Trump offers $5 Million

... For Obama's college records!

Don't say this isn't for publicity because it is.  It's shit like this that kept Trump from running for president.  It's easier to sit on the sideline and lob a hand full of mud whenever it suits you knowing that your target can't fight every single person that is opposing them.  This isn't about finding out "answers that Americans want to know".  This is about pressing your own agenda.  Why else wait until after all debating is over and elections are 2 weeks out?

Ladies and gentlemen, this is exactly what happens when the rich opt to be political.  With this one outburst, issues which were long laid to rest and forgotten are back at the forefront.  Apparently it's more important to nit pick over a piece of paper saying I WAS BORN IN THE U-S-OF-A after years of no one questioning, than it is to focus on real issues.

Even if the college records come back clean and prove that Obama enrolled as a citizen (which people will continue to doubt), all it takes is one course in his transcripts to be a public relations disaster.  Guess what.  I took a class about Nazi Germany.  A lot of people took that class.  I can safely say that hundreds of people took that class with the same teacher while it was offered at my university.  One of my TA's was a self described "Sovietologist".  STOP THE FUCKING PRESSES BECAUSE I MUST BE A SOCIALIST!  One class.  That's all i took.  I got a "B" in the class.  Does that make me a "pinko" or a "skinhead"?

This blood lust for a witch hunt must stop in American politics.  We're tearing ourselves apart and no one sees it.  The polarization between both sides will tear the country apart.  I/we live in a world where politically it's now either or but never both.  Either you're for the war in Iraq or you hate all troops.  You can't be for the troops but against their current mission.

Record amounts of money is being spent on campaigns by anonymous donors.  Donors who we have no idea what their ultimate agenda is.  How much of this money is foreign?  How much money are hostile countries dumping into both sides of the campaign to escalate the tensions and throw more gas on what will be a glorious bonfire?

What happened to the buzz phrase "create jobs"?  Think about how much that $5 million that trump is offering would help a couple of businesses RETAIN JOBS.  How much would that help the Mexican government in their fight against the cartels that have turned the Southern border into a quasi war zone?  How much would that help rebels in Syria because lord knows the US needs another ally in the region after Israel gets vaporized?

What makes me the most sick is that I read the articles surrounding this stunt and i actually wasted my time thinking and writing about it which in turn feeds the fire.  If we all ignore people like Trump and the Kardashians, much like a bad fart, they'll eventually go away into the realm of mediocrity.

Reinventing the blog

I struggle with coming up with something that is not only worth writing but worth reading a lot of days.  I've toyed with different directions to go with this blog for years.  Most importantly, I've wrestled with the ongoing lack of direction.  It's that lack of direction that has me too intimidated to write anything.

It's time for a change.

I've said this before and once again i'm going to try to commit myself to writing more often.  Instead of intelligent pieces that are thought out, i think i'm going to use this medium as my anti-twitter.  No character limits here.  No random comments about what i'm eating for lunch.  Instead i'm going to just spout off with whatever comes to mind.  Some of it will be offensive.  Most of it will be just mindless dribble.

Welcome to my world!

Beavis and Butthead - They're Back

http://popdust.com/2011/07/22/beavis-butthead-jersey-shore-new-season-preview/

I'm not a fan of Family Guy.  American Dad is ok at times.  The Simpsons need to be put to rest.  South Park should have ended years ago.

I'm normally not a fan of the retarded humor and Family Guy is the one that I think is the one that best represents the genre.  That being said, I'm actually happy Beavis and Butthead are coming back.  Maybe it's the nostalgia of them that made me grin when i heard this.  Maybe it's my juvenile side that still laughs when I've got gas.  I just think the world could use a dose of simple stupid humor again because of how polarized we're getting and how vogue it is to throw political commentary into every form of media.

After finding this out, I'm grinning and I don't know why.  :)

Bottled water consumption

A friend sent me link to more information on the topic of water consumption.

What caught my eye about the topic is that everyone seems to forget that they get water from their food too.  Does a person who eats salad and lots of fruits need as much water.  Theoretically no because the food they're consuming is heavy in water to begin with.

