Where does the time go?

A year ago today the Pretty Girl and I had our first date. I can't believe it's been a year already. I'm excited to experience another year with her though; one I hope that'll be just as good if not better.

Why do we choose to believe this?

A friend of mine was having some medical issues and we discussed possible ailments for his pains. He suggested that I read a certain homeopathic book (the name eludes me) which he purchased on a recommendation from his family.

I asked about the book and he said it's written by a doctor who's remedies are being stifled by the medical community. Interesting. Here's a lady who's produced cures to ailments that are being suppressed. It's a conspiracy and the health of our citizens are paying the price.

I picked up the book in a Barnes & Noble and started browsing. Immediately I was taken aback at the amount of bullshit this woman claimed. She suggested all sorts of vitamin intake, herbal remedies, and meditation to cure almost any ill one may be inflicted with. Of course the introduction of the book was how the man was keeping her wisdom under wraps. I decided not to buy the book as I didn't want to contribute to this 'doctor's' income.

First off if the pharmaceutical companies really wanted to hush this woman up I'm sure they could do a better job of accomplishing that. Lobbying the publisher to not release such crap would be my first step. Also if a doctor had a real claim to something that actually cures ailments wouldn't Pfizer be all over it? When that company announces a drug that actually works their stock soars. Why wouldn't they want to make money of off this? What's keeping them from purchasing the patent? Is Lucifer chairman of the FDA?

The book gives the reader the overwhelming sense that we are masters of our own health destiny, although I didn't see anything that discussed proper diet and exercise. Maybe I missed that passage.

My friend, who's a good chap, really wanted to believe that these quick fixes can and will solve his medical problems and I can't really fault him for that. No one wants to go to the doctor to hear they have to suddenly change their lifestyle to enjoy a better existence, especially if the life they lead is an enjoyable one. I mean who wants to eat salad instead of Cheetos on a daily basis, go to the gym three times a week, try to quit smoking, and shell out a ton of dough for prescription drugs?

Conspiracy theories thrive because they can sometimes be easier to accept. Take the conspiracies about 9/11. Many people believe that the World Trade Center had explosions already in place, because they feel the might of the airplanes alone could not collapse the buildings. Some even go so far as to insinuate that our own government was involved.

Now the first question springs to mind as to why they took so long to detonate the buildings after the crash? You would think if the terrorists wanted a great loss of life then they would give the towers' inhabitants no time to escape. Why crash the airplanes at all?

If the government was indeed behind this then why didn't they have Iraqis board the planes instead of Saudis? If nothing it would make the current Iraq war a much easier sell which is what Bush wanted all along. They could've claimed the Iraqis were part of Saddam's intelligence and was partially funded by Bin-Laden.

I guess for a lot of people it's easier to believe that an organized government conspiracy could create such a biblical catastrophe than a rich Muslim terrorist. I guess they might even feel safer knowing that our government, a foreseeable threat, is something we can fight on our homeland rather than feel helpless as our troops continue their search for Al-Queda.

Now believing in conspiracies such as Pearl Harbor being anything less than a surprise attack and we've never actually did put a man on the moon is harmless really when you equate it to your health. The problem with myself, as well as my buddy, is we're not well educated in matters of biology so we could be easily fooled.

History and politics, two of my better subjects, is something many revisionists have a difficult time getting me to buy their simple propaganda. I understand why people often have a stubborn look at their version of history. Mostly it's because they want it to align with their simple morality.

Take the current crisis in the Middle East. Israeli sympathizers will constantly place blame upon the Arab bogeymen stating they are the ones who starts all the violence and the nation simply retaliates to it. Palestinian sympathizers will demand you look at the whole context of the history of the region demanding that the Crusades was indeed a black and white issue and that no one really agreed to the British accord that essentially started the idea of Israel.

When it comes to issues of health though anyone who fools you into thinking that something may heal you when they have no scientific evidence of it deserves nothing less than to be exposed as the frauds they are. Sad thing is some known frauds still exist and prosper.

Peter Popoff is still doing his faith healings.

"There are no greater liars in the world than quacks——except for their patients." - Ben Franklin

Head On: Another scam for the gullible.

