This week on Deviant SynCast: The origins of our world-famous theme song, "So Powerful".

Miscellaneous

Let's see, what else? Oh, this is heartbreaking. Ligaya Lagman lost her son, Anthony, in Afghanistan. But because she's not a US citizen, she's not being welcomed into the organization of Gold Star Mothers.

"There's nothing we can do because that's what our organization says: You have to be an American citizen," national President Ann Herd said Thursday. "We can't go changing the rules every time the wind blows."

Sorry, lady! Shoulda thought of this before you sent your kid off to die for our country.

Yukon, the polar bear, needs a Luden!

Pic from.

TimeWaster™

This becomes fullfilled until certain end. (This is somewhat amusing.) Filter of the rammer to exempt the fall. (Via MonkeyFilter.)

Today I'm listening to: The DOC! (The featured "better together" offer is this album + EPMD's "Strictly Business". Spooky.)

Pretty sweet, eh? Check the TimeWaster™.

HalliBush Wars, Inc.

So now the Pentagon admits that there have been "mishandlings" of the Quran. But no one flushed anything!

Of the 13 alleged incidents, five were substantiated, he said. Four were by guards and one was by an interrogator. Hood said the five cases "could be broadly defined as mishandling" of the holy book, but he refused to discuss details.

Yeah, I'm sure we'll get the details at some point -- two years from now, when everyone's forgotten enough about it.

Stop Saying This

I've started to take note of certain words and phrases that are especially insipid, useless, and vomit-making. I shall feature them here in this space under the heading Stop Saying This. We lead with the aggravatingly ubiquitous "move forward." This phrase is a perennial favorite among powerful people, especially those with access to the media. Politicans are constantly talking about "moving our nation forward," and of course there is currently a right-wing astroturf group known as Move America Forward.

Even Toyota's getting into the act, with their moronic ad campaign, "Moving forward." Lately members of the US Congress have been yammering on about how we have to "move forward" after the filibuster brouhaha. It's a meaningless phrase designed to reinforce the ludicrous notion that time always moves in one direction; or -- worse -- that human society only moves in one direction. So stop saying this!

TimeWaster™

I think Diane is here. I better run. Go play with TypeDrawing.

Today I'm listening to: Public Enemy! (Word.)

Listening to this week's SynCast is not as good as watching TV.

You should watch more TV. TV is good. TV brings families together. Watching TV is healthy. Watching TV will make you popular.

Watching TV is part of our American heritage. Our ancestors have always watched TV. This nation was built on TV. TV is what makes America strong. Support our troops by watching TV.

Old people enjoy watching TV. So do babies. The Surgeon General recommends that children watch at least seven hours of TV every day. Regular TV viewing is as important as good nutrition.

Cats enjoy watching TV. Dogs enjoy watching TV as well. Birds also enjoy watching TV. In fact, all animals find pleasure in regular TV viewing.

Even extraterrestrial creatures enjoy watching TV when they visit Earth.

TimeWaster™

I Hate Dimes. Scroll down for the fun part.

Today I'm listening to: Dead Prez!

For the last couple of days, I was in a pretty major funk. What set it off was Wednesday at school, when [content removed]. Until today, then, everything just bugged the crap out of me. I couldn't stand to do or be around anything. Then, today, it just sort of lifted. I think the weather is involved. Also, my friends rock, and DLF is a superlady. Thanks to you all.

Pic from here.

Newsweek Was Right

Okay, so no one flushed an actual book. But as CNN reports, abuse of the Quran is apparently commonplace.

The International Committee of the Red Cross gathered "credible" reports about U.S. personnel at the Guantanamo Bay naval base disrespecting the Quran and raised the issue with the Pentagon several times, a group spokesman said Thursday.

Simon Schorno said the allegations were made by detainees to Red Cross representatives who visited the detention facility throughout 2002 and 2003.

Meantime, the International Herald Tribune has a great article today about the absurdity of blaming Newsweek for the violent protests in muslim countries.

It's the Bush administration, not Newsweek, that bears responsibility for policies that have sullied the reputation of United States in the Muslim world and beyond. It is difficult to imagine that the anti-U.S. riots that took place last week would have been so virulent if the Newsweek article hadn't appeared against a backdrop of abuses in U.S.-run detention sites. Outrage about American abuses was and remains a tinderbox.

Hundreds of allegations have been made about abuses of detainees by U.S. forces, including more than 40 deaths in detention facilities. But so far the United States has not permitted a serious independent and credible investigation of abuses at its detention facilities. The real source of outrage is the United States' failure to properly investigate, much less address, such claims after years of consistent reports.

