For those of you who are curious, here are the movies in my NetFlix queue. I will probably put this into a MTPlugin soon and have it live in the sidebar.

I wanted true random links, but I didn't want to install PHP. Here's the answer:

First, you need a simple little perl script:

http://www.theevilempire.com/musings/rand.txt

Then you need another index template:

here

The result is a random link

Recently I rediscovered Sports Night. What a great show. The only problem is that I am zipping through the series too quickly.

In typical Aaron Sorkin fashion, Sports Night is a fast paced, intelligent show that went completely over the heads of the average Americans.

The formula for Sorkin's shows is actually quite simple -- put together an ensemble cast of characters who represent a series of people that we wish we could be. Each of the characters is close to who we are but better.

I have added a series of sidebars to the site. Among these are: reading, watching, and listening to. I figured that it would be a fun way to see what I'm up to in the entertainment department. You might also get some suggestions.

One thing to note; the 'reading' sidebar holds what my wife is currently reading. Why? Because I like to write more than I like to read. I consume tons of magazines, online articles, industry rags, etc. However, books just take too darn long.

I am no longer a resident of the state of California. However, like most of the country, I am watching the train wreck that is the Gubernatorial race. It seems to me that the Democrats missed a golden opportunity. They just needed to convince 3 or 4 people to change their names and run for governor.

Image this ballet:

1) Grey Davis
2) Arnold Schwarzenegger
3) Arnold Scwarzenegger
4) Arnold Schwarzanegger
5) Cruz Bustamante

With a ballot like that, Maria might not know for whom to vote.

I find it rather hilarious that even the hip-hop dictionary has been PC'ed. I am not saying that I disagree with the decision, but 'off the shizzle my nizzle' has been changed to 'off the shizzle my dizzle' for the ESPN XGames.

This is because 'nizzle' is apparently a derivation of the "N" word.

Like I said, I can't say that I disagree with the decision. There is no need to get anywhere close to offending people. On the other hand, I still find it funny that hip-hop jargon that no one really understands needs to be changed.

I stood there staring at the two remaining pieces of pizza. I didn't need them, but dammit I wanted them. In an effort to stall the inevitable, I visited the Dominos' website. There I learned that two pieces of pizza equated to just about 400 calories.

I decided to be reasonable and just have one. So, I carefully studied the two pieces, and I took the drastically bigger one.

I thought, "If I am going to have 200 calories that I don't need, I might as well get more bang for the buck."

"What?" you might be thinking.

Oh I know that it doesn't actually work like that, but it just makes me feel so much better. It's all part of a system that I call "Calorie Math." My "Calorie Math" is not to be confused with the nutritionist's view of calories. They have this uptight view that 1 gram of fat is 9 calories. I know the real secrets.

For instance:

While I am not a huge baseball fan, even I find this pretty cool.

Atlanta Braves' shortshot Rafael Furcal recorded an unassisted triple-play last night. That's right -- without help from anyone (save the poor other team) he snagged three outs in one play.

edit: Fixed a glaring mistake. :(

I am still quite upset that Dat Phan won. I have come to the conclusion that people in American have no taste.

However, this makes it all worth it. Heck, I might just order one.

It has come to my attention that my previous post was a little geeky. Other geeky things that I say include:

I wish that companies would admit that e-mail support is just another way of pushing the problem back to the customer.

In the worst of the Seattle heat, I ordered an air-conditioner from Costco.com. With the promised delivery of '5 business days' having past, I sent an e-mail (their only option) to support. Two weeks later I received a response saying, "I don't know what you are talking about. Our records indicate that you got your unit." Well, no duh. That was two weeks ago.

Maybe they can just pretend to give us the equivalent phone number, 1 (800)DEV-NULL.

Well. I think that I have finally finished moving everything to www.theevilempire.com/musings . Update your bookmarks accordingly.

Old links should still work. Permalinks should be fine also. To be honest, everything should still work. I just like theevilempire.com better. After all, who else can say that they have the e-mail address bgates@theevilempire.com (too much spam forced it into early retirement though)?

Is there a name generator that spammers use? I get some funky names trying to send me "mail."

Examples include:

Hazel Newell
Laverne Stevenson
Zachery Herring
Elijah Moody
Winfred McManus

Maybe it's just me; however, wouldn't you hope to stumble across a recipient's actual contact? I could be wrong, but I would imagine that there are more 'Catherine Johnsons' than 'Winfred McManus'.

At least that's what the name list would seem to indicate.

I have been reluctant to discuss the Kobe Bryant story on this site.

I rarely shy away from controversy. However, I become wary when the medium is one where the nuances of my arguments will not be fully grasped.

In already-charged situations people rarely take the time to understand the argument being made; just ask Mark Cuban. When asked what Kobe's case will mean to the NBA, Mark talked about controversy and notoriety increasing ticket sales and league interest.

He gave the correct answer. His answer did not indicate that the alleged rape was good. He did not say these comments in a ghoulish manner. He simply answered the question. The result was headlines like "Cuban declares case good for the NBA."

