BAKUN! YUM!

RuFus luv bakun.

Jim Gaffigan luv bakun 2.

Rufus think he lik Jim Giffigan.



PoStEd By RuFuS....

So....About My Nerves

I wrote a little more than a week ago about pain in my upper extremities.  Within the last four or five days much of the pain on my right side has eased up a bit.  The pain on my left has increased substantially.  In fact, since Saturday, on a scale of 1 to 10 my left is consistently at a 10, while my right is at a 4.

The pain isn't limited to only my arms and legs, but my entire body at this point.  When in the shower, it feels like I'm being stabbed in the stomach hundreds of times, but only on my left side.

I had an EMG yesterday afternoon at my surgeon's office.  It tests the electrical current passing through your muscles.  By taking a look at the electrical activity, they can determine if there is an issue with your nerves in a particular area of your body.

The EMG took about an hour, and tested both ankles, calves and thighs.  The doctor also tested my left wrist, hand and forearm.  Just from preliminary results, the doctor was able to determine three things.

First, it appears that I have some residual nerve damage from the herniated disc that was removed six weeks ago.  The damage travels all the way down the length of my left leg.  While the doctor said that it shouldn't be causing any weakness, it is likely causing enough pain that I'm hardly able to put any weight on it.

Secondly, I have neuropathy, caused by diabetes, in both my hands and my feet.  This is causing my pain, numbness and weakness.

Third, the doctor is attributing the pain in my left arm to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.  I'm not sure if I agree with her on the diagnosis or not.  It wouldn't explain the pain that I have had ever since surgery in my upper arm, or the pain on the left side of my torso.  Again, these results are only preliminary.  I have to return in two weeks when she has had a chance to review all of the numbers and develop a full report.  At that time, they'll recommend a treatment plan.

In the meantime, I have been in contact with my neurologist to get his opinion on the nerve issues on my left side.  My personal opinion is that something happened in surgery 6 weeks ago that has caused asymmetrical nerve damage.  I would like to get his take on the situation.

I am still finding it difficult to type with the level of pain that I'm currently in.  I am unable to hold a pen or a phone in my left hand.  I am hoping for some relief soon, as it is my dominant hand.  I miss writing, but I tend to be long winded at times (no, you don't say) and it probably isn't a wise idea to continue with the site at this time.

If you're interested, you can still keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter.  I'm at:

www.facebook.com/thetwitchonline

I have recently changed my Twitter address.  I am now @thetwitchonline.

Meanwhile, Rufus will be taking over the site temporarily.  You can direct any questions to him.

He types really slow.  And, unless you're asking about bacon or kittens he doesn't show much interest.  Rufus and I tend to disagree often as to what "relevant content" means.

Be that as it may, I'm leaving things in his capable hands paws, temporarily.

I'll be back soon.  I promise.

"Zombie Boy" Rick Genest "Covers" Up For Dermablend

Rick Genest has quickly become the world's most popular male model.  Since appearing in designer Thierry Mugler's menswear show in January, he was instantly recognizable.  It's easy to see why...

In the following months, Rick has gained notoriety as an inspiration of sorts to Lady Gaga, making a featured appearance in her 'Born This Way' video.

It appears that "Zombie Boy" is branching out in his modeling endeavors lately.  A video has surfaced in the last week starring Genest, that is a departure from his normal modeling work.  In fact, if you didn't know any better, you would initially think that this commercial was filmed before he had any tattoos.  Take a look.

What an ad.

The brand is called Dermablend.  They currently offer three products:  a leg and body primer, a leg and body cover and a setting powder.  It appears to be a three step/layered process.  Each piece of the puzzle costs between $22 and $27.  Altogether for the set, you're looking at about $74.

In 2011, everyone has a tattoo.  Some people are able to hide them.  Others of us simply can't due to the size or location of their artwork.  While many of us cringe at the notion of having to cover up at work, we all know too well how difficult it is to find a decent paying job in today's economy.  

Other cosmetic companies have attempted to market their own "tattoo concealer", and have had little success.    Two years ago, Sephora introduced a product that was modeled by Kat Von D.  Photos later surfaced of Kat wearing the makeup, without a substantial amount of Photoshopping.  

This is how Sephora's ad campaign wanted you to believe their product worked:

This is what it really did to your skin:

Those aren't chemical burns.

On the surface (no pun intended), Dermablend seems to be the real deal.  According to Dermablend's site, their team used four 3.4 ounce tubes of leg and body cover to conceal his artwork.  The entire process was filmed in one take. 

Genest is taking advantage of the avenues that this cosmetic process is affording him.  Earlier this month, using the Dermablend products, makeup artists were able to create a "Zombie Boy 2.0" if you will, for a layout in Schön! Magazine.  The results were stunning.

Going beyond the cover, indeed.  What a beautiful man.

An Update Of Sorts

Some of you may know that I lost my health insurance on Saturday.  I was on long term disability for my Tourette's Syndrome and PTSD.  My long term ran out on October 15th.  When it did, so did my insurance.  

I received a call from MetLife this morning.  They got a fax from my surgeon last week.  Based upon the information in the fax, they have decided to keep me on a disabled status for another 29 years!  Until I turn 65.  With my spinal issues, and the corresponding nerve damage, I have been diagnosed with radiculopathy.  Both my surgeon and my long term disability provider have decided that, in my current condition, I am unable to perform any job, in any capacity, that would pay me 60% of my last job, for the rest of my working adult life.

That being the case, the health insurance for my family has been reinstated effective immediately.

Speaking of my nerves, pain has increased substantially to all extremities.  It hurts to sit, walk or even lay on my side.  Pain shoots through my fingers as I type.

I think you know what I'm getting at.

I LOVE THIS WEBSITE.  It is my baby.  I am literally prolonging my recovery by continuing to write.  For the moment, I cannot continue to do this any longer.

