| July 11, 2003 The female mind --I’ve had yet another insightful journey into the mind of the female homo-sapien species (yes I’m audaciously confident in my current knowledge and understanding of women, I know that already. But you must give me some credit, my track record of avoidance and caution speaks for itself). Anyways.....so I’m walking to the elevator at work this morning and three of my female co-workers, ages 24, 26, 31 appx., are chatting. One of them is a very beautiful blond (most guys would consider her “very hot” [although I’m wondering what she looks like without the make-up? {Note to guys: The girls that still look attractive without any or very little make up are the true physical beauties. Anyone can paint their faces, but few have that natural beauty which somehow emanates from within also. Weird stuff}]) Back to my story... So they’re chatting while I’m waiting for the elevator. I have no idea what they’re talking about. The very pretty girl (the other girls necessarily aren’t not pretty, but aren’t on the same tier as the blond girl) leaves and the other two girls get in the elevator with me. When we let out on the first floor, we set out on the same path for a little. I can hear them talking in front of me. The one says to the other, referring to the hot girl, “She’s insanely pretty.” The other girl replied, “Yeah I know....” I didn’t get the rest after that but I got the gist of their conversation. Now I don’t remember if “insanely” was the exact word the first girl used, but it was something to that effect. Either way, it was a word to jealously/enviously/”I wish I was as pretty as her”-ly describe the blonde girl’s attractiveness. It was like these two girls were holding it against the blonde girl for being so pretty. Anyways, this provided some insight into how the female mind works, well at least in contrast to the male. Guys are aware of their fellow males’ attractiveness too. No, it’s not like we’re (well I guess some) are attracted to other guys, but we’re not stupid and we realize Brad Pitt would probably get more dates than Bill Gates. This is similar to how girls realize the politics of physical appearance as indicated by my aforementioned frivolous story above. But that’s where the similarities end I believe. You see, guys don’t really “hold it against” another guy for being more attractive than them. It’s the result of being a more attractive male that irks us. Like we’re more jealous/envious/”I wish I was as handsome as him” of Brad Pitt because he gets to date (notice I didn’t use a 4-letter explicative) supermodels and hot girls than we are because he’s a handsome male. Girls on the other hand, I believe, are irked more at the fact that another girl is prettier than them and not because of the results of that beauty (dating handsome guys, getting perks, etc.). You may think guys are jealous and envious at those guys in the Calvin Klein underwear ads or the Bowflex commercials (and we are to some extent), but we’re more invidious (sounds like “video games”, that’s how you remember that one) because that guy in the Calvin Klein ad gets the hot chick standing next to him (statistically that’s how the social relational climate works). On the other hand, I think a girl sees a Victoria Secret commercial and resents the fact that Tyra Banks can have a waist that small, a chest that big, and still be a real human being instead of begrudging her for being married to so-and-so. Which brings me back to my story about my co-workers’ comments. I think my theory of the difference between guys and girls and their covetous nature was proved a little truer. Now of course both sexes posses both forms of jealousy (most girls want to look like Heidi Klum and be married to some handsome man just as most guys want to married to some hot chick and look like Tom Cruise), but I think the disparity between those jealousies is greater than most people think. Girls want to look good and guys want to be with a girl that looks good. I want to disclaim that this theory is a pure generalization of the male and female psyche and that I’m sure that individuals do exist that do not fit this mold entirely. I’m just saying I think it’s the inherit human nature to fit these stereotypes of covetness. And so I’ll leave it at that. I do not condone these forms of jealousy in any way, but I do acknowledge they exist. And I doubt you’d deny they exist also. In fact, we’ve all had them in some shape or form. The purpose of this random thought is to be exactly that, a random thought that crossed my mind today in an experience I had in the game of life. But I’ve yet to find truer words said concerning women and physical beauty than these... "I never met a dame that didn't know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they got. . ." -Stanley Kowalski, played by Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) July 9, 2003 Yo-ho-ho a pirates life for me!!! --Pirates of the Caribbean from Disney comes out today and I couldn’t be more excited than a pickle destined for Blimpie’s. This is one of those films that recounts childhood dreams of sailing the high seas of the Caribbean, plundering towns and merchant ships, searching for lost treasure, and claiming an attractive young lass for your own (childhood dreams?). It seems Disney made this pirate flick right, and it’s no wonder with the wonderful cast and Jerry Bruckheimer leading the helm. Johnny Depp leads the eclectic acting with a supposedly wonderfully entertaining display. Legolas Greenleaf, whom some like to call Orlando Bloom, plays the wide-eyed apprentice ready for some adventure. Keira Knightly plays the...... mmmm.....Keira Knightly...... Um what was I saying? Oh yeah, this movie should be a great summer diversion. Who knows, maybe it will give me motivation to change careers. Official page (tons of cool stuff and multimedia) Check out my Pirates of the Carribbean picture fan page Check out some reviews of the film: MSNBC review CNN review USAToday review July 8, 2003 Built for love --It’s obvious that my car was made for love. This picture only further declares its amorous appeal. I’m sorry Rikku for having failed your purpose. I’m sorry I’ve turned you into my own selfish fun vehicle instead of sharing you with a young lass in the passenger Recaro. The empty Recaro...or is it... A brave new world for Keith. July 8, 2003 EbbWorld moves forward --Yes, I’m not dead, and no I did not join the Peoples for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization. I’ve just been busy lately. But rest assured, my mind hasn’t stop working, it never does to my disdain. I always have articles and stories a brewin up in my head. I’ve added some articles I’ve written in the past couple of days. July 8, 2003 Sometimes I want to enter GSF (Girls Shmirls Foundation) --There are two types of “attractive” guys to girls. “Guys that would make a great husband/father” and “Guys that would make a great boyfriend”. Somehow a lot of girls have no ability to mesh the two together (Guys are a whole other story of superficiality which we won’t get into). If you’re considered a “would make a great husband/father” guy, your invariably tossed into the “um no thanks, I have plans Friday night” response crowd. It’s possible, but rare, that a “would make a great boyfriend” guy can be associated also with “would make a great husband/father”. But characteristics that define a “would make a great boyfriend” guy like being driven, confident, makes me laugh, handsome, etc. (oh you look at any “what makes a good boyfriend poll?” and you’ll see I’m right on target) don’t correlate with “would make a great husband/father” characteristics like trustworthy, caring, sensitive, wise, etc. Oh yes of course these things aren’t said, but they’re thought, if only subconsciously. So girls, being the insecure ones they are in thinking that life somehow sucks or is less fulfilling if you don’t have a man by your