Somewhere in Iraq

A good friend of mine has been serving in Iraq, and apparently he's allowed to use Myspace now. I'd sent him a link to my Flickr page a few months ago, but it, along with Myspace and whatever other sites, was blocked. I just got an email from him saying he's got a Myspace profile now, which is cool--I'm glad that they're at least allowed stay connected in this way. He even put up a little video of what he and his mates do to pass the time. (I wasn't able to embed it here, so you'll have to CLICK HERE to view it.)

ps Annie, show this to Matt. He'll remember this guy--I brought him to Rich's school once to work out.

The Raw Story | 'DC madam' lawyer: Cheney isn't not on phone records

How absolutely delicious it would be if something like this came to light! The best is the last paragraph:

"... even if it’s a fact, which it probably is, there’s no way it would have any impact on Cheney’s 'career,'" Wonkette continued. "This is a draft-dodging half-human war criminal with a pregnant lesbian daughter who tells senators to fuck themselves and shoots his own friends in the face. Ordering an outcall hooker is positively innocent compared to the well-known things Cheney does every day."

Good News!!! The Dems found their rubber stamp!

...and then there's Jon Stewart's angle...(thanks for posting this, Lauren!)
Oh, and Twisty--sounds like he keeps his stash in the same place you guys do! ;-)



To echo Lauren's sentiments, Blessing unto Barbara Boxer. I say we put her in charge of the Senate majority!

Now I've gotta go see how Bob Filner voted...

UPDATE: Filner voted against the capitulation. Thank you, Bob.

Subpoenas: Now with Immunity!

With the aggravation of Democrats' "compromise", I really needed something to make me laugh...like this video!

A New Blog to Check Out

Some friends of mine, who some of you might know from school, moved to Santa Cruz a couple months ago. One of them, Tosh, was offered a position at UCSC, so it was kind of a no-brainer decision. He's now the assistant producer/director of photography in the Social Sciences division, teaching Documentary Photography.

He's also undertaken an ambitious documentary project on the Japanese-American Internment Camps. As part of this project, Tosh's partner, Crystal, started a blog called Memories My Parents Never Had. While ambitious in scope and logistics, this project is also super-cool, educational, and super-cool. Yes, I meant to do that. It's like an educational sandwich made with two slices of super-coolness. It's still in development, so I'm not going to spill anymore beans about it, but if you're interested, go check out the blog and leave a comment or two. And as you're looking, think about what it is you know/were taught about the J-A Internment.

No Gore For Me

For those of you wondering how the evening with Al Gore went, it didn't. Or rather, I didn't. Go, that is. My son was too sick for me to leave with my friend who was willing to watch him. Not that he was too sick for her to handle. No, I just would not have been able to enjoy myself knowing that my son was miserable somewhere that I wasn't. Certainly, I would have enjoyed an evening out with some friends listening to Al Gore's Inconvenient Presentation ;) but there's nothing like my boy climbing onto my lap and demanding a "cuddle-hug"!

I was able to give the tickets to some very appreciative friends. I haven't heard heard, yet, how the show went, though. I hope they were able to give Al my regrets.

Ron Paul on CNN Late Edition

Now here's a Republican that doesn't make me wanna tear my eyes out and stuff 'em in my ears!

This guy's from Texas?

Darth Maul doesn't count because he died like a tatooed little b!tc#

Gourd, it's been heavy 'round here! How about something funny, like The Sith Rejects!

FOXNews.com - Michael Moore's 'Sicko'

FOXNews.com - 'Sicko' Shows Michael Moore's Maturity as a Filmmaker
Boy, when the ship starts going down, all the rats make for higher ground. This doesn't keep FauxNews from taking a backhanded swipe along the way, though.

Filmmaker Michael Moore's brilliant and uplifting new documentary, "Sicko," deals with the failings of the U.S. healthcare system, both real and perceived. But this time around, the controversial documentarian seems to be letting the subject matter do the talking, and in the process shows a new maturity.

Unlike many of his previous films ("Roger and Me," "Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9-11"), "Sicko" works because in this one there are no confrontations. Moore smartly lets very articulate average Americans tell their personal horror stories at the hands of insurance companies. The film never talks down or baits the audience. [emphasis mine]

I guess when it's a movie they like, Moore "shows a new maturity" and "smartly lets very articulate...Americans tell their personal...stories". I haven't seen any trailers yet, but I'll bet that those "very articulate average Americans" are, as Wolf Blitzer so foot-in-mouthingly put it, "so poor and so black," as the word articulate is often used to describe someone who isn't expected to be.

