Monday, June 30, 2008

99 Problems

Light blogging the next couple of days due to travel.

The people who run my home state are the stupidest fucks on the planet.

Rove's petri dish.

Fox News, Alabama Attorney General team up against ‘voter fraud’:

"Today, Alabama Attorney General Troy King and Fox News’ Eric Shawn collaborated on live television to combat the scourge of vote-buying in King’s home state, and nationwide.

In the exchange, King observes, on questioning from Shawn, that investigations have revealed that fraud and “systemic corruption” are occurring in Democratic counties in Alabama, but at the same time can’t be pinpointed to one particular political party."
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But 'there's a lot of good folk down there' and Black Warrior River Keeper is one of them.

Check out this badass PSA from BWRK featuring the Flaming Lips.

Flaming Lips and RIVERKEEPER


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Kristol: ‘Republicans are much more open to strong women.’

Yeah, because when the mule kicks over they'll need a strong woman to hitch the plow to.

Laura Bush is a beacon of strength.

Kristo the Moron.

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But as Jay-Z says "99 Problems but a bitch ain't one"

Crazy Jay-Z from Glastonbury. First he leads the audience in sing-a-long to Wonderwall then bust into '99 Problems' with some Aerosmith mixed in. (OK, Anon in the comments corrected my 5:30 a.m. blogging brain. AC/DC. Thanks for the catch, Anon! I need some Red Bull)

Worth a watch:



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Friday, June 27, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 6/27/08

This article reminds us how important it is to support local and live music acts and support them by putting cash directly into their pockets.

High fuel prices put brakes on indie band tours:

"On the grass-roots level, cost has always been a concern for touring bands. But the nearly $2,500 in gas Garcia and his two bandmates would have had to pay just to make it to Vancouver, Canada, and back was too much to overcome."

Per Mr. Hood:

The Media Equation - Live Music Thrives as CDs Fade - NYTimes.com:

"“This is by far our best record, if you ask me, so the tickets for shows are doing really well,” said Mr. Hood, sounding very much like an old label hand. “But then, the gas prices are killing us.”"
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Ms. Jenn done gone and put up some new tour dates.

Drive-By Truckers - Tour Dates

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dbts : Message: DBT Sactown: A Great (but long) Story:

"A bit less than two months ago I lost my younger brother....just 26 years old.

We saw a bunch of DBT shows together, including my personal favorite: a raucous DBT-only Kansas City show in the middle of the Black Crowes tour a couple years ago. We both though '72' was the best song on Southern Rock opera....probably b/c we understood it from making the drive from Memphis to Huntsville on Hwy 72 innumerable times over the years to visit family. Once we got turned on to DBT that tune became an integral part of the drive and a powerful connection between us."
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DBT and the Pie Man.



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YouTube - "Ronnie and Neil" Drive-By Truckers cover/slideshow:

"The Harmony Motel interprets 'Ronnie and Neil' by the Drive-By Truckers. Hope y'all enjoy it."
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The begining of Goddamned loneliness is high hilarity.

YouTube - Goddamned loneliness

More from the Rev.

YouTube - Wifebeater

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The Drams

For Jess Bar. His family holds a controlling interest in the tiny equine market. Such revolution may drastically effect his lucrative pony trust fund.

Remember to poke some breathing holes, Jess!

Tiny Shetland island declares independence

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Sons of Roswell

Check out the new tune with Dylan if you haven't already.

MySpace.com - Sons of Roswell - Muscle Shoals, Alabama - Rock / Indie / Psychedelic - www.myspace.com/sonsofroswell

Shows:
Tonight: Tuscaloosa, AL - Egan's - It's probably FREE again, it's Ashfest... Good times, definitely
Saturday: Birmingham, AL - The Nick - w/ Rockets to Ruin

Next week we are playing the Freedom of Spirit Celebration at McFarland Park in Florence, AL. Skid Row is also playing. It will be interesting for sure. USA! USA!

Other than those annoucements, there's really not a lot going on at the moment, we're just working out some more new songs. We will be hitting the studio very soon and hopefully releasing an album or two by the end of the year. Things are still scattered about, but as soon as we get everything in order, you'll know.

Just Do It,
SoR
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Centro-Matic

Southern Shelter: Out-Of-Towners: Centro-Matic @ 40 Watt 6/21/08

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Marah

Myspace.com Blogs - Yo Yo Marah! - Marah MySpace Blog:

"Someone said MARAH RIP (good album title BTW) He said he wanted to be the first one to say it...I honestly can't blame him, i didn't give him any reason to think otherwise until now i guess.

( & here is where it might get a little touchy for you over-protective superfans) MARAH RIP is a term reserved for only me to say, not me with my brothers permission, not managers, ex-managers, record labels, horn sections, the IRS (who are after me), the EasyPass Police (after me) I will kill this bad bitch when I am ready and not before (next Tuesday, 8 records from now) It's my call… Cool? Cool.

If you love or have ever loved this band then I assure you you are in good hands with me as captain because I am a junkie for it. I have proven over & over again that I can swing very low to keep it alive. The junkie will get high. It's a fact."
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Music

I wore out at least 3 License to Ill cassettes.

An Interview with Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys

Already a hip-hop pioneer, rock and roll hall of famer, punk bassist, music video producer, Tibet activist and prolific MC, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys can now add sports documentarian to his long list of titles. This Friday, Yauch releases his new film, 'Gunnin' for That #1 Spot', a glimpse into the world of elite high school basketball against the backdrop of Rucker Park, Harlem's historic streetball homecourt. Back in September 2006, the country's best 24 high school players competed in the first ever 'Elite 24' all-star game."
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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Mile 'Really High' Club

He's at it again. This time... Tacos.

