Proof that Border Fence Fosters Cooperation

I recently noted that Vicente Fox believes a border fence built by the U.S. would damage relations between the two countries and cause tension. Joshuah Bearman of LA Weekly seems to have found evidence to the contrary:

We approach the fence. Within seconds Team Mexico is formed, and the match
begins. Beach volleyball is a much different game when played over two-story metal pylons. Strategy and nuance go out the window. There are few sets and certainly no spikes. Mostly, it’s tit-for-tat power bumps that send the ball in 30- and 40- and even 50-foot arcs. Despite the difficulty, the game is fun — and surprisingly uninteresting to the border patrol, who zipped down at the drop of a hat several times earlier but now seem content to observe us with binoculars.

Viva Border Volleyball

technorati tags: Mexico Border+Patrol Immigration Illegal+Immigrants

An Insignificant Politician

Al Gore has gone off the deep end. Totally. After so long worshipping the sacred political Brahma of global warming, he's totally lost touch with anything else. Except, apparently, twinkies.
That's not the good part though. As if his fantasy bogeyman 'global warming' wasn't a frightening enough scenario, Al Gore has uncovered an explosive 'new truth.' Never mind vehicle exhaust, cow flatulence, or any of the other 619,233 things we've been told aggravate global warming, there is one factor we never saw coming.

Al Gore, savior of humanity has revealed this truth to the United Nations. I hope you're sitting down, which, since you're on a computer you probably are.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore warned hundreds of U.N. diplomats and staff on Thursday evening about the perils of climate change, claiming: Cigarette smoking is a "significant contributor to global warming!"

Oh, come off it Al. Seriously. I'm not a smoker, and I don't really even like to be around smokers since cigarettes make my eyes burn like hell so I'm definitely not saying this for their benefit: Al Gore is full of it and he knows full well.

Then:

Gore had his staff opened a stack of cardboard boxes to begin selling
his new book, "An Inconvenient Truth, The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It," $19.95, to the U.N. diplomats.

Gore: Cigarette Smoking Significant Contributor to Global Warming

technorati tags: Al+Gore global+warming cigarettes environment An+Inconvenient+Truth

Mexico: Border Fence Is Shameful

Sometimes when reading the news, I get the distinct feeling that my blood pressure could conceivably cause my eyeballs to rocket out of my head and slam into the screen. Tonight is one of those nights. Mexico, get this, is (are you ready?) opposed to a U.S. border fence. Imagine that.

Mexico warned Thursday that the U.S. proposal to build miles of border
fence will damage relations between the two countries.

The Foreign Relations Department said it was "deeply worried" about the
proposal, which is working its way through the Senate, adding it will "increase
tension in border communities."

"These measures will harm the bilateral relationship. They are
against the spirit of co-operation that is needed to guarantee security on the
common border," the department said in a statement.

President Vicente Fox has rallied against the wall, calling it
"shameful" and comparing it to the Berlin Wall, which divided
Germany.

Can we just mine the border and be done with this crap?

Mexico Opposed to U.S. Border Fence

technorati tags: Mexico Vicente+Fox Illegal+Immigration Border+Patrol

Dogs vs. Pirates

We can all rest easier at night now that the MPAA has DVD sniffing dogs in its anti-piracy arsenal. That's right, two specially trained Labrador retrievers are now on a global mission to defend America from the evils of copyright infringement. In what I've termed Operation Useless Publicity Stunt:

The Motion Picture Association of America on Thursday unveiled its latest
tool in the war on movie piracy: a pair of DVD-sniffing Labrador Retrievers
named Lucky and Flo.

The job for Lucky and Flo will be to sniff out optical discs in luggage or other containers, and stop the discs from getting to manufacturing plants where they can be reproduced.

But before they begin their new job, Lucky and Flo will go on a world tour
of cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, just as movie stars go on tour to promote their latest films.

Hollywood unleashes dogs in war on movie piracy

technorati tags: MPAA piracy movies copyright+infringement DVD

Treasure Chest

I've got to...um...hand it to these people; they managed to come up with something definitely not a run of the mill scam:

A fee of 25,500 euros ($32,000) is way too much for a woman to charge a man for fondling her bosom, a Finnish district court ruled.

The court jailed a couple in their twenties for more than a year for charging a 74-year-old who suffers from dementia a total of 25,500 euros to enjoy the woman's breasts on 10 occasions.

