The site will be back soon. There is a lot of things that have been on my plate that have been keeping me away from even thinking about this place, and old habits of not doing something die hard. So taste this little chunk that you are not going to read and like it. Re-posted from Jake Martinez’ Facebook. Since it was posted as a note for the world to see, I assume that there is no privacy issue on his part. I don’t care about the dumb girl involved.

Title: WTF

Sarah Blackford
January 18 at 7:56pm
I don’t know if you remember me, but I used to be your friend on here and on myspace. I just found you randomly when I was looking through picture comments, and then thought of you while watching this video. It’s so beautiful : )

-Sarah

Ellen’s Wedding Day Pictures & Video

Jake Martinez
January 18 at 8:02pm
Can you elaborate on why you thought of me while watching a video of Ellen Degeneres?
Sent via Facebook Mobile

Sarah Blackford
January 18 at 8:06pm
I thought you might appreciate it. It wasn’t that long ago that it was illegal for gay people to marry their partners, and it isn’t now. I am a Christian, but I am also an American, and I believe people deserve equal rights, no matter their age, color, gender, or sexual preference.

Jake Martinez
January 18 at 8:07pm
That is a great thing to hear. I’m glad you’ve had a change of heart.
Sent via Facebook Mobile

Sarah Blackford
January 24 at 5:55pm
Hi Jake,

This is difficult, but I must say it. Any sane person would just forget the whole conversation and let that be that. But I can’t, I have made you believe something that is not true. I was made to believe something that is not true. Satan is a deceitful being.
I was caught up in the “beauty” of Ellen and Portia’s relationship, and had a momentary lapse in judgment. I was deceived. I apologize for sending you that message. It was not truthful. I thought it was for a few moments, but then I remembered who I am and what I believe in. Yes, I am an American, but I am, first and foremost, a Christian. I believe in the “American Way” etc…, but when it goes against Christ’s teachings I cannot stand beside and agree with it. God’s Law is the Law that I choose to follow. You most likely do not understand, and might never, and this makes me deeply sad. But you have chosen your way of life and I have chosen mine.
I don’t hate or dislike you, or any gay person for that matter, nothing like it. I’d like to be a friend if anything. But I just don’t believe that your lifestyle, homosexuality, is right. I don’t have any defense except the Bible, which I’m sure you don’t believe. But that is where I find my comfort, way of living, strength, everything. I live and breath it. So I can’t tell you anything else other than the Bible, God’s Holy Word, says that it is not natural or right to be gay. I’m sorry I made you believe different.

-Sarah

Jake Martinez
January 24 at 6:32pm
Why are you messaging me?
I don’t care about your beliefs nor do I care to talk to you.
I deleted you for a reason.
Go away and preach to someone who cares.

——————–

So, this idiotic girl took it upon herself to send me a message, trying to get on my good side, and then take it back?

Look, I don’t care what the hell you believe in, God, the Devil, the fucking tooth fairy, but don’t message me and try to beg for me to re-add you after I’ve deleted you, and then do that.

She’s SUCH a Christian.
I’m sick of these Christians and their moral hypocrisy.
Keep your damn “Bible” out of my face.
I don’t preach my beliefs to you, so don’t do it to me.
Do you see me going around preaching about how I think the “Bible” is a work of fiction?
No, because I keep my mouth shut and so should you.

THANKS.

Allow me to take the time to rant and rave about my high school (good golly gosh I’m so young), by stating obvious things that everyone has been talking about for months via Facebook, or in one case, just today. Towards the beginning of the year, there was a big push by the district administration, which I have publicly shown much disdain for on No Honeymoon and Eye on PUSD in their comment sections. Now I have learned that those two fantastic blogs don’t exist anymore, which is depressing. I miss those things dearly, even though I ignored them for a while. This big push by administration on all the schools were over a policy that REQUIRED students to wear IDs on lanyards at all times while they are on campus, and would face stiff consequences if they didn’t. This stuck for about…two weeks, until it withered away. I made sure to count every ID I saw this week, and I saw two. Two people wearing the damn lanyard with an Ironwood ID inside. I also saw three other people waring a lanyard, but with either a fake ID inside it drawn on paper (lulzy) or a Cenntennial ID. That’s right, nobody wears Ironwood IDs now, guys, just IDs from OTHER schools.

