Assassination Press

Nike, Do The Right Thing.

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:55:00 -0500

Nike has refused to fire Michael Vick.

If you are as outraged and disgusted as I am about Nike continuing to employ Michael Vick as their representative and advertising partner, I urge everyone to write Nike and contact them via phone in order to protest this abomination.

Here is my open letter to Nike...

I buy Nike products frequently. I appreciate the quality that I can find in Nike products. However, I am more than just a consumer. I am a animal rights activist. I'm sure I do not have to explain the situation with Michael Vick (Atlanta QB). Nike must fire this man from their advertising campaigns. It is disgusting that Nike continues to use this man to represent their products. Michael Vick is a thug and criminal. The fact he abuses animals only further defines him. His repulsive behavior is truly abhorrent and the souls of the animals he abuses are forever tormented.

I vow to never buy another Nike product until you fire Vick. Show some class and dignity Nike.

Just do it.

You can contact Nike:

Email: http://swoosh.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/swoosh.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

Phone: 1-800-344-6453 - (6 a.m. - 4 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday)

If you too believe in doing the right thing. Just do it.

TNT: Tornadoes n' Twisters

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Fri, 2 Mar 2007 08:53:00 -0500

Nature is both beautiful and scary. I am amazed and frightened at the beauty and power of Hurricanes and Tornadoes. As a Floridian, I understand how beautiful they can be and know first hand how deadly they are as well. With the Tornadoes ripping across the Southern and Midwestern United States on Thursday, I found myself looking for some storm footage. I didn't find any current video, but I did find this little piece on YouTube that was interesting....

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Thu, 1 Mar 2007 09:05:00 -0500

That wonderful moral bastion that is New York City has decided to begin banning words they deem to be racial slurs, inappropriate, or otherwise unacceptable epithets.

In all honesty, some words are disgusting and I too find them disgusting, however, where does this end? If the Blacks get all their slurs and epithets banned, what about the Jews? If the Jews, what about the Muslims? If the Muslims, well, you get the point.

The reason for censoring people usually has a seed of a good idea at the start, but it quickly spirals out of control. I don't agree with censorship of any kind, simply put; if you begin there is no end. Not to mention that our country was founded on freedom, including the freedom of speech.

Instead of making useless laws, why not invest in education? Education is the only way people will ever rise above their ignorance.

Another thing to consider. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, the words you speak are the voice of that soul. In nature, signs are abundant. Some are warnings. If someone you know speaks with ignorance and hate, that is a pretty good sign that you should stay clear of them.

Even if people are prevented from speaking certain words, they can never be prevented from thinking them. In fact, they may harbor even more dangerous thoughts because of this. Personally, I'd rather have everyone voice their opinions without concern for censorship.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. But one thing for sure, words will always communicate who you are. And in this world, it is becoming increasingly important to know who are friends or enemies.

JK

Beam Me Up Scotty: Big Bang Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:25:00 -0500

Do Multiple Universes exist? Does there exist Parallel Worlds? What about Black Holes linking different levels of existence? Where can I get a Tribble?

Mind bending stuff for sure. The stuff of Science Fiction. Even trying to wrap your mind around these concepts can be difficult unless you are a scientist or perhaps a dedicated science fiction fan. If you don't know what E=MC2 means or cannot quote Captain Kirk in the second season of Star Trek, Episode #44; then perhaps this is all going way over your head. Don't worry though, pretty soon the "Secrets of the Universe" will be taught in middle school and your kids or grandkids can explain it to you. If not, just wait for the condensed version, "Secrets Of The Universe For Dummies", that will soon be in a bookstore near you. I've already got an advance copy. It even comes with a Tribble.

Now, for those that want to boldly go where no man has gone before, the world's leading center for research into the origins of matter on Wednesday took a giant step toward completion of a 15-year project which scientists hope will unlock many secrets of the universe.

A huge magnet core, weighing 1,920 metric tons or the equivalent of five jumbo jets, was lowered into a vast cavern 100 meters below ground at the multinational center, CERN, on the Swiss-French border near Geneva. "We think this project is going to uncover things we cannot dream of at the moment," said Professor Jos Engelen, Chief Scientific Officer of CERN, the 26-nation European Organization for Nuclear Research.

Some of his colleagues say the experiment, smashing particles together at high speed in a Large Hadron Collider (LHC), may bring new knowledge such as the possible existence of multiple dimensions beyond the four of traditional physics (width, length, height and time).

Others speak, if cautiously, of venturing into realms long regarded as those of speculative science fiction; multiple universes, parallel worlds, black holes in space linking different levels of existence.

Apart from magnets and detectors, the focal element of the LHC is a 27-km channel circling through a wide underground tunnel along which particles will be forced in opposite directions at the speed of light to smash together.

The experiments are due to start up by the end of 2007 and be fully operational in mid-2008. Each collision will recreate conditions that existed just nanoseconds after the Big Bang (The Big Bang is a fireball of energetic radiation which scientists say happened some 15 billion years ago and brought the universe into existence).

By studying what happens to the particles, researchers believe they will gain knowledge of how the matter of the known universe, and perhaps unknown ones, was formed.

Now, I don't know about you, but the thought of being on Earth while someone is recreating the Big Bang seems a bit scary. What happens if a black hole opens up and swallows us? What is that old saying? Curiosity killed the cat.

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Feel The Force Luke: Web 2.0 Reloaded

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:38:00 -0500

I just found the coolest web application (for now). It is called Ning.

Ning is the latest startup of Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen. Ning is giving consumers free tools to create and operate specialized online social networks of their own.

Since I have become interested in the phenomenon of Web 2.0, I have been looking at several social networking sites. This one rocks!

