Ooooooh- it's coming!

Hey kids! NaBloPoMo starts tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited! Especially since I've been a terrible blogger lately, and have fallen behind on my Street Art Thursdays, and political rants, and Albums You Should Own, food pron, and strange and interesting videos. It's all coming back with a vengeance, so watch this space!

Street Art Thursday returns!

It has been far, far too long!

Today's work comes from FilthyLuker :


I like thinking that the trees, they watch out for us. :)

New favorite radio station.

So last weekend was the Taste of Champaign-Urbana- despite a nearly complete lack of vegan options (I sampled some hummus and a samosa, which pretty much covered it), it was a pretty enjoyable afternoon out.

Something struck me as we wandered the business vendors though- at one tent, there was one radio company represented, with all of their stations' promotional vans behind them. You had the country station, the classic rock station, the "alternative" station, and the top 40 station. Across the lawn was the area's other major radio company, with their vans parked behind their tent as well- and you guessed it, there was the country station, the classic rock station, the "alternative" station, and the top 40 station. This seemed to me to be the most perfect illustration of why I hate commercial radio with a white hot passion.

To this end, I've been playing around with Pandora a lot lately. I've got an indie/shoegazer station, an early 90's college radio station and a Pixies-inspired rock station.

But one of the ones I've been working on the most is a station that combines some folk, some "no depression" country, some classic Cash/Williams country, and bluegrass. This is what I consider to be my "summer music"- it always reminds me of being at a really good festival, sitting on the grass somewhere. But it's a pain, because Pandora keeps trying to sneak some bullsh*t pop county in there. So it requires a lot of skipping and disapproval.

Fast forward to yesterday. I gave MEtC a ride to the airport in Bloomington, as she was headed off to the big ALA conference in Anaheim. And yeah, I do miss her already. :) Anyways, on the ride home, I was scanning the FM for something decent to listen to, since I was a good half hour out of the range of my normal C-U non-commercial stations. And then I happened upon something strange and wonderful. I happened upon WWHP.

At the exact moment I tuned in, they were playing the first half of Luther Wright & The Wrongs' Rebuild the Wall, a song for song bluegrass-y reinterpretation of Pink Floyd's The Wall, in its entirety. I was frankly a little stunned. What sort of station was this??? Well, it was exactly the station I'd been trying to program in Pandora, that's what. A country station whose idea of country was more Hank Williams and Hank Williams III than Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn. And for good measure, they throw in blues, bluegrass, folk and gospel. And all from a little old station in the middle of Farmer City, IL. What's not to love?

Liberty.

Despite all my posings, I'm at heart an optimist. Which means that despite the fact that the wingnuts of California recently got a "Marriage Protection Amendment" onto the ballot, I feel like yesterday's pictures of overjoyed couples celebrating their love have got to penetrate even the most homophobic hearts. I mean, how can you not look at this picture and go "awwwww", I ask you?


It's my fervent hope that California and Massachusetts are the future- a future where two adults who love each other can get married if they want to, regardless of age, sex, or race.

Funny enough, I was flipping through my copy of the Intellectual Devotional- American History yesterday afternoon (it's excellent bathroom reading, highly recommended), and happened upon the page about a letter written by George Washington to the head of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, RI, who had written him in 1790 to congratulate him on his selection as president. The two men exchanged excitement about the great American experiment, and a belief that this new nation represented a new highwater mark in religious freedom- a country where other religions were not just tolerated, but embraced as being part of its fabric.

There is one passage in the letter that struck me like a ton of bricks- although it is referring directly to religious freedom, it seems to me to be more sweeping than that- it's a statement of what liberty in the new United States meant, and what it should mean to all of us now as well, whether we're talking about religious freedom or equal rights:

The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens. (emphasis added)

This is a founding father speaking- he saw no reason to deny any one law abiding citizen the rights accorded to another citizen (putting aside the narrow definition of citizenship at that time). It blows my mind when wingnuts and Repugs invoke the founders, and their religion, and try to extrapolate their "intentions" to suit their purposes, when the concept of "natural rights" Washington invokes here is written right into the frickin' Declaration of Independence- "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", anyone? The founders intended all American citizens to have the exact same rights.

