...from these video releases. I had the misfortune of renting two duds last week. I think somebody owes me a refund of my money and my time.
The first dud was Christmas with the Kranks starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Ackroyd. Lord it was god-awful. I wanna smack whomever produced that trash. I was suckered in with a high energy, quick paced movie trailer a few weeks back. I assumed it'd be the perfect holiday, hijinks comedy that I love watching during this time of year that gives me that "aww" feeling. Well, no such luck. This movie fell well short of my expectations. It missed the mark in every category. The jokes weren't funny, the gags were very predictable, the acting was bad (especially Jamie), the storyline was beyond dumb, the chemistry was none existent between the actors and the story line resolution wasn't satisfying at all.
The second dud was War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. Before I dog the movie, let me first heap loads and loads of praise on little Ms Fanning. She is phenomenal. I have yet to witness a bad performance from this young actress. She makes the utmost of her screen time. For me, there is nothing more irritating than watching a really bad child actor that you can tell got the job because they had the cutest face or features. Fanning is none of that cute with no talent stuff, she's the real deal. Kudos! Now back to the bashing. What a load of crap. I expect way, way, way more from a Steven Spielberg directed flick. Maybe my expectations are too lofty but I feel cheated and robbed. I am really not that much of a Tom Cruise fan so maybe I shouldn't have watched this flick. His performance was hollow and left me wanting. I generally tell friends that I "don't do Tom Cruise" films but I am a Sci-fi movie fan and an action movie fan so I felt those points of interest would keep me entertained; not to mention I found Minority Report thoroughly enjoyable. I had hoped another Spielberg directed/Cruise starrring venture would be as enjoyable but it wasn't. I expected WotW to be action film with a sci-fi twist; instead, it was family drama with a sci-fi backdrop. What? Are you kidding me? is what I kept asking myself as I sat through this trash. Anyhoo, like I said, the movie is a family drama. But the family's drama never pulled me in. I never became invested in the characters. There's something about the 'petulant teenager that hates their parent' storyline that turns my stomach. I can not relate to it the way it's presented on tv or in film and that dynamic has been exploited so much it's worn my nerves thin. Since the filmmakers chose to make use of that dynamic they should have figured out a way to make it different than what we've seen in the past. I think the filmmakers made another mistake by not including a second or 3 storyline that wars against the main plot. I think the quality of writing was extremely poor. A whole lot of something was needed to make this movie better. WotW is about a man's personal journey while on a physical journey. I found neither journey compelling and would recommend everyone avoid this film at all costs.
Wednesday, November 30
Monday, November 28
So Good
On Thanksgiving I was suckered into cooking more than I expected. I prepared dressing, candied yams (thanks Trent for the tips) and green beans while my cousin prepared peach cobbler and a turkey breast. I was a little disappointed that I forgot to buy myself a Tofurky Roast - faux smoked turkey breast - to munch on with my dinner. Dinner was still great nonetheless.
I absolutely love yams but I never take the time to prepare them unless it's a major holiday. There's something about all the peeling and chopping that puts me in a bad mood. Anyhoo, I decided to be adventurous on the holiday and cook something new using yams that I'd never prepared before. My original intention was to make a batch of Sweet Potato Cookies. But the more I thought about how tedious measuring, mixing, batter sampling, baking, waiting then cookie sampling is I decided against making the cookies. I regrouped after a brief chat with a friend and we decided I should make a cheesecake using the yams. Thus, I concocted the following dessert - Sweet Potato Swirl Cheesecake.
Man, it was good. My basic recipe was swirling regular cheesecake batter together with sweet potato flavored batter then adding a swirl of caramelized pecans. Mm mm mmm! It was so good.
I know pictures can't capture the delicious flavor but take my word for it was good. In fact, I am thinking about selling dem joints during the Christmas holiday season.
I absolutely love yams but I never take the time to prepare them unless it's a major holiday. There's something about all the peeling and chopping that puts me in a bad mood. Anyhoo, I decided to be adventurous on the holiday and cook something new using yams that I'd never prepared before. My original intention was to make a batch of Sweet Potato Cookies. But the more I thought about how tedious measuring, mixing, batter sampling, baking, waiting then cookie sampling is I decided against making the cookies. I regrouped after a brief chat with a friend and we decided I should make a cheesecake using the yams. Thus, I concocted the following dessert - Sweet Potato Swirl Cheesecake.
Man, it was good. My basic recipe was swirling regular cheesecake batter together with sweet potato flavored batter then adding a swirl of caramelized pecans. Mm mm mmm! It was so good.
I know pictures can't capture the delicious flavor but take my word for it was good. In fact, I am thinking about selling dem joints during the Christmas holiday season.
