Pathways into insanity...

Sorry about that.

2011-10-26T20:39:00.002-04:00

I honestly forgot this blog existed. I will work on typing out a few things. Mainly freeware reviews, basic life stuff, and whatnot.

Trying to recover old data...

2011-02-08T23:54:00.002-05:00

Anyone else remember "Sims on a Stick"? It was this great site where you could download objects to kill your sims, like an electric shower, a lawn flamingo that would set you on fire, poison chips, chairs that you couldn't get out of... it was great fun.

However, two of my files are corrupted.

The electric shower file, iscelectricshower.zip, and another named iscmgoncomp.zip, which I think was a computer that would steal your soul. Does anyone happen to still have these archived somewhere? I still have most of the rest of the files, like the magic happiness espresso machine, and other goodies, like the gender bender painting and fountains of youth and aging for Candlelight Sims.

Chromium, aka Google Chrome, is a UI nightmare.

2011-02-02T19:16:00.002-05:00

I like to consider myself a technically minded person. I grew up on old DOS PC's, taking apart motherboards and components in grade school. I can normally plunge right into new software and learn the tricks of working it as I go along. I've used Windows, Ubuntu, Haiku, Suse, and more.

Currently, I have as my mainstay web browsers Mozilla Firefox 4 beta 10, Pale Moon, and Opera. I uninstalled Internet Explorer ages ago. However, all my geek friends online at /g/ and various other places just couldn't seem to shut up about Google Chrome. It's so fast and sleek, they claimed.

Well, I never have been a big fan of Google, what with their data mining, censorship issues in China, their buy-out of Youtube which led to stricter content rules... I could go on for a long time. However, I finally broke down. What could the harm be in trying it out, I wondered?

I installed the latest Chromium build, because I did NOT want any of the tracking and privacy violating bullshit that gets added to it when it becomes Google's product.

It installed quickly, and soon I was testing it out. I noticed right away that it did, in fact, seem faster then my Firefox builds. However, this was not a surprise given that I have a few extensions on both of them. I could tell you if it was indeed faster then Opera, but they seemed to be at the very least matched speed-wise.

The first thing I wanted to do, however, was secure my browser. Whenever I use a browser, I set it to ask me what to do with every cookie, no exceptions. I don't like the idea of just allowing them all, or merely blocking third-party cookies.

But... wait a second... how do I change any of the settings? Normally I'd except to see my little friend, the file bar, up near the top of the screen. You know, the one that goes "file, edit, view, options, tools, etc."? Only it's not there. A brief search later turns up a wrench icon to the right of the address bar. Clicking that goes into the browser options.

"Ah, so I can just turn the file bar back on from here, then. Nice way to save space.", I think to myself. But first, let's fix the cookie settings.

There are three options here. Basics, personal stuff, and under the hood. Really? Under the hood? As in, don't fuck with anything here because you might break something? That's the impression I've always gotten from that phrase. Well, under the hood is where we need to go. From there, it's privacy, content settings. Here we can choose to prompt for cookies when they... wait, no we can't. We can only allow all cookies, deny all cookies, or deny all third-party cookies.

You'd think Google would have more of a power-user theme going with their browser, but no. In fact, the whole browser seems to be locked down. You can barely change anything about it like you can in Firefox or Opera. Even Internet Explorer had more customization support. Toolbars have been disabled as well, having been judged as unneeded bloat.

Oh, and remember that missing file bar? It's by design. There's no way to get it back. No easy click access for your bookmark menu, instead you're stuck with a terrible bookmark bar. Then again, you could always just load the bookmark manager every time you want to go somewhere. No print preview, no easy access drop-down menus... the whole thing is bollocks.

The best part is how rude some of the fans are in defending this choice. Just do a Google search for "site:google.com google chrome menu bar" and see how often people request this basic feature, and how often they are called idiots or accused of trying to hold back the evolution of technology. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

Chrome may be fast, but for power users, people concerned about privacy, or people who like to choose how their own software works, look elsewhere.

Random Freeware Review

2010-09-19T17:12:00.001-04:00

Every week, or whenever I feel like it, I will review some piece of freeware I feel will make your life better.

Today we'll start with a nice little program called TeraCopy.

http://www.codesector.com/download.php

Teracopy is one of those tools that you never knew you needed but once you have it, you can't imagine being without it. It takes over the default Windows functions for copying and moving files. It's tightly connected, so you just copy and paste files in Explorer as normal. However, it has a lot more features.

Here are just a few.

1. Does the job faster. Move your crap faster then you would with the default controls.

2. CRC testing. As an option, you can have Teracopy test the checksum values of files after you move them. That means no more wondering if a file copied correctly, you'll know the data is perfectly transferred.

3. Full error display. Man, don't you hate it when Windows just throws it's hands up in the air when you're transferring 100 files and says "I don't know what's wrong so I'm stopping the whole dang operation."? Well, Teracopy not only just skips over such problems and keeps transferring, but it displays WHAT file had a problem, with detailed information as to what the issue was, to help you fix it.

4. PAUSE. Holy crap, I can pause my file transfer that would normally take up a large amount of resources to do something productive for a bit, like loading up Counter-Strike and pwning some guy who just taunted you via Steam PM.

5. Forget about things a lot? You can set it to play a little chime once your transfers are done.

6. Ease of use. My grandmother can use this program!

Overall, there is no reason not to get this program.

So what's new?

2010-09-17T17:40:00.002-04:00

Hmm. I don't know if anyone really follows this or is interested in my ramblings.

What I want to do eventually is make this a political/civil rights blog, with a mix of personal musings thrown into it for the hell of it.

I think that I'll post a lot of Youtube videos and things I feel need to be shared. Hopefully, I can get... ten readers. Yes, I think that's an achievable goal.

However, I need to know there are people still out there that are interested. Please, leave comments and tell me you're out there.

Dancemania Speed woes

2010-04-19T23:23:00.001-04:00

Seems the only decent torrent for the Dancemania Speed series was made by someone who didn't know what they were doing. It's mp3, and each file has a gap of silence at the start, totally ruining the continuous mix.

Anyone have a CD in the Dancemania series that is willing to rip it to FLAC or Ogg?

Not yet dead.

2010-01-27T19:05:00.001-05:00

Really need to update this site, though.

Old magazines FTW.

2009-08-26T18:17:00.000-04:00

Just got some more old LIFE magazines, mainly related to Robert Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Sirhan Sirhan, Lee Harvey Oswald, and James Earl Ray. Some interesting material in them that I haven't seen anywhere else. I will try to upload some summaries and thoughts later.

One thing that's always fun is looking at the old ads in them, but since I don't have a scanner, I can't really share them. Some are funny, while some are better then modern day ads.

Also, does anyone actually still read this blog? If so, let me know and I'll put more effort into it.

It's been a while, hasn't it?

2009-08-25T16:59:00.002-04:00

A lot has happened. I need to get around to updating this blog.

I will, promise. Things have just been complex lately.

Look forward to:

Civil rights discussion!
2010 Pa election debate!
Health care reform opinions!
Personal data and drama!

All this, and more!

I'm published!

2008-09-09T16:19:00.002-04:00

Forgot to post this before, but one of my letters was printed in our local paper, "The Patriot News".

I'll post a link to the official archive, and then post the letter itself.

LInk to my letter.

Leave me some hope
Monday, July 28, 2008

How many people must say enough is enough in order to cause action to be taken? Nixon had the good taste to resign before he could be impeached. Clinton was taken to task for lying about sexual relations, something even Kennedy was known for.

Yet here we have a president who has knowingly lied and deceived the American public to sell a war of his creation, attempted to stifle investigations into Enron, pardoned Scooter Libby, defied the U.N., has the lowest approval rating of any president in history, approved illegal wiretaps and the torture of prisoners off of U.S. soil, and claims to show he supports the troops by giving up golf.

As an American, I hope there is still a small amount of the system I can be proud of that still works. It is time to prove that we as a nation still have values -- truth, justice and freedom. These are starting to sound more like a dream then a reality. People who break the law must be held accountable. That includes the president. Please, let me grow up with some hope left for our nation's future.

-- JOSEPH GRABKO, Lower Paxton Twp.

A backlog of updates/

2008-08-31T13:00:00.002-04:00

I've been busy for a while, so let's just do some quick highlights of the "best" stories I've come across.

Massive police raids on suspected protesters in Minneapolis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ougH8G6UnkI

Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff's department handcuffed, photographed and detained dozens of people meeting at a public venue to plan a demonstration, charging them with no crime other than "fire code violations," and early this morning, the Sheriff's department sent teams of officers into at least four Minneapolis area homes where suspected protesters were staying.

Jane Hamsher and I were at two of those homes this morning -- one which had just been raided and one which was in the process of being raided. Each of the raided houses is known by neighbors as a "hippie house," where 5-10 college-aged individuals live in a communal setting, and everyone we spoke with said that there had never been any problems of any kind in those houses, that they were filled with "peaceful kids" who are politically active but entirely nonthreatening and friendly.

In the house that had just been raided, those inside described how a team of roughly 25 officers had barged into their homes with masks and black swat gear, holding large semi-automatic rifles, and ordered them to lie on the floor, where they were handcuffed and ordered not to move. The officers refused to state why they were there and, until the very end, refused to show whether they had a search warrant. They were forced to remain on the floor for 45 minutes while the officers took away the laptops, computers, individual journals, and political materials kept in the house. One of the individuals renting the house, an 18-year-old woman, was extremely shaken as she and others described how the officers were deliberately making intimidating statements such as "Do you have Terminator ready?" as they lay on the floor in handcuffs. The 10 or so individuals in the house all said that though they found the experience very jarring, they still intended to protest against the GOP Convention, and several said that being subjected to raids of that sort made them more emboldened than ever to do so.

At JFK Airport, Denying Basic Rights Is Just Another Day at the Office

The guards processed me then, ignoring the order of arrivals, if there ever had been one. They refused to distribute more complaint forms or call the supervisor back down at the request of Arab families. One officer threatened, "I'm talking politely to you now. If you don't sit down, I won't be talking politely to you anymore." One announced that because "the American girl" had gotten angry, the families would have to wait a few more hours. "The supervisor is not coming back."

Londoner videos his bullshit anti-terror stop-and-search

Beijing: Five US activists detained after lighting up "Free Tibet" LED Throwies banner near Olympics site

Writer who photographed HP Lovecraft's headstone ordered to delete her photo, heaped with abuse

As Spooky was getting into the car, I finally looked him in the eye and said the only thing I said during the entire encounter (which elapsed over the space of maybe three or four minutes, start to finish, at the most). I pointed a finger at the man and, very quietly, I said, "You will be reported." He screamed, "You do that, you piece of shit!"

The 'Mysterious' Scrubbing of Sarah Palin's Wikipedia Entry

Yet another example of police brutality.

2008-06-01T01:32:00.002-04:00

Seems they REALLY hate it when you dare to film them.

Policewoman's suit alleges retaliation

2007-08-06T12:41:00.000-04:00

Policewoman's suit alleges retaliation
Saturday, August 04, 2007
BY REGGIE SHEFFIELD
Of The Patriot-News

A Swatara Twp. police sergeant has sued the police department, claiming that she has been humiliated and retaliated against for reporting alleged misconduct by other officers.

In a nine-page lawsuit filed in U.S. Middle District Court this week, police Sgt. Carol Karchnak, a 21-year veteran of the force, claims she has been overlooked for promotion and brought up on disciplinary charges after she reported that she found a drawing of a naked woman on a fellow officer's desk and reported that another officer allegedly had made false entries in his log book.

"The issue here is that she suffered retaliation because she was doing her job in reporting misconduct," Karchnak's attorney, Don Bailey, said.

Named as defendants are the township, police Chief David Bogdanovic, Deputy Chief Jason D. Umberger and township Commissioner Gregory J. Ricci.

Contacted yesterday, township administrator Paul K. Cornell declined to comment, saying he had not yet been served with a copy of the lawsuit.

Bogdanovic referred questions to township solicitor Dave Wion.

Wion did not return a telephone call seeking comment yesterday.

The lawsuit claims violations of Karchnak's free speech and her right to equal protection under the 14th Amendment. It asks for an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.

In her complaint, Karchnak alleges that harassment began after the resolution of a lawsuit she and another female officer had against the township for the off-duty care of police dogs.

REGGIE SHEFFIELD: 255-8170 or rsheffield@patriot-news.com

More Police Insanity in Pennslyvania...

2007-06-12T19:06:00.000-04:00

More of the same...

Brian D. Kelly didn't think he was doing anything illegal when he used his videocamera to record a Carlisle police officer during a traffic stop. Making movies is one of his hobbies, he said, and the stop was just another interesting event to film.

Now he's worried about going to prison or being burdened with a criminal record.

Kelly, 18, of Carlisle, was arrested on a felony wiretapping charge, with a penalty of up to 7 years in state prison.

His camera and film were seized by police during the May 24 stop, he said, and he spent 26 hours in Cumberland County Prison until his mother posted her house as security for his $2,500 bail.

Kelly is charged under a state law that bars the intentional interception or recording of anyone's oral conversation without their consent.

The criminal case relates to the sound, not the pictures, that his camera picked up.

"I didn't think I could get in trouble for that," Kelly said. "I screwed up, yeah. I know now that I can't do that. I just don't see how something like this should affect my entire life."

Whether that will happen could be determined during Kelly's preliminary hearing before District Judge Jessica Brewbaker in July.

No one seems intent on punishing him harshly.

"Obviously, ignorance of the law is no defense," District Attorney David Freed said. "But often these cases come down to questions of intent."

According to police, Kelly was riding in a pickup truck that had been stopped for alleged traffic violations.

Police said the officer saw Kelly had a camera in his lap, aimed at him and was concealing it with his hands. They said Kelly was arrested after he obeyed an order to turn the camera off and hand it over.

The wiretap charge was filed after consultation with a deputy district attorney, police said.

Kelly said his friend was cited for speeding and because his truck's bumper was too low. He said he held the camera in plain view and turned it on when the officer yelled at his pal.

After about 20 minutes, the officer cited the driver on the traffic charges and told the men they were being recorded by a camera in his cruiser, Kelly said.

"He said, 'Young man, turn off your ... camera,'¤" Kelly said. "I turned it off and handed it to him. ... Six or seven more cops pulled up, and they arrested me."

