NET OF GEMS

Listen to Josh Get Interviewed by The Enlightened Millionaire Institute

2005-07-21T03:43:00.000-04:00

I am a protege in the Enlightened Millionaire Institute and this call was actually a class that no one else but me showed up for. So, the instructor and I had a frank and moving conversation about personal success, online marketing and the creation of great content that people will salivate to purchase.

Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen have changed my life and their new book Cracking the Millionaire Codeand The One-Minute Millionairewill change your life forever also.

If you're interested in EMI,there is a contact link at their site (linked at the top). You can learn stock options trading, real estate investing, information entrepreneuring and internet marketing. I, being the ambitious young lad that I am, took all four and I am using them to build up my Multiple Streams of Income. There is an initial investment here to take the courses, but you get a full year's access and you are learning from millionaires who are actually making money in the field you are studying.

1 hr 30 minutes

Josh Reads Krishnamurti's Landmark 1929 "Truth is a Pathless Land" Speech

2005-07-19T09:08:00.000-04:00

Today, I've been getting a lot of run off traffic from a controversial post I made yesterday related to Shane Nickerson, Wil Wheaton, and Tony Pierce; so I thought it might be prudent to republish this reading of perhaps the most important speech that few ever heard in the 20th Century.

It's about 30 minutes long but well worth your time. Enjoy Jiddu Krishnamurti at his fireball finest.

This podcast was orginally published on May 04, 2005.

Newborn Friend

2005-07-19T08:47:00.001-04:00

Josh sings his acoustic version of the Seal song "Newborn Friend" from Seal's 1994 self-titled album.

Wish You Were Here and Redemption Song Medley

2005-07-18T23:39:00.000-04:00

Josh sings a medley of "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd and "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley--two songs that fit perfectly together in terms of key and chord structure.

Performing this song is always a rocking emotional experience and I am often completely drained by the end.

Hyacinth House

2005-07-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

This is an acoustic arrangement of "Hyacinth House" by The Doors. This is my favorite Doors song and the acoustic version on the boxed set knocked my socks off. This song is in that vein.

These are Some of the Best T-Shirts of All Time

2005-07-12T15:32:00.000-04:00

ThreadPit.com: funny shirts, tshirts, t-shirts, funny t-shirts

I like the one that says "NAKED" on it.

The Christian Version 2

2005-07-12T14:01:00.000-04:00

Josh sings another version of "The Christian" by Jimmy Buffett, circa 1971.

3 minutes, 59 seconds

The Christian Version 1

2005-07-06T14:05:00.000-04:00

Josh sings his acoustic rendition of the 1971 Jimmy Buffett song "The Christian," and dedicates it to his boy Tommy C.

(04:23)

Which Way Are You Going (Vocal Only)

2005-06-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Josh sings the song Which Way Are You Going? by the Prophet Jim Croce.

There is no instrument besides Josh's untrained and sometimes out of key voice. But he feels it is the emotion and sentiment that matters when it comes to his music.

Dance Hall Days

2005-06-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

Josh Sings His Acoustic Arrangmenet of the 80s Pop Tune Dance Hall Days by Wang Chung.
5 minutes 26 seconds

Success Thought #1 by Joshua Minton

2005-06-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

Love the people you've been blessed with on your path of self discovery because turning your relationships with them into works of art is the one sure way of getting out of life a happy and spiritually fulfilled human being.

--Joshua Minton-- 06/20/2005

Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Minority Writer

2005-06-18T11:09:00.000-04:00

I'll admit that I used to be jealous of my compadres who were minorities in my BFA Creative Writing program. (there may have been like three and Tran is the only one I keep up with). The rest of us were just crusty white kids with no rhythm. (I do have rhythm when I'm playing guitar but have no chance in hell of winning any dance contest).

So, I used to be a little jealous of the amount of anger material these minority writers had access to. I mean, Tran was Vietnamese, the child of (I believe) first generation Americans. So, Tran had the Vietnam war to use as a world-event that affected his life without his choice.

There is a lot of inspiration in one's cultural identity but if that inspiration doesn't allow the artist to create works that break past the illusory bonds of time and space to that oneness that unites us all then the art won't last and won't have quite the impact the artist hopes it will. In fact, here is a definition of good art you can copy paste into your brilliant quotes file. This one comes from yours' truly, Uncle Josh:

"Art (with a capital A) is all about using the contemporary forms of time and
space (people, objects and their relationships) to blow apart the phenomenal
differences that keep us each locked into what appears to be an inescapable
prison (our own egos which are composed of our experience and emotional and
intellectual reactions to the present moment, from which we project the
future)."

But it is in this projection of the future where humanity's greatest certain unalienable right exists--the right of the choice about how to act this moment.

It is freedom of choice about how to act in the moment (in other words, creating their reality in the moment through sheer will) that allowed people overcome atrocities like The Holocaust where every bit of security involved in associating through one's cultural identity was removed completely and the individual was reduced to a scrounging animal. This is the point where survival of the fittest and preservation of self becomes king and the social morays simply drop away like burning paper mache.

I have studied The Holocaust passionately now for sixteen years. I completed course upon course in college and have read book upon book about those twenty years in Germany that saw Hitler's rise to power and a decimation of a culture almost as old as humanity's recorded existence.

I have long asked why when thinking about the Holocaust. This is a very hard question because you are essentially asking for a sum value of millions of peoples' lives in terms of a historical lesson (and what historical lesson could be worth the lives of over 150 million who died in a World War which was the direct result of one man and his dream team of terror?).

But here is my why from The Holocaust--individual freedom emerged intact despite the fact that untold masses of individuals were murdered and had their most sacred identities taken away--their cultural or group identification.

There is enormous associative power in group identification--that is why we are constantly being told to choose, in the moment, which social group we define ourselves as--black, white, gay, christian, conservative, liberal, rich, poor, etc.

There is a certain amount of creative inspiration to be derived from one's social group, but if you examine this inspiration closely you will see that the majority of art that comes from this source is usually so infused with the anger that comes from the tallying of group suffering that it has no breakthrough into the transcendent mystery which lies beyond time, space and our petty egos (which only last as long as we draw breath; the spirit is eternal and therefore incorruptible or haven't you got that memo yet?).

So, while minorities may have a lot of inspiration to draw from that produces some great Saturday Night Live and Dave Chappelle skits, most of these are without any true breakthrough; they are improper art using the artistic aesthetics put forth by James Joyce in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

In-group anger can only take an artist as far as they are willing to ultimately let it go completely. Only by willingly letting go of our social identify and, ultimately, our individual identities in the moment, can we touch the true source of inspiration which lies inside each of us like a platinum encased diamond nugget at the centers of our being.

In fact, this is the exact message that I wrote about in my short story Pyrite.

I spent a lot of my late teens and early twenties being angry for other groups of people because my group identity (middle class white kid in a sea of other middle class white kids) was the system of oppression and the source of much of their anger. But I'm through being angry and I'm through defining myself with abstract concepts; I'll leave that to the hacks and has-beens. I'm going to do my best to teach this concept of artistic aesthetics to other talented artists so that they too may find that thorny and weeded path inside themselves that will take them to the platinum crusted diamond that waits for them within.

Check Out Chris Schmidt's Website Artistic Wit

2005-06-06T18:45:00.000-04:00

ARTISTIC WIT dot COM

Chris is a fantastic artist that I am very pleased to be working with for a design concept for my book Flipping the Temple which will be coming out soon.

A Review of My Buddy Marc Sumerak's New Marvel Comic "The Avengers"

2005-05-30T22:09:00.000-04:00

Rourke Reviews: REVIEW: Power Pack v3 #2

Find Marc here.

