WOOOOOO!!!

The TV commercial for the Ric Flair Scratch-Off from the North Carolina Education Lottery...

I'm sorely tempted to insert a "Space Mountain" joke in here somewhere :-P

EDIT 3:18 a.m. EST 09/23/2009: I am just now discovering that this game is not called "Ric Flair Scratch-Off" as I had originally thought. Instead it is officially known as... Wooooooo!

As if this state didn't have enough people imitating Ric Flair, heh-heh...

That's it. I'm definitely going to buy at least one of these tickets. Not to scratch off, just to keep and hold onto because, well... a Ric Flair-themed state lottery scratch-off game called "Wooooooo!" is just too clever to pass up on owning one.

This will be the hottest-selling scratch-off game since the lottery started up here almost four years ago, I would wager an RC Cola and a Moon Pie on it. Maybe we'll see the entire Four Horsemen appear on a ticket sometime down the line :-)

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North Carolina will let illegal immigrants enroll at community colleges

Last week North Carolina's State Board of Community Colleges voted to allow illegal immigrants to enroll at the many community colleges we have here.

Very, very wrong move. As Rockingham County's own Phil Berger Sr., the state Senate Minority Leader noted...

"This action is a slap in the face to legal North Carolina residents that desperately need access to the job training provided by our community colleges during the worst period of unemployment since the Great Depression."

But it's still worse than that. It's this kind of thing that encourages illegal immigration to begin with. And in my opinion that's not being a good neighbor to our friends across the border in Mexico. They have their own house to clean, just as we have our own that needs a lot of work. Sweetening the pot so that more people will be drawn here illegally to take advantage of our already over-burdened societal infrastructure is a detriment to the citizens here, and it does more damage to Mexico than most realize by bleeding away personnel that could otherwise be trying to make their own nation a better place to live.

All of that, and I have to wonder aloud how what is officially admitted to be illegal behavior is now being rewarded.

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A blogger is born!

Hey everyone, say hey to the newest blogger on the planet (along with the probably 500 or so in the past few minutes who also took that first leap into the blogosphere): Steven Glaspie and his Gentle Giant Express. Steven is a longtime friend and fellow Eagle Scout, and yes he's yet another brilliant mind to come out of Rockingham County, North Carolina! This is a thinkin' dude, who writes some great poetry among other things. The blog is brand spankin' new, so check it out at stevenglaspie.blogspot.com and watch Steven flex his skillz!

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Burglar caught after logging into Facebook at victim's house

No wonder it's often called "Crackbook": some folks are addicted to it! Consider one Jonathan G. Parker, age 19, of Fort Loudoun, Pennsylvania. Police in the town responded to a call from a home on August 28th in which the resident reported a breaking and entering, and the theft of two diamond rings valued at more than $3,500.

The cops didn't have far to look for a suspect, however: Parker used the victim's computer to log into his Facebook account and forgot to log out.

Jonathan Parker was arrested, and is currently in jail on $10,000 bond. He's facing one to ten years in the slammer if convicted.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. But also very funny :-)

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I would so buy this game...

Halo 3: ODST (the ODST means "Orbital Drop Shock Trooper") is getting a massive midnight release later this evening. I've already got a copy pre-ordered. And those fun-loving chaps at Ctrl+Alt+Del have come through with the box art for the next Halo game. And you thought it was going to be Halo: Reach next year? Get ready for Halo: OWST!

All we need now is Halo 3: Commissary Orbital Kitchen Officer and we will have our new Halo trilogy!

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It's that Dr. Horrible thingy from the Emmys last night!

I heard during the wee hours of the morning (thanks Phillip!) that during the Emmys last night, Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion had appeared in a Dr. Horrible segment! YES!! At last, more of Joss Whedon's wonderfully twisted Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (click here to purchase it from iTunes and it is HIGHLY recommended).

So while we're waiting for Joss Whedon to hopefully make more episodes, here's last night's hiliarity between Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer...

Is it just me, or is Dr. Horrible a way sad supervillain for letting his arch-nemesis just walk into the secret lair and take over his Internet? I can't see Destro or Dr. Colossus ever being that slacking. Horrible better pray that Bad Horse doesn't hear about this...

