So, the San Diego County Fair has been going on for a few weeks...
I'm not a big "fair" person, but I'm definitely going this year. The weather's been nice (if not a little on the hot side), and you just can't beat the county fair if you like people-watching. But if you've watched anything about the fair on the local news, you'd think that the best thing about the fair is... all the weird crap food that they have. You know, like deep fried burgers, or mac and cheese (deep fried) on a stick. Seriously. People throw some weird shit together and just sell it as food... and, no big surprise, people love that shit. Now, I'm not like, a big healthy eater or something like that, but seriously, just thinking about some of that "food" makes my arteries hurt.
Anyway.
So, I've done some thinking about this... why hasn't anyone capitalized on the popularity of "There's Something About Mary" and sold some meat in a cone? Seriously, think about this... you'd get a big waffle cone, and then a selection of meats. Like at the deli. A cone with some thinly sliced roast beef actually doesn't sound all repulsive. Or how about this? Maybe a Philly cheesesteak in a cone? Or a gyro in a cone? Come on, it doesn't sound that horrible, does it? So why hasn't anyone tried this out?
OK, maybe those things don't sound that good. Maybe if they were deep-fried...
I tried making this a weekly thing, but then ran out of things I knew. But I've since learned some new stuff, and hopefully, you folks have stocked up on some information too. So, what do I know?
I know that last Sunday, June 22, marked the 375th anniversary of Galileo, under pressure from the Catholic church, denouncing his belief that the Earth spun on an axis and revolved around the sun. At the time, the Catholic church considered thoughts like this "heresy" (read). Can you believe that? The Earth revolving around the sun. What a crockpot fantasy!
I know that Bibi Besch, who played Dr. Carol Marcus in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," is the mother of Samantha Mathis.
I know that Andorra is a small country in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. And that Andorrans have the longest life expectancy (83.5 years). I first learned about Andorra way back in grade school, when we were studying the smallest countries in Europe. And I remember that I always used to confuse Lichtenstein with Luxembourg, and vice versa.
I know that this little place in San Diego called the Kansas City Barbecque burned down in a fire last night. OK, so maybe you've never heard of the Kansas City Barbecque, but you've probably seen the inside - it was featured in the 1986 movie "Top Gun." Great Balls of Fire, indeed.
I know that President Bush is reminded of the talents of the great talents of Philippine-Americans (like myself) every time he eats dinner at the White House.
Gee, thanks, prez.
If you're wondering why I might be slightly offended at something like this, imagine going up to the Prime Minister of Italy and saying "Dude, I really love Pizza!" or to the President of Mexico and saying "Oh man, I sure love me some burritos!" But don't get me wrong - I'm not offended because I'm Filipino. I'm offended as an American, that our president, the man who represents us in the eyes of the world... I'm offended that he's such a fucking dillweed.
And, finally... I know that, when doing stuff on the internet, it's very easy to get sidetracked when you happen upon stock images of polar bear cubs. My gawd, teh cute.
Your turn, now. Tell me something, anything that you know.
Now, it's no surprise to anyone that I'm totally opposed to removing the ban on offshore drilling, and I'm opposed to drilling in ANWAR. Sure, I hate high gas prices, too, but opening up drilling in those protected areas will do nothing to lower the cost of gas right now. But John McCain has a plan...
“I don’t see an immediate relief,. But I do see that exploitation of existing reserves that may exist, and in the view of many experts that do exist off our coasts, is also a way that we need to provide relief. Even though it may take some years, the fact that we are exploiting those reserves would have a psychological impact that I think is beneficial.”
Great. Because America is sick right now, we need a placebo. Not a cure, no... a placebo.
We don't need anything to help us financially; we just need a psychological boost.
Maybe he's afraid of a financial boost, because *horrors* that might eat into the profits of the oil companies. But hey, a psychological boost would be just as good, right?
I also remember hearing somewhere that McCain said that drilling in ANWAR in these times of high gas prices "just makes sense." Really? What kind of sense is that? Let's see... we're dependent on a fuel that we're paying much too much for, and the use of that fuel greatly contributes to global climate change... oh yeah, it "makes sense" to just fuck up more of the planet to get more of this "black gold."
How's this for making sense? Encourage more people to kick the oil habit, fund and develop alternate, renewable energy sources. I dunno... doesn't that make more "sense"?
