No Touch Monkey!

I was thinking yesterday about a few words. "Sass", "Sauce" and "Zazz" because I had gotten into a discussion about the difference between the first two with Alessandra, and I was trying to come up with good examples of people who were sassy and/or saucy. So while I was reflecting on it yesterday during a bike ride, I also decided to add "Zazz" (short for pizzazz i.e.Dazzling style; flamboyance; flair.) to that list.

And I can't think of any better example of all three words used at the same time to describe my mom, whose birthday is today!

Happy Birthday to the Sassiest, Sauciest and Zazziest mom I know! We love you very much.



Also celebrating a birthday this week is my stepfather Alan.



Here he is (to the right of Donald O'Connor) in Francis Goes to West Point. I was going to post a youTube, but the resolution sucked, so I went for the screen cap. Alan had a speaking role, and that was pretty much it for him and Hollywood. So when you wonder who those nameless spear carriers (or mule walkers) are in the old B&W Talkies...well, now you know.

Happy Birthday to A Grand Old Man! We love you very much.

Labels: personal, Too Much Information

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The adventures of boy wizard
Harry Potter can stay in Gwinnett County school libraries, despite a mother's objections, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Laura Mallory, who argued the popular fiction series is an attempt to indoctrinate children in witchcraft, said she still wants the best-selling books removed and may take her case to federal court.

"I maybe need a whole new case from the ground up," said Mallory, who was not represented by an attorney at the hearing.

Superior Court Judge Ronnie Batchelor's ruling upheld a decision by the Georgia Board of Education, which had supported local school officials.

County school board members have said the books are good tools to encourage children to read and to spark creativity and imagination.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, published by London-based Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, tell stories of children with magic powers. They have been challenged numerous times since 2000, making them the most challenged texts of the 21st century, according to the American Library Association.

At Tuesday's hearing, Mallory argued in part that witchcraft is a religion practiced by some people and, therefore, the books should be banned because reading them in school violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

"I have a dream that God will be welcomed back in our schools again," Mallory said. "I think we need him."

Sooooooo God should be welcomed back into schools, but "witchcraft" shouldn't. Even though, there is no such thing as witchcraft, nor does it work when tested under empirical conditions?

Yep, there is no shortage of Kooks in this world.

Copyright Associated Press

Labels: Kook

In 2000 I was awfully busy what with y2k coming up, and spending a lot of time at Disinfo, so I missed out on the release of The Langley Schools Music Project: "INNOCENCE AND DESPAIR"

"The Langley Schools Music Project is a 60-voice chorus of rural school children from western Canada, untrained but captivated by melodic magic, singing tunes by the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, The Bay City Rollers, and others. The students accompany themselves with the shimmering gamelan chimes of Orff percussion, and elemental rock trimmings arranged by their itinerant music teacher, Hans.Fenger.

These 1976-77 recordings, captured on a 2-track tape deck in a school gymnasium, weren't staged to achieve money or fame, to sell albums or land a record contract. These kids played music because they loved it. Innocent, flawed and bittersweet, guided by Fenger's unsuspecting genius, these recordings deserve to be heard and preserved. They brim with charm and youthful élan, sparked by flashes of lo-fi Spectorian majesty and Pet Sounds subtlety. Call it folk art, outsider, or campfire rock -- the labels don't matter. These are gorgeous, heavenly artifacts. Period.

These recordings were originally contained on two 12" LPs, pressed exclusively for the students, their classmates, teachers, and parents. They were never intended for exposure outside the provincial Langley region."

You can hear it in it's entirety on Rhapsody

And how did I hear about this? Internet Radio of course.

Save Internet Radio!

Labels: Worth your time

Oprah, it's time to come clean about The Secret.

Dear Oprah,

Not too long ago, one of your viewers—a woman named Kim—wrote you to announce that she had decided to halt her breast-cancer treatments and heal herself with her mind. Kim had just seen your two shows dedicated to The Secret, the self-help phenomenon that says we shape the world with our thoughts, and she was inspired to bet her life on it.