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Michael Emerson wins Emmy for LOST!

I do not watch much television, truth be known. A show has to be mighty impressive for me to invest the time to keep up with it on a regular basis. But I can't recall any show that has so captivated my imagination as has ABC's Lost. And of all the remarkable characters from the magnificent Lost ensemble, few have been more intriguing than Benjamin Linus (shown here from last season's episode "316" as he shares the story of Thomas the Apostle), played as no one else could by Michael Emerson. Is Benjamin a bad guy? A good guy? Someone with an agenda we can't even begin to imagine? Even now going into the show's final season, Ben Linus is a complete mystery.

Last night at the Emmy Awards, Emerson finally got his long-deserved recognition: he won the Best Supporting Actor for a dramatic series. Considering that there is no single "primary" character in Lost, that is certainly something to be proud of.

Congrats to Michael Emerson, and everyone who won something last night :-)

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I have returned...

...from a most interesting weekend!

(And I'm wrapping up a bunch of projects this morning too. Boo-yah!!)

Awright, back to the blog. I hope you people have behaved yourselves in my absence. If I'm told you've been nice, there may even be some photos that I'll post later on :-P

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BIOSHOCK 2: Coming February 9th, 2010 worldwide

I had a gut feeling this morning after posting the story about BioShock on Windows for $5 that good news was imminent...

Mark your calendars: February 9th, 2010 will herald the release of BioShock 2: the sequel to 2007's mind-rattling first-person shooter. It will be an international debut across Xbox 360, Windows and PlayStation 3.

From the official press release from 2K Games...

Currently in development for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows LIVE, BioShock 2 will deliver two unique, yet intertwined experiences that form the perfect blend of explosive first-person shooter combat, compelling storytelling and intense multiplayer action.

Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture. Players step into the boots of the most iconic denizen of Rapture, the Big Daddy, as they travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and their own survival.

Multiplayer in BioShock 2 will provide a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of the BioShock fiction. Set during the fall of Rapture, players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a premier provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city of Rapture that was first explored in the original BioShock. Players will need to use all the elements of the BioShock toolset to survive, as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture.

Are you ready to return to Rapture? Just four and a half months to go!

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I'm speaking at SPARKcon in Raleigh this evening!

Just a friendly reminder that if you want to meet the blogger/proprietor of The Knight Shift in person and you're going to be in the Raleigh/Durham today, that you're in luck!

I will be at Artspace, located at 201 East Davie St in Raleigh at 5:45 p.m. this afternoon during the filmSPARK track of SPARKcon: a grassroots-organized four-day festival celebrating individual creativity around the Triangle area and throughout North Carolina. This will be the fourth annual event and this year SPARKcon will be held September 17-20. I'll be speaking about the bizarre "copyright infringement" situation that happened between Yours Truly and Viacom on YouTube two years ago.

Look! Event announcement!

The Dude Who Took Down Viacom: One Filmmaker's StoryEVENT LOCATION
Artspace

EVENT DESCRIPTION
Meet North Carolina filmmaker Chris Knight, a.k.a. "The Dude Who Took Down Viacom". In 2006, Knight made a campaign advertisement to help promote his running for a seat on Rockingham County's Board of Education. Knight did not win a seat on the board, but he did win some internet and media fame as his commercial was featured in The New York Times, on the Fox News Channel, every major newspaper in the state, on National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, by the Heritage Foundation, VH1's show "Web Junk 2.0", and E! Entertainment Television's show "The Soup". The major attraction of Knight's commercial was his creative use of Star Wars as an allegory for his strong commitment to reforming education practice. Life was good for Knight, until he loaded a few clips of his infamous commercial's featurette on "Web Junk 2.0" onto Youtube and was slammed with a copyright infringement claim. Come here the details of Knight's battle tonight as the filmmaker recounts his battle with Youtube and VH1's parent company Viacom firsthand.

SPONSOR
Artspace

And look again! There's also a Facebook page for "The Dude Who Took Down Viacom"!

