I have been really busy with work related stuff. I am gonna pick this blog back up with a post about my visit to the NCMA this coming weekend.

Broken Social Scene and Flavor Flaaaavvvv at Raleigh's Hopscotch Festival

Earlier this week, Indy Weekly announced the lineup for the Hospcotch festival and it included headliners Broken Social Scene Public Enemy with Flavor Flav and Panda Bear.

More campy ace double scifi goodness

I just picked up a few new Ace Doubles at Reader's Corner here in Raleigh for only 50 cents each. It seems whoever sold these books was a big fan of E.C. Tubb and Juanita Paulson. 

Update: The Death of Sweepstakes Madness?

Well the North Carolina Lottery commission seems to be closing in on those so called Sweepstakes Centers I mentioned in an earlier post. Today the State Education Lottery sent letters to retailers who operate such video gaming devices warning that if they are convicted of felony gambling charges, they will lose their license to sell lottery tickets.  The state senate also says that it plans on outlawing sweepstakes cafes once it reconvenes for the May session of the legislature.  As I mentioned in my earlier post I definitely see these sweepstakes centers as a problems, especially considering that they are practically popping up anywhere and everywhere. It is also rather disturbing that some are open 24 hrs and some actually let minors in (I wonder if they are able to gamble?).  However, I don't really see the purpose of moving toward an outright ban of these mini-casinos.  It just seems like with very strict regulation, and heavy taxation or licensing requirement these places could serve as a handy revenue source for the state.  I guess we'll have to just wait and see what happens come May.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/wral_investigates/story/7287280/

The above picture is a photograph from the WRAL post that is linked above.

Woot! Health Care reform passed by The House!

 
I spent hours watching this tonight and I am so happy that Congress is finally coming to their senses and doing something about this problem.  I really feel that this is a historic vote and the first real win by the Obama administration.  It doesn't have everything in i that I would have wanted, but honestly after the months and months of BS that we have experienced, it is amazing that that it happened at all.  In my opinion, if this is signed into law it is on par with medicare or social secure or even the civil rights movement (though this might be a bit of a stretch).  I will gush about this when it is signed into law, but I am really excited by the fact that this has been passed by the house tonight.  Also, I will admit to geekily chanting "Yes we can!" with house members when vote number 216 showed up on the screen.  I have had my doubts, but I feel like I am finally seeing my vote for Obama and this congress pay off. 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/21/health.care.latest/index.html?hpt=T1

Texas whackjobs and the death of American education

The more I read about this situation the angrier I get. It is just beyond me who decided that we would put the future of our children's education n the hands of such a small and extreme group of fundamentalists.  The Texas school board has an undue amount of power when it comes to textbook publishing, and it has made the decision to rid history books of any trace of Thomas Jefferson. 

9 Amazing Campy Ace Books sci fi covers

While I as going to school Grad school in Ohio, my favorite bookstore had a great selection of Ace Doubles that were 2 or 3 bucks a pop.  After months of rifling through them, I couldn't resist buying a few because of the amazing 1960s style art that was on each side of their covers.