news8austin tells us about the frog

Goodbye, frog.

( Article )

After that depressing piece of news, I would like to send a big hearty Fuck you, buddy to John Oudt, the owner of the Baja Fresh franchise and to the Wendy's corporation. From now on, I'm not spending my fast food dollars on you. Oh yeah, and Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you buddy.

I bought some of my first cassettes in Sound Exchange, posters, and I have walked past that corner so many times since I was in middle school. Those images are permanently associated with that period of change. Thinking about it being gone, and because of a damned fast food place, makes me sad.

chain post, pass it along

There's an online comic by the name of Penny Arcade (http://www.penny-arcade.com) that is primarily about video games, for gamers. One of the greatest stereotypes gamers have been hit with in the last decade or more is that children who play video games grow up violent, self-centered, and/or societally maladjusted. The two men who create this comic decided this year that rather than battle this stereotype with words, the gaming community needs to do it with actions.

They created Project: Child's Play. This was a call for aid to fans and gamers worldwide to help a good cause: aiding local childrens' hospitals with donations of toys (both video game-related and not), money, and time.

It happened over the course of December, and the results were both amazing and heartwarming. The toys and gaming equipment bought by people around the globe totaled a worth of nearly $200,000. In addition, cash donations added up to $27,000. While the project was in its final stages, some news crews came to take photos and interviews about the project.

Although the project was being chronicled in photos and text on the web site, publicity was a welcome addition: the main cause for the project was to help the hospitals. The secondary cause was to demonstrate to mainstream society that we're not a group of violent, antisocial freaks. We care, and we want to help, and when we rally together we are a formidable cause for GOOD, not Columbine-esque distasters.

The story aired. But according to the mainstream media, the value of the toys was reduced to $1,000. But aside from that, the news is now reporting the project and donation as being created by a Catholic School.

The commentary from one of the two site creators: "What we - this is a grand We, which includes you - what we did was completely amazing. It was worth doing purely on account of its own virtues. But the other part, what we might call the 'Secondary Objective,' was to promote the idea that we are not fucking murderers. This is an effort to combat media portrayals. Here's the trick, the dark revelation, the Empire Strikes Back which produces our moment of darkness: we need to rely on that selfsame inept machinery to broadcast our new message as well. They're simply not capable of it. I understand that there's just no story in people being good to each other, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened from time to time."

This Christmas season was one dominated by fear the media told us to feel. Fear of terrorists, fear of economic collapse, fear of the unknown. And a then project designed to dispel fear and promote understanding is gutted and misrepresented by these same agencies. As an American, this sickens me.

The full story is documented here, by the individuals directly involved:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/childsplay/

Please pass it on. If you are a gamer, or the parent of a gamer, or are just sick of stereotypes propagated on fear and media hype. This is the truth.

thank god, some happy news for a change

The Frog is saved.

"At 1:30pm today John Oudt, owner of the new Baja Fresh on 21st and Guadalupe, is holding a press conference to announce that the Daniel Johnston mural is being preserved where it is and incorporated into the design of the new building. The architecture of the building is being re-done to allow the wall to stay unchanged and the windows are being built around it. "

instant karma

I suppose this is my own damn fault for something I did.

Someone smashed out my passenger side window. Took my car stereo and every cd I owned, including cds belonging to a couple friends. CDs that were made me for me and cds I bought overseas that I probably won't ever be able to replace. All gone.

I'm waiting for the police to show up, and then I suppose I'll talk to my insurance company. I can't even remmber right now if I have coverage for this sort of stuff. I don't think I do. It occurs to me that I haven't any idea how much it will cost to replace that window.

(no subject)

After the initial crying jag, I managed to take care of things fairly calmly. Filed a police report over the phone, waited for someone to come out and dust the car for prints on the off chance the thief is a wanted psychopath or something. They actually did lift a couple prints off the door. Learned lots about fingerprints from the nice policeman.

Called people, recieved connection for slightly less expensive glass and someone will fix it tomorrow. My father offered me $200 to help, thogh I tried to turn it down. It was nice of him. He didn't even yell at me for not having the proper subset of insurance that would pay for this damage. There's always next time I suppose.

Alan went to file the marriage license and get certified copies for all the paperwork I need to do. He brought me a stuffed lemur with a very long striped tail. I love him very much.

Trying to catalog all the cds gone is difficult. I can't remember half the album titles right now.

( list of cds for my own reference, or in case you wonder what I listen to in the car )

How much do I wish I could listen to some of those right now. All those years collecting, and all gone overnight.