Viva la democracia

The state of Texas allows early voting, so yesterday the wife and I traveled to our local library to cast our ballot. As we arrived the line was fairly long, but the wait wasn't too bad as thing moved effeciently. It took us little time to choose our favorite candidates and we were out of there in a jiffy; although I'm really wondering if I regret my choice for judge in the 31st juidicial district. I got my sticker though, which proves I did my civic duty and can use it in a self ritcheous fashion at others who don't go to the polls.

 

It's interesting being in a state where I'm part of the political minority. I don't openly express my voting choices to my wife's family, nor my Lone Star friends for that matter. Granted it's no one's business who I think is the best choice to hold office, but to feel like I shouldn't express my views due to people snubbing their nose at my voting habits is a bit much. Still, no one should think any less of another for how they vote, and if they do they have a lot of growing up to do.

 

Yet here I am, keeping my beliefs to myself, which is always a good policy in my personal life. Still there are times when I was standing in line yesterday that I wanted to wear a Che Guevera t-shirt (yes I note the irony) and thrust my fist in the air as each person walked out of the polling station while I yelled revolutionary slogans.

 

But this is Texas, and people carry guns..

 

"Silence is argument carried out by other means." - Ernesto "Che" Guevara

14-13

The Seahawks and their fans are an odd specimine. The team is largely overlooked by everyone else, as they're the Seahawks, basically the Bucaneers of the West Coast, except Seattle has yet to win a Super Bowl. While Seahawk fans cry "east coast bias" when speaking about how the sports media pays little attention to them, or points out how useless their contribution to the NFL is, they seem to forget that other west coast teams have earned the respect of football reporters for many years, one namely, the San Fransisco 49ers.

So yesterday, the whiney fans of Seattle took time out of their day complaining about a Super Bowl that happened years ago and were confident that the Seahawks would dominate the 49ers. It wasn't a bad prediction, as I thought they would be the victor as well. Fresh from a good performance against the league's second most hated team, the Patriots, San Fransisco was coming off an embarassing loss to the Super Bowl champion Giants, and looked to be the upcoming loser to their newfound division rival. Seattle, looking for a new enemy since they were entered into the NFC, has found a newfound hatred for the bay area team, and it's been a fun series of games. Coming into the game, the teams were tied at 13-13, and it was now time to break it.

And break it the 49ers did. Oh did they ever...

"Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live." - Joe Montana

Post debate thoughts

As should come as no surprise to you, most of the people I know in Texas will not be voting for Obama. Hell maybe none of them will, and that's OK. As I get older I care less about trivial things, such as how someone worships (or doesn't at all), how they vote, and who they have sex with, well so long as their partner is a consenting adult, and I do care that my wife only shares a bedchamber with yours truly, but that's to be expected.

Still I don't understand Romney's appeal, other than he's not Obama. His campaign is riddled with missteps and he's proven he's out of touch with most voters, with his 47% comments, his tax plan that neither he nor his running mate can explain, and his constant flip-flopping. Still there's a large segment of voters who don't want to like Obama, even if he personally shot Bin Laden, cured cancer, balanced the budget, and gave everyone a free pony.

A friend of mine made an interesting point about the first debate, given that Romney was the winner, but didn't really do all that well as everyone thought, he just didn't tank, which is what everyone expected. Yet there was a real surge in the polls, which a friend of mine pointed out proves how weak the Obama campaign really is, and his victory may not be a sure thing as the Democrats had hoped. At first it seemed that the only way Obama could lose was if pictures of him surfaced sodomizing cats with a statue of Lenin.

Last night's debate we saw a more polished Obama, who did well during the debate, but granted he had a lot of help from Romney. The Republican nominee really left his chin out a few times, and Obama responded by swinging a few hay makers that connected. What really left an impression is how Romney brought up an affirmative action plan when he was Governor, but it turns out it wasn't his all along. Still he stated something that really caught my attention.

Romney: "I understood that if you're going to have women in the workforce, you've got to be more flexible."

What the hell does that even mean? At this point, with Republicans being all downplaying rape and thinking they know womens' health better than, well women, I can't fathom why a female would consider voting for any GOP candidate, much less one who has to make excuses as to why they should be paid the same.

Granted Obama frustrated me at times, with his difficulty explaining how the President is not in charge of gas prices, something the American public will never accept nor understand. Republicans like to blame Democrats for something they feel they should control, never mind they're the party of free enterprise, and they know full well America doesn't control OPEC.

This election will be over in about three weeks, and I for one can't wait until it's all over.

“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.” - Todd Akin

Questions I wish were asked part 2

Many are already sick of the presidential campaign, and I'm no different. I doubt many voters truly don't know who they're voting for, and if they don't they obviously haven't been paying attention. I want to see it over now, if only just to stop seeing those stupid FB posts about Obama handing out cell phones for votes, or how Romney wants to grill Big Bird on a spit.

Still, for those very few that have no earthly idea who they're voting for, the VP debates can help shape that, as they did for many four years ago. Unlike last time, where Biden was up against someone so unqualified she made him look like an intellectual giant, this time our Vice President is competing with someone who has speaking skills, comes off as bright, and is not prone to make himself look like a moron on a daily basis. Sure Paul Ryan may be wrong about everything, but that doesn't matter in debates, nor does it matter in convincing the electorate to make you a heartbeat away from the highest office in the land. All you need is to be more presentable and personable, but it may not matter anymore, as again we all know already who we're voting for. Still these are questions I'd like to see asked by the moderator:

 

1. Mr Vice President: Do you see yourself as a champion for the functionally retarded?
2. Mr Ryan: Objectivism and Christianity seems to any rational thinking person to be incompatible, so why do you claim both have such a hold on your morality?
3. Mr Vice President: Why can't you complete a sentence without sounding like a buffoon?
4. Mr Ryan: Your budget plan doesn't add up at all and you still refuse to give details, which will likely just make it look more ridiculous. Did you honestly think no one would notice how stupid it is?
5. Mr Vice President: Does the President ever text you saying "Seriously, just shut the hell up."
6. Mr Ryan: Since you're a devout Catholic, why do you align yourself with a stupid cult follower?
7. Mr Vice President: Since you're a devout Catholic, why do you align yourself with a terrorist loving Muslim?
8. Mr Ryan: Your infallible holy father is against the death penalty, so why do you spit on God by not ordering Republicans to not celebrate when people are being executed?
9. Mr Vice President: Your infallible holy father is against abortion, so why do you spit on God by allowing the murder of sweet little innocent babies?
10. Mr Ryan: Would you campaign for Todd Akin if asked?
11. Mr Vice President: Being a role model for those who speak English as a second language, do you want the President to ease up on immigration standards?
12. Mr Ryan: Have you or Mr Romney sat through Atlas Shrugged Part 1, and if so, how did you not kill yourself?
13. Mr Vice President: Do you believe insurance companies be forced to cover hair transplants under the Affordable Care Act?
14. Mr Ryan: Is it true you're just a better polished Rick Santorum?

