and finally what everything means. Now don’t jump to the end until after you have answered the questions. The results can be pretty revealing.

The Test:
First picture yourself in a FOREST. Describe the forest. Next you come upon a KEY. Describe the key and what you do with it (pick it up, leave it there, look at it, etc.). Next you come upon a BEAR. Describe the bear and what you do in reaction to it. Next you come upon a CUP. Describe the cup and what you do with it. Next you come upon a HOUSE. Describe the house and what you do with it. Next you come upon a body of WATER. Describe the body of water and what you do with it. Next you come upon a WALL. Describe the wall. If you can see it, describe what is BEYOND THE WALL.

My Answers:
The forest is dark but light seeps through the leaves. The key on the ground is large and gold. I pick it up, examine it, and put it back down. In the distance is a large black bear that is sitting and staring at me. Slowly I walk away from the bear. On the ground is a cup (the disposable variety from a fast food restaurant). Seeing the cup makes me angry, because someone littered in the forest, so I pick the cup up and take it with me (to throw away later). Then I see an old house that resembles an ancient forest cabin. I walk up to the house, look in the windows and then leave. Next I come to a pond that is clear and appears to be fairly deep. I stand at the pond for a while looking at the water and then continue walking. Then there is a short stone wall made out of ancient rocks. On the other side of the wall is more forest.

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What It All Means:
The FOREST represents YOUR LIFE.
The KEY represents OPPORUNITY.
The BEAR represents OBSTICLES.
The CUP represents LOVE.
The HOUSE represents MARRIGE.
The WATER represents SEX.
The WALL represents DEATH and BEYOND THE WALL represents the AFTERLIFE.

Needless to say, after completing this exercise, I was reminded how messed up I really am. The exercise was fun nevertheless. Now for those of you who didn’t cheat and look at the answers, were you surprised with your results?

Religious Quiz Time

I decided to take some religious quizzes this morning for fun.

First Quiz:
Quizilla – What religion suits you?

My Results:
Buddhism: Buddhism is a religion which has its beginnings with Siddharta Gautama, a prince who gave up material possessions in order to meditate, always searching for the reasons of life. He came up with the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, things which also Buddhists live by. Siddharta became known as the Buddha, and despite those fat, bald little Buddhas you may have seen, looked nothing like them. Buddhists generally believe in a passive way of life, giving up material possessions in the search for truth and enlightenment. This is usually done through hours and hours of meditation.

My Thoughts:
The questions and available answers were limited and, as always, skewed.


Second Quiz:
Belief-O-Matic – Beliefnet.net

My Results:
1. Mahayana Buddhism (100%)
2. Theravada Buddhism (90%)
3. Neo-Pagan (89%)
4. Unitarian Universalism (87%)
5. Liberal Quakers (82%)
6. New Age (79%)
7. Jainism (73%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (71%)
9. Taoism (71%)
10. Hinduism (64%)
11. Reform Judaism (58%)
12. Sikhism (57%)
13. Orthodox Quaker (56%)
14. Secular Humanism (56%)
15. Baha'i Faith (52%)
16. New Thought (50%)
17. Scientology (45%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (38%)
19. Nontheist (36%)
20. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (35%)
21. Islam (29%)
22. Seventh Day Adventist (29%)
23. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (26%)
24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (25%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (18%)
26. Roman Catholic (18%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (15%)

My Thoughts:
The first question on this quiz asked “What is the number and nature of the deity (God, gods, higher power)?” There were two responses that were fairly close to my how I see God: a) “The supreme force is the impersonal Ultimate Reality (or life force, ultimate truth, cosmic order, absolute bliss, universal soul), which resides within and/or beyond all. ” and b) “The supreme existence is both the eternal, impersonal, formless Ultimate Reality, and personal God (or gods).” I eventually selected a. The question about the afterlife was one that also included a couple of answers that somewhat fit my beliefs. A) “The soul's spiritual development continues after death so that all may eventually experience the indescribable joy of closeness to God. Hell is not a place but the tormented state of remoteness from God. ” B) “Rebirths occur (continually, or until all life's lessons are learned and one merges with the life force, or until complete enlightenment and eternal bliss are attained). ” C) “There is definitely an afterlife, but the specifics cannot be known or are unimportant--most important is one's conduct in life. ” I went with C but in reality my belief is close to these three kind of mixed together. Overall this quiz was much more thorough than the previous one and thus I think its results are probably more accurate.


