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Taking a break from working the phone lines, the binnall of america forces unite like super heroes, or downtrodden communist workers, to become the weekly standard of news and opinion known merely as "News Watch". Rest assured, fair citizen, we're here to deliver the news.
Once again we'll get the "Hot 5" stories this week from Lesley's blog, The Debris Field. Later, Khyron settles in to "That's Entertainment ! " with his much talked about review of "Devil's Rejects" and details on his Sci Fi Showdown chronicle of Sci Fi Channel's Friday Night line-up, all courtesy of his blog "Khyron's Corner". Manny Ramirez dominates "My Fandom : Year 2", back to school time comes to "Future News Now", and it's a scathing editorial on CAFTA.
Without any further delay, let's begin the festivities :
Hot 5 Stories from The Debris Field
The links are straight from Lesley's blog 1>Museum to Let Naked People in Free (earthlink.net)
http://start.earthlink.net/article/str?guid=20050729/42e9a9c0_3ca6_1552620050729-2088398370
Ugh. Another throwback story to my days in Europe. I was fortunate enough to visit Nice, France, part of the French Riviera. While there, I drank beers on the beach, hob nobbed with the rich and famous, and stumbled upon a nude beach. Yikes. Nude beaches sound great on paper, but in reality are more often than not a collection of naked fuglies I'd not wish upon my worst enemy.
Although she used a program at one point to shield herself from a phalanx of TV cameras, Huth, 52, said she didn't understand what all the fuss was about.
Da. My favorite space agency is at it again, angling to actually make money, instead of, you know, begging for money from the government. Looks like the Russians want $100 million to send someone to the moon. That, my friends, is genius. Expect to see Mark Cuban, that crazy guy who owns the Dallas Mavericks, to go to the moon any day now.
A tourist will have to take a 2-week leave of absence. The Soyuz rocket will cary him to the International Space Station when he is expected to stay for a week. During his stay on board the ISS, the tourist will adjust to zero-gravity conditions. He will also watch the crew dock an additional booster block DM-3 to the Soyuz so that the vehicle can bring him to the Moon.
The ship will be under command of a pilot cosmonaut who will also perform the duties of a mission commander, an engineer, a cook, a steward and a guide. The ship will orbit the Moon and return to Earth without stopping by at the ISS.
3>Ancient dentists recommended Portuguese urine as perfect whitening ingredient (funreports.com)
Shiver. Here's some proof that the ancients were not as smart as Zecharia Sitchen may suggest. However, it's well known that there are a number of versatile uses for urine that are not picked up on by the average American, because it's "gross". While I do not use my urine for anything other than emptying my bladder, I've been intrigued by stories I've heard that suggest miraculous power attributed to human urine. So, don't shake your head at the ancients just yet, they may be laughing at you.
4>This parrot knows zero (which is more than the ancient Greeks knew) (telegraph.co.uk)
Some folks may remember the lady who worked with this parrot appearing on C2C a little over a year ago or so. It appears that the magical parrot named Alex has done it again, this time learning the concept of "zero" or "none".
While most of may scoff at this concept, apparently it was not mastered by the ancients. Yes, our urine loving ancients did not seem to understand the concept of "none". Hmm. Perhaps it was all that urine.
"We replicated it, inserting such questions within other trials, and he was correct five out of six times," she said. "What Alex did here, and why I call it a 'zero-like' concept, is to respond to the absence of a set of objects of a particular quantity. I'm not yet sure that he understands zero per se."
Alex had previously used the label "none" to describe an absence of similarity or difference between two objects, but he had never been taught the concept of zero quantity. "Alex has a zero-like concept; it's not identical to ours, but he repeatedly showed us that he understands an absence of quantity," said Dr Pepperberg.
At first it is kinda funny. Then it becomes kinda sad. Then it becomes genius. While I feel for the guy who died, one wonders if this is the best thing to ever happen to the company that owns the haunted house.
While a place with cheesy props usually does decent business in the Halloween season, an actual house where some dude died may make a mint off folks looking to see an actual death spot. Death sells, get over it.
...
Kingsolver's family formed the Catacombs Extreme Scream haunted house, which had been operating at the site since 1988. Kingsolver was president of the company that ran the haunted house.
