Alice In Chains

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my

I picked up The Essential Alice In Chains the other day. It's a two disc collection spanning their entire career, with songs from all three studio albums, the EPs, the unplugged album, and a couple of others that I think might have been on soundtracks or compilation discs (I first heard "Right Turn" on a compilation called Genrecide, and I think "Got Me Wrong" was from a movie). Most of Dirt is here. It's a pretty nice set, and if you don't have any Alice this would be a great place to start. I was waiting for the Arctic Monkeys killer - the album that would take back the car CD player from Favourite Worst Nightmare. We have a winner - I only wish I could load both discs in at the same time.

I happen to believe that Dirt is one of the greatest albums of all time. Every song is excellent and when listened to in it's entirety each individual song contributes to an experience that is overwhelmingly greater than the sum of its parts. I never get tired of this album and I've listened to it a lot. I think I was more upset to hear of Layne Staley's death than I was of Cobain's. With Cobain it just seemed inevitable and in a sense righteous - it gave us the time to assess his legend while we were still young enough to martyr him. It just felt hopeless, watching a movie after you've picked up the plot. While Staley was obviously going in the same direction I just kept hoping something would pull him back.

I never felt comfortable lumping AIC in with the whole grunge thing. I always thought they were sufficiently innovative to distinguish themselves. While grunge seemed an alternative to the bloated metal garbage dominating the airwaves Alice In Chains gave metal a way out, a new direction. Certainly they were the best thing to happen to the genre since Metallica and I haven't heard anything nearly as good since. Aside from Staley's sublime vocals, Jerry Cantrell's guitar playing substantially expanded metals vocabulary and was essential to Alice In Chain's sound - it just would have been a totally different band without him. Big, fat, thick, heavy distorted chords, tasteful wah lines, lush, chorused clean tones, melodic, gentle acoustic progressions. He controls dynamics like no one since Hendrix and thoroughly tames dissonance. I've always found his playing interesting and inspiring. If you haven't heard his solo album, Boggy Depot, it's worth a listen.

Ultimately for me it really came down to the vocals. Staley did some beautiful things with his voice. He could express such an amazing range of emotion, sometimes hopeful, sometimes angry, sometimes forlorn, sometimes simply and perfectly ambiguous, sometimes all in the same song. His voice informed the music, brought it to life - the perfect compliment to Cantrell's guitar work.

On a final note: Alice In Chains provided the music for Doom 2, my personal choice for greatest computer game of all time, and just one more reason why Alice is cool as hell...

The quest for excessive poundage...

The attempt to gain weight that I mentioned in my first fast food blog has nearly come to an end. I just got off the scale and I've put on eighteen pounds in the last three weeks. Initially I wanted to gain twenty but I've decided to up that to twenty five. That will put me at 170, acceptable for a six-footer.

I did not put the weight on via a fast food diet - had I done so I would probably be dead right now. I've limited my fast food intake to one or two meals a week. Instead, I've been eating four (mostly healthy) meals daily, forcing myself to fit them in regardless of my work schedule. I've been eating calorically dense foods and a lot of protein shakes. About two weeks ago I started an excercise program to try and put the weight where I wanted it to go. The funny thing is you probably wouldn't notice I've gained a pound.

I feel great, with a few exceptions. I have a ton of energy. I find myself getting out a lot more, pursuing physical activity (had a great game of wiffleball Sunday afternoon!). My cigarette habit seems to be dwindling as well. I'm thinking of taking a stab at quitting. I'm also sleeping less but feeling more refreshed.

I have had a fairly persistent headache but this might be caused by reduced caffeine intake. The biggest problem I'm experiencing is with my knees, which feel like they are about to give out. This might also result from frequently taking flights of stairs in a single jump (I don't know why I do this - it's just fun, like being airborne). My old pair were a bit worn out so I picked up a new pair of New Balance's today hoping the Abzorb soles will help me out. I'm kind of sore from working out. As far as the problems are concerned I expect they'll fade as my body adjusts.

