Stop stealing the social security and pretending its a failing system

This is scary scary for us americans. Maybe we should probably like, I dunno stop wasting money we don't really have on effed up wars??

Mixed Message

Just when you thought you couldn't get any more annoyed by the ass-backwards airport security screening system, here's further evidence that TSA has absolutely no idea what they're doing at America's airports:

Read the whole article, but here's a SNIP:

Screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport failed 20 of 22 security tests conducted by undercover U.S. agents last week, missing an array of concealed bombs and guns at checkpoints throughout the hub's three terminals, federal security officials familiar with the results said.

The tests, conducted Oct. 19 by U.S. Transportation Security Administration "Red Team" agents, also revealed significant failures by screeners to follow standard operating procedures while checking passengers and their baggage for prohibited items, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it is against TSA policy to release covert-test results.

"We can do better, and training is the path to improved performance," said Mark Hatfield Jr., Newark Airport's federal security director, declining to address specifics."Test results are not a grade or a scorecard; they are a road map to perpetual improvement; any other characterization is simply misleading. We have to challenge ourselves to do better every day and be relentless in that pursuit."

TEST RESULTS ARE NOT A GRADE OR A SCORECARD? What are they then? In every other walk of life, tests determine if you get into that college, get that job. Tests tell us if we're sick or if our air is clean. But when it comes to government bureaucracies, test results "are a road map to perpetual improvement."

What we've learned, and what we already knew, is that TSA sucks. Their screening sucks, their results suck, and their training sucks. Perpetual improvement? More like a perpetual nuisance. If we want our air travel to be more secure, maybe we should more closely screen the cargo that goes underneath the plane. Maybe the federal bureaucracies should stop fighting and share their lists with each other so airport screeners know who to look for and when to look for them.

All of these people need to be slapped in the face.

Google to Buy Youtube?

James: nice…they would prolly make it better, but i like that there is at least two websites for that

Adam: yeah but the whole copyright thing is huge…esp. with google video

James: ok u know how everyone is thinking mpaa is gonna take youtube to court for that stuff... and nobody should buy it…what if google is goading them to take them to court… they have the money to go through with the courtcase... honestly the mpaa wont win the case.

Adam: yeah i agree 100%...its still a huge issue…because even if the court case goes through and MPAA loses…..then they will start asking a lot of questions about DRM and why it isnt working…which could be bad

James: but what would u expect the outcome of the them asking about drm

Adam: haha i dont know….how can they be any more tightwad than they already are

James: the reason it doesnt work, is because people don't like the idea of buying crippled products... maybe mpaa will realize that, they need to be a better provider of goods…they will sell more….for instance…i’m an emusic user…i love it… and i’d pay an extra 5 dollars, if i could get bigname labels too…they are trying to protect an amount of revenue, that they should have never been used to. the business of making and selling art should not be so profitable, its not supposed to be for the money

Adam: preach on!

James: lol…u know me…. =)

Trashpickers

This conversation took place a few minutes ago between 2 of this blog's contributors and is completely unedited. Enjoy.

Adam: last week i was walking home from the bus and i saw a mangled plastic bottle on the ground… it took me 2 seconds to pick it up and throw it in the garbage (and about 10 seconds to wash my hands when i got home)… yet while i was doing it, i thought to myself "people around me probably think i'm nuts, just picking up trash off the street"…literally i didnt even have to break stride, the bottle was so close to the trash can…story of the world

James: totally…not only are people averse to doing hard work to help the world, they cant even do whats easy

Adam: its beyond that…people are afraid to do what i did…because of how they think others will perceive them…if i see someone throw trash on the ground in front of me, i have to say something to them…people need to be chided…our culture has been so anti-discipline for so long…like its wrong to spank kids and shit like that

James: "hey asshole go pick that fucking trash up and put it in the can'….haha

Adam: there have to be consequences. which is why the fall of the US mini-empire might be the best thing that ever happened to us

James: can u imagine that guy talking to his friends later…'i got in a fist fight over literring today'

Adam: "some crazy guy yelled at me for something! i can't remember what tho"

James: hahahaha…thats terrible…haha

eFF all that noise!

This is probably the most interesting wiki stub i've found in a long long time. Ok maybe i'm exaggerating. It's quite amazing how many of these movies i've seen though. I suppose i'm a huge fan of the word FUCK.

sexy sexy sexy adverts, for teh win!

I dunno about other people, but this worked quite well on me. Needless to say its quite suprising. The only problem is, WHERE THE FUCK DO I BUY THIS STUFF, I DON'T LIVE IN FRANCE!!! And apparently its uber costly. Anyway check it out, its badical to the maxx. *NOT WORK SAFE*

US gov: 100, US constitution: -10

"When you let people do whatever they want, you get Woodstock. When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz."

