April 29, 2004 - For Shame
Still think conservatives have your best interests at heart? Wrong again. When Nightline runs its tribute to our fallen soldiers tomorrow night, any affiliates owned by the Sinclair group will be forbidden to air it. And yes, they are unabashed Bush backers. So much for that First Amendment.
Meanwhile the government is apparently too busy spying on Castro to look for Bin Laden. I can't even make up stuff this irresponsible.
Bonus feature: how to play with religion to your own sick ends. The show is on PBS this weekend. You'd think people would be ashamed at this level of intolerance and ignorance, but perhaps I give the species too much credit.
To top it all off, we've managed to piss off the very people we came to grab WMDs from liberate.
April 28, 2004 - Don't take my word for it....
I've been doing my fair share of ranting here lately and I know it just irritates some of you. Granted, I can't turn on the TV without my government lying to me; but that's alright as I wanted to introduce you to others who feel as I do. These are letters to the editor from the Peoria Journal Star. I was trolling on their site the other day looking for any stories I might have missed and ran into the following: a) a statement from a soldier in Iraq currently given yet another extension, b) a citizen from Tiskilwa addressing the "vision thing", and a Galva resident stating what should be obvious to all of us not blinded by partisan propaganda. Read 'em fast as I don't know how long these stay online.
Don't think you have the right to draw whatever you want; granted this kid was out of hand, but I doubt he's the next John Walker Lindh either. The Other Mrs. Bush? Read on.
People who feel loyal to computers. Actually, I've done this a time or two myself. In more tech news, head here to get a host file that will block most domains that spawn pop-up ads. You'll thank me later. Just for fun, a profane interview with Jack Valenti.
April 26, 2004 - The mind wobbles
Ten points for anyone who knows that reference.
So, I just got done watching the WB News while vacuuming. Yes, the WB has news, go figure. And yes, I vacuum. Anyway, one story I wasn't paying attention to today was this misdirection about Kerry throwing medals or ribbons of medals away during the 70s. Apparently - and this is the height of political pandering - the GOP is trying to convince people that ribbons and medals are not the same thing.
In some cases they are correct. Ribbons by themselves do not always come with medals. However, every medal (as I understand these things) comes with a ribbon so that the person who earned it (yes, you EARN medals; not get them from hiding in an secret undisclosed location) can wear them on the "fruit salad" you see folks wear on dress uniforms. What does this mean? Kerry isn't "flip-flopping" on this one, but the Republicans are still lying and treating us like idiots.
In the interests of getting people to shut up about this and talk about serious issues - like, say, why my brother and 130,000 of his closest comrades-in-arms are getting shot at in Iraq - here is a site related to Navy medals (and ribbons) and one concerning where your favorite GOP dolts were while they should have at least paid lip service to serving their country (you'll have to scroll down a bit because - as is usual - they are hiding the truth).
Doonesbury got in a nice dig Sunday that requires more reflection than your usual comic strip offers. Enjoy.
April 25, 2004 - So I actually AM losing my mind
The Orange County Register is delivering a disturbing series this week on high levels of lead content in Mexican candies. This pretty much bites for me as I like a lot of those on the list.
Well, we can't get any information out of the government on how many terrorists they've caught by humiliating the rest of us at airports, but we keep hearing stories like this one, where a woman was stopped from boarding a plane because she did not match her pre-cancer treatment ID photo. To be fair however, we continue to find out terrorists can affect our lives, like this poor guy who had his Social Security number abused by an Al-Qaeda scumbag.
Maureen Dowd unleashes the phrase of the year: Bushworld. An edited version is here, the original is linked to the New York Times (login/password: wallenfeldt/guest). The following is a series of articles on the life and death of Lt. Brandon Ratliff. If you are blind to reality and aren't too busy calling dissenters traitors and waving flags, realize that real people's lives are affected by war. This poor guy is just another example of how we forget what we do to our troops, both on and off the battlefield.
From KWTX, a story about concerning phone cards for the troops.
And in the interests of advancing the species, a group of female students at Spelman College are trying to combat the negative images of women in rap videos. I doubt anyone is listening to anything but the almight dollar in this debate, but I wish them the best. God forbid we not go through a day without some high school drop-out making millions calling his own mother a ho.
April 23, 2004 - Utter disgust
Seriously, what is wrong with this country? We've got the FCC fining radio personalities left and right for being controversial, but leaving Oprah alone when she discusses the same thing. I mean, if you are going to let Limbaugh preach hate and get away with it, why not let people like Howard Stern talk about sex if 15 million people want to listen to it? I'm not saying everyone approves of such behavior, but when did we elect the morality police and where do they get off selectively judging people?
To top that off, Doonesbury has been running a rather timely and disturbing storyline, which starts here. Today's entry has been considered "obscene" and has been censored or banned by various papers. Idiots.
The New World Order teaches children early that the FBI will bust into your life at any moment. And bonus, its all in the service of a bunch of corporate fiends.
Here's a ray of hope though: some churches actually realize that Bush is destroying our planet and have enough backbone to say something about it. Good for them. He may think he's a Christian, but does a real awful impression of one with that whole greed, warmongering, destruction, close-mindedness and lying routine. He was probably more likeable as a cocaine addict.
I'm not an blind-to-reality-ultra-patriot, but this is beyond stupid even to me. Someone kindly flog these people please.
I figure, if a bunch of punks who did everything they could to avoid military service in Vietnam question whether a guy who went and served two tours deserved his medals, the entirely appropriate response would be to knee-cap the slimy low lifes. John Kerry merely handed over his military records. Talk about restraint.
This guy is a realist. When given the choice between a date with a cute young lady and a Playstation 2, he went for the game console.
April 15, 2004 - Restructuring the Lie
I'm ranting again. Actual real life posts will re-appear soon.
Apparently there's this email floating around from a certain SFC Raymond Reynolds from Denison, Iowa which highlights the good things going on in Iraq by our troops and is highly critical of anyone who says otherwise. Its posted on the Galva-Kewanee Armed Services Group message list if you are interested. Basically, he ends the statement with a veiled threat to beat up John Kerry, which is just my interpretation of it. I could be out of line there, but there was a certain vehemence to it. SFC Reynolds' previous internet appearances have come in the form of a request for sweet corn and in a statement much less belligerent and focused. Simply put, I feel for the guy, but don't agree with his motivation.
