Sorry, the No Index, No Follow tags are (you'll need to add the opening and closing html operators): META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, FOLLOW"/ META NAME="GOOGLEBOT" CONTENT="NOINDEX, FOLLOW"/ Salut! […]
OK Damian, I have it working now. I also use Go Daddy, and Justin's "all in one" code also caused my server to crash, so it looks like a Go Daddy thing. I love Go Daddy though, the service is great, and this is no reason to switch (believe it or not, I also host over at Network Solutions) As for the fix: First, I did not put the rewrite code i […]
Man, thanks for the great review and info. I love that it could be argued that this movie is targeted at social workers and teachers who practice LaME. On a side-note: I hope to have that indexing turned around in 36 hours at the latest. Lots going on tomorrow. Moving furniture for wood floor dude Grandma hired for us (Christmas gift). […]
Thanks..I always wanted that comment follow-up plugin but always forget about it when I'm online. You'd think WordPress would have put that in their default code by now...How are you checking to see if it really redirects? Check Justin again and try to follow his steps. I think you may have got in too deep with the move and created a unique situati […]
Ah, the good old early to mid-1990’s: my infatuation with prophesies, predictions, and the anxiety of the End Times as described in Revelation that didn’t happen in 2000 or 2001 (or did it? heheheh). Yeah, I admit it- I was a sucker for Nostradamus prophesies; I still have the books in my storage closet.
According to Amazon book sales, however, it seems as if it is still a growing trends, so I figured I might as well post about how I wised up to it.
Nostradamus’ predictions are like the Sunday horoscope in your local newspaper- total crap. But since they were written in a particular French dialect in the 16th century, you can imagine the translation and interpretation nightmares, especially from our perspective in 2009 USA. Not only did he make a lot of money and power off his verses, but hundreds of authors and experts of the modern day did, as well.
The same people that promoted Nostradamus (especially in the 1970’s), are the same types of people who are “parapsychologists” who dig past life regression via hypnosis and angels piloting UFO’s into Atlantis.
Heck, Adolf Hitler even used a Nostradamus prophesy for propaganda in the 1930’s. Of course, I read that in the forward to a Nostradamus book, so that might be fake as well.
Take a look at all the different ways the “Hitler prophesy” has been published over the years:
In the year that is to come soon, and not far from Venus, The two greatest ones of Asia and Africa, Shall be said to come from the Rhine and Ister, Crying and tears shall be at Malta and on the Italian Shore. (C4 Q68)
In the place very near not far from Venus, The two greatest ones of Asia and of Africa, From the Rhine and Lower Danube they will be said to have come, Cries, tears at Malta and Ligurian side. (C4 Q68)
Anyway, similar to the Bible, many things are lost in translation with Nostradamus.”Ister” is a geographic region near the Danube. Apologists say that since baby Adolf was born near the Danube, that this prophesy “came true”.
“Who is the third anti-Christ?” “Who is MABUS?” Most websites out there are pro-Nostradamus because it sells, especially the anti-christ predictions, which so far have been attributed to Napoleon, Adolf Hitler, Ronald Reagan, Saddam Hussein, George Bush, Abu Musab al- Zarqawi, Osama, and now Obama.
‘Mabus’ then will soon die, there will come Of people and beasts a horrible rout: Then suddenly one will see vengeance, Hundred, hand, thirst, hunger when the comet will run.
The antichrist very soon annihilates the three, twenty-seven years his war will last. The unbelievers are dead, captive, exiled; with blood, human bodies, water and red hail covering the earth. Century VIII, Quatrain 77
Naval battle night will be overcome, Fire in the ships to the West ruin: New trick, the great ship colored, Anger to the vanquished, and victory in a drizzle. Century IX, Quatrain 100
Based on some Nostradamus criticism I’ve read, I’m certain none of these translations are accurate to begin with. Yet even if they are accurate translations- WTF? Any “meaning” is all based on your imagination and creativity. There is nothing solid here.
D’humain troupeau neuf seront mis à part, De jugement & conseil separés: Leur sort sera divisé en départ, Kappa, Thita, Lambda mors bannis égarés.
From the human flock nine will be sent away, Separated from judgment and counsel: Their fate will be sealed on departure Kappa, Thita, Lambda the banished dead err (I.81).
The above quatrain was used as proof Nostradamus predicted the Challenger disaster (after it happened, of course!). Before Challenger it was used to describe the U.S. Supreme Court. I noticed this trend when I bought older Nostradamus books- hundreds are like that. Do you see how useless it is to ask did Nostradamus’ prediction come true? What prediction?
I wonder if he took great joy in people trying to make sense of his words. I know I do.
For the record, no “predictions” like these have ever “come true”. The key to being a psychic scammer is to be as cryptic and general as possible PLUS say a LOT, so people will ignore the misses. There…you know the secret of Nostradamus now. Go make some money.
Overrated! Overrated! The term is used all the time, usually used to rip or attack someone whom the MEDIA, establishment, or society approves of. Many times attacking someone who is “overrated” is a straw man’s argument, i.e. there is no “THEY”, the mysterious group of people who rate people, movies, music, culture, sports, and historical figures. However, our society has a habit of making lists, creating rankings, rating systems, displaying sales charts, inducting people in Halls of Fame, and lionizing people. So, saying someone or something is overrated can actually be a true statement if you have the right list.
