Glad I'm Not In Kansas

Just when you thought the world was getting smarter, Kansas "[raises] the bar for quality science education."

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If The Bible Were Read Correctly...

According to the Vatican, Evolution is a perfectly acceptable theory that actually complements Gensis rather than contradicts it. I know what you're thinking, "The hell you say?" No, really. They actually went on record defending evolution!

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Cats in Sinks!

There are no words...

Click here >>

Why I Love Howard Stern

"...the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday the Federal Communications Commission is investigating Stern for yet another indecency complaint, which could prompt Infinity to pull the plug earlier than planned.

The complaint lodged with the FCC by a Florida decency crusader was about a Feb. 4 show in which Stern had women play golf with sex toys strapped to their heads and singing "Amazing Grace" with sausages in their mouths." -- United Press International

Say what you will. Love him or hate him, the man's got courage.

(P.S. -> Florida is a state for pussies.)

Printable Purple Hearts

More retards:

New Line Cinema has removed the "printable Purple Hearts" that appeared in a sham advertisement on the Internet promoting the movie Wedding Crashers. The ad had been condemned by veterans organizations, and one Congressman, Rep. John Salazar of Colorado, introduced a bill in the House on Friday (the Stolen Valor Act) that would make it a federal crime to falsely claim to have earned a Purple Heart. In a statement, Salazar said, "If any movie-goers take the advice of the Wedding Crashers and try to use fake Purple Hearts to get girls, they may wind up picking up an FBI agent instead." Announcing the studio's decision to yank the ad from the movie's website, a spokesman for New Line said Monday, "We understand the sensitivity regarding the medals and did not intend to make light of their significance in any way."

#1) I can walk down to the local surplus store and buy a REAL purple heart any day of the week.

#2) If you're too stupid to recognize a PAPER PURPLE HEART then you're too stupid to know that you're having sex with a liar.

Guess what? He isn't going to call you in the morning.

To quote my girlfriend, "So that's where our hard earned tax money is going, to pay FBI agents to go undercover as hot chicks at weddings and bars to bust idiot guys?"

I rest my case.

Retardation Trial?

That's right. This trial is reatarded.

Virginia law, however, also requires that mental retardation be determined by age 18. Atkins' IQ was not tested as a youth.

Sorry, Charlie, you're gonna get the chair. Convenient to claim mental retardation when faced with the death penalty. Should've gone with an insanity plea. However, maybe therein lies his retardation. He's too retarded to know the difference between insanity and mental retardation. No, that's too far fetched.

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I Hate the Current State of United States Society

Woman sues video game manufacturer

Illinois bill targets mature video games

Laurence D. Paskowitz, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Cohen, said no parent would knowingly buy an adult-only video game for their children.

Apparently, however, a GRANDparent WOULD buy a mature rated video game for her 14-year-old grandson.

Cohen said in the suit that she bought the game in late 2004 for her grandson when it was rated "M" for mature, for players 17 and older.

I'm sorry, but if you're too stupid to understand that "players 17 and older" doesn't include your 14-year-old grandson, then you're too stupid to file a lawsuit, and you're too stupid to live in my country.

Stores also will be required to label their games with content ratings and to post signs explaining the rating system.

Isn't that what the ESRB already does for consumers? Isn't that what K-A, E, T, M and A-O already exist for? Are consumers just plain ignoring the information that's ALREADY POSTED ON THE FUCKING PACKAGING?

I prophesize a future where hammers will be labeled with "Warning: May be used to smash your fingers" and scissors will be labelled "Warning: May be used as a cutting device."

Stop dumbing down my peers. Stop ruining everything that's fun. Stop destroying a child's inherent ability and RIGHT to fantasize. Stop eliminating anything that isn't appropriate for 5-year-olds. Video games aren't only meant for children in the same way that all movies aren't meant for infants. I'm not going to take my 5-year-old to see The Devil's Rejects any more than I would allow said 5-year-old to play Grand Theft Auto. "Sorry, Tommy. That game is for grown ups."