Third Quiz:
Quizfarm.com – What religion suits you best?

My Results:
Your religion or ideal religion is Buddhist.
Buddhist 100%
Athiest 33%
Muslim 33%
Scientology 33%
Jehovah's Witness 33%
Lutheran 33%
Baptist 33%
Jewish 17%
Hindu 0%
Mormon 0%

My Thoughts:
This quiz was ridiculously basic.


Fourth Quiz:
Quiz School – Which religion suits you?

My Results:
Buddhism

My Thoughts:
This quiz was just lame.

Fairy Tales, Folklore, Mythology, and Scripture

In the comments section of a recent post, I compared Biblical Scripture to fairy tales, folklore, and mythology. The question was asked

“What is your level of trust in God's ability to guide and direct faithful translators to preserve the meaning and intent of the original Scriptures?”

This is a great question and one that I didn’t have time to give a proper response to at the time. I did respond though by saying

“The short answer to your questions is that humans have free will and thus things can and will potentially change with each retelling of a story. This happens with fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and scripture. It is my theory that all mythology and religious texts are an attempt by humans to interpret the divine spirit (i.e. God).”

A couple of years ago I wrote an essay on this subject in which I concluded –

“…it is the stories of these figures and the meaning gleamed from the stories that matters most, not whether they lived or if the events outlined in scriptures literally took place. There are great lessons, morals, values, and virtues to be learned from the Bible, the Torah, the Dharma, the Bhagavad Gita, the Analects, or any other religious text. The point is not determining the historicity of the religious figures or defending the literal nature of the events in these scriptures. The point is learning the wisdom from the words that have helped in guiding the lives of millions throughout the world and throughout history.”

Once during a radio interview, Joseph Campbell was asked if myths were a lie. He responded by saying no, myths are metaphors. The host apparently couldn’t grasp this idea and the rest on the interview was spent with Campbell trying to make this host understand the difference between a metaphor and a lie. Campbell believed, as I do, that all myths, scriptures, and tales are metaphors for the world around us and the divinity that we cannot comprehend. These stories are an expression of what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious. This is why there are so many similarities throughout the stories and religions of the world. This idea not only applies to religious scriptures and mythologies, but also to folklore and fairy tales. These stories, motifs, archetypes, and tale types transcend culture because they are a part of all of us. Humanity shares in these ideas and it is seen in our tales.

So from this stand point, comparing the Bible to fairy tales is not insulting to the Bible at all. The Bible is one part of humanity’s many attempts to express the divine nature and the collective unconscious and thus it has much in common with the myths of Greece, the folktales of China, and the fairy tales of Europe.

When Galaxies Collide

According to this story, the Hubble has captured pictures of what appears to be the collision of two galaxies.

From the Story –

The result is a galactic merger called NGC 2623, or Arp 243, and it is about 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Cancer (the Crab).

Studies have revealed that as galaxies approach one another, massive amounts of gas are pulled from each galaxy towards the center of the other, until ultimately the two merge into one massive galaxy.

NGC 2623 is in the late stages of the merging process with the centers of the original galaxy pair now merged into one nucleus. Stretching out from the center are two tails of young stars, showing that a merger has taken place.

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing 90s pop punk.

1. “Make Way” by The Riverdales (from Storm the Streets)
2. “Casemaker” by Sinkhole (from Punk USA)
3. “Nothin’” by ALL (from Percolater)
4. “Teenage Freakshow” by Screeching Weasel (from My Brain Hurts)
5. “We Are the Future People of Tomorrow” by The Mr. T Experience (from More Bounce to the Ounce Disc 1)
6. “Christy Road” by Green Day (from Kerplunk)
7. “Do the Zombie” by The Eyeliners (from Here Comes Trouble)
8. “Skintight” by The Donnas (from Get Skintight)
9. “Sad Tomorrow” by The Muffs (from Blonder and Blonder)
10. “Sick-O-Me” by Descendents (from Everything Sucks)

What’s the Difference?