side, group whom they deem “attractive” in these two categories. Unfortunately it’s been my observation, that even though they have the ability to distinguish between these categories of “attractiveness” (notice physical appearance is only a footnote in a woman’s attraction to a guy. polar opposite compared to a guy’s, well most guys’, attraction to a girl) these girls for the reason of social insecurity, neglect the patience that comes with the possibility of being blessed with a depthful and meaningful relationship. They neglect that patience and settle for the superficial guys, the ones that “would make a great boyfriend”. And sure, they probably have their fun with their boy toy, satisfying their social, cultural, and sometimes unfortunately their religious quotas. But when the time comes when they're older, sitting on their porch, when beauty has been replaced with wrinkles, thinking about days long since past; well I think at that moment, a feeling of dread will pass over them. They will realize that their youth was wasted on fulfilling social pressures, believing the lies that they needed to be in a relationship and/or married to be happy, and was far less fulfilling than it could’ve been. They will realize that it wasn’t a guy that was the answer to their insecurity, but it was patience that would’ve satisfied their every need and desire. July 8, 2003 Yeah, sure Osama “This economic hemorrhaging continues until today, but requires more blows. And the youth should try to find the joints of the American economy and hit the enemy in these joints, with God's permission.” -Osama Bin Laden Just one of the many statements made by our resident crackpot somewhere on this big sphere. Let’s get one thing straight here Osama, and any other man/woman that thinks he or she is more than a damned, fallen, utterly sinful being in need of some Jesus induced grace, God does not condone sin. Never has and never will (if you find yourself talking to a god that does, has, or will condone any form of sin you better check yourself to see if you brain is still working). He has never given permission for any man to sin, does not today, and never will tomorrow. He hates sin more than I hate the New Jersey Devils (pun intended) Sin is what separates us from God, so why would a God that loves his children more than we could hope to image want to create more of a gulf between us? I’m not that stupid and ignorant Osama so lay off the God gives us permission. The more truthful statement would be the Devil made me do it....literally. July 7, 2003 Biblical archeology --Sometimes I wish I was like Indiana Jones and I discovered things like this. I mean this is right out of the Raiders of the Lost Ark, with the timing of the light and everything. My favorite part is that supposed reference to Simon, the first person to recognize Jesus for who he was.....Creator, Orchestrator, and Lover. Update on the “Jesus Box” Turns out the James ossuary box may still be authentic. There has been some substantial debates in the academic community concerning its authenticity ever since the ISA announced the inscription was a modern forgery. This article brings up some good points. July 1, 2003 Perplexed and origins of aversion --I find it ironic that the same week the Supreme Court said the government can’t regulate who you have sex with in the privacy of your own home, the Alabama High Court ruled the display of the Ten Commandments statue in front of the state courthouse as unconstitutional. Not siding with either side, just saying it’s almost comical the opposite spectrum that these two sides display. Basically what it comes down to is one side believes in the God of the Bible and the other side doesn’t (well I guess the Jews would only believe in the God of the Old Testament and not the one of the new, but that’s a whole other story). Simple differentiation huh? Unfortunately, the “anti-God of the Bible” camps are unconsciously proponents of the “god of myself” religion (adding converts by the millions everyday I might add). So unfortunately the government is unknowingly enforcing and promoting the GOM religion over any other, a direct contradiction to the Constitution. And isn’t that what religion is folks? Just a set of beliefs you live by? Well some people say that there is a God and they live by the standards He sets in his word to the world called the Bible. Some people say there is a god, themselves, and they live by the standards they set inside themselves by themselves. Any difference here people? Just two sets of beliefs people live by, seems like religion in both cases to me. Here’s the anthropological conundrum though. I think we need to ask ourselves, in light of recent events, where did our society’s majority (well seemingly minority now) aversion to homosexuality begin? If we find the origin, maybe we can solve the problem of whether the homosexuality is morally right or morally wrong, absolutely....more to come June 30, 2003 Don’t kill the kittens, please --Sorry I couldn’t resist posting this picture. I frequent internet newsgroups as I’m sure some of you do too. I’m mostly active in car and video game newsgroups. Anyways, sometimes newbies (people that are new to a particular newsgroup) will come in and ask a question that’s been asked like 5 billion times already. If you do that, you get a picture like this. I’ll post some others as I find them. But please, do it for the kittens... June 27, 2003 The King has returned! --This gets me giddy like teenage school girl that just learned Bobby Newton likes her. Check out the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’s first teaser poster!!! Due out December 17, 2003, this final chapter of this saga is the best. From Frodo of the Nine Fingers to Aragorn’s black ships, I guarantee Peter Jackson will finish this great story with a cinematic bang. Teaser poster Teaser desktop wallpaper June 27, 2003 The Outsiders --Ever since Taylor Steele (props to Bruce Brown’s pioneering effort in The Endless Summer) revolutionized the surf video industry we've had a plethora of good offerings from our stoked buddies anywhere near waves. One such organization Walking on Water, takes Steele’s entertaining template and churns out a high production, high-quality surf video and adds their own little twist in the form of a bloke named Jesus. The Outsiders follows a bunch of Christian professional surfers to breaks around the world showing us radical maneuvers, sic aerials, and a positive message of hope. Not as much a “Bible head thumping” endeavor as it is a informational message. These guys just talk about how Jesus has changed their lives and given them 24-7 joy, and how he can change yours too. The decision is left up to the viewer. No arm twisting, no persuasion, just awesome surf footage, an awesome soundtrack, and some chill brahs talkin about life. And don’t let the “Jesus thing” turn you away if you’re not into that. Any surfer anywhere can appreciate the sheer beauty the locales, the surfing, and the waves exhibit in this video. Watch at least for the surfing. Heck, turn off the volume if you want. But I have a feeling there’s something about this Jesus guy that you’ll find inviting. This group of talented surfers, fun lovin individuals, and passionate about life persons will have you second guessing that whole “boring Christians” theorem. By the way, this movie was the highlight on my week. God is faithful and is one chill brah. “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.” -Job 9:8 June 25, 2003 Randomosity · I was gonna write a big thingy on the whole Affirmative Action stuff going on in the Supreme Court as of late, but I’ve decided against it. There’s too much emotional bias on either side of the fence. Want me to prove it? Imagine an America in which the African American race is the overwhelming majority in terms of population. The Caucasian race is a minority. One day in this fictional world, a black