Friday, November 30, 2007

How Your Creepy Ex-Co-Workers Will Kill Facebook

Last week, when I posted about joining Digg, I expressed my puzzlement over social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, et al. Then I ran into this article written by Cory Doctorow, a contributer to the great Boing Boing blog. To quote...
In the real world, we don't articulate our social networks. Imagine how creepy it would be to wander into a co-worker's cubicle and discover the wall covered with tiny photos of everyone in the office, ranked by "friend" and "foe," with the top eight friends elevated to a small shrine decorated with Post-It roses and hearts. And yet, there's an undeniable attraction to corralling all your friends and friendly acquaintances, charting them and their relationship to you. Maybe it's evolutionary, some quirk of the neocortex dating from our evolution into social animals who gained advantage by dividing up the work of survival but acquired the tricky job of watching all the other monkeys so as to be sure that everyone was pulling their weight and not napping in the treetops instead of watching for predators, emerging only to eat the fruit the rest of us have foraged.

Keeping track of our social relationships is a serious piece of work that runs a heavy cognitive load. It's natural to seek out some neural prosthesis for assistance in this chore. My fiancee once proposed a "social scheduling" application that would watch your phone and email and IM to figure out who your pals were and give you a little alert if too much time passed without your reaching out to say hello and keep the coals of your relationship aglow. By the time you've reached your forties, chances are you're out-of-touch with more friends than you're in-touch with: Old summer-camp chums, high-school mates, ex-spouses and their families, former co-workers, college roomies, dot-com veterans... Getting all those people back into your life is a full-time job and then some.

You'd think that Facebook would be the perfect tool for handling all this. It's not. For every long-lost chum who reaches out to me on Facebook, there's a guy who beat me up on a weekly basis through the whole seventh grade but now wants to be my buddy; or the crazy person who was fun in college but is now kind of sad; or the creepy ex-co-worker who I'd cross the street to avoid but who now wants to know, "Am I your friend?" yes or no, this instant, please.

It's not just Facebook and it's not just me. Every "social networking service" has had this problem and every user I've spoken to has been frustrated by it. I think that's why these services are so volatile: why we're so willing to flee from Friendster and into MySpace's loving arms; from MySpace to Facebook. It's socially awkward to refuse to add someone to your friends list -- but removing someone from your friend-list is practically a declaration of war. The least-awkward way to get back to a friends list with nothing but friends on it is to reboot: create a new identity on a new system and send out some invites (of course, chances are at least one of those invites will go to someone who'll groan and wonder why we're dumb enough to think that we're pals).

That's why I don't worry about Facebook taking over the net. As more users flock to it, the chances that the person who precipitates your exodus will find you increases. Once that happens, poof, away you go -- and Facebook joins SixDegrees, Friendster and their pals on the scrapheap of net.history.

read more | digg story

Favorite Sites: Pandora

On other blogs I've had in the past, I've highlighted some of my favorite sites. I thought I'd revive the tradition.

I'm not sure how I first learned about Pandora, but I used it for a while, then it got lost in my maze of bookmarks and I forgot about it. I ran across it again a couple of weeks ago and can't remember why I ever quit using it. It's great!!!

Pandora is radio from the Music Genome Project...
On January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever.

Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like.
What does this all mean to you? Go to Pandora, set up an account, tell them a couple of artists or songs that you like. They have broken down the music into specific attributes which they use to create a radio station just for you. They play you your favorites and other songs or artists with similar attributes. (Right now, on my station, "Malleus Maleficarum" by AFI is playing. The attributes of this song are hard rock roots, punk influences, a subtle use of vocal harmony, minor key tonality, and electric rhythm guitars.) As your station plays, you tell them which songs you like and which songs you don't like and this helps refine what they play for you. It's a great way to hear new music (or music that's just new to you.)

Lately, I've been listening to Pandora pretty much non-stop while web surfing. Just open it up in a window or tab, then do all your web surfing in another window or tab. Very neat!

I'm not sure how well Pandora would work if you just have a dial-up connection. It might slow down your web surfing too much to enjoy. If you want to check it out, it might be best to put it on and let it play while doing something else.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

New Features

Let me direct your attention to a couple of new features on this blog...

In conjunction with the weekly music quiz, I've added a music player to the sidebar that contains some songs featured in the music quiz. For your convenience I've turned the autoplay feature off -- that's the feature that makes it start playing as soon as the page loads. Don't you just hate it when you're blog surfing and click on a site and music comes blaring out of your speakers at you. Anyway, the goal here is to add a couple of songs a week from the music quizzes and delete old ones. By the way, there's a song on the player from this week's quiz -- and there's still time to get your answers in before answers are posted this weekend.

Just below the music player is a poll. I'm going to change these around from time to time with new questions, but right now you can tell us your opinion of the 43rd president of the United States (psst, it's George W. Bush.)

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Idiot of the Month: Don LaRose aka Ken Williams

Ken Williams, the mayor of Centerton, Arkansas, resigned on Wednesday and told authorities an interesting tale. It goes something like this...

