Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Buckethead
Revolver: Have you held any auditions?
Ozzy Osbourne: "I tried out that Buckethead guy. I met with him and asked him to work with me but only if he got rid of the fucking bucket. So I came back a bit later and he's wearing this green fucking Martian's-hat thing. I said, 'Look, just be yourself!' He told me his name was Brian, so I said that's what I'd call him. He says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother.' So I said, 'Pretend I'm your mum then!' I haven't even got out of the room and I'm already playing fucking mind games with the guy. What happens if one day he's gone and there's a note saying, 'I've been beamed up?' [Laughs] Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He plays like a motherfucker!"
Ozzy Osbourne: "I tried out that Buckethead guy. I met with him and asked him to work with me but only if he got rid of the fucking bucket. So I came back a bit later and he's wearing this green fucking Martian's-hat thing. I said, 'Look, just be yourself!' He told me his name was Brian, so I said that's what I'd call him. He says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother.' So I said, 'Pretend I'm your mum then!' I haven't even got out of the room and I'm already playing fucking mind games with the guy. What happens if one day he's gone and there's a note saying, 'I've been beamed up?' [Laughs] Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He plays like a motherfucker!"
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Palin
Since no one's posting, I'm going to double post.
And I can see Russia from my house! LOL
Let me repost one of the comments I made recently in my POLS2221 (US and Evolving International Order) course:
When I found out that McCain chose Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, I was genuinely shocked. McCain obvious thinks that this is the best decision, and decided to go with an Alaskan woman as his running candidate.
Why though?
Convention and political gamesmenship dictates that McCain choose someone someone from the North, as he is from Arizona (a southern state). Palin isn't even from the mainland, so obviously McCain thought that he could pull the votes better with Palin. Palin was not chosen because of her logistical connections - Alaska is a hardcore Republican state, and only carries 3 electoral votes. No reason for McCain to choose someone from Alaska. Palin obviously has something better than that.
Is it Palin's experience? No. Palin is 44 years old, and could pass as McCain's daughter. She was a mayor of a tiny town in Alaska. She is a first term governor (with 2 years of experience). Experience-wise, she is even worse than Obama, which is saying a lot. Palin must have something even better than that.
What is it that Palin has that McCain decided it was important enough to forgo all the rules of the political gamesmenship and choose her over more experienced, more well known and regarded politicians? The answer? A vagina. Palin was chosen because of her gender, in an attempt to pull the disgruntled Clinton supporters to the Republican side. McCain obviously thinks that he has a better chance of winning with a pretty 44 year old beauty queen than with other more seasoned, experienced and well regarded and well respected politicians.
Naturally, this begs the question: Is the American public that immatured and shallow? McCain certainly thinks so. Palin, not chosen because of her experience, or her policies, but because of her gender and her beauty.
Oh well, why am I even asking this question... The Democrats did chose African American over experience. I'll leave you with two quotes from Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman chosen by a major party to stand in a presidential election (Palin is the second) :
"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept"
"...in 1984 if my name was Gerard Ferraro instead of Geraldine Ferraro, I would have never been chosen as a vice presidential candidate. It had nothing to do with my qualification."
And then in a following post defending myself after offending some:
Thanks for the reply. Sorry if I offended you :).
In no way I am belittling Palin's achievements. I am sure she is a great mother, and a great leader.
Just not the best.
There were scores of other more eligible, qualified and experienced candidates that McCain could have chosen. In my previous posting, I have shown that she didn't beat the other candidates in areas of experience or qualification, or any other reason besides the fact that she is a woman. The fact that she is a woman was what made McCain decide on her over others that had more experience and qualification.
Impressive political career? Perhaps, but not as impressive as the other candidates. Of course she is not a complete political novice; she is just not a political maestro - and why would you choose a first term Alaskan governor over other political maestros?
Chairing the Oil & Natural Gas Resource Development Group? Impressive, but more impressive than the much much vaster experiences of the other candidates? I think not.
Which brings us back to she was chosen because she is a woman. She is a qualified woman, and I'm sure she would make a great VP, but ultimately, the reason she is selected is because she is a woman. Again, I am in no way belittling her achievements, but I don't think it was those achievements that made McCain choose her. McCain didn't choose her because of her experience or qualification, impressive as it might be, but because of her gender.
