Justin's Random Thoughts

They see me trollin’ They hatin’

2012-04-03T18:00:00.001-07:00

Arizona’s apparently managed to take care of all the pressing issues facing the state since a bill that basically bans trolling on teh interwebz is sitting on Jan Brewer’s desk.

Being obnoxious on the Internet may soon cease to be a fundamental right in Arizona, where lawmakers approved a measure that effectively makes trolling illegal.
[…]
Like so much other knee-jerk technology legislation, Arizona’s bill is noble at heart. Its goal is to stop cyber-bullying by outlawing threats and intimidation delivered via Internet.
But as Media Coalition–an organization that includes film and music industry trade groups–points out, the bill is far too broad, both in its language and its scope. By using vague terms like “annoy” and “offend,” the bill risks criminalizing standard Internet practice of acting like a jerk in the comments section of a blog post. Because the bill isn’t limited to one-on-one communication, all open communication on the Internet could be considered a Class 1 misdemeanor if someone deemed the language offensive.

Never mind the mess of a legal battle this will create (like Arizona needs more with SB 1070 and the state’s reluctance to actually implement the medical-marijuana referendum passed the same year), it’s just another instance of government trying to regulate something it doesn’t understand.

I’m sorry, but the internet is not just a series of tubes. And it’s time that they figure that out.

Things I’ve learned from this year’s NCAA tournament

2012-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts style:

Don’t look at your bracket the first weekend. It’s always going to look like garbage and a lost cause. It’s just a fact of life. It’s probably a good thing I was in Vegas getting married that first weekend, I didn’t have time to check it after Thursday
For two of the three years I’ve tried to, I’ve had a better bracket than Obama. Kansas’ win tonight locked that up for me.
I can put together a damn good bracket. Better than some of ESPN’s analysts, at least. And I probably don’t spend more than a half hour filling it out.
Yes, one of the regionals was in Phoenix. No, I didn’t go. I only went in 2008 (language alert) so I could say I’ve been to one. It was a blast, but the whole thing’s too expensive IMO.

I feel like I really should have more to say about March Madness, but I don’t. Maybe because I haven’t watched much. Oh well.

And remember, kiddos, baseball season starts this week! GO ASTROS AND DIAMONDBACKS!

The wake up call

2012-03-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

Jen and I just got back from Vegas and our wedding.

It was a lovely ceremony, a great time and a ton of fun.

Well, until we got this unexpected wake-up call at 4:30:

Waking up to that was probably one of the scariest experiences of my entire life. I don’t remember how I reacted to it, but Jen thought I was having a seizure or something.

That went on for about ten minutes, then they said whatever caused it to go off had been taken care of. Of course, by then, any chance of going back to sleep was shot. Great stuff when you’ve got a six hour drive in front of you.

Turning it up to eleven

2012-02-08T23:06:00.001-07:00

Boo and Cider are trying to be cute. And I must say they're succeeding. Guess I can sit somewhere else.

Small change to the blog…

2012-01-02T18:59:00.001-07:00

…very small change.

Bet you can’t find it.

Avoid the produce section, ladies!

2011-12-09T08:57:00.001-07:00

The latest from the “So Crazy it has to be True” department:

An Egyptian news outlet has a report that is causing an unusual stir. According to the Bikya Masr news service, an Islamic cleric in Europe has ordered Muslim women to prevent “sexual thoughts” by staying away from bananas, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, and other phallic produce.
The unnamed sheikh reportedly advises that if women wanted to eat these kinds of food they would need to be cut into smaller pieces, in private, by a man — preferably a relative — because the foods “resemble the male penis” and could “make them think of sex.”

Of course, we all know that those objects don’t just make women think of sex. George Carlin alluded to the same thing in his 1990 stand-up special “Doin’ It Again.” Maybe he should have just suggested that everybody stay away from them?

I don’t know, but I’m thankful they’re not banned. Because I’m a guy. And guys are pigs.

It’s Science™.

(Image Source)

Hitler reacts

2011-11-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

The “Hitler reacts to…” meme has to be one of my favorites of all time. And now, he reacts to the pepper spray meme

Bowling on pot

2011-11-27T08:38:00.001-07:00

Yes, this actually happened. I'm in Texas on vacation and my brother takjed Jen and I into bowling no-taps with him. Anyway, one of the goofy things they do with it is the toilet shot, which is just what it sounds like. You buy tickets to enter and if you get a strike you win 50 bucks. Knock down 5 and you get a gift card. Well, I bought a couple tickets and my name was drawn.

I threw a gutter ball.

Trust me, it's way harder than you'd think.

