So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Posted on September 22, 2007 by Shawn

Well, it seems that this site has run its course. I put off starting my own blog for years because I never saw the point. Now I think that opinion has caught up with me finally.

I am actively browsing around for a good site to contribute to. It’s tough to find one that isn’t completely focused on a single topic. I like a bit of variety and I also believe that a lot of topics inter-relate more than some folks seem to realize. It’s almost as though it’s important to understand the big picture or something. If you know of a good site, please let me know. My gmail.com address is shawnspam.

Thank you very much to everyone that came by and read something. Especially to those who left nice comments, I always enjoyed those.

- shawn

Filed under: Blogs, Miscellany, Zombies | 3 Comments »

Lazy Sunday picture post: megamart edition

Posted on September 16, 2007 by Shawn

bankrupt.jpg

- shawn

[source: If you know where this came from let me know]

Filed under: Commerce, Society | 1 Comment »

Fanatics are picturesque

Posted on September 15, 2007 by Shawn

nfc.gifWhat do Nietzsche, Mike Gravel, and myself all have in common? Besides the cranky old bastard angle, we probably all loathe the Family Circus comic. As a kid, that one little panel of unadulterated stupid in the daily newspaper comics always irritated me.

My point here is to show you The Nietzsche Family Circus. I friggin’ love this thing! The Nietzsche Family Circus pairs a randomized Family Circus cartoon with a randomized Friedrich Nietzsche quote. On their site just hit refresh to see another magical random combo. Such as this beauty, which I think came together nicely.

- shawn

[source: The Nietzsche Family Circus]

ps - I know Mike Gravel ended up having nothing to do with the post, I just think he says some smart junk sometimes and I like how he seems cranky.

Filed under: Society | No Comments »

Got milk? … and pus, blood, shit and chemicals?

Posted on September 13, 2007 by Shawn

filthsmall.jpgI personally find milk creepy. I guess it’s the texture and the source that does it. Apparently I am not the suck my beverage out of an animal type of guy. That’s why I use rice milk on my Peanut Butter Panda Puffs. Anyways, today’s point is very simple: milk sucks. That is the obvious message of milksucks.com where you can find such charming facts as,

A dairy cow produces 120 pounds of waste every day — equal to that of two dozen people, but with no toilets, sewers, or treatment plants.

In the Central Valley of California, the cows produce as much excrement as a city of 21 million people, and even a smallish farm of 200 cows will produce as much nitrogen as in the sewage from a community of 5,000 to 10,000 people.

Dairy products are a health hazard. They contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow’s blood and pus and are frequently contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Dairy products are linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

The average American consumes more than 550 pounds of dairy products annually, which is 40 percent of the bulk of the food we eat.

Maybe if dairy-free isn’t your style you could at least look for opportunities to reduce your dairy intake a bit? If you haven’t stopped reading yet because you don’t want to read negative crap about something you like, then you may as well continue on to their site.

- shawn

[source: milk sucks]

Filed under: Animal Rights, Environment, Health | No Comments »

From hell’s heart I stab at thee

Posted on September 12, 2007 by Shawn

whale1.jpgWhales are awesome, and a whale themed post shall now ensue!

If you have never encountered a whale in it’s natural environment (read: outside seaworld) then you really should. If you ever want to get out on the water around Vancouver Island in a non-touristy kind of way and really learn about whales, then I recommend this guy: http://www.hurricanejackadventures.com/. All the other tourist whale tours and the such are tourist oriented and can start to feel like a Disney ride. Jack just loves being out on the water and teaching folks about everything out there.

Iceland has stopped its whale hunt. Not because they give a damn about whales, but because of slow sales. I guess you got to take the little victories where you can get them. Hey Iceland, if you read this, tourism is more lucrative than whale hunting! Just saying that folks might want to visit your beautiful country now that you’re not being complete dicks for a while.

If I were to ever punch anyone in the face it would be whatever jerk in the Makah tribe came up with the idea that they should be allowed to hunt whales. You know, for tradition sake. This isn’t new by any means (1999), but since it’s in the news this week I am yet again pissed off about it. This past Saturday 5 members of the Makah tribe harpooned a gray whale. They then shot it 21 times. They then spent the next 10+ hours watching it suffer before the coast guard finally cut it free so it could sink and die. Reports vary on whether they used a .50-caliber machine gun or rifle. Either way I think the decidedly untraditional point gets made here. For the record, these are the 5 men who did this:

Theron Parker
Andy Noel
Billy Secor
Frank Gonzales Jr.
Wayne Johnson

Let’s call a spade a shovel, or whatever that saying is, and just admit this “traditional whale hunting” spiel is bullshit. Some traditions die off because they are absurd or savage. It’s called the progress of society and not every possible tradition you can think of needs to be dragged along.

“Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!”
- Moby Dick, Herman Melville

- shawn

[source: image from hurricane jack adventures]

Filed under: Animal Rights, Ethics, Miscellany | 3 Comments »

Random snippet: Lamb

Posted on September 10, 2007 by Shawn

lamb.jpgThe following is a random little slice from Lamb by Christopher Moore. Why? Because it makes me smile I guess.

“Eek, a tiger,” Rumi said, as we stumbled into a small clearing, a mere depression really, where a cat the size of Jerusalem was gleefully gnawing away on the skull of a deer.

Rumi had expressed my sentiments exactly, but I would be damned if I was going to let my last words be “Eek, a tiger,” so I listened quietly as urine filled my shoes.

That really should be all I need to say about that book to adequately express my praise.

- shawn

[source: lamb by christopher moore]

Filed under: Books | 2 Comments »

Lazy Sunday picture post: fierce edition

Posted on September 9, 2007 by Shawn

120day.jpg

- shawn

[source: world wildlife foundation]

Filed under: Animal Rights | No Comments »

You can’t beat a fox made out of freakin’ fire!

Posted on September 8, 2007 by Shawn

firefox.png

Bust out your Kool and the Gang MP3s, because it’s time for a celebration!

Today, you all have done it once again. With your amazing efforts, Firefox has reached 400 million downloads and demonstrated that not even the world’s most powerful companies can keep people from a better, safer, and faster Web experience. You all, the grass roots and the heart of the Firefox movement, have helped hundreds of millions of people find that better, safer, and faster Web.

Everyone knows that you can only like Coke or Pepsi - never both. I’m sure there are several more of these marketing driven brand loyalty wars, but today I want to dazzle you with my Firefox vs IE logic. I’ll do my best to make this brief because it really isn’t very interesting or important. Why I prefer Firefox(FF), and possibly why you might:

1. Much like natures abhorrence of vacuums, I loathe a monopoly. Using FF helps keep the Microsoft juggernaut out of my pie just that little bit more.

2. User created add-ons really make the browser do some cool junk. Customized for the people, by the people. “Peace, Bread and Land!” User made add-ons let me customize sites, alert me to new mail, block all ads from appearing on sites, manage my downloads, etc.

3. FF pioneers cool features then later on IE copies them. Which makes IE like knock off designer purses or a lame boy band.

4. FF is more secure with my unmentionable privates. FF is built to protect from spyware and crap of that nature.

5. IE is made by a bullying mega-corp with a laundry list of bad behavior. FF is made by a non-profit group that almost never clubs seals. I’m not watching funny movies online with a bad conscience.

6. No one ever does this with the IE logo.

7. It’s faster. I don’t get paid by the hour to goof off online so my time is precious.

8. Open source for the win! FF works great on free operating systems, such as Linux. Which are used for low cost computers for third world countries etc. So by using FF I help refine the product which in turn means that low income computer users get a better product.

9. Live content and smoother interface. With live titles and bookmarks I see content updating on the fly. With themes and a heap of customizability I can make it look however I please.

10. Integrates instantly with pretty much any search engine that’s worth a damn. Just one click adds goodsearch or ripple as my default search engine, and one more toggles between them.

That’s 10! Since FF is free, I recommend giving it a try. Don’t be afraid to drop me a note if you have questions or want advice.

- shawn

ps: For the record, I don’t drink soda much, but I am a coke person. Pepsi tastes like old lady pee and should be illegal.

Filed under: Internet | No Comments »

Bush has a brrraaaiinnn…

Posted on September 7, 2007 by Shawn

It’s about time the man got his priorities in order. This is a cause I can get behind, and so can you!

- shawn

Filed under: Humor, Politics, Zombies | No Comments »

Boobies and buttsecks! Seriously, no lie.

Posted on September 6, 2007 by Shawn

I worry that a lot of people tune out instantly once they realize that a post is political in nature. Working on the assumption that these people tune out because it can be a lengthy and boring topic, I think I have a good little solution. The site I am going to link below here has a super fast form you fill out (seconds, not minutes). It then matches up your values against all the presidential candidates and tells you who is the best match. Where I think it is a good idea is for people who have no friggin’ clue which candidate they might be interested in. Until you have somewhere to start from you can’t possibly begin to give it any comparitive thought. Obviously you shouldn’t run out and vote just from this, but I hope it helps at least someone get their bearings.

Don’t make me quote some stats on what an abyssmal percentage of citizens vote. And we wonder why we always get jackasses. I’ve always believed that if you don’t vote then you don’t get to bitch about anything.

Maybe if you’re nice to me I’ll share which candidate the thingy said I match with. Any guesses?

- shawn

[source: find your candidate]

ps: you can now ignore the substitute post right under this one.

Filed under: Politics | No Comments »

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