thoughts on a sunday morning

first of all, thank you to everyone who came over to watch the ufc matches last night. i had a great time. and, i'm glad some of you stuck around because i think we had about as good a time playing catch phrase.

thanks to adam & eleanore for hanging out with heather, who didn't want to watch the fight.

overall, i thought the ufc package was pretty good. i wouldn't say that i am some sort of huge fan, but if there are compelling match ups, i'm interested. i've watched the ufc reality show, and the matches usually seem to go the distance there. and, i've watched a few of the ppv's in the last 4 or so years. in the ppv's, it seems like either the fights have been: boring, with little action; or stopped too early. last night's ppv was neither. lots of first round ko's and tko's. i think we were all a bit surprised to see all of the first round finishes. this is especially true since many of us had watched the ppv that featured ortiz/shamrock & orlofsky/some guy. that ppv was filled with drawn out matches and the quick stop in the ortiz match.

as for the main event, i thought it was enjoyable and it was the result i had expected. however, i do think that the ref was wrong to stop it when he did. ortiz had been in a worse position in the first round and it wasn't stopped. in the third round, yes, liddel was pounding away, but tito was blocking. and, when it was stopped, liddel seemed to be tiring and ortiz was about to make a move. so why stop it there? liddel was dominant, and i think he would have still won, but i also think that ortiz was prepared to go to the fourth or even fifth rounds. had it gone five, ortiz may have been able to submit liddel.

like i said, it was a good match. i hope we all had a good time watching.

so, right now, i'm watching football. sadly, my beloved rams were eliminated from a playoff spot, but they're still playing well today. i'm also loving that the cowboys are getting punked at home right now. the savior of football, romo, has looked very pedestrian. as much as i enjoy watching football, i have really enjoyed watching it while also monitoring my fantasy team. unfortunately, i had a really poor showing in my first fantasy playoff game, and was dispatched to the consolation bracket. it really stinks because i would have won the semifinal game, and would be up big in the championship right now (thank you steven jackson). instead, i am playing for 5th place. dang. oh well. that's how it happens.

finally, tonight is new years. i hope we all have a good, safe time.

newsflash

saddam hussein is dead. i guess we don't have to worry about any more 9/11 style terrorist attacks. what's that you say? hussein had nothing to do with 9/11? huh.

well, at least this will stop the war in iraq. right?

deyoung before new years

so, we enjoyed our time with justin in town from seattle. not that we haven't also enjoyed seeing other out of towners (johnsons, widlunds) or other in towners we haven't seen as frequently (portelas, castros, fosters) or the ones we see often (adam, woodys). we finished our whirlwind Xmas week with two road trips. the first was to bakersfield to meet up with the johnsons. we had some super grub, even if we arrived way late. hey, things happen. but it was good to see scott & malisa, as well as emily, although her appearance for us was brief. just a bit between bath & bed. we also got to see our chums the woody w/little georgia, the ogdens (damn, i should know their child's name, i know we got an announcement and other stuff like that. i admit, my bad) and julie. sadly, no dana. but we did see doug. yep, doug is still as tall as he was, although malisa couldn't believe it.

today, we rolled up to sf to see the deyoung museum. nice drive, went up through gilroy & hit up the outlets. got some new golf shoes (great deal, and i purchased my current pair over 6 yrs ago, they're pretty beat). we then hit the city. the museum was really nice. it's brand spankin new, so i think this may explain the large crowds. it's really big, and lots of nice stuff.

after the museum, we went down haight street and found some nice little place for dinner. we walked around a few streets and headed home.

(for some reason, blogger's not wanting me to upload photos right now. i'll try again tomorrow. the post will be a lot more comprehensive with photos & explanations.)

liddel ortiz 2

saturday dec 30 liddel vs ortiz 2. watch the iceman lay a beating on ortiz

uncensored Xmas song

it seems that nbc actually has a youtube account, and they posted the uncensored version of this song. don't watch it if you're going to take offense to a euphemism.

hello neighbor

for those of you aficionados of stuffonmycat.com, check this out.

soup there it is

some may remember a great sketch on snl called omeletville. well timberlake was on snl again last weekend, and delivered this hit. also watch the boy band spoof they do after about Xmas

it's not comfy, but it looks sweet.

"Furniture is no longer aesthetics' stepchild,"

quite an interesting quote. justin and adam may find particular interest in this article. e may find interst as well, because it's about her hood, you know, mijamies.

searching for terms and Xmas gifts

wow, i've been getting a ton of hits for this phrase lately: chicken pot chicken pot chicken pot pie. i guess a lot of david cross fans are looking for stuff on him. nothing here to see. that is, unless you watch the video of him & johnny marr spoofing the bofa u2 rip off.

hopefully an art update soon, other than my rogue links that i included.

today, i did some Xmas shopping. no, i probably didn't get you that gift your heart has been desiring. but, i did buy some stuff for myself. heather's parents, as well as one set of her grandparents, gave us $ to buy our gifts, and then we have to bring them over for Xmas all wrapped up. so, i had been thinking about what i wanted, pricing some stuff, and finally went out an made a purchase. i'm wearing it right now. can you guess what it is?

rogue 2007

hey, i've got some upcoming shows. the first will be january @ tower mosaic for art hop. at least one new piece.

the next will be:


i've also added a link in my sidebar for the rogue festival, right under my fresno famous blog link.

nfl picks week 15

ummm, well, no more picks. frankly, i'm tired of doing it. i was picking somewhere around 50%, but that's not why i'm giving it up. i'm bored, and don't want to do it this week. so there.

and, since no one really ever commented, i doubt that anyone actually cared who i was picking.

some quick thoughts

today, i happened to catch part of the 40 greatest metal songs on vh1 classic rock. pretty dang good special. made me want to throw on some anthrax. or to get a few marilyn manson songs.

then, i was checking out some on demand and i noticed that they currently have all 5 rocky movies in the free movie section. dang i love rocky 3. i didn't have time to watch any today, but i think i'll be tuning in tomorrow.

oh, and i got to take a nap today. it was awesome.

quick pick

seattle is a 10 point favorite tonight. i think they'll beat sf, but not by that much. i pick sf & the points

shheeeesssssh.

so, last night was i ranting to heather about how my students never read directions. they turn in assignments that bare very little ressemblance to what i have asked them to complete. for one of my more recent assignments, i worked through the diretions several times at home, making sure that it was completely clear what i wanted and did not want.

surprise! a significant portion of my classes still just did whatever they thought they should do. i was so frustrated that i kept scratching my head and i had a headache.

which brings us to today. i was speaking to a co-worker (ok, it was my mom, but still, she's a coworker) about the hours that i get paid for compared to the amount of time i actually work. yeah, it's the complaint of every teacher. i know. i know. anyway, i was complaining about how i'm supposed to do more work than they actually pay me for, and that is why i hadn't done some of the more administrative tasks. she pointed out that i was supposed to be getting paid for two more hours than i had thought.

you see, my last teaching assignment was for one class. this worked out to eleven hours a week. so, when i was given two classes during this term, i just doubled that eleven to twenty two hours. it all made sense. but, the school, in it's infinite wisdom actually gives you more hours because they know you've got more work to do. i trotted down to the administrative assistant's office to verify that i was supposed to be working twenty four. yep. twenty four.

fortunately, there has only been one pay period that should have reflected this amount. and, it was only one week. so, i screwed myself out of two hours, i'll live with it. and, in my defense, they hadn't returned my copy of my updated contract that stated how many hours i was supposed to work.

of course, i did sign the freakin contract that said exactly how many hours i was supposed to work and get paid for. read the directions. read the details. after all, it's what you expect from you class.

Merry Xmash

heather was telling me about jay's scrubs/charlie brown mash up. here's a link for some more.

flyer - dec 15th event

here's the flyer for the event i thought was last week. but it's really this week. and, it's a benefit for food not bombs.

"damn, the boys won"*

congrats to heather. she picked the winners of the amazing race. my team finished 4th (booted last week). mike's team, well they were out a while ago.



*this is what the 2nd place team said as they were running up to the finish line.

i'll punch you in the ear

something to plan on
what are you doing dec 30th?
if you're in fresno, i think i'll be watching
this

want to come?

and, the next day is new years eve.

this may sum it up

toothpastefordinner.com

bad news

well this is a real kick in the pants. or, maybe a blow to the ego.

nfl picks week 14

crap. last week was bad. i went 6-10. the rams lost terribly. my fantasy team lost terribly. let's hope week 14 is a reversal of trends.

game-----------------------------me-------------sg----------sg's wife
Steelers (-7.5) vs Browns------browns-------browns-------browns
Ravens (+3) vs CHIEFS----------chiefs-------ravens-------chiefs
Falcons (-3) vs BUCS-----------falcons------falcons------falcons
Vikings (+1.5) vs LIONS--------vikings------vikings------vikings
Titans (+1.5) vs TEXANS--------titans-------titans-------titans
Saints (+6.5) vs COWBOYS-----saints-------saints-------cowboys
Bills (+3.5) vs JETS---------------jets---------bills--------bills
JAGS (+1.5) vs Colts--------------colts--------jags---------jags
REDSKINS (+1) vs Eagles-------eagles-------redskins-----eagles
Giants (+3) vs PANTHERS-----giants-------giants-------giants
BENGALS (-11) vs Raiders-----bengals------bengals------bengals
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs Pats-----patriots-----dolphins-----patriots
49ERS (-4) vs Packers----------49ers--------49ers--------49ers
Seahawks (-3.5) vs CARDS-----seahawks----seahawks---seahawks
CHARGERS (-7) vs Broncos----chargers-----chargers-----broncos
Bears (-6) vs RAMS-------------bears---------bears-------bears

last week----------------------6-10-------------9-7-----------8-8
season------------------------93-99-------------92-95-6-------96-90-6
so, i hate picking against the rams. but, frankly, their special teams are terrible. guess what, the bears score frequently on special teams. that's not good.

want to come along?

hey hey, if you're interested, post art hop show @ tokyo. usually kicks off around ten. i get there a little bit after because i work until 10:20ish.

tomorrow night- people vs. john lennon @ tower theater.
tomorrow night - there's a show @ starline. i'm thinking about going after the movie.

quick pick

just to throw it out there, before i do my actual football picks, there's a thursday night game. my paper has pittsburgh as a 7.5 point fav over cleveland. i'm taking cleveland and the points.

full picks tomorrow.

scary mary

i saw this trailer and was frightened. this seems like a great one to hide under a blanket while watching on the couch.