Once again, I am compelled to note that I am very thankful to Nene Kalu, Kathy Justice and the rest of the good folks organizing the filmSPARK track for inviting me to take part in SPARKcon. Check out the SPARKcon website for more information.

And I hope to see you there! :-)

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Classic SESAME STREET: Ernie's reminder(s)

Another classic sketch from Sesame Street. This is the one where Ernie has gone to great lengths (of string) to not forget something important...

Poor Bert. He probably wakes up every morning with quiet dread about what Ernie is going to do that day :-)

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Get BIOSHOCK (Windows version) for just $5

The Windows edition of BioShock - a video game so profound that many consider it to be an entirely new form of high-brow literature - is now on sale for five bucks at Direct2Drive. If you've a Windows-based machine and haven't experienced the majesty and horror of the sub-Atlantic metropolis that is Rapture, here's your chance to go in deep for a handful of scratch. It's just one of the games that Direct2Drive is offering at slashed cost to celebrate its fifth anniversary as an online game delivery service. I don't have to tell you how terrific a deal this is, so go get BioShock... would you kindly?

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What Annie promised...

There are a lot of things running through my head right now about Annie Le, the 24-year old graduate student at Yale who disappeared last week just days before she was to be married. Her body was found this past Sunday hidden in a basement wall of the campus lab where she had been conducting research.

Nothing I might say could add any substantially new comment about how utterly heartbreaking this story is, about how this happened just as Annie was preparing to spend the rest of her life with her husband-to-be.

I've wanted to say something about how the mainstream news media has once again sacrificed ethics and principles for sake of an admittedly sensational story. And I'm referring to how the press has been all over the story of Raymond Clark, now the main suspect in Annie Le's murder (he's probably being arrested as I write this). Even if Clark did take Le's life, there is a right way to bring him to justice. What I've seen in the past couple of days (particularly the "journalism" of the Associated Press) is not that way at all. I've never believed that anybody accused of murder should be found guilty by the press before due process has been allowed to take place. This kind of "reporting" does nothing to protect liberty and ensure justice, and in fact puts those aspects of American life in greater jeopardy than many might realize.

But mostly, what I can't help think about, is what Annie Le promised us.

This was an absolutely brilliant young woman. Le was considered to be "the next Einstein" by her high school peers (and was valedictorian of her class). She had graduated with honors from the University of Rochester after majoring in cell and developmental biology. And until this past week Le was pursuing her doctorate in pharmacology at Yale.

There is no telling what Annie Le would have brought to the world with that beautiful mind that God had gifted her with. She could have cured a disease or found a way to prevent birth defects. What Annie could have accomplished was practically without limit. But we will never know. That she was taken in such an apparently brutal and senseless fashion is not only a loss to her loved ones, but to all of us.

There was so much potential to change the world for the better, contained in that tiny, beautiful girl with the beaming smile.

And she never got the chance to do that, or to have the happiness that she deserved.

And then I think about how it is, in America today, that there are so many that are just as blessed with talent and ability as Annie Le had been... and those same individuals will never have the opportunity to show us what their promise. Yeah, I'm talking about what you think I'm talking about. But I'm not about to turn this tragedy into a platform for any political agenda.

All I'm saying is this: that this could very well have turned out to be a much different, and indefinitely more promising, world. If only millions of more hearts and minds and souls had been permitted to share their creativity and their passion and their intellect with us.

That is what Annie Le promised.

And I prefer to believe that is what any of us can promise.

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Mary Travers and Henry Gibson have passed away

Two items of sad news breaking this morning.

The first is that veteran actor Henry Gibson has died at age 73. He was one of the original cast members of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, where he made regular appearances as the flower-bearing poet who would stroll onstage and deliver a funny poem. He also appeared during each episode's "party scene" as a priest-type character invoking religious humor ("My congregation supports all denominations, but our favorites are twenties and fifties."). Over the following years and decades Gibson racked up an impressive filmography, including voicing Wilbur in the animated film of Charlotte's Web (I had no idea that was Gibson's voice until this morning), Kentucky Fried Movie, InnerSpace, and recently in a recurring role on Boston Legal. However I'd bet that most people reading this will especially remember Gibson's uproarious portrayal of the Head Nazi in The Blues Brothers. Gibson also wrote songs and books, including more of his poetry.