Sunday, November 27
Internet Frauds and Scams Continue
I just don't understand why people persist on using the internet to prey on people. I believe most internet users know by now not to fall for this internet scam but I thought I'd post the following doc anyway just remind us all to be careful.
A buddy of mine received this email a few days ago with the subject line: Hello (my buddy's) Surname
Good day,
My name is Mr.Benjamin Douke, a banker and accountant with an International bank here in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. I am the personal accounts manager to Engr. John (my buddy's) Surname, a nationale of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Cote d'Ivoire.
My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in the ill fated Kenya Airways crash in the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all passengers on board died. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the internet, to see if I could locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank, where the deceased has an account valued at about ($16 million US dollars).They have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or the bank will declare the account unservisable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for the last 3 years now, I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account valued at ($16million US dollars) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. If you can handle this with me, include in your reply mail your full name, complete address date of birth as well as telephone and fax number.
Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.
Benjamin Douke.
A buddy of mine received this email a few days ago with the subject line: Hello (my buddy's) Surname
Good day,
My name is Mr.Benjamin Douke, a banker and accountant with an International bank here in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. I am the personal accounts manager to Engr. John (my buddy's) Surname, a nationale of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Cote d'Ivoire.
My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in the ill fated Kenya Airways crash in the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all passengers on board died. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the internet, to see if I could locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank, where the deceased has an account valued at about ($16 million US dollars).They have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or the bank will declare the account unservisable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for the last 3 years now, I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account valued at ($16million US dollars) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. If you can handle this with me, include in your reply mail your full name, complete address date of birth as well as telephone and fax number.
Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.
Benjamin Douke.
Thursday, November 24
Free Tivo 40 series2
Found at dealnews refer to post
CompUSA.com again offers the TiVo Series2 40-hour Digital Video Recorder, model no. TCD540040, for $150 with free shipping. A $150 mail-in rebate (valid only with service activation) yields a net price of $0. That's the best price we've seen for a 40-hour TiVo. This item is only available for delivery (you can't pick one up at a local store). TiVo service is $12.95 per month or $299 for the lifetime of the unit. Expires 11/24 at 11:59pm
CompUSA.com again offers the TiVo Series2 40-hour Digital Video Recorder, model no. TCD540040, for $150 with free shipping. A $150 mail-in rebate (valid only with service activation) yields a net price of $0. That's the best price we've seen for a 40-hour TiVo. This item is only available for delivery (you can't pick one up at a local store). TiVo service is $12.95 per month or $299 for the lifetime of the unit. Expires 11/24 at 11:59pm
Wednesday, November 23
Lafave's Sentence
By now everyone's heard that Debbie Lafave, ex-middle school teacher, plead guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery will serve three years of house arrest and seven years probation and must register as a sex offender.
I'm sure by now everyone's familiar with Lafave's lawyer's declaration "To place Debbie into a state women's penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hellhole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions. I'm not sure Debbie would survive," during pre-trial, right?
Last night, I just happened to watch The Situation with Tucker Carlson for the first and last time (what an obnoxious prick; and the bow tie? are you kidding me?) and he had the following discussion about Lafave:
CARLSON: Speaking of law and order, Debra Lafave. Twenty-five years old. Had sexual relations with a boy 14 in her class. They met on a school trip to Sea World in Orlando.
She has just been sentenced. Three years of house arrest, seven years of probation.
MADDOW: Yes.
CARLSON: Pretty tough sentence. She's—have to register as a sexual predator. There she is on the screen. Here's my question, very simple, who exactly is harmed by this? To the extent that it justifies her registration as a, quote, “sexual predator,” and three years of house arrest? I know people are saying, “Oh, she's gotten off easy.” I don't think so at all. I want to know exactly who she's hurt to deserve this.
MADDOW: If it was a male teacher and a 14-year-old girl, would you feel differently?
CARLSON: Of course I would. I would be rooting for a lifetime behind bars, along with every other American. But it wasn't.
MADDOW: The age of consent should be different for boys than for girls?
CARLSON: I think in real life, it is much more harmful to a 14-year-old girl to have sexual relations with an adult teacher than it is for a 14-year-old boy.
MADDOW: Now we're talking about a legal case where we've got an adult who had sex with 14-year-old, and we have to decide what the legal standard's going to be. Are we really going to argue about the legal standard for age of consent, that it should be legal to have sex with a 14-year-old boy, no matter what age you are, but if you have sex with a 14-year-old girl, life in prison? That's a pretty hard thing to argue.
CARLSON: No, no. I think—I think, however, you ought to—it is a hard legal argument to make. You're right. But I think you ought to have to show harm before you sentence someone, you pull someone out of society, and sentence him either, in this case, her to prison or home confinement and brand them for the rest of their lives.
