(disturbing) Article: A pedophile political party??

Umm...I'll let you read this one for yourself and make your own judgement...

Article: Woman struck by lightening while praying

A story straight out of Daphne, Alabama....

Define irony....
"Irony is standing in your kitchen praying for the safe arrival of family during a storm and being struck by lightening!"

Now, is the greater irony the fact that she was praying when she was struck or that she was praying for safe passage of her family? Either way, it's kinda odd. :)

Article: When will YOUR baby be born?

Man...I just can't MAKE this stuff up!! Apparently, folks who are expecting their children to be born on the 6th of June are planning on inducing labor earlier than that to avoid "giving birth to the devil". I say again...I cannot MAKE stuff up that is this good!! :)

Article: Death at a Florida McDonalds

Now tell me which you think is dumber...

1. Guy gets out of his car in a McDonald's drive-through line and attacks the driver of the vehicle in front of him. That driver ends up killing his assailant (sp?) in self-defense.

2. The death is ruled a "justifyable homocide". The mother of the attacker is now suing McDonald's because "they should have known something like this was going to happen and should have been able to prevent it".

This is interesting....it's a Darwin award and a frivolous lawsuit all rolled into one!

Article: Mariah Carey's legs

Mariah Carey now has one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) of insurance on her legs. Go figure.

It's hard to believe that this woman's legs are worth more than the combined net worth of my family for the last 10 generations. Does that sound right?!

Entry: My weekend

Good morning ladies and gents! Yet another weekend has come and gone. How was mine, you ask? (Well...actually, you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway.)

Friday evening, I ended up watching some flicks and chowing down at a friend's house in W. Ashley. Good times were had by all.

Saturday, did some house-hunting. I liked one of the houses that I saw. The other was alright, but it was right up against a really "iffy-looking" trailer park. And, when I saw "right up against" I mean that if you look out of the window in the master bedroom, you're looking into the backyard of one of the residents of that park.

That evening, I ended up seeing 'Poseidon'. I thought it was definately worth watching. I give it 7 out of 10 stars. Of course, if you're looking for a storyline or a plot, this probably isn't going to be the flick for you. It' simply a mindless action/adventure flick that really doesn't have much to offer in the way of depth. There was one particular scene that had me pulling my hair out due to the suspense. I kept saying to myself...."Man...THAT would be a cr**py way to die!!".

I ended up checking out the house that I REALLY liked on Sunday. It was pretty sweet. Of course, at that point, I had resigned to avoid the higher-end houses that I can afford and focus instead on some other real estate that I could use to build some equity and still put more away for retirement. As far as what I did that evening, I really have no recollection. I hate it when that happens. It's what I like to call pre-mid-life Alzheimers (sp?).

I hit the beach Monday morning. It was actually pretty fun (especially considering that I'm not much of a beach person). I again learned such vital lessons as A) there are patches of mud that will suck you in up to the knee, and B) this sand here may not bother you, but the sand over THERE will burn the flesh off of the bottom of your feet! The whole mud thing had me thinking of a 'Mythbusters' episode that I saw once. After that, went home and took a 3-hour nap. Got up, and then went to see 'X-Men'.

I give 'X-men' 8 out of 10 stars although it really was my least favorite of the three. There were just too many significant events that happened in that movie that I didn't care for. By the end of the movie, so much had changed (people, circumstances, etc) that it just seemed to shatter my naive impression of the whole fictional X-men universe.

Blah. After that, went home, did some e-mail and stuff, hit the sack, and woke up this morning.

Picture: Crazy woman drivers! :)

Thanks to Audra for sending me this!

Entry: How lucky I am

So, I was downtown and the group that I was with decided to do a little social exercise. We each had a pen and paper and we had to each write down 10 different wishes. These wishes were to be taken home and stored in a private place for a month and then 10 new ones would be written. Of course, I was more than willing to indulge in the writing of the wishes but pretty much stopped short of taking them home and stuffing under my matress (between my latest copies of Wired and Playboy).

