The Simpsons

The Simpsons is one of the greatest - if not the greatest - animated TV show of all time. However, lately the show has gone down hill. Well, it's more of a train-wreck.

It's hard to explain why the new seasons suck so much, but I was recently discussing it with someone online, and they said something that really made a lot of sense.

Can you identify one classic Simpsons moment from the last few seasons?

The answer that he got was a resounding no. That's the perfect way to explain it. Besides the fact that the characters have totally changed and the episodes are lame rehashings of previous episodes, it's just not as epic as it once was.
In the early days, there were great episodes. Homer tries to climb the 'Murderhorn' mountain, Bart gets an elephant, The 'Flaming Moe's episode, The Mr. Plow episode, and the Episode where Homer finds a portal to 3-D world.

These days, there are stupid episodes. Bart joins a boy band? What the hell is that?

And the characters have totally changed. Homer changed from a lovable, bumbling, regular guy - to a fool who cries all the time.

They need to let The Simpsons die. It had a long and good life, but we shouldn't make it suffer because we are afraid to let it go.

Target

Hey Everyone,

I don't know if there is anyone here who reads The Grande Scheme of Things written by my God-brother Dave, but you should.

Anyways, Dave made a post deriding Target, to which I wrote a strongly worded comment also against Target. Dave has his own very legitimate reasons for hating Target, but here is my reason.

Last Christmas, I came across a news article online, published by the Associated Press.

- By the way, if you want to read the news, I mean the real news, and you want to know what's going on without CNN and FOX News' slant, read AP articles -

Anyways, the article told of how Target stores would be banning Salvation Army "Bell-Ringers" from soliciting outside their stores.

They said it bothered their customers. Well, I said, "Screw you Target."

I am so tired of these huge corporations turning their backs on the communities that make them rich. This was the last straw. I guess I just decided that if Target felt their customers couldn't be bothered to donate to those less fortunate during the holiday season, then I wasn't the type of person who should be shopping at Target.

Here's my feeling: If a corporation turns their back on the community that makes them thrive, I turn my back on them.

Good Riddance Target, I'll see you in hell. Say hello to Wal-mart when you get there.

- Rob

From The Mouth of Rush

Here's a bunch of stupid, offensive, and ridiculous things Rush Limbaugh has said.

About himself:

"Half my brain tied behind my back just to make it fair."

"Talent on loan from GOD."



About Other Stuff:

"There are more acres of forestland in America today than when Columbus discovered the continent in 1492."

"Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"

"I love the women's movement. Especially when I am walking behind it."

"There are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived or at any other time in history. Does this sound like a record of genocide?"

"Our armed forces shouldn't be over there. They're good at killing people and blowing things up, not peace-keeping." - on the US in post-war Iraq

"The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit."

"Feminism was etsablished to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream"

Use Your Illusion

I've been think a lot about music albums a lot lately. Arguably the greatest Rock n Roll album ever made was The Beatle's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band, which was released in 1967. While this is often considered one of the greatest works ever to be created in music, there are many who believe that the release of this album was the death of Rock n Roll. While I'm not sure whether or not I agree with this ascertation, these detractors make a decent argument: Rock n Roll was originally meant to be pop music, three minute dance songs that were individual. So why is Sgt Pepper's considered the death of Rock n Roll? Because Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was the first album that was meant to be listened to as an album. Until Rock n Roll songs that stood alone and were meant to be fun and simple, the songs on Sgt. Pepper's were meant to run together, they were each unique, but the album itself is closer to what you might call an overture than a group of individual songs. Anyhow, there are many people who hate that this happened. Personally, I think it was the best thing that could have happened to Rock (Rock is the genre that started with Sgt. Pepper's). It changed Rock n Roll from a fad to an artform and thereby made it eternal.

Now back to the real reason for this post. I've been trying to decide what I my favorite album is, and I think I have come to a conclusion. Guns N Roses' Use Your Illusion two disc set is one of my favorites, maybe even my favorite.

I'm not 100% sure what makes this album so terrific, but here are some of the reasons. For one thing, the album has an amazing broad range of music. There is everything from haunting ballads like November Rain to powerful Rock Anthems like Right Next Door To Hell and Don't Damn Me. It amazes me how these two discs can be one continuous album and at the same time be two distinct entities. Use Your Illusion I is perhaps the most powerful and intense music I've ever heard. Don't get me wrong, it's not noise like many of today's metal bands are, it's just extremely powerful music. On the other hand, Use Your Illusion II is amazingly moody and haunting. It starts with one of my favorite songs of all time, Civil War, and from there flows forward with an incrediblely deep blues style Rock.

