Business As Usual: Men At Work Sued For Rights To “Land Down Under”

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Guest Blogs, Law and Justice, Music, Piracy, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2010 by Jo Fergus

Another week gone, another week started, my dear readers, and at the cusp of this one I’ve got a treat for you.  Longtime Correspondent and friend of the blog Jo Fergus of Environauts and ThumbShift has graciously agreed to come on board as an Official State of Affairs Guest Blogger.  In the interest of giving you something to read that isn’t my shit day in and day out, I’m going to be inviting several friends of the blog to guest write here at the mighty SoA, and Jo has the distinction of being the first of this new wave.  Give it a gander and if you like what he has to say, go check out where he can usually be found.

So without further ado…
I give you the first-ever Official SoA Guest Blog!

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We Are Family: Top Three Dysfuntional Relations

Posted in Civil Rights, Comedy, Government, Law and Justice, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2010 by Alex James

All right, all right, I know some of you loyal readers out there are going to accuse me of being a pony with only a handful of tricks to my name, and I’d probably agree with you if I cared at all for having my job explained to me by the people who return day after day despite their griping about recycled jokes and tired content and MS Paint. But I have to say this three-part blog template is vastly preferable to rattling on ad nauseum for two or three thousand words about the same story, and if you search your feelings, young Padawan, I’m sure you’ll come around to my way of thinking.

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So You Think You’re A Badass? Three People Who Prove You Wrong

Posted in Comedy, Environment, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 2, 2010 by Alex James

Admit it. At one time or another, we’ve all thought we were pretty bad ass. Whether it was facing down that huge man at the bar who smelled of one too many lost rounds with Jack Daniels and looked like a leather handbag soaked in rage, or successfully completing Rush’s “YYZ” on Expert, or just telling off your boss in a hilarious tribute to Half-Baked, sooner or later everyone experiences a moment worth bragging about.

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When In Doubt, Ban It: Why That Doesn’t Work

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Civil Rights, Comedy, Education, Government, Law and Justice, Media, Religion, internet, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 1, 2010 by Alex James

If there’s one thing that discourages social disobedience more than anything else, it’s got to be banning objectionable material. Banning works like a charm! People immediately kowtow to authorities telling them what to think, don’t they? Isn’t that how it works? Certainly not, because if it did, there’d have been no need for history’s greatest enforcers of “because I said so” – the Gestapo, the KGB and the Department of Homeland Security.

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State of Affairs LIVE: Part II with Two Assholes Talking About Nerd Stuff

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Comedy, Film, Guest Blogs, Media, Music, Science and Technology, internet, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 27, 2010 by Alex James

State of Affairs LIVE is back with part two of my interview with Brent Chittenden and Adam Grant of Two Assholes Talking About Nerd Stuff.  Thanks to everyone who downloaded part one; the response to the podcast has been overwhelmingly positive, and as a result the Fixer has given me leave to keep doing this into the forseeable future.  I’ll announce my next guest when I have him or her booked for certain, but trust me – if I get the people I want to get, you’re going to be well and thoroughly entertained.

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Oddly Enough In January: State of Affairs Weird Stories Roundup

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Comedy, Environment, Foreign Policy, Government, Law and Justice, Media, Religion, Science and Technology, internet, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2010 by Alex James

The internet is awesome, but sometimes it pisses me off. “But Alex”, you might be saying, “the internet is your bread and butter! How can you ever be angry at something that loves you so much? Why won’t you love me back? Was it something I said? I’ll make it up to you any way I can, I promise! I’ll nag less! I’ll stop sleeping around! Just come back, baby!”

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State of Affairs LIVE featuring Two Assholes Talking About Nerd Stuff

Posted in Arts and Entertainment, Comedy, Guest Blogs, Media, Music, Science and Technology, internet, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2010 by Alex James

As promised, you are about to make the transition from “loyal readers” to “loyal listeners” thanks to a new addition to the State of Affairs experience. It gives me great pride to announce the first episode of SoA LIVE, featuring an interview with Brent Chittenden and Adam Grant of the popular podcast Two Assholes Talking About Nerd Stuff.

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Transit Lullabye: TTC Blames Customers For Sleeping Employee

Posted in Economy, Government, Media, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2010 by Alex James

I’m not usually one to beat a dead horse, but this one just got up and kicked the people of this city in the collective junk, so I’m pulling out the Louisville Slugger to finish this fucker off once and for all.

This morning, a photo taken by TTC customer Jason Wieler (who has since become a personal hero of mine) went viral the world over.  In case you haven’t already seen it, here’s the picture:


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Who Wants A Spaceship? NASA Yard Sale To Give Away Rockets

Posted in Government, Science and Technology, personal with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2010 by Alex James

This just in, courtesy of SoA Correpondent Vee Bloom, who sent me this article this afternoon.

It’s been a while since I wrote about NASA, mostly because absolutely nothing interesting about them has crossed my desk in the last six months, not since I found that proposal about them shooting rockets at the moon to find out if it’s full of water. If you remembered, I questioned the validity of this idea – if by validity I mean “sanity”, which I do. I was thoroughly trounced by reader Linzee who took me to school about the funding problems that have plagued NASA for years now, and I walked away a better person.

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Alcoholics Aberdeen: Scots To Impose New Booze Tax To Curb Drinking

Posted in Civil Rights, Economy, Education, Government, Law and Justice, personal, society with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2010 by Alex James

It took me some consideration to decide to talk about this, partly because it’s the first day of a new work week and I don’t want to be a downer, and partly because it’s a touchy issue that offends some people.

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