Archive for rants

An Open Letter to George Lucas

// August 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // Stuff, rants

George Lucas wanted for crimes against filmDear George Lucas,

I am pleased to note that you’re bringing your Star Wars franchise to Blu-Ray, really I am. I just really think the whole “Han shot second” crap undermines the story (him coming back to help Luke loses all meaning if he’s not established as a douche). The fact that every couple of years you decide to change the films in major rather than minor ways. The reason the films made so much money in the first place is that you told a great story with some cool special effects

Since you started on the prequels, you’ve forgotten the story and only added special effects (which, contrary to your opinions, don’t actually improve movies). I think I heard you say at least once “it’s the story stupid”, though that might have been your talented, good friend Steven Spielberg. Who, speaking of him, really should have had you beaten repeatedly for the abomination that was the last Indiana Jones movie.

What you’re doing to the Star Wars universe is worse than anything a Sith lord could ever do to it. Just stop screwing up beauty,and count your piles of cash or something. The fact that you’re incapable of figuring out that you’ve become an awful director (in spite of those previously mentioned piles of cash usable to hire competent people) worries me greatly since it’s been 4 years almost since you announced a Star Wars tv show. The fact that you’re helming it makes me think it’s quite possible that finally you’ll top the Christmas special and release something so terrible that it is quickly outlawed for being toxic and a crime against humanity (yes I in fact mean something worse than “Tremors” the tv show).

If you truly care about your characters and want Sat Wars to†continue to be a popular beloved franchise, stop fucking it up already! The South Park guys hit the nail on the head: you’re sick, you need help, and all you’re doing is slapping a coat of new, cheap paint over the original masterpiece.

Sincerely,

A lifelong Star Wars fan (in spite of what you’ve done to the series).

I hate tea partiers but love the concept (Fuck you teaparty)

// April 12th, 2010 // 14 Comments » // Corporation, Politics, Sociability, Stuff, rants

So you “want to take America back”? Really? Fuck you tea party folks, you had your chance and fucked the country up with your blind support for people who espouse a narrow shallow money oriented “christian” ethic. Fuck you.

We had eight years of
Bush and Cheney, but now you get mad!
You didn’t get mad when
the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a
President.You didn’t get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.You didn’t get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.
You didn’t get mad when
the Patriot Act got passed..

You didn’t get mad when
we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn’t get mad when
we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn’t get mad when
over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn’t get mad when
you found out we were torturing people.

You didn’t get mad when
the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn’t get mad when
we didn’t catch Bin Laden.

You didn’t get mad when
you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn’t get mad when
we let a major US city drown.

You didn’t get mad when
we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.

You didn’t get mad
when, using reconciliation; a trillion dollars of our tax dollars were redirected to insurance companies for Medicare Advantage which cost over 20 percent more for basically the same services that Medicare provides.

You didn’t get mad when
the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark, and our debt hit the thirteen trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad
when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans… oh hell no.

AND NOW YOU’RE MAD?!

When you can actually act like grownups instead of screaming harpies that just protest without offering a balanced opinion (saying no to obama when all you do is regurgitate talking points from fox news does not an opinion make)

Shame on you Representative Joe Wilson

// September 9th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Bureaucracy, Corporation, Politics, rants

I just saw an entire party of United States elected representatives refuse to stand for the President of the United States, laugh at the plight of Americans not having health insurance and even worse, one of them yelled out “Liar!” at the President of the United States. An elected representative from the state of South Carolina, the man who represents those people felt the necessity to insult the office of the President on international television. For what you ask? For the President reiterating that there would be zero coverage for illegal immigrants. Text that’s been in the healthcare plan for months.

This is what you’ve come to Republican party: hysterical demagogues with no respect for the law, the constitution, or their fellow Americans.

Below is the text of my letter to Congressman Joe Wilson:

Rep. Wilson

You should be ashamed of yourself and apologize to the men and women of the great state of South Carolina, & the duly elected President of the United States for your abhorrent behavior during the President’s speech. During the past 8 years the democratically elected Congress was respectful throughout any appearance by the former President. It is surprisingly unshocking to see the Republican party unable to maintain, honesty, integrity, decorum or basic respect for the office of the President. It’s behavior like yours that made me leave the Republican party. The adherence to fearmongering, stalling and every underhanded tactic the party could use to amass more power. Power for what? amassing more power. What need have we of that? Does it help me ensure a better future for my sons? No. It serves only to feed more power to those who have shown over the last 10 years their inability to govern on behalf of their constituents but instead to govern on behalf of fear and profiteering.

