Licence Renewed

I just voted… so now, no matter what happens, I have a right to complain.

What’s your excuse?

I don’t care how you vote (well, I do, but thats not the point), JUST VOTE! Know your candidate and put the pen to paper already!

Just Watch This

Clay Shirky at Web 2.0 Expo SF 2008

Reavealing Rokuzen

Some of you (none of you) have been wondering, “Ryan, where’s the name ‘Rokuzen’ come from?” Well, in the spirit of filling space, here’s the scoop:

In 1998, my first year in college, I was the proverbial noob when it came to the Internet(s). Thought it only being about two years old in mainstream years, I really hadn’t missed all that much. It would take me an additional three months to realize there were computers in my dorm’s basement that were available for student use. Not too swift on the uptake me.

When I began making friends they began asking me what was my email? Screen name? Aim? Concepts I had no clue about. The closest to these was my Mechwarrior call sign on an un-networked computer in another state. It wasn’t till a nerdly-wise pal came to my aid… mainly because she was tired of tracking me down the old fashioned analog way (read: foot). Thanks Laura!

Screen name…. identity for the internets… but what?
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Grate (sic) Moments In Racism

July 11th, Dalas Texas… all was going as smooth as could be (read: not very) during a county commissioners meeting until the Santa Ana winds brought in a stiff breeze of stupidity.

During the meeting the conditions of the growing bureaucracy were compared to a black hole. That’s when the breeze blew clear through the ears of Commissioner John Wiley Price and out his mouth who exclaimed it was more like a “white hole” and demanded an immediate apology for the metaphor. Some judge decided to chime in too. Both Price and the judge are black. (news source)
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Viacom to Milk Youtube

It was reported today by various news outfits that Viacom will be suing Youtube for the tune of ONE BILLION DOLLARS (keep that number in your head for a moment) for copyright violations and that type of stuff.

Viacom is complaining that the site is using material from such hits as the Daily Show, South Park, Spongebob, David Letteman, etc etc, without permission.

They are complaining now… This instant… Only recently…
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A Positive Job-Themed Post For A Change

It’s been about a year since my former place of employment closed it’s doors. And for that same amount of time there’s been a butt load of square feet sitting empty with black mesh tarps covering the windows and iron gated doors. And for as long as those covering entryways the mall that once contained and Office Max slowly withers… or so I am told and indirectly blamed for by anyone still owning storefront property within Melbourne Square. There’s been flutters of rumors of conjectures about new tenants to fill the void; but as I was constantly reminded on my quest for a new job - which took me past the old shope often – that ain’t happening. One can dream that a Wizards of the Coast would move in, but best not to get one’s hopes up.

I’ll still be passing the former Omax (probably more frequently now) as I am once again gainfully employed. Hooray! In the mall. Hooray! Selling men’s wear. Hooray?

The name of the store shall remain classified until such time as they see fit to screw me over – an inevitability in these times. However for the time being I can see this as a positive. Another component to add to my system – for yes it’s different from office junk and way off from graphic design, but should I thrive it’ll prove I can peddle most anything.

Secondly, I shall finally gain fashion sense. I’ve had the same pairs of jeans for something like 7 years; shirts, some range past 10 years, most monochromatic pocket tees. Couple them with a 12 year old fleece pullover and you’ve got me. I was in a Salaryman suit during the interview thus not letting them in on my style challenged alter ego.

Thirdly, it’s the bottom line - $$$. Well, $… But one cannot shift paradigms without the green fulcrum. (translation: cash to fund the NWOt and have it do more than just take up virtual space)

And lastly, this will invariably give me more tales and observations from Retail World to stretch and distort and fill more virtual space. Like:

As I was coming home from a victorious interview I decided to take a lap around the store – just to see what i was up against – as I’ve never actually shopped there because it’s unsightly expensive (should make my hundred dollar a day quota easily).

As I past housewares I got to the designer sheets. I know they existed but never really thought about them much. But really, why designer sheets? Who are you going to impress with a Tommy Hilfiger pillow case? If the person you mean to impress sees the label, chances are they’re already where you want them to be!

Too Much Information!! (sometimes)

One of the disadvantages of unemployment is running out of DVDs and VHSs to peruse… with an added reluctance to get new ones because it’d look like you’ve got your priorities mixed up. So the day-time TV has got me it it’s clutches.

Luckily with the whole digital everything revolution thing, we’ve now got the “Programming Grid” to speed through rather than ripping off the proverbial knob. If you’ve not got this feature yet, its basically an on screen box that lets you watch one piece of shoe while reading descriptions about other shows that won’t interest you either.

