Article: How NOT to pick up a girl on MySpace

I had the privilage of meeting this girl when I was down in Tampa for Xmas. I was recently meandering through her blog and found a funny blurb that she wrote about various guys who have tried to hit on her through the website. Just when I think that most people in the world are normal, I read something like this and then it just makes me want to cry.

It's a good read though. :)

Entry: My weekend

Well....another weekend come and gone and I daresay that it was spent in its majority at work. Blah. I'm ready for an entire weekend to myself (although I'd probably spend it on the couch or something).

I did see 'Nanny Mcphee' on Friday. That was a good movie. I'd recommend it (as you can read below). Saturday was spent at home resting. Lots and lots of resting. Sunday evening was chores, more work, and a nice card game in the evening. Of course, I didn't win any of the games. I'm on a pretty serious losing streak with those guys. I haven't won in quite a while actually. Blah I say.

Movie: Nanny Mcphee

I give this one 7.5 out of 10 stars. The music was very well done and I can honestly say that it did a great job of appealing to the inner child. Now, it definately wasn't a 'Mary Poppins', and I dare say that they didn't try. It was just similar enough but, at the same time, different enough that you could tell that it wasn't a rip off.

I must say though...I didn't really like the eldest boy. It was a good role, but there's just something about that actor that just stirs my grits the wrong way. I think there's something in his eyes or something. Oh well. Who knows.

Article: Mexico helps illegal immigrants into America

Yeah...I was kinda shocked a few days ago to hear of a map that the Mexican GOVERNMENT was generating and distributing to its citizens. This map was to be used specifically to show the (illegal) immigrants the safest routes through the Arizona desert and where all the water stations are and where the most deaths occur.

I have SO much to say about this that I'm going to bite my tongue. I just think that it's hillarious how....
1. Americans are being laid off left and right due to companies downsizing
2. Americans are being laid off left and right due to jobs going overseas
3. What few jobs are left have to be shared with people who are here illegally

Please don't get me wrong...I don't consider myself inhumane. But this....this.....

Blah.

Book: Jurassic Park

Wow...it took me FOREVER to finish this book. It had nothing to do with the content though. I think I just became wary of reading so much for a while. Instead of finishing the usual 1-2 books a week, this one took me a little over 2 months to finish.

Anyway, I give it 8 out of 10 stars. It was a great read. Definately more detailed than the movie (although I still loved the movie....you can never go wrong with Steven Spielberg and John Williams). I did notice that they took a lot from this book and put it in the second movie. Plus, two of the main characters died in the book (as opposed to the movie) and one of the ones who died in the movie survived in the book and had a somewhat significant role while he was at it.

I enjoyed the book. It's definately worth the read. Being that I'm in a reading slump at the moment, I'm trying to decide which book to pick up next (knowing that it might take a while to read it).

Article: Gross but (kinda) funny

I remember sending out a spam mail a few months back (when I was in DC) about an article that I had read about an exploding sperm whale in Taiwan.

Also, there's this excerpt back from 1976 about how a small town decided to dispose of a beached whale carcass by blowing up with 0.5 tons of TNT. You MUST watch this one. The commentary on it is hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! :)

Yeah....I know....I'm a morbid mofo. :)

In fact, upon researching, I found that they are both documented here.

Entry: Men are from Earth, women are from Venus

Time to do some venting. So, I read that article about the biological effects of "love" and how they are so close to certain forms of madness. You can read it below. I have no idea why, but that has sent me on a tirade today. I mean, it's so true, but, for some reason, I feel the need to vent some of my latest thoughts.

By the way, for anyone out there reading this, this pertains to ALL people. However, for the sake of (my own) convenience, I'm going to refer to the female gender as the target. If this offends you, please feel free to substitute "he" where I write "she" and "him" where I write "her" (and so on).

I think I figured out why I had my undies in a twist for much of last year. It's funny how someone can think that they're not meeting the right people or that they're not meeting enough people or whatever. One problem that a lot of people have is that they get hung up on the WRONG person(s)! I mean, rarely can you ever really truly move on until you've gotten over that hangup. What's funny is when you get hung up on someone that you really know isn't worth getting hung up on. If you read my previous post today, you'll notice that I ended it like so....

