So, I have been loving iFilm recently. This whole new outlet of viral videos on the web is fantastic. While there is a bunch of crap out there, there is some real fun stuff. Especially folks who play off video games. Here are a couple:



While the Tetris one is interesting simply because of the time it would take to do, it does not compare to the Theatre troupe from Gordon College, a small college in my home state of Massachusetts, who act out the first round of Super Mario Brothers. Love it!

Silly as it may be, doing laundry is such a drag. I say silly, because I don't know anyone who doesn't love the smell and feel if fresh clean clothes right out of the dryer. This is not new news more most of us 'regular non-republican people' who can't employ someone to do it for us. However, not there has to be a better way, right?

Well, curiously enough, I have been working a personal closet overhaul project - basically getting my life in order so I can actually participate in this year's spring cleaning and alas I stumbled upon a quick video that demonstrates exactly how to perfectly fold a tee-shirt. Granted, it is Japanese, but what else would you expect. I was quite impressed with the quick fashion at which a normal flat tee-shirt can get that "Champs Sports Discount Table" Crispness. Love it!

Please stay tuned for the wifebeater demo afterwards. Naturally, it is important for the fashion-impared, careerly-challenged Anheuser-Busch supporter of the World to be free of wrinkles.

Ok, let’s get this think moving again. The old Junior Page has been on hiatus much longer than expected. I have been off on personal writing projects the past couple of months. First my screenwriting drafts for my program. Then my novel for NaNoWriMo. My writing break extended into the holidays because it gets so busy during that time. Or, maybe I just really needed a break. Either way, I am still blaming the NYC Transit Worker Strike from keeping me from my computer.

Nevertheless, I noticed that I still get a decent amount of traffic without the usual updates and I appreciate that. I ask you to keep checking in. This is first post for the New Year and I look forward firing up with regular postings again.

Thanks for your support! Keep reading and please feel free to leave comments.

-mjr

Ok, so it is time to post one more, where have I been posts. I have not fallen off the planet (unfortunately) and I have not been lazy about posting.

On the contrary, I have been writing like crazy, but had to take a quick break from this blog to focus on other writing projects.

Most of you who know me know that I enrolled in a screenwriting program called Writer’s Boot Camp. Well, I have been focusing on getting a draft done, and it is certainly taking much more time than it should.

That said, I have also started my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project. So, between the script and the novel, I will be slam busy for the month of November.

That does not mean I won’t post here, but it may be a while before I can.

In the meantime, you can find me here and I would be honored if you did. Thanks and see ya in December!!

Taking my head out of the political sand and try to get back into the real world is not an easy task. Ignorance certainly is bliss.

First of all, due to recent events, I needed to stop listening to NPR for a while. Not that I don’t like them anymore, I just need a break from the hurricane coverage.

The problem with NPR is that when a big news story happens, they have wall-to-wall coverage of the event. Which, from a media perspective is great because they get in deep where large commercial “news” organizations, like CNN or (hahaha) FOX won’t. However, I can’t take the Hurricane coverage any longer.

I don’t need to say that the events of Hurricane Katrina was an absolute tragedy and nothing can make good for all the destruction to New Orleans and the surrounding communities. Many people will never get a fraction of their lives back – and lets not forget the massive loss of life. It is horrible and saddening to think about.

However, just like commercial news organizations avoid the deeper stories because either they do not want to show want is actually happening, or because they would rather manufacture the facts into a stronger drama, NPR is skipping over other stories in the world to give almost full coverage to the tragedy in New Orleans. They talked to residents as they were leaving. They talked residents as they were living in shelters. They talked to residents as they waited to go home. They talked to cops and emergency personal as they dealt with the situation. They talked to residents as they returned home. And, they aired victims as they broke down when they saw the remnents of their lost lives. And, they cried. And, they cried. And, they cried.

Now, I think this story is important. This tragedy exposed the main population to many problems in modern American Culture. It exposed us to how race and poverty are interwoven. It exposed us to the fact that we are just not quite prepared for natural emergencies. It exposed us to just how ignorant our president really is – or how he just might not care.

However, I get the point without all the on-air crying. NPR’s Morning Edition aired victim after victim, crying and crying. I feel for these people, but after a while it feels like sensationalism. The same sensationalism employed by the news networks for ratings.

Despite the fact that our society loves it’s news and can’t get enough of it, we surround ourselves with news stories that are meaningless, like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. These are safe stories used to engage viewers to watch so they can sit through commercials waiting for the story promised by the teaser.

However, NPR is almost doing the same thing by dragging us around the destruction, exploiting these victims and ignoring other issues that happen to be happening – like the Supreme Court confirmation of John Bolton, which was covered with “gavel to gavel” coverage, however most listeners (like myself) don’t have time for weed though all the coverage to get to the point. Which is why we like NPR – I believe them as being unbiased. However, this coverage is not happening.