I had to pick up some cold/cough/flu medicine yesterday and while perusing the very empty shelves at the Wal-Mart pharmacy I was struck, yet again, by what seems to be very little in the difference between all of the different medicines available. The vast majority has a combination of three to five different medicines (and some that have different names – i.e. severe cold and severe flu – actually have the same exact ingredients).

I’m no scientist, but I’ve got to ask…what is the difference? What makes medicine A that much better, worse, or different than medicine B? From what I can tell, they are practically all the same.

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing grunge, not as it became to be known (i.e. everything from Seattle), but as it was originally known.

1. “Taillights Fade” by Buffalo Tom (from Let Me Come Over)
2. “Freak Scene” by Dinosaur Jr. (from Fossils)
3. “Makes No Sense at All” by Husker Du (from Eight Miles High/Makes No Sense at All)
4. “Breed” by Nirvana (from Nevermind)
5. “Wave of Mutilation” by The Pixies (from Doolittle)
6. “Helpless” by Sugar (from Copper Blue)
7. “Star Sign” by Teenage Fanclub (from Bandwagonesque)
8. “Teen Age Riot” by Sonic Youth (from Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ‘80s Underground Disc 3)
9. “For All to See” by Buffalo Tom (from No Alternative)
10. “See a Little Light” by Bob Mould (from Never Mind the Mainstream: The Best of MTV’s 120 Minutes, Vol. 1)

O’Reilly vs. Dawkins

Here is an interview Bill O’Reilly did with author, scientist, and atheist Richard Dawkins.


Overall this is a pretty good interview and there were things that both men said that I agreed with and things that both said that I disagree with.

Thanks to Unreasonable Faith for the find.

R.I.P. Jessica

Yesterday my best friend lost his partner and wife Jessica after a long battle with cancer. Rest well Jessica, I’ll do my best to keep my eye on Steve and your kids for you.

Top 5 All Time Musical Guilty Pleasures

5. Oasis
I remember seeing this band’s first video on 120 Minutes and thinking that they weren’t that bad. They seemed to be riding the last crest of the Charlatans UK/Stone Roses/Happy Mondays wave out of Manchester that dominated much of the late 80’s/early 90’s underground scene. Their second album brought mainstream success but the band had abandoned the Charlatans in favor of The Beatles. At the time I was not impressed, but now looking back, I actually really like those songs.

Here is a song from their debut album Definitely Maybe called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”



4. Demi Lovato
Thanks to my kids, I get to listen to lots of Radio Disney and have seen all of the High School Musical films, Camp Rock, American Mall, and lots of Hannah Montana. Demi Lovato is one of Disney’s up and coming stars who first appeared in the aforementioned Camp Rock (staring next to the Jonas Brothers). Since then she has released two albums of pretty descent pop rock.

Here is the song “Here We Go Again”



3. Eddie Money
For most people in my generation, Eddie Money is that goofy guy who did the Ronnie Spector cover, but he also did some great pop rock songs.

Here is the classic “Think I’m in Love”


2. Miley Cyrus
Yeah I know that this is another Disney Channel star, but I’m sorry…this girl does some great pop rock tunes.

Here is “7 Things”



1. Poison
Much of my early junior high school career was spent listening to hair metal and of all of the 80’s hair metal bands, Poison honestly had to be the best. Sure these guys hid behind an image if decadence and big hair, but at the end of the day they wrote great pop rock songs.

Here is the song “Fallen Angel”

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing “new wave.”

