Zach and Al put me on to these. Enjoy.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Boredom
For all of the time I spend in front of a computer (and in turn, on the internet), I've been extremely bored. It got me thinking how spoiled rotten this generation is. Video games (guilty), boozing (guilty), excessive TV (kind of guilty), movie gluttons (not really), and internet junkies (severely guilty) it just seems like we're only destined to get worse and worse. Maybe I'm just having a No Country moment in my life. I just feel that as every day goes by, I require more and more of this type of stimulation.
Do I think I have a problem? Yes and No. Yes, because I think it steals more and more of my motivation with cheap substitutes. Go out and socialize or stay home and veg out? Veg out. Easier than moving.
But I say no because in the day of addictions and medication as a remedy, I think it simply requires personal action as opposed to simply labeling it anything more than a "problem" of sorts.
I suppose what really bothers me is that when I was a child, I could find entertainment in the simplest of things. Playing in the front yard, running around, pretending, imagining. But as we get older, we seem to lose a grasp on simplicity, trading it instead for technology and convenience. At some point, there needs to be a trade-off. But alas, this will likely fall on my own deaf ears.
Do I think I have a problem? Yes and No. Yes, because I think it steals more and more of my motivation with cheap substitutes. Go out and socialize or stay home and veg out? Veg out. Easier than moving.
But I say no because in the day of addictions and medication as a remedy, I think it simply requires personal action as opposed to simply labeling it anything more than a "problem" of sorts.
I suppose what really bothers me is that when I was a child, I could find entertainment in the simplest of things. Playing in the front yard, running around, pretending, imagining. But as we get older, we seem to lose a grasp on simplicity, trading it instead for technology and convenience. At some point, there needs to be a trade-off. But alas, this will likely fall on my own deaf ears.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Three the HARD Way
As if getting three the hard way was not hard enough, Rudy Gay adds a little spice on it....
Insane.
Insane.
Money Buys a Powerwash [UPDATE]
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/03/sunny.nannycam/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Sad video of a mother at a do-it-yourself (DIY) car wash. I guess the child gets upset or something, and since the punishment always fits the crime, the nanny POWER WASHES the child. Yeah, that seems fitting. Well I watched the video without sound and I'm toolazy busy to follow up what's happening, but since it's under 'crime' on CNN, I'm assuming she's in big trouble.
Why would you do this? The kid got out of line, why else? Probably not a valid excuse. In the words of Illseed "signs the world is coming to an end...."
It just shows you how far we're slipping as a society.
Sad video of a mother at a do-it-yourself (DIY) car wash. I guess the child gets upset or something, and since the punishment always fits the crime, the nanny POWER WASHES the child. Yeah, that seems fitting. Well I watched the video without sound and I'm too
Why would you do this? The kid got out of line, why else? Probably not a valid excuse. In the words of Illseed "signs the world is coming to an end...."
It just shows you how far we're slipping as a society.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Robot Has Sense of Humor
Apparently angry, political robots can tell jokes. And funny jokes. Clinton challenged Obama to a bowl off. Let's just hope he doesn't agree.
Obama Sucks!
At bowling
hopefully he didn't promise people that he was a good bowler. Because if that's the case, we may want to consider what his definition of "good" is. Note that he bowled a 37. A THIRTY SEVEN. My girlfriend bowls better than that. Seriously, she does. Obama should be embarrassed
hopefully he didn't promise people that he was a good bowler. Because if that's the case, we may want to consider what his definition of "good" is. Note that he bowled a 37. A THIRTY SEVEN. My girlfriend bowls better than that. Seriously, she does. Obama should be embarrassed
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Clinton Delusional, Senile?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080331/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_primaries
In what has turned into what seems to be a never ending campaign, Senator Clinton has vowed to maintain. And, in an effort to grab headlines, Clinton claims that Obama now doesn't want people to vote. That's correct, Clinton is claiming that Obama supporters are calling for her to drop out because she trails in delegates is synonymous with Obama not wanting votes to count.
So let me get this straight, those who want to preserve the Democratic party from beating themselves up in the primary, and perhaps subsequently costing them a chance at the White House is synonymous with anti-democratic notions? I adamantly disagree Mrs. Clinton. Now, while I come across as a Democrat, I truly am not. Rather I am more of a liberal Republican, or a conservative Democrat (at best). Most likely, I'd probably be defined as an Independent. I got into a discussion last night with my mother. It was brief, perhaps about 2 minutes or so. But as we were discussing a vacuum I recently ordered on behalf of her and my dad, she slipped in that Obama supports partial-birth abortions. I listened, and politely told her that in this day and age, that was honestly the least of my concerns (My parents are extremely conservative if you couldn't tell). I also backed up what I said by asserting that in this day and age, foreign policy is perhaps the most important platform that we, as a nation, should be concerned about.