Police also took film from his pockets that wasn't related to the traffic stop, he said.

Freed said his office has handled other wiretapping cases, some involving ex-lovers or divorcing couples who are trying to record former partners doing something improper for leverage in court battles, he said.

Such charges have been dismissed or defendants have been allowed to plead to lesser counts or enter a program to avoid criminal records, he said.

The outcome hinges on whether the person had a malicious intent, Freed said.

Carlisle Police Chief Stephen Margeson said allowing Kelly to plead to a lesser charge might be proper.

"I don't think that would cause anyone any heartburn," he said. "I don't believe there was any underlying criminal intent here."

But Margeson said he doesn't regard the filing of the felony charge as unwarranted and said the officer followed procedures.

John Mancke, a Harrisburg defense attorney familiar with the wiretapping law, said the facts, as related by police, indicate Kelly might have violated the law.

"If he had the sound on, he has a problem," Mancke said.

Last year, Mancke defended a North Middleton Twp. man in a street racing case that involved a wiretapping charge. Police claimed the man ordered associates to tape police breaking up an illegal race after officers told him to turn off their cameras.

That wiretapping count was dismissed when the man pleaded guilty to charges of illegal racing, defiant trespass and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to probation.

An exception to the wiretapping law allows police to film people during traffic stops, Mancke said.

Margeson said his department's cruisers are equipped with cameras, and officers are told to inform people during incidents that they are being recorded.

First Assistant District Attorney Jaime Keating said case law is in flux as to whether police can expect not to be recorded while performing their duties.

"The law isn't solid," Keating said. "But people who do things like this do so at their own peril."

Kelly said he has called the American Civil Liberties Union for help in the case.

His father, Chris, said he's backing his son.

"We're hoping for a just resolution," he said.

I'm a terroristic threat.

2007-05-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

PA-Aware.org is a site set up by the government of Pennsylvania. It's a guide on what to look for, and who might be terrorists. I qualify in a large number of ways. But it's scary, because it seems to target true Patriots.

Also, Take the quiz to see if you are a terrorist.

And don't forget to check out the Fully Informed Jury Association to learn your rights regarding jury nullification and various other matters you won't learn in Civics class.

Check out what I got flagged me for. The following is a list of views it lists as "terroristic".

“Make numerous references to the US Constitution.”

“Attempt to ‘police the police.’”

"Questioning the authority of a government agent (police, etc) to stop you and question you (for example, for random searches of vehicles)".

"Asked for reasons for identifying yourself, especially to police or government officials."

"Supporting Animal Rights".

"Defenders of the US Constitution against the federal government and the UN."

"Promoting gun rights."

"All judicial authority resides with the people. The jury, not the Judge, directs trials and can nullify laws they do not approve of."

"U.S. sovereignty is being surrendered to the U.N., World Court, and World Bank, with the U.S. becoming an economic region of this New World Order."

"Anti-Government activists often believe (they)... can renounce (U.S. citizenship)."

"...believe every organization or government will eventually be corrupted by power."

Anti-gay, racist emails from Army recruiter

2007-04-04T23:54:00.000-04:00

Copies of the e-mails are included and summarized.

Here's the full back-and forth e-mails in PDF format.

News video

This is completely unacceptable, and stains the reputation of those wearing the uniform. This brazen filth was sent out under a military domain as official business communication.

I urge everyone to do what I've done. Contact the recruiting office in question, along with the head office of the Army Review Board. This person should NOT be representing those in uniform.

Relevant bits:

Corey Andrew had his profile and resume posted at Careerbuilder.com, and it caught the eye of Army recruiter Marcia Ramode, who contacted him. He wasn't interested in a position in the military, particularly because of the ban on gays and lesbians in the military.

When Andrew informed Ramode that he is gay, and believed that the DADT policy was wrong, the two engaged in a three-day email exchange that included statements by Ramode, in her official capacity as a recruiter, that boggle the mind.

"GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE."
-- U.S. Army recruiter Sgt. Marcia Ramode, using her military email address to respond to Jersey City resident Corey Andrew, after Ramode learned Andrew was gay.

Ramode tells Andrew to "migrate to another country" if he objects to paying taxes to support the military, which discriminates against gay and lesbian citizens, and "if you do not like me writing in caps then delete my email and do not respond I think it scared you to death.

Sergeant Ramode told Corey, who is African American, that he "should leave the United States," and that "You must be a total idiot and so stupid to presume that you do not know what gender you are." Ramode also told Corey to "go back to Africa and do your gay voodoo limbo tango and wango dance and jump around and prance and run all over the place half naked there."

Sgt. Ramode: My name is Marcia Ramode, and I am United States Army recruiter. I saw your resume on career builder and we have lots of vacant positions in Logistics, Administration...If interested please give me a call at my toll free number.

Andrew: Awesome! Sounds great! The US Military has so many vacant positions and opportunities. I had no idea. I'm seriously considering contacting you. One thing, I'm not up on current politics but since its 2007, I would imagine also that I am now able to serve in the US military as an openly gay man, right?

Ramode: WELL IF YOU ARE GAY WE DON'T TAKE YOU. YOU ARE CONSIDERED UNQUALIFIED.

Andrew: Wow! Unqualified to serve my country just because I'm gay? It's because they think I might all of a sudden desire one last kiss from my fellow male solider if ever facing death at the hands of the enemy in a fox hole, isn't?... Funny, the US Government doesn't mind taking my "gay" dollars every tax season or out of my paycheck every two weeks. I'm stunned that the US ARMY could afford to be so choosy when I see sergeants on my school campus and in the local shopping Mall...begging teenagers to enlist.

Ramode: YOU ARE DEFINITELY UNQUALIFIED, NOW TAKE YOU GAY SELF SOMEPLACE ELSE WE DO NOT TOLERATE GAY PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN ANY PART OF THE MILITARY. AND IF IT BOTHERS YOU PAYING TAXES THEN MIGRATE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY.... AND IF IT BOTHERS YOU ABOUT THE US MILITARY RECRUITING THEN YOU GO TELL THE BOARD OF EDUCATION .... AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RECRUITERS RECRUITING IN FRONT YOU HIGH SCHOOL THEN COMPLAIN TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OR BETTER YET TRY COMPLAINING TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY... YOU SHOULD SAY THANK YOU MILITARY PEOPLE FOR WHAT YOU DO SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE A FREE LIFE IN THIS COUNTRY. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

Andrew: Before you go on waving your flag all over the place let me first inform you, that as an African American who's ancestry is most likely MORE deeply rooted in American history than yours ever will be...I respect the millions of soldiers fighting to protect my rights every day but just so you know, those rights include me being gay... I applaud servicemen and women everyday for their role in our country's protection. However, for you and the government to deem homosexuals "unqualified" to risk their own lives and defend their own freedom as well as their country's freedom, is moronic.

Ramode: OH I FORGOT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YES YOU MIGHT TO TRY TO KISS A SOLDIER IN THE FOXHOLE SO THAT IS A NO NO.

Andrew: You are living proof that "Don't Ask Don't tell" is a fallacy. You initially rejected me without any consideration whatsoever of my integrity, or abilities. This behavior is at the very core of the discrimination that has plagued the USA for decades. You should know that I never had any intention of joining the military; I simply wanted to have this discussion to prove a point. With over 2,500 cases of anti-gay harassment acts against gay soldiers, including bashings and murders, for you to say the US Military only takes "straights" is delusional.

Ramode: YOU HEAD OFF TO THE GAY LAND OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO MORALS AND GET RID OF YOURSELF. PERSONALLY I THINK BEING GAY IS DISGUSTING AND IMMORAL.... AS AN AFRICAN HAVE NO PLACE TO SAY YOUR ROOTS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED HERE. MY ROOTS ARE MUCH STRONGER THAN YOURS. YOU WERE BROUGHT HERE BEING YOUR WILL POWER WHEREAS MY ROOTS RUN FROM THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN. I HAVE MORE RIGHTS HERE THAN YOU AND MY ROOTS HAVE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE BEFORE THE AMERICAS WERE DISCOVERED...YOU TAKE YOUR GAY A-- OFF SOMEPLACE AND GO TO SOME OTHER COUNTRY AND BADMOUTH THE MILITARY...TAKE YOUR A-- BACK WHERE YOU BELONG NOT HERE.

Andrew: Clearly with your limited vocabulary and poor spelling, the Army may have been the only option YOU had in life. Granted, there are highly intellectual people in the military. You're just not one of them. ...Native American history you are so proud of and research their position on homosexuality. They are very tolerant and accepting of homosexuals believing that the inner spirit is true to itself in its nature. They are less tolerant of fools than they are of homosexuals. So take that to your next rain dance.

Ramode: YOU GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE AND PRACTICE YOUR GAY MORALS OVER THERE THAT'S WHERE YOU BELONG....I AM REPORTING YOU AS SPAM AND ADDING YOU TO MY BLOCK SENDER LIST SO I DO NOT HAVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN....

Just a video game review.

2007-02-23T17:51:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I got an e-mail from a group called M80 Teams. They wanted to send me a free video game as long as I posted a review on my blog, since I had mentioned Gradius V once before. Well, I was skeptical, but behold, for I actually received a game for free! Street Fighter Alpha Anthology.

First off, let's start with the package. Hmm... nice artwork, simple, yet effective. Okay, enough of that. Give me the game.

Or should I say, games. You see, it's actually a collection of previously released games all in one package. You get Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper (hidden), and Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix.

Pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. There's a few problems though... we'll get to them later.

The controls seem to be identical to the arcade. In fact, if you know how, you can access a section to control the "hardware" of the game, turning on and off bug fixes or change between different release versions.

Adding Gem Fighters was a cute touch. However, if you are a diehard gamer, it will both delight and annoy you. Why? First, one of the playable characters is Tessa from Red Earth. Never heard of it? That's because Capcom really screwed over the American market with it. It was only released in arcades, and barely at that. There was never even a console port, a rarity for a game with a cult following and that made it big in Japan. There's some footage of the gameplay here.

Second, it also has Felicia, Hsien-Ko, and Morrigan Aensland, whom I have a mad crush on. What pisses me off here is that in 2005, a game was released in Japan called

Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection

. It was for the PlayStation2, and and EVERY Darkstalkers game ever made on it, except for the Dreamcast version. Read about it on Wikipedia. Now, this game has a LARGE following in the U.S... I've yet to be able to play one of these games. Why in the hell can't Capcom listen to its customers? An anime was even made based on it! Grr... moving on.

Graphics are the same as the arcade versions. If the game is dated, the graphics will be as well.

Gameplay... tons of characters. Plenty of games to pick from. What can go wrong? Well... here's where we go into the major flaw. You see, Capcom signed a deal with Brady Games to give them full rights to making their official game guides. So what? Well, the Japanese version of this Street Fighter Alpha collection came with something you won't find in the English version... an in-game movelist. That's right, Capcom decided to remove the info you'll need to actually play the game, hoping that will make you go and buy the guide. Apparently they forgot about something called the Internet.

So at this point, it's obvious Capcom doesn't care for customers... just their money.

Thanks for the great free game, Capcom. It's too bad it had to turn out this way.

Life and what I've learned.

2007-01-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

People as a whole, for the most part, prefer not to think. Thinking tends to only cause problems and worries for the people involved. Thus, at some point distractions were invented. In simple times, wooden blocks and wheels would suffice. Not much existed to worry about. As time went on, things became more complicated. New weapons were made, new things were discovered to worry about like diseases and other concerns. The distractions became more advanced, more complex.

In modern times, worries are made simply to sell more distractions. Shiny one. Noise-making ones. Instead of thinking about terror, police corruption, starvation, racial issues, political corruption, and various other downers, people devote their life not to trying to change things to make them better, but instead to buy new distractions. Video games. Cars. Computers. Toys with electronics that you will play with for a few weeks and then never use again. Fancy gadgets made by children in sweatshops overseas who will never enjoy the results of their labor, and who could feed their family for a week with the money you spent on the toy alone. Celebrity breakups, marriages, scandals. Never mind what else the money used on makeup and surgery could have been used for.

People actively avoid thinking. If something comes up they don't want to hear, they either convince themselves it's not true, that nothing can be done about it, or that it is true and not a problem, since things happen.

We as a whole have become complacent to one another. We tend to only care about ourselves and the people we directly know in someway. Thus, prisoners tortured in Texas and Florida do not affect us or interfere with our lifes.

We trust the government and officials to take care of our safety. We seldom question orders from a police officer or many other people with signs of authority. Even if they are obviously doing something wrong, like beating a man, we are reluctant to step in and help, or try to put a stop to it, simply because we have a mind-set to obey officials.

A few decades ago, a woman was raped and then shabbed several times to death while unlocking her door. She lived in a highly populated area, yet no one called police because they didn't want to get involved and were certain that someone else must have already made the call. (Source at bottom.)

In the Stanford Prison Experiment, 24 students were divided into being prison guards and prisoners randomly. They did not know fully the details of the experiment. The prisoners were "arrested" without warning by the real police department by surprise. The experiment very quickly got out of hand. Prisoners suffered — and accepted — sadistic and humiliating treatment at the hands of the guards, and by the end many showed severe emotional disturbance.

In the Milgram experiment, 65 percent of those tested agreed to give what was implied to be fatal shocks to a man in another room, visible via a window. This was even after the man complained, started screaming, and even stopped moving.

What makes us like this? Is it normal human nature? Are we perverse in some way? If so, can it be fixed?

Something needs to be done about it, and soon. If anyone has their own thoughts and insights, please share them.

Sources, and highly recommended reading:

38 saw murder, failed to call police.

Stanford Prison Experiment- Official Site.

Stanford Prison Experiment on Wikipedia

Milgram Experiment on Wikipedia.

In a week or so, I will post a review on my free Street Fighter game that I received, details on my Youtube account and videos uploaded, projects I've been working on, and so forth.

And yes, maybe more details on my legal fight.

2006-12-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

What Regiment of the Toy Soldiers do you belong to?

You are a Propagandist!
You've spend countless hours hacking news feeds, writing speeches, designing posters, drafting chant sheets all for the glory of the coming Utopia. Glad to see you have a numb butt from that computer chair for something.

