Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Day/Week

 

Sarah Silverman. Jewish chicks really do it for me.

Oprah took Leno to the mat. Not literally, but she ripped him up (not literally) and exposed him for the lying backstabber he is on her show. [from WWTDD]

Why are NFL athletes the only people who ever get caught for DUI's? Most people do not get caught. The irony is they have money for a cab or to pay a driver. This time it is rookie Rey Maualuga. [WLWT.com]

J.D. Salinger died. I read Catcher in the Rye on my own in high school. I liked it, but I found it a little depressing, which I like. Fark.com had the best obituary line with, "Reclusive author J.D. Salinger dead at 91. As usual, he was unavailable for comment."

The Funny or Die website is usually good for a laugh. Michael Tunison, editor of the website, "The Edge," has a take on the planned television show of the same name coming up on HBO. [The Edge]

The Ipad can suck a fart out of my ass. I am not even going to link to a story about that piece of s&%t.

STOP THE PRESSES! The government said no to an amount of spending. I mean, they are still spending a lot on this project. The president said no to one specific part. Partial win? Wait, no one uses presses anymore. [MSNBC]

G. Gordon Liddy understands what you are going through. This phone tampering story is fairly cool. [Alternet]

We Need the Government to Protect Us from Protecting Ourselves

What are we to infer from authorities when a person who was defending his home from intruders ends up getting arrested for "first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal mischief, both Class D felonies, and second-degree menacing, a Class A misdemeanor." That is what happened in Buffalo, New York on January 21st according to The Buffalo News. The problem is there are many details missing from the story, although the story does read that the homeowner fired fifteen shots into the burglar's getaway car. That is probably why he was charged with reckless endangerment. Firing on a moving vehicle is usually frowned upon with good reason. The story also mentions the homeowner had the rifle up and ready when the criminals were coming through the garage door which begs the question why did he not shoot them as soon as they entered. Hopefully the NRA will get involved and defend the guy, but still you should not be shooting at a car going down the street. There is too much risk of a stray bullet going somewhere it should not go- if that is what, in fact, the homeowner did. I believe in gun rights and the right to defend yourself, especially in your own home, but you still have to know where your bullets may end up. Now that I think of it, the biggest question in this whole story was this guy's tactical defense plan. Why a rifle, which, from the content of the story, sounds like a smaller rifle like a .22 caliber, instead of a pistol or shotgun? You can be more sure the bullets will not over-penetrate by using hollow points since they will mushroom on impact and most of the time stop in the body or if you use the shotgun and get a center-mass shot any bullets that do over penetrate your target will be significantly slowed as to not be very dangerous.
If I had enough time and knew someone was coming I would have my tactical vest on with pistol and extra magazines and shot shells on it, then I would my sling shotgun shell belt over my shoulder and be holding the shotgun. I would not run and get a .22 rifle, but I guess if that's all you have then that is your best option. Even though the homeowner in this story is being brought up on charges, at least he is not dead. I really feel for this guy.

State of the Union

Dude, I do not have to give a long speech to speak on that. It is f#&ked up. Bam, I just saved everyone a lot of time and getting dressed up. I honestly do not think I can watch a State of the Union address ever again. I know I saw one of President George W. Bush's and I think two of President Clinton's, but I can not commit the time sitting through a bs fest. The AP did a fact-check piece [via Yahoo!] which I suppose is a worthy use of time for idealistic people who think there are any facts spoken by politicians. The sickening feeling that I am being lied to and the people lying to me think I am too dumb to know they are lying drives me crazy- like your mom in bed. zing

