House 228-205 Vote To Reject Bailout!

American can breathe a sigh of relief today.

From the MSNBC article:

Stocks plummeted on Wall Street even before the 228-205 vote to reject the bill was announced on the House floor.

Bush and a host of leading congressional figures had implored the lawmakers to pass the legislation despite howls of protest from their constituents back home. Despite pressure from supporters, not enough members were willing to take the political risk just five weeks before an election.
Ample no votes came from both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle. More than two-thirds of Republicans and 40 percent of Democrats opposed the bill.

Update: Apparently House.gov received so many emails from concerned voters that the website went down (or at least slowed it to a crawl and made it unusable). So maybe people can make a difference in government sometimes...OK rarely... I'm sure the protests didn't hurt either. The problem is they are protesting the wrong place. Although every financial institution in America is scrambling to be included in this potential handout, the idea for the for the bailout is coming from Washington, from all those politicians with something to lose if their buddies companies go tits-up. Thankfully the will of the greedy and "Still" President Bush was not imposing enough to force the bailout through the House uncontested. So thank whatever higher power you may or may not believe in, that there are still a few souls left in politics who look out for the nation as a whole.

It's Already Happening - Defrauding Voters

From the HuffingtonPost article:

In Montgomery County, Virginia, the county registrar issued a press release warning out-of-state college students, falsely, that if they register to vote in Virginia, they won't be eligible for coverage under their parents' health and car insurance, and that "if you have a scholarship attached to your former residence, you could lose this funding."

In Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, Democratic voters received a mailing containing tear-out requests for absentee ballots addressed to the clerk in Caledonia -- the wrong location. In Middleton, Wisconsin, Democratic voters received absentee ballot requests addressed to the clerk in Madison -- the wrong address. Both mailers were sent by the McCain campaign.

Funny...you don't hear a lot about Republican voters being defrauded, do you?

UPDATE: Added recent (October 8th) ComputerWorld article about the current state of e-voting machines and full length HBO Special - Hacking Democracy.

NOTE: I have read that if you are worried about being defrauded that absentee ballots are the way to go...but nothing is really secure. You can register to vote or change your location at voteforchange.com (this site makes the process as easy as possible, there are many others), just print out the form and mail it in. You can also choose to request an absentee ballot. Check the deadline to register date for you state here.

America Says: We're Going To Disneyland!

My friend Jessep was looking at polls after Fridays' debate and I made him take a screenshot for me. I think this was about an hour or so after it ended. I think the image speaks for itself...

I Dream Of Jello

Carisa's Bday wish to swim in jello comes true...But thanks must go to boyfriend Josh for suggesting taking it to the next level (wrestling) and thereby making OUR dreams come true.

There is no such thing as "Clean Coal"!

I don't need to say much here. After witnessing the new "Clean Coal" campaign commercials during last nights' debate, I felt I had to post something about it. If you need more info, or don't think this one article is enough, you need not do more than a simple Google search for "clean coal" to discover the abundance of articles written about the topic.

Frome the WashingtonPost article:
Clean coal: Never was there an oxymoron more insidious, or more dangerous to our public health. Invoked as often by the Democratic presidential candidates as by the Republicans and by liberals and conservatives alike, this slogan has blindsided any meaningful progress toward a sustainable energy policy.

UPDATE: Click the link for a run down of the top 5 dirty aspects of "clean" coal.

Wal*Mart Says F' You To America...Again

Wal*Mart is shutting down it's DRM music servers which will likely be a surprise to many early adopters who won't be able to use those files in the future.

From the BoingBoing article:
Hey suckers! Did you buy DRM music from Wal*Mart instead of downloading
MP3s for free from the P2P networks? Well, they're repaying your
honesty by taking away your music. Unless you go through a bunch of
hoops (that you may never find out about, if you've changed email
addresses or if you're not a very technical person), your music will no
longer be playable after October 9th.

