Monday, April 07, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Minimize your own impact on global warming
WE has a list of actions that any individual can take to minimize their own impact on global warming that can be found here. This got me thinking, what other steps can we as individuals take to help minimize global warming as well as help preserve other aspects of the environment? Here's my list:
There are toilets on the market which allow a consumer to determine how much flush is needed... you know depending on what's in the bowl. If this step is a little out of your price range you could update the old toilet that dumps 40 gallons of water each time you flush it to one that only dumps 10 gallons of water per flush. If this option is still out of your price range you could adopt Timmy's favorite toilet philosophy: "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
STOP DRINKING BOTTLED WATER! I'm serious. For one thing studies have shown that the contents of bottled water are no more pure than what you can simply drink from the tap (and it's REGULATED whereas the bottled water industry is NOT). Even more importantly it is estimated by the World Wide Fund for Nature that approximately 1.5 million tons of plastic are used in the bottled water industry every year. Now think about this, what is used to produce bottled products (a petroleum product)? Oil. What is used to transport bottled products? Oil. Where do most bottled products end up? In a landfill. I know it's convenient to purchase and carry bottled water but I think this is one luxury we should and can give up! Here's some other reasons to give up bottled water.
Purchase or rent "An Inconvenient Truth", it will scare the crap out of you. As the jacket for the DVD says: "watch it. share it. donate it."
Here in Oklahoma vote, contribute, and volunteer for Andrew Rice. He's running against Senator Jim Inhofe, embarassment to many Oklahomans for saying: global warming is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people". Do a little research, there's a myrid of reasons this man should be thrown out of the Senate!
These are just a few suggestions by me. What do you think?
There are toilets on the market which allow a consumer to determine how much flush is needed... you know depending on what's in the bowl. If this step is a little out of your price range you could update the old toilet that dumps 40 gallons of water each time you flush it to one that only dumps 10 gallons of water per flush. If this option is still out of your price range you could adopt Timmy's favorite toilet philosophy: "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
STOP DRINKING BOTTLED WATER! I'm serious. For one thing studies have shown that the contents of bottled water are no more pure than what you can simply drink from the tap (and it's REGULATED whereas the bottled water industry is NOT). Even more importantly it is estimated by the World Wide Fund for Nature that approximately 1.5 million tons of plastic are used in the bottled water industry every year. Now think about this, what is used to produce bottled products (a petroleum product)? Oil. What is used to transport bottled products? Oil. Where do most bottled products end up? In a landfill. I know it's convenient to purchase and carry bottled water but I think this is one luxury we should and can give up! Here's some other reasons to give up bottled water.
Purchase or rent "An Inconvenient Truth", it will scare the crap out of you. As the jacket for the DVD says: "watch it. share it. donate it."
Here in Oklahoma vote, contribute, and volunteer for Andrew Rice. He's running against Senator Jim Inhofe, embarassment to many Oklahomans for saying: global warming is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people". Do a little research, there's a myrid of reasons this man should be thrown out of the Senate!
These are just a few suggestions by me. What do you think?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
The dream is over...
For all those concerned, I am now employed again. I start on Friday, dark days are ahead...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Al Gore on 60 Minutes
For anyone that missed it 60 Minutes did a story on Al Gore last Sunday. I especially enjoy Gore's reaction to the current Vice President's beliefs on global warming at the 10:56 point. Enjoy!
Lyndon Baines Johnson
"I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president..."
Johnson uttered these words in a televised speech forty years ago tonight. How unfortunate that his legacy has been so severely tarnished (rightly so) by the escalation of the Vietnam War under his tenure as President. Let us not forget some of the good that came durning his Presidency: the "Great Society", the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the apppointment of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court, the first African-American to be appointed to the high court, to name a few.
Click here to read more about LBJ.
Johnson uttered these words in a televised speech forty years ago tonight. How unfortunate that his legacy has been so severely tarnished (rightly so) by the escalation of the Vietnam War under his tenure as President. Let us not forget some of the good that came durning his Presidency: the "Great Society", the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the apppointment of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court, the first African-American to be appointed to the high court, to name a few.
