Personal musings and news stories I think are cool

First, on a personal note, there's this guy I've known for about 20 years, ever since we were kids. I knew his parents growing up, knew the kind of environment he was raised in and am still close to some of his family, knew him about as well as anyone can know anyone. I loved him like I would a brother. A few years back, he moved across the country. At first, he was great, the same guy I remembered, but now, I'm just wondering what ever happened to that mischievous smartass people, myself included, couldn't help loving. I knew he had the potential to be a real asshole (as do we all), but I never thought he'd realize that potential to this extent. I know that when he's with certain of his friends out there, he's less of the guy I knew. I loved who he was. This person he's become... The term "split the uprights" comes to Bill Gates is mind. Bah, I just wish I could fly out there and talk some sense into the dumbass. Oh, and no, I'm not gay, not that there's anything wrong with that.

On a different note, I think Bill Gates is right about his stance on focusing on the prevention of HIV in females as a means to dramatically reduce its transmission overall. He may be an ubergeek, but he does understand business and statistics, and I think his stance and the renewed focus of his charitable foundation may potentially save a hell of a lot of lives some day.

For a little bit of good news, the TSA has announced that men and women can once again put solid lipstick in their carry-on luggage, though mascara must be in checked luggage. Tara Reid, emo-wusses and Goths started to be outraged by this declaration, until they remembered that they were too dead inside to care.

For yet another reason never to move to Arizona, other than the fact that it's a fucking desert, here's this idiot who got 70 speeding tickets in 5 months. First, ask yourself if you know anyone who's ever had 70 speeding tickets in their life. Second, ask yourself why they didn't suspend her license after about the 10th such offense. Third, ask yourself if any sane person, especially in this age of state budget crises brought about and/or exacerbated by soaring fuel costs, would think that the local government would not want to collect on those fines. Idiot.

Has the world gone mad, yet again? Big-butt ants are now all the rage in Columbia and France, but then again, the French will eat anything.

And finally, this drunk picked the wrong parking lot to piss in. On the upside, at least it didn't take much effort for law enforcement to arrest him and take him off the roads.

Later.

I've read a disturbing debate on ZDNet.

The story in question is one where the courts have ruled against a man who claimed a right to privacy when he was discovered viewing child pornography on a work computer. Aside from the sheer amount of stupidity it takes to search for any type of pornography from a company-owned machine, there's the not so small issue of what punishment this pervert should receive. If the debate had stayed on that vein, I would not be posting today. However, others actually supported his nonexistent right to privacy in this instance, while still others expressed support for the "right" to view that filth. My name on that forum is MageOfChaos, and you'll see what I had to say, in all its snarky glory. Or, to save you time, I'll sum it up as follows: "Ugh!! I hope the rat-bastard is locked away until squirrels evolve into the next dominant lifeform on this planet." On that note, good night, and don't let the bastards grind you down.

What do Cynthia McKinney and Mel Gibson have in common?

They both promote anti-Semitism when they're drunk. In Mel Gibson's case, the drug in question was alcohol. In Ms. McKinney's case, the drug in question was power. I for one will miss her presence in Congress in much the same way I look back with fondness on that time I sustained a severe concussion. Furthermore, most people by now have seen the footage of the scuffle between her bodyguards from the New Black Panther Party and reporters. If this shrill, bigoted bitchzilla is an example of how she truly believes an elected official should behave, I shudder to think about how she defines the term "out of line". I have oft been a vocal critic of Nancy Pelosi and her leadership of the Democratic Party in the House, but I think Congresswoman Pelosi and her fellow House Democrats did about all she could do in this instance. If Ms. McKinney had gotten even one or two major Democrats to campaign with her, I think she might've had a chance of winning the primary. Instead, the House Democrat leadership decided to give her the type of platform and power she deserves; in short, none at all. Her forced retirement will deny Republicans a rallying point against the Democrats, and this can only be seen as a good thing for, well, everybody, because she belongs in Congress about as much as David Duke, as her comments and public record attest. I hope all will join me in wishing her a pleasant, permanent, and quiet retirement, though I doubt any of us will be that fortunate.

As a bonus, here's a post from Wonkette. Enjoy.

I'll be lazy again.