I agree with one thing the NCO says. There is not a lot of positive spin in the mainstream press. I read about it because I'm gathering news from all types of sources just to keep up on events; but I realize Tom Brokaw isn't making that the highlight of his evening routine. If anything, watching the Iraqi people actually accept the work of our troops at least makes it easier for us to realize the good we can do when we use our people wisely.
SFC Reynolds is certainly entitled to his opinion. After being home for a couple weeks, I am sure he heard a lot he did not care to hear. That said, while I realize our military is doing good things and commend them for it, these acts in no way make the president's decision to invade any more wrongheaded and incorrect. Its quite pathetic and opportunistic for conservatives to jump on one man's opinion and try to make political hay out of it; especially trying to use his frustration to turn the entire motivation of the president into a theory that is more evocative of the Peace Corps or Unicef than of his combative bluster of last year.
Saddam Hussein was a jerk from, well, probably the day of his birth. This was never news. It was also not a revelation that he abused, mistreated, and murderered his citizens. There was ample motivation to gather up the world and remove him from power on that alone. However, this was not the approach taken by our leaders. A vendetta to atone for some unfinished business by George H.W. Bush (which even the former president himself never bought into as an argument) and this concept that Iraq: a) had WMDs that could b) actually be delivered all the way to the US because c) the B'aath Party was in bed with Al Qaeda was not the way to gather the world together to achieve this worthy goal of liberating a society. Which is fine, as that was not the stated goal.
Let's review. We did not go in to save the Iraqis from their leader. If that were the case, Galva, Illinois wouldn't be pulling the equivalent weight of the country of Lithuania. Any moves to make people believe that is a lie. We have not found WMDs, the supposed ones could never reach American soil while launched from Iraq, and Iraq was not in cahoots with Bin Laden and the Bully Boys.
So, while I believe more of the good deeds of our troops should be acknowledged in the media - and the sooner the better - I still stand on the fact that we were lied to, our troops were put into a dangerous situation made worse by poor planning and someone supposed to be a world leader who taunts terrorists to "bring it on" and shoot at our friends and family. In short, this is not the type of person who should be running a day care, much less a nation.
April 14, 2004 - Must be nice
Everyone makes a mistake from time to time. Its human nature to err on occasion. That is, unless you are the egotistical, power hungry fool who just happens to run this country.
Apparently George Bush doesn't think he's made any mistakes in relation to the war in Iraq. That's pretty much what I gathered from his press conference yesterday. The worst part? The part where he keeps harping about this supposed "Coalition of the Willing" there to help me out. I'm not going to respond to this other than to quote Dave Clarke from the Kewanee Star Courier who posted the following tidbit on a sidebar in today's(?) paper (thanks to Jim Doherty at the Galva-Kewanee Armed Services Yahoo Group for the text):
"GALVA HAS MORE TROOPS IN IRAQ THAN 12 COUNTRIES
"The Galva National Guard Unit has more troops in Iraq than 12 foreign countries among the 34 listed in the 'Coalition of the Willing'. Battery F of the 202nd Air Defense Artillery, has 120 soldiers now stationed near Baghdad while, as of March, Lithuania was listed in official sources as having 118 troops, Slovakia 102, the Czech Republic and the Phillipines, both 80, Albania and Georgia, each 70, New Zealand 61, Moldova 50, Macedonia 37, Estonia and Canada, 31 each and Kazakhstan 25.
"The United States has approximately 130,000 troops stationed in Iraq. Galva, Illinois has a population of 2,700 people. The Galva Guard Unit is made up of soldiers from the surrounding rural communities. "
Now let's be clear here. The Star Courier is not a radical paper. It is the local news for what is a fairly conservative farming area in the MidWest. If the editor of such a paper takes the time to use facts to question this grand coalition we keep getting told is behind our troops, then shouldn't we all continue to press the issue as to the parameters and mission scope our armed forces are being told they are operating under? They, of course, will do their jobs; our's is to make sure their lives and service are being used truthfully, honorably, and without negligence or malice from our government. I have yet to be convinced of any of that.
What's funny is that his re-election campaign is scaling back the ad blitz with the conclusion from strategist Matthew Dowd that, "The two things voters know about Kerry today more than anything else is that he's a flip-flopper and he's going to raise your taxes." I don't know anything about that, but I'm pretty sure his guy is a liar and is trying to kill my brother. And I didn't even need a political ad to tell me that.
Not all is negative on this post. I will quickly end with vodka-flavored ice cream, Peeps, and the Brit that reminded us all last week why Las Vegas actually exists. Good for him, I say.
April 6, 2004 - Umm, stuff....
Don't have too much to pass along really. The news has been really depressing to be quite honest and I'm sure most of you are aware of that.
Here's a student who is long overdue for his class.
Oh, and all that crap about file-sharing causing a decline in music sales? A lie. Its all about the lousy songs if anything. Not that this is the first time anyone has said that.
Hmm, what else? Oh, a pattern of behavior from the Bush administration. Funny how they are always right and everyone else is either: a) evil, b) a "flip-flopper", or c) unpatriotic. When I was a kid, irrational behavior like that usually got my backside tanned. For good reason I might add.
Further describing our leadership with the business model of a spoiled four year old, I have collected a series of Boondocks cartoons that made me chuckle recently.
Finally, this cover from The Economist is a few weeks old, but still is a pretty good concept for elections in the next few years; or so I think.
March 29, 2004 - Its now officially time to change your browser
The genuises over at the GOP have decided the best way to get out the vote is so send out pop-up advertising while you surf the net. The prospect has sure encouraged me to vote against them. How about you? Do you like being irritated by people who want your support? If so, I'd see if your health insurance covers a psych evaluation. I got the story from Slashdot, who also link you to a story on how to check on your neighbor's political contributions. Kinda creepy but I know a few of you are just that bored.
Inn any case, I refer you again to Jim Rapoza's story about the stupidity of pop-up ads and point you to the Mozilla and Firefox download pages so you can finally get a browser that stops ads from getting to you in the first place.
Our GOP buddies have been probably successful with our less intelligent citizens in painting anyone against their lying reasons to go to war as unpatriotic and possibly treasonous. So, if you are one of those I just offended, please explain why is the widow of a fallen soldier not falling into line in blind obedience and awe to the Big Lie? Because she's right, that's why.
