CUPPA JOE

‘Round The Blogosphere 12-11-06

March 28th, 2007

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March 28th, 2007 20:10:55

Doing what comes naturally

March 26th, 2007

The one thing everyone who’d been to Japan warned us about was the, uh, traditional toilets. Many public bathrooms in Tokyo offer a choice — some stalls have Western toilets, and others have Japanese. The Japanese ones are kind of a trough built low into the floor — to use them you have to kind of hunch over them. When you get out into the more rural areas and at spots less geared for tourists, Japanese toilets are more the standard, it seemed.

I’ll share perhaps more than you wanted to know and tell you that I only used a Japanese-style one once, and that on my first try, I managed to fall over. And then I walked out and discovered that there was a Western-style toilet in the stall one door down. But hey, at least I, uh, added a new experience into my repertoire.

The really bad photo shown here is the sign that appeared on one of the Japanese-style stalls at Hello Kitty land, a.k.a. Sanrio Puroland (which will soon be an entry all its own). Apparently the toilet is about to be used by a LEGO minifig. Toilet and person are not actual size. Toilet is not actually a giant slipper.


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March 26th, 2007 19:45:54

TGS ‘07: Time Crisis 4 Hands-On

March 25th, 2007
TGS ‘07: Time Crisis 4 Hands-On

We grab the Guncon and start making the world a better place.
TOKYO–Time Crisis is one of those games that can sell itself. If you like Guncon games and shooting copious numbers of bad guys, you’re probably going to buy the game regardless of what you read or see on TV. But just because you’re going to buy it already doesn’t mean you don’t want to know more about it, right? Read on for our hands-on impressions of the first level on display at the TGS ‘07.
The game’s prerendered intro was playing as we approached the kiosk. It was tough to figure out what was going on since everything was in Japanese, but the movie still conveyed all you need to know–some bad guys are up to no good, there are some giant buglike creatures on the loose, and it’s up to you to make things right.
Fiddling around with the menus we noticed a split-screen option as well as some sort of minigames. The clock was ticking on our playtime though so we hopped into the game’s first mission. Another cutscene played, seemingly reiterating what we had seen in the intro. Our character was a tough-looking character named Captain Rush. After the two high-ranking officials gave us the lowdown on what was happening, it was time for action.
The first level takes place on the docks of an unnamed California city. We rappelled onto the docks from a helicopter and got acclimated with the controls. In many ways the plastic gun that comes with the game looks similar to what you’d find in any shooting game, but this gun has a lot more than a trigger. An analog stick on the left side of the gun lets you move around while another stick just above the back of the handle lets you look around. Pushing in the left analog stick makes your character crouch and pushing in the right stick zooms in the sights a bit. There are two buttons on the front of the gun. One reloads the weapon and the button below it makes your character jump. There are also a few buttons on the back, one of which lets you select different weapons. Our impressive arsenal included a pistol, machine gun, shotgun, knife, and even a grenade launcher.
Acclimating to the controls was a piece of cake and we quickly made our way through the maze of boxes, crates, and shipping containers–at least until the bad guys showed up. Soon we found ourselves under fire from dudes jumping out from behind corners, crouching next to parked cars, and even atop the shipping containers. Running through the level was a recipe for disaster, but slowing down and carefully picking off enemies one by one worked great and was a lot of fun. After using the jump button to climb some crates that were conveniently stacked in a stairlike fashion, some helicopters flew overhead and dropped off some reinforcements. These new bad guys were a lot tougher and even carried blast shields. We made short work of them and were just starting to feel confident when a helicopter came swooping down raining bullets on our parade. Death soon followed and we passed the controller to the next person in line.
Time Crisis 4 isn’t much to look at–at least the stage we played wasn’t–but this is one of those games that doesn’t need to be gorgeous to be entertaining. You can find out for yourselves when the game hits stores this winter.

