Archive for April, 2008
Del.icio.us Links 2008-05-01
Originally published at The Other Blog. Please leave any comments there.
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i’m still not sure what to say on this one
Add comment April 30, 2008
Another Shocker On Idol – American Idol Results 4-30-08
Originally published at The Other Blog. Please leave any comments there.
The Idol Top Five are doing a medley of Neil Diamond’s songs. If Castro sounded as good last night as he just did he wouldn’t be likely going home tonight. Cook takes the biggest part with Brooke taking the better parts of “Song, Song Blue”
For those who missed last night American Idol here is the recap American Idol 4-29-08. Paula Abdul’s blunder was first must be accounted for. Jason Castro is the first Idol up and is safe, which is a big moment of what the fuck. Archuleta is up second and safe.
After the break we have David Cook up. I have a feeling he is going to be sent to the stools. He is worried that the compliments were the kiss of death, but thankfully for him, no.
Brooke and Syesha are up against each other. Who is going home? Syesha has admitted that song choices have been a problem all season.
After the break with some British Bird I don’t give a damn about and then a Q&A I care even less about we finally get to hear Neil Diamond sin g his new song, “Pretty Amazing Grace”. Neil still sounds good, but I am pretty much “Meh” when it comes to the song. As the idol judges would say I wasn’t wowed. I would have much rather heard him sing “Love on the Rocks” or “Forever in Blue Jeans” to get Jason’s rendition out of my head.
Who will it be Syesha or Brooke? After all is said and done it is Brooke leaving us tonight.
Add comment April 30, 2008
Songs of The Week 4/21 – 4/25
Originally published at The Other Blog. Please leave any comments there.
While there is no Death Cab for Cutie, Portishead or any of their members in this week’s songs of the week there are a number of really great songs. Here we go!
Sia starts off the list with a bouncing pop diddy in “Buttons” off her latest CD Some People Have Real Problems. This is a real departure from the Sia we know from “Breathe Me” which was the go to song for the final scene of Six Feet Under and the Malaria bit on Idol Gives back.
Kate Walsh with “Your Song” according to Stephen Thompson is likely to get confused with others of Similar name and style like Kate Walsh of Grey’s anatomy, Kate Nash and Kate Maki. Her voice is soft and lovely mixed with a great melody. If I were ever to have a man-crush this would be the song I would play for them.
Van Morrison shows his age through the polished patina of his music. School of Hard Knocks is no Brown Eyed Girl, but you can hear Van’s voice coming through as strong as ever. The rifts are strong, and the message is even stronger. In can’t wait to hear the rest of this album.
“Get Your Head Around It” by the Headlights. Mellow electric guitar builds until we finally hear Tristan Wraight start to sing
“I read a book about a man
who made mistakes all of the time
He didn’t give up,
though, he’d make things right”
This sets the tone for the whole son and when I heard it really got me through a tough day as well.
“Lost Verses” by Mark Kozelek has a definite old school James Taylor feel to the melody. Marks voice is deeper than James so I would love to hear what he could do with a cover, but this is about this “Lost Verses” not being lost in contemplation. However listening to the lyrics lost in contemplation is exactly what happened to me.
These and all songs of the week past, present and future can be heard at NPR’s Song of the Day.
Add comment April 30, 2008
On The Edge of a Genetic Razor
Originally published at Brad's Tiny World. Please leave any comments there.
We currently are on the edge of a genetic razor. As long as we do nothing and stand perfectly still we come to no harm. Shift our weight to one side or the other without creating a counter balance and we are cut in twain. While standing still doing nothing might seem safe, it does nothing for our genetic progress as a species.
A news report out of The Scotsman, suggests under British law, and probably that of a number of other countries, that it is perfectly legal to artificially inseminate an animal with human sperm. The belief by scientists is a hybrid could be created as an organ donor, by fertilizing a female chimp with human sperm. The fact that this has been made public suggests they have had successful petri dish trials. The notion is fairly noble, but in reality it scares the shit out of me.
I don’t believe in an almighty god or gods, so my objection is not on religious grounds. What scare me is moral and ethical issues. If we create a human hybrid, it becomes a separate species, which may or may not be capable of reproduction. Not only might it be a viable new species, what happens if it is a sentient species? Do we have the right to enslave a sentient species as organ donors letting them die if it is an organ we need?
Furthermore if it is a sentient species, even a less intelligent one, what rights does it have? It is half-human, will it be afforded the basic human rights we say all humans are endowed by their creator with? If killing them isn’t an option because of intelligence and they are self propagating how will they integrate into our society? Will they be our equals or will they be our slaves?
This all might sound a bit Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, but it is also a very real possibility. We need to think before we act of the consequences far down the road. Even if we don’t just start harvesting organs or turning them into our slaves, another sentient species on this over populated planet can’t be a good thing.
