bike 1, car 0

I just got into my first car v. bike. While I'm not happy that the guy changed lanes right in front of me, I do like how as I ran into it, the left horn of my pursuit bars skewered his right brake light, shattering that piece on the road.

I have to admit, though, that I do feel a little bad about the situation. The kid was just moving here, probably isn't used to bikes on the road and was super nice about the whole deal. His sister, Jody, is a COM student, I came to learn. I think I may look her up so I can get in touch with this dude and see if I can help him out with his car at all. Really, super nice guy.

-steve

marijuana

I don't know if anybody else heard this, but it's news to me and it's pretty sweet.

First I'll hit you with some links.

Article that has a good read on what went down. It also has a video after the jump that's not that bad aside from the excessive bongos, stupid reporting and interview with dumb high people. Yes, there's boobs near the end too (about 3:45).

Also, there are some youtube videos. Downside: obligatory pot referencing song. Upside: zero interaction with the population. Take a look at the related videos too as some of those may be decent as well.

Alright, now I'll hit you with some opinions.

1. Pot should be legalized. Look at this. 10,000 people got together and smoked marijuana. NOT ONE OF THEM GOT ARRESTED. Meanwhile, half as many people gather in East Lansing and we have dozens of arrests (hundreds in the past) as well as obvious acts of violence. Sure, this was in Boulder, CO and not E.L., which says something, but the sentiment still remains.

2. Pot should be regulated and taxed. Put in safety and quality control, educate the public about the harmful pulmonary effects and tax the shit out of them. One 20ct. box could easily sell for 5-10$, about 25-75% of which could be pure tax revenue. Trillions of dollars of debt? This may not erase it, but it sure as hell would help.

3. Hippies still suck.

4. Tie die is still ugly.

5. The only way for legalization to take place is for the majority of people who advocate it to STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN. Yes, what you are advocating for has, for a long time, been illegal. Yes, by advocating the legalization of a controlled substance everybody understands that it is likely because you enjoy it when you can, illegally. Yes, the substance that you are advocating the legalization of makes you stupid. You still don't have to act like the dumb little 8 year old who just found his dad's stash of porn who feels excited and guilty at the same time. Calm the fuck down. Stop saying things like, "get baked," "smoke reefer," and "are the brownies magical?" and start saying "get high," (even now accepted and understood language) and "smoke marijuana." Politicians don't refer to alcohol as "booze." If politicians are ever going to listen to advocates, they have to start using the words that the politicians use: high, weed, marijuana. Drop the jargon, you sound like an idiot.

6. In accordance with the above, people need to stop acting like idiots regarding weed, too. Hackie sack is lame, frisbees are for dogs only and your music sounds like shit. Phish is for assholes.

7. Old people smoke pot too. Stop encouraging your asshole friends to start speaking up. Nobody cares how many stupid, punk 18-24 year old white, male college students you have speaking up for marijuana legalization (and even less for minorities). Get the 40-50+ crowd involved. Get the people who KNOW HOW THE WORLD WORKS and aren't overly idealistic to start the conversation with the politicians who are, in more respects than for the younger crowd, their PEERS.

8. Hippies still suck. It needed to be said again.

-steve

good things

...tend to happen when you have a large amount of music on your computer.

Especially when it's rediscovering great songs that you have forgotten about.

Like this:

 

Huzzah for 22,290 items in iTunes.

-steve

so there's more to the story

That previous post about the Yale student's art project just got a bit more interesting. Head here to read up on the latest press releases. Apparently she's saying two things to two different groups of people (administrators and, er, the general public).

The fact, though, that a couple of Yale Deans still think this has happened in the way that it's been presented (which I hope isn't the case) kind of confuses me. I'm sure that everything will come out in the end (pun definitely not intended - that would be gross). Until then, I guess I'm just going to buckle up and hope both that this really is art and that it doesn't get stifled if that's all it is.

-steve

umm... wow?

Make sure you go here when your stomach isn't full.

I'm all for art, and I'm all for women's choice, but this combination of the two seems wrong if only because it's simply unnecessary.

-steve

[edit]

Apparently, it's just performance art.  According to the Yale Office of Public Affairs (page may change)...

Ms. Shvarts is engaged in performance art.  Her art project includes visual representations, a press release and other narrative materials.  She stated to three senior Yale University officials today, including two deans, that she did not impregnate herself and that she did not induce any miscarriages.  The entire project is an art piece, a creative fiction designed to draw attention to the ambiguity surrounding form and function of a woman's body.

She is an artist and has the right to express herself through performance art.

Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns.

Thank goodness.

i want one

bad

-steve

back

I'm back from Costa Rica.

Things are cool.

Why? is the shit.  For real.

Hilary needs to shut the fuck up and pack it in.

Denver in three days.

I need a real job.

cute

"The shiny guy always worries"

Sho nuff, little one.  So nuff...

