Don't Look Now!

Good idea.
Not that I watch that many tv-programs, no bloody time. Most of it is crapola from start to finish anyway.

Life, the Universe and Everything on your mobile

Douglas Adams' h2g2 was the first forum/community I was a part of and it has become quite legendary. A couple of years ago when the BBC took over they tried their damn hardest to give us a home but the compulsory BBC-moderation went against many veterans' belief that h2g2 should be(and was!) a self-correction and self-cleansing community. Fortunately the BBC has realized that as good as nothing 'moderatable' ever happens that isn't solved by peer-pressure. So the rules - while still in place - are hardly ever enforced.

It was been announced and tried some years ago but the Hitchhiker's movie is imminent and apparently the support for a real Guide has grown. This has resulted in The real Guide. This is an initiative to create not only the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy online(www.h2g2.com) but to also make the information available on mobile phones and other handheld devices.

I think the Wikipedia is a brilliant initiative. We were there first though... :-)

John Titor: Timetraveller Extraordinaire

This entry is about John Titor. I assume most people have heard the story but for those who haven't: check this out. This is - in my opinion - the best hoax/stunt ever pulled on the web. And the fact that he has not returned to claim his fame makes it all the more convincing. I have not come across anyone on the web who has actually found out who this guy was. And that is quite an achievement.

Back to you Michael

In the meantime, at Michael's party...

Webarchives - another one

Here you can see what your favorite website looked like in the distant past.

Fred about democracy in America

Fred on Everything is a site that contains the writings of Fred(!), a sometimes quirky character but I always have fun reading his articles. This one is about Democracy in America(which, according to Fred, doesn't exist). Select "The path of democracy" on the lefthand side.

I normally do not copy articles from others but there is no deeplink to this article and they tend to shift out of sight after a while. So here it is :

Democracy, Birds, And Snails

Oh...Hell

<>April 7, 2005

I wonder whether liberal democracies do not follow an ordained trajectory into the muck, ripening like fruits, having their arteries harden, and falling, plop, to be eaten by birds and snails. (That was a two-animal medico-vegetative ballistic metaphor, not so much mixed as homogenized, almost colloidal. Patent applied for.) I note that the English-speaking countries are doing to themselves exactly what the United States is doing, and the Europeans, though better educated and more cultivated, follow. Maybe there is a pattern.

Now, any time I refer to the United States as a democracy, I get mail, from people vaguely remembering high-school civics, who tell me that the US is not a democracy but a constitutional republic. In fact is neither. A democracy is of course any governmental system in which ultimate power rests with the people; direct democracies, parliamentary democracies, and constitutional republics are all examples of democracy. In America, the people are nearly powerless, in large part without knowing it. The trick has been done by giving them furiously fought elections that don’t mean anything. This distracts them and gives them a sense of participation, while maintaining their proper role as consumers.

The United States is not the country it thinks it is. It moves fast toward a curious comfortable despotism. This is of course precisely what people want. A few observations:

America does not have a free press. The media are big business and speak for those who own big business. They lie and distort and always have. Now, however, they all lie and distort identically; here is the rub. Their function is to herd the sheep. The public knows only what it is allowed to know, except for the tiny few who go to the internet. “Political correctness” is not an annoying fad. It is a deadly serious means of preventing public discussion of things that those in power do not want discussed (for example, race, affirmative action, illegal immigration.)

In the words of the great political philosopher Fredwitz, democracy is communism continued by other means. Pretty much, anyway.

Though it may run counter to intuition, the press itself has little interest in freedom of the press; this is why freedom is so easily denied. Journalism is first a job. It is second a job with rich perquisites: A reporter travels abroad, attends exciting events, enjoys privileges unheard of among mere citizenry. It’s a racket. Only a cantankerous few would risk these wonders for the sake of telling the truth. They are soon weeded out.