He was born Don LaRose, and in the mid-70s he was a preacher in Indiana with a wife and two kids. He was kidnapped and brainwashed by Satan worshipers and forgot all about being Don LaRose until recently when he took a truth serum. He took the name -- Bruce Kent Williams - from a man who died in a car crash in 1959.

Here's where it gets really good...
The information went public, Williams said, because he runs a Web site about Don LaRose and his disappearance. LaRose's former family found the Web site and started inquiring about its author. They found the site registered to a Ken Williams and went from there.

Williams said his current wife is standing by him and the two of them want to continue living in Centerton. He said he plans to continue living as Ken Williams.

Also, his resignation was signed with two names, he said.

According to police, Williams is under no investigation for any wrongdoing.
I guess polygamy is not a crime in Arkansas. A local television station has video of this idiot.

Toxic Toys -- Barbie's Little Problem

Ken and Barbie hookup. Disease ensues. Blame it all on the Bush administration.



read more | digg story

Saturday, November 24, 2007

This Week's Music Quiz

A random ten from my music player in lyrical form. Name the artist and/or song.

1. 2006 - A newer band. First verse...
If I had to
I would put myself right beside you
So let me ask
Would you like that?
Would you like that?

And I don't mind
If you say this love is the last time
So now I'll ask
Do you like that?
Do you like that?
2. 2006 - Another new band. Third verse and chorus...
This is the fall,
This is the long way down.
And our lives look smaller now,
And our lives look so small.
Willingly crying.

This is the fall,
This is the long way down.
And our lives look smaller now,
And our lives look so small.

Under the summer rain, I burnt away.
Under the summer rain (Burn!)
We find a way.
3. 1985 - This woman has been recording since the late '70. A song on her greatest hits album. This is basically the chorus as the song is winding down...
Oh, here I go
Don't let me go
Hold me down
It's coming for me through the trees.
Oh, help me, darling,
Help me, please!

And take my shoes off
And throw them in the lake,
And I'll be
Two steps on the water.

I don't know whats good for me.
I don't know whats good for me.
I need love love love love love, yeah!
Your love!
4. 2004 - A band that's been around since the early '90s. This is from their latest album. First verse minus the last line that gives away the song's title...
Thought I ran into you down on the street
Then it turned out to only be a dream
I made a point to burn all of the photographs
She went away and then I took a different path
I remember the face
But I can't recall the name
5. 1974 - This band recorded their first album in 1969. This is from a very ambitious concept album. First verse...
All the pumping's nearly over for my sweet heart,
This is the one for me,
Time to meet the chef,
O boy! The running man is out of death.
Feel cold and old, it's getting hard to catch my breath.
It's back to ash,
Now you've had your flash, boy
The rocks, in time, compress your blood to oil,
your flesh to coal,
enrich the soil,
not everybody's goal.
6. 1984 - This band's been around since the early '80s. This is some early stuff. The lyrics are practically unintelligible, but this song got quite a bit of airplay back in the day. First verse and chorus.l..
Did you never call?
I waited for your call
These rivers of suggestion are driving me away
The trees will bend,
The cities wash away
The city on the river
There's a girl without a dream

I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
7. 1976 - This gent was popular in the U.S. for about fifteen minutes. He had about three hits, then faded back into obscurity. This is one of them. Third verse and what passes for a chorus...
Late last night, the rain was knocking on my window
I moved across the darkened room and in the lamp glow
I thought I saw down in the street
The spirit of the century
Telling us that we're all standing on the border

In the islands where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
It's just the patterns that remain
An empty shell
But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well
8. 2002 - Music from this century. This is an album track from this band's first album. First and second verses minus the chorus...
I wanna be there when you call
I wanna catch you when you fall
I wanna be the one you need
I wanna be the one you breathe

I wanna be there when you cry
And when you’re down, I’ll help you fly
I wanna be the one you need
I wanna be the one you breathe
9. 1981 - Another guy who was popular for just a short time. This is his first hit and only one other was bigger. And the title is not what you might think. First verse and chorus...
We had broken up for good just an hour before
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah
And now I'm staring at the bodies as they're dancing 'cross the floor
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah
And then the band slowed the tempo and the music takes me down
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah
It was the same old song with a melancholy sound
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, aaah

They don't write 'em like that anymore
They just don't write 'em like that anymore
10. 1973 - A big hit from a guy who's had a bunch of 'em. First verse...
It's getting late, have you seen my mates
Ma, tell me when the boys get here
It's seven o'clock and I want to rock
Want to get a belly full of beer
My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys
And my old lady she don't care
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots
A handful of grease in her hair
Like most of these quizzes, some hard ones and some easy. There's even a gimme where the title is right out there on display. If you know any, leave answers in comments.

Answers to Last Week's Music Quiz

1. 2003 - One of several rock radio hits from a guy who's had a couple...of hits, I mean. This is from his second album and also appeared on the "Live from Bonnaroo 2003" album. A lot of the song beginning at the beginning...
And I'm just a waste of her energy,
And she's just wasting my time (mmm hmm)
So why don't we get together
And we could waste everything tonight
And we could waste, and we could waste it all...tonight. Yeah.
And we could waste, and we could waste it all

And I don't pretend to know what you know - no, now
Now please don't pretend to know what's on my mind
If we already knew everything that everybody knows
We would have nothing to learn tonight
And we would have nothing to show tonight

Oh, but everybody thinks that everybody knows
About everybody else, nobody knows
Anything, about themselves
'Cause they're all worried about everybody else. Yeah.

