Carlos Miller won his appeal!

Photographer Carlos Miller started his blog, Photography Is Not A Crime, after he was arrested for what he claims was simply exercising his rights to photograph anything in public. He was arrested for photographing police in a construction zone because they claimed he was standing in the middle of the street and disrupting traffic, and then resisting arrest without violence.

As he describes on his website, public photography is not a crime. Anything visible from the public street can be photographed. This is how Google Maps can give you a convenient street view of everything. This is why Americans can carry cameras around any city without fear.

But if you read enough of his site, you start to understand that Miller has a bit of an ability to instigate. I don't blame him for this. I think that in order for society to progress, authority must continually be challenged. I'm not calling for an all-out revolution. I'm saying that if something doesn't make logical sense, you should question it and see if you can understand it. If you think something should be changed, fight for it. The thing is, here, Carlos is fighting for rights that already exist and are on the books. He's fighting against wrongful arrests. He's fighting against cops who can bring you in just for rubbing them the wrong way.

So just recently, Miller won an appeal to his conviction. His appeal was that the judge in his trial allowed illegal evidence to be submitted. The judge allowed the state to introduce evidence from Miller's blog, which was started after his arrest. Miller was also evidently sentenced by a judge who was biased against him and who had a personal beef with Miller's blog, which should have been legally outside the consideration of his trial and conviction.

In his post, you can see Miller agreeing that he pushes things a little bit when he discusses his second arrest. Miller was serving probation and community service from his first conviction, and while in Miami, he shot another round of pictures of cops. They arrested him and are trying to charge him on resisting arrest without violence. And nothing else. But how can you resist arrest without having a reason for an arrest? Miller states that he could have stopped after photographing the cop who was texting while he was supposed to be supervising events on duty. Instead, Miller went up to the cop and tried to ask him what his name was.

Of course, Miller could have walked away and avoided arrest. That would have been the safe way. The way that most people behave. Most people wouldn't confront a cop if they didn't have to. I certainly wouldn't. I don't want a record, and I don't want to test the laws and the interpretation of the laws. But if you think about it, what is the illegal part of photographing someone in public, and then what is the illegal part of walking up to that same person and trying to talk to them?

Nothing.

And this is why Carlos Miller started his blog and fights his arrests. One of the best quotes I've seen is a comment on the "About" page of his blog:

"Carlos is fighting for rights that most of you don’t even know you have."

Keep up the good fight, Carlos.

The Beatles Remastered

Listening to the recent remastered mono and stereo mixes of The Beatles' catalog.

Holy shit.

2009 in Tweets

I read a writer's blog and got inspired to follow suit.


This year saw a lot. For Twitter and me, it started off in a hospital (I was there, but it was for someone else), took a trip to upstate New York, a trip to Chicago, joined me for the 2009 T-Pain Presidential Cam-Pain, and saw me reach my 1,000th tweet. I had planned something special for my 1,000th tweet, but I forgot it was coming and I ending up squandering it.

I have a general ethos that a tweet should be standalone, so not a lot of these need context, and none are retweets, @ replies, or anything else. Just plain, pure, uncut @justindlc.

I don't know how many I'll include, since I'll just look at them all and post the ones I think were great. [Update: I spent way too fecking long on this.] I'll also post my first tweet of the year and my most recent tweet (as of the time of this writing). Maybe I'll think of something cool to tweet on 31 December 2009 at 11:59 p.m. and maybe I'll include that as a TWEET FROM THE FUTURE. [Update: Again, I spent way too fecking long on this and fried my brain. So no tweet from the future.]

I had to spend a lot of time clicking the "more" button on my Twitter page, so you better damn well enjoy this.