I guess what I'm focusing in on are the people who pound water all day.  It should be a gradual process.  I know people who believe they should have a specific amount drank by different times of the day and if you disrupt their routine they'll go mental.  How can this be healthy?  All they hear is "drinking water is bad for you" when i say "forcefully drinking that much water in a limited time frame is probably bad for you".  Maybe they couldn't hear me because of the sounds of water sloshing around.  :)

Most importantly on this topic are those that consume bottled water.  Go to a grocery store and stand in the soda/water isle for a couple of minutes.  You're bound to see someone come up and grab multiple cases of water.  If I'm in a more affluent part of town, it's my observation that I'll see this even more.

This brings up the bottle vs tap argument.  I'm not sure whether people are using bottled water as a status sign, or if they're lazy, or if they're that clueless and so they buy into the propaganda.

I say "status sign" because it appears that people go out of their way to show they're drinking their bottle of water everywhere that they go.  As though they're soooooo healthy that they need to flaunt that they're not putting that low brow toxic stuff in their system.  Watch them.  They display their bottles very prominently in meetings and even on their desk.  Like coffee cups of yesteryear, your bottle of water reflects what you're trying to say about your lifestyle.

I said "lazy" because there are a lot of people who use it for the convenience factor.  As soon as their done with their serving, maybe they'll even throw it in a recycling bin.  It frightens me when i see this happening in homes.  Grab the bottle because it's more convenient than actually filling a glass.  That's OK though because it'll get recycled (hopefully) when they're done and they'll grab a fresh one in a couple of hours.  Yes I'm calling you lazy if you do this.  Get over it.  You've got a million excuses but in the end you know they're pretty flimsy.

There's countless sites dedicated to the argument of bottle vs tap.  Those that are adamant about using bottled don't use them though and prefer to use the facts written on the labels or information that "someone told me a while back but i don't remember who or when" which is usually code for THIS IS BULLSHIT COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH BUT IT SOUNDS GOOD.  I find it ironic that in the easy access information age that we are in today how few people fact check stuff even after they're called out on it.

I'm not saying drinking water is bad.  That much should be obvious.  I'm saying that the hype about how much you should drink is incorrect.  I'm also saying that people need to stop buying multiple cases of bottled water at a time because they're wasting their money on a product who's packaging does more harm than good.

--------
About me:  I have a case of water in my freezer since it's summer time and I can pull a frozen bottle out and have it be cold in a couple of hours after sitting in a cooler.  I also use those frozen bottles in coolers instead of buying ice packs because as serve a dual purpose of chilling things and when they thaw I can drink them.  I strongly prefer my water to be cold.  I have a bottle on my desk every day that starts off frozen and I refill it constantly so the water stays cold as the ice melts.  I do this to cut back on my soda intake which has been known to hit 6-7 cans a day easily.  I also take my bottles home with me, fill them up from the tap and toss them in the freezer for the next day.  When they are all gone I will be using old soda bottles.  I do this because there is no reasonable source of ice cubes throughout the day for me at work.  I'm anti plastic whenever possible and work to minimize that type of packaging in my life.

You may now attack my views.

FBI Raids Hunting Down Anonymous

Courtesy of CBSNEWS.com

This is of course on the heels of Anonymous threatening to release Sun and News Of The World Emails today after defacing The Sun earlier today...

Can't help but wonder why the FBI is launching these raids.  Why the attention?

Clearly these "hackers" are a threat to national security and will bring down our freedoms and encourage rampant homosexuality and promiscuity and any other nonsense that is being spewed out by hate mongers on both sides.

The fact is yes they've been attacking very large multinational corporations lately.  The reality is it's only a matter of time before law enforcement comes after you when you've been in the headlines as much as they have been.  The fact is Anonymous is a boogie man for law enforcement to chase down and a great way generate news to draw attention away from other more pressing issues.  There are bigger problems in the world than companies like Sony being 'hacked' but law enforcement is doing what is in their best interest (assuming they want to stay employed much longer).  The global economy is unstable right now, countries in Europe are defaulting on their debts, the USA's credit is tanking, oil prices are constantly on the rise courtesy of OPEC (not directly because of BP, Exxon, or the other oil companies kids!!!), and China's economy is expanding at a rate that is not sustainable long term which can lead to a major crash in time.

