moaning is music
12.31.2005
current music: pixies - debaser
VFR proposal:
"Weekly Mixtapes" is a music program where we showcase an array of music where all of the songs are related or connected by theme or element. It would coincide with the VFR mission statement by striving to exhibit as much independent, local, DIY, or otherwise under-appreciated music that is under-represented by mainstream media outlets as possible.
new years eve was as boring as heaven, i watched flies fuck on channel 11
yeah, I'm bored. I should be reading to kill a mockingbird or doing my string quartet but I'm too laaaaazy. plus no one is reading my blog.
current music: alkaline trio - private eye
yeah, I'm bored. I should be reading to kill a mockingbird or doing my string quartet but I'm too laaaaazy. plus no one is reading my blog.
weekly grammar challenge
find one english verb where the past tense ends in -ed and the past participle ends in -en.
current music: architecture in helsinki - frenchy im faking
find one english verb where the past tense ends in -ed and the past participle ends in -en.
current music: okkervil river - another radio song
http://groups.myspace.com/xbbpx
newsflash fucktards: prohibition isn't straightedge, it's fucking hardline. authoritarian is the antithesis of anti-establishment.
"hey, it's not fascism if we don't call it that!"
12.30.2005
Portrait D'une Femme
by: Ezra Pound
Your mind and you are our Sargasso Sea,
London has swept about you this score years
And bright ships left you this or that in fee:
Ideas, old gossip, oddments of all things,
Strange spars of knowledge and dimmed wares of price.
Great minds have sought you--lacking someone else.
You have been second always. Tragical?
No. You preferred it to the usual thing:
One dull man, dulling and uxorious,
One average mind--with one thought less, each year.
Oh, you are patient, I have seen you sit
Hours, where something might have floated up.
And now you pay one. Yes, you richly pay.
You are a person of some interest, one comes to you
And takes strange gain away:
Trophies fished up; some curious suggestion;
Fact that leads nowhere; and a tale or two,
Pregnant with mandrakes, or with something else
That might prove useful and yet never proves,
That never fits a corner or shows use,
Or finds its hour upon the loom of days:
The tarnished, gaudy, wonderful old work;
Idols and ambergris and rare inlays,
These are your riches, your great store; and yet
For all this sea-hoard of deciduous things,
Strange woods half sodden, and new brighter stuff:
In the slow float of differing light and deep,
No! there is nothing! In the whole and all,
Nothing that's quite your own.
Yet this is you.
current music: rilo kiley - it just is
by: Ezra Pound
Your mind and you are our Sargasso Sea,
London has swept about you this score years
And bright ships left you this or that in fee:
Ideas, old gossip, oddments of all things,
Strange spars of knowledge and dimmed wares of price.
Great minds have sought you--lacking someone else.
You have been second always. Tragical?
No. You preferred it to the usual thing:
One dull man, dulling and uxorious,
One average mind--with one thought less, each year.
Oh, you are patient, I have seen you sit
Hours, where something might have floated up.
And now you pay one. Yes, you richly pay.
You are a person of some interest, one comes to you
And takes strange gain away:
Trophies fished up; some curious suggestion;
Fact that leads nowhere; and a tale or two,
Pregnant with mandrakes, or with something else
That might prove useful and yet never proves,
That never fits a corner or shows use,
Or finds its hour upon the loom of days:
The tarnished, gaudy, wonderful old work;
Idols and ambergris and rare inlays,
These are your riches, your great store; and yet
For all this sea-hoard of deciduous things,
Strange woods half sodden, and new brighter stuff:
In the slow float of differing light and deep,
No! there is nothing! In the whole and all,
Nothing that's quite your own.
Yet this is you.
12.29.2005
A COMMENT ON RESPONSIBLE VOTING, AND A PROTOCOL FOR A USEFUL VOTE
By Greg Graffin
Bad Times, 1/97
Voting is a privilege. As such it requires responsibility. Irresponsibility when coupled with licence can lead to social tragedy. If one is to feel good about his or her vote, it is necessary to have an agenda to use as justification, and also to adhere to some sort of ideological protocol for casting a particular vote. Too often in the past, our generation has voted and formed opinion based on self-serving interests. I know what is good for me, and I don't really care about what is good for others, I will vote for the candidate or issue that benefits me the most is a common way of thinking. This is an example of the simplest possible voting convention. It doesn't require much worldly knowledge or social concern, it is simply a selfish desire for personal gain. This will probably typify most people's thinking on their way to the polls this year, as it has in years past. But it does not make for a better society. Voting offers us a way to responsibly improve society. If you don't care about such a goal, then voting isn't a privilege for you, its just a routine behavior that happens every four years, or worse, a way to implement evil policies that further degrade the lives of the careless and powerless. If you don't care about improvement, you better hope that those who do go to the polls advocate your interests.
Societal improvement is a somewhat nebulous concept because change is rarely teleological and it rests in the whims of the populace. Most people think that a candidate who wins an election can make the world a better place. This has rarely happened in history. It is the people, or the ruled, who make the world a better place by behavioral changes, and the ruler is usually only a by-product of this collective phenomenon. The process of voting, because it demands sharing of information, requires people to gain knowledge about their world. It offers an opportunity to question whether they accept the tenets of their representatives and of their society. When this occurs, people get informed, people can communicate their distastes, and their hopes. They feel useful and acknowledged by their fellow citizens. And through communication comes action, and eventual abatement of the stigmas that cause suffering and misery. An informed person is a content person. An informed society is a strong society, supportive of its citizens, aware of, and compassionate to those less advantaged. Finally, an informed vote is a responsible vote. It goes far beyond the election in question. The knowledge is carried through the life of the possessor, and it shapes the way that person views his/her position in society and communicates with others. All of this is a contribution to a better community and a more meaningful election.
AN UNORTHODOX PROTOCOL FOR CASTING A MEANINGFUL VOTE:
1. Determine whether you care about the general well-being of society (If you do not, skip to step 7, if you do, continue on)
2. Determine whether you are a privileged citizen (If you are not, then proceed to step number 6, if you are, read steps 3, 4, and 5 only)
3. Examine not how well you will fare if a given issue is voted into law, but how poorly the under-privileged will suffer (no matter which laws pass a vote or who is voted into office, you will probably always still be better off than the people you fear you'll become, namely the under-privileged).
4. Create an ideological balance-sheet that details how much better you will fare, as a percentage of your current comfort level, versus how much worse the under-privileged will drop in their current comfort level (for instance, as a very banal example, a mere 2% drop in your current income, could provide a tremendous relative rise in an under-privileged household's income).
5. Vote for the issue or candidate that promises to balance the disparity between the privileged and the under-privileged classes, even if it doesn�t make you richer or if it provides a small compromise in your day-to-day comfort.
6. Vote for the issue or the candidate who will make your life better.
7. Abstain from voting
Finally, remember voting started out as a way for concerned citizens to play a role in creating a society that was good for all. Over time it evolved into the monstrosity it is today which is no more than a vehicle for selfish partisanism, and worse, a voice for those who want the law to preserve and increase the disparity between needy and privileged.