Realistically, it will be rare to ever find a candidate, particularly under the pressure of our times, that aligns his or herself directly with your political ideologies. It's just not going to happen. It's why my parents and I have differing views on abortion, amongst other things. But abortion should not be a swinging factor on who you do or do not vote for. Realistically, Roe v. Wade is set, and the decision is not going to change anytime soon. And abortion should be even less of a factor when you consider that the only formal legislative power a president has is the veto. But other formal presidential powers? Head of state, the ability to negotiate foreign treaties. Those are important powers. Those are the powers that can restore, or further weaken our standing in the world.
We are in the age of globalization. Where the Euro has far surpassed the dollar in value. Where the Canadian dollar has virtually caught up to the American dollar. Where America, although extremely influential, is not the superpower it once was. Instead, we outsource, we borrow billions of dollars from China, and we continue to lose clout. These are not things that are going to change overnight. Realistically, they are things that will never change. Consumers (myself included) will choose the less priced item as opposed to the higher priced item which support jobs in America. We complain about customer support phone services being outsourced to foreign nations with individuals who are far from mastering the English language. But do any of us desire to bear the cost of bringing those jobs back to the U.S.? I, for one, do not.
I will premise these next thoughts by saying this. I voted for Bush. I voted for him in 2000, and I voted for him again in 2004. I am not one of those persons who chooses the lesser of two evils (although perhaps at the time I rationalized it as such). In my unenlightened political state in 2000, I didn't like that Gore made claims that he invented the internet. I also thought he was hyper-mechanical. And I, in a state of simplicity, liked that Bush was a conservative. I also liked that he surrounded himself with people he thought were smarter than him. I thought it showed humility (oh hindsight, you are 20/20). In 2004, I knew Kerry was an idiot. I always told my friends, "if you can't make a retard look retarded, who is the real retard?" Pretty much as far from being politically correct as you can go, but stop and consider what I just said. Kerry had the golden opportunity and pretty much blew it. And it was quite evident from the outset that he was unprepared to properly run the country. Adages such as, "Right war, wrong time," were simple attempts at pandering to popular notions.
Why do I bring these ideas up? Because Obama is something more than a great speaker. He's more than jumping on the youth bandwagon. I do not write from someone who has been brainwashed into thinking that he's going to completely revive our country. No, it's something beyond that. While I do not ally with him 100% ideologically, Obama is a break from the monotony of the political machines. He's not Hillary Clinton, the woman who will stop at nothing to get the nomination. He does not sling mud and attempt to character assassinate his opponents. He merely defends himself when necessary. This characteristic is so overlooked. In the age when one grows tired of "politics as usual," of slander campaigns, it is truly refreshing to see someone actually be a politician as opposed to a "politician." It speaks volumes of a person when they do not resort to running smear campaigns, and instead attempts to take the higher ground. When the two Democratic candidates stand on virtually the same platform, it is the deciding factor for me.
Take a step back and consider what's going on in the state of our nation. Every great society in history has fallen. As Cannibal Ox said, "Rome wasn't built in a day, but it fell in one." Look how far Russia has fallen since the end of the Soviet Union (and also look at the financial state of the country). And don't for a second blame it on Communism. Nations fall and nothing on this Earth is eternal. What's important now, is beyond abortion, it's about restoring our economy, it's about re-engaging with those throughout the world. It's about leaving the chapter of Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, and starting new foundations for a new era of a country.
In what has turned into what seems to be a never ending campaign, Senator Clinton has vowed to maintain. And, in an effort to grab headlines, Clinton claims that Obama now doesn't want people to vote. That's correct, Clinton is claiming that Obama supporters are calling for her to drop out because she trails in delegates is synonymous with Obama not wanting votes to count.
So let me get this straight, those who want to preserve the Democratic party from beating themselves up in the primary, and perhaps subsequently costing them a chance at the White House is synonymous with anti-democratic notions? I adamantly disagree Mrs. Clinton. Now, while I come across as a Democrat, I truly am not. Rather I am more of a liberal Republican, or a conservative Democrat (at best). Most likely, I'd probably be defined as an Independent. I got into a discussion last night with my mother. It was brief, perhaps about 2 minutes or so. But as we were discussing a vacuum I recently ordered on behalf of her and my dad, she slipped in that Obama supports partial-birth abortions. I listened, and politely told her that in this day and age, that was honestly the least of my concerns (My parents are extremely conservative if you couldn't tell). I also backed up what I said by asserting that in this day and age, foreign policy is perhaps the most important platform that we, as a nation, should be concerned about.
Realistically, it will be rare to ever find a candidate, particularly under the pressure of our times, that aligns his or herself directly with your political ideologies. It's just not going to happen. It's why my parents and I have differing views on abortion, amongst other things. But abortion should not be a swinging factor on who you do or do not vote for. Realistically, Roe v. Wade is set, and the decision is not going to change anytime soon. And abortion should be even less of a factor when you consider that the only formal legislative power a president has is the veto. But other formal presidential powers? Head of state, the ability to negotiate foreign treaties. Those are important powers. Those are the powers that can restore, or further weaken our standing in the world.
