Where I talk about MLB 10 The Show Season 1 Game 1, some good links to check out, and RANTS!

MLB 10 The Show Season 1, Opening Day 
Braves Vs. Cubs

     I picked up this game at Target at the end of last year. I think it was the last of their PS2 games because it was tucked into a corner on a discount shelf. I'm going to play with my favorite team the Braves. I skipped spring training and will be starting with the team I have without making any trades off the bat as I usually do. I played a few games with it when I first got it but that was months ago. I haven't played any games for about a month.
   The season started with a single game with the Cubs and then a gap until the first series of the season also against the Cubs. Weird but whatever, I'm going to try and play a series when I play the game. I'm starting out on Veteran Level which is the second level. I did that because I almost always suck at pitching on baseball games until I get to play them for a season or two.

Braves-3 Vs. Cubs-12

at Turner Field

     Topps Player Of The Game: Aramis Ramirez{Cubs} 2 for 4, HR, and 3 RBI

     Winning Pitcher: C. Zambrano

     Losing Pitcher: D. Lowe

     *We started the game off pretty good but had two really bad innings of pitching and even when I had the bases loaded a couple times I hit into two triple plays because I'm still trying to get use to base running on the game. Our time needs to improve the basics or its going to be a very long season.
     *After the game against the Cubs I signed John Smoltz as a free agent and added him to my starting rotation. Now I have six starting pitchers which I think I'll need if my pitching play doesn't improve.

COOL LINKS TO CHECK OUT:

     Speaking of sports game .... gaming? ... here's some John Green FIFA play. Time Travel: The Miracle of Swindon Town #150 and Likable Characters: The Miracle of Swindon Town #151
     My Tumblr is lost out there on the internet somewhere. I forgot which password and email I used to set it up but I never really got into it much. I didn't really see the benefits that separate it from blogging such as on Blogger. Though this reminds me I need to get cracking on a project involving Tumblr that a friend asked for me to help her with. Tumblr: The Musical
     I know I wasn't the only person live tweeting the Olympic opening cermonies but in the end I think Warren Ellis gets the gold ... or maybe something more like a crown of thornes would be more suitable to him?
     One of my favorite podcasts has a new episode up. Stacey's Pop Culture Parlour Episode 6.

RANTS AND SCREAMS:

     Come on. People running their mouths again. All this lady needs to do is prove she's alive. My state is fast becoming a wet dream out of the mind of Warren Ellis evil twin Wart. Voter Not Dead Again

     To be honest I think it isn't facts Bachmann has problems with but more so reality. She's a little on the nutty side of things. Former Bachmann Campaign Chief: ‘I Am Fully Aware That She Sometimes Has Difficulty With Her Facts’

     The place I was planning to go to so I can get the last of the teeth pulled that a former dentist screwed in and fucked up closed. Thank you Florida for over and over again turning down federal money while closing and cutting government operations one after the other people needs. Fuck you Rich Scott. Oh, and anyone who wants to take the Mitt line about people wanting something for free. Fuck you too. I guess I wont be asking for handouts when I'm dead.

     I love when I see people talking about hating Westboro Baptist Church but then they have things on their Facebook, Twitter feeds, or websites about being against equal marriage or gay rights. You know what the difference is between them and you? They're more honest.

      If you're at work or school or church or surfing the net at your moms house click here. As I have to say from time to time I don't give a fuck if someone gets pissed that I post something here or on one of my sites that someone whines, "That's NSFW."

     Don't you feel great having a Supreme Court Justice who said "There is no right to privacy." Tell me how that makes you feel in your gut? But so many people cheer Scalia. Scalia rejects privacy rights

     I feel a rage blackout coming on today. I taste colors, I see Ragdoll winning a gold metal, I can feel my breakfast. It's a egg.

     Coward. I actually feel a lot of the same feelings about Laura Bush's views before her husband came into office compared to when he was in office. Some of our bravest moments must come when faced with the opposing views of our friends and loved ones. Those are the strongest stances we have to take. I have friends with views all over the place but none of us holds back, speak with respect, and that makes our friendships stronger and that would have made our nation stronger.{me saying this on my Facebook started a good discussion there} Cheney Supported Marriage Equality In 2000, Kept Silent To Help Bush

Where I talk about MLB 10 The Show Season 1 Game 1, some good links to check out, and RANTS!

Where I talk about Marvel Now, Smashwords, a Kickstarter project, and lots and lots of cool links and one rant.

     So I was going to write about Marvels new NEWS OF THE DECADE! Marvel's doing a relaunch/reboot/rethink but are they making the same mistakes DC made? In a word. Yes. But this one incoherent grouping of words pretty much says all I have to say on the subject. Though I'll probably rant on it later when a lot of the trades start coming out in hardcovers.


