At midnight EDT tonight (11pm CDT) Newsworld International will go off the air. Due to new ownership (they were bought out by Al Gore), the station will go in a "different" direction.
I discovered the news channel about two years ago, and being a bit of a news nerd, I fell in love with it immediately. It took the place of the Weather Channel as my favorite station. Where else could you watch Japanese news in English? :)
Thanks, NWI. You gave me perspectives on issues I wasn't able to see on US news stations. You will be missed greatly, and I hope you guys can find your way back to the American audiences who love your broadcasts.
--Weasel, signing off
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Failure? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Failure!
Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=15757277&method=full&siteid=94762-name_page.html
So, how far will this go? Will we find cute euphemisms for firing someone? Paying taxes? Causing traffic accidents? Death?
--Weasel, who hasn't stopped writing for today.... she merely "paused extensively"
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=15757277&method=full&siteid=94762-name_page.html
So, how far will this go? Will we find cute euphemisms for firing someone? Paying taxes? Causing traffic accidents? Death?
--Weasel, who hasn't stopped writing for today.... she merely "paused extensively"
Monday, July 25, 2005
Having a Baby... Can Make You an Idiot
So I'm at work today when this lady (I'll call her "Jane Fubar") and her 2 year old daughter (who happened to be sitting in Jane's shopping cart) come up to my lane. Jane unloads her cart and places her items on my conveyer belt. When Mom was done, the kid decides to get out of the cart and sit on the belt! Yes, you read that right. The little girl plopped her rear on my belt and sat there, waiting for the thing to move. My jaw dropped. Mom didn't say a damned word, just let Little Kid Dumbass sit on my checkout lane. Fearing for the child's safety, I turned off the belt. Then Jane decides to finally say something. What does Mommy Fubar say? She sighs, "Sorry, honey. Looks like you won't get a ride today."
Um, what the fuck?
You let your kid pull this bullshit in other stores? Do you know how fucking dangerous it is?! Oh, and I'm sure if your sweet little Baby Dumbass fell and hurt herself, you'd do everything in your power to sue the hell out of the store! It's been said many times, many ways.... "Any fool can breed. Most of them do."
--Weasel, proving once again she's flypaper for morons
Um, what the fuck?
You let your kid pull this bullshit in other stores? Do you know how fucking dangerous it is?! Oh, and I'm sure if your sweet little Baby Dumbass fell and hurt herself, you'd do everything in your power to sue the hell out of the store! It's been said many times, many ways.... "Any fool can breed. Most of them do."
--Weasel, proving once again she's flypaper for morons
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Holy Crap!
There are people out there who get it!
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/articles/2005/07/24/local_news/opinion/opinions02.txt
There may actually be some hope for this planet after all!
--Weasel, "Wow, intelligent life on planet Earth. Who'duv thunk it?"
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/articles/2005/07/24/local_news/opinion/opinions02.txt
There may actually be some hope for this planet after all!
--Weasel, "Wow, intelligent life on planet Earth. Who'duv thunk it?"
Oops, They Did It Again
Being a Transfan, I was watching Transformers: Cybertron last night. It's their latest animated show and comes on Cartoon Network's Toonami block Saturdays at 6pm Central. I had such high hopes for this show, I really did. Everything seemed to be going along wonderfully. Until last night.
Without giving away the plot, a block of Thundercracker's lines were spoken by, not his voice actor, but by Starscream's. Yes, that's right; instead of screwing up the names like they did in Energon and Armada, they completely screwed up some of the dialogue. I heaved a sigh, looked over at Prime and said, "That's it. I am done."
I know, I know. It's only one mistake. But it's a pretty damn big one. One that should have very easily been caught and corrected. One that should have never gotten through at all. But it did.
Many Transfans have whined and bitched and complained about how poor in quality the original 1980s Generation One cartoon was, with its miscolored characters, silly plotlines and many retcons. There were many fans who considered it the absolute worst Transformers series in the toyline's history. Until Armada and Energon with their many dubbing and writing mistakes came along.
