Video of the Day

"In Between Days" by Superchunk

I Love Diablo Cody!

Who else would have told Megan Fox “I just think you're Crispin Glover-like weird"?

Bloody f-ing brilliant!!!!

Palpatine? Really?

In a recent post MOTW compared President Obama to Emperor Palpatine.

From the post –

I'm sure you remember Palpatine. He was that Star Wars character that spent years in the Galactic Senate, pretending to be a good galactic citizen with the noblest of intentions, eventually rising to the position of Chancellor and invested with emergency powers. In reality, he was an evil Sith Lord, whose goal was to eliminate the Republic and replace it with a Sith Empire.

Why bring him up here?

Well, I've been reading a book called The Manchurian President. It is an interesting read, but I will save you the trouble, if you like. It is little but long and meticulous documentation of how Barack Obama, since he was a small child--since birth, really--has been born to, raised among, influenced by, worked with, worked for, been associated with, favored by, etc., etc., etc., an assortment of communists, socialists, hard-leftists, and Islamist radicals. It is not conjecture. The information has been pulled largely from newspaper accounts, newsletters and magazines (like the Trinity United Church of Christ's Trumpet) and personal interviews.

Many of these people come from organizations where one of the chief tactics is what is termed "boring from within":--joining the established system with the express goal of working from within to undermine and demolish it.

Now, I suppose you can believe one of at least three things:

1) Barack Obama has come from a background of anti-capitalist and anti-America-as-we-know-it thugs, risen to the presidency, and is deliberately trying to crash the system so as to replace it with something else, which would be perfectly consistent with his friends' and acquaintances' ideology and tactics, or...

2) He has played along with all these people since he was a boy, waiting for the right opportunity to betray them all, or...

3) He has somehow fit right in with all these people for decades, yet has absolutely no clue what they're about, or what he's doing, for that matter.

For those who disagree with the president I can see how all signs would point to # 1. And while I am no fan of the president and am hoping that—unless that GOP nominates a complete nutcase—he does not get re-elected, I just can’t believe that he is evil…misguided and way too confident in the ability of government to solve problems maybe, but not evil.

What do you think?

Oh an before anyone jumps my stuff, I did jokingly compare President Bush to Palpatine, in the way that he and his administration were collecting and hording power into the Executive Branch—powers now being used by the Obama administration I might add—but I never said that the man was evil or trying to destroy the country. You can see those posts here and here.

Video of the Day

"Leaner Days" by Sinkhole

Would You Wear These Shoes?

Cinematical asks the question Would You Wear These Batman & Robin Shoes Out in Public?

Answer: Hell no. I like Batman and all but lord those are ugly!!!

66 Bowl Going on the Auction Block on Aug. 31st

On Tuesday August 31st you can own a piece of American history when everything at 66 Bowl will be sold at auction. This is truly a sad event.

More Amazing Art

Here's another one that I'd love to have in my home.

From the Astrological Musings post Pisces Full Moon, August 24 2010

Amazing Art

From the IDP Blog post Great Eastern Sun Art vs. Setting Sun Art #4: Autumnal Fantasy.

I would love to have a copy of this for my home.

Video of the Day

"In The Sun" by She & Him

Comics Review: The Flash: Rebirth

Title: The Flash: Rebirth (DC Comics, Amazon, Wikipedia)

The Flash: Rebirth chronicles the return of Barry Allen to the DC Universe. Barry Allen died in 1985 in Crisis on Infinite Earths and it seemed that his death was the only thing that wasn’t eventually undone from that series. Occasionally over the years Barry would make a small return, like in Infinite Crisis, but generally he remained dead. That was until Final Crisis (a series that I have yet to read), in which Barry completely returned from the Speed Force.

Since I started reading comics after COIE’s, my exposure to Barry Allen as The Flash was fairly limited but I was always extremely impressed with his death and the importance that it had to the DCU. So needless to say, I was very dubious of the prospects of Barry returning fulltime to the DCU. Luckily this series was written by Geoff Jones (Infinite Crisis, Green Lantern: Rebirth) who has a knack for knowing these characters and how to breathe new life into them. What really impressed me with The Flash: Rebirth was how the story was complex and went in-depth in explaining the nature of the Speed Force. It also brought out the true nature of these characters, including all of those who have taken on the mantel of the Flash.

Overall I think this is a great read and something that comic fans should definitely check out.

Currently Listening

1. “Alone” by Hagfish (from That Was Then, This Is Then)
2. “The Rack” by The Last (from L.A. Explosion [Bonus Tracks])
3. “At Your Funeral” by Pinhead Gunpowder (from Compulsive Disclosure)
4. “Kick It Over” by Re-Volts (from Re-Volts)
5. “Dummy Up” by Screeching Weasel (from Weasel Mania)
6. “Telltale Signs” by TonyALL (from New Girl, Old Story)
7. “True Music” by Down By Law (from All Scratched Up!)
8. “Shit’s Fucked” by The Copyrights (from Learn the Hard Way)
9. “Looking Back on Today” by The Ataris (from So Long Astoria [Bonus Tracks])
10. “Breaking News” by 7 Seconds (from Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!)

Drag the River Hitting the Road

Alt-country heroes Drag the River are hitting the road for a fairly extensive tour of North America and Europe, but the closest that they are coming to OKC are shows in Denton and Lubbock, TX. There is an open space in dates in-between the shows in TX and their next stop (which is in NJ), so maybe some dates will be added and we’ll get to see Jon & Chad rip it up at the Conservatory.

Video of the Day

"Skate or Die" by Teenage Bottlerocket

Currently Listening

1. “Roger” by Dag Nasty (from Wig Out at Denko’s [Bonus Tracks])
2. “Mango” by Dag Nasty (from Four on the Floor)
3. “Take Away” by Big Drill Car (from Batch)
4. “What You Believe” by Big Drill Car (from No Worse for the Wear)
5. “Poprocks & Coke” by Green Day (from International Superhits!)
6. “One of My Lies” by Green Day (from Kerplunk)
7. “Rocketship X-M” by The Riverdales (from Invasion USA)
8. “I Won’t Forget You” by The Riverdales (from The Riverdales [Bonus Tracks])
9. “Radio” by Alkaline Trio (from Maybe I’ll Catch Fire)
10. “Off the Map” by Alkaline Trio (from This Addiction)

Some People are Really Just Messed Up

Like this lady.

From the story –

The British woman who became a hate figure for animal lovers everywhere after she was caught tossing a cat into a trash bin today apologized for her anti-feline offense, only hours after telling tabloid The Sun, "I don't know what the fuss is about, it's just a cat.

"Mary Bale, a 45-year-old bank worker from the central English city of Coventry, said in a statement, "I want to take this opportunity to apologize profusely for the upset and distress that my actions have caused. It was a split second of misjudgment that has got completely out of control."

[...]

"OK, I shouldn't have done it -- but it's just a cat at the end of the day. I don't think I deserve to be hated by people all over the world, it was just a split second of madness," she said. "I don't know what came over me, but I suddenly thought it would be funny to put it in the wheelie bin, which was right beside me."