      Also my mind changed to me wishing to write about something that came up yesterday in a conversation with a reader of my stuffs. That person of conversation wasn't the first one to bring this subject up, I get a lot of emails from people when I release a free project to my Smashwords store saying they do't like that they have to create a account with Smashwords, which is free, to download said free projects.
     Let me talk for a bit  here and hopefully I can address this subject.
     The whole having to create an account thing happens because I'm not releasing as free per say but as a You Set The Price! method of payment; which can be free or however much you wish to pay. You can always read the thing for free first and then if you liked and want to pay something by download again and this time pay. A lot of people choice to do it this way and many for the second download were they pay they choose to send that copy as a gift to a friend which you can do now on Smaswords.
     The reason this whole thing is better for a writer to do is it gives the creator information on downloads/sales. I need this to know what people like and might like more of from me or others I work with. Raw numbers are still a very valuable tool because so many people don't comment or send emails or anything outside of the download/purchase.
     This is especially important when doing ongoing series. Lets say I'm writing two series, which I've been doing, with one I get a lot of responses from readers and the other nothing. You would think the one I get responses for would be the most popular? Not always the case. Take for example Chaos Read and Tin Universe, my two ongoing story series. Tin Universe gets way more emails than Chaos Read which gets hardly any but Chaos Read is downloaded three times more. Now you also have to factor in that one is You Set The Price! and the other is $0.99usd but you get the point in that example which I admit isn't very adapt at all.
     Moving on.
     The point I'm trying to make is that I factor in all of these things when deciding if people would like to see more of one character or groups of characters or types of stories over another. The best thing to happen would be for every reader to email or leave a comment or post a review but that's not going to happen. Some people might hate it so much they don't even want to talk about it but there are also others who just don't do the whole comment or email thing. I view tons of web shows daily but have only commented twice but I make sure to Like, Tweet, Share, or Dislike things.... though to be honest I never dislike something. If I don't like it I just don't hit Like or anything after viewing.
     I know signing up for yet another site sucks. I know if you're purchasing something that means giving another site your credit card information and that sucks, but all of these things help the artists. The process and information gathered through the process is something all independent artist need to learn and use.
     With that said I also know this can drive away readers. I know this was a big issue when I left LuLu and I'm still trying to built back that readership.
     Things like Smashwords, Kickstarter, LuLu and such are attempts to put more control and money in the hands of the artists who do the work. These systems are nowhere near perfect but they are building to something truly special if we all keep working hard to get it there.
     I thought I should mention this since it's come up quite a bit lately. I know when I left LuLu I lost readers but that was a choice because Smashwords offered more to creators in many ways. It's my home right now and I'm working to build that catalog into something that is worth setting up a new account there for.

Check Out my Smashwords store here.

COOL LINKS TO CHECK OUT:
     Found this the other day on the sidebar watching John Green videos. "I Just Need A Mate" a Ballad to Doctor Who The artist had other songs I liked also. Hope to see more from her in the future. I love the internet. Put your work out there. The internet is a reason why we should never forget to be awesome. DFTBA
     Speaking of someone who never forgets to be awesome. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Want It Back (Uncensored)
     Ivy's Journal has been one of my favorite blogs to follow for years. Check it out.

     Check out the below Kickstarter. I'm a big fan of Moon Freight 3. One of my favorite webcomics.

     This Maureen Johnson shirt needs to be in my closet. This is like her official logo in my brain and you would know what I mean if you have meet her in person. That lady looks like she has so much energy inside her it might explode from her eyes at any moment.
     Today is Nikola Tesla's 156th Birthday. Celebrate by sharing this song for him by 8in8 (Ben Folds, Neil Gaiman, Damian Kulash, and Amanda Palmer)
     Probably the worst thing that could happen for one team and totally be awesome to the other. Google Autofill - Can I...?: The Miracle of Swindon Town #139
     Who are you sir or madam? Chordates - CrashCourse Biology #24
     


RANTS AND SCREAMS:
     Florida ignores reality and reasoning when it comes to most things. Reasoning, intelligence, and independent thought are sure to be illegal here soon. They are already hardly used in the state so people probably wont miss them much. Florida Ignores FBI Database When Granting Gun Carry Permits
     Only one rant today but if you check out my Facebook there might be more but I need to get off the computer now. I hear the thunders outside.

Where I talk about Marvel Now, Smashwords, a Kickstarter project, and lots and lots of cool links and one rant.

Where I talk about my current favorite comic, TV, and web series.

I wonder what I'm going to write about today....?