It is killing me that I have so much that I want to talk about, but I don't have the time or energy to type out.  At the moment, I have two Google Chrome pages up on my laptop, each with over 30 tabs open.  As days go by, tabs get added, and my computer runs slower than the day before.

I don't know how long this silence will last.  Days....maybe weeks....but I need to take care of myself.  I have to spend this time flat on my back, watching television or reading a book.

If any of you would like to keep in contact, you can reach me the following ways:

Twitter:  @TheTwitchOnline

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/thetwitchonline

Thanks for reading.  I'll write again when I can.

I love you all.

Adam

Uncomfortable Newspaper Article Of The Day (Photo)

 I heard the paper is coming out with a new feature next week called "Know Your Bigot".

(Source)

Protest Sign Of The Day - Republicans Want To Create Jobs (For Your Fetuses)

This sign is from a Walk For Choice protest held in Gainesville, Florida, back in February.  Though it's eight months old, I thought it's message was especially poignant.

Last month, President Obama released The American Jobs Act, a bill that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor publicly called "dead" before it even reached Congress.  Last Thursday, the political party that has been shouting from the rooftops that job creation is their number one priority, spent the entire day debating a new bill.  Was it an alternative to President Obama's job's bill?  Was it an economic stimulus plan?

No.  It was an abortion bill.

The House of Representatives debated and passed the Protect Life Act.  Many critics call it the "Let Women Die Act".  The act essentially does two things.

One, it mandates that no tax payer funds go to fund abortions.  Essentially, they're making a law to back up an existing law.  It would be like Congress holding a special session to write up legislation making murder illegal.  It's already illegal.  Taxpayer money hasn't funded abortions since the early nineties.  They may as well have called this portion of the bill the "Act of Redundancy Act".

The bill also makes it illegal for women to buy health insurance plans for themselves that cover abortions under the Affordable Care Act, also known as the Obama Administration's Health Care Reform Act.

The most controversial and disturbing part of the legislation is in the freedoms it grants to health care providers.  Current law requires hospitals give patients in life threatening situations the care they need, regardless of financial situation or their moral stance.  The Protect Life Act would give an emergency room in, say a Catholic hospital, the right to refuse to perform an abortion on a patient, even if it meant that she would die as a result.

It's likely that the bill will not make it through the Democratic controlled Senate.  If, somehow it does, there is a strong chance that President Obama will veto this monstrosity if it ever reaches his desk.

As I was writing this article, something hit me.  Every single Republican presidential candidate says that their priority is "job creation".  In fact, there was a period of about three months where, regardless of what question you asked Michele Bachmann, she refused to answer it.  During every interview she said that 1.) She was running for the presidency of the United States, and 2.) she was "there to talk about job creation".  It was as if she was a prisoner of war, and she was giving her name, rank and serial number.



Interesting fact: Since announcing her run for the White House, Bachmann has missed 46% of the votes in Congress.  She hasn't cast a single vote, in fact, since the first of August.  Yet, on October 6th, she introduced a piece of legislation called The Heartbeat Informed Consent Act.  It requires abortion providers to show the fetus on an ultrasound to the mother, and play it's heartbeat before the abortion is performed.  Under the law, if the health care provider refuses to show the images or play the audio, they would be subject to a $100,000 fine.

According to Republicans, this is "job creation", folks.  And you wonder why there are thousands of people camped out in New York City.  What bullshit.

Dan Wheldon, 2011 Indy 500 Winner, Dead In Las Vegas Indy 300 Crash (Video)

Dan Wheldon, the winner of this year's Indianapolis 500, died earlier this afternoon in a gruesome 15 car pileup at the Las Vegas Indy 300.  On lap 13, as ABC was broadcasting from inside his vehicle, his car became airborne, flew approximately 200 yards, and landed in a catch fence outside of turn two.

Three other drivers were injured in the pileup.  Wheldon was airlifted to University Medical Center, but the injuries he sustained proved fatal.  The other drivers were not notified of his death until after the race.  Following the race, the drivers took part in a five lap salute in his honor.

It is the first Indy Car fatality since Paul Dana's death in 2006.

While the video below does not show any blood or dismemberment, it is a violent, violent, crash.  Viewer discretion is advised.



Dan is survived by his wife Susie, and his sons Sebastian and Oliver, who was born in March of this year.  Our hearts and thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Having A Hard Time Getting Motivated Today

I have been M.I.A. for the last two days.  Jessi is off from work on Friday and Saturdays.  With recent events, we spent most of the weekend sorting things out and trying to spend as much time together as a family as we could.

Last week, I tripped over Lennon in the living room, and fell into the couch.  I don't know if I twisted or bent my back, but it certainly feels like things are worse.  I have some residual nerve damage through my arms and hands.   It feels like I have I have knives opening up the outside muscles of my forearms.  It's extremely painful.

At the moment, I'm hopped up on Soma and Dilaudid.  Soma usually gives me nightmares if I take it before bedtime.  I have never tried the medication while awake.  It does a decent job at easing the pain, and an amazing job at making me care shit less about anything.

It may take a few hours or a day or two to get back into the swing of things.

As If There Isn't Enough Crazy In The Republican Race, Ron Paul Has Fake Eyebrows? (Photo)

Since the Republican presidential candidates themselves offered nothing of substance at Tuesday night's debate, journalists have been left to ask the hard hitting questions facing America's leaders themselves.  Like, "What the fuck is going on with Ron Paul's eyebrow?"

If you look closely, it appears that his right eyebrow is falling off, and there is a smaller, less noticeable eyebrow underneath.  (I believe that's called moulting.  He's shedding his skin.)  It is unknown whether the image is the result of a cosmetic prosthesis, or a bizarre optical illusion.  In any event, with the lack of attention Paul's campaign has been getting in recent weeks, this latest development has been raising eyebrows.

When reached for comment, Paul's campaign spokesman Jesse Benton claimed that even the hinting of such cosmetic attempts "stupid" and "insulting".  He did say that "Dr. Paul's allergies acted up a touch".  I have no idea what that means in context to a question about fake eyebrows.  

