Bill Maher: Don't screw with our prom!

"Conservatives have to stop complaining about Hollywood values. It's the Oscars this weekend, which means two things, one, I've got to get waxed, and two, talkradio hosts and conservative columnists will trot out their annual complaints about Hollywood: We're too liberal, we're out of touch with the heartland, the theater floors are always sticky, our facial muscles have been deadened with chicken botulism, there aren't as many Goobers in a box as there used to be, and we make them feel fat. To these people, I say -- shut up and eat your popcorn. And stop bitching about one of the few industries in America that still makes something people all over the world want to buy. Not to rub it in, but"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" made $400 million. And that's a squeakquel.Last year, Hollywood set a box office record: $10.6 billion. Sixteen billion worldwide. Not bad for a bunch of socialists. You never see Hollywood begging Washington for a handout, like corn farmers, or the auto industry, or the entire state of Alaska. Except for Kevin Smith, we pull our own weight.
What makes it even more inappropriate for conservatives to slam Hollywood is that they more than anybody fall in love with any D-list celebrity who happens to lean to the right, to the point where they actually run them for office. You don't find the equivalent of Sonny Bono on the left -- or Fred Thompson, or George Murphy, or Congressman Gofer from"The Love Boat." And let's not forget, the modern conservative messiah is a guy who co-starred with a chimp. That's right, Dick Cheney. But also Bonzo's buddy, Ronald Reagan. Now, I like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but he is an Austrian ham who bragged about drugs and gang-bangs and could speak no English, but when he said he'd run, the family values, anti-immigrant party terminated in their pants.
Which brings us up to the right wing's most recent teen crushes: a couple of cute kids named Sarah Palin and Scott Brown. Sarah is a former Miss Wasilla who served as the weekend sports anchor on station KTUU in Anchorage before eloping with her high school sweetheart and eventually answering a call to public office. Scott is a former Miss Cosmo Guy, and his turnoffs are people who don't drive trucks and having to wear clothes. Scott's a senator now, but -- shout-out to the folks at"The Bachelor" -- if you need a stud for Season 19, Scott's totally there.
Politics has become the safety school for show business washouts who are just looking for a way to stay in front of the camera -- the Republican Party is not far from nominating a guy who dropped a hundred pounds on"The Biggest Loser."
Republicans say they hate celebrities who get involved with politics, but you would too if the best celebrities on your side were Chuck Norris and Bo Derek. I'm not saying no one cares about their stars, but if Stephen Baldwin killed himself and Craig T. Nelson with a car bomb, the headline the next day would be"Two Die in Car Bombing."
The truth is that the vast majority of Hollywood talent are liberals, because most stars adhere to an ideology that jibes with their core principles of taking drugs and getting laid. The liberal stars that the right are always demonizing -- Sean Penn and Michael Moore, Streisand and Alec Baldwin and Tim Robbins, and all the other members of my biweekly cocaine orgy -- they're just people with opinions. None of them hold elective office or are trying to, and liberals aren't begging them to run. Because we live in the real world, where actors do acting, and politicians do... nothing. But conservatives are like children; they see an actor on TV and think he's really that guy. Fred Thompson plays a stern judge with a folksy charm -- that guy should be president!
A lot of Republican policy ideas are stripped straight from primetime. I wish I were kidding, but in one of the Republican debates in '08, they spent the whole hour arguing about plotlines on"24," asking,"What would Jack Bauer do?" and"If he were here right now, which one of us do you think he'd like to go torturing with the most?"
We progressives love our stars, but we know better than to elect them. We make the movies here, so we know a well-kept trade secret: Those people on that screen are only pretending to be geniuses, astronauts and cowboys. Besides, we can't elect our liberal stars because they're burdened with an affliction that your average conservative celebrities don't suffer from -- regular work. So don't hate. And please, don't ruin the Oscars. We're just like you. And the Oscars are really just our prom: The tuxes are scratchy, the limos are rented, and we go home with 18-year-old girls."

 Had to repost it from Bill's blog.