Obama may be an "intelligent, articulate, passionate and persuasive individual", but I personally think if he were to be a white man, he would not be accepting the nomination in Denver. Obama rode on the massive (almost 90%) support of the African American votes, and if he were a white man, a white, "intelligent, articulate, passionate and persuasive individual", he would not have been elected.
This is not to say that Palin and Obama are both impressive individuals. Openly stating that their gender and race are the reasons they are where they are today, might deny their personal achievements, but it is a fact. It is a fact that their gender and race were given more weight than their achievements and experience. I am not condoning or saying it is a positive or desirable phenomena, I am merely saying it is a fact.
And the fact is, Obama was elected because he is African American and Palin was chosen because she is woman.
Vagina anyone?
And I can see Russia from my house! LOL
Let me repost one of the comments I made recently in my POLS2221 (US and Evolving International Order) course:
When I found out that McCain chose Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, I was genuinely shocked. McCain obvious thinks that this is the best decision, and decided to go with an Alaskan woman as his running candidate.
Why though?
Convention and political gamesmenship dictates that McCain choose someone someone from the North, as he is from Arizona (a southern state). Palin isn't even from the mainland, so obviously McCain thought that he could pull the votes better with Palin. Palin was not chosen because of her logistical connections - Alaska is a hardcore Republican state, and only carries 3 electoral votes. No reason for McCain to choose someone from Alaska. Palin obviously has something better than that.
Is it Palin's experience? No. Palin is 44 years old, and could pass as McCain's daughter. She was a mayor of a tiny town in Alaska. She is a first term governor (with 2 years of experience). Experience-wise, she is even worse than Obama, which is saying a lot. Palin must have something even better than that.
What is it that Palin has that McCain decided it was important enough to forgo all the rules of the political gamesmenship and choose her over more experienced, more well known and regarded politicians? The answer? A vagina. Palin was chosen because of her gender, in an attempt to pull the disgruntled Clinton supporters to the Republican side. McCain obviously thinks that he has a better chance of winning with a pretty 44 year old beauty queen than with other more seasoned, experienced and well regarded and well respected politicians.
Naturally, this begs the question: Is the American public that immatured and shallow? McCain certainly thinks so. Palin, not chosen because of her experience, or her policies, but because of her gender and her beauty.
Oh well, why am I even asking this question... The Democrats did chose African American over experience. I'll leave you with two quotes from Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman chosen by a major party to stand in a presidential election (Palin is the second) :
"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept"
"...in 1984 if my name was Gerard Ferraro instead of Geraldine Ferraro, I would have never been chosen as a vice presidential candidate. It had nothing to do with my qualification."
And then in a following post defending myself after offending some:
Thanks for the reply. Sorry if I offended you :).
In no way I am belittling Palin's achievements. I am sure she is a great mother, and a great leader.
Just not the best.
There were scores of other more eligible, qualified and experienced candidates that McCain could have chosen. In my previous posting, I have shown that she didn't beat the other candidates in areas of experience or qualification, or any other reason besides the fact that she is a woman. The fact that she is a woman was what made McCain decide on her over others that had more experience and qualification.
Impressive political career? Perhaps, but not as impressive as the other candidates. Of course she is not a complete political novice; she is just not a political maestro - and why would you choose a first term Alaskan governor over other political maestros?
Chairing the Oil & Natural Gas Resource Development Group? Impressive, but more impressive than the much much vaster experiences of the other candidates? I think not.
Which brings us back to she was chosen because she is a woman. She is a qualified woman, and I'm sure she would make a great VP, but ultimately, the reason she is selected is because she is a woman. Again, I am in no way belittling her achievements, but I don't think it was those achievements that made McCain choose her. McCain didn't choose her because of her experience or qualification, impressive as it might be, but because of her gender.
Obama may be an "intelligent, articulate, passionate and persuasive individual", but I personally think if he were to be a white man, he would not be accepting the nomination in Denver. Obama rode on the massive (almost 90%) support of the African American votes, and if he were a white man, a white, "intelligent, articulate, passionate and persuasive individual", he would not have been elected.
This is not to say that Palin and Obama are both impressive individuals. Openly stating that their gender and race are the reasons they are where they are today, might deny their personal achievements, but it is a fact. It is a fact that their gender and race were given more weight than their achievements and experience. I am not condoning or saying it is a positive or desirable phenomena, I am merely saying it is a fact.
And the fact is, Obama was elected because he is African American and Palin was chosen because she is woman.
