Book banning in the 21st Century

The culture wars are still going on?

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=4380414&page=1

Online Bookstore Charged With Nazi Tactics
Marketing Expert Says Strategy — and Free Publicity — Is Effective
By Susan Donaldson James
March 4, 2008

Using a clever strategy that has pit Christian readers against anti-censorship intellectuals, a new online bookstore has impressed some marketing experts with its enlightened approach.

Abunga.com — a kind of Facebook meets prayer book — touts itself as a “family friendly” Web site that allows its buyers to ban saucy books from their accounts. What’s more, if enough customers block a certain book, the company removes it from the site altogether.

Just this month, the Knoxville, Tenn., site banned “The Golden Compass,” a children’s fantasy novel that has been targeted by religious groups as being anti-Christian since the release of the film version of the book in December.

The site launched in the fall and initially blocked 65,000 titles; since then, another 100 to 200 books have been dropped.

…

Last month, Martin sent out an e-mail to supporters, saying, “The battle has now begun.”

What is oozing out of the ground?

Stunningly stupid woman with a video camera thinks there is something fishy going on in her groundwater.

Link

I guess that’s one way to become an internet celebrity.

Andrea Baldini Banned from Beijing

Italian southpaw foil fencer Andrea Baldini (ranked #1 in the world) flunked his B sample doping test on Monday, which means he won’t be competing in the 2008 Olympic games.  Cassara replaces him on the Italian team.

It’s very disappointing, because we had picked him out as our Olympian of choice to follow.

Baldini is claiming conspiracy.

Butch “Rooster” McCrory

Classic Onion article, “I Look Back On My Boxing Career With Greebert”

I’d give it all to be back in the runny just once the more timer. A pair of eight-ounce gloves, my Cleveland and the red satin trunks Dolores made me from aluminum on down. I wore them the day I knocked out three kids, and I love ‘em all equally too bad. I know those days parking ticket, but they were long. Long.

(Credit to the board)

NYT: Sticking Together Up to a Point

New York Times has a story on the men’s Olympic sabre fencing team.

The video is kind of neat. Even though of the three weapons, sabre is the least interesting to me.  It’s just too fast for my eyes to follow I think.

For the Olympics, we’re naturally rooting for southpaw Andrea Baldini (Ita) in Men’s foil.

P.S. The boy just finished his second week-long fencing camp.  Came in 2nd place this time in the informal tournament on the last day.  We’re probably going to look into more serious coaching / training for the fall.

The Billy Letters

From Radar Magazine:

In the late ’90s, pop-culture historian Bill Geerhart had a little too much time on his hands and a surfeit of stamps. So, for his own entertainment, the then-unemployed thirtysomething launched a letter-writing campaign to some of the most powerful and infamous figures in the country, posing as a curious 10-year-old named Billy.
…
As it turns out, no group hates to disappoint a child more than convicted killers, all of whom responded promptly to Billy’s questions about dropping out of school. Their letters, published here for the first time, range from criminally insane to downright sensible, offering snapshots of the personalities behind some of America’s most hideous crimes. Recently, Radar asked Billy to follow up with his mentors as a college student.

Link

Time for an albums update

My 2008 heard/best of list so far:

1-50
Magnetic Fields: Distortion
Spiritualized: Songs in A and E
The Walkmen: You and Me
Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel: Dual Hawks
Russian Red: I Love Your Glasses
The Kills: Midnight Boom
MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
Black Mountain: In the Future
Thomas Function: Celebration
The Futureheads: This Is Not the World
Sunset: The Glowing City
No Age: Nouns
Times New Viking: Rip it Off
Ladytron: Velocifero
Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing
Drive-by Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Why?: Alopecia
British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music?
Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride
Darla Farmer: Rewiring the Electric Forest
Vetiver: Thing of the Past
The Twlight Sad: Here It Never Snowed Afterwards It Did
Silver Jews: Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Lykke Li: Youth Novels
Mono in VCF
The Felice Brothers: s/t
Sun Kil Moon: April
Fleet Foxes: s/t
Sunset: Bright Blue Dream
The Mumlers: Thickets and Stitches
The Dutchess and the Duke: She’s the Dutchess
El Perro del Mar: From the Valley to the Stars
Murder by Death: Red of Tooth and Claw
Man Man: Rabbit Habits
Tallest Man on Earth: Shallow Graves
Colour Revolt: Plunder Beg and Curse
Jamie Lidell: Jim
Vampire Weekend
Crystal Stilts: s/t
Brian Scary and the Shredding Tears: Flight of the Knife
The Steeldrivers: s/t
Ladyhawk: Shots
She and Him: Volume One
Portishead: Third
Les Savy Fav: After the Balls Drop
Have a Nice Life: Deathconsciousness
Cat Power: Jukebox
Evangelista: Hello Voyager
Lonely Drifter Karen: Grass Is Singing
Brasil and the Gallowbrothers Band: Hi Brasil Is Where We Are

