As I've been doing all week, I'm here to continue my travel-log from the time I spent in on the French Riviera (see it from the beginning here, here, here, and here).
On Thursday of last week, as a group we decided to hop in a tour van and ride around to see some of the other cities and towns that sit on the Mediterranean and in the mountains rising from it. At 9am, we hopped in with our friendly tour guide Pascal and set off for an 8-hour saunter through the countryside.
Though the tour unfortunately didn't allow us much time to spend in each individual city, it was well worth the experience of simply passing through. More pictures and Wikipedia links (!) after the jump.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Day 6 in Southern France: Skipping through the Countryside
Star Wars Trumpeter
I know it's Friday. I know your already-short attention spans have been whittled to wafer-thinness by this point in the week. I am fully aware 3 minutes is rather long for a Youtube video.
But trust me, this is worth every second. The Charlie Chaplin sequence 2/3 of the way through seals the deal:
The Contestant is Miss Stacey Hedger, from Douglas County (Arizona?).
For Those of You Feeling Unemployable
This won't help. Neither will this.
Post actual or imagined blunders in the comments.
Censored News
A group out of Sonoma State University has published their annual list of "censored" news stories; while "censored" might be a bit strong, these are certainly interesting stories that have passed under the radar of the coventional news sources in the past year.
I'm pretty sure God won't like this one. . .
Humans marrying robots!
I am proud to enter the ranks of The Pasty Quail robot extravaganza, as this is my first post on the widely covered subject. All I know is I'm excited to see the fallout when this goes down.
Update: Stone Mountain Cancels Artificial 'Snow Mountain'
A little over a week ago, I mentioned that Stone Mountain was wasting 38 Gallons of water per minute for an entire month while building an enormous artificial snow mound on the park's grounds. At the time, the park was stubborn in its refusal to cancel the event despite the water crisis that is gripping the region. However, thanks to the overwhelming pressure from the local media (ahem), the park has finally agreed to scrap their plans and provide refunds to those who had already bought tickets.
This has me thinking, what other ecologically disasterous events could the park put on instead of the snow mountain? The Great Styrofoam-Peanut Bonfire? A recreation of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill? Anybody out there have any ideas?
Nobel Peace Price Awarded to Gore, IPCC
Apparently, our efforts to warn of an impending robot crisis weren't enough this year.
This raises an interesting question, though: Now that Al Gore has a Nobel Prize, will anyone else want one?
More on the 4-year-old artist "scandal"
On Tuesday, Greg posted an article about a four-year-old artist who is immersed in scandal because her dad may have "helped" her.
Here's another take on this situation, delivered with more than a hint of animosity toward modern artists.
My question is simple: I can understand why someone wouldn't like Jackson Pollock's paintings (one pictured here), for example, but why do so many people harbor so much hatred for people that don't paint concrete concepts? I think good art can be about more than the physical manifestations of the work itself, like a concept album for a rock band, which carries an idea above and beyond just the songs on the record.
Likewise, a lot of modern art is not just for the viewer, it's also a representation of the artist. People are constantly up in arms about these artists making money because "they could do it themselves." The fact is that they didn't, and if someone wants to buy this art, what concern is that of the offhand critic?
We need to do a better job of supporting unique creativity in this country as it is, but that's beside my point. Art is whatever you want to call it, so if you don't think abstract painting is art, that is perfectly acceptable. But other people do, so it art to them, and many of them are affected deeply by it. Try and relax.
Colombian Gameshow Pulled
Caracol Television, a private Colombian network, has pulled the new game show "Nothing But the Truth." The decision was made after a woman admitted to hiring a hitman to "rub out" her husband.
The game show uses a polygraph, or lie detector, and asks contestants a series of 21 increasingly invasive questions. The contestants can win up to $50,000, despite protests from polygraph examiners and family values experts who claim that the show rewards criminal and immoral behaviour. As you can imagine, the show was wildly popular in Colombia.
Gringos, worry not. The US version is set to come out in just a few short months.
Cow-tipping: Fact or Fiction?
A good almost-veterinarian friend of mine mentioned to me a few months back that cow-tipping is an urban legend, and physically impossible. Last night a couple of us were sitting around discussing this very phenomenon, when I brought up this counter-argument.
It turns out that a study conducted at the University of British Columbia did not go so far to say that it's impossible, but that it would take 5 people to push a cow over if it does not respond. That, and cows don't actually sleep on their feet, which is another part of the whole tipping formula.
Thanks, Lis, for doing the legwork on this one.
Left Overs: VHS or Beta
A few weeks ago, the Quail made a journey back to 1985. While there we encountered VHS or Beta, a band out of Louisville, Kentucky that uses more synth and electronic drumming then I have ever seen on one stage. Anyways, I just found some video of our incredible journey, and figured I would share it this morning. Enjoy:
"You Got Me"
Thursday, October 11, 2007
That Comes to One Trillion Dollars
In years past, a story about an obscenely large amount of money ($1,000,000,000,000) would have required a joke about the Canadian Dollar; those jokes are no longer relevant.
As such, we're left with just the news: The United States Congress is planning to introduce a $1 Trillion Budget.
Day 5 on Le Cote d'Azur: The Principality of Monaco
As our trip across the French Riviera wound into its latter half (see updates from the rest of the week here, here, and here), we ended up a spell further down the road in the Principality of Monaco, most well known for its wealth, abundance of A-list celebrities, and its casino. 
