Two New CDs for the Collection, 27 Oct

I traveled into my local music store and found the yet to be released Public Enemy "New Whirl Odor" (1 Nov release) sitting on the shelf. Got that.


I also bought a disc from a new band, as well. Avenged Sevenfold "City of Evil".

Racist Children

While reading another blog, I came across this post.

Although I am not surprised to hear that this is going on in America, it does raise my hackles. Again, I don't see how we can ever be one nation, when there are people out there the teach, sing, and promote this type of behavior. And especially, when they teach their children the same morals.

The pictured girls are Lamb and Lynx Gaede, the sole members of the singing group "Prussian Blue". To hear the words of their song Sacrifice, it makes me want to puke. Let alone their singing, which leaves much to be desired.

It is just another example of the troubling times in which we live.

Nightmares

Last night, I didn't sleep very well. I kept having the same nightmare over and over. Well, not over and over, but rather one continuous nightmare. I would wake up, tell myself that it was just a nightmare, roll the pillow over to the cool side, and go back to sleep. I remember doing this three seperate times.

I am not going to describe the dream, but to say that I have very vivid and horrific nightmares. I wonder if having a vivid imagination is not a curse in something like this.

Nightmares are not common in adult life, or so say the dream experts. I couldn't tell you the last time that I had a truly vivid or horrific nightmare. Oh, I remember having gawd-awful nightmares as a kid (which again, experts say is a part of normal development). But, I just don't remember hardly any as an adult.

So, my questions to you, the readers, are these: "When was the last time that you had a really bad nightmare? Was is so vivid that it left you scared in the morning? And Have you had one that continued once you returned to sleep?"

Just something that I pondered all day.

Soviet Shirt Part 2

I received my Soviet shirt in the mail today. Looks just like the pic except that there is no hammer and sickle. I am going to email the site that I bought this from and complain. Simply because I didn't get what I wanted.

But I am happy anyway. Kent, just wait until the game next month. You will probably see the shirt.


***Update***I received an email from the website I used for this shirt. They claim that the pictured shirt has been unavailable for the past month and that the website has not been updated to reflect this. Gee thanks for the heads up!

Funny Pre-Thanksgiving Treat

Check out this link for a funny pre-Thanksgiving cartoon music video.

Communist Leader to Seek Presidency in 2008

Russian Communist leader, Gennady Zyuganov, will be seeking the 2008 Presidential nominee. This will be Zyuganov's third bid for the Presidency.

I know that I am going to get shit on for this, but maybe it would be a good thing for the Russian people if he did win. (Before I get treated like Dutch porn, hear me out.) The population of Russia is falling (as I posted earlier), social services are almost non-existant, health care is in ruins, domestic terrorism is spiraling out of control, and the once rich barrons of the country are now the super-rich tycoons while the common worker remains poor, all under the banner of democracy.

At least under the Communist Regime, there was a health care system, minimal to non-existant domestic terrorism, the rich were those in the government, the population steadily rose, and the country was a world power.

I have said this before and I will say it again: "Democracy is a great political system, but it does not work for every culture. " So, as we in the West applaud ourselves for spreading Democracy across the globe, we watch these countries tear themselves apart. Are we really doing these people a favor?

I just do not see it.

Very Sad, Part 2

If you will recall a previous post I made concerning a mother that tried to sell her six-year old daughter. If not, the basics are this: Olga Zelentsova, an alcoholic, tried to sell her daughter to an undercover police officer for $10,000. Even after the officer warned her that her daughter would be used for sexual exploitation and later used for body parts. In response, Olga handed the officer the child's birth certificate.

Now, for the second half of the story. On Tuesday, Olga was sentenced to six years in prison. She was found guilty of human trafficking of a minor committed with the intent of the victim's exploitation or withdrawal of the victim's organs or tissues.

Interestingly, the court is now hearing the case on if Zelentsova should maintain custody of the child [huh?] and three-month-old son.

