Thoughts From An Empty Head

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Top Five On Friday ? Week 124
2007-05-18 18:38:00
Love to HateSongs I love from artists I can't stand.ricky martin, cup of life (spanglish radio edit)jennifer lopez, waiting for tonight (hex's momentous club mix)justin timberlake, a special christmas box (Congratulations, Timberlake, you finally impressed me.)r.e.m, what's the frequency, Kenneth?and a video bonus: melanie c, I turn to you (hex hector remix)technorati tags: Music Memoirs, music, meme, Frida y
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Thursday Night Jam
2007-05-18 02:08:00
I need a nap. Maybe I'll squeeze one in my busy schedule later on today.Continuing the AMV theme from yesterday:enigma, modern crusadersscenes from gundam wing: endless waltzenigma, gravity of lovescenes from escaflowne: a girl in gaiagarbage, the world is not enoughscenes from the big oconjure one, endless dreamscenes from the place promised in our early daysdido, white flagscenes from voices of a distant startechnorati tags: video, music, YouTube
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Don?t Let the Door Hit Ya
2007-05-18 01:49:00
And take your girlfriend with you.World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz resigned this afternoon, effective June 30, giving in to overwhelming pressure from bank staff and governments around the globe that he depart to end the ethics controversy that has consumed the institution.Wolfowitz agreed to resign in negotiations with the bank's executive board, pre-empting a growing likelihood that he would have been formally reprimanded or fired, said bank officials who spoke on condition they not be named, citing the political sensitivity of the proceedings.His resignation came as key members of the bank's 24-member executive board were mobilizing to push through a resolution expressing no-confidence in his leadership, a step that would have made it effectively impossible for him to continue, senior bank and Bush administration officials said.I saw this coming as soon as Dubya started backing up his guy a la Brownie. Anyone who gets a job recommendation from Dubya should start updating...
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Goodnight, Sweet Veronica
2007-05-18 01:00:00
I can write no better eulogy to an uncommonly superior television show like Veronica Mars than David Roberts has written over at Gristmill.Come on now, sugar,Bring it on, bring it on, yeah.Just remember me when you're good to goCome on now, honey,Bring it on, bring it on, yeah.Just remember me when.We used to be friends a long time ago.We used to be friends a long time ago.We used to be friends a long time ago.We used to be friends, hey heytechnorati tags: Veronica Mars, cancellation
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Booking Through Thursday: Bookless
2007-05-17 21:51:00
Bookless It happens even to the best readers from time to time? you close the cover on the book you?re reading and discover, to your horror, that there?s nothing else to read. Either there?s nothing in the house, or nothing you?re in the mood for. Just, nothing that ?clicks.? What do you do?? How do you get the reading wheels turning again?Nothing to read?What do I do? Pretty much freak out.You know: run around, climb the walls, sing to myself.I might even see what other people are reading.Most of the time, though, I'll just turn on the TV and see what's on.Maybe I'll even go and get something to eat.Or I can surf the net.Most of the time, though, I just get another book from somewhere else.technorati tags: books, Booking Through Thursday , reading, meme
More About: King , Less

Let Them Eat Cake
2007-05-17 21:43:00
Define "callous": David Paulison, current director of FEMA.WASHINGTON ? Complaints that mobile homes and trailers housing hurricane Katrina and Rita victims have unhealthy levels of formaldehyde were dismissed by Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison on Tuesday.Rep. Bennie Thompson asked Paulison about the complaints at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on FEMA's ability to respond to the 2007 hurricane season.Paulison said he was unaware the trailers posed any health threats.Really, Mr. Paulison? You jam poor people into plastic-and-pressed-wood boxes, letting the sun and Louisiana heat and humidity beat down on these trailers for over twenty months, and you honestly didn't see this coming?Mr. Paulison, let me introduce you to a little-known government agency known as the Environmental Protection Agency.FormaldehydeFormaldehyde is an important chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It i...
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The Good Stuff from Last Night
2007-05-17 21:13:00
StewartColbert technorati tags: Stewart, Colbert, funny, videos
More About: Stuff , Night , Good , The Good