Little did I know, there is a quite a bit of interesting history aside from the Monaco Grand Prix and a bunch of stuffy European money. More on that behind door #1.
United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Jack Rives
Major General Jack Rives, the Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force, spoke at the University of Georgia School of Law today. I had an opportunity to listen to Maj. Gen. Rives speak, and to participate in his question and answer session.
Maj. Gen. Rives is a man of strict morality and perfect composure. Following a brief presentation about the Air Force JAG Corps, Maj. Gen. Rives fielded questions from the audience. Rives, not one to shy away from his opinion on sensitive topics, challenged the audience to ask him questions about absolutely anything. As a 2-star General, Rives benefits from being able to speak his mind freely; when he is called on by Congress, or in fact when he speaks at all, he is free to express his opinion on Military Law and Policies up to and including the directives issued by civilian military leaders in the Department of Defense and elsewhere.
Following a question about the United States Armed Forces policies and practices on detention of enemy combatants, and the interrogation procedures used in some of those situations, Maj. Gen. Rives made his views clear. It is his opinion that failing to adhere to the Geneva Convention harms the American mission abroad in several profound ways. Realizing that our enemies have ignored these standards in the past, Maj. Gen. Rives nonetheless believes that failure to maintain these standards will open the floodgates for our enemies or potential enemies to further flout those rules to the detriment of our uniformed personnel. Rives went on to say that torturing or illegally detaining enemy combatants seriously hampers his particular mission, and the mission of the Corps he commands, to seek justice.
Maj. Gen. Rives was the first among senior judge advocates to condemn draft interrogation policies from a Defense Department working group led by the Air Force General Counsel in February 2003. The memo was revised, and Rives concedes that much of the offensive material was removed when he saw it again in March of 2003. However, neither Rives nor his colleagues from the other branches were advised of the memo when it was published the next month; Rives and his military colleagues did not learn of the memo, as distributed, until June of the next year, after the Abu Ghraib scandal hit the news.
Maj. Gen. Rives is also a staunch believer in the "Rule of Law;" he believes that a court system is the best way to ensure that right and wrong are understood, and that people in violation of those codes of right and wrong should have the benefit of a system that is fair. As applies to our current involvement in the Middle East, Rives went on to say that this does not require imposing our system of justice, but explaining why our system of justice operates the way it does and allowing people to develop their own system based upon that knowledge. He did go on to say that Sharia Law, as imposed by fundamentalist Islamic governments, may claim to be the "Rule of Law," but its policies regarding women, other religious groups, and other ethnic groups do not meet the fundamental standards of fairness that Rives envisions.
At the end of the question and answer session, a member of the audience asked Maj. Gen. Rives about his outlook for the war in Iraq. Maj. Gen. Rives responded with the following quote: “If there is national will [here in the United States], we can do things to position the Iraqis more for success. I'm not sure the American national will is there, but it's more important on the part of the Iraqis... My personal view is I'm not sure we'll get there.”
EDIT - Corrected the 4th paragraph.
More Presidential Candidates Looking Like Douchebags
Here is GOP candidate Mike Huckabee suggesting that his opponents should consider committing suicide on MSNBC:
Worst Album Cover of the Year
I just like this concept, brought to you by those classy folks over at Idolator.
Not coincidentally, I linked to the page with The Killers on it, not only because it was the post that informed me of this exciting contest, but also because I supremely dislike The Killers. It's not even that I think they're that bad, I just don't understand why they're perceived to be so good. For whatever reason, that incites anger in the depths of my subconscious. I don't know. Regardless, a picture of these fine young gentleman is below. 
Also, check out the rest of these if you have time. The Jennifer Lopez post is pretty solid as well. Enjoy!
More from things happening now that have been common sense for a long time
Yesterday I posted a brief article about accepting the inevitability of global warming, which apparently is a new idea.
From the same camp, here's brief blurb about "a refreshing little news item" regarding a political group aiming to unite conservative and liberal religious groups. Good work boys and girls.
Finally, A Piece of Technology We Actually Care About
Jim Koch, the brew-master at The Boston Brew Company, has been working for a long time to build a better beer glass.
The Pasty Quail vows to extensively test this new device and report back as soon as we can see our monitors.
(Click on the image to enlarge.)
How To: Slay the Corporate Beasts
The Consumerist has a handy list of techniques that can be put to use by any consumer who has a legitimate gripe with a company and wants to fight back.
We Got News
- The US is looking to Japan to learn how to prevent tainted Chinese from reaching local markets (NY Times)
- A member of the Burmese opposition party has died at the hands of the military regime during interrogation (CNN)
- The Turkish Ambassador to the US has been withdrawn due to Congressional debate over the recognition of the Armenian genocide (Fox News)
- Boeing has delayed delivery of the Dreamliner for 6 months due to manufacturing 'challenges' (Bloomberg)
- Having achieved its demands with Chrysler, UAW now turns its attention to Ford (The Street)
- Fighting in Northern Pakistan leads to heavy civilian casualties (Christian Science Monitor)
Blackwater Christmas Ornament
Do you sometimes feel like your Christmas tree lacks that whole 'murderous corporate mercenary group' feel? Well, your problems are solved, because now you can order your very own Blackwater Christmas Tree Ornament!