The thing that makes Use Your Illusion so perfect is the power and the balance of it. It's black and white, hot and cold, day and night, yin and yang. In no other album is there such exultant highs and such deep lows. The most amazing thing about this is that I found this album about 8 years ago in a trash pile while I was on my paper route. At the time, I didn't even know who Guns N Roses were, but I thought the cover of the albums looked cool, so I kept them. Finally, when I heard Guns N Roses for the first time a year or two later, I burrowed through the closet, found the CDs, and the rest is history.

This album is, simply put, one of the most, if not the most powerful and deep piece of art I've ever experienced.

Juggernaut

Hey Everyone,
As am sure you all know by know, the much anticipated X-Men 3 will be coming out on May 26th, 2006.

I was, and still am, very happy that one of the villains in this movie will be The Juggernaut. In X-Men lure, The Juggernaut was the half-brother of Charles Xavier (Professor X), and was basically a huge, unstoppable wrecking machine. He was huge, about 7 feet tall, and just about as broad as he was tall.

Here's my gripe. Vinnie Jones has been cast as the Juggernaut. I'm not so unhappy about that in-and-of itself, but the fact that there is a clearly better choice for the character than Jones.

And that person is named Paul Wight. For those of you who don't know, Wight was (and maybe still is) a professional wrestler known as 'The Big Show'. Here's the reason Wight is the quintessential Juggernaut. He's 7'1'' and about 475 pounds. The guy's a one man demolition crew. Jones is a big guy too, but he's only about 6'2" (my height) and not much bigger than I am. That's not very Juggernautish.

Point is, Jones is cool, but Wight would have been the best choice. And sometimes, when I'm alone, I get afraid that Wight will come after me, rip my arm off and use it as a toothpick.

- Rob

Batman Begins

Hey Everyone,

As I'm sure you all know, I am a huge movie fan and a huge Superhero fan. For a long time I tried to figure out which superhero I liked the best, but then I decided I had to stop trying to decide before my head exploded.

Anyways, one of my definite favorite Superheroes is Batman, and recently Batman Begins came out on DVD. If you haven't seen Batman Begins yet, stop reading, drive to Best Buy (a.k.a. Heaven), buy it, drive home, watch it, then finish reading my blog.

Ok, so now I can assume everyone has seen it. Let us continue.

Anyways, I'm sure most of you have more of a life than I do, so I'll explain to you why the making of Batman Begins brings the Earth back into balance, and lets me live a happy and fulfilling life...

In 1989, relatively unknown director Tim Burton was hired to make Batman (starring Michael Keaton as Batman), which turned out to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Superhero movies ever. Burton and Keaton teamed up again to make Batman Returns (1992). This is where the story becomes interesting. Batman Returns is considered one of the 'good' Batman movies, but I'm convinced that is only because Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), both directed by Joel Schumacher, were such horrible debacles (especially the latter).

Anyways, the point is that as of 1992, Batman fans have been forced to endure one heartbreaking disaster after another. That was until, the summer of 2005, when director Chistopher Nolan (Insomnia, Memento) created Batman Begins.

I'm not really sure why Batman Begins was such a great movie, and I'm pretty sure part of it was because the last two Batman movies were so bad, that this one couldn't have possibly matched those two. There are two things I have identified as the main reasons that Batman Begins is so terrific. One of these things is that the casting. It was perfect. George Clooney as Batman? Give me a break. Christain Bale kicked ass. The other thing I realized that makes Batman Begins such a breath of fresh air, is how dark it is. Unlike Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin, Batman Begins was true to the "Dark Knight" Batman style that made Burton's Batman films so terrific. For some reason, Joel Schumacher thought Batman was best exemplified by neon lights and ridiculous C.G.I. He was wrong.

But that's enough of my yappin', now go do something productive, like watching Batman Begins.

- Rob

The Man In Black

Recently, the movie Walk The Line has come out and has got me thinking about Johnny Cash again. Johnny is one of the most wellknown people that no one really seems to know anything about. Most people seem to think that Johnny was just another backwater hick from Arkansas, who could play the gutair, but he was so much more.