The will of the people? Hardly. Americans do not determine any policy that matters. (E.g., regarding race, affirmative….) The techniques for guaranteeing an unnoticed helplessness are simple but brilliant. First, people are never permitted to vote for policies, but an only for one or another of two essentially identical presidential candidates who prate identically about Getting the Country Moving, and No Child Left Behind. The results determine not policy but patronage. Second, power is concentrated in remote anonymous bureaucracies, rendering policy impervious to attack. Third, there is the federal tactic of taxing the states and returning the money in exchange for obedience.

The people do not rule. Nor do they have freedoms inconvenient to the government. But then, they do not want freedom.

We are seeing I think that letting people govern themselves doesn’t work. I don’t say that it is undesirable, but merely impractical. (Letting them think they have power, however, is splendidly sensible, as it keeps them quiescent.) More succinctly, democracies aren’t stable. They tend toward well-fed dictatorship. Why? Because the bright, grasping, and conscienceless inevitably rise.

The people lack the intelligence to govern any entity larger than a very small town. Particularly in the United States they read little, think less, know almost nothing of history, geography, the nature and politics of the world beyond the borders. They are thus easily swayed, frightened, enraged, gulled, and led into dog-pack patriotism by those, far smarter and more aware, who understand the levers of power. They so quickly give up liberty to those who offer to protect them. They are eager to do it. Look around you.

I have seen it said that the national character of the United States safeguards the country against despotism. I doubt it. National character may exist at a given moment, but it is easily changed. A spirit of hardy independence, of “Don’t Tread On Me” and so on, cannot outlive the independence itself. America is no longer a nation of rifle-toting frontiersmen or self-sufficient farmers. It is a nation of employees. On average they are heavily indebted, imprisoned by the retirement system, unable to farm, fish, hunt, defend themselves, change their spark plugs or build a shelter. They cannot live without the state, which leaves…who in charge?

A curious phenomenon, of uncertain provenance though I have heard many theories, is the national promotion of psychic weakness as a virtue. Some of it surpasses parody. I see that teachers are eliminating red pencils for grading papers because the violence of the color might shock the sensibilities of the students. There is much of this. Presumably the effect, and perhaps the intention, is a cowering race of pitiable and self-pitying weaklings unable to withstand, well, much of anything. A red pencil, for example. Dreadful things, those pencils.

People want neither freedom nor democracy. They want a soothing mother domestically and an outlet, preferably overseas, for anger.

While political democracy does not exist, cultural democracy does. It can exist because it does not threaten those who govern. The common run of humanity has no interest in learning anything or in any sort of intellectual betterment. They resent anything they see as indicating superiority in others, though, and want assurance that, as kids used to say in Alabama, “you ain’t no gooder’n me.” The degradation of the schools serves to eliminate obvious distinction, improve docility, avoid unwanted study, and make people consumers of witless amusement provided from above, as for example terrible music and awful movies.

All of the foregoing I believe serve to make the public a somnolent mass paying taxes, buying things, and directing little attention to larger matters. The only freedoms most want are the freedom to drive nice cars, watch 300 channels on the cable, drink beer, and take an occasional vacation. Freedom matters to intellectuals. For most, prosperity suffices.

A friend recently returned from China and told me, “As long as you don’t screw with the government, it doesn’t screw with you. It’s not Burundi. I hate the bastards, but the economy is getting better and people go along. It could be lots worse.”

Convergence.

Music-videos all over...

I got this from the very informative "Splinter Inside" Blog. This blog even has the same standard-layout as mine... Hrmmmmm.... gotta do something about that sooner or later...

Anyway : thanks Hans.

Responsetimes

Blogspot sucks big time lately. Responsetimes of over 5 minutes... That's so last century guys. Do something will ya?

Boob Marley

Apparently this is not an April Fool's joke. Boy oh boy...

BOOB MARLEY

Apr 1 2005

BBC ask to interview reggae music star who died in 1981
By Eva Simpson

THE BBC asked to interview reggae legend Bob Marley for a documentary - despite the fact he died in 1981.

In an email, they told the Bob Marley Foundation it would only involve him "spending one or two days with us".

The Beeb wanted the Jamaican star's contribution for an hour-long show on his hit single No Woman, No Cry. The email said the story "would only work with some participation from Bob Marley himself".