I probably should have consulted a doctor before attempting this but to be honest I didn't think I'd put it on so fast. I'm a little concerned about the extra strain on my heart but I'm hoping the cardio will compensate. I guess I should end this by saying "don't try this at home"...

Free Anti-Virus

Continuing with the free software... I'd used Norton and McAfee for quite some time. After purchasing a new hard drive for my laptop and reinstalling Windows XP I decided to look for something else to meet my anti-virus needs. The problem with Norton and McAfee is they both have a tendancy to take over your computer and getting them to uninstall is nearly impossible. Both have these annoying pop-ups that will actually interrupt other programs - I get extraordinarily pissed when I'm playing a first-person shooter online with a buddy and McAfee dumps me to the desktop to check for updates. I'm in charge around here, bitch! So I decided to kick both of them to the curb.

I asked a friend of mine who had recently hooked me up with some blazin' third party video drivers if he had any recommendations and he suggested AVG Free. I went to the website (link below), downloaded and installed. I've been using the software for about three months now and other than the little icon in the system tray I wouldn't even know it was there. In fact, the only problem I've had was when I ignored a warning and let a virus loose on my system, but the software contained it when I realized my mistake and I was able to eradicate the offender with no damage done. Pretty stupid mistake on my part - I was downloading a Linux distro from the maker of the distros site and thought I could trust them. AVG knew better and I should have listened...

The software scans incoming and outgoing emails and the default setup provides a fairly sensible level of protection. You can schedule regular virus scans and updated virus lists are also free. I'm using it in conjunction with the free version of AdAware and I'm happy with both. Grisoft, the manufacturer, also sells a version with more advanced features. They also have free and pay anti-spyware and anti-rootkit software.

You can check out the free antivirus here:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

If you're interested in their other products go here:
http://www.grisoft.com/

John Hodgman

I've really enjoyed watching John Hodgman on The Daily Show. So I went to The Daily Show website and found some nice video for you to look at:
















Yeah, he does the lame Mac commercials with the grubby looking Mac guy, but aside from that he's still the cream of the crop in terms of geek humor. The net neutrality piece is dead on...

Adobe CS3 for free?

Well, not quite. This is from the Daily Download over on CNet. It's a list of free alternatives to the programs in Adobe's Creative Suite 3, a $2500 software package. While not all of it is as sophisticated as it's Adobe counterparts some of it is extremely solid. I've used the Gimp before and would definitely recommend it as a Photoshop replacement. After reading this article I think I'm also going to try Komposer (the Dreamweaver substitute).

At the very least the article is a good introduction to the open source movement. If anyone has any experience with any of the programs listed please feel free to leave a comment with your impressions...

Part One:
http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9714054-12.html?tag=head
Part Two:
http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9714110-12.html?tag=more

Read more about the open source concept at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

Flickr update

I've updated my Flickr account by signing up for the subscription service, which for $24.95 a year allows unlimited uploads and higher resolutions. The immediate effect is that all of the photos I've uploaded to date are now available at my original upload resolution of 1600x1067 (previously they were only accessible at a maximum resolution of 1024x683).

It also means I have more options as far as organization is concerned (the free account only allows three sets and the "miscellaneous" set is getting pretty miscellaneous). I'm considering posting at much higher resolutions although I'm not sure this is necessary. However, I will be more likely to post stuff I might have skipped when space was limited.

Anyways, have a look if you are so inclined...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolmmagnesia/

Survey of area fast food, revisited

I'm going to continue this idea one restaurant at a time, when I happen to visit one which I haven't already covered. I figure this will allow me to approach the topic with a relatively fresh impression (ensuring that I will experience at least something fresh that day).

