And who exactly are the plumbers union to tell anyone what type of urinals to put it?

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/30/D8GM62SOA.html

Apparently the plumbers union in Philadelphia is mad that some no flush urinals are scheduled to be installed in a new skyscraper. If they were just upset, that is one thing, but who are they to tell a developer that he can't do that?

If the city council bows to the pressure, you will see a classic example of union idiocy. Always portrayed by Hollywood and the media as the good guys, they are frequently as bad or worse than the greediest of corporations. Let's face it: Unions are monopolies.

Here's hoping that freedom prevails,

--Joey

Photo of the week (March 31st 2006)

Since the blog is still new, I am going to introduce a new feature called photo of the week. You'll never guess what it consists of!

This photo was from August 12 2005 in Longboat Key, Florida. The isle needs to have sand pumped up to keep up with erosion every few years or so. This is the first time I had seen the process in person and while it was not the best for swimming, it is cool to watch :)

--Joey

XM's switcheroo

I have been a very happy subscriber of XM for a year and 3 months. For anyone who wishes they had more choice in radio, XM is most certainly for you. You can transcend geography and pull diverse stations from the skies. How many cities have a 24/7 Blues station for example? They have a new Chill station (appropriately named XM Chill) and Big Tracks that specializes in "later rock" to complement Top Tracks.

The problem is that some of the cool niche channels have gone the way of condor (near extinction, still available online) like Ngoma (all African Music), On The Rocks (retro lounge lots of Prima and Prado), among others.

Starting in 17 days there will be some additions and naturally some removals (from xmradio.com)

U.S. Country - XM 17 - Country Superstars of the 80s and 90s Flight 26 - XM 26 - Modern Hits 90s & Now XM Hitlist - XM 30 - Today's Hit Music enLighten - XM 34 - Southern Gospel XM Liquid Metal - XM 42 - Heavy Metal XL The Heat - XM 68 - Rhythmic Hits Escape - XM 78 - Easy Listening Viva - XM 91 - Latin Pop Hits

Unfortunately there are some stations getting the axe:

XM 31 - The Torch moves to XM Radio Online, DirecTV, and AOL. XM 51 - Music Lab moves to XM Radio Online only. In addition, the music and shows heard on Music Lab can now be found on the following channels: Fine Tuning® - XM 76 focuses on the ethereal side of progressive and Deep Tracks - XM 40 covers the harder edge of the progressive spectrum. XM 61 - The Flow moves to XM Radio Online, DirecTV, and AOL. Suite 62 - XM 62 will have a neo soul show Sunday mornings from 8AM until Noon ET. XM 95 - Luna moves to XM Radio Online, DirecTV and AOL. Real Jazz - XM 70 will now offer some Latin jazz programming.

This works out probably about as well as it could have. It seems like XM may be listening to the subscriber messageboards that have heavily suggested that axed channels reemerge in some capacity. With the timeshifting XM2GO units, you no longer need to have 24/7 programming to satisfy the commutes. A 3 hour over night block would be great, a weekend show etc. Enlighten a formerly XMOnline only addition has been added to the service, and Liquid Metal which was cut last year, is now back. So there is always some hope of putting online only stations back on the birds.

Some of those descriptions of the new stations may seem awfully familiar to those that have the service, or shocking-that-they-are-just-now-being-added to people that haven't had the pleasure of being introduced to satellite radio.

The answer is yes on both and it is a bit political. Clear Channel which is currently pinching out a brick shaped turd about the future of their "free FM" is trying to sabotage satellite radio and make some money in the here and now. The Mix, Nashville, Sunny et al which are currently being programmed by Clear Channel under an old agreement when they were an investor, are adding commercials...something XM said would never happen. So to make up for it they are having to duplicate the commercial stations thus taking up valuable bandwidth. Unfortunately, this will continue for years. Once they get out of the agreement they will be able to be commercial free once and for all (assuming the CBS takeover rumor is false) and of course have the ability to add back the cut stations.

--Joey

Are Muslims human beings?

Unless you have been living under a rock or in a cave, you have undoubtedly heard about the case of the Abdul Rahman, the Afghani convert to Christianity, who was sentenced to death under the hybrid Sharian-secular law for the crime of Islamic apostasy. Apparently it is much more inclusive of the former than the latter.

The reaction has been violent, and if you don't want to read the article it featured such reassuring comments as:

"If the government doesn't kill him, people in all provinces will demonstrate," said one young man, Mujibur Rahman. "All Muslims will be anti-government."

Another Kabul resident, Abdul Samad, said an example should have been made.

"People will follow this guy, seeking asylum and getting money from the West. We asked the government to execute this man at a public stadium as a lesson to others," he said.