METAL MORE!!! \m/

It's funny, I haven't once made a music post. And if I directed you here, means you will know why I like what I do. I have known enough people who like each genre to know why they like it. I'll just run down each main genre and why it sucks.
Pop(ular music) - Simply put, it's weak. Incredibly displeasing to my ears and overly positive, to the point of suspension of disbelief
Rap or hip hop - Isn't it obvious? Modern hip hop is all about bitches and money. Boring. Old school is about art and expression. Good message, still an unpleasing sound.
Classical - I actually don't have much of a problem with classical. Beautiful scores, sure, but they seem to just be that. No meaning or message to derive or learn from. Ultimately, boring.
Country - My god, don't get me started on this. So circular, it's almost like every song fits the lonely hart, the good drinking time, or waking up with a stranger in your bed. It's sickening and if you like it, fuck you and never talk to me again.
Alternative - While in the rock genre, alternative seems to try too hard to be different. It's just too lame to like. And boring.
Indie - Pretentious prats. I mean, the songs are too abstract to make sense and musically, it's a mess  and it's "different".

Also, when metal is good, it's great. When it's bad, it's horrible. I'm not some metalhead who fights for the genre as a whole. I don't even want to go to a concert. What I like about it is the easing feeling, the aggressiveness that is portrayed. It's pretty hard to explain, because it's the one place where I fully embrace all the "negative" emotions. It's somewhere I can lose my sense of reality and embrace all the dark fantasies I have. And it's not like the lyrics make the song or the sound makes the song. A song will just click with me or in some cases, the unique sound one band has will click with me. 

Cyber Women

So, there is a "sex robot" that is out, originally developed in Japan (obviously) but an advanced model was developed in the States. It's about as appealing as a pink laptop, but I think it could change the face of our interactions. I'll explain. In the normal world (of dating), it's the guys choosing one of the girls and it's up to the girl to accept or reject. Basically, the girl has all the power. But if the advent of an android female that could essentially be the every guy's dream girl, then that power could shift to the guys. Now, females would have to compete against an unrealistic expectation. This has pros and cons. One of the pros by far is that it will knock pregnancies way down (androids can't necessarily bear children, can they? And I'm sure they wouldn't program them to, anyway) and keep the population in check. All the guys who are fathers against their wishes would go away. Only the guys who actually want children would be the ones having them. Another pro is it can finally balance the power struggle of the two sexes. Like I said, women are mostly in control, just because of how we evolved in society to develop this notion. A con of this is that it may go so far as to switch gender roles. It may also push this "independent woman" nonsense into overkill and create more feminists and lesbians.

It's tough to decide at whether this is a good or bad thing, but it's really interesting and if horny guys continue to develop technology, then we could all be in some serious peril.

The Outsider's Edge

So, now it's official. I'm not a group person. I previously thought this was because the groups that were the options, well, sucked. This is not the case. Even when I should be with "my group", I'm not. Simply because they are just not compatible people. I mean, these people have put entertainment up on a pedestal. I know this is a once in a decade trip, but they seem to salivate at thought of seeing a celebrity. Why? What do these celebrities do? They do nothing.

Entertainment used to be a muse for people of action. A source of inspiration to change the world. It was to move the mind, force you to think in ways that will cause you to reflect upon society and reflect upon yourself. Sadly though, this is no longer the case. Entertainment now is just a vessel for people to forget about their problems, instead of dealing with them directly or doing something to better their situation. It's just fucking disheartening to see what "moves" these people. Shakespeare and other known artists would go into rage at what is being done because of their work.

Basically, I realize why I am this way, now. I realize, without any confusion (okay, still a little), what I must do. My life's goal. I must reawaken human ingenuity. I must do the thing that no one wishes, so we can get back to what we do best: innovate, invent, discover, philosophize, ponder, wonder, and just plain be curious again.

I latched onto these people, the WTG community people, maybe I was hoping. Hoping that maybe they aren't as vain as they appear. Maybe, they ponder and wonder. Maybe they think, theorize and try to figure out. Maybe I'm just another blind fool. I could understand a small moment of "Ah, there's . Hmm, that's cool" But to lose your mind, to see, to hear, to..... it's pointless. What the fuck are they! They are no one! They won't change the world. They could die and the world would mourn, sure, but it would be none the different the next day! Why is so much focus on these people!