Our pals the French are cozying up to Saddam again. At least one of their more insidious lawyers. Let's be honest though; his call was probably only minutes ahead of Johnny Cochran's.
You want to know why the Israelis still marginally hold the moral high ground in their fight against their own local bomb throwers? This is why.
Watch how fast I stop using Travelocity. Did ya miss it? Want to know why? Read on. Granted, probably all the travel agencies are going to do this, but I'll at least I only know about this situation at the moment.
March 18, 2004 - Required reading
So, I'm on page 10 of Had Enough?, James Carville's new book and I figured I might as well recommend it to you already.
We'll start off with the political stuff and move in to the fun stuff later, okay? Slate has a couple articles dealing with Bush's attack ads and his continued screeching that anyone against him is against the United States. There's also another one on how the truth doesn't seem to matter to the current White House and one on the cancer that is Karl Rove.
Here's a story on how the government is attempting to kill our First Amendment. Yes, the Janet Jackson thing was out of line. But tell me how you plan on silencing Howard Stern discussing sex (which is a natural thing, right?) and then let the Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh types preach slander and hate without any repercussions. It just doesn't seem fair to me.
Martha Stewart's daughter says prison will be bad for her mom and she shouldn't have to go. I say, "Great!" It should be as awful for her as it is any convicted liar and thief.
I can't remember if I mentioned it earlier, but I love the new Nike ad where sport stars are playing sports we don't expect to see them playing. Here's a story on it and a link to the ad if you haven't seen it.
What else? Oh yeah, this should probably make your day if you've ever dealt with a city government.
How's your pool? No, not swimming. College basketball. Mine is fairly okay but that Michigan State loss kind of messes me up. In any case, here's a story on the history of the terms involved with March Madness.
March 15, 2004 - Tech stories and the like
I may have mentioned this one to a few of you before, but I was walking through a Barnes and Noble the other day and ran across Walter Mosley's Futureland on the bargain shelves. Granted, its fiction, but very good, plausible fiction of our world in the near future. For $6 you can't go wrong and I hope a few of you take the time to at least peruse the book.
Other tech news. The BBC reports on your damn dirty ape computer. Jim Rapoza from E-Week usually comes up with great articles, but this one on the business model against pop-up ads is one you may be able to use if you answer to someone about a website.
Don't believe that corporations are meddling with government? This story about the MPAA basically writing speeches for California's AG will hopefully wake you up.
Extra stuff: Christopher Hitchens rips Spain a new one for trying to leave us high and dry in Iraq. A story on why I don't eat seafood. And, for once, a lottery winner who actually deserves it.
March 14, 2004 - Get out of my gene pool
Two stories about people too wrapped up in themselves to see the bigger picture. The first is from neighboring Utah where an expectant mother let one of her twins die because she didn't want the scars that would result from a Caesarean procedure she was repeatedly asked to accept. The second is another from our pals in the federal government. Instead of just trying to profit from the dead via re-election ads like his boss, Donald Rumsfeld actually has pieces of debris he has collected from 9-11. And apparently he loves to show it off. Just slightly less morbid than the Bitch of Buchenwald, but not by much.
John Kerry's website now has a special portion called DBunker, where they plan on dissecting and refuting any and all GOP attacks on the candidate. I found it to be useful but somewhat dry, so I'm sticking to Doonesbury for political information.
Leslie and I found the time to head to the north side of town for a Multicultural Festival at CCSN-Cheyenne campus. That's Cheyenne street; its not like we took off to Wyoming for the afternoon. We missed the food but caught the last couple hours of the dancing and such and had a lot of fun. So yes, there is culture to be had in our town.
Work continues to increase in intensity, but I managed to pass an internal program certification test so I didn't forget everything after 4 years and managed to pick up some new stuff so that's good news. Leslie, of course, still works too hard for her ungrateful staff members.
March 10, 2004 - Watching what you eat
In case you haven't heard, salad is bad for you, but coffee isn't. At least, according to those stories. In a slightly related story, we have 14th century product placement.
Technology boons and banes. Our first story is about a Navy instant messaging project that translates on the fly. You want to bring the world together? Get it to where we can chat without barriers. The next story concerns the falling out of encyclopedia usage with the advent of the Internet. I feel we may have lost something there.
Some bozo in Hollywood wants to make it an automatic R-rating for any movie portraying smoking. Apparently drinking alcohol is just fine with him even though it causes far more problems. Also from California, because Britney Spears needs to do something now that she is musically irrelevant, the state wants to lower the voting age to 14.
This just cracks me up. And this ain't non-funny either (the March 10th image).
Evil Ned passed along some images today and I am going to share one just because I haven't gotten any argumentative mail in awhile. I figure a healthy political discussion is just what this country needs right now and why not start at home?
I mean, isn't this what all those flag-waving, profiting-from-civilian-deaths ads are telling us?
For clarification's sake, this is an actual bumper sticker you can buy at CafePress.
Clarification: To wrap up the day, I provide a cautionary tale. I posted on the Galva Guard Yahoo group about my call with Tom on Sunday. Some of that info made it into a Star Courier article a tad out of context. Tom travelled with the advance team to Kuwait and may have had different flight routes, departure/arrival times and experiences on his way there from Fort Polk and I apologize for possibly misleading anyone because of that story. I was just advising a small group of people of a single call, not expecting to be front page news. I don't necessarily mind, but I wanted to be sure folks knew where I stood on the info I pass along. It was a snapshot of my brother's life and not a blanket statement on anything I knew (or didn't know in this case) about the rest of the unit.
March 7, 2004 - Grave robbers, preaching teachers, and a quiet thoughtful voice
Well, we've got an administration running for re-election that: a) pimps off of the deaths of thousands, b) screws its troops on gear (seriously, ask any soldier how much they've spent on goggles, night vision, and the like), and then tries to silence any dissent on the public airwaves. And that's the good news. William Saletan and Joe Klein weigh in on the campaign (another by Saletan here). You'll hear some hatchet men from the GOP call Kerry a Boston Brahmin as the year goes on; here is what that means and why he isn't.
The high price of gasoline - by necessity or design - is having an impact on auto sales. Check the story here. Incidentally, we are paying about $2.10 a gallon here in Nevada. Hope its not as bad where you are.