So what’s special about today? Something that has nothing to do with district administration and sits only on the shoulders of the school itself. I don’t eat lunch at school; I don’t have enough cold food at home usually to take (we tend to have ingredients for things other than things in bulk; it’s preferable outside the hours of 7-2 on weekdays), and there is usually nothing to actually get at school because the lunch hour is so so so so short. Lines are too long (the fault of the district. Kathy Knecht didn’t want the kiddies to get a taco, watch below) and there tends to not be anything that is worth spending money on. But today, the health department released their health violations for the school cafeteria, and…it’s disgusting.

It’s just better here; except when it’s not.

From the horse’s mouth, I’ll constantly update on this because it’s kind of a big deal. His resignation address on his show after the jump, awesome stuff above.

It’s a big worry over whether or not a backlash towards Muslims in the military is erupting after the Fort Hood shootings, which were initiated by a Muslim. But naturally, the influential Christian ball of nuttery pat Robertson is saying that Islam “is not a religion” and that Muslims should be treated like fascists. Silly Patty, as he’s the closest thing to a fascist that I know, and since Christianity and Islam are with some details changed in the 2000 year translation, mostly the same religion. Congratulations, what you believe isn’t a religion but a violent political organization bent on dominating the world, as you put it!

From 11/9’s 700 Club (Source: Media Matters)

“That is the ultimate aim. And they talk about infidels and all this, but the truth is that’s what the game is. So you are dealing with not a religion. You’re dealing with a political system. And I think we should treat it as such and treat its adherences as such as we would members of the Communist Party or members of some fascist group. Well, it’s a tragedy. Our hearts go out to the families who suffered. But those in the Army should be held on account for the fact they let this man loose.”

Last night, a friend of mine who is a moderate-conservative posted about how C-Span is the most thrilling channel on television, which is usually a joke people make often, but he was being entirely serious. Political hooplah is usually always a boring thing to sit and watch, but then in the last few months, Alan Grayson, the Democrat from Florida in the House of Representatives, has absolutely torn stuff apart. He’s entirely controversial and almost a pariah of sorts within the Democratic party, but he represents the true liberals on the left and says everything with a sharp wit and eloquence that only Al Franken can match. It’s beautiful how the noobies in the congress are the ones who know what they’re doing and do it without any fear. Even if it receives backlash, Grayson and Franken are everything that Obama promised to be in the campaign; they shake up the Washington establishment, and in the case of Franken for sure and Grayson a bit, are the smartest guys on capitol hill. Grayson…well, he’s rockin’ the shit in this one. The video of some of the most entertaining television to be on in a long time (that isn’t from NBC’s Community. Best show on TV? Yes.) after the jump.

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) called for the clerk to take down Grayson’s words, which leadto an adjournment. But then when the House reconvened, Grayson continued on naming the number of dead people because of not having health insurance in each GOP district.

Does this remind anyone of the fantastic opening scene of Aaron Sorkin’s vastly underrated Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip? Embed is turned off, but click it and watch it if you haven’t. Even if you have, watch it. It’s brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc1Ti-ehJ00

Here is an article written by Grayson from The Huffington Post where he writes about “How the Republicans Failed To Cut Off My Healthcare Speech”

Hamid Karzai is sounding pretty cool as of late. He’s vowing to run a clean government and is urging his “Taliban brothers” to come back and embrace their country. Abdullah Abdullah dropped out of the run-off election, stating the vote wouldn’t be free. He wanted certain poll officials removed before he’d partake in the run-off. Karzai has said, “Our government has been seriously discredited by administrative corruption”. He went on to say, “We will try to remove this stigma from our soil and our country in any possible way.”

If one is inclined to believe Mr. Karzai, we very well could be seeing an end to this war, or at least a serious drop in troop numbers, much sooner than predicted.

Something I did not know till today ; Paul Haggis was a scientologist. But now I do, and thanks to Diora Baird’s Twitter, and her constant urges for everyone on it to get the word out about this before Scientology censors it to all hell, I must share. Paul Haggis WAS a scientologist, and he’s now distancing himself as far away as possible from it. Why? Let Paul Haggis explain it for you in his big letter he sent to the church, who is now going to probably get a hit called out for him as I type this. Also, does this mean that Paul might actually become a decent writer now that he doesn’t have the baggage of being in a moronic cult? Time will only tell.

Tommy,

As you know, for ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make
a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology
of San Diego. Their public sponsorship of Proposition 8, a hate-filled
legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and
lesbian citizens of California – rights that were granted them by the
Supreme Court of our state – shames us.

I called and wrote and implored you, as the official spokesman of
the church, to condemn their actions. I told you I could not, in good
conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was
tolerated.

