IAWCC

Nerdcore

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:50:00 +0000

If there's ever a movie to see in 3D, it'd be Tron.

I am pumped for this movie. Take an HD look at http://www.program-glitch-esc.net/

Hollywood is Racist

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:29:00 +0000

I can prove it to you.

There's something to be said about the Academy Awards. How boring it is to watch. Honestly, I do not want to watch a bunch of millionaires award themselves for their work. You don't see construction workers or plumbers award themselves for doing their job. Even if it is above and beyond most other 'performances' of their peers.

But my real gripe comes with the this incessant award rigging.

People have won before for powerful roles in controversial positions, but I'm seeing a trend that I don't like.

Hollywood is heavily Jewish. Which means Hollywood is heavily biased. Biased towards movies that deal with any sort of struggle, go ahead, take a look, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and now Inglorious Basterds.

The obsession with NAZIs and the Holocaust needs to end. Why is it that we're fine with racially charged movies? We're fine with morally charged movies, war, sex, death, marriage, gay marriage; but when it comes to NAZIs, look out.

I'm sorry, I just don't see it. If you're going to give an Oscar to Liam Neeson for Schindler's List, Spielberg for Private Ryan and one to Cristoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds... you need to give one to Samuel L Jackson too.

Because I don't think that there's another black man out there who would ever, ever dare to put on a NAZI uniform in a movie.

So there you have it, the Academy is full of racists. Sam's performance in The Spirit was just as good as Cristoph's was in Basterds. Yet Cristoph wins and Sam didn't even get nominated.

Explain that one to me, please.

Gossip

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:01:00 +0000

You ever notice how the world keeps changing?

And not for the better?

Like Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire pulling out of the Spider-Man franchise?

Or the fact that they're trying to collaborate with James Cameron to use up all of their special effects budget to make it just as hollowed out and empty of a movie as Avatar?

No, the thing that strikes me the most, is the fact that they're trying to get that queer little kid who just did that ~~Harry Potter wannabe~~ Percy Jackson movie.

seriously, what was up in the tv trailer with that girl (in a coffee shop no less) saying 'the gods are angry'?? WHO THE FUCK SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

people in straight jackets, that's who

So they're going to do a reboot of the entire franchise... a reboot of the entire franchise, a decade after the reboot of the franchise netted one of the best trilogies (money wise) in a very long time *cough* Matrix *cough*

You mean to tell me that they couldn't wait an extra year to give it's director a little extra time to iron out a story that makes sense and is true to the comics?

Instead, it's been confirmed, we're going to get a high school version. Think of High School Musical meets Twilight for this new one.

If I was Stan Lee I would pay $10 million to make sure this movie never gets made. That Sony stops development of this movie so then the rights come back to Marvel/Disney and they can properly make a sequel.

If there was ever a perfect guy for the role, Tobey Maguire is it.

What's worse, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are destroying another childhood classic, Alice in Wonderland.

What's apocalyptic is that there's rumors that Burton is going to ~~remake~~ destroy The Wizard of Oz. If there ever was a movie that should never be remade... well, Tim will gladly step in and shit all over it.

I guess the entertainment biz isn't all bad. You hear the good news about the mothersmurfin Smurfs movie!??!?

Hidden Gems

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Because I don't just like grabbing the biggest news headline every Monday (fuck you Canada)

I stumbled upon a piece that's intriguing and is, of course, a bit controversial.

Here's the long and short of it:
The state of Utah is proposing a new law that makes illegal abortion a criminal offense. 38 other states already have these measures in place, New York has an additional law for self-abortion attempts.

Though this bill is generally supported by Republicans and will probably be signed into law by Utah's Republican governor, I find little gripe with the details that I've been able to find in it. Though we all know, this is the USA, the language of said law must be iron-clad, lest another 17 year old girl pay a guy to beat the shit out of her in hopes of not unbending her last coat hanger.

Then, there's another part of my brain that chimes in and says, Utah doesn't allow late term abortion, they're putting a contradictory price on the life of an unborn person.

They're just trying to make a dollar. They're just controlling douchebags who deserve to be drowned by a killer whale or amniotic fluid.

Though this is a good idea, illegal abortions are a travesty of irresponsibility and bad decision making (mostly by teens) the law has little to offer if it does not have provisions that allow prosecutors to try minors as adults.

