Thursday, July 29, 2004

Liveblogging the Kerry nomination

Okay, let's try this. I'm starting to pay attention as Andre Heinz comes up to speak. Silly touch -- opening music is "Hey Ya", by Outkast. Fronted by Andre 3000, get it?! Ha.

Wooden performance by Andre Heinz -- sure that JFKII is just his stepdad?

Vanessa Kerry seems to be smoother. Definitely looks like dad, but somehow makes it work. "At my father's core is integrity", and then relates an anecdote that seems to have more to do with familial love. More positive, though, and seems to be doing what bloggers wanted Teresa to do -- provide an image of the man, rather than reiterate the party platform.

Alexandra Kerry next: An anecdote about her father saving a hamster from drowning and then administering CPR. Making a comment about DemocRATs is too harsh, so I won't. Again, emphasizing Kerry's personality -- hero, listener, studious, "doesn't play to our baser instincts". And then . . . "If we want our children to . . . control their own bodies . . ." That's politispeak for abortion rights, of course, and the image of our children having it is wierd at the least.

Then C-SPAN airs something with the subtitle "Kerry Campaign Video". At elast they're being honest about it.

Hmm . . . Both Alexandra and the campaign video have stressed that JFKII is 6'4". Any importance to this?

That voice on the Campaign Video -- I recognize it . . . If I'm not mistaken, it's Morgan Freeman!

Ah, I'm right about Freeman -- check it out here. Hmm -- contribution by Steven Spielberg also.

There's an emphasis on Kerry the family man, talking about how he never let his job get in the way of his family. But talking about traveling back to Massachusetts all the time to be with family -- for some reason my mind compares this to Moore's complaints that Bush was always on vacation in Texas before 9/11 . . .

Another campaign video, this time from the DNC.

Next up are members of Kerry's Swift Boats. Are they going to just be trotted out, or will they be given the chance to speak? Can't see them contributing all that much, since Kerry's scheduled to speak in ten minutes.

Ok -- speaking is a Green Beret whose life was saved by the company, Jim Rassman. Nothing too new or innovative . . .

Former Senator Max Cleland up now, to introduce Kerry. You may recognize Cleland's name from this. And this prediction about the 'band of brothers' motif is holding true. Cleland states that "There is no greater patriotism than that", referring to his actions in dissent of the Vietnam War. As for Kerry's 'patriotism' post-Vietnam, check out this, and the transcript of his Senate report here.

I would like to talk on behalf of all those veterans and say that several months ago in Detroit we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged, and many very highly decorated, veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia. These were not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command. It is impossible to describe to you exactly what did happen in Detroit - the emotions in the room and the feelings of the men who were reliving their experiences in Vietnam. They relived the absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do.
They told stories that at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Ghengis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country.

And then Kerry's response this year to his own testimony here:

MR. RUSSERT: You committed atrocities.

SEN. KERRY: Where did all that dark hair go, Tim? That's a big question for me. You know, I
thought a lot, for a long time, about that period of time, the things we said, and I think the word is a bad word. I think it's an inappropriate word. I mean, if you wanted to ask me have you ever made mistakes in your life, sure. I think some of the language that I used was a language that reflected an anger. It was honest, but it was in anger, it was a little bit excessive.

MR. RUSSERT: You used the word "war criminals."

SEN. KERRY: Well, let me just finish. Let me must finish. It was, I think, a reflection of the kind of times we found ourselves in and I don't like it when I hear it today. I don't like it, but I want you to notice that at the end, I wasn't talking about the soldiers and the soldiers' blame, and my great regret is, I hope no soldier--I mean, I think some soldiers were angry at me for that, and I understand that and I regret that, because I love them. But the words were honest but on the other hand, they were a little bit over the top. And I think that there were breaches of the Geneva Conventions. There were policies in place that were not acceptable according to the laws of warfare, and everybody knows that. I mean, books have chronicled that, so I'm not going to walk away from that. But I wish I had found a way to say it in a less abrasive way.

MR. RUSSERT: But, Senator, when you testified before the Senate, you talked about some of the hearings you had observed at the winter soldiers meeting and you said that people had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and on and on. A lot of those stories have been discredited, and in hindsight was your testimony...

SEN. KERRY: Actually, a lot of them have been documented.

MR. RUSSERT: So you stand by that?

