Despicable Horses

Blog Move

2004-12-27T14:34:00.000-06:00

I have purchase the www.mustardnut.com domain (again) and have now moved the blog there. I also moved over almost all of my previous posts. Please join me there!

Vacation

2004-12-20T20:47:00.000-06:00

Not a lot of posting going on, I am on two and a half weeks of vacation.

Ciao.

Future blogger?

2004-12-08T13:57:00.000-06:00

My seven year-old son wrote the following stories during some free time in class. I am impressed with the fact that he would spend free time being creative and even more impressed with how good these are -- his phrasing is awesome for a kid -- "On the river bed lays a 12-foot anaconda..."

Great stuff.

Click on the thumbnails to see the full size versions.

Pictures hosted free by Flickr!

Quote o' The Day

2004-12-06T08:45:00.000-06:00

You laugh at me because I am different. I laugh at you because you are all the same.

-Unknown

How capitalism has ruined the world

2004-12-03T11:27:00.000-06:00

In high school I was on the debate team. I remember that the debate topic for the entire tenth grade year was competition vs. cooperation (you had one topic that you researched for and debated at different "meets" throughout the year). I also remember the vast amount of information supporting the notion of competition as healthy and essential. I recall thinking that it was right, after all, without competition we wouldn't have achieved all the we have achieved, right?

Hmmm.... competition serves as the very backbone for capitalism; its governing ideal, its paradigm. In America we hold up capitalism as the paradigm for the rest of the world -- "Be free. Start your own business and make tons of money!"

The American Dream.

An American Success Story.

Only in America.

The problem that I now see (and see clearly) with the capitalist spirit is that it encourages everybody to make more, achieve more, spend more, sell more, build more, and do whatever it takes to get more. The latter is the worst part: do whatever it takes. Early Europeans are a perfect example. Christopher Columbus, for example, systematically murdered over 7 million indigenous people in his search for the gold that he promised the Queen of Spain (Zinn: A People's History of the United States)

Early Americans, in the interest of Manifest Destiny (the white man's best interest), relocated, re-educated, cheated, lied to, swindled, and massacred Native Americans. Our Native Americans, who lived as one with the earth, are still living (in most cases) in impoverished conditions on reservation land. (I think that it is brilliant that more and more tribes run very successful casinos that take money away from greedy Americans and reinvest it into their communities. )

Of course Americans aren't the only ones to commit such heinous acts, simply look at the Aborigine of Australia, look at India's history, etc., etc. We have all profited from these atrocities. If human life is so invaluable, then America and other capitalist nations, our way of life, and all of the achievements of man are not worth the loss of one human life. Think about it: What if it were you and 7 million of your family, loved ones, and peoples, that were going to be killed in the interest of progress (someone else's of course)?

Would it be ok then?

The capitalist spirit is the reason why we are in Iraq, but not Sudan. It's the reason why our focus shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq in the blink of an eye. Eleven thousand troops in an area the we know is the haven for terrorists and 150k + troops in a land where there have been no ties to terrorist -- but there is lots of oil folks -- lots of government contracts for companies with Vice Presidents as their former CEOs.

Step right up and get your piece. And after you do, when your conscience starts to bug you, drown it out with sitcoms and alcohol. Or you can beat your wife and kids because you feel like a failure for not having a bigger house with more useless shit.

Go ahead, get your piece.

I think that native people had it right all along:
Live with the earth.
Live simple.
The village raises the child.
Battle, but don't war.

Unrealistic? Naive? That's the kind of attitude that allows our world to perpetuate itself into an endless, downward spiral.

Really Learn Spanish

2004-12-01T11:17:00.000-06:00

I am trying to stay away from just linking to stuff but this is a really good podcast on learning Spanish.

Really Learn Spanish

E-Mail Icon Generator

2004-11-30T09:32:00.000-06:00

See that schnazzy little gmail button for e-mailing me? This is where I created it.

The hard part (for my dumb ass) was figuring out how to get it up on my page. Leave a comment if you need help with that part.

Ciao!

E-Mail Icon Generator

What I like (and dislike) about Christianity and faith

2004-11-28T20:06:00.000-06:00

Now that I have moved over the contents of my faith discussion blog, it occurred to me to explain what I like about Christianity and faith -- after all, I am not Mr. Negative (contrary to how the last few posts have made me sound).

What I like about Christianity is the hope that it gives people. I mean without the hope of something better on the other side, someone watching over you, or a meaning behind all of this pain, how scary and depressing would this world be???

For the vast majority of the people on this planet a "God" is necessary. My brother often says that Christianity and other religions are for the weak -- for those individuals that can't face the thought that there is nothing that is going to save us -- except us. That sounds a bit condescending, but it isn't meant to be. In most respects, I think that faith is good for people. It makes them more accountable for their actions, more prone to assist and aid others in the name of their God, more peaceful, and sometimes even more happy.

