In case you haven't seen this

Robert Newman's History Of Oil

Update
Credit where it's due:
This video was pointed out to me by MAT.
Thanks, Miss Anne!

Juan Cole has a few things to say about the NIE.

A brief excerpt:

You can see the rise of anti-US sentiments under Bush most starkly in non-Arab countries such as Turkey and Indonesia which used to like us, believe it or not. In 2002, 52 percent of Turks had a favorable view of the US. In 2006, 12 percent of Turks have a favorable view of the US. In 2000, 75 percent of Indonesians had a favorable view of the US. In 2006, 30 percent of Indonesians have a favorable view of the US.

Even in major European countries such as France, Germany, Spain and the UK, Bush has cut the approval rating for the US in half or nearly so. Isn't that a bad sign, when the publics in our NATO allies rethink their view of us so radically? Won't we need the support of those publics at some point?

Bush by his Iraq misadventure has made us hated in much of the world, and especially in the Muslim world. Communist China is now widely viewed as mush less dangerous than the democratic United States. Don't you think that might turn into actual consequences?

Here's a link to the rest of the post.

Cross posted at The Babbling Academy.

Some Tunes

Elegantly Wasted, INXS

Naked Eye (The Propellerheads Remix), Luscious Jackson

Dragula (Hot Rod Herman Remix), Rob Zombie

In A World Gone Mad, The Beastie Boys

Burn Baby, Burn, Ash

Cobrastyle, Teddybears

Portland, Oregon, Loretta Lynn and Jack White

conbo is a fucking genius

I can't stop laughing.

Credit where it's due:

best daily show clip EVER:

Jason Jones on The Daily Show and the dangers of gays in the military:

Posted by: conbo at September 21, 2006 4:41 AM

Blue Monks and Muddy Waters

Right.

Faboo evening tonight.

No.

Wait.

Start again.

Woke up today feeling pretty miserable. I must've slept poorly (given the state of my "bed", this comes as no surprise), because I woke up to a pounding headache. Took a couple of excedrin, which didn't help one damn bit. Thought I was gonna have to deal with a migraine while I attended Kevin's reading. As you can imagine, this did not make me very happy.

As it was, I managed to get a bit of necessary shopping done in the course of the cross-town drive. And then I sat in traffic for nearly an hour. Bleh. Headache got worse. I got cranky.

Arrived at the venue with a bit more than a half hour to spare, so I got an espresso. And was reminded that sometimes caffeine can do wonders for a headache. By the time Cathy arrived, I felt pretty good.

The reading itself was great. Tom Spanbauer is a very gracious human being, and I quite enjoyed meeting him. The Dangerous Writers were also good folks. Some very good writing going on there. Naturally, I'm a bit biased towards Kevin's material, although everyone that read was quite impressive.

We hung out for a bit after the reading, and then made our way to the Blue Monk for a few drinks and some dinner. Pretty good pasta, and a great beer and wine selection available. One of the few places I've been to with a decent number of Belgian ales, including two on tap.

Charles kept us entertained most of the evening. That's kind of his thing. He's brash, and obnoxious, but I enjoy his company. In measured doses, of course. Cathy and Ericka were a pleasure as always. Both lovely women, with more brains and perspective than I've been blessed with. Kevin was in good spirits, but seemed a bit subdued. He's got a nasty cold right now, imagine he'll bounce back in the next day or so.

I think it's about time to book another coast trip with the Rapid City folks. We oughta be able to get a decent off-peak rate for one of the cabins again. Do some crabbing, get drunk and lounge in the hot tub. Ahh...

Alright, I 'm rambling. I don't have that headache anymore, but I feel like there's a cold (Kevin's?) trying to creep up on me. Think I'll start a fire, and call it a night.

Much love, and many blessings.

Regime Change

Painting by Wayne Coe

S-11 Redux

Channel surfing the Apocalypse, via GNN

...And The Waves

Today's music is brought to you via The Babbling Academy.
I was going to just post it, and then it occurred to me what day it is.

One year ago, that bitch showed up.

I was still in a self imposed exile at Barger.
Incommunicado.

Must have been going home early for Labor Day. I remember hearing something on the radio about the weather, but I've never really paid to much attention to that sort of thing.

And then I turned on the t.v. at Mom's house. Hadn't watched t.v. in months, I guess. Flipped right over to CNN.

And wept.