SEN. KERRY: A lot of those stories have been documented. Have some been discredited? Sure, they have, Tim. The problem is that's not where the focus should have been. And, you know, when you're angry about something and you're young, you know, you're perfectly capable of not--I mean, if I had the kind of experience and time behind me that I have today, I'd have framed some of that differently. Needless to say, I'm proud that I stood up. I don't want anybody to think twice about it. I'm proud that I took the position that I took to oppose it. I think we saved lives, and I'm proud that I stood up at a time when it was important to stand up, but I'm not going to quibble, you know, 35 years later that I might not have phrased things more artfully at times.

And this is 'patriotism' -- self-admitted (and denied in the same paragraph)exaggeration accusing his fellow soldiers of hideous acts of torture?

Next up: JOHN FORBES KERRY HIMSELF!

He comes up. Lots of "Thank you"s -- can someone go back and get a count? MY guess is fifteen so far . . . Maybe closer to twenty.

"I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty!" Is that with or without your medals?

He does look scary . . . Like Evil Bert. Okay, I'll try to stay serious.

He's emphasizing "telling the truth to the American people." His first pledge: "I will restore trust and credibility to the White House."

Now he's taking potshots at the whole Cabinet -- all the negative talking points: The Vice President is a corporate pig, etc.

"There is nothing more pessimistic than saying America can't do better." I haven't heard anyone say that . . .

"I accept your nomination for President of the United States." Straightens out this controversy.

He's talking about Teresa Heinz-Kerry as the next First Lady of the United States. Question: were Kerry elected, would Teresa be the first foreign-born First Lady? I'm not up on First Lady trivia.

He keep talking about the "fight for our country", but he's talking about fighting against Bush. What about the terrorists?!

Ha -- here's the answer right now, hopefully. He's talking about 9/11, the firemen, flight 93, flags, "the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us." Talking about unity behind Bush. "And how we wish it had stayed that way!" Well, what changed?

Talking about reformation of the intelligence agency, and against the Iraq war. Making sure that our country "never goes to war because we want to, but only because we have to!" Well, didn't you, John Kerry, vote for going to war? That's Congress's job, not the President's.

Again, talking about not going it alone in the world, rebuilding alliances. Still belittling the coalition of the willing. Sheesh, even I didn't know that Europe was that supportive! And Instapundit here mentions new alliances we're building in Asia.

"Values are not just words. Values are what we live by . . . It's time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families." What about Kerry's position on abortion -- that a fetus is a human life, but that abortion should be legal?

"Help is on the way!" I thought that the campaign slogan was "Hope is on the way"?

He's now saying that he's going to close tax loopholes that provide incentives for corporations to move their manufacturing jobs overseas. Now, I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that outsourcing isn't because of tax loopholes, but rather because of lower wages elsewhere. Of course, moving the corporation headquarters overseas is a different matter entirely, but that's not what he's talking about.

Haha -- and now a man with a trial lawyer as a running mate complaining about the cost of health insurance!

He's pushing independence from Mideast oil. Good! Is he going to support drilling in Alaska, or what? "New technologies and alternative fuels" -- nuclear, or something else? What are the specifics?

Words directly to President Bush: He asks for civility in the coming election race, and then gets in a dig about misusing the Constitution for political purposes. "The high road may be harder, but it leads to a better place . . . Big ideas, not small-minded attacks." So what was the Constitution dig?

Instapundit had comments up, but looks like they're down now?

Arrghh. . . Fifty minutes. Growing tired of listening to liberal talk.

Alright. It's done. I get the feeling that he's trying to channel Reagan in calling for optimism. A good thing, I guess.

Haha -- "Beautiful Day" by U2 as the closing song. Seriously, it sounds to me like it was set to start at the beginning of the second stanza -- but why would they do that?

You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In a maze of her imagination

You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you

I don't think that's the message the DNC wants to send . . .

UPDATE: Instalaaaaaaanche! Yeah, a link to this post is in there somewhere . . .

We're the Mario Brothers, and plumbing's our game

This is now on my wishlist.

Monday, July 26, 2004

Contacting Scott McClellan

Okay guys, this seems weird to me. Check out the White House press briefings website here. Notice the little sidebar titled "Ask Scott McClellan", with questions that various people seem to have asked Scott McClellan? It seems like these are emails from people who have visited the site. Here's the weird part -- I can't find a link anywhere to ask Scott McClellan a question. So, is it that I'm too stupid to figure out how to ask Scott McClellan a question? Maybe the question-asking button was removed from the site for reasons related to national security. Or maybe there IS no button, and these questions are made up or something -- which would make the earliest-dated entry very, umm, wacked:

May 21, 2004 | 2:24 p.m.(EDT)

Q: Johannes from Jena, Germany:
Hello! I'm a german Student from Jena, and this semester I'm taking part on a seminar about media in the USA. We read there a newspaper-article about press conferences in the White House. Is it true that the press conferences are planned in advance, so a journalist is only allowed to ask the questions he submited to the White House earlier before the press conference?

