Writers' Block

I am suffering and yet I have Bukowski to thank. I love this poem.


8 Count

from my bed
I watch
3 birds
on a telephone
wire.
one flies
off.
then
another.
one is left,
then
it too
is gone.
my typewriter is
tombstone
still.
and I am
reduced to bird
watching.
just thought I'd
let you
know,
fucker.

Charles Bukowski

I love pork

Off to the Red Sox tonight with Mahoney...The weekend got full. I am a glutton for punishment and decide to take on the world by working at Fourth Pres in Southie again.

What else?

Oh this is awesome as a gift.

Wake and Bake

I love fresh bacon in the morning and why doesn't my alarm clock cook it for me.

The Self-Adhesive Sunroof

check this site out.

I love capitalism.

Of interest...

I wasn't going to commment on the Michael Vick story, because I feel it is somewhat non-news. I mean, what is news is that Dog-fighting exists in this country and the feds are finally doing something about it. The whole Vick angle is really not interesting.

People debating about when is Vick going to be redeemed? or dog-fighting is just as bad as hunting? or it's about race? are totally missing the point. Vick abused and killed animals. That is wrong. Is it as bad as crashing a car while drinking or beating your wife? I don't know. I know it is sick and shows a sadistic personality. He should put away regardless of whether others aren't.

Race? Are the feds trying to put down a black man's culture? If your "culture" includes abusing animals, (which I don't think or believe African-American culture does), then you need to rethink your culture. Stop with the race thing.

Anyway, I love America and how they can turn anything into a gimmick or product. Check out the offical Mike Vick dog chew toy.

As many of you know...

Besides this website, the greatest website on the internet is yourdailyawesome.com. It is fabulous. It is constantly putting out the strangest experimentations in art, culture, etc.

This was today's piece. I wish I would have thought of this.

My ceramic landscapes create new endings for the cartoon drama of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. In the cartoon, the coyote’s rudimentary traps backfire. His efforts to catch the bird are always for naught. In my “Death Scenes”, the traps succeed forcing the drama to end with the total destruction of the roadrunner.

“Death Scene: The Roadrunner is Struck Down by a Fifth of Bumble Bees”

The next one is my favorite and I think it speaks to our issue of cartoon violence. It also shows how cartoon violence is really funny, often when the violence doesn't succeed. I think in contrast to Itchy and Scratchy on the Simpsons, which shows cartoon violence as funny when in succeeds in absurdity. For that show to work, the violence must be kept in absurdity. The ceramic pieces take the absurdity of the cartoon violence and couple it with succees to show something that in many ways is absurd but is also disturbing. I don't think that made sense. The point is, it is wicked cool and kinda thoughtful at the same time.

“Death Scene: While Enjoying a Cliff-top View, the Roadrunner’s Throat is Chewed Through”
(Isn't that a wicked good title?)

Girls Are Not To Be Trusted

So - I was told to check out this derrickcomedy group. For the most part, they were mildly entertaining, but I found this piece to be well-done, if only for the Radiohead music.

Miss Teen South Carolina

This is the dumbest and funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

A couple of things political...

First, President Bush undid his incredible wrong by letting Alberto "speedy" Gonzales go today. We can now talk over the phone again and go the library and live a nice fear-free life. Bush responded by saying Gonzales' name was dragged through the mud - no I think that was the constitution or an Arab. I'm glad he is gone.

I got an Obama sticker for my car. Either he wins or I dump my car in a lake. Are you listening Barack? I like you - but I like my Volkswagen better.




In news of the great, look at this photo of Kucinich's wife. How does the munchkin do it? I'm soliciting for jokes that begin with Kucinich is short on...., but long where it counts. You fill in the blanks. I'm too lazy.

thanks politico for the article.

Superbad

See Superbad. This was my adolescence - minus the hilarity, plus more of the hurt.

Something I learned in high school math...

Every year Hollywood breaks a new box office record. Largest opening. Biggest Holiday Weekend. Largest Number of Screens, etc, etc.

These statistics amaze and wonder the common E! Television and Variety reading viewer. Then I began to wonder - do they adjust these statistics for inflation?

Sure, Spiderman 3 had a larger gross than Titantic, but I remember paying 6 bucks to see the Leo/Kate tear-fest, and not 11 dollars for the Tobey Maguire bore-o-rama.