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March 25th, 2007 09:35:18

Gig Diary - The Elevens January 20, 2006

March 25th, 2007

When I arrived at the Rub Wrongways studio at 6:30 PM I found Tony lying on the floor sleeping - or “resting his eyes”. I hauled him up to his feet and we hacked our way through learning “Waterloo Sunset” and “A Machine to Break Your Heart”. The band never got a chance to practice all together for this show - so 4 of us rehearsed on one day and then Tony and I on another. We also managed to put a whole bunch of songs on our set-list that the band hadn’t played for a long long time. So the show itself was going to be a little by-the-seat-of-our-pants (whatever that means).

Half way through my practice with Tony I realized that I better quiet down or I was going to lose my voice by the end of the night. I reverted to my low morning voice and muttered the remaining numbers.

Suddenly, it was 8:30 and we packed up all our gear in black cases and headed over to the club. It was an unseasonable warm evening and it felt like spring was just beginning as I double parked and loaded stuff out of the car. Surely, I thought, there were going to be people all over the place on such a night. Wrong.

Although ever single parking spot in Northampton was full - the club itself never got very crowded. However, the crowd that was there was a solid quality crowd. There were revellers and dancers and cheerers.

SFTD didn’t take the stage until about midnight. We played 19 songs at high speed and finished up at exactly 1:30. We had to cut one song from our list of 20. “A Beautiful Day In The Woods (Ayla)” remained unplayed. We could have done it as an encore - but even though the cheers for “one more” were plenty loud..they were only coming from the 12 people who were dancing. And we were out of time.

We debuted “A Machine To Break Your Heart” as a full band. In fact, that song had never been played live ever by anyone. We almost pulled it off. “Waterloo Sunset” was great fun. It’s one of my favorite songs and we came together as a band while playing it.

What else happened at this show?…Tony did some creepy dance with Lord Russ during “1,000 Times”. I almost lost my voice. Brian said some funny stuff but not into his microphone. We got to enjoy the music of Nate Laban and The Caroline Know.


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March 25th, 2007 09:02:05

Yet Another Econ Blog

March 24th, 2007

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March 24th, 2007 22:37:58

Dr Wall Cartoon fascism shocker

March 24th, 2007

Lots more cartoons from Schnews here…not all essays in political theory but all inspired by the violence and authoritarianism of late late capitalism, outraged you should be. The Putin one is a bit silly but fun, for example.

See some of you at Green Party conference tomorrow!

I have agreed to donate Schnews some cash by standing order.

If you want to keep their cartoonists motivated donate here
.

Never a truer word than spoken in jest…
Collected here in one easy-access webpage are many of the graphics produced by SchNEWS, as featured in the top corner of each issue over the years, as well as other originally produced spoofs and satire. All these images are copyleft - free to use for non-profit use - and in fact many have been nicked and used by campaign groups, other magazines as well as flyposted and used on independent record covers. By all means use them - and drop us a line when you do.


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March 24th, 2007 22:04:58

UNDERWEAR PROTEST AT INDIA ATTACK

March 24th, 2007


A poster of the underwear campaign
The group has already attracted more than 5,000 members

Indians outraged at an attack on women for drinking in a bar have gathered together to send a provocative gift of underwear to right-wing activists.

More than 5,000 people, including men, have joined the Facebook group, which calls itself the Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women.

The group says it will give the pink underwear to Sri Ram Sena (Army of Lord Ram) on Valentine’s Day on Saturday.

It was blamed for the bar attack in the southern city of Mangalore last month.

Pramod Mutalik, who heads the little known Ram Sena and is now on bail after he was held following the attack, has said it is “not acceptable” for women to go to bars in India.

He has also said his men will protest against Valentine’s Day on Saturday.

The Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women, which was formed on Facebook last Thursday, has also exhorted women to “walk to the nearest pub and buy a drink” on Valentine’s Day.

