TopOfYourHead

The Mars Volta Live 2009

2009-09-19T13:13:00.004-05:00

Thursday night they played an awesome show that was filled with the usual onstage antics and absolute craziness. Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala was the center of attention as he always likes to be, doing standing back-flips, jumping off the drum kit, and swinging his mic around a la Roger Daltrey of The Who. The band played about 90 minutes, about 30 minutes shorter than the two times I saw them last year, but they managed to squeeze in two more songs in the setlist than before. On the docket was:

Son Et Lumiere

Inertiatic E.S.P

Goliath

Cotopaxi

Viscera Eyes

Roulette Dares (The Haunt of)

Ilyena

Drunkship of Lanterns

Teflon

Eunuch Provocateur

Halo of Nembutals

Luciforms

The Widow

Wax Simulacra

Notably absent were three of their best live songs, "Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus," "Tetragrammaton," and "Day of the Baphomets." All three of these songs were played at the previous shows I attended, but each is none less than 9 minutes, and one is a full 16 minutes, allowing them to play a higher # of songs in a shorter time this time around. Nevertheless, it was an awesome show, with a hypnotic backdrop with a face that kept changing when different lights hit it and when curtans behind it were changed....very awesome.

Incubus Concert

2009-08-24T12:38:00.003-05:00

Incubus played the Cynthia Woods Pavilion in The Woodlands, a master-planned suburb about 30 miles north of downtown Houston. As always, they put on a great show and Ben Kenney seemed to be throwing in more funky bass lines than usual, which was awesome. Another observation: DJ Kilmore, who had once been behind the turntables in the past, has now pretty much taken on the role of piano, synths, weird sounds, and even the mellotron, so there was more atmospheric sounds this time around. The setlist is as follows:

Pardon Me
Nice to Know You
Anna Molly
Stellar
Megalomaniac
Circles
Love Hurts
Just a Phase
Drive
Make Yourself
Dig
Under My Umbrella
Are You In?
Oil & Water
Quicksand
A Kiss To Send Us Off
Wish You Were Here
Aqueous Transmission

Encore:
Punch Drunk
Light Grenades
Lets Go Crazy (Prince Cover)

Over all, it probably wasn't the best set thaat I have seen them play, mostly because of the lack of "The Warmth" & "Sick Sad Little World" -which they have played at every other concert I've seen (except the first time I saw them right after Morning View Came out. My favorites, and the songs that really stood out were "A Kiss to Send Us Off," "Pardon Me," and "Under My Umbrella."

The Other Most Moral Army

2009-03-31T09:20:00.002-05:00

And I also believe that Israel, with America and England and Australia, are probably the most ethically constrained militaries in the world. - Martin Peretz

I am getting exasperated listening to tendentious ideologues defend U.S. and Israeli war crimes with the rather trite assertion that "America (or Israel) has the most moral army in the world." Really? How can that be empirically evidenced. The Washington Post reports today that a U.S. Army Sergenat pleaded guilty to slaughtering a group of Iraqis (with the help of his men, he bound the Iraqis and shot them in the back of the head). Lets not forget the stomach churning account that Tom Ricks opens his new book with, which describes a U.S. soldier killing an Iraqi fighter and then urinating on his bloody skull. The are a manifold of other instances where war crimes have been perpetrated by U.S. forces in Iraq.

Of course, after the Israelis most recent massacre in Gaza we heard the common refrain "Israel is the most moral army in the world" from many particularly biased observers (like Ehud Barak, the ISRAELI Defense Minister). While Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B'tselem and a host of other human rights organizations have condemned Israeli actions in Gaza, this fallacious suggestion has become a generally accepted meme. When allegations do arise, the IDF is sure to respond with an "investigation", which almost always acquits IDF solidiers of responsibility or proffers light sentencing. Today the IDF finished its most recent probe into allegations that it committed war crimes and...what do you know? It claimed the allegations were hearsay. Maybe they were, but, the reality is that there were a multifarious number of execrable atrocities committed in Gaza and the people investigating and prosecuting these crimes should not be the same that committed them. Does it makes sense to have the same people that formulated policies that led to war crimes then judge those actions? Why don't we let murders investigate and prosecute themselves? Well, because much like IDF, they would always be "innocent".

I have a great deal of respect for members of the armed forces, but, that respect does not translate into a reflexive immunity. War is an awful thing and it seems to have an awful psychological affect on soldiers leading them to do things that are ineffably horrifying. Don't go around telling the world that your army is the most moral in the world when it is demonstrably not. Stop the lies and the fabrications it only makes the immoral acts seem more egregious and more immoral.

I'm 5'8, and as much as I would like to tell people that I'm tall (because if I was 6'4 or so, I'd probably be running the point for the Lakers right now) I don't. Why? Because I am demonstrably not.

Cornell's New Scream

2009-03-30T22:04:00.007-05:00

Last night I saw him at the Warehouse in downtown Houston. Imagine St. Andrew's but slightly nicer, but with no balcony. He put on a great show and was full of energy. I wonder if he's back on drugs, like the time in the mid 90s when he tried to commit suicide by jumping off a 10 story building but landing on a tree and climbed down unscathed. Just kidding. But the show was great and the band sounded awesome. Unfortunately they didn't start playing till about 10:15 and at 12, Natasha was complaining to go. Also unfortunately, he played ten more songs after I left. Here's the setlist:

Part of Me

Time

No Such Thing

Set it Off

Gun (never heard of this song before, maybe old Soundgarden??)