Regardless of division, you have to join the Toy Soldiers, first.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Rays of light...

2006-12-05T20:01:00.000-05:00

Finally, some good news! First, and most exciting... a while back, a few months or so, I was contacted by someone calling themselves Lauren Kozak from the e-mail address lauren@m80im.com . It seemed like spam at first. The note said they noticed my review of Gradius V online, and that they'd like me to review a Street Fighter game for them.

Needless to say, I was skeptical. But while reviewing the company, I found that someone had asked if they would give him a copy of the game to review, and that they had agreed. No word on if he received his. I tried the same thing. I told the truth: With all the messes me and the family have been having, and given my lack of cash, the only way for me to review it was to be sent a copy. To make a long story short... I just got the game today in the mail. Street Fighter Alpha Anthology by Capcom, for PlayStation 2. Shrink-wrapped in all its glory. Whoever said you can't get anything for free? My thanks to the computer software that found my blog entry. Following are the actual e-mails in this tale of free goodness.

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Lauren"
Hi,
I just found your Gradius V blog entry:

http://coolgamerslair.blogspot.com/2005/02/mst-3000-and-other-goodies.html

and I think you may be of some help to me. I'm reaching out to you on
behalf
of M80 & Capcom regarding Street Fighter Alpha Anthology for PS2, which
includes
every Street Fighter Alpha game. Since you are a fan of Gradius V, I
thought
that you might be interested in posting the press release or a review of
the
game on your blog? You seem like a reputable influencer, so I think
you'd be a big help to us.
Please let me know if you're interested!
Thanks!
Lauren, M80
Lauren@m80im.com
www.m80im.com / www.m80teams.com

-----Original Message-----
From: joe.HAPPYFUNBALL@comcast.net [mailto:joe.HAPPYFUNBALL@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2006 8:00 PM
To: Lauren
Subject: Re: Street Fighter Alpha Anthology

A quick follow-up to my last reply... I can certainly give you a very
detailed review if you wish, but to be bluntly honest with you, I am
strapped for cash. My older brother was recently involved in an
auto-accident that broke his coccyx, if that's how you spell it... the
tailbone, anyway... and minor whiplash.

Also, my older sister has down syndrome and requires medical funds.

If it's possible for you to send me a copy of the game to review, that
would
really help, and I'll be sure to mention the kindness in my posting.

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Lauren Kozak"
Hi Joe!

Sorry for my delayed reply! I'm so glad to hear back from you.

I'll gladly send you a game to review, I just need your address and I'll
get
a copy in the mail for you right away. Once you've reviewed the game
please send me links to where I can read it.

In the meantime, you can find the press release (along with other Street
Fighter Alpha Anthology stuff like videos, screenshots, and banners) at
http://assets.m80im.com/webmasters/sfaa/sfaa.html

Please let me know if I can be of help in any way.

Thanks!
Lauren

From: joe.PORKCHOPSANDWICH@comcast.net [ Save Address ]
To: "Lauren Kozak"
Subject: RE: Street Fighter Alpha Anthology
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 02:02:58 +0000

That would be most appriciated. It's been hectic around here latey,
thankfully,
it looks likes that's already changing.

I will be fully honest with you when I say that I had to think a long time
before giving my address... given the current run of bad luck, the last
thing I
needed was junk mail (which I can deal with) and no game (Which would mainly
annoy me), but after checking this out a bit, it seems to be legit. (Can't
be too careful, people will do anything for private info these days.) Mainly
the review at http://on-screen.blogspot.com/2006/01/x-box-spartan-total-warrior.html
convinced me to give it a go.

the address is:
J. blargh
xxxx zombo lane
anytown v8 xxxxx-xxxx

Oh, and just so you know, you might want to check the context of posts. I
did mention gradius V, but i never did get around to giving it a proper review.
Of course, just being found out of the mass of the web is enough of an ego
boost for me. :P

------------------------------------

I am leaving out some messages I sent due to not receiving the game during that time. It turned out to have gotten lost in the mail. I said some things... not nasty, but bitter toned. I was dealing with a hell of a lot, such as the arrest and whatnot. They did offer to give me another game as well to make up for it, I turned them down. I felt bad enough having lost it briefly.

Second... I was accepted into the Director group of Youtube! That means more time for the clips I uploads, better credits, and more exciting stuff! I'm giddy as a... well, something that's giddy, I guess.

YouTube and such.

2006-12-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

I just applied for a director's account on YouTube. Hopefully, it will be approved and I'll be able to upload some of my mini-films, comedy skits, and most importantly, my political commentary and spoofs. I also have some good public domain footage of historic stuff to post and share. The only fear is that they might reject it since I don't have an official webpage for selling my stuff, since I don't really sell any of it. It's mostly always meant to be free. Still, it's been over two days...

Also, I have to return a pad bought from DDRgame.com. I'll go into detail later, but I suggest you don't rush into ordering from them anytime soon.

Police Insanity...

2006-10-22T04:32:00.000-04:00

Police abuse is nothing new. If you've missed my experience, view the posts below this one.

Here's a collection of the best recent examples:

Police abuse at Pittsburg protest, 2005. Watch for the woman getting tazered while already lying on the ground and complying, the elderly woman getting bit by a police dog uncontrolled by the handler, and more! Actually, the real fun is viewing the idiotic comments by those who I hope are kept well away from actual society.

Man is tazered while in holding cell.

Violent bike arrests, New York.

Police fire rubber rounds at unarmed protestors.

This is something TV will never show.

Part One
Part Two

Cop responds to noise complaint, and goes on stage and tells the band to shut down. Guitar-player asks why, is slammed to the ground.

Protester arrest. Note they arrest him after they try to obtain the camera footage and fail.

2005 G8 summit. Warning: Graphic. Scotland.

protest

Florida, Muslim cab driver taunted and assulted by police in questioning.

Baltimore police train police dogs. I find their methods disturbing. Warning- Animal Abuse.

Independence, Missouri Complaint form requested in police lobby, requester slammed into plexiglass divider. March, 2006.

You can't film us.

Military storm a Utah open-air rave.

Traffic stop.

A Bush arrest during his Governer years.

Traffic stop 2

Holy shit! New orleans abuse, of people not wanting to evacuate.

Cops hire hitman to kill a local who had filed a complaint. Part one of three.

More Katrina. This one's the better of the two.

High school raided, students cuffed in search for drugs, none found.

This is just audio, but it makes me cry. Police beat a man to get him to sign a false confession. 2004.

So, if anyone wonders why on the day I finally kill myself, i'll just float on by and direct you to this post. How can everyone just shut their eyes? I really want it to just end. I've thought about it for years, so it's not depression or spur-of-the-moment. The human race is insane, and I plan to remove myself from it as soon as possible. After I get a job, i'll finally be able to... well, best not go into detail here. Someone might be stupid and think I want "saving".

Witnessing the collapse of a nation.

2006-07-29T21:59:00.000-04:00

This news article is too much for me to take in.

I'd almost say it couldn't possibly be true, but then I remember that I myself was arrested recently (see earlier posts) for openly recording an officer who was talking to me, in a very public area, and while being otherwise polite.

Now the above happens, *nods at link* to a man in Philadelphia. Neftaly Cruz, 21, was arrested for taking a picture of a police officer with his camera phone, (actually, the street outside his front door full of police cars. He apparently went outside his house, saw the odd sight of all the squad cars right outside, decided to take a picture with his camera phone, and went back inside. After police arrested the drug-dealer they had been chasing, they entered Cruz's yard, grabbed him, threw him onto a police car, cuffed him, and threatened to charge him with conspiracy, impeding an investigation, obstruction of a investigation.

Cruz said police told him that he broke a new law that prohibits people from taking pictures of police with cell phones.

The NBC 10 Investigators asked the ACLU union how they viewed the incident.

"There is no law that prevents people from taking pictures of what anybody can see on the street," said Larry Frankel of the American Civil Liberties Union. "I think it's rather scary that in this country you could actually be taken down to police headquarters for taking a picture on your cell phone of activities that are clearly visible on the street."

Frankel said Cruz's civil rights might have been violated.

"He was unlawfully seized, which is a violation of the 4th amendment the last time we checked," Frankel said.

Cruz, a Penn State University senior, said that after about an hour police told him he was lucky because there was no supervisor on duty, so they released him.

"They said if the supervisor was there I wouldn't be a free man and that he is letting me go because he felt that I was a good person," Cruz said.

Police told Hairston that they did take Cruz into to custody, but they said Cruz was not on his property when they arrested him. Police also denied that they told Cruz he was breaking the law with his cell phone. Cruz's family said it has filed a formal complaint with the police department's Internal Affairs division and are requesting a complete investigation.

If you live in the state of Pennsylvania, please make sure the people that work for YOU know how YOU feel about your civil rights being abused.

You can go to The Pennsylvania General Assembly website, enter your zip code, and they will give you contact info for the Senator and Representative that work for YOUR area! Addresses and E-mail are just waiting to be used to voice your concerns!

The governor, Ed Rendell, has an e-mail contact on his homepage, but it's a dropbox- you can't mail him offline of his site, and you can't be sure he'll read it. Why not send him a letter instead? To write a letter to the Governor, send to:

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120.

To telephone the Governor call:
(717) 787-2500.

Tom Corbett, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, doesn't seem to like being contacted by e-mail. Here's some other ways to reach him, though!
By Mail:

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
16th Floor
Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120

By Phone:
717-787-3391

By Fax:
717-787-8242

Better yet, contact your local newpaper and TV networks and tell them that this is an issue that YOU as a CONCERNED CITIZEN deeply care about! The more people realize how important our rights are to us, the more chance we have to fight to keep them!

Keep America where it belongs... in the hands and power of the PEOPLE!

I'd curse, but someone might sue me for that, as well...

2006-06-14T16:37:00.000-04:00

I'm being slandered. I can't take this anymore...

MSNBC's coverage. It's redone below, I just wanted everyone to know who is doing this to me.

"WGAL-TV
3:39 p.m. EDT June 12, 2006

SWATARA TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Police in Dauphin County said a Harrisburg man was arrested for taking photos at a fatal accident scene last week on Paxton Street in Swatara Township. Swatara Township police said Joseph Grabko, 18, and another person were taking photos of the victims. Police also said Grabko was using a tape recorder to illegally tape conversations with police.

After Grabko refused to identify himself or say if he was a member of the media, officers arrested him, according to police.

Grabko has been charged with illegal taping, tampering with evidence for trying to erase the tape and resisting arrest."

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!!!!!

I want to curl up into a tight ball and just cry. Note this was on TV?!

1. I did not take a single picture. In fact, I didn't even have a camera.
2. The conversation taped was one the officer started with my brother and myself, not a random conversation.
3. Tape recorder? Try mp3 player.
4. I never refused to identify myself.
5. I never was asked if I was with the media.

Now, MY 25 year old BROTHER was taking photos, was asked it he was press (which he DID ANSWER NO TO), and was asked to show ID, which PJ asked what they needed it for. He did not refuse, he simply asked why they needed it.

Our paper confirms the police admitted PJ DID NOT BREAK ANY LAWS.

So why is this report putting THOSE DETAILS on MY NAME?! Even if it had been me, the police still admit what HE DID was LEGAL.

They just want to make me out like some punk who was harassing the cops that day... if they're going to go this far, I wonder if there's any point of staying in this miserable life at all. After all, even if they drop charges or I win in court, how many people will remember the article, the TV report, and think i'm guilty of something? How many will remember me, wrongly, as "that autistic guy?". I'd like to see how'd they'd report it if I did just end it.

Living in a police state...

2006-06-12T23:24:00.000-04:00

So, everyone asks, how are you doing, Joseph? Haven't heard from you in a while.

Well, unless they read Saturday's front page, saw the photo of me in handcuffs, and the whole lot.

Let's start with the paper's article. This is what the Patriot News printed. I wish they hadn't acted like Asberger's was a big deal. I mean, I can read emotions and react to situations fine and dandy, and the information here is way off the mark. Plus, the police statement of events is false to start with. The online version doesn't have the photo a reporter managed to take. I'll upload that later.

Let's go to the start of this mess. 6/8/06... Thursday. The day before, my older brother stopped by to visit from Allentown. We had fun, messed around a bit, and woke up the next day. Before he left, we decided to get some good soup, so we went to Pho Viet Nam (3116 Parkview LN, Harrisburg, PA). (Note: A previous version of this post incorrectly labeled the restaurant as the Little Saigon Food Market. This was an error.) We ate some excellent soup, bought some pocky on my urging, and started to head back home. We didn't get very far. Traffic was jammed up tight after a bit, and then we noted emergency vehicles rushing past. We got closer ahead in traffic, and saw a wreak right in front of us.

Well, PJ had his camera that day. I had my little Creative Zen Micro, which had a microphone for taking notes and such. We swung into a parking lot at around 2800 Paxton St. It's the lot on the bottom if you view Google maps. Anyway, PJ started taking some photos, I started talking to people to find out what they knew. I was recording the whole bit.

First instance: I notice an official talking to PJ, so I walk over to see what's going on. The official wants PJ's license, and PJ asks what he needs it for. After he learns PJ is not with the press, he gets angry and keeps demanding his ID until PJ asks if he is being detained. The answer is no, so PJ walks away. The yellow barrier tape is then put up. PJ joins the basic crowd and continues taking photos. The news is there, recording video and taking pictures as well.

As I'm talking to three employees who work near the accident site, I notice two cops, one in uniform, standing very close to PJ and with very angry looks. I also see PJ is flexing one of his hands by his side, trying to keep calm.

I walk over, still holding the Zen, which is still recording. PJ is being told he can't take photos, and needs to leave. PJ questions the officers about the reporters, and is told they understand the respect needed in the situation.

The officers in question started to demand ID and threatened to falsify charges to bring against us. They also cursed at us a few times.

Suddenly, Capt. Jason Umberger sees my mp3 player. "Are you recording this?!", he says to me in a cross tone. "Yes...", I said. "That's a federal offense!" he said.

He then said "Give me that!" and proceeded to GRAB my left arm to hold it in place, and tried to take the device from me.

I pulled away from him and said, "Sir, unless you are arresting me, or charging or detaining me, please don't touch me."

