a good read

If you have the time, you might want to look at the blog of Darth Vader... Just a taste:

I woke up this morning in a foul humour coupled with the determination not to spend another day staring at the walls in my hyperbaric chamber. In fact, I smashed my hyperbaric chamber -- which may have been overzealous, but it felt really good.

Klaxons rang out and a platoon of stormtroopers rushed through the doors. I pushed past them and into the corridor, breezing past a flotilla of stunned-looking repair droids and into the lift. While it ran through the levels I cracked my knuckles and grumbled to myself. Blasted Palpatine! Blasted galaxy!

And, of course, the Comic-Book-Guy-like comments that follow each post are good for a chuckle too. Stuff like:

Forgive my my arrogance and ignorance.

"Flexed my animatronic prosthetic fingers beyond specifications" might be more accurate considering your lack of biological fingers and associated knuckles.

excellent, just excellent

I decided to spend my evening catching up on one of the Netflix movies I've had lying around for a month or so (inexcusable considering that I'm presently unemployed and being a huge procrastinator with homework and not going out at all)...Anyway, I watched The Corporation (link to the movie's website) and I really must recommend it to everyone out there. A lot of the stuff I already knew about, but it was presented so clearly, so nicely, that it just captivated me. It starts with the history of corporations, goes into their evolution, and then into their impact. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

this is honor?

Second Lt. Ilario Pantano of the US Marines had the murder charges against him dropped for an incidence last year in which he shot up two Iraqi insurgents (with 60 bullets no less -- having reloaded in the middle of it all), then hung a sign around their necks as a warning to other Iraqis. Whether it was premeditated murder is not my place to judge -- I wasn't there and I do not know how things are in the heat of combat -- but what bothers me is something his lawyer is quoted as saying:

The ruling "demonstrates that Ilario acted honorably in combat and the suggestion that he didn't that tarnished his reputation was unjustified," Gittins said. "I'm pleased for Ilario and his family because the nightmare is over."

Pardon me, but his actions don't quite seem "honorable" to me -- war or not, desecrating a human body like that isn't exactly cool (understandable perhaps, maybe even amoral given the circumstances, but not "honorable). But, as ABC News reports, he's not even going to receive punishment for that. So goes the war...

shivers

I don't know what's worse -- that the president said

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."

during a visit to Greece, NY on Tuesday, or that people in the crowd applauded this admission of propogandizing via incessant close-minded badgering of the American people to beat "the truth" into them...

brittany fish -- wunderkind

Brittany Fish, age 7, showed wisdom far beyond her years when George Bush's rambling sent her into tears during a White House ceremony:

President Bush bored Brittany Fish to tears Wednesday, prompting the leader of the free world to apologize to the little girl for being so dull.

...

Apparently Bush launched into a rather long-winded speech about the significance of the Oval Office. Brittany - usually a bundle of giggles - got antsy, complained she was bored, then started to cry, [her father] said.

Okay, so the reasons for me and (presumably) many others crying are more fear-related than boredom...but she's on the right track.

such a bad joke...

...but someone's gotta say it.

It seems Florida authorities aren't dicking around with terrorist threats.

There, I feel much better now.

wwjd?

Coming home from the movies a couple weeks back, my friend and I saw a sign in front of a church that read "Mess with your enemies' heads -- forgive them." That seemed a tad wrong to both of us in that Jesus would definitely want one to forgive, but not with the intent of "messing with their heads" iow, revenge. Now I find this on Drudge -- a church wishing the Quran to be flushed.

Swell.

I remember seeing a sign in front of a church once that read "open on Sundays" and others that were cute, insightful, and even a bit witty...and that's cool. But when you put up this...shit...it's like spitting in the face of Christ. It's not at all what any of it's all about.

...but then, it's just a continuation of the growing attitude that's partly responsible for shoving me away from the church going on seven years now (has it been that long?).

sigh

cutting the wire in grand rapids

I was able to attend the "wire-cutting" (clever, ain't it?) ceremony at Rosa Parks Circle this afternoon, initiating the much talked about Beta stage of Mayor Heartwell's Wireless Broadband Initiative. I've mentioned it before, and I'm pretty damned excited, though I'd be moreso if the testing range were two blocks closer to home (and therefore giving me free access). In any case, it's all really starting to get off the ground and due to up in place throughout the city of Grand Rapids by December. Joy.

In other news, while I was down there I saw WZZM's "senior reporter" Peter Ross get out of his station's Ford Explorer and walk imediately to rival station WOOD-TV's news vehicle and try to open the passenger door. It was locked and he walked away without further incident. Very weird I must say.

the family (values) man

I've said enough about Bush's hypocrisy this week so I will post a link to this news story with no additional comment aside from WTF?:

Bush to dine with porn star Mary Carey at fund-raiser

grand rapids protest tomorrow

People will be meeting at the old Seoul Garden building at the corner of the East Beltline and Lake Eastbrook Blvd at 1:00pm to protest Bush's visit to Calvin tomorrow. More information can be found at media mouse and the West Michigan Justice and Peace Coalition sites (a .pdf flyer is available here as well).

