Hey guys, this is for those who are going to "Painted Desert Fur Con" this January. If you're going and you haven't gotten a room yet, I'm here to help. I'll be coming in on Thursday January 2nd and leaving on Monday January 6th. I will be based out of the main hotel and have a double room so there's no need to bring a sleeping bag or rent a rollaway. I'm a quiet, non drinking and non smoking type who just needs some room mates to help defray expenses. The cost for all four nights will be $388.78 ($777.56 split two ways) but of course if you're not spending that long at the convention, i'm willing to negotiate. I prefer to be paid by Paypal (preferably in advance) so if you can help me out please drop me a line at baarorso[at]email.com and we'll talk. Thanks!

Other than me, who's watching "V for Vendetta" tonight in honor (or perhaps I should say "in honour") of the 5th of November? ;D

If you're going to "Painted Desert Fur Con" in January and are looking for a room, I'm here to help. I'll be coming in Thursday January 2nd and leaving on Monday January 6th and will of course be based out of the main hotel. I'm a quiet sort who doesn't drink, smoke or party hearty but is just looking for a room mate to keep expenses down. all I ask is that you help out with your share of the room fees of $388.78 ($777.56 for four nights' stay split 2 ways-and I do prefer Paypal paid in advance). If you're willing to help out, please e-mail me at baarorso@email.com. Thanks!

The Arizona Fur Con hotel room block may have closed but if anyone needs a room at this late a date, I'm here to help. I'm going to be coming in on Thursday October 24th and leaving on Monday, October 28th. I'm a quiet sort who doesn't drink or smoke but would love to have your company. Should you choose to spend all four nights with me, your share of the room fees will be $316.98, but I can negotiate with you should not want to spend that long with me. If you're willing to lend me a hand, please e-mail me at baarorso@email.com. Thanks!

Interesting. Windows 7 is going to be "end of lifed" in about 3 months and yet they're still updating it (I got an update for my Win 7 machine this morning).

If anyone needs a room for Arizona Fur Con 2019 at this late date, I'm willing to lend my own. I've got a double at the Delta and will be there from Thursday October 24th to Monday October 28th. I'm a non drinker and non smoker and all I ask is that you pay your share of the room fees. If you want to stay with me all four nights your share of this will be $316.98 but if you want to leave earlier I can negotiate. If you want to be my room mate for AFC 2019 please let me know by e-mailing me at baarorso[at]email.com and we'll talk. Thanks!

I was reading an article in the morning paper about a Navajo "Code Talker", a man who used his knowledge of the Navajo language during World War 2 to transmit intelligence to our allies. This method of transmission was quite effective, as I recall him saying that "the Germans could never crack our codes".

It was then a cruel irony hit me.

Up until fairly recently, we "palefaces" were in the habit of not only herding Native Americans off their tribal lands (lands they'd occupied for thousands of years) and onto reservations, but also tried to "westernize them", forcing them to adopt our ways and denying them the right to wear their native clothing and hairstyles and yes even talking in their tribal tongues.

This, and yet we relied on the Native American language of Navajo to transmit intelligence to our allies. I guess we sorta, kinda forgot our "cultural assassination" of the Native American ways when such ways were useful to us.

Now of course we've matured and have learned to appreciate Native American customs and ways and allow them being performed and practiced whenever possible, but as I've already pointed out this wasn't always the case.

This week is "Banned Books Week", the time in which we remember books that have been challenged or banned from school and public library shelves as being "inappropriate" and fight to keep those books on the shelves so that everyone who wants to can have a look at them and decide for themselves whether they're "appropriate" or not.

As a life long bookworm I quite naturally dislike the idea of others making the decisions on what I can and can't read. I'm an adult after all and feel that I'm mature enough to make that decision on my own.

I do have an idea why books are challenged or banned and it's very simple.

Books are filled with ideas, especially new ideas, and new ideas scare people.

