Not exactly, but they might as well have. By trying to censor what websites kids can and cannot visit, they’re basically cutting off access to any site that allows for social networking, which will soon enough include just about any website with any relevance. They might as well have passed a ban on anyone under the age of 18 going to a a mall or a park without an adult, because, well, there could be sexual predators there.

Of course, if you’re a house member, and you voted against this idiotic bill, you would be labeled as supporting sex offenders, and that’s not really a popular position to take.

In a world where information flows freely and kids already get an education that is far from adequate to allow them to compete in a new global economy, restricting their access to information is just plan stupid.

410-15 was the vote. Idiocy is bipartisan, apparently.

When you change an LJ userpic keyword, any existing entries that used that pic will no longer display it. Duh. Everyone else knew that already except for me, I’m sure. I didn’t realize that the keywords literally defined what pic was displayed; I thought they were just a way to help you pick your pic when you’re creating an entry. So now it makes sense that most of my early entries haver just a default pic, as I changed keywords on most of my userpics.

So many things in the world that I do not know…

Ben Folds Five’s “Brick” is about a couple dealing with abortion. Everyone knows that, right? I mean, the song came out nine years ago. I did not, not until yesterday. I was flipping through a book at Barnes & Noble called I Hate Myself and Want To Die, which muses on the most depressing songs ever (well, “bashes them” would be a more appropriate description).

Due to several years of low ratings and undisclosed backstage conflicts, The Toastie Show has been canceled. Producers say that, while they knew the show would always be a tough sell to mainstream audiences, they had hoped it would generate a cult following. Rumors abound that the show’s star, Toastie, was increasingly unhappy with the direction the writers had taken his character. One writer complained, “I don’t know what the hell Toastie is bitching about. If anything, his character has remained exactly the same as it was on Day One”. And that, say some critics, is ultimately what has led to The Toastie Show’s demise. For more than half of its run, the show billed itself as “Toastie Versus The Volcano”, a clear attempt to appeal to audiences who loved the early 1990s Tom Hanks vehicle of a similar title. “But nobody saw that damn movie!” exclaimed one of the disgruntled Toastie Show producers.

Viewers are left scratching their heads. “It’s like, it was on one day, and then, like, it wasn’t. There was a lot of depressing shit, but it was alright, I guess,” said one frequent viewer. “He could be funny sometimes, but then he’d get all serious about shit like Iraq, and I’d be like, WTF? Just show me pictures of your pussycats!”

Robert Thompson, professor of media studies at Syracuse University, says that viewers were often left confused by what The Toastie Show was all about. “Is this supposed to be funny? Is this political commentary? Is it a really bad dating reality show? Even the most loyal of fans were baffled by the lack of continuity between episodes”.

Others point to the show’s tendency to introduce promising characters, only to abruptly pull them from the landscape. Most recently, fans were abuzz over the new character M. “She could’ve added a lot to the show. But she’s here, then she’s gone. What was the point?” said one viewer, who admits she was growing inpatient with the show and probably would’ve stopped watching anyway.

Toastie, whose real name is Dave, could not be reached for comment. One fan reports that Toastie emailed her and said, “I’m just gonna go home now and sleep with my cats”. Toastie has two cats, a ten-year-old gray and white shorthaired boy named Aremid and a nine-year-old tabby girl, Zellouisa. The cats were frequent fodder for material on the show. Even those closest to the star aren’t sure what his plans are now. One source who did not wish to be identified said, “I think Toastie just needs a break from all of this. I think he’ll be back. I’m not sure when, but we haven’t seen the last of him”.

Back to the original title, The Toastie Show. New default icon. Same old Toastie.

Since Flickr has been one of my #1 time-killers over the past month, I thought I’d take note of some of my Flickr stats, so I can look back at some later point to see how things have progressed.

Photos: 1015   |   Views: 983   |   Sets: 14   |   Tags: 145

Top 10 viewed photos
1. 640 – From the “In Numerical Order” group; it’s just a game where you post numbers sequentially; I’m such a fun guy. – 62 views
2. Crissy, Godot, Snugs – From Halloween 2001; I think Chrissy’s costume is generating the views. – 43 views
3. A very silly cat face (Aremid) – 40 views
4. If only I had an opposable thumb (Aremid) – 37 views
5. Aremid in a box – 35 views
6. Sleepy boy Aremid – 33 views
7. Aremid in a shoebox – 29 views
8. Sully as Ape – Halloween 2001 – 27 views
9. Godot as Deiter – Halloween 2001 – 27 views
10. Snugs as Grapes – Halloween 2001 – 27 views

Yet another reason to be embarrassed to be served by this government of ours:
Senate passes interstate abortion notification

“Abstinence is the best way to prevent teenage pregnancy”, responded Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma. “How many people really think it’s in the best interest of young people to be sexually active outside of marriage? Does anything positive ever come from that?” Coburn asked.

He’s serious!

“No parent wants anyone to take their children across state lines or even across the street without their permission,” said Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. “This is a fundamental right, and the Congress is right to uphold it in law.”

Unless eight-year-olds are having abortion or McConnell thinks his fifteen-year-old daughter needs permission to cross the street, what he said is seriously twisted. What is this, f’in Footloose?

But you’ve had it since December 2003. What do you mean it’s no longer in beta?

I mean that anyone who goes to my personal homepage is going to see a link to this blog. Anyone who goes to my  blog is going to be able to find a link to this blog. Mom, Dad, Jenn, friends, relatives, coworkers, potential future employers…they can all find this blog rather easily now if they wish to. (Mom, if you’re ever reading this, I don’t want to hear, “But David…”)

As I note on my homepage, at long last, I’ve decided that if anyone wishes to look at it, they can feel free. Life is short; if I’ve made it public, then I’ve determined that it’s okay if you read it.

I doubt I’m going to go back to 2003 and start reviewing my public entries to see how suitable they actually are for the public domain. If this hurts me, so be it. If it hurts you, I’m sorry. If you learn something about me that you didn’t want to know, too bad.

I just discovered urbandictionary.com. I have much to learn.

Hey, air marshals have to meet their quotas, kinda like cops giving out speeding tickets