So, I was sitting there trying to think of my wishes. I could hear the theme to Jeopardy playing through my head over and over. I was almost waiting for Alex Trebek (sp?) to say "Jason...your answer, please...". I found that I was actually having trouble coming up with something to wish for. I'm not one for "selfish" wishing to begin with, but I was genuinely having trouble. Although this was surprising, it wasn't as surprising as looking around and watching everyone else as they put pen to paper and quickly found 20-30 different things to wish for. I jokingly mentioned that I was having difficulty and the person leading the exercise says..."Have you put down that you wish for more money and more love?". I told her that I considered those to be somewhat petty and that I was fine where I was. "But EVERYONE wants more money" she says in retort. It's times like that that I realize how lucky I really am.

I really do think that half of the equation is having the ability to work toward what you want and the other half is the ability to enjoy what you have. I.E...the ability to purchase a Ferarri and attract a blonde bombshell and the ability to enjoy the fact that you have them! ;) (kidding)

What is up with all these crazy let's-talk-philosophy posts that I've been doing lately?! Where's all the interesting stuff????

Entry: How far for freedom of speech?

The premise of this post really doesn't have much to do with the freedom of speech. I just thought that it would make a good title. :) I just figured that I'd use this forum to voice a few thoughts swirling around in my head (as usual).

I was reading this article over at CNN about the recent events in the last few months concerning a very loud and obnoxious group of protestors who like to show up at military funerals and make a scene. Just a note...my writing is going to be avoiding the rhetoric that is put out by both sides of this issue. (Yes...I really do think that the propoganda machine is used by all parties involved.)

For those unfamiliar with what's going on, some group from Kansas (that I REALLY don't like but still feel the need to be impartial in my posts) has decided that God is punishing America for its tolerance of homosexuality by killing off our troops during their service in foreign conflicts. If you click on the above link, you can see a wonderful illustration that goes with the story. They wave signs that say things like "It's too late to pray", "God is your enemy", and "Thank God for IEDs" (IED = 'road-side bomb' in this context).

How in the heck do dead soldiers equate to God's wrath on homosexuals (which he didn't seem to care about in the book of Genesis, which I'm currently reading)?? And secondly, it seems to me that the whole "respecting the dead" thing should be a tad inherent in all of us. Perhaps I'm mistaken (although I'd be surprised if I was). This is where I try to avoid the rhetoric of using the word "hero" and other such labels. It seems to me that labels are attached to everything that is undertaken by the current administration and the press. I admire the fallen warriors by virtue of their duty. They volunteered for a lifestyle and were brave enough to stand up and do it in the face of highly-potential death. I doubt that I would ever have the tenacity to do it. THAT TANGENT ASIDE THOUGH....regardless of whether these people are fallen soldiers/marines, warriors, heroes, proprietors of freedom, or whatever else you choose to call them, the fact of the matter is that they are DEAD and the family, under no circumstances, should be deprived of their right to see that person off into the great beyond. You only get one chance for that kind of good-bye.

D'oh! I've lost my train of thought on this. Time to end it.

Movie: Over the Hedge

This movie was pretty good. I enjoyed it. 7 out of 10 stars. It had some super-funny moments. Unfortunately, there were also some parts that seemed to drag on (which is why I only gave it 7 stars). On another note, I also have to say that the music was absolutely AWFUL. I'm referring to the Ben Folds songs...not the background score from Hans Zimmer (who happens to be one of my favorite artists). The scenes with the Mach 6 cola were hilarious...particularly the last one. That scene had me laughing so hard I literally couldn't breathe.

Check it out. It's a good flick!

Entry: A new theory on religion

THE USUAL DISCLAIMER: I'm not here to offend anyone. The following is simply random discussion. If you feel like commenting, please do. If you feel like ranting like a religious zealot about what you are about to read and how I'm going to burn for my sins, then please don't even bother.

I was having a discussion at work yesterday regarding different ways of interpreting various teachings of various faiths and how it all seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Adding our discussion of the recent release of 'The Davinci Code' put an interesting spin on the state of faith (at least, for me). :)

It is now my opinion that people don't have as much faith in their deity(s) as they may think. (AGAIN....if you feel like going off on a rant, please feel free to go elsewhere). I think that people have faith in their church...not their god(s). Think about it. Christianity....so many different ways to worship a single god. That's why I think that there's all this hubub surrounding 'The Davinci Code'.

ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: I am, in no way, saying that there was any truth to 'The Davinci Code'. I simply use it as a good real-world example.

Let's say that I went out and made a movie....let's call it "God's Deception"....and the movie depicted the Christian god as an evil deity who has fooled everyone and Lucifer was simply one of the angels who didn't agree with God's evil treatment of mankind and was expelled for it. I then went on to say that God and Lucifer play poker twice a week for the souls of men and how women were evil pawns who were sent to earth to spy on men and to torment them. My question to you...would there be an picketing or protesting of my film? Doubtful.....VERY doubtful. Why? Because it's completely incredible and it's much more likely to be laughed at than protested.

Ok. So, a month later, 'Davinci Code' is released and all of the religious folks come out of the woodwork to throw their $0.02 in about the evils of the movie and how all the people who go to see it will know perditions flames.

What's the difference between these two movies? Why would mine be scoffed and the other would be hotly debated to the point where endless articles, books, websites, and TV documentaries would be made to cry foul? I'll tell you.

Mine is hardly credible. It screams of BS! It sounds like something that would come to me in a dream. Therefore...nobody feels threatened! Nobody's faiths are challenged! But then, along comes Mr. Dan Brown with his book and all Hades breaks loose. Simple explanation....his story SOUNDS credible. The story is supported by facts (and many pseudo-facts) that coroborate (sp?) the premise of the story.

This is where I get to make my point. What if Dan Brown were actually right? What if his fiction was actually truth? What would happen? I'll tell you what would happen....NOTHING. I really do believe that people are more interested in maintaining what their shephards preach in church and at mosque (and so on) than they are about actually hearing new supporting facts that may reveal new truths about their deity(s). People are threatended by things that they hear that don't mesh with what they learn at worship.

So, I say again...I really do think that a person's faith lies in their church (or mosque or synagogue or whatever) and that they would almost expect that institution to worship god for them by proxy. I think that that faith is misplaced in a lot of instances and that people are VERY closed to the posibility that things may be different.

Anyway...I'm getting off on a tangent. Faith in church or God? Good question. :)

Entry: Another divine conception?

I was watching an episode of 'MythBusters' this past weekend in which they put an urban legend to the test regarding a woman who became pregnant after being shot. I have no idea why, but I felt like posting about this one.

(By the way...if you're wondering why I put up the picture of that girl on the right and not of Adam nor Jamie, it's because I think she's hot.)

Apparently, during the civil war, a union soldier took a musket ball to the shin which, conveniently, richochet (sp?) off, struck and pierced his "unmentionables", then found its way to and lodged itself in some random woman's abdomen. She then later finds that she is pregnant.

Where do people come up with things like that?!?!

Movie: Davinci Code

I give this one a 7 out of 10 stars. It's definately one of those times when the book is better than the movie. Plus, I do have to admit that I wasn't all that enthralled with the book either. For me, the best Dan Brown book was the first one read (regardless of which one it is). After that, the reader realizes that they're all the same. So, having said that, I'd have to say that 'Angels and Demons' was my favorite (since I read that one first).

Tom Hanks did a pretty good job playing the role of Robert Langdon. There was just something missing with the character that I can't seem to put my finger on. I also didn't care much for Ian Mckellan (sp?). I'm hoping that I'll like him a lot more in the upcoming 'X-Men' movie.

Blah.

Picture: What's wrong with this picture?

This is just funny.
(Thanks to Tracy for sending this)

Website: Real Estate for Dummies

I was browsing around and found that this Prudential website has the contents of the 'Real Estate for Dummies' book. Kinda nifty! :)

Entry: My weekend

My weekend wasn't too terribly eventful. It was yet another in a series of relaxing (i.e. "lazy") weekends.

Friday was the first bluff game in a while. For those who don't know, bluff is a card game. It was inspired by (but only similar to) Bu**sh*t (another card game). I've never been much of a gambler, so poker isn't exactly what I would consider fun. This one is fun because you can lie, cheat, and steal to win the game. In fact, you're kind of expected to.