Johnny was born on February 26th , 1932 and died on September 12, 2003. In those 71 years, he lived more than lives than anyone could imagine. He went from picking cotton on a farm in Arkansas, to playing songs for five different U.S. Presidents in the White House. On one particular trip to the White House, an When invited to perform at the White House for the first time in 1972, President Richard Nixon's office requested that he play "Okie from Muskogee" (a Merle Haggard song that negatively portrays youthful drug users and war protestors) and "Welfare Cadillac" (a Guy Drake that derides the integrity of welfare recipients). Cash refused to play either song (he found both songs, particularly the latter, morally reprehensible) and played a series of his own more left-leaning, politically-charged songs, including "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" and "Man in Black."

Johnny Cash, along with Hank Williams, is one of only two people ever inducted into The Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, The Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Johnny overcame an addiction to Speed to become one of the most beloved and respected musicians of all-time. At a time when record executive were deliberately trying to change the country music genre into a softer, bubblegum genre known as pop-country (i.e. Garth Brooks) Johnny Cash flat out refused to sell out and change his image in order to make money. When other country performers were playing at huge stadiums for thousands of high paying fans, Johnny Cash decided to go to Folsom Prison and give a free a concert to those who had nothing.

In short, Johnny Cash was a man who stood up for what he believed in, no matter what he was up against. He wasn't afraid to announce his faith, his fears, and his love.

Near the end of his life, Johnny covered many of his favorite songs. If you want to hear some truly amazing music, check out Johnny's covers of these songs:

U2 - One
Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
Soundgarden - Rusty Cage
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
Tom Petty - Won't Back Down
The Eagles - Desperado
The Beatles - In My Life

The Death Knell of Democracy

"News is a network's sacred obligation to serve the common good. To inform and educate, to uplift and in some cases; shame. The day they are judged solely on profit, is the day the death knell sounds on the free and open exhange of ideas that we call a democracy."

- Jim Dial; from Murphy Brown
It sometimes amazes me how
prophetic a TV show can be

Office Space S.E.

Hey Everyone,

I went to Best Buy the other day and picked up the Office Space: Special Edition (with flair!). It's pretty sweet, but for a special edition there really isn't that much on it. They added a few deleted scenes (and let's just say....it's not hard to figure out why they were deleted), as well as a retrospective featuring Mike Judge and som of the stars (except John McGinley, who would have been the best), and that's pretty much it.

In the box you get a pad of paper, mouse pad, cheap pen & pencil set, a coffee mug and a cheap red stapler (both are in-jokes from the movie). Overall, it's not really worth the $23, except for the fact that the movie alone is worth that much. Skip the Special Edition, you won't be missing much.

- Rob

Top 10 - Villains

Hey Everyone,

Recently, I've found The AFI (American Film Institute) website which shows all their lists for many different categories, such as greatest film, greatest song, etc. One which I found especially interesting was The Top 50 Greatest Heroes & Villains in the history of American Films. I've decided to post my top 10 favorite villains, since I have some major problems with the AFI list. I think I'm going to make these lists a regular feature on my blog.

1. Darth Vader
- The Empire Strikes Back
2. The Joker
- Batman
3. Hannibal Lecter
- The Silence of the Lambs
4. Jack Torrance
- The Shining
5. The Terminator
- The Terminator

6. John Milton
- The Devil's Advocate
7. Agent Smith
- The Matrix
8. Walter Finch
- Insomnia
9. T-1000
- Terminator 2
10. John Doe
- Se7en

- Rob

Clarification

Hey Everyone,

There is something that no one cares about besides me, but it really bothers me and now you're gonna hear about it. The phrase:

"Luke, I am your Father."

Is never spoken in any Star Wars movie. In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Darth Vader corners Luke and says...

Vader: "If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father."

Luke: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

Vader: "No ... I am your Father."So there you have it. The line "Luke, I am your father" was never spoken. Now I can sleep soundly at night, and you go back to not giving a damn. Thanks.

- Rob

The Death of A Hero

On December 1, 1955, Parks, a then 41 year old seamstress, was riding a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. After a long day of work Rosa Parks was on her way home, riding a public bus, when a young white male* (as opposed to gentleman) demanded she give up her seat and stand in the back of the bus so he could sit down. Well, she refused, and if you believe it, she was arrested, put in jail, and fined $14. But through this atrocity, progress was made. Mrs. Parks' act of courage sparked a bus boycott that crippled Montgomery, and eventually led to a 1964 Federal Civil Rights Act that banned discrimination in public accommodations. We are truly lucky that there were, I pray still are, people like Rosa Parks, who will stand up fight for equality and justice in this country.

