johnhildreth

Watch this, it's under 10 minutes and if you haven't seen it, don't know what happened, YOU SHOULD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyvVQYf6XWk

Reprinted from the 5/26/08 Barbara Garson article in the Los Angeles Times:

Dear President Bush and Laura,

My husband and I have an economic disagreement that has turned personal. We think you can help us. We filed a joint tax return and are expecting a $1,200 check under your plan to jump-start the economy. Here's the problem: My husband wants to spend the money; I want to send it back.

Like you, we believe that the government should not fiddle with the economy. We know that you only yielded under pressure to this so-called stimulus. My husband says you've managed to make it the most free-market stimulus possible. Rather than make a centralized, socialistic decision to repair bridges or some such thing, you have allowed each of us to design our own individual stimulus package. My husband is for exercising the right to democratic spending that you have preserved for him by buying a wood chipper.

I would like to exercise my choice by sending the check back to the Internal Revenue Service so that it can redirect the money to someone in a much higher tax bracket. Those are the people who invest their money to create jobs for the rest of us. I wholeheartedly support your view that people with money should get more money.

We are gratified that you have been true to that philosophy throughout your administration. If the results have not produced the universal prosperity we expected, that is only because you were stopped before you could transfer all the money to the rich.

My husband says that because I believe investors grow the economy, I should put my $600 in the stock market. But what will I accomplish if I lose it all? My husband says: "Real investors win what you lose. So if the government won't transfer it to them directly, then you can give it to them by losing big." That is the most ridiculous reasoning I've ever heard. It shows that he's not taking my concerns seriously.

Therefore, I would like you, President Bush, to arrange to have our refunds sent separately and to instruct someone at the IRS to forward my half directly to an economy-building investor -- perhaps you or the vice president can suggest someone suitable from among your personal acquaintances.

Equally important, I need marital advice from Laura. How do you manage to make your wise and busy husband take your viewpoints as seriously as he obviously does?

Thank you both for your help,

Mrs. Barbara Garson

Barbara Garson is the author of "All the Livelong Day: the Meaning and Demeaning of Routine Work."

"There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey."

John Ruskin



aside: One can't help but think of http://www.walmart.com/

For multimedia developers and Web 2.0 users in general, check this out:

http://a.viary.com

The front page is impressive. In addition to all the birds, can you see something else flying in the sky?

This company is currently accepting beta testers for a variety of browser-based applications designed for tasks such as graphic design, audio editing, word processing, video editing, 3-D modeling and painting. I've been using the Phoenix Image Editor with the Camino browser and it works pretty well.

It's free to apply. I think much of computing is headed this way in the future.

J

So check this short video out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pem69jO0gOE

If you think it's worthwhile, pass it on.

Ignore the title -- it has nothing to do with PhotoShop. However, I do recommend checking out the 'You Suck At PhotoShop' series 1-6. It's pretty funny, and educational in a crass way.

Make of this what you will:

http://virus.org.ua/unix/keylog/klog.htm


This is not a malicious URL, 'virus' is just a cute hostname.

It's time to blow this thing up. The widespread use of high fructose corn syrup is a huge problem in the United States, and most folks don't even know about it -- nor do they realize how much of it they consume.

You will be amazed to discover what foods contain this stuff: soft drinks, fast food, processed food, snacks, certain brands of bread (including bagels, muffins, etc.), sauces, etc. This is one of THE driving forces behind rampant overweightness and obesity in the U.S., as well as the ill-health of many many people.

If you want to curb your intake of this stuff, check the ingredient list of the products you buy.


For your reading and research pleasure:

1 - The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup (http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html)

2 - Sugar-coated: We're Drowning in High Fructose Corn Syrup (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/18/FDGS24VKMH1.DTL)

3 - Wikipedia: High Fructose Corn Syrup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup)

4 - Fast Facts About High Fructose Corn Syrup (http://www.hfcsfacts.com)

5 - Six Reason Why Corn is Making You Fat (http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/10/corn_fat.htm)

6 -  High Fructose Corn Syrup: Why Is It So Bad For Me? (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588)

Check out the Story of Stuff:

www.storyofstuff.com

No matter what you think about environmental preservation or consumer culture, this animated film short is worth twenty minutes of your time today.


J

My Top Ten Albums of 2007, in no order of preference, are:

"Kill To Get Crimson" by Mark Knopfler
"Sweet Warrior" by Richard Thompson
"Versatile Heart" by Linda Thompson
"Reproductions" by Charlotte Martin
"Snakes and Arrows" by Rush
"Sky Blue Sky" by Wilco
"Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" by Neko Case
"Short Songs About Affordable Food" by John Curtis
"The Trumpet Child" by Over the Rhine
"Year Zero" by NIN

Why post this?

Why not?

