@Skwirrelicious Laughing Man i...

@Skwirrelicious Laughing Man is one of my favorite characters ever :) or should I say ^_^

@reechard Haha, thanks for lin...

@reechard Haha, thanks for linking to that absurd #tcot search. Now anytime we want to get aggravated, we just need to click!

Now watching some 5th series H...

Now watching some 5th series Hustle. Fun so far but like 4th series I'm missing the whole original cast. Great to see Lester back though.

Just watched BSG from last nig...

Just watched BSG from last night and am happy it was better than last week, but I'm still shrugging.

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/27874

Just took my 185th mugshot! ht...

Just took my 185th mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

Just now I thought I was being...

Just now I thought I was being stalked by Timmy, the evil Dark Crow from MST3K. Then I realized it was just the Tweetdeck icon in my dock.

@ursulas I think it's more of...

@ursulas I think it's more of an Apple thing--I got my tickets just fine, but it was iTunes that was confusing & did things w/o asking.

12seconds - About to Run Some ...

12seconds - About to Run Some Errands http://tiny12.tv/ICMYU

I've been writing about this f...

I've been writing about this for months, off & on, but blownmortgage.com asks: Are We Running Out Of Money? (http://ping.fm/83KQa)

Wow--over the last hour, I los...

Wow--over the last hour, I lost a follower, got a follower and lost a follower. I'm down a follower but up 2 good convos :)

@caliblondie yes, same here on...

@caliblondie yes, same here on both counts! Must head to bed ASAP. Have a good night!

@caliblondie yeah, people don'...

@caliblondie yeah, people don't like to take compliments most of the time and I'm just paranoid. Don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

@tomzer1 haha, boomers or voom...

@tomzer1 haha, boomers or voomers?? ;) Thanks man! Type to ya again, soon!

@tomzer1 don't ruin it for me!...

@tomzer1 don't ruin it for me! I am watching it soon!! :P But seriously, man--I must run before I have to skip BGC due to fatigue! :)

@tomzer1 in fact, it's because...

@tomzer1 in fact, it's because of that guy that I am still an otaku to this day. I should name a character after him one of these days.

@tomzer1 He learned Japanese J...

@tomzer1 He learned Japanese JUST so he could watch anime w/o waiting for a subbed version. He was hardcore.

@tomzer1 he'd fly to Japan and...

@tomzer1 he'd fly to Japan and bring back unsubbed anime LDs which he'd then translate for us.

@tomzer1 you are crazed, my fr...

@tomzer1 you are crazed, my friend!! $90/ep! Yowza. Had a college friend who was similar.

@caliblondie I never know if i...

@caliblondie I never know if it's going to come across like I'm coming on to people or if people think I want something.

@caliblondie you are very welc...

@caliblondie you are very welcome. I always like to give compliments, but am always worried they'll be taken the wrong way.

@tomzer1 that was it. You do k...

@tomzer1 that was it. You do know your BGC! Once I'm done with the originals, I'm rewatching the remake.

@caliblondie well, it's a grea...

@caliblondie well, it's a great user icon is all I'm saying :) you look really good in it. And that seems to mirror your mental state.

@tomzer1 I can't remember the ...

@tomzer1 I can't remember the title of the BGC ep I watched last night--it was the one with the vampires.

@tomzer1 then I realized produ...

@tomzer1 then I realized production is HARD so (since I already wrote) I decided to write for cartoons and did that for a bit.

@tomzer1 haha, true--but hey, ...

@tomzer1 haha, true--but hey, why not aim high?

@tomzer1 voice acting? I used...

@tomzer1 voice acting? I used to want to do that until I worked in animation for a bit then realized I liked production more.

@tomzer1 OK, man, I must crash...

@tomzer1 OK, man, I must crash now. It's time for another ep of BGC and then sleep time. But good chatting!

@caliblondie alas, I must cras...

@caliblondie alas, I must crash--it's 3am on this coast! But it's been good chatting! :) And I am truly happy for you!

@tomzer1 haha, no, I'll get th...

@tomzer1 haha, no, I'll get there eventually--it's a goal of mine to write for anime one day. Don't ask me when though. :\

@tomzer1 I had heard English t...

@tomzer1 I had heard English teachers got flown over and free (or cheap) room and board. Not so. Learned the hard way :(

@tomzer1 I've always wanted to...

@tomzer1 I've always wanted to live in Japan, just never did anything about it until recently. Got offered a gig but turned it down.

@tomzer1 he's a family man, so...

@tomzer1 he's a family man, so I don't blame him. Interesting guy, tho': Taiwanese-American from Texas... (cont)

@tomzer1 you're right about pa...

@tomzer1 you're right about passion, but sometimes the need of money beats passion into submission :(

@tomzer1 it was sort of a grit...

@tomzer1 it was sort of a gritty take on a BGC/GitS mashup with some Yakuza mixed in for good measure.

@tomzer1 haha, you could be ri...

@tomzer1 haha, you could be right! Actually, I should send you a manga script I wrote for a friend (who never drew it).

@tomzer1 thanks for the compli...

@tomzer1 thanks for the compliment on the toys--I'm trying to take customs in a slightly different direction from most urban artists.

@tomzer1 but I don't want to s...

@tomzer1 but I don't want to sound all artsy-fartsy. Only had my stuff in 1 gallery show and was a "contributing artist" to a Toy2R piece...

@tomzer1 ah OK, personally, I ...

@tomzer1 ah OK, personally, I don't get the need to make live action versions of anime. Just show me the anime again (mostly).

@tomzer1 well, I'm not a pro m...

@tomzer1 well, I'm not a pro model builder (!) I'm just a guy who likes painting on stuff with Sharpie pens :) http://toys.thepete.com < ...

@caliblondie that's the thing-...

@caliblondie that's the thing--you can't be in a hurry. You've got the best attitude--it'll find you when it does.

@caliblondie I also feel like ...

@caliblondie I also feel like sometimes some people aren't built for long relationships. I say if it's not working don't force it!

@tomzer1 you're right about Os...

@tomzer1 you're right about Oshii's choice (!)--the more I read of Shiro's original manga(s) & after seeing the 2 GitS SAC series (cont.)

@tomzer1 I don't think I'd wan...

@tomzer1 I don't think I'd want a hardsuit for myself--I think it would make my ass look fat. ;) I'd rather have a Mospaeda. :)

@caliblondie yes, we do requir...

@caliblondie yes, we do require--I mean THEY do require patience! :) (And we--I MEAN THEY--appreciate it!)

@tomzer1 I haven't heard of Pa...

@tomzer1 I haven't heard of Parasite Dolls, though--is that worth checking out? I enjoyed AD Police but felt it was a little flat.

@tomzer1 ha! We have some odd...

@tomzer1 ha! We have some odd things in common, man--BGC was the anime that first got me into anime. It helped shape my love of cyberpu ...

@caliblondie you are just attr...

@caliblondie you are just attracting guys from PITAland! You've got to protect your borders better! Get Homeland Security on that! ;)

@caliblondie Oh, I feel so sor...

@caliblondie Oh, I feel so sorry for him! :P

@tomzer1 what's the "drobo"? ...

@tomzer1 what's the "drobo"? And yeah, I tend to be crass and uncultured to when it comes to sound and picture quality. :P

@FellowAtheists meh, I don't t...

@FellowAtheists meh, I don't think that's a real threat--I'm more worried about being socially ostracized for being critical of org'ed r ...

@tomzer1 but I don't have even...

@tomzer1 but I don't have even 100, let alone several hundred! Damn, you are hardcore! I ripped my 300+ CD collection ages ago, though. ...

@tomzer1 I am a huge fan of so...

@tomzer1 I am a huge fan of soundtracks, as well. I have actually been deleting some because I just don't have the storage space :(

Re: whatbillthinks0.5 - This i...

Re: whatbillthinks0.5 - This is one of my favorite mashups. It’s called... http://ff.im/1gaoE

@tomzer1 Oh, dude--the soundtr...

@tomzer1 Oh, dude--the soundtrack to "Paranoia Agent" is a blast--you're so right. Forgot to mention that in my not so pocket-sized revi ...

Haha, but I just discovered th...

Haha, but I just discovered that iTunes is downloading "Watchmen Bonus Content". Nice that it doesn't ask me if I want to download it.

At the Harlem School of the Ar...

At the Harlem School of the Arts waiting for "Strange Fruit" the opera to begin. Also hope TheWren gets here soon.

OK, got my frackin' tickets to...

OK, got my frackin' tickets to the midnight show of Watchmen on the 5th. What the smeg am I thinking? BELGIUM!

@BillCorbett wanted to make su...

@BillCorbett wanted to make sure you saw a Tweet of mine from earlier: http://twitter.com/thepete/status/1259972706 I think Jesus was a fan.

@zaibatsu singers *can* break ...

@zaibatsu singers *can* break glass with their voice--just ask @donttrythis I saw it on his show. :)

Wow--Ben Murphy signed MY bibl...

Wow--Ben Murphy signed MY bible the same way! (http://ping.fm/04PZD)

Jindal fudges: Silly Republica...

Jindal fudges: Silly Republican! Tricks are for kids! Adults like FACTS. (thx @bbittner!) (http://ping.fm/SsZO0)

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/25527

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/25487

@philiphodgen haha, I know, I'...

@philiphodgen haha, I know, I'm a gadget freak. Teh Shiny doesn't always win but it did this time. :) My Kindle 2 ships on Tuesday. ^_^

@toniandrews thanks for the co...

@toniandrews thanks for the conference suggestion--I'll definitely check it out.

@toniandrews I'm science ficti...

@toniandrews I'm science fiction, but I've been looking for an excuse to write something that doesn't rely on genre.

thepete.com: Rant Time: Why ar...

thepete.com: Rant Time: Why are there Still Republicans?: http://s3nt.com/dcz7

Rant Time: Why are there Still Republicans?

