Perception = Reality

GLOBALIZATION: Theory and Interpretation

2011-12-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Over the last couple decades, people have been taking notice of the impact of ideas, values, and practices on diverse societies as the exchange of goods crosses borders, and people flow from one country to the other with increasing ease. Individuals and families take up residence in foreign lands and maintain close links with loved ones in their native homes as a result of efficient and affordable means of travel and communication. More than ever, the decisions of one government have broad effect on nations across the planet. These factors define the elements of globalization. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) A heightening of connections between vastly diverse populations over the past twenty years has created a world in flux. This incessant interaction results in the transformation of cultures around the globe. Modern intellectuals analyze the effects of globalization on perceptions of time and space. Anthropologists also concern themselves with the consequences of this metamorphosis, as well as the incorporation of foreign concepts between global and local communities.

One scholar, David Harvey, developed the globalization theory of time-space compression. In his work, he explains that influence of technological and economic advancements have changed our understanding of time and its relation to distance. People can now traverse oceans in a matter of hours. Where as, a hundred years ago, the jaunt would have taken weeks. Miles or kilometers no longer hinder travel, nor do weeks or months. Satellite communication enables participation in a broad range of events occurring on opposite ends of the planet. He relates these thoughts to movement away from centralized production of goods, and increasing exchange of commodities. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) In his view, shifts in corporate organizational structure and new technology bring about a decrease in the amount of time it takes to produce and distribute a particular item. As a result, time and space have been compressed, allowing interaction among diverse societies previously unperceived. In addition, these developments bring about the transformation of entire groups of people. Alterations in social lives spurned another theory of globalization.

Time-space distanciation came about through the studies of Anthony Giddens. He theorized that an individual’s social life is made up of two types of interactions. Relations among members of the same local population are characterized by presence. Consider these to be everyday occurrences, and human history defines itself in these collaborations. Relationships characterized by absence have emerged due to socioeconomic globalization. These connections across space and time increase the influence of remote events outside of an individual’s localized activities, forming distanciated relations. In Giddens’ view, globalization develops an increase in relations to distant social figures and occurrences. At the same time, local phenomena are shaped by events across great distances. As a consequence, people become more influenced by absent others as concerns of present activities dwindle. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002)

These prominent globalization theories exemplify its significance in perceptions of space and time. The concepts presented function in many aspects of cultural behavior and act in various arenas. The economic, political, and environmental ramifications of globalization are subject to interpretation through unique circumstances, worldwide. The representative opinions of our neighbor to the South, Cuba show a view of things supported by many in the intellectual domain.

Fidel Castro leads the Marxist regime of Cuba as he has for over forty years. The country’s historic opposition to capitalistic ideals produces a predictable interpretation of the historical and modern contexts of globalization. As the nation’s figurehead, Castro relates his opinions to interested parties around the world by performing speeches at various events and conferences. (Castro, 1999) During these orations, Castro supports the intellectual concepts of imperialist globalization and homogeneity.

The discourse of imperialist globalization results from concern for the perceived cultural economy of globalization. This represents the movements and shifts in symbolic meaning through diverse societies. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) These transformations do not occur in equal measure, cross-culturally. The concept of cultural imperialism involves the dominating transfer of cultural goods from developed countries to nations stricken with poverty. In other words, The West, specifically, the United States and other First World nations traffic the flow of culture and overwhelm Third World countries with the infiltration of goods, values, and technologies. These peripheral cultures become absorbed into a homogenized monoculture of imperialism. This sums up a perception of increasing global conformity presented by Ulf Hammerz. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002)

Castro coins the concept as neo-liberal globalization, but the implications are identical. He sees these forces as a “law of history.” Castro explains these forces as the result of advancements in the production methods governing economies of industrialized nations. He states that global movement of these developments supports a vision of Western domination. United States led neo-globalization seeks to transform autonomous nations into private property. In his view, imperialist globalization represents the attempts of wealthy regimes to attain the capital interests of another sovereign nation. (Castro, 1999) He witnessed this in Cuba during the early to mid twentieth century as North American entrepreneurs sought escape from the United States government prohibition of alcohol and gambling. American accumulated capital interests throughout the nation, customizing establishments and tourism to their tastes and standards. Modification of the Cuban cultural setting occurred, altering Cubans’ perceptions of ordinary life. (Miller and Kenedi, 2003) Castro explains that these developments turn people into foreigners within their own borders as institutions are accrued and manipulated by other countries. He believes the ultimate result of these endeavors is to gain access to natural resources and a less expensive pool of laborers. Once this is achieved, second rate employment flourishes as valuable technological industries remain in the West. Consequently, decreased interest in educational concerns emerges because no industrialized mechanisms are produced within the peripheral culture. As a result, those with higher education and those seeking higher education leave for the First World countries, depleting the intellectual resources of the effected nation and fostering its absorption into a homogenized global culture.

John Tomlinson gives a similar vision of imperialist globalization. (Inda and Rosaldo 2002) He states that globalization exists as the “instillation of Western versions of basic social reality.” This implies the production of unification and standardization of lifestyles across diverse groups of people. Castro speaks of the Western media establishment in relation to this concept. In his opinion, the United States exploits valuable resources in the production of literature and commercial programs that are introduced into foreign societies. Beggars and mundane laborers that appear as a result of globalization seek these media products. Continuing, Castro states that the images of

“fancy cars with beautiful escorts...poison people with propaganda, so that beggars are also cruelly influenced and made to dream of a Heaven - unattainable for them - offered by capitalism.” (Castro, 1999)

The preceding quote hammers home the negative interpretation of globalization held by Fidel Castro. He understands that his country will not advance without some sort of integration, but under current methodologies, nations that invite globalization sacrifice sovereignty because “...they are uniting, opening borders, applying the free circulation of capital, of workers, of technicians and creating common institutions that provide advantages only for [Western] countries.” (Castro, 1999 - Brackets are mine) He finds the patterns of consumption and conformity imposed on the world by neo-liberal globalization to be “sheer madness, chaotic and absurd.” He concludes that he does not hate Americans. He believes the citizens of this country to be generally pure of heart. In one final quote, Castro says, “it is a very high merit that so many altruistic people live in a place whose system only sows selfishness and the venom of individualism.” (Castro, 1999) His disdain for the current system of globalization is spoken with clarity and erudition, but it remains limited and uniformly minded in economy.

Anthropologists around the world attempt to discount the discourse of imperialist globalization and homogenization as failing to accommodate the complexities of the interactions of the diverse societies of the world. As stated in preceding paragraphs, proponents of cultural imperialism contend that the products introduced in globalization act upon the consumers, forcibly conforming them to Western structures of society.

Subsequently, local ties are assuaged as broader concerns dominate. This defines the

anthropological concept of deterritorialization. As Giddens suggests, cultural relations become distanciated, but are eventually reintroduced in new cultural contexts of space and time through the process of reterritorialization. Tamar Liebes and Elihu Katz maintain this anthropological view and support it through their study of the impact of the American television program, Dallas, on four distinct Israeli ethnic groups. Each unique group interpreted the relationships portrayed in the program to the cultural symbols and meanings that they lived by. The results show that Third World consumers do not simply conform and adopt the values and ideologies of the cultural products to which they are exposed. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) Marshal Sahlins concurs in his article, “Goodbye to Trists Tropes: Ethnography in the Context of Modern World History”. (Journal of Modern History, 1993) According to Sahlins, people create identities to distinguish themselves from members of foreign societies and dominating influences. Cultural goods are always interpreted and customized by the receivers to fit within the context of their own unique cultures. Since people understand and incorporate cultural products within their own system of beliefs, there will always be diversity and autonomy among various groups.

