Nothing special here. Just me screwing around with my webcam.
A stupid magic trick:
My buddy Kurt again:
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Airing of Grievances - Part 1
Well, I imagine I'll have more to add to this, but for the moment I'm too tired. You see, I just went through hell with customer care, which is an ironic thing to call it since they clearly don't really. I may have more fish to fry, but for now, I air my grievances with FreeCreditReport.com in this 3-part video blog post:
Part 1 - My Beef
Part 2 - The Call
Part 3 - The Moral of the Story
~~~
He is the perpetuator of lies; the pied piper of destruction. Listen not to his siren's song, lest you be drawn into the jaws of oblivion.
Part 1 - My Beef
Part 2 - The Call
Part 3 - The Moral of the Story
He is the perpetuator of lies; the pied piper of destruction. Listen not to his siren's song, lest you be drawn into the jaws of oblivion.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Mom's baking again...
It must be almost Christmas.
Mom's baked goods are easily my favorite part of Christmas. Cookies, fudge, snowballs, and the occasional pie. By the way, for those who haven't heard of them, snowballs are basically little balls of dough smothered in powdered sugar. They're delicious, and I'm pretty sure they have the power to cure diabetes.
Also, I'm getting back to work on weekends. You know, the Meals on Wheels thing. I guess they lost a couple people, so they needed someone to do a route. However, this weekend I couldn't work on Sunday because of the snowstorm. Which sucks, since SUNYIT hiked their tuition and I now owe another $775 dollars. Now, I can't decide which of those to rant about, so how about both at once?
I hate New England winters, man! The people at the bursar's office are nice and all, but they need to get their shit together. It's like 17 degrees outside, and at least two and a half feet of snow on the ground, just from this weekend. You know, I've been pissed at them ever since the start of the semester when I almost didn't get housing because they never even checked for the damn paperwork. And the roads are positively awful, especially in the morning. Plus, they increased the tuition after my room went from a triple to a double, but didn't add the charges until after I had taken out a loan to pay the balance for my room in the first place. I know, it's New England and I should be used to driving in slush and shit by now, but I'm really not. And now I have to deal with this stupid tuition hike, which is worsened because I never borrowed enough money in the first place to pay for everything. I swear, I'm moving someplace temperate as soon as I get the chance. Thus, you can see why I need to work: I need the money. Or maybe I'll have two homes, one in northern England for summertime, and one in Florida for winter.
Alright, I'm all ranted out. I'll see you cats and dogs sometime after Christmas. I'll probably waste a lot of time playing Warioland: Shake It! on the Wii. I'm getting it for Christmas. I know this, because I bought it for myself, and my psycho mother won't let me buy things for myself at Christmastime; it has to be a gift from some family member who gave me a check.
Oh, and just as a reminder, I'll be doing my Festivus celebration publicly this year. At least, as publicly as this blog or a Facebook note can get. There are no doubt some grievances to be aired. That, and I need to do Feats of Strength for once. Schunk, what are you doing on the 23rd?
Mom's baked goods are easily my favorite part of Christmas. Cookies, fudge, snowballs, and the occasional pie. By the way, for those who haven't heard of them, snowballs are basically little balls of dough smothered in powdered sugar. They're delicious, and I'm pretty sure they have the power to cure diabetes.
Also, I'm getting back to work on weekends. You know, the Meals on Wheels thing. I guess they lost a couple people, so they needed someone to do a route. However, this weekend I couldn't work on Sunday because of the snowstorm. Which sucks, since SUNYIT hiked their tuition and I now owe another $775 dollars. Now, I can't decide which of those to rant about, so how about both at once?
I hate New England winters, man! The people at the bursar's office are nice and all, but they need to get their shit together. It's like 17 degrees outside, and at least two and a half feet of snow on the ground, just from this weekend. You know, I've been pissed at them ever since the start of the semester when I almost didn't get housing because they never even checked for the damn paperwork. And the roads are positively awful, especially in the morning. Plus, they increased the tuition after my room went from a triple to a double, but didn't add the charges until after I had taken out a loan to pay the balance for my room in the first place. I know, it's New England and I should be used to driving in slush and shit by now, but I'm really not. And now I have to deal with this stupid tuition hike, which is worsened because I never borrowed enough money in the first place to pay for everything. I swear, I'm moving someplace temperate as soon as I get the chance. Thus, you can see why I need to work: I need the money. Or maybe I'll have two homes, one in northern England for summertime, and one in Florida for winter.
