Sometimes my mind boggles at the sheer number of problems likely perpetuated simply because people are not getting laid enough.

:::: Physical Magic via Deviant Art ::::

Deena: “They are actually Quite Athletic under all that.”

from the glorious wikipedia:

dude, dogs…with dreadlocks…I must have one!!!

Jane Akre and her husband Steve Wilson are former employees of Fox owned-and-operated station WTVT in Tampa, Florida. In 1997, they were fired from Fox News after refusing to include knowingly false information in their report concerning the Monsanto Corporation’s production of RBGH, a drug designed to make cows produce more milk than what is natural. Side effects of the drug include a 25% greater chance of mastitis (infection of the udders). They successfully sued under Florida’s whistle blower law and were awarded a US$425,000 settlement by jury decision. However, Fox appealed to an appellate court and won, after the court declared that the FCC policy against falsification that Fox violated was just a policy and not a “law, rule, or regulation”, and so the whistle blower law did not apply.

In 2001, Jane Akre and her husband won the Goldman Environmental Prize as a recognition for their report on RBGH. [1]

The court agreed with WTVT’s (Fox) argument “that the FCC’s policy against the intentional falsification of the news — which the FCC has called its “news distortion policy” — does not qualify as the required “law, rule, or regulation” under section 448.102.[…]Because the FCC’s news distortion policy is not a “law, rule, or regulation” under section 448.102, Akre has failed to state a claim under the whistle-blower’s statute.”[1]

In 2004, Fox filed a US$1.7 million counter-suit against Akre and Wilson for trial fees and costs. ‘

Here’s the background:

In 1986 the supreme court ruled in Bowers v. Hardwick that a georgia sodomy law was perfectly constitutional essentially saying that blowjobs between dudes are illegal. Chief Justice Warren Burger said “To hold that the act of homosexual sodomy is somehow protected as a fundamental right would be to cast aside millennia of moral teaching.”

The Item:
a February 87 letter to playboy asked:
Isn’t it a violation of the Georgia sodomy law for the Supreme Court to have its head up its ass?

:: Via Email {thanks the meerkat!} ::

So this guy walks up to me in the grocery store today and quips “with hair like that, looks like you put your finger in a light socket.”

it was a good natured ribbing and I would have been happy to respond but I was totally groggy. I laughed politely and continued looking at various foods that I could possibly gain nourishment from. He was bald and when I failed to offer a decent response his wife pointed out that he was likely jealous. On the way home I was chuckling about it and realized that I should have quickly retorted

“with hair like that, looks like you put your head in a zamboni machine.”

There’s something wrong when I crawl out of bed craving a rockstar. Brain chemistry makes me think that the taste of robot sweat left to marinate in an ashtray is somehow delightful and refreshing. stupid caffeine.

Click here. Look for the United States. Laugh. Start crying.

Sketchy Old Dude to Young Girl>>

Ohhhh Santa Cruz. I haven’t really hung out here in a while and all the crazy homeless people are new again.

but you can judge a state by its criminal code. you know when a state gets specific, it’s had a lot of experience with something… behold, Nevada:

:: via email {text from the Meercat, thanks!} ::

so i’m sort of strangely fascinated this this website called hugecrab.com. it’s just pictures of really big freaky crustaceans with funny text.

be sure to check out the faq and page on investor relations that hugecrabs.com offers.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say that I’m concerned that lolcats might be getting too popular. But I’d also like to express my condolences to the handlers of the lolrus (which is technically a seal) and to everyone else that so adored his ridiculous antics.

:: god rest your soul you hilariously fat marine mammal {i hope you’re buried with your beloved bucket} ::

Finally, this is a poignant memory not only of lolrus but of a hideously complex inside joke perpetuated by insular groups of internet nerds. I think it’s time that we all just went outside.

:: via times online ::
:: The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World by Alan Greenspan ::
:: I get into it with someone in the comments area on amazon ::

Then on Daily Show Greenspan admits that we don’t have a freemarket! tiiiiiight!

via division of labor

News Flash: George W. Bush is a shitty president!!!

If you’re not already familiar with this charming nugget of information you might consider reading the Assault on Reason by Al Gore. Although this book would have actually been useful or part of a vibrant public discourse 4-5 years ago but now it’s just relating the obvious without much in the way of solutions.

And actually it’s a pretty blatantly rips off Noam Chomsky’s Media Control Spectacular Achievements in Propaganda. Assault even goes on to mention that it’s ripping chomsky off.

So I’d say just read Media Control by Noam Chomsky, it’s shorter, better written, cheaper, more relevant and actually says something rather than dancing around issues.

I burned a copy of Ratatat’s “Classics” for my grandma…she loves it!!!!

Held in the weed growing country of northern california, EarthDance is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. It’s just a very good, well run festival. Everyone there was having a great time.

Initially I want to compare it to Burning Man since I was just there and it’s really the only festival that I attend on a regular basis (I’ve experimented with but have been mostly unsatisfied with the rainbow gathering).

Notable differences: At earthdance, unlike burning man nature isn’t trying it’s damnedest to kill you. I went with almost no serious preparation and didn’t come anywhere close to dying of dehydration. I didn’t have to take two showers in a row to feel clean again. It’s easy to go and easy to survive there because it’s just northern california, not a freaking desert.

Burning Man attracts a very diverse crowd, which is nice…sometimes. I like that earthdance tends to cater more to people interested in political action and spiritual expansion. It’s pretty cool that there weren’t a ton of people obsessed with guns, death, and beating each other up because of their own fucked up emotional issues. ED definitely doesn’t have nearly as much art as burning man, although I continue to lament the fact that I have to make a grueling trek out to a harsh environment to find a society suffused with artistic expression that hasn’t been saddled in the name of corporatism.

Also, there is food for sale. Good and delicious food in many varieties at not totally egregious prices. None of this radical self reliance stuff that burners are so stoked on. And trash cans! I was able to throw things away. The trashcans were even sorted into landfill, glass, plastic and compost! What’s more they were changed frequently so I never had to play garbage heap stackit, huzzah!

People at earthdance are particularly cool. Everyone is super friendly and smiling because they are so obviously having a good time. There are almost no assholes and everyone is against them. I spent pretty much the whole time just having great conversations with wonderful people (Big up to Jocobo, Ashley, Ragon, Phil, Maryanne, Ed & Lima, Davinda, Jessica, Pheonix, Will and all the other incredible individuals that I had the pleasure of interacting with). The music there was also fantastic. I heard quite a bit of stuff outside my regular range that made me want to expand my listening habits, notably Zilla. I was particularly impressed with the visual entertainment available. The electronic music dome on saturday night was showing some very good naqoyquatsi/baraka style video.

I also really like being at something that is openly political. EarthDance is about ending the war in Iraq and all wars. People were talking about peace by raising consciousness. I found the peace ceremony at rainbow gathering to be particularly hollow. It’s awesome that 40,000 people or so have gathered to pray for peace but it would be nice if you actually, you know, did something more. At earthdance there was a big prayer for peace and then afterwards they said now go join this organization! Sign this! Write to this person! Raise your consciousness! Be involved! Be the change! Make it happen!

One of my main problems with rainbow gathering is that there is a very large contingent of sketchy derelict asshole junkies that should probably be in jail and/or rehab (ohhh if only american jails actually provided rehab!!). Not once did I ever feel unsafe at earthdance or that my stuff might get stolen if I put it down.

To Review: I enjoyed EarthDance almost as much as burning man when you adjust for the notion that it’s on a totally different scale and scope.

geewwwwaaaaghhghhhhh

Nice! The Hizzatron got us backstage passes for earthdance