1. “Kung Fu Girls” by Blondie (from Blondie [Bonus Tracks])
2. “One Way or Another” by Blondie (from Parallel Lines [Bonus Tracks])
3. “Hot in the City” by Billy Idol (from Greatest Hits)
4. “Dancing with Myself” by Billy Idol (from Greatest Hits)
5. “In Between Days” by The Cure (from Greatest Hits)
6. “Boy’s Don’t Cry” by The Cure (from Greatest Hits)
7. “People are People” by Depeche Mode (from The Singles 81>85)
8. “Everything Counts” by Depeche Mode (from The Singles 81>85)
9. “The Killing Moon” by Echo & the Bunnymen (from Songs to Learn and Sing)
10. “Bring on the Dancing Horses” by Echo & the Bunnymen (from Songs to Learn and Sing)

Mr. President, Please Say No

It was announced this morning that President Obama will receive the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his emphasis on international diplomacy. Needless to say may people are responding by saying “what?” (or hurling bad words*)

I’m sorry but the President has done NOTHING to deserve this award and he should tell the committee thank you, but no thank you. The President should decline the award and ask the committee to give the award to someone who actually deserves it. All this man has done, and seems capable of doing, is give great speeches. How does that in any way compare to the work of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., or the Dali Lama? It doesn’t and honestly it slights their efforts by putting him on the same plane.

It seems that the world is getting crazier each and every day. Hopefully someday the Nobel Peace Prize will get over this huge mistake (and the Al Gore one too) and actually start giving this award to those who truly deserve it.

*I agree 100% with MOTW on this just for the record.

The Ancient Conscience

The Mainstream Baptist has a couple of interesting posts dealing with the idea of conscience in The Conscience of Ancient Egyptians and The Hebrew Conscience.

If You are Looking for Some Happy Economic Predictions/News…

Don’t read this.

Currently Listening

Today were doing a 5x10 (5 bands on shuffle for 10 songs). The bands are Archers of Loaf, Descendents, Devo, They Might Be Giants, and Weezer.

1. “Get the Time” by Descendents (from Enjoy!)
2. “Simple Pages” by Weezer (from Weezer [The Green Album])
3. “Falling for You” by Weezer (from Pinkerton)
4. “Peekaboo!” by Devo (from Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology Disc 2)
5. “Learo, You’re a Hole” by Archers of Loaf (from Icky Mettle)
6. “Suburban Home” by Descendents (from Milo Goes to College)
7. “Be Stiff” by Devo (from Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology Disc 1)
8. “We’re the Replacements by They Might Be Giants (from Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Disc 1)
9. “Don’t Let’s Start” by They Might Be Giants (from Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Disc 1)
10. “Might” by Archers of Loaf (from Icky Mettle)

Revising the Bible to Make It Less Liberal

According to this story, a conservative group plans on revising and re-editing the Bible to make it more conservative.

From the story –

The Conservative Bible Project is the brainchild of attorney and teacher Andy Schlafly, a son of conservative standard-bearer Phyllis Schlafly. His Bible-related Wiki, which allows contributors to post information, comment on others' and suggest tweaks or fixes, went up this summer.

The project quickly drew fire.

"These right-wing ideologues know better than the early church councils that canonized Scripture?" So asked Rod Dreher, a conservative blogger for Beliefnet. "They really think it's wise to force the word of God to conform to a 21st-century American idea of what constitutes conservatism?"

Schlafly said he aims to counteract modern translations, not edit the Bible.

"I think liberal bias was less of a problem in older translations," he said. "It's refreshing to read anything that is free of liberal bias, and the Bible is the most well-read book in the world, so that should be the first thing to clean up."

As an example, he cited a recent church service he attended near his New Jersey home. "There was a reading from the gospel, and the pronoun used to refer to a child in this translation was 'it'," he said. "So this translation of the gospel referred to a child as an 'it,' a thing. And that is liberal, it's offensive and it's incorrect."

The 10 commandments of the project include avoiding unisex or "gender inclusive" language, being concise (Lord, instead of Lord God) and expressing "free market parables."

[…]

Schlafly counters that his critics "are liberals who are unhappy that their game is up." And a few dozen people have already logged on to help craft the new translation.

This is a perfect example of why I believe that the Bible, and all religious texts/scriptures, is flawed. All of these texts were written by people and people are flawed. They have been handed down in the oral tradition, written down over hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of years, voted upon, and then translated, re-translated, and re-translated some more. That is in no way a slight on their power or potential to impart wisdom, but it is the reality of the situation.

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing all early 80’s punk.

