Time to kill this blog

Its been a long time. Almost four years. I have matured in those four years. This blog came from a platform of bitching and moaning to become a platform of bitching and moaning with some degree of respect. I think I have progresses enough to kill it now.

An apology goes out to anyone whoever felt hurt by the words expressed on this site. I have been wanting to kill it more and more as evidenced by months of inactivity.

I will try and be a better writer. I used to write and I will try and do so. The New blog is a work in progress. This one has been nothing but a thorn in my side with trying to change page elements, the RSS buttons not working, etc etc.

I will try and do better.

If you come across this, that means the blog is dead. Happy reading, the past four years but It kind of deserves its rest in peace.

Keep moving forward and further the progressive Reason-driven agenda.

Chris

Monkey Grass

Monkey Grass, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Didn't know Monkey Grass was supposed to blossom flowers.

This was taken from my front yard. It has been incredibly HOT as hell and humid. Now I am sitting in my house on a Sunday night 23:12 and its still 85 deg F (29 deg C) with 63% RH outside. This equals instant sweat. You get sweaty swamp balls and it sucks. It also doesn't help that my next door neighbors have a 500 gallon pool that they filled a month ago and left the water sitting in it. So now there are a shitload of mosquitoes out everywhere. They never heard of West Nile I am sure.

Fucking miserable.

Funny

Language warning. But hilarious.

PC Desktop on its death bed

I noticed iTunes has been bogging down the desktop well- its iTunes and Last.fm scrobbling. They both have become unusable. This is a bad thing, cause all 30GB of my music and also 10GB of my photos are on that pc. I am currently looking to source some external hard drives for data migration. or storage in case of an ill timed demise.

Last.fm -new layout & Twitter Stable

Last.fm have changed their layout and it took me for a bit of a shock. They made it rather Myspace-ey but not as lame as myspace. I don't mind the change really. It is a drastic change though. Kind of counter intuitive for everyone used to the original feel of the site.



Amid all the complaining and bitching and moaning from many people Twitter seem to have prevailed over the problems they have been plagued with lately. (Mostly High-Schoolers, Mainstream hair gel wearing persons, Pop-Top 40 types and Abercrombie Zombies) I am glad its more stable and frankly have not updated Plurk in a long time. I am thinking about placing a Twitter badge here but I always have a problem with layouts and sidebars and display - Even if you look now you can see the RSS badges don't line up with the descriptions. Sesame Street Terror Alert is out of whack etc etc.

I may just replace Sesame Street with the twitter html badge. Just something to ponder.

I sure hope no one gets pissed off from my morning upload but I didnt notice any ill effects. The upload speeds here are incredibly many times more fast than the DL speeds.

I am waiting for Last.fm to become regular again. I know my tracks are getting scrobbled but the site is incredibly slow. I get a timeout on the tracert to last.fm

Easy Money

WaitingGame (1), originally uploaded by Chris1051.

While Standing in line, waiting to pay at the Gallatin Goodyear, a Gallatin Police officer comes in and jokingly (although I am not laughing) says to the guys who work at Goodyear "So, what are y'all doing today besides making easy money?"

My company vehicle firstly would not start, so it needed a new battery. Then it needed new front tires. The back tires, though old had good traction. They saw that I had a national account and their eyelids flapped like a cash register and $$$$$$ replaced the eyes. They called the national account and managed to ask for 4 new tires, a new battery (which I did need) and new brakes (which I probably needed) The truck is like a whole new truck now but god they do try and exploit these situations. The final bill to the national account was $880 Easy money for 4 hours of work.

Panhandling

So I am at the mall trying to find an item. The mall nowadays is a bit of a miserable experience due to the onslaught of panhandling. Kiosks manned by young people. Selling you everything from massages to toys. Also in the food court, you get people trying to give you samples. It makes an overall lousy shopping experience.

Who Dreamt this up

DSC_1288.jpg, originally uploaded by Zsolt Vajda.