I've seen numerous bits of commentary about the events in the Middle East, and more specifically, about the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Rather than post my own commentary, I will again post links to others' comments with whom I agree and whose words, I believe, should at least be viewed. These links will be, once again, from one of my new favorite websites, the Jewish World Review. I admit that this is a bit of laziness on my part, but I think these comments shed a different light on what's going on. The links will open in a new window/tab and are as follows:

Will Israel suffer Poland's fate?

The Reuterization of war journalism

Worry about the West, not Israel

How Israel fights

And finally, The American Dog Didn't Bark, an article about one of the few ways this administration hasn't fucked up. I would've called it "Even Broken Watches are correct twice a day", but that would've been a bit too unwieldy, and besides, with the prevalence of digital watches, meaningless as broken digital watches are simply blank.

As a bonus, here's a completely unrelated bit about internet law from ZDNet. As for me, I'm glad the court ruled in this sensible manner to protect children. How fucking stupid do you have to be to view any type of porn at work, much less search for it on a computer owned, maintained, and monitored by your company? And child porn? My emotional response to this would be to point and laugh at his stupidity, get angry at his actions, then violate the Eigth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. My more mature, reasoned response (okay, not necessarily more mature) is to point and laugh at the stupid bastard, get angry at his actions, and hope they lock up the bastard and throw away the key. On second thought, I would have no problem at all with excessive fines being imposed or excessive bail being required in this instance. That's just my tuppence for now.

Well, the "big tent" just got a good bit smaller.

And on that note, I give a hearty "Go fuck yourself" to Senator Lieberman's fairweather friends, the most infamous of which are the Clintons. He has voted in line with the Democratic Party 90% of the time, has been an excellent legislator for progressive elements in his state of Connecticutt, and his reward for a lifetime of service is "Just take it up the ass like a man, Joe." But the Democratic Party is a great and honorable institution. Just ask them. The only difference between their behavior and that of the Republicans is the line of bullshit they try to feed their constituency. I certainly wish Senator Lieberman all the best in his bid as an Independent to retain his seat. Senators, members of Congress, and other elected officials are responsible for and to ALL citizens in their districts, not just the members of their party, and it is ALL citizens who belong, or should belong, to their constituency. But surely, Ned Lamont is a good and honorable man. He distorted Lieberman's record, disparaged his honor, and eked out a victory using the basest of tactics, but surely, Ned Lamont is a good and honorable man. To my Democrat friends out there, look long and hard at what your party has done, and ask yourself if you are now ashamed. If I were you, I most certainly would be. As someone of a more independent bent (though my leanings are plainly obvious to anyone who has read my blog for a while), I am disgusted.

Oh, and one last thing: Could someone take the microphone out of soon-to-be-former-Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney's hands? All her concession speech proved is the desperate need she has to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, learn how to speak, and take singing lessons. I haven't seen that level of insanity since the last time Whitney Houston gave an interview.

Aaaah, good shit. Or, stuff you're not likely to find on the radio... yet.

I haven't watched very much MTV2 lately, or, for that matter, ever. I'm coming to learn that this was a mistake. While I also tend to adore Fuse, I think MTV2 has more of an underground sensibility to it. Thanks to that network, I have discovered a very good new band called Flyleaf, a true metal band that, unlike most in their genre, isn't devoted to wallowing in their own angst. True, it's angsty, but also manages to transcend it. Also, the lead singer is hot. I recommend the "I'm So Sick" video. Of course, that's the only single of theirs I've heard, but it really impressed me.

The second group I would like to mention is Cobra Starship. You may have heard their song "Snakes On a Plane", and yes, it is related to the movie of the same name. That particular video is very well done, and the female vocalist is somewhat reminiscent of Paris Hilton in one notable part, though with all of the hotness and none of the nastiness. The story behind the name as stated on their website is interesting. The last part is fucking brilliant.

Finally, I know Amy Lee is, at this point, very well-established, but I can't help expressing my barely contained joy that Evanescence is back, and they're exploring new ground. I've heard their latest single, "Call Me When You're Sober," and it's retains the feel of Evanescence while also being something quite different from their first mainstream album. Also, again, Amy Lee is hot.

With all of this and other good music out there, one may wonder why the recording industry is doing so poorly. The answer is obvious to anyone who turns the radio onto a rock station: Most of the bands the major record studios promote are shit. These, however, are more than worthy of a your time. On that note, good night, and happy hunting. May your searches for good music be productive.

