Girl On Fire: The Literal Version

No matter how meek or timid you are, everyone has those moments where you feel like a badass. Sometimes it's simple things like tossing something blindly at a trash can and nailing the shot. Other times it's ignoring a rule or law just because you can. Sometimes, however, that latter can turn ugly.

Take for example, Austin Dawkins. Austin was in Atlanta at a gas station with his wife getting gas. Now everybody with any common sense knows you shouldn't smoke near the gas pumps for risk of fire BUT with all the safety precautions on modern gas pumps, some people think it's unnecessary. Austin was one of those people.

While pumping gas, Austin flicked his lit cigarette to the ground near the truck's gas tank... THAT HE WAS CURRENTLY FILLING UP! What do you think happened? If you said "it went out and everybody went home happy" you were mistaken. The cigarette ignited the gas fumes near the pump and flames erupted ENGULFING AUSTIN'S WIFE!

She ended up with 2nd and 3rd degree burns. He has been charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. This just goes to show, sometimes being the badass that breaks the rules just isn't worth it.

Here's the video of what happened thanks to WNCT.com:

WNCT

Taking the "Care" Out of Health Care

Before I even start this blog, this has NOTHING to do with the Affordable Care Act. If you're hear to gripe about Obama or whatever, please stop reading this and go away.

Our health care system in this country SUCKS! And this time I'm not talking about prices or insurance or any of those atrocities. I'm simply talking about the actual facilities and care (or lack thereof) that's being given to patients out there. Take for example, this story out of California I read this morning:

An assisted living community in Castro Valley, CA called Valley Manor Residential Care closed it's doors on Thursday, Oct. 24th after orders from the California Dept. of Social Services to "protect the health and safety of the clients in care." Sounds noble right? Well, any thoughts of good intentions disappear when you find out THEY LEFT FOURTEEN PEOPLE LOCKED IN THE FACILITY!

14 residents, several who were unable to leave their beds, were left after the staff walked out when they found out the place was closing and they would no longer be paid. Luckily, a cook, a janitor, and a caregiver were the only 3 out of the entire staff to stop and consider the residents and stayed behind WITHOUT PAY because they felt bad for the patients.

The patients were all removed and taken to other facilities and now police are searching for the owners and criminal charges are coming.

Sadly, this isn't an isolated incident. More and more health care facilities are being treated more like Fortune 500 companies and less like places to receive help. Budgets and bottom lines have replaced helping and healing.

Just remember next time you visit the doctor that your well being may not be their first priority... if it's a priority at all.

Can You Really BUY Respect?

I'm not a big fan of the Huffington Post. Never have been. I see it as more of an opinion page than the "news source" many have treated it as over the years and articles like this are exactly why I don't put a lot into what they say.

The article is called "Nine Disliked Celebrities Who Deserve Another Chance" which honestly sounded pretty interesting. Was I wrong about some of these pretentious douches? Did they do great things to the benefit of mankind that outweigh whatever makes them unlikeable? Were they unfairly portrayed in the media?

Nope, they just have money.

Don't get me wrong, the donations and time spent supporting whatever charities they support is a great thing. The problem is, I can only assume after seeing people like Kanye, Kim Kardashian, and Justin Bieber act like spoiled, selfish, conceited children that these acts of kindness are just for show. Yes Jay Leno took a pay cut so his staff wouldn't lose their jobs but that's only after he screwed Conan O'Brien and his staff out of jobs he gave them less than a year before.

There are others like Taylor Swift and Ashton Kutcher who are disliked, not for being a bad person, but for their respective performances who probably have the right intentions and things like this can totally sway my opinion of them. The ones who are just crappy people, however, can't just buy my respect.

Redefining "Crappy Food"

Everyone has been to at least one restaurant where you left saying "The food tasted like s***." Well now, there's a restaurant where the food LOOKS LIKE CRAP... and it's supposed to!

Modern Toilet (not surprisingly) got its start in Taiwan. The concept was born from one of the creators reading comics on the crapper. It began with chocolate ice cream served in toilet shaped bowls but when the response was positive it blossomed into a full blown toilet themed restaurant. Check it out:



These are mostly located in the Philippines but one is now open in Pomona, CA if you want to experience a whole new concept of the #2 Special.

Keep On Truckin

In case you've been living in a cave for the past few weeks, we are in a Government Shutdown. It's been 8 days long so far with no signs of letting up. The short version of the story is that the American Care Act went into effect on Oct. 1st and in an attempt to block it, even though it had already been voted into law, Republicans refused to sign a new budget without provisions to strip funding from the ACA. Democrats and President Obama refuse to budge on the ACA and demand a budget with no provisions to strip the ACA of funding. Now we're basically at a stalemate where even high profile Republicans are asking House majority leader John Boehner to allow for a vote to get a budget passed while he still stands firm that the bill won't pass if it goes to a vote.

But you probably already knew all of that. Well what you may not know, is that the protests are starting to organize. One planned for this weekend is called "Truckers Ride for the Constitution". TRFTC will see large numbers of truck drivers clogging up the beltway in DC throughout this weekend. The plan is to run 3 lanes wide at the posted speed limit of 55 MPH and only allow vehicles through their maze of trucks if they have the events acronym displayed on their vehicle.