Furthermore, though cultural flow primarily moves from First to Third World countries, some forces become introduced that have nothing to do with the Western world. Unfortunately, the reality of these domains of cultural influence is neglected in the concept of imperialist globalization. These circuits of cultural flow involve interaction between peripheral cultures. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) For example, manufacture of

goods from China are just as prolific as goods produced by Western societies. Also, Indian films are of increased influence in many African countries. These phenomena link countries without the concern of Western influence. There is no allusion to this in Castro’s view of neo-liberal globalization.

It is also evident that views of imperialist globalization tend to analyze cultural flow as moving from “the West to the Rest.” (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) The complexities of globalization are severely limited by this view. Cultural goods are transferred from peripheral cultures to dominant ones as well. A person needs only travel around his or her own community to find evidence. Diverse establishments of ethnic cuisines are found throughout much of the world. Turn on a radio and flip the dial around a bit. One is bound to find a station playing music from brilliant artists from around the globe. Also, take a look at religion. Differing worldviews of spirituality permeate all localized societies. Even in Cuba, there has been cultural flow from the island nation to other parts of the world. The mambo, for instance, represents peripheral influence on dominating cultures. As this type of music was introduced in the forties, it became a sensation around the world. And, of course, people territorialized the sound to fit their specific cultural contexts. In no time, literally dozens of interpretations of the music came into existence. “Mambo Rock”, “Hillbilly Mambo”, and “Mambo Italiano” represent a few examples. (Miller and Kenedi, 2003) Most importantly, one must take migration into account. Western societies become a melting pot of incommensurable ways of life as people move through transnational migrant circuits. (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) As a result of this peripheral cultural flow, it is impossible for industrialized nations to maintain and distribute cultural homogeneity. In actuality, heterogeneity arises. Globalization is just too complex to be reduced to cultural flow in exclusive “West to Rest” patterns.

Ernesto Laclau developed the concept of dislocation, which refers to “...structures with displaced centers supplemented by a plurality of others.” (Inda and Rosaldo, 2002) This is the reality of globalization; a plurality of cultures, influencing and transforming others in the movement of cultural goods across the globe. Sure, there is a McDonald’s in pretty much every region of the planet, but drive around your hometown. Do you see any Chinese take-out or sushi restaurants? In the Virginia-Highland district of Atlanta alone, a person can take their pick of half a dozen Thai eateries. These things are the result of the open policies of the United States and are retributions of globalization. Imperialist views can be positive force. They keep us aware of past mistakes and honest in future endeavors. As far as Cuba is concerned, its leader’s view of neo-liberal globalization exists as a matter of perception. Evidence can be found in support of the view as well as can be discovered to discount it. In the future, perhaps a truly objective alternative can be developed to allow better relations with the independent country, which reside in the interests of both our nations.

Bibliography

Castro, Fidel. On Imperialist Globalization. Left Word. India. 1999.

Inda, Jonathan Xavier and Renato Rosaldo. The Anthropology of Globalization: A Reader. Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Malden, Massachusetts. 2002.

Miller, John and Aaron Kenedi. Inside Cuba: The History, Culture, and Politics of an Outlaw Nation. Marlowe & Company. New York, NY. 2003.

Sahlins, Marshall. “Goodbye to Tristes Tropes: Ethnography in the Context of Modern World History”. Journal of Modern History. University of Chicago. Chicago, Illinois. 1993.

Jesus and Druids and Globalization

2011-12-17T21:38:00.019-05:00

THE CHRISTMAS TREE:

"Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles."

http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christmas-trees

THE MISTLETOE:

"From the earliest times mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. It was considered to bestow life and fertility; a protection against poison; and an aphrodisiac. The mistletoe of the sacred oak was especially sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. On the sixth night of the moon white-robed Druid priests would cut the oak mistletoe with a golden sickle. Two white bulls would be sacrificed amid prayers that the recipients of the mistletoe would prosper. Later, the ritual of cutting the mistletoe from the oak came to symbolize the emasculation of the old King by his successor. Mistletoe was long regarded as both a sexual symbol and the "soul" of the oak. It was gathered at both mid-summer and winter solstices, and the custom of using mistletoe to decorate houses at Christmas is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions."

http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/history/mistletoe.htm

BASICS OF GLOBALIZATION THEORY:

"Deterritorialization is the removal of cultural subjects and objects from a certain location in space and time. It implies that certain cultural aspects tend to transcend specific territorial boundaries in a world that consists of things fundamentally in motion."

"Reterritorialization is when people within a place start to produce an aspect of popular culture themselves, doing so in the context of their local culture and making it their own."

http://www.wikipedia.org/

MY POINT here is that most complex societies throughout the world and history have held this time of year sacred for one reason or another. I think that if we can gain an understanding of these concepts, we can begin to realize our shared history instead of exaggerate our differences. We can come to terms with the plurality of humanity and celebrate the ways we are interconnected.

Three Years of Halloween...

2011-10-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

2008

2009

2010

Hmmmmm.....

2011-10-22T21:21:00.003-05:00

LitReactor

2011-10-22T11:42:00.000-05:00

This is a great resource for those interested in writing. It's a spinoff from http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/.

http://litreactor.com/

DAMNED by Chuck Palahniuk

2011-10-21T23:07:00.000-05:00

My copy of Chuck Palahniuk's new book, DAMNED. I arrived complete with inscription, three Atomic Fireballs, hot pepper seeds, and promo postcards from the Lake of Tepid Bile and Hot Saliva Falls.

Postcards From The Future: Chuck Palahniuk

2011-10-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

"Postcards From The Future" is a documentary about Chuck Palahniuk. I've known about it for years, and I've owned it for two. But I'd never watched it. I think it's because I simply wasn't ready to. After watching it tonight, I've had my batteries recharged; much like I did after the event I attended in June '08 (search blog for the recap).

The clip below has finally driven home the reason I've had such a hard time with my writing. The overt approach really has no meaning after Columbine and 9/11. I need to fabricate subtlety.

The next clip resembles a personal philosophy, but it says it SO much better. I've been struggling with how best to deal with my feelings regarding our financial system, tea partiers, occupiers, etc. I had decided to make it a non-issue. Take the power away from the issue by living outside of it. We have to exist within it, but we don't have to acknowledge or patronize it. Construct a different idea. Live it.

"Statuesque" - Short Film Written and Directed by Neil Gaiman

2011-10-20T23:47:00.003-05:00

Reminds me of a sweet, wholesome version of "Troll Bridge."