Many Thanks in advance and greetings from Germany!

A:White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan:
My job would certainly be much easier if only it were true. I can categorically say it has no basis in fact, but it was one of the more amusing conspiracy theories I have seen during my time at the White House. The White House press corps is represented by a bunch of professional journalists who are working hard to keep the American people informed about the decisions we make here in Washington. Part of their job is to ask the tough questions, but I can never foresee a day when they would ever submit those to us in advance.

Anyways, if you guys can figure out how to ask Scott McClellan a question, let me know. This does have to do with my plan. For more details, you'll just have to wait.

GOOGLE IS DOWN

GOOGLE IS DOWN! GOOGLE IS DOWN! GOOGLE IS DOWN!

Has nothing to do with my aforementioned evil plan to save the world, btw.

Google: Error
Server Error
The service you requested is not available at this time.
Service error -27.


UPDATE: Here are details on the Google crash.

Low Posting

Sorry about the lack of posts, but work's been heavy lately. I have something stewing, though, and hopefully in the next couple days I'll be able to post my evil plan to save the world.

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Silly stuff

Worst map of North and South Korea here.
Most expensive United flight I've ever seen here (scroll down towards the bottom). Not sure how long until the page is fixed.

Not silly or anything, but check out some great deals on 38th Parallel gear here, at their eBay store. Hat tip to the ranting saint. And if you check out his site, that's Demon Hunter playing.

UPDATE: Screenshot of the expensive United flight available here.

100th Post

Nothing interesting to say, though. I guess it's survey day for some reason. Here's my third (and hopefully last) for the day:

::::::::::::: Word Association :::::::::::::
Ansel:Adams
Bobblehead:Doll
Camera:Man
Dinner:Plate
Elephant:Dog
Four:Score
Grape:Jelly
Helium:Balloon
Inside:Outside
Jury:Duty
Kerosene:Lantern
Liberty:Disco
Marx:Engels
Nomenclature:Name
Offend:Deny
Patronize:Padre
Quarantine:Disease
Rotisserie:Chicken
Sultry:Sweat
Tangible:Intangible
Undulate:Snake
Vulnerable:Invulnerable
Westward:Stabbing
Xenophobia:Alien
Yearn:Want
Zenith:Top
::::::::::::: Surroundings :::::::::::::
Look to your left, what do you see?:Computer
Look to your right, what do you see?:Telephone
What size is your bed?:Double Bunk
What is on your bed?:Blanket
Look at your books, what is the first one that you see?:Lord of the Rings
What color are your walls in your room?:White
What is on the walls of your room?:Bulletin Board
::::::::::::: Most Recent :::::::::::::
Song you heard on the radio...:Cid's Theme from FFIX
Track on a CD you played...:Red Rose Catharsis by Amber
Words you spoke...:Seeya
Person you spoke them to...:Brian Biros
Movie you watched at home...:Butterfly Effect
Movie you watched in the theater...:King Arthur
Book you read...:Minority Report and other short stories
Website you visited (before this)...:Yahoo Mail
Person you thought of...:Wendy
Person you love(d)...:my brother
Person you IMed...:Wendy
Blog you read...:http://www.truthlaidbear.com
Food you ate...:Mutton Rogan Josh
Beverage you drank...:Diet Sprite
Dream you had...:Arguing over some sort of bill
::::::::::::: Do You Like :::::::::::::
Cars:Yes
Trucks:No
Patriotism:Yes
Ice Cream:Yes
Theatre:Yes
Music (what kind):Christian Punk
Politics:Yes
Religion:No
Driving:Yes
Computers:Yes
Card Games:Yes
Ansel Adams:No
Jack Kerouac:No
Photography:No
Carpeting:No
Vinyl Tile:No
Linoleum:No
Hardwood Flooring:Yes
Trees:Yes
Road Construction:No
Beanie Babies:No
Vh1:No
MTV:No
CMT:No
TNT:No
TBS:Yes
NBC:No
CBS:No
ABC:No
FOX:No
HBO:No
Ron White:No
::::::::::::: Hodge Podge :::::::::::::
Are you in love?:No
Do you plan on staying that way?:No
Do you eat beef?:Yes
Do you eat fish?:Yes
Do you eat chicken?:Yes
Do you eat pork?:Yes
Isn't it great being on the top of the food chain?:Yes
Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?:Pro-Life
Or so you're one of them huh?:Yes
Do you PRACTICE Christianity?:Yes
If so, what denomination?:IFCA
For or against the death penalty?:For
Pro or Anti Michael Moore?:Anti
Are you registered to vote?:Yes
Have you decided who you will vote for?:Yes
Who makes you happy?:My friends
Do you make them happy?:Yes
How close are you?:Depends on which one
Do you want to be closer?:Yes
Do they know how you feel?:Yes
Do they know how you REALLY feel?:Yes
Michael Moore is an idiot, you know that right?:Yes
Do you know how many questions this quiz contained?:No

Take This Survey, and Live a Better Life brought to you by BZOINK!