Some may see this as a burden to innocent residents of the area and it will be BUT it's also something to get people talking and hopefully open the eyes of those on Capital Hill. The group says their main intention is to ask for "the arrest of everyone in government who has violated their oath of office" which includes Senator Boehner and President Obama.

It's highly doubtful any arrests will be made in Congress but the group did say if police hassle them "we're going to lock the brakes up, we're going to stop right there, we're going to be a three lane roadblock" so if you're planning a trip to DC this weekend... DON'T!

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of many many protests and demonstrations unless this government shutdown comes to an end and even then I'm not sure any faith in government will return.

Miss America Apparently Not 'Merica Enough

Before I begin this rant, let me say that I am proud to be an American. I truly believe this country has the potential to be a figurehead and an example to societies around the globe.

Now, time to vent...

First, let me introduce you to Nina Davuluri, the 2013 Miss America winner:

Gorgeous right? Nina also has the honor of being the FIRST Indian-American to be crowned Miss America. A great day for racial equality and social progress, right? NOPE! While we as a country should have been sitting back thinking of how much progress we've made socially, more than a few people took to social media to prove that there are plenty of Americans who are about as forward thinking as a brick. 

Here are a few of the THOUSANDS of ignorant things posted on Twitter:

"9/11 was 4 days ago, and she gets Miss America?"

"More like 'Miss Terrorist'."

"Congratulations Al-Qaeda. Our Miss America is one of you."

And one moron even commented that Obama must be happy because "another Arab" won Miss America. I'm not sure what is more embarrassing: the fact that apparently if you're not a fat, stupid, white person you don't look "American enough" or that there are that many people who don't know that India is not in the Middle East or that all Arabs aren't Al-Qaeda.

I never gave a crap about Miss America until now. Now, I'm proud of our new Miss America. Not because she won, but because I HOPE she represents a more open minded future for our country. Otherwise, the ignorant racist morons win and NOBODY wants that.

#Merica

ECU = Embarassed by College Undergrads

In my 13 years of being a Pirate, I can now say I have officially felt EMBARRASSED to admit it.

Saturday was the first game of the 2013-14 ECU football season. Having a season opener at home is always exciting because you get to see the boys start the year at home and don't have to wait the extra week like we do with an away opener. And the Pirates put on quite a show starting the season with a big win against Old Dominion and our QB throwing for 5 TDs with ZERO interceptions!

But the troubles and shame happened before the first pass was thrown...

For years 99.5 The X has been the OFFICIAL tailgate station of the ECU Pirates. We've hosted our tailgate show in various places over the years but the past 4 we've been at the bottom of College Hill Dr. with the Student Pirate Club. We love getting crazy and a little rowdy before a football game too but this week was just shameful.

During our 2 hour broadcast we had one drunk chick grab our lunch off our table without asking then put it back after she got her hands all over it, a drunk guy leave his empty liquor bottles on our table... right in front of us... even though the recycling bin was literally 10 feet away, someone threw drink on the side of our van, and last but not least: a guy had to be carried away on a stretcher.

We've seen the EMT's have to attend to people over the years for heat exhaustion, dehydration, or a few bumps and bruises but never have I seen a full ambulance come in and carry someone out on a stretcher. Not only was he carried out but the poor guy was bleeding profusely from his HEAD! I was told it was from a fight which is even worse than if he fell while drunk. Drunken stupidity is bad enough but when we can't make it through 1 freaking tailgate party without a fight breaking out, that's bad.

I don't know what the solution is without making the tailgate fields so stiff and sober that nobody wants to be there unless the younger generation of Pirates pull their heads out of their collective asses and start to respect others around them.

I know that makes me sound old but honestly, if your first thought after reading that is that I'm old you're probably one of the d-bags I'm embarrassed to share my alma mater with.

Turnabout Is Fair Play

This woman just had her bike stolen.



She looks awful happy about it doesn't she? Well, it's because there's much more to this hilarious story.

Wednesday, she realized her bike had been stolen while she was visiting a friend. She called the cops but before hearing back, someone called her saying they saw it for sale on Craigslist! She called the cops again and informed them but was told they wouldn't be able to look into it till the next day. She knew if the bike was sold she'd never see it again so she took matters into her own hands.

She then contacted the seller/thief herself (who lived 2 blocks from where it was stolen) and said she wanted to BUY the bike. They met up and, after verifying it was hers without telling the guy, she asked for a test ride. He agreed and asked her NOT TO RIDE OFF ON IT! Well, that's exactly what she did.

She STOLE BACK HER STOLEN BIKE! This chick is officially a badass. Thumbs up to you Canadian lady!

Click here to see the original story on Reddit.

The Futurama Is Now!

The future of long distance travel may be closer than we think... if we can afford it.

