Merry Christmas

Prop 8 - A reaction to the reaction

Well the election has come and gone. I for one am thrilled for it to be over. Now the government can get back to avoiding work like the rest of us. Something new is happening after this election though. I can't ever remember a time where more discussion of a proposition happened after the election than before.

California had Prop. 8 on the ballot. A constitutional change to state that marriage is only recognized between a man and a woman. OK, that seems a bit odd to have in a state constitution. Dictionary, Encyclopedia- sure. But constitution? Does Pennsylvania have the definition of a cheese steak in their constitution? Is it in the Philadelphia city charter? I know, I know, this is more serious than a sandwich.

Prop. 8 passed. Kind of. It still needs to go back to the courts. The courts that this proposition was trying to overrule get to decide if its valid. (I love government.) In the mean time though, more attention is getting focused on Prop. 8 now than before the election when it really mattered. Some good, but there is also a lot of bad attention too. I understand protests, walks, marches, & sit ins. (Understand is probably the wrong word, accept would be more accurate.) They are the accepted methods passed down from past generations for making your point.

My problem is with the attacks against supporters of Prop. 8. Spray painting "No on 8" on a church is not the brightest way to win support for your cause. It fosters the fear that went into the writing of the proposition in the first place.

I have been a supporter of the California Music Theatre in the past. When I heard a story about Scott Eckern donating money to Prop 8, I admittedly was confused. California Music Theatre always seemed to be a very accepting group. When that story started becoming calls for boycotts I was very disappointed. Not in Scott or CMT, but with everyone "calling for his head". Scott had every right to donate money to whoever he wanted. It was his money. Was there a call out to get someone to educate him? No, they just could not accept that he as someone working in the theater community was not in agreement with them. Scott has made statements of his beliefs and graciously stepped down to not hurt anyone else involved in CMT. I am just amazed that people who are asking for others to be open minded can't be open minded themselves.

Since you have been reading this far I guess you want to know how I feel about the issue. I wish I had something interesting to tell you. I fall into that third category of people that don't really care either way. I want people to have the right to do what they want. Marriage is a religous concept that the government uses. Maybe the government should get out of the marriage game. Make everyone domestic partners. Then you can go to church and get married or or not and still have the same rights. I just want people to think before asking someone else to change their minds. If you can't be accepting of how they think, then try and change their mind. If you don't want to be thought of as freaks and monsters, don't act like freaks and monsters.

Diet Root Beer

There is something wrong with Diet Root Beer. It doesn't taste like other diet sodas. Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing. I hate the taste of most diet sodas. But it is missing the happy feeling that a regular Root Beer gives you. Its a very subtle thing. I get the feeling that it wants to be something else. Not Root Beer, and definitely not diet anything. Maybe it wants to be an accountant.

Election '09

I started to write a small essay on the positives and negatives about the candidates. That quickly got out of hand. I then started to jot down a scientific analysis of the issues and related costs to each candidates proposed programs. HAHAHAHAHA like that is even easier. Everyone knows that most of the campaign promises won't come to fruition. So I finally decided to just come out and declare my support for a candidate. Ummmm, yeah.

I would like to declare that it is time to search for some new candidates. None of the candidates for any position I know of are worthy of the jobs they seek. Well ok, I shouldn't say that. Their campaigns have made them all look like they are not the right people for the job. I want to hear from the candidates, not a speach writing commitee.

I have always had a core belief when it comes to elections. I will only vote FOR something. I don't vote against something. I can't vote for one guy just because he is less revolting than their competitor. I vote to leave any initiative alone unless it is for some kind of change that I completely support. (Thats usually hard because I have to read carefully to make sure if a No or a Yes means "leave it alone".) I am not afraid to leave a box unchecked. I have the right to leave it unchecked. I am still voting.

One closing note try and stop my rambling. When actors declare their support for a candidate, I lose respect for both the actor and the candidate. Unless the actor has some involvement with an issue I just don't care what their opinion is. I want to hear experts. I know its a petty thing for me. I realize that a lot of actors have a ton of time to research these things and are quite possibly more educated on some problems than I am. But why should I care? I didn't care when you ran over the photographer. I didn't care when you bought some huge house. I didn't care when you adopted some chiild from a distant land. I only care that you are there to entertain me on occasion. Thats what you get the big checks for.

Its's 2:45 in the morning. Someone save me from these politicians.

How long could you survive chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

I could survive for 1 minute, 3 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds Pedia

Albert Einstein's Wristwatch

Albert Einstein's Wristwatch is going up for auction. Whoever wins it better be someone that can understand the implications of what they have there.

Also they should be warned that if it is placed with Henry Ford's Keyring, Steve Wozniak's Soldering Iron, and Thomas Jefferson's Ink Well a pandimensional portal could open. The world's very existence is truly at stake this time. (Not like the last time.)

