Rated G: Kat Dennings

She was the bitchy daughter in The 40 Year Old Virgin. She recently rocked it out in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. She's a democrat. She looks like someone I know. And she's hot as hell. Ladies and gentlemen...Kat Dennings.

Comic of the Week: New Avengers #49

Nothing beats Luke Cage trying to find his baby. I really thought he was going to join up with Osborn's Dark Avengers but I should've known better than that. Cage is the man! (None of you have any idea what I'm talking about, do you?)

Funny.

The Obama Bowl

President Barack Obama will be hosting a Super Bowl party on Sunday. Who are the guests? Well, certain members of Congress.

Doesn't sound like much of party.

Top 25 Films: 20-16

20. American History X: This film is totally badass. If you ever wondered whether or not Ed Norton could be considered intimidating, this definitely proves that he COULD be (though most of his movies prove that he isn't). All kinds of crime and gang movies had been made before this, but almost nothing regarding White Supremacy ever had been. In this, we get a good look at how the gang works, what they believe in, and why most of them are so fucking stupid. The film ends up setting a good message and proves that if there's hope for the biggest racist, bigoted gang leader to become a good person who believes in equality, there's hope for anyone.

19. Clerks 2: I loved the first one, but this is arguable ten times better. I had a friend once tell me that Kevin Smith never has anything to say in his films, but I disagree. In it we get all kinds of pop culture goodness including comic book references, references to other View Askew films, and the awesome battle of Star Wars versus Lord of the Rings. Despite its often gross comedy, the film is actually kind of sweet and the montage with the Smashing Pumpkins' 1979 could almost make anyone cry.

18. The Graduate: This film's main character (played by Dustin Hoffman) echoes exactly how I felt when I graduated from college. I had never seen this film until the Spring of 2008, where I had to watch it for a class at the time. This is probably one of the only films I was grateful to see in the class. Great soundtrack too.

17. There Will Be Blood: Speaking of badasses, one only needs to watch Daniel Day-Lewis in this awesome film to find out what the word actually means. This is a story about an egotistical oil tycoon and his attempt to become one of the wealthiest men around. He's good at what he does, but this story implies that money can't grant you everything (even though I don't truly believe that, but who knows). After I saw the film I talked like Day-Lewis's character for weeks until it become unbearable to be around me. The last line, "I'm finished!" was just excellent.

16. Easy Rider: I don't know how much I really like this film but there is a reason it's one of my favorites. I know this was one of my father's favorite films and he actually MADE me sit down with him to watch it. Looking back at that memory, well, it was just amazing. Two guys, father and son, sitting there eating and drinking watching Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and a coked-out Jack Nicholson travel across the country binging on drugs, women, and freedom. One of the best viewing experiences I have ever had...

Stimulus Passes! Republicans, Not So Much...

President Obama's new Stimulus plan today passed through the House, albeit without one single Republican vote.

I guess Republicans think companies that do non-tangible work with money and other finances deserve a break, auto-makers who make terrible vehicles, institute a terrible management system, and don't listen to the needs of the consumer deserve a break, but that the normal American people (you know...you, me...not them...) don't.

Way to go Democrats!

You Hope He Fails?

Well I hope you die.

Catch-Up: The UK/Obama Effigy Case

From the Kentucky Kernal (01/28/2009)

A grand jury dropped all charges against two men who were charged in connection with the hanging of an effigy of President Barack Obama on UK’s campus during the Fall 2008 semester, their defense attorney said.

The charges against Hunter Bush and Joe Fischer were dropped Tuesday, said Fred Peters, their defense attorney. No other charges are pending, Peters said.

Bush and Fischer were originally charged with 2nd degree burglary, theft by unlawful taking (less than $300) and 2nd degree disorderly conduct, said Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson. The original charges were filed by UK Police, Larson said.

UK Police received a report at 7:45 a.m. on Oct. 29 that a likeness of Obama was hanging from a tree between Parking Structure #2 and the Mining and Mineral Resources Building near a walkway to W. T. Young Library. Members of UK’s physical plant division cut the effigy down by 8:25 a.m. using a crane, UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said.

A day later, Bush and Fischer turned themselves in to UK Police and were arrested.

Top 25 Films: 25-21

I finally compiled a list of my favorite twenty-five films. Since I want to discuss why I love each film, I thought it more fitting to divide the list up into several different posts because if I did all twenty-five at once it would take me forever. So, we start with number 25:

25. The Matrix Reloaded: Everyone has their favorite Matrix film. I'm pretty sure no one really picks the third one, so it's usually between the first and second. To me, the second one embodies everything that the Matrix is supposed to be about: love, philosophy, action, guns-a-blazin', effects, thinking outside the box, and that ever so awesome articulation of The Architect. Here we have the best fight sequences of the series, including Neo versus the swarm of Mr. Smiths, the team versus The Frenchmen and his gang of computer virus thugs, and of course the highway sequence with Morpheus battling the normal agents. As far as action goes, there may not be anything better...