Today I went to Burger King, another chain with really creepy advertising. Burger King ads feature a masked "king" breaking into people's homes and offering them food. If I rolled over in bed and found this fast-food Jason lying next to me my first thought wouldn't be a ninety-nine cent breakfast. Of course on the flippity-flop (yeah, I just said that - go back and read it again if you don't believe me) I suppose from a marketing perspective anything is better than focusing on the food. The truth is the only reason I bring up the "evil king" at all is because the subtotal on my receipt was $6.66 and if I'm going to fast food hell I'm naming names...

The truth is I've always had a soft spot of sorts for Burger King, in the sense that when I think of the lowest of the low - McDonalds, Taco Bell, et al - I tend to cut BK a little bit of slack. Just a bit, like "dug out of a dumpster" versus "destined for the dumpster", but the distinction is there. I've only recently figured this out - when I was ten years old Burger King gave out New York Yankees baseball cards. Somehow that little marketing mind-fuck is still paying dividends all these years later.

On to the menu, not all that different from what I ate at McDonalds. In truth, it was just a little bit better. Although I'm sort of embarrassed to admit it, I kind of liked the chicken fries. Very overprocessed chicken but slender enough you could ignore the texture. There was some seasoning which kept the fryer-grease flavor at bay. Best of all? No detectable beaks or feet!

The seeded bun for the burger was an added bonus over McDonalds, making it at least look like food and not some sort of carrying case. I don't know if they actually grill on premises or paint on grill marks and spray it with "grill flavor" but either way they manage to vaguely convey the illusion. The fries were pretty standard.

I guess I'd choose BK over McDonalds. Thank god there are other alternatives...

Burger King Nutritional Information

Six of one...

I had lunch with an old friend today. The conversation turned to politics and he told me that he really couldn't wait for the Bush presidency to end, likening it to "senior-itis", that period near the end of high school when everything is essentially said and done and you're in that state of limbo, waiting to move on with your life. Formerly a staunch republican, he's now considering changing his voting registration to independent. Contemplating some recent well-publicized corporate scandals as well as his own experience working for a corporation, he remarked, somewhat horrified, that he thought he might be turning into a liberal. It's a condition afflicting many of my thoughtful conservative friends. These people I once turned to for a good-natured (if sometimes heated) argument seem to have the wind taken from their sails. The best I can get is half-hearted and that's really no fun. Far from claiming victory I credit those friends now willing to take their lumps, because in my mind they're the victims of betrayal.

It's not all rosy on the other side. I like the recent strong stand by the Congress but I know which way the political winds are blowing and there is no doubt in my mind that when it changes course it's all going to fall apart again. Hillary won't go away as a candidate. Like George Bush, I'm sure she has an agenda and one which we won't have an inkling of until the day she assumes office. I'll credit her for sticking to her position on the war when so many others have done a politically motivated about face. It's just too bad that position is the same one that ensures GW's legacy as the worst president in American history. The irony is that she is probably the candidate most hated by those on the right. If she gets the nod it's gonna be ugly. Given the democrats proven ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory I'd have to call her the current favorite.

Sadly I don't see any candidates on either side that inspire. It's so bad that I've heard people calling for Al Gore to make another run (although he's gotten a bit puffy - maybe we shouldn't ask for more than a brisk walk). Barrack seems kind of hip and groovy but, as the folks at Fox News have repeatedly asked, is America ready for a president who's middle name is "Hussein"? (Yes, they really did ask that). Personally I'd like to see Bill Bradley throw his hat in the ring but I get the impression he's just as disgusted by the state of things as I am.

So I'd just like to let all my conservative friends know that this lefty is now a registered independent as well. Maybe we can all get together and ignore the neo-nazis and the dirty hippies and the one-issue voters and the sound-bite quoters. Maybe we can fend off the influence of the lobbyists and the Hollywood elite and Karl Rove, whichever campaign he should happen to infest. Maybe we can demand leadership, accountability and a government that governs instead of campaigning. Maybe we can get Ross Perot to jump in, so at the very least this thing is entertaining. Because I've got the senior-itis too, and it would be really nice to look forward to something good.

