This always makes me laugh - Bill Hicks on drugs.

Not, you know, high... his opinions about drugs.

"And if you don’t achieve what you want, maybe it is your fault, and nothing else."

Via - RossTraining.com Blog:

Why immigration will never work.

Via Boing Boing

[Whoever added the Benny Hill music is genius.]

Bonus! - Chris Rock: How not to get your ass kicked by the police!

Training 41.

PT
30m Rutten MMA wkout/Thai Boxing, 2m rounds

Nutrition
Carb load/free
2 cups of coffee w/equal and coconut milk
Slices of bread w/butter
1/2 Costco pizza
1.6L water
1.0L diet soda

Bed@0030

This would work on my wife.

Overheard in New York | Hobo Rule #293: Know Your Audience:

"Homeless man walking towards group of queers: Hey guys! 'The sun'll come out...'
Queers, elated: 'Tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun...'

--9th St & 3rd Ave"

Bureaucracy = Evil.

Just really fucking evil.

Crooks and Liars » VA Worker suggests avoiding a diagnosis of PTSD:

"An internal e-mail written by a Veterans Affairs Department employee suggested avoiding a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans and instead considering a diagnosis that might result in a lower disability payment.

A copy of the e-mail was distributed Thursday by the groups Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a congressional watchdog group, and VoteVets.org. The e-mail dated March 20 had been forwarded to VoteVets.org, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans lobbying group opposed to the Bush administration’s handling of the war and veterans issues."

For Science!

Science of orgasm - Boing Boing:

"To find out whether orgasm looks similar in the female brain (as it does in the male brain), (University of Groningen neuroscientist Gert) Holstege’s team asked the male partners of 12 women to stimulate their partner’s clitoris—the site whose excitation most easily leads to orgasm—until she climaxed, again inside a PET scanner. Not surprisingly, the team reported in 2006, clitoral stimulation by itself led to activation in areas of the brain involved in receiving and perceiving sensory signals from that part of the body and in describing a body sensation—for instance, labeling it “sexual.”

But when a woman reached orgasm, something unexpected happened: much of her brain went silent. Some of the most muted neurons sat in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex, which may govern self-control over basic desires such as sex. Decreased activity there, the researchers suggest, might correspond to a release of tension and inhibition. The scientists also saw a dip in excitation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which has an apparent role in moral reasoning and social judgment—a change that may be tied to a suspension of judgment and reflection.

...He went so far as to declare at the 2005 meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Development: “At the moment of orgasm, women do not have any emotional feelings.”"

Idiots are in charge of education.

Balloon Juice:

"Ponce de Leon High School’s principal David Davis admitted under oath that he had banned students from wearing any clothing or symbols supporting equal rights for gay people. Davis also testified that he believed rainbows were “sexually suggestive” and would make students unable to study because they’d be picturing gay sex acts in their mind. The principal went on to admit that while censoring rainbows and gay pride messages he allowed students to wear other symbols many find controversial, such as the Confederate flag."

Fun Sized!

Overheard Everywhere | Like Travel Boggle!:

"Tall blonde: That's just cause you're short... No, don't worry! You're adorably short. You're small and compact for my convenience.
Short brunette: I'm fun-sized!

Santa Cruz, California

Overheard by: in the spirit of Halloween"

Training 40.

Nutrition
2 shakes - one with inst coffee one without, 8 eggs, coconut milk, equal
4 cheesesticks
Bag of almonds
1.8L water
500ml diet soda
Absurdly lg coffee w/equal, coconut milk

PT
Pushups - 2x15, 13-2
Lunges - 3x15
Dips - 3x15
Single arm DB snatch - 3x15x25
Single arm DB row - 3x15x25
Seesaw - 3x15x17.5
Calf rs - 25/20/15x105
Dislocates/Face pull supersets - 15/15/15/15
Neck nods/twists - 50/50

Bed@fuckitwhoknowsitwasfridayluckyiwasntdrunk

Realization.

Came across [in my brain!] another reason why I dig on Japan.

You can add it to the list that includes *foreigners in Japan free of social constriction, *cool kids, *K1 and MMA on broadcast TV, and *socially acceptable ubiquitous alcoholism.

But, and as melancholy and angst-y as this may come off, I've always, wherever I've been - HS, USNA, the Marines, etc, etc [you know, anyplace there's, um, people...] - felt not quite normal and out of place. Not quite in the groove. In but not of.

But at least when I feel that way in Japan, that's how I'm supposed to feel. Gaijin and all.

Clears up some of that psychic detritus and friction.

This psychological insight has been brought to you by the number 1 [for self-centered] and the letter B [for blindingly obvious.]