He then said, "Okay, that's it!", and took my left arm, yanked it back, and pinned it at my side. At this point I quickly hit the button to stop and save the recording, fearful the police would cancel or delete it. This they saw as trying to delete the recording and tampering with evidence. Detective Timothy Shatto took my other arm and cuffed me. I was not told I was being arrested until I was cuffed. After I was cuffed, we were asked to move down to the next parking lot, which I did without objecting. I was told by Capt. Umberger while cuffed on the sidewalk that "You're just another punk-ass teenager, and now you're going to learn the hard way." I was frisked, put into an unmarked car, and driven off. While driving, I moved my hands at one point because the cuffs were digging into my skin. Suddenly, Detective Timothy Shatto pulled over, threw open my door, and proceeded to frisk me again, asking if I had dumped anything inside the car.

At the station, I was told I would not be allowed to see my parents, and wouldn't see then the rest of the day. I was told I would stay overnight in a holding cell. One officer remarked that if I'd never been inside Dauphin County Prison, I was going to soon. When told I didn't know my Social Security Number off-hand, an officer said I was "yanking his chain."

All through this I remained respectful towards the officers. I did not curse, yell, or give them any reason to be upset with me. I was charged with "intercepting oral communications", resisting arrest, and tampering with evidence.

I am 18. These felony charges will follow me for life.

My family can't afford the lawyer fee if this goes all the way to trial, I've got a 20 year old sister with down syndrome, both our cars need repairs, my brother's car got totaled a month ago in an accident (not his fault, if you must know).... my world is melting.

The first official "Pfft!" awards!

2006-04-23T07:29:00.000-04:00

Ah, Sunday morning. Time to sit back, grab a Krispy Creme donut, and read the comics, a period of time where the cares of the normal world no longer matter. (Well, excepting Doonesbury, but in a good way.) However, some funnies just aren't... well, funny. In fact, they rather ruin the rest of the funnies. I'll be laughing over one good punchline, then read Family Circus by mistake and have my mirth totally deflated.

Family Circus wins "1st" place in my "Pfft!" awards. Here's a few examples of it's so-called humour:

Billy starts eating cookies in a store. When mom tells he she needs to pay for them, he becomes a smart-ass and says the box says to "open here". (God, somebody slap that brat.)

Billy tells his brother he can't eat the animal crackers "because the seal is broken". Get it! It's a seal cracker! And it's broken! HAHAHA please shoot me.

Billy can't tell his mother "good morning" because he won't know that until noontime. (Brat!)

Oh, and don't get me started on the religious overtones. I've read complaints about B.C. and Doonesbury, but have yet to read ONE on Family Circus. Think i'm making a big deal over nothing? Read today's comic. The kids are trying to BAPTISE THEIR FUCKING CAT! The cat does not want to be placed in the birdbath, and has made this clear by going up a tree.

But this ACTUAL Family Circus strip win the Suckfest award. I mean, WTF is happening here? And why is it funny? I can't even sum it up for you, you'll have to view the pain yourself.

Any other strip can be summed up as such:

1. The dotted path
2. "Not Me"
3. Grandpa in heaven looking down
4. Dad goes on vacation and Billy Draws the strip
5. Such kind of church or religious theme in a lame attempt to keep the creator from going to hell for making me read his strip.

Blondie- 1. Guy goes golfing. 2. Guy sleeps on couch. 3. Guy eats BIG sandwich, OMFG, it's BIG! 4. Guy is late to get to carpool. 5. ... um, there is no number five.

Andy Capp- My god, I am glad my paper doesn't carry this. Crooked, lazy, drunk, wife-beating nicotine addict with no morals... enough said.

Cathy- It's like the creator sat down and said, "Let's take every single overblown stereotype men have about women and mix it up with every stupid little insecurity suffered by Cosmo readers and barf it onto a page every week."

The Lockhorns- Yes, this strip sholud be nuked off the comics page. Drunk husbands, stereotypical gossip-living housewife, dysfunctional marriage, blatent infidelity, and so much more! What's not to love?

Some philosophy for you.

2006-02-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

The following is taken word for word from a segment of a graphic novel I have just discovered. It is called Serenity Rose, Vol. 1: "Working through the negativity" I'd keep an eye on this one. A well crafted and detailed plot, setting, characters that almost seem alive, excellent artwork, and humour and wit mixed into one package. And at $13, it's an absolute steal. Anyway, on to the dialoge that I just HAD to share:

"Here is a list of things that I HATE:

Ignorance.
Irrationality.
Fundamentalism.
Misogyny. Rascism. Dishonesty. Greed. War. Aggression. Cruelty. Abuse. Intolerance. Nationalism. Homophobia.

... and that's a fairly complete list.

Now! Here is a list of things I do NOT hate:

Frat boys. Republicans. The government. Big business. Porn stars. Druggies and smokers. Limosines and high heels. Mardi Gras. Hip hop. Bling bling. Yuppies and hunters and handguns and Sandler... ah... hillbillies, rednecks, hicks and townies. Politicos and housewifes. SUVs. Urban sprawl. PETA and Greenpeace. Hair metal. Christians. Suburbia. Starbucks. Teenagers and the prom, homecoming dances, diamond rings... Communists. Capitalists. Lardies and fast food. The French. The South. Middle America. Wal-Mart. MTV. Hollywood. The military. The Olson twins. Super heros, furries, plushies, larps and Star Wars. Weddings, wedding planners... babies. Baby pictures. People who talk about their babies. People who won't eat the crust of their pizza. People who won't eat the cookie part of the Oreo. Loud people, stupid people, pretentious people, drunk people... the cinema of Jason Voorhees. Do you see where i'm going here?"

" Wait... those are the things you DON'T hate?"

"Oh, i'm sure I hated them all at one point or another, but the point is, a body has to learn the simple art of deconstruction. You've got to be able to carve away all this ridiculous "gut reaction" rubbish and take a good look at the heart of the beast. Ask yourself: Is this thing really worth my hatred... or am I just a bigot? Hip hop for example. People will say to me, 'My god but I hate all that rapper music! It's nothing but bitches and hustlers and gold chains and diamond... ah... bullets. Bad English and such.' But i'll counter with, 'Oi there! First of all, not all hip hop is like that. But more to the point, it's not hip hop you hate at all, is it? What you hate, sir, is misogyny. Materialism. Gratuitious violence and the glorification of ignorance. Strip away all that nonsense and what are you left with? Just a set of beats and a vocal style that may or may not be your own personal cup of tea.' You see what i'm saying?"

"'Ideas, not items.' I've heard that before."

" Of course you have, dear. It's practically a cliche, it's so obvious. I never said I was being profound. Nono, what strikes me is how few people really embrace the message. Can't quite puzzle it out, frankly. I mean, why would anybody choose to piss away so much time and passion scowling at open-toed shoes and pop punksters? Having to sort out so many tiny little angries each and every day... well, it must be positively paralyzing, eh?"

" I guess... I guess when you have no self-confidence, you start looking for reasons to be, um... 'paralyzed'."

I'm a DJ!

2005-12-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

And you can be too!

I just got signed up at Freecast, a site that allows you to host shoutcast programs for FREE with Winamp, so you can host your own online radio show.

Let me know when is good for you readers, and i'll DJ a show for ya!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays, everyone! I'm looking forward to the season... i'm getting a sweet 5GB Zen Micro MP3 player! Short on cash for gifts for others, though... I donated most of my cash to charity funds.

Anyway, here's some links to enjoy during to holiday break:

Piggy Bank Pinko A great flash, the second in a series of Captain Capitalism movies.

Trichinosis This is the BEST commentary on the sad moral state of most of the worl today that I have ever seen. Don't watch it if you don't like to think about things.

Portrait of a Modern Man Made by the same maker of the Flash above, but it's more funny and less intense.

LIAR A good look at just went on in that last presidential election.

The touchtone genius Ever make music with your phone? This guy takes it to an extreme.

Toothbrushland! Trushbrushland, a magical place where all your dreams can come true! ...I really have no comment on this one.

Always be careful with chemicals...

2005-11-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

Dust-Off. Most of us have used it as some point, to clean electronics or tight spaces. Some of you might know about the dangers of the product, like inhalation abuse. But how many of you have ever been burned by it? I have.

I was cleaning a keyboard when the can "spat" out liquid propellant rather then air. It got on my arm and instantly turned the skin white, with bits of frost clinging to the hair on my arm. It stung for an instant like hell, then, nothing. "That's interesting.", I thought. I washed it off with warm water and thought nothing more of it.

That is, until I took my shirt off later in the afternoon to play some DDR. I happened to look at my arm.

This is what a segement of my upper left arm looks like: This... but less so. Not as large of an area, less swelling.

I have second and third-degree burn damage from severe frostbite. The skin is stiff... and there is no feeling whatsoever in the center of the area.

So kids, whenever you do anything with chemicals, wear a haz-mat suit.

Please, do not drop-kick the construction gnomes.

2005-11-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

Well, as the subject title suggests, new things are in store for this blog. Don't panic! It will retain the same colors, layout, etc. What I will be doing is experimenting with adding more images to my posts, maybe even to the point of "mini-adventures" of sorts. Or just to be odd. Or to get a point across. Or to get an odd point across in an odd way.

You shouldn't be disappointed. I'm sure it'll make thing real pretty-like.

Danger for PS2 owners, and a sad day for DDR fans.

2005-10-24T10:16:00.000-04:00

Sony has issued a recall of certain Playstation 2 power adaptors.

Q: What is the issue with the PlayStation®2 Computer Entertainment Systems AC Adaptor?
A: Sony Computer Entertainment America has received reports that certain AC adaptors included with some slim version PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems have overheated. Not all PlayStation®2 systems are affected.

Q: What are the safety concerns/risks? / What is the cause of this problem?
A: In the incidents reported, AC adaptors generated unexpected amounts of heat, and sometimes emitted smoke or odors, or melted their plastic housing. Such situations may pose burn or fire hazards, or possibly a risk of electrical shock.

To see if you are affected by the recall, and to receive a free replacement, see Sony's website detailing the recall.

Frankie Gee, lead singer of the group Captain Jack, died on October 21st at the age of 43, due to a stroke. He is most famous for his eurodance-style music, and having several songs featured in Dance Dance Revolution, including Dream I Dream, The Race, Captain Jack, Little Boy, and more. May he rest in peace.

Tech Tip, More Wal-Mart Evil, and general fun stuff!

2005-10-22T10:54:00.000-04:00

All right, let's play a game. How many of you are sick and tired of end-user license agreements? You know, whenever you install a program, it has this big block of legal text you have to agree to, and then you find out you agreed to let them moniter your information or some other spyware nonsense? Well, you don't have to take it anymore!

Introducing the EULAlyzer! It's a free tool that analyzes the legal text for you in one simple step! Just drag an icon over the license, and the text is transferred to the program, which analyzes it for any red flags! Or you can just cut and paste the text into the program. I now always use it before installing a product, because let's face it, almost no one takes the time to read legal junk. It's saved my ass a couple times. Get the EULAlyzer here for free! It's by the same makers of SpywareBlaster.

Moving on to Wal-Mart. Hmm... building by sacred temples in Mexico? Check. Building over ancient burial ground in Hawaii? Check. Illegal immigrants, products mainly from forign sweatshops? Check and check. Now for the newest saga in our Wal-Mart thriller.

Here's the summery: Teacher assigns Bill of Rights art project. Student creates negative art project of President Bush. Takes film to Wal-Mart for development. Wal-Mart contacts police. (!) Police contact Secret Service. Secret Service enter High School and take poster from studen't locker, question student and teacher. Read the full story here... I'll be praticing my salute if you need me...

Duck Doom Deluxe A free game for download that crosses the classic NES game Duck Hunt with, erm, the equally classic PC game, Doom. Shooting ducks with a BFG is so much more fun. And no, you CAN'T blast the dog away. (You might be able to take a swing at him, though ;o)

I-hacked.com How to make Internet explorer and Firefox faster, get the best deal online, pick Master combination locks, hack soda machines and elevators, and much more. Explore it. I command you. Knowledge is power.

Joel says when you got lemons, you make lemonade!

2005-09-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

Are you ready for this?

About a year ago, I paid $75 to Lee Lovingood, a well-known and respected Mystery Science Theater 3000 tape trader. It was he who helped master the lost KTMA Superdome footage. From http://www.mst3kinfo.com For as long as MSTies have been collecting episodes, the only known existing copy this one was missing the final host segment. That changed in October 2004, when the missing final segment came to light. Longtime and devoted MSTies Lee Lovingood and Michael Slusher have managed to locate the missing segment in the possession of a Minnesota woman named Teresa Dietzinger. A fan of the show since those KTMA days, she was one of the first fan club members, and sent some artwork in to the show--which was then featured in that final host segment. She managed to tape the episode and held on to the tape for 16 years. Although her father long ago taped over the rest of the episode with family footage and such, the final host segment remained intact.

The deal was a simple paypal transaction. I was to receive all available episodes of the KTMA season on DVD. I talked to him many times via e-mail. He was a very nice fellow, and assured me I would receive my order soon.

I waited. And waited. After a while, he told me they would be sent out "in a week". Then he said that he was having problems in his life, and orders were delayed. He soon stopped responding to e-mails. His webpage was shut down due to non-payment.

Paypal refused to refund the money because of the amount of time that had passed. The Better Business Bureau refused to handle it. Red tape, faxes, bullshit on all ends. I had Lee's address, but he never claimed certified mail.

Cut to recent times. I find out that others were screwed, and that Lee had been diverting money from orders, expecting a steady flow of more to make up for it, in order to pay on child support.

Enter the hero, Michael Slusher. He created a campain funded out of his own pocket to provide the orders that others placed. For free.

He even provides more then the other guy originally did. The DVD's are loaded with extras like movie poster ads, movie trailers, and misc stuff. He even has some objects you'll find nowhere else, like rehearsal tapes, "rough cuts" of them practicing their lines, bloopers, and even whole unedited in-the-raw MST'ed movies.

Please, check out The best Mystery Science Theater store ever, Cheepnis's MST3K DVD.com

Trust me, it's worth it. At least visit, the guy gave me $100 of DVD's for no charge to help me out, and I wasn't the only one. I highly recommend looking around, maybe placing an order or two, or just a simple donation to help him recoup what he used to help everyone out. In the meantime, I have my KTMA collection, and i'm off to enjoy (fittingly) Superdome.