 

"Hey, I'm a Catholic deer hunter, I am happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion." - Paul Ryan

Questions I wish were asked.

The Presidential debates will be held tonight, and the general public seems largely uninterested by the whole affair. It kind of makes sense, because after months of campaigning I would imagine most people are already certain of who they're voting for and no amount of debating will change that. Unless one of the candidates rips open their shirt to reveal a swastika tattoo on their chest they'll just be preaching to the choir.

Still there are some questions I'd love to see answered at the debates. Below are a few:

1. Mr Romney: What is the price of a gallon of milk?
2. Mr President: Why haven't you proven to the American people that you aren't a militant Muslim from Kenya?
3. Mr Romney: Will you campaign for Todd Akin if asked?
4. Mr President: Why do you hate Israel?
5. Mr Romney: Since you have a running mate that has pledged to cut all sorts of government assistance from the Congressional budget, will you pledge to slash Medicare, Social Security, military pay and benefits?
6. Mr President: At what point in your life did you accept Marxist socialism?
7. Mr Romney: Have you ever balanced a checkbook?
8. Mr President: Why does our Vice President seem to act like the fictional character Gomer Pyle?
9. Mr Romney: Will you nominate former Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin to your cabinet, and if not why do you hate women?
10. Mr President: Why the hell did it take so long for you to change your stance on gay marriage?
11. Mr Romney: The LDS church seems to believe that Native Americans are the descendants of the Lamanites, and those of them who accept the Book of Mormon teachings will hail a new Jerusalem in the US. Under your leadership, will the BIA help construct such a city and where?
12. Mr President: When our ambassador was being attacked and since you're such a coward you decided to appear on the insipid "The View", why didn't you storm out into the streets instead screaming "Take me! Take me!"?
13. Mr Romney: Detail why the state of the economy is all the President's fault?
14. Mr President: Detail why the state of the economy is all your predecessor's fault?
15. Mr Romney: You're a smart guy, so why do you insist on being wrong when blaming the President for the state of the economy?
16. Mr President: How is it that you secretly love terrorists, yet happen to have so many killed?
17. Mr Romney: Does the other 47% really need to bother watching this? Isn't Honey Boo Boo on?
18. Mr President: Guantanmo Bay...really?
19. Mr Romney: Which of your sons would you be willing to sacrifice to engage in a ground war with Iran?
20. Mr President: Why do you insist on being uppitidy with you enjoying craft beers?
21. Mr Romney: William Claude Dukenfield warned against trusting those who don't drink. Why should the American public trust you?
22. Mr President: Since you're obviously fond of selling arms to Mexico in order to help kill US border guards, why stop there? Can you help our neighbor to the south invade and take back Arizona?
23. Mr Romney: Have you and your running mate sat through Atlast Shrugged Part 1 in its entirety, and if so, why do you hate yourselves?
24. Mr President: At first pundits thought you may have a quite an election brawl on your hands, but now that it seems your opponent is incompetent as all fuck, what do you do with in your spare time as he's watching his poll numbers tank?

"Over the objections, where they sound like squealing pigs, over the objections of Romney and all his allies, we passed some of the toughest Wall Street regulations in history, turning Wall Street back into the allocator of capital it always has been and no longer a casino. And they want to repeal it." - Joe Biden


Bad Movies I love part 34

As most movie goers are fully aware, box office returns are in no indication of how good a film is. If you don't believe me, see how much of a huge hit The Flintstones, Independence Day, and the Transformers trilogy were, and look at how terribly the Linklater Before Sunrise/Before Sunset films, Citizen Kane, and even The Wizard of Oz did in their initial releases.

 

The mystery surrounding the colossal flop of "John Carter" is an intriguing one, although some aren't surprised at all. Me I actually went to see the film with my friend Sam, who has replaced Quoc as my go to person for dragging me to movies of various quality. I've read two of the John Carter books many many years ago, so I was mildly excited to see how well this would translate to the big screen. Most critics panned this, and audiences never gave it a chance probably due to the fact they have no clue about the source material, nor would they even care. And really, most of the movie going public haven't the foggiest who Edgar Rice Burroughs even was. Plus the marketing was terrible, as having a title called John Carter tells you nothing about the plot except for the main character's name. If this were made in 1947, the title may have meant something. But it's 2012, and we've seen little to nothing from the franchise since the forties. Hell if they used the title A Princess from Mars it would've told the movie goers a more about the story than John Carter.

 

But I went to see it with an open mind, and found it to be a fun sci-fi romp that never took itself seriously. Was it Blade Runner or 2001: A Space Oddessy? Obviously not. What I watched was the character that influenced so much of modern American mythology, such as Star Wars, Superman, and Buck Rogers. It seemed like a great film for kids and their sci-fi geek parents, but no one seemed to like it, at all. It seemed like critics and the public wanted to hate this film for reasons I can't explain. Sometimes its fun to feel passion, even if it's negative, for a film that is mildly enjoyable.

 

It's a stretch to say I loved this film as it does have its flaws. Taylor Kitsch didn't have the charisma nor talent he displayed week after on the underrated "Friday Night Lights", nor is the plot that engrossing. The story is indeed simple, but it does give one a sense of urgency. If you're looking for a light hearted fun sci-fi film, you could do far worse, and let's be real, you certainly have. This movie is not as bad as you've heard, or even professesed. I enjoyed it, and you probably will too.

 

"OK, they botched the title. But not the movie itself." - Linda Cook

 

Be the better fans

Dear Packers' fans,

You lost. Yes you were screwed and even the most die hard Seahawk fan knows this, but there's one thing you must do, get over it. I know that's easier said than done, but remind yourselves of one thing, you're fans of the Green Bay Packers, which has one of the greatest storied history in the NFL. Be the bigger person here.

