| Lock Yer Doors and Hide Yer Wimmenfolk! |
[Aug. 15th, 2009|12:01 pm] |
...Tony bought a TV!
Granted, it's not the biggest or the fanciest, but we bought a 32" LCD flat panel with a built-in DVD player, multiple HDMI ports, and a PC monitor port, all for the low-low price of $399. It was a clearance TV, but it's got a great picture, has a built-in digital TV tuner, and works real nice.
So, after three years of not having a TV, I'm back to watching boring network fare and insipid commercials again.
Ironically, I still watch most shows on my laptop from sites like Hulu, but once the desktop is hooked up the TV, we'll be able to watch Hulu on the set in surround sound. Nice.
Next stop, cable. |
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| Dick of the Week - Jeremy Martin of Portland, Oregon |
[Jun. 28th, 2009|08:11 pm] |
I normally don't like to talk about how stupid people are in my own hometown, because I like to think that the folks in the Pacific Northwest are generally a pretty gregarious bunch (and that a lack of sunlight causes my Vitamin D-deficient brethren to occasionally act out unnecessarily), but this guy is so stupid that he deserves his own chapter, let alone his own entry.
PORTLAND- Emergency dispatchers in Clackamas County say a man's repeated abuse of 911 could have put lives at risk. He was eventually arrested for improper use of 911.
It happened early Friday morning outside the McDonalds at SE 82nd Ave. and Sunnyside Road.
Apparently, three young men were unhappy with their burger order so they called 911 repeatedly tying up the lifesaving lines for nearly 20 minutes. First responder Andrew Mickelson took the call.
“I told him it was something he should take up with the manager because it wasn't something the police was going to get involved with,” said Mickelson.
Police released the 911 recordings.
“I was at a McDonalds and I paid $10 and these guys gave me one burger and fries -- that’s it, man,” the caller said.
Mickelson responded, “Sir, this is not a 911 emergency; 911 is only for life and death situations.”
However, the man and two of his friends were so upset over the hamburger incident they continued to call 911 over and over again.
“You are telling me I can't get a cop right here at 82nd and Sunnyside road? I will sue your [expletive] office right now,” screamed the caller.
Mickelson said, “You are going to sue our office because you’re calling 911 and they didn't give you the correct food?”
The caller responded in anger. “You [expletive] send an officer right here right now because I got [expletive] cheated!”
Mickelson said 911 operators frequently get cursed at from callers who take out their frustrations on them, but usually it’s not over hamburgers.
The three men made such a scene outside the drive-up window that other McDonald's customers started calling 911 fearing for the safety of restaurant employees. Meanwhile, the upset men used a new tactic to get attention from dispatchers.
The caller said, “Oh my God, the lady at McDonalds has a gun pointed at my head. Send a cop right now.”
Mickelson asks, “Does she have a gun pointed at your head?”
“Yup. You’re going to send me a cop,” demands the caller.
“Yes, I'm going to send you a cop. What’s your name?” asks Mickelson.
“My name is Jeremy Martin. Send me a cop right now!” the caller said.
There was no gun but there was a Jeremy Martin.
Martin, 23, was arrested for improper use of 911. His two friends fled the scene. Dispatchers say the abusive 911 calls could have easily put other lives at risk and it was all over a hamburger.
With Fourth of July fast approaching dispatchers warn everyone not to call 911 with noise complaints; police won't respond to them.
The 911 service is reserved for life and death emergencies only. Anything less can put lives at risk and, as Martin found out, put you in jail.
Wow. Just...wow.
- T
:P |
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| I'm All for the Cause, But... |
[Jan. 28th, 2009|09:49 pm] |
...Would You Like to Know More?
Just...watch it. It's very weird. Yes, it's a worthy cause, and I'm all for it. But, is it me or does Casper Van Dien seem even more wooden here than usual, and isn't "Starship Troopers" an odd fit? It feels more than forced, it feels like something you might see on "MadTV" or SNL...but a really badly-produced skit that just isn't funny. So, more like SNL, then.