You're an optimistic lady, Oprah, but this gave even you the willies. So you went on the air to "clarify your thoughts" about the Law of Attraction, The Secret's underlying theory that mind conjures matter. You implored Kim to go back to her treatments. And you told your audience that the Law of Attraction "is not the answer to everything. It is not the answer to atrocities or every tragedy."

You saw the craziness in that logic, and good for you. But frankly, Oprah, I don't think you've done quite enough to make up for turning the Law of Attraction into the biggest thing since TomKat. Since you gave it your endorsement, The Secret has become one of the fastest-selling books and probably the most successful infomercial in history. The gaggle of gurus who peddle The Secret's message all over the world are still out there, arguing that it is the answer to every atrocity and tragedy. One went so far as to blame the suffering in Darfur on stinkin' thinkin'.

That's a lot to answer for. But don't worry, Oprah. You still have the power to turn this entire misguided craze into a "teachable moment." And I know how you can do it. Just have your people pick up the phone right now and invite Karen Cerulo on to your show.

More via - Slate Magazine

Cool! Kooks-R-Us.

I think the best way to approach these videos is with skepticism with the definition of suspended judgment, and to try to tease the truth out of the noise.

Note the URL: Valis

Labels: Culture Wars, HyperMedia, Worth your time

I saw this guy the other day waiting for a bus near my house wearing a backpack parrot cage. I told Alessandra, that since word is getting out in the neighborhood about "Those people who take their cat for a walk in a stroller.", someone is trying to out-weird us. But it turns out that she is a support parrot, so acting as a companion and helper, she loosely qualifies as a utility and not as an eccentricity. Therefore...we still win.

Child's play makes mess of elaborate sand mandala

"Kansas City, Mo. - The little boy spotted the pretty pile of colored sand on the floor of the vast hall and couldn't resist.

Slipping under a protective rope, he danced all over the sand, ruining the carefully crafted picture.

Never mind that it was the creation of eight Tibetan monks who had spent two days cross- legged on the floor of Union Station, meticulously pouring the sand into an intricate design as an expression of their Buddhist faith.

They were more than halfway done with the design - called a mandala - on Tuesday when they ended their work for the day and left. The little boy showed up sometime later with his mother, who was taking a package to a post office.

'He did a little Sand Painting tap dance on it, completely destroying it,' said Lama Chuck Stanford of the Rime Buddhist Center in Kansas City.

Link to Sand Dancing Video

That's worth a "Hahahaha", but an "OH NO! too. At least the monks have cultivated the mindset of the fleeting nature of art, so it was no big loss.

Labels: Ahahahahaha, Aww Man

She gets a letter to the editor published in the The New York Times

To the Editor:

I am shocked by the ignorance of the recent outcry against vegan diets in the media, most recently Nina Planck’s article about the dangers and irresponsibility of vegan diets during pregnancy and infancy. What these naysayers consistently neglect is that vegan diets, as with all other restricted diets, must be well planned.

It is not enough to simply cut animal products (or carbohydrates, or calories) out of one’s diet. Without a concerted effort by the consumer, restricted diets of any kind may fail to provide adequate nutrition.

Generalizing from a handful of ignorant vegans to the entire vegan population does a disservice to those of us who have spent years educating ourselves on human nutritional needs and how to meet them on a plant-based diet.

Well-planned vegan diets have been shown repeatedly to be sufficient, and even beneficial at all stages of life, including during pregnancy and infancy.

Nicole Speer

Boulder, Colo., May 21, 2007

Sock it to 'em Wodnesdag. Fuck the Meat Eating Man!

Labels: Fuck The Man

The study, which sought to identify the independent effect of Wal-Mart stores on changes in U.S. family-poverty rates at the county level, found that one of the greatest effects of a Wal-Mart opening is the closing of mom-and-pop-type operations.

The authors state in the study that "by displacing the local class of entrepreneurs, the Wal-Mart chain also destroys local leadership capacity."

Poverty rates will rise if retail workers displaced from existing mom-and pop-type operations work for Wal-Mart at lower wages because they have no alternatives, all else equal, according to the study.

