Daily Dose of Vitamin G

Disappointed

2009-08-23T22:33:00.002-04:00

I am sitting here thinking and I feel slightly disappointed in myself. There are situations going on currently that I have handled with a sense of entitlement and bratty attitude that doesn't really need to be there. I'm better than this, and because of this I'm disappointed in myself, and feel others are probably disappointed in me as well.

My mother is very ill, and I'm not sure that I've been the son so far that I should be. It's hard for me to deal with her illness, especially since I lost another parent not too long ago. I find myself getting annoyed when we speak for no reason, even though in my mind I tend to come up with reasons: she's self-pitying, ill in the head because of it, or just craving attention. But even if these things are true, it's still not right for me to react the way I do. If I was sick, and my spouse was gone, and all my children were gone, I guess I would feel a sense of loneliness myself. In fact, I admit I probably couldn't handle it in the way she has so far. I can do better, and I'm going to try to do better. I can't promise I won't blow up like I do, because I have anger issues, but I realize that there are things I need to work on. Even if I am right, my mother doesn't need to hear me tell her that. I just need to bite my lip and endure.

I find myself wallowing in my own self pity, due to financials and many other reasons, but I am a pessimistic person, and tend to look at the glass half empty. This is something I need to work on as well, even though I don't think that will ever change much. My outlook on life took a major change in the spring of 2006, and I don't think I'll ever truly recover from that. But I can try. I need to be a better friend, and one who is less focused on himself than on the others who help make life a little better.

Now, on a positive note: since January I have lost 34 lbs. I am on my way to my goal. In that respect, I'm proud of myself, and look forward the huge party that I'm going to throw when I reach that goal.

I want to start blogging everyday. I miss that, and usually choose not to because of the business of work, so I'm going to try to make a better effort.

Let me know how I'm doing.

Meryl Streep

2009-08-09T20:41:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry for what I'm about to say.

Meryl Streep may be one of the most unattractive women I have ever seen. Every time I look at her, I want to vomit in my mouth a little bit. I'm not usually like this. I don't want to just rag on someone for circumstances truly beyond their control. But my goodness, can you name someone less attractive than her? Horrid, truly horrid. Every time I see a new advertisement for Julie and Julia I want to kill myself. She has never been attractive and she never will be. I hope this is her last movie so I don't have to see her disgusting pasty, pale skin again.

Cool Hand Bill

2009-08-05T17:21:00.002-04:00

So, Bill Clinton goes into a nation full of foreign psychopaths. While in this country, he manages to persuade these psychopaths to let two of our journalists go. Man, I miss that family being in office...

Need more info? Check it out here.

G-Note: "Fiend" by Coal Champer

2009-08-04T19:49:00.000-04:00

Vitamin G is...Scared of Old People on Facebook!

2009-08-04T19:38:00.002-04:00

I'm sure you've noticed the upward trend of past generations logging their filthy claws into OUR Facebook. Yes, I know children, it frightens me too. In the past few months, I have added people as friends on my Facebook that I would never have even thought to do so before. The drunken photographs, the silly and demonizing videos, the link to my blog which conservative elders of mine will no doubt find disturbing, disgusting, and diabolical. All of these things are on my Facebook, and now I have to worry about the wrong people reading the wrong thing.

First, one of my co-workers added it. And while I'm not against the idea of having the Facebook bond with my co-workers, I know this particular one is a good, Christian person, and to tell you the truth, the idea of him having access to this blog via my Facebook made me want to put my head down every time I walked by him. I could feel his/her judgement like a giant block being placed on my shoulders by God herself.

Then, my grandmother. No, not my real grandmother. To tell you the truth, as I have mentioned on here countless times, I never really had grandparents. But this particular person has been in my life since I was a small child, and has basically adopted me as her third grandchild. The idea of her perusing through my photographs, seeing the devious deeds that I do when she's not around, well, it's enough to make my pale skin crawl. I want her to think I'm sweet, innocent, and polite...which I am...to her and most other elders. But for a lot of people to know the truth, well, it's just scary...

Then there's the fact that fellow employees from all over campus are on there...watching...waiting...for what, I do not know. But the idea...it just makes me feel so vulnerable...so exposed.

I don't talk about my religion to most. And when people get on there and see the truth, the kind of people who would be offended by such a thing and who I don't want to offend, well, it's offensive. But then again, I think about the truth. If these people can't handle who I am, then maybe they're just not worth knowing. And I'm sure the people I really love will have no problems with me being an agnostic that leans to atheism and a raging democrat.

Or would they...Mom?

As We Get Older

2009-08-03T19:36:00.002-04:00

I often think about where I am in my life and measure it against where I thought I would be when I was younger. The truth saddens me slightly, not because I'm ashamed of myself or where I am (in truth, I'm proud of where I am), but because of how...normal and boring it all has become. As youngsters, we have dreams and ideas of where to go, what to do, and how the world should be and I feel that in age we lose these beautiful, uncontainable thoughts. Life has become dull, riddled with work and the inevitability of going home. Work and home. Work and home. Over and over again. And when I mention this to my friends, co-workers, and other compatriots, the only kind of response I get is..."What did you expect?" And I can't answer that question. I'm not sure what I expected. I guess I really didn't expect anything, which makes the true realization worse.

You see, I was given everything, and now that I reflect on this, I am very grateful. But it is because of this I feel life has taken a turn towards the mundane. I was taught and educated by my parents to do well in school, to make a life from an opportunity that they had missed so long ago. And I did do well. I eventually earned a scholarship that let me go to a university and graduate with a degree, the first in my family to do so. And, after only five months (which I have complained about, I know) I got a good job. Ten months later, I got a better job. These are not things to be embaressed. In fact, these are things to laud and be excited about. So why do I still feel so...empty?

I have wonderful friends, am currently working on my health, live in a beautiful place, and am getting control of my finanical situation which has always been a hindrance since graduating college.

Maybe it's because there's no more to look forward to. After grade school there was middle school. After middle school there was the excitement of high school. After high school there was the new and unknown adventures of college. And after college...well, that's just it. Nobody prepares you for that. We are told when we are younger to be prepared for the real world. I'm sure you notice how adults always say, "Enjoy it while you're young," and laugh and look at each other, acting as if we're ignorant to the fact...which it turns out, we are, or at least I was. I hated the idea that these older people even knew anything about me, where I was, and how I should enjoy my youth. And it turns out they were right. I think we can all agree that if we knew things then that we know now, aspects of our lives could have been different, and for the better.

We are not taught what to do in the real world. We find out on our own, and in this hard lesson we learn that it's not all it's cracked up to be. There are bills, money woes, the agonizing defeat of a difficult work day, the realization of the mortality of our parents, and the lack of imagniation we drew up on a whim so long ago. It's the little things too. The lack of my ability has for drinking, compared to five years ago. The downward spiral of energy I have today, as compared to years ago when I was ready to do anything, legal or not.

And I'm just 23.

What happens at 25? 30? 40? I can't even imagine. Do these thoughts get worse? Do we become trapped in this boring mortality? Is it still just work and home, work, and home?

Or am I just having a quarterlife crisis? Maybe it's not as boring as it seems. Maybe I have just plataued at the moment.

All I can say is that I hope something new and interesting happens. The days of going out to the bars, drinking, going home, watching movies, reading, and just hanging out are starting to lose their appeal. I want something new and stimulating.

Birthers. Are. Fail.

2009-08-03T16:06:00.003-04:00

I can't believe there are still people out there who deny that President Barack Obama was born within the United States. Who are these people? Oh, that's right, republicans. I think Bill Maher said it best when he stated he'll show all these conservatives Obama's birth certificate when Sarah Palin shows us her high school diploma.

So, in the interest of fairness and to show how completely stupid and pointless this entire argument is, the link for President Obama's real life birth certificate can be found here.

And would you believe this? I didn't at first, but then again we can't put nothing past these ignorant conservatives. The birthers have actually forged a birth certificate of President Obama's stating that he was born in Kenya. You can find that story on Salon here.

The NFL Better Not...

2009-07-28T13:45:00.001-04:00

From CBS:

Michael Vick was reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday and could play in regular season games as early as October. Vick can immediately participate in preseason practices, workouts and meetings and can play in the final two preseason games - if he can find a team that will sign him. A number of teams have already said they would not.

I myself am not a fan of animals, but I'm also not a fan of this:

No one better sign him.

Justice...Like Lightning

2009-07-28T13:37:00.002-04:00

After all of the com planing. After all of the name calling. After all of the ad-hominems and hatred and whining and worry of all the old white leaders in Washington, Sonia Sotomayor's nomination as a Supreme Court Justice has finally been approved.

Whether this is good or bad cannot be seen right now. We have to see how she votes and where she lies with certain issues. I for one am not really sure about Ms. Sotomayor strictly based on her previous calls in certain cases. But what I am sure about is that these old racist conservatives now have no reason to attack this woman strictly because she's a Latina, a woman, and not as old as the stone age. At this moment, all I can really say is congratulations Your Honor!

Now don't disappoint...

Hillbilly Daze (Or the First and Only Time I Went to Jail), Part 2

2009-07-27T15:47:00.004-04:00

The officer says to me, "You're the one who should have been driving." I thought he was an idiot at the moment, as I felt as drunk as any time I have ever been drunk before. Not so drunk that I wanted to vomit and pass out, but not weak drunk where I stand up and my body shifts to the left and right. Nope, just perfect drunk.

He makes M get out of the cop car. Then he places me in M's position. I'm now with my fellow compatriots J and S. M gets his own personal cop car. I would guess this was so due to his previous run-ins with the law. He did, of course, have a past shrouded in mystery and deliquency.

We arrived to the jail. They treated us like animals. The water they gave us was room temperature when it should have been chilled. The blankets they gave us were made of courdoroy. And oh, if you only knew how I loathed cordoroy, and still do to this very day. After all of the foreplay, they put S, J, and I into a cell where no one else was. Well, I should use the term cell loosely, as in fact it was what most consider the "drunk tank" (even though we were clearly sober...irony?). By law we were required to stay in this tank for eight hours. This rule was supposed to include M as well, who was put in his own special tank. However, thanks to his upper connections within the eastern Kentucky elite, he was able to make it out of jail within four hours, leaving the rest of us to suffer in pain and silence. What makes this situation more annoying is that it was his fault we were there in the first place, what with his irrational driving and such. Anyhoo, I digress...

We were cold. Lonely. Isolated. The room began getting colder and we all refused to use our blankets because we were sure they had been infested with some unclean bum who had been brought in off the streets of Pikeville. Eventually, however, we succumbed to the coldness and decided to use them after all. The very thought of it today disgusted us. It was finally time for our phone call. First J, then S, whose girlfriend naturally didn't answer the phone as she is completely oblivious to the fact that she even has one half the time. This is the girl that could have been our potential savior, and of course, no answer. Then it was my turn. As I approached the phone, I asked a jailer/law enforcer how this process worked: how much time did I have, was this the only call I could make, etc. He responded very rudely to me, treating me like trash. And you can tell what kind of person this was. This was a young redneck fool who knew nothing of the world. His ignorance obviously shined in high school, and because of this he was bullied, beaten, teased, made fun of, which are all things that should have happened to a person of such lower class. Now, because of all this, he decided the only way to get back at the ones who mistreated him would be to become a police officer and harass those young, rich, good-looking boys who get drunk during Hillbilly Daze and eventually get jailed. So, to all of the corrupt snooty cops out there who do not do well in their position and who only exist for retribution on those who deserved to do to you what they did, well to you I say fuck you, and I will have my own retribution.