man applies for a job at a company owned by a white man. The black man is fully qualified for the position and exhibits high testing marks. A white man also applies for the same job. The white man is under qualified for the position and exhibits lower testing scores than the black applicant. The white man owner rejects hiring the black man and hires the white man. .....”That’s racist!”, you say. I rest my case in terms of this being an “emotional” issue. We are a country of a not-so-honored past in terms of civil rights. These emotions are still very hot. That’s all I’m saying. Last I heard, it was most fair to treat a person not by the color of their skin (aka race/exterior/can’t control), but by the content of their character (aka person/interior/can control). · Wednesdays really suck. I think it’s my new least favorite day of the week. Not only are you stuck in No Man’s Land concerning the weekend, but it alwasy seems to be one of the busiest days of the week. It’s the one you got the most going on but with the least motivation to do them. Boo Wednesday! And who came up with these names? The Greeks? The Romans? · My peer society greatly distresses me. This week has been especially depressing. Why does the spiral into moral recession have to continue? Can’t we bounce back sometimes, sort of like the financial markets do? I mean yeah sure, they’re might be some bad times here and there, but it always bounces back....right? Morality and finances just aren’t on the same page according to the cosmos. Sigh. · My sister’s family is coming to visit this next week. I’m looking forward to that and especially some good video gaming time with my three nephews. They give me a respect I don’t find in my peers. Maybe it’s because I show them gaming “miracles and wonders”. I can’t show those to my peers. The “miracles and wonders” I tell my peers about are long term investments, and what 18-25 year old wants to wait for anything? I’m preaching to the choir. Well at least there’s always Uncle Keify’s Arcade to kill time in. June 24, 2003 Busy --Just wanted to disclaim that I’ve been very busy as of late. It’s mainly because I have three major “projects” going on this summer. The first priority, which I seem to forget sometimes, is my studying for my Microsoft certification. I need to get that out of the way not only for my job, but for some extra cash. My second major project is my car’s restoration and my other car’s parting out. Stuff like this takes many man hours and I can’t keep that car in my brother’s garage for eternity. My third current semi-project is my beta testing for Final Fantasy XI. Well it’s more an addiction I’m getting on which is probably not a good thing. I have various other side-projects like selling and restoring some of my arcades, which has seemed to be put on the backburner. The problem with being busy like this is there’s just not enough time in the day to get to them all. By the time I get home from work M-F, it’s about 6:15pm. I eat dinner and chill out for about a half hour after that. By the time I’m settled home it’s close to 7:30 which gives me about one project to tackle that night. Then there’s the whole “friend” thing. If I hang out with people during a weeknight, I get nothing done. And I don’t want to turn any more into the social hermit that I am. Or maybe I do cause I don’t really find many social activities fulfilling anymore (did I ever?). I could just do everything, or try to, in one night like I tried last night. But going to bed last night at 5am wasn’t the best idea. But I just had to get my character to level 8 in Final Fantasy XI! This morning was a blur. I wasn’t sure if my buzzing alarm clock meant I was supposed to get up for work, or that I was supposed to hit it with a baseball bat so I could go back to sleep. This random thought didn’t have much purpose, so I guess it fulfilled its role as a random thought. June 24, 2003 Another benefit to tea-time --I’m not much of a tea drinker, although I do like it, but I just love it how people of old who regarded tea as evil and harmful to the body are continually made to look like idiots with news like this. The question is though, who’s more idiotic, the idiot, or the ones that follow him/her? Here’s the CNN article. Ah, I love my freedom in Christ and him alone. Footprints in the sand... One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me. "The Lord replied, "My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I Carried You." -author unknown June 22, 2003 Petra rocks on! --Just was listening to some old Petra tunes (one of the best Christian rock bands throughout the 80’s and early 90’s). I highly recommend getting some of their music. This particular song strikes such an awesome chord in my soul. The lyrics are powerful, yet beneath the pain and suffering longs a lover with a voice inviting like a mother’s to her newborn. Download the song or I can send it to you. Great 80’s music. Love endures brothers and sisters! “In the heat of early morning on a hill they call the Skull The roaring of the angry mob had settled to a lull All eyes were cast upon the man whose hands and feet were bound They saw him cry in anguish when they heard the hammer pound They saw the bloody woven thorns with which his head was crowned They watched the bloody cross of wood be dropped into the ground The soldiers gambled for his clothes, they watched them win and lose They saw the sign above his head that said "King of the Jews" (It is finished) And the sky grew black as the night (It is finished) And the people scattered in fright The work had been done, redemption had been won The war was over without a fight It is finished They searched his face for anger for vengeance in his stare Instead of eyes that burned with hate a look of love was there He prayed for their forgiveness and bowed his battered head And no one knew the meaning of the final words he said It is finished, the provision has been made It is finished, the foundation has been laid He paid the ransom due and tore the temple veil in two And opened up the way for me and you” -“It is Finished”, Petra, 1984 June 20, 2003 Innocence lost, yet again --I recently found out why girls get tongue rings... I cried when I found out. Not for one specific person, but mostly I guess for the thought that the situation has gotten so bad for girls. That loveless insecurity has so dominated the female species, especially the youth (well I see it most in my peers and younger that’s all. I’m sure it’s prevalent in all ages). It depresses my unlike anything else, the romantic insecurities of my peers. I guess I feel a little ashamed that it took me so long to figure this out; to put the pieces of the Sexual Revolution’s puzzle together (tongue rings obviously aren’t for show naive Keith). My shame is unwarranted of course; a pure, untarnished mind is more desirable than gold. I seem to follow this path of naiveté though. I didn’t even learn how babies were made till I was 16. When my fellow eighth graders were all laughing when kids would put their finger through a loop they made with their other hand in jest of intercourse, I had no idea what was going on. I envy my old skool innocence and I long for it back. The issue for me isn’t tongue rings though. The issue for me is every day learning how much deeper Satan has pervaded my world with his lies. I’m 23, almost 23 and half, when I learned why girls get their tongues pierced. I don’t know if I’ll ever look at a girl with their tongues pierced the same. Not that I’ll look down on them, but I won’t be able to hold back the dread that accompanies meeting a girl that just wants to be loved but finds its falsely in all the wrong places. I wonder why I seem to be the last guy to “find out” things. I seemed behind on the wonder of it all when I had no desire to look at the Playboy issue my teammates were passing around one time on my football team in seventh grade. People looked