Feb. 27
Been busy with other projects. Back to work.
ITEM: Slightly altered pic of East Liberty. Over at my Flickr site which I'll be updating with my art. All with a creative commons license I think. Taken several days ago.
ITEM: Review of Ed Piskor's second Wizzywig book or "Wizzywig: Hacker". Or the not fun side of hacking: getting caught. Related: CBS interview with Ed Piskor.
These events detail the rise of personal computing in the late 70s and mid 80s. Here's a bit:
You can follow the evolution of personal computing and you can sort of watch Boingthump’s abilities grow. First he masters the initial Basic assembly code that powers the first computers. He then combines his skills as a phone phreak and social engineer/actor of the highest order to give himself free phone calls and free software. You can also see how his exploits lead him into real trouble. I suppose his greatest hack is walking into a phone company office and stealing everything that he can get his hands on including a key password to one of their central databases. He eventually gets caught and the local press makes him out to be some kind of cyberpunk Menace to Society. It’s like the real you is a cartoony anime person but the person the police and media are drawing is right out of some kind of Robert Crumb crime comic.
Read the rest here.
SENSIBLE LOW KEY AROUND THE INTERNETS
Looks like the
president may already be betraying us on Keystone despite earlier feints and
fake outs. Daily Kos headline is
very critical. David Dayen
more circumspect.
Detroit also
pissed off about bus cuts. Related:
Big meeting here in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Public transit is one of
the best things about this city. It also helps sustainability. So of course
the powers that be want to kill it.
Treasure trove
of
Wikileaks data from Stratfor, highly regarded Intel firm. Said it before
and will say it again: Anonymous hacking is the way to go. First gem: has
Israel already destroyed
Iran's nuclear facilities? So we don't have to steal Iran's oil right?
I have got to give Kickstarter a try to fund some of my ideas.
Here is
a journalism idea that was funded.
It would be so
nice
if this story was true. If the numbers are right, then this would solve
the gasoline crisis.
This is switchgrass times ten. Related: This grass derived fuel
apparently works (way better than ethanol) and is
being tested with the California car fleet.
Feb. 21
ITEM: Review of a surprisingly good Warren Ellis comic.
Here's a bit:
Warren Ellis is often a mixed bag. He usually tries to write too much (If I had to pick a writer who I thought was on or was trying to attain Modafinil…) and occasionally you’ll get a Warren Ellis story that’s a little thin or has two pages of dialogue and 20 pages of “action” or at least that’s how I remember that one issue of the “Global Frequency”. However, when Ellis is on he’s one of the best comic book writers in the world (Alan Moore level as I once explained to Jorn Barger) and a very good and well versed science fiction writer as well.
“Aetheric Mechanics” is Warren Ellis when he’s on. When I looked at this at first I thought this was a take on the Steampunk genre, which it looks like and which he’s also done with “Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island“. But it turns out to be something completely interesting and science fictional. Spoilers ahead as they say.
A short and concise Around the Internets
Really
good reporting about
the man financing Romney from Glenn Greenwald
How
Iceland solved its banking crisis by way of David Dayen who got it from
Bloomberg from all places. Short version: housing debt reduction works,
austerity not so much.
Really good anti drug war site called
Stop the Drug War.org.
Speaking of
criticism of the corporate press, Project Censored is
absolutely essential. Take a
look at the top censored stories of 2012.
Feb. 19
(Photo by Kalamun, creative commons license.)
ITEM: It looks like I'm going to self publish this book on SOPA/ACTA/PIPA/TPP. But I'm going to rewrite entire sections and add even more perspective. I had some "creative differences" with the publishers. Sometimes the "objectivity" standard isn't appropriate. You need to take an "advocacy journalism" stance here. You don't quote German officials and then quote emaciated Jews and then think you've done a fair story about the Holocaust. You write a story or a book that will kill the Holocaust; you write something or attempt to write something that will stop the trains running to Dachau. And if writing fails, as it probably will because rational arguments and evidence are often dismissed by Evil, then you blow up the train tracks...But you do the world a disservice by pretending that the views of the MPAA and the Internet community are somehow equal. You need to make a call here.
The Internet is the only cool and science fictional thing that's actually happened in my life. You could lose it all if any of those bills actually pass, if ACTA hasn't already passed since the President has signed onto it. I understand that Google is close to the President. What good is that if he signs bills like ACTA?