This unfortunate turn of events has made us a hostile, hopeless people. We should remember that history is relevant, and can help us gain a perspective on our current situation. NO civilization persists without a strong sense of social welfare. The British empire expired once its subjects learned that through unity and enlightenment of the underprivileged came a new power structure and a new sense of national community, one strong enough to turn away any possible oppressors. We are headed in the same direction as the failed British empire as our privileged class increases in wealth yet shrinks in population, and our underclass grows in population and shrinks in wealth.
Your vote is meaningless if it merely bolsters the selfish desires of a small privileged minority of citizens. A meaningful vote depends on the passage of issues or election of candidates that help to create a better scene for everyone, not merely the rich elite, and not merely provisional support for the poor. If you follow these guidelines, we will have a less polarized, more enthusiastic underclass, and a less greedy, more compassionate upper class; and the quality of our social fabric will be drastically enhanced.
http://badreligion.com/news/essays.php?id=6
not agreeing, just putting it out there.
current music: Bad Religion - American Jesus
By Greg Graffin
Bad Times, 1/97
Voting is a privilege. As such it requires responsibility. Irresponsibility when coupled with licence can lead to social tragedy. If one is to feel good about his or her vote, it is necessary to have an agenda to use as justification, and also to adhere to some sort of ideological protocol for casting a particular vote. Too often in the past, our generation has voted and formed opinion based on self-serving interests. I know what is good for me, and I don't really care about what is good for others, I will vote for the candidate or issue that benefits me the most is a common way of thinking. This is an example of the simplest possible voting convention. It doesn't require much worldly knowledge or social concern, it is simply a selfish desire for personal gain. This will probably typify most people's thinking on their way to the polls this year, as it has in years past. But it does not make for a better society. Voting offers us a way to responsibly improve society. If you don't care about such a goal, then voting isn't a privilege for you, its just a routine behavior that happens every four years, or worse, a way to implement evil policies that further degrade the lives of the careless and powerless. If you don't care about improvement, you better hope that those who do go to the polls advocate your interests.
Societal improvement is a somewhat nebulous concept because change is rarely teleological and it rests in the whims of the populace. Most people think that a candidate who wins an election can make the world a better place. This has rarely happened in history. It is the people, or the ruled, who make the world a better place by behavioral changes, and the ruler is usually only a by-product of this collective phenomenon. The process of voting, because it demands sharing of information, requires people to gain knowledge about their world. It offers an opportunity to question whether they accept the tenets of their representatives and of their society. When this occurs, people get informed, people can communicate their distastes, and their hopes. They feel useful and acknowledged by their fellow citizens. And through communication comes action, and eventual abatement of the stigmas that cause suffering and misery. An informed person is a content person. An informed society is a strong society, supportive of its citizens, aware of, and compassionate to those less advantaged. Finally, an informed vote is a responsible vote. It goes far beyond the election in question. The knowledge is carried through the life of the possessor, and it shapes the way that person views his/her position in society and communicates with others. All of this is a contribution to a better community and a more meaningful election.
AN UNORTHODOX PROTOCOL FOR CASTING A MEANINGFUL VOTE:
1. Determine whether you care about the general well-being of society (If you do not, skip to step 7, if you do, continue on)
2. Determine whether you are a privileged citizen (If you are not, then proceed to step number 6, if you are, read steps 3, 4, and 5 only)
3. Examine not how well you will fare if a given issue is voted into law, but how poorly the under-privileged will suffer (no matter which laws pass a vote or who is voted into office, you will probably always still be better off than the people you fear you'll become, namely the under-privileged).
4. Create an ideological balance-sheet that details how much better you will fare, as a percentage of your current comfort level, versus how much worse the under-privileged will drop in their current comfort level (for instance, as a very banal example, a mere 2% drop in your current income, could provide a tremendous relative rise in an under-privileged household's income).
5. Vote for the issue or candidate that promises to balance the disparity between the privileged and the under-privileged classes, even if it doesn�t make you richer or if it provides a small compromise in your day-to-day comfort.
6. Vote for the issue or the candidate who will make your life better.
7. Abstain from voting
Finally, remember voting started out as a way for concerned citizens to play a role in creating a society that was good for all. Over time it evolved into the monstrosity it is today which is no more than a vehicle for selfish partisanism, and worse, a voice for those who want the law to preserve and increase the disparity between needy and privileged.
This unfortunate turn of events has made us a hostile, hopeless people. We should remember that history is relevant, and can help us gain a perspective on our current situation. NO civilization persists without a strong sense of social welfare. The British empire expired once its subjects learned that through unity and enlightenment of the underprivileged came a new power structure and a new sense of national community, one strong enough to turn away any possible oppressors. We are headed in the same direction as the failed British empire as our privileged class increases in wealth yet shrinks in population, and our underclass grows in population and shrinks in wealth.
Your vote is meaningless if it merely bolsters the selfish desires of a small privileged minority of citizens. A meaningful vote depends on the passage of issues or election of candidates that help to create a better scene for everyone, not merely the rich elite, and not merely provisional support for the poor. If you follow these guidelines, we will have a less polarized, more enthusiastic underclass, and a less greedy, more compassionate upper class; and the quality of our social fabric will be drastically enhanced.
http://badreligion.com/news/essays.php?id=6
not agreeing, just putting it out there.
current music: fiery furnaces - evergreen
http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/tryFaceRecognition.php?s=1&u=g0%E2%8C%A9=EN
photo 1:
sonny rollins 68%
walther nerst 54%
johnny weissmuller 53%
jon voight 51%
ian thorpe 50%
anne frank 46%
jack kerouac 46%
paul simon 46%
billy bob thorton 45%
t. s. eliot 45%
photo 2
jean monnet 68%
augusto pinochet 64%
luciano berio 60%
rani mukherjee 59%
lukas moodysson 55%
mikhail saakashvili 52%
ernst rohm 51%
gus van sant 51%
jerry seinfeld 50%
gregory hines 50%
photo 3
aretha franlkin 57%
boris karloff 55%
richard stallman 49%
luis figo 48%
norman mailer 48%
amrito rao 43%
12.28.2005
Face it, your politics are boring as fuck
by Nadia C.
Face it, your politics are boring as fuck.
You know it's true. Otherwise, why does everyone cringe when you say the word? Why has attendance at your anarcho-communist theory discussion group meetings fallen to an all—time low? Why has the oppressed proletariat not come to its senses and joined you in your fight for world liberation?
Perhaps, after years of struggling to educate them about their victimhood, you have come to blame them for their condition. They must want to be ground under the heel of capitalist imperialism; otherwise, why do they show no interest in your political causes? Why haven't they joined you yet in chaining yourself to mahogany furniture, chanting slogans at carefully planned and orchestrated protests, and frequenting anarchist bookshops? Why haven't they sat down and learned all the terminology necessary for a genuine understanding of the complexities of Marxist economic theory?