Jack Johnson - "Wasting Time"
2. 1994 - Another rock radio hit. A big one. Second verse, chorus and bridge...
Peel me off this Velcro seat and get me moving
I sure as hell can't do it by myself
I'm feeling like a dog in heat
Barred indoors from the summer street
I locked the door to my own cell
And I lost the key

Bite my lip and close my eyes
Take me away to paradise
I'm so damn bored I'm going blind
And I smell like shit

I got no motivation
Where is my motivation
No time for motivation
Smoking my inspiration

Green Day - "Longview"
3. 1999 - There was a song on this album that got about fifteen minutes worth of airplay on the rock stations. This isn't it. About an eleven on a scale of one to ten on the obscurity meter. First and second verses minus the chorus...
Love you like no other
Love you rain or shine
You could be the one thing that is on my mind
This could be our last chance
Don't get left behind
Phone you at the weekend if I get time

She's a Disconnected child
Disconnected child
Disconnected child
Disconnected child
She's been on my mind

She's been leaving lovers
Don't get left behind
She'll feel bad tomorrow - that's another time
Let's do this together
I'm sure that it's fine
We'll feel bad tomorrow - that’s another time

Tin Star - "Disconnected Child"
4. 1997 - Proof that I'm sometimes a sucker for a silly pop tune. There was a time when you couldn't listen to almost any radio station for fifteen minutes without hearing this. First and second verses minus the chorus...
The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains that thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I'll be your crying shoulder
I'll be your love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

And rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival, you're my living proof
My love is alive, not dead
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

Edwin McCain - "I'll Be"
5. 2005 - Another rock radio hit. From the beginning...
One more kiss could be the best thing
But one more lie could be the worst
And all these thoughts are never resting
And you're not something I deserve

In my head there's only you now
This world falls on me
In this world there's real and make believe
And this seems real to me

And you love me but you don't know who I am
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand
And you love me but you don't know who I am
So let me go, let me go

3 Doors Down - "Let Me Go"
6. 1990 - A one-hit wonder band. This ain't it. Very, very obscure. The second verse to the end of the song...
We move around misunderstood
Out of a crowd like lovers would
Wherever the wind was running
All broken up for one so tough
Hating romance, and who needs love
Only for reassurance

And it's dark out
All the streets are quiet now
Gaby says, "They're all out
To hold you in the end
And if you've got one dream
Shouldn't it be realized?
'Cause if it's only inside
It starts to drag you down
It drags you down"

Hearing the bells strike down the hours
Striking the broken hearts and flowers
Out of a world of indifference
And I tried to say when things got worse
You'd be taken up and be put first
Over the grey horizon

And it's cold out
It's quiet out
And there's a boat out

And if you've got one dream
Shouldn't it be realized
'Cause if it's always inside
It starts to drag you down
It drags you down
It drags you

Oh, who needs love
When in doubt, love...

Dream Academy - "Gaby Says"
7. 1980- An instant classic. All you should need is the intro...
Our life together
Is so precious together
We have grown
We have grown
Although our love
Is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away
Somewhere, alone

It's been too long since we took the time
No one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over

John Lennon - "(Just Like) Starting Over"
8. 2002 - A band that has a pretty hardcore following. I like some of their stuff, some I can't stand. This song is on their greatest hits album, but I'm not sure how many people might know it. One of the hardcore fans would. First verse and chorus...
Pick me up
Been bleeding too long
Right here, right now
I'll stop it somehow

I will make it go away
Can't be here no more
Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone
These feelings will be gone
These feelings will be gone

Now I see the times they change
Leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
Where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
All alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?

KoRn - "Alone I Break"
9. 1997 - A totally different band than the one above, but they have the same kind of loyal following. Almost unknown by anyone else. This song was on their second album and the soundtrack to that stupid "Jack Frost" movie. First verse and chorus...
A promise or a dare
I would jump if I knew you'd catch me
Staring over the edge
I can't tell if you'll be here for me
I close my eyes and make a wish
Turn out the lights and take a breath
Pray that when the wick is burned
You would say that it's all about love

You were there when I needed you
You were there when the skies broke wide, wide open
You were there when I needed you
You were there when the skies broke wide, wide open

But you were never here

Jars of Clay - "Five Candles (You Were There)"
10. 2007 - Almost brand-new. A lot of airplay on rock radio. Most of the middle of the song...
You harbored all the wasted sighs to define the quiet drone
I'll let you start again, but you won't
I saw you pray for change and then you walked all over me
You wanted what you could not have and now you are alone

'Cause they're still in you too low
All the voices you don't know
And they're still in you too low
All the choices that you chose
Make the voices tell me who you are and who I am to be

Are you alone where you are tonight?
I'm alone when you're right here
But I'm still in you somehow
I never left at all
Now I'm still in you too low
So my voice is all you know

