Happy Solstice!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Party's over...
UN mulls internet regulation options
WikiLeaks sparks push for tighter controls.
The United Nations is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to harmonise global efforts by policy makers to regulate the internet.
Establishment of such a group has the backing of several countries, spearheaded by Brazil.
At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would to attempt to create global standards for policing the internet - specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks.
The Brazilian delegate stressed, however, that this should not be seen as a call for an "takeover" of the internet.
Read full article here.
Establishment of such a group has the backing of several countries, spearheaded by Brazil.
At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would to attempt to create global standards for policing the internet - specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks.
The Brazilian delegate stressed, however, that this should not be seen as a call for an "takeover" of the internet.
Read full article here.
Land of the free?
Camper resident facing eviction plans move
Updated: Tuesday, 14 Dec 2010, 11:56 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 14 Dec 2010, 11:33 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 14 Dec 2010, 11:33 PM EST
ALEXANDRIA, Ind. (WISH) - 72-year-old Dick Thompson’s fight may soon be over — his land is up for sale.
“It brings tears to my eyes, and I don't shed tears very easy,” Thompson says of the mountain of support he’s received.
In recent days that includes a letter from Colorado with a check for $10 with “Land of the Free” in the memo line.
Thompson faced eviction from his 38 acres in Madison County. The county lawyer told 24-Hour News 8 it's because Thompson is breaking too many rules, laws and ordinances; Thompson has no water, no sewer and no electricity in his recreational trailer that he calls home. Bottom line: You can’t permanently live in a recreational vehicle. Now that the land is up for sale, it’s clear his trailer won’t be his permanent home.
Two weeks ago Thompson told 24-Hour News 8’s Brad Edwards : "I want to get the hell out of here right now — too much hate. I'm a country boy. I just want to be left alone."
The story got tens of thousand of hits on multiple YouTube pages and quickly became one of the top stories of the year at WISHTV.com. E-mails came in from New Jersey to Oregon, Orlando to Calgary. In a statement to 24 Hour News 8, the Indiana Sons of Liberty, a community militia, said: "It would be a great sight to see a thousand ‘Don't Tread on Me’ flags flying on Mr. Thompson's property."
Thompson was on the verge of tears with gratitude, saying, “Thank you for the support.”
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/north_central/camper-resident-facing-eviction-plans-move
“It brings tears to my eyes, and I don't shed tears very easy,” Thompson says of the mountain of support he’s received.
In recent days that includes a letter from Colorado with a check for $10 with “Land of the Free” in the memo line.
Thompson faced eviction from his 38 acres in Madison County. The county lawyer told 24-Hour News 8 it's because Thompson is breaking too many rules, laws and ordinances; Thompson has no water, no sewer and no electricity in his recreational trailer that he calls home. Bottom line: You can’t permanently live in a recreational vehicle. Now that the land is up for sale, it’s clear his trailer won’t be his permanent home.
Two weeks ago Thompson told 24-Hour News 8’s Brad Edwards : "I want to get the hell out of here right now — too much hate. I'm a country boy. I just want to be left alone."
The story got tens of thousand of hits on multiple YouTube pages and quickly became one of the top stories of the year at WISHTV.com. E-mails came in from New Jersey to Oregon, Orlando to Calgary. In a statement to 24 Hour News 8, the Indiana Sons of Liberty, a community militia, said: "It would be a great sight to see a thousand ‘Don't Tread on Me’ flags flying on Mr. Thompson's property."
Thompson was on the verge of tears with gratitude, saying, “Thank you for the support.”
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/north_central/camper-resident-facing-eviction-plans-move
Monday, December 13, 2010
More art...
Roger And Angelica3
Odilon Redon
Buddah In His Youth
Odilon Redon
Pegasus
Odilon Redon
Woman In Profile With Flowers
Odilon Redon
Odilon Redon (pronounced Odee-lon R'Don) was a French symbolist painter, pastelist, and printmaker whose work spans the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More paintings and biography here.
Gettin newsy lately, but...
Ron Paul, Fed Critic, to Lead Fed Oversight Panel
This seems like a formidable step in the right direction. I hope he can help turn things around.
This seems like a formidable step in the right direction. I hope he can help turn things around.