Eat that, Bush and Rumsfeld. Meantime, we harbor a Cuban exile terrorist.

And Paul, you can just go [expletive] yourself. We know exactly what kind of "economic development" you have in mind.

Street Soldiers

You should all check out Joe Marshall and the Street Soldiers. Read the book, then give them some cash.

TimeWaster™

Check out TBS' promo-pathetic Gilligan's Island Mini Golf. It's kinda fun.

Today I'm listening to: Public Enemy! (Word.)

PS: Happy Independence Day, East Timor! Let's have some justice! Cut off military ties!

This week's broadcast of Deviant SynCast is brought to you by Henderson Valley Eggs! This ain't your daddy's egg.

Assorted

Dave Chappelle has shown up -- and I'm glad to see he's taking time off for the right reasons.

The breakdown in trust within his inner circle seems to have led him to question the material they were producing. He seems obsessed with making sure the material is good and honest and something that he will be proud. "I want to make sure I'm dancing and not shuffling," he says. "What ever decisions I make right now I'm going to have live with. Your soul is priceless." The first two seasons of his show "had a real spirit to them," he says. "I want to make sure whatever I do has spirit."

Hey, look -- Google Maps has spotted a UFO. How spooky.

TimeWaster™

Grocery Store Wars is pretty good, even if heavy on the dogma. I like C3Peanuts.

Today I'm listening to: David Cross!

Having 600+ visitors each day is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I'm elated that so many folks consider my mutterings worth their time. (Although I wonder how RSS aggregators affect hit counts -- is this number artificially inflated, I wonder?)

At the same time, I feel like maybe I'm not doing enough to satisfy the audience. Maybe I should push myself to post once a day. But is this a good idea, if what gets posted is just idle junk? Is it better to find mediocre posts each time you visit, or better material twice or thrice a week?

Well, whatever -- today we've got some cool Flash stuff for you to see. First up is the animation I made for the upcoming Tour de Timor bike ride in Madison. Music by East Timorese music group Cinqo D'Oriente. (Hope I spelled that right.)

Also be sure to check out "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Privatize It!", the winning entry in MoveOn's "Bush in 30 Years" Flash animation contest. This winning entry is very smooth, polished, and informative. The artist does an excellent job of presenting the numbers in a useful way.

Oh, you thought I was going to have Flash stuff? No, you silly fanboy.

TimeWaster™

What, that's not enough? Well, watch PIzza Call on ABS. Mmmm, tofu sticks. I dunno about the paranoia it implies ("Wanna stop this from happening?"), but it's kinda funny.

Today I'm listening to: Robocop!

Hey, Ted Rall, where's my royalty check for stealing my idea? Two months after the fact, no less..

Today's SynCast features entertainment from: they might be giants // milton fludgecow // eatstatic // various unknown techno remixers // bruce mcculloch // william shakespeare // and .. NEILLLL HAMURGER!

Enjoy.

TimeWaster™

All Your Smurf -- a classic. As heard on Deviant SynCast. (Pursuant to the original.)

Today I'm listening to: Ultraviolence!

Excellent, no? From this site. I also like this and this, as well as this, this, this and this. And especially this. Thanks to Matt for hooking me up.

JB will like this. Garrett will like this. I think Christie will like this, but I can't explain why. Jesse will like this -- I certainly do.

Okay, back to this.

TimeWaster™

Here -- play this. It's fun.

Today I'm listening to: this!

Happy May Day, everyone! The photo at left is from the 2004 celebration in Mumbai.

Today's SynCast is a real kick-arse show. Check it out!

Assorted

Check out this interview with Freeway Blogger.

It's all about being able to get your message out to as many people as possible. To do this combines so many different elements, but the essentials are readability and duration. Duration hinges on a sign's Size, Content and Placement, though not necessarily in that order. The larger a sign is, the quicker it'll come down - the more innocuous, or less partisan a sign's content is, the longer it'll stay up, the more difficult to reach, again, the longer it'll stay. There are so many various permutations on this I don't really know where to start.

For example, I put a huge banner that read "FREE KURDISTAN" directly over a large Interstate in southern California: it was up for four days. Easy as hell to get to, but over half a million people went by, including plenty of Highway patrolmen and road workers - nobody touched it. A large "Bush Lied" in the same spot might've lasted 15 or 20 minutes.

Look -- you can spell things with stock photos. Cool!

TimeWaster™

Guess the Google is fun for a few rounds.

Today I'm listening to: Euphrates! (Wish that window wouldn't do that..)