tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198574932024-03-07T19:38:06.059-05:00Medulla NoodleTalkin' trash to the garbage around me.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.comBlogger1242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-83273677211830389202008-11-20T22:04:00.001-05:002008-11-20T22:04:48.129-05:00So long, and thanks for all the fish.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-61037145731428962782008-05-20T22:18:00.002-04:002008-05-20T23:38:47.419-04:00<center><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/wobblie/gpw-200702-48-NASA-STS111-321-24-sp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></center><br />Astute readers of the <i>medulla noodle</i> ("noodlologists" I've heard is the preferred nomenclature) will note that this is the first time in this blog's two-and-a-half-year existence that I've neglected to title a post. Seriously, if you want to search <a href="http://medullanoodle.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html">the archives</a>, I'll wait...<br /><br /><i>if you're lost you can look--and you will find me<br />time after time<br />if you fall I will catch you--I'll be waiting (oh, I'll be waiting!)<br />time after time</i><br /><br />See? Tolja.<br /><br />Where was I? Ah yes, there's a first time for everything. There's also a last time.<br /><br />If we were to be brutally honest with ourselves, I think we'd have to admit that there's a certain amount of conceit that goes into the decision to start blogging. For us to click "publish" and lay bare for anyone who wants to read it, there has to be the belief that we have something to say that <i>someone</i> wants to hear. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that when I started this blog I thought a <i>lot</i> of people would want to read what I had to write. I'll fully 'fess up to initially having a narcissistic attitude during this blog's first year.<br /><br />Things change, though, and as I figured out my own bloggy voices and who my audience was (you, natch), <i>medulla noodle</i> became a much more personal project to me. It allowed me to indulge parts of my self that didn't normally get expressed, to entertain people, to keep in touch with friends. I put a lot of creative and emotional energy into this blog - probably more than I should have - and I'm very proud of what I've written here in the last few years. <br /><br />However, on top of the narcissism, I've also wanted to create a site where people would come almost every day to see what was new. And that's tough to do solo, more so when you're also committed to more important things beyond the blogosphere. Over the last twelve months, I haven't been able to commit as much energy to the <i>noodle</i> as I would've liked, and I think the writing is on the proverbial wall.<br /><br />It's with a sad heart that I tell you that <i>medulla noodle</i> will from here on out be on "irregular hiatus." The blog's not going anywhere, and I'll keep it sporadically updated, if just for the purpose of making sure the archives stick around. But as of this post, the substantive writing here is done.<br /><br />I have no problem imagining any one of my grandparents (a more pious generation) lecturing me that "God doesn't close a door without opening a window." I'm not one to subscribe to supernatural deities intervening in human affairs. I'm closing the door. But I'm also, with some help, opening a new window.<br /><br />As sad as it makes me to mothball the <i>noodle</i>, I'm more than excited to say that I'll be blogging with four people who've been <i>hugely</i> important to me both professionally and personally at <i><a href="http://organizinggrievances.blogspot.com/">Organizing Grievances</a></i>. All four are first rate thinkers, incredible activists, and most importantly, great friends. On top of that, they're fantastic writers. So not only can you keep up on what I have to blab on about on any given day (and PRM, Bambino Blogging, and Douchebaggery will all be heading there), you can also make the acquaintance of a few more of the talented denizens of soviet blogistan.<br /><br />Thank you so much for reading. I hope we'll see you at <a href="http://organizinggrievances.blogspot.com/">the OG</a>.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-28261026563456763192008-05-16T00:09:00.000-04:002008-05-16T00:10:42.184-04:00It's fucking 2008 people!<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/politics/16gay.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin">Cowards</a>.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-34532010816168901642008-05-15T22:44:00.003-04:002008-05-15T22:48:22.368-04:00Thursday night smackdownWe don't have cable in our household, which means I miss out on the happenings of 24 hour news on the teevee. That doesn't bother me much. On top of that, I've long felt that Chris Matthews was particularly unwatchable. But I gotta say, watching him take down this pompous ass was good. <i>Really</i> good.