As Ning CEO Gina Bianchini says, "Other social network sites ask you to join their world. We are about people creating their own worlds".

The two-year-old Silicon Valley-based company said the new service, to be introduced on Tuesday, allows casual Web users to create, within a matter of minutes, a highly customized social network for one's friends, family or acquaintances.

Users within each Ning network can select the latest Web features for watching videos online, creating a photo slideshow, listening to music or publishing a blog. Members have far greater flexibility over the look of their personal profile pages, buddy lists and site color schemes.

As a test if their services, I created Kaffenated Incorporated

I created Kaffenated Incorporated in about thirty minutes. Kaffenated Incorporated is Web 2.0. My little experiment with it anyway. It will be interesting to see what it turns into (if anything). Feel free to post anything you want and make it a little part of you. Go to http://kaffenated.ning.com now.

Let the evolution begin....

EDIT: Looks like Ning is having some birthing problems (it just started today). If the site is not working, check back again soon or go to the Ning blog for updates.

EDIT Part Deux: Up again. Thanks Gina Bianchini and team!

JK

Antonella Barba: American Idol Gone Wild

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 09:04:00 -0500

I didn't expect it to come this quickly, but after my last post about infamous celebrity (or is it celebritney?) and the fact my palate was ready for some fresh meat, we now have some very interesting photography of Antonella Barba.

Antonella Barba is one of the hottest American Idol contestants this season, now her scandalous photos are rocking the web.

Will the college student Antonella Barba be ousted out from the competition or will this make her more popular? Time will tell...

Famous To Infamous: Waiter, Can I Please See The Menu?

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:17:00 -0500

Better check the news every hour. There is sure to be an update on the latest celebrity to succumb to addiction or otherwise showcase their self-destruction. The details are usually salacious and the drama rivals the cheapest pulp fiction novel.

And make no mistake about it, you and I are contributing to their self destruction.

I think we first go through shock, then to disbelief, and finally we become parasitic. We are really nothing more than mesmerized parasites in need of a host. In a sense we are victims too, moths attracted to the glow of the train wreck. The paparazzi and news outlets feed us and we are ravenous.

If there was no demand, there would be no story. The famous person who quickly becomes infamous can thank the public for contributing to both spectrums of their celebrity. There should be a sign and chain link fence at every public event, “Beware of Fan”. After all, the public is a very dangerous breed of animal.

We have all seen celebrities attack the paparazzi and news outlets, but those entities are really not their enemy. The paparazzi and news outlets are only providing a necessary function. They are merely a functional part of the social food chain. The celebrities feed on the public and the public feed on them. The waiters and waitresses of the news provide their services to both sides and we all need each other, for better and worse.

What is most interesting to me is the power shift. Celebrities wield a great deal of power over their fans and the public in general. True, this power is a very finite power and can change day to day, but those that become infamous (or whom have become famous because of their infamous actions) are generally powerless and subject to the whim of the public desire and appetite in a much more definitive way. One could argue that celebrities are always powerless and subject to the public desire and appetite, however, there is a big difference in being pointed at in awe or being pointed at in disgust. The paradigm shift is real and when the infatuation ends, so does their celebrity.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had the guilty pleasure of having a few Britney burgers, some Anna Nicole fries, and some Hilton shakes. But I suspect that my palate will soon want something fresh and new. In fact, I think that time is now. Waiter, can I please see a menu?

Fast Times At Muslim High: Total Awesomeness

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:52:00 -0500

Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of modern culture influencing Muslim women can be witnessed on the sandy shorelines and breaking waves of your coastal waters. Many Muslim women are being taken over by a wave of enthusiasm for surfing and surf culture.

Baheera Mazoo and Kameela Vizzu are two of the most famous Muslim surfers in Florida. They sport some of the very latest in surf wear created specifically for Muslim women and have a tendency to use 80's surf lingo and Valley Girl talk mixed in with their accents.

"Gnarly waves Kameela!" says Baheera.

"Totally Awesomeness!" says Kameela.

One of their favorite things besides surfing is to watch 80's movies. Their favorite is "Fast Times at Ridgemont High".

"We so love Jeff Spicoli!", says Kameela. Baheera quickly agrees and they turn in unison to each other and say..."You deek!". A line from the movie that is infamously used by the Jeff Spicoli character to his teacher "Mr. Hand".

When asked how they deal with the stigma of being Muslim surfers in an American world, they quickly agree that...

"Dude, All we need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and we fine".

Stephen Colbert: The Americone Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:24:00 -0500

Ben & Jerry's is fudging the truthiness.

The maker of Phish Food, Cherry Garcia and Vermonty Python is adding Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream to its collection of cult figure-inspired ice cream flavors.

Billed as "the sweet taste of liberty in your mouth," Americone Dream is vanilla ice cream packed with fudge-covered pieces of waffle cone and a caramel swirl.

"I'm not afraid to say it. Dessert has a well-known liberal agenda," Colbert said in a statement. "What I hope to do with this ice cream is bring some balance back to the freezer case."

Freedom has never tasted so sweet.

The host of the Emmy-nominated Colbert Report will be donating his portion of the proceeds to the newly established Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund, which will then dole out the dough to various charities.

I have always been a big fan of Stephen Colbert and his show, The Colbert Report. Him and Jon Stewart make up some of the best comedy television of the current day. For those that do not know Stephen Colbert, just turn on Comedy Central and enjoy his show (links provided above). His comedy and wit are nothing short of brilliant. Before his show, I would never have thought that the best way to poke fun at the right wingers, Bill O'reilly, and all the other lost souls in the "no-spin" zone, would be to imitate them (tongue firmly in cheek).