24. School of Rock: I know at the look of this you have completely lost respect for me and my taste of films. But really, if you had to pick a Jack Black film, this would be the one to pick. It's just hilarious. To me it's better than any other frat pack films out there, including the films that consist of Will Ferral and John C. Reilly acting retarded. Black's character is naive, ignorant, and lazy, but lives the life I wish I did: getting paid to teach kids YOUR opinions and what YOU believe is important. I did hear though that the big wigs in Hollywood were thinking about making a sequel to this, but that would just be stupid...

23. Pan's Labryinth: This is a aestically beautiful film directed by one of my favorite directors, Guillermo del Toro. In it, a young girl creates a fantasy world to help her cope with the civil war her nation is facing. However, the fantasy world may just be real. It's up to the viewer to form their own opinion. The film has action, blood, fantasy, but the real thing that makes it stick out is the simplicity and curiousity of the main character. It is in sub-titles, which I've never had a problem with, and would almost prefer it that way.

22. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: This film just kicks ass. I have always believed that taking original Shakespeare stories and setting them in our modern world is just awesome, but this one takes the cake. The dialouge is only marginally altered, and the characters still use the original Shakespearian tounge. The little things that make it work, like having the rival families become rival businesses, and changing the swords to guns, make this film incredible. And this has got to be the most beautiful Claire Danes will ever be in any film.

21. Grindhouse: I don't Planet Terror. I dont' mean Death Proof. I'm talking about the entire film. I first watched it at the historic Kentucky Theatre downtown in Lexington, Kentucky, I was shocked to find out that just because of the poor box office numbers, the company would not release the film together, but instead split both of the films featured in the movie into two DVD's. It is because of this that I won't buy the DVD's, and I won't, until a set is released featuring both of the films and the fake trailers. This film made me feel like I was in the 70's, with all the sex, action, and gore one could ask for.

Typical Morning (A Short Story)

I awoke to the sound of two alarms. The computer alarm rang hard and fast, two quick 'bleeps' that were unrelentless. Then the phone hit. "I can hear the new horizon underneath the blazing sky..." I can tell you this my friends: nothing puts you in a better mood in the mornings than waking up to Brian Eno's St. Elmo's Fire. But I digress.

Like every ordinary morning, the first words to come out of my chapped mouth were "motherfucker." I arose. Stretched. I could feel the multiple pops and cracks of my back and shoulders. Yep. It was time to get up for work. I grabbed a pair of underwear without looking (does it really matter?) and headed to my bathroom. I turned on the water and the room slowly become clouded with steam. I entered. Showered. Exited.

I put on my conservative attire: my normal pair of khakis, black socks, brown shoes (a no-no for those of you reading), white undershirt, and finally a red and white striped collar shirt. At this point, I had wore red two days in a row and there was no signs of stopping.

I crept into the kitchen. The pain in my back echoed throughout my left leg as I stumbled toward the medicine cabinet to take my daily prescriptions of lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, aspirin (to reduce the risk of heart disease), and vitamins (to reduce the risk of prostate cancer) with lycopene. I popped open a chill and distasteful diet Pepsi and swallowed. Now it was time for the main course.

I grabbed to pieces of cheap wheat bread and put them into the ultra-technologic toaster I got for graduation around one year ago. Great gift. Then I put on my hoodie (as I had left my coat at a friend's house) and proceeded to walk outside. What I say was chaotic, anarchic, destructive, sad, and frigid. My car was buried in the unrelenting frost of mother nature. My windows looked like they were ready to break. There had to been at least an extra one-hundred pounds on my car because of the ice and snow. I tried to open my door to start my car and let it run but I couldn't. I pulled harder. Still no. I ran inside, filled up two cups of the hottest water I could muster, and ran back outside. I poured them over my door. Finally, my door cracked open. I started my car, blasted the heat on the defroster, and ran back inside. I grabbed my toast from the toaster, annihilated them with bread and jelly, and made a spot in front of the television. I watched my president. I watched Rod Blagooo...how do you say it? The corrupt Illinois governor, which I noticed no one calls a democrat, even though he is. A little biased in my opinion, but I am a democrat, so it's okay.

Twenty minutes passed. I walked outside. The snow and ice caked on my car had not even been dented by the defroster. I decided if I was going to get to work on time, I was going to have to do this myself. It was now 8:30 A.M. I rushed to the car with a cup in hand as I didn't have a scraper available. I pushed, scrapped, scratched, fought the snow and ice. Finally, I made much progress. I got in the car. I was cold. Pieces of the deadly winter were all over me from the fight with the ice. I put the car in reverse, backed out, then put it in drive and drove. A slid all around the parking lot. The water from the melted ice began to freeze again. I was having a harder and harder time seeing as time went by. I made it on Tates Creek. It wasn't any better.

I kept my speed low. I slid every now and then but I eventually I made it. But something was different. As I entered the parking garage I noticed it was noticeably empty. Only a few cars were parked and they looked like they had been there for a day or two. No ice. No water. Clean, cut, dry cars. I parked on the second floor which never happens. I shut off my car, exited, and made the walk toward work. I tripped. I slipped. I stepped into a large caked ball of ice and snow which my leg fell through and got my left pant leg wet. I was cold. I pressed on. I had not fell in about two years, I thought to myself. I kept that tradition alive. I made it to the entrance of the Funkhouser Building. I entered.