"Based on general life experience alone, it is indisputably clear that a 25,500 euro charge is disproportionate to the compensation in question," Judge Hasse Hakki, who heard the case, told Reuters Friday.

Maybe not, but then again, there was no picture of this girl either. For the right set $32,000 might just be a bargain, if that is, her cups runneth over.

technorati tags: Helsinki finland odd breasts scam

Tastes Like Chicken

I thought I would be back sharing my discoveries with my faithful masses of fans on Saturday, but alas, I missed that deadline. Today I bring you the greatest promotion of all time:

The [Six Flags] park in Gurnee, Illinois, is joining other Six Flags parks in offering unlimited line-jumping privileges to anyone who eats a live Madagascar hissing cockroach. The bugs are up to three inches long.

Personally, I think it's a sweet idea for several reasons. Look at it this way. The people who will do this aren't people you probably want to stand in line with anyway.

No more sweaty fat goth dudes with more straps on their pants than an S&M club smelling up the area with their unwashed goodness. Maybe this is a biased statement, having come from personal experience, but the point holds true.

Second, if the ride breaks, isn't it better to have this dude find out before you?

Lastly, cockroaches, like most goths, are unpleasant to look at and the world is generally better off without them. I really don't see the problem here, unlike PETA.

PETA Upset at Six Flags roach eating contest

technorati tags: Six+Flags hissing+cockroach contest goth

Still Taking in Oxygen

I'm not dead, and I haven't abandoned my small but growing legion of devoted groupies. I've just taken a few days to work on some top secret uber important business projects. No need to fret. I should resume regular posting Saturday. That's today for those of you too lazy to remember.

It's Fun To Stay at the Y-M-C-A

Village People, watch out.

technorati tags: Hugo+Chavez Mahmoud+Ahmadinejad

Shrooms, the Muslim Way

Ok kids, today's lesson in Islamic hypocrisy and media bias is about to begin, so grab a nice cold drink and let the following sink in:

Every Muslim between here and Neptune who can get their face in the press is seething with rage at the Pope's (hoorahs be upon him) comments that Islam is essentially violent. How untrue, they cry. How slanderous.

Yet:

Final preparations have been made for the American Hiroshima, a major attack on the U. S.

* Muslims living in the United States should leave the country without further warning.

* The attack will be commandeered by Adnan el Shukrijumah (“Jaffer Tayyer” or “Jafer the Pilot”), a naturalized American citizen, who was raised in Brooklyn and educated in southern Florida.

* The al Qaeda operatives who will launch this attack are awaiting final orders. They remain in place in cities throughout the country. Many are masquerading as Christians and have adopted Christian names.

And, most exciting of all:

* The American people will be treated to a final audio message from Osama bin Laden which will be aired within the next two weeks.

They'd better hope they get in one hell of a good hit because I guarantee it'll be their last one; we'll convert their sandbox into the biggest sheet of glass the world's ever seen.

technorati tags: Adnan+El+Shukrijumah al+Qaeda terrorism Islam Nuclear U.S.

Say We're Peaceful Or We'll Kill You

The Muslim world reacts to the Pope's comment that Islam is violent. Way to prove him wrong, jackasses.

technorati tags: Islam Muslim Pope+Benedict Religion+Of+Peace middle+east

The Religion of Peace Pissed Off Again

The Pope has managed to piss off Muslims. Apparently by still being alive.

The furor over comments made by Pope Benedict about the Islamic concept of Holy War continues to grow. Today British Muslims joined in, fiercely criticising his remarks.

The pontiff was accused of falling into "the trap of bigots and racists...when it comes to judging Islam on the actions of a small number of extreme elements."

This argument is getting really, REALLY tired. Apparently, if you listen to Muslim apologists, there are only a few 'bad muslims' and the rest of them are really just swell. Consider the words of Ibn Warraq, author of 'Why I am Not a Muslim:

"Islam is a totalitarian ideology that aims to control the religious, social, and political life of mankind in all its aspects. And I mean Islam. I do not accept some spurious distinction between Islam and Islamic ‘fundamentalism” or “Islamic terrorists.” Their actions reflect the teachings of Islam, whether found in the Koran, in the acts and teachings of the Prophet Mohammad, or in the Islamic law, (Sharia) based on them.”

No...we must misunderstand the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Right?

The Pope's speech quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the Pope said.