Also, for Calvin students interested, there is a group here to join in ther protest (it looks like it'll probably be white armbands and backturning).

Good luck to all...I may very well be at the march/protest myself.

for those interested

The following inforation was passed onto me and I thought I'd pass it on to any reader wanting to make a few quick bucks doing surveys and that sort of thing:

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that's the way you do it

President Bush when asked about the ability of the Saddam-in-his-underpants photo floating around the 'net (and posted here a coupe hours before I took it down) to inflame hatred and all that crap in the Middle East:

"I don't think a photo inspires murderers. I think they're inspired by an ideology that is so barbaric and backwards that it's hard for many in the Western world to comprehend how they think." (emphasis mine)

To sum up this week in the news...
Flushing the Quran down the toilet: BAD
Saddam in his underpants: worth investigating
Saying things that could easily be interpreted like "Islam is barbaric and backwards": Presidential

i coulda been somebody...

The president is giving the commencement address at my alma mater tomorrow.

If ever there was a time to not wear clothes under one's graduation gown, this would be the year (wink, wink all you Calvinites out there...). What a fantastic way to get on the news (and to bring streaking back in vogue after too many sad, clothed years).

star wars

I am about to leave to see the last installment for the second time. It's alright a flick, I guess, and worth watching...definitely better than episodes I and II. But why oh why oh why does Lucas have to over do the technical effects? Seriously...the movie would have been so much better with one-sixth the ships, and less a giant frilly lizard thing.

more eyes widen

I just ran across this blog...a young conservative finally realizing that Bush and modern GOP are not friends of freedom and those things which America great.

If only there were more of us...

the hypocrisy is killing me

Anne Coulter is pissed off. Pissed off because Newsweek reported on the Quran/Gotmo story and didn't report on oval office bjs during the previous admnistration.

Aside from her usual hate-mongering and ignorance (when was Bill Clinton convicted -- or even indicted -- for raping anyone?), she asks a good question: "But Newsweek couldn't wait a moment to run a story that predictably ginned up Islamic savages into murderous riots in Afghanistan, leaving hundreds injured and 16 dead. Who could have seen that coming?"

But I have another good question: how can a story in a magazine compare to bad intelligence leading to the bombings of a house in Mosul, a wedding party in Western Iraq, or another wedding party in Afghanistan? Or what about the (in)famous Abu Ghraib prison? What about the leaked mistreatment of transported captives or shooting of unarmed prisoners (and the soldier then getting off -- Bill O'Reily saying he should be promoted)? Can a bad media report, later retracted, ever compare to unapologetic empirialistic stormtrooping directed from the top?

I don't know, it seems we're already doing more than enough around the world to promote anti-American sentiments (you know, the stuff that drives people to fly planes into buildings) than anything Newsweek could ever say, report, or do. But of course they're the "liberal media" so it's so much worse.

george w. bush: champion of freedom

The renewal of the Patriot Act is currently being worked on and everyone that loved the original are going to just love version 2.0.

Among the additions: the right of the FBI to issue administrative subpoenas not issued by a judge or grand jury and expansion of the already liberalized ability of the FBI to wire-tap. Granted, these are all ony to be used in "terrorism" case, but as we've all seen "terrorism" can be shining a laser pointer at the cockpit of a plane, operating a meth lab (meth beng a 'chemical weapon' you see...), and (according to the New York Times - requires reg), "to investigate suspected drug traffickers, white-collar criminals, blackmailers, child pornographers, money launderers, spies and even corrupt foreign leaders, federal officials said."

I think it's all bloody brilliant myself. Who needs freedom anyway? I say give the feds all the power they want, let them control our lives with fear. Let them watch our thoughts even. That's grand. I love big brother.

i quit

I wrote this on my myspace blog, but given that I've never posted to it before, I figure no one will see it...anyway, I quit smoking yesterday. Which meas a couple of things. First, that I'm irritable as hell right now. So if you know me in real life and I snap at you...deal with it. Just for the first couple days. Second, it means that (again, if you know me irl) I will probably beg you for a smoke if I see you in the next couple days. Don't give me one, no matter how much I beg. Perhaps in a few weeks I'll be able to be social smoker at the bar -- but that can only ever be one or two, and it can only be bumming (or doing the quarter thing -- I'm not even going to try to buy a pack). Anyway, don't give me one.