<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d1wSZBTAXRs&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d1wSZBTAXRs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-18227669078108018372008-05-14T13:02:00.003-04:002008-05-14T13:09:48.113-04:00So...There's a bunch of half-naked women in cages in front of the hotel next door to my office building. Apparently, PETA wants to make a point that "chicks suffer for eggs." I'll simply note that this is another chapter in PETA's <a href="http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/01/27/is-peta-the-same-group-as-operation-rescue/">blatantly misogynistic PR campaign</a> and go smugly about my business knowing I eat only tasty cage-free eggs.<br /><br />So... any caged half-naked women in your neck of the woods?wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-28938712443785829702008-05-13T23:24:00.004-04:002008-05-14T11:54:00.539-04:00Pop culture ephemeraWhile I was so studiously not blogging, I was also engaged in soaking up all manner of popular culture. A sample of the sights and sounds of the casa de wobs:<br /><ul><li>ms. wobs and I recently finished watching <i>Band of Brothers</i>. I am, admittedly, a sucker for a well-made WWII flick and had been keen on watching this series for years now, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. It's a well-crafted epic, both narratively and visually. More importantly, there's a fine line between telling the truly incredible stories of those who were there and myth-making, and I think the series tacks towards the former the vast majority of the time. The filmmakers also manage to keep the film apolitical (save the obvious narratives about the justness of WWII and a general "war really <i>is</i> hell" sentiment) while not flinching from the political and moral ambiguities that were inherent in the conflict. <br /><br />A special shout-out to goes to Donnie Wahlberg as Sgt. Lipton. When you see a former New Kid on the Block in the cast, you tend to be a little dubious, but Wahlberg plays Lipton with an understated dignity that's perfect for the role, even if he's less than convincing as a West Virginian.<br /><br />The only serious misstep in the series was casting David Schwimmer in a small but important role. It's really hard to get into the episode when all you can think is, "You're such a fucking <i>douchebag</i>, Ross!" Aside from Schwimmer and the obligatory awkwardly paced exposition of the first episode and the less-than-satisfying (emotionally, at least) denoument of the last, <i>Band of Brothers</i> is breathtaking to watch, especially the emotional heart of the series centered around episodes based on the Battle of the Bulge. It really is some extraordinary visual storytelling.</li><br /><li>We also managed to watch <i>Thank You for Smoking</i> and <i>Idiocracy</i>. They're both funny - I wouldn't necessarily watch them over and over, but they're definitely worth a spot in your Netflix queue. They're both over-the-top in their moralizing (though Mike Judge uses the outlandishness to far better effect, especially in a meta sense) but have plenty of gags to make them more palatable. I'll especially recommend <i>Idiocracy</i> for the visual gags that are Judge's vision of a distant future ruled by morons. The "House of Representin'" alone is worth the rental price. Or check it out free from your public library.</li><br /><li>I thought I was done with REM. The only new album I've bought since <i>Automatic for the People</i> was <i>Up</i>, and only really for the first six songs. So when I heard some good things about <i>Accelerate</i>, I at least paid attention. Then I read that someone heard a track on a college radio station, and that pushed me over the edge. It's good! Peter Buck rediscovered his distortion pedal, Mike Mills rediscovered those sweet counter-melodies backing up Michael Stipe, and the whole band rediscovered the whole jangly* rock thing that made us love them back in the 80s. There's a few tracks on there that sound like they could've been outtakes from <i>Life's Rich Pageant</i> or <i>Green</i>. The music itself is enough to put a nostalgic smile on your face, but the sly self-referential lyrics definitely seal the deal. This new album makes an old fan happy.<br /><br />* A little known section of law stipulates that media discussing REM with more than 50 words must use some variation of "jangle" within their work. It's true. Look it up.</li><br /><li>The <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/12/114237/630/544/513035">best dKos diary</a> I've read in a long, long time.</li></ul>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-2192977182510648472008-05-13T21:12:00.002-04:002008-05-13T21:25:48.020-04:00Sith lords gone wild!I'm not sure which part of this <a href="http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2008/05/13/D90KUB6O0_odd_britain_vader_raider/index.html">simple tale of assault</a> is the most unbearably wonderful (to <a href="http://thebellman.blogspot.com/">borrow a phrase</a>) [all emphases mine]:<br /><ul><li>"A man who <b>dressed up as Darth Vader, wearing a garbage bag for a cape</b>, and assaulted the founders of a group calling itself the Jedi church was given a suspended sentence Tuesday."</li><li>"Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, attacked Jedi church founder Barney Jones — aka <b>Master Jonba Hehol</b> — with <b>a metal crutch</b>, hitting him on the head, prosecutors told Holyhead Magistrates' Court."</li><li>"Unfortunately for Hughes, his March attack <b>was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle</b>."