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The part that has always been a mystery to me is not the "how", but the "who" and
"why". That's where the magic is for me. "Why this person and not that one?"
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Now, the oddest thing is getting hung up on someone that completely triggers the "why" part of that. I mean, you think about that person and realize that your life would probably be miserable with them and how there are so many conflicts about you two that it would never work, but still, you think about her. Blah. She can be as mean, horrible, and self-righteous (which I loathe!!) as can be, and yet you'd always have an ear bent listening for that one kind word. Bah!

What's almost as bad (but yet just as annoying) is when you get over someone to the point where you don't really think about them that much anymore, but when they do or say something wrong/bad to you, it still has the power to just ruin your day. What is that?? It's not love, otherwise it would keep you up at night. It's not desire. It's probably not even infatuation (sp?). It's some weird phantom neuro-hormonal reaction in the brain that serves absolutely NO purpose whatsoever! Again.....bah!!

You know....I really don't mind the occasional hang ups (used in the previous context), as long as it is a good person who's worth getting hung up on. The first love of my life...now THAT was a hang up. But still...she was WORTH the hang up! I wouldn't trade the good times with her even if it meant my ability to forget all the bad. But if you're hung up on a girl that you know just isn't worth it.....it's just....what's a good word....aggravating? Embarassing? Psychotic? I really can't find the right word to use. Often, I would SO love to remove that albatross from around my neck and light it on fire (all the while grinning ear-to-ear and listening to it beg for its miserable little life as the flames plunge it into the deepest, darkest depths of the most hellish chasm humanly imaginable).

What a colossal waste of time this all can be.

Article: Is love madness?

Daphne was kind enough to tell me about this article and I figured that I would throw a reference to it here. It talks about the effects of love being close kin to madness.

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Scientists say that the brain chemistry of infatuation is akin to mental
illness—which gives new meaning to "madly in love."
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Honestly, this has been one of my more radical beliefs. I use the word "radical" since most people probably wouldn't agree with me. Also, it probably wouldn't serve to get me too many dates either. :)

But seriously, the effects of love have never been a mystery to me. I honestly liken it to being under the influence (ie. drugs/alcohol). It really does have all the earmarks of a drug! Think about it...immediate satisfaction...strange behavior...withdrawal...etc. This article lends some credibility to this notion.

The part that has always been a mystery to me is not the "how", but the "who" and "why". That's where the magic is for me. "Why this person and not that one?" Then again, that's just me. :)

Entry: More fact-finding questions

I don't know what's stranger....the fact that I get so many of these or the fact that they always have different questions. Where do they come up with these things?

1. Legal First name? Jason
2. Were you named after anyone? My father / grandfather
3. Do you wish on stars? Sometimes
4. When did you last cry? Mid December
5. What is your favorite lunch meat? Chicken/Turkey
6. What is your birth date? 6/2/77
7. What is your most embarrassing CD? Someone gave me the Baywatch soundtrack many years ago
8. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? probably not :)
9. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Moi???
10. What are your nicknames? Jay, Miller
11. Would you bungee jump? Probably not without narcotic stimulants
12. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Usually not
13. Do you think that you are strong? Depends on what day you ask me
14. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Pralines 'n Cream
15. Shoe Size? 10.5
16. Red or pink? Red
17. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? It's a secret
18. Who do you miss most? Honestly can't say
19. Do you want everyone you sent this to, to send it back? I'm posting it on my blog, not sending it to anyone
20. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Blue (denim)
21. What are you listening to right now? "Time After Time"
22. What did you eat for breakfast? Usually a fruit smoothie
23. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Electric blue (also a good song)
24. What is the weather like right now? Cold and dark
25. Last person you talked to on the phone? Katherine
26. The first things you notice about the opposite sex? Smile/eyes
27. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Sometimes ;)
28. Favorite Drink? Water
29. Hair Color? Dark brown
30. Do you wear contacts? Nope
31. Favorite Food? Depends on the week
32. Last Movie You Watched? Hostel
33. Favorite Day Of The Year? Halloween
34. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? Scary movies
35. Summer Or Winter? Summer
36. Hugs OR Kisses? Depends on the person
37. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? Kaminski's Tollhouse pie
38. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? See #19
39. Who Is Least Likely To Respond? See #19
40. Living Arrangements? Apartment
41. What's your height? 6'
42. What's On Your Mouse Pad? Don't use one
43. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? Nada
44. Favorite Smells? Fresh chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven
45. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Honda Accord
46. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Blah to both
47. What's the farthest you've been from home? United States

