yup, you guessed it right again, more updates to the blog, and i had to tell you...reset the order of the links column blocks, and i'm pretty happy with that part of things now...of course if every one hates it, then that may change...changed the titles on a few of them, alas it still lacks something, so i will mess about with them more i'm sure...redid the entire about me block, substituting a link to First Words to free space, so that i could add information about the site style and design...while way better, than it was, it still needs graphical links to our business sites.
i think this is one reason nitpicky people never even finish their first site, or abandon several over a period of time before giving up, esp when they do graphic or web design...we never seem to be completely done messing with our sites' styles, and features, or completely happy...always thinking, it could be better...at least we have learned to avoid the killer trap of might as well redo it from scratch, which translates to, no site, and having pissed away months of work....it is also why, for those who looked, and now wonder, why my business site consists of an index page...i want it to look really good and funtion well, and i can't make up my fucking mind how it should look, and until i can, it exists only in my head...should be breaking out of there pretty soon though.
this is the last daily until after my "vacation", so here it is in all it's glory...
Quaylism:
When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame.
Some Other Quotes:
I saw a close friend of mine the other day... He said 'Stephen, why haven't you called me.... I said, "I can't call everyone I want... my (new) phone has no 'five' on it."... He said, "How long have you had it?"... I said, "I don't know... my calendar has no 'seven's on it."
- Steven Wright -
Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
- Emo Phillips -
My initial response was to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized that I had no character. - Charles Barkley - , on hearing Tonya Harding proclaim herself "the Charles Barkley of figure skating"
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
- Mark Twain -
A List Of Things Bart Simpson Is Writing On The Blackboard At The Start Of The Show:
I will not carve gods.
I will not spank others.
I will not aim for the head.
I will not barf unless I'm sick
I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty.
I saw nthing unusual in the teacher's lounge.
I wil not conduct my own fire drills.
Funny noises are not funny.
I will not snap bras.
I will not fake seizures.
This punishment is not boring and pointless.
My name is not Dr. Death.
I will not defame New Orleans.
I will not prescribe medication.
I will not bury the new kid.
I will not teach others to fly.
I will not bring sheep to class.
A burp is not an answer.
Teacher is not a leper.
Coffee is not for kids.
I will not eat things for money.
I will not yell "She's Dead" at roll call.
The principal's toupee is not a Frisbee.
I will not call the principal "spud head".
Goldfish don't bounce.
Mud is not one of the 4 food groups.
No one is interested in my underpants.
I will not sell miracle cures.
I will return the seeing-eye dog.
I do not have diplomatic immunity.
I will not charge admission to the bathroom.
I will never win an emmy.
The cafeteria deep fryer is not a toy.
All work and no play makes Bart a dull boy.
I will not say "Springfield" just to get applause.
I am not authorized to fire substitute teachers.
My homework was not stolen by a one-armed man.
I will not go near the kindergarten turtle.
I am not deliciously saucy.
Organ transplants are best left to professionals.
The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with "Hail Satan".
I will not celebrate meaningless milestones.
There are plenty of businesses like show business.
Five days is not too long to wait for a gun.
I will not waste chalk.
I will not skateboard in the halls.
I will not instigate revolution.
I will not draw naked ladies in class.
I did not see Elvis.
I will not call my teacher "Hot Cakes".
Garlic gum is not funny.
They are laughing at me, not with me.
I will not yell "Fire" in a crowded classroom.
I will not encourage others to fly.
I will not fake my way through life.
Tar is not a plaything.
I will not Xerox my butt.
It's potato, not potatoe.
I will not trade pants with others.
I am not a 32 year old woman.
I will not do that thing with my tongue.
I will not drive the principal's car.
I will not pledge allegiance to Bart.
I will not sell school property.
I will not burp in class.
I will not cut corners.
I will not get very far with this attitude.
I will not belch the National Anthem.
I will not sell land in Florida.
I will not grease the monkey bars.
I will not hide behind the Fifth Amendment.
I will not do anything bad ever again.
I will not show off.
I will not sleep through my education.
I am not a dentist.
Spitwads are not free speech.
Nobody likes sunburn slappers.
High explosives and school don't mix.
I will not bribe Principal Skinner.
I will not squeak chalk.
I will finish what I sta
"Bart Bucks" are not legal tender.
Underwear should be worn on the inside.
The Christmas Pageant does not stink.
I will not torment the emotionally frail.
i suggest you go follow the links provided in this postSocial Reject-Bloggy Rudeness by jane...as noted in the comments there, they seem to be focusing on Kazaa users so far...of course, i checked, and you should too, to see if you are now on the hit list or have still dodged the bullet...in a bizarre side note to this whole issue, it seems that maybe jacko isn't totally whacko, as he released a statement saying that while he does not condone piracy, he thinks jailing people for peer sharing music is just wrong...whoop whoop...thank you jacko for being a voice of reason(boy, sure feels weird saying that)...he is still strange as they come, but seems to have touched down briefly here.
my daughter and her husband will be here in the morning, and visiting for about a week...as you can guess, this means i will not be spending much if any of that time on line...i will probably drop an entry in there somewhere, knowing me, but may not...will leave a daily pointlessness in the morning before they get here, and then who knows....hope you all enjoy your week, and will tell you what fun we had when they are gone, and i go back to having no life.
well better late than completely spaced out i suppose.
Quaylism:
"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have
was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with
those people."
Pun:
It's Harvest Sunday at a small village church in rural England, and the vicar is organising his annual harvest service, where people bring their home-grown plants and vegetables to the service.
But this year is different. The local village cricket team has just won their league, and the village is in celebratory mood, so the vicar decides to do something special - he will combine the normal harvest service with a cricket theme.
The day of the service arrives, and the church is filled with flowers. People are bringing in their offerings of vegetables, and in the middle of the display is a cricket wicket; a strip of turf with a set of wooden stumps at each end, and people are laying their offerings on the wicket.
Everything is going fine, until one lady comes up to the front of the church, and places a bag of frozen peas among the other vegetables, but she is stopped by the vicar, so she returns to her seat, still clutching her peas.
"What happened?" asked the lady she's sitting next to.
She shrugs her shoulders, and says:
"There's no peas for the wicket."
Actual Classified Ads:
Classified Ad Blunders
As the following classified classics will demonstrate, there are often more laughs on the advertising and classified pages than you can find in the cartoons and comic strips:
Lost: small apricot poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.
A superb and inexpensive restaurant. Fine food expertly served by waitresses in appetizing forms.
Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00.
For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.
For sale: a quilted high chair that can be made into a table, pottie chair, rocking horse, refrigerator, spring coat, size 8 and fur collar.
Four-poster bed, 101 years old. Perfect for antique lover.
Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.
Wanted: 50 girls for stripping machine operators in factory.
Wanted: Unmarried girls to pick fresh fruit and produce at night.
We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
No matter what your topcoat is made of, this miracle spray will make it really repellent.
