WICCA

I am not trying to put it down. I am really, REALLY confused by this. I am intrigued by the history. Curious about their belief. But incredulous about the fact that they seriously believe in magic. That aside. Follow me as I take a stroll into the religion of the day.

Faith is a difficult thing to have. Which is why all religions require it. You must believe it in order to be a true member/follower. Regardless of the countless provable facts contradicting your religion. Ignore the world around you. Ignore the evidence. Ignore what other people say. Listen only to this one tale. Read only this one book. The proof out there was placed intentionally for you to deny as a test.

Even when there is proof, that you agree to, that shows that your religion was created by one person within our own recorded history. Now THAT is faith!

Do you know how they always do movies with three female witches and why there is usually one called Selene, Selina or sound-alike Sabrina?

I will attempt to answer that but first a little history. The people in control of Catholicism and Christianity (not God) tried really hard to eradicate all other religions from this planet. Sometimes in good will, but frequently with bloodshed. In a most manipulative way, they absorbed the traditions and beliefs of their enemies and adopted them for their own in order to promote conversion. This is evident in little things like the celebration of Sabbath on Sunday and not Saturday. Saturday being the 7th day of the week and all.

The day of worship on Sunday was a pagan tradition. Pagans, for a long time, were seen as the most evil, mortal enemies of any Christian faith. As a Catholic/Christian believer, this ability for pagan traditions to infiltrate the holiest of days would shake my faith to its roots, but that's just me.

About Sunday.

The Sun God. While not the only version of the male God worshiped by the Pagans, it is a noted and influential one. If you noticed I said male God, that means that yes, they also worshiped a female one, or two, or three.

It is important to note that Wiccan followers worship both male and female simultaneously. They are a duotheistic religion that lays much significance in the duality of everything in nature. Much like the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang. There is a group of pagans that worship the female exclusively but that's another tale for another day.

This Godess is usually portrayed as a triple Godess. One person of three different ages. The maiden, the mother and the crone.

1.2.3. "The power of 3." Just to break the set, I uploaded 4 pictures. ;o)

The maiden/virgin, mother, woman. All of which the Catholic Mary symbolize and are prayed to. That triplicate reference was stripped away and placed upon the male God to diminish the significance and power of the female God worship. The Father, the son and the Holy Spirit.

OK so you understand where they get the three girls from right? What about the Selena reference?

Gaze upon the image of this Greco-Roman Godess.

She is known as Luna. Translation: Moon. Sun, Moon, Night, Day, Male Female, Yin-Yang...

In Greek mythology, she is known as Selene.

Known for her beauty and as a giver of light and life, she was defamed by monotheistic religions.

Take a look at the very first image I posted on this blog and see what they have done with her now very recognizable image.

So enjoy your Halloween and remember all is not as it seems.

Deals: 10-31-08

GameStop has the PS3 and 360 versions of Call of Duty 3 available for $10 used. It is a great game that was relatively overlooked due to its Game of Year award winning predecessor, Call of Duty 2.

Fry's

• Still have an HD-DVD? Or have an HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player? Get the entire first seasons of Battlestar Gallactica or Heroes on HD-DVD for $20! That can't be beat. If you have a Blu-Ray burner on your PC you could pick up an XBox 360 HD-DVD player to connect to your PC for about $20. Theoretically, you could transfer those discs to Blu-Ray.
• Speaking of which, you can get a Pioneer Blu-Ray READER and DVD burner for your PC for $130.
• Speaking of speakers... Logitech's X-240 2.1 PC speakers are on sale for $30 after mail in rebate. I like these. I bought a set for my parent's PC and they work great. The power control has a convenient MP3 player dock built in.
• The cheapest place you that I found where you can get potential game of the year, Fallout 3 is here at Fry's. $53 on the consoles and $50 on the PC.
• Looking for an amp to put in your car? For $80 you can get a decent 1100 Watt Crunch.
• Home theater need replacement? Get a 1250 Watt 1080p HDMI up-converting Panasonic with 5 disc DVD changer, Sub, center, L&R, wireless rear speakers and an iPod dock for $500.
• On a budget and already have speakers? Get a 5.1 Sony STRDG520 for $200.
• Looking for wireless earphones for you iPod? Get a Sony Bluetooth headset and transmitter for $60.

Need an iPod dock with speakers? Try this Griffin a shot. I own it and it is surprising loud. Great for backyard parties as long as you have a place to draw power. Does NOT charge iPhones but it does still work with them. (Audio) $78 delivered!

Don't get ripped off at Best Buy for cables again! Get a three pack of 6 foot HDMI cables for $9. To top it off, that includes FREE SHIPPING!

Got Fuzz? Get one of these for $6. They are great. They don't last too many years but they really do work great if you have a sweater with little yarn knots.