I'm sure this is exactly what Hallmark had in mind when they thought up this whole Christmas thing, right?
Update: If you haven't been following along with Blackwater's antics in Iraq, you can get a good rundown here or here.
Will Gore Run For President?
It is widely speculated that Al Gore will win the Nobel Peace Prize (see here and here) on Friday for his skills in creating powerpoint presentations and organizing mediocre concerts around the globe concern for the environment.
Now some people are wondering if the momentum from this award will carry him into a run for president. From an article on Yahoo! News:
"[Following the award] there will be headlines, broadcast reports, interviews with Gore about his Global Marshall Plan to address climate change, and the inevitable flurry of speculation about whether it wouldn't make more sense for Democrats to nominate an internationally acclaimed thinker and activist than a cautious-and-calculating former First Lady or a cautious-but-somewhat-more-inspiring junior senator from Illinois."
I have to admit, I think Gore's work with global climate change has been a little misguided. However, I am somewhat intrigued by the idea of Gore getting into the race. At least he has a real platform and a groundswell of support following him wherever he goes. Would anybody out there support Gore if he ran? If so, why?
20th Century Management Strategy, Meet The United States Congress
As I've stated before, I am not a political scientist, but this sounds completely absurd:
"One leadership aide said that Pelosi schedules meetings to talk about the agenda for the next meeting, leaving no time to get anything done. Those complaints fall on the deaf ears of members of Congress not forced to attend.
“That’s because they have to go to the meetings,” said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), explaining the staff gripes.
“If they’re not worthwhile, I just don’t go,” said [Rep. Barney] Frank, conceding that it’s a luxury his staff doesn’t have."
Seriously folks, working in the House of Representatives is like living in a former Bell employee's nightmare.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Day 4 in Nice: Finally Branching Out
Our fourth day on the Mediterranean Coast (days 1 & 2 and day 3 can be seen here and here, respectively) saw our group branching out much more than we had the first three days. By that, I mean we finally made it to the town next door, Villefranche-sur-Mer, literally meaning Villefranche on the Sea.
Interestingly enough, the walk to Villefranche was shorter than to the one Vieux-Nice, and I did lie a little bit, as Lindsey and I went on a morning stroll down here on Sunday. However, we were in jogging clothes and without camera, so Tuesday morning's trek through this spectacular little community is what I counted as our official visit. More from that and the rest of our Tuesday after the jump.
This Week in Robots!!
Back in the early days of the Quail (uh, last month), robots were pretty much a daily feature around these parts. We even contemplated turning the site into an all-robots all-the-time blog, but the marketing department didn't approve of the move.
All things considered, it probably worked out for the best because there just hasn't been much noise on the robot front lately. Lucky for me, and you the faithful reader, I have two (yes two) robot-related links to post today!
First up, the Washington Post has an article about robobugs being used as spying devices at political rallies. While no federal agency is willing to admit usage of the bug, the article lists eye-witness accounts of the tiny devices arriving at anti-war rallies over the past year. From the article:
"'I'd never seen anything like it in my life,' [a] Washington lawyer said. 'They were large for dragonflies. I thought, 'Is that mechanical, or is that alive?''"
Second, we have a CNN article on robots helping elderly Japanese people carry out everyday tasks. 22 percent of Japan's population is over the age of 65, and this number will inflate rapidly over the next few years; with this in mind, companies are building machines that cater to the problems faced by elderly people. The article mentions robots that help people eat, operate wheelchairs, and even move around; a special 'muscle suit' that enhances a person's physical strength can be used by elderly patients or the nurses who must be able to lift and carry them.
Update: CNN has an article on a Japanese robot that gives facial massages.
Is it time to live with global warming?
That's the title of this article, which questions whether or not it's time to accept global warming as an inevitability and begin dealing with it.
(sigh) Like many other issues in our current world, the problem with global warming is not only that it's occurring. People denying that the Earth's temperature is rising at this point are specifically trying to ignore reality. As is the trend, something unpleasant is overlooked in the hopes that it won't matter. Hooray for modern reason!
That said, the argument can and will rage on about how much influence humans have over this phenomenon, but regardless, it's probably time we stop blaming each other for something that's already happening. The political discourse seems to suggest it can be stopped.
Novel concept: maybe we should adapt to global warming like the good products of evolution we're supposed to be. Yes, this means both doing something about our effect on it AND accepting the fact that humans are not solely responsible for everything that occurs on the planet.
Russia picks Iran in High Stakes "International Diplomacy" game
Apparently, Russia is really peeved about the Missile Defense System.
In retaliation, they have decided to side with Iran in that nations seemingly inevitable clash with the West. Following his summit with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, dictator-for-life President (and soon to be PM) Vladimir Putin warns against hasty action against Iran; Putin also says that there is no evidence that Iran is building nukes.
In the great tradition of foxes guarding henhouses, Russia has said they would love to be coupled with military hard-liners France to work through the UN and bring Iran back into compliance with their international nuclear obligations.
Religious Discrimination in Sex Ed?
Though Howard Friedman's post on opposition to sexual education in Montgomery County, Maryland, is rather vague (not helped by the article he links, which is even more difficult to decipher), he spurs an intriguing thought.
In short, his blurb covers a conservative group concerned that religious people who oppose homosexuality on moral grounds are being discriminated against by a new curriculum that teaches about said sexual preference.