Where I find religion to be bad for people is when wars are waged in the name of a God, where people of different races and sexuality are excluded and considered impure, where other belief systems are denounced because they are different, and, most offending, where individuals who know that people of religion can be manipulated by using their fear of their God against them.

If you don't think individuals of faith can be easily manipulated, you need only look to Christian Evangelism for your proof. How many "ministers" or "preachers" have you seen claiming that they talk to God and therefore you should give them money to support their church, only to catch them in a hotel room with a hooker or wearing some stunning new piece of jewelry? If you don't think that people of faith can be easily manipulated, just look at how the Vatican and the Roman Church have used people for centuries! If you don't think that people of faith can be easily manipulated, just look at our most recent presidential election -- 4 million Evangelical Christians made the difference. Enticed by ballots to outlaw homosexual marriages in their state, Christians acted in a Christ-like manner to prevent individuals who love each other from joining into the same loving bond that every heterosexual has the priviledge to make. Jesus was a real man that preached love and acceptance and now his word is used to practice exactly the opposite.

If you want to talk yourself up as being a Christian then walk in his shoes -- Christ needed virtually nothing materially, why don't you try it? St. Francis de Assisi has forever earned my love and respect because he did exactly that. It wasn't about the size of the church or how many members it had, but about LOVE and his God. Whether I believe in his God or not, I have to respect that -- and I do.

I didn't mean for this to get into a rant again, I apologize. I just type what the voices in my head tell me to. More on this discussion later.

Faith Post Part Three - "Reality Sets In"

2004-11-26T20:14:00.000-06:00

This is the last part of the three part faith blog that I am moving over to here...

Spirituality and Christianity are interesting concepts.

Spirituality works on the precept that we are all connected to a higher intelligence, God or whatever you want to call it and that everything happens exactly as it should -- for the exact reason it should. While I agree on some points, it has occured to me that this is a very privileged, western point of view. If you were to ask a child in Sudan or Sierra Leone about the meaning and reason behind his mother having her limbs hacked off before his eyes and then raped repeatedly, I don't think that he would see the higher thinking and meaning in it all -- neither do I.

Christianity explains that everything is part of God's plan.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you].

1 Peter 5:10
As a parent of two children, I can say unequivicably that if something tragic were going to happen to one of them and I had the power to stop or protect them from it, I would. No question. This is different from letting them learn the hard way that the stove is hot because you have repeatedly warned them. I am refering to situations that will damage them for the whole of their life: abuse, crippling illnesses, and other tragic events. If the God that Christianity speaks of is all-knowing and all-loving, he would do something. Moreover, he should do something. If you witnessed a parent knowingly letting their child get raped, beaten, starved, or abused , would you not call the authorities as this would be criminal, negligent, and unforgivable? Should God be held to a less strict standard? I would think that in his perfection he would be held to a much higher standard.

Take away all of the mystery and fear of displeasing a God that would punish you for such thoughts, and answer the questions honestly.

On the same vein, would a loving parent ever threaten to banish their child to someplace as torturous as Hell for not believing in their rule? Why would you put your own child through what Jesus had to endure (I believe that Jesus was a real person that died as described in the Bible) in order to save the rest of us. Doesn't God make the rules? He could show himself to all of us in an manner in which we could never doubt his existence or power -- no pain, blood or murder necessary for the message to get through to even the most skeptical.

If I am wrong. If he is there in the Christian capacity and this is all part of his "plan", then I for one want no part of it. He can participate in this sick little puppet show on his own because it isn't about us becoming more like him, getting to a better place and it sure as hell isn't about love.

I am not an athiest, nor a satanist (an even more ridiculous concept) -- I am a realist. I have to find the balance in knowing that something more intelligent is at work and the harsh reality that IT just doesn't give a shit or is powerless to effect change.

Faith blog move - Part 2, "Faith via Stacy"

2004-11-24T07:39:00.000-06:00

Listening to: The Refreshments - Interstate

Part two of the three part faith blog --

Stacy Ford is a great friend of mine. We worked together in Tempe and found that we have been and still are on an almost identical spiritual journey... The similarity is actually kind of scary. The following is part of an e-mail exchange that we shared recently. He has agreed to let me post and will be contributing to this discussion. This is just an excerpt of our conversations and more is to come. Enjoy!