Ideas are powerful things, and can change thinking and change the world. People on the other hand (at least some people) tend to be fixed in their thinking and don't exactly like the idea of concepts contrary to that thinking getting in their way. Thus when those new ideas are presented they fight like the dickens to suppress those ideas. We must constantly on guard against those people in order to preserve the free exchange of ideas, both in public forum and on the printed (and e-printed) pages.
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Let's face it, being a member of this so called "furry fandom" is great. It's a lot of fun envisioning yourself as the animal you have a spiritual connection to and even role playing that animal online and through the use of costumes or "fursuits" as we call them. However I do wonder how many in the fandom were outcasts and "weirdos" all their lives and became a part of this so called "furry fandom" because they never quite fit in with mainstream society.

Hey guys, who's going to Arizona Fur Con and needs a room? I happen to have one and am looking for a room mate. I'll be coming in on October 24th and leaving on October 28th. I've got a double bed in my hotel room so there's no need to bring a sleeping bag or rent a rollaway. I'm a quiet, non partying type who just needs someone to pay his or her share of the room fee of $316.98 ($633.95 total cost split two ways). If you can help me out (I prefer being paid in advance via Paypal) please contact me at baarorso[at]email.com and we'll talk. Thanks!

When I was a kid, "The Six Million Dollar Man" was one of my favorite shows. Each week I sat enraptured in front of the TV watching Steve Austin (the man of the title) solve problems using his wits and the bionic parts he'd been given. Also I had a "Six Million Dollar Man" action figure and spent many happy hours putting through his "day saving" paces. Good times!

Recently I found out that all the "Six Million Dollar Man" episodes were available on a multi-dvd boxed set and made plans to purchase the set as an early birthday gift to myself. Recently, I decided "what the hey" and decided to treat myself to it anyway and am watching the one of the three series plots now as I type this. I think it'll be fun reacquainting myself with episodes I haven't seen in years plus seeing episodes that I've never seen before (such as the plots I just mentioned). I'm sure that the show is going to be one big cheese-fest to my adult eyes but I'm sure that'll be part of the charm. Can't wait!

A thought occurred to me over dinner. It's been 18 years since the terrible events of 9/11. That means that roughly a whole generation of children has grown up hearing about 9/11 but not being around or at least old enough to fully understand the impact of that day. Frankly I hope the wounds of 9/11 never heal, and this in a good way. A wound that heals is a wound that is soon completely forgotten, and we never, ever want our children, their children or their children's children to forget about the 3000+ innocents that were killed on that day or the hateful cowards that killed those innocents. We can only hope about this.

I own a multitude of gaming consoles ranging from the "Playstation 4" to a "Nintendo 64" but today my Sega "Dreamcast" took center stage-and this for a special reason. Today, September 9th, 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of this remarkable and powerful console. In commemoration I spent some quality time with my "Dreamcast" today playing such games as "Wetrix+" and "Zombies' Revenge".

It surely had promise back in the day. For developers it was easy to program for due to its running a form of the "Windows" operating system. For gamers it delivered power to spare, plus it was the first console to offer online multiplayer gaming thanks to the 56k modem included with the package. Unfortunately it was one console that never got its just due. Sega's reputation as a hardware manufacturer had been tarnished by several miscues in the mid to late 90s (among other things they put out the 32x and CD Rom attachments for their flagship "Sega Genesis" console before following up with their next generation console the "Saturn" just a few months later) plus the wealth of competition from the newer consoles such as the "Playstation" and the "Xbox" led to the "Dreamcast" only lasting about 2 years on the market. Nonetheless, the "Dreamcast" is still a cult favorite that is enjoyed by many, many gamers all over the world even to this day.

I had fun with my little celebration and hope that many of my fellow "Dreamcast" enthusiasts did the same today in its memory.

Ever look back on your life and wonder how things would have played out had you taken some avenues you didn't, even though you know that taking those avenues would have been a disaster?

Take me for example.

When I was a kid, there were several activities available to me like Scouting, Little :League and Pop Warner Football. Kids normally like these things and are able to get into them either on their own or with a little nudging from their parents.

I on the other hand was such a spitfire and so much of a loner that those options were never considered, either by me or by my parents.

The thing is that years later I often wonder what my life would have been like had I taken advantage of those things, again even though I would have never fit in and would have been kicked out of them.

