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It's been a while since I last posted, but I'm back.  Usually, when I post I'm interested in finding out people's opinions or advice on this matter or that. 

This is a big one.  An important one.  Perhaps the most importantest of them all!  (Well, maybe not.)

Anyway, there comes a time in every young man's life when he must finally spread his wings and leave home.  I'm turning 20 this fall and entering my last year of college as well (obtaining an associates in music technology), so I see that this time for ME is on the horizon.

As some of you may or may not know, I'm an aspiring film composer (you know, the person who writes the musical score to movies), and I've finally managed to get a few credits to my name now, with more in the near future. 

I've completed all my jobs so far via the internet, which is most certainly NOT an ideal way of working.  Ideally, I need to be in the same physical vicinity as the filmmakers. 

This brings me to my big problem: Where to go? 

At first the answer seems simple: Los Angeles. 

The problem with LA is that I really, really don't want to live in such a big city.  I'm from small town America, so LA seems pretty imposing.  Of course, I know that negativity gets the headlines so we're only going to hear nothing but how many murders took place there today. 

So my first set of questions is to those of you who live in LA, or have spent time there: 

1. What's the best aspect of living there?

2. What's the worst aspect of living there?

3. As a general rule, are the people friendly or unfriendly?

Now, the problem gets even more complicated as soon as I say that I've also seriously considered Canada.  I think it goes without saying that I've had my fair share of issues with the way America is and what it's become. 

I understand Toronto is a major film hotspot in Canada, and I might be persuaded to consider it even more seriously if I can get some input on the following questions:

1. What's the best aspect of living there?

2. What's the worst aspect of living there?

3. Are the people there friendly or unfriendly?

4. How do the films compare in all ways to American films? (This is something that's very important to me because I want to migrate towards films that are more about, you know, being expression and artwork, instead of stars, money and explosions.  It's sort of hard to find a lot of Canadian films where I live so I'm not able to make my own judgement yet.)

5. Is Canada significantly different enough from America to justify moving there based on social and political reasons, not including career?

I'll probably come up with more questions later on, but this are my basic starting points.  I've been thinking about it all for quite a long time, and it wouldn't be complete without the input of my brothers and sisters in Blue Cuppery.

I'd appreciate your input.   

I've been working at a restaurant for a while now, and something happened the other day that has really got me thinking.  Most of the waiters and waitresses are in the 16-20 age range, and so this shouldn't be surprising. 

Now, I didn't see this happen, but I saw the aftermath.  Apparently, one of the co-workers called one of the waiters gay, either as a joke or meant as an insult.  (Not really sure, as I didn't see it happen.)  Upon being called gay, he responded furiously, "Don't talk to me you stupid bitch," out-front where customers could hear. 

A little while later, he was back in the kitchen and the manager was scolding him about saying something like that in front of customers.  All the waiter could respond with was, "But I'm not gay."  Even though that was not relevant to the talk he was having with the manager.

I have wondered for a long time why being called gay is such a terrible blow, especially to adolescent males.  But they use it as an insult ALL the time, and to them, it seems to suggest that you're less of a male if you're gay, or at least that's what I've assumed they think.  Either way, listening to them talk is a constant stream of "Faggot," "Gay," and "Queer."

What potential do they see in that to be an insult?  And if it's such a terrible thing, why do they dwell on it?

Hail, o great and wise AGSers, I come to you seeking your council in matters impending before me.

So anyway, I was on my way home from school yesterday and I was pulled over for speeding.  Allegedly, I was going 50 in a 30.  Now, I'm not sure if this is true for a number of reasons.  1, I wasn't looking at my speedometer, I was watching the road.  2, If I WAS going 50 and everybody else was doing 30, I think I would've been tailgating a bunch of people ahead.  I raised that point to the officer, and the first time he ignored it, and the second time he said he was done "explaining."  Hmm, explaning what?  He never answered my question.

So the ticket is $145, and I have the option of either mailing the payment in, or going to the set court date to contest it.  I really feel like the speed was exaggerated, or everybody else was speeding too, and he just picked me. 

I can shrug it off and pay the fine, but I really don't feel like doing that.  I at least want a chance to question the officer.  For one thing, was I going EXACTLY 50 mph, or did he round it up or down? 