After all, if you're old enough to reproduce, you're old enough to spend a few years in a penitentiary.

Yet, after reading all of this, I'm still for a woman's right to choose. Pregnancy termination is still an option and somehow people feel less guilty about having it done "professionally" in comparison to just throwing yourself down a flight of stairs...

I'm not sure where to draw the line. I never have been, nor claimed to know. This is one of the rare topics where, even when I've done more and more research into the science and morality of it, I've yet to feel comfortable coming to any conclusion I can defend with conviction to naysayers.

And if your argument is un-defendable, your argument is personal prejudice not facts.

Ha, irony:
From First to Last - Two as One

Justice, Thy Name Is Social Security

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:25:00 +0000

New Olympic Event

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Stumbled upon this article that tries to put in perspective the idea of Olympians and sex.

I find it a little fascinating that people are actually interested in this sorta thing. I mean, the Olympic Village is basically Mardi Gras for athletes. Always has, always will be.

Since the dawn of the games it's been common for this sort of thing to go on. Hell, the Greeks used to have orgies during the games. Where do you think Greco-Roman Wrestling came from?

It was actually a competition to see who'd be the pitcher and the catcher.

Ahhh, where's Chuck for a comment when you need him?

Anyway, a ton of top athletes of both genders, in the same buildings, of course they're gonna screw. Laws of attraction and proximity and such.

My only worry is for the youngest of these athletes, who're only 16ish years old. What they're subjected to and the scary fact that they could lose their V-card to someone from Eastern Europe whose name has more Vs and Cs in it than vowels.

Maybe I'm getting a little too caught up in this too eh?

Ok, other news.

Some lucky guy in Georgia, (no, not the luger) USA bought the 10 billionth track on iTunes. So they gave him $10 grand. Bastard.

Oh, and the story of the hour, a killer whale (which are actually dolphins?) lived up to it's namesake for once.

Good, I'm tired of things not living up to their advertisements. Mostly Rogaine... but I digress.

It's snowing here, it's so pretty when it snows like this. Huge, thick flakes that covers everything. This is what winter is all about. Especially at night, when the clouds subside just a little and the moon and stars poke their heads out and glisten across the snowy white that seems to magically stick to treetops and fences. These are the days where making snowmen, angels, and forts are a necessity.

Snow sure keeps the killer killer whales away too...

Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

New Week, Swept Under the Rug

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:11:00 +0000

Honestly.

I want to start an over-under bet on how many more years the US populace will put up with this bullshit in Washington D.C.

How people can vote for legislators who just straight up won't look at or hammer out legislation.

How the people on the other side, who do want to get new assistance out to the general public are compromising TOO much, just to get the illusion that something's being done.

Yet you can't find a damn thing about the attack on an IRS building in Texas. Instead, all you find is "Obamacare" and the story about how the USA beat Canada yesterday.

While it was a great game, it's just that, a game. Not anything to hang an entire newscast on.

Oh, and watching the post-game on MSNBC was excruciatingly bad. Not only because the guy couldn't call the highlights as they put them on screen, or that there was a good 7 second delay between him and whomever he was trying to interview, or that he had Gary Bettman on to talk about how 'great' the game is doing in the USA. Blah blah blah, who cares.

But then, this was the saving moment of the post-game. The anchor proposed the question, that if Bettman and the owners don't allow players to play in the Winter Olympics, how are we going to see great games like this that only add to the NHL's exposure?

Bettman stammered for a good 10 seconds then said that the owners don't see any of the revenue, they're the only league that actually stops it's season for the games, that they're better than the other leagues because they do that...

yet they want to stop doing it.

Please, please, tell me where I need to put in an application to get one of these cushy, well paying jobs where I can talk out of my ass and be praised for it. I think I'd be good at it.

The Fake Sound of Progress

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:12:00 +0000

Yes, this is it:

"On an issue which affects our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we cannot continue to be mired in the same old debates between left and right, between environmentalists and entrepreneurs," said President Obama.

"To meet our growing energy needs and prevent the worst consequences of climate change, we'll need to increase our supply of nuclear power. It's that simple."

Which is true. It's about time environmentalists realize that the endless argument over nuclear power was doing nothing other than make them sound like uneducated hippies who're just protesting to protest. Because it's the thing to do.

The reverence and cornerstone to the halt of nuclear energy in the United States is the three mile island accident.