For Sale. Three canaries of undermined sex.
For Sale -- Eight puppies from a German Shepperd and an Alaskan Hussy.
Creative daily specials, including select offerings of beef, foul, fresh vagetables, salads, quiche.
7 ounces of choice sirloin steak, boiled to your likeness and smothered with golden fried onion rings.
Great Dames for sale.
Have several very old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition.
Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.
20 dozen bottles of excellent Old Tawny Port, sold to pay for charges, the owner having lost sight of, and bottled by us last year.
Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.
Vacation Special: have your home exterminated.
If you think you've seen everything in Paris, visit the Pere Lachasis Cemetery. It boasts such immortals as Moliere, Jean de la Fontain, and Chopin.
Mt. Kilimanjaro, the breathtaking backdrop for the Serena Lodge. Swim in the lovely pool while you drink it all in.
The hotel has bowling alleys, tennis courts, comfortable beds, and other athletic facilities.
Get rid of aunts: Zap does the job in 24 hours.
Toaster: A gift that every member of the family appreciates. Automatically burns toast.
Sheer stockings. Designed for fancy dress, but so serviceable that lots of women wear nothing else.
Stock up and save. Limit: one.
Save regularly in our bank. You'll never reget it.
We build bodies that last a lifetime.
Offer expires December 31 or while supplies last .
This is the model home for your future. It was panned by Better Homes and Gardens.
For Sale--Diamonds $20; microscopes $15.
For Rent: 6-room hated apartment.
Man, honest. Will take anything.
Wanted: chambermaid in rectory. Love in, $200 a month. References required.
Wanted: Part-time married girls for soda fountain in sandwich shop.
Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first!
Christmans tag-sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person.
Modular Sofas. Only $299. For rest or fore play.
Wanted: Hair-cutter. Excellent growth potential.
Wanted. Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
3-year-old teacher need for pre-school. Experience preferred.
Our experienced Mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included.
Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops.
Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again.
See ladies blouses. 50% off!
Holcross pullets. Starting to lay Betty Clayton, Granite 5-6204.
Wanted: Preparer of food. Must be dependable, like the food business, and be willing to get hands dirty.
Illiterate? Write today for free help.
Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.
Wanted. Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.
Mother's helper--peasant working conditions.
Semi-Annual after-Christmas Sale.
And now, the Superstore--unequaled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivaled inconvenience.
We will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home for $1.00.
well thanks to my girlfriend, there is a now a categories linkset , and much more importantly, the Remember Me is now working correctly, and will actually remember your info if you want it to...i apologize for that being all fucked up until now...turns out that mt can't find it's cookies if you are using subdomains unless you edit the var host for the comment listing and individual entry archive templates...learn something new every day....thanks for your patience
as you most likely already guessed, i read the local paper each day...i actually wake up by mixing large amounts of caffiene(in the form of coffee), nicotine, with reading my way through most of the paper...being a creature of habit, i read the same sections in the same order every day...front section first, which provides my mdr of hard news and also light entertainment(editorials and letters to the editor, don't people think before they submit?), then local news....done with the serious stuff i turn to the sports(hey, i'm a guy, okay) to see how poorly my teams(dodgers, raiders, lakers) have fared, what athlete has found what method of stepping on his dick, and scoping the predictions for next season....i save the best for last, the living section, which has reviews, dear so and so(kind of springer light) and the real reason i buy the paper, the comics...while i like to stay up on events, i must admit that the true reason i buy the paper is the comics...they let me start my day with a smile most days, and balance out the ugliness of reality, as sampled by the news editors.
i am truly grateful for the people who write and draw comics, and feel that they are often underappreciated for their work...it must be extremely difficult to write a comic in syndication, without becoming stale or boring...they provide such a wide spectrum of comic creativity too, or at least the dallas morning news includes a variety...i feel sorry for new yorkers, as the times is too snobby or whatever to print comics and the post will never be a real paper(to me)...though i read almost all of the daily comics, there are some that for one reason or another are my current favorites...of course, i feel i must list them, and why.
My List:
Get Fuzzy; damn, i love this comic...good art(in a weird way), great characters, and dialog...bucky is the epidemy of cat quirkiness, and satchel demonstrates doggy loyalty and innocense...rob, unlike many humans, is not clueless or an imbecile, and has the blend of acceptance, amazement, humor and resignation real pet people have...this comic to me is the anti-garfield...what will bucky do next, has me looking forward to each day's strip.
Bizarro; one of the best and weirdest comics ever...this is the comic that finally replaced the hole left when the far side went away...while completely different in subject, and appearance from the far side, it shares that way off the wall view of life...i can't even guess what fuels the thoughts crossing dan piraro's mind(any more than i did those of gary larson's) i hope they keep it up, and that he keeps sharing them for many more years.
Foxtrot; jason picked up the torch dropped when calvin and hobbes stopped, providing that boy's view of the world...speaks to the 8 year old in me...i love his never quit, jump in with both feet approach to life...this strip also features some amuzing family dynamics, and pokes fun at modern culture.
Dilbert: i lived in that world for many years, and while not always as sharp as the earlier days, still freqently finds and ridicules corporate stupidity mercilessly.
Non Sequitur; this comic goes right for the jugular, mixing sharp social and political commentary displaying the folly and stupidity of current events...sharp without be overly cruel or bitter...one of the best at championing the benefits of keeping an open mind, and the pitfalls of letting the media or politicians do your thinking.
Mother Goose and Grimm; visual puns and sight gags at their best(worst)
Sherman's Lagoon: just strange fun
The Norm; interesting view of things, and his friend obsessive fandom of star wars rocks.
The Boondocks; cruel, tateless, sharp, and very very funny...this comic has no line it will not cross, no subject is too sensative, no person is safe from ridicule...they actually moved it to the dear fix-my-life because i have no clue page, due to huge volume of complaints received about the "offensive" nature of this comic...i salute the dmn for refusing to bow to the pressure directed their way to pull the comic from the paper.
if you made it this far, thanks, and i would love to know your list of favs, and your opinions, if any of mine
after two hours of deliberation the jury came back with a sentance of 30 years for covicted clueless murder sarah foust...once more she was surprised by the fact that her request for probation was passed on by the jury in favor of the prosecution's request for jail time...she, of course burst into tears at the unfairness of it all, and confused as to why they placed more weight on what she said on tape immediately after the incident, than her self serving courtroom utterings.
if i seem to be hard on her, i am....she deserves it in my eyes...her utter lack of willingness to accept responsibility for what she did bothers me a lot...i hope she learns better, for her own sake and ours...i wonder if fate will provide an ironic, or perhaps comic twist and have her sharing a cell with mallard...wouldn't that be funny, or sad, or both...that would certainly afford the possibility for some enlightening conversations...they could always trade notes on how not to commit vehicular murder and get away with it...i would imagine that they will be sharing some sort of mandated group counseling(AA , NA or the like), which could provide an opportunity to wager which of them has less of a clue...maybe if nothing else both will truly learn that denial is not a river in africa....assuming either even knew where the nile was to begin with
here are today's gratuitous fillers:
Quaylism:
"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in
this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live
in this century."
