Song of the Week (9/6/08)

Aesop Rock - How To Be A Carpenter

This song is dark and mellow like a fine chocolate. It appeared on Aesop Rock's second album: Float (1999). Like usual, the lyrics are deep, unorthodox, and riddle with satire. Dreams are easily crushed by the people who want to tell you how to do it. Think it trough. Commit to it, buckle down and get it done. This is inspiration to the "people who keep an impressive wingspan even when the cubicle shrink (None Shall Pass 2008)."

"know your limits only to break your limits. Are you listening? God dammit boy, pay attention!"

"Dream away the blame pain, yeah but it seeps through the cracks,And drips from the ceiling and smells the rich scent of my tracks.All I ever really wanted was a jungle, and a jungle I got,See it ain't the vision it's the plot that makes me stop."

Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W2SbJbR6ys


Lyrics:
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/A/aesoprocklyrics/aesoprockhowtobeacarpenterlyrics.htm

More of St. Paul via I-Witness Video

I-Witness Video uses video to protect civil liberties. We probe police actions at First Amendment events. I-Witness Video has uncovered perjury and abuse by police officers and prosecutors, revealed illegal police surveillance and exposed official lies.

http://iwitnessvideo.info/blog/index.html

Twin Cities: Police State

Blogging about blogging that blogs about blogging is ridiculous, but this is well wroth the read. I can't stand it when the government takes away our rights.

Twin Cities: Police State

via ACLU Blog: Because Freedom Can't Blog Itself: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union by Suzanne Ito, ACLU on 9/2/08

Scary news has been coming out of Minneapolis since Sunday, where police have been
raiding homes and making mass arrests. Glenn Greenwald has been all over the story. He writes:

Beginning [Sunday] night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 — with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas canisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.

U.S. Manufacturing Contracting

Good news. Manufacturing in this country is now over the threshold and officially contracting again. Now we can all get moving towards a service based economy where there are a few super elite and the rest of us serve them for minimum wage and tips if we are lucky. It is just like slavery, but it will be legal. The future of this country looks bright.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aZefCZbvH2lM&refer=home

Intructables: Portobello Mushroom with Grilled Feta Burger

Instructables is a fascinating website where people create instruction to build stuff. I use stuff as a loose term because I have seen everything from computer tutorials to custom bikes to usb soda coolers and now to food. Many of the food instructables seem questionable, but this one looks appealing. I will be trying it tonight and reporting back.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Portobello_Mushroom_with_Grilled_Feta_Burger/

Oil is Moving Down Again

The Price of oil is dropping again. Right now it is hovering around $107 a barrel or about $2.79 a gallon for gas at the wholesale level. Keep watching for the target of $80 a barrel. I think that is where it is headed; by market forces or government regulations.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afYvxHexr7PY&refer=home

Tall Bike Update

Here is a picture, taken in the dark, of my tall bike with it's new paintjob. Yesterday I rode it over a mile. Next step will be to take it 5 miles and see if it hold up. The biggest problem now is that it only has 7 low gears. Something to work on. I need to have this thing dialed by next weekend for an 18 miel ride.