Semi-Emo?!

I AM 27% EMO!
27% EMO
Hmm.. I should stop listening to Dashboard Confessional.... enough said... Now that I stopped looking at my shoes, I know how the real world looks.

IMDB's Top 100 Movies of All Time Checklist

IMDB's Top 100 Best Movies of All Time
generate this HTML for your own page at ObeytheFist.com

Rank

Movie

Didn't See It/
Started It/
Finished It/
Hated It!

1

Godfather, The (1972)

2

Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)

Finished It

3

Godfather: Part II, The (1974)

4

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)

Finished It

5

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)

Finished It

6

Casablanca (1942)

7

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)

Finished It

8

Schindler's List (1993)

Finished It

9

Shichinin no samurai (1954)

10

Star Wars (1977)

Finished It

11

Citizen Kane (1941)

12

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

13

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

14

Rear Window (1954)

15

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Finished It

16

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Finished It

17

Memento (2000)

Finished It

18

Usual Suspects, The (1995)

19

Pulp Fiction (1994)

20

North by Northwest (1959)

21

12 Angry Men (1957)

22

Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)

23

Psycho (1960)

24

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

25

Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)

26

Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)

27

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Finished It

28

Goodfellas (1990)

Started It

29

American Beauty (1999)

30

Vertigo (1958)

31

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

32

Matrix, The (1999)

Finished It

33

Apocalypse Now (1979)

34

Pianist, The (2002)

35

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

36

C'era una volta il West (1968)

37

Some Like It Hot (1959)

38

Third Man, The (1949)

39

Taxi Driver (1976)

40

Paths of Glory (1957)

41

Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)

42

Fight Club (1999)

43

Boot, Das (1981)

44

Double Indemnity (1944)

45

L.A. Confidential (1997)

46

Chinatown (1974)

47

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

48

Maltese Falcon, The (1941)

49

M (1931)

50

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

51

Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)

52

All About Eve (1950)

53

Se7en (1995)

Finished It

54

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Finished It

55

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Finished It

56

Cidade de Deus (2002)

57

Raging Bull (1980)

58

Rashômon (1950)

59

Wizard of Oz, The (1939)

60

Sting, The (1973)

61

Alien (1979)

Finished It

62

American History X (1998)

63

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Finished It

64

Léon (1994)

65

Vita è bella, La (1997)

66

Touch of Evil (1958)

67

Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)

68

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

69

Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)

70

Great Escape, The (1963)

71

Wo hu cang long (2000)

72

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

73

Clockwork Orange, A (1971)

74

Amadeus (1984)

75

Modern Times (1936)

76

Ran (1985)

77

Annie Hall (1977)

78

Jaws (1975)

79

On the Waterfront (1954)

80

Braveheart (1995)

Finished It

81

High Noon (1952)

82

Apartment, The (1960)

83

Fargo (1996)

84

Sixth Sense, The (1999)

Finished It

85

Aliens (1986)

Finished It

86

Shining, The (1980)

87

Strangers on a Train (1951)

88

Blade Runner (1982)

Finished It

89

Metropolis (1927)

90

Duck Soup (1933)

91

Finding Nemo (2003)

Finished It

92

Donnie Darko (2001)

Finished It

93

General, The (1927)

94

City Lights (1931)

95

Princess Bride, The (1987)

Finished It

96

Toy Story 2 (1999)

97

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Hated It!

98

Great Dictator, The (1940)

99

Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)

Finished It

100

Lola rennt (1998)

Finished It

27 movies out of 100


Which  movies have you seen?


Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Haste the Day article

Nice article on Haste the Day here.  I don't know too much about them, other than that they're Christian hardcore on Solid State, but the report makes them sound pretty good.  They're natives of Indianapolis; wonder if there are any connections with Calibretto?  Sounds like they're not afraid to talk about their faith, and not afraid to take their message into the world.  I'm setting up plans to see Haste the Day and Stretch Arm Strong in Nashville on August 14th, and look forward to giving thema positive review.

They're on to us!

Umm . . .  I mean, this and this are complete nonsense.