Wow. I never thought a school would lie to kids and their parents. I don't believe it.
Not quite "FNN" material, but we're stretching it here, as Back to School Season is right around the corner and I'm sure many of my readers will be getting that letter in the mail from their local schoolhouse demanding a laundry list of immunizations for their kids. Apparently, Alex Jones says that that is a lie and there is no law deeming it necessary to immunize your kids.
Where this has long term ramifications is that it is yet another indicator of the desire of the "powers that be" to fill the citizenry with all sorts of medications. This article is evidence that they are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they get their way.
This is all a lie.
There has never been a law that one has to be vaccinated to attend public schools. School districts across the country have policies that have been deceptively concocted by the Federal government to appear to reflect the law but these policies merely reflect the color of the law. They are frauds.
That's Entertainment ! with Khyron
Posted @ The movie going experience is one of delight and entertainment. You get to leave the house for a couple of hours, eat some rather delicious (if not overly expensive) popped corn, and lose yourself in a fictitious world. What was delightful and entertaining about "The Devil's Rejects?" Not much.
After a failed police raid on a decaying farm house, the inhabitants--responsible for over 75 murders--take flight and hit the road. Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe), hungry for vengeance, gives chase. With three sociopaths on the loose in a dusty, degenerate desert, innocent bystanders find themselves in a hell on Earth.
What more can be said about a movie that the title, "The Devil's Rejects," doesn't already tell? Hands down, this is one of the sickest, most depraved, and down-right brutal films ever made. Name any deplorable or negative aspect of humanity and you can expect to see it in "Rejects." Rape, murder, torture, vengeance, prostitution, vulgarity, drug abuse, bestiality...just a few examples of the sensitive material you can expect.
Rob Zombie, a veteran of the music video world, has obviously put a lot of thought into the style of this movie. He uses a variety of techniques, including freeze frames, blurred or slow motion, and several musical montages. I felt these montages were the film's greatest strength, and brought some welcome release from the tense moments that precede them.
The acting in "The Devils Rejects" is fine, as is the direction--however, character development and plot take a back seat to finding new situations and locations to show more violence and nudity. Of the cast, Sid Haig (Captain Spaulding) and Bill Moseley (Otis) give stand-out performances as killers without conscience. You'll quickly forget that they are actors and see them only as the dregs their characters represent.
For fans of 70's exploitation cinema, "The Devil's Rejects" will be a welcome change from the multitude of ghostly, Japanese horror remakes. Those looking for entertainment, however, may find themselves cringing through most of it. Granted, there are some comical lines, however the humor is quickly lost after you realize the situation and context of the joke.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Posted @ I am proud to introduce to you, "Khyron's Sci-Fi Showdown." Every Saturday, I will be decide which of the three episodes, played the night before, was the best. At the end of the season, I will then declare the Friday Night Champion -- the king among kings of the Sci-fi world.
(binnall note : Check out the Sci-Fi Showdown exclusively @ Khyron's Corner)
Contact Khyron here : My Fandom : Year 2
With the trade deadline looming, this past week seemed to focus on roster changes more than actual on-field stuffs. A brief recap of game news before discussion of the various stories swirling around the trade deadline ... Sox lost on Monday to Tampa Bay and have since won the last 4 games, the first two being against Tampa Bay and the 2nd two being against Minnesota.
Now, onto the juicy stuff. Things began getting hairy around the beginning of the week when it became leaked out that Sox star Manny Ramirez, last year's World Series MVP, asked to be traded. It escalated about a day later, after a harrowing game which saw both Trot Nixon and Matt Clement go down to injury, the latter of which being a gruesome linedrive off the head of poor Matt Clement (thankfully, he is okay). Manny opted to sit out of the game, despite being asked by manager Terry Francona to forego his promised day off in favor of helping the team out of a "bind", with outfielder Trot Nixon now on the DL with some back issues. And with that a fresh round of Manny hating swept across Boston like a plague. The talk radio folks were ready to send him packing and debates ensued over Manny "disrespecting the sport" (seriously) and whether or not the media was "driving him out of town."
