Archive for the 'New Rules' Category

new rules ~ (non) photo manipulators edition

Published
by
Shelly
on January 22, 2007
in New Rules
. Closed

New Rule: Anyone who takes a stock photo and does virtually nothing more than use a few filters on it and upload it to the photography section of an art community as if it were their own–even if they do credit the source–ought to be horsewhipped, not to mention strapped to a chair to learn where the stuff should go (the photo manipulation section…or better yet, off the servers!).

I found a gallery at deviantart, by way of humble voice, that contained three stock photos (two from the same account) with not much more done to them than: 1) contrast adjustments; 2) application of blur filter; 3) light texturizing; 4) cropping…in the PHOTOGRAPHY section (”Emotive Portraits” to be precise). Yeah, he credits the stock artists; but. you don’t put manipulated photography (by “manipulated”, in this case, I mean “stuff you can’t do in a darkroom”) taken by someone else in the photography section of your own account! You put it in the Photo Manipulation section where it belongs. Or, in this case, since so very little was done, they shouldn’t even be in the gallery, period.

In a weird way, even though it is stock photography, and the stock artists were still credited, it could almost constitute as ripping–not a good thing.

the best new rule this season

Published
by
Shelly
on October 25, 2006
in New Rules
. 3 Comments

From the October 20 episode of Real Time… (Emphasis is mine.)

And finally, New Rule, in two parts: A) You can’t call yourself a think tank if all your ideas are stupid. And B), if you’re someone from one of the think tanks that dreamed up the Iraq War, and who predicted that we’d be greeted as liberators, and that we wouldn’t need a lot of troops, and that Iraqi oil would pay for the war, that the WMD’s would be found, that the looting wasn’t problematic, and the mission was accomplished, that the insurgency was in its last throes, that things would get better after the people voted, after the government was formed, after we got Saddam, after we got his kids, after we got Zarqawi, and that the whole bloody mess wouldn’t turn into a civil war…you have to stop making predictions!

(You can read the rest there.)

Of course, his final “New Rules” all throughout this season have been cool (all the ones from last month have been excellent, IMO); but the above one takes the cake so far, I say.

new rules ~ festivus 2005 extravaganza, part two

Published
by
Shelly
on December 23, 2005
in New Rules
. 1 Comment

Time for Part Two.

* * * * *

New Rule: It’s time for Congress to impeach George Walker Bush.
Illegal wiretapping. Illegal war. Good lawd; he’s done enough stuff to this country to make anyone’s head spin. I mean, really! But then again, this is the same guy who said it’d be a lot easier if this were a dictatorship…as long as he was the dictator.

Note to self: Find a copy of 1984.

* * * * *

New Rule: The next time there’s a conflict of interest in regards to pulling the plug on someone in a persistent vegetative state, those involved in said conflict must settle it themselves, without getting the government (local, state, or federal) involved. Or the media.

I am, of course, referring to the fiasco that centred around Terri Schiavo. The plug was pulled on her in mid-to-late March of this year; and she passed away near the end of the month. It was a mess in the media. There were hoards of people gathered outside where she was staying, holding vigil. Most of the media was there too. Florida governor Jeb Bush wanted her to become a ward of the state.

Was any of this stuff really necessary? I mean, come on. Terri Schiavo was a grown woman, not a little kid. She was in a PVS for fifteen years. 90% of her brain–which included virtually everything needed to function–was gone. She was blind (which an autopsy confirmed). She couldn’t eat. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t hear. She couldn’t do anything except lie in her bed and get fed through a feeding tube. There are probably plenty of people like this everywhere; why not have the media direct their energies toward them?

Oh, yeah. That’s right. Because there was this whole duh-RAMA involving her husband, Michael, who either had decided he needed to move on with his life and got another girlfriend or is a total arse (depending on who you ask) and Terri’s parents, the Schindlers, who were either obsessed with keeping her alive to feed some emotional void or genuinely thought their daughter was not in a PVS and was responsive (again, depending on who you ask). He wanted the plug pulled, as he believed his wife didn’t want to “live” this way; they wanted it left in, saying she was still alive. I ask them: Yeah, she may’ve been alive, but was she living?

Anyway. If any other families need to fight this sort of thing out, they should settle it amongst themselves. Have a tug of war, a hockey shootout, a game of Horse, whatever. Just leave the rest of the country and the world out of it!

* * * * *

New Rule: If your team is sucking, don’t trade your best player!
Yep. Bruins reference. Joe Thornton to be exact. Three weeks ago, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for three mediocre guys. Now? San Jose is doing better; while Boston continues to suck. That’ll learn them.

* * * * *

New Rule: Free Katie!
I don’t think anymore explanation is needed than this.

In a related story, the Tom Cruise couch jumps seen (almost) everywhere are very creepy sights. Either find the git his meds or introduce him to a straight jacket.

