Spaghetti Monster I Lift Your Name on High

The Pastafarians gain legitimacy. Soon they'll have a letter on the coexist merchandise.

A sign of what's to come?

This article, although it describes a somewhat different situation, brings to light many of the issues caused by a sudden and unprepared for lack of oil. Just sit and think about everything you do (or use) in a day that requires an abundance of this proven to be dwindling resource...

Edit:
Many Northeast US residents facing utility cutoffs

Noose Incident at ASU

I didn't think much of it when I got the e-mail, but this noose issue is kind of messed up. I hope things get clarified at the forum tonight, though I'm sure more students are planning to get arrested protesting this... 

Mindless Patriotism and International Arrogance -- That is the American Way!

I just wanted to start out by saying that I fixed the second Colbert video below and that everybody should check it out if you haven't yet.

I've always been interested in politics because of the government's ability to control truth. The power to change reality for a whole nation lies in the ability to alter language to make issues and events sound less tragic or urgent, while withholding the actual facts or presenting alternatives that legitimize the weak argument of the opposition. It's all in the wording -- It isn't escalation, it's a surge; we don't torture, we use enhanced interrogation techniques; It isn't called an invasion, it's called a defensive pre-emptive strike. This is propaganda, and our country is not above this.

This one particular article caught my eye about the bickering between John McCain and Barack Obama over 60's radical William Ayers. Ayers was a member of the group 'The Weather Underground', which was a violent, Communist opposition to Vietnam and American imperialism. The issue was brought up during the recent debate in Philly because of Obama's comparison of Ayers to Republican Senator Tom Coburn , "who during his campaign once said that it might be appropriate to apply the death penalty to those who carried out abortions." This prompted McCain to criticize Obama for not denouncing Ayers. To go back to my point on wording I wanted to just show a couple excerpts from the article (emphasis added).

Sen. John McCain highlighted Sen. Barack Obama's affiliation with a Vietnam-era radical yesterday, the latest indication that the general election campaign is likely to see a heavy dose of cultural politics.

Yesterday, McCain (Ariz.) drew a sharp distinction between Ayers and Coburn, arguing that Obama's analogy showed the Illinois Democrat holds values that are out of the mainstream.

Obama's relationship with Ayers, McCain told Stephanopoulos, "is open to question.... Because if you're going to associate and have as a friend and serve on a board and have a guy kick off your campaign that says he's unrepentant, that he wished bombed more -- and then, the worst thing of all, that, I think, really indicates Senator Obama's attitude, is he had the incredible statement that he compared Mr. Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, with Senator Tom Coburn, Senator Coburn, a physician who goes to Oklahoma on the weekends and brings babies into life -- comparing those two -- I mean, that's not -- that's an attitude, frankly, that certainly isn't in keeping with the overall attitude."

The comments underscored the enormous generational gulf between the two men -- a contest between them would represent the largest age gap between two presidential candidates in U.S. history -- but differences dating back four decades are likely to be in play regardless of the outcome of the Democratic contest.

"Cultural Politics" is a buzz word I've never seen until now, and the thought behind it is frightening. Political culture is defined as "the sum of the fundamental values, sentiments and knowledge that give form and substance to political process", but that only makes up part of a culture. Political culture is a safe, debatable part of government and is the part of a culture tied to the political process. Political culture only measures the differences between left wing, right wing, and everything in between. The broad phrase culture covers more than just civics. Wikipedia says, "anthropologists understand 'culture' to refer not only to consumption goods, but to the general processes which produce such goods and give them meaning, and to the social relationships and practices in which such objects and processes become embedded. For them, culture thus includes art, science, as well as moral systems." Therefore, I am led to assume that cultural politics is the contest between two or more distinct and separate cultures with differences in science, art, and morals. It is the idea that the election goes beyond political culture and will embody basic ideals and beliefs as political positions.

McCain argues that Obama isn't in line with American values, but who is he to determine what those values are? Cultural politics scares me because it draws that line that we all know exists between Americans. This is not generational as the article suggests, but goes deeper into ideology, tradition, and religion. The split is between those who unconditionally support an American empire and those who want moderation and peace. This unconditional support is dependent on a belief that the U.S.A. is the greatest country in the world, and that Americans deserve the best despite the methods needed to maintain this position. I've taken notice of this rift more recently. For example, one man I waited on last night told me he supports McCain because "we need to remain strong because the terrorists have a black hate in their hearts and will be coming back to get us." Somebody I know also stated that she believes that an American life is greater in value than an Arab life, and that this justifies our policies. This is the other side, the other culture. When beliefs go so deep that neither side will moderate or consider the other side, and these beliefs become political issues, then the political process breaks down away from logic and turns to emotion. Is anybody else unsettled by this? I tried my best to explain it.

Also for those who think that there is a difference between Clinton, Obama, and McCain, this video sums up the Democrat's willingness to 'totally obliterate' Iran if they show signs of threat toward Israel. Either party we vote in, we get war.

Speaking of Israel, if you didn't know they have been spying on us in the past. It's not that big of a deal, though.
Also, check this out. I knew our generation had mass protest in them..

