JournalStar.com - Lincoln, Nebraska - Blog - Sound Off

JournalStar.com - Lincoln, Nebraska - Blog - Sound Off

What Restrictions Should be put on books on Public Schools and Libraries?

Very little. It is safe to say that no library board or school board in their right mind would buy p0rn for a school library or terrorist recruitment and operations manuals, though I DO remember all 5 SI swimsuit editions being in my HS library from 1990-1995 and Hot Rod magazine in the alternative classroom. Gay couples are a reality whether you like it or not. Lesbian couples are a reality whether you like it or not. Divergent political theories and beliefs and disbelief/ambivalence to religion is there whether you like it or not. If the only intent is to shield the poor impressionable children from 'bad' things, then you may as well get rid of the Count of Monte Christo (subverting the government), Leaves of Grass (obscenity), Civil Disobedience(questioning authority/government), Starship Troopers, and many works by Shakespeare, Locke, Machiavelli, and Christopher Marlowe. We can ban Salman Rushdie, since we don't want to offend anyone, and stop teaching literary history or world civilization since it involves a basic teaching of other cultural religious beliefs as a motivation for expanding their domain. My point is that banning or 'not allowing' works should not be the schools' job. If you know what your kids are checking out at the library you also can discuss it with them. Ultimately your kids are not going to be you and forcing them to conform to your views is not going to do much more than make them unequipped to deal with independence later in life when confronted with ideas and situations that aren't theirs. Since this is a public library and public school I'm paying for those works to be there just as much as you are. You are free to voice your dissent, but what my child reads, when paid for by collectively by me starts where your protesting ends-right about the end of your face. Don't read it, don't buy it, but don't assume that your kids won't and don't lament about how clueless you are when they try to discuss this stuff with you.

Star Wars: LEGO's Ultimate Collectors Millennium Falcon Unboxed, Now Shipping with 4-pound Manual - Gizmodo

Three......feet......Long.

I think im in heaven.

400.....dollars. Okay, not so much.


Star Wars: LEGO's Ultimate Collectors Millennium Falcon Unboxed, Now Shipping with 4-pound Manual - Gizmodo

Shakespeare's future, at least one take of it

Im not really sure how I feel about this.


The translation sucks, by the way-Macbeth's wife is supposed to be saying "we won't fail if your dumb ass doesn't wuss out" giving us some insight on Macbeth's character flaws of indecision and non-ambition. "We won't" just glosses over the whole thing-what, will Mega-Man come in and save the day if he chokes? She seems so sure of herself, but she really isn't which is why she goes crazy later. She should have saved the intrigues for those more suited for them.

I know it is supposed to drum up interest, but with the attention span of kids being so short as it is, you get one shot. You may as well make it count right off instead of giving them the 'lite' version and then trying to have them come around again later. Maybe if this were used with young children, say 7-10. Easy to read for them, interesting ideas....and a passing familiarity with the story for later down the road. Using it for teenagers that can actually read the texts as is, and annotated up the yang in Norton's or whatever, is just lazy.

Maybe we could get Frank Miller to do some of them-that would be interesting.....

Things learned from working in Technical Support

Ive been doing support positions from some years now. I started, thanks to my dorm-mates at HC, because its sexy, it pays more, and that bunch of geeks that I went to college with were the shizznit with the ladies.



Okay, now that you are done laughing...
I DID get into technical support in part because of them-B.C, S.G, M.V., M. G. (now knows as D.G.) and others all helped me develop an interest that I took into the Army and ended up using to do PP and Crystal Reports for the cadre. Now, at least, I support a custom software package so the answers don't always change-but the customers remain. Here are some things I picked up along the way, voiced in true IT Curmudgeon style, by BOFH.

As long as the world turns, users will still have problems

Substance abusers and computer operators are the only folks called users. This isn't by chance

When in doubt. Reboot

Sooner or later you will meet a person who types out the words "backslash" or forgets to plug in the power cord. If you haven't yet, just wait, you will

Fear the phone. No one just calls tech support to wish you good morning

No user will tell you the whole truth at the beginning of a call

"I didn't do anything" or "It just happened" Are the users mantra

As a support tech, it is your job to break down resistance and get the truth

This is so you can rub the lie in their face, fixing the issue is just a perk

Some people will never learn

This means you will always have a job

Maintain a calm voice, even if you're screaming on the inside

The hold button is your friend

Whatever you do, don't panic

The answer to all users questions should be "Trust me, I know what I'm doing" even if this is a bald-faced lie

Users can smell fear. Once you've lost control, all is lost

A user who is not listening to you anymore, but rather is trying "their own thing" is not worth your time. Simulate a telephone disconnect and hang up. Trust me, you're better off.

Sometimes fixing a computer is easier than figuring out why it was broken

Users always want a reason things are fixed. If you're not sure just lie. They won't know anyway. "A stray electron passed through the processor and caused..."

If possible ask to speak to the youngest person present

Best Article Evar....

Spanning the gamut between over sexualized toys and under intellectualized childrens TV fare for kids as young as 2-3 years of age, Curt Holman reminds me of what I have to look forward to in the near near future for my girls, and already for my son.

