KEEP NET NEUTRALITY

We just lost Net Neutrality and that super-duper sucks. What is Net Neutrality you say? Watch this short and easy to understand video.... then I can do my little rant.

 

Now keep in mind, nothing will change for consumers this very second, but it will. This is only the beginning too. More regulations will follow now that this big one got through.

The Problems:

1. Everyone gets their Internet from an Internet Service Provider. With net neutrality gone, ISP's can discriminate, favoring their business partners while delaying or blocking websites they don't like. So if AT&T, Cox or some other ISP gets in a pissing match with let's say Facebook or Twitter, they can block it no questions asked.
2. ISP's can charge fat fees to websites that want quick content delivery. This means those long load times will go to poorer sites that can't pay up. No more free websites or indie sites which means even more hardships for small business.
3. An ISP could slow or block all peer-to-peer file sharing, or all online video streaming. So Netflix watchers and BitTorrent users might want to beware. No more cheap (let alone free) video and file streaming. If netflix has to pay more for big bandwidth, then so will you.
4. ISP's will be able to make even more money off their existing customer base. They won't need to improve service or bring broadband to rural areas because they'll be able to keep growing (financially, at least) by charging content providers more for faster delivery and charging customers more for faster access. In all likelihood, this ruling means the problems with America's slow internet will only get worse.

The Internet was designed as an open medium, not to be regulated so fat cat companies can hog bandwidth and charge us commoners an arm and a leg to not have archaic speeds. They have enough damn money. When the net is not free, we will lose the biggest tool to educate and to help keep freedom and truth alive.

Mad yet? I sure hope so damn it. There is still hope so use that motivation! The FCC could reinstate Net Neutrality right now. The Save The Internet site below has all of the info that you need to understand this debate and how to take action.

www.savetheinternet.com

MACBOOK PORT FAIL

I prefer using a mouse over that poopie touch pad thing but I guess I need a five foot cord when using a MacBook. Why would they only put the ports on the left side?! Why not the back so it's even for both lefty's and righty's? Apple, I love you, but sometimes you're pretty retarded.

LITTLE TRAMP

I just saw a little girl walking to her middle school with stiletto heels on and a tiny ass skirt. I immediately realized that she doesn't need a guidance counselor seeing as her parents have already let her start down the exciting career path of hooker.

*sigh*

Most people should just not have children.

GRAPHIC ARTISTS DEFINED

I was asked in one of my college classes what I thought a quality graphic designer is and what they do. Since I do consider that to be one of my main artistic functions, I thought I should give it a serious response. Let me try to relay my point of view.

Our world is slathered with advertising as far as the eye can see. It infects every part of our daily lives, from the food we eat to the clothes on our backs. It is almost impossible to step in or out of our homes without seeing something tainted by a design. As disheartening as that might seem, take solace in knowing that there are talented graphic designers at the helm. Not all of them are worthy of course, but that can be found with any profession. The most savvy of these creative knights constantly battle with normalcy and banality. Their weapons are computers and tablets, sketchpads and pencils, all wielded by unbridled minds. Graphic designers are hybrids between artists and businessmen, held together by pure creativity and raw problem solving skills. So instead of seeing our culture as polluted by design, perceive it as a world made more interesting by art.

To some, graphics artists seem like sell outs, peddling their creative minds and artistic talents to anyone with a wad of cash. But instead of seeing them as imaginative whores, they should be revered as champions for modern art. They took a lifestyle that was synonymous with the odd who were always struggling to scrap together a living and adapted them into respected professionals that can make a steady and decent living. As a result, they are now heeded as creative authorities. Their talents are in high demand and their skills can now be honed in esteemed colleges across the globe. This essentially means that fresh minds are marching into society on a yearly basis, bringing new concepts and brightening our communities with visual refinement. Thus if I were asked what a good graphic designer does, I would declare with fervor that they make every inch of our world beautiful and do so with dignity and respect.

DEFUNCT JUDICIAL SYSTEM

We all seem to know that our judicial system is corrupt and defunct. For those that say otherwise at least have some sort of basic fear or distrust of the law. What's worse is that it's taught in colleges across the country that we live under a broken system. I say this because I've attended two different colleges, a community college in Virginia and a state university in Kansas, and each had multiple professors that championed it's ineffectiveness. 