There's a certain dichotomy here. Walking On Sunshine is a fun song. Used to remind me of Ange. Now, it's the name of the band that sticks in my head. I know it seems flip to post that, but I don't mean it that way.

So, she gets that, and one more, and then I'll post the playlist.

"A year she said and you shook your head
Said I'’m surprised it'’s gone on that long
Baby, baby, baby bitch
For words I am at a loss"

---

Evening.
Or morning.
Whatever.
I can't sleep.

I like this set. I can't seem to find the thread, but I think it all goes together somehow.

Goddess On A Hiway, Mercury Rev

Five On It (Remix), Luniz, featuring Dru Down, E-40, Richie Rich, Shock G, Spice 1

Empire (Video), Kasabian

Finch On A Saturday, Horse Feathers

Yeah, alright maybe it doesn't all go well together, but that's tonight's set.

Much love, many blessings

Via The Babbling Academy

<crap><header><disclaimer>piracy = "communism";<justification>educational = "doubleplus good"</justification></disclaimer></header>

<something witty>I got nothing, sorry</something witty>

<tunes>

Processed Beats, Kasabian

Lost Souls Forever, Kasabian

F-Stop Blues, Jack Johnson

Behind The Sun, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Dumb, Nirvana

Hotdog In A Hallway, NOFX

Dying, Hole

</tunes>

<close>Many blessings</close>

</crap>

George Washington

My buddy Kevin turned me on to this video. I laugh my ass off everytime I see it.

What a week I've had!

Housesitting.

Never really minded doing it before, but I've been at it for three weeks now, for three different houses. I have to be at Kevin's house at least every six hours, have to be at my house twice a day, and on top of that, I've been helping out in northeast for the last four days or so. Plus a very brief side trip over Cornelius Pass to see Miss Anne and Husbot! Am glad things are calming down again tomorrow.

I have to pick up Ericka and Kevin at the airport, at which time Ericka will learn that Holly's tumor has come back with a vengeance. :( Kevin knows, but we both figure that there's no point in making the South Dakota visit any more unpleasant than necessary, so Ericka hasn't been told yet. I really hope that they can treat this, but it's moved pretty aggressively in the last five days or so.

On the positive side, the momma kitty that adopted Kevin and Ericka's porch has decided to trust me. That may have something to do with the fact that I feed her. She sure looks like she needs it. So skinny! The babies (actually, I've only seen one, but Kevin says there are three) only stare from a distance. Such a beautiful little cat. It's a little white puff ball, with grey ears, nose, and tail, and brilliant blue eyes. I am having a very hard time not adopting them, but I really don't have the space. Besides, I think Baby and Bitch would be furious at me if I brought home kittens.

Gonna try to get down to Eugene in the next day or so to see my brother. He's really enjoying the new job. That makes me happy. I'm so proud of him.

Anyway, I'm gonna go lurk at a few blogs, might post a tune or two at one of the MRR type blogs.

Much love, many blessings.

Of Bikes and Books

So.

I've been riding the old Schwinn around the bike trails on Clinton Street. It's been years since I rode a bike last. It's really the only kind of exercise I enjoy enough to do regularly. And since Nate and Katie are back this week, I'll probably get in a few rides with them. I have to get a mountain bike. Trying to keep up while riding a heavy, single speed cruiser is not fun. Hills are fucking miserable.

Picked up Watership Down tonight while visiting Kevin and Ericka. Great book. I think I've only read it once since high school, so this'll be a treat. I started it at midnight, and I'm 97 pages in. Also picked up a Tom Robbins novel that Kevin recommended. Another Roadside Attraction is the title. So far, I've never been disappointed with his choice in literature. Tom Robbins will, however, have to wait until I finish reading about Fiver and Hazel.

Um...

Did I mention that I just finished The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy? How in the hell did I miss this book? I've never even picked up a Douglas Adams novel, but it's had the same effect on me as On A Pale Horse (Piers Anthony is a god). I have to get my hands on everything this guy wrote, and read it quick. akaHusbot was kind enough to loan me the original BBC six part mini-series, along with the book. Am planning on taking that over to enjoy with Kevin and Ericka.

I was gonna bitch about a few things, but this post just seems so nice and upbeat, I'm gonna leave it alone.

Many blessings!

Nothing in particular

Just a few quick thoughts, I've got work to do.

I saw Whit again for the first time since she got married. Weird. Heard her say "my husband." That was just bizarre. Good discussion, though. We talked about the links between the decimation of the Amazon, and the lemming march of the glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica.