I used to live in Seattle and had to hear Seahawk butthurt for most of my life, and there's nothing more annoying than a bunch of fans, who can't even tell you what a 4-3 nickle defense is, bitching and moaning about a game they know little about. After the Steelers-Seahawks Superbowl fiasco I had to listen to the whining of how the refs screwed Seattle, but none of them, not one, could tell you how the outcome of the game would've been had the calls went in Seattle's favor. Both teams played terribly that day and it was a real low point in the history of the game. Difference is most Steelers fans will admit the calls were bogus, but then again Steelers fans are better informed about football than Seahawk fans.

In your case it's clear who would've won had the replacement refs done their job correctly, but you can rise to be the better person here. Seahawk fans keep calling it karma for offenses laid against them, never mind that the Packers had nothing to do with any of it. Yes they're being douches and they at least should have some class and admit how ridiculous their win was, but remember who you are and who you root for. The Seahawks and their fans got this win and are gloating about it, but they're still Seahawks, a fate no one deserves.

In Seattle's defense, they held the hell out of your offense for a lot of the game and deserve some credit for making it a close one, but that's still no excuse for their douchiness, from the players and the fans as well.

Sincerely,
Wiwille

"Probably not. I would have been honest. Obviously, the film shows, the video shows that I obviously didn’t catch the football. I wouldn’t have owned up to catching it, if I didn’t catch it." - Victor Cruz

Epic rant

I never have hated Apple products. Sure I think they're overpriced for something that's underwhelming, so I choose not to buy them. The iPod, iPhone, and iPad never seemed like a good value considering many other competitors had just as good products, if not better, for far cheaper. Apple does a lot of things right, mainly selling really expensive devices for people who have little idea of how to navigate a computer efficiently.

The other day my wife was working from home and was frustrated as to why her work assigned Mac couldn't offer something as simple as a Snippet Tool. She searched the internet for one, downloaded a few, but all came up with an error that was neither informative nor helpful. She missed the tool greatly and was none to happy that Apple couldn't make something similar for her needs. She has many complaints about working in a Mac house, but she lives with it and has cursed the phrase "Once you go Mac you never go back."

 

I posted about her frustration on FB and how I found it amusing. It then sparked a one sided debate about how Apple sucks balls, which was dominated by my friend Alec. It was too good not to share, for it was funny and informative at the same time. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you Alec's epic rant against the computer giant:

 

Seriously? Fine. I'll start with the argument that always seems to piss of Fanboi's the most. Microsoft products are all about freedom and choice. If you use Apple products you'll have neither. If you want a photo manager on Windows, you'll have dozens to choose from. Most are free, some are opensource. You can use any of them, and they'll all output to your "My Pictures" folder, or whatever folder you want really, so that other applications can use them. You can even use two different apps concurrently if your spouse prefers one and you prefer another... and they're totally compatible. Compare this to Apple.

On OSX you have one choice of photo management, iPhoto. There are no other real alternatives. Sure you might find some, but they all have a fatal flaw: incompatibility. Say you want to make a DVD slideshow of your vacation to Disneyland. You'll have to use iMovie, which can only import photos from iPhoto. So if you used any other application for photo management, you'll still have to import them into iPhoto before you can do anything else. If you want to add a music soundtrack to your slideshow, iMovie will do that... but only if the song is in iTunes... and lord help you if it's an older track with iTunes DRM. If you tried to use a different music player, which there are very few, you wouldn't be able to import from that app into iMovie. iMovie won't let you pick files from finder! And if you did want to try a different media player or a different photo manager, you're screwed. Why? Because iPhoto and iTunes store their content in their own file structure and won't let other apps use it. Well... other apps that weren't made by Apple.

While on the subject of apps, lets talk about the new OSX App store. Apple won't let competing products into the store, and makes it nearly impossible for anyone to publish a free app in the store. Apple wants to control you and keep you in their walled garden where you have no choice, no freedom.

Have you ever tried to use Safari as your default web browser? It's awful, and horribly incompatible with a number of common plugins (i.e. Flash, Java). But don't delete it. Don't you ever delete Safari. Because if you do, you'll never be able to set the default web browser for your OS. I learned that the hard way. Downloaded firefox, and then deleted Safari. Can you set the default browser in the OS settings? Nope, it's hidden in the Safari Preferences page, which isn't there if you deleted Safari. So even though you'll never use their PoS browser, you have to keep it around so that you can modify default software actions. Even Microsoft allows you to purchase (albeit not easily in the US) a version of Windows without Internet Explorer.

Apple makes nice hardware, but maybe you prefer a different form factor. Even though hackers have found plenty of ways to run OSX on any PC hardware, will Apple let you do it? Nope. You want to use their OS, you have to use their hardware.

Now, would you like me to point out all the flaws and inconsistencies in the user interface as well?

 

Next lets discuss hardware. I know I said I'd talk about UI next, but I'm waiting for my mac to update to the latest version of OSX to verify these issues still exist.

Now I'm not going to blast Apple hardware for being too expensive. It's not. Compare a high-end laptop from Lenovo and you'll be in the same ballpark as a Macbook Pro. What Apple doesn't have is a low-end product, but I can't fault them for that. I won't attack them for overcharging for accessories or upgrades either. Dell will also charge a stupidly high price of $200 for an 8GB memory update to a laptop. $20-$30 for an adapter isn't uncommon either. No, what I want to discuss is hardware design and how Apple is retarded.

90% of the world is right handed. Oddly enough, Apple has never managed to capture more than 10% of the market. Coincidence? I don't think so. Apple products are designed for left-handed users. Look at your macbook, and imagine you wanted to plug in a mouse. All the USB ports are on the left side of the macbook. If you wanted to use a mouse and are right-handed, the cord would have to wrap all the way around the computer. So what, the cord is long enough right? No. The cord on an apple mouse is less than 2 feet long! So go wireless. Fine, but only if you're using an Apple wireless mouse. OSX is almost totally incompatible with any third party wireless mice. You can make most work with some additional software, but you don't need any of that on a PC. And 3rd party mice come with long 5 foot cables! Any peripheral you want to connect, from a camera to a printer to a DVD drive... they all need to plug in on the left side of an apple product, even though most of us have better fine motor control with our right hands.