Spoonman (w/drum solo and first half of Good Times Bad Times)

Hunger Strike

Show Me How to Live

Exploder

Be Yourself

You Know My Name

Billie Jean

Ground Zero

Never Far Away

Gasoline

Rusty Cage

Can't Change Me (acoustic by himself)

Redemption Song (Marley cover & acoustic by himself)

I Promise It's Not Goodbye (acoustic song he wrote for a friend he said lives in Texas and has a tumor)

Fell On Black Days (acoustic by himself)

Like A Stone (acoustic by himself)

Cochise

Watch Out

Burden In My Hand (w/ All Along the Watchtower, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Stairway to Heaven medley)

Arms Around Your Love

Scream

Climbing Up The Walls

Outshined

Jesus Christ Pose

Encore:

Immigrant Song

Like Suicide

Black Hole Sun

As Far as his new album is concerned, I have mixed feelings. It's always difficult to take in seeing one of your favorite musicians doing something that could be potentially embarrassing or something you know you simply won't like. This new album is a little better than I expected, though. The best thing is how all the songs flow together, there aren't any gaps in music the entire length, so in that sense it's like Dark Side of the Moon or Frances the Mute (minus the concept-album themes). Personally, the two best songs are the Justin Timberlake-collaborated "Take Me Alive" with its Eastern sampling and the great vocals, and the other song being "Climbing Up The Walls," a song that sounds like it could have been a B-side from any other Cornell project, with seemingly no or very little influence from Timbaland and a good, straight-ahead rock feel.

My Rating 7/10

189d

2009-01-30T00:57:00.002-05:00

Thats the name of my new music project. Nineteen A-D-D. Taken from the At the Drive-in song of the same name. I always thought that was cool. Here's the link to the songs I have done so far. I made it on garageband, so it's not anything too brilliant yet.

Interview With Derek Steele

2008-12-13T08:59:00.006-05:00

Steele & Me @ his condo

By Adriana Wykoff, National News Service Music, Fashion, Culture Contributor

Detroit- Musician Derek Steele and his up-and-coming band South Paw Swagger has hit the ground running by having it's #1 smash hit "Back Up" featured on the trailer to the highly-anticipated "Transporter 3," starring Jason Statham. I caught up with Steele at his new chic flat in downtown Royal Oak.

Adriana Wykoff: So Derek, I have to ask you first off, what's it like going from a college graduate doing bitch work at a small-time suburban recording studio in the attic of a fifty year old church to having one of your songs being on one of the best action films of the year?

Derek Steele: It's fucking interesting.

AW: Well said. How has it changed your lifestyle? What are you doing these days that you weren't a year ago?

DS: I can afford to get my hair styled once a week at Rondondos down the street. I can also afford to take my buddy Dave to Hawaii, but I'm just returning the favor there. I've also been able to drink about 6 or 7 Red Bulls a day. However, I'm still working about 90 hours and sleeping about a total of 10 hours a week. It ain't easy being this good, really.

AW: Derek, before I met you today, I had a picture in my mind's eye that you would look more like Chad Kroeger (frontman of Nickleback) but your appearance is much closer to that of Russell Brand. How long does it take for you to get all dressed up each day?

DS: I figured I had to adopt a new image to appeal to a broader base. It takes about 2-3 hours to get ready each morning.

AW: With all of the money pouring in from royalties, have you "spread the wealth" with friends and family or are you hoarding it all for yourself?

DS: Well, I figured the only way to stop my brother from killing himself would be to give him some cash to spend on buying all sorts of expansion packs for World of Warcraft. My mom had always wanted to build birdhouses after one of her friends told her she looked like "Bird Lady" from Kids in the Hall. As for my dad, he used to be a pornstar in the 70s and deep down inside, I knew he wanted to get back into the business. So he used a little cash to get a fluffer and a few new banana hammocks. As for my friends, they figured they could mooch off me to buy some malt liquor and, funnily enough, bang hoes with no rubbers.

AW: Thank you for your time Derek, what can we look forward to coming from South Paw Swagger in the future?

DS: A few friends of mine will be making special guest appearances on an album I'm working on. Eminem, T-Nigga G Force 3, and Lil John will all show up on it.

Crime Family Finally Unmasked

2008-12-02T15:27:00.008-05:00

By Allen W. Watson, National News Service Contributor

Lima, OH- What began as an exhaustive investigation two years ago by the FBI ended in a bizarre incident in a small Midwestern city.

For a few decades, the FBI had been attempting to infiltrate and uncover a tight-knit, secretive crime family that specialized in exthortion, racketeering & holding a monopoly on the sale of popsicles, stops signs, and clothespins in Ohio.

The Gallagher family of Lima, Ohio, first got into the crime-syndicate business during Prohibition by distilling a knock-off Jack Daniels-type whiskey. Unbeknownst to ignorant Ohioans, the Gallaghers sold sold their whiskey with the Tennesse-based Daniels label, which resulted in a stomach sickness locally called "Pipe-butt," because of the unsanitary conditions it was distilled. The family later turned to the lucrative popsicle business, making & distrbuting the summertime-favorite delectables at higher prices because they controlled the whole popsicle industry in the state. Little Johnny in Akron had to pay 5 cents for a John Wayne Torpedo Pop while Little Susie in Pittsburgh paid 2 cents for the same treat. As the family diversified its portfolio into the stop-sign & clothespin businesses, they faced competition from the rival Huffman family in Lima. As the patriarchs grew tired of attempting to out-do each other, they decided to partner up and they decided this would be best reached by marrying two of their children...

Edward Gallagher & Joan Huffman were chosen to wed in the early 80s to bring the two families together, albeit with a secret plan to further the two families' ambitions. The conspiracy was to unfold as follows: the couple were to have two children, preferably boys: one who would rise up through the ranks of the federal government attempting to care about foreign policy & the downtrodden around the globe but would in actuality attempt to be in a position to block any investigations by government officials into the families' dealings, and the other son to begin bodybuilding at an early age to act as the family "muscle." The "Brain" and the "Brawn" are none other than Adam & Andy Gallagher, respectively. A third child, Megan, was an accident.

