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Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
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March 15, 2003
International Eat an Animal for PETA Day
Today is International Eat an Animal for PETA Day. This is a response to the evil misanthropes of PETA, specifically their wicked "holocaust on a plate" campaign equating the eating of meat with the Nazi holocaust. Under the Elvis Costello model of "I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused" decent denizens of the blogosphere are answering this nonsense by making a special point of eating tasty animals today to let the people-haters known as PETA see how impressed we are. To that end, you can drop them a note to let them know what kind of deliciousness you are enjoying from your perch atop the food chain.
Now, as far as I'm concerned EVERY day can be an eat an animal for PETA day since I'ma eat them tasty critters anyway, except that I don't really want to think of this organization every day. It's sort a Homer Simpson friendly protest.
Myself, my goal is to eat at least 10 different species of animals today. Now I certainly like to eat, but even I have limits. Therefore, most of those species will probably be in token amounts, like eating a communion wafer. A few bacon bits on a salad might be my pig consumption. [Of course, you could come up with 10 different ways of eating a pig today. Bacon, sausage, brautwurst, pork chops, pickled pigs feet (a delicacy favored by my late grandfather).] One way or another though, birds and pigs and fish and cows and maybe some others will all be making their way to my belly today. I forsee a visit to the Old Country Buffet in my near future.
Bon appetit.
posted by Al at 3/15/2003 02:16:00 PM
March 14, 2003
Who'd a thunk it?
I wasn't overly suprised at the following results from this little online quiz. I'm thinking about going back and giving different answers to see what it gives me back.
Libertarian - You believe that the main use for
government is for some people to lord it over
others at their expense. You maintain that the
government should be as small as possible, and
that civil liberties, "victimless
crimes", and gun ownership should be basic
rights. You probably are OK with capitalism.
Your historical role model is Thomas Jefferson.
Which political sterotype are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by Al at 3/14/2003 06:12:00 PM
The Dixie Chicks' deep political thought
On stage in London on Monday [03-10-03], Dixie Chick Natalie Maines told her audience "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."
Pressed for an explanation, she later said "There is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq." Well, yeah, if a proposed action elicits the subjective personal emotional reaction of fear from a Dixie Chick, then we shouldn't do it. Indeed, we should be ashamed that we have a president who would frighten a poor defenseless little Dixie Chick.
What a dumb, whim worshipping fool. Why don't you just hide your ignorant disrespectful bitch ass under the bed and let the guys take care of defending the country. Or perhaps instead we should just wait here like sitting ducks for some Arab fanatics to come kill the rest of us at their leisure, since military action gives this girl the heebie jeebies.Labels: dixie_chicks
posted by Al at 3/14/2003 06:32:00 AM
March 13, 2003
The Shield
DIALING IT DOWN A NOTCH
[Morethings index for The Shield]
Season 2, Episode 10 "Coyotes"
Air date: 3-11-03
The show seemed oddly just a little light in tone, at least relative to the general tone of the series. Quick review makes me realize that this may be the least violent episode of the series to date. There were no murders, tortures, or even major fist fight. The worst direct act of violence was the new Strike Team trainee kicking over a perps chair before Lemonhead pulled him off.
This toning down of violence suits me. It's a little bit of cleansing the palette so as not to be so jaded that the depictions of violence are ineffective. There'll doubtless be some ugly stuff next week to make up for it. They gave the the ol' ultra-violence a bit of a rest.
In fact, the show does not suffer from this less violent tone. They got great drama and intrigue from the Gilroy resolution. It set tests for Vic in terms of his ideas of loyalties and practical personal considerations.�Not having people shot or tortured to death doesn't mean that there's nothing going on.
Note how hard he's struggling to keep it between some kind of lines, but hasn't quite figured out where they are. He'd have a LOT more legitimate reason to just eliminate Gilroy than he ever had for Terry in the pilot.
The denouement was outstanding. Having Gilroy pay what turned out to be his own hitman, then handing those instructions to Shane slammed the lid pretty well tight shut on Gilroy- without having to kill him.