Intelligent discussion RE Safi/Nebraska Rape Mistrial

http://news.myspace.com/politics/feminism/item/7757213

A breath of fresh air, discussion started by the blogger-a woman, and the posts that follow. No rhetoric, no accusations, just intelligent supported discussion.


Too bad the Journals Star couldn't be this way. If you mention the fact that it 'may' have been consensual you are a raping apologist. Fuck you-gender isn't a basis for assumptions where women are 'protected' or 'don't need to be protected' depending on the situaion. Equality goes both ways.

Whedonesque : Comments on 13271 : Let's Watch A Girl Get Beaten To Death.

Whedonesque : Comments on 13271 : Let's Watch A Girl Get Beaten To Death.


Joss Whedon weighs in on the stoning death of a girl in the Middle East-she was in the company of someone from another tribe/religion-and as she's being publicly beaten and stoned and people are filming on their GD cell phones she says "I'm Sorry....".

What is wrong with women today that they feel the need to be over apologetic for everything? Success, sex appeal, education, having kids, not having kids whom they marry or not-its pretty sad in our 'evolved' race that half the population feels marginalized because of their gender.

Sometimes I hate being male.

From a Dear Prudie article...

Im speechless.....really I am.

Dear Prudie,
My daughter is 5 years old and has, like most girls her age, a hamper's worth of stuffed animals. While she has her favorites, she constantly wants more and usually connives to get someone (read: her grandparents) into procuring a new one every couple of weeks. The new one immediately becomes her favorite and she must sleep with it every night and haul it around half the day. My question is: Does this behavior indicate she'll be overly promiscuous as an adult, or at least unable to commit to a single partner?

—Perhaps Overly Worried Father

Mistrial again-Bowen, Safi Sex trial

Lincoln Journal Star-July 12th, 2007-Mistrial declared again
Lincoln Journal Star-July 11th, 2007-She gets a lawyer to file from out of state
Lincoln Journal Star-Nov 12th, 2006-Jurors impressions of the first case


Mistrial. AGAIN. Maybe this will get the message across that women don't get a pass on being stupid. Ms. Bowen's foolishness and lack of restraint is part of what got her here in the first place, and her inability to just relate the facts. Instead she gets a high powered feminist lawyer thats not even registered to practice in this state to file motions saying she will defy the Judges ruling. That pretty much spells out her intent-she thinks that if she squeaks long enough she will get her way. Not in this courtroom, however. Please live with your mistake and stop cheapening the assaults of other women that were rapes. YOU chose to drink, YOU chose to go with him, YOU chose to not leave in the morning immediately, and YOU chose to have him drive you home. Some evil rapist he is, huh? He even stopped when you asked him to. What more do you want? You don't get to change the events based on how dumb you feel after the fact. You and your parents get an advocacy group involved on the steps of the courthouse and you didn't think it would affect how this worked out for you?

Im sorry, but I really get ticked off when things like "duh, I got drunk and did something stupid" get warped into " I don't have to take any responsibility for my actions whatsoever". This guy is a slime-he picked up a drunk girl and had sex with her. Guess what, it happens a thousand times a day. If he was drinking, too, might he counter sue? Most women would see it for the mistake that it is, but some apparently need to make a statement. Rape is a terrible crime, true, but being compliant in sex until after the fact is not rape. This has been ruled on in other states so I don't know why she is surprised. She has since dropped her plans to become a lawyer-what do you want to bet she sues in civil court for mythical lost income? She vows to keep this case going until she gets her way, which is, he goes to jail, yet what about HIS rights? After all, with two hung juries and the strength of her testimony riding on the fact that she feels she can't win unless she uses prejudicial buzz words you'd think that she would move on with her life instead of living in 2004. He was supposed to deploy to Iraq, and I'm pretty sure that the best job he'll be able to get in the future is working at a convenience store or in construction.

Welcome to adulthood, Ms. Bowen. Its not always fair, not everyone wins, people have stupid sex and do stupid things when they drink, and in the real world we move on and try not to do it again. The sooner you learn this, the sooner you can stop playing a victim and join the rest of us at the grown-up table.

The Raw Story | FOX News asks: Did Mr. Rogers destroy an entire generation?

The Raw Story | FOX News asks: Did Mr. Rogers destroy an entire generation?


I really have to draw the line at this. While I think there are a lot of prima donnas on the block today, and im sure amongst my own age as well (gen xish, judging from the 30yr midlife crisis's im starting to see), I also can't rationalize some professor taking pot shots at the one guy that was a father figure/friend for many of us growing up. There were kids that I grew up with that spend more time with PBS than with their fathers, and I I was one of them. ( I had grandpa making guns and cannons in the basement to look up to, though-dad was stationed in Germany so he had an excuse. Hundreds of thousands of latch-key kids weren't so lucky)

Being told that you are special just the way you are is not a bad thing-fostering an attitude of you are more special than anyone else is the problem-that and the disconnect between parenting and being a friend.

1408

I saw this last week, by myself (thank you, honey) and was pleasantly suprised. Its not a horror movie, really. Its like a really long episode of the Twilight Zone-sort of like when the gambler dies and 'wakes up' playing cards, winning every hand, drinks all around, and women everywhere....and he is bewildered. " Why am I here? After all I was a bad person.....?" " What makes you think you are 'here'?" is the reply.

