Whale vs. Boat

Whale wins.

Thanks to Classically Liberal for the find.

Give the Seat to NPR

It’s not often that I agree with MoveOn.org, but I completely agree with them that Helen Thomas’ old White House briefing room seat should be given to NPR. If you agree, you can sign the petition here.

Of all of the broadcast news organizations out there, NPR is the only one that provides truly in-depth reporting that covers all sides of the story. Because of that they should get this seat.

Video of the Day

"Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet

Who is Worse?

Jimmie at Pundant.com has a post slamming the liberal polemic Keith Olbermann. Now I can totally understand why conservatives can’t stand this guy. It’s for the same reasons that liberals can’t stand the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Michael Savage, and Ann Coulter. They have all spewed just as much anti-Democratic, anti-liberal hate as Olbermann has spewed hate for the Republicans and conservatives.

And guess what folks? They’re all idiots for doing it!

These people think that by simply being jackasses and calling those they don’t like names will some how help the country and they are dead wrong. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing on the issues and having a healthy debate about it but that is not at all what these people do. These people, their jobs are to get people riled up so that they keep tuning in to the radio and TV and keep buying their books. That’s it. And the truly sick thing is that they rationalize their bad behavior by pointing the finger at the bad behavior of the other guys. Call me crazy but not only is that hypocritical, it is illogical and intellectually dishonest. If that type of behavior and rhetoric is bad for the country, then it is bad for the country no matter who is saying it. You don’t defend against something like this by taking on that very same tactic. By doing some, you become no better than those you are trying to criticize.

The real debates that need to go on in this country may never happen thanks to the likes of the Olbermanns and Hannitys of the world. We have serious problems and it is about time we put the childishness aside and be adults for once.

Note: I am not lost at all on the irony of my use of the terms “idiots” and “jackasses” in this post. This goes against my own rules of engagement but I get so frustrated with the likes of these polemics that I was at a loss for better terms. Any suggestions?

Some Men Just Aren’t Man Enough…

To go shopping for their wives.

I’m sorry guys but if you aren’t man enough to own up to buying some pads for your woman, then you have issues.

Currently Listening

1. “Happy Rain” by 7 Seconds (from Out the Shizzy)
2. “Rollercoaster” by The Amazing Royal Crowns (from The Amazing Royal Crowns)
3. “Serenity” by The Bouncing Souls (from The Bouncing Souls)
4. “Over It” by Dinosaur Jr. (from Farm)
5. “Frogs” by The Flaming Lips (from Hit to Death on the Future Head)
6. “Think of Me” by The Eyeliners (from No Apologies)
7. “Start Today” by Gorilla Biscuits (from Start Today)
8. “What Girls Want” by Material Issue (from 20th Century Masters—The Millennium Collection: The Best of Material Issue)
9. “Grey Cell Green” by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (from God Fodder)
10. “Pull Shapes” by The Pipettes (from We Are The Pipettes [US bonus Tracks])

The Electoral College: Should It Stay or Should It Go?

NPR’s Political Junkie has a piece entitled What To Do With The Electoral College? that deals with the question of whether or not the Electoral College should stick around (it also has a poll).

There are very good arguments both for and against the Electoral College and as I stated before, I am really undecided on the matter. Doing away with the Electoral College would be a major change to the Constitution and I’m not sure that that is such a good idea. Plus there was a lot of wisdom used by the Founding Fathers in the writing of the Constitution, especially in regards to their distrust of direct democracy, which they saw as mob rule.

If nothing else this is an interesting discussion.

Why are There Three?

The US government has three major intelligence agencies – the FBI, CIA, and NSA. My question is why? It seems to me that these agencies all do, essentially, the same job so why do we need three of them?

Now to be fair, just about everything I know about the espionage business comes from watching Alias, so maybe there is a reason for the redundancy. I was thinking that if the agencies were consolidated into one, you could eliminate a lot of overlapping duties and by default that should, in theory at least, improve communication in the intelligence world. And by the overlapping duties, I was thinking more of the high level management positions and not the actual agents on the ground.

What do you think?

What the What?!?

According to this story, rapper Lil Wayne will be dropping some rhymes over The Smiths.

Yeah…I’m not sure what to say. Of all of the bands to sample I just don’t see The Smiths as producing rap friendly beats.

Last Week’s Spy Poll Results

For my first attempt at the Which Song Should The Spy Play? poll, I selected a song by Drag the Rive and Ben Lee. The response wasn’t as good as I would have liked, but with a total of seven votes, Ben Lee’s “I Love Pop Music” was actually tied with “Both." So later this week I will send MP3’s of both songs to Ferris at The Spy in hopes that he will add them to the rotation.

This week’s poll is between two cult classic bands – The Replacements and The Minutemen. I’ve now gotten the actual poll of the side update so feel fre to start voting by poll or by comment.

Currently Listening

I recently got an MP3 player, which has helped my sanity at work ten fold, but I wasn’t able to get all of my music on to it. So today I’m doing songs from bands that didn’t make it onto my new MP3 player.

1. “Kung Fu Girls” by Blondie (from Blondie [Bonus Tracks])
2. “Get Out” by The Devil Dogs (from 30 Sizzling Slabs)
3. “Sieve-Fisted Find” by Fugazi (from Repeater + 3 Songs)
4. “The Diamond Church Street Choir” by The Gaslight Anthem (from American Slang)
5. “Lesbian Girl” by Hagfish (from Buick Men)
6. “Only Time” by The Kings of Nuthin’ (from Over the Counter Culture)
7. “Salad Days” by Minor Threat (from Complete Discography)
8. “Left of the Dial” by The Replacements (from Tim [Expanded Edition])
9. “Good Things” by Sebadoh (from Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock)
10. “Alternative Ulster” by Stiff Little Fingers (from Inflammable Material [UK Bonus Tracks])

Which Song Should The Spy Play?: “This Ain’t No Picnic” vs. “Unsatisfied”

This week we have a couple of cult classics to choose from: “This Ain’t No Picnic”by The Minutemen and “Unsatisfied” by The Replacements. I mean seriously…how could you go wrong with either song or either band? Happy voting!

“This Ain’t No Picnic”by The Minutemen


“Unsatisfied” by The Replacements

Political Philosophy Quiz

I decided to take the Political Philosophy Quiz after seeing Steve’s results.

Here are the results –
Conservative/Progressive score: 9
You are a social progressive. You generally consider yourself a humanist first. You probably think that religion and patriotism go too far in society. You probably consider yourself to be a citizen of Earth first rather than a citizen of your country.

That sounds about right.

Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score: 6
You are a Moderate Capitalist. You support an economy that is by and large a free market, but has public programs to help people who can't help themselves or need a little help. Pretty much you believe in the American economy how it currently is.

Again sounds about right.

Libertarian/Authoritarian score: 1
You are libertarian. You think that the government is making way too many unnecessary laws that are taking away our innate rights. You believe that the government's job is primarily to protect people from harming other people, but after that they should mind their own business, and if we give the government too much power in controlling our lives, it can lead to fascism.

Yeah…that’s me.

Pacifist/Militarist score: 4
You're a Moderate. You think that in very rare occasions, the United States should invade a country in order to make the world better by spreading democracy or ending a tyrants rule. You also think that defense is very important, and we shouldn't lower the defense budget. You think that, while the Iraq War probably was a mistake, that we can make the world a better place by sticking with it and spreading democracy in the middle east.

Again, this sounds like me.

Overall, you would most likely fit into the category of Libertarian

I can see that. I’m still leaning more towards the Green Party but we’ll see.

My Reactions --
Overall I think that this was a pretty good quiz, it was simple and the questions didn’t seem too slanted. Also I think the results were pretty spot on.

Green Lantern at Comic Con

Man I can't wait to see this!!!!!

Freedom of Worship; A Change in Terminology. Should We Be Worried?

According to this story, the Obama Administration has begun using the phrase “freedom of worship” in place of “freedom of religion” and according to Randy Sly, the author of the story, this is something of a concern.

From the story –

The change in language was barely noticeable to the average citizen but political observers are raising red flags at the use of a new term "freedom of worship" by President Obama and Secretary Clinton as a replacement for the term freedom of religion. This shift happened between the President's speech in Cairo where he showcased America's freedom of religion and his appearance in November at a memorial for the victims of Fort Hood, where he specifically used the term "freedom of worship." From that point on, it has become the term of choice for the president and Clinton.

In her article for "First Things" magazine, Ashley Samelson, International Programs Director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, stated, "To anyone who closely follows prominent discussion of religious freedom in the diplomatic and political arena, this linguistic shift is troubling: "The reason is simple. Any person of faith knows that religious exercise is about a lot more than freedom of worship. It's about the right to dress according to one's religious dictates, to preach openly, to evangelize, to engage in the public square.

Everyone knows that religious Jews keep kosher, religious Quakers don't go to war, and religious Muslim women wear headscarves-yet "freedom of worship" would protect none of these acts of faith." In the administration's defense, Carl Esbeck, professor of law at the University of Missouri, is quoted by Christianity Today as saying, "The softened message is probably meant for the Muslim world, said. Obama, seeking to repair relations fractured by 9/11, is telling Islamic countries that America is not interfering with their internal matters."

Let's be clear, however; language matters when it comes to defining freedoms and limits. A shift from freedom of religion to freedom of worship moves the dialog from the world stage into the physical confines of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque. Such limitations can unleash an unbridled initiative that we have only experienced in a mild way through actions determined to remove of roadside crosses, wearing of religious T-shirts and pro-life pins as well as any initiatives of evangelization. It also could exclude our right to raise our children in our faith, the right to religious education, literature or media, the right to raise funds or organize charitable activities and the right to express religious beliefs in the normal discourse of life.

Sly isn’t alone in his concern, simply Google the phrase “freedom of worship” and you will find numerous articles along these same lines, but is the concern really a valid one. Giving the President the benefit of the doubt, I tend to think the choice of words was designed to soften the tone as Carl Esbeck suggested. That having been said, I don’t trust this administration (or any administration for that matter) so I can understand why those who harbor opposing opinions to that of the President would be leery. That also having been said, I truly doubt that we are going to see this administration strip away our religious freedoms. This is probably another case of people jumping the gun and making all sorts of doomsday type predictions based on a few words uttered by the President. It’s not like we haven’t seen this type of overreactions before.

Thanks to Pundant.com for the find.

Movie Review: Ramona and Beezus

Title: Ramona and Beezus (Official, IMDB, Wikipedia)

Ramona and Beezus is based on the Beverly Cleary series of Ramona books and was produced by the fine folks at Walden Media. (Quick side note: Walden Media is one of the best production companies around with films under their belt such as Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, Nim’s Island, City of Ember, and the Narnia series. So far I have yet to see a bad film from this company. Sure some are better than others, but even their weak films, like The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, aren’t that bad.)

Having read some of these books to my kids before bed (or bits and pieces of them since the reading before bedtime tends to happen on school nights and for the last few months my days off have been on the weekend) I had some ideas about the characters and story of the series. Needless to say this film nails these books. Joey King is amazing as Ramona and Selena Gomez does a great job as her older sister Beezus. On top of that you get the one and only John Corbett playing the role of Ramona and Beezus’ dad Bob Quimby.

The film take different scenes and characters from across the Ramona series but does it in a way that creates a coherent, fun, and satisfying story. If you grew up reading these books or have kids who are doing so now, then I highly suggest this film but even if you’ve never heard of Ramona have no idea what a Beezus is, or have never picked up a book by Beverly Cleary you will still enjoy this fun family, and somewhat romantic, comedy.

Holy Crap Story of the Day

Headline: Teen Survives 16-Story Plunge Onto Concrete Floor

Romantic Comedies and Kill Real Love?

That is apparently what the statistics seem to show. Cinematical ran a story recently entitled Statistics Show That Romantic Comedies Ruin Relationships discussing this scenario.

From the story –

Even if you think you're as hard as a rock and can tell the difference between fact and glamorized fiction, I'd like to bet a majority of moviegoers out there have caught themselves comparing a moment or even their entire relationship to one in a film. Why can't I magically be paired up with the right guy like in The Holiday? Why won't my man serenade me like Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer? Why didn't my peers break out into a perfectly coordinated dance during prom like in She's All That? Okay, maybe not that last one, but seeing something you really wish could happen to you on the big screen certainly takes a toll.

This isn't even an obsessive fan trend. It's not like a teenage girl who has Zac Efron's face plastered all over her walls with her fingers crossed that one day they'll get married and live happily ever after; this issue is more subconscious. By simply watching something and thinking that it's sweet, sticks with you. Before you know it, the fact that you haven't come out of your Josie Grossie shell and had your dream guy give you your first kiss in front of hundreds of people a la Never Been Kissed is a bit disheartening.

And this isn't only a female-centric problem. What about the guys out there wondering why they can't be the nerd with the hottie like Jay Baruchel in She's Out of My League? Then there are the ones with their fingers crossed that their desperate and beautiful boss will choose them in her attempt to avoid deportation and then they'll fall madly in love like in The Proposal. These things don't really happen, but that doesn't mean moviegoers don't wish they could and before they know it, that harbored wish turns into a feeling that makes them believe what they have, just isn't good enough.