I'm sorry. Sorry for people that are too old to understand that buying a video game for your grandson isn't the same as buying him a pack of baseball cards. Sorry that the world has become increasingly complex to the point that a high school education isn't enough to "get you by." Sorry that technology has created the need for intelligence and learning.

Wait, no I'm not. I'm not sorry you're a dumb fuck. I'm sorry you're still alive and didn't fall down and crack your head open while trying to put on your shoes.

That's a Lot of Water

"Cook used 10 million gallons of water last month." Read More >>

Disposable Video Cameras?

Read the Article >>

My favorite part of this article is the last sentence:

"George Lucas isn't going to use this to shoot Star Wars IV," he said, "but a budding George Lucas may use this to shoot something in his backyard."

Guess what, smart guy... Star Wars IV has been done since 1977. <sigh> Fail to learn history and be doomed to look like a fool.

Plus, "a budding George Lucas" wouldn't stoop so low as to use a $30 video camera when digital video is already cheap for the average consumer.

Additionally, why would I want to spend $29.99 + tax + $12.99 + tax just to record a few seconds of video and get it burned to a DVD? I can get a digital still camera that will do the same thing and I get to keep it and use it again, and again, and again...

Butter-Flavor Crisco

Today, at lunch, I noticed the cafeteria was using Butter Flavor No-Stick Cooking Spray, AKA Butter Flavored Crisco.

What I'm wondering is, can you get "Crisco Flavored Butter?"

Golden Palace Does It Again

First they bought a grilled cheese sandwich with a vision of the Virgin Marry.

Then they bought Britney Spears' pregnancy test.

Now, a former stripper's breast implant? And for $16,000?

What the hell?

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Death Before Dancing?

The hell you say?

Foreword: I do not endorse this "band" at all. I am merely entertained by their sheer ineptitude. They are incapable of writing any kind of music or song lyrics. The female has enormously BAD dancing abilities. For whatever reason, they decided it would be a good idea for both male and female to have the same haircut. NEWSFLASH: This only works for The Beatles.

Ah, poor misguided youth. The goth movement has been over for some years now. Industrial music can only be found in dark, dungeon like areas of sad, boring clubs where angst-ridden youth clamor together in an attempt to grow strong as a group and feel united.

Guess what? You're just lame. Immitating something that Depeche Mode did well over 20 years ago. And immitating it poorly. I'm so sorry for you both.

Watch their video for "Drama on TV." Oh holy shit.

Apparently, they are currently arranging gigs in both the New York and Los Angeles areas. Keep an eye open for them! I'll bet they're a blast (for all the wrong reasons).

Here's their website. I appologize in advance.

McGregor: "'Star Wars' Fans Scare Me"

You and me both, Ewan. You and me both...

Scottish screen hunk Ewan McGregor is frightened by Star Wars fans and their devoted fervor for the sci-fi saga. The 34-year-old actor, who plays the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, found working on the three prequel Star Wars movies uninspiring as they focused more on special effects than performance - but he is even less enthusiastic about the films' die hard enthusiasts. He says, "There's this huge following, which is weird. They have big meets and conventions, and I find it all a bit frightening. Once this guy met me at a stage door when I was doing a play in London. The guy yelled, 'Obi-Wan. Do you have any advice for a trainee Jedi?' I just said, 'No, don't be so ridiculous.' It's just so weird, it really is."

Experimental Film

Now that iTunes supports video I've started to peruse through the library of music videos they have to offer. Oh sure, they've been offering the ability to view music videos for a long time, but now they're actually allowing you to purchase some!

One video I came across was They Might Be Giants' "Experimental Film." If you haven't seen this video, I suggest downloading the latest version of iTunes and clicking this link.

Experimental Film They Might Be Giants Genre: Alternative Release Date: 1/10/05

P.S. Fans of Homestar Runner will get a kick out of this.

Joel's Bar B Q

In October of 2001, I moved to Los Angeles, CA from Boca Raton, FL. I took two weeks off from my life and drove cross-country in a 1992 convertible Pontiac Firebird. Needless to say, I took very little with me in the car. I visited my friend in Tennesse, as well as many, many tourist traps in St. Augustine, FL, Austin, TX, Sedona, AZ, Las Vegas, NV (come on, who CAN'T stop in Las Vegas?) etc...