Entry: A new poll section

I've added a poll on the right. Feel free to chime in on your opinion(s)! Is this blog becoming too cluttered? probably. But who cares?! :)

Site: Gay-O-Meter

Thanks go to Tracy for finding this site. Be prepared to answer in-depth personal questions - all in the search for the knowledge of how gay you actually are! Well...actually, without all the melodrama, this little quiz gives the taker a better idea of their homo/heterosexual ratio. I scored a 43% on the test which initially startled me, but the captions said that I am a "happy and well-adjusted hetero man". So, as usual, take with a grain of salt. ;)

P.S. This is, in NO way, a gay-bashing post or website.

Entry: The new picture

Why did I put the above picture on my site? Well, it's simple. I'm trying to embarass (sp?) my buddy. I'm also waiting for the two girls to call me screaming that I put it up there. So, we'll see which happens first. :)

Entry: Yet another weekend

What did my weekend consist of? Well...not much fun. About the only social activity that I partook of was going with a friend to the James Island County Park again to hit the climbing wall. If you haven't been there yet, then I'd highly recommend it!

Other than that, it was work, sleep, Tivo, and more sleep.

Article: Did Lucifer create Kwanzaa?

The folks from Landover Baptist have dropped yet another little nugget onto us all.

Read this "interesting" story about a group of women who infiltrate a Kwanzaa celebration in order to discover if it is, in fact, God's will at work.



WARNING: If you are a woman, you might get offended
WARNING: If you are black, you might get offended
WARNING: If you are a Christian, you might get offended
WARNING: If you are.....ah heck. Just read it!

Remember....consider the source. ;)

Article: What kind of person are you? Undress and find out!

Apparently, not only can you tell a lot about a person by the types of drinks that they order, but you can also get a good summary from the way that they undress themselves. Why don't you check out the article and see if the description matches you or not. :)

Article: Man arrested naked in alleged affair

A naked man called the police after an intruder broke into his house and attacked him with baseball bat. Police rushed to the scene and promptly arrest the naked, bleeding victim. Suspect still at large

Picture(s): Aurora Borealis

You can check out some really nice pictures of the Aurora Borealis. I was lucky enough to see this phenomenon when I lived in Maryland. Granted, it wasn't nearly as spectacular as these images, but some weird solar anomaly (that the NASA folks explained to me once but yet I can't remember) caused the the lights to shine red in the sky that far south.

Entry: Turmoil in the world

An interesting day in Europe and the middle east. Some interesting articles....

Iran Moves Foreign Reserves Out of Europe
- they're expecting to be sanctioned
- they're also threatening to limit their supply of oil to OPEC

France Broadens Its Nuclear Doctrine
- Chirac (sp?) claims that France will considering nuclear retaliation on any country
that sponsors terrorist acts on his country.

Israel Accuses Iran and Syria Over Tel Aviv Bomb
- I think you can figure this one out for yourself.

And, I also lost my links to news stories about Iran's president throwing his support behind the Islamic Jihad and Hamas groups.

Fun fun fun. :)

Entry: Never enough time!!

OK. Sorry for being kinda silent the last few days. Unfortunately, work has REALLY picked up and I am finding myself with my nose to the grindstone. Yesterday, I was at work just under 14 hours and today was a measly 12. I'll be working the next couple of weekends too. You should see the bags under my eyes. :)

Entry: A blast from the past

I am offering a rare glimpse into my past for those of you who have a desire to see what I was like back in my undergrad days. You can tell from the picture on the right that I definately had much more hair. :)

Anyway, after combing through the internet archive, I found a copy of one of my old webpages back from 1998. Some of the links are either missing or hosed, but it's an interesting read nonetheless. I read back through it and wonder "WTF was I thinking????".

