DeLaWho? DeLaWhat? DeLaWhere?

I found this story via the Drudge Report...and if it is true, then I don't want to hear any republican complaining about the Media being anti-Bush. According to the LA Weekly, the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) all refused advertising for the Oct. 5th release of Fahrenheit 9/11 during any of the networks' news programming. I hope that they also did not accept the new Swift Boat Vets 4 truth ad which asks "Do you really want someone who betrayed your country to be in power during a war?" Please say it ain't so...Can't wait for the "debates" on Thursday.

On the Northside cliffs of Ironbound Island

On a trip to Ironbound Island in Coastal Maine, last week, I realized that there were only a few things that I really missed while away from "society"...one of those things that I missed was instant and everlasting to auditory pleasure. The trip spanned from Wednesday to Sunday, most of which was spent in a cabin without electricity and hot water. I made the decision to bring my iPod on the trip, thinking that I would just use it for the flight there and it would pretty much run out of batteries by the time I would reach Maine. However, I conserved the batteries and saved some music for the down time at the cabin. The trip was amazing and after a day of hiking around the island, there was no better use of time than to sit outside and listen to the new Jill Scott CD. Jill Scott, whose most recent album was released in 2001, has quite possibly the most confident, smooth, flawless, uplifting, and powerful voices that I have ever heard. There is another level to her voice, a level of passion and happiness that empowers and draws the listener in. "Golden", the infectious first single of the album, is a trademark Ms. Scott song, filled with positivity and joie de vivre that is so refreshing. The up-beat and uplifting lyrics have the song a step away from gospel. The entire CD is amazing, but "Golden" is like no other on the CD, it is a song whose subtle complexities leave you fiending for another go round. Add lyrics like "I'm taking my freedom/pulling it off the shelf/puttin' it on my chain/wearing it 'round my neck/I'm taking my freedom/puttin' it in my car/wherever i choose to go/It will take me far" dig deep into the soul and brings out a level of pure joy that is unmatched. Other standout tracks...well how about the entire album, I especially enjoy "Warm Up", a brief warm-up routine backed by a catchy breakbeat, as well as "Family Reunion", "Spring Summer Feeling", and "My Petition", where she expresses her disappointment with her beloved country. The closing track "I Keep/Still Here" closes up an amazing music adventure guided by the soulful voice of Ms. Jill Scott, a true musician.

I just got back from a Geology field trip to Maine. The trip began on Wednesday and ended on Sunday. Being that I missed a bit of school, I have to catch up on some work. Tune in tomorrow when I have a bit more time and concentration for a review of the Geology trip and possibly a review of the new Jill Scott CD that came out a couple weeks ago.

Looks like my name sake is causing more destruction and damage in Caribbean.

This story from My Way News

Hurricane Ivan Rolls Toward Cuba


Sep 13, 2:23 PM (ET)

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) - A strengthened Hurricane Ivan headed toward the tip of western Cuba with 160 mph winds Monday after pummeling the Cayman Islands with flooding that swamped homes and fierce winds that ripped off roofs.

The slow-moving, extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, one of the strongest on record to hit the region, killed at least 68 people across the Caribbean before reaching the Caymans, and threatens millions more in its projected path.

Parts of low-lying Grand Cayman, the largest island in the territory of 45,000 people, were swamped under up to 8 feet of water Monday and residents stood on rooftops of flooded homes. A car floated by the second story of one building, and a resident called Radio Cayman to report seeing two bodies floating off the beach. Police said they could not confirm the report.

Ivan intensified overnight, with maximum sustained winds at 160 mph and gusts up to 195 mph, and headed for western Cuba, threatening floods in Pinar del Rio province, the center of tobacco growing and the biggest source for the island's famed cigar industry. About 1.3 million Cubans were evacuated from their homes, most taking refuge in the sturdier houses of relatives, co-workers or neighbors.

Planting season doesn't begin until the end of October and remnants of January's harvest are protected in curing houses, said Cuba's top grower, Alejandro Robaina.

"There is almost always some damage from the hurricanes, but I think we are going to escape the worst of it," Robaina told The Associated Press. "I think we will be able to stand it."

Ivan - at Category 5, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale and capable of catastrophic damage - was projected to pass near or over Cuba's western end by Monday afternoon or evening on a path toward the U.S. gulf coast.