Vagina anyone?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Newest crackdown against dissent - Malaysia heading for another Ops. Lalang?
A duplicate post from here
DAP leader Teresa Kok has also been detained under the Internal Security Act - the third person to be detained without trial today.
Then went an MP and a state exco member.
The last time a journalist or an MP was detained under the ISA act, it was 21 years ago. We lived under a more oppressive regime, a more oppressive leader, a nation that did not tolerate dissent.
Or so we thought.
Echoing the sentiments of the Malaysian Bar Council President, I was under the impression that Malaysia was moving towards being a more open, matured society where dissent was accepted, even cherished. Evidently I have given too much credit to my nation's government.
They still resort to the Machiavellian ways of running the country - by arresting and jailing dissenters as means to threaten and intimidate the general population. And we say that our nation is not in distress.
To the Home Ministry, I ask you this : How is it that you can perceive these 3 Malaysians, especially the two women, Teresa Kok and Sin Chew report Tan Hong Chen to be a grave threat to Malaysian national security? Have they purchased bombs to blow up a body? What have they done, but to fight for justice, for freedom, for the rights of the individuals in our nation of Malaysia?
One can only wonder as to the plans of the Home Ministry. Are more to come?
Of particular concern is the arrest of Teresa Kok. An MP and a state exco legislator. The arrest not only deprives her of the individual liberties supposedly guranteed under article 5 of our constitution, but also deprives the people of Seputeh and Selangor of their right to representation in the Federal and State Parliament.
Only time will tell whether we will shrink back into our holes, cower and hide, just like in 1987, or we will come forward to aid our heroes in a time where they now need us to bear the torch for them. Will we fight for justice, for freedom, and for the liberty of these 3 heroes, now that they are incapable of carrying on our fight?
This is to say that we should help them peacefully, without resorting to violence, for it would become a greater atrocity and blow to our 3 heroes' cause if we were to spiral into a web of violence and bloodshed. We must show that we, the rakyat of Malaysia oppose and will not take the jailing of our people lightly, but we still have the maturity and restrain ourselves.
Before I end, I will leave you with 4 profound, and extremely appropriate quotes:
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism - Howard Zinn
"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up." - Pastor Martin Niemoller.
Fight for me, and I'll fight for you! - Teresa Kok
Before one can be fit for the practice of civil disobedience one must have rendered a willing and respectful obedience to the state laws. . . A Satyagrahi obeys the laws of society intelligently and of his own free will, because he considers it to be his sacred duty to do so. It is only when a person has thus obeyed the laws of society scrupulously that he is in a position to judge as to which particular rules are good and just and which injust and iniquitous. Only then does the right accrue to him of the civil disobedience of certain laws in well-defined circumstances. - Mahatma Gandhi
DAP leader Teresa Kok has also been detained under the Internal Security Act - the third person to be detained without trial today.  | Confirmed by DGP |
| Arrested at 11.18pm |
Malaysiakini report
First it was a blogger. And then it was a journalist.Then went an MP and a state exco member.
The last time a journalist or an MP was detained under the ISA act, it was 21 years ago. We lived under a more oppressive regime, a more oppressive leader, a nation that did not tolerate dissent.
Or so we thought.
Echoing the sentiments of the Malaysian Bar Council President, I was under the impression that Malaysia was moving towards being a more open, matured society where dissent was accepted, even cherished. Evidently I have given too much credit to my nation's government.
They still resort to the Machiavellian ways of running the country - by arresting and jailing dissenters as means to threaten and intimidate the general population. And we say that our nation is not in distress.
To the Home Ministry, I ask you this : How is it that you can perceive these 3 Malaysians, especially the two women, Teresa Kok and Sin Chew report Tan Hong Chen to be a grave threat to Malaysian national security? Have they purchased bombs to blow up a body? What have they done, but to fight for justice, for freedom, for the rights of the individuals in our nation of Malaysia?
One can only wonder as to the plans of the Home Ministry. Are more to come?
Of particular concern is the arrest of Teresa Kok. An MP and a state exco legislator. The arrest not only deprives her of the individual liberties supposedly guranteed under article 5 of our constitution, but also deprives the people of Seputeh and Selangor of their right to representation in the Federal and State Parliament.
Only time will tell whether we will shrink back into our holes, cower and hide, just like in 1987, or we will come forward to aid our heroes in a time where they now need us to bear the torch for them. Will we fight for justice, for freedom, and for the liberty of these 3 heroes, now that they are incapable of carrying on our fight?
