by Matt | Sep 3, 2001 | Imported Entry
Well, I’m a royal dumbass. Guess what today is. Yup, its Labor Day. Why is this important you ask? Well, I was going to look for a job today (see last post). If stores are closed, like they have a habit of doing on national holidays, I can’t really apply for jobs now can I? Damnit. I got all dressed up (kinda) and drove around town to my favorite stores. Sad part is, it took me about an hour of seeing “closed” signs to finally realize what was going on. Doh! Hmm, I wonder if pizza places are open. I’m jones’ing for some Papa John’s Pizza right about now….
by Matt | Sep 3, 2001 | Imported Entry
Well, today is “find a job day”. Wish me luck kids. I’m going to go hit up all the photo supply stores in town, then maybe the video game stores, then maybe resturants and see if they’d train me as a bar-tender. I dunno. I kinda figure that being a bar-tender would lend mor tips than just a waiter, but who knows. I wonder if they even do that? Train people that is. Whatever. I know that I could get a job at EB (if they were hiring) and probably most other retail places in the mall, I just don’t really want to. Retail isn’t any fun and the hours are shitty. We’ll see what turns up. I’m off, wish me luck.
Current Mood: Hopeful 
by Matt | Sep 3, 2001 | Imported Entry
Well, it’s happened. I’ve come across a desktop Blogger application. I’ve had some minor applications that have come close. For example, I have a “right-click” script to be able to update things right on the page. But this, this kick butt. I’ve come across BlogBuddy, a truely desktop pulisher for my journal. Huzah! You have no idea how happy this has made me. (Chip, you can stop groaning now) You see, the rest of my friends know that I update this far to often, and are beging to realize that now I can do it even more frequently. Hehehe.
Ok, tonight, Pete and I grabbed a bite to eat and then headed over to Hollywood video and tried to find something to rent. Collectively we’ve either seen everything or didn’t want to rent anything crappy, so we went home empty handed. Oh well, at least there’s something interesting on the Discovery channel.
Also, in random surfing tonight, I came across Fat Free Radio. A great alternative to normal streaming web audio. It’s the Tag’s Trance of the Punk world. All great punk, all the time.
Ok, bed time, I’m pretty tired and I’m not sure why. Later.
Current Mood: Happy 
by Matt | Sep 2, 2001 | Imported Entry
I’m going to do something that I usually reserve for the company of friends. I’m going to talk about what a messed up place the world is. Usually, I keep this off my page, usually I ignore politicians and they’re insipient ramblings, usually I don’t follow anything in the main stream media so I really don’t give a shit. But, today, I saw a story over at blues news. I found it interesting that our vice president is trying to pass more bills dealing with the computer game/computer entertainment industry over the issue of violence. Apparently, Washington idiots want to impose strict regulations on video games, more so than movies and music. Currently, the way the industry works is that games, apon or near completion are either rated (based on violence, sexuality etc) by the game company itself or by independent 3rd parties it hires to do it for them. Much like the music industry. Remember, its record companies themselves that put “explicit lyrics” warnings on your cds, not the government (though the govt. does like to pressure them). But, and this is a big but, currently music store employees are NOT required to check the IDs of the people buying music. Music is not an illegal substance. Same goes for video games. Video games are forms of entertainment. Violent, yes. Yes they are. But they are not illegal. A small child, if he/she really wants to, could walk into a video game store, pick up a copy of “Soldier of Fortune” or go into a record store an buy a “Snoop Dog” album and go home. Is that the entertainment industries fault? Not entirely, not even “mostly”. The actual purchasing has little to do with it. Several questions come in to play long before a kid puts money down on the counter.
1) Does the parent know what their child is buying?
2) Are they ok with that?
3) Where the fuck IS the parent? Why are they not with their child?
4) Why do people think its retails fault?
