500,000 Books Need Homes

500,000 book need a home, or they're going to get pulped. I know a lot of people prefer electronic format now, but I'd hate for books to be destroyed:

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/1eqmcv/500000_books_need_homes_pictures_and_details/

Things to Put Into Care Packages

I was browsing reddit a day or so ago, and came across some comments about what to put into your care packages for the soldiers in your life.  I don't have many readers, but I figured I would share some of what soldiers mentioned they preferred to receive:

Fruit Snacks

Pretty much any kind of snack item

Flavored drink powders for your soldier to put in his water so it's more enjoyable.

Good Toilet Paper (Think Charmin Ultra Strong and Ultra Soft)  The Standard Issue stuff sucks.

Wet wipes (but not WetOnes.  They're anti-bacterial and can be harsh on the skin, not something you want to experience after wearing your clothes for hours on end after using one.  One soldier mentioned after using it it felt like fire ants were crawling over him)  Baby wipes with aloe are best, since they're gentle on the skin.

Tobacco. Both chewing and smoke variety.  Even if your soldier doesn't smoke or chew, tobacco is great for bartering.

Hot sauce

Meat seasoning in powdered form

Other food condiments that can travel well.

Gum

Aleve (Not Tylenol)

Vitamin B5, Vitamin C and Carotene Pills

If he has access to a gym, send them nutritional supplements (protein powder and the like)

Little bits of home that they might like.  One guy even suggested a small jar of American Soil

Magazines (like the glossy paper kind) However, be careful with this one-- if they're serving in Islamic nations, avoid porn, even things like GQ or Maxim count as porn.

Also, if in an Islamic nation, avoid sending pork products.

socks

Mouthwash

Pots and pans

Electric fly swatters

Morale patches

gag items are also enjoyed.

Ken Levine won't give Zach Braff a Dime for his new movie

Article can be found here

Ken Levine isn't going to help fund Zach Braff's new movie, but not because he doesn't like the guy.  It's because Braff is famous and has the connections necessary to get this movie funded, where as people who aren't known in the industry, that you've never heard of, don't have these connections.

   I'm torn on the issue.  On the one hand, I agree that Kickstarter's purpose is for people who don't have clout to help give them a leg up in the industry (Whichever industry they're trying to get into).  This also comes across to me that Braff is simply being lazy.  Why do the hard work which is involved in getting a movie made when you can just make a post and have your fans fund you themselves?

On the other hand, there's nothing in Kickstarter's ToS which states that well known people can't do this.  And if people want to fund Braff, then it's none of my concern.  Is Braff being lazy? Yes.  Would I do the same thing in his place?  Yes.

George Bush Was Smarter than You

I came across this article on reddit's /r/conservative.  It's well worth reading.

No, Not Dead, Just Haven't Had Anything New To Say.

I haven't written or posted anything in the last few months because I haven't wanted to sound depressed.  I'm  not happy with large amounts of my life, and I'm not sure how to change them.  I left Grand Rapids a few years back, not because I wanted to, but because circumstances demanded it.  I'm hopefully headed back there within the next month or two.

It will be nice to see old friends again, and to get back into swing dancing, which I've sorely missed.  It's funny, when I lived in Michigan, I couldn't wait to leave.  I hated it in that state, but then I found Grand Rapids, and the city sort of sneaks up on you, and you find yourself loving the city.

My soul will always be down South, but a part of me has adopted Grand Rapids as my home town.

Paperman - Full Animated Short Film

This is a short film created by the Disney Animation team, and they made it using both illustration and computer animation.  I think Disney did a good job with it.

My Christmas Eve Movie List

So every Christmas Eve, I try to watch at least three of these movies, if not all of them.  Usually, it goes into Christmas day, and then I sleep in Christmas Day, and it's wonderful.

1. Die Hard and Die harder
     What more could you want from a Christmas movie?  It's got action, suspense, drama, and comedy.  It's got Bruce Willis kicking ass, and he takes down the bad guy at the end.

2. It's a Wonderful Life
     I actually hated this movie when I was younger.  I ended up getting dragged to see it my first year in college, and I loved it.  I think it was seeing his genuine joy towards the end of the film, when he realized just how bad things could have turned out.

3. The Santa Clause trilogy
     I think I like this series, not only because I like Tim Allen, but also because this a movie specifically about Santa himself, rather than someone else's interaction with him.

4.  Ernest Saves Christmas
     I've loved Ernest since I was a kid, and the nostalgia just never wore off.  I love the style of comedy they use throughout the film, and it's just got a fun message to go with it.

5. Elf
   I normally don't like Will Ferrel movies, with only a few exceptions.  I think this one is my favorite of his, as it plays to his comedic strengths.

Of these, I always make certain to watch the first Die Hard, It's a Wonderful Life, and either the First Santa Clause Movie or Elf, if I can't fit in all of them.

Disney buys Star Wars

So, if you've been living under a rock recently, then you weren't aware that Disney bought the rights to Star Wars.  And frankly, if the first you're finding out about this is via my blog, then I'll be really surprised.

Now, personally,  I enjoyed the first three movies that came out, and I'm of the opinion that the second three are utter pieces of crap, so I can't imagine Disney doing much worse of a job than Lucas has been doing lately.  I do think it's sort of odd that Leia is now a Disney princess, but she's a much better addition than some of the other additions.

The other big piece of news is that they've also announced 7-9, so it'll be interesting to see where they go with that, and whether or not they recast the roles, or try to bring back the old cast.

A Fun Website

While browsing reddit this morning, someone linked to an interesting website called Globe Genie.  What it does is use Google Map's Street View feature.  However, instead of you picking, it randomly teleports you around the world.  Some of the views are amazing.

On Marriage

Oy.  I'm finally settled in enough that I can get around to posting again.  Sorry for the intermission, it's been a bit crazy.

I've been hearing a lot about the sanctity of marriage lately.  My mom is separating from her husband.  I think at some future time I'll finally get around to posting why I refer to him as such, even though he adopted me when I was eleven or twelve.  A few years ago, my uncle and his wife were divorced after she disappeared to Indiana.  He (my uncle) takes a more conservative christian view on the issue; It's fine that my parents are separating  as long as they're both open to reconciliation.  So there's that.

But what I want to write about in today's post is on the issue of who can get married.  There's been a big fuss made between sides, with one side in favor of the government allowing gay people to marry, and the other side of the coin being to make an amendment so that only a man and a woman can get married.  However, both sides are looking at this issue the wrong way.

The issue shouldn't be whether the government should or shouldn't allow certain people to marry each other.  The issue is this:  Why is the United States Government involved in marriage in the first place?  It isn't anyone's business who does or does not get married, except for the people who are getting married.  Outside of that, no government has any right to decide what happens between two or more consenting adults provided that their actions don't harm anyone else.  Harming someone's sensibilities doesn't count.