</li><li>"'<b>Darth Vader! Jedis!</b>' Hughes shouted as he approached."</li><li>"Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having <b>drunk the better part of a 2 1/2-gallon (10-liter) box of wine beforehand</b>."</li><li>"In the 2001 United Kingdom census, <b>390,000 — 0.7 percent of the population — listed Jedi as their religion</b>."</li></ul>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-84625219603450560722008-05-12T23:46:00.001-04:002008-05-12T23:47:52.474-04:00Putting the war room to shameYou haven't read spin until you've read <a href="http://www.villarrealsports.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=496">this</a>.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-16298218168526215682008-05-12T23:37:00.002-04:002008-05-12T23:44:08.788-04:00Time's upThe answers to <a href="http://medullanoodle.blogspot.com/2008/05/because-i-memes.html">the ones</a> you didn't get yet:<blockquote>3. "Wicked Path of Sin" - Old & In The Way <br />5. "AT&T" - Pavement<br />6. "Fishwater" - Widespread Panic<br />7. "The Eleven" - Grateful Dead<br />8. "Maybe Partying Will Help - the Minutemen<br />9. "I Know There's an Answer" - the Beach Boys<br />11. "Diamond Dogs" - David Bowie<br />12. "Split Open and Melt" - Phish<br />15. "God Knows" - God Is My Co-Pilot<br />16. "Hell Yes" - Beck<br />18. "The Picture" - Son Volt<br />19. "I'm Convicted" - Bad Livers<br />20. "Billie" - Pavement<br />21. "Heroes and Villains" - Brian Wilson<br />23. "What Is The Light???" - Flaming Lips<br />25. "It's So Obvious" - Wire</blockquote>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-51924985976733946242008-05-12T23:34:00.002-04:002008-05-12T23:36:33.580-04:00PRMI guess it's probably a result of my upbringing and sweet, sweet FM radio (I hear they still have that), but I've got a soft spot in my heart for the Cars.<br /><br />"Let's Go"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CThQLYDQk7s&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CThQLYDQk7s&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />"Just What I Needed"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCXkAN28urU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCXkAN28urU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-42347951038351346692008-05-10T00:56:00.002-04:002008-05-10T01:10:24.021-04:00Sporty chit-chatDuring the last two baseball seasons, I had the pleasure of chatting in great detail about our fantasy teams with dave and pattyjoe. Now, 3000 miles away, it's a bit more difficult to do that, but thanks to the miracle of bloggy technology, we can do that in the friendly confines of cyberspace. So please, indulge yourself in some good, old-fashioned fantasy baseball talk. And yes, this is going to be a regular feature.<br /><ul><li>This is the first season I've had a player get really, <i>really</i> hot. And right now, my friends, Lance Berkman is <i>en fuego</i></li><br /><li>Prince Fielder, on the other hand...</li><br /><li>On paper, my pitching staff is pretty rocking. Unfortunately, if they pitch well, they either don't get run support or aren't in a position for a save. You'll note that I said <i>if</i> they pitch well</li><br /><li>Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit are my two early season free agency scores</li><br /><li>It's maddening having to juggle a bunch of decent-to-good but as of late inconsistent infielders around Mr. Reliable at shortstop</li></ul><br />Lay your woes upon me.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-24975542266981145052008-05-10T00:05:00.003-04:002008-05-10T00:45:02.483-04:00You deserve answersBut before I spoil <a href="http://medullanoodle.blogspot.com/2008/05/because-i-memes.html">the meme-y fun</a>, I wanted to offer a few more hints. See if any of these help jog the "random knowledge" portion of your head:<br /><br /><ul><li>3 is a Bill Monroe tune performed by a early 70s bluegrass supergroup.</li><br /><li>Numbers 5 and 20 are the same band, one that pretty much defined the term "lo-fi." The two songs are not on their two best known albums.</li><br /><li>Numbers 6, 7, and 12 are all jam bands from (respectively) Athens, GA; San Francisco; Burlington, VT</li><br /><li>8 - San Pedro's finest belt out what should've been the Eugene anarchist theme song - seeking to pacify existential angst about "victims of [our] leisure" with beer and a bag of mersh.</li><br /><li>Numbers 9 and 21 are from (respectively) the crown jewel and belatedly realized masterpiece of these iconic Sixties Southern California surf/pop band.</li><br /><li>The artist in 11 is well-known for collaborating, musically and possibly otherwise, with the likes of Lou Reed, Mick Jagger, and Iggy Pop. Tough lyrics, though.</li><br /><li>I'm not even going to bother with 15 - it really does qualify as obscure indie rock.</li><br /><li>16 is a repeat of one of the first four artists.</li><br /><li>For 18, think of the lesser known half of Uncle Tupelo.</li><br /><li>The song title's in the lyric in 19, played by an awesome bluegrass/punk/rock/klezmer/etc. band from Austin, TX (and featured on Punk Rock Monday)</li><br /><li>For 22, think Big Suit.</li><br /><li>Number 24 is a repeat of an artist from 12 through 15.