Lights Out! Chaos Ensues! Billions Die Flaming Death Caused By Lack Of Electricity!

Um, yeah. In case you live in a hole you may go to my favorite paper The New York Post and update yourself.

This event made me realize 2 things. 1. We are really way to reliant on Electricity. 2. Why? Because when it goes we all turn into zombies. I flipped on the TV to see what amounted to a million zombies making their way across the Hudson river on foot via whatever the hell bridge goes into Lower Manhattan.

I can't offer an answer for the people who just had to get home. But it struck me that they filled the streets so quickly, that even if the city opted to enact emergency transpot services they couldn't because there were 100 million people jamming the roads solid. What happened to logic? Either I'm a genius or most people lack common sense. At least wait for authorities to try and organize something to help the situation. I'm betting that didn't happen. "Well, trains are down. Guess I'll walk."

Now, when power goes out at my house I have a system of candles throughout the house that I can find because I know their approximate location. If worse comes to worse, I have a generator and several tanks of gas in the garage which will power my house for a few days.

And TV? Shoot. I have books. If it's really bad I know the cops will show up and let me know. Probably take all the weapons I don't own when they visit.

But it appears in the event of a national emergency, most of us will trample each other to death. That's both frightning and sad.

If You Get It Don't Get If From "Blender"

Yeah, Blender Magazine is an abomination. In 50 steps they managed to identify themselves as a tool of the major labels. With the exception of a small number of entries, the majority of the bands they labeled as the "50 Worst Ever" were actual musicians. Among the names mentioned were Jamiroquai, Tin Machine, The Doors, Whitesnake, Gipsy Kings, Creed, Manowar, and Insane Clown Posse. Blender's editor, Andy Pemberton, said: "If I were any of these groups, I would be angry about making the list - but they should be better. It's their fault they're on it." -Source NY Post

Um, and who the hell are you, Lady? I can just imagine what this tool of the major labels would name the top 50 bands of all time are. Nirvana - lead by an upset manic depressive who's band just happened to alter the course of rock music, Disturbed - who know all of three chords, Aerosmith - because, hell, they've been on every other 50 all time greatest lists.

I can just imagine what Blender would say about people on my top 100... Spit Like This, Annihilator, At-Vance, Poison, Savatage, Circle II Circle etc. Probably, "Metal is dead. "

Well, I don't recall anyone on this planet naming Blender the music authority, what's more I think the magazine just proved itself to be a huge wad of colorful toilet paper that costs $4.99 a roll. If anyone out there is taking what this magazine says as "gospel" - may I suggest attaching a cinder block to your foot and wading into the Hudson river?

Why Metal? Why Not Jazz Or Classical?

I run into people everyday who just don't get it. And trying to explain it is a near impossible task. Now when I say "Heavy Metal" I do not mean this pre fab "Nu Metal" garbage the American Major Labels turn out. I mean Classic, Progressive, and Power Metal.

So why is it so great?

Anyone who knows me knows I am all about screaming guitars, vocalists with 3 octave ranges, and big big ass drums. I mean, lower the drummer in with a crane because its so big.

But it's been asked, "Is there any musical depth to your loud music?"

Yes.

Take At Vance, coverers of Classical pieces including Beethoven's 5th. Include a generous offering of music with a similar mood as the classic piece and you have a band that transcends many of it's peers.

Or perhaps you would choose Stratovarius, who's new Album Elements includes a huge choir.

Having some snot nosed little 16 year old brat call my music "P***y Metal" who obviously has obviously never listened to his own bands closely, such as Disturbed or Godsmack. Three chords, angry vocals about how everything sucks and completely disposable.

The only comparable band I have on my docket would be the immortal Annihilator. This Thrash Metal band could smoke both above mentioned bands. Jeff can crank out insane power chords with the best of them. But he also knows how to add Jazz licks, clean electric, phazers, flangers, wah wah (rarely) - you name it - all in the same song. And Annihilator's lyrics tend to be about losing one's sanity. We can all identify with that.