OK, I'll try to keep this short.

We've lost in Iraq.

We've lost in Afghanistan.

911 was allowed to happen.

Hurricane Katrina was bungled.

Our economy is a total, absolute mess.

George W. Bush, a Republican, was in office for 8 years up until about a month ago.

Why are there still Republicans??

Are you people seriously thinking that there's a place for your politics? 8 MILLION more people voted for the Democrat for the White House than they did the Republican.

Newsflash: your point of view is not popular with America, I don't care what color skin your man has or if your man is a woman. Your politics are done.

Your little tea parties and your socnetting and your plans to rebuild your party and retake America are a JOKE. YOU WILL FAIL because you still exclude people. Gays, women and minorities want to be represented equally. You don't do that. You also think torture and terror are just fine so long as they are weapons in YOUR arsenal and fail to see the COMPLETE FLAW in your logic.

So, just go quietly, please.

Let's stop talking about "parties" and start talking about the issues that matter.

We've got problems, stop pretending your party's crappy leadership skills aren't behind most of them and let's start finding solutions. AND FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP BITCHING ABOUT HOW THE DEMOCRATS ARE SPENDING MONEY. CHRIST you think we AREN'T FUCKING PAYING ATTENTION???

Some of you bitch about a few million here, a few hundred thousand there, what about a trillion in useless wars against a useless, loser enemy in two countries that have noting to do with 911? What about spying on Americans? What about the robbing of unalienable rights supposedly guaranteed in the US Constitution to all humans??

And NOTHING the Democrats can do at this point will hurt the country more than Republicans already have.

And yes, I'm broad-stroking all Republicans because if you disagreed with how your party behaved you should have spoken up or LEFT THE PARTY. I was raised to be a good little Democrat and so when they started doing things I didn't like, I LEFT. Now I can't be blamed for their stupidity or their mistakes or anything the Dems do. If you call yourself a Republican, you are giving yourself the same label as George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, John McCain and all the other big-name Republicans that think:

Torture is fine in certain circumstances Banks and businesses should be bailed out for their own mistakes America is weak enough for a few religious freaks in the desert to be a threat There is a pro-abortion movement Women should be paid less than men for the same work

Should I go on? I said I'd keep this short, so I won't.

Take responsibility for yourself and your party's actions and leave it!

Leave the labels, face the problems. Working together we can make the world a better place.

This isn't a diatribe against conservatives or Christians or anyone who shares similar views. It's just a critique against people who call themselves Republicans.

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

http://twitpic.com/1qdfn - Thi...

http://twitpic.com/1qdfn - This is where I'll be tonight--the opera, watching Strange Fruit. In NYC? Join us! $15!

@philiphodgen maybe I'll send ...

@philiphodgen maybe I'll send Governor Patterson my cable bill for March. That's about the same as the sales tax I paid on my Kindle. :\

@philiphodgen Combine the cost...

@philiphodgen Combine the cost of shipping with the wait and I just decided it wasn't worth it. I'll send a nasty letter to my governor tho'

@philiphodgen I had a friend i...

@philiphodgen I had a friend in LA try to order the Kindle for me but if it even ships to NY he gets charged sales tax.

@philiphodgen I caved & ordere...

@philiphodgen I caved & ordered my Kindle 2 anyway. :( There was just no practical way to get it. I have no good friends in nearby states.

In NYC & feel like opera tonig...

In NYC & feel like opera tonight? You're in luck. Here's where I'll be tonight: http://is.gd/l8u0 at a concert version of "Strange Fruit".

thepete.com: Wikileaks Cracks ...

thepete.com: Wikileaks Cracks Pentagon Encryption; My Faith in Our Leaders is Restored (or NOT): http://s3nt.com/dcw6

Wikileaks Cracks Pentagon Encryption; My Faith in Our Leaders is Restored (or NOT)

This is hilarious--well, assuming you think massive incompetence being a Pentagon job requirement is funny. Can you believe this? Apparently there was a password on the politically sensitive file at this URL:

http://oneteam.centcom.mil/isc/Shared%20Documents/NATO%20Master%20Narrative.doc

By the look of it, the only thing protecting the contents of this file is the fact that it's a password-protected MS Word doc. Wtf?? What bright-eyes thought this would be a good idea? Let's just leave a politically sensitive WORD DOC in an unprotected directory and expect a fracking MS Word password to keep it safe. WHAT COULD HAPPEN?

So, anyway, the post at Wikileaks.org (see screencap above or original here: https://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/N1 ) doesn't explain how the "encryption" was "cracked" but I suspect it was something simple, like the highly technical process of entering random words until something worked.

You may be wondering what was so politically sensitive in the Word doc. Well, it turns out it was a document meant for NATO officials, and it tells them not to tell anyone that the country of Jordan is involved in helping us with the War Against Terror (aka tWAT) in Afghanistan. What's the catch with the world knowing Jordan is involved? It's supposed to be a secret. Apparently, back in 2001 they officially withdrew from the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), which is officially in charge of our efforts in Afghanistan. It seems like they sure didn't stop helping us.

Why is it a big deal that Jordan is still involved in our Afghani efforts? Well, it seems they're real big in the torture community. They are also said to be big helpers with our extraordinary renditions program. So, essentially, they help us when we go into one country, kidnap a suspect and deliver said suspect to another country where we ask them questions and let local authorities torture if we don't like the answers.

In an obviously related story the Pentagon shut their entire site down this afternoon. Gee, I wonder why they did that!

Does anyone still wonder why the world has so much wrong with it when our leaders are smegging moronic enough to use only a single password to protect sensitive information?

OH yeah and the password on the doc? Progress.

Well done, Pentagon! Well done!!

Massive kudos to Twitter-user Zaibatsu who posted about Wikileaks cracking the password on the NATO file.

I wonder if this story will hit CNN or any of the other MSM news "sources."

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

@zaibatsu stellar catch, man! ...

@zaibatsu stellar catch, man! When regular civilians can get into a Pentagon file like that it should be huge news. Thanks for Tweeting it!

RT @zaibatsu Pentagon pulls en...

RT @zaibatsu Pentagon pulls entire site after Wikileaks cracks NATO encryption password http://tinyurl.com/b7cgew (Their password: progress)

thepete.com: PARANOIA AGENT (2...

thepete.com: PARANOIA AGENT (2004): http://s3nt.com/dcri

PARANOIA AGENT (2004)

Buy it!

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Wow, was this anime series a lot of fun! No mecha, no sexy teen girls in school uniforms, nothing that is typical to anime "aimed at adults" makes an appearance in Paranoia Agent. But it's really for adults--though I think kids would enjoy it just fine. It's a show about a psycho-sociological phenomenon (like a fad that effects how people think) that sweeps the city (but it's a lot more fun than it sounds).


Technically any good? I usually don't care for stories that blur the line between reality and fantasy but creator Satoshi Kon manages to blur and blend that line so skillfully, I didn't care. The characters are so well defined, the story is so intriguing and the acting so solid that I just kept watching even when I couldn't quite reconcile what I was looking at with reality.

The reality-bending stuff is explained in the end, but only if you look for it. That's, of course, what I like about a lot Japanese media--they don't spoon-feed everything to you.

So, on a technical level, this series is about as solid as solid can be. Even the animation (save for one episode) was impressive for a series (usually series get smaller budgets than movies).


How did it leave me feeling? Definitely satisfied. The show makes a very interesting and critical statement about culture and how humans can give into fear and paranoia and, in a way, enjoy it.


Final Rating? GSN - Go See Now. This is an anime that is safe for most ages. There are isolated acts of violence, but they are quick. The only catch with kids watching this is that it is a very mind-bending show at points. Of course, that's one of the reasons I loved it so much.

Sadly, it appears to be out of print in the US. I do think it's worth seeing if you can find a copy, though. I found mine on Netflix.

PLEASE NOTE: I do recommend AGAINST watching the English dubbed version. This is not just because of my general bias against western voice over actors generally not being as good. It's because the translation sucks. In Japanese the nemesis is referred to as "Shonen Bat" which apparently translates to "bat boy". In the English dub, they refer to him as "Lil' Slugger." Bleh. I prefer the simpleness of the more utilitarian Japanese to the snarky English version--and who knows what else the translation changes?

Depressing to hear about small...

Depressing to hear about small local newspapers big enough to be heard of but not big enough to survive. RIP local newspapers :(

@cherishhellfire haha! That wo...

@cherishhellfire haha! That would be... Uh... Uh... Sorry just trying to shake that image you just put in my head

@cherishhellfire you're right-...

@cherishhellfire you're right--rather than face themselves too many criticize others and make themselves feel better. Too sad.

@cherishhellfire my point is j...

@cherishhellfire my point is just that odds are every one of us has something good in us to be proud of. Shame people cling to skin color.

@cherishhellfire if I were an ...

@cherishhellfire if I were an unmarried lesbian I'd be proud of my good sense in wanting to date you. :)

@cherishhellfire people who *t...

@cherishhellfire people who *think* they have nothing else to be proud of wave their skin color like a flag but she had the smarts to date u

@cherishhellfire your eyes roc...

@cherishhellfire your eyes rock and your soul rocks more for being so strong. Still, I'm sorry you had to deal w/that. Wish I could hug ya.

@cherishhellfire I'm thinking ...

@cherishhellfire I'm thinking she didn't her research on you. I also love how she's "proud to be white." I mean, WHY?

@cherishhellfire I think I fol...

@cherishhellfire I think I follow too many people on Twitter because I missed too much of your posts. So your racist gf proposed??

@cherishhellfire geh--I'm lame...

@cherishhellfire geh--I'm lame. @siskita told me to check all your tweets and I got my answer to the "how are you?" question. Sorry :(

@cherishhellfire evil karate i...

@cherishhellfire evil karate instructor? Maaaaybe not. :P How are you doing BTW? Been writing at all?