at me weird when I tell them my first date was my senior prom. Well then, I ask myself why I’m so affected personally and emotionally by things like this with so little “experience” with girls. Is it that I’ve yet to be jaded by the seemingly reality of the unobtainable “true love”? I’ve yet to accept the fact that the “magical” wedding night is just that, a fairly tale? I lose a chunk of innocence, of mental purity, ever day that goes by. I’m inundated with lies, refuse, and false loves everywhere, 24-7. Lord knows, and he does, the Internet has exponentially expedited my fall downward into mental sexual promiscuity throughout my young adult years. I cannot escape my society, my peer culture. I cannot defeat my spiral into sexual jadedness, I can only hope to contain and reduce its influence. People sometimes wonder, people that don’t think very often about life, love, and why, they wonder why I’m hesitant to have children (marriage is another hesitation story altogether). Read my previous paragraphs and you should see why I’m wary of putting a child through a society that in the future will fight harder, longer, and more persistent to drag my son or daughter into utter doom and damnation. Satan doesn’t rest folks; time only motivates him to bring as many souls down before the End. And he’ll uses whatever tools necessary be it sex, drugs, or rock n roll. I’ve managed to get through 23 years of my life oblivious to the intentions of girls with tongue rings, now I have to live through my statistically final 52 years with the unsettling knowledge that they get them just because they want to be “loved”. They don’t care if the guy actually loves them; they just want him to at least act like he does. That screenplay that my peers go through destroys me. I’m not looking forward to those final years for reasons like that. But for some reason God still has me here “fighting for freedom, deliverance, holiness....just to keep my Savior’s name”.........sigh... “We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” -2 Corinthians 6:3-10 June 13, 2003 Random • I bet people look at me and wonder why I’m spending 20¢/gal more than them because I put 91 octane gasoline in my car. That equates to about $2.40 more per fill up for me considering my appx. 12.2 gal tank. That means I spend about $112/year more than the average “normal” person who puts 87 octane sludge, er I mean gasoline, into their cars. They say to me in their heads, “Hey buddy why are you spending so much more money than me by putting that gas into your 30 year old car? Haha, sucker.” When they think that, I think of a case to refute them on. “Like you said, my 30 year old car.” Case closed. • I had a case of DDF this morning. For all of you non-punk rawkers, DDF, or Distance Distortion Factor, refers to the natural phenomenon that occurs in males when they see a seemingly hot chick from far away, but when the girl gets closer they realize they were gravely mistaken. It happened to me this morning sort of. I saw a hot chick, from far away, and tried to get closer to see her. Unfortunately I don’t know if I suffered from a case of DDF because I never got close enough to see the real her, but the song “DDF”, by The Cootees, went through my head. • On the subject of hot girls, ain’t it funny the methods guys use to get a glimpse of a hot girl? Just this morning I saw a guy that totally went out of his Metro walk way in order to follow two hot girls from behind (pun intended, because ladies, if a guy is following you, chances are he’s following your butt {your tight butt covering materials don’t help either, and don’t tell me they’re comfortable cause I know you’re lying and you just want the visual attention cause that’s how girls are....most of them at least}) Do I do these things? I guess I do. • It’s also funny that married guys, even though they think about these things, can’t talk about these things. Well at least around their wife or on their personal website. Gosh, now I realize why all young married guys want their fellow young un-married guys to get married. Slavery/misery loves company. Just kidding....sort of....because there’s a lot of unsaid truth to that, I see it all too often. My advice to guys? Only fools rush in, and you’ll never regret waiting whereas I guarantee you’ll regret rushing. Life’s too short to occupy you’re youth/young adulthood in the confines of marriage or a serious relationship. Live, be free, help people, be available, and have fun without having to look over your shoulder or having to “check in” all the time. Don’t buy into the social lie that “you need a serious relationship/marriage”. I won’t even get into how having kids restricts your freedom by about 7/3’s. ....Well, maybe I’m speaking too fast. No doubt I desire a relationship, but I realize I don’t need one, that’s all I’m sayin. • Looks like I’m gonna be watching the Stargate SG-1 Season 7 premeire tonight on Sci-Fi Channel at 9pmET alone. Sigh.... Reminds me of a poem I wrote My DVD’s There they sit, in all their glory. Discs of wonderment, with great and grand a story. Fantastical vistas and immersive sounds, endless fantasies, knowing no bounds. Like a pillar of greatness, like a ziggurat of power they stand; the adventures of a lifetime, initiated by my human hand. Digital video discs, the name they bare, hours of entertainment, not a moment to spare. Subwoofers emitting pulses, pictures crisp and clear, neverending joy for anyone who's near. So I sit here now, in my abode so nice, surround sound and all, turn the volume up, not once but thrice. Yet I am alone, in my technological hide, wishing I could watch, with someone by my side. June 12, 2003 Transformers, more than meets the eye! --This news is almost too good to be true. Apparently, Hasbro Properties Group is in talks to make a live-action Transformers movie!!! IGN.com has the article here. Oh man, think of the possibilities, the adventures, and the robot action!!! Oh this is a 80’s kid’s dream come true. Thank you Santa Information Age! Thank you Japanese people for drawing cartoons so well! I hope this project gets a green light. There’s been a dearth of quality movies ever since LOTR 1,2, and 3 came out. June 12, 2003 Surfing 2.5 billion years ago --Biological evolutionists get discombobulated sometimes. It’s appears mostly in their writings and research findings. Lots of times they get their facts and theories confused and sometimes the two mix together half-hazardly to form a seemingly indistinguishable melting pot of faulty science. Take for example a recent CNN article reporting on recent findings concerning the Earth’s ancient oceans and their lack off life-supporting oxygen below the shallow surface for about 2 billion years. CNN, acting only as pawns no doubt, posted the article with much theory and fact thrown in there without delineation between the two. Unfortunately though, the general public seems to have little ability to sift between what is fact and what is fiction. When the article says things like “biological evolution”, the general public automatically believes it to be fact. I mean how could revered scientists quote anything but truth? Well it’s not their intent to portray lies as truth I’m sure, but they do fail to acknowledge untestable, improvable theoretical conjecture as merely just that. Theories of biological evolution (remember, the word “evolution” itself isn’t wrong. We observe many things “evolve” over time within our world. Our skills at riding a bicycle change with respect to time. Michael Jackson’s plummet from super star to super loser changes with respect to time. Heck, there’s even a Mitsubishi car called the “Evolution”. Point is the evolution of things happen every day around us. I’m picking a fight with the theory of biological evolution with ideas like humans evolved from apes etc.) have existed for a 150 years now, yet scientists can’t even simulate the faintest resemblance of biological