A quote from one of the greatest writers of my generation:
"When the going gets weird. The weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson
Pun:
In the days of yore, a knight was on his way to do something terribly important, riding his horse into the ground to get to his destination as fast as possible.
After being ridden too hard for too long, his horse became lame, and seeing a small town ahead he headed straight for the stables there.
"I must have a horse!" he cried "The life of the King depends upon it!"
The stablekeeper shook his head. "I have no horses," he said. "They have all been taken in the service of your King."
"You must have something - a pony, a donkey, a mule, anything at all?" the knight asked.
"Nothing..... unless.... no, I couldn't"
The knight's eyes lit up. "Tell me!"
The stablekeeper leads the knight into the stable. Inside is a dog, but no ordinary dog. This dog is a giant, almost as large as the horse the knight was riding. But it is also the filthiest, shaggiest, smelliest, mangiest dog that the knight has ever seen.
Swallowing, the knight said "I'll take it. Where is the saddle?"
The stablekeeper walked over to a saddle near the dog and started gasping for breath, holding the walls to keep himself upright. "I can't do it." he told the knight.
"You must give me the dog!" cried the knight. "Why can't you?"
The stablekeeper said "I just couldn't send a knight out on a dog like this."
Things actually said/asked to/of librarians:
I'm looking for a book."
"Do you have books here?"
"Do you have a list of all the books written in the English language?"
"Do you have a list of all the books I've ever read?"
"I'm looking for Robert James Waller's book, 'Waltzing through Grand Rapids." -- The actual title is "Slow Waltz In Cedar Bend."
"Where is the reference desk?" -- Asked of a worker sitting at a desk, over which was a sign saying 'REFERENCE DESK'.
"Can you tell me why so many famous Civil War battles were fought on National Park sites?"
"Which outlets in the library are appropriate for my hairdryer?"
"I was here about three weeks ago looking at a cookbook that cost $39.95. Do you know which one it is?"
"I need a color photograph of George Washington." -- Other individuals asked for, by other patrons, are Christopher Columbus, King Arthur, Moses, Socrates, and more.
"Do you have any books with photographs of dinosaurs?"
"I'm looking for information on carpal tunnel syndrome. I think I'm having trouble with it in my neck."
"Is the basement upstairs?"
"I am looking for a list of laws that I can break that would send me back to jail for a couple of months."
"I got a quote from a book I turned in last week but I forgot to write down the author and title. It's big and red, and I found it on the top shelf. Can you find it for me?"
"Do you have anything good to read?" -- The response was, "No, ma'am. I'm afraid we have 75,000 books, and they're all duds."
A Library Anecdote:
Patron: "I am looking for a globe of the earth."
Librarian: "We have a table-top model over here."
Patron: "No, that's not good enough. Don't you have a life-size?"
Librarian: (pause) "Yes, but it's in use right now."
as threatened, here is today's nonsense
Quaylism:
I not going to focus on what I have done in the past
what I stand for, what I articulate to the American people.
The American people will judge me on what I am saying and what I
have done in the last 12 years in the Congress.
Pun:
The friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds.
Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought this was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not.
He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him.
So the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop.
Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that: Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars
Another List:
The 8 Worst Convenience Foods
By PENMART10@aol.com
Meeter's Kraut Juice (Stokely USA): Yes, that's sauerkraut juice, which is even worse than it sounds. The taste and smell can be a bit, well, harsh, but KJ is reputed by its fans to have certain medicinal benefits (as a source of vitamin C, cure for intestinal bugs, etc.), which adds up to a classic case of the cure being worse than the disease.
Guycan Corned Mutton with Juices Added (Bedessee Imports): The best thing about this Uruguayan canned good is the very pouty-looking sheep on the package label -- he seems to be saying, "Go on, eat me already." The second-best thing is the presence of both "cooked mutton" and "mutton" in the ingredients listing, which would seem to have all the mutton bases covered.
Armour Pork Brains in Milk Gravy (Dial Corp.): If you're really looking to clog up those arteries in a hurry, you'll be pleased to learn that a single serving of pork brains has 1,170 percent of our recommended daily cholesterol intake. All the more ingenious, then, that the label on this product helpfully features a recipe for brains and scrambled eggs.
Sweet Sue Canned Whole Chicken (Sweet Sue Kitchens, Inc.): From its size (think growth-impaired Cornish hen) to its overall appearance (it's stewed in a quivering mass of aspic goop), this product may change forever your idea of what constitutes a chicken. Gives new meaning to the old line about meat "falling off the bone."
Musk Life Savers (Nestle Confectionery): You may think musk is a scent, but over in Australia, they think it's a candy flavor. A candy flavor that tastes disturbingly like raw meat, to be precise. But what did you expect from a country where everyone happily consumes Vegemite?
Blind Robins Smoked Ocean Herring (recently discontinued by Bar Food Products): Possibly the world's most bizarre prepackaged tavern snack. Interestingly, the product's titular robin isn't actually blind, he's blindfolded -- the better, presumably, to avoid looking at these heavily salted herring strips, which look like giant slugs.
Kylmaenen Reindeer Pate` (Kylmaenen Oy): This Finnish canned good may not be particulary tasty, but at least it answers the age-old question of why Rudolph was so eager for that safe, steady job on Santa's sleigh team -- he didn't want to end up a cracker spread.
Tengu Clam Jerky (Tengu Co.): Nothing you've ever consumed can prepare you for the horror that is clam jerky. Still, this product does score a sort of conceptual coup: If you're the sort who's always found raw clams too slimy and gelatinous for your taste, these dried, shriveled mollusks will help you dislike clams on a whole new level.
[Note - originally appeared in rec.food.cooking. Reprinted with permission of PENMART10@aol.com. All are reportedly real products - ed.]