Of the chosen tweets were:

countless - posts about music
9 - posts about work
7 - posts about school
6 - posts about the internet or technology
3 - posts about license plates
3 - posts about video games
3 - posts based around bacon
3 - posts about my cat or cats in general
2 - posts about Goodwill

---

Having an appendix out would cost an arm and a leg...
11:33 AM Jan 1st from txt

I want to be a hip-hop anthropologist.
3:45 PM Jan 31st from txt

We got a soft orange cat previously named Simon.
2:37 PM Feb 7th from txt

My cashier's name is Algeria.
3:52 PM Feb 7th from txt

Considering the catalogs of both, Kanye's latest is on the level of the Clash's Cut the Crap.
3:04 AM Feb 8th from txt

This older guy in this coffee shop just said: "I want to be the Kenny G. of harmonica." And he was being serious.
7:41 PM Feb 10th from txt

I sort of want to build a robot.
5:12 PM Feb 13th from txt

You're an indoor cat who gets out. You: A. Catch a mouse. B. Prowl the neighborhood. Or C. Lay in the neighbor's yard and sniff the grass.
9:18 PM Mar 5th from txt

Woo! Spring Break! Time to go to . . . the office!
7:15 AM Mar 9th from txt

Chuck Palahniuk is gay?
4:55 PM Mar 16th from txt

Sources for brief class presentation = Wikipedia.
10:38 PM Mar 18th from web

One of the few benefits to arriving to a movie on time or late is not having to sit through Kid Rock's "Warrior" again.
10:12 PM Mar 21st from txt

I'll list Goodwill in the bottom 10 of places where I'd like to work.
7:12 PM Apr 10th from txt

Behind white Honda junker. License plate: SRSLY.
7:47 AM Apr 13th from txt

My five word autobiography: "This isn't hard. Oh, wait."
3:35 PM Apr 23rd from txt

Any chapter titled "From Mein Kampf to Google" is good in my book.
3:44 PM Apr 26th from txt

Cranberry juice and keyboards go together about as well as rocks and blenders do.
8:55 PM Apr 28th from web

Jan 22, 1973: Bro v. Wade was a contentious ruling for bros on broth sides of the brolitical spectrum. Bro-Choicers rejoiced.
3:07 PM May 1st from web

Does each store in the mall pay for its own air conditioning? Because it all opens up to the middle, which is also cooled.
2:47 PM May 2nd from txt

I wish I were a reverse bear, so I could hibernate through this hot, hot summer.
12:59 PM May 11th from txt

Homeless man at bus stop enjoys an 8 AM Steel Reserve, and your trusty narrator's stomach turns upside down and inside out.
7:55 AM May 14th from txt

Someday all of my neat devices will end up at Goodwill... And be ridiculously priced. $35 for N64?!?
11:29 AM May 16th from txt

I'm already weary of taking precautionary antibiotics but getting 'em for free at Publix makes me downright nervous. Pill Pushers, M.D.
2:47 PM May 18th from txt

Just passed four humans walking five dogs. Quite the canine constituency on a constitutional.
6:53 PM May 21st from txt

I want to drive a British car for a month so I can balance out my left arm tan.
3:25 PM May 30th from txt

I'm going over the pros and cons of making and consuming a bacon quesadilla.
4:20 PM May 30th from txt

This training session should be titled "Please do not make small talk with me at the urinals." And I should lead it.
2:00 PM Jun 4th from txt

If you get trapped in the wilderness in the U.S. with like 10 people and everyone decides to eat one person... is that legal?
11:36 PM Jun 4th from txt

Got an Elvis upper lip from the numbing agents they used during my root canal.
9:08 AM Jun 10th from txt

Contra III is hard, Earthbound is super cool, and I just found out why I never touched Shaq Fu.
9:00 PM Jun 11th from web

Every weekday I see an infinitesimal piece of the internet, which, as far as I can tell, stretches out eternally.
8:10 AM Jun 15th from web

Professor: "My student's paper began with a set of instructions from the student to the person writing the paper. The rest was plagiarized."
11:02 AM Jun 15th from web

William Shatner on Conan. Shatner tried to do the Vulcan hand salute and COULD NOT DO IT.
12:29 AM Jun 18th from txt

I'd be concerned if future biographers relied solely on my Facebook, Twitter, and blog posts to chronicle my life.
8:54 AM Jun 18th from web

I would like to second my own nomination of T-Pain as the next president of Florida State University. #tpain4fsuprez
10:13 AM Jun 19th from web

The SNES Itchy and Scratchy game was just as bad as I thought it would be. The garlicbread Tombstone pizza was as good as I thought.
10:05 PM Jun 22nd from txt