Is this case really needed? She put one child in danger, do we really want to see what will happen if she maintains custody? A very justifiable sentence for a very sad case.

Russian Death Penalty

With the increase in foreign and domestic terrorism in and around the country of Russia, more and more Russian people are hoping to rein in the problem by calling for a restoration of the death penalty.

The following link provides an interesting story on the issue and the problems within the state.

Worried

I have a few blog friends that live in FL. With this recent hurricane, I am a bit worried about them. It seems to me that the eye went right over, or very nearly so, one of these friends.

I know that these three are ok. But, I worry because I have not heard from anyof them. Hang in there you guys. I will be wishing you well.


***Update*** I now know that one is ok. Just waiting on word from two others.

Work Today Was Good,'Till It Sucked Ass

Today, I had a phenomenal day of work. Everything was going so well, I cruised through the majority of my accounts, then things went to shit. As I got ready to leave my next to last account, I turned the key and broke it off in the ignition. Well, as I can't leave the last account to do tomorrow, I had to stop there. Which sucked. Once I got the truck turned off, that was all she wrote. I couldn't get the thing started again. So, instead of getting back to the office by 1400, I arrived at 1600. I had to wait two flippin' hours for the maintenance guy to show up with another key (luckily, I got the broken piece out). I couldn't believe that it took him two hours to drive 15 miles.

But, as I have read posts from some blog friends, I wasn't the only person to have a bad day.

Halloween Party 1

I told some of you that I was going to a Halloween Party on Sat night. There were a lot of people at this thing. Originally, the party was slated for 100 people, but the final tally was around 200. The hosts of the party had the interior of their barn decorated, a dj, beer, and a lot of food.

I tried to get some pics, but they didn't turn out real well. The camera phone doesn't have a flash. There were quite a few reapers, a lot of witches, a couple of demons, some Superheroes, and some Star Wars III characters. There was one girl there that was dressed as Daisy Duke. She was Hawwwwwt! I have never seen jean shorts that short before! I had hoped that that pic would have turned out. However, she was jailbait (17), as I found out this morning.

I wore a mish-mash of apparel to make my costume. The make-up really unnerved some people, which was what I was going for. But it also backfired on me. At several points during the night, as I tried to chat up some women, I was told, "I am sorry, but I can't talk to you." "Why, is that?" I asked. They all said that, "Your make up scares me!" Too funny. I didn't even do a good job of it (the make-up).

A friend shot this pic. But he was a little unsteady at the time and that shows in the quality.

I arrived home at 0130 and had to be at work at 0400. So, I got little sleep. When I returned from work at 1230, I immediately crashed and awoke at 1830 this evening.

All in all not too bad. I didn't have as much fun as I could have *evil grin*. But it was fun nevertheless.


I am going to another Halloween Party on 29 Oct, with the same costume. I hope to get much better pics then. Until then, this fuzzy thing will have to do.

Shrinking Population

The Russian Statistics Agency has disclosed that the Russian population is decreasing. There has been a steady decline in the Russian population since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. This year, the population is down 506,400.

Increased poverty, alcoholism, emigration, and degredation of the health care system are blamed for reducing birth rates and life expectancy.

The population now stands at 143 million people. The United Nations Development Program has released a report this week. In that report, demographers have predicted that the population will fall to 100 million by 2050 and suggested that it may fall as far as 80 million.

Iranian Satellite

For the first time ever, Iran will have a satellite. 'Sina' is the first of five planned satellites for the country. The next two are planned for launch in the next three years.

The Irainian Government does not have it's own ballistic capabilities, a source of concern for the governments of the West. As is the country's nuclear program.

The satellite will be launched from the Russian launch site of Plesetsk. The payload also includes devices from Russia, China, and Britain. The Sina satellite, codenamed "Mesbah" (Lantern), is a telecommunications satellite. This will supply a dual role for the Iranian government, both telecommunications and research on natural disasters.