I walked down the lonely hallway. I did the jog that only fat people do when they walk down steps. You know the one: quick foot after the other, bouncing from step to step to get the momentum of your own obesity on your side. I reached my floor. I looked to the left. One office was closed. I looked to the right, another. I walked into mine.

Work had been on a two hour delay. I didn't have to come in until 10 A.M. I and another co-worker were two out of the twenty people in my office. I sat at my desk. Smiled.

This was typical. A typical morning.

More...Really?

Bill Donohue (the face of the Catholic nation) had this to say today:

“Here we have a black president taking money from the taxpayers in a time of economic crisis and giving it to organizations—many of which are anti-Catholic—so they can spend it on killing non-white babies in Third World nations. And Obama is known as a progressive.”

I love religion.

Really?

Mall Record

The Mall in Washington, D.C. reached a new record of how many people were actually in the area during Inauguration Day, which has been recorded at 1.8 Million. Wow. There's no stopping this guy.

Kick-Ass Obama Quote, 01/22/2009

"Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this administration."

Funny...

The Parental Supremacy

I work in an office for the University of Kentucky, which means I am heavily involved with students. They call me, they visit me, and I help them with whatever record, grade, class, or what-have-you problem they are in at the time. The one thing I cannot stand, however, is when the parents of the students try to do all of their work for them. Constantly, I get calls from parents asking about their child's grades, transcripts, work, and all the other stuff my job involves. And instead of helping them, instead of acknowledging what they have to say, what I would really like to do is tell them to let their child grow up, stop interfering in their affairs, and go about your business. Of course, I don't do that. But man, I would love to. I would also like to punch them in the face because typically parents are aggravated, aggressive, and I'm pretty sure nearly retarded. They don't know what's going on, they don't know the protocol, but they like to think they do.

Parents need to learn to let go and there is no better time for that than college. If your child fucks up, then good. Let them. It's the only way they'll learn. They don't need you calling for visiting trying to fix their problems. It's part of growing up and becoming a man (or woman). Get the fuck over it. Like Tony Soprano said, it's like parents are the bus that gets us here, and instead of focusing on our own journey, we keep trying to get on the bus. Well, students, children, listen: get off the fucking bus and run away.

You don't want to end up like Bruce Wayne, right? Well, bad example...

The Oath Flub

Everyone is going crazy over Cheif Justice Robert Gibbs' clusterfuck of the reading of the oath of the presidency (whew!). If you didn't watch the inauguration, you missed some good stuff. Chief Roberts thought it would be intelligent and witty of himself to memorize the entire oath that he had to read to President Obama instead of reading it from cue cards, as is traditional protocol. Well, that really paid off when Chief Justice Roberts flubbed up some of the words which made President Obama mess up, thus creating about five second moment of chaos and embarrassment.

Because of this, major dickhole conservatives are claiming that President Obama isn't actually the president because he did not take the oath correctly. There have been claims that in the constitution it states the president must take the oath without any faults. This, however, is SIMPLY NOT TRUE. In fact, the constitution actually states that after 12 PM on Inauguration Day, the president-elect becomes the president, oath taken or not.

Now, Fox Noise is all over this: Bill-O, Beck-O, and the ever-enlightening Chris Wallace, who actually made the claim that Obama is not yet president. If you notice, none of the other newspapers, magazines, or news channels have really been giving this story much attention...just Fox Noise. Hmm...Maybe it's because there have been numerous reports verified by numerous political analysts that in fact Obama is President. But we all know how The Noise doesn't like to listen to the facts...just their own bigoted articulation of the stories.

Listen, to all who think President Obama is not the president, let it fucking go. It wouldn't even matter, because he even retook the oath afterwards "just in case." So shut the fuck up, move on, or die...

TDK/Oscars: Some, Not All

The Academy Award nominations were recently announced and while The Dark Knight didn't get all the nominations I was hoping it would, it did get some, eight to be exact. The worst part about the whole thing was that Christopher Nolan didn't get nominated for Best Director and the entire film was snubbed out of Best Picture. We did get the posthumous Heath Ledger as Best Supporting Actor nomination though! Also, to my surprise, Robert Downey, Jr. also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Tropic Thunder. That's pretty cool and different considering the film is a comedy, which usually get snubbed overall by the Academy. Below I have listed all the awards The Dark Knight was nominated for. The Academy Awards will occur on February 22 and will be hosted by Hugh Jackman.

The Dark Knight was nominated for:

Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger as The Joker)
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing (and the difference is?)
Best Visual Effects
Best Make-Up (and deservedly so...)

Politico 44 President-Elect's Calendar

On a Lighter Note...

How is Paul Blart: Mall Cop #1 at the box office?

VH1's Best Speech Ever!

The VH1 thing was kind of a joke.

Anyway, you cannot deny how amazing, powerful, monumental, and overall inspiring Barack Hussein Obama's speech was at yesterday's Inaugural Address. There were a few parts I found most interesting and wonderful, and I thought I would share them here...

