Redness can thank T and Chump for helping him close to within 1 race of J Ho and C for the UFL Championship. T's win over J Ho, 391-367, takes the win streak to 6 in a row(4 in the chase). Redness took down bottom dwelling Z, 339-204, as all of Z's drivers failed to break the 100 point barrier. Chump also proved that he's not so COLD by burning up the track for a week high 445 points. C put up 330 points, but was let down by Jeff Burton and his DEI/RCR engine flop. J Ho(Martin Truex Jr.) and Z(Dale Earnhardt Jr.) were also hurt from the engine woes. Lets take a look at what the records should look like when they are updated later today:
J Ho 19-11 Leads based on points(11,748) L1
C 19-11 Trails by 208 points(11,540) L2
Red 18-12 1 race behind W2
Chump 14-16 5 races behind W1
T 12-18 7 races behind W6
Z 8-22 11 races behind L2
Monday, October 08, 2007
Saturday, October 06, 2007
This is About Halo 3
When I get done with the better game Bioshock, I will check out Halo 3 more. The video clip feature has to be the most innovative. This sucks for the guy on the stairs.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Not About Halo 3!
Just kidding. It is about Halo 3. I think it would be great to set up some kind of race track on one of the stages (preferably near a cliff) and race Ghosts, Choppers, Mongooses, etc. I'm sure someone will eventually run off/get pushed off the side. Then we could watch the race in Halo 3 Theatre and laugh as someone takes a tumble to their death.
Thank you. I am going to leave work shortly and go home and play some more.
Thank you. I am going to leave work shortly and go home and play some more.
And Now We Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Halo 3 Broadcast
Sorry J Ho. I'm sucking it up in the fantasy league this year and I don't need a reminder. I can finish 18-18 if I run the table, which is not likely to happen. C and I took it upon ourselves to locate some more of the hidden skulls in Halo 3 last night. And let me tell you that there are a couple that are hidden so well that you'll need the guide(Thanks IGN) to find them, as well as a couple of items to get to the skulls. I won't go into great detail as to their locations. Stay tuned for more exciting Halo 3 news.
Enough Halo 3...
how about some analysis of the NASCAR Fantasy League. With 7 races to go, the battle for Fantasy Championship is shaping up to be a nail-biter. C and J Ho are currently tied for the lead w/ a 19-10 record. Waiting in the clutches is Red, who is only 2 games behind at 17-12.
Now for the analysis:
Red's remaining opponents combined record is 97-106, C's is 98-105, and J Ho's is 92-111. This gives the Advantage to J Ho.
Hot and Cold:
J Ho faces a HOT (in win streak, not attractivness) T(W5) twice in the final 7 races and a COLD Chump(L3) once. C faces a COLD Chump twice and a HOT T once. Red faces a HOT T once and a COLD Chump each once. This Gives the Advantage to C.
Individual Matchups:
In the final 7 races, Red faces J Ho once and C twice. J Ho faces Red once and C once. C faces J Ho once and Red twice. The Advantage here goes to J Ho.
In my final analysis, J Ho pulls out the narrow victory. I say this due to the difficutly of the remaining opponents and the fact that J Ho only faces the other two leaders one time a piece.
Prediction of final records:
J HO 23-13
C 22-14
Red 21-15
Now for the analysis:
Red's remaining opponents combined record is 97-106, C's is 98-105, and J Ho's is 92-111. This gives the Advantage to J Ho.
Hot and Cold:
J Ho faces a HOT (in win streak, not attractivness) T(W5) twice in the final 7 races and a COLD Chump(L3) once. C faces a COLD Chump twice and a HOT T once. Red faces a HOT T once and a COLD Chump each once. This Gives the Advantage to C.
Individual Matchups:
In the final 7 races, Red faces J Ho once and C twice. J Ho faces Red once and C once. C faces J Ho once and Red twice. The Advantage here goes to J Ho.
In my final analysis, J Ho pulls out the narrow victory. I say this due to the difficutly of the remaining opponents and the fact that J Ho only faces the other two leaders one time a piece.
Prediction of final records:
J HO 23-13
C 22-14
Red 21-15
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
When's Halo 4 Coming Out?
Yep, finished Halo 3 last night, less than one week after it came out. I finished it on Heroic because I'm a Hero, not a Zero. I thought maybe we'd all (try to) do Legendary in co-op. For one reason or another, I didn't get the achievement for finishing the second mission, but rest assured I will replay it tonight. The game doesn't seem to like when you mix co-op and solo campaigns. In other words, if you do part of Mission 2 in solo and the other part in co-op, you don't seem to get credit for finishing the mission for the achievement... and you know I'm an achievement whore.
For the record, I'm giving the win to Halo 3 over GRAW 2 in a nailbiter. The deciding factor: vehicles. I love me some Warthog action, driving or shooting. I love to jack a Ghost or Chopper. But maybe the best of all, take a Scorpion and blast the $hit out of everything in sight. If GRAW would throw in the occasional chance to pilot a vehicle (read: AH-64D) it would just be over the freaking top. I suppose having to travel by foot made each level seem so much longer than it really was. Oh well. Vehicles in GRAW 3 warrants its own discussion, but I still think it would be sweet. The gunride sections are good, but I wanna drive!
For the record, I'm giving the win to Halo 3 over GRAW 2 in a nailbiter. The deciding factor: vehicles. I love me some Warthog action, driving or shooting. I love to jack a Ghost or Chopper. But maybe the best of all, take a Scorpion and blast the $hit out of everything in sight. If GRAW would throw in the occasional chance to pilot a vehicle (read: AH-64D) it would just be over the freaking top. I suppose having to travel by foot made each level seem so much longer than it really was. Oh well. Vehicles in GRAW 3 warrants its own discussion, but I still think it would be sweet. The gunride sections are good, but I wanna drive!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Our Government Is Coming Back To Us
one step at a time. Bush and his loyalists who have done nothing but fill the pockets of their cronies for the past 6 years (eg: no-bid contracts in Iraq, contractors after Katrina). They passed laws which give them almost unlimited power (eg. the cancellation of our Bill of Rights - the Patriot Act). Finally, some Federal Judges are pulling his or her head our of his or her's ass and finally ruling that the Patriot Act is almost completely Unconstitutional. The President, whose oath is to 'support and defend the CONSTITUTION of The United States' pushed a law that goes against the basics of the piece of paper that Bush wipes his ass with. A few more challenges to that law, and it will disappear and our values will begin to be restored. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Conservative PLAN of a perpetual Republican Majority and Presidency has been foiled by the most corrupt people of all - the Republican Majority and President.
I may not agree totally with this article (though it is intriguing). I don't think the Admin wants a fascist regime, but it looks pretty damn similar.
I may not agree totally with this article (though it is intriguing). I don't think the Admin wants a fascist regime, but it looks pretty damn similar.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
I know I know...
I know I said I wouldn't get Halo 3 until later if at all, but I did throw in the caveat that I would probably get it sooner than I thought at that time. Well, I had to stop at Staples to pick up a color laser printer for the office, which is right by my local GameStop. I couldn't help myself... like a moth to a flame, I stopped in and walked out with a copy of Halo 3. I feel like a dirty dirty dirty girl, but absolutely cannot wait to go home and play. I don't care if a 10 year old is going to pwn me.
I am really curious if they ordered a bunch extra in addition to the pre-orders, or if they sold me a copy that really should have gone to some other uber dork. I couldn't find Guitar Hero 2 for weeks, but to find and buy Halo 3 at the first place I looked ON RELEASE DAY? Jesus Tatas! My suggestion to anyone who has the slightest bit of patience is to keep checking the Target ads. Target had Gears for $40 about two weeks after release. Also GameStop will give you a 20% bonus on trades towards Halo 3. Time to finish the fight, if I can finish the work day.
I am really curious if they ordered a bunch extra in addition to the pre-orders, or if they sold me a copy that really should have gone to some other uber dork. I couldn't find Guitar Hero 2 for weeks, but to find and buy Halo 3 at the first place I looked ON RELEASE DAY? Jesus Tatas! My suggestion to anyone who has the slightest bit of patience is to keep checking the Target ads. Target had Gears for $40 about two weeks after release. Also GameStop will give you a 20% bonus on trades towards Halo 3. Time to finish the fight, if I can finish the work day.
Friday, September 21, 2007
The History of Halo
Read this. Before reading this, I was one of those people who was going to eventually pick up Halo 3. Now I'm ready to go camp out and wait for the midnight madness sales. I never finished the Halo or Halo 2 campaigns. I got pretty damn far into Halo 2, but never knew how it ended because I got swept up in the multiplayer madness. FOUR MORE DAYS LEFT!
Commentary: Bush fulfills H.L. Mencken's prophecy
By Joseph L. Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007
It took just eight decades but H.L. Mencken's astute prediction on the future course of American presidential politics and the electorate's taste in candidates came true:
On July 26, 1920, the acerbic and cranky scribe wrote in The Baltimore Sun: " . . . all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most easily (and) adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
My late good buddy Leon Daniel, a wire service legend for 40 years at United Press International, dredged up that Mencken quote several years ago and found that it was a perfect fit for George W. Bush, The Decider. MSNBC's Keith Olberman highlighted the same quote this week. A tip of the hat to both of them, and to Mencken.
The White House is now so adorned by Mencken's downright moron, and has been for more than six excruciatingly painful years. It wouldn't be so bad if the occupant had at least enough common sense to surround himself with smart, competent and honest advisers and listen to them. But he hasn't.
We inflicted George W. Bush on ourselves — with a little help from Republican spin-meisters, slippery lawyers, hanging chads and some judicial jiggery pokery — and he has stubbornly marched to the beat of his own broken drum year after year, piling up an unparalleled record of failures and disasters without equal in the nation's long history.
He inherited a balanced budget and a manageable national debt, and in just over six years has virtually bankrupted the United States of America and put us in hock to the tune of nine trillion dollars — a sum larger than that accumulated by all the 42 other presidents we had in two and a quarter centuries.
The man from Crawford, Texas, stood Robin Hood on his head almost from Day One, robbing the poor and the middle class so he could give to the rich and Republican. When the bills for those selective tax cuts, and his war of choice in Iraq, began coming due our president simply signed IOU's for a trillion dollars, with those markers now held by our traditional ally communist China.
Although he titillated the Republican conservative base with talk of his opposition to big government, Bush has presided over a far more grandiose expansion of government than even Franklin D. Roosevelt with his New Deal.
Faced with the tragedy of the 9-11 terror attacks — due in part to a dense and impenetrable federal bureaucracy which didn't know what it knew and wouldn't have shared it if it had known — the president created a far denser, far less efficient and far more expensive mega-bureaucracy, the Department of Homeland Security.
Having made one good move, attacking and toppling the Taliban and running al Qaida and Osama bin Laden out of Afghanistan in retaliation for 9-11, the president and his crowd then turned away, half-finished with Job One, and decided to "pre-emptively invade" Iraq, which had precisely nothing to do with the attacks on America.
In one stroke of George W. Bush's pen America went from being a nation that distrusted foreign entanglements and fought wars only when grossly provoked to a nation that attacked first and without credible reason.
That same stroke — and the ensuing five years of war in Iraq — wiped out whatever remained of our reservoir of good will with the rest of the world. The shining city on the hill donned camouflage paint and went to war in the wrong place at the wrong time against the wrong people.
Now George Bush could posture and strut as a wartime president; could style himself The Decider, and could decide which parts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights bought so dearly by generations of Americans he would give or take away.
The mills of the military-industrial complex went into high gear, as the defense contractors jostled for their places at a trough filled each year with half a trillion dollars of taxpayer money. The Republican political operatives milked them all like so many Holstein cows and the Republican lobbyists romped over to Capitol Hill buying congressmen by the baker's dozen to keep the pumps primed.
When one raison du jour for the war in Iraq failed — and all have failed — President Bush and his general-of-the-month could always come up with another to appease the gods of war and keep the machinery turning.
Throughout this ongoing national catastrophe Bush has kept close around him a coterie of incompetents and ideologues always on guard to defend the indefensible and justify the unjustifiable. They brush the lapels of the emperor's suit of gold and whisper that he is right and God will make him shine in American history.