Training 39.

PT
30m Rutten MMA wkout/Thai Boxing, 2m rounds

Nutrition
Coffee w/equal, coconut milk
Shake - 4 eggs, inst coffee, coconut milk, equal
3 salami stick, cheesestick
2 beef patties w/cheese and mayo
Almonds
2.6L water
800ml diet soda

Bed@0000

Now you can't even believe in CSI anymore.

Next, no more Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Reforming Forensics:

"Controlled studies have shown that the bias forensic experts absorb even by such seemingly innocuous interactions as speaking with police and prosecutors before running tests can have a disturbingly significant impact on their results. This bias exists even in well-intentioned, professional scientists...

Unfortunately, too many people think all of the country's forensic labs work like the ones they see on CSI. I'm not sure it's enough to merely ask that judges take a more aggressive approach to weeding out the frauds. First, judges can be duped, too. Second, even competent, professional forensic scientists can make mistakes. The changes need to be more radical. Another of Koppl's suggested reforms essentially applies the idea of peer review to the criminal forensics process. That would go a long way toward cutting down on mistakes, intentional and otherwise."

Way existential.

Peaceful Warrior Blog:

"The statement that "nothing means anything" could be taken for some dreary existential philosophy (i.e. "if nothing means anything then I might as well kill myself.") But actually, this statement is quite liberating. Because we are free to make up our own meanings. And we do, every day, every moment.

So the proper question to ask may be not "What is the meaning of life" but rather, "What is the meaning of your life?"

What enlivens your spirit? What uplifts your heart? What are you willing to work towards and to sacrifice for? What gives your life purpose and joy? These are more useful questions that speculating about "the" meaning of life.

...Life is an experiment. There is no meaning but the one we create..."

The American government is just outta control.

I mean, honestly.

Reproduced in full, because, seriously... jesus.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Another Reason Long-Distance Relationships Don't Work:

"Domenico Salerno, a 35-year-old Italian lawyer, comes to Virginia several times a year to visit his American girlfriend, Caitlin Cooper, a 23-year-old copy editor he met a couple of years ago in Rome. Evidently that travel pattern triggered the suspicions of a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent, who stopped him from entering the country when he arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on April 29. Although visitors from Italy do not need visas, CBP agents have the discretion to deny them entry—and exit. Instead of being sent back to Rome, Salerno was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which shipped him off to a jail in Virginia, where he was detained for 10 days, still officially not in the United States and therefore without legal recourse. The CBP agent claimed he thought Salerno would turn out to be an asylum seeker because he expressed a fear of being killed if he returned to Italy. Salerno, whose English is spotty, told Cooper he never said anything of the kind. ICE kept Salerno on ice despite the intervention of Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) and the efforts of two former immigration prosecutors hired by Cooper's family. After Cooper contacted The New York Times, he was finally released and driven to Dulles, where he caught a flight back to Rome on Friday. Cooper is thinking of following him there, and staying.

Salerno had the benefit of affluent, well-connected American friends. Other visitors who are arbitrarily detained are not so lucky:

"We have a lot of government people here and lobbyists and lawyers and very educated, very savvy Washingtonians," said Jim Cooper, Ms. Cooper's father, a businessman, describing the reaction in his neighborhood, the Wessynton subdivision of Alexandria. "They were pretty shocked that the government could do this sort of thing, because it doesn't happen that often, except to people you never hear about, like Haitians and Guatemalans.""

Best Hillary Clinton interview ever! At Fafblog!

So wrong. So right.

Fafblog! the whole world's only source for Fafblog.:

"FAFBLOG: Wow, Hillary Clinton, right here on our little blog! Well, we don't want to waste your time so let's cut to the chase! Why should we vote for you for president?

HILLARY CLINTON: One word, Fafnir: experience. I have thirty-five years of experience working for change, building a list of accomplishments so lengthy and impressive no one else even knows what they are. Why, I could go on for hours just about the policies I advanced as First Lady, from critical legislation like the Mumble-Something Act to my efforts to bring peace to the troubled region of Upper McDonaldland.

FB: And millions of Americans still enjoy the benefits of your successful health care plan in some distant parallel universe!

CLINTON: That's right, Fafnir. No one has more experience failing to fix health care than me. I worked in the White House for eight years failing to fix health care, and as president I'll make failing to fix health care my number one priority.

FB: Well that sounds pretty good, Hillary Clinton, but what if I wanna vote for someone with even more experience, like John McCain or Zombie Strom Thurmond or Andrew Jackson's collection of antique spittoons? Those spittoons have been in the White House for a long time an I hear they got a formidable command of foreign policy.

