news

2002-12-16T01:22:00.000-05:00

What a Bargain!

I found really good deals on electronics at www.ul-store.com. You really can't beat their prices. A brand new Sony VAIO for $852.00. Retail price: $2199.00. How about an Inspiron 8200 for $877.00? They even have a Pioneer PDP-5030 HD 50" Plasma TV for $2,539.00. Retail price: $8,999.00.

When it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I checked out the about page:

Payment Methods: Wire Bank Transfer or Western Union.

Other Payment Methods: Visa * Mastercard * American Express * Discover.
You must send credit card via USPS to our address with pin code, so We can charge it.
E-mail us for info where you should send credit card
*We do not use outside services such as Billpoint ,Escrow or Paypal.

All International orders must be paid by a Wire Bank Transfer.

Yeah...that's right. You pay by wire transfer. Either that or you can send them your credit card. But wait...they need your PIN number too! Wouldn't you feel like a thug making a purchase with a wire transfer?

After finding nothing about them on google, I checked them out on allwhois.com and the site was created on 12-13-2002. Well at least we can order from a company with a reputable history. I'm just making this post as a heads up to the 2 people (myself included) that read this blog. The site looks so professional (and it's powered by Yahoo!) that people have probably already gotten burned. It may even be a legit site, but you won't see me mailing my credit card to them.

2002-12-03T01:39:00.000-05:00

The Color of Money

Those old greenbacks that we Americans have carried around for over a hundred years are on the way out. Following the lead from the more than stellar economic system of our neighbours to the north, the US is going to start making Monopoly money. Not only that, it's gonna cost $53 million dollars to fully convert to the jazzy Jacksons over 5 years. All I know is, I wanna be the thimble.

2002-11-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

Eye can do it

I just used a demo from eyeQ. I saw an infomercial about this one night and decided to go to the website and try it. I actually increased my reading speed from 337 words per minute to 560. It's basically just getting used to picking out key words and topic words and putting them together but it was interesting enough.

2002-11-18T01:26:00.000-05:00

Getting closer

It's starting to get really close to the end of the semester. In the last week I have written 16 out of 34 pages in papers that are due before finals week. I wasn't expecting my last semester to be quite so demanding, but I also didn't expect to see this image.

I would someday like to have physical copies of all of the pictures at www.despair.com.

This is a good site that gives a lot of information about the absolute scariest place I have ever been: the old Buffalo Train Station.

2002-11-13T16:57:00.000-05:00

Google - is there anything it can't do?

Google Compute is a really interesting idea. When your computer would normally go idle, it is used to work on complex problems. Distributed computing is an interesting concept that could prove to be helpful in the development of drugs and other projects. If you're not using your computer, why not let it do a little work to help out?

2002-11-12T23:24:00.000-05:00

Creepy

Some people have way too much time on their hands...or do they?

2002-11-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

Freestylin'

You just saw 8 Mile and you wanna be a rapper? You need help from Rhymerator 1.0. It provides the beats, the rhymes, the metaphors, and help from rapper Yeshua dapoED, who is "guaranteed to be more useful than that smiling paper clip f***er." Word.

2002-11-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

Weird Funny Cool

This is just weird.
This is just funny.
And this is just cool.

2002-11-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

B1 d- t- k+ s+ u f i o x-- e l+ c

That is my blogger code. You can decode it here. I haven't been blogging long but I've always been interested in web design and unfortunately some of the pathetic sites I made in high school are still out there somewhere.

2002-11-05T11:37:00.000-05:00

Livin' Large

Men's Fitness Magazine ranked the 25 fattest cities in the U.S. With the strong devotion to Tim Horton's and chicken wings, I'm surprised Buffalo isn't on it. See if you can guess which cities are the fattest.

2002-11-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

Everybody else is

Less than a year after accusing other countries of making biological weapons, the United States is caught doing the same thing. Of course, the US is only doing it to prove that it can be done by terrorists. We wouldn't dare use them.

That story came from Guardian Unlimited so it can be taken with a grain of salt. However, they do have an interesting weblog section where they link to blogs for other views on current news stories.

2002-11-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

Hmm...

2002-11-01T09:44:00.000-05:00

This just makes me laugh:

Here's a vignette we're dying to see on the ABC broadcast of Sunday's Ford's Theatre Presidential Gala: When Stevie Wonder sat down at the keyboard center stage, President Bush in the front row got very excited. He smiled and started waving at Wonder, who understandably did not respond. After a moment Bush realized his mistake and slowly dropped the errant hand back to his lap. "I know I shouldn't have," a witness told us yesterday, "but I started laughing."