I don't understand what these people expect. Even if homosexuality is morally wrong and an eternally damnable offense, that doesn't change the fact that people need to understand it in terms of sexual health, which is what should be taught in public schools. This is another case of ignoring an issue because people don't want to talk about it, and before you know it, people are spreading sexually transmitted diseases because they're uneducated about safe sex.
For example — and I know, it's a movie, but I think the concept is realistic — take the instance in the film "Saved," where our young female protagonist has sex with her gay boyfriend in order to save him from Hell, having absolutely no idea what it means to be gay, or what it means to have sex. In effect, she gets pregnant because she hasn't been educated about contraceptives, and her boyfriend still goes off to be "cured."
This raises a question about public school curriculum: I think it would be ridiculous for those in touch with the reality of the world to continue being uneducated about the realities of sexuality in modern America, but at the same time, I respect these people's right to remain ignorant. I know everyone can't afford private school, where these things are regulated, but with their appropriate religious rights is it fair to fail them? I think Sex Ed should be part of a mandatory curriculum, and I hate to just say "get over it," but where should the line be drawn?
Smokers Lose More Rights
The city of Belmont, CA has taken the national trend of banning smoking to heretofore unseen heights. In 14 months, a newly passed law will take effect banning smoking in multi-unit apartment complexes.
While it is already illegal to smoke in the stairways and hallways of these buildings, this new law goes even further: as of 14 months after the passage of the ordinance, smoking will be banned in the individual apratments within those buildings. The law also bans smoking in all manner of public places, including parks and outdoor workspaces. Going even a step further, the city will be able to prohibit smoking on sidewalks near areas where smoking is prohibited and during city events.
The wave of anti-smoking legislation, which started with public buildings, has moved since then to private businesses, and is now lapping upon the shores of private homes. Moralistic legislation banning the use of various substances has generally proven to be an ineffective way of regulating or halting consumption (see Prohibition).
No doubt this latest paternalistic trend will not suffer from the same fate.
Chimps More Rational Than Humans?
A new study from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany suggests that chimps are more likely to make rational economic decisions than humans.
Researchers used a variation of the ultimatum game to determine how chimps approach economic decisions. The game is played where player 1 is asked to divide an amount of something of value (say $10) between himself and player 2. Player 1 can choose to give player 2 any amount he wishes, but the player 2 has the option of refusing the offer; in this case, neither player gets anything.
It often turns out that humans will refuse a low offer to punish the other player. This is irrational behavior according to classical economics. Researchers in this study found that chimps, when playing a simplified version of the game, will accept all offers above 0, exhibiting perfectly rational behavior. Perhaps we are just too smart for our own good sometimes.
Read a full report on the study here.
Taco Bell Returning to Mexico
Taco Bell has opened its first Mexican store in 15 years in the northern city of Monterrey. The chain was unsuccessful in its attempt to appeal to the Mexican market in the early 90s, but a slightly different approach and a vastly improved Mexican economy will aid the restaurant's return this time around. Management has decided to not directly compete with the country's famed tacquerias; from CNNMoney:
"Here, the company is projecting a more "American" fast-food image by adding french fries - some topped with cheese, cream, ground meat and tomatoes - to the menu at its first store."
You can get the whole article here.
Britney's losing battle
Now that Britney has lost custody of her children, Slate offers a suggestion on what might happen to them next.
Thanks Sean, for sending this one out. Hopefully all of you will enjoy the laugh I had.
Just too classic
I found this picture on Deadspin, and it is just too amazing not to post.
For those of you who don't know who Mark Mangino is, he's the portly (a generous classification) coach of the Kansas Jayhawks football team pictured in the link. Now, he did say that the easy, or "cupcake," opponents his team played early in the season were good preparation for facing tougher teams later on.
However, I'm just not sure if putting this on the front page of KUSports.com for an entire day was supposed to be a joke or not. If so, that's pretty harsh to your 5-0 coach who's resurrecting your embarrassing football program. If not, I'd feel pretty bad for the editor for this glaring oversight. Ridiculous, nonetheless.
RADIOHEAD
As I'm listening to the new album, In Rainbows, which I downloaded last night and received about 30 minutes ago, I'm left to ponder further the insanity surrounding the release of this album.
First of all, here's guitarist Jonny Greenwood's website post from October 1, which came after at least 2 years of very minimal information regarding this album's release. Eleven days ago, most (if not all) of the world had no idea this would be happening, and then, all of a sudden, it's here.
I love that this album is being sold and promoted entirely by Radiohead. Of course, they have the financial stability to take this shot in the dark, but I'm glad they did. In fact, several other bands without recording contracts are planning to do the same thing.
Of course this is a huge shot to the major record companies, not only from losing the necessary capital they receive from (obviously) pushing copies of the album, but also that which their losing from other promotions and tours. I really like Trent Reznor's quote in the article about being a "free agent;" I thought that was an inventive term.
The story here for band is that they continue to live their dream, making the music they enjoy without care or worry of the monetary consequences (I paid $7 for the album, though I'm thinking now I might have paid more in support of this wonderful concept - it's revolutionary art in a sense), much like their predecessors did once long ago: 
Yet, the story here for the record companies is the same that it's been for the last 8 years or so (since the death of the boy band era, and the rise of digital music): IT'S OK TO CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. The record companies are not dead, nor should they be; not everyone has the money to support themselves like Radiohead does, and I think ready-made financial backing for up-and-coming groups can be a good thing.