"chicken pot chick pot chicken pot pie"

so, on the old show just shoot me there was a reoccuring character that frequently said that line. he was elliot's brother who had fallen out of a tree or something like that, and was then mentally challenged. the character was also my introduction to the hilarity of david cross.

well, here's one better. or worse. i'm not sure.


breaking news - crap. i just learned that not only did jason schmidt sign with the evil that is the dodgers, jt snow is retiring, and it doesn't look like klinsmann will be the next u.s. soccer coach. crap.

video mash up

so, i didn't see one of these movies, and i thought the other was a piece of crap. warning, this vid contains some swear words.

you were always on my mind

i didn't forget about you. i know, i haven't posted anything new in five days. hey, i've been a little busy. and a little tired. i also went out of town briefly and visited some people.

i know, these are just excuses. but, i assure you that i wouldn't take you out of my links because you didn't update in a week. now, if you wait two months in between updates, yeah, you're getting pulled.

i've thought about things to discuss here, i just haven't gotten around to it. my daily bus ride home for work provides time to read the newspaper. weird, reading a physical newspaper again. but, on the bus, they're half price, so i've been trying to get one. something to read while listen to music. there have been a few stories that i wanted to talk about in the past few days, but now i've gotten rid of those papers and i don't remember what they were. have no fear, i read the paper today. i saw these great stories (since i read them in an actual newspaper there are no links):

- a guy in clovis burned down his house. he had 650 Xmas lights all plugged into the same exterior outlet. the outlet shorted and started a fire.

- madison, wi apologized to a blind rape victim. five years ago, a lady alleged that an intruder raperd her at knife point. the police didn't believe it, and even charged her with lying. dna has recently connected the case to a sex offender. the city apologized and is offering her 35k. uhhh, was her story that shaky that they didn't believe her word, even though they had dna evidence? what, she's not credible at determining whether or not she was raped because she couldnt' see the attacker?

- your congress is hard at work. sorta. they are trying to get out of dodge before passing a bunch of spending bills. so, if you had some sort of federal funding pledged, you're probably not going to get it. but, they are actually working to repair your habeas corpus rights. now, i could theoretically disappear for saying this, but the decider (and the last congress) allowed laws to pass that said you, yes you, could be detained indefinately without access to courts or even being charged. hopefully they'll decide to return the rights given to us in the constitution of the freakin united states.

- they captured a half ton croc in indonesia. uhhhh, half ton? 1000 friggin lbs? yikes. why am i not surprised that this ginormous croc had 2 hands, a leg and a pair of shorts in it's stomach?

- speaking of animal stories, a lady in nipomo got bit by a bat. that bat came into her house via a Xmas tree that she bought @ a tree lot. it had been spray painted white (or flocked, whatever you want to call it) @ the tree lot, and it bit her while she was decorating. at first she thought that she scratched her self on the needles, but saw the bat chilling out on her wall the next morning.

oooh, i remembered one of the other stories. the ny police shooting. the injured people say that they never had any weapons, the alleged 4th person that the police claim had a gun doesn't exist, and they say the uncover officers never identified themselves. surprise! we'll keep watching this story, but this sure seems very similar to what i predicted would be said.

-another story coming back to me now was that the new president of mexico is taking a pay cut, and will cut salaries to most of his cabinet. that had been a pledge of his opposition, but he decided to also do it. that's cool. also, hugo chavez was re-elected in venezuela


i hope that's enough for the moment. i'm going to take a nap. and maybe i'll have a another post this afternoon.

a video for heather

do you know who this is?

more aids thoughts

i saw this and thought it was a good connection to my previous post about world aids day.

sit ins may work where bombs don't

keep your eye on this story in the coming days, weeks, months. hezbollah is staging a sit in. can their peaceful protest topple the government of lebanon? and, if it does, how will the u.s. respond?

football picks week 13

game---------------------------------me------------sg--------------sg's wife
BENGALS (-3) vs Ravens---------ravens---------bengals--------bengals
Vikings (+9)vs BEARS------------vikings--------vikings----------bears
STEELERS (-7)vs Buccaneers----steelers-------steelers---------bucs
Cardinals (+6.5)vs RAMS----------cardinals------cardinals-----rams
TITANS (+7.5)vs Colts-------------colts----------cardinals-------colts
DOLPHINS (PK)vs Jags------------dolphins-------dolphins-----jags
49ers (+7)vs SAINTS---------------saints---------49ers----------49ers
Falcons (+1)vs REDSKINS---------falcons--------falcons---------redskins
BROWNS (+5)vs Chiefs------------chiefs---------browns----------browns
Jets (-1)vs PACKERS----------------packers--------jets-----------jets
PATRIOTS (-13.5)vs Lions----------patriots-------patriots------patriots
BILLS (+6)vs Chargers-------------chargers-------bills------------chargers
Cowboys (-3.5)vs GIANTS---------cowboys--------cowboys------giants
Texans (+3)vs RAIDERS------------texans---------texans---------raiders
BRONCOS (-3)vs Seahawks--------broncos--------broncos-------seahawks
Panthers (-3)vs EAGLES------------eagles---------panthers------eagles

last week-----------------------------10-6-----------12-4-------------11-5
season--------------------------------87-89----------84-87-6-------88-82-6

that's right folks. my blog goes from thinking about world aids day to sports picks. also, the cinci/balt game was already played, but, being an honest guy, i tell you that i would have picked the ravens. and the points were in their favor. but they already lost it for me.

World Aids Day

today is a special day. it's not Xmas, it's not thanksgiving. today is world aids day.

what was your fist memory relating to aids? was it magic johnson admitting that he was hiv + and everyone was worried how this would affect his basketball career?

i don't think that magic was the first time i thought of it, but it probably was one of the things that did open my eyes to the disease. i also remember being in junior high and high school and having such stupid ideas about the disease. seeing signs that joked about aids and homosexuality and thinking they were funny. or hearing about rock stars that i "followed" wearing shirts that mocked the disease. it's not a perspective that i held on to very long, and for that i'm glad.

maybe when we were all being exposed to it, we all had stupid ideas. there was so much misinformation. no one really knew how big it would get. was it a flash in the pan or would this disease stick around and change everything. sadly, it seems like it's more of the latter and less of the former. relatively soon, it'll be the 3rd leading cause of death in the world.

we have to keep learning, and changing our preception of this disease. we have to keep fighting it. those that are infected need treatment. the rest of us, we need education and prevention. we also need empathy for the growing world populus that will pass away from this preventable fate.

i don't know exactly what to do. but, hey, why not check out product red, or one.org?

(tumbleweed blows by as you look @ this page)

it's going to be slow posting over the next few days. i'm adjusting to my new teaching assigments that requires me to get up around 6am. it's a bit of an adjustment. and, today and tomorrow (and perhaps more) i'm subbing for another class right after my morning class. then, throw in my night class, i'm swamped. and tired. so, i don't think i'll be blogging or commenting much until wednesday or thursday. anything that shows will probably be brief.

new york police shooting

i was going to post a link to this story and make a joke about how it showed why you should avoid strip clubs. but, as i read the story, it just pissed me off. i'm sure there are a lot more details to come, but right now the new york police seem to be covering their butts. police fire 50 times, killing one man, injuring two others. the police thought the men might have a gun. they didn't.

now, i'm not saying it's cut and dry. the men did run their car into an undercover officer and an unmarked police minivan. but, the police aren't saying, at least not yet, that they ever identified themselves as police. they were in plain clothes, investigating a strip club. the men, who were shot, were at the club.

the vatican, and common sense

cha cha cha changes
the vatican may be making some changes. no, they're not ditching the cool hats. but, they may allow you to wear a hat, of sorts. the vatican may soon approve the use of condoms. it seems that they are responding to the global aids crisis.

and, since the commercial is on right now, i will voice my displeasure with common for doing a gap ad. i realize that every artist wants to sell, get their message out, and what not. but in my book, doing a gap ad = selling out. common, you were ghetto fab. you were a purveyor of urban chic. now, you're shilling for conformity wear. great.