@Bloglue but cell phone servic...

@Bloglue but cell phone service is cheap over there, it seems. 7,000 for 3 phones you said? & 4,000 for 1 iphone? Maybe the iphone is pricey

@Bloglue there's definitely so...

@Bloglue there's definitely something to be said about saving. I only hesitate because I wonder how much that saved money will be worth :(

@93octane I beg your pardon! D...

@93octane I beg your pardon! Democracies do not fail! They're brought down by a few bad apples ;)

@toniandrews that's a great id...

@toniandrews that's a great idea--here's a stupid question, though: how do I find one of those to check out in my area?

@cherishhellfire you have all ...

@cherishhellfire you have all the fun!! I wanna be chased by the Heche-family guard dog!

@michael_downey congratulation...

@michael_downey congratulations, man!! Or should I say おめでとう！

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventu...

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventures for February 27, 2009: http://s3nt.com/db7a

Ballpoint Adventures for February 27, 2009

Ballpoint Adventures for February 27, 2009, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

Please check out more Ballpoint Adventures at thepete.com/ics!

Now I get to post today's Ball...

Now I get to post today's Ballpoint Adventure comic then head to bed. Got a DVD to make in the AM then tomorrow night I'm hitting the opera!

What a night! Got to see some ...

What a night! Got to see some great singing (especially from @siskita) got to talk w/some great composers & even got a CD from RittHenn.com!

@Bloglue ARG! Sucks, man! Sorr...

@Bloglue ARG! Sucks, man! Sorry to hear that. :( I thought the iPhone had an amazing deal, though--wasn't it ¥4,000 or something?

@siskita is co-hosting tonight...

@siskita is co-hosting tonight's Big Night Out, btw. That's http://ping.fm/x3eeT for more, uh, info.

At Dillon's on 54th & 8th all ...

At Dillon's on 54th & 8th all set up to video tonite's Big Night Out open-mic. More info: http://ping.fm/x3eeT $10 & 2hrs of live music!

@Bloglue Just a 2 year contrac...

@Bloglue Just a 2 year contract for a free iPhone? Wow. Looks like I have more proof that I am in the wrong country!

Ping.fm cut off my last post t...

Ping.fm cut off my last post then Nambu crashed. Technology is great except when it isn't.

At Dillons on 54th

At Dillons on 54th

@Bloglue I want a free iPhone!...

@Bloglue I want a free iPhone! But hey, how many decades is the contract to make up for the free phone?

Starting to wonder if there *i...

Starting to wonder if there *is* an alternative to just paying $30 tax on my Kindle 2. I don't have any friends close to but outside NYC :(

Facing foreclosure? Don't leav...

Facing foreclosure? Don't leave. Squat! Make 'em prove you owe them! (sez Congresswoman!) (http://ping.fm/JqeRH)

@caliblondie Thanks! I'll def...

@caliblondie Thanks! I'll definitely let her know :) We're going to be doing more with both of our puppets, just not sure what yet.

@caliblondie haha, well, becau...

@caliblondie haha, well, because my wife reads my Twitterstream, I'll say: OF COURSE!! :)

@caliblondie haha, I'm sure yo...

@caliblondie haha, I'm sure you do! In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most guys can be from PITAland more often than not!

@stennieville it seems fine no...

@stennieville it seems fine now--I just left a comment. It looks like I might be first! YAY!

@siskita I said in that earli...

@siskita I said in that earlier tweet a big pain in the ass I was referring to--my MacBook's inability to copy multi-gig MTS files.

@caliblondie thanks :) I don't...

@caliblondie thanks :) I don't think I came up with it. Though it does make sense P.ain I.n T.he A.ss. Just call me "The Man from P.I.T.A."

@stennieville good luck with t...

@stennieville good luck with the sites, though--I hate when that happens. It does look like huckbug.com is trying to open. :)

@stennieville Nooooooooooooo! ...

@stennieville Nooooooooooooo! AH well. I'm with you on Series 8 of Red Dwarf by the way. Agree w/you on RD s7 but still enjoyed it.

@MariAdkins myfirsttweet.com d...

@MariAdkins myfirsttweet.com didn't work for me--says I have too many updates. :(

Damn it--my Mac is being a BIG...

Damn it--my Mac is being a BIG PITA about transferring multi-gig MTS files shot with my HD cam. Very frustrating.

@stennieville I'm having troub...

@stennieville I'm having trouble pulling up Hucklebug.com. :( I wanna leave a comment about the podcast!! Must... get... my shoutout!!

Just took my 184th mugshot! ht...

Just took my 184th mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

@AtheistBus thanks for the Ath...

@AtheistBus thanks for the Atheist campaign links! Interesting--I think I like yours better, though. Less pretentious. :)

@MariAdkins you're welcomeeee ...

@MariAdkins you're welcomeeee :) I just feel that Climate Change is happening and don't care who caused it. Just feel like we should stop it

UN Environment Guy Warns Green...

UN Environment Guy Warns Greenhouse Emissions Rising at Alarming, Unexpected Rate--"Believe" in Climate Change NOW? (http://ping.fm/dRqxJ)

@MariAdkins d'oh! Sorry--will ...

@MariAdkins d'oh! Sorry--will repost. Thanks for the heads up!

Can't believe I've lasted this...

Can't believe I've lasted this long without the coffee object. Must get consuming!!

@albotas dude, those Dark Knig...

@albotas dude, those Dark Knight Dunnys do, in fact, rock. Can't believe they're just 3". Especially the Scarecrow--that mask looks great.

UN Environment Panel Guy Warns...

UN Environment Panel Guy Warns Greenhouse Emissions Rising at Alarming, Unexpected Rate--"Believe" in Climate Change NOW? (http://ping.f ...

thepete.com: ZEITGEIST (2007):...

thepete.com: ZEITGEIST (2007): http://s3nt.com/da4g

ZEITGEIST (2007)

It's Documentary Thursday at reviews.thepete.com, when I post a pocket review of a documentary on a given topic that interests me. One thing to bear in mind is that not all documentaries deserve the name "documentary." However, not all documentaries have to include a British-accented voice-over and a big-money distributor to be worth watching.

Watch or buy it!

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely a positive experience, but I think the filmmaker was a little overzealous with some of the shock treatment-style cinematic devices he uses in this film. This is another in an ever-longer line of "opiniontaries" that generally try to come across as a documentary but ultimately are just trying to put forward their own agenda. Not that this is that different from what other "more acceptable" documentaries do.


Technically any good? This film is incredibly effective. Moving at a quick pace, this film picks you up, carries you along, smacks the crap out of you (and your belief systems) and then drops you off at the side of the road like a cheap prostitute. I've heard from friends and strangers that this film changed their lives. I can't say it changed mine, but it did have an effect.

Over the years I've watched a LOT of so-called "conspiracy documentaries." They all claim to have the answers and the truth and the warnings about the coming "New World Order" blah-blah-blah. I watch them because they are hilarious and, creepily enough, sometimes accurate. Zeitgeist takes the best, most believable of these conspiracy theories and rolls them into one film.

For that reason, I think this is the most effective film to watch if you're growing dissatisfied with the way the world is run. Zeitgeist does a good job of explaining where our culture comes from and where it is likely going (though I didn't find myself agreeing with it all the time).

Sadly, it gets mired in 911-related shock tactics that made me wonder if the filmmaker realized how hypocritical he was actually being. Like most opiniontaries, this one gets a few things wrong and the film's use of what Naomi Klein calls "The Shock Doctrine" as a cinematic technique has the power to undo the rest of the good the film does.


How did it leave me feeling? Definitely educated. After growing up a news-junky and then spending the last seven years exploring the world of conspiracies (for a novel series I've written), I do have to say that I have no idea what to believe about our past, present or future. And this film doesn't help make things clearer.

It does point out a lot of evidence that suggests our civilization is largely built on lies told by power-hungry people who want to control everything through the control of money.

Gotta admit, the film has a point.


Final Rating? GSN - Go See Now - BUT WITH A WARNING: While Zeitgeist is a genuinely powerful and effective movie, it does rely on many of the same tactics it criticizes the "ruling elite" of using to control the masses. It's important to watch ANY documentary with a clear and critical mind. And most importantly, when you're done watching it, do some research. Read up on some of the things you've been told about.

If nothing else, by presenting such a radically negative view of Western Society, documentaries like this remind us to think for ourselves. Even if you don't agree, it's important to consider what other people say. Zeitgeist, I think, nails a lot of things on the head, but it's not for the faint of heart.

Click the poster image above to go to the official site where you can watch the movie and its sequel (I'll be reviewing it next week), or buy copies of both on DVD.

@supahcute I don't think it's ...

@supahcute I don't think it's a faux-pas. Twitter is a tool for communication. You probably own more than 1 screwdriver--Twitter's like that

Why is my apartment so warm wh...

Why is my apartment so warm when it's in the 30s out? I don't think I'd be this drowzy if it weren't so toasty in here. Damn NY radiators.

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventu...

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventures for February 26, 2009: http://s3nt.com/dah2

Ballpoint Adventures for February 26, 2009

Ballpoint Adventures for February 26, 2009, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

Check out more Ballpoint Adventures strips at thepete.com/ics
Direct all hate mail to: youareoverlysensitivetostickfigureviolence@
thepete.com (and don't expect a reply).

@dailybooth ahhh, you mean in ...

@dailybooth ahhh, you mean in the actual browser, not on the page. Sorry, not used to looking there, ironically. Thanks!

Yeah, I don't really miss LA a...

Yeah, I don't really miss LA at all. My friends I miss, but this? No. (http://ping.fm/1RQ8p)

thepete.com: Jay Doesn't Under...

thepete.com: Jay Doesn't Understand Obama's Plan: http://s3nt.com/dab9

Jay Doesn't Understand Obama's Plan

And neither do I.

