The Office: Season 3, Episode 9
(The Convict)

Prison Mike, Awesome!

Pam: Oh, she’s absolutely adorable!
Hannah: He.
Pam: Oh, sorry. He’s — he’s dressed all in pink.
Hannah: That’s his favorite color.
Pam: Oh. That’s fun for him.
Stanley: Fantastic.

Michael: I didn’t hire an ex-convict. Unless they mean Toby. Convicted rapist.

Michael: You are such a racist.
Kevin: Wait, why am I a racist?
Michael: Because you think he’s black.
Kevin: He is black … right?

Michael: Why did the convict have to be a black guy? It is such a stereotype. I just wish Josh had made a more progressive choice. Like a white guy. Who went to prison for … polluting a black guy’s lake.

Jim: Jim Halpert.
Andy: I am so horny.
Jim: Okay, I can’t help you with that.
Andy: Oh, I think you can, Big Tuna. Tell me about that Indian chick, Kelly. She seems pretty slutty. Good for a romp in the sack.J
im: She is dating Ryan, I think.
Andy: Oh, and I care why?J
im: She’s high-maintenance.
Andy: Next. How about … (motions toward Angela). Blondes are more fun. C’mon, trust me on that.
Jim: Yeah, trust me that would be fun for no one.

Dwight: I am greatly concerned about having a convict in the office. And I do not care if that convict is white, black, Asian, German, or some kind of halfsy. I do not like criminals.

Prison Mike: “And YOU! (points to Ryan) You’d be DA BELLE OF DA BALL MY FRIEND, DA BELLE OF DA BALL! You’d be somebody’s B****!”
Ryan: Michael…please….

Prison Mike: "The worst thing about prison was the Dementors…always flying around”

Writer's Corner: William S. Burroughs

This is week two of the Beat Generation focus in the writer's corner, and this week features one of the most mysterious figures in modern history, William S. Burroughs. In an article in Salon Magazine in 1997, Richard Kadrey had this to say "For nearly half a century, he infected our literature, seeding it with his obsessions, suspicions and passions". The key word is infected, but more accurate word may be destroyed. His most famous work is "Naked Lunch", which was made into a movie in 1991, and follows the life of a bug exterminator who gets addicted to the chemicals that he uses on the job. It was that addiction that gave the novel a persistent sense of paranoia. Here is the opening line of "Naked Lunch", "I can feel the heat closing in, feel them out there making their moves, setting up their devil doll stool pigeons, crooning over my spoon and dropper I throw away at Washington Square Station". I believe it was his own personal addictions that allowed this fear and despair to creep into his work. Burrough's always focused on the underbelly of society, and glorified the "Junkie" at every turn. In a case of fact stranger than fiction, Burroughs shot and killed his common law wife in 1951, while attempting to emulate William Tell.

Burroughs most fascinating contribution to the literary world was the cut-up style of prose. There is always a fine line in art between genius and absurd, and Burroughs stumbled along that line in haze. The cut-up style is basically taking an existing piece of writing, cutting it into pieces with a word or a few words per piece, and then rearranging the text to create a new text. The result is a nonlinear work that is quite difficult to read. JG Ballard said this about the style "I think his whole cut-up approach was an attempt to cut through the apparent manifest content of language to what he hoped might be some sort of more truthful world".

Here is a except from the cut-up work Nova Express:
Nothing here now but the recordings may not refuse vision in setting forth -- Silence -- Don't answer -- That hospital melted into air -- The great wind revolving turrets towers palaces - Insubstantial sound and image flakes fall -Through all the streets time for him to forbear - Blest be he on walls and windows people and sky -- every part of your dust failing softly - falling in the dark mutinous "No more" -- My writing arm is paralyzed on this green land - Dead Hand, no more flesh scripts -- Last door-Shut off Mr. Bradly Mr. -- He heard your summons - Melted into air - You are yourself "Mr. Bradly Mr. Martin - "all the living and the dead - You are yourself -- There be -- Well that's about the closest way I know to tell you and papers rustling across city desks . . . fresh southerly winds a long time ago. (NE, pp. 186-87)

Here is Burroughs' personal take on the process.