"We Can Get Them For You Wholesale" Neil Gaiman Comic Adaptation

2011-10-20T23:45:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite short stories. I had no idea it was interpreted as a comic. 17 years ago! Shame on me...

http://www.kenmeyerjr.com/comics/story_wholesale1.htm

Social Commentary set to "Animal Farm" by Clutch

2011-10-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

Video created by www.corporatedemon.com

It's John Lennon's Birthday

2011-10-09T21:19:00.001-05:00

Buffalo Bill's by E.E. Cumming

2011-10-09T19:10:00.002-05:00

Link to the poem followed by analysis:

http://boppin.com/cummings.html

...The subject of this portrait is not, as commentators have assumed, Buffalo Bill. Neither is the poem merely a modern expression of the convention of sic transit gloria mundi, of which the appropriate tone would be sadness. The speaker praises the dead celebrity but also disparages him. The reason for the disparagement cannot be, as one reader has suggested, disapproval of Cody's "blend of hero and charlatan" or reduction of "heroic deeds to circus stunts." The speaker clearly admires the showmanship. Instead, he disparages Buffalo Bill merely to exceed him in worth or stature. The poem is a self-portrait of an admiring but also disdainful speaker, unaware of a logical flaw in his reasoning and the profound irony of his situation.

The speaker admires Buffalo Bill's skill in shooting and his good looks. He also admires the horse Buffalo Bill rode, which had symbolic affinity with its rider since it was male (a "stallion") and "silver," like silver-haired Bill Cody in old age. The speaker's admiration is preceded, however, by irony and followed by sarcasm. The word "defunct" instead of "dead" implies callous or humorous indifference to or even approval of Buffalo Bill's death, and the question "how do you like your blueeyed boy" sarcastically belittles Buffalo Bill and conveys the speaker's sense of superiority over him. Furthermore, the possession by "Mister Death" of a blue-eyed boy has pederastic connotations. The celebrity Buffalo Bill was skillful, superior, and, in the last years of his life, the most famous man in the world. But now he is dead and, the speaker assumes, it is better to be alive than dead. So death, which cancelled Buffalo Bill's skill and erased his good looks, gives the speaker an advantage over him....

...Logically, the self-elevation of the speaker is nonsense, since the dead (nonexistent) differ categorically from the living.... The gloating self-evaluation of the speaker has no reasonable foundation. It is also and more obviously ridiculous because he fails to take into account his own mortality. The poem contains the theme of the passing of worldly glory, but its principal meaning is that pride is blind and goeth before a fall....

From Thomas Dilworth, "Cummings' 'Buffalo Bill's.'" Explicator 53 (1995): 174, 175.

Harrison Bergeron and 12:01 PM

2011-10-07T17:33:00.002-05:00

My folks always had to be different. Instead of Atari, we had an Odyssey. No Swatches; we had Coca-Cola watches. Finally, we had Showtime instead of HBO. The latter actually wasn't that bad. I think the original programming on Showtime was superior in 80s and early 90s. Below are a couple examples. Unfortunately, these movies cannot be found on DVD:

Harrison Bergeron is one of my favorite short stories, and shamefully, the only Vonnegut I've ever read.

12:01 PM was a production featured as a "Showtime 30 Minute Movie," a series of short films. It's dark and tragic, nothing like "Groundhog Day" or that trash film starring Jonathan Silverman. I believe this is full feature.

Greg Palast: Investigative Journalist

2011-10-05T19:03:00.002-05:00

You have to include Greg Palast if you truly want a well rounded perspective on current events. His reports are the content of my nightmares. As I read, I always hope he's as wrong as his polar opposite, Limbaugh, but..

http://www.gregpalast.com/

IN THE SUBURBS by Louis Simpson

2011-09-26T20:58:00.001-05:00

There’s no way out.
You were born to waste your life.

You were born to this middleclass life
As others before you
Were born to walk in procession
To the temple, singing.

Great Site For News from Outer Space

2011-08-28T21:42:00.000-05:00

http://spaceflightnow.com/

Actual Cthulu Doodle by @neilgaiman

2011-08-27T00:31:00.000-05:00

Actual Cthulu doodle on Claudia Gonson's fridge by @neil... on Twitpic

Links on Writing

2011-08-24T10:50:00.002-05:00

I am always looking on the web for tips and tricks. Below you will find a series of links I have found interesting:

This link is an interesting piece on story revision by Joe Hill.

http://joehillfiction.com/?p=1909

Here is a link to some sample scripts by Warren Ellis.

http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=10319

This link has all kinds of stuff, but I haven't really checked it out yet.

http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2009/02/05/top-100-creative-writing-blogs/

The best recommendation is to pay $40 a year and join the site below. It provides workshops, forums, tips, and assignments from Chuck Palahniuk. I know of no other author that is as involved in assisting burgeoning writers. It's well worth the price of admission.

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

(This link is also in my side bar.)

Zoroaster / Deck Specs

2011-08-21T10:26:00.003-05:00

I hung out with Dan the drummer from Zoroaster last night.

I'd met him a few times over the years, but I really got to talk to him for a while last night. Turns out, in addition to melting faces, he is a partner in a sunglasses company called Deck Specs. These are manufactured from recycled skateboard decks by a master carpenter on North Avenue near Atlantic Station. It's a great idea, and a great concept; even if I, personally, can't pull off wearing the shades. At $60 bucks a pop, they're reasonably priced. Look for them at spots around Atlanta and skate shops in the Southeast. Below is the only photo I could find on the web:

Cradle Me Sky

2011-08-21T09:30:00.001-05:00

http://www.cradlemesky.com/

An original 'toon from the people at redrocket.com Posted here for later consumption.

Red Rocket: Original Art From An Atlanta Area Artist

2011-08-21T09:23:00.002-05:00

http://www.redrocketfarm.com/

I've wanted to decorate the boys' room with this guy's paintings since meeting him at one of the Atlanta fall festivals a few years ago. When you see him set up, he'll do customized drawings for only about $10. He creates great characters in a unique style. The paintings are quite affordable considering, but I can't really justify dropping $500 to decorate a bedroom. I really would like to commission him to do a mural in their room. Dream big, right?

He's always around at N. Georgia art festivals. Check him out and buy some stuff.

RECIDIVISM

2011-08-17T19:19:00.002-05:00

I did not even know I knew this word existed until I woke with it in my head Monday morning. I had to look it up to find its meaning. Isn't that strange. A word... I often wake with songs in my head. I time my sleep, so I wake up during a dream cycle. (A trick I leaned when reading about how to have lucid dreams.) So I often remember what I was dreaming. But to recall a word; a specific, uncommon word; a previously unknown word.

Recidivism: the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior.

Such a great word. My children practice the philosophy of recidivism. (Always use a new word in a sentence, right.) Why did I wake with it in my head?

WILD INTERNATIONAL - One Day As A Lion

2011-08-11T20:02:00.001-05:00

Geographic Concentration of Inspiration

2011-08-10T17:04:00.003-05:00

In the last ten or so years there have been two geographic areas that have been sources of musical and literary influence:

England: Radiohead, Clinic, The Beta Band, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis
Oregon: Modest Mouse, The Shins, Chuck Palahniuk

I find it odd that the music and words I look to for inspiration are located in these two geographic concentrations. If I were to extend Oregon to include the Northwest, you can add Nirvana, Pavement, Built to Spill and Tom Robbins (though I grew tired of his work after 4 or 5 books.) I'm not sure if it's the dreary melancholy of the weather these two share. It could be the paranoid secularism of England. It could be the transgressive and progressive nature of the Pacific Northwest. In any case, I am drawn to these sources time and time again.