Yeah.  Chasing down rogue 'hackers' makes a lot of sense.

A part of me now wants to watch the original Hackers movie and yell "Hack the planet" tonight...  :)

Wisconsin Senate passes concealed-carry bill

Original story

Pardon me for being just a bit more nervous.  Despite all of the training that these users are supposed to go through, I'm skeptical.

This isn't the Old West.  Why in gods name would you carry your gun to the store, to a restaurant, or to church?  You may not but this has already happened locally as people pro-gun have built up to challenge the laws which lead to this.

I'm not going to go hide away scared but i genuinely don't see how this can help any.  Perhaps my opinion is biased by those that i have met and know.  Perhaps I don't have enough faith in my fellow citizens but this truly feels like a step back for us as Americans.

We as Americans tend to have a false sense of superiority.  This comes from the country being both an economic and military power for over a generation.  Everything we as a nation do we try to spin as being 'justified' in an epic battle of good vs evil.  We would never invade a sovereign nation based off of flimsy intelligence.  We only act on the behalf of good.  We're a civilized nation and trying to spread our goodness and ideas of freedom and self determination to others (assuming that your not in the geographic regions currently known as: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Libya, Cuba, Mexico, and Texas).

I'm sorry but if we're so 'civilized' then why is it that we have a disproportionate faction of the population currently incarcerated?  Why is it that we're the only 'western' and 'first world' nation (implied = civilized) to allow JUVENILES on death row?

Sorry Tex but you I think you should check yer six shooter at the border where it belongs.

It hasn't happened yet but what scares me the most is citizens being armed.  I'm not saying that I trust the government and its troops to act in my best interest.  I'm saying I am genuinely waiting for the day that someone tries to be a vigilante with their weapon and try to prevent a crime happening.  We entrust the police to carry potential deadly weapons because they go through extensive training in both handling those weapons and the circumstances as to when they should rely on them.  I have little to no confidence in an individual who has gone through a training course in hunters safety to control themselves in a heated situation.

I frankly believe there will be a time that somewhere someone will pull their gun to try to 'do good'.  The police will arrive on the scene and focus on the person screaming "i have a permit for this and it's my right."  A tense situation will be escalated.  Something bad is bound to happen.  I'm not saying that i believe that this will be the norm.  I believe that this will be a very rare occurrence but one that needs not happen in the first place.

What I'm saying is that this is now the law of the land.  Fine.  Now, much like smoking, please go away from me because i don't wish to be near people like you.

The "unplugging" experiment

In response to Mom unplugs teens for 6 months from Internet, iPod, TV ...

If not for the fact this was influenced by her plan to write a book, I would applaud this "experiment". Stories like this genuinely interest me and I may look to find a copy of this book at the library one of these days (assuming they still exist). If not for the fact that she had to bribe her kids with a piece of the action from the book sales, this would be even better. Despite the lack of genuine sincerity behind this experiment, it both fascinates and disturbs me that this is a topic worthy of discussion.

In the past I've written about the desire to unplug from society if even briefly and I feel the need to reiterate that this has been a strong desire of mine for years. Even though i only talked about turning my phone off, I'd like to believe that "unplugging" from most technology would be the implied much like what Susan Maushart did with her family. It's almost as though I need to document that I felt this way before others "jumped on the bandwagon" and beat me to the punch. This is my way of making peace with myself on this topic i suppose.

The results of this on her family are fascinating and impossible to ignore. Her son was branded a video game addict and dedicated his free time to playing sax. Once the cloud lifted, he became interested in something that is not only potentially social but also what is arguably one of the foundations of culture. If not for the experiment, it's debatable whether or not he would have gone back to music or not. One daughter actually had her grades improve during this experiment.

More importantly than the results for me is how disturbing this is that it's worthy of writing a book about a family doing something like this. Apparently families are truly this out of control that they can't suppress their technology fetish. The removal of the "evil crickets" from their day to day lives should not be this big of an issue and yet it is.

