Friday, December 25, 2009

A Few Recent Thoughts

First thing's first. I think Netflix should offer another premium option to be able to stream anything that's not already streamed. Maybe limit to two a day or something - it's the only way they'll ever be able to compete with cable and satellite providers (with the exception being those folks who watch live sports). I love to watch streaming Netflix on my PS3 - everything I've seen is of acceptable quality. Unfortunately, some things I've seen look better on a PC than on the PS3. This, I'm sure, will improve with time. As another premium add-on package, Netflix could offer streaming shows a day or two after they air. Likely? Probably not for years - most networks already host their own ad-driven streaming shows on their respective websites (and these use technologies not compatible with my PS3, and also, there are commercials). I can't get cable where I live and satellite isn't a good choice, either. I'm just trying to maximize the potential of my 10mbit connection!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I just feel like writing

So I haven't really written anything longer than 160 characters for a long time. I don't know why that is - I'd like to think that I just haven't had time, or, busy doing other things. I haven't been in the mood? Maybe the reason is that have been letting my mind drift. Probably the biggest reason is that I haven't read any books or even any complete stories in the paper. I used to like writing about vampires, but now it's way to mainstream and impossible to be original. Don't get me wrong - I love me some True Blood, but the teenie-bopper hype for Twilight is quite nauseating, there is some pretty bad acting in it, and it's written for teenage girls - it's not bad, but it's not for me.

I've developed a type of 'rain dance' to encourage the weather to bring us some snow so I can get out and run some dogs. Been running on the gravel roads around here, so I'm stuck with two options: running lots of short, 14-15 mile runs, or running fewer, longer 20-26 mile runs. As soon as we get some snow the trail will be easier on their feet, and as soon as we got a lot of snow we can just run out of the house and not have to truck anymore.

Mainstream media has been driving me nuts. I can't even watch it anymore, because the stuff the news that they create is usually ridiculous. There's no point. I haven't had TV for a while, and these days I don't hardly read news online or listen to the radio like I used to. It seems that the media is becoming more liberal and further from reality, likely because the general public voted the most radical President in the history of the United States. In the 60's we called people like the President what they were - communists. What happened? Since when did we stop loving our country and start hold out our empty hands expecting everything for free? If you choose to live a crazy life and smoke, and drink, and take other huge risks in life, then why the hell shouldn't you have to pay more for healthcare? It's not "the government's fault for letting" you. You're less healthy than the rest of us and boatloads of you think you should be taken care of for free. Get a clue. Take care of yourself.

This is why I probably don't write much anymore - all I do is rant about the same stuff over and over. It's boring for anyone to read and in the end, it really doesn't make me feel any better. I should probably start to focus on the smaller scale, and try to effect the things that I can touch.

I love the irony that 30 Rock has to offer. It's actually pretty funny. Alec Baldwin's character is gotta be on of my favorite on tv.

That's all for now.

Friday, October 16, 2009

My Brain Is Hungry

Lately I've been going through a bit of a nervous breakdown. The things I usually enjoy I'm not, and I haven't been able to relax at all. I've been easily frustrated and highly irritable, which are both unusual since I usually have so much patience. I've been thinking a lot about it and I'm starting to think that my brain is hungry. There are things my brain needs that my daily schedule will not allow.

I just figured out that lately I've been on this never-ending quest to become completely self-sufficient. I tend to dive head-first into new things. Example: this summer the transmission in my car died. Instead of paying the shop $2800 to replace it, I found a wrecked car and replaced my automatic trans with a manual - in my driveway. And before that I'd only done oil changes and brakes. But now if I ever have trouble with the car, I know that I can replace an axle, transmission, or an entire engine while on the side of the road.

Normally things that I'm good at I can't concentrate on. I've misspelled every 8th word so far, and usually I'd notice it on my own a little better. Yeah, maybe my brain is going through an OS update. There are tons of things that I want to do.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Introducing SpaceDuds

I'd just like to take a quick moment to tell everyone about my new website, SpaceDuds. You can see it at http://spaceduds.blogspot.com/

I look forward to seeing your comments on the new site! I'm also looking for folks to help contribute content. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Iditarod Restart 2009 - Willow, Alaska

This is a video I made. Hope you like it!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Man Does Not Warm The Earth

Below is my response to an article from green.foxnews.com that was originally written by t he London Times. Click Here to see the article.

_______________________________________________________________________________


I recently read that Scientists who don’t put up outrageous claims rarely receive much grant money, because apparently real science isn’t exciting enough.

Dr. Craig Loehle is a real scientist who completely recreated the climate record for the past 2,000 years, just after he discovered (or remembered from third grade) that there are many other things that effect the annual growth of trees (like rain, floods, direct sunlight, and living next to a bigger tree). It was warmer around 900 A.D. than it is today. That’s a proven fact.

On another note, why are warmer global temperatures even a problem? Crops grow better. People tan better. There’s less snow, and sometimes more rain (again, great for those crops AND good for preventing droughts).

One could argue that warmer global temperatures will reduce the amount of CO and CO2 in the atmosphere because all of the trees grow better and more trees will grow, thereby increasing Earth’s ability to remove CO2 from the air.

This is one of Mark Levinn’s favorite questions to ask whining greenie weenies: What’s the number one greenhouse gas?

Water Vapor.

Thanks for listening.

Dr. Loehle: http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2008/02/11/a-2000-year-global-temperature-record/

Water Vapor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Obama Plays Dirty

I just read an article about President Obama's recent visit to the White House press core offices. The article, found here on the Fox News website, was written by the AP. It's pretty obvious that Obama intends to continue what he started on the campaign trail - make the Press love him.

The article talks about how he headed down to the press offices to say hello to everyone and be casual, and that he wasn't there to field any serious questions. But he apparently made a few disapproving comments in reference to who had the bigger desks and why, saying "This is worse than the Middle East here -- who's sitting where and all that stuff." For a politician who has publicly spoken out about his personal disapproval for certain media outlets and their members, and urges forth legistation that attempts to publicly silence those individuals, it makes one wonder who he wants a smaller desk for in the press core office of the White House.

What bothers me most, though, is how President Obama continues to manipulate the media into liking him more. Granted, every President attempts to improve their public image through the eyes of the media, but Obama is already going further out of his way to do so than any before him. He's really some kind of expert. In the press core, sneaky comments like "I've got to say, it's smaller than I thought," hints that he pities the press and that he intends to make their situation better. Way to be their buddy, Mr. President. How moral is that?

Does it surprise anyone that a man whose recent peers, to include people like Gov. Blagoyovich, likes to play dirty politics everywhere he can? What kind of Drama Queen did all those idiots vote for? I'll start saying to the libs now what I'll be ear-to-ear about in 4 years (keep in mind I train dogs): What did you do! (And then I rub their nose in the huge heap they've landed us all in.)

On another note, I went gun shopping today and I'm going gun buying tomorrow.

If you're still reading and you find yourself nodding, you're a great American.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Cheney, We're Going To Miss You

Vice President Dick Cheney is on his way out of office along with President George W. Bush. We're going to miss them both. I haven't paid much attention to Dick Cheney, though there are a few things that are drawing my attention to him. Namely, he seems to be a man who is blatantly honest and calls it like it is. From telling Senator Lehey to go fuck himself, to voicing his disagreements with President Bush as well as their own Republican party, he's not afraid to speak his mind. This is a man that we can hope remains in politics, as men like him are few and far between.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney, thank you for serving our country in these most desparate of times. We're going to miss you.

~Joe Holod