Coming up for Air

Sam's Dead......

2005-11-27T05:18:00.000-05:00

Only in America, poor, but famous Sam.

For those of you who think I'm being sarcastic .... come on.... you have to feel some sadness knowing that he's been put down. Everyone loved Sam, where else would he have been loved by everyone?

....Predictions...

2005-11-24T04:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know nobody's reading this now, since glaciers have carved lakes quicker than I've updated this blog. I have ridiculous amounts of work, no time for holidays (yes, it's Thanksgiving right now, and I'm awake at 4 am writing about fashion, how sad), finals in two and a half weeks and my girlfriend coming in a week and a half, but thought I should get something on record.

The rebellion against "Metrosexual"-ism is about to begin (or already has). The evidence is in the recent surge of down coats. I haven't decided whether this is a permanent or seasonal happenstance (not the down coats, of course THEY are, I mean the bottom line of choosing down coats over the 3/4 metrosexual choice). I give "metrosexual" as being cool for about one more year. In my opinion, it seems relatively easy to dress metrosexually in the spring and summer, but relatively harder in the winter. It's not hard to put on a crisp (recently dry-cleaned) white Thomas Pink shirt with your reasonably-flared jeans in the summer, but what in the winter??? what?? Cashmere? Camel hair? Man, that's MUCH harder if you have to pay attention to more than three pictures in a magazine on the first warm weekend in spring. I'm pretty sure that's why we see (at least in the past seven years) a lot of north face. Summer style is easy for everyone. Just buy a copy of GQ and copy. Winter is more complicated, and so, most just reach out for the latest Abercrombie-esque fad, such as North Face. To be honest, I see some homemade bell-bottoms in the near future.

That said, go out and buy a down coat. Urban. So warm. But, for those still listening, I need some help. I've been trying to find a pair of sunglasses for about three years, to no avail, unfortunately. What I want are minimalist sunglasses in the same style as those worn by the protagonist in Fellini's 8 1/2 (pictured above). Black. Perfectly rectangular (lenses of significantly more width than height). No brands. Thick frame. No curvature (all angles 90 degrees). Thanks.

Halloween

2005-11-05T02:25:00.000-05:00

The 'fro's too big, the beard's shoddy, but hey, Bob Ross is hard to get down perfectly.

CIA's Secret Prisons

2005-11-02T12:28:00.000-05:00

A Washington Post article (free registration) today discusses the clandestine CIA prisons outside the U.S. AND the CIA's lack of firearm skills:

The CTC's chief of operations argued for creating hit teams of case officers and CIA paramilitaries that would covertly infiltrate countries in the Middle East, Africa and even Europe to assassinate people on the list, one by one.

But many CIA officers believed that the al Qaeda leaders would be worth keeping alive to interrogate about their network and other plots. Some officers worried that the CIA would not be very adept at assassination.

"We'd probably shoot ourselves," another former senior CIA official said.

The piece is definitely worth reading in its entirety.

Fun with Taxes!

2005-10-26T03:30:00.000-04:00

Calarco v. Commissioner, 2004 WL 1616387: a decision in three Acts (including a prologue and epilogue and funny footnotes)!! Tax law makes you insane:

From the Prologue:

This case follows in that long, but little-noted, tradition. Petitioner, N. Joseph Calarco, is a respected professor of theater at Wayne State University in Detroit. He also writes plays. On his 1997 tax return, he deducted his playwriting expenses as a Schedule C business loss. Respondent disallowed both the loss and several itemized deductions that petitioner took on his Schedule A. These disallowances created a deficiency of $3,869 to which respondent added an accuracy-related penalty of $774. Petitioner, following the lead of Henry VIII's first Queen Katherine, [FN11] filed a timely petition in this Court . . .