happy thanksgiving

football picks week 12

oooh, early edition of picks because of the thanksgiving day games

game-------------------------------me----------------sg--------------sg's wife
LIONS (+2.5)vs Dolphins--------dolphins---------lions------------dolphins
COWBOYS (-11)vs Bucs---------cowboys----------cowboys----------bucs
CHIEFS (+1)vs Broncos----------chiefs-----------chiefs-----------broncos
Texans (+6)vs JETS----------------jets-------------texans-----------jets
RAVENS (-3)vs Steelers---------ravens-----------ravens-----------ravens
BILLS (+3)vs Jags-----------------jags-------------bills------------bills
Bengals (-3)vs BROWNS----------bengals--------bengals----------bengals
Cards (+6.5)vs VIKES-------------cards------------cards------------cards
Niners (+6)vs RAMS-------------niners-----------niners-----------niners
Saints (+3)vs FALCONS----------saints-----------saints-----------saints
Panthers (-4.5)vs REDSKINS-----panthers-------panthers---------panthers
Raiders (+13)vs CHARGERS-------chargers------raiders----------raiders
PATRIOTS (-3)vs Bears-----------patriots---------patriots---------patriots
TITANS (+2)vs Giants-------------giants-----------titans-----------giants
Eagles (+9)vs COLTS---------------colts------------eagles-----------eagles
SEAHAWKS (-9)vs Packers--------seahawks-------seahawks-------seahawks

last week-----------------------------10-6-------------8-7-1--------------8-7-1
season-------------------------------77-83------------71-83-6------------77-77-6

david cross & johnny marr cover BofA ripoff song

thanks to stereogum & boing boing who both brought this to my attention.

some stuff for the woody's & johnsons

i saw this baby gear and first thought of the woody's. they've got a fresh bun out of the oven, and may need to stock up on new toys. btw, i love those shirts. we've got to get you two the gear we bought for her.

but, scott has always been one for gadgets, so i thought that he'd also like this stuff. not that malissa wouldn't but more that scott is the tech type.

champions league - match day 5

this morning, i scrolled through the guide to see who would be playing in uefa champions league. what did i see for the first match? my brother's fav team, celtic, would be taking on manchester united. each team is leading their respectives leagues, and manchester is leading the group in the champions league.

the air was electic in the east end of glasgow. celtic park was rocking. the red devils of manchester united were visiting, and both sides seemed ready for a great match.
-the first half was dominated by manchester. their passes were crisper, they seemed more organized on the offensive end, and their stars were shining. celtic, however, seemed a step slow in the back, confused on offense, and with the exception of lennon, their stars were invisible. yet, @ the midway point, it was tied @ nil.
-celtic seemed much more lively during the second half. manchester still looked sharp. both sides had moments of sloppiness, but they also had flashes of brilliance. guys like christiano ronaldo, who i dislike, looked great. giggs had a nice free kick @ one point. rooney, who was good in the first half, disappeared in the second.
-in the 80th minute, there was a terrible call against manchester. it set up a set piece about 25 yards out. nakamura buried it in the back of the net. upper corner. van der sar didn't have a chance.
-in the 83rd minute, it seemed that saha was offsides. he was alone in the box, and just stopped. the keeper came out and blocked a weak little attempt. saha though he was off, and didn't even try. play until the whistle moron. you would have equalized it.
-in the 86th minute, a pretty bad call went against celtic. not as bad as the one against united, but still a bad one. free kick about 20 yards out. deflected. with a hand, just inside the box. yellow card to celtic. penalty kick. saha shoots to lower corner. great save by celtic's keeper, boruc. really, he started going the wrong way (or maybe was faking the wrong way) and then dove back and knocked the shot away.
-a few minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle, and celtic park echoed with songs of their supporters. celtic moves ahead of manchester in their group. tied on points, but leading with the tie breaker. celtic may not end up winning the group, but they are through to the next stage.

next up on the tube, a chance to watch my favorite internation team, real madrid. real is taking lyonnaise tonight. real is playing in front of their home crowd, and i hope they don't disappoint.
-eleven minutes in, and lyon is up 1 to nil. i think last time i wastched these two sides play, lyon was victorious. crap. am i bad luck?
-eighteen minutes in, and real looks sloppy. their not stringing together any passes, the defense looks too relaxed, and they could be in for some problems tonight.
-thirty minutes in, and i'm distracted by reading blogs. lyon has a corner kick, real gives up too much space and the keeper doesn't make a great effort either. 2-0 lyon.
-38th minute, real is still giving a poor showing. they've got a corner, it swings out to van nistelrooy, who heads it back across, and diarra buries a header in the back of the net. 2-1. pretty nice goal, especially since diarra also took a high boot to the head on the play and still finished.
-the first ten minutes of the 2nd half have been pretty good. lots of action, both teams working hard. real madrid has come out fired up, trying to equalize. so, lyon is having to match intesity on the defensive end.
-60th minute, some great touches by van nistelrooy and raul, but robinho blows the shot.
-82nd minute, not much has been happening lately. cross into the lyon box, raul hits a great header that beats the keeper, but hits the post. the ricochet goes right to van nistelrooy, who puts it home. all even @ 2-2.
-87th minute. van nistelrooy fouled hard at the edge of the box. well, maybe it wasn't a foul. some contact. but, real madrid is awarded a penalty shot. ruud missed one from the spot on match day 4. and...this one is blocked. good save keeper. wow, back to back matches that i've watched had a keeper save on a pk, at the end of the game.
-91st minute, some pushing & shoving after a foul. yellows awarded to players on each team.
-and it finishes that way after 3 minutes of stoppage time. 2-2.
if able, i'll watch chelski play tomorrow.

you're kidding right?

a formula for beer goggles. really, you're trying to figure out why people may seem more attractive after a few drinks?

bausch & lomb funded the study. i wonder if they're going to make glasses to either give you perma beer goggles or if they've got lenses to make sure no matter how many you still are seeing with good judgment

UPDATE: check out these

let me tell you

a notice to those who advocate for abortion
i don't advise moving to nicaragua any time soon if you want an abortion.
or other parts in central america.
and maybe some of south america, too.

but, if you want to re-enact lolita, talk to this guy.

football picks week 11

ahhh, my weekly post on my nfl picks. while i make these picks, i'm watching red dawn, hoping that the wolverine war cry will bring good karma to michigan, pushing them over ohio st.

game-------------------------------------me----------------sg-------------sg's wife
CHIEFS (-9.5)vs Raiders--------------chiefs------------chiefs---------chiefs
COWBOYS (+1)vs Colts---------------colts-------------cowboys--------cowboys
Bengals (+3)vs SAINTS----------------bengals-----------bengals--------saints
BROWNS (+3)vs Steelers-------------steelers----------browns---------steelers
Titans (+13)vs EAGLES---------------titans------------titans---------titans
RAVENS (-4)vs FALCONS------------ravens------------ravens---------ravens
Rams (+6.5)vs PANTHERS-----------rams--------------rams-----------rams
Bills (+2.5)vs TEXANS-----------------bills-------------bills----------bills
PACKERS (+6)vs Patriots------------patriots----------packers--------packers
Redskins (+3)vs BUCS----------------redskins----------redskins-------bucs
JETS (+7)vs Bears----------------------bears-------------jets-----------jets
NINERS (+3.5)vs Seahawks----------seahawks----------niners---------niners
DOLPHINS (-3)vs Vikings------------dolphins----------dolphins-------dolphins
Lions (+2)vs CARDS-------------------lions-------------lions----------cards
BRONCOS (-2.5)vs Chargers----------chargers----------broncos--------broncos
JAGS (-3.5)vs Giants-------------------giants------------jags-----------giants

last week--------------------------------6-10--------------7-9------------9-7
season----------------------------------67-77-------------63-76-5--------69-70-5

question

will thursday reclaim it's role from wednesday? i think it just may. most of the reason for the long ago switch are gone. and, it seems like a lot of good stuff happens around fresno on thursdays.

what do you, of whom the tradition was started with, think? do you hold on to tradition or allow it to develop, perhaps evolve?

what do you, of whom continue the tradition this day, think?

i hope you took a picture

"We were absolutely horrified. That's life I suppose."

yes it is. dang funny stuff. rare bird shows up in england. promptly eaten by another bird. bird watching sorts horrified.

welcome back

tom & sam widlund have moved back into my links section. you'll find their blogs under wid (tom) and lund (sam).

what's up with me

a little update on what's keeping me busy

currently, i am:
-working on 3 paintings. it looks like my next show will be january. group show. hopefully by that show, i will have 6 new pieces.
-i am waiting on word on whether or not i will be an artist in the rogue festival. they should have let me know by now, but i hear that they're behind schedule on stuff.
-finishing up my current teaching assignment. term ends next wednesday.
-working on my application for a full time faculty position (where i want to be).

i am getting ready to:
-teach english. not sure how, but i'm qualified (various class credits). i will be teaching english in the next five week term. starts monday after thanksgiving. sadly, this screws my new year plans for seattle. it looks like we have a break around the Xmas holiday, but start back jan 1. wha?
- watch michigan vs ohio state on saturday. hey, 1 vs 2. huge game. may disappoint. i always like watching a key matchup in season.

what's in the distance:
-ps3. yeah, it comes out this week. but, i'm not one for standing in line overnight. if they happen to still have them in stock on saturday, i might get one. if not, i can wait. i've waited this long.
-motorcycle training course - at some point i'm taking this weekend course. then i'll have my motorcycle license. that, plus more $ making = motorcycle. then, i get to crash, lose my leg, marry paul mccartney, get divorced, and be set for the rest of life. (i know, i know, that's crass.)

so, before this you did that

so, this current round of survivor was supposed to stir up all sorts of controversy and discussion because they started with tribes based on racial lines.

i know survivor, and reality tv in general, continues to change. they're trying to make it better, more interesting. unfortunately it seems like it is all falling apart, de-evolving. do you remember the first two or three seasons of the real world (which was the first "modern" reality show)? it was good. it was about the interaction between people. i'd say survivor has generally held up to that as well. but, as real world continued on, it became more about typecasting, people who just want to be on tv, and less about the real show. i fear that survivor has done the same.

here's a link, which talks about 4 of the current contestants. and check out my pick ozzy (4th down).

a site for heather

i'm sure others will appreciate this as well, but i thought heather might dig it the most. click on the store icon to see most of the pictures (do not buy anything though).

faux environmentalists

i knew it. prius owners, despite lacking the taste to buy an aesthetically pleasing vehicle, are also a bit hypocritical.