But don't worry, this will never ever happen to all those other DRM
companies -- unlike little fly-by-night mom-and-pop operations like
Wal*Mart, the DRM companies are rock-ribbed veterans of commerce and
industry, sure to be here for a thousand years. So go on buying your
Audible books, your iTunes DRM songs, your Zune media, your EA games...
None of these companies will ever disappear, nor will the third-party
DRM suppliers they use. They are as solid and permanent as Commodore,
Atari, the Soviet Union, the American credit system and the Roman
Empire.

Don't pay for digital music unless it's DRM free! I can't seem to
drive the point home enough. Download your music for free until the
recording industry comes to a consensus on a standardized method of appropriately priced DRM-free
delivery. Amazon and Google are making a good push, but not all of the record labels are onboard still. Force the record labels to conform; do not bend to thier will.

Paul Newman R.I.P. 09-26-08

While myself and much of the nation had our eyes and minds turned toward the Presidential debates, it turns out that World War II veteran, father of six, husband and film superstar Paul Newman passed away in his long-time Connecticut home at the age of 83. 

From the OregonLive article:
Newman made nearly 60 films, originated three classic roles on
Broadway, delivered memorable performances in some of live television's
finest dramas, served as president of the Actors Studio, won
championships as a race car driver and racing team owner, started a
food business on a whim and used it to raise nearly $400 million for
assorted charities, founded an international chain of camps to offer
free vacations and medical care to sick and deprived children, and
participated in politics as a delegate to the Democratic National
Convention, as a delegate to a United Nations conference on nuclear
proliferation and as part-owner of (and occasional guest columnist for)
"The Nation" magazine.

He was nominated for 10 Oscars (winning one, plus two honorary awards),
had a closet full of other prizes, included Golden Globes, Emmys, and
Screen Actors Guild Awards, was granted a Kennedy Center Honor
(accepted in 1992 alongside his wife, Joanne Woodward, who was also
honored) and a lifetime award from the Film Society of Lincoln Center
(also shared with Woodward), and, even a best director prize from the
New York Film Critics Circle for 1968's "Rachel, Rachel," which starred
his wife.

This man was a living legend.  Sadly, he can now simply be referred to as "The Legend".

Without Debt, There Is No Money

Few people really understand money. Where does it come from? I don't mean a printing press or a mint. I mean how is it created now? Who is responsible? Who has the authority? What is your reaction to the following statement: "If all debts were paid off, there would be no money"?

Below is a short animated presentation by Paul Grignon which tells in very simple and effective graphic terms what money is, how it is being created, and how debt = money. This is possibly the most important video I have ever watched. I learned more about our monetary system & economics in 30 minutes than I have in all the instructional materials and news articles I have ever read, seen or listened to in my entire life.

It is recommend as a painless but hard-hitting educational tool and distribution is encouraged to any and all who are concerned with the present unsustainable monetary system in the United States.

Take some time out to learn something today. It's time to understand more about your country.

Stewart & Colbert Entertainment Weekly Interview

What makes this interview rare in Colbert is responding as himself and not Stephen Colbert "the character". It's funny and poignant. Enjoy.
From the EW article:
With just five weeks left until Election Day, our favorite pundits discuss the power of Sarah Palin, why TV news is about as credible as Muzak, and whether Barack Obama is going to be "sworn in on a gay baby"

Sarah Silverman: The Great Schlep for Obama

Sarah Silverman tells Jews to make the The Great Schlep to Florida and convince their elderly relatives to vote Obama. It just doesn't get any better than this folks...it's a must see. Oh and in case it's not obvious by the fact that Sarah is in it...you better put the earphones on if you're watching at work. Enjoy!

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Best. Ad. Ever.

Below is the awesomely creative commercial spot for the upcoming Diesel "Dirty 30" XXX Party taking place October 11th simultaneously in worldwide locations such as Amsterdam, Paris, London, Sao Paulo and New York. Artists will include such notables as N.E.R.D., M.I.A. and Junkie XL. If you can't make the party at lest you can appreciate the quality production value of this ad...and it's hilarious. Enjoy!