All suspects are innocent until we pass a law to make you guilty.
US may pass new law to prosecute Assange
The US, after unsuccessfully searching for a way to persecute- er, prosecute, Assange may now pass a new law and apply it retroactively. Yes, RETROACTIVELY. As in "we know you did nothing wrong but we're embarrassed so we're going to make a new rule so we can punish you anyway".
The US, after unsuccessfully searching for a way to persecute- er, prosecute, Assange may now pass a new law and apply it retroactively. Yes, RETROACTIVELY. As in "we know you did nothing wrong but we're embarrassed so we're going to make a new rule so we can punish you anyway".
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Fun with the 2nd amendment
Yes, I've seen this on TV. Yes, this is real. (And yes, I do support responsible gun ownership.)
"It's better to own a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not own it."
- Don Davis
"It's better to own a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not own it."
- Don Davis
Because peeing is a privilege, not a right.
Bathroom Ban Leads To Riot At NYC High School
It is inhumane to deny someone their right to perform an essential bodily function. (And yeah, ONE open bathroom for 2400 people is essentially denying a human necessity.) Oh wait, that's right, teenagers aren't human. How could I be so silly?!
Reason #157* why compulsory institutionalized "education" for children and teenagers does more harm than good. (Read more here.)
*arbitrary number
*arbitrary number
I'm just glad some of them stood up. Too bad it doesn't happen more.
"Education… now seems to me perhaps the most authoritarian and dangerous of all the social inventions of mankind. It is the deepest foundation of the modern slave state, in which most people feel themselves to be nothing but producers, consumers, spectators, and fans, driven more and more, in all parts of their lives, by greed, envy, and fear. My concern is not to improve ‘education’ but to do away with it, to end the ugly and antihuman business of people-shaping and to allow and help people to shape themselves."
John Holt (source unknown)
"Education… now seems to me perhaps the most authoritarian and dangerous of all the social inventions of mankind. It is the deepest foundation of the modern slave state, in which most people feel themselves to be nothing but producers, consumers, spectators, and fans, driven more and more, in all parts of their lives, by greed, envy, and fear. My concern is not to improve ‘education’ but to do away with it, to end the ugly and antihuman business of people-shaping and to allow and help people to shape themselves."
John Holt (source unknown)
"The idea of painless, non-threatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence."
How Children Fail (1964)
John Holt
No one is more truly helpless, more completely a victim, than he who can neither choose nor change nor escape his protectors.
Escape from Childhood (1974)
John Holt
Friday, December 10, 2010
Featured Funny Family Photo
Don't tell me you don't remember that hair.
*Disclaimer: This is NOT my family.
Art of the... (week? month? year?)
The Bohemian by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1890.
Tricoteuse by Bourguereau, 1879.
More about Bourguereau.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Coverage you can depend on...
FCC Push to Regulate News Draws Fire
All in the name of "diversity" and "balance"...
That's how they get ya.
All in the name of "diversity" and "balance"...
That's how they get ya.
In the news...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/12/08/2010-12-08_hero_or_terrorist_the_assange_effect_represents_a_real_grassroots_internet_rebel.html
If our government can't be transparent of it's own accord, then "we" need to force its transparency. Assange was a hero for a world that desperately needs more heroes.
It's a real shame this fellow is probably going to prison for years because some politicians got egg on their faces. If they can't get him on "treason", I'm sure they'll get him on "rape". Rest assured, our government will find some way to protect us from this dangerous man!
If our government can't be transparent of it's own accord, then "we" need to force its transparency. Assange was a hero for a world that desperately needs more heroes.
It's a real shame this fellow is probably going to prison for years because some politicians got egg on their faces. If they can't get him on "treason", I'm sure they'll get him on "rape". Rest assured, our government will find some way to protect us from this dangerous man!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
I'm not sure what a "Mooky" is...
but if you are a girl, this is an awesome website:
http://www.mookychick.co.uk/
First sentence makes my fuckin week.
"Mookychick believes that climbing trees and riding giant turtles is more fun and girly than worrying about make-up. But if you want to worry about make-up instead of turtles? Fine by us. Be you feminist, kitten, punk, emo, indie, goth, witch, vegan, horror junky, intellectual, christian goth, corset queen, geek, unicorn, sea monkey... be you into alternative style, alternative health, spirituality, comics, manga, j-pop, harajuku or jock culture... we will always love you."
http://www.mookychick.co.uk/
First sentence makes my fuckin week.