No costume at all is better than a bad one

Purchasing costumes just didn't happen. Why buy clothes you will only wear once? Are you going to wear it to school again? Then the answer from my parents was a resounding, "No!" (In Spanish.) The only time I remember having a costume was when we borrowed it from on of our neighbors. When the idea was originally proposed I was too embarrassed to accept, so I wasn't told. I didn't want to be the laughing stock at school for borrowing someone else's costume.

My mother secretly arranged with a neighbor to borrow her sons costume when he was done trick or treating. So naturally he held resentment towards me when his mother pressured him to hurry back. He was sure to make his frustrations evident to me at school in front of everyone. Most of the houses I went to told me I had been there already and turned me away. That was real embarrassing. At school as was labeled as the poor leech kid because of it. We weren't poor. My parents were just VERY careful with their money.

My worst costume experience EVER though has to be the year my parents considered me old enough to make my own.

Again, it was the day of and I'm scrambling for something, anything that could pass as a costume. I ask if we could go to a thrift shop and buy a cheap Halloween make up kit so I could be a bum. They said it was a waste of money and instead tossed some of my mothers old makeup my way.

This was stuff she didn't use and had kept for years. Keep in mind this took place in the 80's so this stuff is most likely from the 70's. You can imagine the color and consistency. I start working with what I had, mixing the flashy disco colors trying to get brown or black. No luck.

I'm staring at my face in the bathroom mirror with corroded, yet still somehow glittery, makeup plastered all over it. I mess up my hair but I know I still look like a moron. Bum wasn't going to work. I smeared it all of my face, turned my shirt inside out and walked out of the restroom. My mother saw me and said that was too scary. I looked "evil" so she painted a heart on my cheek with garishly purple glitter lipstick. I walked out there looking like a fuckin' clown face painting disaster.

I know I didn't pull off the bum look because when I went trick or treating, they didn't offer me food. They just stared at me. A little amused, perhaps a little scared. Unluckily enough for me, I was spotted by one of my schoolmates. He chuckled and called me over. I explained the situation and he began guiding me on. He was hanging out with me and that made me feel better.

Little did I know he was dragging me along to show off to the other school friends. Yep, he leads me right to the most popular girl in school. I stayed in the shadows but she still saw me. She smirked and said, "What, the hell, are you?"

I just turned and walked home.

I casually strolled in and wiped my face a little. Both my parents seemed annoyed that I was done already. I wasted all that "good" makeup for only 15 minutes of "fun" and I didn't even have much candy to show for it. "You better get back out there!" they said. I was not about to show my face but I resigned and asked if I could have a bed sheet to use as a "Ghost" costume.

My parents were quick to warn me that I was not allowed to ruin another perfectly good sheet so I dug up that old crusty one from a few years back that we kept for some God forsaken reason.

I had grown, so the sheet was no longer dragging on the floor. Instead it was about up to my knees so my jeans and dirty K-Mart shoes were clearly visible. Drooping my head in shame, I did my rounds and picked up the usual latecomers leftover neighborhood supply of black licorice and candy corn. I didn't even want to cry because I was afraid my makeup would run.

Enjoy your Halloween! More importantly, make sure the kids you know enjoy it!

Please, Do Me A Favor

While you are at it, do yourself one too. A fellow blogger by the name of Dawnie has written and incredibly inspirational blog. It is a short summary of her life with her husband and it is a tale I really, really want you all to read.

Please don't disregard this opportunity to learn from the life of someone who has seen some difficult times yet somehow managed to come out strong.

I implore you to read her blog titled Our Story.

Remember my Amateur Psychoanalysis of Halloween Costumes blog?

Browsing MSN I found this article titled, "Guy's Guide to Her Halloween Costume." Its a pretty short two pager.

"You can use her costume to figure out what she's really about! To help, we assembled a team of experts to give us their take on how to find a perfect match behind the mask."

Give it a quick read and tell me what you think.

Deals: 10-29-08

I found some cool deals I think some of you gamers might like.

GameStop

• Guitar Hero I, II and Encore: Rocks the 80's are $20 each for the PS2 until tomorrow.
• Super Mario Galaxy is $40 used. Arguably the best game on the Wii to date.
• Grand Theft Auto IV for both the PS3 and the 360 are on sale for $50. Normally $60.

Amazon.com has some really cool deals going on right now. Click here to go directly to their Gold Box. So far they have sold the Playstation Eye for $37, Haze for $28, Lego Indiana Jones for $30, and right now Soul Calibur IV for $40. They have one more deal in an hour and half and the final one for the day in about 5. Keep dropping by their website. They have little hints at what the next deals may be. I'm guessing a racing game and some HD cables.

GoGamer Deals

• 360 Far Cry 2 $40
• 360 Saints Row 2 $42
• Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse $28
  
  
• From the creators of The Sims comes Spore for $38
  
  
• Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS $43

GameFly has HAZE used on the PS3 for $10!

