First Age of Wonders vid out

Wow this looks great! Interesting that its funded by the Minecraft warchest.

"Sound" really doesnt make sound

Really interesting/depressing article about how everything we perceive is just a biological interpretation by our brain. Sound for example, being in actuality vibrations in the air, is translated by our brains into media we can interpret. That noise you hear isnt actually a noise..its your brain telling you some air particles are jumping up and down in a certain way.

Consider:  It appears that ordinary matter -- all of the stuff that we can see, such as planets and stars -- makes up only 4.9% of all the universe.

mmmmm Horse

So I was working with these refugee kids from Cuba, and we were out to lunch and they asked what kind of meat the hamburger was. My first thought was "do they keep kosher and are worried its pork?". I guess I'm really sheltered..They were expecting horse. Apparently the idea of eating horse isnt that uncommon in America today. In general I've got no problem with people eating horse; I've had some myself up Vancouver BC and it was ok. It cant be an efficient animal to raise for meat purposes though. I'm not expert but horses come off as a lean animal and prob wouldnt be a popular meat for the same reason we dont raise elk for slaughter. From a patriots point of view I dont like the idea of Oklahoma slaughtering the former majestic wild mustang herds and selling them to soup factories in china. Its seems bizarre to me that suddenly people think horse meat is the breakthrough market that will save the meatpacking industry in America. Didnt George Bush claim Emu was the Americas next great meat product?
I dont know how its held up but Hot to Trot was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I was a huge Mr. Ed fan too.

Veterans are a problem

Florida really loves the troops. Cant go any without seeing "veteran discount", 50% off for veterans ect ect. And I'll admit this annoys me, cause no one gives 50% discounts for social service providers like me. Social servants take very similar risks working with crazies here in this country but no one throws benefit concerts or writes county music about us. And its these benefits that are the problem. If you look at the big picture, we are creating an entire cast of people, not just the soldiers but their families too, who get tons and tons of special treatment from the government. Its easy to say well this person served their county in "war" so we need to support them. But where does it end? Apparently we are still giving hand outs to families of civil war veterans. I'm just a little worried that we are heading for at time when their will be more than one level of citizenship. And once we are there which of these spineless political types will be able to roll it back?

Mid March newz links

Before something hit it, Mars was great for life
Mice given human braincells are smarter
Pictures of 3rd closest star system to Earth
Obama Admin refusing more information requests than ever
Swarms of Sharks shut down Florida beaches
BBC report claims US oversees death squads in Iraq
Student invents instahealing gel that stops bleedouts
Obama Admin withholding finding on cause of financial crisis
80 thousand year old grove of trees is just 1 tree
Crazy things grant money goes to pay for
Israel abuses youth detainees
Cable companies want money from Smartphone users
Brain implant lets people see in Infrared spectrum
Man rents banner on plane to thank doctors
7yo suspended for chewing food into gun like shape
Teacher hands out picture of lynching for 2nd graders to color
Remember Odell Lake ? (My first video game)

Movie Review : Oz

I liked it. Oz is worth seeing but doesnt fill the ruby slippers of its predecessor.   The Wizard of Oz universe is so rich and untapped and its the world we get to visit that really carries the movie. The goal of a prequel is to answer some questions left open by the first movie and it certainly satisfies this requirement. This is one of the first movies I can think of where I was actually hoping for it to be broken up into a trilogy just to get to know more of the land of Oz and its people. I liked Mila Kunis' Theodora character - I think she was my favorite even though again the actress doesnt do the role justice. She had a kool hat and for some strange reason that for me was a major selling point. Oz the main character is actually my least favorite and I agree with many of the movies critics that James Franco just isnt up to the role. Truth be told the acting all around isnt great, but the interesting settings tend to distract you from that. Hopefully someone with more ambition and a better casting director will revisit this world in the near future. Its a good start though.

The World is saved music video

Arkansas12 week abortion ban; I'm fine with this

The Arkansas legislature overcame their Gov's veto to pass what media is calling the strictest abortion law in the nation.I'm not a woman. Its not my body. But 12 weeks, assuming the mother is aware for most of that, seems like enough time to make an educated choice. All the exceptions in the case of rape, incest and health of the baby/mother seem to be in there. The question we need to be asking is who is going to raise all these "lives" we are supposedly saving. There are worse things that can happen to a kid than just not being born.

Comet visable March 12-24th

FYI..here is the link to JPL

Kids dont use their imagination anymore

Inspired by the movie/books "The Borrowers" I use to build stuff like this..my parents didnt appreciate my creativity enough to create a viral video on youtube though :)

Wealth distribution in America

Interesting video. I dont care if you are the nicest, most generous rich person in the world; if you contribute and take part in a system that pays you 10, 100, 500 times more than your fellow employees then you are a stealing from those who are paid inequitably.

Service Provider

My business card proclaims me a "social service provider"..it was the title of my first visitation/supervision job so many years ago and its sorta stuck even though most of what I do nowadays is quite different. To me, being a service provider isnt a job, its a way of living. On the radio today I heard a priest put this philosophy into words:

The truth is, it's mutual and that, as much as we are called to bridge the distance that exists between us, we have to acknowledge that there's a distance even in service. You know, a service provider, you're the service recipient and you want to bridge even that so that you can get to this place of utter mutuality. And I think that's where the place of delight is, you know, that I've learned everything of value really in the last 25 years from precisely the people who you think are on the receiving end of my gifts and talent and wisdom, but quite the opposite. It's mutual.

Thats Father Boyle being interviewed on NPR "On being" radio show. What he says there is so true; I'm not some well spring of generosity or bleeding heart saint. Engaging people and helping them usually leads to great experiences that are more interesting and rewarding then doing anything else I can consider doing. Life is just more interesting when you experience all of it; especially the parts you normally wouldn't normally have thought of doing. Other people can open doors you just never considered or would on you own. I do this sorta work because I tend to benefit greatly in the form of unique and treasured experiences. In that regard its a totally selfish devotion.  

Feb/March news and whatnot

 Kinda a slow news..month

Paul Allen's sister caught smuggling bones
 Australians ok with poster of woman licking cow
Taxpayers paying to drop mice from Helicopters
Milk industry not labeling milk with added sweeter
Shocking the world, CW hires black woman to host Who's Line return
Internet service in America is slower, more expensive than rest of world
Kid gifted bedroom with walls he cant eat
Senator cloned successfully
Police officer found guilty of molestation gets to keep pension
Florida city to legalize spitting
Florida school district bans all school clubs rather than allowing LGBT one
Middle school teacher arrested for having sex with her student 40 times
Tina Turner gives up US citizenship
Students want teacher who posted nude picks rehired
College requires Pres to step down, but keeps paying $700/mo for SUV
Florida Dept of Environment pays part timer $83/hr.
Muppets making a movie..again
Kepler telescope spots more extrasolar planets
Supermantis
Why are priests celibate ?