Eminem Has Sold Out

Money changes people, especially artists, and Eminem is no exception. Saying "sold out" is a broad term I use for abandoning your artistry and saying that now after people have probably already said it and thought it for several probably makes you think, "Well, did that not happen a long time ago?" Maybe you are right and maybe you are an asshole. Who knows? Having graduated high school around the turn of the century I was a fan of and affected by Eminem's music greatly. I remember where I was and who I was with the first time I heard "My Name Is," and from that point I was hooked. He rapped about me thinking about him saying the things that I wanted to say but was too afraid to do so (grammar wreck.) No one's music has resonated with me as hard as Eminem's did.
That was one reason I was surprised when word from the organizers of London's Wireless Festival, where Eminem is scheduled to perform, came that after they asked Eminem nicely he agreed to tone down his anti-gay rhetoric, specifically rhymes that incite violence against gays. Look, this post is not about me being mad that Eminem can not try to allegedly incite violence against gay people in his performance at the festival. I do not think anyone in their right mind wants that. My point is Eminem is compromising his artistic license and what he does to please some music promoters. Is Eminem that hard up for cash that he needs to bend to their pressure? Eminem should not have to compromise who he is as an artist. That is what Eminem does. That is who Eminem is. He says what is on his mind regardless of consequences, at least the old Eminem did. This corporate version of Eminem will tailor his performance to your specific needs. I realize this may not be that big of a deal to most people,but I knew every word to every Eminem song (including the punch-ins) for the first two albums. And then I listened to the third album, and the fourth, and I do not know if he has one after that because they went down in quality and edginess each time. I am just not interested anymore. But why not relive the good old days. I found this cool Eminem video from when he was first breaking on the scene on youtube- after the jump.

President Obama's "Spending Freeze" Not the Answer

Some bullet points from President Obama's upcoming State of the Union address have been trickling out. One that I find issue with is a proposed "three year freeze on domestic spending." The reason that is a problem is both our government and country run on that spending. Duh, that seems obvious. What happened to his campaign promise to go through the budget line by line and cut out the unnecessary spending.

That was one of his promises I cheered on. I have been waiting the entire time I have been cognizant of our nation's government for someone to say that. The problem with politicians is they often make campaign promises they can not or do not intent to keep. Recently there was news that the president was appointing a committee to help him find spending to cut. This was their advice to him? Just do not spend any money for three years and everything will be alright. We need measured, cost-effective spending to run a country. Spending no money will be a bigger detriment. There is plenty of fat to be trimmed. Appoint me to that committee. Turn me loose on the federal budget. I know I can find spending to eliminate. There is plenty of wasteful dollars going out the door. But I think it is a better plan to scare us all with a freeze so that we will be happy to pay extra taxes to keep our country going. That is what patriots do. We welcome our freedoms being taken for the feeling of safety and over-taxing to keep us poor and desperate. That was sarcastic if you could not tell.

NBC to America: We Think You Are Stupid

I was ready to let my bitterness die down, move on with my life, and await the time when Conan returns to the airwaves on Fox, but a dumb ass NBC executive could not let sleeping dogs lie. Dick Ebersol, Chairman of NBC Sports, went on the Dan Patrick show today for an interview, and it was rather revealing as to how television executives see us, the viewing public, and how they see their talent. Ebersol went on the show to talk about the upcoming winter Olympics he is overseeing (the Olympics that is already estimated to lose $200 million), but Dan Patrick made it clear before he ever came on that he would be focusing on the recent events in late night television. A blog post about the interview and a link to hear the full audio can be found here.
The two main things that were apparent were the desperate need of NBC executives to save face by belittling Conan and that NBC executives view every person that does not live in New York City or Los Angeles as stupid people who are too stupid to handle any sophistication in their humor, stupid... stupid. Chairman Dick said that Conan had a "nice little show" when he was at 12:30 EST, and NBC's biggest mistake in the whole ordeal was the decision five years ago to promise Conan the Tonight Show when they had a perfectly good corporate do-boy shill in place already with Jay Leno. The point in the interview I found most irritating was when Ebersol makes a point to sing Jay's praises by saying he appeals to the midwest with his "down the middle humor." What are we? A bunch of bumpkins that will only get jokes about hog farming and how we wish we would have married our second cousin instead of our first? He specifically singled out the Central time zone. So that includes you too, second city Chicago. What an asshole. I am the one who is not sophisticated, though? Earth to Dick "Touch" Ebersol: A fucking child can do your job. Does this guy really think he is a part of some social upper class because he gets a say in what goes on television. Anyone can pick out shitty shows and put them on television. Anyone. I know a few people who can make bad decisions, namely my first cousin.

Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Week

Here are some surfing highlights from this week. Pictured above is Gabrielle Anwar. She is so hot on Burn Notice which I have a new episode of on my dvr- good show.

This Google-China riff seems like it could be a big deal. Get the lowdown straight from the web horses' mouth. [The Official Google Blog]

I have not watched Jimmy Kimmel's late night show but one time when Zach Braff and Donald Faison were on. I was obviously not impressed enough to come back for more. This clip kind of demonstrates why. Great premise for a bit, but the follow-through was not there. The set-up was better than the payoff. See for yourself.


Kissing Suzy Kolber's fictional Rex Ryan character is still killing it. "NOW GO! GO! GET THAT WARPUSSY!" Must read. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

This website is strangely interesting in a boring statistics and other laborious data sort of way. [data.gov]

Wow, I just found this. I could have been getting all of the late night updates I have been scouring the internet for on one webpage thanks to Gawker. Silly me. [Gawker]

Funny piece by Jay Wexler over at McSweeney's Internet Tendency. I really enjoy the writing on this website. [McSweeney's Internet Tendency]

Conan Go Bye-Bye

I am in a state of disbelief right now. What are the five stages of grief again? I think denial is one of them. Conan has signed his deal to leave NBC and Friday night's show with Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell as guests will be his last.. I noticed on last night's show after Conan signed off Joel McHale and Adam Sandler conspired and took the "Tonight Show" mugs their drinks were in, a nice souvenir. Now that we know things are going back to the way things were sans Conan I am left with a few questions. One, how long will Conan have to wait to get back on the air, presumably on Fox. Whatever his next move turns out to be does he stay in L.A. or go back to New York? Will he be able to keep his staff together during the wait for the new show to begin? Where was Lorne Michaels in all this? I know he was the producer on the old "Late Night" show, but I deleted the show from my dvr before I was able to check the credits to see if he is connected with him on the "Tonight Show." Either way he should have gone to bat for Conan. If and when Conan goes to Fox I will be anxious to see how a three-way race (I do not count Jimmy Kimmel) goes. As much as I love Conan a lot of people think Letterman is funny so I predict Letterman first, Conan second, Kimmel third, and Leno last. During this whole ordeal Leno's doucheiness has been exposed and it would be very fitting for NBC (nothing but cunts according to Adam Sandler's manager) to eat it. View last night's episode via Hulu after the break.

Mandate Expired, Good Will Over

With the not-so-shocking win by Scott Brown [Wall Street Journal] in yesterday's Massachusetts Senate race it appears that the health care system in America and some of our freedoms have a temporary stay-of-execution. The reason I say it was not a shocking win, even in traditionally Democratic Massachusetts, is because people are fed up. Even old-money liberals are fed up. No one likes what is happening in the country right now. This has been the quickest turnaround of political party good will I have seen in my lifetime. Usually the nation's political tilt switches from Republican to Democrat and back again in longer intervals so this win by Brown should show even more how upset people are at a health care reform bill being jammed down their throat, more and creative ways to tax being formulated, and personal freedoms eroding at a feverish pace. The next big election is going to be full of political carnage. This was only a foreshadowing. Every member of the political establishment should be on notice. If you are an elected official you should probably get your resume ready and network with your contacts.

Something Good Finally Coming From California

Yasha Levine has a piece on Alternet.org about how solar power may become viable for the average homeowner thanks to creative financing. Picture Al Gore in a cheap suit saying loudly, "No money down, affordable monthly payments, no equipment to buy" California company SolarCity is making all of this possible, and hopefully this trend spreads to the rest of the country with a quickness. We have been hearing for years that solar panels will never work for the average person because of how expensive they are. Problem solved. It seems like someone should have thought of this before. I do not go out of my way to do anything for the environment, but I am all about solar power for two reasons. Power companies have monopolies in their areas and competition will bring down prices and it will help me in my quest to become more self-sufficient. If I have solar panels on the roof I can still get electricity when western civilization breaks down. Now I can focus on making stylish tinfoil hats and clothing to keep the government from listening to my thoughts.

