This past month I have had the pleasure of playing, reading, and watching something that was incredible.
First up is the playing. My fiance has a friend who happens to be a programmer. He recently released his very first game, Omegalodon. Check out the link for the description of the game. My take on the game is that it's a uniquely original concept. The controls are fairly basic and the objective easy. Overall, the game can provide for long hours of enjoyment. If you have not yet played it, why not?
The reading is a trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The books are incredible reads and very engrossing. After taking a few days to get through the first one, I then finished the last two in a mater of a couple of days. There is action, comedy, tragedy, romance, and the Capitol. The books were nothing short of amazing. If you have not yet read them, why not?
The watching is the movie that is based off of the first book of the above trilogy. Before going into the movie, I read up on some facts about the movie. It had shattered box office records just at the midnight premiere. The movie's opening weekend went on to shatter even more records. The theatre I want to still has it playing on four screens despite having opened over three weeks ago. So is this just hype or is the movie that great?
You don't need to read the book first, but the book does help explain some things in the movie. The movie itself was mind-blowing. I will not go into detail of the movie as I do not want to spoil anything. But the movie is worth every penny. It might be over two hours long, but by the time it's over it feels only like an hour. The movie just draws you in and makes you feel everyone's pain. If you have not yet seen it, why not?
~May the odds be ever in your favor.
~Captain Steak
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
past, future, present
why do people always dwell on the past?
the past is past, no one can change the past
the past is only used for knowing and understanding
and dont dwell on the future, its in the future
yes by thinking of the future you can plan
and hope to get to that future, but thats a long shot
instead lets dwell on the present
for if we dwell on the present, we can change our future
the present is used for ensuring that we have a better future
the past is past, no one can change the past
the past is only used for knowing and understanding
and dont dwell on the future, its in the future
yes by thinking of the future you can plan
and hope to get to that future, but thats a long shot
instead lets dwell on the present
for if we dwell on the present, we can change our future
the present is used for ensuring that we have a better future
Destiny and Fate
What is destiny?
What is fate?
Can we change our destiny or our fate?
Are they not what make us?
And make us do what we do?
Destiny and fate are the paths of our life.
Our destiny chooses our fate.
Our fate makes the paths of our destiny clear,
And can open up new paths of destiny.
Destiny can help us understand our fate.
What is destiny?
It is by our own choice,
Which path we take.
It is by our own choice
That we are where we are.
What is fate?
Fate cannot be changed;
Fate chooses the paths we take.
It is by our fate that
We are where we are.
What is destiny?
What is fate?
Our destiny is ours to choose.
Fate is where we end up,
No matter what we do.
What is fate?
Can we change our destiny or our fate?
Are they not what make us?
And make us do what we do?
Destiny and fate are the paths of our life.
Our destiny chooses our fate.
Our fate makes the paths of our destiny clear,
And can open up new paths of destiny.
Destiny can help us understand our fate.
What is destiny?
It is by our own choice,
Which path we take.
It is by our own choice
That we are where we are.
What is fate?
Fate cannot be changed;
Fate chooses the paths we take.
It is by our fate that
We are where we are.
What is destiny?
What is fate?
Our destiny is ours to choose.
Fate is where we end up,
No matter what we do.
Why?
Why do we believe what we believe?
Why do we believe that water is actually water?
Why do we believe that 2+2=4?
Why do we believe that gravity exists?
Why do we believe that the earth is round?
Why do we believe that the sun is the center of the universe?
Why do we believe that there only 8 planets in our solar system?
Why do we believe that men have travelled to outer space?
Why do we believe that man has actually walked on the moon?
Why do we believe the news that we hear?
Why do we believe that Hitler was an evil man?
Why do we believe that Oswald shot Kennedy?
Why do we believe that Booth shot Lincoln?
Why do we believe that Columbus discovered America?
Why do we believe some of what we read and hear?
And yet don’t believe some of what we read and hear?
So the question to you, yes you,
The one that is reading this, is
Why do you believe what you believe?
Do you believe these events and stories
Because you witnessed them firsthand?