Well You Must Be A Redneck

Kind of agree, I am a Redneck in some aspects. What are you?

Blondage, if you don't come up with the Bondage Bear, then there are problems here. LL there is a bear in there that screams for you, too. I see a bear for a few other blog friends sitting in the paddock too.

Russian Wacko!

I was reading the Moscow News today and found this guy. A #1 Wacko. Like the world isn't so full of enough of them. A lot of this post is going to be direct quotes, I mean how can you say it any differently. This is quoted from the Rosbalt News Agency.

'A deputy of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic faction of the Russian State Duma, Aleksei Mitrofanov, has said in a parliamentary speech that bird flu was invented by Americans who wanted to dominate the world's poultry markets.'

Wait, wait, the story gets better!

'"There is no such thing as bird flu, just as there is no AIDS, tulip or mad cow disease", Mitrofanov was quoted as saying.'

Hahahahaha! Oh, let me wipe the tear from my eye.

There is no such thing? Really? You mean that all of the people and animals that have died from these maladies, actually died from something else?

Please enlighten us, you dumb fat bastard!

My Joke of the Month

What do you do if you get swallowed by an elephant?


Run around, run around, run around, run around. Until you get all pooped out.

Out of Line?

I may be out of line in saying this, but the new dress code for the NBA is justifiable. A new dress code has been handed down stating that all NBA players are to wear business-casual attire when involved in team or league business. Gone will be the chains, pendants, and medallions.

Right away, the black players of the league have voiced their displeasure at the memo that was handed out Monday. Players such as Stephen Jackson, Paul Pierce, Jason Richardson and Allen Iverson have all been highly vocal in their opposition.

I don't see this as a black/white thing. The NBA has an image that they want to promote to the public and they have a right to put their collective best foot forward. Look at Michael Jordan. When he was in the league, he projected an image. I think that the NBA wants to promote that same image.

But, I hate basketball. What do I know?

Plasma Stealth

It has been reported by the Novye Izvestia that the Russian Airforce will be launching its own stealth aircraft. The Russians will be using a new technology that is currently unavailable in the US.

Where the US aircraft, the F-117 and the B-2, use stealth technology that reflects radar, the Russian version will use a plasma generator that effectively creates a plasma cloud around the aircraft.

This is an interesting concept. I am excited to see how it turns out.

Follow-up on Mood

I posted another poem on my alternate site. For those that know me well enough, you know that his is not a good thing, in the short term. In the long term it is probably the best thing that I can do to vent. If I don't, then bad things start to happen. Drop by there and leave me a comment, if you so desire.

I hope that each and everyone of you has a better night than I.

Not a Lot of News, New DVD

I have searched my favorite haunts for news to report, nothing. No exciting things have happened around me, nada. I am a bit tired from work. Those who have read this blog before will understand the hours that I put in at work.

The only thing I have to say today, is that I bought "Batman Begins" today and I plan to watch it right away.

To those of you that read this or the comments that I write on your blogs, I am sorry that I haven't been more communicative. I feel like blah, thinking blah, and just want to veg.

No Jersey, Shirt Instead

After much deliberation, I decided not to get the Soviet Hockey Jersey at this time. Although, I would love to have it to wear and/or display, it is just too pricey for me.

So, I instead got the shirt pictured. It will go well with the Soviet flag I have hanging in my apartment (see profile pic of that).

I have several friends that are going to freak when I wear this. It is going to be sooo funny to see their faces when I show up sporting this genuine Russian product.

I can't wait.

Prom Cancelled!

Brother Kenneth M. Hoagland, principal of Kellenberg Memorial High School, has cancelled the Spring Prom for his school of 2500 students.

"Kellenberg is willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy", said Hoagland.

Excuse me? Maybe I am getting old, but I don't remember the prom as being an orgy. If so, I would have paid more attention.

