Shock and Awesome!

Healthcare? From the horses mouth.

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:07:49 GMT

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html

Veteran insurance industry insider exposes how the insurance industry operates, and how they're desperately trying to kill the public plan being debated here.

How they wrote opposition talking points - the very ones many of you are currently parroting.

How they bully politicians into adopting their position using their vast cash reserves and army of lobbyists.

How they screw their customers at every turn, from pre-existing conditions to treatment denials.

How their overhead is 20%, compared to Medicare's 3%.

How the industry has become a giant ATM for wallstreet instead of a valid healthcare apparatus.

I triple dog dare you to watch or read this in its entirety, then come back to me and try to dispute it.

How the average US consumer spends their income.

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:02:27 GMT

http://www.visualeconomics.com/how-the-average-us-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/

Big informative image cut to avoid flist murder..

Here's mine. Your turn?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:04:47 GMT

As you likely know, the Left and Right bipolar political spectrum is a puppet show.

A paradigm intentionally pushed by the press and other institutions in order to short circuit debate and channel opinion into pre-defined channels.

This test, with 4 poles, is a bit more of an accurate descriptive mechanism.

Here's mine.

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.92

Link to test here:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/index

Curious about the rest of you.
How different are we in our beliefs?
How similar?

Dance, magic, dance.

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:59:20 GMT

Feedback 101

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:23:14 GMT

This description of the Stilton and Evin modules from the Harvestman list reads like a feedbackers primer, thought some of you might enjoy/find it useful:

http://www.analoguehaven.com/theharvestman/evin209/
http://www.analoguehaven.com/theharvestman/stiltonadaptor/

"Firstly, it's important to understand the flexibility that a matrix mixer brings, as that is a key part of the combo. The matrix allows you to send any part of one signal to x number of outputs, in additon to the typical x number of inputs to a single output. And, most importantly, it does both of these things simultaneously. This makes it perfect for making complicated feedback loops. Alone, the Evin can really expand modular patches by incorporating these kinds of feedback loops, particulaly with modulation signals (both audio rate and low freq).

The Stilton basically substitues VCO and other modules with guitar pedals, or other processors, which themselves can make very interesting and complex timbres on their own by way of a simple feedback loop. A delay pedal and distrotion pedal alone make a very interesting VCO when used in a feedback loop; the delay time controls the frequency and the distortion controls the timbre.

Now, a simple feedback loop can be created with the Stilton alone; simply take the 2nd output of section 4 and patch it into the input of section 1 and voilà! Playing with the mix controls and gain gives you additonal control over the system, beyond whatever controls are on your pedals/processors. Taking this simple idea and expanding on it with the Evin is where it really gets special.

Once you hook up the Evin, it's almost as if you have 4 separate feedback loops, each with a different amount of signal from each section of the Stilton. I say it's *almost* like 4 separate loops, because they do still in fact effect one a other. For example, let's say you have some of section 3 and 4 of the Stilton (C and D on the Evin) turned up on output W of the Evin. Now, let's say you turn up section 3 on output Y of the Evin, feeding back the ouput of section 3 back on itself. Not only would you hear this change at output Y, but you would also hear some kind of change at output W. This seems odd at first, but remember that we don't have 4 copies of each pedal plugged into the Stilton, so it's processing any signals coming to it's input, which is potentially from 4 different "mix" sources, some of which cab include it's own output (feedback).

This leads to some huge ranges in sound, anything from hissing and clicking, to crazy howling and ringing or deep pulsing and buzzing. And the type of sounds and range changes completely depending on what types of pedals/processors that you hook up to the Stilton. Delays are a must, as is some kind of distortion (I tend to like transistor-based fuzz pedals). Pitch shifters, phasers, spring reverbs and other time-domain stuff is also great. And remember, you don't have to have a single pedal plugged into each section, you can have a chain of x number of pedals.

If you have a collection of guitar pedals, you owe it to yourself to try it out. "

*cries because he's broke and can't buy either*

Heathen Harvest review of Carbon

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:08:48 GMT

http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20090531192049698
http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20090531192049698

" Carbon resembles a drug, pushing you for days on a binge, never stopping, never focusing, just moving and observing. Outside your mind is chaos, but inside and moving through your eyes, its perfection."