'Cause they're still in you too low
All the voices you don't know

And they're still in you too low

All the choices that you chose

Leave you nothing left to hold

When you're nothing it's a good time to remind you of one thing

The pursuit begins when this portrayal of life...ends

Evans Blue - "The Pursuit"

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Battlestar Galactica and the Writers Strike

I've blogged before about "Razor," the two-hour season premiere of Season 4 (the last season) of Battlestar Galactica, and about the "Razor Flashbacks," the web-only episodes that are a prologue to "Razor." Well, the time is almost upon us. The last of the "Razor Flashbacks" is now online and the season premiere is just days away. The action starts Saturday at 9 p.m. (EST)

I've been pulling for the writers in their strike; the studios' position that they can't pay writers for using their material on the Internet because there's no money to be made there is just ludicrous. But I've also been wondering how the strike is going to affect Battlestar Galactica. IGN has an interview with BSG showrunner Ron Moore, who discusses why he's striking and how it's going to affect the final season. Turns out, not much...at first. They were planning on splitting up the 20-episode season into two 10-episode parts anyway like they did last season, and the first 10 episodes are already in the can. The other 10 might take more time than originally planned.

As for why he and the other writers are striking, consider this...
For Moore, "Fundamentally this is about the internet, and this is about whether writers get paid for material that is made for the internet or if they're paid for material that is broadcast on the internet that was developed for TV or movies." Moore shared a story to illustrate the scenario, saying "I had a situation last year on Battlestar Galactica where we were asked by Universal to do webisodes [Note: Moore is referring to The Resistance webisodes which ran before Season 3 premiered], which at that point were very new and 'Oooh, webisodes! What does that mean?' It was all very new stuff. And it was very eye opening, because the studio's position was 'Oh, we're not going to pay anybody to do this. You have to do this, because you work on the show. And we're not going to pay you to write it. We're not going to pay the director, and we're not going to pay the actors.' At which point we said 'No thanks, we won't do it.'"

"We got in this long, protracted thing and eventually they agreed to pay everybody involved. But then, as we got deeper into it, they said 'But we're not going to put any credits on it. You're not going to be credited for this work. And we can use it later, in any fashion that we want.' At which point I said 'Well, then we're done and I'm not going to deliver the webisodes to you.' And they came and they took them out of the editing room anyway -- which they have every right to do. They own the material -- But it was that experience that really showed me that that's what this is all about. If there's not an agreement with the studios about the internet, that specifically says 'This is covered material, you have to pay us a formula - whatever that formula turns out to be - for use of the material and how it's all done,' the studios will simply rape and pillage."
(NOTE: If you follow the link to watch the "Razor Flashbacks," Part Seven will load and begin playing. If you wish to start watching from the beginning, stop the video that is playing before clicking on Part One (or any other part) or you will get a muddled mess -- the sound from both videos playing at once.)

read more | digg story

Ahhh. That Makes Sense!

If you're the one who traditionally finds yourself standing at the dinner table with the big knife in your hand and the befuddled look on your face, you'll want to read this article from the NYTimes (and watch the video!) A butcher shows how a radically untraditional step makes carving a turkey a lot easier, if less spectacular. It all makes perfect sense now.

read more | digg story

Digg This

Maybe I'm just turning into an old codger, but you can add social networking sites to the list of things I just don't get. The wife has been trying to get me to start a MySpace page, but so far I've passed on the proposition. It just strikes me as odd to pimp yourself out to see how many "friends" you can get on your page. That said, I've joined Digg, a social networking site.

The cool thing about Digg is that you surf the web, then when you see something you really like, you "Digg It" or add it to your list of links. If someone beats you to the link, you just add your Digg to theirs. There's supposed to be some sort of networking function there, but I just don't get it. But the coolest news stories, blog entries, videos, etc. I run across on the web end up there on my profile page.

If you're already on Digg, you can add me as your friend...or not. If you're not there yet, but it sounds like your cup of tea, consider this an invitation from me. Or just go to the homepage to check it out for yourself.

If you'd like to check in from time to time to see what I'm Digging, you can find my page link on the sidebar to the right.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Thanksgiving: A Cynic's View

Several years ago, I was reading Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and came across an interesting passage that I always think about at this time of year. I'm not a religious person and Thanksgiving has always struck me as a little odd. Like Memorial Day, which is supposed to be about somberly remembering the soldiers who fought and died for our freedoms, but is in reality a day of bar-be-queing and frivolity, Thanksgiving seems to me to be all about the food and football and only a little about the actual giving of thanks.

You might have seen the 2003 movie starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger, but Cold Mountain is about a soldier in the Civil War, Inman, who has finally had enough of war and deserts to return to his home at Cold Mountain and to Ada, a girl he barely knows but deeply loves. Ada moved from Charleston to Cold Mountain with her father just before the war. Her father dies. Ada is book-smart but knows nothing about running a farm. The place goes to seed, falling down around her. Enter Ruby. Ruby has no formal education but knows everything there is to know about farming. They enter into a partnership. Ruby will teach Ada, they will work the farm together as equals, and the farm will be as much Ruby's as it is Ada's.