Just saw Baconnaise featured on the QVC Shopping Network. Bundled with bacon salt.
7:53 AM Jun 24th from txt

Dr. Phil is not an authority on anything besides being bald.
5:56 PM Jun 24th from txt

Funny or not funny: a penny superglued in the middle of the street? (I fell for it.)
12:27 PM Jun 25th from txt

My brother: R.I.P.Y.T. (Michael Jackson). Me: This is going to burst a lot of people's Bubbles.
8:17 PM Jun 25th from txt

At DC airport. There's a truck labeled "Gate Gourmet" ... What do they serve - TarMac and Cheese?
11:50 AM Jun 30th from txt

Amazing that whatever location you go to (in this case, NY), Wal-Mart has the universal effect of sucking the soul right out of you.
7:36 PM Jul 2nd from txt

Melbourne's like an old shoe. It's comfy, but it sort of smells.
12:27 AM Jul 8th from txt

Twitter me this: They make you scan your shoes for planes, but you're allowed to carry on a lighter.
2:20 PM Jul 8th from txt

Note that it is possible to grab and throw someone holding the hammer in the original Super Smash Bros.
8:09 AM Jul 27th from web

The 2009 T-Pain Killa Cam-Pain is well underway: http://is.gd/1OSla #tpain4fsuprez
9:40 AM Jul 27th from Twitlet

I was on TV! Complete with awkward news anchor banter!!
10:34 PM Aug 5th from txt

Lexus license plate: VIA GOD.
7:59 AM Aug 12th from txt

Twitter does everything. Even makes it easier to follow God: http://twitter.com/god
3:42 PM Aug 12th from web

Graffiti 1: "Omar <3 Kathy." Graffiti 2: "Kathy is a dude."
5:10 PM Aug 19th from txt

You should have to pay $5 every time you ride the elevator only one floor (unless you physically can't use stairs).
9:17 AM Aug 25th from txt

Overheard: "*LOUD GASP* You don't know who McDreamy is?!?"
5:09 PM Aug 25th from txt

Flier: "How affordable is life insurance?" ... I don't know --- can I live without it?
4:40 PM Aug 26th from web

Mondays should really start at 10. And while we're at it, Fridays should end at 3. Nothing gets done during those work hours anyway.
7:42 AM Aug 31st from txt

Text response from my brother when I tried calling him while he was at DragonCon: "Can't talk, Klingon beauty pageant."
5:26 PM Sep 6th from txt

It's a good thing they weren't fighting house cats in the Battle of Bunker Hill. You have to get real close to see the whites of their eyes.
9:20 AM Sep 17th from web

I'm feeling strangely inspired and motivated at work today. I hope I'm not coming down with something.
9:33 AM Sep 24th from web

License plate: H8 N00BZ.
6:36 PM Sep 30th from txt

Many papers I write just seem to serve the purpose of showing that I can write papers. #epiphany
9:18 PM Oct 7th from web

The professor I emailed today signed his response with his initials, which made me question everything he wrote: jk.
9:17 AM Oct 14th from web

Why does everything seem better when I listen to loud music with the car windows down?
5:33 PM Oct 19th from txt

Dammit. I accidentally subscribed to Oprah's magazine. This day is by no means off to a good start.
10:50 AM Oct 20th from web

Little known fact: T-Pain is a direct descendant of revolutionary pamphlet writer Thomas Paine.
8:01 PM Oct 21st from txt

I can upload a picture from my phone to the internet faster than it takes me to fax one page of text.
10:00 AM Oct 22nd from txt

Still amazed at how "salad" can refer to dishes based on either green vegetables or mayonnaise.
12:18 PM Oct 22nd from web

Q: Why wear a white skintight nylon shirt sans bra? A: To distract from your "humble" face.
1:25 PM Oct 28th from txt

A million people support an aspiring pirate (http://bit.ly/Kjf1P) and around a dozen would like to meet a senator (http://bit.ly/3nXo52).
4:12 PM Nov 2nd from web

