That was the best way to sum it up, and it was right there, in writing;  "Obama = Bush".

While Bush was a bumbling, fumbling cartoon character who was fun to quote, Obama is a bumbling, fumbling idiot who is incredibly inexperienced and this is showing in many important ways.

One way is the obvious.  A bail out package that is so large that our great-grand children will be paying through the nose for it.  The best way to describe this so-called "economic stimulous" package is Steal From The Rich AND Poor And Give To The Banks, Auto Industry, And Even The Government's Left Pocket, As Well As Any Other Corrupt Industry Who Wants A Boost.  Such a costly package to stimulate the economy could actually, eventually crush our economy.  There is no way the American Dollar will be able to survive.  Looks like Democracy really is a failed political system... Socialism, here we come.

Another, less obvious way our new leader has misrepresented his people is by his first visit with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  The Prime Minister and the President exchanged gifts.  Prime Minister Brown gave President Obama a pen holder for his desk carved from the timbers of the Victorian ant-slave ship the HMS Gannet. What makes this gift even more special is that Oak from the Gannets sister ship the HMS resolute was used to make the presidential desk that sits in the white house.  A second gift was a first edition of the 7 volume biography of Winston Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert. There where also several gifts for the children.  In exchange, Obama gave the PM two models of the presidential helicopters and 25 DVDs.

At least the DVD set included a copy of Star Wars.

Our President's inexperience is obvious.  I just hope the American people are smart enough to keep him on a short rope.  The government is here to serve the people.  Not the other way around.  The President's poor choice of gifts is a mistake of inexperience... more an embarrassment than anything serious.  But this money hole he has created for us and the generations to follow may have some serious repercussions, including edging us closer to a Socialist political system.  And we sit on the sidelines cheering him on.

We're in trouble.

 +ruined

I have been writing music under the project name Null Factor for 10 years.  July of 2009 will mark the 10 year anniversary of my first release, "Re: modulated".  Over this 10 year period, I have released 4 full-length albums:

• 1999 - Re: modulated
• 2001 - Calculating The Human Form
• 2003 - Purity
• 2007 - Human Analog
  

All 4 albums have been self-released, with the exception of "Purity" which saw the help of Ballistic Test Productions of Canada helping with promotions and distribution.  "Purity" happens to be the most successful of my releases, because of the help of Ballistic Test Productions.

Now that I am out of contract with Ballistic Test, I decided to post "Purity" on my last.fm profile to help promote the Null Factor name.  When I finished uploading the "Purity" album to last.fm, I received the following error:  "Unable To Add Album, 'Purity'.  This Album Has Been Added By A Different Label."

Confused, I did a little research.  As it turns out, the very famous Industrial music label, Metropolis Records, added my "Purity" album under THEIR label.  I have never been a part of the Metropolis Records roster, so the fact that my album was under their last.fm profile surprised me (as well as succeeding in pissing me off).  What really got my ears hot was the fact that this line was present under MY album's title:  "©Metropolis Records".

I sent Metropolis Records an e-mail asking why my album was under their profile and why THEY put THEIR copyright under MY album.  In my message to them, I left them with this choice:  "If you wish to work with Null Factor, as a unit, then I would be more than happy to discuss a contract with your A&R Department.  However, if Metropolis is not interested in a working relationship, then I will have to ask you to cease and desist."

Luckily, I am a registered member of BMI, so I should have some good resources available to me, if I need them.  The entire "Purity" album is registered with BMI, so I am covered.  But that doesn't help my feelings of complete shock that a label as reputable as Metropolis Records would do something like this.  What are they trying to accomplish by claiming my album as one of their owned copyrights?

More to come as this unfolds...

+ruined

In my first post of this, my blog version 3.0, I said that I would write frequently of human stupidity.  If for no other reason, than just to laugh at how dumb we, as a species, can be.  Well, here is a prime example.

As part of a web site that I am creating, I needed a JavaScript snippet that would do a simple check of a point in time in comparison to the current time (the current time obtained by a PHP line).  I couldn't get the JavaScript to work, so I turned to a programming forum for a little assistence. 

At the end of my plea for help, I posted, "Thank you in advance for your help."

The guy who helped me (some bloke from the UK) gave me a bit of additional advice after the JavaScript code.  The advice was that it was rude of me to say, "Thank you in advance."  He said that my thanking people in advance showed that I was ungrateful for their FREE advice.  That I took that FREE advice for granted.  Yes, he would say FREE in all caps, just as I just did.

I assured him that by thanking people in advance, I was sincerely thanking people for taking the time to read my problem and taking additional time to reply.  That was not good enough for him.  He continued to private message me to further tell me how rude I am for thanking people in advance and that he would no longer be helping me.