So, um, yea, major life change or something like that.

2011-11-15T21:48:00.001-07:00

Monday I took Beyonce's advice and put a ring on it. No, not on Beyonce, but my now-fiancee.

No date has been set.

Monkey!

2011-11-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix Zoo has a really cool monkey habitat where you actually walk into their enclosure and they’re moving in the trees all around you. Very cool for pictures.

Om nom nom

2011-11-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix Zoo is doing it wrong (not really)

2011-10-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

Look at the Phoenix Zoo, caging the people and letting the animals run free!

No, not really, but the picture sure makes it look that way, doesn’t it?

It’s the end of the world as we… oh, wait!

2011-10-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

Remember those folks that said the rapture was going to be back in May? Well, they also said that the world would end yesterday, so I have a song for them:

Related: The post-rapture theme song

Obama: Free birth control for everybody! (if you can afford health insurance)

2011-08-01T10:13:00.001-07:00

Birth control shouldn’t require a copay:

Health insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women, with no copays, the Obama administration said Monday in a decision with far-reaching implications for health care as well as social mores.
The requirement is part of a broad expansion of coverage for women's preventive care under President Barack Obama's health care law. Also to be covered without copays are breast pumps for nursing mothers, an annual "well-woman" physical, screening for the virus that causes cervical cancer and for diabetes during pregnancy, counseling on domestic violence, and other services.

I’m not even going to get into the “should it or shouldn’t it” debate, because that’s not the point I want to make here.

To me, this just seems a bit backwards since there are meds out there that can actually, you know, save lives, that are still going to require copays whereas “the pill” won’t.

It just doesn’t seem right to me…

Video of the day: Why you don’t riot: Exhibit #1,356,484

2011-06-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

Flashbangs can go places you don’t want them to.

Ouch!

The post-rapture theme song

2011-05-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

I only expect my geekier friends to get it.

The Rapture Day Giveaway

2011-05-21T08:09:00.001-07:00

What do I have planned for Rapture Day?

I’ll be at the Diamondbacks game hopefully claiming one of the little guys over to the right.

It’s not like I’m expecting much of a game. Yea, the Diamondbacks are playing just short of .500 ball. The Twins, on the other hand, are in a tooth-and-nail battle with the Astros for the first pick in the 2012 draft.

Good Riddance

2011-05-01T20:55:00.001-07:00

Bin Laden’s dead.

Did the guy who pulled the trigger yell “BOOM, HEAD SHOT!”

Because it’s Friday…

2011-04-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I just had to…

It's hot.

2011-03-16T16:55:00.001-07:00

Just look...

So now we have milkshakes

2011-02-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

This exchange happened between Jen and I as she was trying to get me to go get milkshakes:

Jen: Why are you still here?
Me: I won't be for long.
Jen: Where ya goin?
Me: to hang with my other girlfriend, the one that doesn't nag me to go get her milkshakes.
Jen: I don't blame you. Bring me back a shake when you come home.
Me: You win.

Random Thoughts brought to you by Android

2011-02-12T22:39:00.001-07:00

I just downloaded the Blogger app for Android on to my new phone and am testing it out wittis post.

Yea, that's right, the guy who always said that he'd never want a smartphone because of his bekief that there is such a thing as "too connected" got one. Try to not be too shocked.

Super bowl predictions

2011-02-06T08:33:00.001-07:00

Yea, I know I killed off doing this last year in exchange for Super Bowl Bingo, but I decided to bring the predictions back this year.

Anyway… here goes.

The game: I’m going Steelers. It bit me in the rear two years ago when I didn’t.

The spread: The Packers are favored by 3 by bodog.com (where I’ve decided to get my numbers from this year), and since I’ve got Pittsburgh winning, I’ve got them for the spread too.

Over/Under: Bodog.om has the over/uder set at 45½. I think it’ll go over, but probably not by much.

We’ll see how this goes…

Spreading the Christmas cheer

2010-12-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jenny inspired me to do this…

If you find yourself in a position where you need some help to get your kids some presents this holiday season, shoot me an email. My email address is justin@jrtblog.com and make sure the subject line says “ChrAmazon” in it.

I’ll take emails until about 11:30 PM mountain time tonight (when I get off of work), at which time I’ll pick two of the emailers at random to receive $30 Amazon.com gift certificates.

Just MAKE SURE you put ChrAmazon in the subject line, or it won’t land in the right folder in my email box and could land in the spam.

Coolest YouTube video ever?

2010-12-15T10:43:00.001-07:00

As seen on last night’s Red Eye:

Wow. That’s all I can say.