Protest Art

Stop War
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

I collect photos of protest art, especially when the art is displayed outdoors, is likely to be illegally placed, and is in a conspicuous location. Graffiti is great to look at, and you can debate all day about vandalism and the crime of defacing private and/or public property, but I still enjoy looking at it. I must respect the skill and audacity of graf writers.

This particular stencil art piece was one I encountered in a park in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was September 2006, the day of the Zozobra festival. It was there all by itself, but I liked how there were little pieces of a flower resting on top.

Blues Fest, YSO, 2007

 
It was raining really hard, and I didn't want any of the people to leave, because we were trying to sell our rugs and crafts. So, I joined a group of guys and we had an impromptu blues jam in the rain. People stayed out there, watching. Some of them danced. Some of them stayed out in the grass and mud and some of the people got up on stage with us and danced to stay out of the rain. It was a pretty good time, I must say.

Stop Bush!

This impromptu graffiti was discovered in YSO, Yellow Springs, Ohio, during the Blues Fest 2007.
 

The Floorwalkers

The Floorwalkers: Kerry
Originally uploaded by eplowry.

I jammed with a guy from work a couple of weeks ago, after we closed, and I had a great time. We played all kinds of cover songs and a couple of originals for a very small audience of our co-workers. I haven't heard his band yet, the Floorwalkers, but I'd like to check them out. This is a cool photo I found of Kerry, on Flickr. I thought I'd let the world know that Kerry can play a mean guitar, and he's got a good, rootsy, soulful singing voice, as well. It's kind of deep, which is good for that music. I'd be interested in jamming again, especially with some electrics, and maybe with a drummer and bass player. I'd like to hear Kerry play dobro too.

Just read a good review

I’ve just read a good review about this book, and after seeing it in so many hands of readers all over, including my sister’s, I just have to check it out. Right now, though, I am reading about 5 or 6 different books about corporations, globalization, and development. They all touch on the environment in many ways and the ideas of sustainable development. As an anthropology major in college, though, I still have my interests in evolution, religion, and the philosophy of science.

See more progress on: read the god delusion

Update on Ryan's Aimless Project

Hey there! I have an update on Ryan's comings and goings. For those who need a reminder, my long-time friend, Ryan, is travelling the country by foot, public transportation, and hitchhiking, with a video camera and a cell phone. Like an amateur anthropologist (as Ryan's buddy, Lew, put it) is documenting what he sees as the reality of America, and he wants to tell the world about his experiences. He's kept up an interesting blog. He posts photos every now and again, and he has his own website that explains what he is doing, why he is doing it, and how he came up with the idea.

If you'd like to see what Ryan can do with a video camera, then check out his "quasi-trailers", as he calls them.

At this point, Ryan is calling on his readers, including myself, to help him replace the gear that he has been using for so long. His tent is too small for him to fit comfortably inside, because he is too tall for it. His belt is too big for him. His pants are too big for him. His backpack has a waist strap that is too big for him. His socks have holes in them. The treads in his shoes are so worn down that it hurts him to walk. His sleeping bag is not insulated enough to keep him warm.

What Ryan hopes is that companies will want to help Ryan by providing him with these goods. In return, the donors (or sponsors) would be able to promote their products on his website. With Ryan's backing on a good product it could only help generate interest and potential sales.

I believe that Ryan would also like to have a light notebook PC and a better video camera and cell phone (that still takes photos). However, I think he is mainly concerned about the necessities of surviving the journey right now.

So, how can we help out Aimless Ryan?

He wants us to contact a bunch of manufacturers, requesting them to help him. He has a page on his website that lays out what it would mean to sponsor Aimless.

The short list:
Kelty --> Contact Kelty about sponsorships
Gregory
Columbia
Coleman
Timberland
REI
The North Face
Eureka!
Therm-A-Rest
Sierra Designs
Amtrak
Apple
Sony
Canon

If you'd like to contact Ryan personally, then go to his contact page.

Thanks for your attention!

Happy Nathy

208
Originally uploaded by happy_nathy^_^.

The Land Where Anything Is Possible

Statue of Liberty, NYC
Originally uploaded by Daniel A. Norman.

Is this truly the land of opportunity?

Is the "American Dream" a dream worth pursuing? Is it actually attainable for more than just a few people?

This photo, by Daniel A. Norman (copyrighted, 2007), shows the clouds over NYC, the clouds over the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of all that is the American Dream. This is the place of possibility for many people around the world, but that idea is being challenged more and more lately.

With increasing anti-American sentiment, largely after Bush sent our troops over to Iraq to fight the so-called "War on Terror", I am really not sure that there is a more important topic to think about and to write about than this "American Dream".