Was he a genius or just a junkie? I don't know, but he was an interesting figure and a key part of the Beat Generation.

See Also:
Firehorse page
Interzone.org

Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone (Klix Klax Remix) (mp3)
Matmos - Rag for William S. Burroughs (mp3)
William S. Burroughs - You Got Any Eggs For Fats? (from Naked Lunch) (mp3)

Painting by Jenny Long (she does incredible work!)

Wednesday's Link:

When we were kids the future was ahead of us, and we wanted desperately to know what it had in store for us. I still remember the game we used to play to find out what our lives would be like. If you would like to play go here.

New Release Tuesday:

Very slow week for music, but two great hip-hop releases.

#1
Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury

Mega hype (P-Fork 9.1!) and (IMO) less then expected results. Judge for yourself:

Ride Around Shining (mp3)
Trill (mp3)
Mr. Me Too (mp3)
Keys Open Doors (mp3)
We Got It For Cheap (mp3)

#2
K-The-I??? - Broken Love Letter
According to his label: "The album's sonic discord, which is reminiscent of the heavy production hand of NMS, the dark industrial blend of Dalek, and the Blade Runner inspired work of El-P, seeks out uninhabited inches in your brain until there's no vacancy left".

Go-Go-Girls (mp3)
You're Not That Beautiful (mp3)

Other:
Too $hort - Mack of the Century (Greatest Hits)
The Knife - Like a Pen (Single) (mp3)
Midlake - Milkmaid Grand Army EP

DVD's
The Ant Bully
Clerks II
Superman Returns

Mix of the Week: I Heart Tofu

This week's mix was inspired by this photo and feature new music from El-p, Of Montreal, Plastic Little, Electroluvs, and more!

Coffee Talk:

This week's topic is typically "discussed" on two separate levels, a religious level vs. a freedom level. However, this week I want to discuss the "controversial" topic on a scientific level. I really do not want to bring a religious aspect into the discussion because you cannot argue against faith. A personal belief is not the proper platform for legal decisions.

Abortion:

Should it be legal?

No one that I have ever spoken with has been pro-abortion. You are either pro-choice (giving the freedom to choose to have or not have an abortion) or you are pro-life (taking away the right to choose). The pro-choice argument revolves mainly around the woman's right to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy to full term. The pro-life argument can come from many directions, but mainly revolves around the question "When does human life begin?".

Links:
Pro-Choice - 1I 2
Pro-Life - 1 2

The question I am asking may be the typical question from a pro-life point of view, but it seems to be the most relevant: When does life begin? I am not concerned with how safe abortion is or how many women have abortions or how many illegal abortions take place in countries that do not make it legal.

The question is when does life begin and should abortion be legal? Talk Amongst yourself.

Saturday Morning Cartoon:

Watch my favorite cartoon character of all-time, Underdog, as he battles the evil Tap Tap, while you eat you big bowl of Donkey Kong Cereal.



This explains so much about the sound of this band:
Tap Tap - Way To Go Boy (mp3)

Artist of the Week: Tim Fite

There is an emerging term in the world of music, and it doesn't seem to make a lot sense. Folk-Hop has been thrown at a few groups lately, and I first heard it used to describe Joseph Arthur. However, it had never seemed legit until I heard the work of Tim Fite. A unique blend of old fashion country music and nu-school hip hop, Fite is a true talent and a great musician. As you listen to his music you never know what its come next, but you know that you will enjoy it. He truly bridges the gap between the hicks and the thugs! He is getting set to release his third album, Over the Counter Culture, in the next few months. The interesting thing is, according to NOKB, he plans to give it away. The details have not been released, but it is defiantly something to look forward to this holiday season. On his website, he has already made available his first album "Two Minute Blues".

"Whether singing with a lag-beat twang, spitting like a super-mc, or screaming bloody hell from a burning voice box, Tim Fite seems to always know exactly the right thing to say and exactly the right time to say it, blending his multiplicity of vocal styles together seamlessly." Jay Mokes of gang-plank

The First Day I Seen Time Fite


Check it Out:
New from Over the Counter Culture
It's All Right (mp3)
Camoflage (mp3) (Highly Recommended!)