The Golden Globes Happened

As you could probably guess I did not watch the ceremony. I have not watched an awards ceremony in a few years- it is the Nonpopulist thing to do. I usually look at the list of winners the next day, though. After reviewing the list of last night's Golden Globe winners I am just as apathetic as ever. The worst awards ceremony is definitely the Oscars. I think they choose the worst nominee on purpose sometimes just for kicks and the rest of the categories go to the highest bidder. I bet Ricky Gervais was funny, though, for the whole 10 minutes he was actually on screen. As far as the winners go I agree with a few of the winners. Some of the movies that were nominated look good also. I want to see Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges as well as all of the nominees for best picture. I have not got around to it yet, but I will. Inglorious Basterds and Hurt Locker are in my Netflix queue. All I need is a tube of cookie dough and a face treatment.

Conan Says, I'm Out, But Not Much More Than That

Multiple sources are reporting that the deal to push Conan out and usher the unfunny, corporate shill with midwestern sensibilities back into his slot at the Tonight Show is almost done. It is obvious to even the casual observer that NBC and specifically Jeff Zucker's pride played more of a role in the recent late night moves more than the desire to broadcast good television. Conan is going to get paid a good amount of money, but his dream of hosting the Tonight Show is dead and NBC is putting in a clause that he can not go to another network for an as yet unrevealed amount of time. So you are going to deprive me of my Conan some more? Zucker is like the stuffy dean in a college fraternity comedy movie. Conan's staff is going to be "taken care of" also which is an almost decent thing to do since all of those people uprooted their lives to move to Los Angeles. The silliest part is NBC has already announced that they will bring scripted dramas and other shows back to the lead-in spot for Leno so they are admitting they set up Conan for failure but making sure Leno will not have the same difficulties to overcome. NBC has made an enemy in this. I will never watch another commercial on their network and if given a choice I will not buy a product that advertises on NBC in favor of a product not advertised on that wretched network. I will watch as few programs as possible also. I will limit my viewing to NFL football, Community, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock. Part of the deal is Conan can not reveal how dickish the network actually was in this whole ordeal, but that does not mean I am not able to arbitrarily trash NBC. I am vindictive. Ok, back to the NFL playoffs on Fox. Saints already have it locked up.

Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Week

The NBC late night cluster fuck has taken most of space on this blog this week, but here are a few more stories to wrap it up- at least for this week. If you want me to be completely honest I would be happy if Jeff Zucker choked on the dicks that he sucks on this weekend. And how does Dick Ebersol (NBC sports executive) think he has a platform from which to call Conan a failure considering NBC is projecting to lose $200 million on the Winter Olympics.

Amanda Seyfried is pretty

This site deadline.com, has a good running update of the Conan story written by Nikki Finke. [Deadline.com]

Matthew T. Sussman at Blogcritics.org hypothesizes that NBC had made up their mind they wanted Leno back at the Tonight Show and every move they have made since has been aimed at coaxing Conan to make the ultimatum he did earlier this week that he would not move time slots. So now what? I love conspiracy theories, by the by.

Look, I have known for a long time that Pat Robertson is an idiot. I wish he would not even get press when he says stupid things. He should really just be ignored. He is irrelevant and no Christian I have ever known has claimed that he speaks for them or God. Go to hell, Pat [Politico.com via Yahoo!]

Kurt Sutter (creator of Sons of Anarchy and former writer on The Shield) has been ripping NBC on his blog. He actually called that NBC would make this move a few months ago. I like his blog. [Sutter Ink]

A while back I blogged about the FDA's outlawing of cloves and candy-flavored smoking tobacco. They were trying to do the same with e-cigarettes which I honestly know nothing about. All I know is the FDA lost this battle. Go team tobacco! [ABC News]
More after the bump

Cover to Cover: House Bill 3200

Someone had the desire and patience to read the entire health care reform bill from which we are currently too distracted to remember how callously this legislation is getting shoved down out throat. Better yet the person who read it is a Constitutional law instructor. Michael Connelly read it and here is a link to an article about the bill from Campaign for Liberty. Big surprise, he found parts of the bill unconstitutional. I better sit down. I am feeling faint. This section is enough to confirm my anger:
The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

"The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled."

