|
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!
----
|
December 11, 2003
McCain-Feingold worse than the dreaded Patriot Act
FREE "COMEDY" DOWNLOAD: "John McCain's Free Speech Zone"
In a typically excellent column, Jonah Goldberg criticizes blogland for the minimal response that has been made to the Supreme Court's ridiculous decision in the McConnell case upholding the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
He's right. This kind of REAL freedom of speech issue [not some brought on crap about federal funding for piss-christs] should have us all up in arms, and it just doesn't. [Special recognition, however, to Blogcritic Tom Bux for a two-fisted shout for freedom.]
Let me do my little bit to help rectify this lack of blogger responsiveness to this important ruling against our most basic freedom: the feds need the McCain-Feingold law in their ass. I mean, they need it up there sideways, three or four copies of it- in braille for extra pleasure.
All three branches of the federal government now have colluded to tell us that we can't speak out against politicians running for office. NARAL and the NRA and even goddam NAMBLA should have every right to take out tv ads or billboards saying what they think about a presidential candidate or congressmen. You know, petitioning for a redress of grievances in the most direct manner- making their case to their fellow citizens for why we need to replace the miserable sonsabitches in charge.
By my lights, McCain-Feingold rates as a FAR worse encroachment of our civil liberties than anything in the Patriot Act- and with far less justification. There may be legitimate concerns about "enemy combatants" being held in Gitmo that bear judicial scrutiny. However, that concerns maybe a few hundred people who are being held- and they are at least supposedly enemies trying to kill Americans.
On the other hand, McCain-Feingold slams the lid on the free expression of just the most important kind of speech by tens of millions of law abiding Americans. Supposedly, they want us to get involved and speak out on the issues of the day.
Every election cycle, all the politicians work themselves up into a lather over the lack of democratic participation. Yeah, well, actions speak louder than words. This law tells you what they REALLY think about mere citizens sticking their noses into the business of government.
posted by Al at 12/11/2003 11:57:00 PM
December 10, 2003
Elvis Costello ties the knot
Elvis Costello married Diana Krall on Saturday, December 6, 2003. Congratulations!
Elvis is king!
posted by Al at 12/10/2003 06:41:00 PM
Amazon edits Michael Jackson album pages
File this under "Brother, you asked for it." From Rolling Stone:
Amazon.com removed the customer advice area from the page for Michael Jackson's Number Ones greatest hits album page and several other Jackson albums after unnamed users made recommendations that included books on identifying child molesters, a baby gift set titled "Thank Heaven for Little Boys" and the latest Captain Underpants books . . .
Indeed, there doesn't seem to be a customer advice area on ANY of Jackson's albums at Amazon.
posted by Al at 12/10/2003 08:16:00 AM
RIAA to give downloaders the Waco treatment
Here's a really cute move in the RIAA's attempts to win friends and influence people:
The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leaving his post next month to lead the recording industry's efforts to stop music piracy.
Bradley A. Buckles, who served ATF for 30 years and was named director in 1999, will come head of the Anti-Piracy Unit of the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group announced Tuesday.
"Brad's appointment should signal to everyone that we continue to take piracy, here and throughout the world, very seriously," said Mitch Bainwol, RIAA's chairman and chief executive officer.
So, uh, what are you trying to say with this move? Any of you punks get caught downloading get the David Koresh treatment?
Exactly who do they think they're impressing with this? Does this guy have any other relevant qualifications than pure intimidation? This is the message the RIAA wants to send to some teenage girl downloading the crappy new Britney Spears song? To her parents?
Do they actually think this is a smart move? Do they somehow think that this will not turn customers and voters against them? Are they not afraid that people will mistake these thugs for Alpo?
Leaving his government post and thus the entire weight of the US military behind, I'd like to hereby invite Mr. Buckles to bring his bitch ass down to the farm to stop me from downloading.
posted by Al at 12/10/2003 06:05:00 AM
December 08, 2003
Smoking Beatle controversy
Was Paul taking a big ol' bong hit in the closing credits of Help!? Enquiring minds want to know!
Obsessing over Beatles trivia may not be overly significant activity in the broader course of human events, but it's no end of fun for true fans. To those who understand, there is so much meaning, spirit and pure pleasure burned into everything they did in those few precious years that there seems to be significance in every little detail.
To that end, I've found a groovy Beatles fan website dedicated to all kinds of hidden details from their movies. Of course she covers well known controversies such as the Paul's pecker issue from the "Fool on the Hill" sequence of Magical Mystery Tour.
But she's finding numerous things even as obsessive a Beatles fan as me hasn't heard of. That's a pretty fair accomplishment. One fun example involves George and Paul apparently shoplifting at a jeweler's.
My favorite fun bit, however, involves what would appear to be Paul taking a big ol' bong hit in the fragmented closing images of Help! Shocking!
posted by Al at 12/08/2003 04:35:00 AM
December 07, 2003
Christmas presents from Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones has just put up three new Christmas recordings for free download from her website.
Oh Holy Night
Have a Merry Little Christmas
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
(You know the drill: Right click, save as...)
They all sound quite good to me, but "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is definitely my top pick here. She gives this a fairly understated, but emotionally loaded jazz reading.
She sings it in such a way to sound like she's really thinking about what the words mean. Most performances of the song seem a bit bloodless to me, but this one really brings out the religious nature of the lyric- the stuff about saving our souls from Satan's power and such.
Thank you Ms. Jones, and a joyous holiday to you as well.
posted by Al at 12/07/2003 03:20:00 AM
Link Soup
morethings master
photo gallery index
MP3
new album
releases
lyrics
sammy davis
little richard photos
buddy holly pictures
fats domino images
chuck berry pictures 01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
la
24
lucille ball images james
blunt photos
clint eastwood pictures lena
horne images team
america pictures
robert mitchum photos
bruce springsteen pictures
mariah carey pictures
ann coulter photos
george clooney images
loretta lynn pictures
beatles pictures
white stripes pictures
andy griffith pictures
kill bill pictures
beverly hillbillies pictures
robin williams
frank zappa pictures
jerry lee lewis pictures
richard pryor photos
june carter johnny cash pictures
vic mackey shield pictures u2 photos
four seasons images
james cagney images
elvis presley pictures
country music
blog
dolly parton pictures
olsen twins photos
tom petty photos
tori amos pictures
joaquin phoenix images David
Bowie photos
Quills movie images
reese witherspoon pictures rolling
stones photos
fiona apple images kim
novak images ray charles photos marx
brothers pictures
prince rogers nelson pictures blazing
saddles images
sinead o'connor images
eddie murphy photos aretha
franklin photos
south park pictures homer
simpson images
bob dylan pictures elizabeth
taylor photos madonna
images
saturday night live pictures willie
nelson images hee
haw pictures james
brown images pete
townshend photos
tina turner pictures
dixie chicks photos
margaret thatcher photos
guns
n roses pictures
paula abdul pictures
jodie foster photos
amy winehouse
eminem
frank sinatra photos
van
halen images
satan
blondie photos
joni
mitchell pictures
merle haggard
images
rocky horror pictures
monty
python
|
|
