Well, that’s state education for you.

http://socialistworker.org/ Have a h/t, you earned it. (Does the US have an equivalent of the SWP?)

“I advocate returning to limited government, accompanied by a minimal amount of confiscatory taxation to support only essential services along with Pay as Go budgeting; means testing for all government assistance programs; abolition of all member item pork barrel spending, balanced budgets; actual surpluses and payments to reduce long term state debt”

This person is [...]]]>

Via Reason…

“I advocate returning to limited government, accompanied by a minimal amount of confiscatory taxation to support only essential services along with Pay as Go budgeting; means testing for all government assistance programs; abolition of all member item pork barrel spending, balanced budgets; actual surpluses and payments to reduce long term state debt”

This person is also influenced by Hayek, Friendman, Mises and Rand. You probably have in your mind an aging, balding, probably overweight man. Another Ron Paul. Guess again.

Post name ripped from an anonymous commenter…

Hmm. My first reaction is “Just because something is awesome and/or totally tits does not mean society must bend over backwards to provide it to you”.

Real Human Rights, of course, are the absence of violence upon your person or property, be [...]]]>

So, the latest thing to be added to the human rights list is Internet access.

Hmm. My first reaction is “Just because something is awesome and/or totally tits does not mean society must bend over backwards to provide it to you”.

Real Human Rights, of course, are the absence of violence upon your person or property, be it economic or social. It means not having anyone or anything else, be it The State, big business, or some random guy in the street, coming up to you and enforcing a way of life, or unfair responsibilities on you. It does not mean using a God damn leviathan of The State to rob others of their lives in order to improve your own.

In other words, just because you want something, do not assume you have the right to use violence to get it.

And from The Torygraph

In Japan, Mexico and Russia, nearly 75 per cent of respondents said they could not cope without their internet connection.

Hmm. Is this “I couldn’t cope” as in “I would die without Red Tube”, or “I couldn’t cope” as in “It would cause me a bit of inconvenience- I’d have to actually buy a porno mag!”? If the former, which is, er, unlikely to say the least, then you’ve got one messed up disease there. If the latter, (yes, it’s the latter) then you can just continue paying your monthly bill to your ISP. Simples.

“The right to communicate cannot be ignored,” Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), told BBC News.

Just as freedom of speech does not imply a right to be given a platform, freedom of communication does not imply a right to be given a mode to do so.

“The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created.”

He said that governments must “regard the internet as basic infrastructure – just like roads, waste and water”.

And, just like roads, waste, and water, stay the fuck away from the internet. It’s too important to let statist hands control. As demonstrated here:

However, many web users expressed concerns about the dangers of hacking, fraud and privacy. A majority of internet users in Japan, Germany, France, China and South Korea were not confident about expressing their opinions online.

But government regulation was not viewed as the correct method to solve these issues, with over half of the 27,000 respondents agreeing that that internet “should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere”.

Yes. Too important for the dead hand of the state.

“Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around the world see access to the internet as their fundamental right,” said Doug Miller, the chairman of GlobeScan which conducted the survey. “They think the web is a force for good, and most don’t want governments to regulate it.”

You can’t have internet provided by government yet not regulated by it. It’s not possible. In the extreme case, putting the internet into “public” (read: State) ownership is paving the way for our own version of The Great Firewall of China. In the more likely case of having private/public mixtures, we can only end up with a corporatist mess of special interests and bureacratic waste.

If the internet is to remain a good thing for freedom, it needs to keep on a voluntary, free market basis.

Update: Speak of the devil!

Ironic, given that Labour appear to have copied Mugabe’s economic manifesto to the letter.

“Conservatives are bold, (Tony) Blair and (Gordon) Brown run away when they see me, but not these fools, they know how to relate to others,” he added.

Tories? Bold? Not sure what tories he’s [...]]]>

Even Robert bloody Mugabe is sick of Brown.

Ironic, given that Labour appear to have copied Mugabe’s economic manifesto to the letter.

“Conservatives are bold, (Tony) Blair and (Gordon) Brown run away when they see me, but not these fools, they know how to relate to others,” he added.

Tories? Bold? Not sure what tories he’s been hanging out with, but it’s not Cameron’s lot. I can totally understand wanting to run away from Mugabe, though.

In short, statist cunt supports statist cunt. No real surprise.

Gorillaz, cartoon band that critics insisted on calling “just a gimmick”, despite 15 million sales and a decade of cult following, are, after another of their trademark several year absences, back on the scene with their third album (if you exclude B side collections, which are worth picking up [...]]]>

Written for Heaven is Whenever.

Gorillaz, cartoon band that critics insisted on calling “just a gimmick”, despite 15 million sales and a decade of cult following, are, after another of their trademark several year absences, back on the scene with their third album (if you exclude B side collections, which are worth picking up on their own merits), Plastic Beach.

If, like me, you prefer the fantasy put forward by the band’s videos etc, to the reality of Ex-Blur man Damon Alburn with a load of session musicians, then having abandoned their previous hideout, Kong Studios, in favour Plastic Beach (“The most isolated place on the planet”, says Murdoc) built on tons of trash thrown to sea (Ah, environmental themes are becoming clear already and we’re hardly past the album cover), the band (or at least, Bassist Murdoc and vocalist 2D- obese drummer Russell and guitarist Noodle currently MIA) are free to pursue musical experimentation to their heart’s desires. Once again packed with guests, ranging from Mos Def to Lou Reed, the band churn out another success of an album, that manages to hold your attention from the opening track, an orchestral piece that balances suspense and tranquillity in an oddly disquieting way, to the last, Pirate Jet. In the 58 minutes between those two points, a dedicated listener will be treated to a huge variety of sounds.

