Books

Jennifer Government - I was first attracted to this book by the cover. The eye with barcode is very cyberpunk in my mind, though this book isn't. I read the back and wanted to get it, but was short on cash that day. A few day's later I ran across NationStates, an online nation simulator based on Jennifer Government. I really liked the game so I had to read the book. I went Amazon and use their search engine to read the first 30 or so pages of the book. I definitely liked what I read so I went and bought it. That Amazon feature is cool but not for reading an entire book.

It's a very quick read, but very well written. I'm going to buy Max Berry's other book Syrup because I like his style. Hopefully he'll explore the world of Jennifer Government again because it's very unique.

The Da Vinci Code - I've been reading a comic book series called Rex Mundi and I was surprised to see that they're both based on the same thing. A book called Holy Blood, Holy Grail. So I totally ate this book up. I love the subject matter of Catholic Church coverups, Jesus Christ's bloodline, and secret societies. This book moves along at a quick pace with no boring parts, yet it gives you a lot of information.

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5) - I just started this series about a year and a half ago, and it's probably my favorite fantasy series. It used to be the Wheel of Time, but Jordan just takes too long to do anything. I got scared while reading this book. Not because it's scary per se, but just because it gives me an uneasy feeling deep inside. It's just a creepy world King is showing us. I was kind of annoyed in parts where the characters would discover a secret but it wouldn't be revealed to us until later. For example "and then I removed the mask and I saw a..." What the fuck, just tell us.

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1) - I really love all the Neal Stephenson books I've read. He just has a unique way of writing that sucks you in. The problem with this book though, is it's so dense. It's long but that's not the problem. There's just to much information at times and you end up getting confused. Parts would fly by and then other's it felt like walking through mud. But it all comes together at the end. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Browser Goes Down

So I thought I'd start using a newreader to keep up on blogs and websites. I opted to use newsmonster, and that turned out to be hell. Supposedly it intergrates itself with Firefox which I happen to use instead of IE. I thought cool and installed it. It said to restart the browser so I did. A little java cup icon opened up in my system's tray and that was it. I clicked the Firefox icon again and nothing happened. I restarted my computer and tried opening it again and nothing happened except for that little java cup opening up. So I re-installed Firefox and it opened this time, but it had half the space taken up by newsmonster, which I couldn't close, I couldn't uninstall it. So I ended up just removing Firefox from my computer and installing it fresh. Thank god I had backups of my bookmarks, UI settings, etc. Everything works normal again.

On a lighter note, I really liked my experience with Firefox. Usually when they released a new version, I had problems with the install, nothing big but it wasn't smooth. This time around it was a click click operation. And all my setting migrated over unlike previous times. Two thumbs up for Firefox.

Connecting the Virtual World with the Real World

I remember back when I played Everquest all day long instead of going to class, that it was annoying having to log out of the game to check email, or send an IM to a friend. I mentioned several times how Everquest should have a built in program to allow you access to other programs while still logged in. For example, you're running around killing rats and snakes, and then you decide to check you email, so you run over to the nearest pub, drink some Bog Juice and jump on a computer in the back room. You access the computer, a little window opens, Voila, you're on the WWW. This is exactly what Ludicorp is talking about at ETCON. It's about time.

What happens when you expose the mechanisms for interaction with a massive multiplayer online game as a set of web services APIs and simple out-of-application interfaces for end users? The state of the game world, maintained by a set of server-side processes, becomes a model shared across multiple platforms from which the game world can be accessed. This proliferation of accessibility allows for interactions, which are not confined to a single client, platform or even network, and allows subtler, more pervasive modes of mixing game action and awareness with web, instant messaging and mobile experiences.

RSS feeds include files and remote scripting and can pull data from the game world onto a player's blog or into their own custom-designed game start page. And the same logic can be applied to other applications, allowing interactions between users to transcend the application where their relationship was established. IM bridging -- through 'proxybots' -- allows users to chat with their in-application buddies over more mainstream messaging architectures or perform simple commands and queries without loading the client software.

Finally, using a RESTian interface, developer-users in the community can come up with their own applications and make those available to everyone, creating the possibility of ubiquitous availability over the net's heterogeneous patchwork of platforms.

Movies

Blade Runner - I enjoyed this movie a lot. I love the cyberpunk genre and this really does it justice. I watched the director's cut which, from what I understand, doesn't have the voice-over by Harrison Ford. I understand how voice-overs can hurt a movie by giving up to much information and lowering the intelligence factor of the movie. But there were a few parts were I would have liked a little extra information, whether through a voice-over, or just more character interaction and dialogue.
I liked the way the future was shown, for some reason I'm attracted to the dystopic environment. It's the kind of place a hero could rise to save the people. Though that's not what this story is about. I also saw a lot of religious icons. Doves, and nails though hands being the one's I can recall. I think Edward James Olmos character could have been developed more. At the end I was left wondering about him and what his story is. I only saw it once and definitely need to see it again.

Holes - When this movie first came out I thought it would be stupid and said I would not watch it. I finally did last night and really liked it. Light, funny, fast paced, good use of flashbacks, and an overall cool story. A movie for kids but also entertaining for the older crowd.

Paycheck - Sucked ass. A really cool concept ruined by this movie. Bad acting (I can't believe I ever liked Affleck), bad lines, just overall shit.


Girl with a Pearl Earring - I loved this movie. The main reason I went to watch this was Scarlett Johansson, whom I love from previous movies, but she didn't quite hit me the same way as before. She does a great job with her part, but the thing I really liked about her other characters is missing from this character. But she is still great and so is the movie. I really liked the idea of trying to guess why and how that painting came around. And because this particular painting is so enigmatic, more so in my mind than The Mona Lisa, you have to wonder about it. I have Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring as my desktop image and I find myself staring at it for periods of time. Just thinking about who she is. The movie does a good job of giving the painting a life.

Eight Legged Freaks - I really only got this movie because of Scarlett Johansson (again), and because the Blockbuster guy said he liked it and likened it to Mars Attacks which I liked. She didn't have a large part, so she really didn't make or break the movie, so when I say I liked this movie it's not because of her. I liked the special effects, it was funny and entertaining. I wish they'd had the DVD version to watch the special features but the VHS did have deleted scenes after the credits, which was the first time I'd seen that on a VHS. Cool movie.

Barbershop 2: Back in Business - I laughed a lot during this movie, I think more than the first. Good movie with a good message.

The Perfect Score - The final Scarlett Johansson movie for today. This is the kind of character I love her for. Sassy, smart, sarcastic, all things I love in a woman. Funny movie, while not to deep it's still very enjoyable. I like the fact she can do a great movie like Lost in Translation and a total teen movie like The Perfect Score. She did Perfect Score first and it's been shelved for a few years and only released because she's popular in Hollywood right now, but still I liked it.

That's it for today, I think I'll do comics and books tomorrow.

The Rogue Nation of Teq

Here's another game I play online. In this one you make up your own country, with it's own motto, currency, and animal. Then you fill out a form with different questions, this gives your countries original stand on issues. Then you get a different issue every day, and depending on what you do, your countries law's change. So you could make a country that is a dictatorship or a hippie haven. It's not the greatest action game ever, but it's fun. It's all based on the book Jennifer Government by Max Berry about a future where corporations are the nations. I haven't read it yet but it's on my list.

My country.

UPDATE:I've now moved to Urbanites. I probably won't take leadership of this region but it's funner with more people. You can move there by clicking on your current region, probably in the Pacific, and then clicking the move to a new region link.

Join My Lair

Let me set you straight on something. What you've "seen" so far is nothing. The world you live in's just the sugar-coated topping. There's another world beneath it, the real world -- and it's a fucking bloodbath. If you want to survive in it, you'd better pull your head out of your ass. Follow me into the shadows. I hold they key to your survival. To eternal life. Come.




/ooc it's a game, click the link above to play.

Art Student

I was cleaning up my hard drive today and found some pics I have of my friend Kelly's artwork from high school. Here are some of my favorite pieces.