To put it lightly, Driving through Texas on the I-10 Highway is... well... boring. There's nothing going on for miles and miles. Anyone who's ever driven through Texas will tell you that if you're driving with a friend or a loved one, you can rest assured that you will hate each other before you ever leave Texas.

Halfway between Houston and Austin is a little stop in the middle of nowheresville called "Joel's Bar B Q" and it's been there for 20 years. Technically, it's in the city of Flatonia. What a nice name for a city. "Well, it's flat. Let's call it Flatonia." Very original.

However, Joel's Bar B Q offers some of THE finest food you will ever taste. This is one place that everyone simply MUST stop at when driving between Houston and Austin. Trust me.

I've convinced my sister and her husband (along with my 8 month-old nephew) to stop there today. They're in the process of moving from Miami, FL to Los Angeles, CA so that she can start her residency at Keiser in June.

In case you ever need directions, the address is (and I'm not kidding):

1200 Slaughter House Rd.
Flatonia, TX 78941

And here's a link to Google Maps for good measure.

Yummy!

I'm such a geek...

Only geeks post about their new computers. And mine arrived today. I wasn't expecting it until Monday (May 9th) but FedEx knocked me on my ass by delivering it 2 whole business days early!

Investing 101?

Commenting that "the Force is stronger than the Nasdaq," USA Today observes that while the Nasdaq has dropped 2 percent since 1998, the price of a 1978 Darth Vader action figure in its original packaging is now worth $600 versus $205 dollars seven years ago, a jump of 193 percent. A 1978 Luke Skywalker action figure in original packaging can now be sold for $800, twice what it was worth in 1998. The action figures originally sold for about $5.00.

Call me silly, but... Investing in Star Wars toys isn't exactly going to turn you into Donald Trump. Sure, a 200% return on a $205 investment in just 7 years is a nice profit. However, does anyone really buy 1,000 Darth Vader figures? Speculating on the price of collectibles is surely going to lose you money. I'm certainly not going to take my money out of a savings account earning 3% interest annually in the hopes that my collection of Darth Vader figures increases in value.

Just try finding a market to sell those 1,000 figures on. I'm willing to bet that 1,000 people aren't willing to shell out $600 per figure. And even less are willing to buy more than one figure each.

And don't even get me started on how inflation has influenced the value of Darth Vader figures.

A Not So Long Time Ago, In A Media Circus Not So Far Away...

A select group invited to attend a screening of Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith have come away praising the film but expressing doubts that it will attract the huge family audiences that its predecessors did. USA Today cited numerous examples of graphic violence, including one scene in which a character "catches fire, screaming in agony while the flesh peels off his body." The newspaper quotes Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader) as saying that he is unable to predict how audiences will react to the violence. "The first two [episodes] did a lot to create a young fan base," he remarked. "I'm not sure how they're going to react to some of these scenes if they see them."

Flash back to 1981. Millions of children flocked to see "Raiders of the Lost Ark," a PG rated movie. In the final scene of the film they were treated to a close-up of a Nazi's melting face while the rest of the Nazi army is electrocuted and burned to dust.

Why then, are we now (24 years later) afraid that children will be "damaged" by a scene of one character "catch[ing] fire, screaming in agony while the flesh peels off his body."? Is it because we've sanitized our children? Filled them with visions of Barney the Dinosaur and Blue's Clues? I grew up watching Sesame Street and The Electric Company on PBS and I wasn't damaged by an army of burning Nazi's, or by witnessing a religious nut tear the heart out of a living being (see Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).

Don't tell me "Times are different now," either. History shows that as the world matures, more and more taboos become acceptabe. For some reason, we've gone backwards in the last 20+ years and the same things that were perfectly acceptable have become indecent.

In 1985, Steven Spielberg introduced the world to "Back to the Future" in which we hear Marty McFly proclaim, "Holy shit! Hey Doc!" and "God damn it, George, swear!" Official rating from the MPAA? PG.

I'm willing to relent that Revenge of the Sith is probably more intense than previous Star Wars movies. However, I'm also sure that it's not "The Exorcist."