Inhuman Eating Machine: IEM Session #3- �Este Pinche Judio No Puede Comer Cincuenta Tacos en Un Dia!:

"You’re about to read a very long description of a man eating a lot of tacos. Some of you may be impressed by the sheer amount of tortillas and pork I ingested. I appreciate your awe. However, it must be said that this session should be considered a failure."
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Obama likes it all.

Barack Obama's iPod: Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Jay-Z :

"Several musicians on Obama's iPod support his bid for the White House, including Bruce Springsteen. Earlier this month, Dylan told a British newspaper that he believes Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a nation in upheaval.

'I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable,' Obama said. 'Those guys are icons.'

Obama said he hasn't met Springsteen, but the two have talked over the phone.

'Not only do I love Bruce's music, but I just love him as a person,' Obama said. 'He is a guy who has never lost track of his roots, who knows who he is, who has never put on a front.'

And did he address him as the Boss?

'You've got to,' the candidate said."
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Here, here! My buzz usually wears off in the 'spread 'em' line.

Group: Allow pot in airports to reduce anxiety:

This guy talks the sense.

"“We’re simply saying,” Tvert went on, “that if we allow adults to get drunk before getting on a flight, maybe we’d be better off if we let some of those adults make the safer, rational choice to use marijuana instead when they fly.”

This guy... is an idiot.

Dude, my hook up is the barista at a freakin' Starbucks.

“Look,” said Richardson, “it’s never going to happen. If you think the Federal Government is going to allow the Denver airport to turn their Starbucks, or something like it, into drug traffickers–basically allow them to sell pot, or bring pot into a federally regulated public place, you’re nuts. You’re basically inviting drug dealers–criminals–into federally regulated places.”
Aaaand he finishes it off with this nugget.

Is there a difference between a Garcia fan and a drug dealer?

“If everybody’s sitting in the same pot smoke-filled room,” Richardson pondered, “how do you tell the difference between a Jerry Garcia fan and a drug dealer?”"
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Get your game on.

Play 1,000's Of Nintendo Games In Firefox

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Murder They Wrote

Folks in 'Bama go to great lengths (or barrier reefs) to creatively murder their spouses.

American scuba diver charged with killing wife:

"SYDNEY, Australia - Eleven days after getting married in 2003, an Alabama woman put on diving gear and slipped into the water off Australia's coast for what was supposed to be a romantic exploration of a shipwreck with her new husband."
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Job security.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Journalist 'reported own murders':

"Police in Macedonia have arrested a journalist on suspicion that he is behind three murders he reported on."
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No sense in being in just a little bit of trouble. Check out how the cop got him to stop.

Drunk driver takes traffic cop for a ride:

"VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian drunk driver knocked over a traffic policeman then drove for about 1 km (0.6 miles) with the officer clinging to the roof of his car, local police said on Friday."
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Just because I couldn't wait until Friday:



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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Picky-Wiki

Crazy week. Moving shite from one location to another location. Pardon if the next few blog posts are terse.

I prohibit my students from using Wikipedia as a cited work in their academic essays. Still, I'm amazed at how many I have to bust for copying and pasting entire swaths of Wiki entries. You figure they would at least remove all of the Wiki links.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Falling exam passes blamed on Wikipedia 'littered with inaccuracies' - Scotsman.com News

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Teachers can be morons too. Homie needs to go to jail.

Report: Ohio science teacher burned cross on kids' arms:

"An outside investigation has found that an Ohio public school teacher taught creationism in his science class and used a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms."
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Really? Kind of hard to write something sarcastic when you're purposely trying to.

Thanks for the inspiration, science article. Ah, there we go.

Sarcasm Seen as Evolutionary Survival Skill :

"Neurophysiologist Katherine Rankin at the University of California, San Francisco, has also recently discovered that sarcasm, which is both positively funny and negatively nasty, plays an important part in human social interaction."
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I got 25/30.

I disagree with 'the man's' answer to the question regarding the Pilgrims. But I still got it right.

Reminds of the Simpson's episode when Apu is taking the citizenship ship.

Proctor: All right, here's your last question.  What was the cause of
the Civil War?
Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious
schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists,
there were economic factors, both domestic and inter--
Proctor: Wait, wait... just say slavery.
Apu: Slavery it is, sir.

Independence Day Quiz:

"Our quiz is made up of 20 questions found on the actual citizenship test with a few curveballs in the mix. The last ten questions may be a bit harder, but a score of around 24 out of 30 is considered a passing grade."
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No further comment needed.

God accused of selling cocaine near Tampa church

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Champions

Florence, Alabama native and my fellow Florence Golf and Country Club alumn Stewart Cink won the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship yesterday. Stew pocketed 1.08 million. Not bad for 4 days work. He's currently ranked 3rd in the FedEx Cup race and 3rd on the money list right behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.



Stewart Cink wins Travelers Championship - Golf - Yahoo! Sports:

"“I mean, guys like Tiger (Woods) and Phil (Mickelson), when they are in contention, they let it all out,” Cink said Sunday after winning the Travelers Championship, just the second tournament he has captured after leading through 54 holes."

Check out this interview with Stewie where he discusses his first car, his first job. I had the same first job a year or two before Stewart did.

Congrats to Stewart. Much deserved.

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In more news of friends who are kicking ass...

My buddy Steve sent an email this morning. Y'all be sure to tune in and watch.

"Dear Family and Friends:

Sorry for the mass email, but I need your help! FIGHT OR DIE, the television show that I have spent the last year producing, will premiere on the Discovery Channel on Thursday, June 26 at 10pm EDT/PDT.

You can watch the preview for the show by clicking this link to YouTube.