Perhaps the crowning blow came when it was revealed that The Decider is now getting his strategic advice and counsel from none other than Henry Kissinger, the author of genocide in Cambodia; wholesale slaughter in Chile; abandonment of American POWs in Laos; betrayal of South Vietnam, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
God help us.
ja
� McClatchy Newspapers 2007
By Joseph L. Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007
It took just eight decades but H.L. Mencken's astute prediction on the future course of American presidential politics and the electorate's taste in candidates came true:
On July 26, 1920, the acerbic and cranky scribe wrote in The Baltimore Sun: " . . . all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most easily (and) adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
My late good buddy Leon Daniel, a wire service legend for 40 years at United Press International, dredged up that Mencken quote several years ago and found that it was a perfect fit for George W. Bush, The Decider. MSNBC's Keith Olberman highlighted the same quote this week. A tip of the hat to both of them, and to Mencken.
The White House is now so adorned by Mencken's downright moron, and has been for more than six excruciatingly painful years. It wouldn't be so bad if the occupant had at least enough common sense to surround himself with smart, competent and honest advisers and listen to them. But he hasn't.
We inflicted George W. Bush on ourselves — with a little help from Republican spin-meisters, slippery lawyers, hanging chads and some judicial jiggery pokery — and he has stubbornly marched to the beat of his own broken drum year after year, piling up an unparalleled record of failures and disasters without equal in the nation's long history.
He inherited a balanced budget and a manageable national debt, and in just over six years has virtually bankrupted the United States of America and put us in hock to the tune of nine trillion dollars — a sum larger than that accumulated by all the 42 other presidents we had in two and a quarter centuries.
The man from Crawford, Texas, stood Robin Hood on his head almost from Day One, robbing the poor and the middle class so he could give to the rich and Republican. When the bills for those selective tax cuts, and his war of choice in Iraq, began coming due our president simply signed IOU's for a trillion dollars, with those markers now held by our traditional ally communist China.
Although he titillated the Republican conservative base with talk of his opposition to big government, Bush has presided over a far more grandiose expansion of government than even Franklin D. Roosevelt with his New Deal.
Faced with the tragedy of the 9-11 terror attacks — due in part to a dense and impenetrable federal bureaucracy which didn't know what it knew and wouldn't have shared it if it had known — the president created a far denser, far less efficient and far more expensive mega-bureaucracy, the Department of Homeland Security.
Having made one good move, attacking and toppling the Taliban and running al Qaida and Osama bin Laden out of Afghanistan in retaliation for 9-11, the president and his crowd then turned away, half-finished with Job One, and decided to "pre-emptively invade" Iraq, which had precisely nothing to do with the attacks on America.
In one stroke of George W. Bush's pen America went from being a nation that distrusted foreign entanglements and fought wars only when grossly provoked to a nation that attacked first and without credible reason.
That same stroke — and the ensuing five years of war in Iraq — wiped out whatever remained of our reservoir of good will with the rest of the world. The shining city on the hill donned camouflage paint and went to war in the wrong place at the wrong time against the wrong people.
Now George Bush could posture and strut as a wartime president; could style himself The Decider, and could decide which parts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights bought so dearly by generations of Americans he would give or take away.
The mills of the military-industrial complex went into high gear, as the defense contractors jostled for their places at a trough filled each year with half a trillion dollars of taxpayer money. The Republican political operatives milked them all like so many Holstein cows and the Republican lobbyists romped over to Capitol Hill buying congressmen by the baker's dozen to keep the pumps primed.
When one raison du jour for the war in Iraq failed — and all have failed — President Bush and his general-of-the-month could always come up with another to appease the gods of war and keep the machinery turning.
Throughout this ongoing national catastrophe Bush has kept close around him a coterie of incompetents and ideologues always on guard to defend the indefensible and justify the unjustifiable. They brush the lapels of the emperor's suit of gold and whisper that he is right and God will make him shine in American history.
Perhaps the crowning blow came when it was revealed that The Decider is now getting his strategic advice and counsel from none other than Henry Kissinger, the author of genocide in Cambodia; wholesale slaughter in Chile; abandonment of American POWs in Laos; betrayal of South Vietnam, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
God help us.
ja
� McClatchy Newspapers 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Finish the Fight...In One More Week
We are just one week away from the release of Halo 3. I'm so excited I could leave a spot on the floor. If you haven't gotten your fill of Halo 3 yet, then I suggest you check out IGN's Halo 3 Launch Center. Check out the new weapons like the flamethrower and the spike grenade, or the new vehicles like the mongoose and the brute chopper. After your done sit patiently and wait,
or...
Check out the 2 available throwback map packs for GRAW2. Both are now free to download and one comes with a new multiplayer game. Me, C, and J Ho have been checking out the new maps. Mountain Falls and Bunkers provide plenty of entertainment, while Boneyard(huh huh, he said bone) provides some great cover from junked vehicles while you get your gun off.
Stay tuned as we get closer to 09/25/07.
or...
Check out the 2 available throwback map packs for GRAW2. Both are now free to download and one comes with a new multiplayer game. Me, C, and J Ho have been checking out the new maps. Mountain Falls and Bunkers provide plenty of entertainment, while Boneyard(huh huh, he said bone) provides some great cover from junked vehicles while you get your gun off.
Stay tuned as we get closer to 09/25/07.
IQ Test
I stumbled on this IQ test and thought it was really interesting. Its an actual IQ test based on a bell curve from 60 to 140, with 100 being the median. It's all pattern association and consists of 39 questions in 40 minutes. I suggest you try this test with:
1. A full 40 minutes to devote to it with no distractions
2. Sober
The first 20 or so were fairly easy with increasing difficulty. The next 10 were challenging, and the final few were downright difficult. Let me know what you guys get. BTW, I scored 126.
1. A full 40 minutes to devote to it with no distractions
2. Sober
The first 20 or so were fairly easy with increasing difficulty. The next 10 were challenging, and the final few were downright difficult. Let me know what you guys get. BTW, I scored 126.
Monday, September 17, 2007
YMCA overseas
i didn't think the YCMA could be performed any gayer. i was horribly wrong. check out the boy-shield backup dancers.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
EIGHTY-EIGHT!
I was going to call this one. When THE PUNK said he'd like to keep the number 8 somewhere in his NASCAR number, my first thought was, he's gonna buy the 88. Sure enough, this morning on the ESPN bottom line, I see Robert Yates Racing sells the 88 to Hendrick Motorsports. I hope Casey Mears steals it and keeps it for his very own. A small part of me died because I know I'll never hear JHo yell "88!" again.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Does He Know How Full Of Shit He Is?
Read This!!!!
Ordinary life hardly the norm in Baghdad
By Leila Fadel | McClatchy Newspapers
* Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007
"Today, most of Baghdad's neighborhoods are being patrolled by coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are reopening. Citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence. Sectarian killings are down. And ordinary life is beginning to return."
— President Bush in his speech Thursday on Iraq
BAGHDAD — "Ordinary" isn't a word that residents of Baghdad use to describe their lives.
Gunmen are driving people from neighborhoods in the city's southwest. Electricity, depending on which block you live on, is available as little as two hours a day. Running water, if it's available, is unsafe to drink.
Car bombings are down, but most residents won't leave their neighborhoods, frightened that they'll encounter Shiite Muslim militiamen or Sunni Muslim extremists who'll kill them.
Some markets are reopening in the southern neighborhood of Dora under the watch of U.S. soldiers, but no one from outside the neighborhood visits.
As for schools, it's hard to say: The school year hasn't started yet.
Yousef al Mousawi, a 28-year-old Shiite resident of Sadr City, told this story Friday: Two days ago, his friend Mustafa was kidnapped from his computer shop. He was later found dead, shot in the head. It wasn't unusual. In his neighborhood — controlled by the Mahdi Army militia, loyal to cleric Muqtada al Sadr — he sees bodies every day.
Traffic jams terrify him, he said. He was wounded by a car bomb last year and has traveled the region since for medical treatment.
"The Mahdi Army isn't just killing Sunnis now, they are killing Shiites as well," he said. "I go to university, I'm afraid of suicide bombers and car bombs. I come home and I'm afraid of the Mahdi Army. We're living in fear, endless fear."
Even grocery shopping can be risky. Jassim Mohammed, 53, a Sunni from the neighborhood of Sleikh in northern Baghdad, said he rarely left his home, let alone traveled to marketplaces throughout the city.
This week marked the start of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. The evening meal is a feast, and everyone wants his favorite food. But what Mohammed's family eats is up to Abu Ahmed, the lone grocer in his neighborhood. If he's selling okra, they eat okra stew. If he doesn't have yogurt, they don't eat yogurt. As a Sunni in what's become a Shiite capital, Mohammed said, he has no choice.
"It has become a dream for us to shop from any central market," he said. "No way can I roam freely in Baghdad. I can barely get from home to work, there are so many checkpoints manned by people I don't trust."
"By what standards can I consider this life ordinary?" he asked. "Would Mr. Bush consider my life normal if he knew the details? Would any American?"
Muhsin al Ribaawi, 45, a Shiite, lives in Hurriyah, a once-mixed neighborhood in northwest Baghdad that's been devoid of Sunnis since they were forced out in December. The change was good, Ribaawi thinks. He can travel freely through Shiite neighborhoods throughout the capital, though he never ventures into Sunni enclaves. He no longer sees as many bodies dumped on the streets. As a supervisor for roads and bridges in Baghdad, he used to encounter as many as 20 a day. "I'm so happy for that," he said.
Still, life is hardly back to normal. Dirty and disease-ridden, the water that comes from his tap is "terrifying."
Mohammed al Ani, 36, a Sunni, lives in Mansour, in central Baghdad. When he travels elsewhere in the capital, he maps out his route so that he passes only through Sunni neighborhoods.
"If they (militias) have my ID and they see my tribal name, al Ani, I may lose my life," he said. When he returns home at 5 p.m., the neighborhood is already empty and he shuts himself inside.
On Industry Street in central Baghdad, Mariam Shleimoon, a Christian, said she spent her days cowering in her home. Earlier this week, the Mahdi Army called her husband. They said he'd cursed the militia and that the family must pay — $4,000, a princely sum for a poor man who makes his money repairing kerosene heaters, a skill needed only in winter.
Shleimoon and her husband went to the police but no one would help, so they stay in to avoid the militia. She'd like her children to stay home as well. Her daughter, Rita, barely escaped a bombing, and her son watched a man be killed as he waited to buy bread. But the heat is stifling — they have only two hours of electricity a day, one in the morning and one at night — and her children want to get out of the house.
"We are living in fear," she said. "I thought about selling out and leaving the country but my husband said, 'I will live and die here.' "
In Saidiyah, in southwest Baghdad, Ali Mohammed, 30, a Sunni, said nearly all the stores in his neighborhood had closed as Shiite and Sunni gunmen battled to control the area. The only clinic closed three months ago. It didn't have any medicine, anyway, he said.
A university student, he fears leaving the neighborhood because the checkpoints are manned by police commandos, units known to be rife with Shiite militiamen, who alert gunmen in civilian cars to attack suspected Sunnis. Three days ago, a father and son were killed at a checkpoint, he said.
Bush, he said, "is speaking the opposite of what's going on on the ground."
(McClatchy Newspapers special correspondents Sahar Issa, Mohammed al Dulaimy, Laith Hammoudi and Jenan Hussein contributed to this report.)
McClatchy Newspapers 2007
Ordinary life hardly the norm in Baghdad
By Leila Fadel | McClatchy Newspapers
* Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007
"Today, most of Baghdad's neighborhoods are being patrolled by coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are reopening. Citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence. Sectarian killings are down. And ordinary life is beginning to return."
— President Bush in his speech Thursday on Iraq
BAGHDAD — "Ordinary" isn't a word that residents of Baghdad use to describe their lives.
Gunmen are driving people from neighborhoods in the city's southwest. Electricity, depending on which block you live on, is available as little as two hours a day. Running water, if it's available, is unsafe to drink.
Car bombings are down, but most residents won't leave their neighborhoods, frightened that they'll encounter Shiite Muslim militiamen or Sunni Muslim extremists who'll kill them.
Some markets are reopening in the southern neighborhood of Dora under the watch of U.S. soldiers, but no one from outside the neighborhood visits.
As for schools, it's hard to say: The school year hasn't started yet.
Yousef al Mousawi, a 28-year-old Shiite resident of Sadr City, told this story Friday: Two days ago, his friend Mustafa was kidnapped from his computer shop. He was later found dead, shot in the head. It wasn't unusual. In his neighborhood — controlled by the Mahdi Army militia, loyal to cleric Muqtada al Sadr — he sees bodies every day.