Or do you believe these stories
Because they are taught in school
And you have to believe them in order to get on with your life?
Next time someone spins a fancy tale
Remember this and ask yourself
Why do I believe what I believe?
Why do we believe that water is actually water?
Why do we believe that 2+2=4?
Why do we believe that gravity exists?
Why do we believe that the earth is round?
Why do we believe that the sun is the center of the universe?
Why do we believe that there only 8 planets in our solar system?
Why do we believe that men have travelled to outer space?
Why do we believe that man has actually walked on the moon?
Why do we believe the news that we hear?
Why do we believe that Hitler was an evil man?
Why do we believe that Oswald shot Kennedy?
Why do we believe that Booth shot Lincoln?
Why do we believe that Columbus discovered America?
Why do we believe some of what we read and hear?
And yet don’t believe some of what we read and hear?
So the question to you, yes you,
The one that is reading this, is
Why do you believe what you believe?
Do you believe these events and stories
Because you witnessed them firsthand?
Or do you believe these stories
Because they are taught in school
And you have to believe them in order to get on with your life?
Next time someone spins a fancy tale
Remember this and ask yourself
Why do I believe what I believe?
The Invisible Power
What is this Power?
It will take the young and the old,
The sick and the healthy,
The poor and the rich.
Where is this Power found?
It will find you whether
You have a job or not,
If you have a home or not,
If you have a car or not.
What could this Power be?
It stops at nothing.
It does not care who you are,
Where you have been, or
How you got to where you are now.
What is this invisible Power?
Could it be a man in a murderous rage?
Where is this invisible Power found?
Could it be a wild animal gone berserk?
What could this invisible Power be?
If not man or beast, than what?
What is this invisible Power?
Death will take them all.
Where is this invisible Power found?
Death is not found, but will find you.
What is this invisible Power?
This invisible Power is Death.
Death does not care who you are,
Nor where you have been,
Nor how you got where you are now.
Death will always find you and come for you.
It will take the young and the old,
The sick and the healthy,
The poor and the rich.
Where is this Power found?
It will find you whether
You have a job or not,
If you have a home or not,
If you have a car or not.
What could this Power be?
It stops at nothing.
It does not care who you are,
Where you have been, or
How you got to where you are now.
What is this invisible Power?
Could it be a man in a murderous rage?
Where is this invisible Power found?
Could it be a wild animal gone berserk?
What could this invisible Power be?
If not man or beast, than what?
What is this invisible Power?
Death will take them all.
Where is this invisible Power found?
Death is not found, but will find you.
What is this invisible Power?
This invisible Power is Death.
Death does not care who you are,
Nor where you have been,
Nor how you got where you are now.
Death will always find you and come for you.
Who am I?
Who am I?
I have become what I want to be.
I did not know what I believed in,
so I sat down and decided what I
do believe in.
I did not know what I wanted to do,
so I sat down and examined what
I could be.
I did not know how far I could go,
but if I just keep telling myself,
“Carry on. Just one more step.”
I can go as far as I want.
I did not know what musick to
listen to and enjoy.
So I sat down and began to
listen to the options.
I now know what I believe in,
I now know what I want to do,
I now know how far I can go,
I now know what musick I like.
So who am I?
I am none other than
Cap’n Steak,
the proudest hillbilly
pirate, geek that you
have ever met.
Who are you?
Are you sure of your beliefs?
Are you sure of what you want to do?
Are you sure of how far you can go?
Are you sure of what musick you listen to?
So who are you?
I have become what I want to be.
I did not know what I believed in,
so I sat down and decided what I
do believe in.
I did not know what I wanted to do,
so I sat down and examined what
I could be.
I did not know how far I could go,
but if I just keep telling myself,
“Carry on. Just one more step.”
I can go as far as I want.
I did not know what musick to
listen to and enjoy.
So I sat down and began to
listen to the options.
I now know what I believe in,
I now know what I want to do,
I now know how far I can go,
I now know what musick I like.
So who am I?
I am none other than
Cap’n Steak,
the proudest hillbilly
pirate, geek that you
have ever met.
Who are you?
Are you sure of your beliefs?