But I'm telling ya, right now I think I want to die...or put just about anything in my mouth.

the plot thickens

So I guess the finger at the center of the big Wendy's drama was given to Anna Ayala, the extortionist bitch, to settle a $50 debt. The first thought that came to mind was how there's absolutely no way that that would play out in fiction -- $50. That's just not nearly enough to make any sense. Then again, the guy who lost it was almost proud of losing it -- showing it off to friends:

"My son is a happy-go-lucky guy. He thought it was cute to show" the severed finger, Shouey said. "It's like a man thing."

Firstly, that's sick. Secondly, I know my man thing looks nothing like a finger.

scott mcclellan by the short and curlies

The White House doesn't have today's press briefing up quite yet, but the Drudge Report has a short bit of back and forth online. It's good to see the press calling the White House out on this...granted, they can't scream hypocricy so much, but the fact that the White House is tredding on telling the press what to write and not write is something to which the press should call foul.

once you give up...

I'm drunk right now (again), just so you know.

Anyway, cute girl from work went to karaoke this week...or I should say cute girl who I've been crushing on went to karaoke this week. Talking with her I can definitely say that I want so much moe than to crush on her...she's friggen awesome.

I don't know what to do.

ugh.

pot, kettle; kettle, pot...

Some quotes from this article:

The White House said on Monday an inaccurate Newsweek report based on an anonymous source had damaged the U.S. image overseas by claiming U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay.

"It's puzzling that while Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts wrong, they refused to retract the story," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "I think there's a certain journalistic standard that should be met and in this instance it was not."

"The report has had serious consequences," McClellan said. "People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged."

A conservative media watchdog group, Accuracy in Media, said in a news release that "blood is on the hands of Newsweek magazine" for the story. AIM editor Cliff Kincaid expressed incredulity that "nobody at Newsweek has been fired or even reprimanded."

Okay...I don't even know where to start here. It is so fantasically hypocritical for anyone in the administration to be crying foul, crying that false information has led to unfortunate deaths, crying that apologies have not been made. Two years we have been killing people all over the place based on bad info. Two years insurgants have been blowing up innocent civilians because of our invasionary policies. Two years we've been effectively killing our reputation on the world because of all that we've done.

Curveball anyone?

Fucking A. I just can't even believe that the White House, of all people, has come out on this...and with such admonishment. I can't believe that Scott McClellan has balls big enough to be "puzzled" that Newsweek can at least admit they made a mistake when his fucking boss hasn't had the decency to do the same. I can't believe that Accuracy in Media would have the gall to bitch that no one has been fired or reprimanded at Newsweek when the dumb fucks are highly supportive of the Bush administration and everything conservative.

Who the fuck do they believe they are? Seriously. Ugh. I need a drink. A stiff one. Lots of them.

p.s. I am finding some comfort in seeing Bush's job ratings returning to free fall (Pew has him at 43% with 50% disapproval). Are people waking up? I pray.

the revenge of george lucas

I very reluctantly have obtained tickets to two showings of Revenge of the Sith...one on Wednesday night, a quarter after twelve (the theater charging $35 for 12:01 showings...I guess some really can't wait that extra 14 minutes), and another Thursday night. Both times are with different people, me being a movie person and this being a spectacle -- I often get worn thin like this.

But I digress. I loved the original trilogy, I must confess, but hated the first two prequels. I hated them so much that it has taken away from the original. I just can't stand watching them anymore. I saw The Empire Strikes Back a few weeks ago, and it just made me feel kind of sick...in a weird way like thinking back to an old love knowing how you used to feel juxtaposed against what you later learned about them. A sort of nauseous reminiscence.

That's the feeling I have toward this final, middle, episode. Or at least I did. Rotten Tomatoes has many reviews up already, and they are looking good -- including some snipets of geeks reluctantly claiming that this episode may be the best of the six; even though they never would have thought it.

So maybe, just maybe, this will be a good week at the movies for me. Maybe, just maybe, I will have a little faith restored in that galaxy far, far, away. I hope so...my feelings are slowly rolling into nervous anticipation, to go with the analogy above -- like meeting up with that high school crush ten years later, knowing you were jilted (and it hurt) but hoping that the flame might be relit.

why am i not shocked?

WalMart equates anti-WalMart zoning with Nazi book-burning

Yes, the most unAmerican of "American" companies is denouncing the abilities of local communities to dictate for themselves their own futures, rather than have their fortune crammed down their throats by the big kid on the block, kicking and screaming, pulling shit just because he can. And it's not just "wrong"...no, it's Nazi-like.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

ugh

SO I have to go online for a class chat tonight and I walk downtown to eat some grub and do my thing with my computer...only to find out that just about everything down here closes at six or seven or so. I end up having to walk way the hell to the other side of town to a bar and go online (the only person with a computer out mind you) but they have no outlets available to use their "free internet"...Man I wish I would've bought the extra battery...this meeting better not last more than hour...

a jimmy john update

As promised, I have the number for the Jimmy John's that opened on Monroe Center in Grand Rapids. It's (616)235-4500.