I was a bit shocked to hear him suggest that she had not committed a crime and further imply that male and female sexual predators should be treated differently in the court system. Personally, I think his assertion is ludicrous. As much as I understand the fantasy that every young man has of having sex with an older, attractive, experiened, seductive woman (I had plenty myself) the fact remains that in reality it's illegal to engage in sexual relations with minors who haven't reached the age of consent. I believe the aoc is 17 yrs age in most states. I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject. I pose the question to you: Do you think male sexual molesters should be thrown under the jail while female offenders are slapped on the wrist?
I'm sure by now everyone's familiar with Lafave's lawyer's declaration "To place Debbie into a state women's penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hellhole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions. I'm not sure Debbie would survive," during pre-trial, right?
Last night, I just happened to watch The Situation with Tucker Carlson for the first and last time (what an obnoxious prick; and the bow tie? are you kidding me?) and he had the following discussion about Lafave:
CARLSON: Speaking of law and order, Debra Lafave. Twenty-five years old. Had sexual relations with a boy 14 in her class. They met on a school trip to Sea World in Orlando.
She has just been sentenced. Three years of house arrest, seven years of probation.
MADDOW: Yes.
CARLSON: Pretty tough sentence. She's—have to register as a sexual predator. There she is on the screen. Here's my question, very simple, who exactly is harmed by this? To the extent that it justifies her registration as a, quote, “sexual predator,” and three years of house arrest? I know people are saying, “Oh, she's gotten off easy.” I don't think so at all. I want to know exactly who she's hurt to deserve this.
MADDOW: If it was a male teacher and a 14-year-old girl, would you feel differently?
CARLSON: Of course I would. I would be rooting for a lifetime behind bars, along with every other American. But it wasn't.
MADDOW: The age of consent should be different for boys than for girls?
CARLSON: I think in real life, it is much more harmful to a 14-year-old girl to have sexual relations with an adult teacher than it is for a 14-year-old boy.
MADDOW: Now we're talking about a legal case where we've got an adult who had sex with 14-year-old, and we have to decide what the legal standard's going to be. Are we really going to argue about the legal standard for age of consent, that it should be legal to have sex with a 14-year-old boy, no matter what age you are, but if you have sex with a 14-year-old girl, life in prison? That's a pretty hard thing to argue.
CARLSON: No, no. I think—I think, however, you ought to—it is a hard legal argument to make. You're right. But I think you ought to have to show harm before you sentence someone, you pull someone out of society, and sentence him either, in this case, her to prison or home confinement and brand them for the rest of their lives.
I was a bit shocked to hear him suggest that she had not committed a crime and further imply that male and female sexual predators should be treated differently in the court system. Personally, I think his assertion is ludicrous. As much as I understand the fantasy that every young man has of having sex with an older, attractive, experiened, seductive woman (I had plenty myself) the fact remains that in reality it's illegal to engage in sexual relations with minors who haven't reached the age of consent. I believe the aoc is 17 yrs age in most states. I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject. I pose the question to you: Do you think male sexual molesters should be thrown under the jail while female offenders are slapped on the wrist?
Tuesday, November 22
Funniest Things Said To Me Lately
- "This children's bible I stole from work has really been a blessing. My son loves it."
- "I had a horny dream. I just don't understand it. I don't watch horny movies" spoken by my elderly, single great Aunt.
Keeping Pace
I won my fantasy football matchup with ease this weekend 76-47. I was sweating bullets and pitching a fit on Sunday when I discovered one of my bench performers was having an incredible game while 2 of my starters weren't doing much of anything.
It's time for a shakeup in my lineup. This upcoming week's matchup is crucial. My 3rd place team plays the 2nd place team in the league.
Stud of the Week: Peyton Manning's 3 TDs 1 INT 365 yds passing = 23 fantasy points
Duds of the Week: Ronnie Brown's 57 yds rushing 2 yds receiving = 2 fantasy points & Rod Smith's 57 yds receiving = 2 fantasy points
Lucky me player of the Week: Jeremy Shockey 1 yd rec for 1 TD = 6 fantasy points
It's time for a shakeup in my lineup. This upcoming week's matchup is crucial. My 3rd place team plays the 2nd place team in the league.
Stud of the Week: Peyton Manning's 3 TDs 1 INT 365 yds passing = 23 fantasy points
Duds of the Week: Ronnie Brown's 57 yds rushing 2 yds receiving = 2 fantasy points & Rod Smith's 57 yds receiving = 2 fantasy points
Lucky me player of the Week: Jeremy Shockey 1 yd rec for 1 TD = 6 fantasy points
Monday, November 21
Discounts, savings, coupons
It's that time of year when everybody is looking for deals on any and everything. Here are a few sites to peruse.
