BunkBlog

I wonder if will ever put an actual entry in his journal. I’m sure something of interest must happen occasionally. 🙂

I’m rocketing up the charts now, boyee! Yessirree, I’ve jumped from #46 to #35 on the T Shirt Countdown list. Big deal, I’ve still not sold enough shirts and mugs to get a commission check, but then I wasn’t expecting to make money at this anyway. Anyone wants to look at my stores, feel free.

That’s all I’ve got to say; I’m boring today.

Update: Now I’m #20, so I’m on the front page of the site. Woohoo! God, I’m sad.

Want to read some of the most convoluted reasoning to support a conspiracy theory? Check out this article, which claims that Bin Laden used paintings to communicate with his people in the US and around the world. Yeah, right.
current_music: Five For Fighting – Alright

Her name is Marcellee Gralapp and on Oct. 28, this obscure library director in Boulder, Colo., became a household name nationwide after she denied library workers their request to install an American flag inside the entrance to the city's main library. Her reasons struck thousands of people in Boulder and around the nation as absurd and drew the ire of many Americans.

As reported in the local newspaper, The Daily Camera, in denying the request, Ms. Gralapp told her subordinates that "The library should be welcoming to people of all beliefs and hanging the flag might have compromised the library's objectivity." The librarian, a Boulder city employee for more than four decades and a native born American, actually believed, like so many other misguided citizens of this country, that the American flag could be injurious to the feelings of the many non-Americans who used Boulder's library every day.

That came from the “DefenseWatch” newsletter, but I’m sure you’ve all seen other examples of folks claiming that an American flag is somehow controversial to hang in public in the United States. Have these people ever been outside the USA? Whenever I encountered a South Korean flag in Korea, they would have been amazed that I didn’t cringe and feel utter revulsion. And those Mexican flags in Ensenada, those are sure offensive as well. What in the world is wrong with people? There is no right in the Constitution for you to be free from insult. Further, if you are offended by the flag of this country, go elsewhere and look at their flag instead.

White signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; blue, vigilance, perseverance and justice. 

The stars represent the member States that voluntarily joined together for common defense as the several United States of America. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies.

Yep, pretty offensive.

Somehow, some bozo decided that jeans were haute couture in the 80s. We ended up with Jordache and Calvin Klein jeans (“Nothing comes between me and my Calvins,” a young Brooke Shields declared in commercials of the time), and the various “washes” that persist a bit now. We had stonewashed, so as to avoid that annoying “new jean” break-in period. We had acid-washed, for those who needed pants that looked like they’d been damaged. Then, we had Overdyed jeans, which look like something in a cartoon with their excessive amount of colored dye applied to jeans which had started out an honest blue. Bleached jeans, usually in funky patterns that didn’t quite reach to the top or bottom, looking like you’d jumped into an over-chlorinated pool wearing your clothes.

That’s just the coloring nonsense. There were also design issues. Boot-cut, tapered, straight-leg, etc. And, the more extreme “wrap pant” look, which I refer to as batwings. No belt loops, just extra-loose jeans with velcroed flaps that fasten in the front.

I’m sure there are a few others I’ve forgotten. What other bizarre stuff do you remember from the “designer jeans” era?
current_music: Lenny Kravitz – Stillness Of Heart
current_mood: bored

I don’t if I’ve mentioned this before, but everyone should click this link right away. Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to you, honest.

Oh, don’t like that link? How about this one? Better?

Thank you thank you. I’ll be here all week.
current_music: Barenaked Ladies – Blame It On Me

The United States expects to spend more than $1 billion a month on the early phases of the war in Afghanistan, and the cost is likely to rise rapidly above that level as the Pentagon builds its forces in the region, Congressional and administration officials say.
James Dao – New York Times, November 12, 2001
current_music: Barenaked Ladies – The Flag

OK, so I’ve been harassing my English classmates on LJ for the past week, but they’re actually looking good this week. We’re finally turning in assignments that are expected to be structured and formatted according to the MLA style, and so far (three of us have completed the assignment that is due today) it’s looking reasonable.

Now, my Economics class is another story. One of the students has posted his reply to the latest assignment (also due today), and at the end says, “I want to point out that I took this answer from the following URL” as if that makes it ok to plagiarise the entirety of his assignment. Is there some new rule in college that makes it ok to just take an entire doctoral thesis and post it as your own? I was reading through this entry and thought, “Wow, someone actually put some time and effort into this lame class. How amazing.” And then, I came upon that final statement.

I’m a fiddler crab, it’s fiddler crab season!
current_music: Five For Fighting – Love Song

So, here’s a comment on the English discussion list today:

Dr. deleted expected an answer to each question and I had to re-introduce myself.

