What's Up!

July 5, 2003

MOVING ON UP!


Well we be a moving over here at the World of Demosthenes. After over 20 years at the Armory (our current, soon to be old, location) in the wonderful city of Pico Rivera, California, we're moving to new digs in the (hopefully) equally wonderful city of Garden Grove, California. Now, you're asking (you're probably not, but let's all pretend shall we?) why are you moving? In a nutshell, there are 3 reasons.

So how does this affect you?
worldofdemosthenes.com, and other WOD sites.
During the move, and a little bit thereafter, everything will be down. Luckily, the World of Demosthenes servers are not going anywhere (they're located in Toronto, Ontario) so most online content will stay up, but there won't be any updates and additions (i.e. Weekly Goods, What's Up!, etc...) until late July; early August if a few things go wrong, or late August if I get lazy.

4aces.net
Despite the move (yup, the 4Aces crew is coming too), the Summer Issue of 4 Aces Magazine Quarterly is set to be released on July 18. And it's on schedule!!! I'm not sure who's more surprised at that, us or our readers!

random radio show
The show must go on and it will. During the move, we will still be producing the random radio show, the fastest 60 minutes in radio, every Friday at 6pm. You can catch it ktstfm.com or randomradioshow.com.

Project Codename: 21CC
Everything remains on schedule (actually ahead of schedule on some timetables) for World of Demosthenes Productions to assume full control of its first retail venture by mid-August (barring any last-minute breakdown in the talks, and that would really suck!).

Lost Expeditions
Expeditions are set to resume in September. Check lostexpeditions.com for details as autumn approaches. As for Lost EXP TV, the current plan is begin principal filming in Spring 2004, and get a few episodes "in the can," by June '04.


Those are the major updates to note during the move. We've got a few other projects in development but those on are hiatus until the WOD Prod/VJPI merger is complete. Some projects have been placed on the back burner indefinitely (i.e. Monk's, Big Greek Radio, etc...), and others have been completely scrapped (i.e. JesterWare).

Also, if you discover that I'm difficult to find in the next 4-6 weeks, fear not. I'm just completing the move, and I'll be busy doing actually "business stuff." Wait a minute, "business stuff?" Who the hell am I?


One last thing...
Currently, no festivities are being planned for the big Demosthenes 29 celebration (why? see above). But please, feel free to celebrate on your own, the momentous occasion of the soon-to-be national holiday.


See ya in August....



June 20, 2003

PICTURE THIS


New $20
Have you seen the new $20 bill that the United States Treasury is going to issue soon? Well, it appears that last redesign, which was supposed to help combat counterfeiting, really didn't do that great of a job. So lo and behold, the new twenty. Notice the very European flair...



And to do my own part to help combat counterfeiting, I'm only showing the front.


Holy Shit!!!
What does this look like?



Well, to the trained eye, it looks like Brock Lesnar is setting up the Big Show for a Superplex. What?!?!?

Big Show is 7'2", 500 pounds. Lesnar is about 300 pounds himself. Thirty seconds later, one of the greatest wrestling moments in ages goes down.... literally. Lesnar is successful in the move and upon impact, the entire rings IMPLODES!!! No joke, the ring just collapsed and two ring posts gave way. The "Holy Shit!" chants filled the arena. Wild applause erupts in my living room.



That my friends... is entertainment.


Yosemite Syndrome
Do you ever want to find God? Go to Yosemite and take a gander at some of his handywork.



By the way... even though this would be the moneyshot, this doesn't even come close to doing the real thing justice. You just have to be there. And when you are, you'll experience The Yosemite Syndrome as you are baffled at how freakin' HUGE everything is.


....We Fix It!!!
Val asked me how many people would catch the "We Get it Right: Truman defeats Dewey" reference on the front page, it took me a moment to think about it.



My answer: "Uh, maybe 4 people. And maybe two of them will think it's funny, if only because Truman is holding up a newspaper, that has a picture of himself holding up a newspaper!!!"



May 30, 2003

FREEDOM OF DISSENT


We here in the blessed United States of America have always valued freedom above all else. Freedoms that watered the seeds of revolution against the British in the 1770's and freedoms that have been guaranteed to us by our very own Constitution. Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion... those and others are available to us, not by some decree handed out by a monarchial or dictatorial figure, but dare I say, by birthright as citizens and residents of these United States of America.

One of the freedoms that we have the liberty of having, and in fact, one of the freedoms that founded this nation, was the freedom to dissent. We have the freedom to disagree, to question authority, to have a different point of view, to challenge our beliefs.... without fear of retribution. And we have various ways to exercise this freedom. We can do it by organizing protests. We can do it by voting out of office, representatives that fail to act in the interest of their constituents. And we can do it by simply speaking our minds and voicing our opinions.

