Potato chip bags are can be compared to the human existence. Created, labeled, and filled. After a bit of time they're shipped off somewhere and settle quite a bit. The roads traveled cause some unsettling but the large part of the journey is typically fairly strait forward. For some bags things just go wrong from the beginning. The label is wrong, the contents are wrong, and sometimes they're taken by someone less than copasetic.

The settling part is what has been on my mind. There are times when life has eased back and let things be. Those times can be dull or boring but it can also be hugely refreshing. The image of the lottery ball machine describes very well how things have been in my family lately. Opinions differed and philosophies clashed... For a long, long, time. Yesterday I knocked on my neighbors door. During our conversation he said "I thought you guys were mad at me or something. I thought, What have I done now?" In fact nothing had been done. We'd both been busy. Due to a lack of communication it seemed like there was something wrong. BAAAAHHHHNNN. Nope. Everything was fine. Now, after a 3 minutes conversation, all is well and I can expect the doorbell to ring.

Instead of a 3 minute conversation a seven, yes 7!, hour conversation took place recently with my aunt and uncle to clear things up. Of course the seven hours were not all filled with fervor but a large chunk of it was.

This bag of chips is settling down again. Since the chips fill the bag when they're not in a sifted stated things look okay for the chips. At the beginning of course. But things have a way of changing and other circumstances affect the inside of your bag-o-chips. A bump here, a crash there, and then there is the kind pair of hands that delicately lifts, and opens the bag to separate each of the chips so as best to serve to someone. This bag of chips feels much better. Much. Not completely. I don't think that's really an option and that's okay. Time for the daily shake down. Work calls and my mind and body feel ready.
- posted by garyploski @ 3/28/2006 07:59:00 AM 0 comments

People think I'm a bit out there because I get excited when the numbers 6 & 4 line up. Since TPU the numbers have had a significant impact on my life. After seeing this clip I can't help but smile at the other smiles I've had because of 64. Ahhh.

The boy in this clip proves that the numbers work better than ANYONE could have ever imagined. The pay off is at the end of the clip. Six Four Smile!

- posted by garyploski @ 3/27/2006 11:04:00 PM 0 comments

I'm scared of not having the chance to allow my body to heal itself through truly natural means. Stem cells. While the current U.S. administration is not exactly helping, there are scores of people around the world looking and looking for some balance of morality and scientific advancement. Dream Theater wrote a song about it titled "The Great Debate".

What if someone said
Promise lies ahead
Hopes are high in certain scientific circles
Life won't have to end
You could walk again

What if someone said
Problems lie ahead
They've uncovered something highly controversial
The right to life is strong
Can't you see it's wrong

Human kind has reached a turning point
Poised for conflict at ground zero
Ready for a war
Do we look to our unearthly guide
Or the white coat heroes
Searching for a cure

It looks like those pesky Germans may have found an answer "Men's testicles may provide an 'ethical' source of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), suggest new experiments in mice."

read more | digg story
- posted by garyploski @ 3/25/2006 11:00:00 AM 0 comments

As of this morning the rise and shine time will be... Don't be scared... 6 AM.

Ahh, A new method of waking up. Although the thought of getting a chance to post my thoughts sounded great when I first read about the idea. This morning hasn't been what I'd intended it to be. I thought I would have had a chance to get out some thoughts about recent events and new thoughts but cleaning and preparing for a Monster Movie Night ala Monster Kid Home Movies. Chocolate fondue, fruit, and angel cake will be on tap along with my fav of favs... gyunyu.

Cleaning was needed and will be full appreciated this evening. Insert mini grumble here.

On a completely different note, seedmagazine.com reports that 10 thousand, that's right 10,000 clerics backed Darwinian evolution stating "We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests."

This is a big deal because the mad creationists intelligent design side of the fence felt that having over 5 hundred, wow - 500, scientists back their claim meant something. Accept it, there is such a thing as evolution and the big D was closer to the bullseye than you want him to be. Suck it Trebek.

Guess I had a few more minutes than I though. Nice. And now it looks like it's time for me to scamper off to work.
- posted by garyploski @ 3/24/2006 08:10:00 AM 0 comments

Recently I read about cops giving out tickets to good drivers, I saw the last episode of a season, discussed the driving desire of mankind to explore, and what it means to complete something. In brief, words have been on the move lately. People are talking. It's great!

Battlestar Galactica finished up its second season last night. Reviews are as expected loved it/hated it. Ron Moore, one of the producers, said it last week and that's what people are saying in the boards. I enjoyed it. There are some things I didn't like but on the whole. Well done BSG writers. Well done. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you planned out the next season before you finished the scripts for season 2. Of course, I'll probably have to re-watch season 2 because the wait until season 3 is 7 months... That, = \ That kinda bites bunches and bunches.