I could barely remember any phone numbers. With today's dependence on cell phones, it almost seems pointless to try. But I knew two: my mother's, and a girl I had recently become acquainted with. Naturally, I called her. She then told my niece, who told my sister-in-law, who then called to check up on me. I couldn't answer of course. I was in jail. Back into the cell I went.

The seconds felt like minutes. The minutes felt like hours. And the hours felt like days. I literally do not understand how prisoners deal with the issue of time. In this cell I lost all concept and reality of the term. Time seemed to stand still. Meanwhile, more drunkards were placed in the cell. I had to protect J and S by proclaiming that they were my bitches to the rest of the imprisoned, and that they should not touch. One man was obviously high on crystal meth.

Boredom. Despair. Fear. And finally, a shining light. The door opens. It's time for us to go. We call H (thank goodness there was enough battery life in my phone). And then we go. This is the story of a time I spent in the wonderland of eastern Kentucky, in the hills of the Appalachian festival. This is the story of a time I was looking forward to celebrate my heritage through food and spirits. And this it the story of how three gentlmen, who had no previous contact with any kind of law enforcement, were abused, tortured, and harassed by corrupt officials.

I warn you this: Hillbilly Daze is not the fun loving alcohol swilling party you think it is. Despite what you might think, there are rules, even when they're shouldn't be. We should be able to drink until we die at a place called Hillbilly Days. Our Kentuckian forefathers would be ashamed.

A Message I Wrote to HSBC Credit Card Services, An Epic Failure of a Company

2009-07-22T11:07:00.004-04:00

What I have just been through was a disaster. I typed in my password incorrectly twice. I have been using this damn thing for years. After I did that, it refused to let me have access to my account. I could reset it if I had my card number, but I shredded my card years ago. So now I can't reset it online. I called the customer help number, who then transferred me to someone else, who then transferred me to someone else, who then transferred me to someone else, who then transferred me to a non-English speaking gentlemen who finally told me that nothing could be done. It took four people to tell me that? Then, having graciously waited for close to an hour and a half, he told me they WOULD NOT reset my account even though I could provide my social security number, birth date, address, and could even give them the last four digits of the card. So now they are sending me a new card so I can set up my account online. But you, the overpaid neanderthal who gets paid to read these emails and then delete them without ever providing any sort of real customer care, will no doubt do the same to this very message. So to you I say, your system is a failure. I should have never gotten involved with HSBC, which is way too hard to do considering they have contracts with almost every retailer imaginable, and I implore you to get out of this impossible system.

Oh, and if the non-English speaking gentlemen I spoke to messed up and I don't receive my card within 10 to 15 business days, I will have no access to my account online, which means I will not be paying. I will not hold myself responsible for late fees, etc. because I am sending this message and have explained my case. Now, I work in a similar business, and know you're going to tack them on anyway, but I just want you to know that I know.

And be warned. If I don't receive this new card that I don't even want in the mail within the scheduled amount of time the non-English speaking agent told me, I will be highly infuriated. I will call, and one of your lowly operators will bare the brunt of my verbal aggression because of your incompetence.

Hope to be hearing from you! :)

Disney Magic Proposal

2009-07-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

Someone sent this to me and it really brightened up my day. I can't tell if this is all fake or not though. Thoughts?

Hillbilly Daze (Or the First and Only Time I Went to Jail), Part 1

2009-07-21T09:30:00.005-04:00

The trip had been planned for weeks. Five young college men, including myself, were going to make the excursion to my homeland, God's country, eastern Kentucky, Pike County to be exact. We were going to celebrate being Kentuckians...well, I'm being too coy. We were going to celebrate being bred from the state of moonshine, bluegrass, hot brown, fine women, bourbon, and tobacco. We were leaving Lexington, a place considered more civilized, and heading toward our roots. Well, mine, M's, and H's anyway. S and J blood came from elsewhere (the Centralists - both from the Louisville area). But we were leaving our fine city lives for a day or two to rediscover what it was like to be a hillbilly. In Pike County, naturally, at Hillbilly Daze, a festival celebrating the loudest and most jovial of us. I had never been before, but was no stranger to these types of festivals, having been from West Liberty, the motherland to the annual Sorghum Festival, a similar event, but with less alcohol content.

We got into M's Lexus, a very modest vehicle, big enough to fit the five of us, and began the two and a half hour trip back East. It didn't seem like it took that long. With all the stories, jokes, and laughing everyone had in the car we were there in no time. The first thing we did was stop at H's and say hello to his parents. It was the right thing to do, but they were certainly oblivious to the fact of the devious deeds we were about to accomplish in Pike County. Without counting into affect what everyone else had planned, I had but one goal: to demolish myself with enough food and alcohol that it would put Dwight Yoakum to shame. I was going to eat gyros and hot brown. I was going to consume enough beer and liquor that the stench would have been revolting, and I couldn't wait. I was, after all, celebrating my heritage as a hillbilly.

After the pleasantries at H's house we departed to go downtown to start the circus. When we arrived, the smells were overbearing. The smell of all the wonderful items being deep fried and covered with powdered sugar could make a small child cry. Hell, I almost did myself. The scents of meats and cheese permeated throughout the streets. Meanwhile, the people. Laughter, pure joviality, singing, dancing. Beautiful. We walked. We went down one street and up the other. The first drink: a large colorful tube of liquor and some sort of fruit-ice beverage. If you've ever seen Vegas Vacation , it looked like the beverage Cousin Eddie holds behind Clark at the blackjack table, the one he lights on fire. The liquor was very noticeable, and I am one to not enjoy the taste of fine liquors all that well, and I know that what they put in this certainly wasn't any fine liquor.

We pressed on.

The next drink: the beer section. This is where it began. One beer, two beers, three beers, four. On and on and on. People we knew came up to us, said hello, and moved on. For a while, a few of us remained here to consume as much alcohol as possible while the rest of us explored.

We pressed on.

Another drink here, another drink there, and before you know it everything was out of control. The Kentucky heat and humidity began to get to us, and those who are in Kentucky know, it's unstoppable. This, mixed with the amount of drunken buffoonery I had become, forced the idea in my head that it was time to find some air conditioned room somewhere for me to sleep this off and start again. M, J, S, and I were all in agreement. We had heard of a party happening somewhere up the hill, a perfect place for us to cool our heads, rest our bones, and re energize for the night that followed. H, whose girlfriend had accompanied us, was naturally forced by her to stay, and so we split. Now it was just M, J, S, and me. But H being gone would soon come in handy later.

I asked him. "M, are you okay to drive?"

"Definitely." Of course he would say that. He was never not okay to drive. He would prove this two times earlier in ways that I'm sure I'm not supposed to divulge, so I won't. Anyway, my desire for air conditioning outweighed my desire to survive a crash, but M was noticeably better off then any of us anyway. We were just going up the hill, not that far. And J and S were both on board. So why not?

We got into the Lexus. The cold air pushed itself on me. I have to tell you that I've been in a lot of vehicles, but a Lexus turns the hot air to ice in a matter of seconds. But I digress. M starts the engine. We drive. Everything seems fine. And then...the incident.

Traffic is bad, but the left turn to the hill is in sight. And this idea pops into M's head: "Why don't I just pass all this traffic using the opposite lane, and make the turn?" Yes M, why don't you. Without telling any of us what happened, he pulls out of the line of traffic, and is now driving in the opposite lane. I would say unbeknownst to any of us, and cop was waiting at the bottom of the hill. Be it was unbeknownst. J, S, and I had seen him from the distance, even before M started this ridiculous plan. Apparently, M did not. He makes the left turn. Up the hill he goes. And, well, you can probably guess what happens next.

The lights flash. The Lexus stops. M starts to freak out. He exclaims how he's going to go to jail, how he's going to lose his license. I turn around. J and S are having miniature freak outs of their own. S, who is known to stress during situations that deviate from the norm, is noticeably...well, stressed. J remained quiet, like he does anyway. The cop approaches M's door. "What were you doing, sir?" M mumbled something back, but nothing that really made any sense. He takes the license, the registration, and what we dreaded most came next. "Could you please step out of the car, sir?" He did. The dreaded TEST was being executed. Left in front of right, FAILED. Breathalyzer, FAILED. Into the back of the cop car he goes. Next...S. Breathalyzer, FAILED. He's gone too. Just me and J. At that point it felt like a game of elimination, like 1 vs. 100 or something. J is up next. FAILED. Into the car with the other two. Now it's my turn. Breath. He doesn't tell me the result. I looked in the car where the other three are being held captive. I began to chuckle slightly, as the situation was kind of humorous. S certainly didn't think so. But I wasn't laughing at them. I was laughing at myself. Earlier, I had expressed my angst towards H for leaving us with the woman. And now all I could think was...

"He's going to be so glad he didn't come with us..."

------------------------------------------END Part 1--------------------------------

These Are Books I Want...

2009-07-20T11:14:00.002-04:00

But don't seem to have time to buy and read. Boo...

-Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Expose of the Dark Side of American Policing by Norm Stamper

-Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero by E. Paul Zehr

-Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford

-The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain De Botton

-Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul by Mark D. White

-This is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America by Ryan Grim

-Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy

-Creeker: A Woman's Journey by Linda Scott DeRosier

One day I'm going to have them all checked off my list. One day...

Dishonesty

2009-07-18T16:40:00.002-04:00

It makes me angry when people aren't completely honest with me. I'm a person who likes to deal with problems head on, whether they are personal or through work. I consider myself really great at assessing situations, making the right calls and judgments, and knowing what to do if I have all the information. So when I don't get all the information, or am being lied to, I can't help.

Dreaming About the Past

2009-07-18T11:20:00.003-04:00

Last night I had two horrible nightmares. The thing is that they didn't involve ghosts or goblins, I wasn't falling without a parachute, and I wasn't giving a speech in the nude. I dreamed about two people of my past and waking up from both dreams broke my heart.

The first was about a woman that I used to love, and that I believe I still do now. She was everything I ever wanted as cliche as that sounds. She was an iconoclast, went against the grain, did what she wanted, and didn't care about what anyone thought or did. All she cared about was her and me. She was fun. Her laugh was soft and yet still made its presence known. Her smile took my breath away. The form of her outdid all of these plastic unknowns we see in magazines. The softness of her and laying next to her made me feel at peace. But, like anything that seems to yield positivity, things got confusing, and I lost her. What kills me the most is probably my own vanity, knowing possibly that I'll never be with another woman as wonderful, as interesting and unique, and as beautiful in soul and body as her. It's truly depressing.

The second dream was about my father. I often have this type of dream about him. Somewhere familiar, this time at my old house, he shows up and I am shocked to find out that he is alive and that his death this whole time was a mere charade. Tears form in my eyes and I give him a big hug, the kind of hug that only a father and son can have. I ask him why is he here and he tells me he missed me. Then we usually sing a song, last night I beleive it was by Bob Seger.

These dreams, these good dreams, are the worst, because when I wake up, I realize that these people I love aren't with me anymore. WORSE THAN NIGHTMARES.

Natalie Portman in Thor!

2009-07-16T10:20:00.003-04:00

I mentioned this a long time ago, but at that time it was only a rumor. Now we have confirmation that Natalie Portman will be in the new Thor film directed by Kenneth Branagh. It can't get more amazing. Presumably, Portman will be playing Jane Foster, one of Thor's first love interests in the comic. It's almost a shame though, because I always figured Portman as Sharon Carter in the new Captain America film. And, it's almost hypocritical of me, as I am a critic of these comic book films where the directors and writers insist on putting love interests in the mix. But who cares! It's NATALIE. F*CKING. PORTMAN!