It added filming was pencilled in for June, July and August, but "our schedule is flexible".

The show, expected to air on BBC2 and BBC Three, follows a December documentary on The Story Of Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen song. Marley died aged 36 from cancer. Last night a source close to his family said given the BBC's prestige the email was a "shock".

"We didn't think there was anyone on the planet who didn't realise Bob Marley passed away years ago," he added.

BBC Three said the blunder, by researcher Paysley Ross, was "not an April Fool". It added: "We're very embarrassed."

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's SuperApe!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Michael Jackson continued...

The latest news about the Michael Jackson-trial. Consistency is not the best quality of these boys...

You can find more about MJ in my archives here

Rants, Raves and Reviews

This cartoon was refused by the Chicago Tribune. Funny people, those americans...

Useless fact No. 233.433.234.987

When George Lucas was mixing the American Graffiti soundtrack, he numbered the reels of film starting with an R and numbered the dialog starting with a D. Sound designer Walter Murch asked George for Reel 2, Dialog 2 by saying "R2D2". George liked the way that sounded so much he integrated that into another project he was working on.

Interview with The Grand Creator Of A Universe

A very good interview with Joe Michael Straczinsky(If you need to ask you probably won't be interested).

Yes, I'm a diehard...

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/035/035904p1.html

A nice list

Sky TV today announced the results of the poll to determine who are/were the best british actors of all time.

Men :

Sean Connery
Anthony Hopkins
Alec Guinness
Michael Caine
Laurence Olivier
Richard Burton
Cary Grant
John Mills
Richard Attenborough
Peter Sellers

Women :

Judi Dench
Julie Walters
Elizabeth Taylor
Helen Mirren
Julie Andrews
Maggie Smith
Thora Hird
Vanessa Redgrave
Kate Winslet
Emma Thompson


I can live with these names, especially the men's list. At least Richard "Jenkins" Burton is in there. As he should be.

"And since that day he has not uttered one word"
Richard Burton in "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?"


Way to go Richard.

Melissa

This is Melissa Etheridge recently at the Grammy Awards. SHe is fighting breastcancer at the moment.



A fine woman, and I mean that.

Tell me why

There is a mental deficiency that I suffer from; I just cannot understand people who heckle(d) the band that wrote this :

Mothers crying in the street
Children dying at their feet, tell me why
People starving everywhere
There's too much food but none to spare, tell me why

Can you see that shaft of sunlight
can you see it in my eyes
I can feel the fire that's burning
anger and hope so deep
so deep within my heart before my eyes
for some it's too late
it seems there's no-one listening

People sleeping in the streets
no roof above, no food to eat, tell me why
See the questions in their eyes
listen to their children's cries, tell me why

If there's a God, is he watching
can he give a ray of hope
so much pain and so much sorrow
tell me what does he see
when he looks at you
when he looks at me
what would he say
it seems there's no-one listening


Who would think it still could happen
even in this time and place
politicians, they may save themselves
but they won't save their face
just hope against hope it's not too late


You say there's nothing you can do
is there one rule for them and one for you,
tell me why

Listen, can you see that shaft of sunlight
can you see it in my eyes
I can feel the fire that's burning
anger and hope so deep
so deep within my heart before my eyes
for some it's too late
it seems there's no-one listening

Hurry for me, hurry for me, they cry

And I'm not even going to bother mentioning the name of the band who could be so simple yet so effective in conveing their feelings. I'll just say 'thank you Tony, Michael and Phil'.

Anyone who calls these musicians technocrats: You Must Be Joking or Out Of Your Fucking Mind!

Church and State

I am a born heathen, if there is such a thing. And until quite recently I was merely a-religious(as opposed to anti-religious). I could be that way because there was no way on Earth for the christian church to impose their will on me. The only sounds you could hear in the distance every now and then were the dying breaths of some extreme christians who still think the world is flat.

So in my opinion, there was a status quo that was acceptable for the overwhelming majority of people. This did not prevent the extreme christians from calling all atheists heretics because of their free sex, drugs, euthanasia, you name it. And the heathen/atheist could still shake his head about so much christian stupidity. There was one thing missing in those days; the islam.

