Too many music options?
Yesterday, I posted a story about music prices. Today, CNN has an article about the decline in music sales. There are more musicians than ever releasing songs. And, you can get them in CD, DVD, MP3, PSP, FBI and KGB formats. I hope the musicians start taking the issue up with the real black money hole - the managers and marketing companies. And, I hope that some musicians begin getting promoted because they make a statement or good music, not just because they will "sell."
Bizarro World
Anyone familiar with Superman or Seinfeld knows what Bizarro World is: a planet where everything is backwards. Just like this high school student jailed for immigration violations, but yet Bush and Cheney run free.
Speaking of criminals in the government...
More administration blunders out CIA operatives. Another vendetta? And apparently Abramoff pleaded guilty today and began naming names. Lawmakers all over the place have begun dumping thousands of dollars into charities, even though these "contributions were legal." Yeah, I throw away money I legally obtain every day. It will be interesting to see whose resignation this forces. And, since 2/3 of the money Abramoff contributed was to republican campaigns, this may prove highly entertaining. Although, I don't think Tom DeLay can do any more damage to his career than he already has.
Why is "Leftist" such a bad word?
The wise "powers that be" in Chicago would rather jack up the rates of public transportation, primarily used by the poor working-class (like me) than take any of the filthy blood money proposed by the Venezuela-owned Citgo Petroleum Corp. In other words, Hugo Chavez wants to keep rubbing Bush's face in it and has offered cheap petroleum to Chicago, who has turned it down. I think it is HILARIOUS. Although, I keep seeing Chavez called a "leftist" and the US media implying that is a bad thing. I need to do some research and try to find out exactly why Chavez is the bad guy, except that Bush hates him (which certainly endears Chavez to me--Go Venezuela!)
Too wordy for words
Breaking news: Don't miss the Lake Superior State University's annual list of banished words. This list is just too surreal. Please give it your up- or down-vote. If you are a first-time-caller, the list is 97% fat free. Just click the link, dawg, and you can git-er-done. They make for good talking points.
"Conservative Wonks Gone Wild"
You can't improve on a name like that. While I am in support of a rating system for websites to help parents control the content their children are exposed to, I am unequivocally opposed to any sort of censorship. I don't think a rating system would really work anyway. There are already certain pages my company doesn't allow me to visit. Certain pages on snopes.com get blocked for "tasteless/gross" content. Certain fitness or clothing websites get blocked for "provocative attire." It would be way easy for companies to ban all "R" rated or "NC17" websites without actually checking if the content might be useful to someone.
Dick and Bush
Get your mind out of the gutter! The ACLU has a new ad comparing Nixon lying to Bush lying and calls for Congressional investigation. Hopefully Congress is listening (because you know the NSA is).
Time is of the essence
I wanted to go into this in more detail, but I may not have time today. But here is the list of things that weren't all bad in 2005.
A Democrat to Cheer About
George Miller used an old, forgotten law to force Bush to reverse his suspension of an old, forgotten law. Republicans hate it when you use their own tactics against them (which is why more Republicans should re-think the filibustering ban).
Oops..we really meant they were all dead
The faux pas of the media reporting the miners had survived when really almost all of them were dead should make people question the verification process media outlets follow to verify reports. I realize there's not much they can do if they are given erroneous information, but trying to keep up with the Joneses to get ratings can blow up on your face. Who remembers "Bush wins Florida," "No, Kerry has taken Florida," "No, Bush has won Florida," "Aw, dammit, it's too close to call."
High Times
This may be more symbolic than practical, but Rhode Island has become the 11th state to approve use of medical marijuana. Since the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban, this law is technically without substance, but it may help force Congress to take up the issue. I don't fault the Supreme Court--they were simply responding to the letter of the law and said until Congress changes the law, people can be prosecuted under federal guidelines prohibiting medical marijuana use. For some reason, marijuana strikes terror into the hearts and minds of the conservative right and Bush has made it his personal mission to keep it illegal (read here, here and here). Frankly, crystal meth is much more of a threat to society than marijuana ever could be, but the federal government seems light years removed from the issue, forcing state and local governments to bear the costs of fighting the problem.
Bueller? Bueller?
Farris Hassan skipped his own news conference he organized. What's the deal with that? I haven't been exactly approving of his actions, although I do admit it is an amazing story and would like to hear more about his eye-witness accounts from an American, non-military viewpoint. He needs a manager, I guess.