Here's Jay's 12 second take:


Jay Doesn't Understand Obama's Plan on 12seconds.tv

Sure, it's an oversimplification, but if loans are what got us into trouble in the first place, how are more loans going to fix things?

Seriously: Banks give loans to people who can't afford them and then pawn off the lawns to someone else who then gets screwed.

Obama wants us to give money to the same banks who will then, somehow miraculously NOT give money to people who will default on the loans?

Since the economy is hurting, a LOT of folks won't have good enough credit to get loans, so who are these loans going to be given to?

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/21256

@dailybooth Ah, OK cool--thank...

@dailybooth Ah, OK cool--thanks! But how do people find the RSS link if they want it? I mean, if they don't know the URL structure.

thepete.com: TheVlog (in HD) f...

thepete.com: TheVlog (in HD) for 1/20/9: ThePete's Adventure on Inauguration Day in DC part 2: http://s3nt.com/c98x

TheVlog (in HD) for 1/20/9: ThePete's Adventure on Inauguration Day in DC part 2

PLEASE NOTE: This was SHOT in HD, but is not in HD on YouTube thanks to problems I've been having uploading my HD videos. Sorry :( That said, the picture was still pretty clear when I looked at it on my laptop before uploading. What IS this video? ThePete, Siskita and Jay ThePal visit DC for the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama. This is part 2 of their inauguration day adventure! In this episode they reach the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument and come face to face(s) with 1.5 million screamin' Americans!

Watch it now:



Two more parts to go! Wahoo!

12seconds - Jay Doesn't Unders...

12seconds - Jay Doesn't Understand Obama's Plan http://tiny12.tv/7BWXB

12seconds - ThePete Confirms: ...

12seconds - ThePete Confirms: Bad Greenscreen (or Bad Camtwist!) http://tiny12.tv/453RM

12seconds - Jay Explains That ...

12seconds - Jay Explains That Our Greenscreen Doesn't Work http://tiny12.tv/BAQ34

tv20090120hdpt2 http://ff.im/1...

tv20090120hdpt2 http://ff.im/1dEOA

@dailybooth where are the rss ...

@dailybooth where are the rss feeds? I can't find mine :(

@dailybooth do you have an RSS...

@dailybooth do you have an RSS feed for each member? I couldn't find one. Also, I'm hoping on some sort of widget to put in my sidebar.

eyes bleeding from looking for...

eyes bleeding from looking for Amazon coupon codes. Why does NY state charge Internet sales tax? ARG!! $390 for a Kindle? Don't wanna!

Why the smeg is it taking more...

Why the smeg is it taking more than 30 fracking minutes to upload 100mb file to YouTube?? That's 100 MB, not GB. BELGIUM!

Great (but depressing) parody ...

Great (but depressing) parody ad about the auto industry bailout. Thx @bbittner ! (http://ping.fm/pB5eD)

@MariAdkins Yeah, NYC has the ...

@MariAdkins Yeah, NYC has the best mass transit I've ever seen, but we're about to start really paying for it. Price hikes are coming soon.

Liked "Subaru Electric Car G4e...

Liked "Subaru Electric Car G4e" http://ff.im/1cM07

I'd want one if I didn't live ...

I'd want one if I didn't live in a city with good mass transit. re: http://ff.im/1cM07

You probably could have gotten...

You probably could have gotten away with showing her your Mickey Mouse Club Card. re: http://ff.im/1cERS

Ah, sweet. Jealous. Almost ord...

Ah, sweet. Jealous. Almost ordered my own last night, but I'm in NY and choked on that $30 tax Amazon adds to... re: http://ff.im/1cDxy

The difference is, Bush was AL...

The difference is, Bush was ALWAYS a joke of a leader, NEVER exhibited any ability to lead or come across like a... re: http://ff.im/1byaN

thepete.com: DEATHTRAP (1982):...

thepete.com: DEATHTRAP (1982): http://s3nt.com/c9n5

DEATHTRAP (1982)

Buy it!

Positive Experience/Entertaining? YES. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie for adults that actually respected my intelligence and entertained me in a fun way at the same time.


Technically any good? Based on a play of the same name, this movie is pretty tight script and story-wise. There is almost nothing I would have done differently and there was no point in which I was bored. The movie tells its story, develops its characters and slides you to the edge of your seat with subtle skill. The acting from Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon and Christopher Reeve is is solid and very convincing.

The only flaw, I felt, was the music--while there was nothing wrong with it, in theory, I felt it was jarring in a movie that simply didn't need any music. The performances and the editing are enough to pull you along and keep you enveloped. The perfectly reasonable, but fairly period, music knocked me clean out of the film.


How did it leave me feeling? Definitely entertained and definitely satisfied. It made me want to read the play and maybe even want to be in it. :)


Final Rating? SIYL - See If You Like intense but not terrifying moments. There are some definitely adult themes here, but for intelligent adults looking for a fun movie that won't make you feel like you're being spoken down to, this is a perfect pick.

If you haven't seen this movie, don't talk about the plot with anyone. Conversations about this film with even those who haven't seen it are tantamount to spoiler mine fields that are very likely to destroy your first experience watching this film.

@gtowna Thanks for the suggest...

@gtowna Thanks for the suggestion! I think it's about billing address not the shipping. Hoping to convince a friend in another state to help

Went to sleep contemplating ho...

Went to sleep contemplating how to get around NY sales tax charges on a Kindle 2 and woke up the same way.

@philiphodgen exactly. And sin...

@philiphodgen exactly. And since what I'm buying is only available online from Amazon it's hurting only them AND NY's income.

@stennieville Thanks! Glad you...

@stennieville Thanks! Glad you're enjoying them. I was a little surprised I could come up with the humor--so much for Obama-brand hope! ;)

@philiphodgen Am going to seri...

@philiphodgen Am going to seriously consider how to handle this. It's not like I can buy a Kindle at J&R or Best Buy, annoyingly.

@philiphodgen Patterson's lost...

@philiphodgen Patterson's lost my vote! Ironically, many vendors Amazon works with are in NY so by forcing sales tax, they're hurting NY biz

@philiphodgen yeah, man--$360 ...

@philiphodgen yeah, man--$360 is already a lot to spend on an e-book reader, but another $30? That's 15 trips on the subway!

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventu...

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventures for February 25, 2009: http://s3nt.com/c822

Ballpoint Adventures for February 25, 2009

Ballpoint Adventures for February 25, 2009, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

So, the American worker is no longer worth paying for? We're doomed
then, aren't we?

Check out more Ballpoint Adventures here: http://thepete.com/ics

Holy cats! Just about to order...

Holy cats! Just about to order my Kindle 2 when I saw the sales tax. $30! All thanks to NY Gov Patterson. I used to like that guy. No more!

Just placed my order for my Sq...

Just placed my order for my SquaredyCats.com T-shirt! Check out http://squaredycats.com & support a great designer (an old friend of mine :)

@Skwirrelicious Haha, yeah, sh...

@Skwirrelicious Haha, yeah, she had never seen a cat before. Of course, the cat had never seen a Kay before, either. :)

Wondering who this Sheldon guy...

Wondering who this Sheldon guy is. Future friend of Jay ThePal perhaps? (http://ping.fm/wS2Fl)

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/19139

Just took my 182nd mugshot! ht...

Just took my 182nd mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

Sea Monkeys can suck it! I wan...

Sea Monkeys can suck it! I want me some Triops! (be sure to watch the vid!) (http://ping.fm/k6WTH)

I really hate Facebook. Just ...

I really hate Facebook. Just thought I'd mention that.

Uploading a whole mess of pics...

Uploading a whole mess of pics to my Flickr. Taste the Flickrset goodness! (http://ping.fm/NDCuM)

@PeterSantilli Is that on a T-...

@PeterSantilli Is that on a T-shirt? If not, it should be.

@robinreekers hey man, that's ...

@robinreekers hey man, that's in Nieuw-Vennep isn't it? I've heard a lot about that city! ;P

Nice. After a DAY of uploading...

Nice. After a DAY of uploading a single 1gb HD video to YouTube, the site throws an error message. Is shooting HD for the web even worth it?

Democracy Now spends 30 minute...

Democracy Now spends 30 minutes talking about makeup/toy/chemical (lack of) safety in the US. (http://ping.fm/furL0)

Sun-powered device converts CO...

Sun-powered device converts CO2 into fuel - New Scientist (http://ping.fm/hOBvi)

thepete.com: Republicans Celeb...

thepete.com: Republicans Celebrate Bobby Jindal's Coming Out Party--Apparently, the GOP Likes Gays Now: http://s3nt.com/c8aa

Republicans Celebrate Bobby Jindal's Coming Out Party--Apparently, the GOP Likes Gays Now

The headline of that CNN.com article cracked me up when I first saw it late last night. Turns out the GOP actually used the phrase "coming out party" to describe Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's turn at responding to President Barry's Mini-State of the Empire address tonight. Jindal's appearance on national TV (people still watch that?) is seen as a big deal for the 37 year-old Indian-American who was a US Congressman before taking office in January 2008 (I read his Wikipedia article!). But is this married minority coming out of the closet?

Of course not. It just goes to show you how effing clueless the Republicans still are.

They think they can "put a fresh face on the party" by making sure that "face" isn't white.

As if that somehow changes the bad ideas the party embraces. As if it means the Republicans suddenly like minorities and think women should get paid the same amount as men. As if "GOP" now stands for the "Gay Old Party."

That IS something to remember--the Republicans still don't like gays.

They still believe that a "pro-abortion movement" actually exists.

They still favor businesses and bankers over American citizens, think that Al Qeada and the Taleban are two mighty armies that threaten our way of life (instead of being two loose-knit bands of extremist losers) and most of all don't seem to mind when the American government commits domestic and international crimes (too late to impeach Bush, but he can still be indicted, can't he?).

