Isn't Life Strange?

This is now an Archive...

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:14:07 -0700

I've made some changes to the blog and won't be using these pages any longer. I've left them here to serve as an archive.

Please go to http://www.isntlifestrange.com to see the new and improved Isn't Life Strange!

These Guys Rock

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:55:33 -0700

Okay, they've done this song a million times before and can play it pretty much on autopilot, but Rush still impresses the heck out of me. Geddy Lee is still in fine voice and Neil Peart is the greatest drummer alive.

The special guests are Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies, and Mike "Bubbles" Smith from the Canadian hit television show, Trailer Park Boys.

Behold, The Next Evolution

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:46:18 -0700

Soon, Isn't Life Strange will have a whole new look...

My Thoughts on Jericho

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:22:42 -0700

WARNING! Spoilers follow. If the series finale is waiting for you on your TiVo, you may want to watch it before reading this....

So I watched the series finale of Jericho last Tuesday and have a few observations.

First, I need to explain my Jericho experience and Jericho IQ. I never really watched the show during the first season but when a friend highly recommended it (at about the same time CBS announced its cancellation), I watched the pilot on the Internet and was intrigued. I bought the Season 1 DVD set and have not yet made it through all of the episodes. But I wanted to watch the 8 episode second season while I could. Fortunately I was able to follow the story with only a few questions.

That said, I might not know everything there is to know about Jericho but I do understand why the fans revolted when CBS announced that they were going to pull the plug. It has a fierce following. Google the phrase Save Jericho and youll find several websites dedicated to the show. A year ago I didnt know why fans were so angry that they inundated the CBS offices with thousands of pounds of peanuts but now that I have seen enough of the show, I understand their passion.

Just imagine living in small-town America and discovering that several major cities across the country have been destroyed by nuclear weapons. You cant easily learn much about what has happened because all the major television networks have been destroyed. Any news you learn is delivered word-of-mouth, so you dont really know what is real and what isnt. For all you know, the government isnt operating, suppliers of food goods are probably destroyed, and you have to deal with the possibility of nuclear fallout, disease, and a variety of other problems. You are instantly suspicious of strangers and people you dont know and start to develop a behavior of self preservation. Whats worse is that you have no idea who your enemies are and what the future holds.

I love stories like these, mostly because I wonder what real life would be like under similar circumstances. They make you think about humanity and how people would react to situations we never imagine. What would I do if a bomb fell on Houston? Assuming I was outside the blast zone when it hit, how would I get home to be with my family? Would there be fuel on the way home? Are the roads even passable? Is it too dangerous to be outside? How does one begin answering questions like these?

Jericho was sitting on a gold mine during the first season because it had an opportunity to explore anything and everything about the human condition. Some of the storylines were very good, some not so much. But the setting was fantastic.

This second season had its ups and downs and the mission undertaken by Hawkins and Jake to uncover the conspiracy finally came to its logical conclusion this past Tuesday.

I have mixed feelings about the finale. There were a few good moments. The Texans made me proud by their mid-air defense of Jake and Hawkins, a move that may have started a war. I enjoyed the scene in which Becks men realized that they were all working for a grossly corrupt and criminal government, tearing the flags of their new nation off their uniforms to support Becks decision to stop taking orders from his superiors. These were moments where men realized they had an obligation to do what was right and honorable, and they were well played by the cast.

Other than that, the series didnt really end with much of a bang, and left several unresolved questions. Okay, it appears there will be a revolution a fight for independence. The bomb was safely delivered to Texas as proof of a corrupt Cheyenne government. It looks like Texas will ally with the eastern states. Beck and his men are no longer taking orders from the Cheyenne government. What do they plan to do now?

It seemed to me that the entire run of eight shows in this second season could easily have been stretched to a full season. For example, the story of Jakes capture and imprisonment by Becks men was told in less than one episode! This could have been a compelling storyline about the affects of torture and imprisonment but instead, we were supposed to believe in a few short television minutes that Jake had been driven to the brink of madness. The point was made but it didnt quite work.

Still, Jericho was a fantastic show that could have been helped by the network. It was poorly promoted and suffered from being placed in terrible timeslots. As a result, it suffered from poor ratings and was doomed to fail. One might wonder what would have happened to some of the wildly popular shows of the past had todays network executives been in charge of their fate. Surely Cheers would not have made it past the first season. Seinfeld would have been cut after its initial 5-show run. We can only imagine what the future could have been for Jericho.

The story of Jericho has been told, but the finale left the door wide open to tell a new tale. The producers of the show have the opportunity to tell a story about American bravery, compassion, integrity, and patriotism. They have the opportunity to tell stories about what happens to ordinary Americans when they are forced to live under extraordinary circumstances. They have the opportunity to remind us all that the dreams of freedom and liberty do not need to die under the boot of a corrupt and criminal government.