Comments Back Up?

I've had a few complaints from my great and greatly appreciated followers that comments weren't functional. I tested that new embedded comment function advertised by Blogger but it didn't seem to work. I changed it back to the pop-up version. I hope it works for you all!

Harry Potter - The Musical?

The wife and I recently saw Wicked at the Pantages in Hollywood. Now before you tag me as a "Hello Buffy" (old commercial reference) I will tell you that before I met my wife I never considered going to musicals.

Now this may always be the case with husbands but guess what guys, I still have my nads!

A few years ago we saw The Lion King and came away pretty impressed. It was a good show. We were big fans of the movie. to be honest though it was really REALLY difficult to get over the prancing humans dressed up as animals.

The reason I really enjoyed The Lion King though was the voices. Those performers can sing. Forget the crap you hear on the radio or the heavily edited voices you hear on your CD's and MP3's. This stuff is live and it gives you goosebumps.

So when my wife showed interest in Wicked, I was quick to agree. Never a fan of The Wizard of Oz but old enough to know the story, I figured I would give it a chance.

Wow!

I had NEVER heard live performances by voices like that. The voices were impeccable, every note was spot on and the characters were endearing. After the show I searched for stuff on YouTube and they were different performers. They didn't hit the notes we heard earlier that evening and was a little disappointed that a classic performance like that was not recorded. They have a CD you can buy but it doesn't sound quite the same and it isn't even the same people.

How does this tie to Harry Potter? Well, I'm a pretty big fan of J.K. Rowling's seven book series and definitely a fan of the movies. During the Wicked musical there were many scenes that took place in a school much like the one Harry Potter attends in that story.

For those of you who have never read the books then you may be surprised to note that there are a LOT of songs in them, especially in the first few books. They don't ever really come through on film too well so I don't blame them for excluding them. The thought came to my wife and I while we were watching Wicked that it would be really cool to see a Harry Potter musical many years from now.

The next 2 (or 3 if they split the last) Harry Potter movies will be released in the next couple of years and the tale will be complete. Fans of the series, and those of them that grew up with Harry Potter, will be hungry for more. A retelling of the tale in this form would be immensely popular. Or they could do the same thing they have done with OZ and relive the life of Tom Riddle (Voldemort.)

Why wouldn't they? There is a musical for Legally Blonde! I mean please!!!

UPDATE: Apparently there is already a Harry Potter musical in the works. I'm not surprised. I really hope it is done right.

Blurb - Word Verification

Anyone else notice that the word verification on your blog usually has something to do with the context of your site? I doubt its purely coincidental. If I am right then that could potentially degrade spam security. Not much, but it sure doesn't help.

Next time you post a comment, take a look at the captcha. I've noticed it is a combination of words somewhere in the blog or site in general. How difficult is to to create a randomizer, really?

Random Meme

Took this survey from new follower, Jessica's latest blog post and I decided to change it up a little.

Want to know a little bit more about me, my thoughts, and my opinions? Read, post your answers, add one question then tag someone to do the same. Don't forget to post a link to your answers on the blog of the person who tagged you!

Why are you the way you are?​
Years of being burned by friends and family but have found sanity with entertainment escapism.

Which​ do you prefer,​ the sun, moon,​ or stars​?
The stars. To be extra nerdy I will point out that the sun and the stars are one in the same but I still prefer the ones that are far away. Especially blue stars.

If you could​ meet our creator,​ would​ you want to?
Yes. If a creator exists in the current understanding of one, absolutely. I have a LOT of questions.

Do you believe that every​thing​ has a creator?
Jessica answered it perfectly. Nothing could exist without a creator of some type.

Do you have a MySpace account?​
Yes, but I don't use it anymore even if it wasn't crashing every few minutes.

Do you do most of the cleaning in your home?
Nope, I have a wife that does it all.

Are you a neat or messy​ person?​
I'm neat but disorganized and I think I have a little self diagnosed OCD so I live a nightmarish existence.

Do you have obsessive compulsive disorder?
What a coinky-dink. I seriously didn't read this before I answered previously. Yes, I think I do and its annoying.

Do you like to read?
Only interesting things. My mind wanders quickly.

What was the last dream​ you had?
I forget them quickly and can rarely share them. They are usually disturbing, outlandish or embarrassing.

Have you ever been to a psychic?​
Why? Some would say it kind of runs in our family.

Do you believe in spirits?
Not in the same way most people do. Humans existing as physical light on this alternate plane, no. You have to be kidding or on drugs. Psyche existing in air? Intelligent air that passes its knowledge and makes sounds? ...and these same people don't believe the religion they are born into because it sounds too much like fantasy?

Do you believe in alien​ existence?
"Believe" is a complex term. Do I believe there are intelligent life forms among us? No. That includes humans. Is there life on other planets somewhere else in the disgustingly gigantic universe? We would be cocky to believe otherwise.