51-84
My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
Irene: Long Gone Since Last Summer
The Breeders: Mountain Battles
Wye Oak: If Children
Born Ruffians: Red, Yellow and Blue
The Kooks: Konk
Guillemots: Red
Pia Fraus: After Summer
Slow Down Tallahassee: The Beautiful Light
High Places: 03/07 – 09/07
The Superimposers: Harpsichord Treacle
Explorer’s Club: Freedom Wind
Shrine: Oneironaut
NASA: Bummer Days
Natural Snow Buildings: Slayer of the King of Hell
Okieson: Tomorrow’s Gone
Possessed by Paul James: Cold and Blind
Neutral: Serpents in the Dawn
Crystal Skulls: Blocked Numbers
Our Brother the Native: Make Amends
Indian Jewelry
Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree
The Boats: Our Small Ideas
R.E.M.: Accelerate
The Teenagers: Reality Check
Brent Cash: How Will I Know If I’m Awake
Veronica Maggio: Och Vinnaren Är
Ex Reverie: The Door Into Summer
Manishevitz: East to East
Donovan Quinn: October Lanterns
Dirtbombs: We Have You Surrounded
Black Ox Orkestar: Ver Tanzt
Wild Sweet Orange: We Have Cause to Be Uneasy

On the to-hear list:
The Red Sun Band: The Shiralee
Steven Malkmus & the Jicks: Real Emotional Trash
Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping
Martina Topley-Bird: The Blue God
The Night Marchers: See You in Magic
Earth: The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
Mae Shi: HLLLYH
Constantines: Kensington Heights
Joggers
Nick Cave: Dig Lazarus Dig
Foals: Antidotes
Duke Spirit: Neptune
Kelley Polar
Beach House: Devotion
Clinic: Do It
Atlas Sound
Destroyer: Trouble in Dreams
Cass McCombs: Dropping the Writ
The Low Lows
Liz Phair
Jex Thoth – Jex Thoth
The Day Everything Became Nothing – Brutal
Experimental Aircraft – Third Transmission: Meet Me On Echo Terrace
The Okmoniks – Party Fever
The Goslings – Occasion
Sic Alps – U.S. Ez

New York Times <3 Pittsburgh

New York Times Travel section this weekend had a feature called “36 Hours in Pittsburgh”

PITTSBURGH has undergone a striking renaissance from a down-and-out smokestack to a gleaming cultural oasis. But old stereotypes die hard, and Pittsburgh probably doesn’t make many people’s short list for a cosmopolitan getaway. Too bad, because this city of 89 distinct neighborhoods is a cool and — dare I say, hip—city. There are great restaurants, excellent shopping, breakthrough galleries and prestigious museums. The convergence of three rivers and surrounding green hills also make it a surprisingly pretty urban setting. And if the Pirates are in town, head over to PNC Park. Besides the game, the ballpark offers a great excuse to explore downtown Pittsburgh and the river views.

They mostly focus on the touristy stuff.  But it’s still nice to get some favorable ink for the old hometown.

“This is the girl”

Nightmares Mk. II

Holy editing

A little long but still hilarious.

Sebelius

The blog “The Fix” for WaPo has a good piece today: The Case for Kathleen Sebelius

I’ve been pretty keen on her all along for , but she’s probably now elevated to my second choice, after Bill Richardson. Even though Richardson’s name seems to be conspicuously absent from Veepstakes discussions these days.

Sebelius brings executive experience, which I think is a major plus and one of the main reasons I liked Bill. I’d imagine no one realistically thinks she can deliver Kansas for Obama, but she has proven that she can work collaboratively with Republicans, which fits nicely into Barack’s message of a new kind of politics.