This movie is more, I think, about wanting something and then getting it. Mike Enslin is jaded, fractured, lost-estranged from his wife after the death of their pre-teen daughter to some wasting disease, he now writes a series of '10 Most Haunted.....' books. He never really believes in what he writes about, and cannot deal with the fact that he was once heralded as a literary sensation and a serious novelist for his first book (a sort of Livingston's Seagull). He receives a post card to come stay at the Dolphin Inn in New York, in the room 1408. The numerical puns alone make this movie fun to watch (how many times can you find '13'?) but you don't have to exert a massive amount of mental gymnastics to appreciate that this is not really a horror movie. It's more along the lines of a metaphor for a man that is dealing with his inner demons and as the movie progresses and he accepts weirder and weirder things that occur in the room the ante is upped with each successive occurance. First the Karen Carpenter song-another tortured intellectual that died at her own hand, sadly enough setting the tone. Then the gradual discomfort of the room-cold, heat, sounds. The metaphore of being closed off. The visions of others' pain and demise, and the recurring spectre of the sinking man ( the most violent of the images, portraying, I think, Mike's feelings of hopelessness and meaningless anger at the death of his daughter) on the ship. No one should have to watch their child die.

And the ending-if you are a parent its a bit of a tear jerker, and the tape player helping to illustrate that some things just aren't explainable.

I liked.

Ratatouille

We went and saw this movie the other day and I was quite surprised! I knew that I would probably like it going into it, but I wondered about the three little one-if they would appreciate it, or if the humor (knocking haute cuisine) would go over their head.

I'm pleasantly happy to saw that for a two hour movie about a talking, cooking rat, they handled it quite well. The character development was very well done, and the human animation plus the voice acting of Peter Oswalt (Remey), Janeane Garofalo (Colette), Ian Holm(Skinner), Peter O'Toole (Anton), Brad Garrett (Gusteau) and others made it an enjoyable outing. The Pixar short had people rolling in the aisles and a large knowledge of cooking is not required. The story of a rat (Remey) aspiring to be something he is not, nor should aspire to be according to convention is timeless and done with enough humor and believability to make it not a retread of something you've seen before. The monologue at the end is a delicious performance by Peter O'Toole.

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more."

JournalStar.com - Lincoln, Nebraska - Living - 402

The comments section reveals why Lincoln, NE, and the Midwest, is considered a hotbed for the Performing Arts, and Art . Wow. Why did they bother having this Thespian Festival in the first place?

JournalStar.com - Lincoln, Nebraska - Living - 402


Hmm...lets see...

"Future fast food workers"-NU Football
"Pretentious, loud, destructive"-NU Football
"Assuming we are so proud and/or interested in hearing them" NU Football
"Money their parents wasted to go to this"NU Football


It's nice to know that Lincoln is an Equal Opportunity Hater. 3000 + kids with 'endless' money, and their chaperone(s) for a week in the downtown area, and people here have to whine about it.

Ignorance isn't an excuse for allowing illegal detainment

So, if you get pulled over, and the trooper can't find anything better than "following too close", and keeps you around for over 30 minutes fishing and waiting for a drug dog-based on 'what', I guess its okay for some Nebraskans. Rather than ask, "am I under arrest, or being detained for a lawful reason?" these shining examples of human rights would happily allow their person and property to be searched because "they have nothing to hide....". According to the LJS, "After 20 minutes or so, Frye asks to search the SUV. Asiala says he’d rather get on his way, but Frye says there’s no doubt in his mind there’s contraband inside. A drug-sniffing dog is on the way.

“I’ve done this a long time, I know,” Frye said during the stop." Last time I checked, a LEO cannot detain and search based on a hunch.

Do I think pot should be legal? As a matter of fact, yes. I would rather have it sold on the streets, and taxed like anything else. I make so secret of the fact that I have smoked pot, both here and abroad when I was younger, before I enlisted in the miltary. Its quite simple to tax it like anything else and regulate it-and its a shame that a cash crop native to the North American continent (hemp) is illegal because of one man's racism. Marijuana wasn't illegal until 1937, and was made illegal on the words of the racist head of the Bureau of Narcotics and a yellow journalist.According to Henry Anslinger, the first Head of the Bureau, most marijuana smokers were "Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others." When a medical doctor was brought in to testify and didn't say what the panel wanted, he was discredited. Marijuana is less addictive than nicotine or alcohol. Although few users of marijuana develop dependence, some do. But they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine), and marijuana dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs." (National Institute of Medicine (IOM). Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. National Academy Press. Washington DC, 1999.)

America's first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia in 1619. It was a law "ordering" all farmers to grow Indian hemp seed. There were several other "must grow" laws over the next 200 years (you could be jailed for not growing hemp during times of shortage in Virginia between 1763 and 1767). We spend so much money prosecuting people based on a lie, when so many other manufactured drugs-including some prescription ones, cause much more damage to the body and through their effects on others. Read "Reefer Madness" or "The History of Non-Medical Drug Use in the United States" by Charles Whitebread, a professor of law at USC.

So im looking through old papers...

and I come across some poetry that I wrote from a class at Hastings College from my Sophomore year interim class (1997). Much of it sparks of the 'typical' collegiate poet-stream of consciousness, some disturbing imagery now and then, some totally random stuff that makes you say WTF? And now, for you heckling pleasure, and to bring an iota of culture to this blog, I present a few, in no particular ...