A partial core meltdown of one of the two reactors at the site, on 28 March 1979 caused by a faulty valve which allowed large amounts of reactor coolant to leak resulted in radioactive gases being released into the atmosphere about 140,000 people evacuated from the local area no fatalities, but dispute remains over long-term health impact most significant accident in the history of the US nuclear power industry the reactor in question remains mothballed, but the other at the site is still in operation.

So, because there was one accident over 30 years ago, there was a massive halt to new projects and nuclear power plants have not been contracted to be built since.

So, because there was a plane crash into a couple of buildings a few years ago, we should stop flying planes and building skyscrapers. Everyone got it? Good.

He's right though, it's time to stop saying we're going to do something about the problem and start actually doing something about the problem.

I don't know if I commend him on this effort though, not yet. There's plenty of alternatives to oil and we're tapping into one of the deadlier resources, if things go wrong.

But on paper, this decision is LONG overdue. There are 104 operational nuclear energy facilities in the USA. There's been one accident. That's 1/104. That's a 96% safety rate.

If only we held other industries to such high standards.

Don't forget your Toyota's being recalled.

Valentine's Day After

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:20:00 +0000

I miss your smile.

I miss the look you'd give me whenever I tucked you in at night and when you woke me up in the morning.

The way we'd go for walks and you'd have to stop because you were intrigued by a shiny object or a strangely bright color.

How you'd try to steal my food, and get away with it all the time. Even when I made enough for you too. You're just one of those types where you don't have to ask, you can just get by on trying to look cute and innocent.

It usually works.

Maybe it's just because I'm a pushover and you learned that pretty quick.

Maybe it's because you've known me that well for that long, we can just walk in stride and have the same thoughts rolling through our head.

How I miss how you'd come downstairs to watch baseball with me.

Or the time you tried to hide under the bed.

Or how you'd always beg me to share my ice cream, only to be easily distracted.

I miss all the fun we used to have and how many times we just spent the night watching some terrible movie and then use quotes as punchlines for the next week. Well, I would, you'd just get annoyed and walk out of the room.

I love that you bring out the softer side of me. Even when I don't want to. You just do. That's a rare quality. Don't think that it isn't.

I don't know when I'll be able to see you again. It just seems that everything's piling up, but I won't apologize for taking the trips to see you and be with you for a few months while I could.

I miss you and you are my eternal Valentine

Oh, and I miss you too Shazzi.

NO.

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:19:00 +0000

This is so bullshit!!!

NEVER, I REPEAT, EVER, Play Mario Bros Wii.

It is the most frustrating game ever.

Great for friends watching you and making fun of you as you endlessly die and fall into bottomless pits.

When the game throws randomly regenerated enemies at you in no particular order.

When it's so ridiculous that this game is aimed at a younger audience when myself and 3 other 20 somethings are having a ridiculous time making it through this game.

Yet it's aimed at kids.

I hate everyone at Nintendo who did level design and development for this game. I will never play another Mario game everrrr!!!!

I mean, it's one thing to make a game challenging, but side scrollers need a certain amount of predictability if you want people to actually be able to make it through the game.

Which you apparently don't.

Numerous times I'm left to make a leap of faith, or jump onto a platform that conveniently dips into a pit of lava or rotates so your ass lands into nothingness.

Or a conveniently spawned Big Bertha, or Koopa Troopa.

Immediately, in the first world, I was met with familiar Marios Bros music and level design and cheerio, welcome back to your childhood!!

As I quickly sprinted, jumped and stomped my way through levels and managed to accumulate 25 lives before ever getting to a final boss fight, all before I lost any sense of nostalgia.

Though it was rather fun, the novelty quickly started to wear off, the next levels pushed and shoved their way through the crowd and said "back off, i'm here to claim 20 of those lives you took from that first go-around."

And indeed they did.

Usually games have a difficulty curve, they become progressively more difficult as you go on, a staple in Super Mario Bros that Nintendo has brilliantly maintained throughout the series.

But no, this game went from Mario to Mario 3 to Pitfall to... Donkey Kong meets Metal Gear.

These levels are just so twisted and conniving that I can't even begin to explain the frustration that's come over me.

This difficulty curve looks more like a Michael J Fox signature. Up down, loopy and not legible.

Some levels were incredibly easy just to blow right through with little to no trouble, then the rest were excruciating and almost impossible to get to the end boss in any sort of fighting condition.