Let's read that last line from McCain again: "Even though it may take some years, the fact that we are exploiting those reserves would have a psychological impact that I think is beneficial." Some years? Why not kick the oil habit now? That'll take "some years," too, but at least at the end, we'll have a real impact (financially and ecologically) instead of just a psychological impact (being happy to pay $8/gallon gas, because damn, it could be $10/gallon).
I'm sorry, but I'll take a real "cure" over a placebo any ol' day.
You're reading your favorite blogs, and on one of those blogs, you see a post that's just hilarious! So you decide to leave a comment... and man, your comment is just as funny as the post. And you think "I have to remember to come back here to see what other people say!" And you come back later and...
Nothing. Nothing new. Virtual crickets.
And you realize... I just killed the comments.
Do you know what I'm talking about? You leave a comment that you, at the time, think is funny. But really, it's either a little too offensive, or a little too off-subject, or it's so NOT funny that it kinda kills the mood for everyone. And this wouldn't be so bad if you were the 30th or 50th commenter on that post, but... yeah, you were #2. Or three. And the beautiful, hilarious post of that blogger you so enjoy... you just wasted it.
Don't you hate when that happens?
Or... wait. Does this only happen to me? I know for a fact that I sometimes do this (maybe even more frequently than I think). I don't mean to. I actually feel bad for the blogger whose comments I just killed, but then, how do you apologize for that? In the comments?
So, anyway... if you're reading this, and you remember sometime I killed your comments, well... I apologize. Hopefully, I won't do it again.
Of course, until now female geeks' sex appeal has been roughly equivalent to that of Napoleon Dynamite. Wikipedia describes the nerd girl as a stock character who wears eye glasses, dresses unfashionably, wears pigtails (and other little girl items like mary-jane shoes and knee high socks), is shy and socially inept and either overweight or gangly. More recently, they sometimes have a passion for social justice (see Simpson, Lisa) are feminist or post-feminist (see Granger, Hermione) or come up with the piece of knowledge that enables the plot to be resolved (see Velma from Scooby Doo). And sometimes, just sometimes, they get a makeover and become kinda pretty albeit in an awkward way (see Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
But that's not what nerd girl 2.0 looks like. The new, tech-savvy, sci-fi loving nerd looks more like a cheerleader than a mouse: this week's Newsweek introduces us to the new nerd girls, "they're smart, they're techie and they're hot."
OK, I've always found (certain) geeks and nerds attractive. Really, a nerdy girl doesn't have to be "hot" to hot to me, yanno? But hey, it's nice to see nerdy girls finally getting some love from the mainstream.
For me, the best thing about the Sunday paper has always been the comics. Well, not so much lately (hello, jobs section), but still, I love me some Sunday comics.
side note: not a Sunday comic, but this is pretty damned funny, so I'm just throwing this in here before I forget to post about it later: This Modern World from a few days ago.
Well, most of them. Some comics, I wonder "Who thinks this is funny?" I mean, sure, not all comics are funny all the time. Even the Far Side and Calvin & Hobbes had their unfunny moments (very few and far between but still there nonetheless). That said, I usually read every strip, whether I think they'll be funny or not. Heck, some comics I read, knowing that they won't be funny, just to prove to myself that "Yup, that wasn't funny in the slightest." Family Circus, hello.
So, I thought it'd be interesting to pick your brains... if you still get the paper, what Sunday comics do you love? Or, hate? Or love to hate?
Going through the Sunday morning Union-Tribune (San Diego's local paper)...
Garfield. Yeah, I still read it. Sure, a lot of the jokes are kinda lame, but it still makes me laugh sometimes. Plus, it's been around so long, it's like an old standard. I don't mind Garfield at all. Now, Peanuts... well, I grew up on Peanuts. I used to love Snoopy and Woodstock. But I've definitely outgrown them. But, Peanuts is classic, and I still read it every week. Despite the fact that it never makes me laugh.
Zits. Now, this is a fairly new comic, and being a new comic, it must suck, right? Well, honestly... I think it's pretty damned funny most of the time. If you've never heard of it, it's a strip about the parents of a teenage boy, with a modern twist. As in, whoever writes the strip actually knows how teenage boys think, as opposed to some of those other strips where the writer thinks he knows how boys think, but obviously doesn't know the first thing about it. Of course, now that I'm writing about it, I see that today's wasn't the funniest I've seen, but generally, this strip makes me laugh.