Also, if you're interested, you can see one of the earliest iterations of the legendary online dating application. ;)

Remember folks...judge me gently. I was young!!

Site: The Advertising Slogan Generator

Feel free to try out this nifty slogan generator!





Wow! I could have had a Jason!
Think Jason.
Whatever you're into, get into Jason.
Step into the Jason!
You can on a Jason, can do!
Dude, you're getting a Jason!
Pure Jason.
Jason wanted.
Don't be an amber Jason.
Jason unscripted.

Entry: Art in IM

I have no idea why, but the following lines from an IM conversation that I had this evening kinda stuck out. It's kinda like poetry, but sick and twisted. :-p

- sigh
- sigh?
- why sigh?
- cause
- 'cause why?
- cause... i dont have to give a reason why
- sure you do, or you shall die
- ill take death
- on your last breath?
- my last breath is yet another sigh
- and so you float up towards the sky

Confused? Good. As you should be. ;)

Article: NEWS FLASH!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
- God is mad at the US!
- New Orleans will be a "chocolate city"

It's funny how politicians keep their mouths shut until after elections. :)

Article: Busted by parrot!

This is awesome. A guy in England became aware of his girlfriend's love affair after the pet parrot kept repeating the other man's name in phrases that it had heard over and over again.

Article: Clueless customers pay for iPod lessons

Have you ever seen that book: Macintosh for Dummies? I've always kinda laughed at that book. It kinda makes you wonder just HOW easy something has to be before people will be able to pick it up intuitively.

Anyway, off that tangent, we have people that love the concept of the iPod enough as a fashion statement that not only will they fork out the dough to buy one but also pay more to be taught how to use it. RTFM anyone??

Article: Meetings are bad for you. (Go figure!)

Research has recently discovered (as if this is news) that having too many meetings can actually be detrimental to somebody's work ethic and their personality. I'm wondering if I should send this link to my boss or not. :)

Entry: Pilates class

I attended my second pilates class last night. Once again, my entire body is sore. It's amazing how sitting down on a mat and barely moving at all can be such a workout. You should see me....I look like the typical non-limber guy in a sea of women who can do the splits. Heck...I can barely spread my legs into a 45-degree angle. That's rough!

Entry: Random musings

(Random literary thoughts...by JCM)

Why desire effort over simplicity?
It seems that the path of least resistance
is also the path of least consequence.

What is it about the unseen
that constantly peaks our interests?

Why is it that mysteries are only desirable
when they are mysterious?

Why is it that a single "no" is more persued
than an ocean of "yes"?

How is it that a single smile can destroy
the serious efforts of a great friend?
....and seemingly last forever....

The answer is simple...
it is the human condition.

We love what we cannot perceive
and judge the things that we can.

They say that when it rains, it pours.
I think that I would much prefer the
single bucket of water to the infinate
number of drops that, on any other day,
might seem enticing.

And remember one thing...

...and that is that hell hath no fury
except for those who refuse to accept
responsibility for their actions.

Picture: A true look at Monday

I figured that I would be the first to welcome you all to another fun-filled installment of Monday. Enjoy the rest of your week! Only four more days to go until the weekend! BWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Article: Fido's First Cel Phone

Thanks go to Christina for sending this article about bringing mobile phone technology to the canine community. Just when I thought that these pesky mobile devices couldn't be any more annoying....

Entry: My weekend

Well...again, I can't complain about my weekend. Mostly, I just sat on my @$$. However, in between @$$-sittings, I managed to watch some movies with a couple of friends, attend a friendly (and long overdue) game of bluff, tried my hand with a local hashing group, and have dinner with a friend whom I haven't seen in a while. All in all, I gotta say it was a good time!

Oh...and god bless Tivo!! :)
BSG rocks!!!

Picture: The downward spiral

This is really sad. You can check out this girl on her downward spiral as is captured in her mug shots. Now, honestly, I have no idea what this woman did with her life (whether it be drugs, prostitution, alcohol, whatever), but I definately think that a few months in rehab would do her well!! This just serves as a reminder to not do drugs, stay in school, drink wisely, and wait until you're married!