1. “Colourblind” by 7 Seconds (from The Crew)
2. “Bloodstains” by Agent Orange (from Living in Darkness)
3. “We’re Only Gonna Die” by Bad Religion (from How Could Hell Be ny Worse?)
4. “Rise Above” by Black Flag (from Damaged)
5. “One to Two” by Dag Nasty (from Can I Say [Bonus Tracks])
6. “Kill the Poor” by Dead Kennedys (from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables)
7. “Catalina” by Descendents (from Milo Goes to College)
8. “It Follows” by Minor Threat (from Complete Discography)
9. “This Ain’t No Picnic” by Minutemen (from Double Nickels on the Dime)
10. “Teenagers from Mars” by Misfits (from Misfits: Collection I)
11. “God Damn Job” by The Replacements (from Stink)
12. “Mommy’s Little Monster” by Social Distortion (from Mommy’s Little Monster)
13. “Pay to Cum” by Bad Brains (from Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ‘80s Underground Disc 3)
14. “Modest Proposal” by Youth Brigade (from Sink with Kalifornija)
15. “Los Angeles” by X (from Los Angeles [2001 Reissue])

God and the Human Brain

Andrew Sullivan has an interesting post entitled A Brain Shaped by God.

Video of the Day II

"Easy" by Faith No More

Yikes

I’m not really sure what to say about this.

Thanks to The Daily Dish for the find.

Video of the Day

"Low Self Opinion" by The Rollins Band

Punk is Dead?

Yahoo Music blogger Shawn Amos has written a post declaring the death of punk rock entitled Hot Topic Punks in a Fake Punk World. The post essentially blames the retail chain Hot Topic for over-commercializing punk rock and thus selling it out. There is validity to his arguments but much of his post comes off as a sad attempt at being a music snob (and one that sounds like he was barely in diapers in 1988 when Hot Topic first opened its doors). Back in 2006, I wrote a post about my sad realization that punk was indeed dead. Unlike Amos, I came to the realization not out of some sort of snobbery or faux anger but out of a sad acceptance. The rebellion and anger that drove punk's origins has been replaced by commercialism and marketing. There are still great bands doing great things, but the revolution is long gone.

Thanks to PunkNews.org for the find.

PS – I just had to share this comment from the PunkNews.org post by the_other_scott:

Title should be changed to "Yahoo Replaces Actual Journalism with Trolling in Effort to attract more readers and increase advertising revenue with controversial-but-not-that-controversial topic."

I thought that was too funny. There are a ton of comments on both posts, some are good, some are funny (intentionally and unintentionally), and some are fairly sad. If you’re bored I suggest reading through them…you’ll get a chuckle or two.

Science Fiction and Academia…When Will They Meet?

The World in a Satin Bag wants to know.

Currently Listening

We’re doing nothing but soul music today.

1. “Hold On! I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave (from The Definitive Soul Collection Disc 1)
2. “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave (from The Definitive Soul Collection Disc 2)
3. “Call My Name, I’ll Be There” by Wilson Pickett (from The Definitive Soul Collection Disc 2)
4. “Stag-O-Lee” by Wilson Picket (from The Definitive Soul Collection Disc 1)
5. “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding (from The Definitive Soul Collection Disc 2)
6. “Shake” by Otis Redding (from The Definitive Soul Collection Disc 2)
7. “Bring It On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke (from Best of Sam Cooke)
8. “Think” by Aretha Franklin (from The Blues Brothers [Original Soundtrack])
9. “Shake a Tail Feather” by Ray Charles (from The Blues Brothers [Original Soundtrack])
10. “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” by The Blues Brothers (from The Blues Brothers [Original Soundtrack])

Ever Surf a Tsunami?

This guy did. This kid either has the best luck/karma in the world, a guardian angel, or is spinning one heck of a tale.

The End of the World?

Lately I’ve been following the show Supernatural (Official, IMDB, Wikipedia) and re-reading Terry Brooks’ Running with the Demon (the first book in the Word & Void trilogy; Amazon, Wikipedia) and have been amazed by their stark commentary, if not resemblance, to our modern world. In both stories, the world is coming apart by dark forces, most of which reside in us (i.e. humanity).

