scheduled outage

I've been watching The Guild. OK, I've already watched Seasons 1 & 2. It's great, I love Felicia Day. Maybe it's the gaming, violin, singing, or general nerdy-ness. Heck, it could be the Sears Blue Appliance Crew commercial. I don't know. Of course like any good obsession, I spent several hours watching The Guild instead of writing a paper for class. Well, I guess it wouldn't be a good obsession if it didn't interfere with normal life. I needed something to interrupt my 10 season + 2 movies, Stargate SG-1 marathon. Yup, I need to get a job.

There's just something not right with all of this. I can't put my finger on it. Hmm. I can believe suicide. I can believe digging a ditch. I can believe covering the hole with brush. What's got me is why a suicide would dig a grave and then shoot yourself. Cuz this explanation seems far from the norm. He dug a ditch, put himself in it, covered it up, and then shot himself? That's the only way it could've gone according to the article. Usually you shoot first, dig the ditch, and then cover it up. Now if it's premeditated you dig the ditch first, shoot someone, toss them in and cover it up. It's just that covering up the grave is to conceal its location. Dead people don't care where they're located (or at least they don't complain about it that much). Well, I'll never know the mind of a suicidal person, especially when they blow their brains out.

Well, it was just a matter of time. I blame the superhero movies, people taking the law into their own hands. It's the lawmakers that make crappy laws, law enforcement that can't do their job, the lack of funds for law enforcement. Nope, I blame the superhero movies.

Why I don't accept gifts from neighbors.

kill me, kill me please.

"Adidas, meet Reebok. Reebok, this is Adidas' best friend, Gandalf." What ever happened to good ol' fashion names? James, John, Daniel, and so on? Yeah, George Carlin has done it before but nothing on this scale. I mean, REEBOK for Christ's sake. Who names their kid after a shoe? Why would you name your kid after a shoe? Yeah, it's a great shoe but it does not make a good name for a person!
OK, Gandalf is a pretty kick ass name but only for the right kind of kid. And unfortunately, the right kid for that name gets his ass kicked all the way through high school. It used to be tradition to name children after prominent leaders, generals, admirals, and presidents. George Washington Carver is a good example. These types of people shaped the world, affected policies on a global scale. David Beckham, on the other, is just a awesome soccer player (married to a Spice Girl). Randy Shughart sacrificed his life to save others against overwhelming odds. All he got were a couple of buildings and a ship named after him. I'd rather have a kid named after a Medal of Honor recipent than a soccer player.
Now Superman is just a great name, but it's not a good given name. More of a nickname. Plus, what if it turns out that your son, Superman, has ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)? How messed up would that be?
And Arsenal. SERIOUSLY? Again, good team but bad name. That's like naming a kid G&E or Sony. I guess I'm old fashion but I've put a little thought into what I'm gonna name my kids. If I have a boy, Depeche Mode. Yeah, he's gonna grow up to be a rock star because we all know that rock stars make excellent role models. For a girl, hmm let's see. Not Madonna, because she's a bit of a skank. Britney? Nah, I just keep thinking of single digit IQ scores. Oh how about Febreeze? It's a girl's name obviously, she'd smell really good too.

In about fourteen to sixteen years there's going to be a whole bunch of kids going all Menendez brothers. Yeah, can't wait for that to happen.

not just to keep rain off my neck

There's a couple of things on my mind. Yes. More than just an obstacle for the guy behind me at the movies. First off, DAMN YOU YANKOVIC! I was fine until I started to play Minesweeper on my laptop. I surely am not White & Nerdy. Whew. With that off of my chest I feel a little better.
Secondly, there's an issue that is reminscent of high school. I recently got an RSVP from a friend to attend his wedding reception in Ohio. Now, do I RSVP for +1 or not? Usually I do, but this dry spell has got me worried. I've got two months (which lots can happen, or it could be like the last two months and nothing happens), but how does this work? If I +1 and the day comes and I'm still single, do I find a replacement? Or do I just go it solo? Yeah, not much of a dilemma I know but it's just like prom back in high school. Except the pool of people I'm working from is much lower now than it was back then. Yesh.
Third (completely seperate from item 2) is this concept that hit me. I sometimes hang out with two friends from college (they're married) but often times I feel like the third wheel, we go to the movies and have plans to go see Happy Feet sometime in the future. The issue is this: they're starting to invite other singles (friends/family) in their life that are females. Am I wrong to be thinking set up? One of the possibilities is another one of our friends from college, whom I do like, she's cool in the slightly crazy way. The other is his sister, I've never met her. Call me crazy, but is someone controlling my life? Is this the Truman Show?

it's just a video game

Bully the video game. Now I'm all for video games, some are entertaining and some are educational (without the player even realizing it), but this one is just an idiotic idea.