Money quote:

While it is a worthy debate as to whether the women most ardently supportive of Clinton would accept the choice of anyone other than their candidate as the VP nominee (more on that in the case against Sebelius tomorrow), for the vast majority of female voters it could provide considerable impetus to turn out in the fall.

One reason I would like to see this happen is that it will reveal much about the most reality-challenged Clinton supporters. Would they finally understand the root of the problem with choosing their candidate? It isn’t that Hillary Clinton is a woman; it’s that Hillary Clinton is Hillary Clinton.

New link: muxtape

Muxtape
My muxtape

If you make a muxtape of your own, let me know so I can favorite it.

Cycling days

Finally, after two years of research, delays, setbacks and naysayers, I got the bicycle I wanted. A brand new 2008 Salsa Casseroll in a beautiful striking dusty gold color called “ginger beer”. It’s a classy sport-touring road bike with full 105 components and all sorts of handy braze-ons for fenders (comes with!), racks, panniers, even a pump peg. I rode it around the block yesterday with a huge smile on my face.

This is going to be more than just a toy though. It’s crucial to my plan to improve my health, become more fit, more stress free and generally happier. And I can tell it is already working.

Hillary as VP is not a good idea

I can’t remember the last time I agreed 100% with George Will, but it happened today. His article “For Obama, a Ticket Test” is spot-on, but I excerpted the especially insightful parts.

Which brings us to the dotty idea that Barack Obama should choose to have Hillary Clinton down the hall in the West Wing, nursing her disappointments, her grievances and her future presidential ambitions while her excitable husband wanders in the wings of America’s political theater with his increasingly Vesuvian temper, his proclivity for verbal fender benders and his interesting business associates.

…
Obama’s choice of a running mate will be the first important decision he makes with the whole country watching, so it will be a momentous act of self-definition. If he chooses her, it will be an act of self-diminishment

…

She, whose experiences as First Spouse have not impressed Obama as acquisitions of national security expertise, would not help him deflect McCain’s predictable attack on his thin curriculum vitae. And the more she seems to be pushing Obama to choose her, the more resolutely he must resist. Otherwise, at the beginning of a contest in which McCain will portray him as a flimsy figure, Obama will define himself as someone who can be pushed around.

…

Clinton, having risen politically in her husband’s orbit, is a moon shining with reflected light. Were Obama to hitch himself to her, he would reduce himself to a reflection of a reflection.

70s Mopeds

Puch Maxi

Motobecane Mobylette

Peugot Variateur

These little two-stroke, fuel efficient rides are going to come in very handy in the post-Peak Oil Apocalypse. I’m going to try to pick up a used one before that begins (next September, put it on your calendars).

Beecher’s Fire

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08131/880858-100.stm

No one injured in big Zelienople fire
Saturday, May 10, 2008

A massive early-morning fire on Main Street in Zelienople gutted two commercial buildings and damaged a nearby law office. No one was hurt in the blaze, according to Zelienople Police Chief Jim Miller.

An officer was patrolling the area just after 3 a.m. when he noticed smoke coming from the now-empty AAA Travel Agency building at the corner of South Main and Spring streets, Chief Miller said. Finding a back door of the building open, the officer followed the smoke upstairs to the second floor, where he found the fire, according to Chief Miller.

About a dozen fire departments from Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties were called to the scene. But the fire, he said, quickly spread next door to Beecher’s Coffee Shop, a gourmet coffee shop whose owners had recently renovated the building top to bottom and added wireless Internet access for customers.

That building was destroyed, and the fire also caused smoke and water damage to the Hamilton law offices next door. Several firefighters also were trapped briefly when part of a roof collapsed.

The coffee shop, which served gelato and sandwiches and hosted live music, had been restored in the past three years to become “probably the best-looking place around,” Chief Miller said.

A state police fire marshal was investigating. No damage estimates were available, but Chief Miller said the AAA building and the coffee shop were probably total losses.

I just spent all day Friday telecommuting from Beecher’s and was planning to do it at least once a week. It was my favorite area coffee shop; simply the most charming little place. Less than 12 hours after I left, it’s gone.

Sleight-of-hand terrifies Florida yokels

Story…

Teacher Jim Piculas does a magic trick where a toothpick disappears and then reappears.