Sorry for ranting...

Beck who?

Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys

I've been a fan of Arctic Monkeys since their debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. When I bought that album it owned the CD player in my car for a good two weeks straight. With their followup effort they continue what they started and take it to the next level. The production and musicianship has stepped up a notch, but if you were a fan of the first album you will find a lot to like.

Arctic Monkeys are a rarity among modern punk bands, being one of the few with a truly solid and inventive rhythm section. They never seem content with simply chugging along with a handful of palm-muted power chords like many of their alternative brethren. They liberally use musical spaces to great creative effect, a lost art in popular music in general. The bass player and drummer work very well together, keeping the performances tight despite the fact that they're often quite frenetic.

The band manages to start with relatively simple progressions and massively expand them in a very short time. The longest song on the album clocks in at 4:34 but most of them are less than three minutes. There is very little filler. The album opens with "Brainstorm" and it's absolutely frantic single-note riff, a sign of things to come. Melodically the album is very sophisticated, often eschewing standard rock minor and major scale ideas. Innovative use of elements of surf jump out. They frequently chose notes evoking a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern feel. I haven't picked up a guitar yet to try and figure any of this out but I'm thinking, off the top of my head, that it might be some harmonic minor or maybe the phrygian mode (if I had to take a guess).

The lyrics are clever and gritty. I like the fact that the singer tries to squeeze them into the music rather than abridge them for an easier fit. It lends an energy to the vocals that perfectly compliments the musicianship.

My favorite two songs thus far are "Teddy Picker", a muscular little rocker, and "Balaclava", a frenzied example of Arctic Monkeys at their finest.

Go out right now and buy this album. While you're at it, buy their first one as well. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Spiderman 3

I went to see Spiderman 3 with a friend last night and thought I would share my impressions. All in all I can't say I was totally satisfied but it worked well as a mindless popcorn flick. (**Warning: there may be some spoilers here but I'll try not to give too much away**)

I'd read some reviews before seeing the film and find myself a little puzzled. Most of my complaints with the film weren't addressed, and the complaints I read seem insignificant in retrospect. For example, a lot of reviewers had a problem with the Venom symbiote crash-landing on earth in such close proximity to Peter Parker. I suspect none of those reviewers read any comic books when they were younger, because that kind of stuff happens all the time. Improbable? Yes. But so is getting super-powers from an irradiated spider. Comic book plots are largely based on the probability of the impossible and require a total suspension of disbelief.

I had a bigger problem with the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, who spend the entire movie treating each other so horribly that by the end I really didn't care if they got back together. In fact, I think it would have been better if they hadn't as they are clearly lacking any mutual respect or trust for each other. Mary Jane spends the first half of the movie whining because she doesn't have any acting/singing talent. Peter tries to be sympathetic and she throws it back in his face. Later, Mary Jane tries to reach out and comfort Peter when he discovers a previously unknown and disturbing detail regarding the death of his uncle. Peter blows off Mary Jane, and in a later scene punches her in the face (accidentally, but as the grand finale of a "Peter behaves like an asshole" scene). Gwen Stacey, although central to much of this, seems less a character and more a plot contrivance.

There are a lot of subplots, and in the end they do manage to tie everything together. Unfortunately it all seems rushed. I would have rather they had skipped the whole relationship subplot and focused instead on fleshing out some of the other material. Additionally, the two musical numbers could have been cut.

There were some undeniably bizarre attempts at humor which seemed extremely out of place until I considered Sam Raimi's film history. Raimi directed The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness and his sense of humor is apparent. The "Peter Parker, emo sex symbol" scenes were pretty cringe-worthy, but I loved the bit with Bruce Campbell as the pseudo-French maitre d'. I also laughed when Peter refered to Harry as "goblin junior", although I probably wasn't supposed to - it was just relief that he finally showed a little much-needed backbone in that particular relationship.

