ClumsyMonkey.net

I'm Afraid Of Television wrote:
I should preface this entry by saying that I rarely watch television. My news is generally web and print based, though I have been known to weaken and watch Hard Talk on the BCC and The News Hour With Jim Lehrer on PBS from time to time.

With regards to actual television shows, I can’t remember the last time I thought a show was worth scheduling every week. I suppose shows like Six Feet Under might count, but I prefer to wait until entire seasons become available before watching them to avoid the commercials (and a big thanks to Mona Romeh, now a resident of Cairo, for turning me on to that show).

Anyway, I found myself lazing on the couch this evening and decided to turn on the television and see what I could find with regards to the earthquake. Instead, I found myself confronted with some strange stuff.

Professional Wrestling Has A New Villain

As many are aware, there are always villains in professional wrestling. Not surprisingly, it seems the newest addition to the pantheon of wrestling villains is an Arab character called ”The Shiek” (I could be mistaken, I know nothing about wrestling, but that seems to be what they were calling him). Should I, or anyone, be surprised that a wrestler named The Shiek is currently a villain given what has transpired in the last four years? One must wonder what wrestling villains in decades past might have been called. ”The Jap” perhaps, or how about ”The Black Guy”?

Should it come as a surprise to hear the punters chanting “USA” in response to The Sheik? Survey says…

Religious Fanaticism Isn’t Unique To Islam

By the time I reached the BBC I was treated to a report on the influence that religion has on politics in the US. With a little digging, I was able to find a corresponding page on the BBC website from which to pull some choice excerpts…


” "The president has been sovereignly decided by God to lead this country," said Matt Roberts, a head teacher.”

[…]

“Would you still support Bush if he wasn't a Christian?" I asked. "No," came the answer from Pastor Johnson.”


I must admit, that explains some things with regards to the willful election of a what many would consider a rube (despite the fact that he’s a graduate of an Ivy League School).


"Abraham Lincoln took his faith to office and lived it out by freeing black slave boys and girls all over America. I believe that is what Bush is doing by setting the captives of terrorism free."


From Lincoln’s famous letter to Horace Greeley…


”My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.”- A. Lincoln


American mythology is a powerful thing. Interestingly, and as an aside, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 only freed slaves in Confederate territories, not in Union held areas that still allowed slavery. Not until the 13th (1865) and 14th (1868) amendments were adopted would slavery be completely abolished in the United States. And even then, it would take another 90 odd years until segregation was defeated.

Having stomached that, I ventured onto CNN still wanting to see what was happening in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Instead I was treated to Tucker Carlson going on about how a similar disaster could strike America at any moment.

Where’s the off button?

(Oh, and if you're considering joining the Army Reserves in the US, they're running a special offer right now. When you call, you get a free sports watch).

What happened to Much Music?

?????

Soozy wrote:he's removed the mm thing?

boo. that's so true though. I don't think I saw one music video on there the last time I was in Canada

Something Without A Name
Ryan Dahle (Limblifter) and I have been casually working together here and there for the last while. When we first decided to write some material together we automatically assumed that we would form a proper band and go through the usual motions of playing shows and releasing full lengths. But along the way we came to a few conclusions that have turned the project into something else.

Rather than forming a conventional band, we’ve decided to keep the format open and release material whenever we’ve completed it – a song at a time basically. Everything is recorded at our houses on small Pro Tools rigs and is rarely mixed or mastered with any real effort, so there’s bound to be some sound issues and whatnot. The purpose isn’t to release high fidelity recordings in the hopes of using them to sell records, etc. We plan to release all of the music that we make together for free anyway.

As of yet we have no name for the project, nor do we have any idea how much material it will produce (it could end tomorrow or last years). It is, and will remain, purely for our own enjoyment (and will most assuredly produce just as many musical dogs as diamonds, I’m sure).

When I know more I’ll make sure to pass along the information. For the time being, click here for Agoraphobe. It will remain up as long as my transfer limit allows.

Ryan Dahle (Limblifter) and I have been casually working together here and there for the last while. When we first decided to write some material together we automatically assumed that we would form a proper band and go through the usual motions of playing shows and releasing full lengths. But along the way we came to a few conclusions that have turned the project into something else.

Rather than forming a conventional band, we’ve decided to keep the format open and release material whenever we’ve completed it – a song at a time basically. Everything is recorded at our houses on small Pro Tools rigs and is rarely mixed or mastered with any real effort, so there’s bound to be some sound issues and whatnot. The purpose isn’t to release high fidelity recordings in the hopes of using them to sell records, etc. We plan to release all of the music that we make together for free anyway.

As of yet we have no name for the project, nor do we have any idea how much material it will produce (it could end tomorrow or last years). It is, and will remain, purely for our own enjoyment (and will most assuredly produce just as many musical dogs as diamonds, I’m sure).

When I know more I’ll make sure to pass along the information. For the time being, click here for Agoraphobe. It will remain up as long as my transfer limit allows.