June 30, 2006
Playlist - June 2006
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
| Low Lustre - Dancing Blind >> |
| The Cloud Room - Hey Now Now >> |
| Deadboy & the Elephantmen - Ancient Man >> |
| Snow Patrol - Shut Your Eyes >> |
| Hula - Runaway >> |
| Band of Horses - The Funeral >> A great song... the lyrics can be interpreted various ways, but whatever you think they're saying, the music does amazing things to them. |
| Band of Horses - The Great Salt Lake >> |
| Destroyer - European Oils >> |
| Ambulance Ltd - New English >> |
| Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Summer Wine >> A wonderfully weird summer classic from the late '60s (with orchestration that sounds like a James Bond movie from the same era...) |
| Ron Sexsmith - These Days >> Sexsmith is a master craftsman of pop tunes (akin to a Paul McCartney or Elton John). Upon first listen to this song you might raise your eyebrow and wonder 'what is this?' After listening a few times, you'll be hopelessly stuck on the tune. |
| Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood >> |
| Jon Langford - Workingman's Palace >> |
| Lanterna - Luminous >> The instrumental songs from Lanterna's 'Desert Ocean' album are perfect for long, hot summer drives through the desert (or anywhere else, really). Reminiscent of Daniel Lanois, mid-'80s U2, etc. |
| Secret Machines - Alone Jealous & Stoned >> |
30 Jun 16:32 | Link | Category: Music
June 16, 2006
Lynn A. Westmoreland
Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, a bold and visionary leader from Georgia, has worked hard for his constituents. While he apparently has yet to introduce any original legislation during his term, the press releases on his web site show he has been busy... for example, voting for ANWR drilling and opposing legislation to designate Bill Clinton's birthplace a national historic site.
Before entering the U.S. Congress (in January '05), he introduced "common sense" legislation in Georgia to place the Ten Commandments in government buildings in the state. If you use the search feature on his web site, you will see that he has continued to co-sponsor and support various related bills in the U.S. House.
Stephen Colbert recently interviewed Mr. Westmoreland for his compelling 'Better Know a District' series. Westmoreland, a self-professed devout Christian, eloquently defended his case.... oh, wait.... actually, he could not even cite the Ten Commandments, instead stumbling around and badly paraphrasing three of the easiest ones.
Check out the very funny interview here: QuickTime (9 MB) or Windows Media (12.3 MB).
All I can say is... this is why I love Stephen Colbert. We all know that plenty of members of Congress (from both sides of the aisle) are incompetent and boneheaded. But at least when Colbert exposes it, he diverts me from anger and depression by making me laugh a bit.
Update: John points out that Westmoreland co-sponsored a bill in Georgia calling on the state assembly to commend Mel Gibson on 'The Passion of the Christ'.
It's nice to know our wise legislators are hard at work solving the serious and vexing problems facing our nation.
16 Jun 22:18 | Link | Category: Current Events, Humor, Opinion & Thoughts, Video
June 12, 2006
Last week's best quote
From June 8th's Late Show with David Letterman monologue (listen here) comes this:
Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was the world's most unhinged lunatic. He's dead now, so that moves Ann Coulter up to first place.
Right on, Dave. When I worked at the library, patrons checking in/out books by right-wing pundits and demagogues like Coulter, Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly et al. seemed to have an urge to share their excitement over the material. (I always had to smile approvingly because it was my job to be nice to everyone, even the spaced-out woman with five screaming children whose appearance made the entire staff run to the back room and hide in terror.)
I read a few of the books to see what the fuss was about. Most caused lots of eye-rolling and head-shaking but were still readable. Coulter's, though, were nearly unreadable, leaving me incredulous and disturbed. I think the best policy with someone like that is to ignore they exist. I've generally adhered to that policy (only two mentions in the history of this blog, one to point out the awesome Ann Coulter action figure), but Dave's joke was so on target I had to share it.
Update:I'm giving in to bad desires and continuing to mention Coulter when I know I shouldn't, but for an example of why I consider her an ugly figurehead of stupidity and ignorance, read this interview to see how she claims knowledge about subjects in which she clearly knows nothing, blaming everything on her favorite expletive liberals (and what exactly she means by that generic term I'm not sure even she knows):
Cybercast News Service: Most people consider evolution to be a branch of science, or at least a scientific theory, yet in "Godless," you refer to it as a "cult" and a "fetish." What is your basis for calling it that?
Ann Coulter: There is no evidence that it is true. The fossil record contradicts it, and it is a theory that cannot be disproved. Whatever happens is said to "prove" evolution. This is the very definition of a pseudoscience, like astrology. (Of course, I would say that. I'm just a Capricorn, aren't I?)
No evidence?! Contradicted by the fossil record?! It can't be disproved?! Amazing. What the hell is she smoking? All I can say is that it must be interesting to experience the marvelous beauty and diversity of life with your eyes closed and your head up your ass, Ann. (Sorry. It's very hard for me to see someone so ignorantly dismiss the theory that holds all of biology together, shapes life in such seemingly miraculous ways, and is supported by such a wealth of evidence.) She goes on to describe evolution as "the official state religion" used by "the liberal clergy to force small school children to believe in a discredited mystery religion from the 19th century -- evolution -- in order to prepare them to believe in the nonexistence of God, one of the main goals of the American public education system."