I'm not sure who this guy is that wrote that essay, and what his background is. All I know, is that I thouroughly enjoyed reading it. As should all of my lovely readers. I found it pretty wild how breaking up that terrorist plot put us on higher security. If we caught them, why are we still so skiird?

So you want to be a photography expert??

This guy not only puts together really amazing photos, he really efFing knows how to put together tutorials on the work that goes into getting these results. This one goes out to those who recently were blessed with new cameras (jessigrass, =P)

So that's why It's so hard to get into MIT

They just continually pound out amazing research at MIT. This research brings us about 19 steps closer to having computers in our watches and monitors built into our aviator sunglasses. Shhh a boy can dream can't he? Link courtesy of 'rundropandglide', keep up the hawtlinking mayne!

Luther of 21st Century, well not quite

This really is an amazing list. Its 95 theses for geek activists, its really well done and thought out. As far as I'm concerned it should be regarded as, 95 theses for anyone living in the 21st century who wants to be part of the solution. Here's too the solution!!

Top-100 videos of all time, with a twist!

Ok its not a M. Night Shamalalalalon caliber twist, but the internet allows us to do some neat things. The list itself is pretty reasonable, but there are some things missing (TOOL? Are u kidding me?? No tool videos?) Some of the rank ordering doesn't seem the way that many people would handle it. Also the blurbs at times are downright pretentious. But the cool part is, for every video there is an onsite www.youtube.com link.

He'll crow. He'll fight. He'll fly. And then... he'll die.

Apparently crows are very smart, like unusually smart. I couldn't help but think of the crow's from disney's dumbo the whole time I read this.

The Green Fairy wasn't evil after all?

I love how as we learn more about pharmalogical sciences, it tends to turn out that campaigns against many things were likely just political razmatazz. Apparently when brewed properly (ie. like absinthe manufacturers from before the worldwide ban) absinthe is completely harmless and contains about .0005% toxin. And the best part is a native new orleaner has essentially unearthed those brewing practices, to bad its still illegal in the states. Yippie for misconceptions based on propaganda!

North American Union

When did that happen? Is anyone else severely offended by the lack of news coverage in this nation, on anything that goes on worth even a shred of interest? I'm not sure what to think about this whole thing here. Two things crossed my mind when I read it. One, this really reeks of nepotism, right thru Texas, huh? Gee I wonder if the presidential administration knows anyone there that they might be hooking up with obscene cash flow. Two, quite anti-union isn't it?

source: my main man sponger.

Nintendo's Expo

Every year there is an Expo held in America, called the Electronic Entertainment Expo (commonly called E3 for shorthand). The expo is held so that journalists can be spoon-fed stories about what electronic entertainment companies (mostly videogame publishers) have in store for the coming year. Over the years the biggest attraction has been Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft (and previously Sega) showcasing their new videogame hardware.

There is always a whole hoopla made about which company was the most impressive and garnered the most interest. Well this year it seems like there is no question. That is a 6 hour line of press folks waiting to try out the Wii (formerly known as Nintendo Revolution). In comparison both Sony and Microsoft's booths had approximately a 10 minute waits for people to try out their demos.

On top of that, when Sony revealed their "new" controller for the PS3 they announced that it would have tilt sensitivity (essentially a cheap copy of the Wii-remote's capabilities), I would say this really shows that Nintendo's call for innovation in gameplay and control (as opposed to graphical updating) is actually influencing the videogaming industry. If this expo is any indication, Nintendo might have a pretty good shot at getting back on the path to leading the market once again.

The Truthiness Hurts

Expect your friendly neighborhood Stephen Colbert to have a field day with this any minute. POTUS has nominated Gen. Michael Hayden to be the new head of the CIA, less than two years after nominating Porter Goss to the post. Goss has exited in a shameful tide of partisan backbiting. But that's not the coolest part.

Hayden is one of the parties primarily responsible for keeping POTUS' illegal wiretapping scam under wraps, making him the perfect candidate to lead the charge of the U.S.'s least-secretive secret agency. And here's where we have to ask the really, really tough questions. Hayden is a three-star general, also known as a Lieutenant General. Only three stars? We can't get a four star general to be head of the damn CIA? Mind boggling. Absolutely mind boggling.

Three stars? That's all we get is three goddamn stars?

Coolest Beer SLideshow

Beer enthusiast and friend Elise says:

Just found this. Forbes just ran a story about cool beers.