In a follow up to my previous post about how annoying the Head On commercials are I've done some research into the product itself. The good folks at the James Randi Educational Foundation have exposed the headache medicine as the homeopathic crap it is. Please do not buy this product which will only make these scam artists millions.

"Heroin also makes people feel better, but I wouldn't recommend using heroin." - James Randi

Head On into quackery

A sad day for Seattle.

After being a victim to a string of murders the likes this area hasn't seen in years Seattle has today experienced another senseless killing. Some waste of sperm was fed up with Israeli actions in Lebanon and decided to take action. Instead of flying over and fighting with Hezbollah the Arab-American, claiming to be a member of the Religion of Peace, took arms and shot up the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle killing one and wounding six.

The actions in the Middle East doesn't just affect the people of the region. We unfortunately have seen our first American casualty since Hezbollah captured those Israeli soldiers. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this senseless tragedy.

When a minority attacks a group of minorities is it still considered a hate crime?

"Even as we pour hundreds of billions of dollars into our efforts in the Middle East, there is much that needs to be done to win the war of ideas in the Muslim world and beyond." - Herb Kohl

1 dead after shots fired at Seattle Jewish center

...now we're sharing the same dream...

Will, Nick, Matt, and Zahn have collaborated on the blog Billy Ocean, Student Council Treasurer. Will asked me if I would like to contribute to the piece as well. After much negotiation, including Will's unwillingness to give in to my demands for one bi-curious 22 year old Victoria Secret model per post, I decided I'd give it a shot.

Fear not dear readers for I'm not about to abandon Erik's Ramblings as most of my thoughts will still be presented here, but I will be posting short rantings on the group blog from time to time. I'd post more if only Will would agree to give me a costume from the original Buck Rogers series....oh and cake. I like cake.

"Suddenly life has new meaning to me, There's beauty up above and things we never take notice of, You wake up suddenly you're in love." - Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean, Student Council Treasurer

Okay this is kind of creepy.

Scarlett Johansson was recently in a strip club and she claims she didn't enjoy the experience. A lap dance was purchased for her and she felt the stripper was a little rough and bruised the hell out of her.

Well that's not entierly strange really. Many Hollywood starlets can be seen at strip clubs. It seems to be almost en vouge for a girl to enjoy a good lap dance, but Scarlett states she was there with her brother. Call me a prude, but I would never invite a family memeber to a strip club. Not that I've ever been to one.

I couldn't go with her that night, cause I was busy curing cancer and meeting with heads of state to solve global warming. Next time she calls me though I'll make sure to pencil her in.

"I definitely believe in plastic surgery. I don't want to be an old hag. There's no fun in that." - Scarlett Johansson

Stripper Gave Scarlett Johansson a Bone Bruise

Hello nurse!

The Animaniacs will finally be released on DVD. This is so cool. I mean now we can watch the adventure of mice that want to take over the world, mobster pigeons, and a grumpy old squirrel that whacks the hell out of people with her purse whenever we want.

And there is of course the songs. From the capitols song to the nations of the world. Enjoy my cartoon loving friends.

Wear a swimsuit, go to jail.

The ever so progressive Islamic Defenders Front has filed a complaint with Indonesian authorities over the fact that Miss Indonesia posed in a swimsuit for the Miss Universe pageant. Under Indonesian law the police will have to investigate the complaint which could land the beauty queen in prison for up to six years.

Former president Suharto decreed a ban on all beauty pageants; however that's been largely ignored until now. Islamic Defenders Front lawyer called her participation in the Miss Universe contest "insulting for Indonesian dignity and women."

I always thought true respect for women would be for them to have equal rights and pay and not treat them like children when it comes to their standards of dress. I guess under the rules of the Religion of Peace I should send the Pretty Girl to jail if I catch her exposing any flesh in public. If the cops won't take her I'll make my own cell and force her to watch reruns of Hee Haw. That'll show her to defy the will of Allah.

Or I could just simply respect her choices and watch her live as the good woman she is. I guess I'll be going to hell then.