Kiss and Make Up
2007-05-17 17:14:00
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } meaningless selfportrait, originally uploaded by _rebekka.Rebekka received an apology from Flickr. Heather posted a few thoughts in FlickrBlog last night, in which she points to an official apology by Stewart from Flickr for removing Rebekka's picture and post. In its entirety:[I'm one of the co-founders of Flickr, and am the general manager with overall responsibility for all things Flickr.]I have to be a little quicker than I'd like because I'm writing this on a Treo in a car in the desert, coming back from a vacation (I'm not driving - no worries). I've gotten the whole back story from the team and have read the forums, various Flickr groups topics and blog posts on this topic (as of a few hours ago), so I have a pretty good idea that we screwed up -- and for that I take full responsibility (actually, sev...
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Wednesday Night Jam
2007-05-17 01:17:00
Time to mix it up a bit with a few AMVs.crystal method with filter, trip like i doscenes from akiraevanescence, forgive mescenes from final fantasy x and final fantasy x-2conjure one, center of the sunscenes from metropoliscurve, hell above waterscenes from blue submarine no 6madonna, die another dayscenes from noirtechnorati tags: video, music, YouTube
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Amazon Sees the Light
2007-05-16 23:38:00
HUZZAH!May 16, 2007--Amazon .com today announced it will launch a digital music store later this year offering millions of songs in the DRM-free MP3 format from more than 12,000 record labels. EMI Music's digital catalog is the latest addition to the store. Every song and album in the Amazon.com digital music store will be available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software. Amazon's DRM-free MP3s will free customers to play their music on virtually any of their personal devices -- including PCs, Macs, iPods, Zunes, Zens -- and to burn songs to CDs for personal use."Our MP3-only strategy means all the music that customers buy on Amazon is always DRM-free and plays on any device," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. "We're excited to have EMI joining us in this effort and look forward to offering our customers MP3s from amazing artists like Coldplay, Norah Jones and Joss Stone."Kudos, Mr. Bezos.technorati tags: xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx
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Reading into the Stupidity
2007-05-16 21:58:00
I honestly don't know what to say about this, except for "Wow".And why does reading even need to be a separate subject from history in school? Give them history texts and teach reading from them. Science books too. Leave the storybooks for pleasure reading outside of school. They will be easier reading, and with well-developed reading skills, kids should feel pleasure curling up with a novel at home. But even if they don't, why should any kind of a premium be placed on an interest in reading novels? It's not tied to economic success in life and needn't be inculcated any more than an interest in watching movies or listening to popular music. Leave kids alone to find out out what recreational activities enrich and satisfy them. Some may want to dance or play music or paint. Just because teachers tend to be the kind of people who love novels does not mean that this choice ought to be imposed on young people via compulsory education. Teach them about history, science, law, logic -- ...
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The Good Stuff from Last Night
2007-05-16 21:17:00
StewartColbert technorati tags: Stewart, Colbert, funny, videos
More About: Stuff , Night , Good , The Good

Hump Day Hunt - Week Seventy-Two
2007-05-16 20:28:00
CrazyAlways beware the crazy person with the sonic screwdriver.technorati tags: photo, Flickr, meme, Foto Pherrets
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Stuck in Folsom Prison
2007-05-16 19:48:00
Yeah, like this is necessary.Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is pressing the U.S. Congress to enact a sweeping intellectual-property bill that would increase criminal penalties for copyright infringement, including "attempts" to commit piracy."To meet the global challenges of IP crime, our criminal laws must be kept updated," Gonzales said during a speech before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Monday. It's good to hear that the whole prison overcrowding problem has been so thoroughly resolved. Now that they've gotten all of the really hardcore convicts rehabilitated, now they can concentrate on ... wait, they haven't fixed that problem yet? Oops.Can you imagine how that conversation would go in the big house? "What're in fer? Rape? Murder? Extortion? Kidnapping?" "Nah, I downloaded 200 songs from Limewire."And how funny is it that Alberto "Habeas Whatsits?" Gonzales is the one pushing this legislation? Man, that guy has never met a computer he didn't wan...
More About: Prison , Folsom , Riso

Very Fuzzy
2007-05-16 19:44:00
Entirely accurate, which is a little scary.Steven --[adjective]: Fuzzy to the touch'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.comVia Andrea.