Not enough information?

The motion picture ratings system "is not working as well as it could" in warning parents about the amount of violence in movies, according to researchers at UCLA's Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center. In a study of 98 of the most popular movies in 1994, the researchers found all but three included at least one scene of violence and that some PG-13 films contained as much violence as some R-rated ones. The researchers noted that many films that were flagged primarily for language contained a greater-than-average amount of violence than those flagged for violence. Commenting on the study, University of Michigan psychology professor L. Rowell Huesmann told today's (Wednesday) Los Angeles Times: "There are interest groups that are outraged by the sight of a breast, a la Janet Jackson, or suggestions of sex, but don't mind someone being strangled, knifed or shot to death [on screen]." The authors of the UCLA study conclude by asking the MPAA to provide "meaningful content" information about each film.

I'm really curious as to how much information constitutes "meaningful content." If you tell too much about the content within the film, don't you run the risk of being indecent in your content review? or perhaps, even telling the story yourself?

"The following movie contains scenes about war, in which some soldiers patrol a bombed out building and a sniper is hiding inside. The sniper takes aim on one of the soldiers and proceeds to shoot bullets into him while he bleeds profusely as his sqaud watches from protective cover and attempt to devise a plan to save him and find the sniper. This scene lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes, during which time you will see many slow motion sequences of the soldier being shot and bleeding into the air. Once the squad finds the sniper they shoot the hell out of her (Oh yeah, the sniper is a woman, so if you have a problem with women and guns, well...sorry) and she then lies bleeding on the ground gasping for breath for about 5 minutes all the while begging "shoot me....shoot me." Eventually, one of the soldiers shoots her in the head and puts her out of her misery. Parents strongly cautioned."

The first thing you learn in Home Video Marketing is "Never let your audience know too much about what they are about to buy." The second thing you learn is "You might get sued for this." Which is why they also require you to take a "Business Law" course.

12" Powerbook

Last weekend Apple released Tiger (OSX - 10.4) for their line of computers. And I've finally ordered my first computer from Apple ever. I loaded up a 12" Powerbook with max RAM and the largest hard drive they offer and it's shipping from...get this...China. I also ordered their extended warranty called "Apple Care" which is shipping from Cupertino, CA. FedEx is handling both shipments, but I'm expected to receive the Apple Care today, and the computer won't be here until Monday.

How fucking strange is it that I'll own the warranty on my computer before I even own my computer?

But how much did it sell for?

Britney Spears' positive pregnancy test has been sold for charity - by an Internet casino website which claims the test was found in the bathroom bin of a Los Angeles hotel where the pop beauty recently stayed. The 23-year-old singer announced last month that she is pregnant with her husband Kevin Federline's baby. And Goldenpalace.Com bosses say they have auctioned the stick she urinated on to confirm her pregnancy suspicions, and that proceeds from the kit will be donated to US charities The Candlelighter's Childhood Cancer Foundation and The Easter Seal Society, which helps disabled children. A spokesman for the online gambling emporium says Ottawa, Canada's radio station New Hot 89.9 initially purchased the test from a "connection" the station has at the unnamed hotel where the kit was found.

1) Who's the pervert who purchased this piss-ridden stick?

2) Who's this "connection" who goes around hotel waste baskets searching for used pregnancy tests?

3) Am I the only person who finds it humorous that GOLDENpalace.com is the entity that aucioned it off?

Sometimes the funny just writes itself.

No, No, No!!!

Heiress Paris Hilton is determined to have children with Greek boyfriend Paris Latsis "in the next two years" - because she feels she has accomplished everything in life at the age of 24. The Simple Life star has only been dating the 22-year-old shipping heir since last December, but she insists she is in love and almost ready to start a family. Hilton says, "I want to have kids in the next two years because I know that completes your life. I've had so much fun, and had a great life. I've accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish and I think that when I have kids that'll make me happier than I already am."

1) Her boyfriend's name is Paris, also? Dear God.

2) It must be nice to have accomplished everything by the age of 24. How about raising that IQ of yours?

3) Having children "completes your life?" I always thought that death was the final step. If she wants to die after she has kids, I'll be first in line to assist.