"In fact, Prius owners are particularly keen on SUVs. CNW says they’re more likely to own an SUV than drivers of hybrid Honda Accords or Civics. Prius owners, an especially affluent group, also are partial to luxury cars, with nearly one in five sharing garage space with upscale wheels. That love of SUVs and luxury liners drags down the fuel economy of the family fleet in Prius households to just 22.8mpg, according to CNW. That’s lower than the family fleet mileage of households where one car’s an Accord, Civic or even Toyota Corolla (which average 26.3mpg)."

well, i'd feel much more superior and self-righteous if this article actually included statistics of some sort, but oh well.


(of course, i'm sure i'll succumb (again) some day and purchase some stupid vehicle that gets terrible gas mileage, like a 64 nova wagon.)

saturday night live

so, i watched saturday night live last night, after catching some mediocre ufc fights. there were actually some decent sketches, and i thought christina aguilara sung well. especially the number she did with tony bennett.

here's a good one with amy poller as britney spears.

as usual, there were also some real stinkers. but, adam sandberg did some funny stuff.

elton john wants to rid you of your religion

so, in this story, sir elton john talks about how organized religion should be banned. now, i didn't really want to talk about the article. i just wanted you all to see the picture of elton that the bbc used with it.





sir elton dracula

heather wants to know why he can't just "fall asleep" in his car like george michael?

week 10 football picks

here i go again on my own...

game-----------------------------------ed--------------sg----------sg's wife------
Chiefs (EVEN)vs DOLPHINS----chiefs----------chiefs--------dolphins
Texans (+10.5)vs JAGS------------texans----------texans--------texans
BENGALS (+1)vs Chargers-------bengals---------bengals-------chargers
Ravens (-7.5)vs TITANS----------ravens----------ravens--------ravens
Browns (+7)vs FALCONS--------falcons---------browns--------falcons
Packers (+5.5)vs VIKINGS-------packers---------packers-------vikings
Saints (+4.5)vs STEELERS-------saints----------saints--------saints
COLTS (-12.5)vs Bills------------bills-------------colts---------bills
Jets (+10.5)vs PATRIOTS--------jets------------patriots------patriots
EAGLES (-7)vs Redskins--------redskins--------eagles--------eagles
Broncos (-9)vs RAIDERS--------broncos---------broncos-------raiders
LIONS (-6)vs Niners-------------lions-----------lions---------niners
PANTHERS(-9.5)vs Bucs--------bucs------------panthers------panthers
Rams (+3)vs SEAHAWKS------rams------------rams----------seahawks
CARDS (+7)vs Cowboys--------cards-----------cards---------cowboys
GIANTS (EVEN)vs Bears-------bears-----------giants--------giants

last week------------------------3-11------------4-10--------------5-9
season--------------------------61-67-----------56-67-6----------60-63-5

last week killed me. btw, the simpsons' picks aren't getting included because they're not posting them in time. it's friday @ 3 (west coasst). you have to have them up by now.

thank you fx

it's always sunny in philadelphia, one of my favorite shows, will be back for a third season.

and, i found out that the main character is from philly. tim didn't think any of their accents were true. of course, he lives in la now, so maybe it's faded.

gender story version 2.0h

not too long ago, i posted a story discussing gender issues relating to a male cross dresser, who had not had any gender reassignment surgery but still used the women's restroom.

today, on boing boing, i saw this
"The New York Times ran a story this week about New York City's plan to permit people to change the gender on their birth certificates even if they haven’t had sex reassignment surgery. The move comes after much advocacy by transgender groups who believe that gender has to do with much more than anatomy. For many transgendered people, in fact, anatomy is itself a mixed bag. This new move allows individuals to decide for themselves whether they are male or female."

here's the link to the story

i really find this to be quite interesting. it's not genetics, it's not science, it's not surgery that define gender.

from the article, "Transgender advocates consider the New York proposal an overdue bulwark against discrimination that recognizes an emerging shift away from viewing gender as simply the sum of one’s physical parts. But some psychiatrists and doctors are skeptical of the move, saying sexual self-definition should stop at rewriting medical history."

so, really what is gender then? it's not roles decided by society, it's not the sum of your physical parts, it's not your genetics. is gender solely defined by the individual now?

but, i do disagree with this statement, "Joann Prinzivalli, 52, a lawyer for the New York Transgender Rights Organization, a man who has lived as a woman since 2000, without surgery, said the changes amount to progress, a move away from American culture’s misguided fixation on genitals as the basis for one’s gender identity."

it's not just here. as evidenced by my previous post about italy, there's some doubt about what defines gender there as well. and, i'd venture that most of latin america, and africa might be even more "misguided".

chicago immolation

is this peaceful protest? it's definately a statement.

"it was a thumpin"

damn straight it was. i know that 6 out of 10 say it was the war, and that's definately a big part, but to me it also seems like a reversal of the alleged mandate given in the republican revolution of like, 94. everyone seems fed up of their alleged moral imperatives, inability to actually follow through, and getting caught doing everything they rail against.

i'm glad that society can change, that there is no guarantee that the status quo will be maintained. of course, the cynic in me believes that the dems are just as much the status quo, but still.

hey, we've got the fist ever female speaker of the house. that's a good change. and, it looks like we'll actually have checks and balances again. that is, if the courts aren't just in someone's pocket, too.

in fresno, we elected not only the first ever hmong city councilman (the first in ca. even), but he's also the first asian american on the fresno city council. that's crazy to me. it was also nice that the two candidates ran a "gentlemenly" campaign. no crap talk, just issues for the neighborhood affected. and, i also really appreciated getting a letter from mr. xiong explaining why he wasn't declaring his political affiliation. the issues of the district, the city, aren't about democrat or republican. they are about looking out for the needs of all those in your district. maybe the more partisan council members will take note.

arrrrrrggggghhhh

i can't believe it. i forgot the simpson's treehouse of horror was on last sunday. damn. damn. damn. i totally forgot that it was a new episode. and, i missed it because i was watching a football game that was pissing me off. didn't even record it.

the red balloon

wow. as a kid, i saw a movie over and over in school. i don't know why they showed it, but it seems like i saw the red balloon about once a year. now, if you have the time, you too can see it, on youtube. the link will take you to part one. from there you have access to 3 other segments. it's about 34 minutes total.

feel free to discuss what you think this movie is about.

mash it up

well, this post ain't really about mash ups. in fact, it's really a post for heather, who likes the smiths, and jay, who likes modest mouse. (okay, okay, i know a lot of you also may like those bands, too. i do.)

johnny marr joined modest mouse (or here). they're doing shows. and finishing up an album.

in other news

doogie howser came out recently. i guess that he was trying to keep up with all the pub that lance bass got. what? few cared about that? well, at least neil patrick harris is funny (that's a critique on lance bass, not on either of these guy's sexuality).

congratulations

congrats to the woody's on the birth of georgia jane woody. 7 lbs, 10 oz. 20 inches.

football picks week 9

games-----------------------------me-------------sg-----------sg's wife
RAMS (-3) vs Chiefs-----------chiefs---------rams----------chiefs
Bengals (+3) vs RAVENS------bengals--------bengals-------ravens
GIANTS (-13) vs Texans-------giants---------giants--------giants
Titans (+10) vs JAGS----------titans---------titans--------titans
BUCS (+1) vs Saints------------saints---------bucs----------saints
Packers (+3)vs BILLS---------packers--------packers-------packers
LIONS (+5) vs Falcons--------falcons--------lions---------falcons
BEARS (-13.5) vs Dolphins-----bears---------bears----------bears
Cowboys (-3) vs REDSKINS----cowboys-------cowboys-----cowboys
49ERS (+5.5) vs Vikings--------vikings--------49ers----------vikings
CHARGERS (-12.5) vs Browns--chargers-----chargers------browns
Broncos (+2) vs STEELERS-----broncos-------broncos-------steelers
SEAHAWKS (-8) vs Raiders-----raiders-------seahawks------seahawks
PATRIOTS (-2.5) vs Colts---------pats----------pats----------pats

last week----------------------------5-9------------6-8--------------7-7
season------------------------------58-56---------52-57-5-----------56-53-5

what to do

sometimes i come across stories and i'm not always sure what to do with them. do i keep it to myself? do i put it up here?

with that in mind, i saw this story about ted haggard, head of the national association of evangelicals. a man in colorado is accusing him of being gay, and of having homosexual relations with him. haggard has stepped down from his position as well as his pastorate, awaiting the matter to be further investigated.

i'm not posting this here because i want to say, "gotcha!" i think i'm posting this so we can see haggard as a human, who struggles with a lot of issues in life. and, if it's true, i hope that he carries on in life with a lot more grace towards those he has vehemently opposed.

i realize that some may see this story, and add him too the list of hypocritical Xians out there. if that's your response, i understand. others will say, this guy has always been a jerk, and i'm not surprised. hey, i don't know the guy, and all we can usually know is from the public personna out there. and all i know is that if these allegations are true, mr. haggard needs to do some explaining.

so, finally, i'm wondering, if you found out something about a person you believed in, their ideas, writings, whatnot, did something that compromised their message, how do you handle that? (not that i followed haggard at all.) do you throw out what they've done? or does it just taint the work? or, do you just carry on?

so you don't really like it

this psa made me laugh, think of adam corolla and his rants on the subject, and wonder what they are really trying to say.

