mike browne's old blog

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. ~ Noam Chomsky

Fantastic Zoology

Jul 31, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check out these mythological creatures its a graphical interpretation of Jorge Luis Borges' "Book of Imaginary Beings".

Nabbing baddies and crashin' cop cars

Jul 31, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 4 Comments

My old friend Darrin is an OPP officer near Barrie Ont. Apparently he had quite a bad wreck as a pursuit came to a sudden end. He's pretty much okay, just a busted elbow. Ouch. Here's a picture of the side view of the car and here's another of the post crash wrecked dashboard. Below is the note he sent:
I was hit by a stolen motor vehicle head on today and lived to talk about it. I suffered only a fractured left elbow and bruises. I even chased the driver on foot for 1/4 km and arrested him. Yes, I saw my life flash before my eyes. It just wasn't my time.
Good goin' Darrin. One less bad guy on the road.

Going to see Ministry

Jul 31, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Yahoo! I got tickets for Carol and I to go and see MINISTRY on September 30, 2004 at the Commodore Ballroom. I love that place for concerts. I haven't been to anything in a long time. This should be fun. I think we'll go early and get a decent seat. The old legs can't handle the mosh pit any more. I don't feel like getting creamed. In preparation I bought Houses of the Molé and Animositisomnia, Ministry's 2 latest CD's today. You can download No W from House of the Molé if you like. Bang yer head!

Note to self: Bring light ear plugs and don't sit next to the speakers like we did at the Gob/Doughboys/Offspring concert. My ears rang for two weeks.

5 movies you'll never see

Jul 31, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | Add comment
A missing Hitchcock, Kubrick's Napolean and Welles' Don Quixote are three of the five great films we'll never get to see.

System Administrator Appreciation Day

Jul 30, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
It was today... that's right System Administrator Appreciation Day (5th Annual - Friday - July 30th, 2004 - Celebrated annually on last Friday of July )

Thanks to Matt, Ray, Tyler, Chuff, Dimitri and Joe for all their nerdy hard work over the past year. Now get back to your caves and get me more RAM. Also, when you get the chance, I need FTP read/write access to a particular site (we'll talk), my video drivers need updating and there's some weird Windows registry crapola going on when I try to open Illustrator CS. *sigh*

ACLU - Pizza

Jul 29, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Ordering a pizza may not be so pleasant in the future according to this movie from the ACLU.

So you think you know movies, eh?

Jul 29, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 6 Comments
So you think you know movies, eh?

Extreme Movie Maven

Two thumbs up. You really know your stuff. I am impressed.

Personality Test Results

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Zach Braff's Garden State Blog

Jul 29, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 1 Comment
It looks as though blogging is becoming more popular throughout Hollywood as well. Check out Zach Braff's Garden State Blog. He is the the writer/director of Garden State (in theatres now). It's kind of cool to read about a filmmaker's experience in his own words. According to RottenTomatoes.com Garden State is getting 93% good reviews... Not bad at all.

Goodbye Bo

Jul 28, 2004 by Mike Browne in Downers | 2 Comments
I just back from a memorial service for our good friend Bo. He died way too early. His disease got the better of him. It was a sad service. His wife sobbed through the whole thing and Bo's stepson just looked numbed by the whole thing. They have a lot of support though and I'm sure they'll be very well taken care of. The chapel was packed full of mourners. I'll miss his "hey buddy!", great big smile and firm handshake. He was a damned good guy and, even though he had his struggles, he gave a lot to people. Goodbye my friend.

Opportunity knocks...

Jul 28, 2004 by Mike Browne in Filmmaking | 3 Comments
I'm not exactly clear as to why I haven't shared about some recent good fortune until now. Perhaps it's that I don't want to jinx things or am in total disbelief that some of my dreams are actually starting to manifest themselves in reality. I began this new category on the ol' blog called 'Filmmaking' where I wil bore you all to tears about my experiences. I have a feeling as things get going it's all I'll be talking about anyway.