In school news, we are leaving no child behind by using duct tape. Another teacher tries to force feed their "morals" to students by: presenting an R-rated movie, illegally obtained, with religious overtones in a public school setting. And what lessons exactly were to be gained by this? At least the school lunches will be healthier.
Two views from Vegas. One comical, the other poignant. First, we have a report from a visit to the Gun Store, a little shop a couple miles down the road from us. Next, regardless of where you stand on the gay marriage debate, take a moment to read this article from a local reporter. She explains, in terms no one has taken the time to use, what she and others are actually fighting for when it comes to civil rights. I offer it not to change anyone's mind but to give you a non-politicized, individual look at the issue.
March 3, 2004 - Suffer the children
Apparently people still fear their bodies. In Crawford, TX the local cave-dwellers have decided to yank their daughters out of the Girl Scouts because of that horrible social blight - education. Hi, welcome to the twenty-first century. Leave your baggage at the door please.
As McDonalds prepares to phase out super-sizing, Slate offers a story on how darn near everything has gotten bigger over the past few years.
Our slightly more paranoid citizens have websites too. Sometimes they come across an actual thing to be concerned about. Apparently the government is keeping track of where our dollars go. Our $20 bills to be specific. And no, this isn't just a John Ashcroft fantasy come true. Our pals in Europe have loaded up their Euros with tracking devices as well. (Note: I know the rest of both sites are beyond outlandish; its better just to stick to the individual stories.)
I like to let you know on occasion that while Martha Stewart is probably going to get away with insider trading, sometimes the legal gurus get it right. Case in point: this jerk is spending 30 months in federal prison for redirecting kids to porn sites.
February 29, 2004 - At the Movies
Just got done watching the Academy Awards - to be honest, Leslie watched and I occasionally popped in because I have zero attention span for long thank you speeches - and have a few comments. One, the Lord of the Rings trilogy earned everything they got and kudos for them. Anything Lost in Translation earned was also well deserved. Now to my major gripe of the night.
Sean Penn? The same guy who was married to and made movies with Madonna? (Sidenote: being in a movie with Madonna should hereby ban you from ever receiving an award for anything) The same guy who has gone to Iraq twice just to badmouth our country and troops? Examples here and here; a sample of criticism here and here. In any case, I am in agreement with a lot more vehement people that this guy is a symbol of how entertainers mistake their job for activism. As much as I am against our original reason to go into Iraq, we have troops on the ground there and I would never go to a foreign land and criticize my country and its armed forces in such a manner. He won the Oscar for political reasons alone I surmise. Having thoroughly enjoyed Bill Murray and Johnny Depp's roles (Deep at least has attempted to apologize for his verbal errors) and always knowing Ben Kingsley to do a fantastic job, there were far more talented and deserving recipients of the best actor award.
In any case, one thing I really enjoyed was the "Tigershack" American Express commercial. If you haven't caught it, here is a writeup and here is the commercial itself.
We went out to the movies the other night and saw Miracle. I have to tell you, that was one heck of a fun, optimistic, inspirational movie. I wholeheartedly recommend you go watch it. Now, I have to tell you, maybe its the anti-Semitism it is spawning or the rude, condescending, holier-than-thou crowds we ran into and probably some of the horrible press its bringing up, but I really think we saw a more positive movie than everyone standing and waiting to watch Passion of the Christ. Seriously, isn't religion supposed to be a positive experience of overcoming the wretchedness and filth in the world and not a paean to masochistic whipping scenes? Granted, I have not seen the movie but, if one of you has, could you pass along a more glowing review? Just so I can get another perspective.
February 28, 2004 - Safe travels
Sometime today Tom and the rest of the advance team head out to Kuwait. I've had a lot of time to talk to him this week and he's got a positive attitude and I'm just gonna hope for the best that he and the rest of the unit do their jobs and make it back home. A few prayers here and there probably won't hurt either.
I've tried to scan and upload some of the Galva News articles online and may have to go back to the drawing board and try to make the files smaller. But I am working on it. Thus far, the traffic increase isn't anywhere near what I feared so that's good news.
As for other news, I start at Aristocrat Technologies on Monday. Yes, I am finally gainfully employed and not just scratching for the odd contract like I have for the past months and isn't THAT a relief? This is the company that bought out Casino Data Systems so its kind of like going back to some of the same faces. Should be fun.
Too bad I read this story on people's negative views about their work environment. I don't care myself, I'm just happy to have something to do.
Hmm...weekend wrap-up. The Bartman Ball did get blown up. Story and footage here. A strange article about gamers and the importance of gameplay over plot. A live actual sighting of a Michigan wolverine and why that is odd. And for any English-firsters out there, a story on the decline of English speakers across the world. Guess we all need to pick up the pace and crack the books.
February 25, 2004 - Bye Bye Ball
Yahoo and ESPN have stories about the cursed baseball about to be destroyed in Chicago tomorrow. The Chicago Tribune does too but you can't have my account info. Page 2 of ESPN has a tongue-in-cheek interview with the ball in question (so does the Trib btw).
Um, let's see...I have our Grand Canyon pics up here. I still need to edit the pages and such (Photoshop can do some really silly things if you aren't paying attention) but go ahead and take a look anyway.
Our idiot roundup has a school suspending a kid for bringing the SI swimsuit issue to school and reacting like he was packing an Uzi. Two morons in Detriot decided vandalizing a statue to Joe Louis with white paint would convince us that racism is a good thing. Their lawyer argues it was an act of political activism.
This one I agree with. The "Got Milk?" ads have been ruled as violating the free speech of dairy farmers who have been forced to pay for them. I never thought the ads did that good of a job and I'm frankly tired of all the knock-offs of the campaign.
I got an email forward from Earl Stuckey concerning where to buy gas so as not to give money to Middle Eastern companies who would funnel it to those who want us dead. I agree that on an individual level that is a solid plan. Though, as with any forward you all send, I ran it past Snopes to see what would come up. I didn't get a write-up on that exact email but on a very similar one. Basically, do what you can but don't expect the market to do with your money what you want it to.
February 24, 2004 - A little levity after an awful Monday
After yesterday's wealth of bad news and worse ideas, I decided to follow up with as much light info as possible.
ESPN has a story on the Ali v. Ali commercial that I hope you've had a chance to see. If only more advertisers (Budweiser, Quiznos - are you listening?) had the concept of inspiring and respecting their viewers was the positive way to go. Even so, this is a nice piece of work for a short ad from a shoe company.