Where is the lock slot on a mac? On the right hand side, so your lock strap will interfere with your mouse if you're right handed. Brilliant. Where's the power button on an iMac? It's hidden in the back on the left side. So when you need to press it, you're using your left hand.

Why does Apple put an Enter and a Return key on their keyboard? What's more frustrating is that these keys do the same thing 99.9% of the time, except when Apple decides for some reason that they're different... and you'll be pounding away on that Return key and be confused as to why the product keeps saying "Press Enter".

Speaking of keys, why is there an Eject button on the keyboard that only ejects a DVD? Why doesn't it eject attached drives if I have it selected? No, I still have to drag those icons to the trash can instead of pressing that perfectly good key on the keyboard.

Why must every edge on a macbook be as sharp as a knife? The company that patented "rounded corners" can't seem to use them on their own products. When I have to use my macbook for any length of time I walk away with bruises on my wrists. People probably think I'm trying to kill myself... but no, I'm just using a mac.

Apple's power adapters are the worst I've ever used... which is a shame, because the design is awesome. I love the way the clips fold out and you can easily wrap up the cables. But they use the cheapest cables available. The ends near the plug always crack and fray. I spent many nights soldering my plug back on. You used to be able to find 3rd party power bricks which used better quality cables, but since Apple switched to the magsafe plug I haven't seen any.

Apple makes the least upgradable or user serviceable hardware on the planet. If Apple could make their product only work with Apple branded electricity, they'd probably do it. Take for example the new Macbook Pro line. You can't replace the battery on your own, and that's the one thing that has a 100% chance of failing. You can't replace the hard drive, because Apple uses a proprietary hard drive size and interface. You can't upgrade the memory, because it's soldered onto the motherboard. No PC maker in the world does this. Once again, if you have a Windows machine you have freedom and control. If you own a Mac, you'll have neither.

 

Apple has the second worst user interface for a desktop computer, beating out Linux for the worst. It's married to designs that only made sense when the Mac had a single 9" monitor. It has UI controls that have seemingly random effects depending on the application you're using.

The Menu Bar (that thing at the top of your mac) makes sense only if you have a small, single monitor like the original Mac did back in '84. It fails once you move to a larger screen. If you have a large monitor, and the app you're running is in the lower right you have to move your mouse cursor all the way to the opposite corner just to select "Print" from the menu. It's even worse if you have multiple monitors because the menu bar is only available on the main display. So if the app you're running is on the second or third display you now have to cover a ton of real estate just to select a different tool from the menu. That's really hard to do when your 2 foot mouse cord restricts you to moving the mouse 1 inch at a time.

Apps have totally different look & feel. Some apps have leather like borders for some reason, others are brushed aluminum. There's no reason for the different appearances. Even the brushed metal ones are different. Some are pinkish in hue, others are blueish in hue.

The min/max/close buttons had different effects depending on what app you're using - assuming they even have those buttons at all. Afaik, every Apple app has a minimize button and they all work the same. The close button though, who knows. Some apps, like Chess, don't even have a close button. I guess they never want you to stop running those apps. In some apps the close button only closes the window, but the application keeps running (i.e. iTunes, Safari). But in other apps it actually shuts down the program (i.e. iPhoto, DVD Player, Facetime). The maximize button feels totally random. In some cases it maximizes the app to show all the available content (i.e. Finder). In others it maximizes the app vertically but not horizontally (i.e. Safari). Some expand to take up the whole screen (i.e. TextEdit, Appstore). Others do nothing (DVD Player), and some (iTunes) don't get bigger but instead turn into a mini version of the app!

If you want to command-tab to a minimized window... guess what? It's stays minimized. Seriously, who the fuck thought this was a good idea?

If you want to resize a window you can only do it by selecting the lower right corner of the app. Except in cases where Apple decided that it was perfectly ok to let you select any corner to resize. It's so random I don't even know where to start.

You minimize windows to the dock, but they're not grouped with the app associated with them. So you start Safari and you have one window open. You minimize that window, and now you have two instances of Safari in the dock... but you only have one window running.

If you want to eject a DVD or Floppy, you have to drag it to the trash can, which in any other case deletes whatever you're dragging to the trash can. So every new user says, "But I don't want to delete it... I want to eject it." They've heard this for decades but refuse to fix it. It's a broken concept.

When an application hangs, there's no equivalent to the task manager to kill it. Yes, you can bring up a menu with Ctrl-Alt-Esc (again, this combo is done with the left hand. Ctrl-alt-del on the PC is done with the right hand), and if you're very lucky it will kill a hung app. Most of the time you have to drop into terminal, run "top" to find the offensive app and then kill the job with a command line. If you have to go to the command line to make your GUI work you've already failed. Your other option is *GASP* to reboot.

Oh... something I totally forgot on the hardware rant... Why don't I have any Page Up, Page Down, Home or End keys? Has no one at Apple ever done text editing? Ctrl-Shift-End to select an entire column in excel, or Ctrl-Home to jump to the top of a document. Really useful stuff that I just can't live without.

 

Oh, just remembered Apple's awful screen-sharing/vnc solutions. So crappy. You can't tweak it for a slower connection, you can't disable certain UI elements to speed things up. Microsoft's Remote Desktop is generations ahead of the game. You can copy/paste between the machine you're using and the remote machine you're connected to. And it's not limited to text, you can copy entire folders over Remote Desktop. It's awesome.

XCode... I'll give them props for including not one but three development platforms for free with every mac: XCode, Automator, Applescript. Microsoft charges hundreds of dollars for full versions of Visual Studio and only recently made slightly-crippled versions available for free to non-commercials. But XCode is by far the worst IDE I've ever used. Like the rest of the industry, Apple likes C. But they want objects in C. Everyone else uses C++... but no, Apple has to make Objective-C, which even Mac developers say is a pain to use.

Lets say you want a simple app. It has a button and when you click that button a message pops up and says, "Hello!". In visual studio you draw the window, drop a button on it and then double-click the button to write code for it. In XCode you have to launch a second app called interface builder. You draw a window, and drop a button on it. Now you have to go back to xcode, write your code and then create a click-event from another window of Interface Builder, and draw some wacky pipe diagram from your code to the click-event and then to the button. This somehow implies that you might one day want to write code for a button that is not dependant on a click-event, and that this scenario is just as likely to happen as writing the much more common click-event for a button. It's retarded and stupid, and Visual Studio kicks so much ass over this. But again, Visual Studio costs hundreds of dollars and XCode is given away for free. You get what you pay for here. Too bad XCode is the only way to write apps for iOS devices.