Click here to read more about LBJ.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Dance Dance Revolution
Somehow Frank managed to talk me into buying Dance Dance Revolution today for the Wii. He's got until Mario Kart Wii is released (April 27th) to get it out of his system.
The collection, this and last generation.
The collection, this and last generation.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
How sweet this would be...
Click here for the story.
With Obama weakening and Clinton going off the deep end could Gore be the party's savior? Highly doubtful but one can dream...
Have I mentioned how much I love Al Gore?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
"Quotes"
"If Tyrrany and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
-James Madison, 4th President (1809-1817)
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
-Ben Franklin, founding father 1755
"It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government."
-Alexander Hamilton, father of capitalism and my favorite gay founding father
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
-James Madison, 4th President (1809-1817)
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
-Ben Franklin, founding father 1755
"It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government."
-Alexander Hamilton, father of capitalism and my favorite gay founding father
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Smash Brothers!
A week from tomorrow Super Smash Brothers Brawl will be hitting the shelves for the Nintendo Wii. Here's a funny commercial for the original Smash Brothers game for the Nintendo 64.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Nintendo Wii in 2008 Part 3: Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii is listed as a Q2 release but considering the limited amount of information on the game I wouldn't expect to see a release this spring. Most likely Nintendo will unveil more information on the game at this years E3 conference and move the game to a fall release just in time to cash in on the holidays.
Mario Kart games are simple. Race to the finish line on a variety of tracks against multiple Nintendo mascot opponents using an arsenal of weapons such as banana peels, heat seeking shells, and blocks. Choose from a multitude of racers with varying skill sets including weight, acceleration, and top speed. Player modes have included circuit racing, time trials, battle modes, and split screen multiplayer racing. The game has appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo GameBoy Advance, the Nintendo GameCube, and most recently the Nintendo DS sporting a great online multiplayer feature.
Rumor has it that the latest entry in the Kart series will go back to its roots featuring one racer per kart (Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Nintendo GameCube offered two racers per kart giving the gamer the ability to switch between racers depending on the situation). Also rumored is the return of the power slide ability for advanced racers (a must for time trials) and an online multiplayer option that will allow you to race with up to 12 people from all over the world all at one time. Finally the game is to be packed with a steering wheel accessory that will cradle the Nintendo Wiimote for a more immersive game play experience (I think I'll stick with a more traditional approach with the game using a standard controller). See the video below for an explanation of the steering wheel accessory.
Reggie Fils-Aime's Comments on Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart 64 is one of my favorite games of any generation and I'll be in line to try out Nintendo's latest Kart offering later this year.
Mario Kart games are simple. Race to the finish line on a variety of tracks against multiple Nintendo mascot opponents using an arsenal of weapons such as banana peels, heat seeking shells, and blocks. Choose from a multitude of racers with varying skill sets including weight, acceleration, and top speed. Player modes have included circuit racing, time trials, battle modes, and split screen multiplayer racing. The game has appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo GameBoy Advance, the Nintendo GameCube, and most recently the Nintendo DS sporting a great online multiplayer feature.
Rumor has it that the latest entry in the Kart series will go back to its roots featuring one racer per kart (Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Nintendo GameCube offered two racers per kart giving the gamer the ability to switch between racers depending on the situation). Also rumored is the return of the power slide ability for advanced racers (a must for time trials) and an online multiplayer option that will allow you to race with up to 12 people from all over the world all at one time. Finally the game is to be packed with a steering wheel accessory that will cradle the Nintendo Wiimote for a more immersive game play experience (I think I'll stick with a more traditional approach with the game using a standard controller). See the video below for an explanation of the steering wheel accessory.