People want to pretend that this case is like all others. It isn't and I'll tell you why.

First, Kobe is famous. Admittedly, this isn't a shocker of an argument. However, it's a factor when determining the extent to which the alleged victim's past should be included.

In typical rape cases the sexual promiscuity (among other things) of a victim is deemed off-limits. I contend that Kobe's defense hinges on her past. However, unlike typical cases it isn't a matter of how many people are in her past but WHO those people are.

Early rumors indicate that she bragged to friends about sleeping with a Justin Timberlake look-alike while on a road trip to audition for 'American Idol'.

Are you telling me that when someone seeks out both the spotlight and celebrities it isn't applicable to the case at hand?

Other rumors indicate that she attempted suicide just months prior. Was this a sign of serious problems or just a cry for attention? Are you telling me that this isn't applicable? After all, the defendant is about as famous as one gets.

After searching for a delicate way to phrase the next portion, I have concluded that there isn't one. Rumors indicate that she mentioned to friends that she was somewhat shocked by the size of Kobe's penis. She mentioned that it was larger than she expected. Leaks from the prosecution side mention vaginal tearing. Are you telling me that her experience/lack of experience isn't applicable here? Maybe it helps her. Maybe it doesn't. Either way, pretending that it doesn't matter is ludicrous.

I understand the intent of these laws. However, this case appears to be largely a "He said. She said." case. When Kobe's team is barred from discussing the credibility of the alleged victim that is a large handicap to overcome. Will they need to rely on the science? What is that? Are they going to enter Kobe's penis into evidence? Will they hire Pixar to do computer renderings of how the tearing could have occurred? I can see it now -- Kobe is found not guilty, but for the rest of his life there will be computer porn floating around the Internet. This thread has quickly deteriorated into the absurd (I hope).

Let's get back to it.

Is it right that the alleged victim's name is off-limits? While it's not that hard to find, I won't publish it here. Do I agree with that? Nope. First, Kobe's isn't. Sure you could say that he chose to be famous, but that isn't the reason why his is and hers isn't. Why should someone who hasn't been found guilty carry the stigma of wrong-doing while someone who has done no wrong be shielded? Shouldn't it be reversed? If she is telling the truth, she has done NOTHING wrong. He on the other hand is being accused of an horrific crime. Second, shielding the victim's name just perpetuates the myth that there is something over which to be ashamed. There isn't.

There are some of my thoughts on the matter. If you disagree, let's hear why. Don't just walk away thinking, "He's full of crap." Give me a chance to defend myself. Maybe you misunderstood me. Who knows?

Well -- I think that I have finished an overhall of the site. However, I don't have access to the array of browsers and OSes needed to actually test it. With that said, if people wouldn't mind shooting a comment or an e-mail letting me know if things look alright for them, that would be great. Thanks.

Heck I might even get back to writing content. After learning the hard way that Yahoo doesn't keep their pictures archived for too long, I have cleaned up the Caption Of The Day section. This forced me to remove many good ones. :( On the other hand, it reminded me what fun that was. I think that I might start that up again.

Thanks for listening.

I never thought that *I* would have to be a voice of reason. ;) Yes -- Rocco comes off really bad. However, it couldn't be edited to be more against him.

First, does anyone actually believe Gideon? I don't. His arm might hurt a bit, but it isn't broken. He's a little weasel. Rocco just sees right through it.

Second, I am sick of the whining of these employees. After two nights of working, they are having a meeting to discuss what *they* think the restaurant should be. They all need to give it a chance to settle down. Do they expect everything to be a well-oiled machine after two nights? It isn't going to be. Their tips will improve. Rocco will have more time to listen to them. He is just REALLY busy. Having started a company from scratch, I feel for the guy. I certainly understand what he means when he says, "My job is to never let them know all that I do."

At this point in the post I am going to drive my Mitsubishi down to the grocery store. I am a little thirsty. I could really use a Coors Light. I sure hope that the grocery store takes Amex. Otherwise I might have to call Stacey and get a bridge loan from the American Express Open Network.

Back to the content.

Someone actually said something like, "What is Rocco's role here?" Are they thinking about voting him off the island? It is a Mark Burnett show. All they see is Rocco glad handing. They don't see him getting up at the crack of dawn. They don't see that he is working while they are drinking. It is part of the reason that he is famous and they are waiters. They probably think that it was luck.

Did that waitress stand up at the meeting and say, "Rocco isn't that bad. I told him that I didn't want to be nice to people all the time, and he didn't fire my a%^ on the spot." Heck know's that I would have.

What has surprised me is the extent to which the food has been portrayed as awful. I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised. Mark isn't known for pulling his punches. When one of the Survivor contestants fell in the fire, Mark said that the cameraman would have been fired if he didn't keep filming. Now that's hardcore!

I suppose that I should typing before I go too far. I'm going to go chill out with a nice cool Coors Light.