From the Second Act

In extreme cases, this can even lead to a kind of deduction fever:
"Itemizing? What's that, Satan?"
"Well, you see, Josh, now that you're not just a salaried copy editor but also a freelance television critic, you can file a Schedule C and deduct your legitimate business expenses....
So I went home, waded as usual through the pot smoke of my roommates, shut the door, and looked around my room. What was a "legitimate business expense"? Okay, I'm a television critic, so ... the television! Yes! Because I need something to criticize!
Okay, so the television ... And then--yeah, the VCR, because I can't watch every episode of "T.J. Hooker." ...
And, of course, the videotapes.... And the replacement labels for the tapes, which I get from Radio Shack.... Oh---and the TV Guide, which guides me to the television! ... And the books of television criticism I've bought. And actually, the books I've bought that aren't television criticism: they've still informed my criticism of the television.... Oh---and the chair I sit in, of course: very important what your posture is when you criticize a television. And the food I eat--which literally makes up the cells that form the critic of the television....
Kornbluth, supra.

Petitioner has fallen victim--at least at times--to this fever, claiming many quotidian activities, such as reading newspapers and renting movies, to be "business-related". He is, at some level of abstraction, no doubt correct. But we must administer the tax laws as they are . . .

From the Footnotes:

FN22. See Master of the House on Les Miserables: Original Broadway Cast (Geffen Records) (suggesting benefits of enhanced substantiation requirements for certain innkeepers).

FN24. Although best known to tax lawyers for his rule, George M. Cohan was also a playwright, actor, and songwriter, who wrote such stage classics as "The Man Who Owned Broadway." His life outside tax litigation was the source material for the classic Jimmy Cagney film, Yankee Doodle Dandy (Warner Bros.1942). (We also note that this year marks the centennial of Cohan's breakout role in Little Johnny Jones, featuring Yankee Doodle Boy (I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy) and Give My Regards to Broadway.)

The Epilogue:

Dramatists used to finish with some rhymes, Mostly iambs with a pinch of dactyly, But in these more prosaic times Works usually end more matter-of-factily.
In our Court, though, the oldest ways seem somehow to survive--
A decision will be entered under Rule 155.

... Makes you go insane, I say.

Fun with Corporations

2005-10-26T02:46:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of bringing up old links that I think are cool, thought I'd send out a link to www.theyrule.net. It's an interactive website linking companies and people on the boards of directors of corporations. Go to "Load Maps" and then "Popular" for some interesting maps already generated and submitted by others. It's amazing how different the "Ten Richest People" map is than most others.

Cat Sites Part Deux

2005-10-25T02:51:00.000-04:00

Also for you:

The Infinite Cat Project

and

My Cat Hates You

Images from the latter.

Cat Site

2005-10-25T02:46:00.000-04:00

... I still like http://www.stuffonmycat.com/

Particularly funny is the "Creatures on Cats" section.

"Damn Cool" Optical Illusion

2005-10-22T01:01:00.000-04:00

It is pretty cool.

Link found at Volokh.

Rocky VI?

2005-10-16T21:18:00.000-04:00

This seems like a wild card to me.

Pic will shoot starting in the first quarter of 2006 in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. No release date has been set yet.

Stallone said the story has the aging, widowed Rocky initially refusing a chance to get back in the ring.

"There's a computer fight between the reigning world champion and Balboa, and Balboa wins," he said.

"The champion's management says let's do this for real, for charity. Rocky says no but decides to be true to himself even though he's going to be berated by everyone. Just to compete, not to win."

. . . Stallone said the project has been gestating for four years.

That took four years?

Soccer is Forbidden Except When Played as Training for Jihad

2005-10-13T03:30:00.000-04:00

Terrorists hate when you play soccer for fun, or like an American or Frenchman.

An excerpt from the Fatwa of 2003 (from MEMRI):

"1. Don't play soccer with four lines [surrounding the field], since this is the way of the non-believers, and the international soccer rules require drawing [these lines] before playing.

"2. One should not use the terminology established by the non-believers and the polytheists, like: 'foul,' 'penalty kick,' 'corner kick,' 'goal,' and 'out of bounds.' Whoever pronounces these terms should be punished, reprimanded, kicked out of the game, and should even be told in public: 'You have come to resemble the non-believers and the polytheists, and this has been forbidden.'

"3. If one of you falls during the game and breaks his hand or his foot, or if the ball hits his hand, he shall not say 'foul' and shall not stop playing because of his injury. The one who caused his injury shall not receive a yellow or a red card, but rather the case shall be judged according to Muslim law in the case of a broken bone or an injury. The injured player shall exercise his rights according to the shari'a, as [is stated] in the Koran, and you must testify together with him that so-and-so tripped him up intentionally.