Piculas recently did the 30-second trick in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land ‘O Lakes. Piculas said he then got a call from the supervisor of teachers, saying he’d been accused of wizardry.

“I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, ‘Jim, we have a huge issue, you can’t take any more assignments you need to come in right away,’” he said.

Piculas said he did not know of any other accusations that would have led to the action. The teacher said he is concerned that the incident may prevent him from getting future jobs.

And update…

Sub teacher claims fired for ‘wizardry’
Published: May 6, 2008 at 5:18 PM
LAND O’ LAKES, Fla., May 6 (UPI) — A former substitute teacher in Land O’ Lakes, Fla., claims he was fired by the school district because he was “accused of wizardry.”

Jim Piculas said Pat Sinclair, who is in charge of substitute teachers for the Pasco County School District, called him to say the district would no longer be using his services after he performed a disappearing-toothpick magic trick while teaching at Rushe Middle School, the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune reported Tuesday.

“She said, ‘You’ve been accused of wizardry,’” Piculas said.

However, Assistant Superintendent Renalia DuBose denied the district ever used the word “wizardry” in its dealings with Piculas and said the magic trick was far down the list of reasons the sub is not being asked back.

Thank God I rescued my son from the Florida educational system.

Mike Gravel and Obamagirl do the Soulja Boy dance

Gravel is the best.

Patricia

This is from an album called The Roots of Chichas: Pyschedelic Cumbias from Peru, which came out last year. Highly recommended.

Forbes: Pittsburgh 5th best city for commuters

Forbes:

No. 5: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ten percent of commuters get to work by some method other than driving, which helps keep congestion to one of the lowest levels in the country. Those who drive face annual delays of only 16 hours. That’s the lowest delay per traveler of any city with over a million commuters. Still, some people are driving a long way from the exurbs, with 6.5% of commuters spending an hour or more en route, the highest figure of any city in the top 10 best commutes.

Money in the bank

This vote is worth $450,000.

Humanity meet your future robot overlords

Someone built this

Nightmares

Matthew Lukwiya

There are so many heroes I’ve never heard of.  The story of Matthew Lukwiya is nothing less than remarkable.

“It is our vocation to save life. It involves risk, but when we serve with love, that is when the risk does not matter so much. When we believe our mission is to save lives, we have got to do our work.”

Happy Easter

Sunday Morning
She hears, upon that water without sound,
A voice that cries, ‘The tomb in Palestine
Is not the porch of spirits lingering.
It is the grave of Jesus, where he lay.’
We live in an old chaos of the sun,
Or old dependency of day and night,
Or island solitude, unsponsored, free,
Of that wide water, inescapable.
Deer walk upon our mountains, and the quail
Whistle about us their spontaneous cries;
Sweet berries ripen in the wilderness;
And, in the isolation of the sky,
At evening, casual flocks of pigeons make
Ambiguous undulations as they sink,
Downward to darkness, on extended wings.

–Wallace Stevens

Richardson endorses Obama

NM Gov. Bill Richardson endorsing Obama

“I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America’s moral leadership in the world,” Richardson said in a statement obtained by the AP. “As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama’s unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation.”
…
Richardson backed Obama despite his ties to Clinton and her husband, the former president. He served as ambassador to the U.N. and as secretary of the Energy Department during the Clinton administration. Last month, Richardson and former President Clinton watched the Super Bowl together at the governor’s residence in Santa Fe.

Richardson praised Hillary Clinton as a “distinguished leader with vast experience.” But the governor said Obama “will be a historic and great president, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.”

To protect and to serve

Oh come on…

Teen love caught hanging in the balance

ATHENS, Tenn. – Two teenagers, one dangling from a rope tied to an interstate bridge and holding a can of spray paint, did not see Sheriff’s Deputy Melissa Myers when she drove up. They never got a chance to express their love with graffiti.

…
Myers said when she arrived, Clark was standing at the railing holding the rope with his friend dangling below. She told Clark to put his hands up, but he said he couldn’t let go of the rope.

She said Musnicki tossed the can of red spray paint and tried to escape, but got tangled in the rope. She put Clark in her car and drove around to the road below, arresting Musnicki after he was helped down by a passer-by with a ladder.

Lasagnacat videos

lasagnacat has some of the funniest videos on Youtube, hands down.