I don't know about you, but I'm struggling.

I'm not homeless (yet). I'm not unemployed (yet). I still have some income and some assets to call my own (at the moment). However, these conditions are only temporary, for I am in debt, just like the majority of Americans I know and have heard about. I owe money.

So, now I live paycheck to paycheck, hoping that I make enough each week to pay my bills, and I recklessly spend on things I don't need.

Now, I'm trying to wake myself up, and I'm trying to move.

Notes on the American Dream Series

The dream of a land where there is...
Opportunity
Achievement
Success
Freedom
Independence
Justice
Wealth
Rags to Riches
Truth
Happiness
Determination
Hard Work
Better Standards of Living
Freedom from religious persecution
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Expression
Safety
Social Justice
Human Rights
Civil Rights
The Great Gatsby
Death of a Salesman
Fight Club
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
On The Road
In Cold Blood
"Know Your Enemy"
Scarface
The Pursuit of Happyness
American Beauty
Miss Saigon

Compromise
Conformity
Assimiliation
Submission
Ignorance
Hypocrisy
Brutality
Celebrity
The Elite
Power
Denial

American Dream, 3

What is the "American Dream?"

American Dream, 2

We R America
Originally uploaded by R.A.M.O.N.E..

American Dream, 1

Supergirl
Originally uploaded by R.A.M.O.N.E..

The American Dream

What the hell is this "American Dream"? What do people from all over the world think is this "American Dream" that I've been hearing about all of my damn life?

Does the American Dream exist, or is it really only as real as Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny, legends that really have just helped fuel our culture of consumption?

Are people merely naive when they believe that it is worthwhile to pursue the "American Dream"?

I'm an atheist. I don't believe in much of anything at all that cannot be explained through materialist methods. If it is more than an idea but it is not made up of matter, then I am very skeptical that it exists. So, for me to listen to you tell me that I need to believe in god and believe that this being is watching over us, judging us morally, and manipulating our destinies, is an exercise in open-mindedness and patience, for me. I really have to hold my breath and hope that you don't ask me if I believe what you say is true and that it has changed my way of thinking, because it most likely has not.

So, when someone comes up to you and starts bringing up this idea of the "American Dream" what do you say?

Well, here's what I say...
[More Later]

Matt Weber, Costco, Consumption, and Loneliness

Granbury Walmart
Originally uploaded by granbury18.

Matt Weber is an excellent photographer. He really knows how to capture an emotion through one single image, and he can also put together a series of images that explore the complexities of our culture and what it means to be human, at least in our age.

I like this one of the little girl and the young couple, shopping at Costco, one of the many giant "superstores" that reduce the sticker price of the products they sell, at the cost of reduced wages for their employees and the demise of the "mom's and pop's" stores. Costco, WalMart, Sam's Club, and many other big chain stores represent what globalization, global culture, and development really mean to me: homogenization, dehumanization, and the marketing of consumption as a way of life.

The little girl in this image does not appear to be happy to be where she is, and that may not reflect the reality of her inner feelings, but it definitely adds to the messages this photo sends to me. She looks lonely, neglected, and sad, to me. That's how this world sometimes makes me feel, and I think I see that in others too.

Thanks, Matt. I think art needs to be out there, and I am glad that the internet helps get the artists to throw their works up for people all over to view.

Watch out for those "good time girls"

Disco - Almaty
Originally uploaded by herwigphoto.com.

OBEY Giant action figure

obey einstürzende neubaten
Originally uploaded by japanese forms.

Shepard Fairey, Street Artist, Provocateur, Advertising Subversive,

Shepard Fairey in London
Originally uploaded by pure evil bunny.

This guy, although he is not the only guy doing this, is doing some impressive things. I think the idea to Question Everything is a pure and good idea. We need to think about our symbols, our propaganda, our cultural iconography, our art, and our conversations.

The "war on terror" and the "war" in Iraq and "Homeland Security" and "9/11" and all of the other catchphrases we use in the media and digest like babies are worth deconstructing. We may find that these things have been appropriated for someone else's uses and purposes -- uses and purposes that we don't really want to support.

It is one thing to say it. It is another thing to create something that inspires people to action.

Action. A good word.

Swimming

Swimming Pool
Originally uploaded by Mike Hipple.

I have yet to go swimming even one time this summer. I long for water, relaxation, and sun.

Action Figure Art

rawr!
Originally uploaded by zannah.

I love this style of photography that uses sculptures or pop culture material in creative ways. It looks like this character is actually walking around in the real world.

Missing the ocean

Watching the surfer boys.
Originally uploaded by Morven.

