California Voter Guide continued...

This is part 2 of 2 of my California guide to propositions. Again, I am a conservative independent but I tried to stay unbiased... except for Prop. 8. On a side note, I am voting for McCain. I don't believe in redistribution of wealth or any of the other Socialist ideas Obama has been pimping.

Here's the proposition list...

Prop 6 – Safe Neighborhoods Act

This proposition would be a great idea if it was written for a large town or small city. The problem is that it is written for the whole state. This proposition would create an Office of Public Safety Education and Information with a $12.5 million annual budget. This $12.5 million dollars is for statewide coverage.

I’m voting “No”. This proposition has a lot of good ideas but it is ridiculous to think they will work on a statewide scale.

Prop 7 – The Solar and Clean Energy Act

Regardless of what you believe about Anthropological Global Warming, this proposition is about the inevitable road to clean energy. I have always believed in the free market, private industry leading the way in technological innovation. I have never trusted in government programs or regulation to force change. Regarding solar energy, I would bet that any electric company would prefer investing in solar panels instead of having to pay for fossil fuels and the associated facilities. Solar Energy is so much cheaper to maintain and sunlight is free.

The first thing I noticed when reading the full text version of this proposition is the excessive use of rhetoric. Terms like “Special interest groups” and “Big Oil” are thrown around like it is an article for the New York Times. My instincts tell me this proposition was written with the primary purpose of sticking it to “Big Oil” and Special interest groups”.

The second thing that caught my eye was the Clean Energy requirements. Power companies will be required to produce 50% of their product via Clean Energy by the year 2025. Right now, only 10% of California’s Energy is generated from clean sources. It would be a huge undertaking for electric companies to meet this goal considering the rising level of demand expect over the next 10 to 15 years. Combine that with the fact that fossil fuels can produce much more power than clean energy for a given square footage.

The way I see it, it is very likely the electric companies will limit their output, regardless of demand, just so they can meet the 50% clean energy standard. That means rolling blackouts during peak use. The alternative for them is stiff financial penalties that could not legally be passed on to the consumer.

I’m voting “No”. If you are in favor of counting on the government to drive innovation, you should vote “Yes”. If you believe the private sector, university research and the free market should drive innovation, vote “No”.

Prop 8 – California Marriage Protection Act

This is my favorite proposition because it is only a couple of lines. The California Constitution will be amended to state the following: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California”. How can you argue with that?

Marriage is an institution of Religion. In most religions, homosexuality and gay marriage is forbidden. Therefore, as a gay, you are either a) religious and recognize your religion’s belief that your lifestyle is forbidden and marriage is impossible or b) not religious and have no desire to get involved in some crazy religious ritual.

Besides, a civil union affords all, if not, most of the rights enjoyed in a marriage. Therefore, you are not being denied any rights that anyone else has. Furthermore, if you really want to get married, Mr. Homosexual has every right to marry a woman just as Ms. Homosexual has every right to marry a man… provided they are of age, not already married, and human.

Put this to bed and vote “Yes”. Any more talk could lead to my Brother marrying my Sister or my Dad marrying my Daughter.

Prop 9 – Victim’s Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy’s Law

This proposition already passed way back in 1982. Vote “Yes” or “No”, I don’t care. I will not vote on this proposition because most of the provisions are already in place. The highlight of this proposition is that Parole guidelines become tougher on the criminal. This law would not be needed if California’s prisons were not overcrowded.

Prop 10 – California Renewable Energy and Clean Alternative Fuel Act

If this passes, $5 billion dollars that California does not have will go towards research and development in the area of alternative fuels and renewable energy. I’m voting “No” because California is broke.

Prop 11 – Voters FIRST Act

This is all about redistricting. As the law is written now, an elected official can draw his own district, thereby insuring his or her re-election. Incumbents in California are re-elected 99% of the time. I’m voting “Yes” because is a solution to an unfair situation. The districts as they exist are ridiculous.

Prop 12 – Veteran’s Bond Act of 2008

If passed, this proposition will authorize the issuance of $900 million in bonds to assist veterans who are purchasing homes or farms. I’m voting “No” even though I am a veteran because I don’t want more tax dollars being spent when California is broke. Again, if you are not a super duper Conservative, you might want to vote “Yes”.

California Voter Guide - Propositions...

I'm a Conservative Independent. The following is part 1 of 2 of my California Voters guide. I tried to keep it as unbiased as possible. I'll be the first to admit that being completely fair is just about impossible for me.

If you are a liberal, communist, Anti-American, Fascist pig, you should read this and vote the opposite of my recommendations. If you are a fellow conservative or a middle of the road independent or Democrat, you should read this and use your good judgement to make a good decision.