A Great catch by Zsolt Vajda I know this has been out for a while and I had second thoughts about blogging it but It is just to hilariously ridiculous I just had to.

0712082041a

0712082041a, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Great use of my free time (wherever I may be) reading my RSS feeds. Here is the BBC.

Stolen!

I saw this on another blog and liked it so much I had to steal it.

pure awesomeness.

blogging from Cracker Barrel

0712082054, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

This was my dinner tonight. Cracker Barrel never seems to upset. It doesn't look too good in the picture, but we can blame this on lighting and the digital camera on my cell phone didn't have a flash. However, it was very good to eat. I also got one of those Strawberry Icebox pies. That was quite good.

(the following was typed out on my N810 when I finished the meal in Cracker Barrel)

Anyway I shouldn't be judgmental and I realise I can be a dick at times. But I have to mention. There is a power couple that just sat down for dinner. They both weigh in excess of 400lbs so their combined weight is in excess of 800lbs. This made me ponder for a second. I thought to myself I am sure glad that the chairs are made of sturdy wood because they would surely break and buckle under the stress. I know its not nice to make fun of people but this isn't really making fun. This is speaking critically of the obesity problem we are witnessing in the western world. The lifespan of their vehicles' suspension system is undoubtedly shortened by their added weight. Again I know it sounds ugly and mean however these comments are not directed at them as human beings. Just the obese in general. I myself am above ideal human male weight for my height.

Clever

Clever, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

One time there used to be this guy who was a real dick to me on an online forum - a real crappy conservative site. ( I will not mention it here but if these people still read this blog expect a deluge of comments - of which I will publish freely. But after which I will post the link to this sorry website.) He stole this tagline and used it for his own. I think whoever came up with the tagline was very clever. But it is essentially meaningless. You could put anything you wanted in its place as he did. He said "Know Guns, Know Peace. No guns, no peace nor safety". There was a deluge over at my blogsite from this board - that I left in December 2004 - from the website's administrator and all of the members. I still have every single email regarding the incident - only because I have Gmail and I have that luxury of never throwing anything away. Looking back, I should have kept those blog posts on my site flaming that retarded site - but I took it down. This was in an era before captchas and smooth editing. A quick check of the domain that was this awful board today shows that the board is still in operation. More folders than active members on the site. Its a mess. Nothing but a circle jerk of right wing hate speech.

Mary Kay Regime

Mary Kay Regime, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

I admit I don't really know much about the Mary Kay Regime - but I have read that it is a completely private company so it is not required to report its earnings. I dug a little further and its a huge Pyramid Scheme. I saw this and thought it to be a rare sight - considering no one is making any money except the select few. Had to document.

The Plaintiff

The Plaintiff, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

I had to take the truck to Goodyear to get the oil changed. Of course the mechanic tried to take me for a fool, but I suppose he saw me as someone who didn't know much about cars. Trying to sell me a bunch of extra bullshit. I took this -everyone who doesn't change their own oil knows this site very well. a TV with no cable or satellite - only over-the-air channels showing some variant of either a Judge program, Oprah, Jerry Springer, or Montel or Maury. Filled with bullshit "Do you want to make more money? Of course we all do." commercials.

Response

Since Twitter is supposed to be for short replies I will make this post as a big reply. Ignore this if you don't care about flushing cat poo down the toilet

Q. Should I be concerned about flushing my cats waste?
A. The US Environmental Protection Agency recommends that pet waste be flushed down the toilet allowing waste to be properly treated by sewage treatment plants and septic systems. Not properly disposing of pet waste increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into storm drains and eventually into local waterbodies.

What I believe - this is a bit misleading. The EPA are probably talking about dog poo (how else could cat waste that's thrown in the trash migrate to the storm drains) What is harmful is the possibility of toxoplasma (only found in cat poo not dog poo) getting into the drinking supply of humans.

Good on you GCG for training your cat, that is a remarkable task (not being sarcastic). I admit myself I have not seen hard evidence or peer-reviewed studies or papers on the release of toxoplasmosa into the drinking water supply of cities. I will be the first to admit I am wrong if shown otherwise. I guess it also depends on how your city handles its water treatment. I wish I could train my dog to use the toilet but it is just not possible.