The Internet Amazes Even Me Sometimes

I want to say congratulations to Mur Lafferty and her "little book that could" Playing For Keeps. She managed to get her book to the #16 place on Amazon.com today in its first day of release. If the #15 book wasn't about Barak Obama who knows how high it might have gone.

The most interesting thing about this is that I would guess that most of the people that bought the book already knew the story. Mur first released PFK as a free podcast novel and then as a free PDF file. She did have it available from a print on demand publisher, but now its available from Amazon and other booksellers. It could end up in airport giftshops (well only if the world is that lucky).

I came late to the show. I have had the podcast waiting for me to listen to for a while. As usual though life has gotten in the way and I have just left it sitting. Over the last couple days though I have had time to read the PDF. I read the whole thing in basically 2 sittings. I just could not put it down.

Thank you Internet for making Playing For Keeps a huge success.

Experiment failed.

Oh well. I knew that this week was the wrong week to try this. I had to take a trip in the middle of the week. Well maybe when I get back I'll try it again. Until then........go read Questionable Content.

No Umbrella - Writing Experiment Day 2

Henry stepped out of his office building. It was raining, again. This was the third time this week he left his umbrella on the train. He walked among the crowds, getting wetter by the step. His shoulders raised in a vain attempt to hide from the falling drops. He scanned the street ahead. There she was. The red umbrella was easy to spot, even in the pouring rain. Especially in the pouring rain.
Henry had met the lady with the red umbrella only once. It was a day just like today. He was tired of walking in the rain. He stepped to the curb and hailed the next cab coming along. He hadn’t seen that now 5 feet behind him she was hailing the same cab, for the same reason. When the cab stopped, he turned to open the door and that’s when he saw her. His breath left him. His feet were suddenly glued to the ground. When he didn’t move towards the car, she reached for the door herself. Henry just stood there and watched her get in the cab. As it pulled away, he briefly saw her head turn to look at him. He could just make out her lips saying the words, “Thank You” as it pulled away.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK. Thud.

“I never saw him.”
“What was he doing walking in the middle of the road.”
“SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!”

Travel - Writing Experiment Day 1

Normally I am a pretty sedentary character. I sit in my mountain hideout day after day reading about the goings on in the world. Occasionally getting to talk to, well, type to new people all across the world. Talking on the phone with people I work with and maybe an occasional family member. This has worked well enough for me in the past.

At the end of last year my sister announced that she was moving. She found a nice little area in Oregon and decided that she wanted to relocate up there. For most people that wouldn’t mean much. Just a wave goodbye and a phone call once a week. I’m not that kind of person. For me it’s meant several loads of furniture and boxes, several trips to help her fix up her new place. And soon it will mean another trip. I am glad that I have the flexibility to be able to travel up to help her out.

In a few days I am set to go back up there again. This time I’m going to fly. I love to fly. If they would let me I’d gladly let the pilot take a break and I’d sit in for them. Flying is the closest thing to magic we have nowadays. Within a matter of hours you can be thousands of miles away. Although for me, I usually spend just as much time at the airport as I do in the air. I have been held at ticket counters while people play with their terminals trying to make sure that this guy with the normal name isn’t dangerous. I regularly get searched at any security checkpoint. I have gotten searched at the checkpoint, walked 30 feet to the gate and been randomly selected to be searched again. That is my only nightmare when it comes to flying. Some foul up with a scanner and not only do I miss my flight, but they ship me off to somewhere to be interrogated about my completely normal name.

First Writing Experiment

Today I am going to start my first writing experiment. I think that someday I can possibly be some sort of writer. I have always dreamed of coming up with the next Star Wars, but Joss Whedon beat me to it. I have considered news reporting. I have even thought of just doing some technical writing. I haven't done much writing ever because I always seemed to hate writing in school. The entire concept of writing something just to write never worked for me. And I guess it still doesn't. I have also heard time and again that if you don't write, you can't write (or something to that effect). So starting sometime in the next 24 hours and continuing for a week I will write something here each day. It my be my opinion on a news story, some story about my day, or if I really get adventurous (or am facing a no news day and a deadline) a very short piece of fiction.

Yes, I know this is stupid. I'm awake at three in the morning. Thats not exactly bright right there.

Hello Russia.....Helloooooo

Since I know that my blog is the first thing many important political figures in Russia read every morning, I have a quick message for you.

GET OUT OF GEORGIA! Stay on your own side of the border. If parts of Georgia want to break off and join you that's fine, but there is paperwork that has to be done first.

And a quick message to Georgia. RUN Dragon*Con is coming!!!!!!!!! Geeks, Nerds, and Naked People. RU.......ok take some pictures of the naked people, then RUN!!!!!

Oh, and to the other Georgia. Just start mailing parking tickets to Moscow for any tanks still parked in your country. I'm sure you must have some law against parking tanks in your country. Do they make Denver Boots for tanks?