From: One Toke Over the Harvard Line? (washingtonpost.com)

2002-10-31T18:49:00.000-05:00

Moo?

There's something that can protect us from bio-terrorism: cows. Cloned cows. Apparently, these genetically engineered cows hold the antidote for Botulinum, a commonly used toxin in bio-weaponry. So kick back and relax with a tall glass of chocolate milk and a cheeseburger. The cows will keep us safe.

2002-10-31T11:58:00.000-05:00

EJ

I can't believe some of the things that people try to sell on ebay. I really can't believe that it already has 13 bids.

2002-10-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

A Ninja Walks Into a Bar

Got that burning question about ninjas? The Official Ninja Homepage can answer it. They have everything from actual ninja sightings to ninja movies sent in by fans. It is a perfect example of what can happen when someone has way too much time on their hands.

2002-10-28T00:17:00.000-05:00

Now uh...jog in place

An 18 year old girl, in the first hour that she ever worked, on her birthday, was strip searched and forced to jog in place by managers at a McDonald's in eastern Utah. That's an interesting way to find out if somebody is hiding something.

2002-10-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

Dictionary.com

When I see a word that is unfamiliar, I look it up in hopes of broadening my vocabulary. Being as lazy as I am, I made a bookmarklet that lets you highlight a word in internet explorer and right click to look it up on dictionary.com. If you wanna be lazy like me, here's how:

1) Create a file called "dictionary.lkup" that contains the following:

2) On the Run menu - Regedit
3) In HKEY_CURRENT_USER - Software - Microsoft - Internet Explorer - MenuExt, create a new key called "&Dictionary Definition"
4) Edit the (Default) string so that "Value data" points to the file you created in step 1
5) Create a new Binary value and call it contexts
6) Enter "31" under Value data and reboot

Next time you have Internet Explorer, highlight a word, right-click, and click Dictionary Definition.

2002-10-26T13:22:00.000-04:00

More Porn

In addition to that, here are some porn titles, in alphabetical order, that I find amusing:

Ally McFeal
Bat Dude and Throbin
Beverly Hills 9021-Ho!
Beverly Hills Cox
Boldfinger
Buffy the Vampire Layer
Dial A for Anal
Dude, Where's my Dildo
Edward Penishands
Gladeateher
Good Will Humping

Honey, I Blew Everybody
Hump up the Volume
I Cream on Jeannie
Intercourse with the Vampire
Interview with a Vibrator
IR4: Inrearendence Day
Missionary Position: Impossible
NYDP Blue
Pulp Friction

Rebel Without a Condom
San Fernando Jones and the Temple of Poon
Saturday Night Beaver
Schindler's Fist
The Slutty Professor
Snatch Adams
Tale of Two Titties
Throbin Hood
White Men Can't Hump
Women in Black

Many of these titles were found here.

2002-10-26T12:01:00.000-04:00

Porn

Here is an article I posted in a discussion board for my "Media in the Information Age" class:

Pornography is free speech. That is plain and simple. If it could ever be taken away, people would still make it and people would still buy it.

The part that I don’t understand is this: why do so many people care about what the general public watches behind closed doors? If these anti-pornography “heroes” don’t want to watch porn, they don’t have to. That’s the beauty of it. It’s a right, not a requirement. People that do watch porn (I know a guy who knows a guy), generally watch it in the privacy of their own home. I don’t quite see how this affects society.

Maybe Deborah Sanchez wants to remove porn from the shelves because she can’t fight the temptation to buy it herself. Maybe the reason many people oppose porn is because they “know” it’s wrong but can’t control themselves enough to stay away from it.

I read an article by Douglas Welch called “If technology offends you, turn it off.” This is exactly the same advice I give for someone who is against pornography. Turn it off. Don’t watch it. It is not that hard to avoid pornography. No one accidentally walks into an adult video store. Pornographic videos won’t just turn up in your VCR. Sure, they might get the usual spam emails that everyone gets, but that won’t stop even if porn is outlawed. If the average American wants to enjoy pornography to it's fruition, why not let them?

The pbs website has a survey about the use of porn. Some of the reasons listed for thinking porn is bad are given.

“It is offensive and degrading.”
It certainly is. Don’t watch it if you are offended by it.

“It undermines sexual relationships.”
Possibly for some, but it helps sexual relationships for others.

“It influences people to commit sexual crimes, including rape.”
No one who commits these crimes does so only because of pornography. There are too many other social factors that lead people to do these things.

“It leads to a breakdown in community morals.”
Who’s morals? The community’s morals or the so-called “morals” set for us by those in power?