I'm hoping I can have this done within several days. I might be writing more about this later but I have to do some other things first...
ITEM: I think I should make my next atheism column about these mean spirited images concerning the Catholic Church's horribly bad position on modern birth control availability. "The Handmaid's Tale" was a work of fiction not a how to guide...Best pro choice reporting from RH Reality Check.
Feb. 13
ITEM: Something interesting from Amnesty International. Now that we have an African American president I'm sure he'll take care of this. Or they'll use an African American president to kill Muslims and excuse the usual kinds of expropriation that evil multinationals do abroad, especially in Africa. I'm sure its one of those options...Sign the pledge.
Some clarification: I am number one in "Top 100 Free". Do I get paid for that? I'm hoping that Amazon pays for that and I get something out of it like, say, "money". Probably not. But its 466 overall, in the Whole Wide World, and its probably not bad promotion for a guy named "Philip Shropshire". I've had worse days. I guess I need to self publish some more books and get a boost from this...This screenshot was taken an hour ago....
Jan. 27
ITEM: I will not be writing about She Who Cannot Be Named today. Or as I call her: The Face of Terror.
Late Nite Feb. 8
ITEM: I usually don't reprint my reviews but this one was kind of interesting. So...
Its hard to describe just how unique and original just the concept of “The Nightly News” is.
It doesn’t feature capes or underwear perverts but it does feature a very intelligent sense of violence that could be aimed at the Fourth Estate. In fact, as a former reporter, not a big time reporter mind you but I did work for a daily at one time, I can tell you that this critique waged by the terrorist group composed of both The Voice and The Hand is completely accurate.
“The Nightly News” is also very prescient in that it predates and predicts the rise of groups like Anonymous, Wikileaks and various other new media terrorists. I mean, it would be bad if these groups used force to kill people but you wouldn’t think they didn’t have a reason…
It’s as if someone actually decided to read the best modern press criticism and create a terrorist group that’s willing to shoot people in the head over it. And make it into a thrilling comic book adventure.
(Just as an aside here are the fount works/writers of corporate press criticism: “Media Monopoly” by Ben Bagdikian, try to find what you can of A. J. Liebling’s “Wayward Press” columns and here’s a nice primer by the great Noam Chomsky and Ed Hermann called “Manufacturing Consent: A Propaganda Model” and you’ll get the point. The press no longer works as an independent verifier of truth and corruption. This is why documentaries like “Sicko” and “Gasland” break big stories because your corporate press outlets work pretty much like PR firms. They even feature the same kinds of people although they make less working as reporters….)
Here’s a page:
That statement about “Twenty companies” controlling everything is taken straight out of Bagdikian’s “Media Monopoly” mentioned earlier. In fact, I’m pretty sure that number is down to about five or six. Now here’s something curious. You see that guy in the lower right hand corner? His name is David Allen Kite but his resume sure looks like Walter Cronkite’s. Spoiler: He gets shot by the way. But first he accuses Walter of being a stooge for the CIA. In fact, he mentions several other prominent journalists as being CIA plants, which I discovered has a basis in fact.
Here’s the statement from one of the crazy assassins:
“You weren’t alone: Paley, Jackson, Luce, Sulzberger…How long were you on the payroll of the CIA?”
There’s actually evidence that this is actually true. I heard about that and I had seen it in my own career as a reporter not necessarily from the inside but there was pressure not to report on what was happening in South America in places like Nicaragua and El Salvador. I think the story that Jonathon Hickman bases this on is this Carl Bernstein report in Rolling Stone back in 1977. I haven’t read it closely enough to find out if Cronkite was mentioned. But that just goes to show you the level of the research involved here. This is light years beyond in conception of the average dopey comic books I usually review. (I’m looking at you John Byrne’s meaningless “Cold War” comic books…)
Just for the record I don’t agree with the tactics of either The Voice or his Hand. There is something called “The Internet” which has all kinds of alternative press outlets for both the left and the right. This is why SOPA and PIPA fell to defeat recently so no need to shoot people in the head.
The story begins with a team of 3 shooters killing at first random people in order to draw news people to the scene in order to shoot them. Not necessary. Unless its Fox News of course…just kidding. Or am I? I should also point out that your local news stations offer practically worthless information. But again: summary execution not an acceptable option.