Album #4: God Loves Ugly - Atmosphere

Track Listing:
1. Onemosphere
2. The Bass And The Movement
3. Give Me
4. Fuck You Lucy
5. Hair
6. God Loves Ugly
7. A Song About A Friend
8. Flesh
9. Saves The Day
10. Lovelife
11. Breathing
12. Vampires
13. A Girl Named Hope
14. Godlovesugly Reprise
15. Modern Man's Hustle
16. One of a Kind
17. Blamegame
18. Shrapnel

I know these reviews are starting to get behind a little bit, but I am downloading an album a week. Actually a couple a week, but I pick one and give it extra listening time. It just takes me awhile to put a review up. This week I decided to go for something a lot harder than the last couple. Atmosphere is the kind of rap I love. The fact that they're white has nothing to do with it. I love what they rap about. The themes and subjects of the songs are interesting, I can relate to some of them, I like the flow of the rhymes. But I guess it all comes down to the bass beat. Hip Hop is built around it. It's the beat of the heart. Good Hip Hop has that beat that just makes your body move. I can listen to The Shins or Sigur Ros or similar artists and I just listen, it's antiseptic, it's not an complete experience because my body doesn't get into it. I'm not saying I start dancing like a drunk fool, but I feel it inside, each cell vibrating like a balloon that's to close to a speaker. Not all Hip Hop does this to me, actually lately only a small minority does, but for the most part it my preferred genre.

Now concerning this album. Atmosphere consists of a DJ: Ant and MC: Slug. The beats are great. Ant varies them so they don't get old, he uses different styles and speeds to make them unique. For example Saves The Day has running water and a guitar and A Girl Name Hope sounds like a RZA track with a woman's voice looped in the back and used in the chorus.

Now the lyrics are beautiful. Slug has a very distinct voice and his lyrics are very deep. It sounds cheesy but you can feel his pain. He talks about some of the same things Eminem does, but Slug is more real. He doesn't do it to shock people, just inform them.

#12 Vampires
she lurks in the alleys, with a wrong reality
allegiance, and honor, keep it all in the family
consumes the young, the blind, deaf, and the dumb
drains the vein, and puts them under the thumb
she's on the television, celebrate the status quo
energy to push mute on the remote control
break the beat, shatter the measures into pieces
all i've left is the breath, and the world i've put to pieces
it's difficult, to figure out who to fear, gettin older by the minute, younger by the year
will the hunger disappear, metabolism slow, world domination is the goal
now let's gather the kids, and take em out to the styx, teach em all how to live
come, take my hand and walk with me, before the vampires lock down the twin cities

this world is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge
this world is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge
this country's is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge
this city's is a vampire, she eats her kids, let's hide the bodies under the bridge

#6 God Love Ugly
i wear my scars like the rings on a pimp
i live life like the captain of a sinking ship
the one thing that i can guarantee
i'm like a stepping razor, i suggest you stay fair with me
been payin dues for a decade plus,
before that i was just another face on the bus
tappin my foot, to the beat on the radio
dreamin 'bout the mic and the money and the ladies
oh mom, i promise im gonna be large
someday im gonna stop tryin to borrow your car
gonna go far, with charisma and skill
until they put my face on a million dollar bill

My favorite track, because of the subject is #4 Fuck You Lucy

she said that she still wants a friendship
she cant live her life without me as a friend
i cant figure out why i'd give a damn to what she wants
i dont understand the now before the then
...

Fuck the what happend
i got stuck
they can peel pieces of me off the grill of her truck
used to walk with luck
used to hold her hand
fell behind and played the role of a slower man
i wanna stand on top of this mountain and yell
i wanna wake up and break up this lake of hell
I feel like a bitch for letting the sheet twist me up
the last star fighter is wounded time to give it up
on a pick it up mission
kept it bitter
getting in a million memories just to forget her
the difficulty in keeping emotions controlled
cookies for the road
took me by the soul
hunger for the drama
hunger for the nurture
gonna take it further
the hurt feels like murder
interperate
the eyes
read the lines on her face
the sunshine is fake
how much time did i waste?
Fuck you lucy for leaving me
Fuck you lucy for not needin me
I wanna say fuck you
because i still love you
no, im not ok
and i dont know what to do

Best burn so far. And coincidently, this album is not RIAA affiliated. Just a happy accident. Actually our of the four albums I've reviewed, two are safe and two are not. The Shins being the other safe one. Well that's it for this post.

UPDATE: I took the download off so as not to go over on my limit. You can find it on any P2P network and that goes for the entire album. I myself used Soulseek.

Zoom

This is actually a really cool piece of jewelry. Nice breast too. Whether it was intentional or not, who cares? I've seen nipples on the CBS show CSI, they were on a dead girl laying on a table in the morgue. Is the difference because one is dead and one isn't? Show more tits, who cares!


from drudge report

Naked By the End of the Song

I knew something was going to happen when Timberlake got to the part in the song about getting naked. Is that a piercing or a pasty? Either way it's the coolest part of a boring Super Bowl.


Janet Jackson with a breast exposed during Super Bowl half time.

UPDATE
Quoting drudgereport.com

Top CBS executives approved a musical skit where Janet Jackson would expose her breast during the MTV-produced Super Bowl half-time concert, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The decision to go forward went to the very top of the network," a well-placed source explained from New York.

The groundbreaking scene came during the most-watched television broadcast of the year -- and during the dinner hour for the nation's west coast viewers.

In a press release before Sunday's game, CBS's sister outlet. [VIACOM's] MTV promised "Janet's Shocking Moments."

"I'll get you naked by the end of this song," sang performer Justin Timberlake, moments before he ripped off Jackson's top, exposing a bare breast -- the nipple covered by a tassel.

CBS's main New York switchboard was immediately bombarded with complaints about the stunt, network sources said late Sunday.

WTF Is Wrong With Dennis Miller

I'm watching his new show as I type this, and he's lost it. He really has. He's having a conversation with a chimp right now. He just got done with an interview talking about Iraq, WMD and the lack thereof. The entire interview was him trying to justify the fact that Bush lied. His final word on the subject was 'whenever the Skipper took advice from Gilligan, he got smacked'. ??? What? That's such a stupid thing to say.

Ok let's say Bush decided to go to Iraq based on erroneous information given to him by the CIA. Let's forget Paul O'Neill, ex-treasury secretary, said Bush was looking for a reason to go to Iraq, from the first day in office, and finish what daddy started. Let's forget that President Clinton had the exact same information and didn't invade. We'll forget all that and focus on the fact that the CIA gave Bush the info. Ok, so what? Does that take the blame off of Bush. No. Is the CIA to blame for all the soldiers that get killed everyday in Iraq. No. Bush is to blame. He went to Iraq because he thought it was his manifest destiny, and September 11 just gave him the scared country he could convince and lie to. He lied, it's that simple. Why is it so hard for people to understand that. He lied. Dennis Miller needs to take his head out Bush's ass and realize this.

And before anyone mentions Clinton. Clinton never got anyone killed because of lying. If lying about getting laid led Clinton to an impeachment what will lying about war do for Bush?

Bush must be held accountable for his actions. If his information was wrong, so what. He acted on it and people died and are still dying. The time to go to Iraq was a decade ago. Like Howard Dean said 'The time to stop genocide was while the genocide was going on, not 12 years after' or something to that respect. Most of the mass graves found in Iraq are from a decade ago. He gassed the Kurds a decade ago. He smothered a Shiite rebellion a decade ago. He used chemical weapons a decade ago. Where was daddy Bush then. Probably taking another vacation on his ranch.

Album #3: Sumday - Grandaddy

Track Listing:
1. Now it's on
2. I'm On Standby
3. The Go In The Go-For-It
4. The Group Who Couldn't Say
5. Lost On Yer Merry Way
6. El Caminos In The West
7. "Yeah" Is What We Had
8. Saddest Vacant Lot In All The World
9. Stray Dog And The Chocolate Shake
10. The Warming Sun
11. O.K. With My Decay
12. The Final Push To The Sum


It's been a busy week, but I finally got around to doing this review. Frankie Dintino recommended this album, and thought I might not like it since it's mellow like The Shins album. But I actually thought this was a lot more upbeat than The Shins. The Shins were more acoustic while Grandaddy has more electronic instruments. The vocals are better and the lyrics aren't as abstract. This is a cd I would actually pack for a road trip. I'd probably play it at a low level when everyone is asleep and I'm the driver. It wouldn't wake them up but it would keep me focused.

My favorite song was #11 The Warming Sun.

