The Holiday Season is Here.... I am gone

With the holiday season approaching full steam ahead, I am going to be very busy for the next week. I don't want to make this a long post because I doubt if anyone even reads this blog, let alone care about what I'm doing for the holidays. Therefore, I'm going to make it short. On Wednesday, I'm going to visit the Universtiy of Michigan with my Dad. Thursday is Thanksgiving at my Dad's house. Next, we're going to a Piston's game on Friday . To finish off the busy weekend, we'll be having Thanksgiving at my Mom's house, also known as home to me, on Saturday. Sunday will be a day to rest and lounge around before school.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a good one.

Two Days Until Xbox 360 Release

Microsoft is set to release the Xbox 360 on November 22. That's this upcoming Tuesday! There has been all sorts of hype surrounding the new console. It's reportedly going to be sold out worldwide on it’s release day. Along with the console, there will be 18 new games released the same day. This will include titles such as Call of Duty 2, Madden NFL 06, and Project Gotham Racing 3.

I'm not getting it the first day it’s out. On the other hand, I believe my brother is going to get it for Christmas. That will be awesome if he does! If he gets it then I'll still be able to play it when he's not using it. I tried out the Xbox 360 at our local Wal-Mart. The graphics were kick-ass! Call of Duty looked so real it made me feel like I was in World War II.

If you have an extra $300 or $400 lying around, definitely go purchase the new Xbox 360. Looking at the different packages, buying it for the extra $100 is well worth it if you can afford it. You'll regret it if you don' because buying the items that come in it separately is much more expensive. Or just wait a year or two for its price to drop. Furthermore, Sony and Nintendo will be coming out with new consoles in the near future. You may want to wait and see if they make something better than the 360.

The biggest downside I see to the 360 is the fact that it is a computer. I already have a computer so why should I dish out another $400 for another one. I can play video games on the computer I have. Most likely I'll eventually get the 360, but I'm a little skeptical as of now.

Schitt Video

This is great:

http://www.barry.fireflyinternet.co.uk/JackSchitt/Jack_Schit.htm

Pretty fun, eh?

Christmas Commercialization

Many people believe that Christmas is becoming too commercial. An affect of this has been Christams starting far too early. Lately, it's been starting before Thanksgivingin which is ludicrous and unecessary. Stores are starting sales sooner, Christmas music is being played on the radio too soon, and etc.

I think the early sales are good because it lets parents get shopping out of the way ahead of time. That way they don't have to rush and shop last minute. On a different note, I think playing Christmas music on the radio this early is ridiculous this early. I've been hearing Christmas music before snow has been on the ground! It just snowed here today and Thanksgiving isn't until next Thursday. Radio stations should wait until AT LEAST December, if not waiting for within two weaks of Christmas.

I had to touch on this because I've been hearing a lot about this topic lately.....

Caught In Action

Priceless:


Oops! Someone got caught. Even if that was posed it's still funny all the same. Really, who bangs pinatas.

-Kyle

Funny Prank Call about X-box

This is a hilarious prank call. It's a guy calling the Bungie/Microsoft help line:

http://media.putfile.com/XBOX-LIVE-Prank-Call

It starts kind of slow, but it's laugh out loud funny towards the end.

-Kyle

Good Movies

I just read a post on a forum about good movies. At the moment, it brought to mind three movies for me.

Boondock Saints

Friday Night Lights

John Q

There are many more movies that I have for favorites, but that's just what came to mind. You can catch a trailer of Friday Night Lights here: JustMovieTrailers

Off to clean my room.....

Think For Yourself!!!!!

I am taking a law class at my high school. Our teacher has openly admitted that she is liberal. Ok, so we get talking about current events. It was about the ban on smoking in a car with people under the age of 18. She said she agreed with it and asked the class of our opinion. Most of the class, too, agreed.

BUT....

She then continued on to say:

Doesn't that make you afraid of what the government will do next?
Will they ban smoking in your house?
How far will they go into your privacy?
Doesn't this scare you guys?

She kept pointing out things to that effect. Then, once again, she states that she is for it.. She again asks the class. Now, everyone votes against it. I'm like, how the hell did the whole class just change their opinions within five minutes because of what our teacher said. It just makes me want to scream "Think for yourselves idiots!” I don't know, but I just think it's stupid how everyone changed their mind so quickly. All because of what our left wing, nut job teacher pointed out. I know my opinion didn't change!