Thanks to the Internet, I can can read about negative comments from “smart” posters who attack even the most immortal names in sports, entertainment, and history. In other words, no one and no thing is sacred. I wanted to finish that sentence with the word “anymore”, to imply that today’s modern era of sitting in front of the computer in your underwear and attacking artists and famous figures is a product of today’s generation, but I hesitated to. I mean, for all we know, people ripped and criticized the caveman that discovered fire back in the day.
You see, the problem with the word “overrated” is that today’s society equates it with the word SUCKS. So not only is Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter “overrated”, Derek Jeter must “suck”.
What cannot be denied is that the Internet enabled a global forum for complainers, armchair quarterbacks, amateur historians, and snobby critics to have their say. What was limited to your local neighborhood pub is now world wide.
So…without further ado…here’s some stuff I found on the Internet regarding some of the best sports figures in history.
PART I
Is Michael Jordan overrated? Yes, because there is a mythology that Jordan had this aura or dominance to make his teams win. Yet, his teams won 7/15 seasons. What happened to the magic in the 8 seasons they didn’t win. Why is winning rings a criteria anyway? Bill Russell’s teams won 11/13 championships. I also found out Wilt Chamberlain was more dominant with scoring and the rules were rewritten to limit his dominance.
Is Babe Ruth overrated? Yes, because he played in a segregated league. Some of the best players were in the Negro Leagues and Cuba. Baseball during his time was still kinda bush league, and the players weren’t athletic. Ruth also corked his bat sometimes.
Is Tiger Woods overrated? Yes, Jack Nicklaus had all of the other great golfers like Player, Palmer, Trevino, and Watson. Tiger can’t be in the same league with Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones when his only serious challenge in a major championship came from the winless Bob May.
Is Jerry Rice overrated? Regarded by many to be the best football player who ever lived, I found out that almost half Jerry Rice’s catches were off 2 yard patterns, and his success was due to the 49er scheme, not individual talent. Due to NFL rule changes, it seemed like anytime Rice was touched it was a penalty. If he played “back in the day”, he would have gotten creamed.
Is Rocky Marciano overrated? Of course. It took him 9 rounds to beat an old man Joe Louis. Rocky fought in one of the weakest eras in boxing, and didn’t have tough opponents, which is why he had an undefeated record. Half of his opponents weighed less than he. He was only 185 pounds anyway…he would get beat up today.
Hey, guess what? I heard at the water cooler today that the China Olympic Opening Ceremony was the most amazing spectacle of all time. Yup, it seems whoever saw the “flat screen the size of a football field” just marvels at how the Chinese are how presenting the Olympics.
You should have heard my co-workers gush about how England shouldn’t even attempt to follow up this ceremony, and about how efficient the Chinese are.
Yup.
There will be no Skew.DailySkew.com coverage of the Olympics. My stance on China’s human right violations is clear and on the record.
Only my Cuban co-worker realized how all the millions spent on the ceremony could have been used to help the citizens that have been crushed and exploited for their entire lives. It’s all about grandstanding and pissing contents. What did they really accomplish by showing off? Joe Water Cooler looks past the slave labor and human rights violations? All a PR stunt? That’s fine. Whatavah. Continue to visit Skew.DailySkew.com if you want to cut through the MEDIA hype.
Hi, my name is Mannbay2004. I was caught on Dateline NBC by Chris Hansen. I thought my life would be over. But the truth is I only served a few months in prison, and got my old job back as a computer programmer. No one knew. I would have thought being on Dateline would have ruined my chances to make something for myself, but my father called my job as said I had to go back to India for six months. Now I’m back, and working at my old place. None of my co-workers have any idea. I thought it was very ironic and interesting that Americans just don’t watch that show or can even remember what I look like or my name. It also shows you how overrated it is to be on national television.
A bunch of “expert” divers in Indonesia got swept away in currents and survived 12 hours in shark infested waters. They washed up on a small island named Rinca where they encountered a hungry Komodo dragon. These risk takers threw rocks at it and chased it away before getting rescued.
I guess my problem with this whole thing is- WHY do people have to be thrill seekers and do stupid things like dive in shark infested waters in the middle of the Land that Time Forgot? It’s like mountain climbers in Tibet or unarmed people in Washington DC ghettos…WHY?
These lucky fools say it’s “living life” and “exhilarating”. Somehow I doubt drifting for 12 hours in the ocean is exciting, nor is coming face to face with an angry Komodo dragon.
It’s always been quirky to me how National Geographic, BBC, mainstream MEDIA, and Joe Water Cooler ™ have always been interested in “lost tribes” that still exist today.
The MEDIA always spins the story like we’re supposed to feel superior and pity them because they don’t have our Western technology, the Bible, or any of our knowledge. The MEDIA makes us feel all high-and-mighty knowing that there are people who walk around nude, believe in spirits, have a unique language, live in huts, act like apes, and don’t have TV, Internet, or cars.
I’m sure many of you laugh when they shoot arrows at helicopters trying to spy upon them.
But I think the joke is on you. These people are quite happy in their own isolated world. They can also survive better than you can.
There are over 100 small native tribes around the world, and although they can offer an insight into our pre-civilized sociology, in my opinion they should be left alone.
Keith Giffen poked fun at our preconceived notions and misconceptions about the “inferiority” of these tribes in his JLI comic book run. In those comics, natives of a South Pacific island were smarter and wiser than Western civilization.
DailySkew contributor R.A.W. managed to get his hands on an old newspaper from 1968 that was in his late uncle’s attic this weekend. Attached is a copy of a particular article that we both found very interesting.