The Warming Sun
But in real life
You're in another world
You're with another guy
Who doesn't have to cheat
And never has to lie
And all that stuff I didn't get
Comes so easy to him
He doesn't even have to try

But do you ever ask yourself
How it could have maybe been

I haven't been that bad
But I haven't been that good
Overmisunderstood
Oh I wish I really could
Enjoy the warming sun
Enjoy a warm someone
And end the need to hide
Away alone inside

I've had those feelings before, so I can relate to the song. It's also nice and slow, kind of a dream like quality wich is appropriate to the lyrics.

All in all a good burn.

Movie Night

We walked into Blockbuster and browsed the new release shelves but didn't see anything that looked good. So we checked out the old movies. As I walked by the horror section I remembered a trailer I'd just seen to the new Dawn of the Dead remake. The George Romero original had been recommended to me so I thought I might as well get it. They did have it, unfortunately on VHS but that's good enough. I then go the idea we should stay up all night watching movies all zombie flicks. That changed into movies from different genres. Classics from each genre.

Horror - Dawn of the Dead
Western - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
SciFi - Blade Runner

All classics but for some odd reason I'd never gotten around to watching any of them. So we rented them. Got home and decided to start with the western.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This was not what I expected from a western. Sure it had the shot of an empty street with a skinny dog walking across but it was much more artistic than the stereotype. It reminded me a lot of the 'art' films I've been watching lately.
The camera work was excellent. Big, wide, lingering panoramic views of the desert made me think of Lawrence of Arabia. I liked the way the director would have extreme close-ups of characters and he would switch back and forth over and over to add tension to the scene. One scene I liked a lot was when Tuco was running in the graveyard. The camera followed him as he went from grave to grave, getting closer until the background was blurry and the music got faster and faster, it was so cool. In no way did it fit my pre-conceived image of a western.
The graphics during the opening credits were also out of place. They reminded me of Tarantino for some reason. I'm sure he was influenced by Leone.
The music throughout the film definitely set the mood. I was really moved by the scene where the confederate soldiers play while Tuco gets beat down. The music coupled with the crying fiddle player was very touching.
I really liked the acting in the film, particularly Eli Wallach as Tuco. Tuco had the most depth in the movie. The scene with his brother, where they talk about the death of his parents, shows you a different side of Tuco. He is usually loud, obnoxious, he's a liar, a thief, and greedy but during that scene he shows a sadness, guilt, something not seen before. He quickly covers it up, but it was there, and it makes Tuco more human. He's the Ugly from the title, but he's not ugly all the way down.
Eastwood is classic in this movie. A cigar always in his mouth, and damn that cigar is useful, a Mexican poncho, and that squint of his. I wish you got deeper into his character, all you know is that he's not as bad as the others, but he's no 'good' guy.
This was a great movie, and I recommend it to all.

We never did get to the other movies that night. We will though, in the nights to come.

Fremont Street "Unplugged"

This seems like a very cool project. I hope it turns out great. If anyone decides to make a proposal I would like to hear about it. Either in the comments or in email. I'm really hoping it doesn't turn out to be something to abstract or 'pop'. And I hope the artist who's chosen decides to light it up. That's a must I think.

Deadline for Proposal Submissions
5 p.m, March 31, 2004.

The City of Las Vegas Arts Commission in collaboration with the Fremont Street Experience, is requesting artists/artist teams to submit proposals for an outdoor art in public places project utilizing the light bulbs from the Fremont Street Experience light canopy.

The proposed artwork may be either two- or three-dimensional in nature. However, the lights must remain the major emphasis of the piece and up to 40,000 bulbs may be included in each proposed design. Although not a requirement of the proposed artwork, many of the light bulbs are capable of being energized, providing artists the option of illuminating their designs. Artists choosing this option must provide their own wiring and power source. The incandescent bulbs come in four colors: red, green, blue and clear.

Bulb Dimensions: 3/8" wide and 1" high. Actual bulb colors, red, green, blue & clear Light bulb Components & Specifications:

* 12-volt wedge base incandescent light bulbs; each have a life of 5,000 hours. Light bulbs available for this project will have varying longevity. Wedge sockets available upon request.

* Four different colors: red, green, blue and clear. Each bulb, except the clear, has a coordinating color boot.

* Dimensions: 3/8” wide and 1” high
* Please submit two sets of paper documents: one set with contact information and one set without the artist name/address.
* All documents must be one-sided. Please do not staple.

1. One page letter of introduction, describing artistic experience, design philosophy and ability to execute the project.
2. Illustrations of proposed artwork. One to three designs may be submitted with each design mounted separately on an 8 1/2" x 11” matte board.
3. One-page written description in paragraph format for each proposal submitted, also addressing installation and display requirements.
4. One page abbreviated artist resume.
5. Five labeled slides or 5 image CD slide show or 3 minute VHS/CD demo reel of past relevant work.
6. Accompanying slide/VHS/CD list.
7. Three contact references.
8. SASE (Self-addressed stamped envelope)

Proposal Requirements: Please send Proposal Packets to:

FSE “Unplugged”
City of Las Vegas Arts Commission
749 Veterans Memorial Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Inquiries may be addressed to Lisa Stamanis @

lstamanis@lasvegasnevada.gov or 702.229-4631

Project Page Here.

Bush In 41.2 Seconds

via blame it on eve

This is hilarious, childish, but fucking funny. Correct too. Watch it and please take the advice: vote Democrat. It really doesn't matter which one gets the nomination. And in fact it may be the lesser of two evils dilemma. But any Dem. would be better than Bush.

...Rises From The Ashes

It took a couple days but finally I have comments again. The story of how I became a member of HaloScan is a long and troubled one. Actually BlogSpeak croaked and HaloScan took over. Very easy transition. The only problem I notice is that the comments made on BlogSpeak are in the wrong order now that they are displayed on HaloScan. Oh well, not a big deal anyways. So come one people, how about some comments on my reviews. Make it worthwhile for me to do them.

BlogSpeak Dead?

Thsi sucks, I just recommended BlogSpeak to a few people and it goes and dies on me. It sounds like it will be back in some form, but it's just another strike against Blogger for not having a comment system built into it. And that big Blogspot ad they put back on my site at the top after I'd moved it to the bottom. For some reason the code for it doesn't appear in my template so I can't even move it again. Oh well. If I just wasn't so lazy (and broke) I would have moved everything over to MovableType by now. Soon, I will.

Album #2: Chutes To Narrow - The Shins

This album really didn't leave an impression on me. I blame the lyrics as not being forceful. I really didn't feel grabbed by any of them. A song would start and about 30 seconds into it had already lost my attention. I would say the lyrics are to poetic for my taste. I like to be swept up by the words but this album just made me think to hard to understand what he's saying. And when I did understand, I just didn't care.

So I googled the lyrics and read them instead of listened to them, and I actually liked them.

Kissing the Lipless
But you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
it has too much to do with me
and secretly I want to bury in the yard
the grey remains of a friendship scarred

That actually strikes a note within me. I can relate to that. But when he was singing it didn't do the same.

A Call To Apathy
Untie me, I've set my bow
The train is getting way too loud
I gotta leave here my girl
Get on with my lonely life
Just leave the ring on the rail
For the wheels to nullify

These are really good lyrics, and the music in this song was really good. So why didn't it make a splash for me. His voice. Something about it, just isn't believable to me. This song has a country feel to it but the voice is wrong for it.

I like the music, I like the lyrics on paper, I don't like his voice, or his delivery. In other words, neither good nor bad in my book.

Chutes and Ladders

I've gotten a lot of suggestions on what albums to download. The one that seemed to pop up in a few people's lists and on other sites is The Shins - Chutes too Narrow. So I decided to go with that one for my next review. From what I've heard so far, it's a little to mellow. I'll listen to it but lose track of what he's talking about. We'll see how it turns out after more listening. It's not an RIAA album either, so that's a good thing I guess.

I watched Paycheck with Ben Affleck a few days. It doesn't even deserve a link to it. It was really bad. The dialogue was so damn cheesy. The characters were one dimensional if that's possible. They were bodies with names running around. I did like the subject matter, but it wasn't explained well, and they didn't do enough with it. There was no point to it. My hopes for Kevin Smith's Jersey Girl have been shattered because Affleck is useless.