Ah, crap. If I start listing all comics like this, it'll take forever. I don't have the patience for all that typing, and I doubt you'd have the patience to read it all. Heh. Let's start condensing...
Must reads: Pooch Cafe. Love it love it love it. Dilbert... love that one, too.
Read, but hit and miss on the funny: Pearls Before Swine. Mutts. Get Fuzzy. Foxtrot. Baby Blues (hey, it really is funny sometimes!). Blondie. Hagar the Horrible (I grew up reading Blondie and Hagar, so of course I'll keep reading, even though they're more miss than hit on the funny). Pickles. Adam at Home. Bizarro. And it's not in the Sunday paper, but I read Fred Basset every day (well, every time I get the paper during the week), even though it only makes me laugh like, once a week.
Read, but only to prove to myself that it's never funny. Ever. Beetle Bailey (and I can't believe that I ever liked this, even as a stupid kid. It's just NOT funny). Dennis the Menace. The Duplex. La Cucaracha (bonus - it's not just unfunny; it's kinda offensive, too. You know, in the way that Carlos Mencia isn't funny as is sometimes offensive). B.C. (like Beetle Bailey, I don't know how I ever thought this was funny). And, of course, the undisputed king of crappy comics... comics I love to hate... The Family Circus.
"And it's right there, in the corner, just waiting to suck..."
Seriously, is there anyone who actually likes the Family Circus? Don't be afraid to admit it - hell, I still read Blondie and think it's funny sometimes.
And, finally...
Don't even bother to read: Funky Winkerbean. The Fusco Brothers. Mary Worth. Cathy. Doonesbury. And, please note, The Family Circus would be in this category if it wasn't just a one-panel strip. It's just too easy to read quickly. Two, three, or four panels? I'd definitely skip it.
Just a coupla vids that I've looked up/watched in the last coupla days... no, neither of them is like, new and stupendous or anything, but they might bring a smile to your face.
And, a bonus - they're Jedi themed.
First, we have a scene from "Sky's Day Off." Now, if you don't know, that's porn. But, while there's no actual porn in this video, I wouldn't exactly consider it safe for work, either. I only wish that the quality of the vid was better...
And lastly, some good ol' fashioned sing-along music...
Yes, another long-ass long-winded post about things I'm watching on TV...
So You Think You Can Dance - OK, who out there watches this show? Not many people? Why not? It's better than American Idol, it's better than Dancing with the Stars... so why isn't it a popular show?
Anyway, so Susie and Marquis got kicked off. I was glad to see Marquis go, because... well, something about him just bugged me. And Susie... well, who doesn't like a little hot, Cuban flava? But she just wasn't good enough to hang with some of the dancers in this show. And... it took me a while, but I figured it out - Susie looks just like pornstar Carmel Moore:
Susie Garcia
Carmel Moore
Other thoughts on this season - I'm glad that a lot of the poppers/breakers are doing well, and not just in their own styles. That Broadway routine that Josh and Katee did was pretty awesome... and trust me, I'm not a big fan of Broadway. Twitch and Kherington (or... "Twitchington") had a good routine, also. Hell, they're all pretty damned good dancers, so every cut is gonna be tough. That said, my faves are pretty much all the poppers/breakers (Josh, Twitch, Gev, Comfort), Kourtni (although I don't think she'll go very far with the partner she has), and Courtney (really, I'm just hot for her). On the other hand, I think that Chelsea Traille is overrated, and I think that there are only a few shows left for Jessica, unless she starts to get her ass in gear.
One more thing - I'm in love with Cat Deeley. Well, not love... but I adore her. I would love to spend a day with her and have her just walk around with me and announce things with that cute accent of hers (I'd pay special attention to avoid the courthouse, though... lest we see some... jidges!). And she's always dressed so damned cute (well, not always, but usually). Sure, some people probably find her and her voice annoying, but she's really grown on me. And, is it just me, or did "Last Comic Standing" try to get their own Cat Deeley by a kinda look-a-like, kinda an accent, cute blonde? Every time I watch that show, and she comes on, all I think is "Look, it's the fake Cat Deeley!" I'd go on about this, but I don't want Cat Deeley to be on the internets someday, find this post, and then put out a restraining order on me.
