Just finished watching Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight. It was amazing, Keith Olbermann called out Donald Rumsfeld, he compared Rumsfeld to the British Government during World War 2, not Churchill but Chamberlain. Just a quick post, but I'll see if I can find the video of it later. You can't miss it!

Good evening everyone.

Just got back from a rousing Isotopes game with my new coworkers at a local PR firm. It was a horrific defeat for our lovable losers (it was 11-1 when my GF and I left with the last couple of coworkers and their SO's in the 7th inning.) And the gout's flaring up a little bit, but it's worth it, because I'm slowly moving in with my GF, plus it's a great night, I get to finally watch the William Shatner roast on Comedy Central, and I have a new gig! Things can't be going too wrong now, can they?

And speaking of roasts, did anyone else happen to see the Farscape spoof they did on the 200th episode of Stargate SG-1? Freaking hilarious!

Disquieting news coming from Reuters via the Environmental News Network. According to the article, global warming can wreck havoc on traditional wine areas, like the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The increase in hot days will have an impact on vineyards, so much so that by the year 2099, 81% of area in the US suitable for making wine, won't be so suitable anymore.

I know you're asking "why should I care? that's almost 100 years away, I'll be dead." Well, for the simple fact that maybe the world doesn't revolve around you (it revolves around me ;) ) and if you plan on having kids, or knowing people who have them, then we have a responsibility to them. Remember, we're not inheriting the land from our ancestors, but we're safeguarding it for our children.

Anyway, I'll leave you to read the story.

Although I have good reasons too. Among them...

Getting rid of American products (yeah, the company is based in the U.S., but all of the stuff you buy is from China)
Remaining Non-Union (Union busters suck)
Locking workers in their buildings overnight to keep working
And the company they keep late at night (have you ever been at one at 3 a.m.? Holy crap! My friend (who is African-American) and I were at one a few weeks back (up near La Cueva) and getting mad dogged by some skinhead freaks. I don't know what's worse... a Wal-Mart near Academy and La Cueva, or skinheads. I know, don't judge the company, but hey, you're judged by the company you keep.)

But there is one reason I can't resist Wal-Mart...

Two-Disk Directors Cut sets of all Star Trek movies for under 10 bucks each! *oh joy*

Just swung by Patricia Madrid's campaign website. I'm still waiting for that "authentic" Madrid post, instead of Matt (the Dem comm. guy, we wonders....) posting rehashed attacks, press releases and failed press releases as blog posts. I wonder if this campaign is every really going to get behind the idea of blogging...

Oh, and if anyone out there has any advice for how to cheer up a depressed dog, I'd appreciate it!

Wow! I've been helping to beta test Windows' new Vista OS, and I've gotta say, it's nice looking and slick on the outside, but f'in forget about trying to run your software on it. And if you have a printer at home, no way. You'd better forget about downloading any drivers that work on it.

Now, I'm not one to usually bag on MS, because I think that a lot of the computers that run MS are more powerful, nimble and have better hardware than their contemporaries at Apple. (and spare me your excuses, Mac-heads. Apple could start making laptops with SXGA or UXGA screens for starters, and keep them in a price range affordable for me. The MacBooks look nice, but when you're starting to go half blind with age, then you need all the help you can get ;) Now if another computer builder could think about physical style and design with their computers like Apple does, then we'd be in business.) But I have to admit, this time I think MS released Vista a little too soon. It's pretty much useless for what I want to do.

Plus the added bonus of not being able to remove the damn OS without having to wipe my entire computer hard drive also, how you say... le sucks...

Come on MS, I expect more out of you than this.

The RIAA (Recording Industry A$$holes of America) have decided to sue XM Radio for their new mobile device, the Inno.

Christ, I hate the RIAA. Everytime I turn around they are suing someone else for creating some new, cool innovation that, had they half a brain, could have innovated first and gotten more money off of. Now they are suing XM Radio for the fact that "well, people can download music to this device and, oh my god I don't know what's next. Total Armageddon!" Plus I think they are pissed off that XM and Sirius don't have commercials.

Apple's iTunes has pulled in over US $1 Billion, with a B. That's money the RIAA could have had, if they went with a different business model other than "sue them until they accept our model of spending $18 a CD for a bunch of crap music and one good song." Hey, here's an idea for the RIAA, go out and get some decent artists I want to hear, then maybe I'll buy a CD.

I don't have a problem with people "pirating" music from these greedy bastards. Primarily because they'll probably go after better music than the crap these clowns have to offer. Hey, how about this for an idea? Offer downloads for a song, and then if I like it, I'll probably go out and buy it, thus making you money. What about that for an idea, you chuckling jackasses.

I hope XM Radio punks these clowns.

RIAA XM Radio

I've been checking out Patricia Madrid's "blog" every so often, with the hopes that eventually she'll start posting her own thoughts on her "blog". Instead, everytime I swing by the only things posted are re-hashed press releases and Heather Wilson attacks that won't be considered for press releases by her campaign manager. The same campaign manager who makes those same attacks on other left-leaning blogs under the name "Madrid for Congress".