The Cla-Zel Stops Showing Movies!!!

2005-05-30T21:41:00.000-04:00

The BG News - The Cla-Zel stops showing movies

This theatre is where I took my wife on an early date to see Titanic. I even wrote an opinion column in the BG News about it.

I think I'll buy this theatre one day soon and make sure it shows nothing but great old movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s. Just keepin' Tradish.

2005-05-20T16:31:00.000-04:00

Jones Invasion!!!

The Joshua Minton Podcast STAR WARS EPISODE III EDITION for May 20, 2005

2005-05-20T10:32:00.000-04:00

Josh goes in-depth on the meaning of the new trilogy and discusses his nearly completed project proposal for a new trilogy based on the birth of the Jedi.

Josh also discusses some current events, his love for Larry David's comedy and begs Chapelle to start smoking weed again and get back to creating great television that brings the races together to laugh at themselves.

(15:45)

The Joshua Minton Podcast for May 18, 2005

2005-05-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Josh reads the poem What Is Greatness? by William Makepeace Thackery, a poem he found by chance with his new "Read something different every day" pact he's made with himself.

2005-05-05T22:58:00.000-04:00

Good Times with Great Friends

Chappelle's Show Gets Shut Down. Dave Goes AWOL, Beeatch!

2005-05-04T21:20:00.000-04:00

"Chappelle's Show" Shut Down - May 04, 2005 - E! Online News

This sucks.

Hat tip to Fark.

2005-05-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

Josh reads Krishnamurti's earth shattering speech when he dissolved a religious order of thousands of people who all believed he was the next Messiah. Josh then discusses the significance of this act in terms of Krishnamurti's ultimate filfillment of actually becoming a "World Teacher" who would free mankind from all barriers, prisons and systems of thought. (30:13)

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The JMPC 05/05/2005 Special Edition!!!

2005-05-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

On this special edition of the Joshua Minton Pod Cast, Josh reads from his new masterpiece of polemic Common Sense 2005 (When Republicans & Democrats Both Become the A$$holes!)

(12:00)

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Why Christians and Jews Still Cry by Joshua Minton

2005-04-29T11:09:00.000-04:00

Josh reads his short story "Why Christians and Jews Still Cry," which earned him a little controversy when he read it during his public BFA Senior Thesis reading. (16:16)

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2005-04-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

Josh is just noodling around on the guitar, talking about his method of writing songs and how much he sucks at it compared to PROFESSIONAL musicians.

He also gives a shameless pitch for his own book and website.

MP3 File

2005-04-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

This is a rough demo of War Pigs acoustic. I wanted to slow it down and make it a little bit sweeter but still have all the juice. I have a short preface about why I chose to sing this song even though I am in support of the current global War on Terror. (5:47)

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2005-04-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

Here Comes the Bob Ross Social Epidemic!!!

The Joshua Minton Podcast for April 26, 2005 Tuesday Part II

2005-04-26T19:10:00.000-04:00

Josh finished reading Tom Wolfe's essay "Hooking Up" from his book Hooking Up.

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The Joshua Minton Podcast for April 26, 2005 Tuesday Part I

2005-04-26T19:04:00.000-04:00

Josh reads Tom Wolf'e's essay "Hooking Up" from his book Hooking Up.

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1$ Books at Target Rule!!!

2005-04-26T12:22:00.000-04:00

The Article is LIVE and HOTT!

2005-04-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

Did Jesus Get Killed for Practicing Interruption Marketing?

I Told You the Future was Already Here!

2005-04-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Global Domains International - The Internet Land Rush is On!

Check Out My New T-Shirt

2005-04-25T20:24:00.000-04:00

I'm hoping to spark a social epidemic here with this one. You can get yours at Kohls for $8.99.

Does Seth Godin's Marketing Fundamentals Mean That Jesus Had the Right Message with the Wrong Approach?

2005-04-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up the difference between Interruption Marketing and Permission Marketing.

Interruption Marketing: When you interrupt people from what they are doing in order to ask them to pay attention to something else.
Permission Marketing: You build your product around a consumer base that is expressing a need and your product will attract attention

If you've read The Tipping Point then you already know that as soon as Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen get ahold of a good message, it can spark a social epidemic and change everything.

Paul Johnson, in A History of the American People, refers to the three times it has happened in American history as The Great Awakenings. Great Awakenings are periods of great social upheaval that are surpassed by spiritual awakening. These are points of significant sociological choice--even the smallest actions can have the greatest efffect. But Great Awakenings are not always good things because by this definition, a Great Awakening took place in Germany in the late 1920s and early 1930s; we know how this one ended.

If the right individuals are making the right choices at the right places in time during these critical periods of social evolution, humanity soars. But even if the right individuals are making the wrong choices at the right places in time it is essentially the same as if the wrong choices had been made all the time anyway--because the stakes are so high and the smallest actions carry the greatest repercussions.

But none of this stuff is new. These things have been said time and time before by many great religious leaders--but their approach has changed over time as well. It's like that haunting opening line in Pink Floyd's opus The Final Cut:

Tell me true, tell me why
was Jesus crucified.
Was it for this that Daddy died?

Was Jesus practicing interruption marketing at the wrong time in history? It was pretty dangerous for someone to upset a powerful political institution at a time of near revolt, especially when all you had to offer was the secret to spiritual and emotional freedom beyond the laws of man.

The economics and politics of man were and still are the primary focus of society and the spiritual and emotional needs of individuals are just now becoming to be realized as having enormous impact on the standard of living for the entire human species. Politics is beginning to yield and so is economics as the emotional and spiritual needs of the individual are helping to bring balance to the politics and economics that are still threatening to throw our entire species into a serious downhill evolutionary drop--possibly into the abyss.

It is the responsibility of the Strong-Willed Individual in this world to step up and do the right things at the right places in time. The reward for this is that the Strong-Willed Individual usually gets to live cushier existences with more ameneties. In my mind this is rightly so because they are Atlas holding the world in place instead of shrugging it off by making the wrong choices at the wrong or right places in time.

What I'm basically saying here is:

Conservatives are people motivated primarily by economics and politics.

Conservatives should be running the government and must be able to balance individual emotional and spiritual concerns with the political and economic large scale repercussions of the Universal Sociological Maxim that seemingly small individual actions towards other individuals can render enormous social impact for the good or the bad. (e.g. The American Revolution vs. The Nazi twelve-year rule).

Liberals are people motivated primarily by emotion and spiritual concerns and who, realizing that economics and politics are destroying the world, are lashing out against the conservatives who are barely holding things in place.

Liberals should be concentrating their efforts in the fields of education and art.

Liberals must NOT view education nor art through limited political and economic lenses.

The idea here is that those with only limited access to our world's valuable resources become inspired by liberal education and art so that the talented among them have the knowledge, experience and skill sets to be able to make the right choices at the right places in time and thereby raise the value of themselves, their friends and family, their country and all of humanity in the world's economic and political eyes.

If Jesus would have practiced Permission Marketing rather than Interruption Marketing, he probably wouldn't have gotten his ass killed:)

This is Effed Up!

2005-04-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

Potter House

Alright, the fact that this house is in the same college town that I graduated from isn't as weird as that it has my name!

The Joshua Minton Pod Cast for April 20, 2005 Monday

2005-04-25T11:57:00.000-04:00

In this edition of the MintonCast podcast, I read the essay Ambition by Krishnamurti. I also talk about my near run in with a lunatic yesterday at the grocery, get into a little religion and why a democracy must maintain peace through strength and why it is a good thing that the US military is such a bad ass motha.

