Gism Butter

Sun, 27 Feb 2005

The Marx Brothers

Ross got hammered.

If you are at all a Marx Borther fan, then you owe it to yourself to purchase some DVD's.

This particular colletion is excellent, and the only way you'll get Duck Soup and Monkey Business on DVD. Horse Feathers and Animal Crackers are nice too, buit without any extra features of any kind, the collection feels uninspired, and really has no advantages over its VHS counterparts.

While some would say that Duck Soup is their best, I'd disagree. A Night at the Opera is my personal favorite. And the only way to get that on DVD is to buy it as it comes in the form that comes with this

Collection. This, in my opinion, is the far supperior Marx Brother's set. While it, arguably, includes thier single best, and multiple worst films; the price of admission simply for A Night at the Opera is worth it. I believe some places sell it individually, but the rest of the set comes with vintage cartoons, and soem great old shorts. There's also commentary from a Marx Brothers historian.... and Leonard Maltin...

But both really must be owned for prime enjoyment. Just get the second collection first: It's got so many extras it'll take you weeks to finish them all.

Tue, 22 Feb 2005

Black Hole

perhaps the black hole is a puncture point between the quantum world and the gravitational world. Two slices of bread which, to us appear inaccessibly distant from one another. In fact, those galaxies and distant stars are quite close, and that coke can is quite far.

Mon, 21 Feb 2005

Hunter S. Thompson

I first read it on Boing Boing, coming out of the mountains and listing out the page on my Sidekick. I pulled off my headphones and stared at the simple posting. I blinked and tried to contemplate what it meant. I told V and she went blank, staring red eyed at the road ahead, just outside of Livermore.

we had to ride BART because it was much faster. After the 1.5 feet of snow we got on the slopes between Saturday night and Sunday morning, we assumed it would be dry all the way home. Rather, it was pouring, and we walked from the furthest BART station within our choice. The thunder clapped overhead, and a small patch of clear blue sky shown through. Hunter banged on the heavens and screamed for entry.

when we finally arrived home, we shed our clothes and warmed ourselves in front of the heater. After much cleaning, warming, and unpacking, we have finally settled in, in front of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. V is a wreck. I'm drinking rum, heavily. We've lit up a joint, and we plan of becoming innebriated enough to understand the VHS tape V has of HST interviewing Keith Richards. Obviously, that will likely requite most of the bottle. If all goes well, perhaps we'll go on this.

Fri, 18 Feb 2005

Base

The fellows outside my window are all bouncing and dancing to the slam-bangingest baselines, making his car bounce like a monkey in a hot-air popcorn popper.

In a few moments, Super will arrive and whisk myself and the ninja V to a mountain retreat. We'll be hiding from the feds, the advertisers, and the rodents inside our mountain stronghold, and I'll be sure to break my leg and pull a Sonny Bono.

Wed, 16 Feb 2005

An Open Letter to Scape Goats

There are a number of things you've probably been told on an almost daily basis. As you've likely discovered, they don't help much.

Just ignore them.

Don't take it so personally.

Don't give them anything to pick on. Just keep quiet.

Read some Dale Carnegie.

You need to take your meds, there's something wrong with you and the these meds fix it.

The bullies are just self conscious. they're just as scared as you are.

There's nothing you can say or do, really. If you're being picked on a lot, the most likely cause is something about your personality or body that you can't easily change. Being too short, too fat, too tall, having glasses, zits, freckles, boobs. Whatever the reason, it's making your life hell, and there's fuck-all you can do about it.

I'm not writing this to show you how to stop the teasing. There's nothing that I can think of that can help you put an end to it. It'll end when you leave you current school. Then, if you're lucky, you'll find a group of friends that won't pick on you so much at your new school. If not, it could just start up again. There's really no way to tell.

Being the scape goat in you class sucks. It's not fun, and it comes at a time in your life when you're at your most vulnerable. It can fuck you up for a long time.

But it doesn't have to. There's one mantra which I think could have helped me when I was going through it from 3rd to 8th grade. t may even have helped to a lesser extent in high school. It wouldn't have solved the problem, nor would it have made me want to go to school, nor would it have won me friends nor influenced people.