IN THE SHADOW OF NO TOWERS by Art Spiegelman

2011-08-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/towersHomeless.html

"For Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were both highly personal and intensely political. In the Shadow of No Towers, his first new book of comics since the groundbreaking Maus, is a masterful and moving account of the events and aftermath of that tragic day.

Spiegelman and his family bore witness to the attacks in their lower Manhattan neighborhood: his teenage daughter had started school directly below the towers days earlier, and they had lived in the area for years. But the horrors they survived that morning were only the beginning for Spiegelman, as his anguish was quickly displaced by fury at the U.S. government, which shamelessly co-opted the events for its own preconceived agenda.

He responded in the way he knows best. In an oversized, two-page-spread format that echoes the scale of the earliest newspaper comics (which Spiegelman says brought him solace after the attacks), he relates his experience of the national tragedy in drawings and text that convey—with his singular artistry and his characteristic provocation, outrage, and wit—the unfathomable enormity of the event itself, the obvious and insidious effects it had on his life, and the extraordinary, often hidden changes that have been enacted in the name of post-9/11 national security and that have begun to undermine the very foundation of American democracy."

(Thanks, Jeremy.)

I often wonder...

2011-08-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

BOOMBOX - The Lonely Island feat. Julian Casablancas

2011-08-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

Another one of my favorite things on the internet. I never get tired of this song...

Radiohead - FOLLOW ME AROUND

2011-07-29T21:35:00.002-05:00

"You will become a hypocrite. You'll become a liar. You'll try to paper up your own cracks. And everybody does it, and that's what being an adult is. ...sorry."

This song and Thom's quote have been in my head all day. A bit of dismal realism is good on occasion. It keeps you honest. As for the song, I only know of it from the documentary, "Meeting People is Easy."

"I Want To Get High, But I Don't Want Brain Damage."

2011-07-24T13:21:00.002-05:00

A new single from The Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt...

Awesome!

Grey Alien Caught on Tape

2011-07-18T22:09:00.001-05:00

One of the creepiest things on the internet...

WASHINGTON by Cox & Combes

2011-07-18T22:06:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things on the internet...

Gullah: Where did "ya'll" come from?

2011-07-16T11:59:00.002-05:00

What follows is a brief report on a lecture about the Gullah. It lacks detail, but it serves as a decent introduction this Creole language.

GULLAH

Jerry Moss is an academy award nominated filmmaker who visited class to discuss the Creole language, Gullah. He began by briefly outlining the circumstances in which the language developed. During British expansion, the territory known as Georgia was colonized by the second and third sons of prominent families. Rice farming was more desirable that cotton, but due to the irrigation needs of the crop, coastal locations were essential. It was difficult and complicated to condition the land, as it had to be dredged manually; therefore, land owners sought specialists from the Rice Coast of Africa. These specialists supervised and directed the slaves working the fields. As a result, Gullah began as the pidgin spoken on rice plantations, which were located along the Eastern Seaboard, from North Florida to North Carolina. It started out of the necessity for efficient communication among landowners and specialists; specialists and laborers.

Two things must be considered when considering the conditions that brought the language into fruition. One must first pay attention to the labor system of most rice plantations that existed. Task systems were incorporated as the desired labor system. Under this mechanism, slaves had free time to spend after their chores were completed. This allowed for many leisure activities that would have encouraged casual communication among the laborers, which were from diverse societies in Africa. Development of a pidgin would have been essential. Also, during the summer, no whites were around at all. In other words, no native English speakers were on the plantations. This brought about a language more influenced by African retention. Lorenzo Turner investigated the Gullah and discovered over 1400 words retained from African languages. There are few remaining English influenced words in use today.

Mr. Moss spoke briefly about the grammar, and I mean really briefly. He stated the language has a word for second person plural, “ya’ll."

Dead Eyes Open: Free Web Zombie Comic

2011-07-15T18:14:00.003-05:00

http://deadeyesopen.com/dead-eyes-open-1-cover/

This comic is an introduction to what is great about zombie literature. Like good science fiction, it uses the subject matter to address complex social issues. It helps you step outside of reality to view events more objectively. Enjoy...

Even as I left Florida...

2011-07-07T17:48:00.002-05:00

I moved from Jacksonville ten years ago this week. It was only four formative years, but I had a lifetime of experiences. Rarely a day goes by that I don't think of someone I knew or something that happened there. Granted, I lived in Tallacrappy a while before moving to Atlanta, but I think of those months as sort of a decompression chamber.

SIGNAL by Paul Duffield

2011-07-02T13:53:00.003-05:00

http://www.spoonbard.com/signal/

This comic by the illustrator of http://www.freakangels.com/ is absolutely beautiful. As the site mentions, it is inspired by SETI and Carl Sagan's COSMOS series.

On a personal note, it parallels the most lucid dream I've ever had:

I was in my late teens, still living with my folks. In the dream, I walk through their kitchen and suddenly realize I am dreaming. To test this, I stand in front of the screen door leading to the front yard. I thrust my arms forward and blow the door of its hinges, sending it flying to land crumpled on the lawn. To go a bit further, I begin doing somersaults across the grass until I reach the drive way. I then look up, take a few steps forward and take flight.

At this point it becomes a balancing act to keep this state of mind. I soon get control, and I find that the harder I tighten my fists, the faster and further I travel. I streak into the farthest reaches of space until I stop in this area of gaseous "caterpillars." I realize I am witnessing the birth of stars in some sort of galactic incubator.

I wake.

Martin Prado Shows His Versatility

2011-07-01T20:24:00.001-05:00

One of the most underrated players in the MLB...

The Imagination Age

2011-04-30T22:04:00.002-05:00

"Active participants in the Imagination Age are becoming cultural ambassadors by introducing virtual strangers to unfamiliar customs, costumes, traditions, rituals and beliefs, which humanizes foreign cultures, contributes to a sense of belonging to one’s own culture and fosters an interdependent perspective on sharing the riches of all systems. Cultural transformation is a constant process, and the challenges of modernization can threaten identity, which leads to unrest and eventually, if left unchecked, to violent conflict. Under such conditions it is tempting to impose homogeneity, which undermines the highly specific systems that encompass the myriad luminosity of the human experience." - Rita J. King

http://theimaginationage.net/

http://sciencehouse.com/

Modest Mouse Debuts New Song at Issac Brock's House :: Music :: News :: Paste

2011-04-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

Modest Mouse Debuts New Song at Issac Brock's House :: Music :: News :: Paste

Sin City Trade Paper Back Lot

2011-04-06T18:47:00.005-05:00

Big time eBay comics score:

Sin City

Dame to Kill for

Big Fate Kill

That Yellow Bastard (Hard Cover)

Booze Broads and Bullets

Hell and Back

Family Values

Low final bid + groupon = $13.14 TOTAL

Danger Mouse and Friends

2011-04-06T18:31:00.002-05:00

Danger Mouse collaborations are currently my preferred listening material:

"Modern Guilt" w/ Beck

"Broken Bells" w/ James Mercer

Dark Night of the Soul w/ Sparklehorse and assorted awesome folk.

He puts his thumbprint on everything, and it all has a unique flavor. I can't wait for "Rome" to come out next month, with Danielle Luppi, Jack White and Norah Jones.

Where In Mongolia Is The Tomb Of Ghengis Khan?