CLINTON: Ha haaa! Well you know, anyone off the street with a scary black pastor can talk about change, but it takes a fighter to fight for change. And I'm a fighter. I'm tough. And if you lived my life you'd be pretty darn tough too. I mean, I had to go to Wellesley. That was my safety school. But I was strong anyway and I endured. And as president I'll fight the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry and the health care industry, just as soon as they stop giving me millions of dollars!

...

FB: Now, back when your husband was president he cut nine million poor women and children off welfare. But now you're the candidate of women and poor people and poor workin women. So did you approve of what your husband did at the time, and if not are you going to reverse it as president and give all those poor people their money back?

CLINTON: Ha haaa! That's an excellent question, Fafnir, and the only way to answer it is with a hearty chuckle followed by a complete non sequitur!

FB: Ha ha, that is so true!"

Much more at the link.

Girl wins high school track team championship. By herself.

Brilliant.

Rivals High - Richardson wins state team title alone:

"Bonnie Richardson ran. She threw. She jumped.

And when it was time to hand out the team trophies, Richardson accepted the 1A team championship for Rochelle High School -- by herself.

Richardson accepted the state team track title by herself
Bonnie Richardson of Rochelle High School scored 42 team points to win the Texas 1A track title.

Richardson was the only Rochelle athlete to qualify for the state meet and stunningly won the team title. University Interscholastic League officials said it was the first time they can remember a single athlete winning a girls' team title.

...Richardson's title march began with field events on Friday when she won the high jump (5 feet, 5 inches), placed second in the long jump (18-7) and was third in the discus (121-0).

On Saturday, she won the 200 meters in 25.03 seconds and nearly pulled off a huge upset in the 100 before finishing second (12.19) to defending champion Kendra Coleman of Santa Anna. Richardson, a junior, earned a total of 42 team points to edge team runner-up Chilton (36).

...Rochelle is about 85 miles east of San Angelo, and Richardson's high school doesn't even have a real track. The football field has a ring of caliche and grass around it.

So how does she train?

"Watch for potholes," she joked. "We have a track about 10 miles down the road and train there usually."

...Richardson also plays tennis and led her basketball team to the state semifinals last season.

"I'd play football if my parents would let me," she said. "Not quarterback. Defense." "

A balanced drug report from the mainstream media?

Crazy.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > How Hysterical Do You Have to Be for Newsweek to Suggest That You're Overreacting to a Drug Menace?:

"This doesn't quite make up for Newsweek's anti-crack hysteria circa 1986 or its anti-meth hysteria circa 2005, but the magazine's latest issue includes a careful, balanced story about Salvia divinorum that could serve as a model for how the press should handle controversies involving psychoactive substances. Noting salvia's longstanding use as a Mazatec folk remedy, its modern use as an aid to introspection, and its medical potential, author Brian Braiker says media attention attracted by YouTube videos of teenagers smoking salvia 'is spooking legislators and law enforcement' into banning the plant and arresting people for possession..."

The GOP's new slogan is unintentionally hilarious.

Due diligence? Anybody?

Crooks and Liars » GOP’s Inadvertently Fitting New Slogan:

"It looks like Republicans will counter the Democratic push for change from the years of the Bush administration with their own pledge to deliver, drum roll please, “the change you deserve.” […]

What the GOP doesn’t seem to realize, because they are idiots, is that “the change you deserve” is the registered advertising slogan of Effexor XR. … also known as Venlafaxine, is approved for the treatment “of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults.”"

Makes you wanna go all Fight Club and blow up some databases.

Cause this is just getting ridiculous.

London supermarket secretly photographs alcohol/cigarette buyers, wants national database - Boing Boing:

"Budgens, a London supermarket chain, secretly records biometric facial photos of people who buy cigarettes and alcohol and compares it to a database of known underage buyers, and they're hoping to link their database with other grocery chains around the country. This means that just bringing a bottle up to the till means that your likeness and details will be added to a nationwide database, recording your movements and purchasing habits.

They'll probably be forced to drop the 'secrecy' bit in the end, but that will not bring an end to the practice. Instead, they'll just put a sign up next to the till saying, 'By buying alcohol here, you agree that we can violate your privacy and share your information with anyone we feel like.' After all, that's what they do with the CCTV signs in London already."

The "Secrets of success in 8 words, 3 minutes"

TED | Talks | Richard St. John: Secrets of success in 8 words, 3 minutes:

"Why do people succeed? Because they're smart? Or lucky? How about: Neither. Richard St. John compacts years of research into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success...