Some suggest that Mr. Paul may be artificially enhancing his brow line to compete with the striking, bushy brows of rivals Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.  I personally find it hard to believe that someone would intentionally attempt to make themselves resemble your crazy estranged uncle.

On a personal note, I hole Ron Paul in the highest regard, and welcome our future alien overlords.  (I'm kidding of course.  On both counts.)

Protest Sign Of The Day

Easily, the most elaborate protest sign I have ever seen.  It's so big, it had to be mounted on a crutch.

Update On Walmart's Failed Negligent Homicide Of My Family

I wrote an article on Sunday on how due to Walmart's negligence, my family could have easily died in a horrific fiery accident.  Our Scion is so damaged, that the local Toyota dealership refuses to release it to us without the repairs being made.  Otherwise, if we were to drive it, and get in an accident, the dealership would be liable.

The Walmart location that initially replaced our tire, and caused the damage to our car, filed a claim with their insurance company.  The claim would also take care of the rental car that we were renting from the dealership.  Between the repairs and the rental, Walmart should have been responsible for approximately $1,000.

Well, we received a phone call this morning from Walmart's agent.  They said that since Toyota is unable to prove that the damage to our car was made by their error.  In their opinion, it could have just as easily been done at the time of the tire's blowout.

So....we owe a grand on a car that is days away from being repossessed.  Not to mention the fact that our tags expire on Saturday.  That's another $180.00.

Come on!!!  What else you got?!?  (not like we have the money or patience to deal with any of that shit)

Octopi Wall Street (Photo)

(Source)

Church Sign Of The Day

Isn't forgiveness great?

(Source)

Remembering Matthew

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Matthew Shepard today.  Thirteen years ago, on the night of October 6th, at approximately this exact time in fact, Matthew was offered a ride home from the Fireside Bar in Laramie, Wyoming.  Shortly thereafter, the two young men that were driving him home, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, tied Matthew to a fence and mercilessly beat him.  They took the twenty dollars and the credit card he had from his pocket, and left him to die.

Matthew was found more than 18 hours later by a passing cyclist and admitted into the hospital after spending the previous night in near freezing temperatures.  He was in a coma at the time he arrived at the hospital.  He never regained consciousness.  At 12:53AM on the morning of October 12th, he was pronounced dead.

While family and friends mourned his passing, Fred Phelps, and the members of Westboro Baptist Church protested Matthew's funeral.

The murder of Matthew Shepard became a catalyst for hate crimes legislation across the nation.  His mother, Judy, quickly became one of the country's most vocal spokespersons for LGBT rights.

It wasn't until 11 years after Matthew's death that hate crimes legislation was adopted on a federal level on the basis of sexual orientation.  The Matthew Shepard Act was signed into law by President Obama on October 28, 2009.

Matthew would be turning 35 on the first of December had he still been alive.  So much has happened in the way of gay rights, just in the last few years, that it makes you wonder what Matthew may have been doing today.  He could have been a father.  He could have been married.  He could have lived a life that seemed impossible for a young gay man in 1998 Wyoming.

Such a heartbreaking loss.

This Is NOT Elizabeth Warren... (Video)

But it might as well be.  If she said what was really on her mind, I'm sure her campaign videos would look much like this:

I want a revenge voucher.

Protest Sign Of The Day

Fox News' Chris Wallace Calls Out Rick Santorum On His DADT Arguments (Video)

After Sunday morning, I want to know, how in the hell is Chris Wallace still on Fox's payroll?

Wallace asked Santorum, a Republican candidate for President, and perhaps the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell's most outspoken critic, for some clarification on his position.  Democrats have compared him to those in the 1940s that have rallied against the inclusion of African-Americans in the armed forces.  Santorum insists that the repeal of the statute is experimenting with social policy.

In the clip below, Wallace asks the former Pennsylvania Senator if he would agree with the following words:

"The army is not a sociological laboratory.  The experimenting with army policy, especially in a time of war, would pose a danger to efficiency, discipline and morale and would result in ultimate defeat."

Watch the impending fail...



Rick Santorum is using the same line or reasoning concerning gays and lesbians in the military that many people used when it came to blacks in the armed forces nearly 70 years ago.  At that time, critics argued for segregated barracks, showers and restrooms.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Bravo to Chris Wallace for going against the status quo at Fox News and calling out Santorum on his bigoted, naive and backwards mindset.

The more sound bites I hear from Rick Santorum, the more I start to believe SNL.  He "seems confused and flabbergasted by modern day life.  It seems like if there were a time and place in history that best fit your values, it would be Salem, Mass, in 1692".

"Why stick your neck out and run for President, little guy?"

Jehovah's Witness Mice (Cartoon)

How 37 Financial Institutions Became Four (Graph)

This wonderful graph, which was originally shared by Lucas Rohenaz, has floated around the net for the last month or so.  It has been shared on Facebook alone nearly 13,000 times.  It shows how, since 1990, 37 financial institutions have merged into the four largest banks in the nation: Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

The most egregious of the Wall Street offenders is Bank of America, taking over twelve other banks in the course of the last two decades.  I worked for BofA in 1993, shortly after their buyout of Security Pacific Bank.  I was also employed by Chase Manhattan Bank (now JPMorgan Chase), shorly after their merger with Chemical bank in 1997.

Mergers are messy.  They are tumultuous for both customers and employees alike.  Upper management rarely gives a shit.  As long as stock value continues to rise, their yearly bonus increases as well.

Below is a clear example of why people are demonstrating in more than 80 cities nationwide.   These four corporations effectively control 40% of the nation's economy.  If that is not a motivation for action, I don't know what is.

Marvel Releases Official Trailer For 'The Avengers' (Video)

Finally!

Speaking of Samuel L. Jackson, Marvel has released a full length trailer for next summer's blockbuster, 'The Avengers'.  We finally get a glimpse of Hawkeye, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and (what many of us geeks have been waiting to see) Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk.