Thanks for your response.

Why churches should be taxed like the rest of us

In an incredible display of opulence, one church I came across in the Bible Belt Group actually has a Private Jet. If it isn't the $80 million dollar mega churches, or the retards erecting huge Gigantic crosses everywhere, spending millions of dollars on them rather than doing some of the only good deeds churches are credited with (i.e. providing aid to those in need, building schools -however religious- etc). These bastards need to be TAXED like the rest of us. They get a free pass under the guise of religion, when in actuality they are a commercial entity, competing for your soul and your cash, set up on every street corner in America.

Religious Business

Religious Business, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

You know you're in the Bible Belt when...

...You have commercial businesses wearing their religion on their sleeves.

(sorry for the rain et al. on my window. I was at a red light and had to take a quick snap with my cell phone. And sure enough, as soon as I had the picture the lights changed and he was off.) The photos I have submitted to the Bible Belt group are just the tip of the iceberg. I see this stuff every single day. I am only quick/fast enough on the draw with a camera to capture it 5% of the time. The group does give you a feel of the in-your-face, you're-gonna-burn-in-hell tacky Christianity being force-fed down our throats on a daily basis here in middle Tennessee.

New Twitter Background

crop2, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Still can't seem to get the sizing right.

Scary

I'll be this guy believes in the rapture. especially with statements like:

“This will mark our city for God,” he said. “If this doesn’t work – nothing else will work. But if we get it right, everything will fall into place.”

So God isn't powerful enough he needs a big ugly cross similar to



to find a city of dumbasses.

Article

For Grace Community Church Senior Pastor Steve Riggle, the sign of the cross can mark Houston like no other city in the country.

Riggle last week disclosed a plan to erect 150-foot crosses at the south and north entrances to the city. The crosses would be on the Grace South Campus and the North Campus properties.

Riggle doesn’t mince words when he says that the country is headed in the wrong direction politically and spiritually. The only way out, he adds, is what he believes the Founding Fathers always intended the United States to be – a Christian nation. He says the project is a start in the right direction.

“If we do it here,” Riggle said, “I believe it will happen in Los Angeles, Washington, D. C. and New York City.”
Riggle feels that, in recent years, rulings and regulations have fabricated, “the truth of history. We are not afraid of the truth, are we?” he asked. “We can make up our own mind what the Founding Fathers meant.”

There are forces out there busy tearing at the fabric of America, he said.

“The proof is abundant. They want to re-write and color history.”

Speaking at last week’s news conference at Grace’s Gulf Freeway location, Riggle unveiled a large billboard featuring the cross. A second billboard also was placed at the North Campus, located south of The Woodlands.

“This will mark our city for God,” he said. “If this doesn’t work – nothing else will work. But if we get it right, everything will fall into place.”

Eventually, Riggle would like crosses at every entrance to Houston.

“I would surround the city,” he said.

The crosses are not about Grace Community Church, Riggle pointed out.

“This is a symbol of a much larger vision – it’s for the city,” he said. “Here is an opportunity to physically and spiritually mark the city in a tangible way.”

Actually, Riggle would like to start with two 200-foot crosses, but that would need further FAA approval. But he is not discarding that idea just yet.

The total cost of the cross project doesn’t have a bottom line yet, and Riggle also plans to ask non-members of Grace from around the city to donate.

“We are going to go outside the church and even to business people and businesses,” he said. “We hope that they see the value of this serving the entire city.”

Each cross will have an elevated prayer center that groups can use.

Riggle’s eventual vision includes connecting, “One thousand churches a month in prayer through technology. All the churches would be praying for the mayor and city council. I think they would appreciate all those people praying for them.

“Politically we cannot solve our problems,” he added. “It’s a tragedy that our nation is in this shape.”

Riggle also realizes that this project may not have a smooth path to completion. Some opposition or objection will likely surface.