The demise of mom-and-pop stores leads to the closing of local businesses that supplied those stores, such as wholesalers, transporters, logistics providers, accountants, lawyers and others. Many of these are higher-paying jobs. The study concludes that it is likely that these more highly-educated individuals depart from the rural community in pursuit of better opportunities elsewhere, contributing to the rural-to-urban exodus over the last decade, leaving behind those with fewer opportunities and raising the poverty rate by reducing the number of nonpoor households in the denominator.

Wal-Mart is estimated to employ no more than 2 percent of the average county's work force. The share of Wal-Mart's employment in total county retail jobs is substantially greater than only 2 percent. In addition, the Wal-Mart jobs may be part time as opposed to full time, leading to lower family incomes, all else equal, the study said.

A spokesperson for Wal-Mart was unavailable to comment for this story.

Via-St. Louis Business Journal

Labels: The Man

The student, 19-year-old Mark Ewell of Amissville, Va., reportedly told authorities that he was making the bombs to stop protesters from disrupting the funeral service.

Because everyone knows, Evangelical Christianity is the Religion of Peace.

ABC News: EXCLUSIVE: Bomb Plot Thwarted at Falwell's Funeral

This weekend, St. Louis hosts the Rib America Festival. Take a look at this stellar musical line up:

Head East (Question: Does anyone outside of St. Louis, even know who this band is? They had that one song Save my life (I'm going down for the last time)

Morris Day & the Time

Rik Emmett (formerly of Triumph)

Jackyl

Buddy Guy (the only one worth seeing)

John Waite (formerly of The Babies) Hit song: I ain't missing you at all

Night Ranger (Sister Christian, "Mo, mo, mo, mo motorin'! Bwewwwww! What's your price for flight!)

Molly Hatchet (Flirtin' with Disaster, and Whiskey Man

Dennis DeYoung (the music of Styx)

Pat Benatar & some other guy.

Blue Oyster Cult (not enough fever in the world for more Cowbell could get me down there)

I feel bad for bashing these guys because they are still working. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to provide for one's self and family, and if it means playing Rib Festivals, then more power to them. But all these acts together provide such a time warping presence my mind is already spiraling down the black hole. I used to like songs from all of these people (minus Jackyl and that other guy with Pat Benatar), and it's kind of sad that this is where they end up, in a non-ironic statement to both St. Louis' inability to draw top talent, and the fact we can field enough mulletheads to support presence here.

Unearthed from the notes of Joe Bageant and recently published in Counterpunch. Bageant desribes a conversation between Leary and G. Gordon Liddy while the two were on their debating tour. It’s probably the most important thing you’ll read this month. Ahem:

Leary: “I’d just like to see thinking come back in style. I haven’t heard a new idea in eight years. Let’s get ordinary people arguing and talking again. I want to trigger new circuits in their nervous systems. That’s the philosopher’s job and I am the most important philosopher at this time.”

Please, read more

Oh no no no, he's outside-looking in

Labels: Nice

21 Snailmail Resumes were sent out today. I also had an unusual meeting this morning.

I was told a few years ago that I had to meet this guy Paul because he's far out. Much weirder than me. So when I say his name on the Ad Club list the other day as owning an agency, I decided to bite the bullet and cold call him. It turns out that while he still keeps his hand in the biz he has another thing going on: Love Understanding And Peace. Still though, he was willing to meet with me today anyway.

It really turned out to be a fun hang out session. Paul is very much like my friend Sky, so over the course of 2.5 hours, we discussed work for maybe 20 minutes and the rest was just chatting, getting to know you stuff. The time flew by and I feel like I made a new friend. Some people make it easy.I called Sky as soon as I left because I'd like to put the two of them together and see what happens. Oddly enough, Paul knows who Sky is but has never met him yet. It should be fun.

Paul also gave me a name for someone to call and would reference me, so I already jumped on it. Hopefully this will bear fruit.

Later on a completely unrelated note, Ale and I ate Nepalese food with some friends for the first time at St. Louis' only Nepalese restaurant and we both found it very delicious...then we all watched a few episodes of Strangers with Candy.

The Greyboy Allstars. Click the link for some funky grooves.