Saturday, did some cleaning up around the ol' Miller apartment. Watched a few Mythbuster episodes. I don't know what I'm going to do once I've seen all of the episodes. I'll have nothing to do after that. :) Met up with a couple of friends Saturday night and went to see 'The Sentinel' (see review below). It was a pretty good movie. Ended up going to Kaminiski's afterward for some dinner and some tollhouse pie (eat your heart out Audra!). Unfortunately, we ended up going a night where neither the TBonz nor Kaminiski's staff gave a darn about their jobs. Oh well. :)

Sunday was a sleep-in day. Didn't wake up until ~10:30. It's so sad that I'm so old that that is actually considered sleeping in late. Bah. Called some folks and wished everyone a happy mother's day. I still think I have the world's greatest mother. Met up with another friend to go see 'Silent Hill' again. That movie didn't even disappoint me the second time around. Pyramid Head is my new hero! Yeah...I know...that's kinda morbid. But who cares! :)

Movie: The Sentinel

I give this movie 7.5 out of 10 stars. It was pretty good. I was really ambivalent about seeing it (in all honesty, I kinda wanted to see 'Poseidon' instead). However, per my friend's request, we saw this instead. I was pleasantly surprised. I honestly couldn't say what was so entertaining about this movie. It just wasn't a waste of money.

I might not plan to go see this movie, but I definately wouldn't argue if someone else wanted to see it.

Is that vague enough for you?! :)

P.S. It's also nice to see that Kim Bassinger is still alive.

Entry: Much ado about a book

I can't quite wrap my head around all of the contraversy surrounding this movie. The folks over at Opus Dei are all in a tizzy about Ron Howard's refusal to insert a disclaimer at the intro to the upcoming 'Davinci Code' movie. They are wanting the disclaimer to say that "any similarity with reality is purely coincidental".

There have also been many publications that are aimed at debunking the content of Dan Brown's work. One such example is '20 Big Lies in the Davinci Code' (Charisma Magazine).

I'm very intrigued on why there is such a huge backlash against a story which is admittedly a WORK OF FICTION.

According to dictionary.com....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
fic·tion P Pronunciation Key (fkshn)
n.()

1. 1. An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.
   2. The act of inventing such a creation or pretense.
2. A lie.
3. 1. A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact.
   2. The category of literature comprising works of this kind, including novels and short stories.
4. Law. Something untrue that is intentionally represented as true by the narrator.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously...all these people screaming that this fictional story isn't acurate. No bloody kidding. Such another great waste of time, money, news, and patience. These, unfortunately, are signs of the times.

Article: Electromagnetic smog

Here's an interesting article that I think everyone should read. Its regarding the current and possible future effects of the huge amount of various EMF radiation that we're bombarded with everyday from things like power lines, mobile phone towers, radio towers, radar, etc. They call it "electonic smog".

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The UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) calls the electronic smog "one of the most common and fastest growing environmental influences" and stresses that it "takes seriously" concerns about the health effects. It adds that "everyone in the world" is exposed to it and that "levels will continue to increase as technology advances".
----------------------------------------------------

(Now for my conspiracy therorist rant)

I've actually talked about this in the past. Whenever I bring up my concerns, I usually get bombarded with things like "It's been there for decades", "Where's your evidence", etc, etc. It's nice to see an article on it. The problem is that we're living in a society where EVERYTHING is being beamed through the ether and they just keep adding more. How many trillions of bits of modulated data are flying through our bodies every second? Today's society is so hyped about making everything easy, simple, and airborn, that they forget that there have never been any long-term studies to show what the effects will be over time. Odd how we seem to have more cancer, depression, and than we ever have. We really ARE the prozac generation! I'm not saying that that EMF is the cause, but I'm saying that I'd be willing to be that EMF DOES have some long-term side effects.

Anyway, just my $0.02.

Picture: Too funny

This guy tied three balloons to his truck and then went down I-10 at 90MPH. Too cool.