"Respecting other people's cultures is well and good, but I draw the line at where some branches of Islam, what they do to women. It's indefensible." - Jello Biafra

Miss Indonesia under fire over 'insulting' swimsuit parade

Will someone please tell me exactly what this product does?

I watch a lot of news especially lately with the conflict in the Middle East sparking my interest. While I have numerous complaints about the quality and format of most network and cable news I have to say one of my biggest beefs is with the commercials.

I hate advertising in general. In today's world you cannot escape someone trying to hock their merchandise or service on you. You see them on TV, radio, internet, billboards, and even sometimes on the products you've already purchased. Companies shell out billions to sell their products and are relentless in spreading their message to you.

I do believe the person who came up with the idea to advertise is sitting in hell right next to the guy who invented the Chia Pet.

Even though I hate advertisements I'm not immune to their lure. Sometimes I see one and I think that may be a good product to buy. Suddenly I find myself an advertiser's dream hoping that one day I'll truly understand how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

There is a relatively new ad that is played constantly on cable news channels for a product called Head On. I watched the commercial in disbelief wondering what it is they were trying to tell me. The commercial loops a woman stating "Head On. Apply directly to the forehead," while a model rubs a tube across her skull. After making this statement three times the announcer makes clear that the product is sold nationwide.

That's it. That's all they tell you. At first glance I thought it was a headache medicine, but who the hell knows. It could be a beauty cream for wrinkles. It could be special deodorant for people who sweat too much from their forehead. It could be some homeopathic remedy for stupid people who still believe that Spinal Tap is a real band, that the US has 48 states, and that Guam is a food. The product packaging doesn't even tell you.

They keep informing me to that I should apply it directly to the forehead, but one would think that someone who purchased the seemingly medicinal product would already know that or at least read the instructions. I guess they're afraid of people barraging their call centers with comments like "I ate this whole tube and my hemorrhoids are still flaring. You guys suck and I'm going to sue!"

For your viewing pleasure I have the ad listed below. Warning: Viewing this may cause so much pain you'll actually consider buying their product. Maybe that's their whole strategy and if it is it's friggin brilliant.

"Advertising is legalized lying." - H. G. Wells

Yeah it's probably not the best idea.

I've never had a criminal mind, but some things seem obvious. We've all heard the stories and watched videos of idiot burglars. Whether they give a teller a demand for money that was penned on the back of their bank statement or if they try to rob a department store dressed up in their work security uniform no one can help but laugh at these morons.

It doesn't take a the sharpest mind to know that waltzing into a gun shop with intention to rob it is not a good idea, but it takes a whole new breed of dumbass to try and rob one armed with a machete. Yet that's what a New Zealand resident decided to do and for his effort he received a bullet in the abdomen.

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "bringing a knife to a gunfight."

Years ago in the city I currently reside in a guy tried to do the same thing only he did use a gun at least. Problem was there was a cop car parked in front of the store with an officer actually inside. The assailant was shot 23 times by the clerk and cop and died on the scene. No one else was injured. His actions warranted the dubious honor of winning a Darwin Award.

"It would be reasonable to question why he went into the shop with a machete." - Noreen Hegarty, Police spokeswoman.

Machete-wielder shot in gun shop

I've been putting it off way too long.

The other day Matt, author of The Inexcusable, dropped off some storyboards for my long delayed film project 'Cheat'. When I first saw them I was stunned as I mostly have been putting this on the back burner.

'Cheat' is based on J. D. Salinger's 'Pretty Mouth and Green Eyes', which I first read back in high school. I've had the idea of making a short film based on it for years when I finally wrote the script months ago. A dark story to be sure, but one I really want to see on screen.

I hope to have the shooting completed within the next couple of months. The casting seems to be a lock and the locations are simple. I do hope all will go well. The editing will be a chore, but I'm confident the results will be adequate.

This being my third film I hope I did learn something from the previous two which weren't what one would call cinematic masterpieces. The trials of filmmaking are huge, but the end result has always been worth the effort.

"While working on this movie on paranoia, I started to realize that the filmmaking process is a paranoid experience-in filmmaking, every scene should relate to your main character, to your theme. Paranoid schizophrenics think the entire world relates to them." - Darren Aronofsky

Just another taste of adventure.