Yesterday, I posted a story about music prices. Today, CNN has an article about the decline in music sales. There are more musicians than ever releasing songs. And, you can get them in CD, DVD, MP3, PSP, FBI and KGB formats. I hope the musicians start taking the issue up with the real black money hole - the managers and marketing companies. And, I hope that some musicians begin getting promoted because they make a statement or good music, not just because they will "sell."
Bizarro World
Anyone familiar with Superman or Seinfeld knows what Bizarro World is: a planet where everything is backwards. Just like this high school student jailed for immigration violations, but yet Bush and Cheney run free.
Speaking of criminals in the government...
More administration blunders out CIA operatives. Another vendetta? And apparently Abramoff pleaded guilty today and began naming names. Lawmakers all over the place have begun dumping thousands of dollars into charities, even though these "contributions were legal." Yeah, I throw away money I legally obtain every day. It will be interesting to see whose resignation this forces. And, since 2/3 of the money Abramoff contributed was to republican campaigns, this may prove highly entertaining. Although, I don't think Tom DeLay can do any more damage to his career than he already has.
Why is "Leftist" such a bad word?
The wise "powers that be" in Chicago would rather jack up the rates of public transportation, primarily used by the poor working-class (like me) than take any of the filthy blood money proposed by the Venezuela-owned Citgo Petroleum Corp. In other words, Hugo Chavez wants to keep rubbing Bush's face in it and has offered cheap petroleum to Chicago, who has turned it down. I think it is HILARIOUS. Although, I keep seeing Chavez called a "leftist" and the US media implying that is a bad thing. I need to do some research and try to find out exactly why Chavez is the bad guy, except that Bush hates him (which certainly endears Chavez to me--Go Venezuela!)
Too wordy for words
Breaking news: Don't miss the Lake Superior State University's annual list of banished words. This list is just too surreal. Please give it your up- or down-vote. If you are a first-time-caller, the list is 97% fat free. Just click the link, dawg, and you can git-er-done. They make for good talking points.
"Conservative Wonks Gone Wild"
You can't improve on a name like that. While I am in support of a rating system for websites to help parents control the content their children are exposed to, I am unequivocally opposed to any sort of censorship. I don't think a rating system would really work anyway. There are already certain pages my company doesn't allow me to visit. Certain pages on snopes.com get blocked for "tasteless/gross" content. Certain fitness or clothing websites get blocked for "provocative attire." It would be way easy for companies to ban all "R" rated or "NC17" websites without actually checking if the content might be useful to someone.
Dick and Bush
Get your mind out of the gutter! The ACLU has a new ad comparing Nixon lying to Bush lying and calls for Congressional investigation. Hopefully Congress is listening (because you know the NSA is).
Time is of the essence
I wanted to go into this in more detail, but I may not have time today. But here is the list of things that weren't all bad in 2005.
A Democrat to Cheer About
George Miller used an old, forgotten law to force Bush to reverse his suspension of an old, forgotten law. Republicans hate it when you use their own tactics against them (which is why more Republicans should re-think the filibustering ban).
Oops..we really meant they were all dead
The faux pas of the media reporting the miners had survived when really almost all of them were dead should make people question the verification process media outlets follow to verify reports. I realize there's not much they can do if they are given erroneous information, but trying to keep up with the Joneses to get ratings can blow up on your face. Who remembers "Bush wins Florida," "No, Kerry has taken Florida," "No, Bush has won Florida," "Aw, dammit, it's too close to call."
High Times
This may be more symbolic than practical, but Rhode Island has become the 11th state to approve use of medical marijuana. Since the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban, this law is technically without substance, but it may help force Congress to take up the issue. I don't fault the Supreme Court--they were simply responding to the letter of the law and said until Congress changes the law, people can be prosecuted under federal guidelines prohibiting medical marijuana use. For some reason, marijuana strikes terror into the hearts and minds of the conservative right and Bush has made it his personal mission to keep it illegal (read here, here and here). Frankly, crystal meth is much more of a threat to society than marijuana ever could be, but the federal government seems light years removed from the issue, forcing state and local governments to bear the costs of fighting the problem.
Bueller? Bueller?
Farris Hassan skipped his own news conference he organized. What's the deal with that? I haven't been exactly approving of his actions, although I do admit it is an amazing story and would like to hear more about his eye-witness accounts from an American, non-military viewpoint. He needs a manager, I guess.
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