Coffee Lover
And she called me a drip...
Percolate me
and take a sip.
From Kenya or Colombia,
expresso or cappuchino
whip me up and pour me some more.


Perfect Death
The hooded spectre leers at me
and says it's time to go. My corpse is as a corn husk
in the fresh fallen snow.
I feel myself rising up...up .....UP
into the twinkled sky.
I'm a whisper, a memory, an icy breath.
I may be dead but at least it was a beautiful night to die.


Ransom
I have kidnapped the clown
I have kidnapped the clown.
Stuck him somewhere that no one will find him.
I couldn't stand his jokes.
I couldn't stand him making others laugh.
I couldn't stand everyone else being happy
when I was still sad.

I have kidnapped the clown.
I am not sorry for what I have done
and I will never let him perform again.
Forgive me, I have kidnapped the clown.
I just didn't want him to to perform for anyone anymore.

Recycle
Guyana 1978
Rancho Santa Fe 1997
Jim Jones all over again, but a lesser degree,
only a UFO trailing a comet's tail
that won't take anyone to eternity.
Only followers of a sainted Son from a sainted Mother could do this.

Political rant

So, maybe I'm slow on the uptake, but as I was listening to a local morning radio show on AM, a Mitt Romney commercial came on. One of the things that caught my attention was a line about how in a Majority Democratic state he was a stalwart conservative and he is pushing "philosophy of strength - a strong military, a strong economy and strong families." alluding to Reagan in the 80's. The problem I have with this is that leaders have been known, in the past, to play up the nationalistic mom and apple pie view of things, such as our Nationalistic friend Adolf Hitler with his call to national pride "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!". He also gave us such gems as, "What good fortune for governments that the people do not think." and "All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach." Now, I'm not a student of history, but that looks an awful lot like what ive seen coming out of the right side of the political spectrum lately.

But but but...im prior service! Aren't I supposed to be all gung ho, balls to the wall, all go, no quit, Harry Stamper? Well, in some respects I am. I am for damning the consequences if we are in an armed conflict with someone-make it suck so bad that it is over, period. The acts of charity and goodwill combined with men with guns kind of cancel each other out. If you are going to have a war, then have a war. I think that with regards to immigration that maybe we should just annex Mexico. Its unfair to say, "we are all about freedom and refugees and whatnot, but, say, what is your education level and job class?? I know that other countries do this for immigration purposes, but we are about 20 times the size-I think we can handle it. Restrict welfare and subsidies to non-citizens until they prove themselves enough to file for citizenship. Immigration problem solved.

Okay, enough stream of consciousness ranting for one day.

Stupid Things

Stupid is relative, but here is a list of 'stupid stuff' that ive done. Where do you fit in, and what do still need to do?

Level 1
(X ) Smoked A Cigarette
(X ) Smoked A Cigar
(X) Smoked Weed
( x) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex
(x) Drank Alcohol

SO FAR: 5

Level 2
(X) Are / Been In Love
(x) Been Dumped
( X) Shoplifted
(X ) Been Fired
(X ) Been In A Fist Fight

SO FAR: 10

Level 3
( X) Snuck Out Of A Parent's House
(x) Had Feelings For Someone Who Didn't Have Them Back
( X) Been Arrested
(X) Made Out With A Stranger
( ) Gone Out On A Blind Date

SO FAR: 14

Level 4
(x) Had A Crush On An Older Person
(x) Skipped School
( X) Fooled Around With A Co-worker
(X ) Seen Someone / Something Die

SO FAR: 18

Level 5
() Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your FACEBOOK Friends
( ) Been To Paris
( ) Been To Spain
(X) Been On A Plane
(X) Thrown Up From Drinking

SO FAR: 20

Level 6
(X ) Eaten Sushi
( ) Been Snowboarding
( )Met Someone BECAUSE Of Facebook
(X )Been in a Mosh Pit

SO FAR: 22

Level 7
( ) Been In An Abusive Relationship
(x) Taken Pain Killers
(x) Love/Like Loved/Liked Someone Who You Cant Have
( X) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(x) Made A Snow Angel

SO FAR: 26

Level 8
( ) Had A Tea Party
(X ) Flown A Kite
(X ) Built A Sand Castle
(X ) Gone mudding (offroading)
(x) Played Dress Up

SO FAR: 30

Level 9
(x) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
(x) Gone Sledding
(x) Cheated While Playing A Game
(x) Been Lonely
(x) Fallen Asleep At Work / School

SO FAR: 35

Level 10
(x) Watched The Sun Set
( ) Felt An Earthquake
(x) Killed A Snake

SO FAR: 38

Level 11
(x) Been Tickled
(X )Been Robbed / Vandalized
(X) Stole something
(X) Been Misunderstood

SO FAR: 42

Level 13
() Had / Have Braces
(X ) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(X) Danced in the moonlight

SO FAR: 44

Level 14
(x) Hated The Way You Looked
(x) Witnessed A Crime
( ) Pole Danced
(x) Questioned Your Heart
(X ) Been obsessed with post-it-notes