Rosa Parks
1913-2005
Rest In Peace

One

One

Is it getting better, or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you, now you got someone to blame?
You say one love, one life, when it's one need in the night.
One love, we get to share it
Leaves you baby if you don't care for it.

Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love and you want me to go without.
Well, it's too late tonight to drag the past out into the light.
We're one, but we're not the same.
We get to carry each other, carry each other... one

Have you come here for forgiveness,
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much, more than a lot
You gave me nothing, now it's all I got.
We're one, but we're not the same.
Well, we hurt each other, then we do it again.

You say love is a temple, love a higher law
Love is a temple, love the higher law.
You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on to what you got, when all you got is hurt.

One love, one blood, one life, you got to do what you should.
One life with each other: sisters, brothers.
One life, but we're not the same.
We get to carry each other, carry each other.
One, one.

Rocky VI

Hey Everyone,

UGH! What the hell is wrong with people? More to the point, what is wrong with Sylvester Stallone? The Associated Press is reporting that Rambo has just signed a deal to make Rocky VI. The horror.

Apparently, in the film, set to begin filming next year in Philadelphia and Las Vegas, Stallone makes a comeback (another one) as Rocky.

It appears that Stallone, and the filmmaking geniuses at MGM, decided that a logical plot line would be for a 59 year old boxer, who has been retired for 15 years, to make a comeback "for the competition, not to win".

These people need to learn that the past is just that, and you can never go back. Let it go, don't ruin the movies we love anymore than you already have. Sure, it may be your movie, but when you make it and put it in theaters, it becomes our movie too, and you don't have the right to tarnish its prestige and mystique by trying to extend it past its natural life. The Rocky series is over and there is nothing left to add. Accept it.

P.S. I've never been a Rambo fan, but Stallone has signed on to make Rambo IV too. He should just retire or come up with some new ideas.

- Rob

NASCAR

Hey Everyone,

Recently, I've been watching NASCAR. I know, it's weird, most people think that I'm the type of guy that would be a big football or basketball fan, but in all honesty, I don't like basketball at all and football...meh, I could take it or leave it. I do enjoy baseball, but as for the major sports, that's about it.

Anyways, NASCAR. Now, I know what you're saying..."But Rob, you always made fun of NASCAR, you said, 'it's just a bunch of rednecks driving in a circle for 500 miles'." Well, you're right, I did say that, but....here is comes...I was wrong.

Wow, that was hard to say.

But I was. It turns out there is a whole lot more to NASCAR than meets the eye. For one thing, did you know that all different raceways are different? It's not like football or basketball where every stadium is the exact same dimensions. In NASCAR, every track is different. There are short tracks, long tracks, oval tracks, tri-oval tracks, road courses, fast tracks, slow tracks, etc.

For example, Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida, is a 31 degree banked, 2.5 mile, tri-oval track (an oval with a bend on one straightaway). Conversely, Martinsville Speedway, in Martinsville, Virginia, is a traditional 12 degree banked, .5 mile, oval track. Watkins Glen International, in Watkins Glen, New York, in a 2.45 mile, road course (it is not circular, but has right, left, and hairpin turns, like a road would.

This is part of what makes NASCAR so interesting. You watch any two event during the season, and you get to see a completely unique and exciting race.

Anyways, there is a lot more to NASCAR than 43 hicks driving around in circlees, for one thing, it's not just a southern thing anymore. Of the top 50 drivers this year, only 16 are from the former confederacy, and nine of those are nearing retirement. It is the fastest growing sport among blacks and latinos. NASCAR fans make slightly more money a year than the average American, 40% of their fans are women, and that geographically, NASCAR fans are distributed basically the same way around the country as the general population. New York City will likely host a race soon. That's right, NASCAR in NYC. This season, there was a road race in Mexico City, Mexico.

I've recently heard someone describe NASCAR this way: "It's like chess, you can learn the basics in ten minutes, but you can't master the intricacies in 10 lifetimes."

The more I watch NASCAR the more interesting it becomes. For example, did you know that two cars driving bumper to bumper can actually go faster than one car driving alone. They call it drafting. By cutting down the wind resistance on the second car it actually pushes air forward, into the first car causing both to go faster on less fuel. Very cool.