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors and general science genius, has released designs for the Hyperloop. It's a train in a tube moved by air pressure. Think of Futurama and the personal transport tubes people zip around the city in or the thing at the bank they use to send money out to people at the drive thru. It's basically a bigger one of those.

This would cut travel time across the US by huge percentages. For example: it could go from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes, a trip that now takes several hours. It would also cost 1/10th of what a high-speed rail line would cost ($7 billion compared to $70 billion).

The "pods" would hold 28 people and travel at speeds in excess of 750 mph! There is also an alternative design that would allow people to drive their cars into the pods with them. All of this is speculation at this point as no real world testing has been done.

There are costs and challenges ahead but this could revolutionize everything from transporting food and other goods to personal travel.

Click to read the full details on the Hyperloop at Gizmodo.com

False Advertising

Advertising by definition is marketing meant to persuade or manipulate an audience but the things advertisers get away with seems criminal... but it's perfectly legal! Here are FOUR big lies advertising tells us daily:

1. Cell phone coverage is bullcrap. Everybody from Sprint to AT&T shows off big coverage maps that make it SEEM like you'll have cell service coast to coast. Well, the problem is that they measure this by where calls are dropped and where they aren't. Here's the problem, ANYTHING can cause a dropped call from trees and buildings to electrical interference. The companies use that flexibility to ASSUME the problem isn't them and count areas as "covered" that are actually dead zones.

2. Food serving sizes are a giant mystery. Companies are constantly changing sizes of what a serving is as well as the package it comes in and many times it makes no sense. For example, Healthy Choice makes a single serving soup THAT HAS 2 SERVINGS PER CONTAINER! So you either overeat or throw away half of the soup. They aren't the only ones guilty of this, just an example.

3. Not all "health benefits" are real. Lately it seems like 2 of the healthiest things to are bee pollen and acai berries for their magical health benefits. But what are those benefits? Anybody? I'll tell you... NOTHING! Neither one has any real benefit but advertising has convinced us they do. Wrigley tried this with Eclipse Gum saying it made your mouth healthier but they got SUED by competitors because it's actually the extra saliva chewing creates that makes you mouth healthier, not the gum itself.

4. Food that SOUNDS healthy, probably isn't. Instead of pointing out what the food is made of, they point out the ONE bad thing the food doesn't have. Like Krispy Kreme saying their donuts have 0% trans fat. Really? That's the bad kind so they must be good! Well, they still have a gallon of sugar and tons of carbs in them. Delicious, but not healthy.

Basically I'm just saying, don't believe the hype. When a commercial goes off and you suddenly crave what you just saw, they just won. Try to read between the lines and question the "facts" that advertising throws your way.

Original story from Cracked.com

Freedom to Fap

Porn. Even in 2013 it's still somewhat of a social taboo even though a HUGE percentage of Americans watch regularly. It's one of those things that some people have no shame about whatsoever (I watch porn, what of it?) but others hide like a password to their bank account. Well, what if you had to let the government know you watch porn?

England is pushing for new laws that will REQUIRE people to tell their internet provider whether they watch porn. If they say "no", it will block ALL porn from their home. If they say "yes", you'll get full access to the wide world of porn. The logic they are using it that this will crack down on "the corroding influence of pornography on childhood"... which sounds like a good thing.

Really think about that though. They are making ALL citizens basically notify the world whether or not they watch porn. Regardless of whether they have kids. How does my watching porn affect any kid anywhere? IT DOESN'T!!

The other MAJOR problem with this line of thought is the fact that British people are giving their government more access to their private lives rather than cracking down on crappy parents. If a kid is watching porn underage, there is a parent to blame. NOT the internet. NOT the porn industry. NOT porn websites. If parents actually PARENTED and kept tabs on what their kids are doing online it wouldn't be a problem. Hell, most every browser has the option to block adult material or certain websites.

To me this all comes back to one simple opinion: If you're not mature enough to raise your children, STOP HAVING KIDS! If you do insist on having kids and not doing your job as a parent, accept your screwed up offspring as your fault and stop looking for someone or something else to blame.

The Death of News

News is defined as "newly received and noteworthy information." In the past, it was the responsibility of the news media to deliver that "noteworthy information" as honestly, fairly, and reliably as possible. Sadly, the advent of 24-Hour news channels (like CNN or Fox News) credibility has taken a backseat to ratings.

Take for example the crapstorm KTVU in San Francisco has gotten themselves into. While covering the recent crash of an Asiana Airlines plane KTVU asked someone from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for the names of the pilots. Obviously without verifying any of the names, they reported the pilots names were:

Sum Ting Wong
Wi Tu Lo
Bang Ding Ow
Ho Lee Fuk

If you don't understand the problem, say those names out loud. Go ahead... I'll wait. Yea, somebody who calls themselves a reporter actually believed those were real names! The even sadder part is that they obviously did NOT fact check themselves and put them on the air. Asiana Airlines is now SUING the station for slander and said they insulted not only the company but Asians in general.