Richard St. John knew how he had found success -- through his marketing company, the St. John Group, which boasted clients like Nortel and BlackBerry/Research in Motion. But he couldn't get away from the question: Why him? He thinks of himself as an average guy, not talented at school, not terribly handsome or particularly lucky. So he spent more than a decade interviewing 500 people he defines as successful -- from architect Frank Gehry to non-celebrities successful in their own lives.

The resulting book, Spike's Guide to Success: Stupid, Ugly, Unlucky and RICH, has spawned a new avenue of success for St. John as a motivational speaker and talk-show star. His newest book is 8 to Be Great: The 8 Traits that Lead to Great Success."

It's all relative.

Pink used to be for boys, blue for girls. Go figure.

In the Pink, by Elayne Riggs - ComicMix news:

"In fact, I'm often torn by this whole pinking thing, because as a second-wave feminist my instinct is to shy away from color coding consumerism. After all, this country (at whose expense other countries are having quite the laugh, by the way) now raises its citizens from birth to believe that 'pink is for girls, blue is for boys.' Did you know that this wasn't always the case? Even in the last century, pink was considered the proper hue for boys as it was thought to be the stronger color (in the Christian tradition, red was associated as male, so its 'little sibling' pink was used for boys; whereas blue was associated with the Virgin Mary and thus was deemed appropriate for girls). Following the first World War, blue was used extensively for men's uniforms, and thus became associated as more of a masculine color. From the 1940's onward, Madison Avenue pushed 'think pink' for women. So really, we're talking about a period of time younger than my Mom! And it's not only arbitrary but it's just plain silly. I'm hard-pressed enough to fall for the 'dolls are for girls (particularly given how many boys and men collect 'action figures') and tools are for boys' nonsense without succumbing to this completely fabricated hue-based biological determinism!"

Blame the Jesuits for Confucius.

Damn Catholics, always mucking about.

Confucianism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"In his book, Manufacturing Confucianism, Lionel Jensen claims that our modern image of Confucius and Confucianism, which is that of a wise symbol of learning and a state-sponsored quasi-religion, did not exist in China from time immemorial, but was manufactured by European Jesuits, as a "translation" of the ancient indigenous traditions, known as "Ru Jia", in order to portray Chinese society to Europeans. The notion of Confucianism was then borrowed back by the Chinese, who used it for their own purposes."

Training 38.

PT
Chins - 5/3/2/1
1 arm DB row - 1x10x52.5
1 arm DB snatch - 3x5x52.5
DB front squat - 1x15x40, 3x5x105
DB DL [normal/suitcase/sumo] - 3x5x105
Bungee dislocates/face pulls - 2x15
Neck nods - x50

Nutrition
Cup of coffee w/equal, coconut milk
4 salami sticks
3 cheesesticks
Shake - 4 eggs, inst coffee, coconut milk, equal
500ml diet soda
2.6L water
4 eggs, ground beef, spices, shredded chs, mayo

Bed @ 2300

I knew I always liked Einstein.

Einstein: Religion is "childish," "primitive" - Boing Boing:

"A newly published letter reveals that Albert Einstein viewed religion and religious works as 'childish,' and 'primitive works.'

In the letter, dated January 3 1954, he wrote: 'The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

'No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."

"Impressive. Most impressive."

Darth Vader attacks Jedi knights - Boing Boing:

"On March 25, Arwel Hughes, 27, of Holyhead, UK, assaulted two members of the Jedi faith church who were holding mock lightsaber duels in a garden. Hughes, wearing a black plastic garbage bag and screaming 'Darth Vader,' jumped a fence and hit Barney Jones and Michael Jones in the head and leg, respectively. The incident was captured on video. Hughes was fined and given a suspended jail sentence. From the BBC News:

Hughes told police he had no memory of the incident as he was drunk."

Violence solves nothing lotsa stuff.

Reason Magazine - Kill Joy:

"Living under the bootheel of a dictatorship? An academic study suggests that taking a potshot at your oppressor might lead to greater democracy.

In “Hit or Miss?: The Effect of Assassinations on Institutions and War,” a working paper published last year by the National Bureau for Economic Research and several other institutions, economists Ben Olken of Harvard and Ben Jones of Northwestern look at 298 attempted and 59 successful assassinations of both autocratic and democratic leaders between 1875 and 2004. They find that “on average, successful assassinations of autocrats produce sustained moves toward democracy.” Indeed, “transitions to democracy…are 13 percentage points more likely following the assassination of an autocrat than following a failed attempt on an autocrat.”"