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

To me, this was a direct slam toward the Administration over the last eight years. Yes, Republicans and conservatives have some good values and overall good ideas. But there is no doubt this last administration has all but destroyed that party with its self-interested views. Instead of worrying about what was good for America, W. was worried about was good for his pocket and his people's interests. I think Barack took that idea and refined it into this part of the speech. We press on...

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Again, another slam toward the previous administration. Bush and his lackeys approved torture, ignored our allys, implemented illegal observation techniques on the American people, all to "save" us from the terrorists. At what point do we cross the line? At what point do we actually preserve "Live free or die." The Bush administration would rather us "Live restricted or we arrest you." Obama was pointing out that his administration will not do certain acts if it contradicts the freedoms and rights everyone should have, not just Americans.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.

I love how toward the middle and through the end he speaks of our situation now in historical context comapred to the previous eras of America. It makes you think...maybe we don't have it so bad. Maybe things will get better.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers.

The fact that he included non-believers among all these religions really made me proud of our president. He has taken many liberal strides this week, even allowing a homosexual bishop to give the invocation at another inaugural event. Including athiests in this speech is another step in the right, free, direction.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

Once again, putting things in a historical perspective, and relating race and a time where this could not have been possible, comparing it to today. Amazing.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

More historical context implementing a speech for the original G. This helps us remember how America has overcome, and how we will stand up tall again, as our ancestors have...

Glenn Beck on Fox Noise?

Yeah... That's. About. Right.

G.W.: The Final Look Back

I often get on here and blast those on the right in my basically pointless and meaningless tirades, so I thought "Why should today be any different?" Haha. I kid. I kid. Actually, it's kind of true. Since I got the wonderful opportunity to watch G.W. et al fly away in a helicopter to hopefully never return to Washington, D.C. ever again, I thought I would take one last time to look back and comment on the destructive acts this unintelligent hermaphrodite has brought upon our country. One. Final. Time. Then I will move on to better and newer days, and instead of this being a bashing of the old fascist Republican regime, it will be an ultimate praise to all things Obama. Am I biased? Anyway, let's take a look...

Act 1: W. was doomed from the beginning. His election was a proverbial shit show versus Al Gore, where the infamous Florida ballots caused us nothing but grief. Gore was announced the winner of the race on CBS, only to be reneged by Florida, who admitted that they may not have had a clear winner. It all rested on them (and the governor, W.'s brother coincidentally), and the rest is history.

Act 2: On August 6, 2001, W. received information about a possible terrorist attack that was to occur sometime in the near future. Without acting on said information, well, about a month later...

Act 3: Diverting the War on Terrorism to Iraq, and managing to turn it into...The War in Iraq. What happened to the terrorists you might ask? Well, not even Bush knows, thanks to his focus and attention being paid to war profiteering then dealing with the actual problem. My opinion, of course.

Act 4: Accusations of torture coming up more and more at not only Gitmo, but areas in the war zone. There was finally an admittance that we did water board certain individuals, an act which we prosecuted the Japanese for doing it to Americans during World War II. I would say the biggest double standard in history, wouldn't you? It's okay if WE do it. Yeah, Bill-O.

Act 5: Hurricane Katrina. What can I say? Failure to respond quickly. Failure to understand the problem. Failure to put the right man in charge of FEMA. Failure to admit that he made the mistake. Failure to understand why he is criticized for it. Failure. Failure. Failure.

Act 6: The dismissal of U.S. attorneys because they basically weren't 100% conservative ass-kissers. You wanna work in the Bush administration? Make sure you're a Republican, first.

Act 7: Not being completely open with the media. Having fixed questions prepared. Closing out a number of well known liberal reporters during press meetings. Releasing fake news. A big instance of this was during the FEMA/Katrina controversy, in which FEMA employees were asked they were happy with the response. The questions and answers were pre-meditated.

Act 8: WMD's. Got em'? No? Oh, well, uh...yes you do.

Act 9: Financial meltdown. Under his supervision and his party's stance on the lack of regulation in this American economy...well...W., just go fuck yourself.

Act 10: Being a fucking moron. Learn to talk. Learn to be tactful. I hope you do. Because if I ever hear something like "The question is: Is our Children Learning?" again I'm going to blow my fucking brains out you fucking retard.

Oh man. Thanks God it's over! It's finally over!

The Official President of the United States

Super-Presidents!

There was an interesting article on one of the many nerd-reltaed web sites that I read regarding comic books. In honor of the kick-ass inauguration today, News-A-Rama (link to the right) decided to remember all of the comic book characters who were elected as President of the United States in their little worlds. Take a look!

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/010920-Inaguration.html

Alba vs. Fox Noise

This is from a popular blog I read, Crooks & Liars:

Jessica Alba, attending one of the Inaugural shindigs, was the victim of one of those Fox News ambush crews that wanders events where liberals are numerous and tries to get them to say something dumb so Bill O'Reilly can make fun of them later. She told them exactly what she thinks of Bill O'Reilly.

Reporter: Bill O'Reilly says hi. You wanna give him a Factor Inauguration Shout Out?