I should point out that the artwork is outstanding. It’s not necessarily that the figures are super well drawn but that the overall design is just flat out brilliant. It’s not just a comic that’s well told but told in a completely new and interesting way. You know how films like “Sin City” and “300″ have their own particular color coded cinematography? That’s exactly how “The Nightly News” works with its dizzying array of pink pastel geometric backgrounds.
Bottom line an outstanding work that you can actually research into later. It’s that dense. 4.734 out of 5 stars. Completely original and well thought through.
Feb. 3
ITEM: I helped deliver some Firedoglake packages (gloves, jackets and other winter clothes...) with Dean Mougianis to the Occupy Pittsburgh's camp some weeks ago. Thought I should post these pics before they're shut down within several days. It's not over. Decentralize decentralize decentralize...
Yes that's one of those hawt Occupy women also seen in this video (but what's with the funny hat...see 47 seconds in) I believe...I forgot everybody's name but they seemed to like the stuff.
Feb. 1
Welp, there's nothing wrong with opening up my windows on a warm fall day...hey, wait a tic.
What Should Have Been Published Jan. 29
ITEM: My review of "Noche Roja" is up at Comics Forge. I think it means "Red Night" or bloody night considering all the murders that are involved.
An excerpt:
What’s remarkable is that Noche Roja is one of the few comics I’ve read that talks about the Mexican present and Third World misery...Yes there’s WW3 but its not published by a major label indy imprint like Vertigo. This is a present that could easily turn into the American future. You can definitely tell that the writer has spent time living in the Third World. Without giving too much away, the story involves a number of issues that pervade the daily routines of the Mexican poor. 1.) You can be murdered very easily if you’re a journalist in Mexico. 2.) The treatment of Mexican workers, mostly women, is pretty horrible. Those workers are mistreated and abused for the most part. They don’t make a living wage and those factories have successfully lowered the standard of living for every U.S. Citizen. 3.) There are a number of unsolved murders (100s I think…) of mostly women within the Maquiladoras. It’s a serial killer’s dream.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, this all makes for a great and truly entertaining and suspenseful graphic novel.
ITEM: It looks like all of my privileges as an underpaid Examiner have been restored. I used it to make a bit of pocket money recycling progressive press releases although there was one month where I'm pretty sure I made as much as I did during my first months at the New Pittsburgh Courier. (Thank you Reddit referral.) I actually got into trouble by doing some real reporting which tells you everything that's wrong with the corporate media. But hey if it pays some bills...Not sure why I was asked back. I was actually one of the more productive "reporters". I actually held three posts and one of them was the title Pittsburgh Atheism Examiner. So back to work...That's Jesus and Mo by the way. No the writer doesn't give his or her name. He or she must want to live a long time...
ITEM: Funny stuff people say to Atheists clip.
ITEM: Must see Young Turks on Rick Santorum's advice not to send your kid to college. Actually, I think he's kind of right but not in the way he thinks. Yes its true that if you go to college as a fundamentalist then you're less likely to leave as one. But that's not because college is evil. Your college experience should give you the critical thinking skills to figure out that religion isn't true or that it's clearly based in myth and fable and not some kind of divinely ordained truth. Joseph Campbell had the right idea.
I wish I could say that I hadn't heard of this kind of completely crazy fundie theory but one half of my family is integrated into a fundamentalist church. True story: my father rose high enough at Clarion University to get me in tuition free which is why I transferred to Clarion for my final year or so of college. I'm also certain that he got people in who weren't necessarily close relatives or relatives because education is kind of important or at least that kind of credentialed education used to be. However, there was one relative that didn't want his kids to go because he thought they would lose their religion. My father was visibly angered by this and I don't blame him. I mean, what would you rather be: smart or saved? I actually think you can be very intelligent and have sincere religious beliefs they just can't be in line with any kind of dangerous violent and myopic form of fundamentalism. Or you could just compartmentalize like most people do. (Sometimes you need the eggs.) And I sure hope Rick Santorum is nowhere on the republican ticket. Jeebus...More related: This protest against sensible birth control availability is a terrible policy by the Catholic Church, yet again.