Monument to the SS

In Estonia there has been an on again off again monument dedicated to the soldiers of the Estonian SS. The monument is to the Estonians that fought for Germany in World War II. This was initially erected in 2002, but was taken down amid international outcry. It was erected again in 2004, but was again dismantled shortly thereafter.

This time out, the monument has been erected near a private Museum of Flight for Estonia's Freedom in the village of Lagedi, outside of the nation's capital of Tallinn.

Russian officials are outraged over the new monument. No word yet from the rest of the world.

Migraines

I don't know if any of you suffer from migraines. If you do not, I hope that you never will. I get these monsters that start behind an eye, usually the right and I have the mental image of lightning streaking across behind my eyes to strike the opposite temple. All day long. It sucks.

I went to bed last night with brief flashes of the storm brewing. Only to awake this morning to a full-fledged thunderstorm in my head. I have tried to lie in the dark, but was continually disturbed by my phone. So, I silenced that. I was forced to leave the dark and quiet by the promise I made to see my parents, in the afternoon. Long enough, in fact, to see USC win the game. I returned home, back to the peace and quiet.

I couldn't sleep and I couldn't lie around, so I surfed the blogs. Just the clicking of the keys, made the pounding worse. Currently, I am doped out of my gourd and the pain is bearable, but the keystrokes are killing me.

I am off to bed, again. Sleep well my friends.

Please let the pounding stop tonight, amen.

Does Anyone Know This Person?

I talked with this person for a long time today/tonight. First it was by email, then by phone. We talked about many things, a lot of things. She is taken, but the other half didn't mind her talking or posting. He was asleep through most of it. I had a great time flirting or just talking. She sent some pics, I sent some pics. She yawned into the phone and I finally let her go. Totally harmless stuff. But very enjoyable, nonetheless.

Sleep tight.

Another Hockey Moment

Back when I played hockey for Fresno State, we played our first game at home. The local paper showed up to photograph us playing and write a story. Unfortunately, we played the number one team in the league from the year before.

We got beaten, badly. There was only one picture of the game and that, fortunately/unfortunately, was of me.

If you look at this photo, you will see that we have just started the third period. There are no defensemen back to help. We are getting killed. You can see the puck sitting just inside the far post. What you don't know is that there were 96 shots on goal that night. I was plain worn out by the time that this was taken.

This is a pic that I see nearly everyday. I hung it up, on purpose, to remind myself to never give up. No matter what.

New/Old Jersey

As those in the know know, I am huge into hockey. I am also into the old Soviet Union, because of various other reasons.

So, my friends, I came across this Soviet hockey jersey, circa 1980. It is a Vladislav Tretiak. For those who don't know, he was the goaltender in the 1972, 1976,1980, and 1984 Olympics for the Soviet Team. He was had an unbelievable 1.78 goals-against average in 98 international games and won Olympic gold in '72, '76, and '84.

I want to get it. Any thoughts? Yes / No?

New Russian + Others? Shuttle

The Russian Government has asked Japan if it would like to be involved in a joint venture for a new shuttle program to rival the US fleet. The European Space Agency is also considering taking part in the project. The shuttle project, the Kliper, is to be a successor to the Soyuz spacecraft.

This craft is able to ferry six astronuts with a range of about ten days.

Japan is thinking through the propsal and will decide on it's participation by the end of the year.

Russia estimates that the total cost to Japan would be $870 million.

In contrast, the US has stated that plans are in effect to retire the shuttle program in 2010. NASA has also released plans to return to the moon by 2018 in a vehicle designed to replace the shuttle.

Flowers?

What is the deal with women on their blogs calling their readers, "flowers"? I have been lumped into this group on three seperate blogs. I am not going to name names, here, however.

But, it got me thinking...what kind of a flower would I be if this were true? Surely, I would be poisonous, some type of "witch" plant, found in the British Isles (whether native or not), and could also be used for it's healing properties. So I chose for myself: Henbane. "The Insane Seed that Breedeth Madness".

Yeah, that's me.

