McDonalds has a fun pinball game

Not that I like McDonalds or anything, but its website has a pinball game on its anti-starbucks website and the graphics are pretty good. i think it would play better on my home computer (with less ram and a leaner os), but it played ok. i'm at work so i didn't check out the sound. that could spoil the whole thing.

the link: http://unsnobbycoffee.com/

"Unconscionable And False"

The words used by the Senate to describe the Bush administration's attempt to pin torture on low level soldiers.

What did the Senate investigation find: the physical and mental abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base was the direct result of Bush administration policies and should not be blamed on guards and interrogators.

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2008_12_07_archive.html#472430460332425147
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Feel free to comment on anything I write about

I'll never get offended. Otherwise, what would be the point of posting something? I posted a comment to somebody's update about a televised fight in which somebody sustained a serious injury. I completely mis-gauged the tone of the post, and posted back a note concurring in the morbidness of it all by comparing it to a cockfight. The post back suggested my opinion wasn't shared and commentary wasn't necessarily welcome.

So here's the deal: I post a lot of opinion stuff - politics, music, culture. It's always an invitation to a debate or discussion, public or private. As long as there's nothing personal in it, I won't ever be offended by what you think about my music tastes, cultural preferences, or political leanings.

For example - I love schlock exploitation films. Lots of people out there may find that preference repulsive because they arguably promote violence and are undeniably sexist. Let me know how despicable you thank crap movies like that are. That doesn't say anything about me - and often enough I'll agree with you and just chalk it up to a guilty pleasure.

Of course, I don't intend on being confrontational - so if that's the way you take that sort of thing, let me know and I'll chil.

Bush: An eight year long national disaster

Regarding a recent polls showing the public approves of Obama's cabinet picks and policy proposals:

"An Obama job approval rating of 79 percent -- that's the sort of rating you see when the public rallies around a leader after a national disaster," said Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst. "To many Americans, the Bush administration was a national disaster."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/12/10/184936/21/576/671655

thank goodness

Drudge and the radio demagogues finally have a scandal to talk about. For a while there, it looked like they'd have to sit back and just let the country be hopeful about its future and happy that its president-elect was putting some pretty sensible policy proposals on the table.

Whew. Thank goodness for a scandal!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html

rich people are cute

After all this media talk about the left being discontent with Obama, I finally found somebody saying Obama is just another Bush . . . . but, oops, its not liberal at all. It's the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122878176562589761.html

What discontent?

The right and the "mainstream" media keep talking of some rift that's emerging between Obama and his left base over cabinet picks and policy statements - but where it it? I'm pretty left, and while I don't agree with Obama's support for bailouts, I'm thrilled at a 21st century new deal and national health care. I don't see alot of discontent on the liberal/leftists blogs i read either. So where is it?

I think everyone knows he isn't going to be a leftist president. But his picks and proposals so far make him a vast improvement over any president I'm old enough to remember.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081208/pl_politico/16293

bullshit rationale

I've been hearing alot of belly aching about the Appellate Division's recent decision in In the Interest of P.M.P. The consensus is that the Court left juvenile's with a narrower right to counsel than adults.

I don't see it that way. Rather, the Court simply refused to treat a juvenile complaint as the equivalent of an adult indictment. I think that's correct.

The problem is that a juvenile doesn't have a right to indictment, which the Court recognized is that significant moment where it is undeniable that the state becomes the accused's adversary. When is that moment in the case of a juvenile? According to the Court: never.

In fact, the Court bloviated on the differences between the criminal prosecution of an adult and delinquency proceedings against a juvenile. It amounted to a total crock of shit.

The entire process was designed for the juvenile's protection, the Court opined. Indeed, the Court even asserted that getting arrested isn't getting arrested when you're a juvenile - it's merely being taken into custody (for your own good, of course).

Yet anyone who has ever been a juvenile accused of delinquency - and i have - knows that the authorities can be just ruthless with you as they'll ever be with an adult. No adversarial relationship my ass. In fact, in the very case before the Court the police attempted to deceive the accused into making an inadvertent confession. What's that? Lying to you for your own good?

So in the end, I don't disagree with the decision per se - but don't give me the horse shit.