“It violates religious principles.”
There are over 22 different religions in the United States and every one of them has their own morals and principles. That is why our great nation has the separation of church and state. If your religious group is offended by pornographic material, don’t watch pornography in church. Problem solved.

“It confirms stereotypes of men, women, and/or of what sex really is about.”
Of course pornography is the most credible source when it comes to the real world. Parents are generally responsible for creating a foundation of what their children know about sex.

“It can lead from bad to worse (e.g., sex addiction).”
People who suffer from sex addiction generally have “biological, psychological, and spiritual reasons."

What are your views on porn?

2002-10-24T18:35:00.000-04:00

Not Interested

Apparently you can stop telemarketers from harassing you about the latest, greatest gravy separator. If they continue calling you, they can be sued up to $5,000. That'll teach 'em.

2002-10-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

No Comment

I'm changing over to HaloScan for comments because Enetation sucks. I liked it because it allowed more customization but it was just too slow and often unresponsive. So if you posted a comment before, it's more or less gone. Sorry. Soon enough I'll have my own web host and all problems will go away. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

2002-10-22T23:45:00.000-04:00

Everybody Loves Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme has done it again. Every time they open a store, people clog up the streets in hopes of doing the same to their arteries. I remember when they opened in Buffalo. Cars were backed up for miles in multiple lanes and traffic was insane. I guess I'll just never understand the doughnut hysteria.

2002-10-22T22:45:00.000-04:00

I knew it

2002-10-22T21:38:00.000-04:00

The Sniper Shuffle

It would suck to live in the D.C. area right now. I would probably be taking part in the new dance craze that's sweeping the area - the sniper shuffle.

2002-10-21T15:23:00.000-04:00

It's Not a Too-mah

Actually, it is a tu-mah. I found a link to this article, on a blog I read, about a man who had a brain tumor that caused paedophilia. The human brain is an amazing piece of equipment.

2002-10-16T23:28:00.000-04:00

I'm gifted

I just took an IQ test and it said I was gifted. I already knew that because I'm obviously really smart. Since I scored so high, I am allowed to join the International High IQ Society. I know...I was excited too...until I found out you have to pay for a membership. They're pretty expensive too. Whoever came up with that idea is a genius. I guess some people just want to walk around wearing the High IQ Society shirt to remind you that you're not as good as them. Besides the fact that it's all just a ~~not so~~ clever money making scheme, the IQ test is interesting. But then again, you might not think so...you're dumb.

2002-10-16T12:08:00.000-04:00

All in Favor

There have been some landslide elections in the history of the United States. There was McKinley in 1900, F.D. Roosevelt in 1936, and Eisenhower in 1956. But in the history of US democracy, there has never been a 100% victory. Maybe it's because of the butterfly ballots. Or maybe it's because there is competition at all.

Saddam Hussein, running unopposed, received 100% of the votes in this year's election, giving him power for another seven years in Iraq. This is no surprise. If you are a dictator in a country and no one else runs against you, you're going to win. Especially if you are the one that counts the votes.

Apparently, every single one of the 11,445,638 eligible voters cast ballots. That's right. There are people in Iraq that have no food or running water. But they don't forget to vote. Maybe we should do what they're doing to raise voter enthusiasm.

This can't be taken seriously. The Iraqi regime brainwashes the public with every measure possible. Every single night, Iraqi television broadcasts one of it's "Saddam Hussein music videos." The rigged election is an obvious attempt to avoid war with the US. They want the world to know that the whole country is unified and will fight together:

Every house will be a front, and every Iraqi will have a role in the war.

Since they all vote and they all agree, of course they're gonna fight together too.

2002-10-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

Just can't get a break

SU is questioning whether or not Billy Edelin violated NCAA rules by playing in rec leagues while he was suspended. This article has the details.

They're not sure about the interpretation of article 14.7.2.2 of the NCAA Manual's by-laws. It says that student-athletes cannot participate in outside events "from the time he or she enrolls until their eligibility is exhausted." Since Edelin was not enrolled at SU while he was playing in the rec leagues, he was not eligible to play in the NCAA. He should be able to play.

SU needs a guard now that Deshaun Williams was dismissed due to academic problems. He might have been able to stay had he not been accused of hitting Nicole Wilcox at a bar. Seems like the Orangemen just can't get a break.

All I know is I'm gonna be watching the Carrier DomeCam, just waiting for the season to start.

