gotta love space photography

by J
This is an afterimage (from LiveScience.com) of the affects of "bottom trawling" a.k.a. dragging giant steel nets across the ocean floor to catch fish. As that linked article to TreeHugger was saying, (or if you even follow that through to the BBC news article) New Zealand and some other South Pacific countries came to an agreement that they must research an area and be sure there is no "marine ecosystem at risk" before bottom trawling.

Well isn't that nice of them, picking which ecosystems are at risk and which aren't. If you ask me, its just one more UN agreement falling short of its original intent. And if you think the
fishers who livelihoods are made doing this are going to stop... well, you've got more faith than I do.

opinions

by J

Recently at our office the hot topic was hillary "crying" (and you've gotta love the fox news take from the newsie before and after the clip, hilarious! are we supposed to take that seriously?).

Everyone was turned around from their computer screens, (a rare occasion) and someone was ranting about how "she screwed herself" and he wasn't ever voting for someone who cries, because they can't be a world leader.

I had to turn around (after politely letting them finish) and interject an important point. I asked, "What issues that she supports do you disagree with?" He didn't know any issues actually. I laughed.

So thats what passes for political discussion amongst the 20 somesthings in middle america who will be voting... Scary.

something else to make me want to cry for our future.

by J

Just when you thought there weren't enough enviromental problems with earth's eco system, GARBAGE CONTINENTS! It makes me wonder at the complete lack of responsibility amongst the human population. I hate to add another check to the list of reasons why our species deserves to choke to death but, what's more appropriate than asphixiation via our own refuse?

The article was over at the Daily Galaxy.

subdue the people: "non-leathal" doesn't mean its okay.

by J

What's worse? The rack or the "pain ray"? This new fangled weapon has spawned a little reaction from the interweb going public and with good reason if you ask me. Really, we (by "we" I'm referring to the homo-sapien population) should be asking how many more weapons do we need? Perhaps more importantly, who is asking for these things to be made and who is making them? I could picture the commercial going like this:

Already shot tear gas at the protesters? Military sound blaster ineffective against earmuffs? Taser that loudmouth kid, but he just won't go down? Try our newest ray gun: the "Active Denial System." Shoot radiation at those who don't accept your authority; watch them writhe in agony to satisfy your sadist needs.

Lethal or not, we're putting time and effort into making these weapons. The term "Non-lethal" is used as a mask for the uglier truth, that we're producing torture devices; ones that don't even leave proof of the abuse. Can't we do something else with our time and money; perhaps something that is constructive rather than destructive?

world car free day

by J

Crazy coincidence, the day we transferred the title to our car was also World Car Free Day! I've been riding my old Schwinn since and have already felt much healthier for it. Exercise, who knew?

"turn coat, killer, liar, theif! criminal with protection of the law." -Anti Flag

by J

Yesterday I saw the video of the young guy getting tasered at the Kerry rally/gathering and realized that it wasn't the first (and certainly won't be the last) video of its kind.

Here's the collection of the ones I've found so far. If anyone knows of others, I'll add them to the list:













This one is owned by a TV station so its just a link:
Man beaten by police for leaving council meeting.

trying is enough for old navy

by S

Old Navy's current television commercial aggravates me. The commercial itself is just typical of Old Navy, "hot girls", tight jeans, butt shots, and some implied sexuality, but it's paired with a song in the background, which has some questionable lyrics. The song(which is 'Blue Alert' by Madeleine Peyroux) has a jazzy mellow sound and is almost not too noticeable, but each time I saw this commercial I was asking myself,"Did I really just hear that?" I found the full lyrics to the song, but the lyrics they play throughout the commercial are as following:

"There's perfume burning in the air
Bits of beauty everywhere

She comes so close
You feel her then
She tells you No and No again

You try to slow it down
It doesn't work

You're such a flirt"


I want to know why that's acceptable on tv. Does anyone else think it's inappropriate to romanticize forced sexual activity on a commercial? Sometimes I feel like people think I'm just some "stupid feminist who makes too big of a deal about everything", but I think it's bullshit that just because it's 'Old Navy' and some pretty lady's voice no one notices a thing, but people throw fits over things like cigarettes being in the media. At least cigarettes are legal.