That is only the beginning in Connelly's mind. He views as a means of grabbing power and limiting rights. To him the legislation is an egregious violation of no fewer than five of the ten rights in the Bill of Rights. This is scary stuff. This guy actually read the whole bill so I view him as the country's foremost authority on it. What kills me is people are so ready to believe that anything the government or Congress does in the name of health care reform is going to be a magic cure-all. These people do not care about us. They are not interested in making health care affordable or the process equitable for all people. They are only concerned about controlling another aspect of our lives and therefore tightening their grip on us, the people. There is not much time to contact out legislators to let them know that it means their jobs if this thing passes. Anyone who votes in favor of this bill must be voted out of office.

I'm With COCO

The solidarity and support rallying around Conan O'Brien right now makes my heart smile. The Consumerist, a website I check occasionally that is really cool because they are a consumer advocate site that provides people with a recourse and holds companies accountable. They are basically what Ralph Nader wants to be. They have launched the next offensive in the holy war against NBC. They have made an EEBC (executive email carpet bomb) assault on NBC's incompetent executives. Attack!!! Start with this assbag- JEFF.ZUCKER@nbc.com, jeff.zucker@nbcuni.com
Conan's show was great again last night, especially his monologue. Click below to watch it.

Fundamental Assumption Review: Full-Body Scans at Airports

One can not swing one's dead cat without hitting a place where one of our personal freedoms used to lay (correct usage of lay/lie- had to look it up.) We need to examine the assumption that every single measure that is introduced to protect us and make us safer is really going to work. I do not have any evidence to back this up, but does it not seem as though all of our security measures are reactive instead of proactive? Either way I am not happy about another invasion of privacy in the form of full body scanners at airports. Here are a few tweets I noted when the story broke. I have been too busy keeping up with Conan to blog about this until now. Damn you NBC!

Hannaloves27 RT @politicsoffear: When Obama promoted "transparency" I didn't think it involved Napolitano seeing me naked. #tcot #tlot
3Report Airport Body Scanners Provide Crisp Image Of Your Genitals http://is.gd/5Soz7
Funny, but another thing to consider (thanks to Alternet) is who is getting rich from these body scanners?

My personal policy is this: Want to look at my junk? You have to pay. This ain't no freebie. I do not have much choice in this, however, so my plan is next time I fly to make sure I work up a rock hard bon, smile, and in my mind say, "Scan this!" 

Breaking Conan News

Breaking Conan News: He has released a statement. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/conan-obrien-says-he-wont-do-tonight-show-following-leno/?src=twt&twt=mediadecodernyt
Here is the full statement:

People of Earth:
In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.
Yours,
Conan

Suck it, NBC. A la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la (jihad yell.)

Reid Gets a Pass for Racist Remarks?

Comments that are nothing but ignorant and racist seem to have little affect if you are in the right party it seems. I know this is being commented on ad nauseam, but in the new book, Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, many bombshells explode. In my opinion, Sen. Harry Reid should no longer carry the title of Senator after reports have surfaced and he has admitted to calling President Obama a "light-skinned" African American with "no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." That absolutely sounds like something an ignorant old white guy would say. Test out the theory of substitution with these comments. Imagine if a conservative had said they same thing. Imagine if McCain had said that in his concession speech on election night last year. Imagine if a tool like Glenn Beck had said that. He might as well commit suicide at that point. This is not about me defending conservatives, though, because they are idiots as well. It is about a double-standard and bullshiat hypocrisy. This is the kind of thing that brings down political careers and this guy is shaking it off like a polaroid picture. Look at the conservative political scandal trail of dead, Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, among others. Then look at Democrats shaking off their scandals. Some people think our current president was not even born in this country, but that issue is never dignified with a response so I assume no one with any sort of power is even checking on it.

