A few nights ago I had a dream. It was about babies and the idea was that when a baby is born, the government tells you what letter their first name would have to start with. Just think how interesting this would be? It would certainly help to prevent those years where 90% of the male boys are named Cody or some other name.
I think this dream was inspired by a night time ritual of mine. When I can't fall to sleep, which is almost every single night,  I go through the alphabet and, as an example, will name a boys name that goes for each letter. I also do this for girls' names, countries, items, and cities.
Whenever I lay down to go to bed, my mind races at a mile a minute and I think about many different things at once. For some reason going through the alphabet like this seems to focus my mind and calm me down so I can get to sleep. This works with varying success. Sometimes I hardly get to the letter  "M", while other times I will make it through the list many times where I will require that I use all new names, items, cities, or  countries the second time through.

The Christmas season must truly be upon us. This morning I gave money to a Salvation Army bell ringer, while listen to the Tool song "Prison Sex" on my Zune. It was like a moment from a Norman Rockwell painting.

U.S. News and World Report has an interesting article/list on "The 10 Worst Presidents".  The list seems to especially focuses on the the presidents before Lincoln, whom did nothing to stem the tide of North vs. South, which would lead the the Civil War. Now I agree that allowing slave states to enter the Union was wrong, although these decisions were made in an attempt to keep the Union together.
The problem I have with the list is that too me, it seems to imply that Lincoln made the right decision in trying to keep the Union together. I disagree with Lincoln completely. He should have allowed the South to secede from the Union. He had no legal right to prevent this. Why shouldn't a state be allowed to split of from the Union? What happened to freedom? And before you say something, the Civil War was not fought over freeing slaves. It was about maintaining the Union.
While Lincoln wouldn't make my worst president list, he also wouldn't make my best. I mean, besides waging an unjustified war, he paid lip service to the fight for equality and he bungled the war by allowing General George McClellan to command his forces long after it was proven that the man was incompetent.

Last night I watched a really interesting show called "Naked Science" on the National Geographic Channel. This episode was all about the forming of the Universe. My knowledge of the Universe is pretty lacking. I know the basics, but thats about it. What was interesting is that they explained why the 4 rocky planets are where they are and the gas giants are where they are. It all makes sense when you think about it, I guess I just hadn't thought about it.
One thing Kris said was, "Can you imagine that to our kids, there will never be a planet named Pluto?" That's an interesting thought. No longer will  "My Very Educated Mother Just Serve Us Nine Pies". Some one needs to supply us with a new mnemonic. I googled the problem and saw that someone has suggested ""My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos". I do like nachos, but I'm not sure. Maybe we should go in a totally different direction for the new mnemonic. One none food or mother related? I don't know. What do you think?

With the news of fires in Southern California and a massive drought in Georgia, it makes me wonder. Maybe the real problem is that people are living in places they shouldn't? Places where the land can't support the quantity of people trying to live there. Places that are too volatile.
Look at Southern California, as an example. The land and water system are overtaxed. Maybe if your house is burned up ever other year or mudslides cause it to slide into the ocean, it's natures way of telling you to stop building your house hanging off the side of a cliff. Maybe it's not a good idea to continue to rebuild as if it's some huge act of defiance against the whims of nature.
I'm just sayin'...

Did Jesus just go around saying anything that came into his head?
Yes, he did; and what happened to him?
That's right..they nailed him to a telephone pole.

God, I miss Strangers with Candy, the greatest show you never watched...That's right, it was canceled and it's partially your fault.
"Haha, Stephen Colbert is so fucking funny on The Colbert Report!" Guess what he was funnier on Strangers with Candy, before someone had to tell you The Colbert Report was funny.
I hate you.

There is a Christian version of Ubuntu Linux. Apparently, it is free of heathen code and has many programs for todays Christian hacker. There are pop-ups to give you your bible verse of the day and Christian friendly wallpaper and screensavers. Here's a screen shot:



To answer this, there is also a Satanic version of Ubuntu Linux. Here's a screenshot:



By looking at these two screen shots I think you learn everything you need to know. This shows you why Satan always trumps Jesus. Everyone knows the most talented and skilled people always work for Beelzebub.

Written by Jonathon Rauch and stolen from The Atlantic Monthly Online

 Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice?

If so, do you tell this person he is "too serious," or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out? If you answered yes to these questions, chances are that you have an introvert on your hands—and that you aren't caring for him properly.

Read the rest here

Hmmm...this sounds oddly familiar somehow...

This is something I was pointed to, via Valleywag:

I'm trying to help you raise the bar. Thus, a list of things which do not actually constitue a valid April Fools' Day joke:

• "I changed my stylesheet! To someone else's!" Why isn't that funny? Because I still knew it was your site.
• "Our tiny company bought/got bought by a giant company. Like Microsoft!" Wow, that's lame. Neither believable nor surprising enough to be amusing.
• "We are embracing this thing we've demonized forever!" So you're a pest removal service that's getting into the cockroach-raising business? Sigh.
• "We have a big announcement today!" No you don't. It's Saturday.
• "Our new product does the impossible." You mean like making an April Fool's joke on the web that's actually funny.

Stolen from Anil Dash.

It was written last year, hence the "Saturday" statement. This year being Sunday, makes his point even more.

Tonight's ABC Saturday Night movie stands as a reminder of the worthlessness of the Academy Awards. The movie is "Forrest Gump", which won the 1994 Best Picture award. Do you know what movies "Forrest Gump" beat? It beat "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption"...Yes, let that sink in for a minute..."Pulp Fiction", probably the most influential (for good or bad) movie in the last 25 years and "The Shawshank Redemption" which is probably one of the top films of the past 30 years, if not of all time.
Don't get me wrong, "Forrest Gump" is an OK B movie. It's a manipulative piece of schlock. A "feel good" movie, who's character overcomes the odds. Nothing wrong with that, but come on! It's like the bit from Sesame Street, "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong."
I saw, with my brother, "The Shawshank Redemption" the night it came out. The theater had about 12 people in it. There had been no build up about the movie, and I saw it during a time when I hadForr friends who worked at the theater and therefore saw everything that came out while I waited for them to get out of work. During the climax moment of the movie, where you are convinced that Andy had killed himself, I just sat there with my mouth open. It's definitely the best movie I've ever seen in a theater. I think the only other time I have been that surprised by a movie was during "The Usual Suspect"....but I digress.
To sum things up, "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption" are excellent movies and "Forrest Gump" is a festering pile of low-brow shit