Friendly Shout-Outs!

2009-07-16T09:57:00.004-04:00

There's a lot of depressing and antisocial behavior that goes on here, so I thought it would be a nice time to recognize some of my friends and the wonderful things they are doing, and why I am so proud of them...

-To Liz and Simeon, for making it into the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, and for recently celebrating their anniversary...

-To Bethany for being such studious and such a hard worker, especially during the 7pm to 7am shifts...

-To Lauren Mc. for finally coming out of her cave and having dinner at Drake's...

-To Murrel, for not letting the obsession and abuse of drugs and alcohol ravage his body until the point of death. For you to even be standing is a miracle, and I commend you for it...

-To Shalysa, for getting into graduate school at the University of Louisville where she will be pursuing her Masters in Higher Education, something she has been waiting on for a long time...

-To B-Dobz for busting his ass every day at UK's one year MBA program which consists of the student going to school every day from 8AM to 5PM...

-To Austin B. for getting into University of Kentucky Law School...

-To Jay and Clayton for getting into Medical School...

And everyone else who I am depending on to be successful so that I can have it easy for the rest of my life!

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens

2009-07-16T09:48:00.002-04:00

I recently finished this interesting book and thought I would give you my overall synopsis. For those who insist that I am always chastising the Christian religion, as a matter of fact, Christopher Hitchens chastises EVERY religion, which is evident in this book, so it gets worse.

To start off with, I didn't love this book nor did I hate it. It's a hard book to read especially since almost every paragraph is filled with Hitchens' own caustic and self-absorbed wit, presuming that everything he is saying is correct. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm just don't like arrogant tones, which is something you find heavily here. Such is the nature of Hitchens, as the same kind of attitude writing is prevalent throughout many of his other works. And I would by no means defend religion, but I don't like anyone who presumes that they actually know. Regarding religion, I don't know and you don't know either, and that's how I like discussions to end with it. Much like Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus believe they have it all figured out, so does Hitchens.

Now, with that said, he does make a lot of interesting points, and the book is chalked full of useful and factual information about why organized religion is a huge failure no matter where you go. It causes hatred, war, bigotry, segregation, ignorance, health concerns, and all kinds of other problems which Hitchens has no reservations about getting into. The book has also helped me learn, understand, and articulate a lot of arguments I have against religion, for which I am thankful.

I won't right anything more about it. Religion is a personal choice for anyone, and I know on here I tend to be unfair and probably don't recognize a lot of good that comes from religion, but I just don't believe it matters compared to all the bad. I'm not sorry I am so biased. So if you are interested in both sides of the argument, Hitchens' book is a great read, and I definitely recommend it.

I Knew Wonka Would Snap!

2009-07-09T08:30:00.002-04:00

There's really not that much to say. Someone passed away in a chocolate factory. Yeah.

Be amazed here.

Top Ten Things Spoken by a Giant Robot!

2009-07-08T15:54:00.001-04:00

Cannabis

2009-07-08T15:04:00.003-04:00

Pot is definitely not my thing. I have friends who are avid cannabis users, who rely on it to calm them down and get them through the trials of the day. And I can understand all of that. But for me, it just doesn't work like that.

Like any other former high school and college student, I've tried my share of things. I've done some things that expanded my mind, and I've done other things that made me want to lock myself in my room and never come out. I've drank to be social and drank to be belligerent. I've toasted, and I've passed out. But one thing my body could never quite adjust to was marijuana. I never really did it in high school and only did it a select few times in college. Today, I don't really do it at all. Here's why:

I believe marijuana takes a person's attitude and multiplies it to a certain degree. Certain friends of mine are goofy, fun-loving, and simply enjoy all there is to in life. So when they smoke, it takes them to the next level. They enjoy life more no matter what they're doing (which is probably watching television). It elevates their happiness. But, as I've wrote about before, I have a high level of anxiety. Situations can stress me out and I can't seem to relax until I get them done. So whenever I smoke, it takes that stress and turns it into paranoia. Instead of enjoying being high, all I can seem to think about is being scared, or how fast my heart is beating. It takes the way I think and multiplies it just like it does any other person. And quite honestly, most times, I end up freaking out.

Am I the only person like this?

I Think I'm Obsessed with Facebook...

2009-07-08T09:51:00.001-04:00

...how about you?

James Pinkerton: Obama's Katrina

2009-07-08T09:45:00.002-04:00

An article came out today on the Noise's web site by James Pinkerton claiming that the recession will be Obama's Katrina. His claim is that just like Bush's lack of a quick response and commitment to Katrina, Obama will get the same criticism for his lack of a quick response and commitment toward the economic recession this country is facing.

I guess you're right Mr. Pinkerton. I mean, Barack Obama has only been president for around six months. He inherited the recession from the failures of the previous administration. I guess you're right. The unemployment is all Obama's fault.

The fact is, Katrina and this recession cannot be related and it's childish to do so. You can't compare disasters like this, and even if you're could there's no comparison. W. did not inherit Katrina. It happened on HIS watch and HE failed to do the right thing. President Obama has been quick to respond to the problems of this economy since Day 1 and has kept completely transparent on what's being done, unlike Mr. Bush.

You can read Pinkerton's humiliating (for him) attack on Obama here.

Audra Shay, I Hardly Knew Ye

2009-07-07T12:54:00.003-04:00

What is it about republicans and racism? Don't you seem to find most racists and bigots within the republican party? It makes sense. And I'm not just writing about this to give another example of why I don't like conservatism or anything like that. I'm just saying that when all the dust settles, that kind of ignorance seems to steam from the right more so than the left. And every few months we seem to get an avid republican that reminds of the fact...like Audra Shay.

Who you ask?

Ms. Shay is the current vice chairman for the Young Republicans, a group of young and excited conservatives meant to help energize the Grand Ol' Party (even though Shay is 38...not so young). Shay also fell into a trend that most people who are not young are falling into...that of FaceBook. It's my opinion that FaceBook should be reserved for young good-looking hipsters like myself, but I have noticed the increasing swarm of old people who like to get on there and gossip about the young crowd. Ms. Shay is not exception.

One day, Ms. Shay posted a comment about how she thought Wal-Mart was doomed for endorsing President Obama's new healthcare plan. Naturally, the new feature of FaceBook allows a person to comment on their status updates. So, many of her "friends" commented on this. One of these "friends" was Eric S. Piker. He not only commented once, but twice! Oh joy! Or not...

You see, the last thing Eric said was this:

Obama Bin Lauden is the new terrorist… Muslim is on there side… need to take this country back from all of these mad coons… and illegals.

Not very integracial. And guess what. Ms. Shay decided to respond to that with this:

You tell em Eric! lol.

LOL indeed Ms. Shay. LOL indeed.

Of course, this was all taken down at Ms. Shay's immediate understanding that she had just fucked up in a major way. However, a few 'detectives' actually copied the page before it was taken down. You can find it here.

And yet another conservative caught in her own web of bigotry. I doubt we'll be seeing much more of Audra Shay, or at least I hope so.

Is Anyone Else Excited About Football Season?

2009-07-06T10:47:00.002-04:00

I am.

My Farewell to Sarah Palin (I'm Sure She'll Be Back Though)

2009-07-06T09:04:00.003-04:00

So unless your are hiding under a rock you know that Sarah Palin has surprisingly resigned from her governorship of Alaska. She had a few reasons for deciding to quit. For example, she claims she was never intending to run for governor again anyway and didn't want to be a 'lame duck' governor for the next eighteen months. She claims that too much money was being spent on all the corruption currently going on in her government (corruption she caused). But the most interesting I find is that she claims that the media are still using unfair and biased tactics against her.

This claim is ridiculous. Does it ever occur to these wingnuts that sometimes what the media seems to report over and over might be true? Might it be true that Sarah Palin is a conventional idiot whose policies and beliefs are both ancient, out of touch, and contradictory? Might she be a corrupt, hypocritical individual like a lot of these conservatives who preach at us but who do not follow their own moral code?

And as far as her 'battle' with David Letterman: aren't comedians supposed to be...I don't know...comedic? That joke was funny and it doesn't really matter who it was directed at: the 14-year old or the 18-year old. When a person is placed into the public eye, the are to be scrutinized. But not just you. Your family, your friends, they too will be investigated and satired by the media, by comedians, by anyone who feels they have an opinon or a voice. Yes ex-Governor Palin, when you signed on to be a politician and governor, your should have made your family aware that they would be under the same level of scrutiny as you. It doesn't matter if it's fair or not. Everyone invovled with you becomes part of the game and if you can't handle it then get out.

Oh wait, you are.

:)

July 4th Break

2009-07-01T08:37:00.002-04:00

Hi Everybody! (Hi Doctor George)

If you haven't noticed, which I'm sure you have because you are obsessed with checking what kind of crazy antics I'm getting into on here, I haven't been posting this week. And there is a very good reason for it! Well, not really.

The truth is...I'm lazy, kind of.

Saturday is July 4th and I am actually going home to West Liberty, Kentucky on Wednesday (hey, that's today!). Since I will be without computer access for most of the week, a little vacation of sorts, I decided to take a break from blogging as well for the week and see what it's actually like to watch the news without forming my ravaged opinions on the internet.

But fear not. I'll be back in the game on July 6th, and I'm very excited about it.

So until then, be safe, be weary of drinks that people give to you, and have a wonderful Independence Day!

Michael Jackson: So What?

2009-06-26T08:21:00.002-04:00

I must be the only person in the world who's not upset by the untimely death of pop star/regular freakshow Michael Jackson. He was weird. He was creepy. Sure, he had some great hits, and even I must admit to the urge I feel when I hear Thriller (I can't stop myself). But he was also a center for controversy, a stereotype of child abuse and the more obvious cliche of adults trying to find their childhood again when they should really be acting like adults. Events that surrounded him were just bizarre and I don't believe his career in the early 80's and before makes up for all the drama and media sensation that he has put us all through from the late 80's and on.

Just my opinion.

More Trickery From the Noise

2009-06-25T08:57:00.005-04:00

This is very interesting, almost shocking.

Yesterday on what I refer to as the Noise (Fox News...ewww), when Governor Sanford was giving his explanation of where he'd been and what he'd done, across the crawl on the bottom, well, they labeled him a democrat! And this isn't the first time they've done this. So I have two ideas of what might be going on here:

1. The Noise will immediately abandon anyone in their republican party over controversy and try to enforce to the public that those politicians are really members of the democratic party so conservatives don't look bad. OR...

2. The Noise is full of idiots who don't know how to properly edit and check before putting news on the air.

Both sound like they could be true. Below is a picture of this as well as other times the Noise has done this during other controveries. I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it makes sense...

CNN is Fail

2009-06-25T08:19:00.003-04:00

Look at the image I copied above. I was visiting CNN.com and couldn't believe that there were TWO headlines right in a row about Jon & Kate. Not only that, but they read like something of a conversation held by two twelve year olds at a middle school...

"Kate said Jon wanted the divorce."
"Well, Jon said it was Kate. His feelings were hurt that she said that."

Who gives a shit about these people? I just don't understand.

CNN. You are supposed to report THE NEWS! This isn't news. This is a made up drama from a reality show like all reality shows are made up. You perpetuate this country's idiocy by promoting shit like this. I know money is important, and it's obvious that all that is for money, but wouldn't you like to be known as a credible news source?

If you want the news, go to Al-Jazeera.

CNN, I'm done with you.

Nancy Grace & Jane Velez-Mitchell: Do We Really Need Them?