President Fidel Castro toured western Cuba Monday morning, stopping to discuss preparations with defense officials in the provincial capital of Pinar del Rio, where residents shouted "Fidel! Fidel!" read on

Some scary and sobering news courtesy of Logan's Lurch

A lot of the time you ask students why they don't vote or why they aren't interested in politics and you get the same tired crap like "My vote doesn't count" or "When are they gonna put voting on the net?" or "I Thought the Cola Wars decided all this shit?" and then you realize, sometimes you just need a gentle prod. Well, here it is in the form of an e-mail that is floating around and this prod, my friends, goes right up your bum with a Big Toe and a guy in fatigues named Sgt. Hulka attached to it...

Mandatory Draft
Mandatory draft for boys and girls (ages 18-26) starting June 15, 2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally effects everyone since we all have or know children that will be drafted and be sent to Bush's wars wherever he decides to call the next one. [ed. note - Two to One the name of the next country invaded will sound a lot like the title of a Flock of Seagulls song and it aint "Wishing (I Had a Photograph")].

There is pending legislation in the house and senate(companion bills: S89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as Spring 2005,just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public'sattention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately. Details and links follow.

This plan, among other things, eliminates highereducation as a shelter and includes women in the draft. Also,crossing into Canada has already been made very difficult. This legislation is called HR 163 and can be found in detail at this website: http://thomas.loc.gov/. Just enter in "HR 163" and click search and will bring up the bill for you to read. It is less than two pages long.

If this bill passes, it will include all men and women from 18 - 26 in a draft for military action. Have you heard Bush talking about this on his campaign trail? In addition, since he's no longer draftalbe, college will no longer be an option to avoid the draft AND Bush will be signing an agreement with Canada which will no longer permit anyone attempting to dodge the draft to stay within it's borders. This bill also includes the extension of military service INDEFINITELY for all those that are currently active. If you go to the select service web site and read their 2004 FYI Goals you will see that the reasoning for this is to increase the size of the military in case of terrorism. However, the real goal is global domination by the Bushies of every oil-related enterprise. This is a critical piece of legislation, this will effect our children and our grandchildren. Please take the time to write your congressman and let them know how you feel about this legislation. You might start by telling them that if a war is just, our country will have no trouble finding soldiers. If the war is clearly a trumped up expression of just how corrupt a government can be, then even the military will refuse to be sent unnecessarily into harm's way. Go to the web sites for both the White House and Senate (http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/) and voice your sentiments, whatever they may be.

Please also write to your representatives and ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills and write to newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story. Just why isn't Bush talking about how he's going to draft YOUR sons and daughters?

The draft $28 million has been added to the 2004 selective service system budget to prepare for a military draft thatcould start as early as June 15, 2005. Selective service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 [ed note. If he is re-elected] that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation.

Please see www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the Selective Service System annual performance plan, fiscal year 2004. The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.

Again, no politician will listen to you unless you are registered to vote and are prepared to vote for or against them. So, get registered! Choose or lose, indeed.

Last semester I posted a link to an instrumental that I made using a Fruity Loops demo and sampling an old gospel song on the soundtrack to "the Ladykillers". Well, I have produced another one. This time I sampled Al Green's "Love and Happiness". I rearranged and spliced some of the opening guitar segments, a vocal sample, as well as the high and low organs from "L & A" and then added my own drums. Check it out on My.Soundclick.com.

With the recent appearances of protesters at Bush rallies and the subsequent face rubs, hair pulling, and just general playground rough housing that the security guards use to escort the exercisers of free speech off of the premises. Some of the tactics that they use seem like overkill and a bit excessive. That is why, the Democratic Party should start collecting money in order to pay SHAQ-DIESEL to show up and bad mouth Bush. If full grown men standing 7 feet above the ground can't stop him...I doubt the secret service could even contain him. Think of the possibilities.

I don't know how I feel about having my name (no matter if it is pronounced differently or not) being associated with a Category 5 Storm that has already killed 15 people and could deliver the 3rd devastating blow to Florida. I will elaborate more a little later, but the digging of a large hole for geologic purposes is calling my name and I am answering.


Reading quotes like "Elsewhere, Ivan pulverized concrete homes into piles of rubble and tore away hundreds of landmark red zinc roofs."...is just plain odd. I dont pulverize anything.