Footage of the incident captured by a security camera on Aug. 21 shows that Bale knew purr-fectly well that she wasn't behaving like a model citizen. She's seen stroking a four-year-old tabby cat called Lola and glancing furtively from side to side. When it's clear that no one is watching, Bale grabs the poor puss by the scruff of its neck, tosses it in the trash bin and slams the lid. The cat's owners, Stephanie and Darryl Mann, found the distraught and hungry Lola some 15 hours later.

See what I mean?

Spike to Become a Semi-Superhero

According to this story, James Marsters, best known for playing Spike on Buff the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is going to star in a new Syfy series about a superhero team of folks with lackluster powers.

From the story –

The show revolves around a man named Walter who gets struck by lightning and finds he can move objects with his mind -- but he can only move them three inches. He is then recruited into a superhero gang full of people with similarly lackluster powers. Marsters' character, Troy, is the gang leader. His power(s) have yet to be revealed.

[...]

'Three Inches' has potential, since there is a long tradition of un-traditional, ne'er-do-well superheroes in the comics ('Ambush Bug,' 'The Legion of Substitute Superheroes,' 'Lethargic Lad') and on the screen ('The Tick,' 'Mystery Men' which were also comic series, 'Blankman'). It's an appealing idea, bringing superheroes down to earth. When done well, it can be great.

But there's also a towering heap of used tights from projects that were worse than their heroes' powers. Marsters' involvement in 'Three Inches' is a good sign. So is the fact that Peyton, who also penned the screenplay for 'Less Than Zero,' is writing the
series. Fox Television Studios, which is producing the show for Syfy, is promising something a little twisted. So far, they're off to a good start.

This certainly sounds like it has potential.

Currently Listening

1. “Badger” by Hagfish (from That Was Then, This Is Then)
2. “Theme” by Descendents (from I Don’t Want to Grow Up)
3. “Mango” by Dag Nasty (from Wig Out at Denko’s [Bonus Tracks])
4. “Gnutheme” by ALL (from Allroy’s Revenge)
5. “Steve’s Boy” by The Lemonheads (from The Lemonheads)
6. “Guitar Case” by TonyALL (from New Girl, Old Story)
7. “Funny Face” by Stephen Egerton & Chad Price (from The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton)
8. “That Noise” by Goodbye Harry (from I Can Smoke)
9. “Air Conditioner” by Down By Law (from Blue)
10. “Charligan” by ALL (from Percolater)

Ah Ha Moments

The following is an introduction that I wrote for my online Classical and Medieval Humanities class. I decided to repost it here not because these aren’t things that I haven’t written about before but because it took me a while to write and was four pages so I figured I’d get some multiple action out of my work. And if you are wondering what an Ah Ha Moment is, our professor described it as "that moment when you have a sudden realization, you make a connection between things you may already know with new insights, you learn something completely new or feel enlightened."

_____________________________

Introduction Ah Ha Moment

Ah Ha Moments. Well I’ve had a few in my life as well as a few moments when I discovered something, usually something to do with music, that were life altering. I guess before we get to far into that I’ll give a bit more of an introduction of myself (I know that you are dying to know these things…by the way that was sarcasm just incase it didn’t come across online).

I’m 35 and originally from Springfield, MO. Springfield is the third largest town in the Show Me State, in the part of the state know as the Ozarks, and is now well known for being close to Vegas Jr., i.e. Branson. It wasn’t always so, the Branson thing. When I was little Branson was a small town with a White Water and Silver Dollar City (which was kind of like a Ozarkian Bush Gardens. Also when I was a kid, Bass Pro Shop was nothing more than a hole in the wall. Needless to say, a lot has changed since we left.

We moved from Springfield 1986 in the summer before I was to enter 6th grade to Lakeland, FL. Lakeland is a small to medium sized town in central FL that is basically half way in-between Tampa and Orlando. The gist of Lakeland was there wasn’t a lot to do and it was hot (90+ degrees nine months out of the year). We lived there for six long years and while most of it was torturous, it had a huge impact on my life. One of my first life changing experiences happened while in Lakeland. The year was 1988 and I was in the eighth grade. At the time I was a nerd that was really into Star Trek, surfing (not that I actually did any mind you), and hair metal. That was until I heard the live version of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” from the album Rattle & Hum. That one song completely changed my life. I became obsessed with U2 and devoured all of their albums. From there my eyes were opened to a whole new world of music and in the years that followed I discovered bands like R.E.M., The Smiths, The Cure, The Pixies, and Concrete Blonde.

At this same time, eighth grade that is, I was a very active member of my church. I grew up in the Episcopalian Church and was an acolyte (i.e. alter boy) and a member of the youth group. I eventually became the head acolyte in the church and helped in administering the Communion. Even though I was an active member of the church I never fully bought into the doctrine or the teachings of the church. I never believed in the story of the Creation as told in Genesis nor could I fathom God condemning people to an eternity in a lake of fire for not believing in Christianity. Needless to say I wasn’t a very good Christian. While in youth group activities I voiced my doubts and beliefs (a personality trait that has stuck with me) but I kept going. The big reason for my doubts in the church’s teachings was my mom. She was working on her Masters degree in Religious Studies and as long as I can remember our home was filled with Buddhist statues, Hindu imagery, and Jamaican artwork. At a very young age I learned that the world’s religions actually have a lot in common. More on this in a bit…

While in high school in FL my friends and I were called the “progressive kids” but unlike most of my friends I was adamantly against drinking alcohol and using drugs. For one thing my dad was an alcoholic when I was a kid. On top of that my brother was a drug addict, so I figured it would be prudent if I stuck to the straight ad narrow path, plus I had enough problems eating too much to even begin to consider taking on a habit even more addictive than food (On a fairly ironic side note, I am completely for the legalization of drugs or at the very least the decriminalization of drugs.). One day at lunch someone told me that I was straight edge. I had no idea what that meant but shortly after that I heard the straight edge hardcore punk band 7 Seconds and had a major Ah Ha Moment. Here was the first band that I’d heard since U2 that really spoke to me and on top of that they were singing about the same things that I was thinking about and concerned with at the time. At this time I was also a huge fan of the movie Pump Up the Volume, which little did I know, would introduce me to the band that would become my all time favorite. Did I mention that I’m totally a music nerd?

Towards the end of my junior year my dad got a new job and thus we were going to move to Oklahoma City that summer. Yeah…they did it to me again. I got to go to a new school for my senior year of high school (wasn’t it bad enough that they did this to me in elementary school?). So we moved to south side OKC where I attended Westmoore High School for my senior year. The upsides were that the school was nice and didn’t have any of the social troubles that had occurred in my school in FL (I didn’t really go into this before, but the gist is that my friends and I were treated like bad-word for being different; mind you this was in the early ‘90s prior to Nirvana completely changing the musical landscape for an entire generation or two). More than any of that though I met and feel in love with the woman who would become my wife.