Do you read the dictionary often​?
No. I refer to it once in a while, but I don't sit down and read it.

Do you like to write​?​
I LOVE to write. I wish I had more time. I have SO many ideas.

If so, what do you normally write​ about​?
Anything and everything. Sometimes I write things that I can't share with anyone and just don't post them.

Have you ever been to a funeral?
I don't think I know anyone who hasn't been to a funeral. Unless you die in an accident when you are really young, half the people you know will die before you.

Have you ever seen someone die?
Unfortunately yes.

What simply gross​es you out?
Insects with puss. People who are into sex with dead folk.

If someone say​s something gross​ while​ you are eating,​ does it bother you?
Not at all. I don't have a "strong" stomach but I can watch and listen to anything. Scent, however, is a different matter altogether.

What annoy​s you the most about​ people?
Oh man, where do I begin? I don't think I could even answer this in a three part blog! Ignorance I guess.

Do you believe in gay marriage?
Again, "believe" is a key word. I believe marriage is much more significant than people make it out to be. People get married and divorced because it has lost its meaning and power. I believe people should be allowed to benefit from any life union but I don't think the title should be ripped away from religions that have used it for thousands of years, just to spite them for their lack of acceptance.

OK, I have included the questions below for your convenience to copy & paste without having to cut and/or reformat.

Why are you the way you are?​

Which​ do you prefer,​ the sun, moon,​ or stars​?

If you could​ meet our creator,​ would​ you want to?

Do you believe that every​thing​ has a creator?

Do you have a MySpace account?​

Do you do most of the cleaning in your home?

Are you a neat or messy​ person?​

Do you have obsessive compulsive disorder?

Do you like to read?

What was the last dream​ you had?

Have you ever been to a psychic?​

Do you believe in spirits?

Do you believe in alien​ existence?

Do you read the dictionary often​?

Do you like to write​?​

If so, what do you normally write​ about​?

Have you ever been to a funeral?

Have you ever seen someone die?

What simply gross​es you out?

If someone say​s something gross​ while​ you are eating,​ does it bother you?

What annoy​s you the most about​ people?

Do you believe in gay marriage?

My added question: "Can you think of ANY possible scenario where purchased sexual relations should be permissible?"

I TAG RYAN MORTINSON!

Women, Figured Out

Now before you all start throwing stiletto's and bunny slippers at me, let me explain. First of all I know that not all women walk around naked in stiletto's or are at home pregnant wearing slippers. I was just being facetious.

But I was serious about having women figured out.

I just read a blog by a BlogSpot blogger who goes by the name of MilesPerHour. His post provides a tutorial for men on some tips that could help men be better to their women. This post is called Makin' Love Isn't Just In The Bed and it is a really good read. It inspired me to post this blog about which I previously discussed at length with my wife.

Now just because I believe I have women figured out it doesn't mean I won't ever disagree or fight with women again. That is inevitable, and that's my point.

I understand some women may be getting very angry at this point but I urge you to continue.

For generations men have tried writing books about women. "10 great tips to making your wife happy" or "How to make the girls swoon." They have for the most part, failed miserably.

Why is this? Are women not human too? Why are they so different than us guys?

The reason men have failed, I believe, is because we have been trying to generalize all women into groups like we can for us males. Man is a simple beast, woman is not.

You should NEVER try to dedicate yourself to understanding WOMEN. If you want to make a relationship great, you need to dedicate yourself completely to understanding WOMAN. That means ONE.

You have heard the advice, "listen to her needs." Sure that sounds great but 9 out of 10 times that is complete bullshit. Every woman is different. Some woman might tell you exactly what she wants/needs and another won't. You just have to learn. You just have to learn the hard way.

So you have to "listen" to your woman's needs. That means listen with your eyes, your nose, your memory and every other resource you have available to you. It is all about trial and error. Sometimes she may like something and sometimes she may not. Only through life can you learn the minor and/or major clues that will teach you when it is right or wrong.

Relationships are a challenge. They are a lifelong challenge. One of which you can never truly come out a "victor." It is this lifelong challenge however that is more rewarding than any other.

Dedicate yourself to them and they will dedicate themselves to you. If you have a special situation where the woman is using you then you have other challenges you must overcome to get here. Even if it means finding another woman who isn't broken.

...Oh and about men? Read and follow the advice in Dr. Laura's The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands. That's it. Yes, we're that freakin' simple.

May I Have the First Dance?

Junior High School was a big deal. Major changes occurred and not just with your body. I remember the horror stories in the 6th grade.

The last week of elementary school was filled with rumor and speculation about the terrors we would have to live through in Junior High. We were going to be FORCED to do exercise! XO One of the most important and most frightening events in Junior High was not just the showers in P.E. but the dances.