Conan Looks To Be on the Way Out

Foxnews is reporting Conan has contacted Fox about moving to their network to host their apparently long-awaited late-night talk show. The most interesting aspect to that possibility is who will win in a three-way competition between Leno, Letterman, and Conan. The first instinct is to say Letterman, but who knows, maybe Conan will benefit. The rumor is Conan is pissed off, and I obviously think he has a right to be. The Foxnews story brings out the point that Conan moved his entire family and staff to Los Angeles and I would add that NBC Universal built an entire studio for him as well. I will also add to all talent that may come into contact with NBC in the future that this is how they treat their people so beware. They tend toward back-stabbery. The jihad against NBC continues. Go here to tell NBC how stupid they are for treating Conan this way. Bottom line- I will follow Conan wherever he ends up. Click the jump button for the awesome monologue and show he did on Friday night.

The Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Day

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/a4820e5cbc/i-am-tiger-woods?rel=player
Very late, but still funny Tiger Woods video from Funny or Die. Many web parodies do not really blow my skirt up, but this one delivers. [Funny or Die]

Carbon tax, carbon emission cap and trade, either one is unnecessary and anti-free enterprise. Another way to tax. Then again, I do not buy the environmental hype. [The Boston Globe]

An interesting interview with Alan Thicke. It was hard for me to believe too. [The AV Club]

45 manly hobbies. I participate in some of these. I would like to get into some more of them. [The Art of Manliness]

The AV Club is coming strong this week. They had an interview with Artie Lange also I just saw. Artie is always funny. I like when he comes on Conan ad when I get a chance to hear him on the Howard Stern show from which I just learned he is on some sort of hiatus... [The AV Club]
I change my mind after the jump...---->

NBC's Position: We Hate TV.

Conan update: TMZ has the sources on this story apparently. Therefore they will keep getting web page hits from me and everyone else hanging on Conan's fate. The change this morning according to TMZ is Conan has been given the choice, a Sophie's choice, to either secede the 11:30 est time slot to Jay and have his show start at midnight on the east coast giving Jay 30 minutes to suck and chase viewers away before we get to Conan (the same problem they have now) OOORRRRR he will be free to sell his services to another network (at which time the ears of ABC and FOX executives perk up.) This is a lose-lose. When I try to watch Leno on his current format or when he was on the Tonight Show I was bored to sleep and do not try to tell me Leno will be better with whatever changes are made to his show. I have some advice for NBC executives: Whatever decision you may come to about anything about your job or TV, DO THE OPPOSITE!
Tell NBC how you feel here- http://www.nbc.com/contact/general/ then click the drop down for "Tonight Show: Conan" and let loose- as if anyone will listen.

Breaking News: NBC Hates My Demographic

TMZ has just broken a story about Conan O'Brien that is disconcerting for me. The rumor is that there could be a shakeup in late night television at NBC. Since it is NBC you can be safe in assuming the decision will probably suck ass. Jay Leno's show will go on hiatus for the winter Olympics in February and then after the Olympics is over Leno will be placed back in the 11:30 EST time slot for either 30 minutes or an hour. If it is an hour then TMZ reports that Conan will be out of a job. That is a travesty. Anyone who knows me knows I am a big Conan fan. I and many like me have grown up watching Conan's comedy and are very attached and loyal to him and to have him jerked out from in front of us now, when he has reached the pinnacle in late night, is a travesty. I am taking this serious because even though I basically loathe TMZ they know their stuff and probably have great sources. Therefore I am declaring a holy motherfucking jihad on NBC and Comcast's ass. The first step is speaking the television executives' language which I did in the title of this post with the word demographic. The next step is to contact NBC and let them know they will be screwing up if they mess with our Conan. Click here and tell NBC how you feel by clicking on the drop-down box and choosing "Tonight Show Conan" and filling out that form. We can not let this aggression go unchecked, people! When I figure out more to do I will be sure to update.

Nonpopulist Rules for Life: Think for Yourself

"The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitable he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is apt to spread discontent among those who are.”

