Below are the most recent 10 friends' journal entries.

Friday, November 6th, 2009
kyouryuu	11:47p	Chime Tetris was great. Lumines was great. Tetris + Lumines... sounds like an epic win. (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
kyouryuu	9:14p	Why can't I own Canadians? Referendum 71, which grants gay and lesbian couples "everything but marriage" as far as state laws are concerned, narrowly passed here in Washington. It spells victory over religious nutjobs who have sought to repeal legislation from earlier in the year. And, as you might guess, the hateful zealots are vowing to put it on the ballot again. So much for the "democratic" process. They'll just pull the lever over and over again until they get what they want. Given how zealots for centuries have partaken in the pasttime of selectively interpreting the Bible to suit their needs, I thought I'd share this amusing Internet meme: 1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians? 2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? 3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. 4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them? 5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.Exodus 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it? 6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination? 7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle- room here? 8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die? 9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves? 10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
kyouryuu	11:15p	Internet Freedom Act? Yeah, right! A few days ago, the FCC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting net neutrality. For years, large ISPs have fought to destroy net neutrality. Their ultimate goal is to be able to break up the Internet into tiered subscription rates. Just like premium cable, they want to charge a premium rate for you to check your Facebook or watch YouTube, taking the fine world of the Internet and trying to stuff it into tired, outdated business models. For an equally long time, the FCC rules have prevented ISPs from engaging in this behavior, arguing that when users buy access to the Internet, they must have access to the whole Internet. As such, not only are tiered subscription plans against the rules, but so is bandwidth throttling. Hours later, in order to appease the ISP giants, John McCain produced a new bill - the "Internet Freedom Act of 2009." As one might expect, any bill laden with patriotic nonsense like "Freedom" in its name is bound to be a clunker and this one is no different. Claiming that net neutrality "will stifle innovation, in turn slowing our economy turnaround and further depressing an already anemic job market," the bill seeks to strip the FCC of its power and allow the ISPs to do whatever they want, calling the FCC rules "oppressive." I suppose it would be a compelling doomsday scenario for some... if it were true. Amusingly, in the same written breath, McCain undermines his own argument. He cited that technology is the second fastest growing job market and that while other industries are slashing jobs, high tech industries have "added over 77,000 good high-paying jobs." It seems to me they need no help making money, but somehow McCain finds a reason. "Wired telephones and networks have become a slow, dying breed [takes one to know one, heh] as they are mired in state and Federal regulations, universal service contributions requirements and limitations on use." Well, Comcast had revenue of $30 billion in 2007. Verizon had $97 billion. Both had a net income in the billions. On top of that, I don't know how to break the news to him, but wired telephones are a dying breed! Everyone has a cell phone now. Heck, I don't even have a wired telephone line. So what's the goal here? To prop up wired telephone service? To preserve dial-up ISP services? Why? Technology marches on. Broadband Internet isn't just the future - it's already here and we're not looking back. (Comment on this)
khorax	11:45a	Update There's not much to really say. Between drama where I'm at now, looking for a job and a place to live, my life has been fairly busy. I'm trying to keep sane and trying to keep everything on track. Mom is finally getting her disability pay, and my father finally started paying on child support. That's really all there is to say. I do have a cold, but that'll be gone by the end of the week. Here's to hoping for the best in the near future! Current Mood: indifferent (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
kyouryuu	12:49a	Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take? Everyone knows the Tootsie Pop commercial. The one with the little boy who asks the animals how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. I remember it as a little kid in the commercials between Double Dare and Inspector Gadget. The commercial actually dates back to 1970 and was in continuous play for about 20 years. I haven't seen it in a while. According to Guinness, the world record for the longest running commercial is the one for Discount Tire. You probably remember the one with the old lady (who was actually a man dressed as a lady) heaving the tire into the glass window of a Discount Tire store as the narrator says, "If ever you're not satisfied with one of our tires, please feel free to bring it back. Thank you." This still runs on TV and it was filmed in 1975. Also, the composer of Halo's music originally wrote the jingle "ten million strong... and growing" for Flintstones vitamins back in the day! X) I swear, if you ever find an old VHS tape sitting around with something you recorded years ago, the commercials are more entertaining that the show itself. (Comment on this)
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
kyouryuu	7:59p	Masked Crusaders Working Overtime Fighting Crime Though I have to admit that M.A.S.K. was probably a good 2-3 years before my time, it had an awesome intro and a kickass theme song for an 80s cartoon. Lode and behold, the full version of the theme song! YouTube actually has a few other examples of the full versions of various cartoon theme songs. Sometimes, the 30-second snippet you hear in the intro for the show was actually a subset of a longer song. This was definitely true of the Disney Afternoon. This is the full version of the theme song to Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, complete with a sax solo. There's also the extended version of the theme from Talespin. Likewise for Ducktales. Woo-hoo! For those who remember The Raccoons, there was even a music video associated with it. (Comment on this)
Friday, October 30th, 2009
draganta	7:34p	Website Update It's not much, but I did add the only piece of artwork that came home with me at Furfright 2009 to the Art Gallery. It's in the 'Secret' area, so go gander at it! Current Mood: pleased (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
hgryphon	9:19a	Informal poll: trouble sleeping in California Anyone in central California having trouble sleeping lately? As in out of the ordinary? Current Mood: curious (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
hgryphon	6:57p	This is how I feel... Current Mood: indescribable (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
kyouryuu	11:42p	I remember years ago when Comedy Central canceled Mystery Science Theater 3000. While it eventually found another home on the Sci-Fi Channel, Comedy Central - in its infinite wisdom - decided to replace it with Gallagher. Gallagher. A guy who smashes watermelons with a mallet. That's got to do wonders for one's confidence, huh? Now Comedy Central wields that wisdom again in giving Jeff Dunham his own show. Jeff who? Oh, that guy with the lame and racist ventriloquist act? That guy who doesn't even try to not move his lips? Seriously? I'm afraid so, and the reason must be pure economics. You see, a couple years ago, his Christmas special broke all-time Comedy Central records - 6.6 million viewers. His show in Las Vegas is consistently sold out. He's an inexplicable success. Maybe he's powered by the same people who find you-might-be-a-redneck jokes funny - I honestly have no idea. There are plenty of comedians that I don't personally find funny, but I can understand why others would. Dunham is just a mystery. But then, if some big network handed me a million dollars for sticking my arm up a dummy's ass, I'd probably take the check too. (Comment on this)