In the following scene (not in the movie), Ada and Ruby are visited by Mrs. McKennet, an old family acquaintance of Ada's from Charleston. Mrs. McKennet is relating a "maudlin" story she has read about a recent battle, "its obvious fictitiousness apparently lost on her."

It was fought - as they all were lately - against dreadful odds. As the battle neared its inevitable conclusion, a dashing young officer was grieviously wounded to the chest. He fell back bleeding great gouts of heartblood. A companion stooped and cradled his head to soothe his dying. But as the battle raged around them, the young officer, in the very act of expiring, rose and drew his pistol and added his contribution to the general gunfire. He died erect, with the hammer snapping on empty loads. And there were additional details of somber irony. Found on his person was a letter to his sweetheart, the wording of which foretokened exactly the manner of his death. And further, when the letter was taken by courier to the girl's home, it was discovered that she had died of a strange chest seizure on precisely the day and hour her beloved had passed. During the latter stages of the tale, Ada developed an itch just to either side of her nose. She touched the places discreetly with her fingertips, but then she found that the corners of her mouth would stay down only with great trembling effort.

When Mrs. McKennet finished, Ada looked around at the furniture and carpet and lamps, at a household running effortlessly, at Mrs. McKennet, satisfied and plump in her velvet chair, her hair in tight rolls dangling from the sides of her head. Ada might as well have been in Charleston. And she felt called upon to take up some of her old Charleston demeanor. She said, That is the most preposterous thing I have ever heard. She went further, adding that, contrary to the general view, she found the war to exhibit anything but the fine characteristics of tragedy and nobility. She found it, even at a great distance, brutal and benighted on both sides about equally. Degrading to all.

Her aim was to shock or outrage, but Mrs. McKennet rather seemed amused. She fixed Ada with a half smile and said, You know I have a great affection for you, but you are nevertheless the most naive girl I have yet had the pleasure to encounter.

Ada then fell silent and there was an awkward void that Ruby presently filled by cataloguing the birds she had spied that morning and commenting on the progress of late crops and reporting the amazing fact that Esco Swanger's turnips had grown so big from his black dirt that he could fit but six in a peck basket. But in a minute Mrs. McKennet interrupted her and said, Perhaps you will share your views on the war with us.

Ruby hesitated only a second and then said the war held little interest for her. She had heard stories of the northern country and had come to understand that it was a godless land, or rather a land of only one god, and that was money. The report was that under the rule of such a grabby creed people grew mean and bitter and deranged until, for lack of higher forms of spirit comfort, entire families became morphine-crazed. They had, as well, invented a holiday called Thanksgiving, which Ruby had only recently got news of, but from what she gathered its features to be, she found it to contain the mark of a tainted culture. To be thankful on just the one day.

A Great Holiday Tradition

Onion Network News: Americans Enjoying Thanksgiving Tradition of Sitting Around at Airport


Americans Enjoying Thanksgiving Tradition Of Sitting Around At Airport

Monday, November 19, 2007

Think Before You Blog
comic from blaugh.com

The Colbert Report Writers Video

Now the writers of The Colbert Report are getting into the act. Here's their strike video, showing the other side of the issue...

This Is Your Brain on Politics

Is there anything worse than a swing voter? You can look at the two major parties and not see some differences? You can't decide which of two candidates might be better to vote for? As Stephen Colbert might say, "We're at war, people! Pick a side!" Or as my late grandmother might have said, "Pick a side, even if it's wrong." These are the voters that tend to choose a candidate based on bullshit.

Now, scientists have done a very limited, but interesting study to pick at the brains of a few of these poor undecideds. Using an MRI, they studied the brain reactions of swing voters to certain words and images. They summarized their results in the Opinion section of the NY Times last week, "This Is Your Brain on Politics." A slide show is included.

Some of their results could foretell what the 2008 election might bring. For example, the gender gap may be closing and male swing voters might be taking a closer look at the Dems. Male subjects, "when viewing still photos of the Democrats, showed significantly higher activity in the medial orbital prefrontal cortex, an area that is activated by rewarding stimuli, than they did while looking at pictures of the Republicans." Check it out.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

This Week's Music Quiz

Here's a random playlist from my music player. Name that tune and/or the artist based on just the lyrics...

1. 2003 - One of several rock radio hits from a guy who's had a couple...of hits, I mean. This is from his second album and also appeared on the "Live from Bonnaroo 2003" album. A lot of the song beginning at the beginning...
And I'm just a waste of her energy,
And she's just wasting my time (mmm hmm)
So why don't we get together
And we could waste everything tonight
And we could waste, and we could waste it all...tonight. Yeah.
And we could waste, and we could waste it all

And I don't pretend to know what you know - no, now
Now please don't pretend to know what's on my mind
If we already knew everything that everybody knows
We would have nothing to learn tonight
And we would have nothing to show tonight

Oh, but everybody thinks that everybody knows
About everybody else, nobody knows
Anything, about themselves
'Cause they're all worried about everybody else. Yeah.
2. 1994 - Another rock radio hit. A big one. Second verse, chorus and bridge...
Peel me off this Velcro seat and get me moving
I sure as hell can't do it by myself
I'm feeling like a dog in heat
Barred indoors from the summer street
I locked the door to my own cell
And I lost the key

