No breathing, no life. -- Mr. Miyagi
Tower View
The Quest For Five Continues
Tour de France: Lance beats Jan!
Lance and Jan battle it out in an exciting final time trail.
Its a close race with both men riding, giving and taking seconds here and there, but still overall at the same time. Ullrich's powerful style shined while Armstrong's fast powered pace was reflected in his face.
Then with under 10 kms to go, Jan hits the deck and slides, giving Lance another 6 seconds. Afterwards Jan looked shaken, nervous, and going slower than normal. He kept looking back, trying to wave off his manager's pace car, then looking down at his cycle, checking to see if anything was breaking.
Ullrich eventually finished fourth while Lance finished third, beating the German by 11 seconds. With David Millar and Tyler Hamilton taking first and second respectively, the overall classification is pretty much tied up.
So the final outcome is all but tied up. With a leisurely ride to the Champ-Elysee, Lance will enter Paris as the winner of his fifth straight Tour. Armstrong is the only American to do such a feat. He also ties Migual Indurain as the only man who has won five in a row.
If I could only ride so well...
The question now arises: Will there be six?!
Armstrong's site has a great image of him and Ullrich.
Check out Outdoor Life Network's website for the latest news.
***********
Out in The Yard
28 DAYS gets a new ending. Damn! I'm going to have to watch it again!
***********
"Bennifer" is getting panned by the critics. I hope so. I dont know how much more I can take of Ben and Jerry.. err.. I mean Ben and Jenny... Jennifer. You know what I mean.
***********
Background Noise
Karate Kid II is on, hence today's quote. I liked the series until Karate Kid III came out.
Why is it that every time a sequel comes out, the story line gets screwed up?
*********************************************
* I will never forget those nights.
* I wonder if it was a dream.
* Remember how you made me crazy?
* Remember how I made you scream?
*********************************************
I can't wait til I get that Giant between my legs. -- Marie talking about her new bicycle.
Tower View
Two Down, One To Go
The Hussein brothers are confirmed dead. Maybe our troops will be able to secure themselves now from ambush.
Come home safe guys. Stay frosty.
***********
Too Little, Too Late
The byline from this story on CNN is Hollywood to pirates: Please don't steal.
I can hear the response now: No.
I understand that this is people's livelyhood; that they live off this product. But then I also have no issue with getting a copy of a movie prior to its DVD release.
If its worth the money as the industry would have us to believe, then I will buy it. If its not worth the money, then I wouldnt have bought it anyway.
So what have they really lost?
Now I will say that those who are selling the movie copies should be smacked. If the industry isnt going to make any money off of this, then neither should we.
Its the fair thing to do.
Out in The Yard
Tour de France:
Its a rest day for the Tour. After yesterday, I think that even the spectators need it.
Check out Outdoor Life Network's website for the latest news.
***********
MS Flight Sim 2004 is available. As much as I love this game, why did MS feel that the steel tin was worth the extra $5? Merchandising, merchandising, merchandising...
***********
She had to keep the sofa dry. Are you kidding me?
***********
Background Noise
Couch Potato by "Wierd" Al Yankovic
You're going to lose your mind watching tv
They told me, they scold me
But I still tune in every show
On cable I get CSpan, TVLand, and HBO,
The Travel Channel, Discovery, and Lifetime...
I cant help it. Its a great parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself".
*********************************************
* I will never forget those nights.
* I wonder if it was a dream.
* Remember how you made me crazy?
* Remember how I made you scream?
*********************************************
At first, I thought I wanted a career. Then I realized I am just here for the paycheck. -- tagline at work
Tower View
Its been hectic as hell at the office. If work is supposed to be so fulfilling, why do they have to pay us to do it?
Word Smithing
This week's PC Police article shows how the League of United Latin American Citizens (aka LULAC) wants to change the wording of the Goliad Massacre.
For those not familiar with the Goliad Massacre, this battle entailed Mexican troops killing 300 Texas soldiers.
LULAC feels the word massacre is too harsh and would enforce hatred for Mexicans. They feel the word execution would be best suited for this.
Isnt this the same group that wanted to sue Taco Bell because they felt the Taco Bell dog in the commercials was degrading to Hispanics??
So the Battle of Little Bighorn was an execution? Tell that to Custer's troops.
We are Americans, regardless of our heritage. If you really want to stop the hatred, teach our kids to see beyond skin color and bias. Dont limit their ability to think for themselves.
Massacre is an appropriate word for troops that outnumbered and outgunned. Its also just a word. Its not what killed those men.
So has anyone told LULAC about the Alamo?
Out in The Yard
Tour de France:
Lance wins Stage 15!
In what has been called one of the most exciting races ever, Lance pulls out a win despite crashing and then having pedal problems. An exhausted Armstrong crossed the finish line with a 1" gap between him and second place man, Jan Ullrich.
image from TDF.OLNTV.COM
Speaking of which, kudos have to go out to Ullrich.