Corey pinged me on IM stating his desire to climb Mt Rainier. Unfortunatley I was on lunch and wasn't able to respond, but I think it's a good idea. After breaking his skydiving cherry I believe he's looking for a little more excitement in his life and I'm ready to join him.

Now I really need to step up my workouts in order to get in shape for this and so does he.

“Of all the fire mountains which like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest.” - John Muir

Rainier Mountaineering, Inc

Fixed.

Thanks to some help from Joe and a little googling I got it fixed. The font should be a reasonable size now.

My blog is friggin huge.

I have no idea why my font is so large. I'll be diligently working on it and I appreciate your patience.

You used to amuse me, but now I just hate you.

My first introduction into the world of Ann Coulter was back in high school. As part of our Contemporary World Problems class we were assigned to read Newsweek and were given a comprehension test on a weekly basis. At that time Ann wrote a column for the magazine. Since then I've always found her amusing really. Her tirades on liberals and how hard it was to find a date in DC were kind of funny given the woman seemed to have no grasp on reality so it was hard to take her seriously.

Now she hit home and I truly fucking hate her. I mean hate the woman with all of my ever masculine being. I hate her as much as I hate Stalin apologists, Hummer salesmen, and Euro trash techno.

In her latest attempt to make any conservative look like a freakin moron she said this about Hollywood's portrayal of the hero teacher in such bad films as Mr Holland's Opus, Dangerous Minds, and Stand and Deliver:

"In real life, these taxpayer-supported parasites are inculcating students in the precepts of the Socialist Party of America - as understood by retarded people."

Of course the way she states this makes it sound all encompassing, because as she seems to believe all teachers are indeed parasites. She goes on in her miserable book to state the average teacher salary is 43,000 a year compared to the rest of the work force who get 40,000. Of course she had to make the stab saying they get summers off and leave work at 3 pm.

Being the son of two retired elementary school teachers I must take issue with this. A teacher's salary should be higher than most of the workforce, because they are required now to have masters degrees and they do one of the most important jobs in our society. When you throw in the rest of the workforce you are comparing a pool of low wage undereducated jobs along with careers that require college degrees. A misleading comparison at best, and it's a wage my parents never ended up making.

My folks never got to leave work at 3pm and when they did come home their heads were buried in lesson plans, grading papers, etc. Of course they had the unthankful task of parent-teacher conferences where they had to diplomatically tell a couple that they spawned an idiot.

My parents believed in the old ways of educating which included drilling, discipline, and a firm understanding of the three 'R's. They hated the methods handed down to them of not educating a child and trying instead to make them feel good. Hardly a way to prepare someone for a life in a capitalist society, but they simply did their job. You can't blame the cop for the law you hate nor can you take such an immature view on our public school teachers.

So to this Ann I say go fuck yourself. Seriously how can you sit there and call teachers parasites while you sit there in your ivory tower of self indulgent mildly literate writings, to which you can simply work from home, and call yourself an expert on the personalities of our educators? I understand you couldn't make it being a serious analyst on world politics and you now have to resort to shocking the public to make a buck, but must you do it at the expense of people who are seriously trying to educate our children? There are bad teachers out there yes, but there are good ones too. Most of them are much smarter than you and I think you know that, but you do make a better living at the art of propaganda so I guess you believe we should look past your asinine prose and worship you as a genius.

Fuck you Miss Overrated Horseface Wench.

"We've finally given liberals a war against fundamentalism, and they don't want to fight it. They would, except it would put them on the same side as the United States." - Ann Coulter

Coulter: Somehow things get even worse

I've been tagged.

Grace, author of There's a Land That I See, has tagged me. Listed below is a list. Enjoy the listology:

5 Things always in my purse/briefcase/backpack:
1. Workout pants
2. Shoes
3. Shirt
4. Underwear
5. Socks (Yep it's all workout clothes.)

5 Things always in my wallet:
1. Driver's license
2. Debit Card
3. Canadian money that's still left over from Andrew's bachelor party.
4. My gym card.
5. My Subway card.

5 Things always in my refrigerator:
1. Lettuce.
2. Parmesean Cheese.
3. Worcestershire sauce.
4. Beer.
5. Salad dressing.