This story is about the Top 10 Strangest toys. Some are truly disturbing.
Here we have an example of where the problems lie in: a) the name of your town, b) the motto used to celebrate the town, and c) prudes with their minds in the gutter.
They say the old ways are sometimes the best. When it comes to medicine, let's just hope I'm unconscious if this ever becomes a part of my treatment regimen.
I don't know if you visit Yahoo, but their main page was advertising their dating service and had this ridiculous picture of a girl named Erin. This was pretty much standard for the past few weeks. Something Awful had a couple entries for budding young artists with too much time and Photoshop to put in their own creations on this theme. Before I link them: these are for the most part offensive, as are most of the ads and links on the site. I don't condone most of them and many are of obscure cultural references. Do NOT go if you don't want to see off-color humor. Do NOT blame me if you go and are offended. You were warned. If you are still going, the galleries are here and here.
I have one political story, but its the most level-headed one I think I've posted all year. Remember Sen. Bob Kerrey? Ran for president a few years back? I was pulling for him but it never came to pass. Anyway, he has written an editorial for the Boston Globe attempting to get past the whole debate over Kerry and Bush's Vietnam records. I think, whichever side of this you are on, you should take a look at it.
February 23, 2004 - Where is MY prosperity, security, freedom and compassion?
Sorry, its mostly a political rant day.
A memo put out by the Bush campaign states: "President Bush provides steady leadership in these times of historic change....He has an optimistic vision and agenda that will move America forward toward greater prosperity, greater security, greater freedom and greater compassion." I'm sorry, I haven't seen a single one of those action points come up lately. I have an open request on the message board if you actually have a plausible answer to any of that.
In other administration news, you already know that if you disagree with the current administration you are immediately labelled unpatriotic and possibly a traitor (or check the article here, here, and here) . However, if you are an educator and part of the NEA, you are now part of a terrorist organization. So says the Secretary of Education.
On the other side of the spectrum is Ralph Nader. Seriously, this guy can't admit that the primary reason George W. Bush is president is him (the Supreme Court coming in a close second). I'm trying to be optimistic and take him at his word, but there's a whole lot of history saying something else.
Our last bit of erosion of the Constitution comes from our neighboring governor Schwarezenegger who wants to make it so foreign-born sons of Nazis can run for president. Oh wait, he doesn't want it for himself. My bad. Orrin Hatch is assisting.
Slate has a story on poor Colin Powell. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
Lastly, if you saw George Bush on an Alabama airfield in the 70's, you can make some money.
February 20, 2004 - This is why I use a regular razor
Turns out that your average electric razor and blow dryer may be causing brain damage. Don't believe me? The story is here and a link to the research is at the bottom of the article.
Also, more on the distortion of science story from the other day.
I don't know if you've been following the story out of the University of Colorado but I figure anyone who gets up and rips into a player charging another player with rape is a reprehensible human being who needs to be standing on corner with a sign before he gets his next meal. Coach Barnett, get off my planet please. Rick Reilly's original story on Katie Hnida is very well written as well. And you wonder how student athletes become punks. Now you have the proof in the acts of their coach.
Evil Ned sent this along with the comment, "When the King of Cambodia is more socially progressive that a US President, we might have a problem here." And seriously, whether or not you agree with the idea of gay marriage, you've got to ask yourself what type of country are we really be led to become lately?
February 18, 2004 - I've never been more proud of Oklahoma
The story originally starts here, with PETA wanting the town of Slaughterville to change its name to Veggieville. I kid you not. Anyway, the town voted against such ridiculousness (the town is named after a family, not an action anyway), thus hopefully saving other towns similar attacks of stupidity.
Wondered what the Internet actually is? This article details one view which I find to be about accurate.
I'd like to point out that the family of 1LT Chris Dougherty have started a Yahoo group for those from the Galva area who have family and friends already stationed or on their way to the Middle East. Sign up if you are amongst that group of people.
From Slate, a story on the problems on getting armored Humvees to Iraq and Afghanistan. Memo to the administration: Seriously, quit overpaying Halliburton for a moment and fix this problem.
The RIAA is being sued for exterior and racketeering by those who consider their methods to be similar to mob protection rackets. I doubt the suit will go far but its nice to see recognition of the trend. If all businesses sued people who didn't buy their product because it was garbage, we'd have a lot more lawsuits than we do today.
An article on how the president has become a reluctant peacenik of his own devising. And one that accuses the administration of tweaking scientific data to meet its agenda.
Over the weekend I'll try to get some of our Grand Canyon trip pictures up. In the meantime, I have a few of Tom and the unit from the Galva News on the new Photo Gallery database I'm trying to get up and running.
February 13, 2004 - Since when did St. Valentine become a demon?
In following with yesterday's story about Hindus planning to beat people up who commemorate Valentine's Day, this story is a similar announcement for Muslims to ignore the holiday as well. Since when did expressing warm feelings become a call to trample over other societies? Wait, it hasn't. They're just paranoid.
In what is a more appropriate way to express your religion, there is a story about NASCAR and how it has had to deal with religious expression in their sport. I think they've done a decent job of it overall. Too bad its all going to get politicized starting this weekend.
Here's hoping that - at the least - this idiot gets a nice lifetime sentence at Ft. Leavenworth. Personally, I'm all for finding him guilty and finding the nearest tree, but that's just me.
Speaking of military issues, I was ignoring this whole Bush and the Air Guard thing, but then he started making it an attack on the Guard itself, not his possible dereliction of duty. That's just wrong. When you are being accused of something, be man (or woman) enough to take the heat without putting someone else in the cross-hairs. I figure most of you have enough moral fiber to understand that position. That's why our parents should be proud of us. That said, Slate has a take on the whole issue.
I find it strange that I am reading Andrew Sullivan and actually agree with some of his posts lately. It would be nice to think that after this election is over, we can stop bickering long enough to work on the problems we all agree on. Dare to dream.
February 12, 2004 - Wacky poll numbers
We took an informal poll around the apartment and found out we like grilled cheese sandwiches. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF PEOPLE LIKE CHEESE SANDWICHES! Actually, I know some of you don't, but its funny to see these TV shows, magazines and websites try to convince people that just because their viewers/readers/visitors agree with a politically slanted, leading question quiz, that makes it reality. And I'm not just bashing on one side of a political argument, its everyone in the process. Seriously, have any of you actually been asked to fill out a Pew or Harris survey? I'd like to know, because they aren't knocking on my door.