I have a scanned copy of the menu here. The prices are a bit lower than the one that delivers to my work, but there's also a 49-cent/item delivery charge...so it all comes out the same.

too bad my celibate days are not over

Just got back from the bar...am drunk...have to go to work in five and one half hours.

Beautiful girl at the bar tonight, we exchanged smiles. She warded off a preppy-asshole advancer, her friend watching her back for her. Another minute or two of seeing their discomfort and his blood would've been shed...all over his green polo shirt andin his little-boy hair-do...my hatred of sleazebags unleashed on his punk ass. I curse myself for being in this place where the mere idea of getting into a relationship makes me want to throw up...and holding to the idea where casual things are not my thing.

You know, it's sad...I know so many nice girls that I'd like to ask out but I just can't. Not now. It upsets me that by the time I'm ready to care, they'll probably all be gone...but then, maybe not.

bah.

another old classmate...

As I was leaving a party last night, a guy I went to high school with and had only talked to once or twice since showed up at the door...having been walking home from the bar with a friend and deciding to see what the party was all about. We decided to all leave together and walk the mile and a half back to his friend's house since it was three blocks from my place...

While walking we did what old classmates tend to do when they meet by chance some ten years after they graduate -- gossip about who's doing what. Not running into many from the ol' high school, I didn't have much to say. Besides, anythng I had wouldn't compare to what he told me about one guy that was actually my study partner back in Middle School English. A relatively good kid...a bit snobby richish, but relatively normal.

I was told, however, that he was in prison after shooting a guy in the head with a shotgun. He was paranoid, my high school chum told me, because he thought the guy -- a Rwandan refugee he tells me -- was hitting on his girlfriend or something. Not that it excuses him of anything, but his father was something of a creep I guess, and throughout high school had issues with the whole boy/girl thing; often getting jealous of any guy with a girl and being over-protective of any girl with a guy.

Curious, I just looked his name up in Google. The story, at it's base, seems to be somewhat right. My friend had said he'd moved to Colorado and openned up a hep clothes store, and that after killing the guy had run up to Canada. Other facts were only a bit off: He did kill a guy from Africa (it seems Angola, and not Rwanda) with a shotgun to the face. And it did involve his girlfriend, but not so much in a jealousy kind of way...no, Kirk Palmer thought the guy was turning his girlfriend into a vampire. He was caught fleeing to canada and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Suddenly I so want to go to my ten year reunion...

holy shit

I wnet to school with this girl since the first grade. Who knew what she'd grow up to do?

deliciousness in grand rapids

For those in town -- I have it on good authority that the Jimmy John's on Monroe Center will be opening on Monday, May 9th (I work with a woman somehow related to the owners). I am sure I'll be giving them plenty of my business. There is little greater culinary delight than yummy sandwiches delivered to your door. I will post a phone number whenever I find it.

wookin pa nub...

Authorities said Wilbanks purchased a bus ticket out of town a week in advance using an assumed name and cut her hair in an apparent effort to disguise her appearance. She subsequently invented a bogus tale of being abducted by a Hispanic man and a white woman.

Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said Wilbanks' disappearing act was not "just a spur-of-the-moment thing."
But none of this appears to have made any impact her fiancé, John Mason. (CBS News)

John Mason is desperate for some lovin' or something. I mean, I'm all about romantic gestures and forgiveness all wrapped up in a nice little package, but when your fiance's feet are so damn frozen that she stirs up national attention in her attempts to flee her wedding (that not even taking into account the above-mentioned premeditation), I think it's a good sign that you can do a little better...at least you can't do worse.

Man, I can't believe I'm so hard-pressed to write about something, anything, that I wrote about this shit...

cheap beer and whiskey sour

I did soe hardcore drinking last night...it's become a couple night a week thing in the last month or two, but that's okay. It isn't interfering with my life (much -- last Sunday night aside), and its helping me out in that way that only excessive drinking can sometimes do...

Talking with a girl that I've worked with for FOUR YEARS and only really met six days ago, I found out that she was also a philosophy major at the school I was a philosophy major at -- coming in about the time that I was getting out. I thought that was pretty cool...one of those small world sorts of things. What's odd is that at work I've always thought her a bit stand-offish...not necessarily in any rude sort of way, but a shy one. We've talked this week though, she's a pretty cool girl.

Getting home a little before two, I got to thinking that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad crushing on her a bit (I still want to avoid anything more than crushes for the moment -- about half of what that dice post was all about)...then I realized that she would be concurrent crush number three (maybe four) -- and that didn't bother me nor does it bother me in my current, more sober, state. I've never been able to think more than one girl was kinda cool or whatever at once, now is the first time and its several...and I'm very comfortable with it. I don't know if that's good or bad; mature or immature...And I don't care.

Oh well, enough sounding like a 17-year-old girl...