The one thing that made me one of Colbert's biggest fans, is the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner. Wow! This man has balls. I have no doubt that the people who brought him there fully believed he would bring a lighthearted monologue with him. Stephen is at the top of his game there and he doesn't pull any punches. Colbert's comedy touch along with the stunned faces and steely stares from Bush and his cronies make me laugh every time I watch this. I admire him for taking the opportunity to bring truth and comedy together for a night that is bound to become a classic moment in history.

Now, for your entertainment, here are the Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner featuring Stephen Colbert (and more than a fair bit of truthiness)...

Stephen Colbert Part 1

Stephen Colbert Part 2

Stephen Colbert Part 3

Pipes, Pipes, and More Pipes

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:26:00 -0500

It looks like the people at Yahoo! are starting to create some interesting technology for all of us to play with. They have now introduced a beta service called "Pipes".

This service not only provides a fantastic way to aggregate data of all types, it is a nice introduction to Programming 101.

If you always wanted to create your own program, but were afraid to learn how, this is a nice little introduction to simple and logical programming. Beyond that, it is a very valuable tool that anyone can use for business or pleasure. For Webmasters, it can help create content. For the average person, it can help find content.

One way I use Pipes is to create a "pipe" of my own (or borrow someone else's). Once this is done I subscribe to the RSS feed (or JSON) of that particular "pipe". For personal use, I highly recommend Google's RSS feed reader, aptly named "Google Reader". This is the program that I use to subscribe to all feeds of interest (not just my pipes). Think of "Google Reader" as an "inbox" for the Internet.

Now, go play!

JK

Sexual Trivia on The Internet: Truth or Dare?

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Fri, 9 Feb 2007 08:09:00 -0500

I found all of these factoids on the Internet. I have no idea how true they are, but they sure are fun to read (and should do wonders for my Google hits). I will remove anything that my readers find to be false (just send me an email). Enjoy...

Everyday, 200 million couples around the world have sex, which is about over 2000 couples at any given moment.

Women are most likely to want to have sex when they are ovulating.

The Egyptian Ankh is actually a symbol representing the male and female sex organs.

Sex is the safest tranquilizer in the world.

30% of women over the age of 80 still have sexual intercourse either with their spouse or boyfriends.

Mosquitoes, which mate in the air, perform a sex act that lasts only 2 seconds.

Women with a Ph.D. are twice as likely to be interested in a one-night stand as those with only a Bachelor's degree.

Fellatio ranks as the number one sexual act desired by heterosexual men.

Australian women have sex on the first date more than women the same age in the USA and Canada.

It’s illegal to have sex without a condom in Nevada.

Today, Japan leads the world in condom use. Like cosmetics, they're sold door to door, by women.

More Americans lose their virginity in June than in any other month.

A man’s penis not only shrinks during cold weather but also from nonsexual excitement like when his favorite football team scores a touchdown, etc.

Wyoming’s Grand Teton mountain range literally means Big Tits.

In the original Grimm fairly tale of 'Sleeping Beauty', the Prince rapes her while she sleeps and then leaves before she wakes up.

The word 'gymnasium' comes from the Greek word gymnazein which means to exercise naked, which often was done in ancient Greece.

White women and those women with a college degree, when asked said they were more receptive to anal sex than women without college educations.

The word avocado comes from the Spanish word aguacate which is derived from the Aztec word ahuacati which means testicle.

The original representation of Cupid by the Greeks was that of a beautiful young boy whose naked form was considered to be the embodiment of sexual love.

The first condoms in the US were made from vulcanized rubber in the 1870s. They were expensive and annoyingly thick and meant to be reused.

Women who went to college are more likely to enjoy both the giving and receiving of oral sex than high school dropouts.

About 1% of the adult female population is able to achieve orgasm solely through breast stimulation.

14% of males said that they did not enjoy sex the first time.

60% of women say they did not enjoy sex their first time.

The Romans would crush a first time rapist’s gonads between two stones.

It’s illegal to have sex with a corpse anywhere in the United States.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it’s against the law to have sex with a truck driver in a toll booth.

In Fairbanks, Alaska it’s illegal for moose to have sex on the city sidewalks.

In Florida having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal. Ouch!

According to a survey of sex shop owners, cherry is the most popular flavor of edible underwear.

When Viagra became available, operators of Nevada brothels reported that business "shot up" about 20 percent.

Male bats have the highest rate of homosexuality of any mammal.

Up until 1884, a Victorian-era woman could be sent to prison for denying a husband sex.

During the Middle Ages, if you were guilty of bestiality you’d be burned at the stake, along with the other party to your crime.

The sperm of a mouse is longer than the sperm of an elephant.

Minks have intercourse that lasts an average of eight hours.

The chimpanzee holds the record for the quickest mammal sexual intercourse session at an average of three seconds.

Most turkeys and giraffes are bisexual.

An adult gorilla's penis is only two inches long.

Humans, fish and porpoises share a common sexual practice -- fellatio

The penis of a dragonfly is shaped like a shovel, and has the ability to scoop out a male rival’s semen.

The word pornography comes from the Greek meaning the “writings of prostitutes”.

In Ancient Greece, women would expose their vagina's to ward off storms at sea.

In ancient Greece and Rome, dildos were made out of animal horns, gold, silver, ivory and glass.

While nudity was considered commonplace to the ancient Greeks, a man was considered indecent if he had an exposed erection.

Both humans and porpoises have one social sex practice in common - group sex.

The penguin only has one single orgasm in a year.

The rhinoceros has a penis about two feet long.

The Black Widow spider eats her mate during or after sex.

A bull can inseminate 300 cows from one single ejaculation.

The sperm of a mouse is actually longer than the sperm of an elephant.

