I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States."

-JOhn Kerry

UNGH! Friday morning hangover (hehe). I should take my own advice once and awhile (scroll down a few days to see what I’m talking about.

Let’s see, gotta rest up tonight so I can drive to a family reunion tommorow. Kinda sad that I don’t even know all my cousins names. Not my fault though. We are so spead apart that it’s hard to keep contact. Hell, I have cousins who are going to meet me for the first time.
think I’ll print out a quick synoposis of what has happened in my life so far, on fash cards, and hand them out to my relatives so we can cut past the small talk and get to the good stuff. Hell, I want to know how they all got to where they are now. That’s what’s going on my life now, and the’re family, so out stories have to be close.
……………...
DAILY DOSE
The vet Kerry saved on Bush: "If you're in the military and you have an incompetent leader, you replace him."

The pundits on Kerry: He nailed it
The same mainstream talking heads who trashed Gore give Kerry strong notices, and even right-wingers hold their tongues

……………...………..
DAILY DOWNLOADS

Just go here.
It’s in French, but Download everything. it’s all good.

DAILY DEALINGS
Well, I backed out of meeting with my potential landlord. Mostly because I’m not the Manayunk type. Good place to go for a date, horrible to live at. It was close to the train station and Main Street, but I have a car and really need to think about parking (which there isn’t any). It was a really good price but I want to find a place more in the City. I need to think about making connections and contacts, and it isn’t happening in Manayunk. It’s more of another College town, a good stepping stone where you can still party like a wanna-be, but I need / want a place where I can be a part of the community I work in. True, I work in Conshy, but saving money for the great place is more important than my immediate concerns of where to go after a date. It was a hard decision, and the landlord’s cold sell worked (for a day), but I think it’s in my best interest not to attach myself to a year commitment right now.
___________
DAILY DOSE
I have to admit, I'm caught up. I've bought into Obama mania. That speech got me. Finally, this was a speaker (other than Clinton) who actually sounded confident, strong, and empowering. It was like he was floating behind the podium.
Now, don't call him the first black President yet. He has many hurdles before that. However, Obama will most likely emerge as the true star of this convention, even though this speech wasn't even on national TV.
Here’s some of my highlights (taken from yahoo, full text)

My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.

I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.

I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. More to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour.

Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon.

John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves.

If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief — I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper — that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America — there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
…………………
In general, I hate when musicians take time during their live performances to speak out about politics. Shut the fuck up, stop preaching to the choir, and play is what I say. However, if the artists who are doing the talking are Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, the Dixie Chicks, Bright Eyes, Ani DiFranco, Death Cab for Cutie, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, and International Noise Conspiracy, I'm the one who should shut the fuck up. And that there is the rumored list of artists who will be touring electoral swing states this coming October, according to the LA Times. The official annoucements should be forthcoming in a couple of weeks. And would you look at that, Pennsylvania is a big fucking swing state! Some of these bands will clearly be coming to Philly! This will be unbelievable.
…………………
If you'll be near Durham, North Carolina on August 20th and 21st, the Durham Music Festival has again lined up some great acts, including:

Richard Buckner
The Butchies
Circulatory System
Early Day Miners
Enon
The Mountain Goats
The Rosebuds
Chris Stamey
_________________
DAILY DOWNLOADS
Devo: Satisfaction (Rolling Stones cvr. live)

William Shatner & Joe Jackson: common people (pulp cover)

The Fags: truly, truly

The soft Boys: Mr. Kennedy

The explosion: Hero

Why do the simplest plans fall apart? 3 BBQ weekend was gonna happen, but they all canceled because of the weather. It did rain a lot on Friday- so much so that it prevented me from going to AC– but Saturday wasn’t bad. Overcast. that’s all. fucking Philly meoteorologists.
Played tennis instead. OH, yea! team Sore Winners are gonna take the prize.Then went to a chill party that continued till Sunday. Lots of fun. relaxing by a pool. Missed my Zanex.