"4. Do not set the number [of players] according to the number of players used by the non-believers, the Jews, the Christians, and especially the vile America. In other words, 11 players shall not play together. Make it a larger or a smaller number.

"5. Play in your normal clothing, or in pajamas, or something like that, but not in colorful pants and numbered jerseys. Pants and jerseys are not appropriate clothing for Muslims. They are the clothing of the non-believers and of the West, and therefore you must be careful not to wear them.

"6. Once you have fulfilled [these] conditions and rules, you must play the entire game with the intention of improving your physical fitness for the purpose of fighting Jihad for Allah's sake and preparing for the time when jihad is needed. One should not waste time in celebrating a false victory.

"7. Do not play for 45 minutes, as is the practice among the Jews,
the Christians, and in all of the countries of non-belief and atheism. This is
also the length of time that is accepted in the soccer clubs of those who have strayed from the righteous path. You must be different than the non-believers, depart from their path, and not imitate them in anything. . . "

AND MY FAVORITE RULE:

"13. If one of you inserts the ball between the posts and then starts to run so that his companions will run after him and hug him, like the players in America and France do, you should spit in his face, punish him, and reprimand him, for what do joy, hugging, and kissing have to do with sports? . . ."

I guess if you're not going to win the World Cup, you might as well pretend that you were never playing the same game. Just like the Python and Alligator story, this is too bizarre to make up, so check it out yourself.

Python v. Alligator Update

2005-10-13T03:02:00.000-04:00

From the AP (they have five for your viewing pleasure, or displeasure).

Expect a Song About This in the Near Future

2005-10-10T03:24:00.000-04:00

"As excited as I was about becoming a new father, my disappointment is equally as strong. So out of respect for all that are involved, please allow this situation to remain private and know that I will not be commenting further on this very personal matter."

Ouch. I guess the country music scene really is rough. Buet, if he wanted this to remain private, why did he post it online?

"Advanced Formula"

2005-10-09T22:57:00.000-04:00

Rarely am I sincerely confused or genuinely annoyed by the marketing materials of commonplace products. Vaseline's marketing on its Advanced Lip Therapy Skin Protectant is intolerable.

To me, marketing is story-telling. It should tell you something not only about the product itself, but about how that product relates to you. Everyone knows that Herbal Ecstacy is not going to release dopamine in females to the extent their commercials might suggest. But a shower is nevetheless relaxing, a feeling that is reinforced by the smell of a familiar product. We know that eating Go-Gurt or drinking a Capri Sun won't make thirteen year olds ridiculous soccer stars or skateboardering legends, but how many CEOs do you see drinking Capri Suns? Consumers' perceptions of a product are essential concerns of the marketer who, in turn, shapes or utilizes these perceptions through marketing efforts. Yet, when the consumer is standing in the shampoo/drink aisle of the grocery store, he knows that the magical story about this product is incomplete. A tube with yoghurt is novel, but, hey, is it really that different from the timeless cup and spoon? To me, it is not, but my answer is of little use to someone else. What is important is that the consumer asks the question. Staring at 45 distinct shampoo products, the consumer is going to ask himself, "Is this specific shampoo really all that different? I remember the ad, but I like this one for damaged hair, that seems more 'me', and I'm sure they all smell good, so I'm not really losing out." A lot of the initial magic of the first marketer's story is taken out of the product when the monopoly on the consumer's time is broken-the consumer can directly compare the products on his own time.

Of course, marketers know that this monopoly on attention will nearly always be broken and therefore design packaging to dissuade customers from buying other products, convincing the consumer that, for him, their product is really the best. It may not be worth the extra money to buy herbal essence over generic with the same ingredients and not buy into the fantasy of the former, but it does not strike me as dishonesty on the part of marketers to try to convice the consumer of the contrary. Compare the former with the packaging of Vaseline's Advanced Formula lip therapy. Set against a white background and in contrast to the surrounding dark letters is the description of the "formula" as "Advanced." Various possibilities exist, at least in my mind, as to what might make a particular lip balm advanced (or its formula): e.g., a higher SPF rating, aloe vera, chemicals that allow you to apply it less often, a map of the human genome, et. al. A lip balm with those characteristics would seem advanced to me. What does not seem like an advanced formula for a lip balm? One with the following ingredients:

Active ingredient: White Petrolatum USP (100%)
Inactive ingredient: Flavor

What?! How is that in any way an "Advanced Formula"? It now has flavor?? Is this an improvement over any previous lip balm developed by Vaseline or anyone else? Is it even an advancement over original Vaseline considering that their active ingredients are identical? Congratulations to the research department over at Vaseline for figuring out and effectively applying the complex science behind adding "Flavor" to white petrolatum USP. Check out the difference between Vaseline Baby and Vaseline? Fragrance. Although Vaseline doesn't describe the formula of the former as "advanced," I'm thinking that has more to do with the different reactions of a new mother or someone with chapped lips considering themselves duped into buying something more than vasoline with fragrance. Using the word "advanced" to describe the formula for a lip balm doesn't even pass the laugh test.

The word "advanced," of course, can also be used as an adjective meaning that something was proposed or put forth by someone. To that end, I am confident that the formula can be described as advanced in all honesty. In fact, I am willing to bet that at some point in time someone at Vaseline said, "hey, lets add flavor to vaseline, put it in a tube, call it an advanced formula lip protectant, place it next to more expensive products whose original 'formula' does not refer simply to vaseline, and watch the money come in." Jerks.

SCOTUS nominee Harriet Miers

2005-10-09T04:17:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of fun imagining the person who is actually writing this blog. It is worth noting that some Canadians thought the blog was actually written by SCOTUS nominee Mier. Pshh... Canadians.

Turkey and the EU....Psych!

2005-10-09T04:00:00.000-04:00

Xenophobia reducing your chances of getting into the EU? No problem, look the the U.S. for pressure on Europe, then have your media write wonderful things about us.

An excerpt (from MEMRI):

"Sadly, at present Turkey is under total invasion by the USA.:
"The Turkish economy is under complete control of the U.S. through the IMF and "the World Bank; (even our demographic and genetic codes are in their hands);
"Our military is dependent on the U.S. (how soon we forgot all the bad things and the embargo they imposed on us, after our operation in Cyprus)
"There is a cultural invasion [of Turkey] by the U.S.
"We have no secrets and can hide nothing from America. Even our 'intelligence' is guided by the CIA.
"Our natural resources (including oil) are controlled by America. (Not even one-thousandth of our reserves is mined. All our riches like gold, borax, thorium, uranium, must urgently be utilized in cooperation with other friendly countries.)
"Our agricultural sector (through the IMF) is directly guided by the USA (e.g.: No measures can ever be taken against Cargill [7], even if our national interests dictate it.) "

It seems like all you have to do these days to rally the sycophants is yell IMF or World Bank. Readings these sorts of things is entirely depressing.

Wow

2005-10-09T00:10:00.000-04:00

Answering that ageless question of who would win in a fight, Python or Alligator? Who ever knew that there would be no winners. . . well, besides everyone who gets to read about it.

Gillespie on Mier

2005-10-07T02:35:00.000-04:00

From the Mercury News:

Appearing on CNN's "The Situation Room," former Republican Party Chairman Ed Gillespie criticized news reports suggesting Miers is "not intellectually qualified" to serve on the court.
"Well, unless you know Harriet Miers and spend time with her, how would you even know that?" said Gillespie, who is helping the White House with the confirmation. "Those of us who do, who have spent time, know she is intellectually qualified."

Weak.

WARNING: GRAPHIC

2005-10-06T04:38:00.000-04:00

I've actually read about this at various places, but had never seen pictures. Fishing with dogs? That's about as novel as eating snails.

Alright.... now Im tired, goodnight.

TEMDMPYTQ ;)

P.S. Crispin Glover, yeah, he's strange.

Undecided

2005-10-06T04:35:00.000-04:00

...whether his story or his hair impresses me more.

3Ls on 1Ls

2005-10-06T04:31:00.000-04:00

Meant to be funny, I am saddened to recognize that Il know at least three people who would think he is being serious.

Michigan . . .