"Find coupons, rebates, and promotional codes for your favorite online stores. dealcoupon is updated daily listing the newest and most popular coupon codes." http://dealcoupon.com/
If you have a secondary, free email account (yahoo, hotmail) it's beneficial to create a profile on at the next site and have alerts sent to your email for products of interest to you. You should only link to this if you have a secondary email account. You will be quite annoyed with the number of email alerts they send at this time of year. http://dealnews.com/mydealnews/
Another good site for coupon searches http://www.wow-coupons.com/index.php
A shopping blog http://mightygoods.net/
Please share any good sites you use for discounts, coupons and bargain shopping.
Jet Blue Deal I stumbled on at dealnews that expires today. During the JetBlue "More the Merrier" Sale, two or more people fly from the East Coast to the West Coast (or vice versa) for $59 one-way each (not including fees and taxes). Shorter flights cost $39 one-way. Availability is limited. All fares must be purchased by Nov 21. Travel must be completed between Nov 30 and Feb 15, 2006. Blackout dates apply.
"Find coupons, rebates, and promotional codes for your favorite online stores. dealcoupon is updated daily listing the newest and most popular coupon codes." http://dealcoupon.com/
If you have a secondary, free email account (yahoo, hotmail) it's beneficial to create a profile on at the next site and have alerts sent to your email for products of interest to you. You should only link to this if you have a secondary email account. You will be quite annoyed with the number of email alerts they send at this time of year. http://dealnews.com/mydealnews/
Another good site for coupon searches http://www.wow-coupons.com/index.php
A shopping blog http://mightygoods.net/
Please share any good sites you use for discounts, coupons and bargain shopping.
Jet Blue Deal I stumbled on at dealnews that expires today. During the JetBlue "More the Merrier" Sale, two or more people fly from the East Coast to the West Coast (or vice versa) for $59 one-way each (not including fees and taxes). Shorter flights cost $39 one-way. Availability is limited. All fares must be purchased by Nov 21. Travel must be completed between Nov 30 and Feb 15, 2006. Blackout dates apply.
Friday, November 18
The Lyrics
*Lyrics from new song being completed. It's an uptempo track. This is the 2nd stanza of the 1st verse
*( ) denotes background vocal part
All the times I didn’t care (U still loved me)
When I tuned your voice out of my head (U still loved me)
I had to do things my own way
Even though I heard you say
If you follow me, I’ll give you everything you want
*( ) denotes background vocal part
All the times I didn’t care (U still loved me)
When I tuned your voice out of my head (U still loved me)
I had to do things my own way
Even though I heard you say
If you follow me, I’ll give you everything you want
Thursday, November 17
Writing Session pt 2
kathi-hassan-lampchop I'll probably forget to tell you about the project later. A friend (the singer) is working on her gospel album. Her plans are to a) complete a few songs then shop herself a deal or b) complete the album and release it independently. There's supposed to be a live portion (to be record early next year) and a studio portion. The song I co-wrote is one of the studio songs. I don't know when the album will come out. We'll see what happens.
I don't know if I'll be sharing the finished product of the song. I was none too pleased with the direction of the song once the vocals started being laid. The producer had his idea of what the song was 'supposed' to sound like. I tried to make a suggestion during the session that the producer dismissed before I could finish my thought by saying "you're getting ahead of me." I figured the tug-o-war wasn't worth my energy so I kept my suggestions to myself after that exchange. Needless to say I didn't feel a need to return for the final vocal session so I have no idea what the finished product sounds like. I'll post a snippet if I like what I hear.
I am co-writing another song with my friend that she's going to record after Thanksgiving. I'll post some of the lyrics later.
I don't know if I'll be sharing the finished product of the song. I was none too pleased with the direction of the song once the vocals started being laid. The producer had his idea of what the song was 'supposed' to sound like. I tried to make a suggestion during the session that the producer dismissed before I could finish my thought by saying "you're getting ahead of me." I figured the tug-o-war wasn't worth my energy so I kept my suggestions to myself after that exchange. Needless to say I didn't feel a need to return for the final vocal session so I have no idea what the finished product sounds like. I'll post a snippet if I like what I hear.
I am co-writing another song with my friend that she's going to record after Thanksgiving. I'll post some of the lyrics later.
Wednesday, November 16
I'm Annoyed
- Why do people immediately ask me if I eat fish once I tell 'em I'm a vegetarian? Vegetarian - somebody who eats vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and usually eggs and dairy products, but not meat or fish
- Whose bright idea was it to use Sig Alerts on the So Cal freeways to annouce approaching freeway conjuntions? Seriously, you're causing traffic for no good reason. Motorists are slowing to read an alert that says "405 freeway is 10 minutes away." How 'bout we stick to using the alert sign for traffic alerts and amber alerts?
