Radio Free Kirkopolis

You know what I hate most about people who ‘listen to God?’ How they don’t think about the consequences of their actions and what the future holds.
Take this couple from (here’s a surprise) small town Arkansas. They just had their 16th child.
Are you kidding me? Sixteen kids? How could you possibly show adequate attention to sixteen kids?
What’s worse, they’ve even gone more redneckie and given them those stupid Old Testament names- with a twist.

Their children include two sets of twins, and each child has a name beginning with the letter “J”: Joshua, 17; John David, 15; Janna, 15; Jill, 14; Jessa, 12; Jinger, 11; Joseph, 10; Josiah, 9; Joy-Anna, 8; Jeremiah, 6; Jedidiah, 6; Jason, 5; James, 4; Justin, 2; Jackson Levi, 1; and now Johannah.

So here’s where the ignorance and complete lack of self thought comes into play-

“We both just love children and we consider each a blessing from the Lord. I have asked Michelle if she wants more and she said yes, if the Lord wants to give us some she will accept them,” he said in a telephone interview.

Sigh....
The Learning Channel is even doing a show on the cult’s er- family’s house as a construction project.
Hey- you know what would be a little more interesting? To go back in 15 or so years and expose how these fundamentalist morons have shunned one of their kids for being gay (there’s 16 of ‘em, it’s bound to happen), how another, compensating for the lack of attention he got from his parents, stole a couple of cars and is now someone’s bitch in prison and the one that snaps and shoots himself in the middle of his third period algebra class because he’s been made fun of all his life due to the freak show upbringing his parents provided him with. Now that would be good T.V.

“Figaro, Figaro, Figaro.”

“…and you know what these are? The worlds smallest violins playing just for the Kurds.”

“Two outs, bottom of the ninth, Astro’s got this bitch in the bag. Let’s go grab a fried pickle”

“Going once, going twice, SOLD to mass murderer in the fancy sports coat.”

“Nah, check it out yo honna. You see Tyrone and Low Jack was the ones that offed them civilians, not me. I was at my Moms the whole time helpn’ her with da catfish, yous can aks her.”

“Yeah, this is it, the cover for my next album. Very Cliff Richard with a Cory Hart vibe.”

OK, that may the worst title for a post I’ve ever had… but hey, I’m tired and cranky.
For the past couple of years I’ve been noticing a re-occurring sound-bite in movies. It’s a sort of high-pitched scream, tailing off at the end that I first noticed in “The Empire Strikes Back” (the part when one of the bounty hunters gets thrown in the pit). I also noticed it in “Raiders of the Lost Ark- made sense, they’re both Lucas films. But then I noticed it in “Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring.” Interesting. I again heard it in “The Two Towers” a few times and in “Return of the King” in just about every scene. I finally had enough this week when I heard it very distinctly in “Kingdom of Heaven” (which incidentally is a very good movie).
I started asking around to some fellow movie geeks and they too had noticed the same thing (it’s not just me!!!). I then decided to do a little research. Well the internet is a wonderful place as it insures that there will always be bigger geeks than I.
As it turns out, I was right- that sound bite does turn up all the time. It even has a name- The Wilhelm Scream.
Follow the link, it’s an interesting read. IMDB also has a listing of all the movies that it appears in- currently up to 62 but I’m sure there’s more. This thing is everywhere- from war epics to Disney’s “Aladdin.”
Pay attention and you’ll notice it to. Yes, strive to be the dork that I am.

OK, forget about the whole European ban on Hungarian and Romanian chickens- just take a look at what might be the greatest logo in the history of the poultry industry.

Yesterday I came across an article about the Grand Challenge. It’s a pretty cool race of un-manned vehicles across the Mojave Desert, and not by remote control but by the vehicles navigating themselves.

The unmanned vehicles must use their computer brains and sensing devices to follow a programmed route and avoid hitting obstacles that may doom their chances.

Pretty cool huh?

The so-called Grand Challenge race is part of the Pentagon's effort to cut the risk of casualties by fulfilling a congressional mandate to have a third of all military ground vehicles unmanned by 2015.

Even cooler. But just ‘cause there’s a congressional mandate doesn’t mean that it’s actually going to happen right? After all, when’s the last time you used the metric system? Right?
Well-

The military currently has a small fleet of autonomous ground vehicles stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the machines are remotely controlled by a soldier who usually rides in the same convoy. The Pentagon wants to eliminate the human factor and use self-thinking robotic vehicles to ferry supplies in war zones.