5 Things always in my closet:
1. Paintball gear.
2. Dress shirts I hardly ever wear.
3. A suit.
4. Boxes of stuff I have no room to unpack.
5. Tad's sofware.

5 Things always in my car:
1. CDs
2. Air freshner.
3. Sleeping bag.
4. Blanket.
5. A jesus medal that was given to me by my grandmother.

5 Things always on my desk: (at work)
1. Pictures of the nephews, Quoc's baby, and the Pretty Girl.
2. A David Hasselhoff paper airplane.
3. Computer
4. Tiny football.
5. A Bobba Fett bobblehead.

5 People to tag:
Eh do it if you want. No pressure. Enjoy it.

"There are many dying children out there whose last wish is to meet me." - David Hasselhoff

Make your own Hoff paper airplane.

To Hizbollah with love.

I'm not an anti-war person per say. I do believe a nation has the right to defend itself from invaders, but I will speak out against military action I find immoral. That being said I do cringe when I see pictures like the one I posted that depicts Israeli children writing messages on missels that are to be used against Hizbollah.

These images are important to show the American public how a society deals with the constant bombardment of terrorism. Even after 9/11 our country still has an overwhelming sense of security compared to the likes of Israel. Hopefull we'll never have to experience what it truly means to be on either side of a conflict such as the one that rages in the Middle East.

"My theology is such that the God who loves Israel and will not forsake Israel - which is why I want to see Israel have a secure nation with secure borders - also loves the Palestinians." - Tony Campolo

Batgirl is Clueless, but I'm not complaining.

Most of us have a cause we feel strongly about and there are those who will go to great lengths to fight for it. Whether it be civil rights, religion, or environmental issues activists will often use various methods to bring attention to their seemingly richeous plight. A lot of us bear a cross, but only the truly passionate go to extreme lengths and of course they get all the press.

Alicia Silverstone, who hasn't made a hit since Clueless, is considering disrobing for PETA. The animal rights activist is thinking of jumping the bandwagon of many hot PETA members who are recently going naked to draw attention.

Now I'm all in favor for Miss Silverstone getting naked even though I have many issues with PETA. Just because Alicia is going to show her assets try not to be fooled into thinking PETA is a reputable organization. They do fund some of the most extreme voices in the animal rights movement; some that even resort to terrorist activities. Don't get me started on the moral high ground PETA tires to take. I could go on forever about them.

It's funny that Pamela Anderson stripped for PETA and yet people didn't really care. I guess everyone's tired of seeing the plastic android nude. I don't see how she can be a positive influence in the animal rights community as most of us couldn't take her seriously about anything she stands for. She could go on record supporting average white guys rights to date super models and I would be against it. Good thing my dating life is a revolving door of Playmates and Victoria Secret models so I don't really have to come out and support such an issue.

Hopefully the Pretty Girl won't find out about my conquests.

"I really respect the people who do it, I think it's wonderful. I'd maybe do it, I wouldn't rule it out but I think so many people are doing it the message is getting across anyway which is fantastic." - Alicia Silverstone

Alicia Silverstone I would Strip For PETA

Always, I mean always check the plumbing.

California prosecutors are hoping a bill will pass through the state legislator that would limit the use of "gay panic" defense used in trials. The gay panic defense was used by defendants who sought leniency from the court for their actions in assaulting someone because after a sexual act they found out about their real gender.

This legislation comes off the heels of the brutal murder of Gwen Araujo, a teenager whose skull was beat in and was strangled by two guys learning she/he was a guy after they had buttsex with her/him.

Now I don't condone this activity, the assault, murder, or the hiding of the penis, but my question to you dear reader(s) is what would be your first gut reaction after finding out the person you just had sex with shared the same genitalia? Would you hide in embarrassment and not tell anyone? Laugh it off? Beat them so hard they'll curse their mother for ever giving them birth? I'm not looking for comments here; I just want you to honestly think about your initial gut feeling when learning of this distressing, well distressing to most, news.

I'm no expert in the art of anal, but wouldn't you normally want to..eh..well..see what's going on down there? Do you have to be that drunk? Do transgender people use the 'my time of the month' excuse to keep a prying hand away from there?