And did you know that there are actually teams of cars! That's right. Using maneuvers like drafting and blocking, two or more drivers can actually work as a team to win a race!

Anyways, the point is; there is more to autoracing than meets the eye, so don't be stupid like me and degrade something you don't understand. Check it out, and then decide if it's stupid or not.

P.S. I'm not yelling NASCAR, at you. The name is an acronym for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

- Rob

Video Game Prices

Hey Everyone,

I don't know how up to date you all are on video games, but there are big happenings going on right now. Microsoft is about to release their new console - Xbox 360 - in November. In addition, many anticipated games have come out or are coming out around the same time, both for Xbox and Xbox 360.

However, despite my excitement, I am disgusted by the ridiculous prices these companies are charging for their products. For Example, the Xbox 360 starts at $299 dollars. That's $300 dollars for a video game console. That's not even so bad, I mean, I could live with that, but then they sucker punch you for $50 plus dollars every time you want a game for the system. That's right, $50 dollars for one video game! Where do these people get off? It's highway robbery. I mean, I know that's not so bad for some people, but think about the key demographic for video games, males age 12-22. How many people from that group have $50 to plunk down every couple months for a new video game? Not too many. Why is it that some industries can't seem to charge a fair price for a good product. Why do they have to rip people off to the point where people are driven to stealing the product because they can't afford it or because they don't believe they should have to pay a ridiculous price for it.

Maybe if the music industry realized this, they wouldn't be getting ripped off by file sharing on the internet. I kinda feel it's wrong, but then again, if they want to be cheap, we can be cheap right back. Fight fire with fire.

The movie industry is wondering why they're taking a bath in ticket sales. Gee whiz, I wonder if it could have something to do with them blatantly sticking it to their customers. Maybe if they charged a reasonable price for tickets and a reasonable price for snacks, people would come back to the movie theaters. I say; it's their own damn fault. They dug their own graves then jumped in.

Anyways, all I'm saying is when you push people far enough, they're going to start pushing back.

- Rob

The Big Man

Hey Everyone,

If you know me well you probably know that I watch a lot of television and movies. There is a huge number of actors I despise (I tend to be very cynical), but only a few actors I truly respect. I want to write about them all eventually, but it's harder to articulate why I appreciate and respect an actor than I thought it would be (I have a blog about Paul Giamatti that's been in draft forever, it was supposed to be my second blog ever, but I'm still working on it). I'll probably write about most of them eventually, but for now it's John Goodman.


Most people know John Goodman from Roseanne, where he played the blue-collar working class dad. This is where I first came to love his acting.


I guess in a lot of ways it's impossible to explain what it is about John Goodman that I like so much, but I know that part of it is how he is able to act naturally upset, happy, confused, or angry. He does simple things that make his acting powerful, things you would never even notice unless you took the time to sit back and actually think about what he is doing.

There are plenty of episodes of Roseanne where Dan is supposed to be yelling at the kids, or angry with Roseanne, or for some other reason, agitated. The difference between the way Goodman acts angry and the way most actors do it, is that he acts honestly angry. When you're angry, you don't think about what you're saying before you say it. John realizes this, that's why, when he's yelling, he stumbles over his words, and says simple stuff like "oh come on!". Sounds obvious right? It's not. Most actors actually do the opposite, if you think about it. When they get angry, they seem to have a speech prepared, they miraculously come up with well crafted argues and insults, and deliver their lines like they are delivering a public service announcement. I'll admit that a large part of this is probably the way the dialogue was written, but still, he delivers well crafted lines better than most other actors.

Another reason Goodman is one of the best is the way he effectively acts confused. And this isn't like Paris Hilton acting confused, for her it's probably not hard, but John Goodman, believe it or not, is actually extremely intelligent. Most people don't realize that Goodman has a B.A. in drama from Southwest Missouri State. Anyways, he does simple things that sell him as being confused, like darting his eyes around the room, or shifting in his chair, or rubbing his face, instead of just saying, "duh, I'm confused".

He has a wide range of work. This is a double-edged sword, on one hand, he has done some great work, but on the other hand, he has made some really stupid decisions (like leaving the Roseanne to pursue other project). The good part though, is that he is not content to be type cast and he is willing to be take a role where he is not the lead actor.

