Sunday, June 27, 2004

no dice on the new Peets in Alameda


while i'm stoked a Peets Coffee has been added in the close-by town of Alameda, they have a long way to go.
i mean, shit, they've only been open a week and all, so i'm willing to give them a bit of slack. but damn, what's up? my easy-as-fuck-to-make Large Lofat Latte (3 shots of lovin' espresso and steamed milk) should not be a problem but it was, unfortunately. flat, shitty milk and too much foam at that. i was a barista, i know these things.
these folks have a way to go before they're ready for the world.
thing is, they're across the street from StarFucks, so i'm happy they're taking on the corporate bastards that they are, because i believe in Peets. it just sucks when the things i believe in disappoint me.
i'm an idealist, see?
i don't want no mother fuckin' flim-flam, see?
si!

no one will suspect a thing


Blood-soaked Wal-Mart customer arrested after purchasing garbage bags
People are so fucking stupid. As horrible as it is that someone died in this story, how and why would the murderer think it's ok to go into a Wal-Mart store covered in blood and buy garbage bags, even using a blood-stained $100 bill?
yes, indeed.

Thursday, June 24, 2004

54 Percent Now Say Iraq War Was A Mistake


More Bad News For The Bush Administration
Once again, i say, are we at all surprised?
I should say not.
People are realizing the needless slaughter of thousands of people isn't helping anyone.
While of course I'm happy Saddam Hussein is no longer in power, there were other ways we could have gone about removing the dictator. Invading a country halfway around the world with no real plan certainly wasn't the right way.



Dick Cheney Tells Sen. Patrick Leahy To 'Go Fuck Yourself'


I'm so glad Vice President Cheney is behaving responsibly by cursing out a Democratic Senator in the Senate Chambers.
Real class, asshole.
Go Fuck Yourself Cheney

Cheney is definitely helping bring the Bush Administration down.
Bush is a fool for sticking with him.

But then again, Bush is a smug, stupid prick, so...

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11 debuts in NYC with record single-day box office


Yay For Michael Moore!

Here's some comforting news about privacy


More False Information From TSA
Basically, if you've flown on Delta, Continental, America West, JetBlue and Frontier Airlines in 2002 & 2003, the government knows about you were onboard.
Me, i flew on all but Frontier and Continental in those years. I wonder how big my file is?

AOL Worker Sells 92 Million Names
If that's not enough, AOL users may have something to worry about too (in addition to still being an aol user, bad enough as it is).

Looking good!

Male Marital Outlook Linked to Upbringing
This is particularly funny to me because i so fit this scenario, growing up in a stable, 'christian-friendly' family, and yet, i think marriage is a ridiculous institution that we're still pressured into doing as a society. I've been with my partner for eight years and we see no need to get married.
As she often says, "I don't need a piece of paper to confirm that i care about someone."
I mean, i realize that virtually everyone does get married eventually. But why does it have to be that way? I dunno.
anyway, it's funny how people try to fit you into a nice box because you follow specifics trends.
on the other hand, polls and such reflect constantly shifting moods and are usually pretty accurate.


I heard a great interview with writer E.J. Dionne (Washington Post) this morning on NPR, in regards to his new book Stand Up and Fight Back. He's one of the few more liberal commentators out there who is able to maintain an objective opinion when it comes to assessing the Bush Administration and the Democrats. I mean, he's still a self-described 'Massachusetts Liberal,' but at least he's not so obviously reactionary like so many of these other so-called pundits out there.

Beastie Boys Debut at No. 1
i haven't listened to the entire new cd yet but what i've heard, i found kind of boring. regardless, i'm kind of surprised they debuted at no. 1. obviously they did a TON of publicity this time around but i dunno, to me the beasties seem played. they're done.
they're certainly not 'boys' anymore. mike d is looking mighty old these days, prematurely so, actually.
living hard seems to hit white people the hardest as they age. weird.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004


Lollapalooza Tour Cancelled


Wow, i'm surprised by this, especially considering it was a good lineup.
poor ticket sales apparently. Too bad, really.

Lollapalooza Abruptly Cancelled

Thursday, June 17, 2004


big surprise
9/11 Commission dismisses any ties between Iraq & Al Queda



This is funny to me only because it simply confirms what we've all known all along. There was no damn connection between Iraq and Al Queda.

Duh!


And this is fucking scary too.

1 in 4 Credit Reports Has Errors

Tuesday, June 15, 2004


Pistons Win, Yahoo Email Users Lose


PISTONS WIN!

PISTONS WIN!

PISTONS WIN!

PISTONS WIN!