After graduation I headed to OU for college. That didn’t work out so well but it was in Geography class that someone let in on the fact that the Descendents had changed their name to ALL. The Descendents were the band that I first heard in Pump Up the Volume and whose live album I had listened to like crazy for two years. I went out and picked up ALL’s Breaking Things album and was completely hooked. This band became another Ah Ha Moment type of thing (albeit one that took a while to really sink in). Here was a band made up of total nerd who wrote these amazing love songs. I felt like I belonged somewhere in-between ALL and 7 Seconds. From then on I pretty much immersed myself in punk rock. I dropped out of college (for the first time) and concentrated on working full time. I got an apartment, with the help of my folks, and spent three long years working in retail—during which time I did return to college, received my AA, went to OSU, and then dropped out of OSU two months later. I moved back home and started working on paying off the debts that I had incurred over the past few years. Eventually I got an apartment with my then girlfriend and found myself working in my first call center. Prior to heading to the phones I had worked in a karaoke shop for a couple of years. During that time I produced a zine and helped run a DIY punk venue. I also headed to UCO to work on a Journalism degree. Once I got my job at the call center, AOL for those who may be curious, I had to again drop out of school. Shortly there after we, my girlfriend and I, learned that we were going to become parents. We then got married and our daughter was born. Becoming a father was a major Ah Ha Moment for me. Things became much clearer and I finally had a purpose in life. A year and three days later our son joined the family and I moved to my second call center. I spent the next seven years working for Sprint, honestly hating every minute of it. In there somewhere we moved to Moore and the drive to and from the Sprint call center just became too much (it’s on the NW Expressway and Rockwell) so I quit and got a job at [un-named company], which was a monumental step down in pay but is five miles from my house. It was prior to leaving Sprint that I took Comparative Religions at OCCC and experienced another Ah Ha Moment. Here was what I wanted to do with my life. I then discovered that OU had a Religious Studies program and I finally, definitively knew what I wanted to major in.

During these years I continued to grow spiritually, but I completely distanced myself from organized religion. I often described my beliefs by stating that I believed in God but I didn’t believe in any one religion (at the time I think I used the phrase “but none of them got it right” or something along those lines). A friend told me that I was essentially a deist. The term was completely new to me so I did some research and discovered that my beliefs were very much in line with deist thought and not too unlike that of Thomas Jefferson. I was after this when in Comparative Religions that I learned more about Buddhism and found much of that religion that I agreed with, so much so that if asked I stated that I was a “deist with Buddhist leanings.” Since that time I’ve come to realize that I am in reality a bit of a Universalist, thanks in no little part to my exposure to the works of Joseph Campbell. So there were a couple of Ah Ha Moments on this part of my journey.

Politically speaking I’ve recently gone through some Ah Ha Moments. I’ve followed presidential politics, or at least elections, since 1988 when George HW Bush destroyed Michael Dukakis. I actually have a very vivid political memory prior to that. I was election night 1980 and I asked my dad who he voted for for president. He told me Ronald Reagan. I asked why not President Carter, who I liked and still like very much, and he responded with something to do with inflation (those details are a bit fuzzy). Anywho… In 1992 I was extremely impressed with AR Governor Bill Clinton and the ideas he proposed in his run for the White House. I was a senior in high school at the time and desperately wanted to vote but I turned 18 the month after the election. I wrote an editorial for the school paper about the election that won some state writing contest award thing. When I turned 18 I registered to vote as a Democrat. Since then I voted for both Democrats and Republicans, being someone who despised party line voting, and in 2008 I supported then Senator Barack Obama in his run for the White House. I was drawn to his message of hope and healing. Shortly after he was sworn in though I realized that my hopes for something new and different in Washington, DC were not going to come to fruition. The Ah Ha Moment for me in this case was when I heard that the Treasury Secretary was seeking the power to take over any company deemed to big to fail. To me this was a complete abuse of power (which was my biggest objection to the previous administration). So I did lots of thinking and some blogging on the matter and I eventually decided that I could no longer be a member of the Democratic Party. As far as I am concerned the only thing that the two major parties are interested in is their own power. So I left and never looked back. Recently I’ve been thinking of joining the Green Party but that is still a decision in the making.

One last Ah Ha Moment and it’s another musical one. Earlier this year, ALL/Descendents’ guitarist Stephen Egerton released his first solo record which consisted of songs written by him with lyrics and vocals provided by some of his friends (including two of ALL’s vocalists and the Descendents’ vocalist, making this the closest thing to a new ALL or Descendents record in over five years). Stephen lives in Tulsa so he put together two record release shows, one in Tulsa and one in OKC. That show was probably the best show I’ve ever seen. And the Ah Ha Moment for me was when I looked around and I realized that there were no hipsters or trendy kids in the room (unless you count the one guy from The All-American Rejects). Every band that performed that night, including Drag the River, Scott Reynolds & the Steaming Beast, and OKC’s own Euclid Crash were excellent but the headlining performance was, for a total music nerd like me, heaven on earth. Stephen brought friends into town to perform various songs from his album The Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton, two of which were ALL vocalists Scott Reynolds and Chad Price. To top of the night, ALL/Descendents’ drummer extraordinaire Bill Stevenson joined the band on stage and we were treated to short sets of ALL classics from both Scott and Chad. I’d seen ALL twice with Chad singing but never with Scott. Don’t feel bad if the particulars of this aren’t making sense because unless you are a real fan they won’t (and my wife totally makes fun of me for knowing all of these crazy details about this band).

So that’s pretty much it for me and even if it wasn’t I think that I’ve pontificated enough for now.

Sporadic Blogging Ahead

I’ve started back to school this week and I’m taking three classes (for a total of 11 hours, one class is five hours) and all three are going to take up a lot of my time. Because of that my blogging may be fairly nonexistent in the next few months. I’m also suspending the Which Song Should The Spy Play? poll until further notice.

Wish me luck.

Video of the Day

"Falling Out" by Stephen Egerton & Frank Daily

Why Doesn’t the Left Criticize Islam?

Since 9/11 those on the Right have been exceptionally vocal in their criticism (and sometimes disdain and hatred) of Islam. This is understandable—the criticism, not the disdain or hatred. Muslim extremists and terrorists attacked our country and killed 3,000 innocent civilians. If the terrorists had problems with the policies of our government and military, then they should have attacked a military facility instead of a place of public business. But then again, terrorists have never been accused of rational behavior or attacking appropriate targets. All they want to do is cause chaos and terror, thus strapping bombs to their chests and blowing up children and flying planes into private buildings. The fact that people are angry with those responsible is only natural. So why are those making all the noise seem to be the ones on the right side of the isle?

My theory is that while most of the Left are just as angry at the terrorists as the Right, they don’t want to add their voice to what they see as the cacophony of anti-Islamic rhetoric. Obviously not everyone one on the Right holds anti-Islamic beliefs, but a large number of people do and boy oh boy are they vocal about it. So even though there are people on the Left who feel critical about elements of Islam, I believe that they tend to stay quiet about it because they don’t want to be associated with those that truly do hate Islam and Muslims.

But is this a good thing?

I submit that it is not. While there are lovely, peaceful, and beautiful elements of Islam, there are also elements that are barbaric and cruel. And it is these medieval elements that are still embraced by Islamic countries and communities that much be eradicated. What is needed is an Islamic Enlightenment in which Muslims come to the same type of realizations that the West came too in the 1700-1800s (not that these were perfect or that we in the West aren’t still struggling with these issues on a daily basis, but at least you don’t see stories of western judges considering paralyzing someone as an appropriate punishment of a crime). Because of this there needs to be criticism that is not based on hatred, disdain, or from a stance of religious superiority. There needs to be voices that call for equal rights for women and an end to eye-for-an-eye punishments (just to name a few).