No worries about the Jesus/God conflict. How will you ever know and what
is the difference anyway? Jesus was an incredible man well ahead of his
time who professed love and compassion for all. You may already know this,
but Jesus practiced Judaism and Christanity actually branched out of
Judaism through self-imposed changes by humans, such as Paul. Not Abraham
as I said before. Paul began running around saying "Jesus is the son of
God" and all these poor folks who did not know any better said, "Yeah, he
was" and Abraham began placing the crucifix on everything and spreading the
word of Jesus, professing that Jesus was the "son of God". As a side note,
he did a lot of positive things in spreading the word and changing peoples
lives for the better. I just question how he did it and if this is what
Jesus intended. Then the Romans said wow, this Jesus idea sure has a lot
of power over the people and they seem to need something to aspire to since
their lives are so miserable and wallah, they created the "Roman Catholic
Church". If you really think about it, how can you be sure that Jesus
professed himself as the son of God. Jesus was "taken out" because the
Jewish elders did not want him to piss off the Romans, because then the
Romans would kill the Jews and the whole purpose of the Jewish elders was
to keep the Jewish people in line because they had been enslaved by the
Romans. This is the whole reason Jews got a bad name because it is
believed the elders went to Pilate and asked him to kill Jesus as an
example not to rise up against the Romans. Thus, the Jews do not view him
as the "Son of God" because they have a better understanding of history and
the story. Once again, Christanity was created from Judaism and modified by
the Romans, for the purpose of appealing to the general population and
keeping them in line. After the Reformation, which denounced Catholicism
and from which rose Lutheranism and then the Protestants, Puritans,
Methodism, Baptists, Presbyterians, etc. , each religion picked what they
liked best and modified it to their needs. Enough history and rambling.

So again, what difference does it make? Jesus was a great man and whether
you believe or not, prayers have the same purpose and you can always "play
the game" in church. The bottom line is you are doing the right thing
towards others and this is all God or Jesus wants.

Faith Post

2004-11-19T07:53:00.000-06:00

Listening to: 11.19 - The Dawn & Drew Show

I have maintained a separate faith discussion blog for a little while. Since I have now made this a more personal blog, I am going to move the contents (only 3 posts) to this blog. Here is the first entry, I will be posting them in chronological order:

Ironic that tonight's episode of my favorite show, Nip/Tuck tackled the notion of faith. Ironic because faith is the area that I have become most preoccupied — specifically with the notion of faith vs. spirtuality. Although most think that they are one in the same, they are not.

After many years as a atheist (the mormon religeon drove me there, as it does many others), I recently embraced the idea of a GOD. I guess that the original problem that I had with the idea of GOD was the fault of religeon. I didn't have a problem with the idea of something bigger; how could you? This didn't all just appear out of nowhere. Unfortunately though, religeon dictates that there are conditions that must be met and maintained to enjoy the splendor of GOD — that essentially our GOD is a discriminating GOD. I have always had a problem with that idea as well as the idea that a GOD that interferes with what goes on down here would let the atrocities that we see everyday happen.

I was compelled to research the idea of GOD a few months ago. It was so intense that I could think of nothing else. As if on queue, my mom found GOD and shared with me the music of Michael W. Smith that moved me at my core and a friend mentioned a class/course called Alpha, "A practical guide to the Christian faith." I took the course, which I won't explain the premise here (click on the link above) and was truly moved. It answered the questions that most skeptics have and eventually led me to surrender to the idea that maybe I didn't know it all. Maybe, in the same sense that the most brilliant men of their generation thought that the earth was flat and the center of the universe, I was wrong in assuming that it all had to add up nicely in a neat, little, logical way. Maybe, just maybe, there was some reason or logic behind all of the suffering.

One afternoon Tiffany and I were watching PBS during their fundraising week when a special came on by Dr. Wayne Dyer. We watched most of it and were both so impressed that we bought the "whole enchilda" which included his latest book, DVD, CDs, etc. Dr. Dyer spoke about the notion of GOD, or Source as he sometimes calls it, in the terms that had always made sense to me. He spoke of us all being connected to GOD at all times because we all come from GOD....

I have to go now, but will continue this in the next posting...

Can a marriage survive the battle over faith?

2004-11-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

Listening to: 11.17 Daily Source Code w/Adam Curry

Can a marriage survive the battle over faith? If one person in a relationship is Christian and the other is Agnostic, can they bring it all together and be happy?

Just a question.

Podcasting, the itch, and Vioxx Lawsuits

2004-11-15T08:09:00.000-06:00

Listening to: Kyrie - Mr. Mister (what an great and underrated song)

Podcasting

Michael and I finally spoke via phone last week. I am not going to share too much about our conversations, who he is, or how we met here because it is going to be in our Podcast. I am going to contact him tonight and hopefully we can record our first one -- I can't wait!

The Itch

I have felt the "itch" lately. I feel like we need a change in our lives. It is hard to explain it exactly because I don't understand it exactly. I feel at wits end with this suburban life that I knew that I never wanted. I know that we have a plan and that when she is done with school, I can quit corporate America and move on. That all just seems so far away. I want to LIVE. I want my kids to LIVE. We do great with them, we really do but I want to show them the world. Hell, I want to show ME the world. I know that from friend perspective it will be hard but I think that the benefits of moving around the world would be much greater. Imagine instead of reading about Africa, living there! Imagine experiencing cultures first hand instead of on the pages of a book -- from the perspective of one person.