It saddens me to see a party that once was a noble and inspiring group fall so far. Make an effort to truly do what is best for America and not the bottom line of a corporation. Your voting block is struggling financially, overwhelmed by medical bills and all you and your party can do is “stall” and say it’s fine. Last I checked you receive medical coverage from the government. What makes you more special than any other American? The elected representatives are supposed to be our brightest people, not our greediest.

Sincerely,

Chris O’Rourke
Father, Husband, American.

My alma mater is run by idiots (or Fuck the Centennial School Board)

// June 30th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Drumcorps, Loved Ones, Sad, Stuff, rants

I just got word that the marching program at my high school is being eliminated, the board (particularly Shar Giard) didn’t allow comment from any of the Band Parent Association that were present during the vote. The board has regularly voted to give more money to the football team (not they’re ever really contenders though) while constantly shafting the award winning (Centennial is responsible for winning hundreds of awards in the last 30 years for musical performance, including over 18 sweepstakes awards at the Grand Floral Parade).

I’m a product of that marching program. Until I joined the band I was a completely undisciplined wallflower incapable of any real interaction with anyone. Now I’m a successful small business owner, father and husband. If it wasn’t for the tutelage and experience I received being a part of something bigger than my young high school mind could perceive I’d likely have not gone on to anything notable in my life. Curtailing a long running program because a. it’s too expensive and b. the new band director doesn’t like marching activites is idiocy. Why apply for the job if you want to eliminate half of it? Moron. Too expensive? Really? Music is time and time again proven to be better for academics as well as improving future prospects for success.

Here’s the note I received about the board’s decision:

In a very sad turn of events the Centennial School district board voted to shutdown the 2009/10 fall/winter marching program. A large contingent of Band Parent Assc members were present when the board was presented with the recommendation to continue the music program but only march for the rose parade. To our amazement the board pres. Shar Giard would not allow comment from any of our group even though it was clear they were acting on mis-information about the number of students currently participating in marching band and colorguard. They did not give any consideration at all to the members of the colorguard as they are not band students. We have had several meetings with the superintendent and members of the board and have had representation at all their meetings and all along they have been telling us that they are very supportive of the marching band program, that they wanted it to continue.
In case you had not heard we were also in a transition of directors this year, spearheaded in part by the band parents assc. because we wanted to see more dicipline and control of the program. Mr. Dave Mann has served as the director since Bret Cappelluti and with great enthusiam and effort. We applaud him for his time and wish him well in the future.
The position of director was posted and a number of very qualified applications were received. In the end the position was given to Mr. Claud Garrett, the current photography teacher at CHS, who had also applied. The administration said their hands were tied because of union rules and the fact that many teachers were being laid off due to the budget crisis. It seems Mr. Garrett had the right to bump anyone the school might have hired from outside. All that said the fact is that while Mr. Garrett has the credentials to teach music he has no interest in marching band, doesn’t even pretend to like drumcorps. He came to a band parent meeting last week and stated that the decision of whether there would be fall marching was out of his control. But it was very clear that given the choice he would not want to run it.

For all of you alumni I am greatly saddened as I was a parent during years when the CHS Marching Band and Colorguard was at the top of its game. I’m sure as you have chosen to be a member of this group that you too have fond memories of your marching days. It is very sad that there could be no future competitive marching band at Centennial.

I would ask that if you feel moved to do so you either write or call the superintendent, Dr. Mckean and all the current district board members and remind them that this is a program that has a rich history and should be preserved. You can find their contact information at this link..

http://www.centennial.k12.or.us/contacts/contacts_board.php

this group will continue and I invite a discussion on this matter

thank you

Mark Huff
CHS Band Parent Assc Communications Director

To the members of the board: You obviously weren’t members of the band so don’t understand the bond we all share regardless of what years we attended. If you want to kill something to save money why not cut out some of the athletic programs? More kids went through the music program then the athletics programs so it’s obviously a better investment. Regardless of anything the liklihood that I’ll ever donate money to the school again is exactly zero. I experienced how it was spent then and it doesn’t surprise me in the least that once again the band gets the sharp pointy end of the stick.

Oh and Claud Garett, obviously you aren’t qualified for this job in the least no matter what degree you’ve got. The Centennial band deserves someone who will appreciate their history. If you apply for a job do the whole job not just the parts that appeal to you.

I’m gay for the day.