"Endif doesn't need overly abrasive sounds and thematics to sharpen his edge. Carbon retains the roots of rhythmic industrial while annihilating the stereotypes. If you're tired of the same old thing and want to listen to music that isn't concerned with what the scene thinks or following suit with other artists, then Carbon is for you. And its no surprise, as many of the artists on Tympanik Audio are continuing to break boundaries long after their initial stays on labels like Hive Records, Crunch Pod, and Ant-zen. That last sentence can even be seen as your basis. If you're a fan of most music from any one or all of those labels, then search this one out, because its a brilliant killer. "

That's one of the best reviews I've ever gotten.
They really seem to grok what I'm doing.
I think I may have jizzed a little.
=D

Dear Senator Lautenberg.

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:40:32 GMT

I am a firmly Democratic voter, though not from your constituency.

I value most of the work you have done in your legislative career, despite disagreeing with you completely on your stance on gun control.

Your hyperbolically misnamed 'terror gap' legislation is based on the worst kind of misinformation.

There are a million names on that list. That's one in three hundred Americans.

But don't take my word for it:
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/35968prs20080714.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-03-10-watchlist_N.htm
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/fbi-gets-f-in-handling-terror-watch-list-ig-finds/

Not only should this flawed list not be used to abrogate the rights of law abiding Americans, but it should be vetted for actual terrorists, and those responsible for creating such a bloated affront to liberty should be fired.

Lastly, from a purely political perspective, with your entire gun control position, you are handing the RNC the perfect catalyst for energizing their base and swaying otherwise Dem-friendly voters to their side. This will cost us all seats if you succeed, or even push too hard.

Please reconsider your position on this legislation, and abandon it. Please reconsider your position on this issue, before it's too late.

Until you do, I and hundreds of thousands of other Democrats will be working against your re-election, alongside, however distasteful we may find it, the Republicans already against you.

Favor?

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:32:44 GMT

Iff'n you like the Endif, please add it to your LJ interests.

Here's a convenient link to do so.
http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?mode=add&intid=2914307

Thanks!

=D

Protests of stolen election in Iran, 50-100 believed dead.

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:53:34 GMT

Excellent aggregation of information here:
http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/3325951.html

Facebook Nameday!

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:53:25 GMT

http://www.facebook.com/endif

=D

Carbon - Review in Italian @ Darkroom

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:08:19 GMT

http://www.darkroom-magazine.it/ita/102/Recensione.php?r=1199

Translated into English:
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.darkroom-magazine.it%2Fita%2F102%2FRecensione.php%3Fr%3D1199&lp=it_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

They seemed to like it. And egg whites.

Shooting ourselves in our big left foot?

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:01:06 GMT

Following is my comment to the article I posted in my prior entry:
http://squidb0i.livejournal.com/203259.html
I felt it adds, so here it is.

Read the others, well worth your time if you're interested in the topic, some great input.

"You left out a critical part of the formula: the escalating battle over gun rights.

This battle works in the far rights favor twofold:

First and most obviously, it provides another (very large) base for all right-related political action. Nearly every debate I find myself in seems to touch on it. Obama and the damn dirty librulz hate our freedoms and want to take our guns so they can subjugate us.

And they can point to the misguided Assault Weapons Ban that Clinton foisted on us.

The primary reason for the existence of the Second Amendment the vast majority of rightards cite in these arguments in my experience is overthrow of despotic governments. Not self defense, not hunting, not militia in case of foreign invasion.

And it's something that, frankly, most Americans can relate to, even if they don't own a gun themselves. Further attempts to restrict ownership would *really* play right into their hands. Political suicide for no actual gain, since gun control beyond the current status quo, much like the failed drug war, would do nothing to reduce violence.

Secondly, and possibly more disturbing because no one seems to be talking about it.. they have most of the privately owned guns, thanks to that same misguided polarized notion that guns are 'their' obsession.

Pathetic wannabe Charles Bronsons and Rambos, clinging to their guns and religion. Little men terrified of the unknown and overcompensating.