Is it just me or is this a little too “Terminator, Rise of the Machines.”
I’m glad that we’re trying to save lives and all, but it just leaves me a little uneasy knowing that our fighting may be done by thoughtless automatons that will follow orders with no conscious, just orders (aside from the Marines that is). I just wonder where the fail-safes will be. I sure hope we’re not jumping into anything here.
Get updates here.

Going on about a year now, Jennifer and I have been looking for an entertainment center to go along with my A/V set-up. The problem is that what they make for big screens usually look pretty cheap, but cost around $1700. I cringed every time I looked at the price on one ‘cause I knew it was just made of veneered, mass produced particle board.
Well a few weeks ago we were in this lil’ country store in the Marion mall and came across this old fashioned looking cabinet set (locally crafted). Now I have to tell you, Jennifer loves countrified stuff, while I loath it. However, it was I that spotted the cabinets first and suggested how it would look pretty good in the pad. I’m not sure why, but there was something about it that I really liked. So we bought it- and then came the stroke of genius.
“Do they do custom work?” I asked.
“Yes, here’s there number”
So, long story short I took some measurements, drew up some plans, sent them away and a month later had my entertainment center.
I dig it. At first I was upset ‘cause the plans clearly called for the top piece to be hollow (to fit the center channel) but after some study I decided I liked it better the way it was.
It also (surprisingly) has effected my audio quality. With the greater separation of my two fronts and my center, the sound seems much more dynamic (per individual channel). The downside however is that next to the wood my towers (some monster sized Infinity Alphas) seem kinda small now. Also is the fact that I know that if I could have spent about $200 on a table saw and miter box, plus about $200 on wood and I could have made the thing myself… and have some cool new tools to boot. Oh well, I’m still very satisfied.
Here’s the best part. I gots me a custom made entertainment center for not around $1700, but for a mere $650.
Not to shabby.
(You’ll have to excuse the photo quality, my digital camera kinda blows. New one this x-mas if anyone is looking for me).

Sidenote: That movie that's plaing... Yep, it's "Red Dawn." Showing all this month on UHD.

Boy George was arrested, yet again, on drug charges.

Singer Boy George was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and making a fake police report after he called the emergency service number early Friday and falsely said his home had been burglarized, police said.
The singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, called police from a Little Italy apartment around 3:14 a.m. and reported a burglary, said Det. Kevin Czartoryski, a police spokesman.
Officers arrived on the scene and discovered a small amount of cocaine next to a computer, police said. A woman in the apartment said there was more cocaine around and police were continuing to investigate.

A few things about this-
First, if you’re going to invite the police over, hide your drugs. Police don’t like drugs.
Second, the ‘woman in the apartment,’ um, are we sure she was a woman?
Lastly, I think he was framed. After all, is THIS the face of someone on drugs?

Investigators have found what they presume to be the remains of 17 year old Tayor Behl, a VCU freshman who had gone missing a few weeks ago. Her mother, obviously distraught to a point I could not begin to imagine said this-

"My mind still cannot absorb the fact that someone could do something this cruel and heinous to my 17-year-old child," said Pelasara, appearing subdued and exhausted. "I am positive the authorities will bring these subhumans to justice, and I pray they receive the death penalty."

Debate over.
It amazes me that there are so many in this world that don’t agree with capitol punishment. Simply put, there are crimes that when committed, demand death.In the argument against I often hear, “it doesn’t deter crime.” Well maybe not, but that’s not really the point.
I support the death penalty not for it's results on crime statistics, but rather the result on the psyche of those left behind. You think this poor mother gives a rat’s ass about the nation’s murder rate post punishment? Nope, she just wants to see someone pay. Are you trying to tell me that if (God forbid) your child (or any child for that matter) was snuffed out in a nightmare of brutality you wouldn't want to see a little payback?
It seems so ironic to me that capitol punishment is one of the most civilized acts a society can partake in, yielding simple comfort of those who grieve.
…and for those who weep for the condemned, well how ‘bout you grow a pair and support real humanity.

This on "intelligent" design from The Onion.

Saw two movies this week- Family Guys’ “Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story” and “Frank Miller's Sin City.”
Man, are these two good.
First off we’ll get to the Family Guy movie. I hesitate to go into any real detail on this as the fact that it’s a Family Guy movie should really say it all. So with that I’ll just leave you with a quick quote from Peter as he finds that his local video store no longer rents pornography:

“What kind of America do we live in when a guy can’t fire off a few knuckle children while watching porn in the privacy of his own neighbor’s living room because his VCR is broken?”

Ah, rancid animation.