We are in the age of globalization. Where the Euro has far surpassed the dollar in value. Where the Canadian dollar has virtually caught up to the American dollar. Where America, although extremely influential, is not the superpower it once was. Instead, we outsource, we borrow billions of dollars from China, and we continue to lose clout. These are not things that are going to change overnight. Realistically, they are things that will never change. Consumers (myself included) will choose the less priced item as opposed to the higher priced item which support jobs in America. We complain about customer support phone services being outsourced to foreign nations with individuals who are far from mastering the English language. But do any of us desire to bear the cost of bringing those jobs back to the U.S.? I, for one, do not.
I will premise these next thoughts by saying this. I voted for Bush. I voted for him in 2000, and I voted for him again in 2004. I am not one of those persons who chooses the lesser of two evils (although perhaps at the time I rationalized it as such). In my unenlightened political state in 2000, I didn't like that Gore made claims that he invented the internet. I also thought he was hyper-mechanical. And I, in a state of simplicity, liked that Bush was a conservative. I also liked that he surrounded himself with people he thought were smarter than him. I thought it showed humility (oh hindsight, you are 20/20). In 2004, I knew Kerry was an idiot. I always told my friends, "if you can't make a retard look retarded, who is the real retard?" Pretty much as far from being politically correct as you can go, but stop and consider what I just said. Kerry had the golden opportunity and pretty much blew it. And it was quite evident from the outset that he was unprepared to properly run the country. Adages such as, "Right war, wrong time," were simple attempts at pandering to popular notions.
Why do I bring these ideas up? Because Obama is something more than a great speaker. He's more than jumping on the youth bandwagon. I do not write from someone who has been brainwashed into thinking that he's going to completely revive our country. No, it's something beyond that. While I do not ally with him 100% ideologically, Obama is a break from the monotony of the political machines. He's not Hillary Clinton, the woman who will stop at nothing to get the nomination. He does not sling mud and attempt to character assassinate his opponents. He merely defends himself when necessary. This characteristic is so overlooked. In the age when one grows tired of "politics as usual," of slander campaigns, it is truly refreshing to see someone actually be a politician as opposed to a "politician." It speaks volumes of a person when they do not resort to running smear campaigns, and instead attempts to take the higher ground. When the two Democratic candidates stand on virtually the same platform, it is the deciding factor for me.
Take a step back and consider what's going on in the state of our nation. Every great society in history has fallen. As Cannibal Ox said, "Rome wasn't built in a day, but it fell in one." Look how far Russia has fallen since the end of the Soviet Union (and also look at the financial state of the country). And don't for a second blame it on Communism. Nations fall and nothing on this Earth is eternal. What's important now, is beyond abortion, it's about restoring our economy, it's about re-engaging with those throughout the world. It's about leaving the chapter of Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, and starting new foundations for a new era of a country.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Frustration Abounds
All in all, it's been a bad last week or so. Perhaps more so in hindsight. I actually don't think I was minding it at all during the time. Here's what's on my mind:
- My apparent, piss-poor writing abilities, and sub par grade resulting from the last work I turned it
- Both NCAA brackets have turned to crap, which frustrates me to no end (I'm a poor sport, there's only a total of $5 on the line) [side note: thankfully Memphis is still alive...]
- Lack of progress on the current work
- The fact that finals are rapidly approaching and I'm nowhere close to where I need to be
- Blisters from excessive basketball
- Lack of spare time to do anything fun that takes up more than a few hours
- Lack of recent determination to make it to the gym
- The squash in my fridge that needs to be cooked before it goes bad
Will Oliver Stone Soon Die?
http://imdb.com/title/tt1175491/
Probably not, but if he did, man there'd be some conspiracy theories out there (like "someone" in the government got angry and killed Stone off). I wonder how W. feels about this movie coming out. All things considered, Stone hasn't made a movie (to my very limited knowledge) about some controversial topic that is actually currently happening. The movie, however, is set for a 2009 release, so Bush won't be in office, and I guess it wouldn't be 'current.' But Nixon was released in 1994, and Nixon was impeached in 1974 or something. So W would be much more current.
The biggest question on my mind? Who will play Cheney. Is there a douchebag, or someone capable of portraying a douchbag of Cheny-like proportions out there? Only time will tell.
Probably not, but if he did, man there'd be some conspiracy theories out there (like "someone" in the government got angry and killed Stone off). I wonder how W. feels about this movie coming out. All things considered, Stone hasn't made a movie (to my very limited knowledge) about some controversial topic that is actually currently happening. The movie, however, is set for a 2009 release, so Bush won't be in office, and I guess it wouldn't be 'current.' But Nixon was released in 1994, and Nixon was impeached in 1974 or something. So W would be much more current.
The biggest question on my mind? Who will play Cheney. Is there a douchebag, or someone capable of portraying a douchbag of Cheny-like proportions out there? Only time will tell.
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