This bitch irritates me. Isn't there someone else that would serve as a better role model for the female youth of America?

S-M-R-T

"Justin Mitchell Oaks, 21, was not paying attention when his Toyota Corolla drifted underneath the semi-truck in the westbound lanes, Oien said."

Really? You think?

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Research

I'm not usually one to promote history. I was bored by it in high school just like every other teenager. I preferred to watch movies and play video games (and the occasional back-seat sex-capade). However, since this is the Internet we're using right now, and the Internet is nothing more than a giant educational tool (when used correctly, and not for porn), I'd like to offer up these important links, to educate and possibly avoid future repeats of such retardedness:

McCarthy Hearings 1953-54
Index to Hearings
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5

Pit Them Against Each Other!

There is something so wrong with this.

I can already hear the witch trials and McCarthy hearings ringning in the background. Are you kidding me? Teenagers...Promised money...To tattle on their fellow students? Two things can come from this:

1) Everyone starts pointing the finger at someone who stole their boyfriend/girlfriend.

2) Certain students are noticeably parking in the "specially designated" spots on campus, and suddenly become very unpopular.

Please, this whole idea of "community watch" is rediculous. It was started in an attempt to spot suspicious behavior among those suffering from socialism paranoia. It is meant to keep us watching each other instead of keeping our eyes on the thieves in government.

What it SHOULD be doing is bringing communities together by allowing everyone to get to know each other and therefore be able to spot the "non-member" and shine a light on outsiders who might be infiltrating the group. It SHOULD NOT be causing paranoia and fear, and widespread suspicion of everyone in your neighborhood or school.

There was a time in this country (not too long ago, I might add) when a new person or family would move into a neighborhood and there would be a welcoming comittee that would bring cookies and small gifts in order to get to know the new member of their little establishment. Now, a new person moves in and everyone watches them from their windows, wondering what they're up to, and concoting all sorts of superstitious nonsense instead of just asking them who they are.

Have you ever seen "The Burbs?"

Crawl...

Have you ever noticed how the first half of the work day seems to speed on by, but the second half crawls like a snail in the winter?

Freedom of Speech...in South Korea?

I think this is absolutely the coolest thing I've ever heard. South Koreans have taken to the Internet and Blogs and started their own network of citizen reporters. No government controlled media. Private individuals deciding what is newsworthy and what is worth talking about. If only more countries were this tech-saavy, we could finally become a planet of free-thinkers!

I hope this catches on.

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Two Weeks Later...

...and the only question I have is, "If you were Ricky Martin, would you be mad at William Hung?"

Pro-Gay Propaganda or Anti-Hate Message?

The decision was made to distribute a video featuring SpongeBob SqaurePants, Miss Piggy, Oscar the Grouch and other well-known child icons in an attempt to promote the acceptance of diversity in the United States.

That's right, I said "Promote Diversity." When I was a child I remember waking up on Saturday mornings and watching cartoons that sang about the "Great American Melting Pot." Today I read articles on CNN about religious groups claiming that SpongeBob is gay, and educational materials being distributed to teach children about diversity are merely "tools of the underground gay movement" to "brainwash children" into thinking that being gay is alright.

Gay marriage may not be "traditional" but neither was getting on a boat and sailing half-way across the world because you were feeling opressed. Tossing tea in the water at Boston Harbor wasn't exactly "traditional" either. Moreso, I think DRINKING said tea would've been more traditional. However, things change. And usually for the better.

At least the ACTUAL majority in this country is more intelligent than the MORAL majority.

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Five People Decide For Millions

That's right. Five WHOLE people head up the review board for the FCC. And those five people decide what is and isn't indecent for the whole country. Luckily, today they made a correct ruling: "ABC will not be fined for Nicolette Sheridan towel skit."

Gee thanks, FCC. It took you four months to decide on something that the rest of the country 1) already forgot about, and 2) didn't care about in the first palce (save for a few obsessive letter-writers from the religious right).

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Is anyone else bothered by this?