Traffic jams terrify him, he said. He was wounded by a car bomb last year and has traveled the region since for medical treatment.
"The Mahdi Army isn't just killing Sunnis now, they are killing Shiites as well," he said. "I go to university, I'm afraid of suicide bombers and car bombs. I come home and I'm afraid of the Mahdi Army. We're living in fear, endless fear."
Even grocery shopping can be risky. Jassim Mohammed, 53, a Sunni from the neighborhood of Sleikh in northern Baghdad, said he rarely left his home, let alone traveled to marketplaces throughout the city.
This week marked the start of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. The evening meal is a feast, and everyone wants his favorite food. But what Mohammed's family eats is up to Abu Ahmed, the lone grocer in his neighborhood. If he's selling okra, they eat okra stew. If he doesn't have yogurt, they don't eat yogurt. As a Sunni in what's become a Shiite capital, Mohammed said, he has no choice.
"It has become a dream for us to shop from any central market," he said. "No way can I roam freely in Baghdad. I can barely get from home to work, there are so many checkpoints manned by people I don't trust."
"By what standards can I consider this life ordinary?" he asked. "Would Mr. Bush consider my life normal if he knew the details? Would any American?"
Muhsin al Ribaawi, 45, a Shiite, lives in Hurriyah, a once-mixed neighborhood in northwest Baghdad that's been devoid of Sunnis since they were forced out in December. The change was good, Ribaawi thinks. He can travel freely through Shiite neighborhoods throughout the capital, though he never ventures into Sunni enclaves. He no longer sees as many bodies dumped on the streets. As a supervisor for roads and bridges in Baghdad, he used to encounter as many as 20 a day. "I'm so happy for that," he said.
Still, life is hardly back to normal. Dirty and disease-ridden, the water that comes from his tap is "terrifying."
Mohammed al Ani, 36, a Sunni, lives in Mansour, in central Baghdad. When he travels elsewhere in the capital, he maps out his route so that he passes only through Sunni neighborhoods.
"If they (militias) have my ID and they see my tribal name, al Ani, I may lose my life," he said. When he returns home at 5 p.m., the neighborhood is already empty and he shuts himself inside.
On Industry Street in central Baghdad, Mariam Shleimoon, a Christian, said she spent her days cowering in her home. Earlier this week, the Mahdi Army called her husband. They said he'd cursed the militia and that the family must pay — $4,000, a princely sum for a poor man who makes his money repairing kerosene heaters, a skill needed only in winter.
Shleimoon and her husband went to the police but no one would help, so they stay in to avoid the militia. She'd like her children to stay home as well. Her daughter, Rita, barely escaped a bombing, and her son watched a man be killed as he waited to buy bread. But the heat is stifling — they have only two hours of electricity a day, one in the morning and one at night — and her children want to get out of the house.
"We are living in fear," she said. "I thought about selling out and leaving the country but my husband said, 'I will live and die here.' "
In Saidiyah, in southwest Baghdad, Ali Mohammed, 30, a Sunni, said nearly all the stores in his neighborhood had closed as Shiite and Sunni gunmen battled to control the area. The only clinic closed three months ago. It didn't have any medicine, anyway, he said.
A university student, he fears leaving the neighborhood because the checkpoints are manned by police commandos, units known to be rife with Shiite militiamen, who alert gunmen in civilian cars to attack suspected Sunnis. Three days ago, a father and son were killed at a checkpoint, he said.
Bush, he said, "is speaking the opposite of what's going on on the ground."
(McClatchy Newspapers special correspondents Sahar Issa, Mohammed al Dulaimy, Laith Hammoudi and Jenan Hussein contributed to this report.)
McClatchy Newspapers 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Ah, The Memories
I'm not sure if this will takeoff or not, but since I am the game info poster for the BTBz site, I figured it was worth a try. With the release of Halo 3 less than two weeks away, I thought it would be cool to share some memories of Halo 2 multiplayer matches as most of the BTBz played the game together. I can think of many such as Red's comments to a 12 year old about said 12 year old's mom, J Ho thinking that everyone (and their mom) that he played against had some kind of mod, but the one I'm going to discuss is the one that is probably still talked about the most to date.
One night while playing Zanzibar with Red and J Ho, I received a phone call. Upon looking at the phone I see that it is Red. I couldn't figure out why he didn't use the Xbox Live Communicator to say what he had to say, but I answered the phone anyway. Red then tells me that he is outside the Zanzibar compound in a Warthog and that I should take control of the turret gun and we could takeout J Ho. It sounded like a good plan to me so I ran to the beach area of the map. When I got there I saw two warthogs playing bumper cars. I immediately jump on the gun of the nearest warthog and start laying down fire at the other warthog until it exploded. The next thing I hear is J Ho saying nice shooting. I pause and say "Oh man, I'm in the wrong warthog!"
One night while playing Zanzibar with Red and J Ho, I received a phone call. Upon looking at the phone I see that it is Red. I couldn't figure out why he didn't use the Xbox Live Communicator to say what he had to say, but I answered the phone anyway. Red then tells me that he is outside the Zanzibar compound in a Warthog and that I should take control of the turret gun and we could takeout J Ho. It sounded like a good plan to me so I ran to the beach area of the map. When I got there I saw two warthogs playing bumper cars. I immediately jump on the gun of the nearest warthog and start laying down fire at the other warthog until it exploded. The next thing I hear is J Ho saying nice shooting. I pause and say "Oh man, I'm in the wrong warthog!"
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Chump... Located (Corrected)
Horray! The Actual Chump with Russ has been located in the crowd! The above pic has Chump and Russ somewhere in it. See if you can find them.
After the original post, Z brought to my attention that I found the wrong "me". I thought I was wearing a black shirt with my red Budweiser hat and I foolishly found the wrong person. I am embarrassed, but nonetheless I'm still in the picture. However, in my defense, the person I originally thought was me is wearing almost the same exact attire, sans Russ.
If you need help, you can click here.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
where in the world is JHo?
while at the NNCS bristol night race, T and i decided to try to find JHo and Chump in the crowd. this is a bit of a daunting task considering the enormous amount of people who attend the night race, but i was up for the challenge. i knew approximately where JHo was and T called him to have him wave his indians jones hat to help. after several unsuccessful attempts, being dejected, i took a final pic and as i was putting the camera down, out of the corner of my eye i saw his bright yellow shirt on the view screen, but as i said i was putting the camera down. it happened so quickly i couldn't find him precisely again, but i had a more refined search area, so i turned to my GRAW2 training... "spray & pray". i just took loads of pictures of the vast crowd in the now more specific area to analyze later. after all, this was a bristol race, and i had drinking to do and racing to watch.
today, i analyzed the pix, and wouldn't you know it. out of the 20 or so pix i took, only 2 or 3 were clear, and i actually found him in two of those three. fancy. so here's the pic. try to find him (HINT: he's wearing a bright yellow shirt and looks downtrodden, he'd taken off his indian jones hat at this point). you can click on the picture to see a larger version for better hunting. if you can't find him, you can click here where i circled him. you can see them in order, left to right: leslie, chuggie, chug, and JHo.
i tried the same thing with ChumpAss, but he thinks the scoring pole was DIRECTLY in our way (what luck). again, i did my "spray and pray" technique, so now i'm just waiting to hear back from him as to some landmarks, sections, rows, etc. maybe i can do the same for him. i love my canon S2 IS.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
GO APPY STATE!!!
Appalachian State's win makes new friends in Columbus
ESPN.com news services
Updated: September 6, 2007, 11:42 AM ET
The enemy of my enemy is my friend -- and I want to wear my new friend's T-shirt!
That's the newest trend among Ohio State fans, whose latest fashion statement is in the colors of Appalachian State, which shocked then-No. 5 Michigan 34-32 on Saturday in the first win by a Division I-AA team over a ranked I-A team.
Hours after the historic defeat, at least one street vendor was doing brisk business selling freshly minted Mountaineers T-shirts near the Ohio State campus. And local stores say they've been swamped with requests for gear bearing the Mountaineers' gold and black colors and logo, as Buckeyes fans take glee in the humiliation of their bitter rival.
"If I had a dollar for every time someone's asked, I could retire," said manager Greg Pierson at Sports Fan Attic.
The mall store on the city's north side planned to stock Appalachian State shirts within the next few days, though just a small number. "It's very popular at the moment, but it'll die down very shortly," Pierson predicted.
Meanwhile, phone lines at the bookstore on the Appalachian State campus in Boone, N.C., have been jammed with orders for Mountaineers merchandise, with many of the calls coming from Ohio.
But the store has had to be careful, because an old state law limits sales at university bookstores to students, faculty and alumni. A couple of Ohio men wanting large numbers of Appalachian State T-shirts had to be turned down, said Lorraine Childers, the bookstore's assistant director.
Smaller orders might get by.
"If people call in and say, 'My uncle is a graduate' or whatever, we really don't have a way to verify that," Childers said.
ESPN.com news services
Updated: September 6, 2007, 11:42 AM ET
The enemy of my enemy is my friend -- and I want to wear my new friend's T-shirt!
That's the newest trend among Ohio State fans, whose latest fashion statement is in the colors of Appalachian State, which shocked then-No. 5 Michigan 34-32 on Saturday in the first win by a Division I-AA team over a ranked I-A team.
Hours after the historic defeat, at least one street vendor was doing brisk business selling freshly minted Mountaineers T-shirts near the Ohio State campus. And local stores say they've been swamped with requests for gear bearing the Mountaineers' gold and black colors and logo, as Buckeyes fans take glee in the humiliation of their bitter rival.
"If I had a dollar for every time someone's asked, I could retire," said manager Greg Pierson at Sports Fan Attic.
The mall store on the city's north side planned to stock Appalachian State shirts within the next few days, though just a small number. "It's very popular at the moment, but it'll die down very shortly," Pierson predicted.
Meanwhile, phone lines at the bookstore on the Appalachian State campus in Boone, N.C., have been jammed with orders for Mountaineers merchandise, with many of the calls coming from Ohio.
But the store has had to be careful, because an old state law limits sales at university bookstores to students, faculty and alumni. A couple of Ohio men wanting large numbers of Appalachian State T-shirts had to be turned down, said Lorraine Childers, the bookstore's assistant director.
Smaller orders might get by.
"If people call in and say, 'My uncle is a graduate' or whatever, we really don't have a way to verify that," Childers said.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Whoa, Nelly!
What a weekend in college football. I have been waiting since the beginning of January for the games to start back up.
OH - IO
The Ohio State University covers the spread (31) in the defeat of Youngstown State. I couldn't watch the damn game because Time Warner Cable doesn't carry the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Network (BTN) wants Time Warner (TW) to pay them $1.10 per customer. TW wants to put the BTN on the Digital Sports Package, so those who want it will have to pay for it. BTN wants it on the standard lineup (where everyone who has TW will be paying for it). It is just a way of strong-arming TW into giving the BTN as much money as they can. If you live outside the Big Ten region, The BTN only charges $0.10 per customer. Talk about a scam. But no worries, I have tickets for the OSU / Akron game next Saturday so I will definitely be going to see that game.
Don't give a damn 'bout the whole state of Michigan
Speaking of BTN games I wish I could've seen, Michigan was upset (there needs to be a stronger word than 'upset' when it comes to this loss) by Appalachian State. Thanks to Mike Hart being out for a portion of the game, Michigan's D-fence still in the rebuilding stages, the highly-touted Michigan O thinking they will always win in the end (which they almost did), the D I-AA Champs Appalachian State pull off the biggest UPSET EVER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Never before has an A.P. ranked (just ranked; Michigan was 5TH!) lost to a Division I AA opponent. Oh! How I am lovin' it. Henne and Hart only came back (passing up millions from the NFL) to beat Ohio State and WIN the National Championship. Well, they may be able to beat OSU, maybe; they WILL not win the National Championship. It must suck for them, after week one knowing they will not accomplish the main goal of returning to Michigan. And, by the way, how is Lloyd Carr still coaching that school? I can coach Michigan and still bring in big name recruits (it's fricken' Michigan!!). What he never seems to do is have his team ready for games. Michigan should get an NFL coordinator to take over as head coach...