So in the end, the judges that have seen discrimination in the treatment of marriage in California and Massachusetts are not "legistlating from the bench", as some would have you believe- they're channeling the true intentions of the founders of this country. And I for one thank them. We are, as a society, finally moving away from just "tolerating" differences in sexual orientation, and towards embracing the rights of all of our citizens. George would approve, I like to think.

If I had $400...

I'd buy me one of these! It's a pipe dream, to be sure, but it seems like the ultimate tool to convert your bike into your everyday vehicle. And dig the accessories page- it has an optional bicycle powered blender attachment! Insane.

Anyhow, back in the real world... Ordered a new helmet and the slicks that Cycho Librarian suggested- waiting for the rack I want to be in stock, and still shopping for panniers. I had put off fenders, but after having no choice but to go through a couple of puddles yesterday (we got absolutely dumped on the other night), I'm reconsidering at least a front one. Oh, and I got a kickstand! It's the little things that make me happy. :)

Rube Goldberg Friday

We have found the only suitable use for a Cadbury Creme Egg.



Where would the world be without engineering students, I ask you???

My name is Steve, and I'm a Vegan!

I can't believe I've never posted this video before! Crazy! Anyways, enjoy!



from the good folks at Olde English.

How lazy can you be?

I admit, I've gotten lazy over the past six months. Sure, I've been carpenting, yogaing, hanging out with friends, and working, but the lazy part is that I've been driving to do almost all of that. And it finally struck me like a brick to the forehead the other day- in no small part because I saw a gas sign with the numbers $3.89 on it.

In taking a look at my regular trips, only two- going to the scene shop and the "regular" (read: non co-op) grocery store actually necessitate a car. The rest can be accomplished on foot, by bus, or on bike. As much as I like my bike, it's a mountain bike, not built for practicality. So I'm going to have to ugly it up a little. The to-do list:

Kickstand. Although I appreciate the aesthetic look of no kickstand, it's a real pain in the ass when you're chaining the bike up, or even just parking it in the house.
Storage unit. I'll wear my backpack if I have to, but it's impractical for a co-op trip, for example. Probably just get some sort of double basket on the back wheel.
Fenders. I don't mind riding in the rain, but I'm not enamoured of getting soaked from below in the process.
Tires. I'm torn on this, because the knobby tires I have are nice in the wet. But I'm not riding off road, so when it's dry, they're really more of a hindrance than anything.

Not that any of you care about any of this. :) I just want to make sure that I've got a reminder out there somewhere of the stuff I need to get done. :)

Omnibus Cultural Post

This was originally going to be a street art post about the amazing Blu, but I got to thinking about all the other neat-o artsy stuff I always tell myself I should post about, but don't. So join me, won't you, as I go careening through the art appreciation portion of my brain. Hands and feet inside the cart, please!

Street Art:
The aforementioned Blu has just released a mind boggling new animation:



Also, I've posted some of Mark Jenkins' stuff before, but I happened across his Storker project when I was looking at some other stuff, and I was thoroughly amused.


Music:
Through Smile Politely, I became aware of Jane Boxall, marimbaist extraordinaire, and I'm just enthralled. Spend a few minutes on her page, and you'll get what I mean. The sound she gets out of it is so mesmerizing. I haven't caught her live yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

No matter how deeply I get into the Sonic Youths and Broken Social Scenes of the world, I've always got a soft spot for folksy sounds (and I mean that in the nicest possible way) and traditional instruments. And it just so happens that occasional commenter Andrea Simms-Karp from No More Decorators plays such music! Her homepage has some sample tracks that are really, really good- I love me some banjo, but it takes a skilled hand to make it sound as gentle as she does. I finally got around to ordering a copy of her debut album, which I'm looking forward to immensely!

