J. Jason Lazarus Blog

The following is an excellent photo gallery of the continuing effects that Radiation is having on the russian people - as we come up to the 20th anniversary of the disaster within a week or so, I’ve been finding an extensive amount of coverage on how live was, is, and will be in this region. Although I’m a proponet of Nuclear power, this disaster serves as a constant reminder about how, no matter what energy source we choose on, we must consider all the costs of using that power.
http://www.pixelpress.org/chernobyl/index.html
Recently the GM motor company has been pushing the idea of this new Ethanol fuel for its vehicles. Although a noble idea, I don’t believe they are fully considering the implications of a mass-turnover to this type of fuel. Although this will definately help the farmers of America by giving them yet another outlet to sell their product to, the calculations have already been made - there’s not enough fieldland in all of America to even attempt such a massive turnover and reliance from fossil fuels to this new corn-based fuel. Then there’s the consideration that, well, there’s enough land throughout the entire world - then where do we put outselves? We’re willing to grow corn to fuel our cars, and yet unwilling to hand it out to the poor, starving people of Africa? How can you even convince people who are starving that those fields, right by their houses aren’t for food, and that they must starve?
I know it’s radical thought, generally not one that could be attributed to a Republican, but eh, I do have my moments.
Speaking of green energy - Don Young isn’t my best friend right now. Although I think that he’s done a lot of Alaska, from a article that I read a bit of today, apparently he’s getting in the way of a project to build a off-shore windmill farm off of Cape Cod, emplied is that he’s doing it because some rich people, including the Kennedys, don’t like the project. I’ll admit I haven’t read much into it and am quite uninformed about it, but I am frustrated that, of all things, we still have people shooting down reasonable Green Energy programs like Wind Farms. Of all the renewable energies, Wind seems the best bet - why aren’t we using it?
Wind Farm Article
Anyways, I think I’ve posted enough today. Been kinda…bored. Need to do something other than sit around - people should call me!

So about a month or so ago I said that I had started playing Final Fantasy VI on my SNES - my favoritest FF ever. Well, about a week ago I realized that Final Fantasy: Advent Children, a CG movie based on FF VII, or at least serves as a sequel for the francise. Well, never having finished the game, I’m thinking that this might be a good idea - so I try to install my copy on my PC. It’s an interesting feeling using a top-of-the-line PC to play a 10 year old video game. Interesting indeed, but nonetheless, the nostalgia has set in. FFVII was the first nerdy RPG I got into, thanks to Steve, and ever since I’ve been wasting money on RPG after RPG. Thankfully I never got into actual table-top RPG’s or Live Action RPG’s. No, even though I lived in Nerland (more commonly known as NERD-land) for three years I managed to not become a real, true RPGer - and I think that’s better for me, at least.
Nerland was interesting like that. When I moved in, there was a fine line of distinction between the types of nerds - and to be honest, most of them didn’t like each other. You had two camps - the computer nerds and the RPG nerds. People like Jack crossed the boundaries but rarely anyone else did. As time progressed, and possibly because of the closeness, the two groups collided as soon as they found MMORPG’s (online, multiplayer RPG’s) and realized they all had a common love. Then, by the time I left Nerland, the computer geek had almost disappeared… odd. Completely replaced by the Tabletop RPGer. And it… smelled. Yeah, not too fond of that. Miss the people, not the smell. Miss all the great times during Clan Woot broomball, not so much the aftermath smell. Yeah. Little too much of that.
Anyways, enjoying the game and enjoying actually understanding the storyline, a storyline I was unable to, or unwilling to take the time to, fully understand almost 10 years ago.

So when I heard that Coke was coming out with yet another flavorful concoction, I was hoping that they would’ve gotten it right by this point. Apparently they’re still unable to do so. Who the hell would make a soda (oh I’m sorry, a “fusion beverage”) that tastes like coke mixed with International Coffee mix? YEch! This has got to be one of the worst combos ever. And so, I present my list, partial as it may be, as to my own personal ranking of all the recent flavor editions to the coke/pepsi lines and how they rank - at least in my book:

Top of the List, best at top:
1. Pepsi Blue
2. Mountain Dew Code Red
3. Diet Pepsi w/ Lime
4. Diet Pepsi w/ Lemon
5. Mountain Dew Pitch Black II
6. Pitch Black
7. Coke Zero
8. Black Cherry Vanilla Coke

Bottom of the List, worst at top:
1. Coke Blak
2. 7-up’s DNL
3. Mr. Pibb’s “Xtra”
4. Pepsi Holiday Spice
5. Vault
6. Vanilla Coke
7. Diet Vanilla Coke

I’ll edit this entry as I remember, or other people remind me, of other shit-tastic flavors. Note: This is ONLY a list of favorite new flavors and not a list of my favorite sodas - cause, you know, Big Red isn’t up there.

So, because a long rant that I finished was for some reason erased before I posted it, I’ll break down my rant over the next few days. First of all, I’ve finished Art of War. Although the actual book isn’t that long, the copy that I purchased from B&N had a fairly long introduction. Although I’m usually not the type to read introductions because they’re rarely anything but dry and boring, I read it - and I’m glad I did. The introduction offered historical background surrounding the text, going so far to introduce and pick apart basic pieces of Chinese Warfare over a 2000-year period while explaining the overall fuedal society, it’s evolution, and how both of these managed to aid the other in developing the warfare and thought behind Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Very informative and worth the read.
This last weekend I picked up another book from B&N - John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. And no, for those wondering, I did not pick this book up because Oprah told me to. To be honest, I can’t stand Oprah - and I can’t stand that such a woman controls the minds, purchases and thinking of so many stay-at-home mothers and single women. Although the fact that she can do something so extraordinary is worth attention, the fact that she’s been doing it..for…what 20 years? is frightening. So, no, I did not buy this book because Oprah said it was a good book. I bought it because the cover was pretty.
No, not really. I bought it because I am trying, although admittedly a vain attempt, to read a decent collection of the collections so that (at this rate, by the time I’m old and grey) I can say that I’m well-read. Yeah… Like I see that happening anytime soon.

Not much happening lately. Sunday we had Mike over and we had a absolutely wonderful pork roast that my wife slaved over. Absolutely wonderful! Work has been very busy, been dealing with a server issue. Been also fretting about my summer class and how many people are in it, in what I’m beginning to think is just an effort to give me something to worry about rather than an actual concrete issue. Taxes actually managed to turn rosey at the last minute - a last-ditch effort on the 15th to somehow reduce the several hundred that I owed the government managed to net me a savings of $450 and a small refund - one wrong click in TaxCut can do this! Other than that, been getting kinda closterphobic around town - I think it’s because I really haven’t been out of the North Star Borough since January - since San Fran. I think it has something to do with the fact that I live in the largest state and I’ve managed to confine myself the last few months to a few hundred square miles - makes me want to drain my savings, put off paying off so much of the credit card, and high-tail to Anchorage. Hmm….

So, in an effort to either increase the size of my online gallery or just a ploy to get you all to laugh at me more, I’ve included some old family photos of me throughout the years. I’m still trying to figure out why I’m letting you guys see this. I think, in essense, I’m just trying to embarrass myself. Why? Hell if I know. Maybe I’m just trying to prove to someone out there that one day, way back when, I was cute. Maybe I’m trying to increase traffic to my website by enticing viewers with potential blackmail images? Who knows. Most likely I’m just trying to give you guys a laugh at my own expense. Think of it as my own little “Cheer up!” Hallmark greeting card for all of you. Yes, indeed, the picture to the right may in fact be the cutest picture of me ever. Awwwh. Look at da little jay-sun.