What A Tool.

He's from Texas, what a surprise.

Rep. Joe Barton had the nerve, the audacity, the misdirected cajones to apologize to BP about the $20B agreement that was reached yesterday. This tool, who has taken about $100,000 in the past YEAR from oil and gas companies for political contributions has clearly been drinking the kool aid. It's just embarrassing.

These are the elected officials who are running our country. Let's do something about this. I know who I won't be casting my vote for now that I live in the state of Tejas.

The World Is Mad

I work in radio. It happened accidentally, and I like it a lot. There are really great perks (Alpha Rev is playing in-studio today, so there will be catered lunch and a band here playing for a room of like 30 people).

I didn't pick my stations, but for the most part they're cool. There's a station that plays local texas alt country/rock with hipster jams, a rock station, an adult contemporary, a classic rock, a spanish station, and then an AM talk station. Is it a cool talk station you ask, like maybe MPR???

NO. It's AM590 and it features quite a bit of Rush Limbaugh and like-minded cronies. I've dealt with some crazy people calling and somehow getting me on the phone, looking to talk to conspiracy theorists from the station - telling me that Nazi's are currently running the White House. These people are serious too. When the plane crashed into the IRS building when I first moved here there were people calling up (though not many) saying, "that while his actions are wrong, I agree with his principle..." WTF?

So today, I see this on the website:

The KLBJ Poll
"Arizona is cracking down on illegal immigration, should Texas do the same?"
If the question were simply "Should Texas crack down on illegal immigration?"

I don't think I would be too offended, to me that is a pretty fair question. When you add the word "Arizona" to the sentence this week - well you're really asking should Texas pass a law similar to Arizona's which would make it legal (mandatory) for police to question anyone on their legal status.

How people support something like this, I don't understand. I took the poll, and discovered I'm in the 10% minority who thinks that, NO, Texas shouldn't do that. (I should re-iterate that the 10% minorty is on a far-right slanting website). Ugh.

People I Have Nothing In Common With...

I am (of course) a huge proponent for freedom of speech. It is a great right afforded to those of us who are lucky enough to live in the united states (and I do believe we are lucky). I will not posture that I have enough education (specifically legal education pertaining to the Bill of Rights) to make an argument about where the thin line between free speech and hate speech exists...but I would like to share a link and a few images that come across as hate speech to me.

This one makes me laugh, for a few reasons:
1) The answer is NO.
2) It's on a billboard on 35W in Minnesota
3) That picture is ridic
4) A private group of business owners collectively purchased the billboard. They don't have to disclose who they are.
5) The answer is STILL NO.

I don't consider this hateful. I just am scared that people who think that exist, own businesses, have money to spread their objectives/agendas, etc. What really scares me is that I don't think I have the time/patience/money/will power to change their opinions. They are out there trying to get people on their side, should I be doing the same?


This on the other hand. This doesn't make me laugh. This outrages me. No explanation needed.

For more "HateBoards" click the link (source).

Point is...just trying to remind you guys what we're up against.

It seems now is the time to get your hate on. Political Agenda Style.

Anyone else watch the State of the Union address last night? I know Roomie & I did.

It's time to start calling these ass-clowns in Washington out. I don't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat. Shut the fuck up, sit down, and do something. Why are you in Washington if your only goal is to advance your personal agendas? The fact that Republicans are smug right now makes me sick. What do you have to be smug about? You're attempting to successfully railroad important agendas; like health care reform and the forming of a fiscal task force, and then lead your constituencies (through misinformation) to support your railroading. Good job.

Open letter to Congress:

Dear Senators of the United States of America,

Please, for one moment, be embarrassed. All of you. Be embarrassed for sitting on your hands, for disrespecting this country through your lack of action, and for being power-mongering, self-promoting, pompous individuals. Please, for one moment try to act in a cohesive nature. While Senators need to remain loyal to their constituents, they need to remember that they are not STATE officials. They are NATIONAL officials representing the people. Please work on bringing us together and not dividing us. Please do not be afraid of change. While change for the sake of change is not good; neither is lack of change due to fearing the unknown.

Hopefully, you took a moment to feel embarrassment or some sense of remorse.
Now sit down and get to work please.