I have to admit that lately I’ve had a hard time watching romantic comedies lately because then send me into a state of depression afterwards (thanks to my own mess of a love life). This in fact happened yesterday evening after we got home from a family outing to the movies to see Ramona and Beezus (which was great…I’ll review it at another time). Some of my favorite movies are romantic comedies (Say Anything; Definitely, Maybe; Pretty in Pink; etc.) but my life is nothing at all like these films and sadly there is a part of me that longs for that kind of love and affection. I know that it is not real, but it sure would be nice.

Okay...

I really want to see this.

Only One Vote?

So far only one person has voted in my Which Song Should the Spy Play? poll. There have got to be more folks out there than that who read this blog and listen to similar music. Just take a few minutes, listen to the songs and offer up an opinion. It won’t hurt, I promise.

RIP Daniel Schorr

Broadcasting legend Daniel Schorr died today, he was 93. Rest well Mr. Schorr, your voice will be missed.

10 Questions with Teenage Bottlerocket

Teenage Bottlerocket is a four piece pop punk band from Wyoming that will be playing at the Conservatory in OKC tonight (July 23, 2010). The band has released records for Red Scare and is currently on Fat Wreck Chords. Fans of Screeching Weasel, The Ramones, and ALL should get to the show tonight, or if you can’t make it then check out any one of the bands fantastic CDs.

This interview was conducted with Ray Carlisle via email in July 2010. For more information on Teenage Bottlerocket check out on their Official website, MySpace, Facebook, Fat Wreck Chords, Last.fm, and Wikipedia.

Dave: How did the band get together?
Ray Carlisle: We sorta grew up together playing music in different bands. We grew closer and closer as the years went by. Everything just fell into place.

Dave: You have released records with Red Scare and Fat Wreck Chords. How did you get hooked up with each label?
Ray: We hooked up with redscare because of a show we played at Gilman St. We passed out free cd's at the show and one of them ended up in Toby's hands. He sent us an email and we recorded a couple of records for his label. Vanessa (our publicist) helped us out with our 2nd redscare release and she is the in house publicist for Fat. She gave us an in with Fat Mike. We also played some shows with NOFX. Mike called me and let me know they were interested. Thats what went down.

Dave: You contributed a track to the Swingin’ Utters tribute album Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute to Swingin’ Utters for Red Scare. How did you become involved with the project? Why did you pick the song “London Drunk?”
Ray: We are huge Swingin Utters fans and the tribute was a no brainer. My favorite Swingin Utters cd is Juvenile product and I always liked London Drunk. I thought that the accordian part would sound great as a guitar lead so we went for it.

Dave: How many of you skate?
Ray: 2 of us skate, my brother Brandon and I.

Dave: A lot of your songs focus on relationships (good and bad). How much of your lyrics are based on personal experience and/or past relationships?
Ray: We try to keep it half and half, Half the songs will be about girls and the other half are about skating or Burger King.

Dave: Who are some of your favorite bands to play with? What are your favorite cities to play?
Ray: San Francisco is my favorite city to play. Dead to Me, NOFX, Cobra Skulls and Banner Pilot are my favorite bands to tour with.

Dave: What’s it like to record in The Blasting Room?
Ray: It's phenominal. I dont have much to compare it to but it is by far the best studio I have ever recorded at.

Dave: This is a High Fidelity inspired question. What are your top 5 favorite bands/artists, albums, movies, TV shows, books/authors?
Ray: Whoa, umm, my top 5 favorite bands at the moment are the Spits, Banner Pilot, Marked Men, Devo, and NOFX. My top 5 favorite albums are Fear the Record, Banner Pilot Collapser, Lillingtons Death By TV ,The Spits 19 million AC, and Marked Men Fix my Brain. My top 5 favorite movies are American Movie, Revenge of the Nerds, Goodfellas, First Blood, and First Blood 2. My top 5 favorite TV shows are South Park, Its always Sunny in Philly, Entourage, Dexter, and Iron Chef America. My top 5 favorite books are Rivethead, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Goodnight Goon, You Idiot, and Ask the Dust.

Dave: What’s next for the band?
Ray: We are going on tour with The Bosstones in August and then we head out with Me First in October.

Dave: Any final thoughts?
Ray: Thanks for checking this out. Love Love.

O’Reilly Admits He was Wrong

In his latest column, Bill O’Reilly admits that he did a less than stellar job in his initial reporting on the Shirley Sherrod scandal.

From the column –

Regretfully, I did not examine the full transcript of Ms. Sherrod's remarks closely enough and, after hearing that the white farmer got hosed, I said she should resign. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the same mistake; so did the NAACP. Like all Americans, Ms. Sherrod deserves to be treated fairly, and she should be reinstated at the Department of Agriculture. However, the situation deserves a top-to-bottom examination by the feds.

For many years conservatives have claimed that the NAACP is a racist organization and they jumped on this story as a way to prove their point. Unfortunately this is a story that was taken out of context. Are their elements of the NAACP that are racist? I’m sure there are, just as there are elements of the Tea Party movement that are racist but as Vice President Biden said, that doesn’t make the entire movement racist.

The use of the race card had gotten so extraordinarily old that it is almost laughable. The more the race card is played simply for political gain, the less likely people are to pay actually pay attention to the legitimate claims of racism when they occur. This story is also a prime example of how bad journalism has gotten and how quickly people will make knee-jerk reactions without examining the facts fully and completely. It really is a sad commentary on our state of affairs.

Are You Smart Enough to Work for Google?

Here are 15 questions Google asks during a job interview. Needless to say…I’m not smart enough to work for Google.

Thanks to Rod Dreher for the find.

Video of the Day

"Web in Front" by Eric Bachmann

Which Song Should The Spy Play?

This is a new feature/poll that I’m going try to do each Wednesday. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I like our local alternative station 105.3 The Spy, but that I have also been a bit critical of some of their song/artist selections (and more accurately some of the artists that I think they have missed). So I’ve decided to start doing a weekly poll where I ask folks to pick between two songs, which one they think The Spy should add to their rotation. At the end of the week, I’ll email the MP3 of the winning song to Ferris at The Spy and hope that he adds said song to the rotation.

This week I am pitting two of my favorites against each other: “Me and Joe Drove Out to California” by Drag the River and “I Love Pop Music” by Ben Lee.

“Me and Joe Drove Out to California” by Drag the River


“I Love Pop Music” by Ben Lee


You can either vote by leaving a comment or on the poll to the left. Happy voting!!!

Please No…

Don’t let this happen.