Of unmatched beauty and weather phenomena:

Well, I saw satellite photos of Tropical Storm Chris, though by the time you read this, it may be Tropical Depression Chris or something even less. The center of circulation was well-removed from the main line of thunderstorms associated with that little bastard, or, in layman's terms, that storm got bitch-slapped by some upper level wind shear. So, on that note, I wish a long, restful, and permanent slumber for that storm and its ilk.

In a related bit of good news, Dr. Gray, respected meteorologist, has revised down his tropical forecast, down to 15 named storms, 7 hurricanes, with 3 of those being major hurricanes. This is down from the earlier prediction of 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, with 5 of those being major hurricanes. That said, better news is better, not necessarily good.

In my area, there are (or were until the last year or two) two storms the old-timers talked about as examples of times to bend over and kiss your ass goodbye: Hurricane Frederic in 1979, and Hurricane Camille in 1969, the sixth and third named storms of their year, respectively. 1979 was a slightly less active than normal year, with 8 named storms, with six of those being hurricanes and two of those hurricanes achieving major storm (category 3 or higher) status. Hurricane Frederic made landfall on September 12, 1979, providing but one small bit of proof that it only takes one storm to wreck lives and have the potential for widescale loss of life.

Camille, now that was a scary cunt. She was, obviously, the third named storm of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season. In the Atlantic basin, only the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 made landfall with a lower central pressure. She made landfall on August 17, 1969, a few years before I was born. The coastal counties of Alabama are a nice stretch of highway from Pass Christian, MS, an area you may know from stories about Hurricane Katrina, though you probably don't because it's not New Orleans. Even so, I've heard some interesting stories about that particular beast. Oh, and apparently, the Richelieu Manor Apartments hurricane party is merely a persistent urban legend, though I've heard some interesting tellings of it. At this point, my point falls apart because 1969 was one of the most active seasons on record.

I started off this post angry, but now I just feel numb and with a sense of relief that I know will be short-lived. Fuck it.

An alternative, sane look at the Israel conflict:

Instead of adding my own commentary, I will instead, again, allow others' words to speak for themselves. Though this site tends to slant a bit conservative, the words of these individuals actually make sense. So, again, I refer you to links: Krauthammer 1, (if you have no sense of humor, ignore this) Borowitz 1, Dershowitz 2, Jacoby 1, Prager 1, Pruden 1, and Gaffney 1. Sure, I'm single-sourcing, but the other sources are the ones getting the airtime. For those of you who are offended by this, it's called "debate". Look into it.

A nasty take on horoscopes.

Aries: Your symbol is a Ram. However, you're an ass.

Taurus: Your symbol is a bull, which is fitting because you're full of shit.

Gemini: Your symbol is a twin, or metaphorically, being of two minds. Thank you so ever much for being that guy who takes a half hour deciding between citrus and regular Listerine in the store.

Cancer: Your symbol is a crab. Aaaah, so many jokes, so little time.

Leo: Your symbol is a lion, but you're really just a farting kitten.

Virgo: Your symbol is every bit as rare as a unicorn: a virgin. If you watch enough horror movies, you know the only real use for virgins.

Libra: Your symbol is the scales of justice. They say justice is blind. See your optometrist as soon as possible, you myopic fuck.

Scorpio: Your symbol is a scorpion. You're just all cute and cuddly, aren't you?

Saggitarius: Your symbol is the archer. Too bad your aim is often poor.

Capricorn: Your symbol is the goat, as evidenced by your appetites.

Aquarius: Your symbol is the water bearer. Maybe that's why you have a bladder the size of a thimble.

Pisces: Your symbol is the fish, yet your odor is that of one that's been in the sun for three days.

This little bit of cynicism was brought to you by your friend, Fred. Remember that I fall into one of these twelve signs, and that I did not do myself any favours. I'm just in the mood to be a shit.

Fuck your god.

Well, it's time for the Atlantic hurricane season to really get underway. Tropical Storm Chris is in the water, and I'm already twitching. I don't know where this little bastard's going. All I know is that his very existence is bad enough tidings on this first day of August. I certainly will not rest easy until the sounds of Christmas music are pounding in my ears, the shrill bleating of other people's demon-spawn about how they want this, or that, or whatever. Right now, it's just the "school's about to start; let's rupture mom's eardrums" cacaphonizing going on in the stores; that is, when the little hellions aren't coughing up their spleens. It is my sincerest hope that this is the worst I see in the stores in the coming months. Happy motherfucking August.