after some concerted searching finally found the fix to get scrollbars to color....do they look okay, or do i need to tweak the track color some more...not sure....eyes are fucked after all nighter doing graphics for matching bb2 theme...please let me know
meant to write this yesterday, but hey, better late than spaced....a jury took 5 hours to find a pathetic, self-absorbed, clueless, sarah foust guilt of murder for backing into and then while driving away, swerve throwing the waitress her and her lamer, worthless friends had just stiffed for a bit over $100 headfirst into the ground and killing her...mind you this in front of witnesses, and the brilliant escape lasted 2 miles before the cops pulled her over...where they discover that in addition to being a heartless bitch, she had no license, and was drunk...turns out she was dumber than a post too, as she drunkenly ranted to her friend while in the cop car, on tape, how it was that stupid bitches fault for trying to get the plate number, and avoid being stiffed, and that when asked by her friend if maybe she should have stopped once the waitress was forced onto the trunk from being backed into, she said no...strangely the jury found the tape more credible than her weepy lying testimony, and our genius seemed stunned they found her guilty...i feel for the family of the waitress, who was only 20, as this is pale comfort, not even remotely close to balancing things, but then you can't balance the loss of a child....if foust had anything closely resembling a clue, she would be both remorseful and embarassed for pulling such a boneheaded act, but she hasn't, and seems only to feel sorry for herself...her parents ought to find a high mountain to hide on in shame, but won't i'm sure...will 20 years in jail smarten her up, my money is on no
a couple of quick clarifications before getting into it...first, i'm a smoker...second, while i don't subscribe to any organized religion, i respect everyone's right to follow their(or Jim Jones' for that matter) beliefs, i will not mock or deride unless forced into it...so, that said let's procede
What is it with non-smokers and religious fanatics...why lump them together you say...well, because both groups seem to be not just certain of the rightness of their cause, but so completely intent on spreading the faith that they trample anything, and everything in sight to do so...the worst (to me), being basic rules of common courtesy, assuming any disagreement is a sign of mental incapacity, and treating us like we are mannerless children...the word no seems to have no meaning at all, they ask if you want to hear the list of reason you will die, or go straight to hell...they will spout out their entire litany, despite pleas, vacant stares, interruption or flight...run and they follow like a twisted shadow...shutting the door only makes them increase volume, or knock loudly until your will is overwhelmed and you open it again....and they will back every assertion with "facts" which could at best truly be called theory, and in some cases wishful thinking of some demented sort
some specific occurances which piss me off to no end:
religious fanatics have at various times in my life done the following; while living in san diego, had this group of 7th day adventists that came door to door through my neighborhood 4 days a week...group composed of little(and not so little) old black ladies and their(i assume) grandchildren...refuse to stop knocking until door opened (always arrived at daybreak), and then would not leave until you accepted literature and promised to consider their words....tried closing/slamming door, and found feet, umbrella, or other impediment blocking closure with amazing spped and dexterity for women in their 60s and older...nerves frayed after this has now continued into a third week, i think, i will scare them off...next morning answer the door wearing long black robe, candles burning everywhere, and tell them i am busy preparing for black mass and actually get the door shut....big mistake, as they now convene en mass in my front yard and start praying loudly for my soul alternated with loudly(and poorly) sung gospel...i am forced to flee over the back fence, through neighbors yard, and slink a mile to nearest phone, call a friend and sleep on his couch for the next two days, until they give up...two days later they are back...in a stroke of genius fed by desparation i answer the door stark naked, screams of horror, dogea swipe of umbrella, shut door, peace at last...yes, i am surely going to hell, or would if i believed in it...i knew this years before because while enjoying the dubious pleasure of 45 days of correctional custody (kind of a cross between prison and boot camp the navy uses to fuck with people), i become the unwilling focus of the local incarnation of the spanish inquisition, after foolishly asking for something other than a bible to read...foot in mouth, i stuff the other in also by offhandedly comment (retorting to the remark that fiction is written by the devil to lead the unwary astray) that maybe the devil wrote the bible to lead the faithful to damnation...after witnessing for the first time a person turn purple in fury and seeing his veins pop to amazing hight and clarity, he screams nonstop that i am the antichrist(flattering, no) accompanied by much saliva, rendering me speechless in sunned amazement...which he misinterprets as???so he hits me a few times...i, of course feel obligated to push both legs further down my throat, and mutter how this a perfect example of the typical method used through history in spreading the faith...if you can't reason, why just beat it into them...then procede to point out that i (having no real options anyway) will act as a true christian and turn the other cheek, i do so, ensuring myslf daily beatings for the next 37 days until released.
now while i have to admit that no antismoking nazis have exactly matched either of those, they have: forced me to subject myself to stand in the far extremes of weather providing not shelter, and then have the nerve to deny any complicity in the inevitable bouts of illness caused by exposure...left reams of unsoliceted and unwelcome literature outlining my certain doom via a slew of nasty diseases...badgered me(for my own good) with predictions of my certain death by cancer...i attempted to debate this, was quoted "fact' back by research, my refutal based on atempting to explain that the data was flawed scientifically, due to the inability of true controlled studies meeting the absolute defined criterea of scientific method feel on deaf ears...i get annoyed, ask if this certainty of my death is due to their inbenting a time machine while puttering in the garage, traveling to the future and visting the hospital where i was lying on my cancerous deathbed...they were insulted and condemned me to my doom, as thankfully left me in peace...have had more of these individuals invite me to their home or offered me a lift, then lectured me that i can not smoke in their house, or car....now this chaps my ass big time...i was raised properly, and have manners...it would never occur to me to light up in another person's house or car, unless given carte blanche in advance, or asking first, and if i know you don't smoke, i would assume that i should not smoke in your house/car and wait till i leave or step outside...even if you do smoke, i will always ask first, it is the polite thing to do
so, maybe these two groups are not exactly the same, but they share so many patterns of behavior they belong together in my lsit of those in serious need of, a clue, a swift kick, or at least need to read miss manners
just because i was bored, i decided to start a running waste of time and space each day, until i get bored, enough people beg me to stop, or i run out of pointless stuff to fill it with...this was inspired by a combination of boredom, this post at Dog Snot Diaries, and my last post, which reminded me just how profound Dan Quayle could be, oh sorry, meant profoundly confused...i also happen to love puns, the worse, the better...here is today's assortment:
Quaylism - "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the
impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
Playlist -
Leftfield - Essential Mix(4-16-2000)
Satoshi Tomiie - Live At Ibiza
Fatboy Slim - Live on Brighton Beach(7-13-2002)
Brooklyn Bounce - In The Restart Mix
Infected Mushroom - Live On thump Radio(9-23-2001)
Pun - After Quasimodo's death, the Bishop of the Cathedral of Notre Dame sent word through the streets of Paris that a new bell ringer was needed.
The Bishop decided that he would conduct the interviews personally and went up into the belfry to begin the screening process.
After observing several applicants demonstrate their skills, he decided to call it a day. Just then, an armless man approached him and announced that he was there to apply for the bell ringer's job. The Bishop was incredulous.
"You have no arms!" said he.
"No matter," said the armless chap, "Observe!" And he began striking the bells with his face, producing a beautiful melody on the carillon.
The Bishop listened in astonishment; convinced he had finally found a replacement for Quasimodo. But suddenly, rushing forward to strike a bell, the armless man tripped and plunged headlong out of the belfry window to his death in the street below. The stunned Bishop rushed to his side.
When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around the fallen figure, drawn by the beautiful music they had heard only moments before. As they silently parted to let the Bishop through, one of them asked, "Bishop, who was this man?"
"I don't know his name," the bishop sadly replied, " I don't know his name . . . . ."but his face sure rings a bell."
The following day, despite the sadness that weighed heavily on his heart due to the unfortunate death of the armless campanologist, the Bishop continued his interviews for the bell ringer of Notre Dame.