1+2=...?

i saw this story, and yes, it made me laugh. and then think. hey, i don't know if the results that they are claiming are true, but they've delivered them in a witty fashion. now i'm going to go and vandalize wikipedia.

Vladimir Luxuria vs. Elisabetta Gardini

i'm always intrigued by other countries governments. you know, you see footage on the news of some parliment in taiwan or somewhere, and the guys are literally duking it out. or other nations that elect former porn stars to high positions. these things always seem the bickering done in our houses of congress seem mild and tame.

here's the latest example:


i don't know when or if the u.s. will get to the point where we elect a trans-gendered person. i hope that if we do, we can figure out who gets to use what toilet.

here are some of the things i find amusing in the article:
first off, Ms. Vladimir Luxuria changed her name from Wladimiro Guadagno. usually, when you change your name, you change your first name. and maybe your last name too. but, why would you just change the spelling of your pretty manish first name? is vladimir more connotative of a woman than wladimiro? but, i've got to hand it to you, i dig luxuria as a last name.

second, a former "showgirl" is upset? i don't know about italy, but "showgirl" is a friendly euphemism for stripper here in the u.s. maybe the transgender person should be upset that she has to share a restroom with her. and, ms. gardini calls it "sexual violence?" uhhh, you might want to dial that claim back a little bit. maybe you might want to save that label for real sexual violence (rape, sexual assault, sexual harrassment, and so on).

finally, i feel it's pretty important that they point out that ms. luxuria has never had any sort of surgery. this isn't really funny. but, i think it opens a whole new can of worms to the issue. i mean, this is a guy in the women's restroom. what defines gender? generally, in society, it's the parts attached. if you have male parts, you use the male restroom. if you have women's parts, you use the women's. sure, i definately think that someone dressed in the opposite clothes would be a disturbance. but, if i didn't know, it wouldn't bother me at all. furthermore, if we were using a coed restroom it wouldn't be a problem at all. i thought europe was supposed to be more liberal. i thought they had all sorts of loose morals. yet, they're wierded out over a restroom? come on.

football picks wk 8

oooh, time for football picks.

game-----------------------------me-------------sg---------sg's wife------mr.burns
TITANS (-3)vs Texans---------titans--------titans--------titans--------no pick
EAGLES (-7)vs Jaguars--------eagles--------eagles-------jaguars------jaguars
BENGALS (-3.5)vs Falcons----bengals-------bengals----bengals-------falcons
Buccaneers (+9)vs GIANTS----bucs(pts)-----bucs-------giants--------giants
BEARS (-16)vs 49ers------------bears---------bears------niners--------bears
Cardinals (+4)vs PACKERS----cardinals-----cardinals--packers------packers
CHIEFS (-6)vs Seahawks-------chiefs--------chiefs-------seahawks--seahawks
SAINTS (-2)vs Ravens----------saints--------saints-------saints-------saints
Rams (+9.5)vs CHARGERS-----rams----------rams------chargers-----chargers
Steelers (-9)vs RAIDERS--------steelers------steelers---steelers-----no pick
BROWNS (-1.5)vs Jets-----------jets----------browns-----jets--------browns
Colts (+3)vs BRONCOS---------colts---------colts---------broncos-----colts
Cowboys(+5.5)vs PANTHERS---panthers----cowboys---cowboys---cowboys
VIKINGS (+2)vs Patriots-----patriots--------vikings------pats-------patriots

Last week------------------------7-6---------------6-7--------4-9
Season--------------------------53-47------------46-49-5----49-46-5

i loved you in...

so, it's friday afternoon, i've got some freetime. what to do? well, this is always a good time for a movie. so, i'm scrolling through the free movies in the on demand menu, and what do i see as a new edition? krull. i don't need to scroll any farther. i will be watching this movie. and, in the movie description, the credit this as an early role for liam neeson. sweet. another person that i could say, "i loved you in (insert obscure early, embarassing reference)" to if i ever saw them on the street.

i loved this movie as a little kid (it came out in 1983). i even made my own version of the throwing star dealy that the main character used in battle. i do have to say, though, that i'm a few minutes in, and the acting is less than impressive. but who cares? this is a chance to relive the past!

it's odd, i was thinking about this movie lately. i'm not sure why, but i was. and, i wondered if it had been on demand. surprise, it's new.

it's a new day

i'll admit that i can't prove this. but last night, all of the networks were showing reruns. sunday night, there was no football. why? we can't have exhausted all the new episodes. i know, the shows usually have a lull before the "sweeps" time. but, it seemed that the episodes i saw were pretty much old episodes rather than replays of this season's stuff. my main thought is that the other networks don't want to go against the world series. i know this is the truth with sunday night football. in return, there was no world series game on monday (monday night football).

the problem with this thinking, and what the networks need to wake up to, nobody cares about the world series anymore. the ratings are crap. really, the first two games were a record low. and, this is a trend that has been developing. last year's were the previous record lows. game three, in a series tied 1-1, lost out to dancing with the stars. game three beat reruns on nbc, and whatever was on cbs. hell, if i'm the other networks, i worry about programming against the dance equivalent of kareoke. baseball is no longer the national pastime.

having said all of that, survivor didn't truly put up a rerun. the did show a clip show. and, they had some completely new scenes in it, and recut some of the other footage. for being a recap, i was pretty pleased with it. good info, more character development. and, since i was at work while it was on, i got to watch it using the magic of on demand (i love that).

how about a monkey with a knife

jay, the animal world is turning on itself. we may not have to boil the oceans.

look out pigeons. apparently, you don't have a deal with the pelicans either.

some ethics related questions

"the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one"

does this relate though, to the concept of our country? has it? should it? is "the one" akin to the minority viewpoint, and is it not the role of the majority to protect that viewpoint?

let's eat

if you're in the neighborhood on november 3, i think i'm going to dinner here for my birthday. i'm just saying, if you're around.

another perspective on 600,000 dead

"Admitting a number like that would be the equivalent of admitting they had endorsed, say, a tsunami, or an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale, or the occupation of a developing country by a ruthless superpower… oh wait- that one actually happened."

that's a quote taken from probably my favorite blog. she doesn't update every day, but when she does, it means something. and really, it had been long enough since the last update that i worried about her health, considering the situation in iraq.

this quote really spins things another way:
"Let's pretend the 600,000+ number is all wrong and that the minimum is the correct number: nearly 400,000. Is that better? Prior to the war, the Bush administration kept claiming that Saddam killed 300,000 Iraqis over 24 years."


on a completely unrelated note, rush limbaugh said that michael j. fox was acting, playing up his parkinsons in a commercial. when he was informed later by callers that he was wrong, at least he had the sense to apologize.

footloose 06

no, kevin bacon isn't making a new movie about how he liberates a town from john lithgo. but, don't get caught dancing in orange cove. it's nice to see a political race not about republicans and democrats, but about to dance or not.



(i guess i was wrong about not posting).

who has two thumbs and is a little older?

happy (model) united nations day.

getting it all together

just so you know, this will probably be a slow week of posts. i'm still trying to get my act together on this class i'm teaching. so, at least today, no real updates.

foosball pickem week 7

dang, i screwed up last week. i didn't get around to making picks. in fact, i didn't even realize that i had forgotten until after the first games had finished. lame. so, that sort of screws up me vs the sports guy & his wife on the season. i think i'll cheat, and figure out what i would've picked. so, hopefully i won't cheat. but, we'll never know. here's the picks for this week:

game----------------------------------me-----------sg-------sg'swife---sideshow bob
Panthers (+3.5) vs BENGALS----panthers------panthers----panthers----panthers
Patriots (-5.5) vs BILLS----------patriots------patriots----patriots--------patriots
Chargers (-5.5) vs CHIEFS-------chargers------chargers----chiefs---------chargers
Steelers (-2.5) vs FALCONS------steelers------steelers----steelers-----falcons
BUCS (+5.5) vs Eagles------------eagles---------bucs--------eagles-------eagles
JETS (-3.5) vs Lions--------------jets------------jets----------lions--------jets
Packers (+5) vs DOLPHINS------packers-------packers-----dolphins---packers
Jaguars (-9.5) vs TEXANS--------jaguars-------jaguars-----texans-------texans
COWBOYS (-3) vs Giants--------giants--------cowboys-----giants-------no pick
BROWNS (+4.5) vs Broncos-----broncos-------browns------browns----broncos
Redskins (+9) vs COLTS---------colts---------redskins----redskins-----colts
Vikings (+6.5)vs SEAHAWKS--seahawks------vikings-----seahawks--seahawks
Cardinals (-3) vs RAIDERS-----raiders-------raiders-----cardinals----cardinals

last week--------------------------7-6-----------7-6---------5-8
season-----------------------------46-41------40-42-5-----47-37-5

hey, pot, you're black, too

stupid kettle

and really, this isn't just an assessment on the person giving this commentary, but rather on the idea that any of the hacks, err, i mean, journalists on cable news would talk about the "vitrol" being put out by far right and far left blogs. hey, have you listened to talk radio ever? nevermind that, have you listened to yourself or the show that you are currently guesting on?

the difference a few hours can make

so, earlier today, i posted about my interview yesterday. no, they didn't miraculously call me and offer me a dream. but, i did have an appointment with a private junior college in the area. i was recently hired as a substitute professor, and had to fill out some papers. so, i did that, and while i was with the h.r. person, one of the program managers called her. he wanted to see me when she was through.

guess who's teaching a class starting next week. no, not you, me. i'll be teaching a class in ethics. 2 hours & ten minutes a day, four days a week, for the next 5 weeks.

so, i've got some preparation to do this weekend. write a syllabus, plans some lessons, etc.

keep on keepin on

i love art hop, and have been hopping for years. i watched it grow, galleries move, and less wine being served. well, i don't know about that last one, i guess it just depends where you go.

i've also known that several other cities do similar nights. i encourage us all to read this article from the la times about long beach, and the resurgence the art night has helped to bring to their downtown.



we're on a good path people. let's keep it up.