Random things

2005-09-03T22:20:00.000-04:00

Well, here's a surprise! Jon Stewart, of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" fame, was on PBS on the kid's show, "Between the Lions". Al Franken has also appeared as a guest on the show, which helps teach reading skills to youngsters.

By the way, did you know that public schools sell information about students to the military for recruitment purposes? Go to Leave my child alone.org to find out more and how to opt-out.

2005-08-07T21:12:00.000-04:00

And now, today's "Best example of kid logic" award... overheard at a hotel I got back from: "Hey dad, you gotta come into this hottub, the water is, it just, the water tastes great!"

Links to shut up the whiners who complained about lack of updates:

Maxwell's silver hammer, in Flash form. Heh, funny little flash animation of the Beatle's demented song, "Maxwell's silver hammer". Oddly enough, with the manical grin, the star reminds me of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes a bit. My own thoughts: "Late nights all alone, with a test tube..." - obvious drug reference. "Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery, say he must go free, the judge does not agree..." Possible Manson trial reference.

How to tell when a relationship is over in ninety seconds. Best damn film ever!

Beware the horror of the true shaving cream identity!

Ecstacy being used to treat Parkinson's! Woo-hoo!

Never enter a carwash without a shirt. Um, OUCH.

What Back to the Future would have been like WITHOUT Micheal J. Fox. This is true. Footage was shot with Eric Stoltz in the role since Micheal was doing Family Ties. All the evidence released so far is this group of very interesting photos.

Holy crap! NINJAS!

2005-06-28T20:31:00.000-04:00

Thirteen high-school students now have felony charges againest them in my own home-state. What did they do? They cracked the school computers password and got passed the filter. And, um, this is costing the taxpayers how much again?

Ooh, pretty bird-slaughtering machines...

such as the AED-100, which kills about 10,000 birds per hour, catching them by the feet and dragging their heads through an electrified pool of water.

Goodie.

Monkey bites drive-thru window worker. Pictures!

What... the... hell...?!

A California man facing life in prison for crashing his car into a UPS truck will not dispute that his actions resulted in the death of the driver when his trial opens Monday in Nevada County Superior Court. Instead, Scott Krause's defense will argue that the defendant believed he was trying to escape man-eating subterranean beings when he ran into Drew Reynolds' truck on Jan. 6, 2004.

Krause has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to five felony counts, including first-degree murder, carjacking, and burglary, stemming from a string of alleged criminal activities leading up to the fatal highway crash. In three court-ordered evaluations, the defendant stated he was fleeing subterranean beings he called "hemadrones" when he carjacked a commercial vehicle near a Nevada City, Calif., gas station and then crashed into Reynolds' service vehicle.

"Everything had to do with his escape from the hemadrones," said Nevada County District Attorney Michael Ferguson. "According to the defendant, he was afraid they were going to put him in cargo and ship him to China to be eaten."

Current favorite bands:

NOFX
Anti-Flag

Tech tip of the week! (Or, at this point, whenever the heck I feel like updating)

2005-06-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

Are you annoyed by annoying parental controls, or just don't feel like letting your IP server know what you're looking up online?

If so, JAP is the perfect tool for you.

JAP, short for Java Anonymous Proxy, encrypts the data you browse by fetching it from other computers rather then straight from your IP. It can be downloaded for free here: JAP proxy homepage.

Even if you have a limited account on Windows XP, you can install it. Just make a folders in your documents called jap, and install it in that folder instead of the default path. AOL users will need to use a browser other then Internet Explorer for the proxies to work... try Downloading the much better free browser, Firefox. Plus, my webpage looks better on Firefox as well.

After downloading the program and running it, go here for information on how to use it, depending on your browser.

After that, you can use the proxy, switch back to normal when you're done, and most people won't be the wiser.

been a while.

2005-06-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

Wow... where do I start?

We went to a lake near Indiantown Gap, where all the military shizzit is. At the bottom of the dam is a small area you can walk on to go barefoot. People were fishing there for some odd reason. There was a HUGE snapping turtle living in the area below the dam.
As long as my arm, I mean! I'm still in awe of it's size, and how close I was to it.

Anyone out there Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans? Well, if you bought the 7th dvd set that came out, you'll want to know this bit of info from MST3K Info Club...

"Almost since the day that the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 7 DVD set from Rhino Home Video was released about a month ago, internet reports have been circulating that the version of episode 407- THE KILLER SHREWS (with short: JUNIOR RODEO DAREDEVILS) included with the set was slightly edited. Sharp-eyed MSTies (are there any other kind?) noticed that about 50 seconds of movie and riffing, just as the movie begins and before the actual title of the film appears (during which the narration sets up the whole "killer shrews" premise), was not included.

Rhino has come clean and admitted the goof, extends it apologies, and has set up a system whereby you can get a replacement for that disc.

Send an email to drrhino@rhino.com. In the email, tell them you would like a replacement disc for Volume 7, Disc 4 of the "MST3K Collection" and DON'T FORGET to give them your name and full mailing address. DO NOT email Barb at Best Brains about this, even if you purchased it through the Info Club. Get your replacement directly from Rhino."

Haven't received my disk yet, but it's only been a week.

This part is a cut-away: Around 3 or 4 a.m. I heard an idiot on the radio: Dr. James Kennedy, acting like everything bad is the fault of a liberal and everything godly is republican. Sir, with all due respect, bite me. This country needs no more of anyone's one-sided bigoted opinions spewed on our airwaves. I have to look into the guy more, but I remember the link Truths that transform

Kazaa has let me download all the music videos I watched in Junior High! The only reason I even still remember Mope by the Bloodhound Gang is the crazy video for it.

Hitchhiking, Tech Tips, and sushi.

2005-05-05T20:46:00.000-04:00

First, your long-due tech tip. How many times have you had a whole bunch of pictures, .bmp and the like, taking up space on your hard-drive? You'd love to convert them to another file format, like jpeg, to save space, but you don't want to take the time to convert them one by one. Also, you hate spending money on such a small thing. Well, your worries are over! Introducing the Easy Graphic Converter!

It's a powerful FREE tool that lets you convert whole folders of picture files to different formats. You can load only certain formats, save the new format over the old one and keep the same filename, make thumbnails... did I mention that it's free? No spyware or trial period nonsense, i've tested it, and am very satisfied. So, I share this info with you. Always looking out for you guys.

Anyway, if you haven't seen the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy yet, get off your ass now and do so! You must see this on the big screen! The universe will just not look as great on your dinky television! It's a near perfect remake of the book (about 80%), the new material and new character was written for the script by Douglas Adams himself before he passed away, the inside jokes for us diehard fans are numerous, and even a female friend of mine who's never read the book enjoyed it! Take your towel, and stay for the credits. Trust me. I've seen it twice so far, and plan to go at least two more times.

Sushi is good. Very good. On a rare occasion, me and my brother will go to a nice restaurant and get a mixed platter. Not the Americanized crap, the good stuff. Tuna with the right amount of fresh ginger is heaven. And the service is great. As soon as you go in they pass out steamed washcloths for you to clean up with. The flavors of the food just mingle beyond description.

One of the best shows ever was Dharma & Greg. I learned a lot about life and myself in general from that show. Ever read the quick text messages at the end credits? Some of them are truely enlightening. Whoever cancelled that show in 2003 should suffer a horrible, horrible fate.

Pranks, theme park accidents, gnome beating, and more!

2005-04-18T21:11:00.000-04:00

Rideaccidents.com The best archive of accidents in theme parks everywhere, including a searchable database! Look for your favorite!

Erderly woman beats off attacker with lawn gnome. So they ARE good for something after all...

Graphic novel series made from Half-Life 2 screenshots. Holy hell, am I the only one who thinks of Max Payne when looking at this? Wonderful...

Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld get animals named after them! Only catch is, they're slime-mold beetles... *snicker*

Images from a book by Pixar worker, depicts images of Hindu gods in quirky cartoony style. Quite beautiful, actually.

Um, very poor choices for comic book covers. Clear your dirty mind!

World's ugliest car restored. Actually... I kinda like it. I'd drive it.

Coming next: The best pranks ever.

Quickie

2005-04-13T23:01:00.000-04:00

My word, I hate those new Buger KIng commercials! The ones with that smiling "king" dude, appearing next to the guy in his bed, in his yard, etc... it's scary. If I woke up to some weirdo in a suit smiling and lying next to me in bed, i'd punch him in the nads!

And this new TV show with Pamela Anderson called "Stacked", in which she works at a bookstore, looks like yet another great idea from a 20-minute meeting. I give it one season. Same for "Life on a stick".

*insert filler text here for when i update later*

Cheap Update

2005-04-10T20:21:00.000-04:00

25 Greatest moments of Sesame Street My word, this rocks! I remember a lot of this too! "Teeny little super guy, pops right up before your eyes.."...

And the trench-coated shifty dude who tried to sell letters!

Put down that duckie if you want to play the... saxaphone!

Ah, yeah. Back when public TV didn't suck. Good times.

Ooh, I joined a clan in Quake Three: Arena. They're called Dipperz, but I lost the link to their site right now. If you get fragged by a certain DeathSlayer... say hello.

I have a poem I wrote, but i'll post it tomorrow.

In the meantime, I give you an actual song by NOFX called Franco Un-American...

I never thought about the universe, it made me feel small
Never thought about the problems of this planet at all
Global warming, radio-active sites
Imperialistic wrongs and animal rights! No!

Why think of all the bad things when life is so good?
Why help with an 'am' when there's always a 'could'?
Let the whales worry about the poisons in the sea
Outside of California, it's foreign policy

I don't want changes, I have no reactions
Your dilemmas are my distractions

That's no way to go, Franco Un-American
No way to go, Franco Un-American
No way to go, Franco Un-American
No way to go, Franco, Franco Un-American

I never looked around, never second-guessed
Then I read some Howard Zinn now I'm always depressed
And now I can't sleep from years of apathy
All because I read a little Noam Chomsky

I'm eating vegetation, 'cause of Fast Food Nation
I'm wearing uncomfortable shoes 'cause of globalization
I'm watching Michael Moore expose the awful truth
I'm listening to Public Enemy and Reagan Youth

I see no world peace 'cause of zealous armed forces
I eat no breath-mints 'cause their from de-hoofed horses
Now I can't believe; what an absolute failure
The president's laughing 'cause we voted for Nader

That's no way to go, Franco Un-American
No way to go, Franco Un-American
No way to go, Franco Un-American
Where can we go, Franco Un-American

I want to move north and be a Canadian
Or hang down low with the nice Australians
I don't want to be another 'I-don't-care-ican'
What are we gonna do Franco, Franco Un-American

Who's the geek? Say it!

2005-04-05T10:58:00.000-04:00

So, I went on Google and on a whim decided to see who was linking to my site. I was pretty disappointed to see few results... meh, give it time. But check out one of them!

Who's your geek?

According to Blogshares, at 8:56, Nov 3, 2004, I was number 99 in the top 100 blogs in my state! Woo! I'm number 99!

99: Pathway into insanity...
(Last Indexed: 03:00 03 Nov 2004)
(4000 / 5000 shares available @ B$.20 ea. - 1 p/e)

Yea! Go me! I feel so special and loved... you guys are the greatest! None of this would have been possible without the support of you, my readers!

Oh, and for those who got scared off by my April Fools joke in my last post... sorry. If you haven't checked out the links, go ahead. They're all pretty safe. Except that very last one... whatever you do, don't click the last link! You have been warned...

I'm right, you're wrong. Period!

2005-04-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

You know, I keep hearing all this bad talk about Bush and the administration, but they've done nothing but protect us! Bush and Ashcroft should be honered for keeping us safe in these dangerous times! With the central focus on security and commitment, we are sure to go far together as a nation!

Bringing up the issue of open-source software: What's the big woo? The only people who actually use that Linux junk are elitest tech shmucks. Windows is far more stable, and comes with handy things like an internet browser and media player! I've nevered used this Lindows stuff, but I bet it doesn't have those! And all this hype about Firefox is getting on my nerves. I mean, the stuff is inferior to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. I mean, geez, the fact that it's FREE should tip you off that it's not quite up to code.

Anyway, I give kudos to the heros of our nation: Our president, Mr. Ashcroft, Jerry Falwell, the whole lot of them!

Until later, here are a few links for you to enjoy!

Thoughts on the post-modernist view of socitys latest anti-disestablistment in general.

A viewpoint from the minds of celebs, and their enlighting views.

Eddie Murphey shares his views regarding the possible connection between the Iran-Contra scandel and the current war.

Finally, my personal views on society as a whole.

You can't rollerskate in a buffalo herd.

2005-03-31T22:32:00.000-05:00

Well, good news: my site is blocked by most internet filters! Wee, mindless profanity! Better then mindless conformity, I guess. Seriously, any cursing I do normally is in context. They fit the mood of the issue being debated. Blah blah.... been writing some poems... keep forgetting the good stuff before I get them on paper. Depressing stuff, really. About America, no less.

Anyway, time for happy links! Wee!

Solar Death Ray! See some guy and his contraption melt dozens of items. Quite cool, really.

Net Disaster Type in the site of a web-page you hate, choose a method of destroying it (I like slow-burn myself), and get ready for destruction! The best way to view the Microsoft home page...

Get your war on! EXCELLENT strips of comics about the current war, privacy, Enron, the whole deal. If you haven't seen this yet, do so right NOW.

Darker Side of Things.

2005-03-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

I warned you this was partly a reality blog...

There have been times, on many occasions where I have made the mistake of thinking too much. Normally, I don't allow this to happen by means of playing computer games, watching MST 3000, or other form of entertainment to distract me from reality.

But when I start thinking, I either get in trouble or I get depressed. Nowadays, it's normally the depressed one.

I'm not going to go into my religious views at the moment, because I don't feel like telling everyone. If I wanted you to know, i'd have told you already. Actually, you know what? Fuck it. I'm tired of hiding who I am to please others. I'm agnostic. I don't know if there is a god or not, and at this point I don't really care. Anyone claiming they know there is a God is full of it. No person can truly determine the existance of a god. If there is one, he/she/it is probably pissed with you for doing things and saying "god told me to, god wanted me to". Just knock off the "gays are sinners! Marriage is sacred!" shit. Marriage was never sacred. In biblical time, you BOUGHT your wife by trading livestock. Now, celeb couples last a week before divorce, and game shows get to decide who marries who. So don't give me this "sacred" shit.