The 66 ABC affiliates that refused to carry Saving Private Ryan, fearing that they could be fined by the FCC because of its four-letter words and graphic violence, actually had nothing to worry about, the agency indicated Monday. Responding to complaints about the film, the FCC said in a unanimous decision: "In light of the overall context in which this material is presented, the commission determined it was not indecent or profane." Randy Sharp of the American Family Association, which said that it sent 23,339 complaints to the FCC over the Ryan telecast, told today's (Tuesday) Washington Times: "Our reaction is one of extreme disappointment. ... I think it confuses a lot of people." He noted that the FCC had already indicated that context was not a factor when it held that Bono's use of the term "f***ing brilliant" during a 2003 Golden Globes telecast violated the FCC's decency standards. Raymond Cole, president of Citadel Communications, which refused to broadcast the Ryan film, said Monday that if the network scheduled the movie again, his stations would air it. Separately, the FCC dismissed complaints filed by the Parents Television Council against the programs Arrested Development (Fox) and Will & Grace (NBC).

"Decency standards..." Sure. By it's very definition, a standard is "something set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality." Context is a factor. Context is not a factor. Which is it, FCC? A standard has to be consistent, otherwise it's not a rule.

MPAA = Mafia

Convicted Movie Pirate Found Dead

Russell Sprague, the Chicago man who pleaded guilty to charges of receiving Academy Award screeners from Academy member Carmine Caridi and posting them on the Internet, was found dead in his jail cell Monday, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Sprague had been awaiting sentencing. A spokesman for the Marshals office said that, while an investigation was being conducted, all indications pointed to "a normal passing."

Yes, that's exactly what they WANT you to think. "Nothing abnormal about his death. Millions of people die from ingesting fragments of pirated DVDs. Now sit back on your couch and watch Bambi, again..." Russell Sprague sleeps with the fishes.

Stations Turn Down Landmine PSA

Apparently, we're quite content with a world full of landmines:

Efforts by the United Nations Mine Action Service to persuade broadcast and cable stations to air a public service announcement seeking public support for its efforts to achieve "a world free of the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance" have largely fallen on deaf ears, Advertising Age reported Tuesday. Each year, nearly 20,000 innocent people are killed or seriously injured by land mines in 80 countries, Ad Age observed. Among cable channels refusing to air the PSA are CNN and Lifetime, it reported. The PSA depicts a landmine exploding during a girls' soccer match at an American high school as horrified parents look on. It ends with the words, "If there were landmines here, would you stand for them anywhere?"

I've seen the ad, it's quite disturbing and very funny all at the same time.

See It >>

Cable To Be Censored for Indecency, Too?

Are you kidding me?

If the chairmen of the two Congressional committees overseeing the broadcasting industry have their say, cable TV programs and satellite radio programs will be subjected to the same rules on indecency as other broadcasters. Senator Ted Stevens, who heads the Senate Commerce Committee said Tuesday if cable companies continue to maintain that they can't be regulated on content, "We'll take them on and let the courts decide. ... I think they ought to play [by] ... the same rules." Congressman Joe Barton, who heads the House Commerce Committee, agreed saying that all broadcasters "ought to play on the same field." Their remarks were immediately hailed by the broadcast industry, which has long held that it is being forced to compete against cable on an uneven field. Edward Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters (the two Congressional leaders spoke at an NAB seminar), told the Associated Press Tuesday: "A 5-year-old doesn't know if they're watching cable or over-the-air." But Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable Television Association, noted Tuesday that the Supreme Court has already ruled on the issue. "The ability of cable customers to block unwanted programming through the use of tools offered by local cable systems, strongly differentiate cable from broadcasting, which is distributed free and unfiltered over the air," he said.

If children are the measuring stick for everything in society, then why don't we start censoring books, too? A 5-year-old doesn't know if it's reading "The Cat in the Hat" or "The Kama Sutra." Come on. We've already had this hearing years ago. We have to stop pretending that it's not the job of the parents to learn how to raise their children. It's not the government's job to make sure my kids don't see boobies. It's my job. And maybe, just maybe, I want my child to see boobies.

Fuckers.

The Year of Living Indecently

I read the article, and I'm diggin' it.