What happened to the Transformers? How did things get so bad? Is there anyway of turning this around and saving the franchise?
I cannot help but wonder if the series needs another break, like back in the early 90s. Some time to rest, rethink and retool may be what is needed. Until then, we may very well be doomed to the same pattern of failure.
A pattern that could cause the franchise to collapse. Or worse yet, die.
--Weasel, transforming and rolling out
Without giving away the plot, a block of Thundercracker's lines were spoken by, not his voice actor, but by Starscream's. Yes, that's right; instead of screwing up the names like they did in Energon and Armada, they completely screwed up some of the dialogue. I heaved a sigh, looked over at Prime and said, "That's it. I am done."
I know, I know. It's only one mistake. But it's a pretty damn big one. One that should have very easily been caught and corrected. One that should have never gotten through at all. But it did.
Many Transfans have whined and bitched and complained about how poor in quality the original 1980s Generation One cartoon was, with its miscolored characters, silly plotlines and many retcons. There were many fans who considered it the absolute worst Transformers series in the toyline's history. Until Armada and Energon with their many dubbing and writing mistakes came along.
What happened to the Transformers? How did things get so bad? Is there anyway of turning this around and saving the franchise?
I cannot help but wonder if the series needs another break, like back in the early 90s. Some time to rest, rethink and retool may be what is needed. Until then, we may very well be doomed to the same pattern of failure.
A pattern that could cause the franchise to collapse. Or worse yet, die.
--Weasel, transforming and rolling out
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Grand Theft Cop-Out
It's all hit the fan, folks!
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/07/more_details_on.html
I have just one little question though: this game was Rated M for Mature. In other words, no one under 17 can buy it. It carried that rating due to its violent content. Now here's the thing: it's okay for a 17 year old to play an overtly violent game, but not okay for them to see characters in sexual positions sans genitalia? What the fuck? Honestly people, which is worse for your child?! (No, I'm not saying we should ban violent games, far from it. I'm just wondering why the fury over something so, well, idiotic.)
But what the hell do I know? All I have is my common sense, which ain't so damn common anymore.
--Weasel, thinking of the children..... NOT!
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/07/more_details_on.html
I have just one little question though: this game was Rated M for Mature. In other words, no one under 17 can buy it. It carried that rating due to its violent content. Now here's the thing: it's okay for a 17 year old to play an overtly violent game, but not okay for them to see characters in sexual positions sans genitalia? What the fuck? Honestly people, which is worse for your child?! (No, I'm not saying we should ban violent games, far from it. I'm just wondering why the fury over something so, well, idiotic.)
But what the hell do I know? All I have is my common sense, which ain't so damn common anymore.
--Weasel, thinking of the children..... NOT!
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
A Farewell to the Miracle Worker
Most of you Trekkers and Trekkies already know this:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aznaS0AKCdxY&refer=us
and
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/20/obit.doohan.ap/index.html
I'm heartbroken, to say the very least. I've always had a soft spot for Scotty. Fare thee well, Mr. Doohan. You will sorely be missed.
--Weasel, lighting a candle and saying a few prayers
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aznaS0AKCdxY&refer=us
and
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/20/obit.doohan.ap/index.html
I'm heartbroken, to say the very least. I've always had a soft spot for Scotty. Fare thee well, Mr. Doohan. You will sorely be missed.
--Weasel, lighting a candle and saying a few prayers
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
The Truth is Out There
As I've mentioned before, I'm a cashier. I happen to work for one of the biggest retailers in the US. You probably know which one. The company is so large, we have our own little monthly magazine. It's a glossy little mag filled with cute, feel-good stories about our corporation. Few people read it, including me. This month's dealt with our annual shareholder's meeting, or as I often call it, the Yearly Pep Rally. When I paged through it out of boredom yesterday, the opening op-ed for this issue caught my eye. The author wanted us, the employees, to spread the good word of our company, since there had been so much bad press about the corporation. According him, there was more to the story than what was "misconstrued" in the mainstream media.