As a 10-11 year old kid you had a bunch of stupid questions in your head that you were to embarrassed to ask anyone else. Why admit that you don't already know these answers? Questions like the following were floating around my head.

• Do you HAVE to dance?
• Do you HAVE to ask a girl?
• What do you do if she says no? Punch her?
• Are you expected to kiss her?
• Slow dance?
• What do you wear?

7th grade was a challenge for me. I rode my bicycle to school so I would take off immediately to be home as soon as possible. I had P.E. 6th period which meant I could skip the showers and go straight home to shower there. I had to change one less time than everyone else and I didn't have to walk around with my thing hanging out.

8th grade was another story altogether. I had P.E. 4th period (before lunch) so I HAD to shower at school. I still loathed it and felt nervous EVERY SINGLE TIME, but I did it. I had to be clean because I had a girlfriend now. A girlfriend that I would stupidly hold hands and walk around in circles with down the hallways. So I had to smell nice.

I heard about the dances but I never gave it a second thought until she brought it up. "So are you going to ask me to the dance?" I believe I said something like, "Oh, you're going to want to go?"

So we go. It happens to be the last day of school before Christmas so when her, and by her choice "our," song comes on we dance.

Step.

Curve.

Pause.

Step.

Curve.

Pause.

If you don't know what that is, then search on YouTube for slow dance videos in the 80's.

So we are sitting on the sideline and she tells me lean over. I've never had a sister so my first response is a very suspicious, rude, brotherly "Why?" She insisted, so I did. She then put a gold chain around my neck and said, "Merry Christmas."

HOLY CRAP! I thought, I didn't even get her a card! I'm in Junior High, what the hell?!? So I proceed to tell her (lie) that I intended to bring her something AFTER the holidays since the time off was so far before Christmas Day.

I say thanks and then we go back out to the dance floor and I lumber around awkwardly in one of those stupid dancing circles for the rest of the night.

I walk home in the rain wondering what the hell I was supposed to do.

I had to beg and plead my parents for the money to get stuffed bear from JC Penny (I think.) Once my mother found out that I had a girlfriend and she gave me a gold necklace she demanded that I return it. Of course I didn't and we argued.

The most significant part of my first dance was the fact that I think it marked the first time I ever really stood up to either of my parents and won.

Do you remember your first dance? Do tell.

Random @ Random

Just testing the waters.

Do things make you laugh easily? Are you not easily offended? Try to do this at your desk/cubicle quietly without laughing.

Swap out any consonant near the middle or end of your first name with the letter F and whisper it to yourself with your eyes crossed in your best mentally retarded voice impersonation.

• Insensitive? Yes.
• Time wasting? Yes.
• Therapeutic? Yes!

Now don't get caught.

Tagged by Dawnie

I've been tagged by Dawnie. Click on her picture to go to her blog post. This one is slightly different than the last one in that instead of posting pictures, we post 7 random facts and 7 random people. Most of my followers though don't have 7 follower's though so I will bend the rules a little. I will tag 7 of you and leave each of you to tag as many of your acquaintances that you think will play this meet and greet type meme.

Rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. List 7 random/wierd facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 folks and leave their links on your page.
4. Most importantly, let them know they been tagged and leave them a link to your tag post!

1. In person, I am quite the introvert. You wouldn't know me by my loudmouth blog though I am working on this. (Usually at a Good Sarah party.)
2. I don't smoke anything, drink alcohol or caffeine and am currently trying to eliminate pork.
3. I do have faith, just not in mankind.
4. I listen to all styles of music, except country.
5. If you speak intentionally ignorant I intentionally treat you like one.
6. I don't dress any specific way or style. Comfort is key.
7. I laugh when people sing badly at church.

I tag Sarah Jane. Friend, Mother, Cookie Chef!

I tag Docteur Glamour. Author, vBlogger, Desi.
I tag eizzy. Student, Poet, Woman.
I tag Nana. Wife, Chef, Dog lover.
I tag Lea Self. Vegetarian, Student, Writer.
I tag Kattzzmeow. Photographer, Wife, Passion Party Consultant.
I tag Leah Friesen. Wife, Mother, Daughter.

Phew! I'm off to let them know. Hopefully all the links work ;)

Halloween at Chateaux Hektik

I think I've always been a fan of the Holidays. I don't know if this was a joy spurned by the brainwashing advertisements on television or their over-emphasis on their significance in school.

Either way, when I would know the time was coming near, I would get inexplicably excited. Inexplicably because I had no real justification for my excitement. My parents didn't really understand the holidays all that well. I don't harbor any harsh sentiment towards them because of this, it really wasn't their fault. I think they caught on about the the time I graduated from college.

I've walked in futile parades without a Halloween costume holding hands with the teacher as punishment for not dressing up. I would run home excited at the prospect of getting free candy but at the same time worried that I didn't have a costume to use. Somewhere inside of me was this blind faith that it would all come together in this perfect blissful blend of candy and happiness.