By the by, spiderman sucks as a movie and as a character. And so does Superman. Really, it is either Batman (not Joel Schumacher Batman) or shit. That's it. Batman is awesome, fantastic four, X-men (except the first one), Dare Devil, Hulk, all of them bite me.

Read this article and catch the nod to inflation at the end. At least someone is noticing. By the by, if everyone goes out to see a bad sequel, can't it still suck?

You know what sucked - Shrek 3. If you are relying on washed up Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers and banking on Timberlake's acting chops, your franchise is dead.

Jena Six, a photo story (Jena6)

This is a pretty good photo story. There are others on youtube. What is even more disturbing is the thread of racists on youtube? Are we a country of this many idiots?

More on the Jena Six

Here is more on the Jena Six from Wikipedia. This is one of the sickest and saddest stories.

sign the online petition. here

Email the Governor

Jena Six

I heard about this on the Tavis Smiley show and listening to a Michael Eric Dyson speech on CSPAN. Both of which are proof that I am a nerd and have an affinity for African-American issues.

To summarize, six black teenagers are in jail after being harassed by white students who threatened them by hanging a noose on a tree and antagonizing them in a fight. One young man was charged with attempted murder in a retaliation fight, where the white student only suffered a concussion and bruises. Hardly a murder attempt? Listen I don't condone retaliation, but these white students have gotten off scott free after perpetrating one of the worst acts of hate crimes/death threats.

Read the article.

This reminds me of the young man in Georgia who was sentenced for rape for consensual oral sex. Then the DA who came under fire for his strong convictions of this innocent black man, released the video of consensual sex to the press, violating child pornography laws. Idiot.


Does the South ever change? Read Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom. A wonderful book - the answer is No.

Football Picks

The season is near and I am home and bored and it is too hot for me to go outside, so I decided I will unleash my football picks on the world.

NFC

EAST
Eagles 11-5 McNabb has a stellar year, Eagles are the class of the East
Cowboys 9-7 Romo is so-so, Defense has an off year.
Giants 7-9 No Tiki, no chance.
Redskins 6-10 Jason Campbell is not an NFL QB

NORTH
Bears 9-7 Rex Grossman is terrible. Bears slip.
Packers 9-7 Favre's heart keeps them afloat in a terrible division.
Lions 7-9 A rebuilding year. Playoffs in 08.
Vikings 5-11 Who do they have? Honestly.

SOUTH
Saints 12-4 Reggie Bush explodes. The team to beat.
Panthers 8-8 Delhomme can't hold on forever. Defense looks old.
Bucs 7-9 Win close games, but Garcia will prove last year was luck.
Falcons 3-13 It's a dog eat dog world, and they suck.

WEST
Seahawks 11-5 A nice rebound year from injuries.
Cardinals 9-7 Leinert will get this team to the playoffs.
Rams 8-8 Always good for eight wins.
49ers 8-8 I wouldn't be surprised if Smith and Gore get this team rolling.


AFC

EAST
Patriots 13-3 Way too tough top to bottom. Plus Brady has baby magic.
Bills 10-6 Losman is going to have a breakout year.
Jets 8-8 Back to reality. A mediocre team.
Dolphins 5-11 A franchise destined to suck for awhile.

NORTH
Bengals 11-5 Palmer throws from 30 TD and 4500 yards.
Ravens 10-6 McNair will look old again. Defense still tops.
Steelers 8-8 New coach, new issues. AGE.
Browns 6-10 Brady Quinn will start game six and look terrible.

SOUTH
Colts 12-4 I like to them to repeat, maybe,
Titans 6-10 Vince Young in a sophomore slump.
Texans 6-10 Matt Schaub will be okay. This team still has no O-line.
Jags 5-11 I always think this team is overrated and are due to suck.

WEST
Chargers 12-4 Your superbowl winners. Despite Norv Turner.
Broncos 10-6 Cutler is the real deal. Shannahan blows it.
Chiefs 7-9 Who is their QB? Does anyone know?
Raiders 4-12 Pathetic.

NFC byes: Eagles, Saints
Wild Cards: Cardinals, Packers

AFC byes: Patriots, Chargers
Wild Cards: Broncos, Bills

NFC Championship game: Saints 21, Eagles 10
AFC Championship game: Chargers 35, Colts 27

Superbowl: Chargers 30, Saints 10
MVP: Ladian Tomlinson

There you have it. I wanted to give the Eagles the benefit of the doubt. Hey, they could easily go the Superbowl this year and with the AFC beating up on each other win the thing. Who knows?