Russian Beauty Pagent for Miss World

Russia has concluded it's Miss Russia contest. The contest saw a total of 38 contestants from 34 Russian cities. These Russian cities sent contestants ranging in age from 14 to 25.

The winner of this year's contest was Yulia Ivanova of Novosibirsk. Yulia is a 22-year old Siberian student. Interestingly, the top three were all brunettes, as have the winners of the parent contest for the past three years.

Contestants were judged on the following criteria: dressing in evening dresses, bikinis, dancing and reciting poetry.

For me, it is a relief in seeing that Russia has some beauties. Gone with the Soviet collapse are the women that could out bench press each other. The 'thick' women, so common in the eyes of Americans during that time.

I remember seeing this contest back in college, when I studied Russian (language and culture). The women then looked nothing like those pictured in this article. Thank God that is over. See more pics taken at this event, by Yevgeny Razdobarin, in the link.

Although, I am not into blondes (sorry blondage), props go out to Liudmila Turina from Armavir, for her rather revealing evening dress.

Hobbits in the South Pacific?

Australian scientists claimed that they have found an entirely new species of human. The discovered fossils were found on the Indonesian island of Flores. This new species has been dubbed 'Homo floresiensis' and nicknamed 'hobbits' by the scientists.

This is an interesting story. Check it out!

Another Dumbfuck Southern Teacher

I am sure that there are a lot of real good teachers in the South. I 'know' one myself. But, is there something in the water or in the way that women are raised in the South that produces these idiots?

Another teacher, this one from Georgia, is accused of molesting her students. Georgianne Harrell was indicted on 24 counts of child molestation and reckless conduct. Authorities claim that Ms. Harrell performed oral sex on a 9-year-old boy in her classroom, let students peek down her blouse, and talked to some students about sexual matters.

Ms. Harrell, a third grade teacher at Holley Elementary School, was also accused of slashing her wrists in front of her class with broken glass. Her attorney entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf and waived her right to arraignment.


These cases keep popping up. The kids get younger and younger. Are we next going to see Kindergarden kids or pre-school kids in the news, because their teachers had sexual contact with them.

If I hear a case come out of FL involving K kids...

Child # 16 is Born

What the fuck?!?!

In Little Rock, Arkansas, child #16 was born to Michelle and Jim Bob [big surprise] Duggar. The couple are looking forward to the day when #17 arrives. '"We both just love children and we consider each of them a blessing from the Lord. I have asked Michelle if she wants more and she said yes, if the Lord wants to give us some she will accept them", Jim Bob said.'

Excuse me?

What, have you never heard of birth control? Great, you love children. What happens when they get ready for college? Or even before that, having a ton of teenagers running around. What will the family do when you drop dead, dude?

Maybe the Lord will have your wife's uterus fall out. Then you can quit having kids.

Taikonauts?

China launched a two-man Shenzhou 6 capsule, to become only the third nation to launch a human into orbit. This marks the second human launch for the country. The first being a 21 1/2 hour flight in 2003 that carried one astronaut.

The Shenzhou 6 is carrying two taikonauts, Fei Junlong (40) and Nie Haishen (41). This crew was picked from six finalists.

The Chinese modeled the Shenzhou (Devine Vessel) on the Russian three-man capsule, Soyuz. Although, the Chinese version has been highly modified from it's Russian counterpart. The Chinese have also modeled their spacesuits, life-support systems, and other space equipment on purchased Russian equipment.

Chinese officials allowed the flight to viewed live on Chinese television. This is a break from the policy for the 2003 launch. No foreign reporters were allowed to witness the launch. And the few Chinese reporters that did see the launch were warned that any photos or videos taken may be confiscated.

Super Swimmer

As a former competitive swimmer, I can appreciate the effort it takes to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. Open water swimming is very tiring. Add to this that you have choppy waves and a well documented area for shark activity.

This swim was done by Johnny Wilson of Hillsborough. What is remarkable, is that Johnny is a nine-year old that was raising money for the Red Cross Katrina Hurricane Victims Fund. His efforts raised almost $30,000.