After Lance crashed, Ullrich showed the class of a true competitor by waiting til Lance was back and riding before continueing on his way. This way the race was still on even footing and would be decided by them, not by the accident.
I am confused about something though.
OLN has this listed on their site: "In stage 12, Ullrich proved he capable of stealing over a minute and a half. And that was the catalyst Armstrong needed to attack the final mountain of the centenary Tour with the sort of bravado that would enable him to start the final individual test (of stage 19) with a bigger leading buffer."
But according to their own site, stage 19 is a listed as a team time trial.
Ullrich's team, Team Bianchi, isnt as strong as Armstrong's US Postal Service team. USPS proved it by winning stage 6.
But if stage 19 is really the individual time trial like it was last year, then it may come down to Ullrich and Armstrong. Ullrich is an awesome rider, but Armstrong put his stamp of authority at last year's stage 19.
I cant wait to see what happens!
Check out Outdoor Life Network's website for the latest news.
***********
Cars sold on Ebay? So how do you do the test drive? Hey, Ao? Did you ever get that car? Heh...
***********
Its time to outlaw spam! Ummm.. duh?
***********
Judge tosses out NAACP lawsuit against gun makers. Talk about frivelous lawsuits. Guns dont kill people, people kill people... And a bullet doesnt care about the color of your skin.
***********
Background Noise
Once again, the replay of the Tour de France is on. I tried to listen to the webcast this morning at the office, but the network couldnt keep up.
Its probably a good thing too.
I can imagine myself yelling at my desk while Lance crashed. People at work already think I am strange enough already.
*********************************************
* I will never forget those nights.
* I wonder if it was a dream.
* Remember how you made me crazy?
* Remember how I made you scream?
*********************************************
If marriage is an institution and love is blind, then marriage is an institution for the blind. -- Anonymous
Tower View
The Happy Couple
To Gi And Alex, Congrats and God Bless!
I tried to send the poor lad a sympathy card, but was threatened with bodily harm if I did such a thing. Geez, women can be really touchy about such things.
***********
The Great Silver Celica Hunt
Its been raining pretty steadily for the past few days. When it rains, normal people tend to slow down abit, but apparently people who own silver Celicas are incapable of slowing down.
As I was coming down a two lane road, one such Celica came flying down a side connecting street. The driver misjudged his speed, slammed on his breaks, and began sliding.
A quick swerve to the other lane and a hard right swerve to swing the tail out allowed the Celica to miss me by at least a foot. If I hadnt been driving my BMW, I would have been sideswiped for sure. The Jeep just doesnt have the same manuverablity.
So after nearly crashing into either me or into a fence, what does this person do? Speeds down the street behind me.
If it werent for a flooded section of the road that forced all the cars to slow down, the wee bastard would have tried to pass me.
Sometimes stupidity isnt painful enough.
Out in The Yard
Tour de France:
Lance pulls a rabbit out the hat. He holds the lead by just over 20 secs and had to go offroad to avoid a crashing Joseba Beloki.
Beloki is a very strong competitor who has won second place the past few years, but this crash has taken him out of the Tour. Hopefully Beloki will be able to recover from his injuries quickly. He will be missed.
Kudos to Jimmy Caspar. Caspar was part of the major crash in Stage 1 and had been riding all this time with a neck brace. The injuries finally got the best of him today, but still managed to do seven stages and what had to be over 500 miles of cycling.
And there is Tyler Hamiliton who is riding with a fractured collarbone.
I can only hope to be tough as these men.
Check out Outdoor Life Network's website for the latest news.
***********
Man attacks woman with a dagger; blames the jasmine tea. Are you frigging kidding me?
***********
David Lee Roth is still rocking. The question is why??
***********
I am a firm believer that the state government of Mississippi has no idea what the hell its doing, especially with its alienation of affection law. Here is a story that proves it.
***********
Background Noise
The replay of today's stage of the Tour de France is playing on OLN. I was listening to the stage on OLN's website this morning, but people kept coming up to my desk and asking me questions. So what else can I say?
"Hi, my name is Ken and I'm a cycling addict."
*********************************************
* I will never forget those nights.
* I wonder if it was a dream.
* Remember how you made me crazy?
* Remember how I made you scream?
*********************************************
Who cares if I've had sex? It's nobody's business. Trust me, I'm not going to have a press conference to announce it. -- Britney Spears
Tower View
Absurdity Abounds
Britney is talking about her virginity? Or in this case, her lack there of.
Isnt this like Micheal Moore talking about his weight loss program?
If she wasnt going to have a press conference, why the hell did she tell People magazine?
Besides, if I'm not going to have sex with her, then at least let me see some good pictures. Hehehe...
***********
Loss For Words
Wendy McElroy's article talks about the similiarities between Politicaly Correct terms and the language described in George Orwell's book 1984.
