Tonight, I’ve been watching “Van Wilder” on Comedy Central.

     Towards the end of the movie, there was a commercial for the Helio.  “Don’t call us a phone company.”  “Get all your MySpace content right on your device!”
     From their website:

Helio puts you + your friends (not rates and minutes) at the center of our business, because the most important thing a mobile service can do is better connect you to your friends.
 .
 .
 .
We won’t nickel and dime you. Get All-In with our all inclusive membership and get access to MySpace, H.O.T. (Helio On Top), video, speedy 3G, and much, much more.

     Now, that’s all fine and good.  But their ad was *strategically* placed just prior to the Van Wilder scene:

We are now in session.  Mr. Wilder, you were found in violation of Article Section B of Coolidge’s bylaws — soliciting of alcohol to extreme minors…

     Coincidence?

     All you have to do is search Google…

     Looks like a cool device, tho… But Helio should certainly play down the whole MySpace thing.  I mean, who needs that kinda class-action?

     Media has reported over and over that the Flag Protection Amendment passed by the House and faces an “uphill battle in the Senate.”  They’ve claimed that this bill seeks to amend the Constitution and ban the burning of the US Flag.
     This is yet another load of horse-puckey by a media who are too stupid and lazy to investigate facts or give fair and balanced opinion about anything.

     Senate Joint Resolution 12 is a very simple, seventeen word statement:

The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.

     This amendment only gets rid of the Constitutional hurdle which has prevented Congress from passing anti-Flag Burning legislation before.  It doesn’t make anything illegal.
     Senators and Legislators who have come on Television decrying the Resolution simply have not read it.
     There is also a widespread belief that this is a Republican supported bill, which also cannot be further from the truth.  As it stands, it is a purely bipartisan measure, with as many people decrying it on either side of the political fence.

     Basically what we’ve ended up with is yet another bullshit stall tactic, where Congress is attempting to give itself a little more power, and wasting a lot of money and air time, when they’re not actually doing anything.  They’ve just secured their seats, and given themselves the power to debate another hot-button issue, which will most assuredly fail over and over again anyway.

     Swanky pointed out two polarized views about the flag.  Some people see it as a symbol of our Freedom and Democracy.  Others see it as reminder of the people who died to protect our Freedom and Democracy.  It’s both: Thirteen stripes representing the original colonies, alternating White for our innocence and purity and Red for the blood of those fought defending it, and a field of Blue with Stars to represent our fifty states in a night-time constellation.  I don’t foresee myself ever burning a flag.  But it’s good to live in a country that would allow me to do it.

     But… all this talk about Flag Burning is secondary to the real issue.
     This is a test case, where Congress is attempting to remove a legal barrier mandated by the Supreme Court and see if anyone will notice.  If successful, it opens the door for them to do it a few more times for good measure!
     Thus, I am firmly against the Resolution.  I’m firmly against Congress dictating its own power, and have nothing but contempt when they attempt to pass legislation for no other reason than to give themselves more things to do in the future.  It’s a waste of time and money that could be better spent fixing things that are actually wrong.

     Someone sent me a link to an Ebay auction a few minutes ago….

     It just made me think … Job pissing me off?  I press the “Easy” button.  “That was easy!” it says.
     A moment later, I realize, the job is still pissing me off.  I press the button again.
     “That was easy!”
     Sooner or later, after numerous attempts, the chiding sound of “That was easy” begins to piss me off as much as whatever job I’m doing.  Yet, I press it again.
     “That was easy!” it mocks.
     I destroy the button with a closed fist, only to find that its plastic innards are sharper than expected.  A trail of blood drips quickly down my forearm.

     But there’s good news….

     I just saved a ton of money by switching my Auto Insurance to Geico™.

     Now if I could only find an “ouchless” Band-Aid…

Having watched how Saddam Hussien saved Iraq by bringing in good ol’ fashioned Democracy and Free Enterprise, Iran is now following exactly the same pattern: breaking IAEA Treaties, entering Nuclear enrichment plants and kicking out United Nations Inspectors.

For those of you still going, “Huh?” I’ll explain. Here’s what very well could have happened.

Read the rest of this entry »

Complaining about the Media has become dangerously close to being listed as one of my hobbies over the years. I had no idea that anyone enjoyed it as much as I did, but apparently someone else has been publicizing media mistakes on grand scale since at least April 2005.

In proving that many news-hounds aren’t housebroken, Craig Silverman of Ordinary Media has spotlighted many a pile of poo — and rubbed their noses in it — by posting their back-page apologies, retractions and clarifications to an extremely enjoyable blog, Regret the Error.

The December 13th posting, Crunks ’05: The Year in Media Errors and Corrections, conjures up some of the best and brightest calamities of 2005.

Kudos, Craig! If we offered awards, you’d get one.