In his novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," Michael Chabon was extrapolating from actual history when one of his heroes, a gay comic book artist, is hauled before Congress to testify about pairing up "strapping young fellows in tight trousers" as superheroes. A Senate committee of the time did investigate the comics. Its guiding force was the psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's fear-mongering 1954 tome "Seduction of the Innocent," which posited that Batman and Robin could corrupt children by inducing a "wish dream of two homosexuals living together." The decency cops of that day, exemplified by closeted gay right-wingers like J. Edgar Hoover and Roy Cohn, escalated a culture war into one with human costs by conflating homosexuality with the criminality of treason.

You can read the full article on nytimes.com, but you'll be required to fill out a free sign up form.

Read More >>

Catering to the bitches

In an attempt to "tone it down" a lot, the NFL and FOX decided to book Paul McCartney for the half-time show this year. As well, most advertisers decided to "clean up" their acts and offer "decent" material for their commercials. All but one: GoDaddy.com. That's right, a domain name registration site. A group of individuals who understand the importance of "viral marketing" and "indirect" advertising. Why?

Becuase:

The media attention that we have received up to the Super Bowl has been far and away more than any of us at Go Daddy would have dared to dream. Our Super Bowl ad has been mentioned and discussed on television, radio and print.

For the very first time ever, I appeared on several national television shows, plus our ad was played again and again nationally --- all at no charge to Go Daddy.

Our ad was shown in its entirety nationally on CNBC, CNN, CBS, NBC and Fox. It was also shown on The Today Show. Matt Lauer said he liked it very much, and after the break, we got to hear Al Roker sing, “Go Daddy, Go Daddy, Go!” In addition to national coverage, it was shown and/or discussed on hundreds of local television and radio channels.

Read More >>

I get it. And so do most of the general public who inhabit the Land of the Free. However...

Super Bowl Telecast Still Draws Protests

Despite complaints that Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show was bland and forgettable, the FCC received 33 complaints Monday from viewers who either objected to Paul McCartney's rendition of "Get Back," which contains a reference to "California grass," or were upset by the content of some commercials. Those who complained about the ads deprecated one for GoDaddy.com, featuring a young woman who almost bares a breast; ads for erectile dysfunction medication; and a scene in a spot featuring one member of the Queer Eye For the Straight Guy crew ogling a man.

You read that right. 33 people. How many people watched the Super Bowl? How many people watch TV on a regular basis? How many people live in this country? Somewhere in the millions, last time I checked. And even if there's only 100,000 people residing in the U.S. and half of them watch TV, that's still 33/50,000, which translates to less than 0.07%. Should the needs of the few dictate the needs of the many? I think not.

Hooray for McCarthyism!

Ford Yanks Super Bowl Ad

Sensitive to the outcry over the Janet Jackson breast-baring incident during the halftime show at last year's Super Bowl, Ford's Lincoln Mercury division said Wednesday that it had yanked a Super Bowl commercial in which a clergyman lusts after a new Lincoln truck. In the ad, a clergyman finds a set of car keys in the collection plate, then discovers they belong to a truck in the parking lot. As he begins to caress the vehicle, a parishioner arrives with his young daughter to explain that she had dropped the keys into the plate by mistake. Finally, the cleric posts the title of his next sermon: "Lust." Lincoln Mercury said that it was surprised by the negative reaction the spot had received by such groups as the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. In a column due to appear in Sunday's New York Times, media critic Frank Rich writes that the "indecency crusade" that followed last year's Super Bowl incident "has unleashed a wave of self-censorship on American television unrivaled since the McCarthy era, with everyone from the dying D-Day heroes in Saving Private Ryan to cuddly animated animals on daytime television [Postcards From Buster] getting the ax."

There's honeslty a group that calls themselves "Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests?"

There has GOT to be something more important going on in the world than a Ford commercial. And how are these "groups" viewing the commercial? Is Ford running this past them before it decides to go to air with it? I'm going to have to pick up the NYT this Sunday.