The special effects were absolutely amazing although sometimes a little too busy. At times during the opening fight scene between Spiderman and Harry Osborne it was difficult to follow the action. The effects for the Sandman, on the other hand, were simply incredible. Venom looked a little too computer generated. Topher Grace wasn't the best choice for the role, as he's basically just Tobey Maguire lite, and I kept waiting for someone to pop up and tell him he was being a dumbass.

The movie ends well, with all the myriad details of the plot finally resolved. It nicely caps the movie's theme of acceptance and forgiveness, although it is somewhat dark.

I've been a fan of Spiderman since I was a little kid, and for me this movie was a must-see. I recommend it - it's not bad but I think it could have been better.

A survey of area fast food restaurants

As anyone who knows me can tell you, I am excessively slim. In fact, I could probably put on twenty pounds and still be relatively thin. Lately I've been trying to gain a little weight. The main problem is that I work irregular hours and trying to establish a routine of three squares a day is difficult. So I've been hitting some of the local fast food establishments in my quest for excessive poundage...

McDonalds:

Might as well start with the bright shining symbol of crap food. Everything about McDonalds screams "fake processed food". The molded plastic decor, the shiny plastic logo, even the garishly colored plastic kiddy playground. They even symbolize the ultimate in dead end jobs. You go to McDonalds to die.

I hadn't eaten here since I saw Super Size Me and probably wouldn't have if I hadn't decided to write a blog about fast food. Even then, I swear, there was some subconscious resistance. I had to force myself to get out of the car. A little voice in the back of my head kept spamming me: "You don't have to do this".

I tried a burger, the small McNuggets, fries and a milkshake. The fries were edible. I just don't get the burger - if you didn't know better you'd swear it was just a bun, because that's pretty much all you can see. That and this little blob of ketchup, where I imagine some machine injects a specified portion into the interior. Kinda like NASA's recent Mars missions - I suppose it would be too dangerous (and too costly) to have a human being do the job. The burger was bland but edible as long as I didn't give it too much thought while eating.

The McNuggets were the same, deriving most of their flavor, it seemed, from the oil in the deep fryer. The texture is bizarre - what did they do to those poor chickens? The milkshake was sickeningly sweet, with very little creaminess. It was like drinking strawberry jam.

I imagine leaving McDonalds feels about the same as leaving a hard-core pornography store: you feel kind of dirty, and you hope you don't run into anyone you know. Afterwards I felt bloated and sluggish. An hour or two later I crashed hard. I don't recommend the place, and I won't go back.

Sinapis Pizza:

I used to love this place but hadn't been there for a long time. I met my old roommate for lunch there yesterday, because it's close to where he works. I think that pretty much sums up the secret of Sinapis success: location, location, location! They're right next to the mall, right next to several corporate office parks, and they are always busy.

I appreciate good service, I'll tolerate poor service, but purposely bad service really bothers me. You have to work hard to provide service this appallingly bad, which makes absolutely no sense. The problem with bad service is that it often creates problems you don't want to deal with, and basically just perpetuates itself. Get over yourself and take a little pride in your work! On a scale of one to five I'll give Sinapis four Soup Nazis. Although probably deserving a five, I'll cut them a break for the simple fact that no one yelled "No pizza for you!"

Which brings me to the pizza: I ordered a couple of plain slices. The crust was great - a fantastic golden brown canvas that could have been used to create a masterpiece. I could take or leave the sauce. The big problem was the cheese. I'd ordered a Snapple green tea. The "fun fact" on the bottle cap said that a glass ball would bounce higher than a rubber ball. I think a Sinapis cheese ball would bounce about as high as the rubber ball...

Quiznos:

I avoided Quiznos for a long time, mainly due to their advertising. The first Quiznos commercials I can remember had these bizarre creatures I can only describe as talking hairballs singing some weird lo-fi song about how they "love the subs". They were clearly courting the stoner crowd and I figured they had Taco Bell-style food that you had to be baked off your ass to endure. They followed this up with talking baby commercials that seemed to confirm my suspicions.