In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year,
you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it
and “heads would roll.” You promised action. Ten months passed. No action
was forthcoming. The best you offered was a weak and carefully worded
press release, which praised the church’s human rights record and took
no responsibility. Even that, you decided not to publish.

The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots,
hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word.
Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.

I joined the Church of Scientology thirty-five years ago. During my
twenties and early thirties I studied and received a great deal of
counseling. While I have not been an active member for many years,
I found much of what I learned to be very helpful, and I still apply
it in my daily life. I have never pretended to be the best Scientologist,
but I openly and vigorously defended the church whenever it was criticized,
as I railed against the kind of intolerance that I believed was directed
against it. I had my disagreements, but I dealt with them internally.
I saw the organization – with all its warts, growing pains and
problems – as an underdog. And I have always had a thing for underdogs.

But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to
think. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of
the Christian Right. In order to contain a potential “PR flap” you
allowed our sponsorship of Proposition 8 to stand. Despite all the
church’s words about promoting freedom and human rights, its name is
now in the public record alongside those who promote bigotry and
intolerance, homophobia and fear.

The fact that the Mormon Church drew all the fire, that no one noticed,
doesn’t matter. I noticed. And I felt sick. I wondered how the church
could, in good conscience, through the action of a few and then the
inaction of its leadership, support a bill that strips a group of its
civil rights.

This was my state of mind when I was online doing research and chanced
upon an interview clip with you on CNN. The interview lasted maybe ten
minutes – it was just you and the newscaster. And in it I saw you deny
the church’s policy of disconnection. You said straight-out there was no
such policy, that it did not exist.

I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search
for verification – I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.

You might recall that my wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents
because of something absolutely trivial they supposedly did twenty-five
years ago when they resigned from the church. This is a lovely retired
couple, never said a negative word about Scientology to me or anyone
else I know – hardly raving maniacs or enemies of the church. In fact
it was they who introduced my wife to Scientology.

Although it caused her terrible personal pain, my wife broke off all
contact with them. I refused to do so. I’ve never been good at following
orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible.

For a year and a half, despite her protestations, my wife did not speak
to her parents and they had limited access to their grandchild. It was a
terrible time.

That’s not ancient history, Tommy. It was a year ago.

And you could laugh at the question as if it was a joke? You could
publicly state that it doesn’t exist?

To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else
are you lying about?

The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are
genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping
others. I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too
would be horrified. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our
organization and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what
was being said; I did it for thirty-five years. And so, after writing
this letter, I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no
longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me. I will always
take their calls, as I always took yours. However, I have finally come
to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. Frankly,
I had to look no further than your refusal to denounce the church’s
anti-gay stance, and the indefensible actions, and inactions, of those
who condone this behavior within the organization. I am only ashamed
that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in
the Church of Scientology.

Sincerely,

Paul Haggis

Ps. I’ve attached our email correspondence. At some point it became
evident that you did not value my concerns about the church’s tacit
support of an amendment that violated the civil rights of so many of our
citizens. Perhaps if you had done a little more research on me, the
church’s senior management wouldn’t have dismissed those concerns quite
so cavalierly. While I am no great believer in resumes and awards, this
is what you would have discovered:

If you go to Hulu.com, you will realize that the subtitle is “Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.” The bright executives that reap the rewards of Hulu, or not, since apparently it’s not all that profitable, don’t really like this mantra. In 2010, Hulu is going to axe the “for free” part, and what has became a revolutionary service that gives all the benefits of illegal pirating but legally and safely, will become just another flash in the pan that will die a painful death. What they don’t realize is that it is not about the skimpy amounts of advertisements, which aren’t all that skimpy but less than what television provides, don’t make people use it. It is the ability to watch things anytime, for free, which TV can never match. Adding more advertisements and commercials to the site would not kill it, it would make the bottom line larger but would hardly alienate anyone. I can boldly proclaim though that if you make people pay for Hulu, then it will fade fast. Same with Facebook and every other site that is considering a pay model, citing that people think they are “entitled” to free services on the internet, but in a competitive marketplace, especially one like the internet, if you start charging, someone else can do what you do for free.

Broadcasting and Cable is reporting that News Corp Deputy Chaircam Chase Carey said at a business summit that since the free model doesn’t make them enough money, they will start charging on a subscription basis. He cites that customers will appreciate the value, not realizing that this is the internet, if you aren’t playing World of Warcraft, chances are that you don’t appreciate paying for anything. Why pay for porn when a million sites have it for free? Why pay for online versions of magazines and newspapers when free blogs out there exist with the same content in quantity and quality? Why pay for TV shows when a million sites have them for free?