The trouble is that do we do it poor or do I sacrifice some of my values by making a lot of money (I have always known that I could pretty easily if I wanted to) and go from there? The more that I think about it, the more I realize that maybe I have been wrong all along -- money does matter. In today's world, money is the only real freedom. There isn't anywhere that you can live without it so you have to acknowledge that. Of course this doesn't mean that it has to consume your life. You can still help others and make a difference which is what we have always wanted to do.

I am fascinated by how non-Americans, especially Europeans and some Latin Americans can live such extraordinary lives without much money. Maybe it is an American, media & movie-fed view of other countries but it seems that they live so freely and much more stress free -- even without much money. Who knows? I guess that I will just have to go there and see if it is true.

I want to climb Everest. I want to explore the wonders of New Zealand and Thailand. I truly want to suck every bit of life out of this experience. Knowing that there is no GOD in the traditional sense and certainly no heaven, I feel even more compelled to live NOW, before it is too late. Maybe heaven is people's way of dealing with uninteresting, trapped lives. If they convince themselves that there is something better after all of this, then their lives won't seem so desperate or hopeless -- you will have all eternity to live in heaven, have whatever you want, and be happy. I am sorry but I just don't think so. Imagine if they are wrong -- a life wasted. If they are right then they will have lived an incredible life and have even more to look forward to. Hmmm...

Either way, I need to get a move on.

Vioxx Lawsuits

I don't want to go off on a rant but it angers me to no end that Merck has known for years that Vioxx (which I have taken for my knees) is incredibly deadly - 28,000 + deaths - and are barely now pulling it. Even more disgusting is that the FDA allowed this to go to market without conclusive testing. The FDA is supposed to protect the American public. Instead they are lobbied by the pharmaceutical companies to get their companies drug to market regardless of the risk. By the time they get caught or can no longer play dumb, the companies have made billions - enough to cover all of the lawsuits tenfold. How do we continue to allow our government to work this way? And I say we intentionally - this is our country. When there are continuous problems, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Why should Merck have to pay anyone? We let them fuck us. We, as a nation, are too fucking lazy to do anything about the FDA or any other government agency, so it is no surprise that the 1% with the most money and initiative to actually get involved get their way. We are just interested in sitting on our asses and watching mind-numbing sitcoms on our new plasma screen that we financed for 50 years at BestBuy. Well I for one am sick of it. Maybe it is time for a revolution. The French did it. We did it. Maybe it is just time to clean house, elect Jon Stewart president, and MOVE ON!

I guess that was a rant after all. Ooops.

SHIT

2004-11-15T08:01:00.000-06:00

I never knew this, did you?

Historical information you need to know about shipping Manure:

In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. It was also before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure were common. It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane gas.

As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks, and the first time someone came below at night, with a lantern, >BOOOOM! Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening.

After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the term, " Ship High In Transit" on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane. Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T," which has come down through the centuries and is in use
to this very day.

How far can you walk drunk?

2004-11-10T08:55:00.000-06:00

This is a great link and lots of fun. For reference, a friend sent a screenshot of him making it 80 ft.

Good Luck!

http://www.wagenschenke.ch/HomeRun.swf

Mom moves in.

2004-11-07T21:21:00.000-06:00

My mom finally arrived today. We invited her to move in with us to get her out of Hell Paso and get her closer to the kids. I am very sick so it made moving things in very tough. I just want to lay down in bed and die for about twenty hours. We are converting the garage into a very nice living space for her and rennovating my outdoor shed into a workshed -- it is coming along nice!

I am watching The Cell, which I haven't seen but one time a very long time ago. I forgot how fucked up this movie is. The imagery is awesome but the cinematography is brilliant. To me, cinematography can make or break a film. Even when the storyline is a bit weak, if the film that it is shot on is good and the coloration good, I can totally dig it. By the way, I don't care how whacked she gets in real life, Jennifer Lopez is just hot and will always be.

I got a wonderful card from my sister expressing concern about what happened with Spence and more specifically with how I am doing with it. It was really sweet and very appreciated. I just feel bad because I know that she and my mom want to talk about God and how I shouldn't lose faith, etc. but I just don't want to. I don't want to hear about God. If there is a God, he is certainly on my shitlist.

After the election fiasco and the wonderful effect that Christians had on it, I have vowed not step foot into another church. Even though I enjoyed the environment, by me being there I was essentially condoning all of their beliefs -- homeosexuality is wrong, abortion should be illegal, etc. I left the Mormon church for their racist beliefs and I am leaving all churches for their small-minded beliefs.

Tired. Good-night.