From Gone Ain't Gone
No Good Here (mp3)
Fourty-Five Remedies (mp3)
Away From The Snakes (mp3)
A Little Bit (mp3)
Shook (mp3)

Writer's Corner: Jack Kerouac

"Write what you want bottomless from bottom of mind"

One of my guilty literary pleasures has always been the beat era of the 50's. This weeks starts a several week Writer's Corner feature on the men, women and musicians of the beat generation.

Jack Kerouac, born in Lowell, MA 1922, is the most well-known of the beats, but in my opinion, not the most accomplished. He wrote in a free flowing style he called "Breath", and he let his ideas connect directly with page. This form of writing fit well with the music of the time, bebop, and was most often connected to Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. Kerouac did not like to edit his thoughts or use conventional punctuation. Also called "Spontaneous Prose", Kerouac outlined his method in "Belief and Technique for Modern Prose".

While attending Columbia University on a football scholarship, he met many of the other writers that would become know as the beat generation. He dropped out his sophomore year and joined the merchant marines. This began his journey "on the road". During his life he explored many religions, most notably Buddhism, but remained Catholic to the end. He died in 1969 at the the age of 47.

"I want to work in revelations, not just spin silly tales for money. I want to fish as deep down as possible into my own subconscious in the belief that once that far down, everyone will understand because they are the same that far down." : Jack Kerouac



Mp3's:
Jack Kerouac - October in the Railroad Earth
Charlie Parker & Miles Davis - Charlie's Wig

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Listen to these while you enjoy your feast.

Eef Barzelay - Thanksgving Waves (mp3)
The Shins - Young Pilgrims (mp3)
Adam Sandler - The Thanksgiving Song (mp3)
William S. Burroughs - A Thanksgiving Prayer (video)

Have a great Tofurky Day, give thanks, and enjoy life!

Wednesday's Link:

I'm sure everyone has seen this by now, but if not, check out mad scientists at Eepybird. They are most famous for their Coke and Mentos expirements, but they have more then that to offer.

Watch their latest experiment #214 now!

New Release Tuesday:

Today marks the release of one of the most creative concept albums I've ever heard of: Plague Songs. The album has one song for each of the ten deadly plagues contained in Exodus.
Blood, reptiles, lice (mp3), flies (mp3), disease, boils, hail, locusts (mp3), darkness, and death (mp3). It contains music from Scott Walker, Imogen Heap, Brian Eno, and more!

Other music this week:
Jay-Z - Kingdom Come (mp3) (He's Back!)
Mirah - Joyride: Remixes
Puppini Sisters - Betcha Bottom Dollar (mp3) (Whole new meaning of retro!)
The Shins - Phantom Limbs (mp3) (First single from the new album due in 1/07)
Sufjan Stevens - Song for Christmas (mp3) (Five discs of Christmas music, whoa!)
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - #3 (mp3) (Minty Fresh release of the 2005 album, but still greatness!)
Swan Lake - Beast Moans (mp3) (Super group supreme, Bejar, Krug, and Mercer, oh my!)
The Magic Number - Those The Brakes (mp3) (Last, but not least.)

Great week for music!

DVD's:
You, Me, and Dupree - Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson
Ice Age: The Meltdown
An Inconvenient Truth - Al Gore and his magic "lockbox" of truth.

Here is episode 3 of 6, "Electric Brain" from Demitri Martin.

Monday's Mix:

Today's mix is entitled "The Day I Lost my Dignity!"

Coffee Talk:

This week's discussion is health care reform. Specifically, managed health care vs. universal health care, and how each effects our way of life.

Univerisal health is the system that guarantees health care for every citizen making health care a right and not a benefit. The United State is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee health care to its citizens (link). Propionates of universal health care advocate a single payer system of universal health care. This system would be a payment system and not a delivery system. The health care providers would be in a fee for service practice and not employed by the government. This would differentiate the single payer system from socialized medicine.

More info:
Uhcan
What is it?

Our current system is costly and flawed, but you are free to choose from a nicely printed list of doctors covered by your HMO and really, what more can you ask for? You can quote infant morality rates, life expectancy rates, and look to the almighty Canadian government, but will that answer the real question. Is health care a right or a benefit? Talk amongst yourselves.