Jan. 27
ITEM: Ted Rall has been arguing against nonviolence as a sole tactic in the struggle for a long time. I sort of fall off the wagon when he recommends that black folks should be the first to rise up in violence against the state. I, for one, think that New York cartoonists should be the first to take on the might of drones and local police and state police and national guardsmen and if that wouldn't be enough the US military. Then, and I say this as an unofficial spokesperson of the Black Community, we shall watch your results and act accordingly. (Just for the record: Anonymous hacking is the way to go.) I suppose he joins his sometime animation cohort Stephanie McMillan, who draws, arguably, the most radical comic strip I have ever read, in making the argument that nonviolence won't beat the Nazis, or the friendly (sometimes gorgeous) face of American Fascism as foretold by Bertram Gross.
Related: Here's a taste of Stephanie's newest. She's been critical of the Occupy Movement as of late even though she's been an early and vocal supporter. This is a familiar plotline for all you Doonesbury/Mary Worth fans. Our two characters are using arms attained by a German drug dealer in order to attack a corporation known as Omnicorp to stop them performing a geoengineering experiment. Just like South Park...
More Related: Derrick Jensen, also one of Stephanie's collaborators and most likely to be shipped to the FEMA camps (looks like those camps are real Jesse Ventura notwithstanding...), has articulated this view with the Environmentalist's version of Star Wars. Also: The Gandhi Shield. And: A different Indian hero.
ITEM: I will not be writing about She Who Cannot Be Named today. Or as I call her: The Face of Terror.
Jan. 23
ITEM: Sigh. Why hasn't my photoshop work turned me into an international art superstar...? Not fair...
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You can even buy the tshirt if you don't mind being arrested on public obscenity charges. Great for schools I'm sure...
ITEM: Yeah. 61 degrees in January. Right. Thank goodness global warming isn't real...
Jan. 18
ITEM: No blackout for me because I just don't have that many readers where that will matter. But I will certainly support those efforts. I and 20 other people in the world love the Acid Jazz Channel apparently. There is no Acid Jazz Channel without Youtube. Youtube is probably dust if either SOPA or PIPA pass in their current forms. I'm going to do what I can as a citizen but we should all thank our lucky stars that powerful players like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are on our side. Those lobbies are what's stopping SOPA and PIPA. Not the public good. Now if we could only get them to care about indefinite detention...Here's what you will find on Boing Boing's page today:
503: Service unavailable
Boing Boing is offline today, because the US Senate is considering legislation that would certainly kill us forever. The legislation is called the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), and would put us in legal jeopardy if we linked to a site anywhere online that had any links to copyright infringement.
This would unmake the Web, just as proposed in the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). We don't want that world. If you don't want it either, visit American Censorship.org for instructions on contacting your Senator. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has more information on this and other issues central to your freedom online.
ITEM: I guess the above would be my commentary on MLK's birthday. Thanks to local activist Celeste Taylor for pointing this out to me on Facebook. My other commentary is that the drug war has pretty much destroyed The Dream, unless that dream is undermining public education and pushing as many black men as possible into the prison industrial complex. More on that issue over at Democracy Now. My African American president has done nothing to slow down the drug war and hasn't even made the easy call toward marijuana legalization. He could have made a difference with the California ballot initiative that would have legalized marijuana. Firedoglake's Jon Walker lays this all out. Barack Obama: Not a field negro.
More possibly inappropriate but not illegal commentary about MHS PR Flak Connie McNamara
or:
Let's not call this a MHS PR Flak Connie McNamara Obsession
ITEM: So I'm still thinking about this Connie McNamara MHS thing. You don't understand I used to sit in the woman's dorm room.* I think I sat on the floor as a clever psychological move to downplay the fact that I was a towering six five black guy (right). I think she was, what, 5 seven with heels...? Anyway, she described herself as being "mousy". And I thought, to myself certainly, well then "mousy is something I'm into apparently...". Now, when I watch her on these Youtube clips not only does she not seem "mousy" but she resonates, well, power. This is more in the line of a Game of Thrones Matriarch in Red. That might be the kind of power one emanates when one has great wealth. She might make low six figures in her current post and from other postings on the Internets one of her hobbies with her late husband was "refurbishing homes". Not the kind of hobby poor people can get into. Possibly a millionaire. Possibly making ends meet with three kids to feed even on a low six figure salary. Possibly looking at the rare occurrence of not having a job since she left college in 1985 (How many people can say that? Connie's emotional intelligence is off the charts...) since this somewhat tainted Zimmerman guy is leaving. Are they looking for a new team? I don't think I want to know...Or perhaps the power comes from something tragic. I did find out, not with any deep searches just the Google, that her husband died in 2006 leaving her with three children under the age of 10. I can't even imagine how painful that would be. Or what's tougher: telling your three young daughters that their father won't be coming home or facing off against Anderson Cooper? I have a feeling that if I survived the former that the latter would mean nothing...It would certainly make you stronger in a Nietzschean sense.