John Goodman has hosted Saturday Night Live 11 times, more than any other host besides Steve Martin. He has worked in television, movies, music, and even on Broadway.

He has tried just about every role you can think of; a blue-collar worker, Babe Ruth, the King of England, a gay construction worker, a Mafioso, the President of the USA, Fred Flinstone, and even voice-over work, including his work on Monsters, Inc., and Father of the Pride. He was also the yellow m&m in the commercials.

If you haven't seen much of John Goodman's work, you should definitely check it out, you will be blown away when you realize how talented an actor he actually is.

- Rob

Venom!

Hey Everyone,

I just read on Superhero Hype! that Venom will be the main villain in Spiderman 3! Cool.

Kirsten Dunst confirmed that Venom and Sandman are the two villains in the next installment of the Spiderman series. Dunst said there will be "two and a half villains" in the third installment. Odd, but many think that Harry Osbourne will take his father's place and become the Hobgoblin. I think it may actually be the Lizard, in a smaller role, because they already established the character of Dr. Conner in Spiderman 2. As I said in a previous blog, Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church will be starring as the villains. It appears that THC will be Sandman, and Topher will be Venom. Makes sense, Venom is supposed to be Spiderman's foil, and Topher is pretty similar in both appearance and demeanor to Tobey Maguire.

Anyways, I'm beginning to have more hope with Spiderman 3 knowing the villains will be interesting and dynamic.

- Rob

Newsradio

Hey Everyone,

Just went to Best Buy and bought Newsradio Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD and it's terrific! I never saw the show in its original run, but one night I saw a rerun and I was hooked. I used to stay up late every night just to watch the show.

If you haven't seen the show, you should definitely check it out. The cast is incredible; Maura Tierney (E.R.), Stephen Root (King of the Hill), Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall), and the late Phil Hartman (SNL), with Andy Dick, Vicky Lewis, Khandi Alexander, and Joe Rogan.

Despite its popularity, the show only lasted five seasons (1995-1999) mainly because Phil Hartman was murdered during season 4, and the show never recovered from the blow. The show never caught blistering success of other shows in the mid-90s though, it was on the brink of cancellation every single season it was on the air, despite terrific reviews.

Anyways, this is just one of those shows were every single episode is hilarious, and you should definitely pick it up as soon as possible.

- Rob

Shameless Plug

Alright, I'm not in the business of plugging for Chili's, but this just had to be said...

Chili's has devoted September to supporting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. All through September we are collecting money for St. Jude's and letting you color peppers for display in our restaurants. We are also selling the wristbands everyone is wearing and t-shirts to support the charity.

But here's the real point of this blog...

Go eat at Chili's on Monday September 26th, because all of Chili's profits will be going to St. Jude's. And when you do, tip well, because the servers will be donating some or all of their profits to St. Jude's as well.

Have a good meal and help out a good charity!

- Rob

My Political Profile

	My Political Profile
	Overall: 95% Liberal, 5% Conservative
	Social Issues: 100% Liberal, 0% Conservative
	Personal Responsibility: 75% Liberal, 25% Conservative
	Fiscal Issues: 100% Liberal, 0% Conservative
	Ethics: 100% Liberal, 0% Conservative
	Defense and Crime: 100% Liberal, 0% Conservative

How Liberal / Conservative Are You?

Hey everyone,

Well, if you couldn't have guessed by now, this just shows how liberal I really am. I'm not really sure how scientific this study really is, but it's interesting. There are some problems with this questionaire, for example, in any real scientific questionaire, there should be a 'don't know/no opinion' answer for each question to prevent people from guessing, or feeling forced into an answer. Also, some of the questions seemed slanted, biased to the conservative side, however, that could very well just be my own personal view, seeing as though I am a liberal.

Anyways, I found this pretty interesting, and I was wondering what everyone else would score. Leave me a comment with your scores if you want!

Thanks.

- Rob

'Civil' War

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate. You see, some men you just can't reach. So, you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don't like it any more than you do."