Based on the viewer response to this broadcast, Discovery will decide whether the show will become a weekly series. So please tune in (or TiVo it) and please forward this email on to those you think might also be interested. And if you like the show, please email feedback to: FEEDBACK@WHEELHOUSEENTERTAINMENT.COM

FIGHT OR DIE
Discovery Channel (in HD)
Thursday, June 26 at 10pm ET/PT

Thanks for watching!

Best,
Stephen"



Here's the preview on Youtube:



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Dammit. We lost another important one:

George Carlin mourned as a counterculture hero
"LOS ANGELES - George Carlin, the frenzied performer whose routine 'Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television' led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died."
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Friday, June 20, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 6/20/08

DBT!

Great news! Congrats Wes!!




PIR Teams with Rock and Roll Artist Wes Freed to Promote NASCAR's Semi-Final Showdown - Phoenix Raceway:

"Richmond-based artist/musician Wes Freed – best known for his album cover art for alt-country rockers The Drive-By Truckers (including 2008's Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, which peaked in the Billboard Top 40) – was commissioned by PIR President Bryan R. Sperber and has produced a limited edition promotional poster for Phoenix’s upcoming race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

'Many NASCAR fans have come to enjoy the artwork of Wes Freed after being exposed to his work through the Drive-by Truckers,' Sperber said. “We reached out to Wes and also discovered he was a huge NASCAR fan - becoming thoroughly excited when he agreed to develop a special project with us that presents his unique perspective on the excitement of NASCAR racing at Phoenix. Wes’s work of art will commemorate the Checker Auto Parts 500 in a special way and make this November’s race even more memorable.”"
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Backstage at Bonnaroo: Drive-By Truckers:

"Thanks to the band's fans, we received a ton of fan-generated questions for Drive-By Truckers, and our William Goodman asked a few to Drive-By Truckers' Pattersoon Hood."
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PopMatters | Columns | Andrew Gilstrap | Field Studies | Righteous Paths:

"This column’s regular readers have probably noticed that I usually find a way to mention the Drive-by Truckers. What can I say? They’re one of my favorite bands. Their best songs contain the best kind of lyrics—the sort that kickstart your noggin on some creative path of its own. And then there’s that three-guitar attack of theirs: the last time I saw them live, it was after a day of sitting through a 401(k) meeting, and those road-caked chords washed over me like summer rain on a parched landscape. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be that dramatic. Sometimes after listening to CD after CD of brittle indie rock, it’s just time for an epic guitar solo."
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Bonnaroo: Southern Stories from Drive-by Truckers - ArtsBeat - Arts - Music - Theater - TV - Movies - New York Times Blog

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My friend Kimtucky recently visited Vietnam and had the following to report:

"I forgot to tell you that when I was flying on Cathay Pacific to Vietnam, one of their in-flight radio channels was playing songs with days of the week in the title...and guess what song was on there....Wednesday by DBT!! Pretty funny."
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Drams!

Ms. Jenn B. went and had herself and rock and roll adventure recently with The Drams and Glossary.

BBQ and Pond AIDS Tour � Pointy Pointy

MySpace.com Photos - Jenn - The Drams: BBQ and Pond Aids Tour, June 2008

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Music

Mike Ragogna: The Saga Of The Protest Song - Entertainment on The Huffington Post: "

About a month ago, while running some errands in the car with my nephew, we were listening to one of several interchangeable Clear Channel stations and by about the fifth song, I was amazed at how much this 'rock' did not. Whatever, I remained smiley and quiet so the young'un could enjoy his ride but predictably, by the next guitar-driven slice of angst, I could no longer contain myself and proceeded to abuse it with fervor"
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Enough already. It'll never meet the expectation of over a decade wait.

SFGate: Daily Dish : Guns N' Roses Hit Back at Internet Leaks:

"Rockers Guns N' Roses have moved to halt a series of Internet leaks, which threatened to disrupt the launch of their new album, 'Chinese Democracy.'"
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I dig M.I.A..... or, I dug M.I.A.

Bonnaroo: M.I.As Last Gig Ever?

YouTube - Sunshowers by M.I.A.

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Biafra celebrates 50th with pair of concerts:

"Angry and articulate, Jello Biafra has made as many enemies as influential records. Next week, the former singer of the Dead Kennedys turns 50, and he celebrates with a pair of concerts at the Great American Music Hall. He also celebrates a career that has seen the singer/raconteur/spoken-word artist lead the West Coast punk charge, run for political office and get beat down on more than one occasion."
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Bama News

Tuskegee Airmen to be subject of George Lucas film:

"MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The black airmen whose lives will be the basis of a George Lucas movie know the picture will highlight their record of successfully escorting thousands of U.S. bombers in World War II"
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Mussel vs. Muscle gets feedback | TimesDaily.com | Times Daily | Florence, AL:

"I've gotten a lot of good responses from last week's question about the origin of the name Muscle Shoals.

If you recall, someone had asked why the spelling is 'Muscle' instead of 'Mussel,' if the city were named after the mussels in these parts of the Tennessee River."
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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Offensive and Creative.... Peanut butter and Chocolate

I'm really late to the party for this guy apparently. He's got million + views on several of his 'tubes.

This shit is hilarious. Probably not safe for work but screw your boss. Play it anyway. Chances are he/she will not be cool enough to catch the references.

Kid is 17.

.....

Damn the 'Tubes! YouTube must be having issues this morning. Check back later, though 'cause it so worth the watch.

Such classic lines as.....

" That's right, consider yourself warned
Im offensive and creative like handicapped porn"

"
Rosa Parks didn't call "shotgun"!"



More Stuff from Bo' that is definitely worth a watch.