Personally, I enjoyed "Roger and Me," "Bowling for Columbine," and "Farenheit 9-11," and if they're to be judged immature, I suppose it would be for the absolutely immature behaviour of his targets. But "Sicko" takes aim at Big Pharma, a non-partisan enemy we can all enjoy. I wonder, though, how the movie will, and Fox's glowing review of it, will square with the likes of Glenn Beck and Bill O'Lielly...

Tom Delay on the Colbert Report

As much as I loath the guy, Tom "The Hammer" Delay was quite a sport--not just for agreeing to be on the show, but for his participation in the lampoon that is the Colbert Report. I suppose that was his game plan, anyway, so as not to be made a fool of like so many other Republicans who've unwittingly agreed to sit with Stephen. He got his digs in, though, Stephen did, but the Hammer's a wily one, so the jabs had to be quick and on the money. Have a look and see if you can catch Stephen stick it to 'im.

...Just like witches in Black Masses

I've always been a late bloomer, so much so that sometimes I wonder if I've really just been way ahead of my time. Seeing as everything happens in cycles, it's easy for me to rationalize that way. And lucky for me, too, since now I'm able to appreciate things I was never into years ago. Take Black Sabbath, for example. I was decidedly not into Sabbath, Dio, ACDC, or even Led Zepplin when I was a kid. I was too afraid to listen to that "Devil music"--I wasn't ready to question authority or the status quo.

Well, I'm not afraid of Ozzy anymore, and not because of his drug-addled shambling on TV. In fact, I wish I'd given all those bands a listen when I was a kid--it might've saved me a few years of trying to figure some things out.

Anyway, here's a video set to "War Pigs", appropriately using images of the Commander-Guy (aka the Decider), Darth Dick, (Germany's public enemy) Don Rumsfeld, and the blatantly named Paul Wolfowitz.

Check the very last frame of the video...kinda creepy shot of the Pretender.

(seen on Crooks & Liars))

The Raw Story | Video: Tony Snow bests CBS reporter in 'band battle'

Not that I would go out of my way to catch his act, but Tony Snow seems to not sound half-bad--that is, though, in contrast to Bob Shieffer's painfully delivered, spoken-word honkey-tonk.

Certainly this "Battle of the Bands" was all in fun, but, Cheese-n-rice!, is that the best the journalists could muster against the flute-tootin' Snow Job? Or has Stephen Colbert ruined any chance of real, critical opposition being invited to the Press Club or Journalism Library events?

Breaking News: Anti-gay bigot & religious right leader Jerry Falwell found unconscious - now dead

Breaking News: Anti-gay bigot & religious right leader Jerry Falwell found unconscious - is now dead

Another bigoted, homophobic, anti-Semite, racist bites the dust. I post this without a bit of schadenfreud, or joy in others' misfortune, but neither do I feel sorry for his passing. I say the world is better off without the big, fat ball of hate that he was.

What does $456 billion buy?

Interesting slide show about the projected cost of the Iraq "war" come September, and some ideas as to what we could afford with that much money.

Is it the correct usage of the word to say, "Isn't it ironic that, with just one-sixth of the money spent on the Iraq war (where oil earnings were supposed to fund the reconstruction), we convert all the cars in America to run on ethanol"?

Happy Mothers Day!

So this isn't exactly a Mothers Day post--since I have the pleasure of [attempting to] perform as Mother and Father, I've always given myself the liberty to celebrate Mothers Day as well as Fathers Day.
So, for part of my Mothers Day indulgence, I just finished watching the last three episodes of the third (latest) season of Battlestar Galactica, the new series, and I'm still humming in dork-out mode!

If you haven't had the pleasure of watching this incredible show, I highly recommend and greatly urge you to do so. It's related to the original, '70s series, in name only, though it's not necessary to be familiar with the old show--but it is interesting to compare the two and note the differences, one the biggies being that Starbuck, originally played by Dirk Benedict (aka "Face" on The A-Team), is Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, played by Katie Sackhoff. Still the cigar-smoking, gambling, hot-dog Viper pilot, having a female Starbuck is only one facet in this gem of a show that differentiates itself from the earlier, less serious version.

See, in the original series, the plot's story arc was influenced by the almost whimsical notions of spirituality that brought us such delights as Logan's Run, Buck Rogers (the disco version, bien sur!), and Xanadu (ok, so that one was from 1980, but you get what I mean). The new series, however, is very much of the times, which is seen in the contemporary themes and issues it tackles.