The sad reality is though that this will probably never happen. Those on the Left are too busy hating those on the Right to offer any real criticism or ideas to help move the world forward (not that the Right is any better at this mind you). The world has become so polarized that things like common sense and facts don’t matter…especially to the polemics. Hopefully we can find the common ground and common decency to move forward in confronting the problems of the world. But then again I may just be a naïve optimist.

Who are More Generous with Their Money, the Poor or the Rich?

The research points to the poor.

From the story –

Do people with less give more, and those with more give less? This question is central to discussions about the responsibilities of those in the upper echelons of society with abundant economic wealth. A reasonable expectation is that upper-class individuals experience fewer costs in any benevolent gesture and should therefore be inclined to give more. A contrasting expectation—and one that at first glance may seem surprising—is that individuals from lower-class backgrounds are dependent upon others and, as a result, disposed to be more altruistic and generous.

Our research strongly supports the latter hypothesis: Individuals from lower-class backgrounds are more generous, trusting, and helpful toward others. Why are lower-class individuals more generous? We find that increased altruism among lower-class individuals is caused by their heightened feelings of compassion and concern for the welfare of others. In essence, differences in baseline levels of compassion among lower- and upper-class individuals give rise to differing levels of generosity and altruism. Increased compassion among lower-class individuals promotes trust and cooperation, generating a web of social bonds that is vital to their adaptation to a more threatening environment.

This does not surprise me honestly. I say this based completely on personal experience. I am poor. Literally, if you look at my annual income I fall under the official federal poverty line. That having been said, if I have money and someone needs to borrow some, I’ll give what I have away in a heartbeat. Granted none of this is anything major but it is the compassionate mindset that I think, in part at least, comes from own experience being poor.

YES!!! The Kids are Back!!!

The Kids in the Hall are returning to TV!!! Maybe I’ll break down and get cable now. Okay, I doubt it, but I sure am looking forward to the DVDs of this new show!

Video of the Day

"Fool" by Descendents

Good Lord: Welfare Recipients in Prison Dorms?

The headline to this story alone…

Headline: NY candidate: Prison dorms for welfare recipients

From the story –

Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino said he would transform some New York prisons into dormitories for welfare recipients, where they could work in state-sponsored jobs, get employment training and take lessons in "personal hygiene."

Paladino, a wealthy Buffalo real estate developer popular with many tea party activists, isn't saying the state should jail poor people: The program would be voluntary.

But the suggestion that poor families would be better off in remote institutions, rather than among friends and family in their own neighborhoods, struck some anti-poverty activists as insulting.

[...]

Throughout his campaign, Paladino has criticized New York's rich menu of social service benefits, which he says encourages illegal immigrants and needy people to live in the state. He has promised a 20 percent reduction in the state budget and a 10 percent income tax cut if elected.

Asked at the meeting how he would achieve those savings, Paladino laid out several plans that included converting underused state prisons into centers that would house welfare recipients. There, they would do work for the state — "military service, in some cases park service, in other cases public works service," he said — while prison guards would be retrained to work as counselors.

"Instead of handing out the welfare checks, we'll teach people how to earn their check. We'll teach them personal hygiene ... the personal things they don't get when they come from dysfunctional homes," Paladino said.

[...]

Paladino told The Associated Press the dormitory living would be voluntary, not mandatory, and would give welfare recipients an opportunity to take public, state-sponsored jobs far from home.

"These are beautiful properties with basketball courts, bathroom facilities, toilet facilities. Many young people would love to get the hell out of cities," Paladino he said.

He also defended his hygiene remarks, saying he had trained inner-city troops in the Army and knows their needs.

"You have to teach them basic things — taking care of themselves, physical fitness. In their dysfunctional environment, they never learned these things," he said.

Ketny Jean-Francois, a former welfare recipient and a New York City advocate for low-income people, said Paladino's idea shocked her.

"Being poor is not a crime," she said. "People are on welfare for many reasons ... Is he saying people are poor because they don't have any hygiene or any skills?"

[...]

Paladino said he based his ideas on the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federal program that paid young unemployed men during the Great Depression to plant trees, build roads and develop parks.

Paladino said he would open the program both to long-term welfare recipients and to people who had lost their jobs during the recession. He said that he didn't know how he would pay for it but that prisons could be consolidated to make room.

Okay…there is a lot going on here. First off I think that having work and educational programs for welfare recipients is a great idea. The problem I have is with Mr. Paladino’s apparent attitude towards and disdain (for lack of a better term) for the poor. While some of his criticisms are valid, the fact is that generalizing all poor people as dysfunctional and lacking in personal hygiene is not only ignorant but borderline bigoted. Obviously I can’t get into the man’s head so I have no idea where his heart truly lies, but his comments betray an anti-poor attitude that seems to see them not only as lower class citizens but a burden on people like him – the rich.

Instead of treating the poor like a leech that needs to be removed from the skin, why not treat them as an opportunity to help grow this society? Why not focus on teaching them the skills that helped make you so successful Mr. Paladino instead of wanting to essentially lock them up? These people are not only your potential constituents, but they are also your neighbors (though maybe not in your case), employees, and members of your church. They are part of your community and this attitude towards them is just sad. Yes so of them are a lost cause, but no all of them and those who want the hand up deserve every chance to make a better life for themselves and their families and don’t deserve to be looked down upon from up high by elitists like you.

Quote of the Day

In the material sphere, there are two main philosophies, mortally opposed, upon one of which a new civilization may be built. These two are Communism and Distributism. The prevailing condition cannot withstand either of these because it has no basis other than the shifting sands of expediency and opportunism. The modern condition has arisen not so much because men have chosen it as because it has just happened whilst men have abandoned themselves, as they will proudly claim, to doing and getting. They do and get without thinking about what they do and get or why, except in the immediate sense of temporary material advantage. This is the process known boastfully as “muddling through.” It consists in getting into one muddle after another each one worse than the last. We are too busy getting out of one muddle ever to stop to think how to avoid getting into more. Anyway stopping to think is a reactionary operation, a hindrance to progress.

Distributists agree with Communists on one point only, namely, that the present process is disastrous both materially and morally (within the limits of the Communistic meaning of morality). In everything else Distributism and Communism are as opposed as Distributism and unbridled Capitalism. In these oppositions, which it has been left to the founders and supporters of this journal to formalize, there is no possibility of compromise. It must be war to the death between them. It is our particular business, amongst others, to keep these facts alive even at the risk of a repetition no less boring to us then to our readers. It is vital that not only ourselves but the whole civilization that is menaced by the evils we oppose, should be alive to
the facts, and we are therefore gratified to find an awakening to our principles, even in our own terms in the place where much of the coming fight will be fought, whether the decisive action lies here or there.

-- Anonymous from the post The Spread of Distributism

I highly suggest reading this entire piece. I couldn’t agree more that Communism and completely unbridled Capitalism are not the answer to our economic woes. Distributism is a third choice that seems to me to be the best alternative to the other two. Then again it is entirely possible that none of these systems would actually work that well in the real world and we need some combination of the three. As Jello Biafra once sang “Every theory has its holes when real life steps in.”