2009-06-24T11:23:00.004-04:00

Do we really need people like this on television? There's actually hundreds of people that we don't need on television, but for some reason these two women and their "investigative" shows really seem to irk me in a way entirely different from all others. We know we're going to see bigoted wingnuts on the Noise. We know we are going to see Obama supporters on MSNBC. But for some reason, what CNN has, is two women who look like they haven't gotten laid in months because the last time they did involved tying their men up to the bed and dripping hot wax on their exposed flesh.

Nancy Grace may actually be from hell. She is what happens when the devil decides to have children. She looks evil, she speaks like she is evil, and quite frankly, my privates are scared of her. All she does on her show is deride, slander, and make situations worse. She takes people's private lives and exposes their problems, night after night, when none of it is really the American people's business. What her show does is promote the lawyers and prosecutors looking for their claim to fame. She has them on as guests to discuss whatever fucked up situation they happen to belong to, but they're really there just to promote themselves. It's perverse. She may think she's doing a good thing but she's not. She creates a media storm that wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for her. Without her show, reporters would not go to these small legal matters that she decides to make into a huge national crisis. Sure most of them involve murder (mostly murder of white women), but honestly, the number of people murdered every day cannot be counted. So why does she pick these stories? To get ratings. To get money. She doesn't care about the families. Don't let her fool you into thinking that her past career as a prosecutor gives her a supreme moral standing above all others. She loves money. She loves conflict. Nancy Grace is a terrible person, straight and simple.

Jane Velez-Mitchell took Glenn Beck's spot on CNN, and to be honest I didn't think it could get any worse than Nancy Grace, but CNN likes to prove me wrong from time to time. This Lisa Rinna look alike takes the smallest stories, which mostly include teenage girls getting into fights, and puts them in the national spotlight. Hey Jane, I've got news for you: TEENAGE GIRLS FIGHT. Hormones, the start of life, sex, drugs...it's common sense. Why do you act so shocked every time someone sends you a cell phone video of two girls fighting and pulling each others' hair? Great journalism.

These two women are just awful and should be taken off TV. My mother is a big fan of both of them and is completely obsessed with their stories. Like most people who watch these shows, she's obsessed because of the propaganda they spew of issues that aren't really news.

Stop watching them!

Irrefutable Proof that God Exists...

2009-06-23T12:19:00.000-04:00

...or not.

Have you ever seen somebody working on a fence and takes a hammer and hit their thumb and go "Awww... Buddha!" You ever see them do that? How many hit a gold ball like I hit a golf ball and they go "Ohhh... Mohammed!" Why do they call that name? You know what they do? They go "Jesus Christ!" "Jesus Christ!" Why do they call that name? Because I believe when a person gets hurt or they get angry, they wanna blame who? They want to blame God.

Kentucky Feels the Effects of War

2009-06-23T10:20:00.001-04:00

From the Lexington Herald-Leader:

HAZARD, Ky.

A soldier who was killed in Afghanistan grew up and graduated from high school in eastern Kentucky.
The Department of Defense on Monday announced the combat death of 1st Sgt. John D. Blair of Calhoun, Ga.

Military officials said the 38-year-old Blair died June 20 in Mado Zayi, Afghanistan, after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.

Blair was an Army National Guardsman, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, based in Lawrenceville, Ga.

WYMT-TV in Hazard, Ky., reported Blair graduated from Cumberland High School in Harlan County in 1990 and had been a member of the Kentucky National Guard before moving to Georgia.

G-Note: "Blood and Thunder" by Mastodon

2009-06-22T16:24:00.000-04:00

The Monday Afternoon Refresher

2009-06-22T16:10:00.003-04:00

-For some reason, I really love mowing, even so much that I have voluntarily mowed one of my friend's lawn in the last two weeks. I think it's because my father always made me mow, and it is a good way to remember him.

-I am taking a class to help get me into a graduate program that I want admission to. It's a basic class and I have already taken it once before. I am retaking it because I didn't get a good grade the first time, for reasons I don't believe are my fault. The fact that I barely understand what's going on in the class now, though, is what makes me feel even dumber.

-I have been on a huge diet and exercising every day. I have still yet to see results and am becoming discouraged. Something better happen soon, damn it. I've had it with this whole fat thing.

-I love coffee. Strong, black, with cream, with or without sugar, cheap, expensive...I love it. Doesn't matter what kind. They are all different and all bring about the same amount of joy. There's nothing better in the morning.

-I need new clothes but don't really have the money to buy them. If anyone wants to help me out, feel free.

-Dark Avengers is still the best comic book Marvel is putting out right now. Batman and Robin is the best DC comic right now, even though it's only been one issue. It doesn't take much for DC to do better though, since everything they do suck. Executive Assistant: Iris is the best indy out there.

-There's a new restaurant across the street from me called Drake's. It. Is. Amazing.

-I'm excited about Dobson moving to Lexington. Me and my crew have completely taken over Tates Creek.

-Had a great weekend. Hope the next one is just as good.

Sarah Palin is an Idiot. Sarah Palin Supporters are Idiots. The Universe is in Balance.

2009-06-19T11:00:00.002-04:00

I Had No Idea Barney Frank was Gay.

2009-06-17T15:24:00.001-04:00

And I call myself a democrat.

Salvia Oh Salvia

2009-06-17T14:59:00.003-04:00

In Kentucky, salvia divinorum is legal. Therefore, you can believe I have had more than a few experiences with the stuff. The other night, Monday, was my third time trying it. All three times I have experienced something brilliant and new, something that I have a hard time describing but that was so real and merging...well, I don't want to go all hippy on you. I thought it would be a good thing to describe the affects the hallucinogen had on me because I do find it so interesting and can't believe that one small hit on something LEGAL can do so much. But first, a little background info:

Salvia divinorum comes from a mint leaf that has traditionally been used to guide human beings through spiritual walks or vision quests. You can chew it, boil it to make tea, but for the most accessible experience it is sold at many different counter-culture stores where it has been broken down into small bits and pieces that can be smoked. The most effective way is to put it in some sort of pipe. Only hit it once because it is only most potent after you have been completely sober, although you can still get a small feeling afterwards if you choose to try it again. The hit must be long and deep, almost to the point of passing out through lack of oxygen. If you know me, I'm a huge fan of Wikipedia and they have a great section on it here for those wanting to learn more.

So, the experiences.

#1. I walked into a house of some friends of mine. I hadn't been there for thirty seconds when someone says to me "you want to try a legal hallucinogen? It's legal!" Oh, well then, how could I refuse. He put it in a pipe like one would do with some...well, anyway, he lit it. At first I felt nothing. For a few seconds I was disappointed. And then it happened. Everything that I could see turned almost diagonally and started to repeat itself over and over again diagonally, like a film strip. I know I'm not explaining this right, but imagine a picture, one picture that is copied a hundred times and then run through a film reel. That's what I saw. Whatever I was seeing, I seen it a hundred times (does that make sense?). I was scared. I was freaking out. I thought it was going to be like smoking grass. I couldn't move. My body was being weighed down like some force was keeping me that way. My skin felt like it was being pinched everywhere. I forgot where I was. I forgot who I was with. I was scared that I was having a stroke. Apparently I cried out for help and all I could hear were people laughing. Five minutes later, the affect wore off and I realized that what I had just experienced was one of the most mind altering things I have ever done. Even though it was scary, it was amazing. It changed the way I thought, only for those five minutes, but suddenly the weight of the world was non-existent. The world was frightening and I was afraid, but that's all it was: basic emotion. No problems. Just me and fear. Amazing.

#2. I had decided to stay away for a while, worrying that I would have the same freak out. However, I was persuaded to do it again before going to see Step Brothers. I thought, this time I know what's going on, so it will be better. And I was right. I smoked it and started to laugh hysterically that I cried. I was so happy to be there, to be with my friends. I felt joy, togetherness, like my entire crew of friends and I were meant to be there at that very moment. I laughed some more. I cried some more. Again, my body was being pushed by some unknown being. My skin pinched, but comfortably. I got chills. I cried and laughed some more. Two girls I am very good friends with came near me and touched me on the shoulders. I had never felt anything more soothing or comforting. I laughed some more. The taxi came to get us. I laughed going into the taxi. I laughed getting out and going to the movies. This time, after ten minutes, it was over, and I realized the potential for a good time with the plant. This time, the world wasn't frightening, but it was right and joyful.

#3. The other night. A friend texted me to tell me I could have what was left because it was too much for him. I went over to some friends' house to get it. We sat there. It had been a year since my last encounter. They wanted me to go first so I did. Light, smoke, big hit, hold in, release. Seconds. More seconds. Here it comes. The pinching started again followed by slight dizziness. Then the most far out experience I've ever had happened. The world around me started to become animated. It was like we had all become cartoons, like something out of Cool World or Who Framed Roger Rabbit? There were yellows and pinks. The pink objects may have been rabbits or bunnies, I'm not sure. But they were singing. I started to laugh. I laughed hysterically as I recall. It was beyond laughing. My laughter was another form of me, how I imagine the Joker feels when he laughs. A person in a white shirt walked in and he too became animated. It looked like he was wearing a white suit, like Col. Sanders, but not Col. Sanders. They looked at me and laughed and I laughed right back. I felt I belonged there, like I knew the living room better than anyone had ever known anything, like the room was speaking to me. More laughter. I grabbed the girl's knee and laughed more. A few minutes, and then nothing.

I don't condone this. I don't encourage it. But I don't discourage it either. I have seen many people do this and all with different affects. Sometimes more intense than mine it seems, and sometimes not. I will tell you that it is unbelievable how this works, how a simple plant that is smoked for a millisecond can affect your mind.

It makes me angry that people like Kathleen Chidester are trying to outlaw the stuff in every state because she claims that her son used it and became depressed because of it, thereby leading to his suicide. It's people like her that don't see their own failures as parents as the lead to their children's demise. Blame all others, not yourself it seems. These are the people that hate marijuana not because they truly despise it, because it's illegal. To hate something because the government says not to do it is wrong, pretentious, and bombastic. It makes you a part of a cult, a schemer as our boy the Joker would say, and necessarily so.

The Cap is Back!

2009-06-16T16:06:00.001-04:00

Book Review: The Shack

2009-06-16T15:50:00.002-04:00

I just reading The Shack by WM. Paul Young. For those that don't know, The Shack is a work of fiction which focuses on religion, the love of God, and all that other good stuff. Now if you know me, you know that I don't really get into all that, but I figured since it was lent to me by a friend that I would at least give it a shot because I like to think that I'm somewhat open minded. Even if it is about the love of Jesus Christ, I thought, I can still enjoy reading.

Well, much like after Twilight when a friend recommended that to me, I was wrong. The Shack is exactly what I had originally thought it would be: full of Christian propaganda, hypotheticals, a human being's own weak interpretation of a greater being, and a result that just seems unjust. In it, we meet Mack, whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered a year ago at a local park. The infamous shack was used by the murderer to hide out. Because of this, Mack loses his faith in God, until one day he is written a letter by Papa, Mack's wife's pet name for God, to tell him to come back to the shack.

When he arrives, he is introduced to the trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, only they aren't what Mack expects. The book consists of conversations Mack has with these three entities, or one entity (if you can figure out how the book explains this, please let me know, because there is so much backtracking, lagging, and spurt of the moment reasoning that it is somewhat hard to follow). What the book basically does is make excuses for why bad things happen to good people, which is exactly one of the reasons I am not religious, because I believe there is no excuse, that nothing is out that, and that bad things just happen in general because the world is a chaotic cesspool of misery and pain that only desists upon death. But that's just me.