2011-04-04T20:31:00.003-05:00

From your recliner, tag satellite photos of Northern Mongolia in the search of the most prolific procreator of all time. I can't think of a better was to "waste" time. What are you going to do; watch another television show?

http://exploration.nationalgeographic.com/mongolia/

PRECISION

2011-04-04T16:54:00.000-05:00

PRECISION

This is one of the MANY interesting things I routinely pick up from the social networking of Warren Ellis.

THE TEMPLE MOUNT: The Most Significant Piece of Real Estate in Monotheistic Culture

2011-04-03T22:04:00.004-05:00

Though a bit confusing, this article gives a great synopsis of the most significant piece of real estate in monotheistic culture. I do not recommend paying much attention to the archaeologist's opinions regarding the site, as the material was not found in situ. Once the items are out of context, a serious scholar can not reliable interpret the data.

What is Beneath the Temple Mount?

MGMT - Kids and Flash Delirium

2011-04-03T21:55:00.002-05:00

KIDS

FLASH DELIRIUM

I love MGMT videos as much as their songs. These are especially awesome/innovative/twisted/etc.

Whoever Brought Me Here, Will Have To Take Me Home

2011-04-03T21:47:00.001-05:00

All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that,
and I intend to end up there.

This drunkenness began in some other tavern.
When I get back around to that place,
I'll be completely sober. Meanwhile,
I'm like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary.
The day is coming when I fly off,
but who is it now in my ear who hears my voice?
Who says words with my mouth?

Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul?
I cannot stop asking.
If I could taste one sip of an answer,
I could break out of this prison for drunks.
I didn't come here of my own accord, and I can't leave that way.
Whoever brought me here, will have to take me home.

This poetry. I never know what I'm going to say.
I don't plan it.
When I'm outside the saying of it,
I get very quiet and rarely speak at all.

- RUMI (Translated by Coleman Barks)

Trent Reznor won an Oscar...?

2011-03-01T17:57:00.002-05:00

...And it made me think of my favorite "industrial" band, Pitchshifter. Instead of simple, dismal notions of depravity over drum machines and samples, Pitchshifter came with well-crafted anti-establishment counter propaganda and British brand paranoia... and subliminal messages. Which as far as I can tell, compelled listerners to eat cold cuts.

(Sorry, no videos of my favorites on Youtube.)

RIVAL SCHOOLS - Wring It Out

2011-02-28T23:05:00.002-05:00

Walter Schreifels has been writing this kind of song for more than 20 years. There's nothing new and innovative here, but that doesn't mean I am able to get it out of my head. See also, Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand:

FULL DARK, NO STARS

2011-02-27T16:26:00.003-05:00

Just finished this King novel. Read it in under a week, in fact. Not much of an accomplishment in prior years, but with a wife who works nights and two children, I'd say its pdq.

Four great page burning stories that do what Mr. King does best: The pages melt away, and you are immersed in his world. I don't know how he does it. I try to pay attention to his technique, but instead I get lost in the story. Which is why I remain a "Constant Reader."

He did use some of his old tricks in these stories. No one pissed themselves, but two characters clenched their fists painfully tight. None to the point of bleeding, like in many of his stories. And shockingly, there was only one "Ayuh," though three of the tales were set in Maine.

Despite twenty years of reading his material, I have many books left to consume. No doubt, Absent Reader, I will get to them all.

INVICTUS

2011-02-27T10:15:00.002-05:00

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

Finally watched "Invictus" last night. Difficult to imagine the horrors experienced by Mandela and his family, and the compassion born after his strife is something we should all seek.

CLINIC: Why do I like this band so much?

2011-01-21T22:37:00.004-05:00

I have posted about this U.K. band in the past, but I've been listening to them a lot lately. Specifically this song, and the entire album, Winchester Cathedral:

It's been 9 years since Paige and I moved to Atlanta, and Clinic was the first show we saw here. It was out in East Atlanta, at a club called the Echo Lounge. We had never even heard their music. I had read about them in Spin and noticed they were in town that week. "Walking with Thee" had just been released, so they primarily played these songs:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00005YX3X/ref=pd_krex_dp_001_001?ie=UTF8&track=001&disc=001
From then on, I was hooked.

Umberto Eco's Take on Wikileaks

2010-12-09T16:43:00.002-05:00

http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/414871-not-such-wicked-leaks
This is some interesting insight from the castrator of conspiracy.

Reggie Watts

2010-12-08T21:25:00.001-05:00

I will definitely be checking out more of this dude. Great social commentary.

Atlanta Comic Con

2010-12-05T23:14:00.002-05:00

At Paige's suggestion, I decided to check out the Atlanta Comic Con this afternoon. I met her at work, and we switched cars to avoid waking our sons. The venue was only a few blocks away, and I arrived just in time to realize I had missed the Walkind Dead forum by 30 minutes. At this point I almost skipped the whole thing because I didn't want to pay the $20 fee, and I'm not the type to sneak in. I decided to approach the ticket booth in any case, and to my surprise, the attendent offered me a student pass at $5. I kindly paid the woman with gratitude, and entered the convention area.

Immediately to my left was Burt Ward. Just beyond him was Arthur Fonzarelli. Across from the Fonz was none other than Lando Calrissian. It honestly weirded me out, so I ducked to another aisle. Here there were dozens of artists selling prints and originals of everything imaginable. I ended up getting three prints of some Marvel zombies (Hulk (below), Spiderman and Captain America) for $10. All the artists were pretty reasonable and approachable.

There were also dozens of comics vendors. They had anything and everything you could ask for. One guy had a ton of old Alpha Flight, and I asked which one had the origin of Wolverine. He proceeded to tell me Logan's first appearance was in Hulk, but I asked about his ORIGIN story. I remember it being in #64 or something. I'll have to check it out. The vendors also made me think about liquidating my comics collection in order to acquire complete runs of just a few series.

The experience was time well spent. I should be more prepared next year. I honestly didn't know what to expect today. Once home, I read you had to pay the "stars" for autographs, even photos taken with your own camera. I'm glad I did not ask for one. It really would have added insult to injury.

THE MORNING BENDERS

2010-06-13T01:15:00.002-05:00

Never heard these guys until two days ago when they opened for the Broken Bells. I haven't been this impressed by a live introduction to a band since I heard the Muse open for Cold Play many years ago. The entire CD is really quite good. I'll be listening to it a lot over the next few months to say the least. I look forward to seeing them perform again.

Quick Thought...

2010-01-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

You know what I like most about living in Atlanta? On any day you can go outside and with barely any effort whatsoever meet someone unlike anyone you’ve ever met before. On any day. With minimal effort. Just go around the corner or get in the longest line. It will happen.

Great Climate Blog

2009-12-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2009/12/07/the-real-climate-scandal/

2009-11-09T01:00:00.002-05:00

Two versions of the song that made me a fan. (after Creep made me buy the cd.) I just received the vinyl of the former. I look forward the hearing the other b-sides/pablo precursors.

The Beta Band: Squares

2009-11-09T00:55:00.001-05:00

An oldie but a goodie...it helps me out when commuting, but I know they are singing about me.

Ginsberg's HOWL performed by Jon Tuturro

2009-11-05T23:42:00.002-05:00

A professor played this in a poetry class I attended long ago in a galaxy far away. I remember primarily being further impressed with Turturro's acting, as I lacked the sensibilities to fully grasp a personal interpretation of the poem. With that in mind I revisited the performance, and I decided to post it. Feel free to comment your thoughts on the poem.