Sex education was first introduced into English schools in 1889.

Cleopatra invented her own diaphragm from camel's poop.

Eating the heart of a male Partridge was the cure for impotence in ancient Babylon.

The left testicle usually hangs lower than the right for right-handed men. The opposite is true for lefties.

It takes a sperm one hour to swim seven inches.

The initial spurt of ejaculate travels at 28 miles per hour. By way of comparison, the world record for the 100 yard dash is 27.1 miles per hour.

Honking of car horns for a couple that just got married is an old superstition to insure great sex.

The most successful X-rated movie of all time is 'Deep Throat'. It cost approximately $25,000 to make and has earned more than $600 million dollars.

Egyptians inserted stones into their vagina to prevent pregnancy.

In Medieval France unfaithful wives were made to chase a chicken through town while naked.

Napoleon's penis was sold to an American Urologist for $40,000

Seventy percent of women would rather have chocolate than sex.

The same chemical responsible for the ecstatic highs of love and sexual attraction, phenyl ethylamine, is also found in chocolate.

Oneirogmophobia is the fear of wet dreams.

The male fetus is capable of attaining an erection during the last trimester.

A survey conducted by Masters and Johnson in the early 1980s revealed that the third-most frequent fantasy amongst both homosexual men and women was a heterosexual encounter.

Hybristophilia is arousal derived by having sex with people who have committed crimes.

Among sexually active adults, lesbians have the lowest incidence of sexually transmitted diseases.

The average bra is designed to last for only 180 days of use.

The sperm of a mouse is actually longer than the sperm of an elephant, when viewed under a microscope of course.

Casanova boasted that he made love to the same woman twelve times in one day.

According to Playboy, the most popular sexual aid is erotic literature.

One of the reasons male deer rub their antlers on a tree or the ground is to masturbate.

Approximately one out of every two hundred women is born with an extra nipple.

A small flaccid penis generally has a greater percentage increase during erection than a larger flaccid penis.

In general, women who are housewives are more faithful than working women.

While nudity was considered commonplace to the ancient Greeks, a man was considered indecent if he had an exposed erection.

According to a recent survey, more Americans lose their virginity in June than any other month.

According to statistics, Australian women are the most likely to have sex on the first date.

The Black Widow spider eats her mate during or after sex.

It takes a sperm one hour to swim seven inches.

The practice of autoerotic asphyxiation (temporarily suffocating or strangling yourself while masturbating) takes the lives of 250 to a thousand people each year.

A “buckle bunny” is a woman who goes to rodeos with the intent of having sex with a rodeo cowboy.

Human testicles can increase in size by 50% when a man is aroused.

The word "sex" was coined in 1382.

A parthenologist is someone who specializes in the study of virgins and virginity.

A capon is a castrated rooster. They are said to have more tender meat when cooked and that’s why they cost more.

Two of the main causes of temporary impotence are tight pants and prolonged cigarette smoking.

The first public strip-tease dance was performed in Paris in 1894.

In Ventura County, California, cats and dogs are not allowed to have sex without a permit. Huh?

In Newcastle, Wyoming, an ordinance specifically bans couples from having sex while standing in a store’s walk-in meat freezer.

The same chemical responsible for the ecstatic highs of love and sexual attraction, phenyl ethylamine, is also found in chocolate.

Oneirogmophobia is the fear of wet dreams.

Nasophilia is the arousal from the sight, touch, licking, or sucking of a partner's nose.

Axillism is the act of using of the armpit for sex.

According to the Kinsey Institute, half of the men raised on farms have had a sexual encounter with an animal.

A "Dork' is a whale's penis. The Blue Whale has a ten foot long dork that is one foot in diameter.

Emetophilia is the arousal from vomit or vomiting.

Siderodromophilia is the arousal from riding in trains.

Anasteemaphilia is the attraction to a person because of a difference in height.

Crematistophilia is the arousal from being charged for sex.

Dacryphilia is the arousal from seeing tears in the eyes of a partner.

Oculolintus is the act of licking a partner's eyeball.

Nasophilia is the arousal from the sight, touch, licking, or sucking of a partner’s nose.

Sacofricosis is the practice of cutting a hole in the bottom of a front pants pocket in order to masturbate in public with less risk of detection.

Taphephilia is the arousal from being buried alive.

Formicophila is the enjoyment of the use of insects for sexual purposes.

Dendrophilia is a sexual attraction to trees.

Agalmatophilia is an attraction to statues or mannequins.

Plushophilia is the attraction to stuff animals or the act of intercourse with a stuffed animal.

Approximately one out of every two hundred women is born with an extra nipple.

It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to pose for a pornographic magazine, movie or web site in the USA.

Oral and anal sex is illegal in many states in the US, between both homosexual and heterosexual people.

The hymen is named after the Greek God Hymenaeus -- the God of marriage and weddings.

A pig’s orgasm lasts for about 30 minutes.

In 2004, a sex toy was introduced that does not require batteries: it connects to a USB port.

8.5 billion Condoms are produced every year worldwide.

Graham crackers were once believed (and in some cases used) to reduce sexual arousal and desire.

Many ancient sexual positions are physically impossible for most people.

Karma Police: All Things Come To A Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Thu, 8 Feb 2007 08:18:00 -0500

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” ~ T.S. Eliot

"Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water." ~ Zen Buddhist Proverb

"When will all the rhetorical questions end?" ~ George Carlin

All things come to a beginning.

Now that...

1) Sting is MIA on the pop charts and only slightly less obnoxious than usual...

2) Andy Summers is no longer taking exotic excursions, obsessed with nude photography, snorting coke, getting laid, and trying to copyright a guitar lick...

3) Stewart Copeland is no longer proclaiming The Police to be "his" band (but only that he founded it)...