Video of the Day

"Fool to Blame" by Tilt

Weezer Going Indie

According to this story, Weezer will be releasing their next album in September on a “yet-to-be-named independent label.”

Guided By Voices Do Reunion Tour…

And come nowhere close to Oklahoma.

Just Another Reason to Vote Randy Out…

By Nolan Clay/The Oklahoman ~ State Rep. Randy Terrill is asking a judge to halt a state grand jury investigation into political corruption allegations.

Terrill claims he cannot be questioned before a state grand jury about legislative activity because of this language in the state constitution: "Senators and Representatives shall, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the session of the Legislature, and in going to and returning from the same, and, for any speech or debate in either House, shall not be questioned in any other place."

Terrill, R-Moore, contends the state constitution "absolutely" protects legislators from having to answer questions before the grand jury about legislative activity.

Terrill is under investigation because of allegations he conspired to create an $80,000-a-year state job for Sen. Debbe Leftwich so she would not run for re-election and so his friend, Rep. Mike Christian, could seek her seat.

From The McCarville Report Online: Terrill Says Constitution Protects Him From Probe

Remember District 53, we have a choice. Amy Corley is running against Terrill this November. You can read my interview with her here.

Quote of the Day

It’s campaign time again in the US. The issue of how political campaigns are financed has become a popular topic in recent years, with both of the major parties accusing each other of bad practice. Everyone knows that the ability to fund political campaigns has a direct influence on political policies. Our constitutional republic is supposed to act in the interests of the several states and the people, not those of corporations, union leaders, or other groups. However, as John Médaille says, we really live in a republic of PACs. As long as organizations with large bank rolls can exert influence on our government’s policies, putting their interests over those of the people, we will remain a plutocracy.

Distributists believe economic freedom is a key component to individual freedom and justice, and widely distributed ownership of productive property is essential to economic freedom. Establishing economic freedom requires making changes to the laws and policies that give preferential treatment to the big business over the small, or otherwise inhibit the widely distributed ownership of productive property. Large corporations and organizations currently use their economic power to influence government to ensure their continued control over capital. Can Distributism be applied to limit plutocracy while still allowing the people to effectively organize together to influence the government? I believe the answer is yes.

[...]

Government is supposed to protect the common good, however, as long as corporations and organizations with large bank accounts can pressure politicians to protect their own interests, the common good will not be served. PACs exist to represent their members’ interests to the government. I do not go as far as to say that no businesses should be able to bring their concerns to the government, but there is an inherent injustice when, for example, small farmers have to compete with huge farming corporations with equally huge bank balances. We have already seen the results of this. Small farms have been declining. This is not because they cannot compete with large farms in their local markets. Government regulations imposed at the behest of large farms makes it very difficult for the small farms to survive. This can happen in any sector of society, and has been going on for a long time.

--David W. Cooney from the post Distributism and Campaign Finance Reform (emphasis mine)

Are the Declaration of Independents and The US Constitution Conservative?

I was posting a comment over on MOTW’s blog and I noticed that he had links to the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution under a section entitled “Miscellaneous Conservative Links.” I stopped, starred, and thought “huh, that’s odd.” I’m not sure that I would think of either of those documents as conservative. In fact I tend to think of them as American and neither conservative nor liberal. If I was going to label them as either, I think the fact that both were primarily written by liberals (Jefferson and Madison) would have a huge influence on my decision.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how conservatives try to claim the ideas of Thomas Jefferson. The man was a liberal in the vein of John Locke and was detested by the conservatives of his day. James Madison was Jefferson’s apprentice (for lack of a better term). These were not conservative men. Granted they have little in common with the Democrats of today, but that is more because modern Democrats and liberals have lost their way.

So are the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution conservative documents or American documents?

My vote is American.

Currently Listening

Here are some more random songs from my Spy playlist.

Speaking of the Spy, I’m thinking of starting a new series or posts/polls in which I take two songs that I’ve never heard on the Spy, post some videos for each song along with a poll asking people which song the station should add to their rotation. Then at the end of a week, whichever song wins I’ll send the MP3 of the winner to Ferris at the Spy. It could be fun. What do you think?

1. “She’ll Do It” by The Pavers (from Livin’ the Dream)
2. “Electricity, Electricity” by Goodness (from Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks)
3. “Freak Scene” by Dinosaur Jr. (from Fossils)
4. “Don’t Take Me for Granted” by Social distortion (from Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll)
5. “Zoo Station” by U2 (from Achtung Baby)
6. “You Trip Me Up” by The Jesus & Mary Chain (from 21 Singles: 1984-1998)
7. “Berserker” by Love Among Freaks (from Clerks)
8. “Break Out of My Head” by The Methadones (from This Won’t Hurt)
9. “Gods Are Fearing Men” by Filthy Thieving Bastards (from My Pappy was a Pistol)
10. “Dummy Up” by Screeching Weasel (from Weasel Mania)

Songs Separated at Birth

“Under Your Influence” by Dag Nasty


“This Addiction” by Alkaline Trio


I would actually love to see Alkaline Trio do a medley of these two songs, or in the middle of “This Addiction” break into “Under Your Influence.”

Wow I’m a nerd.

Thinking of Going Green

After reading Steve’s post Third Party Spotlight: The Green Party and seeing the party’s Ten Key Values (of which I agree with all ten) I’ve decided to give the Green Party another look to see if maybe they are the party for me. If anyone knows much, or anything, about the Green Party please let me know.

Eclipse Over Easter Island

Amazing isn’t it?

Thanks to Astrological Musings for the find.

Video of the Day

"Harnessed in Slums" by Archers of Loaf

New Kevin Seconds Record Streaming on PunkNews.org

7 Seconds’ frontman Kevin Seconds’ new record Good Luck Buttons is streaming over at PunkNews.org. If you go into this record expecting anything resembling a 7 Seconds album, you will be disappointed. This is acoustic, folk-based music that is catchy and fun, but completely different than Mr. Seconds’ other material.

Something from Nothing

One of the arguments used against atheists is how can something come from nothing. In the post Atheists and something from nothing, the CLS makes his counter argument. If nothing else, it is an interesting read.

Money Quote –

We have to remember that those seeking answers are fallible humans who make errors. That we may lack the skill to answer specific questions doesn't mean that the answers don't exist, just that we are incapable of finding them. I have confidence in the scientific method, it is pretty damn good. What I lack is confidence that we fallible humans will necessarily find answers to every question we ask.

This Looks Great!

I saw this story on Cinematical about the upcoming film It’s Kind of a Funny Story and based on the trailer included, it looks fantastic! I am definitely looking forward to seeing this.