What's Your Excuse Now, Notre Dame?
like Charlie Weis. All those Notre Dame HOMERS who never even been to the school, live by the school, never seen a game live, but always have the ND jersey on are probably in their parent's basement right now trying to figure out what to say as an excuse to why ND lost. I am sure they will be following this FLOWCHART. What about Charlie Weis? The Genius? The Savior? Who will raise the bar again for Notre Dame Football? What about Charlie Now? He was paid $40 million and he did do well the past couple of years (with Tyrone Willingham's players) The offensive guru used 3 different QB's (talk about desperate). I mean, Georgia Tech!!!! I am not talking about a ranked team. I mean, Georgia Tech!!!! And losing 33-3! Almost a SHUTOUT!!!! AT HOME!!!!! ON OPENING WEEKEND!!!!! Notre Dame does not deserve the exclusive contract with NBC. Last time they were good, Lou Holtz was by-passing every NCAA rule in the book and ND was lowering every academic standard.
Well, time to get going. I need to set up my Sirius Stiletto SL100, and I wanna play some Bioshock before I pick up the Ohio State Tickets for next Saturday.
OH - IO
The Ohio State University covers the spread (31) in the defeat of Youngstown State. I couldn't watch the damn game because Time Warner Cable doesn't carry the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Network (BTN) wants Time Warner (TW) to pay them $1.10 per customer. TW wants to put the BTN on the Digital Sports Package, so those who want it will have to pay for it. BTN wants it on the standard lineup (where everyone who has TW will be paying for it). It is just a way of strong-arming TW into giving the BTN as much money as they can. If you live outside the Big Ten region, The BTN only charges $0.10 per customer. Talk about a scam. But no worries, I have tickets for the OSU / Akron game next Saturday so I will definitely be going to see that game.
Don't give a damn 'bout the whole state of Michigan
Speaking of BTN games I wish I could've seen, Michigan was upset (there needs to be a stronger word than 'upset' when it comes to this loss) by Appalachian State. Thanks to Mike Hart being out for a portion of the game, Michigan's D-fence still in the rebuilding stages, the highly-touted Michigan O thinking they will always win in the end (which they almost did), the D I-AA Champs Appalachian State pull off the biggest UPSET EVER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Never before has an A.P. ranked (just ranked; Michigan was 5TH!) lost to a Division I AA opponent. Oh! How I am lovin' it. Henne and Hart only came back (passing up millions from the NFL) to beat Ohio State and WIN the National Championship. Well, they may be able to beat OSU, maybe; they WILL not win the National Championship. It must suck for them, after week one knowing they will not accomplish the main goal of returning to Michigan. And, by the way, how is Lloyd Carr still coaching that school? I can coach Michigan and still bring in big name recruits (it's fricken' Michigan!!). What he never seems to do is have his team ready for games. Michigan should get an NFL coordinator to take over as head coach...
What's Your Excuse Now, Notre Dame?
like Charlie Weis. All those Notre Dame HOMERS who never even been to the school, live by the school, never seen a game live, but always have the ND jersey on are probably in their parent's basement right now trying to figure out what to say as an excuse to why ND lost. I am sure they will be following this FLOWCHART. What about Charlie Weis? The Genius? The Savior? Who will raise the bar again for Notre Dame Football? What about Charlie Now? He was paid $40 million and he did do well the past couple of years (with Tyrone Willingham's players) The offensive guru used 3 different QB's (talk about desperate). I mean, Georgia Tech!!!! I am not talking about a ranked team. I mean, Georgia Tech!!!! And losing 33-3! Almost a SHUTOUT!!!! AT HOME!!!!! ON OPENING WEEKEND!!!!! Notre Dame does not deserve the exclusive contract with NBC. Last time they were good, Lou Holtz was by-passing every NCAA rule in the book and ND was lowering every academic standard.
Well, time to get going. I need to set up my Sirius Stiletto SL100, and I wanna play some Bioshock before I pick up the Ohio State Tickets for next Saturday.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Week That Was...
And Still Going On. Well, let's see. Another hypocritical Republican Congressman has been found out to be Gay. Another one of Bush's Senior Administration Officials (code named: C.R.O.N.I.E.S.) is leaving the sinking ship. Yeah, that will change American's minds of Bush, fire ANOTHER one of his inept 'yes' men. The GAO (that's General Accounting Office - for those who spend more time on perezhilton.com instead of news sites) says that Iraq has met 3 of 18 benchmarks. Great job Bush for fixing that country! Only been five years, but his Halliburtons and such haven't even given clean drinking water to the Iraqis yet (read about the cholera breakout in Northern Iraq). Yet the Iraqis are responsible for the problems of the country. Now Bush says that the benchmarks that he imposed (which was recommended by the 'Iraq Study Group') were too high a mark to make. He is doing to the Iraqis which he has already done to the U.S.: Make them dumb. Then they don't see the oil slipping out of the country by the truckloads in the dead of night.
The Political Cartoons have been dead-on this week: here are some
The Political Cartoons have been dead-on this week: here are some
New Virus
ALWAYS BE ALERT
There is a dangerous virus being passed around electronically, orally, and by hand.
This virus is called Weary-Overload-Recreational-Killer (WORK).
If you Receive WORK from any of your colleagues, your boss, or anyone
else via any means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely.
If you should come into contact with WORK, put your jacket on and take
two good friends to the nearest grocery store. Purchase the antidote known as
Work-Isolating-Neutralizer-Extract (WINE) or Bothersome-Employer-Elimination-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.
You should forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5 friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life.
DISCLAIMER: I received this post in an e-mail from my mom and thought it was funny so I posted it to the blog. It is not meant to be aimed at anyone as we all suffer from WORK in some way or another. Thank you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast.
There is a dangerous virus being passed around electronically, orally, and by hand.
This virus is called Weary-Overload-Recreational-Killer (WORK).
If you Receive WORK from any of your colleagues, your boss, or anyone
else via any means DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely.
If you should come into contact with WORK, put your jacket on and take
two good friends to the nearest grocery store. Purchase the antidote known as
Work-Isolating-Neutralizer-Extract (WINE) or Bothersome-Employer-Elimination-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.
You should forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5 friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life.
DISCLAIMER: I received this post in an e-mail from my mom and thought it was funny so I posted it to the blog. It is not meant to be aimed at anyone as we all suffer from WORK in some way or another. Thank you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
cheney '94 interview about iraq
i'm seriously surprised BTVJGJHo hasn't posted this yet. maybe it's a bit too mainstream for his politics, but i thought it was hilarious. now, their excuse is... when that interview was taken, we didn't have a 9/11. wtf does 9/11 have to do with IRAQ? it had to do with bin laden and afghanistan. that's the Grand Ol' Party for ya.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Do we really need a remake of this film
I like this film, but does it really need to be remade. Now, the second film was great. They should really remake it. But how do you remake a film that Mike Taylor says, "Has top notch special effects, great acting, and one hell of a plot." Good luck to the person who attempts it. "Sad story. Got a smoke?"
The Bristol Experience is Officially Open
This is just a quick note to let all the BTownBoyz know that The Bristol Experience is officially open for business. For those of you who don't know what it is, click on the the link and check it out. And if any of the BTBz who aren't already involved want to be a part of it, let me know and I'll add you.
For those of you who know what TBE is (ala Z, T, & JHo) I need you guys to start posting your best Bristol stories. I can think of dozens right now, but we need you guys to start it off. Where to start? How about T's bi-hourly trips to the bathhouse, or Phillis' Mingos at the Sportsman, late-night trips to the Ambulance, the snowiest race ever, or the endless walk to the Mad Greek. Whatever it is, share it on TBE. Also, if you have any pictures, that would be even better!
For those of you who know what TBE is (ala Z, T, & JHo) I need you guys to start posting your best Bristol stories. I can think of dozens right now, but we need you guys to start it off. Where to start? How about T's bi-hourly trips to the bathhouse, or Phillis' Mingos at the Sportsman, late-night trips to the Ambulance, the snowiest race ever, or the endless walk to the Mad Greek. Whatever it is, share it on TBE. Also, if you have any pictures, that would be even better!
does anyone remember...
...phillip mcgilton? he was a year behind the BTBz at BHS. i don't recall much about him besides a vague idea of what he looked like, his name, and maybe he got in trouble a lot? anyways, i was watching speed today and caught the 11-august ARCA/REMAX race in nashville, and the #47 is driven by a phillip mcgilton. i thought it was a strange coincidence as i wouldn't consider either of those very common names, so i looked the guy up online. he states his hometown as being marion, IL, but the picture on the page... i think that is B-Town's own phillip mcgilton. i just think it's cool our little town has someone that might be racing stock cars. i e-mailed him to verify, i'll keep everyone updated as i KNOW you are on the edge of your seats.
It's a post from C!
As always, a random collection of thoughts. And by random, I mean mostly about Michael Vick, although I'm not sure why.
1. Michael Vick stole my dog last night and shocked it to death... just when I was about to forgive him for stealing my bike.
2. There was a kid on GRAW2 last night who couldn't have been older than 8 years old. He had something like 22 kills and 5 deaths. It reminded me of why I hate Halo so much. He also called out all the foreign language speaking people. It reminded me of why I hate foreign people so much.
3. Speaking of Halo, I saw one of the weapons is going to be a flamethrower. I am hoping once you set someone on fire, they scream in agony at a ridiculous volume... so loudly you have to pull out a pistol and shoot them quickly so you don't give away your position. Also I heard they had Michael Vick do the motion capture for Master Chief using the pistol to put down his dogs, er, kill enemies. Hey-oh! Somebody stop me!
4. I watched four of the Little League Regional finals over the weekend. Little League loses a lot of the appeal when there isn't a freakish 6 foot tall 200 pounder claiming to be 12 years old throwing 70 mph fastballs at a kid who only weighs 93 pounds. Little League reminds me of EA Sports games set on retard easy level. One team had six or seven homeruns in six innings Saturday. That was as bad as me beating Youngstown State 176-2 with OSU last night.
5. I heard someone say they wouldn't pass judgement on Vick until the trial, that they learned their lesson from the Duke case. I know I'm taking it slightly out of context, but there is one big difference between the cases. The dogs didn't make up a story about being forced to fight on Vick's property or tales of their friends being mutilated if they weren't good fighters. I've seen pictures of dogs playing poker, but I don't think they can talk or write. Maybe I shouldn't pass judgment though.
6. Save some of your liver for Myrtle next weekend.
1. Michael Vick stole my dog last night and shocked it to death... just when I was about to forgive him for stealing my bike.
2. There was a kid on GRAW2 last night who couldn't have been older than 8 years old. He had something like 22 kills and 5 deaths. It reminded me of why I hate Halo so much. He also called out all the foreign language speaking people. It reminded me of why I hate foreign people so much.
3. Speaking of Halo, I saw one of the weapons is going to be a flamethrower. I am hoping once you set someone on fire, they scream in agony at a ridiculous volume... so loudly you have to pull out a pistol and shoot them quickly so you don't give away your position. Also I heard they had Michael Vick do the motion capture for Master Chief using the pistol to put down his dogs, er, kill enemies. Hey-oh! Somebody stop me!
4. I watched four of the Little League Regional finals over the weekend. Little League loses a lot of the appeal when there isn't a freakish 6 foot tall 200 pounder claiming to be 12 years old throwing 70 mph fastballs at a kid who only weighs 93 pounds. Little League reminds me of EA Sports games set on retard easy level. One team had six or seven homeruns in six innings Saturday. That was as bad as me beating Youngstown State 176-2 with OSU last night.
5. I heard someone say they wouldn't pass judgement on Vick until the trial, that they learned their lesson from the Duke case. I know I'm taking it slightly out of context, but there is one big difference between the cases. The dogs didn't make up a story about being forced to fight on Vick's property or tales of their friends being mutilated if they weren't good fighters. I've seen pictures of dogs playing poker, but I don't think they can talk or write. Maybe I shouldn't pass judgment though.
6. Save some of your liver for Myrtle next weekend.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Here it comes
So what do you do to deflect attention from the shithole which is Iraq? Start talking about bombing Iran. RRRRAAAAARRRR RRRRAAAAAAHHHH RRRRRR Bomb Iran (if you watch 'Little Bush' you know who I'm talking about) .
What is really messed up is not one of the major news organizations (cnn, msnbc, new york times, Washington Post) talks about this. Reuters at least mentions that the Bush Admin (take it for what you think is worth) says that Iran is smuggling more into Iraq. McClatchy News, formerly Knight-Ridder (not the Hasselhoff TV show) has always reported the skinny before anyone else did. Exposed Abu Grab Prison months before it's widely reported, exposed Walter Reed months before anyone else.