The first man to approach him said, "Your Excellency, I am the brother of the poor armless wretch that fell to his death from this very belfry yesterday. I pray that you honor his life by allowing me to replace him in this duty."
The Bishop agreed to give the man an audition, and, as the armless man's brother stooped to pick up a mallet to strike the first bell, he moaned, clutched at his chest, twirled around, and died on the spot. The monks, hearing the Bishop's cries of grief at this second tragedy, rushed up the stairs to his side.
"What has happened? Who is this man?" the first monk asked breathlessly.
"I don't know his name," sighed the distraught Bishop, but . . ." "He's a dead ringer for his brother."
And Finally A List -
The Warning Signs of Insanity
Your friends tell you that you have been acting strange lately, then you hit them several times with a sledgehammer.
Everyone you meet appears to have tentacles growing out of place that you wouldn't expect tentacles to be growing from.
You write to your mother in Germany every week, even though she sends you mail from Iowa asking why you never write.
Every commercial you hear on the radio reminds you of death.
You begin to stop and consider all of the blades of grass you stepped on as a child, and worry that their descendants are going to one day seek revenge.
You have meaningful conversations with your blender.
You scream "I've got a knife!" to people who try to sell you things.
You scream "I've got a knife!" to people at your family reunion
You cry at the end of every episode of Gilligan's Island, because you wanted to be on the island too.
You put tennis balls in the microwave to see if they'll hatch.
Every time you see the commercial for the Hair Club For Men, you think to yourself, "I think I'll kill the pope today."
You argue with yourself about which is better, to be eaten by a koala or to be loved by an infectious disease.
You like to sit in cornfields for prolonged periods of time, and pretend that you're a stalk.
You think that exploding wouldn't be so bad, once you got used it.
just happened across a site i hadn't visited in years...these guys have collected a wonderful collection of things really said , nicely sorted by topic, and subject or group...of course my personal favorites are the page of Dan Quayle Quotes, which can always put a grin on my face...good old dan, the man who makes everyone feel smart, no matter how airheaded you're feeling...must be very pleasant being him, you know that old no brains no pains thing
well i think i can officially say my brain has gone on vacation until i sleep...alas, that will be a while yet...must go to the bank, and what can be more fun that driving while brain dead...lot's of practice at this have i...well i have worked straight through two days and nights, which is not terribly unusual, just who truly productive they were...aside from the galleries, i helped by girlfriend by doing a bit of work on her D'onofrio site, answering the questions for the FAQ application, and did some tasks on the forum...also finsihed converting one of my project web sites over to the visual angst style, even created more graphics for it, mail button and stuff...also wrote descriptions for every web site of mine, my g/f's, or friends, and family, for use in creating a private link directory for us to pass around...after all this i am fried...it was the writing that really did it...sat down at the computer with a pad and pen at 10 last night, finished the last description, looked and realized it was light otu, it was 7 this morning, bleah...might be back after running errand, but that is to far in the future to be certain...i should be adding some link modules to the right column very soon, cause it don't seem right to mix regular links in with the blogrolling links...if yer bored, yeah right, go visit my gallery, or my sister's site, or my girlfriend's D'Onofrio site...all are easy places to kill lots of time
dying to be an artist, but can't paint, and are intimidated by photoshop and other graphics applications...or just looking for something fun to accupy a few minutes...well go check out the interactive painting games at Nina Waisman's Art & Design Site and click on the links near the top of the page to create you very own pop-art or all out painting games...simple fun, and very cool...while you're there take a look at samples of her paintings, graphic design work, and commercial web work.
Those who read my previous post concerning where the money will come from so our congressmen could play an extra month in austin, well found it in today's paper....they are increasing traffic ticket fines by $30...bastards...not that i collect tickets, or anything...it's just the principal....just one damn time i want to see a legislative body vote to take the money out of their own pockets...greedy scum never fails to vote raises for them selves, never heard where they said, oh, we're short budget, well lets cut our salary 10 percent...just once would be cool, but i'm not holding my breath
ahhh, texas politics....you got to love them....where else will you find the governor calling a special session of legislature, solely for the purpose of redistricting, when redistricting was killed during regular session...this would be stupid by itself, but when you add in the massive cuts forced by deficit in everything except their fucking salaries, and the fact that other than the house majority leader and the governor, no one seems unhappy with the lines as they are....but wait, it gets better...a few foolish congressmen thought they would try and use the time to take care of some silly things like school funding, pollution control and such, and were slapped silly for thinking of anything other than redwrawing the district map....with about a week left in the session, it looks as if things are deadlocked....what does our governor say to this...i'll call another special session if i have to...at a couple of million dollars per session, got to wonder who takes it up the ass this time...they already screwed the elderly, children, and mentally ill...hrmmm, i'm sure there is some deserving group to screw, perhaps child protective services, or veterans will be the victim....i say if the hard line republicans want it so bad, then let them pay for it....maybe they can fund it with out of bushes reelection war chest...after all we sure a hell don't want, or need him getting 4 more years to ruin the world(but that is a whole rant by itself)...the only sure thing i see coming from all this, is that these morons are pissing off their own constituents in addition to the rest of us
the gallery is up once more...after 24 hours of non-stop effort my art and graphics are viewable to the public on line...the stand alone gallery, contains several albums, each devoted to a specific type of my work...best of all the abstract art and photomanipulation albums are totally up to date and contain all my completed pieces...i will be adding to the other albums daily, and hope to have them filled shortly...they are located HERE , so go check them out...my abstract pieces span from classic to psychadelic, dark, light, serious and just plain wild...photomanipulations range from subtle to surreal...you will also find graphic art for web and and traditional use...the gallery application provides simple and flexible viewing, simply clicking on an album name or image oens it, and click image thumbnails for full sized image...each image page provides a link to let visitors leave comments, and i encourage you to do so, as feedback is greatly appreciated...albums may also be viewed as a slideshow....i hope you will all stop in and spend some time
narrowly avoided two completely boneheaded actions earlier by the thinnest of margins, reminding me how quickly my personal train of thought (which i'm beginning to believe is often that special bus on rails) becomes derailed...it's appalling that i can be operating completely devoid of thought, realize my peril, and then instantly be derailed in the blink of an eye.