However, if the major labels would just get someone to smack them upside the head so that they'd realize there are other ways to sell and promote music, then maybe they could get a hold on their plummeting profits, and start doing something positive for the music industry. Maybe this will help. . .
Regardless, I'm only through 5 songs of In Rainbows, and I'm in heaven. I've said it before, and I'll say it now: Radiohead really may be the greatest group of musicians since those four gentlemen pictured above graced the planet with their glorious sounds 40 years ago.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday in Nice: Working the System
So, when I left you after my first two days on the French Riviera, we had not quite figured out that whole "public transportation" thing, which would turn out to be paramount for the enjoyment of the rest of our trip.
Luckily, Monday morning Lindsey and I just jumped into the fire (which turned out only to involve 1.30 Euro a ride and a bus map), and set off for the train station, where we had planned to hop on a high-speed train with the hopes of ending up in Aix-en-Provence, a nice town in southern France famous for its cafés and tree-lined streets. Lindsey had wanted to study there during college and never made it, so we wanted to check it out.
Unfortunately, the 3-hour train ride would have gotten us there at 2pm, right after lunch ended, and the latest one we could take back to Nice would have left at 7pm, right before dinner began. Therefore, we reluctantly decided to forego our excursion.
Yet, staying in Nice certainly wasn't anywhere resembling what one might call "bad."
Check out some highlights from our day here.
We Got News
- The Fed explains last week's drastic rate cuts (CNNMoney)
- Coors and Miller will finalize a deal to combine brewing operations (AP)
- Turkey is set to invade Northern Iraq (Reuters)
- Study suggests that use of tasers by police officers is safe (Medical News Today)
- Rumors of match-fixing are running rampant in tennis (ESPN)
- UAW sets Oct. 10 deadline to reach an agreement with Chrysler, will strike otherwise (Bloomberg)
Finally Some Progress In Burma
Voice of America is reporting that the Burmese regime will begin talks with the leader of the opposition party, Aung San Suu Kyi. The move is largely seen as an attempt to prevent (or at least stall) UN sanctions against the regime's leadership. There is a long way to go on this issue, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Dirt Nasty (Audio NSFW)
This guy is incredible.
As my buddy Stroach said: "This is like the gangsta rap equivalent of vanilla ice."
An Exclusive Video from Mikey Mel
The known law-rock band leader and resident Pasty Quail Celebrity "Mikey Mel" sent us a video last night. It is chilling in its directness:
Apparently, in whatever cave Mikey Mel has holed himself up in, he has lost track of the date: the show is actually Saturday, October 13th at 12:30AM.
I repeat: Mikey Mel & the JD's will be performing at 12:30 on Saturday, October 13th, 2007 at Tasty World in downtown Athens.
Be there.
How To: Become An Art Afficianado
Also, Slate has an article on a 4-year old child who has sold over $300,000 worth of paintings. The article is somewhat dubious on whether the child had help from her father, but it also raises an interesting question: if a child did paint the work on the left, could it actually be considered art?
Free Wireless Hotspots: A love/hate relationship
I saw this article on Slate just before I left for France, and today I'm glad I noticed nothing had been done with it, because it represents a perfect example of the unadulterated rant I am about to undertake.
The article discusses why free wireless internet has not spread to the world, basically because it still costs some money; as we learned in high school economics, there's no such thing as a free lunch. The other problem, as I have experienced this morning on our wonderfully free open network on UGA's north campus, that a massive, free hotspot easily gets jammed up and makes it difficult for everyone.
Take, for example, I had the two posts that I just blogged ready made to go at 11am today, but due to the fact that I had to spend an hour toying with my computer and trying just to get myself to stay online, what took me 10 minutes to write took an hour and 15 minutes to post. Being the busy person that I am, I've wasted a considerable amount of my time.
This, of course, is not to say the free internet is not a positive thing, for without it I would not be able to communicate with you as I am now. However, if these problems are occurring in a microcosm like Athens, what happens if downtown New York City was wired for free use to everyone? The answer? Nothing.
I know you missed my philosophical musings while I was away
So. . .
Here’s is an interesting inquiry into church membership in the evangelical community.
Basically, it covers the idea of regulating membership in evangelical churches, which brings me to a point I've pondered previously.
In my personal opinion, anyone can call themselves a Christian without fear of reproach, because there really is no set definition of what that means. Now, I for one am supportive of this idea, however, I can understand why particular churches might not be. Like in the Catholic Church and the Jewish synagogue, there are strict processes which you must undergo to become part of the community; they, in that sense, stress the community specifically and not that of the individual. There is a set of guidelines by which you are Catholic or Jewish.
This has been my problem with modern evangelical Protestantism in general, because it kind of seems to defeat all practical and useful purposes of organized religion, and maybe that’s why people are so turned off by it. There is no solidarity, and I think these people are on to something.
It’s so difficult to call anyone an evangelical because there is no set definition for it, and therefore, I would imagine, these people are upset when their members give them a bad name. With slightly more regimented membership clauses, these churches can create a stronger sense of identity for themselves, which I think can be a good thing. The question, though, is whether or not this undermines the initial purpose of the Reformation, which was to let any and all come to know the faith of their own volition.
