Reprinted from my MySpace Blog...
First, read this:
I hope that the 200-plus people that trampled this worker to death got some AMAZING FUCKING SAVINGS on Black Friday, that it was worth the death of this dude who worked tirelessly for a shitty wage and poor benefits. I understand that the American consumer is roughly a step below child molesters and Osama Bin Laden on the respectability scale, and I know that New Yorkers are animals who have no reasonable sense of...well, sense. But Jesus Titty-Fucking Christ.
Seriously. Is it THAT fucking important to get to the Hannah Montana toys, or that Barbecue Grill Set that's on sale for $19.99??? That you can't just walk at a brisk pace into Wal-Mart to get your shopping done? Buck and I were discussing this, and a bum-rush of this nature MIGHT happen...IN A FUCKING FOOD LINE IN GHANA!!!! I have always been disgusted by "Black Friday shoppers" and their behaviour patterns. You people claim to be grown-ups, adults, people who might even have children (god forbid) that you attempt to discipline and teach the "right" way to do things.
I truly feel in my heart (and I'm not just saying whacked-out things to be shocking) that after that happened, Al Quaeda should have swooped in and blown those 200 people to shreds...9/11 II: Electric Boogaloo, live from Long Island.
So in closing, I hope that multi-purpose flashlight for $8.99 and the X-Box games you got at 10% off are just really fucking bougeious-amazing, and that the family who will be one person short this Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/etc. - oh, and since he worked for Wal-Mart, his insurance (if he even had insurance) will probably cover roughly $15-$25 of his medical and death costs - is far from your mind this holiday season as you revel in your worthless, consumerist lives. I truly hope your life ends in tragedy.
Friday, November 28, 2008
This disgusts me to the brim of my bitter soul..
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!
Hope everyone is getting fat on turkey, enjoying the company of family and/or friends, and gearing up for football or (God help us all) the Black Friday shenaniganza.
Then it's all downhill from here to Christmas and, more importantly, my birthday.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A blog I'm going to actually try and keep current
As you might have heard me mention, my next album will be called Unfocused 3rd Album. With my current state of unemployment (more on that later), I've decided to document the process of making the record, also because I thought it would be neat to have some sort of daily journal.
Also I thought it would be cool to make public my un-focused, inconsistent, idiosyncratic, overly-ambitious, all-over-the-place, clueless-with-my-thumb-up-my-ass, going-nowhere-fast efforts. I will attempt to emulate a Hip-Hop version of Brian Wilson at his most bat-shit crazy.
You can go to:
http://unfocused3rdalbum.blogspot.com/
Nate's Shower Thoughts - Thanksgiving Eve edition
(This one's a little dark ... it germinated from a thought about turkey breasts, then ended up centered on Christina Applegate, then went downhill from there.)
I would not be a bit surprised to read a news article one day that a doctor who performs mastectomies is found by authorities to have the severed breasts preserved (perhaps even bronzed) and displayed on a wall in his home, maybe even in a room that’s only accessible when one pulls a certain book off of a bookshelf in an otherwise inconspicuous area of the house.
Friday, November 21, 2008
C'mon, give Palin a break!
Okay, you and I both know that Africa is in fact a continent. And, buying expensive clothing during a recession/depression is pretty ill-advised but seriously ... MSNBC ... exercise some modicum of restraint, for Allah’s sake.
On “Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann,” the latest Sarah Palin debacle was deconstructed. The short form: She organized a little press junket to commemorate her own little turkey pardoning. Afterward, she gave a three minute interview; in the background of her interview was Cletus the slack-jawed yokel slaughtering two turkeys (i.e. doing the job he was getting paid for). Comical? Yes. A critical misstep? Maybe. Deserving of endless critical missives in the little box that runs at the bottom of the screen? Magic 8 Ball, help me on this ... "Highly doubtful."
You be the judge. Collected below are the denunciations that ran during Gov. Palin’s three minute interview ... again, I emphasize THREE MINUTE interview. Pick your favorite:
"Turkey carnage?"
That’s six different jabs that they used; that’s one every thirty seconds. Plus, they even repeated a few of them. O-ver-kill! Hey, MSNBC, quit being such goddamn pussies; why not just say what’s on your mind?
[DVD] "Tales From the Darkside Season 1"
Oh, lordy mercy!