- Cool Hand Luke

Look at your young men fighting
Look at your women crying
Look at your young men dying;
The way they've always done before
Look at the hate we're breeding
Look at the fear we're feeding
Look at the lives we're leading;
The way we've always done before

My hands are tied
The billions shift from side to side
And the wars go on with brainwashed pride;
For the love of God and our Human Rights
And all these things are swept aside,
By bloody hands time can't deny
And they're washed away by your genocide
And history hides the lies of our 'civil' wars

Did you wear a black armband when you shot the man who said:
'Peace could last forever'
And in my first memories; they shot Kennedy
I went numb when I learned to see
So I never fell for Vietnam,
We've got a wall in D.C. to remind us all;
That you can't trust freedom, when it's not in your hands,
When everybody's fighting for their Promised Land

I don't need your 'civil' war
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor
You're power-hungry, selling soldiers in a human grocery store,
I don't need your 'civil' war

Look at the shoes you're filling
Look at the blood we're spilling
Look at the world we're killing,
The way we've always done before
Look in the doubt we've wallowed
Look at the leaders we've followed
Look at the lives we've swallowed
And I don't want to hear no more

My hands are tied
For all I've seen has changed my mind
Still the wars go on as the years go by,
With no love of God or our Human Rights
And all these dreams are swept aside, by bloody hands of the hypnotized,
Who carry the cross of homicide
And history bares the scars of our 'civil' wars

I don't need your 'civil' war
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor
You're power-hungry, selling soldiers in a human grocery store,
I don't need your 'civil' war

What's so 'civil' about war anyways?

Satellite TV

Hey everyone,

I was just watching some television and when I had a epiphany...

satellite t.v. is the greatest thing ever.

Backstory: When I was a kid, we had only network t.v. We even had a huge antenna on the roof of our house. It was our great shame. Every day at school, kids would discuss MTV and other sorts of exotic and interesting entertainment. I could play along, all the while longing for a cable set of my own. For a while, we had DirectTv, but they turned out to be a bunch of bastards, so we had to get rid of it.

Anyhow, we now have Dish Network, and it's awesome! The first day we had it I saw one of my favorite old movies, Grumpy Old Men, the next day I found out I can watch Roseanne, pretty much whenever I want. The next day I saw an episode of Murphy Brown, which I hadn't seen in years!

Oh what an age of intrigue and mystique we live in!

The best part is the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). I can not only record, but pause, and rewind/fastforward live tv! Which means I can skip commericals.

Good Riddance commericals...I'll see you in hell!

Anyways, Satellite tv is awesome, commericals suck, and I gotta go.

- Rob

Redemption

Hey Everyone,

I just have to thank everyone for their comments on my last blog. I had a lot of strong opinions to voice, and I feel that pretty much all feedback was fair, even if it disagreed with what I said. I particuarly appreciate Teresa's apology, and I too must apologize for taking her opinions too personally, and lashing out with my frustration.

With that said, I have to say it was inspiring to hear all the supportive comments from people who agree with me. Sometimes I forget that there are many decent people in this country that agree with my belief that there are powerful forces in this country expending a tremendous amount of energy to use the lower classes as a pedestal to make themselves wealthier and more powerful.

Together, we can show them that WE don't turn our backs on one another, and that WE help each other even if it means we all have to sacrifice for the common well-being. That's the America that I believe in, and I look forward to taking a big step towards that America when WE take back our government in 2008!


Lately, the GOP, has been calling US "adrift and angry."

Adrift, no.
Angry, HELL YES!

Of course we're angry! We're angry with them selling out our soldiers, turning their backs on our school children, ruining our economy, UN-balancing the budget, destroying Social Security, Rigging the Supreme Court with RADICAL right-wing justices, and undermining the democratic process with FRAUDULANT elections! You're damn right we're angry, and we have every right to be! But we'll make them sorry when we take back the White House and Congress in 2008!

- Rob

The City of New Orleans

Kanye West Is My Hero.

Why? Because he is not afraid to speak the truth. Because he knows right and wrong when he sees it. Because he is the only one of the dozens of celebrities assembled by NBC to raise money for the hurricane relief, that had the guts to call out our President for the coward and the liar that he is.

On Friday night, NBC aired a live telecast featuring celebritites such as Kanye West, John Goodman, Hilary Swank, Leonardo Dicaprio, Chris Tucker, Mike Myers, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. During the show, different actors and celebrities told stories and asked for help from the public.

Kanye West on the other hand, went right to the heart of the matter. "George Bush doesn't care about Black people..." as the camera abruptly cut away to an unexpectant Chris Tucker.

NBC censored that part of the broadcast when the program was played later on the west coast. Why? Because NBC is like all other news-agencies, just another patsy for the radical right-wing in this country! Was that broadcast about bringing help to the desperate people of New Orleans? No way in HELL!!! NBC would never have given up so much primetime if it wasn't going to get them viewers.