Hillary is just like the rest of them.

I will not stop until the democrats pull their hands out of their asses and realize we need a real leader and someone who will actually change things.

I believe Hillary is Dubya-Lite. It is proven to me by her reluctance to apologize for her vote, her recent comment that the surge is working, and her place in the establishment and her tie-in with lobbyists.

Her recent fear mongering is only the worst of it. Her is a snippet of her speech plus commentary from Ben Smith at politico.com:

"It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself, 'What if? What if?' But if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect to terrorism, that will automatically give the Republicans an advantage again, no matter how badly they have mishandled it, no matter how much more dangerous they have made the world. So I think I'm the best of the Democrats to deal with that as well."

Whoa. Was she playing the terror card? Isn’t that the other team’s playbook. From Washington, the New York Post’s Geoff Earle writes up the AP quotes with the headline, “HILL: TERROR WOULD BE GOP BOOST.”

A little bird with an elephant’s memory reminds us that in the past, Clinton has maintained, as she did in The Washington Post in April, that terrorism “shouldn't be a Democratic fight or a Republican fight.”

Back in 2005, the Albany Times-Union wrote that she had told the newspaper’s editorial board that the Bush administration had used the war on terror as a "political tool" to frighten Americans into submission.

And last year, speaking to a United Auto Workers legislative policy conference in Washington, she lambasted Republicans by saying: “Contrary to Franklin Roosevelt who had nothing to fear but fear itself, this crowd is, ‘All we got is fear and we’re going to keep playing the fear card.’ “

It turns out to be a card that both sides can deal.

Please stop her. Please.

I'm starting to like Edwards

As many of you know, I'm all about taking down the Hillary machine. I honestly believe she will continue the divide in the country and her polarizing nature will make it impossible to build consenus and actually pass any legislation. While I feel Obama is the real inspiration in the campaign, Edwards is starting to appeal to me.

He is hitting Clinton hard and starting to really make the case I am dying for someone to make that Hillary is the past, and we need a candidate of the now and the future. He is attacking her on the issue of dealing with lobbyists, which is right on.

Here is what he is saying:

""The American people deserve to know that their presidency is not for sale. The Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent," Edwards said to applause, referencing a Clinton-era controversy in which high-dollar donors were allowed to stay in the White House's famed bedroom"

I think it is right to tie her in with her husband since she does so herself. The fact is Bill Clinton was a Republican president. His policies of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Welfare Reform, military intervention, and NAFTA are all fair game. Quite frankly, tell me what Bill did during the 90s? What changes did he really make?

I'm glad Edwards is going after her. She doesn't have all this leadership she is touting. I feel the democrats are too stuck on the past. Edwards thinks the same:

""Small thinking and outdated answers aren't the only problems with a vision for the future that is rooted in nostalgia," Edwards said. "The trouble with nostalgia is that you tend to remember what you liked - am I right? - and you forget what you didn't. It's not just that the answers of the past aren't up to the job today, it's that the system that produced them was corrupt - and it still is corrupt."

Read the whole article.

Hands across america

Do you remember this? Did you participate?


According to Wikipedia, "Hands Across America was a benefit event staged on May 25, 1986 in which millions of people held hands in a human chain for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States. Participants paid ten dollars to reserve their place in line; the proceeds were donated to local charities to fight hunger and help the homeless."

I don't remember the homeless part - i thought this hand to do with some elaborate awareness of our unity to fight commies. I think that would've been awesome. Could the commies hold hands across Siberia? Hell NO!

I remember being all excited about Hands Across America. I was quite the young patriot. I was one of those lame kindergarteners who could recite all the presidents and the terms they served. By the by, still can! I rule.

I just remembered this...gosh how lame.

Are we the only country in the world that has events like this? I love America, but does our hokey-ness bother you sometimes? Generally, I dig the cowboy, country-bumpkin thing - I find it endearing and when I am currently not pulling my hair out about the administration, I find Bush's idiocy and semantic foibles cute and winningly American. but Hands across America? So, so, so lame.