2005-10-01T04:05:00.000-04:00

. . . don't duel.

So, you want to know...

2005-09-29T02:33:00.000-04:00

. . . a little bit more about Ann Arbor, MI?

Here are a few things I didn't know (according to wikipedia, at least).

---"The original Borders Books was opened on Ann Arbor's State Street in 1971 by brothers Tom and Louis Borders, and began operating other outlets around the region beginning in 1985. The Borders chain is still based in the city, as is its flagship store (although not in its original location). A little-known fact is that dogs are allowed inside the flagship store, and the cashiers have a stock of doggy treats for canine visitors. "

---"Domino's Pizza's headquarters are in Ann Arbor on Domino's Farms, a massive 271-acre, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired complex in the northeastern portion of the city."

--- " Ave Maria School of Law, a Catholic institution established by Domino's Pizza cofounder Tom Monaghan, opened in northeastern Ann Arbor in 2000, although a new campus is under construction near Naples, Florida due to the school's conflicts with local zoning authorities."

Weird!!!

UTAH!

2005-09-29T02:05:00.000-04:00

My parents told me about this a few nights ago. Ohhhh Utah!

Cool Pictures of Stingrays

2005-09-28T02:37:00.000-04:00

. . . leaping out of the water?

"Pournography" for you....

2005-09-27T03:13:00.000-04:00

Although the "pournography" has the funniest name, all the other categories are cool, too.

Link via GeekPress.

Time for bed.

It's one thing to be benched . . .

2005-09-27T02:11:00.000-04:00

. . . because you didn't follow the high school league rules about wearing shoes during the game. However, you'd think that you might think again if the player HAD NO LEGS. Not in Ohio.

It would be pretty embarassing . . .

2005-09-27T02:08:00.000-04:00

. . . to get caught cheating like this.

Bumvertising??

2005-09-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

"Currently, the highest concentration of Bumvertisements are being placed at the on and off ramps of I-5 at the 45th and 50th street exits. Please learn more about some of the Bumvertising campaign's most important assets at the gallery."

Link via Marginal Revolution.

Update on the Killer Dolphins!

2005-09-26T02:46:00.000-04:00

Here's a U.S. Navy webpage giving significant credibility for the existence of the animals discussed in the link contained in my last post. The Navy uses Sea Lions, Killer Whales, Porpoises, Sharks, and Birds for various purposes too! I don't see anything immediately about the darts, but I'm certainly less skeptical now.

On the other hand, I am still unable to give an update on whether I am more terrified than I am euphoric.

Here's a teaser for the webpage . . .

By Far the Winner in the Insanity Contest

2005-09-26T02:37:00.000-04:00

If these animals turn out to exist, I'm not sure whether I would be terrified or euphoric.

Sentencing in Spain

2005-09-26T02:16:00.000-04:00

. . . 75,000 years . . .

Breaking my promise...

2005-09-25T02:01:00.000-04:00

... because drugging 17th Century British is funny.

Pailon y Dailon

2005-09-22T02:15:00.000-04:00

For a long long time, Pilon and I have said how it would be cool if she posted things to this blog. She hasn't made any post... so, I have updated my profile to include both of us and have decided not to post anything until Pilar writes something. She spent the past few days in Cuenca, Spain in the parties of that city. Unlike me, she doesn't have to go to classes yet. So, finally, we can expect a post from her. Good night!

Okay...

2005-09-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

. . . some people in Budapest are weird too.

Fact: Parodies are NOT mammals!

2005-09-21T03:19:00.000-04:00

A list of Real Ultimate Power Parodies is found here.

The original Real Ultimate Power that started it all is here.

People are Weird

2005-09-21T03:14:00.000-04:00

Seriously weird: Police Reports.

2005-09-21T02:38:00.000-04:00

Three decks above water.

2005-09-21T02:35:00.000-04:00

This was a place in Fuengi that I wanted to take a picture of for my friend Ron back in Law School. I never took the picture, but Pilar sent me one!

2005-09-21T02:33:00.000-04:00

From Pilar's porch in Fuengirola--castle in the background. This was right before getting on the train to Madrid, so, two hours left with Pilar (pero venga, no hemos sido tan pesados.. no ibamos contando!!)