Nice job kid, nice job.

Living in the Wrong State

I am a total hockey freak. But, no one in CA really cares about the sport. I have watched a game nearly every night since the season started.

As I posted earlier, I am a Bruins fan. But, I will watch any team play.

As an ex-goaltender, I live to see the skills of other 'keepers. Tonight, Fleury of the Penguins is putting on a show.

This is the time of year that I am living in the wrong state.

Funny Story!?

I have this funny story for you. Very much true, very painful, and disfiguring (although not at first glance). This story is something that happened to me while I played ice hockey for Fresno State, back many years ago.

We were having Friday Night practice. In this practice, I, as the goaltender was to sit on the right hand post. A pass was coming from my right to the top of the left hand circle, where the shooter sat to take a one-timer. My job was to, obviously, block the shot. Our coach was clocking the shot speed with a radar gun.

So, everything was going well. Shooters did their thing, I did mine. Until M stepped up. Now looking at M, you wouldn't know that he was a big time defenseman in our league. Kind of short for the job, but he delivered the hit when called upon. He also had one of the hardest shots in the league. M steps into place, the pass is delivered, he takes the shot, I move from the post, stack my pads coming across to my left, and the puck hits me squarely in the cup!

Our coach yells, "90 (mph)!" Really, the last thing I hear before blacking out from the pain.

I come to after some thirty seconds or so. I got up and attempted to skate off of the ice. That was a long skate to the boards...I vaguely remember the process of getting off of the ice and into the locker room. Usually, it would take only a handfull of minutes to get out of my gear. This time, however, it took at least half an hour. When I got down to my jock strap, my cup was in thousands of pieces. I didn't even look at the little man and the boys. I didn't want to see it. After all, what you don't know, you don't know.

I pack my gear into my bag in a foggy haze. The pain is excrutiating. I slowly and methodically make my way to my truck parked outside. (My coach, meanwhile, is yelling at me to put my gear back on and get back on the ice. I tell him, "Go Fuck Yourself!", and leave).

I headed home to my parents house. To this day, I don't know how I drove in so much pain. But I made it there. I got to my room, dropped my stuff, and crawled into bed.

I stayed there all day Saturday and all day Sunday.

On Monday morning, my father walks in. He asks, "Are you going to school today?"

"No", I reply.

"You got hurt playing hockey, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Let me see 'em"

"Pop. I am not going to show you the boys."

"Show me or go sleep at the fraternity house." That was something that I desperately wanted to avoid. So, I drop the underwear.

"Shit, son. You got a pair of Easter eggs there!" The boys were swollen, black, blue, green, yellow, and purple. Not the thing that I wanted to see.

Pop calls the doc and off we go. I went through a battery of tests and pictures. The doc returns with the news.

"Well, the good news is that you get to keep both of the boys. The bad news is that the left one was seriously hurt. You are going to have to do x, y, and z...until the swelling goes down. Until then, I am issuing you this special jock strap to wear under your underwear. This pocket here will hold up the boys until you heal. Until then, no hockey."


Ultimately, the swelling went away and the boys regained their normal coloring. However, the left boy is now two to three times the size of the right. Docs say that everything is alright, but let's just say that things don't hang the same way.

Have a great weekend!

Two New CDs for the Collection

I got two new cds this evening. 1. Institute "Distort Yourself" and 2. Bloodhound Gang "Hefty Fine".

Goodbye to the Blogsphere Part 2

I guess that the thing that bums me out the most about someone leaving the blogsphere, like Katrina, is that I have no way of knowing or communicating to that person. Like it or not, those blogs that I read on a continuous basis, I feel that I have a vested interest in them as people as well as their sites.

That was the main reason that I posted the "E-mail Me" on my site. Yet only two people have done so, out of the ten or so that I am vested in. This is a quandry for me. But, I don't know how to make it better.