What about parents? "Jes' mo o' dat loud crap if you ask me!" Well, think of your Jazz or Big Band.

There is musical depth to the Metal I listen to. It's often deep, thought provoking, often romantic, and always full of substance. It's a musical ride through the human psyche and the winding, twisting road that is life.

Hence, I quote Stratovarious:
Will there come a time for me when I find peace of mind?
Will I always have this feeling like I'm last in the line?
I will climb up the mountain and light up the candle and ask:
"Will my soul ever rest in peace?" Will My Soul Ever Rest In Peace? From Intermission.

Yeah, that was from a Heavy Metal band. Go ahead and put it in a box with other loud music. You're pure d wrong.

Auto Makers Can't Seem To Make Enough

Last night I had to partake of what most would deem a very simple task, changing spark plugs. Except the act was anything but simple. A dip stick and coolant reservoir stood in the way of my ratchet. To remove the original plugs we had to get around both items. After some help from my father and one of the craziest ass wrench setups you've ever seen, we fanagled the final plug out from behind the coolant bottle. We still had 3 more plugs in the rear of the engine which required removing the air filter.

Then, it donned on me. This engine was intentionally built to be difficult to work on. Granted, it was a V-6 stuffed under the hood of a 4 cylinder car, but it was done so by the manufacturer. Additionally, this isn't the first car I noticed was a pain to work on.

Nope, my 1987 Ford Escort had it's quips. Such as to adjust the timing chain, you needed a special wrench that only Ford makes that will set you back (at that time) $75.00.

Despite an abundance of Chiltons manuals for do-it-yourselfers, auto parts stores that can get you anything from a serpintine belt (another awful invention, by the way), to a transmission, Auto makers seem to try to kick it up a notch with each new car they design. Problem some 3rd brake lights that are permanently fastened with steel brackets to their housing, oil pans located next to major eletrical circuits which will shower sparks on you if you aren't careful when using the oil filter wrench, and to top it all off cute little signs all over your new car "Please see a dealer for service." Right, like if I need a pro to work on my car I'm going to to the one guy on this planet that will molest my wallet. Um... No.

Oil changes, light bulb changes, and tune-ups are not something you should need to visit the dealer for. And if every yahoo on this planet did visit the dealer for these mundane items, people looking for service on warranrty problems would never be seen.

I'm not sure what the mind game here is the auto industry is playing with us, but I am sure it should stop. It's pointless and people like myself will never go to Mad Charlie's Used Chryslers for a lightbulb.

The California Train Wreck

If you read Yahoo, you realize, either this is a good thing that this bunch of daisies are running or it's a bad thing.

Look at it this way. Either we'll have a group of canidates worth voting for this presedential election year, or, we'll be choosing between David Duchovny, Rip Taylor, Opie And Anthony, and George Bush.

I suppose we should be voting for at least one canidate who is somewhat normal (and it's a sad day when I consider Rip Taylor more normal than a political canidate, but I do). In fact, your average "pompous middle-aged farmer" hasn't be voted for since the early times when this country was founded. Even Abe Lincoln was a lawyer!

So why now are all the canidates a bunch of legal contrarians? Well, that would be because the rest of us are too intimidated to run. As we should be. Who's going to vote for a 27 year old Radio Personality? The lawyer has to be more intelligent, right?

Well let's narrow this down, junior. Who do you think is trying to be more honest with you?

But I think that's not the issue. The issue may actually be that this country can't deal with the truth which makes sense if you consider the fact that every politician we've ever voted into office lied to us one way or another. And we actually act surpised!

If, say, Opie And Anthony were voted for, yes, true we'd have a national WOW campaign, it would bee considered cool to spank interns in the oval office and they'd both be complete sexual deviants. But at the same time, the BS would be right where we could see it. Why? Because Opie and Anthony represent the average human being. And most of us, last time I checked, don't all have law degrees.

So my applause goes to California. If you ask me, the super human canidates are the lawyer types we've been voting for for the last 200 years and they're so full of s it comes out of their ears.