SO FAR: 48

Level 15
(x) Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(x) Been Lost
(X ) Been To The Opposite Side Of The World
(X) Swam In The Ocean
() Felt Like You Were Dying

SO FAR: 52

Level 16
(X) Cried Yourself To Sleep
(X) Played Cops And Robbers
(X ) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins

SO FAR: 57

Level 18
() Written A Letter To Santa Claus
(X) Been Kissed Under A Mistletoe
(X) Watched The Sun Set/ sun rise With Someone You Care / Cared About
(x) Blown Bubbles
(x) Made A Bonfire On The Beach or Anywhere

SO FAR: 61

Level 19
( X) Crashed A Party
(X) Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
(X) Gone Rollerskating / Blading
() Had A Wish Come True
( ) Been Humped By A Monkey -

SO FAR: 64

Level 20
() Worn Pearls
(X ) Jumped Off A Bridge
(X ) Screamed "Penis" or "Vagina"
( ) Swam With Dolphins

SO FAR: 66

Level 22
(X ) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/Ice Cube
( ) Kissed A Fish
(x) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes
(X) Sat On A Roof Top
( ) Kissed A Worm

SO FAR: 68

Level 23
(X) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs
(X) Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel
(x )Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours
(x ) Recently Stayed Up for a while talkin to someone u care about

SO FAR: 72

Level 24
(x) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(x) Climbed A Tree
(X) Had / Been In A Tree House
() Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone

SO FAR: 76

Level 25
() Believed In Ghosts
(X ) Have/had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes
( X)Gone Streaking
(x ) Visited Jail

SO FAR: 79

Level 26
(X ) Played Chicken
(x)Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(x)Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger
() Broken A Bone
(x) Been Easily Amused - always

SO FAR: 83

Level 27
(x) Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later
( ) Made A Porn Video/got asked to make one
(X) Caught A Butterfly
(X) Laughed So Hard You Cried
(X) Cried So Hard You Laughed

SO FAR: 87

Level 28
( X) Mooned / Flashed Someone
(x) Had Someone Moon / Flash You
(x) Cheated On A Test
(x) Forgotten Someone's Name
( ) French Braided Someones Hair
(X ) Gone Skinny Dipping
( X) Been Kicked Out Of Your House
(X ) Tried to hurt yourself

SO FAR: 84

Level 29
(x) Rode A Roller Coaster
( ) Went Scuba-Diving / Snorkeling
() Had A Cavity
(X ) Black-Mailed Someone
(X ) Been Black Mailed

SO FAR: 87

Level 31
( x) Been Used
(x) Fell Going Up The Stairs
( ) Licked A Cat
(x) Bitten Someone
(x) Licked Someone

SO FAR : 91

Repost Your Results Like This...
I've Done _91__ Out Of 150 Stupid Things

More Northsea, just not me.

-- > > //USS Northsea// > <> > > Alex walked into his office, then realized that he had actually > never > been inside that particular room the entire time he had been serving > aboard the Northsea. After shaking off the odd sensation, he looked > at the PADD in his hand. On it were the two new officers that had > been placed under his command in the engineering department. He had > met his assistant, Lieutenant (JG) John Baker already. However, he > had not been able to talk to Ensign Rega T'Pray, the andorian/vulcan > warp systems specialist. Alex tapped his commbadge. =^= Lt. JG Baker > and Ensign Rega. Please report to the 2XO's office. =^= He sat down > and began looking over the daily systems reports. Nothing really > significant seemed to stand out to him. > > ::5 minutes later:: > > Alex was still going over the systems reports, which were already > starting to blur together, when the chime went off on the door to > his > office. "COME." The two officers walked in to the small office, and > Alex motioned for them to take the two seats opposite of his > own. "Lt. Baker, Ensign Rega. I called you here, more or less, to > ask > you what you think of the Northsea so far. Any questions you'd like > answered? Any concerns?" > > Lt. Baker: Well from what i see so far this ship seems to be very > robust and stable everything in the ship runs at top effeciancy, I > am proud to serve on her, as for questions, do you have any idea > when we will be getting underway? i am eager to see what this ship > can do > > Ensign Rega: Well Commander, I too am pleased to be on board. Everything seems to be running efficiently. I am concerned, however, about Captain Janeway. I was walking down a corridor awhile ago, and she was running through and knocked over a crewman. What would cause the captain to behave so? > > > > Commander Alexander McAllister > Chief Engineering Officer > / Second Executive Officer > USS Northsea NCC-81000 > Tag: Baker, Rega