"Mookychick believes that climbing trees and riding giant turtles is more fun and girly than worrying about make-up. But if you want to worry about make-up instead of turtles? Fine by us. Be you feminist, kitten, punk, emo, indie, goth, witch, vegan, horror junky, intellectual, christian goth, corset queen, geek, unicorn, sea monkey... be you into alternative style, alternative health, spirituality, comics, manga, j-pop, harajuku or jock culture... we will always love you."
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Follow the yellow brick road... to regurgitated Hollywood tripe.
http://www.deadline.com/2010/11/warner-bros-wants-robert-zemeckis-for-wizard-of-oz-remake-based-on-original-script/
Both Warner Bros. and Disney are in the early stages of remaking The Wizard of Oz.
At last!
I'm surprised it took them so long... Here's hoping Disney pulls out all the stops on this one! I'm really looking forward to more gratuitous CGI and lots of pithy "hip" pop culture references. Let's hope they can get genius of modern cinema Tim Burton to direct. I can already hear the Oscar buzz...
Both Warner Bros. and Disney are in the early stages of remaking The Wizard of Oz.
At last!
I'm surprised it took them so long... Here's hoping Disney pulls out all the stops on this one! I'm really looking forward to more gratuitous CGI and lots of pithy "hip" pop culture references. Let's hope they can get genius of modern cinema Tim Burton to direct. I can already hear the Oscar buzz...
The Great Oz has spoken: DO NOT screw with my movie, bitches!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
On the bright side...
...you may have crippling depression and no job and no money and no friends and no food in the fridge and a weird untraceable smell in your apartment and bedbug paranoia and probably psoriasis on your chin, but at least you don't look like...
THESE PEOPLE.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Man shot in backside on Northside.
Man shot in buttocks in Uptown
October 11, 2010
The 34-year-old man was shot in the buttocks at 2:35 a.m. in the 4400 block of North Sheridan Road, police News Affairs officer Ron Gaines said.
The man was standing on the street when unknown gunmen pulled up in a vehicle and fired three shots, shooting him in the left buttock before fleeing southbound, according to a News Affairs release.
He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in “stable” condition and has since been treated and released, police said.
No one in custody and Belmont Area detectives are investigating.
original article: http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2791096,uptown-buttocks-shooting-101110.article
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Even goats get high...
but I wonder what they hallucinate about?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319228/Pygmy-goats-high-grazing-magic-mushrooms.html
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Isn't a shame? A little bit of magic gone...
http://www.austinenchantedforest.com/
Crazy artsy people doing crazy artsy things in the woods, but apparently the Austin City Council WAS NOT so enchanted. Further research yields little information on the current status/re-opening possibilities of this magical place; the actual forest still exists it seems, and apparently there is also a housing subdivision which bears the same name...enchanting indeed.
R.I.P.
Pics or it didn't happen!: My neighborhood
Found this online. My neighborhood in 1963. That cute little row of buildings is gone now- replaced by a McDonalds (a favorite "community" meeting spot) and some other crap. The church still stands.
source: uptownupdate.com
source: uptownupdate.com
Jake's Chicken near my place. Always thought the windows were kinda kitschy and fun.
source: uptownupdate.com
A few fast facts about my home region.
A few fast facts about my home region. Copy/pasted from an email to my Mother. Original source: CityData.com
I'm originally from the Cincinnati region. Moved to Chicago 2 years ago.
Of the top 101 cities (populations of 50,000+) with the lowest average
amount of sunlight per year:
Areas such as the Pacific Northwest, Lake Erie, upstate NY rank highest, BUT...
53. Columbus, OH
54. Cincinnati, OH
55. Hamilton, OH
Lowest maximum amount of sunlight per month (out of 101):
21. Cincinnati, OH
24. Hamilton, OH
Coldest winters. Predictably MN and ND rank the highest, but...
90,. Chicago, IL
Various other cities in Chicagoland also are on this list.
Various other cities in our region also make it onto the list of
cities with the greatest yearly variance in temperature.