But it is true, and that is somewhat comforting.

Here it is: "Given enough time, the tables will always turn."

You've probably heard it uttered half-heartedly. Adults know that telling you to wait another 8 years before you'll be happy is not an appealing thought. Being the butt of every joke, and being ostracized from all social activities is gong to continue. But it won't be forever. And the further you get from it, the less it matters.

Your life can only get better. Baring a few years in the immediate future that could be worse, after the age of 18, life only gets better. Hell, after the age of 13, it only gets better.

Of all the worthless advice you've been given, I am writing this to assure you that my mantra is truthful. In 10 years time, you will be a broad and cultured person. You will know what suffering is. You'll know what true happiness is.

Those jerks who are torturing you will be pumping gas. They will leave school and think back on their days of torturing you as the best in their life. You will look back on them as the worst. They've nothing to look forward to. You've everything to anticipate.

I finish this letter with a story. There was a young lady who hated a boy. The boy picked on her and called her names. He was the most popular boy in school. Today, that girl is living life to it's fullest. And that boy committed suicide two years after graduating. His suicide note? "Life doesn't get any better after high school."

It's true. Don't you dare think that life is worthless because of some jerk makes fun of you. You'll make it through.

More Frontline

I'm still watching that radical show, Frontline. Fucking love it. Today I've done one on a pipe smelting plant in Texas that kills its workers, The death of the Music Industry, The evils of creidt cards, and finally, the one I am currently watching, which is about medicating kids for ADHD and other things.

I finally got to sit down with 42. They're newest Alternate Reality Game is called MSN Found. They're obviously hosting it at the same colo as ilovebees.com.

And as per Ritalin.... Well of course it works. All I'll say is, society shouldn't be giving kids stimulants, then telling them they can't use them recreationally when they're old enough to cop for weight on the corner of 24th and San Pablo.

Mon, 14 Feb 2005

Search MSN

I normally don't offer my sypathies for nor recommendations of Microsoft, but I do enjoy MSN Search. I'm not saying it's any better than Google, but it's got Yahoo, Alta Vista, and most certainly AskJeeves.

My utterly biased method of comparison is to type my name into these various engines. Any engine that can turn up different results than Google is automatically a winner. Obviously, the only one that's any different is MSN Search.

One of the things I found with MSn Search was a recquired reading page from Wayne University. It listed my PC Baang story as reading material for the week of February 25, 2003. I was flattered, and sent the teacher an email asking him to notify me whenever he uses my stuff. Gives me bragging rights, ya know.

This is the second college to use my stuff. I wonder if there are more.

Sat, 12 Feb 2005

Ms. Kim's Backyard

Ms. Kim's Backyard is the greatest bar on the planet. I write about her every paying chance I get; this past week, for example. Of course, the week after I write about her musicians, she cancels them. But whatever. We had a blast tonight.

It was Stephanie's birthday, and the only person my mother asked about from my party in the hills was said Stephanie. this made Stepahnie very happy, and she boogied down to this thought. I also met a Ms. Kim's newest customers, one of whom had entered the bar because of the aforementioned east bay piece. This, of course, made me very happy. I went down to the Stork Club while V and her dad remained at Ms. Kims. It was empty, strange, since The Stork Club is the coolest white people's bar in Oakland. But I met a few cool people. Then I returned to Ms. Kims, where I smuggled out a plate of food for Beverley and her man, Pete.

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Wed, 09 Feb 2005

Maps

Well, Google has done it again. Maps.google.com is rad, and should immediately replace all other mapping methods known to man.

In other news, I am still poor, lazy, and unmotivated. There was a time in my life when I could attain anything I desired. But now, I simply don't desire anything. it's truly madening. I can't work up the gusto to desire much beyond a good hot meal at night and a cold beer with dinner. Yes, I'm drinking beer now. Soon, I shall be fat, and then the circle of Americanism will be complete.

Thu, 03 Feb 2005

Eureka

I give up. I completely give up on my anti-consumerist ways. Therefore, I have created some truly shitty shirts.

Who am I kidding. I'll never sell any, but what the hell, eh? Right now, appropriately enough, I am watching The Persuaders. Frontline is truly a wonderful thing.