Well, as you may know, our guy Wes Clark dropped out of the race. Which is a shame. So now I'm hoping someone is smart enough to give him a cabinet post or something.
I don't know what's wrong with American Airlines. First, they let a pilot try to badger people into religion, then they kick off some nuns. Who's running that airline? Ralph Reed?
In two varying examples of religion getting in the way of laws and common decency, some pharmacists for Eckerd were fired for not distributing "morning after" drugs to a rape victim. And, as you celebrate Valentine's Day, remind yourself that you are participating in an act some radical Hindus feel is destroying their culture, and they plan to fight back. Just wait until they start hearing rap music.
Doonesbury has a way of saying things a tad more explosive than I would have concerning the Iraq war, but figured I'd share it anyway.
Oh, this is probably off your radar, but the original Star Wars trilogy is finally coming out on DVD later this year, but not in the form you think. Apparently, neckless wonder George Lucas wants his fluffy 1997 remakes better than the originals. There is a site and an online petition if you are interesting in voicing your likely ignored opinion. Not that I didn't sign it myself, mine. Link is on the image below.
February 10, 2004 - Raise your hand if you like your privacy
You've probably heard this one about the pilot who told all the Christians on his flight to raise their hands, called all the non-Christians crazy, which then led people to grab their phones thinking they weren't coming off that plane in anything resembling a proper landing. Look, if you have to try to convert people, don't insult them, ostracize them, or make them fear for their lives in this realm. You can't get a convert with a gun to their head.
Speaking of violence and conversion, Al Qaeda has started using our lowest common denominator of culture - rap "music" - to get violent psychopaths to sign up with militant extremists and start blowing up Western civilization. I'll wait for the P. Diddy remix that should come out before Christmas.
Time Magazine and AOL have put out an online Q-and-A guide that you can use to determine who you actually want to vote for as president. Yeah, I know, its competent yet funded by AOL. Go figure.
If you don't want to be bothered by politics (and you visit this site?), go play this online game where you have to pick a Dictator or TV sitcom character (I don't know, I didn't make it) and see if you can stump the program.
Remember how we're treating our incoming foreign visitors like criminals at the door? Notice how they have nearly all been at least hospitable about the program, realizing our genuine fears? Too bad we can't do the same when we go overseas.
I'm not gonna say much about Bush's Meet the Press interview except to give you: a) the transcript, b) a liberal take on it, c) a libertarian-to-conservative-ish take on it, and d) conservative notes on it (and yet another from that perspective). Not a blockbuster performance.
And now, beer as seen through an optical microscope.
February 5, 2004 - Its tough being a kid
First we have a girl who was already told once to change jobs for her school work study. So she gets a job hosting at Hooters. She doesn't wear a skimpy outfit and her father is okay with her being there. Now she has found that she won't get credit for it, thanks to her school board. And don't ever get me started on my opinion of most school boards.
Next, we have a second grader busted for saying "hell." Read the article and you'll see she was trying to do the right thing. These are the lessons we teach our kids today. Do what we say. WAIT! That's all wrong, you're going to be punished.
Its not all bad news in education though. In Georgia, you can still say the word "evolution" in school without being labelled a crackpot, liberal idealist. Well, they'll still label you, but you can say the word. Reactionary, Dark Ages freaks. That's a joke, mind.
Before it gets archived, you can read the article, "Ten Technologies That Refused to Die" and nod your head through it much like I did.
And if you happen to have a bar code/magnetic strip on your driver's license, head here to find out what personal information is on it. I'd be really interested to know what's on your's. Not the data itself silly, just what kind.
Updated some stuff on the Galva Guard page. Still need to scan those Galva News articles though.
I haven't done a Boondocks in awhile. I think its time.
February 3, 2004 - Censored for your protection
Admittedly, I enjoy a sporting event free of political attacks; however when CBS decided to not air a MoveOn.org ad during the Super Bowl and still bombard us with two anti-smoking ads and one anti-drug one (and don't forget the "pot smokers are terrorists" one from last year), that isn't exactly a politics-free zone. Apparently, not just anyone who coughs up a couple million dollars has the right to free speech on the family-friendly CBS network. In any case, the ad is here if you haven't seen it yet.
Business 2.0 magazine has a story on the "101 Dumbest Moments in Business" from last year. It was a good laugh for me. Enjoy.
Speaking of 2.0, you've probably already seen this, but its already making me add another category to my mental "types of people too stupid to have children" list. Other stupid people: the "father's rights" groups complaining about this line of clothing. Its called a sense of humor. Look into it.
On the Support page I have a write-up on Mozilla as a browser of choice. Kuro5hin has a similar article in favor of Firebird.
Oh, and now the quote of the week. When asking exiting voters about the electability of the various Democratic candidates, a pollster got the following reaction:"I don't care who wins" the Democratic primary, said Judy Donovan of Tucson, Ariz. "I'd get my dog to run. I'm not kidding. I would get Mickey Mouse in there. Anybody but Bush."
Oh, and since I've been fairly open about who I've been against thus far, I may as well advertise my slightly-hopeless-cause candidate of choice: Wesley Clark. Though, after a narrow win and a trio of second place finishes, its not all bleak news. I've been trolling his site for weeks and I just love this: an open request for people to drop Dean and move over to the Clark camp. Heck, maybe it will even work.
January 30, 2004 - "Your science is no match for my reactionary beliefs"
Alright, here's the deal. Georgia, along with another enlightened state, Kansas, chose to allow creationism to be taught in their classrooms a couple years ago. And, you know what? I say, "why not?" Kids need all the info they can seeing as we're competing with reality television for their minds.
HOWEVER, some numbskull of a state superintendent has decided that the word "evolution" is too politically charged (gee, who's responsible for THAT) and has decided to try to ban the use of the word in the classroom. Right-thinking humans like Jimmy Carter and even the psycho administrator's Republican state politicians had decided to weigh in against this blatant attempt to set our education system back to the Dark Ages.
Speaking of imbeciles, a Norwegian politician nominated George Bush and Tony Blair for the Nobel Peace Prize. For starting a war. Remember kids:
WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
So says Big Brother.