Monday, July 19, 2004

I, Robot

Some of you guys have heard me complain about the 'artistic liberties' that seem to have been taken with Asimov's classic book, "I, Robot", in its conversion into a Will Smith blockbuster.  Here's an article on Slate that fleshes out that thought.
 
BTW, isn't the Internet great?  I can always find someone that agrees with me on something and has already written an article.  Because of this, I can be lazy, put up the link to the article, and never post any real content on my blog, and still express my ornery opinion.  Bwhahahahaha!  The perfect combination of lazy and grumpy!

Friday, July 16, 2004

Terror Indications?

The blogosphere is in a buzz because of a report in Womens Wall Street, found here.  Instapundit has the rundown here.
 
In related news, political cartoonist Mark Fiore implies that we have no need for the Department for Homeland Security here.

UPDATE: Part II of the Womens Wall Street report here.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

My weblog is on a stock exchange . . .

No joke, I just discovered that my weblog is on a fantasy blog stock exchange. Check it out here. Currently, my valuation is B$1,187,17. Not exactly sure what that means -- I'm guessing that 'B$' stands for blogdollars, kinda like Monopoly money. I have to look into this, but it seems pretty cool! Maybe if everybody goes there and purchases my stock, its valuation will increase.

GO, my minions, and purchase my fake stock with fake money!

Thoughts on the FMA

The Federal Marriage Amendment, or FMA, was struck down in the Senate recently. Details here.

I'm not too depressed by this. I've never really fallen in with the Christian Right party line on this one. I have a problem with efforts to ensure the illegality of homosexual marriage: I don't like using the governmental power structure to enforce laws that are purely meant to impose morality and ethics. Why should we, as Christians, be so concerned about this? Those who are unsaved are sinners, and their natural state is to sin. Yes, it's bad, and yes, we should do something about it. But the solution isn't to force them to conform on the outside -- the solution is for Christ to reach them, through us, and effect a change in their lives from within. Once a person has been made into a new creature by Christ, once he or she has become a Christian, training in righteousness comes into play. Before that, what's the purpose?

I Corinthians 5 (NASB)
1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.


Also, check out Josh Claybourn's thoughts on the issue here (found via Instapundit).

On the other hand, though, I'm definitely no supporter of the push to legalize gay marriage. Just because I refuse to fight against it, doesn't mean I want to fight for it. Which brings me to my big question -- why is marriage in the hands of the government anyway? I don't have a satisfactory answer to that. If you do, please let me know, and my further thoughts on the subject may well be invalidated, since I'm basically writing this off the top of my head. But marriage, to me, seems to me to be primarily related to church more than state. State definitely has a hand in marriage (no pun intended) -- tax breaks, parental rights, and common ownership of property, seem to me to all be more related to state than church.

But maybe -- and you're free to disagree and prove me wrong -- maybe the church-marriage and state-marriage elements should be made distinctly separate. Imagine the ramifications, if only churches (and synagogues, mosques, etc.,) had the right to enable marriage, and the state only had the right to provide civil unions (by another name, hopefully - the term 'civil union' has connotations of marriage now). What I mean is, spiritual/religious institutions would be able to bring two people together into the bonds of holy matrimony, but this would carry no legal backing or benefit. On the other side of the divide, the state would be able to enable the legal rights of two people in a manner similar to that currently given by marriage or civil unions, except that this enabling would have no spiritual or sexual connotations. And I really mean no spiritual or sexual connotations -- in this hypothetical case, two heterosexual males (say, best friends for life) could apply for civil union with no implication of homosexuality.

Obviously, this thought isn't fully formed, and I freely admit that it could be flawed. I don't yet advocate this actual position -- right now, I fully intend to get married, when I do, in the combination church-state fashion that currently exists in America. It just seems weird to me . . .

Please, make your opinion known! I'm looking for critiques, suggestions, affirmation, whatever! I highly doubt that you have no thoughts on the matter, either of the FMA or of my brainstorming related to it. But also, please remember that it is just brainstorming, at this point in time.
 
UPDATE: Blogfriend of a friend Proverbial Wife has a well-thought-out article on the FMA here.

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

AARGHH CLEMENS

National League down 6-0 in the top of the first. My top ten most-disliked major-league ballplayers:
#10-#2: The New York Yankees starting lineup
#1: Roger Clemens

Ditka 2004?

This may be a Republican masterstroke. Mike Ditka is still wildly popular in Chicago, and if picked to replace Ryan in the race against Obama, I would immediately bank on him as the frontrunner. He would grab a very large portion of the undecideds, and probably also pull in significant numbers of otherwise non-voters. Could this selection do the impossible, and put Illinois into play for Bush?