Alba: No. He's kind of -- [Laughs] He's kind of an a-hole.
As is their SOP, the crew badgered her to give examples. (Examples? You want examples? We gotcher examples right here, dude.) And she was smart enough not to take the bait:

Reporter: How so?

Alba? I don't know how he does it. I guess he was just born that way, for some reason.
Reporter: Can you give me an example? Come on.

Alba: No, because that means admitting that I actually have watched Fox.

Pretty good Alba, pretty good.

Is this Halo 3?

I will have to watch all of the damn speech and the entire ceremony again because of the damn lagging, queueing, and buffering that I had to go through just to be able to catch a glimpse of it! I renege on my statements made earlier about the big three news networks! Come on guys! You knew everyone and their grandmothers was going to try to watch this online! You know better! Get prepared damn it!

The Cello Player

Did anyone else think that the cello player at the Inauguration looked exactly like Al Franken? Man, liberals all around, I love it!

I Wonder...

How much work is actually getting done in the United States of America between the hours of 11 AM and 1 PM. I know I haven't done a damn thing...

CNN is Cool!

I am currently at work but am still able to watch the Live Inauguration Event via CNN's online broadcasting. They have also paired up with one of my most frequent addictions, Facebook, which allows you to comment on what's going on live as you watch the event. It's pretty interesting and if you are at work or able to watch it online, CNN is the place to go. MSNBC and Fox News also have these applications available, but after sampling all three I would have to say that CNN has the best coverage so far.

Also, props to all three networks (yes, even Fox Noise) for having this streaming available and even having different anchors and different coverage than that of their regular broadcasting.

Oh, and Uh, One More Day!

1 More Day!

Man This Thing is Fun...

Inauguration at UK

The University of Kentucky has released a statment to students, faculty, and staff from the provost regarding Barack Obama's historic inauguration on January 20th, 2009. I thought this was pretty cool and really agree with what they said...

Presidential inaugurations are always historic occasions in the U.S. This inauguration has uniquely captured the imagination of young people around the nation, many of whom plan to travel to Washington to be a part of the expected record inaugural crowds. Many Americans, and indeed people around the world, have been forced to view race relations in the U.S. in a new light with the election of Barack Obama. His election is serving as an inspiration for young African-Americans and children of immigrants to believe in their own ability to succeed at the highest level. There is intense interest among our students to witness the inauguration, to be televised between 11:30 am and 2 pm on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009.

My office has received inquiries from faculty regarding the best approach to managing classes that occur during the hours of the televised inauguration. To provide guidance to the faculty who seek it, I offer the following suggestions:

1. To the extent appropriate and feasible, try to use the inauguration creatively as an educational tool in your class. The television coverage will be available at the Worsham Theater and other venues within the Student Center.
2. If your course schedule permits and you think you can make up the course material in other ways, consider encouraging your students to view the inauguration.
3. Consider not scheduling quizzes, etc. and forgiving class absence during the inauguration. Help those who miss class get caught up by providing notes or through other steps.

As an institution of higher learning, we encourage our students to not only become experts in their fields of study, but also to become excellent citizens and leaders. I hope you agree that the presidential inauguration provides an outstanding opportunity for the growth of our students and will encourage them to get the most out of this event.

Go

Last night after work my nephew and I got together so he could teach me an old Asian game called Go, traditionally more popular in Korea, China, and Japan. I really had a blast. The game seems very simple but is actually pretty strategic and involves alot of planning ahead. Unlike chess or checkers, the pieces actually have no restrictions on where they can be placed which makes every game more and more unique. I thought I did pretty well for my first few times playing and I actually want to learn more and get better. What I like most about it is that it's not exactly mainstream (i.e. I haven't met anyone else who plays it) so it is also a challenge to find players, which would make the fact of playing it more enjoyable. Anyone can play checkers.

Here is the Wikipedia link to the game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(board_game

There's actually alot of history and interesting facts about the game. Enjoy!

NAH NAH NAH NAH, NAH NAH NAH NAH, HEY HEY HEY...

X-Force

One of my favorite comic books right now is an action packed catalyst of destruction, X-Force. Overall, I usually hate any title that has to do with the X-Men universe because to me their characters are self-righteous and "holier than thou art." Their continuity is usually very skewed to, and you would probably need a degree in physics to be able to put all the pieces together.

This title is different though. It's written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost and is drawn by Clayton Crain. The book deals with the more melee, action-y characters who do black ops work assigned to them by Cyclops. They do the missions that the public don't need to hear about, but that also keep mutants safe. For the three of you reading this, I recommend you check it out!

Rated G: Ailyn

This little Spanish hottie is currently the lead singer for a death metal band in Norway called Sirenia (which is also a type of water mammal, come to find out). The band is actually pretty good, incorporating alot of distorted sounds and integrating death metal and techno, which is by no means new, but still very, very cool sounding. She's pretty good looking too which doesn't hurt.

Mo Rocca on Kentucky

Wow. Lots of people in the media regarding the Commonwealth.

In an interview with a local newspaper in Lousiville, Ky, Mo Rocca, the famed political satirist and analyst, claimed that Kentucky was one of his favorite states because everyone he is a fan of comes from Kentucky. He named dropped some of the big ones: Abraham Lincoln, Muhammed Ali, Diane Sawyer, Loretta Lynn, and yes, even Diane Sawyer.