For the story click here:

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,70792-0.html?tw=wn_story_mailer


For the slide show click here:

http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/25/cx_np_0426featBslide.html?partner=lycos

Enjoy. Happy Wednesday everyone.... 2 more days till Cinco de Mayo- Anyone throwing a big fiesta???

~elise~

Stephen Colbert FTW!

Stephen Colbert has some real serious skill. He pulls his shtick with a straight face, like no other. Even if you don't think he's funny (howie), you have to appreciate his ability to sit next to Bush and play his character without breaking out at all. Thanks Stephen Colbert, you are the Ballz!

First Look: Nintendo Revolution

The latest issue of Game Informer magazine has an exclusive first look at the upcoming Nintendo Revolution console. They don't show you the console straight up, it's more of a third-party look via the developers of signature FPS launch title "Red Steel." The screenshots provided in the magazine are pretty impressive, but I was hoping for a more Nintendo-themed launch title like Super Smash Brothers or Mario, something like that. I'm sure Red Steel will be sweet though.

Like the Xbox 360 and PS3, this console is going to be mucho expensive and probably won't be available when it is released later this year. But it looks SO COOL. I'm interested to see how the new motion-sensitive controller plays...but the only place I'll be able to find out is at Best Buy, if they even have the console in stock when it launches.

Mature Mario

So if Nintendo was from communist China and also decided to make Super Mario gruesome and mature, this might be what they ended up with. I was thoroughly entertained, I hope you are too. Red scare for teh loss.

If you liked this, maybe check out the other blog I contribute to: SuperBlogBros.

"Rock this cult hymn, sock your mean younger boss, Psht - [Adult Swim], 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force!' "

News alert! [adult swim] is hip and I mean super hecka hip, in particular the Williams Street guys. And not in the I live in Hollywood and hang out with Paris Hilton and where cool clothes are the 'hip' clubs kind of way. The whole establishment at [adult swim] headquarters is teeming with excess social currency (and as of recently, probably a bunch of US currency too).

They are lending their hands to help out on another underground hip-hop album. Less than a year after volunteering their characters from numerous Williams Street produced shows, on the Danger Doom - "The Mouse and the Mask" album.

For those of you whom aren't in the know. DangerDoom is the collaboration of the underground rapper MF Doom from the "Stones Throw" label (the label [AS] is working with again), and Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse is most known for putting together the Grey Album mash-up (a mix of the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album) and he also produced the latest from Gorillaz, "Demon Days". If you want to check out that DangerDOom album, its available off emusic.com and you can get it for free with your free songs.

Ever Been to Gray's Papaya?

A while back I had an idea for a movie that takes place at New York City's famous hot dog and juice joint Gray's Papaya. We always go there after shows at the Beacon Theatre, often times in altered states and there is always something something crazy going on in there. This cabbies story on her blog, New York Hack, about some yelling line cutters confirms that:

The yeller yelled, "Put every motherfucking thing on it." Then, after giving it some more thought, he added, "And put some fucking pussy on it, too! I want me a pussy dog!"

A Gray's experience including the "Recession Special" consisting of 2 hot dogs and a juice for $2.75 just would not be complete without some drug crazed New Yorkers creating some kind of spectacle.

Geeks and Nerds FTW, am i rite??

Oh man, our secret is out! I'm not sure what to do now, its gonna be difficult for me to fend off all the fly hunies. It was already nearly impossible to stay single for as long as I have, I think that I might just abandon all hope. big LOL.

Everybody Hybrid Peoplenow

South Park was the shiz today. Kyle's dad gets a hybrid and then moves to San Franciso. Stan writes a song to convert eveyone to hyrbid's so that the Broflofskies will move back to South Park. Hybrids, such as the PIUS, catch on causing everyone to spew terrible bullshit into the air which forms a huge smug cload. This smug cload begins to merge with the smug cload from San Francisco, where everyone loves the smell of their own farts, alot. It forms a giant supercell smug cload which threatens to destroy the whole area, so they all destroy their hybrids, But its too late!...No worries, the broflofskies make it home safe with help of their guardian angel and Kyle lays down the lesson which is drive hybrids and don't dont be smug about it. This is "simply too much" for the people of South Park who go out and buy gas guzzlers. Oh yeah, and Kyle baby trib balls in SF.

