Johnhildreth's Journals

Let Nader and Paul Into the Presidential Debates

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

Give My Stimulus Check To The Wealthy

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

Give my stimulus check to the rich

Bush has favored the wealthy throughout his administration; why stop now?

By Barbara Garson
May 26, 2008

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."

Quote of the Day

"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/

Aviary

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

A Few Words About Global Climate De-stabilization (!)

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.

Keylogger Found Inside New Dell Laptop - Homeland Security Blocks FOIA Request

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.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

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)

Story of Stuff

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

Top 10 2007 Albums

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?

Rush Snakes and Arrows Tour - Setlist and Comments on September 1 Cincinnati Show

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

------

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