Bite my lip and close my eyes
Take me away to paradise
I'm so damn bored I'm going blind
And I smell like shit

I got no motivation
Where is my motivation
No time for motivation
Smoking my inspiration
3. 1999 - There was a song on this album that got about fifteen minutes worth of airplay on the rock stations. This isn't it. About an eleven on a scale of one to ten on the obscurity meter. First and second verses minus the chorus...
Love you like no other
Love you rain or shine
You could be the one thing that is on my mind
This could be our last chance
Don't get left behind
Phone you at the weekend if I get time

She's been leaving lovers
Don't get left behind
She'll feel bad tomorrow - that's another time
Let's do this together
I'm sure that it's fine
We'll feel bad tomorrow - that’s another time
4. 1997 - Proof that I'm sometimes a sucker for a silly pop tune. There was a time when you couldn't listen to almost any radio station for fifteen minutes without hearing this. First and second verses minus the chorus...
The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains that thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival, you're my living proof
My love is alive, not dead
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above
5. 2005 - Another rock radio hit. From the beginning...
One more kiss could be the best thing
But one more lie could be the worst
And all these thoughts are never resting
And you're not something I deserve

In my head there's only you now
This world falls on me
In this world there's real and make believe
And this seems real to me

And you love me but you don't know who I am
6. 1990 - A one-hit wonder band. This ain't it. Very, very obscure. The second verse to the end of the song...
We move around misunderstood
Out of a crowd like lovers would
Wherever the wind was running
All broken up for one so tough
Hating romance, and who needs love
Only for reassurance

And it's dark out
All the streets are quiet now
Gaby says, "They're all out
To hold you in the end
And if you've got one dream
Shouldn't it be realized?
'Cause if it's only inside
It starts to drag you down
It drags you down"

Hearing the bells strike down the hours
Striking the broken hearts and flowers
Out of a world of indifference
And I tried to say when things got worse
You'd be taken up and be put first
Over the grey horizon

And it's cold out
It's quiet out
And there's a boat out

And if you've got one dream
Shouldn't it be realized
'Cause if it's always inside
It starts to drag you down
It drags you down
It drags you

Oh, who needs love
When in doubt, love...
7. 1980- An instant classic. All you should need is the intro...
Our life together
Is so precious together
We have grown
We have grown
Although our love
Is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away
Somewhere, alone
8. 2002 - A band that has a pretty hardcore following. I like some of their stuff, some I can't stand. This song is on their greatest hits album, but I'm not sure how many people might know it. One of the hardcore fans would. First verse and chorus...
Pick me up
Been bleeding too long
Right here, right now
I'll stop it somehow

I will make it go away
Can't be here no more
Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone
These feelings will be gone
These feelings will be gone

Now I see the times they change
Leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
Where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
All alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?
9. 1997 - A totally different band than the one above, but they have the same kind of loyal following. Almost unknown by anyone else. This song was on their second album and the soundtrack to that stupid "Jack Frost" movie. First verse and chorus...
A promise or a dare
I would jump if I knew you'd catch me
Staring over the edge
I can't tell if you'll be here for me
I close my eyes and make a wish
Turn out the lights and take a breath
Pray that when the wick is burned
You would say that it's all about love

You were there when I needed you
You were there when the skies broke wide, wide open
You were there when I needed you
You were there when the skies broke wide, wide open

But you were never here
10. 2007 - Almost brand-new. A lot of airplay on rock radio. Most of the middle of the song...
You harbored all the wasted sighs to define the quiet drone
I'll let you start again, but you won't
I saw you pray for change and then you walked all over me
You wanted what you could not have and now you are alone

'Cause they're still in you too low
All the voices you don't know
And they're still in you too low
All the choices that you chose
Make the voices tell me who you are and who I am to be

Are you alone where you are tonight?
I'm alone when you're right here
But I'm still in you somehow
I never left at all
Now I'm still in you too low
So my voice is all you know

Answers to Last Week's Music Quiz

1. 1980 - Fairly well-known artist, album track. Most of the middle of the song...
I've been waiting for this
I have been waiting for this
All you people in TV land
I will wake up your empty shells
Peak-time viewing blown in a flash
As I burn into your memory cells
Cause I'm alive

They're coming 'round the corner with the bikers at the front
I'm wiping the sweat from my eyes
It's a matter of time
A matter of will
And the governor's car is not far behind
He's not the one I've got in mind
Cause there he is-the man of the hour, standing in the limousine
I don't really hate you
I don't care what you do
We were made for each other
-Me and you
I want to be somebody
-You were like that too
If you don't get given you learn to take
And I will take you.