Apologizing in advance for my rude reply, I told him that if I needed further assistance from him, I would check the local looney bin to see if he was available.

What is your take?  Is it rude to thank people in advance?

+ruined

For several months, our neighbors have been running a puppy mill.  For those not familiar with puppy mills, they are exactly what they sound like.  A place where puppies are bred for profit.  A concept that is not too bad, until the mill has more puppies than they can handle and no client to buy the puppies.

These puppies and the dogs used to breed them have been escaping the confines of our neighbors back yard.  Concerned about the safety of the wandering animals, we contacted our county's Animal Control.  Each call was answered with either an excuse as to why Animal Control was unable to respond, or an excuse as to why nothing could be done.  Either way, the dogs remained unCONTROLLED.

The lack of response by Animal Control eventually resulted in the death of the adult female dog.  She was hit by a vehicle.

Animal control was notified and the neighbors were served a warning to keep their dogs under control, or the dogs could be removed.  The warning was largely ignored by the neighbors as there were anywhere from 1 to 5 dogs at any given time roaming, freely.  

More calls to Animal Control were made.  More excuses were given.  A call was made by me to the Animal Control.  Since they close at NOON, I left a rather frank voicemail expressing my displeasure with all of their excuses and lack of action.  I received a call back by them expressing their displeasure at my thinking that they were in the business of making excuses.

Today, 2 March, 2009, our neighbor's adult male dog was in our yard (loose), limping.  We captured the dog and brought him into our home (locking our 2 dogs away to avoid confrontation).  Our inspection of the dog revealed that he had sustained a serious injury to the left, rear leg.  A visible deformation was present - possibly a broken bone, or a displaced hip.  Either way, the dog was in so much pain that he would not use the leg to walk.

We contacted Animal Control to have the dog taken and examined.  They came up with an excuse as to why they were unable to come, today, to get the dog.  With some heated convincing, the Animal Control guy finally agreed to get the dog.

It is obvious that our Animal Control department does not have an interest in performing their duties.  Because of this, an e-mail was sent to the County Administrator, outlining all problems explained, above.  I wonder how many excuses the Administrator will have to defend the Animal Control department?

+ruined 

If I were president of the USA, here's what I would do:

I would take three-quarters of a trillion dollars - money that we don't really have, but it'll come from somewhere, I'm sure - and bail out all of the corrupt banks, insurers, and Wall Street.  After all, doesn't it make sense?  Help those who carelessly spent money they didn't have with government money that the country doesn't have? 

Perfect solution.  I'm sure my grand children will thank the government for the bill that is left behind.

+ruined

I'm back, but with terms and conditions. My terms are:

• I am going to write my opinion, whether you like them or not.  I encourage constructive debate.  However, if you think I am stupid for having the opinions that I have, then so be it.  Just keep in mind that, since you disagree with me, that means you are likely a knuckle-dragging, drooling, window licker.
• The moment you bring my family into a debate, you're gone.  No ifs ands or buts.
• I probably won't write everyday.  Only when I have something to say.
• Understand that most of what I write is done so in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  If you can't handle sharp sarcasm, this is not the place for you.
• I will often write about the stupidity of the human race.  Why?  Because we all make mistakes.  Some of them are just more hilarious than others.

With that out of the way, I would like to begin my blog, version 3.0, with the growing number of people who fall victim to the Earn Google Cash get-rich-quick scheme that is sweeping the Net.  The deal states that all you have to do is send in $1.98 and you'll get all of the information you need to earn half-a-million bucks per year of Google's money.

Just go to your favorite consumer watch forums and you will find thread after thread about people who fell for this.  The $1.98 was taken out of their credit card... but no information is ever received.  Soon after, a $40 charge hits their card, followed by further, miscellaneous hits.  These scammed masses then go to their local consumer complaint forum and vent about how they were wronged by Google.

I take it upon myself to assist my fellow Internet Surfers so they may not become one of the scammed.  As always, I will help my fellow Internet Surfers simply by using (un)common sense:

• Does this Earn Google Cash offer claim that it will make you rich, quickly?  Yes.  That means it is a scam.  Do not expect anybody to pay you big bucks for sitting on your crack.  It simply will not happen.
• Google is not the one scamming people.  Google is a very legit company full of people who have at least 3 patents each employee.  These people are not scam artists.  The true scammers are likely very lonely people who are too lazy to etch out a living doing anything legal, so they attempt to make a fortune by taking people for what they are worth.  They fail to see the flaw of this plan... You know, the flaw that, if they are caught, their small fortune they accumulated illegally will be traded for a small cell, terrible jail food, and a girlfriend named Bubba.

  If you remember those simple points, your credit card will be that much safer.  Happy surfing.

Good night and good luck.

+ruined