Thanks, Covad!

Yeah, so if you could not route my packets to Google through an RFC1918 address, that would be great. Yeah. Glad they’re just Diedrich’s ISP and not mine.

Edit: looks like lots of other people are having this problem. I think someone bent their router, and stuff. Oops!

no

HOW TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE (January ’06)!

I just got this press release from Mobilization. Savage Republic and Blixa Bargeld are gonna tour the West Coast! I AM SO EXCITED. VERY EXCITED, HERE.

Portlanders take note: Savage Republic is playing Portland on November 10 as well. The text on mobilization.com refers to a “Northwest Tour” but I don’t know where else they’re playing. Fans of loud clanking noises, Middle East/African themed instrumentals, and Joy Division-y gloomgrind music should attend. Correction, must attend. Edited press release below.

Media Contact: destroy5 ‘at’ mobilization. dot Com
(650) 619-3695

Website: Mobilization.com

***LEGENDARY PROTO-INDUSTRIAL PIONEERS JOIN FORCES TO INVESTIGATE “HOW TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE” ON CHINESE NEW YEAR 2006***

MOBILIZATION.COM confirmed today that “seminal” Los Angeles tribal post-punk pioneers SAVAGE REPUBLIC will join BLIXA BARGELD (of EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN / NICK CAVE and the BAD SEEDS) in the upcoming “HOW TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE

– PART 5” festival.
$15 Advance, $18 Door (If not sold out)
**For 2 day events, there are a limited number of $23 festival passes**

The festival dates are:

THUR Jan 27
– Los Angeles – The Echo Lounge
FRI Jan 28
– (TBA)
SAT Jan 29
– San Francisco – Studioz
WED Feb 2 – (TBA)
THUR Feb 3 – Portland, Oregon @ The Old Church (2Gyrls Productions)
FRI Feb 4 – Seattle, WA (Venue TBA)
SAT Feb 5 – (TBA)
SUN Feb 6 – Calgary, AB
Press and ticket information is available at MOBILIZATION.com.
Tickets are on sale now at http://www.BrownPaperTicket.com

A limited number of advance discount tickets and festival passes are available now.
(Note that at press time some dates were already selling quickly and are expected to sell out.)

[…]

BLIXA BARGELD is performing a rare solo vocal concert entitled “Rede/Speech”. Be aware that this is NOT a “speech”. Rather, Blixa uses an invented form of vocal alchemy through direct audience interactions and pre-defined topics. Similar to his part in Einsturzende Neubauten, Blixa serves as a sonic architect, directing and molding form and beauty from randomness and chaos. Blixa has his vocals processed live by long time Neubauten sound engineer Boris Wilsdorf. Although hard to categorize, this technique allows for a “real time” interplay of vocal ideas with patterns and rhythms produced by the audio effects themselves (similar at least in concept with Diamanda Galas). The performance is really a duet between performer and engineer. . Together audience and shaman pick words and phrases to create an aural blend of pseudo scientific ephemera and magic, mesmerizing the audience and building to a classic Blixa crescendo. This performance promises to remind us why Blixa was selected to give the voice and screams to the mummy in the 1999 “The Mummy”. This is the US debut of this mesmerizing performance that has appeared throughout Europe for over a decade.

NOTE: The U.S. performances will be mainly in English. A limited edition DVD of the “Rede/Speech” performance will be available at the tour.

Video samples from past performances are online at

Blixa Bargeld | Official

SAVAGE REPUBLIC is performing their first and only show since their one off 2002 reunion. A new CD EP is expected prior to the show, a new unreleased live DVD.

Other acts unconfirmed but planned at this time include:

LAX.: The CENTIMETERS

SFO: COMETS ON FIRE, SCOTT ARFORD

PDX: 2 day festival confirmed. Second night confirmed with WALDTEUFEL (Markus Wolff of Crash Worship), SORIA and SYNCHRONICITY FREQUENCY.

[…]

Information & tickets: http://www.MOBILIZATION.com

The wild ride of the Stag God at 10 mph towards the BBQ

The local Christian college has one of those events where prospective students come and get a tour, etc, like most colleges.

For some reason, they use this as the banner for it on their home page:

HERNE THE HUNTER

I’m not sure why the high school outreach admissions event for a Bible college should be represented by a figure with the body of an Office Casual man in chinos and buttondown shirt, and the head of a stag. It puts one in mind of Herne the Hunter or Cernunnos rather than Our Lord. And why the hell is he on a SEGWAY?

Government Can’t Explain Change in 2002 TSA Contract

The modification to the contract involved switching the interview sites for tens of thousands of airline passenger screener jobs from a contractor’s own assessment centers to hotels and luxury resorts.

Federal auditors eventually called into question an array of expenses, including charges of $525 for an airport shuttle trip in Tallahassee, $7,920 for beverage breaks at a Manhattan hotel and $514,000 to rent tents in Boston.

So let’s get this straight. Homeland Security changed from using classrooms to using luxury hotels, we got charged $343 million for this, and no one can explain why?

I want someone’s head on a plate.

do the square thing, do the square thing

  1. How to deliver a really crappy talk.
  2. Edward Burtynsky has amazing pictures of the new industrial China.
  3. There’s a ton of cheese deep underwater in Quebec’s Saguenay Fjord, and no one can get it out. Favorite quotes: “Last month, a commander of the HMCS Chicoutimi, on a local visit, said perhaps the Canadian Forces submarine could locate the cheese.” and “Undeterred by the apparent failure of this year’s underwater cheese experiment, Mr. Boivin is trying again.”
  4. The kids can give their hair that special glow now.
  5. Car Culture brings us the 12 second minivan.
  6. New York has a Burke and Hare problem, without the murders. Well, as far as we know.
  7. It’s a marketing technique but it feels more like one of those recent Japanese horror movies: YOUR FACE ON A MANNEQUIN AAAA AAAAAAA.

The End of Zero Tolerance: That 16th time

At least in the FBI.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5333345,00.html

My favorite favorite favorite quote:

Current rules prohibit the FBI from hiring anyone who used marijuana within the past three years or more than 15 times ever. They also ban anyone who used other illegal drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, within the past 10 years or more than five times.

“That 16th time is a killer,” McCaffrey said.