Another rap:

YouTube - Bo Fo' Sho'

Bo's ode to Helen Keller

YouTube - The Perfect Woman

Bo's apparent ode to Eddie Hinton's '300 pound of Hongry'

YouTube - My Better Half

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This is ridiculously well done.

The Great Office Wars



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I'm a fan of golf. I grew up playing pretty seriously before a car and girls became viable alternatives to spending sun up to sun down at the golf course.

What Tiger Wood's did last week at the U.S. Open should drop the jaws of those who could give a shit about the game. Screw Jordan's Flu game against Utah in the 70s. The one where he was deathly ill yet scored 38 points.

Obama and Woods are the two baddest assess in the U.S. They are also of mixed race parents. Coincidence? Oh, I'm down with the swirl.

Tiger Woods Out For Season, Requires Knee Surgery::

"Woods revealed Wednesday he has been playing for at least 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee, and that he suffered a double stress fracture in his left leg two weeks before the U.S. Open. He said he will have season-ending surgery, knocking him out of the final two majors and the Ryder Cup."
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Corp-Speak Kills....

The past weekend kicked much ass. Went to see Stanley Clark, had lunch at my favorite Roman Restaurant, was taken to dinner at a fancy steakhouse, took a beautiful drive along the Valley of the Moon, another lunch at a Mexican joint who wood smoke their meats in the beautiful town of Sonoma, and finally a Picasso Ceramics exhibit. Thanks to my two dear friends for taking me along on the journey.

Life is a bitch, but she can be a really cool bitch sometimes.

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When you get that Obama smear email forwarded to you by a toothless cousin below is your ammo for response:

Fight the Smears | Fight the Smears Home

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"At the Republican state convention, a booth hosted by Republicanmarket was selling a pin Saturday that says: If Obama is President will we still call it the White House."
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Jon Stewart kills the traditional media, or as I like to call them 'merchants of smear', on their fecal wiping. Must see TV:

Jon Stewart Mocks Media For Peddling Insane Obama Rumors

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We battle the smears while Obama kicks Republican ass.

Obama: Bin Laden still free because of GOP tactics:

"WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama says he'll take no lectures from Republicans on who will keep America safer. GOP rival John McCain's campaign criticized Obama Tuesday for speaking approvingly of the successful prosecution of terrorists."
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Blame teh gays.

Hilarious.



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I hate the word 'synergy' with a white hot passion.

50 office-speak phrases you love to hate:

33. 'I once had a boss who said, 'You can't have your cake and eat it, so you have to step up to the plate and face the music.' It was in that moment I knew I had to resign before somebody got badly hurt by a pencil.'"
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Chug! Chug! Chug!

Mrs. McSame likes to steal shit.

Cooking up Scandal: Cindy McCain Allegedly Lifts Another Recipe

No, really, she likes to steal shit.

Salon News | How Cindy McCain was outed for drug addiction:

"GOP presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy took to the airwaves last week, recounting for Jane Pauley (on 'Dateline') and Diane Sawyer (on 'Good Morning America') the tale of her onetime addiction to Percocet and Vicodin, and the fact that she stole the drugs from her own nonprofit medical relief organization."
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Can't decide if I'm going to download today or wait a week or so for the kinks to be ironed out. Tres excited about the new browser, though.

Mozilla Ready to Launch Firefox 3 into Browser Wars:
"On June 17, Mozilla will release Firefox 3. After more than 34 months of active development and the contributions of thousands of people, Firefox 3 will be downloadable free from the Mozilla Web site. Mozilla is promising this is the best browser -- period."
Hmmm. Just check Mozilla's website and they still offer 2.0 with a sneak peak at 3.0. Maybe its not available today.

Firefox web browser | Faster, more secure, & customizable

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Too bad Detroit didn't have the foresight.

Toyota's hybrid output can't meet demand:

"“Hybrids are selling so well we are doing all we can to increase production,” he told The Associated Press. “We need new lines.”"
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Just because.

Chug 2 Beers In 2 Seconds With The Bierstick

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Monday, June 16, 2008

My Medicine

Leadin' off with some music, y'all.

Snoop, Johnny Cash and Willy.

Doesn't get much better than this.

'What good is the truth if you can't tell a lie, baby"



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More Shoals material for a DBT or Isbell tune.

Buttholeville's Chief of Police when I was growing up:

Ex-police chief arrested | TimesDaily.com| Florence, AL:

"The investigation was halted when he pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of two robbery suspects involved in a drugstore heist in October 1991. Thompson placed a gun loaded with bullets, which had the gunpowder removed, to the suspects' heads and fired in an effort to get more information."
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Crazy shit, alright.

Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol - Times Online:

"“Ten years ago I could never have imagined I’d be doing this,” says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. “I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to – especially the ones coming out of business school – this is the one hot area everyone wants to get into.”"
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I say raise the property tax instead.

Drink tax makes Pa. county executive unpopular:

"A stiff drink comes with a stiff tax in Pittsburgh and surrounding towns these days, and that has made the county executive public enemy No. 1 in some quarters, reviled by name in song and on bar bills."
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ABAT, what the hell are y'all doing down there?

New Zealand restaurant in trouble for poisoning drinkers:

"WELLINGTON (AFP) - A restaurant in New Zealand's tourist hub of Queenstown was convicted Monday for accidentally serving dishwashing liquid as mulled wine."
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Friday, June 13, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 6/13/08

I went to see Return to Forever last night with Stanley Clark. Didn't really know anything about this scene previously.

Stanley Clark kick much bass ass. Great show.