MP3 File

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A New Definition: BLOGUCENTRIC COMMUNICATION

2005-04-24T07:40:00.000-04:00

Blogucentric Communication can save the world!

No, I'm just kidding but it's pretty damn cool and, besides, Saving the World and Sex be the best two ways to get peoples' attention. But seriously, here is a pretty cool lesson in the structure and travel of information in the Blogosphere (that's bloggers on the Internet talking to each other about each other). If you haven't read the book The Tipping Point yet, then you are really missing something because it sets the foundation for how electronic communications are going to work and thrive in the future.

For example, I got this voicemail from a friends last week as an attachment. Hold on, this is going to need to be longer than a blog and shorter than a book--I'll write an article real quick.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE HALL OF JUSTICE...

Alright, I'm back. You can read the rest of the article here if you're interested.

Can RSS Bog You Down Further?

2005-04-22T07:26:00.000-04:00

BusinessWeek: RSS Turns the Web on the Head. Or Does it Really?

Rok Hrastnik, RSS Master, makes an interesting point in this post about RSS feeds being so easy to subscribe to that many people simply subscribe to everything they see and then usually don't unsubscribe and so they end up bogged down and stop using the service as good as they could.

You've got to trim the fat out of anything you do. As much as I would like to follow everyone's content, I simply don't have the time. I will subscribe to a news feed or a blog feed and watch it for awhile. If I don' like what I see as far as content goes, I unsubscribe because not doing so costs me time as I sift through and filter my feeds more than I would have to by putting my aggregator on a diet.

Also, I don't have a lot of patience for feeds that publish incessantly. This is my biggest problem with Isntapundit--that there is just so much! He covers so many topics that most of them I'm simply not interested in. Professor Reynolds should be separating his blog into several different subject types and then let people subscribe from there--however I realize the marketing stats would be harder to track that way.

So I did the unthinkable--I UNSUBSCRIBED FROM INSTAPUNDIT. His feed is just too much. By subscribing to other popular feeds, I can effectively filter Instapundit's posts for the content relevant to me. So let this be a lesson if you're one of those Mavens who feels they have to comment on everything--eventually you too will become filtered.

Post Where Economic Ranting Against Microsoft Turn into Barely Coherent Religious Psychobabble

2005-04-22T00:52:00.000-04:00

Afraid?� You will be. - Clicked: My name is Will. This is what I clicked. - MSNBC.com

Look, I understand how important it is for a company to corner its market, define its customer's needs and fulfill those needs better than any other company can. But when you are dealing with product commodities like computer software operating systems as opposed to services (like health insurance and healthcare for instance) there has to be a respectable level of competition in order to produce the product that best meets consumer needs at prices they are willing to pay. Of course, when you are talking about techological product commodities, you are talking about a commodity in major flux right now as the Information Age is colliding with both the Technological Age and the Biogenetic and Nanotechnological tipping points.

Humanity (meaning the collection of human minds as they are acting in the moment) is about to encounter a major evolutional and sociological choice--if the majority of us chooses to cling to symbols as our only means of security then the choice of evolutionary survival will have already been made for us.

But we also have a choice to go the other way--it's possible to build a self-sustaining society that can live in relative harmony with one another as well as with the outside environment. But again, it will involve an enormous amount of self-reflection on the part of every human being into the nature of what their relationships to the concept of divinity is and how it effects humanity as an organism.

Please don't take this as an atheistic argument because I am fully respective and tolerant of the major religious institutions (unlike you would have found me ten years ago). But this is because I have been blessed to be close to individuals who draw great faith from their spiritual connection with their religion. And you know what? They are the best people I know. I think that religion is enormously important to the world and serves a purpose--a purpose that is changing shape and direction each moment it seems.

Let's take the new Pope. I was so fed up after hearing about the black smoke and how the world was on pins and needles waiting for the next Pope that I just wanted to say, "You know what? Throw a dart. Fuck it. Who cares? The guy is only going to be alive for twenty years until they haul out some other decrepit figure head who has been voted closest to god, not by god who should have the final say I would think, but by fifty other decrepit old men who all want to be next in line."

But that is my cynical side.

The other side is patient with the situation and the process because that side remembers how some people I love draw faith from this process going on to choose a spiritual leader for their religion, something that grounds them in the Universe, in society and in their family.

And you know what? That love and patience win out over that cold dark voice--over the ego that's just fighting the inevitability of time, decay and eventually (a long long time pray Jebus) up through the final tunnel of light to complete dissemination of personal ego into transcendent bliss.

The people around you are the most important things in life. If you've been smart enought to put yourself in the right place and right time to meet someone who is the right person for you to spend the rest of your life with, then you are already well on your way to achieving this most important of goals to become the ultimate citizen, the combination of what Malcolm Gladwellwould call a Connector, a Maven and a Salesman. You can connect, provide information to and sell the people around you into living a better life simply by making the right choices and living it yourself.

Being alive and in productive relationships which give back far more than they cost to achieve, is the most wonderful birth blessings any of us could hope to have been given in life. I even put this inalienable right after Liberty and before Pursuit of Happiness.

Anyway, this started off as an economic post about Microsoft but obviously I've seriously digressed. Piss on it. It's just a blog entry not a PhD dissertation for Pete's sake!

The Most Embarassing Photo of Me Ever

2005-04-21T23:36:00.000-04:00

Alright, I laughed at the first Curb Your Enthusiasm episode--but it's not that funny now that it's happened to me. Check this out--I was at a Karoake party about six months ago and I happened to wear these grey pants that make it look like you have a boner when you sit down. And, unfortunately, for me someone snapped this picture of me which is beyond ridiculous!!! I will swear on whatever religious text you subscribe to that my penis was not erect in this photo and that the pants were the culprit.

Rest assured that I will never be wearing these pants in public again and I just wanted to share my shame with the word so that I'm on record talking about it before anyone could ever spin the photograph into something that it's not (politicians and famous people should be following this lead by using their own blogs to this purpose).

Is the New Pope Fulfilling an Old Prophecy of Fear?

2005-04-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

WorldNetDaily: Did pope choose name to fulfill prophecy?

I am interested in prophecy the way some people are interested in hand guns--we want to know how they work so we don't end up shooting ourselves in the foot. I remember this show that was on NBC about ten years ago called Ancient Prophecies that absolutely scared the living she-aight out of me. St. Malachy was one of the featured prophets and in the 12th Century he went into a trance and named all the Popes until "the destruction of the church and the return of Christ." Well, he named the Pope after John Paul II "The Glory of the Olive" and according to this article

"The Benedictine Order, known as the Olivetans, has as its symbol the olive branch. The new pope, though not of that order, chose as his name Benedict XVI."

The thing that always freaked me out was what Malachy had to say about the destruction of the Church and the burning of Rome that was to come after the last Pope's reign.

During the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there shall sit Peter of Rome, who shall feed the sheep amidst many tribulations, and when these have passed, the City of the Seven Hills shall be utterly destroyed, and the awful Judge will judge the people.

Of course, the thing about prophecies is that when they are worshipped as fact, they tend to become self-fulfilling. When they are approached with caution and intrigue into historical meanings and possibilities, however, they can be both a valuable source of knowledge and entertainment.

Monday Morning IQ Test

2005-04-20T08:59:00.000-04:00

Monday's Test

I scored a cool 9 out of 11 on this but I had taken it before in the past and remembered many of the tricks. See what you get.

