weekend reads

The New York Review of Books - Baghdad: The Besieged Press

The DeLay-Abramff Money Trail, Part 2

Molly Ivins - I don’t so much mind that newspapers are dying—it’s watching them commit suicide that pisses me off.

Crashing the Gate

Austinist interviews Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas at the 2006 SXSWi.

Intellectual Property Run Amok

From Mother Jones:

A DAY AFTER Senator Orrin Hatch said “destroying their machines” might be the only way to stop illegal downloaders, unlicensed software was discovered on his website.

BILL GATES had the 11-million-image Bettmann Archive buried 220 feet underground. Archivists can access only the 2% that was first digitized.

AMONG THE 16,000 people thus far sued for sharing music files was a 65-year-old woman who, though she didn’t own downloading software, was accused of sharing 2,000 songs, including Trick Daddy’s “I’m a Thug.” She was sued for up to $150,000 per song.

MICROSOFT UK held a contest for the best film on “intellectual property theft”; finalists had to sign away “all intellectual property rights” on “terms acceptable to Microsoft.”

FOR INCLUDING a 60-second piece of silence on their album, the Planets were threatened with a lawsuit by the estate of composer John Cage, which said they’d ripped off his silent work 4’33”. The Planets countered that the estate failed to specify which 60 of the 273 seconds in Cage’s piece had been pilfered.

friday random ten

Photo by Ryan McManus

"Rebellion (Lies)" - Arcade Fire
"World Without You" - Kelly Willis
"Second to None" - Avengers
"Lone Star Queen" - New York Dolls
"Black Box" - Ghostland Observatory
"Little House" - The Walkmen
"Zombies" - The Motards
"Deceptacon" - Le Tigre
"Little Mascara" - The Replacements
"In Private" - Dusty springfield

thursday morning reads

Russ Feingold on The Daily Show

Sean has transcribed Bruce Sterling's State of the World Address given at SXSW 2006.

As you may or may not know, I am spending a lot of my time in Europe this year, after spending a year in California. I get to see America from the outside now – I get to see America as 94% of the planet sees America. And I look at wireless spreading in London, and the spread of broadband in Korea. I’ve got broadband in Serbia, where the phone companies are literally run by criminals in exile … and my broadband in Serbia costs twenty dollars a month. And it works. Our people in Washington are drinking their own bathwater. They have forgotten how to build anything. They are busy monetizing stuff for their reelection campaigns. It is decadent. It is sclerotic. It looks like the Soviet Union.

These guys in power are so eager to monetize the Net, that they are turning the U. S. A. into a banana republic with rockets. Not just politically backward … technically backward. That’s the part that’s unforgivable. The Reality-Based community are fatally easy to push around, mostly because they’re so gentlemanly and ladylike. But when you actually ignore reality, for years on end, THE PAYBACK IS A BITCH, BROTHER!

And I would know … because I’m a Science Fiction writer.

Japan Times - Zero Yen Houses

Deford on Calvello

NPR commentator Frank Deford remembers roller derby legend Ann Calvello.

No Coast Derby Debut

 

The flat track No Coast Derby Girls debut this Saturday, March 25^th.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Pershing Auditorium, Lincoln NB.

Tickets are $10 general admission, $12 track side.

Doors open at 6:30pm, bout at 7:30pm.

Please visit the No Coast Derby Girls website for more info.

tags: roller derby, rollergirls, No Coast Derby Girls, Lincoln, Nebraska

Sin City Rollergirls vs. Detroit Derby Girls

 

The Sin City Rollergirls will take on a team from the Detroit Derby Girls in an inter-league bout this Saturday, March 25^th.

Neander Dolls vs. Motor City Girls

Saturday, March 25, 2006.

LV Roller Hokey Rink, 953 Commercial Ctr.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

Doors open at 7pm.

Please visit the Sin City Rollergirls website for more info.

tags: roller derby, rollergirls, Sin City, Detroit Derby Girls

Rat City Rollergirls Season Opening Bout

 

The flat track Rat City Rollergirls skate their first bout of the season this Saturday, March 25^th.

Throttle Rockets vs. Sockit Wrenches
Grave Danger vs. Derby Liberation Front

Saturday, March 25, 2006.

Magnuson Park Hanger 30, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115

Online tickets are SOLD OUT. Some tickets may be available at Concrete City Skate.

Doors open at 4:30 pm, bout starts at 6pm.

Please visit the Rat City Rollergirls website for more info.

tags: roller derby, rollergirls, Rat City, Seattle

Minnesota RollerGirls bout

 

The flat track Minnesota RollerGirls skate this Firday, March 24^th.

Dagger Dolls vs Garda Belts
Atomic Bombshells vs. Rockits

Friday, March 24, 2006

Roy Wilkins Auditorium

Tickets are $12 advance/ $14 game day for trackside seating. General admission is $10 advance/ $12 game day. Children nine and under are free with an adult.

Doors open at 6:30pm, bout at 7:30pm.

Please visit the Minnesota RollerGirls website for more info.

tags: roller derby, rollergirls, Minnesota RollerGirls

whiny titty babies

Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative.

via watertiger