~ H.L. Mencken

This quote is a prefect example of why I like quotes so much. Sometimes a quote hits so squarely or rings so truly for you that it gives you a confidence. The right quote at the right time can crystallize jumbled up thoughts or notions from which you have been too distracted to make sense of and help order things correctly in your mind. I have decided this quote sums up how I feel about government and my current attitude concerning the entity I feel as though I should make it a personal mantra. I am that man from the first part of the quote and always hope to be. The second part of the quote I have flip flopped in stages- sometimes as the man tries to change and sometimes spreading discontent. As we continue to give up freedoms for a false sense of security or so no one gets left behind (health care) and pay more taxes for all of it all one has to do it take a step back, a deep breath, and focus on what is happening to see we are being bent over as a nation.

Hell, I am not always right. No one has it all right all of the time. It is in the seeking to be right and to further our own understanding and hone our perspective that we earn our right to speak, though.

How Racist Is Your Subconscious?

This test designed by Harvard is designed  to determine how racist your subconscious is. Go to the site and click on "Demonstration" then "Go To Demonstration Tests" then "I wish to proceed" then choose one of the tests. I am not sure if the tests are truly scientific, but I see what they were working for. Maybe if they change the order around or made it more random somehow. I do not know exactly how to make sure it is scientific, but I could almost predict which pattern they were going to be set up in. I think the bigger issue, though, is not fault with their method, but the assertion that everyone is in some part racist. I agree with the assertion but not necessarily with their method. It is still cool. I plan on taking more tests. Here is the link:
http://implicit.harvard.edu
Thanks to Sole for posting this link on his twitter @mcsole.

Nonpopulist Books: Mysterious Stranger by David Blaine

I just got done reading Mysterious Stranger by David Blaine. The book was an interesting read as I have been an admirer of his for a while, but I think the book would also work for someone who did not understand or like Blaine all that much if they could open themselves up a little. The book has everything you could want or need in an autobiography of David Blaine. He included explanations of the origins and inner workings of some of his famous demonstrations as well as a few how-to guides on card and other magic tricks. The parts I enjoyed the most were the magic history and stories of what influences his magic including a great section on Houdini. The pieces of his life story included in the book are as riveting as they are heartbreaking. Overall Blaine was real in the book and any fan of his will get a good thrill from the book. The book also answered something that I have been curious about for a while. I enjoy Kafka's writing and I have always assumed the David Blaine was also- specifically the short story The Hunger Artist. He confirms in the book that Kafka is, in fact, an influence of his. Now to choose two more books to read.

Nonpopulist Movies: New World Order

I call him the master of the bullhorn, Alex Jones

I watched the IFC documentary, New World Order, with some friends the other night because I knew Alex Jones was one of the main subjects of the film. The standard by which I judge all documentary films is Errol Morris' work. I filter each documentary through the light of his work. What I admire about his films is how he lets the subjects of his work stand and speak for themselves. New World Order was not done by Morris, but it is a good documentary, and I think they did a good job of letting Alex and the other people in the movie show through. It was entertaining and they treated everyone fairly. Especially impressive was how the movie showed a human side to Alex and the other subjects. I recommend it. Here is a sample; the best quote from the movie by Jack McLamb. In speaking about the tools people have at their disposal to fight the new world order he said, "You have the jury box, the ballot box, and the cartridge box."
Enjoy a clip after the break...

2010 Declarations

2010 is going to be big. I have a feeling, and I have pretty good instincts usually.
2010 is about knowledge and action. I plan on owning myself and not paying mental rent to corporate presidents.
In 2010 I am about lighting up suckers, knocking out chumps, smoking fools, and then talking noise about it.
2010 is the time to quit believing the hype. Think for yourself, be true to yourself, be independent.
2010 is the time to get more independent from institutions, people, and ideas that make us codependent, especially the government. I do not need you to survive, endless bureaucracy. The people are retreating. I heard a smart man, Jack McLamb, say, "We've got the jury box, the ballot box, and the cartridge box." That is all we have left.
In 2010 I want the real revolution, which is the evolution of the mind.
I'm open to what 2010 has for me, and I will open up 2010 to what I have for it.
If you can not tell I have been watching a Public Enemy concert on my DVR.