Video of the Day

"Independence Day" by Down By Law

Sorry About the Lack of Posts

My kids got back in town last weekend and I just haven’t found any time to get on the computer this week. Heck those Video of the Day posts were set up when I was last online with my son at the library on Sunday. Hopefully I’ll find some time this weekend to post some more stuff.

Wanna See Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern?

Go here and here.

I’m looking forward to this film. Green Lantern is one of my favorite superheroes (he’s tied for my favorite actually with Captain Marvel) and Ryan Reynolds is just too perfect to play the part of Hal Jordan. Let’s just hope that the movie doesn’t suck.

BNN No More?

According to BlogNetReportsOklahoma, Blog Net News is up for sale. I hope that someone buys the site and continues the service. Apparently the sale was due in part to dwindling ad revenue. What I’d like to know if how sites like Lefty Blogs are able to keep going while BNN struggled.

Thank you to BNN creator David Mastio for setting up and running the service. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Currently Listening

In honor of their upcoming show (Friday July 23rd at the Conservatory), today we’re doing a Teenage Bottlerocket shuffle.

1. “London Drunk” (from Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute to Swingin’ Utters)
2. “Welcome to the Nuthouse” (from Warning Device)
3. “In the Basement” (from Warning Device)
4. “The Jerk” (from They Came from the Shadows)
5. “Crawling Back to You” (from Warning Device)
6. “Bottlerocket” (from Warning Device)
7. “Warning Device” (from Warning Device)
8. “Wasting Time” (from Warning Device)
9. “Forbidden Planet” (from They Came from the Shadows)
10. “Gave You My Heart” (from Warning Device)

Video of the Day

"Sorry You Asked?" by Dwight Yoakam

Video of the Day

"American Slang" by The Gaslight Anthem

Huh…I Didn’t See This Coming: Joaquin the New Hulk?

It seems that Marvel has offered the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk to Joaquin Phoenix. While Phoenix is a great actor (one of the few in the same league as Edward Norton, who recently lost the Hulk gig) I just don’t see it. Granted so much of my view of The Hulk and Bruce Banner is based on the TV series (Banner will always be Bill Bixby to me) so my opinion isn’t what one would call objective.

Currently Listening

Here are some more random songs from my Spy playlist.

1. “Going Underground” by The Jam (from Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ‘80s Underground Disc 1)
2. “The Concept” by Teenage Fanclub (from Bandwagonesque)
3. “Fascination Street” by The Cure (from Disintegration)
4. “Angry Young Man” by The Heartdrops (from This is The Heartdrops)
5. “Screaming at a Wall” by Minor Threat (from Complete Discography)
6. “Disciples of Soul” by Hudson Falcons (from For Those Whose Hearts and Souls Are True)
7. “Can’t Even Tell” by Soul Asylum (from Clerks)
8. “Knock-Down Drag-Out” by Weezer (from Weezer [Green Album])
9. “Dog and Pony Show” by Descendents (from Cool To Be You)
10. “Bikeage” by Descendents (from Milo Goes to College)

Video of the Day

"Radio" by Matt Skiba & Chuck Ragan

Edward Norton Not Returning as The Hulk in The Avengers

According to this story, Edward Norton will not be reprising his role as Bruce Banner in the upcoming Avengers film. While I’m not really excited about this film, and while I wasn’t that impressed with The Incredible Hulk film, I am an Edward Norton fan and believe that he is one of the best actors of my generation ands it is a shame that he will not be involved in this project.

More Disgusting CEO Pay News

Headline: How Many Workers Can You Hire for the Price of One CEO?

From the Story –

To get a sense of how the CEO of a company you regularly do business with pays his or her employees compared to themselves, we've broken it down for you below:

CVS Caremark (CVS)
Thomas M. Ryan: $30.4 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Cashier: $8/hour, $20,800/year
One CEO = 1,461 entry-level employees

AT&T (T)
Randall Stephenson: $29.2 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Sales Associate: $10/hour, $26,000/year
One CEO = 1,123 entry-level employees

The Walt Disney Co. (DIS)
Robert Iger: $29 million (2009 Compensation)
Disneyland Hotel Housekeeper: $10/hour, $26,000/year
One CEO = 1,115 entry-level employees

McDonald's (MCD)
James A. Skinner: $17.6 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Cashier: $7.25/hour, $18,850/year
One CEO = 933 entry-level employees

Target (TGT)
Gregg W. Steinhafel: $16.1 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Cashier: $8.50/hour, $22,100/year
One CEO = 728 entry-level employees

Cablevision (CVC)
Founder and Chairman Charles F. Dolan: $15 million (2009 Compensation)
James L. Dolan: $17 million (2009 Compensation)
Customer Service Representative: $13/hour, $33,800/year
One CEO = 505 entry-level employees

Starbucks (SBUX)
Founder Howard Schultz: $9.9 million (2009 Compensation)
Entry-level Barista: $9/hour, $23,400/year
One CEO = 423 entry-level employees

Wal-Mart Stores (WMT)
Michael T. Duke: $8.5 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Sales Associate: $9.75/hour, $25,350/year
One CEO = 335 entry-level employees

Nike (NKE)
Mark G. Parker: $7.3 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Sales Associate, NYC Store: $9/hour, $23,400/year
One CEO = 311 entry-level employees

Time Warner Cable (TWC)
Glenn A. Britt $15.9 million (2009 Compensation)
Cable Installer: $20/hour, $52,000/year
One CEO = 305 employees

AMR (American Airlines, Inc.) (AMR)
Gerard J. Arpey: $5.6 million (2009 Compensation)
Entry-level Flight Attendant, flying minimum domestic hours: $20.24/hour, $21,252/year
One CEO = 263 entry-level employees

FedEx (FDX)
Founder Frederick W. Smith: $8.48 million (2009 compensation)
Handler: $13/hour, $33,800/year
One CEO = 251 entry-level employees

Costco (COST)
James D. Sinegal: $2.3 million (2009 Compensation)
Starting Sales Associate: $11/hour, $28,600/year
One CEO = 115 entry-level employees

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)
James Dimon: $1.3 million (2009 Compensation)
Bank teller: $12/hour, $31,200/year
One CEO = 41 entry-level employees

How do some of these people sleep at night?

In Support of Our Libraries

I found a link to this story over on Pundant.com (a.k.a. local blog formerly known as Fried Green Onions written by my friend and OK BNN editor Jimmie Martin). Apparently there are people out there who think that public libraries are a waste of tax payers’ money.

From the story –

Chicago's public library commissioner has hit back at a report on WFLD Television that suggested libraries are a "waste of tax money", saying that the argument posed by a story broadcast on the station was a "non-starter" and that a contributor who suggested salaries in the public sector were higher than those in the private sector was "simply wrong".