I blame the race for ratings. News stations do whatever it takes nowadays to be the FIRST to get the story out, not the BEST. The past 3 presidential elections have been "called" prematurely by news stations which were WRONG, during the Boston Marathon bombings 3 different INNOCENT PEOPLE were blasted on national news and accused as suspects with no evidence other than speculation, hell the whole nation gasped when the news took a Twitter post about an attack on the White House too seriously.

I've said it quite frequently lately but don't believe everything you hear on "the news" anymore. Don't blindly believe what they report until they start proving they have some credibility again. Stay informed and remember what Rage Against The Machine told us in the 90s, "If ignorance is bliss, then wipe the smile off my face."

Brilliant and Unusual Punishment

I could write novels bitching about all the problems with our justice system but one of the biggest I see is sentencing. Our Constitution bans "Cruel and unusual punishment" but I think that's been interpreted to mean "every crime gets the same punishment". I don't understand why someone who shoplifts gets the same punishment as someone who assaulted another person. It's either prison time, a fine, or probation for the most part but every once in a while a judge does something brilliant...

In Halifax County recently, Toni King was charged with assaulting a government official, larceny and possession of stolen goods, and being intoxicated and disruptive. She pleaded guilty to resisting a public officer and intoxicated and disruptive with an interesting sentence from the judge: probation, counseling, and A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT! Toni has to write a 2 page essay titled "How a Lady Should Behave in Public"!

To some that may seem trivial or a waste of time but think about it, she'll have to sit down, think hard about what she did, then write an essay basically describing how she was acting like an idiot and what she should do in the future. It might not change a thing but it could be the insight she needs to turn her life around.

I think if more judges would hand out sentences appropriate to the crime instead of what's on the books as "the standard" we might have more reformed criminals and less repeat offenders.

Attack Of The Killer Laundry Detergent

Hide your kids! There's a new monster in our homes killing our children!!

Scary huh? For those who don't know, those are detergent capsules. Little plastic bubbles full of laundry detergent that you throw into the load instead of measuring it out yourself. Well, apparently they are murdering children.

I'm being very over dramatic because I think this whole "problem" is idiotic. Yes, laundry detergent can be deadly if swallowed or inhaled and can cause permanent damage or even death in children. The story according to the media is that the companies that make them haven't taken proper precautions to make them look unappetizing so kids don't try to eat them.

Personally, I think this goes right back to the lack of parenting in this country. If parents actually paid attention to their children, they wouldn't have time to eat detergent. "But you can't watch them every minute" said the excuse-maker. Well, the 2nd part of it is that if you have kids or kids are in your house KEEP THE DAMN CLEANING PRODUCTS LOCKED UP OR OUT OF REACH!

It really scares me that we're heading toward an America where everybody has to wear bubble wrap body suits. Take some damn personal accountability when your kids do something dumb or bad and try learning from your and your children's mistakes instead of looking for a company to blame.

Cool Parents vs. Crappy Parents

I heard a local news story recently that got me thinking about the difference between "Cool Parents" and "Crappy Parents".

The story was about a couple in Bridgeton who were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting someone under age for allowing their teen daughter and her friends to drink at their house.

When I first heard the story I immediately assumed "party pooper". I thought either someone who wasn't invited or possibly a neighbor called the cops on the party and got everybody in trouble. Then I heard the details...

"Officers found fifteen teens between the ages of 12 and 15 drinking."

WHAT??? 75% of the people drinking were UNDER FIFTEEN YEARS OLD!! These 2 idiots deserve to have the book thrown at them because that's just stupidity. Either they were trying to be cool in the eyes of a bunch of kids (which is sad) or they didn't see where this could go badly (which is even sadder).

If this had been a group of 18 & 19 year old teens I'd have no problem with what happened and would even commend them for allowing their kids to party responsibly if they choose instead of sneaking around and risking getting in trouble or worse. However, if you're hosting keggers for kids who aren't even old enough to DRIVE, you really need to re-evaluate your situation.

Sunset Sessions Rock! 2013 Recap

Earlier this month I made my 3rd annual excursion to southern California for Sunset Sessions Rock! Sunset Sessions at its core is a music conference. Record labels, management, and individual artists and bands come out to perform for an audience of radio professionals, music supervisors (the people who make movie, tv, video game, and other soundtracks), and other music industry professionals. We spend 4 days talking music, discovering new bands, and building a network within the industry.

This year's started on sketchy terms when I woke up 2 days before my flight out with a sinus infection. An overdose of zinc, Vitamin C, and cold meds got me cleared up enough by the time I arrived that I was fine so the weekend was underway. The first day started with the "Passion Panel" which is kinda like speed dating but much cooler. We rotate between tables and get to know each other and introduce ourselves. Afterwards we headed off to Belly Up, the venue for the nightly performances, to see the first night's bands. Cameron Rafati, The Unlikely Candidates, Faulkner (3rd great SSR show), Semi Precious Weapons (AWOLNATION-esque), and Monster Truck (denim wearing, Canadian classic rock style) were the first round of artists and all were great. Feral Vinca and Big B both returned as alumni to perform on the Late Night stage. After hours we headed back to the resort for an acoustic jam with various artists jumping into the mix.