And ok, now I'm sure you're saying, 'how the hell do you know this?' Well, my first clue was when they cut someone off who was actually speaking the truth! I thought this was supposed to be Hard-Hitting news! Not 'tell people what they want to hear'!

Maybe I'm the only one, but the first thing I noticed when I watched the 'coverage' of the aftermath of this horrible storm, was that the people waiting around for help were all (and I mean ALL) Black. And every time I saw someone 'looting', it was all black people. They had white people looting too, but the newsreporter said 'these people are just desparate to get food and water'. Funny, just a minute ago the guy who stole a case of Dasani was 'looting'? Oh wait, he was black.

Look, I know Bush admitted he wasn't doing enough and congress passed and he signed a $10 billion dollar aid package, but that was FIVE days after the fact! YOU CAN'T SURVIVE FIVE DAYS WITHOUT DRINKABLE WATER!!!

Now, I understand that not all people that are suffering are black, but come on, watch the news, you can't tell me that you don't notice one common characteristic most of the people suffering share; skin color.

I wonder if this had happened in Orange County, California how long it would have taken to get water and food to the victims? Probably not too long since not only is Orange County the richest county in America, but W. also got the a higher percentage of votes in the OC than in any other county in America.

Here's another reason W. is responsible for this catastrophe is because we no longer have the unfrastructure to deal with this kind of national emergency. Why? Because our brilliant leader sent all of our National Guard troops over to IRAQ. And even the troops we do have here have their hands tied because they are in such small numbers and mainly, because all of the necessary equipment, i.e. trucks, hummers, and mainly Chinook helicopters, which are used to airlift supplies (like bottled water, for example), are in the desert somewhere, making sure we focus on Saddam Hussein, so that no one realizes he never captured Osama Bin Laden (as he promised he would countless times after 9/11).

This is just one more time George W. Bush let America down, and this time people died because of it.

Thank God there are still people like Kanye West around to shove the truth in our faces when you least want to see it.

- Rob

Wrong Again!

Well, I was wrong again......or else I just jinxed the guy I chose to win.

I thought Ty Taylor was going to win the first season of Rockstar: INXS, but I was wrong. I just found out this evening that Ty was DENIED by the band, INXS. In their defense, Ty did have a few questionable performances in a row. He stretched too far, singing songs like Proud Mary and he screwed up the original song that INXS had each one perform.

I still think Ty was the best fit, but like I said in my last blog, there are a lot of other talented singers in the competition, such as Jordis and Mig.


In light of my recent choice and the outcome of that, I would say that Jordis and Mig just got the kiss of death.


PS: Is it just me or does Mig bear a striking resemblance to Willem Dafoe?

Rockstar: INXS

Lately, I've been watching the new show Rockstar: INXS.

I don't generally watch reality shows, and I'm not even sure if this qualifies as a reality show, but I love it either way.

There really are two reasons I love this show so much....

1. I'm a big Rock fan. I don't think I've heard a song performed on the show that I didn't love and know every word to.

2. It's a reality show that is actually true to it's title. The show is called Rockstar, and it's about becoming a Rockstar. To me, a show called 'Survivor' should be about people trying SURVIVE in the wilderness, not about people trying to survive living with a bunch of people that are even more dishonest and obnoxious then they are.

If you couldn't tell from the picture, or if you don't watch the show, my favorite is Ty Taylor. He's not my favorite singer, probably not even in my top three, but he is, in my opinion, immeasurably better suited to be the lead singer for INXS than any of the others.

If anyone was wondering, Jordis is my favorite performer, and my second favorite to win the competition.

PS: She is currently singing an amazing version of John Lennon's Imagine.

- Rob

MP3 Players

Hey Everyone,
I've been thinking about saving up to buy an MP3 player, but I don't have a clue about the specifics of them at all.

Is it worth spending more on an iPod, or are all brands the same?
Are there more than one type of iPod, or is it just an iPod?
Do you need extra accessories to load music/listen to music?
Is it actually worth it? Are they really all they're cracked up to be?

If anyone knows anything about MP3 players, please let me know. No rush though, I'm probably not going to have enough money together for at least a few months, I'm just trying to do my homework now so I know how much money I need for what I want.

Thanks!

-Rob