He's not my president.

2004-11-04T20:41:00.000-06:00

I have started and stopped this post several times since the election. The titles have ranged from "Fuck!!!" to "Fuck Bush. Fuck the church." I decided on something less angry.

As is the case with many others, it is hard to put into words just how disappointed and upset I am at the fact that the muderer was re-elected, and a murder is exactly what he is. For the sake of war-mongering and money, he has thrown away the lifes of our bravest citizens. One of the most disturbing thing about his re-election is that before we could claim that he stole the presidency and invaded Iraq without the consent of the American people. Now that we have chosen him outright, we have validated all of his past behavior. I can only hope that the rest of the world pays attention to the fact that almost half of this country can't stand him.

By far the most disturbing thing about this whole election is how he won -- Evangelical Christians. The weak. Those not strong enough to face the truth that we are alone and deal with life as it is. Those who hate homosexuals and anyone who isn't Christian. They went out and voted for Bush for no other reason than "God told me too."

In the exit poles they were citing moral issues as the discriminating factor.

Hmmm....

So the killing of innocent men & women for oil under the guise of "The War on Terror" is moral?

More disturbing than just about anything is that I thought this country had made progress in the last two hundred years -- how wrong was I?! As an accepting, rational, and loving person I am the minority. We still live in a country controlled by hellfire & brimstone preaching, small-minded, fearful thinking, and prejudice.

As time goes by these people are going to realize that he isn't coming back; he was just a man. An incredible man? Yes, but still just a man. If he hasn't come back after all that is going on in this world, he isn't going to. Either he can't (because he's DEAD) or because he doesn't care. Either way, we have to make our own way. That needs to sink in. We only have each other and the longer that we continue to alienate those different from the "norm,", the longer the wait until we truly advance a species.

We don't need a ficticious, mythical being that will save us all. It didn't work for the Romans, Aztecs, ancient Egyptians, or any other society and it won't work for us. In the words of the Beatles, "All we need is LOVE."

Change in Blog Purpose

2004-11-01T08:38:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about the purpose of maintaining this thing. At first , I thought that I would use it as an online bookmark system so that I could save links to my favorite stuff. I think that I am going to continue to link to funny stuff, but I am also going to use it as a weblog of my life. I actually love stumbling across people's blogs that just talk about their lives -- it is wonderfully interesting to get a glimpse of how others live.

The most difficult decision is how much do I share? Anything on the net is certainly not anonymous no matter how hard you try. Then again, do I need to hide anything? I don't know if my wife, kids, family members, and friends would appreciate all of our lives being up here. I am just going to go with whatever feels comfortable at the time and use my best judgement. Ah ha! I will change everybodies name. Anonymity! I hope...

Apple's New 60GB Color iPod

2004-10-26T07:44:00.000-05:00

If you are preparing to buy and iPod (as I am), it might be worth your while to wait for 30 - 60 days.

Think Secret - EXCLUSIVE: 60GB iPod to pack photo-viewing features

audio.weblogs.com

2004-10-25T08:21:00.000-05:00

Want to get the latest and greatest Podcasts? Check this out...

Last 100 podcasts

Incredible New TV - Grand Master View

2004-10-25T08:19:00.000-05:00

Very, very cool projection TV with exceptional quality.

Grand Master View

Thought o' The Day

2004-10-21T10:14:00.000-05:00

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.This same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Are you knddnig me?

2004-10-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!

Jon Stewart was on the best Crossfire EVER!

2004-10-19T08:03:00.000-05:00

Amazingly funny. Jon rips 'em.

Democratic Underground Forums - Jon Stewart was on the best Crossfire EVER! *Quicktime video and mp3 here*

Google Desktop Search

2004-10-18T08:29:00.000-05:00

This is a great new tool to search your desktop using Google. I have heard of problems with running this if you have a slow PC.

Google Desktop Search Download

Great site for video clips that you won't see anywhere else

2004-10-15T08:33:00.000-05:00

The two clips in my previous posts were found here...

undergroundclips

Bush vs. Bush Debate on The Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart

2004-10-15T08:31:00.000-05:00

If you aren't already a Daily Show fan, this is a good reason why you should be.

4-28-03-bushvbush-sm.mov (video/quicktime Object)

No WMD, No connection to 9/11...

2004-10-15T08:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a very sobering and honest video from someone who was there.

NotThere.mov (video/quicktime Object)

Rescue Me Theme Song - The Von Bondies

2004-10-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

Without question, the two best shows on TV reside on Fox -- Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me. The Rescue Me theme song is tremendous is always sticks in my head. A good friend found the band. The song is called 'c'mon, c'mon' and is raw and fantastic. Check them out!