What is wrong with Islam? What is it about Muslim thought that is so fundamentally backward?Why do their leaders have the intelligence and insightfulness of an extended interview of Paris Hilton by Jessica Simpson? It is hard to believe that a group of people as large as they are has been so left behind by the stampede of the ideals of freedom. The question is then, who needs to correct this? Christians? Jews? Hindus? Secularists? Atheists?

Unfortunately, it is not just these armpits of the globe that are suffering, they are bringing their collective retardation to the world's better nations. In the Netherlands, Theo Van Gogh was shot on a bicycle just outside of this house for his documentary on the brutality of Islam, aptly named Submission, which is what Islam means. Belgian police were encouraged to not be seen drinking coffee (which contains caffeine) during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, lest Mecca bowers be put off.

Even in North America we are facing a little bit of what our European counterparts are truly suffering from. In Canada, under recent law, the sex of a baby, determined by UltraSound, can not be told to the parents. Why? Because Muslims and Sikhs were aborting female babies. Keep in mind this is happening when there is extreme, immersive pressure to conform to the liberal notions of personal freedom and equality.

So what are we to do? First, we need to immediately halt all Islamic immigration to the United States. We can not afford to become like Europe where our freedoms are stripped away from third world idiots. The next step, is to come down REAL hard on abuses that are tolerated in other less desirable parts of the world. In Riyadh you may get to beat your wife to work out your inferiority complex, but not in this nation, bub.

Those may seem like radical steps but you have to consider the radical nature of the people with which we are dealing. While here, we need to up the ante in public schools to stop advocating the convenient lie of multiculturalism. No, not all cultures are created equal. I don't care how much you like eating food from a variety of countries (and count me in that group!) that doesn't make you a proponent of multiculturalism, nor do those that consider it a horrible, dangerous philosophy want a culture uniform blandness.

The much talked about HR4437 (which has some fundamental problems, which is for another post) is the first step in addressing the immigration problem. While the subject is fresh, let us take the opportunity to be more restrictive with allowing Muslims to enter the US. We need immigration, so let us tap countries that don't promote such revolting ideals. We can then evaluate the stance once the mindset has evolved.

--Joey

Better beer

It only took four posts before beer came up in this blog. My sister recently had a friend turn 21 and she went out and got a sixer of Bud Light.

::Crickets::

Right, not sure why you would do that considering their are similarly priced alternatives that , you know, have flavor.

Being something of a jerk when it comes to the subject, I felt like this would be a good opportunity to list a few favorite transition beers on the road to the really good stuff.

Yuengling (Traditional Lager) - America's oldest brewery in Pottsville, PA has weathered many a storm in a competitive industry. The brand got a lift in the 80s (1980s) when they introduced the Yuengling Traditional Lager, a beer that is very similar to what was brewed at the dawn of the 20th century. It is not a bitter beer (for newbies, we say hoppy to describe the good type of bitterness) and perfect for someone wanting to make baby steps away from BudMillerCoors in terms of flavor and price.

Sam Adams - The Boston Lager is often an oasis in a desert of swill. Jim Koch pioneered, or was at the very least highly influential in, the microbrew revolution. A microbrew is a beer brewed with limited distribution. While the brand has matured, and it is now widely available, it is frequently still called a micro because of its superior quality over the other larger American "beers". This is a Vienna style lager that is crisp, refreshing and very flavorful.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - If you want to try something a bit bolder, take on this California (duh) microbrew. Pale Ales are very British, except that we now have improved the style and made it our own (more and different (cascade) hops, malt, alcohol, and flavor). Ales, using different fermenting processes have a fruitier, more refreshing quality than the more sturdy lagers. However the elevated hop usage has been known to turn off people that are already inclined to dislike beer, so I don't recommend it as your first beer unless you have already take a few steps forward. If you dig this, Celebration, their winter seasonal, may very well be heaven in a pint glass.

With this new found appreciation for beer, maybe you want to spend some more dough and end up with a high quality (for dessert or mains) beer.

Rogue Chocolate Stout - Okay, you have tried those, you have done the import bit and have come to the conclusion that Heineken is always skunked because of the stupid green bottle (something to be alert to with Yuengling, though the fact that it is brewed domestically usually means it is fresher), a Becks and Bass later, you get that pint of Guinness down and think beer can't get better. If you are digging the dark beer, you have to try a chocolate stout. At first glance, that sounds disgusting, but in reality they are using chocolate malt to brew a phenomally different and tasty beer. Like real chocolate, it is not sweet. Just make sure you serve it at a cool but not cold 55-60 degrees Farenheit (12-15 Centigrade)

Ayinger Celebrator - Once described to me through a recommendation made to my aunt, as the Lord of the Ring of beers. Holy shire this is good. Guinness tastes flat and flavorless in comparison. Perfect with Chili I highly recommend the beer, and what's better, I had it on tap in Munich. Oh and you get a cool plastic goat on a string (::cough:: worrisome Christmas ornaments) with every bottle. Can you beat that!