Still looking for an apartment. every time I find a nice sounding one and leave a voice mail, turns out that it’s some realtor asking for like $160 so I can become a member and access their website to browse their “select” listings (scam). I just want info on the one apartment I was interested in, not 10 others in shitty locations. I guess private owners get scammed into these guy’s sales pitch and think they will get more hits and less confusion if they allow their apartments to be listed on these websites. But really who wants to pay more money to do the same searching at a smaller web site. And I’ve got my password in so many damn websites that if I ever forgot them I’d be up shit creek. Who needs another site that I’ll stop visiting once I find that apartment? I had some guy yesterday (keep in mind this was Sunday night. NOBODY does business then) trying so hard to do a cold sell that it came off like a high school crush and wanted to just gain my attention. His pitch was that if I became a member (also $160) he would mail me information about his company… what? No buddy. YOU mail me your crap, then if I’m interested, IF I’m interested, I send you money to be a subscriber to and access your website. whatta fool. I’m not an 80 year old women handing out my social security number to anybody just because there is a chance of winning a million dollars, but there’s a consolation prize of a shitty thrift store necklace not 1/8 of the entrance fee cost.
……………
DAILY DOSE
Bad news: The free Y100 My Morning Jacket show, scheduled for July 29th, has been cancelled.
Good News: Sonic Youth, Electric Factory, August 17th
Polyphonic Spree, First Unitarian Church, Saturday August 22th and Sunday August 22st

Sunday’s Boondocks.
…………
An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You would never see an "Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order" sign, just "Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience."
…………
DAILY DOWNLOADS
Of Montreal: penelope
Drum Duel
Phil Collins & Chester Thompson
Kid Serious : Armageddon
Johnny Cash: Hurt (nin cover)

DAILY DOWNLOADS
Destroyer:Students carve hearts out of coal

The Hellacopters: By The Grace Of God

The Walkmen: Revenge wears no wristwatch

OfMontreal: Love Your Onion (shins cover)

The Postal Service: Against All Odds
Single for upcoming Against all Odds movie. basically it’s about an obsessive love. But the soundtrack looks amazing:
1. Maybe Tomorrow – Stereophonics
2. Everybody Is Somebody – Lifehouse (exclusive for soundtrack)
3. A Movie Script Ending – Death Cab For Cutie (unreleased acoustic version)
4. How To Be Dead – Snow Patrol
5. Lover’s Spit – Broken Social Scene
6. Retour A Vega – The Stills (unreleased track)
7. Flowers in December – Mazzy Star
8. When The Day Is Done – The Legends
9. When I Goosestep – The Shins (rare, non-album track)
10. Light Switch – Jaime Wyatt (exclusive for soundtrack)
11. These Days – Mates of State (rare, non-album track)
12. All I Do - +/-
13. We Have a Map of the Piano – Mum
14. Against All Odds – Postal Service (rare, non-album track)
15. Strange and Beautiful – Aqualung
16. I know You Are But What Am I? - Mogwai
17. The Scientist – Johnette Napolitano (exclusive Coldplay cover for soundtrack)
Unfortunetly this 1984 re-make might suck. starring Josh Hartnett (possible reason for it’s sucky-ness)
This guy takes himself waaay to seriously. He can’t act! This Franskenstein stinks up the screen worse than Keanu. I could lump all the stuttering, self-involved bad actors – Josh Hartett, Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Vivica A. Foxx, Amanda Peet, the Olsen Twins, Amanda Barns, Freddie Prince Jr., Nicole Richie (i know she isn’t an actress, but she also falls into this self-absorbed no-talent list ), Vin Diesel, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Love Hewett, Sarah Michelle Gellar, etc.
– push them off a cliff and no one would be the wiser. They are pretty, and pretty bad actors as well. Hacks.

“My sister wanted to be an actress, but she never made it. She does live in a trailer. She got half way there, she just never gets called to the set.” – Mitch Hedberg

Thursday night is apon us. Those who choose to extend the weekend start tonight. I might go out but want to re-organise my portfolio for a pending interview. Could be a good job (higher pay) but it would mean the end of this blog.

So if I go out tonight I have to be prepared for lack of sleep and a possible hangover.
My 5 tips for getting over your hangover:
1) DON’T stop drinking!
2) sugar. eat your fruits in the morning. OJ, V8 (my preference, especially with some vodka. mmmmmm … bloody mary.)
3)caffeine (especially when a bit o’ whisky or brandy is added to your favorite cup of Folgers crystals)
4)sweat it out (can you think of anything better than a cool beer when it’s hot outside?)
5) Puke. if you feel like you’re going to, go to it. Pull that trigger and start the previous night’s process all over again.

Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. Goddammit Charlie, you are an alcoholic. Goddammit Charlie, you have Lupus... one of those two doesn't sound right.


resume fuck-up
Here's a real workplace example: An employee's company was relocating to another state, and people were offered severance packages if they did not want to move. This man used the company fax machine to send a resume to a potential employer. He listed his current position as chief information officer, when in fact he was not involved in technology at all and held a lesser title. He was found out because he left his resume in the company fax machine, where co-workers found it. Not only did he not get the new job, he lost the one he had, along with severance benefits he would have received.
interview and resume tips so you don’t look like a fool and get that job.
1) don’t lie. you will get found out
2)be yourself. if you are fake and get hired, then you have to be fake 24/7. and if they don’t like you good. it wouldn’t have worked. interviews are like 1st dates. you are both feeling each other out, but unlike a real date there is no chance of seeing the interviewer naked at the end.
3) Learn how to spell. I know I make mistakes here and there on this site, but I’m also not trying to impress anyone. You resume’s misspellings don’t reflect your lack of education or anything, but it does point out your lack of attention to detail. remember spell check doesn’t check for grammer.
4)Cutesy-pie layouts and stationery. Some people believe that their resume will stand out in the crowd if they stray from the conventional layout. This might work well if you are sending a resume for a creative job like a graphic artist and you know that someone is definitely going to look at it. It could work against you, too. In fact, some companies scan resumes into a computer for later review. If yours is too radical, it may not scan and you won't be considered at all. If you want to alter the color of your stationery, make sure the cover letter and resume are the same color. And keep it conservative
5)Talking too much. Don't feel that you have to share personal information, and be careful what you do share. You might run into someone's bias, so avoid hitting those hot buttons.

-----------------
DAILY DOSE

Of the four state high school health textbooks under consideration in Texas this summer, one says teenagers should “get plenty of rest” if they want to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.  It also suggests students can help prevent pregnancies by respecting themselves. The book avoids any discussion of condoms.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5469437/?GT1=4244

----------------------------
DAILY DOWNLOADS
John Cotrane and Thelonius Monk: Ruby My Dear

Herbie Hancock: Spider
John Lennon: You know it ain’t easy
Pavement: the killing moon (Echo and the bunnymen cover)
Japancakes: tKeep Drawing Suns

played Tennis all day –or at least it feels like that – after work yesterday. I used to be good. I used to coach. I’m still pretty good, but I used to be also. The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall.

Some friends went to see I, Robot. I more curious to see how much it sucked. ahhh Fresh Price, you will never be the self proclaimed “Mr. Blockbuster”

I am utterly confused with Kerry right now. I was all gung-ho, because he offered a free thinking option to the morally retarted Bush. I then see Kerry giving the black panther sign to the NAACP. I know he is a politician and wants to appease the masses, and I understand how a voting record cannot give a crediable account of one’s character, but D-UH! I’m sick of our “leaders” doing common stupid things. Common sence. And Kerry also called Hollywood the “heart and soul of America”?! As Boris puts it, “i would like to think that the mine workers, the truck drivers, the teachers, the garbage men, police men, and firemen are the heart and soul of america,
not some fake-ass, botox-full, silicon leaking, think-their-shit-don't-stink egocentric bunch of retards”

I’m Charlie. and I approve this message.

DAILY DOWNLOADS
Calexico: Woven Birds (Cinematic Orchestra Remixico)

PJ Harvey: The Letter

Yeah, yeah, yeahs: great video for Maps

The Letter

very nice pan

Lou Reed: Walk on the wild side

The Go: watcha doin’

The internation Noice conspiracy: smash it up

Bright Eyes: I’ll Be Your friend

It's very dangerous to wave to people you don't know because what if they don't have hands? They'll think you're cocky.

The New York Times writes up the posthumous popularity of Elliott Smith. From a Basement On the Hill will come out October 19th. This instantly becomes my most anticipated album of the year. The tracklisting:
 
01 Coast to Coast
02 Let's Get Lost
03 Pretty (Ugly Before)
04 Don't Go Down
05 Strung Out Again
06 Fond Farewell
07 King's Crossing
08 Ostriches & Chirping
09 Twilight
10 A Passing Feeling
11 Last Hour
12 Shooting Star
13 Memory Lane
14 Little One
15 A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free
 

A Distorted Reality will also appear on A Future Soundtrack For America, a Barsuk Records compilation to benefit Moveon.org, coming out August 17th. That tracklisting is:
 