OK, so Galactica. They've reached Earth. But... WTF? And who's the final cylon to be revealed? Sadly, I read that we won't find out until 2009. What is up with "seasons" on cable shows? Like, network shows, a season starts, and it goes for however many months. But with Galactica, they'll show like, three or four new shows, then re-runs for a few months. Then another three or four new shows, then another period of re-runs. Hell, they skipped almost a whole year last year, and all they gave us was Razor earlier this year (before the season actually started). I dunno. It kinda bugs me how they do that.
I had more TV stuff I was gonna talk about, but I can't... oh, wait.
So. Planet Green. Has anybody stumbled upon (or actively sought out) this channel (on cable)? It's very interesting. Very green. I like watching a lot of the shows on that channel because they show that green doesn't have to be ugly, you don't have to be "extreme" about it, and that green can save people a lot of money. Seriously. If for nothing else, people should be going green for the financial savings - everybody wants that, right?
Anyway, so on that channel, there's a show called "Greensburg." It's about a small town in Kansas that was completely wiped out by a tornado, and when it came time to rebuild the town, they decided to go green as a community. You know, a model for the new American green city. The show just started (I think they're on their third episode), and honestly, I can't wait to see how it turns out. I hope it works. I hope it works better than expected. I hope that more and more people embrace green living, and that more and more companies that create green and think green pop up. I can't wait until the entire country is on board with green.
Of course, I'm not holding my breath on that last one. Hell, we can't even get the entire country on board with "hey, don't be a racist!" Why in the fuck would those hold-outs care about green? Ohhhh, I know - again, the monetary savings. And you know, money does speak to those people. Maybe we've got a shot at this.
Oh! Oh! Just heard on the news - they're bringing back Match Game! On TV! Please don't suck... please don't suck... please don't suck...
You see, I don't really like the newer style of game show. All the fucking stalling they do. The previews before the commercial break, and the re-caps right after. They take a 15 minute game show and make it an hour long. I fucking hate that. Hopefully, they won't do that for Match Game. Maybe they'll emulate the new Password game with Regis. Has anyone seen that show? I love it! No stalling, just a quick review of the rules for every batch of contestants, and *boom* they're off and playing. They don't dilly dally or waste time, like so many other shows (not just game shows, either - most reality shows fall into the time wasting category). I hope that Match Game is more like Password and less like Deal or no Deal, and that future game shows will move in this direction, away from the constant stalling.
Speaking of time wasting... I myself have wasted enough of your time today. Happy Friday! « close it up
OK, so I've tried doing the Domo 365 twice now, and both times were unsuccessful (even though I continued where I left off the first time). Oh well. Let's see if the third time's a charm.
If you're wondering why I haven't been blogging much lately... well, part of it is that I felt the increasing need to censor myself. "Oh, people won't want to read about that," or "You can't write that; it'll piss some people off" and such. But then I thought about it - I was never really into self-censoring, and I don't know why lately I've felt the need for it. Maybe because the blog world has gotten so much larger, reaching a larger audience, that I feel like there are more possibilities to unintentionally offend someone. Maybe it's because I'm afraid that any potential employers might discover my blog (even though I've never mentioned my last name). Maybe it's because if I bitch about the current administration (govt) too much, I'll be labeled an "enemy combatant" and thrown in jail indefinitely (they don't need proof or even charges - they can just hold you for as long as they deem necessary). Maybe it's because, well... because my life is boring, and I don't want to bore anybody. Or, maybe it's a combination of all of those things.
Either way, I'm trying to blog more, just because I think I need to express myself more. Not having a job for so long, it's really taken a toll on my interpersonal skills. I've never really been good at talking with people, and it's only gotten worse lately. Now, I know that nothing can replace face-to-face interactions, but at least I can get some practice talking and forming coherent sentences on here.
So, that's where I am right now.
That said, please, don't read any further if you have delicate sensibilities...
Please excuse the frank talk; this subject matter doesn't really lend itself to polite conversations, no matter how delicate you try to be.