Black Sabbath on a Sunny Day

2005-04-19T17:17:00.000-04:00

My buddy Pat used to have this sticker on his car in college that said "Listen to Black Sabbath." It was a directive and it was right. I never got into Sabbath until Pat and my buddy Rob both introduced me to a song called Supernaught; a not-so-light little ballad that will knock you on your ass if it catches you in the right mood.

So, today it was 80 degrees out, sunny, bluest sky and I knew by noon that it was going to be a Sabbath cruising day. So, I made myself a mix CD in about 3 minutes and I was out the door. It was awesome!

There is one lyric in Supernaught that has to be one of the best lyrics ever. Check it out:

Don't try and reach me 'cause I'll tear out your mind
I've seen the future and I've left it behind

And let me introduce the lyrics to War Pigs with an aside that I did vote for Bush and I do still support the war (for now) because I'm still hoping that the opportunity of individual freedom will take hold in the citizens of the Middle East. However, I would love to see Bush and Rumsfeld walk out into a huge press conference with the song War Pigs playing. Check out the lyrics:

Generals gathered in their masses,
just like witches at black masses.
Evil minds that plot destruction,
sorcerers of death's construction.
In the fields the bodies burning,
as the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
poisoning their brainwashed minds.
Oh lord, yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away.
They only started the war.
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah.

Time will tell on their power minds,
making war just for fun.
Treating people just like pawns in chess,
wait till their judgement day comes, yeah.

Now in darkness world stops turning,
ashes where the bodies burning.
No more War Pigs have the power,
Hand of God has struck the hour.
Day of judgement, God is calling,
on their knees the war pigs crawling.
Begging mercies for their sins,
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings.
Oh lord, yeah!

How sweet would that be? I can see the music video now. Rock on Sabbath!

Our Web Partner in Creativity

2005-04-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

The Online Vision For independent Movie Production And Distribution - Robin Good's Latest News

Ever since watching Peter Jackson's amazing Project Management skills in directing three of the biggest movies ever made , AT THE SAME TIME!!!, I have been fascinated by the use of the web in producing film and television. I fully believe that one day we will be consuming all of our television through the web. We will "subscribe" to television shows the way we subscribe to cable channels. This will serve to be another example of Flipping the Temple because the television networks and production companies will no longer be the filter through which we receive our entertainment. The best shows that build the best buzz before they are ever released will make the biggest impact, gain the largest viewership and remain on the top of subscription lists. Once the subscriptions fall into the red, you know it's time to quit. That being said, there is a danger here because many great shows are carried by the networks despite not having stellar viewerships (I'm thinking of Northern Exposure, all the Star Treks, etc.). I'm not entirely sure how the entire process would play out because I haven't been directly involved in making a television series so I'm coming at it from the point of view of an electronically published author and chronic television watcher. Perhaps a better person to direct the questions for the production side would be Shane Nickerson who currently writes for the MTV show "Nick and Jessica" and whose blog I regularly keep up with.

ASIDE: I have written two television scripts, one for The Dead Zone and another as an adaptation of a major writer's (the major writer, actually) series of novels that, when sent to said author's International representation, earned me a semi-unpleasant e-mail from said author's high paid lawyer who promptly asked me to cease and desist adapting said author's copyrighted works. Long story short--lesson learned, although the script I wrote kicked major ass if I do say so myself.

But anyway, I am very hopeful at how the web can be used to help in the creative process for fiction as well--e.g. the return of the serialized novel. In fact, I will be touching on this subject in the book I am currently finishing up titled Flipping the Temple which will be available exclusively through JoshuaMinton.com.

The Episode III Novel is in the Can

2005-04-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

Alright, so I finished it in four days. Four hundred and five pages down the drain--this wasn't too bad because, thanks to my Eye-Q program, I read about 1500 words a minute or an average page about every 5 seconds. But anyway, the book was excellent. Alright, it was a bit sappy. Lucas isn't known for his believable dialogue or intricate plot lines but overall the book achieved the effect I was hoping to achieve by reading it--getting inside the minds of the characters. Stover was probably the best author to pen a Star Wars novel that I've read yet (excepting the original Star Wars Episode IV written by George Lucas himself--an excellent read by the way). I truly loved the way that each light saber style was described to match the characters' weaknesses and strengths. Anyway, watching a Star Wars movie is a visceral experience with a spiritual aftertaste for me whereas reading a Star Wars book prior to seeing the movie helps fill in that back philosophy which, I believe, enhances the movie watching experience. There's no figuring out what's going on and who's doing what or why they're doing it--I already know. I'm watching for the same reason that everyone should watch Star Wars--because it's damned entertaining. I highly recommend reading the novel before going to see the movie.

Rod Parsley: The Raging Prophet

2005-04-18T20:46:00.000-04:00

Rod Parsley: The Raging Prophet

I've gotten a few e-mails and a sheitte load of traffic (thanks to Shane). So, anyone further interested in why this Parsley character is a dangerous lunatic can check out this great treatise written by G. Richard Fisher. Thanks to all Americans concerned with keeping spiritual enlightenment harnessed at the level of the individual instead of the mob.

The Holocaust & the Gas Pump

2005-04-17T16:37:00.000-04:00

I don't know what gas prices are like in other areas of the country but here in the Eastern Midwest they are outrageous. I recently paid $2.36 for a gallon of gas and it hit me while I was filling up that the frog boiling in water thing does work...to a point. Sure, they can crank up the price of gas cent by cent but at some point the patience level of the consuming population will tip and there will be hell to pay. We are at war in the Middle East and regardless of what the administration says, oil rights are a big reason as to why we are there (intrinsically or overtly is only a matter of debate and best left to eggheads and experts). So, if we're supposedly winning this sand-box showdown, shouldn't gas prices be going down?

When a country is at war, some pretty devastating things can happen--a statement like this should automatically dredge up images of black and white stripes, skeletons of human beings still living and many more smoking in piles like Owen Lars in Star Wars Episode IV. Germans during World War II either knew what was happening to the Jews, homesexuals, gypsies and political dissidents and they didn't care or they wouldn't allow themselves to consciously acknowledge the horror--either way the crime of ignorance is unforgiveable.

I don't mean to draw inferences that it is morally justifiable for human beings to be murdered outright for economic resources but if this is a justifiable military pursuit and a fringe benefit of winning the conflict is cheaper oil prices then the gasoline expenditures I've been making now compared to what they were when this war began equal a big fat failure!

The bottom line is that I will believe that we are winning this war when gas prices fall back to where they were when I started driving in 1992. So either get the shit over with or get the fug out of the desert.

2005-04-17T16:02:00.000-04:00

This was an audio e-mail that I received and had to pass along:

"On a recent Spurs trip, we were asking one of our sponsors who works at Jack in the Box some funny stories or experiences with the company. The funniest story he had was when an operations manager was late for a meeting and called his boss to tell him he was running late. As he was leaving the voice mail message, he witnessed an accident and went on to provide "play by play" of the incident.

After telling us the story, he promised to send us a copy of the voice mail and here it is. This is the actual voice mail message. It was passed along and forwarded so many times within Jack in the Box, it crashed their voice mail server. "

MP3 File

I Got My Episode III Tickets Today!!!

2005-04-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

That's right, bitches--I will be there on opening day just like the last eight times (don't forget the re-release in 97' and yes, I did go to see Star Wars when I was two years old on opening day in '77). Be ready, I will be practicing with my Luke Skywalker Empire Strikes Back model F/X lightsaber and will be ready to defend the Republic agains the inevitable Sith onslaught.

Aside: I find it absolutely impossible to be anything but a Jedi when I play these Star Wars role playing games that emphasize choice between the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force. I guess I'm just romantically infatuated with a Knight of Goodness that uses a laser sword to defend the rights of those who cannot defend themselves--call me old fashioned.