What is really messed up is not one of the major news organizations (cnn, msnbc, new york times, Washington Post) talks about this. Reuters at least mentions that the Bush Admin (take it for what you think is worth) says that Iran is smuggling more into Iraq. McClatchy News, formerly Knight-Ridder (not the Hasselhoff TV show) has always reported the skinny before anyone else did. Exposed Abu Grab Prison months before it's widely reported, exposed Walter Reed months before anyone else.
Friday, August 10, 2007
awesome GRAW2 accessory
myself and some of the BTBz play ghost recon advanced warfighter 2 (GRAW2) on the XBOX 360. now, the old nintendo systems had the gun for duck hunt, and the pad for the olympic games. if only microsoft could subsidize this accessory, so i could play GRAW2 and get my exercise at the same time. that would be bad ass.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Maybe he has had it all along...
It was revealed that President Bush had Lyme Disease last Summer. I think he has had it a lot longer than that. He's had the disease since taking office back in 2001. Here are symptoms of prolonged exposure to the disease.
BRAIN
Nerve conduction defects (weakness/paralysis of limbs, loss of reflexes, tingling sensations of the extremities - peripheral neuropathy), severe headaches, stiff neck, meningitis, cranial nerve involvement (e.g. change in smell/taste; difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking; hoarseness or vocal cord problems; facial paralysis - Bell's palsy; dizziness/fainting; drooping shoulders; inability to turn head; light or sound sensitivity; change in hearing; deviation of eyeball [wandering or lazy eye], drooping eyelid), stroke, abnormal brain waves or seizures, sleep disorders, cognitive changes (memory problems, difficulty in word finding, confusion, decreased concentration, problems with numbers) and, behavioral changes (depression, personality changes).
Other psychiatric manifestations that have been reported in the scientific literature include: panic attacks; disorientation; hallucinations; extreme agitation; impulsive violence, manic, or obsessive behavior; paranoia; schiziphrenic-like states, dementia, and eating disorders. Several patients have committed suicide.
EYES
Vision changes, including blindness, retinal damage, optic atrophy, red eye, conjunctivitis, "spots" before eyes, inflammation of various parts of the eye, pain, double vision.
BRAIN
Nerve conduction defects (weakness/paralysis of limbs, loss of reflexes, tingling sensations of the extremities - peripheral neuropathy), severe headaches, stiff neck, meningitis, cranial nerve involvement (e.g. change in smell/taste; difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking; hoarseness or vocal cord problems; facial paralysis - Bell's palsy; dizziness/fainting; drooping shoulders; inability to turn head; light or sound sensitivity; change in hearing; deviation of eyeball [wandering or lazy eye], drooping eyelid), stroke, abnormal brain waves or seizures, sleep disorders, cognitive changes (memory problems, difficulty in word finding, confusion, decreased concentration, problems with numbers) and, behavioral changes (depression, personality changes).
Other psychiatric manifestations that have been reported in the scientific literature include: panic attacks; disorientation; hallucinations; extreme agitation; impulsive violence, manic, or obsessive behavior; paranoia; schiziphrenic-like states, dementia, and eating disorders. Several patients have committed suicide.
EYES
Vision changes, including blindness, retinal damage, optic atrophy, red eye, conjunctivitis, "spots" before eyes, inflammation of various parts of the eye, pain, double vision.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Friday, August 03, 2007
First Google then the world
Did anyone notice this. It also means that those who type it in and press the "I'm feeling lucky" button will go straight to the blog. I thought it was kinda cool to have first place. I tried using different variations to come up with these stats, such as Btown Boyz, btownboyz, B-Town Boyz, etc. Here are some others.
Google #1(every variation came up first)
Yahoo #2(used Btown Boyz)
Ask #2 and lycos #3(had to use btownboyz to work)
msn doesn't like us at all, but how do you expain this.(Btown Boyz and B-Town Boyz came up with the former link. Btownboyz came up with a link for viral video which had our blog listed for something with Guitar Hero 2. I'm guessing J Ho's post with me and him caused this)
And yes it was a slow day at work today.
Google #1(every variation came up first)
Yahoo #2(used Btown Boyz)
Ask #2 and lycos #3(had to use btownboyz to work)
msn doesn't like us at all, but how do you expain this.(Btown Boyz and B-Town Boyz came up with the former link. Btownboyz came up with a link for viral video which had our blog listed for something with Guitar Hero 2. I'm guessing J Ho's post with me and him caused this)
And yes it was a slow day at work today.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
captain morgan at bristol?
i was going through old bristol pix, ones i got from BTVJGJHo, form the 2007 spring race. i have an OCD thing where i have to rename pix, that way i can find a pic of dale jr easier than knowing it was DCIM0478 or some such shite. while doing so, i found this rather useless picture (i don't see anything exciting in it) except for this guy, doing an extreme captain morgan pose for the #5 car. what do you think?
maybe we can do a fancy captain morgan's pose at bristol ourselves? submit it, make some benjamins? everyone start thinking.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
BUNNIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this bunny from donnie darko scares the living hell out of me. we haven't had bunnies in a while. bewbz are better, but bunnies are OK, too.
you can get arrested for that!
a brit and his fellow brit friend came to america to intentionally break some of The USofA's more absurd laws that are still on the books. you can see a photojournal of some of them here. pretty funny.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Bristol Track Walk
On Saturday of Bristol weekend, the Nascar Foundation is sponsoring a Bristol Track Walk. To register, a $30 donation is required. I was just wondering if any BTB that will be in attendance would be interested in participating. Let me know if there is any interest. We can even create a team (may I suggest the BTownBoyz) and possibly get the Shadyside gang involved. Click here for details.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
another BTB souvenir for the future BTBcave
last fall, at the bristol night race, we were lucky enough to get an autographed budweiser poster from the budweiser girls. i think you got it if you bought a 6-pack of over-priced bud, but they were hot and we probably weren't very sober, and they'd autograph it. here is the picture.
yesterday, BTVJGJHo and i ended up at hooters, and we got our latest souvenir for the BTBcave (whenever it gets around to being bought). here's the new one we got from jenna at hooter's..
thanks jenna!
yesterday, BTVJGJHo and i ended up at hooters, and we got our latest souvenir for the BTBcave (whenever it gets around to being bought). here's the new one we got from jenna at hooter's..
thanks jenna!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Poker Tour Continues, Finally
Poker Night: Friday July 27
Adam's house
8:00 pm
directions if you want
plans to take the cup from Taylor!
Adam's house
8:00 pm
directions if you want
plans to take the cup from Taylor!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Who Knew Willy was German (or is it Polish)?
I was stumbling along today and came across another site for 'worst album covers.' As I scrolled down the page, I found one and thought to myself, 'Hey! He looks familiar." But judge for yourself...
Saturday, July 21, 2007
5 Polyps Down...
One head to go!!!
Also, thanks to Republicans, the people's work (namely, Iraq) hasn't been accomplished due to the Republicans stalling every chance they get. In the end, the Republicans will say the Democrats had no plan (even though it is them who actually prevented any of their measures from passing). Dirty politics have been stooped to the next lowest level. Thank the Republicans for bringing baby-like, bickering, politics to a new level of disgust.
Also, thanks to Republicans, the people's work (namely, Iraq) hasn't been accomplished due to the Republicans stalling every chance they get. In the end, the Republicans will say the Democrats had no plan (even though it is them who actually prevented any of their measures from passing). Dirty politics have been stooped to the next lowest level. Thank the Republicans for bringing baby-like, bickering, politics to a new level of disgust.
BTBz Dating Service
I know most of the BTBz are slowly taking the plunge into marriage. And there's only a few single BTBz left (you know who you are.) HOWEVER, I have single-handily come up with the perfect solution to Z's eternal happiness. Oh, and never forget this. Um... yeah, but watch out for this.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Uh OHHHH!
Get out your duct tape, plastic, flashlight, and radio because Cheney is now in charge (like he never wasn't). He will suspend the Constitution (wait, he already has) and set himself up as Supreme Leader by 3:00.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Time to Get Out
Why are we there? The Iraqis don't want us there. Soldiers are being blown up on a daily basis. Our troops, under orders and severe stress, are committing heinous acts. Every day the death toll rises.
How do we get out? The Bush & Chaney Administration are not gonna allow that to happen (admit failure?). The Republicans in Congress, despite some realizing the truth, are still blocking any real chance to START the end.
The Iraqis live in fear, not in prosperity, like a lot had before the invasion. There were schools, colleges, hospitals, electricity, oil. Women were able to go to school (doesn't seem like some Muslim state, huh). What do the people of Iraq NOT have now? Schools, colleges (they are there, but the faculty and students are DISAPPEARING), hospitals (they are there, but the doctors are disappearing), electricity (they have no OIL to fuel the power plants), oil (they have no ELECTRICITY to run the oil plants). Yes, the surge has fixed all those problems.
Will there be change? After the election, maybe. Bush will pawn it off on a DEMOCRATIC President (or, I hope, Republican Ron Paul). Of course, Conservatives will use the eventual disintegration of Iraq as talking points and spin to better a political cause, not caring what really happens to our soldiers and other human beings. Hopefully, the truth comes out that shows this Administration dwarfing the Nixon Admin when it comes to deceitfulness and crony ism.
Will we as a people stand up and cast these heathens back to their Bible's Hell? No.
Just keep cramming unhealthy, hormone rich, antibiotic saturated, over sugared, super caffeinated, vitamin free, shit down our mouths as we watch mindless, exploitive, lowest common denominator television on our over sized couch and say to ourselves, "what can I do?".
How do we get out? The Bush & Chaney Administration are not gonna allow that to happen (admit failure?). The Republicans in Congress, despite some realizing the truth, are still blocking any real chance to START the end.
The Iraqis live in fear, not in prosperity, like a lot had before the invasion. There were schools, colleges, hospitals, electricity, oil. Women were able to go to school (doesn't seem like some Muslim state, huh). What do the people of Iraq NOT have now? Schools, colleges (they are there, but the faculty and students are DISAPPEARING), hospitals (they are there, but the doctors are disappearing), electricity (they have no OIL to fuel the power plants), oil (they have no ELECTRICITY to run the oil plants). Yes, the surge has fixed all those problems.
Will there be change? After the election, maybe. Bush will pawn it off on a DEMOCRATIC President (or, I hope, Republican Ron Paul). Of course, Conservatives will use the eventual disintegration of Iraq as talking points and spin to better a political cause, not caring what really happens to our soldiers and other human beings. Hopefully, the truth comes out that shows this Administration dwarfing the Nixon Admin when it comes to deceitfulness and crony ism.
Will we as a people stand up and cast these heathens back to their Bible's Hell? No.
Just keep cramming unhealthy, hormone rich, antibiotic saturated, over sugared, super caffeinated, vitamin free, shit down our mouths as we watch mindless, exploitive, lowest common denominator television on our over sized couch and say to ourselves, "what can I do?".
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Another one bites the dust
This may be a shock to some people; Christy and I have gotten married. Yes, married. We got married Wednesday and today are heading up to Put-In-Bay for a long weekend. The hassle of planning an event was just too much for us so we decided to just get the ceremony over with quickly. We will be planning a Valley party plus maybe a cbus thang. Details to come; must get on the road.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Bellaire Couple Injured in Pool Collapse
This just in to the BTBz Newsroom... Erin Tobin's (a.k.a. preggers) parents were swimming in their pool earlier Monday afternoon when it collapsed. Unofficial reports indicate that Lori's boob popped out and James lost his swim trunks. When reached for comment, James indicated 'she had to grab my pecker to save herself.' (btw, I'm not making that quote up.) Anyway, here's News9's video coverage and here's WTRF's story.
Monday, July 09, 2007
groovy
i was going to put this on nomadic tendencies, but i figured this blog could use some more grooviness, and i haven't posted in a while. i like daft punk, and this girl can dance, and from what i can tell, might be cute. wonder how drunk she was.
Friday, July 06, 2007
What happened to the George Bush who insisted on honest government?
By Joseph L. Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers
Why is it that the Bush administration, in its dying throes, looks remarkably more like an organized crime ring than one of the arms of the American government? A poorly organized and run crime ring, truly, but a crime ring nonetheless.