Lastly, to touch on something you did mention, I see a large number of comments out on the internets to the effect of 'You think the police and army will stop us? Ha! They're on OUR side!". I don't think this is accurate, but there are a large number of people in both occupations that either are or are sympathetic to right wing ideology.

So if there was some kind of civil war, guess who would actually have the best chance of winning it? Yeah.

If this comment box had a title/subject box, I would have to title this "Shooting ourselves in our big Left foot?""

Even O'Reilly's loofah can't get the blood off your hands.

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:23:01 GMT

An interesting retrospective on the shocking rise in right wing suicidal/homicidal violence since the election, with links.

"Eight episodes of right-wing extremist violence in four and a half months. We haven't gone four weeks since February without some poor guy -- always with a long history of mental illness, usually with a record of military service and/or domestic violence, and invariably jacked up on a toxic cocktail of white male privilege; us-versus-them enemy seeking; fury at women, blacks and/or Jews; and a belief that the world as he knew it was ending unless he took up arms -- taking out his gun and offing innocent Americans in a suicidal bid for glory.

For the record: This is not business as usual."

http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2009/06/tragedy-at-holocaust-museum-stand-up-to.html

You reap what you sow, Fox, Rush, O'Hannity, et al, ad nauseam.
And these seeds are most definitely yours - you're planting them even now.

Deathmetal Cockatoo!!!1

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:41:52 GMT

You might be fapping to a persecution fantsy if....

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:33:26 GMT

http://reason.com/terroristquiz/?u=4a1144fad78b9e4eccacd848a0fb8d20

Teh Gay

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:05:01 GMT

Homophobic fundamentalists often quote two particular verses that seem to be against gay people. These two verses, both of which appear in the book of Leviticus, are . . .

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22)

and . . .

"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)

Funny though. In the same book of the bible, there are a great many other prohibitions and abominations listed. You of course follow all of those to the letter, right?

"If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from her people." (Leviticus 20:18)

I bet you follow that one, right? How many people do you know that have been deported for period sex?

"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property." (Leviticus 25:44-45)

So. How many Canadian slaves do you have? Mexican? No?

How about pork? Ever eaten some nice tasty bacon? BBQ?

"...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)

What about eating shellfish? Tasty lobster?

"But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:10)

"They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination." (Leviticus 11:11)

"Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales; that shall be an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:12)

And of course, you would NEVER wear blended material, right?

"...do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)

Yeah, didn't think so.
You're a good christian!

And I'm a fucking porcupine.

So basically, you have NO justification for your opinion, all you have is an un-reasoning mindless fear of those who are different from you.

So. Marriage.

Marriage is NOT a religious rite. It is a SOCIAL CONTRACT mediated by the state. It is also NOT just about breeding.

Marriage is a merging of legal rights, from property to child custody to testifying in court to making medical and final decisions.

This is why two atheists with no intention of ever spawning like myself and my magnificent wife are happily married.

Or would you take that away as well, in your mindless arrogance? If so, come get my wedding ring, cupcake. Bring some way to get it off my cold dead finger. Try some astroglide.

So the whole debate about marriage?
You have no leg to stand on.

This is why state after state is confirming what the rest of us know already and legalizing.

Suck it up.

Anatomy of a Crash

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:03:22 GMT

http://bailoutnation.net/2009/06/04/7-factors-that-led-to-crisis/

20 years gone, but not forgotten.

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:08:14 GMT

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1189702/KATE-ADIE-Blood-Chinas-hands-20-years-Tiananmen-Square-massacre.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

(SP video Yoinked from The Angelus)

Hidden Forms Radio #416 - 05.30.09 - WNUR 89.3FM - Chicago:

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:52:32 GMT

[DJ: Synctank]

Part One - [MP3 download]