Reggie Fils-Aime's Comments on Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart 64 is one of my favorite games of any generation and I'll be in line to try out Nintendo's latest Kart offering later this year.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Nintendo Wii in 2008 Part 2: Wii Fit
One of the next big releases projected in 2008 is Wii Fit. The game is still listed as TBA 2008 but I would expect a release earlier in the year rather than later. The release in Japan in Decemeber has already yeilded over a million units sold. So what is Wii Fit? Again I refer to our friends at IGN:
"The hit combination of Wii Sports and the Wii Remote brought golf swings and tennis serves into people’s homes. Now Nintendo turns the living room into a fitness center for the whole family with Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board. Family members will have fun getting a "core" workout, and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.
Lean to block soccer balls, swivel hips to power hoop twirls or balance to hold the perfect yoga pose. As users stand on the Wii Balance Board, included with Wii Fit, their body’s overall balance is tied to the game in a way they’ve never experienced before. Wii Fit also uses the Wii Balance Board for daily tests. These evaluate two key measures that a household can track via progress charts."
Sounds a bit bizarre huh? Those crazy Japanese!
Wii Fit Trailer
Will this kind of "gaming" go over here as well as it has in the land of the rising sun? I would be willing to bet that indeed it will given Nintendo's track record of reaching out to and capturing casuel gamers over the last year. Will this be a game and peripheral that I would purchase? Unsure; however, the prospect of leaning left and right on the Wii Balance Board heading down the ski slopes sounds promising.
"The hit combination of Wii Sports and the Wii Remote brought golf swings and tennis serves into people’s homes. Now Nintendo turns the living room into a fitness center for the whole family with Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board. Family members will have fun getting a "core" workout, and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.
Lean to block soccer balls, swivel hips to power hoop twirls or balance to hold the perfect yoga pose. As users stand on the Wii Balance Board, included with Wii Fit, their body’s overall balance is tied to the game in a way they’ve never experienced before. Wii Fit also uses the Wii Balance Board for daily tests. These evaluate two key measures that a household can track via progress charts."
Sounds a bit bizarre huh? Those crazy Japanese!
Wii Fit Trailer
Will this kind of "gaming" go over here as well as it has in the land of the rising sun? I would be willing to bet that indeed it will given Nintendo's track record of reaching out to and capturing casuel gamers over the last year. Will this be a game and peripheral that I would purchase? Unsure; however, the prospect of leaning left and right on the Wii Balance Board heading down the ski slopes sounds promising.
Nintendo Wii in 2008 Part 1: SSB Brawl
Similar to what I did before the release of the Nintendo Wii last year I want to take a look ahead to the games of 2008. 2008 promises to be another banner "sold out" year for the Wii. It's hard to imagine that a new year can top the offerings of last with the likes of a Zelda game, a Metroid game, and a Mario game, not to mention countless other titles! We'll be discussing the projected major releases through the year in each post. First up, Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
Of course we have to start with what will be a monster release slated for March 9th. The third installment in the Smash Brothers series looks to be the biggest and best yet. If you're not familiar with the series it's basically a fighting game with a "king of the hill" mentality. Stay alive and deal as much punishment to your opponents to survive the round. Here's what IGN has to say about the title: "Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a brawling, battling, action-packed video game that features a varied roster of characters for four-player simultaneous melees! This Wii entry in the popular series features a number of new additions, including an Adventure Mode (with co-op play), a wealth of new characters and stages, and online combat for multiple players to face off against each other from anywhere!" So be prepared to round up some friends at home or online and duke it out using a completely customizable control scheme for your Wiimote, GameCube remote, or Wii classic controller.
You can brawl your way to victory with a wide assortment of Nintendo mascots including old favorites like Mario, Link, and Fox McCloud, as well as newly added brawlers like Pit from Kid Icarus who hasn't graced a Nintendo game in 15 years. What may be more exciting about the line up is the addition of characters not held by Nintendo, namely Solid Snake from the Metal Gear franchise and Sonic from the Sonic the Headgehog franchise.