I would never engage in casual buttsex, but I have to be honest and say I would probably react violently upon hearing the news if it was immediately after the fact. A swift punch to the eye would probably ensue. If I learned of the news later I'd probably take multiple showers and cry myself to sleep, but I just hope I'd let it go and not tell anyone. Yeah I wouldn't post the experience here.

Would striking someone in this scenario make me a bad person? Eh call me what you will, but I think the reaction would be natural. I imagine most guys react violently caused they're more pissed at themselves for being duped.

Granted most would say if I were to be stupid enough to randomly place my wee wee there I deserve what I get, but there might be some gray areas here. Granted if I did punch someone I expect and deserve to go to jail. Should a jury not look at a defendant and serve based upon the context of the crime or look at all assault as black and white and determine the verdict accordingly? If the latter how do you feel about hate crime legislation?

Again I'm not looking for comments here, but I do ask you think about this legislation and what kind of guidelines we want for our juries.

"I learned a lot more about transgender people. It's not a choice, but a physiological condition that has to do with the size of the hypothalamus part of the brain." - Mercedes Ruehl

Yep they were once guys:



Prosecutors fight 'gay panic' defenses

Bad movies I love part 11

The stereotype of men keeping friends for what seems like forever while women change buddies as often as Britney Spears switches religions is somewhat based on fact. Usually if I have a disagreement with my friends it ends over a pitcher of beer and a quick apologies on both ends. Women sometimes seem to harbor deep resentment for being hurt by their pals, but at times they'll still remain in contact with them.

That being said nothing can tear apart the strong bond between men as a woman. They can be the large chasm of any friendship and most men sadly never reconcile. I've witnessed this on a few occasions, but thankfully I've never had to end a friendship over a girl.

Extreme Prejudice explores the relationships between two overly macho men. Nick Nolte plays the Gary Cooperesque anti-hero and quite well. He's a tall, strong, masculine Texas Ranger who patrols the border in a futile attempt to stop the drug trade.

Powers Boothe plays Nolte's once childhood friend who's now a drug kingpin living in Mexico making a great living smuggling cocaine over Nolte's territory. Boothe plays the character well with his trademark creepy voice.

With movies like this there is always a complicated love triangle. Nolte is shacked up with Maria Conchita Alonso, Boothe's former girlfriend. Immediately the viewer needs no explanation of the backstory, but it's given anyways. Boothe was the guy who was hurt in the relationship and as movies of this nature would have it he goes off the deep end pursuing a life of crime. You didn't need me to type that out for you did you?

Nolte feels some empathy for hurting his former best friend and never engages him directly. Of course the plot has to move along so someone has to throw a wrench in this dysfunctional smooth running machine.

Maria becomes tired of the safe existence that Nolte has provided and chases a more exciting life with Boothe. She becomes a willing hostage that Boothe uses to ensnare his former friend into keeping out of his activities. Nolte and Boothe of course step up their little feud and we're lead to a moment of truth scene where the two fight for the hand of their fair maiden.

While this is all happening CIA operatives fall upon the small Texas town and fail at a bank robbery. After the mess they left the group go after Boothe's drug empire which leads to a massive gun battle.

The script is dated and you've seen this plot before in other, sometimes better, movies. The story is somewhat disjointed, especially with the confusing subplot involving the CIA which really didn't need to be in the film. It feels like a studio executive decided to write them in at the last minute just so a huge gun battle will ensue. The action sequence can get ridiculous at times like when a muscle bound guard, former pro-wrestler Zeus, gets shot numerous times only to act like the bullets didn't hurt him.

Given all the film's faults the acting is superb and the story, which can sometimes feel too familiar, is one that resonated with me. I'm intrigued by the characters even though they are cut straight out of old westerns.

"What makes the film good are Hill's style and the acting. Everything is cranked up about 10 degrees. Nolte is quiet and tough, Boothe gives a great performance as a slimy drug merchant with some residual charm and Alonso was born for her role as the passionate senorita trapped between two men who will kill for her." - Roger Ebert

Extreme Prejudice trailer which is horribly misleading.