Second point: Jerry Falwell is a dick.

Third point: " Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife or any other of his POSSESSIONS". That's right ladies, you were property in the ten commandments.

Fourth point: All this fuss over removing Ten Commandment monuments. They claim they were the building grounds of the legal system. Last time I checked, no one's been arrested for coveting something they wanted to own. Jesus Christ! Oops, i'm getting ten years for that one...

I realized a long time ago that things aren't going to change. No matter what science has new to offer to solve the problem, people will either use it as an excuse to double their normal ways or use it in an unintended matter.

We will kill ourselves before any supposed "armaggedon" does it for us. I used to try to help, but people don't want to be helped. They want everything to stay "normal", for everything to be easy for them and the hell with others. "Cry me a river, pinko commie". I was called a pagan in a Yahoo chat room after discussing the marketing exploitation of the flag. Dumbfucks like me should get the hell out of America. Or so i've been told.

Ignorance is a disease for which nowadays, there is no cure. It's simply spread too far. The only reason i'm still here, sitting in front of my computer writing this, is because i'm too tired to act.

I've been tired for a long time now... a couple years. Whenever I try to sleep, people refuse to let me be and force me to wake up against my will. I know inside me, I will sleep one of these days. And then, everything will be calm. No more noise. If you can't understand what i'm actually talking about here, tough. This isn't the normal funny ha-ha post.

Zany Video Game Quotes

2005-03-12T21:50:00.000-05:00

You know you love them. From the well-known "All your base are belong to us" to classics from Resident Evil, like " Jill, here is a lockpick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you."

From bad translations to things that were actually meant to be funny, you'll find them all at Zany Video Game Quotes!

I HAVE to post about these guys, because they are so great... also, they could use some new submissions. I'm doing my part, (my last two batches got approved. Glee!) but every little bit helps!

On a side note, i'm engaged in a battle with Rhino Videos, the makers of MST DVD's. To make a long story short, I called them because one of my dvd's in a 4-disk set was defective. They said to mail it to them and they'd replace it. Now they won't return my calls and I have no replacement. Grr!

:edit: Strike that. They replaced it. Rhino is good people. Please refrain from sending them any death threats.

Oh my word! A MST 3000 update!

2005-03-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Get your butt over here right now! Now, I say!

Can it be true? Yes! Edgewood Studios is making a sequal to "Time Chasers", or as it was originally called, "Tangents"! Yes! Time Chasers 2! Woo!

Call me crazy, but I am SO buying it when it's released. I mean, I loved the original first one, un-MSTed. And this one will just be BEGGING for a fan MST-dub.

I have more MST news, but I refuse to divulge any information until my shipment arrives ... wait, I just gave up some info. Dangit!

Holy Living Cluck... chickens, zombies, drugs and more

2005-03-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

Yoou must watch this movie... A excellent spoof on prescription drug commercials. Obviously, I love it. Watch it now. You'll die laughing.

Funny, I don't recall seeing Spiderman in the Bible... I'm going to hell for sure. No doubt about it.

This just pisses me off... a teacher yelled at a student for refusing to stand during the National Anthem, then yanked his chair out from under him. What the teacher didn't know was that the students caught him on tape. However, the student got detention and the teacher got away scot-free even with the footage. "God bless America".

This... is wrong on so many levels... This machine is used in factory farms for forcing chickens into tight cages. It's a huge beast that has rotating brushes, which catch the chickens, force them down a chute, and into a cage. Watch the damn video to see it in action... chickens and all.

Qoute from the site: " Operation is simple and reliable. Our unique method of cooping (patent pending) places the chickens in cage using an accelerated belt, reducing the need for pushing by operator and, resulting in improved grade and less operator fatigue." Ah, good. I was worried that operator would get fatigue from forcing chickens into tight spaces. Now I can sleep better at night.

If you want to ask these guys a few "questions"... you can mail them through the contact form on their webpage, or use any of this information:

Bright Coop, Inc.
803 West Seale ~ Nacogdoches Texas 75964
PH: (936)564-8378 ~ FAX: (936) 564-3281
Toll Free (800) 562-0730

The fucking thing looks like it came from a sci-fi film... alien pod-harvestor from hell.

: Well well, looks like after Boing Boing linked to this site, they noticed the bandwith spike... and removed the video clip. Damn you, Corporate America! Always getting one step ahead of me!

In others news... A student was arrested for writing a story about Zombies attacking a high school What's next? Banning pencils because they're pointy?

Euphoria, zen, and the Amish.

2005-02-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

Chad, if you see this, for the love of sanity, don't read this article. You were warned.

I just had the best damn weekend I have ever had in the history of my life. I went with my older bro to stay over at his girlfriend's house. There were a few other people there as well (two, one guy and girl).

The house is in the middle of nowhere, however. It is very freaky to be on a road and see no Wal-Marts, no shopping centers, not much of anything at all. "Is this heaven?", I asked my brother.

"No. They don't have broadband." "Damn!", I replied.

However, the place soon started to get a bit... freaky. As in Amityville Horror freaky.

Oh, sure, the flags by the road, on buildings, cars, and the like showed up slowly at first, but soon they spread like a cancerous plague. Then came the crosses. A full-out showing of faith power, warning those who dare to enter this forbidden territory to pray for mercy... and keep praying.

Right now you are saying this: "Geez, it's just a couple of signs and crosses! Big deal!". You are wrong. These were everywere possible.

Including big billboards. These billboards varyed from basic verses to weird things I couldn't understand.

The funny one was the one that said "You will find Jesus", showing a car driving down a long road. Well, I went down that full streach of highway, and couldn't find him. I guess I missed him.

Anyway, I got to talk politics all day with the guy there, who turned out to be a liberal! Gasp! Hidden deep behind enemy lines! I admire his bravery. We talked all day about the current events and Bush and political viewpoints.

They didn't have a DVD player, so we couldn't watch The Myster Science Theater 3000 or Death to Smoochy DVDs I had brought, but they got the sundance channel, and i got to see "Uncovered: The whole truth about the Iraqi War" for free! W00t!

My head is a bit dizzy from the fun we had right now. I'll update some more later.

AARRRGHH!

2005-02-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

Nearly lost all my blankity-blank e-mail! AGGRH!

Tried to set up Mozilla Thunderbird, and screwed up... it downloaded the messages from comcast, and then deleted them... so when I uninstalled Thunderbird from the rarely used computer and set it up on the main one, I go... where the monk did all my files go? Oh dear, don't tell me... NOOO!

Thankfully I managed to find them hidden away in a hidden folder named Application Data. Thankies that wasn't uninstalled with the program...

Four pages of e-mail will be guarded more closely from now on.

MST 3000 and other goodies!

2005-02-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I went to the store a couple of days ago... what did I get? That is a very good question indeed! For you see, I have got many new things of goodness!

First off the bat: I've bought my first manga! Actually, I bought three of them: The first "A.I Love You", and both current books of "Instant Teen: Just Add Nuts!" I plan to get some issues of Love Hina later on... Oh My Goddess is too expensive and there's too much Ranma 1/2 to catch up on. ( Plus, i've read all of Ranma already...)

Second on the list.... for only thirty bucks, the glorious, awe-inspiring, the one and only... Gradius V for Playstation 2! Yeah baby! It doesn't get any better then this! It's like they took all the retro goodness and gave it a nice shiney platinum finish! I mean, the 3-D effects are awesome... you must see it to believe it. Amazing that they did it so well while keeping the 2-D shooter scheme. It's just... gah! I'm gonna be busy these next couple of weeks...

For MST 3000 fans, I have this to say: Get "Time Chasers". I mean it. The unedited, uncut version of the film is keen. It's the only semi-good film to ever air on MST... ( On second thought, I thought Soultaker was actually kind of interesting, just not done well with the budget they had. Am I a freak?)

Anyway, there are some great parts of Time Chasers that were cut from the MST 3000 version, like sneaking into the complex by bribing a taxi driver to distract guards at the main gate. The taxi man is f'ing hilarious at times... most likely that's why he was cut. It's hard to make fun of something already funny.

I got my copy on DVD at Amazon, but VHS is fine as well. Ignore Amazon's list price... it's wrong. You'll proably spend about six dollars on it, give or take a little. Trust me, it's worth it. The perfect pal for your MST version on DVD.

Maybe it's just me, but I have no less then 4 of the original versions of MST'ed films, not counting the uncut version on MST DVD's... "Time Chasers", "Mitchell", "Manos: The Hands of Fate", and "I Accuse My Parents". I would have had Future War on DVD, but damn Wal-Mart one I got had a scratched disk.... while it was SEALED. Jerks didn't want to give me back my $3 either since I opened it. A quick fuss fixed that.

Hell of a long viewpoint.

2005-02-04T20:35:00.000-05:00

Have a seizure. First one's free on me, kid.

This still amazes me everytime I see it... and hear it! If you haven't seen it yet, you have to now...

We live in a difficult time right now. A time where people like to hate others and fight over issues, but never bother to look at themselves and their own actions. The environmentalist who fought over suburban development who has no qualms about stopping at Wal-Mart because, well, it's cheap! The man who complains that his water bill is too high but stays in the shower for an hour. The man who claims to support our troops that buys a Hummer, fills it with gasoline from the Middle-East, and never drives a damn inch off the road. Nothing hurts his precious baby!

We live in a ignorant time. One nation, willingly tuning out any sign, any shread of bad news they hear or receive. The government doesn't need to bother censoring our reading material, we already do a good enough job ourselves. Our national motto is, "If I don't know about it, it doesn't affect me."

Sometimes I wonder, if I cut myself, would I actually bleed blood, red liquid coming out of the skin? Or would it be a black, sticky subtance? One to use as fuel, to use in machines? The money in my veins is there for now, but soon that will be leeched upon as well, not just by the government, but from desires I was taught as a kid to want and need. The need for new things, consumerism, has been implanted in children since the first time they've turned on a television set or saw a billboard. There is no escape from the madness.

Have I gone insane? No one else seems to notice that anything is wrong. A scream in a vacumm of silence. Maybe... just maybe... it's that everyone else is.

Crappy Update

2005-02-02T22:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry folks, you're only getting links today. More political and technical stuff tomorrow.

"Fifty Way To Know You're An Asshole." They got me on 16, 25, and 46.

This one is based on an actual market screw-up. "McDonalds wants you to have sex with their burgers." Um, no thanks... i'm not really a buns person myself...

"ColorFields" Holy hell, is this beautiful... mess around, click and click, keep viewing images... some of them are truely mind-numbing.

Wee! Fun games for all!

2005-01-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

Well, actually, one of these games is only for some. It's the current government thing again...

I will give a prize to anyone who actually manages to beat this freaky game. It's called "Do You Have a Grudge?", and it's based on the movie of the same name. It's freaky... don't play it with your lights out. And trust me on this... don't wear headphones while playing. I think the main goal is to survive... don't go upstairs right away unless you wish to die. What you need to do depends on what's on your list...

first, cover the downstairs. There are some things you want to do here. Find the TV room, click the phone, and play all messages. After that, click the new button that's lit up to page the cordless phone. You must do this to survive the attic. Find the book in the tv room. Pick up the photo by clicking directly on it. Mover to the next room. There's a torn up photo. Put it back together. Move to the kitchen. If your list said to feed mom, open the fridge and click the (rotton) meat in the fridge.

... okay... upstairs...

The room to the left with the sink is the bathroom. DO not go in here unless your list says something about mom's pills. Go to the mirror, open it, click the pills. Prepare to be scared. You MAY die here...

The attic is around here somewhere... find it. Get the phone. It will die.

I've never even made it to the attic... someone figure this game out for me...

Anyway, here's the real goodie!

It's the Anti-Bush video game!

Holy crap, this thing is awesome. It's done in old-school style graphics, and is so freaking fun to play! And it's full of interesting information, some of which even I didn't know about! Learn about what Bush did to the budget! Learn about what the Bible REALLY says on the issue of terrorism! Halliburton, tax shelters, Enron, Mother Earth, it's all in here! Plus, you get to kick a lot of peoples asses. Take that, Robo-Cheney!

Seriously though, I urge you to play through the whole thing. It's about 45 minutes if you do well. There are some mildly disgusting bits, but if you're okay with cartoon obscenities, it's all good. (Although the boss battle with Barbera and George Bush Sr... is a bit disturbing. Same for the battle with Enron and, um, well, you'll find out!)

Play it now, I say! How can you lose with the power of Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, AND He-man! Keep an eye out for special guests!

Conform!

2005-01-28T09:09:00.000-05:00

Anyone who believes that schools are full of the joy of learning, where children are taught important facts for life and learn to think for themselves, ask questions, and generally become a person, an individual... that person is full of themselves.

Public schooling has no desire to teach children to think for themselves. If they did that, the kiddies might realize they're getting shafted later in life. They are taught only what we want them to know. Anyone who does not conform, does not fit in, is targeted by both the staff and other students.

I no longer go to public school. I think that one leading cause of that is I didn't enjoy the feeling of a Master padlock being whipped into my head in the gym's locker room. Or the fact that the gym teacher didn't see it, so he "couldn't do anything about it". He never saw anything. He had his office, view blocked by rows of lockers.

Word of advice: The civil war is a touchy subject. There is only one side to it. And the good guys won. Keep in mind i'm not racist... I was commiting the sin of looking at both sides of a historical issue. I asked a simple question... "Actually, these people had the right to secede from the Union if they chose to. And regarding slavery, that had been their whole lifestyle and we suddenly said, "You can't do this anymore", expecting it to end right there and then. Don't you think they'd be upset?" I was sent to the principal for "creating a disturbance".

The principal hated me. Why couldn't I just try to fit in? Why did I have to complain so much? Maybe because I was harassed day in and day out and it's your job to deal with it, SIR...

I go to school online now. It's great. Only real problem is staying on task and getting work done instead of surfing the internet. Best part is I get to chose my activites for gym in the comfort of home... Dance Dance Revolution, anyone?