i pour myself a cup of coffee, walk to the toher end of the counter to put some sugar in it, set my cup down, noticing that my girlfriend has made herself a mug of bovril (it is a hot drink similar, i think, to beef broth, from england) (yes, she is english) (no, i am not, and have never actually tried the stuff, nor will i), pick up the spoon she used and stop myself a fraction of an inch above the surface of the sugar in the bowl when it finally sinks in that a clean spoon is needed for this...while never having experimented to prove or disprove this principle, i am certain that beef broth is not likely to improve the taste of either sugar or coffee...i walk over grab a spoon from the drawer get sugar, and catch myself just about to add it to her mug, instead of mine...i leave the spoon in my mug, thinking this will prevent further mishap walk to refrigerator to get the cream, open the door and forget why i am standing there...after staring vacantly into the refrigerator, and randomly grabbing at things, i finally remember why i was there, grab the cream and head back to the counter...where despite the spoon sticking out of my mug, catch myself at the last second (again) just in time to avoid adding it to her bovril...mind you it was not the lack of a spoon that clued me here (or even the completely different size, shape and color of the mugs), but the color of the liquid that signaled STOP...i did manage to complete preparing my coffee from that point with out further mishaps, or narrowly escaped mishaps to my relief
things like this are all too common for me over the course of an average day (they may be that way while i sleep as well, probably are i just don't know for sure), and while some days i am lucky and stay aware of what i am doing, others i feel like swiss cheese replaced memory during sleep...i am pretty sure this is not some early onset of senility, or drug induced short term memory loss...i believe it is more akin to the absent minded professor thing, because i remember being this way my whole life(though i could be deluding myself, and never know)...so, do me a favor please, and if you happen to see me looking about in confusion (or staring vacantly) suddenly, in the middle of a sentance or doing doing something, nudge me or something, to help me put the train back on the tracks
another wise voice from the wilderness speaks out here A good question is never answered . . . in an attempt to clarify , what should be so obvious to all, but alas seems to be so to those who: A) understand the meaning of the words comprising the laguage they use B) Use their brain tho think with, instead of as a substitute for the vacuum which would otherwise fill the space between their ears causing their head to implode(cool mental picture here) C) Understands their own worth is not defined by meaningless, arbitrary standards.
while, i am probably wasting my time (then it is my time to waste), because i am aready preaching to the choir, or beating my head against the great wall of ignorance let's visit the definitions of average and normal
for average, as most pertinent (in my opinion) to this discussion meriam-webster defines average as 2a) an estimation of or approximation to an arithmatic mean b)a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group class or series....this clearly tells us (at least those who understand) that most members of any group will not be average, although probably coser to it than not...some members must, however, represent the extremes for an average to exist, and could not be average...strangely, i see no inferrence that defines good or bad, just the fact that it is impossible for everyone to be average
normal is defined as 2a) according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle b) conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern 4a) of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development b) free from mental disorder (SANE)...the first parts do imply that deviation may be bad, but this assumes that one accepts that these rules,standards, types or patterns are things worth holding to...the second set returns us to that concept of average, which most of us can not be through no device or desire of our own making...the last definition requires understanding what constitutes sane, so
sane is defined as 2) mentally sound; especially : able to anticipate and appraise the effect of one's actions...this is the only thing that most of us have control over, and to myself is truly a label or definition i desire to be applied to me
i am not, and never will be by definition average...i had no choice in that, but also feel no shame for being above average...i also do not in any way feel superior to those who are average, or below average, as they also had no choice in the matter...it is not good or bad, just is, and all carry equal amounts of benefit and burden...and except as defined by 4b above, not normal, nor interested in being normal, because it would require me being less than i am capable of being, and i believe in striving to be the best i can be...i will proudly and fully embrace that i am normal or sane as defined, because it is a great compliment (to me), and goal to be aware of the effect of my actions and therefore consider before acting...i guess that makes me a normal deviant
installed the site rating image, and made a few small tweaks to the site style to fix a couple of little things in it i felt were not quite right(*pats self heartily on back here*for figuring out how to add things into the side column)...hope you agree that it is an improvement...really hope the MPAA does not sue my ass off for using their rating layout, but as it is a PARODY, i think i am safe on that...anyone who perhaps knopws for sure one way or other, i would appreciate letting me know, so i can either sleep soundly, or pull it down before facing some ugly legal situation...while i will never hesitate to defiantly poke a finger into the giants eye, i would prefer to do so while standing on solid ground...only a complete fool would do so while standing in the palm of his hand, and i may be a fool, but i'm not a complete fool
damn i hate fucking spammers, and their complete disregard for the hassles their rampant greed causes the rest of us...forcing us to abandon, or render completely useless mail accounts (i had to stop using my hotmail and yahoo accounts), when their built in filters can not be fine tuned easily...or waste hours in tuning filters to eliminate the deluge of shit, while still being able to receive wanted mail from new people and/or commercial senders...my isp, and i live in a rural area so these guys maybe have a couple hundred customers, was forced by them into installing a server filter, which forces me to log into it via web page every day or so, to fish the one or two emails i want from the hundreds i don't, or at least until i am confident that my whitelist is complete, which may take years...fuck, fuck, fuck...it really pisses me off that i am suffering this shit, especially since i am able to build useful rulesets to filter mail, in fact have a very nice set i run in outlook which has been 99 percent effective in sending unwanted crap to the trash bin, and sorts incoming mail from 20 odd accounts and then sneds it to the correct incoming folder...it wasn't really hard to do, just time consuming...i will never understand why so few people are willing to spend any time in learning to use their computers...i foolishly did software support for a while a few years back, and was appalled by the refusal to make any effort to learn....there is nothing wrong with ignorance, we all started out knowing nothing, but being unwilling to at least try and learn is just plain dumb...i may not be able to code, write software and such, but i put enough time and effort into trying to learn it to realize my brain doesn't want to work that particular way...and while i can't do it, i grasp the concepts well enough to appreciate those who can, and not be frustrated due to unrealistic expectations.
learning is good, it expands your horizons...there is no useless knowledge, and you are never too old to learn new tricks
say this Dog Snot Diaries: Desktop and have to join in...probably somewhat egotistical, but i use my own graphics for my desktops...this one is called "Crossing The Line"
this Dog Snot Diaries: He speaks! states so eloquently yet again,that reason lives, and hunts , not fears ingnorance...you may hate us, you may fear us, but you will never silence us
big story in this morning's paper about the "growing" drug problem in Mexico (which i am not gonna talk about), which had a smaller followup focused on the growing Mexican rave scene (yup this is it)...i'm pretty sure that i will now shock some of you, piss a lot of you off, telling many others what you already know, and hopefully convincing at least one person to discard their preconceptions...while i am focusing on misperceptions of the rave scene, the real subject here is that lack of knowledge/understanding/experience often leads to fear, which frequently becomes condemnation and hate, and that is root cause of the worst problems in our world.
back to the focus....once again the bonehead media, missed what was right in front of them (i know this, because they mentioned it), and in focusing almost completely on the fact that drugs are consumed by some, add more fuel to feed the fires of fear, hate and refusal to accept we don't all look/think/want the same things, except to be who you are.
i will say this as plainly as can be, THE RAVE SCENE IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN ABOUT DRUGS...yes, many people do drugs there...ummmm, if you haven't figured it out yet, many people do drugs just about everywhere people congregate...you know, bars, restraunts, sporting events, movies, parks, plays, concerts, school, church, work, and on and on....you can believe this or not, but it is true, nothing will change this fact, and you are just fooling yourself if you think otherwise...discussion on rightness and wrongness of drugs another time, please.