I haven't been this hepped up to see a band in ages.. At nearly 40 bucks it's a high dollar ticket, but I've wanted to see these guys for years, so it's worth it. Unfortunately, no one else I know wants to pay the dough, so I'm going stag.

Other bloggy stuff
Uhhh, still out of work. I decided to suck it up and call the client I worked for to get to the bottom of why they cut me loose, since what I had only heard 2nd hand from the temp agency made no sense to me. It didn't go well because I got voice mail and left a message. The client called the temp agency and said she didn't feel comfortable talking to me, and that it was inappropriate for me to call them. The temp agency called me with this message and I spoke to the guy about why I was let go, and what he told me blew my mind. Apparently somebody was telling untruths about me, and spinning jokes towards the negative. Saying for example that I spoke disparagingly about the other Temp Guy and called him names, and that I threatened to work slower to bill more time-which freaks my shit out because A)I wouldn't dis my brother temp like that, I don't even know the guy, B)I'm incapable of working slow, and C)I wanted to show them how efficient I am.

What shitty development. While I was reassured that I didn't burn the bridge, it sure feels like it to me. I mean the guy who "wasn't my competition" is now doing my job and is fast tracked to full time if he wants it, and I have to send out resumes and pound pavement.

I think tomorrow night I'm gonna do some long overdue dancing, shake it down and kick it out.

Looks like we have our answer.



Yeah Jerry, 9/11 is the fault of the ACLU, Gays, Lesbians & Pagans.

Hi ho, Hi Ho it's off to Hell you go.

Labels: Ahahahahaha

Check out this video from Good Magazine that shows a number of stats about the Internet pornography industry, in an “almost” not safe for work format. It is staggering how much actual money flows through porn and how many people are involved in the industry

I can't even be bothered to write my own body copy.

via-reddit.com

Labels: Things and Stuff

George Carlin turns 70 today. So here are 101 Greatest George Carlin Quotes complied by some guy.

Wait...what?

I'm sitting here on the couch today sending out e-resumes, and still licking my wounds from the the ego bruising I took on Tuesday and there is a knock at my door.

I answer it and there is a woman there with something in her arms who says, "You look just like your pictures. I'm with the Gateway MS Society and your team won a plaque this year for raising over $5,300 dollars (a dollar for each person in STL diagnosed with MS).




I'm kind of out of practice with the Pirate Face. The picture says, "My mom can't go up the steps easily. So we have to move." And the back tells me that Pamela P_ lives just over the bridge from me, and that the family just moved into a new house so mom can move around more easily. :)



Click to enlarge

The fat donation from HOOTERS procured by my friend Sapo is what put us over the top, but it's the first time since I don't know when, that I received any kind of award. I don't count the ones I get from the work I do with Viva Vox because they are friends I've known forever, but I really should, it's just hard to accept an accolade. Someone tells me something is wrong, and I'll buy it in a second, but being told I'm good...wellllllll, ok.

Anyway, the timing of this plaque good because I still feel like shit from Tuesday. But this makes me say, "Fuck them...they totally missed out." And now I can feel much better about myself and my place in the world.

Thank you to everyone out there who have donated to the cause, especially those of you who have never even met me in the flesh yet. It's a big deal to me that you are willing to support an e-friend. Friendship in the 21st Century...how great is that?

This this year, nearly all the Scurvy Dogs are moving out of state, so Sapo and myself are going to have to join another team. But I'd like to take a moment to thank all the other Scurvy Dogs for working so hard to get into shape and for the 2006 MS 150, and riding together on the roller coaster ups and downs of Missouri's Blue Highways. Now that Sapo and I have begun training, I already miss you all. Best of Luck with your new lives and new paths. Now give me a great big fucking YARRRRRRRR!

Labels: Fun Stuff, Holy Shit, The Cap'n

...But they now have an arresting color that combines green and garnet, and a bracing sour-sweet taste that they owe to a long marinade in cherry or tropical fruit or strawberry Kool-Aid.

Kool-Aid pickles violate tradition, maybe even propriety. Depending on your palate and perspective, they are either the worst thing to happen to pickles since plastic brining barrels or a brave new taste sensation to be celebrated...