The Result Of Letting Your TV Raise Your Kids

If you're living in a cave and haven't heard this story, or you live in a state that doesn't report New England news, visit The Boston Herald.

I hope this doesn't suprise anyone. This is the 4th time this woman was attacked, and while the crime is horrific, I can't help but ask, did this mother have her head buried in the sand? Because I hope she wasn't so stupid she just let this relationship continue when she had been attacked before by this kid.

But my focus is the 16 year old daughter who helped plot her mother's murder. This girl is exactly what I've been ranting about when I criticize parents for letting "the Teletubbies raise their kids..."

When you don't take proactive involvement in your child's upbringing, this could often be the result. I don't care how many hours you work, and how over scheduled your life is. You know what? Cancel some activities. Maybe you don't need to be taking that night time basket-weaving course. Or just maybe it won't hurt the throw rug comittee at your church if you step down because you need to raise your kids. In fact, they better understand - family should come first in any church setting.

Point and case: bad things happen when you don't spend time with your kids. Anything from drug use to a murderous teen. May I suggest that this girl's plot against her mother may have spawned from hurt or neglect throughout her life rather than just the fact that she couldn't move in with "Prince Charming" - who by the way - typical to teenage girls who select a man from a group full of eligible bachelors - had all the personality of a handful of poker chips.

Educational Age Descrimination

Don't kid yourself. It exists and companies get away with it every day. Just because there are laws against it doesn't mean there are also no loop holes. There are, in fact, huge loop holes and the fact that government hasn't addressed this enormous problem sickens me.

A man in his 50s with a nice master's degree who's worth six figures a year simply isn't going to beat Mr. 20 Something who has a similar degree but will work for a fraction of the paycheck. It's age descrimination compounded with educational descrimination. And it's another example of how corporate America is f'ing up.

Mr. 20 Something will work twice as long as the older guy and maybe they can rob his paycheck over the long term. The baby boomers are getting screwed by a system run by younger CEOs who believe in cutting costs and reducing overhead by bashing the older generation with a shovel.

In the end, you have a high un-employment rate and the family man with no way to provide for his family who stands out on the road side with a sign that says, "Gentleman with a family will work for food."

This is wrong and it needs to stop. Now. And I personally condemn any company guilty of this. No matter what your reasons are, they are un-acceptable.

Episcopalians Approve Gay Minister

I'm sorry I can't just let this one fly. I'm very careful not to take on the Gay community because of their flamboyant nature and outspoken attitudes, but being a Penticoastal, this sucks the life out of me. There is not one Christian organization out there that can justify this kind of moral compromise. You can read the article at Yahoo! News.

Anyone who really knows their bible knows God condemns gay relations. It's in 1 Corinthians 6:9 "9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

So where does the Episcopal church get off second guessing God? Hey, if you're gay and call yourself Christian - your thinking is majorly flawed. And you can't just take what you want from the bible. Now, I don't want to preach, but this makes Christianity just seem like another politically correct organization that makes compromises so everyone can fit in. Well, I hate to break the news to you, but God is not politically correct. In fact, in some cases it's safe to say politically correctness is straight out of the pits of hell because of some of the compromises that result in its very existance.

So call me a hypocrit for calling the overweight "fat", the handicapped "crippled", people with an appearance deficit "ugly" - but my refusing to lower myself to the standard of politically correctness also keeps me from making compromises like the one the Episcopal church did.

Are You Overweight? Sue "Big Food"!

Are we friggin' serious? I already think lawyers are filthy, scumbag, money hoarding pieces of garbage, and this certainly doesn't help their profile. Seriously, you know that tupperware phonebooth on wheels the Pope cruises around in? Well, Chrysler could make a killing if they made these commercially available because lawyers are going to need them.

What spineless piece of trash can honestly throw his or her common sense out the window and lay down a decent arguement against this simply being a lack of one's own ability to use a little mind power and not eat KFC three meals a day? Shoot. One meal a month is probably pushing it. And we all know this!