Sincerely,
Ashley Ryan

Side Note. This HPC post was sparked due to a political text message battle between my father and I. Excerpt:

Dad: Must have been pretty embarrassing watching the collapse of your leftist liberal progressive party the last few weeks huh... [Let's see. He got Leftist, Liberal, Progressive. He forgot socialist & communist]
Me: Uh, I don't think we watch the same news. That's an interesting spin Fox gave you though.
Dad: Sorry honey. That's from your side. You guys are done. I'm serious. The great scam is over. [I'm really not sure what "your side" means. I'm assuming some "lefty news station"]
Dad: It's ok honey. We're more than happy to welcome you back to reality.
Me: Hahaha. Thanks for the offer, but I'll stay where I am. Believing that changing a dysfunctional system is neither scary nor apocalyptic.
Dad: I agree with you completely honey. Every single thing he (Obama) stands for and is trying to do to this country is totally dysfunctional and dangerous to our long term success. I think the country waking up to this and taking back control is great! It's a center right wing country honey. It will never be socialist. [See what he did there. Said we agreed, to trick me! I'm smart though...he was using word play. Also. He managed to fit the word "socialist" in.]

It goes on and on and on and on...I won't bore you with the rest...just to say we finally agreed to agree on the fact that the fiscal irresponsibility of the 4 years prior to Obama taking office was a travesty that neither of us can stomach. Then we said love you. awwww.

Someone Please Explain This To Me

Ralph Mirabal is fucked. He is a 19 year old kid from South Texas and he has been sentenced to 3 terms of 8 years in prison, to be served consecutively. Thank god they didn't give him the death penalty.

His crime against society?
Dudes a fucking graff head.
Yep.
24 years in prison for graffiti.

I couldn't find any of his "vandalism" on the great interweb, but Jenn sent me a link to the story. Don't worry - the courtroom was packed with his victims when the prosecutor asked the judge to sentence him to prison time.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that graffiti is fucking awesome, for the most part I really could care less about it. I hate bad graffiti. If you don't know what the fuck you're doing please don't leave your shitty ass tag around town - I'm just going to laugh at you. It really is art, please attempt to be good at it.

Those who exist and execute their chosen "lifestyles" in the periphery are often persecuted for their actions until the mainstream can figure out a way to profit off of them. Even after the mainstream has figured out how to stack those bills, the bullshit continues (as evidenced by Ralph Mirabel). This kid has been sentenced to more years in prison than he's currently been alive. Please find the logic, because I am failing to.

Crackdown on a skateboarder:

Source^

Making some money on a skateboarder:

Beautiful street art (that'll get you fined and arrested):

Source^

Make sure you're hip and you Do the Dew...cause they're cool and they get it.

Source^

Source^

Another interesting story I found when digging around about this. Read all about graffiti in the Iraq war.

Thanks Jenn.

Overdraft.

FUCK THIS^ and >

Negative amounts of money.

Overdraft fees.

Being irresponsible.

Spending too much.

Not making enough.

NOT HAVING DIRECT DEPOSIT.

AWESOME>

ummmmmmm....monetarily speaking....nothing right now.

I'M CONSIDERING LEARNING>

This.

Or doing any of these out of boredom...except I need some scrills for this. # 7 might be useful.

THIS SHIT

ANSWERS

And a collective sigh of relief. What this says for the state of the Republican party...

As Poached...

From my favorite visual stimulant on the web:

Ok. So not ALLLLL brides to be are shallow whores (everywhere).
Let's just be real for one fucking second and break this shit down though.

"A brilliant reminder" - like chicks need to be reminded that they're supposed to want to get engaged, have the biggest rock their dude can get his credit-maxed fingers on, and be brides? We haven't been conditioned since birth by our families, advertisers, and mass marketing for this shit, please give me one more BRILLIANT reminder.

"Of what forever looks like" - uhhhhhhhh? 49.95% of custodial mothers/fathers are considered seperated or divorced in the United States. (Want to know something scarier? I got that fact from divorcemag.com - second source through google search was biblenews1.com - WTF)

Originally this post was going on my other blog, but then I found biblenews1.com and got so sparked by their interpretation of facts I had to move the whole damn thing over to HPC. Here's how their brand of crazy breaks down:

"Ratio of Marriages to Divorces 2:1" - ok, duh.

"Population of unmarried women will soon surpass the population of married" - ok, maybe there are more younger women being born, and that women are getting married at older ages, or choosing (gasp) not to get married.

-OR-

"This indicates a rejection of the Divine Institution of Marriage by the population."

[Ed. Note: Italics are all mine]

"Children living with only one parent has increased from 9% in 1960 to 30% (29.52%) in 2005. Of those 83% of the children live with the mother."