It seems like the history books and MEDIA have sold to us that Sirhan Sirhan was not part of a greater conspiracy, and acted alone, without any accomplices. They would like us to think he was a madman who was a lone wolf.
However, Sandy Serrano not only reported her eyewitness account that night to the LAPD, but her story was carried by nationwide newspapers, and the BBC and NBC.
Sandy was a 20-year old youth volunteer for Robert Kennedy, who reported that she saw a woman and man running downstairs. Earlier in the night she had seen a young woman in a white dress with dark polka dots walking up the back stairway of the Ambassador hotel, with two men-one was wearing a white shirt and a gold sweater, the other looking dirty and out of place, short, and with bushy dark hair (Sirhan Sirhan). Shortly after hearing what she thought were backfires from a car (it was RFK getting shot), the woman and one of the men came back down the stairs, in an excited fashion, speaking loudly. Sandy said:
She practically stepped on me, and she said, “We’ve shot him. We’ve shot him.” Then I said, “Who did you shoot?” And she said, “We shot Senator Kennedy.” And I says, “Oh, sure.” She came running down the stairs, very fast, and then the boy in the gold sweater came running down after her, and I walked down the stairs.
The police told Sandy to CHANGE HER STORY. Smells like a total COVER-UP to me and R.A.W.:
DailySkew used its time machine and went back to 1954 to speak with Albert Einstein, who the masses see as the smartest man who ever existed. To see the news article that inspired the DailySkew to travel back into time, see this: Albert Einstein: Jew Hater?
DS: Hi Al. Now with such statements that you have made in the past, such as “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind” and, speaking of quantum mechanics, “The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the ‘old one’. I, at any rate, am convinced that He does not throw dice” it shows that you believe in God.
AE: Of course, I do.
DS: And you are Jewish, correct?
AE: Yes…however, I do not believe in notions of a personal God. God is unknowable.
DS: So you reject religious traditions?
AE: Of course.The fact that man produces a concept “I” besides the totality of his mental and emotional experiences or perceptions does not prove that there must be any specific existence behind such a concept. We are succumbing to illusions produced by our self-created language, without reaching a better understanding of anything.
DS: I am pleased to be on the same page as you.
AE: I have always believed that Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God the small group scattered all through time of intellectually and ethically valuable people. To take those fools in clerical garb seriously is to show them too much honor.
DS: Interesting theory…you know, I’m smiling now because if you existed in my time, 2008, you would be branded anti-social and a communist. You’d be “excommunicated” from the mainstream.
AE: That’s okay. I’m branded a socialist now. Because I am. Doesn’t matter to me.
DS: I see. So what does the word “God” mean to you?
AE: The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can change this.
DS: See, in my time period, the MEDIA would spin this interview and the headline would read: “Einstein: Jews are childish”.
AE: For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people.
DS: Wow…again…again, Al, in 2008, saying that the Jewish people are not the Chosen Ones would be political suicide. In fact, if the MEDIA gets a hold of this in my time period, your legacy may be tarnished. Historical revisionists will label you as an anti-semitic, a turncoat, like Bobby Fischer. Al, you are in 1954…you’re past your prime..are you sure you want your views to be known?
AE: As far as my experience goes, Jews are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything ‘chosen’ about them. Anyway, can we conclude this interview? I would like to ask you questions about what the world is like in 2008. I am glad to see my time traveling theories were proven correct; your presence here is indicative of that.
People have studied what gives music value for thousand of years. Even going back to its roots (ancient folk instruments), music has always been an art form to be appreciated and critiqued.
With the birth of pop music and mass media, however, standards have changed with commercialism and treating music as a business. One can argue that even classical composers “sold out” by performing for high-paying patrons, and that music was always an “industry” in relatively modern times.
That being said, what makes a song relevant or long lasting to humanity today? How are we even exposed to the thousands of songs to even make such a determination? Most people today don’t even consider the classical songs of Mozart or Beethoven to be “good”. It seems as the classical composers have been reduced to movie soundtracks or dance remixes.
Music critics and educators like to label songs and have them fit in certain genres, over-analyze the components of what makes a song great, and give scholarly analysis. But the bottom line is that songs are very subjective, just like an art. Songs are about emotions. They stir memories for you. If you’ve never heard Glen Miller back in 1933, his music would fall upon your deaf ears today. John Williams, one of the most well-known composers of today, has created the most recognizable classical songs, but since his pieces are forever tied to theme songs from movies, it’s kind of hard to listen to him in your car without people laughing at you, right? Mozart kicks John Williams’ butt, but the general public likes John Williams better now. And that’s a fact.
Music is a social experience. When I blast 8-bit Nintendo songs on my CD player with the windows down, I get looks from people. Are Nintendo songs crap? To 99.99% of music listeners, YES, because they have been conditioned to hate it or not take it seriously. Besides, they have no words. But I still like it even though it IS crap. Music is music. It’s a totally subjective experience.
I guess when people lecture about the “social relevance” of a song, they refer to a song connecting to a mass audience or showing an accurate portrayal of “The Truth” about a social problem or a natural human feeling. In that case, Bob Dylan should be recognized as the best, but his voice is odd, to say the least. Conversely, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is well-known and “relevant”, but…why?
How about the “socially relevant” songs that YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD yet, because of your age, or because the song wasn’t on the radio or never had a music video or wasn’t used in Titanic? Have you heard all the millions of songs that ever existed? No. Is it fair to rank the Top 100 Most Influential Songs or Top 100 Best Quality Songs when the only reason the general public ever HEARD of those mainstream songs is because they were marketed?