I Hate the Phrase...

Invariably, at some point in the day, I hear one of two phrases: (1) Are we having fun yet? or (2) I know why you got this job. You're tall!

In the case of (1): This has got to be the dumbest phrase ever uttered to someone that is working. Really, do you need to ask this question? I am fucking working! What do you think?

and for (2): No shit!? Did you think that up by yourself or did you overhear it? At 6'6", I am taller than a lot of people. Did you think about the shit that I have to reach on the bottom, that is only a couple of inches off of the ground? I look like a friggin' giraffe trying to get a drink of water from a pond.

Idiots! I deal with idiots all day. I would love to go a full day without someone uttering a stupid comment or question.

Thank God this is Friday Night and I have been drinking (like a giraffe).

US Delays Payment

The US has delayed the payment of $23 Million to Uzbekistan for the use of the Soviet-Era Base in Karshi-Khanabad (K-2). In July, Uzbekistan gave the US 180 days to vacate the base after American criticism of the Uzbek government's violent suppression of demonstrators.

US forces will be moving to reinforce troops at Ganci in Kyrgyzstan. This is a major blow to China and Russia, who do not want a US presence in the region.

I am sure that Kyrgyz government will enjoy all of the money that will be spent in and on their country from this presence.

Goodbye to the Blogsphere

No, I am not leaving.

I am just saying goodbye to a site that I have been faithfully reading for a long period of time.

The site, Social Loafing (previously The Sausage Wallet) closed up shop today without saying a word. I don't really know this person, but it was something that took me out of my world into life in the New York area. Yeah, I understand that you start getting comments from people that you don't know, that say things that you don't like, but why just bail without a word?

So, Goodbye Katrina! Hopefully you will return to the blogsphere, someday. I wish you well in your internship and that you will enjoy the Leafs season.

Question to Blogger

I realize that there a lot of blogs out there. But there has to be some way for Blogger to let people know that they are going to turn off the system prior to doing so.

For the second time, since I have had these blogs, I have been shot down by the system repairs. My two problems went like this: I get home, write a huge ass post, click on the publish button, and get the system under repair sign. Everything that I have spent the last 15 to 20 minutes writing about, is no more. I then have to wait for the system to come back up, try to remember what I was saying, and try again.

Either that, or I just say, "Fuck It!" and not post at all.

Downside of Vacation

While taking the vacation was a much needed break, here comes the downside (of many downsides). Forgetting all of the crap that I had to deal with when I returned. I now have to deal with the paycheck from that week. Commission based sales in this case, suck!

I have to use the money this week to make the payment on my truck. All remaining money is for beer and food.

So, it brings this thought to mind...

If I purchase something heavy, like an oatmeal stout, will that count as beer and food? It should cover at least one meal per day, don't you think?

Gator vs. Python

Now from the strange file:

In recent years, people have been freeing their unwanted pythons into the Everglades. The Burmese pythons are slowly becoming a nuisance in the area. Scientists agree that they are not a serious problem, yet, but are keeping an eye on the snakes. The main problem with these snakes is that they are causing a change in the local ecosystem. Scientists were hopeful that the gators would help quell this problem, but there has been evidence to put this in question.

In the past three years, there has been four documented cases of a python vs. a gator. Just last week, scientists came across a gory scene.

A 6-foot gator tangled with a 13-foot python. Apparently, the python tried to swallow the gator and exploded.

Read the link for more info.

Proof again, if this recent hurricane season has not been enough, to celebrate living in CA.

What's the Deal?

I had this question. Why is it that when someone talks about reading the works of J.K. Rowling, they say, "I am secretly a fan of Harry Potter."?

What is the big deal? The books are very well written. I don't see the problem in the reading of these books, by anyone.



ps "I am secretly a fan of Harry Potter."

US Airman is Aquitted

A US airman at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas was aquitted on rape, kidnapping, and assault charges, even though he confessed to the crimes.

