Discovery

I think I’ve discovered one of the worst possible ways to listen to my .mp3 collection. I made a smart playlist in iTunes of the 25 least played songs in my library. So it goes out and makes a playlist of 25 random songs I’ve never listened to, or maybe only once. I think I just heard Sting, then Miles Davis, then The Descendents, and now The Get Up Kids. Then once it plays a song that one disappears from the list and is replaced by another mismatch. Puts me in a very odd mood.

Not Like Summer Camp

As reported by Yahoo! News, A North Carolina congressman who’s a member of a homeland security committee said that he supports the government’s decision during the second world war to intern Japanese-American citizens. I can’t believe (okay, well I can) that we entrust our well-being to people like this. I mean, after the Trent Lott thing, you’d think that our heads of state would be smart enough to pass easy tests. You know, questions like, “Is racial hatred a bad thing?” or “Should all innocent citizens be treated equally?” I guess it is at least good they’re not smart enough to hold their tongues so that we find out about this stuff.

Update

News Flash!

The Second Renaissance Part 1 is now up at theanimatrix.com.

Idiots Never Learn

Fark links to a Yahoo! news article containing the following passage:

Judith Levine, author of Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex, said she, too, questioned using popular culture to convey messages.

“Did Shakespeare ever talk about safe sex? Do comic books?” Levine asked.”

Wow man. It upsets me (but does not surprise) that uptight people actually listen to people like Ms. Levine. Let’s assume that Yahoo! isn’t taking her quote way out of context and that this person really did say the above. Come on! I’ve read my share of Shakespeare, and I’m pretty sure that he was all about condom use and birth control. I’m also sure that he was an upstanding citizen whose work has become timeless because of his responsiblie commentary on society and morals. shakes head I’m also sure that Judith Levine is up on the world of comic books.

But seriously, how can she be opposed to using popular culture as a vehicle for social discussion? Obviously we’d like for all parents to set good examples for their kids, monitor their activities, and make sure that they’re knowledgable about important issues, but that hasn’t happened but like a dozen times, ever, in the history of parenting. So she’s rather Dawson’s Creek not remind kids to use condoms?

Oh I give up.

Animatrix

The first short from the Animatrix is supposed to go online today. They’re going to web publish four of them and then release those plus five more as a DVD before The Matrix Reloaded comes out. Look for it on the What is the Matrix? website.

Ladies and Gentlebots, I present to you...

The Principality of East Computron “All hail The Programogenetor.”

UN Category: Democratic Socialists Civil Rights: Average Economy: Developing Political Freedoms: Some

The Principality of East Computron is a tiny, safe nation, notable for its compulsory military service. Its compassionate population of 5 million are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it is mainly concerned with Social Welfare, although Religion & Spirituality and Healthcare are secondary priorities. The average income tax rate is 50%, and even higher for the wealthy. A very small private sector is dominated by the Arms Manufacturing industry.

Crime — especially youth-related — is totally unknown. East Computron’s national animal is the Household Affection Unit 5000, which frolics freely in the nation’s many lush forests, and its currency is the Credit.

Make your own, why don’t you!

Your Daily Dose of RDF

Wow, so Apple’s finished blowing its wad all over the face of the computing industry for the next few months. Let’s racap, shall we?

• Final Cut Express - Junior version of Pro
• iLife - Updates to iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD
• Keynote - Presentation authoring software
• Safari - Apple-made web browser based on open source code
• Airpot Extreme - 802.11g wireless internet, really fast, backwards and forwards compatible with 802.11b
• 17” Powerbook - a laptop with a 17” widescreen display, integrated Bluetooth and 802.11g, backlit keyboard that only lights up when the room gets dark, Firewire 800
• 12” Powerbook - a Powerbook that’s smaller than current iBooks

Ah the Things We Didn't Understand in Our Youth!

Here’s an excerpt from X-Entertainment’s Super Mario Bros. 2 Villain Character Guide:

Trouter: These evil fish will jump out of waterfalls when they sense Mario’s presence. Okay, that’s a lie - they’ll jump out of waterfalls whether you’re there or not. But if you are there, try to avoid hopping into them. They don’t like it, and you won’t like it much either. As an added bonus, and I regret the need to be crass with this - Trouter looks like a vagina with googly eyes. Gamers can still get laid.

Window to the Past

The BBC has a story on some nerd named Phil Gyford who is turning the diary of Samuel Pepys (pronounced “peeps”) into a weblog. Pepys lived in the 17th century and witnessed the Great Fire of London and the Plague. You can check out the BBC story here or just go right to the blog.

Score 1 for Our Neighbors to the North...

I heard on the radio driving home tonight that Canada’s supreme court ruled against common law marriages today. Now, I don’t care much about Canada or their stupid laws, but this makes me happy. Apparently some couple broke up and tried to make the courts settle their stuff as if they had been married, and Canada’s supreme court decided that you only get to be treated like you’re married is you’re actually married. Aside from the unfortunate fact that society isn’t ready to allow gay marriages, I just think that common law marriages are retarded as shit. If you’re with someone and you want to live together and all that, just go to the court and get a marriage liscence. All a legal marriage means is that you’re asking the government to endorce your relationship and you get tax breaks and can sue the person for divorce and shit. It doesn’t have to be official or big if you don’t want it to be. I understand that some people are anti-title or anti-religion and don’t think that they need an institution to tell them blah blah hippie blah blah. I’m just glad that Canada’s courts were like, hey listen, if you don’t want to spend one afternoon at the court filing a marriage liscense then don’t expect the government to stick up for you later. I hate it when people think that they can have it both ways.