evolution within a species even in the most sophisticated lab environments in the whole world! And they’re expecting it to happen (and at a rapid rate far too fast {millions of years} than could even be theoretical possible to even suggest of a form of biological evolution of any sort {statistical scientists put the theory of biological evolution at time periods ranging in the hundreds of trillion years to be considered viable. Considering the universe itself is only 4.2 billion years old, there’s just isn’t enough time for evolution to work its mojo on a time scale level}) in a chaotic mess of an environment during primordial Earth??? Come on CNN, we ain’t that gullible in your ultimately atheistic religion called no-God science. The point I’m trying to make is be careful in what you read. Although it may seem all factual, make sure you test things before believing, because you could be believing a lie. Biological evolution has not been proven and continues to fall flat in the face of advanced genetic, biological, marine, astronomical, etc. research. I thought I’d help you out by distinguishing between fact and theory told in this article. Hope it helps. FACT: “What it tells us is, not only was the oxygen level in the ocean a good deal lower than it is today, it was maybe only a few percent of modern levels," said biologist Andrew Knoll FACT: Oxygen is fairly evenly distributed in modern oceans, even at great depths, allowing sea life to flourish even thousands of feet below the surface. FACT: Knoll and Harvard colleague Yanan Shen determined the ancient oxygen levels not by looking in today's oceans, but by comparing iron and sulfur concentrations in terrestrial rock samples FACT: The cores, about 1.5 billion years old, were taken from the remote Roper River basin in the Northern Territory of Australia. FACT: The rock samples indicated the relative levels of oxygen needed to interact with iron and sulfur to form different chemical compounds at various depths in ancient seas FACT: "Until now, there has been no concrete evidence for the existence of two chemically distinct water masses," THEORY based on fact: Scientists believe there was a major increase in oxygen levels beginning about 2.4 billion years ago, followed by a long stretch called the Proterozoic era before oxygen levels started to rise again roughly 800 million years ago. FACT: That increase occurred just before the emergence of large animals and the explosion of great numbers of different species of all sizes. (also known as the Pre-Cambrian explosion) THEORY: The Harvard study adds evidence to support the evolutionary time frame because it also estimated the sulfur concentration in the ocean -- an important indicator of atmospheric oxygen vital to the evolution of modern plant and animal life. THEORY: The uneven oxygen levels in the two-layer oceans for nearly 2 billion years -- almost half the 4.5 billion year age of the Earth, "might have put some very strong brakes on evolution," Knoll said. THEORY: David Des Marais, a geochemist at NASA's Ames Research Center, said the study will help test theories about how ocean chemistry affected evolution. "The hypothesis that oxygen levels had a lot to do a lot with the timing of the rise of plants and animals is just that, a hypothesis," Des Marais said. FACT: "But this gives us a handle on another approach to explore the levels of oxygen and how it might translate to biological events. That's where we want to go eventually." Unfortunately, I don’t think they’re going to find what they’re looking for. Anyways, read the article for knowledge sake. I find the one statement of fact “That increase occurred just before the emergence of large animals and the explosion of great numbers of different species of all sizes.” especially interesting. “And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning-the fifth day. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” -Genesis 1:20-25 Brings new meaning to the scientific accuracy of Genesis when you realize the Hebrew meaning of the word “day” also can mean “epoch, a particular period of history, especially one considered remarkable or noteworthy” huh? In light of scientific discovery, the same science God created, I think we know the meaning the author was intending. My monkey has a blue hat. June 11, 2003 Daughters need their dads --USAToday ran a good article about daughters and fathers, and the need for daughters to have fathers around. Here’s the article link. “Fathers encourage physical risk-taking and high achievements among women, study says.” “Girls who see their fathers often tend to realize that dads have warts, says San Diego psychologist Constance Ahrons, author of The Good Divorce. But a daughter isolated from her father "may idealize him and yearn for tenderness and attention. They're seeking 'the good dad' out there.”” “In research on parenting, dads have been found to play some important roles. For example, fathers do more rough-and-tumble play than mothers and are more likely to encourage physical risk-taking. Also, youngsters with active, involved fathers tend to get higher grades than classmates whose fathers are rarely around.” Of course it doesn’t take a research analyst to see dads are extremely important figures in their daughters lives (yes mom’s are equally important, but it a Father’s Day article thing), but it’s nice to know studies only further confirm the ideal family situation is that of a both a mother and father being around. Let’s just hope they’re good parents. June 10, 2003 More quotations from my current readings "Yet I find it remarkable that this diverse collection of manuscripts written over a period of a millennium by several dozen authors possesses as much unity as it does. To appreciate this feat, imagine a book begun five hundred years before Columbus and just now completed. The Bible's striking unity is one strong sign that God directed it's composition. By using a variety of authors and cultural situations, God developed a complete record of what he wants us to know; amazingly, the parts fit together in such a way that a single story does emerge." -Phillip Yancey, "The Bible Jesus Read" Might I add to "The Bible's striking unity is one strong sign that God directed it's composition.", no other book claiming God-inspiration comes close to these facts of unity, not remotely close. I think that says something about their origins. Make you're own conclusions. Peace. June 10, 2003 Sunglass debacle update --Oh happy day! Turns out I left my sunglasses in the back of my brother’s car on Friday night. Pheww, I was going crazy here trying to find and/or figure out where I had left them. But alls well now. Not that anyone would care about little trivial problems, but thought I’d update myself at least. Now watch it be cloudy and rain the next 5 days. June 10, 2003 Quotes to chew on, and some candy “The truth isn’t what you want it to be, the truth is what it is; it's out there, so go find it.” –me “You don’t get to Heaven by being good. You get to Heaven by being perfect.” –God paraphrased “You don’t get to Hell by being bad. You get to Hell by being human.” -God paraphrased “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” -Dale Hunter “Only fools rush in.” -not sure who said it but how true “The truth hurts, and then it heals.” -anon --Now you’re thinking, “But Keith, about that one quote and Heaven. Well no one is perfect silly; no one ever has been or will ever be perfect. Well except for Jesus, but that’d mean no one will ever get to Heaven. There’s gotta be some loophole around the requirement of perfection to get in, something we can do?” Oh, ah, you’re getting warmer, you’re getting hot. “So to say that only a perfect soul can enter into Heaven.....and no human other than Jesus is, was, will ever be perfect.....and....but hey wait, didn’t God die on a cross in place of us even though he didn’t have to back a few years ago?......so