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#1334 From: "Dean"
Date: Tue Jun 15, 2004 4:17 pm
Subject: Re: The planet fads2411
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ON: //Bridge// Ballis sat reading the sensor readouts. The ship had just come out of the wormhole with only a few bumps and bruises. The engineering repair teams had been dispatched and were working to get the repairs done as quickly as possible. Looking up from the display for second ballis looked over at commander calhoun. Pointing at dispaly he showed it to her. Ballis;Keep a eye on this anomoli. I want to know what it is. Commander Calhoun:Response Ballis:I'll be in my quarters I need to get some sleep. Commander Calhoun:Response //Captain Quarters// Stepping into his quarters ballis could hear T'Pek and Eric cooing softly in the crib. Walking over he leaned on the crib. Looking down he smiled at them. Picking up T'Pek she squirmed in his arms trying to get comfortable. Rocking her gently he kissed her forehead. Putting her down he picked up Eric. His hair was starting to get thicker. Kissing him ballis put him back in the crib. Ballis:You too are so special.he said tucking them in. They looked back at him with a blank stare. Chuckling he activated the holonanny and walked out. Stepping into the turbolift he leaned against the wall. :Computer deck 6. The lift decended towards the disired deck. Stepping out he started to walk along the corridor. As he came around the corner he saw elena staggering along. Coming up behing he put his hand over her eyes. Ballis:Gues who? Elena:Resposne Reeling from the blow to the sternam he held his chest.:Ohhh.Where the hell did you learn a move like that? he said gasping for air. Elena:Response Ballis:Are you drunk? Elena:Response Ballis:Look I know your mad at me. And I know we haven't spent a lot of time together as of late,but what if I were to take you to dinner and we spend a quiet evening together? said ballis trying his best to smooth things over. Elena:Response Ballis:Well what do you want? Elena:Response Ballis:You know I can't do that. I the captain of this ship for crying out loud. said ballis crew passing by were staring at them. Pullig elena into a doorway lowered his voice. Ballis:Listen I love you and I know you love me. I've got a job to do and so do you. We have two wonderful children that I wouldn't give up not for anything in the world and I have a lovely woman in my life who I can't be without.He said pouring his heart out. Elena:Response Ballis:Listen go to our quarters and get a few winks I'll be up soon. My shift ends in about a hour or so. Elena:Response Ballis:Good. I'll see you shortly.he said giving her a hug. Watching her go he shook his head.Ballis's combadge beeped. Walking along the corridor he pressed it.:=^=Maxwell here go ahead.=^= Commander Calhoun;Response Balis;=^=Understood. On my way.Maxwell out.=^= //Bridge// Stepping out of the turbolift ballis made his way towards his chair. Nodding to the security officer manning the tactical station ballis sat down.:Report commander. Commander Calhoun:Response Ballis;Hmmm.Any information on it? The ensign at the back of the bridge piped up. Ensign Willis(NPC):I belive I can give you a answer sir. Ballis:By all means ensign. Ensign Willis:Well sir. The planet is called beta agne IX. Which means it is a class M planet which means that planets of this class are found in a star's habitable zone. They are typically 10,000 to 15 thousand kilometers in diameter. They have atmospheres that contain oxygen and nitrogen . Water and life-forms are typically abundant. If water covers more than 97% of the surface, then they are considered Class N.However this particular planet has two moons the exact location is that of the gamma quadrant,specifically the beta agne system it has more then 1 billion people on it and to top it off sir. it is the 3rd planet in a ternary star system.He said taking a deep breaeth. Ballis sat there blining. Taking in all the information he looked over at commander calhoun.Looking back at the ensign ballis just started. Ballis:Wow. Very impressive ensign. Very well done. May I inquire how you aquired all this information? Ensign Willis:Well I have been monitoring it since we picked it up on the sensors did a few ajustments the usuale scan here a slight boost of the sensors there. And there you have a home away from home. A place to vactation on. Ballis chuckled to himself.:Very well. Commander Calhoun I'll be in my ready room. You have the bridge. Commander Calhoun:Response Ballis: Ensign Willis please send me what information you have. Ensign Willis:Aye sir. //Ready Room// Sitting down at his desk. Taking a sip of his coffee he started to read the information ensign willis had sent him. His lcars terminal beeped at him. Reaching over he tapped the button on it. More information appeared about the planet. Ballis stood up and walked back onto the bridge. Looking around he sat down in his chair. Leaning over to commander calhoun. Ballis:Assemble an away team. Gather all the marines captain janeway,anyone we can spare. I want that planet scoped out. Commander Calhoun:Response Ballis:Let's just not kill anyone. Commander Calhoun:Response Ballis smiled as he watched her stand up and head towards the turbolift. OFF: Captain Ballis Maxwell CO USS Northsea-NCC81000 Tag:Everyone

I cost 87.50

Here's the deal. You look over the following list and see how many of these things you have done. BUT you have to ADD up the money amount along the way. Then post the amount that you are as the title of the bulletin. Ill leave you all to speculate on whats on the list that I haven't done.

PS: The Smaller the Better!!!

1. Had sex: $6.00
2. Smoked: $5.00
3. Got drunk: $5.00
4. Went skinny dipping: $3.00
5. Kissed someone of the opposite sex: $4.00
6. Kissed someone of the same sex: $4.00
7. Cheated on a test: $2.00
8. Fell asleep in class: $0.50
9. Been expelled: $5.00
10. Been in a fist fight: $3.00
11. Given oral: $5.00
12. Got oral: $5.00
13. Prank called the cops: $3.00
14. Stole something: $2.00
15. Done drugs: $5.00
16.Dyed your hair: $0.50
17. Done something with someone older: $3.00
18. Went out with someone over 18 (if your under 18): $4.00
19. Ate a whole thing of oreos: $0.50
20. Cried yourself to sleep: $1.00
21. Said you love someone but didn't mean it: $1.00
22. Been in love: $4.00
23. Got caught doing something that you shouldn't have been doing: $1.00
24. Went streaking: $4.00
25. Got arrested: $5.00
26. Made out with someone at the movies: $2.00
27. Peed in the pool: $0.50
28. Played spin the bottle: $1.00
29. Done something you regret: $3.00

Now add up and post as "I COST $_ _._ _"

To my Dad

Dad,

I really don't know a lot about you growing up. I don't know much about your dad, or your dreams, or hopes. I really don't know a lot about your likes or dislikes. I know little about your time in the military, or how you met mom. I'm not aware of many things that probably make you up.