The truth is, your politics are boring to them because they really are irrelevant. They know that your antiquated styles of protest—your marches, hand held signs, and gatherings—are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo. They know that your post-Marxist jargon is off-putting because it really is a language of mere academic dispute, not a weapon capable of undermining systems of control. They know that your infighting, your splinter groups and endless quarrels over ephemeral theories can never effect any real change in the world they experience from day to day. They know that no matter who is in office, what laws are on the books, what "ism"s the intellectuals march under, the content of their lives will remain the same. They—we—know that our boredom is proof that these "politics" are not the key to any real transformation of life. For our lives are boring enough already!
And you know it too. For how many of you is politics a responsibility? Something you engage in because you feel you should, when in your heart of hearts there are a million things you would rather be doing? Your volunteer work—is it your most favorite pastime, or do you do it out of a sense of obligation? Why do you think it is so hard to motivate others to volunteer as you do? Could it be that it is, above all, a feeling of guilt that drives you to fulfill your "duty" to be politically active? Perhaps you spice up your "work" by trying (consciously or not) to get in trouble with the authorities, to get arrested: not because it will practically serve your cause, but to make things more exciting, to recapture a little of the romance of turbulent times now long past. Have you ever felt that you were participating in a ritual, a long-established tradition of fringe protest, that really serves only to strengthen the position of the mainstream? Have you ever secretly longed to escape from the stagnation and boredom of your political "responsibilities"?
It's no wonder that no one has joined you in your political endeavors. Perhaps you tell yourself that it's tough, thankless work, but somebody's got to do it. The answer is, well, NO.
You actually do us all a real disservice with your tiresome, tedious politics. For in fact, there is nothing more important than politics. NOT the politics of American "democracy" and law, of who is elected state legislator to sign the same bills and perpetuate the same system. Not the politics of the "I got involved with the radical left because I enjoy quibbling over trivial details and writing rhetorically about an unreachable utopia" anarchist. Not the politics of any leader or ideology that demands that you make sacrifices for "the cause." But the politics of our everyday lives. When you separate politics from the immediate, everyday experiences of individual men and women, it becomes completely irrelevant. Indeed, it becomes the private domain of wealthy, comfortable intellectuals, who can trouble themselves with such dreary, theoretical things. When you involve yourself in politics out of a sense of obligation, and make political action into a dull responsibility rather than an exciting game that is worthwhile for its own sake, you scare away people whose lives are already far too dull for any more tedium. When you make politics into a lifeless thing, a joyless thing, a dreadful responsibility, it becomes just another weight upon people, rather than a means to lift weight from people. And thus you ruin the idea of politics for the people to whom it should be most important. For everyone has a stake in considering their lives, in asking themselves what they want out of life and how they can get it. But you make politics look to them like a miserable, self-referential, pointless middle class/bohemian game, a game with no relevance to the real lives they are living out.
What should be political? Whether we enjoy what we do to get food and shelter. Whether we feel like our daily interactions with our friends, neighbors, and coworkers are fulfilling. Whether we have the opportunity to live each day the way we desire to. And "politics" should consist not of merely discussing these questions, but of acting directly to improve our lives in the immediate present. Acting in a way that is itself entertaining, exciting, joyous—because political action that is tedious, tiresome, and oppressive can only perpetuate tedium, fatigue, and oppression in our lives. No more time should be wasted debating over issues that will be irrelevant when we must go to work again the next day. No more predictable ritual protests that the authorities know all too well how to deal with; no more boring ritual protests which will not sound like a thrilling way to spend a Saturday afternoon to potential volunteers—clearly, those won't get us anywhere. Never again shall we "sacrifice ourselves for the cause." For we ourselves, happiness in our own lives and the lives of our fellows, must be our cause!
After we make politics relevant and exciting, the rest will follow. But from a dreary, merely theoretical and/or ritualized politics, nothing valuable can follow. This is not to say that we should show no interest in the welfare of humans, animals, or ecosystems that do not contact us directly in our day to day existence. But the foundation of our politics must be concrete: it must be immediate, it must be obvious to everyone why it is worth the effort, it must be fun in itself. How can we do positive things for others if we ourselves do not enjoy our own lives?
To make this concrete for a moment: an afternoon of collecting food from businesses that would have thrown it away and serving it to hungry people and people who are tired of working to pay for food—that is good political action, but only if you enjoy it. If you do it with your friends, if you meet new friends while you're doing it, if you fall in love or trade funny stories or just feel proud to have helped a woman by easing her financial needs, that's good political action. On the other hand, if you spend the afternoon typing an angry letter to an obscure leftist tabloid objecting to a columnist's use of the term "anarcho-syndicalist," that's not going to accomplish shit, and you know it.
Perhaps it is time for a new word for "politics," since you have made such a swear word out of the old one. For no one should be put off when we talk about acting together to improve our lives. And so we present to you our demands, which are non-negotiable, and must be met as soon as possible—because we're not going to live forever, are we?
1. Make politics relevant to our everyday experience of life again. The farther away the object of our political concern, the less it will mean to us, the less real and pressing it will seem to us, and the more wearisome politics will be.
2. All political activity must be joyous and exciting in itself. You cannot escape from dreariness with more dreariness.
3. To accomplish those first two steps, entirely new political approaches and methods must be created. The old ones are outdated, outmoded. Perhaps they were NEVER any good, and that's why our world is the way it is now.
4. Enjoy yourselves! There is never any excuse for being bored... or boring!
Join us in making the "revolution" a game; a game played for the highest stakes of all, but a joyous, carefree game nonetheless!
http://www.crimethinc.com/library/english/yourpoli.html
this rings all too true for me.
current music: a silver mt. zion - god bless our dead marines
by Nadia C.
Face it, your politics are boring as fuck.
You know it's true. Otherwise, why does everyone cringe when you say the word? Why has attendance at your anarcho-communist theory discussion group meetings fallen to an all—time low? Why has the oppressed proletariat not come to its senses and joined you in your fight for world liberation?
Perhaps, after years of struggling to educate them about their victimhood, you have come to blame them for their condition. They must want to be ground under the heel of capitalist imperialism; otherwise, why do they show no interest in your political causes? Why haven't they joined you yet in chaining yourself to mahogany furniture, chanting slogans at carefully planned and orchestrated protests, and frequenting anarchist bookshops? Why haven't they sat down and learned all the terminology necessary for a genuine understanding of the complexities of Marxist economic theory?
The truth is, your politics are boring to them because they really are irrelevant. They know that your antiquated styles of protest—your marches, hand held signs, and gatherings—are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo. They know that your post-Marxist jargon is off-putting because it really is a language of mere academic dispute, not a weapon capable of undermining systems of control. They know that your infighting, your splinter groups and endless quarrels over ephemeral theories can never effect any real change in the world they experience from day to day. They know that no matter who is in office, what laws are on the books, what "ism"s the intellectuals march under, the content of their lives will remain the same. They—we—know that our boredom is proof that these "politics" are not the key to any real transformation of life. For our lives are boring enough already!
