Quotation Mark Test

Can I post “quoted text” without a problem in Blogger?

Doubtful.

Chicago bans gun-slinging curmudgeons...

CBS2 Chicago | Aide: Chicago Not Interested In 2008 RNC

Okay I'm going over to politics again for this post because this CBS2 story made me laugh. Now as much as I would like to believe that the administration here actually turned down the opportunity to bid on the RNC 2008 to stick it to the NeoCons, I have a sad feeling it had little to do with sticking it to anyone. Sure it would be delicious to think that Chicago is such a liberal city that we don't need anymore pollution in our air/water/ears, but any chance to get a bunch of deep-pocketed jerk-offs into the city is something any city would leap at.

Unfortunately, on top of that, very few of Democrats currently in office are any different than the Republicans. And the ones that do make any noise get relegated to page 15 of the newspaper surrounded by women's underwear ads ("Should read article about my civil rights, but...can't...resist...cleavage....").

Actually on second thought that may be the case here. I mean minor story on CBS2's webpage...my adblocker isn't showing me the ads, but I'll bet JCPenny's is having a busty sale this weekend...yep.

No matter the reason, it is still so delightful to know that come 2008 I will only have to dodge drunk/stupid Cubs fans (shut it, Cubbies...I'm a fan too...just not a drunk/stupid one...at least not right now), requests for spare change, and pigeon droppings...but thankfully not political sewage.

p.s. The above image is not a paid advertisement. I get no money if you women or men visit JCPenny and buy women's underwear. But out of all fairness, that is where the image is from so if you were not reading what I wrote but instead wondering, "Where can I get such a fantastic deal on women's underwear?" or "Where can I view more pictures of women's underwear with women in them?"...it is JCPenny.com. Thanks for proving my point, by the way.

Digital Audit...

NPR Morning Edition | Digital Culture | Online Gaming, Money and Tax Law

I heard this fascinating story on NPR's Morning Edition today. I have been incredibly fascinated at the growing digital culture of money and how online gaming has created a whole separate economy which is currently become less and less separate from our own. This story basically delves in the implications of online gaming on your taxes.

It covers the obvious taxable income that would come (for example) from sitting and playing World of Warcraft and then selling your earned armor/weapons/items on eBay. [The story mentions some people making 6 figures doing this job...does that make my PS2, television, and WoW game a work-related writeoff? Freakin' sweet...] So yes this is as taxable as an artist's earnings from selling a sculpture.

Where the story becomes interesting is when you consider the fact that there is a barter law that is considered with the IRS taxing policies. I'm not 100% familiar or clear on how it is enforced, but apparently if an artist and a plumber (example taken from the story) decide to trade trades, it is technically taxable. By that I mean if the plumber fixes the artist's toilet and is paid by the artist with a painting valued at $500 (as opposed to cash), that does not avoid the IRS's taxable income regulations. Now again, I'm not sure how this is enforced, or how the IRS values works of art for that matter. The point is, that if this applies, then when I log on to WoW and offer to help a friend on a quest in exchange for one of his hard-earned swords, that is technically a barter and is taxable. Curious isn't it? The NPR story covers more of the nuances, so listen and learn more.

Of course this policy has yet to be verified by the IRS because the author of the story, did not want to file this question with them, for reasons explained in the broadcast. I do find this story interesting for the simple fact that it highlights another point of contact between the digital economy and the real. I am waiting for the day I can go to currency exchange and convert my US Dollar to WoW Gold.

Heck, with the going rate for Level 60 Epic PVP Warriors on eBay I may add them to my portfolio...

UPDATE 2/18/2006: The link to an ebay auction for a Level 60 Epic PVP Warrior character from WoW was removed. It is not clear if the auction closed b/c someone bought it, or if the seller/ebay removed it from the site. The auction was asking for a starting bid of over $400 for this charater, however at the time of my original post no one had bid anything for the character.

Wonderful, Terrible Things...

I have recently been introduced to a new addiction. Of course the item for which I have developed this dependency has been taken away: Carnivale. Sure this humble little blog is hardly the place to persuade the powers-that-be to bring it back, but maybe the 3 people who stumble upon this site randomly will go out and rent it and watch it and love it. That's good enough for me. But, the main thrust of this post was to highlight Carnivale as an incredible work of art in a medium that has become predominantly dry and boring.

Television is a medium with so much potential, but so many directors/producers/TV execs simply crank out more Joeys or ERs. Sure they have some value as a source of entertainment, but we also need a balance of shows that press the limits of television and stretch it to new and interesting levels. Shows like The Prisoner and Twin Peaks help to lay the foundation for more great shows like the X-files and Battlestar Galactica (the new series). Once you start stripping away these types of programs from television you end up with the kind of TV you fall asleep watching. No thank you. I don't need a story tied up in 30 minutes. If I did there is ample sources to fill that need (see NBC, CBS, and ABCs entire line-up...with a few minor exceptions). I want a show that keeps my interest running beyond that time-slot and leaves me anticipating the next episode. A story that unfolds slowly and makes my mind race contemplating the countless directions the story can take. Not simply another "who will hook up with whom" mixed in with some medical terminology and a few shootings. Let's explore some of the wild questions that dance in so many of our heads every night. Let's put these questions in the public eye and enjoy the uncertainty that they bring.