So what's happening?

About three weeks ago I got a phone call from the Independent Film Center about their desire to meet with me to discuss the possibility of taking me on as a producer on a project they would like to get off the ground. They chose me and two others for this project as bright spots out of all of the people who have taken classes at the Independent Film Center over the last two years.

I thought, Me? A producer? WTF? That's what I've always wanted to do. This has got to be a gag with some scam at the other end. Apparently not. I went to the first meeting and got the low down on the production - a horror/thriller themed reality kids show.

Youre kidding right? I love that stuff. It'd be a gas to be involved in getting anything remotely horror related made. Anyway, it isn't a joke. If I'm willing to put in the work I am able to participate in this project from concept to distribution (that includes raising the funds to get it made - gulp!). The project is to be overseen by Brian Leslie of the center and producer of a really cool horror movie called The Black Door that he let myself and the two other producers, Rochelle and Nancy, watch the first time the four of us met. I loved it, but they're 'fraidy cats and don't like horror. Oh well, they want to make movies that's all that's important right now. This could be really fun. the cool part is that this can all take place on evenings and weekends, meaning I can keep my day job too. At the end I will have a genuine credit as a producer on a real show that, hopefully, will be saleable. Weeee!

I'll probably bend Brian's ear more as I'm planning and incorporating my company ZombieFreak Entertainment very soon. I want to do horror movies and perhaps a TV series or two... This whole ordeal has inspired me back to planning and writing again. My friend Pete (Sneaky Pete on this blog), who was on the Emmy winning Art Department team on X-Files and now works on Smallville, wants to get involved. We've already met, eaten steak and gabbed about what we'd like to do. I have even written a list of short term goals for the company. All of a sudden this isn't talk anymore, it's action. It's becoming real very quickly and I love it. I guess I'll be updating ZombieFreak.com.

A few of you have emailed and posted that you may want to volunteer to help me on some level get some of my stuff made. I may just take you up on it very soon.

Sometimes opportunity not only knocks, it kicks the door down. I'm grateful it has. I probably wouldn't have answered.

Is that the Death Star?

Jul 28, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Apparently not. Tiny Moon is No Space Station... Right. I know we're in trouble.

Obi-Wan: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Canucks Re-Sign Morrison and Cloutier

Jul 27, 2004 by Mike Browne in Go Canucks Go | 3 Comments
Thanks God for this, but oh no about this.

Those were the days

Jul 27, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Chuff sent me this video titled Parallel-Parking.mpeg (right click and choose "save as..." to download the 1.17mb mpeg file). This really reminded me of a driving incident with friends in a crowded mall parking lot on a sunny Saturday afternoon many moons ago. I yanked the emergency brake and slid into a spot much the same way in my little 1982 Dodge Colt (a.k.a. the Piece of Shit) that had no rear shocks. The car also had a wonky carburetor that used to take off suddenly after 50km per hour making it feel like the shit-mobile was supercharged. My gas tank even fell off one time. I'm amazed that I'm still alive considering the way my friends and I used to drive and the cars we drove in.

Preparing for Emergencies

Jul 27, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Thanks Moselle for this little gem:

The British gov have released a booklet for all UK homes on how to deal
with an emergency, the official website: preparingforemergencies.gov.uk

The funnier version is this one: preparingforemergencies.co.uk

I like the basic first aid under emergency planning booklet...

I guess you really need both to see how similar they both are, very funny!

Special Announcement: Episode III Title

Jul 26, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 4 Comments
In this Special Announcement the ego-maniacal George Lucas has released the title for the next and final installment in his increasingly horrific prequel trilogy. "Revenge of the Sith"? How lame is that? He's not even creative enough to come up with a new title. Boy that's cute, in the first trilogy the third was called "Revenge of the Jedi". Now, taking the easy way out, we get this limp title. Someone please have Lucas locked up as a madman, wrest control of this enterprise away from him and make the movies that we really wanted to see.