The 7 companies that received the most bail-out money are going to be forced to cut the pay of their 25 highest paid employees by up to 90%. The 7 companies being targeted are Bank of America, AIG, Citigroup, General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial. Word is the average cut will be about 50% across the board. The plan will also adjust how they are paid to help align the personal interests of the executives with the long-term health of their respective companies. The executives will also need permission to claim perks of over $25k a year. What say you, loyal readers?

The commercial and the cellphone of the year are here. I was watching TV on Sunday night when every five minutes, what appeared to be an iPod commercial if you weren’t being particularly attentive would air. A very annoying one that was exactly like every other; white background, black text, Myriad Pro, and a terrible music choice that would go on every single person named Phoenica Zhang’s iPod. It was until the third time when I actually read the words on the screen or paid attention to what came at the end of the commercial. What you will see is the complete disembowlment of the iPhone, at the expense of the phone ever coming to Verizon’s service. It…is the Motorola Droid.

This reveal comes just a few weeks after Verizon and Motorola revealed support for the Android phone OS, which the Droid is powered on. It’s a sudden, quick and powerful move on their part, and they are pushing this thing as hard as they can. Sure, it’s hard to really figure out what the hell the commercial is really saying when the screen flickers off into DROIDDOES – NOVEMBER without really telling you what it is, but it gets you intrigued, which at this point, may be the only intention. The phone is kind of ugly and the OS needs some work, so this may go the way of any other “iPhone Killer”, but I hate that damn device and the entire iPod line, as they are overpriced, overrated, underdeveloped shit, with the exception of the iPhone/iPod Touch, which the inclusion of Apps have to be the coolest thing I’ve seen in phones. But otherwise, they suffer from being inferior, overrated pieces of shit that anger me to no end. I need a cheaper, better phone to be big, even though there are already many cheaper, better phones than the iPhone; they just need the app support.

Those pesky little rich dudes at Google are just flaunting their money left and right, in this big war with Facebook over completely controlling the internet with a hostile, almost governmental system. Both these companies are deadset on a communist rule of the internet, and they’re both doing a damn good job at it. Now, Google has in beta and will release in a few weeks what serves as the AIM/Firefox/Imageshack/Skype/Everything killer…all at the same time. It is called Google Wave, and not only is it all that, but YOU CAN SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE TYPING TO YOU AS THEY TYPE IT. That’s just cool in a really possibly disturbing way. All those times where you type something “into the wrong window”…imagine cases like that getting exponentially larger.

Instead of summarizing what this thing is, I will take the Wikipedia one and just copy it on over:

The name was inspired by the Firefly television series in which a Wave is an electronic communication (often consisting of a video call or video message). During the developer preview, a number of references were made to the series such as Lars Rasmussen replying to a message with “shiny”, a word commonly used in the series to mean cool or good, and the crash message of Wave being a popular quotation from the series: “Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”. OMG JOSS WHEDON.

Google Wave is still in active development. It is expected to continue to be so until later in 2009. It was launched to about 100,000 users on[8] 30th September. Google Wave access can be requested. Developers have been given access to Wave proper, and all wave users invited by Google can invite up to 8 others. Those who receive indirect invitations (were invited by someone who was invited by Google) are not able to invite others.

Google plans to release most of the source code as open source, allowing the public to develop its features through extensions. Google will also allow third-parties to build their own Wave services as quickly as possible (be it private or commercial) because it wants the Wave protocol to replace the e-mail protocol. Initially, Google will be the only Wave service provider, but it is hoped that, as the protocol becomes standardized and the prototype server becomes stable, other service providers will launch their own Wave services, possibly designing their own unique web-based clients as is common with many email service providers. The possibility also exists for native Wave clients to be made, as demonstrated by Google with their CLI-based console client.

1. wave model code that is a simplified version of Google’s production code and is tied to the OT code; this code will evolve into the shared code base that Google will use and expects that others will too
2. a testing and verification suite for people who want to do their own implementation (for example, for porting the code to other languages)

The hands on from the beta is…mixed. Some people claim it is the future of everything ever, which, yeah, it certainly sounds like it. Others say that it is a clunky, complicated, nearly unusable piece of junk., so, there’s that. I can see both being on display in this video, which is hilarious in itself.