Modern Twisted Sister

Judging from the two times I've seen them and the Twisted Christmas album, modern Twisted Sister can be summed up as: pompous, cheesy, and oddly genuine. Like a 40 year old uncle that never married, has a mullet, drives an IROC, and is so damn cool precisely because he hasn't figured out that nobody thinks that's bad ass anymore. Hop in that bithin' camaro and peel out. It's a time machine if you let it be.

Also – If you ever want to take a non-metal head to a metal show, I recommend Twisted Sister. Its fun, lively, and – unlike Priest – it exists in a bubble where mosh pits and death metal never happened. Not that Priest is death metal - but there is some fan base overlap. Not so with Twisted Sister. A newbie can get a true all out metal experience without the risk of getting a tooth knocked out.

"Ho Ho Ho Beeotches! I got da Baccardi!"

Bedlight for Blue Eyes' Christmas Song

An outstanding mock metal Christmas party song. With its fun 80s feel, its has a certain Bill and Ted empty headed senselessness about it - in the best possible way. The song plays out like a story, complete with a happy Christmas ending.

Bush Legacy Project

Proof that Republicans are scared the chump is another Hoover - a generational burden on the party. Nobody fucks it up like a Republican. Rove is on the project - doing his favorite job - polishing turds.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/legacy-project/Proof that Republicans are scared the chump is another Hoover - a generational burden on the party. Nobody fucks it up like a Republican. Rove is on the project - doing his favorite job - polishing turds.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/legacy-project/

Right wing Christians: It's time to SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!

Ever hear of Romans 13? It's the verse evangelical minister Rick Warren told Sean Hannity justifies assassinating people. Know what else it says? "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God . . . This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. " Well Obama is in charge, and God must have wanted you to submit to his authority or else he wouldn't have won.So no more whining about liberal policies, taxes, and tolerance of all those things you hate. You read the Bible: SHUT THE FUCK UP and submit - or your're going to hell.Ever hear of Romans 13? It's the verse evangelical minister Rick Warren told Sean Hannity justifies assassinating people. Know what else it says? "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God . . . This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. " Well Obama is in charge, and God must have wanted you to submit to his authority or else he wouldn't have won.So no more whining about liberal policies, taxes, and tolerance of all those things you hate. You read the Bible: SHUT THE FUCK UP and submit - or your're going to hell.

idea stolen from: http://thismodernworld.com/4591idea stolen from: http://thismodernworld.com/4591

AC DC's mistress for christmas

A powerless AC DC song that does nothing to ignite the Christmas spirit. A failure by any account.

Englebert Humperdnick's We Made It Happen

I got beat. I bought what I thought was Led Zeppelin IV for a dollar at goodwill, but inside the sleeve was Engelbert Humperdnik. I guess I'd be justified in asking for my dollar back, but I figured my dollar would be just as well spent trying something new.

The album consists of rock standards of the late 60s to early 70s sung by a crooner backed by an orchestra. Easy. Mellow. Regal. Elegant. Boring.

Consider the recent Rock Swings by Paul Anka as a point of reference. On that album, Anka reaches out to a rock audience – showing us that swing can rock as much as rock can swing.

“We Made It Happen” doesn't rock or swing. The best that can be said for it is that it replaces all the rock & roll passion in songs like “Something” and “My Cherie Amour” with well balanced orchestration. And these are hardly rock & roll's most passionate numbers . . . .

The best track on the album is the Bee Gee's Words. The production is vaguely reminiscent of The Doors' Soft Parade - except without any balls.

At first, it was hard for me to fathom who the intended market for this album was. After some thought, I speculate that Humperdnick had a an album or a single that got some traction with the generation that came of age after Korea but before the baby boomers started rocking. Perhaps the people who listened to Sinatra in the 60s – a mature and often nostaligic audience - an equivalent of today's adult contemporary alternative rock market. Once rock and roll took over, I speculate that “We Made it Happen” was an attempt to keep Humperdnick relevant. I also speculate that the album was played by radio stations whose primary market was that in-betweener generation – again to stay relevant, cross market, or even just have some new material to play.

I mean, The Beatles and Stevie Wonder are hardly unaccessible acts, but these are performances for an audience too white bread for even the most accessible rock and roll. These are the people who were too young to have truly experienced swing but too old to revel in rock – and that's a damn shame. Believe me – I'm glad as hell I came of age the year punk broke. A few years in either direction and the music of my generation would be the swan songs of over exploited dying sub-genres.

