I have great timing...

First of all...I broke my thumb. So here's me giving the thumbs up to holistic painkillers! I went to play ultimate frisbee back at my old undergrad school; I dove to catch the disc and the ground decided to break my thumb. I'm working on getting more amusing pictues (including an x-ray) posted, but typing is difficult with one thumb in a cast and half my hand immobilized. Because of that, this will be a short post...

This past weekend was the RIT Juggle-In which was amazing...but I couldn't juggle. So, I bought a few t-shirts and left...dying for next year's. The show was good, except for the headliners. I was less than impressed with Jay Gillian's performance (though he is an amazing juggler). I guess I had hoped the performance art would take a well-deserved break since he was juggling for (mainly) jugglers. Oh well, Steve Brown was awesome and hilarious, though I didn't get to meet him. All the acts before him were equally impressive. Ok, back to work...

i will let you down
i will make you hurt
Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

Another?!

Yes...another.

First of all, head over to my buddy's site, the WAREHOUSE. If you register on the forum, make sure to tell him I sent ya there.

On another note, does anyone else anthropomorphize constantly? I have a tendency, especially with computers, to explain the happenings of a computer through this. For example, earlier I was writing an email to a boss that contained the following: "Were you running something in the background that was angry it did not have your attention?" We were going back and forth about an error beep he had been hearing - and I was trying to help him troubleshoot. Just a random thought.

i burn
the air
you breathe
I Burn by the Toadies

Can you say "Conflict of Interest?"

First of all, NPR did reviewed the Smithsonian's deal with Showtime (NPR does not support deep linking - and I love NPR - but I don't give a damn). If you're not familiar, the Smithsonian has signed a mysterious contract with Showtime to create a Smithsonian on Demand channel which gives Showtime rights to air Smithsonian material on this new channel. Essentially, it seems, anyone making a film with Smithsonian materials must offer the film to Showtime before they are allowed access to the matierals. On top of that, if you will not tell Showtime what it is you are trying to film, they can deny you access to Smithsonian materials. So, you'll have to share your idea with a producer who could, theoretically, take your idea and run. Of course, the Smithsonian is getting revenue for this (though how much is unclear) and Showtime basically gets first dibs on any films being made with the materials. While the Smithsonian is not bound by the Freedom of Information Act, they have a history of being very forthcoming. However, the will not release the contract into which they have entered with Showtime.

Linda St. Thomas, Director of Media for the Smithsonian, sounded aghast that "any filmmaker could walk in, pay a daily location fee, and film whatever they want." She cites the need to control the collection; and, while working in a museum I acknowledge the need to control and protect the collection, but this deal is a liability for those filmmakers who do not wish to work with Showtime, but wish to use Smithsonian materials. In this case, I think the Smithsonian should rework the contract to protect not only the collection, but access to that collection by allowing filmmakers access EQUAL to Showtime's access. In addition, Showtime should have NO control over access policies of a publically funded instituion.

imagine no possesions
i wonder if you can
no need for greed or hunger,
a brotherhood for man
Imagine by John Lennon

Impeach!

You know it is going to be a good day when one of your bosses tells you about the good news and exclaims "Impeach! Impeach!" (check out the graphic if you are unfamiliar with the events). So, today's lesson is one of impeachment.

Under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States: "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Article III, Section 3 defines treason: "shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses (Wilson and now Libby) to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." Logically, we are in a War on Terror (yes, that is an actual government website), and so far two witnesses have pointed at the President of the United States as someone who leaked classified information which aided the enemies of said war. It seems to me that this is a logical inevitability.

Simplified, this is a two step process. First, the House of Representatives (who hold the sole power of impeachment) must pass articles of impeachment with a simple majority vote. Then, the Senate tries the accused party - for simplification, let's just say it's Dubya himself. Normally, the Vice President would preside over the Senate - however, the penguin must step aside in this case for a less invested party: the president pro tempore, Ted Stevens. Yes, the same Senator Stevens who desperately wanted to club baby seals and sacrifice baby penguins to the oil gods. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about this. So, assuming the process escalates to this level, chances are slim the President will actually be convicted - especially with a Republican majority.

So, lets imagine that Dubya admits he has been wrong and resigns. You might ask, who would be next? The order of succession, in the current administration, goes as follows:

• Vice President Dick Cheney (who permitted Libby to leak "relevant portions")
  
• Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
• President pro tempore of the Senate Ted Stevens
• Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
• Secretary of the Treasury John Snow
• Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (the terror mastermind behind color-coding)
  
• Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
• ...the list goes on...
  

...a bleak future indeed. Needless to say, I doubt any of these folks will be riding the Republican ticket in 2008.

By the way, I'll be making some changes to the look of the site - leave a comment and let me know what you think.

pushing through the market square, so many mothers sighing
news had just come over, we had five years left to cry in
news guy wept and told us, earth was really dying
Five Years by David Bowie

April is here!

...and incase you missed some of the pranks, I'll highlight a few:

Wisps. Yes, wisps. Just when my patience with Blizzard is running a little thin after the last patch, they stand up and make fun of themselves. I love it. Note the racial talents: especially treeform and detonate. (You die. Permanently)

Also, Google strikes again. Check out each - savor the satire, relish the relevancy.

Enough with the jokes.

My great-aunt passed away last week; the last of 13 children at 88 (89 next week), she had served as a Sister of Mercy for 70 years - a remarkable woman.

I spent nearly the entire weekend at my buddy's place in the city. It really just reinforces how much I want to be able to walk to anything I need. We walked to the bar. We walked to the store. It was great. Finally went out to get my degree framed, and realized how little artwork I have in my apartment/office. Consider it on my to-do list.

does the man who makes the shoes own you, clown?
you can't even pry the nameplate off, now can you?
fix it with your tiny fist there
Busting up a Starbucks by Mike Doughty