This is to say that we should help them peacefully, without resorting to violence, for it would become a greater atrocity and blow to our 3 heroes' cause if we were to spiral into a web of violence and bloodshed. We must show that we, the rakyat of Malaysia oppose and will not take the jailing of our people lightly, but we still have the maturity and restrain ourselves.
Before I end, I will leave you with 4 profound, and extremely appropriate quotes:
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism - Howard Zinn
"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up." - Pastor Martin Niemoller.
Fight for me, and I'll fight for you! - Teresa Kok
Before one can be fit for the practice of civil disobedience one must have rendered a willing and respectful obedience to the state laws. . . A Satyagrahi obeys the laws of society intelligently and of his own free will, because he considers it to be his sacred duty to do so. It is only when a person has thus obeyed the laws of society scrupulously that he is in a position to judge as to which particular rules are good and just and which injust and iniquitous. Only then does the right accrue to him of the civil disobedience of certain laws in well-defined circumstances. - Mahatma Gandhi
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
An Epic Lesson On Physics And Politics.
If you're wondering why this blog hasn't had a new post in ages, you're a little slow, aren't you?
No, not really. Just kidding.
Disclaimer: All facts involved in this article are in fact non-truths.
Anyhow.
Take a look at the title. I lied. This blog post isn't about either of the two charming subjects that start with the letter 'P' and form the member of the trinity (the last member ends with N and has an OR in the middle. Go figure.)
It's about lying.
I lied about that, actually. This is so confusing. I have no idea where I'm going with this.
What to do when an atom bomb hits.
Basically, when an atom bomb drops on you, you're f*cked. Yes, you will die. This is almost inevitable, unless you're Santa Clause - or Chuck Norris.
In case you're wondering how to avoid this plummeting death, wonder on.
20 Seconds Lapse is a dying blog. It's like the famous Hungabilly bird, unable to keep track in a high-paced world that waits for no stragglers. Oh, you poor thing. We so enjoyed the sight of your lush mottled green feathers brushing against the wind.
I want an e-bow.
This computer has a mind of its own.
Oh gosh that was awkward. No, I wasn't ogling your Facebook pic, don't be silly. No. Nope. Ow. OW! Hey, stay away from that! YOW!
Thursday is Formal Day. Well, not exactly, but who the hell cares. For what it's worth, it's Formal Day. That forms the initials FD, conincidentally the initials of that notorious banker-thief Frederick Diggory.
Be running up that hill.
Be running up that building.
Placebo.
What are you rushing around for, you slimy little overachiever? I hate you. Hate, hate, hate.
Let's make up rhymes, childish rhymes. Limes, crimes, dimes, chimes.
Ha ha ha ha.
You're running so fast. Pathetic whiny little voice. This is not fair. Fair- fair. Fair.
An epic lesson on .
No, not really. Just kidding.
Disclaimer: All facts involved in this article are in fact non-truths.
Anyhow.
Take a look at the title. I lied. This blog post isn't about either of the two charming subjects that start with the letter 'P' and form the member of the trinity (the last member ends with N and has an OR in the middle. Go figure.)
It's about lying.
I lied about that, actually. This is so confusing. I have no idea where I'm going with this.
What to do when an atom bomb hits.
Basically, when an atom bomb drops on you, you're f*cked. Yes, you will die. This is almost inevitable, unless you're Santa Clause - or Chuck Norris.
In case you're wondering how to avoid this plummeting death, wonder on.
20 Seconds Lapse is a dying blog. It's like the famous Hungabilly bird, unable to keep track in a high-paced world that waits for no stragglers. Oh, you poor thing. We so enjoyed the sight of your lush mottled green feathers brushing against the wind.
I want an e-bow.
This computer has a mind of its own.
Oh gosh that was awkward. No, I wasn't ogling your Facebook pic, don't be silly. No. Nope. Ow. OW! Hey, stay away from that! YOW!
Thursday is Formal Day. Well, not exactly, but who the hell cares. For what it's worth, it's Formal Day. That forms the initials FD, conincidentally the initials of that notorious banker-thief Frederick Diggory.
Be running up that hill.
Be running up that building.
Placebo.
What are you rushing around for, you slimy little overachiever? I hate you. Hate, hate, hate.
Let's make up rhymes, childish rhymes. Limes, crimes, dimes, chimes.