The Von Bondies

Great Democracy Sites

2004-10-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

It is time to make a change. Information is the key and here are two places to find some...

http://www.truthout.org/

MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action

Howard gets Sirius

2004-10-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

I was just about to subscribe to xmradio... I think that I am going to give Sirius a try. If we couple satellite radio with with Podcasting, we look to be on the path of making bland radio conglomerates such as Clear Channel obsolete!

Will Stern turn satellite radio into a star? | Tech News on ZDNet

Lotus Notes RSS Aggregator

2004-10-06T08:19:00.000-05:00

For those of us "sheep in wolves clothing" that lurk in the shadows of cororate america and use Lotus Notes for e-mail, there is an RSS aggregator to be had. Ian Irving from False Positives has created an NSF file to open as a new database and voila!

False Positives

Conspiracy Theory

2004-10-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

Interesting theory on the US and its plans.

Enter the site, click on "knife party", and then select "watch 'what barry says'"

�� knife party ��

U.S. shifts toward debt-forgiveness pact

2004-10-04T12:49:00.000-05:00

Are our leaders finally doing something decent? Most third-world countries can't even begin to lift themselves out of poverty due to the amount of debt they carry. Of course, most of that debt is owed to the wealthiest countries.

IHT: In IMF talks, U.S. shifts toward debt-forgiveness pact

More information is available here and here

Spaceship One - Almost There.

2004-10-04T07:50:00.000-05:00

Spaceship One will make the attempt to win the Ansari X-prize today. If you haven't read the history and specifics on the project, go here.

QOTD, FOTD, & TOTD

2004-09-29T09:58:00.000-05:00

Quote o' the Day

"I'd like to see a nude opera, because when they hit those high notes, I bet you can really see it in those genitals." ~Jack Handy

Funny o' the Day

Man who walk through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok.

Thought o' the Day

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

Faith as I know it...: Reality sets in

2004-09-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

I maintain a separate blog for the discussion of Faith -- a topic that I have long struggled with. While this might come off as a cynical tyrade, it isn't, I just had to get some honest feelings off of my chest.

Faith as I know it...: Reality sets in

Tony Blair: Under Siege

2004-09-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

If only he had Steven Seagal to rescue him...

In reading today about the woes that Tony Blair faces with his upcoming bid for re-election, I became a bit dismayed at the thought that he might not win his bid -- simply due to his allegiance to the U.S. and a ill-advised trust in our president.

I have watched Mr. Blair on CSPAN's coverage of the House of Commons and on many press conferences. I have found him to be one of the most intelligent, spirited, passionate, and sincere leaders in recent memory. His only downfall is that he stood with the U.S. on falsified and inaccurate intelligence that was force-fed by a "leader" who would not be denied war.

The world as a whole is very lucky to have him. I hope that the people of Britain are wise enough to keep him.

The Day After Tomorrow ... anyone?

2004-09-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

What global warming???

Wired News: Glaciers Quicken Pace to Sea

Modern Tech Support...

2004-09-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

NSFW unless your speakers are turned down very low...

No offense is meant by this... it is just very funny, and very true...

NEUROTICALLY YOURS: TECH-SUPPORT

Quote o' the day

2004-09-24T08:13:00.000-05:00

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- WOW-- What a Ride!"

Anonymous

Hey Crackhead

2004-09-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years, I have compiled a list of some of the funniest crap circulating the net. I was at a loss at what to do with this massive document where I keep everything... until now. I am going to lay it all out here.

By far one of the funniest things I ever read was this rant from an anonymous person on craigslist. I still cry tears of laughter, every time.

Hey Crackhead

Never been to craigslist? Check it out! It is a no-nonsense place for classifieds, discussions, etc. The "best-of-craigslist" is a riot of rants & raves that you can lose yourself in for hours. There is a fantastic "wishlist" for teachers and non-profits. The list allows teachers, who, due to endless budget cuts have to pay for school supplies on their own, to put up a list of what they need (pencils, paper, etc.) and for you to help them get it. Amazingly simple and powerful idea.

Update: Tyler keeps the gold...

2004-09-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

Thanks to human error...

The Seattle Times: Sports: Hamilton retains gold

Great RSS Reader. What is RSS you say?

2004-09-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, I am new to this blog thing as well as RSS. I am sure that I am not the only person out there that is just catching on to all of this. Unbeknownst to me, even being a very tech-savvy, somewhat 'connected' person, this technology and culture has been around for a while and growing at an exponential rate.

Through this blog, I will attempt to provide information and links to the stuff that is helping me sort it all out, while providing content that I find interesting and thought provoking.

Here is a bit of an article on RSS; someone else has done a much better job of explaining it than I have:

RSS is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, including major news sites like Wired, news-oriented community sites like Slashdot, and personal weblogs. But it's not just for news. Pretty much anything that can be broken down into discrete items can be syndicated via RSS: the "recent changes" page of a wiki, a changelog of CVS checkins, even the revision history of a book. Once information about each item is in RSS format, an RSS-aware program can check the feed for changes and react to the changes in an appropriate way.

