I've been writing more on my new website/blog at http://www.1337hax0r.com

Since I coded the blog though, I could theoretically double up the production of any article I write on there by auto-posting it here on Slashdot. :-) If anyone is interested of course.

Otherwise, I may post some more stuff here eventually, but not very often. To all the people who enjoy reading my journal entries, feel free to check out my blog above on a regular basis, or follow it's RSS feed at http://www.1337hax0r.com/feed.php

geebus saints cripes! I can't stand watching television anymore, just because the blatent lies and horrid things that companies promote is so disturbing and upsetting. (when I watch TV now, I just crank the volume down and work on my computer so I don't have to see commercials.)

It's obvious that the media has finally evolved to where many media scientists (not quite sure of the term to use.) expected it to evolve. Television shows are not written to attract you to their station because they are good, but rather are wrapping around the commercials. Why pay big bucks for quality media when you can get people to act like asses and still make the same money from advertising. But... since this is not a rant on television shows, but rather advertising, I'll move on.

Okay, well, let's start with my favorite one. Do you know what was a great memory from my childhood, going on those long family trips with my sisters, and playing around in the back seat of the car, watching the landscape going by, taking pictures with my $2 macdonalds cheap-ass camera (yeah, I used to eat there, not anymore.) I still have some of those pictures, and I still remember all of the fussing we had, but I also remember how much those trips brought our family together, and how many stories we have now about it. While I acknowledge we had some rough spots, they just added to the experience, and no one really lost out from it.

But now what are companies promoting in cars? Sedate your children in the back seat by showing them more useless bullshit television. Heaven forbid they be children and do typical children things that they do on trips. Heaven forbid that for one instant you take care of your own _damn child_. Nope, instead we are told that it's a good idea to put yet another television into your life to sell and advertise useless crap to you while being wrapped in cheesy little DVD wrappers. (yes, even DVDs have advertisements now.) Everytime I see that commercial, where they show these amazing landscapes and the car driving smoothly through them, and then they flip to the inside and the children have their eyes glued to yet another television it makes me sick, but that's what they want to sell you. Sedate yourself, ignore the world, and heaven forbid if you take care of your own children yourself.

Well, that's not the only commercial that drives me up the wall, but I think it'll be the one I rant about today. maybe tommorow I'll do another one. ;-)

newaiz, have fun, and remember to turn off the TV and computer once and a while. You may be surprised at how much time you have and what else you can do.

Other than the fact that if Indecisive Warmongerer Paul Martin is made head of the Liberals, I won't even consider voting Liberal until he is gone, I am very proud to be Canadian after reading this.

U.S. says Canada cares too much about liberties

Especially considering this.

Hopefully Canada will be the defining link to what is true freedom in this world, and hopeful Paul Martin won't ruin it for us all.

Oh yeah, and this is kick ass as well, just watching it soar.

So.. sorry for waving my flag patriotically today, I just had the urge. :-)

I receive over 200+ spams a day... Most of which are unique. I am willing to forward these spams to any antispam company on a regular basis so that they can get a really large sample of different spam sent out daily and determine how best to program their software to prevent it.

In exchange, I do ask for some free spam filtering software, or something to reduce the sheer amount of spam I receive daily.

This won't be a too technical journal entry, just so you are aware ahead of time.

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I was on the bus yesterday, and as always I was trying to avoid unclassily gawking at the young women that I found attractive, and rather force myself to stare out the window at the people on the street. As always, I saw the same ol' stuff... the old car repair shop... the student housing that is for rent for the summer... same ol' everything.

But then, I saw something that caught my eye, an older man, somewhere between 45 and 60, I am not certain. In his business suit, he was walking down the street. Now, this alone wouldn't have caught my attention, but there was more to this mans walk than that.

When I first saw him, I thought, "Wow, there is a man with a purpose. There is a man I could respect." Yet, I couldn't explain why until I started to watch other people walking down the street and thought about how the man was walking.

Here's what I discovered were the reasons for this instant respect for a man I didn't even know.

He stared straight ahead, not at his feet, or in the clouds. He knew where he was going and looked determined to reach there. Most of the university students and other people I saw were usually staring at their feet, or had a dazed look in their eyes.

His stride was strong and straight forward, with his hands out of his pockets. Again, the other people I saw walking seemed less to walk, and more vaguely saunter down the street. They all seemed to barely have enough energy to make each stride. Yet this man, looked like he has the energy of a hundred of the other people I saw. Each stride was strong forceful and direct.

He was clean shaven and well dressed. Naturally this adds to the look of anyone. Yet, I never realized that it helped this much. Most of the other people I saw walking around on the street looked as if they had just crawled out of the dumpster behind the Salvation Army, and were holding up their pants with extensions cords they got from their mom.