What I don't understand is that if most people have issues with the law and professors are teaching that it's a broken system, then why hasn't something been done about it? We just keep passing on our crap from generation to generation. Has the peoples real rights and our power to keep our government in check been left that far by the wayside?

I have no real answers because I am but a peon in the grand scheme of things. Though that mentality right there is probably the real issue. We have been bred into weak mindless sheep. But my guess is that most people just simply don't care. Ignorance is bliss. Anyways, it was just a thought.

If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
-Louis D. Brandeis

TRASHY TABLOID TALK SHOWS

Occasionally when I come home from class I catch a tidbit of some trashy tabloid talk show that Nicky has on. As I watch these foul things that are unfortunately called humans, I am filled with incredible amounts of disgust. They are horrible parents, awful to their fellow man and all around worthless moronic scum bags. Their diction and dialog is so incredibly bad that it makes me dumber for having heard it. They scream, yell and can't wait to blab they stinky mouth holes at anyone in sight. When it comes to their morals, the words reason, accountability and selflessness are not in their vocabularies. The worst part about it is their kids. The parents bicker, fight and drag these children through hell. It's ruining their lives and creating little versions of themselves that will grow up to be wastes of space. The cycle of scum just keeps on churning and I weep for humanity.

Every single one of the vermin that crawl up on that stage should taken somewhere far from the rest of civilization and buried up to their necks in dog poo. Even if we can't wipe them from the Earth, we should at least consider mass sterilization.

PEOPLE SUCKING ON EASTER

Nicky wanted to stop at Dollar General to snag some hooks for the studio. I waited outside because Paladin was sleeping in his car seat. It was a beautiful day so I chilled outside Paladin's door and played with my phone. As I killed time playing solitaire, I also furtively watched the other patrons come and go. What I saw in the five minutes I was outside made me weep for humanity.

Terrible attire and freaky looking people aside, it was two acts in particular that spurred my disgust. One white trash dude in a camo ball cap blew a fat snot rocket right in front of the entrance. He then proceeded to wipe off the excess goo on the front of his shirt. As he looked up from his putrid slime fest, he noticed that I was watching and saw my obvious nausea. He acted like it was no big deal and jumped into his rusted out shit box of a truck.

Next up was a large Hispanic woman and her two kids. She had bought them toys and on their way out of the store they were tearing into them. Without a second thought, they just tossed their trash on the ground in the parking lot. The mother tore into her chocolate covered pastry and followed suit with her wrapper. None of them attempted to look for a trash can even though there were two of them within three feet. I stared her dead in the eyes and then glanced back and at the trash and said " Really?!" She looked away as if she didn't understand and drove off in her smoke billowing minivan.

Doesn't anyone give a shit about other people or the world around them anymore? Is it socially acceptable to trash ourselves and our environment? For me and my family it sure in the hell isn't. Wost of all, it's Easter. I'm definitely not religious but shouldn't this day be held up to higher standards for all those God fearing folk?

Anyways... fucking scumbags.

BEER SAVINGS

Lately I have been working on finding easy ways to cut Nicky and I's frivolous and unnecessary expenditures from our budget. I started buying food that we regularly use in bulk like dry beans and rice. We dropped excesses fees from our cell phone plans. We nit picked our insurance. But I felt like I personally could do more. I decided that to throw in my own bit of instant savings I would hack at my drinking budget.

Now to be clear, I will never ever give up drinking. If prohibition were to come back in full force, I would be fighting for the side of the bootleggers without a second thought. So instead of suffering by cutting back on my consumption level of sweet devils water, I found a compromise. I decided to not buy the pricier brews that I love so much like Shiner or Sam Adams. Instead, I'll just buy good ole' Pabpt's Blue Ribbon. Now before you start making the bitter beer face, let me explain why. It's American and not part of the big three money hungry beer conglomerates. Plus, I think it's slightly tastier than Bud, Coors and Miller anyways. It's also cheaper than those other turds anyways. On average, PBR costs roughly seventy cents per can as opposed to Sam Adams sitting at around a dollar thirty three per bottle. I can get twice as much beer for the same price?!

Take that recession.