Its ironic that the language of Orwell's dark view of the world is very close to the PC language. I always believed that it limits the way free people think because it prevents us from speaking our minds, agreeable or not.
McElroy agrees and shows how we are losing our ability to express ourselves.
***********
Its The RIAA'S Fault
John Dvorak talks about how the rebirth of anonymity sites are coming because of RIAA's snooping into our own machines. In order to hide from the RIAA's prying eyes, users will use these sites to hide their IP's and make it harder to be found.
Dvorak can see how the bad guys, terrorists, pedofiles, etc., will use the same sites for their own ends.
Thanks RIAA. Here's another mess we can blame you for.
Out in The Yard
Tour de France:
U.S. Postal wins the team time trial! Congrats to the Posties who now hold top 8 positions and to Victor Hugo Pena, the first Colombian to ever wear the yellow jersey!
Check out Outdoor Life Network's website for the latest news.
***********
What is it with bodies and windshields?! Here is a story about a young man who hit a pedestrian. The impact tore off the ped's legs and smashed the body into the windshield.
"It's the pedestrian's fault. He was wearing dark clothing. The poor kid (the driver) was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The ped's family may disagree with that one.
***********
Background Noise
The replay of today's stage of the Tour de France is playing on OLN. I missed listening to the team trial this morning because of a meeting.
Hopefully, people will leave me alone long enough to listen tomorrow's stage.
*********************************************
* I will never forget those nights.
* I wonder if it was a dream.
* Remember how you made me crazy?
* Remember how I made you scream?
*********************************************
ShrimpFriedRice: I saw you carrying a gift bag last week. What did you get me?
Me: Gift bag? That was over two weeks ago, woman!
ShrimpFriedRice: Never mind that. What did you get me?
-- Today's conversation at work.
Tower View
Vacation time is over so its time to catch up.
But First
One of the running jokes around here: A picture of Ken and Barbie...
***********
PC Police Part 1
This week's PC POLICE article from Scott Norvell touches close to home because there is some discussion about Asian-Americans. Apparently some people took offense to having a new Charlie Chan series because they saw it as a racist series.
I think it would be kind of cool having an updated version of Charlie Chan in order to get rid of those old stereotypes. Think about it.
Have an multi-talented actor like Chow Yung Fat or Tony Leung as Charlie; not a quotation spouting chunky psuedo-asian man, but instead, an intelligent, handsome Chinese detective.
What would be more cool than that?
Check out Hard Boiled and Tokyo Raiders and see if you agree.
***********
PC Police Part 2
Then there is the part where people were upset with the new Charlie's Angels movie. An early script had Lisa Liu's parents as a Chinese man married to a Jewish woman. When the movie was released, it was actually John Cleese as her father and a Chinese woman as her mother.
The disgruntled voices note that Lisa Liu is Asian, not half-Asian.
Excuse me? How were the gender changes in parents supposed to be any different? More to the point, isnt this a frigging movie?!
Liu is playing a character, people. Get over it.
Out in The Yard
The Tour de France is on! For cyclists, this is one of the most exciting races ever.
I'm a fan of Lance Armstrong, but he may not have this one yet. Its too early to tell and with two major crashes within the past three days, it can be anyone's race so far. .
Check out Outdoor Life Network's website for the latest news.
***********
Its a Blur. I wish I could afford one of this bike! But I'm saving up for this one from Trek.
***********
The three person body count is perpetuated once again. From the actor's catagory, there was Katherine Hepburn, then Buddy Hackett, and now Buddy Ebsen.
***********
Gamers arent anti-social hermits. Well, no sheet Sherlock.
***********
SPAM strikes back! I never realized the email term was referring to the Monty Python skit. I always thought it was a wordplay off of acronym for Spam - "Stuff Posing As Mail."
Background Noise
"Not Gonna Get Us" by Tatu
Starting from here, let's make a promise
You and me, let's just be honest
We're gonna run, nothing can stop us
Even the night that falls all around us
The problem with Tatu is that they are simply too hot. Who can concentrate while staring at their nice round.. umm.. eyes...
*********************************************
* I will never forget those nights.
* I wonder if it was a dream.
* Remember how you made me crazy?
* Remember how I made you scream?
*********************************************
Careers are for those who just want to screw a better class of people. -- Tracy.
Tower View
Always A Bride's Maid
My friend, Gi, had a bridal shower this weekend to celebrate her upcoming wedding. She was tempted to invite me to this event except for two major factors: 1) I'm male and 2) I'm not gay.
Being gay really didnt have anything to do with this. Besides being the work husband, I'm her Will Truman while she's my Grace Adler. And if this doesnt make sense, watch the TV show Will & Grace. Good show.
For her, it was just wierd because she doesnt have that many female friends and the one friend she did want there, really would have felt strange since he would have been the only male there. Even her fiance was smart enough to escape this event.
When Gi told me this, part of me was flattered. After all, its nice to be considered a good friend to someone.