Clocks

Jul 26, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments
A few Christmases ago I bought Carol and Audubon Society Bird Clock. I thought it was cheesy to begin with but got used to it after a while. People who come to our home for the first time are always shocked by the sound of a singing bird every hour on the hour. My mother thought there was a bird in the house and said, "get the broom". Anyway, now it seems no matter how fresh we keep the batteries and how we set it, the worn g bird chirps at the wrong time and sounds as though it's dying. The Owl is the funniest with it's plaintive, slow-motion "hoo hoo hooing". Per haps now it is time for a new clock. If, by chance and I'm sure we are, staying with the weird clock thing, I would like to try the Xacta Radio Controlled Cuckoo Clock. It looks kind of cool.

Armstrong wins ... again

Jul 25, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
CBC Sports: Armstrong peddles to Tour title
Wanna read more about a really boring cycling record you can do so right here: le Tour de France. Yay, he won six times. Yay, he beat cancer. Can you say movie of the week? You know had this guy come in 3rd 10 times we'd had never heard of him. America loves a winner. If the US cricket team started winning we'd be subjected to talk of that horrific sport as well. *sigh*
Cheering for someone, just because they're going to win, is like cheering for the Yankees for God's sake. It's tacky. Cheer because you love the sport and those involved.

Tombstone Generator

Jul 25, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Check out this tombstone generator. Of course I made my own:

The Project Apollo Image Gallery

Jul 23, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
More on the moon landing. Check out The Project Apollo Image Gallery.

Bye-bye Sea King

Jul 23, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Hello Sikorsky ... CBC News: Canada pays $3.2 billion for 28 new military helicopters Sounds like the sticker price is a little high on those puppies. Soemone is lining their pockets. At $114+ million per machine they had better be good. Especially considering delivery of the first one doesn't some until 2008. Some of the old Sea Kings (notorious for some recent crashes) have to stay in service until as late as 2012. Aren't you glad we re-elected the Liberals? What was that about $500 mllion during the sponsorhip scandal? I guess the re-election gives them a blank checkbook and absolves them of any wrong doing. What ever happened to the 'investigation' pre-election to 'root out' and 'deal with' those responsible? LOL!

Alex Jones

Jul 23, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Okay people, so you think Michael Moore is controversial? he's a sissy compred to someone like Alex Jones. Check out his sites Infowars.com and PrisonPlante.tv (you need a membership here to see anything). He encourages members of his site to download and share his films (for noncommercial puposes) with anyone who's interested. So far I have downloaded and skimmed 911: The Road to Tyranny and am currently downloading America Destroyed by Design. The quality isn't so great but it's pretty interesting stuff. He could be a madman for all I know, but if it's an extremely different perspective you want then Alex Jones is the guy for you. It's rather shocking and perhaps a bit alarmist, but interesting all the same.

Here he is talking about the Hypocrisy of Torture.

Nice shirt

Jul 23, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
What a pleasant sentiment on this t-shirt. Make the kids look away before clicking the link...

Bum Wines

Jul 23, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
I've posted Bum Wines before. But I'll do it again just for shits and giggles.

"What's the word? / Thunderbird / How's it sold? / Good and cold / What's the jive? / Bird's alive / What's the price? / Thirty twice."

FUH2

Jul 22, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 9 Comments
Check out F**k You And Your H2. A neighbour has one of these. I have to get a picture of my finger and his H2 and send it along.

Thanks to Chuff for this one.

UPDATE:
This photo of two kids in an H2 was in the National Post today, so I flipped off the little kids:

I'm send this picture in to the site now...

Trudeau's ex-wife charged with drunk driving

Jul 22, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Margaret Kemper (formerly Trudeau) is at it again. Man it has to suck to have been attached to a public figure at one time. You can't mess up for the rest of your days without it ending up on FARK.

Drunk Talk

Jul 21, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Drunk Talk: The new crop of bar slang. Brought to you by way of Modern Drunkard Magazine Online.

J-Walk Blog

Jul 21, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Wow. These guys look busy...

