The Sandpot

Let's Test This Out...

2006-08-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

Back to my blogging roots I go! Here's a test of Windows Live Writer on Blogger.com (sandpot.blogspot.com, to be exact).

For reference, here's the link to the Live Writer Beta:

http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/

And, as always, you can find my other blogs here:

New Blog...

2006-05-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Per a suggestion from one of the Flock Browser developers, I decided to check out WordPress as an alternative/supplement to Blogger.com, and it's pretty damn cool. I must admit, Blogger.com has a special place in me heart, 'cause I've used it for so long, but this WordPress blog is growing on me. Check it out; let me know what you think:

My Personal Blog (Williamo!)
http://jdanger.wordpress.com/
My Political/News Blog (The Sandpot)
http://sandpot.wordpress.com/
My Tech Support Blog (PEBKAC!)
http://id10t.wordpress.com/

AutoPC - XBox Version, Links...

2006-05-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.xbox-linux.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.productwiki.com/microsoft_xbox/article/how_to_go_from_xbox_to_xbox_media_center_in_30_minutes.html
http://www.smartxx.com/manuals/manuals_00.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromwell_%28computing%29
http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Mods/12V%20Mini%20Xbox.htm
http://www.xboxhackz.com/Hackz-Reference.htm
http://secure.llamma.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=64_27
http://secure.llamma.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=64_27&products_id=436

AT&T Whistle-Blower's Evidence

2006-05-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

Former AT&T technician Mark Klein is the key witness in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's class-action lawsuit against the company, which alleges that AT&T illegally cooperated in an illegal National Security Agency domestic-surveillance program.

In this recently surfaced statement, Klein details his discovery of an alleged surveillance operation in an AT&T office in San Francisco, and offers his interpretation of company documents that he believes support his case.

For its part, AT&T is asking a federal judge to keep those documents out of court, and to order the EFF to return them to the company. Here Wired News presents Klein's statement in its entirety, along with select pages from the AT&T documents.

[ Full Story at Wired ]

Stumbling Into a Spy Scandal

2006-05-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

By Ryan Singel|
Also by this reporter

02:00 AM May, 17, 2006

When former AT&T technician Mark Klein learned of a secret room
installed in the company's San Francisco internet switching center, he
was certain he had stumbled onto the Total Information Awareness
program, a Defense Department research project that intended to scour
databases across the country for telltale signs of terrorists.

Though the program had mostly been terminated by Congress in September 2003, portions of the program were allowed to continue.

Klein believed he had found these remnants, according to a written
statement by Klein acquired by Wired News. AT&T built the secret
room in 2003 and wired it up to receive a copy of the internet traffic
running through its fiber-optic network, according to Klein's statement
and accompanying documents. Inside the room, AT&T had installed
routers, Sun Microsystems servers and traffic-analysis software from a
company called Narus.

[ Full Article at Wired ]

Federal Source to ABC News: We Know Who You're Calling

2006-05-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

May 15, 2006 10:33 AM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we (Brian Ross and Richard Esposito) call in an effort to root out confidential sources.

"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.

ABC News does not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.

[Full article at ABC News ]

Choice songs for the moment.

2006-05-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

And here's a break from the political inundation... my top songs in iTunes:

311 - Amber
311 - Love Song
A Perfect Circle - The Noose
A Tribe Called Quest - I Left My Wallet In El Segundo
Atmosphere - Trying To Find A Balance
Atmosphere - Always Coming Back Home To You
Atmosphere - That Night
Audioslave - Shadow On The Sun
The Beastie Boys - Sure Shot
Big Boi - Reset (Feat. Khujo Goodie & Cee-Lo)
Boards Of Canada - Dandelion
Boards Of Canada - Energy Warning
Bonnie Somerville - Winding Road
BT - Shame
Chemical Brothers - My Elastic Eye
Chemical Brothers - The Private Psychedelic Reel
Coldplay - Spies
Dave Matthews Band - Spoon
Dave Matthews Band - Mother Father
Deltron - Upgrade (A Brymar College Course)
DJ Danger Mouse - What More Can I Say
DJ Rets - Broken Soul
DJ Shadow - Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt
Elliott Smith - Between The Bars
Elliott Smith - Needle In The Hay
Everything But The Girl - Before Today (Adam F Remix)
Fila Brazilia - Soft Music Under Stars
Gorillaz - Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head
Handsome Boy Modeling School - If It Wasn't For You
Handsome Boy Modeling School - I've Been Thinking
Hybrid - Finished Symphony
Imogen Heap - Have You Got It In You?
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
James Blunt - Here We Go Again
James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover
Jason Mraz - Intro: Flying My Guilt Over A Quilt
Jason Mraz - Flying My Guilt Over A Quilt
Jason Mraz - Song for a Friend
Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus
Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus
Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil
Johnny Cash - One
Juno Reactor - Conquistador I
Kanye West - Heard 'Em Say
Kanye West - Spaceship
Kanye West - Never Let Me Down
Kanye West - School Spirit
The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
Live - Overcome
The Magnetic Fields - All My Little Words
Mason Jennings - United States Global Empire
Matisyahu - Jerusalem
Matisyahu - King Without A Crown
Modest Mouse - 3rd Planet
Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes
Modest Mouse - Wild Packs Of Family Dogs
Nathaniel Merriweather - Ladies Love Chest Rockwell
Nathaniel Merriweather - "Herbs, Good Hygiene and Socks"
Nelly Furtado - One-Trick Pony
Nitin Sawhney - Anthem Without Nation
Outkast - Da Art of Storytellin Part 1
Outkast - SpottieOttieDopaliscious
Peace Orchestra - Who Am I (Remix by Chateau Flight)
Pink Martini - Amado Mio
Portishead - Roads
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
The Postal Service - Nothing Better
The Postal Service - We Will Become Silhouettes
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place
Radiohead - Talk Show Host
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside
The Roots - You Got Me
The Roots - The Next Movement
The Roots - 100% Dundee
Rufus Wainwright - The Origin of Love
Si*Sé - The Truth
Si*Sé - The Truth
Sia - Breathe Me
Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
Stevie Wonder - Superstition
Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (Jammin')
Stevie Wonder - That Girl
Sting - It's Probably Me
Tenacious D - Wonderboy
Tenacious D - Inward Singing
U2 - New Year's Day
U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Weezer - My Name Is Jonas
Weezer - Say It Ain't So
The White Stripes - Little Acorns
Yaz - Ode To Boy
Yaz - Don't Go
Yaz - Only You (1999 Version)
Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line

V for America?

2006-05-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Is this where we're headed?

Mexico alarm at Bush border plan

2006-05-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Mexican President Vicente Fox has voiced concern over US plans to use the National Guard to patrol the border.

But, in a 30-minute phone conversation, President George W Bush is said to have assured him that the move did not mean a militarisation of the border.

Mr Bush is due to announce the plans in a speech on Monday as part of an effort to help curb illegal immigration.

There are an estimated 11.5 million illegal immigrants in the US, about half of them of Mexican origin.

The Bush administration has insisted that Mexico is still regarded as a friendly country.

According to a statement released by Mr Fox's office, Mr Bush had said officials were "analysing the administrative and logistical support of part of the National Guard, not the Army, to help police on the border".

[ Full article at BBC News ]

Verizon stock takes hit on $50 billion lawsuit

2006-05-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Lawsuit asks Verizon and government to end phone snooping and seeks $1,000 for each of phone company's 50 million customers.
May 15, 2006: 12:01 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN) - A lawsuit is asking a federal court to order
President Bush, the National Security Agency and Verizon to end a
secret snooping program, and Verizon's stock took a hit on the news
Monday.

Verizon (down $0.36 to $31.43, Research) stock fell more than 1 percent on the New York Stock Exchange early Monday.

[ Full Story Here... ]

Anti-smoking pill receives federal approval (via CNN)

2006-05-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Pfizer drug shown to help more than one in five smokers quit the habit received federal approval on Thursday, adding another option to the limited pool of effective stop-smoking prescription medicines.

Full Article...

"Colbert Review"

2006-05-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Click Here for the Unedited C-SPAN Version

Colbert Attacks The Administration! (News Links)

2006-05-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

http://thankyoustephencolbert.org/

Will The Real Patriot Please Stand Up?

2006-05-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

Word. :-)

Responses to Colbert's Performance...

