No Plans for Halloween?

Oct 23, 2009
6 comments

Well, if you're in North Carolina, head on over to Amazing Grace Baptist Church where at 7 pm they're going to have a good old fashioned Christian book burning! Any book they deem to be antithetical (that means, in opposition) to God's will is going to be thrown on the pile and set alight! Hallelujah!

Heck, they're so Christian, even James Dobson and Billy Graham are a couple of pinko communist secularists by their standards. Any books by those two are going on the fire! All those liberal interpretations of the Bible? They're going on, too! The only King James Version of 1611 is allowed in their congregations!

Think Hank Williams is leading you down the primrose path to fire and brimstone? Bring your eight-tracks, Cletus, 'cause they're going on the fire, too! Only hymnal music is allowed in this church!

Irony is dead, dead, deadsky.

To Larim

Oct 21, 2009
4 comments

Fort Collins, Colorado, is the seat of Larimer County. Larimer

Across the northern border of the county, on the eastern side, is the Wyoming County of Laramie, whose county seat is Cheyenne.

So, we have a Larimer and a Laramie. That means that "to larim" must be a transitive verb, not only that, but it is something that the state of Colorado must have done to the state of Wyoming. You would think that some action that exists between states would be important enough to show up in the dictionary, but "Larim" is not found in the dictionary. Can anyone tell me what it means?

Another 25 Songs

Oct 10, 2009
3 comments

I've been tagged again to provide 25 random songs from my computer's playlist. First, let me say that I get a lot of music from We Heart Music here on Vox. I had a lot to begin with, too. My music library is currently showing 9,211 songs, so it's bound to be pretty eclectic!

1. Strength - Coyote Oldman (new age/native american/flute)
2. The American Jean - Helium (rock)
3. Halloween - Japan (new wave/80's rock)
4. Kool Thing - Sonic Youth (punk?)
5. Sober Up and Drink No More - The Black Velvet Band (Irish drinking song, seriously)
6. Eternal - Evanescence (emo rock/alternative)
7. Light Suits (live) - Blue Man Group (rock)
8. More Than This (X-Files soundtrack version) - Cure (rock, electronic)
9. 1984 - Guytare (flute, instrumental jazz)
10. Better Days - Goo Goo Dolls (alternative, i.e. boring)
11. Another "G" Thang - Dr. Dre (rap)
12. Sleep to Dream - my girlfriend, Fiona Apple (bluesy, rocky, alternative)
13. You Are the Best Thing - Ray Lamontagne (bluesy rock)
14. Rooster - Alice in Chains (angry rock)
15. Here with Me - Dido (pop, early emo-rock)
16. Sweet Rolls - Béla Flek and John Hartford (modern bluegrass/jazz)
17. More Than Words - Extreme (acoustic/pop)
18. Anywhere I Lay My Head - Scarlett Johansen (celebrity pop crossover)
19. Rat Salad - Black Sabbath (instrumental rock/solos/disgusting title)
20. Baby We've Got a Date - Bob Marley and Wailers (reggae)
21. First Suite for Military Band in b-flat Major - Gustav Holst (neo-classical)
22. Perfect Strangers - INXS (slut-rock)
23. Falling Down - Oasis (rock)
24. The Hornburg (Lord of the Rings Soundtrack) - London Philharmonic Orchestra (modern symphonic)
25. Please Me Like You Want To - Ben Harper (pop/acoustic/alternative)

I tag no one, because it's against my religion.

Book Review: Shadowfall

Oct 6, 2009
1 comment

Shadowfall: Book One of the Godslayer Chronicles

James Clemens

Shadowfall is a really well-written fantasy novel set in a complex and well-constructed universe. Although it is Book One of the Godslayer Chronicles series, author James Clemens has populated his world with thoroughly developed characters with rich back histories.