that would make him a “perfect” sacrifice wouldn’t it?....so instead of God seeing our imperfection when we’re being judged after we die.....God only sees Christ’s perfection in our place based on the heart faith we put, or didn’t put in Hell's case, in His grace and only His grace.....and.....gee golly I think I get it now.....it’s all starting to make sense....” DING DING DING! We have a winner! You’ve just answered the million dollar question, the Question of the Cosmos!!! Tell them what they’ve won Burt! “Congratulations contestant #294,234,233,112, you’ve just won the Game of Life! You’re reward is lovely accommodations in the Resort Heaven! While there for eternity, you’ll enjoy such amenities as multi-extra dimensional existence beyond your current measly human understanding of four dimensions. You won’t have to break a sweat either, because the 1st and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics will be null and void at Resort Heaven! No decaying there, for everything as we know it in our universe will be wiped out completely! You’ll also enjoy such favorite pastimes as thinking, worshipping, and communicating without such drawbacks as sin, pain, and pop-up ads!!! And not only will you be living the high life by yourself, but you’ll have perfect fellowship with all you’re other fellow believers in a union infinitely greater than measly human marriages, families, friendships, etc., beyond what our measly human minds could think of or even comprehend! Can’t wait to get there?! Well fret not, because while you’re Resort Heaven entry date is unknown, we can guarantee your spot is reserved, stamped, and sealed into the Book of Life! No purchase, no good works, no church membership, no religion, no act of human ability necessary; your faith is more than enough to secure your spot! Congratulations contestant, the party in Heaven has already begun! Thank for playing the Game of Life” “Gosh, it’s all so easy, even a child could understand to answer to the Question of the Cosmos. Thanks Yeshua” June 9, 2003 Random thoughts post-weekend • Rant#1: What’s the deal here with all this sunshine? I was under the impression that our supposed east coast maritime climate has changed to tropical due to the deluge of liquid water falling from the sky lately, and that items like sunglasses would go the way of the buffalo. Anyways, I haven’t been able to find my sunglasses the past two days and it’s irking me to no end. I’m very sensitive to bright light, and the sun qualifies as very bright light. • Rant#2: I have no more rants to report. • I was a DC fiend this weekend. I was very close to achieving DC freak status had I gone back downtown last night to the Spiritualized show at the 9:30 Club. But I was very tired last night and knew I would not make it into work this morning had I gone. But I did manage to go downtown both Friday and Saturday night. • Speaking of the weekend, I had a good one. On Friday night, I got to take a beautiful girl ¢ downtown and we had a great night (I had lobster for dinner for the first time. It was very good I must admit and tasted more like crab than I thought it would. I’ve also decided “Peanut Butter Cup” Ben and Jerry’s ice cream is the greatest culinary manifestation of all time.) On Sat. night I got to see my best friend Jeff at a show at the 9:30 Club. (He’s acting as tour manage for the band Fairweather while they travel cross-country for two months this summer) Anyways, it was an awesome time. I had so much fun just being there, even though I didn’t know much about the other bands playing. On Sunday, I put my new wheels and tires onto Rikku courtesy of Polaris. Rikku never looked so hot, and she’ll only get prettier as time goes by :) • Me, me, me, me.....today’s random thoughts have been all about me. I’m pretty selfish. • I hope the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (ugg, Disney propaganda) win the Stanley Cup tonight. I can’t stand the NJ Devils and would even want the Washington Capitals to beat the them.......um well maybe not the Caps. • I’ve realized I don’t want to be famous, just influential to a large group of people, preferably my peers and younger. And the old adage is true, it is better to be rich and not famous than to be rich and famous. You just don’t want to find yourself being not rich and famous. Then you’re screwed. If you’re not rich and not famous, but content, you’re all set. If you’re not rich and not famous, and not content, trouble. • Rant#3: I’ve very flustered that I can’t fine my sunglasses. • EbbWorld is in need of a major GIO (Graphical Interface Overhaul) June 6, 2003 Random thoughts for the weekend • Despite MTV’s idiocy, their movie awards show had some very funny parts thanks to the folks involved in the Lord of the Rings movies. If you have a chance to catch one of the show’s reruns, watch it just for the LOTR stuff. The Gollum acceptance video is downright hilarious. • So two boys, like 10 or 11 years old, were walking down the street as I was driving by and yelled, “Cool car man!”, as I passed by. Apparently my car is even cool to the young young crowd too. • I recently found out that I’m an official excommunicated member of the Roman Catholic Church. Woohoo! Well if they think being too in love with Jesus is apostate than let the excommunication continue! Jesus rawks man, he’s all this 23 year old video game nerd needs! (Note: It’s the man-made Catholic doctrines and legalism outside the Bible that I think suck, that’s all.) • Finding Nemo is a hilarious, wonderfully plotted movie that not only succeeds technically, but emotionally also. Kudos once again Pixar, not Disney. • You know when you’re chewing gum or something, and you accidentally bite your lip or tongue and it hurts like a S.O.B. and you feel like such an idiot for doing that to yourself? That’s hasn’t happened to me in a while. • Click Start, then click Settings, then click Control Panel, then goto or double-click Accessibility Options, then click on the Display tab, then check “Use High Contrast”, then click OK. Funky cool huh? Mess around with the settings for even cooler effects. Ah, the greatness of Windows2k. June 4, 2003 Mothers and abortion --Before I say anything, yes I realize I’m a man and not a woman. I realize women are different and are the ones that carry babies, and not men. I realize all this and submit to this fact. There, I got it off my chest (no pun intended). I was reading an article recently on MSNBC.com about some political thing and partial birth abortion procedures (I don’t really know much about it, but here’s the article) and it struck me as odd that this whole “mother’s life in danger” thing is such a big issue, or even an issue at all. I’m gonna try to jump in the shoes of a pregnant woman here (yes its a scary and crazy thought, but bare with me) and try to understand why this is an issue. I’ve mentioned this topic before (heated no doubt) and I guess I wonder why so many women (it’s their choice right?) put their lives ahead of the baby’s inside them life. I picture a gruesome scene, let’s say some terrorists abduct some hostages and a mother and her 18 month year old baby are among them. Then I picture the terrorists making demands to some government or whatever and threatening to kill 1 hostage at a time until the government succumbs to their demands (this is very movie-like I might add). I then picture the terrorist ring-leader approaching the group of “scared to death” hostages and asking which one wants to die first. No one answers understandably, and they just look back at the grisly man in terrified fear. The ring leader walks over to the mother and child and motions for his henchmen to take the 18 month year old baby so it can be “sacrificed”. The mother, still in fear, gladly hands the giggly baby over to be killed. “Pheww”, she says to herself, “glad they didn’t pick me.”