2006-05-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

"Stephen Colbert: Jesus Christ? Or just the world's bravest, funniest, coolest man?... One of the more daring comedy routines I've heard..." -- Wax Banks
"Cool, methodical, and mercilessly ironic... Mission accomplished." -- James Wolcott
"Stephen Colbert has Balls as Big as Church Bells... It was fucking amazing... You'll want it for posterity." -- Shakespeare's Sister
"Colbert reaffirmed my faith in -- well -- just about everything... It was a marvel." -- News Hounds
"It was brave, it was brilliant, and it was true" -- Attaturk
"One of the most revealing moments I've ever seen in American politics." -- Digby
"Brass balls, baby. Big ones." -- Ezra Klein
"A brave and shocking performance." -- Chris Durang
"Watching the Whores of Pennsylvania Avenue, and their retainers and lackeys in the MSM being fed, nipples first, through the Colbert Woodchipper it felt -- for a moment -- like a free country again." -- Driftglass
"Merciless skewering of the Cheney administration and its media lapdogs... inserting a brief moment of honesty into an event based upon a lie..." -- Billmon
"I loved every second of it.... Blistering commentary on Bush that never strayed from the substance." -- The Carpetbagger Report
"It was Colbert's crowning moment... Colbert's jokes attacked not just Bush's policies, but the whole drama and language of American politics, the phony demonstration of strength, unity and vision." -- Michael Scherer
"Sarcastic destruction of both the media and its masters..." -- The Left Coaster
"A stinging spanking that's been long overdue..." -- Jesus' General

Favorite Chuck Norris Facts of the Day...

2006-05-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Top 10 replies by developers when their programs don't work:

2006-05-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

10. 'That's weird...' 
9. 'It's never done that before.' 
8. 'It worked yesterday.' 
7. 'You must have the wrong version.' 
6. 'It works, but it hasn't been tested.' 
5. 'Somebody must have changed my code.' 
4. 'Did you check for a virus?' 
3. 'Where were you when the program blew up?'
2. 'Why do you want to do it that way?' 

and finally ...
 
1. 'I thought I fixed that.'

Stephen Colbert - White House Correspondents Dinner

2006-05-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

STEPHEN COLBERT: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Before I begin, I've been asked to make an announcement. Whoever parked 14 black bulletproof S.U.V.'s out front, could you please move them? They are blocking in 14 other black bulletproof S.U.V.'s and they need to get out.

Wow. Wow, what an honor. The White House correspondents' dinner. To actually sit here, at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush, to be this close to the man. I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You know what? I'm a pretty sound sleeper -- that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face. Is he really not here tonight? Dammit. The one guy who could have helped.

By the way, before I get started, if anybody needs anything else at their tables, just speak slowly and clearly into your table numbers. Somebody from the NSA will be right over with a cocktail. Mark Smith, ladies and gentlemen of the press corps, Madame First Lady, Mr. President, my name is Stephen Colbert and tonight it's my privilege to celebrate this president. We're not so different, he and I. We get it. We're not brainiacs on the nerd patrol. We're not members of the factinista. We go straight from the gut, right sir? That's where the truth lies, right down here in the gut. Do you know you have more nerve endings in your gut than you have in your head? You can look it up. I know some of you are going to say "I did look it up, and that's not true." That's 'cause you looked it up in a book.

Next time, look it up in your gut. I did. My gut tells me that's how our nervous system works. Every night on my show, the Colbert Report, I speak straight from the gut, OK? I give people the truth, unfiltered by rational argument. I call it the "No Fact Zone." Fox News, I hold a copyright on that term.

I'm a simple man with a simple mind. I hold a simple set of beliefs that I live by. Number one, I believe in America. I believe it exists. My gut tells me I live there. I feel that it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and I strongly believe it has 50 states. And I cannot wait to see how the Washington Post spins that one tomorrow. I believe in democracy. I believe democracy is our greatest export. At least until China figures out a way to stamp it out of plastic for three cents a unit.

In fact, Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, welcome. Your great country makes our Happy Meals possible. I said it's a celebration. I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least. And by these standards, we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.

I believe in pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. I believe it is possible -- I saw this guy do it once in Cirque du Soleil. It was magical. And though I am a committed Christian, I believe that everyone has the right to their own religion, be you Hindu, Jewish or Muslim. I believe there are infinite paths to accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe it's yogurt. But I refuse to believe it's not butter. Most of all, I believe in this president. Now, I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in "reality." And reality has a well-known liberal bias.

So, Mr. President, please, pay no attention to the people that say the glass is half full. 32% means the glass -- it's important to set up your jokes properly, sir. Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash. Okay, look, folks, my point is that I don't believe this is a low point in this presidency. I believe it is just a lull before a comeback.

I mean, it's like the movie "Rocky." All right. The president in this case is Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed is -- everything else in the world. It's the tenth round. He's bloodied. His corner man, Mick, who in this case I guess would be the vice president, he's yelling, "Cut me, Dick, cut me!," and every time he falls everyone says, "Stay down! Stay down!" Does he stay down? No. Like Rocky, he gets back up, and in the end he -- actually, he loses in the first movie.

OK. Doesn't matter. The point is it is the heart-warming story of a man who was repeatedly punched in the face. So don't pay attention to the approval ratings that say 68% of Americans disapprove of the job this man is doing. I ask you this, does that not also logically mean that 68% approve of the job he's not doing? Think about it. I haven't.

I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound -- with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.

Now, there may be an energy crisis. This president has a very forward-thinking energy policy. Why do you think he's down on the ranch cutting that brush all the time? He's trying to create an alternative energy source. By 2008 we will have a mesquite-powered car!

And I just like the guy. He's a good joe. Obviously loves his wife, calls her his better half. And polls show America agrees. She's a true lady and a wonderful woman. But I just have one beef, ma'am.

I'm sorry, but this reading initiative. I'm sorry, I've never been a fan of books. I don't trust them. They're all fact, no heart. I mean, they're elitist, telling us what is or isn't true, or what did or didn't happen. Who's Britannica to tell me the Panama Canal was built in 1914? If I want to say it was built in 1941, that's my right as an American! I'm with the president, let history decide what did or did not happen.

The greatest thing about this man is he's steady. You know where he stands. He believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened Tuesday. Events can change; this man's beliefs never will. As excited as I am to be here with the president, I am appalled to be surrounded by the liberal media that is destroying America, with the exception of Fox News. Fox News gives you both sides of every story: the president's side, and the vice president's side.

But the rest of you, what are you thinking, reporting on NSA wiretapping or secret prisons in eastern Europe? Those things are secret for a very important reason: they're super-depressing. And if that's your goal, well, misery accomplished. Over the last five years you people were so good -- over tax cuts, WMD intelligence, the effect of global warming. We Americans didn't want to know, and you had the courtesy not to try to find out. Those were good times, as far as we knew.

But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put 'em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know - fiction!

Because really, what incentive do these people have to answer your questions, after all? I mean, nothing satisfies you. Everybody asks for personnel changes. So the White House has personnel changes. Then you write, "Oh, they're just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." First of all, that is a terrible metaphor. This administration is not sinking. This administration is soaring. If anything, they are rearranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg!

Now, it's not all bad guys out there. Some are heroes: Christopher Buckley, Jeff Sacks, Ken Burns, Bob Schieffer. They've all been on my show. By the way, Mr. President, thank you for agreeing to be on my show. I was just as shocked as everyone here is, I promise you. How's Tuesday for you? I've got Frank Rich, but we can bump him. And I mean bump him. I know a guy. Say the word.

See who we've got here tonight. General Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff. General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They still support Rumsfeld. Right, you guys aren't retired yet, right? Right, they still support Rumsfeld.

Look, by the way, I've got a theory about how to handle these retired generals causing all this trouble: don't let them retire! Come on, we've got a stop-loss program; let's use it on these guys. I've seen Zinni and that crowd on Wolf Blitzer. If you're strong enough to go on one of those pundit shows, you can stand on a bank of computers and order men into battle. Come on.

Jesse Jackson is here, the Reverend. Haven't heard from the Reverend in a little while. I had him on the show. Very interesting and challenging interview. You can ask him anything, but he's going to say what he wants, at the pace that he wants. It's like boxing a glacier. Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is.

Justice Scalia is here. Welcome, sir. May I be the first to say, you look fantastic. How are you? [After each sentence, Colbert makes a hand gesture, an allusion to Scalia's recent use of an obscene Sicilian hand gesture in speaking to a reporter about Scalia's critics. Scalia is seen laughing hysterically.] Just talking some Sicilian with my paisan.

John McCain is here. John McCain, John McCain, what a maverick! Somebody find out what fork he used on his salad, because I guarantee you it wasn't a salad fork. This guy could have used a spoon! There's no predicting him. By the way, Senator McCain, it's so wonderful to see you coming back into the Republican fold. I have a summer house in South Carolina; look me up when you go to speak at Bob Jones University. So glad you've seen the light, sir.