Well, sir, I have a couple of stories about our glorious company. Both of them are true. And sir, neither one you will like.
Back in March of this year, I was called into the manager's office. It was 10:35 in the morning and I was manning the cigarette lane. Another cashier had to come in and take over my duties while I was gone. As I placed my drawer in another check-out lane, I jokingly said to the lead cashier, "All right, what did I do this time?" Her reply scared the hell out of me: "We'll talk about that when we're in the office." Now I knew I was in trouble; usually the leads on duty will play along with the joke. After my till was secured, I walked to the back of the store, my palms sweating and my heart pounding. I walked into the office, sat down with the lead and waited for a member of management. When the assistant manager got there, they dropped the bomb.
I was being written up. My offense? Telling jokes during lunch. Why? These jokes were (this is a direct quote) "bringing down morale".
To say I was surprised was putting it mildly. None of my joking was inappropriate; it was just the usual joshing around. But they weren't done with me yet: it appeared that I made people "uncomfortable" when I sat with them at the tables in the break room. (Odd, I always asked if anyone cared if I sat with them...) I didn't even know what to say in my defense; I was too damned shocked. I managed to mumble out a few phrases, but was told by management it would be better if I kept my mouth shut on my lunch hour and read a book. Oh and don't sit near anyone, Gods forbid. My mind numb, I managed to type out a half-hearted apology on the manager's computer, then I was summarily dismissed.
I was shaken. Before I went back to the front end, I made a quick stop in the women's restroom to collect myself. It took all my strength to hold back my tears. After sitting in a lonely stall for about ten minutes, I went back to work. For the rest of the day, I tried to act as though everything was okay. But more than once, I just wanted to cry.
Things went back to "normal" so to speak, for the next few weeks. Then came late May, when on a Sunday afternoon, I was again summoned to the manager's office. Apparently I needed to be punished yet again. It seems I had been getting overtime, which was mainly due to the fact that no one would shut my lane down on time. If I did it myself, I was told to stay until my replacement came 30 minutes (or more) later. So I was being given a decision day, which meant I was going to be sent home to decide what I would do to keep my job. Now, this was a Sunday afternoon, which meant there was no bus service that day. Prime had the PC hooked to the net and since we have dial-up, I couldn't call him. I told the assistant manager this, but she merely said, "Keep trying until you get through." I told her that was nearly impossible. She replied, "Call someone else." I told her if I tried my mother in law and she wasn't home, I would be stuck. The assistant manager just shrugged.
Needless to say, I tried calling Prime, but could not reach my sweet soulmate. I tried to call his mother. No answer there. I tried calling for a taxi and they never answered. So I was screwed, to put it mildly. How did I get home? Well, the answer is simple.
I walked. It took me two hours, but I walked all the way home. When I finally got home and knocked on the door, Prime nearly shit his pants. I told him everything and he was not pleased. At all. I had to convince him not to do anything rash. Me, I was so damned depressed that all I could do was cry. When I went back to work the next day, I typed out another half-assed apology to the company. By then I just didn't care. It's been nearly two months after this wonderful incident and I still just don't care. I almost wish they would have fired me and gotten it the hell over with. And I'm not the only one with low morale; a lot of the other employees have said they wouldn't care if they got fired tomorrow. Yet the company wants us to shit out all these sunshiny lies about how fucking great it is working for them.
Sorry, no.
Not.
Going.
To.
Happen.
I will not lie for this company anymore. I will not put forth their bullshit. I will spread the truth, no matter how bad it may sound. The media has it right and nothing has been misconstrued. The truth is out there, but the company can't handle it.
Or doesn't want to.
--Weasel, lighting the candle of reality to blot out the BS
Well, sir, I have a couple of stories about our glorious company. Both of them are true. And sir, neither one you will like.