It didn't get any better on the Thursday day-off when it emerged that the Sox were in talks with Tampa Bay and the Mets over a 3-way trade that would send Manny to NY. This looked awful as the Sox wouldn't have gotten anyone worthy of Manny's potent offense, so I was pretty disgusted at this point. By Friday, the collective city of Boston was pretty peeved, to say the least. This led to the bizarre circumstance of Manny getting booed out of Fenway Park when he made his first appearance at the plate. The league leader in RBIs and Home Runs and the World Series MVP booed mercilessly by his hometown fans, unreal. Don't forget, the Sox are also still in 1st place, which makes this whole saga even more weird.
On Saturday, things look even more grim as moments before the game against the Twins began, Manny was scratched from the line up. Though the Sox claimed it was a decision of manager Terry Francona to let Manny "clear his head", most thought it was a sure sign that a trade was eminent. Despite this turn of events, rumour mongers were reporting that the deal was almost essentially "dead". So everyone was pretty confused.
Sunday, Manny sat out again and the trade deadline loomed on the horizon. Finally, 4 PM came and went and Manny was still a member of the Red Sox, much to the delight of the fans in attendance at Fenway. It couldn't have worked out any better, as just about an hour after the deadline passed, the game was tied in the 8th inning. The fans chanted "We want Manny". Finally, when the time was right, Manny returned to pinch hit with two men on. The fans went crazy in one of the loudest ovations I've seen all year, a complete 180 from their reaction to Manny on Friday. When he drove in the winning run with a single, the place went completely nuts. You couldn't have written fiction any better than that. It seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off of Manny, the Red Sox in general, and the fans throughout Red Sox Nation.
In the end, the Sox went through the trade deadline without making any significant moves. Binnall family favorite Bill Mueller was sticking around (despite rumours of being traded) and, of course, so was Manny.
Hopefully, the Sox can now focus on solidifying their first place spot and heading back to the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. Next week, the Sox face the awful Kansas City and then go off to Minnesota for a follow up series against the Twins.
The Noory Story Showdown
This Week's Point Getters : Lots of points scored again this week, thanks to all who are participating. With about 5 months left, it's still anyone's game.
Streamlinkers : Tony1 scored 2 points with "Shuttle in Danger" and "Shuttle Grounded Permanently". 1234 scored 1 point with "Bison, not Bigfoot stomped through Canada". And, SomeAverageJoe scored 1 point with "Planet X Found"
theUSofE.com : Despite claiming to be going on vacation, Baemark scored 3 points with "space shuttle launches", "More Debris Problems for the Shuttle" and "bin Laden plan to sell poison cocaine". Oscar ties for the lead by gaining 6 points, Four boy scout leaders electrocuted", "Russian's Biggest Spammer murdered", "Montana hit by 5.6 Magnitude Quake", "Congress extends daylight savings", "Indian flood", and "3 Hurt in Explosions, Fire at Texas Plant".
dark matter's quest to win the binnall thongs continued with 2 points, "Discovery May Need Unprecedented Repair" and "Blind Teen is Video Game Whiz". And, finally, Somnus scored 2 points with "10th planet found" and "Deadly Pig Sickness in China".
Notes :
Current Standings as of 8.2.5 : Baemark (16), Oscar (16), Tony1 (6), dark matter (4), somnus (4), mirage (4), SomeAverageJoe (2), Majestic Peak (2), Shredder (1), anotherlight (1), Japanese American (1), cns (1), jerikai (1), and 1234 (1)
Score 1 point for posting a news story that gets read by George Noory, Art Bell, or a guest host on the show. Stories posted after they are read by the hosts do NOT count. If you are not credited by me in News Watch, YOU are responsible for letting me know that I missed it. You can ONLY post your news stories in either the Streamlink message board "Current Events" folder or the U.S. of E. message board "Current Events" folder. (News Stories posted in individual episode folders or "Anything Goes" do not count)
The WINNER is the person with the most Noory Story points (cumulative) in the January 2nd, 2006 Edition of News Watch.
The 1st PRIZE is a $40 dollar shopping spree @ the official binnallofamerica.com store.