I realize I cannot wait for this tragedy to naturally occur. Action must be taken. Mankind must realize the potential that got us here, in the first place. This is, without a doubt, the saddest age of mankind.

Day One

So, it was the first official day of... this. The early part was shot for "particular" reasons. After that was resolved, the rest went well enough. Walked around a lot. I observed some pecular beheviour. People seem almost oblivious to anything outside of their little existence. Besides the occasional glance, everyone seemed to just go on. Before, I used to hear these stories about crimes being committed out in the open, in public, and no one doing anything. I never understood that. Now, I do.

The other thing was the fact that everyone was either rude and a prick/bitch, or the nicest people ever. Very few seemed to be in the middle.

My downtown frolic was nothing short of nothing. Although, I was openly accused of being a stalker perv. That was fun. I wanted, really badly, for an accident to occur or just something really bad to happen, to just see their reaction. I was disappointed.

Lastly on the agenda, a pub meetup with the "internets" people (Dani, Eva, Nas [roomie], Jenni Powell, Edgar Garcia, Nathan Tamayo, Sam Proof, Jamie [friend of Jenni and Edgar]). I couldn't have been more awkward or nervous, unless I were naked. It's hard to present a physical appearance to those who seem to have a general idea of your character. Fine.... who knew me. It's hard to maintain the composure I was supposed to have. Instead, I turned into that fidgety guy with the bomb, on the plane. Not the mention the music, i.e. LOUDEST FUCKING NOISE I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE, meant I could be tucked away without being involved in the conversation. I don't do groups. I do individuals (okay, that sounded way worse than I was intending), pairs, one-on-ones. We, then, moved to a less noisy, albeit still goddamn loud, bar, Marble Room, 'twas a good place, I suppose.

My detachment wasn't caused by my apathy for the group. Contrarily, those were good people, and I was glad to be there. It was being in a group, in general. So, there everyone was going on, laughing it up (especially Tamayo.... maybe he was really smashed?), I didn't understand it. I tried, but it's like trying major league baseball, based on your prior experience being Little League. Though, I warned them, beforehand. NOT the chatty type. At least not in groups.

Only day one.... who knows what tomorrow will bring....

My Super Special Awesome Excursion

So, here comes that time where a huge event is coming up. And everyone who is going is blogging and talking about their experiences. Their "physical" experiences. I should, too. Talk about how my flight goes, first arriving in my hotel, sights and sounds in the city, hitting the latest tourist---- fuck it.

I can't do it. I can't talk about events as just they are, as presented with facts. As with a title as "Just Think", I will present them with thoughts. If there are no thoughts, I'm not talking about it. Could I pull off what everyone else is doing? No. Simply put, no.

This is my pre-uhh, blog, I guess.

Nerve-wracking, we will see if I become violent or not.

How To Avoid Chatting With An Overtly Chatty Motherfu%$# (Without Being Rude)

So, we have all been there. Somewhere we had to be for a few hours, we all have been around that one person (or in my case, damn near everyone in the place) that just will never shut up. Every little thought that passes through their empty head, they vocalize it to the nearest ear. Personally, I have no qualms about telling this person to shut the hell up. But others do. And they don't always want to be rude about it. So this is my guide to get these people from talking your head off (of course, these won't always work, they are just generalizations. Interpret what you will):

#1: Avoid eye contact, at all costs.
For some reason, these people see eye contact as a way of showing interest. Kind of like with a dog. Don't look them in the eye. Even a passing glance. This is pretty much around the board for most of these people.

#2: Do NOT participate in the conversation, at all.
When they are going on about whatever, the one thing you don't do is acknowledge their presence. You can nod, look bored, but do not utter a single word. It helps if, in a serious work/school situation, to get a work conversation started with someone else. About important matters. This, sometimes, has a way of getting the chatties to stop, because of the work getting in the way of their nothing speech.