Prop 1a - Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century

I’m voting “No”. This is what responsible tax payers would call a boondoggle. The supporters say it will cost $40 billion to complete this project. The proposition is written to raise around $10 billion via the issuance of general bonds. There is no guarantee that the High-Speed project will ever be completed. Not to mention, recent estimates put the final cost at around $80 billion.

As a conservative, I can’t in good conscious vote for a bond measure that will only cover less than 15% of the total cost of a project that may never be completed… or may never even start. If passed, this “bond money” will go towards a bunch of bureaucrats who will pretend to work towards the goal of building that shouldn’t be built by the super efficient California government.

In reality, these bonds, which will have to eventually be paid for by tax payers, will do nothing except help these bureaucrats continue to live their lives as unproductive members of society (High-Speed Passenger Train Finance Committee and the High-Speed Rail Authority).

Prop 2 - Standards for Confining Farm Animals

First of all, I don’t care about food animals. I’m voting “No” for that reason alone. I understand that some people who read this might actually care a lot about animals raised for food. If that is the case, go ahead and vote “Yes”. For those of you in the middle, read the following.

I know proponents of the proposition have been showing full grown cattle being handled by a forklift, but this proposition has nothing to do with that. In fact, the whole forklift/cow incident is already illegal. This proposition will only cover egg-laying hens, calf raised for veal, and pregnant pigs. So, most of California’s livestock industry will remain unaffected.

This is expected to hurt California farms, more specifically, producers of eggs and veal. It is estimated that the cost of an egg from California will go up 25%. This will lead to more importing (from other states and Mexico) of eggs. As of right now, the majority of eggs consumed in California are from other states.

What does this proposition do? It requires commercial farmers to confine these animals in a way where they can freely extend all of their limbs and turn around in a circle without touching their enclosure. Failure to comply will result in a misdemeanor fine not to exceed $1000 or up to 180 days in a county jail.

This proposition looks to slightly lower tax revenues in the agriculture sector (around 1%). In my opinion, this prop could pass or not pass. I don’t care. When it all comes down, this would be a minor victory for the animal rights groups. However, following the theory of “Creeping Incrementalism”, this could lead to some wacky, far left propositions in the future.

Prop 3 – Children’s Hospital Bond Act

I’m voting “No” because I’m an evil conservative who does not want my tax dollars to go anywhere until the California State Government can get their act together. If you are not an evil conservative, read below.

This bond will provide close to $1 Billion in funds to the five major Children’s Hospitals in California and to any other qualifying hospital. This money is needed for facility renovations. From what I understand, equipment and facilities are becoming outdated and are in need of upgrade.

Like all of the other propositions, I have read the entire text version of this bond measure. It seems like a pretty responsible proposition. If you have to spend tax dollars, this seems to be a winner. I was concerned at first with the “other” hospitals and facilities that could qualify for funds. After reading the requirements, I feel it is safe to say that only hospitals and clinics dedicated to children’s care are eligible to receive funds. If you are not super duper conservative, I recommend voting “Yes”.

Prop 4 – Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act: Sarah’s Law

If this proposition passes, Physicians will be required to notify parents if a minor requests an abortion. I’m voting “Yes” because I believe parents have a right to parent their children.

There are a number of arguments against this proposition. The most prominent argument states that children who live in abusive homes will attempt a “back alley” abortion because of their fear of punishment. I understand this argument but it is not applicable with this proposition.

Part of the law will allow the (unemancipated) minor to take her case to a judge. The judge can then rule on whether informing the girls parents is not in her best interest. This provision was added to protect unemancipated minors from abusive parents.

In my opinion, I believe the “judge” part of the proposition is more likely to be abused by minors who want to bypass the law. California certainly has a lot of liberal judges who would rule in favor of a secret abortion on bad faith.

Regardless, I think this law would be a great victory for parental rights. I think a lot of liberals will vote no thinking they’re protecting some imaginary slippery slope that leads to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. That line of thinking is bogus and is not supported by any evidence. I recommend everyone from all political leanings to vote “Yes”.

Prop 5 – Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act

This proposition is huge. The text version takes up 21 pages… but I read them all. I’m voting No.
A little history…

New York prior to Giuliani was a cesspool of crime and drug use. Giuliani implemented a police policy that required cops to arrest anyone who was using or distributing drugs, even if they were not committing any other crime. The removal of drug users and dealers from the streets led to New York becoming one of the safest cities in the US.

This proposition would not only prevent the incarceration of drug users, but it would reduce the parole requirements of those who were already in prison. This is not good for fighting crime.
Additionally, this proposition would increase the size of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. I am never in favor of growing government.

What really makes me angry about this law, it does not allow for one dime of funding to go towards Religious-based drug treatment programs. Also, a judge can’t allow the option to go to a Religious-based program in lieu of jail. The only programs that qualify are science-based programs that don’t even have to be licensed or certified by the State.