But then part of me was slightly upset. I can appreciate floral patterns as well as the next man, thankyouverymuch!
So what did I exchange this event for?
Girls Night Out
Apparently, I exchanged my night for one set of females for another set of them.
Somehow a friend of mine talked me into hanging out with a cluster of females. The downside was that I would be the only male since the others had backed out for one reason or another.
I thought to myself "Me. Several women drinking and cavorting with a night on the town. And then there is just.. Me... It doesnt get any better than this."
Or so I thought.
Out of the eight of us for this gathering, there was myself, my friend who is spoken for, another who is married, and six very attractive lesbians.
Oh. My. God. Talk about waving the damn meat in front of the hungry dog.
What made it worse was this evening became a scene out of Chasing Amy. Here I am, surrounded by women and what am I doing?! Exchanging oral sex techiniques, showing how to lick whip cream off fingers, and getting the description of chocolate cake mix.
Hell, I cant even look at chicken soup the same way.
So what do we do after dinner? We go to a dance club. The part they neglected to tell me was that it was a gay dance club.
Now before going any further, lets get something straight. I dont care if someone is gay, straight, or otherwise. We are all adults and we have to act like it.
But damn! There were some very attractive women and I knew that there wasnt a chance in hell with being with one of them. I could have gone to a straight bar for that!
Two positive notes. First, I think I can pass for a lesbian, Some of the women had the short cropped hair like me, were wearing similiar shirt and pants as I was, and hell, I even like women too.
Secondly, I was told I am a good dancer and am welcome back. I just have to make sure not to bring a purse with me.
So on that note, I must give a shout out to Valdez, Amy, Stacz, Megan, Tracy, Debi, and to all my other girls that I dont have time to name. I must also give a shout to Marie, who I blame entirely for putting me into the situation in the first place.
One More Note...
I forgot to add this...
Umm.. Hey Valdez?
*SNORT*
Out in The Yard
Katherine Hepburn passed away today. She was really one of the good ones.
Background Noise
Daria: Is It College Yet? in now. I like the series even though Noggin doesnt show all the episodes and censors the ones it does show.
Fortunately, Is It College Yet? and Is It Fall Yet? are available on DVD.
*********************************************
* You are the light
* To my soul...
* You are my purpose...
* You're everything...
*********************************************
For some strange reason, the new Blogger forces the font to change after the horizontal line. I'll have to figure that out later. Bleah.
See attached update. blah, blah, blah, yeah I changed it. Get over it or face the wrath of Princess G. -- Email from Gi.
Tower View
Now that Blogger has allowed us to log in again.. here we go...
The Greedy Ones Strike Again
RIAA wants to sue users who share a "substantial" amount of music files. The story here describes how the suits want to go after these users in eight to ten weeks with a significant lawsuit for each song shared.
Get over it, RIAA. So they find out who shares the files. Big deal. Since the word substantial hasnt been defined, they will make the mistake for going after everyone who shares more a single file. So users will also simply share outside the normal channels. They dont need the peer to peer software anymore.
Too late, suits. Instead of paying all that money for the frivilous cases, it could have been used to adapt to the new environment.
Oh well. I'm not crying for them. Just another example of the how far over the edge we've gone.
There Is Hope Yet
On the other hand, maybe we arent so bad off yet.
Last night during a visit to the local Subway, a jovial customer in line began a converstation with the rest of us as well as the sandwich maker behind the counter. Despite the long wait, he was in good spirits and even got the crowd laughing with his discussion about the shows American Idol and Fame.
He even got the tired sandwich maker smiling. Apparently her fiance had been mean to her earlier that day so Mr. Happy simply said "Dump him. That will teach him. Then when he comes groveling back, make sure he crawls. And if he doesnt come back, then more food for you."
We need more people like Mr. Happy. It would be a nicer place to be.
Out in The Yard
Good lord! Talk about a tough crowd. Look here.
Chickens as pets?? Hmm... So what happens if you get hungry?
Background Noise
Before I forget, yes, I got the name wrong in the last entry. It was California Love, not California Dreaming. It was late and I was tired. Well, that and I'm old, but nevermind that.
Boys Of Summer -- The Ataris (cover of the Don Henley song)
I can see you,
Your brown skin shining in the sun.
You got your hair combed back
And your sunglasses on, baby.
I can tell you
My love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
*********************************************
* You are the light
* To my soul...
* You are my purpose...
* You're everything...
*********************************************
Me: First off, let me apologize for all the errors you folks saw. The frigging moron who set up the webpage not only did it wrong, but he also screwed up all the links.
Ann: Werent you the one who set up the page?
Me: Yes, it was..
-- From today's meeting.
Tower View
What The Hell Is Wrong With People?! Part 1
Fury sent out this article about how the police had to shut down a 6 year old girl's lemonade stand because she didnt have a business permit.