Ha ha ha ha.
You're running so fast. Pathetic whiny little voice. This is not fair. Fair- fair. Fair.
An epic lesson on .
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Soulja Boy Related To Led Zeppelin?
Drastic times call for drastic measures! :D :D :D
----
One is truly a musical legend, the other an overnight, over-rated mass media artist. See the link? Nothing obvious, but if we dig deeply we might get one…
----
One is truly a musical legend, the other an overnight, over-rated mass media artist. See the link? Nothing obvious, but if we dig deeply we might get one…
Before I start, a side note of things:
DISCLAIMER: Any written words or sentence within this post are merely my thoughts and opinions and are not related whatsoever towards the future success or failure to the mentioned artists. All references and facts are to be cited from Wikipedia and iTunes and claimed to be true. If however, third party sources that are used for the articles from the original two sources are found to be inaccurate are used, tough luck.
Who would have thought that rock can be associated with cheap and cheesy rap? It sure does now.
Let’s start. Led Zeppelin is a classic rock band formed circa 1960s all the way to 1980 with a few reunions later on. Within this time too, bands such as The Who, Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith were formed. We mainly classify these bands as ‘Rock’ but specifically (citing Wikipedia):
- Led Zeppelin – Heavy metal, hard rock
- The Who – Rock, hard rock, pop rock
- Thin Lizzy – Heavy metal, hard rock
- The Rolling Stones – Rock
- Aerosmith – Heavy metal, hard rock
From there, we can see that all five of them are closely related.
How far have we gone from here?
Not far, we still have some distance to go.
For the ‘link’ to be found, we need to get a band(s) that crosses the timeline from the 60s or 70s all the way into the 21st century. Apart from that, we need the find bands that are a hybrid of rap and rock or rap rock as they call it.
Rap rock was first established or known in 1980s and originated from the
There. We have found the link for the age, which is between Red Hot Chilli Peppers and
For the hybrid band, we have
Things are starting to become clearer now. Since we have divulged in rap and
And from there again, Jay-Z and Kanye West are also in the list of pop rappers, together with Soulja Boy.
A blasphemous relationship, but hey, the link is there.
So in a nutshell:
Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith [linked by genre]
Aerosmith and Red Hot Chilli Peppers [linked by genre and influence on rap rock]
Red Hot Chilli Peppers and
Linkin Park and Jay-Z/Kanye West [linked by sub-genre]
Jay-Z/Kanye West and Soulja Boy [linked by genre]
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Song For MJ.
It's very sobering to wake up, stare at your own reflection in grotesque fascination, and have no idea who you are.
Why can't it (ever) be the same? (again)
It makes me feel.
'Memento mori' etched out in black ink,
But I already knew that
And we oscillate
Between love and hate.
See, it wasn't my choice.
It struck me by surprise.
And it's so tragic
So.
Ignorance is bliss
I concur.
But when you're nice,
You're nice.
And when you make me happy,
What do you want?
What do I want?
Odd world. Loopy contradictions
Sick irony - black humour.
i want.
it to be straightforward.
knowing that it won't ever be.
i lie deep in muddy waters
drenched in regret
and (personal) failure.
so far out - out of touch
i must have been
Stuttering.
i want.
to hold you tight
to hell with the world
they can't touch us
if we were what i wanted us to be.
So it's a song for MJ.
That I promised.
It's not quite ready.
And it's pretty damn chronic
But, yes.
Hold me tight
Through the night
Babe.
Why can't it (ever) be the same? (again)
It makes me feel.
'Memento mori' etched out in black ink,
But I already knew that
And we oscillate
Between love and hate.
See, it wasn't my choice.
It struck me by surprise.
And it's so tragic
So.
Ignorance is bliss
I concur.
But when you're nice,
You're nice.
And when you make me happy,
What do you want?
What do I want?
Odd world. Loopy contradictions
Sick irony - black humour.
i want.
it to be straightforward.
knowing that it won't ever be.
i lie deep in muddy waters
drenched in regret
and (personal) failure.
so far out - out of touch
i must have been
Stuttering.
i want.
to hold you tight
to hell with the world
they can't touch us
if we were what i wanted us to be.
So it's a song for MJ.
That I promised.
It's not quite ready.
And it's pretty damn chronic
But, yes.
Hold me tight
Through the night
Babe.
Monday, May 19, 2008
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