Anyhoo, watch and wonder.
- T
:P |
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| Mister! Scott! Lives!! |
[Dec. 29th, 2008|11:21 pm] |
Set the Wayback Machine for 1984.
The most popular movie of the summer will be 'Ghostbusters', and the top ten of rock consists of songs by hair metal bands. I was attending school at Lewis Junior High. The following year, the school would no longer exist, overcome by budgetary shortfalls and other issues. It was later turned into a community center, but they tore down most of the older buildings and built a new school over the football field and running track.
Back then, times were not like they were now, but the people were pretty much the same. Our school had bullies, and I suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous assclowns as much or more than anybody else. Life was un-fun, if you were me.
Computers were in their infancy, and our computer sciences classes used old Commodore 64's, which were more or less state of the art. I met a fellow student named Tom Bosch there at that time, messing around reprogramming old Commodore text-based B-52 Bomber games into Star Trek games, and he remains my friend to this day.
However, the only real reason I kept going back to class, despite the day-to-day punishment and drudgery that was junior high, was one teacher: Robert B. Scott.
Mr. Scott was one of those teachers you just remember forever. The man never just stuck to the lesson plan. If something piqued our interest, he'd go off on that tangent. We blew stuff up, we built things, we burned propane, ignited sodium, learned how jet engines worked, saw how they split the atom in 1945, listened to stories about his growing up and coming of age during World War II, heard about his times watching the skies for enemy planes as part of the Civil Air Patrol...he was a fascinating instructor, full of boundless energy and infinite knowledge. When I think of great teachers, I always think of Mr. Scott.
Of all the teachers I had, only three really meant a damn to me: Carol Ramsey (my math and sciences teacher who paid my way through a college cartooning course at Portland State University), Shirley Porter-Thomsen (my high school journalism teacher and instructor while I was on the school newspaper), and Robert B. "Bob" Scott, science teacher extraordinaire.
A few weeks ago, my friends Tom, Andy, and I were discussing great teachers of our pasts. Mr. Scott was brought up frequently as among the best and most memorable teachers we ever had. I got to thinking, "hey, I was a private investigator, I should be able to find this guy."
So, I did.
He was old even when he was our teacher back in the 1980s (he retired the year I left Lewis, one year before it was shut down), but now he's 88 years young and in an assisted living community by Vancouver Mall. We had a nice conversation, during which he struggled to remember me, until I mentioned that I had been a cartoonist. Apparently, that was what I was best remembered for, because everyone I have ever run into from that time and place remember me as the kid who could really draw. Makes me regret not staying with it, because I was really pretty good at it, too.
Anyhoo, he's still as sharp as ever, and we had a conversation that ranged from teaching styles in the 1980s to ethics and the development of stem cell research. The man has changed not a whit, although he's suffered his own personal tragedy - his wife passed on a short time ago. They had moved to the community because he was having trouble trying to take care of her with her diabetes. We touched on that briefly as well, especially considering that my own grandmother is a diabetic, and my grandfather is having his own troubles taking care of her, and I myself am a diabetic. It made me a little sad to see where things have ended up in his great and remarkable life but, regardless, I'm glad I looked him up, because he was such an inspiration to me and to so many others and he had not a clue that this was the case.
Literally DOZENS of people who I knew from that time and have spoken to in the last few years have named Robert Scott the best teacher they ever had, and he had not a clue. This is a guy who single-handedly kept me in school, and he didn't know what that meant to a kid like me.
It also reminded me of how much my own grandparents appreciate me when I come to visit, and how little they seem to receive visitors. We really do seem to forsake our elders these days, and it's very selfish and sad. Without my grandparents or teachers like Mr. Scott, I might have turned out a very different person. (Which, alternatively, may not *necessarily* have been a *bad* thing, but I digress).
Anyhoo, take it to heart: look up the people who really meant something to you, and tell them that. It'll make their day, and it might just make yours.
Peace out (whatever that means...Gods, now *I'm* getting old!)
