I've been ill for the last few days, hence the lack of posting. So what does one do when plowed down by a virus? Watch stuff! And so I remembered, and found on You Tube, video clips from two most unique video games, The Neverhood and Skullmonkeys. They used claymation as the basis of game play, although the clips below are end-level "reward" sequences. Be warned as the humor is juvenile. Think slapstick, Three Stooges, and fart jokes. Typical male stuff that is great as long as it's not your kids saying it.
Also outstanding is the unusual music by Terry Taylor, available here for a nominal fee.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Scratching My Head
I just read an article on Yahoo news entitled Tax Rebates Deal Announced. The following statements left me a bit puzzled:
"Republicans, for their part, were pleased that the bulk of the rebates — more than 70 percent, according to an analysis by Congress' Joint Tax Committee — would go to individuals who pay taxes."
"Workers who make at least $3,000 but don't pay taxes would get $300 rebates."
Why would you get a tax rebate if you didn't pay any taxes?
They are estimating $28 BILLION dollars in "rebates" to individuals. 30% of this is... $8.4 Billion dollars (8,400,000,000) is being paid out to people who never paid taxes to begin with.
WWPRD?
"Republicans, for their part, were pleased that the bulk of the rebates — more than 70 percent, according to an analysis by Congress' Joint Tax Committee — would go to individuals who pay taxes."
"Workers who make at least $3,000 but don't pay taxes would get $300 rebates."
Why would you get a tax rebate if you didn't pay any taxes?
They are estimating $28 BILLION dollars in "rebates" to individuals. 30% of this is... $8.4 Billion dollars (8,400,000,000) is being paid out to people who never paid taxes to begin with.
WWPRD?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
I'm shocked and surprised
Our local paper just reported that the new Democratic mayer, Tom Henry, has hired Ozzie Mitson as one (of three) public information assistants. Mitson is a Republican precinct official and also the campaign manager for Nelson Peters, the party-sponsored Republican candidate that was beaten in the primaries by Matt Kelty.
This only confirms my earlier suspicions when the local Republican party failed to support their candidate... they knew they would get more graft and back scratching with a Democrat politician in office than a non-politician Republican. And they wonder why people are cynical.
This only confirms my earlier suspicions when the local Republican party failed to support their candidate... they knew they would get more graft and back scratching with a Democrat politician in office than a non-politician Republican. And they wonder why people are cynical.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Lunch, Crime, and Progress
I'm quite excited about lunch today and it's not because of the two hastily assembled PB&J sammiches (leftovers have been scarce as of late). No, it's because today I will most likely finish reading The Rare Coin Score by Richard Stark, a.k.a. Donald Westlake. Westlake's books are so enjoyable they almost read themselves. The man is one tight writer. The books under his Stark name are darker and more hard-boiled crime but no less enjoyable. Plus I've been known to ingest these pulp masterpieces.
On a secondary note, I've been reflecting a bit on a very early post about an odd video from an odd group. I had read a bit about their concept for the video and, although I don't pretend to understand Joyce's prose, re-watching their video was more enjoyable. The premise is that mankind is changes quickly compared to the natural world. There's also something about the downfall of mankind and slugs.
All in all it reminded me of a nifty animated short about the "progress" of mankind as viewed by some rocks. It's a bit eco and a bit evo but still enjoyable.
On a secondary note, I've been reflecting a bit on a very early post about an odd video from an odd group. I had read a bit about their concept for the video and, although I don't pretend to understand Joyce's prose, re-watching their video was more enjoyable. The premise is that mankind is changes quickly compared to the natural world. There's also something about the downfall of mankind and slugs.
All in all it reminded me of a nifty animated short about the "progress" of mankind as viewed by some rocks. It's a bit eco and a bit evo but still enjoyable.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
My Inner Librarian
Years ago I started keeping a list of each book that I read. Since this is a rather detailed list I can tell you that date was June 8, 1998. But until recently if I wanted to quickly find out how many non-fiction books I read in 2004 I had to start counting.
