Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy

Ken Jennings won a lot of money on the popular game show Jeopardy just a few dozen months ago. Now he’s telling them how they should run a game show.

In an insane list of “improvements” the obviously whacked Jennings lists:

Fourth, why are there no physical challenges? It doesn’t have to be Nickelodeon déclassé, buckets of green ooze falling from the ceiling. It could be tasteful and restrained. Like, if you know the answer, you have to run from your podium to the gameboard, jump up to touch the clue in question, and give the answer. “What is an Arby-Q?” Then you run back to your podium to select again. Some of these contestants, frankly, could use the exercise. Oh, also, there are angry bees.

It’s their game show for cripes sake. Jennings should learn to do like Bill O’Idiot of Fox News suggests all stupid people do, and “Just Shut Up!”

“The Post” gives the real scoop.

Thanks to John Gushue for the tip on the story.

Yes we’re sending enough people to prison, but we aren’t sending some of them long enough. Today an Amber Alert was issued to help track down a little boy from Whitewood Saskatchewan, who was presumed taken by a known pedophile. How someone with a serious record, and crimes against children, was allowed out of prison without being 90 - 100% certain that they wouldn’t repeat their crimes, is beyond me. I think we’re being much too trusting of convicted criminals of violent crimes, and letting them out based on when their peers are let out, rather than when the individual shows improvement from their supervisors in jail, and also an independent review board. The victim’s family should also have some say in continued incarceration.

We need to change the Youth Criminal Justice Act too, and before the Conservatives are  turfed in the Winter, I hope they make certain key changes that the Liberals are unlikely to make:

1. Identify any criminals under the age of 18 to the community, down to the age of 12, so that the community knows which families are not raising their children properly. A 16 year old is mature enough to work a job, own a car, and decide if they want to join a gang or get a job. They shouldn’t get hidden from view, so that until they are put in jail and show signs of maturity, they can’t walk down the street with a smarmy attitude.
2. Increase sentences for youth who commit violent crime.
3. Have repeated reports of bullying trigger an investigation into the bully’s home situation. This way if it’s due to abuse or neglect in the home, social services can treat the root cause of the aggression.
4. Fund youth criminal treatment programs in jails adaquately, if they are not meeting reasonable goals currently.

The Conservatives should also start addressing poverty issues, since the majority of youth crime in a developed country like Canada simply wouldn’t be happening if kids always had a safe home at night, and places for constructive activity day or night.

1. Personal income tax exemption should be doubled so it’s closer to the actual poverty line.
2. Funding for parks and activity centers, libraries, and school playgrounds should be increased in urban and rural areas.

I was watching an old Daily Show from May today, and it was about the bird flu. Remember that? It’s what was going to kill us 2 months ago. Now it’s Lebanese-Canadians who aren’t residents of Canada that are sapping us of precious tax dollars, and will apparently be the downfall of Canadian society. Who could have predicted that, eh? It’s a wild world.

“Horrible Trek”
Hat tip to Man Descending, who doesn’t like the look of the latest fan production Of Gods and Men. The ambitious New Voyages will debut their 3rd episode on September 8th 2006, so watch and download that when it’s ready. The acting isn’t the best, but considering it’s the only new Star Trek we will get until the new movie is out, I’ll take it.

Breastfeeding in Public?

Lactivists: Where is it OK to breastfeed? (CNN)

I thought some of the things that people had to say on this article on breastfeeding in public quite intriguing.
NEW YORK (AP) — “I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine,” one person wrote. “I immediately turned the magazine face down,” wrote another. “Gross,” said a third.

Brandon brings up an interesting topic. It makes the rounds on the talk radio circuit too, usually after someone is stupid enough to confront a mother feeding her child in public. You know what happens in the wild when someone does that to a large mammal? That’s right, the mother bites their head off. Do not get between a mother and her crying child, it’s one of the first laws of nature.
What exactly makes the feeding of an infant child “gross”? Why are some people terrified that children, men, or even other women see them breastfeeding? In many cases, you can’t even see the breast, so what’s the big deal? It’s not like someone’s taking a leak in the corner, where even if you can’t see a penis, you’ll know there’s going to be a puddle and odour over there later. Breastfeeding leaves no evidence or odour behind (until it comes out of the other end of the baby).

Even if a man or young boy sees a real live breast, on a real live woman, it’s hardly going to be a scarring experience. Are you concerned that if they see a breast, that they might want to see more? Well, you can rest easy, as that can never happen, because most males already want to see breasts. It’s hardwired partly, and the other part is due to social customs. In Victorian times, an English lady’s ankle wasn’t displayed in public, but who in their right mind these days would agree that ankle exhibitionism is a serious concern because it might turn boys into perverts? Sure ankles don’t secrete fluid [at least healthy ones don’t], but the arguments for concealing them are the same as the flawed ones for concealing breasts feeding infants.
I think there are a large number of hopelessly fuddy-duddy prudes out there that would rather a baby go needlessly hungry, or be fed chemical crud from a bottle constantly, than to be fed from a breast naturally. Grown parents should not be allowed to act like little grade school children and say, “Oh that’s so gross,” to a baby being fed.

