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The Champagne Saints
Say hello to a rock band that hearkens back to the years before indie rock and nu-metal dominated the scene. Discover The Champagne Saints at their website or Facebook page and buy the album Throwing Hail Marys, released in April 2009.Friends Online
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jcabana's entries
The Flynn Effect
Monday, 20 April 2009 1:23 P GMT-05
I couldn't just let my last post about Charles Murray lie. So here's a link to a Malcolm Gladwell article that asks, and seeks to answer, the following question:"If what I.Q. tests measure is immutable and innate, what explains t
In Defense of Pirates [UPDATED]
Monday, 13 April 2009 10:23 A GMT-05
Believe it or not, Somali pirates allegedly have the support of about 70% of Somalia's population. This article may provide some insight to shed light on the reason why. Turns out that what we know about pirates might not be entirely
I want to go where the riverboat sails tonight...
Monday, 6 April 2009 11:12 A GMT-05
New Orleans is a very interesting town. I learned this firsthand while I was there for the first time this past weekend for a conference. Since the trip was business-related, I really didn't have time to visit the areas hardest-hit by Katri
Charles Murray Is Still A Racist Hack.
Sunday, 22 March 2009 10:41 A GMT-05
A friend of mine posted a link to this editorial in the Washington Post, which thanks god that America is not yet like Europe. About halfway through, I realized the op-ed was full of generalizations and idealized analogies and half-truths, so
Comments/Trackback (1-0)
The Real Cause of the Economic Crisis
Friday, 20 March 2009 3:46 P GMT-05
My friend Scott posted a link to a spot-on op-ed that pointedly shines a light on the real cause of the current economic meltdown that is affecting the world we live in today. We didn't get here today because of greed. Rather, we arr
I'm On A Boat! JIMP and Ras Trent
Friday, 20 March 2009 1:44 P GMT-05
In case you somehow missed the latest Lonely Island/SNL shenanigans, watch this video, this one and this one (NSFW language in the first two).
Everybody's A Critic [EDIT]
Wednesday, 18 March 2009 1:05 P GMT-05
Something I've often found fascinating about making music is that the most specific criticisms come from the most unlikely sources. For instance, you'll play someone a song you wrote/performed and they'll say something very specific
My next cellphone: the Palm Pre [w/Video]
Wednesday, 18 March 2009 7:13 A GMT-05
Today I watched the best preview yet for the Palm Pre, Palm's next-generation PDA phone. It is slated to be launched sometime in the next 3.5 months, and it is the first phone I've seen that could challenge iPhone's dominance if it
Reflecting on 6 years of Obsidian Potency.
Monday, 16 March 2009 3:35 P GMT-05
OP celebrated its 6th anniversary in January of 2009. I didn't post an entry about it then, and I suppose that is a fitting example of where the blog has gone since it started in January of 2003.OP has had many iterations in different citie
24 runs out of time.
Monday, 16 March 2009 1:15 P GMT-05
The Rob posted a very comprehensive weblog entry on why he has given up on Season 7 of 24 -- and on the show as a whole -- at the 11th-episode mark. I completely agree with his analysis, though I could not put it into words as effectively as h
Category: Rants Television
Champagne Saints
Monday, 9 March 2009 4:43 P GMT-05
S___, a friend of Obsidian Potency, is in a band called Champagne Saints. They have just finished work on their band's first album, Throwing Hail Marys. The band has both a website and a Facebook page; the web
The United States of Socialism
Thursday, 12 February 2009 11:08 A GMT-05
Newsweek's cover article examines how the United States is well on its way to being almost identical to a European socialist state -- but not because the "libs" have taken over Congress. Actually, the process was in full swing we
While the USA's economy struggles, Canada's thrives
Thursday, 12 February 2009 10:39 A GMT-05
Fareed Zakaria takes a look at the possible reasons why Canada continues to do well as much of the rest of the world hemorrhages jobs and government money. One reason he leaves out is that Canada spends almost nothing on national defense.
Category: Politik
Hot Chicks With Douchebags Lawsuit Dismissed
Wednesday, 11 February 2009 11:10 A GMT-05
Recently, a judge dismissed the lawsuit of three women pictured in the book Hot Chicks With Douchebags, based upon the website with the same name. They sued for defamation, but the judge decided the content of the book was blatantly satirical.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (or Happen).
Monday, 9 February 2009 12:28 P GMT-05
"Stopping at this vague point, MK neither offers up a strategy for resolution for this problem. For his/her ability to criticize, there is nothing of substance offered as an alternative analysis besides a big, ‘it's fucked."
Gran Torino
Wednesday, 4 February 2009 5:04 P GMT-05
I'm not even going to bother calling this a review. I just wanted to (very belatedly) express my love for Gran Torino. Seriously, it was great. It's safe to say that it's my favorite movie so far this year, and that even
Rule of Law
Tuesday, 27 January 2009 6:04 P GMT-05
President Obama's move (still sounds funny to me...I'm sure it still sounds horrifying to a few of my friends) to close the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba has elicited positive feedback from most, along with some outrage from a vocal mi
An Obsidian Potency PSA: Why aren't you on Facebook yet? [with Quick Poll]
Friday, 16 January 2009 1:14 A GMT-05
Seriously. Facebook has now reached the point that staying away doesn't make any sense, as this article points out. There are many, many more benefits than costs -- so much so that I'd be willing to pay a nominal fee to be on Fac
Occasionally, a minority actually does play the race card.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009 12:07 P GMT-05
This op-ed in the Washington Post outlines an honest-to-goodness, accurate example of a minority using the 'race card'. The accusation of using the race card far outpaces its actual use, but this one is legit.No way is Roland Burris
The Problem With Pandora
Monday, 12 January 2009 3:34 P GMT-05
I've struggled through a variety of mostly self-inflicted computer problems recently. As a result, I have had limited access to my plethora of computer-based music files, and have turned to Internet Radio to fill some of the void. The
[Review] Aquapac Waterproof iPod Kit and Headphones
Thursday, 8 January 2009 1:57 P GMT-05
Last night I did something I'd only dreamed of for years: I listened to my iPod as I swam laps at the Y. The products that brought this dream to life are the Aquapac 100% Waterproof Mp3 Player Case and the Aquapac 100% Waterproof He
How To Transform America's Economy.
Tuesday, 6 January 2009 12:57 P GMT-05
Apparently, disgraced former governor Eliot Spitzer has become a writer on Slate.com. He's a smart guy, but he doesn't go far enough in his latest article when he talks about the limits of Obama's plan to transform America's e
[Review] Milk
Sunday, 4 January 2009 5:39 P GMT-05
At first, I was a bit reluctant to talk about how I felt about this movie. Then I had a few conversations and realized that I'm not some lone nut. So I'll come out and say it: Milk was a mediocre movie with one or two great act
OP 2008 Parting Shots
Friday, 2 January 2009 3:33 P GMT-05
A few things were brought up either by the news or by people I know over the past few weeks that I wanted to respond to. The two big ones are political.I find it amusing (and a bit sad) that white and multi-racial people are trying to "cla
2008
Friday, 2 January 2009 11:23 A GMT-05
This was an eventful year around the world, obviously...and I see no need to re-hash most of it here. The United States economy essentially collapsed, the U.S. presidential elections ended with this country shockingly and unimaginably electing
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