"... plans are to try and include a brand-new audio commentary by (executive producer George) Romero ..." [more]
This used to be one of my favorite horror anthology shows of all time! Episodes still play on Chiller TV from time to time. Some of the shows have aged pretty bad, when you look at the clothing and hair styles. But c'mon ... it's "Tales from the Darkside!" A modern classic.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I'm Confused
As you may or may not have heard, there is a Watchmen movie coming out in March.
Our good friends at 20th Century Fox, who had the rights to the book at some point in the last twenty years, are suing Warner Brothers for distribution rights. This comes from this L.A. Times article.
The money graph, and why I am confused: "They are not just fighting over 'Watchmen,' " entertainment attorney Mel Avanzado, who is not involved in the litigation, said of the duel between Fox and Warners. "They are also fighting over sequel rights. Whoever controls the franchise probably controls quite a bit."
Did these people not read the book?
But then, if you read on: "And it very well may be hard to build a franchise like "X-Men"; the "Watchmen" movie has an ending that, like a comic-book version of "Titanic," hardly encourages a sequel no matter how good the grosses. A prequel certainly could be made but Snyder, a devoted fan of the graphic novel, has called it a terrible idea and vowed to oppose it."
Then why talk about it?
Hollywood never ceases to amaze me.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
This one is close to our hearts...
I love the Philadelphia news.
This story isn't unique, or even funny, but we can relate to the comments. The link is here. The comments, should they be deleted, are as follows:
Posted by housework 09:53 AM, 11/13/2008
Tis the season to be a lousy thief! He's a violent predator, who needs to be taught a good lesson about being a petty thief...JAIL TIME
Posted by wood_yee 10:00 AM, 11/13/2008
Tough times for Grady after the cancellation of "Sanford and Son".
Posted by Strawberry39 10:19 AM, 11/13/2008
I'm glad they caught this monster.
Posted by regdunlop 10:37 AM, 11/13/2008
WHEN HE IS GETTING RAPED AT GRATERFORD WE'LL ALL BE A BIT HAPPIER
Posted by regdunlop 10:45 AM, 11/13/2008
Grady is gonna dig his new boyfriend at Graterford. I wonder if they'll register for flatware at costco?
Posted by srg129 11:35 AM, 11/13/2008
This guy is never going to be of any benefit to society. Can't someone just make him "disappear" with no questions asked?
Posted by Miss Bunny 12:11 PM, 11/13/2008
Raped at Graterford? This dude is so old and ugly, only the most desperate booty bandits will turn him out.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
The Question
Has anyone ever read the comic book "The Question?" I believe it was created by Batman/DC alum Denny O'Neill.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
This almost makes me want to buy an XBox360
This trailer looks unbelievable
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/01/left-4-dead-intro-cinematic-blows-minds-eats-them/
Friday, November 07, 2008
The Joker graphic novel
I had been anxiously awaiting this book.
I admit I am a huge Batman fan. All things Batman. I really love the idea of a graphic novel that focuses on The Joker. The new book is good with a few flaws. One flaw is the likeness of Heath Ledger to the Joker in the book. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ledger's performance in the movie but I feel the Joker in the novel should have a different look to set it apart from the movie. I know that it is intended to be what happened after the movie, but I still feel his look should have been a little different.
What are your thoughts and opinions on this book.
The Obama Administration
Buck again tried to inject constructive discussion into the inevitable partisan dogfight between Ron and myself and that got lost in the shuffle, so I want to start fresh and give some opinions on some of his questions and general ideas of how I'd like to see the Obama Administration start out.
What President-elect Barack Obama (okay, I'm not tired of saying it but I'm tired of typing it) and the Democratic majority need to do first, between now and the inauguration, is to forcefully make the point that the result of this election was an endorsement, to some degree, of the left-of-center policy agenda that Obama laid out and not simply a rejection of the Bush Adminstration. They need to push the idea that they have a mandate. And it's a real mandate; a Reagan-in-1980 mandate, not a Bush-by-two-points-and-thirty-electoral-votes-in-2004 "mandate," and that they're going to get the honeymoon that neither Clinton nor Bush got. At the same time, they need to emphasize that they will not look to engage in retribution or extract punishment for the last eight years except where it is a legitimate necessity for moving forward. Democrats should be conciliatory and advise Republicans that when a bill is brought to the floor for debate that they are interested in rational, measured input and that they will consider reasonable, principled opposition, but that a refusal to engage in honest give-and-take and engaging in naked obstructionism will be unacceptable.