As I scrolled past the lately unreliable Cartoon Network, I found what could be the ultimate waste of words ever scribed:

“Cat Tom and mouse Jerry try to outwit each other.”

…?

…!

“Puss Gets the Boot”, the first Tom and Jerry cartoon, premiered February 10th 1940. The only way “Cat Tom and mouse Jerry try to outwit each other” would ever be required is if someone who went comatose February 9th 1940 suddenly woke-up… and if that’s the case, explaining what is TV rather than what’s on TV may be more prudent. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT TOM AND JERRY IS ABOUT! There’s no need to put it in writing!

Especially is it takes time away from other descriptions. For as over informational as the programming grid can be, it drops the ball just as stupidly. Like on movies with long titles; titles such as “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad…”

It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad… what?! Turnip? Mamajama? Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad? Don’t leave me in suspense!

Of course I know it’s “World.” If I didn’t I’d have to give up my funny bone license. But it gets better – the description read “Couples search for treasure.” That’s a reality show, isn’t it? And it failed to mention any cast… THE CAST IS THE POINT OF THE MOVIE GODDAMNIT, HOW CAN YOU NOT LIST ANY CAST?! Sid Caesar, Micky Rooney, Milton Berle, Phil Silvers, Spencer Tracy, and over 70 other classic comedians and stars and you guys couldn’t even mention one?!

Yet they feel the need to spell out Tom and Jerry. Looks like I’m not the only one with mixed up priorities… I think I’ll go buy some DVDs.

The Stained Glass Tear Initiative

January 10th 2007 was the day we all learned that The Bush will no longer listen to reason and/or the American Public as he announced his “surge”. January 24th 2007 he compounded this with his State of the Union, again putting forward his deeply hated “surge.” Sure he had some good ideas domestically, but as we have seen with past SotU speeches, they will probably remain just ideas…

Congress is now working on measures and resolutions to bind the president non-bindingly. The man barely takes the Constitution seriously, what chance do these have. In fact the only resolution he would even consider would have to be printed on a briefcase full of cash.

And that said, impeachment is right out due to lack of backbone.

No, we must start taking matters into our own hands. In this I propose a start to such actions - The Stained Glass Tear Initiative… a personal appeal to The Bush.

Transcript-ish:
The United States is a unique country. We as its citizens have both the right and the duty to have our voices heard – be it by voting, participating in the rising blogophere or being fortunate enough to be a member of the mass media.

However, there is a growing feeling of “why botherness” (was supposed to be “why botherism,” but I just couldn’t get that out of my mouth) spreading across the landscape. It is that creeping feeling inside of us that makes us think that our input is useless. That we cannot enact change. That the powers that be will carry on their merry tune no matter what.

This malaise is emanating from the Bush’s administration… and looking at the scoreboard, it may be more than just a feeling.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the Bush’s speech back on January 10th, 2007, where he announced his “new strategy” in Iraq. The Bush (and I now call George W “The Bush,” not in the profane sense however appropriate that may be, but rather use “The” in the place of “Mister” for he no longer warrants the niceties civilized society bestows on a person) has decided to send another 20,000 souls charging into hell.

This is despite the objections of the newly elected representatives of the people; despite the objections of the media, who Thomas Jefferson entrusted to be the watchdogs of society; despite the objections of The Bush’s own party members; and despite the objections of the generals over in Iraq, who are running the circus as best they can.

The Bush seems to have forgotten the fact that he was elected by the people, and it the job of the Executive Branch to execute the will of the people… not EXECUTE the will of the people!

This, along with the economy, along with his policies on science, his policies on our rights, on education and the well being of the nation (or lack there of) act as nails in his coffin. A coffin that will secure him as our worst president ever. Though I doubt he sees them as nails but rather marble blocks to his shrine.

But no matter how futile it may seem, no matter how much it may feel we are just screaming into the void, we cannot give up. If but one voice can pierce the aura of psychosis surrounding The Bush, then our job as citizens is done.

Obviously I must have a plan of some sort, else why the rant…

I give you: The Stained Glass Tear Initiative. It’s a somewhat symbolic gesture of our disapproval of The Bush.

Download the PDF and follow along with me.

The tear is easy enough to understand. It represents our sorrow for our friends and family at war and our sorrow for the badness here at home.

The second motif at work is the stained glass look. This is an appeal to The Bush’s supposed Christian/spiritual sensibilities – that peace, love, brotherhood and understanding shall rule the day. It is intended to tug at The Bush’s soul, which isn’t going where he thinks its going unless he stops his nonsense.