*************************
Danny and Julien's story with the pregnant Latina who wants to kill her ex-boyfriend's baby presents a tough social situation. Seeing her stretched out eight months pregnant and purposely getting herself cut up in a knife fight has to hit you.�
It's never brought up exactly, but when you see this, would you still think this woman should be recognized to have a right to kill that child? Really? If I were a judge with this woman and her story in front of me, I'd be looking for a reasonable legal excuse to ORDER an emergency c-section delivery.
Note how this situation reflects deep into other social issues, but not by being set up for such purpose. They didn't work up a story line about abortion. Indeed the word is never used. They appear to have written the story mostly as a reflection on Danny, and her personality and life situation. We get the other social ramifications as a natural outgrowth of character based storytelling rather than being bludgeoned with "issues."
posted by Al at 3/13/2003 02:44:00 PM
March 12, 2003
The Beastie Boys vomit up a protest song
Five years after their last album, the Beastie Boys have rushed to throw up on their website a new anti-war "song" called "In a World Gone Mad." On one hand, I'm not particularly inspired by the prospect of some cheap peace sentiments. On the other hand, the Beastie Boys are way my favorite all time rap or hip hop act. The prospect of fresh Beasties certainly has some allure.
Unfortunately this recording turns out to be next to worthless. Politics aside for a moment, there is no SONG here. There is no kind of significantly patterned note spread that could even charitably be called a MELODY. Corollary to that, there are no significant hooks; it's not catchy at all.
Further, there is no significantly creative RECORD MAKING here. Granted, the song itself doesn't give them much to work with, but they aren't even trying. This is the most bare-boned and unimaginative arrangement they have ever created. They are just throwing down the most simplistic "old school" beats, the most primitive Run-DMC or Grandmaster Flash. As a record, this ain't fit to be played between, say, "Hot in Herre" and "Work It" - much less "Sabotage" or "Car Thief." Besides being much better compositions, these are seriously 100 times better RECORDINGS than this cheap Beastie throwaway. This crap sure ain't no Paul's Boutique.
At this point, it wouldn't matter if the lyrics were a stirring tribute to America's brave soldiers facing down evil in Iraq, it would STILL suck because it's just such crappy music. [I ain't buying Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten" song either, on exactly these grounds.] Jeez, after FIVE YEARS you'd hope they could come up with ONE decent groove. This sure doesn't bode well for their new album in progress.
Here, however, are the words that they actually came up with:
IN A WORLD GONE MAD by the Beastie Boys
In a world gone mad it�s hard to think right
So much violence hate and spite
Murder going on all day and night
Due time we fight the non-violent fight
Mirrors, smokescreens and lies
It�s not the politicians but their actions I despise
You and Saddam should kick it like back in the day
With the cocaine and Courvoisier
But you build more bombs as you get more bold
As your mid-life crisis war unfolds
All you want to do is take control
Now put that axis of evil bullshit on hold
Citizen rule number 2080
Politicians are shady
So people watch your back 'cause I think they smoke crack
I don�t doubt it look at how they act
In a world gone mad it�s hard to think right
So much violence hate and spite
Murder going on all day and night
Due time we fight the non-violent fight
First the �War On Terror� now war on Iraq
We�re reaching a point where we can�t turn back
Let�s lose the guns and let�s lose the bombs
And stop the corporate contributions that their built upon
Well I�ll be sleeping on your speeches �til I start to snore
�Cause I won�t carry guns for an oil war
As-Salamu alaikum, wa alaikum assalam
Peace to the Middle East peace to Islam
Now don�t get us wrong �cause we love America
But that�s no reason to get hysterica
They�re layin� on the syrup thick
We ain�t waffles we ain�t havin� it
In a world gone mad it�s hard to think right
So much violence hate and spite
Murder going on all day and night
Due time we fight the non-violent fight
Now how many people must get killed?
For oil families pockets to get filled?
How many oil families get killed?
Not a damn one so what�s the deal?
It�s time to lead the way and de-escalate
Lose the weapons of mass destruction and the hate
Say ooh ah what�s the White House doin�?
Oh no! Say, what in tarnation have they got brewing??!!!!???!!