I've listened to raving madmen on the street who are not only far more entertaining, but far more insightful than Ms. Coulter. Why are they homeless and she makes millions? There's the real shame.
In an e-mail, a friend compared Ann Coulter to an Internet troll ("someone who comes into an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude or offensive messages designed intentionally to annoy and antagonize the existing members or disrupt the flow of discussion"). I thought that was the perfect description.
Unfortunately, it seems no one really knows or agrees on the best strategy for dealing with trolls. Meaning we'll probably be stuck with the lovely Ann Coulter seeking attention for years to come. Bleh. Let's hope I don't revisit this topic for a very long while.
12 Jun 23:21 | Link | Category: Opinion & Thoughts, Science
June 8, 2006
They are made out of meat
Check out this video: They are made out of meat. It's a nicely done short film based on a story by Terry Bisson first published in OMNI about fifteen years ago. (Reminiscent of old Twilight Zone episodes.)
(via Centripetal Notion)
08 Jun 20:48 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Video
Bomb kills al-Zarqawi
Finally, some good news from Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, thought even by many insurgents and other terrorists to be a madman, died in a bombing raid.
This is definitely a positive development, though just exactly how it will or will not affect the situation in Iraq (and Islamic terrorism around the world) remains to be seen. CNN's Jeff Greenfield offers a cautionary note:
Will the death of al-Zarqawi lessen the level of violence against Americans and against Iraqis of different religious beliefs?
And here, the words of a high ranking Jordanian intelligence official, quoted in the forthcoming Atlantic magazine, are worth noting: After arguing that the U.S. had vastly exaggerated the role of Zarqawi, the official said, "If Zarqawi is captured or killed tomorrow, the Iraqi insurgency will go on."
Spencer Ackerman of The New Republic even suggests that the biggest beneficiary of al-Zarqawi's death could actually be al Qaeda. He notes that Zarqawi's strategies, which included condemnation and killing of Muslims, "allowed Iraqi Sunnis a face-saving way to distance themselves from murderous jihadis." His death might "allow Al Qaeda to mend fences with Muslims and perhaps even other terrorist groups that his 'excesses' have alienated." Ackerman's final word is essentially the same as Greenfield's: "what no one--in the United States, in Iraq, and beyond--should do is confuse Zarqawi's death with a strategic success."
No decent human being could be sorry al-Zarqawi is dead, but the point both writers make is that the ultimate impact of this development - positive or negative - remains to be seen. Any celebration would be hasty. I've been reading Madeleine Albright's latest book (more on that when I finish it), and just last night I was reading the following selection in which she writes about watching the celebration in Prague's Wenceslas Square at the end of the cold war:
"This is it," I said to myself at the time. "Thank God."
How will our confrontation with terror end? Quite differently, one presumes. There may be spectacular events. Perhaps in the time it takes for this book to be published, we will have finally seen bin Laden's capture or demise. In Iraq, al-Zarqawi may already be yesterday's news. Certainly there will continue to be attacks, arrests, and takedowns. It seems unlikely, however, that we will ever see the equivalent of the celebration in Wenceslas Square. I doubt that we will be able to turn on our televisions one day and say, "This is it." In the worst case, we will see a constant drumbeat of attacks (some possibly involving biological or even nuclear weapons) against an expanding list of targets. We may see more areas, conceivably entire countries, become havens for violent extremism. We could see Islam further divided between the followers of a peaceful faith and those whose minds have been poisoned by hate.
In the best case, we will see the opposite: a reduction in the number of attacks, a shrinkage of areas where terrorists have support, a closing of the ranks within Islam. If that should happen, our confrontation will end with a nonevent - bin Laden, or his successor, will videotape a threat to incinerate us, and nobody will broadcast it, because the terrorists lack even a smidgen of public backing.
08 Jun 18:50 | Link | Category: Current Events
Isolated subterranean ecosystem
An interesting recent tidbit from the worlds of spelunking and evolutionary biology: A caver exploring an area exposed by drilling at a quarry in Israel discovered a wholly unknown subterranean ecosystem:
The 1.5-mile-long cave network, apparently hermetically sealed for millions of years, boasted its own lake, no light whatsoever, and at least eight species of invertebrate completely new to science.
Other caves are home to unusual varieties of life. Why is this one so cool? Hanan Dimentman explains, "This is the first discovery of terrestrial animals found only in a cave and not on the surface. Ecologically, this is a unique cave unparalleled anywhere else in the world" (emphasis mine). Sean O'Neill writes:
With no sunlight to supply energy for photosynthesis, no plants could grow in the caves, so the smaller creatures probably derived their energy from the slow oxidisation of minerals in the cave. The bigger beasts – the biggest of all being the 2-inch scorpion-esque critter pictured – will have munched on the little 'uns. Give nature half a dozen animals, and she'll give you a food chain.