the rave scene is about music, and a belief often stated using the acronym PLUR...Peace...Love...Unity...Respect...any of you who truly think this is wrong need to take a serious look at who you are and what you believe in, then find a way to change, because you are fucked up, and unless you're living in a cave (in which case, i doubt you're reading this), you inflict your fuck upness on the rest of us...btw, if you haven't read the pointless facts, or better yet "First Words", i am 44, eductated, help employment considered socially acceptable, and my judgement trustworthy enough to have the responsibility of making decisions affecting hundreds of millions of dollars, even people's lives...so please, consider that what i'm saying may have some validity...obviously i'm not your "average" adult, although i'm not so atypical either...there are many other like me out there.
there is not and never will be anything wrong with ravers, their beliefs, or their music...you will never know if you don't give it an honest assesment...i'm not saying you have to start going to parties, but you might try really listening to your children's, friends, neighbors, stranger's music, before deciding it is not "real" music, evil, and should be wiped from the face of the earth...more importantly, try embracing the belief that that the world, your life can and should be a better, happier, nicer place, and if enough of us believe it, it will be...ravers are not bad people, they just strive to create a place where they can have that better world, if only for hours at a time...there is an excellent documentry on the early days of the techno scene, raves and the culture called "Better Living Through Circuitry", check it out.
no doubt, many of you are now thinking i am nuts, the antichrist, or a hypocrate...i'm not, i honestly believe everyone is worthy of respect (until they prove otherwise) reguardless of age, race, religion, culture, sex...that everyone has something of value to teach me...that peace is better than not...love is a key to happiness...that unity based on, respect, love and peace will provide a more satisfying existance than the solitude of fear, distrust, hate, and misunderstanding....those of you who believers, or claiming to be so, of Christianity, Judeism, and Islam, should already agree, as this forms the core of your religion...btw, don't waste your time, or mine proclaiming what a good "place religion here" you are, if you truly are , it shows in your actions, in how you live your life.
PLUR
found this gem in this morning's Dallas Morning News Sports section, on the outdoors page.
A Point Well Taken
Bison-goring incident reminds: Be wary in the wild
Thirty year old Jeff Bunch of Dallas has some advice for Texas flatlanders who might be traveling in national parks this summer. Watch out for the bison. According to the Aberdeen News in South Dakota, Buncg suffered a deep puncture wound to the left buttock July 6 and underwent surgery to remove an inch long splinter of bison horn. Bunch was touring Custer State park with his mopther and brothers, when the attack occurred. Jeff Bunch told the newspaper he was srtanding near the open drivers door about 20 to 25 feet from the nearest animal. "They looked so peaceful" he said. Without warning the it lowered its head, and charged, tossing Bunch into the side of the van. "I just want to get the word out to people how dangerous buffalo are" Bunch told the newspaper.
well DUH!
i bet he feeds the bears, flies a kite near high tension wires and prusues other equally bright activities....unbelievable that a 30 year old hasn't grasped the concept that large wild animals with sharp horns=danger....yeah, he is a texan, but that is no excuse...hell most texans, at least the ones in rural areas know the cows are dangerous, and would assume a larger wild version would only be more so....maybe the world will have lucked out and this moron was sterilized, if not as a result of the attack, then by the surgeon attempting to protect the world from any future offspring by this twit....i'm sure, somehow in all this, that we will all suffer some consequence of his stupidity, because those of us with sense always pay somehow for the mistakes of those without.
for a wide variety of reasons these are a few quotes that i dig...some are funny, some stupid, some weird, and some just great...am including why or what i like about it, with each in parens....got your own favorite(s), then share it with me/us please
"Where ever you go. There you are."
Buckaroo Banzai
(flawless logic, in a slightly twisted obvious way...from one of my favorite movies, that no one has ever seen)
"Skeed Pills...Peed Skills...Keed Spills...Oh, Fuck It"
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
(a great quote from a great comic)
"I Don't Have Time To Bleed"
Jesse ventura from Predator
(perhaps the dumbest line ever uttered in a movie)
"I have made good judgements in the Past. I have made good judgements in the Future."
Dan Quayle
(so hard to pick just one)
"I'm so happy, dancing while the grim reaper cuts, cuts, cuts, but he can't get me"
Danny Elfman from No One Lives Forever
(great line from a great song)
"If you ain't for the Chargers, then you ain't for shit"
San Diego Chargers Fan T-shirt
(obviously meant to be worn by those who don't realize what it really says...and yes i saw more than one chargers fan proudly wearing this shirt)
"Can't sleep, clowns will eat me"
Unsure of this one's origin
(paranoid weirdness at its very best)
"you knew this was a dangerous job when you took it"
super chicken to his sidekick fred
(Jay Ward Rules)
"Trust me, you really don't want to know what I think" or "I don't think"
My catch all answers for questions best never asked
added my entries from my deviantart journal (completely forgotten about it), which should complete chore of importing my old stuff...these are mostly short as wasn't approaching it as a true journal, but wanted to include them for completeness sake....the site i babbl about there is visualangst.com , which is down for repair, but back soon with any luck....wasted some time creating a rating graphic based on my comment to this Social Reject-Bloggy Rudeness entry, which margi immediately incorprorated into her blog's disclaimer...so i thought why not add it to my site as well, but being me, could not make it simple on myself, therefore the hours creating a parody of the official MPAA ratings image...i hope to have it incorporated soon, how soon depends on me deciding adjustments to the layout and cajoling my girlfriend into making the required changes to the code, as i am a complete idiot when it comes to code...good thing she loves me, because if i tried to code, even the simplest of stuff, all my sites would look like they were built by designed by a chimpanzee on drugs
if you wonder why i'm being so sporadic about writing here, well wonder no more...no, i'm not procrastinating (much, anyway), lazy (well not too), stuck in some depressive hole, or just posseing poor work ethics...i am busy trying to get the style for this blog finished, get visualangst fixed and back on line, helping corrinne with her sites, and too much more to write down...please, bear with me for the next few weeks, and then i should be doing an average of at least an entry a day (i hope)...i will also be busy for about 10 days starting next weekend, due to a visit by my daughter and son-in-law (woooohoooo)...i will be here, but prolly not likely to devote much time while they are here to web projects (mine anyway), will keep you all posted on things....thank you for your support
ok, got the majority of my new style worked out...it is not yet complete, as it is missing the banner, a couple of modules, and i will be tweaking the layout a bit before it is complete...i hope you all like the color scheme, i know it is a bit dark, but that is intentional....while i may try some slight changes to the colors of the various text and link sets, the colors are designed to seamlessly integrate with my primary site, "Visual Angst", and it's associated apps (guestbook and forum), which i spent obscene amounts of time creating the templates for...i created the entire look and feel of "Visual Angst" as an abstract artistic concept...i personally like how the blog looks on its own, but it will, i believe look and feel much better once i get the main site back up and all elements integrated...i am sure that some of you will find the look/feel to be disturbing, unsettling, and/or depressing, too bad
Please let me know what you think so far, good or bad...and as it evolves keep letting me know how i am doing with it...i welcome all input and suggestions, and will reply to let you know you have been heard...if anyone asks, i am happy to go into boring detail about what i am trying to achieve