(and i've posted this at my ff blog as well)

update on me

some of you know that i had an interview yesterday, with the university that i want to teach at. sadly, there were no miraculous offers, i didn't run out of the building triumphantly, nor was i totally defeated. the interview went well enough, and i'm on their list of people to use in the future. unfortunately, i had hoped to get in on something for next semester. it looks like the earliest i could be teaching would be in the fall.

what does that mean for all of you? well, my blogging won't be slowed up by tedious work preperation. hurray! of course, i'll still be looking for other work, dreaming dreams, and painting.

in other good news

youtube is the greatest. watch as much as you can before they're sued into oblivion. or, as mike tyson once said, bolivia.

what are you doing friday?

awesome show friday night. if you've not seen rademacher, you have got to come with me. it's only $5! and, i'm excited to finally see the dalloways.

national attention for the fresno fair

one of my favorite catalog sites, boing boing, had a link to a story about the big fresno fair! that's right, the home of adam's hummer love made it onto a huge website read by millions. granted, it wasn't about adam, or his hummer hump, but still. booya, fresno! although, i should point out that the story is more about copyright and law, and not about fresno, or the fair.



(i'm also posting this to my fresno famous blog)

now i know the truth

so many of you know that my brother, sister-inlaw, and their kids have lived in south africa for many years. my aunt just recently moved there as well. when you ask them about where they live, the pretoria area, you're likely to hear about how it is just like any other european city. and i've always believed them. but, something has come to light that reminded me of college.

in college, there were plenty of international students, many from central africa. one summer, i asked one of my coworkers (we were digging ditches together for a worthless cogeneration project on campus) what his country was likely. he indignantly told me to read a book about it. hey, i can understand you get tired of answering questions, especially stupid ones, like, "are there monkeys in the streets?"

oh wait, apparently gangs of baboons are running the streets in cape town. cape town. this isn't some little town in the sticks. this is a city that is around 3 million people. and i don't mean that they're just running around. i mean that these baboons are breaking into houses, getting into conflicts with people, and generally messing stuff up.

i knew it all along. everywhere else in the world is overrun by those damn dirty apes.

a couple of stories

"When the waltz was first performed at a royal British ball in 1816, the Times of London wrote: "So long as this obscene display was confined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is attempted to be forced on the respectable classes of society … we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion."

hey, think what you want, but i still don't want to see kids grinding away. (warning, long article)


and, on a completely unrelated topic, guess who said this, "Look, if the president needed an option, there's all sorts of things they can do. Let's take the best case, OK. You picked up someone you know is the No. 2 aide to Osama bin Laden. And you know they have an operation planned for the United States or some European capital in the next … three days. And you know this guy knows it. Right, that's the clearest example. And you think you can only get it out of this guy by shooting him full of some drugs or water-boarding him or otherwise working him over."

this person also summarized his own views by saying, "If they really believe the time comes when the only way they can get a reliable piece of information is to beat it out of someone or put a drug in their body to talk it out of 'em, then they can present it to the Foreign Intelligence Court, or some other court, just under the same circumstances we do with wiretaps. Post facto…."

ah, but at least he concluded by saying, "But I think if you go around passing laws that legitimize a violation of the Geneva Convention and institutionalize what happened at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo, we're gonna be in real trouble."

that makes it all better. thanks, friend.

adam gets his groove on

oh, you hummer humper.

confirmation

dear religious friends who voted for bush
a book is coming out next week detailing how he and his regime played ya.

your friend,
ed

ps, it's writen by a former white house staffer that was a part of it all.

eatin & sleepin

some of you may have heard of the phenomenon. here's a cookbook for you.

new beginings

ah, with a show comes an apartment full of blank walls. that alone is enough to get me going. add in the possibility of a show next month, i've got to get to work. so, here are 2 new paintings that are beginning.


this canvas is 3'x4'



this is a piece of wood, 3/8" thick, that has been cut to 4'x5' (thanks adam), which will now be my biggest piece yet.

so, if i go off of how long it took me to finish weltanshaaung, they'll be done in about a year. just in time for...

i better get cracking.

evo morales

i realize that this is only one side of the story, but i think i like evo morales. some of his highlights:
first bolivian president of aymara nationality
believes government should: improve economic disparities, help restore to the people their lost dignity, and protect freedom of expression
one of his first acts as president was to cut his own salary in half, and then recommend similar cuts to the congress, which in turn followed his lead
public approval ratings upwards of 80 percent
nationalized bolivia’s natural gas reserves
laid out a plan of repartitioning 200,000 square kilometers of state-owned lands for cultivation by indigenous communities and landless campesinos

morales is also friends with hugo chavez of venezuela and fidel castro of cuba, and thus is despised by the right. that doesn't make him good or bad in my eyes, just a little food for thought.

a post for iain

if you've met my nephew iain, this commercial will make perfect sense.

a month behind?

quick little post:
i hadn't gotten paid by the agency i recently worked a day for, despite it being a new month, and a few weeks after. so, i called their hr dept. apparently, i won't get paid for the job in september until the end of october. any time i work in october won't be paid until the end of november. lame.

odd news link dump

not much kicking a-my way, so i thought i'd hit up the news resources for some good old link fun.

quite a while back, adam had a story about make-up and attractiveness. this article reminded me of it. the results of the study are interesting, but i'm hesitant to say that clothing is an outward sign of fertility.

this story makes me sad. i can't imagine having to deal with fear of reprisal every day just because you want to make an honest living. and, in all honesty, it reveals a bit of why i didn't like working in the court schools.

this article makes me think that bush and putin are really cut from the same mold. perhaps it's why they don't seem to like each other very much, too much alike. "Putin called the Novaya Gazeta reporter's contract-style slaying Saturday "a crime of loathsome brutality." But he drew the ire of Politkovskaya's admirers when he also portrayed himself as a victim and implied that her articles had damaged Russia."

who killed the electric car? well, the l.a. times keeps printing articles about companies doing it, so i guess no one. although, i think everyone involved would say that it's hardly a booming industry.

"they're the wrong trousers grommit!"

this stinks. apparently, it has nothing to do with test scores.

these may be the worst ten reasons not to go to a psychic.

"gimme back my son...errr...rock!" stupid tsa.

difficult transitions to freedom

as i skimmed the bbc's website this morning, i saw several articles that highlight the difficulties that exist in changing a repressive system to democracy.

south africa, twelve years out of apartheid, struggles with so much. crushing poverty, an increasing gap between rich and poor, aids, and racial strife are tremendous hurdles for this nation. nobel peace prize winner desmond tutu warns that this "powder keg" of unrest could soon explode.

in russia, contract killers are the latest sign that the transistion from communism to capitalism is a long, hard struggle. perhaps i shouldn't say latest, as they have been a problem since the fall of communism and rise of organized crime and easily available weaponry. the killers, which can be hired for as little as $100, are suspected in the recent high profile murder of a journalist.

and finally, in iraq, it remains apparent that the war is far from over. 51 tortured bodies have recently been found. the u.s. military, alongside the iraqi defense forces, are engaged in battle with militants.

the first two situations really make it difficult for me to have much hope for the third. they transitioned from difficult situations, but not through violent upheaval and war. both have had plenty of opportunity to change and develop, but haven't been able to excell. heck, they're barely making it work at all. of course, i'm not sure how idealic the u.s. was to live in during it's first 15 years. i think we can all see that it will be a long, hard road in iraq.

week 5 nfl picks

i almost forgot to make my weekly picks. without further delay:

game-----------------------------me------------sg-----------sg's wife-------patty & selma