Crafty:
Recently, my friend Molly, of Emma's K-9 Kitchen, has started the Vegan Etsy blog, a great resource that aims to simplify Etsy shopping for those of us who try to live cruelty-free. Another occasional commenter here, chaifae, is the current featured member interviewee for her shop, Bees Knees Jewelleries. She makes some great one of a kind custom made pieces- I've bought several from her, and the recipients love them dearly.

Well, I've kept you long enough. If I've done my job, you feel a little more enriched, and have spent some money. We here at guppybork are big believers in the stimulation of the economy (and lining the pockets of our friends), so get out there and stimulate, damn you! Stimulate.....

Republicans Hate Mothers.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you House Resolution 1113 of the 110th Congress:

H. Res. 1113

In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

May 7, 2008.

Whereas Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of each May;

Whereas the first official Mother's Day was observed on May 10, 1908, in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

Whereas 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the first official Mother's Day observation;

Whereas in 1908, Elmer Burkett, a U.S. senator from Nebraska, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday;

Whereas in 1914, Congress passed a resolution designating the second Sunday of May as Mother's Day;

Whereas it is estimated that there are more than 82,000,000 mothers in the United States;

Whereas mothers have made immeasurable contributions toward building strong families, thriving communities, and ultimately a strong Nation;

Whereas the services rendered to the children of the United States by their mothers have strengthened and inspired the Nation throughout its history;

Whereas we honor ourselves and mothers in the United States when we revere and emphasize the importance of the role of the home and family as the true foundation of the Nation;

Whereas mothers continue to rise to the challenge of raising their families with love, understanding, and compassion, while overcoming the challenges of modern society; and

Whereas May 11, 2008 is recognized as Mother's Day: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives celebrates the role of mothers in the United States and supports the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.

Now, the Congress spends a lot of time on seemingly meaningless stuff like this- resolutions honoring someone's golfing buddy, naming post offices, etc. If you've ever watched C-SPAN after 5pm, you have an inkling of what I mean. And they pass by overwhelming majorities, making everyone feel good that Congress has some sort of idea of what the American people are for. The resolution above is no different- there's one done for every major holiday, and they always pass unanimously. Ah, but not this time...

The vote was initially Roll Call Number 274- a nice clean unanimous vote. But then, Minority Leader Boehner and his minions asked for a reconsideration of the vote, and another vote was taken on the exact same measure, and the original vote was rescinded. Take a look at the no votes cast on Roll Call Number 275- I'll give you a quick translation; Republican names are in italics. Why, you ask? What would cause them to make such a cold hearted decision? Pure politics.

I understand that the Repugs are all in a tither because the Dems were obstructionist before the balance of power shifted, but come on- Mother's Day? You really want to play politics with the mothers of America? How is this supposed to make those vaunted "soccer moms" feel?

I have two quick theories:

1. Some industrious staffer got on the Wikipedia and discovered that in the U.S., Mother's Day was started as a way to unite all mothers against war. And we all know how much the Repugs hate people who hate war...

2. It's part of their wider campaign to reduce the role of women in society, by removing any acknowledgement that women care for and nurture many of the country's children. Pretty soon, they'll have women reduced to birthing vessels and nothing more, which is just how the wingnuts want it...

Street Art Tuesday

Geek on this:

Bonus points to the reader who figures out the stencil (click to enlarge) before reading the article over at Torontoist. Who says taggers aren't intelligent? Definite bonus points for originality.

Spotted via Wooster Collective.

I nearly forgot!

In all of my rantings and ravings lately, I almost forgot the single most important food related development in my life in the last six months!

I found bagels!!!

Kafe K (sadly, they don't appear to have a real website) in Champaign, a few short blocks from where I sit right now, serves honest to goodness east coast style water bagels, with many different choices of schmears, including my favorite, peanut butter.

I am one happy camper.

Update: Obama knows what's he's talking about

An article on the Washinton Post's website today shows that Senator Obama is the only one of the three presidential candidates who has seen first hand what repealing a gas tax for any amount of time can do. As an Illinois state senator, he helped pass a six month repeal of the state's 5% gas tax in 2001. During that six month period, the state lost $175 million in revenue. The overall average price of gas only fell 3% during that time, which means that in real terms, the gas prices still went up 2%. The tax repeal just didn't work.