So why are people scrambling to get their lawsuit in for their weight problem or fat kid? Well, we can chalk it up to greed, my friends. We can also stop calling the last two generations "Generation X" and "Generation Y" and just lump them together as the "Raised By The Mass Media Generation".

This happens because since the 70's, mom and dad aren't home; and when they are home, they let the friggin' Tele-Tubbies raise their kids. This is un-acceptable.

But the first time I wrote this page, I totally missed something. Employers are at fault, as well. America is working longer and harder for less benefits. And I mean all around. Instead of an eight hour work day, we are putting in ten to twelve hours, and to top it off, we get lousy health care that most employers pay less than half of.

So overall, this is a self causing problem. Parents need to flush the remote control down the toilet, and raise their kids. Employers need to stop being so damn greedy and get back to valuing families. We are becoming mindless money hoarding zombies in this country. The countdown clock is activated and it's going to tick down to detonation.

Molly Bish Laid To Rest - 1983 - 2000

You know, there's tons of things making me angry today that I could rant about. But I was completely disarmed when I sat down at the computer this morning when I found items from the Molly Bish memorial service Sunday.

It yanked at my heart, and begged me to say something. And, what kind of person would I be if I did not fill my obligation as "the voice of those who cannot and will not speak,"? (Political Cataclysm).

God has emblazened the face of this young girl on my heart and I would be lying if I didn't admit that her face will haunt me until the day I die. I know so many kids in her age group and would be mortified if some spineless coward did anything to any of them. What happened to Molly is in-tolerable.

I read the button that was handed out and it nearly brought me to tears: "Found but forever missed." The only reason I am anywhere near this case at all is that WTAG is close to the case, and being an intern, I read every last word that comes in about Molly and her family.

We need to remember that we are responsible to defend our kids.

As such, I'm weilding a sniper rifle (figuratively speaking) with a 500 yard scope on it and I'm pointing it straight between the eyes of any demon who wants to hurt one of God's children.

I'm not sure what I will be called to do, or even if I will be called to action in this war against horrid people who rape and murder kids, but I am open to helping. One thing's for sure. We cannot stand by and let another Molly Bish endure what Molly herself endured.

So, today's blog, just a little remembrance for Molly. As George Bush would say, "Let's Roll." That's damn right.

This one's for you, Molly. -Vince

Insanity: Here's Something That Bugs Us All

We've all heard them. They draw an irritated groan and an instinctive switch of the dial. In the industry we call them: Commercials. Yes, there are the ones that make us chortle, chuckle and giggle. But then there are also the irritating, awful, "Why the ?@#$! did they even record this damned thing?" commercials.

Now, it wouldn't be me unless I bashed a couple of these with a shovel, so here goes. Let's start with Ernie Bach Junior. "Sorry, you have bad credit... Sorry you have a reposession," etc. etc. This commercial rubs me the wrong way. First of all. If I have bad credit, I don't need some irritating salesman (who I don't trust to begin with, the lying sack of s), reminding me all the ways my credit sucks. Make your point. "You need a car, I can get you approved. Offer good from A to B." Then shut up, and get off my screen. Channel 7 needs to stop airing this before we all destroy our TVs with the nearest chair.

The next one is a radio ad for "Carl's Diner" in Worcester set to the music of "Mission Impossible" with some guy who is NOT a singer, belting out very poor lyrics which paint the picture of what Carl's Diner serves. "Eggs and ham, toast and Jam..." blah blah blah. This song was irritating the FIRST time I heard it. And every Worcester affiliate airs it. So now, I'm switching to Boston stations to escape this moronic drabble.

The last one is the notorious McKinnon's Meat Market ad that airs primarialy on weekends on WBZ in Boston. This commercial is another guaranteed channel changer. A bunch of guys chant every damn item McKinnon's offers at their butcher shop. Ok. It's a butcher shop. I think I can figure out the rest.

Point of fact: If your commercial irritates me; 1. I won't use your product just to spite you. 2. I will shut you off which is the opposite of what you want.