Also, and here's a big one, I noticed today that from the spot that he pulled from his parked position onto the road to pull me over, the speed changes from 30 to 45 to the point to where I actually stopped, the speed zone there is actually 45 MPH, not 30.  That means I was so close the change in speed zone that I may be able to argue that it was frivilous/incorrect to fine me for 50 in a 30 when the speed changes visibly, I might add, as the sign is viewable from the road where he was parked.

So what WOULD you do?  Go to court and plead the case and question to officer?  Or just mail in the fine (with money I really can't afford at the moment) 

If I WAS speeding, I would be inclined to just mail the payment in, but I didn't know I was speeding, or WHAT speed I was doing.

So tonight I was on my way home from work.  I live outside of town in the quiet country side, and so it was the perfect setting for my little experience here.  As I was turning into my lane, I saw a little, orangish light in the western horizon.  At first I thought it was a star, and wondered which one it might be.  Then as I kept watching it, I noticed it was fading in and out.  It wasn't a strobe like is seen on a helicopter or an airliner (which was what I thought it was for a moment, until I realized it was not flashing.) 

I wasn't quite sure WHAT I was looking at, so I had a UFO on my hands.  And what does a space nerd do when he or she spots a flying object that is not readily indentifiable?  Hit the gas and speed up to house as closely as possible, run inside, grab your binoculars and tear back outside into the front yard, of course.  I found the object in my binoculars very quickly and focused in on it. 

Ordinarily, I wouldn't have thought anything about this had it not been for the rythmically fading light and its unusual and slow movements.  The light moved east a little ways, and then would seem to just stop and sit.  Then it might move a little west, and seem to stop.  After a moment, it started moving right towards ME.  At this point, I became a bit unnerved.  It kept getting a little closer and a little closer, and I momentarily thought about Travis Walton.   

I kept reasoning that it was SO not aliens from another planet, but whatever it might be was coming in my direction, and having spent the earlier part of the afternoon reading up on black holes, worm holes, and general outer space stuff, the mindset was just right for me to get a little spooked. 

It got closer (yet still looked just like a little star) and then it started moving to the east/north east.  By this time I had ran back in and dragged out my 10" scope.  It was time for some serious observation!  I could follow it in the little finder scope, but I only caught one or two glimpses of it through the actual main view, and sadly, it was out of focus.  It seemed orangish/white almost when it DID move through my main view, very quickly. 

Shortly after this, it moved far enough east that it was behind the tree tops and I couldn't see it any longer.  So it wasn't a total loss, I took a peek at Mars and then the Moon, and hauled all my stuff back in the house.

What was it?  Probably a fighter jet out doing manuevers and the orange light was it's main engine burn.  There IS an airbase to the south quite a ways.  The reason it seemed to move so slowly was probably because he was REALLY high up, also accounting for why it looked like a star and there were no other apparent details other than the light.  But it was technically a UFO to me for a little while, and it was a fun ending to a rather dull work shift.

So, tell us about YOUR UFO experiences!  Have you ever seen a mysterious flying object you couldn't identify?  Did they suck you up into the ship?  Did they tell you they were here to stop humans from creating the Solarnite bomb?   Do tell.

I just found out a little while ago that one of my teacher's from highschool (and a close personal friend of mine,) is in the hospital now because he had either a stroke or an aneurysm.  I'm not sure they know exactly what happened.  It apparently occured this morning, and he was life-flighted to a larger hospital.  What makes it even more sad is that he's only in his thirties, and he his wife had twins earlier this year, in addition to two children they already have.

Just the other day I thought to myself that I ought to give him a call or email him or something, just to say hi.  It's been a while since we got together or talked, simply because things get so busy.

I don't have all the details yet, so I'm trying to keep things in perspective until I know exactly what's going on and how bad it is (or isn't.)

Anyway, just wanted to ramble a little bit.

http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2007/02/prisonersofyoutube.php

It's almost impossible that you haven't seen at least ONE or two of the videos listed throughout this thought-provoking article.

I read this at the beginning of this year, and recently found it again, and re-read it.  It's chilling to stop and think about how closely monitored we are, and how hundreds of millions of people across the globe could relive one of our embarrassing moments over and over again, at all hours of the day and thousands of new hits every minute.  It could be captured on a security camera or be shot on a cellphone.  It could happen on the street, on a bus, or in your own living room. 

Cameras are everywhere, and millions of people are waiting for the next big viral video to watch, forward, spoof, reference, and comment on.  Think about it:  You could be the next big fucking dumbass faggot loser to get caught on camera getting pwned.