Mayor Nagin! Mayor Nagin is here from New Orleans, the chocolate city! Yeah, give it up. Mayor Nagin, I'd like to welcome you to Washington, D.C., the chocolate city with a marshmallow center. And a graham cracker crust of corruption. It's a Mallomar, I guess is what I'm describing, a seasonal cookie.

Joe Wilson is here, Joe Wilson right down here in front, the most famous husband since Desi Arnaz. And of course he brought along his lovely wife Valerie Plame. Oh, my god! Oh, what have I said? [looks horrified] I am sorry, Mr. President, I meant to say he brought along his lovely wife Joe Wilson's wife. Patrick Fitzgerald is not here tonight? OK. Dodged a bullet.

And, of course, we can't forget the man of the hour, new press secretary, Tony Snow. Secret Service name, "Snow Job." Toughest job. What a hero! Took the second toughest job in government, next to, of course, the ambassador to Iraq.

Got some big shoes to fill, Tony. Big shoes to fill. Scott McClellan could say nothing like nobody else. McClellan, of course, eager to retire. Really felt like he needed to spend more time with Andrew Card's children. Mr. President, I wish you hadn't made the decision so quickly, sir.

I was vying for the job myself. I think I would have made a fabulous press secretary. I have nothing but contempt for these people. I know how to handle these clowns. In fact, sir, I brought along an audition tape and with your indulgence, I'd like to at least give it a shot. So, ladies and gentlemen, my press conference.

BSoD...hehe.

2006-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Heh. Awesome.

This makes other software bugs pale in comparison...

2006-04-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

THERAC-25

Computerized Radiation Therapy

Report by:

TROY GALLAGHER

Introduction:

The use of computers in the medical field is becoming more and more widely used. Computers are obviously very beneficial in the medical field. However, in the case of Therac-25, they can be deadly.

The History:

Therac-25 was used in the treatment of cancer. Its purpose was to provide radiation to a specific part of the body and hopefully kill the malignant tumor. The Therac-25 was the third system created under the Therac name by the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). The AECL is most famous in Canada for their creation of the CANDU reactors which are world renowned. A Therac-6 and Therac-20 were both used in the treatment of cancer. The number that goes along with the word Therac stands for the maximum amount of mega electron volts (MeV) the machine can dispense. It was believed that the new Therac-25 was much more efficient than Therac-6 and Therac-20. The overall size of the machine was reduced and still allowed for two modes; photon mode and electron mode. A tungsten shield was in place for the X-ray mode and removed for the electron mode as illustrated below:

(continued via link here...)

Pork Chop Sandwiches!

2006-04-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Big Brother...

2006-04-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

"People should not be afraid of their governments - governments should be afraid of their people."

Seems Ashcroft & Bush took this too literally; they're scared enough to spy on us without a warrant. What's that thing again? Oh yeah, the fucking constitution. Seems they don't give a shit about that.

Jon Stewart on Crossfire...

2006-03-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

Mmm... tasty!

2006-03-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

Phreak n' Geek (Part 1)

2006-03-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm going back to my phreaking roots - I've been geeking out on this stuff all day. Here's a clip of a cellular phone system diagram from 1947, off AT&T site:

1947
AT&T develops the concept of cellular telephony. The technology to realize the concept did not yet exist.

And... here are some links:

For extra fun, here's a phone recording of "Call Cannot Be Completed" (.mp3)

Heavy Lifting.

2006-03-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

Half-Life 1 Trailer (from 1997)

2006-03-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

AutoPC (Carputer) rambling w/video...

2006-03-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

[video] A dashboard that is really a PC | CNET News.com

Makes me want to get a VW...or just build my own AutoPC. Hmmm. I think I wrote a guide about that once. Or, I did it. Or, both.

BTW, I have yet to find an interface that is even close to what I'm looking for, or close to the quality shown in this clip, with the exception of XBMC (the best media player ever, IMO) - which I'm planning to put in my car because the media player in the Eclipse AVN-5435 head unit I have completely blows. (Luckily, it has an AUX port so I can use my iPod. Can you believe it can't even read more than 8.3 filenames on an ISO2/Joliet CD? Crap.)

BTW (x2), that Eclipse AVN-5435 head unit I just mentioned (the one I have in my Scion) is pretty damn cool. The navigation system is very useful, the sound quality is excellent, and it has a big-ass double-DIN screen. My only gripes about it are the lack of functionality in the Audio department. The internal mp3 player, as mentioned above, is next to worthless - takes seconds to merely change tracks and stumbles on browsing track titles with miniscule name displays. Again, luckily I have my iPod hooked up to the AUX (VTR) port, but I'd be pretty disappointed if I didn't have that hooked up.

Personally, I'd probably have to suggest the Pioneer AVIC-D1 over this unit, despite the fact that the AVIC has no internal DVD movie player (who really watches movies in their car, anyway?). Or, wait for the AVIC-Z1, which is supposed to kick tons of ass.

...Or, just build yourself an AutoPC. Here are some links to help you out...

Holy Fucking Shit! (Best Show Ever!)

2006-03-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Wow. Best. Show. Ever.

So, I just watched the season finale of The Shield last night, and I must admit that it was some of the best written, acted, and produced drama I've ever seen. Damn.

Let me also preface this blog by saying that I don't normally watch TV. Rarely do I have the time, and I'm an internet junkie, so anything less than completely interactive rarely holds my attention. That said, I actually purchased a cable TV package just so I could watch The Shield this season. The show is that good. (Although, FX, why don't you broadcast it in HD? That would be my only gripe.)

Anyway, last night's episode wrapped up a season long arc about the bad boys (Strike team) paying for their sins, and trying desperately to avoid that payment. Forrest Whittaker plays a damn good role in this season as the obsessed and somewhat evil (depending on the perspective) Internal Affairs agent chasing after Vic and his team with great vengance and furious anger. Strange to me to see an actor such as him playing such a badass, since the last movie I remember seeing him in was Phenomenon, where he played a sweet ham radio operator who had an affection for Diana Ross. Heh. Whittaker's character drives all the members of the strike team to the edge of their wits and eventually forces Lem to turn himself in for jail time.

I'd rather not give away the ending of the show, since some of my friends haven't seen it yet, but I will say that I am thoroughly impressed with the range and depth of the actors and their portrayals of these anti-heroes. Makes me love the "bad guys" (Strike team), hate the good guys (Internal Affairs), and question the validity of each side's motives. Couldn't think of a better story/plot/character development if I tried. :-)

Silence of the Bush...

2006-03-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Worlds Most One-Sided Fistfights!

2006-03-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

5 Men In A Limo

2006-03-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

All the voiceover actors for almost every movie trailer you've ever seen:

http://www.donlafontaine.com/video/5men.html

Frederator!

2006-03-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

I loves me some Frederator. Frederator loves you too.
(Click the logo)

Sooo freakin cool

2006-03-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

I knew it would happen - StrongBad has a podcast now:

The website: http://podstar.homestarrunner.com/
To subscribe via iTunes: http://podstar.homestarrunner.com/podcast.xml

Cultural Creative.

2006-02-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

You scored as Cultural Creative.

Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.

Cultural Creative

100%

Idealist

100%

Postmodernist

88%

Existentialist

75%

Fundamentalist

56%

Materialist

50%

Modernist

44%

Romanticist

44%

What is Your World View? (updated)

What Does a Chinese Keyboard Look Like?

2006-02-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

"How They Type In The PRC (Slate.com)"

Strange Coca-Cola Facts

2006-02-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

1337!

2006-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

Texas Takedown!

2006-02-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

(I've taken the SWF off the post 'cause the music was annoying me.)

Click the link below to play the game:
http://www.jadekite.com/texastakedown.html

LSD Tested On British Troops

2006-02-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Boy Toys

2006-02-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, I finally got the chance to geek out on my new car like I'd always wanted to do with my Civic. My little Scion tC now has:

Injen RS Cold-Air-Intake
Megan Racing headers
Magnaflow Mid-pipe Muffler
Injen Axle-Back Exhaust

A little loud for my tastes when romping on it, but idling/cruising is a quiet purr. Plus, the thing accelerates like a dream now, and it's faster than hell. (Well, fast enough for me, at least!)

Ocean's 12 Dance (Capoeira)

2006-02-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is what the Nightfox does in the museum...

2006-02-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Sex Tips For Geeks: On Being Good In Bed

Oh, sure, if you're an accomplished sexual athlete/aesthete you can pore over the Kama Sutra and try exotic positions and dabble in sex toys and scented oils and variations for more than two people. These things have their place and you'll get to them. But they are really the last 10% of the experience; the first 90% percent consists of learning how to have basic satisfying sex face-to-face with one partner, factory equipment only.

Deep Thoughts...

2006-02-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my
little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out
warehouse. "Oh, no," I said. "Disneyland burned down."
He cried and cried, but I think that deep down, he thought it was a pretty
good joke.
I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty
late.