Get it?

What is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo?
Also really cool:
Pronto Condoms
You guys want to throw in on a bulk order or something? haha
Those are really cool, though, not that any of you actually use condoms.

I hope everyone's well and that you've enjoyed the spring holiday!
Peace

Cool links

These are some of my old bookmarks I stumbled across...
Facts about Dihydrogen Monoxide. A threat you didn't know existed...

I think I'm going to order one of these. The concept is really cool. It's a cool thing to bend your mind around with.

How do you make a bike with square wheels ride smoothly?

A quick book recommendation:

The Party's Over by Richard Heinberg has been a staggering source of information and the glue with which I've put together many of the things floating through my head of late. I highly suggest anyone interested in the worldwide supply of energy and our social dependence on it to read this book. And honestly, that should be everybody. This is one book that I feel we must read if we have any chance of moving forward as a species. Check it out.
Gotta get my cookies out of the oven. Peace

Obama's Hope Bong

"He is inviting people to take deep tokes... from his bong... filled with hope."

Big Games for Chelsea

Next four games for Chelsea after this Monday: Everton (17th), Liverpool (22nd), Man U (26th), Liverpool (30th). Chelsea is three points behind Man U for first and Everton is three points behind Liverpool for fourth in the league. So Chelsea has their work cut out for them for the rest of April, especially with their third string keeper playing. At least Liverpool will provide an easy through to take Barcelona or Man U in the finals.

American Terrorist

This has got to stop.

ABC cited a top official as saying that Ashcroft asked aloud after one meeting: "Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will not judge this kindly."

I mean honestly... they even know its illegal. If terrorism is defined by the taking of innocent lives for political purposes, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, and all of those people that approved this war and these 'enhanced interrogation' techniques are terrorists. Simple as that.

Like we need another Manhattan Project

They're coming for our internets! 

The federal government has launched a cyber security "Manhattan Project," U.S. homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday, because online attacks can be a form of "devastating warfare", and equivalent in damage to "physical destruction of the worst kind."

"Imagine, if you will, a sophisticated attack on our financial systems that caused them to be paralyzed," Chertoff said. "It would shake the foundation of trust on which our financial system works."

That digital mushroom cloud scenario means the government's role in computer security must extend beyond federal networks, and reach to shared responsibility for financial, telecommunication and transportation infrastructure, Chertoff said. "The failure of any single system has cascading effects across our country," Chertoff said.

I've heard there's no way the American government can completely regulate and monitor the internet. Funny enough the agency that assigns IP addresses and domain names is called ICANN. I think the government is trying to mock us. I wonder if 'The Network' has anything to do with this.

That network, in effect a parallel internet, is now built, using fibre optic cables that run from Cern to 11 centres in the United States, Canada, the Far East, Europe and around the world.

Ian Bird, project leader for Cern’s high-speed computing project, said grid technology could make the internet so fast that people would stop using desktop computers to store information and entrust it all to the internet.

These things have to go hand in hand somehow. Well, the day that the network is going up is the same day that the Large Hadron Collider is being used for the first time, which is cool, but critics say that it could  destroy the earth  by creating a black hole. So everybody mark your calenders for 'mid-August'! 

Political Hip-Hop

I was just thinking back to the Lupe Fiasco concert in Chapel Hill last year. In the middle of "American Terrorist" he yelled out a big "FUCK BUSH" and, needless to say, it was warmly received by the crowd. It was a beautiful moment that captured the intersection of politics and music. I wish politically inspired music was more common and easier to find. There is definitely a sizable political rap genre, and I looked through my music library on my computer and compiled a list of decent to good political hip hop tracks. This was the playlist:

1. Dead Prez - "They Schools"
2. Guru - "Feed the Hungry"
3. Hasan Salaam - "Blaxploitation"
4. Big Juss - "Plantation Rhymes"
5. Immortal Technique feat. Mos Def "Bin Laden"
6. The Dope Poet Society - "ProIntelPro"
7. The Coup - "My Favorite Mutiny"
8. Cage feat. Jello Biafra - "Grand 'ol Party Crash"
9. Lost Children of Babylon "Dear Mr. President"
10. Akir "State of the Enemy"
11. Hezekiah "Bombs Over Here"
12. Mayday "MACRO/Micro"
13. Paris "Bush Killa"
14. Perceptionists "People 4 Prez"
15. Spiega, Hasan Salaam, Akir "Empire"

Comment with artists from your library if you'd like. These are just some of my favorites.

Rick Rolling: A National Phenomenon

Holy crap

3rd Graders Plot to Stab teacher
I don't think I ever considered this as a kid. What the hell is wrong with people (these days?)?
US Never Plans to Leave Iraq. Surprised?
McCain has a potty mouth

Chelsea's manager

I'm glad that this will be the man to lead Chelsea to Champions League and Premier League titles. Yeah I said it (3-1 v. Fener; 2-2 Man U when they come to the Bridge).

My Hero

William McDonough is my hero!
He can be yours too if you like building in a sustainable manner and thinking in a way does not fit inside any 'box' but instead creates its own box. Check out his most recent accomplishments and his future goals.