Creepy stuff.  This is why I don't surf the "funny" videos anymore.  I eventually decided that this mass-voyeurism wasn't for me.  After all, how would I like it if somebody caught me on tape during an off day?  Granted, the people who intentionally got up before crowds and made fools of themselves aren't deserving of a whole lot of sympathy.  But the people who were minding their own business but were at the wrong place at the wrong time don't deserve the global humilation that they've gotten.

So that's my take.  What do you think?

I just finished GK3 for the first time after having finally obtained a copy.

It's a fascinating game, and incredible story, but I have a question for those of you who've completed it more than once:  Is there more than one ending? 

In the ending I saw, Grace leaves while Gabriel is returning to the hotel from the temple after having defeated the villian and returned Prince James' son safely.  When he gets back to the room, he finds her gone with only a note left on the laptop.  He crumples the paper and drops it back onto the computer, and the screen fades out.

This really blew me over, and I was just wondering if I had done something wrong and if there were other endings...  if there are, tell me, but DON'T tell me WHAT they are or what happens. 

I just finished watching Michael Moore's latest film, "SiCKO."  Very fascinating stuff, and thought provoking. 

I'm gathering up info on other nations and their healthcare systems, and at the same time, I'd like to hear from all of you out there about your own experiences with your healthcare system, and if you're satisfied and well taken care of. 

We can certainly discuss the film here, but I'd like to focus on a few of the following questions:

What country do you live in?

What is your experience with and opinion of your healthcare system? 

Do you find your clinics and hospitals organized and efficient, or are there people waiting for weeks and months to get in?

What is the price of public healthcare, and is it worth it?

Any input on this topic will be greatly appreciated. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21224357/ (School shooting article)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15111438/ (School shooting myths)

Why does this keep happening?  Granted, school shootings are not as rampant as they may seem, what with all the media attention they draw, but they still beg the question, why.


What's pushing these kids to do these things?

Why are so many of them male?

Why don't the kids who know about these plans in advance say something before it happens?

Are there any plans in the near future to take action against these shootings that will actually be effective, and still leave personal privacy and individuality intact?

There are no direct answers, but this kind of thing is so confusing I can't help but ask the questions.

At least nobody was killed in this round of shootings.  (That they know of yet, anyway.)

Remember those games that came on cardboard sheets that you installed on your kitchen table, and there was no sound and your hands WERE the input devices?  You know, you'd move those little pieces around and land on events and stuff, but events wouldn't happen automatically, you had to make it happen by reading cards and stuff?    Board games!

I love computer games as much as I ever did, but recently, I opened up the board game cabinet and dragged out some of my old favorite non-computer games.  "Life," "Monopoly," "Payday," "Risk," all a lot of fun even after so many years since I played them last.  And just like it was back in the day, nobody will play with me!  So I end up playing with myself a lot.  (Get your minds out of the gutter!  You knew what I meant.)

So what are some of your favorite board games?  What types do you like the best?  Money managing games?  Strategy?  Logic games?  Trivia? 

Man, it's weird to talk about these things outside the context of computers.

***NOTE***
I finally solved this problem by simply running system restore.  I still don't know what caused the problem in the first place, but it's fixed now.  Thanks for your help all!



My Dell Flatscreen monitor has been working great for the past year since I got my new computer.  Then, this evening, I turned my computer on, and it booted up just fine.  Then, where the Windows XP splash screen should be, nothing!  Just blank.  Then my desktop loaded (I could tell because of the sound of a little message popping up in the corner alerting me to update my virus stuff which I uninstalled.  Happens all the time, so I know the desktop loaded.)  Still, the screen was blank.  I used the Windows tab on my keyboard, and hit "U" twice to shut the computer back off.

After some experimenting, I unplugged my DVI-D cable from the computer and monitor and hooked in the VGA cable.  It worked!  However, I want to use my DVI cable, not the VGA. 

Does anybody have any idea why my DVI-D cable stopped working all of a sudden?  How can I get it back to working?  I can use my computer with the VGA, but it's only a temporary fix.  I WANT MY DVI BACK!!!11!1!  :'(

Any help will be appreciated.  (And yes, I've Googled the problem with few results.  It's happened to others, but their solutions don't seem to be working.  One provided a fix by altering the BIOS settings, which I would like to try, but the only menu I know how to access is the boot menu.  Is this the same thing, or is there a specific BIOS menu I'm not knowing how to access?)