Read the rest of this article here. Then read what follows...

Now that you are well versed in RSS, you will want a way to gather these feeds. Firefox has great functionality for this or pick up this aggregator -- RssReader. I installed it yesterday and it works wonderfully.

By the way, if you haven't tried Firefox, you should. It makes browsing the net fun again.

Hurricanes & voting for Bush...Coincidence?

2004-09-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

This is fantastic. Thanks again to Photo Matt!

Hurricanes & voting for Bush...Coincidence?

Trouble for Tyler...

2004-09-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

Tyler Hamilton has been looked at as the possible heir to Lance's throne. While we no that noone will ever accomplish what Lance has, especially in the way he has, it looks like Tyler won't be the one either. Of course, fans of cycling know how doping can keep you out of the sport forever... uhm, right.... Virenque, Pantani, etc., etc., etc.,.... Under normal circumstances, I would err to the side of 'Innocent until proven guilty', however Tyler will have a hard time explaining how someone else's blood got in his system -- not exactly an easy thing to do by mistake...

Shame, Shame...

Running low on clothes? Airbrush!

2004-09-22T11:42:00.000-05:00

I always wondered who to contact to have this done... If you are brave enough, you will be the highlight of the party!

Martin Armand

Adam Curry article on TV trickery & Weblogging

2004-09-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

I am new to the blogging scene.

My saving grace is that as many Texas residents proclaim "I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could!"

In travelling through the blog community I have come across some very good and very bad blogs — bad in the sense that they are boring and never updated. As long as people are using them to express themselves, then I don't consider them bad no matter what the content. Matter of fact, some of the best reading that I have done has been by clicking on the "Next Blog" link at the top right hand corner of this page. Getting a random peak into peoples lives is pretty eye-opening.

On the professional, more established blog circuit there are many great ones. One of the best is from Adam Curry, the old MTV VJ. I had no idea, but the guy is very intellegent and has been very successful after the MTV years. His blog is fantastic and includes a daily show, Daily Source Code, via mp3 format that is great. The premise of the show is hard to nail down exactly but it includes tech talk for those developing apps the tech savvy out there — ipod users, bloggers, etc. There is music, ideas, and great conversation. It is meant to be delivered directy to user's ipods, but you can download the mp3 to your harddrive and listen to it via a media player. I have really enjoyed it.

I just wanted to introduce him and his blogs to my site because I will probably post stuff from him here often. I have found many other great blogs that I will do the same with. Eventually I will publish this blog through a separate hosting site so that I can add a "links" page more easily.

In the meantime, knowing how I feel about TV, here is a great article.

"Yesterday when reading the 'blah, blah, blah and blog' Wired article, something Evan said struck me right between the eyes; "[...] If you write everyday, your writing improves, your thinking improves."

Right on! The magic of blogging revealed at last.

Its brain-training.

If you read me regularly you know how I feel about the trickery used in telvision. What is rewarded as 'art' is the equivalent of chewing gum for your brain. The metaphor really fits, if you think you're sitting in front of the tube and are relaxed, then you are sorely mistaken. Your brain is working quite hard on putting the images and sounds into some sort of logical flow.

When you see two actors talking at a kitchen table, plotting to do something and the next scene show the same two actors driving in a car, your brain fills in the missing pieces. TV makers have perfected this technique through 50 years of experience. They know exactly when to cut away from the first scene to the next, what music and 'tension curve' is needed to coax the viewer's brain into the task of filling in the blanks.

If you have never read the Zen TV experiment please do this now.

...
The rest of the article is here. (I would have put up the whole thing but it is lengthy)

I Found Some Of Your Life...

2004-09-20T13:24:00.000-05:00

This is really interesting. This person found someone else's digital camera memory card in a taxi and is posting the pics to their blog while recreating the person's life.

"In my possession is one (1) memory card from a digital camera. This memory card was found in a taxi in New York City. I have no idea who the owner of the camera is.

The pictures on the memory card were taken over the course of exactly one (1) year in this person's life, starting July Twenty-Fifth, Two Thousand and Three (07-25-03) and ending July Twenty-Fourth, Two Thousand and Four (07-24-04).

I am going to post one (1) picture here each day. As there are two hundred and twenty-seven (227) pictures, there will be two hundred and twenty-seven (227) posts. The pictures will appear in chronological order according to the timestamp accompanying each image.

As the images add up, I will attempt to assemble an identity for this unknown person. Each day's new picture will be a fresh addition to this photographic life-documentation. Only with the unveiling of the final picture (the two hundred and twenty-seventh (227th)) will we finally have a full understanding of this person's life over the past year - at least as far as these pictures will allow us to infer.