I do applaud the author for coming up with some more liberal ideas though, instead of sticking with the traditional fascist Christian principals. For instance, in the book, God may or may not be a woman, but this is explained, the Ten Commandments aren't really rules for humans, and all religions lead to the same God.

If I were Mack, though, and had a chance to actually speak with God, you'd bet I'd be a lot more angry than he was.

The book is short and quick, so I didn't mind it. It definitely didn't "open the door wide open to my soul" as Wynonna Judd put it (you'd have to be a Judd to by into this crap). But, if you're interested, check out it's web site here.

Is There Nothing They Won't Do

2009-06-16T15:38:00.002-04:00

The other night on The Late Show with David Letterman, Letterman made a pretty humorous joke about Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, which poked fun at the fact that she got pregnant so young. Later through the week, instead of hearing about the Iranian election, instead of getting my fill of the economy, or instead of trying to actually learn and better myself through current events, I got to hear about how upset that comment has made all of the Palins, especially Big Sarah herself.

So now, and yes, I can't believe I'm writing this, some fascist neo-cons who don't believe in humor (or the hypocricy of the most conservative woman in the world's daughter getting preganant) have decided to launch a web site which tells us all about a ralley we can attend dedicated to the FIRING of David Letterman. Yes, the firing of David Letterman. Over a joke. Check out the web site here.

If we can't make fun of dumb conservatives, who can we make fun of?

Obama - I Just Don't Know Anymore

2009-06-15T12:30:00.002-04:00

There was the disaster with the Bush administration's torture of international criminals and the Obama administration's failure to punish those individuals (ahemcheneyahem) involved. There was Barack's refusal to open up a simple yet needed conversation regarding the legalization of marijuana in the United States. There was then the promise by Barack on the campaign trail to work toward abolishing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military which has led to several firings of those brave soldiers who just want to have the same freedoms as everyone else. And now, we get this:

From AmericaBlog:

It reads as if it were written by one of George Bush's top political appointees. I cannot state strongly enough how damaging this brief is to us. Obama didn't just argue a technicality about the case, he argued that DOMA is reasonable. That DOMA is constitutional. That DOMA wasn't motivated by any anti-gay animus. He argued why our Supreme Court victories in Roemer and Lawrence shouldn't be interpreted to give us rights in any other area (which hurts us in countless other cases and battles). He argued that DOMA doesn't discriminate against us because it also discriminates about straight unmarried couples (ignoring the fact that they can get married and we can't) He actually argued that the courts shouldn't consider Loving v. Virginia, the miscegenation case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages, when looking at gay civil rights cases. He told the court, in essence, that blacks deserve more civil rights than gays, that our civil rights are not on the same level. And before Obama claims he didn't have a choice, he had a choice. Bush, Reagan and Clinton all filed briefs in court opposing current federal law as being unconstitutional (we'll be posting more about that later). Obama could have done the same.

That's right. Our so called liberal president Barack Obama has decided to mix it up with conservatives and start defending the Defense of Marriage Act, doing what conservatives do best, linking homosexuality with incest, bestiality, and rape.

This is pitiful. The window for defending President Obama is getting more narrow every day.

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash!

2009-06-10T13:06:00.001-04:00

Here is the first official Iron Man 2 pic of Mickey Rourke as the villain Whiplash!

The Rightwingoverse

2009-06-09T09:31:00.001-04:00

The Republican Party Is In Trouble

2009-06-09T09:15:00.002-04:00

I hate social conservative viewpoints. On the economy, I could probably be swayed, but the main reason that I don't have any respect for conservatives is because they are letting their party die. They get up there on Fox Noise and spout their bigotry and hatred and talk about the left like they're some kind of disease. But in reality, they're only preaching to the choir. The only people that watch Fox Noise are...conservatives. So while all the pundits on the Noise are reassuring themselves of their viewpoints to the 'American people,' they aren't really making any strides outside of the box.

When President Obama came up with the stimulus plan to try and jump start this economy, all they could talk about was the spending, completely ignoring the waste of the last eight years on a war that has put us in a position of embarrassment with the rest of the world. They ignore the high results of Obama's approval ratings and continue to lambaste him on the Noise. Instead of reaching out and trying to gain new demographics, bigoted actions like Proposition 8 are purported by the churches who follow this line of crazy. Instead of accepting that everyone should be free, they maintain that only Christians should. Instead of helping Obama propose a new health care plan, they just criticize the one the democrats had to come up with themselves, while adding nothing new or innovative.

They are old and busted. They are run by Rush, Sarah!, the Newt, Cheney, W., all bigots, all haters. Strong conservatives like Mitt Romney are ignored for the previously mentioned group's quest for media attention. Oh yes, and how they blame it on the media.

This party is in trouble. They are a party of no, and not just the word, but 'no input,' 'no innovation,' 'no rights,' and 'no new ideas.'

One More Reason to Love Megan Fox: She's Totally Liberal

2009-06-09T08:50:00.002-04:00

An interesting quote recently surfaced when Megan Fox was asked about what she would do to try and convince Megatron from Transformers to stop trying to destroy Earth:

I’d barter with him and say instead of the entire planet, can you just take out all of the white trash, hillbilly, anti-gay, super bible-beating people in Middle America?

While I don't appreciate the hillbilly comment, anyone who goes against the ignorant bible-thumpers is okay in my book.

K-Week

2009-06-09T08:29:00.003-04:00

K-Week is a week long event at the University of Kentucky designed for new incoming students as an introduction to their new college life. An interesting video was just released that is akin to the old "Don't vote" video during last year's presidential election put together by all the kick-ass liberal celebrities. It's kind of neat, and yeah, I'm cool, I even know some of the people in the video. Also, I came up with the name K-Crew, the members involved in K-Week.

Top Obama Myths

2009-06-08T11:40:00.003-04:00

Salon.com has compiled a great list about the myths regarding President Obama that the right-wingnuts like to spread around. You can find the truth here.

Possibly the Greatest High School Football Play Ever

2009-06-08T10:48:00.003-04:00

Obama Speech in Cairo

2009-06-05T08:28:00.002-04:00

I thought it was eloquent and on message as always, if not a little boring. I remember the keynote speech President Obama gave during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I remember all the speeches he gave leading up to the election, and his final speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention where the crowd was electric. I feel like ever since he's become president, he really hasn't delivered that charisma that I believe most of us are used to from him. His speeches have become...well, more presidential, than a typical-Barack Obama speech. But the ones before he was president, well, that was something that certainly got me fired up.

I also had one complaint with it. One message he delivered was for the Middle East to remember that "whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it" referring to the ideological wars that constantly go on in the area. To me, that's a little ignorant of him to say because these people have been fighting over a shitty piece of land for centuries over what could be considered a fairy tale. They aren't going to listen to modern thought, and to suggest that they just forget about seems like a waste of time. Now, granted, I agree with President Obama's point. That's exactly what they SHOULD do. But they won't. Middle Easterners (Sunnis, Shiites, Iraqis, Iranians, Palestinians, Israelis), they're always going to struggle and fight. That's what they have always done: struggle. They don't want peace. And they're not going to forget the past. That would be like telling Americans to forget about the Bible, which would get someone shot.

Bush/Nixon

2009-06-03T22:54:00.002-04:00

I just watched the Ron Howard-directed film Frost/Nixon and thought that it was just spectacular. I knew about Richard Nixon, I knew all about the Watergate scandal, but I had no idea about the intense relationship between Nixon and David Frost. Whether or not that kind of portrayal is accurate or not, I don't know. I did some research and from what I can tell it is, minus the part where Nixon calls Frost in the middle of the night drunk talking about his motivations, among other things. I give it four out of five, only because some parts where devastatingly boring, even though I should have expected it.

What I did find interesting though is the refresher I got on Nixon's history and how it closely resembles what is going on today regarding the Bush administration. We are dealing with our own controversies just like the generation did before us with Nixon, but probably worse. Yes, Nixon did let America down and completely disrespected our government, so what does that say about George W. Bush? About torturing prisoners we have already captured. About manipulating the American people and using one excuse to justify an act that doesn't even related. In fact, the only difference I see hear is that on Bush's end there is no obstruction of justice BECAUSE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WON'T PROSECUTE HIM! I'm sure there will be if it ever happens...

Who do you think is worse?

George Tiller the Baby Killer

2009-06-01T16:02:00.001-04:00

That's what Bill-O called this man. It was that kind of instigating that led to this kind of thing.

Dr. Tiller - Salon.com

2009-06-01T15:58:00.001-04:00

There is a wonderful article on Salon.com about the kind of work Dr. George Miller did and how he helped hundreds of women in a time where they thought that no help was possible. You can find it here.

The Death of Dr. Tiller

2009-06-01T15:44:00.003-04:00

This is an outrage...a flat out outrage. This is a response from all the pandering of talking heads like Bill O'Reilly, Great Van-bloabhghlghwalrhg, and the Rush.

Yesterday, on May 31, 2009, Dr. George Tiller was gunned down in his church. Before he was murdered, he was shot before in 1993 for the same reasons that I'm about to discuss. Dr. Tiller was one of the only doctors in the United States to offer what is called late-term abortion, that is abortion which is done roughly on or after the 21st week of pregancy. Most if not all women choose to have this done because of desperation or because their pregancy or their potential birth would affect their health in a negative way. So, most clinics do not offer this. It's rare, as it should be, but Dr. Tiller offered it respectively, to help women in crisis, not to go against God or pocket the money, as some might have you believe. His first shooter was named Shelley Shannon, a good ole pro-life Christian. His accused murderer, Scott Roeder, is also a pro-life Christian. I think it's funny that those who exclaim to respect and care for life are the ones who take it away. In fact, a commentator on Oliver Willis had it right when they said that many domestic acts of terrorism come from religious, conservative Christians.

And Operation: Rescue, a conservative pro-life group whose intentions have always been to ruin the reputation of Dr. Tiller, were shocked that this happened to him. Please. As far as I'm concerned, it's groups like Operation: Rescue that helped cause something like this. Dr. Tiller was also a recurring targe of hate monger Bill O'Reilly on his O'Reilly Factor.

What this will do, at the very least, is start a broad conversation across America about abortion, opposing viewpoints, and how uber-Christians need to learn to take it down a fucking notch.

WE GET IT. YOU HATE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T CHRISTIANS. NOTED, INDEFINITELY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO KILL PEOPLE TO PROVE YOUR POINT.

Que? Again...

2009-05-29T09:19:00.002-04:00

Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky has reversed the decision that all written state traffic tests should be in English. Instead, the state will keep it's current offering of the test in 22 different languages. I wasn't sure how I felt about the earlier decision and now I'm not sure about how I feel about this one. It does seem like the liberal thing to do, but it may seriously cause some safety issues out on the road.

Well, I think since the decision's been made, I'll just leave it alone.

Razeworld

2009-05-29T09:13:00.003-04:00

Here's something I don't really tell anyone: I write my own comic book. Yeah, it's true, the ultimate in geekdom. I have heroes, villains, allies, enemies, worlds, teams, and all the other fantasmo that one would expect to be in a comic book.

The main hero? Me, of course, well, not me like the way I am, but still me in somewhat appearance and attitude...minus the few pounds...plus the six-pack...oh, and Wolverine's healing factor. No, fuck that, not Wolverine's, I guess it would really resemble more of Deadpool's because it's a lot more powerful. (Why is this guy arguing to himself?)