On another note, I completely, totally recommend 21 Grams by Alejandro González Iñárritu. It's three different stories that eventually become one. The actual story isn't what's important though, the individual scenes are. This is the reason that Iñárritu filmed it the way he did. Instead of showing the movie in sequential order, he jumps around in time. So you end having to piece the story together in your head. In a normal story you build up to the climax and then come down. In this one you experience all three at the same time. The result of this is that you focus more on the characters emotions in each scene instead of the overall result. For some people this is just to hard. In a way you can't just sit down and enjoy this film. You shouldn't feel enjoyment when it's over. You should feel drained.

Album #1: The Preacher's Son - Wyclef Jean

Track Listing:
Intro
Industry
Party To Damascus (feat. Missy Elliott)
Celebrate (feat. Patti LaBelle and Cassidy)
Baby Daddy (feat. Redman)
Three Nights In Rio (feat. Carlos Santana)
Class Reunion (feat. Monica)
Baby
I Am Your Doctor (feat. Wayne Wonder and Elephant Man)
Linda (feat. Carl Restivo)
Take Me As I Am (feat. Sharissa)
Grateful
Next Generation (feat. Scarface and Rah Digga)
Rebel Music (feat. Prodigy of Mobb Deep)
Who Gave The Order (feat. Buju Banton)
Party By The Sea (feat. Buju Banton and T-Vice)
Party To Damascus Remix (feat. Missy Elliott)

I've always like Wyclef, so that made this a safe choice. I wanted to start with something I would enjoy, so as not to be turned off to the entire idea. Some people have mentioned that I could download 52 albums in a few hours if I wanted to. While this is true, it's not the point. My reason for doing this is to download one album a week, listen to it at least once a day, and then write about it. Hopefully most of them will be completly new music, opening up new styles and genres for me to enjoy. And I really don't want a RIAA lawsuit. That was just a joke.

Back to The Preacher's Son. This album has what I've been missing from mainstream hip hop recently, a message. I'm so tired of rappers talking about how much money they have, what cars they drive, and all that bullshit. Who cares? I love tracks like Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas. Tracks that have a social message. Wyclef brings this with this release.

Industry:
Shots go off mothers cry
Busters ride homicide
Black on Black crime needs to stop
yall cant blame it on hip hop
Cause what we say is what we see
and what we see is reality
a ghettos a ghettos we got to live in the sorrow
so we will live to see tomorrow

This is a hip hop album but the only rap you'll hear is from guest stars. Instead 'Clef sings the verses and the chorus in his distinct reggae voice. You would think that so many guests on an album would detract from the main star but not so in this case. They fit right in and never step out of place. The most notable are Missy Elliot on Party to Damascus with a distinct middle eastern sound, Carlos Santana on Three Nights in Rio with a smooth Latin beat. All go great with the overall reggae feel. Scarface and Rah Digga on Next Generation :

Feel the tears of the angels looking down on me crying
For a lying ass but yo forgive us in a while
And I'm sorry, never let me forget that I'm your child
While I'm locked up in this basement staring eye to eye with Satan
In this cold dark world with no patience
We get plotted on by agents with talks of replacing
The Africans, Jamaicans and the Haitians in this next generation

Nobody cares about the feelings of the poor
Man they suffer while we spending eighty billion on a war, uh
Cutting school budgets, US stockmarket plummets
Condition's only worse and I wonder what become it
Metal detectors replace music classes
Angry little kids wanna beat their teacher's asses
The red and blue's, somebody gotta lose
Reality TV be reality for who

Who Gave the Order:
Well what you gonna do, what you gonna do, what are you gonna do
Incarcerate a million and only free few
What was done to others, it shall be done to you
Open up your eyes and you will see the full view
Work all day, and you can't get raise in pay
Civilly bodies being taken away
I wonder what the voice of the people have to say
Stand up and defend your rights today

That's heavy shit. That makes you think. That's what music is for. That's what this album does.

52 Burns or RIAA Lawsuit

I too have decided to start a new year's project based on, actually a complete rip off of, kottke's 52 magazines or bust and vegard's 52 albums or burn. But I'm cheap(poor, lazy) and can't afford 52 CD's. Even if I could, I don't think a CD is worth the price. I could do magazines but I enjoy music more. So my project will involve me meticulously searching the web for albums. One a week, for the entire year and probably beyond. I'll be using the greatly superior BitTorrent client and Suprnova. When this site is down, I'll find another. If it comes down to it, I'll use Kazaa Lite.

So please give me suggestions on what I should check out. Any style, genre, etc will be considered. So help me out.

WTF?

Now this came out of thin air. Who would of thought she'd go out like this. I would of at least expected a 'wedding of the year' from Britney, not jeans and a baseball cap in a Las Vegas chapel. Oh well, props to him.

Marriage License

And You Can Call People Too!

You can do almost anything with a phone these days. Surf the web, download porn, call people, schedule events, figure out how much of a tip to leave (for cheap bastards), take pictures, chat, walkie talkie, listen to music, watch TV, change the channel, etc. They're great. Now if the screen was bigger, the sound was better, a full keyboard, maybe a mouse, and longer battery life and it would be perfect.

Check out this article about TV coming to Sprint PCS phones.

While consumers are still trying to get used to the idea of cell phones with cameras, Idetic has launched a service that enables Sprint cellular subscribers to watch live TV, including three music video channels, through their mobile phones.

Anonymous Instant Photophone Moblogging

By way of Boing Boing I came across this site to post your phone cam pics. It can be anonymous but as you can see I've forgone that bit of it. There's some boring pics there and some cool ones. Don't expect anything too spectacular, after all it's just a phone cam. All my pics are HERE. Any cool one's I'll actually post them my blog, but most of them will be on Mobog.

The New Mutant Race Has Begun

Found this through Tribes:

Don't be fooled by the corporations that advertise evolution. "The new breed" is not related to cars, nor is it related to cell phones. Evolution has nothing to do with consuming the latest technological gadgets. Fuck "futuristic movies" like The Matrix. The cyber fringe came up with that shit decades ago- Hollywood has commodified our ideas and sold them to the masses. Fuck the 60's. Fuck the hipsters and occultists who exclusify information. Fuck your obscure record collections. Fuck your goth clubs and your art groups. Activate total information warfare.

Interesting. They need some actual information though, not just propaganda. I'll keep a watch on it.

well that's stupid. i'm using wap blogger to post this and they have a limit on #of characters you can post. oh well. anyone know a better method of doing this?

this is my first post from my new cam phone. i got a sanyo 8100. THIS ISN'T AS EASY AS I THOUGHT. FOR EXAMPLE WHY IS THIS SUDDENLY IN CAPS? IT WOULD BE COOL TO BE ABLE TO POST A PIC RIGHT NOW AS WELL AS TEXT. I USE SPRINT PCS VISION AND DON'T THINK YOU CAN

ICP Fucks George Bush

A few people asked if I would put this mp3 up. So here it is: download
The original entry is: here

UPDATE: Download removed so as not to go over limit on server. You should be able to find it on P2P networks.

La Cucaracha

©2003 Lalo Alcaraz

Life would be so much easier if they just gave you a list of what to buy them. Maybe if they put it on a website that let you order it directly. Oh my god, what a novel idea. Maybe they could call it a wishlist as well. Wow. If only...

Closet Rivethead

I think I'm a closet Rivethead. At least when it comes to the bedroom I am. For a very long time I've wanted to decorate my room like a vampire lair. Dark, metal, concrete, black light, etc. Electric Metal describes it perfectly in step 1 of How To Be Industrial: A Rivethead's Guide:

[Industrialise your bedroom]

* Permissible colours: black. A hint of dark grey is also acceptable. Rust brown may also be acceptable in some circumstances (i.e. in rust).

* Basic materials: metal, concrete.

* Furniture: minimalist, metal, uncomfortable, preferably built from girders or scrap metal. Your shelves could also be held up with breezeblocks.

* Ornaments/decoration: spiky things, rusty chains, tools/powertools, chainsaws, metal cables, barbed wire, computer cables, electrical tape, gas masks, skulls/skeletons, also (obviously) huge posters of industrial bands or films.