Alright, I'm all ranted out. I'll see you cats and dogs sometime after Christmas. I'll probably waste a lot of time playing Warioland: Shake It! on the Wii. I'm getting it for Christmas. I know this, because I bought it for myself, and my psycho mother won't let me buy things for myself at Christmastime; it has to be a gift from some family member who gave me a check.
Oh, and just as a reminder, I'll be doing my Festivus celebration publicly this year. At least, as publicly as this blog or a Facebook note can get. There are no doubt some grievances to be aired. That, and I need to do Feats of Strength for once. Schunk, what are you doing on the 23rd?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Obituary: Janet Ferguson
After that long-winded rant of mine, I figured this deserved its own post.
I just heard last night that Craig Ferguson's mother passed away on December 1st. This is a sad event in Craig's life, for sure, but he was back to do the Late Late Show this past Monday night, one week later. (You can probably find clips on YouTube by now).
In being true to himself, though, the bulk of the show was dedicated to talking about his mother, which I found very endearing. He still wants to put on a good show for everyone, but he's not the kind of guy who'll show up for work after his mom passed away and act like it didn't bother him. I really respect him for that, and my heart goes out to him.
Now, unfortunately, I couldn't find a decent picture of her for this, but I did find this video from the show, so I figure it's just as good. This is from 2005 when she went to LA to visit Craig after he got his new gig as late night talk show host. While she was there, she got to see the sights as she was treated to a nice day out with Rza of the Wu Tang Clan.
Yes, you read that right.
~~~~~
Janet "Netta" Ferguson
August 3, 1933 - December 1, 2008
Rest in Peace
I just heard last night that Craig Ferguson's mother passed away on December 1st. This is a sad event in Craig's life, for sure, but he was back to do the Late Late Show this past Monday night, one week later. (You can probably find clips on YouTube by now).
In being true to himself, though, the bulk of the show was dedicated to talking about his mother, which I found very endearing. He still wants to put on a good show for everyone, but he's not the kind of guy who'll show up for work after his mom passed away and act like it didn't bother him. I really respect him for that, and my heart goes out to him.
Now, unfortunately, I couldn't find a decent picture of her for this, but I did find this video from the show, so I figure it's just as good. This is from 2005 when she went to LA to visit Craig after he got his new gig as late night talk show host. While she was there, she got to see the sights as she was treated to a nice day out with Rza of the Wu Tang Clan.
Yes, you read that right.
Janet "Netta" Ferguson
August 3, 1933 - December 1, 2008
Rest in Peace
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Gay Marriage - My 20¢
I don't know how many of you watch the Daily Show, but there was just a very compelling interview between John and Mike Huckabee. I wasn't aware of this before, but apparently Huckabee's against gay marriage (or if you prefer, in favor of protecting the sanctity of marriage). At any rate, the interview (which ended up being just shy of 20 minutes) got me thinking, and I decided I'd weigh in on the issue myself. (You might want to hit the restroom and grab something to eat, because this could take awhile)
Now, Mike Huckabee's argument, although flawed in my opinion, is grounded in sound logic. He's in favor of preserving the values that he and many Americans hold dear. By itself, this is certainly a reasonable position, and probably one I would hold myself if not for my affliction of the mind which causes me to think about everything from every possible angle. I'm not saying Huckabee's wrong, but that he's right about the wrong thing. Still with me? Cool.
The thing is, Huckabee's position basically says to me that he's not seeing the forest for the trees. Or the trees for the forest they make up. Whatever. The point is, by standing behind his values, the sanctity of marriage and by extension the family unit, he has inadvertently placed himself in direct conflict with another sacred value: the belief that all men are created equal. Again, I don't think less of him for it any more than would for a person who's for gay marriage, as they have thus abandoned the traditional definition of marriage.
The bottom line is, this issue is complex and difficult because it places two of our society's core values at odds. Sadly, this is one of those times when we can't have our cake and eat it too. A decision has to be made, and in my opinion, banning gay marriage is the wrong one.
It's a matter of priorities to me. Human freedoms in my mind are more important than protecting our age-old concept of marriage. Marriage is a great institution, but compared to our freedoms, it's just not worth defending anymore. For starters, marriage as an institution isn't as set in stone as people would like to think. As Stewart mentioned, there were times in human history when polygamy was the accepted norm. In the dark ages and beyond, marriage was more concerned with creating an economic agreement between two wealthy families than it was with the wishes of the two people being married. It was a simple means to an end, not a sacred union.
