Why I don't have cable

When I moved to Fullerton four years ago my roommate and I decided not to get cable because #1 we didn't have excess money to spend at the time, and #2 we didn't have time because of college. I am not one of those that is against TV, on the contrary, my degree is in TV & Film. There are some good shows, but most stuff out there is crap, so I am quite discerning. During that time I found alternative methods of getting media content that is either cheap or free.

1. Podcasts (free) - There are so many audio & video podcasts to cover nearly every nitch market you are bound to find something you like. I find these more entertaining than many cable shows. Use either the Zune software or iTunes to get audio & video podcasts. These sync with my Zune and I now have mobile entertainment.
   
2. Netflix (<$10 a month) - One DVD movie out at a time is more than enough for me and the ability to watch movies online is very convenient. Renting movies makes even more sense now that Blu-ray has won and I don't want to purchase my DVD collection all over again, not to mention it takes up so much space. I may never buy a DVD again.
   
3. Over the air HDTV (~$100 initial investment, free after that) - Most people are unaware that you can get all major networks in HDTV quality even better than digital cable or satellite over the air for free. Often cable or satellite charge you a monthly premium for local channels or HDTV, and you have to buy/rent their HDTV box as well. For over the air HDTV, you just need a over the air HDTV tuner, which you can get as a set top box or tuner card for your PC. Throw out your past experiences with over the air TV, digital over the air TV looks and sounds great! Analog TV will be gone in a year so start investing in digital HDTV. Also, if you have Windows Media Center (built into Vista Home Premium or Ultimate) with a HDTV tuner card, you use your computer as a digital video recorder that arguably works just a good as TiVo with no monthly fees. If you have a Windows Media Extender such as a Xbox 360, you can view all content recorded on your PC and live HDTV from your living room. Even the few hundred dollars invested in over the air HDTV will save you thousands over cable in the long run
4. Other methods (free) - Most major network give you the ability to watch their full shows online on-demand, and often with little or no commercials. Then there is Joost.com and the upcoming Hulu.com. Online on-demand is the future of television.

The biggest reason I don't have cable is I just don't have time for it. It is a huge time waster and I would rather put that time towards family, friends and self-improvement. But I do like to be informed and entertained now and then, and it just does not make sense to pay up to $100 a month for cable or satellite. Have you ditched cable or are thinking about it? How do you get your content?

When reporting the news becomes biased

Since when do newspapers such as The LA Times and The San Francisco Chronicle officially endorse candidates such as McCain and Obama? I thought newspapers were responsible to report the news and be unbiased eyes and ears for the nation, or I am just living in fantasyland? This just furthers my case that everything, yes everything, is biased. When newspapers officially endorse candidates, this just makes it officially biased. So much for democracy.

Don't let race or gender decide this election

I am afraid that this election will come down to the color of your skin or if you are male or female.

I have no problem with a black or woman president. What I DO have a problem with is voters or even the candidates themselves making their race or gender a reason to get them elected. Just because there has never been a black or female president is not a legitimate reason to vote for them. Anyone who votes for them because "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a black or female president? They have been oppressed in the past and this would show the world how we have changed." is an entirely superficial way of thinking. Segregation showed us that the color of your skin does not matter. Woman's rights showed us that woman are just as capable as men.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women, regardless of your color) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." - The Declaration of Independence (my comment above)

The real question is, can they lead the country? Do they have the skills and abilities to keep us safe, strengthen the economy, unite our nation, restore America's declining morality, pay off our dept, fight injustice? Topics such as these transcend race and gender.

Scientology OT Summit 2007: "We were wrong, let us sell you the lie again"

I watched the OT Scientology Summit video while packing and let me give you the summary. OT is what they call Operating Thetans, or in real-world terms, people who have paid enough money to be brainwashed so they get preferred treatment from the "church". In the 3 hour meeting they basically say everything you have learned and was taught was a lie, which is why you could not understand anything (to which there was massive standing applause). And who is to blame for this gross error? The secretary. Seriously guys, I'm not making this stuff up. LRH (L Ron Hubbard, their science fiction writer and founder) was recorded on tape telling all about his false religion and they gave the job to a transcriber to write down everything he said and in their words gross amounts of it was mistranslated, mistyped or lost and and written down from the very beginning and all of this was taught. This negates everything they have published, taught and believed in before. And guess what? They have an entire new book series for you to purchase entitled "The Basics". Yes folks, Scientology screwed up so bad that they have to go back to the basics.

Scientology is barely 50 years old. It is a lie, it is a cult, they have to constantly hide cover up information, change their doctrine, and it all is riddled with holes. The Bible is thousands of years old, it has not changed, it has always been attacked and to this day it stands the test of time and proven over and over again. It deeply saddens me to see to see this mass of people who are truly misled by this cult.

Hackers vs Scientology. Let the truth be know, Scientology is a lie.

So it has been a while since I have posted anything, but I hope to post more regularly. Recently hackers have declared war on Scientology flooding their servers, fax machines, and posting videos that make their biggest $$ supporters $$ (Tom Cruise) look bad. The Scientologists are attempting to censor the internet. In this day and age with technology, it is easier for a lie to spread, but at the same time, it is also easier for the truth to be known. I say, more power to them. Wired has a nice article on it:

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/anonymous-attac.html

A message I recently sent to the MySpace help team:

Dear MySpace,

Please stop scantily clad women in bikinis, their underwear, bending over, spreading their legs, lunging their breasts or butt towards towards the picture, or posing in lude sexual poses from asking to be my friend on MySpace. I know I am a quality guy, but I doubt these women would throw themselves at my feet, and besides, loose women don't deserve a quality guy like myself. Then again, it could be spammers, but hey, I could be wrong. Either way, stop them from doing this, because I am sick and tired of it.

-Jason

My summer movies ratings thus far:

Ratatouille: A
Spider-Man 3: A-
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: B+
300: B

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: C
Transformers: C
Blades of Glory: D