In the world of the series, magic ultimately comes from gods. There are about a hundred gods to be exact, and each lives in and controls a particular area of the world. They are tied to the land they live on and can't travel, so all of their interaction with the other gods is done through their servants. Their bodies are inherently magical, and everything that comes from their bodies, blood, tears, etc., have magical properties. People serve the gods, and the gods, in return, share their magic with their subjects.

This arrangement has been going on a long time, and things seem pretty secure, but of course there wouldn't be much of a story if everything was as it seemed.

Concerning Roman Polanski, Child Rapist

Oct 2, 2009
20 comments

Hollywood, in general though not in total, seems to be rallying to the defense of Roman Polanski, admitted child-rapist. This includes the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Whoopie Goldberg, and Peter Fonda, to name a few.

Whoopie, for example, says it wasn't "rape-rape." Apparently, there's rape, and then there's rape, and a 43-year-old man drugging then anally penetrating a 13-year-old girl isn't rape, it's just rape, and heck, if we're going to start sending people to jail for that, where will it stop?

Mr. Fonda points out that Polanski didn't kill anyone. Osama bin Laden is a murderer, Fonda's argument goes, and we haven't done anything to him yet, so why are we picking on poor Mr. Polanski? I assume by this argument no one should go to prison for anything until bin Laden is captured and convicted. We all have carte blanche!

Film critic Patrick Goldstein questioned the fact that Los Angeles County would spend money on an oversees extradition during a budget crisis. It's only common sense that we should pursue child rapists only when we're flush with cash. I mean, you have to have your priorities straight, right?

Anne Applebaum with the Washington Post points out that the victim no longer wants Polanski prosecuted, preferring to get on with her life. Trying and convicting the admitted rapist of a little girl, she says, "does not serve society in general or his victim in particular." She says, "If he weren't famous, I bet no one would bother with him at all." Because non-famous pedophiles are never extradited from other countries, right?

Many of the articles published on the story, in fact, make a point of the fact that the victim no longer wants Polanski prosecuted, citing the fact that she received an "undisclosed settlement" from Polanski. By all means, if you have enough money to pay off the victim afterwards, you should of course be allowed to rape little children without legal repercussions.

The Swiss Directors Association said that the arrest was "not only a grotesque farce of justice, but also an immense cultural scandal.” Obviously, arresting this great director is much more of a scandal than the rape of a child.

France's cultural minister thinks that Polanski has been "thrown to the lions because of ancient history". Who knew that thirty years ago was ancient history? Now that makes me feel really old.

Polish Defense Minister Radek Sikorski says he will make an appeal in Polanski's defense.

Here are my thoughts.

I don't care that he's a "great director."

I don't care that it was thirty years ago, as if sodomizing a child at the age of 43 is a "youthful indiscretion."

I don't care that the victim would rather leave it behind, as many victims do.

I don't care how much it cost to fly him back to the U.S.

I don't care that it was the 70's and things were "just crazy back then".

I don't care that he has not been caught raping other little girls since he fled the U.S. to avoid prosecution.

I don't care about the supposed injustice that he is going to be prosecuted while murderers like bin Laden are still free.

I don't care how famous he is.

I don't care how rich he is.

I don't care how loved he is by his fans.

I don't care.

I don't care.

I don't care.

Rape is rape is rape is rape.

I am glad that he was arrested.

I'm glad he's being extradited.

I'll be glad when he's tried.

I will be glad when he's convicted.

I will be glad when he goes to prison.

The next time conservatives rail against the Hollywood liberal elitists, I will have to agree with them. The fact that in 2009 there is even a debate about whether an admitted child-rapist should be given a pass because he's famous is absurd, depressing, and infuriating.

I personally will not be watching any movies or TV shows, listening to songs, or reading books by any artist of any medium that defends this child-rapist because he's "such a nice guy" and a "great filmmaker". If entertainers think they are better than the rest of us and are above the law, it is because we have given them that impression. Maybe it's time to remind them that they live in their exalted position only because we put them there, and we can remove them any time we want.