Day 2 kicked off with Oleander acoustic by the pool and a discussion panel and an encore acoustic set by Bib B. Then we talked about social media and how to make the most of our social networks then more acoustic by the pool. Next we got to sit in on an interview with the legendary Sammy Hagar! Great discussion, debut of 4 new songs, and some of his Beach Bar Rum. After that we snuck off for a while to try a West Coast staple: In 'n Out Burger! It was amazing!! Back to the resort and off to the main stage we went. Night 2 saw Cheating Daylight (very talented teen "family" band), Leogun (dirty Brit rock), Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Michelle Delamor, 7Lions, Redlight King (friends of The X and always a great show), Heaven's Basement (mind blowing Brit rockers) and Ed Hale & The Transcendence. The highlight of the night for me was Heaven's Basement who I had heard their album but after seeing them live, I was a full blown fan. Forgot to mention that our boys Skratch 'n Sniff were mixing between bands both nights. Great seeing them as always!

Day 3 started with Bloody Marys and a greasy breakfast to calm the head and stomach. Then a few panels and a really cool keynote discussion with Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman that blew my mind at how far Warped Tour has come over the years as a festival. Before the main stage we also saw a poolside performace by The Negotiators, a band of NINE YEAR OLDS who KILLED IT! The final Main Stage rocked with Strange Native, The Boxer Rebellion, Eve To Adam, Acidic (a band I played on Local 99 in the past who kicked some serious ass), Dig The Kid, Brand New Machine, and D-Strutters.

Sunday it was all good-byes and packing as we all headed back home. I had a late flight so I spent the day puttering around San Diego and sightseeing. I did make a trip to the ocean (which was right across the street from our resort) on Saturday and walked in the sand and took some cool pics. Once again I met some amazing people, saw some great friends, discovered some great new bands, and had a freaking blast doing it!

Counting the days till next time...

Making Dreams Come True

Everybody has dreams. Some have big dreams like a career goal or being a celebrity. Others have smaller dreams like a new car or more time with their families. Well, what would you do if you had the chance to make someone else's dream come true?

A guy eating out on Sunday had that chance and ran with it. A waitress was chatting with one of her tables and told them about her family in Italy. She went on to tell them about how she'd never been to Italy to visit, even though she's had 8 years of art education and Florence, Italy (where her family is located) is one of the art capitals of the world! The bill was brought and after the table left, she found this:



The guy left a $999.58 tip so the woman could make the trip to Italy! Of course, this story is from the internet and there's no way to verify (the story only lists the restaurant as being in a "small town") but it's still a great story about a type of person we should all strive to be.

Carolina Rebellion 2013 Recap

This year marked the 3rd year in a row that Carolina Rebellion was not only the biggest show around... but also got BIGGER! It started as a one day show, then they added a Friday Night Pre-Show, and this year they expanded it out to a full weekend!

Due to work I wasn't able to make it Friday night but I hear Eye Empire and Beware of Darkness kicked some major ass.

Saturday started off chilly and breezy as hell but that didn't stop the bands from bringing the ROCK! Young Guns kicked off the day with a dose of Brit rock that was like a sonic cup of coffee to start the day. I didn't get the chance to see many of the bands but I could hear plenty from where we were and Sick Puppies did a badass Foo Fighters cover, In This Moment blew minds with their stage setup and sonic assault, Aranda showed us how they made a name for themselves with a killer set, Matt showed the world he was the perfect replacement at the front of Three Days Grace, and even Limp Bizkit hit the stage and sounded PERFECT! Honestly, there wasn't a bad show the whole day.

Sunday we were expecting some rain but I don't think anybody knew exactly what we were going to get hit with. It rained a ton, it was cold as hell, and the wind blew it's ass off. Several bands had to cancel their sets due to weather and the show was called off later in the day but bands like All That Remains, Sevendust, Pop Evil, and Hollywood Undead trudged thru and brought the rock to the fans. Steel Panther even gave us some face shredding comedic relief. Even with the cancellations the day still rocked.

All in all it was a freaking blast yet again. Had a great time meeting rockers, chatting with old friends, and rocking the eff out!

Cinnamon Challenge Mega Fail

Last week I blogged about photo memes that have been spreading like wildfire. I didn't mention, however, the equally long and insane list of VIDEO memes. One of my favorites has always been the Cinnamon Challenge.

For those who haven't seen one of these videos yet it's pretty simple: you take a spoonful of cinnamon and try to swallow it without water. It's basically impossible and causes an immediate and strong gag reflex, kinda like these:




As you can see, it's not fun. Well, a new study out of the University of Miami shows it can also be DEADLY! It can cause all kinds of problems all the way up to EMPHYSEMA if the cinnamon is inhaled. Last year alone poison control centers got 222 calls about cinnamon swallowing incidents and 30 teens were hospitalized after attempting the challenge.

Find a damn hobby people!

Meme Mania!

Dictionary.com defines meme as "a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes". Basically that means a meme is something that gets spread around society via things like social networks and grows, develops, and mutates as it spreads.