VUEVE CLIQUOT

2009-10-31T00:36:00.000-05:00

TASTE:

Rich, round fruit fills the mouth, and there is a lightly bitter, yeasty finish of citrus rind. These are the attributes of a quality wine vinified in the traditional method. Vueve Clicquot is the supreme example of Champagne. For me, it is the measuring stick. Though I’ve not had the opportunity to taste the elite brand, Krug; I have sampled many other premium brands: Dom Perignon, Moet, Cristal, Deutz, and the hip-hop driven Ace of Spades. They were found wanting in the face of this brand, and they pale in historical significance within the shadow of Clicquot.

HISTORY:

Vueve is the French term for widow, and Clicquot is the namesake. Madame Clicquot Posardin took over her husband’s small Champagne business when he died, making her a widow at the age of 27. At the time most Champagnes were cloudy and required decanting before serving. Madame Clicquot invented a process called remuage which left the product crystal clear. Also known as riddling, this procedure gradually turns and shakes the bottle so that the sediment of dead yeast cells moves to the neck for subsequent removal by disgorgement. The process remains integral to the regulations of traditional Champagne production.

The label of Vueve Clicquot reflects significant events in the wine’s history. The star on each label is representative of the 1911 vintage. During the harvest of this year, a brilliant comet was visible in the night sky. Considered by many to be the pinnacle of the brand’s production, the vintage continues in the wine’s mythology through its representation of a star, everpresent on Clicquot’s label.

An anchor lies within the star. In 1920, Britain and France ceased all trade with Russia. Unfortunately, for the widow Clicquot, the Russian Czar was quite the enthusiast of this unique bubbly. To avoid economic collapse, Madame Clicquot enlisted blockade runners to ship her product to awaiting consumers in the embattled nation. As a result, the winery survived the following years. They remain producers today due largely to this bold move, and choose to represent the event by placing an anchor on the label.

I hope you have found this interesting and informative. I suggest picking up a bottle during your next wine purchase. Whole Foods, Costco, and other retail establishments will generally price it at between $40-$50 a bottle. It truly is a unique experience at a reasonable price. Please comment to let me know what you think of Vueve Clicquot after you have tried it. Thanks.

MARIJUANA WILL NEVER BE LEGAL

2009-10-31T00:16:00.002-05:00

750,000 arrests per year (#3 crime)
+ 25,000 - 30,000 people incarcerated at any given time.
= $$$$$ in revenue for our government

(Source: The Botany of Desire documentary on PBS)

HOWEVER: The current Newsweek states the country would save 13.5 billion if it were made legal.

COMMENTARY: I'm not sure where the $13 billion comes from, but I've always told proponents that the first step is decriminalization. Marijuana has to be separated from other drugs first. Myself, I never thought it was a big deal. It's not like I ever had a hard time finding it. Besides, the workplace would remain stigmatized toward the recreational practice, so it really doesn't matter if it is legal or not.

Archaeology of Halloween

2009-10-29T21:54:00.001-05:00

These look to be some pretty cool articles on the archaeology of witches, zombies and vampires. I can't wait to check them out further.

http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/halloween/

WAYNE COYNE ON WHY THE LIPS TUNE UP IN FRONT OF THE CROWD

2009-10-28T19:38:00.002-05:00

"I've always viewed this as part of the show. You're gonna see us set up our stuff, see exactly how this works. You are gonna know that this is not magic. And yet, when the music starts, it's still gonna destroy you."

- SPIN (Nov. 09)

TWO GREAT QUOTES FROM THE OCTOBER SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

2009-10-25T21:13:00.002-05:00

"Batman. For the most part, I identify more with the 'make-yourself' type of hero as opposed to the ones who have their powers thrust upon them. It mimics the idea of how we can take care of the people around us through mundane, human roles."

MARK NEWPORT P. 26

"One comment she remembers was an officer's take on Claude Lorrain's 17th-century painting Sermon on the Mount, in which a crowd gazes up at Jesus. 'If I drove up on the scene and saw all these people looking up,' the cop said, 'I'd figure I had a jumper.'"

NEAL HIRSCHFELD P. 54

RUSH LIMBAUGH IS A SKAT MUNCHER

2009-10-24T19:23:00.001-05:00

CHICK PUBLICATIONS

2009-10-15T20:59:00.002-05:00

Crazy, paranoid, hellfire comics from my youth. I remember these well. What kid wouldn't if faced with their message. I would still find them in restrooms in Jacksonville when I lived there in the late 90s/ early 00s, and I still have a few of them. I visited the website tonight and found this gem to embed:

I also found some great propaganda about freemasonry, evolution and catholicism. I hope to purchase all of these in the near future. I'm absolutely fascinated by the content.

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

2009-09-20T20:56:00.002-05:00

Men walkin long the railroad tracks
Goin someplace theres no goin back
Highway patrol choppers comin up over the bridge
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleepin in their cars in the southwest
No home no job no peace no rest
The highway is alive tonight
But nobodys kiddin nobody about where it goes
Im sittin down here in the campfire light
Searchin for the ghost of Tom Joad
He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag
Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag
Waitin for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last
In a cardboard box neath the underpass
Got a one-way ticket to the promised land
You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand
Sleepin on a pillow of solid rock
Bathin in the city aqueduct
The highway is alive tonight
Where its headed everybody knows
Im sittin down here in the campfire light
Waitin on the ghost of Tom Joad
Now tom said mom, wherever theres a cop beatin a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where theres a fight against the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me mom Ill be there
Wherever theres somebody fightin for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helpin hand
Wherever somebodys strugglin to be free
Look in their eyes mom youll see me.
Well the highway is alive tonight
But nobodys kiddin nobody about where it goes
Im sittin down here in the campfire light
With the ghost of old Tom Joad

KING RAT

2009-09-05T00:07:00.002-05:00

The song is supposedly based on James Clavell's novel of the same name that was released in 1962. The late Heath Ledger directed the video. The song features the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

If you have the opportunity, check out the Dirty D. They are a good night out. I saw them at Smith's Olde Bar a few years ago, and it was time well spent.

THE WHALE SONG by MODEST MOUSE

2009-09-03T21:31:00.003-05:00

I guess I am a scout
So I should find a way out
So everyone can find a way out

They keep us in
To pull us out
I'm rising up
Wish I was sinking down
And it's not like
There was warning
We were happy
And it's not like
There was mourning
In the warning

I know I am a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone can find a way out

I know I am a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone can find a way out

Instead of seeing a neighbor out
God, I wish I would've found a way out
It's the last time
We were happy
Ever happy

I know I was a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

Well I know I was a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

Well I know I was a scout
I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

I first heard this song at the Tabernacle show last March. I wrote in my notebook at the time: "Mmm...tastes like jam." Now that I've heard it as a studio release, my impression still stands. This seems like a song that came together in a studio jam session, but it is infectious. And yes, the riff does sound like a whale.

90's HEAVY

2009-08-22T01:23:00.001-05:00

A great song from my youth. Check out the crowd around 5 min 10 sec:

Georgia Guidestones Vandalism

2009-07-17T22:23:00.004-05:00

I took a personal field trip here a few years ago. I arrived on the summer solstice, thinking I would be a part of something. I wasn't. I was the only person there at noon on June 21.