Neo Street Art

This is a kind of graffiti I can get behind. I really want to make a bunch of these LED Thowies, its a shame it costs quite a bit just to use them as grafitti. Check out www.instructables.com while you're at it, its a pretty cool website with picture howto's for doing all kinds of weir off the wall do-it-yourself projects.

the creative juice squeeze

These are the results of my good friend squeezing her soul:

seeing is believing or believing is seeing no matter how it goes or where you happen to be in the world at the moment in time and if i saw what i believed than i would see a world where there is no deadline and no nine to five and no outrageous airline fees to prevent me from going to where i want to go when i want to go and who i may want to go there with and i would see a world where people do not die by the hundreds of thousands from diseases that are preventable and i would see a world where drugs that are needed are infinately cheaper than the lives that are taken. i might see a world where justice rules supreme as i travel by hot-air-balloon and i might even see international acts of compassion and if i look close enough i might be able to discern a world that exists without the concept of Quid-Pro-Quo and i might even see the brotherhood of humanity and of life.

but if i believed what i saw then i might not see any of those things instead only seeing things gotten in exchange for other things with not even a care paid toward those who toil and struggle and suffer from those wink-wink nod-nod exchanges and i would only hear hyperbole and double-speak from independently contracted think-tanks and i would see only the sullen defeated looks on the faces of people that have been tricked by the priorities in life that others have insisted upon placing on all of us and from my hot-air-balloon i would see thousands of species of flora and fauna go extinct as i pass overhead and i would hear languages and dialects that tell the story of vernacular evolution and beauty extingiush and cease to exist as i pass overhead.

from my hot-air-balloon i would see a costa rican feverishly reading and passing along my "dontated" copy of Ishmael and i would see my friends surfing the coast of costa rica and i would schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks swimming in the seas below and i would see olive-ridley turtle hatchlings make it safely into the water as they struggle to begin their lives that last for so long i would see poachers being poached for poaching big cats for skins in india and tibet i would see reef systems being rebuilt and preserved and i would see that the last 600 ethiopian wolves in africa-the last wolves in africa-live on and on and on and on and from high above in my hot-air-balloon i swear that i could see sri lanka and sumantra and the pakistani region devestated by earthquake and the city of new orleans and its citizens standing proudly again.

the most amazing thing that i have seen on my travels in my hot-air-balloon by far are the flushed faces of each and everyperson on the planet having just been infused with the lifeblood of hope realizing that we are the answers to the problems of the world which is why ive descended from my hot-air-balloon to roll up my sleeves to help.

-Kate Singer

Annie are you ok? Are you ok Annie?

This bird is the front runner for best dance moves in the non mammel category. He clearly grew up during the 80s. I bet he could do a wicked headspin.

Fun with perspective

This guys art is pretty amazing, I'd love to be walking down the street in NYC and stumble upon some of this work.

The Simpsons...

This is a really neato recreation of the intro to one of the greatest things television has ever had to offer.

Ah, shit, let's drink to something else. Let's drink to fucking. Yeah, say, "Here's to your fuck, Frank."

So this looks extremely interesting. The coolness of David Lynch hosting, the title of this thing alone sparks wonderment: "Explore the Frontiers of Consciousness, Creativity, and the Brain". I'm seriously considering checking this out, its in Iowa, weekend of March 24th.

I apologize for the vulgar Title, but Dennis Hopper's performance in Blue Velvet is just amazing to me.

FolksVagen porn

I had to post this. Something about old VWs "tickle me in a way, that if Loretta tickled me that way. I'd say, 'Oh thats nice" Someone went through the trouble of doubling the amount of 16V 4cyl engines in an old volkswagen 'Rocco, put up a website and a bunch of videos. Oh snap, german engineering, IN DA HOUSE JAH!

Quantum Overload-age

Keeping with the recent Quantum Physics theme we have going here. Somewhere along my interweb journeys I found this google video. It's a rip from the movie, "What the Bleep do we know". I really liked the movie, but at times they seem to maybe go a little to far with things. Anyway this is an animated explaination of the Double Slit Electron experiment which is essentially the precursor to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and Schrodinger's Cat.

The way they portray this is a bit creepy, but I guess thats just the nature of our reality.

TV: Teacher, Mother, Secret Lover

I don't know how I feel about a la carte cable but this guy's article was too funny to pass up. If anyone out there can find a dumber way of saying what he said, I'd like to see it in writing.

New Scientist Quantum computer works best switched off - News

Here is a quick article about quantum computing. It paints a good picture of what is going on in a standard quantum computer. A photon is passed through a system of mirrors and optical devices that changes the properties of the photon. But when it gets to part about this "non-running computer" it makes absolutely no sense. It talks about the photon "flirting" with the program rather than actually running through it. So, your program has not run but you have the answer. Supposedly, "a non-running computer produces fewer errors". Well No duh, where I come from non-running computers don't produce anything at all.

the master ladder of intellectual whores.

go to that.
enough said.