(This Title has been censored for your protection)

2005-01-25T13:29:00.000-05:00

Damn it! Grr... my HTML has gone to hell... It look fine on Mozilla Firefox, everything is absolutly perfect... but it's really farked up in Internet Explorer...

There, the top banners are fine...

but the About me section, the listing of recent posts, and the side ads are in one big mess at the bottom of the page.

Although I must admit, the ads are smart... they picked up on my Mystery Science Theater interest. I really need to keep these ads... for one, most money from them is going to charity, and two, I am officially broke. Broke broke. As in no money whatsoever. I need whatever I can get for college these days... crazy economic times.

Anyway, if anyone out there knows what the hell they are doing with HTML, please look mine over and figure out the problem... it's giving me a headache.

Temporary solution: View in Firefox only. go to mozilla.org and download it for free now. Chop chop!

Did I mention I hate Internet Explorer yet? It's true.

Censored From Japan! Oh, and some modern propaganda!

2005-01-23T22:12:00.000-05:00

If you are an ultra-republican, or think Bush is the greatest president since Washington... please, skip this section. Just scroll down and read the next part. That said, this has to be one of the best ideas ever. It's called the Propaganda Remix Project , and what it's basically done is take old World War Two or other propaganda posters, and update them for modern times. Some are hilarious, while some are very serious. You must do yourself the favor of checking them out. I've already printed out a few of my favorites.

Also, Read this news article about yet another gunning down by US troops of a carload of civilians in Iraq. Or better yet, look at the photos of the blood-spattered, suddenly orphaned little Iraqi girl - and explain to me again how Bush’s war is making the world a freer place. Because I don’t see it.

Also, I highly suggest you view The Daily Show's take on Dubya's Inauguration Speech... Might take a while to download, but highly worth the wait... you can find other Daily Show footage here as well. I love the Internet...

I'm going to say something that might scare you, but please, don't run away. Not yet. You ready for it? Brace yourself...

Pokemon.

I know! It's scary stuff! (Kinda sounds odd saying that after that last bunch of links...) Chances are you might have even gotten sucked in yourself... (I know I did...) I still maintain the original video games were pretty good. However, looking back, the TV show sucked. But you know, it didn't have to be that way. Many stupid changes were made from the original to the American versions... speech changed, cartoon violence removed, critical plot points altered, and sometimes entire episodes deleted. (Although sometimes with good reason.) The TV show is not what i'm linking you to, however. That's for later.

What I will link you to is a side-by-side comparison of the original Pokemon manga and the overseas releases. Warning: I wouldn't suggest wandering back to the home page on this site. There is nudity and disturbing content in some sections. That out of the way, Click here to see the differences. That site is in German, BTW. Might want to copy the link and run it through google to translate it. (Um, ignore that sites background, please.)Quite frankly, I don't see the big deal. I mean, this is nothing compared to what a kid will see watching other cartoons or flipping channels, or going to the beach for that matter. Plus, it's a comic book! Geez, i've seen X-men (or is it X-Women? Ah, never mind.) who bare more skin. Whatever... TV show information will be coming soon. Along with various other junk as it heads my way.

Wee! Web comics!

2005-01-21T16:20:00.000-05:00

I promised you web comics. You're gonna get web comics. Although the next update will be much faster, since I found some really cool sites while exploring the web.

Let's get to it...

PVP Online. A comic mostly for gamers, but there's other fun stuff like comic books, techie humour, and the like. If you haven't heard of this by now, and you've managed to find this site... you got here by accident. Ask your son for help on the interweb.

Ozy and Millie. Think of this site as a modern-day Calvin and Hobbes, with animals instead of humans. Sometimes silly, sometimes witty, and sometimes political, this site is always a fresh mix of fun.

I Drew This. Um, anyone wanting to avoid politics, or anyone who is a supporter of George Dubya Bush... you might want to steer clear of here. This is an online political cartoon, by the same maker of Ozy and Millie, David Craig Simpson. It's liberal, and it isn't ashamed to make that clear. From Bush to Cheney to Joe the Liberal Eagle, it's a sharp, witty batch of fun. Um, that is, if you don't support Bush.

Mac Hall. A fun little strip about life in college. And other stuff. Too much to list.

Real Life Comics. Storys about real life! See greg! See Greg drink cola! See Greg land on Mars! See Greg become the Shirt Ninja! See Greg... ah, just go check it out for yourself!

Once upon a time, Penny Arcade would have made this list. But you know, i'm not as into them anymore... the mindless violence got kinda boring. Thankfully the Fruit Fuc... um, "juicer" hasn't made a comeback...

Coming soon: Censorship and Modern Propaganda! ( Although not in that order!)

Tech Tip of the Week!

2005-01-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

How many times have you been in this situation? You've finally found that webpage you needed via a search, or you visit your favorite site one day to find... nothing. Well, nothing except for something like This...

Before you go smashing your keyboard in frustration, or giving up all hope... fear not.

When there is a will, there is a way. And in this case, chances are there's a way.

Here's a recent example... I wanted to visit Joel's old webpage, you know, the original guy from Mystery Science Theater? However, his webpage, www.gizmonics.com has been offline for quite some time, now filled with offers to buy the domain. Check it if you don't believe me.

Enter: The The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine!

With this not-so-new, but ever so handy, online tool, you can pull up older version of almost any webpage... ever!

Searching for Gizmonics brings back site data from November 5th, 1996! And the version of the site i'm looking for is simple to find, right at April 30, 1999.

Granted , in this case, some of the images did not get saved by the bot... and as for sites heavy on multimedia, such as www.patient-zero.org or Albino Black Sheep , it's pretty much a given some things will be missing. However, i've been able to score patches from sites long since shut down with this tool. This, for its usefulness alone, deserves an instant bookmark. Try it out! You won't be disappointed.

Coming soon: A list of (IMHO) the best web comics ever made.

Crazy things you should never do

2005-01-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

I've been on a partial hunger strike for about a day now. I say "partial" because my parents are making me eat supper. However, I can get away with lying about breakfast and lunch. I guess i'm doing it for several reasons... I could say I was protesting overconsumption or the like, but the truth is my actions aren't noticed by anyone but me.

I can't imagine having nothing whatsoever to eat... right now, my stomach is cramping up in pain from getting just one meal a day.

Anyway... Mystery Science Theater 3000 rocks, but I just wish they'd release "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" by itself, instead of bundled with "Manos:The Hands of Fate". Dang it, I bought Manos when it was released as a single item years ago! I shouldn't have to buy it twice for one product! I hate that type of marketing!

On a side note, the PS2 is wonderful... but frell, the arcade version of Gradius Three is different then the Super Nintendo version. It's a hell of a lot harder for one, and almost everything gameplaywise is... different. If you haven't played it, I can't explain. (BTW- if anyone can recommend a high quality controller for the Playstation 2 with slow-motion settings... let me know.)

On another note... anyone out there have You Don't Know Jack, 5th dementia? I'm always looking for new online players. ( If you don't know jack about You Don't Know Jack, go to The official messageboard, which I frequent, or The official Jellyvision/YDKJ homepage.

Hmm... seems I forgot to include the tech tip... i'll post that later today.

Bear with me...

2005-01-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

I think I got the final layout down...

Remember, if you visit this site, please take a second or two to click one of the ads, either the normal ones, or make a google search and click on one of the sponsered links.

All proceeds are going to charity, and it only takes a few seconds. You need to allow the Google adsense cookie, but after you get to the site, you can delete this. I mention this because so far, no one has registered as clicking an ad yet.

hmm

2005-01-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

apparently, the new site layout doesn't look quite right when using internet explorer...

In which case, you should get around to installing firefox from Mozilla's homepage!
C'mon, it's free, imports all your bookmarks and stuff from IE, has tabbed browsing, and is SO much more secure! Did I mention it's free?!

Tech tip tomorrow will be Firefox related!

Site update

2005-01-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

As you might notice over there to the right, the site now has a couple of ads. To be specific, one ad banner and one google search bar.

Before I get any complaints about "selling out", let me explain. In response to the growing need for funds for the Asia relief effort, Andy Budd has crafted BlogAid, a place for bloggers to pledge their blog earnings for the month of January to their respective charitable organizations on behalf of the people affected. Every bit helps.

You can learn more about the program here: Click here for information about the charity.

So please, take the time to click just one ad, or make a google search or two. All proceeds will be donated to disaster relief funds. And isn't knowing you helped wonderful?

:edit: Reread the Google policy... don't go around clicking banners willy-nilly... in order for it to register, you need to visit the sponsered site ( if you used search, click a sponsered link), and browse that site for a bit. Allow the adsense cookie for the session. There's no need to do this more then once.

Garfield!!!

2005-01-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

The L.A times has officially dropped the daily comic strip, Garfield, from its newspaper. You can read more detailed information at This webpage.

Personally, i'm all for it. It's nothing but the same basic humour repeated with minor twists. Does anyone else remember the Garfield comic strip generator? It was better then the actual thing most of the time. It got shut down, but if anyone has an archive of that, i'd love to see it again.

Watch this NOW!

2005-01-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

This is the best music video ever made for a song, and it's not even official!

Idiot America, by Green Day

Pretty much sums up my feelings towards how things are going. Note: Two curses, but oh so worth it just for the meaning. It's a very deep song.

What's up, and what sucks.

2004-12-31T23:13:00.000-05:00

So, I got what I wanted for X-mas... a Playstation 2 and DDR Extreme. I also bought Gradius Three and Four later, but I still need a memory card.

Also got the 6th DVD set for Mystery Science Theater 3000, and the unedited versions of Mitchell and Time Chasers.

The bad: I was sick on Christmas all night throwing up with a stomach illness, and evil land developers have torn down the woods near my house and turned it into a mud pit. I plan to sit out and protest by the main road.

Suckovision.

2004-12-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

Remember the days when TV used to be, well, GOOD? Actually, me neither. But i've noticed the scary tread of good shows disappearing to be replaced with absolute crap.

Take Nickelodeon for example. This used to be an excellent network, for kiddies and teenagers alike. Now, it seems to be dedicated to serving the whims of kids who drank mercury for breakfast. Let's compare some classic Nick shows with the crap shown today.

Adventures of Pete & Pete - A true classic. If you've ever seen the show, you know all the inside jokes by heart. I can't even begin to explain to non-viewers. Heh... wee-wee see...

All That (Original Cast) - Ah, sure, it was slighty on the edge of sucky, but back when I was a kid, I loved it. I still remember the library sketch with the noisy woman... heh.

The Angry Beavers- If it's still on Nick, it's only rarely. Which is a shame, because this series was oddball funny, sort of a Rocko's Modern Life with beavers.

You Can't Do That On Television- Ah! A true classic, to the point that most don't remember it. This is the show that introduced slime, not Double Dare, as some believe. This show was originally from a live canadian gameshow, but nick used a pre-taped version. Funny as hell. Often spoofed with " The Fatheads" in Rocko's Modern Life.

Wild and Crazy Kids- This is on here for the theme song alone... wa-wa-wa-wild & crazy kids! Plus, they had some fun games.

The Secret World Of Alex Mack- Words cannot convey how much I loved this series... man, it was like a mix between X-men and the mutant factor and... enviromental messages about chemical dumping... and a bunch of stuff. I have a couple of the books from the series... I cried the day the series ended...

Salute Your Shorts- To be honest, I don't remember much about it. I know I loved it, though. It took place at a camp.

Rocko's Modern Life- This was sort of the 90's version of Invader Zim. I still remember the Earth Day episode. " And remember kids, if you're not nice to mother nature.... she'll kick your butt!"

Nick News- Okay, not really a classic, but at least Nick was trying to educate these children a bit and not simply run about qouting spongebob... *shiver*

The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo- Borderline, but it had some really cool episodes. I remember getting excited about figuring out that the school nurse was the one who poisoned the school's food... and how she did it. I'll keep that part a secret.

Legends of the Hidden Temple- An okay game show. I remember one kid hitting a temple guard and running away from him. He didn't break any rules, and was allowed to continue.

Doug- The original was an okay nicktoon.

Double Dare- Excellent! On your mark.... get set... GO!!!

Clarissa Explains It All- Okay, but could have used more episodes.

Ahhhh! Real Monsters- Pretty cool.

Invader Zim- The last show to air on Nickolodean that did not suck. They are idiots for cutting it, plain and simple.

NickArcade- As arcades became less popular, so did this show. But it was still pretty neat.

Weinerville- I got a phone call from Marc Weiner, the creator of this show. I was in the hospital and had to miss the live show. He was notified about it when my dad went to return the tickets. He did all of his impressions for me over the phone. He even sent three autographed T-shirts. I still have them, but the ink is a bit faded.

Nickolodean entered its suck phase with the introduction of Stick Stickly, a talking popsicle stick. This was an excuse over the summer to show reruns while they made "new" shows.

And the top honers for suckiness go to:

Cousin Skeeter- Oh my... a show starring a muppet... thing with "tude". and his brother... my dear, whoever made this should be shot.

My Brother & Me- This show had only six episodes before it got axed. I'm not surprised.

The Amanda Show- Any show with a highlight of retard jokes, buck teeth, and dancing lobsters is one you pretty much should avoid.

Spongebob Squarepants- Oh, what?! The show has almost no plot whatsoever! If I want to see two critters sit in a box, blow bubbles, and laugh about it, i'll go to the local psych ward.

Jimmy Neutron- It's just lame. Some like it. I happen to despise it.

Rocket Power- " I've got an idea! Let's create a show filled with "tude", slang, and a bunch of action sports and call it a series!"

Romeo!- Consider yourself lucky if you haven't seen this. It's about a high-school rapper.

Chalkzone- Rudy's got the chalk, the chaggghhhhh!

The Nick Cannon show- Result of sellouts.

The Fairly Oddparents- Okay. I think most of the current lineup is crap, I admit it. But my life as a teenage robot is pretty neat.

Let it all out...

2004-12-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

This post is for one person, and one person only. If your name isn't Becca, ignore this post.

Becca, I really don't know how to say this, but here goes: I did have a crush on you when we first met. Thing is, it's been a long time now, and that crush has not gone away. I was so concerned for you when we first met. I could not understand what could cause someone so caring, nice, and yes, pretty, to be so depressed. It was my goal during the time I was in there with you to cheer you up, and to help you understand that things almost always get better, one way or another.