"You pull the pickles from the jar, cut them in halves, make double-strength Kool-Aid, add a pound of sugar, shake and let it sit — best in the refrigerator — for about a week.

On Kool Aid Pickles: Jesus Christ, can we modify more things to stick in gobs? Pickles are supposed to be sour, not sweet, anyone who tells you different is retarded. I mean I'm not surprised because this comes from the South, home of the Deep Fried Twinkies, Obesity and a Diabetes epidemic, but still...

It's a blasphemy I tells you, I just can't cope. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

via: The Consumerist

Labels: Rant, WTF

It is sans serif. There are no wiggly bits at the end of the letters. It has smooth, clean lines, and an unobtrusive geometry that almost suggests it was designed not to stand out...

..."When people choose Helvetica they want to fit in and look normal. They use Helvetica because they want to be a member of the efficiency club. They want to be a member of modernism. They want to be a member of no personality. It also says bland, unadventurous, unambitious.

"Typefaces control the message. Choice of font dictates what you think about something before you even read the first word. Imagine Shakespeare in large capital drop shadow. Our response would be quite different towards the content."

It's perhaps understandable that corporations don't want to take any typographic risks, bound as they are by the bottom line. Choose a wacky typeface in your logos or advertising, and turnover may suffer. Helvetica, on the other hand, offers clarity and neutrality. When used in adverts, it is a platform for other parts of the message.

Nadine Chahine, who works in sales and marketing for Linotype, advises companies on what font to use.

"If you take a script typeface [with a handwriting-like appearance] and use it as the logo for a bank, there's a problem. You need something reliable - it's where you keep your money. It is not about a fun, personal message.

"It uses subliminal messages so that you get a feeling. All of these different meanings are implied within typefaces."

Hence the font Frutiger is used for airports and European motorway signs, New Johnston is the choice of London Underground, Cooper Black for Easyjet, and Dunkin Donuts bears the unmistakable Frankfurter font.

After being told repeatedly by my placement agency that "everyone thinks you are doing a great job" and "everybody really likes you" at the place I'm working; today I received news that the client was terminating my all too brief temporary production gig at their company.

Apparently I made some comments which they said didn't jibe with their idea of a full time employee and they felt I didn't belong there.

What were these comments? When asked, the placement representative said that I referred to the Color Correction guy as "competition." and another comment was made about my disappointment that hours were being taken away from me and given to the said Color Correction guy.

Yes, that's it. The only thing I apparently said. That's what told them I was not T_ material. Despite the fact this guy was in fact working on my jobs while I was asked not to come in, and mentioning it was grounds for dismissal.

I can clearly see that this was a result of relaxing my guard around some people. I mentioned in my April 23 post "it's almost like they are treating me like a regular, but I can't forget I'm the temp because if that happens, you can bet something is going to turn around and bite me on the ass." I did and look what happened.

All I can think of is the only woman I told my concerns to (as well as telling her how much I hoped I could be brought in full time), is the same woman who totally bagged on the place, told me that I didn't want to work there and said she was looking for another job because she hated being there. She's the only one I had this discussion with.

But I don't know. I'm not a fucking watchmaker, I can't see the mechanism that works behind the dial and I can't read anything into it, nor make any judgement calls because I really don't know who fingered me.

All I know is I'm totally reeling about today. I was on super-good behavior too! I was stepping up and taking responsibility for going above the duty of a standard temp, smiling to everyone, bringing in music to the mp3 archive, donating props to photo shoots, helping the Intern. I was hoping to go full time and now I'm back on the couch with a phone in my hand.

I sent them a their parking passes back with a nice thank you letter, and it is sincere. I'm totally baffled. This really fucking sucks.

Labels: Aww Man, Holy Shit, personal, work, WTF

Psychology Today: Mixed Race, Pretty Face?

"Eurasians may possess genetic advantages that lead to greater health and, as a result, enhanced attractiveness. That's according to a study, the first to find that hapa faces are rated as more beautiful than European or Japanese faces. Researchers say the finding may extend to other racial mixes as well.