It seems to me that CBS has missed an incredible opportunity by allowing Jericho to die, and thats a shame.

Lose Weight or We'll Take Your Children

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:17:38 -0700

I've blogged stories of insane governmental tyranny before, mostly having to do with the loony National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom.

I'm sure I've made my point clear before. Socialized health care, universal health care, government health care... whatever you want to call it... is a bad idea. If such a plan is enacted in the United States, not only can they force you to pay for services that you may or may never use, they can also tell you whether or not you are worthy of those services should you ever need them.

The logic is as follows -- You live in a collective in which you are forced to contribute to a fund to pay for the health needs of everyone. But not all health care procedures are the same. Some require a doctor's visit and a prescription. Others require surgery. Ultimately it is up to the health care provider to decide who is going to pay for the care. In the case of socialized medicine, that decision falls into the hands of the government. Health care isn't cheap, and since it is the responsibility of the government to pay for the health care of the entire nation, it looks to cut costs wherever it can. The very old and very sick are less likely to get proper care since the chances of them living longer and paying into the system is less than someone more healthy. The government will look for ways to exploit this policy to the maximum benefit of guess who? The government! Since the government pays for health care, the government will feel entitled to enact laws that tell you, private citizen of the collective, what you can eat and how much exercise you're required to have. Smoker? Don't even think about it! It will only get worse from there.

Think I am paranoid? Think again.

The UK government is so concerned with health, that their social services department has threatened to take six children away from their parents unless they all lose weight.

Social workers have warned they will intervene if three of the youngsters including a 12-year-old boy who weighs 16 stone do not shed several pounds in three months.

The parents have been told they risk losing all their children if there is no improvement in the 12-year-old or two of his sisters aged 11 and three who weigh 12 stone and four stone by June.

The family have also been ordered to send their children to dance and football lessons to help them lose weight.

The shocking development highlights Britain's childhood obesity crisis, which has already forced those as young as 13 to seek NHS weight-loss surgery.

Read more at ThisisLondon (link)

I know that this isn't a story about the health care system but I do believe it is related and an example of a nightmare that could soon be coming to the United States.

Collectivism is bad news, folks. At least with the current system, we can shop around and then petition the courts to resolve any injustice. If this is in the government's hands, you can forget about your rights.

Don't be too Outraged, Barack

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:33:30 -0700

A big story the other day was about a State Department Contractor getting into files and looking at Barack Obama's passport information. The Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice quickly apologized to Senator Obama and promised an investigation. Shortly following this news was a report stating that the records ot both Hillary Clinton and John McCain were also accessed, prompting Rice to apologize to Senator Clinton, and I suppose intending to do the same for Senator McCain whenever he returns from his "hey everybody, check out my foreign policy experience" world tour.

Obama has expressed his outrage, which is not all that unexpected or undeserved. I keep thinking to myself "oh great, people are going to be coming out of the woodwork to say George Bush did this and George Bush did that and George Bush is blah blah blah." It's always the same tired old act with the same political party hacks who say things like this to prey on those who haven't a clue or the desire to learn the facts for themselves.

Needless to say, I had a good chuckle when I read the following:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The CEO of a company whose employee is accused of improperly looking at the passport files of presidential candidates is a consultant to the Barack Obama campaign, a source said Saturday.

John O. Brennan, president and CEO of the Analysis Corp., advises the Illinois Democrat on foreign policy and intelligence issues, the source said.

Brennan briefed the media on behalf of the campaign this month.

The executive is a former senior CIA official and former interim director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

He contributed $2,300 to the Obama campaign in January.

I fully expect this story to die within 24 hours.

You can find the complete article at CNN. (link)

BSG Cast Does Top 10 on Letterman

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:24:39 -0700

Not Mary Ann's Mary Jane

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:04:06 -0700

Last week I posted a story regarding some trouble Dawn Wells got into over the possession of marijuana. She appeared on Fox and Friends this morning to tell everyone her story.

"The policeman stopped me, and I said 'I wasn't speeding, officer.' And he said no. And I said I have had a couple of drinks. I had two drinks. And then he asked me to get out of the car, and did some kind of test with me. He didn't give me a breathalyzer, and then he asked me if he could search the car, and I said 'Sure, go ahead,' and he discovered marijuana. I didn't know it was there. I would never have said 'go ahead and search the car,'" she continued.

Her lawyer Ron Swafford told FOX that within a few days, they learned that the individual who had borrowed her car during that entire day had come forward and identified himself and agreed to take responsibility.

That individual appeared before the court and stated that it was his marijuana, that Wells had no knowledge of it and that he was solely responsible. He came from out of state, he was sentenced, he went to jail and they voluntarily dismissed the charges against Wells. It was not a plea agreement, Swafford said.