* Vital items: technology is the key word here. Therefore you must have: stereo (with huge speakers - let the world share your love of industrial and noise, and make sure they can not just hear it but feel it as well); TV; DVD player; VCR; computer; anything else you can lay your hands on with buttons, dials, levers, flashing lights, etc on it. It doesn't have to do anything, just be stacked up looking scary and technological and overwhelming to any non-rivethead who dares enter into your domain. Also required is a large stack of industrial CDs (vinyl is so outdated darling), DVDs, videos, dystopian fiction, etc.

* Floor coverings: carpet is a big no-no. Only metal flooring is acceptable.

Step 2: Pets for Rivetheads seems to fit as well. Interesting...

Scarlett

Check out the trailer for Girl with a Pearl Earring. It looks like it will be a another great movie with Scarlett Johansson. That photo is from the Esquire UK magazine which I found here.

From Esquire UK Interview:

You only make sense of it when you understand that every major feature is gorgeously out of proportion. The eyes are pools, clear, blue and alert. The nose is an unsculpted lump of clay that is not in the least pretty. The lips are just pure and simple indecent. They are so full and succulent that they could drip. In a shameless exploitation of her finest asset, Scarlett smokes Capris, the worlds slimmest cigarette. As she inhales, the stick looks like a lollipop in a giants mouth.

Dark Side of the Moon

I just got through watching a really great movie. Love The Hard Way with Adrien Brody, is a movie that never got the recognition it deserved, even after Brody won his Oscar. I enjoyed everything about it. It's one of those movies that has the tendency to pull my strings. The emotions expressed on screen resonate with the emotions within me. They're not the exact same, but they are parallel to each other.

It reminded me of feelings I had awhile ago. Feelings of blaming myself for someone else's problems. Of being scared of what the outcome would be if I wasn't there. Anger for wanting to leave. Anger for not leaving. There were happy times. But were they worth it? My life was heading in one direction but got side swiped by a fucking Winnebago. All semblance of control was lost, and now that it's finally back on track, I don't know if it's the right track anymore. Best laid schemes....

It's weird, the things a movie will make you think. That's their job though, isn't it? It's also awkward writing them down. I told myself that this was my space, to say what I want to say. But when you know the people that will read your thoughts personally, it almost feels like I shouldn't speak freely. But fuck it. Like I said, this is my place. The truth hurts, and I haven't said anything that's not true.

Jesus, this post got out of hand quickly.

Things On My Mind

1. I've been thinking about getting my own domain address, but I'm having a hard time deciding what it should be. Should I keep using the Freon persona, begin using my real name, or fashion a totally new handle? That's the hardest question. Where should I host it? sustainablehost.com sounds like a cheap place and they look like they can run MovableType which I want to start using. But there's also some local hosts that I've had recommended to me. As soon as I get a day off where I have some time to do it, I'll decide what to do and do it.

2. I also want to start a blog to deal with the trip to Mexico I'm planning. It will probably take place March 2003 around my birthday. My two cousins will accompany me as I tour the motherland. I want a place to put up photo's of the trip and post thoughts and comments as well. I might make it a group blog, and have my cousins post as well. Since they don't know English, it would be a multicultural site. Every post will be in both English and Spanish, with me doing the translating. So hopefully I'll have time soon to get all this going.

3. I've been wanting to get a dog for a very long time. The problem has been deciding what kind. I guess the price is really the biggest obstacle. So I visited the Dewey Animal Shelter but didn't see anything I wanted. Mostly Pitbull's, which are pretty but I don't have the attitude(balls) for one of those.

Top 5 Dogs(random order)
Beagle
Boxer
Siberian Husky
Red Bone Coonhound
Old English Sheepdog

Since I won't be able to shell out $400 or more for a dog anytime soon I'll just keep visiting the dog shelters and see what I can find.

4. I've been reading Quicksilver and it is really good. So far there isn't much action, but I love the history and the politics. Neal Stephenson is great.

5. I also just read the latest issue of Sleeper by Ed Brubaker. He is such a good writer and the comic is excellent. The only comic that I can rate a 10 on every issue. After 11 issues I'm still impatient for the next one, that rarely happens with comics. Usually I read a title for a few months then realize that I just don't really care for the story. Sleeper, Rex Mundi, and Y the Last Man are the exceptions to the rule.

6. Damnit I'm getting tired and can't think of what else to say. Nobody really cares anyways.

The American Dream

Below is an excerpt from a movie critique by Bergmann Endresson, Noted Film Critic, Swede. The movie is the excellent piece of art done by Rick Solomon, starring himself and the up and coming star, Paris Hilton. Ha, I find it so funny. Like Joshua said "iwatchedyoufuck". It's great.

The cold black of night is penetrated by an alien tone, played upon an inhuman scale. It pierces through the quiet slumber that is the inheritance of honest men.

As when Psyche dripped her voyeur wax upon the forbidden face of love, a sprightly nymph stirs, and all is a flutter:

"Let me get my phone."

Paris Hilton's first line in this magnificent post modern statement is more conditioned response than free will. Like Pavlov's doggy, she is powerless to resist the cold intrusion of the technological sprawl that devours countrysides, bathrooms and budoirs with the same unyielding hunger. McLuhan promised us a Global Village, but nowhere did he say that it would be a tax haven, and on this evening the throbbing circuitry of a connected world demands the sacrifice of a media virgin. But she is not without an advisor. In this film Ms. Hilton acts opposite Rick Solomon, media mogul, giver of corporal knowledge. Yet he is more, and in a poignant moment of self-loathing which defines the entire encounter, Solomon blasphemes the very technology upon which he has built his empire:

"Fuck your phone."

Svengali. Lothario. Luddite? Solomon's character thrusts deeply not only into technological contradiction but also into magnificently complex Neo-Purtanism, defending the sanctity of the marital bed from the light of truth and the becks and calls of the public just as he violates that very same realm with a handheld camera. It is in this union of night and photography that the film itself becomes organic, and the handheld camera an extension of Mr. Solomon's own masculinity. Autofocus indeed.

Nothing like watching the rich get fucked.
Thanks to Boing Boing for bringing this to my attention.
Link

London Calling

The Diary of a London call girl.
Found this site through Sizemore. It's great reading, just take a look at the following:

--This is not a concern on the job: condoms make cleanup a snap, or a damp flannel is passed round, or someone (usually me) is the recipient of a zinc-and-protein supplement. Sometimes I rub it in and go home as is ("I want to smell of you all night..." usually results in a decent tip).--


Freon

Because I Choose To

Persephone

I've been scanning several Matrix forums, reading what the masses have to say on the latest movie, and I've decided I might as post my view on the movie. Beware this will spoil the movie for you. It's late and I'm tired and I jump around a lot but you get the main points in this.

***Spoiler***
The movie starts with Neo in the Mobil Ave train station which is Limbo. It's a place between the Matrix and the Real world. The Machines use it to load programs into the Matrix or to delete them. Here Neo meets Sati and her parents. What makes this important is that Sati is the child of two programs. Programs that are in love. This takes Neo by surprise. Love is a human emotion, how can programs experience it and have a child because of it. Ramakandra, the father, explains that love is just a word. A word that stands for a connection, which two programs can share. But they are forbidden from having a child so they've negotiated with the Merovingian to allow Sati to take her parents place. They sacrifice themselves for their child. This shows Neo that they do in fact 'love' Sati.

Neo gets out of Limbo, talks to the Oracle who talks more about choices you choose by not choosing and what not. Zion is breached by Sentinels, great fighting sequence ensues. Neo goes to the Machine's City with Trinity. On the way he fights Bane who is really Agent Smith. Neo wins but his eyes are burned out. He can still see with out them. He sees light emanating from the Machines. As they near the City they are attacked and end up flying upwards. They break out of the clouds and see the sun for the first time in the Real World. They crash down to earth and land in the city. Trinity is killed in the crash, but Neo goes on. He is confronted by the Deus Ex Machina. He makes a deal with them that if he destroys Agent Smith they will make peace with the humans. This is accepted because the Machines have lost control of Agent Smith and he will infect them as well and destroy them because he is a virus.

The plug Neo back into the Matrix, he fights Agent Smith who earlier attacked the Oracle and took over her body. So he has the Oracle's Eyes now. He can see what she used to see. The fight is long and neither one is losing because they are one and the same. Same coin, two different sides. Agent Smith asks Neo why he fights, why he does anything at all when he knows it is inevitable for him to lose. Neo answers 'Because I choose to...' which is the whole point of the entire trilogy. Choice. What is real? What ever you choose it to be.