2005-09-21T02:31:00.000-04:00

I look 12.

2005-09-21T02:30:00.000-04:00

Feria de M�laga.

2005-09-21T02:27:00.000-04:00

Huge Huge boats in Puerto Banus.

2005-09-21T02:26:00.000-04:00

Piluka (Pilar's mom) and me at dinner in Marbella. Ese americano!!

2005-09-21T02:25:00.000-04:00

Marbeeeeeeeeellllaaa. Both pretty tan, but Pilar more.

2005-09-21T02:21:00.000-04:00

Pilon scientist.

2005-09-21T02:20:00.000-04:00

Im not sure if this will come out, but it's a video of the Michigan tradition where you throw people in the air a certain amount of times corresponding to the total number of points scored to that point.

Rehnquist and Old School

2005-09-19T23:25:00.000-04:00

I saw this earlier on Penn's student newspaper, but had forgotten about it until VC reminded me of it.

More Pictures

2005-09-17T02:26:00.000-04:00

I finally got my financial aid package today so I was able to get a replacement cable for my camera. The following are a small sample of the hundreds of photos I have taken in the past month. The photos are in reverse chronology, beginning with the Michigan // N. Illinois game, going back to Fuengirola with Pilar, and finally, some pictures of being in El Escorial with Pilon. Enjoy.

2005-09-16T21:46:00.000-04:00

This is what the marching band formed when they played the song "Margharitaville"

2005-09-16T21:44:00.000-04:00

The games really are cool.

2005-09-16T21:41:00.000-04:00

Tim Harringon, photograph taken by Ron for perspective. On the way to the game.

2005-09-16T21:40:00.000-04:00

Airport.

2005-09-16T21:39:00.000-04:00

...

2005-09-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

Hmm..

2005-09-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

Me gustan estas, aunk son de la ultima noche con mi bebe koalasaurio.

2005-09-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

TEMDM.

2005-09-16T21:35:00.000-04:00

Last night in Fuengi. Last night in Spain. Last night with Pilon.

2005-09-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

Mola.

2005-09-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

Sudando un pokito, eh!

2005-09-16T21:32:00.001-04:00

Never could have been done without Pilon's help.

2005-09-16T21:32:00.000-04:00

Packing.

2005-09-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

Joooo

2005-09-16T21:29:00.000-04:00

Wapetona.

2005-09-16T21:26:00.000-04:00

See, they came out wellll.

2005-09-16T21:24:00.000-04:00

Pilon and the fisherman coming out towards dusk.

2005-09-16T21:22:00.001-04:00

Fuengi.

2005-09-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

The Frenchman, Antonio, and Pilar: a funny picture.

2005-09-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

Pilon, while demonstrating talents in photography, nevertheless is no better than me.

2005-09-16T21:18:00.001-04:00

Escorial. I'll fix the rotation later.

2005-09-16T21:18:00.000-04:00

Antonio in Escorial.

2005-09-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

Isa Pilon at the end of a long night of parties around Escorial.

2005-09-16T21:16:00.000-04:00

Friends, Isa, Pilon

2005-09-16T21:15:00.002-04:00

Pilon and Isa

2005-09-16T21:15:00.001-04:00

Pilon and Isa

2005-09-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

Pilon and Isa

2005-09-16T21:14:00.000-04:00

Pilon and Isa

2005-09-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

Pilon and Isa

2005-09-16T21:12:00.001-04:00

Pilon and Isa

2005-09-16T21:12:00.000-04:00

Fiesta

2005-09-16T21:08:00.000-04:00

Fiestas

Wacky Justice Files Pt. I

2005-09-12T00:19:00.000-04:00

Case quote for the day:

"Before she met Kritzik, Harris starred as a sorceress in an action/adventure film. She would have had to be a real life sorceress to predict her tax obligations under the current state of the law."

-Judge Echbach on the ol' legal question concerning mistress (twins actually)/old widower tax versus gift law. The case gets more raunchy, but I'll keep it clean here (942 F.2d 1125).

Sorceress was arguably 1982's sleeper hit.