Holding my breath
Release the catch
And I let the bullet fly

(Don't you just love songs about political assassinations?)
Peter Gabriel - "Family Snapshot"
2. 2005 - A new band. The first song on the CD. First and second verses minus chorus...
What's the worst that could happen to me?
They could say that it's all in my head
Well how 'bout the truth instead of all of these lies?
Don't try to make me stay
You think you got a foot in the door but
You got a foot in the grave

(I'm hating Hollywood)
I was wasting away just waiting for the phone to ring
(I'm hating Hollywood)
So I became a car chase star with a suicide ending

Let's say we're better off, leave it alone
Cause when all is said and done who would consider this home?
Too bad I won't lose this chance to be ready to go
Don't try to make me stay
You think you got a foot in the door but
You got a foot in the grave

Theory of a Deadman - "Hating Hollywood"
3. 2003 - More new stuff. First verse...
At night I hear it creeping
At night I feel it move
I’ll never sleep here anymore
I wish you never told me
I wish I never knew
I wake up screaming
It’s all because of you

So real these voices in my head
When it comes back you won’t be scared and lonely
You won’t be scared, you won’t be
You won’t be scared and lonely
You won’t be scared, you won’t be lonely

Three Days Grace - "Scared"
4. 2004 - Yet another new band. Again, first and second verses minus the chorus...
And love's light blue
Led me to you
Through the emptiness that had become my home
Love's lies cruel
Introduced me to you
And that moment I knew I was out of hope

Heal me
I begged and love said no
Leave me
For dead and let me go
Kill me
I cried and love said no
Kill me
I cried and love said no

Love's icy tomb
Dug open for you
Lies in a cemetery that bears my name
Love's violent tune
From me to you
Rips your heart out and leaves you
bleeding with a smile on your face

H.I.M. - "And Love Said No"
5. 1971/1973 - A big hit for this dude. First performed on "The Concert for Bangladesh." The studio version appeared two years later. The title is mentioned all throughout the song, so let's just do the first verse...
Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues,
And you know it don't come easy.
You don't have to shout or leap about,
You can even play them easy.

Forget about the past and all your sorrows,
The future won't last,
It will soon be your tomorrow.

Ringo Starr - "It Don't Come Easy"
6. 1993 - This band had a fairly big hit on this album and this particular song got a little bit of rock radio airplay, but the band is still pretty obscure. First verse (only verse really, it just repeats)...
You never think to occupy my time,
And you never require.
And you never lean too much.
And it's always been this way.

It's wearing thin,
Your words come crowdin' in,
And I want you to know
It's the stuff that stirs me up and follows me away.

So write my name and carry my picture
There's nothing wrong.
I'm willing, I'm willing, I will lead you on.
So write my name and carry my picture, there's nothing wrong.

The Connells - "Carry My Picture"
7. 1973 - One of the biggest selling artists of all time. One of his biggest songs off one of his biggest albums. First verse...
When are you gonna come down
When are you going to land
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man

You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

Elton John - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
8. 1989 - This Ohio band recorded their first album in 1975, and have been through various lineups and labels since, but are still recording today. And NO ONE has ever heard of them. About an eleven on the obscurity meter. If you get this, you're good. First verse...
Standing room only at L.A.X.
I trade my ticket for some cigarettes
I won't believe it till they disappear

The president's hiding on a submarine
See how he runs away from history
I won't believe it till they disappear
I won't believe it till I disappear

After all we've been through
Doesn't it seem a little funny to you
We should all shine from the violet blue
And now we're calling you
From the greenhouse

Crack the Sky - "From the Greenhouse"
9. 1971 - It's hard to believe how good this guy used to be. The more albums and singles he sold, the more he sold out. This is vintage stuff from the early days. From the end of the song...
I moved right out east, yeah!
Listen - On the Peking ferry I was feeling merry
sailing on my way back here
I fell in love with a slit-eyed lady
by the light of an eastern moon
Shanghai Lil never used the pill
She claimed that it just ain't natural
She took me up on deck and bit my neck
Oh people, I was glad I found her
Oh yeah, I was glad I found her

I firmly believe that I didn't need anyone but me
I sincerely thought I was so complete
Look how wrong you can be

The women I've known I wouldn't let tie my shoe
They wouldn't give you the time of day
But the slit-eyed lady knocked me off my feet
God, I was so glad I found her
And if they had the words I could tell to you
to help you on the way down the road
I couldn't quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats
Cause it's all been said before
Make the best out of the bad -- just laugh it off - hah!
You didn't have to come here anyway
So remember, every picture tells a story, don't it
Every picture tells a story, don't it...

Rod Stewart - "Every Picture Tells a Story"
10. 1995 - A fairly obscure band. An album track. First verse and chorus...
Don't try to reach me -- I'm already dead
The pain when it grips me for things that I've done
Well, I try to make you proud,
But for crying out loud
Just give me a chance to hide away
Exhaustion takes over
Will this someday be over?

Fearful tears are running down
The pain you've laid don't speak a sound
Don't take my heart away from me
And they think I fell down...again

(The only thing better than songs about political assassinations are songs about child abuse.)
Jars of Clay - "He"

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Cool Websites: Hema

The Dutch department store Hema is just trying to move some merchandise. One way is with a very cool website. Definitely worth a minute or two of your time.

A Daily Show Fix of Sorts

The more the writers' strike drags on, the more I'm jonesing for new episodes of The Daily Show. Here's a quick fix of sorts. The Daily Show writers take a short break from the picket line to take a few jabs at the media companies they're striking against...



