Random Musings

It's been nearly a week since I last posted. It's not like I have nothing to say, because I do. It's just that work, school, and family have a way of pushing the blogging aside.

• Apart from the blogs I mentioned two weeks ago, another Bathysphere alum has entered my Google Reader radar. Kiernan Maletsky gives a full rundown of his daily listening habits along with some insight as to what may have led him to such choices. Read All Day Long.
• Speaking of my shout-outs to the local blogosphere, Pete Bland returned the favor via Twitter and Facebook.
• I listened to Wilco (The Album) this week and think they are returning to my good graces; Modest Mouse's new EP made me revisit This Is a Long Drive...; the selection of the opening track for the Monsters of Folk debut is confusing to me; and I got a lot of responses to a Tweet/Facebook status update concerning Nebraska.
• I don't really know what all the hub-bub is over the new Facebook interface. Just jump around between the news feed and the status updates. It's not that hard.
• Geocities closed its "doors" this week. I thought they did that years ago.
• Kids at Paxton-Keeley have been snorting Smarties. Really. I blame hipsters.
• Although I don't really report on the beering at this particular blog anymore, I did brew my third batch this past weekend (yet another reason I'm not blogging). It's a barley wine with bourbon-soaked wood chips for a little oak and vanilla flavoring. It should be good and potent.
• College football rolls on. I will not write about my team until they redeem themselves. Of course, at least they aren't 0-3 in their conference after getting shellacked on their homecoming night. Oh, and I'm predicting everywhere that Iowa will win the national championship. Write it down.
• I spent my first two nights alone with Lucia. We both survived.
• Not only am I not blogging, but I have not been able to attend many happy hours at the 'Tag in recent weeks (and won't make this week's either). Still, you should go and have a Lion Stout for me.
• There was other stuff, but I've already forgotten. I promise to do better.
  

The Day in Teabagging and Other Political Rants

I haven't done many political posts since the election. I felt that Obama's victory did all the talking for me. However, when a bunch of right-winged nuts decided to tea-bag Tax Day away, I knew I had to comment. To do this, I've opted to simply comment on some of the things I witnessed today and the days leading up to all the tea-bagging.

With protests, come signs. And the signs for the tea-baggers were particularly offensive. Case in point:

Yes. You read that sign correctly. It says, "The American Taxpayers Are The Jews For Obama's Ovens [sic]." Where does one even begin with this one? This takes the whole "you're a Nazi" political argument ten-thousand steps too far. Really? The struggles of American taxpayers (he meant upper-middle class white people) are the equivalent of Hitler's genocide of 17 million Jews? Really? That leads into this sign and the corresponding report below...
I love how the guy holding the sign uses the classic third-grade argument of "because he is" when explaining to the reporter why he thinks Obama is a fascist. I guess I would say is touché...That and Barack Obama could be many things to many people, but I don't think "fascist" could be an accurate descriptor. According to Wikipedia, a fascist "is intended to mean 'oppressive', 'intolerant', 'chauvinist', 'genocidal', 'dictatorial', 'racist', or 'aggressive' – all concepts that are at least loosely inspired by the ideology of actual fascism." While one may not agree with our president's policies, it would be difficult to prove that he is any of these things, including a "fascist".

Earlier this week, I posted the following video on Facebook...



It is hard for me to believe that someone at Fox News or in one of the various right-winged PAC's behind the tea-bagging failed to realize just what "tea-bagging" actually is. That's just the beginning of the jokes. Just do a search on Twitter for the tag "#teabagging" and let the hilarity begin.

My friends at South DeCola posted this comic and a couple of other comments on the day's events.


For a good round up, check Triumph the Comic Dog's Twitter feed. I finally had to turn the Twitter off today so I could get some work done. I read more sexual innuendos involving teabags, balls, and nuts than I care to count.

What really gets me about the whole tea party thing is how misinformed it is. Most of the people at these protests are getting a tax cut. In fact, I'd bet more than 90% of the protesters are getting an Obama tax cut since 90% of the entire population qualifies for said cut.

And what do they want the government to do with their taxes? Start an endless and costly war under false pretenses? Continue to allow large corporations to reap the benefits of a rather forgiving tax code wrought with many loopholes allowing them to escape paying their share? Run up the greatest deficit in US history after starting with the greatest surplus? Oh wait, that was the last guy.

Do they want our bridges to continue to crumble along with schools, social security, and our health care system? Come on. Tea-bagging Day was the biggest joke since two terms of George W Bush.
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Since I'm on the subject of right-winged nut jobs, I'd like to address all the gay marriage bashing going on now that the "gay agenda" has garnered some victories in Vermont, DC, Iowa, and even COMO. The video I posted here popped up and I felt as though the flood gates were going to open with anti-gay sentiment, but all the tea-bagging caused the wingnuts to forget this fight. I mean, who could concentrate on gay couples getting married when there's all that rampant tea-bagging going around. I know I wouldn't be able to concentrate.