Why do I keep remembering the George Bush that I actually once voted for when he first ran for president — the one who talked of bringing in an administration that would look more like the face of America and of giving us a government whose appointees would be honest, upright, fair and moral.
Yes, that's the one. What happened to him? Where did that George Bush go? When did he go over to The Dark Side? What enticements did Vice President Darth Cheney offer him? Was it the vision of unlimited, unchecked power over the world?
How can it be that this man from Texas presides over a White House that shelters and provides cover for men like Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who clearly believe that the laws of our country are only meant to be imposed on lesser beings, the man in the street?
Remember the George Bush who declared that anyone who violated the law and participated in the leaking of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame would be fired on the spot?
What about Karl Rove who works beside President Bush and is his Mr. Fixit and Mr. Fix Them? Was it just my imagination or did I not hear sworn testimony and see documents indicating that he was up to his pudgy little neck in the whole deal?
Can we not suppose that Mr. Rove was, in fact, at the root of the 51 White House employees whose e-mails miraculously vanished from all those e-mail accounts that executive-branch employees maintained through a cut-out: the Republican National Committee? How many laws governing the preservation of White House records, passed by Congress after the sorry spectacle of Richard Nixon and the vanishing 18.5 minutes of taped chit-chat in the Oval Office, have Mr. Rove and his hench-people broken? What ARE they hiding?
What about the lies and lame excuses put forward to hide their actions in the case of the missing federal prosecutors by the chief law enforcement officer of our country, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and his sophomoric young assistant attorneys general with their degrees from universities where only one book is on the reading list?
Does anyone doubt that Karl Rove personally drew up the list of those prosecutors who were to be executed because they did not enthusiastically go after people who were likely to vote for the Democrats in any election?
The good attorney general should be fired if he didn’t know where that list came from and he should also be fired if he did know and denied it under oath before Congress. It was his department, the one that is supposedly dedicated to upholding the laws of our nation fairly and with an even hand, and he damned well should have known and damned well should have told the simple truth.
Where is it written in either the federal statutes or the Constitution of the United States that our laws against criminal acts apply to everyone but nice, meek, small-statured Republican political operatives who have a wonderful wife and children? Our prisons are full of nice, meek white-collar criminals who cheated a bit on their taxes or back-dated their bountiful option awards or raped and looted the coffers of corporations and beggared the poor fools who trusted them and bought stock in their criminal enterprises.
The estimable Scooter Libby repeatedly lied under oath to investigators of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a sitting federal grand jury. Last time I looked that is a felony offense punishable by fine and imprisonment.
There are two former agents of the U.S. Border Patrol sitting in a federal prison for shooting a fleeing dope smuggler and then lying in their reports in an attempt to cover their butts with their bosses. Where is their commutation of sentences? Where is their pardon?
Instead of firing federal prosecutors who didn’t go after illegal immigrants and voter registration fraud like pit bulls, why isn’t our president demanding the dismissal of prosecutors and appointed regulators who turn a blind eye while the National Treasury is looted of billions by big corporations whose bosses write very large checks to Republican candidates?
What we have here, at the very heart of our own government, is a morass of criminal behavior unlike anything seen in recent American history.
It is past time to throw the rascals out of office, and I mean ALL the rascals of whatever party or political persuasion. If they didn’t participate then they closed their eyes to the rot, and by this I cheerfully include the Democrats in Congress who now control Congress and haven’t done anything but talk about doing something.
On his way out the door, whether sooner or later, George W. Bush had better sign one last pardon — to himself — for all the damage and destruction he has wrought on a nation that expected far better.
Why is it that the Bush administration, in its dying throes, looks remarkably more like an organized crime ring than one of the arms of the American government? A poorly organized and run crime ring, truly, but a crime ring nonetheless.
Why do I keep remembering the George Bush that I actually once voted for when he first ran for president — the one who talked of bringing in an administration that would look more like the face of America and of giving us a government whose appointees would be honest, upright, fair and moral.
Yes, that's the one. What happened to him? Where did that George Bush go? When did he go over to The Dark Side? What enticements did Vice President Darth Cheney offer him? Was it the vision of unlimited, unchecked power over the world?
How can it be that this man from Texas presides over a White House that shelters and provides cover for men like Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who clearly believe that the laws of our country are only meant to be imposed on lesser beings, the man in the street?
Remember the George Bush who declared that anyone who violated the law and participated in the leaking of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame would be fired on the spot?
What about Karl Rove who works beside President Bush and is his Mr. Fixit and Mr. Fix Them? Was it just my imagination or did I not hear sworn testimony and see documents indicating that he was up to his pudgy little neck in the whole deal?
Can we not suppose that Mr. Rove was, in fact, at the root of the 51 White House employees whose e-mails miraculously vanished from all those e-mail accounts that executive-branch employees maintained through a cut-out: the Republican National Committee? How many laws governing the preservation of White House records, passed by Congress after the sorry spectacle of Richard Nixon and the vanishing 18.5 minutes of taped chit-chat in the Oval Office, have Mr. Rove and his hench-people broken? What ARE they hiding?
What about the lies and lame excuses put forward to hide their actions in the case of the missing federal prosecutors by the chief law enforcement officer of our country, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and his sophomoric young assistant attorneys general with their degrees from universities where only one book is on the reading list?
Does anyone doubt that Karl Rove personally drew up the list of those prosecutors who were to be executed because they did not enthusiastically go after people who were likely to vote for the Democrats in any election?
The good attorney general should be fired if he didn’t know where that list came from and he should also be fired if he did know and denied it under oath before Congress. It was his department, the one that is supposedly dedicated to upholding the laws of our nation fairly and with an even hand, and he damned well should have known and damned well should have told the simple truth.
Where is it written in either the federal statutes or the Constitution of the United States that our laws against criminal acts apply to everyone but nice, meek, small-statured Republican political operatives who have a wonderful wife and children? Our prisons are full of nice, meek white-collar criminals who cheated a bit on their taxes or back-dated their bountiful option awards or raped and looted the coffers of corporations and beggared the poor fools who trusted them and bought stock in their criminal enterprises.
The estimable Scooter Libby repeatedly lied under oath to investigators of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a sitting federal grand jury. Last time I looked that is a felony offense punishable by fine and imprisonment.
There are two former agents of the U.S. Border Patrol sitting in a federal prison for shooting a fleeing dope smuggler and then lying in their reports in an attempt to cover their butts with their bosses. Where is their commutation of sentences? Where is their pardon?
Instead of firing federal prosecutors who didn’t go after illegal immigrants and voter registration fraud like pit bulls, why isn’t our president demanding the dismissal of prosecutors and appointed regulators who turn a blind eye while the National Treasury is looted of billions by big corporations whose bosses write very large checks to Republican candidates?
What we have here, at the very heart of our own government, is a morass of criminal behavior unlike anything seen in recent American history.
It is past time to throw the rascals out of office, and I mean ALL the rascals of whatever party or political persuasion. If they didn’t participate then they closed their eyes to the rot, and by this I cheerfully include the Democrats in Congress who now control Congress and haven’t done anything but talk about doing something.
On his way out the door, whether sooner or later, George W. Bush had better sign one last pardon — to himself — for all the damage and destruction he has wrought on a nation that expected far better.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Iraq is marching to...
the edge of a valley. The writing is on the wall: Iraq has spun out of control.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
He Died for Your WINS
This picture was taken last night at Comfest. With the exception of the random topless women, you just never know what to expect.
Friday, June 22, 2007
The End Is Near
I know what you're thinking. T's full of shit. Well lets take a look at the signs:
1. JHo has gone POLITICAL.
2. Slyght's trying to be more FRIENDLY.
3. Chumpassfool is going GREEN.
That makes us half way to the end of the world. There are three more events that we have to prevent:
1. Redness answering his phone everytime someone calls.
2. Wasko becoming a safe driver.
And the end all be all:
3. C becoming sober.
Now if you'll excuse me I have to start building my underground shelter. Good luck to us all.
1. JHo has gone POLITICAL.
2. Slyght's trying to be more FRIENDLY.
3. Chumpassfool is going GREEN.
That makes us half way to the end of the world. There are three more events that we have to prevent:
1. Redness answering his phone everytime someone calls.
2. Wasko becoming a safe driver.
And the end all be all:
3. C becoming sober.
Now if you'll excuse me I have to start building my underground shelter. Good luck to us all.
I've Been Feelin' GREEN Lately...
It's weird how people can complete change their beliefs and behaviors, even in something that seems unnecessary or mundane. And the change is absolute and definite. I'm being a little obscure, so I'll give you an example. When I turned 16 and got my driver's license, I wore my seatbelt. Not too remarkable except that I NEVER wore a seatbelt before in my life; in fact, I didn't know ANYBODY who regularly wore their seatbelt. But I did, and eventually so did my parents, and friends, and their friends, etc, and now, 14 years later, EVERYBODY I know wears a seatbelt. That's the kinda change I'm talking about. Now of course there's been state laws that are much more strict on seatbelt violators, but that wasn't the reason WE changed. It's really just an issue of safety and something we NEEDED to do. Thats an interesting phenomenon. I noticed it happening but never really paid much attention to it, until now, in retrospect. Interestingly enough, I see another change happening right now.
I don't want to get off on some crazy environmental rant (a la JHO's politico...), but I just want to know if anybody else sees this coming. As the title states, I've been feeling GREEN lately. I've been watching a lot of shows on television lately and read many articles on the internet about being GREEN, or eco-friendly. Basically GREEN is about saving energy and thus our planet. Dare I say Al Gore started the revolution with his documentary about the eminent danger of global warming An Inconvenient Truth, which by the way, you MUST see - fantastically done and incredibly informative to say the least. Then the Discovery Channel started airing shows that showed the importance of thinking GREEN and trying to reduce our dependence on rapidly decreasing supplies of foreign petroleum. Even This Old House renovated a 5-star (highest rating) GREEN house on it's last project in Texas. Even WalMart has started a GREEN initiative by promoting low-energy fluorescent light bulbs which use significantly less power than traditional incandescent bulbs. Just imagine the energy that could be saved if every WalMart customer would replace just one bulb with an energy-efficient fluorescent. I've already replace a few bulbs in my apartment.
I could go on and on, but its not necessary. I feel a revolution coming and a change in thinking. If we want to sustain this planet (at least until the sun burns out), we need to start now. Its not necessary to change everything we do, but every little thing can help out.
I found the video below and thought this guy demonstrates a very good point. And he does it in such a way that everyone can understand it. (He even includes a logic chart so us linearly-thinking nerds can understand.) I know the video is a little long, almost 10 minutes, but give it a chance.
Interesting Argument About Global Warming - Watch more free videos
Let me know what you think. Am I crazy or a hypocrite jumping on the eco-green-bandwagon? Maybe I'm just full of shit, but I can sense a change coming.
I don't want to get off on some crazy environmental rant (a la JHO's politico...), but I just want to know if anybody else sees this coming. As the title states, I've been feeling GREEN lately. I've been watching a lot of shows on television lately and read many articles on the internet about being GREEN, or eco-friendly. Basically GREEN is about saving energy and thus our planet. Dare I say Al Gore started the revolution with his documentary about the eminent danger of global warming An Inconvenient Truth, which by the way, you MUST see - fantastically done and incredibly informative to say the least. Then the Discovery Channel started airing shows that showed the importance of thinking GREEN and trying to reduce our dependence on rapidly decreasing supplies of foreign petroleum. Even This Old House renovated a 5-star (highest rating) GREEN house on it's last project in Texas. Even WalMart has started a GREEN initiative by promoting low-energy fluorescent light bulbs which use significantly less power than traditional incandescent bulbs. Just imagine the energy that could be saved if every WalMart customer would replace just one bulb with an energy-efficient fluorescent. I've already replace a few bulbs in my apartment.
I could go on and on, but its not necessary. I feel a revolution coming and a change in thinking. If we want to sustain this planet (at least until the sun burns out), we need to start now. Its not necessary to change everything we do, but every little thing can help out.
I found the video below and thought this guy demonstrates a very good point. And he does it in such a way that everyone can understand it. (He even includes a logic chart so us linearly-thinking nerds can understand.) I know the video is a little long, almost 10 minutes, but give it a chance.