Stanley Clarke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Return to Forever (RTF) - Official Website

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DBT

DBT live on the intertubes today at the 'Roo. Starts at 12:30 Central:

2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Presented by AT&T blue room | June 13 - 15, 2008 | Manchester, Tennessee

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Top 10 Alt-Country Guitarists:

"A long, long drive from the clean, virtuosic twang of Nashville, alt-country guitar heroes are more noteworthy for digging into the grit and gristle of electric guitar tone than for trying to display how fast human fingers can move across a fretboard. There are some serious players working in this genre, make no mistake, but the players listed below are notable for their contributions to the songs, rather than for how they can rip when their solo rolls around. This Top 10 takes in many of the artists at the center of the movement, but also acknowledges some seminal players at the fringes, without whom the younger generation’s interest in twang might not even have survived. Note: These are listed in no order of honor, but simply as they come to me; these guitarists are all worth hearing, and this isn’t the kind of music that inspires cutting-contest type competition.

1. Drive-By Truckers Triple Threat"
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Via Uncle Josh:

Living With Music: A Playlist by William Gibson - Paper Cuts - Books - New York Times Blog:

"3) Decoration Day, Drive-By Truckers. Like early Cormac McCarthy, but with three lead guitars. Hyper-literate narrative song-writing in the service of an act of stingingly efficient shamanistic cultural recall."
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Unique cover of Angels and Fuselage

CD Baby: TOM COERVER & GOIN' SOUTH: From The Mud... To The Sky

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Ask A Drive-By Truckers�Character - Black Heart Gold Pants

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3 Great Alt-Country Obscurities

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SOR

Check out Songs of Roswell's new tune.

MySpace.com - Sons of Roswell - Muscle Shoals, Alabama

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Moog Guitar



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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Mr. Onion Belt

Yup.



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Can't Grandpa McSameson remember anything.



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I still love Firefox, but some of the latest updates to 2.0 have slowed things down a bit. Speed is good.

New Firefox Web browser to be released Tuesday:

"A new version of the Firefox Web browser is scheduled for release Tuesday with improvements in security, speed and design."
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This is what you call commitment.

Pa. man walks 25 miles to court for DUI sentencing

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

This Beer from my Cold Dead Hand

Some mid-week DBT news. Picking up Nine Bullets slack as they work out the kinks to their server/site.

Go to the DBT's MySpace blog for the links.

MySpace.com Blogs - Drive-By Truckers MySpace Blog:

"Suggest Questions for Truckers’ Interview with SPIN!!!!

You can be a part of Drive-by Truckers interview with SPIN at Bonnaroo! Send your questions to SPIN through their Myspace page here. Make sure to mention your name, hometown and what band your question is directed to. Watch the interview on SPIN.com and you may just hear your name and question.
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Jez, if you aren't an Obama supporter already, then you will be after watching McSame.

Why does McCain hate our beer freedom?



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Who could have predicted?!?

FBI special agent predicts ‘catastrophic attack’ in ‘revenge’ for torture, Abu Ghraib.:

"Based on my experience in talking to Al Qaida members, I am persuaded that revenge in the form of a catastrophic attack on the homeland is coming; that a new generation of jihadist martyrs, motivated in part by the images from Abu Ghraib, is, as we speak, planning to kill Americans; and that nothing gleaned from the use of coercive interrogation techniques will be of any significant use in forestalling this calamitous eventuality. […]

If I were the director of marketing of Al Qaida and intent on replenishing the ranks of jihadists, I know where my first piece of marketing collateral would be. It would be a blast e-mail with an attachment. The attachment would contain a picture of Private England pointing at the stacked naked bodies of the detainees at Abu Ghraib. This picture screams out for revenge and a day of reckoning will come."
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This is some crazy-cool stuff:

GLAST telescope to open new window on the universe :

"WASHINGTON (AFP) - A hi-tech telescope NASA plans to launch on Wednesday hopes to fling open a new window on the Universe, exploring extreme sources of gamma-rays that point to powerful and exotic phenomena."
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I was a first generation Atari addict. I use to receive their monthly magazine and Atari posters covered my walls

Leonardo DiCaprio to play with 'Atari':

"Paramount Pictures has snapped up a pitch titled “Atari,” with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star.

Written by Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman, project is a biopic about entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell, the creator of Atari and one of the founding fathers of the vidgame industry"
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Oh, there's a picture involved. You know you're going to click the link.

Tis pity they have to cut it off. Kid could have invented a new number position.

"69?! Pfffft, I got yer 42 right here, baby"

Baby boy born with penis on back in China | Penis on back |

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Red, Red Wine

Grandpa Johnnie 'Onion Belt' McSameson.

Bush = 'THE Google"
McSame = 'A Google'

4 more years?

Hey, have you guys heard of the 'internet'? I hear its 'remarkable'

McCain: ‘It’s a Google.’:

"Well, basically, it’s a Google. You just, you know, what you can find out now on the Internet. It’s remarkable, you know.”"
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I'm in desperate need for one of these but I just can't seem to find the when and how.

'Technology Sabbath' Offers One Day to Unplug | PBS:

"And I’m not alone. The concept of a “Technology Sabbath” is becoming more widespread, both in religious circles and among bloggers and media people who are overwhelmed with the always-on nature of the broadband Internet and smartphones."

Of course, Europe is doing things WAY smarter than U. S. of-fuck-yeah A.

"Not surprisingly, the idea of disconnecting is more ingrained in culture in Europe, where people have more work holidays than in the U.S. MediaShift associate editor Jennifer Woodard Maderazo, who recently moved to Barcelona, told me that most of her work colleagues in Spain and Europe had never heard of taking tech holidays because it’s a given that they wouldn’t do work when away from their offices."
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This is very interesting. Comforting even.

Doomsday Vault ...on 60 Minutes; Exclusive Video


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A $6,100 black Japanese watermelon. Not much more I can add.