 

"As a longtime Mac user, I've never been bothered by the USB ports' location on the left. I use a wireless Microsoft mouse (I don't like the mice Apple ships with). I've used other third-party mice without any trouble either. It's my opinion that the ports are on the left so that there isn't any clutter on the right to interfere with the precise mouse control of my right-hand. I'm also right-hand dominant and in no way feel ostracized or discriminated against by Apple's USB port placement. I could say a lot more about my opinion of Apple products, but I'll spare everyone from another Apple/Microsoft diatribe." - Mike

Texas or Washington?

Let's play a fun little game called Texas or Washington? Below are a some interesting facts with a brief description and you have to guess whether it takes place in Texas or in Washington state. Scroll down to see the answers.

1. This wedding pic of a bridal party was shot in Texas or in Washington?

2. This is the infamous Coon-Chicken Inn, which was a restaurant that resided either in Texas or Washington.

3. The state government of either Texas or Washington implemented a plan to not charge sales tax on all items to assist parents who need to purchase back to school items for one weekend a year.

4. One of the most popular online and public access shows regarding atheism, The Atheist Experience, is broadcast out of Texas or Washington?

5. Which state, Texas or Washington, spends the most in public education?

6. On average, which state, Texas or Washington, pays the most in property tax?

7. According to Wikepedia's page concerning police brutality per state, which state, Texas or Washington, has the most incidents listed?

8. Which state, Texas or Washington, has the highest incarceration rate?

9. Which state, Texas or Washington, has the most rainfall per year?

10. Martin Luther King Jr visited this state's major metropolitan area once, which they later named the county after him.
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1. This was in Washington. I went to high school with this guy. Some clues that may have helped you should've been 1) there's an actual fire in the fireplace 2) no tan lines 3) real cowboys don't smile.
2. Coon-Chicken Inn started in Salt Lake City, UT, but the owners opened a restaurant in Seattle (Lake City Way) and in Portland (Sandy Blvd). The owners then retired from the business in the late 50s. Sambo's had a diner in my hometown.
3. Texas implemented tax free holiday as does many other states, but oddly Washington doesn't.
4. Yep, this is broadcast out of Austin Texas.
5. Texas spends $37,810,969,302, while Washington spends a little over 9 million, according to last year's data.
6. Texas narrowly beats out Washington at a cost of $2,141 to $2,127, respectively.
7. Washington get the dubious honor of being #1.
8. This may come as no surprise, but Texas beats out Washington by a large margin, according to 2007 data.
9. Shockingly enough, Texas wins this one.
10. Washington has this honor. There is a King county in Texas, named after a fallen Alamo soldier.






My favorite poltical movies

With the political season in full swing people are bemoaning the long process of listening to whines and mudslinging of ambitious men who crave power above principle, and I don't blame them. It gets old, and for the most part I'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't know who'd they vote for already at this point.

As frustrating as it can be, it can be amusing to see politicians in action, whether it be infamous blunders or exposing their ignorance. Sometimes it is incredible to watch the skill of any speaker sway a crowd, or even a nation, as we saw in 2008. Politics can be fun if you have the right attitude.

It's of little surprise that I enjoy political movies. At their best they can entertain as well as inform one about the process. They can show us the great possibilities of this nation and expose the horrors of what people will do for an ounce of power and fame. Listed below are some of my favorite political movies:

1. Bob Roberts: A mockumentary directed and starring Tim Robbins, it shows a ficticious campaign in Pennsylvania, where the title character is a conservative folk singer turned Senatorial candidate running against a long time Democratic incumbent. The story is told through the lens of a British documentary filmmaker following the Roberts campaign and viewing the corruption and naked ambition of a man posing as a candidate of extraordinary values. The soundtrack is hilarious as the comedy is dark and it's something I highly recommend. It's hard to think of this as satire anymore, sadly.

2. Mr Smith Goes to Washington: Sure this film is old, but Jimmy Stewart plays the title role masterfully as the idealist Congressman ready to enact positive change, but finds himself in a rat's nest of corruption that he never realized existed. The climatic speech is worth watching alone.

3. All the King's Men: Based on the life of Huey Long, this film chronicles an good natured idealist politician turned into a corrupt megalomaniac. With great action and marvelous direction, this Oscar winner doesn't disappoint, unlike the remake:

4. Power: A cynical behind the scenes look at how campaigns are run. Richard Gere is a ruthless, corrupt campaign consultant who'll go to great and despicable lengths to get his clients elected. While the film's strength largely resides in its first hour, it does give you enough suspense to keep you hooked to see what happens. Some great performances by the aforementioned Gere, Denzel Washington, and Gene Hackman to name a few. (Can't find a trailer on Youtube sadly: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4766170/power_movie_trailer/)

5. Nixon: When Oliver Stone isn't pulling facts out of his ass, this film is an amazing, and incredibly sympathetic portrait of one of our most corrupt Presidents. Anthony Hopkins plays the role with expected enthusiasm and grace.
 

6. All the President's Men: Released two years after Nixon resigned, this is a great portrayal of Woodward and Bernstein's Washington Post investigation into the Watergate scandal. Chronicling the conversations with a then anonymous character called Deep Throat, this film shows the power of media as being a watchdog group, something today's journalists could stand to learn from.

7. The War Room: This documentary goes behind the scenes of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, and follows the work of George Stephopolous and the ragin cajun James Carville as they work to get their candidate defeat the incumbent, George HW Bush.

8. A Perfect Candidate: Like the aforementioned The War Room, this is another documentary about Oliver North's run for Senator. Yes that Oliver North. Fascinating in its look at how candidates are run as a product, rather than a person.

9. Election: A funny parody of a high school election about an ambitious high school student and her morally bankrupt teacher/advisor, which could be any political setting when you think about it.

10. Reds: Probably the most epic film on this list, this movie tells the story of John Reed, the American journalist and communist that sought the presidency and chronicled the Bolshevik Revolution. It humanizes historical characters that textbooks often overlook, and the powerful acting and direction is the direct result of the amazing talent of Warren Beatty.

Other notables are Bulworth, Gandhi, Downfall, and the Manchurian Candidate (original).

What are yours?