...We have this.

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Reunited rock trio the Police are expected to announce a 30th anniversary world tour during a news conference in Los Angeles on Monday, the day after the group opens the Grammy Awards."

I'm an 80's boy at heart and The Police were one of my absolute favorite bands once upon a time. I'll probably be first in line for this one when it rolls around to my little place in the world.

It sure is fun to watch aging rock stars, I don't feel as old anymore (and they probably don't either).

JK

Historical Romance or Twister Game Gone Wild?

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Wed, 7 Feb 2007 09:18:00 -0500

A pair of human skeletons lie in an eternal embrace at an Neolithic archaeological dig site near Mantova, Italy, in this photo released February 6, 2007. Archaeologists in northern Italy believe the couple was buried 5,000-6,000 years ago, their arms still wrapped around each other in a hug that has lasted millennia.

I am immediately drawn to this photo. It is very romantic and inspirational. My question, what if they were just playing Twister?

Web Two Oh 101

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Wed, 7 Feb 2007 08:58:00 -0500

This YouTube video is pretty slick. It was created by Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University. Web 2.0 is a phrase that has been tossed around quite a bit of late and if you ask ten different people what it means, they either don't know or you'll get a different answer from each person. This video is a nice introduction to Web 2.0, think of it as Web Two Oh 101...

The Coolest Desktop Application In The World (For Now)

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Sat, 3 Feb 2007 09:48:00 -0500

If you want one of the coolest desktop applications in your office or home, give Earthdesk a try. Make sure you pick the right application (Earthdesk) for your operating system (Mac/PC). I can think of a hundred words to describe this thing, but I will let you think up your own. Enjoy!

Friday's Food 4 Thought: Minimum Wage Can't Make A Better Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Fri, 2 Feb 2007 09:15:00 -0500

Yesterday, millions of working mothers, fathers, and adults thought they were given a chance to improve their lives. What they may not realize is that they will continue to be living in poverty. In the end, the proposed minimum wage increase is only a symbolic measure without any real teeth or any real help for those living in poverty today. It actually benefits the rich more than the poor after pairing the minimum wage increase with tax benefits for the wealthy. This is a familiar theme in Congress, especially under the Bush regime.

The 2006 HHS poverty line for a family of three is $16,600, however, studies devoted to the family budget for a family of three indicate $23,000 to $46,000 (depending on where they live) is required to support a family of three. This includes the price of food, rent, childcare, transportation and other necessities. These figures do not represent luxury items. A minimum wage increase to 7.25/hr will raise the minimum wage income to $18,326. Can you live on that? I couldn’t. Did you know that over half of the minimum wage employees are women? Did you know that 80 percent are adults over the age of 20? Did you know that minimum wage workers make up the largest employment of women and single working mothers? I only wish there were a God to help them (and their children). As an atheist, I can’t even do that.

Is this good enough? Is this the best America can do? Why does one of the most advanced countries in the world continue to deny a living wage to all of their citizens?

When you go out today, I want to you to look into the faces of those that serve you. Chances are you will be looking into the eyes of a minimum wage employee every step of your day. In almost all team oriented studies, the team is only as strong as their weakest link. When you go out today, look for a business that proudly supports living wages and support their business. I go to a local Pizza place that gives their employee’s living wages, health benefits, and extra benefits such as vacations or paid time off. I pay a lot for that Pizza (and I bitch about it sometimes), but you know what? It is the best damn Pizza I have ever had and I keep going back. If living wages can make a better Pizza, the other possibilities are limitless.

Wacky Wednesday: An Apple A Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Thu, 1 Feb 2007 20:49:00 -0500

Over the past few years I've been amazed at all the attachments and gizmo's that are being produced for Apple Ipod's. I think just about every area of the home, even your bathroom, there exists the possibility of adding an Ipod docking station of some sort (Hey, I don't know about you, but I have much more productive bowel movements with my toilet seat docking station).

Now your local doctor will be toting his Ipod to work for a different reason altogether. The Ipod stethoscope is now a reality. Plug and play for your heart....

Perhaps, we will begin to have collector heartbeat recordings of great people in history. What about adding CD/DVD extras featuring the heartbeat of your favorite band member, actor, or actress? I'd definitely be the first in line to buy the Angelina Jolie collector edition.

And what about all that nasty file sharing going on? I don't want somebody downloading my heartbeat with the latest American Idol crap. Which reminds me, I just started a new Myspace account. My band is called "The Heart Murmurs". Perhaps you'd like listening to our remake of "Two Hearts Beat As One"...

Hillary 4 Prez

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:15:00 -0500

Dear Friend,

Hillary Clinton has the wisdom and experience that our country needs. I’m supporting her presidential campaign and I hope you'll join me in that support at this crucial moment in the campaign. This is a massive undertaking and she needs our help. This will be an historic campaign, I'm asking you to sign up as a supporter.

Early financial support and building a strong base is the key to any successful campaign. Let's show Hillary that we have her back -- make an online contribution or sign up as a supporter today.

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

OR...

JOIN TEAM HILLARY

My open letter to Hillary Clinton...

Hillary,

I am very excited about your candidacy. I supported President Clinton from the very beginning to the very end and will do so with your bid for the Presidency. I feel that both you and Bill were a great team in the White House once before, I'm certain that you both can make a huge difference if given another opportunity. With your intelligence and compassion, it gives me great hope for our future. And for you to be leading the nation as the first woman President would be an historical moment that would provide us with more choices in the future (regardless of party affiliation). I hope that you bring Bill on the campaign trail and use him to your advantage whenever possible. We all still love that man, regardless of his flaws. His charisma and your presence will energize the nation. I hope that you expand on your ideas for Universal Health Care. I also hope that you provide some hope for "Universal Education" in our Colleges and Universities. To give every person the opportunity to learn and the opportunity to provide them and their families quality health care will make America stronger and better than ever before.