"He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached'."

There's nothing bigoted or racist about it. Islam is inherently violent. Deal with it.

Let's take Osama Bin Laden's own words into consideration for a moment:

“We, with God’s help, call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God’s order to kill the Americans and plunder their money...divide their nation, tear them to shreds, destroy their economy, burn their companies, ruin their welfare, sink their ships, and kill them on land, sea, and air.”

Does that sound peaceful? Murder, plunder, and destruction. Allah must be a really nice guy. I guess that's why his Koran has such nice passages as:

• Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme. (Koran 8:39)
• Slay the idolators wherever you find them...lie in ambush everywhere for them. (Koran 9:5)
• When you meet the unbelievers in battle strike off their heads. (Koran 47:4)
• Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you may dislike it. (Koran 2:216)
• Believers! Make war on the infidels who dwell around you, let them find harshness in you. (Koran 9:123)
  

And that's just a small sample. But back to the ruckus over the Pope:

Pakistan's parliament condemned the "derogatory" remarks today and demanded an apology. The country's foreign ministry said they were "regrettable" and claimed they would encourage violence.

Encourage violence? Among the believers of such a friendly, nice religion? More like it would give them an excuse to go out and murder and destroy and feel justified.

This IS a holy war, people. And it's not the west who started it.

Muslim fury grows at Pope's speech

technorati tags: Islam Muslim Pope+Benedict Terrorism Muhammad War

The Greatest Book Ever Written

I really don't know what to say. I saw this tonight at the local discount store; nothing like having a post literally handed to you.

USAF - Aim lower...a little left. There.

When I read this, I thought my brain was literally going to burst out of my head.

Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before they are used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions in the international community over any possible safety concerns, said Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne.

Safety concerns? Over a weapon? What the hell? Lethal or non-lethal, it's a WEAPON. It's supposed to do some form of harm. If you want something totally safe, how about just going up to rioters and criminals and asking them nicely to behave.

"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne.

Who the hell is this guy, a Saddam Hussein fan club member? We generally don't use artillery shells on our citizens, but we sure as hell have no problem lobing them at baddies on the battlefield. What kind of goose and gander rubric is he daydreaming about?

The worst part is yet to come. Get a load of this:

"(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."

Oh my GOD. Then just shoot the sons of bitches. Sometimes the old fashioned way really IS better.

Test nonlethal weapons on U.S. citizens, official says

technorati tags: Air+Force nonlethal+weapons war military

What a Shocker!

I have to admit feeling a little bit like an asshole for finding this funny:

A Vietnamese man who once appeared on national television to demonstrate his ability to resist electric shocks has been electrocuted while repairing a generator, an official said Tuesday.

Nguyen Van Hung, aged in his early 40s, was killed in Tay Ninh province near the Cambodian border while repairing the generator without first cutting the power supply, a local official said.

"When alive, he used to demonstrate at our office how he would insert two fingers into the electrical plughole without problems," the official said.

Sorry, pal, but if you're sticking your damn fingers into wall sockets, you actually do have problems.

Electric Man Electrocuted

technorati tags: vietnam odd stupid electrocution death

Of Linux and Backups

Not too long ago I more or less killed my iBook by giving it a lethal milk injection. Three days later (coincidence, I think not!) it came back from the dead. Ok, so it came back from the dead running dog slow and glitching up repeatedly, but it still kind of runs.

Since the resurrection, the laptop has been the exclusive property of my wife for some unknown reason. I acquired a new (used) laptop, preloaded with Windows XP, much to my chagrin. Sure, it's a laptop, but was I ready for Windows again after more than a year?

Booting into Windows again after so long gave me the mother of all piss-shivers. The random crashes, freezes and such were all right there where I remembered them. After a few days of that, I decided to install Freespire linux and dual boot. I'm NOT a linux geek at all, and having had some experience with the Lindows/Linspire product, I figured what the hell.

I really had no desire to learn all the geekery of Linux just yet, I simply wanted a nice looking, more secure OS that worked with a minimum of fuss. I set up a new partition, dual booted, and all was bliss for a few days. I realized suddenly upon a failed reboot that I'd made a mistake somewhere down the line, and had lost both my Windows and Linux partitions to the wind.

So, I bucked up and reinstalled Freespire, this time taking over the entire hard drive. Thirteen minutes and I was back in an OS, two more configuring my wireless setup and internet surfing recommenced.