What I like about Distributism is the fact that it believes in decentralization. This is also a key value of the Green Party, which I am seriously considering joining. While there is some good that comes out of multinational corporations, we desperately need to get back to local and regional economics. Sure there are things that each region should specialize in and for those things we need the larger companies (not everyone can grow oranges for instance). But more and more we should look to local businesses for the answers. I’m of course a bit of a hypocrite in saying this considering that I shop at Wal-Mart on a regular basis, but I do also do a lot of shopping at places like Crest and Braums for groceries and I buy all of the gas for my car at locally owned gas stations.

We have a tough road ahead of us and I hope that we, as a society, will have the wherewithal to make it through.

Currently Listening

1. “Alone” by Hagfish (from Hat Was Then, This is Then)
2. “Fall for Me” by Teenage Bottlerocket (from Total)
3. “Catch My Disease” by Ben Lee (from Awake is the New Sleep)
4. “Love Removal Machine” by The Cult (from Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995)
5. “Everything Counts” by Depeche Mode (from The Singles 81>85)
6. “My Glass House” by Swingin’ Utters (from Swingin’ Utters)
7. “What You Do To Me” by Teenage Fanclub (from Bandwagonesque)
8. “Her & Me” by U.S. Bombs (from War Birth)
9. “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend (from Vampire Weekend)
10. “Anyone Else But You” by The Moldy Peaches (from Juno)

Video of the Day

"I Don't Believe You" by The Thermals

Dischord to Release Dag Nasty Album with Original Vocalist

PunkNews.org is reporting that Dischord Records will be releasing the long discarding Dag Nasty album recorded with the band’s original vocalist.

From the story –

Dischord Records has set a November 2010 release date for Dag With Shawn, the long-shelved version of Dag Nasty featuring vocalist Shawn Brown. Brown was the band's first vocalist but left the band before the release of Can I Say. When he left, the album was re-recorded with Dave Smalley. The album was produced by Ian Mackaye and the original recording was taken from the restored master tapes, and remastered.

I’ve heard some recordings with Shawn on vocals on the 85-86 compilation, which was actually the first Dag Nasty release that I ever owned (and sadly no longer have). As Ferris would say, "good stuff." I’m really looking forward to getting this CD!

I’ve Finally Broken Down…

And signed up for Twitter. You can see my Tweets here.

Quote of the Day

So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people. That there are values that transcend race or culture, that move us forward, and there's an obligation for all of us individually as well as collectively to take responsibility to make those values lived.

-- Barack Obama from a 2004 interview with Chicago Sun Times columnist Cathleen Falsani

I couldn't agree more.

Thanks to Glenn Beck for the find.

Who Knew They Made So Much?

Some of the most popular people on YouTube are raking in the money, making more than $100K a year! And amazingly, Fred isn’t the highest paid of them. He’s # 5.

Currently Listening

1. “First Time” by The Boys (from No Thanks! The ‘70s Punk Rebellion Disc 2)
2. “Cop” by Tilt (from Life in the Fat Lane Vol. 4)
3. “Every Summer Day” by The Last (from L.A. Explosion [Bonus Tracks])
4. “Riddles” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (from Sinner)
5. “Teenage Kicks” by Hagfish (from That Was Then, This Is Then)
6. “No, No Way” by Fabulous Disaster (from Put Out or Get Out)
7. “Fire in the Rain” by Agent Orange (from Real Live Sound)
8. “Someday in January” by Armchair Martian (from Hang on Ted)
9. “Whole World Lost Its Head” by The Go-Go’s (from Return to the Valley of the Go-Go’s)
10. “Sealed with a Kiss” by The Eyeliners (from Sealed with a Kiss)

Is God a Person?

Robert Lawrence Kuhn hopes so.

Mind Boggling: Church Goes Forward with Book Burning

According to this story, a church in Gainesville, FL has decided to go ahead with a book burning protest, despite the fact that the local fire department denied their request for a permit. The offending book: the Qur’an.

From the story –

Leaders of the Dove World Outreach Center say "Islam is of the Devil" and plan to burn copies of the Islamic holy book on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Gene Prince, interim chief of Gainesville Fire Rescue, told The Gainesville Sun that he informed the church on Tuesday (Aug. 17) that the protest violates local fire-prevention laws, which include rules against burning corrugate cardboard or office paper, which includes books.

"It wouldn't matter what the book is they're burning," Deputy Chief Tim Hayes told the newspaper.

Regardless, the church sent out an e-mail vowing to go burn the books anyway. "City of Gainesville denies burn permit -- BUT WE WILL STILL BURN KORANS," The Sun reported.

Here’s the part of the story that I really found interesting in an unintentionally ironic kind of way –

The church's website includes a list of 10 reasons to burn the Quran, including "Islamic Law is totalitarian in nature," Islamic teaching contains "irrational fear and loathing of the West" and that the Quran teaches that Jesus "was NOT the Son of God."

The last time I checked, the only people who generally were into book burnings were fairly totalitarian in nature (Nazis anyone?). Now before anyone jumps my stuff about whether or not the criticism of the Qur’an is legitimate or not, all I can say is two wrongs don’t make a right. You don’t criticize something as totalitarian but committing a totalitarian act.

This is a great example of the “liberty and freedom, as long as you agree with me” mentality. This is an extremely common sickness that permeates greatly in churches and organizations around the country (both right leaning and left leaning). Based on these actions and comments it is pretty safe to conclude that this church is just as totalitarian as the Muslims that they are trying to criticize. Should elements of Islam be criticized? Absolutely, but this isn’t how you do it. A book burning event makes you look like an absolute lunatic to everyone who doesn’t agree 150% with you.

Currently Listening

1. “Trust” by 7 Seconds (from The Crew)
2. “Spread” by 7 Seconds (from Walk Together, Rock Together)
3. “We’re Only Gonna Die” by Bad Religion (from How Could Hell Be Any Worse? [Bonus Tracks])
4. “I’ve Heard” by Dag Nasty (from Can I Say [Bonus Tracks])
5. “Where Do Ya Draw the Line” by Dead Kennedys (from Bedtime for Democracy)
6. “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” by Dead Kennedys (from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables)
7. “Global Probing” by Descendents (from Bonus Fat)
8. “Myage” by Descendents (from Milo Goes to College)
9. “It Follows” by Minor Threat (from Complete Discography)
10. “Teenagers from Mars” by Misfits (from Misfits: Collection I)

The Future is Looking Bleak…

To John Mellencamp. He also doesn’t like the internet either.

From the story –

"I think the Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb," he said at a recent Grammy Museum seminar, Reuters reports. "It's destroyed the music business. It's going to destroy the movie business."

Mellencamp isn't just railing against the internet when it comes to people downloading music without paying; he's not a fan of digital sound quality. Case in point: a remastered Beatles song he listened to on an iPod. "You could barely even recognize it as the same song," he said. "You could tell it was those guys singing, but the warmth and quality of what the artist intended for us to hear was so vastly
different."

He also offers a less-than-optimistic view on the future of rock. "After a few generations, it's gone," he said. "Rock 'n' roll -- as important as we think it is, and as big as it was, and as much money as people made on it, and as proud as I am to say that I was part of it -- at the end of the day, they're gonna say: 'Yeah, there was this band called the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones, and this guy named Bob Dylan ... And the rest of us? We're just gonna be footnotes. And I think that that's OK."