(Come on Matt, do you have nothing better to do than read these blogs? And do you really think that we're going to buy that Madrid even knows she has a blog?)

Have the Democrats learned nothing from the Howard Dean campaign? Other than to claim they are on the cutting edge of "blogging"? Maybe I'm being too hard on Madrid, I mean after all, maybe she's got some "Washington Insider" consultant working at the campaign telling her to ignore those "blogger-people" since they will vote for her anyway.

Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how much of my time they want to waste.

Tag: Patricia Madrid

I think you hear us coming...

I love Under Armour's creative plan. They are always edgy and cool. It'd be nice to see more industries, especially ones aiming for the 18-34 demo, do this.

You Are The Emperor

You are an authority figure, and other people look to you for what to do. You are strong and powerful. Crossing you is not a good idea. You have worked hard to get to your position, and you're not about to give it up to anyone. Though you have a warrior heart, you are gentle to those who treat you well. Your fortune: In the near future, you need to be willing and able to defend those you love. This may be the time for you to step up and be the authority figure to those around you. It is time for you to be independent, to become your own person. You may need to look at your relationship with your father, or your relationships as a father.

You scored as Cyberpunk Gamer. You are drawn to dark games of greif and angst. The future may be dark, but your characters are there to do something about it. You'll like: Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, World of Darkness, Wraeththu and SLA Industries What sort of Gamer are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Cyberpunk Gamer 90% Horror Gamer 80% Comedy Gamer 50% Fantasy Gamer 35% Beer & Prezels Gamer 20%

(A shout out to my friends who have asked this...)

The quick answer is "why not"? It's fun!

The longer answer: It started many years (and about 60 pounds) ago when I was at New Mexico Tech. After one summer (when I drove to Boston and back for no reason), I found myself with a lot of spare time and nothing much to do except work out.

Fast forward to the end of the summer. I returned to Tech and ran into a friend of mine in the gym one day. He was surprised at how much more I was in shape and he recommended I try out for the team. So, I walked out to the field the next day.

It was love at first hit.

Yes there were no pads in the game, no helmets. That was one of the greatest things about the game. The other was the team.

The team was excited to have another victim... er, player, on the field. They were happy to have me out there with them. We became very tight knit, wewere happy to be on the field and just enjoyed each other's camraderie. We even hung out with our opponents after the game, we got along great because we all played what we considered to be the greatest game on Earth.

Unlike when I went out for football in high school, where they didn't want to be around each other.

The sociality (is that a word?) of the team and the game kept me coming back. Plus I got to go to exciting places like Wales and Australia as a result of my time on the rugby field.

Will I ever stop?

Nope. You'll have to peel me off the field.

Coco has the most interesting conversations, I have to say!

Mayor Marty's on CNN right now talking about the "Day without an Immigrant" protest that is going on. He said that there can be a way for people to work this out to the benefit of both sides. I shouldn't be surprised that Mayor Marty is on TV, since ABQ has a Hispanic population nearing (if not over) 50% and he just said there were (as a guess) 10-20,000 illegal immigrants in ABQ, and that there will be an economic hit as a result of the boycott.

Mayor Chavez made another point, "You have to go after the employers who hire people to work in the U.S. illegally." Would that be the fastest way to get illegal immigration to drop?

I'm not sure what the answer here would be. I'd like to see a combo legalization/guest worker program. Illegals come to the U.S. for work, and why not allow them to come over legally as a guest worker. Since they are doing the work American's don't want to do, like picking fruit, working on farms or in chicken plants, or impregnating Madonna... ;)

As the rugby season winds down in New Mexico (except for the upcoming Rio Grande 7's tournament in late May and a reported visiting team from Wales coming to the Duke City to play the University of New Mexico... hey, I may actually report on that when it happens), it's time to turn back to the national rugby team, and the disaster running through the national rugby office in Boulder.

(Let me get it out of the way now, and say that if they offered me the chance to run USA Rugby, or do the PR for them, I'd do it in a heartbeat)

The "transition team" is now in place, they are going to find a CEO in the next few months (I hope). Today it was announced that New Zealander Peter Thorburn will take the helm of the U.S. National Team, just in time for the hectic summer season, with matches in the North America 4 (with Canada), the Churchill Cup (with Canada, Scotland, England, et al) and World Cup qualifier matches.

I don't know much about Thorburn, but I'd have rather seen Ian Jones, the coach for UNM, as national team coach. He's a really smart rugby guy, good with the players and knows how to get the most out of not much, which is a requirement for working with the underfunded, underfed, underdog USA Rugby offices. And I'm not the only one, Brian Lowe at American Rugby News also gave him a few lines of love in a recent column.

It's good that USA Rugby found someone to run the team, even if the players on the national team are upset that they don't know what's going on.

No one ever knows what's going on up in Boulder, why should the national players be different? I only hope the USA Rugby board can get their act together.

And on another note, my girlfriend's cat has been missing for a week and a half now. We really hope he's just out having a good time. If you can spare a few good thoughts, shoot them over her way for her kitty. Plus I'm housesitting for her this week, she gets to go to Indy for 8 days to train some nurses on how to work over the phone.

Sounds like fun!