Let’s use “The Power” as an example of the anatomy of a pop song, and to show what I’m talking about. “The Power” came out in 1990, it was the first mainstream electronic pop songs that I was exposed to (although they probably had existed decades before, like the soundtrack from Midnight Express, but never got radio air time), and I LOVED IT. It used rap, too. I had no idea it was a hit in Germany or the U.K. Without the Internet, none of my teenage friends knew anything about the song, except that it was COOL.
Many other artists used samples from “The Power” and did remixes, so the song stayed in our consciousness for a while. In fact the voice samples which are so popular and synonymous with the song are not even from the original song. Over time, it became “mainstream”. Relevant? I don’t know. However, it seems important enough to put in commercials and movies, i.e. the song has no been forgotten.
Here’s a listing of the appearances “The Power” has made since it’s 1990 release:
Coyote Ugly (film)
Underdog Movie DVD Commercial
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie soundtrack.
Bruce Almighty soundtrack
The Fisher King as DJ Jack Lucas’ show’s theme music
Sung in the second episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and used later in a scene when Will goes to a pool hall.
The Perfect Weapon (1991) soundtrack.
Pampers training pants commercial
Hotels.com commercial
Energizer batteries commercial
Toyota power steering commercial (’90s)
I Love The 90s
A scene in Hudson Hawk
A striptease scene in Brigada.
During the floor exercise scene in the film Old School.
T-Mobile commercial
Neuf Telecom commercial (France, 2006)
Jet’s Theme in UK Gladiators
Phil Taylor’s Entrance Theme
Three Kings (film)
Marock (film)
Turkcell commercial (Turkey, 2007)
Terri Powers’s entrance theme in Ladies Professional Wrestling Association.
Le Sancy commercial (India, 1992).
Tons of CD compilations, like “Best of the 1990’s” or “Sports Themes”
Of course, you can hear the song during hockey and basketball games.
The song itself would fail any quantitative measures of excellence, but it’s catchy and used in different media, so it has survived 18 years of being in our minds (although older people have no idea what it is). “The Power” truly has no deeper meanings and it is not a reflection of anything- it’s just a good electronic song with a nice repeating vocal sample. It’s OK when you hear it now, but so many better electronic songs have come after it. It’s tempting to feel nostalgic and attached yourself to a song, and hard to apply objective measures of analyzing it.
So…coming back full circle here, what makes a song relevant? What is “relevance”? Does any of this really matter? I don’t think so. I think a song’s value should be based on personal taste, and attempts to rank or hold songs to a high standard are futile efforts. If you have an emotional attachment to a Billy Joel or U2 song, or if you believe “Freebird” is the best rock song of all time, more power to you. Your favorite song is your favorite song; I can’t prove it any differently, and neither can some VH-1 Top 20 List, Rolling Stone magazine, or a history professor. Using sale figures, number of downloads, or great reviews simply doesn’t cut it, since we are force-fed certain songs via radio, Yahoo, MTV, VH-1, TV Theme songs, video games, youtube, and movie soundtracks.
The irony is that, yes, you can find cool independent songs on the Net now that have cult followings, and your hard drive can store 50,000 songs, but there’s only a few hundred that are allegedly “socially relevant” or “recognized” as being “good”.
The conclusion is obvious: enjoy what you want to enjoy. Don’t let society tell you what’s good or bad. If you like an obscure song from the Netherlands, and feel it relates to you more than Simon & Garfunkel’s entire work, by all means, enjoy it. Defy labels. We live in a world where only certain songs get mainstream airtime and music videos, but we also have the Internet where you can listen to independent musicians, world-wide stations streaming to your speakers, and have access to hundreds of thousands of downloads. There is no denying music can be a very satisfying experience. Whatever a song means to you should be the deciding factor, not what the so-called experts by the water-cooler think. Try to block out labeling a song as “that one from Friends” and just appreciate the sounds.
George Lucas’ Star Wars fanbase is truly pathetic: they complain, nitpick, and moan about everything but willingly fork over hundreds of dollars (or more!) over their lifetimes to his product each and every time he released more commercialized crap.
The sad part is, pre-Internet, I had no idea that this love-hate relationship even existed, or perhaps it was created by Internet message boards themselves- I don’t know. (As a kid, I knew that Trekkies were nitpickers of Star Trek, but were loyal and worshiped Gene Roddenberry and the actors; and they would at least try to come up with Stan Leesque No-Prizes.)
I do know that the first trilogy was not critically acclaimed- only A New Hope is ranked by filmed critics, but still can’t hold a candle to 2001 (according to film critics). But the fan base- the kids and teenagers of the 1970’s and 80’s perceived the three movies as the greatest works of art, and even saw them in a religious sense. The epic films spoke to them. The characters became icons and were lovable. Darth Vader was a villain that was adored. And they were correct, and I was one of them.
Fast forward to the dawn of the new millennium: what happened? These same fans, who willingly contributed so much time, effort, and emotion continued to do that- but in negative ways! They still saw all 3 movies (multiple-showings, too), got the DVDs, boxed sets, video games, and merchandise even though they will swear to us that the movies sucked and Lucas sold out. (I believe I only know one person who refused to see Episode III at the time in came out, and I was pretty frustrated with him.)