- Why do young mothers say "He/She is just spoiled" with glee in their voice when asked 'why their young toddler is incredibly fussy?' Raising bratty kids really isn't cute; especially when you expect your friends to grin and bear your kid's poor behavior.
- Why is that you can break your neck helping a friend but when you turn around and ask that friend to do the simpliest thing for you they are suddenly unavailable...for weeks or months?
- As I was leaving church walking to my car last week, why did a woman pull her car up to me and ask me to "speak like Peaches" with a big ass grin on her face. (If you don't know, don't ask.) Lady are you serious?
- Why has the mainstream media taken to calling 50 Cent fiddy cent? Did I miss Fiddy's renaming ceremony ala Sean " 'Puff Daddy' 'Puffy' 'P Diddy' 'Diddy' 'The Diddy' " Combs?
- Why did I pretend to be preoccupied when I spotted a childhood friend in Circuit City this past weekend and left the store without speaking. I know it's crappy but I wasn't in the mood for "what's been going on with you?" chit chat.
- Why can't my Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball team get on track? I've lost 2 consective matchups 4-5 4-5 and this week I'm down 1-8. Can a man catch a break?
- Why do overweight women always so things like "I don't want to lose my shape" or "I don't want to lose my butt/breasts" when they explain their reason for not dieting seriously? Conversely, why do overweight men say "I was at such and such weight and I felt too skinny"?
- Why am I overjoyed that the Philly Eagles lost their Monday Night Football game? I admit that TO is an ass but I think the Eagles organization, D McNabb and Andy Reid have all played a part in this fiasco. In my opinion, the Eagles should have acknowledged TO's 100 TD reception. D McNabb should have had surgery weeks ago on his sports hernia. Andy Reid should have coached better games (what happen to the run game Andy) and had his team better prepared for games. TO should really learn how to keep his mouth shut.
Tuesday, November 15
Moving On Up
I am feeling good. My fantasy football team is 6-4 and I've moved up to 3rd place in my league. I won this weekend's matchup 69-46. Woohoo!!!!
Stud of the Week:Peyton Manning. 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 297 yds passing = 23 fantasy points.
Dud of the Week:Joe Jurevicius. 3 receptions for 27 yds = 1 fantasy point.
Stud of the Week:Peyton Manning. 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 297 yds passing = 23 fantasy points.
Dud of the Week:Joe Jurevicius. 3 receptions for 27 yds = 1 fantasy point.
Scare Tactics
My cousin sent this clip to me last night and I died laughing. If any of you happened to watch Scare Tactics when it aired on VH-1 you may have seen this before.
Thursday, November 10
Civil Liberties 3
Awhile ago I found this documentary Unconstitutional: The War On Our Civil Liberties. If you haven't seen it, please take some time to watch. The vid is just over an hour long. I've chopped it into to 3 parts. I'm going to post this vid on the blog for one or two days. Be warned: this is a documentary about the Bush Admnistration and his push to pass the Patriot Act.
UPDATED Nov 14th - I hope some of you had the time and patience to watch the film over the weekend. If you missed it, here are excerpts from the official website about the film:
Here, you'll get the real story behind the USA PATRIOT Act and other administration policies and the gut wrenching stories behind those affected
We created Unconstitutional to show Americans the extent to which our civil liberties and our freedoms have been trampled upon by our government since 9/11
The Patriot Act, which was passed just 45 days after September 11 with virtually no debate, is being met with a significant grassroots groundswell from across the political spectrum.
Unconstitutional aims to reveal how paranoia, fear and racial profiling have led to gross infringements on freedom and democracy without strengthening national security
read more here
From Amazon.com:
Completing a trilogy that should be required viewing for all Americans, Unconstitutional explicitly reveals how the USA Patriot Act violates numerous civil liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Following the equally persuasive documentaries Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election and Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, this film presents powerful and tragic examples of how the USA Patriot Act--passed with virtually no Congressional debate just 45 days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01--has been used to justify the unconstitutional arrest of innocent immigrants based on Arab stereotyping; the illegal detention of vaguely defined "suspects" and their improper treatment (including beatings and torture) during extended confinement; prisoner abuse of alleged terrorism suspects in Guantanamo Bay military prison; the allowance of improper search and seizure without due cause; prohibited travel based on racial profiling; bully tactics employed with impunity by local police in efforts to undermine free speech; and other clear indications of the Patriot Act's unconstitutional enforcement. The more personal these stories of violation are, the more gut-wrenching is the realization that U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft--and by extension, the George W. Bush administration--have used the Patriot Act to justify what is essentially a dictatorial police state.
keep reading
UPDATED Nov 14th - I hope some of you had the time and patience to watch the film over the weekend. If you missed it, here are excerpts from the official website about the film:
Here, you'll get the real story behind the USA PATRIOT Act and other administration policies and the gut wrenching stories behind those affected
We created Unconstitutional to show Americans the extent to which our civil liberties and our freedoms have been trampled upon by our government since 9/11
The Patriot Act, which was passed just 45 days after September 11 with virtually no debate, is being met with a significant grassroots groundswell from across the political spectrum.