Stations who air these awful ads have an instant loss of listenership and should probably heavily advise against the client airing this for the above reasons. It simply brings no benefits.

So how can I sum this whole thing up? Insanity. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

Kansas Woman A Piece Of Garbage For Playing Cruel Joke Posing As Missing Daughter

Where these people come from and who they think they are I will never know. But if you read The Herald's Article that reveals that Donna Walker was committing a hoax, you realize there are some real wastes of life out there.

Who the heck are these people? The man that has been on the news, filled with a new sense of hope that his daughter who was abducted at age 8 may be alive, was devestated on last nights newcast. He fell apart on the air, overcome by grief.

Man, someone should beat this woman with a shovel. Maybe it will knock some sense into her. And if this was just another cruel joke for her, well, then upgrade your weapon to a backhoe.

I have no use and zero tolerance for people who would commit such a foul act. And if any of you out there actually think this is funny, God have mercy on you - because I wouldn't.

The most time Donna Walker will see is 3 years. Man. Give her life! Make this digusting pile of refuse stay in prison. There are murderers who have long since reformed I would let out before this piece of trash.

This disgusts me.

U.S. Security Experts Asleep At The Wheel

Despite all the new threats coming from U.S. Intelligence, Air Marshals are being pulled from key flights as of August. The question is why?

My guess is that common sense has been thrown out with the baby and the bathwater. We make all this fuss about needing to be security consciences, and yet we do dumb things like this. Shoot. Why don't we just invite al-Quada over and hand them the keys to the ignition of every jumbo jet at Logan?

This is typical of the U.S. - scare the crap out of everyone with "intelligence", but don't raise the terror threat level or beef up security. In fact, just lower security all around. While were at it, let's start selling Nike's with compartments for shoe bombs.

I don't care if the reasoning is simply a nudge and a wink to al-Quada that says, "Hey, we know what's up." It terrorizes people in this country when it's done. Rather than saving a few bucks, just take the precautions and make it difficult over all to hi-jack anything to begin with.

Tuesday Special Double Edition!!!

Bob Hope

I wanted to take this brief moment to salute one of America's greatest entertianers: Bob Hope. We all have heard the stories for the past 2 days about how he started in Vaudeville, had his own radio and television show, and how he entertained the troops.

Instead, I would like to call on some of those classic radio fanatics to help release, not just the greatest hits from his radio era, but everything so we can all share in the memories.

Thanks.

The regular column follows below.

Terrible, Awful Video Games Are The Spawn Of Satan

Friday afternoon I spent 4 hours playing Grand Theft Auto Vice City. I think I understand why parents are losing their minds over this game by Rock Star. Maybe it's because it's the video game equilivent of buying an NC-17 Movie for your 10-year-old.

Seriously, would you go out and buy a copy of "Bloodfest 12: Obliviated Bodies - by Riot Act Pictures" for your kid? Not likely. But there are "parents groups" who have a big problem with this game. Hmm. Let's use a little logic here:

See, GTA 3: Vice City wasn't designed for kids. It's clearly designed for stressed out adults who would never act out violence in the real world, but are seeking that stress release they need after battling it out with stupid drivers on Amierca's Highways, bosses with ego problems, and way too long office hours. That, or the game is just designed to be a bloodfest and your typical shoot-em-up theme, reminicent of N.A.R.C. But N.A.R.C. was ok, because THAT game was a bunch of cops slaughtering drug dealers.

Video games are entertainment. Nothing more. And, as with anything, if hi-jacking someone's IROC, running down pedestrians and taking sniper shots from a 3 story building for hours on end is going to cause you to fly over the edge, you should probably steer clear.

Experts argue that such suggestive pursuasion is not possible. It's like saying Van Halen's "Jump" is going to prompt you to commit suicide. Although video game graphics are much more suggestive, I doubt Mr. Suburbanite is going to weild a chainsaw in the name of vengeance just because he owns GTA: Vice City. In fact, I think the opposite would be true. Due to the satisfying graphics of people being blown in two, it should alleviate some of that stress.