The Associated Press: Black Japanese watermelon sold at record price:

"TOKYO (AP) — A jumbo black watermelon auctioned in Japan on Friday fetched a record $6,100, making it one of the most expensive watermelons ever sold in the country."
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Red, red wine. Makes me feel good.

New hints seen that red wine may slow aging:

"Red wine may be much more potent than was thought in extending human lifespan, researchers say in a new report that is likely to give impetus to the rapidly growing search for longevity drugs."

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Finally, for all the men who keep their cell phone in their pants pocket right next to family jewels.... Cell phones popping pop corn.



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Monday, June 09, 2008

Panties on your Head

For the past couple of years I've wondered aloud to all who would listen why the U.S. can't put a federal program in place that tackles the energy crisis they same way JFK lead the nation to the moon. JFK said "10 years... moon bitches!". Less than 10 years later we're bouncing around on that great cheese ball in the sky.

We should be able to do the same thing with alternative energy. 10 years, no more oil.

Here's Obama last week:

Obama reaching out to white working class :

Increase funding for a host of domestic programs, including a 10-year, $150 billion 'Apollo-style program' to develop new energy sources."

Seriously, I want that V.P. slot.

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McCain's entire campaign strategy: "I know you are but what am I"?

McCain Adviser Holtz-Eakin Ludicrously Asserts Obama Would Be A Third Bush Term

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His policy position is ripped off from Bush.

"Mars Bitches!"

'Martian Chronicles' inspire McCain to put a man on Mars:

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Health care plan:



Gotta be hot! Can't be givin' them dehydrated babies any luke-warm water.

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Republican political discourse. As stupid as ever. You'd think this came from The Onion.

Rep. Rohrabacher On Using Women's Panties For Torture :

"WASHINGTON — Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Wednesday dismissed the idea that taunting terrorism suspects with women's panties is a form of torture.

In a debate about detainee treatment at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the California Republican cited panties eight times, arguing that making suspected terrorists wear women's underwear on their heads isn't demeaning and degrading enough to be called torture.

'You're suggesting that the behavior of, what, panties on his head ... is unacceptable interrogation technique for a man who was involved in a conspiracy to kill tens of thousands of Americans?' Rohrabacher asked during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing."

"Some interrogation tactics used _ even if not torture _ might not be pleasant, Rohrabacher said. 'I mean, OK, describing his mother and sister as whores, that's certainly not a nice thing to do,' he said."
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Bill Moyers, National Treasure.

He destroys O'Lielly's minion.

Fox News Producer Ambushes Bill Moyers; Gets Taste Of His Own Medicine:

"I think this is my favorite piece of video footage since Jon Stewart told off Tucker Carlson on Crossfire. Seriously, watch it again and again, it just gets better.

At the National Conference for Media Reform, Bill O’Reilly producer Porter Barry ambushes journalist Bill Moyers and asks him why he won’t appear on The O’Reilly Factor. Moyers, a class act to the last, makes Barry look like the small and petty man he is. But the joke is on Barry, because other journalists, including Uptake correspondent Noah Kunin, who got this raw footage, turned tables on ol’ Porter and gave him a little taste of the FOX News-style ambush journalism. I don’t think he liked it much."
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More Moyers with a dash of Rather.

Rather, Moyers address 'crisis of journalism':

"'America's biggest, most important news organizations have, over the past 25 years, fallen prey to merger after merger, acquisition after acquisition... to the point where they are, now, tiny parts of immeasurably larger corporate entities — entities whose primary business often has nothing to do with news,' Rather said."
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I would pay good money for this kind of adventure.

Stranded divers chase off Komodo dragon on island:

"JAKARTA, Indonesia - Scuba divers swept away in strong currents survived 12 hours in shark-infested waters before scrambling onto a remote Indonesian island where they faced yet another threat: a Komodo dragon."
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Friday, June 06, 2008

DBT Week in Review - 6/6/08

Leading today with one of my favorite bands. Lauderdale has added some talent to their already talented line-up.

Read about the new goings on right c'here.

Lauderdale adds guitarist, steps up shows | TimesDaily.com | Florence, AL:

"'We're just trying to get out name out there as much as possible and push the first record we did,'said bassist Corey Hannah. 'Summer's coming up, and we're starting to book some more shows.'"
If you don't link the reading thing give the video that accompanies the article a look. Lauderdale is playing their yet to released tune 'Grant Hotel'. It is a goodie.

Lauderdale - Grant Hotel/Interview

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Let's stay in the Shoals for some really big news from another one of my favorites, Sons of Roswell.

Kevin Keenum has departed the band. As a fan it bums me out a bit. I really dig Kevin's sound and style. Wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

But as the Rock Gods taketh away, they also giveth.

Kevin is being replaced by an incredible young artist by the name of Dylan LeBlanc. Corey from Lauderdale turned me onto to Dylan a few months ago. Dylan comes from a hell of a pedigree and his music is something to behold.

Also, SOR got a gig at Bonaroo. Congrats, fellas!

More from SOR:

Sons of Roswell

Folks,

We have tons of news for you.

First off... Many of you have been asking and we haven't been talking much, but this is the official word. Due to personal duties Kevin Keenum has decided to depart from Sons of Roswell. We have found a very suitable replacement in the young talent of Dylan LeBlanc. With this will bring a new sound, and we will probably discontinue the old songs live. We have plenty of new songs coming your way and will debut them next Friday... at none other than the Smokehouse in Downtown Florence, Alabama. Please keep an open mind with us for a bit as we all adapt to the change. We promise not to make it to hard of a change to adapt to.

The album will be released. Details on that will come soon enough. Please bear with us for a little while longer. You may like what you will be hearing about the release too.