          How about a little cheat entry made up of two top-ten lists.


     Current Top-Ten Comic Books{these are for the most part books I'm following in trades}:
1- Y The Last Man
* I'm on volume 8. I pick up one or two volumes of this series a year and it never disappoints. One of my favorite comics of all time. Great writer, great interior art, and some of the best covers I've ever seen.
2- Buffy The Vampire Slayer (the season series)
* Loved season eight and looking forward to getting the first volume of season nine. I saw it the other day at the comic book store but I was already planning to pick up the new Guild trade so maybe next time.
3- Naruto
* The void in me from no more Harry Potter was filled by Naruto and it continues to be one of the best, most creative, and heart pounding stories in manga or any other comic book storytelling form. The last few volumes were a  little too Naruto less for me but right now I have Volume 57 sitting in front of me ready to go.
4- X-Factor
* Peter David writing X-Factor means I'm buying X-Factor. Probably my favorite Marvel book over the past five or so years. The only mainstream superhero books I was buying for a long time were Secret Six and X-Factor.
5- Batwoman
* Some of the best art in any comic going whether its mainstream superhero stuff or not. One of my favorite DC characters right now.
6- Animal Man
* I have always loved Animal Man. I have all the old trades and love his appearances in the old Justice League Europe series, which I'd love to have in trade also; so I had to pick up the first volume of the reboot and I wasn't disapointed. Can't wait until Volume 2 and this will also lead me to reading Swamp Thing in the New 52 DC Universe.
7- Saga
* I bought the first four issues of Saga and now will be going only trades with it but not because I don't like it, the complete other way is true, I will be buying these trades for a long time into the future.
8- Wonder Woman
* Was looking forward to volume one of the reboot of Wonder Woman so much that I even bought this in hardcover and as anyone who reads my blog, or my Twitter, or my Facebook, or is near me at the right rant moments knows I had hardcover comic books.
9- Stormwatch
* I enjoyed the first volume and though I'm disappointed Paul Cornell left the series I really like the whole concept of how it was relaunched and how its meant to fit into the overall DC Universe.
10- DMZ
* I got volume one of DMZ for free at my local comic book store Famous Faces And Funnies as part of their Free Comic Book May promotion. Volume 2 is on my list as I think I've found another series to add to my trade buying.
     {Remember check out your local comic book shop for all of these great series}


     Current Top-Ten TV or Web Series:
1- Doctor Who
* THE BEST TELEVISION SERIES OF ALL TIME! A lot of the modern Doctor Who is on Netflix and a few classic stories. More classic stories Netflix, please. NOW!!!
2- Bob's Burgers
* "I think I have a yest infection. Would you smell my fingers?" and so this show had me with those lines. Bob's Burgers is currently on Netflix and has passed both The Simpsons and South Park in my viewing love for animated comedies.
3- The Big Bang Theory
* Smart, creative, well acted, well written, and a great sitcom that plays with modern view points in a classic sense of what a sitcom is. In so many ways BBT is a throw back to old sitcoms.
4- Young Justice
* The best superhero animated series on television. Though the current Invasion story makes you wonder if the series has a goal point, it still is sharply written during these overall story arcing movements with individual  character high points and fan wank moments that never feel like wank.
5- The Guild
* Felicia Day did not only create my favorite web series ever. I truly think she energized the whole creative heart of the internet whether asswipes who go after her want to admit it or not. The lady is a creative force that makes me excited for each and every thing she takes part in. One of my inspirations to keep at my projects. You can find The Guild currently on Netflix or on Felicia Day's YouTube channel Geekandsundry. The DVD sets are really cheap on Amazon also.
6- Archer
* "Dangerzooone."
7- Crash Course
* The educational videos of Hank and John Green get me interested in so many things that, I, in the past, had not one bit of interest in because I didn't think I was smart enough.
8- Game Of Thrones
* Not a huge fantasy fan but a friend told me I should check this series out when it started and it's a stop point at our apartment whenever new episodes come out.
9- Vlogbrothers
* The series that started it all for the Green brothers is still one of my favorite shows.
10- Hank Games
* Well, I have to admit I'm more of a Hank Games without Hank fan when his brother John plays FIFA Football.


     *how come whenever I try to do a cheat fast entry it ends up drowned in links and ramble? Maybe I should just post pictures with text everyone is putting onto every picture online and call it a day?