Here's the kicker: all of my characters are based around people I know, people I've met, and real life people who I believe fit into the comic book world, which I have affectionately called Razeworld. This is the universe all my little comicky happenings occur. Not in the Marvel Universe. Not in WildStorm. Not in the DC Multiverse. Nope. Razeworld.

Liz is a goddess-like entity called Nymph. Bethany is an alien princess named Smera Bethiana. Murrel is a power hungry galactic entity called...well, The Galaxy Entity. Tyrel is Bulldog. I am Raze. Engle is the Spike. Havens is Ricochet. Harry is the Historian. The list goes on and on. They all have their individual power sets and I have their histories, dreams, motivations, personalities...whatever, I have them written. If you know me and I know you, you're probably in this comic book. So if you would ever like to know about your character, I'd be happy to tell you all about him or her.

Excelsior!

The Blogging Conundrum

2009-05-28T20:33:00.003-04:00

I haven't been blogging much lately mostly due to the stresses of work and just having an overall busy summer. But, I have tried to post every now and then, and I want to make posts every single day. I have been so used to being able to post every day that now, when there are days I cannot, I feel a little bit of anxiety. I don't know why though. I think it could be because of the pressure to write for the people that come here and visit, but then again, I'm convinced there's only three or four, no matter what that counter toward the right says. It could also be because I'm not getting to relieve stress from the day, which is what writing actually does for me. Either way, I wish I could post more, and I am making a promise on here that I am going to try.

Here lately though I have been reading a lot, specifically on some negative and depressing subjects. I'm currently reading a book by Christopher Hitchens, and if you know anything about him he'll pretty much tell you there is no God, which is depressing, even though I think I think there's no God, although I'm not sure. Confusing, I know. But this is another reason I haven't been posting: because I've been reading a lot.

Another reason could be because I'm just tired of it. I spent weeks spouting my fury over President Obama and the entire torture thing. I was writing about it on here before a breath of it was majorly in the media. And now it's like the flavor of the month, which really pissed me off. So, you're probably wondering how all this stuff is finally being done about the American torturing and how I really haven't said anything about. Well, after complaining about it for a few weeks, that kind of negativity just gets tiring, and I'm a pretty negative person. So you know when it's too negative for me, it's really bad.

I have also been real busy gearing up for the GRE and applying to Graduate School.

So, to my loyal readers, I just want to say that hopefully this post will get the G-Man back on track, and hopefully nothing like these slow posts will happen again. Thanks for staying with me and I hope you keep reading.

This Just Blows My Mind...

2009-05-27T11:22:00.001-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24prom-t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine

This Is How Fat I Am...

2009-05-27T11:05:00.002-04:00

The bulge of my lovely rubber tire that surrounds my lower midsection now forces the top of my pants to bend over my belt because it cannot stand the pressure. It's madness I tell you!

It Could Be Worse, I Guess...

2009-05-27T09:32:00.001-04:00

Is Natalie Portman dating Sean Penn?

Que?

2009-05-27T09:22:00.003-04:00

Beginning June 1st, the Commonwealth of Kentucky will now only be holding the state's written driving test in English. Naturally, this has made many different people angry. Currently, the test is served in 22 separate languages. The state's decision on this is because they believe it will make the state's roads and traffic safer.

I'm definitely mixed up about this. On one hand, I'm sure that this new test will make the roads safer. All road and traffic signs are in English, and for someone not to know English but being legally allowed to drive, well, that's contradictory. How can they legally be allowed to drive if they can't read and abide by the signs on the road?

On the other hand, the rest of the United States are going to look at this and say that the whole thing is just typical of Kentucky, a state traditionally made fun of for its one dimensionality and it's lack of intelligence or perspective. Some may say that it was a feat for Kentucky to offer the test in 22 different languages, and that it helped mitigate all of the stereotypes.

I am a person that really believes the United States of America should be the melting pot for the world. Everyone should come here and bring their traditions, values, and cultures with them. That's one of the reasons that this country is so wonderful. I reported on something earlier when a Texas state representative commented that she wished the Chinese would change their names to make it easier to register them for voting. I was furious and that was ridiculous of her to suggest such a thing. This is kind of on the same line, but then again, it's for safety.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this. Meditate on this I will....

Funny...

2009-05-21T14:15:00.002-04:00

From The Political Animal:

WELL, IF MAGNETO CAN DO IT.... Glenn Greenwald noted yesterday how much success the U.S. has had in locking up terrorists on U.S. soil.

What are all the bad and scary things that have happened as a result? The answer is: "nothing." Take note, Chris Cillizza and friends: while it's true that "not a single prisoner has escaped from Gitmo since it was created," it's also true that no Muslim Terrorists have escaped from American prisons and our SuperMax prison "has had no escapes or serious attempts to escape." Actually, the only person to even make an escape attempt from a SuperMax is Green Arrow, who hasn't succeeded despite the help of Joker and Lex Luthor.

I really want to know: when our nation's stalwart right-wing warriors (along with Harry "Fighting the Good Fight" Reid) become petrified at the thought of keeping Muslim Terrorists in our prisons, what exactly do they fantasize will happen? What bad things specifically do they fear are going to occur?

I know Glenn was kidding with the Green Arrow reference, but it speaks to an underlying truth: the right really seems to believe that suspected terrorists -- many of whom are nuts who've lived in caves -- have some kind of superpowers. They seem to think, "I saw 'X-Men 2,' and if maximum security wasn't good enough to hold Magneto, maybe it won't be enough for KSM, either!"

(Update: Adam Serwer was all over this yesterday: "Greenwald clearly doesn't remember the Magneto incident of 2003, in which the mutant supervillain escaped from his glass prison facility after Mystique increased the iron content in his guard's blood, which Magneto extracted using his ferrokinetic powers and then used to destroy his cell. Obviously, we need to discover if Gitmo inmates do have mutant abilities, which will undoubtedly require more waterboarding, and this has to be done before the administration gets a dime to close Guantanamo. In fact, I'm pretty sure Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the subject in 2002.")
It's why that Fox News report Glenn cited was actually pretty helpful. Noting information from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the report offered some details on the supermax facility in Florence, Colorado, which holds, among others, Zacarias Moussaoui. And as Glenn noted, the grand total of escapes from this penitentiary is zero. The grand total of attempted escapes is zero.

Until we start locking up supervillains with superpowers, these facilities and the personnel who work there will do just fine in keeping us safe.

Something to keep in mind as the "debate" continues over the possibility of bringing Gitmo detainees to American soil.

I Hate to Keep Doing This...

2009-05-21T14:05:00.002-04:00

...but my friend's explanations of different subjects are always in depth and amazing. I had recently stumbled upon an Ayn Rand book, Atlas Shrugged, and had always remebered hearing her name. I know the show Futurama always makes fun of her, but I was never sure why. So I emailed my friend to explain her to me. She is a philosopher who created modern objectivism. So I wanted to find out. And here's what he said:

Atlas Shrugged is the book. So, Ayn Rand's philosophy is called Objectivism. The *basic* idea of it is that things are what they are, they have a definite, objective nature, and to treat them differently from that is irrational, to treat them in line with their nature is rational. Ethically, "good" is the same thing as "rational", "bad" is the same thing as "irrational". That's not so bad.

Now, I won't go in to it, but there's a big leap to get into the real meat of her philosophy, the stuff everyone talks about. The idea is that human beings have a certain nature, and that nature is that of an individual that is meant to be free and exercise that freedom in a rational way. To keep someone as a slave is bad, because it denies that person human nature (the free part), to submit to collective will is bad because it denies ones human nature (as an individual) and to be an idiot is bad because it also denies human nature (as a rational being).So this leads to concepts that she gets made fun of for: greed becomes a good thing because everyone working *rationally* in their own self-interest means everyone is in line with human nature. It's not as simple as "greed is good" because robbing someone is evil, since it denies the victim of their human nature (freedom, or more specifically, the individual's right to the products of their labor).

Atlas Shrugged is kind of important, even if I think it's a pretty unreadable book. One section, the main character gives a speech that basically details Rand's philosophy.

There's an article about it, along with an outline of the speech here: http://www.objectivistcenter.org/cth--1721-OutlineofGalt%27sSpeech.aspxI think there are a few fundamental flaws with Objectivism.

I don't have much of a problem with the idea that things have a definite nature, but it goes astray from there. Can you think of what my problem might be?

Not So Glorious Basterds...

2009-05-21T14:01:00.002-04:00

I have been reading a lot of reviews for Quentin Tarantino's new film Inglourious Basterds that I was so excited for. He recently submitted it to the Cannes Film Festival, so many people got a chance to view it before the rest of us will. And from what their reviews say, it doesn't seem as great as I thought it would be. The good reviews aren't really that good, and the bad reviews are REALLY bad.

Damn it. I'll never get excited for a movie again because of The Dark Knight. Once you've tasted heaven, everything else seems...bland.

Megan Fox Thinks Olivia Wilde Is Sexy!

2009-05-21T10:22:00.002-04:00

Um...just like the title, Megan Fox thinks Olivia Wilde is sexy!

Book Review: Patient Zero by Jonathan Mayberry

2009-05-18T13:24:00.002-04:00

I was lent this book by a co-worker and friend of mine. If you haven't realized on here by now, I am a huge fan of zombies. I don't think there is one situation or scenario out there that would prove to be boring if zombies were thrown into the mix. This book happens to be able the terror scenario, in which a sect of Muslim terrorists (or so we think) decide to create and weaponize a bio-agent that turns regular citizens into flesh-eating monsters of the undead. Not so original and kind of predictable, but damn is it good.

The book reads like a comic book, which I am also a huge fan of, and even carries some comic book references within it. In fact, our protagonist, Joe Ledger, has the same name of Dr. Spectrum, a leading hero in the Squadron Supreme universe in Marvel comics. Joe Ledger here is badass, and it's really easy to get behind him. He's fucked up in the head and in the book you learn what makes him such a great warrior.

Joe is recruited by a black ops government agency (also not original, but never dull) to lead a small team against this terror cell.

The book is good, although I wouldn't say great, but I definitely plan on reading other books by Mayberry featuring the bad Mr. Ledger. It's less scary than you would think, particularly because it has zombies, but focuses more on the action and the military than the actual monsters. There are some awesome zombie fights though, and worth the read. Lot's of blood, and the author is good with creating an environment that we can really picture. How else would you get the image of blood squirting out of a decapitated zombie?

In reading this I have definitely deviated from what I have been doing lately, which is reading non-fiction and more politically centralized books. But it was good to step into a world of fiction and mystery, and for this I am grateful.

Check it out!

FARK Headline of the Day

2009-05-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

Teens reluctant to go to summer camp if it means giving up cell phones, iPods and Facebook, refuse to experience life like children did way back in the 1990s

Obama @ Notre Dame

2009-05-18T08:45:00.002-04:00

I understand why there were those students who were upset that President Obama was giving the commencement address at their university. He's a strong liberal whose not afraid of expressing liberal values, and Notre Dame is without question a school where students keep faith close to their hearts. So it's no surprise to find out that many students there are not in support of pro-choice, which President Obama is clearly in support of. This controversy has been raging for weeks and on Saturday we finally got to witness President Obama deliver his speech, and it was not without interruption. Protesters in the audience constantly tried to interrupt Obama during the message, and I must say, it was amazing how he dealt with it. Instead of ignoring the protests or choosing not to acknowledge them, President Obama was very eloquent and expressed how he understood what was going on, and how things like this are necessary even if it makes us all feel uncomfortable. It was pretty badass.