Both the show and the book are modern, dark urban fantasies that deal with demons and the coming end of the world (in the case of the book, it is the introduction for the W/V and Genesis of Shannara trilogies, the later which specifically takes place during the Armageddon that ends the world). Supernatural takes its apocalypse from the Book of Revelations (On a side note, I started reading Revelations the other day and boy it is not what I thought at all. More on that some other time though.) providing for a familiar backdrop to the conflict between good and evil.

What amazes me about both the show and the book(s) is how they capture the increasingly sad state of humanity, our lack of regard and respect for our fellow man, and what appears to be the collapse of society. Maybe I’m being overly dramatic but it seems to me like things are getting darker and scarier out there every day. The irony is that I’m not someone who believes in the coming Rapture, yet I’m really starting to wonder if we are at the beginning of the end of the world.

Currently Watching

Title: Joseph Campbell -- The Hero's Journey: A Biographical Portrait (Amazon, Wikipedia)

Joseph Campbell (Official, Wikipedia) was a genius. His work in comparative religions and mythology changed the way that we look at, study, and understand mythology and religion. His classic book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Amazon, Wikipedia), is quite possibly one of, if not the, most important book on mythology of the 20th century (and also the biggest influence on George Lucas when he was writing Star Wars).

The Hero's Journey: A Biographical Portrait is a fascinating documentary that covers Campbell’s life and career from his childhood in the Roman Catholic Church to his career studying the religions of the world.

Joseph Campbell is one of my personal heroes. This man’s work is so important even 50 years after its first publication and 20 years after his death.

Currently Listening

I’m letting the computer pick the songs today.

1. “Rockaway Beach” by The Ramones (from Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: The Anthology Disc 1)
2. “9-9” by R.E.M. (from Murmur)
3. “I Fought the Law” by The Clash (from The Clash)
4. “Some Weird Sin” by Iggy Pop (from Lust for Life)
5. “Wishing Well” by ALL (from Allroy for Prez)
6. “Sick on Myself” by Matthew Sweet (from Time Capsule: The Best of Matthew Sweet)
7. “Hour of Darkness” by Social Distortion (from Mommy’s Little Monster)
8. “Ceremony” by New Order (from Substance Disc 1)
9. “Bad Phone Call” by Buffalo Tom (from Three Easy Pieces)
10. “Clones” by The Epoxies (from Synthesized)

Quote of the Day

Liberalism is always evolving, always moving forward, always pushing boundaries for greater human liberation. There has never been a perfect “end state” where liberalism, and its heroes, could rest and say: “We have done enough.” Liberalism, libertarianism, is inherently impatient. It seeks new campaigns for freedom.

-- CLS from the post The tyranny of old men

Who Gained from Government Spending?

According to this chart, it wasn’t the folks.

Currently Listening

1. “Lock ‘Em Away” by ALL (from Problematic)
2. “Nobody’s” by ALL (from Percolater)
3. “Simple Things” by ALL (from Allroy Saves)
4. “Midnight Mile” by The Bouncing Souls (from The Gold Record)
5. “Born Free” by The Bouncing Souls (from Live)
6. “That’s Youth” by The Bouncing Souls (from BYO Split Series, Vol. 4)
7. “Never Go Back” by Dag Nasty (from Can I Say [Bonus Tracks])
8. “Under Your Influence” by Dag Nasty (from Field Day)
9. “S.F.S.” by Dag Nasty (from Four on the Floor)
10. “Crucial Three” by Dag Nasty (from Wig Out at Denko’s [Bonus Tracks])

PunkNews.org Interviews Paul Pendley of Red City Radio

PunkNews.org has posted a great interview with Paul Pendley of OKC’s Red City Radio. RCR is one of my favorite local bands and Paul is also a super nice guy and longtime member of Oklahoma’s punk rock community. You can read my interview with Paul here.

What is the World Coming To?

It is stories like this that truly make me want to throw up. What in the hell is this world coming to? Is this how far we have devolved?

All I can do now is pray that we haven't fallen so far that it is too late to bring ourselves back.