Cats watching Cats watching Cats to Infinity!

This is one of the coolest waste of time site's I've seen in quite a while. Well, if you're a cat person that is. Infinity and cats... together!? Sounds good enough for me!

Quantum Physics For Dummies

They put the whole movie up in chapters, via QuickTime. Its about unified theory, it incorporates a lot including string theory. I haven't watched the whole thing yet, I saw the first hour on PBS before. Finishing it now.

So I stumbled upon this

Actually I lied, someone linked me to it. And I guess i'm ruining it for any of you that check it out. You didn't stumple upon it... I showed it to you! psynautic ftw!

Kill Mario: Vol. 1

I don't remember this scene being funny from the movie, but I couldn't help but lol watching it like this. Reminded me of fond Mario 2 memories from my childhood.

secrets secrets are no fun. unless they are for everyone.

this site is cool. and its on blogspot.
GO TO IT and read peoples secrets.

The word I never knew, of the week.

Ok, so I clicked on someones face on myspace. It was under the "cool new people" thing on your homepage. I clicked it because the picture looked tripped out. Well lo' and behold what I found. A whole fetish world this guy was into, that I never knew. I'm not a rookie when it comes to knowledge of the bizarre fetishes possible in modern culture... but somehow this one slipped through the cracks on me. Anyway, I'm still a bit taken aback. Hopefully this will expand some of your minds... most likely in a direction you wish you could turn back from.

What were they thinking?

This is a car I think. Can anyone tell me what the eF they were thinking?

Eureka?!!?

Pretty whacky article, that sent my good friend and eye into a ridiculous coversation about reality and the nature of our universe. It was profoundly interesting to me, and hopefully it'll spark some wonderment in our millions of webizen readers!

Arts & Crafts for Extra Credit

In what could be the most childish, ignorant, backward response possible, Iran's Hamshahri newspaper is going to publish "Holocaust cartoons" as a way of lashing out against recently published cartoons of Muhammad in some Western newspapers. The original uproar began because Islam teaches that a physical representation of Muhammad is forbidden.

In recent months, Iran's young, ultra-idealist leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly tossed out the idea that the Holocaust either never happened, or was grossly exaggerated. Further, he stipulates that if indeed the Holocaust happened as "we say" it happened, then the U.S. and Europe should provide a home for Israel (I thought that was taken care of, but apparently my interpretation of post-WWII world history is wrong).

The cartoon contest will have 12 winners, each of which will receive a shiny gold coin (I'm not joking) from an anonymous donor.

Joe Rogan is whacked out.

I never expected hearing wild stuff like this come from loveable Joe Rogan. You might remember him from "newsradio", and "fear factor". I guess even those in very favorable positions in our society, still are disallusioned with our current path and start looking for answers in very strange places. Mind you, this audio link is quite tripped the eFF out.

I am Batman

My friend Ben sent me a link to this this morning, and for whatever reason it really struck a chord with me. Enough to have me crosslink his blog here. Somewhere from May to now, I lost sight of my goal for the greater good, and settled into a little rut. It kinda reminded me that I should get on track. Its mos def worth a read.

Clandestine Instant Messaging

If you want to use instant messenger at work, without bothering with trashy AOL AIM express, this is the tool. I suppose it could be stealing my password... I'll let ya'll know if i start to have my AIM account usurped.,=D.

SuperSize Me

The McDonalds game is really cool, but like most political satirical games... it gives you an uneasy feeling.

Punxsutawney Phil

Punxsutawney Phil couldnt give 2 shits about the weather or his shadow yesterday. All he had to say for himself was "Here we go Still-ers!" and just before running back into his hole and and thereby decreeing 6 more weeks of winter, "Yinz better git your Terrible Towels out". But Seriously, "6 more weeks of winter"? I didnt even know winter had started, this being just about the warmest year in recorded history If the weather continues to be this erratic we may actually be forced to return to rodents as a method of weather prediction

Upton Sinclair to the ER, paging Mr. Upton Sinclair!

This is really gross. Three guys in Moscow found a dead rat, heat treated, spiced, and seasoned, in a bag of snacking croutons. Eeeeeeeeeewwwww.

Don't give up hope

A good friend of mine, relayed this information to me. It's a good way to balance out the garbage being spewed on all the major networks right now. We shant give up on mankind yet!

Volunteer, Shmolunteer

U.S. soldiers at the end of their terms of service are finding out that the volunteer force they joined has backed out on its end of the deal. The stop-loss program that the link will talk about essentially allows the military to extend the tour of duty of a soldier despite his initial contract. Snip:

"When you sign up for the military, you're saying, 'I'll give you, say, six years and then after six years I get my life back.' And they're saying, 'No, really, we can extend you indefinitely.'"