Thankfully, someone did a spoof on the anti-gay marriage video. Enjoy.

Some Things to Blog

I have some blogging to catch up on. Here's what I'm pondering...

M Ward's record and the compilation Dark Was the Night arrived in the mail today. I'll grab the digital file of M Ward's record and let you know how it went. The other record will have to wait until I can get home and sit down for a minute or two. Maybe I'll even do proper reviews. Maybe.

I drank some beers this past weekend I haven't told you about yet. I do plan to review these beers, but it's time i don't have. FYI, I had a New Glarus Spotted Cow and a Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye on Friday for HH. The other beer of the weekend was a Southern Tier Backburner Barley Wine. I actually bought two of the barley wine, one for now and one for later.

I listened to Nirvana, Heatmeiser, and Brainiac at some point on the iPod while driving home. This got me thinking about dead rock stars from my generation. I saw the front men from all three bands perform. However, I don't know what I'll say about it. I just want to say something.

My blogging is lagging for two reasons: Facebook and Twitter. I'm sure there's a blog post in there somewhere. I may even have to mention all the other places I contribute. It's getting outta hand.

Depending on how much research I do, I may or may not tell you about a musician who has intrigued me today, despite having no nationally distributed album. Her name is Shilpa Ray and she's so harsh...in a good way. Brooklyn Vegan, who I usually skip in my daily readings, called my attention to Shelpa and her Happy Hookers. You can grab an MP3 here and here or visit her MySpace page (yes, bands still use those) here.

Also in BV, a little band called Clap your Hands Say Yeah may be making a comeback like only a blog band could: after two whole albums. They apparently played a long set the other night and revealed some great new material. We'll have to wait and see if they'll make up for the show in COMO they cancelled a while back. Actually, I won't blog about this anymore. I just wanted to let you all know that I have great hopes for a CYHSY "reunion" tour. When Hell freezes over indeed.

Tales from Twitter

I have an account on Twitter. I guess you could call me a Twit. A Twit who Tweets with other Twits...

Let me try that again.

I have an account on Twitter. It's what the kids call "microblogging" and ever since Twitter worked out most of the bugs, I've been updating my Tweets on a regular basis.

The most interesting thing to me is that I have several networks connected on Twitter. There are the ed-tech folk who post teaching resources or blog posts about education that hit throughout the day. I have recently discovered a craft brewing presence all over Twitter that keeps me up-to-date on the latest releases. Then there are my many friends - virtual and real life.

But that's only part of the Titter universe for comoprozac. (Sorry. I hate it when people write in third person.) I have several other interesting stories from Twitsville to report.


I thought I was following Ira Glass, host of the uber-popular public radio show This American Life. Then, one night he posted this:

Ok, let's play twitter matchmaker. You send me who you are and what you're looking for and I'll match you up.

To which I responded:

@iraglass I live in Columbia, MO and I'm looking for a record store . Can you help?

Ira said:

@comoprozac try CD Tradepost on Forum Blvd

Apparently, Ira Glass knows how to use Google. The conversation continued...

@iraglass That is maybe the worst suggestion of a record store ever . Thanks anyway.

I didn't hear anything for days, until this:

I tried giving this account to Real Ira Glass, but they said they didn't know what twitter was. Told me to email them - haven't heard back.

Oh well, the Fake Ira Glass raised my hopes, only to trounce them with his deceit.


I'm also a big follower of Cobra Commander. These might just be the best Tweets on all of Twitter. Check it: (Warning: Only interesting to males between the ages of 25 and 35 who played with, watched the cartoon version of, or read the comic depicting G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.)

Our brainwashing scheme bounce rates were through the roof last quarter. I need a Billy Mays Viper STAT. 12:42 AM Jan 24th from web

Zarana told me I "need a Tumblr." It took me a solid hour before I realized that wasn't a euphemism. 11:03 PM Jan 20th from web

Met one of the Pussycat Dolls last night. She asked to see "the fang that hangs" and yadda yadda yadda I'm staying in LA a few more days. 10:55 AM Jan 14th from web

You get the idea.

I also have been getting a music fix on the Twitter. Sonic Youth has been updating their latest recording process. It's cool to follow for indie geeks as well as musicians. It's a cool look inside the studio with legends like SY.

I have been also been following Sinkane, aka Ahmed Gallab as he travels the world with Of Montreal, records multiple albums, and plays around with the indie elite. Of course, he posted something yesterday that had nothing to do with music. Ahmed posted a link to this video.

My response was that I !#%@#*$& hippies or something to that effect. He, being the more reflective, thoughtful, open-minded person thought it was more impressive to be that connected to the earth. I just wondered whether they slit their wrists every time someone cuts their grass. Do these hippies pluck eyelashes for every bug they hit while driving their biofueled Volvos? Hippies.

There is still much to learn from the Twitterverse. I just hope that my Twitterfox doesn't swallow all my time.