But I was not disappointed. So what if no one else was there; so what if the clouds prevented a view of the so-called calendar. These monuments remain as a reminder of how we should treat ourselves. If their prophecies are realized; then we are all lost.

RELAX, PEOPLE; IT IS NOT AS BAD AS YOU THINK.

SLANG: You can make it happen

2009-07-16T17:51:00.003-05:00

LOG OFF: Term used when you have to make a bowel movement.

I'm not interested in credit for coining this term. My only hope is that five or ten years from now, while in a crowded space, I hear someone say, "Dude, I'll be right back. I gotta log off."

That, my friend, will be reward enough.

LESS AMBITIOUS TERMS (about vaginas)

TWAT SNOT: Term for vaginal secretion
CLITSAURUS: An engorged, swollen clitoris (I have my fingers crossed for this one.)

Me in '96 (just wish I'd heard the song then)

2009-06-17T23:05:00.001-05:00

Oh noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight
Looking kind of anxious in your cross armed stance
Like a bad tempered prom queen at a homecoming dance
And I claim I'm not excited with my life any more
So I blame this town, this job, these friends
The truth is it's myself
And I'm trying to understand myself
and pinpoint where i am
When I finally get it figured out
I've change the whole damn plan
Oh noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight
Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon
I've changed my mind so much I cant even trust it
My mind changed me so much I cant even trust myself

-From Modest Mouse

YEARLY LYRICS

2009-02-09T00:02:00.002-05:00

I will soon post lyrics with years as the title. These are simply songs that represent the things I was going through at the time. Also, I am getting rid of the legislative and wine blogs that I began. I intend to repost some of the material here for no one to read.

The Cluth Pro-Rock Search Engine

2008-10-23T20:47:00.002-05:00

How cool is this? You can have a banner with the Clutch logo in your browser. And you can get free stuff. Plus, it uses Google like we all do already.

http://searchwithclutch.prodege.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=223919

Colin Powell's Presidential Endorsement

2008-10-19T13:32:00.001-05:00

History of Halloween

2008-10-18T23:53:00.001-05:00

AFTER: THE FINISHED PRODUCT

2008-10-09T21:03:00.006-05:00

Paige's Dad, George helped out again, cutting the molding. Jody came over and helped me with the suspended ceiling perimeter.

DURING

2008-10-09T20:46:00.005-05:00

Paige and Jody helped out with the puddy.

Paige's Dad, George, was a tremendous help building this wall to separate our hot water heater and HVAC unit.

BEFORE

2008-10-09T20:39:00.005-05:00

REMODELING PROJECT

2008-10-09T20:32:00.002-05:00

To make room for Mattox, I finally got off my ass and remodeled our basement. Virtually on may own and at a cost of about $850, I completed the project in about 5 weeks. Photos of the three phases follow in the next posts.

H.R. 1424 Final Vote

2008-10-07T23:23:00.002-05:00

How the U.S. House from Georgia voted:
• Rep. John Barrow (D-12) N
• Rep. Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-2) Y
• Rep. Paul Broun (R-10) N
• Rep. Nathan Deal (R-9) N
• Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-11) N
• Rep. Hank Johnson (D-4) N
• Rep. Jack Kingston (R-1) N
• Rep. John Lewis (D-5) Y
• Rep. John Linder (R-7) N
• Rep. Jim Marshall (D-8) Y
• Rep. Tom Price (R-6) N
• Rep. David Scott (D-13) Y
• Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-3) N

Both senators, Issackson and Chambliss voted in favor of the resolution.

Personally, I believe its passage to be a mistake. It will do nothing to address the culture of the market. The problems will persist, and we will still suffer a long recession. Unfortunately, we no longer have the funds to distribute any "economic stimulus packages". I love those things.

PALAHNIUK'S PACKAGE

2008-10-07T13:35:00.009-05:00

In a previous post I showed Paige's signed copy of CHOKE. I speculated about the meaning of the inscription.

Actually, while talking to Chuck before the event, he inquired about the people he was signing to. I explained Paige couldn't make it because she was home looking after JJ. He said, "You want to do something fun and evil?"

"Yeah."

He grabbed an envelope from behind him and handed it to me. He told me to send her information to him in the addressed envelope, and in a couple months, he would send her a package. He implored me not to tell her, to let it be a surprise.

CONTENTS: Hand-beaded and personalized necklace, trick deck of cards, cigarette ink pen, SE Asian influenced temporary tattoos, joke pack of gum, 2 bouncy balls, bacon and eggs bandage assortment, laser pointer, two-headed nickel, soothing bells, chocolate sampler, plastic severed finger, jacknife comb, tobasco sauce, a seed assortment of forget-me-nots herbs and carrots, 2 personalized cds of stories he recorded in audio, and a moist towelette guaranteed to wash away your sins.

Above is the letter he wrote to her. I hope you can read it. The last lines are priceless: "Please never hesitate to surprise someone. Celebrate Christmas anytime as often as you want. Clean up this mess. I'll Shut Up Now, Chuck Palahniuk

CLEAN UP THIS MESS

Some Local Politics

2008-10-07T13:34:00.001-05:00

Voodoo priestess says Cobb official bounced checks
Kesting’s attorney says she never met with ‘priestess, witch doctor, or anyone’

By KENT A. MILES, CHRISTIAN BOONE

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, October 06, 2008

The South Carolina “voodoo priestess” who has accused Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting of writing $3,000 in bad checks for her services said Tuesday she only wanted to be paid for her work.

George Ann Mills said Kesting approached her at home in Blythewood, S.C., in late August seeking otherworldly help against her political rival, Woody Thompson.

Kesting wasn’t available for comment today. Her lawyer has denied these events.
“She said, ‘Do you see cancer in him? I said he looks like a very healthy man’,” Mills said, noting that Kesting held up a photo of a man she said was Thompson. “She said, ‘Is there anything you can do about this … give him cancer, or make him have an accident or something?’ “

Mills said she refused, saying she didn’t want Thompson’s blood on her hands. She offered to “make trouble for him, to make people see who he really is.”
Mills said Kesting wrote two checks totaling $3,000, which were returned for insufficient funds. Kesting then sent two $1,000 money orders in payment. Mills produced a copy of a MoneyGram receipt, dated Aug. 28. The receipt, which she faxed to the AJC, listed Kesting’s husband, Christian, as the sender.

“I kept a paper trail of everything,” Mills said. “I don’t think this would have ever come out if I had been paid.”

Law enforcement authorities in Georgia and South Carolina are investigating the bad check allegations against Kesting.

Sims Gordon, Kesting’s attorney, said Kesting denies meeting Mills.
“She had not seen seen a priestess, witch doctor, or anyone in South Carolina,” Gordon said.

Synopsis: “Economic Stabilization Act,” H.R. 1424

2008-10-01T23:20:00.000-05:00

The legislation authorizes the Treasury Secretary to immediately use up to $250 billion to purchase distressed assets from institutional investors. If needed, the secretary may then access an additional $100 billion to purchase these distressed assets but only with presidential approval.

An additional $350 billion may be accessed if the president transmits a written report to Congress requesting the funds. The Treasury Secretary may use this additional authority unless Congress passes a joint resolution of disapproval within 15 days.