Portland Links

2006-02-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

OK, I got bored today and I realized that I'd been planning to do all sorts of cool fun things around town lately. Luckily, someone has posted some pretty cool things on the web about Portland activities, so I'm sharing them here with you (and mostly myself, as a reminder):

Portland Things To Do (from About.com)

2006-02-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

This list includes the most popular things to do in Portland, Oregon, its most popular tourist attractions and activities and things to do.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Park: The administrative headquarters and main supply depot for the Hudson's Bay Company's fur trading operations.
International Rose Test Garden: The oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States and home to more than 8,000 roses.
Japanese Garden: Perhaps one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside Japan.
Mt. St. Helens Volcanic National Monument: Preserving the area around the mountain, which erupted in 1980.
North Cascades National Park: Three areas managed together include North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas.
Pearl District: Portland's art district retains an industrial flavor, but is filled with cafes and artists' shops.
Pioneer Courthouse Square: An award-winning public square in central Portland, home to many annual events.
Portland Saturday Market: The largest outdoor arts and crafts market in continuous operation in the United States.
Portland Zoo: The oldest zoo west of the Mississippi is home to 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

Serenity Now!

2006-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

Specs from the Browncoats:

The Serenity is a Firefly Class interplanetary ship. Originally conceived and built as a medium range cargo ship.

Dimensions and Weights:

She is comparable to that of Boeing 747. She is 63 meters long, 40
meters wide and 18 meters tall. Her gross empty weight is 575,000 lbs
and her maximum takeoff weight is 945,000 lbs.

Performance and Powerplants:

Primarily powered by 2 wing mounted Smith Davis SD-2595 (95,000
lb) turbofan and solar induction engines, she can achieve a maximum
airspeed of mach 2 (1484 mph) at 1000 Meters EBSL (Earth Based Sea
Level,) and mach 30 (22270 mph) at 100,000 Meters (62 miles) EBSL.
During the transitional phase from atmospheric to orbital flight the
fan blades rotate to collect photons emitted by a solar source to feed
the engines keeping the relative thrust ratio comparable to it's
atmospheric rating.

The Firefly engine, a Smith Davis SD-4631 photon reaction drive,
was developed on the same principles that drive fusion in a star, (4 1H
+ 2 e -- 4He + 2 neutrinos + 6 photons.) The reaction produces
enough thrust to propel the ship to 643,738 kph (400,000 mph) taking it
approximately 16 days to travel 1 AU. (The Astronomical Unit is the
distance from the Earth to the Sun, 149,597,871 kilometers.) Although
very reliable, this reaction produces large volumes of plasma as hot as
the surface of a star. Thermal panels on the outside of the engine
dissipate the plasma and heat that builds up during the process
typically glowing in a yellowish hue as they cool down.

Handling:

The maneuvering of the ship is handled in two different ways. In
atmosphere she has flaps and ailerons that in conjunction with the
pitch of the side engines control her direction. In space she uses an
RCS, (Reaction Control System,) consisting of Hydrazine fueled
thrusters that work in a countered measure. For example if she were to
turn nose up, thrusters on the back rear of the ship would fire upwards
and thrusters of the front nose would fire downwards pushing the tail
down and the nose up. Variations on this, tied into the side engines
pitch, produce all her movement in space.

For landing her side engines rotate vertical and vents on the front of
the engine open to allow the engine the breathe as she hovers.

Gravity:

The Firefly class ships gravity comes from a rotating ring just aft of
the ships midsection. It produces a gravity field using the "Peristere
Principal," that also acts as an momentum dampener to allow passengers
more freedom of movement during all aspects of flight.

Blau!

2006-02-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

It's mine, bitches! Hahaha! Rick James!

2006-01-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

Web Authoring Statistics

2006-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

Google Code: Web Authoring Statistics

Statistics on the use of HTML code in over a billion web pages, compiled by Google. Interesting read...well, at least for me. :-)

Harbor Drive

2006-01-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

Harbor Drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems that our wonderful Waterfront Park in downtown Portland used to be a freeway. It was removed in 1974 and construction began on the Park. The wiki article has links to images of the old road, but if you don't feel like browsing, and just want to see the pictures, you can find them here:

http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?&a=24848&c=27928

Flying Car???

2006-01-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

This is pretty freakin' cool. I've been waiting for this since Back to the Future II. :-D

Blubber!

2006-01-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

Awesome.

2006-01-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

Portland Wanderlust on 43 Places

All about popular things to do in Portland and fun ideas. :-)

Cool Shit on the Web Today...

2006-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

43 Things - A big group life to-do list...check it out.
23 Things To Do With A Thumb Drive - Is there a number pattern here?
Remember The Milk - Another Web 2.0 to-do list (more "now" oriented than 43 things)
Find Free Music on the Web - A lifehacker blog article... really freakin' cool.

That is all for now. More to come, of course.

Concise Introductory Blog!

2006-01-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! My girly just joined the blogosphere. Here's her link:

http://lastredemption.blogspot.com/

It's awesome. And really witty. You'll like it, damn it. :-)

Get Off My Ice!

2006-01-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Kid, I'm A Computer!

2006-01-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Body Massage!

2006-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Michelle Branch is a severe hottie.

2006-01-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

That is all. :-)

2006-01-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

This is fucking awesome.
http://www.iam8bit.net/gallery/14.htm

Skills.

2005-12-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

Napoleon Dynamite: You know, like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.

Tech Support = Continuous Humor

2005-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Jesus H, people. "My computer isn't working" is not a sufficient request for technical support. My knee-jerk response to that is something along the lines of "OK" or "That's too bad."

Also, while I'm on the subject, is it too difficult to use correct grammar in your e-mail? arunonsentencewithnopunctuationorspacesISJUSTABOUTASRIDICULOUS as an e-mail that's in all caps. You're not fucking yelling, are you? ID10-Ts.

Anyway, in the spirit of this, I've started a new blog called "We've got an ID-ten-T error here." I'll be highlighting all my best technical support e-mails there. Enjoy.

http://idtenterror.blogspot.com/

(Also, if you're embarrassed or otherwise perturbed that your e-mail made it on my blog, leave me a comment and I'll consider removing it or otherwise sheltering your ego. Cheers.)

Privacy? Eh, fuck it!

2005-12-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

What a schmuck. We don't need privacy...we need to spy on Americans, so we can defeat those tey-ror-eysts. Shucks!

President criticizes leaking of program as 'shameful act'
By George E. Condon Jr.
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

December 20, 2005

WASHINGTON – President Bush yesterday vigorously defended his decision to permit domestic spying without court approval, calling the eavesdropping program essential to the war on terrorism and denying that he was assuming "dictatorial" powers.

"Do I have the legal authority to do this? And the answer is, absolutely," the president said, contending that the Constitution allows the government to listen in on telephone calls during wartime without taking the normal steps of getting court permission.

He blasted as "a shameful act" the leaking of the surveillance program, which Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday called "probably the most classified program that exists in the United States government."

EVAN VUCCI / Associated Press
At his year-end news conference in the East Room yesterday, President Bush said the domestic eavesdropping program is "a necessary part of my job to protect you."
Despite the president's stout defense, more senators from both parties are demanding that the White House explain more fully where the president got the authority to order the wiretaps.

At his end-of-the-year news conference in the East Room of the White House, the president also hit hard at senators who are blocking renewal of the USA Patriot Act, accusing them of making another 9/11-style attack on U.S. targets more likely.

"It is inexcusable for the United States Senate to let this Patriot Act expire" at the end of the year, said Bush, saying it helps the government "connect the dots" to figure out what terrorists are plotting.

He blamed "a minority of senators" – mostly Democrats – for waging a filibuster to block the renewal approved by the House. Opponents have offered a three-month extension while contentious issues are worked out. But Bush has rejected that.

In remarks that seemed to be aimed at Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both California Democrats, he demanded a full renewal.

"I want senators from New York or Los Angeles or Las Vegas to go home and explain why these cities are safer," he said. "It is inexcusable to say, on the one hand, 'connect the dots' and not give us a chance to do so."

Reid responded, "The president and the Republican leadership should stop playing politics with the Patriot Act," urging the White House to accept a three-month extension.

Though the president made another pitch for patience in Iraq, the news conference was dominated by the domestic spying program, which was revealed on Friday. Only one of the 16 questions asked in the 56-minute session concerned something other than foreign policy.

After a weekend of bipartisan questions about the legal justification for listening in on telephone calls either initiated or received within the United States, the news conference was part of a counterattack that the White House hopes will head off threatened congressional hearings.