Are you sure of what you want to do?
Are you sure of how far you can go?
Are you sure of what musick you listen to?
So who are you?
Friday, March 2, 2012
What the hell has happened?
Before I get into this post, I am going to lay out a few ground rules. If you are offended easily, GTFO! I am not going to name any companies for the fact that they could sue over this. This is all my personal opinion. I may be wrong, but this is some interesting facts to really think about. I am not looking to start a war, but feel free to disagree with this or provide some feedback of your own. This is about the society of where I live which is the United States of America. I do not know if this is accurate worldwide. Now onto the good stuff.
The question before me is "What the hell has happened to our society?" How have we become a society of self-centeredness and impatience? How have we become a society that we believe that we know everything and how dare someone tell me I am wrong? As a note here again, I am not saying that I am right, but again some interesting facts to think about.
The first item to cover is being sued. Seriously, what gives you the right to sue a homeowner if you break into their house and break your leg? What gives you the right to sue a company because you ordered a hot coffee and burned yourself on it? What gives you the right to sue a company because you eat there three times a day and do hardly any exercise and you get fat? What gives you the right to sue someone if you are agitating their dog and the dog bites you?
There are several factors that have helped shape our society into the mess that it is today. First fact to consider is the impatience. In my opinion, this is a result of a fast food chain that began to embrace the true essence of fast food. They began to deliver food rather quickly but then several other fast food chains wanted in on the pie. Thus began a war of how fast can we deliver the customer's food. Over several years, customers became accustomed to fast service and now how dare they have to wait. Fast food chains are not the only culprits of this, but are the biggest example. Grocery stores have also tried to ensure that customers will get in and out in record time. Gas stations have also adopted the same philosophy. So with all these places now offering fast service, why should we have to wait? We want it now!
The next fact is the self-centeredness. This came as a result of a major grocery/department store that offers lots of rollbacks. They first introduced the concept of the customer is always right, which is one of the most flawed policies ever. As this began to take effect, what would happen? Of course, the competitors would want in on the pie and would start saying that the customer is right and give them whatever. Over the years customers got used to this and began to believe that I am the most important person in this company and they will do whatever to get my business. So what if what I want breaks the law? I am the customer! I am right!
Next up is the belief that we know everything. There are several factors that just affect this one belief. The first factor of this is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This was intended to be an act to help bring the kids that were failing in school up to better grades. Instead, this act just lowered the standards and now public schools started giving these failing students passes to move on and graduate. It doesn't matter if you know the subject or not, you can still pass. Another factor that has affected this is that people are in general similar to a sponge. They soak up all kinds of knowledge. Without a proper education, people don't know what is fact and what is meant to be fiction. Add to this all of the trash that gets aired on TV. Add to this everything that gets put out on the Internet. What we come up with is that people begin to believe everything the TV or the Internet says. No matter how ridiculous something may seem, we will still believe it. Celebrity death hoaxes ring any bells?
Thanks to the Internet, information can spread like a wildfire. This happens whether the information is false or not. Thanks to the Internet, we can now spy on all our enemies and friends and know what they are doing. Why bother actually calling or visiting people anymore when you can spy on them?
Mix all of these facts together and you come up with a fairly accurate picture of what our society has become. You begin to see the grand spiral towards inevitable disaster. Is there any way to fix this?
The way to help solve this is to rise above. Go against the crowd. So what if you have to wait five extra seconds for your burger? It is not going to kill you. Just because you are a customer, don't take advantage of a business. Respect them and they will respect you. Don't believe everything you hear and see on TV and the Internet. Do some of your own research and find out whether this fact is true. That one friend you never talk to? Pick up the phone and call him. Or possibly just make some time and go hang out.
If our society continues in this spiral what kind of condition will the next generation be in? Do we just let them take care of our issues? Or do we take a stand and say no more?
The question before me is "What the hell has happened to our society?" How have we become a society of self-centeredness and impatience? How have we become a society that we believe that we know everything and how dare someone tell me I am wrong? As a note here again, I am not saying that I am right, but again some interesting facts to think about.