NOTE: I do NOT condone the website which hosts this picture. After following some links to investigate further, I found that, although the above link itself is fine, I REALLY WOULD NOT recommend visiting anything else at that site at work (or at all, for that matter).

Entry: The blahs

Ever have a blah day? Yeah...me too. I have them quite a bit. However, for the last month or so I've been having an increasingly worse case of the blahs. I seem to be reading a lot less (bummer) and watching more and more TV (bummer). Although...the TV thing I think is due to my new Tivo. D@mn you Miguel!!!!! My inside tells me to go out and do fun things but my outside is weak and unwilling. I wonder if it's just the winter blues or something. I'm ready for the days to start getting super long again.

Entry: Today's hashing

I did my first solo hash today. I was fortunate enough to hook up with the Happy Heretics. They were a very nice group of folks. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't all that great today (windy and cold-as-heck) which accounted for a pretty poor turnout. Still, as was expected, they welcomed the new complete stranger into their ranks and treated him as if they'd known him their entire lives.

The hash was a good one. It was a 5K trail that went past a couple lakes that I had no idea were even there. There are actually a LOT of things that I saw today in Mt. Pleasant that I was previously unaware of. By the way....putting flour down next to "No Trespassing" signs might not be the greatest idea ever conceived. ;)

Oddly enough, there are no large hashing groups in the Charleston areas. They really only schedule hashes for big events (and from what I understand, they get pretty good turnouts). But they have no regular hashing schedule. Bummer. I wonder if I can do anything about that. I'm looking forward to the Bridge run this year. No bridge run for me, but plenty of hashing to be done. :)

Entry: Happy Friday the 13th!!

Happy Friday the 13th everybody! Not only is it one of the luckiest days of the year, but was one of my favorite movie series growing up.

I'll bet that not many of you know how this day came to be "unlucky". Sacrilege (sp?)!!! It's an interesting little tidbit from Catholic history. :)

Interestingly enough, way back in the day, King Phillip (who was king of France a million years ago sometime) ordered all of the Templar knights in France to be rounded up. They were all eventually executed on charges of heresy. It was a mad dash for cash. That's what the knights get for being so rich!! Kinda reminds me of the whole camel-through-needle's-eye saying. Here's the story if you're interested.

Picture: It's Friday!!!

Entry: The SC Aqarium

I just wrote a looong commentary on the SC Aqarium and why I don't like them very much. I decided to erase it for the sake of karma. :)

Entry: Two-timing....good or bad?

I'd like to hear some opinions on the idea of dating multiple people at the same time. I'll try to get the ball rolling myself.

It has been my opinion in the past that it is permisable to date more than one person at a time provided that there are certain rules that are observed. They are....

1. You are not in a commited relationship with any of them. You are, instead, simply trying multiple avenues to see which one "fits" best with the idea being that you will eventually end up in a committed relationship with someone
   
2. You are not indulging in any sexual activity with any of them
3. They are all aware that you are seeing other people as well
4. You are completely forthcoming when the time comes for you to commit to someone and the others need to know about it

Now, keep in mind that I am not claiming that my way is the "right way" of doing things. I am just curious to hear other people's views about it. And please feel free to post anonymously for this one if you want to. :)

Artile: Waking up is like being drunk

Here is an article over on CNN that talks about the a person's state right after they wake up and say that the affects are similar (if not worse) than simply being drunk.

Personally, I think that that short period between slumber of lucidity is a very "interesting" time.

Entry: A blurb on modern marketing

So, I was just reading this article here about how the Levi jeans company is adding a special pocket to their pants to keep Ipods. Is anyone out there tired of hearing about Ipods? I mean...even the ones who HAVE one?! Everything these days are engineered around this little gadget. Next thing we know, software will start shipping with "Apple IPOD compatible" stickers on them. Your toilet will have an "IPOD Inside" logo on the tank. It kinda reminds me of the Atkins craze (which is now thankfully dying out). What's funny is buying a thing of Planters peanuts and having a big label on the side that says "0 Carbs!!". Dieticians out there should get a kick out of that one. Blah I say.