I also wanted to point out that when I mentioned that Connie, still a practicing Catholic from what I can tell and an early supporter of Liberation theology I'm just now beginning to surmise (our earliest conversations were about Archbishop Romero and the nuns that got slaughtered in El Salvador...) was "non abstinent and impulsive" as a young person in college I didn't mean that in a bad way.
(Aside: Connie was a serial monogamist like most Americans back during the years of 81 to 83. First with Curt the fiancé she didn't marry and then that black haired kid she saw Nikki Giovanni with when Curt was studying abroad and then Curt again when he got back...Doesn't make her a bad person. Words like "normal" and "healthy" come to mind.. I think the fiancé bit was a bit of rationalization, which means her Catholic upbringing had an effect on her...possibly more on this later...Must investigate. Hurm.)
I think that's the strongest part of her argument with Anderson Cooper on that show of his. Those words struck me as completely truthful and not talking points. Where I think she loses the argument is what kind of outside independent medical advice the board got or did they even seek it out. My guess is that they did not. This is where Connie admits that she wasn't in on those meetings with the medical staff, not independent of the board I'm guessing. The prevailing medical evidence seems to be that there just isn't that much of a risk of transmission. Though, after taking a look at the many many longshots that have happened at the Milton Hershey school such as in this particular instance perhaps the MHS board doesn't equate low percentages with no chance at all...and think of the damages if another child was infected. More on this later. Or I might wait another 30 years to comment more. Who knows.
Related: I signed this petition in favor of letting that kid in the school. Of course, in a strong and loving world this kid would have wonderful public schools to choose from with decent food and teacher/student ratios in the 16 to 1 range. He wouldn't have to be, what's the word, "adversarial" in order to get a decent education. The school has a wonderful shot because the board is full of republican operatives and republican judges tend to be loyal. Plus they have an 8 billion dollar endowment. They'll get good lawyering. Just like when you're rich you can buy "reasonable doubt" you can probably also buy some kind of novel exception question that you can pitch to the appeals courts. Republicans tend to throw a lot of Hail Marys and they often win. The 2000 election being the most publicized outcome and this evil Texas redistricting plan being the latest 4th quarter throw to the endzone...the school should lose if the courts didn't tilt toward both Republicans and the rich. I guess we'll watch and see...
*These are my memories from the time I spent with Constance from 1981 through 1984 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I have not spoken to Connie in over 28 years although I think I sent her a letter back in 1992...no I don't know why. I'd like to say I was drunk but I don't drink...
Jan. 16
ITEM: I review Spaceman 3 here. Here's a snippet:
"Scenes of third world poverty strewn amidst almost unlimited tech advances. It’s what makes the world of Spaceman 3 so compelling. And so depressingly realistic."
ITEM: Or you could buy my art as a mousepad over at Cafe Press, which I haven't updated in over 10 years. Should probably do something about that...More art samples here. Nope I never sold any but people liked the work...
Jan. 12
LATE NITE AROUND THE INTERNETS
Just some things I liked on Facebook.
Two depressing stories about fracking. One: EPA abandon's PA town over destroyed water. The president is a democrat right? Two: fracking tied to local Pittsburgh quake. I saw the tremors.
Truthdig invite to reasonably dissatisfied New York Times reporters.
I am studying this Cory Doctorow video about The War Against Computation.
I will probably vote for Obama if the Justice Party doesn't get its act together. What choice have I got. I think these anti Romney ads are very effective.
Something I need to read: District 9 has supercharged African science fiction movies
Jan. 12
LATE NITE AROUND THE INTERNETS
Just some things I liked on Facebook.
Two depressing stories about fracking. One: EPA abandon's PA town over destroyed water. The president is a democrat right? Two:fracking tied to local Pittsburgh quake. I saw the tremors.