Something that most people aren't aware of is that the current process for filibustering is no longer the arduous task of taking the floor and keeping it tied up Strom Thurmond-style until the majority gives up and removes the bill from the agenda. Since the 1980s a "gentlemen's agreement" has been in place where the Minority Leader will advise the Majority Leader that a particular bill on the agenda will be filibustered if brought to the floor and so, in order to keep the business of the Senate working, the Majority Leader will simply remove the bill if he doesn't feel he has the necessary votes for cloture; this is often the case if support falls along party lines. Anyone is free to attempt a traditional filibuster, but that is usually a result of a weaker opposition that can usually be defeated with a cloture vote. This agreement has benefitted both parties and the country as a whole by avoiding legislative gridlock, but in the most recent term where the Republican Party has been in the minority it has been wildly abused, setting a record of more than 70 filibusters in the 2007 session and reaching a pace in 2008 likely to triple that number. With that in mind, Majority Leader Harry Reid should let the Republicans know that if it appears they intend to continue this strategy that the "gentlmen's agreement" will be removed and that they will be forced to do the "Mr. Deeds Goes To Washington" filibuster and put a very public face on their obstructionism. Beyond that, Reid should also consider invoking the "nuclear option" and taking the filibuster away if opposition goes from principled to partisan and ties up the policy agenda.
Obama should immediately begin work on two fronts: economic policy and foreign policy. On the economic front, Obama should look to quickly implement the tax policy he put forth in his campaign unless he is given serious indication by trustworthy advisors that it would be devastating to do so. Next up should probably be a stimulus package to keep things moving. The next year to two years are likely to be the bottom of and emergence from a recession, but I don't think that we're looking at a true depression. I don't think anyone has an expectation, nor did Obama give the indication, that the economy will be back to the good times of 1998 in short order. I and many, many others refuse to buy the argument that a return to Clinton-era tax levels is going to be the death of our economy. (If it is then we're fucked, but it's highly unlikely and arguments otherwise are simply untenable given the wealth of evidence that was the period from 1993-2000 and our survival of truly confiscatory marginal tax rates from World War II through 1980.) Offer Republicans input and be willing haggle on the tax raise for the top bracket, but if necessary do what Clinton did: pass it without a single Republican vote.
In terms of foreign policy, Obama laid out clear positions for the War on Terror, which includes closing Guantanamo Bay and ending the use of torture and extreme rendition. Implement these changes without delay. They are an affront to what America stands for and they have badly damaged our credibility on the national stage. As far as Iraq goes, the Iraqis themselves are demanding our exit and just today Gen. Petraeus reduced troop levels by one brigade. Work out the details of the status agreement with Iraq and begin the drawdown in a safe and orderly manner. Move new troops headed for Iraq into Afghanistan and help Afghanistan establish a more legitimate government and offer military assistance in Pakistan to secure the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. Foreign policy is, to a large degree, solely the domain of the executive branch so there really isn't any need to appeal to the right on these matters. Opposition to the war in Iraq is the centerpiece of Obama's appeal and rise in the Democratic Party and I don't see his foreign policy agenda as being negotiable right now.
Not to go right back into the division argument, but if the Republican minority isn't willing to cooperate reasonably and provide principled opposition then let them bank on the possibility that Obama's economic and foreign policies are immediately disasterous or that they can take Congress back in 2010; this is a risk Obama and the Democrats have to be willing to take if it comes to it. We don't appear to be looking at the same electorate that Clinton faced in 1994 that punished Democrats for perceived overreach and the margin of victory this year suggests that Republican opposition is going to have to be far more substantial than crossing their arms, saying no, and crying "liberal" to the voters in the aftermath. Having a large section of the country pissed because they didn't get their way is unfortunate, but that's government and there's no way around it if the opposition is unbendingly partisan.
I'm not entirely certain that this the tack that Democrats are going to take, but that's how I'd like to see it begin.
Buck's other questions are answered by pointing out the coalitions that make up the modern Republican Party. The GOP has fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, neoconservative warhawks, and paleoconservative isolationists working together to create a party platform that is at times absolutely schizophrenic. I can see how, for example, some pro-life Christian Democrats like Harry Reid can accept that the government should involve itself very minimally in reproductive issues and the personal lives of homosexuals and work toward economically liberal goals. However, I have no idea how a Republican could expand the federal government by massively increasing social program spending and fighting two wars while cutting taxes without making any significant budget cuts therefore drastically increasing the deficit and argue for a strict reading of the Constitution for the purposes of opposing abortion, gun control and gay rights at the same time supporting secret CIA prisons and torture in violation of treaties that we signed and are Constitutionally obligated to uphold. Don't forget the Log Cabin Republicans that get in on this mess; homosexuals that throw their lot in with the party that very strongly opposes homosexuality! And the philosophical theme park that is the Republican Party's brand of modern conservatism has been under construction since long before 2000, it's just that this is the first time they've had this much power at once.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Nate's Shower Thoughts for 11/6/08
Although I despise the "LOL cats" internet phenomenon, this popped in my head so I had to share it. I made it myself.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
My three-cents worth.