Was Jesus Cool?
I'm sure we've posted this wonderful picture before, but it's relevant to this particular post, which is in response to a query posed on whether or not you think Jesus was cool. I'd like to carry this debate to The Pasty Quail and see where people weigh in on the subject.
In the interest of full disclosure, I find inquiries like this phenomenally ridiculous, because who really knows if Jesus was cool or not, based both on the floating definition of cool and the unknowable nature of the historical Jesus. All I know is that Jesus is whatever you make him, so in that sense, sure, I think he was cool. At least in the Bible he comes across as such in the literal definition, meaning he attracted lots of people to him and handled himself well under pressure.
What do you all think?
Note: For more takes on Jesus' representation in American culture, read this riveting book.
Nixon Attacks Fred Thompson From the Grave!
No, zombie-Nixon hasn't risen to terrorize us just yet. Instead, ABCnews has unearthed a snippet of tape where the disgraced former president calls Thompson "dumb as hell". Check here for a transcript of the tape, and some background on Thompson's involvement with the Nixon White House.
More on the Beijing Olympics
Yesterday, we mentioned China's little pollution problem in the lead up to the games. Today, we have coverage of a leading cause of that pollution - massive construction projects!
First up is a photo-essay on Beijing's sparkling-new subway line from treehugger.com. It is one of the few major subway projects going on in the world at this time because of the extreme cost of building in urban areas.
Second, we have coverage from Popular Science of the on-going construction of the world's largest airport outside of Beijing.
The 2008 Summer Olympics are going to be the most interesting to watch since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Chinese government surely plans to use the games to highlight the country's growing fortunes. However, there are still many glaring issues such as pollution, extreme poverty, and a lack of human rights that will hover over every major achievement. How will the world media deal with these issues? Will it be a big deal if China beats the US in the overall medal count?
The Whigs at Tasty World - 10/8/07
I caught the Whigs at Tasty World last night; apparently, they have changed guitarists within the last few weeks, and they decided to play a small practice gig in preparation for that big show at the Variety Playhouse on Oct. 20. The crowd was as big as I have ever seen at Tasty World on a Monday night, and the band brought enough enthusiasm to the stage to keep everybody bobbing their heads for at least an hour. The show was a mix of songs from the first album and (presumably) a few songs from the new one (Due January 22). Amazingly, the evening finished with a brief appearance by John Popper of Blues Traveler who is in town for a show at the Georgia Theater tonight. Of course, the Quail has video of his performance. Enjoy:
Do the jump for two more videos from the show: >>>
EDIT: Thanks to The Pasty Quail's Favorite Bartender for the tip.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Le Week-end from Nice
As the first in a series of six, tonight I'll begin posting some pictures I have from Nice. I'll be doing my best to post it in a photo essay, but I'm not so sure how well the whole "essay" thing will work out.
I'd like to share my thoughts and musings on what it was like over there, but I feel strange simply relaying journal-type information, as I'm not confident enough in my own observations to think that you all might actually care what I have to say about it. That, and it's really hard to conceptualize how you really feel when you're on a trip like this. Everything moves incredibly quickly (even when you're sitting at cafés for hours a day), and speaking and thinking in another language certainly throws me off-kilter — in a good way of course, but it's disorienting nonetheless.
This observation brings me to the recognition of a realization I've had recently, which is that taking pictures is important. Though a static image can never recapture what was actually experienced in the moment, it is an effort to do so, something which memory cannot accomplish. The memory of an event is a separate animal from a picture, which does not describe, but only shows what has been. As a result, I plan to show you the things I've seen, and I'll attempt to describe them, but an accurate portrayal of the former is the only promise I can give.
With that said, here's a snapshot from the coast of the Mediterranean, looking back up at Mont Boron, where I stayed with my girlfriend and her family in for the week that was September 29-October 5. 
To see more pictures and more of my pontifications from my first two days in Nice, click here.
Breaking News: The Whigs Playing Tasty World Tonight
For all our Athens readers, the Whigs (not to be confused with the mid-nineties act, the Afghan Whigs, or the 19th century political party) will be playing an impromptu show at Tasty World tonight at 11 pm. I'm not sure what the cover will be, but it can't be more than $8. It will be well worth it, trust me.
Radiohead's Impending Album
As we reported last week, Radiohead will be releasing its new album, In Rainbows, on Wednesday. The band has thrown its fans (and the music industry) a curveball by announcing the album just a little over a week before its release, not providing the press with upfront copies for review, and only offering it via a rather cryptic website. The purchase options are especially interesting; fans can either buy the £40 box set version that includes 7 extra songs and is delivered via physical media, or choose to pay any price that they want (including nothing, as far as I can tell) for the right to download it from the interwebs. I am assuming that only the most diehard fans will cough up the big bucks for the box set, but I have a feeling that lots of people will be checking out the download. So, how much will you be willing to pay for the online version of the album?
Spoon Performing "Cherry Bomb" on SNL
One of my favorite bands, Spoon, performed on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, and they just about blew the doors off of the studio. Here is a video of them performing Cherry Bomb complete with a full horn section :
Oh, and if you haven't gotten your hands on their latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, do it now!