The president's aides held an unusual early morning briefing before the news conference at which the attorney general and a top official of the National Security Agency argued that Bush acted legally when he approved the domestic eavesdropping program in late 2001.

EVAN VUCCI / Associated Press
President Bush's news conference came a day after his Sunday night address from the Oval Office in which he discussed the war in Iraq. Nearly all of the questions that Bush addressed yesterday concerned foreign policy.
Gonzales acknowledged that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act requires a court order for such domestic spying. But he said Congress implicitly gave authorization when it approved the use of force in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – even though such activities are never mentioned in that act.

He called such spying "a fundamental incident of waging war." He also argued that the Constitution gives the president inherent authority "to engage in this kind of activity." Gonzales said disclosure of the program "has really hurt our country."

At the news conference, Bush's ninth of the year, he cast the domestic espionage as essential to the war on terror and blasted whoever leaked the program to The New York Times.

"It was a shameful act for someone to disclose this very important program in a time of war. The fact that we're discussing this program is helping the enemy," he said.

Both Bush and Gonzales were noncommittal about launching an investigation to track down the leaker. "We'll just have to wait and see," Gonzales said.

Pressed on why he did not follow the surveillance act and get court approval, Bush said that would be too slow, even though such approval can be granted retroactively.

"We've got to be fast on our feet, quick to detect and prevent," he said.

He stressed that the eavesdropping has been limited only to those who are known to have ties to al-Qaeda and only to situations in which one of the callers is outside the United States.

"I just want to assure the American people that, one, I've got the authority to do this; two, it is a necessary part of my job to protect you; and, three, we're guarding your civil liberties," he said.

Bush bristled when a reporter asked if it was a permanent expansion of the unchecked power of the president.

"I disagree with your assertion of 'unchecked power,' " Bush said angrily, adding, "To say unchecked power basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the president, which I strongly reject."

He said he is checked by his oath to uphold the law and by the congressional leaders who, he said, were repeatedly briefed on the program.

As he did Saturday when he first acknowledged the program, the president cited the case of two of the 9/11 planners operating in San Diego back in 2001, suggesting they may have been caught and the attacks averted had there been anyone listening to their phone calls.

"There (were) two killers in San Diego making phone calls prior to the September the 11th attacks," he said. "Had this program been in place then, it is more likely we would have been able to catch them."

Bush was referring to 9/11 hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid al-Midhar, who lived openly in San Diego before the attacks. Investigations by the House and Senate intelligence committees and an independent commission highlighted several failures by the CIA and FBI to apprehend the pair before the attacks.

Both were known to have links to al-Qaeda and the CIA knew in March 2000 that Alhazmi had entered the United States. Also in 2000, al-Midhar contacted a suspected terrorist facility in the Middle East from the United States, according to the congressional investigation.

Bush was unenthusiastic about the prospect of a congressional investigation of the program, saying, "Any public hearings on programs will say to the enemy, 'Here's what they do; adjust.' "

Bush's news conference marked the second time in 13 hours that he appeared before a nationally televised audience. On Sunday evening, he delivered an update on the Iraq war from the Oval Office, the fifth in a series of speeches designed to turn around a slide in public support for his Iraq policy.

There were at least some early indications the White House public relations offensive was paying dividends. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released late yesterday showed the president's approval has climbed to 47 percent, up from 39 percent last month.

On other matters yesterday, the president acknowledged that U.S. intelligence failures on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have hurt the credibility of other intelligence.

"Where it is going to be most difficult to make the case is in the public arena," he said. "People will say, if we're trying to make the case on Iran (that) the intelligence failed in Iraq, therefore, how can we trust in intelligence in Iran?"

On the only domestic issue addressed during the news conference, the president expressed regret that many thought he was turning his back on Hurricane Katrina's black victims.

"The fact that some in America believe that I am not concerned about race troubles me," he said. "One of the most hurtful things I can hear is, 'Bush doesn't care about African-Americans.' First of all, it's not true."

"And secondly," he added, "obviously I've got to do a better job of communicating."

Bush's Address to the Nation.

2005-12-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

Words of "wisdom" (?) from our fearless vacation-loving leader...great. :-P

(See Google News for related stories)

---

Dec. 18, 2005

Good evening. Three days ago, in large numbers, Iraqis went to the polls to choose their own leaders a landmark day in the history of liberty. In coming weeks, the ballots will be counted, a new government formed and a people who suffered in tyranny for so long will become full members of the free world.

This election will not mean the end of violence. But it is the beginning of something new: constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East. And this vote -- 6,000 miles away, in a vital region of the world - means that America has an ally of growing strength in the fight against terror.

All who had a part in this achievement -- Iraqis, Americans, and Coalition partners - can be proud. Yet our work is not done. There is more testing and sacrifice before us. I know many Americans have questions about the cost and direction of this war. So tonight I want to talk to you about how far we have come in Iraq, and the path that lies ahead.

From this office, nearly three years ago, I announced the start of military operations in Iraq. Our Coalition confronted a regime that defied United Nations Security Council Resolutions, violated a cease-fire agreement, sponsored terrorism and possessed, we believed, weapons of mass destruction. After the swift fall of Baghdad, we found mass graves filled by a dictator, we found some capacity to restart programs to produce weapons of mass destruction but we did not find those weapons.

It is true that Saddam Hussein had a history of pursuing and using weapons of mass destruction. It is true that he systematically concealed those programs, and blocked the work of UN weapons inspectors. It is true that many nations believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. And as your president, I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq.

Yet it was right to remove Saddam Hussein from power. He was given an ultimatum and he made his choice for war. And the result of that war was to rid the world of a murderous dictator who menaced his people, invaded his neighbors, and declared America to be his enemy. Saddam Hussein, captured and jailed, is still the same raging tyrant only now without a throne. His power to harm a single man, woman, or child is gone forever. And the world is better for it.

Since the removal of Saddam, this war like other wars in our history has been difficult. The mission of American troops in urban raids and desert patrols fighting Saddam loyalists and foreign terrorists has brought danger and suffering and loss. This loss has caused sorrow for our whole nation and it has led some to ask if we are creating more problems than we are solving.

That is an important question, and the answer depends on your view of the war on terror. If you think the terrorists would become peaceful if only America would stop provoking them, then it might make sense to leave them alone. This is not the threat I see. I see a global terrorist movement that exploits Islam in the service of radical political aims -- a vision in which books are burned, and women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed. Terrorist operatives conduct their campaign of murder with a set of declared and specific goals -- to demoralize free nations to drive us out of the Middle East to spread an empire of fear across that region and to wage a perpetual war against America and our friends. These terrorists view the world as a giant battlefield and they seek to attack us wherever they can. This has attracted al-Qaida to Iraq, where they are attempting to frighten and intimidate America into a policy of retreat.

The terrorists do not merely object to American actions in Iraq and elsewhere -- they object to our deepest values and our way of life. And if we were not fighting them in Iraq in Afghanistan in Southeast Asia and in other places, the terrorists would not be peaceful citizens -- they would be on the offense, and headed our way.

September 11th, 2001, required us to take every emerging threat to our country seriously, and it shattered the illusion that terrorists attack us only after we provoke them. On that day, we were not in Iraq, we were not in Afghanistan, but the terrorists attacked us anyway -- and killed nearly 3,000 men, women and children in our own country. My conviction comes down to this: We do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them. And we will defeat the terrorists by capturing and killing them abroad removing their safe havens and strengthening new allies like Iraq and Afghanistan in the fight we share.

The work in Iraq has been especially difficult -- more difficult than we expected. Reconstruction efforts and the training of Iraqi Security Forces started more slowly than we hoped. We continue to see violence and suffering, caused by an enemy that is determined and brutal unconstrained by conscience or the rules of war.

Some look at the challenges in Iraq, and conclude that the war is lost, and not worth another dime or another day. I don't believe that. Our military commanders do not believe that. Our troops in the field, who bear the burden and make the sacrifice, do not believe that America has lost. And not even the terrorists believe it. We know from their own communications that they feel a tightening noose - and fear the rise of a democratic Iraq.

The terrorists will continue to have the coward's power to plant roadside bombs and recruit suicide bombers. And you will continue to see the grim results on the evening news. This proves that the war is difficult - it does not mean that we are losing. Behind the images of chaos that terrorists create for the cameras, we are making steady gains with a clear objective in view.

America, our coalition, and Iraqi leaders are working toward the same goal -- a democratic Iraq that can defend itself that will never again be a safe haven for terrorists and that will serve as a model of freedom for the Middle East. We have put in place a strategy to achieve this goal - a strategy I have been discussing in detail over the last few weeks. This plan has three critical elements.