SPOILERS FOLLOW

I've been going to see Rush for the better part of twenty years, and while I have always got a rush out of their live shows (pun intended), the summer 2007 Snakes and Arrows concert has taken the 'best Rush show ever' spot (previously held by the spring 1994 Counterparts concert). First, the Snakes and Arrows setlist:

FIRST HALF

limelight
digital man
entre nous
mission
freewill
the main monkey business
the larger bowl
secret touch
circumstances
between the wheels
dreamline

(intermission)

SECOND HALF

far cry
workin' them angels
armor and sword
spindrift
the way the wind blows
subdivisions
natural science
witch hunt
malignant narcissism
drum solo
hope
distant early warning
the spirit of radio
tom sawyer

ENCORE

one little victory
a passage to bangkok
yyz

The band played a three-hour show (including a 20-minute intermission). There were several GREAT films during the show, in addition to the animated visuals and live camera coverage. Bob and Doug MacKenzie, the South Park Boys, a fire-breathing dragon, and the band themselves all make appearances on a trio of rear-projection movie screens. What made this show so great for me was the same thing that made the '94 Counterparts show great: the guys did extensive re-vamping to the setlist, including material that had not made an appearance in many years -- and, the band came off with an energy and vitality I would have expected out of 20-somethings.

Snakes and Arrows is great for these same reasons. The uniqueness of Rush is everything the enthusiasts love them for, and everything detractors can't stand them for. I could go on about how great they are, but you can read infinity of that elsewhere. What I will mention is that it was a beautiful night, next to the Ohio (Riverbend Amphitheater), and from time to time I looked around during the show to see the faces of everyone around me. Given the state of our world right now, it gave me hope to look on the faces of the crowd, smiling and singing and moving.

For three hours, we were able to go somewhere else.

We Hold On.

J

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PS - for posterity, the spring 1994 Counterparts setlist from the Riverfront Colisseum show in Cincinnati:

Dreamline
The Spirit of Radio
The Analog Kid
Cold Fire
Time Stand Still
Nobody's Hero
Roll the Bones
Animate
Stick It Out
Double Agent
Limelight
Bravado
Mystic Rhythms
Closer to the Heart
Show Don't Tell
Leave That Thing Alone >
Drum Solo
The Trees
Xanadu (abbreviated) >
Hemispheres: Prelude >
Tom Sawyer
Force Ten
YYZ >
Cygnus X-1 (abbreviated) >
YYZ

I am moved to write a little more.

Living close to today's events at Virginia Tech has been surreal and utterly disturbing. A massacre of this magnatude truly does not sink in right away -- it's a like a deep cut that, while not initially painful, becomes ever more so as the shock of injury wears off.

So it is today in Blacksburg.

This comes on the heels of a previous shooting incident on the first day of classes in August 2006, in which two people were shot and killed by an armed prisoner who escaped from a local hospital after feigning an injury. The culprit was a townie many in the area had known for years, whose motive for the killings was as empty as the petty robbery attempt that landed him in jail. Small towns are slow to get over such an event, and after today, I don't know what's going to happen.

I found myself thinking of the September 2001 World Trade Center destruction throughout today. While the scale of each event is incomparable, the feeling of shock and loss is very similar. And as the weight of the situation sank in today (just like it did that day almost six years ago), I began to wonder how the ensuing aftermath would affect the community, and later the nation.

What the victims, their families, their friends, and everyone in this community need are the nation's thoughts and prayers. Their is little words can do, at least for now.

Yet, I began to steel myself for the coming reactions from commentators, politicians and religious pundits, and wondered how long it would take for that lot to begin leveraging political gain from the situation. On that September day of 2001, it was a matter of hours before the likes of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were holding feminists and homosexuals responsible for the entire event, as well as the country's 'moral decline' in general. A few years prior, former House Speaker Tom Delay showed up at Columbine in CO and declared those unsupportive of prayer and religion in public schools responsible for the shooters' actions. A few years later, Michael Brown stood before Congress in a hearing directed at his criminal failures as FEMA director and suggested that Louisiana's having a Democratic governor, and New Orleans' a Democratic mayor, as contributing factors to the Katrina disaster (the implication being Democrats are immoral).

Let's be sure of the message here: when such opportunists cite 'moral decline' (in all its various guises) as the reason for a horrific tragedy like Blacksburg endured today, they are holding society at large responsible for the actions of a few -- or in the case of today, one (at the time of this writing). They are trivializing people's suffering. They are disrespecting victims. And, they are showing us exactly who they are.

Throughout today, I heard people saying the phrase 'oh, the times in which we live' as a reason for the shootings. I realize some say this as a matter of course, but I would have trouble thinking of a more intellectally weak reaction. Why? Because saying that phrase doesn't mean anything. And again, it suggests that a larger societal force, i.e., US, is to blame for the actions of a single, maniacal person. It also suggests an inability -- or unwillingness -- to come to terms with it.

And then there is the network news media. Throughout the day, news teams from all over the country showed up on the Virginia Tech campus. Katie Couric arrived to anchor the news from VT, as did Brian Williams from ABC. Don't misunderstand me, I support a free press and try to stay informed as well as the next person. I think this event deserves to be covered. But I couldn't bear to watch any of it, partially because I don't watch network television news, but mainly because I didn't want to see them trivialize this town's suffering by sensationalizing the tragedy.