Progressive Rock Fans Are Terrible Trashtalkers
"Get ready to look like the lead singer of Marillion. When you walk down the street, very few people will be able to recognize you."
Thanks to Lil' Hebb for the tip.
Leave your own Prog-Rock Trash-Talk in the comments.
EDIT: After reading through McSweeney's for a minute, I happened upon a realization. They're really funny. Check this out. But only if you want to. I mean, don't feel obligated or anything.
Wind Energy Farm Threatens Mel Gibson Heritage Site
An Australian subsidiary of the German energy firm Conergy is planning to place up to 500 wind turbines at the site where Gibson's star-making turn in the post-apocalyptic documentary popcorn flick Mad Max II was filmed, and Marketwatch is suitably pissed off about the whole thing.
I'm not entirely sure that this is a real controversy, but it bears a striking resemblance to something that occurred in Massachusetts earlier this year. The Cape Wind project is to be one of the first offshore wind energy farms developed in the US, but it has been dogged at every turn by sailing enthusiasts and filthy rich land owners along the coast (including Senator Ted Kennedy) who were concerned about the aesthetic appeal of 130 wind turbines located 4-11 miles offshore. It has been determined through numerous studies that the farm will not cause noise pollution on shore, and could bolster some aquatic life in the area; additionally, it is expected that the farm would provide clean power to about 200,000 homes in Massachusetts. The project only has to pass the federal hearing hurdle at this point, but opposition groups are sure to drag the process out as long as possible. Ugh.
Wait, a "war on fill-in-the-blank" works counterintuitively?
Well, that's what Reuters is reporting today, that the war on terror actually is fueling al Qaeda.
See, the problem with terrorists is that they're really difficult to pinpoint, just like drug dealers. Therefore, to attack "terrorism" at large really doesn't do much to the source of the problem; instead, it just attacks people at the individual level.
Granted, individual acts of terrorism are much more destructive than individuals using drugs; however, if you're not trying to shut down Pablo Escobar but only trying to stop people from using his cocaine, I'm pretty sure the problem will not be going away very quickly.
A steep stint for a cheap crime
Next time you want to steal a donut, you'd best consider the consequences.
Or, at least, don't shove they shopkeep on the way out.
Learning to Live in the Digital Age
In a ruse as old as time the internet itself, fat chicks are using the limitations of the internet to make themselves appear more good-looking
Update on the 2008 Olympics
China still an ecological disaster area.
How can these athletes expect to live up to "Citius, Altius, Fortius" in conditions like this?
No "Everybody Loves Raymond" Until You Finish Your Homework
Damion Frye, a 9th grade teacher in Montclair, NJ has started giving parents homework. His innovative teaching strategy, designed to foster interaction and conversation about school materials between parents and children, has met with some resistance. Strangely enough, parents are not necessarily thrilled about the idea of a return to their high school days; at least, not to this part, particularly.
For the most part, though, the response has been positive. Frye allows the parents to post the homework assignments on a blog he has created. Many of the parents have noted that since they are more familiar with the material their children are learning, they are better able to discuss it with their children.
Frye's unorthodoxy has also drawn attention from some education specialists. While none have come out so far in direct support, the general consensus seems to be very positive. Several are waiting for the jury to come in; that is to say, are interested in whether the children in these classes actually perform any better than their counterparts.
Abramovich and Berezovsky Square Off; Ultra-Expensive Merchandise Traumatized
In a bizarre scene over the weekend, the two Russian-born multi-millionaires squared off on London's exclusive Sloane Street.
Berezovsky (net worth aproximately £500 million) has been carrying around a £5 billion writ from England's High Court for 6 months, but has been unable to serve it on Abramovich (net worth estimated at £10.8 billion). Abramovich, employs 40 security gaurds, mostly former SAS men, in his own "private army." The two men are former business partners, having bought the controlling interest in the Russian oil giant Sibneft for £50 million in 1995; now they are bitter rivals following Berezovsky exile from Russia on charges of attempting to subvert the Putin government.
On Saturday, however, Berezovsky spied Abramovich across the street while shopping at Dolce and Gabbana. Berezovsky ordered the writ retrieved from his car, and attempted to enter Hermes, where Abramovich was at the time. The two tycoons' security forces squared off in the street; in the meantime, Berezovsky was able to slip into Hermes, and, in full view of the store's closed circuit televisions, attempt to serve the writ on Abramovich. Abramovich refused to accept the service, and the papers fluttered to the ground. Berezovsky believes that the CCTV footage will be sufficient to prove that service was made.
No word yet on how the fine alpaca-wool scarves are recovering.
Violence is cool, heh-heh
Because there has probably been a dearth of long-winded rants on religion over the past week, and because I'm always utilizing my forum at the Quail toward my own exploits, here's another piece of news from the world of He Who Watches You in the Shower.
In that light, I must note that The New York Times is on top of its shit today. This article discusses how certain churches are using Halo 3 to evangelize to the youth.
The most interesting part about this, I think, is that the game is intended to be purchased only by people 17 years old and up, and these churches are not only allowing this in their church for 12-year-olds, they are specifically bringing it in. In fact, here's a link to how YOU can share your faith through the deep spiritual implications provided by Halo 3.
One pastor who promotes this method explains, “Teens are our ‘fish,' so we’ve become creative in baiting our hooks.” I wonder if that same pastor was one of the people who protested that his young boy accidentally saw Janet Jackson's nipple.