A friend and I took a drive down to Orange, CT one day to check out some music stores. Hungry and unfamiliar with the area we stopped at a Quiznos based on his recommendation. I've been hooked ever since.

They make a really great sub - good bread, decent meats and cheeses and fresh toppings, toasted to perfection. Add a drink and you can get all that (and a bag of chips) for under ten bucks. It's one of the few fast food restaurants I frequent on a regular basis.

Two caveats: if possible, don't order it to go - it's better if you eat it at the restaurant. That's not a knock - any hot food worth eating will suffer if it sits for too long. Also, try going at off hours when they're not too busy. They use a conveyor oven and if you send too many things through at once the temperature drops and they come out undercooked. Again, not a knock just acceptance of the physical laws of the universe.

Boston Market:

I've always liked Boston Market, mainly because I'm a big fan of comfort food. Boston Market offers a quality product at a reasonable price (please keep in mind that we're talking relative to other fast food restaurants - it certainly doesn't compare to my mom's cooking). They have a nice variety that makes for a pleasant change from typical fast food.

I think this is enough for now. It's likely I'll revisit this topic again. One thing I'd like to make clear: I don't advocate visiting any fast food restaurant, particularly in light of America's obesity epidemic. In fact I think that fast food is a big part of the problem. If you are looking for some sensible information on nutrition, try some of the links below:

http://www.nutrition.gov/
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/nutrition.htm
http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Nutritional information for the restaurants mentioned in this post (sorry, no information on Sinapis was available):

Quiznos
Boston Market
McDonalds

My experience with an MLM cult

I had an interesting experience last night. Earlier in the day I'd received a voice mail from a guy who said he had met me a while back, we had talked about my job, and that he worked for a company that was hiring if I was interested. He was specific enough that I figured I had simply forgotten the conversation.

I was curious, because I am in fact looking for a new job. I called him back and he told me that he worked for a major corporation (which I won't mention by name) that sold financial services and that they were opening five new offices and were desperate for people. I don't have any experience in the field but he said that they would provide training. He also told me they were holding a meeting for potential recruits that night and invited me to attend.

I was suspicious but figured the interview practice was worthwhile and it was only about two miles from home. I decided to check it out.

I arrived early and was given a name tag and asked to sign an attendance sheet. About sixty folding chairs were arranged auditorium-style. At the front of the room was a laptop attached to a projector. After I signed in they ushered me to a chair in the front row and told me "Frank" (not his real name), the guy who had called me, would be with me in a couple of minutes.

There were motivational posters plastered all over the walls, along with promotional materials for the company. When I saw the name of the company a bell went off in my head but I couldn't quite make a connection.

Frank showed up and introduced himself. He sat down in the chair next to me and started engaging in what I initially took for small-talk. After a couple of minutes I realized he was kind of feeling me out, steering the conversation from one topic to the next although I wasn't really sure where we were headed. I kept my answers neutral. He was enthusiastic and friendly, funny even, but didn't come off as totally sincere.

Frank left me to talk to some other people so I took a look around the room. I noted that they had seated people dressed professionally in the front rows and tiered the level of dress so that the most slovenly-attired made up the back row.

Frank came back and chatted briefly and then the presentation began. Three equally enthusiastic speakers talked about the company's success, the quality of their products, and the extreme income potential we could enjoy if we were on board. They railed against "dead-end corporate" jobs. Each of them had a story regarding their own prior employment and how the company had essentially set them free. They continually ended their sentences by reading a name off of one of our name tags, an almost subliminal sounding punctuation.

They asked a lot of emotionally appealing questions and quickly provided answers. Towards the end Frank even showed us a slide of his two young daughters, and told us that thanks to the company their college education was already secured. I've just recalled that earlier, when discussing how the company provided all the necessary sales tools, Frank had mentioned that even the presentation we were watching had been downloaded from the corporate website.