The other day I stumbled across this article. I read it. I scoffed and thought about the idea in a heartbeat. From the article "You know that heart-stopping feeling you get when seeing the flashing red lights of law enforcement in the rear view mirror?" I wonder, gee, have I ever had that hear-stopping fear coarse through my body only to send my temperature up 10 degrees making clothes unnecessary? Yea! And so have many other people. Great! Let's pull people over: that are on their way somewhere with time constraints, that have bad hearts, that do not want to be 'rewarded', etc. This program has so many flaws in it I'm surprised it made it out the front door of the police department in Travis County Texas. Then again, no I'm not. The police forces around the US have had a bad rep in the American culture longer than they'd ever admit.

From the early days police knew who was good and who wasn't. It was a small community based experience and that's where the corruption began. People knew about it and people were okay with it. Time carried on and the population exploded. Now, with faceless police officers patrolling the streets telling us we're doing right and wrong, taking advantage of their position, yes they've all done something at one point of their career. It could have been a simple photo op with a friend, letting someone see something confidential, etc. Power is easily abused. Back to the topic, this is a horrible by the Travis County police department(s).

If they really want to promote this program stop pulling people over. First thing... STOP PULLING PEOPLE OVER TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING 'GOOD'. Yes, stop at this very moment. STOP. There are some things that are burned into our minds, being pulled over is one of those things that means 'you did something wrong.' Let it be. Next up, take that license plate number of the person that did the 'good' thing and send to them in the mail, yes that archaic device we still use despite the advent of e-mail, and post to them their reward with a letter of thanks, etc.

What will happen will be better than this ridiculous pulling people over thing. They'll talk about it because it will be a surprise and they won't have that heart-stopping feeling that people get when pulled over by police. Get it?!

Out of curiosity I looked at the article and saw a poll at the end of the article. I checked out the results and found them to be very revealing...

If I got pulled over to be rewarded for good driving, I would be:
Thank you for participating in our poll.
Thrilled --- 19%
Kind of happy --- 20%
Ambivalent --- 6%
Kind of irritated --- 33%
Downright mad --- 22%

This means 55% of those polled do NOT want to be pulled over for something 'good' peeps.

Okay, on to something else...

Exploration. The Moon. And Mars. Recently NASA proposed the something old and something new. "The first moon visit is planned in 2018 with the establishment of the space station a couple of years afterwards." Going further the article states... "We are going to have to build those capabilities. Then the question is, are we going to build a large base, and that we don't know." The agency said that the first missions could be for as much as seven days. These can later be extended for six months.

It hasn't happened for a long time. The U.S. feels pressure from another country, or countries, to be the first to do something. Back in the 60's it was a race to reach the moon, now we have to go back and take the next step. It's sad that we rely on the fear of not being first as our motivation to reach out to the stars. It's waiting for us. We simply need to take a hold of the challenge and then... Reach! If the world were different and all the countries of the world saw this as our next big step who knows where we'd be by now. Who knows if we'd still be tied to this planet actually.

I dream that our kind will look beyond the pocket filled with gold and dare to take a step into the unknown again. There are so many willing to take the risk but sadly very few support these endeavors financially. Where will we be in 10 years? ...Well, If NASA has anything to say about it we'll be on the moon! Now, increase their budget already. Approximately 13 billion compared to 420 billion in the military seems more than a bit askew.

Ahh... Almost through my purge. Ceremony. Sometimes we miss out on ceremony because it just isn't done that way. Say you set for yourself a goal. You work at it and work at it and finally, after days, weeks, months, years, decades, whatever, you achieve what you set out to succeed. You did 'it'! So, what to do now? Can you celebrate and recognize the event with other people? Sometimes yes. Usually... No.

Our lives are made up of big and little achievements. Graduations have their day in the spotlight. What about your first car, or acceptance into a group/school, or your last cigarette. Where is the ceremony to mark the event, like those noted a moment ago? What feels large and significant can be lost in the blink of an eye or the tick of a clock. One day it's the biggest news since... Ever. And then the next day, it's just a story to tell. What am I trying to say here.

Ceremony is hugely important. I've recognized my desire to attend ceremony but it's possible that only now I see the necessity for such events. My 10 year high school reunion was a ceremony of sorts. Everyone that attended knows what I mean. We all returned with life altering experiences and shared with each other. We marked our 10th year from high school. We survived and had a chance to walk in the same space again. Even if for only a few hours.

Time will not wait for us to mark each event that we deem important. Take hold the flame and create your ceremony. Make it a movie night, or a dinner with friends/family, or go for a long walk alone. These events may only happen once. They are noteworthy and should be recognized as such.

Ahhh. The thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head for days finally put into written form. Ahhh. Oh wait! Another one! Last one.

To prevent. "To keep (someone) from doing something." Recently I heard someone say that they wouldn't allow their partner to do something. The topic, to me, was no substantiated by their reasoning. Had it been, oh, say, smoke in the house, or something harmful to their livelihood... Well, I wouldn't be writing anything about it. Instead it was something that could actually benefit either their partner's life and/or their life. The topic? Video games.

