I forgot to write about this right away, but for Valentine's Day, I got my wife tickets to the one-man play Defending the Caveman, which we got to see a few weekends ago.  It was a hoot, and we were both laughing almost constantly.

To sum it up, it's basically a monologue about the differences between men and women, and will definitely strike a chord with most couples (as long as you can laugh at yourself, which has never been a problem for me).  Sure it's all told from a man's perspective, but he also serves up plenty of fodder for the women as well.

If you get the chance, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

I read a really interesting article about video game viloence from a guy over at PlanetXbox360. It's a very honest and open article, that clearly makes a number of very good points about the ongoing social debate about the influence of video games. I highly recommend that any video gamer take the time to read it.

Chevron and it's partners recently found oil in a test well in the Gulf of Mexico. While being touted as a major breakthrough for domestic oil supplies, it's likey to set back alternative fuels back a few years as pressure on automotive companies will be reduced. Still, I'd encourage anyone with any regard for the environment to continue to make their voice heard when it comes to alternative fuels.

My wife and I were at Kennywood, the local amusement park here in Pittsburgh, for my company picnic on Saturday. We had a good time on a gorgeous day, and as always, I enjoyed the people watching. And in doing so, it brought to light some amusement park rules that should be followed.

1. Ladies, don't wear skirts/dresses to an amusement park. Rollercoasters are not the best place for a fashion show. It's just not functional.
2. Don't tell your kids they're tall enough for a ride when they're not. It just leads to disappointment and wasted time.
   
3. Don't use your cell phone while in line for a ride. Amusement parks are loud, and yelling "WHAT?" into your phone does not qualify as a conversation. If you need to use your cell phone, that's what text messaging is for.
4. If you work at an amusement park, don't let your friends cut long lines to get on rides (unless they're also physically disabled). It's just going to piss people off and get you reported to your boss. Your friends being "mentally disabled" doesn't cut it.
5. Dress casually, but try not to wear anything that will make people vomit. So, leave your 1982 mesh muscle shirt at home next time.
6. Don't get in line at the concession stand and complain that there's nothing on the menu that's good for your diet. Did you really think that they'd suddenly started selling salads and tofu bars alongside corn dogs, deep fried Oreos, and french fries smothered in cheese and bacon?
7. If you're going on a water ride, you're going to get wet! I can't believe how many people I see get of log flumes and rapids rides that just look shocked that they actually got wet. Oh, and if you're going to buy a poncho to try not to get wet, then don't even bother with the ride!
8. Ladies...again...enough with the bikini-top-as-a-top look. I don't want to see your gut (as it's almost always the people that shouldn't be wearing an outfit that do).
9. If your looking to ditch your gum while you are in line, there are trash cans. Just sticking it to the wall/fence/post or throwing it in the nearest tree is just gross.
10. Parents, keep your kids in line. An amusement park is not a playground for your kids to run wild in.

While I've been following the stories coming out of the Middle East, I have to admit that I'm a bit confused as well. It seems as if things just suddenly escalated, and I've heard more than a few people talk about Revelations and the end times (in ways that just don't match up with the book of the Bible). Truthfully, I think we've just seen a country which has dealt with enough strife finally say "ENOUGH", despite the other political ramifications.

But the extended consequences are, quite frankly, rather scary. Are we on the verge of another major war?

I pray that we are not...

Nine months after FEMA's "response" to hurricane Katrina, they're now realizing that the debit cards passed to those who were impacted were used for far more than the "necessities". I know...shocking!

I mean, I'm sure the stipulations on the card were really clear. When you basically say "here's some money to help you get back on your feet", who's to say how they'll spend the money to do that. Apparrently, for one guy that meant getting divorced, strippers and porn. Ya know, the necessities...

Once again, this is another case of FEMA just screwing up. Sure, the cards are a good idea because they could be used at a number of places, but put some restrictions on them, like food stamps. Better yet, next time just hand out gift cards or vouchers. But no, FEMA just decided to hand out "free money", and people did what they pleased with it.

Just for the record, that's entry number 873 in FEMA's upcoming book How To Do Nothing Right...Ever.

EDIT: Oh, it gets worse too!

A staff of a Canadian political candidate claimed they were able to shut down a site that was critical of his involvement in a fundraising scandal. They contacted the country's domain registrar and had them pull the DNS records so that the site could no longer be reached.

So, basically an embarassed political candidate abused his powers to take away the free speech of those who opposed him. I guess the guillotine was too harsh of an option, or would have caused too much political backlash.

When will politicians realize that they aren't running for high school class president and that their actions actually affect the lifes of thousands, if not millions of people?

Ahh, well...a man can dream, a man can dream..

• Rape Used As A Weapon In Congo
• Darfur Peace Violations

A lot of the times, we in the "developed nations" hear the horror stories of what is going on in some of the African countries, and we're not quite sure how to react. We feel bad, but its a very surreal empathy, because it doesn't seem quite real. Many of us have a hard time understanding the pains caused by gang violence, so imagining a region basically ruled by the gangs is hard to do. Watching reports, we are often in denial, not believing that people could still be this way. We've heard similar stories before, but these are related as the barbaric practices of the ancient vikings and mongols.

And it continues on today...

How do we fix it? Well, that's the problem...we're not sure how. Many organizations have worked long and hard to try and get support for the many victims on the "dark continent", but it doesn't change the leadership nor stop the violence. Trade embargos don't work because it would only keep more resources from those sufferers who need it most. Military action would require more resources than may be available, and we've already seen the consequences of trying to force change in both Vietnam and Iraq.

So then what do we do?

...

I haven't the faintest idea...

Every year around Easter, I begin to get annoyed by rabbits. I'll be walking through my neighborhood, and inevitably I'll come across a house where the residents must have decided to take a trip to Michaels and buy everything that was pastel or had a bunny on it.

Now, years ago I would have had no problem with this because I enjoyed the "holiday" of Easter and all the candy and games that came with it. However, as I have grown into my faith and beliefs, and I've become so aware of what Easter is really all about, all the Easter Bunny stuff becomes borderline heretical.

The ones that really get me are the people who push all of this other stuff, and still call themselves Christians. These are the people who are at all the Friday fish frys throughout Lent, but don't bother to show up at church on Sunday. The same people who decorate their house with rabbits, skip out on Good Friday (arguably a much more significant day for Christians as it was the day that the sins were removed by the blood spilled by Jesus), and then come to celebrate the risen savior on Easter. The hypocracy to my as a believer is frustrating, and I can completely understand why a non-believer will point at such people as reasons they don't want to be a Christian.

As Christians, let us remember and focus on the truly important parts of this holiday weekend. This is the annual celebration of the sacrifice that was made by Jesus to wash away the sins of all those who truly believe in him.

Government lawyers were recently thwarted in their attempts to confiscate the bejeweled "grillz" of two criminals who were facing drug and weapons charges. While the mouthpieces were most likely purchased with ill-gotten funds, they cannot be retrieved because they are permanently bonded (according to lawyers) and removal would cause damage to the teeth of the incarcerated.

Can I get a Lil' Jon "YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" up in here?

Of course, the lesson is that if you obtain a large sum of money illegally, just put it towards some nice mouth bling, and even the government can't take it from you. Isn't it nice to learn something new?