Yee-haw... Y'all come back now, ye hear.

“I trust God to be the judge and jury better than anyone on earth.” - Sheriff Grady Judd.

Anyone else think that there's something wrong in this statement coming from a police officer?

A massive manhunt by police from several agencies in central Florida ended after officers fatally shot a man suspected of killing a sheriff and a dog and wounding another deputy.

Officers don't know the man's name but was identified to be the same person in a photo released earlier by police. You know a black guy with dreadlocks. Whoa, there are a bunch of black guys with dreads... must be gang related.

As one person on a tbo forum quipped, summarizing most of the posts, 'God Rules. Way to gitr done fellers.'

photo from tbo.com- Greg Fight

Feeling constipated? Buy a Hummer

There should be some kind of protocol in tv broadcast journalism where there are no advertisements interupting a story relating to a death or in memoriam of a person. It was so disconcerting to hear commercials about constipation pills and SUVs in the middle of an interview that Barbara Walters had with Terri Irwin on the recent death of her husband on the news magazine 20/20. Just finish the interview and show the commercials afterwards, you dummies. It's like someone selling hotdogs in the middle of a wake; it just shouldn't be done.

Was it me or did Brendan McLaughlin seem a little teary-eyed in the beginning of the 11:oo news after 20/20? And I though that it was kind of strange that they didn't put the camera on him that much either. I have to admit that I was a bit teary-eyed myself.

People just liked it better that way

ISTANBUL


Why they changed it I can't say. As a kid in the early 1990s, I remember my after school and Saturday morning ritual of watching cartoons. Back then, there were great American cartoons from Warner Brothers and Disney such as Tiny Toons, Animemaniacs, Duck Tales, Tailspin, etc. There were some stupid ones of course such as Darkwing Duck and Gooftroop, but they were good enough to watch. But it's interesting how globalization has affected kids programming. I guess that it was in the late 1990s that Japanese anime began to gain popuarity in the US with programs such as DragonBall, Sailormoon, and Pokemon. I'm no one to complain because I loved to watch those shows, but I think that because of them, American 30-min cartoons have really been in a decline. I also remember how American cartooning was reeling from the influx of popularity in anime as American cartoons bagan to use similar drawing styles (such as the big eyes which interestingly enough where the Japanese were initially influenced by Disney cartoons) and reoccuring motifs in Japanese cartoons (such as big robots). I think that anime is not as popular right now as well, I dunno, but American programming now can't compete with the writing from shows such as Batman: The Animated Series or the double-entendres that made Animaniacs so fun to watch. It may be partially the fault of government ever since the Clinton administration had put in regulations of supposedly 'educational' programming blocks that tv stations were required to show. But even these shows, mostly animal shows, pale in comparison to shows such as Bill Nye the Science Guy and Where in the World in Carmen Santiago.

PARTICLE MAN


When they meet, it's a happy land... powerful man.. universe man. I guess that it's just a sign of the times. Even in the 1980s, Japanese cartoons had found its way on to American TV such as my favorite cartoon, Macross. But globailization in inevitable; I mean most of the drawings in the shows I mentioned were mostly drawn in Korea, I think, where cost could be kept down. Now, I can watch anime on the internet that were just released in Japan, fully translated by show fanatics; even in German and Spanish. I wonder how many people have learned Japanese by watching anime as kids?

A more open China?

You had to have an armed guard harass me when I recorded video of the terra cotta soldiers in Xi'an when I was only 11 years old, yet you let this asshole get into the excavation site dressed in that ridiculous outfit where he could have done serious damage to the statues. Compared to the way I was treated back then, shouldn't you have thrown this guy into a work camp or something; and he's not even Chinese.

image from msnbc

PC: Piece of sChit

I really don't understand these anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-common-sense computer software that pc consumers are forced into throwing money away for. I swear ever since I installed Norton's security software, I've been getting more spam e-mails than ever before. Is it coincidence? Oh look how good our software is working, see how many spam mail we blocked. And these stupid pop-up blockers, what the hell, it blocks things that I want to see and allows stupid goarmy, netflix or what-the-fuck-ever advertisements. Is it time to go apple?

The question is: what is it?

It's Xenu and more thetans coming to plague the Earth... or some trash. Same difference.

The shuttle is scheduled to land at KSC at 6:21 tomorrow morning.

Atlantis, God speed you back home.

image from msnbc

YF-19

Can't help myself. Need to get this thing. Must sell kidney.

Photo from macrossworld.com forum.

Should I stay or should I go now?

My violin teacher is planning on moving to the other side of the country within the year. I've been with her since I started learning for some 16 months now. I'm not sure if I should stay with her until she leaves or go to another instructor right away. I'm thinking that building a strong relationship with your teacher is pretty important; so if she's going to be leaving, it may be an opportune time to start again with somebody new. I've already gotten a few business cards from other instructors in the area. Hmm... I'll have to think about it some more.