Some classic examples of memes are "planking" (lying flat in a random place like a plank):



Then there was "Batmanning" (hanging upside down like Batman):



Then it was "owling" (perching like an owl):



Then it started getting more complicated with  "Hadukening" (posing like u just got hit by a fireball in Street Fighter):



Which lead to "Vadering" (posing like you're being Force Choked by Darth Vader):



And the newest way to prove you have nothing better to do with your time is.... "QUIDDITCHING" (posing like you're playing Quidditch in the Harry Potter universe):



Although like most memes, it will be EVERYWHERE then disappear to make way for the next meme which is going to be...

Creepers Gonna Creep

Everyone reading this has either been the giver of or recipient of the dreaded "uncomfortable stare". It happens. Sometimes it's just our mind wandering and our face happens to be pointed at another person. Sometimes a hottie or stud catches our eye and we get caught up in the view. Other times, it's just plain creepy.

Take for example this past Sunday when me and my girlfriend had dinner in New Bern. We were walking back to the car and saw this random dude staring at the wall... or so we thought. Upon closer inspection he appeared to be reading some promotional flyers hanging in a store window. At least, that's what we thought until we saw that there was a Zumba class in the store he was standing outside of. Then we joked that maybe it was some perv watching the class but figured it was probably someone's husband.

Well, we found out later from someone who was in the class THAT HE WAS A CREEPER! He just stood out there watching them exercise. This brought several questions to mind: Did he think nobody would notice? What was his plan if anyone asked what he was doing? Does he not have internet access to watch porn at his leisure?

The moral of this story is: don't be creepy.

Seeing Red Through Diamond Eyes

This past weekend was a perfect storm of awesome. Chevelle and Deftones had shows on the same weekend and it was 2 weeks before my girlfriend's birthday which sounded like a perfect present for both of us!

It started Friday with a trip to Myrtle Beach to see Chevelle. I've seen the boys several times but it's always great in a smaller venue like the House of Blues. We got there a little late but just in time to see Pete, Sam, and Dean hit the stage. The boys fired off a medley of new tracks, old classics, and even some album cuts I've never heard them perform live like Forfeit. This was just the beginning of a long weekend so after the show we hit the hotel and crashed almost immediately.

Saturday morning we decided to venture into Myrtle Beach and check out one of the Ripley's exhibits. After getting good and lost and asking for directions we found our way and decided to try the Ripley's Haunted Museum which was effing TERRIFYING! I won't spoil the fun but remember the phrase "We're going to play a little game" if you ever give it a try yourself.

After that we decided to check out WonderWorks (or the Upside Down House as I have been calling it). That place is AWESOME! All kinds of cool exhibits, toys, games, puzzles, and interactive displays. There are a lot of kid themed as well as adult friendly things to do. We spent a little over an hour there but could have spent a whole day if we tried.

Then to wrap up the fun, it was back to the House of Blues to rock with the Deftones! The boys brought it with one of the best shows I've ever seen from them but the real show was beside the stage. We were over in the right corner near the sidebar and saw all kinds of craziness. I watched a drunk chick try to climb the railing instead of working back thru the crowd and fall about 8 feet flat on her face on the floor. I saw a guy being drug away by 6 bouncers kicking and screaming. I watched the cops cart off a girl who looked about 12 who was piss drunk and kept knocking over other people's drinks. Needless to say, it was quite a night.

A solid night's sleep at the hotel, an omelet to fill up the tummy, and we were homeward bound. 3 days later and I'm still recovering but I can proudly say... I give good birthday!

What Would You Do?

Even as a kid it bothered me how often I heard talk of frivolous lawsuits.

I'm not talking about legitimate things that need to be addressed like business disputes. No, I'm talking about things like when a man years ago tried to commit suicide by jumping out of a window and was tackled by a police officer before he could jump. The man was injured by the cop tackling him and sued... AND WON! This guy would be dead if the officer had not done what he did and now the douche turns around and SUES them.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago at an "independant living community" in California. An 87 year old woman collapsed in the dining room and a nurse called 911. The dispatcher told the nurse she needed to perform CPR on the woman or she would die. The nurse REFUSED to do it because it was against the nursing home's policy to perform CPR because, similar to the story above, people who have been SAVED by CPR have turned around and SUED the EMTs or whoever because while SAVING THEIR LIFE they cracked a rib or bruised something or whatever. The woman died and now the home is defending the nurse.

Here's the difficult part to think about: what was the right thing to do? By not performing CPR, the woman died and now the nurse has to carry that burden for the rest of her life. Had she performed CPR, there's no guarantee the woman would have lived BUT she would have definitely lost her job and could have faced a lawsuit from the home and/or the woman and her family.

I'm not saying letting others die is the right thing to do, but as a country I think a story like this should open a lot of eyes as to just how scared we are as a society of being SUED just for doing the right thing.

Facebook For Good

It's not often that Facebook is used to do something good, let alone for a stranger but it does happen and it can be an amazing thing.

James McConnell of Southsea, Hampshire, England passed away last month at age 70. James was a veteran of the British Royal Marines but at his time of passing had no known family. His graveside service was setup by Social Services but due to lack of family no formal service was scheduled.