Back in March of this year, I was called into the manager's office. It was 10:35 in the morning and I was manning the cigarette lane. Another cashier had to come in and take over my duties while I was gone. As I placed my drawer in another check-out lane, I jokingly said to the lead cashier, "All right, what did I do this time?" Her reply scared the hell out of me: "We'll talk about that when we're in the office." Now I knew I was in trouble; usually the leads on duty will play along with the joke. After my till was secured, I walked to the back of the store, my palms sweating and my heart pounding. I walked into the office, sat down with the lead and waited for a member of management. When the assistant manager got there, they dropped the bomb.
I was being written up. My offense? Telling jokes during lunch. Why? These jokes were (this is a direct quote) "bringing down morale".
To say I was surprised was putting it mildly. None of my joking was inappropriate; it was just the usual joshing around. But they weren't done with me yet: it appeared that I made people "uncomfortable" when I sat with them at the tables in the break room. (Odd, I always asked if anyone cared if I sat with them...) I didn't even know what to say in my defense; I was too damned shocked. I managed to mumble out a few phrases, but was told by management it would be better if I kept my mouth shut on my lunch hour and read a book. Oh and don't sit near anyone, Gods forbid. My mind numb, I managed to type out a half-hearted apology on the manager's computer, then I was summarily dismissed.
I was shaken. Before I went back to the front end, I made a quick stop in the women's restroom to collect myself. It took all my strength to hold back my tears. After sitting in a lonely stall for about ten minutes, I went back to work. For the rest of the day, I tried to act as though everything was okay. But more than once, I just wanted to cry.
Things went back to "normal" so to speak, for the next few weeks. Then came late May, when on a Sunday afternoon, I was again summoned to the manager's office. Apparently I needed to be punished yet again. It seems I had been getting overtime, which was mainly due to the fact that no one would shut my lane down on time. If I did it myself, I was told to stay until my replacement came 30 minutes (or more) later. So I was being given a decision day, which meant I was going to be sent home to decide what I would do to keep my job. Now, this was a Sunday afternoon, which meant there was no bus service that day. Prime had the PC hooked to the net and since we have dial-up, I couldn't call him. I told the assistant manager this, but she merely said, "Keep trying until you get through." I told her that was nearly impossible. She replied, "Call someone else." I told her if I tried my mother in law and she wasn't home, I would be stuck. The assistant manager just shrugged.
Needless to say, I tried calling Prime, but could not reach my sweet soulmate. I tried to call his mother. No answer there. I tried calling for a taxi and they never answered. So I was screwed, to put it mildly. How did I get home? Well, the answer is simple.
I walked. It took me two hours, but I walked all the way home. When I finally got home and knocked on the door, Prime nearly shit his pants. I told him everything and he was not pleased. At all. I had to convince him not to do anything rash. Me, I was so damned depressed that all I could do was cry. When I went back to work the next day, I typed out another half-assed apology to the company. By then I just didn't care. It's been nearly two months after this wonderful incident and I still just don't care. I almost wish they would have fired me and gotten it the hell over with. And I'm not the only one with low morale; a lot of the other employees have said they wouldn't care if they got fired tomorrow. Yet the company wants us to shit out all these sunshiny lies about how fucking great it is working for them.
Sorry, no.
Not.
Going.
To.
Happen.
I will not lie for this company anymore. I will not put forth their bullshit. I will spread the truth, no matter how bad it may sound. The media has it right and nothing has been misconstrued. The truth is out there, but the company can't handle it.
Or doesn't want to.
--Weasel, lighting the candle of reality to blot out the BS
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Useless News and Crud Report Volume 1
It's time for the Useless News and Crud Report. I am your host, Weasel. First off, a release date for the upcoming live-action Transformers movie has been announced:
http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=news&newsid=1034E2F7-D56F-E112-4871ECCC2E54B294
I can't believe I have to wait that long to finally see it. Almost two years. Here's hoping they use that time wisely; I want a kick-ass movie that leaves me completely breathless. And for the love of Primus guys, please get as many G1 voice actors as possible! If I hear Leonardo DiCaprio (or anyone else who isn't Dan Gilvezan) has been cast for the voice of Bumblebee, I will be very pissed.