I can't wait for the string of violence to arise from this video game. OK, maybe violence is a little harsh but I'm sure torment of other kids on the playground will increase.

Who actually approved this concept? Video games like Ace Combat or Need For Speed actually provide some sort of entertainment or skills value. How you ask? Ask any Air Force pilot if they'd played some sort of fighter simulator game before actually becoming a pilot. Most have, it's what made them pursue a career in aviation. Need For Speed? Hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and driving skills. It's good.

This is too close to home though. I don't even mind video games like GTA because it is so outrageous. I mean, being a bully at school is video game worthy? Why? Is it fictional? Or based in reality? It's about as tasteful as a video game called 'Al-Qaieda' or 'Jihad' in which the player controls a Muslim who goes through camps to train on how to build bombs and then goes out to kill infidels or possibly infiltrate the U.S. and blows up a two really tall, adjacent buildings in New York City. Oh, that's not cool? Why not? It's just a video game. Doesn't that sound like a best-seller? Well, overseas maybe.

Seriously though, where's the line? What makes a game company produce and release a product like this? I understand that the owners were probably nerds that got beaten up a LOT when they were younger so it would be cool to be able to be bullies (via video game interface). So now they're contributing to the problem, which is so great huh? In fact, I think some current bullies will get some ideas from the game to try on other kids. Then, when the bully is being tried as an adult for voluntary manslaughter, he'll be up on the stand saying that he got the idea from playing the game. WONDERFUL!

After 'Bully' does Rockstar plan to release a sequel? Because I've got the storyline and title. 'Bully 2: Revenge' where you control the nerd that gets picked on and then you go on a school rampage, killing students, teachers and police. It first starts off with flashbacks of getting beaten up as you're selected your arsenal. Guns, bullets, knives, and maybe a cheat code for grenades. Stage two: get past all of the metal detectors at school and avoid RFI detection. Stage three: go postal and get the bullies that beat you up. Stage four: blast your way out when the police arrive. Here's the catch though, if you die, you start back at the beginning to select your arsenal.

freaks and geeks

Great Debate
Nerd vs Geek

I consider this one of the new classic debates, joining the ranks of ‘which came first? The chicken or the egg?’ and ‘is there a God?’ There is a sense of pride for some to be known as a geek or a nerd, and some distain when you are a nerd and called a geek, or vice versa.
I am a geek. Sad but true. There’s my DVD collection, currently over 400 titles and growing. I like technology, I have two laptops, two cell phones (one is a Blackberry), a 60GB iPod, 1GB iPod shuffle, a Sony PSP, Gameboy Advance SP, a digital camera, and other devices. Then, in my car I have cell phone kit, a CB radio, radar detector, and a power converter. I also retain an intensive knowledge of Star Trek trivia, I own all 6 Star Wars movies and the cartoon episodes between Episode II and III, I like math and science, and I am socially awkward. Don’t get me wrong, I have social and communications skills but I enjoy the company of myself more. I also have knowledge of recent military history, weapon systems, and military strategy. The only books I read are directly related to whatever subject I am interested in.
Nerds, on the other hand, are more bookworm-ish. Both nerds and geeks are highly intelligent, but geeks tend to focus on the science & technology and nerds are book-smart in most other subjects. It is debated that geeks come from nerds, just that they are science nerds. Neither geeks nor nerds have any real ‘street-smarts’ and thus both tend to be less social.
I like this analogy of nerds and geeks, taken from Wikipedia. While a nerd and a geek would both have the intelligence to do well on an exam, a nerd would spend the night before studying no matter the distraction, while a geek might be more likely to be tempted to spend the evening playing video games or chatting online.
Many times I have spent time online or playing a video game instead of studying. Yes, I did well, but not as well as I could have had I just sat down and studied (this was pointed out by my professors on many occasions).
I adamantly defend my geekness, I am not a nerd. Do not confuse me for one.