100-87

(though it wasn't nearly that close)

It's true, the Detroit Pistons are the 2004 NBA World Champions.
I'm super stoked.
I wish i was in Detroit right now, but oh well.
They so dominated the Los Angeles Fakers.
It feels good.
I mean, i'm not huge sports enthusiast, but the Pistons have always held a very special place in my heart. I think it had something to do with me being really into the Pistons back in the 1980s, when they lost that heartbreaking defeat to the Boston Celtics in 1987, then lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988 in seven games, and finally took the damn thing in a sweep in 1989. They also won in 1990, but the '89 season was a truly magical era.
The Bad Boys. Vinnie Johnson. Joe Dumars (who put the current team together). Isaiah Thomas. Rick Mahorn. John Salley. Chuck Nevitt. Bill Laimbeer. Dennis Rodman. All those mother fuckers.
Listen to me, talking sports and shit. yes yes.

for now,
PISTONS RULE!

New Yahoo email a joke


it's almost laughable what Yahoo has tried to do to play catch-up with Google. Not like Yahoo has anything to worry about -- yet. Right now, Yahoo is sitting pretty atop the free email gauntlet, with something like 35 million subscribers. I believe MSN is second.
Google stripped everything down to the bare minimum, as well as allowed totally searchable emails (as in, say, you wanted to search through all your emails to see every time the word 'yellow' appeared. no problem. you can find as quickly as doing a google search). There's hardly any ads, and of course, the big prize, the 1gb of storage, is insane.
Yahoo tried to catch up by offering 100mb to each person.
but they added all this gimmicky dress-up shit to the interface that just looks stupid and loads slower. And for some fucking reason, now when i hit "reply to," the previous email i'm responding to doesn't even show up in the fucking window (but only my PC at work, not my Mac at home - but why would that make the least bit of difference?). and this is despite the fact that my mail options specifically state that i'm supposed to have a portion of the email show up in the window.
Yahoo released this before all the bugs have been worked out. and that's stupid.
See google did it right by allowing you to see the entire thread of email exchanges you might have with one person and keeps them all together so you can show them all on your screen or only the newest one.

And they've built up anticipation by only allowing a few people to try it out at a time.

yes, i have a Gmail account. i know they're in high demand.
luckily i knew somebody that worked at Google. that's how it works buster.
all my earthlink mail gets forwarded to Gmail.
Maybe Yahoo is next.
Why bother with dumb old yahoo when Gmail kicks the shit out of it?

Be scared, Yahoo. Gmail will do damage.

oh, and in case you forgot...

PISTONS RULE



ADDENDUM: So guess what? Yahoo has experienced 'technical glitches' the last few days. oooh, really?

Glitch This, Yahoo!

remember, walking in the sandbox is bad -- because of QUICKSAND!
What happened to quicksand? Remember when it used to be the scourge of every man, woman and child in this world, spelling doom for anyone who had ever been caught in its murky clutches.
At best, quicksand was a giant, viscous waterhole in the ground in which anyone who fell in was sucked into the ground by some sort of unseen force. I seem to recall it being on shows like "Gilligan's Island" or "Land Of The Lost."
It's hard to say. I know it was when i was a kid that i was so deathly afraid of quicksand, caused by the devil's playground that is television.


cliches rock
i'm going to bite the bullet here and let you know i've got a line on a tux place that will really hurt my finances. So i'm going to need your help. Don't make me push you down a flight of stairs. Viscosity fucking rules.

important hammer quality
my stomach really fucking hurts right now. maybe it needs food. maybe i need food. goddamn human limitations. it's bullshit. when can i be a robot? Or a replicant? i need a new body. And no, i'm not talking about the band Need New Body. You should know better.

passionate clothing
not to be confused with adult.'s "dispassionate furniture." Thanks.

websites are the scourge of America and what makes this country great
Important documents to follow. Please read along with your partner or buddy. Remember, we're on the buddy system here. Not to be confused by the decent band The Buddy System. Thanks.

reading is for idiots
I am such a fucking idiot, too.
Enjoy.
British drug company announces cocaine 'vaccine'
It's funny how different these two stories are in terms of approach. The UK version seems to be more skeptical than the US version.
How cocaine vaccine blocks the high

Wow, to use yet still more cliches, this story had me riveted.
Taking Life's Final Exit
Have videogame sex. Virtual City Of Smut Now Online
Here's yet more good news about the U.S. government. I'm glad my taxes are being put to good use. The Son of Patriot Act Also Rises

Monday, June 14, 2004

ok, this was the weekend from hell that felt like a month.
fucking bullshit.
i hate you.
i love you.

LongerLetterLater

And here it is.
Why does drama follow me wherever i go?

it's always something, to use a stupid fucking cliche on purpose and be hyper-aware about it by mentioning it right now.

Fuck.

Sunday, June 06, 2004


GO PISTONS!
DETROIT PISTONS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
GO PISTONS! W! 87-75, Series 1-0

GO PISTONS! ?L 91-99, Series 1-1?
GO PISTONS! W! 88-68, Series 2-1!!
GO PISTONS! W! 88-80, Series 3-1!!!
GO PISTONS!
GO PISTONS!

hip hip hooray!
hip hip hooray!
hip hip hooray!