In the first ten minuites, you’ll have heard hip hop (Welcome to the World of Plastic Beach) and- Gorillaz have never shied away from World Music influences- an Oriental inspired pan pips fused with the above (White flag). But both these tracks are mere warm up for what follows.

Lead single Stylo, (Why yes, that is Bruce Willis in the video) with Mos Def and Bobby Womack stands comes a few tracks in. Possibly consisting of not a single “real” instrument, this synthesizer heavy tune features an addictive bass line and good vocals from guests Def and Womack as well as 2D. Although Stylo was probably the best choice for a single, since most of the other tracks need to be heard in the context of the full album to be fully appreciated, Stylo is in fact one of the album’s low points. Not at all fitting in with the tranquil beach theme or the reflecting-upon-affluent-society ethos, Stylo almost seems to be an added extra to the album than part of the album itself. Not that’s its a bad song; it just doesn’t seem to fit in with its neighbours.

Superfast Jellyfish, on of said neighbours, is a bouncy and uplifting tune, which is as far as I can make out is about fast food. Sure to become a fan favourite, Jellyfish contains good vocals provided by long time Gorillaz colaborator De La Soul (Clint Eastwood and Rock the House from the debut album) mixed with the trademark Gorillaz oh-so-slightly avant garde style. It’s a more upbeat and energetic tune than most on the album, but after every MSG driven energy rush comes a crash, in this case in the form of Empire Ants.

Much more slow paced and relaxing, Empire Ants may remind some listeners of the repetitive, “Muzak” often deployed in hotel lobbies and elevators. At least, until the 2 minute mark, when the drums and synths really kick in, alongside Yukimi Nagano’s vocals. Then, the tune takes a totally different direction.

On Melancholy Hill will give fans of MGMT a buzz; 2D has obviously been listening to Oracular Spectacular. The album continues, never letting go of it’s “peaceful beach” theme- To Binge, again with Nagano, being a prime example. It’s impossible to be angry whilst listening to this song, it’s simply too peaceful on the ears.

These are just a few standout tracks on the 16 track, hour long album; many of the songs are great on their own, such as Stylo and Superfast Jellyfish, but like it’s predecessor (and unlike it’s predecessor’s predecessor), Plastic Beach comes out as an album, much like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, or Rush’s Power Windows, that to be properly enjoyed needs to be listened to as a whole rather than as the sum of its parts. As usual for the band, it’s ambitious, and covers more genres than you could throw a stick at, but once again it all comes together beautifully.

No review could skip the underlying theme of the album; not quite explicitly environmentalist, the record exudes concern for humanity’s apparent disdain for dear old Mother Earth. Albarn himself says of the records lyrical content:

I suppose what I’ve done with this Gorillaz record is I’ve tried to connect pop sensibility with … trying to make people understand the essential melancholy of buying a ready made meal in loads of plastic packaging…

We didn’t create plastic, nature created plastic. And just seeing the snakes like living in the warmth of decomposing plastic bags. They like it. It was a strange kind of optimism that I felt… but trying to get that into pop music is a challenge, anyway. But important.

The blog is now live. I think it’s a good idea, and since I need an excuse for the blogging bug to bite again, I’ll give it a shot. I may write a review of the Gorillaz new album- or perhaps talk about Zappa. I dunno yet.

Just a plug for those that haven’t seen it [...]]]>

http://heaveniswhenever.wordpress.com/

The blog is now live. I think it’s a good idea, and since I need an excuse for the blogging bug to bite again, I’ll give it a shot. I may write a review of the Gorillaz new album- or perhaps talk about Zappa. I dunno yet.

Just a plug for those that haven’t seen it yet….

The right/sort of nearly there vaguely:

Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas known for his libertarian views, ran for president in 2008 but was never a serious contender for the GOP nomination.

Ron Paul has ended Mitt Romney’s three-year run as conservatives’ favorite for president, taking 31 percent of the [...]]]>

Well Fuck a duck.

Ron Paul Wins Presidential Straw Poll at CPAC

Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas known for his libertarian views, ran for president in 2008 but was never a serious contender for the GOP nomination.

Ron Paul has ended Mitt Romney’s three-year run as conservatives’ favorite for president, taking 31 percent of the vote in the Conservative Political Action Conference’s annual straw poll.

Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas known for his libertarian views, ran for president in 2008 but was never a serious contender for the GOP nomination.

Romney, former Massachusetts governor and also a 2008 GOP candidate, has won the last three presidential straw polls at the annual conference. This year, he came in second, with 22 percent.

Sarah Palin, who didn’t attend the conference, was a distant third in the straw poll, with 7 percent, followed by Tim Pawlenty, the Minnesota governor, and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana.

The straw poll is not binding — and not necessarily a good forecaster, given that in 2008, John McCain went on to take the party’s nomination over Romney.

Results of this year’s poll were announced just as the crowd prepared for the conference’s keynote speaker, Fox News host, ehh, some nutjob loon.

Update: Fox already dissed the poll above, now they bring us this.

Ron Paul’s surprising win in the 2010 CPAC Presidential Straw Poll spurred audible gasps and boos in the room. Only about 25 percent of the nearly ten thousand CPAC registrants turned in ballots, but partication was very high among the younger attendees.

Fox news have never liked Paul. During the election debates, when Paul won a fox news poll judging who was the most popular candidate for the Republican nomination, and Paul won by a landslide, the hosts slagged off their own poll. (There’s probably vids, but I can’t find them at this moment in time). This is just more of the same.