Come one, come all, let's talk about astronomy.

I've always been fascinated by the cosmos (credit that to early influences of SQ )

One year, my dad bought a 10" Orion telescope.  Well, I think its safe to say its crap, because the only object that can be really seen through it is Jupiter, and even then it's a tiny dot with barely visible bands of color on the planet.  Saturn appears, at best, as a tiny white dot. 

Because my interest in astronomy has come back recently, I can occasionally be found lugging that old telescope into the backyard to see whatever I can.  But I want to invest in a better one, this time from Meade, as I understand Orion isn't always the best company.

So anybody else here own a telescope?  What can you see?  Any recommendations on models and brands? 

Anyway, we can talk about skywatching tools, experiences, or just talk about space and all the wonders that are out there.  Do you think there's intelligent life beyond our Solar System?  Will they ever contact us?  Will we ever find them?  Have we/they already?

Oh yeah, and if you're a space enthusiast, you MUST have Celestia.  It's a FREE, open-source, 3D space simulator.  You can cruze the cosmos and see anything you want up close.  If you really want to enjoy the sights of space, you'll have to download a lot of extras and stuff, but it is TOTALLY worth it. 

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/index.html

Ever since I was a kid looking up at the fluffy summer clouds, I've wanted the ability of flight.  It's pretty intense when you're actually jealous of birds.

This evening, I lifted up off the earth and sailed over my house, my neighbors' houses, and over the surrounding landscape. 

As much as I wish I could say I just suddenly found this power of flight within myself spontaneously and out of wishful thinking, I can't.  Instead, I made this flight in the ultralight aircraft that I and my father built together about a year ago.  I had been doing practice hops along the runway at the airport and stuff, and this evening I was finally able to take off from home.  (Thanks to a big nearby field and a needed take-off distance of very little.)

So, anyway, there's no feeling like the feeling of the wind hitting you in the face as you're sailing above the ground in a personal flying machine. 

Here's a video on YouTube of what a Skypup (not ours) looks like: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIcAqU7Ry4Q&mode=related&search=

It rocks.  Seriously. 

I'm sure many, many folks around here have seen this hilarious gem of a film.  With all the banter going back and fourth about religion and god lately, I was reminded of it.

For anybody who hasn't seen it but has been in on the recent debates of god and religion, I HIGHLY recommend this 1979 film.  If you have an open mind, it really shows why many ex-Christians and skeptics feel the way they do about religion.  If anything, the Life of Brian shows many of the absurdities of organized religion, and the people who follow it without thinking.

I first heard about the film from my dad.  He explained that he "tried to watch it," but it was just too blasphemous and sacreligous.  He called it, "a mockery of the life of Christ."

Now, I wasn't sure where he was coming from when I finally saw it for the first time a few weeks ago.   Jesus appears only in one scene, and the rest of the movie is about a man born in the stable NEXT to Jesus, who is mistaken for the messiah. 

I don't see how it's a "mockery" of Christ.  But then again, he's a fundamentalist Christian, and exhibited a knee-jerk reaction to the film.

Anyway, I'm not making this thread to be yet another continuation of the ongoing religion/god/sexuality debate.  I want to only talk about the movie here.  Anybody else seen it? 

Now that's a game I'd like to play.  But it doesn't exist, that I know of.

I've had the idea for a couple of years now.  It'd be a strategy/action/driving game.

Think of it:  You'd start out at the bottom as an independent tornado chaser, and you work your way up to respected scientist, or whatever.  Or, you could just jump into an instant action mode, or maybe even create your own scenarios.

There'd be many different vehicles available, and tons of gear that you can purchase to help in the chase.  You could make money by selling videos and photographs to various stock companies, TV producers, and magazines and newspapers.  Cash would come in handy for repairing the damage done to your car by that last severe hail storm.

In the higher levels of the career path, you'd be hauling various kinds of weather probes with teams of researchers, that would require placement in the direct path of the tornado.  (An oldie scenario but a goodie.)

Of course you can get out of your car at any time to take pictures, admire the scenery, or take cover in a ditch because you got yourself stuck in the mud right in front of the tornado.

This game would have lots of stunning weather effects, including lightning, rain, hail, intense winds, flash floods (which could be a real problem if they're blocking your escape route,) and of course, all different kinds of possible tornados, from spindly ropes to devastating wedges.   And it just wouldn't be complete without lots of eye popping damage effects, with trees being ripped right out of the ground, houses shattering apart, cars getting rolled, and destruction of pretty much anything else in the path of the twister.