But... Even if I am wrong about all this, I do know that when I saw this man, I had an amazing feeling of respect for him come over me. Perhaps he was just a janitor, or maybe he was an executive at one of the tech companies out here. Yet, no matter what, he was proud, happy and strong with where he was, and he showed it in his walk. He was worthy of respect if only for just that.

Some video clips I think are worth watching, and speeches worth reading.

Micheal Moore's Award Speech

Micheal Moore is far more eloquent backstage

Adrien Brody's Amazing Oscar Speech

Adrien Brody Backstage

Just some interesting clips from the Oscars.

I read this earlier today, and thought that I would share it. I found it to be a very thoughtful discussion on the war.

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The war has begun...God help us all...and protect the innocent. Fr. Tim Uniac ... came back from Florida (Last Sunday) after visiting Fr. Norm Choate and his parents who winter in Florida. He told us that when he was at Sunday Mass, the priest prayed for peace. Suddenly, a man in the back stood up and very loudly said, "I will not pray for peace. We need to bomb those sons of ..." Then the man got out of hte pew and left Mass. Other friends and family I have spoken to in the States all express divided opinion and confusion over the war with Iraq. Many are heavily in favour of Bush policies and decision and are vilifying the nations who spoke against the US decision. They are, in Bush's words, the coalition of hte unwilling. But most of those I spoke with said that they could not make much sense out of the inexorable drive to go to war. They told me, that the issues are just not as clear as Bush makes them out to be.

I was listening to an interview on CBC on Monday which simply asked where the peace and protest music is during this time of conflict. During the Vietnam war, music played a big part in expressing the angst most felt over the tragedy of conflict, destruction, and death that they saw unfolding on TV. There were songs about Kent State, the university where four protesting students were killed by the US National Guard. Songs blared out words like, "war, good God y'all, what is it good for... absolutely nothing." The music and words gave form shape and vent to the souls of those who hungered for more, for better ways of relating, for peace. Now, it seems that the music is silent or absent from the airwaves because a few corporations control much of the media. There is no money in protest. On top of that, it seems that in this Iraqi crisi, any dissenting voice that holds an opinion different from the American presidency and White House is labeled as traitorous, unpatriotic, cowardly, weak, and the list goes on.

Dr. Micheal Higgens recently returned from ... Spain last week. He said that those he spoke with described a sense gloom and quiet despair hovering over Europe, not to mention a growing anti-American and anti-Jewish sentiment (because of the Palestinian/Isreali conflict). The fall out from this war, most expressed, will last for a long time. Not only has diplomacy failed but the UN has been dealt a serious blow to its position as a world moderator and forum for international dialogue, aid and diplomacy. These are hard times. ...

In the days ahead, as we watch war unfold like a video game from the comfort of our own homes... Let us believe in the possibility of peace, in the dream of a reconciled world where even enemies can sit down together at table and those estranged can reach out in friendship. But we must begin with ourselves by disarming our own hearts.

In the menatime, as we work toward peace, let us continue to pray for peace, and for all those who suffer because of war and conflict and greed. The war has begun, God help us find our way back to love.

(Posted with permission from Fr. Jim Link, UCC, Waterloo.)

Here's a list of articles on the subject.

the BBC, Le Monde, Reuters, Yahoo, Canada.com, CNN, MSNBC,
New York Times, Canoe.ca, Cyberpresse, cbc.ca, IndyMedia

I will post more sources as they come. Feel free to post more sources you discover relating to this.

These are really hard to find on American sites, but they are there.

I just thought this was cute. It's Anthony St-George's apology to Americans.

http://www.22minutes.com/realwrapper.php?target=apology_256.rm

Folding @ Home

If you are going to donate your spare cycles to a worthwhile project. Join Folding @ Home, team 12005. For a few reasons.

1. Team 12005 has a really nice page to view your stats on.
http://folding.cubicproductions.com

2. Folding at home produces useful results that the medical community is using to help you and your friends live longer healthier lives

3. The software is stable, and has never crashed or caused problems for me (On Windows and Linux)

4. It's fun to watch your name climb the ranks.

From the team that I am on's web site:
  We are giving up our spare (and sometimes not so spare) cpu cycles to medical science, in particular the Folding@Home project. In a nutshell, the project goal is to simulate the folding, unfolding and misfolding of various proteins across thousands (millions, perhaps) of computers worldwide in a unified effort. Sections of this simulation, called work units, are given to each computer, which in turn solves one tiny piece of the puzzle. Organizations, clubs, groups, etc, can band together their CPU power in "teams" and contend for the top spot in friendly (though fierce) competition, ranked by completed work units. Many different proteins are involved in many different situations, and the project will last for years to come, revealing lots of interesting discoveries along the way. In specific, it is hoped that the results of this effort will help in finding the eventual cures of diseases like Mad Cow, Alzeimers, Parkinsons, various Cancers, HIV (AIDS), etc.

So, help out today. Join Team 12005 on Folding @ Home.