Warmest Regards,

JK

This and That...

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:42:00 -0500

I'm baaaaaaaack....

Yes, after a long absence, Assassination Press is going live again.

As your reinvigorated host of the news with nothing to lose (shaken, not stirred of course), I will do my best to disappoint (I mean not disappoint) and provide some "interestingness" that is worth a peek every now and then.

A few notes. "Spin or Spun" is not a live site for me right now. Unfortunately, I got really burned out on the web and development of things old and new. It will be back, but for now I'm just cash parking it. Don't know what cash parking is? You probably don't want to know and if you do you probably already know what it is. And yes, my ad profits still go to HSUS.

I'm trying out the new blogger site. If it sucks, you will be the first to know. If you know and I don't, please let me know.

Okay, if you haven't bookmarked, blogrolled, or linked to AP yet, do it now. Look on the left. I've tried to make it as easy as possible. Feeds are provided as well, although I do appreciate your looking in on my ugly mug every now and then. Read a few posts and decide for yourself. God (or in my case Angelina Jolie) knows the blogosphere has something out there to interest you. I wonder if a blogger types and no one reads does it make a sound?

Every now and then I like to provide a little link to something of interest and value. As a gift for stopping by today, I'd like to share Google Notebook. Wow! Those Google guys are cooking up all kinds of "Googly Goodness" these days (I wish I'd cashed in on that stock a few years back). This thing rocks my world. I love it, chances are you will too. I clip, bookmark, and post all kinds of good things to my notebooks. It is a personal scrapbook and much more. I use it for work and play. Chances are it will help AP become a better blog too. Maybe it will help you.

As was the case before my hiatus (my psychologist prefers I call my "nietzschesqe" descent into madness a hiatus from the real world....don't worry, I brought some of the abyss back for you too), you can send any questions you may have (or can make up) to "Knight's Mailbag". In the past, that mailbag has provided some interesting discussions. I may not be qualified to provide much professional assistance, but I guarantee some interesting answers, advice, or just plain bullshit.

I'd like to leave you with an interesting quote and an upcoming topic that you should check back on...

"Behind every successful man there is a surprised woman. " ~ Maryon Pearson

Now, to edit out all those freaking spam comments this blog has collected over the past year or two...

Angelina Bless!

JK

Katrina and The Waves

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:52:00 -0500

James Knight (Assassination Press)

I'm still alive after Hurricane Katrina briefly hit Florida. I need to update my list of Hurricane's that I have survived to date. Every time I think about this Hurricane I can't help but think about that 80's group "Katrina and The Waves". You know, "I'm walking on Sunshine........blah blah blah.....it feels good ya!". Terrible group, terrible song, terrible Hurricane......how fitting.

It was very mild for us here in Northern Florida. Just some rain and a little wind. I hope the Gulf Coast areas will be OK after today. It looks pretty bad from some of the images I have seen. I can empathize with what they are experiencing. I can remember how soggy N'awlins was during a bad rain, it must be pretty bad now. I hope they survive, it's a great place to party and see some beautiful women (and if your lucky, some boobs too).

I haven't written in awhile. Right now, I'm pretty busy in my personal and professional life. I've also been busy trying to get "Spin or Spun" up and running. Thanks to everyone who has been helping make "Spin or Spun" a better website. The website is devoted to community and it has some very interesting and intelligent people as members/beta testers. Thanks again!

I'll be writing again soon. I've been saving up some rants and general feelings of malcontent. I'm going to have to get it out into the blogosphere soon.

Sunday Editorial: Virtual Insanity?

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 11:54:00 -0500

PDF Format

By James Knight (Assassination Press)

“Futures made of virtual insanity (now) Always seem to be govern'd by this love we have For useless, twisting, our new technology…”

“When things are big that should be small Who can tell what magic spells we'll be doing for us…”

Jamiroquai

If you had all that you ever wanted, what would you desire? If all your dreams came true, what would you dream of? Does something have the same value if you didn’t have to dream for it, plan for it, work for it, fuck for it, or find it?

If I was God and I said, “Fuck three wishes, I’m giving you an infinite supply”, what would you say? You’d probably be too busy kissing my ass to say anything. What if I then wave my invisible, but never-the-less, magic hand (unless it’s Sunday and then you will have to wait ‘till the next business day) and any wish your twisted little mind could come up with is granted. Would you be happily ever after?

Since the beginning of time, mankind has wanted to create a Utopia. For some, that Utopia was communal, for others it may have been individual. For some it may have been decadent, for others it may have been moral. Whatever a person or society’s ideal, whether imagined, attempted, or half-realized; the one thing all Utopia’s have in common is failure.

But mankind is persistent. You’ve got to at least give us that. Humankind is an autistic bunch of dumb-ass self-masochists. Got a wall? Got a head? Got a few thousand centuries? If we have the slightest inkling that something is on the other side of that wall, we’re going to beat ourselves silly for it. The great fairytale of Adam and Eve started it all and Adam set a precedent for the rest of us. We may be doomed, but God Damn it, we are definitely persistent motherfuckers.

Many ideals, once thought science fiction or insurmountable, have been realized. Perhaps with today’s technological advances our Utopia is right around the virtual corner. Our entertainment is on demand, our information is on demand, and any kind of pizza your heart could desire is on demand (which is pretty damn close to Utopia anyway). What is next?

