Training

I was in training for 3 full days this week.

I was amazed at how damn rude some of the people in my organization were. They were carrying on side conversations, some work related and some not. It was going on almost constantly. I even had one guy start one with me and I told him "We can talk at the next break".

It made it really hard to concentrate and I expect it could impact my test score, though I felt pretty good about it after I took the test today. I have to wait a week or so to see if I passed. There was one question that I knew I should have known the answer to, but I just couldn't pull it. I checked after the test was over and I guessed wrong. I am sure I made other bad guesses too.

I am glad it's over, because all the sitting actually made my legs ache! I am used to moving around more.

The point here I guess is, try to be considerate if you are an adult in a training class and don't be a dick.

TV On The Radio

The helped my bad day...good band!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUB1xSAAADk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqI0FYN-r5c&feature=related
They seem to like white people getting shot? Kidding..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uo2WLQ2LVA

They remind me a bit of Roxy Music, with a bit more soul.

Oh, the people who bitch about be posting so many youtube clips can bite me. It's just a simple way to GET YOU TO THE MEDIA. Artists and labels have been getting tight with free stuff, so shut up and stop reading my posts if you don't like it, you ingrates.

Bad Day

Yes, we all have them. I was in a class today that was moderately overwhelming and came home (very late) to a son sitting his lame ass in front of the X-Box till 8PM. I had to yell at him to get his ass upstairs to eat and take a shower. I hate being mad enough to yell like that, it is so easily avoidable.

So the young man is in the shower and I decide to catch up on news of the day and just get more bad news.

Some A-Holes killing Sea Lions in Galapagos, for no reason;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7214860.stm

I saw a story about a mother who killed her little baby in the microwave oven, which I will not post because it makes me sick.

The FBI and SEC are just NOW investigating the mess that was the "sub-prime" lending practice of 2 years ago.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7216602.stm

Anyone in the US had to see hundreds of fliers/ads like I did when this was going on, right? Didn't these make it to any FBI agents back then? I was freaked out for 2 years about the whole practice and have been grinning at the losses people around the world have had because of it. Why did no one raise the alarm before now? Who the hell has the reigns around here? Are you all blind? It serves you all right to lose cash like you have. I will be damned if I will pay for all of your losses through my taxes too (like I will realistically have a choice?). You made your money and then lost it. Not my fault and you are just back to where you were 3 years ago. Deal with it. A US recession is probably the best thing that we could have happen right now. Seriously.

I have purposely kept ALL of my investments out of the Stock (crash) Market. I plan to continue that practice, because you just can't trust greedy fucking humans.

Oh, things in Kenya and Burma are still screwed. Happy day!

Testbild!

Yeah, it's like Devo on Prozac. Testbild is Swedish for Test pattern (I think).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqMEcpCYrGk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z90PXXQy_zA

There are clips on Radio Khartoum; http://www.radiokhartoum.com/friendly.htm#house
A friend of Friendly Noise.

Breast Milk News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7208941.stm

I need a volunteer to help me out here. I wasn't breast fed as a baby and need to catch up.

How's Your Socialized Medical Care?

It's not a glowing testament to the concept!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7214066.stm

The Sky Is Falling

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/asteroid-20080125.html

It's only 800 feet across. No big deal I guess, but it's passing really close. They don't say it, but in the past, asteroids and comets get caught in the gravitational field when they pass by a planet. Like Hale Bopp did, but that was Jupiter, a much larger planet.

I think a rock the size of a football stadium could do some serious damage if it held together on the way in. Forget global warming, the sky is falling! Panic about this!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/01/26/dead.satellite.ap/index.html

Yep, even our own spy satellites are trying to kill us. This one is a secret though, so hush you...

Will The Ice Caps Melt In 5 Years?

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/will_the_ice_caps_melt.html

Yale says no.

Zezao Street Art

That's interesting too.
http://www.lost.art.br/zezao_21.htm

Click the little pictures at the top.

The main site has a lot of other cool features; http://www.lost.art.br

Why sewers though? I guess it won't get painted over...