Mo Rocca is in Louisville shooting a news story for CBS celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birth on Frebruary 12th.

Pretty cool.

Kentuckian Rides With Obama!

Mark Dowell, a Ford factory employee from Louisville, Ky, will be joining Barack Obama and Joe Biden on a train as they travel to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration Event. He, along with other small town, blue collar employees, was chosen because of an earlier conversation he held with Obama regarding the United Auto Workers. Not really any big news, but if it has to do with the Commonwealth, I guess I'm pretty proud, especially because I would give anything to have an inauguration ticket.

Official Presidential Photo

Oh Yeah.

Anyone Catch the Kentucky Game?

Yeah. Jodie Meeks = Kick-Ass

50 Most Loathsome

My nephew sent this very cool and interesting link in which The Buffalo Beast rates 2008's most loathsome people. While I don't necessarily agree with certain picks (i.e. Barack Obama), it does have some awesome arguments against some of the more reputable crooks and liars we've come to know and hate. Also, both Republicans and Democrats are mentioned, and I applaud them for being so unbiased, which is more than I can say for myself. The link is...

http://buffalobeast.com/134/50mostloathsome2008-full.html

Romantic Geeks?

This is kind of interesting. A young man who decided that he was going to propose to his girlfriend of a few years (and yes, this guy did have a girlfriend) decided he would do it in geekiest, yet slightly romantic, way possible. The girlfriend, who is a fan of the Nintendo DS, is also apparently an avid fan of the video game Chrono Trigger. I'm not sure I really know what that is, but that doesn't really change the impact of the story. For three weeks, the boyfriend hacked and reprogrammed the game on her Ninentdo DS so that while she was playing it she would eventually come to a new level in the game in which slight coincidences about their relationship started to come out. Victory of that level would earn her a virtual proposal. The girl though, after a few weeks, decided she was bored with the game. However, the boyfriend persuaded her to keep going because it would be rewarding in the end. She did, finally got to the newly hacked and created level, and earned her geek proposal. She turns and looks at her boyfriend after she wins and says "yes," followed by, "You're such a geek."

Red States Are Preggers...

Well, well, well.

After creating a world inside a child's mind where America is the ultimate destructor of which nothing can defeat, after preaching values after values, and after instilling the fear of God in all of their influential residents...red states still have higher pregnancy rates.

Take a look...
Wow. It seems to me that telling kids that God doesn't want them to have children and that having sex is EVIL isn't really working. It seems to me that those who are against promoting methods of birth control should actually be grateful, because apparently the kids aren't listening anyway (talking to you O'Reilly). Isn't this reminiscent of some high profile conservative who tried to preach her ignorant and empty values on us. What was her name? She had a daughter in high school that got pregnant so everything she really said was moot. Pally? Polly? Pollin? Oh well. It's not important. Way to go conservatives! Insert foot in mouth...now!

Joe the Plumber...

Still retarded.

Ah, Being From West Liberty...

My hometown of West Liberty recently made the local news rounds because of a giant basketball brawl (sounds like a type of WWE match) at the local high school during a high school basketball game. I wasn't there, and only caught a glimpse of it on the news, but one of my inside sources can tell it best...

My sources tell me that a fan from Lewis County wanted to cause shit with the officials. His son, a player, tried to tell his father to shut the hell up. An undercover state trooper (****) flashed his badge and told the guy to chill out. I guess the rude fan’s redneck buddies felt intimidated by the trooper’s presence and attempted to strike ****. Trooper **** then rushed to his buddy’s needs and hillbilly mania began. When the smoke cleared, it was undetermined who the winner was. Evans was quoted shortly after the incident “If only I had groundhog, we would have been clear winners.” (Ok maybe I made that part up). I believe someone from Lewis was arrested, and charges are pending.

Groundhog of course being one of the local officials around there. You'd think it was funny if you only knew. I'll keep you posted if anything more comes out of this.

Gosh I miss home sometimes...

Speaking of W...

All of the majory network television stations have decided to give ol' G.W. a fifteen minute spot on Thursday so that he may give a "farewell" speech. If it's going to be at the time I think it is, then this can only mean one thing...

It's going to air during the new premiere of The Office! So he's not only destroyed all of the credibility the United States had regarding the rest of the world, ruined our reputation, broke long standing laws regarding personal privacy, helped influence the breaking of habeas corpus, bankrupted the nation, and failed miserably as a president...he has to take away my only fucking source of entertainment on NBC on Thursdays!

Bastard!

Funny...

The Path of Destruction Continues!

Last night at The Golden Globes, Heath Ledger clinched the victory for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Film. As I've said before, we continue on the path to his eventual destruction at the Academy Awards. Praise be to The Dark Knight.

Coulter Gets Grilled!

Not that I watch The View or anything...

I was on my lunch break at work and occasionally I like to turn on the television in the break room. This magnificient piece of ancient history only gets one channel (and I guess after February it won't get any!), which is ABC. And of course, as God has made it for thousands of years, The View was on at 11 A.M.