I also told Nicky that when I feel like getting retarded drunk, I'll just go back to drink forty ounces of malt liquor. They're definitely not the greatest alcoholic beverages but when a nickel is not worth what it used to be, ghetto rules take over. As an added perk, it makes me feel kind of gangsta. Dat shitz iz mad cheap yo!

BABY FOOD

As I'm cooking, pureeing and freezing my son's food, it shocks me how bold the colors are. Not a single additive has been slipped into my boys num-nums, just wholesome fresh veggies. It's so much cheaper than buying it already made off a shelf. Plus, do you really know what's in there? I mean just look at how vibrant his peas and sweet potatoes are!

It sure makes me loath processed food that much more.

KILLER COOCH

I feel like being a little crass, so here goes nothing. I saw on MSN today that smelly things for a vagina are bad. I quote:

"Like douches, scented tampons, sprays, and pads can do more harm than good, potentially leading to infection and vaginal irritation."

My suggestion? Wash your cooch. I gotta wash my mushroom and potatoes, so it's only fair.

Now back to your regularly scheduled well mannered artist.

CAROUSEL

Sitting solo on the side of the rink, I observe the chaos. Droves of little kids gleefully squeeling with wheels strapped to they rubbery legs. They try so deperately not to lose their balance and topple to their rumps. With every fall I choke back a giggle. The parents converse about trivil topics and crack fake smiles to one another. Decked in their dated and hideous garb, they mindlessly nod their heads to the pop garbage blarring overhead. I'd play video games but all that is working is skeeball and hoops.

Normally I would be internally screaming in this little pocket of hell, but today is different. I gleefully sip my slurpee with a mountainous grin. Why? Because my daughter is having a blast with her friends at a birthday party. That massive smile of hers makes all the rest fade into the background. Plus, Alex and I wailed at skeeball.

YOU FORGOT YOUR CAMERA AGAIN?!

It's pretty normal for someone to ask if brought my camera at every event that I ever go to. More often than not, I do honestly forget about it. But occasionally I leave it at home on purpose. When someone gives me shit for not having it, I usually just joke around and say "I must be the worst photographer ever!" On the inside though, I'm smirking.

Why?

It's true that my life revolves around art. Photography is indeed my biggest passion but it's also my job. Let's say you're a chef and you slave over a hot stove all day. Wouldn't it get old to be expected to fixed gourmet meals for every event you ever went to? I image even Emeril enjoys getting cooked for when he's not on the clock.

It's nice to just enjoy events like everyone else and not be expected to run around with a lens strapped to your face.

CREEPY GRINS

My 3D Design class resides on the opposite end of the campus from my History of Western Music class. On the long walk there and back, I noticed quite a few different people smiling. Normally this isn't concerning, but something was off. They were sporting big teethy grins for no apparent reason. They weren't talking to anyone, they were all just walking alone. Let me be crystal clear as these weren't just little pleasant lip curls. These were massive cheek stretching grins that would make the Joker cringe.

As I studied these oddities from behind my mirrored shades, I noticed that their smiles were perpetual. When I would spot a grinner, I watched their mannerisms and facial gestures for as long as possible but the expression never changed. There were no indicators that something was causing these smiles either. There were no comedians swilling off jokes on the campus loud speakers. There wasn't a headset in their ear to receive witty banter from. They weren't looking at their phone and reading Chuck Norris jokes. The smile was just there, stamped on like a clown cattle brand.

I'm all for spreading love and I'm obviously an advocate for life, liberty and that whole pursuit of happiness bit. But what the hell is so amusing? Are they high on life? Did they snort some of the new and improved Joker brand products? Could they be infiltrator robots stuck on chipper? How do they keep their teeth from drying out? Maybe that's the issue. Their teeth have dried out which caused their lips to stick in that eternal stalker smirk.

What ever it was that made these freaks contort their face like that, it creeped me out.

PINK PRINCESS OF ASS KICKING

I have to do a little bragging about my awesome daughter Alexandria. This weekend she had her first karate tournament and she kicked a lot of ass. She got first place in strongest kick, first place in strongest punch and second place in the sparring tournament! I was so proud that I could have almost exploded. I would have been beaming had she been in a ballerina dance off or something but this is strait up butt whipping action. What more could a manly father ask for? Here she is right after she won her three medals.
But wait, there's more!