Bob Mason was the reverend scheduled to conduct the burial and felt a calling to do the right thing so he posted this on Facebook:

DEATH OF FORMER ROYAL MARINE
I am a clergyman in Southsea and I have been asked to conduct the Burial on 21st February for Mr McConnell who was in care at Bluebell Nursing Home, Southsea.
Sadly, Mr McConnell appears to have no family, and the ceremony (graveside only, no formal Service) is being arranged by Social Services.
The Nursing home that he was with have informed me that he was a Royal Marine but he was not at the Nursing home very long so other details are scarce.
The graveside service will be held at 09.30 on the 21st Feb at Milton Cemetery, 197 Milton Road, Portsmouth. PO4 8RS.
Ladies and Gentlemen, In this day and age it is tragic enough that anyone has to leave this world with no one to mourn their passing, but this man was family and I am sure you will agree deserves a better send off. If you can make it to the graveside for that time to pay your respects to a former brother in arms then please try to be there.
Further information can be obtained by ringing the Revd Bob Mason at the address and number below.
(Revd) Bob Mason

The post netted almost 400 likes and over 100 comments and a mind-blowing TWO HUNDRED PLUS PEOPLE were in attendance to wish James McConnell, a man they had never met nor knew nothing about other than the fact that he was a veteran, farewell.

It's things like this that give me hope for humanity as a whole.

RIP James McConnell

Law & Order: IRL

For the non-gamers out there, IRL means "In Real Life". A very appropriate title considering a recent study out of Washington State University that shows that watching TV crime dramas makes people more likely to help others in criminal situations.

The study suggests that by watching shows like Law & Order and CSI that people are actually being educated about things like sexual assault. These shows average about 6 violent acts per hour, 10% of which are related to sexual assault. The shows also tend to feature bystanders helping the victims or the police as they investigate.

Researchers think the combination of seeing these violent acts portrayed and seeing civilians stepping up to help strangers inspires and empowers people to be more pro-active when they encounter similar situations. They went on to say that this can both dissuade attackers and support victims which is what is necessary to eliminate sexual assaults.

Click here to see the full text from the Journal of Health Communication.

The Robots Are Taking Our Jobs!

Now I'm not the type to blame technology for taking away jobs from "us humans". I understand that some jobs are easier, more consistently done, and safer when done by robots. However, this just doesn't make sense to me...



WHAT THE HELL? I may be missing the point but I was under the assumption that the reason stores had people spinning signs out front was to not only draw attention to the store but to put a HUMAN FACE OUT FRONT!

Now before I go any further, I don't see these as necessary jobs. They are a way of advertising, which is necessary for a successful business, but I don't think it's vital to have a person holding the signs. I think the signs could be just as effective if they were just on a pole or even a moving pole like in the video above. The part I don't get is the mannequin. Do they think people are so stupid they won't realize it's not a real person?

My guess would be the REAL reason we started seeing people holding signs instead of more signs is local ordinances. They limit the number and size of signs you can display but I would guess those rules go out the window if you have a person stand there and hold the sign. Now, that logic has been quickly forgotten and the cost cutting has begun which apparently started with the sign holders.

This is an isolated incident but I'm expecting this trend will spread quickly. Maybe Skynet will get it's start in fast food like everyone else...

Poster Child

Drinking and driving. It's been a heated topic almost since the invention of the automobile. Drinking and driving is not only illegal but it can lead to injury or worse. The strange part is, people still do it every single day and don't think they will be the one who pay the consequences. Some are right but sometimes you have to pay the piper.

Carla Atallah is learning that lesson right now as she gets ready to start a 5 YEAR prison term after driving drunk back in 2009 and flipping her SUV. That accident killed Ryan Worthington who was a passenger in the SUV and Carla has been charged with felony death by vehicle and driving while impaired.

Some may say she deserves more than 5 years for causing the death of another. Others may say she has suffered enough knowing she took a life. Personally, I think she deserves whatever she gets.

There is no excuse for driving drunk, especially in a place like Greenville where cabs are waiting outside of every bar and club or at worst are a phone call away. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life but driving drunk is not one of them. It's just a risk I'm not willing to take and this story is just one of the million examples of how big of a risk it can be.

Have the Bullies Won?

Bullying isn't a new idea. When I was a kid I had to start wearing glasses at 8 years old and was the ONLY kid in my class that had them. Needless to say, this led to plenty of being picked on. It sucked but it taught me how to deal with negative situations and in the end made me a stronger and more confident person by knowing they only picked on me to make themselves feel better. Even then it wasn't a new thing, people have been bullying others ever since cavemen would crack each other over the head to steal food from one another.

Although, living in today's society you'd think bullying was some crazy new idea that just popped up and that nobody knows how to handle it. This is not the case, the problem is that society doesn't like to deal with problems PERIOD and something like bullying can't be ignored until it goes away, quite the opposite actually. The only way to stop bullying is if those being bullied stand up to the bullies, and that only works if they know they are in the right and will be supported by authority figures like teachers, bosses, etc. Sadly, that's not always the case.