'The Avengers' is scheduled to be released May 4th, 2012.

Tweet Of The Day

Samuel L. Jackson is now on Twitter.

Expect a lot of expletives, and tweets with the CAPS LOCK on.

I must say, I am a little disappointed.  I was hoping that his first tweet would say, "YES THEY DESERVED TO DIE AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!!!!"

The 'Princess Bride' Reunion (Photo)

Last month was the 24th anniversary of the release of 'The Princess Bride'.  I'll give everyone a moment to recover from realizing that they're old.


Moving on.  It was one of my favorite movies growing up.  It was one of the few movies that my siblings and I saw in the theater.  We usually didn't have the money for all five of us to go to the movies.  We waited for it to come to the local dollar theater.  By then, little Steven Dellisanti had been repeating lines from the film so frequently, that we had already known half of the script.

'The Princess Bride' is truly a rare film in Hollywood history.  Not only was it a star studded motion picture.  It was a small budget ($14 million) creative masterpiece.  It was a movie that ushered in the era of independent films.  It also was a respite for families from the testosterone heavy Schwarzenegger fronted blockbusters of the time.

'Entertainment Weekly' managed to gather the surviving members of the original cast for a photo shoot last month.  The result was quite touching.  Included in the photo are lovely memorials for Peter Falk, who died in June, and Andre the Giant, who passed away in January of 1993.

If you look closely, you can spot Miracle Max's hat, an R.O.U.S., and the sword Inigo's father made for Prince Humperdink.

Generally, I find these "celebrity reunions" to be downright corny.  But, this one is top notch.

A Match Made In The Lab (Photo)

It's obvious.  They're perfect for each other.  

I think they're both over compensating for small penises, though.

(Source)

Tat Tuesday: Think Before You Ink (Video)

If this video proves anything, it's that there are plenty of unscrupulous tattoo artists in the world.  An artist with a reputation to uphold would refuse to do any of the following tattoos.  A mediocre tattoo artist looking to make a quick $200 (off of someone who may or may not be intoxicated) will be more than happy to draw up some of these ridiculous designs and make you look like a complete fool.





A point of advice I have given in the past is to find a design that you want to have as a tattoo.  Post it up on your bathroom mirror.  Take a good hard look at it every time you walk into the restroom.  When you have that tattoo, you're going to have to do the same.  If, after six months of looking at that picture, you like the picture or design as much as you did on day one....get the tattoo.

If not, you just saved yourself a couple hundred dollars, and a life of regret.

In Lieu Of "Mashup Monday"...

...I thought I would recommend a short documentary about my favorite mashup artist.

I have posted numerous articles about Gregg Gillis over the last two years.  Gillis, who goes by the moniker Girl Talk, is an icon on the mashup scene.  He gave up a lucrative career in biomedical engineering in 2007 to pursue music full time.  If you take the time to listen to him, you can easily tell that he takes an engineer's approach to his craft.

Gillis plays no instruments.  He's not a DJ.  He doesn't use vinyl or CDs.  His tools are a Saran Wrapped laptop, and the limits of his imagination.

Regardless of your tastes in music, take five minutes of your time to listen to his work, and you'll consider yourself a fan.

Morgan Spurlock, the filmmaker behind 'Super Size Me', has a new weekly program exclusively on Hulu called 'A Day in the Life'.  On the program, he follows someone, generally a different celebrity, for 24 hours, to give you a glimpse into their life.

In one episode this season, a crew followed Girl Talk as he prepared to headline a show at a music festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Here is a short clip.



Unfortunately, you can only view the full program if you have a Hulu Plus subscription.  I watched it on Sunday afternoon, and it was amazing to see how complicated some of his shows became.  He has to prepare as many as 400 samples in advance, and plan exactly where to place each one within a 45 minute performance.  There is a clip of him practicing on his tour bus, and it's simply mind boggling.

You can view the program here online.  I recommend watching it for any fan of music.

You can also download a copy of Girl Talk's latest album, 'All Day', here.

Photo Of The Day II

This is a screen capture of last night's 'Dancing with the Stars'.  Cher was in the audience to support her son Chaz Bono.  During last night's performance, he received his highest score of the season - a 21.

It's clear to see that mama was proud of her little boy.

My Little Girl Is A Genius

It's bizarre how her little mind works.  She asked a question about the "big penny" she had in her hand.  It was so mind blowing I had to record it and post it on YouTube.  Take a look:



She also said it looks like a "paint factory".  I haven't quite translated that one, yet.  Her thought process is just staggering sometimes.

We have had her intelligence level tested by a psychologist within the last few months.  When it came to reasoning and logic, she tested on a 9 to 11 year old level.  She was making correlations on the test that were stumping a couple of us.

For example, there would be six pictures on a page, two sets of three.  On the surface, none of the pictures had any relation to each other.  She would say (for example, I don't remember any specifics), "The balloon flies and the bird flies".  And her memory.  My lord.  She was able to remember, and repeat back, a sequence of five or six numbers in a row.  She's only three.

I started teaching her how to play chess yesterday.  We focused on the names of the pieces and how each piece moved.  She still has a hard time grasping the concept of strategy.  We play Tic-Tac-Toe, and you can tell that there are times that she understands that she needs to block me.  Other times, she's just blindly dropping Xs.

Still she makes Mommy and Daddy extremely proud.

Quote Of The Day

Malcolm X, at a protest  in Manhattan, February 13, 1963.

“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” 


 - Malcolm X

Protest Sign Of The Day

Isn't it, though?

Photo Of The Day

Today Is National Coming Out Day

If there is someone in your life you could safely tell, today would make a great excuse to break the ice.

I publicly came out two years ago today, in an article on this site.  I firmly believe that you should never be forced to come out of the closet.  You should only do so when you are at a point in your life where you feel safe and secure enough to do so.  (I was 34 when I came out.)