On the show was one of my favorite conservatives (to make fun of that is), Ann "Elongated Limbs" Coulter. And man, did she get her ass tore up!

I must say I am in no way a fan of The View. It sounds like a good idea, giving four to five women with opposing viewpoints the opportunity to speak their mind on national television. Who knew it would have degenerated into mindless and utterly pointless squabbles among Whoopi Goldberg and that one blonde chick...oh, what's her name...Hazzlle...Azaelback...DemonBitch...oh yeah, Hasslebeck.

But man, they laid into Coulter with a flame and fury that could have only been transcribed by J.R.R. Tolkien, criticizing her on Coulter's new book, Guilty, and her evil malicious thoughts on single mothers, people of mixed race, and her broad use of the word "liberal" to classify anything evil, even if it isn't true. The point is, Coulter just says these wild and crazy things because that's what she's done for so long and that's what people expect. She has no identity of herself beyond that, and simply does these things to get people to buy her trash. If you do buy her trash, I really couldn't expect much of you as a person.

I encourage all three of you reading to try to find this wonderful piece of television on YouTube. I tried to find it earlier so that I could post the link but I guess since it's only been an hour afterwards it's really too early. Happy Hunting!

This is Sad...

http://www.progressivepuppy.com/the_progressive_puppy/2009/01/when-anti-gay-bullying-goes-unchecked-a-students-story.html#more

TDK Continues the Path!

Christopher Nolan, the director of George Scott's Movie Bible (uh, I mean The Dark Knight) has been nominated for Best Director by the Director's Guild of America! This is very exciting, since genre film directors are not usually treated the same as usual drama directors, especially one who makes a film based on a comic book. As I have said before, this is just another dollar in the hat of The Dark Knight's eventual sweep at the Oscars...I hope.

Spidey vs. Morbius?

Sam Raimi, the director of the Spider-Man franchise, is possibly considering Michael Morbius to be the villain in Spider-Man 4. If you don't know, Morbius is a character in Marvel comics who gained his vampiric abilities through trying to cure himself of a rare blood disease using the genetic code of vampire bats. I was never a big fan of Morbius and think his origin is ridiculous, so I guess that fits right up Raimi's ally when you consider Spider-Man 3.

Rated G: Freida Pinto

Pinto is an Indian model and actress whose first film was the recently release Slumdog Millionaire, which is a film I have been dying to see. All the reviews are great and is apparently arguably the best film of the year. I think Indian women are some of the most beautiful women on the planet, and she's a good reason why.

Palin's Gettin' Upset!

So check this out...

In a recent interview, Governor Sarah Palin (of Allaaaassska) claimed that she was very upset at the way Katie Couric treated her in their now famous interview. She has already mentioned this, citing that Couric tried to trick her with "gotcha" questions. Hmmm...

Asking what kinds of publications you read isn't a "gotcha" question. Saying that you can see Russia from your front porch isn't the "gotcha" media. That's you being retarded, Palin. Couric didn't break your balls, yaknow? You're just a fucking idiot, the type of person who blames every bad thing on everybody else. It's not YOUR fault you lost the election for the Republicans. It's not YOUR fault that everyone realized how dumb and inexperienced you really were when you couldn't even answer simple questions by a fairly simple interviewer (Couric's not that smart either, folks). It's the media. It's Katies fault. Riiiiigggggghhhtttt.

She also stated that she thought Keith Olbermann was an "evil" person. Isn't that something in that book she reads about "judge not lest ye be judged?" I mean, if I was to judge her, I would say that she is the coming of the antichrist, if there was such a thing.

But I'm not.

Or am I? You be the judge. *hehe*

The Real Iron Man

An engineer named Dr. Amit Goffer has developed a metallic exo-skeleton designed to help those who have become paralyzed walk again. The invention is called the ReWalk, and will allow those paralyzed from the waste down to walk, be more active, and even climb stairs again, albeit with the help of crutches which help to guide the person. Goffer happens to be disabled himself, thus the inspiration for the invention. The device isn't ready to be sold yet as it is currently going through more testing, but Goffer has stated that he is very excited and that it will happen eventually.

So how cool is that? I hate to say it (because I already made the comment yesterday regarding something else) but it's like something right out of a comic book or sci-fi movie. To me, this type of invention is totally impressive. I couldn't imagine not being able to walk, even though I am typically lathargic and probably don't deserve to anyway. But I am excited for those people that will be able to use this machine. I myself have friends who are paralyzed and it would certainly warm my heart to see them up and walking around again.

Pretty cool Goffer. Pretty cool.

TDK Ultimate Annihilation Begins!

At the appetizer of awards shows last night (The People's Choice Awards), The Dark Knight began it's reign of terror and raping of other films. It went away with five, count em five, awards. It garnered Favorite Movie, Favorite Action Movie, Favorite Cast, Favorite On Screen Match-Up (Joker vs. Batman), and favorite superhero (Batman, duh!). Now, I know The People's Choice Awards to award shows is like Paris Hilton is to safe sex, but this is just a taste of things to come. Come on Heath for the Oscar!