Truthdig invite to reasonably dissatisfied New York Times reporters.
I am studying this Cory Doctorow video about The War Against Computation.
I will probably vote for Obama if the Justice Party doesn't get its act together. What choice have I got. I think these anti Romney ads are very effective.
Something I need to read: District 9 has supercharged African science fiction movies
Jan. 8
A SPECIAL THERE'S NO CRYING IN BLOGGING/FOOTBALL AROUND THE INTERNETS
ITEM: A healthy Steelers can beat anybody. We almost beat em with one leg down and second stringers everywhere. We'll get em next year if, you know, we're healthy...
ITEM: Occupy Pittsburgh has an event planned for Tuesday, Jan. 10.
I still think a decentralized movement is probably more effective in the long run, not to mention working to actually elect somebody. That would be a thrill right...
From Firedoglake and from the Occupy Pittsburgh website:
Occupy Pittsburgh is calling out to the
99% around the world for a Day of International Solidarity and Action
against BNY Mellon on January 10. This is the day we go before a judge to
fight for our right to continue our nonviolent protest against the greed,
corruption, and influence of the 1%. We ask that you stand with us and tell
BNY Mellon, the bank of the 1% that you can’t evict an idea whose time has
come!
The People of Pittsburgh, like many others around the globe, answered the
call to action that Occupy Wall Street put before the world on October 15th.
Since then, we have peacefully rallied and occupied People’s Park, the space
formerly known as Mellon Green. Pittsburgh’s is the only Occupation to
reclaim land from a bank.
BNY Mellon is now calling for Occupy Pittsburgh’s eviction. This is a
blatant attempt by BNY Mellon to silence us and to prevent us from resisting
the corruption by the 1% of our political and economic systems. In response,
we have announced our own eviction of BNY Mellon from our city. BNY Mellon’s
fraudulent and exploitative practices have denied its customers and its
workers billions of dollars in wages and benefits. We are fighting to
redefine the ethics of our economy and to resist corporate control of our
cities, our spaces, our politics and our lives.
Read the rest of the letter to find out what they want supporters to do.
What I Should Have Written Jan. 7
Blogging: For people who can't afford decent psychotherapy.
Jan. 6
Item: How I'm feeling today.
ITEM: Some comic book reviews I've done:
Wizzywig Volume 1: Phreak by Ed Piskor
And proof that my mother doesn't read my work. I may be the mysterious and enigmatic Philip Doppelganger, unless someone wants to arrest me. Then of course its just a fictional construct.
Jan. 5
Late New Years Resolution
Welp, 2011 wasn’t the best of years for me. I’ve been posting everyday but in different and multiple formats. I’m having a difficult time integrating various sites with this page. I’m also dealing with something I’ve not had to deal with or the implications of being a newly diagnosed diabetic. It’s not the serious insulin diabetes but I do have to take medication. This has totally screwed with my energy levels. The quick fix is some kind of caffeine jolt but I’m trying to do something long term. Given my new physical limitations I have to rethink some things.
In fact, given the fact that my uncle and father died at 60 and 64 respectively I have a replicant like lifespan of 10 to 14 years. Possibly 20 years if there are some treatment breakthroughs. I turn 50 in several months. My writing career could end much sooner. Now is the time for me to finish that novel, that collection, whatever. Next five years I need to get this done. Kindle publishing seems the fastest route if they don’t kill the Internet. For better or worse, this shall be my legacy.
I am quite happy with how the Acid Jazz Channel has turned out. Still the best music video channel I've ever made. Now if I could just figure out how to make money from it...
Amanda Bearse in Fright Night is pretty close to the Connie McNamara I knew 1981 - 1983, except that Connie has prettier eyes. We worked the same IUP campus job about, what, 10 to 15 hours a week? And she was nice to me. Obviously this was pure torture for me...I got to look at that everyday. Might be a reason why I started crying...withdrawal.