Diesel SFW XXX - Watch more free videos

Pale-in Comparison

Just had to throw up these three clips regarding Sarah "Oh-My-God-What-If-McCain-Dies" Palin. The first is Jon Stewart's commentary on the ridiculous answers Palin gave in an interview with ABC's Charles Gibson & her lack of knowledge of what the Bush Doctrine is. The second video is also some Daily Show commentary on the joke that Fox is calling an "interview", when Palin sat down to chat with Sean Hannity. The third is Tina Fey's Oscar worthy portrayal of Palin in a recent Saturday Night Live sketch. All are excellent and hilarious, but the SNL sketch is truly priceless. Enjoy!

Update: Just had to add this little snippet from the Katie Couric/Palin interview, where Palin is asked to cite some examples of McCain being a "reformer". Her answer is ridiculous.

Update 2: Added trailer for Head Of Skate. An Alaskan hockey mom becomes Vice President in the wackiest family comedy of the year! Sound familiar?

Update 3: Added CNN's Jack Cafferty commenting on another part of the Couric/Palin interview where she spouts out random talking points that have nothing to do with the question asked. His final comment after the clip pretty much sums up Palin in a nutshell. Below that is SNL mocking the first clip with Tina Fey reprising her roll as Palin. The sad part is what makes this skit so funny is the parts where she repeats Palin's words almost verbatim. In other words: you just can't make this stuff up people!

Update 4: Added another funny video of Palin rambling about energy. There is a bit of Billy Madison at the end to give it that extra punch.

Update 5: Added a whole new post since this one was getting too big and out of date.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Understand What's Wrong With The Government Bailout.

I wish we had more politicians speaking candidly like House Representative Peter Defazio does in this clip. Defazio takes 5 minutes on the House floor to speak out against the outrageous Paulson intervention plan. Make no mistake people; this is one last power & money grab before the end of an era...an era of the worst governing in American history.

Update 1: Here is some extra info from one of the world's smartest investors--Warren Buffett, on why we should be paying not one red cent more than market price for any bailout we approve.

Update 2: Added video of Ron Paul lecturing Bernanke and the rest of Congress on the flaws of the bailout plan and the hazards of attempting price-fixing. Paul also questions the authority and constitutionality of just printing dollars to generate all the extra money needed for the intervention.

Update 3: Added a Forbes article where a Treasury spokesperson explained the $700 Billion figure being requested: "It's not based on any particular data point, we just wanted to choose a really large number." No, I'm not kidding...she actually said that.

Now THIS Is Creative Advertising!

Can't embed this one, you have to see the whole page to appreciate what's happening. Watch as the action in the video effects the page its being played on! And make sure you watch all the way to the end. Wii Warioland Shake It YouTube Ad.

Play Free: American McGee's Grimm

Available for free download from GameTap is A Boy Who Learns What Fear Is, the first chapter in the new episodic PC platformer American McGee's Grimm.  As was done so spectaclularly in American McGee's Alice; Grimm is a twisted take on the Brothers' Grim classic fairy/folk tales.  GameTap offers the first chapter for free and all the following chapters for a monthly or annual membership fee.  There are 7 other Grimm chapters already available on GameTap, including Little Red Riding Hood and Puss In Boots, with more coming soon.  Enjoy!

Religulous

This film may end up being right up there next to Dogma on my shelf of favorites:

Who Watches The Legomen?

Just to make sure you haven't lost your excitement for the upcoming watchmen movie, here is a fun little fan poster from Flickr user polywen. You should really check out his other photostreams too, great stuff!

9/11™

I recently watched both the DNC and the RNC events. Now I'm never a fan of the Republican party, but this years' RNC was particularly despicable. I was going to write about it at length, but our good friend Mr Olbermann summarized the worst of it pretty well:



I didn't want to put this photo in a whole new post of it's own, so I thought I'd just add it to this one, with some personal thoughts.