I grew up very close to Salem and Marblehead Harbor, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. A lot of my time was spent by the water, swimming, exploring, and just watching. This image reminds me of the days where I would just stare at the waves and think about the other world that lay beneath them.

A very flexible girl

4l6qjqr
Originally uploaded by Dr. Yuji Kotorida.

This is Miki Komori, a Japanese model, and I think that's pretty much a 180 degree angle.

Pre-Colonial Folk Art

pict0542
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

I snapped this image at the folk art museum in Santa Fe last September, and it represents the kind of folk art that I really like -- the retablos style. Retablos can be constructed like sculpture, inside of a box. This type of retablos is called a box retablos.

Bikini-clad woman pins man with her thighs

I'm not sure what to make of this video. Is it really a fantasy to be pinned by some hot, bikini-clad woman's thighs, or is this just a really strange part of our culture?



read more | digg story

The Corbin Sparrow

electric car
Originally uploaded by McBeth.

This electric vehicle is like a motorcycle genetically paired with a motorcycle. The company is out of business now, but the idea lives on.

Electric Vehicles

Bombardier NEV 02
Originally uploaded by Humanoide.

What happened to the electric car?? Why don't we have millions of zero emission electric vehicles riding around on the streets? What is going on?!? These cars are great! They produce no pollution and the eliminate all of the problems of foreign and domestic oil dependency.

Ryan, Train Hopping Hobo

Ryan has hopped his first train. He met up with a couple of young hobos, and he jumped a freight to get out of Columbus. He was last heading west on said train, but they were discovered and forced off of the train. Now, I'm not sure where he is or what happened. I think he's just fine, though. Read about it here

Aimless T-Shirts

 
I spoke with Ryan about a t-shirt idea, and I am thinking about images for the shirt. The back or front will just have the URL of the website in bold lettering.

Ryan, Agenda Pusher

In one of Ryan's most recent Aimless posts, he addressed someone who, apparently, was relatively interested in him when he met him, in person. However, after a deeper look at Ryan's Aimless website, this guy came to a different conclusion...

"Thank god your liberal ass is out of our state. Do me a favor, take your paranoid conspiracy driven ass to Cali and stay there. You are a two face person. I thought u were for real but your not, just trying to push your agenda. Oh, stay away from Michigan too. BTW OSU sucks!!!!!!!!!"

He didn't sign his email message to Ryan. He identified himself as 'Deputy Dawg', from Florida. What a moron.

Ryan, in one of his more clever retorts, responded very well, I think. This is a classic Ryanism, I think:

I can't help it if your state is full of total assholes, dude. If you were not one of them, I probably made it very clear that you were not one of them. So if it bothers you that I think assholes are assholes, go ahead and be an asshole about it.

Yeah, I'm trying to push my agenda of doing nice things for people. Clearly that is too difficult for you. (I never claimed to be Jesus, so I'm allowed to talk shit about assholes.)

And use your real name next time, pussy.

So, check out Aimless, if you haven't already, and be looking for Ryan at ComFest this year. It should be great. Maybe you'll see me there, too.

He's singin' in Korean

Stephen Colbert discusses the vast cultural impact he has had on world culture, acknowledging references to himself in Time Magazine's "Most Influential" lists and the NY Times crossword. Then, he discusses his rivalry with Korean R&B star, Rain, and showcases his new Korean R&B video he is sure will top anything that Rain could ever produce.



read more | digg story

Gig at IndiaOak Pub, Clintonville, June 2, 2007

 
This was taken at the IndiaOak Pub in Clintonville last night, when I played for about an hour. I opened up for Mike Johnson and his buds, Justin and Edmund. Edmund ran sound most of the evening, and I ran sound a little bit when Mike and Justin were playing. I had a great time. There was a decent turnout for me, thanks to Glen, Nick, Olga, Alex, Yurya, Matt, and Yulia. Mike, Justin, and Edmund also had a decent turnout. I ran into Matt Gill, who co-owns the bar with his brother and who I used to work with. The bartenders were really cool. Hopefully, I didn't embarass myself too much, because it was a fun night.

Setlist:
Just What I Needed - The Cars
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Grey Street- Dave Matthews Band
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
Guns Of Brixton - The Clash
What Goes Around Comes Around - Justin Timberlake
Doin' Time - Sublime
The Unforgettable Fire - U2
Another Lonely Day - Ben Harper
Only God Knows Why - Kid Rock

Maybe I'm out here 2 free U

It's funny, but when I follow Ryan's short but frequent mobile posts to his blog I always find some interesting Ryanisms.

This one goes like this:
"You R NOT free if U live in fear of a 160-Lb guy w/ a backpack, America. Sadly, that's clearly the prevailing trend. Maybe I'm out here 2 free U."