Personally, I loves it.
I do agree with Nate in that I would have supported a McCain nomination in 2000, as he was the most level-headed of his party at the time. And honestly I don't really have a problem with John McCain. I think he does love his country, and I think he made a good concession speech. He took it like a man, so to speak. My main concern
was that the war would never end under his regime, that McCain, as decent of a Republican he might be, couldn't make changes with the Old Guard still intact, and that a man who spent as long in a torture camp as he did would still carry some "off-his-rocker" type vibes.
The large margin by which Mr. Obama won also restored a bit of my faith in America to not be racist pieces of shit. I live in arguably the Bluest state in the nation (as well as a melting pot of every race and nationality there is), so while I don't really experience that kind of attitude like I did when I lived in, say, Morristown - I did get fairly disgusted in early-to-mid election at the attitudes of people who should frankly know better. I got dragged into a bit of a war-of-words on Facebook over the topic. Many of you probably know that my day job is entirely staffed by Orthodox Hasidic Jews. A couple of my co-workers are my friends on Facebook. Without a long, dragged out story, let's just say that some of the things they were saying online were far beyond radical, and their friends who chimed in were even worse, and the discourse essentially equated to (and was literally described by words like) "Hang that Socialist N*****!!!"
Only being able to listen to a certain degree of bullshit before I weigh in, I said something to the effect of "you would think if your grandparents and great-grandparents had been Easy-Baked, you would have a better understanding that hatred and bigotry has no place in a free society." And I'm sure you can imagine how THAT went over...
Regardless, I know the Bubbas down at the filling station aren't going to change how they feel anytime soon, but got damn if America as a whole didn't put that bullshit aside and at least attempt to realize that a house divided against itself...well, you get the picture.
During the discourse between Ron and the Reverend on these pages, Jo$hua speculated on the percentage of the GOP who were not "Confederate Yokels, Backwoods Mouthbreathers and other assorted Travelodytes. (Forty percent? Sixty percent? All of them except Ron?)" And folks after my best non-scientific, un-substantiated research the survey says...
All of them except Ron. And supposedly this guy in Des Moines. Cause frankly, yall motherfuckers drank the Kool-Aid, with some of the stuff I heard the average, intelligent-to-the-naked-eye American citizen spit out. As if Barack Obama was the living incarnation of Beelzebub, who was literally salivating at the notion of being able to hoodwink America into letting him turn us into a Communist war-zone, and giving the Taliban an open-door to blow us to shreds. As if one man, in four years time, will turn us into the Soviet Union circa 1982; where we are robbing each other for potatoes due to our Socialist poverty, and killing babies for sport due to our moral depravity. If he's not your candidate, fine. If you totally disagree with everything dude stands for...cool. It's called democracy (accepting that we don't agree on things and trying to find a common ground). But are you really listening to yourself?
There are of course plenty of conservatives who are eloquent speakers and make solid, even at times convincing cases as to why their side is in the right. But actions speak louder than words, and the Republican party, through their actions, have made it clear that they don't give a fuck about Main Street, that "tradition" is more important than "progress" and that it is more important to blow up Brown people, than to strengthen America by CRAZY, SOCIALIST ideas like making sure we all have health care and are able to go to college. Yall were fat and happy for a long time, and I totally understand why you didn't want it to end. And while I will agree with you that Obama's tax polices and such will likely force the American business owners to cough a larger share up into the pot...honestly...how many of yall are actually business owners???
Chances are you're a worker, who punches in and out each day and collects a check at the end of the week. Forgive the man for trying to help THOSE people not be relentlessly shit on by "tradition." And besides, for every honest, hard-working small business in this country who would be hurt by a tax increase, there are 25 or more large businesses whose CEO's are buying new Mazerati's because their workers break their backs for peanuts.
So, with that said...Congratulations America on getting it right for once. Whether you voted for Obama or not, congrats on the huge voter turnout, congrats on voicing your opinion, and for fuck's sake let's try to get this ship back on track.
My fellow Americans...
...our long national nightmare is over.