And so I modified my uber-dorky database that lists all of my CDs (along with styles, date obtained, rating and ISBN) and classical music compositions (because sometimes you just can't remember if you have two different versions of Prokofiev's Third Symphony). I'm working backward so I'm only through 2006 but at least now I can tell you that in 2007 I read four books by Donald Westlake and that 30% of the books I read in 2006 were non-fiction (I thought it would be much lower.)
When I finish this project perhaps I'll catalog all the books in our house and then our DVDs. After that it will be an exhausting listing of our cutlery followed by an extended stay in a very quiet and very padded room.
11733
Monday, January 14, 2008
Gettin' Jiggy
Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
*In response to a comment by someone at my work I searched for any dirt they were dishing up on Ron Paul and could only find the flimsiest of excuses, easily dismissed. No, he does not believe 9/11 was orchestrated by someone other than Al Qaeda and the article in his early-90s newsletter was ghost written by an author that was fired - Mr. Paul has repeated stated his very clear position on minorities and racism, something like:
A nation that once prided itself on a sense of rugged individualism has become uncomfortably obsessed with racial group identities.
The collectivist mindset is at the heart of racism.
Government as an institution is particularly ill-suited to combat bigotry. Bigotry at its essence is a problem of the heart, and we cannot change people's hearts by passing more laws and regulations.
It is the federal government that most divides us by race, class, religion, and gender. Through its taxes, restrictive regulations, corporate subsidies, racial set-asides, and welfare programs, government plays far too large a role in determining who succeeds and who fails. Government "benevolence" crowds out genuine goodwill by institutionalizing group thinking, thus making each group suspicious that others are receiving more of the government loot. This leads to resentment and hostility among us.
Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than as individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called "diversity" actually perpetuate racism.
The true antidote to racism is liberty. Liberty means having a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims. Liberty means free-market capitalism, which rewards individual achievement and competence - not skin color, gender, or ethnicity.
In a free society, every citizen gains a sense of himself as an individual, rather than developing a group or victim mentality. This leads to a sense of individual responsibility and personal pride, making skin color irrelevant. Racism will endure until we stop thinking in terms of groups and begin thinking in terms of individual liberty.
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.
*In response to a comment by someone at my work I searched for any dirt they were dishing up on Ron Paul and could only find the flimsiest of excuses, easily dismissed. No, he does not believe 9/11 was orchestrated by someone other than Al Qaeda and the article in his early-90s newsletter was ghost written by an author that was fired - Mr. Paul has repeated stated his very clear position on minorities and racism, something like:
A nation that once prided itself on a sense of rugged individualism has become uncomfortably obsessed with racial group identities.
The collectivist mindset is at the heart of racism.
Government as an institution is particularly ill-suited to combat bigotry. Bigotry at its essence is a problem of the heart, and we cannot change people's hearts by passing more laws and regulations.
It is the federal government that most divides us by race, class, religion, and gender. Through its taxes, restrictive regulations, corporate subsidies, racial set-asides, and welfare programs, government plays far too large a role in determining who succeeds and who fails. Government "benevolence" crowds out genuine goodwill by institutionalizing group thinking, thus making each group suspicious that others are receiving more of the government loot. This leads to resentment and hostility among us.
Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than as individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called "diversity" actually perpetuate racism.
The true antidote to racism is liberty. Liberty means having a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims. Liberty means free-market capitalism, which rewards individual achievement and competence - not skin color, gender, or ethnicity.
In a free society, every citizen gains a sense of himself as an individual, rather than developing a group or victim mentality. This leads to a sense of individual responsibility and personal pride, making skin color irrelevant. Racism will endure until we stop thinking in terms of groups and begin thinking in terms of individual liberty.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
5 Weird Facts About Me
El Shumbo tagged me with my first tag or menk or whatever. So, without further ado, here are five weird things about me.
1) Sunshine on my shoulder almost always makes me cry and sunshine on my elbows almost always makes he speak like Big Bird.
2) I'm funnier than I think I am but not intentionally.
3) I almost always have a song or a melody or a rhythm in my head, a song or a melody or a rhythm that SIMPLY MUST express itself through finger or toe tapping, much to the consternation of my darling wife.
4) I only know two jokes and can tell neither of them well.