-The results you ask?-

"This is creating a society of bastards."

Ummmmmm?

I'm not sure that they know the meaning of bastard, I'm just going to let that one slide.

Anyway - sort of a rambling post. I just saw that photo this morning, enjoyed it immensly, and thought I'd share (force) my beliefs on all of you. Moral of my story: do whatever you want. Get a huge fucking ring and rock it around town and show everyone how much you love each other. (Or) Don't do that.

Either way - I hope you're the other 50% and you live happily ever after!!!

This broad is still around

I've said it before...we're at war with these people. If you don't think they're still around and trying to gain power think again. Stay educated on the wackos or they might win next time around.

It's long - over 10k words - but Vanity Fair has an interesting article about the Anti-Christ herself - Mrs. Sarah Palin.

One reason she scares me (from the article):
Andrew Halcro later remembered that he and Palin once compared notes about their many encounters, and she said, “Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I’m amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, Does any of this really matter?”

To some people facts don't matter. I was at dinner last night, 33 miles from Minneapolis, and was told that "Democrats are still perpetuating the myth of global warming."

WTF. Yes! Facts matter. Yes! Global warming exists.

These people are out there...fully hating.

Holy Shit

1 part no-talent whores + 1 part genius =

Millionaires - Just Got Paid - Director's Cut


I don't even know what to think. Fuck yes? Fuck no? Oh God.

Beached Wale

Rude? yes.

Insensitive? yes.

Real Talk? yes.

I think it's the fact that this woman was roasting herself in the sun for hours that made me a little upset. Gross.

WTF. Really.

I'm trying to embed this video from the New Yorker, but it's not working. You can see the "At The Fire David Letterman Rally" vid here. Take two minutes of your life and watch that craziness. (Scroll all the way to the bottom to check the vid).

I know the Letterman/Palin joke is old news, and I saw some clip of his apology and then Palin saying it wasn't a real apology (or some shit) and I didn't really care about it (so why should you).

Then I saw that video.
I'm not joking when I say my jaw dropped and my hand was covering my mouth in shock at the end. There are no words to describe how deeply I am upset by this, I just can't get over the fact that those people are real (with the exception of the dude with the red beard). I do not understand them, and frankly, I think I'm at war with them.

Full hate.

It's No Longer News If You're Gay

I have no idea who this kid is, but seriously, we should have better things to do. Thanks Yahoo! news feed.

PREACH

Police Slog Through 40,000 Insipid Party Pics To Find Cause Of Dorm Fire

Dear Antiquated Version of Everything...I hate you.

I just bought a computer from Jenn (for which I am hyped). Except for the fact that I've been doing nothing but updating the god damn programs all day and I still can't get the proper update for Safari. Basically this means I can't even look at the internet properly (and that is bogus). Every page looks like it was formatted in 1999, because that's what my current Version of Safari understands.

I just tried to upload an image of the download progress to this post (and surprise) it didn't work.

Hope to see you players on the internet in the future...I gotta take a break now because it's driving me nuts.

Oh Meth Neighbor!

I've come to semi-irrationally hate the dude that lives above me. He is up pacing his house at all hours of the night, day, whenever, dude paces so hard be it four AM or eight AM, usually within the same day. He must be on meth, that's all I can think of. People I've had slumber parties with have noticed the same damn thing. Dude's nuts, and has a fine way of coming home and beginning pacing his ass off just whenever I go to bed, be it ten PM or three AM. I'm over it and for a time I wanted to, by suggestion of someone who has actually done this, let the air out of his tires and then super glue the thingies back on so he's FUCKED, or like, throw a brick through his window or something. But I don't know what car he drives and I don't really give a shit anymore and this post isn't about him.

Blame it on the morbidly spoiled milk in my refrigerator. It expired April 29th. It's expanding and I really hope the top doesn't come off and release noxious gas that just ruins my day, but I'm afraid to touch it. I didn't touch it checking the date for this post, boy oh boy was I lucky that it was facing the right direction. Whew! Anywho, the milk helped me come up with an awesome prank, that I would pull on the guy upstairs if I could gain access to his house without breaking and entering.

Step One: Figure out the size of his toilet tank, and then buy gallons of milk accordingly.

Step Two: Take bought milk and age it accordingly, perhaps Homer Simpson style behind the radiator and shit.

Step Three: Gain access to the guys house without breaking in; this would be the hardest part. Don't forget the milk.