The act of not allowing someone to do something because of different opinions on a topic does not give one authority to dictate what can or cannot be done. We're this imposed on me I'd snap. In fact, I have in the past. Tell me I can't talk about something and I'll find a way to talk about it. Tell me I can't do something, the point is made I hope. No partner is a dictator. If there is a problem in the relationship talk it out. Not talk. Talk it out. Say the real problem or the concern out loud and get feedback. Then repeat. The IDEA that someone believes that they have the option to control their partner is as absurd to me as a single celled organism reciting the works of Shakespeare. With all that in place. Oyasumi no toki desu.
- posted by garyploski @ 3/12/2006 12:17:00 AM 0 comments

Recently I created a Myspace account for traffic and possibility of getting in touch with some old friends. The first thing I noticed was how horribly ad driven the site is! If it's not a flash based ad it's three! The next thing I noticed was how bland the template was. So, the quick google search for 'html template myspace' took place. I found many a site that described and aided a user to change the look of their page.

Not bad I thought. Grabbed a quick color change, threw it up on the site. I'll look at it later next week to clean up the code.

The next week I looked over the settings and saw that it's pretty similar to CSS. Sweet. Color code change here, font size change there, and a table border edit to wrap things up. Voila changed. Easier on the eyes and now has a similar look to my personal .com. All done. Do I want to go deep into their code to change everything... Not at all. I don't want to spend any amount of time for what will equate to nothing.

Time for some friends I guess...

Click, click, click.

"What the hell is this?"

"What the faaah..."

What are people doing!? ARGH! If you don't know how to edit HTML... DON'T! My browser freezes on my PC at work, my laptop at home, and my desktop at home because neophytes are effing with the html code. STOP IT! Myspace admins listen up. Make it possible for someone to change their colors and text size within their personal settings. Allow them to choose a background. It'd be uber better than allowing everyone the change to completely seize up browsers. Non-html folk are reeking havoc in there! Please continue to allow users the option to add in their on html but please, pleasssse find a better way. AHHHHHHH!
- posted by garyploski @ 3/06/2006 11:37:00 PM 1 comments

crash. blah. it's not that good of a movie. blah. good for ang, philip, reese, and george for their awards. Very happy for them peeps. Was a bit annoyed with all the Kong wins but they were LotR peeps so it's hard to be that bummed.

A semi-enjoyable eve. Stewart had some solid challenging jokes/comments. He wasn't his normal self but hey, uptight preaching MPAA peeps will control you in that way I guess. SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER. I think I missed their point. I should see movies if they're good, in the theater? Or I'm supposed to see any ol' movie that sucks and talks to me like I'm a dog that just learned to sniff my own... Fill in your own blank.

)Insert dramatic pause here.(

Oh, don't forget - SEE MOVIES IN THE THEATER.

...and the best song? That was ALL they had to choose from? 3 songs that were boring and/or unintelligible? HAaaaahahahaha.

Oyasumi minasan. I've got me some lines to review and some Oscars to forget.
- posted by garyploski @ 3/05/2006 11:45:00 PM 0 comments

I was on a roll with my previous posts. Grah! Damn life got in the way. ...Yee-ha damn life!

With three classes to go the Collective Creation class has had me cracking down on lines, lines, lines, and more lines. Yup, yup, yup, that many lines. We have six pieces to present. I am in... four. Then there is War Music (so cool) that has more words waiting for my eyes and my grey squishy guts. Happily it's only been this week and a wee part of last week that has owned my time. The wild thing to consider is I only have three classes left. Three! Whoa. Talk about freeing up my daily calendar. Four additional hours will be revealed post spring break.

Te'hee.

On the personal desire front my last hopes for the World Cup are about ready to poof into the ether. There has been no word from Dan Garber. Alak, alak, alak! )Insert sigh here.( Sigh.

What will the honeymoon be? When? Where? OAEn oaefna O aeg n;oN EFGO #9u3!?

Quote me on that.

Rolling down the off-topic hill - I burned my hand last week. Fraggin toaster oven was much hotter than low even though it was set to... you guessed it, low. The skin looks like a small tiny uber teeny iron burn. The whole thing. It's a tad bit bigger then my thumb nail. Ha. I hadn't thought of it like that until now. It really DOES look like the bottom of an iron. HFCIT!

So the world is doing its thing. Bush keeps slipping down the 'we approve of you' slide. And 6.5 billion people are now on the planet. I guess we can all take a break from... Well, cooking. Go ahead and order your favorite food and have that plate delivered to you! Why not?! Oh, and don't forget a drink. I HIGHLY recommend Jone's Soda and Naturals. Bananaberry - TASTY! Green Apple - Cha'ching! Drink them up yum.

And to the other 2 people out on the web that haven't signed up for myspace. Well, I'm no longer part of the party. Yes, I signed up for myspace. I'm really easy to find, oh wait, click here to view my profile.
- posted by garyploski @ 3/01/2006 11:08:00 PM 0 comments