The advertisements on TV suggest that non-violent drug offenders should be treated instead of going to jail. The advantage is that jails will be less crowded and drug offenders are more likely to kick their addiction. In my opinion, I think this is relatively an acceptable idea but the proposition is poorly written. I would recommend a “No Vote” or voting “No”. There is too much extra baggage for this proposition to be considered good law.

Brendan Fraser sucks...

How does this guy keep getting movie roles. He is a crappy actor and, from what my wife says, he's not much to look at. I decided to take some time to review this poster child of the decline of western cinema. The following is a look at his life and his "art".

Brendan Fraser didn't get a good start. His parents were both Canadian. Nothing good ever came from Canada, notably Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion, Crash Test Dummies and Barack Obama. Actually, Barack Saddam Hussein Obama Bin Laden was born in Kenya, but he sucks just as much as any other Canadian.

Here is a list of his most popular movies...

• The Mummy - Great movie if you ignore the leading man.
• The Mummy Returns - A great example of Hollywood taking too much from a good thing. Also, the leading man sucked.
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - Seriously, this franchise died with the thought of making the first sequel. To quote the crappy leading man, "Not again". Jet Li? I thought your last film was 5 years ago. Make better career decisions or you might end up co-starring with Jakie Chan... uh ... too late.
• Journey to the Center of the Earth - I'm not going to admit to seeing this. So... judging by the advertisements, this looks like a kid flick. Speaking of kid flicks...
• George of the Jungle & Dudley Do-Right - Again, kid flicks. Perhaps Mr. Fraser will take a hint and stick to this genre.
• Crash - Awesome movie. This movie is just about flawless. The only problem is the character portrayed by Brendan Fraser sucks.
• Encino Man - Another great movie and his best movie role. In a completely unrelated note, Brendan doesn't speak at all with exemption to grunting a couple of words here and there.

Message to Hollywood: Stop putting this guy in movies. If you can't stop, then please don't advertise for the movies you put him in. If you can't stop spam advertising, please keep your movie trailers on the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon.

The basic anatomy of a Hollywood movie trailer consists of a narrator with a deep voice, a couple action scenes, and the "coolest" and "funniest" one-liners from the movie. The problem with these "cool" and "funny" one-liners is they suck, especially when spoken by Brendan Fraser. So while I'm trying to watch House, Law and Order, Heroes, or any other great show with great actors, I have to suffer through crappy one-liners uttered by Brendan Fraser during the commercials.

Demon Intro...

This is my first machinima creation. I made it with Maya 5, Unreal Tournament 2004 and Sony Vegas Video 3. It only took about a day because there was only one custom model and texture... the DFA seal at the end.

DFA stands for Death From Above, which is the name of my geeky gaming clan. This is one of four videos I made for the clan captain and 3 co-captains.

The two songs featured are "Extinction Clinic" by Bexarametric and "I Stand" by Mudvayne.

Stupid header image...

The header image at the top of the page is starting to drive me crazy. Why??? Because I'm a perfectionist and the image is not perfect. Maybe you might have noticed, maybe not. The lit light bulb has a shadow.

Of course, that's impossible.

Shadow shad·ow -noun [shad-oh] - a dark figure or image cast on the ground or some surface by a body intercepting light.

Obviously, since the body intercepting light is in fact a source of light in and of itself, it cannot cast a shadow.

The reason there is a shadow is because I am not as experienced at 3D modeling and rendering as I would like to be. I think I did an OK job modeling the light bulbs and setting up the lighting and textures in 3D Studio Max. The problem I had was trying to make the 3rd light bulb look illuminated. This problem was only half solved by adding the lens flare and point source effects using Adobe Photoshop.

Photoshop is great for touching up images but it should never be used to light up the subject of a scene. The illumination effect looks great but that stupid shadow is still there. Adobe can't make that disappear without some serious, time consuming editing.

The solution is for me to learn how to illuminate a light bulb model in 3D Studio Max. I somewhat know what to do but I can't get the illumination to look as good as in Photoshop.

This is a "...to be continued" project. You'll know I have solved the problem sometime in the future when you will no doubt navigate to my thoroughly entertaining and intellectually stimulating blog and notice that the annoying shadow, which has plagued your thoughts and dreams for what seems like decades, has finally descended into the decrepit cespool known as mediocre art hell.

shadow. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved October 21, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shadow

Classic Rock

My IPOD is only 2GB. I consider myself to be a music lover so it is hard for me to decide what songs to put on my IPOD. After months of consideration, I have finally determined which songs I need to have on my IPOD. The following is a list of just the Classic Rock songs:

Boston - Foreplay/Long Time
Cream - White Room
Deep Purple -Smoke On the Water
The Doors - L.A. Woman
Pink Floyd - Money
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
Eagles - Life In the Fast Lane
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Rolling Stones - Miss You
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Saturday Night Special
Tom Petty - Breakdown
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
Eagles - Life's Been Good
Led Zeppelin - Ramble On
Eric Clapton - Cocaine
Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Ted Nugent - Stranglehold
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man
Heart - Barracuda
Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance

Honorable Mention: Peter Frampton - Do You Feel (Live). Can't buy this without buying the whole album.