I do not doubt that there are factions of the christian church that have ideas that are just as inhuman as the ones within the extreme islam. If the fundamentalist town of Urk would have its way we would all be praying the whole sunday and dutch tv wouldn't even broadcast on that day.

But still; the principle of the separation of church and state - the principle that was even accepted by the christian fundamentalists(albeit with much wailing and gnashing of teeth) - is in danger of breaking down.

Now, it is very easy and simplistic to say to the extreme moslim "look, those neat christians know how Holland works, why don't you?". Two centuries of secularisation have not been without effect and there has been no thing so drastic in the muslim-world. But still, we must realize that freedom comes with a price, the price of eternal vigilance.The price of tolerance of others. And this price must be paid in order to remain free. Just as a christian or a muslim defends his or her religion we non-religious people must also defend what we stand for. In this respect I really don't see much difference between a freethinker and a muslim. We are all fighting for our right to our own convictions and beliefs.

During the last centuries a cultural climate was created in the Netherlands. A climate that is very liberal and that inspired the imagination of many people to such a extent, that these people came to Holland. Not only because they were persecuted in their homecountry, but also because there was more freedom of speech and more tolerance in the Netherlands in general. This climate goes back to the Golden Age(17th century) and was in fact one of the causes of this Golden Age. Our form of civilization has shown time and time again, that it is at least equal to - and I believe even better than - a society based on the superimposed will of religious clerics.

We have a lot to lose if we would ever return to the clerical religious state, and I for one do not intend to let The Inquisition return to Holland. Neither a christian inquisition nor a muslim inquisition.

In my view, good schooling and good education are the best ways to teach tolerance. Learning how to read and write at an early age is the silver bullet for any mixed society. What we learn at a young age we usually practice later in life.

Because of this I personally think that anyone should be allowed to be schooled on a christian basis, on a muslim basis, on whatever basis. But they should be taught these values outside normal schoolhours, outside of the schooling the state pays for. Religion does not belong in a standard schoolingsystem, except of course in history-class. The state should not teach people what to believe, it should teach people the basic knowledge to survive in society. All else is optional(although I believe it should be offered to anyone who wants to learn more). And one of the things that people should learn in school is that there is a holy scripture in the Netherlands too, it's called "The Constitution" and we have placed it above religion when it comes to the interaction between people and their freedom to choose.

I am absolutely convinced that the Dutch State is a lot more enlightened than Islam or Christianity. I only have to add up the victims caused by religion and religious wars through the centuries and even Dachau and Auschwitz are specks on the page of history.

Let us see those 'dogma's' for what they really are; from the christian "women aren't allowed to vote" to the muslim "all homosexuals must be thrown off the third floor of a building, head first". They are the opinions of people who are so small-minded that there is no room for tolerance in their heads whatsoever.

So there is the reason that I don't trust any religion. They are always convinced that they and only they are right. There is no room for doubt.

Any person should doubt his convictions, his beliefs and himself. it is what makes mankind grow.

People who know no doubt scare the hell out of me.

TM.

The Guide, the Blessed Guide...

It's coming! "Oh Joy" and "Oh Bloody Finally!"



Announced "Spring 2005", that's only months away.

Judging from this trailer here Douglas would be proud.

Ye Olde Lyrics

Found this recently. The first lyrics I wrote and then used in a band.
And HEY! please; I was 12 years old at the time so be gentle and don't start laughing immediately... :-)


Here I stand
I look around me and I search amongst the crowd
Nobody stands by me
They all go their own way
Worry about posessions
Everybody looks so smooth
Clothes all in the latest fashion

They read them magazines
And they all look so clean
Someone says smiling's in
And everybody grins

The say I behave bizarre
Think I am what they are
They say 'you're really weird
Those clothes were in last week dear
And they all go their own way
Worry about posessions
Everybody looks so smooth
Clothes all in the latest fashion

They read the magazines
And they all look so clean
Till they hear beards are in
And nobody shaves his chin

Fashions...