“That won’t surprise me, but it won’t bother me. We have the right.”

Riggle is no stranger to adversity.

Prior to starting Grace, he and wife Becky were missionaries in the Phillippines. While ministering to inmates in prison, they were taken hostage. Holding threatening knives against the Riggle’s bodies, the prisoners attempted to escape in a bus with their hostages. The guards opened fire. Both Riggles were stabbed several times and were fortunate to get out alive. All the escaping prisoners were killed in a hail of bullets. Becky Riggle was hospitalized in serious condition.

In 1983 the Riggles started Grace with 12 people at the first service. Later Grace moved to a Webster location. In 1990 a larger Grace Community was built on Crescent Landing in Clear Lake. In 2006 the present 10,000 seat worship center opened on the Gulf Freeway. In 2007 the Grace North Campus opened off I-45 North and the Spring Crossing exit.

Ill bet he attributes his good luck to "Gods intervention" no mention on the 26,000 children who die every single day of starvation on earth. No mention of all the suffering and dying world wide. No mention of the millions who die of malaria and curable diseases every year. Why should God save him and his wife in his ordeal and let thousands suffer?

So according to Mr. Dumbass, the founding Fathers wanted America to be a Christian Nation. I wonder where in the constitution he thinks it says that.

My weight goal

glacier, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

170 lbs (77 kg) (12 st)

I have 40 lbs to go (18kg) (2.8st)

South Carolina Lt. Gov places his head on the chopping block

South Carolina plans license plate for Christians

"I think it allows people of faith to profess that they believe in a higher calling, they believe in God," said Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.

Bauer has offered to personally pay a $4,000 deposit required for the Department of Motor Vehicles to begin producing the plates. The fee would be returned to him later...
...While individuals can ask the DMV to print plates for other faiths -- for a $4,000 fee -- the request would be subject to significant limits and rules not imposed for the Christian plate. Other tags could feature a religious symbol -- such as the Star of David -- but no words would be allowed...
... Bauer said allowing Christians to have a specialty license plate is freedom of speech. He said those who oppose are prejudiced against Christians.

(No dumbass. We oppose the sanctioning of any religion from the state - i.e. yourself being that you were elected by the people. You are charged with running the government as a secular republic. Not a theocracy.)

"We're not going to back down," Bauer said. "We're going to fight for a change. I'm tired of seeing Christians back down in fear of a lawsuit."

Bauer also said he is not afraid of a personal political backlash against him.

"If I were never to get elected or serve in another capacity because I pronounce my faith as a Christian, I don't have a problem with that,"

Bauer said.

Skepticism

Hat tip to Nick from 455.

Taken from Institute for Humanist Studies

Punchcard

image006, originally uploaded by Barack Obama.

I really don't like that for someone to be president, someone has to be Christian. It doesn't actually say this in the constitution. But an atheist stands zero chance of being elected. I believe Barack is the best and most sane choice in this year's election. I know he is doing what is necessary to get elected. I am a supporter and believe he can effect real change in this country - despite being a member of the democratic party - a party that has rather disappointed me in the last 2 years. We kicked the republicans out of the congress in 2006 because we wanted change. The democrats have not delivered. From the Bill Clinton School of Triangulation, I understand Barack, Harold Ford Jr., Hillary et al are just doing what they feel are needed. To McCain voters: You really need to take a step back and look at who McCain is pandering to. The evangelical right wing is a step backward in time. They are anti-science and filled with superstition and supernatural believers. They are destructive to modern society. Science has freed us from this superstition and supernatural hocus pocus.

I am disappointed but we all know how important it is for Barack to win. Lets hope we get a good VP to complete the ticket (like maybe John Edwards) and hope that the republicans don't pull any hocus pocus of their own a la voting machines, Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004.

Actual Bumper Sticker

UnholyWar, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Says

"Blessed are the peacemakers in Iraq Stamping out Evil"

yeah...

More Bible Belt Goodness added to Flickr

BibleThumpin, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

This one and a few more bumper stickers.