Then again, the Democrats believe those things, too.

In the end, it doesn't really matter what color skin the face on which ever party has. It's all the (corrupt) business as usual.

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

thepete.com: TIME BARBARIANS (...

thepete.com: TIME BARBARIANS (1990): http://s3nt.com/c773

TIME BARBARIANS (1990)

Buy it!

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Well, I've got to say no, not really. I know it seems silly to even review a film like this, but hey, I watched it, might as well write about it. But no, this was not a positive experience.


Technically any good? This is your standard, bad b-movie, designed to entice dumb teenage boys to watch in the hopes of finding some nudity and there is a bit of it, so that's nice for those of us who enjoy seeing topless women. Of course, one of them gets raped, so you might want to bear that in mind.

Aside from the rape scene, the film is generally what you would have expected to see on MST3K since it's pretty much on the level of Hobgoblins (and even shares a cast member). The acting is as flat as you'd expect, though I never blame the actors. The story is damn near non-existent, though I have to say it's more coherent than what we've got going on Battlestar Galactica, so there is that.


How did it leave me feeling? Achy neck from shaking my head so much. Even as a dumb b-movie, this isn't one I'd recommend. I also found it kind of weird that while we see a topless woman get raped, during the healthy, nice sex scene between consenting adults we see later on, there is no nudity. Kinda sad if you ask me. I always prefer to see boobs in a positive situation.


Final Rating? DNS - Do Not See. There are loads of better (read: more fun) bad b-movies out there (even with nudity) if you're interested in doing your own MST3K-style DIY quipathon.

@AtheistBus I'm in NYC & take ...

@AtheistBus I'm in NYC & take the subway mostly, so I hardly ever see buses or their advertising. Where in the US is your campaign?

@drilone I've been known to wr...

@drilone I've been known to write some copy (did it pro for 2 yrs). DM me if someone hasn't already beaten me to the punch.

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventu...

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventures for February 24, 2009: http://s3nt.com/c7n7

Ballpoint Adventures for February 24, 2009

Ballpoint Adventures for February 24, 2009, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

Remember kids, it's just a poorly drawn comic strip!

Read more Ballpoint Adventure comics (including ones from years ago)
at: thepete.com/ics

Stepping away from the MacBook...

Stepping away from the MacBook and giving my wrists a wrest for a bit.

I'll never understand this urg...

I'll never understand this urge to judge all people on Twitter. I'll also never understand the urge to judge what Twitter is. Relax folks!!

"I Tweet, Therefore I Am" real...

"I Tweet, Therefore I Am" really? Why does anyone do anything? Isn't it b/c they want to on some level prove they exist? http://bit.ly/DHn4y

RT @mileskahn via @siskita who...

RT @mileskahn via @siskita who agrees with me--I call crockoshit: "Twittering stems from a lack of identity." I knew it! http://bit.ly/DHn4y

@siskita http://twitpic.com/1j...

@siskita http://twitpic.com/1j01k - I've seen better pictures of me.

@Kjolexa you're just a writing...

@Kjolexa you're just a writing fiend. No need to feign otherwise. Then you'd be a feigning fiend. That would make me faint.

@siskita http://twitpic.com/1l...

@siskita http://twitpic.com/1l86r - Wow--what do you need the sheet music for if the lyrics are written on the wall over there?

@siskita http://twitpic.com/1n...

@siskita http://twitpic.com/1n2ob - HAWT BEWBIES!

thepete.com: INGLORIOUS BASTER...

thepete.com: INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (2009) (Preemptive Strike): http://s3nt.com/c65s

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) (Preemptive Strike)

Positive Experience/Entertaining? based on the trailer? I'd say this movie is bad for all of humanity. You know? There was a time when I would have wanted to see a movie like this--it was the 1980s--a time of shallow, petty, self-centered thinking, when it was still easy to think of a world in terms of "us" versus "them."

The trailer makes me wonder if the director has grown-up at all since then.


Technically any good? I have to admit that I am seriously biased against Tarantino's films. The only one I've ever liked (and I do love this movie) was True Romance and he only wrote the script. I thought all the others he's made have been over-rated and ultimately kinda stupid. This movie, again based on the trailer, looks no different.

Sure, the FX will look great--it's QT, his movies are always slick looking. They're just lacking in any interesting story or characters. Speaking of story, the story of this movie looks amazingly simple and uninteresting. Not to mention amoral and encouraging the audience to feel good about being violent again.

We can't feel good about our war on terror, so we'll feel good about killing Germans.

Yeah, that's just what we need.

Acting-wise? Who cares? It's a QT movie. Good acting doesn't really matter. It's all about TheSlick.


How did it leave me feeling? It left my skin crawling. How Brad Pitt agreed to do this movie after reading the script is beyond me. The trailer illustrates one of the few things that was wrong with World War II on both sides--the absurd hatred of the other side.

Now Tarantino is going to glorify that hatred.

Yeah, there was a time when I would have loved a movie like this. But then I grew up.


Final Rating? DNS - Do Not See. Let's not encourage this kind of storytelling. Let's ignore QT for a while in the hopes that he'll go back to telling actual stories with actual characters, like he did in True Romance. Wouldn't that be nice?

But don't trust my opinion--click on the poster image above and watch the trailer for yourself and see how good it makes you feel.

@Ohdoctah sympathy appreciated...

@Ohdoctah sympathy appreciated! But it's what I get for working in 720p. I should know better! It's a 10m clip but in HD it's a gig big. >_<

Looking at Watchmen showtimes ...

Looking at Watchmen showtimes for next week & seeing a lot of listings for 12:01pm on 3/4. I think they've got it confused. 12:01*am* maybe?

My MacBook crashing entirely w...

My MacBook crashing entirely wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been in the middle of uploading a 1GB video to You Tube. >_<

Geh--MacBook just crashed comp...

Geh--MacBook just crashed completely. Technogods must have decided I had watched enough videos of TV reporters screwing up on live TV.

@dailybooth must say I'm havin...

@dailybooth must say I'm having trouble using the social part of your site. The pic-stuff is fine but can't really work out how to be social

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/

Just took my 181st mugshot! ht...

Just took my 181st mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

Liked "think again...." http:/...

Liked "think again...." http://ff.im/1biRK

lolcat for that last one: "Pan...

lolcat for that last one: "Panda Voyeur" SOMEone likes to watch. o_O re: http://ff.im/1aOCg

In so many ways it's still lik...

In so many ways it's still like we're back on those old modems thanks to the crappily designed websites Mitchell... re: http://ff.im/15Wq8

Just saw the full title of the...

Just saw the full title of the Transformers movie sequel. Wondering if "They've fallen and they *can* get up!" was taken.

@AtheistBus thanks for the fol...

@AtheistBus thanks for the follow back! Wish I was in the UK so I could see your campaign 1st-hand. :)

@Kimota haha, I'm sure Mickey ...

@Kimota haha, I'm sure Mickey was robbed. :) But I'll hold off on The Wrestler until Netflix--saving my $$ for Watchmen in the theater.

@vimoh I agree and I like your...

@vimoh I agree and I like your idea of calling them angryists or annoyists, though the latter is probably a bit too tame to manipulate us ;)

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventu...

thepete.com: Ballpoint Adventures for February 23, 2009: http://s3nt.com/c52y

Ballpoint Adventures for February 23, 2009

Ballpoint Adventures for February 23, 2009, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

Whoa--check it out! It's my first Ballpoint Adventure strip in like a
WHILE. Got plenty more, too. Be sure to let me know what you think!

thepete.com: toys.thepete.com:...

thepete.com: toys.thepete.com: End Life Crisis: http://s3nt.com/c518

toys.thepete.com: End Life Crisis

toys.thepete.com: End Life Crisis, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

I designed this for the Mimoco DIY Vimobot contest. I didn't even place :( But I'm happy with the design nonetheless. I think I do pretty well with a few sharpies and some vinyl. :)

See, the idea of the contest was to create a design that would be used for one of their thumb drives. My thought was that the metal electrocution cap on this guy would be the cap of the USB so when you plugged ELC into your USB port, he'd look like he was all nervous about being plugged into your computer--like the 3 volts a USB port puts out was going to kill him.

I guess not everyone has the same sense of humor about capital
punishment that I do.

Check out more pics of my End Life Crisis piece, including progress shots and even some original sketches for this and other Vimobot designs, in the Flickrset for this project:

flickr.com/photos/thepete/sets/72157601673268083/

@Kimota I only saw Slumdog thi...

@Kimota I only saw Slumdog this year and while I enjoyed it, still don't think it's a best pic. If it is, I'm glad I missed the others.

Slumdog wins best picture? She...

Slumdog wins best picture? Sheesh. It's "Good Will Hunting" all over again (though definitely more deserving this time). Was SDM THAT good?

@cherishhellfire the real reas...

@cherishhellfire the real reason for you hopefulness becomes apparent!

thepete.com: @Siskita and Kay ...

thepete.com: @Siskita and Kay After Performing at the Oscar Night at the Algonquin Salon: http://s3nt.com/c5t7

@Siskita and Kay After Performing at the Oscar Night at the Algonquin Salon

@Siskita and Kay After Performing at the Oscar Night at the Algonquin Salon, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

I'm missing the Oscars but I just got to see these two perform! Video
coming soon!

http://twitpic.com/1n4xt - The...

http://twitpic.com/1n4xt - The Miley Cyrus Pic CNN Mobile left up for 45 Minutes

thepete.com: The Miley Cyrus P...

thepete.com: The Miley Cyrus Pic CNN Mobile left up for 45 Minutes: http://s3nt.com/c5sv

The Miley Cyrus Pic CNN Mobile left up for 45 Minutes

The Miley Cyrus Pic CNN Mobile left up for 45 Minutes, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

CNN's mobile page for 45 minutes earlier tonight. Can't imagine why!