BONNAROO!
Yes, that's right, this was the hold up in making this whole announcement in the first place. We wanted to wait until we could have it all at once. We found out around 2:30 p.m. today. We will be playing the Sonic Stage at Bonnaroo next Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 1:30 p.m., right before TWO GALLANTS! We're pretty stoked to be playing among the likes of My Morning Jacket, Drive-By Truckers, M.I.A., Robert Plant & Allison Kraus, and tons more of people that inspire us. So please, if you are attending this festival, please come check us out with the new tunes and hang with us and we rip straight through the festival ground Saturday and Sunday checking out all our favorite artists until we can't walk any more.

With the line-up changes and new songs, we will be immediately going into the studio. We're hoping to post a new track later on tonight, so keep an eye out. We will post it on our MySpace and OurStage accounts. We will make the announcement in a MySpace bulletin at the time of the post. Please give us your feed back on the new tune.

With that said, ROCK!
Sons of Roswell
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DBT!

12 Questions with Cooley. I was at this show!

Reverend Guitars:
"What was the proudest moment and/or performance of your playing career?

I guess my proudest momement had to be when we headlined the Fillmore in San Fransisco the first time."
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GeorgePelecanos.com | Off the Page:

"Not to take anything away from Ms. LaVette, but the accolades for this record certainly should be shared with Patterson Hood, who co-produced it with David Barbe and LaVette, and Hood and partner Mike Cooley's band, Drive-By Truckers, who play on it. Hood, who hails from the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama, and his cohorts give The Scene of the Crime its delta-rock, deep soul sound, shading and elevating LaVette's still-powerful, touched-by-God vocals. To be more precise, Hood and DBT take what would have been a very good record on its own and make it one for the ages."
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Raising kids in a DBT World:

NineBullets.org • View topic - DBT and kids....:

"Background: My kids are 8 and 6. My son, the 8 year old, is really into rock music. He and I have been taking guitar lessons together since December, and he loves to listen to my CD's and playlists I've made for him on my ipod. He loves Led Zep, the Beatles, Nirvana, U2, etc. He's like a piece of moldable clay and it's my job to raise him right - I do not want him listening to crap! Anyway, I discovered DBT back in February and I've been listening to them pretty much non stop ever since, and as anyone who has little ones at home will tell you, if dad's doing it, well they want to do it too. Which means my kids want to listen to DBT. That's the problem."
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Cover of Lookout Mountain.

YouTube - South 61 Lookout Mountain (Drive By Truckers)

Here's the real deal. An oldie but a goodie.

YouTube - Drive By Truckers - Lookout Mountain

Finally, DBT at Mountain Jam



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Isbell


MySpace.com: Read Bulletin:

"Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit will be playing Mercy Lounge in Nashville on Thursday, June 26th!

Doors: 8:00pm
Showtime: 9:00pm
Ages: 18
Tickets: $10 advance, $12 day of show"
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Nice tribute to a dad that's passed.

YouTube - The day John Henry died:

"Just a slideshow in memory of my dad Henry to a song by the Drive by Truckers, wanted to do it but kept putting the project to a later date(just couldn't do it). Just pics of him and some of the trucks he owned. Good guy, good guitar picker and great gearjammer. May he rest in peace."
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Browan Lollar, guitarist for the 400 Unit, insists on bogarting all of the talent.

He's created a new MySpace to showcase some of his art work. Great stuff. Hints of Dali and his portraits are awesome.

Browan Lollar Art



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Music

Muscle Shoals Sound includes The Grateful Dead. Stumbled upon this article as I was reading my local newspaper online.

Former Grateful Dead member and current Shoals resident Donna Jean Godchaux

Donna Jean Godchaux grateful to sing again:

"Donna Jean Thatcher was raised in the Tennessee River valley at Muscle Shoals, Ala., a small, remote town that grew into a center for recording Southern soul. In her teens, she was singing background vocals on albums recorded at local studios by out-of-towners looking for that authentic soul sound such as Boz Scaggs or Cher. She was also the high school's head cheerleader and her boyfriend was the halfback. She sometimes had both cheerleader practice and recording sessions scheduled on Saturdays and would have to show up at the studio in her cheerleader outfit."
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Alton Kelley, psychedelic poster creator, dies:

"Alton Kelley, one of the founding members of the '60s San Francisco rock scene, died Sunday at his home in Petaluma after a long illness. He was 67.

Mr. Kelley will be remembered as the creator (with his artistic partner, Stanley Mouse) of hundreds of classic psychedelic rock posters, such as the famed 'skull and roses' poster for a Grateful Dead show at the Avalon Ballroom. Mr. Kelley and Mouse created 26 posters for just the first year of the Avalon's operation."
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Hell yeah!

Bob Dylan says Barack Obama is 'changin' America - Times Online:

In an exclusive interview with The Times, published in T2 today, Dylan gives a ringing endorsement to Mr Obama, the first ever black presidential candidate, claiming he is 'redefining the nature of politics from the ground up"

"Asked about his views on American politics, he said: 'Well, you know right now America is in a state of upheaval. Poverty is demoralising. You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor.

'But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up...Barack Obama.

'He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to.'

He added: “You should always take the best from the past, leave the worst back there and go forward into the future.'"
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Neurologist, choir explore music's healing power:

"Sacks' most recent book is 'Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,' which examines the relationship between music and the brain, including its healing effect on people suffering from such diseases as Tourette's syndrome, Parkinson's, autism and Alzheimer's."
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Bo Diddley Dies At 79 :

"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive 'shave and a haircut, two bits' rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79."
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Tori Amos splits with label, goes indie :
"'Artists need not fear structure, we just have to design and partner with expansive ideas,' she said. 'It is time for us as artists to stop being dependent, dependent on any system that has become undependable. Only then can we help to create a new system that propagates and secures independence for each creator.'"
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Prince Vs. Radiohead In YouTube Clip Debate :

"All videos of Prince's unique rendition of Radiohead's early hit were quickly taken down, leaving only a message that his label, NPG Records, had removed the clips, claiming a copyright violation. But the posted videos were shot by fans and, obviously, the song isn't Prince's."
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Thursday, June 05, 2008

Now with 6% More Lying!

