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ARrrr! Thar Be A Good Pirates Movie Matey!

Saw Pirates 2 last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Despite the 2 movie sized medium cokes I drank begging me to leave at the roll of the credits, I entertained the training X-Men and Cars have put into my children’s heads. Pirates has the most astoundingly long credits I have ever seen! There must have been 3000 names! At one point it was 4, 5 or 6 columns of solid names on the screen. Looked like a joke.

Even people that stayed through half the credits started giving up. But I was pleased we stayed, for indeed, Noah was correct. He said, "Cars was made by Disney and this is made by Disney, so there’s something at the end."

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When I learned the sign of the beast 666 is really 616…

This is a must listen! (click that link)

On June 6, 2006 I posted that the Devil’s number has changed. What I really wanted to post was the link to when I personally heard about this the first time. My favorite radio show on NPR right now is undeniably Wait wait don’t tell me.. When I could not find the reference to their show educating that 666 has been changed to 616, I sent an email.

From: Doug McCaughan
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 9:45 AM
To: WaitWait
Subject: Did you have a commentary on 616 and 666?

Hello Wait Wait!

Your program is so exceptionally done! I usually catch it in the car and I recall listening not long ago to a reference to 666 and the Wisconsin area code. The speaker mentioned {…}

Am I confusing this with another npr show? If not, do you recall the air date?

Thank you!
Doug McCaughan
Wait Wait fan

I was very pleased to receive a fairly prompt reply.

From: WaitWait
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 2:57 PM
To: Doug McCaughan
Subject: RE: Did you have a commentary on 616 and 666?

Hi,
That was us! You can listen to the segment explaining everything in our archive — it’s on the “Best of” show that aired on January 7, 2006. The segment is titled “The Wait Wait Show Introduction Debacle.”
Thanks for listening!
Emily

Emily Ecton
Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

I implore you to take a couple of minutes and listen to The Wait Wait Show Introduction Debacle!

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Call me a sentimentalist but developing Chimney Rock is WRONG

This could be sad (well…unless I win the lottery and could buy an estate up there..nonono!) I was born in North Carolina and have been through much of its great remaining wilderness. As Roosevelt and the Davis’ recognized, some things should be preserved.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chimney Rock Park, the popular private park set in the cliffs overlooking Lake Lure in western North Carolina, is being offered for private sale, with an asking price of $55 million, owner Todd Morse said Tuesday.

With its dramatic views, elevator ride to the top of the signature Chimney Rock and sheer rock faces, the park has been a tourist destination since it opened in 1902 after it was first developed by Morse’s great-great uncle Lucius B. Morse.

The park’s trails and cliffs were a site for filming of the 1992 movie “Last of the Mohicans,” and it has been featured in numerous other productions.

Maybe I can get the kids to see it before things change. Thank you Michael Silence for the link.

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Digital Omens

Bad sign.

U.S. digital entertainment company Gracenote on Thursday said it obtained licenses to distribute lyrics as music publishers mulled legal action against Web sites that provide them without authorization [www.lyrics.com and www.azlyrics.com]. [Source]

Where does it end? One day will I be sued because I linked to pcmag.com without asking and paying a royalty to create the link? I know that is not the same thing as posting all the lyrics to a song but what will be the last dominoe to fall?

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Attention Deadbeat Dads and Deatbeat Moms

It’s your dna! Sign the check.

The state Supreme Court ruled Monday that a noncustodial parent still has child support obligations when a youngster is placed in the custody of a third party.

"The laws of this state clearly require parents to support their children until they reach the age of majority, no matter who obtains custody of the children," Justice Cornelia A. Clark wrote in the 5-0 decision.[Source]

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For the love of Mr Rogers find your war funds elsewhere!

Apparently congress is once again trying to cut funding to NPR and PBS. Folks, National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service are your voice.

WASHINGTON — House Republicans yesterday revived their efforts to slash funding for public broadcasting, as a key committee approved a $115 million reduction in the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that could force the elimination of some popular PBS and NPR programs.
…It would reduce the corporation’s budget by 23 percent next year, to $380 million, in a cut that Republicans said was necessary to rein in government spending. [Source]

Can you imagine having your household budget cut by 23 percent?! They tried doing this last year and with MoveOn’s help, it was stopped.

in a defeat for House leaders, 87 Republicans joined unanimous Democrats in bucking an attempt to cut funding from the stations.

Markey expressed confidence that supporters of public broadcasting would have more than enough votes to stop a cut again this year.[Source]

There is still time to stop this one!

The reduction, which would come in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, must be approved by the full Appropriations Committee, and then the full House and Senate, before it could take effect. [Source]

Sign the petition at MoveOn and contact your Representative!

Is the real issue here that Republicans see PBS and NPR as having a liberal slant? With this current administration we have seen a great of loss of freedom with people being arrested for wearing "Veterans for Peace" t-shirts while drinking coffee and an introduction of propaganda bias as demonstrated in Kentucky with the blocking of liberal media while allowing conservate media. Here is a picture of the offending t-shirt. I would not have to shield my child’s eyes from that unlike some of the non-protest shirts I see in public and wonder why the wearers are not embarassed for themselves.

A similar move last year by Republican leaders was turned back in a fierce lobbying campaign launched by Public Broadcasting Service stations and Democratic members of Congress, in a debate that was colored by some Republicans’ frustration with what they see as a liberal slant in public programming.

Republicans attacked the PBS for programming they said represented out-of-the-mainstream viewpoints, highlighting in particular a "Postcards From Buster" episode that featured lesbian couples and their children in Vermont. [Source]

I don’t want to lose Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me!

Paula Kerger , PBS’s president and chief executive, said in a statement that the cuts would force the network to "drastically reduce the programming and services public television and public radio can provide to local communities." [Source]

I made my quotes from a single source but there is a lot of chatter about this! See also Stupid Evil Bastard for several comments, The 2002 Oversight of PBS, MoveOn’s Petition, and remember contacting your representative is easier than ever! Other references to this issue include Environmentalists Against War, delraysteve (interesting comments), Washington Post (2005), Wikipedia, and Where PBS Gets Funding. Use Blingo to find much more!

Thanks to Brainstream for the alert!

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Want to try some breast milk?

I have a couple of references to breastfeeding in my posts. I am an advocate of breastfeeding and think that there should be more advocacy and encouragement of breastfeeding particularly in public. That does not mean women running around flaunting their bosoms but that women should feel comfortable tending to the needs of their children in public without being told to go to the bathroom or scolded.

If you are in Ontario tomorrow, Jess Dobkin (that link should be work safe but I’ll tag it work questionable) will be doing a performance art piece called "The Lactation Station Breast Milk Bar" at The Ontario College of Art & Design Professional Gallery from 5pm to 8pm with an artist discussion at 8pm. This could be construed into breastfeeding awareness but to me the artist appears to like trying to shock the public. None the less, if you have ever wanted to try breast milk, Ontario is where you need to be tomorrow night.

…the pasteurized and culture tested by-product of six women would be available for tasting at the OCAD Professional Gallery on July 13 [Source (work questionable photo)]

Jess Dobkin received a $9000 grant to produce this piece! She will be tending the bar.

See also (no photos – work safe).