So in the end – I thought I bought Zeppelin, and what (I think) I got was a snap shot of one moment in the pitiful and slow the death of pre-rock crooning.

To those that fear gvt healthcare because of the inconveniences:

You don't know shit. I'm one of the lucky ones - I have a good health insurance plan provided by my employer. I rarely get sick (knock on wood), and when I do I rarely go to the doctors. I just got a notice indicating that my insurer has not paid the doctor for the two times in the last year I did go. I followed all the instructions. I went to a doctor in my network of doctors the insurer picked because they're cheap. I paid my co-pay. And tommorow I'm STILL going to have wait on hold and fight with somebody to make sure I don't get reported to a credit agency and have my ability to buy a house or car impaired. Go capitalism!

The next time somebody tells me that I don't want Canadian style health care because of the bureaucracy, I may just pop em in the nose.

Mott the Hopple's All the Young Dudes

I was skeptical before I even put the needle on the record. If you read my Let's Go review, you know that I think an albums opening track, title track, lead single, and any follow ups are windows are focus points of any album. Some albums remain rock solid despite having lame singles – in fact, its almost forgivable the way a mailing fold is forgivable in comics of a certain era (it speaks more to the business model than anything else – but its hard for any album to overcome a poor lead off or title track. In this case, the album leads with a Velvet Underground cover and the title track/ lead single was written by David Bowie. Somebody didn't have a lot of confidence in Mott the Hopple's original material.

Sweet Jane – the lead track – is a fairly generic cover. It's not an attempt to recreate the VU classic, nor should it be. However, Mott never makes it their own. They don't do anything special with the song to justify it being on the release, let alone the opening number.

The Bowie influence that pervades the first side is obvious from the opening notes of the second song. Yet despite the Bowie ambiance, close listening leaves the listener without the emotional experience or satisfaction Bowie's song writing delivers. The only exception is the title track - and that's the song Bowie wrote for the band.

All the Young Dudes is a good song – so much so that the album is a one hit wonder in the truest sense. I always thought the was mismatched on the Juno soundtrack (despite the fact that soundtrack is outstanding, its not a glam collection), but you'd be better off getting the song on the soundtrack or downloading it by itself.

On the second side, the track Soft Ground strays from the Bowie feel and delves into heavy psychedelic territory in the Deep Purple vein. However, the listeners is treated to overly repetitious heavy riffing and none of the bursts of Ritchie Blackmore's virtuosity.

Fans of Bad Company may find Mott the Hopple's take on Are You Ready For Love interesting. I'm not a big fan of Bad Co., so I didn't add any value to the album beyond initial curiosity. I found the track to be a less concise and poorly sung version of one of Bad Company's weaker hits.

Conclusion: Fine album to create Bowie style glam ambience at a party, but stick with the real thing for a compelling listen.
Even going into the album I was skeptical. If you read my Let's Go review, you know that I think an albums open track, title track, lead single, and any follow ups are windows are focus points of any album. Some albums remain rock solid despite having lame singles – in fact, its almost forgivable the way a mailing fold is forgivable in comics of a certain era (it speaks more to the business model than anything else – but its hard for any album to overcome a poor lead off or title track. In this case, the album leads with a Velvet Underground cover and the title track/ lead single was written by David Bowie. Somebody didn't have a lot of confidence in Mott the Hopple's original material.

Sweet Jane – the lead track – is a fairly generic cover. It's not an attempt to recreate the VU classic, nor should it be. However, Mott never makes it their own. They don't do anything special with the song to justify it being on the release, let alone the opening number.

The Bowie influence that pervades the first side is obvious from the opening notes of the second song. Yet despite the Bowie ambiance, close listening leaves the listener without the emotional experience or satisfaction Bowie's song writing delivers. The only exception is the title track - and that's the song Bowie wrote for the band.

All the Young Dudes is a good song – so much so that the album is a one hit wonder in the truest sense. I always thought the was mismatched on the Juno soundtrack (despite the fact that soundtrack is outstanding, its not a glam collection), but you'd be better off getting the song on the soundtrack or downloading it by itself.