The presentation ended, on the dot, exactly one hour after it had begun. Frank hustled me into an office and asked me if I was interested. I told him it sounded interesting but I'd need to give it a little thought. To be honest I was a little confused by the whole thing. Even if it was legitimate it really didn't sound like my bag. Frank wanted to set up a one-on-one interview later on in the week and even invited my spouse to attend. I told him I wasn't married but agreed to the interview, figuring that if I confirmed my suspicions I could cancel.

I went home and googled the company. Most of the results were corporate pages although there was a Wikipedia entry. I clicked on that. For the most part it came off as legit although there was a section saying that "some people" claim it's multi-level marketing. Although this was enough to seal the deal I was still curious. Unfortunately there was no elaboration, so I typed in the company name and "scam". Bingo! 51,400 results.

I started scanning URLs, looking for a reputable source. Nothing popped up so I settled for some guy's blog. It turns out he had attended a meeting and was looking for other opinions. There were over a hundred comments. I started reading through them, encountering a pitched battle between former employees, current employees and various others. Most of the current employees came off as kool-aid drinkers, and fairly early on copped to the fact that it was a pyramid scheme, although a "legal" one. During the presentation they had stressed that it definitely was NOT multi-level marketing. As I went down the list I noticed these people slowly conceding point after point until they eventually surrendered in silence.

To make a long story slightly less long: I called Frank the next day and politely cancelled the interview. The job hunt continues...

Bill gets his butt kicked...

There are few people I dislike more than Bill O'Reilly. He's pompous, arrogant, and just plain stupid. O'Reilly never addresses the point, just dances around it in search of an ad hominem attack. His influence on American political debate is overwhelmingly negative. He represents that faction of the Republican party that cares only for their own self interest, at the active expense of everyone who disagrees with their position.

A good friend recently posted an anti-O'Reilly blog with a link to a YouTube video. Initially, I resisted following that link, because frankly I've heard quite enough from Bill. But in responding I felt it incumbent to address what he had to say. This lead me to some other O'Reilly fuck-ups on YouTube that I thought I'd share with you:

O'Reilly gets the crap kicked out of him from the left AND the right (by a Democratic party strategist and a FOX NEWS analyst - it wouldn't surprise me if this guy lost his job for this because he really helps put O'Reilly on the ropes):



Phil Donahue goes into Satan's lair and kicks his ass! Phil is one of the few capable of talking loudly over O'Reilly's blather. I'm not always a big fan of Phil but he performs admirably here:



Keith Olbermann smacks down Bill. Highlight - Stewie from "Family Guy" does the intro! Quite honestly this illustrates more than anything else the evil that is Bill O'Reilly:



My personal favorite. I liked what David Letterman had to say to O'Reilly. I wish I could find the entire interview. I can't, but I think what I was able to find sums this up quite well:



I wish someone would say this to our president...

Photos!

A beautiful day today, with the weather and life in general conspiring in perfect harmony. I spent the the afternoon with my nephew, playing in my parent's backyard. The dogs got involved. Everywhere were signs of spring, plants blooming and bugs foraging.

I had taken some pictures three days ago of budding plants and trees and I went back to some of them today. Where I'd found a single dandelion I now found three. Plants that had seemingly just opened their eyes previously now appeared wide awake.

It never ceases to amaze me - the power of a good day. I've had many lately, and they seem to build upon themselves, magically reproducing more. I truly believe that outlook is fundamentally important to fully enjoy life.

I created a Flickr account today, which you can visit at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolmmagnesia/

I've posted a few pictures from today and some from three days ago.

Random thought

I don't have any proof of this, it's really just idle speculation on my part, but I get the distinct impression that Fred Thompson is waiting to see if Law And Order gets picked up for another season before deciding on a bid for the presidency.

Another take on the Mac Vs. PC Debate

I thought this was kind of amusing...