Keeping up with the news in the Middle East is, to say the least, distressing. The recent bombings in Saudi Arabia's capital and daily death and carnage in Isreal and Iraq fill me with dread as to what's coming next. This video, on Shahada - death for Allah (windows media player required) shows how Palestinian children are encouraged to pursue Shahada as an ideal through harsh propoganda. They believe this life is unimportant. Death whilst killing infidels on the way to the next life is a most noble and highly rewarded act. Parents praise their children who die this way. Call me racist but it's hard not to sit in judgement of a culture that encourages murder and the suicide of it's own children.

I found the video link on Apechild.com.

Half Life 2 may not make 2004 Dammit!!!

Check out this message from Al regarding all the well wishes he has recieved since his parents' untimely deaths. Again, we hope you get through this okay Al.

Parody star's parents die in Fallbrook.
Cause of death: Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

Sympathies to Al.

CBC News:Judge extends Air Canada bankruptcy protection to May 21

It's like watching your grandma die a slow and painful death. Just when you think she's gone for good she rallies back for a month or two. Bail out coming? I don't think this time.

I can't believe it but it's been ten years today since Kurt Cobain was found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head in the garage of his Seattle home. I was (and still am) a huge Nirvana fan and was devastated by the news. I was going through a rough period my self at the time and could really relate to why someone my want to call it quits rather than continue. What a sad day. Cobain's death was to my generation like the death of Elvis in the 1970's to that generation; a heart break of the greatest proportion especially considering his last few months and the mode of death he chose.

Carol and I even traveled to the Cobain home and hung out for a day around the park beside the house. The large memorial was over, but there were still people hanging out almost a week later when we were there. Apparently Courtney had been holding seances in the garage and even gave away a few of Kurt sweaters. There was a small shrine near a tree at which people left various drugs, notes, cigarettes and other items as 'sacrifice' to their dead idol. Courtney had even ome out and tacked her own note to the tree thanking the fans for the support and stating that if we wished contact she was willing.

Everyone was too scared of her even then and left her alone as far as we saw. The only real discourse we had with her was her screaming 'what f***ing time is it, man?' through the bushes when she was leaving to run some errands. I think Carol was actaully the person who answered.

Anyway, ten years has gone by fast, but Cobain's musical influence is still felt and sorely missed.

Yahoo! LAUNCH - News: Kurt Cobain: His History And Legacy