HURRICANE IVAN information

When I heard that Howard "Yahoo" Dean was coming to our campus, I was very surprised and happy to hear that such an important, albeit recent one, political figure would make an appearance at our school. I expected to hear Dean speak about the things that everybody has talked about, not because Dean is a conformist, but because of the repetitive topic trend that seems to occur in today's political discussions. It was a refreshing speech because Dean concentrated on the issues that will affect my age group in the long run: Education, Environment, Budget/Taxes, and National Security. In reference to education, Dean pointed out that the tuitions and fees for children to go to college are rising and it is becoming increasingly harder for people to pay for higher education. One of the problems is that the supposed tax breaks do not provide enough money to cover the increases in the prices of tuition and other goods and services. He also addressed the president's complete and udder failure in regards to the environment. All in all it was a very interesting and thought-provoking speech. I was a little disappointed that he shunned the existence of a strong third party calling them spoilers and so on. I think that a third party is necessary in order to bring about political reform. Otherwise it is just two parties running one nation. People need options.

In response to comment about previous post:

I agree, that while the speech was bland and drawn out...he ended really well. I know that he threw out the typical pseudo promises that they all send out, but the strongest part of his speech was the last half. I am not saying that I agreed with any of it, but it was well constructed and he seemed more comfortable than I have ever seen him on the big stage.

I am simply saying that I could see that speech persuading those supposed "undecideds" to vote for Bush because the speech was crafted pretty well.

About the tears during the end of it, didnt Cheney say there was no room for sensitivity.

Funniest comment: The Creation of Opportunity Zones...what the hell are opportunity Zones.

First and foremost, I found W's speech annoyingly effective. I could see how his speech might be the defining moment of this election season. Accompanied by the complete Bush-it that he always feeds the public, he included some strong strikes. Did anyone notice that Pataki sounded a bit like Will Ferrell doing legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Karry?

As one of my friends here at Denison pointed out to me, the W is making his acceptance speech tonight at the Republican National Convention. Therefore, Kerry's speech will probably be a counterattack to expected and patented cheap shots and round-about explanations that this administration has perfected. So it should'nt be a typical speech. This makes the decision harder. Do I skip my Probability and Stats, and Geomorphology classes in order to go see Kerry speak or do I go to class and be a responsible student? Although, the tickets have probably all been gobbled up by now, I have decided that I am going to go to class. I think my Geomorphology teacher would understand, but my Prob and Stat teacher is from Bulgaria. And one thing I know about Eastern European women, it's that they hold a grudge with the best of them. I would never live that down.

The Fall '04 semester is officially three days old and it looks like it could be unfolding to be a riveting and interesting one at that. I am taking two math courses (Operations Research, Probability and Stat), Geomorphology, and Ethnicity and Racism in American Media. Although, it may very well end up being a busy and challenging semester, it could also be a very rewarding one. In a couple of weeks, I am going on a field trip to Ironbound, Maine with the Geology department for 4 or 5 days. Ethnicity and Racism in American Media seems as though it is going to be very thouught provoking. Today, Dr. Lotz introduced us to some of the basic elements of Criticism of Media especially TV. It was pretty basic stuff. But, there was one quick topic that was discussed...the fact that the networks are not state-run, but are commercial. Therefore, they are simply putting on programs, so that they will hold you there through the commercials (their money makers). The programs usually feature upper-middle class, stylish, beautiful, , young, white people because that is the target audience for most of the commercials...that's where the money is. All of this in no way is new information to me. But, it made me think about the racism and lack of diversity that has been ingrained into our daily media consumption. Since most of the programming and commercials are targeted at the aforementioned group, they almost completely ignore the non-white and/or less wealthy people. What ends up happening is a vicious cycle of segregation for the sole purpose of profit. While TV does not directly influence anyone's viewpoint on the world, it does slowly but surely sculpt a certain idea of the world for an individual. With the commercials and programs focused on one group of people, it seems to put one class on a pedastal. With the current media system, we are creating a hidden, yet active form of racism that will unfortunately never be corrected.....Just throwing some thoughts out there.

I am glad to be back in Ohio, a swing state in the upcoming election. Just a week into school, Howard Dean is coming to Denison on Sunday and supposedly, John Kerry will be in Newark on Friday. I shook Clinton's hand as a wee-tot in '91 or '92...and I vaguely remember being lifted up on somebody's shoulders to reach for his hand. For some reason, I am unsure if I will go see Kerry on Friday...with today's media coverage, I will simply be going there to hear him drive the same point into the ground. He isnt exactly the most exciting speaker...I probably still go. Time will tell.