On the second side, the track Soft Ground strays from the Bowie feel and delves into heavy psychedelic territory in the Deep Purple vein. However, the listeners is treated to overly repetitious heavy riffing and none of the bursts of Ritchie Blackmore's virtuosity.

Fans of Bad Company may find Mott the Hopple's take on Are You Ready For Love interesting. I'm not a big fan of Bad Co., so I didn't add any value to the album beyond initial curiosity. I found the track to be a less concise and poorly sung version of one of Bad Company's weaker hits.

Conclusion: Fine album to create Bowie style glam ambience at a party, but stick with the real thing for a compelling listen.

Completing my collection for a dollar

Always go through the records at good will. You can find some awesome vinyl for a buck. Just yesterday I found Pink Floyd's Meddle - filling a gap in my vinyl Floyd collection. Also found: Mott the Hopple's All the Young Dudes, Ten Nugent's Cat Scratch Fever, and Led Zepplin IV.

Reviews forthcoming . . . . .

Sounds unconstitutional to me . . . or at at least it ought to be

Man posts rants and raves about his ex on craigs list, and instead of just getting sued he gets charged with a felony libel. Worse: truth is not a complete defense.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-craigslist-libel4-2008dec04,0,2332954.story

Because everything else Bush has done has proven to be a success

he should ignore the will of the people as expressed in the elections of 2006 and 2008, and do something that will plunge the world into an expensive bloody war . . . . .

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1226404823710&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Blood thirsty war mongers

"The IDF is drawing up options for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities that do not include coordination with the United States, The Jerusalem Post has learned."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702421218&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

John Edwards getting the snub?

As Obama finds room in his cabinet for many of his formal rivals, Drudge asks why Edwards gets the cold shoulder. As much as I once liked Edwards, there are two good reasons for his political career to be over.

The most obvious reason is the affair. It's not just that he had one, but that he had one while running for president. Imagine if he had won the nomination and botched this historic opportunity for progressives? His lack of self control amounted to an enormous gamble with efforts and money of his supporters and Democratic party as a whole. The dude is an ass.

The second reason is that its not altogether clear what his views are. He had the most progressive, pro labor rhetoric of the leading candidates - and i supported him for it. But don't forget the centrist that emerged when he joined the Kerry ticket. Its safe to say that the reason Edwards took the hard left line was because he was behind in the polls - it was just as feasible that it was a gambit as it was the "real" Edwards. It certainly wasn't the Edwards we would see post nomination or in the White House.

I liked him best before he dropped out of the primaries anyway. I knew that alot of his positions were rhetoric, but I also felt there was a grain of truth in it all. But as much as Obama moved to the center, he never made the regressive transformation Edwards did when he went from primary candidate to running mate in 2004. Even today, Obama's cabinet picks and public statements indicate he's moving the country in a progressive direction on health care and public infrastructure investment - even if I take strong issue with his position on the economy. I don't see any reason for him to elevate an unproven lightning rod for controversy.

Sounds likey they're the smart ones . . . .

"They drink too much and they're too fat to fight, that's the damning conclusion of German parliamentary reports into the country's 3,500 troops stationed in Afghanistan.

While British and U.S. troops in the country face a strict ban on alcohol, their German comrades are allowed two pints a day.

The stunning statistics reveal that in 2007 German forces in northern Afghanistan drank 1.7million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1091559/German-soldiers-fat-fight-Taliban-drink-boys-dry.html

proof law enforcement is in vital need of drastic reform

In rush-hour labor, ticket delivered
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/12/04/in_rush_hour_labor_ticket_delivered/

"Jennifer Davis was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Nov. 18, her contractions just 3 minutes apart. Her husband, John, was trying to appear calm for his wife's sake, driving in the breakdown lane of Route 2. They pulled up behind a state trooper to ask whether they could continue using the lane to reach the next exit, near Alewife Station.

Not only did the trooper say no, he gave them a $100 citation for driving in the breakdown lane, made them wait for their citation while he finished writing someone else's ticket, and even seemed to ask for proof of pregnancy, Jennifer Davis said.Jennifer Davis was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Nov. 18, her contractions just 3 minutes apart. Her husband, John, was trying to appear calm for his wife's sake, driving in the breakdown lane of Route 2. They pulled up behind a state trooper to ask whether they could continue using the lane to reach the next exit, near Alewife Station.