2002-10-09T09:47:00.000-04:00

Reality TV is Awesome

First there was the Real World. Then came others like Road Rules, Survivor, and Big Brother. Well get ready for Bum Fights! What could be more entertaining than bums beating each other silly? For customer satisfaction, they have even included supermodel Angela Taylor - the "token T&A content." Pure genious.

2002-10-07T23:51:00.000-04:00

I want one

I want a boxer. When I graduate, if I end up with a job that gives me enough free time (ya never know), I'm gonna get one. Here's a video of a boxer in action. Here's a video of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the kind I have.

2002-10-06T12:10:00.000-04:00

Everybody was Google Fighting

Wanna compare topics and see which one gets more hits on google? Type them in on Google Fight!

2002-10-04T16:42:00.000-04:00

Filthy Stinkin' Rich

What would you do with $28 billion? That's a lot of Ramen noodles. This article makes me sick to my stomach. You mean to tell me that if you smoke long enough and get lung cancer you are a potential billionaire?

If I smoked, I would double my daily intake immediately. What's a couple bucks now? It'll all pay off in the end. I just can't believe that anyone would say "I didn't know it was deadly." It's SMOKE. It's why you exit a building during a fire. But I guess if I was in her shoes I would find a lawyer to make me $28 billion too. After all, money is the most important thing in life.

[If you enjoyed this post, please send $5 to the author.]

2002-10-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

All Good Soldiers

Why wait 18 years to send little Johnny off to basic? I guess they figure kids can get ahead on the tactical training so they're ready when they get shipped off to the Middle East. Besides, Ken's a pussy.

2002-10-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

A Way With Words

Listen to this mp3 of our commander in chief as he tears the following proverb to shreds: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Doesn't this guy have speech writers?

2002-10-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

No Service

Remember when phones were just phones? Now you can check your email, call your mother, and...shoot somebody? If you have a Cell Phone Gun you can. Here's a video clip of one in action. Take out all those frustrations next time you can't get a signal.

2002-10-02T07:14:00.000-04:00

Knowledge is Power

Wanna go to MIT but don't wanna spend $28,030 on tuition? MIT OpenCourseWare allows you access to course materials online. You can read lecture notes, take exams, and get the answers. If information is free, wouldn't it make sense to take it?

2002-10-01T18:03:00.000-04:00

Holier Than Thou?

The fact that I even took a personality disorder test leads me to believe that something about me is not right. My results basically say that I'm a cocky jerk and I manipulate people. I don't believe it though...I'm too cool to have any flaws. Heh...that and it seems like it has loaded questions and jumps to conclusions. Alas, here are my results:

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid:	Low
Schizoid:	Low
Schizotypal:	Moderate
Antisocial:	Moderate
Borderline:	Low
Histrionic:	High
Narcissistic:	High
Avoidant:	Low
Dependent:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive:	Low

2002-09-30T00:05:00.000-04:00

9/11 Pentagon Conspiracy?

Here's a website that claims a plane didn't crash into the pentagon. Those High Times editors come up with some crazy ideas. I found a pic that shows a piece of airplane on the ground outside. Maybe it was planted there. We'll never know...

2002-09-29T22:55:00.000-04:00

I know that guy

Burger King is so annoying...and now they have tacos. :-)

2002-09-27T18:42:00.000-04:00

Work it Dubya

If he keeps this up, he'll be on the cover of Men's Health magazine.

2002-09-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

Screw Them

The Recording Industry is on it's knees begging for mercy from Congress. A cnn.com article announced that the industry has been flooding p2p networks with "dummy" songs in an attempt to discourage distribution of copyrighted material.

You try to download a song and it seems right...until you listen to it and it is nothing but the chorus, looped over and over again; it might even be the original song, plus a 2 minute chunk of silence added to the middle.

I think the recording industry should figure out another way to generate profits. I know I would have no problem buying a CD if:
1) I knew the profits were going to the artist,
2) they weren't so ridiculously over-priced.

It's ridiculous to think that a 40 minute CD carrying 10 songs can bring in $18.99. That's almost $.50 a minute. And you are paying this up front, whether you like the album or not.

If it wasn't so easy to download songs and burn them and make CDs full of songs that you know you like, maybe people wouldn't do it. That's what the recording industry is trying to do: make it harder to download songs.

Screw that...I'll buy CDs again when/if the prices go down.

[editor's note: if i ever make it big as a musician, you should all go out and buy cds to support the artists. after all, they gotta eat, right?]

2002-09-25T15:10:00.000-04:00

I don't know why I'm starting this. Maybe I'm jumping on the bandwagon because everybody else is. Oh well...you know you have one too so don't lie. All your friends told me. =P