I understand the police have to do their job when a formal complaint is called into them. The problem I have is that it was a frigging neighbor who filed the complaint.
What the hell? Did the girl's lemonade stand cut into the neighbor's profit margin??
What The Hell Is Wrong With People?! Part 2
This story notes that New York state government wants to put a tax on video games and junk food in an effort to fund anti-obesity programs. As far as I know, this doesnt deal with anything remotely closely medical in nature; thyroid, genetics, age, etc. This is more because too many people are sitting on their ass eating junk food and playing video games.
Do you really want to pay extra money for a government program that requires someone else is too damn lazy to exercise or eat properly?
What The Hell Is Wrong With People?! Part 3
Cynical Tyrant has a blog entry about her most recent weekend in which she did a cycling event. Along the way there was an accident in which a driver plowed thru a couple of riders. The riders where hurt, but fortunately, not seriously.
On the upside, the driver was arrested on felony charges.
Cyclists have the right to the road. Get over it. Learn to share the road, people.
Out in The Yard
Speaking of obesity, here is a story about a hotel that deals strictly with larger folks.
Its the year of the beaver. See here.
Denny's makes the news again. Hope the former employees that ticked off this cop lose much more than their job. They definately fell under the catagory of What The Hell Is Wrong With People?!
Background Noise
California Dreaming -- Dr. Dre and Tupac
Say what you say,
Give me that bomb beat from Dre,
Let me serenade the streets of LA.
From Oakland to Sac town,
The Bay area and back down.
Cali is with it.
Put the Mac down.
Give me love...
ShrimpFriedRice: As always, my lips are sealed.
Me: Around what?
-- A conversation at work. I can always count on her to say the wrong thing at the right time.
Tower View
Speak Freely
We are lucky that we have freedom of speech. The Europeans dont have such a liberty and are about to lose more of it when they will require all Internet writers to provide space for *any* reader to contradict their thoughts.
Would you really want to pay for space to have someone else discredit your work or even contradict your opinions? Let them pay for it if they feel their opinion is that important.
Take a look at this article and think about what we take for granted.
Speaking Of Which...
William Safire wrote a pretty good editorial about how the recent FCC regulation needs to be tossed back by congress.
I agree with Safire. Do we really want corporate America telling you what to see, you to read, and what news you can hear?
Talking About Corporate Life
Once again, the music artist is getting ripped off. This article shows that even with web based music, the corporate label is getting a larger cut than the artist. A much larger cut than is deserved.
This letter to an editor shows that corporate labels should be worried. I, for one, try not to buy any cds. If I'm going to give money to somebody, I would prefer to give it to the actual artist.
Too many corporate suits have lived off their artists like a bunch of vultures. Its time for the artists to be able to live off their work.
Out in The Yard
Speaking of vultures, CBS wants to make a tv movie about PFC Jessica Lynch. Bleah... She's been through enough as it is. Leave the woman alone. Sheesh.
Now for a movie, the Transformers would definately be a better choice. Woohoo!
For those of us who cant get outside or cyle in the great tours, there is Cycling Manager 3. I've played the demo and am anxious to get the full version. The bad part is that I'll have to wait awhile since it will only be released in Europe this month. Wah!
Background Noise
I Against I -- Mos Def and Massive Attack
Flesh of my flesh,
Mind of my mind,
Two of a kind,
But one more wont survive.
My image is reflected in my enemy's eye
And his images reflect in mine
the same time.
*********************************************
* You are the light
* To my soul...
* You are my purpose...
* You're everything...
*********************************************
Careful, Ken! Next time you poke your fingers in me, I may not be able to let them out... -- ShrimpFriedRice
Tower View
The Morning Ritual
We all have our habits that we do in the morning. For me, its the stretch before the shower, dress, then drive to work. For others, it may require grabbing that cup of coffee or even the morning workout prior to work.
But if your morning ritual requires you to put on makeup while smoking a cigerette and driving down the road at 55mph, then you may want to rethink that habit. Especially when your car consistently drifts from lane to lane in front of an armed individual such as myself.
Two options here:
1) Wake a little bit earlier
2) Do the make up when you get to the office.
Trust me, ladies. We arent really looking at your face anyway.
Racing Away
We as a society have gone overboard on the politically correct crap. Scott Norvell tends to agree with his ongoing article on Fox New's web site.
People have gotten oversensative over the most dumbest things. My own "race" would consider me as an Asian-American.
Thats strange. I always thought of myself simply as an American.
Out in The Yard
I know that kids are supposed to help with the shopping, but this is ridiculous.
In my personal opinion, Alienware makes some of the best PC's in the world, especially when both Starfury and myself own one. Now some of the more industry based websites are beginning to notice.
Here is David Coursey's article about the little company that did.
Background Noise
Desperate People -- Living Colour
Feel the Earth revolving
See the Sun dissolving
And the Night coming after you
You have no direction
And you have no protection...
Whatcha gonna to do
when your trip turns blue?