[...]

"There are 799 public libraries in Illinois. And they're busy. People borrow more than 88m times a year. But keeping libraries running costs big money. In Chicago, the city pumps $120m a year into them. A full 2.5% of our yearly property taxes go to fund them. That's money that could go elsewhere – like for schools ... police or pensions," the report said. "Libraries are quiet havens for the community. They can take you to another world ... But should these institutions – that date back to 1900 BC – be on the way out?"

Now, the Chicago public library commissioner, Mary A Dempsey, has responded, saying that she was "astounded at the lack of understanding" the report showed and pointing to the 12m visitors that Chicago's public libraries receive every year, the 10m items checked out from the libraries' 74 locations in 2009 and the 3.8m free one-hour internet sessions the people of Chicago used last year.

I’m honestly astonished that someone would be ignorant enough to think that libraries are a waste of money. Could some be streamlined and costs cut at others? Absolutely, but the same could probably be said for darn near everything and everyone in the world. Libraries are an essential part of our society and are something that should not only be supported but protected.

Money Quote –

"The public library is supported by taxpayers for the common good of all the people of Chicago – just like public school. We don't ask our schools to make profit. Neither should we ask it of the public library," she said. "As journalist Walter Cronkite once remarked, 'Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.'"

When I saw the post on Pundant.com that linked to this story, I assumed that the story was about some raging leftist librarian or some union or some such thing that would make a conservative upset, but after having read the story I was left scratching my head trying to suss out what exactly Mr. Martin was trying to say and why he seems to have a beef with libraries and librarians.

From the post –

Ultra liberal socialist librarians think they are first in line at the public watering hole. Their total support for the Democratic party should grant them no favors by conservatives.

I’m still not sure what to make of this, especially as a reaction to this story. I’m also not sure how anyone can see libraries as a bad thing or a waste of money. Our library here in Moore is almost always teeming with people doing everything from reading in a corner to using the computers to watching kids play in the play area. And speaking of kids, the summer reading programs at our libraries are fantastic and get kids reading. In fact I think that it is safe to say that kids nowadays read more than my generation did at their age (lord knows my kids read a lot more than I ever did as a child). How could this possibly be a waste of money?

Amazing Sunsets

Here are some truly amazing pictures of the setting sun.

O’Reilly’s Take on the Vampire Craze

Bill O’Reilly offers up his thoughts on the current vampire phenomenon in his latest column.

Money Quote –

So why is this happening? Boredom, that's why. Many kids today spend nearly every waking moment stimulated by some kind of machine. The younger crew is texting, playing video games, listening to up-tempo music on headphones, or networking on their personal computers. All day, all night, these machines are available. After a while, real life means little. It's too slow. Everything comes quickly on the machines. The kids are wired all the time.

Enter the world of the supernatural. Vampires don't need school or jobs; they just float around having dramas. And they look great. Even their big long teeth are sparkling white. Their hair is perfect. When Bela Lugosi emerged from his coffin, wolves howled. When these Twilight vampires show up, plastic surgeons take notes.

Currently Listening

Today’s songs come from a shuffle of a playlist that I created of songs that I’d play on The Spy.

1. “Ruby Soho” by Vampire Weekend (from Live @ Maida Vale)
2. “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure (from Greatest Hits)
3. “Nobody’s” by ALL (from Percolater)
4. “The Science of Myth” by Screeching Weasel (from Weasel Mania)
5. “Seattle” by Public Image Limited (from The Greatest Hits, So Far)
6. “Good Feeling” by Violent Femmes (from Violent Femmes)
7. “Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure (from MTV Unplugged)
8. “Actor in the Street” by Paul Westerberg (from Suicaine Gratification)
9. “Rockin’ Stroll” by The Lemonheads (from It’s a Shame About Ray)
10. “Bye Bye Baby” by Social Distortion (from Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell)

Breaking Down

Sometimes I think I’m in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Like yesterday for example, I was depressed beyond recognition. And on top of that I had a wonderfully frustrating coaching session with my boss during which I got written up, again. I’ve also been listening to a lot of morose music lately (Drag the River and Paul Westerberg work nicely in this capacity…heck even today’s Currently Listening post was filled with some good depression songs, which the computer selected not me).

Much of my problems I’m sure stem from the fact that I am overly sensitive. On top of that I tend to take everything personally. On top of that I’m also extremely affectionate and often that is something that is lacking from my marriage (affection and intimacy). So here we have the perfect recipe for disaster that is my mental state.

So what’s the fix? I know that getting a new job would be a huge help but so far my job hunting hasn’t gone all that well (and to be fair I have not given it my 100%). But that’s just one part. I’m guessing that I should go to counseling for the rest but the last thing in the world that I want is to be given some pills to try to control my emotions. (Note – I am not some raging idiot like Tom Cruise where it comes to the topic of psychology and psychiatry. For some people medication is the only way to keep things in balance and for them the medication is the way to go. Sadly I think that these things often get over prescribed to folks that just need to work through the problems in their life.) Speaking of emotions…I think that it is pretty safe to say that my emotions control me or at the very least have more control of me than they should. And that makes having a productive life a bit of a bitch. And I’m not really sure why I am sharing all of this other than I feeling like I need to blog about something and this is the only thing that comes to mind. Sad really.

Currently Listening

1. “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction (from Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ‘80s Underground Disc 4)
2. “Barrel of the Gun” by Hudson Falcons (from American Fight Club)
3. “Last Man on Earth” by The Staggers (from The Sights, The Sound, The Fear and The Pain)
4. “Our Only Weapons” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (from Don’t Know How to Party)
5. “Seasons” by Chris Cornell (from Singles [Original Soundtrack])
6. “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer (from Weezer (Blue Album) [Deluxe] Disc 1)
7. “Whatever Makes You Happy” by Paul Westerberg (from Suicaine Gratification)
8. “Original Me” by ALL (from Breaking Things)
9. “She Takes It So Well” by Hot Water Music (from A Flight and a Crash)
10. “My Brain Hurts” by Screeching Weasel (from My Brain Hurts)

Happy 4th of July

Have a happy and safe Independence Day everyone!!!

Night at the Drive-In + Movie Reviews

Last night my wife and I took a trip down to Chickasha, OK to check out the Chief Drive-In Theatre and boy were we glad that we did. Not only were they playing two good movies (see reviews below) but the price was good, the food was great, and they have these killer t-shirts and glow-in-the-dark cups. Plus it is a locally owned business and the people working there were all incredibly nice and the service was excellent. I had never been to Chickasha before and my wife had only been there with her folks to see the Festival of Lights, so right off the bat this was going to be an adventure for both of us. The drive in wasn’t bad but then we took a wrong turn in Chickasha itself but one phone call to the drive-in and we were pointed in the right direction.