Together we have been watching the old X-Men: The Animated Series from back in the 90's. I still find it entertaining and Alex has really taken a shine to it. Who did she choose as her favorite character? None other than Wolverine, my favorite. I had zero influence on that too! She had no idea I even liked the X-Men or had a box full of his old comics from when I was her age. Again, my little black heart swelled with pride. So in honor of her martial arts mastery and her new appreciation for super powered mutants, I took her to the comic shop for the first time. She picked out her first comic novel, Wolverine and Jubilee. It was a cool find as her second favorite character just so happens to be Jubilee.
My daughter is not just a pink princess anymore but a pink princess that can knock your teeth out. It makes me grin just typing it. This was an awesome weekend indeed.

CLUSTERED WITH CRETINS

I am so tired of teachers sticking everyone in groups. I have an incredibly high track record of getting stuck with douche nozzles that drive me nuts and have terrible ideas. When I am not grouped with a dill hole, I get adhered to a lazy turd that causes everyone else to pick up the slack. I understand that we are ganged together to help us interact, network and meet new people. I also know that this flock mentality is meant to facilitate the growth of group cohesion and teamwork skills. Plus, we are supposed to be able to bounce ideas off one another in an attempt to find a truly stellar concept.

Unfortunately, great ideas and team ass kicking rarely happens. I usually get annoyed and do what I want to do anyways. If my hands are tied by the instructor or the collection of morons is just too powerful, then I do what I can to salvage the lousy idea. After a while, I would rather succumb then debate with retards. But I shouldn't have to! I am paying for my education after all. To put it bluntly with a touch of uncouth, I am better when I am not bothered by cretins.

Think about it. How many artists do you know run in a pack? I can hardly name any famous works created by a duo, let alone a big group. Large scale projects are always helmed by just one person. Artists by nature are generally loaners and in desperate need of attention. This is why their profession is to create spectacles of awe. They want to be the center of your artistically awakened universe. If you are an artist, just be honest. You secretly think that every other art freak is garbage and you are split 50/50 with loving and loathing those that are worth a damn.

I liken artists to super villains with their crazy outfits and eccentric personalities. Shadowed by a cloud of melancholy, they want their own schemes to annihilate your mind. Most of the time these ideas are foiled or fall short, yet they never give up. When these bastards amass, each will fight together to conquer the objective at hand. If given the chance though, each will turn on the others if their idea has a real chance of succeeding. The whole scene is very dog eat dog, just prettier.

Anyways, I do enjoy collaborating with like-minded freethinkers but those are in short supply. Hence why I tend to work alone. If I am forced (the keyword there being forced as in I have no choice) to work with a team of halfwits, I will fight to take the title of leader. Then if your ideas are not in semi-alignment with my own, to hell with you! I will set fire to your project and howl like the almighty Skeletor.

SOPA AND PIPA

In an effort to stop copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, congress is trying to make it legal for the U.S. government to block sites and censor what they deem as piracy or piracy related. It's unlimited control and it will no doubt irreparably harm the free greatness that is the internet. If we give them an inch, they will take a mile. Fight for your rights!

If you do anything, at least take 15 seconds to sign the petition Google is hosting. It's on the right side of the page:
Help Google Tell Congress: Don’t censor the Web

Want more info? Go Here:
American Censorship

Check out this video for an explanation:

WHITE ROOM

I'm driving in my truck with two girls, both in their twenties. The conversation is light and flowing. Our chatter turns towards the interesting names that some artists give their studios and what we would all name our own. I then proceed to explain why I would name mine "The Station."

ME
"I'm naming mine The Station because the whole thing is completely white. As my brother and I were painting it, the song White Room by Cream popped into my head. We sang it heartily and it just fit! I'm totally going to hang black curtains up too."

GIRLS
(blank stares)

ME
"You know…"
(I begin to sing terribly)
"In the white room, with back curtains, near the station…"

GIRLS
(silence)

ME
You know… Eric Clapton?

GIRL IN BACK SEAT
Yah, I've heard my dad play that.

ME
(awkward laugh)

The awkward moment came and went and the conversation rolled on without a hitch. I just felt like sharing that little bit of sadness.



That song fucking rules.
The End.