Step Four: Turn the water off on his toilet and then flush it.

Step Five: Take the top off the toilet tank and fill it with the putrid milk. Put the top back on and leave the water turned off.

Step Six: Dipset.

And that's that! It's an incredibly harmless prank but it would stink up the crib for hours and the simple sight of seeing a toilet flushing with milk would freak anyone out, or at least confuse the shit out of them. And then they might not be able to figure out how to turn the water on if they're really stupid (or high on fuckin' meth). And then, dude, the best part. They'll know that you can hit them, any time, any fucking place. That's terrorism boi (milky terrorism? ewww); not even feeling safe in your own damn crib.

So like, I"m totally going to do that.

Slumdog Depression

I loved the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was a lovely film; the story was sweet, the shots were beautiful, and the music was moving...two thumbs up for Danny Boyle. As a matter of fact, I bought it the other day and was planning on watching it tonight after work.

Unfortunately there have been a number of stories circulating about the film's two youngest actors, and the mistreatment they've been receiving. I remember hearing something in the press right after the film won 8 Oscars, about how the children were given bonuses for their work. I don't remember (and I haven't looked) to see what they were fully compensated, but I do know that the producers set up trust funds for the children as well (hoping the money wouldn't be abused or extorted).

Here are a couple links about some of their most recent hardships:

Azharuddin Ismail's shanty home was destroyed today

Azharuddin Ismail's fathers physical abuse

Rubina Ali's father accussed of trying to sell his daughter for $400,000

Post-script

Pics (which lead to more stories)

You might be wondering why I'm posting about this, why should you care, why should you read these stories...is this just a part of my hollywood gossip obsession?

You should read about this because as human beings on this planet it is our obligation to look at the things that are wrong out there and do something about them. I don't know what the exchange rate of the dollar to rupee is - but I bet you that I could personally make a difference in the lives of these children (if I knew how to get in touch with them). I know that I won't do anything - and that actually makes me feel terrible...but I feel a little bit better; and I don't know why, for sharing this. Like - if people turn a blind eye and only look at the pretty outcome then none of these things are happening. I just feel like people should know they're happening.

Maybe someone else knows how to actually do something about it that's meaningful.

Missing Friends.

What is going on with me? Working for Camel again, and working for Vision Management (booking child models). So weird.

Working my life away. Trying to play my life away. Semi-successful.

Living with roomie. Trying to figure out what to do in December when our lease is up. Missing friends. Feeling broke, but making money again. Not biking enough (getting fat) and trying to bike and go to the gym to avoid that. Feeling less than creative...started writing again...feeling good about that.

Not getting enough sleep...laying in bed all day saturdays. eating brunch (some things never change). crushing on boys and not doing anything about it (see - lots of things don't change). work. work. work. repeat.

miss you terribly. cannot wait for the 4th of july.
xoxoash

FUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKK! fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

I'm sorry, I know that is really vulgar, uneducated, and completely un-lady-like...but it has been building all week.

My job is officially driving me crazy. In particular, people that I work with. I know most of you don't "really" know what I do all day, or why I work such crazy hours, and I don't really have time to spell it out right now; but I can explain that I work with like 8 people total.

After a while they can start to wear on you. For the most part I love them, but this week they are driving me fucking mad. I can't even talk about it for fear that someone I work with would somehow stumble across HPC and then report me. So, FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKKKK.

Also, tryingt to make plans with friends is so depressing. Here is an example:

Friend: "Want to go to a movie?"
Me: "Yes! Movies are awesome - I love movies!"
Friend: "Great! When can you go. Even though I have a job my schedule is COMPLETELY wide open. Whatever works for you is fine."
Me: "Hmmm...let me look at my calendar and my day planner. Ok, it looks like I'm open from 6:00 - 7:00 tonight...oh wait, not - I've got to plan for the meeting at 7, scratch that. Ok, how about tomorrow, I'm free from 6:00 - 8:00?"
Friend: "That's not enough time for a movie."
Me: "Oh, yeah. Ok - how about Sunday day?"
Friend: "It's mother's day."
Me: "Shit."
Me: "Ok, next Monday night? Oh wait - no, I'm going to a movie with someone else. Do you want to come?"
Friend: "Who is it?"
Me: "...Enter any friend's name here..."
Friend: "Sure, what movie?"
Me: "Star Trek"
Friend: "I've already seen that."
Me: "Want to go get coffee from 6:00 - 8:00 tomorrow instead?"
Friend: "I guess."