OK Go : This Will Be Our Year 
David Byrn : Ain't Got So Far To Go
Jimmy Eat World : Game of Pricks (BBC evening session) 
Death Cab for Cutie : This Temporary Life 
Blink-182 : I Miss You (James Guthrie mix) 
Mike Doughty : Move On 
Ben Kweller : Jerry Falwell Destroyed Earth 
Sleater-Kinney : Off With Your Head
R.E.M. : Final Straw (MoveOn mix) 
Bright Eyes : Going for the Gold (live) 
The Long Winters : The Commander Thinks Aloud (future mix) 
will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas : Money 
They Might Be Giants : Tippecanoe And Tyler Too 
Clem Snide : The Ballad of David Icke 
Yeah Yeah Yeahs : Date With the Night (live) 
Fountains of Wayne : Everything's Ruined (acoustic) 
Nada Surf : Your Legs Grow 
The Flaming Lips : Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (live on the BBC) 
Old 97's : Northern Line 
Laura Cantrell : Sam Stone 
Tom Waits : Day After Tomorrow 
Elliott Smith : A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free

DAILY DOWNLOADS
The Paper Chase Don’t you wish you had somemore(video)


Jonathan Vance sylvia


Black Cab 1970


Sigur Ros stralfur


Secret Mommy an apple a day keeps the mac voice away

HAHAHA I back bitches!
Stoopid asses from work! (I spell it wrong because they are so stupid they wouldn’t even notice if I spelled it wrong) I design the porposal for BEST BUY, keep in mind that I was told it was going to be a presentation, but then after it was done they ask if it’s ready to be mailed. MAILED! why the hell did they want me to mount everything on huge bord if it wasn’t going to be presented? Mailing a proposal can be done in a much more proffesional way. I told them this. I critisized they way they handeled the situation, but also pointed out my lack of experience. I did it in a very delicate way, as to not get fired but also speak my mind. I think they appreciated that I spoke my mind and showed my pride in an assignment, but damn! This place is no Mom and Pop and stuck in their half-ass way of doing things I can’t stand it. But then I remember the nice time I have to write all this shit on this site, and all is forgiven. ahhhhh! soma.

Going to see the Spinto BAnd tonight at the Fire. give a listen………………here. or…………here. then might swing over to the TLA to hear mewithoutyou. depends if the Spinto BAnd is closing. being on the guest list rocks. I just spend more on beer! I’m also bringing my camcorder, when these guys make it big you’ll see my footage on MTV or even better fuse
Might go camping. a hike in the morning. hmmm. as long as you-know-who, and if you know who then you know that he might to get going at like 6 Am and be a bitch if we aren’t ready.

The Philadelphia Inquirer discusses political music past and present.:
“Just because John Kerry played in a prep-school garage band, does that mean that a Democrat in the White House would make for a more musically rewarding Oval Office?

Depends where your musical, as well as political, taste lies. The senator from Massachusetts says Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender" is his favorite song, and he cut an album with the Electras in 1961 - on which the notes claimed he was "producer of a pulsating rhythm that lends tremendous force to all the members." But the photos with his dickey-wearing band mates make him look every bit as stiff in 1961 as he does on the campaign trail in 2004.

George W. Bush, meanwhile, is a known ZZ Top lover and a fan of country-music acts with a red-state following, such as Brooks & Dunn and Tim McGraw, who have eagerly waved the flag for the war on terror. And you can bet Lee Greenwood will have a chance to sing the abominable "God Bless the U.S.A." at the GOP convention in New York later this summer. But hey, the Prez is also down with jazz and R&B, or at least he made it sound that way when he declared June Black Music Month and gave shout-outs to Ray Charles, Elvin Jones and Alicia Keys. Get funky, Dubya!

The campaign season heated up last week with the naming of John Edwards to the Kerry ticket, inaugurating the season of politicians' attempting to use music for their electoral ends. It's a long and storied tradition: Political smear tactics employing music go back at least as far as 1884, when supporters of James G. Blaine taunted Grover Cleveland, who had fathered an illegitimate child, with the sing-song refrain: "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa? / Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha!" And on the indie star-studded Future Sound of America protest disc being to be put out by MoveOn.org next month, They Might Be Giants cover that classic from the 1840 election, "Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too."