Most importantly, this article/topic has flooded my head with more and more questions to which i don't necessarily want the answers to. Is technology truly that integral to not only people but families to the point that the act of "unplugging" can only be done so through bribery of kids? Are parents really that powerless (whether accidentally or by choice) to keep their families from self medicating by way of their immediate gratification gadgets? Why is it that more people aren't concerned with this? Are we losing the ability to physically interact with one another in favor of the perceived security of our virtual interactions? Could the son be considered a poster boy for what talent can lie underneath the shroud of electronic addiction that needs only be unplugged in order to shine through?

Although i'm fascinated by this "experiment" and the questions that it has raised within me, i don't foresee answers coming to light anytime soon. It's my opinion that "experiments" like this will become increasingly popular in the coming years and they'll be more and the outcomes will become more and more drastic as we progress further.

Gardening in Havana

Original article here.

Here we sit in the midst of a recession with the economy in the toilet, unemployment is up drastically, and yet we're obese. Food prices are going up, money is tight, and yet we less and less self sufficient as a country.

After reading about the farming that's going on in Cuba I realized that's exactly what we need. It just makes sense economically, socially, and physiologically.

Why would you not produce goods like produce where the consumers are? Transportation costs would be negligible, need for storage would be eliminated, and convenience for consumers would be unparalleled. People could buy the tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce needed for a salad right there on their lunch break rather than trekking the same distance to 'Burger World' and spending the same amount for inferior quality foods that have been soaked in chemicals using very Scotched Earth tactics. What's this? A good quality product for the same price as its mass produced competition? This must be a mistake!

Large scale growing and production within a major metropolitan area would also be a means to jump start the local economy. Active and consistent commerce tends to bring other commerce and we need only look at malls with their anchor stores to see this holds true. Local labor who is out of work would have an opportunity to be participants again in the economy whether they're laborers, growers, or sellers. Whatever their 'job', they would have some form of income which enables them to be consumers rather than a leech on the system. Even if they make $20/day, that's $20 less that they need to borrow or be given and more importantly it's EARNED.

The social effects of what is going on in Havana can't be comprehended by outsiders. Concepts like pride, hope for former unemployed workers, and aesthetics are all intangibles that can't be measured (yet somehow are major factors). Pockets of green like parks are already on the decline in most major metropolitan cities. These are pockets of green that not only produce marketable goods but cut back on air pollution in addition to their aesthetic value. The notion of eating something that was grown right near your employer can't be measured and yet will make most people smile.

Access to fresh produce can only have positive effects on peoples diets. Even if they just use that fresh tomato on their grease burger, it has more nutritional value than anything highly processed and mass farmed using heavy amounts of chemicals. Tomatoes are red, not pink. Look at a homegrown one next to one from the store. Case closed.

What strikes me the deepest about Havana is that they learned a lesson the hard way that we are blinded to.

Havana has almost 200 urban allotments - known as organiponicos - providing four million tonnes of vegetables every year - helping the country to become 90% self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables.

How is this a bad thing? A country that is 90% self sufficient in fruit and vegetables can weather economic crisis better as Havana is showing us. They're eliminating dependencies on foreign oil which means their country won't hit the panic button when Gas hits $4+ per gallon like it did in the US during the summer of 2008. The more self sufficient you are, the better you can cope with problems that arise.

As well as marigolds, basil and neem trees are planted around the containers to keep the aphids and beetles at bay. Sunflowers and corn are also planted around the beds to attract beneficial insects such as ladybirds and lace wings. Sticky paper or plastic funnel-shaped bottles are positioned throughout the beds to trap harmful pests that do get into the garden.

And the methods work. Lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, herbs and many other crops are grown in huge quantities and sold cheaply. Mangoes are 2 pence (3 US cents) a pound. Black beans 15p (25 cents) and plantain, just 12p (20 cents).

What's this? A good quality product for the same price as its mass produced competition? This must be a mistake!

happy memorial day

...Yes i actually had someone say this to me this past weekend...

Memorial day in the US is allegedly about remembering both veterans and those who have left the Earth before us. Somewhere along the line, it's original intention has taken a back seat to the overwhelming majority of people who view it as a 3 day weekend to either vacation or to party. How hard is it to take a few minutes out of your 3 day weekend to remember it's focus? Seriously.