Neo remembers what the Oracle said earlier about every beginning having an end. He allows Agent Smith to enter him like Smith tried in Matrix2 but this time Neo doesn't fight him off. Agent Smith takes over Neo's body but since that was his beginning, he is destroyed. Agent Smith the virus was made when Neo entered Smith in Matrix1. By entering Neo in Matrix3 he completes they both are destroyed. In the real world the Machines drag Neo away and Neo looks very Christ like.

The Machines stop the attack on Zion and the war is over. There is a scene with the Oracle and the Architect talking. The Architect says that humans will now be given a real choice on staying or leaving the Matrix. Some, like Cypher from Matrix1, will want to stay, others will leave. The Machines will be able to survive off of these volunteers. Humans will be able to build and try to fix the world again with the Machines as partners. The Matrix will also be the home now to those programs that don't want to be deleted.

Neo sacrificed himself, not only for the humans, but for the Machines as well. He saved them both and fashioned a peace between them. A great ending in my view.


***Spoiler End***
Here are some good Matrix 3 sites:
Kottke's Blog Comments
Hack the Matrix Wiki

Freon

Escape

i fell in love tonight
again
i watched a movie and fell in love
not with the actress
or the actor
not the beautiful
exciting city or strange new
culture
i fell in love with the feeling
i had
the same feeling i get when i lose
myself in a wonderful book
the feeling of escaping
the feeling i never want to end
but always does the warmth goes
away and i'm returned to
the cold harsh world a crash
landing into reality once
again expelled from
paradise and torn from the womb
but for that rare instance right
before i wake up
i'm at peace and
it's worth it

Doonesbury

Better Than The Original

Britney Spears vs. Angie Dickinson

The Winner Is
Britney


What's up with Angie's ass? Kind of flat looking to me. Better ass and legs on Britney. Even the sweater is better.

Bye the way Britney is angry at Esquire magazine because the pictures they took are 'too naked'. Please Britney, you're wearing a turtleneck for christ's sake, how naked could you possibly be? :P
More pics at their site.

Freon

Blank Slate

I haven't had anything to blog about in a long time. I just haven't felt like anything has been worth writing about. I still don't but I'm forcing myself. I think I'll mention the movies I've watched recently:

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Unfortunately the first time I watched it wasn't as good as it could have been. I was tired when I put it on, and I decided to watch it in Japanese with subtitles instead of in English. Usually subtitles are better than voice overs but I found that not to be true this time. The subtitles were not bad but coupled with my state of mind at the time, I ended up falling asleep during parts of it. The Japanese just lulled me to sleep. So I watched it again with the English voice over and really liked it. I thought the voice over was more natural than the subtitles. This was my first experience with CB and I liked it. I'm interested enough to check out the TV episodes. I liked the music, and the art style. I would have liked a little more sex and violence to go with the R rating and the fact that I'm a pervert but I was let down.
3 out of 5

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I never saw the original so I can't compare them but I did enjoy this one. It was entertaining, not really scary, kind of gruesome, and it was annoying that, like most horror flicks, it was left open for a sequel. Again I have a complaint of not enough sex. In this genre I expect girls to end up naked and bloody. This one only had the blood. Oh well.
2 out of 5

Kill Bill: Vol 1
I love Quentin Tarantino movies and this one great. I loved the sword fighting, the spraying blood, and the ass kicking. A true homage to kung fu movies. My favorite part was the scene where they tell the origin of O-Ren Ishii by switching to anime. There's things you can show in anime that just wouldn't come across in live action. And a cartoon can be more violent with out people objecting. I mean it's a cartoon. It's for kids. They can't really be violent, right? It was great.
4 out of 5

School of Rock
Cute movie with good message. Funny the first time around.
2 out of 5

The Rundown
Rosario Dawson. mmmm!!! Oh ya, The Rock and Stifler are in it too.
3 out of 5

I can't remember what else I've watched recently. But that's enough for now. Actually this post came out better than I thought it would. Like anyone really cares.

Freon

Wicked Wonka

I heard on the radio that Insane Clown Posse's Wicked Wonka Tour is going to be in Vegas for two shows the 1st and 2nd of October at The Huntridge. I've been a fan for a long time and was at their last show here in Vegas. It was the best show I've ever been to. They had so much stage presence and love for the crowd and the crowd loved it and had so much energy it was almost a religious experience. I've never felt that way at a concert before. Getting drenched in Faygo soda made me feel as one with the crowd and the music. I plan to be there again, for both shows if I can afford it.

I know a lot of people don't understand them and the message they are putting out (and yes there is a message underneath it all). But nobody explains it better than Violent J. Check out their latest interview on the Howard Stern Show here. Either you get them or you don't.

As I was listening to my ICP mp3 collection I ran over this song about George Bush. I'm guessing it came out around the time he was elected because that's when I originally heard about it. Anyways it still rings true today. Enjoy.

Fuck George Bush Like His Dad Did by Insane Clown Posse

There's a man we all know
Looks like his dad and has got lot's of dough
He comes from Texas and he runs the show
He's got more money then you'll ever see
That's why he wants the presidency
To stretch that all mighty dollar from sea to shining sea
He says that he's not religious
He's just puttin' his faith in the lord
Hey why take chances when your after your final reward
Well if prayin' has made him successful
Then hell I'll give it a try

So I'm prayin' I'm prayin'
I'm prayin' up to the sky
I'm prayin' I'm prayin'
I'm prayin' for George Bush to die
(I don't really want him to die man, it's a joke)

He's got rich friend waiting at home
They now what they want and know who they own
Why pay a tithe when you can pay for the throne
Cuz ruling the world's a numbers game
Just ask the meek and the sick and the lame
Cuz they can't get past the guards down on country club lane
Now he says that he's got compassion
As much as money can buy
Just don't hold your breath while your waiting for the pigs to fly by

Love and praise and innocence are like the presidency
The more you pay to get 'em the less that they leave

Rich men with problems in Texas all know
Just ask Boy George he won't say no
Unless of course you're an inmate waiting on death row
It might be youthful indiscretion
But what that means nobody knows
It must be the savings and loan he put up his nose

Now he says he's ready to lead us
At much more than 10 cents a dance
But who's really paying the tune
While we watch Georgie prance

I think of Thomas Jefferson
And it makes me want to cry
To think that the chair he sat in someone could buy

George wears his faith like a money belt
But I'll pray to ?mad time? instead
Please come back Tom and save us from King George again (and his friends)

If praying made George successful
Oh hell I'll give it a try
I'm prayin' I'm praying
I'm prayin' up to the sky
I'm prayin' I'm praying
I'm prayin' for George Bush to die
I'm prayin' (sing it) I'm prayin'
I'm prayin' like it's going out of style
I'm prayin' ya I'm prayin'
For George Bush to die

Freon

Starving Child in Sudan by Kevin Carter

There's nothing I can say about this photograph that hasn't already been said. This was taken in 1993. It's sad that 10 years later, these things still take place. So much for the great 21st century.



Thanks to Snikering Lemming for reminding me who the photographer was and giving me some backstory on the photo.

freon

Robbed

I grew up around boxing, my father and uncle both involved heavily as a boxer and a trainer respectively. After an injury side-lined my father I was still an avid follower with him as my guide. I love boxing, more than any other sport. Basketball, football, those are games, boxing isn't a game. It's a fight. Two men going toe to toe is beautiful to me. It's as much an art as Van Gogh and Picasso.

I've followed the debates against boxing and for it. I've been disappointed in the past with certain decisions in big fights. But usually by watching the fight again, you can see where the judges decided the way they did. There's been 'black eyes' on the sport but that's expected. But tonight I think boxing was 'knocked out'.

In tonight's Oscar de la Hoya vs. Shane Mosley fight Oscar was robbed. He fought the better fight, he landed more punches, more jabs, more power hits, he moved better, he won the fight. But 3 men gave the belts to Sugar Shane.

George Forman, one of the ringside announcers and former heavyweight champion, favored Mosley but gave the fight to de la Hoya. He was mad at the decision. He mentioned a conspiracy towards de la Hoya's promoter, Bob Arum. I agree. Something is going on there. This was not a correct decision. Even Mosley's father was telling him he needed to knock out Oscar to win before the last round. His own father had Oscar in the lead.