Then there is the simple fact that marriage's "sanctity" has been under attack for centuries already, and faced no opposition until now. People can get married in Vegas without getting out of their car. Is that sacred? People get married all the time to fuse their assets, or in the case of immigrants, they get married so they gain the right to stay in the country. Is that really sacred? And don't forget, a good 40-something percent of marriages end in divorce, often resulting in the family's finances being strained, their children emotionally scarred, and their overall bond as a family left all but dissolved. Is that really sacred?
I'm sorry, but the argument that marriage needs defending is akin to the argument that we should make greater efforts to save the Dodo from extinction. Marriage isn't sacred. It may be a nice symbol of the love two people for each other, and is a great step forward in their life together, but sacred? I'll allow that there may be individual marriages that are sacred, but taking the institution as a whole, accounting for its long and seemingly self-contradictory history, I have to say that marriage in general is not sacred.
Therefore, with the institution of marriage being a sadly un-sacred affair, it seems to me that the value we should be defending is the one that each and every one of us still holds sacred today: the notion that we are all equals, both in the eyes of God and the eyes of the law. There may yet be an argument that can prove humanity is not sacred, but I have yet to encounter it, and will firmly stand my ground as a member of the human race until I do.
Now, Mike Huckabee's argument, although flawed in my opinion, is grounded in sound logic. He's in favor of preserving the values that he and many Americans hold dear. By itself, this is certainly a reasonable position, and probably one I would hold myself if not for my affliction of the mind which causes me to think about everything from every possible angle. I'm not saying Huckabee's wrong, but that he's right about the wrong thing. Still with me? Cool.
The thing is, Huckabee's position basically says to me that he's not seeing the forest for the trees. Or the trees for the forest they make up. Whatever. The point is, by standing behind his values, the sanctity of marriage and by extension the family unit, he has inadvertently placed himself in direct conflict with another sacred value: the belief that all men are created equal. Again, I don't think less of him for it any more than would for a person who's for gay marriage, as they have thus abandoned the traditional definition of marriage.
The bottom line is, this issue is complex and difficult because it places two of our society's core values at odds. Sadly, this is one of those times when we can't have our cake and eat it too. A decision has to be made, and in my opinion, banning gay marriage is the wrong one.
It's a matter of priorities to me. Human freedoms in my mind are more important than protecting our age-old concept of marriage. Marriage is a great institution, but compared to our freedoms, it's just not worth defending anymore. For starters, marriage as an institution isn't as set in stone as people would like to think. As Stewart mentioned, there were times in human history when polygamy was the accepted norm. In the dark ages and beyond, marriage was more concerned with creating an economic agreement between two wealthy families than it was with the wishes of the two people being married. It was a simple means to an end, not a sacred union.
Then there is the simple fact that marriage's "sanctity" has been under attack for centuries already, and faced no opposition until now. People can get married in Vegas without getting out of their car. Is that sacred? People get married all the time to fuse their assets, or in the case of immigrants, they get married so they gain the right to stay in the country. Is that really sacred? And don't forget, a good 40-something percent of marriages end in divorce, often resulting in the family's finances being strained, their children emotionally scarred, and their overall bond as a family left all but dissolved. Is that really sacred?
I'm sorry, but the argument that marriage needs defending is akin to the argument that we should make greater efforts to save the Dodo from extinction. Marriage isn't sacred. It may be a nice symbol of the love two people for each other, and is a great step forward in their life together, but sacred? I'll allow that there may be individual marriages that are sacred, but taking the institution as a whole, accounting for its long and seemingly self-contradictory history, I have to say that marriage in general is not sacred.
Therefore, with the institution of marriage being a sadly un-sacred affair, it seems to me that the value we should be defending is the one that each and every one of us still holds sacred today: the notion that we are all equals, both in the eyes of God and the eyes of the law. There may yet be an argument that can prove humanity is not sacred, but I have yet to encounter it, and will firmly stand my ground as a member of the human race until I do.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Oh my...
You know how I've been kind of down on game developers for recycling old ideas? Well, in this case, I think I can make an exception.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Jean Splicing
I'm wearing this pair of jeans I've had for a couple months now. I can't prove it, but I think they've somehow become self-aware, and now they're trying to slowly kill me. Frankly, I can't blame them. If I had to be pressed up tight against the crotch of a guy like me all day, I'd get homicidal, too.