Well I�m not pro Bush and I�m not pro Saddam
We need these fools to remain calm
George Bush you�re looking like Zoolander
Trying to play tough for the camera
What am I on crazy pills? We�ve got to stop it
Get your hand out my grandma�s pocket
We need health care more than going to war
You think it�s democracy they�re fighting for?
In a world gone mad it�s hard to think right
So much violence hate and spite
Murder going on all day and night
Due time we fight the non-violent fight
Even besides the fact that they are on the wrong side of this issue, this is a piss poor piece of lyric writing. They are simply re-gurgitating, vomiting up the regular generic politically correct slogans. They have added nothing significant to the cliches that they are spouting. They have little apparent real emotional content. The lyrics sound like they spent about five minutes writing them- they couldn't have spent enough time crafting them to have any real emotional investment.
Again, not particularly caring to answer to the trite political content per se, but looking at this as a song lyric, it is unfocused and scattered. Dubya used to drink and do coke [allegedly], and Iraq has oil. Therefore we shouldn't go to war. "Now put that axis of evil bullshit on hold" is not an argument or a striking lyrical turn of phrase. It is merely a curse. Bush is stupid, just like Zoolander. This constitutes a [patently untrue] political cliche presented through the most obvious crass pop culture reference. In other words, it is a lazy by the numbers Beasties lyrical move.
By contrast, let us compare this Beastie Boys opus to another song about fighting, by the Flaming Lips.
"Fight Test" by Flaming Lips
I thought I was smart, I thought I was right
I thought it better not to fight
I thought there was a virtue in always being cool
So it came time to fight, I thought I�ll just step aside
And that the time would prove you wrong
And that you would be the fool
I don�t know where the sunbeams end and that the starlights begin
It�s all a mystery
Oh, to fight is to defend
If it�s not now then tell me when would be the time
That you would stand up and be a man
For to lose I could accept
But to surrender I just wept
And regretted this moment, oh that I, I was the fool
I don�t know where the sunbeams end and that the starlights begin
It�s all a mystery
And I don�t know how a man decides what�s right for his own life
It�s all a mystery
�Cause I�m a man, not a boy
And there are things you can�t avoid
You have to face them when you�re not prepared to face them
If I could, I would, but you�re with him
I�d do no good
I should have fought him but instead I let him, I let him take you
I don�t know where the sunbeams end and that the starlights begin
It�s all a mystery
And I don�t know how a man decides what�s right for his own life
It�s all a mystery
Now, this is nothing to do with politics in general let alone Iraq in particular. For all I know, the Flaming Lips may be the biggest anti-war peace fags on the planet. They could even conceivably be rational adults who oppose the war. They might support the president. You can't tell on the basis of this song, as it is about something much more personal.
Whichever way you want to look at it, these lyrics mean something. Somebody is actually having a reflective moment, thinking seriously about their place in the world. The lyrics have some emotional nuance. They are poetic, without being ham handed. It is a well thought-out lyric. Oh, it also comes attached to an honest-to-Rand MELODY.
Look, I'm open to some anti-war protest songs. If you want me to swallow the cheap politics though, you're going to have to come up with a real song. At least Lennon's silly-ass "Give Peace a Chance" was catchy.
posted by Al at 3/12/2003 10:59:00 AM
March 11, 2003
Another reason to love Bobby Knight
RIGHT HERE is another good reason to love Bobby Knight. He's not satisfied with his coaching performance this year, so he has refused to accept his quarter million dollar salary.
"I'm just not at all satisfied with what transpired with our team in terms of our fundamental execution," Knight told The Dallas Morning News for its online edition. "I don't think it's anybody's fault but mine.
Sure, he's had a few minor foolish emotional outbursts over the years, but put them in context. He's putting his all into his performance, and working to elicit peak performance both from himself and his players. If he's gone a little overboard a time or two, it was in the direction of working towards highly positive ends.
On top of which we can add this newest incident to his status as role model for his boys. Look! This is what it looks like when someone takes responsibility for their own problems.
He may not work here in Indiana anymore, but he'll always be a Hoosier hero.
posted by Al at 3/11/2003 01:03:00 PM
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