*********************************************
* You are the light
* To my soul...
* You are my purpose...
* You're everything...
*********************************************
Mike: Thank God for the tax break for married couples. I had some friends who would get divorced in December, then re-marry in January, just to avoid paying the extra cost for being married.
Me : Thats not why they did it. He did it so he could avoid getting her an anniversary present. She did it so she could get another honeymoon. -- A conversation at work.
Tower View
Knowledge is Power
A recent article describes the University of Vancouver allows students to study and write computer viruses. There are many proponents for and against this matter. One of the more vocal ones wrote this article saying that this subject should be taught to college students.
I tend to agree on this.
There are many arguements against this kind of material, the most notable are that this type of class would only create more virus writers and why couldnt they be taught the other subject materials that cover this realm; TCP/IP, networking, computer communications, etc.
There is no sense in hiding from the truth, people. The virus writers are already out there. The code is already readily available. Even Wired magazine is going to publish an article that shows the source code for the Slammer virus.
Colleges already teach the other pieces of networking, connectivity, and other internet based communications. It doesnt change the fact that viruses are getting through to those people who dont know anything about them.
For all the bickering going on about this subject, when was the last time you heard an uproar about students taking accounting? Recently, it was the accounting practices of Enron and WorldCom that bilked stockholders out of millions of dollars?
Dont military forces teach their soldiers how to build and fire weapons? Dont they learn how to kill those who oppose them?
The purpose of this class is to responsibly educate responsible students. It will be up to them to determine what to do with this knowledge. With more responsible, knowledgable people available in the industry, then perhaps we will have better anti-virus products available to the public.
Besides, holding information back from the masses leads to censorship, even if you dont like the information given.
Out in The Yard
V is coming back to the little screen. Here is the story. I cant wait! Heh...
This article notes that The Smoking Gun is getting its own tv show. Hmm.. Too bad it will be on Court TV. TSG always shows the best mugshots of arrested celebrities.
Background Noise
Bring Me to Life -- Evanescence
Actually, in this case, I've got the digital music channel going on the tv. Instead of showing a video, the song plays while there are artist fact's displayed.
I find it interesting that Evanescence was once considered a Christian band. Listening to the words of "Bring Me To Life" and "Tourniquet" along with their musical blend of Goth rock and a call to God, I can see how they could get this label. It even reminded me of how Creed had this distintion for awhile.
Evanescence renounced this fact, saying that although they were Christians, they were not a Christian band. When this was publicized, their cd was pulled from many Christian market stores.
Christians, who are supposed to turn the other cheek, refused to sell the music of other Christians, just because they didnt to fit a stereotype.
Isnt it ironic, dont you think?
*********************************************
* Dont let me die here
* There must be something more
* Bring me to life
*********************************************
The Secrets of Hung Men -- From the cover of July/August Kung Fu Quigong, referring to Hung Gar kung fu.
Tower View
Games Have Freedom of Speech
Video games have been listed as protected by the first admendment by the Supreme Court. The story is listed here.
Finally some sense has been made in this issue. Too many people have been blaming games for the behaviour of their children instead of taking responsibility for the way they act. Thats about as smart as blaming guns for the amount of crime in the country.
Employment Opportunities
I've come to the realization that I wasnt made for physical labor.
The company that I am employed with is one of the sponsors for the local chapter of Habitat of Humamity. This is the charity that has local companies and builders volunteer their time and materials in order to help builds homes for under-priviledged people.
I'm not one for such physical work, but I didnt want to be the only person on my team that didnt volunteer. What can I say? It was peer pressure.
After a somewhat disturbing drive to the more seedy part of town, I found myself "volunteered" for building the walls that would be the framework of the next home. I dont know a thing about building so I had to defer to the knowledge of Richard, the carpenter who was in charge of us.
Six hours of measuring lumber, firing a heavy nail gun repeatedly, pulling nails from wood, and stacking newly fabricated walls into slates will wear you down. The part that kept me laughing was Richard, who would keep telling us war stories about how at a nail either penetrated his fingers, foot, or leg.
There was the story about the forklift that fell on his toe... *shivers*
I definately have a new found respect for those in the construction industry.
Out in The Yard
An editor with Eweek noted that viruses are a problem, but its the idiot users who decide to keep sending the damn things out have become more of the major problem. I tend to agree so the story is here.
The biggest liar in West Virginia is going into politics. How ironic. Read it here.
This has to be one of the best commercials I've ever seen. Give it time to load though. Its a little slow, even on a cable connection.
Background Noise
Pushing Me Away (Remix) -- Linkin Park
When I look into your eyes
There's nothing there to see
Nothing but my own mistakes
Staring back at me
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* Dont let me die here
* There must be something more
* Bring me to life
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Mike: You hated your vacation, Gi?! How could you hate your vacation??!
Me: Because she had to spend money. -- A conversation at work.