Star Wars Revelations Goes Online Tomorrow

2005-04-17T10:04:00.000-04:00

Star Wars Revelations .. A�Panic Struck Productions Film

I'm pretty pumped about getting to watch this Indy film that takes place between Episode III and IV. I love the fact that fans are getting access to produce their love labors (commercial free, of course) and get them out to the audience. I wonder if LucasFilm, Ltd. approved?

Lunatic Update

2005-04-17T09:51:00.000-04:00

Local News - Lancaster Eagle-Gazette - www.lancastereaglegazette.com

Our very own Columbus OH resident David Koresh, Rod Parsley, spoke to an audience of 5,000 last night about "queers and evil-doers" nationwide. Now, this is the part where my Libertarianism starts to sound Liberal because this man is a sweating demon set loose upon the Earth to destroy freedom of the right to pursue happiness for each individual. Listen to this quote:

"I will rail against the idea that the God of Christianity and the God
of Islam are the same being."

Well, guess what ROD (isn't this another name for Dick?)? Both of them are the same because they are both metaphoric images conceived by the finite mind of man to describe what can only be called the infinite beyond which lies before birth and after death. Although even the word "beyond" suggests a category of being and what both metaphors are attempting to describe lies beyond all categories of thought and experience entirely. So, while we appreciate your quaint attempt to drag us back into the 7th Century, please know that you will never convince us that wars over books and words are intelligent uses of our time and resources. Okay? Thanks, Rod.

Nickerson's Quest

2005-04-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

Nickerblog: midnight quest

Check out Shane Nickerson's quest to buy a season of Star Trek: The Next Generation after midnight on a Saturday. I thought it was hilarious. Shane, hit me up next time, dog. I've got all the Star Trek TNG seasons and movies, including Deep Space 9--I got what you need, Nicka!

Winnie Cooper Still Lives!!

2005-04-16T18:29:00.000-04:00

danicamckellar.com

Check it out, Danica McKeller, the girl who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years is still alive and kickin'! She has a pretty amazing resume and list of achievements and she's still pretty damned hot!

Hat tip to Wil Wheaton for the link.

The A$$hole with the Blue Truck

2005-04-15T18:13:00.000-04:00

So there's this jackass that lives four doors down from me who insists on parking this turd outside my home. Whenever I open my front windows, this is the first thing I see. I will give a free banner ad on all five of my websites for a month to anyone that can remove this blue poop-mobile without breaking any laws or damaging the truck in any way. Think about it...

Dandeeline Whine

2005-04-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the year again--time to mow. I hate weeding. I hate seeding. I hate fertilizing, mowing and picking up dog sheiite. But I hate seeing my yard look like crap while others around me are spending hours upon hours making their "Green and Clean" (7 Habits, anyone?). Oh well, we must do what me must do...

MintonCast 04/15/2005

2005-04-15T13:27:00.000-04:00

Josh reads an essay titled "I Have a Right" from the book Cliches of Politics. He discusses his college television watching schedule, the Sesame Street part of the book The Tipping Point and how it applies to his work methodology and what happens to you when you watch seven straight seasons of the show Friends in a row. (16:57)

MP3 File

The Art of Being Alone

2005-04-13T20:40:00.000-04:00

Life is not a sitcom or even a dramatic comedy. Relationships are complicated things but at the same time they are also very simple, like a particle/wave duality of emotion. It would be nice if we actually made conscious decisions to end relationships or to begin them but the truth is far beneath the surface. Relationships grow like a dandelion in the rainy season and they wither like an atrophied muscle after a car accident. The only choices we make are which relationships we turn our attention toward.

Psychologists have come up with a number for a successful relationship—5:1. This means that a successful relationship must have five positive interactions for every negative one—this is enough loft to keep the kite in the wind. But five positive interactions demands a lot of work and a lot of shrugging off little things and Bush was right (the band)—it’s the little things that kill. Little things like credit card statements and who does the dishes and who cooks. Who gets to drive which car and whether the whole family goes to the grocery store together. These ant hills pile up to become mountains that can absolutely decimate a union of hearts and minds.

What happens when these corporations of the heart file Chapter 11? Sometimes it’s the bang and sometimes the whimper but the end result is the same—a piercing of time and space, a pulling back of the black veil to reveal the horrible truth that we are each ultimately alone and the deeper truth behind that which is that it is okay to be alone but that being lonely is a disease that will turn our worlds into wastelands. April is the cruelest month, indeed.

Being alone, one is better equipped to meet that five to one ratio that feeds the rainbow and keeps the boxes of Lucky Charms full. Being alone, one is able to better shrug off those little ant hills before they become snow topped and scaleable by only the craziest of human beings. But being lonely, one can only draw others into a web of pain and sting so bitter that it pokes holes in the fabric of time and space and wraps everyone around you in bindings that when pulled away peel hair from flesh like duct tape on genitals.

We must each learn the art of being alone if we are ever to know happiness for ourselves or attempt to help another become happier in their lives as well.

2005-04-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

Josh discusses his interview with a Country Club, pro lifers who murder people, the problem with religion and getting back in touch with an old friend.

MP3 File

2005-04-12T20:32:00.000-04:00

This was a class that turned into a one on one discussion about Internet Marketing, the importance of authors using all available web tools to build up their online presence, sociology and even drifted into spirituality (90 minutes)

MP3 File

God's Parsley is Back to Annoy and Destroy All Non-Believers

2005-04-08T15:09:00.000-04:00

I met this asshole about ten years ago when I was a server at the Cooker Bar and Grille. He tried to convert me to drinking cyanide-laced kool-aid. I ended up telling him that I was God and refused to serve him the rest of the meal. Amazingly, I didn't get fired. I was a little upset to see that both Anne Coulter (the hottest conservative ever) and Alan Keyes (the consitutionalist who self-destructed on the campaign trail for Illinois Senator by claiming that Jesus would vote for him) were going to accompany this charlatan.

WH church is the biggest Jesus cult in the nation and they have a Koresh compound here in Columbus where they probably stockpile anthrax Bibles for their inevitable attack on the Gideons that will be forthcoming. You may have seen this Dead Zone reject sweating and swearing before god on the god channel and hopefully none of you sent any money to him.

I don't mean to make fun of anyone's religious beliefs but anyone who follows this maniac and actually believes that he has some sort of direct connection to God should stop eating retard sandwiches and get back to basics.

Astronomy and Cosmology Kick ARSE!

2005-04-08T11:44:00.000-04:00

The BG News - Planetarium unlocks gateway to the stars

The BGSU planetarium is one of the best I've ever been in and I took all the 1, 2 and 300 courses available. These courses figured heavily into my minor. I even know how to work the awesome 2-meter telescope CCD computer in the dome. Everyone should be paying attention to the stars--it makes us better people.

There is a Girls Dormitory Named Minton Hall at Western Kentucky University

2005-04-07T20:27:00.000-04:00

WKU Campus Tour: "Minton"

This is awesome! I'm going to have to go there some day and get a picture in front. Another weird coincidence is that it's in Bowling Green Kentucky and I graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Weird.

I've Posted this Week's Podcast

2005-04-07T14:48:00.000-04:00

This week I read a short story that many of have never heard before and I discuss my next book Flipping the Temple: The Information War and the next two books in the series.