The first item to cover is being sued. Seriously, what gives you the right to sue a homeowner if you break into their house and break your leg? What gives you the right to sue a company because you ordered a hot coffee and burned yourself on it? What gives you the right to sue a company because you eat there three times a day and do hardly any exercise and you get fat? What gives you the right to sue someone if you are agitating their dog and the dog bites you?
There are several factors that have helped shape our society into the mess that it is today. First fact to consider is the impatience. In my opinion, this is a result of a fast food chain that began to embrace the true essence of fast food. They began to deliver food rather quickly but then several other fast food chains wanted in on the pie. Thus began a war of how fast can we deliver the customer's food. Over several years, customers became accustomed to fast service and now how dare they have to wait. Fast food chains are not the only culprits of this, but are the biggest example. Grocery stores have also tried to ensure that customers will get in and out in record time. Gas stations have also adopted the same philosophy. So with all these places now offering fast service, why should we have to wait? We want it now!
The next fact is the self-centeredness. This came as a result of a major grocery/department store that offers lots of rollbacks. They first introduced the concept of the customer is always right, which is one of the most flawed policies ever. As this began to take effect, what would happen? Of course, the competitors would want in on the pie and would start saying that the customer is right and give them whatever. Over the years customers got used to this and began to believe that I am the most important person in this company and they will do whatever to get my business. So what if what I want breaks the law? I am the customer! I am right!
Next up is the belief that we know everything. There are several factors that just affect this one belief. The first factor of this is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This was intended to be an act to help bring the kids that were failing in school up to better grades. Instead, this act just lowered the standards and now public schools started giving these failing students passes to move on and graduate. It doesn't matter if you know the subject or not, you can still pass. Another factor that has affected this is that people are in general similar to a sponge. They soak up all kinds of knowledge. Without a proper education, people don't know what is fact and what is meant to be fiction. Add to this all of the trash that gets aired on TV. Add to this everything that gets put out on the Internet. What we come up with is that people begin to believe everything the TV or the Internet says. No matter how ridiculous something may seem, we will still believe it. Celebrity death hoaxes ring any bells?
Thanks to the Internet, information can spread like a wildfire. This happens whether the information is false or not. Thanks to the Internet, we can now spy on all our enemies and friends and know what they are doing. Why bother actually calling or visiting people anymore when you can spy on them?
Mix all of these facts together and you come up with a fairly accurate picture of what our society has become. You begin to see the grand spiral towards inevitable disaster. Is there any way to fix this?
The way to help solve this is to rise above. Go against the crowd. So what if you have to wait five extra seconds for your burger? It is not going to kill you. Just because you are a customer, don't take advantage of a business. Respect them and they will respect you. Don't believe everything you hear and see on TV and the Internet. Do some of your own research and find out whether this fact is true. That one friend you never talk to? Pick up the phone and call him. Or possibly just make some time and go hang out.
If our society continues in this spiral what kind of condition will the next generation be in? Do we just let them take care of our issues? Or do we take a stand and say no more?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A fun filled trip to Easton
Today, my girlfriend and I ventured forth to Easton to do some shopping. While there we went to the most incredible restaurant. EVAR! I am referring of course to BD's Mongolian Grill. A unique stir fry experience awaits. After the server brings you a bowl, you than venture to the bar that is split into four stations. Station 1 is the meats and pasta. I did not try the pasta, but the meats were amazing. There was sausage, meatballs, NY strip steak, sirloin, shrimp, and scallops just to name a few. After you get enough meat, you than move onto station 2, which is where all the veggies hang out. Some that I tried, but not in the same bowl, include pineapple, cilantro, corn, onions, and mushrooms to name a fraction of the offerings. The third station was the sauce and spice station. You got to pick from a variety of sauces, or maybe mix a few together, and a variety of what spices you want. After this, you than pass your bowl to a grill master at station 4. The stir fry gets grilled and you get to watch the grillaz do some nifty tricks. After a few minutes on the grill, they then plate the food and pass it back to you. You then go back to your chair and enjoy.