Pictured above, for example, is Grace Park, playing the part of "Boomer" (who, in the original was also a man; and for those of you keeping track, she later sheds the handle "Boomer" to become "Athena")--a pilot who turns out to actually be a Cylon (the human-exterminating bad guys). When she gets romantically involved with another officer and gets pregnant (hence her image being feature on Mothers Day), the story has all the main characters deal with issues of racism/speciesism and abortion.

A major point of relevance often referred to is what appears to be reflections of America's involvement in Iraq. While it is a rather simplistic comparison, it is an easy one to make--especially when the story involves an occupying force and an insurgency. Ronald Moore, executive producer, remarks that it isn't a direct commentary on the current conflict so much as it is on war in general. (Although he does make a point of declaring his own opposition to the war).

While it is a science fiction show, the plot lines are drawn through very real and engaging human experiences. Plus the acting is superb, anchored by experienced actors like Mary MacDonnell (*sigh*), Edward James Olmos, and Michael Hogan who no doubt bring out the best from the younger cast members like Jamie Bamber, James Callus, and Tricia Helfer (*shudder*).

Season Four isn't happening until 2008 (I think), but you can get the first two on DVD and on iTunes.

CNN International Chyron: "Bush Resigns"

Well, they got it wrong again, but at least this time it's what we'd really like. Now if only it could be realized, like when FOX announced that he "won".

And even if we were rid of the "Commander-Guy", we'd still need to make sure his dark lord of the Sith were gone, too.

In other news, now that a study in the New England Journal of Medicine links the human papillomavirus to cancers more prevalent in men, how will the religious "right" react? Now that men are at risk, I'll bet HPV vaccination opponents will suddenly quiet down.

The Raw Story | DeLay to headline ethics seminar

The Raw Story | DeLay to headline ethics seminar

Nice. And I'll be the keynote speaker at the next Getting Things Done convention.

Gettin' my Al Gore

Originally uploaded by ebilflindas.

After reading that the guy who won in 2000 would be in town, I had to get my hands on those tickets. It'll be great to be able to say, "No, I haven't seen the movie--I just saw Al Gore do it live." My mom will probably see this photo on Flickr and have a fit.

I guess I didn't read the post well enough, as I stood in front of the RIMAC box office until 10 am. Quick with my web-enabled phone, I realized my error--the tickets were being distributed at the Price Center box office. I shared this with the one other guy waiting by the window, and we made our way to the right place. Sitting there, at the RIMAC, we each thought we were the first ones in line. When we got to the Price Center, we found a line that snaked up the steps to the main walk. It was a fast moving line, though, and it only took about 10 minutes to get to the window.

I heard that there was only 4,000 tickets available, so between the line and the phoned in reservations, I don't think they were available for long. I'll let you know how it is. I can't wait to be able to say, "No, I haven't seen the movie--but I did get to see Al Gore present it live!"

Get yer Al Gore

From San Diego CityBeat's Blog: Last Blog On Earth Get yer Al Gore

I haven't seen An Inconvenient Truth (*gasp*). I might have to make time for this one.

Tickets to Al Gore's appearance are available starting today, 10 a.m.

The Raw Story | Former disgraced White House correspondent Gannon now spokesman for Christian Bible group

Once a gay male escort going for $200.00 an hour, Jeff Gannon (a.k.a. James D. Guckert) now works for the International Bible Reading Association, the group that hosted Thursday's National Day of Prayer.

Interestingly, the National Day of Prayer Task Force, which coordinates NDP events, is based in Colorado Springs (Ted Haggard, anyone?), and is chaired by Shirley Dobson (yes, she's married to the guy who thinks, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," and that "State Universities are breeding grounds...for STDs, homosexual behavior, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, alcoholism, and drug abuse"--nice of him to lump all those together, no?)

How this HotMilitaryStud became a spokesman for an organization pushing "Bible reading schemes" (?) tests one's reason, much as the day itself, which was intended to be "a day when members of all faiths could pray together in their own way," but is promoted by a group that exists to "mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership."

Jeff Gannon, you may remember, was a "journalist" in the White House Press Corps, who "wrote" for the Talon "news" agency, run by GOPUSA. He was known for his softball questions to the President, for his unscheduled visits to the White House, and for being a Top.

NRA: Don't Ban Gun Sales to Suspects | The Huffington Post

NRA: Don't Ban Gun Sales to Suspects | The Huffington Post

Is not a shred of sense coming from the conservative, right-wing nut-skullery these days (or ever)?

People can be kept off of airplanes or even (extraordinarily) rendered off to some black hole in Syria of Egypt for being a suspected terrorist--but to prevent them from buying a gun would be to infringe upon their constitutional rights?