Andy was the first family member to be arrested after cops raided his apartment on an anonymous tip that he posessed illegal performance enhancing drugs including the popular black market sexual enhancer "Mr. Biggun." Police also confiscated illegal bodybuilding tapes that have been banned in America as well as some more well known bodybuilding documentaries with the likes of Arnold Schwarzzenegger & Lou Ferigno. After hours of questioning, Andy acknowledged the families' role in Ohio crime circles, but admitted he "was just the 'beater-upper.'" Soon thereafter, the FBI set up a raid on the Gallagher family compound in Lima, ending in a bizarre incident. An FBI agent was checking the basement looking for members of the Gallagher family hiding, and when turning around the corner into the washer room accidentally poked Edward in the eye with a certain member of the body. "I didn't think anyone would notice if I just took a few pills of Andy's confiscated 'Mr. Biggun," the agent noted.

FBI officials expects full prosecutions of key members of the Gallagher-Huffman family to take place in the coming months.

We Really Need To Kickstart The Blog Guys...

2008-11-21T21:26:00.009-05:00

1. Here's a great article about the current state of the country.

2. I finally moved into my new apartment in a cool part of town. After searching for the cheapest, finest apartment in the Uptown neighborhood, i settled on a $559 a month, 650 sq ft, 2nd story place only 14 minutes from work. Imagine Southfield+Troy+Birmingham.

These pics are of Uptown only, not downtown. It's a pretty happening spot as you can see.

And two pics of me & Natasha at the Texas Renaissance Festival, which was awesome:

Мы полностью pwning Грузия

2008-08-13T15:19:00.003-05:00

So, what are your thoughts/conspiracy theories about the Georgia/Russia War?

I would like to hear what you have to say.

Of Course He Would Do That...

2008-08-04T18:41:00.002-05:00

Like I've been saying for a long time, there are plans in the works to create a provocation with Iran. Whether or not those plans will come to fruition is a different story. It would make sense, though, that Bush & Cheney would strike Iran after the election but before Obama takes office, just in case Obama isn't up to it. The other scenario is to create some sort of a provocation & attack on Iran just before the election, in hopes of showing McCain as the "strong" leader Americans need in order for him to win the election. Either way, there is too much momentum behind attacking Iran by Israel and the military-banking-oil-industrial complex to back down now.

The Police

2008-07-28T15:26:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday The Police played Pine Knob and Grant & I got to experience the 3rd Best-Selling Concert Tour of all time. If I can remember correctly, the setlist was as follows:

Message in a Bottle
Walking on the Moon
Demolition Man
Voices Inside My Head/ When The World is Running Down...
Don't Stand So Close To Me
Driven To Tears
Hole In My Life
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Can't Stand Losing You
-encore-
Roxanne
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
-2nd encore-
Next To You

An Overdue Return

2008-07-20T18:43:00.006-05:00

Here is an article talking about the reversal of "white flight," a phenomenon of whites moving to the suburbs that began before WWII but picked up momentum shortly after. It looks as if people are finally rediscovering the city, and realizing how much better the city is compared to the suburb. With gas prices jumping to stellar heights and the monotony of suburban life taking it's toll on the American psyche, you will no doubt see more and more whites moving back to the city.

I still need to write my article on the suburbanization of America in general and the decline of Detroit in particular. That picture is one of my new home, Houston.

The Ranting Never Stops...

2008-07-11T12:51:00.004-05:00

The FBI is slowly but surely turning into the US version of Nazi STASI. This article explains how the FBI plans to profile Arabs & Muslims, or people they may suspect of being one of the two, in order to "find terrorists." We are getting to the point where the State is throwing up the security issue in order to do whatever it pleases.

As America seeks to cement Iraq's status as its latest colony, huge debate continues between Washington & Baghdad over a plan to take place of the UN mandate that expires at year's end. The U.S. is demanding:
- that it be allowed to control Iraqi airspace up to 29,000 feet
- that its occupying forces be in Iraq indefinitely (with only the U.S. deciding when, if at all, to begin withdrawing)
- that it be allowed to attack other countries (read Iran) without first consulting Baghdad
- that it be able to occupy its roughly 58 bases, including the 5 "city-within-city" permanent bases
- that Iraq's Defense, Interior, and National Security ministries be kept under U.S. control for ten years
- that the U.S. can decide that any act of any country constitutes an act of aggression against Iraq and exercise the right to "protect" Iraq

This plan is nothing short of making the occupation permanent. Add in the fact that the same oil companies that used to run the industry decades ago in Iraq are about to make deals to bring them back is showing the true colors of why the U.S. invaded. Royal Dutch Shell, BP, ExxonMobile and Chevron are in line to making hundreds of billions of dollars if the oil deals are accepted. These same companies set up shop in Iraq in 1920 but were driven out when the industry was nationalized in 1972

Reality Sets In

2008-07-05T11:25:00.001-05:00

I have to admit…I am disappointed, disappointed on two fronts. First, I am disappointed in myself for a certain puerile naiveté, for awhile there I actually believed. I thought that this man, Barack Hussein Obama, really represented something, that he could spur a sea change in American politics. That his foreign policy would not just be drastically different from what we usually are forced to swallow, that his entire presidency would be, in a word, transformative. I drank the kool aid for a couple of months and I credulously accepted the campaign line, that an Obama presidency would usher in a new dispensation, an epochal change, in America and consequently the face of global politics. So, secondly I am disappointed in Sen. Barack Obama.

This was to be expected, as the general election draws near Obama will be forced to move to the center. His campaign strategy has been Nixonian, placate the party basis (the left in this case) in the primary and utilize a more centrist inclination in the general election. This is all well and good, but Obama is going too far in an effort to prove that he is not a paragon of the left, a Muslim, or whatever other accusation happens to be tossed up at him at the time, Obama is offering up a steady diet of policy proposals and soundbytes that seem counter-intuitive to the fundamental theme of his campaign. “Change”

Just a few examples

Obama’s recent betrayal on the FISA bill, which gives the State access to all internal and external communications WITHOUT a warrant. Discussing the bill, Obama essentially regurgitated Bush talking points verbatim, ““Given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay”. Obama is pandering in an effort to bolster his much maligned national security credentials. Unfortunately, he is either overlooking or completely ignoring the unconstitutionality of the bill and the miniscule amount of oversight it actually allows for.