Drinking those cool Krispy Kremes

Jul 21, 2004 by Mike Browne in Downers | 1 Comment
Doughnut retailer unveils frozen beverage line, including a glazed-flavored drink. Not Atkins friendly at all. Run away, Mike! Run as fast as you can! Eat a steak for God's sake.

Andrea Yates hospitalized after refusing to eat

Jul 21, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Remember Andrea Yates? She's the woman who drowned her children in a bathtub 3 years ago. She was convicted and sentenced to life behind bars. According to this MSNBC article she ‘wants to put an end to this,’ her lawyer says.

Wow, that's a shocker. She murdered her children and now she's unwilling to live with what she did? I guess that tosses the whole insanity thing. If she was truly legally insane she wouldn't be feeling guilty or troubled by what she did. Would she?

It was very disturbing to hear how someone could do this, to their own children especially. I know I 'wanted' her to be found insane. No one in their right mind could perform an act like that. Could they? Apparently that's not the case at all. People are found guilty of horrific crimes every day. It's sad what we're capable of doing to one another.

I remember the uproar when Yates didn't get the death penalty. Some folks were outraged. Being anti-death penalty myself I was glad that there was a life sentence. I think death is too easy for some of these people. Especially child killers. Having to live a long life knowing what you did is true punishment.

Hey Andrea (like she'll ever read this) if you feel bad about what you did it's because you did a bad thing. That awful nagging guilt is called a conscience. Killing yourself is the ultimate in avoiding responsibility for the acts you performed and would be the final injustice. How does suicide improve the situation for anyone but yourself? No one else needs to die here. Take your punishment...

Can your gaming machine take Doom 3?

Jul 21, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Gamers, check under hood because Doom 3 is coming
My machine can handle the new game, but I'm think more RAM is in order. Looks like 384mbs to rrun the game and I have 512mbs. Perhaps I should go to a gig. Hmmmm...

Need a job?

Jul 20, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments
Why not be the Canadian Wine Coordinator - Ottawa, ON. It's a federal gig and pays $61,312 to $66,287. Perhaps if it was a position calling for an imbecilic drunkard wino who becomes hostile and belligerent then falls on his face while passing out, I would be more quailified. I have tons of experience. This is not the job for me. Perhaps 12 years ago, but now it would be a bad thing.

Me with that job:
"That was tasty wine. Let's taste it until it's gone. We'll coordinate it all into my belly."
*glub* *glub* *glub*
Why are you looking at me that way? You're not so shpeshial... *hic*
Wanna fight, ya bashtard?! *hic* *urp*
(tips over)
*THUD*
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

UPDATE: in response to my post Jackson sent me this link to an eBay item:
A picture CD of Billie Simpson "Drunk Armless Midget"... WTF?

Secret for Longevity

Jul 20, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
A passerby noticed an old lady sitting on her front step: "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look! What is your secret for such a long and happy life?"


"I smoke 4 packs of cigarettes a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food. On weekends I pop a huge number of pills and do no exercise at all."

"This is absolutely amazing at your age!!!!", says the passerby. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four"

Thanks to Big Al Mac for this one...

NHL Hall of Fame Goalie on Canadian Cabinet

Jul 20, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Ken Dryden is the new minister of Social Development. I wonder if he'll 'save' the nation... (play sheepyhorn.mp3 to get a better feel for this little witticism)

Terror in the Skies, Again?

Jul 19, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check out this article: Terror in the Skies, Again? - WomensWallStreet
It appears that many Americans are still very afraid of what may occur in the air. It's sad that a group of musicians can be looked upon as a threat just because they are of middle eastern descent. If it had been a mormon choir doing the same things you can pretty much guarantee they wouldn't have gotten a second look.

Stupid Ninja

Jul 19, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Not all ninjas have it all together. Like this one for example: stupid_ninja_300k.wmv (1.75mb) ...right click and choose 'save as...'

