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RIP MCA
Growing up I was a huge Beastie Boys fan. In fact Licensed to Ill was the first album I bought with my own money. Over the weekend I wrote a long post about the Beastie Boys and Adam Yauch, but I couldn’t get the words our how I wanted them, so I scrapped it. This is a nice little video with MCA’s opening lines from every Beastie Boys song. It sucks seeing part of my childhood die, especially since Adam was so young.
via Xeni at Boingboing
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Not looking forward to vacation
A week from today I will be on vacation. Is it sad that I’m not really looking forward to it? We are heading down to Branson, and meeting up with the rest of my family. Branson is my Mom’s most favorite place on earth, and we are staying at her timeshare. I’ve been there before, and while there are lots of things to do, none of them excite me too much. My Sister-in-law has actually planned the week out, so I guess that’s good. All i know is that We have one day in an amusement park, and another at a water park. Not my idea of fun, but I’m just a party pooper I guess.
I’m going through Internet withdrawals already. We will have Internet access, but I won’t get my usual 12 to 14 hour fix. Some people like to unplug for vacations — not me. I’m dreading the backlog of rss feeds and podcasts I will have when I get home. I should learn that it’s ok if I miss some, but I can’t. I’m actually looking forward to the 13 hour drive home the most. It will be 13 hours of podcast listening heaven for me.
It also looks like it’s really hot down there already. I’m from North Dakota — I don’t like it much warmer than 70°. Oh well, I will try to have fun. I guess many people don’t have the luxury to be able to take a vacation every year, so I should be thankful for that.
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What are the limits to free speech?
So there is some anti-choice* group in town trying to spread their message. I’m all for people’s freedom of speech and their ability to spread whatever message they want. Speech that you don’t agree with is probably the hardest to defend, but it should be defended notheless. As long as your not hurting anyone, or interfering with anybody else’s rights.
This group was holding large, 4’x6′, pictures of dead babies. I tried not to look, but it was impossible not to. They situated themselves right where you had to look to make a turn at the intersection. The pictures were obviously not aborted babies. They were more like mutilated six-month-olds. Pretty disturbing stuff. There were reports of school children having problems in school after seeing the images. I think that is going to far. There are limits to free speech, and I think disturbing kids crosses that line. Does this kind of behavior really change people’s opinion on topics? I think being offensive just for the sake of being offensive makes you look ignorant and stupid, but maybe that’s just me.
I will never understand people that are hellbent on taking away the rights of others. If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t get one. If you don’t like abortion, don’t get one. If you don’t like broccoli, don’t eat it. Let people live their own lives, and don’t worry about their business. Isn’t this suppose to be the land of the free?
*I call them anti-choise because many pro-choice people like myself are against abortion too.
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Jonathan Coulton’s “First of May” interpreted in sign
I wish I would have ran across this version of Jonathan Coulton’s “First of May” yesterday. Oh well.
via Cory at Boingboing
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Chillin’ in the hammock tonight
from Instagram: http://instagr.am/p/KGzXQLAitT/ -
I so want this clock
How cool is this clock? It looks like there is a person in it drawing the minute hand every minute, but it’s really just a video.
via reddit
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Sunspots!!!
I got solar filters for my binoculars today, and was able to see sunspots. It was pretty damn cool. You can read more about it, and my other ventures into amateur astronomy on my amateur astronomy blog at amateurstargazer.com.
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Nirvana’s first performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
I ran across this video the other day. It claims to be Nirvana’s first ever performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and I believe it. Kurt would often make up the lyrics has he went along, and this version obviously has different lyrics. It kills me that I never got the chance to see Nirvana live.
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I need a hair cut
from Instagram: http://instagr.am/p/J0zTQtAim1/ -
Don’t let Photoshop fool you
So this image has been popping up on Facebook.
My conservative family is always looking for things to attack Obama on. They are all outraged over this — obviously photoshopped — picture of Obama using is left hand. As if using your left hand means anything different — but anyway. I noticed right away that Obama’s ring looks wrong, and then I noticed the Marine in the background. It’s so obvious that the image was reversed. I didn’t need Snopes to sniff this one out, but they did have the original image.
I don’t care where you stand politically, as long as your beliefs are based on facts. Conservatives seem to be controlled by fear, and a simple Photoshop job gets them all worked up.