Add comment April 30, 2008
Del.icio.us Links 2008-04-30
Add comment April 29, 2008
Diamonds In The Rough – Idol Does Neil Diamond
Originally published at The Other Blog. Please leave any comments there.
American Idol April 29, 2008
Jason Castro is starting out with Forever in Blue Jeans as his first song. This is one of my favorite Neil Diamond song’s I hope he doesn’t fuck it up. His soft voice is well suited for the song, but he starts off rather weak. With inferior audio speakers of the average TV, I am not sure you notice, but those of us who hear it with properly crossed over full range three ways will know there was something wrong.
David Cook starts off really well with I’m Alive. I enjoy he is back to being the rocker. He could have a hit with this song.
Brooke is going to play guitar with I’m a Believer. This comes out as a very country feel, but I am not sure if this will be enough to carry her. It could be a minor country hit, but I just don’t know if it is enough to carry her tonight.
Archuleta is doing Sweet Caroline which I called. He performs for the crowd well doing fluttery fingers and crotch thrusting at the teen twat on hand. He however sounds like crap and now have a lot more hope for Brooke.
Add comment April 29, 2008
Our Economic Woes and How To Fix Them
Originally published at Brad's Tiny World. Please leave any comments there.
I was linked to this morning through a completely unrelated topic this morning to a letter to the editor and just had to do a post of my own. To make a long story short the letter’s author blames people having babies who can’t support them for most of our economic woes. In part I agree, but he is very naïve. First he states:
“Even high-school dropouts can get married and be self-supporting as long as they do not have children to support. They can flip burgers at McDonalds and earn roughly $2,000 a month. Later, they can get other jobs, learn marketable job skills and move on to become financially secure adults.”
I am not sure what reality he is living in, but when it comes right down to it. That is a full time job getting 40 hours a week in fast food for the guy flipping burgers and the girl at the counter. That doesn’t happen. $2000 bring home for a couple is above minimum wage and at 40 hours a week, even in an above minimum wage state like Florida where the letter originated.
Add comment April 29, 2008
Don’t Worry, Google Will Let You Know What’s Popular!
Originally published at The Other Blog. Please leave any comments there.
If it is on TV it is popular on Google. I check my Google trends almost every morning to see what is hot and what is not and how I can profit from that just like any good blogger. What I have found out this morning is neurosyphilis, which was this week’s featured but wrong diagnosis on House sits in the number two slot, right behind Harvey Dent and just ahead of grand theft auto 4 cheats.
I am not sure what it means when the cheats for a new game rank well above the rating for the new game itself. I sometimes long for the days of simple video games that required a quarter slug to cheat. The fact is I just don’t the point of a lot of new video games. I love first person shooter games like Halo or Ghost Recon, but I think that goes with having extra helping of testosterone. Kill! Kill! Kill! I never got that kind of satisfaction out of pacman.
Add comment April 29, 2008
Del.icio.us Links 2008-04-29
Add comment April 28, 2008
Miley Cyrus Spread Wide Open
Originally published at The Other Blog. Please leave any comments there.
I heard about the brouhaha over Miley’s Vanity Fair spread this morning like most of you and my first instinct was… Meh! The more I went through my day I kept hearing about how they were exploiting this poor young girl, then I had to go see for myself. Now all I can say is get over it. This is no big deal.
While the actual photo will have the fan removed and her hair perfect, this photo is no big deal. While I don’t necessarily think a 15 year old girl has much business in Vanity Fair since it is a magazine meant for adults, I have yet to see what the big deal is. I have seen the reports that say she is in fact wearing a backless strapless bra of some sort, even if she wasn’t her tits are still covered, not that I care (I’m and ass man).
Maybe she is topless maybe she isn’t has become the big debate of the day, but the fact is underneath all our clothes we are all just a bunch o naked people walking around going about our daily business.
Further I can’t stand the fact that she is apologizing for the spread. Annie Leibowitz is one of the greatest photographers of our time, Miley is a beautiful young woman, and everyone including Miley, Her Father, all the handlers and legal people, plus Annie loved the shots the day they were taken and found nothing wrong with them. Now that there is the slightest bit of controversy over them she (Miley) is covering her ass with more than a pair of painted on jeans. She says was really embarrassed over the whole thing” rather than saying how “cool” and “unskanky” they were the day she took them.
Also since when did the back become a sex object? We see no T&A from this girl. She had her girly parts all covered up. Yet we are still making a big deal about her bare back. Her bare backside would be something to make a big deal about, since it does look fabulous in a pair of jeans. The point is if we are going to make a big deal about her showing some not sexual skin then we are in fact validating the Muslim argument that the slightest bit of skin will turn any man into a wanton rape machine and that we should cover our women from head to toe in burkas and lock them away.
Add comment April 28, 2008