But I know you tried. I know that your dad was gone a lot. I know that you were the 'man of the house' way younger than you needed to be. I know the Corp was probably around more from a dad point of view than yours was. I know that you loved mom, me and the kids though you didn't really know how to show it much. I know that you were used to adults, and treated us as such even when we were very young-with little patience or tolerance for BS.

I know that you supported me when I joined the Army, telling me the pros and cons. I know that you understood why I came home over Thanksgiving after disobeying a direct not to, hopping a Greyhound, because I needed to see how Mom was and how my wife was hanging in there, living with Mom during her 2nd or third run with cancer. I know that you didn't insult me or my reasons for doing so and calmly told me what the possible consequences were if I didn't go back. I know that you didn't question my service even though I got injured and discharged after a year.

I know that you though that moving out was a better alternative that getting a divorce because some people can't live with their best friend. I know that you taught me how to build stuff, use tools, work on cars when necessary, eat and drink things most people would not, and to appreciate that not everyone's upbringing is where they are forever. I know you pushed me always to do well in school. I know that you worked....a lot......to make sure that we had at least the basics. I know that moving around the country and state was for good intentions even if it didn't always work out, and hey, who can say they've cross country caravaned in a big yellow School Bus?

I know that you love us in your own way. I see it when you look at your granddaughters, when you get cards in the mail from them, and when they say 'Grandpa!'. I know that you are older now, more pensive, and I know that you cried when Mom died-I was there and didn't cry for you. You showed by example the way to do, and not do things some things.

Thanks, Dad.


Happy Father's Day

As a Parent, I couldn't have done any better myself.

My wife asst. manages a movie theater and sees this all the time. Here is a letter from elsewhere on the internet that sums up so much of what I say to her when she describes the days crop of parents of the year:

Dear Dad With a Doo Rag and Mother With a Halter Top and a Belly Piercing,

You may or may not recognize me: I was present at the same screening of Hostel: Part II that you and your family attended last night. I send you this letter in the hopes that you will forward it to all those who share a similar parenting style as you, in the hopes that my request be heard by as many pairs of ears as humanly possible.

I wish to address you concerning a matter of seemingly-negligible importance. Many people – including, I am sure, the both of you – might consider my complaint unnecessary, or simply selfish. Yet in the interest of decency and for the sake of your offspring, I must humbly make one simple suggestion, which you are free to take heed to or ignore at your leisure. The suggestion is this:

Stop bringing your fucking kids to horror movies.

It’d be one thing if they were twelve or thirteen. While the majority of children at that age are, indeed, douchebags, they at the very least understand what they are seeing, will only verbally react to certain parts of the film, and they are easily controllable by any parent with half a brain and a desire for silence.

Not so with your children, sir and madam. It appears that, in your infinite parenting wisdom, you saw fit to bring two kids – an approximately four year old boy and 1 year old girl – into the particular screening of Hostel: Part II I was present for.

Now before you start, I’m sure you had a reason for bringing your underaged children into a film that, essentially, equates to torture porn: I’m sure that you couldn’t find a babysitter, and you hadn’t been out together in a long time, and it was a matter of absolute necessity that you bring your young, impressionable children into the most violent film of the year.

Oh, wait – my mistake, sorry. I forgot that this screening took place on a Monday, at 8 PM in the evening. It appears that I was mistaken: not only do you not have a legitimate excuse for bringing your children to the theatre, but I’m going to venture a guess and call you a couple of selfish fucking idiots. What in God’s name made you think that bringing your two infants into a horror film was a good idea?

Ignoring the parental implications of such a choice for just a moment, let’s look at how incredibly inconsiderate it was for you to bring these two kids into the film. Firstly, the theater was dark, which means that the one-year-old was constantly crying and frightened at the flashing lights and sudden moments of darkness in the theater. This confusion, coupled with the many loud noises and tortuous screams of pain from the film’s soundtrack, prompted your children to cry and moan, repeatedly and loudly, throughout the film’s entire running time. My attempts to insert footage of actress Vera Jordanova into my mental spank bank for future reference were constantly thwarted by your child’s frequent sobs and shouts; as a result, I have, at best, three seconds of Jordanova in said bank. And they aren’t even from the scene where she’s in a bikini.

But far more irritating than my own inability to pay a great amount of attention to the plot (thankfully, Hostel: Part II doesn’t exactly have, well, any plot to speak of) was the knowledge that you, as parents, are failing your children. Not only did you decide that a fun night out for you two adults was more important than your children getting a good night’s sleep, but you also figured that you couldn’t possibly leave them in someone else’s care. You couldn’t possibly have found any other way to have a night at the movies other than abducting your children and forcing them to accompany you into a film that, for all intents and purposes, really should have been rated NC-17. Not only does it speak to your negligence as a parental figure, but also your selfishness as a human being: you honestly value your own entertainment over the health and possible mental well being of your offspring? How dare you have children in the first place?