Perhaps with the Internet, we know more about Lucas’ “issues”, and we as fans are exposed to all of the contradictions of the six movies. Perhaps it became more apparent that Lucas has been cashing out all of these years, using geeks as “tools”, and made statements that left us confused (“My dream was to make documentaries”). Perhaps we had such an emotional and spiritual connection to the original trilogy that any retroactive additions revealed in the second trilogy were seen as unnecessary or offensive. Perhaps fans got older and saw that the dialog is “comic booky”. Perhaps the boys from the past were unable to share these nerdy experiences with their girlfriends or wives with the new movies when they were 30. Perhaps the fans themselves read the novels, fan-fiction, and were actually exposed to better quality professional sci-fi, to realize that 1) Lucas is unoriginal and likes to “borrow” and 2) there are MANY better talented writers than Lucas- some have made “it”, and others who are blogging for free. Again, thanks to Internet, everyone can be a journalist (just ask Drudge), sports general manager, franchise owner, President of the United States, pro wrestling booker, scriptwriter, novelist, or director.
In many ways, Star Wars spawned an entire generation of unhappy sci-fan fans who put their money where their mouth isn’t. Sure comic books fans have always done this since time immemorial, but as you can see now, the comic book industry has been dying as the prices increased and because they are so many other entertainment options today.
And that’s what makes the new trilogy irrelevant to the next generation of fans- the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Spider-Man Trilogy, Disney movies, and other sci-fi and fantasy movies will be seen just as good or better than Star Wars as the years march on. You see, no matter how Lucas tries to restore and modify the original trilogy, the scene of someone from the future watching all six in a row and feeling emotionally rewarded is a pipe dream.
At this point, I personally know only a handful of loyal fans that enjoyed the second trilogy. I am one of them. For those who hate the new trilogy, perhaps there is a nostalgic factor that the original trilogy is held in such high esteem, while the new trilogy is seen as junk. I can see both sides of the argument: that the new trilogy lacked the charm, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, and some things were just best left alone, like Stormtroopers being Boba Fett clones.
As a consumer in this economy, if I don’t like a product, I have to send a message and not buy it. I guess the love/hate fans just had to see how Episode III ended, even though they claim they hated Phantom Menace and/or Episode II. And, since they are completists they just had to get the DVDs. I guess they showed their “loyalty”. Or perhaps they still had faith Lucas would go out great to their liking in Episode III.
With Lucas announcing a new Star Wars project, so far the Internet message boards have been buzzing and very excited about it; in fact, many 30-year old men loved the original Cartoon Network’s Clone Wars animated series, so they’ll probably watch this while their wives and girlfriends are doing something else, maybe record in on TiVo, or leach it off BitTorrent. Of course, for those Star Wars geeks who don’t have a girlfriend yet, well, Lucas loves you.
I guess at the end of the day, Star Wars just isn’t important to me anymore. The Star Trek universe has much more depth to it (although it’s not an apples-apples comparison). I haven’t watched the Star Wars in two years, whereas Star Trek episodes and movies from all the different franchises are more enjoyable to me at this stage.
I’d like to thank the critics, message boards, parodies, and spoiled fans for tainting my love, and giving me the correct perspective that debating continuity of Star Wars is utterly meaningless, and to do so would be giving George Lucas free advertising. It’s just not fun anymore, and they can never truly be pleased. There is no avoiding it, either. I’m not pitching that you, the reader, agree with me. I also don’t want to come off like a snob or look down upon a hobby (since millions of people are Expanded Universe fans and are still loyal to the franchise) because I have my own peculiar hobbies, and still get very enthusiastic and obsessive about my hobbies, which are just as “meaningless” as Star Wars. But for me, knowing that there will not be another trilogy set after RotJ featuring the true hero of the story- Luke Skywalker- means the spin-offs, and animated shows just won’t cut it. I’ve seen all 6 movies more times than any other movie. For me, there’s not much left to say about them. I had a great time viewing each one at the time I saw them, but I can’t help but hear and read (and agree with) very convincing arguments showing that Lucas and his product are overrated and severely flawed. So, this is me, Damian Hospital letting go of the attachment, and bidding farewell to all things Star Wars (for now).
Stephen Kazmierczak, 27, opened fire on a crowded Northern Illinois University lecture hall….
Yawn. Huh? Oh, I’m sorry. I really am.
Perhaps I’m tired of the MEDIA reporting or ranting about another campus or mall shooting, like it was a nuclear attack. Perhaps I’m tired of psychological experts, friends, and family telling me how bright the shooter was. Perhaps I’m ashamed of being an American when politicians lower the flag, and everyone starts asking “WHY?” and cries on TV. Perhaps I’m tired about reading about a mentally deranged suicidal sociopath who was off his medication. Perhaps I’m tired of politicians rushing to create sterner gun control laws and a more fascist state, when in, fact this is a social issue, which needs to be stamped out at the family level. Perhaps I’m tired about The Powers that Be doing nothing to prevent this from happening. But I’m most saddened that everyone (including myself) is used to this story, that it loses its sense of tragedy: “Oh, another school shooting. In other news, Vladamir Putin called Hillary Clinton an idiot.”
One theory of the origin of this tradition is forwarded by Professor Jack Oruch.
In Ancient Rome, February 15 was Lupercalia, an old fertility rite, which was celebrated by shepherds years before. Noble youths and magistrates ran through the city naked, for sport and laughter striking those they meet with shaggy thongs. Many women also purposely got in their way believing this would help them get pregnant.
The word Lupercalia, of course, comes from lupus, or wolf, so the holiday may be connected with the legendary wolf that mothered Romulus and Remus. The Festival of Juno [Zeus] Februa, meaning “Juno the purifier “or “the chaste Juno,” was celebrated on February 13-14.