2005-09-10T23:55:00.000-04:00

http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/victims_list.htm

An Open Letter to Kanye West

2005-09-03T03:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Mr. West,

I thought I'd open this letter with some of your own words:

(all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the things)
They don't mean a thing
(all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing, a thing

And I don't care 'bout (all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the things)
All these fancy things
I tell you that all (all the glitter) my weight in gold
Now all I know I know all these things

I would like to thank you in advance for donating all your diamond rings, diamond rings, to the Red Cross, Red Cross. Maybe they don't me a thing, a thing, to you, to you, but they sure will make a difference, difference in the life of someone who doesn't go platinum as often, as often. Do you think your entourage could live somewhere else for the next few months so you could house some of the victims? No? Alright. Blame the head of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government, then. I can't believe that the Executive Branch didn't commandeer school buses or send its limos. Considering how many can fit into your Benz S600, imagine how many the Executive could save in his stretched!

I guess they didn't teach civics at your college, Kanye. Oh, I forgot, the name of your most popular album is called "College Dropout." Cool, Kanye. What the African American minority needs is a popular rapper gloating about his wealth despite his failings in the educational system. Maybe you can call your next album, "Dear fellow African-Americans, I advise you to stop studying literature and start going to the gym so you can be a major sports figure with lots of cheese", or perhaps, "Buy more lottery tickets!", or “You too can win video poker!”

An aside, I saw your mansion on MTV's "Cribs" the other day. Some might thing "excessive", but I shall respond, "Duly rewarded"!

Here's the thing Kanye, our country is reeling from a tragic natural disaster amplified by poor planning at various levels of governments in the past several decades. Your comments tonight on NBC simply make the recovery harder for everyone. Out of fear for being labeled a "college-boy" by you (that's right, Kanye, I admit that I can't spit profound lyrics similar to yours, allowing me to get the "cheese" and “hoes”), I've decided not to address the horizontal and vertical distribution of powers entailed in our Constitution and respected by our country. I also fear that doing so would automatically make me a Bush-lover in your book, although that is not the reality. Heaven forbid that anyone state that the members of the political party “opposing” them might not be evil. Normalized curve be dammed! Oh, wait, sorry, the whole college thing again. Alright, let me see… well, Kanye, our current political atmosphere has a graphical statistical representation more like the Golden Arches of McDonalds than say, an upside down "U"… make more sense now? Mmm, RibWich!

The bottom line is that I fear that your criticisms are probably the result of the fact that there are more words that rhyme with the words "Bush" and “President” than there are with the phrase, "state and city governments, including those of Louisiana." Don't worry K-dog, like Chris Tucker on NBC tonight, I’m here to bail you out. So, to help you get started, I suggest you rhyme the latter with: "Gave mo uh my cheese to those peeps than gots that whitey Joe Montana"?

Man, I'm such a good emcee, I might just drop out of law school. Envision it, my first album, album: "Law School Drop-Out", platinum no doubt, no doubt. Mmmm, RibWiches in my S600, 600.

Kind People and the Internet

2005-09-02T21:43:00.000-04:00

I alway's liked Craig's List, now there's another reason.

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/apa/

With all the discouraging news we receive, it's comforting and reassuring to see something like that.

You think that's offensive?

2005-09-01T22:58:00.000-04:00

The devastated state in which Katrina left the Gulf Coast is undeniably huge. At the same time, many individuals find the reports of looting and other forms of violence to be equally horrific and disconcerting. I, too, am deeply offended when individuals take advantage of the severely compromised state of others for their own personal gain. For that reason I wanted to make a quick mention of the most recent article by Ron Fournier of the Associated Press.

Ron Fournier writes in his recent article, entitled Politicians Failed Storm Victims:

At every turn, political leaders failed Katrina's victims. They didn't strengthen the levees. They ceded the streets to marauding looters. They left dead bodies to rot or bloat. Thousands suffered or died for lack of water, food and hope. Who's at fault?

There's plenty of blame to go around - the White House, Congress, federal agencies, local governments, police and even residents of the Gulf Coast who refused orders to evacuate. But all the finger-pointing misses the point: Politicians and the people they lead too often ignore danger signs until a crisis hits.