"I'm very arroused"

For some reason this post seemed like a good reason to utilize that quote. Anyway I want one of these as soon as it hits the states. I love my DS, there are a ton of very unique and fun games available. And this new one is only 1 inch longer, 0.5 inches wider, and 0.1 thicker than a normal apple ipod. Plus it sports the cool styling from the yet to be released Revolution controllers.

The Wand, w00t!

The Flaming lips have a new single, its quite good. methinks. Anyway sorry about the myspace link... I know its ass. But you can hear the song legally and free.

Google refuses BellSouth's attempted Cybextortion

From GoogleKnot

Google has turned down BellSouth's offer to charge Google to have their sites load faster than others. Good move Google, don't let those ISP's boss you around and way to not fall in league with the monopolistic bastards. The only problem is that someone else will pay. It will be there only way to compete with Google. That's ok though because it's only a matter of time until the telephony titans of yesteryear fall completely to wireless peer to peer.

I hope you don't mind the self promotion. I had to post it on GoogleKnot but i thought it was interesting enough to post here as well... and I'm trying to effect my technorati ranking. Speaking of which POST JCMB LINKS! and Please feel free to join in on the Google discussion.

the Presidential text adventure

This will make you laugh, in an uncomfortable way. =(

Osama, Osama, Wherefore Art Thou, Osama?

Good news for the non-Islamofascist portion of our planet's population (and especially those of us here in the U.S.): Osama Bin Laden is offering a truce. He'll stop plotting to kill all of us, and stop spreading worldwide his message of violence and death, as long as we agree to seal ourselves inside our borders and never talk to anyone again. Here's a snip from the article, which quotes a recently released audio tape purported to be recorded by Osama himself (thanks, BBC!):

"We have no objection to responding to this with a long-term truce based on fair conditions," the speaker said.

"We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term... so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan... there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting of billions of dollars.

"Your president is misinterpreting public opinion polls which show that the vast majority of you support the withdrawal of your forces from Iraq."

So, something troubles me here. What in the hell happened to Osama Bin Laden? Wasn't he public enemy #1 for a while there? Wasn't he all fire and brimstone, hell in a handbasket for the infidel dogs? Aren't we all sinners, isn't he the solution, isn't that why he turned the WTC into a towering inferno of hell? Now, he's talking about truces, war costs, and opinion polls? What a sellout bitch.

Osama Bin Laden, you used to scare 280 million people just about every day. And that was just in this country. Now? You're nothin' but another talking head. You DUMBASS. You should have kept posturing, should have kept us thinking your power was real. You were living the dream! Now we know that all you are is a thug with some guns. And crappy guns at that. And, we know you are living hand-to-mouth in the hardscrabble world of northwestern Pashtuni Pakistan. You used to be evil incarnate. Now you're a nobody. Dumbass.

Just In Case

Just in case you got sick of me talking about various consumer electronics...here's a link of some kid (gender unclear) singing a Pokemon song. It may or may not be funny to you, depending on if you spend 9 hours in a cubicle every day.

TiVo Trouble

The jury is still out on this one, as far as I'm concerned. Either I'm an idiot (highly likely) or TiVo is really stupid (also highly likely). I bought a TiVo yesterday on sale at Best Buy ($50 once I get the rebate check back). I saw on the box that a landline was required for setup and I asked my friendly neighborhood Best Buy blueshirt "do I really need a landline?" And he said, "no you can use a USB cable." Perfect.

I take the box home. No time to turn on the Bears game...I must set up TiVo in time for the premiere of "24." Open it up, connect all the wires and whoozits. Step 6: connect your landline to a wall jack. Hmm....21st century young adult...wireless internet and cell phone....I don't have a damn phone jack! Not one. I am sure of it. I unscrew several electrical coverings. No secret phone jacks ANYWHERE.

Call to TiVo customer support. Wait in telephone hell for 20 minutes. Finally..."This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes."

"Hello? I don't have a phone jack."
"Well sir you are gonna need that."
"There's no way around this? I can't connect with a USB and use my cable modem or my wireless router?"
"No sir you need a landline."
"So, this 21st-century TV technology is completely dependent on a dying 20th-century technology?"
"Yes."
(long pause)
"Is there anything else I can help you with sir?"
"Sorry I just, I waited a very long time on the phone and I was hoping there was a backdoor or something."
"For the initial setup you will need a landline. You can take it over a friend's house to set it up."