In recent campaign adds he has also called for a reduction of welfare in favor of the classic, “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” , ideology of the right. Again and again his postions seem to be shifting to the right.

Obama is already starting to slowly back down on his commitment to troop reductions, no longer committing to the precipitous one brigade (10,000 soldiers) he was calling for during the primary. In one of the debates he even said that he would send troops into Pakistan without the consent of the Pakistani authorities, if there was “actionable intellingence”. This is redolent of neocon policy, where America and America alone has the right to make decisions, a policy that violates the entire international structure, which is based on the sovereignty of individual nation-states.

Now my next example isnt really Obama moving to the center so much. Obama is clearly (over)emphasizing his Christianity in an attempt to make it clear that he is not one of those Mohammedans. In a speech a few days ago he called for a reinvigoration of the failed “Faith-Based Initiative” Bush policy. This “Faith-Based Initiative”, or whatever appellation the Obama campaign wants to call it, is eerily similar to Bush’s plan and brings back some of the same fundamental and philosophical questions about the American system of governance. In other words, is this a betrayal of separation of church and state? In every speech Obama is constantly talking about finding God, his conversion to Christianity, Jesus this and Jesus that. Barack, I get it, you are a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N.

A few weeks ago, Obama staffers would not let two girls, wearing hijabs, into a speech that Obama gave in Detroit. And lets not forget Obama’s performance at the AIPAC conference a month ago. It was here that he had the chutzpah to espouse a more radical, Likudnut pro-Israel policy than any American President, including Bush, the most pro-Israel president in American history, ever has. He referred to Jerusalem as the, “eternal and undivided capital of Israel”, an assertion that stands in stark contrast to U.N. resolutions 242 and 338 and is, frankly, absurdly fatuous. The fecklessness of this comment is mind-boggling. It is generally recognized, except by the extremists on both sides, that there will be some type of dual sovereignty arrangement over Jerusalem. Obama has gone a long way from rubbing elbows with Edward Said and Ali Abunimah at dinners in Chicago. In the fall of 2007, in a campaign stop in Iowa Obama said that, “the palestinians are suffering”, a rather innocuous and fairly obvious statement to anyone with a semi-operative brain, and he was summarily excoriated. He simply doesn’t seem to give a damn about the Palestinians anymore, as he daily bends down and genuflects before the right-wing Israeli lobby establishment. If Obama is going to bridge the divide between the Muslim world and the United States he is rapidly heading in the wrong direction as he begins to seem more like your average American politician vomitting out pejorative phrases like “Jihadist” and “Islamofacist” everyday.

Unfortunately, the alternative is worse. McCain, has not followed the Nixonian strategy at all, he favors Karl Rove’s strategy. McCain moves more to the right everyday, completely eschewing his “independent-minded” and “maverick” image in favor of reinstituting failed Bush policies. It seems like everyday McCain is changing his mind about something.

There is no doubt in my mind if Obama were elected, it would help to curb global anti-American sentiment. However, the change would be cosmetic, not transformative. In America, a country so imbued with racial tensions, with a copious history of tenuous race relations, the election of a black man would certainly help to futher remove us from a rather checkered and in many cases immoral past. Yet, I doubt any substantive difference in America domestic or international policy would take place.

I don’t entirely blame Obama for this, some of it is a product of the American political system which at its core is conservative, in the Burkean, or even Aristotlean, sense. In other words, America is an essentially status quo society in which “change” generally manifests in incremental, piecemeal steps. No one president will ever have the ability to transform the American system. Maybe he can change this…but, I am very dubious.

Happy 4th of July: or Patriotism vs. Blind Obedience to the State

2008-07-04T12:01:00.002-05:00

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
-Mark Twain

Today we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, a slap in the face our founders hurled at King George some 232 years ago. Armed with a little courage, some ideas that were not compatible with tyrannical rule, and a few muskets, about a third of the population rose up against the British throne to create a new nation. Today, however, many of the founders' ideas have been trampled on by moral entrepreneurs and megalomaniacs.

Today were are told that one is not patriotic unless he blindly follows the states actions, especially regarding military/police actions. Patriotism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is "love for or devotion to one's country." Since when has a "country" and the "state" mean the same thing? Like Noam Chomsky once put it

"If you identify the country, the people, the culture with the rulers, accept the totalitarian doctrine, then yeah, it's anti-semitic to criticize the Israeli policy, and anti-American to criticize the American policy, and it was anti-Soviet when the dissidents criticized Russian policy. You have to accept deeply totalitarian assumptions not to laugh at this."

I love America as a country for many reasons. The relative open society & culture, the great range of beautiful landscape, and the diverse group of political and religious views are things to be cherished. There are, however, many reasons to be sickened by the actions of the state. The illegal & immoral occupations of foreign nations, the hypocrisy of it's foreign policy, and the frequent yet often hidden usurpation of liberty are just a few of the problems our leaders force upon us.

So this 4th of July, be thankful for what you have, but also remember it is not necessary to blindly support the immoral actions of the state, no matter how guilty the TV may try to make you feel for not blindly falling in line in supporting the newest crusade against the redskins, rebels, japs, krauts, gooks, or hajjis.

Legions of Legal Interns Screw the Pooch

2008-07-02T08:44:00.004-05:00

The Supreme Court got a major decision wrong last week...guess which one I'm talking about...not the gun one, I'm all for that. In fact, I think anyone with the funds should be able to buy any weapon they like (Bazookas, Raptor air crafts, Battle Ships, whatever).

No, the Supreme Court ruled against capitol punishment for the rape of a child. Now I'm not going to spend much time on the morality or social consequences or blah blah blah behind capitol punishment in general. I just want to focus on a bit of news I read in the NY Times today.

The Supremes completely omitted (most likely unintentionally) a federal law that had set precedent for capitol punishment when a child is raped. This is a major miss. Precedent is often key to the Court's decisions and there's been a law on the federal books since 2006 that allows for capitol punishment under the circumstances of raping a child.

