Squid Wrangler's definitions

Publius Enigma

One of the most bizarre and mysterious publicity stunts/hoaxes/practical jokes ever put on in rock history. In short, a series of odd messages started showing up on alt.music.pink-floyd around the time "The Division Bell" and the subsequent tour was launched. The poster, going by the name of Publius, claimed that he had a message to convey from Pink Floyd that tied in with the central themes from their newest album. People began assuming that he was actually in some way associated with the band rather than a prankster or joker, although skeptics abounded. It became apparent that the poster was the genuine article when he announced a light display that would be seen during the band's stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 18 of that year. Surely enough, "Enigma Publius" was seen in a light display during "Keep Talking" that night. Plenty of other displays would follow, all predicted by Publius. The words "Publius" and "Enigma" would actually show up in the light displays during shows a few more times, including an occasion captured on the "PULSE" video. The band denied having any pre-knowledge of these events, while lighting director Mark Brickman only said that he was told to do certain things to the lights otherwise he would lose his job.

Things became stranger yet as the words "Enigma" and "Publius" showed up in tiny print on the "Momentary Lapse of Reason" mini-discs released in 1994. There are numerous other odd happenings associated with the Publius Enigma that continued until April 5, 1997. The actual identity of the poster and his relationship, if any, with Pink Floyd and/or its management remains a mystery to this day. The Pink Floyd and Co. website maintains all of the original posts and provides a much more detailed history of the Enigma Publius in the "Us and Them" section of the site.

The Publius Enigma was a chain of events lasting roughly three years.

by Squid Wrangler April 23, 2005

anwr

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; recently opened for oil drilling with the full support of the Republican majority in the Senate. An area from which 60% of the oil excavated will be exported to other nations rather than, as the Republicans are selling it, used as "a first step towards energy independence". The United States Geological Survey has found that the accurate amount of usable oil to be found in ANWR is roughly 3.2 billion barrels, or a six-month supply if 100% of this oil was to be used domestically, which it won't be. This figure varies startlingly with the severely faulty figure of 16 billion barrels that pro-drilling Alaskan Senator Murkowski frequently mentions. The amount of wildlife found in the area and the myriad ways in which the region will be damaged by oil drilling are played down as much as possible by Republicans and others in favor of drilling, although numerous studies and reports have found that the area would be irreversibly affected by such drilling. Populations of Caribou and fish that native tribes such as the Gwich'in rely on for food and other practical purposes would be dented considerably. A piece of land that was to go untainted by the malicious grope of corporate greed until the GOP took power once more.

"Good steward of the land" my ass, Mr. Bush.

by Squid Wrangler April 23, 2005

Best Week Ever

Worst Show Ever. I hate the guy with the gap in his front teeth.

Do you like D-list celebrities and small-time comics who couldn't even sell out the dive bar down the street? Do you like unfunny quips made by people so far under the radar that nobody cares what they think anyway? Do you need a one-stop resource for any and all news about Paris Hilton's week? "Best Week Ever" just might be for you, idiot.

by Squid Wrangler May 3, 2005

lollapalooza

A tour that Nirvana was supposed to headline in 1994. I think we all know how that played out.

Kurt Cobain's death cast a dark shadow over Lollapalooza 1994.

by Squid Wrangler May 8, 2005

Deregulation

If you hear this word mentioned in a positive light, odds are someone rich is talking.

Deregulation of various industries is a concept loudly heralded by Republicans and Conservatives in general as a means to "promote competition" and "stimulate the economy". These people can be trusted of course because, as we all know, their brilliant strategy of cutting taxes for the people most likely to send labor off American shores and setting the tax burden on the lower and middle classes is working like a charm.

Anyone with half a brain can quickly figure out that they're more or less looking for a friendlier way of saying they'd like to make it easier to act outside the law, let unsafe and under-tested products roll off assembly lines on the cheap, and bring back the days before the Clayton Antitrust Act; a glorious time period in which the grand-daddies of the current crop of Republicans made their money and earned their clout.

"Deregulating the __________ industry is essential to promote competition and stimulate the economy."

-Every Republican politician or businessman has uttered these words at least one time in his career.

by Squid Wrangler May 10, 2005

rush limbaugh

"And now the liberals want to stop President Reagan from selling chemical warfare agents and military equipment to Saddam Hussein, and why? Because Saddam 'allegedly' gassed a few Kurds in his own country. Mark my words. All of this talk of Saddam Hussein being a 'war criminal' or 'committing crimes against humanity' is the same old thing. LIBERAL HATE SPEECH! And speaking of poison gas ...I SAY WE ROUND UP ALL THE DRUG ADDICTS AND GAS THEM."

-Rush Limbaugh, Nov. 3, 1988

That's all you need to know.

Rush Limbaugh: If he doesn't exemplify integrity, I don't know who does.

by Squid Wrangler May 10, 2005

Liberal Media

The red herring to end all red herrings.

"Breaking News tonight as the GOP has called for deregulation of the straw man industry..."

by Squid Wrangler May 10, 2005