In recent history, though, strategists have stopped coming up with original campaign songs - such as "I Like Ike" in the 1950s - and instead have attempted to harness the power of popular culture. Bill Clinton used Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" in 1992 (and 1996), while Bob Dole hired Sam Moore of Sam & Dave to show up at rallies and change "Soul Man" to "Dole Man."

Despite their high tax bracket, rock stars tend to be Democrats - or at least pretend they are. So Republicans seem to have trouble getting permission to use their chosen tunes. Bruce Springsteen famously rebuffed Ronald Reagan when he tried to adopt "Born in the U.S.A." in 1984 - which didn't keep Dole from trying to use it 1996.

And in 2000, the Bush campaign was stymied in its attempts to use both Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" and "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." by John Mellencamp, who joined Dave Matthews and Jon Bon Jovi at the Kerry fund-raiser in New York last week, at which Whoopi Goldberg made jokes about the President that drew an angry response from the Bush campaign.

So far, Bush has been sticking with "Hail to the Chief" as the soundtrack to his photo ops. A musical reminder, as it were, that he's the one who's got the job. The Democrats, without officially declaring it as their campaign anthem, have been playing Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," in honor of their pair of Johns. Like Kerry, Edwards is a confirmed Springsteen fan, and at the ticket's appearance in Ohio last week, the duo frolicked to the Boss' inclusive anthem "Land of Hope and Dreams."

"Land of Hope" is at least a song of recent vintage, albeit by an over-50 rocker. How come, in their efforts to portray themselves as virile and vital, these guys almost always pick old, overplayed, and quite often lame music to get voters juiced up? Before he was eliminated, Wesley Clark used Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" as his theme, and while screaming Howard Dean showed a little more pizzazz with the remixed version of "A Little Less Conversation," it must be noted that the song's singer, Elvis Presley, is a dead guy.

The answer is, in part, that the candidates are no spring chickens - they're over-50 white guys. And voters are graying, too. For all the efforts of Rock the Vote and other such organizations, the number of 18-to-24-year-olds who actually vote has steadily declined since 1972, to the tune of 13 percent.

There will be plenty of new political music this summer and fall - anti-Bush songs in particular, from Jadakiss' "Why?," which stupidly suggests the President was somehow behind the 9/11 attacks, to most of Steve Earle's forthcoming Revolution Starts Now, which includes a mock love song to Condoleezza Rice.

But don't expect anything incendiary to show up on the campaign trail. Political campaigns are like radio playlists: the idea is to stay focused, sell the product, and not offend anybody. Belligerent takes such as Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" or angry anti-Bush tunes such as Pennywise's punk-rock "God Save the U.S.A." get their messages across loud and clear, but might upset a little old lady in Florida or Pennsylvania or Ohio. And nobody wants to lose her vote.

DAILY DOWNLOADS
Guided by Voices: sleepover jack

who want some europop?
I do I do.
Datarock: daddy

Right now I’m in charge of a project for Best Buy, basically a Christmas compilation Cd, and haven’t had time to write. I know y’all missed me. In fact I have 4 new mix Cd’s I made and I’ll disclose more info about later (can’t now, still working on that job.) But, I will send for free if you pay for delivery.
well… cal me Charlie Brown because “ARRRGHHH!” I gotta go back to work

DAILYDOWNLOADS
Various Artists: tracks from Badman Records artists [mp3]

Well, I was gonna talk about my great weekend but I just got rear-ended (car accident. get your minds out of the gutter). The kid was only two years younger than me – so I guess that makes me a kid also – and he used the same excuse I did when I got in my first accident. “I hydroplaned.” And it was raining out so I believed him. And it was made easier after I saw the damage wasn’t that bad. But crap he hit me hard. I don’t want to sound like a bitch but I really grabbed my neck when it happened. Now it just feels like I slept on it wrong. The damage looks like the bumper will have to be replaced and his bumper doesn’t need any work. Now this is surprising because most of these new bumpers crumple with the smallest tap. So I guess after work I’m gonna get an estimate done and ask him to send me a check, no need to get our insurance involved.

The Washington City Paper explains why you didn't want to go to Lollapalooza.


DAILY DOWNLOADS

Smashing Pumpkins: 1995-08-25, Reading

1995-08-25, Reading

My Morning Jacket

KCRW session 10-28-03

The Strokes:

"A Salty Salute (live Guided By Voices cover)"

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows.They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers.You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and as many eggs as the regulations say you should need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both,hires you to take care of them,and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.