During the crash, I lost several albums worth of MP3s I'd saved in my Freespire partition, and I was rightfully upset. I stewed for a few minutes and then remembered I'd set up an account on the Mp3tunes.com site and registered for one of their free 'Oboe' music lockers. I'd synced up all my songs the night before the crash, so hope flooded back into my heart.

I opened the built in Oboe-Sync utility in Freespire and boom...all my music came right on down those big fat data tubes and into my hard drive. I have now officially learned that:

1. Backups are a GOOD thing
2. Oboe is a very, very nice little app
3. Linux is more fun than Windows, if only because it's NOT Windows
4. I am a recovering Apple snob
5. My wife is oddly tolerant of my uber-hot Charlotte Church wallpapers
   

Over all, everything else I've tried on Freespire has worked nicely. It boots in half the time Windows takes, it works with every file format I've thrown at it thus far, and it sure does look purty.

technorati tags: Freespire Linspire linux backups Charlotte+Church MP3

Wait, Weren't We The Bad Guys?

I thought the U.S. was 'the bad guy' in Iraq. With all of the news reports and people endlessly bitching about Abu Ghraib and how taking photographs of prisoners on leashes was torture, we obviously were the most uncivilized brutes ever to set foot in the country.

Apparently not. Now that we've handed Abu Ghraib over to the Iraqis, the prisoners suddenly want us back.

The notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad is at the centre of fresh abuse allegations just a week after it was handed over to Iraqi authorities, with claims that inmates are being tortured by their new captors.

Some of the small number of prisoners who remained in the jail after the Americans left said they had pleaded to go with their departing captors, rather than be left in the hands of Iraqi guards.

"The Americans were better than the Iraqis. They treated us better," said Khalid Alaani, who was held on suspicion of involvement in Sunni terrorism.

The witness said that even in the thieves' section prisoners were being treated badly. "Someone was shouting 'Please help us, we want the human rights officers, we want the Americans to come back'," he said.

And Khalid Alaani, who was also picked up in Ramadi suspected of involvement in Sunni terrorism, said: "We preferred the Americans. We asked to move with them to Baghdad airport because we knew the treatment would be changed because we know what the Iraqis are. When the Americans left everything changed."

They are no longer allowed access to the main hall where the Americans had allowed them to watch television and the room is now reserved for the use of officers and guards.

To the poor little prisoners of Abu Ghraib: you bastards wanted us to leave; we did. Enjoy.

Tortured screams ring out as Iraqis take over Abu Ghraib

technorati tags: Abu+Ghraib Iraq terrorism detainees torture

RetARTed

I tend to think of myself as an art purist; I enjoy it for its own sake. I've never been one to find political or social messages in artwork appealing. I look at art as the expression of creativity, but I look at art with an agenda as...well...not art.

I do understand the desire to express ones beliefs in a creative outlet, but when you push a specific agenda, just call it what it is, be it a political, religious, or social commentary.

I also have a very low tolerance for 'political art' that pushes not just a particular agenda, but an ill-thought out one. Case in point, the latest escapade by the notorious 'Banksy.'

A life-size replica of a Guantanamo Bay detainee has been placed in Disneyland by "guerrilla artist" Banksy.

The figure, complete with orange jumpsuit, was placed inside the Rocky Mountain Railroad ride last weekend.

A spokeswoman for Banksy said the stunt was intended to highlight the plight of terror suspects at the controversial detention centre in Cuba.

What in the hell is that supposed to mean? The 'plight' of terror suspects? What the fuck? It's not like those people are at Gitmo because they're grade-school teachers and all around nice guys. They are suspected of being or helping TERRORISTS. People who fucking KILL people to get their point across. Like shrewd self-promoters like the 'mysterious' Banksy, terrorists usually choose their M.O. because they know no better way to effect change and thus have to resort to their 'stunts.'

Bansky himself doesn't even consider his 'work' to be 'art'

"I don't know. We were talking about this the other day. I'm using the word vandalism a lot with the show. You know what hip-hop has done with the word 'nigger' - I'm trying to do that with the word vandalism, bring it back."

How admirable. I rest my case.

