A blogger's advice colunm

The world is just full of silly people.

Ha ha

One thing I do like about our current president is that he is probably
the least photogenic president we've had since
the camera was invented.

Image test



Just call it FTP practice.

Oops

Sometimes I forget that many occurences aren't accidental.

Pulling things from the attic

This is not exactly a revelation but sometimes you pull a CD out of your frighteningly large collection of mostly-paid-for CD's and you remember, once again, why you bought an album on cassette, recorded it again from a friend's collection when yours wore out, bought it on CD for the first time and then bought it again on CD when it got remastered.

I am listening right now to Led Zeppelin's fourth album. That's the one that has no title and known as "Led Zeppelin 4" or "The Runes album."

This album does for me what all my favorite albums do: it can be listened to intently while reading along with the lyrics and concentrate on every word. You can sit and just jam on it with your eyes closed and just groove. You can play it and half listen to it as you type, like right now. You can play it as you fall asleep. You can play it at a party. You can play it in your car. You can play it at the beach. You can throw it in the street and dance on it. You can cry when a song off it sells Cadillacs...

Why CD's are good

I had a very good friend in high school that had this album on cassette. We were discussing it one day and I mentioned the songs on side two that I liked. He told me that he hadn't ever listened to side two. I believe my reacation was apoplectic and that I insisted that side two was as good as the side one. I don't remember if Joe ever listened to side two. I am sure, though, that he doesn't remember this conversation as clearly as I do.

This is very funny

Go to google and type "weapons of mass destruction" and click on the "I feel lucky" button. I promise it'll be funny.

If you get something not funny then you can follow this link.

I got this info via David who got it via Tom Tomorrow.

B.C. Street

I've noticed a few google searches concerning Okinawa have directed people to my blog. When I was in Okinawa there was a particularly notorious street known as B.C. Street. It was just a few blocks away from Gate Two Stree which is connects to Gate Two of Kadena Air Base.

B.C. Street was full of topless bars that featured Fillipina women. They lived under horrible conditions such as putting in shifts over 12 hours long and having to sit on the laps of pawing GI's and be nice to them. You would buy them a small drink and they would nurse it for a song and tickle your ear and coo. Pretty exotic for a 19 year old that was less than a year out of northern Michigan. I got B.C. Street out of my system pretty quick when I realized I was spending a fortune and getting nothing in return.

I couldn't resist going every now and then, though. There's a line from a Tom Waits song called 'Shore Leave' where he says:
"I had a cold one at the Dragon
with some Filipino floor show
and talked baseball with a lieutenant
over a Singapore sling."

Being a pathetic romantic I couldn't resist being inside a Tom Waits song now and then.

I mention this because I once wrote a poem about B.C. Street and I wrote it with Tom Waits in mind. I know any former Marine that finds this website is definately looking for a poem about B.C. Street, so here goes:

B.C. Street

Lewd gestures
immature faces
too much make up
on Phillipine faces.

Red ripped couches
this place stinks,
two-fifty for
small rum drinks.

Dancing girl
baring her chest
is just as bored
as all the rest.

Just in case

Just in case you are the last person alive that has not read the comic "Get your war on." Please go here and read the most recent update. I am not responsible for wetted pants.

I tell you what, bruthuh, we're ready for whatever the Axis of Evil has on the table. They can 'bring it on!'

Lovely. Our fearless leader is now stooping to the rhetoric of professional wrestlers. Can you imagine President Lincoln telling the Confederacy to 'bring it on?' How about Kennedy offering the same challenge to the Russians? Or even Roosevelt doing the same with the Japanese? Well, he kinda did when he cut off their oil but he didn't broadcast that sentiment over the radio.

Awful strong talk from someone who couldn't even finish his own National Guard requirements. I am sure there are servicemen in Iraq looking at each other and saying "did this asshole just dare these guys to attack us? So far they've been doing pretty good without encouragement from Howdy Doody." Jesus, he's a dick.

Thanks to Atrios for the link.

Ug Oomgowa

Being sick sucks ass! I might go in to work tomorrow just to keep from clawing my own face off while sitting around in this apartment for another day.

I did get to listen to a lot of music, though. So I guess it wasn't a total wash.

RIAA with its head in the sand

I figgered this would happen: Wendell sent me an article today about P2P programs that allow you to trade anonymously. Once again the RIAA is on the cutting edge of technology. You can't help but be impressed by how the recording industry has adapted its business practices to the changing technological environment. Their visionary leadership has helped usher in a whole new era of music distribution.

I think they'll only truly be happy once they drive file sharing so far underground that it will be impossible to track and then they will be able to claim victory. It will be very similar to the drug war.