First, our coalition will remain on the offense -- finding and clearing out the enemy transferring control of more territory to Iraqi units and building up the Iraqi security forces so they can increasingly lead the fight. At this time last year, there were only a handful of Iraqi army and police battalions ready for combat. Now, there are more than 125 Iraqi combat battalions fighting the enemy more than 50 are taking the lead and we have transferred more than a dozen military bases to Iraqi control.

Second, we are helping the Iraqi government establish the institutions of a unified and lasting democracy, in which all of Iraq's people are included and represented. Here also, the news is encouraging. Three days ago, more than 10 million Iraqis went to the polls including many Sunni Iraqis who had boycotted national elections last January. Iraqis of every background are recognizing that democracy is the future of the country they love - and they want their voices heard. One Iraqi, after dipping his finger in the purple ink as he cast his ballot, stuck his finger in the air and said: "This is a thorn in the eyes of the terrorists." Another voter was asked, "Are you Sunni or Shia?" He responded, "I am Iraqi."

Third, after a number of setbacks, our coalition is moving forward with a reconstruction plan to revive Iraq's economy and infrastructure -- and to give Iraqis confidence that a free life will be a better life. Today in Iraq, seven in 10 Iraqis say their lives are going well -- and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve even more in the year ahead. Despite the violence, Iraqis are optimistic -- and that optimism is justified.

In all three aspects of our strategy -- security, democracy, and reconstruction -- we have learned from our experiences, and fixed what has not worked. We will continue to listen to honest criticism, and make every change that will help us complete the mission. Yet there is a difference between honest critics who recognize what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.

Defeatism may have its partisan uses, but it is not justified by the facts. For every scene of destruction in Iraq, there are more scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every life lost, there are countless more lives reclaimed. And for every terrorist working to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more Iraqis and Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: Not only can we win the war in Iraq -- we are winning the war in Iraq.

It is also important for every American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. We would abandon our Iraqi friends -- and signal to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word. We would undermine the morale of our troops -- by betraying the cause for which they have sacrificed. We would cause the tyrants in the Middle East to laugh at our failed resolve, and tighten their repressive grip. We would hand Iraq over to enemies who have pledged to attack us - and the global terrorist movement would be emboldened and more dangerous than ever before. To retreat before victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor and I will not allow it.

We are approaching a new year, and there are certain things all Americans can expect to see. We will see more sacrifice - from our military, their families and the Iraqi people. We will see a concerted effort to improve Iraqi police forces and fight corruption. We will see the Iraqi military gaining strength and confidence, and the democratic process moving forward. As these achievements come, it should require fewer American troops to accomplish our mission. I will make decisions on troop levels based on the progress we see on the ground and the advice of our military leaders -- not based on artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington. Our forces in Iraq are on the road to victory - and that is the road that will take them home.

In the months ahead, all Americans will have a part in the success of this war. Members of Congress will need to provide resources for our military. Our men and women in uniform, who have done so much already, will continue their brave and urgent work. And tonight, I ask all of you listening to carefully consider the stakes of this war, to realize how far we have come and the good we are doing, and to have patience in this difficult, noble, and necessary cause.

I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt. Yet now there are only two options before our country -- victory or defeat. And the need for victory is larger than any president or political party, because the security of our people is in the balance. I don't expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: Do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.

Americans can expect some things of me as well. My most solemn responsibility is to protect our nation, and that requires me to make some tough decisions. I see the consequences of those decisions when I meet wounded servicemen and women who cannot leave their hospital beds, but summon the strength to look me in the eye and say they would do it all over again. I see the consequences when I talk to parents who miss a child so much -- but tell me he loved being a soldier, he believed in his mission, and Mr. President, finish the job.

I know that some of my decisions have led to terrible loss -- and not one of those decisions has been taken lightly. I know this war is controversial -- yet being your president requires doing what I believe is right and accepting the consequences. And I have never been more certain that America's actions in Iraq are essential to the security of our citizens, and will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.

Next week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season far from home - in Iraq, Afghanistan and other dangerous places. Our Nation joins in those prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, and a light that reaches the darkest corners of the Earth. And we remember the words of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: "God is not dead, nor (does) He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men."

Thank you, and good night.

Outkast - Reset

2005-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

[Big Boi]
Nah nah nah
That's part of the
That's, yeah
I got ya good that time, shawty

[Debra Killings]
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason
Good doesn't come without pain
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason

[Big Boi]
Ain't it funny how you're born and then your life begins
Just like a baby all alone, that's if you wasn't a twin
You must begin to fend for self when the umbilical's cut
The doctor put you under the heating lamp, your spirit is touched
You know what, I take that back, why? You was alive
Date of conception, interception cause the sperm did collide
From T 'n A to DNA, feelings turn to children
The morning after pill didn't put a halt to our very existance
We livin, breathin, soon we'll be teethin
Our granny got a gold and now we want one for that reason
An adolescent mind is so impressionable in those stages
But parents got to parent their kids to keep them out of cages
Cell therapists beware of this lugie that I spit
Incarceration without rehabilitation really don't mean shit
Little Ricky's home, he gotta serve probation for six months
But Uncle Donnel and Ol' Dirty Bastard still in the joint
Reset

[Debra Killings]
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason
Good doesn't come without pain
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason
Good doesn't come without pain
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason

[Khujo]
Good does not come without pain
Meaning, before it gets better, it's goin get worse
Like my homies on the sick side still dyin over turf
That don't belong ot urse
I mean us, left in the dust
Try to catch up with massah
I used to wanna wrap my hands around the esophagus of them crackers
But Ephesians 6:12 said it wasn't flesh and blood that we wrestle against
Principalities, powers of this world
Rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness
In high places, so throw that whole armor of righteousness
I spark this thang, but my name ain't Bubba
I got a problem with racist cab drivers, like Glover
And brothers that wax fat an dforget all about the struggle
Yeah, come on, come on
Guess what, guess what
Time to reset this thang

[Debra Killings]
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason
Good doesn't come without pain
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason

[Cee-Lo]
Listen to me
I awaken to sunlight that's beyond bright
This day will be done right
There is a war, just waiting on the other side of the door
But I'll be bringing God to the gunfight
Can't live forever, so have some fun, right
Life's a bowl of candy, you can have one, right
You can handle if tomorrow never comes, right
You'll get used to singin if only for one night
But I intend to raise two daughters and a son right
And I couldn't have wrote this if I was hopeless
And see I focus to provoke this
So open wide for my opinionated opus
Stop playin Go Fish, but not below this
Before I go, I thought that you all should know this
Recognize and realize before any regretting
Before you relapse, perhaps you'll consider resetting
Hmm?

[Debra Killings]
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason
Good doesn't come without pain
Start over again
Everything happens for a reason

Song for a friend... (Jason Mraz)

2005-12-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

Well you're magic he said
But don't let it all go to your head
Well I bet if you all had it all figured out
Then you'd never get out of bed
No doubt
All the thing's that I've read what he wrote me
Is now sounding like the man I was hoping
To be
Keep on keeping it real
Cause it keeps getting easier indeed
He's the reason that I'm laughing
Even if there's no one else
He said, you've got to love yourself

You say, you shouldn't mumble when you speak
But keep your tongue up in your cheek
And if you stumble on to
You better remember that it's humble that you seek
You got all the skill you need,
Individuality
You got something
Call it gumption
Call it anything you want
Because when you play the fool now
You're only fooling everyone else
You're learning to love yourself

Yes you are

There's no price to pay
When you give and what you take,
That's why it's easy to thank you
You...

Let's say take a break from the day
And get back to the old garage
Because life's too short anyway
But at least it's better then average
As long as you got me
And I got you
You know we'll got a lot to go around
I'll be your friend
Your other brother
Another love to come and comfort you
And I'll keep reminding
If it's the only thing I ever do
I will always love
I will always love you
Yes you
I will always, always, always, always love
I will always, always love
I will always, always love, love

Circumstance.

2005-12-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
- George Bernard Shaw

Ninja Kitty!

2005-12-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

My Favorite Geek Things (Today)

2005-11-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, here goes:

Flock - Social browser (works with del.icio.us and Blogger, etc.)
del.icio.us - Social bookmarking (works with Flock)
Goowy - Flash based e-mail client
Google SMS - Send a text message to 46645 and get Google results!
ThinkGeek - Geeky Toys, Tools, etc.
Digg - My new and more ADD replacement for Slashdot.
sxc.hu - Stock Image/Photo Exchange (Free)
Busted Tees - These are hillarious.

More to come...

Sony Blade!

2005-11-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe this is getting old, but...

Jason Mraz - Geek In The Pink

2005-11-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Yo, Brotha A to z,
Yo, wussup B,
Yo, What time is it?

Ha-ha, It's laundry day!

(do do do...)