If you think that's bleak, Mellencamp also offered a grim prospect of our country's future. Apparently, he believes that before rock dies "some smart people, the China-Russians or something" will have already taken over our country. So, there's that.

I have to admit that I never picture John Cougar to be such a downer.

Independent Business Spotlight: Bike One

My son’s bike needed a new tire and my mother-in-law suggested we go to Bike One in Norman and boy am I glad she did. We took the bike in on Tuesday and it was ready on Wednesday morning. On top of that the work was much cheaper than I thought it would be.

So if you are needing some bike repairs, accessories, or in the market for a new two-wheeled ride, I highly suggest heading down to Bike One in Norman.

For more information, check out Bike One’s website.

Weezer to do a Pinkerton Tour?

It may happen, and man would it be cool! Sadly though I doubt it would come to Oklahoma.

Currently Listening

1. “What Are You Fighting For?” by Youth Brigade (from Sink with Kalifornija)
2. “Guitar Case” by TonyALL (from New Girl, Old Story)
3. “Don’t Let’s Start” by They Might Be Giants (from Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Disc 1)
4. “Live Before You Die” by Social Distortion (from Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll)
5. “Anything and Everything” by Sinkhole (from Retrospectacles)
6. “Hampton Beach” by The Riverdales (from The Riverdales [Bonus Tracks])
7. “Caution” by Operation Ivy (from Energy)
8. “Look Back and Laugh” by Minor Threat (from Complete Discography)
9. “Oblivion” by Goodbye Harry (from I Can Smoke)
10. “Independence Day” by Down By Law (from All Scratched Up!)

Which Song Should The Spy Play?: "Now We Can See" vs. "Special Professional"

This week we've got songs from two of my favorite records of the 00s. Happy voting!!!

"Now We Can See" by The Thermals


"Special Professional" by Dead To Me

Why Can’t All Radio Stations…

Be like this one?

From the story –

If more radio stations were like Seattle's KEXP, more people would be ditching their satellite feeds for the FM dial. In lieu of advertisements, the station operates on donations and sheer volunteer power. Their mix of indie rock and hip-hop has no agenda and showcases quality artists listeners might not have heard of, but should.

If I was ever able to run my own station, I think I would try to run it in this manner, as a non-profit (kind of like an NPR station).

What are Mahayana Buddhism, Neo-Paganism, and Unitarian Universalism?

Yesterday I posted some results to a couple of religion quizzes. Interestingly the top three results were the same for both (with the order differing slightly)—Mahayana Buddhism, Neo-Paganism, and Unitarian Universalism. But what are these three faiths?

Here is a bit of what I found.

Mahayana Buddhism
From Wikipedia –

Mahāyāna constitutes an inclusive tradition characterized by plurality and the adoption of new Mahāyāna sūtras in addition to the earlier Āgama texts. Mahāyāna sees itself as penetrating further and more profoundly into the Buddha's Dharma. There is a tendency in Mahāyāna sūtras to regard adherence to these sūtras as generating spiritual benefits greater than those that arise from being a follower of the non-Mahāyāna approaches to Dharma. Thus the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra claims that the Buddha said that devotion to Mahāyāna is inherently superior in its virtues to the following the śravaka or pratyekabuddha paths.[32]

The fundamental principles of Mahāyāna doctrine were based on the possibility of universal liberation from suffering for all beings (hence the "Great Vehicle") and the existence of buddhas and bodhisattvas embodying Buddha Nature. Some Mahāyāna schools simplify the expression of faith by allowing salvation to be alternatively obtained through the grace of the Amitābha Buddha by having faith and devoting oneself to mindfulness of the Buddha. This devotional lifestyle of Buddhism is most strongly emphasized by the Pure Land schools and has greatly contributed to the success of Mahāyāna in East Asia, where spiritual elements traditionally relied upon mindfulness of the Buddha, mantras and dhāraṇīs, and reading of Mahāyāna sūtras. In Chinese Buddhism, most monks, let alone lay people, practice Pure Land, some combining it with Chán (Zen).[33]

Most Mahāyāna schools believe in supernatural bodhisattvas who devote themselves to the perfections (Skt. pāramitā), ultimate knowledge (Skt. sarvajñāna), and the liberation of all sentient beings. In Mahāyāna, the Buddha is seen as the ultimate, highest being, present in all times, in all beings, and in all places, and the bodhisattvas come to represent the universal ideal of altruistic excellence.

From Beliefnet.com –

Belief in Deity
Mahayana Buddhism (like Theravada Buddhism) posits no Creator or ruler God. However, deity belief is present in the Mahayana doctrine of The Three Bodies (forms) of Buddha: (1) Body of Essence--the indescribable, impersonal Absolute Reality, or Ultimate Truth that is Nirvana (Infinite Bliss); (2) Body of Bliss or Enjoyment--Buddha as divine, deity, formless, celestial spirit with saving power of grace, omnipotence, omniscience; and (3) Body of Transformation or Emanation--an illusion or emanation in human form provided by the divine Buddha to guide humans to Enlightenment. Any person can potentially achieve Buddhahood, transcending personality and becoming one with the impersonal Ultimate Reality, which is Infinite Bliss (Nirvana). There are countless Buddhas presiding over countless universes. Bodhisattvas--humans and celestial spirits who sacrifice their imminent liberation (Buddhahood) to help all others to become liberated--are revered or worshipped as gods or saints by some.

[...]

Origin of Universe and Life
No Creator God. All matter is illusion or manifestation of the Ultimate Reality. Generally, Mahayana Buddhist beliefs don't find modern scientific discoveries contradictory to Buddhist thought.

After Death
There is no transmigration of individual souls, but through the law of karma, one's wholesome or unwholesome intentions become imprinted in the mind. Negative mental states persist through continual rebirth until one's intentions become wholesome. Once fully enlightened, one is liberated from rebirths, reaching a state of absolute selflessness resulting in ultimate bliss called Nirvana--the "Deathless State." One becomes Buddha (or one with Buddha). Some Buddhists, especially modern Western, don't emphasize or believe in literal rebirth.

[...]

Salvation
The goal is enlightenment, leading to Nirvana--liberation from cycles of rebirth and suffering--which is life. All are already endowed with Buddha-nature but need to come to realize fully that only the Ultimate Reality (the great "void" or "emptiness") is real (or nonconditional) and permanent. The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path show the way, along with worship of the essential Buddha. One must work to extinguish self: All worldly cravings, desires, and attachments, through loving-kindness, compassion, charity, moral conduct, wisdom, and meditation. Renouncing worldly possessions and goals is not necessary for the laity, if balanced. Buddha taught the middle path, moderation. Human and spirit world Bodhisattvas are sought for help in gaining enlightenment. Pure Land Mahayana Buddhists aim to find a place of eternal Nirvana in a paradisiacal Pure Land, attainable by calling out the name of the Buddha ruler of the Pure Land.

Neo-Paganism
From Wikipedia –

Most Neopagan traditions are polytheistic,[citation needed] but interpretations of the nature of a deity may vary widely. In principle, there is the distinction of hard vs. soft (also, "strong" vs. "weak" or "radical" vs. "moderate") polytheism. Hard polytheism is the notion of the existence of gods and goddesses independent from the human mind and from one another, or as distinct entities but however part of a greater unity, such as The One of Neoplatonism and Panentheism. The mythology of antiquity reflects this kind of understanding of the gods' natures. Soft polytheism considers the plurality of gods as "aspects" of other notions of the divine, including Monism, Pantheism, Panentheism or Deism, Psychologism (Jungianism).