"But it is Stewart’s Jefferson Smith, with a drawl as wide as the Missouri and, despite everything he’s seen, a bedrock trust in the essential decency of his fellow Americans — and in the turbulent, boisterous American political system itself — that lends Mr. Smith its enduring, inimitable charm." - Ben Cosgrove

They did it.

As you're all probably aware today marks the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Rather than create another rant about the politics of fundamentalism I bring you an old post. Dated years ago I wrote down the feelings I had that day when the terrorists forever changed our world. I know I'll never forget the attacks, but the thoughts going through my head on 9/11 may slowly fade.

It's actually my favorite post to date. Enjoy:

I seem to be jumping the bandwagon of bloggers who are posting about the fifth anniversary of 9/11, but I figured it would be nice to write down my thoughts if only for myself. The remembrance of that day is slowly going fuzzier with age and I pray I won't forget the feeling that the events brought me.

I was in my normal before work routine of eating breakfast. I flipped on the news and I saw the billowing smoke coming from the World Trade Center. My then girlfriend came out of the room and I looked at her.

"They did it," I proclaimed. "They finally did it."

"Did what?" she asked.

"Terrorists struck two planes into the World Trade Center. We're under attack."

She didn't say anything. She looked at the television and watched with confusion.

It took me forever to realize why my first words were 'they did it, they finally did it.' I then recalled a conversation back in the late 90s with my friends Corey and Joe. We discussed one of our most loved political subjects and that is Israel. The conversation then went into terrorism and unto Osama Bin Laden. We were unsure at the time if Osama was a real threat, but all of us agreed that soon terrorism would be at our front door steps and it would be larger than the embassy and USS Cole combined.We had no idea just how massive it would become.

The phone range. It was Corey.

"Hey are you watching the news?" he said.

"Yeah," I replied.

"The shit is going down," he observed.

"It sure is," I said. "I'm going to call the folks. They don't have television."

"Tell em I said hi."

"Will do. I'll be online soon. If I hear any more news I'll send it to you."

"Same here."

I called the folks and updated them on what I knew at the time. Mom tried to make some reasonable explanation about why our country was under attack, inciting what she believes is our country's lack of godliness.I was annoyed. Here I was calling her about a terrible situation and she had to go Pat Robertson on me. I could've have asked why Amsterdam gets a free pass, but really I didn't want to argue and just let it go. People all have their way of coping with tragedy and I just as well let her have her's.

I left for work shortly thereafter. I was tuned into the radio when the news announced the first tower collapsed. After I got to work the second tower then plunged to the earth taking numerous lives with them.

I got inside the building and people were talking over each other about what just happened. I sat at my cube and was being bombarded by IMs with news about the Pentagon and Flight 93. My inbox was flooded from friends I haven't heard from in years wondering what my thoughts were on the whole mess.

As one could imagine the phone volume was really dead that day. Then after being at my cube for hours without a call the phone rang. It was a customer who was having trouble with her word processing software. She was angry about her support options and hung up on me. I wasn't all that polite given what was going on and she took the time to call in and bitch about typing a letter.

Since it was so slow my boss let a few of us go home early. I came home and sat on the couch, eyes being glued to the tv. My then girlfriend came home, said nothing, sat on the couch beside me, and rested her head on my shoulder. I threw my arms around her and we sat in silence for what felt like forever watching the terrible tragedy unfold before us.

Five years later I think about this eternal conflict of a fearful empire clashing with civilizations that can't seem to bring themselves out of the 7th century. I could go on about the politics and war that has been brought and my analysis on it, but this day I choose to remember one thing about 9/11 and that being my first words when I comprehended what was going on.

"They did it. They finally did it."

"After 9-11 there was a body of literature from people like Baudrillard and Chomksy who wrote very eloquently about what the hell was going on, but they didn't pitch a solution." - Ben Nicholson

Why I won't vote Republican this year

It may not surprise anyone that I don't think I know anyone in Texas who will vote for Obama. While this claim may cause my Seattle friends to go into a stroke, I'm pretty sure I'm alone in how I cast my ballot. I don't really care how someone votes, even if it's contrary to my own, as I try to respect how personal politics are, similar to religion. If all my Texas brethren feels the President is not qualified to run the country for another four years, that's fine. They may be wrong, but I won't sweat it.

As I've stated numerous times before, if the Republican party reflected the values of one of my favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, I would proudly proclaim myself a member of the GOP. Sadly they don't reflect his, nor my idea of how the government should be run.

The GOP claims they enjoy liberty, unless you're gay or choose an abortion or want to enjoy recreational drugs. That's not to say the Democrats don't have their issues they're self righteous about, such as gun control and driving a gas guzzling muscle car at 120 MPH, but I've always subscribed to the idea that those who sacrifice liberty for safety, or at least the illusion of it, deserve neither.

From the Republican Party's 2012 platform: "That is why Congressional Republicans took the lead in enacting the Defense of Marriage Act, affirming the right of States and the federal government not to recognize same-sex relationships licensed in other jurisdictions." It doesn't take a law scholar to recognize how ridiculous this is, nor is it hardly the work of a smaller government ideal. Liberty to marry should be the right of all adult consenting parties, not just those you think are not icky.

"We oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact or any other scheme to abolish or distort the procedures of the Electoral College. We recognize that an unconstitutional effort to impose “national popular vote” would be a mortal threat to our federal system and a guarantee of corruption as every ballot box in every state would become a chance to steal the presidency." Does any of them remember the election of 2000? Is voter corruption really as widespread as they claim? The answer to both questions is no.

"The symbol of our constitutional unity, to which we all pledge allegiance, is the flag of the United States of America. By whatever legislative method is most feasible, Old Glory should be given legal protection against desecration. We condemn decisions by activist judges to deny children the opportunity to say the Pledge of Allegiance in its entirety, including “Under God,” in public schools and encourage States to promote the pledge. We condemn the actions of those who deny our children the means by which to show respect for our great country and the constitutional principles represented by our flag." While I respect the flag and what it stands for, giving it special status under the law is in direct defiance of liberty, and no judicial act that I'm aware of has ever denied anyone from saying the pledge, it only gave them the right not to say it, which again is an individual's right. If I bought a flag it's my to burn, even if I use it to light my barbecue, I should not be held as a criminal for an ideal I want to express, especially if it's not considered obscene by the Supreme Court.