</li><br /><li>Number 25 is <i>so obvious</i>. Think influential 70s British punk band that wasn't the Clash or the Sex Pistols.</li></ul><br /><br />I don't know whether these will help or hinder your efforts. I <i>do</i> know, however, that I've spent far too much time absorbing trivial knowledge.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-62677798696396940832008-05-08T22:15:00.003-04:002008-05-08T22:36:40.047-04:00EndgameI don't begrudge HRC wanting to fight out the last few primaries. Hell, she's made it this far. In fact, I can even mentally envision certain circumstances in which it could be a positive, party-building campaign invigorated by big ideas rather than policy nit-picking. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen.<br /><br />And perhaps more tragically, I don't think the seeming desperation of the HRC campaign will necessarily damage the Democratic Party so much as it will be the ignominious tailspin of someone who should return to the Senate and - freed from the constraints of presidential ambition - lead the legislative charge to enact at least <i>some</i> progressive policy reforms. She deserves a better legacy than what this campaign will bequeath her.<br /><br />At any rate, to my friends back home, enjoy your turn as the last stand.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-75538280461171220262008-05-08T17:27:00.001-04:002008-05-08T17:30:49.812-04:00HintsI threw up some hints on <a href="http://medullanoodle.blogspot.com/2008/05/because-i-memes.html">the music meme</a>, so if you're still playing...<br /><br />Incidentally, there's a broad range of genres there, from 90s lo-fi to hippie and neo-hippie jam bands, from SoCal surf music to bluegrass. And only a few obscure indie bands.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-52341603720571340032008-05-04T23:52:00.002-04:002008-05-04T23:55:55.722-04:00PRMGeorge Harrison tops my ballot for most underrated songwriter.<br /><br />"My Sweet Lord"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/95LFNe3Uw-w&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/95LFNe3Uw-w&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (I dig the arrangement on this one)<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T7qpfGVUd8c&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T7qpfGVUd8c&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />And... "The Pirate Song"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSIjlUMV6Is&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSIjlUMV6Is&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Yee-argh.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-8470627198133112272008-05-04T22:36:00.003-04:002008-05-04T22:58:25.119-04:00Shaping and molding young mindsTwo tales of the emergent political consciousness of l'il wobs.<br /><br /><b>Tale One</b>: L'il wobs is currently enrolled in a hippy-dippy kind of Christian Montessori school. The boy apparently enjoys the religious part of the curriculum, which is fine by us, albeit a little jarring at times (for instance, when he referred to our wine as "Jesus blood." The way we see it, he'll encounter Christianity at some point - better from people who are teaching him to love everyone than from, say... Baptists. Besides, how's he ever going to appreciate Milton if he doesn't get some Judeo-Christian learning?<br /><br />At any rate, a few weeks ago, l'il wobs started talking about "Rock" Obama. I was curious to know what the lad knew about "Rock," so I asked him. We were told that Obama is very beautiful, that he was put in jail, and then they killed him.<br /><br />We were obviously a little surprised by his answer. Either ms. wobs or I asked him if maybe he was talking about Jesus, and l'il wobs responded, "They're the same."<br /><br /><b>Tale Two</b>: One of l'il wobs friends and his parents weren't able to make the baseball game today, so they offered their tickets to us. We trekked down to watch the Nationals take on the Pirates. All was going well until "Star-Spangled Banner" time. To add a little razzle-dazzle to the proceedings, fireworks are launched to punctuate the "rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air." <br /><br />L'il wobs hates loud fireworks and immediately broke down and wanted to leave. We talked our way through it, and he eventually re-settled and started to have a good time, charming our seatmates and munching on (four fucking dollar) Cracker Jacks.<br /><br />During the bottom of the fourth, however, an Aaron Boone shot to the patio in center field brought out another round of celebratory fireworks, upon which l'il wobs recommenced freaking out. He was talked back down again, but by the time the sixth inning rolled around, he was pretty adamant about going home.<br /><br />At any rate, when l'il wobs grows up to detest America, you'll know who to blame.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-27074330750807447602008-05-03T23:18:00.012-04:002008-05-11T15:25:05.542-04:00Because I ♥ memesThis is following from feminist, ph.d's <a href="http://feministphd.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/day-off-music-meme/">welcome introduction</a> of this meme. The rules:<br /><br />1. Randomize your tunes... nicely<br />2. Post the first line of the first 25 songs, no matter how much you don't want the rest of us to know that Creed is on your iPod.