Not only did the trooper say no, he gave them a $100 citation for driving in the breakdown lane, made them wait for their citation while he finished writing someone else's ticket, and even seemed to ask for proof of pregnancy, Jennifer Davis said."




And by reform I mean:

1.Recruit better talent for law enforcement. Set higher standards.
2.Provide police officers with better pay, training, and equipment.
3.Demand a high level of professionalism and respect for civil rights
4.Root out bullies and promptly terminate bad cops
5.Completely overhaul the system by which we hold police accountable for misconduct – and give police discipline some real teeth.
6.Eliminate police access to military weaponry.
7.Reduce the level of weaponry, deadly and otherwise, cops ordinarily carry on their person. There is absolutely no reason for every police officer in the suburbs to have a fire arm on his person at all times. Ban the taser.
8.Establish and enforce strict standards regarding the use of non-lethal weaponry.
9.Destroy the culture of the blue wall of silence.

Bikini Kill's Bloody Ice Cream

Best song on Reject All American. Very simple structure - verse chorus verse chorse verse chorus - but the little variations make the difference. the guitar tone is authentic riot grrl grunge - i particularly like the full over driven sound of the down picked power chord runs - but the pace is far more aggressive. the song climaxes when the drum roll rolls in the finale, kathleen starts holding her notes, and the beat cuts its tempo in half. counter intuitively, these changes stoke the flames earlier ignited.

Is it Carnival? No. Is it Suck My Left One? No. It's not even Pussy Whipped. Nevertheless, Bloody Ice Cream is proof that Bikini Kill can deliver the punk out even though their prime had passed.

Miami school chief: Congress should bail out nation's schools

But wait a second! Teachers are union! They get good benefits. Forget it . We need that bailout money to help the poor non-union investment bank execs.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20081202/NEWS01/81202048

Sure is a sad day . . . .

when a math teacher has to sell ads on the back of his tests to pay for the students' copies. Good thing we've got those wars raging on though . . . .

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20081202/NEWS01/81202049

"I've never seen so much drugs and puke in my life . . . ."

My secretary's review of the Pink Floyd concert she saw in 1974.

disconnect healthcare from employment

For whatever reason, there is some cultural resistance to disconnecting health care from employment. The LA Times reports that Obama may finally sever the link between the availability of health care and employment status - and thank goodness: it will let people like my dad retire and empower somebody like me to make an employment decision (eg hanging my shingle or venturing with another attorney) without fearing i could get seriously sick or hurt without coverage.

Nevertheless, the Times indicates that team Obama is not prepared to sever the link completely. Too bad. Remember the link I posted yesterday about GM workers earning close to $80.00 per hour after benefits? That same article explained that a GM worker makes pretty much the same wage as a non-union Honda or Toyota worker. The difference is health care, retirement, etc.

So if you want to bail out the auto industry, why not take health care off its shoulders? We tend to treat health care as a commodity in this country - and in some respects it ought to be. But there is also a human right aspect to health card - and health care is a vital component of any nations economic infrastructure.

Severing health care from employment will enhance our economic competitiveness by leveling the playing field between u.s employers and employers in nations where access to health care is completely detached from employment. Severing health care from employment will enable small businesses to more effectively compete with larger entities for the best talent. Severing health care from employment will remove a barrier to entrepreneurship.

In fact, severing health care from employment forwards almost all the objectives conservative pay lip service to - but never support in practice.

Stop blaming the unions for the auto makers' troubles

I keep seeing this figure thrown around - something along the lines of the average gm factory worker makes close to $80.00 an hour after benefits - as if this is something that must be undone if we are to save the auto industry. But how much does gm's ceo make? According to Forbes, 8.5 million per year. And all he's done is run the company into the ground. It is the plant worker that actually builds the cars, risks physical injury, and has nothing to do with the poor corporate decisions. He earns his money. I'm tired of hearing that he earns too much.

Funny thing is, AIG, Citi, and Wamu, and how many other banks have tanks - but there's no union there . . . . Only greedy executives.

http://www.forbes.com/static/pvp2005/LIRSOX2.html
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=14185