Interesting Argument About Global Warming - Watch more free videos
Let me know what you think. Am I crazy or a hypocrite jumping on the eco-green-bandwagon? Maybe I'm just full of shit, but I can sense a change coming.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Start saving or start making excuses
All signs point to that we're going to have T's bachelor party in Myrtle Beach sometime in September. Here's the early info:
We are looking at a 4 bedroom condo ON THE FREAKING BEACH! This place is only available over Labor Day weekend. The cost? Yeah, $563.10 TOTAL. It might be a bit overkill. It has one king, one queen, four twins, and a sleeper sofa. If we don't have that many coming, there's a three bedroom that is available that week and for the rest of the month and is about a c-note less for the weekend. Just remember we'll have to take an extra day of vacation if we don't go over Labor Day.
I've been to this place before. It is P-I-M-P. It's got a full kitchen including fridge for lots of beer. Did I mention it is oceanfront? Also it has a lazy river. I can't think of a group more lazy than us. Also, we're thinking that we'd stay in Myrtle on Friday and Saturday nights right now... so that's where the $563 price tag comes from.
Talk to me or T for the location. We don't need all the B-Town fanz mobbing the place for autographs. We need to move on this pretty fast, so get in touch with questions and expect a (drunken) phone call soon.
We are looking at a 4 bedroom condo ON THE FREAKING BEACH! This place is only available over Labor Day weekend. The cost? Yeah, $563.10 TOTAL. It might be a bit overkill. It has one king, one queen, four twins, and a sleeper sofa. If we don't have that many coming, there's a three bedroom that is available that week and for the rest of the month and is about a c-note less for the weekend. Just remember we'll have to take an extra day of vacation if we don't go over Labor Day.
I've been to this place before. It is P-I-M-P. It's got a full kitchen including fridge for lots of beer. Did I mention it is oceanfront? Also it has a lazy river. I can't think of a group more lazy than us. Also, we're thinking that we'd stay in Myrtle on Friday and Saturday nights right now... so that's where the $563 price tag comes from.
Talk to me or T for the location. We don't need all the B-Town fanz mobbing the place for autographs. We need to move on this pretty fast, so get in touch with questions and expect a (drunken) phone call soon.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
For Those Who Are...
tired of those 'same old, same old' OTHER blog sites, here are funny videos from what I believe to be from Japanese game shows.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
islam propaganda
here is a bit of muslim propaganda masquerading as an intelligent debate between a wearer and non-wearer of a hijab. this is the same culture/religion that believes it's OK to beat your wife, no really, they like it, it makes them feel masculine.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Because I DON'T Have a Working 360...
1. Forza 2 has been sitting on my mantle unplayed since I picked it up on release day after I had preordered it. At this point, Chad has completed the same number of laps as I have.
2. T has passed me up on Guitar Hero II. At last check he only has one song left to 5 star on medium. I have 3.
3. Brandt Stewart played Aegis Wing with Juddy and T. I take full responsibility for this reprehensive occurance.
4. I sit in my chair, holding my controller, yelling at the TV "Here come the Mexicans, 11 o'clock, behind the big rock. I'm throwing smoke now. T, get ready to put down some C4 on that vehicle." or "Juddy, come get me. I'm down." or "T? T? T, you there? Juddy, is T dead? Juddy? Shit, are you dead too? Fukk..." In reality, the controller is off and the Lifetime movie of the week is on the TV.
5. Self-gratification has lost all its fun.
2. T has passed me up on Guitar Hero II. At last check he only has one song left to 5 star on medium. I have 3.
3. Brandt Stewart played Aegis Wing with Juddy and T. I take full responsibility for this reprehensive occurance.
4. I sit in my chair, holding my controller, yelling at the TV "Here come the Mexicans, 11 o'clock, behind the big rock. I'm throwing smoke now. T, get ready to put down some C4 on that vehicle." or "Juddy, come get me. I'm down." or "T? T? T, you there? Juddy, is T dead? Juddy? Shit, are you dead too? Fukk..." In reality, the controller is off and the Lifetime movie of the week is on the TV.
5. Self-gratification has lost all its fun.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Friday, June 08, 2007
good!
i can't believe they let paris hilton out for an "undisclosed" medical condition in the first place. i think that sheriff was paid mighty well to go along with that story. what medical condition could she have that never stopped her from being her useless self at every celebrity bash available? my best guess is delirium tremens (the DTs), general drug withdrawal, or a rampant herpes outbreak. she's a waste. if i ever come up with a title for my other blog about useless or dangerous people, she's #1 on the list.now she's praying and saying "i love you" to her parents. she says it's not fair the same way a little kid who isn't allowed a cookie after breaking the jar says it's not fair. i DO love that picture though.
and since we are on a boob streak, she's good for flashing those too.
for those hard up for anything sexual....
we salute you. Sure, our ports are still not secured, people abroad want America destroyed more than ever, Paris Hilton is out of jail, and religion still rules our politics, but now for more important stuff....
Girls on Trampolines!!
Girls on Trampolines!!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
God tells him what to do??? Well who...
tells the POPE what to do? George W. Bush has been slammed by the old Pope (John Paul II) about the debacle in Iraq and his administration's foreign policy, and, soon, he'll be slammed by the new Pope when he visits the Vatican this week.
Good Job Bush!!! He has even pissed off the Pope. But he says that God speaks to him during his prayer sessions and tells him what to do in every decision. So, which one is talking to the real God, and which one is a heretic using the notion of God to promote his own agenda??? Ask any religious freak in the U.S. and they will say Bush is doing God's work. So if Bush is hearing the TRUE God, than the Pope is a heretic, and, in doing so isn't these freaks heretics themselves since they don't believe the Pope??? So you can say all these religious freaks are going to HELL and WORK FOR THE DEVIL because of the disdain for the Pope??
Good Job Bush!!! He has even pissed off the Pope. But he says that God speaks to him during his prayer sessions and tells him what to do in every decision. So, which one is talking to the real God, and which one is a heretic using the notion of God to promote his own agenda??? Ask any religious freak in the U.S. and they will say Bush is doing God's work. So if Bush is hearing the TRUE God, than the Pope is a heretic, and, in doing so isn't these freaks heretics themselves since they don't believe the Pope??? So you can say all these religious freaks are going to HELL and WORK FOR THE DEVIL because of the disdain for the Pope??
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Both Sides Suck...
So much for 'Democrats will change things'... Here is an Editorial from 'The Nation' magazine detailing the ineptitude of the new Demo-crap-ic leadership not following through on the promises to stop this nation's slide. It's still early, I guess, but things look like the old 'same old same old' again... both sides bickering while nothing gets accomplished and corporate america reaps the profits.
editorial | posted May 31, 2007 (June 18, 2007 issue)
The Honeymoon Is Over
As Congress left town for its Memorial Day recess, the euphoria cast by the 2006 election victories was gone. Disappointed by the Democrats' inability to force a withdrawal timeline into the war-funding bill, angered by a trade deal hatched in secret, dismayed at backsliding on cleaning up Capitol Hill, progressives were faced with the unpleasant reality of the new Congress, warts and all.
The slim Democratic majority in both Houses is not a progressive majority. Just as distressing as the cave-in on war funding was the continued power of the bipartisan money party. Beyond ending the war, Democrats were elected because of popular rejection of corporate trade policies and the stench of corruption in Washington. Tom DeLay is gone, but the corporate lobbies just reloaded with Democrats. When the House leadership announced a trade accord that the Chamber of Commerce celebrated as a model for giving Bush renewed fast-track authority, hopes for a new economic course were punctured. Then, House Democrats wouldn't support even a two-year hiatus that would slow the revolving door between Congress and the lobby world. ("That's our retirement plan," complained anonymous legislators.)
Progressives mobilized to help House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pass the 100-hour agenda in the opening weeks of this Congress. The first increase in the minimum wage in a decade has finally been signed into law, but Senate barons have delayed or interred the remainder of her agenda. The drug lobby mobilized sufficient opposition from senators in both parties to deep-six efforts to empower Medicare to negotiate lower prescription-drug prices. Rollback of oil-company subsidies is stalled in disagreements between the two houses. And House Democrats have seemingly lost their nerve on rolling back Bush's social agenda: Two bills to eliminate abstinence-only funding are now on hold, with fewer sponsors this year than last (for an eye-opening investigative report on the corruption of abstinence funding, see Michael Reynolds's article in this issue). Even halving interest rates on student loans--a no-brainer given both the need and the scandals among lending companies--has been hung up because the Senate grandees wouldn't pass the House version.
These disappointments lead some to consider giving up on this Congress. That would be a mistake. The new majorities aren't the sterling champions some had hoped for, but they aren't the knaves we booted out, either. The backsliding and reversals remind us that the 2006 election victories are only the first step down a long road. We need progressive, not just Democratic, majorities to enact real change and reform: ending the war, driving toward clean energy, fixing healthcare, pushing for a living wage, creating an entirely new trade strategy that puts people above corporations. Republican legislators have backed Bush on the war and have frustrated even minor reforms. They boast about scoring partisan points while ignoring the public interest. They must be held accountable for that. Conservative Democrats who still don't understand the scope of the debacle in Iraq or of the growing revolt against Wall Street's tax-and-trade policies have to be challenged in their own districts.
Democratic majorities have provided us with relatively progressive leaders in both houses of Congress and several aggressive committee chairs who are beginning to unearth the hidden horrors of this rogue Administration. But we still don't have the progressive strength in Congress or the leadership in the White House that can change this country's course. The serial disappointments of recent weeks are but a reminder that we've got work to do.
editorial | posted May 31, 2007 (June 18, 2007 issue)
The Honeymoon Is Over
As Congress left town for its Memorial Day recess, the euphoria cast by the 2006 election victories was gone. Disappointed by the Democrats' inability to force a withdrawal timeline into the war-funding bill, angered by a trade deal hatched in secret, dismayed at backsliding on cleaning up Capitol Hill, progressives were faced with the unpleasant reality of the new Congress, warts and all.
The slim Democratic majority in both Houses is not a progressive majority. Just as distressing as the cave-in on war funding was the continued power of the bipartisan money party. Beyond ending the war, Democrats were elected because of popular rejection of corporate trade policies and the stench of corruption in Washington. Tom DeLay is gone, but the corporate lobbies just reloaded with Democrats. When the House leadership announced a trade accord that the Chamber of Commerce celebrated as a model for giving Bush renewed fast-track authority, hopes for a new economic course were punctured. Then, House Democrats wouldn't support even a two-year hiatus that would slow the revolving door between Congress and the lobby world. ("That's our retirement plan," complained anonymous legislators.)
Progressives mobilized to help House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pass the 100-hour agenda in the opening weeks of this Congress. The first increase in the minimum wage in a decade has finally been signed into law, but Senate barons have delayed or interred the remainder of her agenda. The drug lobby mobilized sufficient opposition from senators in both parties to deep-six efforts to empower Medicare to negotiate lower prescription-drug prices. Rollback of oil-company subsidies is stalled in disagreements between the two houses. And House Democrats have seemingly lost their nerve on rolling back Bush's social agenda: Two bills to eliminate abstinence-only funding are now on hold, with fewer sponsors this year than last (for an eye-opening investigative report on the corruption of abstinence funding, see Michael Reynolds's article in this issue). Even halving interest rates on student loans--a no-brainer given both the need and the scandals among lending companies--has been hung up because the Senate grandees wouldn't pass the House version.
These disappointments lead some to consider giving up on this Congress. That would be a mistake. The new majorities aren't the sterling champions some had hoped for, but they aren't the knaves we booted out, either. The backsliding and reversals remind us that the 2006 election victories are only the first step down a long road. We need progressive, not just Democratic, majorities to enact real change and reform: ending the war, driving toward clean energy, fixing healthcare, pushing for a living wage, creating an entirely new trade strategy that puts people above corporations. Republican legislators have backed Bush on the war and have frustrated even minor reforms. They boast about scoring partisan points while ignoring the public interest. They must be held accountable for that. Conservative Democrats who still don't understand the scope of the debacle in Iraq or of the growing revolt against Wall Street's tax-and-trade policies have to be challenged in their own districts.
Democratic majorities have provided us with relatively progressive leaders in both houses of Congress and several aggressive committee chairs who are beginning to unearth the hidden horrors of this rogue Administration. But we still don't have the progressive strength in Congress or the leadership in the White House that can change this country's course. The serial disappointments of recent weeks are but a reminder that we've got work to do.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Embassy no more
If you didn't check out the plans for the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, you won't be able to anymore. In what was a big breach in security (meaning: don't publicize what we are doing...people might find out), the firm hired to design the complex put the plans up on their website. Well, the link has been removed. Too bad, if you could have seen the life of luxury those people at the embassy would have had.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Some Video Game News From T
J Ho has his politics, I prefer video games. So here's a couple of things:
Some Halo 3 Beta Banshee.
and...