"Accountants hover over the earth like hilocopters,

Dropping bits of paper engraved with Hegel's nome."

-Robert Bly from A Dream of Suffocation

Download:

Captain Ahab - "God Told me to Become an Accountant" (mp3)

Saturday Morning Cartoons:

Please enjoy the "Young Folks" animated video from Peter, Bjorn and John while you eat your Cookie Crisp.

Band of the Week: The Blow

"Big Buzz" lately around this duo, and it is 110% warranted. The Blow are a duo from Portland, OR, consisting of programmer Jona Bechtolt and singer Khaela Maricich. Their music is fun, bouncy and electronic. The lyrics are of love, but in an unusual way ("If something in the deli aisle/Makes you cry/You know I'll put my arms around you/And I'll walk you outside.") It is a perfect blend of big beats, handclaps, and perfectly sung melodies.

Forming in 2003, this is the duo's second full-length release and it is incredible start to finish. Get it now! Maricich said this in a great article in Fader this month: “When I’ve done production by myself it’s had a more rustic charm, open to a smaller slice of the population who can deal with lo-fi sounds. So I was like, here’s my chance to say something about the world, what’s it like to exist and how terrifying this place is.”

Watch: Parentheses
<

The Music:
Paper Television
Pile of Gold (mp3)
Parentheses (mp3)
The Big U (mp3)
The Long List of Girls (mp3)
Bonjour Juene Fille (mp3)
Babay (Eat a Critter, Feel It's Wrath) (mp3)
Eat Your Heart Up (mp3)
Pardon Me (mp3)
Fists Up (mp3)
True Affection (mp3)

Remixes and Bonus
Jet Ski Accidents (mp3)
Babay (Jab Micha Och Elle Remix) (mp3)
Hock It (YACHT Mix) (mp3)

The Office Quotes for the Merger:
Great episode last night! I found a copy of "Lazy Scranton".

Michael: [rapping] "Call poison control if you’re bit by a spider."
Michael & Dwight: "But check that it’s covered by your healthcare provider!"






Andy: "Good luck over there Tuna, cross me and I will destroy you!"

Dwight: "Last week I out ran a pepper snake."

Dwight: "I am fast. To give you a reference point I am somewhere between a snake and a mongoose…and a panther."

Meredith: "Where did you get that salad?"
Kevin: "Staples."

See comments for more!

Writer's Corner: Richard Wright

Born in 1908, the grandson of slaves, on a plantation near Natchez, Mississippi, Richard Wright is on e of the great American writer's. He two most important works are Native Son and his autobiography Black Boy. While Wright lived in Chicago in 1927, he was the editor of the Daily Worker, a communist newspaper. He continued his affiliation with the party until 1944 when he broke ties with them, but remained a liberal until he died in 1960. In 1946, after being blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Wright moved to Paris to finish out his life as an expatriate. Therefore, as an expatriate and a member of the Communist Party, I tend to think of him as a great writer and not a great American writer. He did focus his work on the American southern culture for most of his life, but he fundamentally disagreed with the American philosophy. Last in his life he became fascinated with the art of Haiku, and ending up crafting over 4,000 before he died. In 1998, 817 of his best were published, and they are great examples of an American take on Haiku.

#104
"Trembling in the wall,
A yellow water shadow
From the lake outside."

For a full biography go here.
To purchase Richard Wright - Haiku: This Other World and Native Son

Wednesday's Link:

Have you ever had a secret that you really wanted to tell, but it would be too harmful or shameful if anyone you knew found out? Well then this site is for you: PostSecret.

See also:
Presage - The Secret Society (mp3)
The National - Secret Meeting (Remix) ( mp3)

New Release Tuesday:

It is a slow week for releases, but it does include the long awaited "Ys" release.