Anyways, speaking of radicals, these two fine Texas citizens got caught with a stash of weapons and racist tracts. But, nah, they'll never be pegged as terrorists. I'll let you read between the lines of the rest of my venting.
This one is a double whammy. An online friend sent me to this site for a chuckle. Then it got followed up by the following story. Ironic, insipid, but true tales of my day.
January 27, 2004 - The library is my friend
Amazingly, after only a few days I'm overloaded with links and stuff for you. Wait! Come back!
Let's start with the bad news. I'm sure by now most of you know that Captain Kangaroo passed away last week.
Along with bad news comes a story about people who think racism is funny. Like these kids. Now, if after reading this story you think the runts actually had a point in arguing what an African-American is, think again.
If you weren't sure that was a racist incident, our Grand Wizard pal David Duke is planning on running for Congress. If you had to ask, yes, he's running as a Republican because we currently don't have a Nazi party.
I had, coincidentally, finished reading John Kerry's A Call to Service: My Vision for A Better America before all the caucus and primary stuff occurred. While I have no clue what I think of him yet, at the least I think he'd make an excellent VP. If you have the time, pick up the book. I'm trying to read all the candidates' stuff as I can just so I can make an informed decision, but I'm only doing it through the library so we'll see how long that takes.
Here is a nice resolution for that kid, Mike Rowe, who about had a few dozen Microsoft lawyers performing what amounts to a legal anal probe on the poor guy.
We commence with a Bushism showing we left at least one child behind. How did he get into Yale anyway? Michael Kinsley asks where the Compassionate Conservatism went. Tom Tomorrow discusses the dangers of a free society. And Carol Lay ponders the stupidity of how people name their children.
You probably missed it, but when two Democratic senators ask whether or not it is ethical that a Supreme Court justice hangs out with a litigant in an upcoming court case, the Chief Justice says its none of his business. So was Florida buddy.
This one keeps moving around and there are variations of its, but its that Outkast song you may have heard FIFTY THOUSAND TIMES with a slightly different take.
Finally, Forbes magazine discusses the Worst Cars Of All Time.
January 22, 2004 - It's A Man's Man's Man's World
So, I got this short-term project doing laptop support for SAP. Three free meals a day (all excellent btw), drinks and snacks as well. The trade-off? I put in almost 70 hours in 5 days. So, I'm tired and sore and just want to go home once the contract is done. But wait! All of us remaining contractors get invited to the after-conference party where there is free beer. And, oh yeah, James Brown was performing. The only downer is that there wasn't time to notify Leslie so she could share in the fun. But I sure had a good time.
As if Watergate hadn't taught them, news on the GOP hacking into Democratic Senate files. Kids, just because the car is sitting there idling with no one watching it, it doesn't mean you can take it for a joy ride. Thanks to EvilNed for the link.
Speaking of insidious, power-hungry entities, Microsoft is suing a kid (name: Mike Rowe) who is setting up a tongue-in-cheek site called...you guessed it....MikeRoweSoft. Best of luck to this guy.
Good news. If you are reading this, you are part of the 69% of American adults using the internet. Though too many of them are still using AOL. Ugh.
A study from MIT has found that most of us hate cell phones. I tend to agree.
Okay, I've been leaving this one alone, but officials in Australian have decided not to charge the Crocodile Hunter with child endangerment. Which is the right call. Look people, the guy is a trained professional who genuinely loves his crocs more than he does humans. Its a love he tries to share with his family. Comparing him to that freak Michael Jackson is ludicrous. And saying that what he did was wrong is equally silly. This is something the guy does for a living, and as a passion. He took his baby to work to show him to the co-workers, so to speak.
What IS dangerous however is using magazine directions for your next hike however. The story on that is here.
Next time you have a problem you can't solve, sleep on it. So suggests this study.
I want THIS contract. Once again, thanks to Ned for the heads-up.
Just for some seasonal fun, a game involving a Yeti belting penguins with a club for distance. You heard me. If you find that one too hard and want the satisfaction of the long distance shot, there is an amped-up version here.
January 16, 2004 - The Internet. Not just for geeks anymore.
UCLA has posted the results of an international study on internet use. Kind of a fun read if you have the time and willingness to sift through the data.
A slightly more tongue-in-cheek site argues that in our off-and-on quest to conquer Mars, the Red Planet is winning.
In idiot roundup, we have the FIFA president proposing that female soccer players should wear more revealing outfits to boost attendance and ad revenue. The best part of the article is the FIFA spokesman who actually tries to spin his boss' obvious sexist pig crap as a valid argument.
Speaking of presidents living in the past, we now have a federal judge who has been accused of "supporting segregation" and "promoting anti-abortion and anti-voting rights views". Real sweetheart. This was done by bypassing Congress, which is always a nice democratic move. Right. All parties involved in this should be taken out and flogged, but the Supreme Court refused to turn back a controversial - and probably unconstitutional - congressional remapping that Texas Republicans pushed through because they basically just didn't like the old one. That's right, if you can't get elected president, call the Supreme Court and bypass the election. If you don't like your elected governor, remove him. If you can't stack a state legislature, rig it. Anyone sensing a pattern of behavior here?
I seriously am working on updated pages. Even have a database-driven image viewer that I'm still tweaking. However, its going to wait a bit as I have a 6 day contract that I'll be at from 11-12 hours a day. Seriously, you will have new content soon.
January 14, 2004 - I Plug a Product
Alright, you won't get this from me a lot but here goes. Sometimes I stroll down to the local Barnes & Noble and persue the bookshelves. I don't usually buy anything so basically I'm a nuisance there I guess. Anyways, I found a noteworthy book for all of you using a computer (namely, anyone reading this). It's called PC Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things about Your Personal Computer by Steve Bass. Even though I've been working with these darn things for years I still found a lot of neat tidbits I could use to tweak the home computer and I figured I'd share it with the rest of you seeing as we all need some help getting these things to work. The reason I mention it now is that the book, normally $19.95, is on sale at Barnes Noble for like $15 or even cheaper online, $11.25 at Bookpool.
Since I'm on a product placement roll, Leslie & I picked up some new toothpaste awhile back. Its that Crest Whitening Expressions stuff. We got the orange stuff, called Fresh Citrus Breeze. The reason I mention it is that the stuff tastes like those little pink St. Joseph's aspirins we all took when we were kids. Yeah, sounds disgusting but I'm actually hooked on it now.