At the Algonquin Salon but hel...

At the Algonquin Salon but helping the host keep track of the Oscars. Funny how CNN's mobile page has left that Miley pic up for so long.

Skipping Oscars & heading down...

Skipping Oscars & heading down to the Algonquin Hotel for the open mic--@siskita has a surprise for us filled w/puppety goodness! Join us!

Encoding part 2 of TheVlog fro...

Encoding part 2 of TheVlog from inauguration day. Man this project is taking forever. Must work out how to edit HD more quickly...

@giannii I already moved on fr...

@giannii I already moved on from Disqus. Couldn't get the WP plugin to work, couldn't get any help, couldn't wait forever for support.

thepete.com: Obama Agrees with...

thepete.com: Obama Agrees with Bush: Unalienable Rights? Meh.: http://s3nt.com/c5it

Obama Agrees with Bush: Unalienable Rights? Meh.

This was a very depressing bit of news to come across on Friday.
CNN.com reported that Obama is keeping the same policy on "battlefield detainees held without charges by the United States in Afghanistan" and agree that said humans "are not entitled to constitutional rights to challenge their detention."

Isn't that nice?

SO, let's review:

According to Bush AND Obama, when the founding documents (the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution) say that We, The People of the United States of America agree that "all men are created equal," and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," we actually only mean AMERICAN men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable Rights. FOREIGN men are not really human, apparently, and deserve no such Rights.

Like that one "habeas corpus" that guarantees your right to challenge your imprisonment in a court of law. Seems like a good right to have though, you know, just in case any mistakes have been made.

So, I'd like to thank Barry O'bama for reminding us that while Barack Hussein Obama may be the first black guy in the White House he's also just another American President who was corrupted by his power. See? There really is no difference between white people and black people!

Ironically, watch for part 2 of TheVlog for January 20, 2009, featuring footage Siskita and I shot from Washington DC, the day Obama was inaugurated. I'll be posting part 2 at http://tv.thepete.com soon. Watch for it!

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

Terry Pratchett: We need to ta...

Terry Pratchett: We need to talk about dementia - Telegraph (http://ping.fm/yDZ5x)

Lovely: Guardsmen to conduct u...

Lovely: Guardsmen to conduct urban training at Arcadia in April (http://ping.fm/cq8WY)

Sheesh. Not only does Twitter....

Sheesh. Not only does Twitter.com's character counter not show up for me, but now I can't unfavorite Tweets. What is going on?

thepete.com: Ahhh, taste the i...

thepete.com: Ahhh, taste the irony!: http://s3nt.com/c5gi

Ahhh, taste the irony!

We all need a little iron(y) in our diet, don't we?

Note the date of this issue of time. Ten years ago last week. In fact, Twitter user theeconomysucks was sharp enough to post this on February 19, 2009. :)

We humans think we've got it all together. It's a shame we can't just relax and admit we (and our leaders) do make mistakes from time-to-time. I think we'd benefit from a healthy dose of second-guessing of the folks in charge. In fact, I was just reading Volume 1 of the Action Philosophers compilation (written and illustrated by old college buddies of mine) and it turns out that one of Ayn Rand's devotees was none other than Alan Greenspan. Not sure what that means entirely, but if the Action Philosophers comic is to be trusted, we, maybe, shouldn't be too surprised that Greenspan was so wrong about the Free Market and deregulation.

Ah well, live and learn... I hope!

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

@theeconomysucks http://tinyur...

@theeconomysucks http://tinyurl.com/cx3paq tee-hee, nice one! Meant to RT this when you first posted it.

@tomzer1 http://is.gd/kso3 &lt...

@tomzer1 http://is.gd/kso3 <--this is the one I had so you're right--it was the Koala Pad. Man, the hours I wasted with that thing!

@tomzer1 can't remember what m...

@tomzer1 can't remember what my 80s-era graphic tablet was called but I used it on my family's Apple //e so you can imagine the masterpieces

@Andrew_Taylor anything can ha...

@Andrew_Taylor anything can happen after a cliffhanger like that, so it had better be good, is all I can say.

@tomzer1 over the holidays I p...

@tomzer1 over the holidays I picked up my first graphics tablet I've owned since the 1980s. Really miss drawing, despite never being tha ...

@tomzer1 haha, well, I think t...

@tomzer1 haha, well, I think that's cool, so long as the artists you worship aren't using illegal performance enhancing drugs. ;)

@Andrew_Taylor I'll keep an ey...

@Andrew_Taylor I'll keep an eye out for that 1 good scifi plot :) The last ep treated all mirrors as windows to other realities as I recall.

@tomzer1 Ahh, so sorry to hear...

@tomzer1 Ahh, so sorry to hear about that, man--I hope you're not giving up on the art completely. Don't wanna let those muscles get weak!

Unbelievable: http://tinyurl.c...

Unbelievable: http://tinyurl.com/d7lmef 11 year-old charged as an adult for murder. Just adults refusing to take responsibility, once again.

@jlist how can anyone reconcil...

@jlist how can anyone reconcile the phrase "the 11 year-old is being charged as an adult" anyway? http://tinyurl.com/d7lmef

@tomzer1 Degas on the Atari ST...

@tomzer1 Degas on the Atari ST? You're the Fatboy Slim of illustration! :) Is that what you do for a living, btw? Illustration?

@Andrew_Taylor needless to say...

@Andrew_Taylor needless to say, Red Dwarf has not always pulled that off so well. We fans have put up with a lot in the continuity dept.

@Andrew_Taylor I don't mind wh...

@Andrew_Taylor I don't mind when shows change their premises or format or whatever--just so long as they're stronger for the change.

@Andrew_Taylor but we're watch...

@Andrew_Taylor but we're watching it again, so we'll see if I still feel that way. I'm hoping the 3 new eps in April are better though.

@Andrew_Taylor As for series 8...

@Andrew_Taylor As for series 8 of Red Dwarf, I remember it as not very good scifi or comedy. Just weak in general.

@Andrew_Taylor I enjoyed serie...

@Andrew_Taylor I enjoyed series 7 but it stopped being a scifi comedy and started being a scifi show w/funny bits.

@tomzer1 I'm not a pixel artis...

@tomzer1 I'm not a pixel artist or anything, but the description of it as an agile Photoshop intrigues me.

@tomzer1 I think Photoshop is ...

@tomzer1 I think Photoshop is a great app (duh) but I use about 10% of what it can do. Would rather have a more simple app.

@tomzer1 haha, that's true--th...

@tomzer1 haha, that's true--tho' I doubt those guys would raise an eyebrow seeing my results in their search. http://s3nt.com/c4c4

@SOTTnet that said, I think yo...

@SOTTnet that said, I think your definition of "objective" is more accurate than CNN's. ...or Fox's, or MSNBC's or most of the mainstrea ...

@SOTTnet haha, no worries! The...

@SOTTnet haha, no worries! The only objective news source, ay? That seems like a pretty subjective claim! ;)

@robinreekers I look forward t...

@robinreekers I look forward to hearing the tale of Old Vennep! That's the problem with Europe. Too many damn stories!!

@Andrew_Taylor ah, you didn't ...

@Andrew_Taylor ah, you didn't care for series 8 of Red Dwarf? As I recall, I only watched it the once and didn't really care for it. Sti ...

@steveisaacs Me too! Hope you...

@steveisaacs Me too! Hope you're having a good Sunday, Steve!

Me too! Hope you're having a g...

Me too! Hope you're having a good Sunday, Steve! re: http://ff.im/1atub

Watched some Red Dwarf from Se...

Watched some Red Dwarf from Series 8 for the 1st time in a decade. Those new fangled DVDs are pertty neat! (Last time I watched it was VHS)

@Skwirrelicious I actually do ...

@Skwirrelicious I actually do have a copy of Golgo 13 (I think) but it's dubbed. I'd kill for a subbed version. That movie's a blast.

@Skwirrelicious they also did ...

@Skwirrelicious they also did another Golgo movie and I think there's a series, too.

Just watched Friday's Battlest...

Just watched Friday's Battlestar Galactica. I'll quote another scifi show: "Oh, the pain! The pain!" I really wish BSG wasn't so torturous.

@Skwirrelicious actually, that...

@Skwirrelicious actually, that's just cool ;) Starting some classic anime next--the original Bubblegum Crisis! Yay cheesy 80s rock!

Say, is the character counter ...

Say, is the character counter missing for anyone else? I can't tell how much more I can type here before I run out of space. Or has Twi ...

@Skwirrelicious ...and more ab...

@Skwirrelicious ...and more about standard hetero-male genetically based sexual urges. I fall prey to the latter, so I mind it less than...

@Skwirrelicious ...the sexuall...

@Skwirrelicious ...the sexually awkward teen who is clueless w/girls but can somehow pilot a giant robot while under attack by daikaiju.

@Skwirrelicious fan service? I...

@Skwirrelicious fan service? In anime? ;P FS (to me) is less about a sad psychological need to explore a creator's own neurosis thru ani ...

So, was he in the live action ...

So, was he in the live action segments of the old Mario cartoon show? Or was that someone else? My memory is so... re: http://ff.im/19vKk

thepete.com: Amazon.com Gives ...

thepete.com: Amazon.com Gives Me VERY Inaccurate Search Results: http://s3nt.com/c4c4

Amazon.com Gives Me VERY Inaccurate Search Results

Not that there's anything wrong with the subject matter of the book it listed amongst the other results a couple weeks back while I was comparison shopping for "electric razors"--it's just DEFINITELY NOT what I was looking for. You would think Amazon MIGHT have a protection against this sort of thing.

Just another episode in the never-ending adventure show: "Perils in Online Keyword Usage!"

For the last episode, go here:

http://thepete.com/how-keyword-targeted-ads-are-far-from-perfect-why-does-facebook-think-im-christian

Catch a clue, oh, Masters of the Internet! Sometimes keywords aren't everything!