A spokeswoman for the group, Nisha Susan, told the BBC it was gifting chaddis (Hindi colloquial for underwear) as they alluded to a prominent Hindu right-wing group whose khaki-shorts-wearing cadres were often derisively called “chaddi wallahs” (chaddi wearers).

Indian television crews caught the attack on film

“We chose the colour pink because it is a frivolous colour,” she said.

Ms Susan said the group expected to collect at least 500 pieces of pink underwear from all over the country and send them to Mr Mutalik’s office in the southern city of Hubli.

“It’s a choice between ignoring a group like Ram Sena or respond to its activities. We have decided to give it attention, but it is attention which it will not like,” she said.

The group has asked people to mail or drop underwear at “collection points” across the country.

The Ram Sena has not yet commented on the group’s moves.

Last month’s attack in Mangalore, which was filmed and then broadcast on national television, shocked many Indians.

Pramod Mutalik
Mr Mutalik has said his men will protest against Valentine’s Day celebrations

Television pictures showed the men chasing and beating up the panicking women. Some of the women, who tripped and fell, were kicked by the men.

Around 30 people, including Mr Mutalik, were arrested following the attack.

Women’s groups strongly condemned the attack which was described by the country’s Women’s Minister Renuka Chaudhury as an attempt to impose Taleban-style values.

The Hindu nationalist BJP government in Karnataka state distanced itself from the attack. It said that it had nothing to do with Sri Ram Sena.

But our correspondent says that right-wing Hindu vigilante groups loosely linked to the BJP are active in many parts of India and have in the past targeted Muslim and Christian minorities as well as events such as Valentine’s Day.

BBC NEWS REPORT.


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March 24th, 2007 18:02:07

THOUSANDS FLEE NIGERIAN MILITANTS !

March 23rd, 2007
Thousands of Nigerians have fled the Niger Delta oil town of Bonny after militants threatened to behead people who are not originally from the area.
The unknown group attacked soldiers in the town two weeks ago, killing nine people including a pregnant woman.
According to a newspaper article widely circulated by residents, the militants said they would return on July 16.
Bonny Island is home to a major oil and gas export terminal but production has not been affected.
Meanwhile, a militant attack in the Bonny Island area has left five people dead, the AP news agency reports.
About 30 militants attacked a Navy houseboat and three militants, a navy officer and civilian were killed, said Col Chris Musa.

In Bonny, youth leader Kingsley Adonis Pepple said people took the militant’s threat seriously.
“They were handing out copies of this article to people in the street. There was panic. People packed up their entire family into a boat and fled.”
Several boats had capsized and people drowned, he said, although there is no confirmation of this.
Mr Adonis Pepple said all the known militant groups in the area had denied issuing any threats.
He tried to tell people but they weren’t taking any chances, he said.
The article said unnamed sources reported the militants’ demand.
“Another source said that the hoodlums, after the face-off with the navy, entered town, shooting and giving ultimatum that all residents of the town who were from other places should leave the town before July 16 or risk being beheaded,” the national Nigerian Tribune paper said.
The article was sent to many people in Bonny by family members begging them to get out before the deadline, Mr Adonis Pepple said.

Bonny is a city of over 100,000 people, many of whom work in the oil industry.
The new multi-million dollar Liquefied Natural Gas export terminal is nearby.
Shell announced on Tuesday that a pipeline leading to Bonny Island, attacked by militants two months ago, had been repaired and production resumed.
Militant attacks on oil infrastructure are partly responsible for Nigeria’s oil exports being cut by around a quarter in recent years.
Militants have also kidnapped oil workers for ransom.
Some groups are demanding a larger share of the oil wealth, but others are criminal gangs who make a living from extortion and oil theft, Delta activists say.
British aid
Nigeria has seen several “communal crises” in recent years, in which one ethnic group attacks another seen as being “non-indigenous” to the area.
Hundreds of people were killed in Plateau state in 2004 in clashes between Christian militias and Hausa Muslims.
President Umaru Yar’Adua is meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London to discuss security issues in the oil-producing Niger Delta.
Mr Brown recently offered to help Nigeria bring an end to the violence and increase oil production.
Many in the region are afraid Mr Brown means to send military aid to the Delta.