Parasite TV

Jul 19, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check out Parasite TV. Not for the kiddies at all.

You can thank Sneaky Pete for this little gem.

Post box or CHEESE?

Jul 19, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 4 Comments
Post box or CHEESE? Possibly the hardest test in the world!

What's your score?

HBO: Entourage

Jul 19, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | Add comment
Jackson told me about HBO: Entourage. Episode 1 was onn Movie Central last night. He said, "It's just a really ridiculous setup of the hollywood mentality..." Sounds to me like a show I'd enjoy. I like Kevin Dillon. He's always pretty good. Remember his character, Bunny, from Platoon? Yikes!

Sid and Nancy's junk...

Jul 18, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Yahoo! News - Sid and Nancy's Punk Rock History to Go on Display
Can anyone say eBay? It's just a matter of moments before some artifacts show up.

Monkey joke...

Jul 17, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
My friend Mike Z sent me this 1.49 mb wmv from the TV show called The Chimp Channel that we'll call MonkeyJoke.wmv. (right click and choose save as..)

A message from Iraq?

Jul 16, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 10 Comments
Perhaps yes, but not the message that was obviously intended...


I'm sharing a picture that a number of people sent me. I'm not sure how to feel about this one. I do enjoy jabs at Michael Jackson. He's so easy to pick on being as eccentric acting and looking as he is. But there's something a little deeper here. Apparently pedophilia is funny. I know I've taken part in this kind of humour before, but honestly, it doesn't sit well with me any more. Laughing at the darkness doesn't make it any less dark. I forget that sometimes.

Secondly, here we have another sign written in English being held by two young boys who probably have no clue what it says. It smacks of the same cultural insensativity and intolerance we were horrifeid by in the Abu Ghraib photos we were so recently assailed by. I understand there is a 'war' going on and that people's emotions and thinking are out of whack as a result. However, it is this underlying attitude that is making the U.S. less and less loved throughout the world. Did the soldiers involved in taking this photo even consider any of this? Some how I doubt it...

Thanks for the picture folks. It got me thinking.

Martha gets sentenced

Jul 16, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
Stewart receives 5-month prison term, 5 months house arrest and 2 years of probation.
Nice. Now she's trapped in the house for months like Junior Soprano. She'll have to go to funerals of people she doesn't know just to get out and about. Perhaps Bobby Bacala will bring her some baked ziti to cheer her up. I guess she'll really be up on her soaps. By the time she ends up in 'the big house' for her stint there she'll probably have written another happy homemaker's book called "Entertaining Whilst Being Detained - Making the best of house arrest".

Airways

Jul 15, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 1 Comment
Sneaky Pete's buddy at work did the music and video for a song called Airways. The girl in the video is the guy's daughter. Nice work and worth a look for sure.

AWOL Alcohol Without Liquid Machine

Jul 14, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 6 Comments
Check out the AWOL Alcohol Without Liquid Machine. Where was this 12 years ago... ? It appears from this article that Britney Spears would enjoy this machine. But not everyone appreciates it.

Doom 3 finally goes gold!

Jul 14, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 3 Comments

What does that mean? The game is finished (according to Shacknews) and has gone to the manufacturer/distributor for it's release in early August. I've been waiting (along with the rest of the first person shooter world) for Doom 3 seemingly forever. The time has finally come.
Too bad the release date is during the summer. I'll miss a month or two of sun. Oh well, my birthday is August 5th in case anyone wants to pre-order this for me. :)

Thanks to Chuff for the heads up.

QuoteGeek

Jul 14, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
No one appreciates a smart quotation as much as I do. I was truly happy to find QuoteGeek so I could share such gems as:

Early Grayce from Kalifornia: Reebs.That's what we used to call them when we was kids. It's beer spelled backwards.

and this:

From comedian Steven Wright: I can't wait to get arrested and go all the way to the witness stand. "Do you promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" "Yes. You're ugly. See that woman in the jury? I'd really like to sleep with her. Should I keep goin' or are you gonna ask me some questions?"

baldwinization.com

Jul 14, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Now you too can look like a Baldwin brother? Yes, any one of them... Check out the Baldwinization™ Centers of America for pricing and information. I love the tagline:
"Brining You the Beauty of 'America's First Family of Acting'™"

That's a big burger...