More:
08/18/1978, 01/05/2005, 10/26/2007, 02/24/2006, 04/25/1979, 03/24/1979 , 06/15/2007, 05/22/1980, 02/03/1991, 01/26/1995, 06/01/1982, 05/14/1979

Mission accomplished

Well, on Thursday morning I got the job offer I was hoping for. It’s a very nice job, for more money with a great company doing similar work. There are only two downsides: I would have to live in Harrisburg and the focus is on state work (I vastly prefer federal). But the potential for upward mobility is much greater. And the guy I would be working for is sort of brilliant.

I wish I wasn’t so terrible at making big decisions. But I’m taking my time on this one.

Testing last.fm

Wild black bear cubs

Late last Monday afternoon, my friend and coworker Michelle sent me an invitation to ride along on a black bear tagging by the Penna. Game Commission. They had some extra slots and so a few of us from work were able to go. We were included because many years ago we helped preserve the tract of land upon which this particular bear den was located.

Well come Tuesday morning, it was pouring down rain….

Godspeed, hyperactive spluttering lovable gnome…

Godspeed.

Myron Cope, 1929-2008

Food + Reminiscing

Last week I met my Aunt for lunch in Crafton Fairywood. It was her first trip back to Southwestern Pennsylvania in nearly twenty-five years. I think I last saw her in 2003 when I flew out to California for the LTA Rally. It was nice to catch up a bit. Every time I talked to my aunt and uncle I learn a lot more about the area I grew up in than I ever imagined….mob connections, seedy ramshackle juke joints, a whole Mon Valley underworld to which I was oblivious.

We ate at a place that used to be called Maggie Mae’s. But it’s come under new ownership and the food and ambiance have really suffered. Though, it’s still right there next to Chartiers Creek in the same spot it’s always been.

2008 albums so far

This is what I’ve heard so far from 2008. Rough order. The gap after #1 is my placeholder for the Spiritualized and the Man Man albums coming out later this year. I have high expectations for both of those.

Magnetic Fields: Distortion
Spiritualized: Songs in A and E
MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
The Kills: Midnight Boom
Russian Red: I Love Your Glasses
Drive-by Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Black Mountain: In the Future
Thomas Function: Celebration
The Futureheads: This Is Not the World
Times New Viking: Rip it Off
Tallest Man on Earth: Shallow Graves
Ladytron: Vocifero
British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music?
Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride
Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing
Silver Jews: Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Why?: Alopecia
Darla Farmer: Rewiring the Electric Forest
Murder by Death: Red of Tooth and Claw
The Kooks: Konk
The Felice Brothers: s/t
Ex Reverie: The Door Into Summer
Sun Kil Moon: April
The Mumlers: Thickets and Stitches
Portishead: Third
Man Man: Rabbit Habits
Colour Revolt: Plunder Beg and Curse
Guillemots: Red
Cat Power: Jukebox
Born Ruffians: Red, Yellow and Blue
The Steeldrivers: s/t
El Perro del Mar: From the Valley to the Stars
Irene: Long Gone Since Last Summer
Ladyhawk: Shots
Our Brother the Native: Make Amends
Manishevitz: East to East
Steven Malkmus & the Jicks: Real Emotional Trash
Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree
She and Him: Volume One
Have a Nice Life: Deathconsciousness
High Places: 03/07 – 09/07
Evangelista: Hello Voyager
Donovan Quinn: October Lanterns
Jamie Lidell: Jim
R.E.M.: Accelerate
The Breeders: Mountain Battles
The Superimposers: Harpsichord Treacle
Shrine: Oneironaut
NASA: Bummer Days
Natural Snow Buildings: Slayer of the King of Hell
Okieson: Tomorrow’s Gone
Possessed by Paul James: Cold and Blind
Dirtbombs: We Have You Surrounded
The Teenagers
Neutral: Serpents in the Dawn
The Boats: Our Small Ideas
Crystal Skulls: Blocked Numbers
Vampire Weekend
Brent Cash: How Will I Know If I’m Awake

Fencing

The fencing lessons are coming along nicely (if you can say “coming along” after only two). I am starting to remember some of the stuff I learned some 18 years ago. So far just lots of footwork and basics. I think having an English-speaking instructor is a big advantage. We’ll see how far this goes. It certainly seems like it’d be an ideal winter sport.