No, I still, have not completed the game.

But I'll tell you one thing, the Mushroom Kingdom can go to hell. The same goes for Princess Toadstool and all the other stupid Toads that can't seem to fend off an armless Goomba.

Bowser, you can have her,

Mike.

Literally Sleepwalking

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:40:00 +0000

That's the feeling that I have right now.

As far as school goes, it's all gravy. It's not challenging, there's nothing to do. I'm done with a project in 15 minutes when the rest of the class takes an hour. I despise the formality of having to take one more class in order to prove that I have a skill set that I've already proved to have in more advanced classes.

But no, here we are. The ridiculousness of it all is excruciating and weighs on my mind all day every day.

Anyway, I watched Daybreakers the other night. I have to say, it was a pretty good movie, despite what someone else might say.

It made me miss the mandatory unnecessary explosions that you always used to see in action flicks.

A few scenes of gore, the main character is pale and called Edward... no sparkling and a limited special effects budget.

This movie was the perfect B movie to get your mind off all the teen drama series that will undoubtedly have a shitty TV show on the WB or Lifetime sometime in the coming years.

But this one was good, intriguing, and just generally relate-able.

Oh, and Sam Neill does a great job being really, really creepy.

Hey, it was either this or that shitty "Dear John" movie.

Champion of 2010

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:12:00 +0000

It's the Monday after the Super Bowl, America's unofficial holiday. Everyone's trudging to school/work with a hang over. The Saints took it to the Colts 31-17. Amazing game all the way around.

I kept my motto for the last two weeks the same whenever I was asked who I thought would win, "My brain says Colts, but my heart says Saints."

I guess this means I should listen to my heart more often. Some of my best (and worst) decisions have been made that way.

But let's not make this about me.

Yesterday was about the city of New Orleans... and the commercials.

Seriously, this is probably the weakest class of Super Bowl Ads in the past decade. There weren't that many that got me to think "wow, that was a good $3 million to spend."

But one company got it right throughout the game: Doritos.

This one was good, though I don't totally get the whole point of stuffing a casket full of Doritos and NOT having a drink to go with it. They missed out on a joint venture with Pepsi for that commercial...

Kinda funny, though, if that ever happened to me... no, wait, that'd never happen to me because the cardinal rule is to never date a chick with a kid. Moving on...

This one was really good. I chuckled a bit. A Dorito samurai... yes, destroy the Japanese culture with snack food muahaha haha haaaaa!!!

Ok,
then, there's the one that literally made me laugh out loud:

Freaking hilarious. Doritos my 2010 Super Bowl Ad winner.

Runner-ups:

The Fiddling Beaver...yes, fiddling... beaver...

And probably the best commercial of the Super Bowl, but sadly the only one of the brand:

If You Laugh, You Lose

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:25:00 +0000

Dear Blogger,

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:59:00 +0000

No, I am not happy with you.

Just like Haloscan you're turning into useless corporate drones.

No more FTP blogs, just your "custom domain" program.

Which, I won't lie, is useless. Why would I create my own domain name and want to keep it hosted on your space?

That defeats the purpose of going out and getting your own domain name.

But I guess this was inevitable that you'd go turn coat on me. Just like former commenting systems, game developers and Joe Lieberman.

It's okay I guess, you're going to stop this by March? I guess that just accelerates my move to a Wordpress blog.

Congrats on alienating me. The person who resisted WP even when everyone else was switching over.

You've basically taken away my paddle while I'm on shit creek.

Looks like I'm gonna be getting on this transition/redesign project quicker than I thought.

This Is Love

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:18:00 +0000

[ Shaz ]
     g'nights Butterheart

Michael
     . . . i'm imagining myself as mel gibson, fighting against the english margarine

[ Shaz ]
     is like Braveheart, but fattening

Michael
     and fighting off Fabio and his butter substitute

[ Shaz ]
     across the sea of shortening

Michael
     i can't believe it's not KA-CHAHHHH
     *dead*

[ Shaz ]
     XD BAHAHAHA

Michael
     i know. we gotta put this into production.

Another Budget Cut

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Democracy at work.

Honestly, where's the money going?

It costs more and more to get an education. It appears that our local governments aren't going to be doing anything to help alleviate these gigantic expenses.

The mere fact that we're in such an era where everyone has put their entire financial future on some company's credit card and interest rate is absurd.