The GO! Team

I picked up the new CD, Proof of Youth. Um, it's ok. If you heard Thunder Lightning Strike (TLS) then you heard this too, it's nothing new.

I am amazed that they did nothing to improve the quality of the recordings, based on the basement tunes on the last CD.

Ever heard of a studio? They have production engineers and professional mixers. Were you too cheap for all that?

I loved the TLS CD because it was raw and youthful, but I was ready for this group to grow up and do something a bit more polished. I think they may need to grow up some more??

That's Cold!

The Harbin Ice Festival!

http://picasaweb.google.com/darranrussell/HarbinIceFestival/photo#5088851330812158530

Delete my MySpace Page??

Yeah, they want to "make it so".
http://mashable.com/2008/01/21/delete-your-myspace-account-day/

WTF, I never use my MS page and I hated it enough to come to this forum. Consider it whacked!

My "friends" there were mostly bands and freaks anyway.

Why am I doing this though?

Bansky Street Art

Interesting stuff!
http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/banksy/banksy.htm

I like this kind of street art. Most of these are actually "preserved" in some fashion. That's cool of you Brits.

Margaret Cho gives up TMI

Too much information, you bleeder...

http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/01/19/leave-britney-alone.html

Um, this chick isn't even 40 and she throws this out there like Mommy Dearest? Save this crap for retirement or post-mortem, when someone might want to make a movie about you. This sounds more like a horror movie in the making.

Saudi Women Can Get A Room

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7201643.stm

A huge improvement. Next I think they might be able to be allowed to be in public with a man who is not their husband and get gang raped and get sentenced to 200 lashes (yeah, by whip). What a great place. Lets sell them billions in US weapons!!

NSFW

Which means NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

A Refreshing Tune

http://www.friendlynoise.se/mp3/New%20Year's%20Eve.mp3 (right click and Save as).

Not always on key, but I get their drift. I think the name of the band is "New Years Eve". Not sure.

Funnie!

http://www.spike.com/player/?ifilmId=2857285

I get jokes, sucker.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/10628667#10628667

The Doctor

Yeah, I had a physical today. It included that favorite magic trick, "hide the finger". This amounts to the Doc hiding his finger, my biting my tongue off and the finger reappearing, a bit disheveled.
I might like a mammogram more, but I hear those are super painful. I had an EKG test too which was a first. They let me leave, so I guess I passed. So you will have to continue reading these often idiotic blogs.

Oh, speaking of doctors; Doctor Who starts back up on the 26th on BBC America.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/characters/
Check it out if you get that channel

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible

They hail from Australia.

http://www.beonlineb.com/click_around.html
This is interactive and very creative. Keep clicking!

The tune Rebellion (lies) from the CD Funeral is really good.

A little U2-ish.

Music in an elevator is a little over the top though..

Get with it.
I heard a preview of the new CD and it didn't "wow" me. They can't all be gems, right?

Built To Spill

They are like Blink 182 meets Weezer. Pretty good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6omZ5GsuGrI

A Live Jam



Another video, Conventional Wisdom

Women Don't Need Men For Anything Anymore

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7194161.stm

Since we aren't needed, all men are hereby directed to meet at the local pub Sunday to make plans to hit the strip clubs after the Football game's over.

NASA Posts Some Messenger Media

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/multimedia/index.html

Pretty cool stuff. We should learn a lot when the craft finally settles into it's steady orbit, which will take years.

The videos at the bottom are nice too.

My Kid Must Be A Surgeon

He is on the Wii or X-Box360 non stop. He wanted to go into game development (ah-hem) but I am thinking medical school might be in his future!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7193588.stm

How Black Can You Get??

Move over people, we have a new record.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7190107.stm

I do love nano tubes. So small and unpredictable. They didn't even scratch the black surface of using these for ultra dark fabric for military applications. Kick ass!

Serve Me Up Some Clones

What could possibly go wrong?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7190305.stm

Duh...I saw Star Wars. Clones = BAD. Does humanity need this to advance? Even if it's animals. No.