SINGAPOREAN DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. The government fines you for keeping two unlicensed farm animals in an apartment.

MILITARISM: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: The government promises to give you two cows if you vote for it. After the election, the president is impeached for speculating in cow futures. The press dubs the affair "Cowgate".

BRITISH DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. You feed them sheep's' brains and they go mad. The government doesn't do anything.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you canfeed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. After that it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requiresyou to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows..

ANARCHY: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to kill you and take the cows.

CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

HONG KONG CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly - listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother - in - law at the bank, then execute a debt / equity swap with associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax deduction for keeping five cows. The milk rights of six cows are transferred via a Panamanian intermediary to a Cayman Islands company secretly owned by the majority shareholder, who sells the rights to all seven cows' milk back to the listed company. The annual report says that the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.

ENVIRONMENTALISM: You have two cows. The government bans you from milking or killing them.

FEMINISM: You have two cows. They get married and adopt a veal calf.

TOTALITARIANISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Milk is banned.

COUNTER CULTURE: Wow, dude, there's like... these two cows,man. You got to have some of this milk.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

LIBERTARIANISM: You have two cows. One has actually read the constitution, believes in it, and has some really good ideas about government. The cow runs for office, and while most people agree that the cow is the best candidate, nobody except the other cow votes for her because they think it would be "throwing their vote away."

THE CITY CLOSED a handful of public pools this summer to save money, leaving thousands of kids without a neighborhood place to swim.
That's bad enough by itself.
But consider this: The cost of running a city pool is $50,000 - about what Janice Renee Knight overcharged the city on printing costs for just two jobs, according to the grand jury indictment handed down last week.
Specifically, Knight was paid $70,000 for print work done by two subcontractors whom she paid less than $17,000, the indictment said. Her company's earnings on these two jobs: $53,000.
Think of it: The "paramour" of a political insider makes obscene profits while 18,900 city kids - according to the Recreation Department - encounter padlocked gates at their swimming pools this summer.
………………………

More bad financial news for Norristown
As the borough awaits accounting on its budget progress, it is told tax receipts will fall short.
Norristown's tax revenues are expected to fall almost $1 million short of projections this year, bringing borough government closer to cutting services or raising taxes.


DAILYDOWNLOADS

Jicks and PSOI assorted tracks

9/11 Panel Upholds Iraq-al-Qaida Finding
In an interview with CNBC, Cheney had said there "probably" was information about Iraq's links to terrorists that the commission members did not learn during their 14-month investigation. The commission statement Tuesday disputed that.

"After examining available transcripts of the vice president's public remarks, the 9/11 commission believes it has access to the same information the vice president has seen regarding contacts between al-Qaida and Iraq prior to the 9/11 attacks," the commission said.

The commission's vice chairman, former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, said on ABC's "This Week" that the panel "asked the vice president if he had information we did not have."
"Obviously, if there is some information, we need it," he said.
But Cheney's spokesman, Kevin Kellems, denied that the commission asked the vice president for additional information.

Since no information was provided, the panel wished to make clear that after some double-checking it was basing its findings on the same intelligence and material that Cheney had, Democratic commissioner Timothy Roemer said in an interview.

"Our position is firm, unchanged and committed to our previous finding," said Roemer, a former congressman from Indiana. "We have not discovered collaboration-cooperation between al-Qaida and Iraq in general terrorist activities across the world, against the United States."
………………………………
So Kerry has chosen Edwards. The dynamic duo will attack bush in full strides and probally force bush to reconsider Cheney as running mate. My prediction is that Cheney will elegantly slip out – using his healh problems as the reason – and ask Rudy Gulliani to take his place. Now THAT would make this an amazing race.
http://www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com

Have you seen the liberal – and caustic – voice of Gore? As he is no longer a canidate, he is freely speaking his mind and appealing to the Democratic party’s core audience (he’s leaving the moderate and independant voters he cared too much about last election – and lost him the election in my opinion – to Kerry).
Consider his recent speach to Georgetown University Law Center: Under President Bush, the “systematic abuse of the truth and institutionalization of dishonesty [are] a routine part of the poicly process” Because he has the freedom of not being a canidate, he can go farther and perhaps be blunter.
On al-Qaeda links with Iraq: “If he’s not lying, if they genuinely believe that, that makes them unfit in the battle with al-Qaeda. “If they (cheney and BUsh) believe these flimsy scraps, then who would want them in charge? Are they too dishonnest or too gullible? Take you pick”

*Gore won more than 500,000 more votes nationwide than Bush did in the 2000 presidential election, but Bush won the Electoral College majority, and the presidency, after a controversial ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ended a recount in Florida.