Access To Arasaka: Nypox [v/a: Approach Lights 2009 - Tympanik Audio]
Ab Ovo: Gathering [v/a: Elektroanschlag 5 - Elektroanschlag]
:10:: Severed [v/a: IDMf presents Divergence - IDMforums.com]
Ex_Tension: Legacy (According To Normotone) [Legacy - M-tronic]
Endif: Understanding [v/a: IDMf presents Divergence - IDMforums.com]
Somatic Responses: Dubscape [Reformation - Ad Noiseam]
Mobthrow: Jazzmonsta [Mutant Dubstep vol. 3 - Spectraliquid]
Hecq: Steeltongued (Si Begg remix) [Steeltongued - Hymen]
Dirty Fire Project: Never Been To Tokyo [Too Many Teeth - Xynthetic]
Candle Nine: Imperfect [v/a: IDMf presents Divergence - IDMforums.com]
Ad.ver.sary: Bone Music (Disparition remix) [A Bright Cut Across Velvet Sky - Tympanik Audio]
Pandora's Black Book: Mr. Hidden [Black Brothel - Tympanik Audio]
Unterm Rad: All For Naught [v/a: IDMf presents Divergence - IDMforums.com]
High Wycombe: Room 101 (Reconstructed by Flaque) [Reverser - Wycombe]

Part Two - [MP3 download]

Miwon: They Leave In Autumn [A To B - City Centre Offices]
Blackfilm: Midnight To 4AM [Blackfilm - Spectraliquid]
IP Neva: U-Boat Performance [Symbiosis Of Contradictions - Impulsive Art]
L'ombre: Reach For Me [Letting Go At The Steering Wheel - Ant-Zen]
Flatline Skyline: No Dial Tone [All Sound / No Vision - Mechanoise Labs]
Tapage: Interwolf [v/a: IDMf presents Divergence - IDMforums.com]
Keef Baker: Setekey Sysfuckoffcunt V1 [Pen Fifteen - Hymen]
Liar's Rosebush: Gun Goes Bang [Start Snitchin' - Livevil]
Tonikom: Glint [v/a: Elektroanschlag 5 - Elektroanschlag]
Kettle: Boekebass [Myam James Part 2 - Sending Orbs]
Kilowatts: Emerald [Six Silicates - Kilowatts Music]
Phylum Sinter: Sedna_Demik (Hecq Reemiqs) [From Unity To Segmentation - En:peg]
Another Electronic Musician: Amidst [Five - n5MD]
Black Lung: The Wonderful Wizard Of Ounce [Full Spectrum Dominance - Tympanik Audio / Ant-Zen]
Funckarma: Basszen [Vell Vagranz - n5MD]

Hidden Forms Radio - Colonize Your Music
http://www.myspace.com/hiddenforms

Airs live very Saturday night from 7-9:30pm CST on Chicago's WNUR 89.3FM and live on the web @ http://www.wnur.org

NO DISASSEMBLE!!

Thu, 21 May 2009 14:39:46 GMT

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/05/20/gallery-the-gear-of.html

Gallery and short articles about currently deployed military robotics.

Conception Perception

Thu, 21 May 2009 14:37:13 GMT

The entire delusion that human life begins at conception can be summed up in a few images:

"In 1677 Leewenhoek and Hamm, with the aid of an improved microscope, for the first time observed human sperms ( short for spermatozoa) and they thought that the sperm contained a miniature performed human being (homunculus) that enlarged when it was deposited in the female genital system.

Other investigators would say that it was the female ovum that contained the "homunculus".

Only around 1775 Spallanzani showed that both the sperm and the ovum were necessary for reproduction and that the sperm was the fertilizing agent."

Christian and other religious dogma and policy regarding when life begins crystalized around this idea - Preformation- and remained even after the theory had been debunked, continuing to the present day.

This sort of policy has served many religions well in terms of building and maintaining numbers:

- Each new child is a potential convert. Fast breeding believers greatly increase the number of future believers of a given religion. It's no coincidence that Catholics and adherents of other religions that discourage or ban contraception typically have large families.

- Each new child is a significant drain on the parents resources. This pushes many parents into poverty. Churches, even to this day, remain major providers of services to the poor and desperate. It's all part of a cycle. Keep them poor, keep them dependent, push evangelism with every dose of aid.

If only one could say the same for their ill used adherents and the un-planned children themselves, cynically exploited, neglected, abused, all to maintain wealth and power for a parasitic organization.