These are but a few reasons why I think the Republicans don't honor liberty like they claim. The fact that they hold onto broken policies of the Bush administration such as deregulation of markets, extending tax cuts, and spending more than they bring in, is flat out ridiculous and solidifies my vote for the Democrats. We all know how well those ideas turned out, and our country has suffered great consequences because of it. Why they think they're going to win this year based on that is truly baffling.

Now I understand people who want to vote Republican as they generally want the same thing we all do; freedom, prosperity, and low crime, nor would I look down upon someone who does cast their ballot for Romney. But I look upon the economies of GOP Presidents for the last 100 years or so and it seems this country has done far better under Democratic rule. Why that is I can't say, but if you let history be your guide the choice for me is obvious.

I can't say I've been entirely happy about the Obama administration, nor am I excited about the possibility of another four years with him at the helm, but I do think he's far more qualified than his opponent. He's taken down more terrorists, given tax relief to manufactures who will keep jobs in the states, and given Americans an opportunity for better health care, among the many things he's accomplished. Here is a scorecard for Obama's promises kept or broken, as opposed to the GOPs in the last four years.

By all means read through the Democratic party platform, or you could even go so far as the Libertarian as well, or any other third party for that matter. Make an informed choice when you go to the polls, and trust in your conscience and intellect. We have the power to enact change in this country, and sitting idly by and not doing anything is one of the most anti-American acts one could do.

"Today, our economy is growing again, al-Qaeda is weaker than at any point since 9/11, and our manufacturing sector is growing for the first time in more than a decade. But there is more we need to do, and so we come together again to continue what we started. We gather to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth—the simple principle that in America, hard work should pay off, responsibility should be rewarded, and each one of us should be able to go as far as our talent and drive take us." - Democratic Platform



The world is glad to be rid of her

In the news yesterday it was reported that Griselda Blanco has perished as the result of a motorcycle assassin in her native Columbia, a technique credited to her for creating. You may not be familiar with the so called Godmother, but during the 70s and 80s she was the most feared, and possibly successful drug tycoon in the US, leaving a wake of numerous dead bodies. She was largely responsible for the cocaine cowboy slayings that dominated the Miami area.

Supposedly Griselda made her first killing at the age of 11 in the slums of Columbia, but somehow rose to power in Columbia as a drug kingpin. She took her business to Miami, then a sleepy town with little going for it, and helped turn it into the main port of the cocaine trade. Reportedly she made as much as 8 million dollars a month, but for whatever reason money didn't satisfy her, and she ordered the death of over 200 people, including children.

She eventually was caught by the DEA, but after serving a ten years in prison the case against her collapsed on a technicality and she was deported to Columbia in 2004. After years of being free, her crimes finally caught up with her and she paid the ultimate price for being a murdering psychopath.

Now I'm against the death penalty, but when news such as this appears I feel no remorse for someone as despicable as her not being able to breathe. Granted she has a family, most notably a son named Michael Corleone (yeah, you read that right), who made an appearance on Deadliest Warrior, who is no doubt mourning the death of his mother, but still, she was behind some of the most brutal killings this country has ever seen.

She had no conscious, and even ordered the death of children so she could hold on to her power as the queen of the cocaine trade. Anyone who may have crossed her, whether they did or not, faced an ugly death by one of her goons, and even their families weren't safe from her wrath. It was a dark period for Miami and the country as a whole, and her reign of terror was worse than Capone's.

So I question my own morality today, as I stand firm by the fact that again I think it's morally wrong to kill a person against their will, and that is an absolute I have no problem declaring, but when people like this leave the world I'm glad to be rid of them. It's a strange duality, similar to the feelings I had when it was announced that Osama Bin Laden was thankfully taken from us, but I guess I shouldn't dwell on it.

“It's surprising to all of us that she had not been killed sooner because she made a lot of enemies. When you kill so many and hurt so many people like she did, it's only a matter of time before they find you and try to even the score.” - Nelson Andreu

‘Cocaine godmother’ Griselda Blanco gunned down in Colombia: Reports



They may not have your best interests in mind

Last night I was at my brother in-law's waiting for our Fantasy Football draft to start, when my phone rang. It was my mom and it sounded as if she needed something urgent. She explained how someone man with a strong accent of unknown origin called and claimed he was from Microsoft. He stated that her computer somehow "called them" and warned them of a virus. Of course my mom had nothing to fear as he was available to assist her to remove said virus.

My mother told the gentleman who I worked for and said she would be calling me before she agreed to something of that nature. I of course told her what she already knew, and thankfully she didn't fall for the scam.

So pro-tip from Wiwille, if someone calls you claiming your computer has a virus, or any abnormality, and they'll offer their services to fix it, for the love of all that is holy and good hang up. Well it couldn't hurt to accuse them of having carnal knowledge with swine, but do not give them any information what so ever. In fact, if someone does call you you may want to take a look at your financial balances just to be safe, because these assholes are sneaky that way.

"The work of Nigeria is not complete for as long as there is any one Nigerian who goes to bed on empty stomach." - Ibrahim Babangida

Avoid tech support phone scams

Musings on Star Trek: TNG

This may surprise some of you, but I've never seen much of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I tried when it first aired, but I didn't care for the first season and gave up. Years later I tried again as a friend gave me his collection of VHS tapes of all recorded seasons, but I never spent the time as I couldn't bear getting through the first season again.

Still, I caught a few seasons here and there, usually when I was bored and nothing else was on. I watched all four of The Next Generation films, and hated each and every one of them. Something compelled me to give it another go, so I did, thanks to Netflix streaming all Star Trek shows. After quite some time I finally finished the show yesterday.

I kind of wished I would've given the show more of a chance when I was younger, as I may have had fonder memories of the epic series. When it came time for the third season, the writing improved dramatically to where it almost seemed like a different program. It got progressively better, till it peaked in the fifth season, with such iconic episodes as The Inner Light and I, Borg. Yet I still enjoyed the sixth and seventh seasons immensely, especially Chain of Command part 1 and 2, and upon its end I wanted more stories of the Enterprise crew. Oh, Ashley Judd was hot in the two episodes she was in.

I guess my geek cred has become more solid now that I've finished one of the most important sci-fi programs in television history, but yet I've still got a long way to go. Sure I've made it through BSG both old and new, Firefly, and even Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (god help me), but I still have all the Stargate series, Babylon 5, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and Enterprise to sit through to proclaim myself a true dork.

