Sunday, November 09, 2003
THE WIT AND THE WISDOM OF HOMER J. SIMPSON
1) "Now son, you don't want to drink beer. That's for Daddys, and kids with fake IDs."
2) "Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen."
3) "You couldn't fool your mother on the foolingest day of your life if you had an electrified fooling machine."
4) "Marge, don't discourage the boy! Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel."
5) "If you really want something in life you have to work for it. Now quiet,
they're about to announce the lottery numbers."
6) "To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems!"
7) "I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to speed around a city,
keeping its speed over 50, and if its speed changed, it would explode! I think
it was called "The Bus That Couldn't Stop".
8) "I want to share something with you - the three sentences that will get
you through life.
Number 1, 'cover for me.'
Number 2, 'oh, good idea, boss.'
Number 3, 'it was like that when I got here.'"
9) "Marge, you're as pretty as Princess Leia and as smart as Yoda."
10) "Step aside everyone! Sensitive love letters are my specialty.
'Dear Baby, Welcome to Dumpsville. Population:you.'"
11) "Don't let Krusty's death get you down, boy. People die all the time.
Just like that. Why, you could wake up dead tomorrow. Well, good night."
12) "Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you
win or lose: it's how drunk you get."
13) "Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else - and it hasn't - it's
that girls should stick to girls' sports, such as hot oil wrestling and foxy
boxing and such and such."
14) "Lisa, if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in
every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way."
15) "Stealing! How could you? Haven't you learned anything from that guy
who gives those sermons at church? Captain whats-his-name?
16) "We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all
those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well I didn'nt hear anybody laughin',
did you?"
17) "Maybe, just once, someone will call me 'sir' without adding, 'you're
making a scene.'"
1) "Now son, you don't want to drink beer. That's for Daddys, and kids with fake IDs."
2) "Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen."
3) "You couldn't fool your mother on the foolingest day of your life if you had an electrified fooling machine."
4) "Marge, don't discourage the boy! Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel."
5) "If you really want something in life you have to work for it. Now quiet,
they're about to announce the lottery numbers."
6) "To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems!"
7) "I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to speed around a city,
keeping its speed over 50, and if its speed changed, it would explode! I think
it was called "The Bus That Couldn't Stop".
8) "I want to share something with you - the three sentences that will get
you through life.
Number 1, 'cover for me.'
Number 2, 'oh, good idea, boss.'
Number 3, 'it was like that when I got here.'"
9) "Marge, you're as pretty as Princess Leia and as smart as Yoda."
10) "Step aside everyone! Sensitive love letters are my specialty.
'Dear Baby, Welcome to Dumpsville. Population:you.'"
11) "Don't let Krusty's death get you down, boy. People die all the time.
Just like that. Why, you could wake up dead tomorrow. Well, good night."
12) "Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you
win or lose: it's how drunk you get."
13) "Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else - and it hasn't - it's
that girls should stick to girls' sports, such as hot oil wrestling and foxy
boxing and such and such."
14) "Lisa, if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in
every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way."
15) "Stealing! How could you? Haven't you learned anything from that guy
who gives those sermons at church? Captain whats-his-name?
16) "We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all
those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well I didn'nt hear anybody laughin',
did you?"
17) "Maybe, just once, someone will call me 'sir' without adding, 'you're
making a scene.'"
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Evan comes to visit
Evan Dando is the latest addition to the ‘Way beyond Nashville’ festival currently taking place throughout London. The former front man of The Lemonheads is set to headline a tribute concert to country rock legend Gram Parsons entitled ‘standing in the shadow of the grievous angel’, which will take place in Islington’s Union Chapel on November 15th.
Dando is among a number of ‘surprise stars’ set to pay their respects to the late Gram Parsons, an artist who has had a considerable influence on the emerging Americana movement spearheaded by the likes of Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams and Dando himself. Other artists rumoured to belt out songs like ‘streets of Baltimore’ and ‘$1000 wedding’ include Ed Harcourt, Grand Drive, Emmylou Harris and Jim Lauderdale.
Lauderdale’s presence will be of particular appeal for Parson completes. Along with Mike Ward, Lauderdale was entrusted with putting music to a selection of un-released Gram Parson lyrics last year. The concert in the Union Chapel will see these songs performed in front of a European audience for the first time.
