Ocarina is an innovative yet somehow wrong, very wrong, application for the iPhone. You blow into the mic and use the touch screen to tap notes. Here’s the intro to Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven played with this, uh, instrument.
Not to be a fear monger, but this genuinely worries me:
SEC. 802. DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM
‘(5) the term ‘domestic terrorism’ means activities that–‘(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
‘(B) appear to be intended–
‘(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
‘(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
‘(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
‘(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.’.
Vague enough for you?
More information from the ALCU
This combined with the also disturbingly vague Federal Animal Enterprise Protection Act really starts to make me worry. Seven people were thrown in jail last year for just running a web site that protested and encouraged protest against an animal testing lab, based on this Act.
The likelihood of me or anyone else who engages in activism (be it civil rights or animal rights) being charged as a terrorist in near future just increased to an uncomfortable level.
Check out the suck that is Fox News pathetic attempt to take on The Daily Show. When I first heard about The 1/2 Hour News Hour I was intrigued. I thought, if it was cleverly done, it might actually be funny. Then I watched the clip and was reminded that it’s on Fox News, which has never had anything to do with clever.
I think all the BS that went down in Boston (talk about over reaction) over the placement of a bunch of flashy LED signs for Aqua Teen Hunger Force is proof that the terrorists have won. At the very least the terrorists now know, if you decide to plant bombs throughout a major metropolitan area, don’t light them up like a neon sign. Cause, you know, it does scare people, but it also makes them really easy to find.
And in case you’re not in the know…
Every year on Thanksgiving Day, since I first saw this, I think of William S. Burroughs’ Thanksgiving Prayer. It struck a chord with me way back then and it still does today. For your viewing pleasure:
William S. Burroughs - Thanksgiving Prayer
This is kinda sorta in response to Winston’s reminiscing.
I still have weird dreams like this. Like Yellow Submarine, only weirder.
Izzy, King of the Miniblinds!
Originally uploaded by Bellagooch.
Izzy the cat passed away this morning. His cancer turned to be even more serious than anyone thought. I will miss him, more than I can say. Thanks to everyone who expressed support and well wishing.
A while back I posted that my cat Izzy had gotten an infection, but was on his way to recovery. Unfortunately both parts of that statement were wrong. After countless vet visits, a trip the emergency animal center and having Izzy looked ay by two specialists, I now have some very bad news. Izzy has cancer and it’s terminal. Tomorrow I should find out from one of the specialists what kind of cancer Izzy has and what my options are. But I know that it will be either one of two things: put Izzy through chemotherapy, which at most will buy him a few months, or make him as comfortable as possible until he can no longer tolerate the symptoms of his disease, which could be a matter of days. It will easily be the hardest decision I have ever had to make.
These past few weeks have been hell. Izzy is literally wasting away. The acute symptoms of his cancer appeared almost out of nowhere and have wrecked his system. Sometimes I cry just looking at him. But a wise person told me yesterday that instead of feeling angry and depressed about Izzy’s life being cut short, I should feel fortunate that I had the time with Izzy that I have had. Some moments I can actually pull this off. But Izzy means a lot to me, it’s hard. He is a friend and a constant in my life.
I’ll post what my decision is when I get his prognosis. For no other reason that I need a place to put my thoughts. October is normally a pretty social time of the year, but if you don’t see me around, it’s not because I’m avoiding anyone, I just am having a hard time dealing with all that’s been going on lately.
I got “let go” from the crappy agency I worked for yesterday. Can’t say I’m too upset about it, but it does leaving me with the nagging problem of lack of income. I think for now I’m going to return to freelancing. Consider this my official “I’m looking for work” post.
First, go to the Genpets web site and come back and read the rest of this post.
Seen it? Read it? Good. I ran across the site a while ago, and thought maybe it was some kind of movie tie-in. Maybe Snakes on a Plane had bio-engineered pets in it. So, it’s fake. Right? But no movie came out, no TV series about genetic manipulation. Then finally I was directed to Adam Brandejs’s web site. He’s the creator of Genpets. Much like Hufu and it’s art/design project to make you think, to spark debate. His site’s got a lot of interesting information about his motivations and process. Check it out, I say