<br />3. In comments, leave your informed opinion as to what the song title is and who the artist/s is/are. As they come in, I'll strike the song off the list. Googling for the answer makes you the Barry Bonds of the meme world. Do you really want that? Besides, I'll post the answers eventually.<br />4. Rinse, lather, repeat.<br /><br />So here goes, in no particular order - or as the kids might say, "Randomly..."<br /><s>1. Say you stand by your man</s><br /><s>2. Because mutiny on the bounty’s what we’re all about [<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">I'm gonna board your ship and turn it on out<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"></span></s><br />3. In this awful world of sorrow [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">On this wicked path of sin<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">] </span></span>[cover - bonus points for guessing the right artist]<br /><s>4. Oh when they beat upon a broken guitar</s><br />5. Lately, someone’s gonna save me [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">My heart is made of gravy and the laps I swim from lunatics don't count<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />6. Four train days, get me back to New Orleans [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Drink more fishwater there than any whale's mama ever seen<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />7. High green chilly winds and windy vines [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">In loops around the twisted shafts of lavender<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />8. As I look out over this beautiful land I can’t help but realize [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">That I am alone. Why am I able to waste my energy?<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />9. I know so many people who think they can do it alone [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">They isolate their heads and stay in their safety zones<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br /><s>10. Z Y X, Z Y X</s><br />11. As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">You asked for the latest party<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />12. In the morning I pack up my gear and toss it in my carryall [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Run the wide load to the lip and watch the big core crack and glow<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br /><s>13. Oh gawd, has she always lived here?</s><br /><s>14. It’s close to midnight and something evil’s lurking in the dark</s><br />15. Everyone sees every movie you make [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">The whole world hears every word you say<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />16. Lookin’ for my place on assembly lines [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Fake prizes risin' out of the bombholes<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br /><s>17. That there, that’s not me</s><br />18. Hurricanes in December, earthquakes in the heartland [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Bad Aryan decks on its flashing warning sign<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />19. I’m convicted by reality convicted [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I'm rejected, a bigger part of me is wastin'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />20. Billie and my friend the saint, you’re perfect in so many ways [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">But you never looked hard at a fetus in a jar<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br />21. I’ve been in this town so long that back in the city I’ve been taken for long and gone [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">and unknown for a long long time<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br /><s>22. Lost my shape - trying to act casual [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Can't stop - might end up in the hospital<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span></s><br />23. What is the light that you have [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">shining all around you? Is it chemically derived?<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br /><s>24. With your feet on the air and your head on the ground</s><br />25. It’s so obvious, it’s here it’s there [<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">It's not just the color, it must be more<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">]</span></span><br /><br />There's a couple of repeat artists in there. Have fun.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-77147159536841236382008-05-01T15:49:00.001-04:002008-05-01T15:54:47.538-04:00Happy May Day!<b><a href="http://folk.ntnu.no/makarov/temporary_url_20070929kldcg/internationale-en-the_new_singers.mp3">The Internationale</a></b><br /><br /> Arise! ye starvelings, from your slumbers;<br /> Arise! ye prisoners of want.<br /> For reason in revolt now thunders<br /> And ends at last the age of cant.<br /> Away with all your superstitions<br /> Servile masses, arise! arise!