Unconstitutional aims to reveal how paranoia, fear and racial profiling have led to gross infringements on freedom and democracy without strengthening national security
read more here
From Amazon.com:
Completing a trilogy that should be required viewing for all Americans, Unconstitutional explicitly reveals how the USA Patriot Act violates numerous civil liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Following the equally persuasive documentaries Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election and Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, this film presents powerful and tragic examples of how the USA Patriot Act--passed with virtually no Congressional debate just 45 days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01--has been used to justify the unconstitutional arrest of innocent immigrants based on Arab stereotyping; the illegal detention of vaguely defined "suspects" and their improper treatment (including beatings and torture) during extended confinement; prisoner abuse of alleged terrorism suspects in Guantanamo Bay military prison; the allowance of improper search and seizure without due cause; prohibited travel based on racial profiling; bully tactics employed with impunity by local police in efforts to undermine free speech; and other clear indications of the Patriot Act's unconstitutional enforcement. The more personal these stories of violation are, the more gut-wrenching is the realization that U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft--and by extension, the George W. Bush administration--have used the Patriot Act to justify what is essentially a dictatorial police state.
keep reading
Wednesday, November 9
Something To Keep...
...in mind. CD buyers please read and educate yourselves.
DRM this, Sony!
I hope this is the week that everyone in the world finds out what a root kit is. And I hope it's a week we look back on in amazement, as we consider just how far Sony was willing to go to criminalize consumers in its efforts to preserve control over its product. Because I believe this is the week that Sony effectively declared war on the consumer, announcing what most of us had already suspected: fair use is a joke in the movie and record industry, and the companies who control mass-market content will truly stop at nothing to protect their profits.
We're not gonna take it
But let me start at the beginning. On Monday, October 31, alert users discovered that Sony BMG is using copy-protected CDs to surreptitiously install its digital rights management technology onto PCs. You don't have to be ripping the CD, either--just playing it from your CD-ROM drive triggers the installation. The software installs itself as a root kit, which is a set of tools commonly used to make certain files and processes undetectable, and they're the favored tool of crackers who are, as Wikipedia puts it, attempting to "maintain access to a system for malicious purposes." In fact, root kits are often classified alongside Trojan horses. And Mark Russinovich, who created a root-kit detection utility and was one of the first to blog about the Sony intrusion, discovered another little gem when he tried to remove the DRM drivers. It broke his computer--disabling his CD drive.
So, let's make this a bit more explicit. You buy a CD. You put the CD into your PC in order to enjoy your music. Sony grabs this opportunity to sneak into your house like a virus and set up camp, and it leaves the backdoor open so that Sony or any other enterprising intruder can follow and have the run of the place. If you try to kick Sony out, it trashes the place. And what does this software do once it's on your PC? Well, here is (via David Berlind's excellent breakdown of the issue) what Amazon's CD listing page has to say on the subject:
Read the rest here:
Are You Infected by Sony-BMG's Rootkit?
But how do you know whether you've been infected? It turns out Sony-BMG has deployed XCP on a number of titles, in variety of musical genres, on several of its wholly-owned labels.
EFF has confirmed the presence of XCP on the following titles (each has a data session, easily read on a Macintosh, that includes a file called "VERSION.DAT" that announces what version of XCP it is using). If you have one of these CDs, and you have a Windows PC (Macs are totally immune, as usual), you may have caught the XCP bug.
Trey Anastasio, Shine (Columbia)
Celine Dion, On ne Change Pas (Epic)
Neil Diamond, 12 Songs (Columbia)
Our Lady Peace, Healthy in Paranoid Times (Columbia)
Chris Botti, To Love Again (Columbia)
Van Zant, Get Right with the Man (Columbia)
Switchfoot, Nothing is Sound (Columbia)
The Coral, The Invisible Invasion (Columbia)
Acceptance, Phantoms (Columbia)
Susie Suh, Susie Suh (Epic)
Amerie, Touch (Columbia)
Read complete list here along with a tip for warding off infection.
DRM this, Sony!
I hope this is the week that everyone in the world finds out what a root kit is. And I hope it's a week we look back on in amazement, as we consider just how far Sony was willing to go to criminalize consumers in its efforts to preserve control over its product. Because I believe this is the week that Sony effectively declared war on the consumer, announcing what most of us had already suspected: fair use is a joke in the movie and record industry, and the companies who control mass-market content will truly stop at nothing to protect their profits.