The experiment by Gillian Rhodes, a psychologist at the University of Western Australia, found that when Caucasian and Japanese volunteers looked at photos of Caucasian, Japanese and Eurasian faces, both groups rated the Eurasian faces as most attractive. These visages were created by first digitally blending a series of faces from each race into 'composites' to create average, middle-of-the-road features typical of each race. Past studies show that 'average' features are consistently rated as more attractive than exaggerated features—such as an unusually wide forehead or a small chin."

I knew all along, but it's nice to have the numbers to back it up. Science, other than not finding UFOs or the Soul, is there anything it can't do. BTW, Ale is 1/4 Chinese, 1/4 Portuguese, 1/2 Italian, and 100% Brazilian. Plus she's very sweet and incredibly smart. Me am Lucky.

Labels: Too Much Information

Sucks as much as a movie can.

Listen Joe, save your dough

Wait for it on videoooooo

Hey there, don't see the Spidermannnnn!

Labels: Fyi

Mannnn, I knew better than to get my hopes up with this work temp gig. There is another guy that comes from the same agency as me, but he can do color retouching...as a result my hours are being cut and he's doing my work during his down time.

This is actually bringing me down because I was told that I the company really likes me, but I'm still losing out because he is getting called in over me. And when we are there together, I get the shitty slow computer and moved sort of off to the side where I don't really talk to the other employees, so I feel like I'm in a competition, even though I'm probably not. I was off Tues and Wed and told not to come in on Monday because the other guy is going to complete my work.

Of course this is all mind reading and fortune telling. I honestly don't know if the other guy even wants a full time job, and I don't know if the company even wants to hire me, but it's taking away from my face time, and money out of my pocket, so my anxiety levels are on the rise.

I feel like I'm living in a Dystopian Unicorn fight Cybernetically-enhanced Dolphin World.


image by Basehead

Labels: Nothing to see here folks-move along

When I was mentoring N_ for tattoo art last fall, I told him that he needed to develop his drawing skills before he ran out and got a tattoo gun. He said said he went down to this place to talk to them and they told him to go out and buy a gun as soon as he could and start practicing right away (totally eschewing the whole "get a book together and find a mentor to teach you the art and let HIM tell you you are ready" system). I'm not surprised.

However...it is the client's responsibility to make sure the transfer is correct before letting the needle touch skin, so really the final fault falls to the bonehead who received the tattoo.

Labels: Dumbass

Muppets Tonight was a stellar show. Too bad ABC didn't really support it.

Labels: Worth your time

Everything you see is fake:



Maplewood Drug Bust
Watch for the "evidence"


-thanks Thom

Labels: Worth your time

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles can continue being the butt of smog jokes now that it has once again topped the American Lung Association's bad air list of most polluted cities in America.

The association found that the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside metropolitan area had the worst air based on 2003 through 2005 figures.

The Pittsburgh area was ranked as the nation's second most polluted metropolitan area followed by Bakersfield, Calif., Birmingham, Ala., Detroit and Cleveland. Visalia, Calif., Cincinnati, Indianapolis and St. Louis rounded out the top 10.

The news wasn't all bad for Los Angeles. Despite the dubious distinction, the number of days residents breathed the nation's worst ozone levels was fewer than in previous years.

"Nobody is surprised that LA has an air pollution problem," said Janice Nolen, the association's assistant vice president for national policy and advocacy. "The problems there are one of the reasons we have the Clean Air Act. But it is important for folks to know that there has been some improvement."

The organization based the rankings on ozone pollution levels produced when heat and sunlight come into contact with pollutants from power plants, cars, refineries and other sources. The group also studied particle pollution levels emitted from these sources, which are made up of a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air.

Such pollution can contribute to heart disease, lung cancer and asthma attacks, the association said. Those especially vulnerable to polluted air are children, senior citizens, people who work or exercise outdoors and people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Nearly half of the U.S. population lives in counties that still have unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, even though there appeared to be less ozone in many counties than previous years, the study found.
The Enquirer - Associated Press

Think Progress � ‘Mission Accomplished’ By The Numbers: "On May 1, 2003, President Bush stood underneath a “Mission Accomplished” banner and announced that “Major combat operations have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the situation then, compared to the situation now:"