I worked all weekend. I am directly responsible for a lot of burgers and a lot of steaks being sold to those that were going to celebrate their extended weekend away from work. Since i had to work on the holiday (monday) i asked for (and got) a shorter day. Everyone at work seemed to pause and hesitate when i told them i wanted to leave by 1pm so that i could have time to join friends to go to visit the grave of one of our friends. This bothered me.

Everywhere i turn lately i see people that are more concerned with their own lives than those around them. Why is it that it's such a novelty that someone is going to visit a grave on MEMORIAL day? I know that people are trying to be polite but where do they get off saying something like "happy memorial day" to those around them. What, is this Christmas?

I'm not saying that people should go to the parades or wave flags etc on occasions like this. All i'm asking is that they spend a couple minutes remembering what the actual name of the holiday is and put forth half an effort to keep that in mind as they enjoy an extended weekend.

It truly is bull shit to have to deal with slack jawed knuckle heads who are bragging about the size of their grill (penis anyone?) and how good their food will be this weekend when all they can concern themselves with is 'relaxing' and 'getting away' and not taking a few minutes to even acknowledge the underlying reason for their 3 day weekend. Yet another person sighs in frustration because of the extra work that has piled up and emails that must be responded to in order for the world to continue rotating. Yet another person has their BlackBerry out and gets annoyed because some event dared to interrupt their self entitled extended weekend.

I don't know about you but the thought of grilling up these burgers while breaking in my brand new grill is the core reason why this 3 day weekend exists!!!

Excuse me, someone needs me help them pick out some steaks to help them impress their guests for their cook out...

Sarah Connor Chronicles - CANCELED

To those at both Fox and Warner Brothers, a hearty FUCK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for selling out fans of a sci fi show once again. Thank you for jerking it around and cutting it loose after abusing it like a $3 whore. Thank you for restoring my faith in the idea that the networks care nothing about fans. Thank you for not being clever enough to capitalize on a growing fan base on the eve of an anticipated theatrical release of a sequel to the series.

http://www.fmqinc.com/terminator-cancelled/

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/04/terminator_the_sarah_connor_ch_4.html

I'm going back to downloading all of my tv shows rather than watching the broadcast versions.

Why I Deserve New Toys

The other day I had a conversation with a girl I work with at my part time job (grunt work). This being grunt work should rightfully imply that those around me aren't all that educated or even well to do financially. I always like comparing it to Mos Eisley . :) This conversation really bothered me and I think it will continue to bother me for a long time.

The girl in question is HS drop out and an unwed/uninsured mother in her early 20's that is partially supported by the father who does similar grunt work. The child is appx 5-6 years old and is being raised in a very unpleasant neighborhood. Race is intentionally being withheld because it's a non-factor. She brings her Nintendo DS to work regularly in addition to her iPod. They have a Wii and a PS3 at home and I'm unsure about the TV situation for those consoles. She can't/won't work overtime because the additional money will change how much government assistance she receives. Yes, she found the loop holes and is using them to her advantage.

I'd not seen her in 6 months so the conversation consisted of her showing me her new iPhone that she now has. Apparently they have matching iPhones in addition to matching iPods.

What bothers me the most is the amount of technology that they have despite lack of income. There's a child growing up in this environment. These people are partially funding their technology habits with government money. Rather than working hard to get ahead and earning their toys, they're using loop holes to cover their daily expenses while spending what money they have on pop culture technology.

Is it fair that those that earn less than I do and pride themselves in working as little as possible have nicer things than I do? Is it fair that tax payers are helping support them and others like them? The only thing they've learned from our “system” is that it discourages them from working more to get ahead. Pride? Whats that? Why would you need pride when you've got your electronic devices that everyone covets without putting forth the effort to earn them?

Something is seriously wrong here. They genuinely believe that they are entitled to stuff like this because they work hard raising their kid AND they have jobs. Congratulations! You bothered to attempt to do your parental duties while bothering to get out of bed and go to work a couple days a week. Wow. You're such a trooper. We should build statues in your honor because of how noble you are. You clearly deserve your desert for your dinner even though you didn't eat your vegetables or do your homework. You're entitled to the best that society has to offer solely because you made an effort within the confines of your situation. That's OK though. You deserve it all.