..... Something wrong with that story? Ok, let’s make it right. ...I then picture the terrorist ring-leader approaching the group of “scared to death” hostages and asking which one wants to die first. The mother of the baby feverishly waves her free hand (the other hand is being used to hold her baby of course) and grabs the attention of the terrorists. “Here, take my baby!”, she yells...... Am I making you upset yet? Let’s finish the story properly why don’t we. ....I then picture the terrorist ring-leader approaching the group of “scared to death” hostages and asking which one wants to die first. No one answers understandably, and they just look back at the grisly man in terrified fear. The ring leader walks over to the mother and child and motions for his henchmen to take the 18 month year old baby so it can be “sacrificed”. The mother feverishly screams in protest not to take her child. She fights off the grabbing hands with all her will. “No, don’t take my baby!!!”, she screams at the top of her lungs. The henchmen back off from the flying nails. The ring leader approaches the stubborn women. She has fear in her eyes as they meet with his, but composes herself. “Take me, but please, for the love of God, don’t take my baby.” I don’t think I’d even need to finish my random thought here. I’m pretty sure after that little story you get what I’m getting at. I highly doubt, any mother (there may be a few “bad” mothers) on this Earth would not give her life for her child’s, the very same child that gestated in her tummy for 9 months once. What is most perplexing is a mother that wouldn’t give her life for a child in her tummy, giving her child a chance to live! I mean how much closer and intimate can a mother and child come?! I think mothers enjoy nursing their child so much because it’s basically the closest thing you can get to compared to having the actual child in you again. There’s some mother-child intimacy there that we men will never understand. It’s like a bond that nothing in the world could break. Yet I sit here in awe that many women, with their baby being made inside them, seem to have no problem breaking. I mean with an 18 month year old, the mother has faced many difficulties with her child already, not to mention the countless diapers changed, burps induced, and spit-ups cleaned up. You’d think you’d have more a reason (if there could be one justified) for a mother to kill her child after spending some time with it (not to mention a problematic pregnancy) than there would be for a helpless, innocent child inside her. But like I said, you won’t find one mother out there that would put her life ahead of her living child’s. Why is it so hard for women to do it before their child’s born? Could the media/social propaganda machine be so successful that millions of women actually believe the thing forming inside them isn’t their cute little cuddly baby? Could the pressures from their significant other, their families, their society be so immense, they’re willing to terminate their own offspring? Maybe... I’m at a loss though and it’s probably because I’m a man. June 4, 2003 *Car Update --The BMW website I linked to concerning my new car was done by The Great Webmaster, who happens to be my blood brother, John. I failed to recognize his hasty achievement yesterday and am remedying the error now. Well done chap. Here’s the link for all of you who missed yesterday’s random thoughts. June 4, 2003 High school dreams --I had a high school dream last night. You know, the kind where you’re transported back to your high school days and their daily activities. Well this one was normal like that. I was back running around to get to class on time. I had failed a test apparently in one class. All my friends were there, just like they were back then. It was pretty weird, yet nothing felt out of place. Hmmm, talk about random. June 4, 2003 Ticket update via grace --I’m updating my rant yesterday about my car being singled out a lot of times based solely on its color and uniqueness law enforcement officials (hint hint at another segregationist attitude our country has faced in the past). Anyways, as I returned to my car last night I was relieved to see that no ticket had been attached to it. I got off scott-free. Most people would probably “yahoo” or do a chicken dance and go on with their day, but it got me thinking about deep spiritual concepts. I mean here I was, parked illegally, totally deserving of a $25 fine for my conscious infraction, yet I didn’t have to pay a ¢. In fact, not only did I not have to pay anything, but the whole violation was reduced to basically “it never happened”. I wondered about that for a second. Not only did I deserve not to get off free, I deserved a punishment, yet both were declared null and void by some high power I guess. Keith, come on, how can you pull deep theological truths from the fact you luckily didn’t get a ticket at the Metro station? I mean had you got the ticket like you deserved, you wouldn’t be writing this very article. Well met my friend! But your second thought is irrelevant. Of course I would not be writing this had I got what I deserved. But had Jesus Christ not died on two planks of wood for Keith Wojciech’s sins past, present, and future, the song “Amazing Grace” would’ve never been written. So what’s you’re point there? In reference to your first question, it’s easy. I received something that I did not deserve (ala eternal life in Heaven with Jesus Christ, God of the universe, right by my side chillin, hanging out, walkin, talkin, etc. in some dimensions that we cannot detect or measure within our steadily decaying universe of 4 dimensions at the moment). In fact I’ve received something I did not deserve despite “deserving or earning” something spectrally different because of my sin (ala eternal damnation in Hell with Satan, lord of Hades, right by my side doing things I couldn’t comprehend to my soul/body, etc. in some dimensions that we cannot detect or measure within our steadily decaying universe of 4 dimensions at the moment). “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 There was nothing I could do in my day to circumvent the potentially impending doom of getting a parking ticket. No amount of good works in that day would avoid that fact that I still deserved that parking ticket. No amount of walking old ladies across the streets of DC or hours spent in a soup kitchen was gonna save me from a $25 fine. Only divine intervention could free my penalty. You might be wondering how I can possibly compared avoiding a ticket to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sounds like heresy to me Keith. Well that’s easy too. God usually seems to work in our lives in the simple, everyday things. I mean look at all of Christ’s parables. They’re all simple stories about simple people doing everyday simple things. God’s grace is not complex. He doesn’t require degrees in nuclear physics or doctorates in theology to understand his offer of salvation. There is no “ladder” to climb, church to “join”, or “steps” to follow. Even in little frivolous things in my life, like not getting a ticket in the Metro parking lot, reverberate the amazing grace Christ offers us. Sure I yelled "yahoo!" and did a little chicken dance when I found out I wouldn’t have to send a check to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, but it was what I did after that that’s key. I accepted the gift of grace and drove away joyful in my little yellow car. Nothing more, nothing less. Just take it and run, because once you take Christ’s grace, you’ll have so much joy 24-7, you’ll never even think about looking back. I’m finding people in life that refuse to take that gift of grace.....they can never seem to break out of a trudging walk and just run for the joy of running... “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 June 4, 2003 Earth II? --The USAToday had an interesting article today concerning the possibility of another planet, or planets, like Earth being