I understand the protests. In fact, if you're pro-life and you don't agree with a pro-choice government or its leaders on the issue, you should protest. It's not hard to get. But a commencement where thousands of students are celebrating the biggest victory of their college career...well, that's neither the time nor the place. This commencement became about opposite views, when it should have clearly been about the students and their accomplishments. If I was a student down on that floor, I would be infuriated due to the disrespect of the protesters in the audience. They weren't there for the students, they were there to shove their respective opinions in the face of everyone on national television.

There are times and places to protest. This was not one of them.

Miss California: All Breasts, No Brains

2009-05-15T12:37:00.002-04:00

Carrie Prejean, the sexy little pistol who recently praticipated in the Miss USA pageant, was interviewed the other day by Dr. James Dobson, who represents Focus on the Family, and had some interesting things to say. Before I get into it, I want to remind those reading who Ms. Prejean is, in case you have forgotten. She is the competitor who was asked by Perez Hilton (eek) whether or not she supported homosexual marriage. She came off with an eloquent answer, at least in my opinion, which contained the principle that no...she did not. Now, of course I support it, but I also support anyone willing to give their opinion, and as far as hers, she spoke it without hate, bigotry, or any other thing vile. It was simply her opinion on one issue, and Mr. Hilton, and the gay community for that matter, shouldn't get all upset about it because frankly, they asked her, and she answered.

That's where my support of Ms. Prejean stops though, as in this interview she had this to say:

I felt as though Satan was trying to tempt me in asking me this question. And then God was in my head and in my heart saying: Do not compromise this. You need to stand up for me and you need to share with all these people. You need to witness to them and you need to show that you're not willing to compromise that for this title of Miss USA.

Really? Satan? Hmm..yeah, he probably was trying to get at you. I mean, he's not preoccupied with America created a clusterfuck in the Middle East, the poor state of the economy, the weather disasters/floods lately in the south, all the war, all the bigotry. Yes Ms. Prejean, the devil took some time off to specifically penetrate Perez Hilton (heh) and ask you such an evil question. And then, after that, God came down and tried to help you combat this vile evil.

Don't flatter yourself. That has to be one of the most pretentious things I've ever heard.

The stupidity of people like this could knock a bull over. This doesn't make sense. And here I was all in defense of her, and yet conservative Chrisitans continue to make me realize why I shouldn't.

I wish Satan and God cared enough about me to come down and wrestle over something I said. That would be cool.

But alas...

The Road Trailer

2009-05-15T10:10:00.002-04:00

I wrote a review of the book a few weeks earlier. Here is the trailer for the new film. Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAIR!!!

2009-05-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

I Said Unsweetened!

2009-05-13T21:11:00.002-04:00

Am I the only person in the entire world who drinks unsweetened tea anymore? I'm a nice guy. When I go to restaurants I make it a point to be as nice as possible to my waiter or waitress, even if they're terrible, because I understand how hard their job probably is and how they need to make their money from gratuity. So I don't complain. I don't yell at them. I don't send food back and I can't really stand people who do. People have this habit of complaining in a restaurant about how long the service or how long the wait is taking, but don't we all go to nice sit-down restaurants to be with one another? Isn't the point to take as much time as possible? To share and enjoy the relationships that we usually have to miss out on during the regular weekday? So yeah, I don't really get angry at restaurants.

The one thing though that I cannot stand is GETTING A SWEET TEA EVERY TIME I ORDER AN UNSWEETENED. This happens nine out of ten times and I'm at the point now where I just don't understand it. I know it's not a big deal, I know the issue probably isn't even blog-worthy. But if I don't write something on here, I'm going to blow up on the next server I get. How hard is it? I just don't understand. Do restaurants just not have many people anymore order unsweet? I think it's because they see this fat bald guy sitting there, and they go back to get the drinks, and they think..."Did he say unsweetened? Nah, couldn't have. He's too fat for that." C'MON! Can a brother get an unsweetened tea?

George is gettin' upset!

Too Much

2009-05-13T09:40:00.001-04:00

I'm reading around eight books right now...all at the same time. It's starting to get really frustrating that I can't seem to make headway in any of them because I keep wanting to switch from one to the other. Why do I do these things?

We're Going Streaking! BANG!

2009-05-13T08:56:00.002-04:00

A bill has been introduced by Representative Ernest Wooten and is moving forward in Louisiana that would allow students at public and private universities to carry their concealed weapons on campus. Yeah, that should be a great idea. Wooten claims that this will help prevent large massacres on college campuses like that of Virginia Tech. Prevent? I'm definitely not sure. I can think of the number and kinds of students that go to college and I can definitely think of the ones that probably have guns, and I wouldn't want those people to be able to bring those guns to campus. Do any intellectuals out there even have guns? If I were a parent of a college student in Louisiana, I'd be pretty worried right now...

Life is Raping Me

2009-05-11T11:56:00.002-04:00

I took the GRE this morning and didn't do as well as I had hoped. To make matters worse, I was finally granted a consolidation loan to help me with my debt and was supposed to received the funds today electronically in my bank account, which I have not. Also, work is extremely busy, and the stress of my personal matters mixed in with that is driving me crazy.

Fuck my life.

(via)

Is Anyone Else Excited About Star Trek?

2009-05-08T12:17:00.002-04:00

Me and Hayden are. We talked about it all last night.

We've Gone From Torture to Murder

2009-05-08T08:55:00.002-04:00

So it's kind of already been announced that this current administration has no plans to prosecute anyone from the Bush administration for their use of torture techniques against international prisoners. Well, maybe President Obama will do something about this...

From the Raw Story:

United States interrogators killed nearly four dozen detainees during or after their interrogations, according a report published by a human rights researcher based on a Human Rights First report and followup investigations.
In all, 98 detainees have died while in US hands. Thirty-four homicides have been identified, with at least eight detainees — and as many as 12 — having been tortured to death, according to a 2006 Human Rights First report that underwrites the researcher’s posting. The causes of 48 more deaths remain uncertain.
The researcher, John Sifton, worked for five years for Human Rights Watch. In a posting Tuesday, he documents myriad cases of detainees who died at the hands of their US interrogators. Some of the instances he cites are graphic.
Most of those taken captive were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. They include at least one Afghani soldier, Jamal Naseer, who was mistakenly arrested in 2004. “Those arrested with Naseer later said that during interrogations U.S. personnel punched and kicked them, hung them upside down, and hit them with sticks or cables,” Sifton writes. “Some said they were doused with cold water and forced to lie in the snow. Nasser collapsed about two weeks after the arrest, complaining of stomach pain, probably an internal hemorrhage.”

Another Afghan killing occurred in 2002. Mohammad Sayari was killed by four U.S. servicemembers after being detained for allegedly “following their movements.” A Pentagon document obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2005 said that the Defense Department found a captain and three sergeants had “murdered” Sayari, but the section dealing with the department’s probe was redacted.
Perhaps the most macabre case occurred in Iraq, which was documented in a Human Rights First report in 2006.

“Nagem Sadoon Hatab… a 52-year-old Iraqi, was killed while in U.S. custody at a holding camp close to Nasiriyah,” the group wrote. “Although a U.S. Army medical examiner found that Hatab had died of strangulation, the evidence that would have been required to secure accountability for his death – Hatab’s body – was rendered unusable in court. Hatab’s internal organs were left exposed on an airport tarmac for hours; in the blistering Baghdad heat, the organs were destroyed; the throat bone that would have supported the Army medical examiner’s findings of strangulation was never found.”

In another graphic instance, a former Iraqi general was beaten by US forces and suffocated to death. The military officer charged in the death was given just 60 days house arrest.
“Abed Hamed Mowhoush [was] a former Iraqi general beaten over days by U.S. Army, CIA and other non-military forces, stuffed into a sleeping bag, wrapped with electrical cord, and suffocated to death,” Human Rights First writes. “In the recently concluded trial of a low-level military officer charged in Mowhoush’s death, the officer received a written reprimand, a fine, and 60 days with his movements limited to his work, home, and church.”

Maybe since George W. Bush didn't get into trouble for torture he might get into trouble for murder.

Hey Barack! Do you think now might be the time to do something about all of this?

It's Over: Texas Is Full Of Idiots

2009-05-07T08:49:00.002-04:00

Politicians in the United States of America are very different. Some are liberals, some are democrats, some are for education, some are for religion. Some are gay and some are straight. And some are even creationists.

Take for example Barbara Cargill of Texas. She is a huge creationist. So much so that she thought it was within her political duties to hold a vote on how old the earth is in Texas. Yes. A vote. To determine the age of the earth. By Barbara Cargill. In Texas. Get it?

I guess it doesn't count that scientists have already determined how old the earth is. I couldn't tell you, but I know it's somewhere in the....fucking MILLIONS! Hell, it could be the BILLIONS but I know it's nowhere close to what she had her fellow politicians voted on: 6,000 years old. That's right. Texas is now officially only 6,000 YEARS OLD.

Why do these politicians not like science? I don't understand. Why are they so obsessed with themselves, so selfish, as to assume that everyone believes the way they do that they can just take a vote on it and pretend that it's official. You know what that vote means to me? Not a motherfucking thing. The earth is not 6,000 years old and anyone who believes that should be shot because their stupidity is clouding up all the good space for the rest of us. Cargill did this to obviously impose her beliefs on everyone, to make it okay to teach that bullshit in school, and to try to diminish the credibility of science. If you would like to see this event in all of its glorified stupidness, check below:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ!

2009-05-07T08:40:00.000-04:00

No Justice From the Justice Department

2009-05-07T08:29:00.001-04:00

From the AP:

Bush administration lawyers who approved harsh interrogation techniques of terror suspects should not face criminal charges, Justice Department investigators say in a draft report that recommends two of the three attorneys face possible professional sanctions.

The recommendations come after an Obama administration decision last month to make public legal memos authorizing the use of harsh interrogation methods but not to prosecute CIA interrogators who followed advice outlined in the memos.

So I guess they are leaning toward not doing anything. I guess politicians can get away with anything they want in this country. You know, as a person who loves politics, who loves to keep up with everything that's going on, this whole thing is very disheartening. This is a major fuck up of Republicans. This is a major fuck up of Democrats. Of the Bush and Obama administrations. Overall, this is horrible for the country. The radical right will have a good time with this decision, and it basically promotes bad behavior for politicians.

2009-05-05T10:41:00.002-04:00

Condi Rice recently visited a local Jewish elementary school in Washington, D.C. where the cute little kids had the opportunity to ask her ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS. They could have asked her how helping running the country was, how it was being an African-American woman in such a position of power, what it was like to work with the president, all kinds of good stuff! But the thing that apparently sticks in kids minds?

From MSNBC:

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Jewish elementary school students that the Bush administration did not use illegal interrogation tactics. Her remarks were in response to a question from Misha Lerner, a fourth-grader at the Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Rice spoke at the school Sunday before giving a lecture at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.
Lerner asked Rice what she thought about the Obama administration’s remarks on interrogation methods authorized by its predecessors.

But didn't it just come out that this administration DID use torture? Condi, you can't be lying to kids now. Torture is one thing, but the kids babe...the kids!

Ah Texas. You are fail.

2009-05-05T10:33:00.005-04:00

Remember when all the noise was going when the current governor of Texas, Rick Perry, came out and said that if things continue to get worse in America then he believes the state should secede? No? Well, I do, because I consider part of my job to keep up with dumb things conservatives say.

Well guess what little interesting bit of news I found out today?

Apparently, the state of Texas receives more assistant funds with natural disasters, clean-up, etc. than any other state in the nation. What that really means is without the United States, Texas would morph into a landfill, because without the nation's support, there's no way they could create a successful disaster relief system on their own.