This aroused my interest because of the magnitude of the omission. In a court where the most important decisions often end up 5-4, this sort of mistake is mind blowing.

Usually I'm tolerant of human error. It happens. Cars explode because pieces were manufactured poorly...people get sick from poor handling of food...work gets done incorrectly; it's inevitable. But on the grandest stage in all the legal land, this seems a bit odd to me.

I suppose it only reaffirms my thoughts about the inevitability of man-made mistakes though.

That's all. It's good to be back, brief as it may be.

Those dirty sluts having sex...or NOT doing something?

2008-06-30T14:05:00.005-05:00

This story about the girls in Massachusetts who had a 'pact' to have children together has gotten out of hand. I read an article that takes a different stance, though.

Basically, the story asks what if, instead of intentionally getting pregnant and having babies together, these girls found themselves pregnant and decided to support each other through the hard time?

Since 1981, the abortion rate per year has dropped 44%, from 29.3/1000 to 19.4/1000. (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html) Could it be that, we're not having sluttier teenagers, but have less teenagers get abortions?

Since 1991 at its peak, teen pregnancies (not births. Births vs. pregnancies are very different) have dropped by 30%. (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf) Pregnancies AND abortions have dropped. That means, if abortions have dropped more than pregnancies, which they HAVE, we should see an increase in births.

I don't know. I don't think we should ostracize and criticize these girls for being sluts. For all we know, the work of the Problem Pregnancy Centers and Crisis Pregnancy Centers is working. It's not that pregnancy is glamorized because of movies like "Juno" and "Knocked Up", but maybe NOT having an abortion and ADOPTION are being seen in a better light.

The best part about this theory is that, instead of being immature and being sluts, maybe these girls are showing maturity and supporting each other through what - I can't imagine - must be one of the hardest situations a young woman could go through.

That's encouraging.

Persuasion: Trickery or "Great Form of Human Change"?

2008-06-27T21:58:00.002-05:00

I've always been really into speech and language. That is why I majored in it. And, why my 'life intention' is to teach the art of it.

So far, my dream of teaching has fallen flat. But in a world of bills and fun things to buy, a job is needed to quell the anger of loan agencies. Thus, I have started looking for something to do with my time, i.e. a job.

Since realizing that I have a Bachelor's degree in English and communications, I have decided that Starbucks is out. This has led me to the field of Public Relations and marketing.

I have always loved speech, debate and interacting with people, so public relations seems like a good fit for me. I have always loved schmoozing so marketing is good, as well. In my recent interviews, though, I have realized that I am not knowledgeable in the area of public relations.

So, I looked online at college PR courses and have stolen their 'required textbook' lists. Amazon helped me out and now I am in possession of all the knowledge that SHOULD be presented in "Intro to Public Relations", "Writing for Public Relations" and "News, Television and Print". While reading these texts and looking at classes I SHOULD have taken in college, I came across one I thought would be a blow-off: "Persuasion".

Now, I've always thought that you can win any argument by presenting the information in a particular way. I thought that was the art of debate. Persuasion, though? That's sleezy. That's slimey. That's...so 'satanistic', right?

That is where you are wrong. So far, I have been reading this gentleman's website which is basically a speech course, web-ey-ized. He goes through the history of persuasion, from Greek origins and goes into the art and necessity of persuasion in a democratic society.

Now, this isn't a poignant entry about current events. Just an update on my life and what I'm starting to get into. The title of this entry links to the guy's website and I have to tell you to check it out. It really is amazing.

I may not have a teaching job right now, but this will probably help me become a better speech teaching in the long run.

Happy 4th of July.

Quote of the Day & Interesting Article All In One Post!

2008-06-05T22:33:00.003-05:00

“We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

-Karl Rove, speaking to NYT's Ron Suskind in 2002.

And also an article highlighting a crucial point in the occupation of Iraq by the US.

100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time

2008-06-05T15:30:00.004-05:00

I got my newest Rolling Stone magazine yesterday and it claimed to posses the knowledge of the 100 Greatest Guitars Songs ("Like anyone could even know that!" -Napoleon Dynamite voice)

So here they are:

100 Tool - "Vicarious"
99 My Morning Jacket - "Run Thru"
98 Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under the Bridge"
97 Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
96 Husker Du - "New Day Rising"
95 Moby Grape - "Omaha"
94 Dire Sraits - "Money for Nothing"
93 My Bloody Valentine - "Only Shallow"
92 Mick Jagger - "Memo from Turner"
91 The Mars Volta - "Drunkship of Lanterns"
90 The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?"
89 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - "I Love Rock N Roll"
88 Quicksilver Messenger Service - "Mona"
87 King Crimson - "Red"
86 Jeff Beck - "I Ain't Superstitious"
85 Phish - "You Enjoy Myself"
84 John Mayer - "Gravity"
83 Sublime - "What I Got"
82 The Ventures - "Walk -- Don't Run"
81 Michael Jackson - "Beat It"
80 Steely Dan - "Kid Charlemagne"
79 Sonic Youth - "Silver Rocket"
78 Buddy Guy - "Stone Crazy"
77 Pearl Jam - "Even Flow"
76 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "American Girl"
75 Frank Zappa - "Willie the Pimp"
74 ZZ Top - "La Grange"
73 Blue Cheer - "Summertime Blues"
72 Weezer - "Say It Ain't So"
71 The Strokes - "Take It Or Leave It"
70 Smashing Pumpkins - "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
69 Pink Floyd - "Money"
68 B.B. King - "The Thrill is Gone"
67 Bruce Springsteen - "Adam Raised A Cain"
66 Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Texas Flood"
65 The Police - "Message in a Bottle"
64 Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Freebird"
63 Guns n' Roses - "Sweet Child O' Mine"
62 Albert King - "Born Under a Bad Sign"
61 Sam And Dave - "Soul Man"
60 Funkadelic - "Maggot Brain"
59 Jeff Beck - "Freeway Jam"
58 Link Wray - "Rumble"
57 Grateful Dead - "Dark Star"
56 The Byrds - "Eight Miles High"
55 Cream - "White Room"
54 Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Little Wing"
53 Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Born on the Bayou"
52 Radiohead - "My Iron Lung"
51 Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"
50 Pixies - "Debaser"
49 Jimi Hendrix - "Machine Gun"
48 The Clash - "London Calling"
47 Van Halen - "Panama"
46 Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - "Miserlou"
45 The Beatles - "I Saw Her Standing There"
44 Sleater-Kinney - "Dig Me Out"
43 The Sex Pistols - "Holidays in the Sun"
42 John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - "Hideaway"
41 Television - "Marquee Moon"
40 The Who - "I Can See for Miles"
39 Santana - "Black Magic Woman"
38 The Faces - "Stay With Me"
37 Elvis Presley - "That's All Right"
36 Pink Floyd - "Interstellar Overdrive"
35 The Stooges - "1969"
34 Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
33 Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
32 Dire Straits - "Sultans of Swing"
31 Queen - "Keep Yourself Alive"
30 Bill Haley and His Comets - "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock"
29 AC/DC - "Back in Black"
28 U2 - "Where the Streets Have No Name"
27 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - "Look Over Yonders Wall"
26 B.B. King - "How Blue Can You Get"
25 The Rolling Stones - "Can't You Hear Me Knocking"
24 Rage Against the Machine- "Killing in the Name"
23 The Yardbirds - "Over Under Sideways Down"
22 The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
21 The White Stripes - "Seven Nation Army"
20 The Impressions - "People Get Ready"
19 Prince and the Revolution - "Purple Rain"
18 Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
17 Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath"
16 Neil Young with Crazy Horse - "Cowgirl in the Sand"
15 The Who - "My Generation"
14 Bruce Springsteen - "Born to Run"
13 Derek and the Dominos - "Layla"
12 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
11 Led Zeppelin - "Whole Lotta Love"
10 Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
09 The Allman Brothers Band - "Statesboro Blues"
08 Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"
07 The Beatles - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
06 Van Halen - "Eruption"
05 Rolling Stones - "Brown Sugar"
04 The Kinks - "You Really Got Me"
03 Cream - "Crossroads"
02 Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze"
01 Chuck Berry - "Johnny B. Goode

We'll Do It Live!

2008-06-02T23:18:00.002-05:00

1. Congrats Grant & Jamie. Jackson will be the 52nd president of the US, simply because of his name.

2. http://youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY

3. And the remix: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5j2YDq6FkVE&feature=related

Ali Abunimah and One State

2008-04-30T14:23:00.007-05:00

One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse, by Ali Abunimah. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006. 240 pages. $23.00, hardcover.

In his 2006 book, One Country, activist and author Ali Abunimah, in what seems to be a prescient assertion within the context of the post-Annapolis peace process, suggests that the two-state solution is beyond resuscitation. Chronicling the increasingly abject situation of the Palestinians from the Oslo Accords to Camp David II to the present, Abunimah posits the two-state solution as nothing more than a masquerade for further Israeli annexation of Palestinian land. Abunimah is at his best in this book when he is dissecting the peace process, which is putatively purported to deliver a two-state solution that is fair, just and to deliver self-determination to both peoples. Unfortunately, he seems to be lacking when it comes to the modalities of actually implementing his solution, a bi-national state founded on democracy and civil rights.

Abunimah is absolutely right when he says the Palestinian nationalist movement has failed. Of course, the onus for its failure is bipartite (broadly speaking: poor Palestinian leadership and the overall ideology of all Israeli governments, whether dovish or hawkish). The peace process has always been domintated by a post-1967 framework. No Israeli Prime Minister has ever accepted the legitimacy of U.N. resolution 194 (which calls for the repatriation of all 1948 refugees and their descendants and compensation for those refugees who do not choose to exercise this right). The aim of partitioning all of historic Palestine to manifest a solution (i.e. U.N. resolution 181) has been fundamentally, and arguably irrevocably, modified so that now the partitioning of the West Bank is discussed.

For Abunimah, to alleviate the Palestinian plight and end the draconian occupation polices the one-state solution is the only solution. In reality, of any proposal it perhaps the most firmly grounded in justice and equality. The paradigm par excellence for this type of peaceful solution is the South African model and Abunimah devotes an entire chapter of the book to expounding upon the congruencies between the two conflicts. The Afrikaner-Zionist ideology comparison is particularly trenchant and the cantonization of the West Bank pulls the analogy together in light of the apartheid policies of South Africa. If the Black Africans achieved civil rights in a conflict that lasted 400 years (a number that Abunimah dubiously refers to) why should we conclude the Palestinians cannot?

Another model that Abunimah references is the Belgium model, where French speaking Wallons and the Flemish have coexisted. These models, particularly the South African model, certainly demonstrate examples of reconciliation and coexistence. However, Israel-Palestine is an ethno-sectarian conflict different in kind from the South African and/or Belgium model. Perhaps the biggest difference is the role of the international community. There was almost no international support for the apartheid regime in South Africa (apart from the Israeli government). In contradistinction, Israel is heavily supported by the U.S., who tacitly accepts settlement policies, and allies in Europe. Furthermore, the Afrikaners in South Africa faced a much larger “demographic threat” (I apologize for using such a racist term, unfortunately it is the nomenclature that is used in the conflict) with roughly 4 million white Afrikaners and approximately 30 million black Africans, something had to give. The numbers in Israel/Palestine are obviously much more equitable, so Israel can afford to continue (for the time being) to let the conflict drag on.

In my assessment, the strongest part of Abunimah’s argument is his “irreversible” argument. Agreeing with Israeli intellectual Meron Benvenisti, Abunimah believes that all of Israel/Palestine is by de facto one state. Abunimah believes it should be de jure. The continued expansion of Israel settlements, the segmentation of the West Bank and the overall infrastructural build-up lead one to believe that the situation in the West Bank is irreversible. In other words, why would Israel being investing billions to develop the West Bank infrastructure if it plans on eventually leaving? So rather than trying to further the partition the West Bank, abolish the green line and declare all of historic Palestine “Isratine” (like Libyan leader, Col. Qaddaffi called it at the Arab Summit in Damascus) a bi-national state, with full political rights for Jews and Arabs.