BBC NEWS REPORT.

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March 23rd, 2007 12:43:28

Cool Tributes - Pop Standards Revisited

March 19th, 2007


Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Lo-Fi
Type: MP3 format sound
Total size: 190 mb

Disc One
01. Eldissa - Staying Alive (The Bee Gees)
02. Nostalgia 77 & Alice Russell - Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)
03. Christina Camacho - Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
04. Appollo Nove - I’m A Rocker (AC/DC)
05. Neal Casa - Wishing Well (Terence Trent d’Arby)
06. Montefiori Cocktail - Sunny (Bobby Herb)
07. The Dynamics - 90% Of Me Is You (Gwen McCrae)
08. Hakan Libdo feat. Emma - What Is Love? (Howard Jones)
09. Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - Rehab (Amy Winehouse)
10. Re:Jazz feat. Tobias Kremer Big Band - People Hold On (Lisa Stanfield)
11. Me And You - Brown Paper Bag (Roni Size)
12. Alex Gopher - The Child (Billie Holiday)
13. Gotan Project meets Chet Baker - Round About Midnight (Thelonious Monk)
14. Mousse T. & Emma Lanford - Horny Jazz (Mousse T)
15. Dominique Dalcan - The Look Of Love (Burt Bacharach)
16. Belleruche - Minor Swing (Django Reinhardt)
17. Cibelle - About A Girl (Nirvana)
18. Matthew Herbert - Cafe de Flore (Doctor Rockit)
19. Hederos And Hellberg - No Fun (The Stooges)
Duration: 75′ 49″
Total size: 96.2 mb

Disc Two
01. Chris Coco feat. Nick Cave - Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground)
02. Toco - Qui c’est celui-la? (Pierre Vassiliu)
03. Bing Ji Ling - You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
04. Osunlade feat. Erro - Everything In Its Right Place (Radiohead)
05. Musica Nuda - Come Together (The Beatles)
06. Jumbonics - Last Nite (The Strokes)
07. James Comb - Happy Together (The Turtles)
08. The Lions - Think (About It) (Aretha Franklin)
09. Re:Jazz feat. Alice Russell - Gabrielle (Roy Davis Jr)
10. Eldissa - Funky Town (Lipps Inc.)
11. Taggy Matcher - Rock It (Herbie Hancock)
12. Better Daze - Golden Brown (The Stranglers)
13. The Bamboos - Happy (Max Sedgley)
14. Dani Siciliano - Come As You Are (Nirvana)
15. Joseph Malik - Take It All And Check It All Out (Bill Withers)
16. Quantic Soul Orchestra - Hold It Down (4Hero)
17. Eddy meets Yannah - No One’s Gonna Love You (SOS Band)
18. Sonoko - In Heaven (David Lynch)
19. Susanna And The Magical Orchestra - Love Will Tears Us Apart (Joy Division)
Duration: 78′ 07″
Total size: 94.3 mb

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/81874226/Cool_Tributes.part1.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/81876414/Cool_Tributes.part2.rar


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March 19th, 2007 09:33:38

Texas Longhorn Steer by V. Bridges-Hoyt

March 17th, 2007
© 2008 Vernita Bridges-Hoyt

Texas Longhorn Steer
original painting by Vernita Bridges-Hoyt
The Texas Longhorn is mascot of The University of Texas.
11″x14″ oil on canvas
unframed


$250 with FREE shipping
sales tax applicable to Texas buyers
20% 
of this sale will be donated to
True Blue Animal Rescue
Brenham, Texas

email artist@vbridgeshoyt.com

Thank you for shopping.

********
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March 17th, 2007 19:09:23