- T |
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| Don't Be a Dick |
[Dec. 1st, 2008|12:04 pm] |
I've been going through a lot of philosophy lately. I don't know why, maybe it's a melancholy kick I've been on lately, or maybe because I have a love of drah-mah, but I've been looking at different philosophical treatises lately.
They all seem to boil down to one thing: "don't be a dick."
It's true. All philosophy is essentially about not being a dick. Don't be a dick to your friends, don't be a dick to your enemies, don't be a dick to someone you don't know because they could be a future friend or enemy, don't be a dick to your spouse, don't be a dick to your kids...just don't be a dick.
Now, being a dick can mean a lot of different things, but we all know when we're being dicks. We all know it. We all get that little slightly guilty, irritated or haughty feeling when we behave in certain ways toward people we know. We all want to hurt, kill, annoy or covet (Lord knows I've done one or all of 'em, and some more than others). So, basically, to all those people to whom I have been a dick, I'm sorry for being a dick.
Of course, if you follow the Patrick Swayze model, sometimes it's good to be a dick. You know, when someone approaches you with hostility, don't be a dick. If somebody needs to be escorted from the presence of others, do it without being a dick. You confront hostility without being a dick, until it's time to be a dick.
So, basically, don't be a dick...until it's time to be a dick.
That is all.
- T
:P |
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| Let Your Geek Flag Fly |
[Nov. 29th, 2008|09:23 am] |
"The Princess Bride"...with lightsabers.
Yeah, some days are just made for us geeks.
- T
:P |
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| An Unsual Short |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|02:28 pm] |
I have no idea what this is from, only that it apparently stars Charles Rocket and Lois Bromfield, and is somehow entitled "Sorority Girls from Hell."
I thought it was pretty funny.
- T
(:O) |
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| Goodbye, Mr. Bond! |
[Nov. 20th, 2008|08:37 pm] |
Dr. Sinistor's latest lethal cyborg killing machine, and it gets your floors sparkling clean.
Plus, fuzzy.
- T
:P |
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| Voting Yes on Proposition 8 is Voting No for Common Sense |
[Nov. 15th, 2008|06:48 pm] |
Okay, this whole Prop 8 thing is becoming stupid.
When a slim majority voted in Proposition 8, which strikes down an earlier ruling that made legal marriage between same-sex couples (and I support same-sex marriage), the inevitable protests began. Had it gone the other way, it would have been the same. Now, however, the supporters of legalized gay marriage are going completely the wrong way...again.
Last time, they failed to reach out to the African-American community, and over 70 percent of black voters supported Proposition 8, a law which Barack Obama vehemently opposed, even though he is not a supporter of gay marriage. This was primarily due to a carefully planned campaign for the measure by its supporters, many of whom are religious groups. In the same way Barack Obama lit up the internet to bring support to his cause, the Gay Haters have done the same. It was a brilliant move, one which the anti-Proposition 8 crowd did not mirror, to their detriment.
So, the pro-gay marriage/anti-Prop 8 crowd is rising up in protest. A very well-organized, intelligent, well-planned protest. The Mormon Church, which donated 20 million dollars to the cause of Prop 8, is now a target of the protests, and thousands have gathered outside Mormon temples to speak out against the Latter Day Saints' support of the anti-gay-marriage initiative. It's been a good move to bring attention to their cause.
The trouble is, they're attacking the black community as well, which is equally as bad for their cause.
Read the story below for more:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859323,00.html?cnn=yes
Ever since a slim majority outlawed gay marriage in California, opponents have waged national protests and petitions, urging the judicial system to reconsider the results of the Nov. 4 referendum. (Proposition 8 overturned an earlier decision by the Supreme Court of California legalizing same-sex marriages.) While the court weighs whether or not to get back into the fray, the civil unrest ignited by the ban shows no sign of abating. A National Protest Against Prop 8 organized by JoinTheImpact.com is scheduled for this Saturday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opponents say donated more than $20 million to the Yes on 8 campaign, has already become a focus of protests, with demonstrators gathered around Mormon temples not only in California but across the country.