I’m no child psychologist, but I’ve befriended one or two in my time. They’ve told me that the early years of a child’s development (say, the exact period your children are now living through) are the most important, because they learn the most and assess their environment. If it is seen to be calm, safe, and benign, the child works on developing social and intellectual skills. If the environment seems erratic or dangerous, the child develops survival skills, which can lead to sociopathy and violence. I therefore pose this question to you:

Do you think that an extremely violent horror film , full of castrations, decapitations, and copious nudity, represents a safe environment to a developing child, or a dangerous environment?

Again, I’m no child psychologist, and I’m sure that, had we had this conversation in person, you would currently be pulling out the “don’t tell me how to raise my child, this came from my womb and not yours” argument as if this were some bulletproof trump card that makes you immune from criticism, but it has to be said: you’re shitty parents, you’re shitty moviegoers, and you’re shitty human beings. Either give up your kids to someone who can properly take care for them, hire a damned babysitter every once in a while, or just don’t go to the movies.

Once more, please don’t hesitate to forward this message to every other idiotic, selfish, immature pair of moron parents who find it necessary to bring their toddlers along to the latest R-rated cinema bloodbath.

Sincerely,

Anthony Burch

P.S.

Oh, and did you have to be minorities? As a minority myself, I find it irritating that your blatant lack of intelligence perpetuates old stereotypes regarding the way brown people are said to act in movie theaters. Let it be known that I’ve talked it over with the other minorities, and we have come to the conclusion that you are no longer welcome at the meetings anymore.

USS NorthSea-To boldly go....

These are the voyages of the USS Northsea, a Starfleet vessel in the Gamma Quadrant. It was a group in Yahoo! that I was in for awhile that eventually disbanded and has faded away. I was Aneurin Rysk, the security officer, that jumped into the middle of this mission (which was acceptable since we were all on ship until we went planet side). Its rough, its disjointed, but im really sorry that they dropped the group due to lack of interest of all parties and fewer and fewer posts.


I started from where I jumped in-the archives are still out there i think, if you wanted to read them. We were attached to Bravofleet, which has a main website now to coordinate things. Looking over some of my old posts I think maybe Ill join back up for Academy!

Im such a dork. Anyway, without further adieu:

//USS Northsea//

<>

Glancing over the outcome of the prior evenings conversation

transcripts from home,

Aneurin felt spacey-which was an unforgivable pun on a current

situation. Briefings indicated that an

attempt was being made to go through a wormhole. Nothing further from

SF, and Commander Maxwell wasn't exactly being open lipped

on the matter. " Out of my league, ..." muttered Aneurin with a sigh,

" ... besides, I’ve got other things to

worry about."

Looking over his PADD he zeroed in on a particular exchange that took

place with his wife and new daughter. Rowen mostly blew spit bubbles

and stuck her finger up her nose, but for a three week old that was

definite progress. No, Colette's concern was this mission. Being married

for 5 years hadnt yet removed that intangible quality of newness from

their marriage, and consequently, the conversation two step that

inevitably

became part of their hallmark to their children.

[Colette] " ...but you know that your daughter barley

knows you yet, and your 4 year old

son missed out on a year and a half of you while you were

playing Starfleet Cadet,

before that it was Earth Security for..."

[Aneurin, interjecting] " Dont EVER imply that what I was

doing wasn’t for the better of all of us!

I can't help the fact that I got hurt, and I can't change

the fact that I need to do something bigger than me or you.

Can't you see that I need to be a part of something? Thats

why I joined Starfleet!"

[C] " You are a part of something...."

Rubbing his temples, Aneurin heaved a sigh. Maybe this wormhole

wouldnt be so bad. SF indemnity insurance wasn't so bad, was it? There

was a disability pension

from Earthforce, and at least he'd leave a legacy behind for his

children of " daddy was on a starship that did some neat things...".

A pipe would make this better....a 27 year old with a pipe. That was a

contradiction! Aneurin could remember meeting his wife while at the

Academy smoking a pipe and

changing some notation on a 20th century guitar riff. " Stairway to

Heaven" even. Puffing contentedly and strumming absently while

watching her across the quad.

She was the sister of some underclassman that eventually washed out

during a trial. Aneurin thought that this might be part of why Colette

disliked his service

so much. He had already been injured , and told that at 22 he would be

more like 62 in a few years. Although StarFleet medical said that they

could fix his nerve damage

and stop the spasms in his back, he declined. What better reminder to

always double check his gear?

*Beeping of quarters door* Lt. Belar

" Lt. Rysk, you've drawn duty tonight. Report in 1 hour for your watch

rounds responsibilities on this ship. Do you have your quarters

squared away?"

" Aye, Lt. 1930 hrs. Duty. Gotcha!"

" 15 minutes early is on time, Lt. Rysk. See you on * Location of

Security Deck*. "

" Aye, Ma'am". * Comm beeps* Still at attention, like an ensign, Rysk

glances over his quarters.....So much for that flask of liquid that

Nek had given him.

Losing a dice hand and winning this as a good will gesture? Still a

winner in Rysk's book. But that would have to wait. Rysk looked for

his duty boots and

pinned his insignia on. Off to Security.