Onto my usual stuff. Guess where's I'm not eating soon. McCormick & Schmick's. Here's why.
One place we are excited about is the reopening of Lindo Michoacan, a place we enjoyed back when I lived here before.
Okay, downloading songs I already own is illegal, but this isn't? I thought we took rights away from prisoners.
I claim no responsibility for the answers you get from this quiz.
January 12, 2004 - A Right to be Hostile
Surprising at it may seem, Howard Dean actually said something I agree with. In dealing with was basically a heckler in Iowa who accused him of "mean mouthing" Bush, Dean pretty much told him to shut up and sit down. Here's the part I agree with: if, as Republicans would have you believe, disagreeing with the president is unpatriotic, then when does it become illegal to have any dissent at all? Sorry people, I'm not about to goosestep down to the voting booth and vote "Ja!" on the second term. I've got a right to think for myself and I'll support anyone who does so, even Howard Dean if it comes to it.
This is kind of becoming old news and hopefully the story will flesh itself out as more than a figment of one man's spiteful imagination, but apparently our administration was always planning to pick a fight with Iraq. Personally, I hope the story is false as it just means Bush has absolutely zero respect for our military; thinking it to be a toy to mop up what he perceives as his father's mistake. Pathetic.
Checking in on my note for Windows 98 users. Support has been extended for that product until mid-2006. So no need to panic.
Our fascist pals at the RIAA had resorted to hiring ex-cops and having them parade around as "music police", busting anyone selling bootleg CDs and the like. Excuse me, but am I the only one who sees people pretending to be police officers a highly illegal and unethical means of doing business?
This story just cracks me up. I can't imagine how the kid did it.
Anyone remember the old qbasic game where you threw exploding bananas at one another? Here is a Windows-based version of it.
Being a Astros fan as well as a Cubs one is like having boils and chicken pox at the same time most years, but this news brings some tentative hope for next season.
Incidentally, the topic today borrows its name from Aaron MacGruder's treasury of Boondocks comics, which I keep meaning to put in a permanent link on the WebComics section. I've posted the occasional strip up here and will likely do so from time to time. Its usually topical and almost always irreverant.
Case in point:
(And yes Craig, I've been properly chastised and promise to eat beef again.)
January 8, 2004 - Random Notes
Still aggressively hitting the job searches and also have free time to pass along info to you. I wish this paid better or I'd be fine doing it all the time. I sit on the computer and submit my resume, read technical magazines and computer books, and snack on Chex Mix. Anyways....
A computer note to pass along to those of you still using Windows 98. If you read this before the 16th, you still have time to go to Windows Update and download all the patches you can. After that, Microsoft discontinues a lot of support for the product. The main Windows 98 page is here.
If you are inclined to buy a Mac (don't ask me, I don't have one), here is an article you may wish to go over. Its pointed more for Linux users but you may find answers for some of your questions, provided you have any.
In stupid human tricks, Pete Rose continues to try to get into the Hall of Fame by both appealing to our sympathy and irritating everyone willing to listen to his stupidity at the same time. I've never thought a lying cheat like him deserved to be in the Hall, despite his efforts on the field. Thankfully, Peter Gammons and Jayson Stark at ESPN are among many sportswriters who are finally seeing the light.
And just because it makes me laugh, a seasonal collection of Calvin comics courtesy of Merrick. Don't abuse her site too much or she'll yell at me.
January 6, 2004 - New Year's Barrage
First off, a couple of thank you's to pass along. Thanks to Jason Parchert for his holiday gig in Reynolds. Good to see you, and thanks to Alycia for meeting up with us there.
Thanks to Jason Lindstrom and his new band, Short Lived Fun, for a fun New Year's Eve show. Sorry we couldn't stick around longer as you guys were a lot of fun to watch.
Thanks to all our friends and family whom we were able to catch up with. It was good to see Tom one more time before he ships out to Iraq. Good luck to all you guys with your urban warfare training.
One last shout to my sister Belinda for pointing us to Potbelly Sandwich Works at Midway Airport. Fantastic pickles as recommended and the sandwiches were equally delicious. I strongly recommend you find one of these restaurants if you are in one of the chain's markets.
And now on to the ranting.
One of the (dis)advantages on the old home being close to Iowa is the bludgeoning the state gets every time there is a presidential election. I got to see a lot of the political ads while we were home and I can honestly say that I absolutely do not get why people like Howard Dean. The guy came off as a pompous ass the first time I saw him and it hasn't got any better. Granted, if that's all that gets offered to vote for in November I'll grudgingly do it, but people, let's try to find a better candidate please.
Speaking of egocentric people who fly off the handle with little provocation, I have some articles related to our dictator-in-chief. A tongue-in-cheek article from the Seattle PI attempts to explain the president's high popularity rates. I tend to think this article is true for the most part. MoveOn.org is hosting a contest for anti-Bush political ads. The top 15 entries are currently online at Bush in 30 Seconds. I can't say I agree with all of them, and am usually skeptical about anything involving Michael Moore, but it looks like this is quickly becoming an "enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend" kind of year.
In other administration news, the Labor Department is offering employers tips on how to not pay their employee's overtime. But remember, they aren't necessarily working hand in hand with big corporations. Right.
Slate tackles the whole outing of a CIA agent incident from last year, suggesting John Ashcroft is playing a shell game to protect Karl Rove, among others.
Another Slate snippet questions why the First Lady would willingly want to make her husband look stupid.
But hey, its not all bad news here. I've been following the Spirit landing on Mars and gladly link you to the NASA site covering the mission.
Australian figures show that music downloads do not seem to be affecting actual record sales. I think, and have always said, that the RIAA is trying to cast the blame from the fact that current pop music in America just overall stinks. Granted, I don't listen to almost any of it myself, but maybe if we find some musicians with actual talent the industry wouldn't be in its current position of suing children and old people to excuse away poor product.
Wired has come up with 101 ways to save the internet. Fun read if you follow the industry like I do.
To finish things off, Slate attempts to find the silver lining in the whole mad cow incident. I'm still going to stay away from beef for a couple more weeks. Better safe than sorry and all that.
The Galva News has been really cool about offering to provide pics from some of their articles (many of which I really have to start scanning and putting up on the unit page). Here is one from a profile of Tom in last week's edition.