This puts Obama on even more solid footing when it comes to opposing McCain's foolish plan. Illinois is suffering from a major budget crunch all around, but especially when it comes to infrastructure. That extra money that the gas companies ended up keeping back in 2001 would be mighty helpful right about now. Let's make sure that we as a nation don't end up with the same problem.

Interestingly, last night NBC Nightly News began a series of reports on the nation's crumbling infrastructure. You can see the video here.

How about rolling back the stupidity tax for the summer?

John McCain has said multiple times that he doesn't understand economics as much as he should, and after reading about his latest economic plan, I'm inclined to agree. A cornerstone of the plan is a three month repeal of the federal gas tax, which is currently 18.4 cents per gallon (and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel). There's a great article over at Wired that highlights the economic issues that this would create- it would short the government $9 billion in revenue (in a department which already has a $3 billion shortfall in funding), therefore killing highway improvement projects, which in turn means that even more people would lose jobs.

Wait- I see the genius of this plan now- more people out of work means fewer people on the roads, thus reducing the demand for gasoline, after which prices will naturally fall! My god, it's brilliant.

Sarcasm aside, this is one of the most ridiculous ideas to come out of Washington in some time. It provides no real tax relief to the average person, and as our transportation systems fall further and further into disrepair, it ends up creating more problems than it solves. Surely, no self respecting Democrat, representing a party that has said that fixing our national infrastructure should be a top priority, could support this entirely impractical political scheme? Right?

Not so fast, my friends! According to the Wall Street Journal, Senator Clinton indicated just the other day, “I would also consider a gas tax holiday, if we could make up the lost revenues from the Highway Trust Fund.” Of course, there's no chance that Congress would support increasing revenues in one area to fund a temporary tax cut in another. McCain has indicated that he would pay for this by increasing the debt, a measure Clinton would theoretically oppose.

Here's the thing though- despite her highly qualified support for McCain's idiocy, now she's attacking Obama for not throwing his support behind the idea. Obama, to his credit, is sticking to his guns:

“We’re talking about 5 percent of your total cost of gas that you suspend for three months, which might save you a few hundred bucks that then will spike right up,” Obama said. “Now keep in mind that it will save you that if Exxon Mobil doesn’t decide, ‘We’ll just tack on another 5 percent on the current cost.’”

To my mind, Clinton is starting to show her desperation. She's anxious to separate herself from Obama in some way, while trying to show Dems that she can draw in some of the same voters that McCain does. But she's picked the wrong issue here. For starters, it's something that Bob "Viagra" Dole tried to raise unsuccessfully during the 1996 election cycle against her husband, and then backed down from because it was so amazingly unpopular with Congress. Add to that the effect more driving has on our infrastructure, and the extra burden that a loss of federal revenues would have on the already strained and suffering budgets of public transit systems across the country, and this is a no-brainer. It's bad policy that's bad for America.

I've been waiting to see some real separation in the views of the two Dems that makes me feel like we're not choosing between two automatons who agree with each other on just about everything. And I think we're starting to see it- she's gone negative like never before, and she's questioning Obama's electability, while at the same time endorsing the ideas of her potential November opposition.

I still believe that Obama is the right one for the Dems, and the right one for the country. He's a leader, and he's not out there spouting the same old rubbish. I'm not sure what else we can ask for.

Street Art Thursday

Just discovered the Dirty Third Streets site, which covers a lot of street art down south. I love this piece, from Austin, TX:

Flashback Friday

Ladies and gentlemen, Superchunk.



"Watery Hands" from the album Indoor Living

Oh jesus, not again.

So in my ever growing quest to Get The Hell Out Of The Apartment, a few months ago I shot an email off to the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company offering my services as a volunteer.

