Happy Halloween in 2008!

Here’s hoping you have a safe and enjoyable Halloween this year!

The Beatles Are Coming to Rock Band

The musigame wars are heating up! Guitar Hero is trying to one-up their competition with multi-colored cardboard Burger King meal boxes. Rock Band? They’ve just signed the biggest musical act of all time.

I wonder which game is going to win in the end?

Should U.S. Pull Out of Chicago?

Complete cut-and-paste from RedCounty.com because, who knows, someone might bring down the site after seeing this.

Perhaps the U.S. should pull out of Chicago?
Posted by: Rus Thompson | 10/20/2008 7:42 AM

WOW! Maybe we should have a PLAN to pull out immediately. I want to see a timeline and an action plan. When are the politicians and the Police going to take control of their streets, isn’t it about time for some personal responsibility? What’s the old saying? People that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones? I do believe the same things go on in DC….

Body count: In the last six months 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago; 221 killed in Iraq.

Sens. Barack Obama & Dick Durbin, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Gov. Rod Blogojevich, House leader Mike Madigan, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan (daughter of Mike), Mayor Richard M. Daley (son of Mayor Richard J. Daley) …..our leadership in Illinois…..all Democrats.

Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago. Of course, they’re all blaming each other. Can’t blame Republicans; they’re aren’t any! State pension fund $44 Billion in debt, worst in country.
Cook County (Chicago) sales tax 10.25% highest in country. (Look ‘em up if you want).
Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the country.
This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois. And he’s gonna ‘fix’ Washington politics for us!

$250 Guitar Hero Controller for GH Only?

I love that they’re making high-end controllers. But am I to believe that it’s only for Guitar Hero and not Rock Band? Wuh wuh w… why?

Dojo Info 10/30/08

1. CatholicVote.com Video
   Watch this video then tell all your friends!
2. How McCain Can Pull a Truman
   Political strategist, Dick Morris, outlines 3 ways McCain could pull ahead of Obama in the final week. Interesting stuff.
3. Kutless is all game with Rock Band 2 and hit tour
   “The Feeling” isn’t my favorite song but it’s good to have more Christian music into RB.
4. ‘Doom’ creator wins first stage of lunar challenge
   We all knew Carmack was smart but “Wow!” this is just crazy.
5. NXE Impressions: Netflix Set Up & Streaming
   Stream Netflix “watch now” movies to your Xbox… instantly! Well, you do need Gold Status on Xbox Live and a few minutes. But it’s progress!

Heritage Foundations Take on Candidates Fiscal Policy

I recently saw an Obama ad (who hasn’t) that cited a recommendation by the Heritage Foundation. I knew the Heritage Foundation to be a fiscally conservative organization, which also happens to be the wisest course given the last 60 years of out-of-control government spending (by both parties!) but I wanted to check for myself.

So I headed over to their site to see if they truly endorsed Obama’s tax plans over McCain’s. (All this assumes either candidate will actually do what they say. I know, I know, fool me once…)

Here’s the analysis. Here’s the conclusion. You be the judge.

The economy improves under each plan as compared to the baseline. The baseline forecast assumes that all of the Bush tax cuts disappear, which raises the cost of capital and marginal tax rates. Both candidates plan to reduce taxes com­pared to this scenario.

Senator McCain’s plan is substantially better at spurring economic growth than Senator Obama’s. This is not surprising, since Senator McCain focuses on economic growth and job creation while Senator Obama focuses on the redistribution of income. As Tax Policy Center Director Len Burman states, “the major themes of the two plans are, in the case of Senator McCain’s plan, that the major emphasis is on economic efficiency—cuts marginal tax rates, improves economic incentives…. In the case of Obama’s plan, the goal is primarily to improve pro­gressivity…to lower tax burdens on low-income people and raise them on higher-income people.”[10] Each presidential candidate achieves his stated goal,with Senator McCain generating the most new jobs, growth, and additional income for individuals. Sen­ator Obama’s plan drives up the tax rate for individ­uals with annual incomes above $250,000 and redistributes money to workers with lower incomes.

GH:World Tour Gets ‘Hot For Teacher’

No way I’m buying more stuff for our crowded living room after all the Rock Band stuff we’ve got but this is Van Halen’s best song for these kinds of games! Here’s hoping Rock Band gets it too.