I've been waiting for this since 2004, when America re-elected an intellectually incurious, rigid, ideologue who refused to yield to any suggestion of reality. When the GOP used homosexuality as a wedge issue and shit upon a small minority of people for political gain. After seven years of liberals and Democrats being smeared as traitors and soft on the War on Terra. Nothing but bullshits and hullabaloos from the Republican Party for eight long years.
President Barack Obama in a walk. At least 57 Senate seats. Massive gains in the House. Wholesale rejection of conservative principles of governance.
I can dig it.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Night
Okay, let's get this out of the way.
I didn't vote this year.
Go ahead, call me names. Cuss me out. Or, like my mom did when we talked last night, express your disappointment and threaten to take me out of the will.
After the last presidential election, I caught a bad case of voter apathy. I had high hopes that Bush would get ousted; I didn't particularly care for John Kerry, but hell, this was the heart of the ABB movement ("Anyone But Bush"). Everything about Bush's first term was the stuff of nightmares and horror movies and legends to tell kids of what might happen if they don't obey. "Brush your teeth every night, or Dick Cheney will waterboard another detainee."
Chaos and maddening mismanagement of our government rampaged through our country in such a manner that people who keep up with politics - truly pay close attention to the world around them - couldn't possibly have voted Bush in for another term. Except, of course, when they did. That was the starting point of my voter's apathy. Some would rename it "social apathy," but po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
Now, these past four years have been like the sequel to a film that is so far below the original, it almost stands to tarnish the legacy of the original. This was the "Batman Returns" presidential term, the "Pet Semetary Two."
And today, we the people run the risk of seeing, not a sequel, but a remake. Should McCain win, I truly hope that much of the policies of the Bush era don't hold up. Of course, I think that lurking in Palin's shadow is a heart of darkness that could rival at least five Dick Cheney's. But what do I know, I'm just a psychologist.
Hell, had he won the party nod, I just might have voted McCain in 2000, since that was when he was making the most sense, and risking the trust of his own party, and was probably the most liberal of conservatives and actually had the poise that made you think that he'd have been probably a president that could have rivaled the best in my/our lifetime. Of course, the political machine had other ideas, and the party kid from Texas was the puppet du'jour. I mean, seriously, after all the bailouts and bank crashes and threats ad infinitum of depressions, recessions, etc., we really didn't need that economic surplus that Clinton left behind, did we?
I live in South Carolina. That negates my vote immediately. If I want to vote McCain, trust me, I won't be alone; on the contrary, I'll be one in millions. If I want to vote Obama, I'll be one vote cast into the Red State Sea, because you can almost bet that South Carolina's electoral college will lean to the right. I've already heard enough ABB v2.0 ("Anyone But Black") rhetoric to last me all the way through to the next election.
Where was all this voting process reform that was supposed to be in place by now? Wasn't the electoral college system supposed to be broken down, reconstructed, abandoned, whatever, by now? The electoral college is yet another reason for which I laughed when I heard Al Gore tell me that "my vote counted." Said the man who won the popular vote in 2000 - which is good enough to win you prom queen, class president, employee of the year at your small company, and whether the family eats chicken or fish tonight - but didn't win the presidency. This is the same reason that the movie "Swing Vote" should not have grossed over six million its opening weekend: Because the vote for the commander-in-chief hasn't been in the hands of one man since ... good lord, when??
Whoo ... I'm out of steam on this rant. I just truly want the president that is going to make the best decisions for our country, without being a nigh-total fuck-up like G. Dub. I mean, seriously, for every one thing that dude did right, there were AT LEAST five things he did wrong. The fact that he's not in jail or on trial for treason or some shit is mindblowing, to me. But I already find myself certain that my vote means nothing. Thank you, American political machine, for making that so.
"I'll show you politics in America right here. 'I believe the puppet on the right shares my beliefs.' 'Well, I believe the puppet on the left is more to my liking.' Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding up both puppets! 'Go back to bed, America, your government is in control. Here's Love Connection, watch this and get fat and stupid. By the way, keep drinking beer.'" - Bill Hicks
Monday, November 03, 2008
"Whut th' hell?"
Fox to cancel "King of the Hill."
Ah, 13 seasons, it was a good run. I have to add that I think this was the most consistently enjoyable television show that I think I've ever seen ... at least it ranks pretty high. Once Cotton Hill died, I think I saw this day coming sooner than later.
And maybe this will lead to more of the seasons being released on DVD, since they seemed to skid to an abrupt halt with Season 6 a few years ago.