Some Guitar Hero III news.
Some Halo 3 Beta Banshee.
and...
Some Guitar Hero III news.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wonder why they hate us???
maybe it is the 1/2 Billion (that is a 'B') dollar U.S. embassy in the middle of the Green Zone in Baghdad that is being constructed. This embassy will be the LARGEST EMBASSY IN THE WORLD. Not only is this palace-bigger-than-a-Saddam-Palace is being built while the 'protected' Green Zone is being attacked on a daily basis, it IS ON SCHEDULE!!!! Four years and a large portion of Iraq still has no constant electricity or sewage or running water (when they had it during the Saddam era), and miles long wait at the gas pump, but a monstrous symbol of the true controllers of Iraq (not the Iraqi Nation Congress) is almost complete on time. The building will open in September (and will be mortar attacked immediately after). Oh, by the way, operating cost of this building will cost about 1.2 Billion (a 'B') dollars a year to maintain.
This building is the ideological brainchild of George W., who wants to create an image of American power of the middle east for generations to come. Who knows, this may become one of the 'wonders of the world' for a future generation. A symbol of American Might, under the control of Lord Bush, who, like the Tigris and Euphrates, planted the seed of the New Middle Eastern Century where Democracy sprouted and grew, soon overpowering its neighbors by its sheer will to give every middle easterner freedom from tyranny. BULLSHIT. They want democracy in every country in the middle east so U.S. corporations can move in and put a Starbucks in Tehran. Also, swindling them of oil would be cheaper and easier.
Those who think that America will get out of Iraq are sadly mistaken. Those who think that the Demo-craps will get us out of America are sadly mistaken. They are too big a pussy to stop this catastrophe. They buckled and voted for the Iraq Spending Bill last week just because they didn't want to go on the Memorial vacation without passing the bill because the President and Republican elite and Conservative media (and yes, that is the real media - there is no Left-Wing Elitist media of any substantial power) would blast the Demo-craps day and night about how they 'HURT THE TROOPS' by not passing the bill which, according to experts, the money won't be needed until August.
Who can blame Bush for being so arrogant: He always gets his way. Ever watch a Bush press conference? After 60 minutes of bumbling through it with half sentences and stutters and the same-old-quotes, he walks off with a smirk on his face. You know he walks away thinking, "I nailed it!!" The Demo-craps are the 'Enabler' of the 'Decider'.
Hey, the Repli-can't-do-shit-right are good at what they do. They break out the PATRIOT machine every time their power might lessen. All the fat, drug-addicted, hypocritical, racist, sexist, religiously deluded talking heads who only say whatever is on the weekly Republican 'talking points' are able to scream their head off on radio and TV, with the 'spin' that a supposed 'no-spin-zone' can do.
But all this is distraction. Distraction from the root cause of this conflict in Iraq. It wasn't 9-11, it wasn't Islamic Fundamentalism, it wasn't weapons of mass destruction, it wasn't the 'rape rooms', it wasn't 'he tried to kill my daddy', it wasn't 'we fight them there so we don't fight them here', it wasn't 'they hate our freedom', it wasn't 'Saddam murdered his people', it wasn't ...(even I forget all the bullshit excuses they came up with) IT WAS FOR THE OIL anyone who believes otherwise has either had their head up his or her respective ass for the past 5 years or you fell for the FEAR and PARANOIA that the Conservatives have been using to control people for centuries (one example of both: organized religion).
And why are there not a lot of reports on the OIL in IRAQ? Only an occasional mention in the business pages. The truth that Billions (with a 'B') in dollars in oil have been unaccounted for since the U.S. occupation began. The almost-immediate installment of Halliburton in Iraq right after Iraq fell. The securing of the Iraq Oil Ministry while the Iraq Treasury and Iraq's Ancient History Museum were allowed to be looted.
Oh, and by the way, remember when they said the OIL would pay for the cost of the war? well, it isn't. Estimates put the TOTAL COST OF THE WAR around 1.5 to 2.0 Trillion (with a 'T'), depending on the length. IF securing the oil was gonna keep it cheep for us Americans, then why has the cost of gas increased in the U.S. $1.50 a gallon since the war began? Isn't it funny that the U.S. now has direct access to oil in the Middle East without having to deal with OPEC and their charges, yet gas prices has increased so much in the past 4 years.
My belief: the U.S. oil corporations, with the full backing of the current U.S. Government, are intentionally not upgrading the oil facilities in Iraq. They are playing a game of poker right now. Not to show the cards that they have (meaning the third largest supply of oil in the world, and, with some more exploration, the LARGEST SUPPLIER IN THE WORLD - Iraq). Using every excuse in the book like it is winter, it is summer, it is a holiday, a tanker truck got a flat tire, a fire at a refinery, el nino, leap year, etc, they can raise the gas prices and make the profits without pumping the oil out. Sure, some oil is getting out of Iraq; but, the possibility of the output through only American companies would provide the U.S. consumer a cheaper fill-up. Once insurgents started attacking the pipelines in Iraq, those Corporations gave up on increased production. Focus now on the future.
The instability of the region now has raised oil prices and in turn, Big Oil has raised gas prices. But they are still holding the cards. As we continue to occupy the region, other countries in the Middle East will exhaust their supply, and Big Oil will continue to raise gas prices as Oil prices per barrel rises. Then when the world starts to run out of oil to pump, Iraq and Big Oil will actually start pumping out its reserves in Iraq. We will have control of which country will get the oil. Thus we are the 'decider' of which country gets to be civilized. Big Oil will make money then when they are the lone major supplier of the crude. It is projected that American Corporations could produce a barrel of oil in Iraq for as little as 1 dollar (THAT IS A 'D') a BARREL. Of course, prices would still have to rise at American's pumps since we have to 'share' the oil (by 'share' I mean sell to the highest bidder) and the supply is limited. Hence, like always, Big Oil comes out on top. BIG PROFITS NOW + BIG PROFITS IN FUTURE = REALLY BIG F'N PROFITS
Oil - read this if you want to see Big Oil money controlling this Administration in Action. If you don't read this, then you are not being patriotic and you are letting them win and take over the country (i am not referring to al Queda)
Embassy - this site shows the layout of the Embassy
This building is the ideological brainchild of George W., who wants to create an image of American power of the middle east for generations to come. Who knows, this may become one of the 'wonders of the world' for a future generation. A symbol of American Might, under the control of Lord Bush, who, like the Tigris and Euphrates, planted the seed of the New Middle Eastern Century where Democracy sprouted and grew, soon overpowering its neighbors by its sheer will to give every middle easterner freedom from tyranny. BULLSHIT. They want democracy in every country in the middle east so U.S. corporations can move in and put a Starbucks in Tehran. Also, swindling them of oil would be cheaper and easier.
Those who think that America will get out of Iraq are sadly mistaken. Those who think that the Demo-craps will get us out of America are sadly mistaken. They are too big a pussy to stop this catastrophe. They buckled and voted for the Iraq Spending Bill last week just because they didn't want to go on the Memorial vacation without passing the bill because the President and Republican elite and Conservative media (and yes, that is the real media - there is no Left-Wing Elitist media of any substantial power) would blast the Demo-craps day and night about how they 'HURT THE TROOPS' by not passing the bill which, according to experts, the money won't be needed until August.
Who can blame Bush for being so arrogant: He always gets his way. Ever watch a Bush press conference? After 60 minutes of bumbling through it with half sentences and stutters and the same-old-quotes, he walks off with a smirk on his face. You know he walks away thinking, "I nailed it!!" The Demo-craps are the 'Enabler' of the 'Decider'.
Hey, the Repli-can't-do-shit-right are good at what they do. They break out the PATRIOT machine every time their power might lessen. All the fat, drug-addicted, hypocritical, racist, sexist, religiously deluded talking heads who only say whatever is on the weekly Republican 'talking points' are able to scream their head off on radio and TV, with the 'spin' that a supposed 'no-spin-zone' can do.
But all this is distraction. Distraction from the root cause of this conflict in Iraq. It wasn't 9-11, it wasn't Islamic Fundamentalism, it wasn't weapons of mass destruction, it wasn't the 'rape rooms', it wasn't 'he tried to kill my daddy', it wasn't 'we fight them there so we don't fight them here', it wasn't 'they hate our freedom', it wasn't 'Saddam murdered his people', it wasn't ...(even I forget all the bullshit excuses they came up with) IT WAS FOR THE OIL anyone who believes otherwise has either had their head up his or her respective ass for the past 5 years or you fell for the FEAR and PARANOIA that the Conservatives have been using to control people for centuries (one example of both: organized religion).
And why are there not a lot of reports on the OIL in IRAQ? Only an occasional mention in the business pages. The truth that Billions (with a 'B') in dollars in oil have been unaccounted for since the U.S. occupation began. The almost-immediate installment of Halliburton in Iraq right after Iraq fell. The securing of the Iraq Oil Ministry while the Iraq Treasury and Iraq's Ancient History Museum were allowed to be looted.
Oh, and by the way, remember when they said the OIL would pay for the cost of the war? well, it isn't. Estimates put the TOTAL COST OF THE WAR around 1.5 to 2.0 Trillion (with a 'T'), depending on the length. IF securing the oil was gonna keep it cheep for us Americans, then why has the cost of gas increased in the U.S. $1.50 a gallon since the war began? Isn't it funny that the U.S. now has direct access to oil in the Middle East without having to deal with OPEC and their charges, yet gas prices has increased so much in the past 4 years.
My belief: the U.S. oil corporations, with the full backing of the current U.S. Government, are intentionally not upgrading the oil facilities in Iraq. They are playing a game of poker right now. Not to show the cards that they have (meaning the third largest supply of oil in the world, and, with some more exploration, the LARGEST SUPPLIER IN THE WORLD - Iraq). Using every excuse in the book like it is winter, it is summer, it is a holiday, a tanker truck got a flat tire, a fire at a refinery, el nino, leap year, etc, they can raise the gas prices and make the profits without pumping the oil out. Sure, some oil is getting out of Iraq; but, the possibility of the output through only American companies would provide the U.S. consumer a cheaper fill-up. Once insurgents started attacking the pipelines in Iraq, those Corporations gave up on increased production. Focus now on the future.
The instability of the region now has raised oil prices and in turn, Big Oil has raised gas prices. But they are still holding the cards. As we continue to occupy the region, other countries in the Middle East will exhaust their supply, and Big Oil will continue to raise gas prices as Oil prices per barrel rises. Then when the world starts to run out of oil to pump, Iraq and Big Oil will actually start pumping out its reserves in Iraq. We will have control of which country will get the oil. Thus we are the 'decider' of which country gets to be civilized. Big Oil will make money then when they are the lone major supplier of the crude. It is projected that American Corporations could produce a barrel of oil in Iraq for as little as 1 dollar (THAT IS A 'D') a BARREL. Of course, prices would still have to rise at American's pumps since we have to 'share' the oil (by 'share' I mean sell to the highest bidder) and the supply is limited. Hence, like always, Big Oil comes out on top. BIG PROFITS NOW + BIG PROFITS IN FUTURE = REALLY BIG F'N PROFITS
Oil - read this if you want to see Big Oil money controlling this Administration in Action. If you don't read this, then you are not being patriotic and you are letting them win and take over the country (i am not referring to al Queda)
Embassy - this site shows the layout of the Embassy
Saturday, May 26, 2007
stephen hawking is having fun
the BTBz went out last night for a few drinks. laughs were had, drinks were drank, i danced (seems to be a habit of late). then i brought up the story or stephen hawking taking a ride on the vomit comet. no one had heard about it, so i tried to find a picture on my phone to no avail. so for the BTBz, here is the picture. one of the brightest minds ever to grace humanity, unable to control his own body due to ALS, floating around in zero G.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
memorial day
any plans for memorial day weekend? i'm still not working and was thinking about coming up. might come up friday sometime, then stay til things die down, not sure if anyone has to work monday. comment or get back to me with plans. i can be on the road with about an hours notice. might need a couch as i think juddy and steadman are coming to the valley. later.
z
z
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