This calls for a change in the way this sport is judged. We can no longer trust the judges. They are too easily compromised. Most of them are not even ex boxers. It's bullshit. This sport means too much to too many people for it to become laughable. It's boxing not wrestling. It's about pride and heart and skill, not money and politics. I wish that statement was still true.



Freon

Help Needed

I remember a photograph from 1992 - 1994 depicting a Somali boy laying in the dirt, probably dead, with a vulture nearby watching him. This was a very popular photo at the time and was used to show how desperate the situation in Somalia was and why the US should be involved. I would like to view this photograph again but can't seem to find it anywhere. If anyone knows where I can view it online, or maybe the name of the photographer please comment below and let me know. Thanks.

Freon

Man In Black

Johnny Cash 1932 - 2003

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Time to say goodbye to another legend. We'll always have your music to remember you and keep us company. Rest in peace.

Freon

Monkies Flying Out Your Butt

Another cool battle game.

Freon is a Bug-Eating Assassin Monkey ...with a Battle Rating of 7.1 To see if your Food-Eating Battle Monkey can defeat Freon, enter your name:

freon

Giant Battle Monster ATTACK!

So you think you can beat Dragon Style? Bring it on. Oh Yeah!

Freon is a Giant Dragon that can Change Colour, projects a Purple Forcefield, and has Black-and-White Stripes and Tough Leathery Skin. Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Intelligence: 8 To see if your Giant Battle Monster can defeat Freon, enter your name and choose an attack: fights Freon using Strength Agility Intelligence

freon

To Boldly Show Some Crack

I just finished enjoying the season premiere of Enterprise. While it wasn't the best Star Trek episode I've ever seen, it was very much anticipated and gave me the shot of Trek I needed to relieve the withdrawal.

I think I'll jump straight to the best part of the entire show. Near the end where T'Pol helps Trip out with his problem sleeping. She has him stimulate some pressure points on her back and while he's doing that she takes of her shirt and the side of her breast is visible. And when she sat down you saw some ass crack I could not believe I was seeing this on a Star Trek show. Sure the last two seasons have had their fair share of sexuality especially concerning T'Pol, but this was more than before. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not complaining, in fact I enjoyed it. If that makes me guilty of falling for the lowest denominator than so be it. I enjoy Star Trek, and I enjoy scantily clad women, and when you combine them together, in the right context, they can only enhance each other.

Here's a pic of T'Pol's new look, which I feel is better. My guess is that since she left the Vulcan High Command, she is now wearing Vulcan civilian clothes. That seems logical to me. That would also explain why she has a new haircut. Her longer hair would also indicate civilian life vs. the usual military cut we are used to. Or I could just be looking WAY to deep into things but that's a fan's job, isn't it?




Freon

I Miss Clinton

Freon

Sell Your Soul

I got a quote on the cash value of my soul right now if I was to sell it:
Your soul is worth £21240. For your peace of mind, 44% of people have a purer soul than you.

Not a bad price. In fact, I am very tempted. We'll see.

Freon

Jaspora

I just finished watching the Democratic debate on Fox. They all seem like good people but none of them really grab me as the next president. If I had to vote right now I would probably vote for Al Sharpton, on the grounds that he's the best speaker.

Aside from all the political questions, I liked the fact that they were asked for their favorite song. Howard Dean mentioned Wyclef Jean's, Jaspora, as his. I remember this being a good song, but it's in Jamaicain Creole and uses a lot of slang. Below is an English translation. I wonder if Dean knows what the song is actually saying or if he just likes the rhythm.

I did not translate this, I got it off of googles cache.


Jaspora by Wyclef Jean of of Carnival CD

This is what the world was waiting for
Wyclef who came from the Fugees
Jeremie, Haiti, Port-au-Prince, Flatbush...

Jaspora doesn't respect Jaspora (repeat 4 x)

Ever since I was little, I left Haiti
There's some that went to Brooklyn there's some that went to Miami
Why do Jamaicans always say they are Jamaicans,
But Haitians are afraid to say they are Haitians?
Why? Are you scared to say your name is Samuel?
Why? Are you scared to say you're with Israel?
Why? Every night you are sleeping with Jezebel!
You're scared to say Haitian girls are beautiful!
Beautiful girls are beautiful...

I respect your name just like I respect the angel Gabriel
Here, Diaspora men want to take you to hotels,
Start talking English, turning to playboy channel
They do not respect Israel.

Diaspora do not respect Diaspora
If you are a Diaspora I am going to give you to sharks
Diaspora do not respect Diaspora
If you are a Diaspora tonight we're going to disarm you

Diaspora ha ha o, put your hands up!
I am going to take them and throw them in prison
I will make them know who is Toussaint
I will make them know who is Dessalines
After, we will let them go and send them back to Brooklyn
So he could go to his mother who is cooking in the kitchen
His mom looked at him and said "Man, you've changed"
She said I changed because I am Haitian
They taught me a lesson, they put me in prison.

I see Diaspora women and Diaspora men
There are people who are not going to make it because they will sleep with the fishes
They lost their knowledge just like a priest without religion

Diaspora do not respect Diaspora
If you are a Diaspora I am going to give you to sharks
Diaspora do not respect Diaspora
If you are a Diaspora tonight were going to disarm you

Port-au-Prince do not respect Diaspora again
Men Flatbush do not respect Diaspora
Men Canada do not respect Diaspora
Men Miami do not respect Diaspora

Pa Kayos do not respect diaspora
Papa Djoume do not respect Diaspora
Refugees do not respect Diaspora
Men Florida do not respect Diaspora
Wrong things done are going to finish worse
If you disrespect native-born
Done wrong things are going to finish worse
Disrespect Haitians you will get hit...

Jaspora has to respect Jaspora
Jaspora has to respect Jaspora

Strike That From The Record

Ok I don't like Fountains of Wayne, I just like that one song. I downloaded a random list of their songs and they're just to boring. Too slow I guess. They remind me of a slowed down Blink. Oh well, I still found one good song.

Freon

After Hours

I was watching MTV around noon, and MTV After Hours was on. I know that doesn't make sence but the entire station is confused. Anyways I caught the video by Fountains of Wayne, Stacy's Mom. It was the first really enjoyable video on MTV in a long time. Sure it's just pop but I think that's what made it good for me. It was light and funny, the video went along with the song. I'd never heard of these guys until yesterday, on the Don and Mike Show, and then today I saw the video. I'm going to have to check out some of their other stuff. It reminds me of the stuff I used to listen to.

Stacy's Mom

Stacy, do you remember when I mowed your lawn? (mowed your lawn)
Your mom came out with just a towel on (towel on)
I could tell she liked me from the way she stared
And the way she said, "You missed a spot over there"

And I know that you think it's just a fantasy
But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me

Stacy's mom has got it goin' on
She's all I want, and I've waited so long
Stacy, can't you see you're just not the girl for me
I know it might be wrong,
but I'm in love with Stacy's mom

Time to hit Kazaa up.

Besides that video, MTV was actually showing music videos. I caught Linkin Park which I really like. Christina's new video isn't bad, and her dressed like a whore isn't bad either. I'd give her 10 minutes before she got raped dressed like that in a bad neighborhood.

I wish I could watch an all music video channel. Even when the music isn't my favorite, it's still fun.

Freon

Dr. Wattage For Wildguard

I believe Ignacia will be on the team no matter what. So my vote is going to Dr. Wattage. Go vote yourself at VOTE.

Like A Virgin

Wow!!! I was speechless for about ten minutes. Did you see the Fab Five in the audience? Even they got turned on by this. I'd heard the rumors about Britney and Madonna having a performance together but this really surprised me, in a good way. This was definitely the best VMA's in a long time.

Best performance: Duh, look above!
Best joke of the night by Chris Rock had to be the Olsen twins and R Kelly seating arrangment. Chris Rock was excellent as host. He kicked Fallons ass and the Wayans.
Biggest diss: Johnny Cash not winning something better than Best Cinematography in a video. At least male performer over Timberlake.

Cannibal Holocaust----The one that goes all the way!!!!

In 1979,
four documentary filmmakers
dissapeared in the jungles
of South America
while shooting a film
about cannibalism...