For example:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1900120,00.html

Public Epidemic No 1

Tue, 19 May 2009 15:41:54 GMT

Public Epidemic No 1 from Olle Corneer on Vimeo.

This looks fun. I'd like to get a bunch of iPhones together and try it..

http://www.bacterialorchestra.com/

To get it and try it, search for 'Public Epidemic' in AppStore, or just click here:
http://appshopper.com/music/bacterial-orchestra-public-epidemic-no-1

Diet Cherry Survivalism

Sun, 17 May 2009 22:40:25 GMT

My previous post about the movie The Road got me thinking about my semi-closeted survivalism.

A little background first.

I grew up Jehovah's Witness. They teach that the world around you is ruled by the devil, and that only the JW organization will survive the coming apocalypse of Armageddon that will accompany the return of Jesus,. Armageddon is expected any day now. Only 144,000 go to heaven, the rest of the JW's will live on forever in a paradise on earth, in this new theocratic order after Satan is defeated. On the plus side, no hell for everyone - hell is ceasing to exist.

Add to this growing up in the final years of the Cold War and the influence of science fiction and role playing games like Gamma World and you get a significant awareness of the fragility of civilization from an early age.

Every so often, they'd predict a date for Armageddon. People would sell off their stuff and wait, and it wouldn't come. One such date came when I was twelve, and I got wind of it. Had a bug out kit all ready, water tablets and everything. But I didn't run away and live in a nearby mine shaft like I was planning. Instead I njust gave up, believing the prediction that 'the living would envy the dead' in a post-nuclear world. Either God would honor my faith and acts thus far, or there was no god. Obviously, we're still here. My first step toward atheism.

So yes, I've always been kind of a 'soft' survivalist, I guess.
(Fortunately, my lovely wife is on a similar page. )

What does this mean?

I realize that civilization is far more fragile than we generally assume. I accept that collapse could realistically happen any time from a number of different vectors, from pandemic to peak oil to invasion by a foreign power to financial or environmental collapse to civil war or a combination of many calamities.

To this end, and dovetailing with other significant influences like cost efficiency, home defense, and reducing carbon footprint, I have been slowly but surely investing some of my shrinking surplus income in things like water storage and treatment, food production and stockpile, weapons ammo and other security considerations, a paper reference library, power generation and storage, and alternate fuel sources.

I have boards, screws, and a drill handy to board up the house at a moments notice. I have an idea of the fields of fire inside and outside the house if needed, and have practiced clearing the house in case of intrusion.

We have bug out bags and survival equipment in case we need to abandon the house and hit the road. Our primary vehicles are recent model, fuel efficient, plentiful, domestic 4x4's, and we have a diversified fuel reliance base, so we can burn anything from diluted ethanol to gas to dino/bio diesel to filtered oil.

I don't let it take over my whole existence, don't obsess over it. Certainly don't look forward to calamity. No macho-juvenile Mad Max fantasies run amuck well past fandom. Hardly discuss it with friends or family, though I hardly keep secret my activities; individual actions are less 'weird' to someone that hasn't come to terms with the concept of preparing for the worst than the whole gestalt dumped on them all at once. We don't deny ourselves things or live in fear.

Just a slow, quiet, calm, thoughtful buildup of preparedness for the same reasons one wears seat-belts or owns a fire extinguisher or has insurance.

In the meantime, life goes on and is generally good. =]

So, back to planting food..

District 9 / Blomkamp

Sun, 17 May 2009 17:30:05 GMT

As Wolf reminded me when he pointed out in reply to the previous movie post, this looks super awesome too.

District 9 is a full length Peter Jackson produced movie directed by and extruded from a short film made by Neill Blomkamp

Original:

District 9:

More Blomkamp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-weMaLGros
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I525BRSnO1E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DYJfa3wNX0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxdvGO1oOF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cl9ITM0zn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYHejaLm_Qk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLahXh57RPk

sigh

Sun, 17 May 2009 16:37:28 GMT

Endif_
Despite my earlier claim that I'd never use this, here we are. Twitter swallows another soul.

6 minutes ago from web