Well let the geek in the pink take a stab at it
If you like the way I'm thinkin' baby wink at it
I may be skinny at times but I'm fat fulla rhymes
Pass me the mic and I'm a grab at it
Well isn't it delicious crazy way that I'm kissin'
This baby listen to this don't wanna miss it while it's hittin'
Sometimes you gotta fit in to get in
But don't ever quit cause soon I'm gonna let you in but see

I don't care what you might think about me
You'll get by without me if you want
Well,I could be the one to take you home
Baby we could rock the night alone
If we never get down it wouldn't be a let down
But sugar don't forgetin' what you already know
That I could be the one to turn you out
We could be the talk across the town
Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another
You might regret what you let slip away

like the geek in the pink (do do do...)
well like the geek in the pink, yeah (geek in the pink)

Well my relationship fodder don't mean to bother nobody
But Cupid's automatic musta fired multiple shots at her
Because she fall in love too often that's what the matter
At least I talk about it keep a pattern of flattery and
She was starin' through the doorframe,and
Eyeing me down like already a bad boyfriend
Well she can get her toys outta the drawer then
Cause I ain't comin' home I don't need that attention, see

I don't care what she might think about me
She'll get by without me if she want
well, I could be the one to take her home
Baby we could rock the night alone
If we never get down it wouldn't be a let down
But sugar don't forgetin' what you already know
that I could be the one to turn you out
We could be the talk across the town
Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another
You might regret what you let slip away

Hey baby look at me go
From zero to hero
You better take it from a geek like me
Well I can save you from unoriginal dum-dums
Who wouldn't care if you com....plete them or not

So what I've got a short attention span
A coke in my hand
Because I'd rather have the afternoon, relaxin understand
My hip hop and flip-flops well it don't stop with the light rock
A shot to mock you kinda puts me in the tight spot
The hype is nothing more than hoo-ha so I'm
Developing a language and I'm callin' it my own
So take a peek into the speaker and you'll see what I mean
That on the other side the grass is greener

I don't care what you might think about me
You'll get by without me if you want
I could be the one to take you home
Baby we could rock the night alone
If we never get down it wouldn't be a let down
But sugar don't forgetin' what you already know
I could be the one to turn you out
We could be the talk across the town
Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another
You might regret what you let slip away
like the geek in the pink (do do do...)
I'm the geek in the pink ya'll
geek is the color for fall
i'm the geek in the pink
so i'm the geek ya'll
in the pink ya'll
geek is the color for fall
i'm the geek in the pink

Ikea Nesting Instinct...

2005-11-28T04:08:00.000-08:00

-or-
How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Target.

Ah, it was a fine November day. And, surprisingly enough, I was actually feeling productive for once on a sunny Sunday. So...I whipped out my Palm, jotted some notes on what I thought I might accomplish in the next few hours, then had a brainstorm as I was looking around my minimalistically decorated apartment: Ikea time. Yes, the Ikea nesting instinct had set in, with visions of Swedish furniture and accessories dancing in my head. Who better to accompany me in such a mission, I thought, than Mister Cassella? I gave him a ring on the telly and he was game for such an adventure. Thus, I was off - to pick up a friend and to head northward to the grand tourist spot of Renton. (It is actually listed as a tourist spot on one of those blue freeway signs, believe it or not.)

Along the way, I stopped at Costco to redeem a coupon I had for twenty free digital prints. Feeling as productive as I had been this morning, I loaded my flash disk full of photos I had grabbed from my iPhoto collection in anticipation of redeeming this coupon. As it turns out, I'd actually loaded up 84 photos. A slight bit more than the coupon would allow, but nonetheless, pretty cheap. After wandering around Costco, waiting for these prints to "develop," we were finally ready to hit the big blue building up north.

I'll save the details of the three hour drive that ensued for the time being, and skip ahead to our arrival. I was somewhat overwhelmed at the sheer size of this warehouse, and consequently, very excited to see what might lie within. Once inside, I was quite impressed by the thought they'd put in to designing the showroom and how all these cool little $6 and $7 dollar doo-dads could make the room look so cool. So, I started taking notes on my Palm, and pictures of the little widgets on my phone so I could remember what I wanted when I actually got to the section where one could pick up the items shown on the floor.

About half an hour after wandering through the complete showroom, we were at our destination, the...well, whatever the hell they call the room where all the widgets are actually stored in. I hastily grabbed a cart and started picking things off the shelves. A strainer here, a spatula there, a few shelves, some frames, etc. etc.

A few minutes later, I realized that I had filled my cart with a whole bunch of cheap little things that I neither needed nor intended to buy when I originally came. Mike and I shook our heads and started debating the necessity of a $10 collapsable laundry hamper and a $15 set of three photos blown up and plastered on foam core. Time for the list, I thought, and I whipped out my Palm to guide me.

Bathmat. They had six colors, none of which actually went with my bathroom.
DVD Rack. They had an unfinished wood rack that I could drill into the wall for $9. Not exactly what I was looking for.
Poster frames. Too expensive, or too cheaply made.
Lamp. Wow, way too many.

And so on. As I wandered further, I realized that I couldn't remember why I thought such and such actually looked good in my apartment, other than the fact that it looked good in the showroom, and when separated from the showroom, looked fairly bare and not so stylish. Then, I realized that half the stuff here I could get at Target or Dania (both local Portland stores) without the 150 mile drive north. Hmph. Yep, feeling a bit defeated now.

Suffice to say, I left the store with very little. A $5 tool set and a $1.99 set of magnets. Not really worth the drive, we both thought.

On the way back, we grabbed some Jack in the Box, and mulled over the fact that we just drove 150 miles to look at a big 3D catalog, then continued on our way.

Three hours of driving gives you a lot of time to think about what you could actually do to decorate your apartment, given the decorative showrooms, the widgets they had to offer, and well, a lot of dark road after 10pm.

After a few miles, I noticed a Target off one of the exits and stopped in to look around. Luckily, they were open late due to the holiday season. Within a few minutes, I found exactly what I was looking for, found a few more things I needed, bought them, and left.

So? I ended up going home with all the photos I got from Costco, the magnets I got from Ikea, a little poster sticky from Target, and started putting photos up all over my apartment. I have a new found love for decorating on the cheap. ;-)

Fly, Rhino!

2005-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a little tribute to all of us who work under, near, or within the mighty Rhino. Rock on, team. :-)

Recap.

2005-11-21T23:17:00.000-08:00

Ah, a crack of the knuckles and the light clicking of an iBook keyboard. So the post begins.

I love blogging. I love Blogger, too. (Thanks, Google) I love the fact that we have created a new form of media, available to the masses - well, to anyone who wants to drill down to someone's personal blog - something so potentially personal, political, and/or newsworthy.

So, on that note, I'm going to post something personal. Though, I must say, this recent blogging tirade about Sony has been quite entertaining. (You should see the note on Wikipedia where they removed my edit. "Removed biased text")

In recent history, I've never been quite sure what to post here, because of the potential audience. Don't want to confess too much, because it could either be used against me or potentially cause harm to one of my readers. So...keep it light-hearted, right? Eh, that gets boring. There's only so much you can talk about that's completely superficial/pointless before you lose interest in posting. (Hey, I'm ADD. It takes a lot for me to be interested in posting to my blog.)

I recently read through a couple postings on my friends' blogs, and I must say, I'm very impressed at the range of thoughts and opinions they're willing and able to express. Kellan's recent post about a particularly seductive and confused individual was quite frankly awesome and directly to the point. Mike always brings the introspective posts, which are both much appreciated and well taken (as I can tell from the comments). Brent's recent foray into the blogosphere (ouch, cliche word alert!) has been quite cool as well. I especially liked his shout-out post where he posed on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

In reading these posts, I realized that I haven't posted anything personal, introspective, or very interesting lately. Here's my initial effort:

Things have been going quite well lately, I must say. Desi and I are on great terms, which is very cool, cause she's a fun cat to hang out with and it really bummed me out for a long time that we couldn't/didn't hang out with each other (though I know exactly the reason for that, and it was my fault). Saw an excellent movie with Mikey and crew last night called "Walk The Line" - the Johnny Cash biopic. Good stuff.

Last week involved a lot of hanging out with the Learning.com crew, which was great. I always have fun seeing those guys outside the office (as well as at the office). Thursday was Andi Starr's show at the Fez (Asher's wife, and a very talented musician). Friday was the wine-tasting party over at Barbara's house - a very cool event indeed. Four of us closed the party that night with a nice bottle of wine, though I can't remember the name of the wine right now, nor the time we actually left the party, so it must have been good. :-)

My sister, Pauline, is coming back into town on Nov. 29, which is awesome as always - so I'm trying to get as much productive work done before then, because I have a strong feeling that we'll be partying our asses off for that entire week. Nothing like a bit of good sibling debauchery. Hehe. Portland is our bitch. ;-)

Other than that, I'm just feeling a little exhausted. Sleep and I haven't spent a lot of time together lately, mainly because I get my creative rush (or insomnia) around the wee hours of the night. Such as now, as I'm typing this. I should be sleeping, since I have work in seven hours, but I'm feeling more awake than that.