Senate Passes Anti-Camcorder Bill -- For Third Time

Taking to heart the if-at-first-you-don't-succeed mantra, the U.S. Senate has for the third time passed a measure that would send people who use camcorders in movie theaters to prison for up to three years. It also voted to increase penalties for those who distribute copyrighted material on the Internet. In addition, the Senate measure shields from copyright-infringement lawsuits companies that delete scenes depicting violence and sex from movies in order to make them "family friendly."

It's that last part that pisses me off. Why is it necessary to make a movie "family friendly?" You want family friendly movies, rent Little House on the Prairie or something else G-rated. Don't take an R-rated movie and cut it into pieces, ruining the original content and context because someone wants to watch Saving Private Ryan but doesn't like obscenities. Maybe this movie just isn't "for them" and maybe they should accept the fact that not everything should be made to satisfy their idea of standards.

Hypocricsy in Action

It seems that people in New York have been making death threats should a college continue with its plans to allow Ward Churchill to speak during a panel discussion.

Regardless of how you feel about Ward Churchill, making death threats to limit his (or anyone else's) speech is wrong. It's ok to disagree with someone's opinion, and it's ok to argue with that person. However, refusing to allow them to voice their opinion goes against the very fundamentals of this country.

Congratulations, terrorists. And I'm not talking about anyone from the Middle East. I'm talking about local New Yorkers, who've decided to use the same tactics that they're protesting.

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Evolution: Victory!

Disclaimer?

"This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

No shit.

I was taught the "Theory of Evolution." No one ever told me that it was the only answer to existence. No one had to tell me that I should "carefully consider" other options either. That's basic science!

Scientific Method calls for careful consideration of all hypotheses. An hypothesis becomes a theory after it's been carefully tested repeatedly, and when each trial results in the same conclusion. A theory then becomes a law when all other alternatives have been proved incorrect. It's not the LAW of evolution, it's the THEORY of evolution. It's STATED CLEARLY in the terminology.

You don't have to cram it down our throats that you're a Christian Fundamentalist and that your opions are just as valid and should be heard. That's freedom of speech and it's stated within the 1st amendment to the United States Constitution. We KNOW that your voice should be heard. We allow it. Now allow OUR voice to be heard. Stop trying to drown out others' opinions by constantly talking over them.

By the way, shouldn't we also be teaching Reincarnation as an alternative as well? Let's not be selective now. I'm glad the judge ruled the disclaimer stickers as unconstitutional. They are!

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Freedom of what?

In the continued race to ban free speech and free press:

"We don't decide for the community whether to read this book or not, but whether to make it available."

I beg your pardon, but I don't believe it is your job to decide what is available to the United States public. Free press is just that, freedom to print whatever you wish to print. As soon as government starts to "decide...whether to make it available" it becomes censorship.

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Oh, the irony!

In an article about sex spammers from CNN:

"The law gives consumers a tool to control what comes into their in boxes,"

This Pisses Me Off

The MEXICAN GOVERNMENT is distributing a comic book that gives instructions to Mexicans on HOW TO SNEAK INTO THE UNITED STATES!!!

Are you kidding me? Actually distributing a manual on "how to" cross the border into the US? How can we allow this? How is this real? How can we stand by and allow a country to encourage its poor, poverty-striken people to run away to "wealthy" America and steal our money? How about a book that explains how to go about LEGAL immigration? How to obtain a visa, green card or working permit? No, instead, they don't solve their problems, they hide from them. "We don't know how to fix our poverty problem, so we just tell them to go somewhere else."

Somewhere else where they will continue to destroy the standard of living and cause the deterioration of progress.

I'm sorry, but I'm not racist. I'm tired of being surrounded by illegal foreigners who use false social security numbers and fake IDs to earn money from a legitimate US company and then proceed to not pay taxes and then are given rights to obtain drivers' licenses as well as force my country to change its language. For what? So that we can converse with YOU? How about learning the local language so that you can converse with us?

There was a time when my Italian greatgrandfather forbid his children to speak Italian becuase "you are Americans now, and you should speak English, AS Americans!" If I wanted to work in Germany, do you think they would start learning English to make my life easier? Hell no! They would make me learn German in order to speak with them.

If we're going to extend language rights to Mexicans, and other Latino nations, why not force French upon the US to appease the Candians?

The world needs more tsunamis.