Sounds like he was an all-around talented fella. He will certainly be missed.

And then last night came word that Mary Travers, whose voice endeared itself to generations as part of the musical trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has passed away at age 72 following a battle with cancer.

In her memory, here's a clip from the early 1960s of the classic cover that Travers, along with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, did of "Blowin' in the Wind"...

Thanks for the good tunes and the great memories, Mary.

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Of one accord no longer? Dissent amock in Robertson cult

Odd things are afoot regarding local cult leader Johnny Robertson and the "Church of Christ in Name Only".

Numerous e-mails came in Tuesday evening about that day's edition of The Local Buzz on WGSR. The entire last half-hour of the show consisted of honked-off viewers calling out general manager Charles Roark on his blatant pro-Robertson bias. And one Internet forum devoted to Henry County, Virginia issues - which Johnny Robertson had publicly boasted of being "the number one topic of discussion" - has in recent days become loaded with anti-Robertson animosity. Some of which is coming from people claiming to be former members of the cult.

Without knowing anything else about what's going down across the state line, it certainly does seem as though the people of Martinsville and Henry County, for whatever reason, are on the warpath like never before against the "Church of Christ" cult.

But here's the real meat and gravy, friends and neighbors...

As most people around here know, Robertson and his followers have established themselves a very sick reputation for their "hidden camera" ambush interviews with anyone and everyone who isn't aligned with their twisted mentality. In the past year alone Robertson has accused - with no evidence whatsoever - two churches of child pornography. Robertson has harassed and confronted private individuals at their own homes, at their places of worship, and anywhere else that he has found opportunity to be a nuisance. And more often than not Robertson has jubilantly posted footage of these confrontations on YouTube. Most of these have been published on the "wherethebiblespeaks" YouTube channel.

Since this week began, all of the confrontational clips on that channel have disappeared. Along with every video of the recent Johnny Robertson/Bob Lawson "debate". Gone down the memory hole. Become unvideos. Vanished into the ether.

(But in case anyone needs them, I have saved all of them to my own computers here. They still exist and I've got 'em.)

This hasn't been the first time lately that the cult has had issues on YouTube. Over the summer Robertson and his followers lost their "studyjesus" channel (the one that among other things had the video from last summer where Robertson claimed that the Danville Church of Christ has been painted with a bomb threat by local Muslims... but strangely didn't see fit to report that to the Danville Police Department). Reports that came here suggest that Robertson and his followers violated YouTube terms of service and had it yanked.

However, in regard to the "wherethebiblespeaks" channel, something much more intriguing is now transpiring.

A few days ago "Paul", who had been the person in charge of the channel (and one of Robertson's most active supporters) posted this on the channel about his "retirement"...

I'd like to personally thank all of the people that have either subscribed to or become friends with Where the Bible Speaks. I have enjoyed moderating this channel very much but it is time that I pass the torch on. Where the Bible Speaks will now be moderated by my good friend, Andrew. I'm sure those of you who are regular visitors of the channel are familiar with him as he has done several videos. I am confident that he will do a great job with the channel and I hope you all embrace him and continue to support Where the Bible Speaks. Again, I'd like to thank all of the supporters! Take care! - Paul 9-14-09

And then this "Andrew" wrote the following e-mail to someone about comments being removed, but also made several startling statements...