Independent, double-blind studies have replicated the results of Diggs et al. (1993), showing that Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck with.
5:20 PM Nov 12th from txt

The secret about moving walkways is that the walkway doesn't move. Everything else moves around it. #chi09
10:54 PM Nov 13th from txt

So when I mention certain things in my tweets, companies follow me. This is a test. BMW Coca-Cola Fender Hershey's Gorbachev ShamWow Rolex.
9:02 AM Nov 18th from web

Overheard at Neko Case: "The Beatles, they were a recording band. They couldn't do the shit they did on their albums live."
7:47 PM Nov 20th from txt

Wellborn, FL owes me $1.25 in change lost at its crappy rest stop vending machines. I'll be back to collect. I know where you live.
7:10 PM Nov 25th from txt

If in 500 years a transcript of my Twitter feed were the only indication that I'd ever lived, I'd be damn proud of my legacy.
1:57 PM Nov 26th from txt

Denny's T-shirt: No one ever returns bacon.
10:56 AM Nov 29th from txt

T-shirt idea: Guitar Gyro
11:07 AM Nov 29th from txt

Rawr. Somebody obvs didn't get her turkey basted this weekend. Sheesh.
9:12 AM Nov 30th from web

Why did everyone in our class present an academic book or article except for this girl, who's presenting an Alexander Dumas novel?
3:58 PM Dec 3rd from txt

I don't like writing papers. Why am I still in college? I hope all my future employers can use a 15-page discussion of postmodernism.
9:14 PM Dec 6th from web

@samirmathur Im in ur tweetz, steelin ur linkz.
4:12 PM Dec 7th from web in reply to samirmathur

[That was my 1,000th tweet.]

I can never remember which I prefer: "gray / grey," "inalienable / unalienable," "Bert / Ernie."
2:21 AM Dec 10th from web

My boss just gave me the blues on her iPhone. Any time I call her, a bluesy piano plays as the ringtone. Is that how I come off? The blues?
11:40 AM Dec 11th from web

Got out with three Bob Dylans and a Vanderslice for $12. This should not be happening. RIP Vinyl Fever.
5:33 PM Dec 16th from txt

Why is there so much information in the world?
about 19 hours ago from txt

Like a post-apocalyptic movie, a shopping cart is a hot commodity in our work building.
16 minutes ago from txt

Vinyl Fever Breaks (Confessions of a Music Junkie)

As undergraduates at FSU, my friend Matt and I used to go to Vinyl Fever on average maybe once a month. But many times it was more frequent than that.

Vinyl Fever was a locally owned record shop that sold new and used CDs, new and used vinyls, and some DVDs. It was one of only two stores: the other was in Tampa, and I can't quite remember which came first. (Nor do I care to look around to see if the Tampa branch is still extant now...)

Anyway, after a while, The Feve became something essential to our Tallahassee experience. But after a years (after noticing how many CDs I had towering around me), I stopped visiting the store and I pretty much stopped buying CDs altogether. I still listened to music, and I was still reviewing albums, so I had a steady influx of new music to keep me busy.

Then, one day (according to my Gmail records, it was around Feb 11, 2008), I heard that Vinyl Fever had been bought out by a larger chain. For reasons that I can't fully explain, I was shocked and offended by this. I soon got over my reaction, since I noticed that the same people worked there, and outside of adding miscellaneous merchandise, the store remained essentially the same.

In times of financial need, I would sell some of the... "more questionable" CDs I had accumulated over the years (many as promos coming into the newspaper). The Feve would only give me about $2 per CD (if that), but I saw it as also helping to keep them in business (especially since I wasn't buying CDs anymore). I must have sold them literally 50 CDs (at least) over the years.

But I suppose it wasn't enough. Last week, I heard from a friend that Vinyl Fever was closing forever. For reals. Their website makes it look like such a festive, holiday announcement. Like everything will be okay.

I stopped by on the day I heard the news. The small parking lot was full, and people were parking on the grass. I had to park across the street. Outside, one of the guys who'd been working there for years was on a smoke break. I asked him, "When's closing day?" He took a drag on his cigarette, turned his head away, and mumbled "I don't know. When everything's gone, I guess." (I'm really not trying to embellish the moment here. This was really something.)