So, for the time being, it is back in the sand. I switched my clock radio from NPR to ‘Mike and Mike’ on ESPN radio until either the Hurricane coverage is done, or until the Red Sox are out of the playoffs – whichever comes last

Updating a previous story...from, um yesterday....

Also lost in the New Orleans' coverage was a story about some missing dolphins. Turns out that eight dolphins were 'swept away' when an aquarium pool at the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Miss. was hit with a 40-foot tidal wave caused by Hurricane Katrina.

According to the aquarium owner and director, Dr. Moby Solangi (I am not making that up), these dolphins are domesticated and do not have proper hunting skills. He estimated they could survive about a week on their own before they would not have any food.

He was apparently correct, as the dolphins (considered my many to be the second smartest creatures on Earth) could not move fast enough to make it to a new planet and were found swimming off the Mississippi coast.

The plan is to train them to jump onto mats near the rescue boats, so they may be brought to safety.

NOAA Fisheries spokeswoman Connie Barclay was quoted as saying in a phone interview with CNN:

"They'll surely die if we don't rescue them,"

Oh...no, Ms. Barclay. You don't understand. They are leaving!

On a really far-fetched related note, NPR reported today that the Bush administration did receive advance warnings of the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Apparently, they completely misinterpreted the message.

Hey guys, I know you are Patriots and all, and you liked the Dolphin doing the Star-Spangled Banner thing, but let me help you out. The message was, "So long and thanks for all the Fish!"

As reported on yesterday's All Things Considered:

A new survey shows that about 55 percent of teens report having had oral sex. The researchers say the study shows that teenagers who say that they abstain from sexual intercourse don't necessarily abstain from oral sex.

I am not very surprised about this. How many girls do you think have had oral sex in order to not lose their virginity? Granted, it is a technicality, but when you are a horny teenager living in a 'rules-driven' conservative religious household, sometimes you gotta do what needs to be done. Of course, this is getting off easy, since we all know tells of girls who ask boys to do 'it' somewhere else for exactly the same reasons. Something that makes you go..."Um...Wow"!

So, does this mean the Vogons are finally coming??

On the day that Amazon delivered the new DVD of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" movie, a couple of interesting items passed by me.

First of all: if you google the following phrase: "the answer to life, the universe and everything," google tells you that the answer is 42.

Second: My friend Rachel B. sent this to me - lost in all the New Orleans coverage, a story appeared in the press about a couple of mice, who are infected with the Bubonic Plague, are currently missing.

If you see them, ask they answer to Frankie and Benji.

And, after hearing Bush speak today, I'll welcome the Vogon's demolition beams. Hmmm

Which is worse:

That, the new Fox show Reunion was preempted during its second week on the air (let's face it, I was really hanging on to find out what was gonna happen.)

Or...that Reunion was preemted for a speech by Pres. George W. Bush to actually address the Hurricane Katrina victims. (I think he just heard something happenend there)¹

Just another reason to turn off Fox. Hey, Reunion sucks, but at least Chyler Leigh is cute to watch.

Also, in a quick O.C. subnote, did anyone else notice that after tonight's episode, Fox added a nice promo about the effects of Katrina in New Orleans, in which The O.C. stars Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan) and Rachel Bilson (Summer) talked about the tragedy, how there are children in The N.O. will not be able to go back to their schools.

However, in tonight's episode Ryan actually gets kicked out of his school.

Hmm, Irony? You tell me.

Footnotes:
Too bad W doesn't listen to NPR because they will not stop the wall to wall Katrina coverage until every victim has cried on tape. I love NPR, but come on guys. There is only so much you can cover.

It will be interesting to see that the Supreme Court does with the "Under God" clause in the Pledge of Allegiance.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton, in San Francisco, declared that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools to be unconstitutional because of the inclusion of the words "under God". Even though, it is not specific to any particular God, Karlton stated that it violates schoolchildren's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."

And I say, "yahoo!"

Now, before all the God-fearing conservatives get on my ass, calling me a non-patriot, let me remind you something. The fact that this issue is so close and dear to my heart and that I am willing to be outspoken about it, makes me a Patriot in the full sense of the word. I love my Country, which was founded on, not only the Separation of Church and State, but also being free to refuse to recite the Pledge, something most school kids are not allowed to do.

This is similar to the Flag Burning Amendment - No amendment to the constitution has been added (other than prohibition, which was appealed) to limit personal freedoms. I have no desire to burn a flag for any reason at anytime, however the fact that I have to right to is what makes this country so great.

Those who can't see that are the ones who just don't get it.