We are probably only decades away from cloning ourselves (only the ‘best’ parts). But that will probably be flawed too. The copy is only as good as the original. Humankind isn’t exactly the best example to base a new super race on. In fact, it is pretty much guaranteed to be “FUBAR”. “DNA” really stands for Dangerous No-Good Assholes.

No, the only perfection possible is in something not human. Inhuman even. Those little wires, processors, and chipsets that are allowing you to view these words right now are going to allow you much more in the future.

I haven’t been watching “The Matrix” either. If anything, I’ve dreamt my digital dreams from the seeds planted by William Gibson’s cyber punk novels of the future (he is the person who coined “cyberspace”, among others). And how did Mr. Gibson come up with his ideas? He extrapolated on the reality of what was today. Take something, anything, and then extrapolate the possibilities by 100, 1000, 1,000,000. So, let’s take Mr. Gibson’s formula and apply it now…

What do we have today?

A computer, broadband connection, and a valid credit card can get you information, get you news, get you entertainment, get you video, get you audio, get you pictures, get pizza delivered to your door, and get you off.

What do we have in the future?

Extrapolate that by a million, billion, or gazillion, and you’ve got some flavor of Utopia (or at least some crazy fucker like Dennis Hopper in “Easy Rider” whispering in your ear, “Yeah maaan, it’s like, I’ll have mine with Pepperoni, Sausage, and some fucking Anchovies maaaaan…”.)

Some person, somewhere, at sometime, is going to find that magical little port into our brains and we will be jacked up to our own virtual reality. The clock is ticking; it’s just a matter of time. Bzzzzzzzzt. Goodbye to failure. Goodbye gasoline. Goodbye to that person who wouldn’t take your phone number last night. Presto! With the click of the hard drive and a few million neurotransmitters firing you’ve got yourself a free ride to anywhere and the best damn cybersex this side of Mars. Destination: Funky-town Baby!

The manipulation of our senses is not impossible. It’s just a matter of time before all our senses are plugged in, jacked up, and tuned into a virtual reality that would seem as real as the world you exist in today. Imagine a world where everything you see, touch, hear, smell, and feel is nothing but ones and zeroes designed to make your dreams come true. It’s hard to contemplate.

See, after you’ve conquered your virtual world, what’s left? You’ve sexed up the best there is to offer, been on vacations to every real or imagined place in your mind, spent more money than could ever be printed, and played with all the toys. What’s next? Okay, let’s say you “really really really” like sex (I know, it’s a stretch, but bear with me). Let’s say you “really really really” like jet setting around, spending money, and playing with all the toys you can dream up. You “really really really” like doing it so much, you do it a few million times. In cyberspace, that can happen in the blink of an eye. Time also has no meaning, so you could do it all in a heartbeat. What are you going to do with all your other heartbeats? Think about this now. Let it swirl around in your head for a moment. Anything your heart desires has been given to you. Not just once, but a few million times.

Would you start craving adversity? Would you start craving to work toward your goals and feel the reward that comes with achievement? Maybe you’d plug in and plug out a little bit. Just enough time to realize the imperfections of the real world and then go hide in your virtual reality for some “down time”. Maybe. But, shit, you’ve already done that a bazillion times. It’s old. Dennis Hopper, ala “Easy Rider”, is back and whispering in your ear, “yeah maaaan, you’ve been there, done that maaaan. It’s as old as your grandmother’s crusty underwear maaaan”.

Perhaps, just perhaps, imperfection is perfection. Sure, we all want a better world. There are some things that are just so fucked up that we have to fix them. But perhaps a world where the worst no longer exists, but the best is still a paycheck away is the most we can hope for. Maybe the 80’s band “Loverboy” was really sage and omniscience (versus just pop rock fluff) when saying, “Everybody is working for the weekend. Everybody wants a little romance. Everybody's goin' off the deep end. Everybody needs a second chance, oh…”

Definitely, these are things to think about. But for now I’m going to go find some cyber babes…

Bush: The Missing Years

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:41:00 -0500

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By James Knight (Assassination Press)

It's now well established that George W. Bush never showed up for National Guard duty for a period of approximately one year, possibly more, in 1972-1973. Now, Assassination Press has obtained exclusive photo's of Bush during those "missing years".

As you can see in this photo, Bush was partying with Hugh Hefner and some Playboy playmates. He can be seen kneeling by Hefner. My confidential sources tell me that Bush liked to wear his Air National uniforms during those "missing years". According to my source, Bush said, "This uniform is a ***** magnet".

Each week, Assassination Press will submit new photo's of the missing Bush during those formative years. Let me tell you in advance, he was having one hell of a good time!

Sunday Editorial: Insane Problems Require Insane Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Sun, 7 Aug 2005 20:01:00 -0500

PDF Format

By James Knight (Assassination Press)

“The whole country’s got a fucked up mentality. We all got a gang mentality. Republicans are fucking idiots. Democrats are fucking idiots. Conservatives are idiots and liberals are idiots.”

“Anyone who makes up their mind before they hear the issue is a fucking fool. Everybody is so busy wanting to be down with a gang! I’m a conservative! I’m a liberal! It’s all bullshit.”

“Be a fucking person. Listen. Let it swirl around in your head. Then form your opinion.”

“No normal decent person is one thing. OK!?! I got some shit I’m conservative about; I got some shit I’m liberal about. Crime – I’m conservative. Prostitution – I’m liberal!”

Chris Rock

What is sanity? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sanity is defined as “reasonable and rational behavior”. What is insane? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, insane is defined as “in or relating to an unsound state of mind, extremely foolish; irrational”.