Saying Sorry
2007-05-16 18:09:00
stealing IS a crime, right?, originally uploaded by _rebekka.Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir reports that Heather Champ has apologized for Flickr deleting her photo, which explained what happened between her and Only-Dreemin. I guess having corporate ineptitude plastered all over Digg and Slashdot couldn't have weighed into that decision too much. Still, a very nice thing to do from Heather, who is already having a really crappy week herself.So I'm really looking forward to having that photo above reappear.Any day now.In the meantime, I have to figure out how to start migrating my photos to Zooomr.technorati tags: rebekka, art, censorship, injustice, theft, Only-Dreemin, flickr, photo
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Tuesday Night Jam
2007-05-16 02:14:00
jane monheit, over the rainbowdiana krall, just the way you aresarah mclachlan, i love you [live]technorati tags: video, music, YouTube
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Paying the Price
2007-05-16 01:49:00
stealing IS a crime, right?, originally uploaded by _rebekka.First, a little context, by way of reminder.Back now? Good.Know why there's a big blank spot above?Here's why.so, in case anyone is wondering where my post about my stolen photos , the long caption, and all 450+ comments went (some of them very well written and containing useful information for all flickr users and photographers and web-users in general), it was deleted by flickr.this photo composite here, remember?:The explanation??Flickr is not a venue for to you harass, abuse,impersonate, or intimidate others. If we receive a validcomplaint about your conduct, we will send you a warning orterminate your account.?beautiful.i find this more than a little depressing. to say the least.Nice.Here's my theory: the weasels at Only-Dreemin got more heat than they could handle, so they decided to float a nasty little note to Flickr. Result? Flickr drops the hammer on a victim.Real classy, Flickr. For this I paid for a Pro...
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How to Lose a Subscription
2007-05-15 23:50:00
Buena Vista, originally uploaded by heather.My father always told me that business is business. He also told me to never screw your business partners, because it has a way of coming back and biting you in the keister.Case in point: Heather and Derek, formerly of JPG Magazine. They had a pretty cool mag. I always wanted to offer a few of my snaps to them, but after checking out the work provided by others, quickly realized how out of my depth I would be. Still, their magazine was one of those things that I promised myself that, when I finally settled down in one place, I would subscribe to regularly.Well, hearing Derek's story about how he and Heather were pushed out of the company that they created saved me $25. And that's a real shame.Magazines are on the downward slope, facing tough times competing against a world that really doesn't read anymore and wouldn't spend the money unless the magazine was about celebrities and who/what they were eating/wearing/doing. Heather and Dere...
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Bionic Goodness
2007-05-15 22:32:00
Hmmmm. This looks promising.Via Dorothy Surrenders by way of Viral Video Chart.technorati tags: Bionic Woman, NBC, YouTube, video
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Death of a Salesman
2007-05-15 21:50:00
Jerry Falwell is dead.What more could one possibly say about a man who provided the world with such memorable quotes as these?"Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them.""AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.""Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan in America.""Textbooks are Soviet propaganda.""The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews."?The whole (global warming) thing is created to destroy America's free enterprise system and our economic stability.""We visit prisoners on death row, and some of them are saved, but we believe their sentences should be carried out because they have a debt to society."(Regarding 9/11) "And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear...
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The Television Experience
2007-05-15 20:30:00
Tatsuya Ishida understands me.technorati tags: Sinfest, TV, webcomic
More About: Television , Experience , Sion , Visi , Vision

Serenity Special Edition Due 21 August
2007-05-15 20:08:00
You know the one about the fool and his money?I may have mentioned this earlier, but the Special Edition is coming 21 August .It would be nice to have the River Tam Sessions on DVD, but the thing I can't wait for is the audio commentary with Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Ron Glass. As anyone who has the box set knows, the commentaries with Fillion are absolutely hilarious.I'm also curious what the extended scenes are, as these are listed as seperate from the deleted scenes. (Personally, I would like to see the deleted scene with Inara at the training house added back into the movie, but Joss didn't ask me. Still, I can dream.)Yep, I have gone into full giddy fanboy mode. I can't wait.Via Cinematical.technorati tags: Serenity , DVD, Special Edition , Firefly, Whedon