Picture: Cats n' Dogs

Just when all seems right with the world, something like this happens. The more I look at this picture, the funnier it gets. :)

Picture: Priceless

Granted, this is a tad risque for my blog, but I figured it was worth it for the hilarity! :)
(Thanks to Tracy for sending this)

Article: Dude gets stuck in washing machine

Ok.....this guy got stuck in the washing machine while he was playing a game of hide-and-seek. He got in...he just couldn't get out.

Article: Filthy house kills inhabitant

This is just weird. This house was SO cluttered that the husband not only had to call the police to report that his wife was missing, but to have them SEARCH the house for her!

Read here.

Article: What else you can get from an ATM?

Please select your transaction...
1. Withdrawal
2. Fast cash
3. Deposit
4. Sacrificial goat purchase

Entry: Bad dog food!

Just a warning to all dog owners out there. There is some bad dog food circulating that is killing dogs!

Picture: Philippine sunset

This is a really cool picture. Thanks to Christina for sending it to me. :)
"People gather along a park near the sea wall at the scenic Manila Bay to watch the sunset Friday in Manila, Philippines."

Entry: Jerry's revenge

Some guy thought that it was ok to take a mouse that he caught inside of his house and throw it into a burning pile of leaves. Anyway, the mouse got its revenge.

Personally, I'd find this story hilarious if the mouse hadn't had to die for it to happen. :)

Entry: My weekend

My weekend was nicely slack (mainly because I was tired-as-heck the whole time). Went to go see 'Hostel' Friday night. You can read my review below. Good times regardless, though. Saw it with a friend whom I haven't seen in a while.

A friend of mine drove in from Columbia. She and I mostly just chilled on Saturday. Nothing big to report there.

Sunday was fun. Went wallclimbing at the James Island Co. park. That was a blast! I didn't realize what a strain an activity like that is on the forearms. My arms were killing me afterward!

Movie: Hostel

6.5 out of 10 stars for this little piece of work. The 'horror' parts of this movie were pretty gruesome (and I do mean GRUESOME). It was a glorified bloodbath.

This movie reminds me a lot of 'Cabin Fever', however. Like that movie, this one tried to mix extreme horror with occasional comedy. Sometimes it worked well, sometimes it didn't. Overall, I'd have to say that 'Cabin Fever' was definately better done.

Also, it took WAAAAY too long for this story to take off. The first 30 minutes of the film were spent in over-gratuitous sex scenes. Now, granted, that usually isn't a problem for me, but come one! Enough was enough!!

Article: Your phone records are for sale

Yes...you read that headline correctly. This isn't a gag story either. Certain federal and local authorities are warning their employees about this possible danger to security and privacy. This is kinda scary!

Can somebody please explain to me how something like this is legal?!

Entry: Evangelising in the World of Warcraft

In this article, Winning Souls to Christ in the World of Warcraft, they interview a couple of teens who use their time online wisely. Why not combine a hobby like online gaming with that of saving souls!! Two birds with one stone baby!! :)

Oh...and remember to consider the source. ;)

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One prospective missionary at the Landover Baptist Christian Academy says, "Most people who are mean, liberal, nasty, lonely, unsaved losers in real life choose to play the Horde (an evil race of characters in the World of Warcraft) and people and guilds who are conservative, Republican and pretty much easier to win to Jesus Christ with are found in the Alliance. That's why the real True Christians™ pick the Horde to play as characters and start their guilds in Horde territory because they like the challenge of sharing Christ's message in a perilous, lava-soaked, environment. Sometimes you have to pester people for weeks before they listen to you. I followed some stupid gnome around for 8-hours until he finally told me that he would accept Jesus as his Personal Savior if I would just promise not to contact him anymore. Now that rocks!"
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Entry: Battlestar Galactica tonight!

Just a reminder to all the BSG fans out there...the season continues tonight!! Thrills are certain to follow. Get ready to pop that popcorn or setup the VCR to record. My new Tivo has an itchy trigger finger. :)