Did you see the set list?

* 311 – “Beautiful Disaster”

* 30 Seconds To Mars – “The Kill”
* Airbourne – “Too Much Too Young”
* The Allman Brothers Band – “Ramblin’ Man”
* Anouk – “Good God”
* The Answer – “Never Too Late”
* At The Drive-In – “One Armed Scissor”
* Beastie Boys – “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”
* Beatsteaks – “Hail to the Freaks”
* Billy Idol – “Rebel Yell”

* Black Label Society – “Stillborn”
* Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Weapon of Choice”
* blink-182 – “Dammit”
* Blondie – “One Way or Another”
* Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – “Hollywood Nights”
* Bon Jovi – “Livin’ On A Prayer”
* Bullet For My Valentine – “Scream Aim Fire”
* Coldplay – “Shiver”

* Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Up Around The Bend”
* The Cult – “Love Removal Machine”
* Dinosaur Jr. – “Feel The Pain”
* The Doors – “Love Me Two Times”
* Dream Theater – “Pull Me Under”
* The Eagles – “Hotel California”
* The Enemy – “Aggro”
* Filter – “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
* Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way”

* Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
* The Guess Who – “American Woman”
* Hush Puppies – “You’re Gonna Say Yeah!”
* Interpol – “Obstacle 1”
* Jane’s Addiction – “Mountain Song”
* Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze (Live)”
* Jimi Hendrix – “The Wind Cries Mary”
* Jimmy Eat World – “The Middle”
* Joe Satriani – “Satch Boogie”

* Kent – “Vinternoll2”
* Korn – “Freak On A Leash”
* Lacuna Coil – “Our Truth”
* Lenny Kravitz – “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
* Linkin Park – “What I’ve Done”
* The Living End – “Prisoner of Society”
* Los Lobos – “La Bamba”
* Lost Prophets – “Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)”
* Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Sweet Home Alabama (Live)”

* Mars Volta – “L’Via L’Viaquez”
* MC5’s Wayne Kramer – “Kick Out The Jams”
* Metallica – “Trapped Under Ice”
* Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
* Modest Mouse – “Float On”
* Motörhead – “Overkill”
* Muse – “Assassin”
* Negramaro – “Nuvole e Lenzuola”
* Nirvana – “About a Girl (Unplugged)”

* No Doubt – “Spiderwebs”
* NOFX – “Soul Doubt”
* Oasis – “Some Might Say”
* Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train”
* Ozzy Osbourne – “Mr. Crowley”
* Paramore – “Misery Business”
* Pat Benatar – “Heartbreaker”
* R.E.M. – “The One I Love”
* Radio Futura – “Escuela De Calor”

* Rise Against – “Re-Education Through Labor”
* Sex Pistols – “Pretty Vacant”
* Silversun Pickups – “Lazy Eye”
* Smashing Pumpkins – “Today”
* Steely Dan – “Do It Again”
* Steve Miller Band – “The Joker”
* Sting – “Demolition Man (Live)”
* The Stone Roses – “Love Spreads”
* Stuck In The Sound – “Toy Boy”

* Sublime – “Santeria”
* Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
* System of a Down – “B.Y.O.B.”
* Ted Nugent – “Stranglehold”
* Ted Nugent’s Original Guitar Duel Recording
* Tokio Hotel – “Monsoon”
* Tool – “Parabola”
* Tool – “Schism”
* Tool – “Vicarious”
* Trust – “Antisocial”
* Van Halen – “Hot For Teacher”
* Willie Nelson – “On The Road Again”
* Wings – “Band on the Run”
* Zakk Wylde’s Original Guitar Duel Recording

Guitar Hero Fighting Back with Semi Naked Celebrities

How’s that title for a traffic grabber? The actual clip… not so much.

Roe Speaks Out Against Roe v. Wade

There’s much more to this story than this short commercial. Norma McCorvey has this important interview where she talks about how she was used by the pro-choice forces in their goal to overturn the Texas law that prohibited abortion.

FATHER PAVONE: “As I understand from your own autobiography, you did not go looking for these attorneys to try to make abortion legal.”

NORMA: “No, sir, quite the contrary. The adoption attorney that was handling the adoption case for my baby told me of these attorneys. They were Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffey. They were trying to overcome the Texas statute on abortion.”