5) The adjective that most people use to describe me is "weird".
6) The adjective that most people use to describe my music is "weird."
7) I'm not very good at counting.
8) I find non-sequitur humor to be the epitome of ketchup in a Mason Jar.
9) When I drive over humps in the road I throw my arms up like I'm on a roller coaster. So does my wife. Imagine our mutual surprise when we first did this together on an early date.
1) Sunshine on my shoulder almost always makes me cry and sunshine on my elbows almost always makes he speak like Big Bird.
2) I'm funnier than I think I am but not intentionally.
3) I almost always have a song or a melody or a rhythm in my head, a song or a melody or a rhythm that SIMPLY MUST express itself through finger or toe tapping, much to the consternation of my darling wife.
4) I only know two jokes and can tell neither of them well.
5) The adjective that most people use to describe me is "weird".
6) The adjective that most people use to describe my music is "weird."
7) I'm not very good at counting.
8) I find non-sequitur humor to be the epitome of ketchup in a Mason Jar.
9) When I drive over humps in the road I throw my arms up like I'm on a roller coaster. So does my wife. Imagine our mutual surprise when we first did this together on an early date.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Welcome CNN Readers
A hearty shout out to those of you who have found this web log via the link from CNN. The first thing you should know is that I don't particularly care much for CNN. I used to like FOX but it's getting increasingly trashy. For that matter I don't care much for any of the news networks. I guess I don't like much of anything. Except YOU, dear reader. Nobody cares for you like I do. Nobody else would have you but me so you should be grateful for these posts that I provide.
What I DO like, however, is gravy. And gravy paraphernalia. Oh, and gravy paraphernalia related marketing pieces. And let us not forget my love for the actual word "Gravy". Let's all say it together, shall we. "Gravy." There, now don't you feel better?
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the site but be sure to check out my wife's blog which is much funnier than mine. I'd even go so far as to say it's much more funniest.
Dark Horse Running
So what is it with the candidates I like and their mistreatment by the parties that supposedly represent them? First it was Matt Kelty getting the raw deal from our local "Republican" party leadership and now it seems that Fox News decided NOT to invite Ron Paul to the New Hampshire "Republican" debate. It's not as if he wasn't a valid candidate for he had filled out all the correct paperwork and actually got twice as many votes as Juliani in the Iowa primaries. Could it be because he is actually a conservative and isn't afraid to stand up for what is right? Could it be that the truth of his values shine a line on the other candidates who, fifty years ago, would have been considered left-leaning liberals? Hmmmm, I wonder.
And speaking of liberals and primaries, have you wondered why it seems that the "Republican" party is unable to serve up a decent candidate? By the time the primaries get to Indiana it's pretty much a done deal and in the November elections you're left with choosing the least of two evils.
So why is it, then, that a tiny minority of liberal states get to choose our eventual candidates? If, for instance, Thompson wins both Iowa and New Hampshire then all the sheeple in the following primary states just assume that this is the winner and vote likewise. But when the first primaries are held in predominantly liberal states the candidates they consistently choose are the more liberal ones. As if we needed a huge example of this egotistical bias, two tiny towns in New Hampshire held their primaries starting at midnight, just so they could be the first to cast their votes, have their names in the news, and hopefully have an exceedingly minuscule minority sway the vote of the sheeple. They picked McCain, a liberal in Republican's clothing if ever there was one. I tell ya, until everyone has primaries on the same day it's never going to be a valid candidate for us true conservatives.
And speaking of liberals and primaries, have you wondered why it seems that the "Republican" party is unable to serve up a decent candidate? By the time the primaries get to Indiana it's pretty much a done deal and in the November elections you're left with choosing the least of two evils.