We're not gonna take it
But let me start at the beginning. On Monday, October 31, alert users discovered that Sony BMG is using copy-protected CDs to surreptitiously install its digital rights management technology onto PCs. You don't have to be ripping the CD, either--just playing it from your CD-ROM drive triggers the installation. The software installs itself as a root kit, which is a set of tools commonly used to make certain files and processes undetectable, and they're the favored tool of crackers who are, as Wikipedia puts it, attempting to "maintain access to a system for malicious purposes." In fact, root kits are often classified alongside Trojan horses. And Mark Russinovich, who created a root-kit detection utility and was one of the first to blog about the Sony intrusion, discovered another little gem when he tried to remove the DRM drivers. It broke his computer--disabling his CD drive.
So, let's make this a bit more explicit. You buy a CD. You put the CD into your PC in order to enjoy your music. Sony grabs this opportunity to sneak into your house like a virus and set up camp, and it leaves the backdoor open so that Sony or any other enterprising intruder can follow and have the run of the place. If you try to kick Sony out, it trashes the place. And what does this software do once it's on your PC? Well, here is (via David Berlind's excellent breakdown of the issue) what Amazon's CD listing page has to say on the subject:
Read the rest here:
Are You Infected by Sony-BMG's Rootkit?
But how do you know whether you've been infected? It turns out Sony-BMG has deployed XCP on a number of titles, in variety of musical genres, on several of its wholly-owned labels.
EFF has confirmed the presence of XCP on the following titles (each has a data session, easily read on a Macintosh, that includes a file called "VERSION.DAT" that announces what version of XCP it is using). If you have one of these CDs, and you have a Windows PC (Macs are totally immune, as usual), you may have caught the XCP bug.
Trey Anastasio, Shine (Columbia)
Celine Dion, On ne Change Pas (Epic)
Neil Diamond, 12 Songs (Columbia)
Our Lady Peace, Healthy in Paranoid Times (Columbia)
Chris Botti, To Love Again (Columbia)
Van Zant, Get Right with the Man (Columbia)
Switchfoot, Nothing is Sound (Columbia)
The Coral, The Invisible Invasion (Columbia)
Acceptance, Phantoms (Columbia)
Susie Suh, Susie Suh (Epic)
Amerie, Touch (Columbia)
Read complete list here along with a tip for warding off infection.
Tuesday, November 8
The Writing Session
went well yesterday. I thought it was going to be a frustrating night. My friend (the singer) hadn't clearly expressed what style of song she wanted to record and I really wasn't in the mood to create much of anything. Nevertheless, a song had to be written by night's end. The producer sang a hook (a chorus) to my friend and she loved it so we completed that idea. She and I sat down and wrote two verses; and we all pitched in to write the bridge. I think everything fell into place nicely. I'm some what pleased with what we've created. I think I'll like it more once the lead and background vocals are laid. Here's a snippet of what we wrote. It's a Contemporary Christian ballad.
- I'm reaching out to hold you
'cause I know that it's cold when you're all alone
Let me be the friend that you need
and the shield that protects you from all of this pain
By the way, I'd like to thank kathi and hassan for sharing how they've worked through their creative blocks. I'm gonna implement those techniques in the future.
- I'm reaching out to hold you
'cause I know that it's cold when you're all alone
Let me be the friend that you need
and the shield that protects you from all of this pain
By the way, I'd like to thank kathi and hassan for sharing how they've worked through their creative blocks. I'm gonna implement those techniques in the future.
Monday, November 7
And Still...
...nothing. The creative block is as thick as ever. The day has arrived to collaborate and I have nothing to give. I'm empty inside. Everything I write sounds hollow; and it feels hollow. I've written a bunch of tiny fragments that don't fit together. No matter how hard I try to string something together the end result is still the same - bland, hollow, pointless nothing.
This should be interesting.
This should be interesting.
Another Win
My fantasy football team pulled out another win this weekend. It was a blowout. 89-39.
Stud of the Week: The Pittsburgh Steelers Defense. 1 sack 2 Fumble recovers and 1 INT added up to 17 fantasy points.
Dud of the Week: WR Keenan McCardell. 1 reception for 25 yards equaled 1 fantasy point. That isn't going to cut it.
Stud of the Week: The Pittsburgh Steelers Defense. 1 sack 2 Fumble recovers and 1 INT added up to 17 fantasy points.
Dud of the Week: WR Keenan McCardell. 1 reception for 25 yards equaled 1 fantasy point. That isn't going to cut it.
Saturday, November 5
Kinda Odd
I saw this car driving down the street yesterday wrapped in a protective shell that looked to be made from nylon. It looked like a camping tent was covering the car.