// May 26th, 2009 // 4 Comments » // Politics, Sociability, rants

In honor of the abject backwards cowardice of the California Supreme Court (and every other court that believes that popular opinion supersedes that pesky constitution (the one that says we’re ALL equal)) I am hereby declaring that I am gay and standing with all of the other oppressed people.

Not opressed you say? Really? So not being able to visit your partner in a hospital without lengthy paperwork ahead of time? Not being able to have all of the same rights as any other couple in love? Seems like oppression to me.

Exactly when did the government have the right to determine who someone loves if they’re both of consenting age? Why is this still an issue in this day an age at all? Doesn’t case law from the 60s establish that discrimination is illegal? Meh it’ll take more than facts, truth and logic to sway the minds of blind stupidity, ignorance and fear.

I strongly endorse the idea of everyone on twitter, facebook, myspace wherever it is that you spend your online social time and be gay for the day, the week, the month. However long it takes for people to wake up and end the all too common standard of discrimination we live in.

Fuck oppression

Fuck discrimination

Fuck religious ideology being forced upon the masses.

The above is how I feel, apparently the courts think otherwise.

I’ll be hashtagging on twitter using #gayfortheday

Healthcare & the modern feudal system

// February 17th, 2009 // 5 Comments » // Corporation, Stuff, rants

So a week and a half ago I woke up in incredible pain. It literally felt like a large truck was parking (or at least attempting to) on the right side of my jaw. Since I’m in the midst of starting my own business I have no insurance coverage (Cobra payment from my old job would have been $1600/month which coincidentally is exactly what my unemployment benefits were) I had no other option but to ask on twitter if there were any good dentists that could take payments (especially since my tax return is coming this week). I got what I thought was a good referral and called. “sure we take payments”. Only problem was: I had a full week to wait for an appointment.

3 days later I couldn’t handle the pain anymore (nothing really helped) so I went to a local dentist who could see me plus give me an xray for $35. The appointment took all of 15 minutes and I left with the knowledge that I had a cracked & impacted wisdom tooth:

toothy

Incidentally (heh pun intended) I discovered a dark side to dentistry. Apparently the dentist I originally went to is a “meth dentist”. Meth heads pay a pittance to come in and get a quick prescription for painkillers they can then use OHP/Walmart to get cheap meds to sell. Neato eh? “but they’re only trying to help people”. bah.

Anyhow, I notified the Dentist’s office that I was on unemployment, had no money to spare at all until my tax return came and was told “no problem we can work with that”. Went in for an initial appointment and was told that my top wisdom teeth needed to go as well but shouldn’t be an issue even though there was an added cost. Sadly I wouldn’t be able to get nitrous oxide since the dentist charges so much for nitrous, but no problem again right? If only that were the case.

Today arrives with much excitement as I know my horrifying wisdom tooth of agony +2 will be removed once and for all. I hopped a bus and arrived for my appointment only to be told “If you can’t pay $1500 up front then we can’t help you”. uh what? I was told the payments would be small enough to be manageable. If I had a spare $1500 laying around I’d have dealt with this weeks ago when it first became an issue.

Apparently because I didn’t have enough I’m not worthwhile of “emergency treatment” which is what the dentist told me I needed. Last I checked if it’s an emergency they’re not supposed to turn down patients without the revenue. Shows what I know.

What’s hilarious is if I’d been in Canada, the UK or anyplace with socialized medicine I’d likely have gotten in to see a dentist the day the pain started and then once antibiotics kicked in I’d have the teeth removed no harm no foul. Instead under our awesome capitalism based healthcare system I got to wait a week and a half for no treatment. Last time I checked the GOP morons always say that you wait for socialized healthcare and you never wait for medical care here. How delightfully backwards those cute little republican idiots are.

Funny how you’re only a person anymore if you have money. It’s never been a perfect egalitarian system but years ago you could count on the medical community helping people, now it appears in the day of the HMO that if you have no money you are persona non grata. I think they used to call that the fuedal system.

Ironically I’m pretty sure that this is how my family ended up emigrating from Ireland over to the US originally. They were tired of being peasants that continually got the sharp pointy end of the stick. Happily I learned at a young age to not get mad, but to just get even. This is why I’m going to find a new dentist, one with ethics and more concern for patient care instead of being interested only in money like the asshat I went to this morning.Once I find this new dentist I’m going to do everything in my power to bring him more patients.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go take my goddamned tylenol 3 and hope my jaw stops hurting. Also fuck you George Nowland. I just had to call the 5 people I referred to you and tell them to find a dentist that isn’t a soul soliciting pigfucker.