Yesterday, Matt and I went back for what I assume will be my last time. (Of course, if they have a concert on closing day, I will most certainly be there. Hell, I'd love to play a concert there on closing day! Somebody make that happen, please.) There were people carrying around shopping baskets with 30 CDs in them. Because of all the people packed in there, it was pretty hot and muggy, despite the cold December air outside. (Okay, I'm sorry. I know there are wars and there's world hunger and suffering. But this store can still mean a lot to me. It's something more than just a shop, since it's a portal to new music. And music means a lot to me. Hence, Q.E.D., don't tease.)

In the pictures bookending this post are the CDs from the excellent haul I had from these last visits to Vinyl Fever. All used music was 50% off the sticker price, so I got these 13 albums for about $35. That's an average of about $2.70 per album. And so far, that investment been worth it.

Here are the albums, starting from the top left in the picture:

Manic Street Preachers — Journal for Plague Lovers: My brother has been a huge Manics fan (props to him for the non-parenthetical part of the title of this post, BTW). He had been raving on about this new album. I just listened to it, and it's pretty great.

An Albatross — Blessphemy...of the Peace Beast Feastgiver and the Bear Warp Kumite: Also recommended from my brother, though I'd heard some of their songs before. Actually, I'll pop this one in the player now while I work on the rest of this post. (Update: Upon listening to this in full, I also deem this to be an excellent buy.)

The Hives — Barely Legal: Swedish punk rock at its dirtiest. This was their 1997 debut (which I didn't know at the time of purchase). It's somewhat grittier than their newer stuff.

The Wallflowers — Red Letter Days: Hadn't heard this one, but I liked other Wallflowers stuff, so I decided to give it a shot.

Bob Dylan — Love and Theft: It's Bob Dylan. C'mon.

Mott the Hoople — Mott: Part of the English rock that inspired the likes of Mick Jones (of The Clash) and, I believe, Steven Morrissey (The Smiths). If it's good enough for those two guys, it's good enough for me. No question.

Bob Dylan — Bob Dylan: It's Bob Dylan. C'mon. I hadn't heard this first one, though I'd heard other early stuff. It's pretty good stuff, man. Raw. Give it a try.

John Vanderslice — Life and Death of an American Fourtracker: I first heard Vanderslice when The Moutain Goats opened for him on tour back in 2004 or so. I've heard him live once or twice more after that. For some reason, I didn't really like Vanderslice live. It's kind of stale and there's a lack of onstage energy. But on record, I think he's great. Nice instrumentation and atmosphere. If you're interested, he has downloads on his website.

Bob Dylan — Time Out of Mind: See entries for Love and Theft and Bob Dylan.

The Popheads — Eat Supermodels: A local band that I've opened for before (while I was in the short-lived Bombardiers). They were good. Furry pants.

The Magic Numbers — The Magic Numbers: A great album that I had downloaded but never purchased. I believe I listened to them from a Samir recommendation. This reminds me that there were a few philosophical/ontological quandaries during my time spent in Vinyl Fever yesterday. I came across albums (Loveless, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea) that I had in MP3s and that I loved and wanted on CD. I came across others (Hearts and Unicorns) that I already had on CD and wanted to buy again just because they were great albums at a killer price. There was one album I wanted to buy again on CD because mine had scratches (Breach). But I had to put things back and not buy duplicate music. For budgetary reasons. Fiscal responsibility, you know. The economy...

Enon — Lost Marbles & Exploded Evidence: I had missed them when they came to Tallahassee and I had always wanted to hear their stuff. Besides, I liked the album cover (always a good reason). I listened to this already, and it's good-not-great. Certainly not a disappointment.

The Features — Some Kind of Salvation: I got the first Features album in the budget section at Vinyl Fever shortly after it had come out. It was great. I wrote a review of it as a sample piece to be considered to write for the FSView. I've been waiting for this follow-up, especially after hearing about how they had label disputes and had gotten booted from Universal Records. This one is released on 429 Records, a new label founded by Kings of Leon.