On a personal note, coming out was the most freeing feeling I have had in my life.  It was as if a two ton weight had been lifted from my chest.  Your life changes so dramatically once you're out.  It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Be safe, and remember:  Whether you them or not, there are millions of people supporting you.

Glenn Beck: Wall Street Protesters 'Will Drag You Into The Streets And Kill Everybody'

Glenn Beck has a history of saying some pretty ridiculous things on his programs.  However, what he said yesterday on his radio program really takes the cake.

In the opening minutes of the broadcast, he made his disgust for the demonstrators crystal clear.  He started his show by mocking the "human microphone" method of communication used at the General Assembly at the protests.  As he started speaking, his in studio cohorts screamed his words into their microphones.  His producer then yelled, "We demand shorter sentences".

Former Rep. Alan Grayson Schools Panel On Occupy Wall Street

On last Friday's 'Real Time with Bill Maher', the subject of the Occupy Wall Street protests came up.  One of Bill's regular guests, self-described libertarian and author P.J. O'Rourke jokingly said, "Or is it simply that the Occupy Wall Street people, like us, flunked Econ (Economics 101 in college)?"

Former Democratic Congressman from Florida, Alan Grayson, who up until that point in the program, had largely remained silent, stepped up in support of the demonstrators.  To say the least, he put O'Rourke in his place.

His standing ovation was well deserved.

Tweet Of The Day

Mikey Welsh is the former bassist for the band Weezer.  He played on their "Green" album.  He tweeted the following on September 26th.  A second tweet said, "correction - the weekend after next".

He was found, dead, Saturday in a Chicago hotel room by hotel personnel, after he didn't check out of his room.  He was in town to watch his former bandmates perform Sunday night at Chicago's RIOTfest.  According to CNN, cause of death is yet to be determined, pending autopsy.

Protest Sign Of The Day

Tea Baggers Criticize The Occupy Demonstrations

How ridiculous.  If you Google "Down With Evil Corporations", you'll see hundreds of Tea Party sites over the last week, which have posted this photo, criticizing the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Corporations are a necessity in a Free Enterprise marketplace.  They offer legal protections for the owners of a business that aren't available to a sole proprietorship.  Also, a business must be incorporated to offer stock options to interested parties.  They are a necessary evil.

The Occupy Wall Street protesters are not against corporations per se.  They are against exorbitant corporate greed.  When Bank of America institutes a $5.00 monthly fee to use your debit card, there is a problem.

When Wall Street rewrites qualifications for home loans, then plays the stock market to where they are essentially betting against your ability to make your mortgage payment, there's a problem.

When a company would rather lay off thousands of employees, than lose 3% profit for the year, there is a problem.

When teachers salaries have dropped 20% since 2008, but CEOs get wealthier, there is a problem.

There are ethical, moral corporations in the world.  There are many that are immoral.  Sadly, we cannot boycott them all.  We must clothe ourselves, eat, communicate and use transportation on a daily basis.

To suggest that since the Occupy demonstrators are rallying against corporate greed, that they should rid themselves of any corporate attachments is ludicrous at best.  A large part of the Republican right already thinks of those involved in the movement as "dirty hippies".  With this recent photo floating around Facebook, we're now made to look like corporate savvy hipsters.  Well?  Which is it?  What do they want from us?

Do they expect us to camp out in the streets naked, unshowered and without makeup?  Do they want us to communicate with tin cans and string?  Are we really supposed to buy this rhetoric? 

Photo Of The Day

The above photo was taken Saturday of Marine recruiter booth at a Pasadena, California, Gay Pride event.  Yes, the branch of the armed services that were kicking and screaming throughout the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, are the ones that are showing the most initiative in reaching out to the gay and lesbian community since it's repeal.  

Astonishing.  I never thought I would have seen this.

Herman Cain's Foreign Relations Policy (Video)

Yesterday, the Christian Broadcasting Network interviewed Republican presidential front runner Herman Cain.  He told the network that he's "ready for the gotcha questions".  To prove his point, he elaborated a bit on what the Cain administration foreign policy would be.  God help us all.

He explained that, as president, his top priorities are job creation and national security, not "knowing who is the head of some of these small insignificant states around the world", like "Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan".  Yes.  He actually said that.

The President of Uzbekistan is Islam Karimov, by the way.

He said, "When I get ready to visit that country, I'll know who that is".  In other words, the Google method of leadership.  Take a look.



What I find interesting about his logic is that, with his line of thinking, only the world's superpowers have problems.  What about Kuwait? Yemen?  Chechnya? Serbia?  Bosnia?  These are just a few of the "insignificant" nations that an American President has had to focus his attention on in the last twenty years.  If a candidate is going into office with the attitude of "these nations don't matter" from day one, how is he or she going to handle a crisis situation with said nation when it arises?

It's something to think about.

Sunday Confessional: Fuck It, And Fuck You Walmart

I am in a serious funk.  I don't know how to explain it at the moment.  It's currently an equal mixture of depression and rage.

I'm somewhat at a loss for words.  I don't want to come across as bitter or bitchy, but I really need to vent and just lay everything out on the line.  Oh, and Walmart almost killed my family last week.  I'm not kidding.

As some of you know, my wife recently returned to work for the first time in almost two and a half years.  Her long term disability payments were cancelled in January, because one of her doctors flaked out, and, after six months of constant prodding by the insurance company, neglected to fax any of her medical records in.  All of this was going on behind the scenes.  We knew nothing about it, until we received a letter saying her checks would no longer be coming.

We had the ability to appeal the decision, which we did.  My wife was told that if she returned to work, even during the appeal process, they would determine her able to work again, and automatically deny the appeal.  We waited for almost three months.  She was ultimately denied, because the very same doctor, again, did not send in any documentation as requested.  She basically sent a one paragraph letter saying that she was under the doctor's care for her medical condition and that the doctor felt she was unable to go back to work.  No supporting documentation.  No medical records of the previous 18 months of bi-weekly visits.   Just "Yep, I don't think she should work."