My brother (Quintus, in the pics on the bike) just got offered a job at the Bier Stein, as general manager. He's 22 years old, I told him that he should take it, great people to work for. Pays pretty good, too.

And in other news, the MRR blogger ladies have set up a couple of fantastic alt blogs.

Here they are

Wil's new blog

Shell's (OUR) MRR Blog

OMFG!

LAMONT!

w00t!

We won one.

Less than 100 days out.

Save Sam Seder while you're celebrating.

Keep working.

LAMONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C'mon, baby.

Time to see that Liebermortis.

Matt Taibbi bitch-slaps David Brooks

Brooks is the perfect priest of American conservatism, and by conservatism I don't mean the bloodthirsty, gun-toting, go-back-to-Africa, welfare-bashing right-winger conservatism of the NRA and Sean Hannity and the Bible Belt. I mean the dickless, power-worshipping, good-consumer pragmatic conservatism of Times readers and those other Bobos in Paradise who have exquisitely developed taste in furniture, coffee and television programming but would rather leave the uglier questions of politics to more decisive people, so long as they aren't dangerous radicals like Michael Moore or Markos Zuniga.

That's why the marriage of David Brooks and the Democratic Leadership Council makes perfect sense. It's repugnant and the kind of thing one should shield young children from knowing about, but it makes perfect sense. Both prefer a policy of being "cautious soldiers," "incrementalists" who shun upheavals and vote the status quo, although they subscribe to this policy for different reasons. Brooks worships the status quo because he has no penis and wants to spend the rest of his life buying periwinkle bath towels without troubling interruptions of conscience. The DLC, a nonprofit created in the mid-1980s to help big business have a say in the Democratic Party platform, supports the status quo because they are paid agents of the commercial interests that define it.

Even Falafel Bill agrees.

This amuses me.

Busy, busy, busy

Right.

So I saw the Dresden Dolls last night, great show. I was completely prepared for Amanda Palmer to steal the show, but it was Brian who really impressed me. The man is simply an amazing percussionist. Their rendition of "War Pigs" literally left me with my mouth open. The whole set (which was unfortunately cut short) was great, but Backstabber and Girl Anachronism seemed particularly tight, with an honorable mention going to "Hit Me Baby, One More Time".

The headlining act was much less entertaining. Panic at The Disco is simply not my thing, to be quite honest. They appeared to be aping some of the style of bands like The Dresden Dolls or perhaps Rasputina, but where both of those groups succeed, Panic failed miserably. It seemed to be a prepackaged, teeny bop parody of the punk cabaret show I was looking for.

The Dresden Dolls ended up continuing the show at The Mission Theater, combining the event with Amanda's "Fuck The Back Row" project, but, alas, it was not to be. Laurel is not of legal age to attend, so we left the Expo, and I took her home. Had a good conversation with her on the drive, really enjoying getting to know her. Good soul, that one.

Talked to Dan and Suzy for a bit, then left for home.

Laurel sent me a copy of a story she's written. I enjoyed it quite a bit, although I'll save that for later. I will say she's quite talented.

That's all for now.

When I Die...

When I die, I hope this is what awaits me.

Temperature and Pressure

Does it seem to you that everyone has been rather pissy lately?

I offer the following list of culprits.


First, the ME is heating up again quite badly (not the temperature, we'll get to that presently). Israel seems pretty intent on using Lebanon to make an example to the rest of its neighbors. Problem is, the rest of the world's not buying ('cept us, of course), although I don't think Israel gives a fuck how the rest of the world feels.

Bad juju.

Secondly, there's the cost of gasoline (which ties in rather nicely with the above). I'm getting a real bargain at $2.759 for regular, although I have to put premium in Lydia's tank, or she gets grouchy. So, I actually pay 2.959 per gallon, which is still .$10-$.17 cheaper than most of the city. I don't know how people can do this. I worked in the credit industry for several years, I know that many families are only a paycheck or two away from bankruptcy. So how long are people gonna be able to keep up with the price of gas having more than doubled in the last five years?

I mean look, I'm not that bad off, and I'm feeling quite a bit pinched at nearly $3.00 per gallon.

Thirdly, the temperature. It was 111° Fahrenheit here two days ago. Yesterday, it was 104°. In fucking Portland! People are just not being very civil, as a result. I have noticed that this irritability is also occurring in other areas of the U.S., which are also dealing with record temperatures.

Anyway that's all for now. I'll find something else to bitch about later