Further, in an attempt to present this pictoral information in a more personal manner, and also to better allow for some artistic license, I am going to pretend that I am the owner of the camera. I'll call me Jordan, because that's the name on my birthday cake (you'll see).

Enjoy."

I Found Some Of Your Life

I found this on Photo Matt

Great Map Site

2004-09-10T14:41:00.000-05:00

I found this great map site; thought you might enjoy.
MultiMap

A very interesting social psycology experiment - The Milgram Experiment

2004-09-09T07:51:00.000-05:00

Milgram experiment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Flapper

2004-09-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

Great link to a site to make a paper airplane that flaps its wings...
The Flapper

2004-09-02T22:16:00.000-05:00

A good friend, who is also a graphic designer, made some great suggestions about the previous version of this. I reworked the logo and came up with this. Hope you like it!

2004-09-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

A friend asked me to design a logo for his new business. The business will prepare houses to be sold. I love the way this came out. Let me know what you think.

So sorry..

2004-09-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not having posted in a week, we have just been busy. Things are great. We painted the kids rooms and they came out awesome.

I have realized that I am a true parent. I can't begin to explain how excited I have been this week because Sydney is pooping on the toilet on her own. I just hear her call out "Dad, I made caca!" And there it is. Amazing that life sometimes boils down to the simple shit.

Hilarious Advertisement

2004-08-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

Check this out and see if you get it. Hilarious...[link]

CHORDS FOR CHANGE

2004-08-16T08:32:00.000-05:00

This is a great letter that Bruce Springsteen wrote in support of Kerry/Edwards and more importantly, the need for change. His point is perfectly made — the stakes are too high to sit this election out.

A nation's artists and musicians have a particular place in its social and political life. Over the years I've tried to think long and hard about what it means to be American: about the distinctive identity and position we have in the world, and how that position is best carried. I've tried to write songs that speak to our pride and criticize our failures.

These questions are at the heart of this election: who we are, what we stand for, why we fight. Personally, for the last 25 years I have always stayed one step away from partisan politics. Instead, I have been partisan about a set of ideals: economic justice, civil rights, a humane foreign policy, freedom and a decent life for all of our citizens. This year, however, for many of us the stakes have risen too high to sit this election out.

Through my work, I've always tried to ask hard questions. Why is it that the wealthiest nation in the world finds it so hard to keep its promise and faith with its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to find it so difficult to see beyond the veil of race? How do we conduct ourselves during difficult times without killing the things we hold dear? Why does the fulfillment of our promise as a people always seem to be just within grasp yet forever out of reach?

I don't think John Kerry and John Edwards have all the answers. I do believe they are sincerely interested in asking the right questions and working their way toward honest solutions. They understand that we need an administration that places a priority on fairness, curiosity, openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens, courage and faith.

People have different notions of these values, and they live them out in different ways. I've tried to sing about some of them in my songs. But I have my own ideas about what they mean, too. That is why I plan to join with many fellow artists, including the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks, Jurassic 5, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, in touring the country this October. We will be performing under the umbrella of a new group called Vote for Change. Our goal is to change the direction of the government and change the current administration come November.

Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt the country's unity. I don't remember anything quite like it. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan and I hoped that the seriousness of the times would bring forth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders. Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war in Iraq, offering up the lives of our young men and women under circumstances that are now discredited. We ran record deficits, while simultaneously cutting and squeezing services like afterschool programs. We granted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporate bigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing the division of wealth that threatens to destroy our social contract with one another and render mute the promise of "one nation indivisible."

It is through the truthful exercising of the best of human qualities - respect for others, honesty about ourselves, faith in our ideals - that we come to life in God's eyes. It is how our soul, as a nation and as individuals, is revealed. Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to pick up the pieces and move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.

Other blogs...

2004-08-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

I have started two other blogs: a picture blog and a faith discussion blog. The links will always be off to the left. The picture blog will have family pics and stuff that I like. If you send me pictures, I will put them up. I started the faith discussion blog because I think that the discussion needs a dedicated space as it will be lenghty. Check it out and feel free to comment. Talk to you all soon.

She did it!

2004-08-12T09:47:00.000-05:00

It was never in doubt really, but Mom surprised us yesterday with the news that she has found a job in New Braunfels (about 10 min. north of San Antonio). She will be moving down here in October after her severance package kicks in. We will start looking for a place for her, hopefully out in the country, where we could keep a horse or two. That is our next project — horses. Syd & Spence were so ecstatic to ride a horse the other night at Retama Park, which is the local racetrack, that we decided that horses are a must. So when Mom gets down here we are going to buy a couple and start riding again.

Birthday for the 'Queen of the Castle'...

2004-08-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

August 11 - Her third birthday... Amazing to me how someone who has been on this planet for a mere three years can run the show. After thirty years, you would think that I would be the boss...