Considering that Tony Vahl and Damian Hospital had already linked The Wolf to Type IV [The Romantic/Individualist] Enneagram Personalities in their Animalgram theory, we are not surprised.
I want to wish everyone a great Happy February 1st, 2008. Take this time to reflect upon all of the blessings in your life, and take nothing for granted.
One month down, eleven more to go. Worlds will live. Worlds will die. Just have to try my best to survive 2008, and make it to the peace of 2009. Father Time! Father Time be kind to me!
Barry Allen “The Flash” sacrificing himself to save billions of lives. Is there a clue here?
Submitted for your approval (by DailySkew poster R.A.W)
enter the world of MOO!
R.A.W. says:
here’s one you might like. i myself cant stop watching it. check it out.
DAMIAN HOSPITAL SAYS:
Very…original…worthy of being called Skewed, that’s for sure. Nice soundtrack. It has received 733 comments on youtube so far. I must admit the artists’ obsession with cows is a bit much, but it is great art.
Well, this is photo of the surface of Mars allegedly from NASA or the Chinese, depending on your news source. So many people are laughing about this, and saying it is:
1) An alien 2) Big foot 3) Osama bin Laden 4) A rock 5) A shadow
Anyway, I have no comment on it. But right now I’m leaning toward it being an optical illusion- we can see whatever we’d like. It’s a cosmic Rorschach test.
What I DO want to share with you, though is the ORIGINAL COMPLETE photo. The “object” is at the bottom left of the image. Seems like our depth perception is being toyed with by only looking at the cropped image that all of the MEDIA outlets are showing.
From: Dr. Hoffman To: DailySkew.com Re: Heath Ledger
I understand that the death of Heath Ledger has stirred up some controversy on your site. I thought I’d apply my skills to the problem, and assist in clearing up any misinterpretation of the facts. Here are some revealing quotes from a thisislondon.co.uk article, with my expert comments in brackets. You be the judge:
In Perth, his home town, Ledger’s father Kim read out a statement in which he insisted the death was an accident.
Surrounded by his ex-wife Sally and their sobbing daughter Kate, he said: “We confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda.”
He went on to describe his son as “a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many.” Kim continued: “Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him.”
[Apparently, he was an Enneagram type four or six.]
“I last spoke to him the night before he died. He said he could not see me that night but really wanted to meet me the next day. He made me promise that I would call him in the morning and wake him up. I tried. Little did I know that his soul had already left his body,” Film director Shekhar Kapur said.
He added: “He was one of the most gentle, most honest, most caring, and most compassionate persons I had met.”
[Mr. Ledger did not own an alarm clock, and he clearly did not want to sleep late that day.]
There are claims the strain of playing the Joker in the new Batman film may have proved too much for the star – in a recent interview, he told how the role of a “murderous psychopath” had left him “sleepless and exhausted”. He is also said to have recently suffered pneumonia.
[Although I'm sure some of the comic book fans you quoted would feel vindicated by this, I do not believe playing the Joker killed him. Consider, he was in the middle of filming another project at the time of his death -- he was past the role.
A low immune system and sleeplessness can seriously affect one's mental state and thought processes.]
Ledger’s ex-fiancée Michelle Williams and their two year old daughter Matilda flew from a film set in Sweden to their home in Brooklyn following tragedy.
“You can’t begin to imagine the state she’s in,” an executive on the film told the Mail Online.
Her father Larry Williams said: “It has just broken everybody’s heart in my family. I think Tennyson got it right in the poem he described someone as having died at a young age but burning the candles at both ends. And oh what a beautiful flame he made. That was Heath.”
He said Ledger was devoted to the couple’s daughter.
“The saddest thing is his daughter whom he just loved dearly. The Tennyson poem is just so true. His years were few but he left a beautiful legacy.”
[I am sure that Ms. Williams is distraught. I am sure that some will blame her for not being more supportive of Heath, and standing by her man.
I do not agree that she should be blamed for anything.
Heath Ledger was responsible for his own actions, as we are all individually responsible for what we do. He chose not to seek proper psychiatric treatment. He chose to remain despondent. He chose to allow a downward spiral to occur without fighting it.
As a professional who has counseled thousands of people, I have seen the power of the will ... ordinary people overcoming the same personal adversity (divorce) that Heath encountered, with professional help and medication. Unlike those people, Heath had access to the best doctors and best treatments the world has to offer. It was purely his decision to not seek that help.]
“Heath was shattered by his split from Michelle,” the source told Mail Online, adding: “He became a recluse. He barely slept he was dealing with terrible mood swings.”
Ledger spent the past several months mourning the loss of his relationship with Williams and friends say he had become an introvert, who was headed in a downward spiral.
“Heath totally wanted to be on his own these past few months since he and Michelle split in September,” says a source. “She was very much in love with him, but the fact he continued to dabble in drugs kept their relationship from being one she could rely on.
“Heath was shattered by his split from Michelle,” the source told Mail Online, adding: “He became a recluse. He barely slept he was dealing with terrible mood swings.”
Ledger spent the past several months mourning the loss of his relationship with Williams and friends say he had become an introvert, who was headed in a downward spiral.
“Heath totally wanted to be on his own these past few months since he and Michelle split in September,” says a source. “She was very much in love with him, but the fact he continued to dabble in drugs kept their relationship from being one she could rely on.
“Now poor little Matty is left without a father, and Heath has died a senseless death.