I think that the ban would be good because it would protect children. I don't think it will open up any more doors for the government to invade our privacy. If they even mentioned banning smoking in places such as our own homes, it would really "stir the pot" in America. Especially with the radicals that are gung-ho about their constitutional rights. Militia men would reap havoc! Well, I don't think it would be quite that bad, but there would be MANY furious people. I think the ban is good because people under 18 can't protect themselves from second hand smoke in cars. Therefore, I think it’s good for the government to step in. They may have no other way of transportation unless riding with a smoker such as their parent. In that case they have to suffer the second hand smoke. If this new law passed, they wouldn't have to suffer all the second hand smoke.

That thought may be totally discombobulated, but I think you get what I mean.

Found a New Word

While watching Bill O'Reilly's news program I learned a new word.

gar·ru·lous ( P ) Pronunciation Key (gr-ls, gry-)adj.
1. Given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative.

2. Wordy and rambling: a garrulous speech.

Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=garrulous

This word is great because now I can sound smart when people are rambling on about nothing. I can now say "Stop being so garrulous" and receive dumbfounded looks.

I could even change the name of my blog. It's very fitting! I kind of like this:

Garrulous Thoughts

It's simple and explanatory. There is one big downfall to that name. I doubt if many people know the definition of garrulous.

That's it for now.

Funny Video on Gay Rights

Here's a link to a hilarious video from John Stewart's show on Comedy Central. It's coming from a skeptical, liberal viewpont, but it's good nonetheless.

View it here.

It may take a few seconds to download.

-Kyle

New way to catch TV shows you miss

Is TiVo too expensive for you? Is taping missed shows a hassle? Are you looking for a new way to catch TV shows you miss?

Well, if you answer yes to any of these I might have a solution for you. Apple has partnered up with ABC to sell TV edpisodes after they air. After the broadcasting of a show, the show would be downloadable from Apple. I presume they would release the epidsodes through iTunes. It would only be 99 cents per song. Cheap and easy. Apple has always been known for their ease of use which they continue with this idea. The spinwheel on iPods is a great example.

NBC and CBS have done the same with DirectTV and Comcast.

I see this as the start of a new trend. This will be the new way to catch all missed TV shows in the future. Not only the shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC, but I think all TV shows will be avabilable in this way in the near future.

You can read the article here:
The Digital Music Weblog

Father/Daughter Talk

I thought this was great.

Father/Daughter Talk

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college.
Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a
very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the
redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch
Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the
lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat
with a professor, she felt that her father had for years
harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought
should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to
higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government
welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed
by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to
her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA,
and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that
she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly
studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other
people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and
didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her
time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is you friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are
easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA.
She is so popular on campus, college for her is a blast. She's
always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't
even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the
Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give
it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both
have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal
distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion,
angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked
really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time,
and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing
toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican
Party."

I found it on a forum so I'm not sure of the source. Regardless, it was a good find. Probably the best analogy ever. It's perfect! Brilliant!

Good night everyone.

P.S. I'm having problems posting pictures. I don't know what's up, but I'm trying to work out the kinks.

Mudvayne and NIhilism

Well, my weekend was great. I lost seven bucks playing poker and gained one back in Tripoley. I bought Mudvayne's latest CD, Lost and Found. It's a great heavymetal album, but some of their songs are odd. Overall, I liked all the songs, even the odd ones. One of the odd things on the album was in the song Choices. In a squeaky voice, they say the words "Eenie Meanie Miney Moe" (spelling?).



On one of my favorite websites, Wikipedia, I found another interesting term:

Nihilism

Furthermore, the most interesting article I have found on Wikipedia yet is on Internet Trolls. It's very intriguing to me to understand the reasoning behind people's logic in doing things such as trolling. I think that's one reason why I find psychology interesting. I loved this article becasue it went so in-depth on why people troll and their reasons for doing it. Also, I agree with the idea that trolls playing "Devil's Advocate" is good for a forum (it depends on the circumstances, but most of the time).

I've got to get back to the Colts and Patriots game. Go Colts!

So Busy

I'm not going to be able to make a worthile post today. I'm sorry. It has been really busy around here. We lost our footbal game yesterday 31-29 with 1 second left it the game (the other team kicked a field goal to win). The aroma was like someone died on our sidelines. There was so much sadness. It sucked so much.