COLTS(-19)vs Titans-----------colts--------colts----------titans--------colts
Redskins(+4.5)vs GIANTS-----redskins---redskins------giants-------redskins
Lions(+6.5) vs VIKINGS-------vikings------lions----------lions--------lions
SAINTS(-6.5)vs Bucs-----------saints--------saints-------bucs----------saints
Rams(-3) vs PACKERS---------rams---------rams---------packers-----rams
PATRIOTS(-10) vs Dolphins--patriots-----patriots------patriots-----patriots
PANTHERS(-8.5) vs Browns---panthers---panthers----panthers-----browns
BEARS(-10) vs Bills------------bills----------bears--------bills----------bears
Cowboys(+2) vs EAGLES-------eagles-------cowboys---cowboys-----cowboys
Jets(+7) vs JAGUARS-----------jets---------jets----------jags------------jets
CARDS(+3) vs Chiefs------------chiefs-------cards-------cards---------cards
49ERS(-3.5) vs Raiders--------49ers--------49ers-------49ers----------raiders
CHARGERS(-3) vs Steelers----steelers-----chargers----steelers-----no pick
BRONCOS(-4) vs Ravens-------broncos------broncos----ravens------ravens


last week------------------------6-8-----------6-8--------10-4
season---------------------------35-25------29-29-2-----35-23-2

quick post for theo

i'm just putting this up real quick like. i'm about to go set up for my art show. but, want to give a quick thanks to my buddy theo. we went to local establishment babylon yesterday, and were chatting with the manager. theo pimped my work, and it looks like i may have a show @ babylon in november. i'll get together with the manager to discuss all the logistics, and hopefully get a live music act set up for the night as well.

it was funny, the manager was like, "we're big with budwiser, i'll see if they'll sponsor it."

ummm, okay.

aaaarrgh

i hate political ads. really, i do. on a very rare occassion, there is a funny one. but, most just annoy me. and, i doubt that they convince anyone to vote for a candidate. they just affirm stereotypes for those who are already planning on voting for a person.

unfortunately, tis the season to be barraged with political ads. i just saw an ad for chuck poochigian that bothered me so much i had to write this.

the candidate he is running against, is jerry brown. brown is against the death penalty. "for serial killers and cop killers. he may be the least qualified person in ca. to be attorney general." well, he's not. because a-hole poochigian, i am less qualified. not only do i not have any experience, but i am also against the death penalty. for everyone.

on wiki, here's what they say about you, chuck, "Although he is seeking to become California's chief law enforcement officer, he has no previous experience in the field of criminal law, or in supervising other attorneys in a law office."

sin is sin is sin is sin is sin is sin...

i've been glad that my blogging friends haven't really posted much on the whole congressman foley situation. i don't think anyone is ignoring it, but there has been such a whirlwind of things happening in this country in the last few weeks, i think we've all been a little weary.

tonight, i read a great response that i want to share with you.


(i also upgraded to blogger beta. woo.)

friday night lights

i really hadn't given much thought to watching friday night lights, nbc's new tv show about high school football in texas. i like football, high school was alright, but this show didn't stand out to me. but, we didn't see anything else that looked all that interesting and gave the show a try. it was the pilot episode, so if you're not going to do it for me now, i'm probably not going to give you another watch.

here are my thoughts: very predictable. and i mean very. i think within the first fifteen minutes i predicted the qb was going to get hurt and the scrub back up was going to have to save the day. guess what happened in the first game of the season.

but, i've got to say, even though it was predictable, it was still a well done show. most of the "kids" looked like they could be in high school, the coach (who was on the cbs show early edition) was pretty good at playing a mellow, first time head coach. what really impressed me was the football. it wasn't the over the top sports action we've been force fed lately. it looked like they recorded a real football game. the hits weren't decleaters, guys weren't flying over the air on every hit, and the passes weren't all 70 yard bombs.

i'll check out the next episode.

we've got a month of screwed up tv schedules ahead

who...

major league baseball play offs start today

cares.

choosing how you want to live

some strung together, somewhat related thoughts.

i don't want to allow fear to run my life. this includes how the gov't treats us, how i hear the news, how i allow myself to be marketed to.

although i have a critical (some have said prophetic) viewpoint at times, i will not become a cynic or have a critical spirit. i am seeking to enjoy life, live it to the fullest. it is the gift i've been given. i want to enjoy my family, friends, fellow soujourners in life. i want to celebrate your accomplishments and joys as well as my own.

i want to chase after my dreams, work towards them, and not give up on them just because they're far off at times. it's also nice when some of them come true.

i want to speak up when i see things going wrong, but also temper my voice so that i don't take on the personna of chicken little or the boy who cried wolf.

why yakomi school is special

i saw a headline on the fresno bee's website about an innovative elementary school in fresno unified, and the asst. dept. secretary of education visiting it. i was curious to know about the school, what they were doing that was so innovative, etc. i figured that this was the intention of the article.

nope. just a short piece about brown's visit. a mention of it being a magnet school for tech & science, which is unusual @ this level. but not much else. no story about what they're doing there, what's so innovative, or anything that fusd can really hang its hat on.

kudos, fresno bee. at least you did a vaguely positive story on our schools.

a link for adam

you like wood right?


the rest of you can feel free to look as well.

no one is twisting your arm guy

so, i saw a story about a theater owner closing his theater down for a few weeks because he didn't like the movies that were out, specifically jackass 2. the theater is somewhere in illinois. surprisingly, this guy lives just outside of fresno.

now, it's totally this guy's right to have his theaters dark. what i'm confused about is why he just didn't show movies that he did find acceptable. i don't think you're forced to show movies. in fact, i thought theaters bought the rights to show films. you don't want to show jackass or beerfest. you did show invincible. it's still out in the theaters, keep showing it.

wink wink, nudge nudge

i've updated my amazon wish list, in case anyone wanted to send me a birthday gift. the old b-day is a little over a month away. not that i really think any of my 30 or so visitors a day would actually send me a birthday gift.



(so, typing b-day made me think of bidet, and chuckle. then i had to spend a few minutes typing different spellings in google to figure out how to spell it.)

weekly pick installment

game------------------------me----------sg----------sg's wife
jets(+9) vs colts---------colts--------jets----------jets
bills(-1) vs vikes--------vikes--------bills---------bills
chargers(-2.5) vs ravens--chargers-----chargers------ravens
titans(+9.5) vs cowboys---titans-------titans--------titans
chiefs(-7) vs niners------chiefs-------chiefs--------chiefs
panthers(-7) vs saints----saints-------panthers------panthers
falcons(-7) vs cardinals--falcons------falcons-------cardinals
dolphins(-3.5) vs texans--dolphins-----dolphins------texans
lions(+5.5) vs rams-------rams---------lions---------rams
patriots(+6) vs bengals---bengals------patriots------patriots
jaguars(-3) vs redskins---jaguars------jaguars-------skins
browns(-2.5) vs raiders---browns-------browns--------browns
seahawks(+3.5) vs bears---seahawks-----seahawks------bears
packers(+10.5) vs eagles--packers------packers-------packers

last week-----------------9-5----------8-4-2---------9-3-2
season--------------------29-17--------23-21-2-------25-19-2
(i admit, i'm not sure about the 2. is that tieing the spread?)

attention monticore & ann thrope

well, this goes out to anyone that watches abc's wife swap. fresno episode.

now let's just hope it's not the one up against prison break.

gotta gotta get gotta get it right now

i'm not blaming target, but one of their lastest ads was the impetus for this post. in this ad, the song talks about wanting more, needing to have it right now, and so on. hey, it's marketing. i understand that it's their goal for me to buy things. especially things i don't need, but just want. or even things that i don't even really want, but buy because it's cheap, or that i'm just a shameless consumer.

i wouldn't say that it's fundamental to our nature to be such consumers. i want to say that it is a learned response. i think back to the ten commandments, good old number ten talks about not coveting (exodus 20:17). coveting is desiring something that others have. like, i want that new ipod because you've got it. it's wrongful desire. i gotta have it right now. so, these desires have been with us for a long time. we can't blame advertisers.

i want to live a simple life. this is not to say that possessions are wrong. but, am i driven by a desire to have more stuff just to have it? do i spend money just because we have it? can i just get by with what i have, which is already more than enough?

so, what is responsible spending look like? here's a scenario: i currently don't have a car. when i want to get around, my options are to borrow the car from the wife, ride my bicycle, or take the bus. lately, i've been thinking about getting my own transportation. so, do i buy a used car? or some little cheapy like honda's fit? i really like the jeep wrangler unlimited, with 4 doors. to be competitive in this high gas price world, they've slashed prices. does that make it worth it? or, the option i really want, get a motorcycle.

of course, the bike i want isn't the cheapest on the market. nor is it the most expensive. but should i get a high priced motorcycle just because i need an easier, faster way to get around?

this isn't the problem. it is a symptom. and maybe the bike isn't even the best example. but, it just seems that we're always being told to desire more than we need, to reap more than we sow. i heard about a new apple phone to come on the market (something much better than the rockr). my first thought, "i want that." i told heather about it, she felt the same way. do either of us need no phones? not right now at least. do i, with my 60gig ipod need a new one of those? no. but the idea of a phone with great ipod & isync technology makes me want it. or, you got a new car, so now i want one, too.

it's easy to turn down over the top advertisers like target. it's a much different story when it's subtle stories on the internet about a product. or a desire for an expensive hobby. in a lot of ways, i'm very tired of "keeping up with the jones'es" and chasing after the american dream. if we need something, well, fine, we can get it. but let's stop allowing ourselves to be sold on a way of life that is anything but healthy.


