Acoustic Alchemy. Acoustic bliss

From the album Red Dust and Spanish Lace: Mr. Chow.1987.

Your brain wants to be the boss. Don't let it happen!

Oh Boy! The end-of-the-year top ten lists you hate so much. But wait. This one is different.

Top 10 Ways Your Brain Is Sabotaging You (and How to Beat It) 

10. Knowing You Can Get Smarter Makes You ... Smarter

There's a way of thinking that goes that, since you didn't grow up with genius parents or Einstein's instinctive reasoning, you're only going to be so intellectually able throughout your life. But consider that when a group of college students were given a course that studied the ability to grow smarter and improve performance, they performed notably better in their further college studies than those students who were never taught such thinking. You can easily convince yourself that rigorous study can be a time sink, or let yourself believe in the brain's ability to adapt, and then actually adapt your own gray matter. And it kind of applies to the rest of this list, we'd hope. 

(Go. Now - and read the whole article-->via LifeHacker)

Pig-in-a-blanket Baby Jeebus!

Two weeks until we celebrate the Baby Jeebus. Time to get some decorations up. This pork inspired work of art would make a fine Nativity Diorama in the corner of my Great Room that is reserved for shrines and junk.

Mick and the boys unplugged

Wikileaks is a Foreign Terrorist Organization, sez Teabagger

 <via Harpers>

Knowing a Terrorist When You See One

Discussing the Wikileaks disclosures last week, New York Congressman Peter King urged Attorney General Eric Holder to designate the organization as a “foreign terrorist organization,” saying it “posed a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.” A chorus was struck up almost immediately, with commentators and politicians following up on King’s demand.

In fact, the term “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO) is established in section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which empowers the Secretary of State (not the attorney general) to apply that label to foreign organizations, with immediate and severe consequences for those so labeled and those who communicate or deal with them in any way. The Secretary of State does not have carte blanche in this process. To qualify as an FTO, an organization must have been engaged in “terrorist activity” or “terrorism,” which are defined to include multiple acts of violence threatening U.S. persons or the national security of the United States. An organization cannot plausibly qualify as a “terrorist organization” simply by publishing documents that embarrass the government or particular politicians.

Seattle Weather Service: Rain Saturday

 

Yep. There's rain out there.
A very soggy forecast has gotten soggier.The National Weather Service has updated a flood watch for each of the 14 counties in Western Washington. And avalanche warnings have been issued for the Cascades and Olympics. The excitement should begin Saturday afternoon and continue through Sunday, as a strong warm front mixes with a subtropical moisture plume. In the lower areas of Puget Sound up to 3 inches of rain is possible, with about 8 inches predicted for the mountains.

Day Eight: Zappadan

From the album Hot Rats: Son of Mr. Green Genes. 1969. RIP Frank Zappa. 12/21/40 - 12/4/93

Florida Governor Charlie Crist pardons Jim Morrison...

...for some ridiculous reason. Remember what happened? Sure, it was 1969 and perpetually drunken Morrison is alleged to have displayed his weenus to the public during a Doors concert at Miami. Well. Mythology aside, who cares after 40 years.

In Tallahassee on Thursday, Florida Governor Charlie Crist will meet with other members of the state's clemency board to consider a pardon that would rewrite a page of rock 'n' roll history.
In 1969, after a concert in Miami, Doors singer Jim Morrison was arrested and charged with, among other things, profanity and indecent exposure. Doors fans and band members have long maintained Morrison was unfairly convicted.

Whatever. Lame duck Charlie must have a lot of time on his hands - probably hanging around the bachelor condo wondering how to best use the Power of the Office before the end comes in January. Morrison would have a good laugh. Oh. He's been dead forever.
<npr>