And you know it too. For how many of you is politics a responsibility? Something you engage in because you feel you should, when in your heart of hearts there are a million things you would rather be doing? Your volunteer work—is it your most favorite pastime, or do you do it out of a sense of obligation? Why do you think it is so hard to motivate others to volunteer as you do? Could it be that it is, above all, a feeling of guilt that drives you to fulfill your "duty" to be politically active? Perhaps you spice up your "work" by trying (consciously or not) to get in trouble with the authorities, to get arrested: not because it will practically serve your cause, but to make things more exciting, to recapture a little of the romance of turbulent times now long past. Have you ever felt that you were participating in a ritual, a long-established tradition of fringe protest, that really serves only to strengthen the position of the mainstream? Have you ever secretly longed to escape from the stagnation and boredom of your political "responsibilities"?
It's no wonder that no one has joined you in your political endeavors. Perhaps you tell yourself that it's tough, thankless work, but somebody's got to do it. The answer is, well, NO.
You actually do us all a real disservice with your tiresome, tedious politics. For in fact, there is nothing more important than politics. NOT the politics of American "democracy" and law, of who is elected state legislator to sign the same bills and perpetuate the same system. Not the politics of the "I got involved with the radical left because I enjoy quibbling over trivial details and writing rhetorically about an unreachable utopia" anarchist. Not the politics of any leader or ideology that demands that you make sacrifices for "the cause." But the politics of our everyday lives. When you separate politics from the immediate, everyday experiences of individual men and women, it becomes completely irrelevant. Indeed, it becomes the private domain of wealthy, comfortable intellectuals, who can trouble themselves with such dreary, theoretical things. When you involve yourself in politics out of a sense of obligation, and make political action into a dull responsibility rather than an exciting game that is worthwhile for its own sake, you scare away people whose lives are already far too dull for any more tedium. When you make politics into a lifeless thing, a joyless thing, a dreadful responsibility, it becomes just another weight upon people, rather than a means to lift weight from people. And thus you ruin the idea of politics for the people to whom it should be most important. For everyone has a stake in considering their lives, in asking themselves what they want out of life and how they can get it. But you make politics look to them like a miserable, self-referential, pointless middle class/bohemian game, a game with no relevance to the real lives they are living out.
What should be political? Whether we enjoy what we do to get food and shelter. Whether we feel like our daily interactions with our friends, neighbors, and coworkers are fulfilling. Whether we have the opportunity to live each day the way we desire to. And "politics" should consist not of merely discussing these questions, but of acting directly to improve our lives in the immediate present. Acting in a way that is itself entertaining, exciting, joyous—because political action that is tedious, tiresome, and oppressive can only perpetuate tedium, fatigue, and oppression in our lives. No more time should be wasted debating over issues that will be irrelevant when we must go to work again the next day. No more predictable ritual protests that the authorities know all too well how to deal with; no more boring ritual protests which will not sound like a thrilling way to spend a Saturday afternoon to potential volunteers—clearly, those won't get us anywhere. Never again shall we "sacrifice ourselves for the cause." For we ourselves, happiness in our own lives and the lives of our fellows, must be our cause!
After we make politics relevant and exciting, the rest will follow. But from a dreary, merely theoretical and/or ritualized politics, nothing valuable can follow. This is not to say that we should show no interest in the welfare of humans, animals, or ecosystems that do not contact us directly in our day to day existence. But the foundation of our politics must be concrete: it must be immediate, it must be obvious to everyone why it is worth the effort, it must be fun in itself. How can we do positive things for others if we ourselves do not enjoy our own lives?
To make this concrete for a moment: an afternoon of collecting food from businesses that would have thrown it away and serving it to hungry people and people who are tired of working to pay for food—that is good political action, but only if you enjoy it. If you do it with your friends, if you meet new friends while you're doing it, if you fall in love or trade funny stories or just feel proud to have helped a woman by easing her financial needs, that's good political action. On the other hand, if you spend the afternoon typing an angry letter to an obscure leftist tabloid objecting to a columnist's use of the term "anarcho-syndicalist," that's not going to accomplish shit, and you know it.
Perhaps it is time for a new word for "politics," since you have made such a swear word out of the old one. For no one should be put off when we talk about acting together to improve our lives. And so we present to you our demands, which are non-negotiable, and must be met as soon as possible—because we're not going to live forever, are we?
1. Make politics relevant to our everyday experience of life again. The farther away the object of our political concern, the less it will mean to us, the less real and pressing it will seem to us, and the more wearisome politics will be.
2. All political activity must be joyous and exciting in itself. You cannot escape from dreariness with more dreariness.
3. To accomplish those first two steps, entirely new political approaches and methods must be created. The old ones are outdated, outmoded. Perhaps they were NEVER any good, and that's why our world is the way it is now.
4. Enjoy yourselves! There is never any excuse for being bored... or boring!
Join us in making the "revolution" a game; a game played for the highest stakes of all, but a joyous, carefree game nonetheless!
http://www.crimethinc.com/library/english/yourpoli.html
this rings all too true for me.
12.27.2005
12.26.2005
4th grade poetry
"the book"
You sit on the shelf
feeling sorry for yourself.
You call out "Read me! I can't stand it here!"
And I feel so queer
when the reader comes
with his choice
and becomes
stuck in the book
without even a look
at that book
that was
stuck on the shelf
all alone by itself.
If a reader comes along
with no sense of right or wrong
and doesn't take one look at you
do you take it personally
Do you do something diversionally
to get his attention?
You sit on the shelf
all by yourself,
bursting with anxiety
the only lonely one
in the society.
But when you can't wait to be read
and you're mentally brain dead
along comes a bright young man looking for a book.
and with one look
You call out in your mind "Read me!"
He takes you off
and reads you.
***
"Hail"
Hail to the flag,
tangled up in
scarlet and
ivory stripes,
navy and milky stars,
waving in the azure sky
full of shimmering pearl stars.
Cardinal, royal, snowy flag,
flapping in the
tawny sun.
I salute you,
wine and sky,
forever I will,
but now,
good-bye.
***
"The Reflection of Myself"
The reflection
of my
self
in the pond
near the
Tree
on the street
that I live on,
is so
incredibly
beautiful
I had to
bend down
and kiss it.
The pond
near the tree
on the street
that I live on
looks so
incredibly fun
That I had to
swim
in it.
***
"Journey of a Poem"
the words
process in my brain
walk through my arm
out my slightly feeble ahnd
and float on the paper.
the words keep flowing
until I'm
"done"
and show it someone
the words
dance through the eyes
and glide to the brain
turn into feedback
and trek out the mouth/
the words soar through the air
like an eagle in the wind
lumber in my ears
roam my brain
and out sneaks
a smile
that doesn't always show.
***
Dear Reader,
It has occured to me
you are about to read the book
that I
have written.
I have spent time
writing,
and the crime
of nails
being
bitten.
I am
happy
to know
I am
to show
my time
and effort
to you,
so enjoy the ride,
since I
How tried,
to entertain
me too.