Frequently the day would come and go and my celebration would be spent handing out candies to the daring kids that would approach our dark, dimly lit 5-year-old one or two candle-in-a-tiny-ceramic-pumpkin, house.

Not fancy candies mind you. We would hand out candies that made me wish I had a really, really good concealing mask. Not so I could go get candies with it but one that would hide my face from the upset and frequently disgusted neighborhood kids.

Whenever we did have candies to hand out they were candies that we collected from birthday piñata's the entire year before. We had a huge ceramic Apple we would keep on top of the refrigerator in which we would store forgotten candies that we weren't allowed to eat. So long dead grass and miscellaneous clumped together Mexican candies were ungratefully accepted into their pillow cases. (Pumpkin buckets weren't made popular yet in our neighborhood.)

I would watch those kids approach with a hop in their step and walk away with drooping expressions of disappointment.

A little part of me wanted to go with them to those other, candy friendly homes.

Now in my home we only by name brand high quality, high fat, diabetes inducing decadence. Its not that freakin' expensive to buy good candies in exchange for a happy child's smile. I learned from this experience to be generous.

Proposition H8

I have resisted as long as I could. I wasn't going to write a blog about this California-centric proposition since after all, most of my readers aren't even in the U.S. :) The subject matter though makes it universal so I caved.

Proposition 8, if it passes, will recognize "marriage" as a union between 1 man and 1 woman. If read literally it does not specifically say "everything else is illegal," though that is the way the opposing party is promoting it. If you are gay and have a significant other which you married in some proceeding, you won't be able to file your tax forms as married and other financial things like that.

Understandably, but not logically, religious and hate groups (more often then not one in the same) are up in arms. "What of the sanctity of marriage?!?" they cry.

They really need to look around. The "sanctity" of marriage has long since been defiled. Gay marriage will do NOTHING to change the ridicule it has already suffered at the hands of Hollywood.

This proposition will do nothing to defend or solidify any stance on either side of the argument. I don't suggest everyone just give up in exasperation either. My solution is to create a solution.

Keep in mind that the following explanation is from an average person, NOT from someone who has studied the ancient history of its origin which is part of the point.

Marriage is a very, very old tradition. Naturally with old traditions some things just don't seem to fit with the needs, desires or sometimes even laws of the current people. This is where conflict will inevitably arise.

Do we change our laws or our beliefs? That is a tough choice for anyone to make. I suggest we do neither. No I don't mean we ignore the problem. I say we try something different. Something completely new.

I suggest we create a new family union. Don't call it a marriage between husbands and wives offending the religious. Don't call it a legal contract offending everyone else. A new, union of promise. An emotional contract between a couple dedicating their lives and finances to each other. No plans to procreate mandatory.

A more open union of two adults who choose to promise love and dedication to each other.

Yes a whole new set of laws would have to be created but that would make the legal beagle's happy. The separation from church would make the choirboy fans happy. The recognition and more importantly financial support from the government would make the unionists happy.

"We are here to witness the creation of a union of Love."

If the couple (straight or gay) chooses to have children and would like to benefit from the money refunded by the government then they can enter a new contract, perhaps more similar to marriage?

Single income households are unheard of. A similar agreement from a more business-like standpoint would also be beneficial. "I agree to split the responsibilities of this household with my roommate and divide the tax refund by percentage of income invested."

People need options. To put it in a more facetious perspective, imagine this like a customized menu where humans can settle their agreements and inevitable disagreements beforehand.

For now, Proposition 8 has set a dangerous precedent whether it passes or not. If it passes, expect numerous lawsuits from lawyers who represent the "general public" that has had its basic human rights abolished by its passing. If it doesn't pass then expect more millions to be spent on the opposing Propositions advertising and creation next time around.

All of which us taxpayers will end up footing the bill for.

Personally, I don't really feel the need for a piece of paper to quantify my relationship dedication or technical skill level. Unfortunately the rest of the world currently does so I have both and the entire process of obtaining it all was very expensive.

Synchronized Plop Droppers

Have you ever heard how women become synchronized in their menstruations when they live together long enough? Not only does this become a potential nightmare for the guys who have to empty the trash but they have to deal with more than one PMS situation at once!

I have this theory that men, also share a cycle. This cycle also has a moon behind it all but not the same kind girls' do.

After lunch, I usually like to take a restroom break. You all know I don't like public restrooms so I pile on the tissues so I don't have to feel as if I am sharing someone's seat. There's nothing worse than feeling heat emanating from a place someone else's bare ass has been before.

Recently I have noticed that I am walking in about the same time of day as I have in the past. Odd, regularity isn't something I'm familiar with. I have also noticed that when I walk in there, the restrooms are almost ALWAYS occupied.