And, if you have to find some justification for destroying people and blowing things up, just enter the cheat code for the Tank or hi-jack a police car and go into vigalante mode. Point and case: Just in enjoy the game. It's only fantasy.

The Nationwide Media Frenzy That IS Kobe Bryant

Sure it's easy for us all to point our fingers at the alleged victim and yell, "Gold Digger!" And, truth be known, she may very well be. When it comes to a high profile celebrity, you have to question the validity of the claim in all cases. Many of these women are modern day Jezebels. Lure someone into a pit of sexual deviancy, then afterwards, break out the onion, cry like a baby, and cry wolf.

Except one has to ask the question, "What if she was raped?"

Now fans of basketball, and more importantly, Kobe Bryant, say Kobe's not capable of such a seditious act. Further, this girl is just another money seeking foul thing who wants an easy buck.

The real problem are a few idiots who don't get what justice is all about. One: Tom Lychis. 2: A web site called "Binary Report."

Lychis is a moran to start with. He is a shock jock somewhere on the west coast who teaches you a "fool proof method for gettng laid", so his motivations are already bad. Tom went on the air and told everyone the girls name. Following the media rule of thumb, I won't reveal her name, although I do know who she is, and further, her phone number, email, and where she lives.

The second zilch is a site called "Binary Report". This site appears to be set up with the sole purpose of telling you what a tramp Kobe's accuser is.

Look, in this case especially, it is absolutely necessary to let justice do it's work. Some will argue that Kobe can't get a fair trial because of his popularity. Maybe so, but if there is no proof to this accusation, and it is her word against his, the case will be tough to prove.

My opinion? Kobe f'ed up, big time. He comitted adultry, and got caught. If this girl is doing this to pocket some coin, well, then yes, she's a gold digging godless daughter of Jezebel who in the end will face final judgement with a court that doesn't cut plea bargains.

Cloning: What The Heck Are We Doing?

Dolly. The Jiffy Pop DNA Sheep. Cloning is the latest world wide hot-button that just won't go away. And as usual with Science, we are forging ahead without answering many questions. Such as, "If we do succeed in making a super-human clone, what will happen if he tear asses around the planet killing the rest of us?"

There is, of course, another side to this. Some would argue that since the clone is man made, it doesn't have a soul as God himself plays a roll in human creation. Those who are proponents of the theory of evolution, which has less fact around it than the evidence supporting the Shroud of Tourin was in fact what Jesus Chirst was wrapped in, will say God doesn't play a part in it.

Look, if your Muslim, Jewish, Wiccan, Buddahist, Hindu, etc. etc., you believe a God somehow has his hand in human life. And that means greater than half the planet believes in some sort of deity. Therefore, why the heck ARE we messing around with a devinely created plan?

This is typical of Science, forge ahead, forget the re-precussions. In the end, you'll probably find, do to lack of a soul, not one clone will survive. The soul is pretty much the life force behind your entire body. Anyone who worships a God or Goddess will tell you that.

Outreach From Rock Band Viewed as "Blood Money"

I remember it well. The "Station" nightclub fire. I was in Rhode Island the night of the fire - at a different club - and naturally, everyone thought I had been at the Station.

I was rocked by the news, however. Great White is considered a Hair Band, or as I would say, from the Classic Metal genre that ruled the 1980's, so it got my attention. Jack Russell appeared on the news, shaken, stirred, and devestated by what had happened.

And of course, everyone started pointing fingers. Families of people killed in the fire all started opening their wallets looking to collect from someone and the first fingers were pointed at the club and the band. How dumb were these people. "We're gonna get every dime you got, pal." WAIT.

Great White's time in the spotlight was somewhere in the late 1980's, and so was their time of monatary prosperity. So the typical "it hurts make it feel better with a big wad of cash" claim faded over the months. Charges may still be brought on the band if it is determined they were largely at fault for the pyro-technics display being setup without permission.