Dave Matthews Made Me Cry

2005-04-07T10:02:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to watching the recent Disney production of Where the Red Fern Grows. I was very impressed--especially with Dave Matthews (yes, the singer) as Billy Coleman's dad. He was fantastic--I guess I shouldn't be shocked about the fact that he's multi-talented. But the movie is leagues better than the old school 70s one, mainly because the music becomes a character unto itself. The movie does a really great job of capturing the events of the book (there are a few liberties taken) without straining too far from the basic themes and plot.

That being said, the movie still pales in comparison to the book. I LOVE this book because it is the single greatest reading experience that I ever had in life--at least fiction-wise. I have never read another book that has touched me as deeply as this one did and that presented death on a level that an eight-year old could understand. It brought the fact of death right up front in a way that helped me deal with it on the level of love rather than fear. Of course, the pain is the same in either case but in approaching death with love there is a warm glow around the pain that is something sacred.

OK, I'm drifting into abstract emotionalism here so I'll stop. I enjoyed the movie and you will too but if you haven't yet read the book, check it out first.

2005-04-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

I Shall Call Him...Mini Me.

Here's a Program that Claims will Give You Mind Bending Powers of Thought

2005-04-06T07:47:00.000-04:00

Special report

In my experience, there is no shortcut for actual intelligence. I do believe that everyone is capable of wisdom but not many people are capable of being smart. From what I understand, wisdom is the state of intelligence present when the mind is silent and being smart is merely the mind going in the right direction when it's in movement. I would define the right direction as the one that produces the desired result. I don't know if daily affirmations can help with that, but if any of you decide to try this software out, please let me know if it helped you at all.

Let us Always Keep Our Eyes to the Night Sky

2005-04-05T18:58:00.000-04:00

The Month in Space Pictures

My Review of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

2005-04-03T19:24:00.000-04:00

A Shout Out to Anthony

2005-04-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

I also got in touch with my old roommate Rob Anthony. Anthony and I met when I was a freshman at BG through my buddy Pat. Rob was (and probably still is) the best guitarist I ever heard play--I mean, I'm sure there were others out there with better technical prowess but Rob just had an ear and a creative instinct for playing the guitar. We made some really good music together but in the end, the creative differences kind of drove us apart. The best analogy that I could come up with is that I was Roger Waters to his David Gilmour. Plus, I had just started dating my wife (then girlfriend) and most of my social energy was going into that relationship. Unfortunately, Rob and I lost touch after college. He came to my wedding but only stayed for the ceremony so I wasn't able to talk to him during the reception.

For some reason, I got a bug up my ass last week to get back in touch with Rob. Long story short, after four or five wrong numbers and a quick search on his school directory, I found his e-mail address and hit him up. I just heard back from him and I'm looking forward to getting back together with him and my buddy Pat. I'd really like to be able to get together with Rob and just play some music like we used to--we're both in the same city so there is no reason not to.

Plus, Rob is a very intelligent person--in many ways we thought along the exact same lines which made it even more difficult artistically because we both had egos that wanted to shine out. I think that now we'd be able to have a much more mature artistic friendship that would hit on true collaboration rather than the competition that muddled the product six years ago.

Anyway, welcome back to the fold Rob--I plan on you being someone I keep in contact with for the rest of the journey, my friend.

A Shout Out to Big D

2005-04-03T12:21:00.000-04:00

I got in touch with an old college buddy Scott Phillips this weekend. It was good to hear from him. He spent a couple years in Arizona, then headed to North Carolina and is now living in Florida handing out Methodone to substance abusers. I remember when Scott was a substance abuser--I wouldn't do him wrong by telling the many stories I know about his wilder days...because I've got them on video tape!!! The movie will be coming to a theatre near you soon:)

Undeclared is Coming to DVD!

2005-04-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

Undeclared - E-tailers provide cover art, new August date

I loved this show even more than Freaks and Geeks. This one will definitely be on my x-mas list.

REVENGE OF THE SITH: SPOILER SCRIPT EXCERPTS

2005-03-31T23:23:00.000-05:00

REVENGE OF THE SITH: SPOILER SCRIPT EXCERPTS

WARNING!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED BY STAR WARS EPISODE III (Hint--Darth Vader wins in the end).

A Quick American Idol Rant

2005-03-29T21:44:00.000-05:00

Alright, look. If the secret of sucess for operating a brick and mortar business is "Location, Location, Location," then the secret to sucess for the final ten of American Idol is "Song Choice, Song Choice, Song Choice."

Don't sing pussy ass songs with no melodies and crap choruses that are really verses in disguise. Sing catchy things. And for god's sake, if you're supposed to be a rocker and you are given the 90s to choose any song you want, then choose something like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Metallica or Tool. Don't sing "I can't make you love me." When is the country going to vote this joker-faced f&*^off out of the competition?

A New Minton Book Review!

2005-03-28T19:40:00.000-05:00

I posted my book review for The Celestine Prophecy. Read it here.

Nickerblog's Decade Time Tunnel

2005-03-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

Nickerblog: the voice travels ten years...

Shane Nickerson did a fantastic thing in 1995--he wrote a letter to himself. He did an even better thing in 2005--he opened it up on his blog in front of the world. This is brilliant. I'm writing myself a letter today.

The Esczlating War on Blogs

2005-03-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

Instapundit.com -

More for INstapundit and James Miller on the coming war on blogs.

A Shout Out to Rat-A-Tat Pat!

2005-03-24T14:17:00.000-05:00

Man, I love getting back in touch with old friends after you thought that you'd never see or hear from them again. I broke out some old pictures and videos that me and a bunch of other people filmed our freshman year at BGSU. Too funny! Me and Rat-A-Tat had some great times and it is awesome to have made contact with him again. Pat was one of the craziest and smartest kids I knew--it's funny how intelligent people tend to gravitate towards each other. Of course, many things have changed since we both left our undergraduate days. Through Pat, I'm hoping to get back in touch with some other old-school homies that I thought were gone with the breeze. I never plan on losing touch with Pat or my Kohl Hall crew.

As Artie Garfunkel may say, here's to old friends and bookends.

A Great Line!!!

2005-03-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

I used to write a journal in college and I would come up with some of the best one-liners. Sometimes I would put these lines into the short stories and poems I was writing and they would completely overshadow the piece and I'd have to take it out. I came across a fantastic line that I wrote, that I always loved but never fit anywhere--it was destined to remain a solo line. Here it is:

Ride the wave of intelligence, young mind; do not focus on the seconds outside your own. There are only storms on the edge of chaos.

Man, that last line gets me ever time.

Why Republicans Hate Bloggers

2005-03-23T11:11:00.000-05:00

I can understand why Republicans are looking down the barrel at the Blogosphere. I can understand why Democrats are standing over the Republicans' shoulders, one eye winked, and guaging their aim. There are long-standing ties between powerful media and powerful politics--at some point these branches lead into the same root. But the Blogosphere is not a tree that has grown strong and sick over many decades like the current Information and Political machine that runs the world. The Blogosophere, on the other hand, is a swarm of mosquitos that can't be swiped away--they can't be herded, they can't be put in a pen and fed on the schedule of the old paradigm. The Blogosphere can only be destroyed and to do that these politicians and media moguls will have to destroy the fabric of the medium itself--shut down the Internet completely--reverse the past ten years.

It's impossible. They've already lost, they're just not brave enough to admit it to themselves.

There are many who would like to portray the Blogosphere as the bastion of socialism or even democracy where equal exchange of ideas are key and to a point this is true. But keep in mind that ideas are currency today and ideas, above all, abhor competition. In a common arena, ideas will compete like Beta fish in the same tank until one stands and one floats. And the Blogosphere will eventually yield common truths and values that are endemic to the entire human race.

Consider this last sentence because it's extremely scary.