A City Says, "Katrina Victims Unwanted"

The mayor of Fresno, CA went down to Louisiana to invite 400 people to relocate to his city. Alan Autry gave a grand speech in the devistated region, while back at home the city put it's foot down.

After 260 evacuees moved to the Fresno area, county board supervisors put the kabosh on any more coming to the area.

To quote Chazz, "What a Dumbass!"

The city is already footing the bill to settle 2,000 Hmong refugees from the Wat Tham Krabok camp in Thailand, where they have been housed since the Vietnam War.

Siberian City Rases Rates on Gay Performers

In the Siberian City of Perm, gay singers are now obliged to pay higher fees for the use of concert halls, than straight singers. This announcement was made on Monday by Deputy Governor (of the city) Valery Starikov.

'"Such measures are necessary, since homosexual artists tend to propagate their views at the concerts," said Starikov, "which cannot be regarded as a positive influence"'

Apparently, groups, such as the included photo t.A.T.u., encourage the same behavior from their audience.

Frankly, I don't care what they do in Siberia. I may have a beef, however, if the same was enforced here.

I just wanted to show the pic.

Very Sad

This is a very sad story on the times in which we live.

A woman in western Russia, Olga Zelentsova, tried to sell her six-year old daughter to an undercover policeman for $10,000 US. Olga, who is unemployed and an alcoholic, was told by by the undercover officer that the child would be sexually abused and then used for organ donations. In response, the woman handed over the child's birth certificate.

She faces charges of human trafficking.

Sick!

I hate being sick. Thankfully, I don't get sick very often. But, when I do, it is bad! I could feel this one coming for a couple of days. I may just be doing some blog reading for the next few days. I will post, maybe, if I feel better. So, come on ~Eyes, Jenn, Prufr0ck, kent, Katrina, and HG. Give me something to read!

Pro Sports in CA

Ever since I was a kid, I have always hated the pro sports teams of California. Why, may you ask? Well, everyone in my home town was either a fan (for football) of the Raiders or the 49ers, (for baseball) the Giants, A's, or the Dodgers, (for basketball) the Lakers, and for hockey it was just the Kings for a while (in purple and gold), then the Sharks. I hated then, as I do today, to do or like what everyone else does or likes.

So, in 1976, I saw a football game that was the Seahawks vs. the Raiders. When the Seahawks won, I said that is my team. For baseball, I was a fan of the Senators. But, they moved to Texas. So, I didn't have a favorite for a long time. I rooted for the Rockies for a while. Then, Washington got the Expos franchise to become the Nationals. I had a baseball team again. Basketball, well I have always hated basketball. Pros/college no difference, just plain don't like the game. (This may stem from the fact that I am tall and everyone asks me if I played basketball).

But, the team that I have always followed (besides the Seahawks) has been the Boston Bruins in ice hockey. Back then, no one in CA really followed hockey, but I was an addict. In high school I had friends that were North Stars or Flyers or Islanders fans, but no one but me was a Bruins fan. In college, I was the only Bruins fan on my Collegiate Hockey Team.

I am soooo ready for hockey season. Last year totally sucked without the NHL playing due to lockout. My beloved Bruins take to the ice on Wed 5 Oct to face one the the perennial rivals of the team, the Canadians.

Yet Another Casualty

With the grounding of the US Shuttle Fleet, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft is the only vehicle to ISS. The Russian Government has claimed that the only way that US Astronaut William McArthur will get home is if the US pays the expense. However, because of trade sanctions linked to US fears that Russian technology and know how are being used in the Iran nuclear program, the US will not pay for expenses.

What do we need to do to get our program back on track? Does it take leaving a US Astronaut on ISS to make this happen?

A Road Through the Country

This is just a simple road in the foothills of CA. But it could be seen on the big screen at a theater near you, sometime in the future. In one of the scripts that I have read, this scene appears early in the movie.

The movie, loosely based on the experiences of a friend of mine, is being shopped around as I write this.