philly

Check it out here.

This "debate" starts in about 45 minutes. They can't ask each other questions, can't respond to allegations/attacks/remarks made at each other and their comments are supposed to be limited to 45 seconds. What kind of crap did the Democrats agree to at the bargaining table with that creepy James Baker [the lawyer for the Saudi royal family]. Well, it's all laid out in their Memorandum of Understanding [.pdf]; this memo is 32 fucking pages long. Good grief.

Randi Rhodes thinks it'll be more like a bumper-sticker slogan showdown. Everybody tune in and find out for yourselves.

Last night, Lady and I took a trip out to the 'burbs to see Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. It was a lot heavier than the original. I prepped myself by watching Ghost in the Shell on DVD the other day.

The animation in Innocence was awesome. They used a good mix of CGI and hand drawn stuff. I totally preferred the hand drawn stuff, but the CGI scenes were nice for what they were. The most prevalent thing about the movie, to me, was the washed out colors. Everything was all whited out. It was an interesting look. I'm used to seeing movies where the pallette is muted or overly dark, but I can't think of one where everything is washed out.

I totally suggest going to see this movie if you're a fan of the first one or if you like some seriously deep philosophical stuff. I dunno if I'd call it the best animation I've ever seen, as many reviews of the movie have said, but it's still pretty damn good and that maybe reason alone to go see it as well. If not, I'd say to stay away.

And if you had an extra $8000 or so lying around and you didn't know what to do with it, just go ahead and get me a nice new Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, the illest camera alive.

If you don't, no biggie.

"Valuable diamonds stolen in Paris" is the headline for this BBC News story. Is there a non-valuable diamond? Aren't they all needlessly expensive as fuck?

If a diamond were valued at its true worth, based on rarity, as most things are, they would rank behind rubies and emeralds [I'm almost positive it's these two stones] as those stones are more scarce than diamonds are.

Last Thursday, I got the chance to take some photos for my paper. The Marketing Director knows that I like to take photos so he gave me the chance to take some photos of a new jazz series - "Next Sessions" - at Zanzibar Blue a really nice jazz club in Illy. I had a great time. Me and a few co-workers listening to some great singing by Libby York and some great food from the kitchen; it was a good time.

I dunno how my photos could/would be used or even if they'll use them at all. I gave them a CD with all the images on them last Friday and I haven't heard a peep from them yet. Maybe they'll post some of the images on the site to promote the next Next Session coming up.

If they do decide to publish my photos, that would be awesome. I'm already going to be published in Lady's Mom's photonics book. I took a whole bunch of scientific photos for her. It was quite cool, I learned a bit about lasers as well. Who knows where this nice camera of mine will take me next. Ultimately, I'd love to be able to take journalistic shots on a regular basis. It would be cool to be a secondary staff photographer. I'd learn on the job.

My first real photographic project was a photojournalistic one. You can check out the series on my online portfolio I had to complete at Purchase. It was a series of photos I took while in DC for my photography class. It was of the A16 rally in protest of the IMF/World Bank back in 2000. Good lord that was awhile ago. Another lifetime. Now, shooting in film is just too much of an expense for me. I'd much rather shoot hundreds of shots for "free" on my memory stick instead of limiting myself to 24 shots at a time and reloading.

I was riding back from NYC to Illy and I saw this sign that caught my eye. I think this "terror watch" stuff is getting a little crazy. I know it's a ploy to keep us all in a constant state of panic so that we stay with our current "leader" through these trying times, but we can't let it get to us.

I ran into some serious characters on my ride back from NYC. I finally got to sleep only to be awakened and rushed to another train car because there was some unknown electrical situation going on. Something smelled funny, I recall. I just stumbled with my 3 bags 2 cars further back. I switched to the SEPTA train in Trenton and more characters were found on that train. It was slightly less nutty than a Greyhound bus.

All in all, the transportation was pretty good. Roundtrip, the 2 trains, off peak, cost less than $30. The trains run every hour on the hour on the weekends so there are plenty to choose from. The last train leaves NY/Illy around 11pm.

So, friends, get your ass on a train or a cheap Southwest flight or a Go Fare or something. Look, US Airways' Go Fares even has the Rocky statue on its homepage. It's a sign folks. I got an extra cabin bed and I'm gonna go to get a couch in the next few weeks so there's plenty of sleeping surfaces. If there are more people coming, I gots sleeping bags as well.

And on a more serious note…

The first Presidential Debate of 2004 will be televised live from the University of Miami where my buddy Abbetha goes to school. Let's see if she can get herself into the venue. Wouldn't that be funny? To spot a friend in the audience of a presidential debate? It would be like watching a football game and then seeing your buddy with their face painted holding up some absurd sign. Go Abbetha!

Did anyone see Roy Jones Jr. get knocked the fuck out on Saturday night? Good lord did he look horrible. He did not look like his usual ripped self. He looked flabby. He was slow. He threw fewer punches than normal. He looked totally out of it. And then, in the 9th round, he got caught with a vicious shot and his knees just buckled underneath him. His head hit the canvas at full speed and he didn't move for about a minute.

Whats-his-face who knocked him out didn't look especially good though. He just put a lot of pressure on Jones and landed a few well placed shots. Jones looked done for.

Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

So, according to this story, Conan is due to take over the Tonight Show in 2009. Personally, I think he should be there already.

Letterman should've been the man at the Tonight Show in the first place though. I still can't believe that he didn't get the spot after doing the Late Night Show after Carson for all that time. Stupid Leno got it and somehow, the Tonight Show has stayed ahead in the ratings in front of the Late Show all these years. Does anyone actually find Leno funny anymore? He's horrendous. Stealing bits from Howard Stern and that stupid annoying laugh.

There's nothing interesting about him either, except for his sweet car collection - his only saving grace. He was funny about 20 years ago, but hasn't made a good joke in the past decade from what I've noticed.

Here's a great shot from Bluejake's MobLog.

Let's help them move.