GASP... I know it's practically blaspheme but, sadly, it is the truth.

I really wasn't looking for a novel called "Razor Burn" from a company called "Romentics".

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

Ah, New York! You are a fun ci...

Ah, New York! You are a fun city to live in. If only I could find a decent paid job in you. :)

Had to pass on the 1 train I w...

Had to pass on the 1 train I was hoping to take home thanks to it being jammed w/people. Now waiting for another 1--here it is!

This is fun: connection is so ...

This is fun: connection is so flaky here I'm nervous about actually writing anything because the connection my die & screw up my web editor.

Geh--having trouble staying co...

Geh--having trouble staying connected & the stupid iPhone modem has it's own set of absurd hoops to jump through. Tech, how do I hate thee.

Just took my 180th mugshot! ht...

Just took my 180th mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

Frak--no A train today. Gettin...

Frak--no A train today. Getting to 14th will take forever on the 1 train.

Chilly but beautiful day out a...

Chilly but beautiful day out as I head down to Bite on 14th where I will write for a bit.

@robinreekers is there an old ...

@robinreekers is there an old vennep? :(

@Skwirrelicious I did just fin...

@Skwirrelicious I did just finish "Paranoia Agent" last night, & it was great. I usually don't care for the metaphorical stuff but did here.

@Skwirrelicious it's such a co...

@Skwirrelicious it's such a common anime cliche to have the lead be bad with girls and a general loser I can take it as a given.

@Skwirrelicious ah, yeah--E7 w...

@Skwirrelicious ah, yeah--E7 was a blast. Could have done without eps 6-8 (or so) however. Only need one ep where hero is picked on by all.

@SaraEileen Have the random bi...

@SaraEileen Have the random birthday wishes from socnet followers started showing up yet? Which reminds me, happy birthday!

@tomzer1 got a link to that Ma...

@tomzer1 got a link to that Macross game? DM it wouldja please?

@warrenellis in fact I'm prett...

@warrenellis in fact I'm pretty damn tired of people writing about Twitter. Get a god damn life already!

@warrenellis I think it's ridi...

@warrenellis I think it's ridiculous just how many "people you should follow on Twitter" articles there are--I can find my own people thanks

@robinreekers Nieuw-Vennep?? ...

@robinreekers Nieuw-Vennep?? Ohhhh... you mean this place: http://is.gd/kidA that's cool, then. :)

@robinreekers Haha, OK--NV as ...

@robinreekers Haha, OK--NV as in "Nevada" or something else? Today's T-shirt of the day has yet to be taken. Soon, soon...

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/11573

Just took my 179th mugshot! ht...

Just took my 179th mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

Osaka Bang video makes me wish...

Osaka Bang video makes me wish I lived in Japan even more (http://ping.fm/KjeJH)

I've heard Lost is just as bad...

I've heard Lost is just as bad as BSG. Personally, I think MG is right though--BSG started out immensely strong... re: http://ff.im/18Ko2

AMAZING illusion achieved with...

AMAZING illusion achieved with sidewalk art (http://ping.fm/IgQTV)

RT @zaibatsu @shannonseek *Amb...

RT @zaibatsu @shannonseek *Amber Alert* Please RT! 14 yr old teen missing for a week, Escondido, CA: http://tw0.us/nW

Wow--just realized I completel...

Wow--just realized I completely missed the last Woot-Off. Time to follow fewer people on Twitter!

@amnestynews Why the heck aren...

@amnestynews Why the heck aren't you guys posting anymore? I somehow doubt the need for human rights abuse news has gone away...

thepete.com: 5 CENTIMETERS PER...

thepete.com: 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (2007): http://s3nt.com/c2ox

5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (2007)

Buy it!

Positive Experience/Entertaining? I suppose on a very basic level this movie was entertaining. I just didn't care for it.


Technically any good? The acting was fine and the animation was gorgeous. However, without an interesting story, I got bored fast. The story and script for this anime was as cliche as they come. The only thing not cliche was the ending which was unsatisfying. On top of that, this anime falls prey to a trap that no piece of animated art should ever fall prey to: there was no reason for this anime to be animated.

It was all realistically done, there were no monsters, no spaceships (well, there was one, but it could have been easily CGed)--it was just a straight romance that I probably would have enjoyed more if it was live action. Not everything has to be scifi/fantasy or crazy story-wise in animation, but for crying out loud, do something that you can only do in animation--camera angles that would be impossible to do with live action, SOMEthing. I suppose some of the train sequences would have been a pain to shoot live-action, but I'm thinking paying people to draw 24 pictures per second as opposed to hiring some people to shoot in the snow would be more expensive.


How did it leave me feeling? Unsatisfied. This "movie" is divided into three uneven chunks, one of which could be a completely different story but involved a character from the main storyline for no reason that seemed required. Ultimately, I felt this movie was very self-indulgent. I'm fine with realistic, non-scifi/fantasy stories being told using animation, but make it interesting, damn it. I'm almost done watching Satoshi Kon's Paranoia Agent and this is a great example of animation that tells a non-scifi/fantasy story that is interesting and takes better advantage of the medium.


Final Rating? DNS - Do Not See - there are far better and more satisfying love stories done in anime. I'd suggest you check out Love Hina if you're interested in good cliched storytelling that follows a romance. 5 Centimeters Per Second was sadly sleep-inducing.

FYI: Strangely (or maybe not so strangely), 5 Centimeters Per Second is not available on DVD in the US any more, but you may be able to score it used through Amazon--click the movie poster image above to get started.. I was able to find it on Netflix.

thepete.com: Tipping-Point Com...

thepete.com: Tipping-Point Coming Soon as Climate Change Moves Faster than Scientists Expect: http://s3nt.com/c2oe

Tipping-Point Coming Soon as Climate Change Moves Faster than Scientists Expect

The above capped article comes from WashingtonPost.com (here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/14/AR2009021401757_pf.html
) and was posted back on February 15, 2009. However, I felt is was
important enough to blog about it to make sure people were aware.

See, in typical human fashion, it seems like scientists haven't been thinking deeply enough about how Climate Change is occurring. Up until recently, scientists have been fixating on what they say are the causes of Climate Change (ie carbon emissions from fossil fuels causing the greenhouse effect, warming up our planet and screwing up weather and climate patterns). The thing is, they didn't think about what the effects of the effects are.

In this WaPo article they begin to talk about this. Here's an excerpt:

Unexpectedly large amounts of carbon dioxide are being released into the atmosphere as the result of "feedback loops" that are speeding up natural processes. Prominent among these, evidence indicates, is a cycle in which higher temperatures are beginning to melt the arctic permafrost, which could release hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, said several scientists on a panel at the meeting.

The permafrost holds 1 trillion tons of carbon, and as much as 10 percent of that could be released this century, Field said. Along with carbon dioxide melting permafrost releases methane, which is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

"It's a vicious cycle of feedback where warming causes the release of carbon from permafrost, which causes more warming, which causes more release from permafrost," Field said.

The Field quoted at the end of that excerpt was Christopher Field, founding director of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University.

If you want to learn more about this, you can check out the rest of that article. You can also check out a cartoon I posted on thepete.com back on January 13, 2009 that explains the whole Climate Change tipping-point thing in a fairly simple, straightforward way.

Of course, unlike religion, there are no absolutes here--these scientists could have it wrong. They're only human, after all. Still, there's a lot of science that supports all of this (not to mention basic logic). The thing that worries me, though, is that there are still a lot of people who fixate on the "man made" part of Climate Change. They think that we humans don't bear any responsibility for causing the changes that are occurring on our only planet. To these people I say this:

Who cares?

The fact of the matter is that glaciers ARE melting. Our climate IS changing.

And guess what: getting off of fossil fuels, limiting pollution and waste is GOOD for us. Not only does it help the environment (the medium in which we LIVE and BREATHE in) but it also helps the planet politically. Sure, it may harm economic interests, but which is more important to you? Your money or your life?

Plus, with this whole new "tipping-point" thing, we need to start thinking about how we're going to deal with these changes, not with how to stop them--that's the real issue here. I don't give a crap which side of the political fence you sit on. It doesn't matter if cars did it or factories, or if it's the sun--the climate is changing and it just may get really messed up fast. Now, that little cartoon seemed to think we can still stop this doomsday-ish scenario from happening, but I think we really need to be prepared to fail.

Come on, it's not like we humans have been doing so well, lately.

You want to trust the government to get it right when they screwed up Iraq, Afghanistan and New Orleans so royal?

Or should we trust the free market to not hike up the price of water-wings when our coastal cities begin to flood?

My solution? I think I'm going to go check out Craigslist.org NYC section to look at boats for sale. I've always wanted to live on a boat! :\

Posted via email from thepete's posterous

Odd morning--pretty sleepy but...

Odd morning--pretty sleepy but awake for some reason. Wrists acting up still. Hurts to hold iPhone a bit. May not be very socnetty today.

All right, been a good and pro...

All right, been a good and productive day. Time to climb into bed and start a new one tomorrow. G'night.

@tomzer1 Who knew Eddie was a ...

@tomzer1 Who knew Eddie was a sci-fi geek with a fetish for realistic robots?

@tomzer1 he said something to ...

@tomzer1 he said something to the effect that he was interested in taking what they did with androids in BR further & so he did BSG.

@tomzer1 Yes he does! I was at...

@tomzer1 Yes he does! I was at a BSG event in LA back in 2007 & he talked about BSG and Blade Runner--he did BSG b/c of Blade Runner.

@tomzer1 plus around Easter we...

@tomzer1 plus around Easter we'll have new Who and Torchwood and Sarah Jane (I think) has another season coming. It never ends, thankfully.

@tomzer1 I'll probably get aro...