So why is it, then, that a tiny minority of liberal states get to choose our eventual candidates? If, for instance, Thompson wins both Iowa and New Hampshire then all the sheeple in the following primary states just assume that this is the winner and vote likewise. But when the first primaries are held in predominantly liberal states the candidates they consistently choose are the more liberal ones. As if we needed a huge example of this egotistical bias, two tiny towns in New Hampshire held their primaries starting at midnight, just so they could be the first to cast their votes, have their names in the news, and hopefully have an exceedingly minuscule minority sway the vote of the sheeple. They picked McCain, a liberal in Republican's clothing if ever there was one. I tell ya, until everyone has primaries on the same day it's never going to be a valid candidate for us true conservatives.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The Race Is On
The wife and I have been poking around the Presidential candidates a bit as of late and as far as I can tell the only one who is honestly conservative (with the voting record to prove it) and does not seem to be some political puppet is Ron Paul. Don't get me wrong, I like puppets Howdy Doody and Froggy from Happy's Place and their ilk... no mean letters from the pro-puppet people, please. Plus he's not only pro-Homeschool but boldly makes it part of his platform!
Ron Paul, conservative
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Whenever
I've had a note to myself sitting around for two months to add this link but I've been busy waxing the nostalgic. So without any further ado, I present Estradasphere!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Member to the Family
Presenting the latest in my annual Christmas Gravy Boat!
The other gravy boats gather around to give advice on pouring and avoiding those embarrassing drips.
The other gravy boats gather around to give advice on pouring and avoiding those embarrassing drips.
Hold Onto Your Britches
I just had a Fun Size Milky Way bar and I'm riding high on life!
In other worlds my writing has progressed into THE ARC. Yeah, after ten+ years of writing album reviews of WhatzUp I've decided to at least take a swipe at writing The All American Novel! I'm committed to at least finishing the beast, good or bad. I checked out the materials from the Write-A-Novel-In-A-Month people and they were helpful, although mine has stretched on for over two months (with many more to come, but at least I'll still have a family when I'm done) with only 10,000 of the required 50,000 words completed. Plus I just started what would be considered part two of the suggested three-part classic structure. Since my chapters have grown increasingly longer I expect that when I edit I'll go back and expand the first few chapters so that the three parts are more equal in size. Also new today is the completed plot snapping into focus. What? Start writing a novel without knowing the full plot? That's that I used to think too. The Novel/Month people suggest starting to write with only a plot concept but I needed a bit more and so spent some time coming up with situations and characters and a general idea of what what going to happen but it's always pleasantly surprising when you start a chapter and a new idea crops up that throws things for a loop. And so you just hold on and enjoy the ride.
But for now the goal is to boldly plow forth, ignoring the urge to go back and edit or even read what I've written. The idea is just to get the story told and later I'll get technical and critical and fix stuff and add those cool foreshadowing/interlocking plot ideas that I love. Yeah, it's a fresh concept that until now I had failed to grasp, instead going back and getting bogged down in editing the thousand words I had just written to the point that I no longer felt inspired to write.
Speaking of being no longer inspired to write, this blog post tires me so.
10306
In other worlds my writing has progressed into THE ARC. Yeah, after ten+ years of writing album reviews of WhatzUp I've decided to at least take a swipe at writing The All American Novel! I'm committed to at least finishing the beast, good or bad. I checked out the materials from the Write-A-Novel-In-A-Month people and they were helpful, although mine has stretched on for over two months (with many more to come, but at least I'll still have a family when I'm done) with only 10,000 of the required 50,000 words completed. Plus I just started what would be considered part two of the suggested three-part classic structure. Since my chapters have grown increasingly longer I expect that when I edit I'll go back and expand the first few chapters so that the three parts are more equal in size. Also new today is the completed plot snapping into focus. What? Start writing a novel without knowing the full plot? That's that I used to think too. The Novel/Month people suggest starting to write with only a plot concept but I needed a bit more and so spent some time coming up with situations and characters and a general idea of what what going to happen but it's always pleasantly surprising when you start a chapter and a new idea crops up that throws things for a loop. And so you just hold on and enjoy the ride.
But for now the goal is to boldly plow forth, ignoring the urge to go back and edit or even read what I've written. The idea is just to get the story told and later I'll get technical and critical and fix stuff and add those cool foreshadowing/interlocking plot ideas that I love. Yeah, it's a fresh concept that until now I had failed to grasp, instead going back and getting bogged down in editing the thousand words I had just written to the point that I no longer felt inspired to write.
Speaking of being no longer inspired to write, this blog post tires me so.
10306