Finish off the Fakers, Pistons!!!!

Everybody Loves Exclamation Points, Don't They?!!!!!!!

paid for by Hamms Beer

Lumina, Ronald Reagan Die
Yes, it's true. My Lumina, the greatest car I've ever had (which isn't saying much, but still) is dead. Long live the Lumina.
It's truly a sad day. While the car isn't technically 'dead' as far as an official declaration, I sense that this is the end.
Looks like a blown head gasket. Which means, too much money to fix on a car that's eight years old and has nearly 179,000 miles on it. When i got the car in 1998 or so, it had a bit more than 60,000 miles on it, so it's taken me a long ways.
But it's time to say goodbye.
I weep for the Lumina.
I'm about to go tip my 40 to better days with the Lumina.
And uh, oh yeah, Ronald Reagan kicked it, at long last, yesterday. Dead.


It's official - I'm a Californian

In a startling display that has taken nearly everyone in the entire state by surprise, 4-year California transplant Tim Pratt has completed his assimilation to the West Coast and can now officially call himself a Californian.
Pratt, 34 (with a bullet), in random conversation Friday afternoon talking to coworkers at large online company where he is gainfully employed, uttered the word "hella" without irony to describe an experience he was particularly fond of. Within 30 seconds, Pratt stopped and made the mental observation before voicing it to others within earshot.
"I just said 'hella' while talking to you, and i wasn't making fun of it. I really said it in a casual manner, as if I've always used the word 'hella' to give emphasis to a specific verbal narrative or emotion-fueled opinion," Pratt said, hesitantly. "I usually use the word 'fuck' to give my awesome stories i regal people with that special extra something, that little oomph to bring it all home. And 'Fuck' is so versatile -- you can use it as an adjective, a noun, a verb, an adverb, a conjunction, fucking anything! -- to say what you want to say, that i doubt it's going to go away anytime soon.
"But i have to admit, 'hella' did kind of sneak up on me. I've been fucking assimilated. Fuck!"
Other coworkers, most of whom have only known Pratt a few months, expressed shock, dismay, disbelief and happiness regarding the utterance. Yet they believed it was a natural thing that happens to us all, once we move the West Side, "cuz you and I know it's the BEST side."
"Dude, it's like, radtacular that little Timmmi is kicking it with the 'Hella' scene," spake Saul Potel, fellow coworker, confidante and cubicle neighbor. "I always knew he had some California love in him. Now it's been proven. Fuckin' A, raddude, that's fucking rad!"
Others weren't so sure the unironic use of the word Hella mean Pratt was sliding into the Pacific Ocean, much like the rest of the godforsaken modern Soddom & Gomorrah that is California.
"Tim doesn't strike me as a person that would drop 'Hella' indiscriminately in conversation, unless he really means business about something," admits an ashen Pat Misscher. "On the other hand, Tim does often get overexcited about shit and tends to exagerrate and get all loud and stuff, like he's hot shit or something. So maybe he is just being a fucking baby and trying to fit in. Aww, isn't that cute, little Timmy? Hella this, bitch."
Pratt, in seclusion as this writing went to press due to his inability to control his reading habit, issued the following statement to refute potential negative charges about his conformity to Californiaspeak.
"Like, I know it's not so awesome that i used 'Hella' without irony, but shit, yo, i was hella tired from the night before where i was hella typing and writing stuff down for hella nice deadlines that i forgot about. So yeah, i said it, but i've moved on. Why is everybody still dwelling on this? I'm a former Michigander, OK?
"I'm proud to be a Californian, except for the gubernatorial part. And other stuff. And I don't really like Southern California, especially L.A., though i do dig on the desert. Shit, the inland areas kinda suck too, and there's some super weird places up north too. OK, I'm hella proud to be a Bay Area resident. How about that?"
No further comments relating to hella were issued.

Friday, June 04, 2004

Thursday, June 03, 2004

Amazing Track

The new Boards Of Canada remix of Boom Bip track "Last Walk Around Mirror Lake" is making my emotions yearn for happy joyfulness and peace.
yeah, that sounds super hippy dippy but screw you.
at the very least, go to their site, it's awesome, though you need the latest version of Shockwave for it to work...but it's a total trip.
Boards Of Canada
oh and i'll have my rundown of the Detroit Movement Festival very soon.
It was great to see so many friends in the D.
Much love and respect.

also, FFF IS returning. really.
Trailer for Michael Moore's new film


God, i can't wait for this, just based on the trailer alone.

It opens June 25!

Click Here

my fave line by Bush:
"We're going to do everything we can to go after these terrorist killers...now watch this drive." (as he tees up and hits a golf ball).