The appearance was very odd to me but I have to assume that shell serves some purpose. The guy driving the car didn't seem the slightest bit embarassed though his car looked ridiculous. Maybe I'm just behind the times. Has anyone else seen cars on the road with this kind of shell wrapped around it's body?
The appearance was very odd to me but I have to assume that shell serves some purpose. The guy driving the car didn't seem the slightest bit embarassed though his car looked ridiculous. Maybe I'm just behind the times. Has anyone else seen cars on the road with this kind of shell wrapped around it's body?
Friday, November 4
Writer's Block
AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!! I have writer's block. No! No! No! It's really irritating me.
A friend of mine has asked me to write a few songs with her and I just can't pull anything out of myself. The writing sessions are a few days off so I have some time to sharpen my skills. However, I'm not feeling so sure the block will be gone anytime soon.
My head is tongue tied. For the past few days I've been doing my usual songwriting exercises. I play around with the melodies in head in effort to construct A) a hook(chorus) or B)a verse. Well, try as I may, I have yet to complete one hook or verse. I just don't know what's going on. I'm a little befuddled. During the creative process I start off well. My head and ears fill with all kinds of possibilities but I never string anything together.
I really, really, really need to pull this together. I hate making a fool of myself. I don't want to sit around like dead weight in the studio. I guess the good thing is if I can't write any lyrics or create any good melodies I can make myself useful in other ways. I know I'll have ideas for background vocal arrangment and ideas for the bridge. I should be able to fake my way through the writer's block in the studio. But God forbid they ask me to write the hook for the song....*gasp* yikes! That could be painful. We'll see how it goes.
A friend of mine has asked me to write a few songs with her and I just can't pull anything out of myself. The writing sessions are a few days off so I have some time to sharpen my skills. However, I'm not feeling so sure the block will be gone anytime soon.
My head is tongue tied. For the past few days I've been doing my usual songwriting exercises. I play around with the melodies in head in effort to construct A) a hook(chorus) or B)a verse. Well, try as I may, I have yet to complete one hook or verse. I just don't know what's going on. I'm a little befuddled. During the creative process I start off well. My head and ears fill with all kinds of possibilities but I never string anything together.
I really, really, really need to pull this together. I hate making a fool of myself. I don't want to sit around like dead weight in the studio. I guess the good thing is if I can't write any lyrics or create any good melodies I can make myself useful in other ways. I know I'll have ideas for background vocal arrangment and ideas for the bridge. I should be able to fake my way through the writer's block in the studio. But God forbid they ask me to write the hook for the song....*gasp* yikes! That could be painful. We'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, November 2
Tuesday, November 1
Wrong Cell Number
This is a word of caution. Make sure you're sending text messages to the right phone number if you are going to engage in intimate conversation. In fact, why not make it a habit to pick up the dang phone if you have something serious or intimate to say? I have a friend who makes it a habit to carry on very intimate, hyper sexual conversation through text. Why? I don't know. I guess its the for the thrill of it. I have another friend who has intense arguments with his girlfriend through text. That's a little bit bizarre to me.
Last night I was awakened at 2am by these text messages sent to my phone by mistake:
1:57am Sorry if I've been a bitch. guess i've had my defenses way up. I didn't know u were good. can we both be allowed 1 mistake? can we start over? don't be mad at me :-)
1:59am can we kiss n make up?
2:11am u thought the worst of me too. u said I was going to sex while I was on my trip and u went thru my phone. i'm faithful. can we kiss n make up? i can't sleep.
2:20am i went 2 my girl doctor yesterday and she was impressed at how clean and healthy my pussy is...so its yummy 4 u! don't leave me n my big fat tight twat. its urs.
About an hour ago I replied to Ms Area Code 321 to let her know her she sent these text messages to the wrong number. I'm waiting to hear back. I'll keep you posted.
UPDATE Ms 321 area code replied:
2:41pm Oops I appologise.(<-----her spelling not mine)
Last night I was awakened at 2am by these text messages sent to my phone by mistake:
1:57am Sorry if I've been a bitch. guess i've had my defenses way up. I didn't know u were good. can we both be allowed 1 mistake? can we start over? don't be mad at me :-)
1:59am can we kiss n make up?
2:11am u thought the worst of me too. u said I was going to sex while I was on my trip and u went thru my phone. i'm faithful. can we kiss n make up? i can't sleep.
2:20am i went 2 my girl doctor yesterday and she was impressed at how clean and healthy my pussy is...so its yummy 4 u! don't leave me n my big fat tight twat. its urs.
About an hour ago I replied to Ms Area Code 321 to let her know her she sent these text messages to the wrong number. I'm waiting to hear back. I'll keep you posted.
UPDATE Ms 321 area code replied:
2:41pm Oops I appologise.(<-----her spelling not mine)
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