Crisis Postponed
2007-05-15 20:03:00
OK, deep breath, fanboy.The Sci-Fi Channel has refuted claims that a decision has been made to conclude Battlestar Galactica after the show's upcoming fourth season.Last week actor Edward James Olmos, who plays Admiral Adama, reportedly stated at an awards ceremony that "as far as we know... this is the final season... so enjoy it while it's here."However, the broadcaster countered this by issuing a statement from Battlestar's executive producer David Eick. "For those of you have been paying attention over the years, this is not the first time Eddie [Olmos] has made an announcement about the possibility of the show's end," explained Eick. "I promise you that when [fellow executive producer] Ron [Moore] and I make a decision about Galactica's future, we'll let you know."Oh, that Eddie; what a kidder.technorati tags: Battlestar Galactica, cancellation
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The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
2007-05-15 19:43:00
Maxim Magazine says that the hottest woman in the world is Lindsay Lohan.............Sorry, I had to finish projectile vomiting. I'm fine now.They're kidding, right? Even funnier was the inclusion of such "luminaries" as Fergie, Ashlee and Jessica Simpson, and 1/2 of the Olsen twins. That must be some really good hookah they serve over at the Maxim offices.I can personally think of at least seven women right off the bat who are infinitely more beautiful than Lohan.In no particular order:Aishwarya RaiJewel Staite, Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin and Gina TorresFreema AgyemanMaggie CheungAnd those were just off the top of my head.Lay off the ganja, Maxim.Via Waveflux.technorati tags: Maxim, Lohan, stupidity
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Ten on Tuesday
2007-05-15 19:30:00
Ten Songs That Make You SadOK, you asked for it.natalie merchant, break your heart10,000 maniacs, i hope that i don't fall in love with yousade, pearlsmassive attack, live with mejohnny cash, hurtlunascape, lane navachiportishead, roadsmoby, why does my heart feel so bad?kathleen battle & shigeru umebayashi, loversevanescence, my immortaltechnorati tags: meme, Ten on Tuesday

Take Me Back Tuesday ? Week 123
2007-05-15 18:59:00
Memory LaneWhat musical formats do you remember (CD, Cassette, LP etc)?Just about all of them: mp3, CD, cassette, vinyl, 8-track, reel-to-reel ? you name it.What was your favorite format 5 years ago? 10? What is it now?Five ? CD. Ten ? CD. Today ? digital.What was your first portable music player? What is your current portable music player?My very first portable music player was a Sony Walkman cassette player, which promptly broke when I dropped it after a few days later. It only held one tape at a time.My current music player is Box. It holds 20gb of music and I haven't dropped it once.I am much happier now. technorati tags: music, meme, Tuesday , Music Memoirs
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Monday Night Jam
2007-05-15 01:36:00
Because after ten minutes of Alberto Gonzales, you may not want to remember, either.natalie merchant, carnivaltori amos, bells for her (live)propellerheads, spybreak!gotan project, diferentemassive attack and madonna, i want youtechnorati tags: video, music, YouTube
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Down the Memory Hole
2007-05-15 01:08:00
Presenting Alberto Gonzales, the human black hole of recollection.Four hours of pretty much the same question asked over and over and over and over again - and all ending in pretty much the same answer: "I don't recall."See, and I thought that being a lawyer meant that you had to have a fairly good memory and good organizational skills.Via petulant, who bravely withstood an editing process that would have melted my brain, by way of Liss.technorati tags: Alberto Gonzales, video, memory, stupidity
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Video Truthiness
2007-05-15 00:37:00
I guess all of the scorn heaped upon the Conservapedia wasn't enough for some folks. Now YouTube is apparently "too liberal" (which is hilarious if you've ever taken the time to peruse the comment threads of any news clips you find), and some conservatives have created Qube TV, which, from what I could see, is a handy little repository of various incendiary stuff that got banned from YouTube.Yep, nothing like creating your own reality.technorati tags: QubeTV, truthiness, wingnuts, video
More About: Video , Ness , Ruth