My President is Cool

Barack Obama collects comic books. And now he is featured in the new issue of a Spider-Man comic book. I collect comic books. It's almost like providence. So should I go ahead and say it? Best. Preisdent. Ever.

Come On Dude, You're From Kentucky!

I talk about how wonderful Kentucky is and how I'm proud to be a part of the Commonwealth, and then something like this happens (as if the already heavily reported KKK sect in Western KY wasn't enough)...

A man by the name of Lawrence Johnson recently went ape shit crazy on Delta Airlines Flight 110. The plane was on its way to Los Angeles. Right before it landed, Johnson stood up and started screaming that he had a bomb and that he was going to blow everyone up. So (and I hope the terrorists are remembering) the people on the plane decided to take a page right out of United 93 and stomp his ass. And guess what? He didn't have a bomb (but I bet you already knew that, didn't you?).

So here's what Mr. Johnson succeeded in doing:

-Making Kentucky look bad

-Getting his ass kicked

-Scaring little kids

-Getting himself arrested

-And reminding dumb motherfuckers who attempt to kill people on planes that it's not that easy. Go ahead. Try it. I hope you fucking die.

Jeez.

Straight Out of the Movies...

An old mafia crime case has been reopened and is currently being researched and reinvestigated concerning Charles Carneglia, a former associate in the Gotti crime family. Carneglia was reportedly the person who murdered John Favara, the neighbor of John Gotti who accidentally ran over and killed Gotti's son. The son reportedly ran out in the straight as Favara was pulling up to his house. Orders were sent to have Favara killed, which Carneglia carried out.

It was originally thought that Favara was simply shot, suffocated, or stabbed (there is still some debate) and that his remains were put in concrete and thrown into a local New York river. However, recently, Carneglia, who is now in jail, has commented more on the murder, and, more interestingly, his favorite murder tactics: using ACID.

Apparently, Carneglia didn't murder Favara by standard means (if there is such a thing) but instead decided to torture him slowly with flesh-eating, boiling acid. He claims that there are no remains of Favara and that this is how he killed and got rid of most of his targets for the Gotti crime family.

Why am I speaking about this you might ask? Well, I just think it's cool and interesting. We hear about gunshots, knives, drive-bys, but as Heath Ledger's Joker would say, "You don't pick up on people's tiny nuances like that."

Carneglia was obviously sick in the head. He could have easily taken care of his victims but instead chose a more interesting, more expensive, and more dramatic way of killing his targets, almost like someone out of a comic book. In the comics, Two-Face was scarred by acid (as opposed to fire in The Dark Knight). The Joker was dropped into a chemcial vat which one could assume had acid like properties. And your main villains from James Bond all the way up to Die Hard all use more unique ways of disposing of their enemies.

It's crazy to think that there are real people like that. Interesting, eh? Maybe I'm just fucked up.

More of This Guy? Really?

Well. I probably couldn't say much more on this subject compared to last time...since I feel EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. The last entry I wrote on Joe the Fuckstick I talked about how we should all forget about him, how he should have no influence in society, how his opinions matter about as much as health food means to me, and how he should aphyxiate himself.

Apparently, Pajamas TV completely disagrees with me, as they have charged Joe the Retard with the mission of going to Israel to be a (get this) major war correspondant (although I don't know how major one can be when working for Pajamas Media). Pajamas TV is not even TV...it's a right wing website bent on world domination and persecution of everyone who aren't Christians (that's not their slogan, simply my opinion).

Can I ask a question without cursing or getting angry? Why do people like this guy? His name's not Joe. He's not a plumber. So even the thought of his basic existence is moot. He's not smart. He's not in politics. He's a nobody. So why does he get to go to Israel to shell out right wing details about Israel? I really don't understand.

Who are these people? Who actually works at places like Pajamas TV and Word Net Daily and thinks these types of things are GOOD ideas?

Whoever they are, they should be killed.

It's disgusting.

N.O.M.O.R.E.T.V.

I considered for the briefest of moments (during a conversation with my roommate) about the idea of having my cable turned off. I thought of the money it would save me, especially in this time of need I am in. I thought of all the time I would have on doing bigger and more important things, like writing, blogging, having conversation, or just having more time to reflect. It seems if a television is available, I will be watching it. So not having it would save me ominous amounts of time. I also thought about the amount of reading I could get done, how much smarter I could become.

But then I wonder if I could really do it...

I'm a person who appreciates the arts. I love movies. Not much television, but movies. Now don't get me wrong. I do have a few favorite shows. Fringe, Entourage, anything that seems to be on HBO. And I even have HBO, which is costing me about $12 more than regular. So is it worth it?

I can't decide. I rather enjoy television. I enjoy having it on in the background even if I'm not watching it. But I know if I have it cancelled I would still have my Internet, XBOX Live, etc. I wouldn't be totally helpless. I guess the television shows I really want to watch I could just download and bootleg illegally. I do that stuff anyway.

But I also know that there is no better feeling than just coming in, crashing on the couch, and watch T.V. aimlessly, with no plan or pre-judgement. Just to be lazy...and watch.

I will have to meditate on this. If you are reading, I would like all three of you to comment and let me know what you think. Cancelling my cable is surely something to consider...