The theatre is out of the way, which is a good thing. Its placement means very little ambient light to disrupt the screen (that was the Riviera’s biggest problem). At first glance the drive-in wasn’t all that impressive, but as the night went on, and our souvenirs procured, my impression of the establishment grew by leaps and bounds. One of the really cool features is a covered set of picnic tables and rows of movie theater seats by the concession stand. Plus there is a miniature gold course.

We left after the second film ended, tired and very happy. If you are a fan of drive-ins I highly suggest taking a short trip down to Chickasha and partake in an evening at the Chief Drive-In Theatre.



Movie Reviews


Title: Toy Story 3 (Official, IMDB, Wikipedia)

I have to admit that I don’t know how Pixar does it. They consistently put out excellent films that never seem to disappoint and Toy Story 3 is no exception. I was dubious at the prospects of seeing Woody, Buzz, and co. on the big screen again. Toy Story 2 had an excellent ending and I just wasn’t sure if there was anything left for these characters to do.

I was wrong.

Toy Story 3 starts with Andy preparing to leave for college and his toys trying to find their new place in his world. I’m not going to give the plot away because, as with all Pixar films, not knowing anything about the plot makes the movie that much more powerful. Needless to say I was a teary mess by the end.

This is a tremendous story about growing up while still clinging to your youth and passing the torch to the next generation. Fans of the first two Toy Story films should most definitely see this movie. The ending is beyond satisfying to not only this film but the entire story of these great characters.



Title: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Official, IMDB, Wikipedia)

With the third installment of the Twilight saga, we find Bella on the brink of graduating high school and becoming a vampire but not before she and the local supernatural community must deal with a burgeoning army of vampires being created in Seattle. The upcoming battle forces the vampires of Forks and the Native American werewolves to work together to fight this new threat.

Overall this is a good film, probably the best of the series to this point, but there is still much to resolve. I have yet to read the books so I am unable to compare the film to the boo, but compared to the first two films, it does appear that this series is getting better as it goes on.

Oh and if anyone cares…I’m definitely pulling for Team Jacob.

Currently Listening

Here are some more bands that should be in regular rotation on The Spy.

1. “Makes No Sense at All” by Husker Du (from Eight Miles High/Makes No Sense at All)
2. “Incomplete” by Jawbreaker (from Unfun)
3. “Only Time” by The Kings of Nuthin’ (from Over the Counter Culture)
4. “Anyway” by The Lemonheads (from Lick)
5. “Girlfriend in a Coma” by Mojo Nixon (from Whereabouts Unknown)
6. “S.O.S.” by One Man Army (from Rumors and Headlines)
7. “Mary” by The Pavers (from Wrecking Ball)
8. “Little Bit of You in Everything” by The Rentals (from The Last Little Life EP)
9. “Homesick” by The Riverdales (from Phase Three)
10. “Dyslexic Heart” by Paul Westerberg (from Singles [Original Soundtrack])

Why People Hate CEOs or The Obscenity of the Difference in Pay Between Workers and Bosses

This post on The Otter Limits reminded me of a story that I saw yesterday on The Drudge Report.

Headline: Walmart CEO Pay: More in an Hour Than Workers Get All Year?

From the story –

Smith, an alderman in Chicago, presented posters at a city council meeting showing that Walmart CEO Michael Duke's $35 million salary, when converted to an hourly wage, worked out to $16,826.92. By comparison, at a Walmart store planned for the Windy City's Pullman neighborhood, new employees to be paid $8.75 an hour would gross $13,650 a year.

Smith's numbers could be a bit off. Equilar, an executive compensation research firm, calculates that Duke earned just south of $20 million in 2009 and $28 million in 2008, not counting millions of dollars in potential performance awards. But the alderman argued that there's still a "sad" contrast between Duke's compensation and the wages of his employees.

"How can you go to bed at night and sleep knowing you make this kind of money and the people working for you can hardly buy a package of beans and rice?" he asked in an interview with ABCNews.com.

[...]

A study last fall by the Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal Washington D.C. research group, found that CEOs in the country's S&P 500 companies make, on average, 319 times more than the average American worker.

IPS associate fellow Sam Pizzigati said that in the 1970s, that ratio was 30 to 1.

"We've seen, over the past three decades, a tenfold-plus increase in the gap between top executives and average American workers," Pizzigati said. "That Chicago alderman is putting his finger on a very real problem in American economic life."

I’m sorry but there is something disgustingly wrong with this picture.

When I worked for Sprint, there was a CEO who made $53K a day. That is twice the average yearly wage of a call center worker (oh and at least three call centers were closed during his tenure as CEO). That is obscene.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people getting rich but it seems excessively immoral and unethical for the leader of an organization to make more in a day or an hour than his/her employees make in a year.

How is this good for the economy? How is this even good or sustainable for the business? Why in the world should a company have so much invested in one single person? That one individual will not make or break the company alone. Yes his or her leadership can make the difference between success and failure but that doesn’t mean that he/she is worth that much more than everyone else. Also, how are the employees to feel when they see things like this? Where is their buy-in? Where is their share of the success or failure? They are treated like nameless and faceless numbers and people wonder why things like quality and service have gone down the tube over the years.

Workers need to be shown that they matter. They need to be given their share of the success that they help to create (and failures as well but that part seems to already be happening like crazy). There is nothing free about this. I would go so far as to say this goes directly against the free market and capitalism. This is corporatism. This is oligarchy. This is feudalism. And it needs to be stopped.

What Happens After They are Born?

I’m not sure what’s prompting me to write this post or pose this question, other than the topic was mentioned in some comments recently and it is something that has always bugged me (for lack of a better term) a bit.

The topic: abortion.

The question: what happens to the baby after it is born?

So much of the arguments made by the pro-life movement surround the life of the unborn child and their concern for said life. It seems to me though, that with the exception of a very few, that concern ends as soon as the child is born. What happens to those children who are born into absolutely horrendous situations? I know this will sound cold but sometimes I think not having the baby is the most responsible thing to do.

Abortion is a horrible thing that should be avoided at all costs but sometimes it might be the right thing to do. I guess where I differ from the pro-life crowd is that they are worried about the baby in the womb and I’m worried about what’s going to happen to that baby in the world.

Currently Listening

Today we’re doing songs by bands that I think should be in regular rotation on The Spy but that I’ve never heard them play once.