#3: Look busy or involved in something else
Once they get started, it's hard to get them to stop, short of using my preferred method. So, once involved, look around at what needs to be done. Surely, if you are in a situation you must be in, there must be some busy work. Get into that. No matter what it is, pretend to concentrate really hard. If all else fails, try to exit the area, most likely one where the chatty can't leave.


#4 (optional): Say some screwed up stuff
In between times of non-stop chittering, walk over to them, of your own volition and say some really out-there stuff. Personally, I like talking about gore, violence, absurd notions of taking down world governments, or if you really want to be hardcore, just discuss straight out murder (it helps to use facial expressions to drive in your "point"). Now, because these people are just mouths with arms and legs, they won't think or even want to talk about this kind of stuff. So, they will not approach you again.

Using these tips, you may just avoid unwanted conversation with those who truly have nothing to say. If all else fails, just talk about that one time you put grape jelly in your------ (inside joke, hehe).

Parkour

Some of you may already know what Parkour is, but for those that don't, I'll explain. It shares the physical aspect with another discipline: free running. Although, they are vastly different.

Parkour is an acrobatic discipline that states that speed rules all. Parkour defines the best way to travel through your environment, as efficiently and as quickly as possible, be it to elude capture, to chase, or to save another. It's kinda like acrobatics, with a mission. By the way, Parkour is French and practioners are referred to as "traceurs". The thing I like about it, is that it pushes the human body to it's full potential. As just a species, we have no special traits. We have only three things working in our favor: Arms, thumbs, and the brain to engineer. Beyond that, we are just ducks, floating in the water. But Parkour unlocks a fourth: amazing agility.

It's something I've been thinking about. All my life, I've been about moving fast. If you see me on the street, I'll most likely be running, or walking fast (after a run). This just seems like the next evolution of it.

Some would think it's primarily a physical kind of logic. I mean, to do some of the things they do, it takes incredible strength, endurance, and stamina. But it's just as much a mental game, as a physical one. To accomplish the different manuevers and exercises, it takes the lack of fear and supreme confidence in one's own ability. Not to mention the reflexes it takes.

And for those of you who know of this and free running, I'll explain the difference.
Parkour is moving efficiently and fluidly. Get from Point A to Point B, as fast as humanly possible, with no obstacle to great to overcome.
Free running is more stylish. For fun. It involves tricks that would break a traceur's "flow" and thus not be efficient.

Quickly and efficiently. How I achieve everything.

Massively Multiplayer Blah Blahs

I have a bone to pick with MMO players. Let's just, first, put this notion that if you happen to loathe MMOs, it does not make you anti-social. I'm not I'm not, just saying that doesn't automatically qualify me as one, just for hating that particular genre of gaming entertainment. Let's take a look at a few good qualities, and plenty of bad, about MMOs.

First, most are a game where you can find plenty of people to play with and befriend. I mean, I know the huge popularity and closeness that people in guilds have.

Second, those games are never short. Lots of time and toil for a rewarding experience.

Third---- I got nothing
Now for the bad:

The biggest flaw, obviously, has to be the people. You get those quests that required upwards of ten players, and you are bound to get some stupid, or stubborn people. That fact alone turns me away. But, there is more.

The constant grind. I like games that simulate at least a tiny bit of reality. Pointing and clicking.. just feels so impersonal. The toil, hell, it got to me in the first few days of playing the trial of the most popular one, World of Warcraft. Don't get me wrong. I am not a huge fan of FPSs. I like a few, but I like the ones with strategy, i.e. Rainbow Six series. And I like RPGs. Of course, I like Action RPG, i.e. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Mass Effect.

I like to have FUN with my games. Geez, the way I hear some people talk, MMOs is like a second job to them. Like its habit, or something. I like to sit back, and play my games with a slowed pace, not a frantic hurry. My day is frantic enough, I do not require it in my entertainment as well.
And don't even get me started on immersion.

So, I am not some sort of antisocial troll if I don't like MMOs. It just means I prefer relaxation and fun, not another job after I leave my primary one. Now if you are getting paid for it, then that's a different story.