Now after you understand the process, the combos that you can create and nearly infinite. The quality of the food was outstanding. Pricing was fair. And the service was phenomenal. This was the first time that I had ever been to BD's but after my first plate, I am now a believer.
The Captain highly recommends this place to anyone that has not tried it. And if you are thinking that it is not your cup of tea, go try it anyway.
~Captain Steak
Now after you understand the process, the combos that you can create and nearly infinite. The quality of the food was outstanding. Pricing was fair. And the service was phenomenal. This was the first time that I had ever been to BD's but after my first plate, I am now a believer.
The Captain highly recommends this place to anyone that has not tried it. And if you are thinking that it is not your cup of tea, go try it anyway.
~Captain Steak
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Blood Brothers By Manowar
A moving song from the Kings of Metal:
When the world turns you away
A friend will not say no
There is strength that we all have
It's not the strength we show
And in your darkest hour
In your darkest nights
Whatever life will do
I am here for you
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
On one you can always depend
I am thy friend
Though we're far away
The stars above are the same
And when you feel alone
There's one who shares your pain
A true friend has no price
There is none to pay
I remember you stood by me
I'm with you all the way
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
One who will always defend
I am thy friend
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
On one you can always depend
I am thy friend
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
One who will always defend
I am thy friend
~Captain Steak
When the world turns you away
A friend will not say no
There is strength that we all have
It's not the strength we show
And in your darkest hour
In your darkest nights
Whatever life will do
I am here for you
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
On one you can always depend
I am thy friend
Though we're far away
The stars above are the same
And when you feel alone
There's one who shares your pain
A true friend has no price
There is none to pay
I remember you stood by me
I'm with you all the way
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
One who will always defend
I am thy friend
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
On one you can always depend
I am thy friend
Think of me wherever you are
When it seems like you're reaching the end
Call on me, know in your heart
One who will always defend
I am thy friend
~Captain Steak
Thursday, January 19, 2012
SOPA and PIPA: The Blackout
January 18, 2012 was a day for the history books. Several sites went black in protest to these two pieces of legislation. The result was tremendous. The phone systems at Congress were heavily overloaded and nearly crashed.
For more info, I have provided several links:
For more info, I have provided several links:
(A video about Pipa)
(Several news links about the protest in general)
(another blogger's thoughts on SOPA)
(Interesting article that helps explain SOPA in layman terms)
(To see the full list of participating sites)
Now after reading up on this, you could be asking yourself, Did the Protest work?
I just provide you with two simple article links that reddit.com posted:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/technology/web-protests-piracy-bill-and-2-key-senators-change-course.html?_r=2
Now after reading up on this, you could be asking yourself, Did the Protest work?
I just provide you with two simple article links that reddit.com posted:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/technology/web-protests-piracy-bill-and-2-key-senators-change-course.html?_r=2
The answer is of course yes. Several Congressmen have changed their opinions on where they stand. We have gained a small victory. But the battle is not over. If you go to that sopastrike.com site, you can find a timeline about these bills. There is still going to be a vote over them.
Lastly, I leave you with these two final links:
(Pirate Bay press release about the issue)
(I have provided some photos of the blacked out sites)
EDIT: An interesting article from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more
EDIT EDIT: The chairman of the MPAA and his thoughts on the blackout
http://www.mpaa.org/resources/c4c3712a-7b9f-4be8-bd70-25527d5dfad8.pdf
A petition to investigate said chairman of bribery
http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/22/1945243/white-house-petition-to-investigate-dodd-for-bribery
and lastly, the small defeat of sopa
http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/20/209210/sopa-goes-back-to-the-drawing-board-pipa-postponed
EDIT: An interesting article from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more
EDIT EDIT: The chairman of the MPAA and his thoughts on the blackout
http://www.mpaa.org/resources/c4c3712a-7b9f-4be8-bd70-25527d5dfad8.pdf
A petition to investigate said chairman of bribery
http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/22/1945243/white-house-petition-to-investigate-dodd-for-bribery
and lastly, the small defeat of sopa
http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/20/209210/sopa-goes-back-to-the-drawing-board-pipa-postponed
~Captain Steak
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