* * * * *

That’s all the Festivus “New Rules” I can think of. Keep in mind that Festivus doesn’t end until you can pin the head of your family down to the ground. ;)

new rules ~ festivus 2005 extravaganza, part one

Published
by
Shelly
on December 22, 2005
in New Rules
. Closed

So Festivus is coming up on Friday. Rather that just do my Airing of Grievances straight up, I’m doing them in the form of New Rules. :) Why? Well, why not?

Here goes… Part one. Yes, Part One.

* * * * *

New Rule: Former dictators can’t act like divas in prison.
Two weeks ago, Sadaam Hussein didn’t show up to trial because he thought the trial itself was unjust. Earlier this week, he refused to show up in court because he didn’t have any clean underwear. He’s also complained about unsavoury conditions in prison itself. Look, fella. I don’t care that you were president of Iraq; virtually no one taking you to trial does. Mmmkay? As far as anyone else is concerned, you’re finally getting a taste of your own medicine. *nod*

The day in the Sadaam Hussein trial.

* * * * *

New Rule: No more wars on concepts or holidays!
First it was the “war on drugs”. It hasn’t been won. Then it was the “war on terror(ism)”. With or without the “-ism”, despite what GWB may think, we’re not exactly winning that, either.

Now? Apparently some Christians out there think there’s a “war on Christmas”.

This one just takes the cake. Not to mention it’s another case of a handful of them taking something–various stores refusing to wish their patrons a “Merry Christmas” and wishing them “Happy Holidays” instead–and blowing it way out of proportion. Years ago, Christians were whining about Christmas being too commercial for them. Now they’re mad because the check-out guy at Target is wishing them “Happy Holidays” and not “Merry Christmas”. Make up your minds, people? What do you want?

Or maybe the real reason some of them are pissed off is because those who celebrate other holidays–Advent, Yule, Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa–are finally being treated equally; and it’s driving them up the wall. Maybe someone needs to remind them that December 25–the day on which Christmas is celebrated (and this year, Hanukkah starts on the same day)–was originally a Pagan holiday (the feast of the Son of Isis–she being the Pagan goddess of Nature; the birth of Mithras; among other things), and that it only became Christmas in the year 350, as a means of converting the Pagan Romans to convert to Christianity. Many of those old Pagan traditions–the feasting, the Yule log, the Christmas tree–still exist; and I would dare say most Christians take part in those traditions in some form or another.

Anyway, no one is stopping Christians themselves from wishing someone a “Merry Christmas”. Put it on your cards for this year. Shout it out from the rooftops of your house if you want. As long as the sentiment is there, and you really do mean “Merry Christmas”, it doesn’t matter.

Pagan origins of Christmas

* * * * *

New Rule: If you say no amount of money will send you to a rival team, stick to your word!

Today Red Sox Nation, I can imagine, is very livid about Johnny Damon going to the New York Yankees for $52 million over four years. Back in May, he said he’d never go to the Yanks. He loved Boston. After all, he was part of the biggest comeback ever in ALCS–perhaps even all of baseball–history in 2004, not to mention he helped Boston win their first World Series in 86 years. Where’s Theo Epstein when you really need him? If the Bruins trading Joe Thornton was bad, this is ten times worse.

Thoughts on the Damon acquisition and how it could help those freakin’ Yankees.

* * * * *

New Rule: Selecting a hockey player who assaulted another hockey player–no matter how good the assaulter may be–is never a good idea.

Vancouver Canuck forward Todd Bertuzzi is among those selected to play on Team Canada at the Olympics in a couple of months. He’s known for his assault on Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore–who, more likely than not, will never play hockey again–near the end of the 2003-04 season. He was suspended for the rest of that season, and the suspension carried over into the lockout last year. His year of probation that he received in court ends this week.

While some fans have probably forgotten this incident and forgiven Bertuzzi, I doubt others have. I betcha Avs fans who are also Team Canada fans are pissed. Heck, when the incident happened two years ago, I thought that constituted a permanent ban…and not just from the NHL, either. It’s one thing to check a guy into the boards while trying to get the puck to a teammate or whatever. It’s another thing to bash a guy and break his neck. I say, ditch him from the team and take Sidney Crosby instead.

Bertuzzi headed to the Olympics

* * * * *

To be continued….

from the land of bad taste

Published
by
Shelly
on January 29, 2005
in New Rules
. Closed

In honour of the return of Real Time on February 18…

New Rule: If you’re going to attend a solemn event, leave the military-style winter coats at home! At the Auschwitz ceremony, VP Dick Cheney wore a green winter jacket and a casual hat, while all the other world leaders and diplomats were dressed in black winter coats. The fashion editor at the Washington Post called him on it. My dad had that exact style coat while he was in the military. After his retirement back in the early 1990s, he continued to wear it outside when blowing snow.

Really, though. As the second-in-command of the world’s sole superpower, and representing the country at such a solemn event, Dick Cheney should know better than to visit the Land of Bad Taste.

By the way, Lynne Cheney’s coat wasn’t much better, either, in my view.