Wonderful. So at 4:30 on my Sunday afternoon, the stroke of genius hits me to take the TiVo to work and set it up. Two horrifying hours later, the TiVo is not set up and I am leaving the office, tail between my legs, to go home to watch the 24 premiere. On regular old TV. With no recording capability whatsoever (what, you thought I had a VCR? That's SO five years ago).

In the end, I decided (after conferring with Howie) to ditch TiVo and their stupid dependency on the landline in favor of the DVR provided by my cable company. Sigh.

To my much missed pal, Adam

First off, I'm sorry that I didn't get to come to philly on new years... It has been quite a while.

Now for my rant. This goes for anyone else who has funded m$ via purchasing 360. You should have held out.

Considering that all the games worth playing (it's arguable that any of them actually are) right now are available on other platforms with slightly lower resolutions, you may have rushed to a rash judgment when you decided to plunk down $500+ for the Microsoft brand of next generation gaming. Excluding cod2, because I can play it at higher resolutions on my 2 1/2 year old computer (which happens to be a 32bit 2.1ghz processor, with a slightly weaker videocard than the 360) with less lag and more players on the multiplayer server.

If u waited, you could have probably saved the $70 you paid extra, plus however much they will reduce the price, when actually compelling games(read: not BS sports, fps, racing, fighting rehashes) are released and the competition readies their systems. By the way, Gears of war is totally crossplatform (ie: PS3,PC,360,and probably revolution) not to mention it's most likely going to turn out to be just a transparent vehicle for the licensing of their game engine. (just like their last games - "unreal" 1 and 2 and id's doom and quake games... Excluding doom1 and wolfenstein they were actually games and not sales pitches)

Yes I am a videogame enthusiast, it makes up a huge part of who I am. But I may be one of the most critical and discerning enthusiasts you might ever meet.

There was only so many Tony hawk games I could play, and thoroughly enjoy. That goes the same with console first person shooters, action rpgs, sidescrollers, madden football's, gran turismos, grand theft autos, fighters. Everytime I play a game that's just a graphical update and tweaking of an older game I spent hundreds of hours playing, it entertains me less. I can't even tell you how many hours we spent in my basement den, playing goldeneye. It was sickening, I almost never want to see it again.

When someone fires up Halo, I can't play for more than a handful of rounds before I'm bored, because it's such a clone of goldeneye that it's retarded. Madden came out in 1992 on genesis, it was incredibly fun. Every iteration was less fun, until it got the 3D treatment on the psx and n64. It was exciting again, because it once again felt fresh. Alas, then the process started over, everytime you spend your hard-earned cash on the next madden it gets played less and hence has lost some of its value.

There has been a pattern that's worked so far. NES -> SNES/Genesis was the first era of successful home console systems. Then there was the 3D revolution to usher in the second era, N64/saturn/psx -> dreamcast/gamecube/xbox/ps2. The pattern is alternating between revolution and evolution. The SNES generation was just an evolution of the 2D formula. There was a significant increase in pixel pumping power and addition of more buttons to refine the existing gameplay. The PSX generation was a 3D revolution. This generation saw the addition of the 3D processor which totally changed the way games were viewed, and the reintroducing of the analog stick (n64) gave a drastic change in the way the games were controlled. The PS2 generation was an evolution of the 3D formula. Simply an addition of buttons and significant increase in polygon pushing power, which refined the new 3d gameplay. Games were mostly made in 640x480 resolution now (instead of 320x200 which was standard on n64 and psx) and game worlds were larger and more involved (ie. Grand theft auto 3) But right about now, we should be at a juncture awaiting the next extensive change in our videogames.

Well according to Microsoft and to a lesser extent Sony we are about to witness a revolution, the HD Revolution! I have news for everyone... It's not a revolution, its just evolution. This time we're not even getting more buttons. All they want to give us is an increase in resolution and bigger worlds, but they propose that this is a revolution?! Prettier graphics, and larger landscapes. That was the selling points for the PS2. They want me to shell out $400 now, $100 more than last time (BTW, my gamecube was only $199 the first day of sale) AS IF!

I want a real change, and it looks that this time the only option for something actually new is Nintendo. I guess its fitting, Nintendo was the first company to make home videogames a profitable enterprise in the first place. Right after the gamecube was released Nintendo promoted Iwata (the game programmer responsible for super smash brothers) to their acting CEO/President. Since then Nintendo has been talking about how videogames need a kickstart, he knows that games are getting stale. They have proved that they are willing to make systems and games that stray very far from the norm, to attempt to reinvigorate the market (ie: Nintendo DS, pikmin, nintendogs, electroplankton). So when they say that this next generation is to be a revolution, I'm on their wagon.