Music:
Bonnie Prince Billy - Cold and Wet (single) (mp3)
The Cassettes - Neath the Pale Moon (mp3)
Coldcut - Walk a Mile in my Shoes (single)
Graham Coxon - Love Travels at illegal Speeds (mp3)
The Figgs - Follow Jean Through the Sea (mp3)
Hidden Cameras - Awoo (mp3) (Great disc!)
Imogen Heap - I Megaphone (reissue)
Joanna Newsom - Ys (mp3) (Highly anctipated, but not my thing)
Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny (mp3)
Venetian Snares - Hospitality (mp3)
White Magic - Dat Rosa Mel Apibus (mp3)

DVD:
The DaVinci Code - (Tom Hanks)
The Groomsmen - (Edward Burns and Jay Mohr)
John Tucker Must Die - (Why?)
Accepted - (unknowns)
The Golden Girls - Season 6 (I'm in!)

Monday's Mix: Current Absorbtion

I tend to absorb new music like a sponge. Here is a mix of my current absorbtions.
The mix contains mp3's from CSS, The Grates, The Octopus Project, Annuals, Hi Lo Trons, and more! Enjoy.

Coffee Talk: Transhumanism

This week's discussion deals with the concept of transhumanism. This is the theory that humans can transition to a higher level of thinking, living and general well being through technological enhancements. The link above takes you to a website that has much more information on the subject, but basically they "foresee the feasibility of redesigning the human condition, including such parameters as the inevitability of aging, limitations on human and artificial intellects, unchosen psychology, suffering, and our confinement to the planet earth."

A cybernetics professor at the University of Reading, UK, Kevin Warwick, has started a project called Project Cyborg. He first had an RFID implant into his wrist in 1998, and in 2002 "a one hundred electrode array was surgically implanted into the median nerve fibers of his left arm". These electrodes have been able to control an electric wheelchair and an "AI" hand. The ultimate plan for this technology, in conjuction with the internet, is the ability for humans to communicate mentally.

Concerns/Questions:
1. When someone becomes posthuman are they held to the same society structure as humans?

2. As you intelligence is enhanced does your moral code change as well?

3. What will be the effect on the human race as the posthumans or transhumans increase in number and technological capability?

Warwick put it like this "What we need to ask now is, will such an individual exhibit different moral and ethical values to those of a human and what effects might this have on society?"

Talk amongst yourselves.

Saturday Morning Cartoon:

Enjoy this except from Qbert's wonderfully animated Wave Twister's film while you eat your bowl of ET Cereal.

The Song is Razorblade Alcohol Scratch

Artist of the Week: Benoit Pioulard

"There will be no moment of silence when I die, only a moment of noise." from "Together & Dawn"

At age 22 Thomas Meluch has created a near masterpiece on his first official try. This Michigan born collector of noise is a perfect example of what can happen if stay up late a tinker around with found sounds and guitar loops. He is able to create lush soundscapes with household objects, echoes of nature, a hush scrambled voice, and passion. Benoit Pioulard (pronounced Ben-wah Pyo-lar) is one man beating pillows, taping microphones to coffee cans, and ripping x-rays. The result, well skatterbrain said it like this, "This is an incredible album full of songs that feel remarkably alive and some that feel near the brink of death. Precis grabs ahold of you and, depending on your state of mind, it can either pull you to the deepest depths of the ocean or throw you high up into the clouds". Thomas Meluch himself said this "I recorded pretty much this entire record [Precis] in the corner of my room. I have limited percussion, there are some kick drum noises some of which are me hitting pillows and treating it with effects and stuff". He enjoys the freedom of recording alone "that liberty is really important" to him.

Precis is one continous effort that expands and contracts with every minute of music.
Check it out these pieces:
Palimend (mp3)
Triggering Back (mp3)
Ash into the Sky (mp3)
Alan & Dawn (mp3)
Patter (mp3)
Ext. Leslie Park (mp3)

Also from the recently release "The Rorschach Suite" Moodgadget compliation
The Kids are Getting Younger (mp3) (excerpt)

For more on Benoit Pioular visit his website.
To buy Precis go to Kranky.

The Office Quotes:

Jim: "From time to time I send Dwight faxes... from himself... from the future."

Jan: "We haven't made final decisions about personal yet, but you're a severance package person."

Dwight: "The title of Michael's book is "Something weird is going on: What did Jan say?" The Michael Scott story by Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute."

Michael: "Listen up everyone, I have some news... We're screwed!"

Jim: "I always knew the branch would be shut down someday, but I thought it would be because Michael sold the building for some magic beans."