One of the big reasons he won. One of the reasons I support him as much as I do. Small donations from the average Joe are funding Obama's campaign. Not a bunch of party insiders or corporate whores.... though, those folks are on board now. But his major success was $25 from me, $25 dollars from you..... times a couple of million.

A business model born of the internet.

Thirst for change trumped Clinton's experience:

"But by now, Obama had forever shattered the establishment approach to soliciting campaign cash.

Clinton's money had come largely from squeezing wealthy individuals for the maximum legal contribution of $2,300 for the primaries and $2,300 for the general election. The Obama campaign mined the Internet for small donations from people who could be re-solicited throughout the campaign.

Obama would eventually raise more than $265 million for the primaries from more than 2 million individuals. Clinton raised about $215 million, and would end her campaign more than $30 million in debt. Most important, Obama's army of small donors paid for the impressive field organization he would build, drawing on grass-roots support across the country and penetrating states Clinton couldn't afford to contest."
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Funny, this. Funny how times are a changing. Funny how raising hell over injustice can start turning the wheel the other way.

News from The Associated Press:

"MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors are no longer seeking stiffer prison sentences for former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy."
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I'll cop to being part of the reason why the number were so high in the early 90s.

The Raw Story | US teens having less sex, drugs:

"US teens are having less sex, doing fewer drugs and smoking fewer cigarettes than those who grew up in the 1990s, a study released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.

They are also more likely to use condoms when they do have sex, wear a seat belt and avoid getting into a car with a driver who's been drinking, the national study of youth risk behavior found.

What I see in the below stat.... 6% more liars among teen yutes. The only reason they say they haven't when they have is because there sick and tired of being preached abstinence only. Way easier just to say no then to have a thumper crawl up your ass.

About 48 percent of high school students were no longer virgins in 2007, down from 54 percent in 1991."
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I've been waiting for this story to be retracted as fake because the picture is just so brutal. When I first saw it I thought it had to be photoshopped. Apparently it is fo' real.

Texas Man Kills Cyclist, Injures Others in Drunk Driving Nightmare in Mexico



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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

"We are Americans First"



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Obama Wins Democratic Nomination: :

"Yes We Did... As we absorb the news that an African-American is now the presumptive nominee for the presidency of the United States, a few words. No one should allow the tortuous end of this primary journey to obscure the passion and insurrection that made it possible. That passion came from a simple place, the way it often does in politics. It came from the gut instinct that we have lost our way, that the United States needs to start again after the debt, depravity, and destruction of the Bush years. It came from hope that the future need not be as bleak as it seemed not too long ago. It came from a sense that the deepest divisions were not as deep as the political class needed them to be and wanted them to be. And it came from the astonishing nostrum that a liberal, black first-term senator could overturn the biggest machine, the biggest name and the biggest dynasty in Democratic party politics."
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"We are Americans First"



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"Ch-ch-ch-Changes"



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I'm open to the V.P. slot too, Obama! I'm dying to shoot somebody in the face.

Clinton: Open to being Obama's vice president

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Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Shrinkage

On this last day of the Democratic Primary I'm hopeful, wary and a bit terrified.

Hopeful that Hillary will do what's good for the party and drop out whilst fully endorsing Obama.

Wary that she'll only 'suspend' her campaign thus leaving the door for a 'return' and not endorsing Obama.

Terrified that Obama may do something crazy like ask the she-devil who's hell-bent on satisfying her own lust for power to be his V.P.

Long primary has been great for the Dems but has worn on this political junkies psyche a bit too much.

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We are SO far behind in this country. So, so, so far behind.

Great potential for on-site sustainable energy:

"Despite the incentives offered by the governmental agencies in Britain, the report concludes Germany's approach is more effective. Germany 'pays householders for feeding the electricity they produce from microgeneration into the national grid; the rate of these 'feed-in tariffs' for photovoltaic panels is especially generous, fuelling their rapid expansion. At least 15 other European countries have also adopted them.'"
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5 big ass joints a day for 20 years. Well no-shit.

Hey, did you know that if you drink a case of beer everday for 20 years your liver will shrink up like a dog turd?

Stupid study.

Heavy marijuana use shrinks brain parts: study:

"The men had smoked at least five marijuana cigarettes daily for on average 20 years."
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Monday, June 02, 2008

Cocaine Jeebus

Hopefully this will be the last bit of bagging on the Clintonistas. If she has an ounce of class and dignity she'll drop out by Wed morning.

But his rare footage of Hillary as a young child does not bode well.

Funny because it's true.



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More support for Siegelman:

Ex-attorneys general file brief supporting Siegelman:

"A bipartisan group of 54 former state attorneys general from across the country has filed a federal appeals brief supporting former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman's bid to overturn his criminal conviction."
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Even Obama's body man is cooler than cool. Reggie 'freakin' Love.

On the Court and on the Trail, One Aide Looms Over Obama:

"Mr. Love, 26, is Mr. Obama’s body man, the personal aide who shadows the senator and anticipates everything he needs — and everything he does not need. He is not a bodyguard (security is provided by the Secret Service), but rather the ultimate assistant, rarely more than a body length away from the candidate."
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Smuggling blow in style.

Mexico drug smugglers make Jesus statue of cocaine:

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The Kids are Alright.



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