Finally some good sports

I'm so glad that the NBA season has finally arrived. Along with that, NFL and college football are getting exciting. Both of which are awesome sports for fantasy teams online. The best fantasy basketball game I've ever participated in is Fast Break. It's a fantasy game on ESPN’s website. The standard is daily leagues, but there are weekly leagues, too. You choose a lineup each day (or week, whichever league you’re in). The catch is that all players are assigned a point value and you get a 100 point maximum cap for your roster. To get an idea of what it's like lets say you choose Kevin Garnett. He would be worth about 20 points. Whereas the worst player is between three to five points. You choose players for all five positions and a coach you think will win. If the coach wins you get five points and if not you receive zero points. You are awarded points based on each player’s performance that night. Rosters must be locked by midnight the night before. It’s a very competitive game with thousands of people competing.

The prize for winning used to be tickets to the NBA Finals. Now it’s something like a TV from Best Buy for first place, and a gift card (to Best Buy) for second place.

Furthermore, the fantasy football games on ESPN are enjoyable, too. There’s nothing special about them, but I like sticking to one site for all my fantasy sports. I'd lose track if I had fantasy teams on more than one site. There is a point system one like Fast Break for NFL football called Gridiron Challenge. I do that along with two Pick Em leagues (one for NFL and one for College).

Back on basketball……

How about those Milwaukee Bucks? I think they're going to have a great year. I haven't followed sports for approximately the last two years. I’ve been busy and haven’t had much time. I used to be an avid fan and watch Sportscenter all the time. Anyways, prior to the season I would have guessed the Bucks would have been a mediocre team. I was most definitely wrong!!! They really have some chemistry with Bogut and Ford complimenting Redd. An added bonus is that they’re a very young team. For that reason, I think they have a very promising future.



As I have been getting back into the sports world I have been surprised by two other teams. The Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers. Even though I wasn't following sports very much, I still heard all the hype about LeBron and Carmello. It looks like they're both all they were hyped up to be. Also, their teams are starting to form nicely around them. Especially those Nuggets!

Before the season I looked at all the rosters in the NBA. Miami was really a jaw dropper. They have so many big name players such as:

Shaquille O'Neal
Gary Payton
Dwayne Wade
Jason Williams
Antoine Walker
Alonzo Morning

I know Alonzo and Payton aren’t in their prime, but they are still good players. A big benefit is that they bring lots of experience and leadership. It's a pretty old team with the exception of Wade. It kind of reminds me of the Lakers last year with Dwayne replacing Kobe. Add to the fact that the supporting cast is better than the Lakers supporting cast was.

I'm really excited about this basketball season. Should be great fun!

And on one last random note before I leave:

How about those Colts?

7-0

Peyton is finally getting the season he deserves. He puts up superb performances season after season and his team is finally along for the ride. Good luck Colts! A well deserved record.

It’s late and I have school tomorrow. Good night.

Some Political Mumblings and More

I found a new word that I like:

Ethnocentrism

It's the same idea as the cliche "You have to walk a mile that persons shoes". (That being whoever you are refering to)

Also, I found another term I like on Wikipedia. I was doing my government homework when I came across this. It is the idea of Crony Capitalism aka Crapitalism. In my opinion, the theory is unbelievably true in our society here in the United States. Look at how many officials in our federal government have a background in large corporations. Our Vice President Dick Cheney is one such person. Harriet Miers may have been nominated because of cronyism. The gap between the poor and rich is growing, and Crony Capitalism is part of the cause. The affects of Crony Capitalism are only helping the rich businessmen. Furthermore, this helps oligarchy stay true as the powerful elites in America stay in control of our country.

If you enjoy politics and are looking for something to read check out The Irony of Democracy. This book is about the political system here in America from an uncommon point of view. It basically talks about elite rule in America and how the United States doesn't have a true democracy. I've been required to read it in my college government and politics class. I have found it quite interesting thus far.

On a random note:

Theory of a Deadman is a great band. One of their better songs is No Surprise. If you're looking for some new rock tunes, check them out!

Interesting Read

A Thought Over Coffee is an interesting blog about a man's journey starting a small business. The man, Jason Duncan, just finished college in Nashville, Tennessee. Then he moved to Bozeman, Montana with his wife where he is trying to start up a cafe.

It's quite intriguing if you are interested in small business. I just came across it three days ago, and I'm trying to catch up reading it from the beginning to present. Countless hours later and I'm only halfway through.

Check it out.