So now the band wants to do a tour and raise money for "The Station Family Fund", which is expected to bring in $5000.00 to $15,000.00 a week for the cause and this angry suburbanite, while tearing her hair out at the roots exlaimed, "It's the most horrible thing I've heard. There's no way we're going to accept any money from Great White. It's blood money. They caused the deaths of all these people."

Let me get this straight, Jack Russel is trying to atone any guilt and fault he may have by touring and donating all the proceeds and all this un-forgiving wench can do is badmouth his efforts?! This woman should crawl into a hole and stay there. There is no use for un-forgiving people in this country when someone offers both an apology and an effort to correct the situation. What a disgusting, vile human being this woman is. The people who died in the fire would accept both expressions and would want to see the band come out ok on the other side, or have you forgotten that? There is the chance fire will break out in any over crowded club and people will die, it's a chance you take going out. Yes, these were un-usual circumstances, but the risk is always the same.

Get over yourself you arrogant woman.

By the way, before any of you half reading idiots get all upset over my writing, swallow this: I'm not saying this wasn't an awful and totally avoidable incident set off by a bunch of careless people. But there is also no room for un-forgiveness here. Remember, the band lost someone as well.

Vince To Beacon Hill: Ehh. Sorry, MCAS Ain't Workin'

So this article pops up in the Boston Herald, and it shows how bloody frustrated most of the kids are who failed MCAS. More than half aren't checking in for a retake.

And no wonder. The test alleged to weed out stupid teachers instead might be taking a rather harsh effect on the people it intends to help. I wonder if the 8% who fail have learning disabilities?

A written test isn't crafted for a non-academic learner, and they do exist, by the way. It's not a copout.

I can't explain what happened and why we need this joke of a test anyway, but I think it happened somewhere between the 1950's and the 1990's when we started thinking a four-year degree was ALL that mattered when selecting teachers. Now we have a handful of good teachers and a trashbag full of really awful people who know how to pass a college final.

Now, it is possible to hire compassionate, loving teachers. My friend Rebecca is one. But for the most part, school officials are more impressed with credentials, not compassion. "Wow, a master's from Yale. Impressive." Is more than likely uttered more than, "This woman worked for four years with this kid to make sure he passed Math."

So MCAS doesn't work. And the more enligtened bunch of us have known there were holes in this test bigger than some of the craters on the moon. Beacon Hill doesn't seem to get that some things can't be evaluated in a written test. To this day I can't pass a written exam on anything. And if I can't, there must be others effected the same way.

RIAA Brings In 1000 "Criminals"

On Friday the lobby group that works on behalf of the large, mostly foreign-owned, music conglomerates that own the music copyrights and distribution channels confirmed that it was serving subpoenas at the rate of 75 a day on US citizens for the crime of sharing the music they love. See this website for the whole article.

Oh, brother. What a joke of an organization the RIAA is. But the news is not all bad. Now Kazza and Grokster are working on "Cloaking Devices". So while "he RIAA is beside itself with glee: and boasted that a thousand music-lovers had already been busted," file sharing is about to strike back, giving the RIAA the punk-stick.

And they deserve it. If a congressman seeking re-election gets up and prosecutes 1000 voters who said they didn't support his views on a single issue, he may lose 1000 people who would have voted for him anyway. So that's 1000 less votes he will receive. Likewise, that is 1000 less CDs the music industry will sell in the future for multiple reasons. 1.)The people are more than likely disgusted with this seedy organization. 2.)They'll be broke if the RIAA wins.

And it is ridiculous to think that KaZaa users don't buy a single album. Most use file sharing to determine whether a CD is worth buying to begin with. Due to "cheaters", a group of file sharers who either run low bandwidth, carry small libraries, or cut downloads, it is nearly impossible in most cases to download entire albums.

Personally, I have used file sharing to download songs by artists who don't get played in the U.S. (because of the RIAA who control MOST radio media), and later purchased the album.

In the end, the music fan will win. KaZaa will beat the RIAA and we'll be back at square one.