Speaking of which, I should probably try to get some sleep now.
Oh, I'm gonna check out the Fiona Apple concert tomorrow (Nov 22) night at the Roseland, so if you're interesting in joining us, you know how to reach me.

Ciao.

P.S. In case you didn't know, the secret to the Roseland is that you can pretty much watch the concert for free from the bar on the first floor. Granted, the video quality sucks, but you can hear it just fine and drink comfortably for the entire show. Fun stuff.

Go FoxTrot! (Screw Sony, Cont'd)

2005-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Awesome.

Sony Wikipedia Article.

2005-11-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

Ha!

Here's to you, Sony...

2005-11-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Normally, I try to maintain some semblance of civility on my blog, but frankly, Sony:

Go fuck yourself.

Your "anti-piracy" techniques employed on your copy protected CDs are a disgrace. You may own the intellectual property, but that DOES NOT give you the right to fuck with my computer. Your bold and careless tactics in this matter demonstrate your company's complete lack of willingness to progress with the natural flow of the music industry and its customers.

Here's a thought: maybe if you actually listened to your consumers instead of beating them over the head with your gestapo tactics, they might be more inclined to buy your CDs than download from whatever P2P network you're trying to shut down next.

I'm done buying your CDs and media. I encourage my friends to follow suit, until you clean up your act.

Sincerely,
Another Pissed Off Ex-Customer

To further illustrate my point, please check out these articles:

Flying My Guilt Over A Quilt

2005-11-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Drain the veins in my head
Clean out the reds in my eyes to get by security lines
Dear x-ray machine
Pretend you don't know me so well
I wont tell if you lied
Cry, cause the droughts been brought up
Drinkin' cause you're lookin so good in your starbucks cup
I complain for the company that I keep
The windows for sleeping rearrange
And I'm nobody
Well who's laughin now

I'm leaving your town again
And I'm over the ground that you've been spinning
And I'm up in the air so baby hell yeah
Well I can see your house from here
If the plane goes down, damn
I'll remember where the love was found
If the plane goes down, damn

Damn, I should be so lucky
Even only 24 hours under your touch
You know I need you so much
I cannot wait to call you
And tell you that I landed somewhere
And hand you a square of the airport
And walk you through the maze of the map
That im gazing at
Gracefully unnamed and feeling guilty for the luck
And the look that you gave me
You make me somebody
Ain't nobody knows me
Not even me can see it, yet I bet I'm

I'm leaving your town again love
But I'm over the quilt that you've spinning
And I'm up in the air, so baby hell yeah
Oh honey I can see your house from here
If the plane goes down, damn
I'll remember where the love was found
If the plane goes down, damn

You keep me high minded
You get me high

Flax seeds, well they tear me open
And supposedly you can crawl right through me
Taste these teeth please
And undress me from these sweaters better hurry
Cause I'm keeping upward bound now
Oh maybe I'll build my house in your cloud
Here I'm tumbling for you
Stumbling through the work that I have to do
Don't mean to harm you

By leaving your town again love
But I'm over the ground that you've been spinning
But I'm up in the air, said baby hell yeah
Oh honey I can see your house from here
If the plane goes down, damn
I'll remember where the love was found
If the plane goes down, damn
I'll remember where the love was found
If the plane goes down, damn
Well I'll remember where the love was found
If the plane goes down, damn

Who do you
Think you are, are, are, are
To keep me so oh cold, cold
You keep me high minded
You keep me high minded

You get me high minded
You get me high

(Jason Mraz - Plane)

Son of Man

2005-11-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Good for You!

2005-09-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Fun Pasttime Activity!

2005-08-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ice and Gold...Bling!

2005-08-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

I made this!

2005-08-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

Praise the USB God!

2005-07-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Fire!

2005-06-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Breakfast Club

2005-06-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

A quote, to begin:

Dear Mr. Vernon,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out, is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basketcase, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?
Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.

Mike has put that quote on more CD mixes (MP3 mixes, sorry, I'm dating myself. Heh.) than I can count, and for good reason. This is us. In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions, we are each elements of eachother, those who are capable of amazing things when we put our minds together to accomplish a common goal.

We're finally living the lives we set out to accomplish years ago when the future seemed too vague and frightening to properly imagine. To those with me, I implore you to look upon the days of moans and groans about the daily grind and the distance of our aspirations while sipping coffee at whatever Sharis we decided to call home for the night. Now, I implore you to look at where we are now. Lovers, fighters, drama kings and queens, beautifully flawed - yet finally living the dream.

It is our respective weaknesses that have made us strong, and to quote one of my favorite characters - "we've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Mighty we are indeed. Allow me this chance to toast you all - you know who you are - those who seek the pinnacle of the human experience.

We are all a brain, and an athlete, and a basketcase, a princess, and a criminal.

...Does that answer your question? ;-)

The Treason of Images

2005-06-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

It was a good year...

2005-06-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

It was a very good year indeed. I just finished reading Mista Cassella's blog, and I loved his reflection on the year that has been, so I thought I'd take my own crack at it.

What is life? Life is what happens in the moments between each step of worrying and planning for the future. It's what happens when you connect with the people closest to you. It's what happens when you laugh hysterically at something other people raise their eyebrow at, it's what happens when you put your head in your hands and cry from overwhelming emotion. It's fucking up, it's recovering, and it's most importantly learning how not to take yourself too seriously.

Life is the dress rehearsal for a play that will never show...might as well have some fun with it, eh?

We've all made it through our own forms of trials and tribulations over the year, and 2005 will definitely be one to remember. For the first time I can remember, I'm actually excited to see what's coming in the near future instead of terrified of the dull pounding monotony I once thought it would be. That has much to do with my dear friends and their influence on my life as well as my own choice that I've spent enough time feeling sorry for myself and that it's finally time to move forward.

Sunday was a beautiful night. Mike, Kelly and I standing on the roof of the Pacific Tower (Kelly, feel free to correct me if I've misnamed the building here), watching the lightning dance across the Portland horizon through the rust colored sky - it was a moment I'll remember for a long time, both for its scenic beauty and the hidden meaning - the three of us standing atop a roof watching the electricity signifying the pinnacle of our lives, and our willingness to look to the future without fear.

Eh, maybe I'm reading into it too much, but I think the moment was an excellent metaphor for the year that has passed and the year that is to come. For the first time ever, I'm able to enjoy the moments of my life while I'm in them, instead of getting nostalgic about that which has passed. Standing on the tower with Mike and Kelly, the bonfire last month in the wilderness with Mike, the party at Kellan's house, the concert in Corvallis where we saw all our old college buddies, the bars, the nightlife, living downtown, going to school, Brent's new house and upcoming marriage, Arun's conquests in Florida - friends scattered across the country that always feel like they're living next door because of the bonds we've developed.

Thank you all for a wonderful year. Here's to the future, and most importantly, the present. Cheers.

The trade.

2005-05-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

(10:19:02) Marjie: goes both ways. the things that are worth caring about that we should care about we go out of our way to accomodate. they should do the same at times. maybe that's why relationships do not work so often. people think that individuality is lost when a single individual desire is given up. gaining common ground and comforts maybe just isn't as valuable to people as their own egos. and people then lose each other in the name of freedom and their own rugged individualism when in fact, it's arrogance and an inability to see the value of balances.
(10:20:01) Marjie: you don't have to make yourself to suffer to accomodate the ones you love usually... yet a fear of having to accomodate too much makes people believe they've already lost and are suffering, when in fact, they're perfectly fine.
(10:22:04) Marjie: so there ya have it. we trade people for fear. pretty fucking brilliant world, huh.
(10:22:10) Will: No shit.

Nature of the beast.

2005-05-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

(09:39:52) Marjie: Such unnecessary actions and natures... Uniqueness is one thing. Intentional evasiveness for the sake of mystique is another. As is feigned interest in people. And unrelenting repetition.
(09:40:24) Marjie: you have no icon. ARE YOU EVEN REAL.
(09:40:58) Marjie: I'M GETTING ALL DUMB IN MY TIREDNESS.
(09:41:54) Marjie: i imagine storybook endings of fights and grimaces. of hatred and rejoicing. all kinds of things. people never fail to live up to it all. self-fulfilling prophecies. love of drama. you name it. but how to tell any of that from any of the rest of it... blegh. now i'm going rambly...