@tomzer1 I'll probably get around to "Lost" eventually. TheWife and I have been rewatching "Red Dwarf" in prep for the April specials.

@tomzer1 I hear you on having ...

@tomzer1 I hear you on having stuff to watch piled up. I'm just waiting for that "Time Enough At Last" ep of Twilight Zone to happen to me.

@tomzer1 Between James Callis ...

@tomzer1 Between James Callis and Edward James Olmos, I have to fight the urge to want to become an actor. They're all good on BSG, though.

@tomzer1 I stopped caring righ...

@tomzer1 I stopped caring right after that midpoint, sadly. I just started liking it again, too. Still enjoy watching thanks to the actors.

@tomzer1 If you have yet to wa...

@tomzer1 If you have yet to watch the end of series 3 of BSG it'll get really hard for you & won't clear up until mid-series 4 so prepare!

@tomzer1 I always took BSG as ...

@tomzer1 I always took BSG as a myth--it wasn't really English we were seeing, it was English because the story was being told to us.

@Skwirrelicious I love how we ...

@Skwirrelicious I love how we watch as Shonen Bat goes from a real person to a bizarre, mythical character. Really good writing.

@Skwirrelicious That's awesome...

@Skwirrelicious That's awesome! :) Always cool to find another anime fan. Is Paranoia Agent your favorite? PA is fun, can't wait to finish.

Going to step away from the co...

Going to step away from the computer for a bit--hands and wrists acting up a bit. Damn biological body of mine!

@beach yay! you're online agai...

@beach yay! you're online again! I hope you're doing OK, man!

@PeterSantilli I've run into a...

@PeterSantilli I've run into a few people who would agree it's not "hunkey-dorey" but they don't think it's bad as you and I think it is.

I'm not super familiar with Ai...

I'm not super familiar with Air--but is there a way to make the font bigger in GMD? It's kinda hard to read. re: http://ff.im/18nJn

I'll be interested when it's a...

I'll be interested when it's actually available. Google has yet to actually "bring" offline Gmail to the iPhone.... re: http://ff.im/18m1T

I've just snapped a new pictur...

I've just snapped a new picture: http://dailybooth.com/thepete/10520

Just took my 178th mugshot! ht...

Just took my 178th mugshot! http://www.dailymugshot.com/main/show/421

@tmofee their sound isn't my n...

@tmofee their sound isn't my normal cup of tea, but I like it nonetheless. I haven't heard much else from them than the album you mentioned.

OK, time for food.

OK, time for food.

Not sure why I like "Space Lor...

Not sure why I like "Space Lord" by Monster Magnet. Maybe b/c it's a scifi song? ♫ http://blip.fm/~2b76j

The weird-ass, but very fun th...

The weird-ass, but very fun theme to Paranoia Agent, an equally fun anime I am watching right now. ♫ http://blip.fm/~2b71h

I just did a bunch of comic-st...

I just did a bunch of comic-strip-drawing--YAY! Now I have to do a bunch of scanning--BOO!

@Skwirrelicious You're definit...

@Skwirrelicious You're definitely right, but handling checks means you need to hire a person to do it, whereas credit cards are automated.

@SaraEileen yikes--well, at le...

@SaraEileen yikes--well, at least you found out. I had a cartoon I wrote produced and they didn't put my name on it so I know how ya feel :(

12seconds - #getwellbeach fro...

12seconds - #getwellbeach from ThePete http://tiny12.tv/AWPXH

12seconds - #getwellbeach bes...

12seconds - #getwellbeach best wishes from Jay ThePal (and ThePete!) http://tiny12.tv/RNKZ3

The file Make Mine Freedom 194...

The file Make Mine Freedom 1948.mp4 has been added to the drop thepetecom. http://ff.im/18oTX

Day 3 of The Pirate Bay’s tr...

Day 3 of The Pirate Bay’s trial. Is CNN covering this? (http://ping.fm/ThY2r)

Stunning numbers on how much a...

Stunning numbers on how much all this "save the economy" stuff will cost us ($10+ tril!) (http://ping.fm/Pyuza)

DN Covers PA Judges on Trial f...

DN Covers PA Judges on Trial for Sending Kids to Private Jails for Cash (http://ping.fm/IXnav)

thepete.com: 1948 Cartoon Pred...

thepete.com: 1948 Cartoon Predicts Current Socio-Economic Problems (sort of): http://s3nt.com/c066

1948 Cartoon Predicts Current Socio-Economic Problems (sort of)

The really funny thing is that everything in this cartoon is both right and/or wrong and everything it warns about has come to pass in the America of 2009--sixty-one years after the cartoon was made--the only problem is that it claims our current situation will occur thanks to communism.

Ah, fresh, sweet irony!

Check out the original here: http://www.archive.org/details/MakeMine1948

Siskita first pointed out "Make Mine Freedom" to me after she saw it in the Vintage ToonCast (which doesn't seem to have been updated since late last year). As I watched this fun little propaganda cartoon for the first time, I couldn't help but wonder if the slick, slightly darker complexioned man, with the thin mustache, in the almost-zoot suit, peddling the "imported double-talk" was actually peddling capitalism.

After all, Wal*Mart has tried to crush unions, the Bush Administration loved to repeat that everything was fine over and over and over (as do most politicians and the mainstream media even still, though they may not use that exact language), banks and businesses are being bought up by government now in the form of those bailouts, it sure seems like there's less private property since we can't afford to buy any, and government has been subsidizing farmers for decades.

Even earlier on in the cartoon, we are told that certain things are guaranteed to us under the freedom of the capitalist system.

1) "Freedom to work at the job you like." Unless they're not hiring.

2) "Freedom of speech and to peaceably assemble." Just so long as you do it in the "Free speech zone" set up several hundred yards from the event you're protesting.

3) "Freedom to own property." ...and to pay property taxes, mortgage payments and to desperately cling to any job you can get (whether you like it or not--so much for point #1) in order to keep paying said mortgage.

4) "Security from Unlawful Search or Seizure." this one is completely out the window in our "Post-911 World".

5) "The right to a speedy and public trial." ...unless you're labeled an enemy combatant in which case you can be held without charges, indefinitely, without a lawyer and without the right to challenge your detention (habeas whatsis?).

6) "Protection against cruel punishments and excessive fines." Unless you're labeled an enemy combatant or copyright infringer. For the former see #5 and for the latter you could be fined thousands for downloading one song. Oh and the imagery used in the cartoon at this point is a fat and satisfied prisoner sitting at a table with a roasted chicken while being waited on by a prison guard. Yeah, I don't think that's how it works these days, either (did it ever work this way?).

7) "The right to vote." ...but apparently not the right to proof that your vote counted. Sure, we got Obama in, but we will never know for sure if Bush was supposed to have been in the White House for those horrible eight years.

8) "And to worship God in your own way." But Atheists can go suck it.

The cartoon explains that the above freedoms are what has made America strong. Since we really don't have those freedoms any more, does that mean America is weak now?

The funny thing is, the cartoon is right--all those things do make any country strong. However it's not "capitalism" or the "free market" that guarantees those things. It's good leaders.

It's good leaders who make sure that only proper, just laws are passed.

I won't even go into the overt racism of the cartoon, with any non-white ethnicity being all but left out completely (two shots depicting dark skinned Americans doesn't count). And what's with the "ism" peddler, anyway? He's not as white as everyone else. He's also selling "Ism" using the exact language that the USG has been using over the past few years to sell us on everything from privatizing Social Security to invading Iraq. High profits, maximum security, etc. And what the hell? The peddler's company is called "Ism Incorporated!!" Doesn't that make HIM a capitalist, too?

And that "scrap of paper" seems to be describing the exact effects of the various bailout bills businesses and banks have been begging for. Our money is worth MUCH less now and therefore allows us to do less with our freedom, too. And since our kids will be paying higher taxes (as will their kids), doesn't that rob freedom in just the same way as Dr. Utopia's Ism Elixir?

There is one last thing I can think of that "Make Mine Freedom" gets kinda right. That last bit where the John Q. Public character says the following:

"When anybody preaches disunity, tries to pit one of us against the other through class warfare or race hatred or religious intolerance, you know that person seeks to rob us of our freedom and destroy our very lives and we know what to do about it."

Of course, John Q. seems to endorse violence, or at the very least the threat of violence, against those doing the exact things he describes. The thing is our government has been doing this for the past eight years and has pretty much always done these things to control us. Whether it's the military which aims recruiting efforts at the poor, or the Bush campaign, back in 2000, spreading rumors about John McCain's "black baby."

Religious hatred is also used by Christians against Muslims and gays on a regular basis (not to mention the generally sucky attitude toward us Atheists).

The ultimate point here is that everything in this cartoon is both right and/or wrong and everything it warns about has come to pass in the America of 2009--sixty-one years after the cartoon was made.

Boy, I sure am glad we didn't drink that ethnic man's "imported" (commun)Ism Elixir back in 1948! Who knows how much WORSE things would be right now!?!?

/ sarcasm

@Skwirrelicious that's what ba...

@Skwirrelicious that's what baffles me--handling a little slip of paper (a check) would logically cost them much more $$ than a credit card.

@tomzer1 I don't like BSG thes...

@tomzer1 I don't like BSG these days b/c the point Adama made back in the minisrs has been completely forgotten--do humans deserve survival?

@tomzer1 that concerned me for...

@tomzer1 that concerned me for a while, too, about BSG but if you've seen the last 5 (or so) eps the similarities are kind of explained

@drilone ok, cool--I'll check ...

@drilone ok, cool--I'll check the frames the next time I'm at Ikea :) thanks for the suggestion.

@SaraEileen don't they say the...

@SaraEileen don't they say theft is the sincerest form of flattery? ...oh wait I think that's something else...

@SweetSue I hear you on the ba...

@SweetSue I hear you on the banks not seeing straight. I just don't see what will stop this all from happening again. Having trouble w/trust