UPDATE:
Homepage for the grassroots movement here. Ditka's work in the Republican party here.

I wish I'd gone to this summer camp

Rock'n'roll stars run day camp for teens in Atlanta, here.

Random stuff found while browsing old blogs

Most effective optical illusion ever, here.
Bluest Senatorial candidate ever, here, and picture here.
Craziest way to fight the devil ever, here.

Monday, July 12, 2004

The Ultimate Mario Fan

Check out this pianist:
First video
Second video
I'm assuming they're the same person . . .

DONNIE DARKO DIRECTOR'S CUT!

Donnie Darko is being re-released in theaters this summer! This time, it'll be a director's cut, with 20 minutes of previously unreleased footage and some CG updating. It has aleady been released in Seattle, is set to release in LA and New York on July 23rd, and will have wider dispersal in the near future! See the poster and trailers here. CNN article here, Jake Gyllenhaal's website confirms it here, more news here and here.

Orson Scott Card on media bias

Check out his opinion piece here. I hope you guys know who Orson Scott Card is -- Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Enchantment, Seventh Son, Earthfall, ok? Anyways, he has a regular column in the Rhinoceros Times, and his article was picked up today by the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal. Subtitle is '"Mainstream" reporters aren't just liberal--they're fanatical.'

Thursday, July 08, 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11

I just saw it last night. Here are some links that detail certain problems with the movie:


Here is Spinsanity's article on the issue. Spinsanity is a non-partisan website dedicating to pointing out spin from any part of the political spectrum. Some of their points:

-Moore has a history of factual error in his previous works
-Moore's statement about the Florida recounts is a lie: Bush would have won under the recounts that Gore was pushing for
-Moore's description of the bin Laden flight story is misleading; the bin Ladens were not allowed to leave the country before others
-The connection between the Bushes and the Saudis/bin Ladens is much weaker than presented by Moore; nearly all of the money links are invalid
-Moore's claims about the Taliban/Bush links are misleading; many of the 'links' are between the Taliban and US companies unrelated to Bush, while others are directly related to the US government pressuring the Taliban to hand over bin Laden


Here are Newsday's thoughts. Some of their conclusions:

-Moore's statement about the Florida recounts is a lie: Bush would have won under the recounts that Gore was pushing for
-What links exist between Bush and the bin Ladens are not as important as Moore makes them out to be, since Osama has been estranged from his family for a decade
-James R Bath did not put bin Laden's money into Bush's business ventures, but rather his own money
-Moore's claim about the bin Ladens leaving without being questioned is a lie; according to the 9/11 commission, the FBI questioned 30 of those passengers
-Sayed Hashemi's visit to the US was not at all a show of support for the Taliban


Christopher Hitchens, who is definitely not a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (see him take on the laste Ronald Reagan here), has an article here where he rips Moore to shreds. His points:

-'Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of "dissenting" bravery.'
-Moore is being intellectually dishonest when he demonizes bin Laden: he has argued in the past that Osama should be considered innocent until proven guilty
-Moore is being intellectually dishonest in claiming we sent too few troops to Afghanistan: he has also argued that we sent too many, and also that we should not have sent any at all
-Moore ignores the facts on the ground in Afghanistan -- that the country is rapidly improving, is currently under NATO responsibility, its refugees are returning, and a national army is emerging
-Richard Clarke, who Moore sets up to be the good guy in the Bush administration, has taken full responsibility for the bin Laden flights
-Many of the accusations about Bush's vacations are misleading; for example, one of the pictures flashed quickly on the screen to prove his laziness shows him standing next to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
-Moore's choice of shots to represent Baghdad before the war completely ignore the totalitarian regime that tortured and murdered hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens
-Hitchens demolishes Moore's claim that Saddam had never killed, attacked or threatened any American civilian
-Moore is a hypocrite for blaming the administration for overlooking too many warnings before 9/11, and then blaming the administration for issuing too many warnings after 9/11
-Moore is a hypocrite for nearly simultaneously arguing that security forces in the US have too much and not enough power
-Moore's argument that the Bush family is working for the Saudis makes no sense in the light of the US's actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which were condemned by Saudi Arabia
-Moore contradicts himself when he complains that the US has too few troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq, and then complains that the US military is recruiting


And this is essential reading: Fifty-Nine Deceits in Fahrenheit 9/11.


Even Nader is criticizing Moore here, saying that with his latest film he's sold out to the Democratic establishment.