It wasn't a secret that levees built to keep New Orleans from flooding could not withstand a major hurricane, but government leaders never found the money to fully shore up the network of earthen, steel and concrete barriers . . .

. . ."The truth will speak for itself," Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said of potential lapses by government. Later, her office blamed the White House for budget cuts.

If it's not the Republicans' fault, perhaps some in Washington would like to blame New Orleans itself. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., questioned whether a city that lies below sea level should be rebuilt. "That doesn't make sense to me," he
said. But for anybody living - or dying - in the devastated region, there are far too many villains to name.

"We're out here like pure animals. We don't have help," the Rev. Issac Clark, 68, said outside the New Orleans Convention Center . . .

Some will argue that, while the rescue procedures are still in full effect, it is too soon for Fournier to be "pointing fingers." Concerning whether it is too early I have little valuable to say. I didn't bring it up, but if Mr. Fournier did, then let it be an honest, impartial discussion. Although I am not passing blame on anyone or any entity for the disaster in the Gulf Coast, if I did, I can say with reasonable certainty that, at this point, I probably wouldn't lead off the list with the White House and close it with "even [those] who refused orders to evacuate". But, a quick Google search for "Ron Fournier" and "Associated Press" is rather enlightening.

I encourage anyone to read Ron Fournier's previous articles as well as his current ones on Katrina, including the present article. I am fairly certain that the reasonable minded individual will see a pattern. After all, the other piece that Fournier has written on Katrina opens with:

Cutting short his vacation and marshaling the power of the federal government could help reverse his sliding job approval rating. But the president's hands-on approach seems a bit too political for some, and makes him an easy target should Katrina's victims start looking for somebody to blame during the long, costly road to recovery.

Wow. That's the lead paragraph? Luckily for the "Katrina victim" who "should look for someone to blame", they can read the article written on the same day, September 1st, by the same author, Ron Fournier, wherein the blameworthy are listed-leading the list, the White House. Politicians failed them. And hey, in Fournier's words, "even if it isn't the Republicans' fault, perhaps some in Washington would like to blame New Orleans itself. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R. Ill. . ." R for Republican (or, perhaps to Mr. Fournier, Republican't). "Even if it isn't the Republican's fault . . ."? We're still talking about the aftermath of a hurricane, right? Even though Fournier gave us his list, he seems to be leaning toward a zero-sum fault scenario here.

I've always been put-off by conversations wherein people complain about the largely "conservative" or, conversely, "liberal" media. If you're not perceptive enough to realize that a particular author of a particular piece may tend to have a skewed viewpoint on an issue and you read it without a critical eye and agree to everything . . . well, too bad. What does bother me is when an author, clearly of one particular viewpoint, as evidence by the huge morass of articles he has previously written, decides to use a national catastrophe in an attempt to loot the public conscience, whether that attempt be successful or not. That is entirely and unacceptably vulgar. That is what Mr. Fournier has done in his recent articles pushing, with barely veiled opportunism, his contempt for one political party.

Mr. Fournier, you are an ass.

Chemistry

2005-07-19T06:16:00.000-04:00

...Why Chemistry is Cool...

2005-07-18T21:46:00.000-04:00

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeelcome to Barcelooooooona. Pilar, Laura, and Me. The following are pictures that we took while Pilar, Andrea, Luis, Isa, and Laura were visiting me this past week in Barcelona. Thank you for all for coming. Especially Pilon.

2005-07-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

Pilar and Laura por Porto Olimpico.

2005-07-18T21:43:00.000-04:00

And I love you!

2005-07-18T21:42:00.000-04:00

I love all the pez graffitti.

2005-07-18T21:41:00.001-04:00

Souveniers

2005-07-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I learned the last time I went to the Sagrada Familia.... it was that 2 Euros is worth the elevator.

2005-07-18T21:40:00.000-04:00

Laura, Pilar: waiting in line for the elevator.

2005-07-18T21:38:00.001-04:00

Me.

2005-07-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

Pilar, Me.

2005-07-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

Sagrada Familia and Pilar.

2005-07-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

Pilar from the towers, looking over Barcelona toward the sea.

2005-07-18T21:34:00.000-04:00

I love this picture.

2005-07-18T21:33:00.000-04:00

Leaving la Sagrada Familia