With the recent news of 4 journalists being killed in Afghanistan, my ire was aroused at this spot of forbidding dirt. Jetteva and I have been discussing for a while what the outcome of this war will be. He holds out hope for some sort of governmental structure to survive or at least be put in place. I, on the other hand, predict a region of lawlessness feuded over by warlords struggling for power. Something akin to what we’ve recently seen in Somalia or from history in ancient Japan and China.

I think that this recent killing is the first in a long line of serious mistakes that some people in Afghanistan are going to make. The world does not sit by and let journalists get killed. The people who did this, whether they are involved with Osama Bin Laden or not, whether they are Muslim or not, no matter who they are, they have brought the wrath of the world down on the doomed people of Afghanistan. It’s unfortunate and it’s sad, but it’s reality.

We have only to look at what the Khmer Rouge did in Cambodia a few decades ago to see that killing political opponents and journalists not in line with your views will cause serious repercussions. I think that the world is not far from just saying, “In with the B2’s, let’s bomb this place on a grid until it’s gone. We’ll call it New Texas.” When that happens, so does WW III. It happened in the Balkans in the exact same way. They kept fighting each other, we tried to help. The Russians tried to help. And it happened, WW I.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want any of this to happen. I don’t want any more war. I also don’t want innocent journalists, who may be the Afghani people’s only hope, to be shot simply because they aren’t Afghani. The term has been used since the Chinese invented gunpowder. It was seared into the modern consciousness in the Balkans. It raises its ugly head here. Afghanistan has become the world’s powderkeg.

How scary is it to think that 8 theives bent on looting some “rich” westerners could start WW III? I think our only hope is that Afghanistan doesn’t have that many natural resources that anyone needs. However, its geographic and startegic location in that part of the world make it extremely important. The Russians wouldn’t have tried to take it over for 10 years if the place was worthless.

This war has come to be about more than terrorism. We have opened a Pandora’s Box of terrible wonders in Central Asia. I only hope that together, the countries of the world can figure out how to seal it without having to weld it shut with fire and blood.

George Lucas wants to make us wet our pants. And with this trailer, you just may. It’s the second of three movie trailers on Episode 2 to hit cyberspace. It’s very interesting in that we are now starting to see some plot direction. The most interesting part is we can see Anakin’s rage starting to build.

The 3rd trailer is unviewable online unless you have the Episode 1 DVD. So if you don’t have that DVD or a DVD-ROM on your computer, your shit-outta-luck as they say here in Ohio. *cough*Unless someone were swanky enough *cough* to rip a copy of that quicktime and send it over to me, I could post it for all us to see. *cough*

Now, go wet your pants.

As I had reported earlier in this news post, a Utah-based brewery had introduced a flavor called “Polygamy Porter.” The mormon church has been “against” polygamy for 100 years so, as Wasatch Schirf said, “we didn’t think it would offend anybody.”

Since I posted that story on November 11th, I’ve gotten several emails about it. This one caught my attention, one, because I work for an ad agency, and two, it demonstrates the wonderful hypocrisy governments often employ.

By now you’ve heard that this story is 100% true. However, in a unique, “only in Utah” contradiction, the Mormon Church has apprarently wielded its tremendous power and convinced Reagan Advertising, Utah’s largest billboard purveyor, to reject not only Wasatch’s “Why have only one?” campaign but another campaign proposed by Brighton Ski Resort that also pokes fun at polygamy, a practice outlawed (wink, wink) by the Church some 100+ years ago–and publicly condemned today–so Utah could gain statehood. Go figger!!

Paul

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Pong…It’s not just a game!.

I think Bart Simpson is an eternal meme. Add to that the recent posting of “The Homies” on memepool and you get meme collision:

I just took a little spin around Ebay to check out the prices on XBoxes. I am glad to report that the prices really weren’t as high as I expected. They were certainly no where near the 1,000 to 1,500 mark set by some PS2 sellers last year.

I am glad these scalpers got their comeuppance. I’m all for free trade, but when some schmo pre-orders 11 XBoxes only to turn around and sell them on EBay, that gets to be a problem. I don’t think you can tell people not to do this, but what you can do is tell people that they don’t need to have the XBox that day. Wait a week and then buy it at a store or something.

I am planning on pimping out my sweet ass for a XBox, any takers? Or does that make me a hypocrite?