what demented fuck brainwashed the world into embracing the lunacy of reality tv...are people so bored that they will watch anything, no matter how sad, tasteless and demeaning...worse yet, why are so many willing to subject themselves to public humiliation, for some supposed chance at becoming famous, risking almost certain infamy and ridicule
i know it isn't really new...springer, and his ilk have been around for years...i can't even imagine what prompts a person to desire appearing on springer....why would you willingly get on national (hell worldwide) tv and air your dirty laundry...how do you go out in public after revealing that you have been sleeping with your husband's brothers, best friends and mother...and if springer calls you and asks you to appear, no matter what they tell you the reason, risk learning that you are the last person in the world to know you've been cheated on, lied to or whatever...ugh, it is so fucking sad that people do that
now we have much worse it seems...put yourself through physical and mental torture, give up your dignity and privacy, for some elusive prize...let millions of people watch your humiliation, become the topic of endless gossip, maybe even become the latest victim of the smoking gun...it's a crock of shit, the worst type of lies disguised as yet one more type of success that is truly worthless
bad enough that they teach that money, looks, and material possessions are how you measure up...appearance over substance, having things rather than being happy...now they teach that lying, cheating, using and betraying is not only ok, but good, when trying for the ultimate goal of success and fame...no wonder the world is so totally fucked up
what happened to morals, responsibility, and self-esteem...what will it take to remind people that the one person you have to live with is yourself....the person that you can never really lie to, and actually knows if you are happy or just faking , is yourself....and when will people understand that unless they are honest with themselves, and be themselves, will never be happy, will never have succeeded, and are totally to blame for their inner misery...and dammit, when will people finally stop thinking that making someone else miserable will fill that big hole inside them....IT WON'T...there is no excuse, no justification, that changes the fact that you are responsible for your life, your happiness, or misery, and no matter what was done to you, you choose who you are and what you do
i was mentally abused by my dad, i chose not to abuse my daughter....i have been cheated on, and lied to by my ex-wives, ex-girlfriends and by some of my closest friends, but i choose to not do these things, and i choose to still trust a person until they prove unworthy of trust...i chose to not let bad things in my past destroy my present and future happiness...i chose not to assume that a few individuals are a fair repesentation of an entire group
fuck it...i never want to become them...i refuse to leet them win, by changing who i am...i know i will fuck up, i will get hurt, and i am afraid of doing so, but i will never let that fear stop me from risking, trying, living...BUT, i will never risk these things for fame, to measure up to some arbitrary standard, or to provide a vicarious life to a bunch of cowards to scared to risk living their own dreams
a couple of bits of info...first, i have added quite a few journal entries from my old diaryland journal, and also from the former rants section of my Visual Angst site, which is currently off-line temporarily for some much needed updates and minor rework...i hope you will read these older entries, which are back dated to when i originally wrote them....some are quite amusing, others serious, and cover some topics that are very important to me...for those of you who would like to know a bit more about me, read "first words", the oldest entry, which was my introduction to blogging a little more then 3 years ago, on diaryland
second, i should have my new style in place within a day or so...it will match the general style of Visual Angst, allowing this blog to be integrated with Visual Angst...i'm hoping to have it back on line in the next few weeks...lots of cool stuff to see and do once it's back
i will be continuing to write entries here as often as i can, while working to get everything back up...i'm juggling several web projects, some graphics, creating a couple of fonts, working on fixing up our place, trying to keep a few acres of yard mowed, and getting a little sleep every other day or so...if i am lucky, i will stay in a manic phase long enough to get it all done
if you wonder why i frequently seem A) Illiterate B) Juvenile C) English Is Not My Native Language D) On Drugs E) Just Plain Stupid F) All The Above, here is why...creative writing is not a natural thing for me in any way...i never completed an english comp class in school...i have a strange learning disability which makes reading and writing cursive impossible to read for me....stuff moves light years faster in my head than my best possible typing/writing speed causing me to frequently run words together, etc...and i spent 15 plus years as a technical writer in the mobile communications industry
my technical writing is outstanding, but writing skills that work well for service manuals, technical training and test plans don't work for creative writings...i found that for this sort of stuff, i must just let the words flow as they will, and that if i edit much or at all, it becomes stilted and mechanical....i also was wasting so much time thinking about punctuation and capitalization, that i decided to blow it off completely....i do use some commas , quotes, apostrophes, and parens, but not much else...multiple periods are end of sentance/thought/whatever
i am actually well educated, very literate, and able to properly use the language when it suits me...i love to debate, and can construct an argument with the best of them...anooyh me and you may find out just how well i can disect a statement, and critique it to death...hopew this clears up any confusion...if not maybe i will try again later
scavenged from an email i got back in 99...slightly updated, edited and mutilated by me to fit my present mood:
I've learned- that you cannot make someone
love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope
they panic and give in.
I've learned- that no matter how much I
care, some people are just assholes.
I've learned- that it takes years to build
up trust, and only seconds to
destroy it.
I've learned - that you can get by on charm
for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd
better have a big dick or huge tits.
I've learned- that you shouldn't compare
yourself to others - they are more fucked up than
you think, and who elected them as the standard anyway
I've learned- that you can keep puking long
after you think you're finished. I also learned that puking
while maniacly grinning and laughing is wrong to the core.
I've learned- that we are responsible for
what we do, unless we are celebrities, politicians, students,
or morally bankrupt.
I've learned- that sometimes the people you
expect to kick you when you're down will be the
ones who do, so will the ones don't.
I've learned- that we don't have to ditch
bad friends because their dysfunction makes us
feel better about ourselves.
I've learned- that no matter how hard you
try to protect your children, they will
eventually get arrested and end up in the local
paper.
I've learned- that the people you care most
about in life are taken from you too soon. And
all the less important ones just never go away.
I've learned- that telemarketers do not undestand the words no,
solicitation, not interested, drop dead, leave me alone, or die
you gravy sucking pig.
Iv'e learned- people who do things for your best interest, don't have a clue what your best interests are.
Found this wonderful bit of humor in this mornings Dallas Morning News, Sunday Reader Section.
Hundreds of Washington Post readers submitted excellent suggestions of where the WMD have gone. The DMN printed the top ten, in no particular order. This One is my favorite (yes I am one of those pun loving sick bastards).
Submitted by Lewis Roth, assistant executive director, Americans For Peace Now
"Saddam Hussein's stockpile of weapons have been ground into radioactive bird feed to raise a species of super chickens capable of scratching out simple subtraction problems in the dirt. These new chickens will be know as Capons Of math Deduction.
thank you so much to Lewis Roth, The Washington Post, and The Dallas Morning News for letting me start my day by laughing till it hurt...wish they all started that way