Bunny In A Tree

My head almost exploded when I saw this. For some insane reason my neighbor has placed their cheap fake ceramic bunny posed in the tree in front of their house.

Bunnies don’t go in trees! They can’t climb with those tiny arms. They do not belong in trees! I know in Winnie The Pooh, Rabbit lived in a tree trunk, I think. http://disney.go.com/characters/pooh/html/meet/rabbit.html

But that was a damn cartoon! This is a real tree. If it’s still there tomorrow I may have to attack the glazed rodent and put an end to this madness.

Don't Fall For This One

Watch your step or it's all over...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/7185720.stm

So I Am Like An Octopus

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7179368.stm

I liked Mr. Potato head too, as a kid. I don't recall hiding food in one, but I would not count that out.

Today I just bake or broil the bastards and slap some butter or sour cream on them with spices. That won't fly in a Salt Water tank.

Ever Get Roped Into Doing Someone Elses Job?

I just did today. There is this one branch at work (the one we get the most customer complaints about, except the Helpdesk) and now I get stuck for at least a few days, having to ignore my regular customers, so I can support fixing a problem with a service I have nothing to do with. I find a lot of the people in this branch to be very lazy. Nice guys, but lazy.

I don't know how it happened, but I am not happy about it (Duh). I didn't do it, but someone else certainly did. I will probably never get the whole story on that or be able to lay blame. Like I am being treated like a freaking cocktail waitress.

Oh, I don't mean to denigrate the tough job cocktail waitresses face each and every day.

And if you are a cocktail waitress, denigrate means to put something someone does down, or put them down.

St Vincent

Wow, she can play those strings. She just needs a band behind her!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFrCIVoVj7A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-24m-KRkn0

Maybe not?

Indian's Aren't Packing

Sometimes the headline speaks for itself!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6161691.stm

And I thought that stereotype was Japanese men! (No offence to any orientals)

Fanfarlo

Another band I would love to pick up a CD by, but they have no LP! Just a few singles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVwvozAFe8Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e6453HyewA

Get it together and I will support you guys.

Emmy The Great

I wouldn't call her "high energy", but at least she's not another breathy piano player! Very cute..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gOpULt67dU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSdnTZuXw7Y&feature=related

Recording music in a moving cab?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2q_Lpk2JUQ&feature=related

Yes, there is a site dedicated to it;

http://www.blackcabsessions.com/sessions.php

The Genius of George Lois

http://www.georgelois.com/esquire.html

Click on and read the Biography link. People like him are few and far between.

Holly Walsh Hates Smoking?

This was the best laugh I have had all week!
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2038916191

The other videos are on the right side of her main site. She is cleverly cute.
http://www.myspace.com/hollydwalsh

Pam Anderson vs Wall

Yeah, the wall is winning and Pam is hitting it head on. Apply directly to the forehead!

http://www.hollywoodtuna.com/?p=4122

Sad, she is two shakes away from looking like the Crypt Keeper!

It's sad, she was such a POA.

The End Of Another Year

Get it?

U.S. Children Are Very Unhappy

Only the UK have children sadder than in the U.S.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6360517.stm

Come on guys, we have to try harder. One click away from the saddest kids. No more Hannah Montana would probably seal the deal. No more Pokemon either.

On a serious note though; I see more and more marriages slipping into divorce over really stupid things that people could work out. Worse, I see people stay together and not try to work things out and just make themselves even more miserable, along with the rest of the family.

Why would kids be so sad? Because the kids are learning the same bad behavior from their parents that we parents learned from our own. We are all just a bunch of cheaters here in the good old "Church lovin'" USA. If you say "no" to that, odds are you are lying. There are a few "good" ones out there, but they never seem to find a "good" mate. It's pretty sad to watch and why I stay alone now.

I do have a positive suggestion; Suspend the Death tax and institute a Divorce tax. All assets are liquidated and 1/3 goes to the state with the remaining 2/3 is split between the couple. Any kids are immediately sent to Foster care for a year, to let the parents sort themselves out. Divorce rates would plummet.