What does this mean to a clean freak like me? I have to wait at least a few hours so the ass pimple juice those mystery guys left behind has long since dried up. Yeah, I can't help but imagine the worst possible scenario.

Can bowel movements be synchronized? Or are they just rushed out after the weight of the days lunch is placed upon them?

I don't know the answer to this but it sure is annoying.

Deals: 10-17-08

UPDATED: Iris suggested that I include detailed descriptions of the items I put here so I will try to do that. I think of those things when I select them but I've never thought to add that info here. Lets see how it goes.

Not much that caught my eye this weekend unfortunately.

Fry's

1TB Seagate SATA drive $150 (A 1 terrabyte Serial ATA hard drive by a manufacturer I trust at a great price. Make sure your PC supports SATA AND HD sizes up to 1 terrabyte before you purchase this.)
360/PS3 Saint's Row 2 $53 (A sequel to a great sandbox game. If you like Grand Theft Auto, you will like this game. 82% metacritic average score as of today.)
360/PS3 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed $50 (An OK Star Wars action game with a GREAT supporting storyline connecting Episodes II and III from the movies. Low to mid 70% metacritic average score.)

Woot!
4GB Micro SD with adapter $11 Delivered. (Many cell phones use this memory format. If you have a relatively new phone that plays MP3's, look under your batter or on the side for the MicroSD logo. You can expand the amount of storage capacity with this.)

Newegg

Logitech Laptop Mouse $25 shipped! (Good brand name for computer hardware peripherals. Cheap price delivered is great for students or travellers. Use coupon code MOUSE1073 for $3 off.)

Poll - Bad Parents

There are so many parents teaching their kids the same ignorant habits they have. Things like racism, sexism and even little lessons like showing them that it is OK to be proud to be uneducated.

These same parents are unemployed and collecting support from the government. I think these leeches should not be allowed to take advantage of programs that people really need.

Could government regulation stop this? If people were limited to two children per household that would limit the amount of families that could live in one home and force people to have a home to provide a child before they decide to have one in a trailer park.

Are these goals too much to expect from people? Yet its OK for these same people to have children? Who are we to decide who gets to have children? The same people that end up paying for their food, education and eventual incarceration, that's who.

I say it IS our business. What about you?

Blurbs - What ever happened to public decency?

I'm having lunch and the Maury Povich show is running in the background. For those that don't know, it is a talk show much like Jerry Springer that discusses topics such as abuse, racism, bad parenting etc.

I have noticed that these shows have gown increasingly popular by minority races, my own included. That said, they have become quite the embarrassment. Not only are the guest pitiful excuses for human excrement, but the audience! The audience is getting worse day by day.

Years ago they used to dress nice and at least try to look presentable. Now that studio audience seems to be full of unemployed, uneducated drug addicts raised by wolves. There isn't a single minute that goes by without someone yelling out some profanity that needs to be beeped.

No self restraint whatsoever. What the hell!?! They KNOW they are on TV and they are being recorded. I would hate to be in the movie theater with these people but it rarely happens when I go see a film. Where do these people come from?

Is it a show they are putting on or is it only because the tickets are free that they attract these animals?

Homeless Ghost

As a kid, my brother and I grew up with parents that took care of us. We weren't hard luck. Far from it. But we also weren't spoiled or wasteful. We learned at an early age not to borrow or steal and we did an OK job of not doing either.

Halloween was relatively new for my parents. It wasn't a tradition they celebrated. They didn't really understand the significance. Neither do the people who celebrate it truly understand but we'll save that for another blog. For a kid by order of significance its Christmas and Halloween, in that order.

One year I kept pestering my parents for a costume. It came down to the day of Halloween and still nothing. I would wait for them to come home, hopeful that they would have changed their minds and brought me a costume.

The sun would set and the parents would arrive with, nothing.

Kids were coming down the street already and I was embarrassed to open the door and see acquaintances from school. We gave out cheap candy, had only minor decorations and forget the music. If we were listening to anything it was Ana Gabriel. Not really in the same league as Portishead as far as Halloween is concerned.

8 p.m. rolled around, kids were already heading home and I was feeling desperate. Finally my mother gave in and went into our converted garage and pulled out an old, dingy blanket that smelled like mildew and Ajax. She brushed off most of the spiderwebs, cut out two crooked holes with scissors, gave me a plastic brown Vons supermarket shopping bag with a hole in it and set me off.

Before I knew it I was walking, very slowly, down the street. Sad as hell and hopeful that soon it would be dark enough that people wouldn't see me. My face was covered, but my embarrassment was bad enough to shine through any thin veil of a 10 year old blanket.

At the time I was confused how my neighbors knew who I was. I guess that blanket was deceptively thinner than the burlap it felt like.