ITEM: Still figuring out if I should spill the deep dark secrets of my past friend Connie McNamara. (Don't know if Connie still considers me a friend or considers me at all. I would bet good money on the latter. Not that I care about it. I might be lying about that last thing I said.) It should also be pointed out, since I'm stupid and I hadn't considered that some people might think this is recent, that all this 1 in 7 billion stuff happened about 30 years ago from 1981 and 1983 on IUP's campus. Hey, its one of the advantages of being old and knowing about the Before Time when the info I've been able to get about Connie within an hour (Is she updating her linked in page and why..) would have taken a team of reporters weeks to do in the 80s. I'm thinking about writing a long several thousand word piece on it and seeing how and if it might sell via the Kindle. Would be fun to find out and I'm trying to build a library.
Actually it would be very positive stuff. Here's something I wrote already for this longer essay I had in mind.
This would be the beginning:
This would be the end.
"Some of the best and kindest moments of my life were spent with Connie McNamara."
Just add several thousand words in between.
But its not going to all be that nice. It can't be. Nobody's that saintly. For example when Connie looks into the camera with Anderson Cooper and talks about those impulsive kids who don't choose abstinence might interact with this HIV kid well...I know for a fact that she was one of those non abstinent impulsive kids...how do I know this? I've seen the serene Afterglow too many times up close and personal. (Not the only evidence I have by the way...)No it wasn't me we never even held hands. It's complicated. And Connie has three little girls now. Maybe she wants to lie to them like any good parent. I don't know. Plus I've suppressed these memories because they're painful. I'm crying again. I don't cry over stuff. Attacked by two 100 pound rottweilers in this neighborhood. Didn't cry. Threatened by the Klan, personally. Didn't cry. Probably cried 10 times since 1984. Seven of those times can be attributed to Connie...so I might wimp out. But I'm running out of time. I know this could be a really good essay. I might even be able to shop this...So...I'll work on another freelance assignment for another few days and come back to this...
Jan. 4
Dec. 26
Happy Festivus all.
ITEM: Here's that book I wrote for the e publisher Hyperink.
Last time I checked I hadn't sold a single issue for $2.99. On the other hand, the book is retailing for $3.99 on Hyperink's front page for . Perhaps I should keep checking since they raised the price...Update: I've definitely sold more than one. Number 6 in the hot sellers list. Number 36 to 48 on the top one hundred.
Dec. 7
It's been a long time away. But now it's back.
Around the Internets
ITEM: Thomas Merton Center says the Mayor wants to close down Occupy Pittsburgh in the next 48 to 72 hours. It was close to petering out, anyway. I don't know why they're even bothering. It would be probably be stronger as a decentralized movement anyway. Onward Occupy Mic Checks and Occupy Homes...
ITEM: Three great sites that touch upon progressive state policy. There are a number of national think tanks but just about zip when it comes to local and state policy. No I don't count the Scaife think tank.
Here's the list:
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
I think these are all funded by Big Labor but I'm not sure...I do know that they're must reads if you're interested in progressive policy.
ITEM: Kepler confirms Earth like planet in the habitable zone. Curious about the gravity though and how to get there: Over 600 light years away.
ITEM: Must read Ian Welsh. "Public opinion is irrelevant" is an instant classic.
"Most countries in the developed world do not have functioning democracies in any meaningful sense. You can vote for party A, B, or C, but they will all do substantially the same things, differing only in how fast they do them and the degree of gratuitous cruelty they engage in.
Your opinion does not matter. Politicians are almost entirely in the thrall of a neo-liberal ideology, and are almost entirely the bought and paid servants of the very rich. If a politician does what the oligarchy wants, he or she will be taken care of, even if thrown out of office. If they don’t, money and influence will be used against them, and once out of office they will be on their own."
ITEM: I just wrote a 10000 word non fiction book for someone else. I got a decent up front payment and I get 30 percent royalties, I think. However, I could just as easily write my own eBooks and keep all of the royalties. Here's some background on the Obama record that I need in order to complete a book on third parties. Fits with the Ian Welsh above as well.
ITEM: Links to online tv. Trying to find a way to watch Current online now that Verizon has priced me out of service. Background: As soon as Keith Olbermann made the channel interesting they moved Current into a higher priced tier. Meanwhile, I can get all the brainless Fox news channels that I would ever want and would never watch.
Dec. 7
It's been a long time away. But now it's back.
Around the Internets
ITEM: Thomas Merton Center says the Mayor wants to close down Occupy Pittsburgh in the next 48 to 72 hours. It was close to petering out, anyway. I don't know why they're even bothering. It would be probably be stronger as a decentralized movement anyway. Onward Occupy Mic Checks and Occupy Homes...