For the uninitiated, in one of my past lives, I spent a lot of time in the theatre; it was one of several reasons I dropped out of college, and then I served as Master Carpenter and then Technical Director for the Actor's Company of Pennsylvania (now part of the Fulton Opera House)waaaaay back in the mid 90's. Then there was a summer as Master Carpenter at Ephrata Playhouse In The Park, and an unsuccessful attempt to move to New York City. Anyways, long story short (and believe me, there's a whole lot of story there), I burned myself out. But I've always held a soft spot in my heart for theatre and theatre folk. Thus, to bring this full circle, I emailed CUTC and said I was more than willing to help.

I was welcomed with open arms, as every community theatre loves a volunteer who has been around the block a couple of times. Then they told me what the first show was- Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm not one to throw words like this around, but I'll be honest, I blanched a little. You see, back in college, my big set design debut was a student production of JCS. And just like every other student production, it was a bit of a fiasco. We ran out of money, had a lighting designer walk out, and I managed to have a seven foot tall ladder caddy fall on my heel, hobbling me for the three days of production. It was SO bad that my assistant on that show wrote a play about it. Lordy.

But enough about the past. This production has been quite a lot of fun to work on. The set construction was smooth as silk, and I got to stretch out my mad theatrical carpentry skills a little bit. Now we're ready to go live! The show opens this Thursday (April 3) at 7:30 and closes with a 2:30 matinee on Sunday (April 6). I was there for rehearsal last night, and I'll vouch for it- this isn't the easiest show to sing, but they've rounded up a really good cast that does it justice. I'll be backstage for the show, but if you get there early enough (doors open 1/2 hour before showtime), you might actually get to see me hamming it up. Tickets are available here or at the door. Come out and support local theatre!!!

On Ethics and the Workplace

Late last year, the ethics committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued an opinion paper titled "The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine". This is well worth the read- it addresses some of the core issues of the "conscientious refusal" movement that is so popular with wingnuts who happen to have a "Dr." in front of their names these days. Most pointedly, it asks the question- is it right for a doctor to impose their personal beliefs on a patient who may not share those beliefs?

Of course, the Bush administration couldn't resist being all buttinsky about the suggestion that doctors might have a greater moral obligation to put the well being of their patients before their supposed personal beliefs. HHS secretary Michael Levitt shot off a letter to the director of ACOG, stating in part:

I am concerned that the actions taken by ACOG and ABOG could result in the denial or revocation of Board certification of a physician who -- but for his or her refusal, for example, to refer a patient for an abortion -- would be certified.

In other words, the Secretary is concerned that a doctor who fails his or her duty to present all available options to their patient, and in the end do what is best for the PATIENT, might lose their license. These doctors, the Secretary is arguing, should be able to pick and choose what parts of their job they really want to do, and the big mean bossman shouldn't force them to do the other parts.

Let's step into the real world for a minute. Let's say my company entered into a contract to buy a chain of steakhouses. Naturally, as a vegan and generally ethical person, I have a strong moral objection to this, so I mention my objections to my supervisor, and ask that I be allowed to not participate in this transaction. He'll sit there patiently, hear me out, thank me for my input, and then wish me luck in finding a new job. Michael Levitt would not write him a letter begging him to reconsider, I'd bet.

The bottom line is, doctors (especially obstetricians and gynecologists) and pharmacists and their ilk shouldn't get a pass here. Their job is to operate in the public interest and in the interest of their patient, however personally distasteful they might find the patient's choice or the most logical treatment. If they don't find that the job suits their "conscience", they need to find another line of work.

And yet, Congress continues to prop up this notion that health care workers are somehow different from the rest of us when it comes down to doing our jobs. The Hyde-Weldon Amendment, inserted annually into a budget appropriations bill near you (gee, how'd that get in there?) codifies the following statement:

no federal, state, or local government agency or program that receives federal health and human services funds may discriminate against a health care provider because the provider refuses to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortion.

Oh, Henry Hyde. How we miss you- always hiding your anti-woman agenda in giant bills completely unrelated to the subject at hand. It's like a little easter egg hunt!