To me, it sounds like a good song title or album title or book title.

It was about a year ago that I posted one of the first promotions of Aimless. At that time, I wasn't sure that Ryan would actually DO IT, but he did, and I am very happy that he did. It's very inspiring to me to know that he is out there, making his project work.

What The Maynard - I Play the Piano!

This guy makes good short films and videos, and he also plays the piano rather well. I like these two movie theme songs he composed.



read more | digg story

Pastor Lew meets Ryan

A pastor named Lew picked up Ryan, who was trying to get a ride in Florida. He was really impressed by him and his adventure, so he wrote about it on his blog, revolution. Ryan has often been very outspoken when it comes to evangelist types and people who claim to follow the example of Jesus.

Ryan has written a lot about our culture, as Lew points out, has become a true student of our culture, or what I would call, an anthropologist. I love it!!!!! I went to school and studied how to become an anthropologist, and Ryan has actually employed himself as an anthropologist. That's very cool, because it inspires me not to throw away my own dreams.

I'm going to have to contact Lew and see how we can work together to help support Ryan with some more marketing and promotions, grassroots-style.

ArcherPhotos, on Flickr

Necklace IMG_1601 small
Originally uploaded by ArcherPhoto.

This guy's photos are excellent, and he has many beautiful models to photograph

Retablos in Sepia

Retablos
Originally uploaded by shadowbomb.

There are so many great photos to find!

Retablos of gratitude

Thank you for being with me in prison
Originally uploaded by riddle.

This retablos is a thank you from a former inmate to San Francisco de Asis.

Spin - Video on AtomFilms.Com

Meet DJ Scratch, the destiny-altering hero for our times



read more | digg story

A story about LaKari

LaKari was inspired by a goal of placing anonymous notes, written on post-it note paper, in random places for strangers to find. It is kind of an Amelie, playful, trickster kind of thing to do. It’s kind of adventurous and interesting. I wrote an entry that LaKari read about starting a website that displayed photos of the notes and short entries about the notes, and she started one up! It was really good to feel that I had helped inspire someone to do something fun and cool. So, I’d like to meet LaKari someday. I’m glad that we were able to meet through email, at least.

Learn more about LaKari

How to learn to play the guitar

1. Have a good instrument that is in shape, has new strings, and is fun to play, and go to the library to look at their selection of music/guitar books to pick one to start with
2. Learn how to tune the guitar with a guitar tuner or with the pitch from another instrument that is already in tune (piano, pitch pipe, etc.)
3. Learn how to play a fretted note and a bit of basic terminology about music and the guitar (what are ‘frets’? what does ‘up the neck’ mean? what does ‘up pick’ mean? what is ‘down picking’? what is a ‘chord’?...etc)
4. Learn how to play a chord, learn it’s name, learn the notes that make it up, learn other notes on the fretboard
5. Learn how to strum, learn different strum patterns, learn about tempo, learn how to tap your foot to keep time
6. Learn how to strum a couple of chords, learn how to move from chord to chord, learn how to use different strum patterns for the same chords
7. Learn how to play a simple song
8. Learn more songs, chords, rhythms
9. Explore different styles of music
10. Listen to great guitar players
11. Go to watch great guitar players perform
12. Ask questions
13. Seek a good guitar teacher who you like
14. Learn how to sing and play guitar at the same time
15. Write your own music and lyrics
16. Play with others (drummers, bassists, other guitarists, singers, piano players, cello players, violinists… etc)
17. Learn scales and lead patterns
18. Transcribe songs into music
19. Learn as much as you can about harmony and theory
20. Learn how to sight read and read charts
21. Continue learning how to learn and practicing all of the above

- Jay (Docrivs.Com, Blogger, StumbleUpon, MySpace, Flickr, del.icio.us...)

See more progress on: learn to play my guitar

Downtown Columbus Skyline During Storm

Downtown Columbus Skyline During Storm
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

I took this photo during a tornado threat. It wasn't even night yet, but the skies were so dark it was hard to tell.

Rapture

rapture
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

Naked Under The Trenchcoat

trenchcoat
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

This may or may not be a common fantasy among other guys, but it certainly is one of mine. It is no coincidence, however, that the model in these photos resembles someone important in my life.

Retablos, Art of Spanish South America and Central America

Retablos, Real de Catorce
Originally uploaded by riddle.

I love this style of artwork. Retablos, particularly box retablos, amaze me. I first really took an appreciation for this style of art at the Columbus Arts Festival back in the summer of 2002. It rained that time, but it was still awesome.

I gained a greater appreciation of box retablos during my visits to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Praying to the sky

al cielo ?
Originally uploaded by Álvaro Rivas.