OK, so you know what I hate? I hate when you're taking a shit, and it's almost all the way out, and then your sphincter snaps shut prematurely. Because you know that whatever's left to go won't go easily. You know that you'll be stuck there for at least another few minutes. Seriously. Do you know what I'm talking about? Because then you've got to make a decision - did you get enough out that you can just "add it to the next load," or do you stay there and finish the job. Either way, you lose. If you take the first option, you've got to deal with a little discomfort for a while, because that puppy still wants to get out and join its friends, so you can't stray too far from the bathroom, in case it makes a break for it. If you take the second option, well... you're stuck for a little while as your ass relaxes enough so that you can attempt another purge. And sometimes, that takes a LONG time. It's a bit frustrating.
Anyway.
So, how is your day going? Me, I'm heading out to a job fair. Wish me luck!
(Oh, and BTW, in case you're wondering, everything came out OK, so that won't be an issue at the job fair) « close it up
Honda rolls out new zero-emission car
Honda's new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.
The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.
Japan's third biggest automaker expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage. [full story]
Now, there aren't a lot of hydrogen fuel stations (only 3 in Southern CA, I believe), but I think this is a good start. Of course, I'm sure this car will meet with a lot of opposition (hey, we MUST drill in ANWAR for the sake of national security, right?), but hopefully, this technology will prompt America's Big Three automakers to start moving in this direction.
The 51-43 Senate vote fell nine short of the 60 required to proceed to debate on the Democrat-sponsored energy measure, which would have erased $17 billion in tax breaks for oil companies over 10 years. It also would have created a levy on "unreasonable" profits collected by the five largest U.S. oil companies.
...
The bill would have used the revenue to create an Energy Independence and Security Trust Fund, charged with reducing U.S. dependence on foreign and "unsustainable" energy sources and reducing the risks of global warming.
The bill also would have instructed the Justice Department to pursue members of OPEC for alleged price fixing and required oil traders to put up more cash on futures exchanges to address speculation, which many observers believe is contributing to the unprecedented run-up in world crude oil prices.
Let's see... a tax on the oil companies' record profits, to be used to create a fund for reducing US dependence on oil. And a bonus - it was designed to outlaw price gouging. Oh yeah, that's gotta be bad for America. HORRIBLE for America. We don't need to tax oil companies. We don't need to guard against price gouging. And most of all, we don't need alternate, renewable energy sources. We'd rather just drill in ANWAR.
Sheesh.
Don't give me this shit about "Oh, well, oil companies will just pass the cost on to us" or "Oil companies don't set the price - that's dependent on OPEC and other factors" or "You can't blame oil companies for raising prices because some refinery was shut down blah blah blah." No. I'm not buying that. Why? Because these motherfuckers have had record profits for years now. Record fucking profits. You can throw any excuse at me that you want (for the high gas prices NOT being the fault of oil companies), but you'll never be able to explain the record profits being enjoyed by these companies.
So. My question is... why isn't this news? Why haven't I seen anything about this on any of the major networks? This story is a few days old. I've seen a hundred stories in the last week about high/rising gas prices (the avg. price in San Diego is now over $4.50/gallon), why not a story about how Republicans are protecting the profits for oil companies?
And... speaking of news that pisses me off (but is not week-old news like the last article - this story at least broke today)...
R. Kelly found... not guilty? Really? There's video of him pissing on a 14 year old girl and then fucking her... and he's not guilty?
"After the verdict, one of his attorneys, Sam Adam Jr., described his client as deeply religious."
Oh, duh! That's right! Because nobody who's "deeply religious" has ever committed a crime. It must have been one of those atheist R. Kelly impersonators who was the perpetrator. You can never trust atheists; we all know that only religious people are the ones with morals.
Note: I'm not ripping on religious people. I'm just absolutely sick of the notion that someone's religious standing (or perceived religious standing) has anything to do with the possibility of them committing a crime. Just because someone's "deeply religious" doesn't mean that they don't commit crimes. Also, just because someone doesn't believe in God doesn't automatically make them some heinous sinner. I've known religious people, both good and bad. I've known atheists, both good and bad. Conclusion: people in general are good and bad, regardless of a belief in God.
Of course, that's just my opinion. And I'm a "heinous sinner."
But then again, I've never pissed on, then fucked a 14 year old girl, either.
Now, everybody knows, I love me some Star Wars. More than most people. I'm one of those geeks who can recite almost every line; even R2's beeps.
That said, I don't think I'd ever ever EVER join... a Jedi Church. No, seriously. I guess there's a Jedi Church in North Wales. I know this because the leader of that church was attacked recently. Any guesses as to who did the attacking?