Well, that about does it. As we were looking through records for what was probably our last time at Vinyl Fever, Matt and I kept finding stuff that we knew the other would be interested in. Most of the time, we also knew whether or not the other person had it in his record collection.

This is important stuff.

R.I.P. VINYL FEVER

You will live forever in our hearts.

And on our shelves.

Self-Promotion.

TheOnion

As part of #OurAnnualYear, we present the #TopQuotes of All Time. Use the hashtag #TopQuotes to add any we missed.33 minutes ago from TweetDeck
TheOnion

“Please stop quoting me. Not everything I say is some witty quotation.” - Mark Twain #TopQuotes #OurAnnualYear24 minutes ago from TweetDeck
justindlc

"It got boring, so I had to make these little challenges. Hole in one. Lateral water hazard. Three strokes or less." -Tiger Woods #TopQuotes5 minutes ago from web

The Shadow Knows

R.I.P. Shadow

Put simply, you were the best.

On the Absurdity of the Situation

Actual Paper Prompt:

Since its first appearance in the XVth century the printing press was an object of defiance on the part of the political and religious European powers. How was the printing press controlled in England and on the continent of Europe during the XVIth and the XVIIth centuries?

I've checked out five books on this subject, one of which is 292 pages long and deals only with the various controls of the printing press only in Britain FROM ONLY 1640–1658.

This paper is supposed to be only 8 pages long.

We never discussed anything related to this in class.

*Let the cherry picking of quotes and cannibalizing of ideas begin!*

Actual Work Email I Just Wrote

Hi – the down elevator button on the left side of our elevators on the fourth floor of Bellamy does not work. The other buttons seem to work fine, but this one won’t summon an elevator.

Thanks!

The Following Is Why Twitter Is So Great — And If You Still Don't Like It You Can Suck An Egg

ryanqnorth

OpenOffice doesn't like "Dromiceiomimus" and suggests "Palindromic" as a correction. Um, nobody has ever messed up spelling that bad, OO.

7 minutes ago from web

ryanqnorth

"I don't know how to spell 'palindromic'! What's it start with, a 'D'? Fuck, I'm in way over my head here"

7 minutes ago from web

ryanqnorth

#sorryforsayingfuckontheinternet #andfordoingitagaininmyapology

7 minutes ago from web

ryanqnorth

#sorryforsayingfuckontheinternet has no search results. EVERYONE NEEDS TO CLASS IT UP SOME AND START APOLOGIZING.

6 minutes ago from web

---

(Or maybe it's why Ryan North, creator of Dinosaur Comics, is so great. Either way.)

Palin Word's Really Speak To Me — In 140 Characters Or Less

SarahPalinUSA

Baffling/nonsensical:Obama's talk of yet another debt-ridden "stimulus"pkg.Fight this 1, America, bc after last 1 unemploymnt rose,debt grew5 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
---
Ms. Palin convinces me of everything I need to know, in 140 or less. Her words are very proximal. Meaning she eschews spaces and certain vowels because she would like to convey that these newest measures are both "baffling" AND "nonsensical." Oh, literary muse. Continue to inspire!
(I don't have time to continue this. Well, I suppose I do. But I should be doing other things.)

FSU Presidential Candidates

The board of trustees recently released a list of names in consideration for the FSU presidency (you just have to go to another site and login). I don't know how accurate this is, but I heard that they might have left a few key names off on purpose, so those people would avoid scrutiny. I also heard that the search committee will get together and decide on December 1 (today!) what candidates to invite to campus to interview. And then, apparently, on December 2-3, they will interview candidates.

What? One day for people to book trips to Tallahassee? Hurm...

Also, just received this in the email today. Maybe I'll make an appearance with my Pain shirt:

---

This message has been approved by Mary B. Coburn, Vice President for Student Affairs, for distribution to all students currently taking classes.

Students are invited to participate in an open forum to meet presidential candidates who will be interviewing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. Listed below is a tentative schedule for students to meet with selected candidates:

Wednesday, Dec. 2

3:00-4:00 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 3

3:00-4:00 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 4

3:00-4:00 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

The location for these sessions will be the Union Ballrooms. Please visit this link as further details are finalized: http://campus.fsu.edu.