After holding on to the costume for half a block with one hand so I wouldn't step on it looking like a prancing ghost, I decided instead to hold the bottom of the plastic bag so I wouldn't leave a trail of candies for bullies to follow and find me to kick my ass for being such a loser. The ends of the blanket were now all dirty but that only added to the unintentional homeless ghost effect I had going for me. I was peering out through one eye hole since it had now become nearly big enough for my entire face to show through it.

I turned around and headed straight home. I think I got a few good Tootsie Rolls out of it. Being so late to the game though my bag was filled mostly with nasty black licorice and butterscotch candy anyway.

How does this apply to make me excited for Halloween now? I can buy all the fucken brand name candy in the store if I wanted to along with any costume I felt like wearing. I don't, but I can. That freedom gives me piece of mind.

Why Halloween is fun for me

People ask this of me frequently. Those who know me, don't really know me as the life of the party by any means. So my enthusiasm for this season strikes them as out of character.

I am current writing a series of blogs that I hope will help people understand the answer to this question. I will be posting them in the next few days so stay vigilant. They will be thick with the usual bitter comedy/sarcasm you know me for. I'm not angry about my history though so keep that in mind as you read them.

It makes me laugh. Hopefully you will find it funny too and perhaps share some of your own disastrous experiences.

An Amateur Psychoanalysis of Halloween Costumes

SWM posed a great question on my blog.

"When guys dress up they try to go for funny, but women go for sexy Why is that?"

I think it really is different for everyone. BUT frequently it is a reflection of how they see themselves or how they wish they were.

The girls. As professional as they may be, women rarely lose the desire to be admired. That is generations of conditioning that can't be lost by a professional education.

So you can generalize and not be off the mark by too much.

• The sexy cop - Someone slightly domineering but still needs acceptance and to be admired for their physical beauty/attributes.
• The sexy nurse - Someone who really enjoys helping people but again, has a need to be admired.
• The sexy vampire - Whoa. Watch out for this girl. She does some crazy things and is very confident with herself, but still, needs admiration.

See the pattern?

For men, this is much easier but at the same time, more varied.

• The superhero - Over-confident, wants all women to come to them for everything but fly's off when the going gets tough.
• The funny guy - Usually not so confident and tries to win women over with their quirky sense of humor.
• The dark monk or evil guy - This guy doesn't care anymore. He prefers to be shielded and scary to protect himself from his low self-esteem. It is the one night he can feel mighty and powerful but still hide behind a mask.

Notice though, when a costume is REALLY popular or gets the attention of everyone at the office party, it is because of one of two things.

1. It is extraordinarily extravagant or,
2. It is nothing like the person you thought you knew.

"Wow did you see Jim? I had no idea he was so funny!"

A reflection of one's personality, or depending on the quantity of Joker's this year, total lack of one.

I've worn my share of protective masks. I've done the dark and done the silly. It usually DOES reflect my mood or personality at the time. Never the loudest, never the most extravagant. Always,

somewhere in the middle.

Movie Monday Meme

For this, Monday the 13th, I have chosen the appropriately titled;

The 13th Warrior

Ignore the fact that this movie received a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a very enjoyable action flick that I will most definitely watch again. Sure its one of those, famous actor portrays a protagonist of another race, but I don't think Antonio Banderas did a bad job. Though I would never confuse this Hispanic guy for a Muslim, this movie is still very entertaining. Normally I wouldn't support the fact that they replace actors of another race but he isn't at all offensive like the old movies in the 40's and 50's. In fact he makes them look far superior in many aspects including, but not limited to, cleanliness.

This movie was based on a novel written by Michael Crichton, who in my opinion is the Michael Bay of the novel world. So expect silly laughter and unbelievable action.

If you liked Beowulf or 300, you will enjoy this movie.

If you have a movie to suggest, post it in ANY FORMAT you choose then come here and post a link to your blog post about that movie so we can all go see it and participate on your blog and maybe even interact a little with each other. A meme is a group thing so it means nothing without your participation. :)

Costumes are for Girls

...and children.

I like the idea of dressing up for Halloween, but it never quite works right for boys or men. They either dress them up too cute, like so.

or they look like morons.

If guys dress, dark and goth all cool, they have to stay in character and can't really have fun unless they work in a haunted house. It always looks stupid to see Dracula dancing.

Female costumes all look pretty cool. Themed girls just look right and they fit into the costumes. The only bad thing, for girls, is that 9 out of 10 times these costumes are sexual.

I have been to parties where some girls dress uncomfortably sexy. It becomes a competition among them to see who dresses the sluttiest. Perhaps I am getting old but I couldn't help but feel sorry for these girls and what their parents would think if they saw them with half a butt cheek sticking out of their costumes. Unless you are single, as a guy you have to keep your eyes down and walk carefully around the dance floor so as not to bump into any flopping flesh.

Are any of you dressing up this year? If so, are you sticking to a more conservative theme or are you going for the sexy ghost?