1. “Might” by Archers of Loaf (from Icky Mettle)
2. “Brookfield” by Drag the River (from Primer)
3. “Trusty Chords” by Hot Water Music (from Caution)
4. “This Ain’t No Picnic” by The Minutemen (from Double Nickels on the Dime)
5. “Left of the Dial” by The Replacements (from Tim [Expanded Edition])
6. “She’s Got Everything” by Stephen Egerton & Milo Aukerman (from The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton)
7. “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” by Sugar (from Cooper Blue)
8. “Now We Can See” by The Thermals (from Now We Can See)
9. “Screen Door” by Uncle Tupelo (from 89/93: An Anthology)
10. “How Am I to Be” by The Watson Twins (from Fire Songs)
11. “Call in Sick” by Teenage Bottlerocket (from They Came from the Shadows)
12. “Hyper Enough” by Superchunk (from Here’s Where the Strings Come In)
13. “Cashing In” by Minor Threat (from Complete Discography)
14. “I Am a Scientist” by Guided By Voices (from The Best of Guided By Voices: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates)
15. “Synthesized” by The Epoxies (from Stop the Future)
16. “Almost Ready” by Dinosaur Jr. (from Beyond)
17. “Catch My Disease” by Ben Lee (from Awake is the New Sleep)
18. “Lead Poisoning” by Alkaline Trio (from This Addiction)
19. “99 Red Balloons” by 7 Seconds (from Walk Together, Rock Together)
20. “Glad” by Swingin’ Utters (from Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, and Bones)
21. “Brand New Love” by Sebadoh (from Smash You Head on the Punk Rock)
22. “Friend of Mine” by Big Drill Car (from No Worse for the Wear)
23. “Baby I’m a King” by The Devil Dogs (from 30 Sizzling Slabs!)
24. “Start Today” by Gorilla Biscuits (from Start Today)
25. “Grey Cell Green” by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (from God Fodder)

There are more bands that I could have listed, but I figured 25 was more than enough for today. :o)

Meet Your New Spider-Man

His name is Andrew Garfield.

Quote of the Day

Right now the GOP relies on a dwindling group of rabid fundamentalists as their base. This means they have given up minorities of all kinds: gays, Hispanics, and the young most prominently. It also means they have to rely on people hating the Democrats more. The largest group of voters are independents and they don't find themselves drawn to the Republicans as much as they are disgusted by the Democrats. Barack Obama is campaigning for the GOP full time. Both parties merely give voters reasons to vote for the other party.

-- CLS from the post This is still a politician I can like.

Currently Watching

Title: The Nanny Diaries (Official, IMDB, Wikipedia)

The Nanny Diaries is a fun and serious comedy about parenting, finding yourself, and romance. The film follows would be anthropologist Annie as she falls into the fairly bizarre would of the Upper East Side NYC nanny.

Not only is this film fun but it is satisfying and sends and important message about the importance of parents actually parenting.

Currently Listening

1. “Less Than Useful” by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (from God Fodder)
2. “I’ve Been Waiting” by Matthew Sweet (from Girlfriend)
3. “Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)” by The Bouncing Souls (from Hopeless Romantic)
4. “Brand New Shoes” by She & Him (from Volume Two)
5. “You Have to Be Joking (Autopsy of the Devil’s Brain)” by The Flaming Lips (from Hit to Death in the Future Head)
6. “When Did I Become My Dad” by Mojo Nixon & The Toadliquors (from The Real Sock Ray Blue)
7. “Chick Magnet” by MXPX (from Life in General)
8. “But, Honestly” by Foo Fighters (from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace)
9. “Blood on the Ice” by The Riverdales (from Storm the Streets)
10. “Punch Drunk Grinning Soul” by Flogging Molly (from Float)

Can’t Win for Losing

I went on a job interview on Tuesday. The place was amazing. It’s a non-profit, social services agency and it is something that would be perfect for me and what I’m good at. The problem though is that it would most likely pay a bit less then I’m making now. This wouldn’t be that big of a deal except the fact that the job is on the other side of town (it is a 50 mile round trip commute versus my current 5 mile round trip drive). Thus making the amount of each paycheck that would be relegated to buying gas for the car would probably quadruple and I just don’t see how we can afford that kind of expense increase.

On the flip side, things at my current job continue to slide off the cliff of crap. My performance the past few months has been horrible and thus I have been written up for a plethora of different things. On top of that we have a shift bid coming up and our rankings are based 80% on performance. In other words not only are my days numbered but I’m going to get shafted in the next shift bid.

At this point I am pretty dejected about the entire thing. I can’t stand my current job anymore and this other job would be amazing but we’d go broke if I worked there. For now I guess I’m going to keep looking for other opportunities but with the economy in the toilet I’m not sure what kind of luck I’ll have.

*sigh*

Real Life Ancient Moby Dick

According to this story, scientists have discovered “a giant, never-before-discovered carnivorous whale” in the deserts of Peru.

From the story –

The now-extinct species of sperm whale is believed to have lived more than 12 million years ago, and hunted baleen whales with its 14-inch tusks. An article about the findings appears in today's issue of the journal Nature.

It outlines how researchers found three-quarters of the ancient sperm whale's skull, along with fragments of its jaw and several teeth. Piecing them together, experts believe the whale's skull was about 10 feet long, and that the animal's body stretched nearly 60 feet.

[...]

A Dutch researcher from the Natural History Museum of Rotterdam, Klaas Post, stumbled across fossils of the extinct whale in November 2008, on the final day of a field trip to a desert on Peru's southern coast. The area is now above sea level, but was once underwater before shifts in the Andes mountains.

Post and his colleagues named the whale species Leviathan Melvillei, using a Latin variation on Herman Melville's name.

Having an Atheist Wedding

Apparently it’s not as easy as one would think. According to Maressa Brown in her piece I Had an Atheist Wedding the process for leaving religion out of the ceremony is a bit daunting.

Really? Do We Really Need This?

Headline: Hark! Kate Gosselin Wants to Release Holiday Album

As Rupert Giles once said "The world is most certainly doomed."

Currently Listening

1. “Vet Named Ted” by Brassknuckle Boys (from American Bastard)
2. “Atomic Brain” by The Riverdales (from Invasion USA)
3. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds (from The Breakfast Club [Original Soundtrack])
4. “Digital Black Epilogue” by Urge Overkill (from Exit the Dragon)
5. “Prosthetic Head” by Green Day (from Nimrod)
6. “Casemaker” by Sinkhole (from Punk USA)
7. “What You Believe” by Big Drill Car (from A Never Ending Endeavor)
8. “Dirty Sea” [Live] by Street Dogs (from Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute to Swingin’ Utters)
9. “Auto Wreck” by ALL (from Allroy Sez)
10. “Teenage FBI” by Guided By Voices (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album)