The 2nd & 3rd place PRIZES are binnallofamerica.com T-Shirts and a mystery surprise item.
Any questions / comments can be sent to tbinnall@hotmail.com This contest is REAL. No wagering, please. Editorial
CAFTA Crapta
Allow me to first administer a heaping pile of "I told you so", as I was ranting about the Pan American Union a few weeks back in this very column. Now, we see CAFTA, NAFTA's ugly cousin, passes the House and having already been passed by the Senate, will soon be followed, I'm sure, by a quick signing by W and the subsequent exodus of thousands of jobs from the US. And I, for one, couldn't be more disgusted.
Let's start with a good ridicule of Congress, whose actions continue to border on treasonous as every month goes by since 911. I will tip my hat to the brave folks in Congress who actually stood up and voted against this bill. Their bravery will be met with, I'm sure, scores of smear ads when re-election time comes.
Moving on, W says (according to a CNN.com article) that CAFTA will "pay big dividends for security, stability and freedom in the Western Hemisphere". This prompts my response, in a shrill voice, "Pan American Union !"
How this bumbling stump of a leader can allege that CAFTA will help security is beyond me. The administration has done a dangerously woeful job of securing our own borders. We need to address that before we can be worrying about security involving one of the CAFTA nations.
Secondly, Bush says CAFTA will provide stability to the Western Hemisphere. In the grande scheme of things, the reason for that is because it will devalue the US and bring up the other nations' values, causing parity at America's expense. Therein lies the true problem and the true reason why the global nutters want this so bad.
Finally, W alleges that CAFTA will provide "freedom". Ugh. That's a far too ephemeral concept to be broadly applied as end results of a free trade agreement. Nothing disgusts me more than the tossing around of the word "freedom" to add that extra PR boost. It reminds me of the over use of the words "super" and "bonus" and a host of other superlatives that really mean nothing due to linguistic inflation.
What's a News Watch without a xenophobic rant ? A bore, that's what, so let's get cooking on just who the CAFTA countries are. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Yikes. I exempt Dominican Republic because it produces the best baseball players, so I'm all for free trade with them. However, I take issue with most of the other latin nations trying to invade our garden party. Guatemala ? Sounds scary. Reminds me of the old WWF wrestler "Kamala". El Salvador ? I'm not a fan of doing business with nation that start in "El". Nicaragua ? They're still around ?
Geographically, the CAFTA nations complete the union of NAFTA nations almost all the way to the beginning of South America. Said in a high shrill voice, "Pan American Union !" Bold binnall prediction : "Expect to be hearing about SAFTA by the end of the decade."
We wrap up the first column of August with that, my friends. Looks to be a fine month ahead. Remember all that stuff you wanted to do at the beginning of Summer ? Time to get it done, folks, as Lemonade Season is about to end. I've always been more of a Springtime and Autumn fan, myself, so I'm psyched.
Plugs : Lesley has an outstanding look at Whitley Streiber's Dreamland show in this week's "Grey Matters". A must read for Coast fans, for sure. Wednesday, Khyron rolls out another "Ghost Files" for your haunting pleasure. Thursday, an amazing Hot Newz I found while cleaning out my attic. Friday, the binnall report, with more mysterious news about the upcoming "BoA:A, Season One". Saturday, the usual hijinks @ BoA and then Sunday we do double time with "Saturday Night Punnett" posted late-night Saturday into Sunday morning and smoker dave on Sunday afternoon. Monday we're back getting ink on our fingers with News Watch.
Of note : We are always looking for new columnists for BoA to expand our horizons, voices, and coverage. Contact yours truly for details if interested. Also, we are looking for someone to transcribe our BoA : Audio MP3s, starting with the X-Conference Sessions. This will require a fair amount of work and therefore will be a "pay by barter" gig. Contact yours truly for details on that as well.
The loathsome work week stretches out across the horizon like a half soused drama queen. Hopefully, I will be able to avoid the pitfalls and praftalls of another week and return refreshed and ready to rock 'n' roll with another edition of "News Watch". Big thanks to Lesley and Khryon for their contributions this week. I'm sure we can all agree that we hope you continue to be safe, be prepared, and be real.