Re: Johnny Robertson Videos

Paul was doing quite a bit of work with the page and all and has decided to sit back and breath and leave me (Andrew) in control of the content. I hate that you have been troubled by your comments being removed and do apologize. I assure you, nothing has been, or will be deleted for unfair reasons. Although I found the lawson debate entertaining, I didn't see it of much spiritual profit. It was less of a religious nature, and more of a debate of personal matters between Johnny and Bob. When I seen things like bickering over "double-breasted suites" and what not, I decided it didn't promote enough spiritual truth. There were some topics in it that were of use, but I believe the bitterness of it all overlapped that. For a similar reason I deleted all the "shorts" on the debate I had with Jake. (Internetdisciple) I decided to let the full debate speak for itself. I might make videos later, and include loops of such, but I will be on camera discussing it. I also deleted my "communion video" because I plan, Lord willing, to make another. To the displeasure of many, I'm sure, I will be deleting many more vids of Johnny and James, because there are some important doctrines, which they hold and teach, which I strongly disagree with. I haven't quite decided what and when yet, or exactly what I'll do with everything of theirs, but I will most assuredly delete all of James' videos for some doctrines that he has taught on TV as of late, that are contrary to the Gospel. I have much respect for James, as he is a kind, and intelligent man, but that cuts not stuff with me, for teaching false doctrine. - Andrew

WHOA!!! Someone from the "Church of Christ" not only publicly accusing Johnny Robertson and James Oldfield of "false doctrines" (something that Robertson and Oldfield do all the time to others) but is now also removing their videos because of that false doctrine?!?!?

If you live in this area, you will no doubt understand what this means. Because Robertson, Oldfield and their followers not only preach but demand "unity". They brag constantly about how their "Church of Christ" (again, I emphasize that this is not the mainstream Churches of Christ we're talking about) has no disagreements amongst itself.

And now Robertson is being referred to as having "bitterness" and "false doctrines"... from within his very own group.

Has a schism erupted within the "Church of Christ"? Could it be that some among them are getting fed up with the raw hatred and bitter root of Johnny Robertson, James Oldfield, Micah Robertson, and Mark McMinnis? Fed up enough that some within it are beginning to stand up to Johnny Robertson, just as many are now standing up to him in the general community?

I honestly don't know. But to date, this is certainly the most glaring and public crack in the cult's facade of apparent solidarity.

And I have no doubt that Johnny Robertson will fully address this issue at some point during the course of the many hours of live broadcast time that he has on WGSR each and every week.

/sarcasm

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Why are local law enforcment agencies deploying high-tech sonic weapons against citizens?

Call it what you may, a law of either history or human nature. Anything can be used as a weapon... and that a thing intended as a weapon will be used as a weapon.

Concordantly, there is no reason to produce a weapon unless there is a determined possibility of using that weapon.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department is now in possession of a Long Range Acoustical Device or LRAD: a "sonic weapon" straight out of science-fiction (particularly Atlas Shrugged). This is something that has been used in Iraq against insurgents and also recently against pirates off the coast of Somalia. Quite effectively, it should be noted.

Well, now San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore has been placing his new toy at town hall meetings where citizens have been coming in droves to protest "health care reform" and bigger government.

A spokesman for the San Diego Sheriff's Department claims that the LRAD will not be used as a weapon by the department, further alleging that the LRAD is only going to be used in emergency situations like warning residents during fires or floods. However, Sheriff Gore has previously acknowledged that the LRAD could be used for crowd control similar to pepper spray.

What's wrong with using a bullhorn, or a truck-mounted stereo system and microphone? What is wrong with using pepper spray? There's not the potential for life-long injury (especially to children and unborn babies) with those measures as is the case with the LRAD.

(Incidentally, the $27,000 that the San Diego Sheriff's Department used to purchase the LRAD came from a PATRIOT Act grant.)

I'm gonna say it if nobody else will: there are many agencies of the government, and San Diego Sheriff's Department is lookin' like one of 'em, that are no longer accountable to the people. To aim something obviously intended for military purposes at regular American citizens goes way beyond a simple "chilling effect" and too far into the realm of being nothing short of a full-blown scare tactic.

Let me be even more succinct: if a government boasts of having a weapon against its people, it will inevitably use that weapon against its people.

You read it here first.

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Summer 2011 will bring us the BATTLESHIP movie

Yeah, a big-budget blockbuster movie based on the classic Milton Bradley navy game. Read all about it here.

And the only reason why I'm posting about this at all is because I'm both incredibly busy with projects for clients on this end, and it's a horridly slow news day.

(Can't help but wonder if Hollywood will next threaten us with Connect Four: The Movie.)

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