Retail, as a whole, is only the supply, not the incentive, not the wanting. Kids are simple to figure out. They see a friend, an older sibling, a parent, playing a video game, they want it. End. Period. Now, that takes care of the “want”, but what about the “permission”. It’s my honest belief that parents don’t do enough for/about their kids today. My parents, while aggravating sometimes, did a damn fine job in raising me. They never let me wonder the mall by myself, always had to approve what I wanted to buy, always took the time to find out what is was and why I wanted it. I can tell you, from working in retail, that none of this happens anymore. None of it. I can remember 2 (two!) parents this summer, asking me if I thought a game was too violent for their children. And those were just from the parents I saw. Can you even guess the number of kids that came into my store, under the age of 10, by themselves!?! It was shocking. Where were the parents? Who knows. Probably over at the Starbuck, sipping a half milk, half foam latte’ with their buddies. Parents then have the balls to come in and yell when they find out that their child purchased a video game that they didn’t approve of. Well, where were you in the first place numb nut? Why weren’t you here when you kid bought it? Oh, thats right, you were trying to get your cell phone out of your ass.
Ok, so, in my opinion, parents today don’t do jack and are a big part of the problem. As soon as they find something offensive, they jump all over it and demand retribution, failing to realize that their own incompetence got them into that mess in the first place. Then we have politicians who want to kiss PTA ass to stay in office, so they push bills to outlaw the selling of video games to minors. You can replace the words “video games” with “music”, “movies”, “clothes” or just about anything else LEGAL. All that and they keep pushing. Getting back to the article, they want MODs for video games to have ratings and warnings. What?!? MODs?!? MODs (or modifications) for those of you that don’t know, are alternate additions to video games that FANS AND PLAYERS make with the game’s source code AFTER it’s been released. Hence, THEY ALREADY OWN THE GAME! They obviously know if a game is violent or not by the time they make or play a MOD. Duh! Hello, is anyone paying attention anymore. This is simple physics folks. A) You buy a game, its violent, you have no problems with that. B) you want to play it a little differently and download a MOD, fully realizing it’s still the SAME GAME. C) You still need that original game in order to play the new addition to it. If you don’t own the game, you won’t be playing a MOD for it, I can guarantee it. And, if you have a problem with violence, don’t buy the game in the first place. After all, there are ratings on the box, and if you’re the type of person to care, you probably should be looking for those ratings anyway. Arg. Stupidity pisses me off.
Ok, to sum up: Violence is as violence does. Video games are just another thing that older people have a legal right to buy, play and enjoy. You can’t impose laws on an industry just because you don’t like its product. Parents should be involved with their children enough to know what they’re playing, watching on TV, listening to, doing after school. Also, don’t let your kids go into video game stores ALONE! Avoid the problem in the first place. Lastly, tell a politician to “suck it” for trying to police something that’s a parents responsibility in the first place. If my kids are going to want to play video games (just like their Dad 🙂 then they’re going to have to go through me, and thats the way it should be. If I want my kids to play violent video games (not that I do) then it’s my choice and I can let them if I want. Arg. Ok, enough ranting for a while, it’s making me hungry. I’m outta here. I apologize for the length, I usually don’t go on and on like this. I’ve had a bit to much caffeine today. Later.
Current Mood: I feel fine… but the rest of you idiots…! 
by Matt | Sep 2, 2001 | Imported Entry
Woot! I just finished an hour at the gym. Well, it’s not really a “gym”, more of a “fitness room”. Its next to the pool in my little community here and its just the perfect size to use. I think it’s been long forgotten or over-looked by the busy buisness men and army personel that live around here. At any rate, I decided it was about time to get off my ass and start getting back into the shape I was in my senior year of highschool. Back then, being on the varsity ski team kept me in shape, but since then I haven’t been to a gym except on rare occasions. But, I was able to keep pace with my expectations and did 30 minutes on the tredmill and 30 minutes on the bike. I feel great. Sweaty, but great.
What else?, oh ya, a shout out to my boy Dan, who turned 21 over the weekend. Happy Birthday Dan! Dan spent his birthday getting legally trashed for the the very first time. I don’t know if that was the best course of action, but I’m sure he had a hell of a time. Congrads. Lets see, other than that, not a lot is going on. Pete’s off at work, the RAs are at a retreat, the rest of the guys aren’t here yet. Damn, I came back really really early didn’t I? Oh well. More relaxing for me. Later.
Current Mood: Tired, very very tired 
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