CHECK OUT THESE LINKS:
     John Green gives a Vidcon recap of thoughts. The Physics of Book Clubs and Vidcon
     This Indoor Kids ends up mainly being about everyone's masturbation habits. LOLLIPOP CHAINSAW - James Gunn slashes zombies with The Indoor Kids
     If you like bugs and the like check out this Crash Course. Annelids & Arthropods Biology #23
     A few Crash Course history lessons on religions. Christianity from Judaism to the Constantine: Crash Course World History... and Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar: Crash Cou...
     SciShow dives into Altruism
     Video Game High School episode 2


RANTS AND SCREAMS:
     This is fucking bullshit. And its always Florida. Living in Florida is like living on the surface area of a anus.

     Florida might be the wang of America but Rich Scott is leftover foreskin someone voodooed into life. Has this mother fucker done anything remotely worse shit beside cutting spending. Just cutting spending does nothing because that like amputating an arm for finger cuts.

     When the same telemarketers keep calling me I like to pull up a porn clip on the internet and hold my phone up to the speakers.
     Ok, Scott has problem with doctors asking if you own a gun but its ok for doctors to not treat women on moral grounds? Ok not to give out medicine based on religious views? When the fuck did our country become a scifi novel? It's a hard life for a writer out there trying to create crazier shit that's really happening, right now, in America. Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Florida Law Banning Doctors From Asking About Guns

     When I was a kid I didnt really care for fireworks. As an adult nothing has changed but for more blood lust. Am I the only sick shit who goes on YouTube the day after the 4th of July looking for disaster videos?
     I love how the GOP is always "We'll allowing killings for not having a little american flag on your jacket." but its ok to boo gay soldiers, to talk shit about female soldiers. People like Joe Walsh are wastes of flesh. Rep. Joe Walsh Blasts Double Amputee’s Military Service, Says She’s Not 

     Every citizen needs something along these lines because of stuff like this among many things in NY.
     Gov websites still look like they were made in 1995 by a 80 yrd grandma who wanted to know what the internets were about and was taking a weekend class. I'M LOOKING AT YOU DMV!

Where I talk about my current favorite comic, TV, and web series.

Where I talk about how censoring Fifty Shades Of Grey was a action of a very stupid person

   The whole Fifty Shades Of Grey censorship mess is taking place in my backyard so to speak. The libraries that are the focal point of this screw up are libraries I walk into on a monthly basis. I gets holds from these libraries on a daily schedule. Great books and some very great people. But not so much sunshine on one particular person.
    Earlier this month the head of library services in Brevard County, Cathy Schweinsberg, made the decision to pull all copies of the Fifty Shades series from library shelves. Now, to clarify, Schweinsberg is not a librarian.  She is the library services department head and the director of the Central Brevard Library (basically, an administrator) (basically a paper pusher).
    Librarians did not make the decision to pull the book.  Individual libraries directors made the purchases (by the extended permission afforded them through the library's collection development policy).  According to her, the books did not fit the selection criteria for the library system.  The decision to pull the books was made quickly by Schweinsberg.  By herself.  With no review. A one woman moral compass.
    So what you might say? Well, first of all the books were selected and already made available to patrons.  And despite being on the top of every bestseller list and requested by 200 + library users, the series was deemed to be outside the scope of the library's collection criteria (or in Schweinsberg's words "mommy porn" which the library doesn't collect).  Plus, there's this little thing called the ALA Library Bill of Rights.
     Despite her statements and email stating this isn't censorship, it is.  This book was provided to customers and then taken away because of one person's point of view.
    That's censorship.
    And it's a problem because 1) even by the library's own collection development policy the selection of the books was acceptable due to public demand, 2) the books were made available AND then pulled off the shelves (instead of simply not being ordered), and 3) the decision to pull the items was made unilaterally (while the collection development policy states clearly that challenges to materials must be presented to the library board for a decision).
    (At this point I want to point out that other libraries who have chosen not to purchase the book are not censoring it.  Brevard County Libraries did; Cathy Schweinsberg did.  The book was provided and then removed without a review process).  The fact that Schweinsberg made the decision based on her personal reading of the title and the totally non-professional label of "mommy porn") shows that the decision was a biased one.
    To review the library's policy and decide for yourself take a look at LibraryJournal's coverage.
     One of the biggest problems here is that there was a complete lack of transparency in the decision making process.  The decision to censor was made by one person alone.  It was actually a violation of the library's own collection development policy.  And it was a capricious one at that.  As others have pointed out the library's collection has many other erotic titles.  So...which book will be the next to go?
     Even while facing international backlash (including statements from the National Coalition Against Censorship and Random House), Schweinsberg and the County are standing by the decision.  A library board meeting is taking please tonight so we'll have to see what happens.
   Take a look at the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Statement on the banning.
   An area library user has started a petition on Change.org to tell Schweinsberg to restore the book to library shelves.
   And on a final personal note. I was at a local Target the other day and flipped through the book. I read a little bit and you know what, its really not that dirty from what I read. A little talk about anal fisting but I say whats so wrong with that word? Fisting, fisting. Has a nice ring to it. I need a parrot so I can teach it to say Fisting. I might end up having to buy this book to read it. It had me at "I want to conquer your ass." Sold me. It was my hello.