Six months later
their footage was found.

I have to get my hands on this. I don't think they actually sell the dvd on the web site but they do have it here, and the price isn't bad at all. I've always thought that The Blair Witch could have been better and I think this movie takes that concept up a level. Actually up quite a few levels. Here's a cool image for you're enjoyment.

Star Wars Kid

I know this is old news to most of you, but I just heard about it. This is hilarious. The remixes are excellent as well. I know the kid is embarrassed but come on, we've all done this. Everyone acts out cool movie actions when they're young. I remember it was kung fu for me after watching Bruce Lee movies. I would run around kicking and jabbing at my sister and I would do flying kicks off the couch. It was great. I wish I had video of myself doing that.

Download Page

Freon

I Miss You

I doubt anyone has even noticed that I haven't posted in a long time. I haven't really felt like it. I guess I'm kind of depressed. My best friend has moved to Kansas City to attend art school and I'm left alone here. I've known it was coming since I met her, but it's not easy to spend every day with someone and then you don't see them and only have a telephone and computer to connect each other. I've really been in denial. Whenever I start to think about it my mind automatically switches to something else. I've been doing all the things usually done to escape the real world. Reading, watching movies, playing video games, etc. I know we'll see each other again, still be friends, but getting seperated sucks. We'll be ok. It'll just take some time.

Keep your head up, and so will I.

Freon

The Missing Unit

I first saw this on Nooey.



Like I said on his blog, this is seems like it should be impossible. You have four static shapes that form a larger shape. They have a set area and so does the large shape. Yet when you move the smaller one's around and form the same large shape again in a different configuration, it seems you lose a square unit of area, yet none of the static shapes lost any area. If anyone can explain please do.

update: The answer is explained very nicely using flash at this site. The puzzle provided some good brain exercise.

Freshman Girls, Get'm While They're Thin

This is a warning to Kelly who's going off to KCAI in the great state of Missouri. Everyone knows that freshman girls gain weight that first year. It's commonly known as the "freshman 15", 15lbs being around the average weight gain. According to the link above, it's mostly because of dorm food and junk food, but I think we all know it's the beer. Lot's and lot's of beer. So take heed, Kelly, and don't fall into the same trap as other coed's who have gone before you.

Just playin' with you, have a great time in Kansas City, Klyde.

freon

New Layout

I borrowed this new layout from bluerobot. I've been playing around with CSS and I liked the 3 column layout. So in order to learn more about CSS, I've been playing around with their code to see what everything does. As soon as I get some money I'll be getting my domain, and start using movable type instead of blogger. I got a few tips on good hosts that have everything MT needs to work, so that's my next goal. I know a few of the headings are to small, etc, but I don't have time to fix them at the moment. Other than the new layout, I haven't really had anything new to talk about. I'll put up a couple movie impressions sometime tomorrow.

My grandparents are coming into town from Mexico. I haven't seen them in 4-5 years, so it will be an experiance. I'll see how it goes.


Freon

Saddam's Sons Are Dead

I don't want to sound like a blood thirsty, cold hearted, son of a bitch, but it's about time. I'm getting tired of the shitty job our intelligence agencies are doing when it comes to the capture of the world's biggest pieces of shit. Osama bin Ladin is still free, Saddam Hussein is still free. By capturing them or showing their dead bodies, it will bring a sort of closure to a lot of people. Sure we can win the war but the leader's of the so called "rogue" nations need to be brought to so called American justice. Whether this war was right or wrong is not the issue now. It's to late for that. The thing we should be focused on is standing Iraq back on it's feet under a "better" government. Capturing their ex leaders will help heal some of the scars.

Freon

Reality TV Superheros

What is WildGuard?
WildGuard is a made-for-TV superteam. An "American Idol" for superheroes, hundreds of heroes converge to try out for this reality TV show. Yet, only five will be chosen to fill WildGuard's roster.

We as the readers have the oppurtunity to vote for the teams fifth member, by going to
wildguard.com. There's also a contest on who the final five wil be.

All this will take place in the six issue mini-series by Todd Nauck, known for his long run on DC's Young Justice. Look for Wildgaurd at you favorite comic book store in September.

This sounds like a great idea to me. Below is my choice for team member. She's hot (literally) and seems like she would be fun to read about.
Go place your vote.

Ignacia
Powers/abilities: Pyro kinetic, fire manipulation


copyright Todd Nauck 2003

freon

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

This film is now officially the best movie I've seen this year! Johnny Depp is great as the eternally inebriated pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. His quirky arm and paranoid eye movements are great to watch. The way he speaks and his witty remarks are excellent. This is not a movie an actor can get an Oscar nomination for, but Depp definitely deserves it. Depp was wonderful, but the rest of the cast was great as well.

Keira Knightley looks very much like Natalie Portman, which is not a bad thing at all. In fact, I noticed she was in Star Wars: Phantom Menace with Portman. She played Sabé, who ever the hell that was.

Orlando Bloom was a much better elf than wannabe pirate. He actually came off as kind of bland, but I think it fit his role as the goody goody hero. Sure he joins up with a pirate, but he is still a good boy trying to save his love.

The pirates were all natural. Some were badass while others were comedic relief. They all looked the part and acted the part.

The actual plot of the movie was very believable. I mean you have to get past the part of an evil Aztec curse, but if you believe that then the rest follows easily.

I really enjoyed the fact that the special effects were not the stars of the movie. They were used sparingly but effectively. When they were used they looked real (as real as evil, deranged, zombie pirates can look).

I recommend you stay for the entire credits. They show a little extra at the very end. It doesn't affect the movie much but is still cool to see.

Freon

Good Riddance

I've heard his show a couple times and I just can't believe the bullshit he spews. His mother should have swallowed.

Freon

Spike TV Wins

For a second I thought Spike Lee might actually win, thank god he dropped the stupid case.

freon

Another Movie About Killer AI

I've watched Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines twice now. I enjoyed it both times. Not as good as it's predecessor Terminator 2: Judgment but still an enjoyable action film. The key word in that sentence is action. To me an action movie consists of a lot of explosions, guns, car chases, gratuitous sex scenes, one-liners, heroes, villains and more explosions. All of that built around a loosly fit plot. Action movies are not meant to make you think to much, just enjoy the explosions. T3 is an action film, T2 was more. Unfortunatly I have not watched T2 in years but memory recalls it as deep. T3 is shallow but still entertaining. It tries to engage your brain with talk about fate and destiny, but atleast to me, it failed.

I wish John Conner had been played by Edward Furlong instead of Nick Stahl, but I guess I can see Stahl as an older Furlong. The rest of the cast was appropriate.

I'm not forgetting Arnold. He looks damn good for a man his age. Almost to good. My favorite line of the movie is when he tells Claire Dane's character to "RELAX".

The one problem I did have with the film was the end. It was left wide open for a sequel. The first to Terminator movies both seemed to end with the world being saved. Again I'm recalling them from memory since I haven't watched them. T3 seems more like the first part of a double feature or even a trilogy. The film was moving along at a good pace and then it seems like the director ran out of film and told them to "wrap it up, we'll finish next year."

Part of me is happy they made a T3, but a part of me wishes they'd left it at T2. Judgment Day had a great end. Hopefully Terminator 4: He's Back* will be up to par.

Freon

*Not actual title ;-p

Singer Barry White dead at 58

This was a big shock. Just a few days ago I was listening to his cd. No more love music from the man. It's a sad day.

Freon

Stripperella

For all you desperate souls looking for Stripperella pics, nude or otherwise, I've finally posted one for you. It's fan art by George Webber, so it's not the real thing but is just as good. Like you care who actually draws her. ;-P

He has a lot of other great pinups on his site feverdreams.com. Go check them out.

Presenting: Exotica Jones ---->



Freon

Joshua Ellis - Love Songs For Bastards

I wish all cd's were this cheap, this easy to get, and for that matter this good. I hate having to pay $15+ for just a few good songs, and a bunch of shitty ones. With Bitpass you can get the tracks you want and forget the rest. And probably best of all: the creator gets most of the money. Sounds great to me.

Another plus is that the system works for things besides music. For example Scott McClouds new comic The Right Number was released for only 25 cents. A great story, good format, for 25 cents, I'm hooked

Freon