Jul 13, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 6 Comments
Check out Vancouver's priciest is big, meaty and exotic burger. $34? Holy smokes! I want 2. heart attacks all around!

Thanks to Matt F for the link.

Would you use it?

Jul 13, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 7 Comments

Here's a picture of a public toilet in Switzerland that's made entirely out of one-way glass. No one can see you in there, but when you are inside, it looks like you're sitting in a clear glass box. Would you use it?

I would try but I think it would make me crazy. I'm poop and pee shy like Shitbreak from American Pie. The first creepy piece of Eurotrash who fixed his hair in the mirror while I was dropping the kids off at the pool would have me screaming...

Thanks to Pauly for the pictures.

Winnebago Man

Jul 12, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Winnebago Man flips his f$@!ing lid. Another one not for kiddies.

Bush vs Kerry

Jul 12, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
The fight is on. Who will 'this land' (if you're in the US that is) vote for?

Here's a mirror of the video.

Barney Shakur

Jul 12, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Git heavy wit Barney Shakur... (not for ears of little kiddies)

Las Vegas Heat?

Jul 12, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Michael Jordan wants to buy and move the Miami Heat to Las Vegas. Why the hell not? Jordan's a big time gambler. Combining his two passions might be a huge success.

Pimped Name

Jul 12, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 9 Comments
My Pimped Name is - Kim Possible. Get yours at Pimped Media

The Forbidden Library

Jul 12, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
The Forbidden Library: Banned and Challenged Books
Reading challenged or banned books is sort of a hobby of mine. They always turn out to be some of the most thought provoking books I've read. Funny how that works. I guess there are people out there who really don't want the masses thinking. Truly interesting are some of the reasons these books have been banned or challenged. A few examples:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Ace; Bantam; Crown; Delacorte; Dover; NAL; Norton; Penguin; Random; St. Martin. Banned in China (1931) for portraying animals and humans on the same level, "Animals should not use human language."

The Color Purple. Alice Walker. Harcourt. Challenged as appropriate reading material for an Oakland, Calif. High School honors class (1984) due to the work's "sexual and social explicitness" and its "troubling ideas about race relations, man's relationship to God, African history, and human sexuality." This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was finally approved for use by the Oakland Board of Education after nine months of debate. Banned in the Souderton, Pa. Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for tenth graders because it is "smut."Removed from the Jackson County, W.Va. school libraries (1997) along with sixteen other titles.

Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury. Ballentine. Ironically, students at the Venado Middle School in Irvine, Calif. received copies of the book with scores of words--mostly "hells" and "damns"--blacked out. The novel is about book burning and censorship. Thankfully, after receiving complaints from parents and being contacted by reporters, school officials said the censored copies would no longer be used (1992).

and of course...

The Bible. William Tyndale, who partially completed translating the Bible into English, was captured, strangled, and burned at the stake (1536) by opponents of the movement to translate the bible into the vernacular. Beginning around 1830, "family friendly" bibles, including Noah Webster's version (1833) began to appear which had excised passages considered to be indelicate.

The ThinkGeek 2004 Sysadmin Pageant!

Jul 11, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
I think Tyler needs to enter The ThinkGeek 2004 Sysadmin Pageant!
Thanks to Wes W for the link.

7-Eleven: Free Slurpee Day

Jul 11, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
It's 7-11... That means free Slurpees.

Catenema.com

Jul 11, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Catenema.com: Do NOT Try This at Home!