However, it seems that we have developed a bit of hypocrisy in today's United States of America. We recently went to Iraq to boot Saddam out of power. (I have my suspicions that the whole Weapons of Mass Destruction was merely the excuse to accomplish that goal.) We went as "liberators." We went claiming to free the Iraqi people from the oppression of Saddam. And we did. Iraqis now enjoy a wide array of freedoms that they never did before. Such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to disagree with how their new government (whenever that rolls into town) operates. We did some good.

But while our troops were doing the nitty gritty work half a planet away, people on the homefront were voicing their opinions on the matter. While everyone was supportive of the troops and prayed for their speedy return to home and safety, some expressed concern on how this all transpired. And others were downright angry that the freedom-based United States of America went into another sovereign nation and totally reformed it into our own image. Since they were Americans, they had the freedom to dissent. Yet suddenly, that freedom was being revoked from within. Imagine that. We were handing the Iraqis the freedom to disagree and question authority, while we were up in arms and coming down hard on those who were exercising it within our own borders.

That begs the question... what exactly are we fighting for, if we refuse it to own our people?

I hate to bring out the overused Dixie Chicks example, 'cause Lord knows that's been beaten like a dead horse, but it illustrates the point perfectly. What caused the uproar was when the Dixie Chicks' lead singer (the short one, her name eludes me at the moment) made a comment at a concert in London to the effect of, "I'm embarrassed that the President of the United States of America is from Texas [our home state]." She was merely exercising her right and freedom to dissent. However, that brought such a outrage, that some radio stations were boycotting the Chicks, and some fans were trashing and/or burning CDs and concert tickets. Granted, these "fans" were also exercising their right to disagree, but heavens why?

If these girls were Iraqi and made such statements about their leader, say 6 months ago, they'd be dead or "missing." However, our troops went to Iraq and gave the Iraqi people the right to say such dissenting comments. But at the same time, we chastise our citizens for making (Constitutionally guaranteed) disparaging comments. Hence the horrible hypocrisy being demonstrated currently in the United States of America.

Strangely, this isn't the first time there has been public disagreement over a war, so why the backlash now? Why do some musicians, actors, and other artists feel their anti-war comments may get them blacklisted? Isn't it their right to oppose conventional thinking without retribution? When did Stalin start running things around here?

The United States of America, by history, by nature, are non-conformists. We didn't conform with the Crown in the later half of the 18th century; hell, we didn't even have conformity amongst these United States in the 1860s. So why this sudden demand for blind faith from the populace, when historically we've rocked the boat?

In any aspect of life, we invite feedback to help point out problems we don't see. Yes, yes we do. Without feedback, both positive and negative, we can't make improvements and better our products, our services, our politics... our world. Our founding fathers recognized this some 220 years ago, and gave us the freedoms of speech, press, assembly... and dissent, so that we may openly discuss and debate issues we are facing, ranging from the insignificant to the monumental. But now, we are possibly revoking one of our freedoms. It may not seem like something major, this freedom to dissent, but if we let this one slip, what's next?

Perhaps the right to privacy which (in some viewpoints and opinions) is being threatened by the USA Patriot Act.

Now, I am not an activist. I'm not signaling a call to action nor a call to arms. I'm merely a citizen of the United States of America, who is expressing an opinion. Granted, there isn't a "point" in this piece (as with most of my pieces), but there are some interesting questions that we should ask ourselves, our representatives, and our fellow citizens. I do like a good debate. I love the open and honest exchange of information, opinions, and viewpoints. Ask your friends and neighbors, and see what they think on the subject, if only to better understand the views of those you live with. I am calling for citizens and residents of this freedom-loving country to stop a moment and think about these things.

Ask questions. Examine convention wisdom. Challenge traditionally held beliefs. Not to bring about radical change, not to cause chaos, but to focus on what's right for us, the citizenry of the United States of America, and make it better and ensure our freedoms.

You the reader now (actually, you've always had) the freedom to disagree with everything I've just said.



May 16, 2003

THE FINISH


For the past year and a half, I've commented to different folks, and via this venue, that it seems like people (including yours truly) have a hard time "finishing." Like when you get a project started, but you don't complete it; you don't follow through to the end. This could be something as huge as getting your financial matters in order, to something as insignificant as scoring in soccer. If you do all the legwork and invest a lot of time and energy, but don't finish, then it has felt like a total waste.

Granted, while some get lazy and don't want to finish, others don't know how, and that could lead to a whole 'nother level of frustration. On a personal note, of all the projects that I currently have in progress, there are another 50 that are sitting on the back burner for no real reason. I could finish. I should finish. But I don't. (That has lead to the phrase, "Will all the things I've got on the back burner, I need a bigger stove.")

Then, to put everything into perspective for me, I came across some news. Alex Zanardi would complete the last 13 laps of the last race he competed in... 20 months ago.

