NOW you've DONE it. You've gone and pissed off "Cooter." Hope you're proud of yourselves.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/dukes-of-hazzard-actor-defends-confederate-flag-our-beloved-symbol-is-now-being-attacked/ar-AAc3lwb?ocid=ansHollywoodReporter11

The actor who played Cooter on the TV series Dukes of Hazzard is defending the Confederate flag as a symbol of the spirit of independence.

Ben Jones posted on Facebook that fans of the show know that the flag represents values of the rural South including courage, family and good times.

Jones and his wife own two stores in Tennessee and one in Virginia that celebrate the show and its fictional Hazzard County.

He says the flag is being attacked in a "wave of political correctness" that is vilifying Southern culture.

A surgical team mocks a sedated patient — and it’s all recorded

I don't buy the crap about how it took Taylor Swift "schooling" Apple for them to do what's right

It simply sounds like a high-profile artist called out a company that knew exactly what they were doing, and hoped they'd get away with it. Eddy Cue sounds like any other corporate weasel who was called out, weighed the potential P.R. collateral damage, and gave the standard weasel's response of "You know what, Taylor? You're RIGHT, girlfriend! Let's do the right thing, and THANK YOU."

Weasel!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/apple-exec-eddy-cue-why-taylor-swift-was-right-20150622

Within less than 24 hours, Taylor Swift's To Apple, Love Taylor post prompted Apple executives to back down and pay artists and musicians full royalties on a three-month free trial period for the tech giant's upcoming streaming service. "When I woke up and read Taylor's note, it solidified quickly that we needed a change," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services who oversees the company's music operations, tells Rolling Stone. "Music is a big part of our DNA and we always strive to make sure artists are paid for their work."

Before announcing Apple Music, which includes a Spotify-style streaming service and a radio station with experienced DJs, the company negotiated with all three major record labels and agreed to pay 71.5 percent of revenue to artists, labels, songwriters and other rightsholders. This higher-than-usual royalty rate was "in return" for the three-month free trial, Cue says.

But last week, sources at several independent record labels accused Apple of trying to give away their music for free by strong-arming them into being part of the service. "I hesitate to say 'everyone,' but a lot of independent labels are of the same mind — that it's kind of a raw deal," an indie-label source told Rolling Stone.

Swift, who last fall pulled her catalog from Spotify because she didn't want to give her music away in the service's ad-supported "freemium" model, joined the anti-Apple chorus Sunday morning. "I'm not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months," she wrote. "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.

Mother Jones: "Bobby Jindal’s Biggest Troll Is His Friend’s 21-Year-Old Son"

Bobby Jindal’s Biggest Troll Is His Friend’s 21-Year-Old Son



http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/06/bobby-jindal-zack-kopplin-evolution

Science was never supposed to be an issue for Bobby Jindal. The Louisiana governor rose through the ranks of the Republican party on the strength of his reputation as a Rhodes Scholar whiz kid, a former Brown pre-med with an eye for the intricacies of health policy. But since taking office, he's been dogged by accusations that he's playing politics with science education. In 2008, Jindal supported a law that makes it easier for biology teachers to "teach the controversy" on the theory of evolution. His stance on the issue has earned him unfavorable attention outside the state. In 2012, when he was briefly floated as a potential vice presidential candidate, Slate dubbed it "Bobby Jindal's science problem."

The image of Jindal as an anti-science hypocrite is largely the product of one man—Zack Kopplin, a 21-year-old history major at Rice University. Kopplin has spent much of the last five years campaigning against Jindal's approach to the teaching of evolution, which Kopplin considers a back-door invitation to teach creationism. He's testified before the state legislature and has made appearances on Hardball, NPR, and Real Time With Bill Maher (alongside Bernie Sanders). Here he is with Bill Moyers:

Kopplin is Bobby Jindal's biggest troll. He's also the son of a Jindal family friend.

The relationship dates back to the mid-90s. Kopplin's father, Andy Kopplin, is currently the deputy mayor of New Orleans, serving under Democrat Mitch Landrieu. But it was in an earlier job, as chief of staff to former Louisiana Republican Gov. Murphy Foster, that the elder Kopplin became friends with Jindal. In 1996, Foster hired a 24-year-old Jindal to run the state's Department of Health and Hospitals—Jindal's first full-time job in government. "He had two protegés—Gov. Jindal and my father," the younger Kopplin says. "At the time they got along pretty well. My mom now swears that she never really liked Jindal, but they went out to dinner pretty regularly." When Jindal first ran for governor in 2003 (a race he lost in a runoff to Democrat Kathleen Blanco), Kopplin remembers trying to persuade his classmates to support the Republican candidate, although none of them were old enough to vote.

SURE. You say "SQUEE" now. Wait till he's big enough to eat you. Then we'll see.

All I can say is The Velvet Underground is great when I'm sitting watching puddles gather rain!

Just heard it a few minutes ago after not hearing it for a few years. My earworm is now your earworm.

There is always a "Steve."

Always.

Always, always, always ALWAYS a "Steve."

Went to an interview with a prospective client yesterday. Interview went very well. Got to the point of "What will it cost," and sales wisdom says that people only ask that question when they're ready to buy. I told them, the response was almost shock at how inexpensive it was.

Then it happened.

"I have to call Steve. He's our money guy."

That turned into "I had to leave a voice message. But I'll call you as soon as he gets back to me."

That was 17 hours ago. I might get a call today, I might not. When I follow up it might be "Steve hasn't gotten back to me yet" or "Steve said no," which gives me the opportunity to walk away OR say "Well, can you and I sit down with Steve and explain how moving forward with this is going to help you tremendously?"

But there is always a Steve,

Don't kid yourself. ALWAYS.

"Desire" is a Bob Dylan album we were all supposed to like. I never did.

I even have the super-spiffy MFSL (Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs) version. Didn't make a difference. I'm an Emmylou fan, too. I don't like any of her vocals here. It's less singing and more braying and I never think of her that way on her own stuff.

Hurricane: The bongos and fiddle interplay kind of gives me an aneurism.
Isis: Not bad, maybe my favorite song off the album, bit it doesn't make me like the album as a whole.
Mozambique: I can't get past the whole "He put de lime in de co co nut" vibe. Didn't like Harry's song, either.
One More Cup Of Coffee: Leaden, sluggish. It wants to be a "Blood On The Tracks" song. Try harder.
Oh, Sister: The sensation of smoking some bad "couch lock" indica and just wanting the high to go away.
Joey: 11 minutes long? Really?
Romance in Durango: The whole vibe of the album is really pissing me off at this point.
Black Diamond Bay: One vibe! This album only has one vibe!
Sara: Like "Isis"...those two songs on a different album would have worked a lot better for me.

Previous studio album was, of course, Blood On The Tracks...sheer perfection. The one that followed this was Desire...ditto. Two of my all time favorite Bob albums bookending one that never really spoke to me at all.

Oxycontin Pigsnout tells his base that "the Confederate flag flies because of the Democrat Party"

Limbaugh transcript lifted from F.R., and I deliberately did not include a link because....well, because fuck 'em.

BREAKING (CROSS-POSTED TO LBN): If I can't stream Taylor Swift, I'm OK with that, you know?

A Nevada man woke up this morning, poured a cup of coffee, sat back and decided "If I can't stream Taylor Swift, I'm OK with that, you know?"

I mean, if I can't get down with the awesomeness of "Tay" (dontcha just LOVE nicknames) encouraging me to "Shake It Off," I guess I'm just going to have to shake it off without her.

It won't be easy...I know there will be a period of adjustment...but somehow, some way, I WILL be whole again. As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again.

Thanks for listening.