To make my point is the case and point at hand.

We're so desperate to be covering what we've already spent. We spent all that extra money to open all these extra schools, to ensure that the next generation of America has an opportunity to succeed and continue to further this country's innovation and imagination... to continue the "American Dream" if you will.

But the main reason this story caught my eye is this couple of paragraphs:

During the long overnight session, there was anger and there was theater. Two parents broke out sock puppets for their presentation. “Hi everyone, I’m a concerned parent,” said Jane Hirschmann, founder of the antitesting group Time Out From Testing, as she held up one puppet. “Hi,” replied Lisa Donlan of the Lower East Side, holding up another sock. “I am a puppet from the Panel for Educational Policy, and I brought my rubber stamp.”

Some of the hundreds of parents, teachers and students in the auditorium questioned the criteria the city used in making the decisions. Officials from the city teachers’ union said they planned to sue. Others said the city did not provide enough support to the large high schools. A study released Monday by the city’s Independent Budget Office affirmed that schools on the closing list faced unusually difficult challenges posed by their demographics and performed poorly on school progress reports.

Yes, the best way to get your point across to our government leaders are sock puppets.

Jim Henson is totally rolling in his grave right now.

Go Ahead, Try It Out!!

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:31:00 +0000

Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?

Traffic Cop: Yes ma'am, I'm afraid you were speeding.

Woman: Oh, I see.

Traffic Cop: Can I see your license please?

Woman: Well, I would give it to you but I don't have one.

Traffic Cop: Don't have one?

Woman: No. I lost it 4 years ago for drunk driving.

Traffic Cop: I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Woman: I can't do that.

Traffic Cop: Why not?

Woman: I stole this car.

Traffic Cop: Stole it?

Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.

Traffic Cop: You what!?

Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see.

The traffic cop looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car while calling for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Woman: Is there a problem sir?

Officer: My colleague here tells me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Woman: Murdered the owner? Are you serious?!

Officer: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing that it's empty.

Officer: Is this your car, ma'am?

Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers. The traffic cop is quite stunned.

Officer: My colleague claims that you do not have a driving license.

The woman digs into her handbag and pulls a card out of a clutch purse and hands it to the officer. The officer examines the license quizzically.

Officer: Thank you ma'am, but I am puzzled, as I was told by my officer here that you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner!

Woman: Bet the lying son of a gun told you I was speeding, too.

A Tribute

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:10:00 +0000

to a fallen friend.

A man I never got to meet or interact with while I was not sitting behind a computer screen.

Yet, somehow, his life matters in a way to me that makes me feel like the world is a lesser place without him in it.

And it brings a tear to my eye.

That someone who fervently disagreed with me on almost every topic we stopped to talk about. Be it politics, industry, life, love, or just gaming.

Someone who would be just as stubborn and just as witty as I. Someone who would leave a path of d-e-struction from place to place.

Someone who I admired at first for that quality. Someone who, when I had worked so hard to be able to wear a tag near my name for so long, broke away. I followed. This is the type of person he was. He had a realness to his personality that transcended the fact that all we had was a voice server to communicate.

Someone who gave good advice, but only when specifically asked for it. That's a rare quality in a person, most people who dole out advice do it on a whim, hoping to be right with something in life. He didn't much care about being right. Or wrong. He cared about how you, or I, felt about a decision.

He was one of the few I talked to when I thought my personal life crashed. He was one of the few that told me waiting would not make it easier.

I still remember the nights of drinking in front of my computer and hopping into games where everyone knew each other. Everyone had some snippy remark and a joke at someone else's expense.

He was not above any of that. He was right in the middle of it. Even though I lost interest in the community which he built for himself, he still took time out to make sure I was okay. To make sure I didn't get off without a crude joke crossing my mast.

He still invited me to hang out with all the old timers who've been rarely seen over the past 3 years. I still vividly remember that night. Sitting in a conference webcam session, 12 of us, all of us drunk and all of us trash talking.

That will be my last memory of you. And I know that that memory is the one you want me to have.

Years ago a future was laid before me
And I took the task and ran with it as far as I could go
I always wanted to be a part of something like this
You believed in me, and it's all I needed
Before I go, please know that I love you with all of my heart
My heart, my heart, is beating for you
I want you to know that I'll be thinking of you wherever I go
Spoken - September

Another Shocker

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Industry moguls now think that web revenue from advertising is not enough.