out there somewhere in the universe. Mainly proponents of the “Earth II Theory”, as I like to call it, hinge their hypothesis on the simple thought that “the universe is so big, there’s just got ta be another planet like ours out there, just go ta.” Fiction and sci-fi aside, I ask them why? Why does there have to be another planet like ours out there? It seems all these “scientists” that subscribe to the Earth II theory do it for mainly emotional reasons, perhaps atheistically driven, with little scientific evidence being presented from their camp. In fact, evidence for the contrary (that Earth indeed being alone in the universe in terms of uniqueness to support life as we know it in carbon-based capacity) is prevalent these days and in fact growing each day. Earth II Theory proponents argue with the advent of technological telescopic breakthroughs, it’s only a matter of time before we discover these new Earth-like planets. Well that’s a double-edged saying. It could also be a matter of time before these technological breakthroughs quell all hopes and dreams that there is life outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Besides, until I see hard evidence, none yet and much to say otherwise, I’m not subscribing to the Earth II Theory. Keith, you’re just basing your stance on your religious beliefs. Half right you are my friend (the other half being my logical and scientific mind). It’s true. If intelligent life, even non-intelligent life, is discovered on an alien planet, the Bible’s claims will be greatly diminished. No longer will we be “special” or “set apart”. God’s declaration that his creations on Earth were “good” will carry slightly less impact. I’ll have to question my faith at that point, at least its scientific and archeological claims (which by the way have stood the test of time and have been more and more confirmed by scientific and archeological study than “disproved”). But again, till some evidence can prove it wrong otherwise, I’ll hold to my beliefs. I guess I just find it dismaying that these qualified scientists would hope so much in another world like ours. The last quote from the article is poignant to what I’m saying and I believe is the belief of most contemporary persons. “The only surprise would be a clear-cut "Rosetta Stone" planet that answers all our questions about Earth's place in the universe, he says.” Kind of ironic that people still wonder what our place is in the universe. Gee, if I could only spend like ten minutes with these people to let them know Earth and universe was created for the sole purpose so that the God of the universe could just give his most prized creations a chance to give him a response of love. It makes waking up in the morning a lot easier when you know the main secret of the cosmos. But keep building those telescopes and keep launching those probes scientific community. In all honesty I’m an astronomy fan to the core and I love exploring the cosmos and boldly going where no man has gone before. But unfortunately I don’t think many people are gonna find what they’re looking for in little green men and utopian alien societies. But take heart, I know we’ll continue to find some beautiful and wonderful creations; creations that are so finely tuned that only the meticulousness of a loving creator could be the answer for their existence. June 4, 2003 Say it ain’t Sosa! --Ah ha!!! I told you!!! Sammy Sosa’s recent escapade concerning being caught with a corked bat only further confirms my conspiracy theory that Major League Baseball has orchestrated all these years! Read the ESPN articles here. This discovery no doubt tarnishes all the “great” accomplishments by this Dominican slugger and he will no doubt go down as one of the greatest cheaters MLB has ever seen this side of Pete Rose. But back to my conspiracy theory....back in 1998, when that huge “home-run race” was going on between Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa, and MLB ratings were soaring sky high, I saw between the lines and discovered the truth. It was all set up and rigged. Yep, the whole thing was staged by MLB themselves. They just had to, they’re ratings were plummeting like Martha Stewart’s. The impending strike and the not-so-distant lockout was still a black eye for MLB. Meanwhile American sports fans were enthralled by professional football and blue-collar guys like John Elway winning Super Bowls before retiring. The MLB needed a way back in the American sports eye and using nefarious tactics was their only hope. A classic home race was the answer they needed and the plan worked perfectly. Not only did the nation sit glued to every homer McGuire and Sosa hit, but baseball was getting its good-old fashioned name back. (mind you, I purposed all this back in 1998 when it was all happened. you can even ask my friend and roommate at the time Charlie, he’ll attest to my every word) Anyways, even though MLB’s plot had worked and baseball ratings were back in the black, someone had to take the fall and Mark McGuire was the first to do so. So, seen Mark McGuire lately? Nope, that’s because he’s basically fallen off the face of the Earth. Retired or abducted by aliens, no one knows for sure, but MLB made sure he wouldn’t talk. From Sports Illustrated covers and all the late show guest appearances, this St. Louis slugger is going, going, gone. Sammy Sosa was another story. Not one for the spotlight, he was a little harder to erase from the picture. Now I’m not saying MLB planted that corked bat on him, but I am saying at one point MLB offered him a lot of cash and maybe an “enhanced” bat or two, for the extra homers of course needed for viewers. I think Sammy just got addicted to the corked bats, it was good for him. Sort of like professional athletes get addicted to pain killers and drugs (Darryl Strawberry, you hear me?), he just couldn’t put the corky bats down. But in the end, the only one laughing now is Bud Selig and his villainous cohorts at MLB. They’ve successfully eliminated the two pawns they used to get their boring sport back on the map. They’re free from incrimination now because no one’s gonna believe a dishonest batter and no one’s gonna believe a guy they can’t even find on the map anymore. My only advice to McGuire and Sosa.....if ya can’t take the heat (pun intended), get out of the kitchen. June 3, 2003 Polaris arrives! --My new car, named Polaris (pronounced “pole-l-air-is”), has arrived at its final destination. It’s crunched up beauty though. But my bro and I are sure to have buckets-o-fun taking it apart this summer. Lots of stuff will go into my restoration of Rikku, and lots of stuff will go to the good patrons of Ebay. Here’s my site dedicated to Polaris, with pictures and its economic dynamics. I’m a BMW aficionado, what can I say? June 3, 2003 Disadvantages of having a 30 year old yellow car --I woke up late this morning and was unavoidably late for work.....my fault. I got to the Vienna Metro only to find all the parking spots had been taken; a direct result of my tardiness.....my fault. I seemingly had no choice but to park my car illegally....my fault. The fact that my illegally parked, old yellow car will stick out like a sore thumb to the Metro police and I will most assuredly get a ticket for my infraction.....Rikku’s fault. Yes I wholly deserve what I get (my fingers are crossed that I don’t get anything) for waking up late and I understand I must pay a physical consequence for it. But do I deserve this color biased treatment from local law enforcement giving almost no chance to avoid being caught by the eagle eyes of the Metro police?......er, maybe. Must be nice to have a normal car that fits in with everyone else’s normal cars, giving you a higher chance of being passed over by law enforcement officials because of your car’s conformity to the normal standard of the present automodelista. Just like the U2 song goes, I can’t live with or without you Rikku. |