If you have never been, I recommend a visit to Beer Advocate where you can get recommendations, reviews, and even a newly developed magazine devoted to this amazing beverage.

Cheers,

--Joey

The Immigrant Language Situation

I want to use my new found personal blog to address something I quickly mentioned in my last whereisjoey blog entry.

I recently had the opportunity to do something really cool. I studied Spanish, in Spain, for 6 weeks. Prior to doing that, I took a "summer camp" Spanish class just before 7th grade, a beginning Spanish class (in 7th grade which was a repeat of the summer), Spanish I in 8th grade (again mostly repeat) and a semester in 9th grade (Spanish II). Being that it was a long time ago, I really only remembered the basics (100 words) and little else.

After a week or so in Spain of being immersed, I felt like I got back all that I had forgotten. My vocabulary was growing incredibly quickly and so was my understanding. After two to three weeks, I felt like I was able to operate in most circumstances. In fact I even bought a Spanish cell phone and for those of you that have done that in your native language you know that can be somewhat complicated.

It takes work to learn a language. You have to be committed to buying newspapers, looking up what you don't understand in dictionaries, and being proactive in engaging others in conversation. I used Spanish almost exclusively (sometimes in touristy Marbella, the proprietors were all to eager to use English with foreigners) and I found it seldom led to misunderstandings or whatever excuse people like to use to not speak the language.

Whenever I heard students ask to speak English it enraged me. Not because they didn't speak it, but because they were capable of speaking enough Spanish to operate and chose not to, for whatever reason. That got me thinking. I am sure we have all witnessed the following situation. A person enters a McDonalds/Burger King/Subway/You Name It and asks if someone speaks Spanish. Being that this is Florida, that is not a problem, someone will. The question is, why?

For subtle and highly complex customer service issues, it is understandable why a person would want to use their native tongue. So when they say they want a hamburger, fries and a large coke, why in the hell do they need to speak Spanish? It is the height of laziness to not learn how to say "I want..." and "Thank You". Every person in Butte, Montana knows how to say that in Spanish thanks to the Taco Bell Chihuahua. I was guilty of cutting immigrants slack on that issue. I only speak English, so I argued/questioned how can they hope to learn a language without intensive study? With one exception, I never asked for someone to speak English while in Spain. Even in Germany, I was able to get food without using English most of the time.

We have been conditioned to always be sympathetic to the language situation with immigrants which probably stems from the liberal* advocates of multiculturalism. However, after being a foreigner "living" in another country I can say from experience that after two months (2 weeks longer than I was there) you should be able to get long in nearly any day to day situation. If the immigrant chooses to go to places that speak that language, read newspapers in their language, and avoid English TV, they are just being lazy. Fortunately, just as those immigrants represent the minority in the US, most fellow students took advantage of their time and tried to function in Spanish.

I would have made a lot more progress had I done that as a young child (I met a few Brit school children that had been in Spain for a few months and their Spanish was great), which further cements how ridiculous (and dangerous!) the idea of bilingual education is.

--Joey

*the hippy-drooling-PC-idiot sense, not the classical sense

CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine

Being away from the US, I have averaged about 30 minutes of television watching per day so I am a bit out of practice (not that this is such a bad thing) and with this being the time of year that network's cut their losses on the shows that bombed, I watched this new show starring Julia Louis Dryfus, of Seinfeld fame.

I think my dad gave it the right description, "it may have potential...we'll just have to see."

You know what takes away from it... takes a lot away from it? The stupid laughtrack. When something is funny, just let the studio audience laugh...naturally. Someone makes a "heh" worthy comment and "they" explode. Having more laugh track doesn't increase the funny factor of a show. This is particularly distracting when they film outdoors.

This is why I love shows like Arrested Development, The Office (which btw, I think I saw BJ Novak walking out of the men's room in JFK last weekend), Family Guy, the Simpsons et al. They broke that school of thought that doesn't trust the viewer to know what is funny. Hint: we do.

That said, this show may be worth a shot, but it is still early on. It seems like the laughtrack problems maybe a CBS problem because the vastly overrated Everyone Loves Raymond (I am still mad they beat out Arrested Development at the Emmy's*) would use it like the sound files came with expiration dates. The next show I am looking forward to is Teachers on NBC which costars (can you use that for ensemble casts?) the hilarious Phil Hendrie.

--Joey

*Arrested Development was able to take Best Writing only because no one could, with a straight face, compare the genius that is Arrested Development to the mediocrity that is Everybody Digs Ray.

Joey is right here

I have decided to continue my blogging now that I am back in Tampa. The name is a goof on my travel blog name (whereisjoeytoday) and, because of the opinionated nature of my future rants, I am indeed "right"... here.

It is nice to be back in the US.

--Joey

Ambigram

Ssh, It is hiding!