(and no, this isn't just my way of saying i want to be unemployed the rest of my life.)

storm large and the national anthem

hey, have i mentioned that i love reality tv? especially those done by mark burnett? tonight was the 2 hour finale of the contender on espn. i enjoyed the first season of this show, and have followed the second. anyway, i knew that since it was a two hour final for 2 boxing matches, there was going to be a lot of filler. so, for the first 15 minutes, i watched part of the cbs evening news that i recorded the other night. it had stories about richard branson donating a large sum of money to fight global warming, a story about walmart actually doing something good ($4 generic prescriptions), and a piece contrasting jim wallis (red letter Christian) and tony perkins (family research council) (watch the video here). i actually taped the newscast for that piece.

so, after i was done watching the old news, i flipped over to the contender. and guess who i saw getting ready to sing the national anthem. my favorite...errrrrr...most hated contestant from rockstar:supernova...storm large. throughout that contest she had over the top antics, in my opinion poor performances, and was generally annoying. today, she took the safe route and performed the anthem in normal fashion. i thank her for this. not that i'm a big purist on the anthem, but i do prefer it to be mainly traditional. i'll give you some vocal inflection and what not, and i thought the spanish version was a noble effort, and i love hendrix's re-arrangement, but normally, i say just give it to me straight. she did, and did a fine job with it. it wasn't whitney houston good. and, i'm sure i've heard it performed better by other famous singers, but this was good. it definately didn't suck. it wasn't terrible or insulting (see rosanne barr). nor did it score on the unintentional comedy level (see carl lewis).

he's a bad bear

yogi used to steal pic-a-nick baskets, this bear decided that it wanted to engage in mass murder. sure, it was only rainbow trout, but this padington look-alike took down 2500. that's one bad mutha watch yo mouth!

art hop flyer

friday football picks

game-----------------------------me----------sports guy--------sg's wife
panthers (-3) vs bucs--------panthers------panthers---------bucs
browns (+6.5) vs ravens------ravens--------browns-----------browns
bengals (+2) vs steelers-----bengals-------bengals---------steelers
packers (+6.5) vs lions------packers-------packers---------packers
dolphins(-10.5) vs titans---titans---------dolphins-------titans
jaguars (+7) vs colts-----------colts---------jaguars---------jags
jets (+5.5) vs bills------------jets----------jets-----------jets
vikings (+3) vs bears--------bears---------vikings--------vikings
texans (+4) vs redskins------redskins------texans---------redskins
niners (+6) vs eagles--------eagles--------niners---------eagles
seahawks (-3.5) vs giants----seahawks------seahawks-------giants
rams (+4.5) vs cardinals-----cardinals-----rams-----------cardinals
broncos (+6.5) vs patriots---patriots------broncos--------broncos
saints (+3) vs falcons-------falcons-------saints---------falcons

last week-------------------12-4-------------8-8-----------11-5
season------------------------20-12-----------15-17------------16-16

i hate picking against the rams. i also want the saints to win (re-opening of superdome) but don't think they can pull it off.

now you know how he feels

i almost feel guilty about posting this link, in light of what dana's got to say over here.

you tell 'em bobby. let the chairs fly.

tis the season

ah, it's that time again...fresh, new tv shows. this is good and bad. we get to see new episodes of shows we like, get to "experiment" with some new series, and laugh at the failures (or get ticked about one we like failing).

what i don't like about this time of year is that the syndicated shows get all screwed up. for instance, i used to watch seinfeld after the news. it was replaced by the gem of a show, according to jim. wha? and it's followed by an hour of everyone loves raymond. this stinks. or, i used to watch a few episodes of magnum, p.i. every day. not on anymore. replaced by davinci's inquest and the greg behrendt show.

it's a good thing we have cable and i've got other options. or at least one other channel showing episodes of seinfeld.

october 5 2006

just a reminder to those who can, oct 5 is my art hop reception. 5 pm. salon 637. i think tomorrow i'll post a new shot of ripple. i'm really happy with how it looks. if it stays "wet looking" when it's dry, i'll consider it done. if not, i'll hit it with a coat or two of polyurethane to give it that glossy, watery look.

amazing race 10

tonight was the premier of amazing race 10. mike came over and watched it with heather and i. as with many other shows, we always try and pick the winners. we eached picked two teams and a sentimental 3rd.

heather
tyler & james - the ex druggy male models
tom & terry - fiesty boyfriends
david & mary - a coal miner and his wife

mike
erwin and godwin - brothers from sf, one went to berkeley, one to harvard
peter & sarah - triathlete training partners
kellie & jamie - former co-captains of the 'Cock's cheerleading squad

ed
bilal & sa'eed - muslim fathers from cleveland
dustin & candice - former miss america contestants
vipul & arti - the first (east) indian team ever.

and, partway through the show, i'm already screwed.
8:30 start, 9:10 bilal & sa'eed are eliminated. it wasn't a pit stop, but as with all reality shows on later seasons, got to switch things up.

winners of stage one, tyler & james
and losers of stage one, vipul and arti. eliminated.

man, i could not have picked worse teams. well, i guess if my other team had been david and mary, i would have lost 2 and had the team that is now in last.

life imitating art

a mummified body on csi:ny, another washes up on csi:miami. something fishy iis going on here...or not.




"the only thing with jurisdiction here is...the fire" - horatio

me vs the "pro" and his wife, too (or two)

so, i mentioned how i would have done last week picking nfl games compared to the sports guy and his wife. i thought about doing a blog about it, but then nixed the idea. that is, until he included a review of rockstar supernova in his picks. here's his thoughts:
1. You have to love any show where people get voted off and say final words like, "it was an honor being here, I grew up idolizing you guys, you're all legends" ... and the legends are Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke and the dude with weird ears from Metallica.

2. Not only did the winner (Lucas) go from cooking chicken wings at Hooters to headlining a band of washed-up rock stars, but his original song "Head Spin" sounded like one of those haunting, Cure-like, romance-gone-bad tunes ... well, until he revealed that the song was actually about his mother. I'm telling you, stuff like this happened every week on "Rock Star."

3. The girl who should have won and didn't -- Dilana -- may or may not have been a dude. We'll never know. And frankly, I'm fine with that.

4. There wasn't a more mesmerizing summer TV presence than Storm Large (not a stage name, she claimed), who looked like the cute sister from Heart crossed with Jennie Finch, only with Mark Madsen's personality from every 2003 Lakers game thrown in. If she ever reproduced with Dane Cook, their kid would just stomp around holding its arms in the air, screaming "yeahhhhhhhh!" and making weird hand gestures until its head exploded. I am not prepared to live life without her. Couldn't she replace Elisabeth Hasselbeck on "The View"? I want to see Storm show off her pelvis tattoo to the girls, followed by Barbara Walters keeling over and falling to the ground.

5. Tommy Lee can't be calibrated on the Unintentional Comedy Scale anymore. It's impossible. Every time he decided to sit in on a performance and play drums, I couldn't handle it and had to leave the room. I'm not kidding. Watching him reminds me of being tickled as a kid, then the tickling going on for about 15 seconds too long, until you almost feel like you're going to throw up if it doesn't stop. That's Tommy Lee drumming for me. I can't handle it. Back to the column.


man, funny stuff. and, some similar stuff as what i've put here, and heather's had to hear me rant about at home. i was especially appreciated his comparison of storm large with mark madsen. speaking of madsen, does anyone else remember him at the lakers championship rally, translating who let the dogs out into spanish? and doing the cabbage patch?

so, since i wanted to include that, i figured i'd do a post as well about picking games, with a handy little matrix.

game------------------------------------me-----------s.g.-----------sg's wife
RAVENS (-11) over Raiders----------ravens-------ravens-------ravens
BENGALS (-10.5) over Browns------bengals------bengals------browns
DOLPHINS (-6.5) over Bills---------dolphins----dolphins-----dolphins
COLTS (-13.5) over Texans----------colts----------colts-----------colts
Lions (+8.5) over BEARS------------bears---------lions---------bears
EAGLES (-3) over Giants------------eagles--------eagles-------giants
VIKINGS (+2) over Panthers--------panthers-----vikings------vikings
FALCONS (-5.5) over Bucs----------falcons--------falcons------falcons
PACKERS (-2) over Saints----------saints----------packers------saints
SEAHAWKS (-7) over Cardinals---seahawks------seahawks----seahawks
JETS (+6) over Patriots-------------patriots--------jets-----------patriots
BRONCOS (-11) over Chiefs---------chfs(on the pts)broncos------broncos
CHARGERS (-12) over Titans--------chargers-----chargers------chargers
Rams (-3) over NINERS--------------rams-----------rams-----------rams
Redskins (+6) over COWBOYS------cowboys------redskins------cowboys
JAGS (+1) over Steelers---------------jags-----------jags-----------steelers

last week -------------------8-8(no pt spread)-----------7-9-----------5-11

i think the hardest picks of the week are the redskins/cowboys and the chiefs/broncos. both the skins and cowboys looked decent last week. but, the cowboys qb bledsoe is a sack-a-matic, and throws plenty of bad passes for int's (soon to be a qb controversy). the skins star rb was questionable last week but still played decent, but this week he's out. and, this game definately feels like it comes down to a field goal. but, despite what i've just said, i think the cowboys win by a touchdown.

in the chief's game, they've got one of the top 3 rb's in the league, and that's about it. i've also got said rb in my fairytale football league, so i hope he has a great game. the broncos looked terrible in their loss last week to my beloved rams, and it looks like they've got a qb controversy on their hands. always good in week 2. throw in their three headed rb monster, it's hard to know exactly what they're going to do. well, i think denver might win, but really think they'll lose. i definately don't think they'll win by 11 or more. so, the points it is.