-steve

yes we can

Barak Obama is doing something amazing.  And it's much more than being a charismatic candidate who promises change.  It's much more than having an amazing chance of being the first black president.  It's more than what he stands for and what he believes in and what he will accomplish.

At least it's more than all of that to me.  Because what Obama is doing for me, and for many others like me, is more remarkable than any of those other accomplishments combined.

He's making me care about America and its future.

For the past few years, I've been giving serious thought to just jumping ship.  The state of our economy, education, healthcare and social security program.  Our participation in foreign wars where we aren't wanted, and our lack of participation in global environmental treaties where we are.  It all seems like too much, and I feel like I would be much more at home in Canada or Europe.  Maybe that will still happen, but I have good reason to believe that if Barak Obama really is the harbinger of change that he, I, and millions of people believe him to be, maybe it won't have to.  

beer + art = ?

Just go here.

Especially juicyvneck.

religion can be fucked

Now, if you know me at all, you are probably aware that I, as an active atheist, don't just have a lack of faith, but adamantly speak out about the fallacy of faith and the out and out wrongness of religion.  If you're religious and your my friend, don't be put off by that.  I still like you.  I like plenty of religious people.  I also like plenty of other people with other qualities that I can't stand.

I'm getting off topic.

The above cartoon is one piece of why I don't like religion.  I know, I know.  I can hear you already.  I'm well aware that this is just an example of how extreme people can get and that it doesn't represent the whole of the Christian faith.  To me, though, that's just as bad.  The fact that a religion can aid in the formation of thoughts that can grow to these lengths is part of what I find unconscionable and, frankly, wrong/awful/evil about religion.  People who allow their faith (belief without evidence) to take them to this extent is amazing to me.  I can't imagine allowing my freedom of thought to be sacrificed to the extent that it reaches levels like this.

So no, I don't take this as the whole of religion.  But I take it as a solid example of at least one of the facets of organized religion that I take to be an extreme negative.

And don't even get me started on the topic of gay rights...

-steve, active, aggressive atheist and freethinker

help!

oh shit

So, there's a good article on pitchfork talking about how Björk asked Ratatat to open for her two shows this December on the west coast - of course they said yes.  And that's hot as shit.

But then there's also this:

That's Ratatat remixing Wanderlust from Volta.  That's right, I'm telling the truth and the audio is obviously not lying.  (I'm sorry for the quality - I ripped it from a youtube movie and had to convert it a couple times to get it up here - it should still be enjoyable).

Apparently that track is from a 4 song remix vinyl white album that is coming out soon.  Of course I love Björk more than most people (ask me about my next tattoo), and Ratatat is dope as hell, but I'm just not into vinyl.  This may make me reconsider so that I can have this in good quality, but the only problem I see is that it may make me want to get all of Björk's vinyls.  And I'm having a hard enough time, even with my 30+ CDs, keeping up with all her mad singles releases and rare finds.

But I do have that radio only copy of Quiet Fireworks that is actually illegal for me to possess.

-steve

obama is the shit

that's all for now

-steve

something substantial

Many of you reading this (all six or so of you, most likely) will remember an excellent movie Pan's Labyrinth.  Well, the director of that magnificent film, Guillermo del Toro (don't forget his production on The Orphanage), has OFFICIALLY signed up to ... are you ready for it? ... direct the Hobbit.  Don't believe me?  The Guardian has this to say.

So I think that's really good news.  Jackson, that fat ass, will still be producing it, but I have all the confidence in the world that a person like del Toro will have vision enough to give a Tolkien narrative the imagery that it deserves.  Fingers are crossed that the story doesn't get fucked.

sarah's secret is out

She told me where she finds good pictures.  I'm not sure if it was told in confidence, but really, I would still share that shit here because it's great.  And I'm sure other people are already aware of the site.

So there you go.

I need to start posting things other than pictures, videos and links.  I'm talking something substantial.  Maybe that will happen.  Maybe.

-steve

war is ugly

well...

It is unless you're fighting Russians.

-steve

reposting

I know it's kind of lame to publish things that other people have posted, but everybody needs to see this video, and the more times it's out there, the better the chances that somebody will find it.

I really have no words for it.  The only ones that come to mind are "fucking wow."

Oh, and notice how two of those dudez have the same unridable (for all practical purposes) super narrow straight bars.  I kind of miss those...

Yeah, do a search for "rip slyme" on youtube and you'll see that these guys pretty much have the most amazing music videos.

-steve

guidos

Guidos suck.  Everybody knows that.

The following link has a set of pictures that attest to that, and do so without any words describing the d-bags found in the photos.  Likely the picture heavy post was made so because the person putting the pictures up realized, after the third one, that words - descriptive, comedic or otherwise - would have been simply redundant.

I am never moving to Jersey.  Fuck, if I can help, I'll never even fly over it.

Get sick here.

-steve

as a future physician...

i completely agree with this sentiment:

-steve