Writer's Corner: David Hume

Born in Lawnmarket, Edinburgh in 1711, David Hume is known as the most famous philosopher never to write in English. His essays are mainly known for there political nature, but Hume touched on several subjects over his lifetime.

One topic he focused on was his problem of causation, and relationship between events and ideas. How are events related, is there something connecting two events or is it simply a perceived connection? Hume believed the that Free Will and determinism are dependent on each other. Hume thought free will was incompatible with indeterminism. He discusses this in depth in "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" (1748)

Hume is also one of the most quoted philosophers when dealing with Intelligent Design. In his essay "The Natural History of Religion" (1757), Hume said this, "The whole frame of nature bespeaks an intelligent author; and no rational enquirer can, after serious reflection, suspend his belief a moment with regard to the primary principles of genuine Theism and Religion". Keep in mind that this essay predates Darwin, but is nonetheless important.

Political, Hume was outspoken about the character of our leaders, and how it directly effects of the nature of the government. "It is a question with several, whether there be any essential difference between one form of government and another? and, whether every form may not become good or bad, according as it is well or ill administered?" from "That Politics May Be Reduced to a Science" (1742).

More from Hume
"Essays: Moral, Political, and Literary"
"Essay on Suicide"

Wednesday's Link:

Here is a very interesting website dedicated mostly to the Illuminati, but there are many other interesting articles as well. Enjoy!

New Release Tuesday:

Music
31knots - Polemics (EP) (mp3)
Cali Agents - Fire & Ice (Planet Asia & Roscoe back again)
Bowling For Soup - Great Burrito Extortion Case (mp3) (Will these guys ever grow up?)
CSS - Alala (single) (mp3) (Great stuff, but you should see the video!)
El Perro Del Mar - El Perro Del Mar (mp3) (Tiny tiny twee-pop, but it's all good!)
Benjy Ferree - Leaving The Nest (mp3) (Blog-darling gets US release, serious folk genius!)
Jellyfish - Best (This was one of my favorite band in the early 90's)
Lithops - Mound Magnet (electronic bleeps and bubble uder your skin) (previews)
Ok Go - Oh No (Special Package) (Incredible, a DVD from one of the best rock bands around. ps. They are on Jay Leno tonight!)
Steve Reich - Reich: Remixed 2006 (EP)
Static Revenger - Round + Round (single)
Voxtrot - Your Biggest Fan (single) (mp3)

DVD
Cars (Hey Kids!)
Little Man (Why?)
Beverly Hill 90210: Season 1 (Oh yeah!)
Melrose Place: Season 1 (Never seen, but whatever)
Who Made The Potatoe Salad? (The new Urkel project)
Wordplay (Any movie with Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart can suck, right?)

Monday's Mix:

Duck and Cover: The Orange Alert Mix can be found here.

Coffee Talk:

This week’s discussion is basically an extension of last week discussion on sin. However, this week we will be addressing the long debate of Free Will vs. Predestination.

Free Will
"Man is a being with free will; therefore, each man is potentially good or evil, and it's up to him and only him (through his reasoning mind) to decide which he wants to be." - Ayn Rand

Everyone wants to believe in free will, that he or she is totally in control of his or her own destiny. That we can do anything we want, believe anything we want, and end up exactly where we want. One of the more well-known religious figures to support the free will argument is St. Thomas Aquinas. In his work "Summa Theologiae", he had this to say; "Man has free will: otherwise counsels, exhortations, commands, prohibitions, rewards, and punishments would be in vain". The verse is the he is referring to when he say counsels is Ecclesiasticus 15:14 (not a book in my Bible, but you can check yours. See also: Sirach) "God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his own counsel". Erasmus wrote "By free choice in the place we mean a power of the human will by which a man can apply himself to the things which lead to eternal salvation, or turn away from them".

Biblical references:
Genesis 4:6-7
Isaiah 1:19-20
Deuteronomy 30:15,19

Predestination
Is it arrogant to believe that you have the ability to control your spiritual destiny? Are you given a choice or are you chosen to serve? In Romans 8:29-30 Paul offers this to the discussion, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified".