On to our second news item. There's been an update of sorts on Pokemon XD:
http://www.pokemon.com/flash.htm
There's a nice little tutorial on how to snag and purify Shadow Pokemon, which is good for those who skipped out on Colosseum. I didn't (I thought Colosseum rocked righteously), but I read the section anyway. There's some interesting stuff there. Like this, for example: Shadow Lugia is rumored to be permanently tainted. I'm really hoping this is a false. Lugia's been a favorite of mine since the second movie; I'm going to be more than a little upset if I can't restore him to his former glory. We'll learn the truth this October. For other news concerning Pokemon XD such as available Shadow Pokemon, new Shadow Attacks and the possibility of catching wild Pokemon, you can always go here:
http://www.serebii.net/xd/
And lastly:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/11/AR2005071101359.html
It just keeps coming back. I don't know about anyone else, but this just plain scares me. What really burns me up though is the fact that the guy introducing this is from Wisconsin. (Yeah, I know who I'm not voting for in the next election!)
That's all for this edition of Useless News and Crud Report. This has been
--Weasel, signing off
http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=news&newsid=1034E2F7-D56F-E112-4871ECCC2E54B294
I can't believe I have to wait that long to finally see it. Almost two years. Here's hoping they use that time wisely; I want a kick-ass movie that leaves me completely breathless. And for the love of Primus guys, please get as many G1 voice actors as possible! If I hear Leonardo DiCaprio (or anyone else who isn't Dan Gilvezan) has been cast for the voice of Bumblebee, I will be very pissed.
On to our second news item. There's been an update of sorts on Pokemon XD:
http://www.pokemon.com/flash.htm
There's a nice little tutorial on how to snag and purify Shadow Pokemon, which is good for those who skipped out on Colosseum. I didn't (I thought Colosseum rocked righteously), but I read the section anyway. There's some interesting stuff there. Like this, for example: Shadow Lugia is rumored to be permanently tainted. I'm really hoping this is a false. Lugia's been a favorite of mine since the second movie; I'm going to be more than a little upset if I can't restore him to his former glory. We'll learn the truth this October. For other news concerning Pokemon XD such as available Shadow Pokemon, new Shadow Attacks and the possibility of catching wild Pokemon, you can always go here:
http://www.serebii.net/xd/
And lastly:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/11/AR2005071101359.html
It just keeps coming back. I don't know about anyone else, but this just plain scares me. What really burns me up though is the fact that the guy introducing this is from Wisconsin. (Yeah, I know who I'm not voting for in the next election!)
That's all for this edition of Useless News and Crud Report. This has been
--Weasel, signing off
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
America's Latest Addiction: Celebrity "News"
I was reading the local newspaper yesterday and an op-ed article caught my eye; it was written by Rich Lowry. Usually, I don't read his articles: he and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of subjects. But once in a great while, he'll hit the nail squarely on the head. This was one of those times.
His column detailed the degrees of obsession that most "magazines" (and I use that term very loosely here) have toward celebrities, namely their break-ups, make-ups, weight gains/losses and asked what this unhealthy fixation says about the United States. Mr. Lowry, I can tell you, it doesn't say much about us.
I work as a cashier and take notice of just which magazines make their ways through my check-out lane. What I see on a daily basis makes me want to cry. The most popular magazines that I sell, in no particular order are:
US Weekly
In Touch Weekly
Life and Style Weekly
People
and Star "Magazine".
Everyone one of these publications happen to be celebrity heavy. One happens to be a former tabloid with a major face lift. There is little to no real news in them, save People. Nearly everyone of them is splattered with celebrity photos and scream with "headlines" asking who will break up, how s/he lost weight, should they get married, etc.
And people lap up this tripe with an amazing appetite.