Historically polytheistic religious traditions in the west were not solely concerned with religious belief in gods, but focussed on ritual, tradition (ethos) and notions of virtue (arete, pietas). As Christianity became a rising force, pagan thinkers such as Celsus and the Roman Emperor Julian wrote arguments against Christian ideas and in defense of the traditional religions, which give us insight into their contrasting beliefs.[citation needed] Hutton states that the historical Pagans did not see "All Goddesses as one Goddess; all Gods as one God", but some types of modern Neopagans believe that there is but a single divinity or life force of the universe, which is immanent in the world. The various manifestations and archetypes of this divinity are not viewed as wholly separate, but as different aspects of the divine which are ineffable.[citation needed]

In Wicca, (especially Dianic Wicca) the concept of an Earth or Mother Goddess similar to the Greek Gaia is emphasized. Male counterparts are usually also evoked, such as the Green Man and the Horned God (who is loosely based on the Celtic Cernunnos.) These Duotheistic philosophies tend to emphasize the God and Goddess' (or Lord and Lady's) genders as being analogous to that of yin and yang in ancient Chinese philosophy; i.e., two complementary opposites. Many Oriental philosophies equate weakness with femininity and strength with masculinity; this is not the prevailing attitude in Neopaganism and Wicca.[13] Among many Neopagans, there is a strong desire to incorporate the female aspects of the divine in their worship and within their lives, which can partially explain the attitude which sometimes manifests as the veneration of women.[14] Other Neopagans reject the concept of binary gender roles.

From Beliefnet.com –

Belief in Deity
Some believe in a Supreme Being. Many believe in God and Goddess--a duality. Many believe there are countless spirit beings, gods and goddesses, in the cosmos and within all of nature--God is all and within all; all are one God. The Great Mother Earth, or Mother Nature, is highly worshipped. Divinity is immanent and may become manifest within anyone at any time through various methods.

[...]

Origin of Universe and Life
Generally, there is no conflict between observations revealed through science and Neo-Pagan beliefs on origins of the physical universe and of man. Many believe in a supreme intelligence that created a duality of God/Goddess who then created a spirit world of gods and goddesses as well as all of the universe and nature.

After Death
Many believe in reincarnation after some rest and recovery in the "Otherworld." There is generally no concept of hell as a place of punishment, but some believe wrongdoing can trap the soul in state of suffering after death. Some (Wicca) believe the soul joins their dead ancestors who watch over and protect their family. Some believe that life energy continues in some, if unknown, form. Some believe in various spiritual resting places. Many say we don't or can't know what happens after death.

[...]

Salvation
The concept of "salvation" is essentially irrelevant; rather the belief that people can attain spiritual balance and harmony with each other and nature. The path includes group ceremonies, dances, songs/chants, prayers, meditation, trance, altered states of consciousness, the metaphysical, magic, invoking or evoking deities or spirits, Tantric practices. Intercessors are commonly used: psychics, seers, shamans, tarot, Oui-Ja board. Ethical choices are influenced by a belief that one is rewarded or punished within this or after this lifetime for one's choices and an ethical code to do no harm.

Unitarian Universalism
From Wikipedia –
There is no single unifying belief that all Unitarian Universalists (UUs) hold, aside from complete and responsible freedom of speech, thought, belief, faith, and disposition. They believe that each person is free to search for his or her own personal truth on issues, such as the existence, nature, and meaning of life, deities, creation, and afterlife. UUs can come from any religious background, and hold beliefs from a variety of cultures or religions.

Concepts about deity are diverse among UUs. Some believe that there is no god (atheism); others believe in many gods (polytheism). Some believe that the question of the existence of any god is most likely unascertainable or unknowable (agnosticism). Some believe that God is a metaphor for a transcendent reality. Some believe in a female god (goddess), a passive god (Deism), an Abrahamic god, or a god manifested in nature or the universe (pantheism). Many UUs reject the idea of deities and instead speak of the "spirit of life" that binds all life on earth. UUs support each person's search for truth and meaning in concepts of spirituality.

From Beliefnet.com –

Belief in Deity
Very diverse beliefs--Unitarian/Universalists welcome all deity beliefs as well as nontheistic beliefs. Some congregations are formed for those who share a common belief, e.g. Christianity.

[...]

Origin of Universe and Life
Diverse beliefs, but most believe in the Bible as symbolic and that natural processes account for origins.

After Death
Diverse beliefs, but most believe that heaven and hell are not places but are symbolic. Some believe heaven and hell are states of consciousness either in life or continuing after death; some believe in reincarnation; some believe that afterlife is nonexistent or not known or not important, as actions in life are all that matter.

[...]

Salvation
Some believe in salvation through faith in God and Jesus Christ, along with doing good works and doing no harm to others. Many believe all will be saved, as God is good and forgiving. Some believe in reincarnation and the necessity to eliminate personal greed or to learn all of life’s lessons before achieving enlightenment or salvation. For some, the concepts of salvation or enlightenment are irrelevant or disbelieved.

It seems that all three of these faiths encompass a variety of different beliefs, but they all seem to share an openness to the world of spiritual possibilities. I’m sure there is much, much more to each of these (I know there is more to Mahayana Buddhism based on what I learned in Comparative Religions) but this gives you a little glimpse into each.

One thing that I really liked about Unitarian Universalism was their Principles and purposes:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

How could anyone disagree with that set of principles? That is great stuff!

My own personal beliefs are probably a hodgepodge of these three faiths with a little bit of Hinduism thrown in for good measure.

Geek Girls

Gotta love ‘em.

Dino’s Lost His Head

Literally.

UPDATE 8/19: Dino’s head has been returned.

Currently Watching

Title: Dakota Skye (IMDB, Amazon, MySpace)

Dakota Skye is a film about a 17 year-old girl of the same name who has a superpower, she can see the truth behind any lie someone tells her. I started watching the movie last night and am about an hour into it. So far it is really good, but I have to admit the part that really reeled me in from the “this is pretty good” to “holy cow this is great” was when Dakota’s boyfriend’s band did an acoustic cover of the 7 Seconds song “My List” (which is not one of their more well known numbers, you can see the scene here).

UPDATE 8/19: I finished watching Dakota Skye yesterday and man-on-man was it a great film! I highly recommend folks checking it out.

Last Week’s Poll Results

I’m guessing that not a lot of my readers are into 90s indie rock considering the horrible participation rate of last week’s poll. That having been said, the winner between Superchunk’s “Precision Auto” and Archers of Loaf’s “Might” was Both. I’ll send the winning tracks off to The Spy sometime soon.

This week’s poll will be up later today and includes songs from a couple of newer acts, so hopefully some more folks will vote this time around.

Dr. Laura Ending Radio Show

Longtime radio show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is planning on retiring from the radio.

From the story –

Appearing on 'Larry King Live' (weekdays, 9PM ET on CNN) Dr. Laura Schlessinger, who had been in hot water ever since she dropped 11 n-bombs in five minutes during her radio show last week, announced she will be retiring from radio.