In September 2001, a few days after the terrorist attacks on the 11th, CART (a.k.a. The ChampCar Series, an American-based open wheel racing circuit, for those that don't know) was in Europe for a pair of races. They had already raced in England the weekend before and decided to continue on. The German 500 was renamed the American Memorial 500 in honor of the victims. In that race, just a few laps before the finish, we saw one of the most horrific accidents in recent memory. Alex Zanardi lost control and got nailed on the side by Alex Tagliani. In this accident, Zanardi, one of racing's most recognizable faces and favorite amongst fans and other drivers, lost both of his legs.

Last year, CART didn't run in Germany (the track was having financial issues). But this year, they are returning. On Sunday, the German 500 was run again on the EuroSpeedway in Lausitz. And Alex Zanardi, who nowadays gets around on a pair of prostheticc legs, announced that he would complete the "last 13 laps" of the race.

In a time, when I say people aren't "finishing," Zanardi shows courage and determination. For him, it was more closure than anything, but he "finished" the race nonetheless.

I read this article from the Associated Press on ESPN.com on Sunday on Zanardi. Enjoy...

So there you have it. He could have easily said, "To hell with it!" He could have easily just let it go. But alas no.

Some people don't want to finish their tasks; others can't. Alex Zanardi showed each and every one of us that, despite any setbacks (such as loss of legs), you need to go out, find the courage and find a way, and finish what you start. And to those whom have listen to me to say people aren't finishing, I stand corrected.



April 3, 2003

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...


random radio show XXL
Yes my friends, the random radio show is now the BIG show as we are now the fastest 60 minutes on radio. You can say we got the promotion because when the 6:30-7 block opened up, the Station Manager asked if we wanted to extend. And lo and behold as we are now a wonderful hour long show. The only problem is that I had too much show for 30 minutes, and I think not enough for 60. These first 2-3 hourlong shows are going to be a little rough. But that has come to be the style of the random radio show.

In case you missed it... I've been doing a weekly radio program for about a year now. Every Friday at 6pm on KTST-fm 89.5, and around the world via the internet at ktstfm.com and randomradioshow.com


And the DSA goes to...
For the umpteenth year in a row, I consider doing an Awards type thing to tout who I think was the best of the year. And as usual, I didn't do it. Although, this year, there was a plan. They would have been called the Demosthenes Superior Awards (hence, DSA) and I would have based it on personal experience and what I've heard from others.

However, as always, time was at a premium as I didn't get a chance to get to it. My only concern was that Norah Jones wouldn't get her props. But after the Grammys, that wasn't an issue, and that kinda took the steam out of the rest of the project. Maybe next year (yeah, right).

In case you missed it... Norah Jones and her debut album took home 8 Grammys. And I thought she would get overlooked.


End-of-the-world-palooza. Tickets on sale NOW!
Do I really need to say anything about this? However, to all the men and women overseas, we're rooting for you. Good luck and Godspeed.

In case you missed it... The United States is leading a Coalition against Grenada.... I mean, Iraq.


F-What?
What's this? Two F-1 Grand Prixs and Michael Schumacher hasn't even been on the PODIUM, let alone win a race. Formula One wanted change, and boy, they got it. And what about my man, Fernando Alonso. The pole and a podium finish in Malaysia. Keep your eye on him. His future is bright.

In case you missed it... Michael Schumacher embarassed everyone in the circuit last year when he and his Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello won all of the races except one.
Renault's Fernando Alonso


Ask Demosthenes
Every once in a while, I get questions asked of me. And when I do, and when it's a festive question, I'll put it up on the Ask Demosthenes section. And I got a beauty the other day. Check it out.

In case you missed it... Why do people ask me random questions? It's a well known fact that I am a wealth of bizarre knowledge; sometimes privy to information that surprises even me.


Random Hockey Note
I'm playing EA SPORTS NHL 2002, and on a whim, I decide to play Team Japan. Didn't know Japan was a hockey power. And boy was I wrong. I'm kicking ass with these guys. Still learning to play with them, but they work exceptionally well. My favorite player on the team is Hideki Kato. The guy has Sniper, Hitter, and Hero power. Great. Simply great. I think I actually like playing with them than my beloved Penguins (and that's saying something because EA Sports has made Lemieux practically invincible in play). On a random sidenote, the reason I'm a big fan of F1 driver Fernando Alonso is because I race as him in EA SPORTS F1 2001. Can you believe I won the Championship with Alonso? In a Minardi no less!

In case you missed it... Obviously, the lesson to be learned here is that in any EA SPORTS franchise, experiment with teams of "alledged" lesser quality. You might find one that'll surprise and embarass your friends.



What's Up Archive
September 2002 - January 2003
April 2002 - August 2002
November 2001 - March 2002

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