Mention "Paris" and most will say, "Is she married yet?" Mention "Darfur" and the response you'll get is, "Huh?" (Don't know what Darfur is? Google it.) The bombings in London have all but been forgotten; everyone is wondering what Tomkat will do next. The American public is more interested in Lindsay Lohan's weight than what's happening on Capital Hill. Most people follow the ups and downs of Brad, Jennifer and Angelina. They don't want to follow the ups and downs of Fallujah, Tikrit and Baghdad.
It makes America look shallow and superficial, which is how some view us. After all, we are what we read.
--Weasel
To read Mr. Lowry's piece, point your browser here:
http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200507050821.asp
His column detailed the degrees of obsession that most "magazines" (and I use that term very loosely here) have toward celebrities, namely their break-ups, make-ups, weight gains/losses and asked what this unhealthy fixation says about the United States. Mr. Lowry, I can tell you, it doesn't say much about us.
I work as a cashier and take notice of just which magazines make their ways through my check-out lane. What I see on a daily basis makes me want to cry. The most popular magazines that I sell, in no particular order are:
US Weekly
In Touch Weekly
Life and Style Weekly
People
and Star "Magazine".
Everyone one of these publications happen to be celebrity heavy. One happens to be a former tabloid with a major face lift. There is little to no real news in them, save People. Nearly everyone of them is splattered with celebrity photos and scream with "headlines" asking who will break up, how s/he lost weight, should they get married, etc.
And people lap up this tripe with an amazing appetite.
Mention "Paris" and most will say, "Is she married yet?" Mention "Darfur" and the response you'll get is, "Huh?" (Don't know what Darfur is? Google it.) The bombings in London have all but been forgotten; everyone is wondering what Tomkat will do next. The American public is more interested in Lindsay Lohan's weight than what's happening on Capital Hill. Most people follow the ups and downs of Brad, Jennifer and Angelina. They don't want to follow the ups and downs of Fallujah, Tikrit and Baghdad.
It makes America look shallow and superficial, which is how some view us. After all, we are what we read.
--Weasel
To read Mr. Lowry's piece, point your browser here:
http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200507050821.asp
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Hell On Earth
Everyone knows about it now.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5124661,00.html
They've hit London. A lot of people are thinking that this is coinciding with the G8 summit; I can't help but wonder if it was because of the Olympics. Either way, it has me shaking. My better half (his name's Prime) and I have a friend who lives in the UK; I'm hoping and praying to the Gods that he's all right. (Drop us an email and let us know you're okay, Neurie!)
It's looking like 40 people are dead and 300+ injured, according to some sources. But it's still too early to tell. And it looks like the lot of them were civilians. Just what the hell possesses people to pull this crap? If you terrorists were trying to say something, you just said a mouthful. (Mostly what you said was, "We're a bunch of stupid jackasses.") Oh and to the "Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe": if you're really responsible for this, change your name. "Asshats" fits you better. Or maybe "Cowardly Motherfuckers". The assweeds who pulled this stunt are little more than human pieces of flotsam and need to be treated as such.
--Weasel, lighting a candle for the deceased
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5124661,00.html
They've hit London. A lot of people are thinking that this is coinciding with the G8 summit; I can't help but wonder if it was because of the Olympics. Either way, it has me shaking. My better half (his name's Prime) and I have a friend who lives in the UK; I'm hoping and praying to the Gods that he's all right. (Drop us an email and let us know you're okay, Neurie!)
It's looking like 40 people are dead and 300+ injured, according to some sources. But it's still too early to tell. And it looks like the lot of them were civilians. Just what the hell possesses people to pull this crap? If you terrorists were trying to say something, you just said a mouthful. (Mostly what you said was, "We're a bunch of stupid jackasses.") Oh and to the "Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe": if you're really responsible for this, change your name. "Asshats" fits you better. Or maybe "Cowardly Motherfuckers". The assweeds who pulled this stunt are little more than human pieces of flotsam and need to be treated as such.
--Weasel, lighting a candle for the deceased
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