Disturbing Study Concerning Flu Shots and H1N1

Oct 1, 2009
5 comments

Recent studies conducted in Canada suggest that people who received the a shot for the regular flu last year are twice as likely to contract H1N1 this year. Read the article here.

This study has not been peer reviewed or published, yet. The World Health Organization is reviewing the results now to determine if they should discourage people from receiving the regular flu vaccine this year. My question would be how well did they control for other variables? Many people who get flu vaccines do so because they have a higher rate of exposure to the flu virus (day care workers, medical personnel, etc.), and that may be why they are getting H1N1 at a higher rate, not because they had the flu vaccine last year.

Hopefully, the WHO will be complete their review soon.

As If You Needed Another Reason Not to Shake Hands with Rush Limbaugh

Sep 28, 2009
11 comments

At a press conference being given by Kathleen Sebelius, one of the reporters had to sneeze. Apparently unprepared for this eventuality, he didn't have a tissue, and instead sneezed into his hands. Given that it was the middle of the press conference, he made to continue on with his note-taking. Presumably, he would afterward spend some time shaking hands with his colleagues, touching White House door knobs, and maybe even giving wet willies to the secret service. Though, probably not the last one.

Following this faux pas, Secretary Sebelius jokingly chided the reporter and encouraged him to sneeze into his sleeve next time. Granted, a tissue would be better, but lacking that, sneezing into your sleeve is at least better than sneezing into your hands.

NBC's Chuck Todd Scolded For Improper Sneeze At White House

Not so to Rush Limbaugh, though, who said the following about the incident:

"You talk about control and patronizing, and correct me if I'm wrong about this, but wasn't a defining act of being a hick, hayseed to wipe your nose on your sleeve as if it were a handkerchief? I mean that used to be sitcom material. Gomer or one of the bums who wandered into the Mayberry jail would sneeze on themselves or wipe their nose.... You have to see this video, I mean elitist snobs advising us to sneeze on our arms. Don't carry Kleenex, don't turn away from people, don't cover your nose and mouth with your hand and head to the restroom."

So, conservatives, if you ever meet Rush in person, by all means, shake his hand, let him give you a pat on the back, and maybe let him hand you a piece of gum. You might come away feeling a little slimy, but he has that effect on the rest of us anyway.

An Example of Why It's Dangerous to Hike Alone

Sep 24, 2009
8 comments

Larimer Sheriff's deputies make arrest after investigating Signal Mountain Trail attack

Two women were attacked while hiking. The perp held a knife to the throat of one woman, but didn't plan on the other beating him with her walking stick. Hell ya.

I can't help it, though - I like to hike alone sometimes. It's quiet, peaceful, contemplative. It's as close as I get to feeling spiritual. Being male probably makes me less likely to be attacked, but it doesn't make me immune. I guess I'll just keep my walking stick handy.

Glenn Beck, Good Christian

Sep 24, 2009
4 comments

Mediamatters reports on the radio talk show beginnings of Glenn Beck, defender of all that's good and pure. Among some of the things Mr. Beck was known for in his early days on the public airways:

- funny "black guy" impersonations.

- vicious, childish, and continuing attacks on a female radio host in the same market, who never fought back and who wasn't even playing in the same time slot, mostly focusing on her weight problems.

- calling the wife of a local reporter he didn't like, live on the air, and ridiculing her for her recent miscarriage.

What would Jesus do, indeed.

H1N1 Hitting Like a Hammer

Sep 23, 2009
20 comments

Ili36_graph

A chart showing the number of "flu-like" cases by percentage of visits to the doctor, comparatively by year. (Source: CDC). Look at the last three or four weeks, on the right. The blue and green lines show where we were in previous years - the red shows where we are this year.

Folks, that doesn't look good. The flu season is starting early this year, and it's going to suck. I hope you all have insurance.

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