Tonight, at work, I was about to bring salt and pepper to a table of three guests. They had just ordered a second round of drinks and had received their food. However, when I reached their table and was about to deliver the salt and pepper shakers they reached for each other's hands, and started praying, or saying grace, or something. I felt awkward, so I turned away and waited for a few seconds. When I thought they were finished I put the shakers on the table and walked away.

I don't recall ever seeing people praying in a restaurant, or saying grace in a restaurant, before the food is eaten. It was strange to me.

Bibliophilia

books
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

Lots of people have expressed an interest in this photo that I captured from another website and uploaded to Flickr. I really like this photo! I love to look at old libraries and old books. They remind me of the existence of a connection between the present and the past, the present and the future, and the past and the future.

Graffiti in Adamastor, Lisboa

Graffiti in Adamastor, Lisboa
Originally uploaded by Portuguese Geotagged Graffiti.

To truly live is to completely let go of fear and doubt and to go beyond death

The Perfect Bio Photo For A Forensic Scientist or Crime Writer

Dan Boned
Originally uploaded by donster.

I like this photo, uploaded by donster, on Flikr. The shadows are great, but the way the light reflects on the bones and on the subject's face is perfect. The subject (Dan?) has a look on his face that seems to say that he is content and forward-looking, which indicates wisdom.

Moving On To The Land Of Where I Want To Be

It's interesting to me how cyclical life really is, despite how much we perceive it to be a series of linear events.

We think of life as a line among lines...
Born---->This is what I did when I was 2---->I moved here when I was 5---->I found this when I was 6---->I lost this when I was 8---->I learned about this when I was 10---->I experienced this when I was 11---->I did this when I was 21---->Died

Each person's and thing's history, in this framework, is a series of events that happen at certain points in time, connected by cause and effect at certain pivotal points, all within the framework of the history of reality. Many things occur at the same time, and some of those things are directly related, but we forget that we do not understand what time and space really is.

Some cultures are based on a time, history, and lifestyle in terms of cycles and circles, rather than lines. There really is no beginning. There really is no end. Everything is in constant change and flux.

Tonight, I realized something. The multitudes of lists that I make are not just exercises in worthless distraction. This practice of making lists is how I store and restore ideas. I think that I was born to be a writer.

I've wanted to be so many things: spy, soldier, musician, computer programmer, technician, writer, environmentalist, father, husband, lover, son, brother, adventurer... All of these desires and experiences have helped to create me into who I am. A writer writes. A writer shares experience and knowledge. A writer entertains and informs. I've been practicing to be a writer all of my life, and I've made excuses and excuses to keep myself from the potential for failure and the fear of not having enough money for so long that I feel as if I am experiencing what Neo experienced when he was rescued from the Matrix and brought into Zion.

I've been reading this great book, Writing Down The Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. I've been receiving payment in return for "guitar lessons" from a student who really wants someone to work with as a writing partner. I've been passed over on getting promoted to bartender, or at least it feels that way. I've had little luck in trying to get into the IT field. I've had little luck in trying to save my marriage and many other relationships that appear to have been failing. Now, it's time to take control of the ball.

Although this is a more personal blog post, I am not really revealing the whole of it. The point is that I am undergoing change, as usual, but I am more conscious of that change now.

Art is a good reason to live!!!!

I love music, and I love ART! In anthropology we call this material culture or cultural traditions, depending on if it is “material” (can be touched, physical, an artifact) or not. Music from other parts of the world besides America is great to explore, especially now that the internet and digital music has made it possible to record sounds and spread them around the world in an instant, or an instant of an instant.

See more progress on: Experience a variety of new and exciting music

docrivs Musician's Profile on Musician's Referral Service at Musician's Institute

I've posted a profile on the Musician's Referral Service website on the Musician's Institute website. It's not an extremely complicated page, but there is a short bio of me on there, some song samples, a description of my influences and gear, and a photo (the one you see here). Please visit and refer anyone here who may need guitar lessons or my assistance as a performing artist. Thanks, docrivs

If you resist change

If you resist change
Originally uploaded by docrivs.

I've decided to test an upload to Flickr via email. This photo represents

the state I am in right now and a challenge that I will always face.

Building a Ger (Yurt)

This video is on Revver, and it is really good! The video depicts a Kazakh family constructing a ger (yurt) for a wedding party in northwestern China. It is amazing to me how everyone has their own unique task to complete in the construction and it seems that noone gets in the way. They all work together so well. It seems so unsual, thinking about doing collective tasks with a much smaller family, like building a Christmas Tree, or preparing a Thanksgiving meal, or hosting a July Fourth cookout. This project seemed to go so smoothly.I also enjoyed hearing Kazakh voices, speaking Kazakh, and hearing traditional dobra music.



read more | digg story

SuicideGirls, by Missy Suicide on Amazon.Com

I'm always interested in how a "way of life" gets marketed and commoditized into a way of life. The SuicideGirls concept, a brand attributed to a company called SG-something, grew from many other past ideas, including Playboy, emo, goth, punk, indie, tattoos, betty page pin-up models, body piercings, skateboarding culture, and all of those "alt-culture" type things that people claim can't be put into a category.