Cool links to check out:
   A Surreal Descent into Madness: Reviewing Children's TV
   Twice as Weiss: The Miracle of Swindon Town #110
   Girls With Slingshots is one of my favorite webcomics. Like this new one.
   Order a cool print or two from a cool artist.
"If you use the code SKETCHYSKETCH at checkout, you get stuff for 50% off today, because I'm testing the coupons function at Etsy. My curiosity is your gain."


Rants and rambles:
   Big publishers, entertainment companies aren't afraid of the internet and digital publishing because people are stealing their stuff, that scares creators, but big companies are afraid because people are making some really fucking cool stuff without having to go through them to do it.

   I really really really hate the bullshit of saying there is a certain way to use Twitter, Facebook, Blogger or anything else on the internet. Do your thing, have fun. People who push this BS are just trying to say look I'm a "real" Twitter user. If you want to post nothing but photos of food on Twitter, pics of cats on Facebook, or pics of guys without shirts on Tumbur, go for it.

   11 WAYS YOU'RE ANNOYING ON TWITTER


   Wait, what? I thought this was legal now? Why are the going after him? 
   Too much?
   I think its fucking too much how our government is actually having debate whether women are targeted for violence and which women its ok to help or not. That is too much to me. That fucking pisses me. All of these people in our government doing this should have to travel to murder scenes like this and take in the atmosphere of the degree of hatred that is aimed at women every day.

   CNN Breaking News ‏ @cnnbrk

Groom prime suspect in stabbing death of Illinois bride, police say.

   A conversation between me and friend after she read this story.

   My friend, "See there isn't a war on women. Just that bit between our legs. And the middle part and our brain for voting stupid. We're just silly females."

   Me, "Did you hear, Kentucky thinks women s toes are sinful and shouldn't be painted. It mentions it in Bible, somewhere in the back." 

Where I talk about how censoring Fifty Shades Of Grey was a action of a very stupid person

LOVE THE JOKE

Dems to Investigate Bush Signing Statements
In other Congressional news, Democratic House Judiciary Committee chair John Conyers has announced plans to investigate President Bush’s use of signing statements -- through which he claims a right to ignore or not enforce sections of bills that he signs into law. Conyers says the investigation will focus on around 150 of the signing statements Bush has signed into law. Since taking office the president has issued over 800 signing statements – more than all other presidents combined.
Democracy NOW!
I see the signing statements as acts of aggression against the American people and while others have yelled from hemp built towers about other reasons why Mr. President could find himself in a few little legal pickles after he gets out of office. I think this one maybe what gets him. If they approach going after him like he has broken a legal contract putting him in the shoes of lets say a head of company which by the way government offices are held to that sort of standard by law, just hardly ever taken down that road. They could go after him stating he knowingly 1-signed documents and acts of action which he had no intention of following and 2- that he mislead voters (would be investors or stock holders in a company) by doing these things so under the radar knowing the national news almost never explores these actions on his part. Now me? I say don’t put him in jail. I say just line him up on along a road somewhere in Philadelphia and who ever gets there within lets say a hours time get one chance to get him a good kick in the ass. That’s justice.

South Dakota Lawmakers Re-introduce Abortion Ban
Lawmakers in South Dakota have introduced a new attempt to ban abortion. The “Women’s Health and Human Life Protection Act” would permit abortion only to prevent the death of a woman. Victims of rape or incest would be allowed abortion under several restrictions. They would have to report the rape within fifty days, submit blood samples to law enforcement, obtain records for physicians, and provide the name and address of the alleged rapist. The new measure comes three months after South Dakota voters rejected an abortion ban on the mid-term ballot.
Democracy NOW!
Don’t you love our form of democracy? People stand up, cast their vote, and the political Jesus’ will help us find the error of our ways in letting us know we made the wrong decision. But we still get to vote…for now, and at least until they decide we just can not be trusted to make the right decisions for God, Country, and Good Old American Values.


Early this morning and later in the day from what I have read we got hammered by stormshere in Florida. One of the reasons why I want to get out of this state because some times you just feel like Mother Natures venting area.


And to end with. Insert what ever thoughts make you happy or angry. I just thought it was beautiful in the way most things involving modern technology is not. Found through this daily visit.

Written at the pay the rent job,
C.

LOVE THE JOKE