"The reason (for retiring) is I want to regain my First Amendment rights, she explained. "I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry, some special interest group deciding this is the time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates, attack sponsors."

While Schlessinger is retiring from radio, she promises she is not retiring from offering her unadulterated opinion to an eager public.

Apparently she will concentrate on blogging.

Dr. Laura hasn’t been on OKC radio (that I’ve heard at least) for years, but even when she was on she nearly always got on my nerves with her holier-than-thou attitude. I do remember one time though that she smaked down this guy who was calling asking for permission to cheat on his sick wife. She told him that no, that was not okay. That was good stuff because that dude came off as a complete scum bag.

Currently Listening

1. “My List” by 7 Seconds (from The Music, The Message)
2. “We’re the Replacements” by They Might Be Giants (from Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Disc 1)
3. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” by Weezer (from Raditude)
4. “Hipster Boyfriend” by Sicko (from More Bounce to the Ounce Disc 2)
5. “How We Fade” by The Thermals (from Now We Can See)
6. “They Came from the Shadows” by Teenage Bottlerocket (from They Came from the Shadows)
7. “Pick ‘Em Up Truck” by The Smugglers (from Selling the Sizzle!)
8. “Can’t Give Up” by Sebadoh (from Harmacy)
9. “Palace of the Brine” by Pixies (from Trompe Le Monde)
10. “That Noise” by Goodbye Harry (from I Can Smoke)

Red City Radio Announce Title of Upcoming Album

PunkNews.org is reporting that OKC’s Red City Radio have announced the title of their upcoming full-length debut record. The record, due later this year on Paper and Plastic Records, will be titled The Dangers of Standing Still.

I am really looking forward to hearing this album. Red City Radio’s last EP, To the Sons & Daughters of Woody Guthrie, was bloody amazing and I suspect that the album will be more of the same.

Quote of the Day

Sure, supporting the loser stinks, but if everyone around you supported the loser, it isn't as bad because you feel connected to those around you. In other words, it is more comforting to be a Democrat in Massachusetts or Rhode Island when George W. Bush was re-elected than to be the lonely Democrat in Idaho or Oklahoma.

-- Richard Dunn quoted in the post Losers Unite!

The Top 20 Music Geeks in the Movies

Spinner has put together a list of Cinema's Top 20 Music Geeks, and it is actually a pretty good list.

Here’s the breakdown –
20. Jason Brennan from Adventureland (2009)
19. Mark the Record Store Clerk from Empire Records (1995)
18. Ivan Alexeev and Josh Tager from Tapeheads (1988)
17. Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange (1971)
16. Summer Finn from (500) Days of Summer (2009)
15. Steven 'Stevo' Levy from SLC Punk (1998)
14. Chad the Nanny from Jerry Maguire (1996)
13. Debi Newberry from Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
12. Riff Randell from Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
11. William Miller from Almost Famous (2000)
10. Patrick Bateman from American Psycho (2000)
9. Steve Dunne from Singles (1992)
8. Nick O'Leary and Norah Silverberg from Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)
7. Mike Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
6. Mark 'Hard Harry' Hunter from Pump Up the Volume (1990)
5. Juno MacGuff from Juno (2007)
4. Seymour the Record Collector from Ghost World (2001)
3. Dewey Finn from The School of Rock (2003)
2. Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar from Wayne's World (1992) and Wayne's World 2 (1993)
1. Rob Gordon from High Fidelity (2000)

My only real complaint with this list is that Mark Hunter from Pump Up the Volume should have been higher on the list (maybe swapped positions with Dewey Finn from The School of Rock). The man played the Descendents’ “Wienerschnitzel” for the love of Pete…in 1990!!! That was WAAAAAY before Nirvana broke. Other than that, I can’t really argue with this list, especially the man at # 1, who was played by a complete music nerd, who also happened to be the only actor to appear more than once on this list, John Cusack.

Belief-O-Matic & Spiritual Belief System Selector Quiz

I decided to take some of those “what religion are you” quizzes again today (you can see some past results here). I decided on two, BeliefNet’s Belief-O-Matic and SelectSmart.com’s Spiritual Belief System Selector Quiz. Interestingly a lot of the questions were identical. Here are the results.

Belief-O-Matic –

1. Mahayana Buddhism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (92%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (90%)
4. Liberal Quakers (87%)
5. Jainism (85%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (85%)
7. Hinduism (77%)
8. New Age (76%)
9. Sikhism (72%)
10. Reform Judaism (69%)
11. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (67%)
12. Baha'i Faith (64%)
13. Taoism (61%)
14. Secular Humanism (58%)
15. Orthodox Quaker (54%)
16. Orthodox Judaism (53%)
17. New Thought (48%)
18. Islam (45%)
19. Scientology (41%)
20. Nontheist (38%)
21. Seventh Day Adventist (31%)
22. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (26%)
23. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (26%)
24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (26%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (20%)
26. Roman Catholic (20%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (18%)

Spiritual Belief System Selector Quiz –

1. Mahayana Buddhism (100%) Books, etc. Information link
2. Unitarian Universalism (92%) Books, etc. Information link
3. Neo-Pagan (90%) Books, etc. Information link
4. Liberal Quakers - Religious Society of Friends (90%) Books, etc. Information link
5. Jainism (86%) Books, etc. Information link
6. Sikhism (85%) Books, etc. Information link
7. Theravada Buddhism (84%) Books, etc. Information link
8. Hinduism (79%) Books, etc. Information link
9. New Age (74%) Books, etc. Information link
10. Taoism (72%) Books, etc. Information link
11. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (68%) Books, etc. Information link
12. Reform Judaism (67%) Books, etc. Information link
13. Secular Humanism (56%) Books, etc. Information link
14. New Thought (55%) Books, etc. Information link
15. Orthodox Quaker - Religious Society of Friends (54%) Books, etc. Information link
16. Orthodox Judaism (51%) Books, etc. Information link
17. Bahai (48%) Books, etc. Information link
18. Scientology (43%) Books, etc. Information link
19. Islam (41%) Books, etc. Information link
20. Non-theist (36%) Books, etc. Information link
21. Christian Science Church of Christ, Scientist (34%) Books, etc. Information link
22. Seventh Day Adventist (31%) Books, etc. Information link
23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (29%) Books, etc. Information link
24. Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (22%) Books, etc. Information link
25. Eastern Orthodox (20%) Books, etc. Information link
26. Jehovahs Witness (20%) Books, etc. Information link
27. Roman Catholic (20%) Books, etc. Information link

I took these quizzes this morning because last night while getting ready for bed I realized that I have been a lot calmer lately. It’s almost like I’ve reach some point of Zen realization about things in my life. Not that they have gotten dramatically better or changed at all, but I am better dealing with things than I was even just a few months ago. I attribute at least part of this to the fact that I have given up soda (again) and part to my new MP3 player (it’s amazing how much better things go when you have some good tunes in your ear). But whatever the cause, I am thankful for the peace. I would love to continue my study of tai chi and eastern religions (I checked out a translation of the Bhagavad Gita and the Tibetan Book of the Dead from the library) but we’ll see how much time and money will allow me to do so (and if I can get my lazy bum up to do some exercising).

If you have never taken one of these quizzes, I suggest you do. They are fun and take very little time, plus you may learn something new about yourself in the process.