Oh, the sheer gall of the professor to expect you to actually answer each question posed. Let’s see what the instructions said about that first (laughably simple) assignment:

Tell us these things about yourself (don't omit any of this info; this exercise tests your ability and willingness to follow directions):

Yeah, that was pretty tough to figure out. I can see why you’re unhappy that your first draft (which you submitted as a completed assignment) was rejected.
current_mood: amused

Hey, for the next few weeks, Cafepress is giving free shipping on orders of $50 or more. So, if you want some cool Andy Social stuff (or Origami Swag), now is a good time.

Oh, geez, yet another moron has brought forth his comments on life and the universe. The first assignment for this lame-o English class was to introduce ourselves. Yes, this was an assignment for an entire week of class. Frightening, eh?
So, here are some excerpts from the latest person to finally get around to posting his first assignment, only two weeks late.

I may encounter works that I am truely interested in I may tole around for hours just for marginal success and if it is in my belief that this work is of perfection I’ll have my satifaction.
I am a student, a security officer in a shopping mall and in a half-way house and I am an investigatiogator mainly woeking within the Criminal Justice Act.

Ouch! My head hurts just reading that crap. These idiots made it out of high school? I can only imagine the fun my teacher friends have on a daily basis…
current_music: Prince – The Rainbow Children

So, somehow after losing fifty votes last week, I’ve stalled at a mere 34 votes for the month of November thus far. This has caused me to watch my ranking slip from #12 to #25 to (now) #46! Forty-six! There are people who haven’t sold a thing that are ranked higher than I am. I’ve sold a few mugs and shirts now, so I know my designs don’t suck. Hope I get some good word-o-mouth or something. Can’t argue with extra cash.

OK, once again, from someone who is taking a Junior-level college English class, the title being “Critical Approaches to Literature” we have this gem of great literacy:

I have to appreciate liturate in every form.

Um, how can you appreciate something you can’t spell, even with the correct number of syllables? Shoot me now.

This is the kind of sophomoric tripe I am enmeshed in whenever I deal with UMUC’s class online:

…, whose thoughts and emotions deserves to be validated.

Oh, come on! Validation? What a bunch of amateurish, armchair psychobabble.
Here’s another good one:

I enjoy my English classes expect (sic) for the fact that I have to write so much.

That’s like saying you like your mathematics class, except for those pesky equations and numbers. What is wrong with these people?
current_music: Clannad – Atlantic Realm

I think I’ve insulted darling Nikki (couldn’t resist a gratuitous 80s reference). Didn’t mean to belittle your military service, dear. Just the usual banter between services. You zoomie.

For those who think that I’m some kneejerk reactionary right-wing hawk (which is absurdly far from the truth), here‘s an interesting conversation. Guess which side I’m more impressed by.

When I post these links to other conversations on LJ, I don’t do it to espouse a particular view, but to share things I found interesting. In this case, I think one side of the debate makes a much more reasoned case for his side of the argument. I don’t agree wholeheartedly with either debater. In the case I was loudly denounced for recently, I found the other side of the debate more admirable.

Neither side of these debates has an absolute monopoly on good sense and right answers. But, making logical and clean arguments, no matter how much I disagree with them, impresses me. I enjoy the interplay of words between people who can use language to express reasoned opinions. Reasoned does not necessarily imply reasonable, but such is life.
current_music: Clannad – Ca De Sin Do’n Te Sin
current_mood: tired

How in the world can you look at the events of the past two months (euphemistically referred to as the “9/11 events”) and consider it an “opportunity for change” that we shouldn’t “waste” by bombing bad guys? Right, we should stop considering the events as a case of “us vs. them” and go ahead and sing Kumbaya. After all, there’s no way that Bin Laden and friends will bomb us again if we tell them we are all happy and global-minded now. Yep, that’s fuckin’ logical.

Seriously, I actually read someone’s journal that called the recent attacks “an opportunity for change” that we shouldn’t be wasting by blowing up caves in Afghanistan. While I certainly wonder if the method for our “war” is effective, just telling them we’ve seen the errors of our ways sure won’t work.

OK, that f***ing Countdown site is just pissing me off now. I had like 50 hits, so I was expecting to be on the front page (in the top 20) today. But, lo, I suddenly have only 6 votes now, so I’m back to page 8 or some damned thing. Why bother with a site if the same 3 people win the “shirt of the month” design every month? Duh.
current_mood: tired

I’m always cold at work. I have had nothing to do since June. Someone entertain me. And bring a jacket.

<sarcasm>Figured I hadn’t posted often enough today.</sarcasm>

Well, I’m now #25 on the T shirt Countdown. Get me higher tomorrow, will ya? Vote over on my site if you have a few seconds to spare.

Tired, hoping to get that last Eric Clapton song from Reptile tonight. Guess I’ll wait till morning.
current_mood: tired