<br /> We’ll change henceforth the old tradition<br /> And spurn the dust to win the prize.<br /><br /> Chorus<br /> So comrades, come rally<br /> And the last fight let us face<br /> The Internationale<br /> Unites the human race.<br /><br /> No saviour from on high delivers;<br /> No faith have we in prince or peer.<br /> Our own right hand the chains must shiver:<br /> Chains of hatred, greed and fear.<br /> E’er the thieves will out with their booty<br /> And give to all a happier lot.<br /> Each at his forge must do his duty<br /> And strike the iron while it’s hot!<br /><br /> The law oppresses us and tricks us,<br /> The wage slave system drains our blood;<br /> The rich are free from obligation,<br /> The laws the poor delude.<br /> Too long we’ve languished in subjection,<br /> Equality has other laws;<br /> “No rights,” says she “without their duties,<br /> No claims on equals without cause.”<br /><br /> Behold them seated in their glory<br /> The kings of mine and rail and soil!<br /> What have you read in all their story,<br /> But how they plundered toil?<br /> Fruits of the workers’ toil are buried<br /> In strongholds of the idle few<br /> In working for their restitution<br /> The men will only claim their due.<br /><br /> No more deluded by reaction<br /> On tyrants only we’ll make war<br /> The soldiers too will take strike action<br /> They’ll break ranks and fight no more<br /> And if those cannibals keep trying<br /> To sacrifice us to their pride<br /> They soon shall hear the bullets flying<br /> We’ll shoot the Generals on Our Own Side.<br /><br /> We peasants, artisans, and others<br /> Enrolled among the sons of toil,<br /> Let’s claim the earth henceforth for brothers,<br /> Drive the indolent from the soil!<br /> On our Flesh too Long has fed the Raven;<br /> We’ve too long been the vulture’s prey.<br /> But now farewell the spirit craven:<br /> The dawn brings in a brighter day.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-29293836986192702492008-04-28T00:02:00.003-04:002008-04-28T15:01:23.474-04:00PRM: Inside joke editionPerhaps you're not familiar with the musical stylings of Finnish death metal band Lordi. If that's the case, then believe you me, I'm doing you a favor. Consider it my contribution to multiculturalism.<br /><br />"Devil is a Loser"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ogKfBzTfJ5E&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ogKfBzTfJ5E&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />"Who's Your Daddy"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LMNc5XQym4U&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LMNc5XQym4U&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />And what collection of Lordi would be complete if we neglected to add "Hard Rock Hallelujah"?<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Susv28chi9I&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Susv28chi9I&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-29697206251749095882008-04-25T23:37:00.002-04:002008-04-25T23:39:40.890-04:00Blinded me with scienceWell, that does it. With "scientific" proof like this, how can we deny it? I'll be seeing you in the pews, motherfuckers!<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2RD4vTuPN0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2RD4vTuPN0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br />At this point, I believe the kids say, "Boom!"wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-82711788604786274422008-04-21T22:30:00.004-04:002008-04-21T22:49:33.401-04:00And yet it's so much moreDemographers and health researchers are noticing <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/21/AR2008042102406.html?hpid=topnews">a dramatic drop</a> in women's life expectancy is some areas of the United States:<blockquote>The downward trend is evident in places in the Deep South, Appalachia, the lower Midwest and in one county in Maine. It is not limited to one race or ethnicity but it is more common in rural and low-income areas. The most dramatic change occurred in two areas in southwestern Virginia (Radford City and Pulaski County), where women's life expectancy has decreased by more than five years since 1983.<br /><br />The trend appears to be driven by increases in death from diabetes, lung cancer, emphysema and kidney failure. It reflects the long-term consequences of smoking, a habit that women took up in large numbers decades after men did, and the slowing of the historic decline in heart disease deaths.<br /><br />It may also represent the leading edge of the obesity epidemic. If so, women's life expectancy could decline broadly across the United States in coming years, ending a nearly unbroken rise that dates to the mid-1800s. <br /><br />[...]<br /><br />"This is a story about smoking, blood pressure and obesity," said Majid Ezzati, of the Harvard Initiative for Global Health, a co-author of the paper.</blockquote><br />The drop in life expectancy <i>is</i> about those things, but it's about a helluva lot more too.<br /><br />It's the story of a nation that has a dangerously broken for-profit insurance to provide health coverage for most of its citizens, while leaving some 47 million uninsured. The coverage that people do have isn't necessarily even adequate to actually obtain decent health <i>care</i>.