Guns and F'n Roses

So, it is the 20th anniversary of Appetite for Destruction, easily the greatest rock album of my generation (sorry nevermind!). Do bands rock anymore? I mean cock out rock. I feel that rock is basically conceded itself to be either boring Green Day or whiny Emo Chemical Romance crap. There is good modern music and despite the occassional Andrew WK (don't tell me he doesn't rock?) or Strokes hit - there is not a band that truly rocks. Where is good old masculine rokck? Motley Cure, Van Halen rock. Not hair metal, but just pure sex, drugs, rock and roll. A fan's lament.

Enjoy this BBC documentary on GNR: ROCK

Have you seen Axl lately? With the botox? How far has he fallen?

On the music note - I have rediscovered Weezer's first album and it is truly their best work and everything after that (with some exception to Pinkerton) is crap. "I've got my twelve-sided di" is pure genius. They get geek rock right. I also have been listening to TMBG's lincoln album. Ana Ng is another triumphant song. I'd like to see Coldplay try that - Chris Martin is a wuss.

Being Green Ver. 2

Here's the video without the link.

Green President?

I have become a bit of green fiend. You know, the move to Mass has caused me to buy a Mac, vote left, and enjoy fried seafood. It has also awakened my awareness to energy consumption. I'm biking to work come next week (if my wife lets me).

The League of Conservation Votes - a great organization - has come up with this wonderful ad. Enjoy.

click

CBS abuses children

If realitiy shows haven't reached a new low, CBS is set to premiere KId Nation. This is a show in which 40 kids are placed in a ghost town for forty days and are meant to build a society and live adult-free for 40 days. Disregarding New Mexico child labor laws, CBS basically endangered chidren for ratings. Shame on you!

Boycott this show.

Read the New York times article

Email CBS and don't allow them to air this crap

Ron Paul vs. Morton Downey Jr.'s audience 1988

This is for tardville.

Cheney in 1994 on Iraq

Oh Montgomery Burns Cheney - so so so so evil - such a demon!

Hilarious

I love pbfcomics. Perry Bible Fellowship is ridiculous funny and you need to visit it every day.

Bali, Barack, and other things

These are pictures of Bangkok. We are in the processing of putting them all up on the web. The last photo is off Mohammad and Haikim, too Malaysian children that we talked with on our three hour plane ride from Kuala Lumpur to Bali.






To begin, Bali was incredible and what I'll be doing for those that weren't on the email list - and don't whine if you weren't on the list - you all secretly hate getting emails about other people doing amazing things, living glamorous lives, and seeing wonderful thing - it makes you feel like shit, so I left you off, only to now recount the experience.

So, here I will post an email a day and include some pictures...

Before that, this blog is close to celebrating its one year anniversity. I think it is the paper anniversity and I could use some paper.

Also, I love Barack and he needs to stick it to Hillary. How can someone as devise as Hillary unite our country? How could someone as wishy-wishy and pandering as Hillary set forth and lead?

This is a new millienium and we need Barack. We need Change. GRRR - I come back and see Hillary ahead in the polls. Despicable.

sorry, i haven't blogged lately. Uber-sick. Gross sick. I won't tell you about it.

FIRST EMAIL:

We arrived in Bali last night and so far things have been great. The
beaches are beautiful and the place is not as crowded as we would have
thought. Right now, we are in Kuta - which is the touristy part. We
leave for Ubud inland this afternoon and will probably be there for a
few days. we are looking forward to more cultural experiences.

McDonalds, Starbucks, and Coke everywhere. We are next door to a
Dunkin Donuts, just like Somerville - we have yet to indulge - nothing
but fried eggs ontop of rice and tropical fruit.

We had a great plane ride from Kuala Lumpur. We befriended two muslim
kids - Mohammad and Hakim, 8 and 6. They were hysterical and kept
making faces and doing impressions of spiderman and drawing pictures.
I'm sure we annoyed everyone around us.

Our last night in Thailand, we are off a street vendor by pointing at
things - for two people to eat with bottle water - less than 2
dollars. Crazy.

Last night, we ate Chicken Satay and Balinese Pizza - delicious -
though somewhat safer. This morning we had a banana pancake, more like
a corn meal crepe - very good. We also had watermelon and pineapple
juices. Dana ate mango on the beach.

We off now for some traditional Indonesian food. Kuta is good because
it is very, very Western in its meal selection.

I'm back

Okay, I'm back and I'm ill. I'll tell tales of my experience on the other side of the world - later.

Instead I wanted to share this photo of my favorite principal, Mr Belding.

courtesy of the websites: www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com