Other fun stats:
Fattest women, Top 101 Counties:
4. Hamilton County, OH 164.6lb average
17. Marion County, IN 160.3lb average
(Sounds like we're lookin' pretty good, huh?)
Of course, with the lousy weather around here, what else is there to
do but stay inside and eat?!
There didn't seem to be any listings for fattest men, though I think
we can both guess that it's comparable!
Interestingly enough... of the 100 Safest Cities of 5000+ residents
the number 24 rank belongs to...
Batesville, IN
Yes, I kid you not. Well at least ONE of us won't get shot!
Top 100 large cities (50,000+) with declining populations (2000-2002)
include some of our perennial favorites such as:
13. Cincinnati, OH (ranking only a few rungs below such gems of urban
decline as Flint, MI, and Detroit)
17. Dayton, OH
(31. Gary, IN. Apparently, at least according to this site, a higher
percentage of people are leaving Cincinnati than are leaving one of
the most crime-ridden and economically disadvantaged cities in the
U.S.)
69. Muncie, IN
86. Hamilton, OH
Of cities or 5,000+ with the highest declining population:
68. Rushville, IN
Indianapolis is interestingly absent from many of these lists
(although surely its weather can't deviate THAT much from the rest of
the region), but hey, they have the Colts!
In a ranking of the 100 most populated U.S. cities, Indianapolis ranks
at number 12.
Of course, I think we'd both be willing to argue that Indianapolis
sucks a whole lot less than Cincinnati! (Cincinnati ranks at #54)
Chicago, unsurprisingly, is the 3rd largest city in the U.S.
Anyway, I hope this was at least entertaining. It kept me entertained
during my convalescence! It seems like the moral of the story is, as
they say: Time to get the hell outta Dodge!
I'm originally from the Cincinnati region. Moved to Chicago 2 years ago.
Of the top 101 cities (populations of 50,000+) with the lowest average
amount of sunlight per year:
Areas such as the Pacific Northwest, Lake Erie, upstate NY rank highest, BUT...
53. Columbus, OH
54. Cincinnati, OH
55. Hamilton, OH
Lowest maximum amount of sunlight per month (out of 101):
21. Cincinnati, OH
24. Hamilton, OH
Coldest winters. Predictably MN and ND rank the highest, but...
90,. Chicago, IL
Various other cities in Chicagoland also are on this list.
Various other cities in our region also make it onto the list of
cities with the greatest yearly variance in temperature.
Other fun stats:
Fattest women, Top 101 Counties:
4. Hamilton County, OH 164.6lb average
17. Marion County, IN 160.3lb average
(Sounds like we're lookin' pretty good, huh?)
Of course, with the lousy weather around here, what else is there to
do but stay inside and eat?!
There didn't seem to be any listings for fattest men, though I think
we can both guess that it's comparable!
Interestingly enough... of the 100 Safest Cities of 5000+ residents
the number 24 rank belongs to...
Batesville, IN
Yes, I kid you not. Well at least ONE of us won't get shot!
Top 100 large cities (50,000+) with declining populations (2000-2002)
include some of our perennial favorites such as:
13. Cincinnati, OH (ranking only a few rungs below such gems of urban
decline as Flint, MI, and Detroit)
17. Dayton, OH
(31. Gary, IN. Apparently, at least according to this site, a higher
percentage of people are leaving Cincinnati than are leaving one of
the most crime-ridden and economically disadvantaged cities in the
U.S.)
69. Muncie, IN
86. Hamilton, OH
Of cities or 5,000+ with the highest declining population:
68. Rushville, IN
Indianapolis is interestingly absent from many of these lists
(although surely its weather can't deviate THAT much from the rest of
the region), but hey, they have the Colts!
In a ranking of the 100 most populated U.S. cities, Indianapolis ranks
at number 12.
Of course, I think we'd both be willing to argue that Indianapolis
sucks a whole lot less than Cincinnati! (Cincinnati ranks at #54)
Chicago, unsurprisingly, is the 3rd largest city in the U.S.
Anyway, I hope this was at least entertaining. It kept me entertained
during my convalescence! It seems like the moral of the story is, as
they say: Time to get the hell outta Dodge!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)