This is one of many people I work with. This is actually a very typical scenario for those that work there. These jobs will be gone in < 5 years and everyone knows that. Yet they keep self medicating with material possessions like this. No one seems to care that this is happening. Everyone that I work with has the attitude of “they beat the system and so more power to them”. I guess this is should be chalked up as my jealousy fueled rant. I've done my share. I've worked hard for years and have next to nothing to show for it. I feel as though I deserve all of those toys more than others do. Why? Because I'm special and I get out of bed every day. I pay my bills on time and sacrifice personal comforts so that I can continue to pay. This must be jealousy. Someone has something that I covet and therefore I'm bitter because I want what they have.

To the Right wing conservatives out there: I'll make sure to pass on a hearty “Thank you” to these people for your ammunition against social programs.

MyFace/SpaceBook

Social networking sites have gone from popular, to overboard, to irritating, and now they're getting downright obnoxious. Everyone has to add clutter to their page to show their individuality. I liked facebook once upon a time because it was clean. I did the myspace thing because it was easier to keep tabs on music groups. Myspace was (in my eyes) for people who can't spell HTML and yet wanted a gaudy 'pimped out' page. Facebook was once for those that wanted to stalk easier because of how lax people had their security settings and were gullible enough to fill in all of their personal info.

Today, both sites are overrun with widgets, plugins, apps, and overall bling which i find to be obnoxious. I don't care about what you're doing via twitter, who you superpoked, or what music plays every time someone loads your page.

I've decided to create a name for these people. They will be the ones that 'pimp out' their pages. They are the ones that toss so much multimedia content on their page that it's slow to load irregardless of connection speed and machine performance. These are the people who have a ton of youtube clips embedded in addition to different apps that spam their friends into submission to join them.

Both sites have picked up more and more traits of the other and it's getting difficult to tell them apart. Because of the blending that has happened between both sides, i've decided that they need a new name. A name that not only reflects what has happened to the sites, but also their users.

I propose MyFace.

MyFace will be used by me as an insult referencing these people. MyFace is my new catchall word for these sites and their individuality craving, bling polluting, bandwidth consuming, eye sores that people create.

Oooo... someone has just sent me a beer on MyFace and i need to go return the favor!

***********

(EDIT)

http://www.myface.com/

Looks like i'm going with spacebook instead of MyFace. Doh!

Cell phone follow up

I've fallen behind in my writings. My goal is to write something once a week. Why? There are all of 3 people that read this but that's not the point. I write because it feels good. Plain and simple.

In the past 2 months i've not been in a position to have my phone off anymore. My current job requires me to have my phone on 24/7 because of my on-call status. Irritating. I sampled what it felt like to have my phone off the other weekend while camping in Georgia. Phone died and i didn't charge it right away since i was with my friend/coworker. For the bulk of the day, i actually didn't have that weight in my left pocket like usual. It rarely rings. I rarely get txts/pages. Yet i'm constantly aware that it's there.

I used to believe that i could get by without my cell phone if need be. I've spent some idle time lately wondering if that's still true. If not for work, could i handle just walking away from my cell phone completely? Can i handle losing that level of attachment?

After much reflection i believe that i can still handle life without a cell (if not for that pesky job thingy). Those brief couple hours where my phone was dead while camping were nice. When my phone was in my tent, i never really felt awkward or even acknowledged that anything was different. It's not so much that i felt like i felt that my pocket felt "light" without it or even that i felt the absence of it. It's more that i just didn't even notice it either way.

I've since realized i tend to gravitate towards phones with a specific feel to them. They tend to be slightly heavier (not lead bricks but still). I like heavier phones because when they're in my pocket, i always know they're there. Perhaps i subconsciously want that style so that i'm always aware of my "tether" to society. I'm comfortable with them doing more and more but i'm hesitant to embrace anything especially light or small.

Perhaps i'm delusional but i'd like to think i'm still capable of "unplugging" at any given time. My biggest regret is that i can no longer go biking during the summer without it. It's always going to be there in my backpack while i'm trying to be carefree for a couple hours. My ears are always going to filter out background noise for my ringer...

...but nobody ever said i had to answer it when it rings though. :)