There are plenty of potential paradoxes inherent in this story, and I'm not going to nitpick and point them all out; you all can enjoy that yourselves. However, utilizing popular culture to market and promote religion is specifically my area of study, so I find this intriguing. To me, it just doesn't make sense to focus religious faith solely on growing numbers. I feel like there'd be a much stronger community of Christians if people didn't have to be tricked into it.
What exactly entails a "Christian Nation?"
We hear this phrase thrown around all the time, and the New York Times has put together a concise piece on why that doesn't make much sense.
The title kind of says it all, and the best point I think the article makes is reproduced here:
"According to Scripture, however, believers are to be wary of all mortal powers. Their home is the kingdom of God, which transcends all earthly things, not any particular nation-state."
It goes on to explain how the Founding Fathers, while yes, most of them were Christians themselves, specifically attempted to keep from defining a state religion. This information is always good to reiterate, I think.
I'm a little exhausted by this type of political rhetoric. People can believe whatever they want about the U.S., but I think that a politician running for president should probably keep in mind that there are plenty of non-Christians who live here, and plenty more who want to have the opportunity to live here due to the freedom our country ostensibly offers to them. Speaking like this does not encourage anyone, except the people voting for this candidate (McCain in the case of the NYT article).
This brings me back around to my issue with the whole voting process. When I was over in Belgium this summer, I spoke with a guy who invariably asked me how I could not be responsible for the Bush administration. I explained that regardless of whom I might try to elect, only 40-some-odd-percent of the voting public actually put Bush in office. The Belgian man was confounded as to how that could happen, and unfortunately, so am I, so I couldn't help make sense of it for him.
As it stands, then, politicians will continue polarizing the public on issues such as this because it will get them an important contingency of votes. I know the system is not their fault, but perpetuating something that's clearly a negative influence on our solidarity as a country seems to be something that should be addressed.
But in the end, maybe it doesn't matter. As long as we all retain the rights to worship (or not worship) how we wish, then things on this front should be all right. At the same time, I feel that the situation could become precarious if the term "Christian Nation" continues to be thrown around too strongly, especially as the tensions between ourselves and specifically theocratic nations continue to rise.
People talk about the fact that we're in a Holy War in the Middle East all the time. I don't think this is the case, but I, for one, would like to make sure it doesn't become that way.
Thanks to Matt for another great tip.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
More from that sports thingy
Because I'm just back in town, I've decided to break my no-work-on-weekend rule and post something tonight, in order to dip my feet back into the Pasty pool. Granted, someday I plan to have my feet both in that pool and in the Mediterranean (see picture), 
but unfortunately, that was something I could not accomplish last week. Fear not, as I will be sharing many more pictures of the like every day for the next week, so I hope you enjoy this Quail's take on a vacation in southern France.
For now, though, I'm watching the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers. I find myself having difficulty caring, yet mind you, I am a Chicago Bears FAN. I cried after big losses until I was like 10. I still follow them weekly, watching them at every chance I get, but I just can't get emotionally invested in one the biggest rivalries in the sports universe.
It seems to me, seeing how much I love Bears football, that I should hate the Packers. Maybe it's because I don't live in Chicago anymore (and probably why, as a White Sox fan, I don't hate the Cubs). That certainly makes sense; I am sure with many other Bears fans around, I would be apt to get more excited about them.
However, I think the real reason is that Brett Favre rules. For 16 years, this unassuming gentleman has been busy breaking almost every major record in NFL history. This fact, coupled with a Super Bowl ring, pretty much cements him above Dan Marino as an NFL quarterback. This makes me sad, for I love Marino as well (I was even in a band in college that bore his name, though it was not named after him).
Everyone told Favre to retire, and he didn't. Now the Packers are 4-0 and beating the shit out of my Bears (though the score is closer than it should be). He's a likable guy who got a handle on alcoholism, and whose wife beat breast cancer. You can't hate that.
Plus, he has been kicking my favorite team while it's been down about 70% of the time over the past 2 decades. Kind of reminds me of someone else, but I can't put my finger on it. . . 
When it's no longer a rivalry, it's tough to get too excited about it.
Bonus Question: There is still one debate: Whose cameo was better? Dan Marino in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," or Brett Fav-re in "There's Something about Mary?"
Flea-bitten hillbillies, mutt coached by the Great Pumpkin over UGA, 35-14
After an ass-kicking like that, we need to focus on the positive. Here's the video of Georgia's Highlight of the Season.
Nothing good can be said about the game last night. The Dawgs best play on offense was the TD pass to Demeko Goodman; for a brief moment, it looked like we might sneak back into the game. Tennessee's 7 minute, 13 play drive in the next possession squashed any hope that we were going to make a game out of it. They held us under 70 yards on the ground; most of those yards came in the 2nd half after the Vols were up 28-0.
Paul Westerdawg at Georgia Sports Blog has an initial reaction up, and the DawgChat is still a flaming mess; the Dawg nation is restless after this most recent shellacking at the hands of Phil and that mangy hound. Florida will be double-digit favorites in Jacksonville in three weeks, unless we can't handle Vandy on the road; in that case the Gators may be favored by 100.
Members of Dawg Nation far and wide are joining Uga as we speak; there are a lot of drowned sorrows to sweat out today:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