Also, I can barely talk to you without trying to make you laugh. That's my fault... truth be told, i'm nervous.

I know it probably can never work out, due to the simple fact that you live so far away... but there is a part of me that refuses to die... your memory will always be with me. You really did help me in there just by accepting me, treating me like a person... I don't know for sure if i've helped you as much, but I hope I have.

Am I making a fool out of myself? Perhaps... but I don't want to lose this chance to get my feelings out, in case I never get it again.

The Incredibles

2004-11-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I went to see the Incredibles last night, and it was nothing short of, well, incredible!

However, the good jokes seemed totally missed by the audience, as this movie is a hidden "thinking" movie... discussing things from bio-enhancement to super-races.

The best qoute in the movie?

" Soon, there will be no more supers in the world. Then, i'll sell my machines, so that EVERYONE can be super! And, when EVERYONE is super... no one will!"

I also went to Wal-wart recently and bought, among other things, pants. When I got home, I found that some numbskull had left a small advertisment cheaply printed and folded into my pants!

"Interested in making serious money part-time/fulltime without giving up what you do now? (If yes) Call Ray.

1-888-865-2085
More info
And then the idiots gave me their web page.

I encourage everyone to give Ray a call. Let him know how you feel about his ads being stuffed into your pants.

Also, try overloading the webpage sign-up page with false information.

Together, we can beat them back with bullshit. They can take our privacy, but they can't have the truth.

Tech tip of the week!

2004-10-30T18:29:00.000-04:00

How many times have you found a really cool flash video online that you wanted to save or mirror, but couldn't due to the lack of a "save as" option no matter how hard you tried?

Well, if you use Internet Explorer, you'll never have to deal with that again.

Introducing the Flash saving plug-in, available for free here:

Flash Saving Plug-in

This baby will let you save flash from even the hardest sites, like albinoblacksheep.com. Just wait for it to load on the webpage, click the button, and save the file! It's that simple!

Neverending Knights.

2004-10-23T20:14:00.000-04:00

So, I went to my first ever renaissance fair today.

I think I did fairly well. I managed to get a performer to actually trust me with fire torches.

Long story... I was called up as a volenteer, mainly because I was having fun heckling the guy, and wondering what he'd say in reply. We were both having fun, and the audience was enjoying it as well. They seemed to like the bits where he pretended to flick lighter fluid on me the best.

Anyway, my job was to toss him a lighted juggling club while he was standing on a ball. I'm not the best at sports or tossing anything, so I was relieved when I hit my mark. Also surprising was my total lack of stage fright. The man just made everything so relaxed I didn't even think to panic.

The third girl volenteer missed her mark by a long shot the first time, though the clubs were awkward to carry, so I can see how that could happen.

Afterwards, I went and chatted with him to let him know there where no hard feelings, and that I thought the act was pretty neat. He gave me his card. I was the only audience memeber I know of that got a card.

His name is Paulo Garbanzo, entertainer extraordinaire. His website is www.garbanzojuggling.com , so check out his showings list and see if he'll be anywhere near you. It will be money well spent, I assure you! More details tomorrow, when it's not so late.

Zombie Nation!

2004-10-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

I just saw Shaun of the Dead yesterday, and it just plain ROCKED! I found it to be an excellent take on the state of modern society, turning the never-changing tedium of our lifes into a comparison to... zombies! And there sure are a hell of a lot of the buggers, too!

The theater I saw it in had only ONE other person watching the movie! During late-night prime time!

What is the matter with you people? Get off your can and see this great film!

Fun fact: I was the only one to notice, but on the scene in the beginnig where Shaun takes the bus to work, you can hear the techno house music from the guy with headphones sitting near him.

That's a famous techno track popular at raves called " Kernkraft 400", by... you guessed it, Zombie Nation! Good track, check it out if you get a chance.

I actually have that track on CD and burst into fits of laughter when I heard it. My dad thought I was nuts...

Tech tip to be posted tomorrow

Dumping Microsoft (sorta)

2004-10-11T15:16:00.000-04:00

Well, i've done it.

I no longer use Internet Explorer for most of my online time. Instead, I use the much more sleek, upgradeable, FREE Mozilla FireFox browser. ( Obtained from The Mozilla Homepage.
I've got mine tripped out with the Adblock plugin, which smartly blocks ad banners and pop-ups, a built in webpage translator, a bandwith tester, a secure password generator, and of course, the google toolbar with pagerank.

And no longer do I use Windows Media Player. Actually, I never used it before. I always used Winamp. ( Version 2.81 or 2.91 only, of course.)

Now, I use the quick loading, codac overlord, foobar2000. ( Available for free at Foobar2000's website ) It contains every codac you'll ever need, even the ones to play NES or SNES music files. Only downside is plain looks and o fancy visuals, but that's because it was made to load up music quickly and sweetly, and it sound better then any player i've ever used.

In other news, George E. Banks, convicted mass murderer, has been sentenced to death by lethal injection on December 2nd. Once a corrections officer at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, he was convicted of killing his five children, their four mothers, and four other people in a rampage in Wilkes-Barre, PA in 1982. I only mention this because this happened where my parents grew up. One of my relatives actually lives next to the abandoned lot where the guys house used to be.

Your life may have more interesting ties then you think...

Minor site change

2004-10-03T17:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, the MIDI is gone. Couldn't stand it the 20th time I loaded the page. Also, some minor changes in color scheme.

So anyway, a couple weeks ago the river by us flooded, causing quite some damage. Stupid weather. We went down and took photos of the whole event. The main street was closed and almost everyone in town was there just to see how high the water was. Some people were playing in the water on the street like it was a swimming hole. Crazyness. You do know what's in that water, right guys? We did get some good photos of the river and people taking pictures, however. If you're lucky I might get around to uploading some later.

One of my best friend's sisters had a seizure. She's fine now, but on medication. Still, scary stuff.

Tech Tip of the Week

2004-09-30T16:49:00.000-04:00

I've always been annoyed by Adobe Reader. It always takes it's sweet time to load just a short one-page document.

Well, no more. Now there's Adobe Reader Speed-Up 1.28.

Adobe PDF files are the standard for digital distributation of documents on and offline, but Adobe's software is a slow-loading behemoth that makes us think twice before opening them.

This freeware program (FREE! So sweet a word!) accelerates the reader by disabling some of the modules that are unnecessary for reading most PDF files. Speed-Up keeps these modules in reserve for calling up if they are needed, but the net effect is a much spryer Acrobat.

Now my files take literally just seconds to load, almost as fast as regular text docoments!

Get it here now at www.tnk-bootblock.co.uk so you don't have to break out that novel when viewing PDF files.

I hate you all.

2004-09-30T16:40:00.000-04:00

Nothing personal, mind you. I don't hate any of you as a person. I just hate humanity on the whole. Think about it. Wake up, watch the news, war and strife, turn it off, and head outside. Nice and warm, really cozy. Peaceful. Only problem is it's mid-winter. Global warming and the ozone... as you walk down the street shaking your head someone in an SUV tosses their Happy Meal Bag out the window. Factory farms, politics, pollution, it never ends. We don't want it to. At this point you point your middle finger up in the air at society, and say " I'm not going to be a part of it anymore!" You vow to be a better person, and to never screw up again.

An hour passes. You get your keys, get a Big Mac, and engage in shopping euphoria at Wal-Mart. We all knew you'd break.

So, if I know you, I don't hate you. However, society... yeah, I hate it. Is that so wrong?

Movie Theater Fun

2004-09-11T23:18:00.000-04:00

Time to kick back, get stuck on the sticky floors, sit on old soda stains and greasy popcorn, and watch a flick, a film, a movie, a cinema... you get the idea.

The one movie I recommend this month is Paparazzi, a great thriller with lots going for it.

See the full trailer at: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/paparazzi/large.html

It's an intense film, with just the right mix between wittiness and action.

Plus, if you don't see it, they stop paying me to make these corporate plugs.

My Obsessions

2004-09-07T21:26:00.000-04:00

Want to know my main interests? Too bad, you're going to hear about them anyway.

Mystery Science Theater 3000- Simply the best show ever to be on television. I currently own 15 episodes on DVD, and most of the Sci-Fi channel generation episodes on home-recorded VHS. If you have no idea what this is... go to http://www.mst3kinfo.com/history/index.html to find out more.

2. The You Don't Know Jack series. The game where high culture and pop culture collide. The game where Tooty is NEVER the right answer. A fun trivia game, which never fails to leave you laughing. Check out details at www.jellyvision.com or join the official member board at www.ydkjforum.cjb.net .

3. Myst. Riven. These games make me smile. They help me relax after hard days, just going around looking at the beauty. Good times.

4. I love the Matrix. Only the first movie, mind you. I still contend that the second two were made purely for the money. Almost no plot, plenty of sex, violence, and special effects, however.

5. Computers. Electronics. Gadgets. Gizmos. Anything I can tinker with, modify, upgrade, rebuild, enhance... calls to me.

6. Max Payne. The ultimate PC game. To fully enjoy, you must have the True Matrix mod version 1.7 installed. All new weapons, unlimited bullet time, and the actual Matrix lobby shootout level.

More obsessions coming soon.

Tech Tip of the Week and other junk.

2004-09-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

Have nosy parents? Computer booting up too slow for your tastes? Have no idea what shortcuts still work?

This tool will solve all your problems! It's called ace utilites, and it's free for 30 days.

It includes, among other tools, a junk file cleaner, a system registry cleaner, a very detailed history eraser ( You can set every single option on or off. It even cleans out whatever you last played in media player/winamp, your recent document list, cookies, auto-fill data, and more!), an invalid shortcut fixer, an auto-start manager, duplicate file finder, empty folder finder, and a shedder up to goverment code, and more!

Get the trial here: http://www.acelogix.com/ It's well worth it, even if you only run it once. ( Which you won't.)

Video game companys are screwing up big time. Enough with the plotless shooters. The last good shooter I played with replay value was Max Payne, with mods. More on the mods later. Sure, Halo and Farcry are great for a while, but it gets repetitive.

What needs to be made is a sort of mix between shooter and adventure game. It would have you make choices, solve puzzles. Will you gun everyone down, or go stealth, and maybe spare some people? These choices would all lead to different endings, different levels. You'd have to solve puzzles, like to gain access to a tech-lab, you'd have to crack a code.

Why hasn't this game been made? Are all people expected to buy the game just to blow things up with fancy graphics? I buy because of the game, not the cover art!

Anyway... it's a real pain to try to learn Flash programming. Even to make a simple web-toon... well, I have to learn what the monk i'm doing. And right now, I haven't a clue. I understand some things about it right now... working on a animutation with a song from Dance Dance Revolution. Should be fun.

Coming soon- Details on each and every one of my obsessions.

Leaving the nest.

2004-08-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

My older brother is moving out of the house at the age of 23.

Actually, he's getting kicked out by my mom for basic mom reasons, ie, she's tired of him being around. Why, I don't know.

This sucks, for more reasons then one. He's a very cool brother, and he taught me a lot of lessons... some by accident. But he has helped me stay on the "right path" and we spend a lot of time just hanging out, chilling and talking about whatever comes to mind.

Problem: He's taking his PC with him. The good one with the Nvidia Geforce 4 MX and matching chipset... the modded-out gaming/filesharing computer...

How will I get my fix without it? :sob:

2004-08-14T23:38:00.000-04:00

It sucks to be a teenager.

You have all the worries and tasks of an adult, without most of the perks.

I'm badly in need of a job, but no one is hiring, or won't hire me on account of my age. In short, i've got zero cash and a birthday and Christmas coming up.

Why the hell do we chop down a tree anyway? We celebrate birth and the so-called "new beginning" of life by killing another living thing? What's up with that? Don't get me started on miseltoe.

I know this much for certain: I'm going to end up famous. The only problem is I have no idea if it will be in a good way or bad way yet.

You ever just stop whatever you're doing, and think? I mean, not think at all... just kinda pondering whatever floats into your head... thoughts running like a river that just had that mental dam implode. It'll make sense if you think about it long enough, trust me. You'll see a lot of rambles like this... this is all from 6 minutes of thought. Get used to it.

Coolgamer's Tech Tip of the week.

2004-08-14T20:31:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, and I know I am, you've probably got a lot of old programs lying around your house. Most of these in my case are older games. Sadly, when trying to run these programs under Windows XP, your computer will tease you and refuse to run the program. Simply running it in compatibility mode for Windows 95 or 98 often doesn't cut it. In fact, it rarely works at all.

This FREE download from Microsoft will fix 75% of your problems. It's called the Application Compatibility Toolkit. Once installed, it works on it's own, detecting what kind of mode Windows needs to run in to allow the program to work. No more experimenting with settings! This program should have been included in the box for Windows XP. Surprise! It was! Dust off your XP Install CD, and go to \Support\Tools on the CD. However, there is a much newer version of this program available online from the Microsoft Webpage, and it's easier then trying to find your install disk, which is buried under crud in your computer room somewhere. You can get it at this handy link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7fc46855-b8a4-46cd-a236-3159970fde94&DisplayLang=en

I'd suggest turning off antivirus programs when installing the program, as the software makes many changes to numerous Registry entries, and Norton or Mcafee have been prone to misinterpret those changes as malicious script. Never fear, it's Microsoft certified and bears my seal of approval.

This software is perfect for the retro gamer, or for those who have need for using older programs of any sort. There is no excuse not to have this gem installed on your PC. 5 stars!

Abandon all hope, ye you enter here...

2004-08-13T16:37:00.000-04:00

You really don't want to be here. You must have misclicked, or went to the wrong website. Turn around slowly, walk away, and no one gets hurt...

Still there? Darn. Okay, here's the deal. You've probably came here via http://www.ydkjforum.cjb.net or http://www.mystcommunity.com . That or a couple of mini-forums i'm on. If you've never seen these forums, check 'em out! Just don't do anything crazy while you're there. That's my job.

This blog will be a fresh mix... my attempts at humour mixed with snippits of my real life. Warning: It might get dark at times. You've been warned.

I'll also do some random stuff, like sharing some favorite web pages, what games i'm playing, what mods for games i'm using, what music i'm listening to, etc.

Pretty crappy for a first post, huh? Don't worry... the best is yet to come.