And I don't remember whether Moore referred to this specifically, but here is evidence that Bush's claim about Iraq seeking to obtain uranium from Africa was valid. And here are some WMD found in Iraq that have gone unreported as such.


And one last thing: here are Moore's thoughts on the fighting in Iraq. Here's the relevant quote:

The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win. Get it, Mr. Bush?

I guess that's enough for now. Any comments, suggestions, rebuttals?

Audio Adrenaline Update

Maybe this'll be the last band update for the day, and maybe it won't.

**Audio Adrenaline Newsletter -- The Latest And Greatest News!**

+++Sign up for info about The Hands & Feet Project!

Imagine not having a home, no bed, nearly naked and starving, no family, and all
alone - imagine you are 5 years old. Sadly, that is the life of too many
children in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. In Haiti, half
of the people are under 14 years of age, and the many abandoned children need
our help - now.

All of us in Audio Adrenaline have felt God's call to make a difference. We are
building a community of homes through the Hands & Feet Project, a non-profit
organization dedicated to the health, welfare, and education of the orphaned
children of Haiti.

To help fund the project, we are going to auction an Audio Adrenaline concert on
eBay! All the money will go to the project in Haiti.
There are three specific ways you can help:
. Pray for wisdom in building the Children's Village and your involvement with
this project.
. Tell your friends and youth leaders about the website,
www.handsandfeetproject.org, and watch for the eBay auction announcement
. Make a charitable contribution to this ministry by sending a check addressed
to: "Helping Hands in Haiti, C/o Audio Adrenaline, 301 Mallory Station Road,
Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37067

Together we can change their world through God's love!

To sign up for more information about this project, including a monthly
newsletter, check out the link below!

http://www.handsandfeetproject.org

+++Have you got your Miracle on??
Let the requests begin! Starting TOMORROW, Junkies worldwide can start lighting
up the phone lines to request AudioA's newest single!!

We've been receiving tons of great ideas on how to promote Miracle at the Audio
Adrenaline Message Board...think you know of a GREAT way to get this song out to
the masses? Then stop by the boards and let us hear your ideas!

http://junkie.zagnu.com/viewtopic.php?t=1719

+++AudioA breaks out the Summer Set!
The summer set is officially here, and the AudioA boys have outdone themselves
yet again!! We won't spill all the details, but you're in for a HOT show!! Be
sure to check the tour dates on AudioACOM to find out when we'll be near you!

http://www.audioa.com/tour.aspx

+++Creation West '04 - A Tribute to Our Creator!

Join AudioA for the 7th annual Creation West at the Gorge Amphitheatre in
Washington! From rock climbing to seminars to great bands, Creation West has it
all! Dates for this year's fest are July 21st-24th, so be sure to gather some
friends and start planning!
http://www.audioa.com/tour.aspx

+++Illinois hosts FISHFEST!!
The AudioA boys will be joining RSJ, Skillet, Matthew West, Tree63 and many more
for Illinois' FISH FEST! Hurry up and get your tickets TODAY!

http://audioa.com/tour.aspx

+++Spirit West Coast - Monterey!
The HUGE 8th annual Spirit West Coast festival in Monterey is just a few weeks
away, so get your tickets and camping NOW! AudioA will be playing with over 50
artists and speakers, including Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, tobyMac,
Relient K, Jars of Clay, Jeremy Camp and dozens of others! See you there!

http://www.audioa.com/tour.aspx

+++70,000 people to attend Lifest!!
Will YOU be one of the 70,000+ people at this year's LIFEST in Oshkosh, WI??
AudioA will be sharing the stage with over 150 other artists and speakers! You
definitely don't want to miss this! See you there!
http://www.audioa.com/tour.aspx

Auctioning a show on eBay . . . I'd like to hear more info on that. AudioA has been successful raising money on eBay in the past, including their guitar and bobblehead auctions. On the downside, though, besides Lifest (which I don't plan to attend), there are no shows anywhere near anyplace I plan to be in the next few months.

Calibretto Update

While I'm at it on the band updates, here's the latest email from Calibretto:

http://www.calibretto.com/

July 7, 2004
It's over, kids. Check out the final tour dates.

The Final Tour.
Maybe we didn't make ourselves totally clear before:
Calibretto is most definitely calling it quits.
This means, of course, that the summer tour -- The Last Laugh Tour --
will be our final outing as a band. We're doing our
best to hit all over the country so that everyone can come and see
us. We'll be rocking out each night with Side Walk Slam
and Mercury Radio Theater, so it will be a great show all around.
We'll also be playing some older songs and just generally
having a good time. So come on out and say goodbye, because it's the
last chance you'll ever get.