In our American society today, we have a presidential administration that is acting in extremely foolish and irrational ways. Case in point:

President Bush unilaterally appoints John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

In an unprecedented move, Bush single handedly appoints a man whom, in all likelihood, would be denied a traditional appointment by the United States Senate. The “recess” appointment, an avenue available only when Congress is in recess and which is intended by the Constitution to only be used in severe circumstances, has allowed President Bush to abuse his power and essentially sidestep Bolton’s detractors without a Senate hearing. Evidently, the only “voice of reason”, is the one inside Bush’s own head.

Bush has said Bolton was “the right man” to prod the U.N. to adopt difficult reforms. However, Bolton is a man who has proven to be uncompromising, extremely conservative, a sharp critic of the United Nations, and a person who has routinely dismissed and/or retaliated against any voices of caution or dissent.

Now, he will have to work with the same entity he has criticized. In addition, he will need to work with 190 other Ambassador’s whom all have differing points of view. It doesn’t seem likely that a man, who has a habit of bullying, marginalizing, and undermining those who do not agree with him, is going to succeed in this capacity. Is this really the “right man” for the job? It makes one wonder what the “job” actually entails.

It seems likely Bolton will alienate the United Nations and it’s members. Thus, the Bush administration has essentially dismissed the largest “voice of reason” in the entire world. And this at a time, when the United States, in the hands of the Bush administration, has already alienated much of the world governments. This is not the action of a sane administration.

Of course, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Bush has made more “recess” appointments (106 to be exact). And, Bush has not only tried to “bully” his ideology on the world stage, but on the national stage as well. Case in point:

Bush appoints Ken Tomlinson as chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Ken Tomlinson, a man who got his start on right-wing radio and whom subsequently ran one of the most conservative talk shows in American history. A man who, as chief of the Reader’s Digest, published one of the most reactionary magazines in the country. A man who happens to be close friends with Karl Rove and many members of the Bush administration.

This is a man who is supposed to provide PBS and NPR with “maximum protection from extraneous influence and control”? Is Tomlinson also the “right man” for the job? I suppose it all depends on what that job entails.

PBS and NPR are publicly funded avenues for independent journalism and entertainment; however, Tomlinson is overtly attempting to turn each publicly funded entity into right wing, conservative avenues, for pro-Bush administration journalism and entertainment. Anything that is not in alignment with conservative values would be cut if Tomlinson has his way.

To date, he has hired ultra conservative consultants to monitor PBS programming for liberal bias, collaborated with the White House to hire “ombudsmen” to keep an eye on the PBS programs “Frontline” and “All Things Considered”, and in an extremely undignified moment has warned a gathering of PBS executives that their programming should reflect conservative values or they would not get public funding (In retaliation for not adhering to his conservative war cry, he stood by as Congress attempted to slash funding for PBS, the very entity he is sworn to protect).

What is even more scary, is that Tomlinson has labeled extremist and/or liberal, anyone who does not align themselves with his, or the Bush administration’s, point of view. Some of his “extremists” include, Sen. Chuck Hagel (Republican) and Former Representative Bob Barr (Republican). To top it off, Tomlinson, as does Bolton, routinely suppresses or manipulates data that offers a dissenting point of view. When two polls he commissioned in 2002 and 2003 revealed that Eighty percent of Americans held a favorable view of PBS and that Ninety-Two percent of the American public considered the PBS reporting of the Iraq war to be unbiased, he squashed it. That is, until he was forced to hand the data over to Congress.

Is this sanity? Trying to brainwash the American public into believing anything the Bush administration wishes to be true?

Can an insane problem be solved with sane solutions? How can those of us with “reasonable and rational behavior” combat the opposite? How can we respond to insanity?

It’s not only the administration that is insane, but many of the people who elected Bush.

These are people who actually believe that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. People who proclaim that all life is sacred (unless you’re talking about the death penalty or gun laws). People who believe that evolution is only a theory. And, to top it off, actually believe Saddam Hussein and Iraq were involved with “9/11”.

So, I think we have a problem on our hands. An insane problem that can only be solved by an insane solution.

We need to turn all those red states into blue states (or at least the one’s that have the most electoral votes). We have to return the United States to sanity. The solution is simple (insane, but simple):

We need to take some of the college educated and/or reasonable adults from the blue states and have them move to the red states prior to the next election. Hey, I’m not asking for much, just an above average IQ. The blue states have more people than red states, surely there are some of you out there who can be relocated.

We need to spread sanity. So listen up all educated and reasonable adults. Texas, Oklahoma, the entire Midwest and South are now taking applications for sane, reasonable, educated people. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. A country is too.

Mahna Mahna Redux: Bushisms

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Thu, 4 Aug 2005 17:32:00 -0500

By James Knight (Assassination Press)

Why do Republicans look like Muppets? Sometimes, they even act like Muppets!

Listen to this.

One Month and Counting...

noreply@blogger.com (Assassination Press) — Mon, 1 Aug 2005 18:04:00 -0500

It's been one month since I started this blog. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has stopped by for a visit. Hopefully, if I have been doing this thing the way I first imagined, I've made you laugh, ponder, and/or pissed you off.

To date, I've had over 5000 unique visitors and almost twice that many page hits. Circulation has increased from zero to over 400 regular subscribers. Most importantly, I've managed to donate some money to PETA and HSUS just by you guys and gals clicking on those annoying little Google ads (no purchase necessary....hint hint).

It's been a wonderful experience so far and I look forward to providing better content and more multimedia oriented content as well. I really enjoy writing and being creative. Your feedback has been very much appreciated.

This is still very much a work in progress. Soon, I will have a completely new interface and web design for those with higher bandwidth capabilities. I will still have an HTML page for lower bandwidth.

I've been taking a few days off, but I've got some things in the pipeline that I think will be worth a few mintues of your time.

Again, thanks for the visits and stay tuned....

JK