The Mormon Church is not the only group being singled out for criticism. African-Americans, 70% of whom voted yes on Proposition 8, according to a CNN exit poll, have become a target. According to eyewitness reports published on the Internet, racial epithets have been used against African-Americans at protests in California, directed even at blacks who are fighting to repeal Proposition 8. Said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, "In any fight, there will be people who say things they shouldn't say, but that shouldn't divert attention from what the vast majority are saying against this, that it's a terrible injustice." (See the Top 10 ballot measures.)
In addition to protests, gay activists have begun publishing lists online exposing individuals and organizations who have donated money in support of Proposition 8. On AntiGayBlacklist.com, individuals who gave money toward Proposition 8 are publicized, with readers urged not to patronize their businesses or services. The list of donors was culled from data on ElectionTrack.com, which follows all contributions of over $1,000 and all contributions of over $100 given before October 17. Dentists, accountants, veterinarians and the like who gave a few thousand dollars to the cause are listed alongside major donors like the Container Supply Co., Inc. of Garden Grove, Calif., which gave $250,000. "Anyone who steps into a political fight aimed at taking away fundamental rights from fellow citizens opens themselves up to criticism," said Wolfson. "The First Amendment gives them the right of freedom of speech and to support political views, but people also have the right to criticize them."
Even before the passage of Proposition 8, Californians Against Hate compiled and published a "dishonor roll" of those individuals, along with their company affiliations, who gave $5,000 or more towards supporting the measure. Telephone numbers and Web sites were added along with commentary about some of the larger donors to public information obtained through the California Secretary of State's Office. "My goal was to make it socially unacceptable to give huge amounts of money to take away the rights of one particular group, a minority group," says Fred Karger, a retired political consultant and founder of Californians Against Hate. "I wanted to make the public aware of who these people are and how much they're giving and then they could make a decision as to whether or not they want to patronize their businesses."
The negative publicity is having effects on both companies and individuals. Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, whose $1,000 donation was listed on ElectionTrack, chose to resign from his post this week to protect the theater from public criticism. Karger says a "soft boycott" they started against Bolthouse Farms, which gave $100,000 to Proposition 8, was dropped after he reached a settlement with the company. Bolthouse Farms was to give an equal amount of money to gay political causes. The amount ultimately equaled $110,000.
Meanwhile, lists of donors to Proposition 8, once trumpeted on the Yes on 8 Web site, have been taken down to protect individuals from harassment. "It's really awful," says Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Yes on Proposition 8. "No matter what you think of Proposition 8, we ought to respect people's right to participate in the political process. It strikes me as quite ironic that a group of people who demand tolerance and who claim to be for civil rights are so willing to be intolerant and trample on other people's civil rights."
Attacking a powerful voting bloc in order to protest their vote against your cause? Good move, if you want to lose AGAIN. The African-American community knows prejudice, yet rather than reach out to them and show how wrong the campaign for Proposition 8 was on the matter, the anti-Prop 8 crowd are attacking African-American voters with racial epithets and hate.
Smooth.
This campaign needs to be about coming together against religiously-fueled intolerance for a group of people, not a hate campaign against those who oppose you. Whoever is planning these things needs to reach out to the groups that voted for Proposition 8, not attack them. Have they learned nothing from the McCain/Palin campaign?
Anyhoo, while I support the rights of gays and lesbians to marry (it's in the Constitution for fuck's sake: All men are created equal. That means rights for all, not just for some, dammit), I do not support this turn of events. It smacks of the same kind of hate attacks the Republicans used to their ill against the Obama presidency, and we all know how that turned out.
There's nothing in the Bible against gay marriage. Point THAT out. There's nothing in Christianity that says gays do not share the same rights as straights. Point THAT out. It's PEOPLE that make this cause what it is. Alienating a group of people because they have opposed you, that's a bad tactic.
An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. Make people see, that's the ticket.
I'm done now.
- T
:P |
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