"As many of our friends in law enforcement have rightly pointed out, the word 'suspect' has no legal meaning, particularly when it comes to denying constitutional liberties," [Chris] Cox, executive director of the NRA, in a letter to AG Alberto Gonzales.

I wonder what California Congressman Dan Rohrabacher's position is on this, and I wonder if he hopes the NRA's Chris Cox's family suffers at the hands of terrorists.

A letter to Indie Bloggers.org

Hi,
I want to start by letting you know that I adore IB. I just found out that you're only four months old, and I was shocked. Not that the site feels old; rather, it's got the feel of your favourite pair of Chuck Taylors that you've had for three years, and nothing else feels quite as good.

But like any pair of 3 year-old sneaks, something's gonna stink to someone. Today that someone is me. The stink? Well, let me first quote from the FAQ:

"I’m offended at what someone wrote. Who should I e-mail to complain?

Yo mama.

Seriously. We very closely moderate all posts and none of us will tolerate any form of hate or intolerance IN ANY WAY. If you make an inappropriate and/or bigoted comment against anyone’s - Member or otherwise - race, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, bra size, bowel habits, age or anything else, we will ban you immediately and without notice. Then we will fight."

In light of that position, I was a bit surprised to see the graphic posted on May 1, for the Weekly Challenge (this would be the aforementioned stink).You know, the one that likens the Weekly Challenge to "mail order brides except we wont dump you when our visa shows up."

If glanced over quickly, without really reading it, I can see it passing as kinda funny. But is much of what is posted on IB meant to be glanced over quickly without really being read? No? Ok, so how is the WC like a m.o.b. (except of course, that it won't split once it's got its papers)? Is it that the WC is a hot, exotic import who will do "anyt'ing you want"; or a homely-looking immigrant (as pictured), who will get your laundry done with her "ancient Chinese secret"? And about the visas, is that what m.o.b.s do? Are they just visa-hungry aliens, looking for a way to slide into the country?

Considering IB's tremendous support of Women writers, I was quite shocked at the implications of this simple phrase: that m.o.b.s are simply opportunistic immigrants, not hopeful women coming from poverty and strife, who, looking for a better life, are sold as commodoties.

Furthermore, this was posted on the first of May, a.k.a. May Day, International Workers Day, and (unofficially) Immigrants Day. To me, that made this WC call doubly insulting.

I would have written to my mama, but considering her political affiliation, she probably has this opinion of mail-order brides (in spite of her sharing the same country of birth as many m.o.b.s).

Is this where we fight?

Again, I must tell you that I love IB, but it is that very love that drove me to write this.

Am I just being too sensitive? I hope not, just as much as I hope this wasn't one of those "oh-no-harm-was-meant-so-no-harm-was-done" kind of jokes.

Again, is this where we fight? Because I've never been in one, and I'm afraid of doing poorly.

Yours,
Emil

The Landlord

This one goes out to all my friends who suffer this special kind of torment...



(Can anyone tell me what this is from? Is it from one of his movies that I haven't seen yet?)

EDIT: Apparently this was just a short done with Adam McKay and his daughter, Pearl. Also, I guess there are more than a few people who not only don't like Will Ferrell, but are viscerally perturbed by the mere sight of him. If you're one of those unfortunate souls and you've already watched the video, I'm sorry. Just, please save your invective for a more worthy cause. Thanks.

Random Bytes: Blogger Template Hacks

Welcome to MYAH's new look! What do you think?

I love Blogger. It's easy to use, fun to tweak without screwing up too badly, and, of course, it's free (which dovetails nicely with the "screwing up" part).

Ever since I started blogging, I wanted to be able to tweak my blog to my liking, to personalize it, y'know? Or, as my little friend, Emmett, might say, "To make it POP!" So I'd mess with the code a little here and there--really, just rearranging things and changing colours, and stuff like that. Nothing I did, though, made it happen for me.

A few days ago (for the second time), I put in a search for 3-column templates for Blogger. The same search I'd done a few days prior, without the word "Blogger", got me a bunch of stuff for other blogging platforms. This time, though, I struck gold in the form of Random Bytes. Pam Blackstone, the owner, has a ton of information available, and detailed tutorials, for making your Blogger blog POP.

Some of it can be tricky--ok, a lot of it can be tricky, if you're not too savvy with the HTML and the CSS (no it's not a TV show) code-magic. But if you feel like gettin' down and dirty with your blog-code, Random Bytes is a great place to start.