Fox News, the New York Times, and a plethora of others have decided to start charging for their online services in 2011.

I'm here to tell you why that's a bad idea and a dangerous precedent.

The internet is based, in most countries, on the precedence of easier communication. That was the original intent of the creation of the net: faster and easier communication with people further and further across the globe. To do so, we're charged a set amount (depends on what country you live in) to be able to access these means of internet communications; be it instant message, social network, or email.

We go to sites like the Times and gulp Fox to gather opinions and facts about the events of the day to share them via web communications.

Let's face it, without television and the internet we wouldn't have a clue about the reality and gravity of the earthquake in Haiti if all we knew about it was a picture and a few paragraphs in a newspaper.

There's more to it in these mediums. Yes, I said mediums; the proper pluralization is media, but we've changed the definition of media over the past decade.

I feel media is now synonymous with tabloids and crappy magazines that profile starlets and harlots. I don't care about those.

I care about mediums.

The mediums which you use to be part of the world and be in the know about how the government is screwing you out of your rights, how other governments are turning blind eyes to genocide and terrorism, and how you don't stand a chance in changing a damn thing from your couch.

How you've been sold the idea of freedom when all you do is live in a world of privilege.

You were given privilege with our public works system, our government's regulations of industry and their "standards."

You're given these based on the contingent that you educate yourself, you contribute to society and live by their rules.

Make no mistake, that is privilege and not freedom.

You stop paying your taxes; you don't stop at red lights; you don't tip your waitress; you're susceptible to lose those privileges.

A judge and any other writer will say you lose your freedom.

But aren't we at the point where we see through that idea anymore?

Hasn't the 8 years of George W Bush, the wars that've taken longer than those against the Germans and Japanese, the economic collapse and the effects of natural disasters [that will go unnamed] taught us anything about the world that we actually live in?

That we pledge and promise millions and millions in aid and compassion, but only deliver slivers of those numbers, of those promises?

Apparently those facts, those opinions, as dissenting and as mudslinging as many of those might be, the sad truth is, are all necessary to continue the continuity of our governing body.

The days when one side bends to the will of George Bush and later blames him for everything that's gone wrong and the days when the other side simply refuses to cooperate in the governing process, these are the days where the people who suffer are the nation's citizens.

Closing off ideas, opinions, facts, and truth are just other ways to spin your side of the story to those that will blindly believe what you say.

You, a giant in the medium in which you operate, are turning into nothing more than a catchy, niche based company; a tabloid.

Spreading nothing but crap about celebrities and trying desperately to interweave that tactic and style into politics.

Make no mistake, I'm not just talking about Fox News in this piece. I'm talking about you too New York Times Co.

Freedom isn't free. But I can always read about those that have died in it's name somewhere else. That's the beauty of the internet. Good luck on your endeavor to take that privilege from us.

I don't know much
But a crutch is a crutch
If it's holding you from moving on
I don't know what to do
Not anymore, not anymore

Manchester Orchestra - Everything to Nothing

Well Deserved

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:52:00 +0000

Way to go Mr. Scott Brown.

Maybe.

Maybe it was just that the Democratic candidate for a seat that's been held by a Democrat for decades was a bitch and didn't deserve the seat?

I'll go with the latter.

Martha Coakley is an idiot.

Very simply put.

This election was gift wrapped for her to win, and she repeatedly shot herself in the ~~foot~~ ~~feet~~ ~~leg~~ head.

The sad part to all of this isn't her negligence to the campaigning process, it's the fact that she made it seem below her to do the things a campaigning politician must do to win.

So while she refused to shake peoples' hands outside of Fenway Park, refused to give public speeches and refused to tell any public or media talking point anything about her values, ideals, or plans; she lost.

For god's sake, she called Curt Schilling a Yankee lover!! She lost the election right there. The biggest stigma around Boston for almost 100 years was their inability to win the World Series. They finally do, on the back of that man. It's like if you called Obama a communist... er... wait, lemme see here; it's like if you called FDR athletic. Or Abe Lincoln a bigot. Or MLK a racist. It's just something you don't do.

So while she loses the big hubbub is that the Democrats are losing their majority and their power in the Senate... I'll hand it off to one of the few Jews to give good interviews...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Mass Backwards

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

I sincerely hope you watched all of that.