Now getting to "Frank Miller’s Sin City"- it’s nice because it really is Frank Miller’s Sin City. Yes, it was directed by the genius Robert Rodriguez, but it’s really Frank’s. Based on his graphic novels (and I do mean graphic) almost every scene is shot to look exactly like the drawings in the novel. IMDB trivia even tells me that Rodriguez had requested giving Marshal directorial credit (as most the shots were laid out by him) but the director’s guild would have no part in it (bastards).
Being one of the first movies to be shot entirely on green screen (no real sets to speak of) with in HD Digital, the look is purely original. It really feels as if you are watching a hand drawn, live black and white comic book. Narrative is added in seamlessly with bizarre camera angels and bold outlines, immersing the viewer in a completely different world.
Character wise this flick has two of the best examples of an anti-hero I’ve ever seen. There is this ironic duality in the Clive Owens, Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke characters. While being pure in their intentions and staggeringly protective of the innocent, they brutally dispose of anyone that gets in their way. I think this movie may have set the record for most guys shot in the dick. Flipside is that the bad guys are as heartless and sadistic as they come. You know that feeling of ‘how does a seemingly normal guy like Stephen King come up with such sick crap?’ Well, you get that same feeling from Frank.
Robert’s in the process of Sin City 2, and I for one cannot wait. This aint exactly a date movie, but I promise it’s one of the best you’ll see all year.

I think I figured out where G.W. is going with this-
One part Reba, one part Margaret. Really, it's his ideal woman.

Is it just me, or does Twinkie the Kid seem a little 'Cowboy Gay?'

So there are about 3 people that read my stuff on a semi-regular basis that just might find this the slightest bit interesting.
I bought two new DVD-Audio discs (the first in a while) from Acoustic Sounds. I have to go there because there is NO WHERE in Southern Illinois that sells the format (for that matter, there were very few in St. Louis) so I’m pretty much forced to go the on-line route.
The first was Orff’s “Carmena Burana.” For those of you not familiar with it, it’s the cool choral arrangement that Ozzy walks out to when he plays live. Or, it’s one of those heavy classical pieces that you’ve heard, just not sure what it’s called. Anyhoo, the recording quality is top notch. Even among the stunning amounts of LFE’s that are a result of the composition itself, the HFE’s still have the ability to pierce through like a knife (also a result of my speakers having such kick ass dynamic response, in conjunction with the high currents at my receiver’s disposal- but that’s a whole ‘nother story). The downside would be the lack of effects coming through my two surround speakers, there’s really nothing there at all, save a few echoes. I hate it when mixers take the easy way out like this. I mean, what’s the point of mixing (or listening) to something in 5.1 when you’re only going to utilize 3.1 (there is some separation through the center)? This recording is one of those rare instances where I prefer the 2.1 over the 5.1. Sometimes I just gotta let my towers have all the fun.
My other purchase was “Seal: Best 1991-2004.” How does it sound? Well I’ve read that it sounds amazing, but I’ve yet to experience it myself. It was the strangest thing- I grabbed my little cardboard box from the Fed Ex guy, ripped open the package, threw in disk, and….. nothing. Well, not nothing, there was background music while viewing the menu and the bonus videos had music, but the main soundtrack had nothing. The counter was running, so it was reading, I just couldn’t hear anything. I switched from multi-channel to digital coax- still nothing. Since it’s a newer recording it had to be the disk right? You’d think so, but after some research I found I’m not the only one to have this problem. It seems that the bit rate is SO high that my Pioneer DV563 can’t really handle the sampling (or something to that effect). It’s a newer phenomenon that seems to be happening more and more (Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” for example). Luckily there is a firmware fix that Pioneer is sending me that’ll take care of the problem with some ease. So the recording should be a doozie. Give me a week or so to fix it and I’ll fill ya in.
In the meantime, these recordings are both available on regular CD, so if you don’t have DVD-A or SACD (your missing something really special) you can still check them both out. I’d highly recommend it.

There’s a new $10.00 bill out there it looks as if it’s pretty cool.
I’m not really sure why it’s needed, apparently counterfeiting has gone down some in last few years. Makes sense really, why make fake physical dollars when you can do it electronically with a lot less effort.
But then this paragraph caught my eye-

Also highlighted in red is the phrase from the Constitution “We the People” on the right side of Hamilton’s portrait.

It makes no mention of “In God We Trust” anywhere on the bill. Could it be that it has been replaced and removed? Could it be we as country have moved past the one-dimensional view of religion?
I suppose I’ll have to wait ‘till I get one of the bills, check it out and see for myself. I'll keep ya posted.

After reading this, and others relating to it, I was going to rant on and on. But then I had to go to Richmond for a week, winterize the lawn, blah blah blah- so instead I’ll just show ya-