Ministry: Houses Of The Mole

Jul 10, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
My favourite metal band Ministry has a new CD out called Houses Of The Mole. The first song from the CD No 'W' (It alludes to George W) has been released as a free online single which you can download right here. No, not all bands hate MP3. It's nice to see some of the cooler ones embracing it. Here are the lyrics for No 'W':

If this is really living
Then why am I so unforgiving
Half the world is down the toilet
Half on its way

If I had a dollar for every time he hollers
Trust us with your hearts and minds
Or I'll make you pay

Trust me -- 2x

Ask me why you're feeling screwed
And I'll give you the answer
There's a Colon Dick & Bush
Justa hammerin' away

Ask me why you feel deceived
Stripped of all your liberties
It doesn't take a genius to explain
That today

Trust me -- 2x


Tell us how you really feel Al.

join the party party

Jul 09, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check out join the party party for some interesting remixes of George Bush speeches.

Nerd Club

Jul 09, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Tons of funny and interesting viral ads on Kontraband.com. Nerd Club is a goody!

Kerry + Edwards

Jul 09, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
Check out Kerry + Edwards... LOL!

Arrest warrant issued for Courtney Love in L.A.

Jul 09, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 4 Comments
What a non surprise this is. She didn't show up for court. Wow. Who would have known that someone as messed up as she is couldn't get it together to arrive in court at the appointed time? I'm not sure how long she is for this world. She's a walking tragedy.

20 Questions to a Better Personality

Jul 09, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 5 Comments
Wackiness: 130/100
Rationality: 74/100
Constructiveness: 62/100
Leadership: 122/100


You are a WRCL--Wacky Rational Constructive Leader. This makes you a golden god. People gravitate to you, and you make them feel good. You are smart, charismatic, and interesting. You may be too sensitive to others reactions, especially criticism. Your self-opinion and mood depends greatly on those around you.

You think fast and have a smart mouth, is a hoot to your friends and razorwire to your enemies. You hold a grudge like a brass ring. You crackle.

Although you have a leader's personality, you often choose not to lead, as leaders stray too far from their audience. You probably weren't very popular in high school--the joke's on them!

You may be a rock star.

View the personality key right here.

Take the test for yourself right here.

Rockstar Classics - Free Downloads

Jul 09, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Controversial video game maker Rockstar Games is offering two of it's classic games for free. The first incarnation of Grand Theft Auto and Wild Metal. Free? Yes free... Surf over to Rockstar Classics - Free Downloads to snag them.

A Moment of Silence

Jul 08, 2004 by Mike Browne in Downers | 2 Comments
A Moment of Silence for a Great Man. So sad. With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person which almost went unnoticed last week.Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey", died peacefully at age 93.
The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin.They put his left leg in. Then the trouble started.

Hot tub baby

Jul 08, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 4 Comments

Thanks to Big Al Mac for sending me this picture...

Missing Marine mystery deepens

Jul 08, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 4 Comments
It looks as though Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun who was reportedly kidnapped in Iraq may just be a big fat fibber. The Pentagon is investigating suspicions that the whole thing may have been a hoax perpetrated by Wassef himself. Nasty. What up with that Mr Liar Liar Pants on Fire?

MP3 blogs serve rare songs, dusty grooves

Jul 08, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Check out this article about mp3 blogs from USA today. There are some links to a few blogs with some rare and interesting music. Perhaps that what I'll use hobophobia.com for. That might be cool. More right here.

Your guide dog must be bilingual too

Jul 07, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
I knew these french/english immersion programs were tough but this is ridiculous. Sue young man, sue!

UPDATE: overturned ... backpeddaling galore

Lego Style - Spiderman 2

Jul 07, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 1 Comment
I saw Spiderman 2 over the weekend and I liked it a lot. I thought it was better than the first one, but Carol didn't. She said she liked it but not better than the original. Oh well, we both enjoyed it. If you haven't gotten a chance to see it yet (and have quicktime installed on your computer) check out Spiderman 2 - Lego Style!

Dawn of the Dead - Ultimate Edition

Jul 06, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 1 Comment
George A Romero's version of Dawn of the Dead was great. Zombies, rogue bike gangs and survivors trapped in a shopping mall? What more could a zombie loving freak like myself ask for? How about a new 4 disk DVD version of the original from Anchor Bay. Nice! I also loved the remake, which is being released on DVD on October 19th according to VideoETA.