Exclaim! examines commercial radio's recent indie leanings.

DAILY DOWNLOADS
The funky-ist man in show business…Bill Cosby? gotta throw props to man. Here he is doing

“Hickky-Burr”

with Quincy Jones.

Midlake – Balloon Maker

Dykehouse – ChainSmoking (sample)

Howard University Marching Band – Got to get you into my life

The Stooges. rare radio spot circa 1970

Interpol: several tracks

Forth of July recap.
Camp Eaton: Great, but not as good as last year. C’mon! no belly flop contest. I know Jordan wanted to break his arm again. And the Spinto Band didn’t play. I guess I’m like that guy from Wisconsin I just love you guys. BUt damn, Wisconsin then Tenn for recording. If you guys don’t break up after that haul then you never should.

Aaron, Neil, Andrea: Great to see you guys. Might be seeing you more next weekend. A trip to NYC sounds good.
I hate Philly right now. Here’s why; Those 3 friends I just mentioned visited and we had a great time in Philly. The weater was nice and Philly looked less like dump. Great dinner at the Continental then we watched the fireworks in a great location. It was now time to leave and we found out that the trains stopped running. It was the 4th! you would think that they would have extended hours or something. And why the fuck do they normally stop running at 12 anyway? So we try and catch a bus but they aren’t running either, same f’in reason. So we called a cab company and they said they were only picking up for hospitals or airports! Argh! so we pondered all options and started walking back towards manayunk, 4 miles away.
We’ll we eventually found a cab on Kelly drive. But still, WHAT THE FUCK! and why is their only 2 lanes to get in and out of the city? because of course we hit traffic.
………………………………………

y-100 rocks right now. They are playing the top 300 songs off all time (their compilation). Right now they are in the 100’s and every one is great. I love the radio right now, yea I know, it’s a shock to me too. Fuck the commercials though. AS they play each song I’m downloading the Mp3. My CD collection is insaine, but my MP3 selection sucks. Might have to download all my CD’s. damn…that’s gona suck. –OH YEA! Right now they are playing Slow Ride…on y100. Who’d have thought?– I’ve got so much comp work to do. My new G5 has been running for quite some time, no internet though, I’ve kinda slacked on that. That and my website. I know I always promise it will be up and running, but editing the footage from weekends past and Bonnaroo is time consuming. The DVD? Oh, it’s comming along quite well, or as well as possible since I’m teaching myself the program. Thanks for asking.


DAILY DOWNLOADS

Billy Bragg

Stairway (acoustic)

Ben Kweller: 2004-04-01, Pittsburgh

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: 2003-04-29, Los Angeles (gotta register)

Kid Congo,

Desaparecidos

Her Space Holiday

"Microfilmed"

Bill Cosby is under fire for attacking the black community;
 "Let me tell you something, your dirty laundry (reffering to young black youth) gets out of school at 2:30 every day, it's cursing and calling each other n------ as they're walking up and down the street," he said during an appearance at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund's annual conference,"They think they're hip," the entertainer said. "They can't read; they can't write. They're laughing and giggling, and they're going nowhere."

In a speech that was part advice and part response to critics, Cosby stood by his comments in May when, during a commemoration of the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision, he criticized the poor grammar of some blacks and said African-Americans who commit crimes and wind up behind bars "are not political prisoners."

"For me there is a time ... when we have to turn the mirror around," he said. "Because for me it is almost analgesic to talk about what the white man is doing against us. And it keeps a person frozen in their seat, it keeps you frozen in your hole you're sitting in."

Now this comes as a surprise to a lot of Blacks, for Cosby was a figuehead in the Black community. They are now saying that he has lost touch with that community and possibly is “loosing his mind.” But the education and better-ing of Black Society has been the foundation of Cosby’s career. Remember The Cosby Show, or Fat Albert or even Picture Pages? His point is that if you want to make it in the world then you’ve got to play by its rules. Yes, growing up in the hood is rough and generating the colloquialisms is easy, but bettering yourself so you don’t come off as uneducated will get you the paying job you need. His stance has never wavered.

