Category: Uncategorized

I have a blog. That means I have to write about Katrina, right?

I have a request. Please stop using this horrific tragedy as an example of your political agenda. Stop snorting and saying “typical”. Whether you’re a member of the Bush Defamation League, you don’t like people whose skin has more or less brown than yours, you’re anti-gun, or whatever the hell you’re trying to prove, I’m tired of it. People are dying and other people are trying to help them. That’s it.

Here are some selections from CNN.com’s timeline of the events.

August 26th

• 4 p.m.: Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco declare states of emergency.

August 27th

• During the day, residents of Louisiana’s low-lying areas are told they must evacuate; residents in other low-lying areas are urgently advised to do so. President Bush declares a state of emergency in Louisiana.

August 28th

• 10 a.m.: As Katrina hits 175 mph winds, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuations as the storm seems to beat a direct path to the city.

August 29th

Katrina hits.

August 30th

• The U.S. military starts to move ships and helicopters to the region at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

August 31

• President Bush flies over the Gulf Coast in Air Force One to survey the damage. He later announces a major federal mobilization to help the victims.

September 1

• Violence disrupts relief efforts as authorities rescue trapped residents and try to evacuate thousands of others living among corpses and human waste. Those stranded express growing frustration with the disorder evident on the streets, raising questions about the coordination and timeliness of relief efforts.

• Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announces that 4,200 National Guard troops trained as military police will be deployed to New Orleans over the next three days. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco requests the mobilization of 40,000 National Guard troops.

September 2

• President Bush visits Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, and later signs a $10.5 billion disaster relief bill.

• Members of the Congressional Black Caucus criticize the pace of relief efforts, saying response was slow because those most affected are poor.

September 3rd

• The Army Corps of Engineers brings in pumps and generators from around the nation to help get New Orleans pumps back on line and bail out the city.

Now, I don’t really have anything to compare the timeliness of the federal response to. Maybe the people who are making claims that the goverment should have responded more quickly know more about these things than I do, but I’m not sure I buy that it could have been faster.

Yes, people have guns. Yes, people who are very hungry and very upset have guns. And yes, there have been incidents of some people shooting at the people who are trying to help. This is very, very messed up. This does not mean that we should abandon anyone, or that anything even remotely resembling a majority of victims do not deserve help. We should not succumb to the temptation to group the victims together based on the actions of a few crazed jerks.

And that’s all I’ve got.

Japanese people are weird. If you don’t believe me, go check this out. Jesus.

I just received some pictures from my Mom. One of them is of one of my brothers, this one being The Dark Lord of Darkness. How dark is he, you ask? In the picture, he is wearing a T-shirt which reads “I’m only wearing black until they make something darker”.

The picture is of him opening his birthday present, a green striped polo shirt. Come on, Mom.

The Rhapsodic Oracle had told me the following:

What do you think of me, Rhapsody?
Stereotypes, Blur. Fuck you, Rhapsody.

Will I have a happy life?
California, Gomez. That’s more of a place than an answer.

What do my friends think of me?
[Untitled], Oasis. Is that the equivalent of “[expletive deleted]”?

Do people secretly lust after me?
Seven Nation Army, White Stripes. That’s a lot of people.

How can I make myself happy?
See America Right, Mountain Goats. So I should get blitzed and travel. Gotcha.

What should I do with my life?
The Scientist, Coldplay. A bit late to be telling me this, Rhapsody. Seriously.

Why must life be so full of pain?
Devils Haircut, Beck. Sorry, Vito. Looks like I have to move on.

How can I maximize my pleasure during sex?
Susanne, Weezer. Ladies? You know my number.

Can you give me some advice?
Guns Blazing, U.N.K.L.E. Um… that’s a little frightening.

What do you think happiness is?
The Second One, Remy Shand. I do find that after two drinks, life improves.

Today, I send you on your way to other parts of the nets.

Here‘s a story on the Playstation symbols, and what their common meanings are in Japan. Found on digg.

In unrelated news, Peter now has a blog. Enjoy.

And, just in case you were wondering what to do with your mouth tonight, Ginger Altoids are frackin’ awesome.

Outback Steakhouse: No rules, just right.

103.3 The Edge: Break all the rules, there are no rules, rules are for wusses.

At what point did anarchy become a marketing tool? A healthy disrespect for authority is a major part of the American persona, sure, but no rules? The war of all against all? Does that really convince anyone to buy things? All I could envision as I ate dinner were fisticuffs and screaming matches lit by wallaby-shaped neon.

Word of the day: perquisite.

The Dictionary.com def: A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary, especially a benefit expected as one’s due.

I had no idea “perks” was short for something. Awesome.

What happens when a videogame fanatic marries an illustrator? Arguments about concept art.

My argument: The person on the left is a girl.
Hers: Nuh-uh.
Mine: Yes-huh.

After a little reading, it would appear that the “nuh-uh” line of reasoning is the correct one. But cut me some slack here — look at those eyelashes. I’m holding out for the game to see if ‘he’ ends up being a girl in disguise.

As the life-consuming MMORPG’s and my efforts to resist them have been on my mind recently (heck, I’ve only posted once since first talking about it), that’s what you’re getting today. It’s like they’re frickin’ following me around, waiting to pounce. Here’s an excerpt from a recent email from one of my brothers:

“I picked Final Fantasy XI back up again. I dropped it about 7 months ago. Now with a lot of the nwer update the game is great and it helps that I’m not making some of the mistakes I made before. Like bad gil spending and not sticking with a class.”

It’s always good to hear your brother is learning from his digital mistakes. Wouldn’t want him besmirching the family name in the online world. Also, why play a game that’s so similar to real life? Spending money poorly and changing careers frequently have repercussions? Doesn’t sound like much of a fantasy to me.

There are some peaceniks on Gates Circle. They’ve got some signage, little candles, and a guitar. Several incarnations of “the news” is there.

Assuming that this is an anti-war demonstration, I say the following: Come on now people. Go ahead and express yourself if it makes you feel better, but if you really want to make a change, go through the legitimate channels. Tell your congressman you’re not going to vote for him again if your demands are not met. Get a bunch of people to say that. Then your congressman will go to work and your voice will be heard. It may not be perfect, but it’s the best we’ve come up with so far.