Lastly, the whole thing is wrapped up in the guise of a child’s color-by-numbers project. It may simply be that we are over talking to the president – using big words and complex concepts he just cannot understand. True, he went to Yale. However, as of late, he’s been acting at a pre-K level. Look, a normal kid will stick his hand on the stove and instantly learn the meaning of IT’S HOT! The Bush, on the other hand, is constantly sticking his and in the blaze, getting nowhere except ending up with over 3000 dead and 47,000 injured. And that’s just on our side.

So maybe some funky colors will appeal to The Bush’s childlike mentality… nothing else has.

Your job in all this is simple. Take the template and color it in as per the instructions, sign it, and send it off to the White House:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

or email comments@whitehouse.gov

or both if you are so inclined.

Also, should you have the time, hope over to the forums and post a picture or scan of you work. We will add it to the gallery which will serve as public record, as I doubt The Bush would acknowledge publicly such discord.

The Bush has become keen on the idea that reading your mail is a good thing, so let’s send him all the mail he can ever want.

Together, we can make a difference! Please, pass the word.

Mr. Olbermann's Special Comment 1/2/07

So it seems, despite all the intelligence and advice from the troops, Bush will send more troops, under the guise of “sacrifice.”

The man speaks the truth. Catch him Monday through Friday 8PM EST on MSNBC.

Saving Jeff Alan Wolf (updated)

by Ryan Livingston

(this was supposed to be a review, now its a call to arms)
(edit: much has changed, the bolded end info is key here)
Two weeks ago I was spinning the metaphorical knob on the old Internet Radio scene. I didn’t know what I was looking for exactly and wasn’t all too confident I’d know it when I heard it either.

I was tired of talk radio. The airwaves are dominated by conservative zealots who (save one or two) I couldn’t listen to without jumping out my window. Being central leftist, they just can’t be my diet. And forget air America. Yeah they’re more my viewpoint, but liberal radio is so… liberal (read: snot-nosed, whiny and all-around no).

Then I stumbled upon radiopower.org. On the air at that moment was the Jeff Alan Wolf program. After a few minutes I knew I found my show.

Mr. Wolf has an independent view on things - going in what ever political direction makes sense to him at the time, rather than citing subsections from some Party handbook. He adds levity to a often times grim news day with bits of weird news and his comments on the days events.

In short, a refreshing change in talk shows compared to most of the crap out there on the airwaves.

But alas, this independent spirit is about to get squelched. His native station (ZTLK) has gone corporate conservative and has buried his program in their line up (it’s no longer live); and the internet stream that introduced him to me is about to dry up. After 5 years Radiopower.org is going to go off the air (a shame too since they had a good punk rock stream, but anyway). I don’t begrudge them, the Net is a tough biz, especially when you got to fund it from your of personal and listener’s coffers (my hat goes off to Shelby LaPre for keeping it up as long as she did).

So what does this all mean to you reading this. Glad you asked. 3pm EST Mon-Fri (and sporadically replayed on weekends) tune into Radiopower.org and the Jeff Alan Wolf show and give it a listen. EDIT: SHOW’S ON HIATUS TILL JAN 2nd. Right now Mr. Wolf is shopping around for new carriers and needs an audience base to get it. I’m confident he has it, but any new fans I’m sure would be greatly appreciated. If you like the show then write him and tell him so. And tell others too. It’s a good show.

Don’t let this show pass into the darkness (er… silence). It’s a welcome change to the corporate driven radio scene and needs to be saved.

For more info head to Jeffalanwolf.com. He’s got Myspace page too.

UPDATE:Radiopower.org was saved, thanks in whole to Mr. Wolf’s efforts. However soon after, he was canned from there… SO DON’T SUPPORT RADIOPOWER.ORG (mmmkay?)

Instead, go to http://headonradionetwork.com/, this is where The Jeff Alan Wolf Show is now. If you use PeerGuardian, you may have to adjust your block IPs to listen in.

You can also find the Head-On radio network on iTunes under the talk/Political radio station tab. The Jeff Alan Wolf program airs live 11am-2pm EST and replayed 9pm-midnight EST Monday-Friday.

Official Show Update

We have a New Call In Phone Number for The Jeff Alan
Wolf Show!

206-350-3919 (19 for Studio 19!)

It’s Voice Mail and you can call in anytime to leave
your Comments on anything we have talked about DURING
the show or ANY Other comments you want to make!

Monday’s Through Friday’s
11am to 2pm EST
8am to 11am PST
The Head On Radio Network (NOW ON APPLE’S ITUNES!!!!)

AND you can call 24 hours a day!
Call Anytime you want to leave your Comments on
Anything!

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