Banksy targets Disneyland

technorati tags: Banksy / graffiti / Disneyland / Guantanamo+Bay / Gitmo / terrorism / detainee

I Remember

Trust Is Earned, Not Given

Mohammed Khatami's whirlwind propaganda tour of the U.S. goes on; I still can't help but wonder what the reaction would be if a U.S. head of state spent two weeks traveling around Iran trying to convince Iranians that their foreign policies are to blame for global instability and foment terrorism. (Ironically, that would in fact be the truth.)

I'm sure they'd welcome our envoy with open arms. Right. So why are we listening to this jackass who

"refused, for example, to back off a previous comparison between [President Bush] and Osama bin Laden."

He also said the US was partly to blame (of course) for the turmoil in the Middle East.

"As a result of such wrong policies, such unilateral, violent policies, that is - the voice of logic has decreased and voice of terror and attractiveness of terror unfortunately among youth has increased,"

I love it. Our violent policies make terrorism attractive to youth. I was under the opinion that fundamentalist hardline rule and complete control of the media by the government were responsible for that.

As if that's not enough, Khatami weighed in on the allegations that Iran is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons.

"Why should they not trust Iran?" CNN quoted him as saying. "See, at this moment, Iran is a signatory to the treaty, has declared many times it has no interest in building the nuclear bomb."

Let's see. Among other reasons, the refusal of the Iranian government to allow inspectors into suspected weapons research sites is enough to raise a few red flags. Of course, no apologist propaganda bullshit response like that is complete without mentioning that Iran is a signatory to the NPT, neglecting to mention that on numerous occasions, Iran has threatened to pull out of that exact treaty. Red flag number two.

These are just the tip of the iceberg, of course, but it puts Khatami's comments in the proper context. Worthless.

Khatami slams Bush during US visit

Related: Iran Under Khatami: Weapons of Mass Destruction

technorati tags: Mohammed+Khatami Iran Nuclear Terrorism Proliferation War

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

The Drudge Report headline at the moment is a real show stopper.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is planning to come to New York City and debate President Bush on the floor of the UN. According to initial reports,

Ahmadinejad said in Tehran Wednesday that his attendance of the UN General Assembly would be a "suitable opportunity" to challenge Bush in a television debate.

"My forthcoming visit to New York for the UN General Assembly would be a suitable opportunity to hold the debate and all world people, especially the Americans, could hear and watch it without censorship," the news agency ISNA quoted the Iranian president as saying in a cabinet session.

Now Assholemadinejad is concerned with censorship? That's rather interesting as JohanNorberg.net points out:

"Since 2000, Iran´s reactionary judiciary has closed down more than 100 newspapers because they were too oppositional and reformist, Iran censors the Internet and no country has arrested more bloggers. Bush should have accepted the invitation, on the condition that Iran´s media gets the same freedom to report as the American media has."

According to Ahmadinejad,

"We have proposals and are ready to present models for better governance of the world, establishment of global justice, well being of world nations, better understanding of one another, all-encompassing love and friendship, and elimination of the atmosphere of enmity, harshness, threats, and insults."

"It is possible to prove in a debate which of the two political systems is a better choice for the world nations: the one that is established based on the norms of liberalism and has caused so much dilemmas and plight for the mankind, or the one that is established based on monotheism and justice?"

The amount of bullshit coming from the Iranian regime is staggering; Goebbels must be having an orgasm in hell just thinking about it. Of course, I'm expecting the left wing Ahmadinejad love fest to begin anytime now, since they're shuddering with anticipation like the giddy little bastards they are anytime they get a chance to badmouth the U.S.

Letting this jackass in the country is like inviting bin Laden to a family barbeque.

technorati tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iran terrorism terror Iranian+President UN Bush

Spine Sighted In Massachusetts

Mitt Romney just earned some brownie-points in my book:

Governor Mitt Romney declared yesterday he would not allow any state resources to be used to protect a former Iranian president during his visit to the Boston area this weekend, and he sharply criticized Harvard University for inviting Mohammed Khatami to speak on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Romney said that he expected the State Department at a meeting scheduled for today to request a State Police escort and other traffic services, but that he had called yesterday to inform them that no such services would be provided.

``There are people in this state who have suffered from terrorism, and taking even a dollar of their money to support a terrorist is unacceptable..."

``The shock of the commemoration of a great tragedy coinciding with the visit of a terrorist to our state was too great to go unnoticed," Romney said. ``For that reason, I have directed state resources not to be used to ease or encourage his visit."