Check out http://www.suicidegirls.com, if you're interested in this community.
link...

tags: [book] [books] [suicidegirls] [suicide_girls] [girls] [pinups] [pin_ups] [pinup_models] [models] [punk] [emo] [goth] [indie] [tattoo] [tattoos] [goth_girls] [punk_rock_girls] [goth_rock_girls] [emo_rock_girls] [body_piercings] [betty_page]

via Wists: link

A story about Michel Foucault

I read Discipline and Punish about 8 or 9 years ago, after hearing about Michel Foucault in a class I took in university. The class was called “Orwell and Orwellianisms…”, and it, of course, focused on the writings and ideas of George Orwell, one of my heroes.

Where Foucault and Orwell cross is in their examinations of the social concepts of punishment, surveillance, discipline, and crime. Foucault believed that the spectacle of punishment, the fear of being tortured and ripped apart, was not an adequate way to instill discipline in a people and to maintain social control. That’s exactly what Orwell’s 1984 argued, as well. It is only when people internalize an idea that they actually modify their own behavior. The torture must be internalized in order for criminal behavior to be modified, but even then, the motivation can’t be from just fear alone.

Somewhere down the line, Foucault continues, people were place in charge of the decision to keep or free an inmate. Psychologists, Wardens, Parole Officers, Judges, Correctional Officers, Parole Boards, Probation Officers, and other professionals were put in charge of the punished. They make a decision as to whether or not it is in their professional opinion that a criminal has been disciplined and punished enough.

And so, we have 10 to 15, 25 to life, possibility of parole, gun specs, no possibility of parole, good time, bad time, educational credits, and the concept of “rehabilitation”.

Learn more about Michel Foucault

Remembering A Tragedy

Yesterday, technically, was the anniversary of the death of Dimebag Darrell. Exactly two years ago to this date I posted a blog entry about my experience during that event. I didn't realize it yesterday, but something happened last night that forced it back into my consciousness.

Last night, at around 1 AM, someone fired a pump-action shotgun at least 3 or 4 times out in the parking lot of the building where I live. I heard the deep shots, which I did not immediately recognize as gunshots, only I thought that I heard over 2 dozen shots before I looked out the window and watched as some cars sped down the road. I heard no sirens and saw no signs of the police, and hours later, I still had heard no signs of them.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who witnessed that event, because other people in the building reported it to the police and had actually seen it happen. They sent an email out to the rest of us. Understandably, our security, especially where the parking lot is concerned was heavy on our minds.

When an incident like a shooting occurs at night right in the vicinity of where you call home, where you like to go out for the evening, or wherever you feel comfortable, you begin to get the disturbing message that safety and security is a luxury when you live in an unsafe and insecure world.

Anyway, I do remember Dimebag. I do remember how he lived. I do remember how he affected the lives of many people, including myself, purely through his music and ther way that he lived. However, I will also always remember the night that I watched Dimebag, as he lay, dying, on the stage. I will remember the people frantically screaming and running out of the club. I will remember the police officers who ran by me, carrying shotguns and Desert Eagles. I will remember the pop,pop,pop of the gunshots and the final boom of the blast that ended the life of the man who killed all those people.

Though I don't consider myself to be a terrorized person, there is no way that I can honestly say that an event like that can escape my consciousness. And I had been through some very traumatic experiences before that one. I think the fact that the event affected so many people all at once, that really makes it stick in my mind.

Fatboy Slim - "Weapon of Choice" Video

fatboy slim - weapon of choice

One of my all-time favorite videos

The One - Animator vs. Animation

http://www.atomfilms.com/film/animator_vs_animation.jsp

A story about Opheliaism

She’s cute. She’s smart. She’s into infiltrating abandoned prisons and warehouses. She likes Eddie Izzard. She looks cool with automatic weapons. She knows Beale Street like the back of her hand. She’s a family girl. She is dangerous with a camera.