Earth Shake

Whoa, I experienced the effects of an earthquake for the first time (and in Florida? ... and not including that stupid ride in Universal). My apartment shook for a few seconds this morning. At the time, I didn't know what it was, but it was strong enough that my computer monitor was swaying back and forth. The local news says that is was an earthquake 6.0 on the Richter scale some 300 miles offshore from Tampa in the Gulf of Mexico.

Here is an image from the USGS of locations where the tremors were felt.

Hopefully how the Bucs offense played today will be as rare as this event, 27-0.

Autobots transform in order to fight the evil forces of the Decepticons

I got a new Transformer toy today, and I was rather disappointed with it. Why was the leader of the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime given such a tiny weapon? At least Grimlock got a sword. I remember reading somewhere that the car companies that the toys are modeled after are given the final say on the toy design, and that some companies have problems with guns associated with their product. In one instance, Honda refused to let one of the toy models have a rifle. Instead it has a scanner. I don't know if the Japanese version of the toy comes with the gun or not. Come on, they're Transformers; they have an intergalatic sci-fi techno war or whatever, they need guns and lasers and such. It's no fun when they have a scanner. What is he going to do, give you a price check? Remember the good ole' days when the radio robot was able to shoot the large rifle robot? (Soundwave and Megatron, I think.)

Okay, I understand how toy guns shouldn't be modeled or resemble real guns, but is it that kids really associate these exaggerated toy versions with the real thing? I mean they're vehicles that turn into robots; isn't that more bizarre than having it wield a gun. If it's a gun control thing, shouldn't we be more concerned about selling assault rifles to people rather than toys with make believe laser guns? And yes, I am too old to be talking about Transformers.

Let's Build Something Together

I hate Home Depot, even more so after my visit there today. They have a poor selection of products, even the simplist hardware such as pipe fittings and bolts. They have poorly trained employees; it took me ten minutes of wandering around to find a worker only to be answered that they don't work in that secton. Another wait for the guy, who does supposedly work in the tools section, that doesn't know shit about tools. Another ass in the lumber section who would not help me; let alone letting me finish my question before rudely spouting "we-don'-do-dat" or "o'er-der." You don't even know what I'm looking for, you jackass. And why would you only open one register especially when there's a long line of customers? It seems that Home Depot is taking the Wal-Mart approach of having a bunch of stores with poor service in a small area so that people would go there only for the convenience of location. Fuck that, I'd rather drive the extra few miles to Lowe's.

Critical Germaine Greer on the Death of the Crocodile Hunter

Remarks by feminist award-winning author Germaine Greer on Steve Irwin's work.

-"It’s no surprise that he came to grief."
-"We now have enough respect for lions to be embarrassed if we see someone trying to crack whips at them and wave chairs at them. Jumping all over crocodiles is the same kind of thing."
-"I’m not saying that’s not sad, I’m saying what might be over now is this kind of exploitation of animals."
-"I am sick and tired of programs that tell me that the world is full of wicked, nasty, powerful, deadly creatures. Why does Australia set itself up to be made into this hellhole?"

Let's see what you have to say when your dog gets eaten by an alligator in the backyard pond. Or whether or not you'd feel remorse if a neighbor put a bullet between the eyes of the animal. Or how about when your son goes to the beach and wonders how squishy that blue-ringed octopus is?

Steve Irwin devoted his life to animal conservaton. No doubt that he's is a bit back country in his behaviour, but he has much more to say than these supposed academic types.

Katie's Shoving Off from Harbor

So Katie Couric finally made her debut as the sole anchor person for the CBS evening news. Is it a big deal because she's the first woman to hold that title or because she's Katie Couric? I haven't watched the evening news regularly because I'm not near a television at that time slot, and I didn't see how she did this evening. But I have watched Couric on NBC's Today Show regularly in the past and it's a big shift from bubble gum news to hard news. I don't think that she can get away with flirting with her guests or bickering on air with perhaps Andy Rooney (who did not have any enthusiasm over her employment) like she had done with Matt Lauer. I think that Elizabeth Vargas should be placed back on air for ABC along with Campbell Brown or one of the other look-alikes on NBC; that would be a sign of the times, no? At least women's lib hasn't gotten to the point where the female news anchors strip like I heard was done in Russia; too bad.

photo from MSNBC

I Voted Touchscreen

It's going to be Jim Davis (D) and Charlie Crist (R) running for the governor's seat. But how can you dummies nominate Katherine Harris? It will be Bill Nelson (D) and Harris (R) for US Senate.

Check out Florida Dept of State Division of Elections site for preliminary election results.

Crocodile Hunter

Steve Irwin died while filming on location in Australia's barrier reef from lacerations from a stingray. While swimming near the stingray, its barbed tail pierced the heart of Irwin. The Crocodile Hunter is awesome and will be missed.

photo from MSNBC