Critics of Abunimah rightly retort that there is little international currency (outside of academia) for the one-state solution and essentially no constituency in Israel or Palestine. Abunimah hesitantly declares the one-state solution to be a panacea to solving the major final status issues, “Creating a single state for Israeli Jews and Palestinians could in theory resolve the most intractable issues: the fate of Israeli settlements built since 1967, the rights of Palestinian refugees, and the status of Jerusalem.” Yet, he ignores the problems that are epiphenomenal with a one-state solution. Most importantly, the one-state solution completely destroys the Zionist project, Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizman and Ben-Gurion would be collectively rolling over in their graves. Say what you will about the failed Palestinian nationalist movement, but its current ideology is not one that supports one-state. Moreover, I am not so sure that one-state would solve the refugee issue. Elections for the “Isratine” parliament would essentially be a census, with Jews voting for Jews and Palestinians voting for Palestinians. Formulating any sort of refugee policy, or any other sort of policy for that matter, would inexorably be a long, drawn out, gridlocked process. Jews in “Isratine” are not going to commit further “demographic” suicide by allowing the Diaspora Palestinian community to pour into the newly constructed state.
Abunimah passionately argues for one-state, and he does so in away that attempts to not alienate Jews or Israelis, although he inevitably will. I actually agree with Abunimah, one-state is the purely moral solution. However, within the context of the current political situation I cannot envision it happening. There would need to be a sea change in Israeli and American politics for that to ever occur. Perhaps a fair and just two-state solution can be the gateway to the solution that Abunimah longs for.

Mr. Walker Goes to 'Nawlins'

2008-04-15T21:35:00.011-05:00

So here's a few pictures of where I'll likely be living in the coming months. The Covington-Mandeville-Slidell area of New Orleans is like the Howell-Brighton-Milford of Detroit; suburban sprawl popping up all around 3 old towns 30 minutes outside of a major city. The main difference is there are palm trees, alligators, and southern accents that are barely recognizable.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any Arab restaurants, but there is no shortage of Thai places. Housing is cheap and jobs are plenty.

About 100 feet behind me in this picture was a huge black snake in the mud. We couldn't see where he began nor where he ended, we just saw a thick, serpentine body slowly moving through the mud 2 feet below the boardwalk we were on. I nicknamed him Muddly McSlithers.
This little guy might look cute, but he almost turned into the dinosaur from Jurassic Park that spits venom at you when he gets mad. That little red area under his chin popped out when i got close to him, so I stepped back a little to take this picture. I didn't want to end up like the fat guy from Seinfeld who got spat on by the dinosaur.
New Orleans is more beautiful than you would think. Here is a church in Jackson Square in the French Quarter. There happened to be a festival going while we were there.

Here's the famed Bourbon Street. Every fourth storefront is a strip club and literally every second door is a frozen Daiquiri shop.

And of course, what would a trip to the Big Easy without a stroll along the River.

On Money, Inflation, and Government

2008-03-31T20:59:00.001-05:00

The following is a weekly article from Ron Paul, published today. I think it is a good explanation of the financial crisis we find ourselves in today.

These past few weeks have provided an unfortunate opportunity to discuss inflation. The dollar index has reached new all-time lows. The total money supply, M3, as calculated by private sources, is growing at a disturbing 17% rate. The Fed is pumping dollars into the economy at an alarming rate. Just recently the Fed announced new loan auctions totaling $100 billion. That is new money created from thin air. If these money auctions, combined with the bailout of Bear Stearns, continue to be the trend, we are in for some economic stormy weather. The explanation lies in understanding the basics of money, and why it is dangerous to give government and big banks control over it.

First, money is not wealth, in and of itself. You cannot create more wealth simply by creating more money. Wall Street bankers cry out for more liquidity, but what is really needed is more value behind the dollar. But the value, unfortunately, isn't there.

You see, the Fed creates new money and uses it to purchase securities from banks. Flush with funds, these banks seek to put this money to use. During the Fed's expansionary period, much of this money went to home loans. Through a combination of federal government inducements to lend to risky borrowers, and the Fed's supply of easy money, the housing bubble took shape. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were encouraged to purchase and securitize mortgages, while investors, buoyed by implicit government backing, rushed to provide funding. Money that could have been invested in more productive, less risky sectors of the economy was thereby malinvested in subprime mortgage loans.

The implicit guarantee from the Fed is quickly becoming explicit, as those institutions deemed "too big to fail" are bailed out at taxpayer expense. Wall Street made a killing during the housing bubble, reaping record profits. Now that the bubble has burst, these same firms are trying to dump their losses on the taxpayers. This approach requires more money creation, and therefore debasement of all dollars in circulation.

The Federal Reserve, a quasi-government entity, should not be creating money or determining interest rates, as this causes malinvestment and excessive debt to accumulate. Centrally planned, government manipulated economies always fail eventually. The collapse of communism and the failure of socialism should have made this apparent. Even the most educated, well-intentioned central planners cannot plan the market better than the market itself. Those that understand economics best, understand this reality.

In free markets, both success and failure are options. If government interventions prevent businesses, like Bear Stearns, from failing, then it is not truly a free market. As painful as it might be for Wall Street, banks, even big ones, must be allowed to fail.

The end game for this policy of monetary inflation is that the money in your bank account loses purchasing power. So, by keeping failing banks afloat, the Fed punishes those who have lived frugally and saved. The power to create money is a power that should never be granted to government. As we can plainly see today, the Fed has abused this power, and taxpayers are paying the price.