This all comes down to a single, sick person. A fellow I work near summed it today in a total deadpan while watching local news coverage saying, "Someone was stupid, and now we have this." Sick people are not unique to any locale, and while this does not mean we should live in fear and dwell on such things, we must recognize that this can happen anywhere.

And today it happened here.

I don't journal publicly very often, but I feel compelled to share this one. The UK press ran an interesting headline today. Read it here.

Reading this article was an affirmation of what I, most Americans, and the world at large have felt for a long time now. Yet, we haven't succeeded in articulating these feelings. It comes down to this:

Phrases like 'War on Terror' and 'Age of Terror' are demoralizing, and do more to spread fear and division than they do to strengthen our communities. You can choose whether or not to consider the time you are living in as the 'Age of Terror.' And, you can choose whether or not to live in fear. This choice dramatically affects your worldview, and as a result, the strength and courage -- or lack of -- you feel regarding your values and place in the world.

A fearful nation is not a strong nation. Leaders who seek to make you afraid for their own political gain have no place in public office.

Define your world; do not let others define it for you.

Hope you enjoyed the Christmas Crossword. I'll post more puzzles as I have time to make them. The attached picture contains the solution.

Happy New Year!

John

" . . . I'm tired of red and blue mattering more than red, white and blue . . . I want to be hopeful about the future again, want my country to be looked at with respect again."

- Leonard Pitts

Following is the full text of the Virginia Marriage Amendment (aka the Marshall-Newman Amendment). This is being sold as a ban on gay marriage, but is much more than that. Virginia already has a law defining marriage between one man and one woman. The text of the amendment we are voting on in November may criminalize any cohabitating relationship outside of heterosexual marriage. Further, legal precedent in this area may also be invoked to nullify marriages officiated in non-religious ceremonies, or even marriages in which no children have been conceived.

Is this a stretch? Sure, but why the redundant law? Why the ambiguous language? If this is really aimed at same-sex unions, why not clean up the language so there is no doubt?

This amendment gives the state nearly absolute authority to make determinations on what consitutes a legitimate marriage (or other union) and what does not. However the biggest red flag, in my estimation, is that this amendment writes discrimination into the state constitution. Even those confident they won't be affected by this law should be concerned, because discrimination rarely EVER stops with one victory. Most all of us have people who are close to us whom could be adversely affected by such a hurtful law.

I urge all Virginians, regardless of political stripe, to vote 'No' on the Marshall-Newman Marriage Amendment.

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ARTICLE I BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 15-A. Marriage.

That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.

Attorney General's Office 5/9/06 Explanation -- 473 words
Approved by House Committee on Privileges and Elections 5/10/06 Approved by Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections 5/12/06

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Read some interesting Blogger commentary regarding the amendment:

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/south-boston-va/TRI0CJ0N9OFF0DKT0

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

- Sinclair Lewis, 1930

"Celtic music works in a lot of different settings; the thundering of the massed pipes and drums, the power of the great ceili bands shaking the walls of the dance halls, and in the intimacy of the kitchen, where a stolen tune at midnight can leave an impression that lasts a lifetime."

- The Gabriel Hounds, 'The Wild Hunt'

"Insects will not inherit the earth -- they already own it."

- Tom Eisner

". . . next time you're at a gig, watch the musician's eyes and check out when their eyes either close, or roll up into their head. What's happening here? What's happening is, we are all running liquid software programs between our ears . . . and when the RAM gets full with a musical task, the brain dumps the vision software."

Bob Brozman

Munich by Steven Spielberg

I think it’s safe to say that this is one that many critics will laud and many viewers will dislike.

I also think this movie will come to reside alongside the director's other dark horses, which include Sugarland Express, 1941 and Empire of the Sun. It has more in common with these earlier works than it does his films of more recent decades (Jurassic Park or Minority Report) in that it is not a blockbuster, it includes nary a known actor, and there are no easy answers. Munich is masterfully photographed, brilliantly cast, and the re-creation of early 1970s Europe, America and the Middle East is utterly convincing. Yet given that those items constitute the more palatable qualities of Munich, there is little else about this film that mainstream moviegoers will enjoy. It’s violent, unpleasant, difficult, confusing and runs too long. There is little in the story that is compelling in the traditional movie-going sense.

And there is hardly any music.

But, I have a feeling that there is a reason for all of this. I don’t think this film, coming in at nearly 3 hours, would have made it off the cutting room floor if Spielberg hadn’t had a reason. Further, had the movie been cut down to two hours, I don't think it would have improved. The message of violence begetting violence will not be news to most, yet there is an unsettling kind of mystery to witnessing this re-enactment of such willful killing and intrigue. It’s hard to come to terms with how the business of the world is often conducted (no matter what a country claims to stand for). In this sense alone, the rare instance of a Spielberg feature receiving an R-rating from the MPAA fully earns it.

Maybe Munich seems interminable because its message is interminable. It’s not Spielberg’s best, but I get the feeling that is not what he shoots for with each successive film. Art is rarely that simple.

J