It’s incredible that it was an adoption attorney that sent her to others fighting for abortion.

James Madison Last Second Win Over Villanova

You probably didn’t see this game. I didn’t. Stuff like this is why I’m a sports addict.

New RB DLC Arriving Tuesday

Just in case I hadn’t mentioned this enough, iLike.com is a great place to find and sample songs. It has a great Db and loads quickly. Give it a shot.

Here’s the new Rock Band DLC coming on the 28th.

• Siouxsie & the Banshees “Hong Kong Garden”
• Siouxsie & the Banshees “Kiss Them For Me”
• Siouxsie & the Banshees “The Killing Jar”
• Blink-182 “Dammit”
• Psychedelic Furs “Pretty in Pink”
• Silversun Pickups “Melatonin”
• Silversun Pickups “Well Thought Out Twinkles”

Dojo Info 10/26/08

1. Ordinary Joes have mixed feelings on wealth
   Not an entirely unfair AP article but fails to mention that income tax was originally planned to be a stop-gap measure which was to be eliminated. Unfortunately, politicians grew drunk on the power of money distribution, thus government has grown both in size and members ever since. How can article author Mr. Geller fail to even mention the idea of a true flat tax? Oh that’s right, politicians would never allow it to be voted on by the citizens. If we could only go back to 1776 and start over.
2. Far Cry 2 (Amazon)
   No, this isn’t a recommendation. Far Cry, the original, was a pretty good game. Apparently, they gave the IP to a completely different developer who’s promptly botched it all up. Out of 55 Customer Reviews on Amazon, 42 gave the game 1 star. Ouch. Stay away! You’ve been warned. Critics apparently disagree.
3. Rock Band 2 The Stars: Episode 2
   Here’s the 2nd episode of the reality contestant show about RB. I guess it’s kinda fun. Ok, it’s really quite lame. 8^/
4. Is Obama a natural born citizen of the US?
   Snopes says the claim is false but you tell me if this looks like a fake birth certificate. Others think so. I would think the text would look more uneven like this one.
5. PNC buys National City in $5.58 billion deal
   Unstable financials moves markets towards consolidation, opens doors for small, consumer-friendly competitors.

Mattel Doll Promoting Islam?

You be the judge. Does the little doll say, as some are suggesting, “Islam is the light.”?

The ‘Free 20′ Arrive Nov. 4th for Rock Band DLC

Here’s the list of the 20 free songs coming to those who filled out the form. Did I not mention this before? For shame!

Not a lot of big names in the list, but hey, they’re free!

• The 88 – “Sons and Daughters”
• Authority Zero – “No Regrets”
• Between the Buried and Me – “Prequel To The Sequel”
• The Cab – “Bounce”
• The Chevelles – “Get It On”
• The Cocktail Slippers – “Give It To Me”
• Dealership – “Database Corrupted”
• Endeverafter – “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• The Ghost Hounds – “Ashes To Fire”
• Hollywood Undead – “Young”
• Kutless – “The Feeling”
• The Len Price 3 – “If I Ain’t Got You”
• Lesley Roy – “I’m Gone, I’m Going”
• Opiate for the Masses – “Burn You Down”
• Semi-Precious Weapons – “Magnetic Baby”
• Shaimus – “Like a Fool”
• Thenewno2″ – Crazy Tuesday”
• Tickle Me Pink – “The Time Is Wrong”
• Underoath – “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”
• X Japan – “I.V.”

Dojo Info 10/24/08

1. Resveratrol found in dark chocolate and cocoa
   Will wine and chocolate parties replace trips to the gym?
2. Election Day brings invasion of robocalls
   Nothing is more depressing than the seemingly endless supply of TV ads, yard signs and now, computer generated phone calls and emails. Argh! Kill me now.
3. Future planes, cars may be made of ‘buckypaper’
   “Buckypaper is 10 times lighter but potentially 500 times stronger than steel when sheets of it are stacked and pressed together to form a composite.” Now that’s some bloody good science my friends.
4. SoCal officials bring back music-making asphalt
   Won’t this lure more people to drive over the warning stips just for the sounds? Sure it’s neat but at what cost?
5. Magnet device aims to treat depression patients
   Awesome! Where do I sign up?