A TOP 10 DESIGNED FOR SOME SKIPS, SOME SCABS AND SOME SCALLIWAGS

2008-03-21T10:30:00.012-05:00

There are quite a few really funny truths, half-truths and complete lies that are propagated within the circle of friends of the authors of this blog. So this top 10 may not be funny or interesting to some, so...deal with it. I am going to briefly explain the myth/rumor/lie/true story, go into a brief description and finally assert my belief in the validity of the myth. If you have more please add to them. Lastly, these are not in any sort of order.

1. Mr. Steele is a pornstar

- It is a widely believed that Howard Steele has lurked within shadows of the adult industry. But he also has his 9 to 5, his wife and kids, but there is another side. Add it all up, the mustache, the hair, that tall, slender frame and you have the makings of a 70's pornstar famous for his mustache rides. Unfortunately, after an extensive investigation and hours of porn watching, I have concluded this to be a half-truth. Mr. Steele (oddly enough that was also his porn name) dabbled in the industry for a few years. However, after witnessing the apparent soulessness of his sons he became very depressed and no longer works in the industry. However, he was once a pornstar.

(TRUE)

2. Grant had a severe form of chapped lips called "third lip syndrome"

- Particularly during 10th grade, Thomas "Grant" Downs could not stop licking his lips. This proved to be a problematic obesession during the harsh winter months in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Often times Grant's lips would become so raw and so chapped from a dangerous combination of overlicking and dry winter weather that there would appear to be a third lip above his top lip. To this day Grant denies this disgusting ailment, yet there are certain individuals that will attest to the validity of this rumor. I for one vividly remember sitting in Mr. Rhodes english class, wiping boogers on Grant and being disgusted by his third lip.

(UNEQUIVOCALLY TRUE)

3. Ed Gallagher always smiles.

Ed Gallagher is a man of many faces, well I guess that does not really apply here. This rumor could in fact be pushed further to say that "Ed Gallagher can ONLY smile". Yet, I know this to not be true. In fact, I remember many times after Andrew Walker had been particularly disrespectful to my mother, his wife, Joan Gallagher ("Joan, where is the pisser?"), where he would grimace and say "that kid is an asshole".

(FALSE)

4. Ian needs as much attention as a high school girl.

- Whether its sliding across the gym floor like a 4 year old at Chucky Cheese or making obscene, noxious comments to a friend's girlfriend, Ian Christopher Young appears to be constantly trying to get attention from anyone...really ANYONE. Ian has spent several years perfecting his craft under the tutelage of OCS drama teacher and lesbian activist Dawn Lichty. It is common knowledge that high school girls crave attention, but to see this odd chromosome mix up in a male leaves many in disbelief. Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time with Ian knows, he needs attention like Derek needs coffee and false hopes of a career in the music industry.

(FALSE- IAN NEEDS MORE ATTENTION THAN A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL)

5. Mr. Carl Walker is in fact Chuck Norris, Walker Texas Ranger

- No explanation needed really. Look at Carl, look at Chuck...they are one in same.

(TRUE)

6. Derek Steele and Adam Gallagher are in a homosexual relationship.

- There have been rumors floating around for years about Derek Steele and Adam Gallagher being involved in some sort of "partnership" (as they call it these days). The main promulgater of this myth has been Grant "Third Lip" Downs telling the same old story of catching the two "staring into each other's eyes". Perhaps, Grant is covering up for something (see below). Yet, there has never been a piece of empirical evidence to confirm this rumor. Ok, I'm just kidding, they are gay together, I mean look at those twinks.

(TRUE TRUE TRUE)

7. Grant Downs is gay.

- Although Grant is married to Jamie Elyse Turner and has a child on the way, there has been a steady stream (no pun intended) of rumors for the past several years that Grant is fact leading a double life and is gay. One need look no further than the often discussed "cellphone incident", which lead many to believe that Grant was not only gay, but into S & M. After further review it appears that most of Grant's repressed desires to rule as king of Gaydom were released in high school. Although he there are sometimes he deeply desires the soft touch of a man he is in fact straight and just a vile person. In fact, give Grant a few swigs of tequila and you will hear vile filth pour out of his mouth at unprecedented rate.

(FALSE)

8. Derek Steele once performed the "shocker". - In act of unfettered desperation Derek Steele once told a group of close friends he performed a manuever called the shocker. See Derek feared being ostracized, or Peterized, because he spent alot of time at lunch sitting with a girl. His friends deemed this stupid and decide to make fun of him. In a incredibly disgusting attempt to conjure up coolness Derek told them he had done "the shocker". Derek even went so far as to invent the male shocker as a way to recreate the mystique and hilarity of his initial shocker story. Scholars have questioned for years what really happened and the academic consensus has been that Derek "Bobo" Steele did not perform the shocker. In fact, Derek has been so devasted by this lie that his life has been irrevocably damaged. One lie has created the "man", and I use that term loosely, that you see today.

(FALSE)

9. Andrew Walker is the world's biggest contrarian.

- Anyone who has spent significat time in the company of Andrew Walker has no doubt felt the sneaking suspiscion that he disagrees with everything you say. No matter what the topic is, movies, music, politics, history, agronomics, 18th century vampirism, Andrew has an opinion and its different than yours. Andrew has an uncanny ability to not only disagree with everyone but to do it in a dickish way that makes you want to punch yourself in the nuts.

(TRUE)

10. Derek Steele once drank himself into Adam Gallagher's consciousness.

-After a particularly uneventful night at the nighclub 7evin, located in Pontiac, Michigan, an incident occurred that literally ripped the space/time continuum in half. This event forever changed the course of experimental physics and relativity. Derek Steele drank so much he became Adam Gallagher, Adam Gallagher's consciousness was subsumed into Derek's body. Derek spent most of the night doing his usual, drinking Lady Steele cocktails and repulsing woman on the dance floor. By the end of the night, Derek was a hammered mess. He walked up to the bartender and said, or rather mumbled, "I want to check out my card". The bartender responded, "What's your name?". Derek simply replied "I'm Adam Gallagher"...

(FRIGHTENINGLY TRUE)