And it'd be the job of the player to navigate around all these unpredictable hazards, in attempt to get in the best possible position without getting in real trouble. 

The storms would develope like real thunderstorms.  They'd build higher and higher, often getting more intense as they go.  Some have lots of rain, some have very little.  If it's really nasty, hail begins to fall. 

Then, if you're lucky, the wall cloud develops, and with a little more luck, a funnel extends towards the ground.  The tornados in the game would also behave like real tornados, moving in a east north east direction, and progressing through each stage of the life cycle:  Developing stage, mature stage, shrinking stage, and the decaying stage.

Not all players have the patience or desire to sit around and just watch a storm develope, so there'd be instant action modes, as well as an ability to set how fast the weather changes, and how often severe weather occurs, etc.

There's even potential for a multiplayer mode, with each player driving their own vehicle towards the storm, taking directions from a teamleader. 

The problem with a game like this is that it'd take quite a system to enjoy it to the max, and the maps would have to be HUGE, in order to make it practical and interesting. 

But anybody who had the system to run it, and the desire for the thrills without the spills would probably love this game.  I know I'd play it!

So, yeah, that's my idea.

Last night I had to have my collie, Captain, put to sleep.  He was 13 years old and he had gotten cancer.  He wasn't eating very much, and was getting to the point that he couldn't get up or down very well.  So it was best for him, so he wouldn't suffer.

It's very sad for me, because he's been my best doggy friend since I was five years old.   :'(

Still, I've got two of his puppies and his mate, so I'm not alone dog wise. 

I can tell they're upset too, because they keep looking around for him. 

I know this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but up close it still hurts.

So you think you've seen the worst movie ever made?  Was it so bad it's hilarious?  Post it here! 

I've taken some sort of strange interest in finding out the worst movies ever created, the ones that try so hard to be great but end up being unintentionally hilarious.   

Of course, I have to say that the champion is Plan 9 From Outer Space, by the beloved Ed Wood Jr.

Another one of my favorites is The Beast of Yucca Flats.  (Both of those are availble for watching on Google Videos.)

Let's see, another one that is just painful is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. 

And the WORST I've seen is probably Manos: The Hands of Fate, by Texas fertilizer salesman, Hal Warren.  Simply awful.  It's not even fun to make fun of. 

Anybody seen these?  Got any more suggestions? 

It kind of seems like pinball tables are a thing of the past.Ã,  I hardly ever see them around.Ã,  It used to be every game room, and even the occasional pizza place had at least one.

I would love to see them return, as I've always been a huge fan of the game.

For now, I just have to settle for PC pinball games.Ã, 

What's the best pinball computer game you've played?Ã, 

I bought the Pinball Madness 3 collection pack off eBay last year, and I really enjoy the tables there.Ã,  I think the ProPinball by Cunning Developments is probably the best thing that ever happened to PC pinball.Ã, 

What are your recommendations?

You're getting them anyway:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16948093/

Of course the parent's rights groups and conservatives are only complaining that this will encourage premarital sex.  Not that they give a crap about the girls wishes.

Check out the above article, and make sure to see the section about Gov. Perry's ties to the maker of this drug.

So what do you think?  Should we start vaccinating kids against STDs regardless of their wishes and lifestyle choices?  (Including abstinence.)

What's next?

We've talked everything from adventure games, to politics and religion, to racism, and violence in culture, and a bunch of other stuff I'm not even remembering.

But what about the final question?Ã, 

What about that one thing that nobody can boast expertise of?

What happens to us after we die?

Do we simply cease to exist in all ways?

Do we go to Heaven, Hell, or are we reborn?

This is a legitimate question that I ask myself nearly every day.Ã,  Sometimes it gets downright depression, and even a bit scary.Ã, 

So what do we do when we get down and out, need to talk and find answers to our questions?Ã,  We go to the forums, of course!Ã,  Ã, 

Seriously though, I'm very interested on both an intellectual and spiritual level about the beliefs of others, and on this topic specifically.

I want to have an open discussion about what we believe about what happens to us after we die.Ã,  (Saying we go to the funeral home doesn't count.)

I'm relatively sure this can go over with little or no hardfeelings since death is such an enigma to us all.Ã,  (Or that could be the perfect recipe for a blowup.)

Whatever your opinion or belief is, post it here.