The legislation includes a number of provisions to ensure oversight by Congress and accountability to the taxpayers, including prohibitions on executive compensation to ensure bad actors are not rewarded. Specifically, companies that receive more than $300 million from this plan will have limits placed on their top five executives. These limits include a ban from receiving a “golden parachute” as well as limits in the tax deductions they can take on compensation over $500,000.

RADIOHEAD - House of Cards

2008-10-01T22:52:00.002-05:00

oracular?

Letterman vs. McCain : Round 1

2008-09-25T00:28:00.001-05:00

Letterman's the best. I'm sure there'll be more to come.

WATCHMEN MOTION COMIC

2008-09-02T13:46:00.001-05:00

(IS THAT THE VOICE OF SPACE GHOST?)

brilliant

2008-07-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

Where we are headed.

2008-06-22T14:27:00.003-05:00

I found this a while back when goggling space images. It's only a matter of time.

More Chuck

2008-06-21T15:45:00.005-05:00

He asked who JJ was, and I told him my son. He asked how old he was; I said two. He winced.

Paige "accidentally" put gum between the pages of our first copy of CHOKE, so I purchased this one at the event for Chuck to sign for her. The inscription is a bit cryptic. I could be a reference to the plot, but I don't think so. Paige thinks it may be a reference to her pregnancy. I did tell him we were expecting. Could it have another meaning?

I saw a couple other inscriptions, and they were similar: Who smells like a real porn god; who has real porn star hair; who makes love look easy, sleazy. I prefer mine simply because I am a real man, and he poured a bit of Stetson cologne in the pages of the book.

Palahniuk Highlights

2008-06-20T23:05:00.006-05:00

As #034 (Snuff reference) I was able to meet him before the event. I'm not sure who took this photo, but I found it and all others @ chuckpalahniuk.net. You can access this site by clicking "The Cult" in the links sidebar.

The auditorium was packed with over 500 people. I was sitting just out of view in the upper right of the frame, a couple rows back from the stage. The demographics were what you would expect: Primarily 20-30 year olds with tattoos and piercings abound. Much more hair was dyed black than blonde, and the bunch was lively.

He began the presentation by dispersing blow-up dolls for an inflation competition. He gave away autographed copies of KNOCKEMSTIFF by Donald Ray Pollock to the winners.

I'm glad I didn't catch one of these. I got on the new fangled way: EBAY.

He then settled in to share some stories and anecdotes. I call the one above Petey. I shot it on my digital camera, and it's only jumpy at the beginning, so bear with it a few seconds. He also read a short story, LOSER, that was an exclusive for the book tour. In it, an acid filled frat pledge is on The Price is Right and makes it to the showcase showdown. These things happen in the story, but that is not what the story is about. Like many of his other works, it is caustic commentary of societal obsession with image and materialism. I'm not including it here because I want to keep it as an experience for only those in attendence (and Paige). If he ever publishes the story, I'll post it.

Following a rather mundane Q & A, he closed by tossing signed autograph hounds to the audience. Unfortunately, I didn't get one of these.

Along with the blow up doll, the autograph hound is a prominent item in SNUFF. The other item is a cyanide pill. He couldn't really give those away, much less sign them.

FREAK ANGELS...

2008-06-20T22:24:00.004-05:00

...is s free weekly web comic written by Warren Ellis. I won't go into the details, but it's one of the best ways to kill ten minutes each week.

The graphic above will automatically show the new content each week.

CHUCK PALAHNIUK...

2008-06-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

...was in Atlanta on June 4. It was his first visit to the capital of the South since I've lived here: Over six years and seven books! He was promoting his new book, SNUFF, and spoke for about two hours.

It made sense, logistically, for me to arrive a couple (3) hours early for the event. It was a bit weird for me to be there that early, but I did get to meet Chuck.

He was quite approachable. He personalized 3 books: Snuff for me, Choke for Paige and Rant for J.J. I also asked him about his craft. I wanted to know if he wrote from notes, an outline, or pounded out his ideas freely as they occurred until the story was finished. He explained that he writes notes as things occur, stories are heard, and research is done. He then, on a rainy day, will type out these notes on his PC. Next he prints a hard copy of the notes and carries it around with him, so he doesn't have to be confined to his home. He further notes this copy, and once he feels he has a story together, he hammers out a draft. It was incredible to hear a talent like him explain this process. It really charged my batteries.

In the next two posts, I'll present some photos of the event I nabbed from chuckpalahkiuk.net and a video I shot of a story he told. I'll also post the personalized signings of his novels.

RADIOHEAD

2008-06-14T23:10:00.002-05:00

We went to the show a couple months ago, but I made no post. I plan to make up for it in the following:

FIRST A FEW CHOICE CLIPS

NOW THE SET LIST

Set 1: All I Need, There There, Lucky, 15 Step, Where I End and You Begin, Nude, Pyramid Song, Optimistic, Weird Fishes, National Anthem, Idioteque, You and Whose Army?, Reckoner, Everything in Its Right Place, Bangers + Mash, Bodysnatchers, Videotape

Encore 1: Gloaming, Talk Show Host, Just, Faust Arp, How to Disappear

Encore 2: Paranoid Android, House of Cards

FINALLY...COMMENTS

The show was great, the atmosphere was great, the band was great. They were right on with most songs; though, Paranoid Android seemed a bit awkward. It had been FIVE YEARS since they toured. I truly hope it's not another 5; Thom will be 45!

P.S.

We saw the show for free, sort of. I purchased three copies of the box set release of In Rainbows. I sold two on eBay for a $60 profit, and we used gift cards to pay the balance. As my friend Mason says, "Well that's like a sore peter;...you just can't beat it."

Goofy Video

2008-06-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

Decisions, decisions

2008-05-23T22:52:00.002-05:00

When your responsibility in this world becomes elevated beyond your own existence; decions must be made. I am willing to sacrifice a rockin' Clinic show for a Chuck Palahniuk event.

I'm so dramatic.

JUST WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS...

2008-04-19T00:26:00.003-05:00

By specimenj at 2008-04-18

ANOTHER THAT SHARES MY GENETIC MATERIAL. THIS ONE LOOKS TO BE A THANKSGIVING TURKEY. THINGS ARE WELL SO FAR, AND I'LL KEEP THE READER UPDATED.

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR RADIOHEAD

2008-04-17T00:15:00.002-05:00

CHINESPIRATION

2008-04-17T00:00:00.008-05:00

The upcoming Beijing olympics have spawned intense criticism (and rightfully so). When the Olympics were first announced to be in China a few years back, I saw a poster in a professor's office of the hands of a handcuffed person forming the bottom two of the traditional five Olympic rings. I could not find the poster I saw in their office, but I wanted to post a few conceptual drawings and photos that show the global discontent with Chinese policies. But really, will knocking the torch from the hands of a wheel chair bound participant help or hurt your cause. Let's think these things through next time.

As for a boycott; you can't. There's no way to prevent the purchase of Chinese products. There hasn't been a way around it for 30 years. We should simply continue to protest their policies while avoiding their products when we can.

More importantly, support all the participating athletes. They train their entire lives for this moment, and they deserve our apolitical endorsement. After all, what have you been doing for the last decade?