Texas is biting the hand that feeds them. Well, I shouldn't say that, because I don't believe all Texans are stupid, just all Texas politicians. Rick Perry, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Betty Brown, Chet Edwards (whose a democrat, FYI), Tom DeLay...look, I could go on and on, but for the sake of my sanity, I'll stop.

IGN...You. Are. Amazing.

2009-05-05T09:58:00.001-04:00

Go here. The folks over at IGN have put together an awesome list that breaks down the top 100 villains in comic books. Yeah. Cool.

Sweet Taliban Article

2009-05-05T08:41:00.002-04:00

There is a wonderful article written by Nic Robertson regarding his interview with a Taliban spokesman. I suggest you go over and read it by going here.

Come On, Jedwards!

2009-05-04T14:10:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to lie. Before Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were slated to duel for the 2008 democratic nomination, I was in support of John Edwards. I liked his platform, I thought he was eloquent, and from his voting record and his overall experience, I thought he would be the best candidate.

And now he shames me.

He was involved with an affair that would have probably destroyed the democratic party if he was the democratic nominee. It would have become even worse if he was elected president and then it came out. The conservatives would have raped him verbally, in the press, and every other way.

Now he's being investigated for using his campaign funds to pay the company that his mistress worked for.

And I supported this guy?

Maybe I'm not as great as I think I am.

New Apartment

2009-05-04T13:50:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend my roommate and I moved into a new apartment. The place is amazing and not just because it's bigger and has more amenities. There are little things that make it incredibly better than our old place. For instance, one in particular is the fact that I no longer need to use a U-turn in the mornings to get to work and I avoid all the traffic of New Circle Road. Another big plus is that this place does not tow for parking. Lexington is notorious for towing everyone everywhere and I no longer have to worry about it. People are always coming over and it used to stress me out to the max. Well, to that I say no longer.

First Official Iron Man 2 Pic

2009-05-04T13:49:00.000-04:00

Enjoy it in its awesomeness.

A New Perfume: GOP & Michael Steele: Contradiction. (It Stinks)

2009-04-30T08:21:00.003-04:00

It is widely known now that Arlen Specter has left (hehe) his team in order to fully become a yellow-dog democrat. And after Al Franken is named senator in Minnesota, the democrats would have a filibuster-proof senate. Naturally, the conservatives can't lose this battle honorably so for the past few days they have sent their boy-toy Michael Steele, who is the equivalent of Dr. Claw on Inspector Gadget, to circle the media in order to control this disaster. So, Steele has been saying how the loss of Specter doesn't really matter to the GOP because he was always a leftist anyway and always supporter left-side ideologies.

Hmm...that's interesting.

It's interesting because within twenty-four hours, the GOP has decided to come out with ads letting the democrats of Pennsylvania know just how conservative Arlen Specter really is, which, according to them, is very much. They have come out with ads on YouTube highlighting Specter's most conservative statements and viewpoints, trying to make him look like a hypocrite.

So Michael Steele says he's always been a closet democrat. But the GOP says he's always been a strong conservative. But Steele represents the GOP. But the GOP is more powerful than Michael Steele.

Brain....functions*7438*&8381000001110011101101010101000011100001010101010.

Reboot...

Oh, I get it. Conservatives are idiots. Yeah. Now it makes sense.

Who Gives A F*ck About the Swine Flu?

2009-04-29T08:19:00.004-04:00

43 people have it in America right now. 43. That's 43 out of 306 million. I have a better chance at sleeping with Megan Fox, Natalie Portman, and Freida Pinto at the same time in a penthouse owned by Donald Trump while we're all listening to my number one single.

Swine flu? Please...

100 Days...

2009-04-28T15:02:00.001-04:00

Now Don't Let Eric Holder Mess It Up.

Fox...You So Crazy!

2009-04-28T14:49:00.002-04:00

Okay, that picture is a little misleading because I'm not actually talking about Fox News, or as I like to call it, The Noise, and I'm not talking about Fox Business. But apparently, the executives over at the regular Fox Broadcasting Company have decided to not air President Obama's 100 Day Speech tomorrow night. This is a prime time speech that President Obama will give tomorrow night to mark his first 100 days in office.

ABC will be playing it. The show the speech is over is Lost.
NBC will be playing it. The show the speech is over is Law and Order: SVU.
CBS will be playing it. The show the speech is over is...well, they already preempted it.
Fox will be playing...Lie to Me starring Tim Roth. God knows we all want to see a washed up British actor star in a show where in EVERY episode he tries to figure out if people are lying to him...

Wow.

Megan Fox in Jonah Hex

2009-04-28T14:32:00.004-04:00

Megan Fox will be playing the sexy love interest in the new Jonah Hex film. For those not so comic book savvy, Jonah Hex is a western hero trademarked by DC Comics. He doesn't really do anything other than that he's just a big western badass. His face is pretty scarred up though. He kind of resembles Two-Face from Batman, only his face is messed up on the other side. But I digress. Today, an official photo from the set was released, and man...

Democrats Are About To Take It

2009-04-28T14:29:00.002-04:00

Word has come out that Senator Arlen Specter, a veteran republican, has just switched over the the democratic party.

This means that if Al Franken is determined a senator in Minnesota (which he will, they are just going through a long bureaucratic mess), then the democrats will have a 60-seat filibuster proof in the Senate.

Which is nice.

Boycott Rockstar Energy Drink

2009-04-28T13:58:00.002-04:00

If you know who Michael Savage is, then you probably know that I hate him. He is a conservative radio host, but that doesn't even begin to describe it. Conservatives, republicans, the GOP, whoever, should not endorse this man. He is a purely hateful, bigoted, deviant who hates anyone who isn't white and anyone who isn't Christian. He says the dumbest most offensive things possible and it's obvious he only does so for the ratings. Did you know that his real name isn't even Savage? It's Weiner. Now, I don't know how he pronounces, but either way, that's ween-er (like hotdog, or more to the point, DICK), or winer (like cry-baby bitch). It's easy to understand why he would change his name. Here are some of the things he has said:

On homosexuals:

When you hear "human rights," think only one thing: someone who wants to rape your son. And you'll get it just right. OK, you got it, right? When you hear "human rights," think only someone who wants to molest your son, and send you to jail if you defend him.

On autism:

You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is!

That one pisses me off the most for a particular reason. I don't want to share it on here, but he's a son of a bitch for even suggesting that.

And I just found out that he's the co-founder and part-owner of Rockstar Energy Drink, which makes me more upset because I have bought them before. Well, never again, and you shouldn't either.

RIP Bea Arthur

2009-04-27T13:05:00.004-04:00

I know what you're thinking. Is this rugged and manliest of men really going to give an RIP tribute to Bea Arthur? The answer is yes.

Bea Arthur was one of the funniest women of our time. When I was little, my friend's grandmother forced us to watch The Golden Girls with her because it was one of the only television programs she would watch, and, subsequently, let us watch. Because of that, I've grown an affinity for that show for some reason. It really is hilarious and it's no wonder why it has been voted as one of the best shows of the 80's. What's not to love about four older women and their various philosophical, ideological, and sexual escapades? Is it weird that thinking of Blanche makes me all tingly?

Anyway, and seriously, Bea Arthur was hilarious in everything she did, and yes, there are more things than The Golden Girls. Her cameo in A History of the World: Part I was probably one of the funniest bits in the entire film. And of course, you can't forget Maude, which was one of the first shows that actually tackled abortion. And who could forget her appearance on Futurama as the Femputer when Fry is forced to have sex with a planet's larger, Amazonian inhabitants. She could deliver every line she ever spoke so sharply and crass. Her seriousness was what made her so comedic.

I am saddened by her passing. From what I have read she had a long bout with cancer. It seems that her and her co-stars seem to go out tragically. Estelle Getty, who played Bea Arthur's mother on The Golden Girls, passed away from natural causes, but not before having a hard battle with Parkinson's disease. Bea Arthur was a hilarious woman who worked since the business began. I'm sure she will be sorely missed.

G-Note: "Forget To Remeber" by Mudvayne

2009-04-24T13:18:00.000-04:00

I've Said Pwned Before. But Seriously, Sean Hannity Got Pwned.

2009-04-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

From Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

Olbermann: You'll do it for charity? For the troops families? I'll take you up on that Sean. For every second you last, $1000. Live or on tape provided other networks cameras are there. $1000 a second Sean because this is no game. This is serious stuff. Put your money where your mouth is, and your nose. And I'll double it when you admit you feared for your life. When you admit the horrible truth. Waterboarding, a symbol of the last administration, is torture.

O'Donnell: The reason Sean Hannity thinks torture is a good idea. The reason Sean Hannity thinks it works is because it would work on him. There are two different kinds of people out there in the world. The warriors which are a very, very tiny minority, less than 1% of our population is ever going to face combat and then there's the rest of us.

I am like Sean Hannity, one of those cowards, just like Dick Cheney who has refused throughout my life to enter the military and ever subject myself to anything dangerous occupationally where I might lose a tooth. That is exactly Sean Hannity's approach to life and he has exactly the same cowardly fear that I do of combat or submitting myself to anything of the kind of risk the American military does. And so people who live where Sean Hannity lives and those safe places and the safe Cheney home where no one in the Cheney family would ever submit themselves to military service, ever submit themselves to the risk of torture. They think torture works because it would work on them.

Because they are soft. They are weak people compared to our military service people and they would crack under torture. But al Qaeda, people who have devoted their lives to destroying their enemy, the people are willing to die in their exercises, they were all willing to die on 9-11. Sean Hannity thinks torture is going to work on them because he has never, never known the kind of commitment that those people have and nothing he's done in his life measures that kind of commitment that the American military has or that our enemies have. Our enemies are more committed than Sean Hannity will ever be.

Miss California 2009

2009-04-23T13:52:00.002-04:00

This means little to me, but since everyone else is weighing in on this I thought I should too. Just for a little backup if you don't know, Carrie Prejean, who participated in the 2009 Miss USA pageant almost a week ago, was asked by mega-freak Perez Hilton on whether or not she believe in gay marriage. Her response was as follows:

I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be between a man and a woman.

It was eloquent, charismatic, and most importantly heart felt. Everyone is suggesting that she's a horrible person because she thinks this way. Now, you should probably know how I feel about the whole thing, civil rights and all, but this lady (who is smokin' hot, BTW) said what she thought was right. It was her opinion, and it was in her right to give it. The gay community has to face facts that not everyone thinks like they do and they should realize that, just like not everyone thinks like Christians, Muslims, athiests, or what have you. We're all different, we all have different opinions, and that's what she was doing. She should have been judged on how well she spoke and how articulated she was, not by the ideas in the content as contested against others.

Now that all that's over with, we can look at this...

Oh Hannity. Sometimes I Think You're Dwight From "The Office"

2009-04-23T09:52:00.002-04:00

Sean Hannity has come out on his show and said that he would like to waterboarded to show his support for the troops. I love how when anyone wants to do something so fucking stupid all you have to say is "It's for the troops" and that makes it seem okay. The thing about it is, SEAN, is that if you are going to get waterboarded to see how "tough" it is, it's totally different.

1. You would know that it's going to happen versus the prisoners who didn't know which put them in fear for their lives.

2. I'm sure that whoever waterboarded you (and you being a closeted homosexual, it would probably be someone named Bruno in a pink mask with whips and chains) would make sure that it didn't 'hurt too bad.'

3. That's just dumb. I place no higher value on you then those terrorists so you volunteering for something like that proves nothing to me.

Get pwned.