This day is about remembering. For many that's remembering the people lost on that fateful day 7 years ago. I may silently commemorate those who perished, but I always find my thoughts settling on what else we have lost since; the rights, the liberties, the freedoms. The human inferno that is the so called War on Terror, was ignited by greed, with flames fed by fear. They tell us Islamo-fascists attack us out of despite for our freedoms. Then they take away our freedoms, all in the name of a false sense security; helping to fight the "bad guys" and root out evil. If this were actually a war on terrorism, the terrorists have already won. The real fear-mongers are the ones who own and run this country. So today remember those who have fallen, but don't forget what we've all lost.

Ok. So I was wrong. There is a God.

Remember the Lingerie Bowl? Yeah, the one that plays as a pay-per-view alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show. Well now it's officially the LFL! The Lingerie Football League will debut Fall 2009 with 10 teams across the nation. And one of those teams is the Seattle Mist! If this is even half as popular as the Rat City Rollergirls, then its bound to be a success. Now where does the line for season tix start?



Source

Fantastic "Abandoned" photoset!

I love photography in general, but pics of abandoned buildings and cities are my favorite. I think it's that post-apocalyptic feel, that gets me every time. Please take some time out to view this slideshow by Flickr user varlamov, if you too love this particular kind of art. It's long but trust me, it just gets better and better toward the end! Couple of my favorites are below:

Wellfare For The Rich

Most don't fully understand whats going on in the housing and banking industries right now (and it IS a totally confusing situation), so in light of the Federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, I thought I'd post this little gem I found on YouTube. I think if more Americans understood exactly how these bailouts help only the greedy bastards who took advantage of the system in the first place, and does not help any of the American home owners in crisis, there would be a lot more outrage over the giving away of tax dollars.

Spore reviewed by Ars Technica

From the article:

"Spore is a game about evolution, but evolution that's intelligently designed by the choices you make. Players design their creatures' traits, and those traits ultimately influence the civilization. The game is segmented into five phases of the evolutionary scale: Cell, Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and Space, with each stage presenting a different kind of game-play; a progress bar along the bottom of your screen marks how far along you are within each evolutionary stage. This is a game that wants you to feel comfortable playing and exploring; the penalty for "dying" is not severe."

Read the full review here!

The first phase of the game is similar to FLOW (created by the same folks as Spore) which you can play online for free here!

Robocop vs. Terminator movie trailer!

This is a really cleverly edited fan trailer. It's even got a surprise ending. Must see to appreciate.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Palin Aparently Learned Foreign Policy Via Osmosis

I kid you not.

From the CBS News article by Steve Benen:

"It started like a harmless joke, didn't it? Sarah Palin is from Alaska, Alaska is near Russia, and since Republican rhetoric has become breathtakingly ridiculous lately, some of us joked that Republicans might think the proximity between the state and the country counts as foreign policy experience. It was meant as satire. No one really expected Republicans to make the argument.

For those keeping score at home, the first person to make this argument was Fox News' Steve Doocy, who said, with a straight face, that Palin does know about international relations because she is right up there in Alaska right next door to Russia."

John McCain, then, is fifth. Remember, when Doocy first made the argument, it was so laughable on its face that Jon Stewart called him a "moron." Now, the Republican nominee for president is making the same pitch, hoping people are just stupid enough to believe it.

Palin has never been to Russia. She's never demonstrated any expertise on U.S. policy towards Russia. She doesn't have any background in international relations at any level. But for Republicans, the fact that she's lived in a state near Russia is somehow a qualification for national office."

UPDATE: Here is a CBS article fact checking Palin's RNC speech. And another here that goes into even more detail. Needless to say, it's not pretty.

UPDATE: Then I found this letter from a women who has 16 years of intimate knowledge about Sarah Palin and her "experience" in politics.

Rage At The RNC Protest

Rage Against The Machine turned up at a peaceful concert to protest the Republican National Convention to do a surprise set after headliners Anti-Flag, but were denied the ability to play by police. Lead singer Zach De La Rocha then grabbed a bullhorn and started singing a couple songs for the crowd a capella. There is an interlude between the songs for a very insightful and positive message by one of the band members. This is how protests should be done, peacefully, but with potent meaning.