Learn more about Opheliaism

LaCie - Brick Desktop Hard Drive - Hi-Speed USB 2.0

Awesome!
link...

tags: [harddrive] [hard] [drive] [disk] [computer] [accessories] [peripherals] [storage]

via Wists: link

Christians protest treatment of holiday season as secular

So, if I am not a Christian and I don't celebrate Jesus's birthday on December 25th, but I take advantage of the traditions of the office being closed, of exchanging gifts, of displaying a tree, of being with family, and of doing any other secular custom (because none of those rituals or customs has anything to do with Jesus) to celebrate the winter solstice (the real reason we celebrat "Christmas" on December 25th), then why would I want to put Christ and Jesus into it?? Are traditionalists and traditionalist/fundamentalist Christians now wanting to use The Law to enforce the practice of their religion in the United States? What are they? The Taliban?!?

They want us to teach Christian beliefs in the guise of science,demanding that science classes give equal teaching treatment to so-called "Creation Science" along with evolutionary theory. They want "God" to remain in the "Pledge of Allegiance" and in all of our American nationalistic anthems. They want references to God and the Bible on our state monuments and in our state institutional structures to remain. They want nativity scenes in the front lawns of the capitol buildings and state houses. They want our country to be a united Christian state and not a democratic, tolerant, federation or republic of states

I don't know if I necessarily want a godless, athiestc, non-spiritual
state/country/nation, but I do want to be able to not have
traditionalist Christians telling me that Christmas is all about Jesus
when it's not

see:

http://de.essortment.com/christmaspagan_rece.htm ;
http://www.irishclans.com/articles/celtchristmas.html ;
http://www.religioustolerance.org/winter_solstice.htm ;
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/SolsticeArticle.html ;
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/festivals/christmas.html ;
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/trees.html ;
http://www.shambhala.org/arts/fest/unconquered.html ;
http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/jciloa1/origins_of_Christmas.html ;
http://www.christmas.com/pe/1446 ; http://www.tryskelion.com/yule7.htm
; http://greenbelt.com/news/ic9902.htm ;
http://home.sprynet.com/~palermo/solstice.htm ;
http://home.earthlink.net/~fetteroll/kiriena/worldreligions/holidays/pagan/solstice/wintersolstice.html
;
http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa120600a.htm ;
http://www.wildideas.net/calyx/library/nihil317.html ;
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/SaturnaliaInfo.html ;
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/CGG/ID/1143
; http://www.kencollins.com/Holy-02t.htm

Need I put more links? No. Just do a google search on "pagan orgins
christmas solstice". You'll find many, many references to how the
Christians who came long after the time of Jesus Christ used pagan
traditions and customs and beliefs to market their own religion.
Christmas and many other "Christian" holidays are MARKETING SCHEMES.

Christians protest actions that play down Christmas' religious nature

Wed Dec 22, 6:21 AM ET

By Richard Willing, USA TODAY

Julie West is tired of being wished "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry
Christmas." She's annoyed with department stores that use "Season's
Greetings" banners, and with public schools that teach about Hanukkah
and Kwanzaa but won't touch the Nativity story.

So last week, she sent a baked protest to a holiday party at her
first-grade son's school: a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and
red icing that spelled out "Happy Birthday Jesus."

"Christmas keeps getting downgraded, to the point that you're almost
made to feel weird if you even mention it," says West, a resident of
Edmonds, Wash., who describes herself as a non-denominational
Christian. "What's the matter with recognizing the reason behind the
whole holiday?"

This Christmas season, West has plenty of company. Christians and
traditionalists across the nation, fed up with what they view as the
de-emphasizing of Christmas as a religious holiday, are filing
lawsuits, promoting boycotts and launching campaigns aimed at
restoring references to Christ in seasonal celebrations.

>From New Jersey to California, Christians are moving to counter years
of lawsuits that have made governments wary about putting Nativity
scenes on public property, and that occasionally have led schools to
drop Christmas carols from holiday programs:

• In Bay Harbor Islands, Fla., a Christian sued in federal court after
town officials refused to let her erect a Nativity scene next to a
menorah, or Hanukkah candelabra, on a causeway. Last week, a judge
ordered the town to comply.

• In Maplewood, N.J., parents and students recently petitioned the
local school board after school officials dropped even instrumental
versions of Christmas music from class programs.

• In Denver, a Protestant church responded to the city's decision to
drop "Merry Christmas" from public signs by trying to enter a
Christmas-themed float in the holiday parade. Supporters picketed the
parade and sang Christmas carols after the float was rejected.

• In California, a group called the Committee to Save Merry Christmas
is boycotting Federated Department Stores. The group claims that
Federated's affiliates, including Macy's, prohibit clerks from saying
"Merry Christmas" and ban the word "Christmas" from ads and store
displays. The retail giant says it has no such policy.

Even Kwanzaa, the African-American harvest celebration, has taken a
hit. In Los Angeles, the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, a conservative black
activist, has urged black Christians to spurn Kwanzaa, which he calls
a "pagan holiday."