Of course, within the next 24 hours I'm sure we'll all be hearing that he's a racist hatemongering Islamophobe. If that's the case, then we need more racist hatemongering Islamophobes just like him.

Romney bars state security for Iranian's Harvard visit

technorati tags: Khatami Harvard Romney terrorist terrorism Islam Muslim Iran

US Army Refuses To Protect Troops

From the 'what the f*ck are they thinking?' files:

Sixteen months ago, commanders in Iraq began asking the Pentagon for a new system to counter RPGs and other anti-tank weapons. Last year, a special Pentagon unit thought it found a solution in Israel — a high-tech system that shoots RPGs out of the sky.

The system is called “Trophy,” and it is designed to fit on top of tanks and other armored vehicles like the Stryker now in use in Iraq.

OFT officials subjected Trophy to 30 tests and found that it is “more than 98 percent” effective at killing RPGs....

So why is the Army refusing to deploy Trophy?

Army brass considers the Israeli system a threat to an Army program to develop an RPG defense system from scratch.

Col. Donald Kotchman, who heads the Army’s program to develop an RPG defense, acknowledges that Raytheon’s system won’t be ready for fielding until 2011 at the earliest.

“This debate has nothing, zero, to do with capability or timeliness. It’s about money and politics. You’ve got a gigantic program [FCS] and contractors with intertwined interests. Trophy was one of the most successful systems we’ve tested, and yet the Army has ensured that it won’t be part of FCS and is now trying to prevent it from being included on the Strykers” that OFT planned to send to Iraq.

Terrorists and insurgents will now sleep more soundly knowing it's that much easier to get at our people. This type of bullshit graft is despicable and heads should literally roll for it.

technorati tags: trophy army rpg weapons war israel terrorism tank

An 'Ally' No More

Osama bin Laden, America's most wanted man, will not face capture in
Pakistan if he agrees to lead a "peaceful life," Pakistani officials tell ABC News.

The surprising announcement comes as Pakistani army officials
announced they were pulling their troops out of the North Waziristan region as
part of a "peace deal" with the Taliban.

If he is in Pakistan, bin Laden "would not be taken into custody," Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan told ABC News in a telephone interview, "as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen."

I'd say this is a case of throwing in the towel, but that would indicate they'd held the towel in the first place.

technorati tags: bin+laden pakistan terrorism islam muslim jihad

The Crocodile Hunter

Well damn. I woke up this morning to the news that Steve Irwin is dead. It took me a few minutes to actually realize it was real. I've always found him to be one of the more entertaining people on TV as well as one of the most likable. Watching 'The Crocodile Hunter' on TV always left me with the sense that I'd learned something by hanging out with a friend; and it was always fun to sit with my kids and explain all the neat animals he was profiling.

It's so rare to find such a genuine, likable person with such a love for his work and such a way of making it enjoyable to the public. Steve Irwin had a way of tricking you into learning while you thought you were just being entertained.

His personality made him seem like someone I'd known for years, though I'd never had the pleasure of meeting him. My heart hurts for his family, especially given the random nature of his death. My heart also hurts for the loss of such a charismatic, enthusiastic person. The world, and millions of fans, will miss him.

Rest in peace, Steve.

technorati tags: steve+irwin crocodile+hunter stingray

Belt Buckle Madness

I'm pretty much fed up with politics at the moment, as you may have noticed from my recent lack of updates. I took a little time off to decide what to write about in light of the burn out I'm going through, and I think that unless something seriously interesting happens in the news, I'm going back to basics and will post more often about what's really important. Me.

I must have gotten stuck in some kind of weird social timewarp until recently; I stepped out into public and have noticed that guys everywhere have begun to flaunt their belt buckles. I guess I'm still stuck in the mindset of not tucking in a shirt unless I'm going formal but I think I've missed the boat.

Every time I go anywhere I'm seeing more and more guys wearing their t-shirts tucked behind their belt buckle in the front and letting their shit dangle in the rear. Yes, I said shit, not shirt.

So aside from a few 'DC' belt buckles and a few redneck style, big as a dinner plate ones that simply beg to be shown off, what's the deal with this fad? Did I miss the announcement or something? I'm seriously entertaining the idea of going to the Pakistani owned kiosk at the local mall and picking up one of those 30 dollar LED programmable belt buckles and setting it to flash 'Belt Buckle' and then joining the trend just for shits and giggles.