Because Bill Murray Is Funny To Watch

I stumbled on to this funny little short starring Bill Murray and my favorite new addition to the Daily Show team: Kristen Schaal. Enjoy with a warm glass of 2% milk.

Wearable Motorcycle Exoskeleton

Wearable Motorcycle

The Real Price Of Oil

I found this interesting article about the price of oil. One of it's main points is that the price of oil has actually remained much the same for the past 7 years. The only reason it appears to be in creasing is because our dollar is worth less. Check out he graph below where the price of oil is compared by currency & by the gold standard.

Space Shuttle Launch Filmed From Passing Plane

Next Batman Movie Poster: The Dark Knight Returns?

Ok, so it's actually a fan made poster for the next movie that technically doesn't exist yet. But ain't it cool?! This fan is obviously leaning heavily on the rumor that the next villain will be The Riddler.

Charge your phone wirelessly: WiTricity

Imagine walking into a room, setting down your phone on a WiTricity enabled table and having the battery charged without ever having to plug it in. Now imagine all your devices charged this way...no more unsightly cords, no more forgetting your charging cord. Now stop imagining and read about the reality of wireless electricity via the BBC.

Software Enhances Video From Photos

As a video editor this software really intrigues me. It allows you to enhance a low resolution video up to hi-res, all by using multiple still images to fill in the low res areas. Actually my description doesn't do it justice. Just watch the video, it's amazing...really!

I suggest hitting the enlarge button and watching it full screen (it scales nicely).


Using Photographs to Enhance Videos of a Static Scene from pro on Vimeo.

Going Back To Philly - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Awwwwwww....bring it back ya'll, bring it back ya'll, heeeeeere we go!

Season 4 premieres September 18th on FX.

Heroes Season 3 Webisodes

Heroes Season 3 (a.k.a Heroes: Villians) doesn't start till September 22nd, but there are some webisodes available on the NBC website that setup the background for some new characters.

Animated Waterfall "Prints" Images

For full description and info, click through to the Gizmodo article.

Amazing Videos From Space Over Britain

If you have ever seen Baraka, you should already understand how mind-boggling videos like these can be. Check out the Gizmodo article, watch the short clips from the BBC and then go buy Baraka if you haven't seen it!

Whose Comparing The Watchmen?

Found this great site with comparison photos of the new Watchmen film posters and their original hand drawn counterparts from the graphic novel. Just mouse-over the pics to see them change!

Consumer Reports Best Economic Cars: Price Per MPG

Buying a new car? Having trouble justifying the additional purchase price of new fuel efficient hybrids? This article is for you!

From the Consumer Reports article:

"If your goal in getting better fuel economy
is to make every dollar count, the following list can guide you to some
of today's best buys. Of the more than 260 vehicles that we've recently
tested, these are the 10 cars that provide the best combination of low
purchase price and high fuel economy."

Simpsonizing The World - Springfield Punx

I just had to post about this Springfield Punx blog. A really talented artist has been paying homage to The Simpsons by Simpsonizing just about any pop culture characters you can think of.

Here are some great examples:

The Greatest Voice The World Ever Heard - R.I.P.

Don LaFontaine's voice is recognizable the world over. Famous for recording over 5,000 movie trailers and over 350,000 television commercials, network promotions, and video game trailers. He became identified with the phrase "In a world...", which has been used in movie trailers so frequently that it has become a cliché. He also parodied this cliché several times, most recently in a commercial for GEICO insurance. LaFontaine was admitted to a hospital with a blood clot in his lungs on August 22, 2008, and was reported as being in critical condition the following Tuesday. LaFontaine died September 1, 2008 following complications from Pneumothorax (a.k.a colapsed lung). LaFontaine is survived by his wife, the singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three daughters.

On a personal note; I have have idolized this man for many years. His voice is one of the reasons I began looking for ways to make money with my own. His expertise and talent will be a severe loss to the entertainment industry and all his fans.