As a subscriber to Time Magazine, I get tons of other junk sent to my house that I don’t want. Now, once a month, Time bundles On Magazine with their issue. Usually I just toss it aside since it’s more about selling technology rather than talking about it. But the issue that came out this week caught my attention.

One, because it has a story about BattleBots in it. For those of you that don’t know, Comedy Central’s BattleBots is 10 pounds of fun in a 5 pound bag. I’m not sure what that means honestly, but what I’m trying to say is you’ll enjoy it. Importantly, it shows that being smart can be cool and fun.

But what really caught my eye was an article about online forums in relation to the 1st Amendment. It turns out that there are hundreds and hundreds of libel and slander lawsuits that come out of message board threads. Yes, people sue other people if someone posts something they don’t like.

The big point of the article was this, the 1st Amendment gives you the right to free speech, but that doesn’t mean you can say anything. In one case a website created by students offered the school kids the chance to rate their teachers anonymously. Some were very valid criticisms about teachers that weren’t smart enough to teach. But a few students posts a few things about certain teachers being pedophiles, not based on fact, but only because they thought it would be funny. They weren’t laughing when lawyers called the parents and made references to jail time.

I like the anonymity of the Web. I also visit several forums a day to read and post. And a good number of people on those forums need to be taken around behind the barn and administered a good beating. It seems that there are a good number of poeple out there that think anonymity means they can say whatever they want, including physical threats to other people. But what often don’t realize is that ISP’s will gladly turn over the identity of customers to lawyers with the blink of an eye. Last year America Online turned over the identity of over 300 people.

What I would like to see come out of this is better education on the law, especially the 1st Amendment. Who can name any other amendment? The right to bear arms is which one? (The second.) I remember just after the September 11th attacks, a friend of mine said she was disappointed that the United States doesn’t teach its children how to be Americans. I replied saying that is what is great about America. Being American is what you want it to be. No one is going to tell you how to be American or try to make you fit in a mold.

But then I realized it’s taken to such an extent that many people can’t tell you who the 23rd President is (Benjamin Harrison), or what the Amendments are, and I bet some can’t tell you when World War 2 started. (If you just thought, it was December 7th, you’re wrong.)

What we need are some good old-fashioned history classes. And I’m not talking Betsy Ross sewing the flag type history classes (mostly because I doubt that story is even true) but some serious study about the laws of that begat this fine and supposedly civilized country. Give me some history I can sink my teeth into. I don’t want George Washington Carver and his 325 inventions for the peanut. Feed the school kids some real bonafide African-American history for crying out loud.

(Oh, and before you flame me over the December 7th thing. Yes, the Japanese did bomb Pearl Harbor on Decmeber 7th, but the US did not declare and sign the articles of war untill the next day, December 8th, 1947, making that the day we officially entered WW2.)

Now, to brush up on your history, here are the first ten Amendments (not that you’ll read them, you lazy Americans):

Article [I.]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Article [II.]

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Article [III.]

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Article [IV.]

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Article [V.]

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Article [VI.]

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Article [VII.]

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Article [VIII.]

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Article [IX.]

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Article [X.]

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The folks who brought you the first 457 “Friday The 13th” films have gone and done it again. “Jason X” will soon slice up a theatre near you.

Apparently, this newest incarnation of the long ago dead slasher series takes place in the year 2455. Based on the trailer, this movie features a crazy-frozen-turned-into-a-robot Jason, space guns, very bad dialogue, songs by Drowning Pool, and hot chicks.

And since space guns and hot chicks are two of my top three requirements for seeing a film, I’ll be there on opening day. Ja-Ja-Ja-Ja … son-son-son.

Twentieth Century Fox has set the domestic release of “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” for Thursday, May 16 Variety reports.

Variety also suggests that you get in line somewhere around May 7.

The Mars Society has been traveling to a remote Arctic outpost called Devon Island since 1997 to research technologies and methods that may allow humans to inhabit Mars. The work is hard, cold, and dangerous. There is no pay, though the society will pay all expenses.

Just think, you could acheive eternal glory by being chosen to man a mission to Mars. Not to mention that it could be you big pimpin in one of these outfits. Surely, one of the major focuses of research must be on having sex in a place like this.

To apply, send your resume, character references, and a brief letter explaining why you wish to participate to:

Mars Society

PO Box 273

Indian Hills, CO 80454

All entries must be received no later than Nov 30, 2001.