Tower View
Frigging Stupid People Part 3
I was coming home today and was held up in traffic due to some joker in a pick up truck with a rear flat tire. I can understand having a flat and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as you decide to actually change the frigging thing.
Because of the traffic, it was hard for anyone to even get around him, but he made it worse by skipping the three parking lots and two apartment complexes that he could have turned into. Instead, this guy continued on his merry way, hazard lights on, driving as slow as possible.
I was hoping to see the axle break any minute or the rim to rip off. At least in this way, stupidity would be painful.
The New Pornography
Like it or not, pornography is big business. It doesnt have the sleaziness like it did in the past so even industry watchers like Business 2.0 put out a story. The pictures of Jenna Jameson are good, but Ginger Lynn, who really is a very attractive woman, just looked evil in her image.
Ironic that porno is also the reason for the technology we have nowadays: streaming video, voice chat, web cameras, etc.
Ah, the things we do for pleasure.
Out in The Yard
Ok, now where was this when I was in college? Video games as an actual course? I could have majored in that...
Jewel has a new cd coming out tomorrow and CNN has a story about it. I saw the video for the first song Intuition and like the fact she has showing abit of flesh in this one. Jewel is definately a hot one.
The music is abit more modern than her previous accoutic ballads. I've listened to a couple of tracks already (don't ask how) and am convinced that I'm going to have to pick this one.
Background Noise
Momma Said Knock You Out -- LL Cool J
Dont you call this a regular jam...
I'm gonna rock this land...
I'm going to take this
itty, bitty world by storm
And I'm just getting warm...
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* Dont let me die here
* There must be something more
* Bring me to life
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Pussywillow! Pussywillow! Pussywillow! -- FloridaRose
Tower View
And Now For Something Completely Different
Here is a plug for my friend, Lindy, who has started a scrapbook setup business. Many of us like to take pictures, but then we end up just tossing them into a photo box or album. For a real presentation of your memories, check out Snap-N-Scrap. Lindy can even help with taking photos for you.
Frigging Stupid People
I went to the local grocery store and watched a Camry fly thru the parking lot to park in the fire lane in front of the store. I absolutely hate that because that is for lazy people. They dont think about how not only is that illegal, but when they park there, if there is ever an emergency, the fire trucks, ENS, etc, cant get close enough to help.
What made it worse was in a matter of seconds, I watched an old Ford pickup truck fly to the same space, honking its horn like mad because he wanted to park there too. The driver was determined to argue with the Camry's driver about making more room so he could park.
Let me get this straight. One driver gets mad at another driver for illegally parking in a space that he wants to illegally park in as well.
I can understand being in a rush, but damn people, the good Lord gave you legs. Learn how to use them.
Frigging Stupid People Part 2
There is a story here about a lawyer who wants to take a murder case in order to present the "video game violence" defense.
Of all the stupid, moronic things to blame. Apparently, the teen murderer is able to distinguish reality from fantasy. Sounds more like no one wants to take accountability for their own actions.
Damn it people. The good Lord gave you a brain. Learn how to use it.
Out in The Yard
Avril Lavigne's song Sk8er Boi is being turned into a movie. The story is here. Once again, the question that is asked is "Why?!"
Background Noise
Who are you?
I'm the alien's mother. -- from Alien Resurrection
The movie is on, but its on ABC so it will be censored abit. Still, Ron Pearlman always did play a good gunslinger/mercanary type. His performance here and in Blade II show it.
I've always liked the Alien series and have wondered what it would take to have a movie based on the Dark Horse comic book series, Colonial Marines. Based roughly on the Marines unit from Aliens, a new squad is forced to take on the dark insects in battle.
Dark Horse always did good Aliens stories. Matter of fact, their book Aliens vs Predator occurs some time after Resurrection. It might be something worth picking up if you are a fan.
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* Dont let me die here
* There must be something more
* Bring me to life
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Denial is the most predictable of all human responses. -- The Architect, Matrix Re-loaded.
Tower View
The hectic life caught up with me again so I havent been doing a good job at updating the blog.
Take Me Out To The Ball Game
Its a rarity that the company I work for does something right.
My dept got to go to a baseball game of the local minor league team paid for courtesy of the company. I thought it was just a team building event for my department, but when we got to the ball park, I noticed other departments were there too. Come to find out that it was a corporate event. Not only did we have several of our areas there, but there were other companies too.
Our company had bought a lot of tickets as a reward for many groups, ours included. And although I despise, I actually had a good time, mainly because the people I was with a pretty rowdy bunch.
There was even a guy who proposed to his girlfriend, Tanya, in between innings. Of course this prompted, Robert, a co-worker to yell out: Come on Tanya! You can do better!
Learn How To Drive
Ok people, here are some simple rules to remember:
1. If the road is a two lane highway and both lanes are clogged, speeding up on my tail will not change that fact.
2. Honking your horn at me while both said lanes are clogged will not change that fact.
3. Yelling at me while both said lanes are clogged will not change that fact.
4. Waving your fist at me and complaining about my Jeep when you drive a little red Ford Focus POS while both said lanes are clogged will get you shot. Mainly by me.