Brando is dead at 80. One of the designers is doing the colorization of On The Waterfront right now. "I coulda been a contendah Charlie!"

Don’t like to re-hash old arguments, but last night I was attacked about my opinion not being valid because I don’t write for a paper (like the antagonist did). My defense was my education…

Gourman Report 14th Ed. 2002
Top Journalism and Mass Communications Programs
===================================
1. University of Missouri-Columbia
2. Northwestern University
2. Syracuse
4. Minnesota
5. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
6. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
7. University of Wisconsin-Madison
8. Ohio State University Columbus
9. Michigan State University
10. University of Southern California

Journalism and Mass Communications School Rankings - US News & World Report Rankings (2003)
======================================
1. Univ. of Missouri at Columbia
2. Columbia University (N.Y.)
3. Northwestern Univ. (Medill) (Ill.)
4. Syracuse - S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
5. Indiana Univ. at Bloomington
6. University of Florida
7. Ohio University (Scripps)
7. Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison
9. Univ. of California at Berkeley
9. University of Kansas (White)
11. Univ. of Md. at College Park
11. University of Texas at Austin

And…does it matter? NO. If a person can write their ideas in a clear way – which I believe I have – does it really matter where you work? NO. It’s how you express yourself.
ahhhhhhh…
but another fight bugged me even more, when my buddy expressed his anger about the way I was treating a stranger last weekend. a STRANGER. He stood up for someone he didn’t even know before me. that says alot.
But they shouldn't worry, it’s water under the bridge. we said our minds and all is normal. I just wanted Ross to see a source I didn't have last night.

P.S. I really didn’t mean to drop the BBall on Alex’s WRX.

A defiant Saddam Hussein rejected charges of war crimes and genocide against him in a court appearance Thursday, telling a judge "this is all theater, the real criminal is Bush," according to a reporter in an official media pool.

Saddam's hands were cuffed when he was brought to the court but the shackles were removed for the 30-minute arraignment at Camp Victory, a former Saddam palace on the outskirts of Baghdad.

"I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq," Saddam twice said, according to the CNN reporter, who described him as alternately downcast and defiant. Other times, Saddam appeared confused.

In his first public appearance since he was captured seven months ago, Saddam refused to sign a list of charges against him unless a lawyer was present, and he questioned the court's jurisdiction, according to the reporter. Saddam defended the invasion of Kuwait, saying it was "for the Iraqi people."

The seven broad charges against Saddam are the killing of religious figures in 1974; gassing of Kurds in Halabja in 1988; killing the Kurdish Barzani clan in 1983; killing members of political parties in the last 30 years; the 1986-88 "Anfal" campaign of displacing Kurds; the suppression of the 1991 uprisings by Kurds and Shiites; and the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Specific charges will be filed later, Iraqi officials said. Those charges were expected to include war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. A formal indictment with specific charges is expected later, said Salem Chalabi, director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal. The trial is not expected until 2005.

Ronald A. White and former City Treasurer Corey Kemp pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges leveled in a sweeping corruption indictment, and White said federal authorities had "taken a genuine friendship and tried to portray it as something corrupt and manipulative."

White and Kemp, with two other defendants, were in court the day after prosecutors asserted that White showered Kemp with money and gifts, and that Kemp, in return, allowed White to call the shots on who got city business.

Twelve people, including White, Kemp, two Commerce Bank officials, three investment bankers, and Mayor John Street, were charged in the 150-page indictment, which painted a harsh portrait of Philadelphia's political system and the "pay-to-play" tradition in which campaign donors get access to lucrative city contracts.

Mayor Street, meanwhile, said the charges highlight the need for statewide campaign-finance reform "in order to do something about pay for play" in the state, and he called on Gov. Rendell and the state legislature to take action.

John Street characterized as "enormously troubling" some of the allegations in the indictment.

"It's the kind of thing that should never happen, and certainly you don't want to see it happen in connection with anything you're about," said the mayor, who was reelected just weeks after the corruption inquiry became public with the discovery of an FBI bug in his City Hall office.

Street flatly denied a key assertion in the indictment: that he had instructed his staff to provide White with inside information and to award city business White sought to the firms White touted if the firms were qualified.
– from the Inquirer