<br /><br />It's the story of a nation that doesn't have - has <i>never</i> had - any sort of cohesive public health policies.<br /><br />It's a story about cheap, processed foods of marginal nutritional value and mass advertising.<br /><br />It's a story about poverty, and the conditions which cause poverty. <br /><br />Limiting the story to just smoking, blood pressure, and obesity limits the solutions to the problems which vex us when it comes to public health in this country. By focusing on these three items, the solutions come in the form of individual interventions, in a manner of speaking. Educate people to make good choices, the logic goes. It, of course, elides over the much more complicated, and in the long-run, more damaging, structural problems that underlie the proximate causes of the decline in life expectancy.<br /><br />There needs to be a much more expansive conversation about public health in this country, and it's a conversation that should make some people feel very, <i>very</i> uncomfortable.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-54867284350921451602008-04-20T23:51:00.004-04:002008-04-21T00:00:38.221-04:00Laugh it up, fuzzballMy friend <a href="http://www.accessanything.net/about.php">AJK</a> posted these on Facebook, and since most of you didn't know me in the Way Back When of 1996, I thought I'd share a little bit of the past with you. I believe the preferred nomenclature for my look around this time is "Wookie."<br /><br />AJK, myself, and B<br /><center><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/wobblie/cuttindreads.jpg" ></center><br /><br />Me, AJK, and JA<br /><center><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/wobblie/1996.jpg"></center><br /><br />I almost look like ez, eh?wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-5619318169281800582008-04-20T23:25:00.002-04:002008-04-20T23:27:14.639-04:00PRMHow about some of that particular ray of sunshine, Lou Reed?<br /><br />"Heroin"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t4-WdohdaHw&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t4-WdohdaHw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />"Walk on the Wild Side"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sb7Rly10olY&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sb7Rly10olY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />And a funky "Sweet Jane"<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uc26EFI1_nw&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uc26EFI1_nw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-90181639089932701022008-04-20T23:03:00.002-04:002008-04-20T23:06:57.032-04:00It's the little thingsAn anthropological survey of the personal ads in our local weekly paper has demonstrated a preference for the descriptor "420 friendly," the West Coast equivalent of which would be "herb friendly." Neither are exactly subtle codes for "I smoke pot," but I have to admit, I prefer the laid back straight-forwardness of the latter.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19857493.post-42534093296282488792008-04-17T23:08:00.002-04:002008-04-17T23:46:07.068-04:00Me? I've been readingJust to fill you in on what I've been doing... well, a lot of reading (thanks to the hefty gift cards to Powells). I've lately gone through Tom Robbins' <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780553382198-9">Villa Incognito</a></i>. Honestly, it feels like Robbins writes from a template: Seattle and other more exotic locales, mysticism, prodigious acts of sexual congress with a bent towards kink, drugs, and a caper. Which isn't to say that it's not an enjoyable read - it most certainly is, but it didn't ring my bell like <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780553348972-2">Still Life with Woodpecker</a></i> or even <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780553379334-3">Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates</a></i> did. I wouldn't call it a must-read, but it's a nice find at a used bookstore.<br /><br />Nick Hornby's <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9781573223027-1">A Long Way Down</a></i>, on the other hand, rocked my proverbial socks. The story, driven by the conceit of suicide, is pretty implausible, true, but this was so fun to read (yes, it's about depressed, suicidal people), I was willing to take the leap. The novel moves from one absurd situation to the next, but the characters are each so sweetly compelling in a really miserable kind of way that you genuinely care how the situation is resolved, even if the resolution isn't necessarily pleasant. This is a funny novel for and about sad people.<br /><br />As for right now, I'm busying myself in a very nerdy kind of way with Hugh Thomas' massive history, <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780375755156-1">The Spanish Civil War</a></i>. It's been a long time since I picked up a political/military history book, and this one is especially satisfying, given Thomas' strong narrative gifts.<br /><br />Next up? <i><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/16-9780679403920-0">The Cold Six Thousand</a></i> and a ginormous political biography by Isaac Deutscher.wobbliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13840385151170176977noreply@blogger.com0