Nuff said.
Florida cops are dressing up as homeless people in a sting to catch speeders and traffic violators. The story is here.
Homeless advocates are upset about this because they feel its demeaning to the homeless. Give me a break, people. If anything, this type of operation enforces the plight of the homeless and the need for change.
The undercover cops are carrying signs that say Sheriff's traffic sting in progress. Buckle up. Considering 171 drivers have been caught, it shows how well people pay attention to the homeless.
Under the catagory of "Wrong, But Funny..."
My cousin sent this to me with the original email. The email stated "Someone took my picture while the women were protesting Augusta..." I dont know how true this is, but its still funny as hell.
Out in The Yard
Cat TV is upon us. Gah.. Do we really need that?
Background Noise
Drift Away by Uncle Kracker
Give me the beat, boys
And free my soul...
I want to get lost in your soul
And drift away
*********************************************
* Dont let me die here
* There must be something more
* Bring me to life
*********************************************
When my grandmother was 70, she began walking a mile a day. She's 75 today and we have no idea where she is. -- Ellen DeGeneres
Tower View
My road rage is pretty well known. Tonight was just another reason for it.
When I left work, I was in the right turn lane behind a white Taurus station wagon, both of us waiting for the light to turn green or for traffic to die down enough to turn. When it did finally relax, I noticed the Taurus wouldnt turn; it just sat there.
The left turn signal went green and both sides of traffic began moving. Suddenly the Taurus jets out to make the right turn, almost hitting the oncoming car making its left turn. Just as bizarre as the sudden turn was, the Taurus sits in the lane, blocking all the oncoming cars, and preventing them from making their turn. And after all this wierdness, the car moves foreward at turtle's pace, making traffic even harder as it is.
Finally, I am able to make my right hand turn and flow thru traffic. After moving thru, I find myself side by side the Taurus and notice the driver; an elderly gentleman leaning forward, squinting at the road extremely hard, wondering why its so dark because he neglected to turn on his headlights.
I understand that older folks need to drive around town and have to get things done. The problem is that basic health and the ability to make decisions plays a part in the ability to drive, people. If you arent able to do this, regardless of the age, stay off the damn road.
Out in The Yard
Buffy is finally ending. Thank God! Now if we can only get rid of that Charmed crap.
Do games reduce productivity? I think so and neither does this story.
People should never engage in cyber-sex. This is the reason why.
Background Noise
The Ref is on. This was Denis Leary's best movie and is still funny as hell. It should be included with the must-see holiday films.
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* Dont let me die here
* There must be something more
* Bring me to life
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For all you people from L.A., who have never seen them before, these are actually real. -- Katie Couric talking about her chest.
Tower View
Yesterday, Katie Couric and Jay Leno switched places on their shows. Leno was on "Today" while Katie did "The Tonight Show."
I missed out on Leno's appearance, but I was more interested in Katie's performance.
Not only was she very attractive in the low cut black dress, but she had some pretty funny material.
When discussing women in wearing bras to prevent SARS due to the shortage of surgical masks, Katie noted "This is probably the only time that men can talk to a woman and actually look at her face."
Dr. Phil didnt really need to be there, but we all need friends, so I cant argue too much. Still, kudos have to go to Tom Brokaw for being the straight man of the night:
Oh yeah, Katie, go ahead and do a night time talk show. Great career move! Look what it did for Joan Rivers, Pat Sajek, and Arsenio Hall. Give me a call when you're on Hollywood Squares!
Out in The Yard
Dawson's Creek is ending. Thank God!
Here is the story about the Internet ready portable toilet being called a hoax. Sounds more like Microsoft got sick of being the butt of all the toilet humor and decided to flush the project.
Little Green Footballs posted this story about a lawsuit to ban Oreos. Are you frigging kidding me? Do we NOT have better things to do, people?
Background Noise
The NBA playoffs are going on right now with an exciting game between the Sacremento Kings and Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs have taken over the game by forcing the Kings centers into foul trouble. Now Nick Van Excel and Eduardo Najera have taken over the game.
Of all people, Najera?!
In the meantime, I've been listening to Uncle Kracker's latest cd No Stranger To Shame from his website.
This started out as a search for a cover song I saw Kracker perform on The Tonight Show andd now starting to hear it on the radio. So when I found the site, I liked the fact that it lets you listen to the album thru a flash window and I found out the song is called "Drift Away."
I'm also liking the cd enough that I think I'm going to have to go out and buy this one.
Hint to the RIAA: We're going to listen to more electronic based music, people. Get over it. You do that, adapt to the new world, and we may actually find a reason to buy the good products.
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* Of all the places we were hiding, love
* What was it we were thinking of?
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The Steward