The title has already released to long lines in Japan with an amazing sale through rate. The same should hold true here in the states where previous installments sold tremendously totaling over 10 million copies on the Nintendo 64 and the Nintendo GameCube.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl Japanese Opening Cinematic
Super Smash Brothers Brawl Japanese Game Play
More information can be found here on the Wii Brawl page or here at the Smash Bros. Dojo.
Of course we have to start with what will be a monster release slated for March 9th. The third installment in the Smash Brothers series looks to be the biggest and best yet. If you're not familiar with the series it's basically a fighting game with a "king of the hill" mentality. Stay alive and deal as much punishment to your opponents to survive the round. Here's what IGN has to say about the title: "Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a brawling, battling, action-packed video game that features a varied roster of characters for four-player simultaneous melees! This Wii entry in the popular series features a number of new additions, including an Adventure Mode (with co-op play), a wealth of new characters and stages, and online combat for multiple players to face off against each other from anywhere!" So be prepared to round up some friends at home or online and duke it out using a completely customizable control scheme for your Wiimote, GameCube remote, or Wii classic controller.
You can brawl your way to victory with a wide assortment of Nintendo mascots including old favorites like Mario, Link, and Fox McCloud, as well as newly added brawlers like Pit from Kid Icarus who hasn't graced a Nintendo game in 15 years. What may be more exciting about the line up is the addition of characters not held by Nintendo, namely Solid Snake from the Metal Gear franchise and Sonic from the Sonic the Headgehog franchise.
The title has already released to long lines in Japan with an amazing sale through rate. The same should hold true here in the states where previous installments sold tremendously totaling over 10 million copies on the Nintendo 64 and the Nintendo GameCube.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl Japanese Opening Cinematic
Super Smash Brothers Brawl Japanese Game Play
More information can be found here on the Wii Brawl page or here at the Smash Bros. Dojo.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The GOP Needs a New Message
I used to be a political junkie. I remember when Clinton (Bill) was running for President in '91. I'd tune in to all the political shows every night before bed, especially CNN and C-SPAN. I couldn't get enough of the news from the campaign trail, debates, speeches, you name it. Maybe it was the excitement of my first Presidential vote or my naivety in thinking one person could change the country but I couldn't get enough of politics! I continued to follow politics throughout the years even during some (for me) very depressing times: the Contract with America, the Gore defeat of 2000, the re-election of GW Bush. This year I find myself not giving two shakes of a dead rats ass about the process. I'm probably not informed as I used to be simply because I don't have cable. The news I get now is what I can catch at my parents house, online, or from the Daily Fish Wrap (The Daily Oklahoman). I guess what drove home my increased apathy for our political process was the recent GOP debate in Florida. It's been years since I watched a Presidential debate either Republican or Democrat (and I couldn't stomach to watch all of it). What I watched could've been viewed during the '88 election, the '92 election or any other year! We need change. Change? Really? The party who controlled the White House and Congress for most of the last 16 years wants change? Um OK, whatever... a new direction or leadership from conservatives, I guess I can swallow that even if their 71 year old front runner isn't very fresh. What really irked me was the same old rhetoric I'd heard from years before! We need tax cuts. Tax cuts for the middle class, tax cuts for small business, tax cuts across the board! Wow. And the other side? Tax and spend liberals. Tax and spend liberals. Tax and spend liberals. I can't believe they're still beating this dead horse of an argument. Of course other issues were discussed but it always made its way back to tax cuts and staying the course with the war. I can't believe anyone would have the balls to utter the words "sustain the war" and "tax cuts" in the same breath. They're getting away with it! This is the only time in American history where we've lowered taxes while we're waging war! I'm all for lowering taxes (really, who isn't) but isn't a war a time for a country to sacrifice? To pull together and get the job done no matter the costs? Perhaps if the new Democratic Congress had kept their promise to start bringing troops home we could afford to spread a little money around. Ah well that's a blog for another day. I'll hold my nose and vote on Super Tuesday but I think I'll ignore the coverage until then. What do you think?
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Shiny Toy Guns
I saw this performance in December with Crystal and Lindsey as well as others... man I really miss hanging with those girls!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
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