Skyline

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:52:00 +0000

I miss the sunset on the west coast.

There's nothing like it.

I even miss feeling like a sardine, packed onto the skytrain and struggling to stand.

I miss the hustle and bustle of the city. The concrete. The mass amounts of people.

I miss it. I really do. But if I could just change one thing about it, I wish they had better food.

All in Good Fun

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:36:00 +0000

Thinking about doing a total redesign. Again.

I've grown bored of this one already.

Vigilance

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:11:00 +0000

You've probably heard by now.

Or probably joined one of those, join this group, follow this person, re-tweet this, bullshit endeavors to make you feel good about yourself. Like doing any of that is going to actually help those whose lives have been completely destroyed in Haiti.

Then again, that's the time we live in. Instant gratification is what we strive for.

Yet you're all somehow more preoccupied and worried about Michael Hall recovering from cancer so you don't lose your favorite TV show.

Yet what's even worse is the supposed repayment of the "loans" the US taxpayer shelled out for TARP. You know, the $700 BILLION we gave to bank executives who drove their companies into the ground while they continuously gave themselves larger bonuses that came out of account holders' funds.

How much are they "supposedly" paying back? $117 BILLION over the next decade.

Wow, I wish I got that sort of treatment on my student loans. Don't you? I borrowed $45K, I'll pay you back $12K and we'll all call it even.

Oh that?

Yeah, that's my new Porsche. But I can only pay you back that $12K.

It's a slap in the face and insulting. Not that our President is only forcing the banks to pay back such a small amount after almost all of the ones we bailed out are reporting gigantic profits and bonuses, is that he's stands at the podium, just as he did when he said we'd get a public option for health care. That we could believe in the change he'd bring to the United States...

"My commitment is to recover every single dime the American people are owed," the president said.

Umm, last time I checked, $117 BILLION is not $700 BILLION. It's not even close.

Don't patronize me saying your goal is to recoup all the money spent to help your buddies keep their businesses open when you're only charging a fraction of what we and you are owed.

Lost, even further in all of this, is the crushing defeat in the Governator's eyes. The guy has done everything he possibly could to drag that sorry state's budget to be able to sustain it's people. Yet every time, they voted against his measures to become more financially responsible. All while increasing their demands for services provided by that same chiseled governing body.

I seem to recall Thomas Jefferson calling this an "experiment in government" when Democracy was so implemented in the constitution.

This experiment is coming to a crashing end by those who are supposedly in control.

The fact is, we don't make any better decisions than to these CEO's who've so inappropriately wasted their company's assets.

We want the government to do more for us while costing us less.

Life does not work like that. Politics does not work like that. Finance does not work like that.

Instant gratification will be the death of democracy.

New Radicals - Get What You Give

I Wish I Was Making This Up

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:31:00 +0000

3D was a huge hit at the Adult Entertainment Expo but something (someone?) else generated a lot of excitement too. Meet Roxxxy, the world's first sexbot.

Yesterday one of you opined that if you had to put on a special pair of glasses to watch porn, and I'm quoting here, "Your fapping is a little too involved." The same could be said for Roxxxy because, although she might sound like your dream girl – 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds – the fact remains that she is a sexbot built to satisfy your most primal needs.

Developed by New Jersey-based True Companion, engineer Douglas Hines says the doll will cost between $7,000 and $9,000. That price includes robot Roxxxy, all the required software and a laptop to run it.

Before you get too excited, there are a few drawbacks. Being made of rubber, she looks like every inch the doll she is. Another thing that's likely to leave you a little, shall we say, uninspired, is the fact that she apparently sounds kind of like Stephen Hawking.

Roxxxy has five different pre-loaded personalities. You've got everything from "Wild Wendy," "Frigid Farah," and "S&M Susan," to "Mature Martha" and just plain "Young." If none of those suit your needs, you can have an unlimited number of profiles that you can build yourself. Creepily enough, you can also "swap girlfriends" with your buddies by trading personalities online...

I...
know what...

if.....

there just aren't words for this, I'm sorry.

Churn

mike.j.lazzaro@gmail.com (Mike) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:11:00 +0000

That's what my brain's doing.

I'm not sure where to go next. As any of you readers know, I lose sleep, I lose my mind when I don't know what or where I'm going next.

I've had this feeling for a little over a month now.

I'm past panic mode.

I just want something to materialize, in any direction.