Of equal significance will be the appearance of Polly Parsons. Polly, a television make up artist, is Gram’s only child and is set to give a rare public performance of some of her fathers work. She has performed live just once before.
Gram Parsons died aged 26 on September 19, 1973. The 30th anniversary of his death has seen a tribute concert in the US and the release of a low budget movie about the artist’s bizarre funeral. ‘Grand Theft Parsons’ tells the story of how Phil Kaufmann, Parsons’ manager, stole his friends’ body, doused it in petrol, and set it alight in the Joshua Tree desert.
The ‘Way beyond Nashville’ season, hosted by the Barbican, began on the 20th of October last and runs till the 20th of this month. ‘Standing in the shadow of the grievous angel’ is the only event of its kind scheduled for Europe.
Evan Dando is the latest addition to the ‘Way beyond Nashville’ festival currently taking place throughout London. The former front man of The Lemonheads is set to headline a tribute concert to country rock legend Gram Parsons entitled ‘standing in the shadow of the grievous angel’, which will take place in Islington’s Union Chapel on November 15th.
Dando is among a number of ‘surprise stars’ set to pay their respects to the late Gram Parsons, an artist who has had a considerable influence on the emerging Americana movement spearheaded by the likes of Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams and Dando himself. Other artists rumoured to belt out songs like ‘streets of Baltimore’ and ‘$1000 wedding’ include Ed Harcourt, Grand Drive, Emmylou Harris and Jim Lauderdale.
Lauderdale’s presence will be of particular appeal for Parson completes. Along with Mike Ward, Lauderdale was entrusted with putting music to a selection of un-released Gram Parson lyrics last year. The concert in the Union Chapel will see these songs performed in front of a European audience for the first time.
Of equal significance will be the appearance of Polly Parsons. Polly, a television make up artist, is Gram’s only child and is set to give a rare public performance of some of her fathers work. She has performed live just once before.
Gram Parsons died aged 26 on September 19, 1973. The 30th anniversary of his death has seen a tribute concert in the US and the release of a low budget movie about the artist’s bizarre funeral. ‘Grand Theft Parsons’ tells the story of how Phil Kaufmann, Parsons’ manager, stole his friends’ body, doused it in petrol, and set it alight in the Joshua Tree desert.
The ‘Way beyond Nashville’ season, hosted by the Barbican, began on the 20th of October last and runs till the 20th of this month. ‘Standing in the shadow of the grievous angel’ is the only event of its kind scheduled for Europe.
Steven Paul (Elliott) Smith. August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003.
Still can't get over it. A beautiful beautiful songwriter. He'll be missed dearly. Lets play the records loud. Thanks for the music and good luck Elliott.
Sweet adeline
official site
Still can't get over it. A beautiful beautiful songwriter. He'll be missed dearly. Lets play the records loud. Thanks for the music and good luck Elliott.
Sweet adeline
official site
Saturday, November 01, 2003
WSIS veering towards disaster
The World summit on the Information society (WSIS) is veering towards failure unless a preparatory committee this month settles profound differences between world governments. Prep Com 3, which ended in disarray last September, reconvenes in Geneva from November 10th for a three day sitting. It will aim to establish an agreement of principles and plan of action in time for the WSIS. If it fails, then the 50 Heads of State expected to Geneva may decline their invitations and push the aims of the summit down the agenda of world affairs. The coming weeks thus mark an important stage in the eighteen months of preparations for the WSIS.
For many though WSIS largely remains a mystery. Up until the spectacular collapse of prep com 3 last September, WSIS was absent from the media agenda. Despite the lack of press coverage though, it appears that the summit may mark an important date in global information policy. Its aims, according to Mr Yoshio Utsumi the secretary general of the International Telecommunions Unit, are too “raise awareness among world leaders of the implications of the information society; getting their firm commitment to tackle the injustice of the digital divide; and developing new legal and policy frameworks appropriate to cyberspace.”
One of the most important issues for discussion at prep com 3 will centre on press freedom and controls over internet content. The discussions and draft documents arising from the preparatory committees so far have raised concern among various press freedom organisations. They fear that some governments may push to place restrictions on internet and media content, and thus curb press freedom. The vocal support of the Chinese government, coupled with the actions of the preparatory committee, has done little to quell these fears.