Happy 71st Birthday, John Lennon

Today would have been John Lennon's 71st birthday.

He was highly influential in my life.  That's obvious.  My daughter is his namesake.  We're teaching her about Karma, and about doing her best to make this world a peaceful place to live in.

Below is one of our favorite Lennon songs as a family.  Jessi and I had planned to get married to it, at one point. It originated as a demo recorded in 1979 entitled 'Real Life'.  After six sessions, it became 'Real Love'.  It wasn't released until years after his death, when the documentary 'Imagine:  John Lennon' debuted in theaters.

Here is Regina Spektor's cover of the song, which is simple and beautiful.



In totally unrelated Beatles news, Paul McCartney got married earlier today to New Jersey trucking heiress (I'm not making this up) Nancy Shevell.  They exchanged vows at London's Marlyebone Town Hall, the same location that Paul married his first wife, Linda, in 1969.

Quote Of The Day

"The next step, I am sure, by the way, for the Occupy Wall Street crowd is for Anderson Cooper, Bill Maher, and Jon Stewart, the trifecta of conventional wisdom's failed liberalism, to come down to Wall Street and join the masses in demanding more of our tax money so they can all be supported as novelists and movie directors. 

"You poor kids. You are basically asking to be supported and taken care of by Mommy and Daddy. Wake up, kids. Wall Street is you, with all of your wants and needs and wishes, only they have the balls to go out and work for it. Sometimes they are crooks and sometimes they are fools -- but you know what? So are all of us.

 "Listen to Mr. Cain. Shut up and get to work."

- Asshole, failed actor, and Creationism enthusiast Ben Stein, on the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

Church Sign Of The Day

See above for example.  I think they missed the point.

Well, That Was Short Lived

For those of you that were able to visit 'The Twitch' earlier today, you may have noticed some changes to the site.  Well, it's safe to say that those changes sucked, and it was necessary to immediately return things back to the way they were.

While the new format made things quite attractive, it was a headache.  There was no way to access the blog from a mobile device.  The changes removed all sharing options when it came to individual articles.  There was no way to share a post on Facebook or Google+.  It removed all advertising from my website (which I still haven't figured out how to get back).  It also removed any ability to subscribe to the page's RSS feed.

Those are the problems that I noticed today in a matter of 10 to 15 minutes.  I can't imagine what it looked like on a feed. I don't want to know.

So, I'm going back to what works.  I have made a couple of minor changes in regards to wording on the page.  Other than that, I'm done.  No more tinkering or fiddling around with it.

I promise.

New Website Format

I'm testing out a new website format for 'The Twitch'.  It's customize-able, and leaves it up to you as a reader to decide how you would like to view the site.  Take a quick look at things, and leave me a comment.

Let me know if you prefer the new format, or the traditional 'Twitch'.  You'll quickly notice a lot of things missing from the old site.  It may take a while to get used to.

Please leave me a message.  Thanks.

Jon Stewart Asks 'Why Aren't Occupy Wall Street Protesters Getting Tea Party Respect?' (Video)

On last night's 'Daily Show', Jon Stewart pointed out that many of the protesters in Liberty Park are saying things that are very similar to what Tea Party supporters were saying themselves.....back in 2009.  But, if you ask a Tea Partier today what their opinion is of the masses gathered, demonstrating against corporate greed in New York City, they make it sound like it's a bunch of uneducated Nazi zombies.

"They probably don't even masturbate to the Constitution."

Watch Barack Obama's Vs. Herman Cain's Reaction To The Occupy Wall Street Movement

If my recollection is correct, today is the 16th or 17th day of Occupy Wall Street.  I tend to lose track of time.

Today, President Obama held a press conference to discuss the jobs bill that he is trying to get through Congress.  Eric Cantor has recently bragged that the bill will never be introduced on the House floor.  Essentially, today Obama told House Republicans to either come up with something better, or shut the hell up and pass the damn bill.  After making his statement, he took a number of questions from reporters.

A reporter asked the question, "Are you following the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, and how will you respond?".  This was his response:



In essence, he has seen reports of the protests on television, and people have a right to be upset.  People may disagree with me, but that's fair.  He's not exactly advocating for the dismantlement of the Federal Reserve, but he did sign into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, which promises sweeping changes to be implemented in corporate America.  Due to stalling and roadblocks from the Republican side of the aisle, only 38 of the nearly 400 reforms have been implemented since the bill was signed last July.  All current Republican presidential candidates have publicly said that, if elected, they would repeal Dodd-Frank.

Yesterday, Herman Cain was asked by the Wall Street Journal about the movement.  First, he said that he believes that, while he can't prove it at this time, the Occupy Wall Street protests are secretly being orchestrated to divert attention from President Obama's failed economic policies?  He also said, and I'm quoting here:

"Don't blame the big banks.  Don't blame Wall Street.  If you don't have a job, and if you're not rich, blame yourself.  (Snip)  When I was growing up, I was blessed to have parents, that didn't teach me to be jealous of anybody, and didn't teach me to be envious of somebody.  It is not a person's fault if they succeeded.  It is a person's fault if they fail."

He does admit that the banks were responsible for the "economic crisis" that we went into in 2008.  But, according to Cain, "we're not in 2008, we're in 2011".  Obviously, he doesn't have the basic conceptual understanding of economics.  Just take a look at the clip.  The level of ignorance and apathy in the room can be cut with a knife.



So, in Herman Cain's mind, unemployment equates failure.  The millions of people that have been laid off since 2008 were failures in their life.  In September, the Department of Labor determined the unemployment rate at 9.1% nationally, meaning 14 million people in this country were without work.  Those are the people that are receiving unemployment benefits or are reporting to the government that they are still trying to find work.  They have been unemployed for less than 99 weeks.  Analysts believe that the real unemployment rate is along the lines of 18.09% in July of this year.  That's more than 28 million losers, according to Herman Cain.