I have heard many relatives say "God has a plan for me.", and "I was put he for a reason.", and I suppose that as humans, as Americans, we can choose to accept or deny God's plan. The phrase "God's plan" means that God is omniscience, he knows the past and the future and can see both at all times (alpha and omega, see also: Revelation 22:13-14). The Muslims faith believes Allah to be atemporal or independent of time or space.

There are several branches of Christianity that believe in predestination. The Protestants follow a school of thought called Arminianism, named after Jacobus Arminius. John Wesley, founder of the United Methodists, relayed the message to his people in the form of the word TULIP.

T - Total depravity
U - Unconditional Election
L - Limited Atonement
I - Irresistible Grace
P - Perseverance of the Saints

Luther also spoke of depravity when outlining his views of "Free Choice", "Scripture, however, represents man as one who is not only bound, wretched, captive, sick and dead, but in addition to his other miseries is afflicted, through the agency of Satan his prince, with this misery of blindness, so that he believes himself to be free, happy, unfettered, able, well and alive".
For more of the debate between Luther and Erasmus go here (highly recommended!)

Biblical references:
2 Thessalonians 2:13
Acts 2:23
Acts 13:48

Ok, that’s is a lot of information to digest, and it took me awhile to collect it, but here is you chance to debate Free Will vs Predestination. I will post my personal beliefs in the comments section and you may or may not (your choice) do they same. Talk amongst yourselves.

Saturday Morning Cartoon:

While you eat your bowl of Donkey Kong Cereal this morning, please enjoy this full episode of He-Man.



The main reason for this post is because I can not get this song out of my head!

File under guilty pleasure:

Ludacris - He-Man (mp3)

Artist of the Week: Klaxons

The leaders of what is being called "New Rave" the Klaxons are one of the most talked about bands on the internet. I'm not jumping in to be cool, but I'm jumping in because I really like their sound. Hailing from New Cross, London these three guys are preparing to make a huge splash in 2007. Just this week they released the first single (MagicK) from their fourthcoming album, "Myths of the Near Future", to be release in January 2007. Their sound has been described as "acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk". I just think it sounds good!

Listen for yourself:

Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (mp3)
Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone (mp3)
Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Van She Remix) (mp3)
Klaxons - Golden Skans (mp3)
Klaxons - Magick (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) (mp3)
Klaxons - 4 Horsemen of 2012 (mp3)

and then watch this:

The Office Quotes:

Last nights episode was great, and we found out that Angela is a vegetarian. Go Veggies!

Angela: “Don’t go they eat monkey brains.”
Michael: “Indians do not eat monkey brains, and if they do sign me up because I’m sure they are very tasty and nutritional.”

Angela: “I’m a vegetarian, what is there to eat?”
Indian guy: “It’s all vegetarian food.”
Angela: “I’ll just take bread. And you put your hand on it!”

Michael: “These smores are disgusting!”
Carol: “They are not smores, they are samosas”
Michael: “Do you think they have smores?”

Michael: "Is your marriage the kind of thing where when you die she has to throw herself on a fire?"

Michael: "Hey, why don't I come with you because I have this book called the Karma Sutra."
Carol: "Goodnight, Michael"

Pam: "What are you doing?"
Michael: "What are you doing?"
Pam: "I am rejecting your kiss!"

Writer's Corner: David Foster Wallace

Why do famous writers always use three names, or is that serial killers? Anyway, David Foster Wallace (D.F.W.) is this weeks featured writer, and he was born in Ithaca, NY in 1962. Since 1987, D.F.W has published two novels (The Broom of the System and Infinte Jest), Three collections of short stories (Girl with Curious Hair, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and Oblivion: Stories) and various articles and other short stories.

Essay's on-line:
"David Lynch Keeps his Head"
"Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage"

DFW's biggest weapon in writing is irony. He says "The great thing about irony is that it splits things apart, gets up above them so we can see the flaws and hypocrisies and duplicates".

This month, according to imdb.com, John Kransinki (Jim/Big Tuna from The Office), will begin production of the screenplay version of DFW's "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men". John wrote the screenplay with DFW and will star in and direct this movie.

For everything DFW go here.

Wednesday's Link:

For a look at the propaganda of wars past and present look here.