Swafford added that Wells was given a standard sentence for reckless driving.

Read the full story at FoxNews. (link)

Checking In, 03/19/2008

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:13:24 -0700

Once again, I've been called to Louisiana to do a little work for a few days. I hope I don't catch anything that mild antibiotics won't cure.

As I was leaving the Houston area on Interstate 10 I encountered a little traffic. Well actually I encountered a parking lot right there on the highway. It took nearly an hour and a half to go a few miles, and when I got to the cause of the backup I was flabbergasted. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't major road construction. It was a few workers doing patch work on a bridge. The actual portion of roadway that was blocked off was only a few hundred feet! I suppose I should be happy they are actually trying to fix anything on the worst stretch of interstate highway I've ever encountered but the unpredictability of it all is enough to drive a man loony.

I'm still hoping some unknown long-lasting project in Hawaii is going to magically fall into my lap. Until that happens, pass the crawfish.

Teen Millionaire

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:43:33 -0700

Here's a fantastic story about a teenage millionaire.

It all started with capitalism 101, the law of supply and demand. Ashley became interested in graphic design just as the online social networking craze began to catch fire.

When she saw her friends personalizing their MySpace pages, she began creating and giving away MySpace background designs through Whateverlife. The designs are cheery, colorful and whimsical, with lots of hearts, Ashley's favorites.

Read the article and watch the video to learn more about how Ashley "turned an eight dollar website into a million-dollar empire." (link)

Just a comment - Web advertising is big business, folks. In my own opinion the website is horrible but I am not the consumer, am I? This is a perfect example of how a simple idea and a little ingenuity can lead to financial independence.

21 Accents

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:19:08 -0700

Here's a video that's taking the Internet by storm.

You can see more of Amy Walker and her amazing ability in an interview on the Today Show. (link)

More on Obama's Pastor

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:02:02 -0700

Yesterday I posted a link to a story on the controversial pastor of Barack and Michelle Obama's church. In that post I questioned how much those comments said about Obama himself.

Video speaks more loudly than print.

Watch the hatred below.

Friends, would you feel comfortable at a church that preached similar messages?

If you are curious, read this related article at ABC News for even more on the controversial preacher.

Today's News Links

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:45:36 -0700

From the "what in the hell is wrong with people" department:

DALLAS A woman threw her two young children from a freeway overpass during Wednesday's morning rush before leaping off herself, police said, and all three somehow survived the 22-foot fall into traffic.

Khandi Busby, 27, and her sons, ages 8 and 6, were in stable condition at Dallas hospitals, said Sr. Cpl. Kevin Janse, a police spokesman. They are well enough to speak with investigators, police said.

- AP via Fox News (link)

You know, you might as well file this next story in the same department. There has been some news over the past months about the controversial pastor of the church where Barack Obama is a member. He's a bit over the top (that's the nicest thing I can think to say about him)

"Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people," Wright said. "Hillary would never know that.

"Hillary ain't never been called a nigger. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person."

I'm not sure this says much about Obama himself, although the article does contain responses given by campaign spokespeople and Obama himself.

"Jeremiah Wright ... has said some things that are considered controversial because he's considered that part of his social gospel," Obama said.

HIS social gospel? Does this make racism acceptable, Senator?

There's more (if you're interested) at Fox News (link)

Big Corn

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:37:24 -0700

Those of you who know me might find it surprising to read that I believe we do indeed need to find alternative sources of energy to reduce and eliminate our reliance on foreign oil.

There are many good ideas being discussed and researched. Certainly one of the most popular is using our corn crops to produce ethanol. It sounds like a great way to produce a renewable fuel right here in the United States, but unfortunately it isn't that simple.

Here's what Walter E. Williams, syndicated columnist and professor of economics has to say:

Ethanol is 20 to 30 percent less efficient than gasoline, making it more expensive per highway mile. It takes 450 pounds of corn to produce the ethanol to fill one SUV tank. That's enough corn to feed one person for a year. Plus, it takes more than one gallon of fossil fuel oil and natural gas to produce one gallon of ethanol. After all, corn must be grown, fertilized, harvested and trucked to ethanol producers all of which are fuel-using activities. And it takes 1,700 gallons of water to produce one gallon of ethanol. On top of all this, if our total annual corn output were put to ethanol production, it would reduce gasoline consumption by 10 or 12 percent.

These are staggering numbers to be sure. The question we should be asking is why we are spending more energy to produce ethanol than it returns?

You can read the entire (short) Washington Times editorial here.

Mary Ann and Mary Jane

jahintx@charter.net (Jeff) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Apparently Dawn Wells, TV's Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island, has something in common with the late Bob Denver:

DRIGGS, Idaho -- Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car.

She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance were dropped.

Wow. There's something I never thought I would read!

(link)