Last September saw many organisations come out in force to criticise the WSIS’s approach to the issue of press freedom. AMARC and the International Press Institute (IPI) expressed concern that the WSIS draft declaration contains phrases weakening the right to freedom of expression. This included language respecting free expression rights "in accordance with the legal system in each country" and concepts such as "right to communicate" and "accountability" of news media. "These are dangerously vague and overly broad, and legitimise direct threats to freedom of the press," IPI added. Not least of concern is the decision to hold the second phase of the summit in Tunisia, a country the IPI has described as one that “violates its free speech and press freedom commitments by censoring its press and jailing journalists who issue critical reports." It has called for the WSIS to suspend plans to meet in Tunisia until the Tunisian government demonstrates its commitment to press freedom.
Perhaps most significantly though, the WSIS has banned Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) from participating in the meeting after its protests against the Libyan chairmanship of a UN human rights body led to its expulsion from that forum. The RSF responded angrily to the expulsion stating that “the coming WSIS is a key event for freedom of expression. Several human rights organisations have already voiced fears about the draft declaration that could be adopted by UN member states in December. Dictatorships and other repressive regimes intend to use this summit to subject information on the Internet to measures of control and censorship. The documents being drafted would, in particular, make online press freedom dependent on ‘each country's legislation.’ Against this backdrop, banning a press freedom organisation from attending the WSIS is likely to alarm those that defend human rights and freedom of expression. The UN human rights farce continues.”
The World summit on the Information society (WSIS) is veering towards failure unless a preparatory committee this month settles profound differences between world governments. Prep Com 3, which ended in disarray last September, reconvenes in Geneva from November 10th for a three day sitting. It will aim to establish an agreement of principles and plan of action in time for the WSIS. If it fails, then the 50 Heads of State expected to Geneva may decline their invitations and push the aims of the summit down the agenda of world affairs. The coming weeks thus mark an important stage in the eighteen months of preparations for the WSIS.
For many though WSIS largely remains a mystery. Up until the spectacular collapse of prep com 3 last September, WSIS was absent from the media agenda. Despite the lack of press coverage though, it appears that the summit may mark an important date in global information policy. Its aims, according to Mr Yoshio Utsumi the secretary general of the International Telecommunions Unit, are too “raise awareness among world leaders of the implications of the information society; getting their firm commitment to tackle the injustice of the digital divide; and developing new legal and policy frameworks appropriate to cyberspace.”
One of the most important issues for discussion at prep com 3 will centre on press freedom and controls over internet content. The discussions and draft documents arising from the preparatory committees so far have raised concern among various press freedom organisations. They fear that some governments may push to place restrictions on internet and media content, and thus curb press freedom. The vocal support of the Chinese government, coupled with the actions of the preparatory committee, has done little to quell these fears.
Last September saw many organisations come out in force to criticise the WSIS’s approach to the issue of press freedom. AMARC and the International Press Institute (IPI) expressed concern that the WSIS draft declaration contains phrases weakening the right to freedom of expression. This included language respecting free expression rights "in accordance with the legal system in each country" and concepts such as "right to communicate" and "accountability" of news media. "These are dangerously vague and overly broad, and legitimise direct threats to freedom of the press," IPI added. Not least of concern is the decision to hold the second phase of the summit in Tunisia, a country the IPI has described as one that “violates its free speech and press freedom commitments by censoring its press and jailing journalists who issue critical reports." It has called for the WSIS to suspend plans to meet in Tunisia until the Tunisian government demonstrates its commitment to press freedom.
Perhaps most significantly though, the WSIS has banned Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) from participating in the meeting after its protests against the Libyan chairmanship of a UN human rights body led to its expulsion from that forum. The RSF responded angrily to the expulsion stating that “the coming WSIS is a key event for freedom of expression. Several human rights organisations have already voiced fears about the draft declaration that could be adopted by UN member states in December. Dictatorships and other repressive regimes intend to use this summit to subject information on the Internet to measures of control and censorship. The documents being drafted would, in particular, make online press freedom dependent on ‘each country's legislation.’ Against this backdrop, banning a press freedom organisation from attending the WSIS is likely to alarm those that defend human rights and freedom of expression. The UN human rights farce continues.”