Anyways, to wrap this lengthy rant up, the government should not be in the business of telling organizations what their ethics should be, and health care professionals should decide what's best for their patients based on communication and medical knowledge, not their fear of where they might end up in some mystical afterlife. It's that simple really. And if you agree, I encourage you to let your health care providers and government officials know how you feel at every given opportunity. You are paying for their Mercedes and third vacation homes, after all. :)

Deep Thoughts.

Not really deep thoughts, just some random stuff that I've been thinking about or seen lately.

Baseball:
Spring training tests a sportswriters' ability to wring a story out of nearly non-existent material. Sometimes, just sometimes, they're on to something. A couple of weeks ago, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel did a profile on first baseman Prince Fielder, who has evidently become vegetarian, but not in a bid to gain power; he's doing it for ethical reasons! Good on him. I'll be curious to watch him through the season- Prince is a big boy (6', 260 lbs.), and the longer he stays veg, he might just become a little more lean. (bonus appearance in the article by former Red Sox third base coach Dale "Go! Go! No, wait, stop!" Sveum)

Manny Ramirez has always been hesitant with the media, and frankly I don't blame him. But, whether it's because he's in a contract year or he's just getting older, he's been a lot more open lately. There's a neat piece here about the changes he's made to his life and his off season preparations. Confession- I do get shivers thinking about a fully healthy Papi and a prepared Manny in the middle of the Sox order. :)

Music:
I would frankly give my left arm to be able to go see the Dropkick Murphys and Ted Leo show tomorrow in South Boston. Holy crap, would that be a to-do. Oh, sure, I'd settle for the motherf**king Pogues (with Shane!) and Billy Bragg in NYC on St. Patrick's Day eve. Ugh.

On a happier note, last night I went with friends to see a Harpcore4 show at U of I- great fun! Four harpists using their imposing instruments to pluck out very entertaining covers of everything from the Cure to Elton John to Leonard Cohen. I'm always impressed by harp players- their fingers are always flying so fast, in seemingly random ways, but making lovely sounds.

Politics:
I have no earthly desire to even think about politics at this point. Wake me when the conventions are over.

Albums You Should Own: Erin McKeown- Sing, You Sinners

To continue our occasional series:

I first became aware of Erin McKeown when she opened a couple of Nields shows that I saw back in the day (Nields bass player Dave Chalfant has produced several of her albums); her guitar stylings, jaunty and jazzy, instantly drew me in. Her voice was not of the times- she's always sounded like she should be fronting a jazz combo, not trying to make her way in the rock-folk world.

Well, you can imagine my joy, then, when she released Sing You Sinners, an album of well known (and not so well known!) jazz standards. With herself on guitar (and banjo!), Todd Sickafoose on bass, Sam Kassirer on keyboards, and Allison Miller on drums, she creates the atmosphere of a tight combo playing their hearts out in a club for ten or fifteen people. Her voice is crisp and full as she takes old favorites like "Get Happy" and "Paper Moon" and owns them in such a way that you forget that anyone else has ever sung them. And as though to prove she's not just a pretty voice, her guitar work on "They Say it's Spring" is note perfect, but laden with emotion at the same time.

But my favorite part is the dancing- oh, the dancing! The middle of the album, with "I Was A Little Too Lonely (You Were A Little Too Late)", the title track, and "Rhode Island is Famous For You", is so peppy, that I defy you to not want to get up out of your chair and dance around the room. I actually bought this album for my mom because of this part of the album- she wanted something that would lift her spirits on the ride home from work. Mission accomplished! Although I did have to warn her about dancing and driving...

I recommend this album for fans of : smiling, dancing, having a good time, french cafes, nearly perfect sound mixes

Side story: I had just purchased this album, and was listening to it constantly on my commute, when my car was broken into and the stereo was stolen, with the CD in it. This almost made me sadder than losing the stereo. When I got an iPod a couple of months later, I repurchased the album on iTunes, so as to make it harder for someone to take away from me a second time. :)