You know, I am really on the hunt for some solid documentation on abuses of the 'No Fly List' as a weapon against antiwar protesters.



Until I get that lovely document(s)/(ary) http://www.taxitothedarkside.com/ will more then satisfy.



Every day this goes on, I feel physically sickened, like the essence of me is lessened by this going on my name. I used to be greater than this, I know it, even if I wasn't aware of it at the time. My American name had more value.

Check this http://firedoglake.com/wga/index.php/write/compose if that's your thing. No bad on you if you have a different opinion, Unions business is some cagey waters for the uninformed.

For the last six years, I have been a devoted fan of Maria Bamford, who I thought was going to just burn up the earth with a little more exposure.



She specializes in doing a not-very-confident voice as her native voice, then switches perfectly to voices with larger, more confident inflections and class references...she slays me everytime I swear.



I knew she joined the comedians of comedy tour, who's dvds I was going to hunt down. I don't *mind* Brian Posehn and Oswald Patton and their comics geekery, and the fourth guy on that tour is very interesting too. But she has her own show on www.superdeluxe.com . It is great, and paranoid, and reverencial and continues to slay hollywood archtypes while still being very homey and mid western.



Check it, it's http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/series/bamford_show/

About a year ago I had a mediocre experience at a Gamestop store. I am one of those rare customers, so screwing up with me on the only time I entered your store to shop was really a bad idea if you wanted me to order anything, a sort of everyman test if you will.



At that time, an employee (he may have been new, perhaps not) told me he couldn't order Samurai Champloo for the PS2. Ridiculous. He didn't even try, a true average intelligence part time action.



I didn't visit the local mall's Gamestop with an intent of evaluating them again, I just wanted to see their sitting stock for christmas. I entered regarding ordering as pointless. I met the store manager, who greeted me warmly and offered his help if needed, then got out of my way. Okay, better.



This courtesy? I know you think it pointless. But this was a crowded store. Most people say that like it's obligatory. Just clarifying.



This store had bothered to stock quite a few spare games, not just specific preorders for specific persons. I guess either Best Buy has been kicking their tail, or this guy just knows how a 'Store' is supposed to work.



I briefly considered picking up 'Burning Crusade' for WoW as a gift (I have recently been gifted with this myself) but thought instead about Rock Band, and the greater consideration of consoles I have recently been mulling. I asked the manager about Rock Band.



His eyes slitted. "Ah. Got one in the back. Want it?"



We both laughed, knowing the answer to that question. I told him I'd be back. I left, did some more shopping...mostly damage control (old eroded shoes that needed replacing, household stuff, not all the garish Black Friday stuff. At least, not yet.)



I returned, and told the manager I think I will take Rock Band, Call of Duty 4, a Core or Elite 360, whichever he had, and asked him whether the 360 still included the free games and played last gen titles. We briefly discussed some xbox pros and cons..and I mean emphasis on briefly.



Checkout was less satisfying, but the manager made the cashier who screwed up my place in line apologize. Unnecessary but another memorable courtesy, right? The cashier I ended up with was nervous. The Rock Band case is intimidating...it is HUGE. She remembered to get me warranties. She forgot to pitch me on Game Informer (appreciated) and memberships (ditto).



So overall, the curse appears to be broken. Do I have a weird Gamestop? Or do I have one that knows they better lead with their best food forward for christmas? Well, I speak only for myself, I might try them again to look at stock they actually had in store, and I'd speak to that manager again or even some of the other salespersons. That's all a business can ask.







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Last year, I also commented about how as bad as the US and UK have gotten with fascist flirtations to compensate for potential terror threats, Australia had taken it one step further. Their stuff was not only openly fascist, but was so rigid it was probably unenforceable. Case in point;



'If you get arrested by secret police, and are released after interrogation free of all charges, you can't tell anyone, or mention it on the phone to anyone.



AND....you can't discuss the relativity of political affairs. I had a lunch with a guy, and we discussed how without the approval of the high hoo-hahs in Iraq, the political figures will be sapped of influence, and Mosada al-Tir (sp)'s army just had to wait until our influence was sapped, and that the real Iraq republican guard were the guys kicking our asses daily, and he leans over to me and says even discussing these matters, discussing expectations of various Iraq factions, anticipating that things will happen, is illegal to discuss in Australia, that it is percieved as allying with terrorists.'





That was...and is....almost a visceral assault on personal liberties. It's an attack on the very principle of personal freedom. I finished that conversation we were having, by the way, because here it's completely legal, and if you said I can't talk about factions in an open, public war the media is freely reporting on, I'd probably stab you. I take my rights that seriously.



Anyway, the proponent of these laws, and his party, just got dumped from Australian politics. I want to mention this notably, because it is said no party has been ejected from office this hard in Australia since the 1930s. His rule and concepts, the involvement in the Iraq war, the rejection of the Kyoto Treaty Accords, and I presume the erosion of pro-labor policies...it's all going away.



What this is most potently to me and many others who have suggested that diplomatically we are 'damaged' in our relations with the world since having a 'go-it-alone' executive branch content to pretend they have a coalition when in fact they are manipulating economic puppet strings for a few token troops is VALIDATION. This white house, which should probably be impeached as soon as that is actually legally possible, has eroded relations with Germany (cool at best), Australia (obviously), Poland (removing troops, weakening ally status with US), The UK (Blair out, Brown cool and looking to be independent), Central and South America, China, I could literally go on all day about what they fucked up.



I'm not saying this to gloat, because I have to live with this; a political climate where being an American overseas is now a hostile act. Where you could get chased in the wrong neighborhood in France; where you have to obscure your nationality to get a table where the waiter won't spit on you unless you are a fucking star like Anthony Bordain or something.



I think further weakening our lame duck is an excellent idea, I am for anything that will make him passive during his last year in office...just sit there and do nothing oil tyrant, you screwed up and nothing but you quitting will unscrew it, and maybe not even that.

Close Moon in Gemini: Creative, Sexual, Unrestricted...

Sun in Sagitarius: Control, Leadership



Superfull Moon in Gemini effects: Focused creativity and new projects that will give bounties...



Or you can just look up and enjoy.