Take for example the 13 year old 6th grader in Missouri who was being sexually harassed because of her breast size. Did the teachers sit the girl down and tell her to be strong and ways to protect herself? No. Did they talk to those harassing her and punish them or threaten punishment? No. Their brilliant way to stop the harassment was to TELL THE GIRL'S MOTHER TO GET HER A BREAST REDUCTION! Are you fucking kidding me? I couldn't imagine how big someone's balls must be to have the audacity to tell mother her daughter should have unnecessary surgery that could cause her more problems in the end simply because they are too stupid, lazy, afraid, or otherwise uncaring enough to handle the actual problem.

We as a society can't keep on like this. We can't keep blaming the victims of crimes because we won't blame the perpetrators. We can't keep blaming the media and entertainment industries when they are merely giving us what we keep running back to. We need parents, teachers, and other people involved in a child's life to not only praise their accomplishments but punish their wrongdoings and point out their mistakes.

Otherwise, it's just going to get worse.

Come Together

Back in August of last year I ran across a story that blew me away. In the small African country of Togo, the people were tired of years of living under a dictatorship and the family that had control since 2005. Like any group of citizens, they fought back in the form of protests. One protest, however, really caught a lot of attention: the women refused to have sex until democracy was given a chance! There's no way to know how much the no sex protest affected things but within months not only did they hold their first election, but a woman won!

It really blows the mind to see how big of a change the "little people" can make when we unite to fight against a common evil. It got me thinking recently about how many problems we are having here in America and how quickly those problems could be fixed if we, the people, stood united against the decision makers and forced them to make the hard decisions and changes we need.

Then I heard of a group who are standing together against a common problem... and it made me angry, sad, and disappointed all at the same time:

Justin Bieber fans are CUTTING THEMSELVES to get him to quit smoking pot.

WHAT?? Let me get this straight, we have people starving in our streets, retired members of the armed forces struggling to survive, an economy circling the drain, and a nation more divided than it has been in decades and the one thing we unite to fight is some f***ing pop singer toking some reefer?

If this is seen as a cause worth fighting out of all the ones out there, it really terrifies me what the future holds for this nation and the people who call it home.

Taking the "Self" out of "Self Control"

Before I go off on this rant, let me inform anyone who has never met me that I'm a fat guy. At 6'4" I weigh in just under 300lbs. Thanks to my height I carry the weight fairly well but most of it is in my stomach area, which is bad for the heart, so I know I need to work on that. Anyway, rant time...

As previously stated, I'm a big dude. I wasn't always big though. Growing up I was always tall for my age and that constant growing kept me very thin for most of my childhood. As I got older and my growing slowed, my eating habits carried on and I started gaining size. By the end of college, and pretty much ever since, I've been about 50+ pounds overweight for my height.

Looking back on the period of time where I went from skinny to fat, I blame nobody but myself. I was the one eating fast food multiple times a day to avoid having to cook. I was the one eating snacks while playing video games and watching TV. I was the one who didn't exercise as I should have. It wasn't McDonald's fault that I got fat eating greasy burgers or any other establishment or advertising campaign.

Now to finally get to my point, there's a new fork hitting the market called the HAPIfork (or Smart Fork). It weighs the bites of food you are eating and beeps if you are eating too much or eating it too fast. I think this could be a great invention for kids. Schools could use them to teach proper eating habits and even parents could use them to help curb heavy snaking after school. BUT I think in the hands of adults, it's just going to be another way to shirk responsibility.

By having a fork that tells you to stop eating so much, people no longer have to pay attention to what they are cramming in their mouths (which, honestly, is 95% of the problem now). Just grab your handy Smart Fork and stuff your face until it beeps and tells you to pull back.

Maybe I'm being overly cynical though. Self control is a big problem in the US and maybe having a little reminder here and there is what some people need to get back on the right track. If you're willing to drop the $99 when it hits stores in April, I guess we'll find out.

Click here for more info on the HAPIfork.

Happy New Year 2013!

I really don't have much to talk about today so I figured I'd do a quick 2012 recap and 2013 kickoff type of thing.

2012 was an interesting year filled with lots of ups and downs.

On the bad side there were all kinds of fighting and turmoil popping up around the globe along with government overthrows and violence galore. There were multiple stories over the year of mass shootings here in the US in movie theaters, malls, schools, and other public places. Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters rocked us here and across the globe.

On the good side many of the protests and fighting lead to much needed changes. We successfully landed the Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars and have been receiving tons of cool info ever since. Felix Baumgartner rode a weather balloon to the edge of outer space and did a one man free fall all the way back to Earth. The US kicked Olympic ass with 104 total medals in the London Summer Games. James Cameron dove to the deepest parts of the ocean to study life down below. The first person was cured of HIV.

Here's a really cool video Google put together that really covers a ton of 2012 in just a few minutes:



As for 2013, 13 has always been my lucky number so this year will hopefully live up to that potential. Here's to another 365 days of potential fun!