Thank you,
Reader,
For reading my book.
For you
are just
reading,
not stelaing
like a crook.
I am the penman,
you are the book-biter.
Sincerely yours,
The Writer.
***
"Me and the computer"
I stare
at the screen
Fun
and entertainment.
Beeping,
the computer amuses me.
Me,
the computer addict
and them,
my e-pals.
talk together,
socialize.
For and hour,
or more,
I stay.
staying,
not wanting it to end.
it ends.
When it ends,
I end.
Computer,
I own you. Goodbye
Goodbye fun and games
Goodbye dear friends.
Goodbye beeping.
Goodbye sleeping.
Goodbye.
***
"Soda"
Fizz
Pop
Snap
It sizzles although ice-cold
Bubble
Buzz
Bark
It's sugar
up in a straw it's rolled.
***
current music: sleater-kinney - wilderness
"the book"
You sit on the shelf
feeling sorry for yourself.
You call out "Read me! I can't stand it here!"
And I feel so queer
when the reader comes
with his choice
and becomes
stuck in the book
without even a look
at that book
that was
stuck on the shelf
all alone by itself.
If a reader comes along
with no sense of right or wrong
and doesn't take one look at you
do you take it personally
Do you do something diversionally
to get his attention?
You sit on the shelf
all by yourself,
bursting with anxiety
the only lonely one
in the society.
But when you can't wait to be read
and you're mentally brain dead
along comes a bright young man looking for a book.
and with one look
You call out in your mind "Read me!"
He takes you off
and reads you.
***
"Hail"
Hail to the flag,
tangled up in
scarlet and
ivory stripes,
navy and milky stars,
waving in the azure sky
full of shimmering pearl stars.
Cardinal, royal, snowy flag,
flapping in the
tawny sun.
I salute you,
wine and sky,
forever I will,
but now,
good-bye.
***
"The Reflection of Myself"
The reflection
of my
self
in the pond
near the
Tree
on the street
that I live on,
is so
incredibly
beautiful
I had to
bend down
and kiss it.
The pond
near the tree
on the street
that I live on
looks so
incredibly fun
That I had to
swim
in it.
***
"Journey of a Poem"
the words
process in my brain
walk through my arm
out my slightly feeble ahnd
and float on the paper.
the words keep flowing
until I'm
"done"
and show it someone
the words
dance through the eyes
and glide to the brain
turn into feedback
and trek out the mouth/
the words soar through the air
like an eagle in the wind
lumber in my ears
roam my brain
and out sneaks
a smile
that doesn't always show.
***
Dear Reader,
It has occured to me
you are about to read the book
that I
have written.
I have spent time
writing,
and the crime
of nails
being
bitten.
I am
happy
to know
I am
to show
my time
and effort
to you,
so enjoy the ride,
since I
How tried,
to entertain
me too.
Thank you,
Reader,
For reading my book.
For you
are just
reading,
not stelaing
like a crook.
I am the penman,
you are the book-biter.
Sincerely yours,
The Writer.
***
"Me and the computer"
I stare
at the screen
Fun
and entertainment.
Beeping,
the computer amuses me.
Me,
the computer addict
and them,
my e-pals.
talk together,
socialize.
For and hour,
or more,
I stay.
staying,
not wanting it to end.
it ends.
When it ends,
I end.
Computer,
I own you. Goodbye
Goodbye fun and games
Goodbye dear friends.
Goodbye beeping.
Goodbye sleeping.
Goodbye.
***
"Soda"
Fizz
Pop
Snap
It sizzles although ice-cold
Bubble
Buzz
Bark
It's sugar
up in a straw it's rolled.
***
12.24.2005
current music: rjd2 - smoke and mirrors
how many dadaists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
a fish.
12.21.2005
Military Draft in the 21st Century
Given thee never-ending military endeavors of the American government the supply of troops to fight in them are understandably wearing thin. With each significant military action since Vietnam, discussions of the possibility of the draft arrive. However, the draft should not be reinstated, for the sake of the integrity of the country and the protection of its citizens. Given the rich history of draft resistance, the inevitability of mass action against its implementation is almost certain. Even while the current president denies the possibility of conscription during his presidency, the debate still continues. As unlikely as its future existence would be, it would no doubt be a terribly unpopular decision that only causes an array of iniquitous complications. A draft in the 21st century would mean the degradation of the constitution as well as the continuance of an obsolete, racist, sexist, and classist system that divides the country and turns its citizens against their leaders.
If the history of the draft has shown anything, it’s that drafts only cause problems. The New York draft riots of the Civil War era demonstrated the people’s natural resistance to being sent off to war. The nationwide anger and rebellion over the draft for the Vietnam War unsurprisingly widened the gap governed and the governing classes. It unearthed the discrepancies between classes and races, and fueled the antiwar movement of the 60’s and 70’s. If the draft could cause so many problems across the years, it is certain that implementing it now would only mean more problems given the country’s 30-plus years of an all-volunteer army. Logistics aside, no generation will be unanimously willing to fight in wars that seem to become increasingly unnecessary and costly. How could the American government deal with such harsh dissent during wartime and successfully use troops that are less than willing to fight and die?
The possibility of a draft raises many questions about its fairness, which fuels much of the dissent and criticism towards it. Many claim the system of the draft is biased against lower-income citizens as well as racial minorities. It is easier for one to buy one’s way out of military service given a higher social status and income, which is not only classist but racist as well since racial minorities are disproportionately lower-class citizens who very rarely have any other choice. On the other side of the issue, there is also the question of whether the draft would call up women in addition to men. If this were not the case as it is now with the selective service, it would only promote the archaic, sexist view of women as the weaker sex and it is embarrassing that the Selective Service would be so blatantly and inexplicably sexist. Furthermore, the draft is biased against non-religious applicants as it greatly favors religious reasons for conscientious objector status to moral reasons. While it is possible to receive conscientious objector status for moral reasons, the Selective Service has made it nearly impossible to receive it without establishing a religious case. Thus the draft would surely continue its discriminatory practices that the American people should not tolerate.
The most incriminating of the problems that arise from these issues are the problems of constitutionality. Though the Supreme Court did rule that the power of conscription was under the power of the federal government in the case Arver vs. United States in 1918, there was no satisfactorily conclusive statement made addressing the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Unless serving in the military is considered punishment, which would seem to contradict the argument in favor of a military draft, surely being forced to join the military under penalty of law would be considered “involuntary servitude,” making it unconstitutional. No matter what the degree of the support for the war is, everyone has a right to deny service. If all the slaves in America before the Emancipation Proclamation were drafted into the military, which was very similar to the case during the Civil War, would it be considered “national service” or “slavery”? Does it matter, anyway? Involuntary is involuntary, and the government has no right to force its citizens to work for them, especially when the service is as severe and dangerous as military service.