Split over 'Happy Holidays'

The new battles over religion's role in holiday celebrations come more
than two decades after the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web
sites) and other groups began going to court to try to require
municipalities to remove Nativity scenes and other religious displays
from public property. The ACLU argued that such religious symbols
violated the First Amendment's ban on government-endorsed religion.

In two rulings in the 1980s, the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites)
said that Nativity scenes are acceptable when they are combined with
other symbols - such as a Santa Claus house - that indicate Christmas
is a secular holiday in American culture as well as a religious one.

Nevertheless, the threat of lawsuits and a desire to be more sensitive
to the nation's growing number of non-Christians - who made up about
18% of the U.S. population in a 2002 survey by Pew Charitable Trusts -
has led many governments, schools and businesses to de-emphasize
Christ in Christmastime celebrations. Phrases such as "Happy Holidays"
and "Season's Greetings" have replaced "Merry Christmas" at many
public venues.

In a new CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 44% of Americans surveyed said the
trend toward "Happy Holidays" is a change for the better, and 43% said
it wasn't. Only 11%, however, said they avoid saying "Merry Christmas"
out of fear of offending someone.

Carol Sanger, spokeswoman for Federated Department Stores, says
Federated employees use phrases such as "Season's Greetings" and
"Happy Holidays" interchangeably with "Merry Christmas" in order to be
"more reflective of the multicultural society in which we live."

She says the chain aims to "embrace all" the religious and secular
holidays that occur in November and December.

"If you were Druid, I'd be wishing you a 'Scintillating Solstice,' "
Sanger says.

John Whitehead, director of the Rutherford Institute, a group in
Charlottesville, Va., that defends against challenges to speech and
religion rights, says the recent trend has been for schools and
municipalities to excise "all mention of Christmas, out of some
misshapen idea that this respects diversity."

He is particularly critical of decisions such as that made by the
school board in Maplewood, N.J., which decided to drop traditional
carols and other Christmas music from public school programs during
the mid-1990s after receiving several complaints.

This year, the ban was extended even to instrumental versions of
Christmas songs.

Board President Brian O'Leary said in a statement that playing songs
that "focus on religious holidays ... could become an opportunity not
to learn about a religious holiday or tradition, but to celebrate it."

Bans are 'misplaced'

Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center in
Arlington, Va., says that such bans are "rare" and "misplaced."

Court decisions, Haynes says, permit public school students to study
religion and to perform religious music as part of the curriculum,
provided that religious practices are not endorsed.

Whitehead says that overly cautious approaches to mentioning Christ in
Christmas celebrations has meant that "in the name of offending no
one, you now have high school kids who can't play music that's part of
the culture, and store clerks who are afraid to say, 'Merry
Christmas.' It takes a joyous and merry day and just makes it blah."

Sandra Snowden agrees. According to papers she filed in a federal
lawsuit, the resident of Bay Harbor Islands, Fla., was "offended" that
the town allowed a menorah, but not a Nativity scene, to be placed
along a public causeway.

When she protested, court papers say, town leaders countered that the
menorah, which commemorates the rededication of the Temple in
Jerusalem after a Jewish military victory in 165 B.C., was a secular
symbol of freedom.

Before a federal judge ruled in her favor, Snowden rejected the town's
offer to install a Christmas tree rather than a Nativity scene, which
the town officials had called "divisive."

Those seeking to put more Christ into Christmas have had other successes.

In Mustang, Okla. on Dec. 14, parents incensed that a Nativity
sequence had been dropped from a school holiday program organized to
help defeat an $11 million school bond referendum.

And in Washington state, cake maker Julie West is claiming a small victory.

Although her son's teacher expressed some misgivings, West served
slices of her "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake to 20 first-graders and
about five other parents. No one complained, she says.

"I had gotten a legal opinion from the Rutherford Institute saying I
was within my rights before I brought the cake to school," West says.
"That's Christmas this year, I guess: candy cane frosting and a legal
opinion."

There's no place like 127.0.0.1 - T-Shirt

There is no place like 127.0.0.1
link...

tags: [geek] [science] [computers] [tshirt] [t-shirt] [messages] [funny] [code] [programming] [coding] [programmer] [coder] [tech] [techy] [techie] [network] [administrator] [netadmin] [engineer] [tech]

via Wists: link

F**k (in binary code) - T-Shirt

This is a cool concept. I can think of a million messages I'd like
link...

tags: [geek] [science] [computers] [tshirt] [t-shirt] [messages] [funny] [code] [programming] [coding] [programmer] [coder] [tech] [techy] [techie]

via Wists: link

Life of Buddha

The story of Siddhartha, the young buddha