“He had so much to live for and he was so talented. He was working on a new film, and he had everything in life to live for. Now, tragically, he has thrown it all away at just 28.”
[Unlike the Virginia Tech killing, where this website suggested that no one reached out to the shooter ... there is no question in my mind that Ledger was talking to people, while working on set and off. While he may have become an "Introvert," he still had interaction with the outside world -- that was the nature of his work.
It is possible that he suffered from a kind of tragic hubris -- having everything except that which he wanted the most -- Michelle, more privacy ... and perhaps the ability to kick his drug habit instantaneously.
It is clear that Ledger needed to take time off from filming and stay in a rehabilitation facility until he was past the withdrawal symptoms accompanied by an addiction to heroin. It was his choice to continue working and not seek help.]
“And he’s been battling some pretty serious demons. It’s just so incredible that it was allowed to gone on unchecked for so long.”
Ledger’s former fiancée Williams failed to talk sense into her now deceased former partner.
“She cared for him deeply but his life was unmanageable,” said the source. “As much as she wanted to stay together, he was a different person these past couple of years.
“The tragic reality was that he lost his grip on life.”
As for Ledger’s trip to rehab, the source said: “It was during his filming of The Dark Knight. Heath’s addiction was really getting in the way of his ability to act. He went to rehab but left fairly quickly, within a number of days.
“Tragically, he never really faced up to his addictions. Had he done so, he would be alive today.”
In an interview last November, Ledger spoke of the joy of fatherhood; “Having a child changes every aspect of your life – for the better, of course. The sacrifices are large, but what you get in return is even bigger than the sacrifices you make.
“I feel, in a sense, ready to die because you are living on in your child.”
[While being a parent is a source of great joy and pride ... and while one can see the circle of life ... one can experience how their parents felt when they were children, etc., that does not mean one should feel ready to die because your lineage will be carried on! Yes, your child will carry forth a part of you, but it helps if you raise them to adulthood first!
At any rate, it is not clear whether Mr. Ledger actually committed suicide or not. For all we know, he took an extra sleeping pill or two, hoping to get a good night's sleep. For all we know, when he finally fell asleep, his body shut down due to the strain.
I am certain that the mix of illegal drug use and prescription drugs did not help his health at all.
I do think this is a real shame, and I am sad to see it. I just hope others will learn from this ... but I highly doubt it. Every so often, we have examples of celebrities dying due to accidental or purposeful overdoses ... no one ever seems to get the message that once you die, that's it! It's not a joke, or a video game -- it's final. There is no turning back.]
By now, everyone knows about the controversy with the Golf Channel personality (and friend of Tiger Woods) named Kelly Tilghman. In response to her co-anchor’s joke that younger players should “gang up” on Tiger Woods during the golf tournament, Tilghman said that they ought to “Lynch him in a back alley”. She was innocently laughing during the exchange, and Woods’ agent was said he didn’t think there was any ill intent.
MEANWHILE, the so-called Rev. Al Sharpton starting making his protests and demands, like he speaks for the black community. Anyone who lived in New York during the 1980’s knowns that Sharpton is a fraud, self-promoter, and should be working in the WWE.
So, thanks to the MEDIA, Tighman had to be suspended for two weeks.
Dave Seanor, editor of Golfweek, wanted to use a cover to draw attraction about this controversial story, about how the Golf Channel got “caught in a noose”. There was a debate, but he decided to go with the noose. He needed to meet a deadline and forgot to run the final copy by his boss.
Well, once again, thanks the MEDIA and PGA, Golfweek fired Seanor.
If all of this sounds ridiculously oversensitive, politically correct, and bowing to the perception that advertisers would pull from their products, you are correct.
Look-
Kelly Tilghman made a bad joke.
Tiger wasn’t offended.
Is there any evidence that black viewers were offended? I mean, did the Golf Channel get phone calls, e-mails, or letters from blacks demanding justice? I doubt it. But the MEDIA ran with it, like it was a big thing. Same with the Golf Weekly magazine cover.
No one speaks for “the black community”, especially a scammer like Al Sharpton. Dave Chappelle is more in touch with “the black community” than Sharpton.
What is “the black community” anyway?
Offending blacks (or any other group) is the least concern of the Golf Channel- advertisers are. Let’s face it, advertising and commercials make the world go ’round.
Thanks to the MEDIA saying the Golf Channel employs a racist, the Golf Channel had to act to show the advertisers that they respect all demographics. This is all about money. As Batman asked in Identity Crisis, “Who benefits?”
Now, is there anything wrong with bowing to advertisers? NO, of course not! But let’s just be honest here. IF…IF an advertiser called the Golf Channel and said, “I’m pulling my commercial now” the Golf Channel should have told the MEDIA that. But I doubt any golf advertiser would pull their sponsorship on the GOLF Channel!!
Now the MEDIA doesn’t agree with the suspension even though they CAUSED it! You can never please the MEDIA. The just want a STORY and a SPIN to make money on advertising, too!
As far as the magazine editor getting fired for reporting this event, this whole saga is one sick, sad parody!!! Many WHITE “journalists” like to jump on the bandwagon and say how the noose symbolizes the KKK and racism, and that a noose should never be on a golf magazine, since golf has been a racist “sport” for years. Read the freakin’ byline on the cover- in what way is the magazine promoting or endorsing racism? What if TIME magazine ran a cover with a swastika with the byline “Is Nazism dead?” It’s just a STORY with a visual image for you to buy the magazine!