For these reasons, it is imperative that the armed forces remain a voluntary service for the integrity and stability of the country. To do this would be to give the eligible citizens the comfort of knowing the government does not have absolute control over their lives and force the leaders of the country to consider the troop supply before starting unnecessary wars. Many draft apoligists would say that conscription would be necessary for a large war, but the absence of a draft would ensure that leaders would have to deal with a smaller army that is large enough to protect its country but not so large that unnecessary wars wouldn’t significantly decrease the supply of troops. A draft would mean devisions across the country, the ostracism of the resistant minority, and the depletion of national resources. For the sake of future generations, the current generation must make sure that a draft will never occur again.
Happy Solstice.
current music: boredoms - spiral
Given thee never-ending military endeavors of the American government the supply of troops to fight in them are understandably wearing thin. With each significant military action since Vietnam, discussions of the possibility of the draft arrive. However, the draft should not be reinstated, for the sake of the integrity of the country and the protection of its citizens. Given the rich history of draft resistance, the inevitability of mass action against its implementation is almost certain. Even while the current president denies the possibility of conscription during his presidency, the debate still continues. As unlikely as its future existence would be, it would no doubt be a terribly unpopular decision that only causes an array of iniquitous complications. A draft in the 21st century would mean the degradation of the constitution as well as the continuance of an obsolete, racist, sexist, and classist system that divides the country and turns its citizens against their leaders.
If the history of the draft has shown anything, it’s that drafts only cause problems. The New York draft riots of the Civil War era demonstrated the people’s natural resistance to being sent off to war. The nationwide anger and rebellion over the draft for the Vietnam War unsurprisingly widened the gap governed and the governing classes. It unearthed the discrepancies between classes and races, and fueled the antiwar movement of the 60’s and 70’s. If the draft could cause so many problems across the years, it is certain that implementing it now would only mean more problems given the country’s 30-plus years of an all-volunteer army. Logistics aside, no generation will be unanimously willing to fight in wars that seem to become increasingly unnecessary and costly. How could the American government deal with such harsh dissent during wartime and successfully use troops that are less than willing to fight and die?
The possibility of a draft raises many questions about its fairness, which fuels much of the dissent and criticism towards it. Many claim the system of the draft is biased against lower-income citizens as well as racial minorities. It is easier for one to buy one’s way out of military service given a higher social status and income, which is not only classist but racist as well since racial minorities are disproportionately lower-class citizens who very rarely have any other choice. On the other side of the issue, there is also the question of whether the draft would call up women in addition to men. If this were not the case as it is now with the selective service, it would only promote the archaic, sexist view of women as the weaker sex and it is embarrassing that the Selective Service would be so blatantly and inexplicably sexist. Furthermore, the draft is biased against non-religious applicants as it greatly favors religious reasons for conscientious objector status to moral reasons. While it is possible to receive conscientious objector status for moral reasons, the Selective Service has made it nearly impossible to receive it without establishing a religious case. Thus the draft would surely continue its discriminatory practices that the American people should not tolerate.
The most incriminating of the problems that arise from these issues are the problems of constitutionality. Though the Supreme Court did rule that the power of conscription was under the power of the federal government in the case Arver vs. United States in 1918, there was no satisfactorily conclusive statement made addressing the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Unless serving in the military is considered punishment, which would seem to contradict the argument in favor of a military draft, surely being forced to join the military under penalty of law would be considered “involuntary servitude,” making it unconstitutional. No matter what the degree of the support for the war is, everyone has a right to deny service. If all the slaves in America before the Emancipation Proclamation were drafted into the military, which was very similar to the case during the Civil War, would it be considered “national service” or “slavery”? Does it matter, anyway? Involuntary is involuntary, and the government has no right to force its citizens to work for them, especially when the service is as severe and dangerous as military service.
For these reasons, it is imperative that the armed forces remain a voluntary service for the integrity and stability of the country. To do this would be to give the eligible citizens the comfort of knowing the government does not have absolute control over their lives and force the leaders of the country to consider the troop supply before starting unnecessary wars. Many draft apoligists would say that conscription would be necessary for a large war, but the absence of a draft would ensure that leaders would have to deal with a smaller army that is large enough to protect its country but not so large that unnecessary wars wouldn’t significantly decrease the supply of troops. A draft would mean devisions across the country, the ostracism of the resistant minority, and the depletion of national resources. For the sake of future generations, the current generation must make sure that a draft will never occur again.
Happy Solstice.
12.18.2005
emperor's got some new clothes
mood: pretentious
I've decided I'm too fucking brilliant for my own good. I'd explain why but it would lose its brilliance if I told, plus the unhip don't deserve to know anyhow.
current music: eels - the medication is wearing off
mood: pretentious
I've decided I'm too fucking brilliant for my own good. I'd explain why but it would lose its brilliance if I told, plus the unhip don't deserve to know anyhow.
12.16.2005
school uniforms: to wear or not to wear
(ms. michael's title, not mine)
In many schools across the country, administrators are growing concerned over the state of youth today. Concerns over the influence in the classroom are rising with changing fashion trends. Crackdowns on student apparel in schools are becoming more plentiful as the supposed outrage grows over “kids these days.” The school uniform formerly just a parochial school staple, are being proposed in public schools over the country by the reactionary suburbia. What rationalizes such tyrannically authoritarian policy? Repression of self-expression by implementing a mandatory school uniform doesn’t curb rebellion, it can only fuel it.
After Columbine, concerned school administrators and concerned parents went crazy trying to find ways of “preventing” a tragedy by extending the strict fascist policies that lead to antisocial behavior without addressing the underlying problems. Some schools would suspend students for wearing dark clothing or listening to “Satanic” music, thus stereotyping and dehumanizing the mythic rebellious student. Wearing a Marilyn Manson t-shirt was practically grounds for execution. This flawed idea that by getting rid of the means of self-expression, the ideas, notably the anger and isolation that such teens feel was the basis for many attempted crackdowns on freedom of expression in schools.
The arguments against school uniforms are sparse and unfounded at best. The idea that differences in clothing divides students is rather ludicrous. While it is impossible to generalize to the extent to say that it isn’t a problem at any school, I can hardly see why differences in clothing would create divisions or problems between students. We do not live in a country where none of the students can afford clothing to go to schools, whereas in many developing nations this is primary reason for prescribing school uniforms. The evidence that school uniforms would have a positive effect on the classroom atmosphere and promote better behavior is largely sparse and faulty, based on mistaken preconceptions of youth. The only effect school uniforms would really have would be to incite dissent and insubordination among the student body as well as causing distrust of the faculty and administration.
The constitutionality of the implementation of school uniforms is highly questionable as well. In the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines Ind. Comm. School Dist., the Supreme Court ruled that although the school does have the power to limit freedom of expression, that peaceful symbolic protest such as wearing armbands is a “pure speech” that cannot be denied. Surely in a school uniform, armbands would not be allowed as they are not part of the uniform. And if so, where do you stop? There’s no place to draw the line between what is an extension of the uniform and what is a violation. Any teenager would surely do their best to alter their uniform in some way to his or her liking. By these ways the uniform seems to become a meaningless expression of the idealized conformity that is behind its proposed existence. As the Supreme Court ruled, there are some freedoms that are just downright inalienable.