Cop douchebaggery and ass covering.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Rachel Hoffman: More Collateral Damage:

"...Tallahassee police apparently threatened Hoffman with prison time, then agreed to let her off easy if she'd become a police informant, and set up a deal with her supplier. They never informed Hoffman's attorney or the state prosecutor of the arrangement. They wired Hoffman, and asked her to arrange to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, cocaine, and a gun—a deal that would have run well over ten thousand dollars. Hoffman's friends and family have told me that all three purchases would also have been drastically out of character for her. Which means the dealers she was buying from were almost surely on to her.

Tallahassee police found Hoffman's body last week. The first thing they did was call a press conference in which they blamed Hoffman for her own death, stating that the arrangement she made with the police was consistent with department protocol, and that she agreed to meet with the dealers in a different location than the one previously agreed upon.

After public outrage, the city is now walking that back a bit, and has asked Florida's attorney general to look into the Tallahassee Police Department's procedures for dealing with drug informants."

Puppy dog cuteness.

Training 37.

Diet
2 cups coffee w/equal, coconut milk
Shake - 4 eggs, equal, coconut milk
Ham slices, cheese slices, mayo
3 cheesesticks
4 beef patties w/cheese, mayo
2.6L water

PT
30m Bas Rutten MMA wkout/Thai Boxing, 2m rounds

Bed@2230

Training 36.

PT
Single arm DB swings - 1x20x20
Pushups - 10/10/10
Overhead DB press - 1x17x40, 1x10x50, 2x10x60
DB row - 1x20x40, 1x10x60, 2x10x80
DB front squat - 1x20x50, 3x10x80
DB curls - 1x20x20, 3x10x50
DB shrugs - 1x25x105, 2x20x105
xtra - dislocations, facepulls, supermans, neck nods

Nutrition
2 cups coffee w/equal, coconut milk
4 eggs, salsa, cheese
Shake - 4 eggs, PB, coconut milk, equal
400g tuna, mayo, tomato, avocado, black olives, shredded cheese
2.0L water

Bed@2315

The future of comics.

[You know, I kinda sorta already buy my comics this way. Be nice if it was all legal though.]

Pulp 2.0 (formerly DISContent): That Sound You Hear is the Comic Industry Petrifying...:

"The answer to all of this is of course, to shift all comics to the web... and to make them free. Yes, you read that right. Free downloads of comics that have advertising in them (just like they do now). Right now, the comics industry would cut off their left testicle (or other organ - take your pick) to get a regular readership of 100K for their comics. As Rich points out - they have that - they're just not getting paid for it.

By shifting the focus to the web, they maintain their ad income, increase readership and cut costs. They could actually increase their ad income by charging the rate for a 100K audience instead of the typical midlist audience of 20-35K .

Then, they could print 3-in-1 magazines and distribute those larger, yet cheaper magazines to the comic shop market and newsstands. The new, larger audience would then know exactly where they could go to get the print editions driving sales further without alienating the retail sector.

This of course, could be followed by trade collections.

Some company with forward thinking leadership is going to adopt this methodology. They are going to release comics for free on the web, then print editions, then trade collections. They are going to be near profitable from panel one, and...
Comics readers will be better off for it."

Had me fooled, the bastards.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Sports and Election 2008:

"USA Today asked the three remaining major-party candidates how they feel about Title IX and about performance enhancing drugs.

Refreshingly, all three said neither steroids nor gender participation are any of the government's business, and that, being private entities, sports organizations should be free to set their own rules free of meddling from the federal government or grandstanding congressmen.

Just kidding. All three favor using the federal government to bend pro and amateur sports to their liking."

Lies, damn lies, and government lies.

Crooks and Liars » If an Iranian Weapon Bust Turns Out Not To Be Iranian…Does Anyone Hear A Sound?:

"...A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran... When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.

As Kevin Drum points out, this was a small post on the LA Times Iraq blog. Not the front page of the LA Times, just a small online note. Would any of us have heard about it otherwise? How many times have we heard that Iran is supplying the “enemy” in Iraq? That seems to get through the media loud and clear. Why, it’s almost as if the media is simply relying on the Pentagon and the White House talking points. Hmmm...

Training 34 & 35.

Saturday
PT
30m Bas Rutten MMA Wkout/Thai Boxing, 2m rounds

Food
Carb day
Lg coffee w/cream, coconut milk, equal
30cm Subway Club w/avocado + dbl meat
Cheeseburger, fries, onion rings
2 pieces fried chicken
1.3L diet soda
1L water

Bed@0030

Sunday
No PT, rest day

Food
Whole food fast
3 lg coffees w/equal, cream, coconut milk

Bed@2230+20m guided meditation/relaxation