This is why someone with no political experience has no business being in the White House.  Go back to making pizzas.

Today In "Seriously!?" News

Jesus Ween?  Does this mean Christ is going to show peen on Halloween? 

Sorry for rhyming so much.  It was unavoidable.

Tweet Of The Day II

Margie Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church has received a lot of publicity in the last 24 hours.  She posted a tweet from her iPhone yesterday, announcing that the church would be picketing the funeral of Steve Jobs, because he "taught sin".

She sent a follow up tweet to explain herself this morning.

According to Phelps, god created the iPhone, ergo, Steve Jobs is god.  Nerds have been preaching this for the better part of 30 years.

My Little Civil Rights Activist

The three of us were running errands this morning, and pulled into a parking lot next to a flat bed tow truck.  The truck was in the final moments of picking up a car, and was about to pull out.

Lennon asked us what kind of truck that was in the parking lot.  We explained that it was called a tow truck.  I told her that it picks up cars, and takes them to the mechanic if they need to be fixed.  Then, I said that sometimes the tow truck picks up cars and takes them to the police station.

Instantly, she had a concerned look on her face.  She said, "They can't take those cars to the police station, Daddy.  People need those cars to go to work."

I looked at her with a smile on my face.  "That's right, honey.  They sure do.  Give me a high five."

She makes daddy so proud.

Allowable Marriage: According To The Bible (Chart)

Many people today believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.  They believe that it is actually the word of god.  Since the book of Leviticus says that men lying together "are an abomination", then, in their minds, 6000 years later, obviously god doesn't want people to be having gay sex.  That being said, I thought I would share the other types of marriages that are permissible, according to the Bible.  Pay attention.

Now, the whole rapist/victim match up...that is an abomination.  However, I think the brother-in-law thing still takes place in West Virginia. (shudders)

Tweet Of The Day

Margie Phelps of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church, sent the following tweet after the announcement of the passing of Steve Jobs, yesterday:

Notice anything strange about the tweet?  Perhaps where it was sent from?  Her fucking iPhone!?!?

Are you kidding me!?!  Steve Jobs "taught sin", and it looks like the Phelps family were quick learners.  Hypocrites.

'700 Club': '9/11 Was Foretold In The Bible, Dreamed Of By Hitler'

Rabbi Daniel Lapin was on yesterday's '700 Club' with host, Pat Robertson.  They were discussing the events of September 11, 2001.  Rabbi Lapin had an interesting take on what happened that day.  He claims that the Bible prophesied about 9/11 in the book of Zachariah.  He went on to say that the attacks were "based on a dream Adolf Hitler had in 1943".

And Robertson falls for it, hook, line and sinker:



Of course, Pat Robertson is the individual that blamed the Washington D.C. earthquake on gay marriage in New York. (I'm still trying to figure that one out.)  He also blamed the earthquake in Haiti last January on a literal "pact with the Devil" the Haitian people made over a hundred years ago.  So, it's no stretch of the imagination that he would believe that a terrorist attack was 70 years in the making.

So, Al Qaeda in a round about way, collaborated with the Nazis?  Right...

Good Morning

Looks like a beautiful day outside.  Think I'll take a quick run...

Ha ha ha.  Who am I kidding?  I can't run.  In fact, I'm still in bed.  I wrote this post last night.

Quote Of The Day

"The world has lost a visionary.  And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

 - President Barack Obama, on the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs. 

Watch Steve Jobs Inspirational 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech

With the passing of Steve Jobs this afternoon, I thought it would be appropriate to post the following.  On June 12, 2005, he gave the commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University.  Months before, he publicly battled a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  That day, however, this billionaire who had never himself benefited from a college degree, revealed three personal stories from his life.  These stories make you think about yourself and your place in the world, and inspire you to do great things.

If you haven't seen this video, I encourage you to take the next 15 minutes to view it.  It will be the best 15 minutes you have spent today.  I must warn you though, there is a segment of the speech where Jobs talks about facing death.  In light of today's events, it made watching the video somewhat hard to watch.



One final note:  Steve Jobs was notoriously famous for keeping his private life private.  It is unknown as to the true nature of the latest illness that caused him to resign as Apple's CEO in August.  Many speculate that he had a recurrence of the pancreatic cancer, but it was never disclosed.  His cause of death may ultimately never be known.

His family did release the following statement this evening,

"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. 

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories. 

"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve.   We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

Apple.com on October 5, 2011.

Breaking: World Mourns Passing Of Visionary Steve Jobs

ABC News is reporting that Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, and the man that revitalized the brand in the nineties, has passed away.  In a large part, he has the way that we live our day to day lives.  With the IPod, and later with the IPhone and IPad, the world is a different place today because of his innovations.

When you go to Apple's home page, you are greeted by a full page photo of their founder, along with the words, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011".  Clicking on his image takes you to a statement by the company, it says:

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.  Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.  Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

 In 2004, Jobs beat a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  In 2009, health conditions worsened, requiring him to get a liver transplant.  Six weeks ago, on August 24, he announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple.  Days later, photos surfaced of an emaciated and gravely ill Jobs being aided across the street in California.

Jobs was a "technological philanthropist".  He believed that investing in the improvement of technology would improve the human condition, thereby making the world a better place.  He was a controlling investor in Pixar Animation Studios, and later sat on the board of directors for Disney.

Steve Jobs was a college dropout, who, together with Steve Wozniak, started building computers in his parents' garage, back in 1976.  30 years later, many would consider him the Thomas Edison of our day.  He had an uncanny knack of thinking outside the box.  He has changed our vocabulary, and the way we communicate.  He has changed the way we listen to music and watch movies.  Are we a better world because of Steve Jobs?  I will leave that up for debate.  But, I will say, that we are a changed world because of him.

On a personal note, my three year old daughter was playing on our IPad this morning.  At three, she already knows how to negotiate the device.  She knows which folders her favorite applications are in.

