Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Michael Redd, Deron Williams.

Those would be the names of your coming US Olympic basketball team. Oddly absent would be a single Celtic, which will surely cause outrage on the East Coast. But let’s hope this bunch can right the US tradition of gold, as nothing else is deemed acceptable.

Continuing our ceaseless coverage of local international sensation The Collective Sound, the summer School of Rock-style band camp located in Chico, please enjoy Episode 7.

www.thecollectivesound.com

While we would NEVER, EVER discount the importance of celerity death news, jewelry designs and new albums being released, here are a few things going on in the world RIGHT NOW.

Burmese pro-democracy activists are being charged for the demonstrations that occurred last August.

This includes: being charged for making illegal statements (the government is declining to state what they supposedly said); not being able to meet with their lawyers; the trial will be held at a Rangoon prison where they ave been held since capture (convenient, innit?); 700 people are still being held by Burma’s government; at least 31 peaceful protesters were murdered by government troops.

Syrian pro-democracy dissident and former MP Riad Seif is being charged for harming Syria’s image.

This includes: attending a meeting for pro-democratic reform; he is the 11th person to be arrested who attended the pro-democracy meeting in December; Seif had already been banned from leaving the country to treat his prostrate cancer; one of the charges is “belonging to a secret organisation seeking to alter the social and economic base of the state”.

Temporary housing used to shelter Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims may pose health risks.
This includes: tens of thousands of hurricane victims still in temporary housing; FEMA ignored documents on dangers of prolonged exposure to formaldehyde; FEMA supressed warnings from its field workers about the future risks and current health problems being experienced by the victims; over 40,000 trailers are still being used as housing.

yay. now go about yoru business. I hear that Gwen Stefani is preggers, and Britney is crying and hanging out with her paparazzi buddies…

God bless them, I really hope we elect Big Business as President of the United States in 2008. I think they’re running under the Melt Your Fucking Face Big Business/Melvins ticket.

When I see Big Business the only adjective I can think of is “presidential.”

Damn, I guess W really lowered the bar for that.
If you’re a Californian, you have 3 opportunities to check out Big Biz and Isis next week. Don’t blow it.

Hey Interpals!

Been having some trouble with the Myspace show posting thing, they wouldn’t let us enter the venue for some reason.
So for the record:

Sunday, November 18th–Isis and Big Business
in San Francisco at
SLIM’S
333 Eleventh Street
San Francisco, CA

Monday, November 19th–Isis and Big Business in
San Luis Obispo, CA at
DOWNTOWN BREW
1119 Garden Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

and finally
Tuesday, November 20th–Isis and Big Business
in Los Angeles at
THE TROUBADOUR
9081 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069

There!

Melvins have some shows coming up around new years, more on that later. Thanks to all who came to our shows this year. We had a great time, hope you did too.
Taste the Power!
BigBiz

I had never heard of Aqua Dots or Bindeez Beads until yesterday, when it was announced that their manufacturer is recalling all the Aqua Dots in Australia and the US. As it turns out, when ingested, that shit turns into something close to GHB (a common type of roofie) once inside your body.

They look just plain delicious, don’t they?

So where, exactly, were the Bindeez/Aqua Dots manufactured? Where else but the leading producer of fuck-your-kids-up-with-lead-paint, and favorite US trading partner, China.

From Moose World:

The company’s products, which are manufactured by internationally approved toy
manufacturers in China, are subject to world standard independent testing. Moose
Enterprise has not experienced any safety concerns with its products since the company
was purchased by its current management team six years ago.
The product was immediately withdrawn from sale yesterday and parents can receive a
refund by freecalling 1800 303 895 or email returns@moosetoys.com .
Further information will be made available as soon as possible.
Media enquiries:
Peter Mahon
Royce Communications
Tel 03 9639 2300 / 0418 351 754

I swear, China must really have it in for our kids. It’s almost like they want to kill off or make vegetables out of our next generation, making it all the more easier to assume global hegemony/world leader status in the next 15 - 20 years. But that could never happen. Never. Ever. Even they say they’d never do that. And they would never lie to us.

As of now, you can still buy Bindeez online. Get your orders for cheap child date rape drugs in while you still can…