Am I the only one who thinks like this?

Am I the only one left who uses the "Livejournal" blogging site these days? Many of my friends were on it the same as I was, but they also seemed to have abandoned their LJ blogs.

To me the idea that a person can do anything he or she puts his mind to is a bunch of bull. Different people have different abilities and while they may be stellar at one thing (like say math) they're terrible at others (like say, drawing). It's up to the individual to find a happy medium where his or her natural talents and skills are best used.

I'm currently watching the "Netflix" miniseries "The Family" which has to do with a secretive, Evangelical group who is trying to influence world politics through Christ. As an atheist, I'm not sure how I'm able to do this without my blood boiling.

I've heard that 90s stars Joey Lawrence, Michael W Smith will be teaming up to star in Christian film ‘Pardoned By Grace'. I'm sure that upon this film's release it will be picketed by the 'pardoned by works' folks as blasphemous (theological joke). ;D

When Minnie Mouse found out that Russi Taylor had passed on, she was SPEECHLESS! :/

Pictures of "Zootopia"'s Judy Hopps showing her lapine derriere are so popular that I think if she had an entire "booty calendar" the fanboys would go nutzoid over it! ;/

If the Tempe, AZ Starbucks' barista wasn't fired for telling police officers to leave (this because they were making his customers "uncomfortable") then he should have been. TOTAL lack of respect for the legitimate officers that work hard every day to keep the peace.

In less than six months, I'll be turning the big "five oh". They say "the best is yet to be" but I am NOT looking forward to this milestone, as it's another reminder that I have more days behind me than I have in front of me.

Found this when coming through some old LJ entries.

It's been my experience that we as a society accept what a celebrity says without considering the celebrity's qualifications on the subject.

Let's take Ben Stein for example.

Earlier this year (as of the original posting of this LJ entry 2008) he was the host of a movie called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed". This reputed to say that science was crushing the expression of 'Intelligent Design' in schools and that this theory should have equal weight with the 'theory' of evolution.

I used to be a fan of his Win Ben Stein's Money game show when it ran on Comedy Central about 10 years ago and found him not only intelligent but also witty as well (I have no problem with accepting the fact that he still is ;-D). However, the important thing to remember is that Stein is NOT a scientist. In fact, he's an economist by training and a speech writer and political commentator by profession. Thus it is that one should think twice before considering the validity of his claims that "Creation Science" should be given equal weight with evolution.

I will concede that there are exceptions to this rule, primarily because the celebrity in question has a personal investment in the cause. An example of this is the fact that the late Yul Brynner did some ads on not smoking. If you know his history, you know he was a heavy smoker for many years and in fact died of lung cancer. Thus in this case, his message was (and still is) valid.

Just food for thought

Am I the only one who sees those self-driving vehicles on the road these days ("Waymo" and the like) and thinks "Skynet"? ;D

Was browsing through my past LJ entries when I came across this little tidbit. See if you agree with it.

This being what it is (the Sabbath) let me get things straight.

I'm an adult and as such am quite capable of making my own decisions and finding my own way in life. I'm also quite happy and reasonably well adjusted mentally and spiritually.

The Christians on the other hand use THEIR standards to judge me a 'sinner' and say that I need THEIR God/man Jesus Christ to 'wash me clean'. Now then. If I accept THEIR Jesus Christ (and His Holy Father) , and accept Jesus Christ's and God's rules (revealed in THEIR exclusive holy book, the Bible) , and will spend my life worshipping them at every turn (as they demand it) being led around the nose being told what to do and how to do much like a child would, I will join THESE Christians in THEIR 'Kingdom Of Heaven' when I pass on.

On the other hand, if I choose to make decisions for myself (as any rational adult would) and not give THEIR god and Jesus Christ the constant worship and devotion that They apparently need and want, I will spend eternity in fire and everlasting flames in THEIR hell, condemned by THEIR God that (supposedly) gave His children the power to reason and to do things for themselves and yet apparently doesn't want these wonderous abilities to be used.

You must ask yourself one question...

What's wrong with this picture??