“‘Gross, I am sick of seeing a baby attached to a boob,’ wrote Lauren, a mother of a 4-month-old.”

Well Lauren, maybe you should have considered how your 4 month old was going to eat, before you had them? Since you probably didn’t realize that babies don’t have teeth, and humans are mammals, you also didn’t know babies attached to boobs. How exactly did your parents explain your breasts to you? Because of your sheltered upbringing, you’re just another sad consequence of having an insufficient sexual education and health education system wherever you’re from.

If the world hadn’t built social norms on puritan “logic”, a more normal reaction would be, “Gross! Tommy just poked his steak with metal tines, and put the whole bite sized piece and metal into his mouth!” After all, who in their right mind puts metal into their mouth? You could really hurt yourself. Boobs have no sharp edges. They are perfect for babies.

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UPDATE: Sean, the commenter who made this thread famous, is found all over the web where breastfeeding is discussed.

My blog’s server wasn’t responding for about 3 hours this afternoon. If you tried to access my page, but couldn’t read it, that’s why. Like Les Nesman of WKRP, I really wanted to make an announcement on my blog about it being unreadable, just like how the fictional radio newsman announced that his radio station’s tower was off the air.

Some other humour I found at Wendy Cooper’s journal, where a few Canadians fooled American broadcasters into broadcasting nonsense live to their viewers. [I had to watch the video in IE not Firefox.] Who has heard of a Canadian Hide and Seek team? Did you know we’re going to the Olympics as a demonstration sport in 2008? I didn’t either because it’s not real. I heard nothing of this when it happened. They are regular Rick Mercers, these guys.
How many of the following are real Canadian organized sports that adults play: (Answers are in the comments section.)

Synchronized swimming?

Water Polo?

Lacrosse?

Kick Volleyball?

Hide and Seek?

Frisbee?

Dodgeball?

Dr Dave » Critical Announcement affecting ALL Wordpress users

The maker of Spam Karma 2 which I’ve activated on my blog today in an attempt to improve on the filtering provided by Akismet, says that users of Word Press should go to their Dashboard, Options, and disable new users from registering. This doesn’t stop people from posting. Apparently there’s a security hole that hasn’t been announced in Word Press, and it can be exploited by first registering an account on the blog.

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In other blog news today, my blog has had the most visitors ever in a single day, breaking the previous record which also came about after having a post linked to by SmallDeadAnimals.com. Slashdot.org in the past has sent about 500 people my way in a single day, but today I’ve already surpassed 1300 page loads due to SDA.

I know I’m not alone. Who here knows where Ipsco Place is? Your first guess would be north of the city out at the Ipsco steel industrial area, but it’s actually the new name for Exhibition Park where Buffalo Days and the Agridome is. Speaking of the Agridome, do you know what the Brandt Center is? Yup, it’s the Agridome - home of the Pats. I bet Saskatchewan is the only province with two major stadium/concert locations both named after credit unions; Credit Union Place and the Conexus Arts Center are those two. Can you guess which city each is in? I have to stop and think about it, instead of instantly knowing that Sask Place is in Saskatoon, I have to hear the word Place, and guess Credit Union Place is the new name for Sask Place - home of the Blades. Conexus Art Center being the Center of the Arts, of course.

[UPDATE: Ashley informs me that I’m wrong, and it’s actually Credit Union Center in Saskatoon, now. That is still confusing, since both Regina and Saskatoon have complexes with the same last name. And it renders my joke in the next paragraph a bit useless too. However, Saskatoon has TCU Place as well to make fun of, thanks to Soulfood for mentioning that.]

So when you get tickets for that next big concert, and it’s at the Conexus Arts Center, and you ask your friend, “Where is the concert anyway, I haven’t heard, so where should I meet you,” and they reply with, “It’s in that Credit Union place, I think,” your friend may have meant Conexus Arts Center, which to be fair is a place, but not a Place with a capital ‘P’. He’s just directed you 3 hours down the highway to the wrong building. Thank you Credit Union, and Conexus for making our lives easier, eh?

I understand that the more advertising sold, the better a building does for revenue, but sometimes it’s crazy the number of logos plastered everywhere. We honestly don’t know what to call a building anymore, and it leads to confusion. It’s not insurmountable confusion, but it is enough to be annoying. No, I’m not an old fogey, but I deserve the right to talk like one in regard to sporting venues. The Corel Center in Ottawa has been renamed, but I can’t remember if it’s the Ottawa Citizen building Or Scotia Bank Place or something else because there were literaly 7 large logos on the side. I bet it’s the Corporate Billboard Center. Soon no one will know if they should say Taylor Field or Mosaic Stadium in Regina too. Why are there no large CFL or Rider & Rams logos at center field anymore? Sure the turf looks like a poker table, but does Casino Regina really deserve the honour of being the logo at center field?

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