While schools can limit dress if it its exceedingly distracting and dangerous, they are not omnipotent. Why not also say all students need to shave their head? Many children cannot afford proper hair cuts and feel left out when they see the elaborate straightenings and dye jobs of their peers. Heck, let’s just force everyone to have the same skin color while we’re at it, that’s a big distraction. See where I’m going with this? The diversity in dress at school is out of a need to feel individual and control over our own life, repressing this need is unnecessarily dehumanizing. School uniforms cannot serve as uniter, it can only serve as a divider, and should not be implemented in public schools.
current music: andrew bird - sovay
(ms. michael's title, not mine)
In many schools across the country, administrators are growing concerned over the state of youth today. Concerns over the influence in the classroom are rising with changing fashion trends. Crackdowns on student apparel in schools are becoming more plentiful as the supposed outrage grows over “kids these days.” The school uniform formerly just a parochial school staple, are being proposed in public schools over the country by the reactionary suburbia. What rationalizes such tyrannically authoritarian policy? Repression of self-expression by implementing a mandatory school uniform doesn’t curb rebellion, it can only fuel it.
After Columbine, concerned school administrators and concerned parents went crazy trying to find ways of “preventing” a tragedy by extending the strict fascist policies that lead to antisocial behavior without addressing the underlying problems. Some schools would suspend students for wearing dark clothing or listening to “Satanic” music, thus stereotyping and dehumanizing the mythic rebellious student. Wearing a Marilyn Manson t-shirt was practically grounds for execution. This flawed idea that by getting rid of the means of self-expression, the ideas, notably the anger and isolation that such teens feel was the basis for many attempted crackdowns on freedom of expression in schools.
The arguments against school uniforms are sparse and unfounded at best. The idea that differences in clothing divides students is rather ludicrous. While it is impossible to generalize to the extent to say that it isn’t a problem at any school, I can hardly see why differences in clothing would create divisions or problems between students. We do not live in a country where none of the students can afford clothing to go to schools, whereas in many developing nations this is primary reason for prescribing school uniforms. The evidence that school uniforms would have a positive effect on the classroom atmosphere and promote better behavior is largely sparse and faulty, based on mistaken preconceptions of youth. The only effect school uniforms would really have would be to incite dissent and insubordination among the student body as well as causing distrust of the faculty and administration.
The constitutionality of the implementation of school uniforms is highly questionable as well. In the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines Ind. Comm. School Dist., the Supreme Court ruled that although the school does have the power to limit freedom of expression, that peaceful symbolic protest such as wearing armbands is a “pure speech” that cannot be denied. Surely in a school uniform, armbands would not be allowed as they are not part of the uniform. And if so, where do you stop? There’s no place to draw the line between what is an extension of the uniform and what is a violation. Any teenager would surely do their best to alter their uniform in some way to his or her liking. By these ways the uniform seems to become a meaningless expression of the idealized conformity that is behind its proposed existence. As the Supreme Court ruled, there are some freedoms that are just downright inalienable.
While schools can limit dress if it its exceedingly distracting and dangerous, they are not omnipotent. Why not also say all students need to shave their head? Many children cannot afford proper hair cuts and feel left out when they see the elaborate straightenings and dye jobs of their peers. Heck, let’s just force everyone to have the same skin color while we’re at it, that’s a big distraction. See where I’m going with this? The diversity in dress at school is out of a need to feel individual and control over our own life, repressing this need is unnecessarily dehumanizing. School uniforms cannot serve as uniter, it can only serve as a divider, and should not be implemented in public schools.
12.14.2005
current music: dar williams - iowa
they played mogwai on sex and the city. i didn't actually know the song, i'm just nerdy enough to be able to be able to distinguish a single instrumental band.
12.13.2005
current music: neko case - slow down fast rain
Persuasive Essay Topics
The New World Order - American Foreign Policy in the 21st Century
National Drug Policy and Why You Should Care
The Necessity of Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hemp
Abortion: Whose Rights?
Patriot Act: The Price of "Security"
The Case for an International Criminal Court
Stem Cell Research : The Nationwide Debate
Capital Punishment- An Eye for an Eye?
The Justification for Instant Run-off Voting
Intifadah: The Rationale for Palestinian Solidarity
The Global Conundrum: Why “Free Trade” Isn’t Really Free
In Defense of Public Broadcasting
The Tyranny of Grades in Schools
The Need for Equal Public Education
The Anti-Political Party Manifesto
Gun Control: The 2nd Amendment, 2 Centuries Later
Lowering the Voting Age: The Untold Double Strandard
Velorution: The Tyranny of Automobiles
Squatting: Property Rights vs. Human Rights
Separate But Equal: The Rational for Gay Marriage
The 51st State- The Case for DC Statehood
The Need for Election Reform
Death to the RIAA
Modern Censors: The FCC, the MPAA, and Why We Don’t Need Them
Corporate Robots Are Ruining America
12.11.2005
top ten albums of 2005
decemberists - picaresque
sufjan stevens - illinois
andrew bird-the mysterious production of eggs
sigur rós - takk
stars - set yourself on fire
mountain goats - sunset tree
beck - guero
fiery furnaces ep
of montreal - sunlandic twins
coldplay - x&y
honorable mentions:
brokens social scene - s/t
spoon - gimme fiction
clap your hands say yeah - s/t
explosions in the sky- how strange, innocence
bloc party - silent alarm
m. ward - transistor radio
xiu xiu - la forêt
current music: radiohead - street spirit
decemberists - picaresque
sufjan stevens - illinois
andrew bird-the mysterious production of eggs
sigur rós - takk
stars - set yourself on fire
mountain goats - sunset tree
beck - guero
fiery furnaces ep
of montreal - sunlandic twins
coldplay - x&y
honorable mentions:
brokens social scene - s/t
spoon - gimme fiction
clap your hands say yeah - s/t
explosions in the sky- how strange, innocence
bloc party - silent alarm
m. ward - transistor radio
xiu xiu - la forêt
12.09.2005
radio playlists
mood:
Jesus:
1. Ben Harper - Picture of Jesus
2. Iron and Wine - Jesus the Mexican Boy
3. Wilco - Jesus, etc.
4. Modest Mouse - Jesus Christ Was an Only Child
5. Neutral Milk Hotel - King of Carrot Flowers pts. 2-3
6. Bad Religion - American Jesus
7. Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
8. Kanye West - Jesus Walks
9. Nirvana - Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam
10. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
11. Violent Femmes - Jesus of Rio
12. Carrie Underwood - Jesus Take The Wheel
13. Dead Kennedys - Jesus Was a Terrorist
Places:
1. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
2. The Decemberists - Los Angeles, I’m Yours
3. Get Up Kids - Mass Pike
4. Fiery Furnaces - Mason City
5. Arcade Fire - Haiti
6. Dar Williams - Iowa
7. Alkaline Trio - San Francisco
8. M. Ward - Four Hours in Washington
9. The Nields - Nebraska
10. Iron and Wine - Sodom, South Georgia
11. Death Cab For Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan
Colors:
The Decemberists - Red Right Ankle
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Golden Finch and the Red Oak Tree
Bright Eyes - Bowl Of Oranges
Coldplay - Yellow
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
Fiery Furnaces - Evergreen
White Stripes - Blue Orchid
Alkaline Trio - Blue Carolina
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Purple Stain
Beck - Black Tambourine
Wilco - Pot Kettle Black
Gorillaz - White Light
eyes:
porcupine tree - blackest eyes
whigfield - sexy eyes
van morrison - brown eyed girl
ben harper - brown eyed blues
damien rice - the blower’s daughter (”I can’t keep my eyes off of you”)
alkaline trio - private eye
shivaree - i close my eyes
the streets - dry your eyes mate
broken social scene - fire eye’d boy
eyes:
porcupine tree - blackest eyes
whigfield - sexy eyes
van morrison - brown eyed girl
ben harper - brown eyed blues
damien rice - the blower’s daughter (”I can’t keep my eyes off of you”)
alkaline trio - private eye
shivaree - i close my eyes
the streets - dry your eyes mate
broken social scene - fire eye’d boy
animals:
modest mouse - wild pack of family dogs
iron and wine - bird stealing bread
weakerthans - plea from a cat named virtue
menomena - the monkey’s back
dar williams - i saw a bird fly away
modest mouse - i came as a rat
wilco - hummingbird
silver jews- animal shapes
super furry animals - golden retriever
animal collective - we tigers
iron and wine - lion’s mane
other possible themes:
death
peace
seasons
lesbians
current music:
mood:
Jesus:
1. Ben Harper - Picture of Jesus
2. Iron and Wine - Jesus the Mexican Boy
3. Wilco - Jesus, etc.
4. Modest Mouse - Jesus Christ Was an Only Child
5. Neutral Milk Hotel - King of Carrot Flowers pts. 2-3
6. Bad Religion - American Jesus
7. Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
8. Kanye West - Jesus Walks
9. Nirvana - Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam
10. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
11. Violent Femmes - Jesus of Rio
12. Carrie Underwood - Jesus Take The Wheel
13. Dead Kennedys - Jesus Was a Terrorist
Places:
1. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
2. The Decemberists - Los Angeles, I’m Yours
3. Get Up Kids - Mass Pike
4. Fiery Furnaces - Mason City
5. Arcade Fire - Haiti
6. Dar Williams - Iowa
7. Alkaline Trio - San Francisco
8. M. Ward - Four Hours in Washington
9. The Nields - Nebraska
10. Iron and Wine - Sodom, South Georgia
11. Death Cab For Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan
Colors:
The Decemberists - Red Right Ankle
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Golden Finch and the Red Oak Tree
Bright Eyes - Bowl Of Oranges
Coldplay - Yellow
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
Fiery Furnaces - Evergreen
White Stripes - Blue Orchid
Alkaline Trio - Blue Carolina
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Purple Stain
Beck - Black Tambourine
Wilco - Pot Kettle Black
Gorillaz - White Light
eyes:
porcupine tree - blackest eyes
whigfield - sexy eyes
van morrison - brown eyed girl
ben harper - brown eyed blues
damien rice - the blower’s daughter (”I can’t keep my eyes off of you”)
alkaline trio - private eye
shivaree - i close my eyes
the streets - dry your eyes mate
broken social scene - fire eye’d boy
eyes:
porcupine tree - blackest eyes
whigfield - sexy eyes
van morrison - brown eyed girl
ben harper - brown eyed blues
damien rice - the blower’s daughter (”I can’t keep my eyes off of you”)
alkaline trio - private eye
shivaree - i close my eyes
the streets - dry your eyes mate
broken social scene - fire eye’d boy
animals:
modest mouse - wild pack of family dogs
iron and wine - bird stealing bread
weakerthans - plea from a cat named virtue
menomena - the monkey’s back
dar williams - i saw a bird fly away
modest mouse - i came as a rat
wilco - hummingbird
silver jews- animal shapes
super furry animals - golden retriever
animal collective - we tigers
iron and wine - lion’s mane
other possible themes:
death
peace
seasons
lesbians
12.08.2005
current music: slint -nosferatu man
Heavy Snow Warning from the National Weather Service:
/O.CON.KBOX.HS.W.0001.051209T0900Z-051209T2100Z/ HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-WESTERN FRANKLIN MA- EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA- WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA- SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-CHESHIRE NH-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARTFORD...WINDSOR LOCKS...UNION... VERNON...PUTNAM...WILLIMANTIC...CHARLEMONT...GREENFIELD... ORANGE...BARRE...FITCHBURG...CHESTERFIELD...BLANDFORD...AMHERST... NORTHAMPTON...SPRINGFIELD...MILFORD...WORCESTER...JAFFREY... KEENE...FOSTER...SMITHFIELD 804 PM EST THU DEC 8 2005
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 4 PM EST FRIDAY...
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 4 PM EST FRIDAY.
SNOW WILL BEGIN TOWARD DAYBREAK FRIDAY AND WILL QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY DURING THE FRIDAY MORNING RUSH HOUR AND LAST INTO EARLY AFTERNOON... WHEN SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. EXPECT DIFFICULT TRAVEL FROM THE MORNING RUSH HOUR INTO THE AFTERNOON.
TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD OR FOR 8 OR MORE INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST ON WELL TREATED SURFACES...AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON ANY UNPLOWED OR UNTREATED SURFACES.
time to make snowman sacrifices to the snow gods!
12.06.2005
"This, this is the worst vacation ever, I am going to cut open your forehead with a roofing shingle."
ouch = orthodontics
mmm = milkshake
alm has it's first gig. if we want it. i'm on the music committee for jamnesty, which is a benefit concert at the northampton center for the arts in january, organized by nhs amnesty, for the stop violence against women campaign.
we will be performing funkytown
also:
watch this without laughing, i dare you.
current music: xiu xiu - i broke up
ouch = orthodontics
mmm = milkshake
alm has it's first gig. if we want it. i'm on the music committee for jamnesty, which is a benefit concert at the northampton center for the arts in january, organized by nhs amnesty, for the stop violence against women campaign.
we will be performing funkytown
also:
watch this without laughing, i dare you.
12.05.2005
couples i'd like to see.
heterosexual version:
+
+
+
homosexual version:
same people, but with their own genders.
think about it.
current music: explosions in the sky - look in the air
heterosexual version:
+++ homosexual version:
same people, but with their own genders.
think about it.
12.02.2005
current music: bjork - (next to) last song
someone: hey
someone: u wanna cyber?
me: who's this?
someone: lejah
someone: so u wanna?
me: no thanks, i'm already have super hot cyber on two im's
someone: cmon im hot
me: o rly
me: not hot enough for me
someone: im more hot than the ovens they used to burn jews
me: snap sonnn
no idea who this is.