We purchased the IPad months ago to help educate her.  In the six months or so that we have had it, she has made a remarkable improvement.  With the help of a number of apps, she has learned how to write and recognize numbers and letters.  She knows what opposites are.  She can even complete 16 piece puzzles.  With the aid of the IPad, she is going to enter kindergarten head and shoulders above all of her classmates.  For that reason alone, I owe Steve Jobs my gratitude.

Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and his four children, Lisa, Reed, Erin and Eve.  Our thought are with the family, as well as the Apple family during their loss.

Discriminatory Christian Advertisement Of The Day

Charlie Whittington, owner of Kwik Kar Lube & Service in Plano, Texas, has one hell of a deal for you.  (pun intended)  Come into his location, recite John 3:16, and get an oil change, which normally costs $34.99, for $19.99.  If you happen to be a Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or an Atheist customer - Google it.  Otherwise, it sucks to be you.  Seriously.

Offensive?  Absolutely.  Illegal?  Not in Texas.  As Kwik Kar Lube is a "privately owned business", Charlie has the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason.  So tomorrow, he could theoretically have an ad giving free oil changes for married, white, heterosexual Christian men only. 

Whittington's reasoning is sound behind the ad, saying "I'm not making you do anything, and I'm tired of people making me do something."  Makes complete sense from someone that misspelled "Quick" and "Car" to me.

In case you aren't familiar with John 3:16, it's a favorite of Christians worldwide.  It says:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life $15 off their next oil change."

Once, just once, I would like to see an atheist alternative to this.  Show me an atheist owned business, where they offer $20 off a service if you come in and curse god.  If anyone has seen an example of this, please... PLEASE...forward it to me.  Thank you.

Oh, one last thing...  One of my biggest pet peeves.  I absolutely hate when I see little "Jesus fishes" in business ads.  It's nothing but a way for businesses to swindle money out of fellow "Christians".  Let's be honest.  Does it mean that they follow Christian business practices?  Hell no.  It means, "Give me your money instead of my heathen competitor".  What a fucking joke.

Thanks to Patheos for the pic.

Mashup Monday - "Shit, It's Almost Wednesday" Edition

It's been a crazy week.  I didn't even wake up until about ten minutes till four in the afternoon yesterday.  It's  11:29PM, and it just occurred to me that today is Tuesday.  Really.  I'm okay.  I swear.

This week's entry is a goody.  It comes from a DJ from the Boston area by the name of Lenlow.  It's a wonderful mix, one of the best ones I have heard in a while.

Today's mashup is a mix of Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz' and Beck's 'Go It Alone'.  The video isn't much to look at, but you'll want to download the track.  You can do so at the link above.  Enjoy.

Tat Tuesday

Thought I would try out a new weekly post (like I don't post enough, already).  I have always been a huge fan of tattoos and body modifications, but I haven't found way to incorporate that into the website.  Hopefully, that's where "Tat Tuesday" will come in.

"Tat Tuesday" will be a weekly post consisting of a photo or two of a tattoo or a piercing that I admire or appreciate.  In the last decade, the tattoo industry has attracted a bevy of classic artists, many with college degrees in art history and theory.  Tattoo artists are no longer the stereotypical biker with a tattoo gun.  They are legitimate artists, using the human body as their canvas.

For this week's post, I thought I would show my latest piece of work.  I had it done in May of this year by Josh at Serenity Tattoo in Tucson, Arizona.  He did a wonderful job.  He also did some work on my wife earlier this year.  I'll probably show her piece at a later time.  I had a hard time with my arm accepting the ink.  There were some areas where he had to go over eight or nine times before any ink would seem to go into the skin.  It also scabbed up differently than any of my previous tattoos.  On a couple of the numbers, overnight most of the ink bled out.  Since my last tattoo, I had been diagnosed as having Type II Diabetes.  It was a night and day experience versus any tattoo I had had previously.  The pain level was exponentially higher.  It initially healed up "waxy", and took about six weeks or so to look normal.  It's enough of a game changer to reconsider getting another tattoo until my A1C drops considerably.

It healed up well though, as you can see.  Pay no attention to the bruises.  I'm still recovering from surgery.

If you have seen 'Donnie Darko', then you recognize the image immediately and understand it's significance.  If not, let me explain.

In the movie, Donnie is visited by a bizarre looking, time traveling, six foot tall rabbit named Frank.  Throughout the movie, you're not really sure at times whether Donnie's actually seeing these's things, or if he's schizophrenic.  This demonic looking rabbit gives him messages throughout the film.  After one of his "episodes", he wakes up on a golf course.  The numbers above are written on his arm, exactly as they are on mine.  Frank tells Donnie, "28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.  This is when the world will end".

I got the tattoo for two reasons.  First of all, I'm a huge fan of the movie, and I thought it would make a badass tattoo.  I have never seen a full Darko piece on a forearm like that before, and I thought that it would be a cool tattoo to get.

Secondly, I got the tattoo on May 21, 2011.  It was the day that Harold Camping had prophesied that the world was going to end.  Doomsday prophesies are nothing new to me.

I grew up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  Every Saturday morning, I was knocking on doors, telling people that god was going to destroy the world at the "great day of Armageddon".  It was coming any day now.  My mother was so sure that it was right around the corner, in fact, that she kept me out of kindergarten.  Kindergarten came and went.  So did twelve years of school.  I was forbidden to go to college, because there would be no need for higher education in god's "new system of things".  Armageddon was right around the corner, after all.

I'm 36 now.  My daughter will be starting kindergarten in two years, and I'm sure my mother is still saying that Armageddon is, now more than ever, "right around the corner".

My point is, there will always be some religious zealot out there with a doomsday prophesy.  Whether it be the Jehovah's Witnesses, or Harold Camping or the Mayans, the world is set to end in someone's mind about every 28 days.  That is why I got the tattoo:  To remind myself of what I left 15 years ago.