I left out a couple of tracks that I neglected to remove. I will remove them as soon as I am synced up. I don't know how some Fleetwood Mac songs happened to sneak on my playlist. The songs in bold blue are my favorites.

Lemming's Intro...

This was the quickest machinima video I ever made. It only took me a couple of hours. I had this idea and I wanted to put it to video.

The music is Edvard Grieg's "Morning Mood". I forget the map name but it comes with Unreal Tournament 2004. I didn't do any custom 3D modeling but I did do a lot of scripting.

The Unreal 2 game engine does not allow scripting of vehicles so I had to cheat with the Manta. I converted the Manta vehicle to a mesh then added it as a mover. Every movement you see with it is keyed as a mover and not actual vehicle animation. The sound of the Manta jump and crush was added later using Vegas Video 3.

Beast Intro...

This flick was made using Unreal Tournament 2004, Maya 5, Photoshop, and Vegas Video 3. The track is "Windmill Sessions" by Bexarametric. It took me about 3 months to get this finished and it's still not perfect.

You can see there are a two bodies that actually fall through the floor. The camera work is a little choppy. I have a stray mosaic effect in the last 30 seconds.

What I like about this video is that it is one continuous shot. It took me forever to get the scripting and timing right. Even with the minor mistakes here and there, I am very proud of this sequence.

It's called "Beast Intro" because one of my clan captains set this up and the intro to his video game. I have 3 other intro videos that I'll post later. By far, this is my best work.

Some things to note...

DFA films is based off of my clan name, DFA. Stands for Death From Above. Our clan specialized (past tense) in Capture the Flag on Unreal Tournament 2003 using the Excessive Overkill mutator. The music track is also featured in a number of custom maps for the game UT2k4. Bexarametric has other tracks that are also used throughout the video game industry.

Flash test and the battle of wills...

This is just a test post to see if I can post flash movies. It looks like I can, which is too bad for you because I plan to post a lot of flash videos of my baby girl.

Speaking of my baby girl, she was a bit of a crazy girl today. My daughter does not like green beans, peas or any other green vegetable. She's only 8 months old but she already has a picky taste in food. She gets that from her mom.

This crazy little girl absolutely would not eat her food. She would not open her mouth. When she started crying, I thought I'd be smart and put the food in her mouth... that was messy. It took an hour to feed her a little container.

I have to stay true in this battle. My will is strong and I will see her through to the end. If not... S-P-O-I-L-E-D is the only thing that can result. She may look at me and swear she's adopted but she will finish her vegetables.

I won today. It was a tough battle but with if I continue to stay strong and do what is best, I will win the war.

Wheel of Time...

It's been a little over a year since Robert Jordan died. There was a lot of anxiety in his fan base on whether or not he would finish the series. As of now, the series is still not finished.

There is hope for WoT fans, however because author Brandon Sanderson is hard at work with the final book. It is scheduled for publication in Fall of 2009.

In preparation for the release of the last installment, I have begun rereading the series. I just finished book 2 - the Great Hunt. Even though I remember just about everything about the books, I still find it a great read. My perspective is different now that I've read all 11 books so the first couple of books are a little different.

For example, the first time I read these books, I had no idea what the Emond's Fielders meant when they talked about "false dragons" and "Aes Sedai". Moiraine mentioning "the ways" meant nothing to me the first time either. When Min describes the auras she sees on Rand, Egwene, Matt and Perin, I understand what the auras mean.

I don't normally reread books. In this case, I decided to reread more for proficiency than for enjoyment. I want to be ready for book 12 when it comes out. As it turns out, I am really enjoying this series. Robert Jordan is a great writer. His description of environments and action/battle scenes are detailed and interesting. His characters are fun and memorable.

I can easily see myself rereading this series for a 3rd or 4th time. For those of you who have not read it once, I highly recommend you pick up book 1 - The Eye of the World. Even if you are not an Epic Fantasy reader, you will enjoy this series.

On a side note...

I was supposed to start reading book 3 yesterday. The problem is I'm depending on my buddy to let me borrow it. He keeps forgetting to bring it when we hang out. So instead of reading book 3, I find myself scouring the internet for discussions, articles, and artwork inspired by the Wheel of Time series. I found some gems and I'd like to share.

My two favorite Wheel of Time concept artists host blogs here on blogger.com - Jeremy Saliba and Seamas Gallagher. Check out their artwork when you have the time.