08 Jun 0:31 | Link | Category: Science
June 7, 2006
Windows Vista
Windows Vista should now ship in early 2007. (Doesn't it feel like we've been waiting for 'Longhorn' for years upon years?) Now that beta 2 has been out for a while, reports and reviews are being posted everywhere. It sounds like Vista will offer some pretty cool features... along with the typical assemblage of annoyances.
Robert Vamosi of CNET has been keeping a blog about living with Windows Vista. He's up to day five, and he does a pretty good job of highlighting both the good (useful features) and bad (annoyances) of Vista.
Scott Finnie of Computerworld says there are lots of good things about Vista, but since you can "read that anywhere," he focuses on the 20 Things You Won't Like About Windows Vista. Finding them, he says, was "unfortunately all too easy."
The bottom line is that if I were a Windows user, I would be pretty tempted to upgrade to Vista. It sounds pretty nice. But Finnie says that Mac OS X users can rest easy in the knowledge they still use the best OS (though it, too has annoyances and could be improved). His chart of completely subjective assessments of operating systems show that Vista is better than everything... except Mac OS X. "Apple has the best operating system this year, last year and next year. It'll be interesting to see what the company delivers in its 10.5 Leopard version of Mac OS X."
Why isn't Microsoft leapfrogging Apple with the long-awaited Vista? According to Finnie, "It isn't that Apple has put more effort into its operating system; Microsoft has mounted a gargantuan effort on Windows Vista. It's that the two companies have very different goals. I've come to believe that Microsoft has lost touch with its user base."
My take on all of this is that the final version of Vista will be an improvement over XP and will probably be a success for Microsoft. The only thing that would really upset me is the high hardware requirements - you need the latest hardware, especially in terms of video. OS X runs decently even on my ancient 400 MHz G4 with 8MB VRAM (which means it screams on my Dual 2.0 GHz G5 with 256MB VRAM). It's also a shame it's taking Microsoft so long to reach feature parity with OS X. But Microsoft has an enormous developer community plus better dev tools and support, so maybe a lumbering OS development cycle isn't a big concern for them.
Anyway, it should be interesting to see what Vista is like when it finally ships. If any of you have tried the beta, I'd love to hear what you think.
07 Jun 20:37 | Link | Category: Technology & Computing
June 1, 2006
Current Playlist
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
| The Whigs - Say Hello >> A fine song from this Athens, GA band. I need to pick up the CD and see if the rest of the songs are this good. |
| Razorlight - In The Morning >> I don't really want to like Razorlight (for various reasons), but this new single - from an album that is scheduled for release this summer - is too damned catchy to dislike. Good stuff. |
| The Stills - In The Beginning >> The latest album from The Stills is quite different from their previous one (for better and worse). This is one of the songs that first caught my ear. |
| The Constantines - Soon Enough >> A simple, beautiful, world-weary song from the Constantines' latest. |
| Troy Von Balthazar - Took Some $$ >> A weird, spare, melancholy tune. Like Leonard Cohen, Troy manages to write a downbeat tune supported by a cheesy synth. |
| Film School - Pitfalls >> Stop. Go. Stop. Go. (Another of their songs was on the last playlist. I like the band's textured, cinematic sound. And slightly off-key vocals always get me.) |
| Blue October - Into The Ocean >> Great lyrics and lots of layers & hooks. I think it has a bit of an '80s vibe. I don't know if that was intentional, but I like it. |
| The Who - Eminence Front >> OK. I've never been a huge Who fan... even when it comes to their famed stuff from the '60s and '70s. So it might seem strange that I'm including a song from, of all albums, 1982's It's Hard. Keith Moon had already been gone for a few years. The band was basically finished (their 'farewell tour' followed this album). So... why is 'Eminence Front' showing up on this month's playlist? Because it's actually really well crafted and terribly catchy. I've listened to it a dozen times in the last two weeks. The Who might have been out of time and desperately trying to "sound '80s," but they still had a knack for tunes (and Townshend was still a guitar god). |
| Talking Heads - Houses In Motion >> Here's a band that was at the top of its game in the early 80s. This comes from Remain In Light, which I can only describe as a work of genius. |
| Moby - We Are All Made of Stars >> It's true... we are all made of stars. A simple, hook-filled, somewhat repetitive song that I totally love. |
| Supersystem - Born Into the World >> Supersystem (formerly El Guapo) fuse a huge variety of sounds and influences into each song they write. This often leads to the annoying, schizophrenic dance tunes. But sometimes it leads to something totally different... All I can say is that this song is an example of the brilliance they sometimes stumble into. |
| Elf Power - The Creature >> I've included songs from the Creatures album on several playlists. This song isn't remarkably different from the others. I just happen to really dig the sound of that album. |
| Blackalicious - If I May >> Nia was such a fantastic album with so many great tracks. This is one of my favorites. |
| The Burning Effigies - Mid Afternoon >> A mellow song for your lazy summer afternoons. |