WSU: BATTLING FOR BASIC SKILLS CREDIT

Let me explain the two basic foundations for my return to college. First, I want to learn new art techniques and grow as an artist. Yes, a degree in graphic design from a state university would be awesome, but that is not my number one priority. I have been working in the design industry for years and none of that was attributed to a piece of paper from any college. Secondly, I'm affording tuition due to my GI Bill funding that I earned through military service. It only lasts two years so I have to make the most of it and learn as much about art as I can. That being said, WSU refuses to accept my English 101 and College Algebra credits. I've gone from department to department and everyone just keeps shuffling me along and washing their hands of me. I know it's just two measly classes but they have already cast aside most of my credits from Virginia. I will not let them bend me over the barrel this time.

The English department does not believe that CLEP (College Level Examination Program) exams prepare students enough for English 102. Hence, they are not accepted. The asinine thing is, I took 102 this semester at WSU and passed with an A. Now they want me take 101 because I never should have been cleared by my student adviser to take 102 in the first place. I went to the assistant director of the English department, swallowed my pride, and tried to plead my case. I explained that I barely have enough school funding from the government to get my Bachelors and that I couldn't afford tuition otherwise. Her response was that Butler (a community college here in Wichita) has cheap classes and that I could go there to take English 101. Wow, really? She might as well have said go away poor person. The second issue is a ridiculous technicality. I took College Mathematics and not College Algebra. Come on WSU, these are basic skills general education classes. Why is this even a fight?

When I was getting my degree in photography from Tidewater Community College in Virginia, it seemed a lot less full of filler. I took relevant classes and I didn't have to jump through hoops left and right. Of course there were prerequisites, but TCC seemed to cater more towards those that wished to learn. It's like WSU is primarily worried about the formalities and bureaucracy of the degree rather then helping people better themselves.

I'm going to try to talk to the dean next and if that doesn't work, I'll just walk. If they don't care about their students enough to be understanding in extenuating circumstances, then I don't want to be under their flag anyways. I'll take my money and dedication elsewhere.

UNDER THE COUCH

I just did something that I have never done before. It's one in the morning and I was looking for my phone charger in the dark living room. I knew where it was, under the couch. Without a second thought, I reached into the blackness and fished about until I found it.

Beneath the couch... in the pitch black living room... where the deepest shadows reside.

Maybe I'm not making this clear.

I just blindly jammed my meaty mitts under there! This is a place that horror movies use quite often for scenes of terror. Maybe a mutant freak was going to harmlessly watch us sleep but I spooked him into a murderous rage? Possibly a zombie plague infected baboon, loose from a government lab, was taking refuge? What if a flesh eating space slug was lurking below or a satanic clown?

OK, OK. There might have been a fat hairy spider or something. I watch too many movies.

It's still creepy though damn it.

BLACK FRIDAY

Black Friday is a day of disgusting consumerism and the glorification of greed. The little guy wastes all of his hard earned money on crap he doesn't need. All that dough just goes right back into fat cat pockets. We are just paying back our bosses all their money. Think about it. If I go buy something I am giving money to the owner of that companies. It might not be my boss specifically but it's someones. At the same time there is someone out there paying my boss otherwise I wouldn't have my current day job. So we are all giving back our money en masse to make sure management stays richer than us. See the cycle? We are losing my friends.

It is just sickening. What is worse is that I, for the first time in my life, partook in Black Friday. I tried to go two hours before midnight on Thanksgiving but the lines were blacks long. I then heard that some people had been camping out for days. Are you serious?! Just to save a few bucks? People are just dying to waste their paychecks and feed the greed machine.

I went back Friday morning to finish up my shopping and still got decent savings. Now I might have gotten lower prices, but at what cost? I helped Best Buy's bank account grow. I bought a TV and a monitor which were both foreign made. So I just robbed America and I blew a portion of my saved greenbacks. I'm not wealthy so I have to take the good deals when I can but I still hate it. I have boycotted Wal-Mart for more than 10 years now but is Best Buy so different? After all, it's still just a greedy corporation.

I guess it's part of being born into capitalism and I should try to accept it. Every time I turn on my big shiny new flat screen I do smile because it's freaking awesome to watch movies and play games in what is almost my own personal theater. Just know that behind that glee is the stinging sensation of guilt and disgust. I realize that I am a whore and I hate it.