It was nice while it lasted.

Rumor has it that the next Batman movie is likely to have The Riddler and Catwoman in it. The thought of it has many people incredibly excited. And with more rumors of Angelina Jolie & Johnny Depp interested in the roles even more buzz is emminant. I see this as the start of the end. More villians means less time to explore each character. And this means lower quality movies. And you don't have to look very far to see some of the worst examples of this. Its very common in the Batman franchise. Batman (1989) was released with ONE villian. Massively amazing movie. Batman Returns (1992) had two supervillians and one normal villian. It nearly killed Michael Keaton's career.

Update: New rumors also have Phillip Seymore Hoffman as the Penguin linked to the next movie as well. PLEASE STOP NOW!!!!!!!!!

Wow

There isn't much else to say about The Dark Knight except Wow. I went in hoping for a good movie. This was no where near what I was expecting. I didn't think Hollywood made movies like this anymore. Or even if they really ever had. Not only was the storyline unexpected, but it was allowed to play out in a decent amount of time. It never felt like they were really rushing the story along, except I know they were. There was 2 movies worth of content in the 2 and a half hours or so.

Ummm yeah, Wow. If you liked Batman Begins (then you are probably already at the theater at this moment, but if you are not) take some time this weekend to see it. Its well worth it.

Read Mark's Book

While I can't support what Mark does with the profits from the book (Obama supporting fool), it is a really good book. Give it a read. I really enjoyed it even without any vampires.

-Amazon-
-Barnes & Noble-

WALL-E and California Smoke

I know its been a while since I posted. Lets just say that my abductors were very nice, but it wouldn't hurt for them to find a new Chinese restaurant.

If you have been anywhere near California in the last week, you know that we have had a bit of smoke in the air. (Smoke so thick it blocked the sun and changed weather patterns.) It took me several days to figure out why it was pissing me off. Normally I love the smell of a good forest fire. It reminds me of my childhood. But for some reason this smoke was just annoying me. And then it hit me. Traffic. Ok, maybe it takes more than one word to explain it. If you are stuck in traffic for a while you get angry. But if you get to see some nasty carnage of the accident that caused it, you completely forget about the traffic and just keep telling everyone for the next few days about how you saw one car upside down and the other burned to a crisp. Well the same thing happens with smoke. When you get stuck in smoke its nasty. But if you see walls of flame or at least a smoldering stump, everything is great. You get to talk about it for years.

WALL-E
I'm really not sure what to say about WALL-E. Should people watch it? Yes. Its a fantastic piece of filmaking. Did I like it? Pretty much. Pixar has once again created amazing characters and sent them on an amazing adventure. I didn't care for being preached at about environmental and economic issues. I guess a lot of stories have some meaning, and this one does get the call to arms out there. It just wasn't for me.

Pixar's real win on this one though wasn't the art. It was the sound. Back in the 70's a young man was able to give a robot that was not much more than a rolling garbage can a soul. R2-D2 became a hero to a generation. Was it special effects or mechanical wizardry that did this? No, it was the sad sound of a little droid alone in the desert that pulled our heart strings. Ben Burtt has done it again. WALL-E is the next R2-D2. A nearly mute knight out to save the world. The everyman with a boring job who somehow goes on an adventure.....and gets the girl. Pixar would have had a much harder time making it all work if they didn't have Ben Burtt there to give our hero the soul that it needed to warm out hearts.

Ehh, its a day.

As I sit here trying my best to avoid work something springs to mind. People suck. Ok, now thats not quite right. Some people are just great. Fantastic even. But then there are others out there that just seem to hurt people without meaning to. I'm not going to get all weird about how someone has hurt me because in the last few days everything has been pretty good for me. But time and again I hear about someone doing someone wrong and it just pisses me off.

Oh well. Maybe the alien invasion will happen today and I'll have something better to think about.

And go see a movie. I know they are expensive now, but its still something worth doing. I might have to do that myself if I can avoid the patrolling hoards of users.

Travel....and the Weather

I have had a whirlwind couple weeks. New York City, Sacramento, Lebanon. I'm a world traveler lately. Ok, it was only Lebanon, Oregon. Its still not my desk where I spend all the rest of my time.

Ok and now for my political report. Politicians are nuts. Stay tuned for weather after this brief announcement.


POLITICIANS ARE NUTS!!!
Paid for by me. I approve this message.

Welcome back. Weather is normal. Yep you heard me. Weather is normal. We have it every day. And any politician that uses the weather to advance their personal political agenda should be burned at the stake, or at least should have to buy me a steak every time I have to hear them blather on and on.

Here is a brief description of my last 3 weeks

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And a free lunch from Microsoft. Its been a good couple weeks.

Well its been a while.........

But I just read an article I want to share with the world. Wired has a great article about marine salvage that seems like it came from a movie, or at least from the Discovery Channel. Everyone should read it.