Current Configuration

  • Sorry Everybody

    It’s official, Alisa and I are sorry (third one down).

    If you don’t know about Sorry Everybody, the short explanation is that it’s a page devoted to apologizing to the rest of the world for not having enough votes to vote G. W. Bush out of office. It’s not about being mean or vindictive, but expressing hope and sympathy (and trying desperately to give other countries a reason to not hate all of us for the opinions of 51% of us). It was started by a friend of my friend Jon. Within a few days, I saw a segment about it on CNN.

    Anyway, if you’re a non-Bush voter, scroll through a few pages and see some of the many people who are with you and will help us undo whatever crap Bush brings down on our heads. Also, there are apology acceptances from other countries, which is pretty cool.

  • Turn On the Bright Lights, Turn Off the Secret Machines

    I saw one of my favorite groups, Interpol, live this Sunday, and they brought more rock than I knew what to do with. Even if you’ve heard their first album Turn on the Bright Lights and Antics, their latest, you can’t grasp what they’re like onstage. There’s a deep, intense, charismatic energy that grabs you and everyone around you when they delve into their songs. It’s great. It actually reminded me of seeing the Ramones live. The Ramones were a seminal punk band, and their albums are classic, but they blasted the veneer off the floor with the energy they bring live, which the studio can only dampen. Interpol does the same to the thin disaffected veneer people often bring to concerts in an effort to look cool. By the end, you’re dancing.

    In addition to Interpol, there were two opening acts. The first, On! Air! Library! was very cool. If it’s any indication, I bought their album. They’re definitely too abstract and odd to go mainstream any time soon, but when the two female vocalists sing together, the songs are just amazing. Definitely worth a listen.

    The second group was another story entirely.

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  • I’m Seeing Red

    It’s done. In spite of my optimism and an excellent voter turnout (particularly compared to last election), President George W. Bush has maintained his seat at the head of our country. Bush’s strategies of fear, deception, and ‘it’s better to be simple’ have won the hearts of more voters and, more importantly, more votes in the electoral college. Apparently, according to both the popular vote and the breakdowns by affiliation that I’ve seen, this country is going conservative.

    On top of that, roughly 51% of this country is loudly and proudly proclaiming, “We prefer action movies to intelligent discourse,” when it comes to the world and politics. This group of Americans wants bullying, simplistic fear-mongering. And they will get it in spades.

    Don’t get me started on the Legislative Branch.

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  • I’ve Made My Choice

    Voting is such an empowering and singular act. It truly feels good to vote. One of my friends recently did it for the first time, and commented on how he never realized how empowered and connected one person could actually feel by voting. It’s such a large process, but that’s what makes it so great. You know, across the country, others are participating in what must be one of, if not the, largest free elections in the world.

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  • I Am Jack’s Halloween Costume

    I’m in the center, surrounded by some friends from work and the spouse of one of them.

    I’d like to thank Alisa for the kick-ass job she did on my makeup. It really made the costume. She also reminded me about the bandage. With a costume like this, it’s all about the details.

    The picture quality sucks, but I couldn’t help it since the original photo suffers from poor lighting (it is a Halloween party). As I get more photos, this post will probably change. Stay tuned.

  • Don’t Vote for This Man

    First, we have Bush using September 11th to flog his agenda, yet again. As though his ability to hug a crying girl makes him different from any other president who would’ve experienced a tragedy like this. We were all sad. Anyone who can vote was around for the aftermath. WE ALL SUFFERED. Bush is not special.

    And second, we have POWs decrying Kerry for being appalled by war and atrocities associated with it. I don’t care if my grandmother committed terrible acts, it doesn’t make them right. But what do you expect from the supporters of Bush, who want us to believe that the world is yes/no, black/white? They want you to believe that someone who willingly served in Vietnam thinks all soldiers are evil. It’s just asinine.

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  • Public Television is Good

    Over the last few weeks, I’ve been watching great shows like Frontline: The War at the Pentagon, Nova‘s many offerings, a history of musical theatre, the story of Dr. Seuss, and the examination of Kerry and Bush (may have also been Frontline).

    Public television kicks ass. You should watch more of it. The signal-to-noise ratio is so dramatically high compared to commercial TV. Do yourself and your brain a favor. If you’re in the Philadelphia or Delaware Valley, check out WHYY TV12 to see what’s coming up.

  • Christmas, Express

    And thus it begins on this October 16th: the Christmas shopping season’s slow creep into every fold of my precious brainmeats. Today, I walked past an Express in the King of Prussia Mall (the largest naturally-grown mall in the U.S.) and I saw a Christmas display.

    Screw all of them. Give me Halloween and Thanksgiving, you scum!

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  • WE ARE GOLDEN

    The news is out and it’s official, Half-Life 2 has gone gold.

    The release date is set at November 16th. If I can get the new PC funded, built, and running by then, I am taking the day off and getting my game on like never before with the game that’s being called the “best game ever.”

    I will never sleep again.

  • How Can You Possibly Not Be Decided?

    Alright, it’s official. I have absolutely no idea how anyone could be undecided at this point in the election. Is it because it’s been made a big important thing, a new demographic of sorts by news media outlets? Perhaps all this talk about the oh-so-important Undecideds is making people feel OK about remaining blissfully ignorant of the candidates’ positions (though I have no idea how you’d do that).

    I’m going to make it easy for all of you out there who are on the fence about this issue. Click through to find out how you should vote (because, at this point, you need to be told).

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