Busy day today. Another promo photoshoot for the calendar today. Fun, but I'm actually gald to have a little break for a while. I'm bushed.

The Art of Idiocy

Jul 05, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | Add comment
Check out The Art of Idiocy. It's an interview with Will Ferrell and promo for his next film (that I can't wait to see) The Anchorman.

I love Jack Handey's stuff

Jul 05, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 1 Comment
A classic:

Normally I don't believe in miracles, but something happened when I was about seven years old I still can't explain. I was on the front porch with Grandpa, about to eat my Twinkies, when Grandpa started grabbing his chest and saying he was having a heart attack. I ran to get Mom, but when I got back, Grandpa was okay. 'An angel helped me,' he said. 'Also, he ate your Twinkies.'

WWW.50SHEKEL.COM

Jul 05, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | 2 Comments
It's time to check out The Official 50 Shekel Website again. He's updated it a bit since the last time we had a peek. Jew unit! I wonder if he reads the Jewish Encyclopedia? Some more links for Schlemeil!

Lady Liberty Fireworks

Jul 04, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Happy July 4th Yanks! Check out Lady Liberty Fireworks for some fun...

Jason Box Set

Jul 04, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 1 Comment
Here are the specs for the Friday the 13th DVD box set. This is a must have for me...

Farenheit 9/11

Jul 03, 2004 by Mike Browne in Movies and TV | 10 Comments
I went to see it. I must say I was moved by it. Michael Moore has surely regained my respect. I had heard rumours and conjecture regarding the Bush / Bin Laden family connections before, but this was very illuminating. I don't want to ruin the film for those who haven't seen it, so I won't say much more than it was thought provoking. Also interesting (and shocking) were scenes of the effects of war on the soldiers and their families and the people under seige. Although I lean slightly to the right my neck isn't as red as I thought it was. I must say after some waffling on whether this latest 'war' was right, I feel strongly now that it's not right at all. If you go and watch this film with an open mind, you can't ignore what is presented to you. It is quite a powerful piece of antiwar propaganda that one must see for him or her self prior to making any judgements. I'm actaully sorry I ranted before. My neck isn't red, now it's my face. Farenheit 9/11 was worth our movie dollars.

Marlon Brando dies at age 80

Jul 02, 2004 by Mike Browne in Downers | 1 Comment
Marlon Brando dies at age 80. Was he seriously 80!? Wow. He was older than I thought. Sad to see him go. I loved him in The Godfather, Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront and Apocalypse Now. An interesting yet troubled man to say the least. He will be missed.

Happy Belated Canada Day

Jul 02, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
I was out having fun yesterday so I didn't think to post anything on Canada's birthday celebrations until it was too late. Happy belated Canada Day anyway. It was sort of a let down here anyway. Vancouver didn't even have any firewaorks as we suffer from PEP (Public Event Paranoia) since the Stanley Cup riots ten years ago.

Top court rules ISPs not liable for royalties

Jul 01, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
CBC News:Top court rules ISPs not liable for royalties
Copyright laws? What Copyright laws? We don't need no stinkin' copyright laws.

Iraqi court is 'all theatre': Saddam Hussein

Jul 01, 2004 by Mike Browne in Hmmmmmm | Add comment
Iraqi court is 'all theatre': Saddam Hussein
I was listening to the CBC yesterday (yes I'm getting old) and heard one of Saddam's lawyers saying that he hasn't been able to speak with his client even by phone. That doesn't sound right somehow. If the U.S. wants people to buy their brand of "freedom" they should at least offer it... sheesh

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? That's supposed to be what American justice is all about isn't it? Oh wait, it's not Americans trying Saddam it's the Iraqis. Right. That's even more laughable.

Perhaps Saddam is a bad guy, but he deserves a fair trial.