ITEM: Three great sites that touch upon progressive state policy. There are a number of national think tanks but just about zip when it comes to local and state policy. No I don't count the Scaife think tank.
Here's the list:
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
I think these are all funded by Big Labor but I'm not sure...I do know that they're must reads if you're interested in progressive policy.
ITEM: Kepler confirms Earth like planet in the habitable zone. Curious about the gravity though and how to get there: Over 600 light years away.
ITEM: Must read Ian Welsh. "Public opinion is irrelevant" is an instant classic.
"Most countries in the developed world do not have functioning democracies in any meaningful sense. You can vote for party A, B, or C, but they will all do substantially the same things, differing only in how fast they do them and the degree of gratuitous cruelty they engage in.
Your opinion does not matter. Politicians are almost entirely in the thrall of a neo-liberal ideology, and are almost entirely the bought and paid servants of the very rich. If a politician does what the oligarchy wants, he or she will be taken care of, even if thrown out of office. If they don’t, money and influence will be used against them, and once out of office they will be on their own."
ITEM: I just wrote a 10000 word non fiction book for someone else. I got a decent up front payment and I get 30 percent royalties, I think. However, I could just as easily write my own eBooks and keep all of the royalties. Here's some background on the Obama record that I need in order to complete a book on third parties. Fits with the Ian Welsh above as well.
ITEM: Links to online tv. Trying to find a way to watch Current online now that Verizon has priced me out of service. Background: As soon as Keith Olbermann made the channel interesting they moved Current into a higher priced tier. Meanwhile, I can get all the brainless Fox news channels that I would ever want and would never watch.
Dec. 3
ITEM: I just finished a 10000 word nonfiction book about a popular eReader. Here's the big question as always for Internet jobs: will they pay me? On ePaper it seems like a great deal and I wouldn't mind doing more work for them. But is it real? Did I miss something? Stay tuned.
And:
and something cool:
Nov. 21
ITEM: Obviously I've been updating the twitter and doing some freelance jobs. Very very busy.
ITEM: Finally had a chance to praise Black Summer. Now on You Tube.
Praise for Spaceman.
Two
thumbs way down for Marijuanaman.
Blurb
worthy praise for Orc Stain. Or: "Just sustained marvelous violently
inspired weirdness."
Just generally horrified by what's
going on with Irredeemable.
ITEM: Funny posters about OWS.
ITEM: Yes that's Julian Assange. Yes that's very cool.
ITEM: Farley is back. But is the president on Occupy's side? There is some doubt. We shall see.
Nov. 6
ITEM: I did a review of what I think is the best online comic I've ever read: "NYC2123: Dayender" for Comics Forge. I also do a mini comic where I show how you can do comics by way of photoshopping your friends. My editor Dan has a good sense of humor apparently...Here's the last panel I "drew":
Nov. 2
ITEM: A Powerful Blonde from the East has asked me to create a channel just based on the Occupy Wall Street Movement. As I told her propaganda entertainment channels shouldn't feel like homework or C Span. So music and quick vids. There's plenty of stuff from Occupy Pittsburgh.
links:
Kevin Gosztola is...The Dissenter!
Chris Bowers and Daily Kos Page
Oct. 25
ITEM: I support the Occupy Wall Street movement although I'm beginning to think there are limitations to what nonviolence can do. There are also indications that "The Man" is getting angry, at least in Oakland.
ITEM: I do think that the Occupy Wall Street movement is a better movement than the Tea Party Movement. This handy chart explains it:
Oct. 14
Sept 15
ITEM: Again, I've been writing quite a bit. Just look at the twitter thingie.
ITEM: My conclusion about politics as of late.
ITEM: Sign the petition for Troy Davis, who looks to be an innocent African American wrongly convicted and sentenced to death within days. Yet again. It would be nice if I had a black president who might do something about that.
Also, sign the petition that would allow college student loan forgiveness. The only mistake is thinking it would make it through congress. A better idea would be for the President to do it unilaterally and just tell whoever's collecting loans to stop doing for 15 months or so. Should last through December 2012 with a campaign promise to do it for one more year. The precedent, unfortunately, was him asking the EPA not to enforce certain congressional rules on Greenhouse gases horribly enough...well, what's good for the goose...