We're talking about moving away from the old paradigm completely to something unknown at this time. We're talking about a phenomonon that is going to affect every facet of human existence from our ideas about parenting, sexuality, religion, spirituality, dying and all the in betweens. And like any great venture, only the strong will survive. That's right, Social Darwinism is a key feature in the competition of ideas and this process will be occurring at light speed over the next decade. Those who are quick enough will profit and stay on top. Those who aren't will be crushed under the weight.

Politicians and media moguls had better wise up and start riding this Tsunami instead of standing on the beach in front of it with their hands up in stop gestures.

Betta Recognize in the aught five, Bitches!

The First Man-Made Black Hole?

2005-03-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Lab fireball 'may be black hole'

This is exactly the thing I want my tax dollars spent on (besides killing terrorist who attack us)

2005-03-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Take-off for space study centre

I'm Just a Scruffy-Looking Nerf Herder

2005-03-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

I have been watching the original Star Wars Trilogy with my two-year old son and I have been having a wonderful time. I noticed that in The Empire Strikes Back the voice of Bobba Fett has been replaced to match the voice from the Jango Fett actor in Attack of the Clones--that's pretty cool!

One thing that still gets my goat, though, is that they kept Obi-Wan saying that Yoda was his Jedi Master instead of Qui-Gon Jin from The Phantom Menace. That really irks me when there are plot line wrinkles like that--perhaps this will be explained in Revenge of the Sith but I'm not sure it's worth wasting screen time on a minor annoyance like that.

At any length, I will accept the official banner of "Star Wars Geek" now. But I still assure you that there are far bigger geeks out there than I. But then again, I do have my own replica light saber (Luke Skywalker's Empire model, of course with the blue sheath).

Okay, I am a dork.

FOXNews.com - Health - Drunk Driving, Alcohol Deaths, Up Among College Students

2005-03-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

FOXNews.com - Health - Drunk Driving, Alcohol Deaths, Up Among College Students

Who the hell is driving in college when they're drunk. I didn't drive once while at school for four years. Granted, I went to a small town state college where you could walk from one end of town to the other in a half an hour but that is just because I practiced good risk management. Of course, some dumb ass chick got hit by a train the year before I got there but again, thinning the herd is a good thing--that's more McDonald's Chicken Nuggets for the rest of us.

The ABS Diet was right!

2005-03-18T13:27:00.000-05:00

FOXNews.com - Health - Yogurt May Help Burn Fat, Promote Weight Loss

I'm a big follower in the ABS Diet (I just wish I stuck to it more). I lost over ten pounds of fat and gained five pounds of muscle in just three months of using the abs diet and working out three times a week running and with freeweights. And, I usually ate two servings of yogurt a day. There you go, for what it's worth.

Get Ready for War!

2005-03-17T20:56:00.000-05:00

The coming crackdown on blogging Newsmakers CNET News.com

Trust me, the government wants no part of taking on the blogosphere. Finally, we have a completely open forum for the free exchange of ideas and we will not allow it to be infringed upon. I'm extremely serious here--if our government oversteps its bounds and truly ignores the first amendment on this, it may just be time to grab the muskets and dig up the old Swamp Fox, fifes, drums and see if we still have enough clout with the Indians so they can help us overthrow a tyrannical empire once more. I'm saying this as a staunch George W. Bush supporter also. The bottom line is: Don't Fu#*ing tell me what I can and can't say so long as my words are not infringing upon another person's life or property with malicious intent. It's as true now as it was then--DON'T TREAD ON ME.

More Proof that We Need a Well-Armed Citizenry

2005-03-17T19:26:00.000-05:00

Girl Scouts see cookie booth robbed

Leave Dem Boys Alone

2005-03-16T16:47:00.000-05:00

Billy Joel Checks Into Rehab Again

When is the world going to realize that Billy Joel is a better musician when he's been drinking? I saw him in 1993 and he was drunk off his ass and the show was absolutely fantastic. Look, leave the substance abusing artists alone--they are better when they're high. Jesus, didn't we learn anything from Bob Marley? Yes, it was tragic he died so young but the guy smoked joints rolled inpaper grocery sacks!!! Of course he was going to die young but he made some damn good music in the time he was here. Stop being such selfish pricks! Let them snort, drink and smoke themselves to death so long as they keep giving us good music and save us from the next Hillary Duff album.

Stoned Proof

2005-03-15T12:15:00.000-05:00

Waking Life

If you ever needed more evidence that Richard Linklater, director of Dazed and Confused, makes movies for stoners then you should watch the movie Waking Life. During my second freshman year in college I gave a stoned sermon in the rain that sounded like any monologue in this film.

But you know what--the movie is cool! Check it out.

The best line of the movie:

"I'm not saying you don't know what you're talking about. But I don't know what you're talking about."

Another "This Dude is for Real!" from Minton

2005-03-13T19:44:00.000-05:00

John Legend. Holy sheeite Muslim! This dude is for real! The second song on the CD won me over. Everything after that was aftershock and gravy. Great album!

Social Security Sucks for Most...

2005-03-13T19:37:00.001-05:00

I was talking with my wife's grandfather this weekend (seasoned 83 years) and he told me about how he had recently went back through all of his pay stubs and added up what he paid into Medicare the many decades during which he was employed and compared it to what benefits he had taken out in Social Security. The results?

Paid out: $26,000+/-
Benefits: $200,000+

Wow! Talk about someone for whom the system worked for--this is what it was intended to do. The only problem came about when Congress realized it was sitting on a cash cow. "Someone should be doing something with this money," they said.

"Reinvest it for higher return percentages," said another.

"No, let's spend it on programs for the needy and underpriveleged," came the retort. And so it goes. No culpability. No return on investment. No bullshit lockbox. The system is on the precipice of bankruptcy and I have already paid out almost double what Grandpa the Great paid out and I've only been working for 15 years!

I say pay for the old fogey's stuff and privatize the whole damn thing for me. We can get a better return on my money by putting in the bank (any numbskull could do this). I, however, plan on investing this money for at least a 15% return. I know what to do with my own money, Uncle Sam. Get your hand out of my pocket, you greedy prick. If you need money, you should be coming to me with your hat in your hand--not the other way around.

Make it so...

MSNBC - U.S. official downplays Zarqawi report

2005-03-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

MSNBC - U.S. official downplays Zarqawi report

I'm telling you what--God help these terrorist assholes if they strike a school or kill any kids with their shennanigans. That will galvanize mothers across this country in a way you've never seen in your liftime. If onechild is murdered in cold blood by an Fanatical Islamist, the lead foot yellow ribbon MILF brigade will be screaming for the President to push the button and turn Mecca into a glass parking lot. Nothing Moveon.org can say or do about it will change the blood lust that rise from the estrogen producers in this country. I know some men who have been mean when provoked over the reputation or had their safety (or that of those they love threatened) but these guys always calmed down after a certain point. This is nothing compared the sustained rage that can be generated by a mother protecting the lives of young children from being violated. I'm just saying...trust me Zarqawi, that would not be the response that you're looking for. If you thought we reacted "strongly" after 9/11, just come into our schools. How would like a little visit from the Trench Coat Mafia, douche bags?

Why Ohio People Are Cool

2005-03-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

I hate forwarding chain e-mails even when they are jokes or quips or yarns or chicken soup tug my cry strings stories. But I DO believe in blogging a decent one whenever I get it. So, here goes:

Thanks to my buddy Tom for this:

Ohio Temp Conversion Chart

@ +70 degrees
Texans turn on the heat and unpack the thermal underwear.
People in Ohio go swimming in the Rivers.