"I am not the archetypal leading man. This is mainly for one reason: as you may have noticed, I have no hair." - Patrick Stewart

Deep in the crazy heart

Since living in Texas I've grown accustom to being the butt of many jokes about my new home. Granted some of it's warranted, as this state does elect some of the dumbest governors in our nation's history, and with an ego that would rival that of any rock star it's an easy target when a citizen does something stupid. There are just as many nut job, self described rednecks in the Pacific Northwest as their are in the Lone Star State, but here we elect them to positions of power.

Yes Texas asks its residents to elect their judges and I would imagine most just vote down party lines. Come to think of it, I can't recall the name of any of the judges I voted for in the last election, as I just briefly looked at the voting pamphlet bio of each of them to help formulate my decision. Any of the judges I elected could spend their spare time rubbing their genitals on random car door handles, but I would be none the wiser.

In West Texas, their exists a county called Lubbock, which you've probably never heard of. Still a presiding judge, Tom Head, there took his political views to the airwaves to talk about raising taxes. Now asking for a tax hike in Texas seems as politically responsible as campaigning in Harlem in black face, but this man has his reasons. He thinks the county of Lubbock needs to prepare for civil war against Obama and the United Nations, who for some reason is going to turn over the sovereignty of this country to the UN, because the President doesn't need the approval of Congress anymore, men wearing funny looking blue helmets will march on this nation and will occupy Lubbock, because Lubbock's a strategic place of course.

As most conspiracy theorists, Judge Head considers himself the center of the universe, that everyone's after him because he's so knowledgeable and informed about matters the rest of us sheeple can't comprehend. So of course he makes up these paranoid delusions of civil unrest after an election, which people have predicted since, oh I don't know, since at least as long as I've been alive and of course have been wrong every single time. This man though is an elected official wanting to raise tax payer dollars to prepare for a civil war that will never happen, even though I'm willing to be he secretly wants it to. Conspiracy theorists hate being wrong, even though they always are. Oh and he probably believes in nonsense about Agenda 21.

So people have another reason to laugh at Texas and the sad part is, he'll probably be reelected.

"And the sheriff, I've already asked him, I said 'you gonna back me' he said, 'yeah, I'll back you'. Well, I don't want a bunch of rookies back there. I want trained, equipped, seasoned veteran officers to back me." - Tom Head

Lubbock Co. Judge warns of potential danger if Obama is re-elected

 

Wiwille's movie reviews part 91

I used to work at a camera shop and one day a man came in looking for a former employee, who was escorted from his job in handcuffs the previous day (another story) about how the coworker promised to film his audition tape for Survivor. I told him the kid was no longer employed with us, so he asked me if I wanted to go in the woods with him and shoot his video. I had no interest in going into the forest with a stranger and told him that wouldn’t be possible, which made him go on a rant about how he was destined for a show like Survivor and how he’d be the best at survival tactics and living off the land. He had fame in his eyes as he launched into a long monologue of how he was going to be better than anyone the show’s ever seen.

I told him I needed to get back to work, but he didn’t like that answer and continued about how skilled he was at staying alive in any condition, and how he would win the coveted prize of a million dollars for showing off his badassness. He sensed my annoyance as I made little attempt to hide it, and finally asked me what I thought. I told him his plan was foolish, as I saw one episode of the first season, and it was obvious to me and should be to anyone else that the producers didn’t care about casting Eagle Scouts, they wanted people with personalities that create drama. It’s not about starting a fire without matches, it’s about popularity and being a jerk, and some, if not all, of it is quite possible staged. He just stared at me for a few seconds, didn’t say a word, grabbed his jacket off the counter, and left the store. I never saw him again.

Modern cinema has devoted a lot of energy into teaching us how decadent and depraved our entertainment is, which of course is dripping with dramatic irony. Still, as pretentious as it may be the lesson that reality television, and pop-culture as a whole, is catering to the lowest common denominator of intelligence and is really amoral seems lost on most, considering how popular American Idol, Jersey Shore, and various other cruel shows still exist. Now films have existed for years about this very topic while they browbeat us with tales of how moronic we are for exercising our voyeuristic tendencies, but sadly we as a country have learned little and we continue to consume such nonsense like a starving man at a Chinese buffet.

Reality shows have become a staple of our collective television diets, and to miss information on who got voted off the island, house, attention whoring dating show, or whatever would mean you miss out on the party. So as good little television consumers you’ll continue to fill your belly on shows reward a lack of talent, morality, or even possess anything remotely interesting. We’ve turned into a vicious, cruel, and entitled culture that lacks any original thought or merit.

God Bless America takes what The Truman Show, and many others, already told us, and twist such lessons into one of the darkest, least subtle comedies I’ve ever seen. First set in Virginia, it’s the story of Frank, a middle age average loser who just lost his job and is diagnosed a terminal illness. Frank like to talk about how he hates our modern culture, but for whatever reason can’t seem to turn off the television to pick up a book. Finally having enough of the world he decides the only reasonable course of action is to kill everyone he finds repugnant.

Early along the way he meets a teenager, Roxy, who shares his disdain for people that have no business consuming precious oxygen, and joins in the killing spree, shooting tea partiers, Westboro Baptist Church members, an obvious rip off of Bill O’Reilly, and eventually the set of American Superstar (American Idol).

While again, everyone they kill seems like an easy target, which they are, and the film says nothing you don’t already know or feel…well if you don’t you’re obviously not reading this and have TMZ as your homepage and have hour long discussions on the marriage dissolving of Tom and Katie. Still the death of people who waste their motor skills on being a moron is a concept I adore, but really the true jackasses are us, the ones who keep Kate Goesslin (or however the fuck you spell that) and the Palins employed. Needless to say I enjoyed the film immensely as it was as hilarious as it is wickedly dark. Social satire is hard to keep engaging, and few have done it so successfully. At times the film gets a little muddled with long, and sometimes sanctimonious rants about how we as a nation suck balls, but I can’t really blame director/writer Bobcat Goldthwaite (seriously he really made this) as we still haven’t learned our lesson as Survivor is entering its 25^th season.

So yeah, I’d recommend it. Thanks to Leif for submitting this for review. Drop me an email or comment and you'll see it soon on Erik's Ramblings. Rules are posted here

"It does take a sledgehammer to crack a walnut and eventually falls victim to the law of diminishing returns but it doesn't pull its punches and is often outrageously funny." - Allan Hunter