Here's the thing: I mentioned how I've had them for a while. Normally, when you get a new pair of jeans, the first time you wear them is the tightest they'll ever be. Every wear thereafter, your girth slightly stretches the denim, giving them a more comfortable lived-in fit. This is true of almost every other pair of jeans I have. Sure, they can get a little stiff again if I haven't worn them in a while, but otherwise they're no problem.
But this pair... I swear, I've worn them at least once a week, every week since mid-September, and they're actually getting tighter. It sounds impossible, but there's no other explanation. I'm not gaining weight; believe me, if you'd seen the quality of food they offer at the dining hall, you'd know that's not possible. My appetite disappears long before I've eaten enough to put on any weight.
Of course, I'm open to any other logical explanations people might have, such as the cold weather or the detergent I'm using. In the meantime, I'm going to keep wearing these suckers purely out of spite. As far as I'm concerned, it's a battle of honor now. This isn't going to end until one of us breaks. Either I stop wearing them, or they secede and start loosening up so I can wear them comfortably.
There's no way I'm giving in, though. It's not in me. I've always had an all-or-nothing personality; I don't back down from any garment, denim or otherwise. Besides, I'd be a fool to stop wearing them. Tight or no, they make my ass look sexy as hell.
Here's the thing: I mentioned how I've had them for a while. Normally, when you get a new pair of jeans, the first time you wear them is the tightest they'll ever be. Every wear thereafter, your girth slightly stretches the denim, giving them a more comfortable lived-in fit. This is true of almost every other pair of jeans I have. Sure, they can get a little stiff again if I haven't worn them in a while, but otherwise they're no problem.
But this pair... I swear, I've worn them at least once a week, every week since mid-September, and they're actually getting tighter. It sounds impossible, but there's no other explanation. I'm not gaining weight; believe me, if you'd seen the quality of food they offer at the dining hall, you'd know that's not possible. My appetite disappears long before I've eaten enough to put on any weight.
Of course, I'm open to any other logical explanations people might have, such as the cold weather or the detergent I'm using. In the meantime, I'm going to keep wearing these suckers purely out of spite. As far as I'm concerned, it's a battle of honor now. This isn't going to end until one of us breaks. Either I stop wearing them, or they secede and start loosening up so I can wear them comfortably.
There's no way I'm giving in, though. It's not in me. I've always had an all-or-nothing personality; I don't back down from any garment, denim or otherwise. Besides, I'd be a fool to stop wearing them. Tight or no, they make my ass look sexy as hell.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
Facebookers I'd like to punch in the face:
Specifically, the people who are sending around these idiotic 'forward this or get banned' messages. Just when I thought the monster was dead, it's come back in a new and surprisingly grammatically-correct form:
"It has come to our attention that some people are using facebook for purposes other than that for which it was intended. Certain people have been using software called "post bot". Therefore we will require that you forward this to all your friends. We will then log your account information to separate you from the people that are running automatic post bots on our site.
If you fail to forward this, it may mean that your account will be banned.
Thank You
Facebook Staff"
...No. Just, no. If you fell for this the first time, it's forgivable, but these have been going around for a long time now, and I think it should be obvious to anyone with a functioning brain stem that these messages are fake. There is not going to be any mass account purge on people who fail to send a chunk of text to all their friends. The reasons why have been explained time and again.
Furthermore, I've made a firm decision that from now on, whenever I receive one of these from someone, I'll be immediately removing them from my friends list. I don't care if we're classmates; I have enough stupidity in my life already, thank you very much.
"It has come to our attention that some people are using facebook for purposes other than that for which it was intended. Certain people have been using software called "post bot". Therefore we will require that you forward this to all your friends. We will then log your account information to separate you from the people that are running automatic post bots on our site.
If you fail to forward this, it may mean that your account will be banned.
Thank You
Facebook Staff"
...No. Just, no. If you fell for this the first time, it's forgivable, but these have been going around for a long time now, and I think it should be obvious to anyone with a functioning brain stem that these messages are fake. There is not going to be any mass account purge on people who fail to send a chunk of text to all their friends. The reasons why have been explained time and again.
Furthermore, I've made a firm decision that from now on, whenever I receive one of these from someone, I'll be immediately removing them from my friends list. I don't care if we're classmates; I have enough stupidity in my life already, thank you very much.
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