Adam I don't think less of you or anyone who doesn't have the same jaded outlook as me. I realize I have a pretty unique point of view when it comes to this kind of thing. But god help me, if these companies keep rehashing tired shit that only the Johnny come lately's can stand to play, because they are afraid to risk their bottom lines on actual revolutionary game ideas. All the while they refer to halo and gta3 players as "hardcore gamers". If they were "hardcore"(I am assuming "hardcore gamers" refers to people who spend a serious amount of time playing videogames) they would be so tired of these run of the mill 3d games, because they overplayed that formula... Like me.

Bring me my virtual reality. Bring me my holographic displays. Bring me motion sensing controls. I want the gaming future today. Viva la revolution!

Beyond Awesome

Someone, quick make me one. I will be forever indebted =P

Review: Xbox 360

Well I'm not proud of it, but I bought an Xbox 360 on ebay on Christmas day. I couldn't resist whatever cosmic message was being sent to me. Now I'm not completely insane: I only paid $70 more than I "would have" if it were available at stores. Which it isn't. When it arrived, I was afraid to open it out of fear of what I might discover. I don't have an HDTV, but I don't know anyone else who has one, either. And the truth is, it doesn't matter. At least not right now.

The graphics are rendered in a completely different way than any console I've ever played. When you play NBA 2K6 (highly recommended over the unsatisfying NBA Live 06), your player's face isn't just a rough approximation of polygons. You really feel like you're watching that player on TV. His sweat beads in non-repetitive patterns. His jersey flows with his movement, not based on some set programmed jersey movement, but based on the player's actual physical orientation.

In Call of Duty 2, the action is so real and engrossing that you will not be able to blink without doing it consciously. Need for Speed Most Wanted on 360 looks like a totally different game from the one on "regular" Xbox. In one of a very few disappointments, Halo 2 is unchanged from regular Xbox. Maybe soon they'll come out with a patch on Xbox live.

The system itself, from an aesthetic standpoint, is beautiful. Gone are the rough, hard edges of the Xbox; in their place are soft lines, a smaller and more efficient design, and improved functionality. The wireless controller can act as a remote power switch for on or off modes. Although the power cord comes with a massive "brick," otherwise the system is pretty sleek. The wireless controllers are a really nice touch too; for the first day or so you will feel that little tug from a phantom wire but it should pass.

One reason to feel good about the fact that I have a 360 and you don't is that the games currently available don't even scratch the surface of what the system can do (another reason is that it all costs a pretty penny). Microsoft clearly pushed its software developers to create launch titles on time for the console release. In 2006 and 2007, we should begin to see games the likes of which we have never seen before, games that really tap into the power of the 360's three (3) 3.2 Ghz processors. In particular, Gears of War is on my list for purchase in 2006.

While I don't recommend purchasing an HDTV simply for the sake of playing video games, I do believe that having an HD set would unlock even more about the 360. That's probably because the games were programmed in HD. But if you were expecting the 360 to be a regular Xbox with a few bells and whistles...you're in for a letdown. If you can get your hands on one, and you're a gaming enthusiast (James, I'm looking at you), the 360 has the qualities and features to back up the hype.

Graffiti Art

Some consider it Vandalism, I consider it one of the most intriguing art forms of modern times. Whenever I see a masterful piece I am transported to a cutting-edge, urban fantasy world filled with superheros, villans, ninjas, and anime rappers all smoking Dutch masters.

Another Reason to Never, Ever, Ever Buy A CD Again

Coldplay's newest CD has been equipped with the RIA's most advanced data encryption technology yet. The new CD will ONLY play in a regular CD player. It won't play on your computer; you can't rip or burn it; it won't play on your car stereo, DVD player, Xbox, or PS2; and the best part is, you won't know this until you buy the CD and open the packaging. Oh, the humanity!

News Flash: Common Sense Backed By Stats

In a stunning and altogether welcome announcement, DuPont Hospital for Children in Delaware has announced that children are no more safe in SUVs than they are in sedans when it comes to car crashes.

Also announced today: orange juice tastes better than grapefruit juice; black, blue, or brown socks are preferred to white when wearing dress clothing; and, cigarettes are bad for you.

yea Letters!!

this is fun to kill time with, every once and while =p.

Collective Brain Vomit

This does not serve to make the goings on of this past year seem any less bizarre but may serve to put them in a little perspective so that you don't become desensitized to ridiculousness. Or maybe it will still just look like any 'ol year to you. I really hope that this year was somehow more superprodundo than future years but if not at least things will continue to be entertaining until we all choke on our Collective Brain Vomit. Regardless, I heard This so called Harpers's Magazine is pretty neet.