The strike boils down to writers trying to get their fair share when their work is put on the Internet. According to the media companies, there's no money to be made on the Internet. That's news to these guys, the head honchos of some of the biggest media conglomerates...



See also the Writers Guild of America YouTube page. 28 videos and counting.

Monday, November 12, 2007

This Week's Music Quiz

I like to do this on the weekends, but since I'm just getting back online after a fortnight's hiatus (long story), I'll do it now...

The Rules: This is a random-10 from my music player. Instead of just listing the songs, I've listed the lyrics instead. See if you can name the song and/or artist.

1. 1980 - Fairly well-known artist, album track. Most of the middle of the song...
I've been waiting for this
I have been waiting for this
All you people in TV land
I will wake up your empty shells
Peak-time viewing blown in a flash
As I burn into your memory cells
Cause I'm alive

They're coming 'round the corner with the bikers at the front
I'm wiping the sweat from my eyes
It's a matter of time
A matter of will
And the governor's car is not far behind
He's not the one I've got in mind
Cause there he is-the man of the hour, standing in the limousine
I don't really hate you
I don't care what you do
We were made for each other
-Me and you
I want to be somebody
-You were like that too
If you don't get given you learn to take
And I will take you.

Holding my breath
Release the catch
And I let the bullet fly
2. 2005 - A new band. The first song on the CD. First and second verses minus chorus...
What's the worst that could happen to me?
They could say that it's all in my head
Well how 'bout the truth instead of all of these lies?
Don't try to make me stay
You think you got a foot in the door but
You got a foot in the grave

Let's say we're better off, leave it alone
Cause when all is said and done who would consider this home?
Too bad I won't lose this chance to be ready to go
Don't try to make me stay
You think you got a foot in the door but
You got a foot in the grave
3. 2003 - More new stuff. First verse...
At night I hear it creeping
At night I feel it move
I’ll never sleep here anymore
I wish you never told me
I wish I never knew
I wake up screaming
It’s all because of you

So real these voices in my head
4. 2004 - Yet another new band. Again, first and second verses minus the chorus...
And love's light blue
Led me to you
Through the emptiness that had become my home
Love's lies cruel
Introduced me to you
And that moment I knew I was out of hope

Love's icy tomb
Dug open for you
Lies in a cemetery that bears my name
Love's violent tune
From me to you
Rips your heart out and leaves you
bleeding with a smile on your face
5. 1971/1973 - A big hit for this dude. First performed on "The Concert for Bangladesh." The studio version appeared two years later. The title is mentioned all throughout the song, so let's just do the first verse...
Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues,
And you know it don't come easy.
You don't have to shout or leap about,
You can even play them easy.

Forget about the past and all your sorrows,
The future won't last,
It will soon be your tomorrow.
6. 1993 - This band had a fairly big hit on this album. This particular song got a little bit of rock radio airplay, but the band is still pretty obscure. First verse (only verse really)...
You never think to occupy my time,
And you never require.
And you never lean too much.
And it's always been this way.

It's wearing thin,
Your words come crowdin' in,
And I want you to know
It's the stuff that stirs me up and follows me away.
7. 1973 - One of the biggest selling artists of all time. One of his biggest songs off one of his biggest albums. First verse...
When are you gonna come down
When are you going to land
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man

You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues
8. 1989 - This Ohio band recorded their first album in 1975, and have been through various lineups and labels since, but are still recording today. And NO ONE has ever heard of them. About an eleven on the obscurity meter. If you get this, you're good. First verse...
Standing room only at L.A.X.
I trade my ticket for some cigarettes
I won't believe it till they disappear

The president's hiding on a submarine
See how he runs away from history
I won't believe it till they disappear
I won't believe it till I disappear
9. 1971 - It's hard to believe how good this guy used to be. The more albums and singles he sold, the more he sold out. This is vintage stuff from the early days. From the end of the song...
I moved right out east, yeah!
Listen - On the Peking ferry I was feeling merry
sailing on my way back here
I fell in love with a slit-eyed lady
by the light of an eastern moon
Shanghai Lil never used the pill
She claimed that it just ain't natural
She took me up on deck and bit my neck
Oh people, I was glad I found her
Oh yeah, I was glad I found her

I firmly believe that I didn't need anyone but me
I sincerely thought I was so complete
Look how wrong you can be

The women I've known I wouldn't let tie my shoe
They wouldn't give you the time of day
But the slit-eyed lady knocked me off my feet
God, I was so glad I found her
And if they had the words I could tell to you
to help you on the way down the road
I couldn't quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats
Cause it's all been said before
10. 1995 - A fairly obscure band. An album track. First verse and chorus...
Don't try to reach me -- I'm already dead
The pain when it grips me for things that I've done
Well, I try to make you proud,
But for crying out loud
Just give me a chance to hide away
Exhaustion takes over
Will this someday be over?

Fearful tears are running down
The pain you've laid don't speak a sound
Don't take my heart away from me
And they think I fell down...again
Some hard ones here, but #5 and #7 are gimmes. #9 is pretty easy too.