@ +60 degrees
North Carolinians try to turn on the heat.
People in Ohio plant gardens.

@ +50 degrees
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Ohio sunbathe.

@ +40 degrees
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Ohio drive with the windows down.

@ +32 degrees
Distilled water freezes.
Lake Erie water gets thicker.

@ +20 degrees
Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves and woolly hats.
People in Ohio throw on a flannel shirt.

@ +15 degrees
Philadelphia landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Ohio have the last cookout before it gets cold.

@ +10 degrees
People in Miami all die.
Buckeyes lick the flagpole.

@ 0 degrees
Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Ohio get out their winter coats.

@ -20 degrees
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Ohio are selling cookies door to door.

@ -60 degrees
Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic.
Ohio Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets
cold enough.

@ -80 degrees
Mount St. Helen's freezes.
People in Ohio rent some videos.

@ -100 degrees
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Buckeyes get frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

@ -297 degrees
Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products.
Cows in Ohio complain about farmers with cold hands.

@ -460 degrees
ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero in the Kelvin scale).
People in Ohio start saying, "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

@ -500 degrees Hell freezes over.
The Browns win the Super Bowl!

BLOG: Take That Beeatch!

2005-03-09T23:08:00.000-05:00

Holy Shite! This book Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation that's Changing Your World is rocking my fugging socks! This dude, Hugh Hewitt, is for real.

Listen to this:

"People don't trust the old media with anything like the old level of confidence. There are plenty of books out there that explain what happened [why CNN lost to FOX News, why Democrats lost to Republicans, etc.], but it basically comes down to the left-leaning ideology that was always there and increasingly became so widespread, transparent, and arrogant as to repel half the country. If you want to argue the point, this book isn't for you. Go watch your DVD of Farenheit 9/11 again. Trot down to the coffee shop to expound on corporate ownership of transnational media conglomerates. You don't have a clue, and you won't when the night is over. But you will be farther behind.

MSM ('mainstream media') went left. Into that void have come first Rush, then talk radio, then FOX News, and now the bloggers, and from that initial entry point of news and politics, they will move on other fields, from restaraunt reviews to theatre to books to car purchases. Since consulting them is cost-free except for time, they are a deadly threat to print enterprises which, while irreplaceable for some functions, are easily replaced for others, meaning declining circulation.

You have to be very dim indeed to be planning a career as a print journalist these days, or to be holding much stock in print-heavy companies such as the Tribune Company. Being CEO of Tribune Company is a lot like the job of being the most important bishop in Germany when Luther started hammering his theses to the Wittenberg cathedral's door.

...Dizzying speed marked each of the four episodes [Trent Lott and his ridiculous comments about Strom Thurmand, New York Times editor Howell Raines over the Jason Blair affair, John Kerry and the Swiftboat/Cambodia fiasco, and finally Dan Rather and his foolishness] wherein the power of the blogs was flexed, and that speed will only accelerate. Change isn't coming. It is here. Information is being absorbed in new and startingly different ways from new, and until recently, uknown sources. Your customer, your congregant, your critic is changing. You need to think that through. I will help."

DAMN! Bloggers are the shit--the true heir to the mantle Sons of Liberty. So many people get their news through Bloggers now that there will be an absolute revolt if Congress and the special interests try to regulate or shut down communication in the Blogosphere. Mark my words because they could become prophetic.

American Idol Frustrations

2005-03-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

Why the hell is this Constantine dude still on American Idol? This guy is terrible and he smiles like the Joker. He'd better be going tonight.

On the other hand, Anwar is the man. This dude is so talented that he doesn't even need this contest.

Creative Discontent Part 2

2005-03-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

Creative Discontent Part 1

2005-03-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

The Force is with Me

2005-03-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

I finally finished playing Knights of the Old Republic for the PC and as far as Star Wars titles go, it's the best one I ever played (a very close second is Jedi Knight Outcast). This game was bad ass. It's not a shoot-em up game but more of a Role Playing game where you build your character through time and experience. The story line was fantastic, something worthy of the Star Wars name. You start off as a Republican soldier on a ship being attacked by the Sith (what Darth Vader ends up becoming a Lord over). You have lost your memory and are recruited to save the Jedi you are serving under. Her name is Bastila and she has a unique force power called "Battle Meditation" which allows her to solidify troops into one mind. I don't want to give away the story beyond that but just know that it is worth the 20+ hours you'll spend beating it. I can't wait to start Knights of the Old Republic II which I received as a Valentines Day gift.

Listening Part 2

2005-03-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

Listening Part 1

2005-03-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Catching the Magic of Moments in BGSU

2005-03-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

It's a strange thing for me going back to Bowling Green after five years. I won't make any bones about it--I hate Northern Ohio. It's a drained swamp and it literally sucks my creative juices--that is until I step foot onto the BGSU campus. That place is like some kind of Mecca for me in a way that is hard to describe without being sappy. This was my place of awakening, my forty days in the desert if you can suffer me making a Jesus reference when speaking of myself (something I did quite often before coming to BG). I'll admit it, when I came to the Creative Writing program at BGSU I had more passion and vision that almost everyone else around me...or so I believed. I was an egotistical ass and these are my wife's words describing me during my freshman year there. I had hair down to my shoulders and carried my photog-art guitar case around like it was full of shotguns and pistols. I once wrote a pornographic story in class just because I couldn't stand the teacher (I later came to respect her as a writer and as a teacher). I just had too much to prove and how can you fault someone for that? Easily! People like that are a pain in the ass to be around and insufferable to try to workshop (workshop is where you get to rip the shit out of other people's stories and poems and they get to do the same to you but you all walk out with better stuff).

By the time I started dating my now wife, I had shed about 30% of my ego and filled that void with skills and experience. I have often said that I have 10% vision, 5% inspiration, 5% raw talent and the remaining 80% must be filled with experience and gaining new skill sets. I know what my strengths are as a writer and I know what my weaknesses are as well. I don't have the patience to write straight literary fiction and I'm too arrogant to write straight genre fiction. My fiction writing lies somewhere in between. But whether I am writing fiction, poetry, these blogs or a social essay the work can be summed up in one word--REVOLUTION! I believe in a coming around. I see the process start as inspiration mixed with vision. I see the idea get hammered out through talent and then I send it out to my Dream Team Think Tank composed of my honest peers and friends who helped carve away that 30% of my ego and assisted me in building my craft. Once these individuals have had a go, the process of revision calls for a repetition of the whole cycle beginning once again with inspiration and vision. Ultimately, the finished work comes about through skill and experience but there would never be anything to write if the gap between my neurons wasn't willing to receive a phantom idea from the ether.

BGSU is like that phantom gap between nerve endings for me because it sits in the middle of one of the most depressing places in the Midwest to me. Northern Ohio, to me, is a place where even the sunny days are filtered through some strange depression lens out of a TS Elliot poem. But BGSU is a sacred place to me. It's a place where I got high (many times), a place where I got laid (a few times), a place where I dropped a whole lot of cash that I'll probably be paying off for many years to come and, above all, it's a place where I met my future.

My decision to take my education upon my own financial shoulders instead of going to OSU business school for free like my old man wanted me to do was a crossroads in my life. I felt driven to make that choice and now I know why. These choices are there for all of us to make. When life feels drained and requires much more effort than a happy person should be willing to make, that is the time to begin listening closer to the heart. That sordid muscle speaks in more than murmers if the spaces between your neurons are attentive enough to catch the whispers and aftershocks of the magic of moments that most fools move to fast to pick up on.

2005-03-04T10:58:00.000-05:00

Sumerak turned the mutha out!!!