And don't forget about the FINAL HALLOWEEN BASH on October 30 in
Kokomo, Indiana. Kids, costumes, bands, horror movies, bad
jokes, and one unbearably hot room will make for a lot of very sweaty
fun. Come to the last show. You won't regret it. Very much.

Here are all the dates we have thus far. We're still working on the
West Coast. If you are a promoter or run a venue, please e-mail
calibrettobooking@yahoo.com to book a show.


***THE LAST LAUGH TOUR***
with Side Walk Slam and
Mercury Radio Theater

7.8.04
Clearwater, FL
Central Skate Park
6140 Ulmerton Road
without SWS

7.09.04
Peachtree City, GA
Cross Point Community Church
300 Tivoli Gardens Rd.
without SWS

7.10.04
Greenville, SC
College Park Church
8211 White Horse Road
without SWS

7.11.04
Spruce Pine, NC
Cheapskates
280 Oak Ave
without SWS

7.13.04
Louisville, KY
Fern Creek Community Center
6104 Bardstown Rd.
Drake: 502-609-9317

7.14.04
Charlotte, NC
The Neighborhood Theatre
511 E. 36th St.

7.15.04
Norfolk, VA
Michael Bobs
1524 Johnstons Road

7.16.04
Frostburg, MD
Potters Place
On Porter Road

7.17.04
Milford Square, PA
Milford Township Firehall
On Milford Square Pike

7.18.04
Harrisonburg, VA
Captain Tee's
1594 S. Main Street

7.20.04
Congruity, PA
The House of Hardcore
Rd. 3 Box 202D (along route 22)

7.21.04
Franklin, OH
The Chapel Coffeehouse
1355 E 2nd St

7.22.04
Mokena, IL
8500 W. 191st St
ROL Rec Center

7.24.04
Minneapolis, MN
Club 3 Degrees
113 North 5th Street

7.25.04
Ames, IA
Blinks
323 Fifth Street

7.26.04
Springfield, MO
NuBrew
300 E. Sunshine

7.27.04
Kendallville, IN
The Wreck
529 S. Main Street

7.28.04
Grand Rapids, MI
The Intersection
133 Grandville SW
Order tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/65717/

7.31.04
Mason City, IL
Arlee Theater
139 S. Main St.

8.06.04
Kansas City, MO
The New Earth
3953 Walnut

8.07.04
Aberdeen, SD
The Red Rooster
202 S. Main St.

8.08.04
Grafton, ND
Little H's Cellar

8.09.04 - (Christopher's birthday)
Great Falls, MT
Venue TBA

8.19.04
Claremore, OK
Venue TBA
without SWS

8.20.04
Ft. Worth, TX
The Asylum
9805 Jacksboro Highway
without SWS

10.30.04
CALIBRETTO'S FINAL SHOW &
6th Annual Halloween Bash
Kokomo, IN
Taylor Community Building
w/ Side Walk Slam, Mercury Radio Theater,
Fire When Ready, & In the Face of War

I am definitely making their final show. I'd like to make at least one before that, but I'm not sure how to work that out . . . The one closest to my home in IL (Mokena) is on a weekday, so I almost definitely won't be around, while the ones closest to my place in VA are more than two hours away. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Stavesacre update

Just got this email:

The long wait has finally ended. You want to hear some new Stavesacre songs? Now
is your chance. Go to the newly redesigned www.stavesacre.com and you can hear
samples of four new songs the guys have finished. THEY ROCK! When will these
jams be available, you ask? Stay tuned for the details.

Latest DVD news is editing is almost complete, should be done in the next two
weeks. WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING A RELEASE DATE SOON!!!

NEW TSHIRT DESIGNS ARE COMING THIS MONTH!!

Tour stops in August will be in Minnesota and Iowa, the weekend of the 27th
through the 29th.

Friday August 27, 2004

Minneapolis, MN
Three Degrees
http://club3degrees.com/events.asp?ID=127

More dates will be announced in the next week. If you live in these states and
want to help promote the shows, contact concert411@aol.com to get on board!!
We'll see you at the show...

xoxo

The Stavesacre Foundation
Full Service Rock and Roll
Since 1995

I'll bet there will be a show at the Wonderland Ballroom in Elgin . . . And do go check out the samples of the new tracks. Sounds more like their newest CD than their older Tooth and Nail stuff, but that's fine since I like both :) .

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

My sister is engaged

She turned eighteen and moved out last week, and her boyfriend proposed to her on Saturday. Please pray for her.

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

BACK

Back from Cornerstone -- had a great time -- and hopefully I'll be able to start posting more again. Also, got a promotion at my job.