TONY VAHL SAYS:
More political correctness run amock. More lies.
It’s obvious that the PGA Tour pressured Golfweek to fire their editor, even though they claim they wouldn’t pull advertising. What. No one is allowed to cover the PGA in a critical manner? Are they ashamed of the country club racism that only recently has begun to go away? I guess they don’t want too many reporters investigating Augusta National in Georgia!
And the announcer on the Golf Channel should not have been suspended for two weeks. The MEDIA give Al Sharpton the power he has, and viewers of said MEDIA.
I went to elementary school, junior high school, and day camp in New York, and my friends were pretty bright and intelligent.
I probably think about them way more than they think of me. I guess I always had a curiosity about how they turned out. I’ve made contact with a few of them over the years, through various classmates websites, but one thing which I am surprised about is that I’m the only one with a blog. Am I the only one from P.S. 251 Paedergat, Roy H. Mann (I-78), or Broad Channel Day Camp who knows how to use a search engine or blog? I also am amazed that none of these New York schools have official websites. You’d THINK a school intranet or public website would make things so much easier in terms of homework, curriculum, test scores, etc.
I guess the even more pathetic part is that the ones whom I did make contact with (and the few that found me) don’t follow up or reply to my e-mail!
Am I attached to the past? Yeah, because as DailySkew poster CCB3 will testify to, seeing the world through the eyes of child hearkens one back to an age of innocence, and a time when there were no worries, and every movie, cartoon, toy, NY baseball player, pro wrestler (which we thought was “real” back then) and comic book RULED! Heck, a child of the 1980’s should have certain connection to one another.
Omar Osama bin Laden, and his wife Jane Felix-Brown.
“It’s about changing the ideas of the Western mind. A lot of people think Arabs especially the bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama are all terrorists. This is not the truth,” Omar told the AP last week at a cafe in a Cairo shopping mall.
I think Osa- I mean Omar is absolutely correct. A lot of people in the West like to stereotype Arabs, especially people named Bin Laden. I truly hope Omar Bin Laden can be an excellent peacemaker in repairing the damage that his father continues to inflict on this earth.
Omar- may Allah be with you in your quest to bridge the two worlds together. Unfortunately, you still refuse to admit all of the evils your father has done, and have an impossible quest: the West and Middle-East will NEVER compromise.
The Roger Clemens drama just continues to become even more of a circus, as Roger said he taped McNamee in a phone conversation last week.
“I’ll go to jail, I’ll do whatever you want,” McNamee said during the conversation.
“I need somebody to tell the truth,” Clemens said.
During the tape, McNamee never said he lied when he told baseball investigator George Mitchell last year that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone in 1998, 2000 and 2001.
“I’m in your corner,” McNamee said. “I’d also like not to go to jail, too.”
Clemens was mostly expressionless while the tape played, even when McNamee said, “You treated me like family.”
Clemens said McNamee initiated the conversation, which was laced with emotion and profanity. McNamee, a former strength coach for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, sounded as if he were a desperate man.
“I’m firing my lawyers. I’m getting rid of everybody,” McNamee said. “My wife is gone. My kids are gone.”
So, there you have it…Clemens says he now has the smoking gun that proves McNamee lied about everything.
So why does this sound suspicious?
Did Clemens threaten him?
Pay him off?
Make him promises?
Create a new reality selling a false truth to McNamee?
It’s amazing that Clemens called him up and taped everything without McNamee knowing. Last time I checked it was illegal to tape a phone conversation without permission.
Clemens never said anything like, “I want you to come down to Houston and tell the world the truth – that I never took steroids.”
When asked Monday why he didn’t do just that, Clemens said, “I would be afraid for him, because my family’s very upset. I’m trying to keep my composure through all this.”
Clemens has yet to establish why, exactly, McNamee would betray his multimillionaire meal ticket and friend if, as Clemens repeatedly asserted on 60 Minutes, “It never happened.” If McNamee knew Clemens never took steroids, and that he himself never injected Clemens with steroids, then what pressure could the feds exert? If McNamee is the only evidence here, how could the feds prove the unprovable? If it didn’t happen, how could McNamee be prosecuted for perjury for telling the truth?
Nomar Garciaparra announced his retirement and said he’s DONE. The truth is that Nomar has been done since he hit the age of 30 back in 2004, and he had been sliding before that, which is why he was chased out of Boston. Nomar always received a bunch of MEDIA attention for his skill (he [...] […]
Okay, here’s what is going on between Glenn Beck and some Christian organizations that are being rallied together by some dude named Jim Wallace: - the other day, Glenn Beck decided to attack churches that claim to be for social justice and economic justice for political purposes; he distinguished these churches from others that believe in [...] […]
This time around I realized that the raccoon was free from suffering now. It's a shame its life had to end like that- it was blameless; humans built roads in the middle of his ancestor's forest. Progress and technology broke that raccoon's legs and took his life tonight. But now the suffering has ended for it. I mourned the raccoon and the way […]
ust a quick observation before I run: I jumped from watching 1980's pro wrestling to the 1991 Survivor Series because WWE put up the whole PPV online for a limited time. It never fails to amaze me how much things change. It was like I was in a time machine from 1987 to 1991... […]
Ah, the good old early to mid-1990’s: my infatuation with prophesies, predictions, and the anxiety of the End Times as described in Revelation that didn’t happen in 2000 or 2001 (or did it? heheheh). Yeah, I admit it- I was a sucker for Nostradamus prophesies; I still have the books in my storage closet.