I'm not writing this to simply rag on network television, nor am I excited about revealing my endless list of nerd-a-vision programming that I watch/love. No, my goal is to simply state that, we need shows like Carnivale to help keep TV from becoming stagnant. If we keep trying to rehash the same stories over and over, using the same methods of story-telling, then why do I need to even watch TV. So we've seen the cop drama done ad nauseum, why do we keep coming back to shows like NYPD Blue and CSI if Hill Street Blues did it first. Because it's about the storyteller and the way he/she tells the story. Good and evil has been done, yes, but not like this. Not like Carnivale. To create an atmosphere that absorbs you, a story that leaves you waiting eagerly for the next episode, and actors that are absorbed by their characters...that is what TV is about.

Just go check it out, kids. I know one of you already has watched this show (hell, you got me hooked on it) but the rest of you that accidentally find me...go watch it. You will be left wanting more...think that's torture, yes. So fight for it's return: Save Carnivale. Not possible, you say. Look at Family Guy...fans can bring a show back. So become a fan already, damnit.

Independents' Day...

p a p e r m u s t a c h e ~ Exploring Chicago’s Independent Bookstores ~

A great new site is under construction on this little thing we call the web: papermustache. What is it you ask? Well the proprietor of papermustache will be visiting all the great independent bookstores in Chicago. After visiting he plans to write reviews for each of the places. I have heard through the grapevine that one visitation has already taken place and it is a heartbeat away from being posted. So why not stop by and add a bookmark so you can watch for the great list of indy bookstores to visit yourself. But why?

The rise of corporate and on-line bookselling has proven that we don’t need independent bookstores but do we want them?

I say YES! We want to live in thriving neighborhoods not strip malls and parking lots. Supporting small businesses is one way to keep corporate behemoths from completely obliterating our quality of life.

Need more motivation...Why not pretend that papermustache is a treasure map filled with big 'X's, and you are the paper-mustachioed pirate seeking the treasure of a lifetime. Now set sail, matey.

Fire it up...

Okay, so this is not a ground-breaking post, but I did want to add a note here stating that I went live with the new Fire Arts Center of Chicago homepage. It is still a work in progress, but it is on the road now. I've been toiling over it for a couple of months now and did the design from the ground up. I am working on upgrading the gallery page as well as adding a blog and calendar to it. I'm not sure if it will all come together, but I will die trying otherwise.

I'd love to get some feedback on what you think so far. Go check it out (http://www.firearts.org) and if you want to drop me a line about it you can click on the "About This Site" link which is located in the bottom right corner of every page on that site. From there you can email me using the link in that message. Or you can always post a comment here on the blog. Either way, I'd love to hear from both of you.

It's good to be King...

I went and saw the Chicago Kings Showoff last night at the Metro with some great friends (one uber-great friend and several new ones). It was a truly incredible performance that I cannot even begin to do justice with words. It was the Kings' final show and featured the Cuntry Kings from North Carolina. It was sad that this is my first and last chance to see them all rolled into one. I only hope that whatever fills the gap left by these guys comes soon and is as incredible.

The show was filled with some incredible songs (including the Fischerspooner song, Emerge, which was one of my favorites). Each set was filled with hilarious mockery, poignant political jabs, rich social critique, and more. Of course one of my absolute favorites was the Pink's Family Portrait meets Star-Wars-dysfunctional-family-values (yeah I'm a nerd...duh!). I was laughing so hard I nearly passed out.

I was also blown away by the spoken-word performance which was so incredibly moving and potent. It was a very personal poem by one of the performers, Neeve, and dealt with the journey she has been through including interactions with family, friends, and others. It was a sharp stab at the current politics of gender which needs to be stabbed more often. I hope the text of it gets posted somewhere and when it does I will post a link in the comments area here.

I would recommend going to their website and keeping an eye out for some pics of the show. At the time of writing this, there wasn't anything yet (the pic above is from an earlier show), but we are all still recovering so I would give it a week...haha. I won't forget that night for quite a while. Who knew I could still party until 3am and not notice it until I stopped (okay so I was a little sore through the show, but once the dancing started...forget about it)? There was also several cameras running so maybe...if you are lucky...they will sell a video of the show if you are interested. Watch for it!

Bravo, Kings, I'm gonna miss it! A party that good doesn't come around often.

UPDATE (12/18/05): After reviewing the Chicago Kings website, I have come to discover that it has not been updated for about two years. In other words, my proposal that you all go watch their site for images and video may have been mistaken. Please feel free to keep looking, but don't spend too many days waiting at the window...they may never update. You can always go and look at some of the older pics in the meantime. Enjoy!

UPDATE (12/28/05): Okay despite the lack of images on the King's official site, I have a place to view some of the images from that night: http://www.dykediva.com/events/showoff_pics.php. My dear friend, Eli, dropped this link on me. Thanks!