Transfer Webhost AND Migrate Blogger to WordPress

Bust a Move to WordPress

The time has come for Tony Vahl and I to deal with something we have been putting off for a while because of the amount of time and technical frustration we have to deal with: we have to move DailySkew.com and all subdomains. This is not just a straight transfer, either. Let me explain how Google and IX Webhosting forced our hands:

Blogger.com (the software that runs this blog aka Blogspot) is run by Google, but it has always been its red-headed stepchild while WordPress.org and WordPress.com have delivered superior blogging services. You may wonder why we didn’t transfer before. Well, Google had Blogger set up so that if you have your own domain name and use FTP, like Dailyskew.com, nothing is easy. Couple that with the fact that IX Webhosting is one of the last remaining web hosting companies that does not have easy installation for WordPress blogs on our server, and you have your answer.

So Tony and I were just gonna rideout our webhosting contract with IX until later this year, switch companies, while still keeping Blogger on our current sites just because migration still may have headaches. However, Google gave everyone with a hosted FTP domain an ultimatum: blogger.com’s software is being discontinued for users with FTP accounts. The directory structure is different, and although they are releasing a migration tool this month, we’re not buying. When we tried to get help from IX technical support, a Russian didn’t answer our question about A-records and DNS correctly.

So that’s when Tony and I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I’ve had great experiences with GoDaddy and WordPress, and that’s where we are going. Unfortunately, it won’t be easy since there are many factors that make our situation unique. We may not be able to switch to WordPress, and we may have to update to the new Blogger software.

Anyway, DailySkew.com and its subdomains may be down up to 3 days once we start. But you can find us on TheDailySkew.com or Twitter/DailySkew or dailyskew@gmail.com for any status updates.

Posted in PSA | No Comments »

Would K.I.T.T. Have Looked Better as a 2010 Camaro

Would K.I.T.T. have looked better as a 2010 Camaro? Who cares? This post has nothing to do with the question “Would K.I.T.T. have looked better as a 2010 Camaro”, but it DOES have to do with the year 2010.

I was watching the new Norton Antivirus commerical on TV, and the voice over guy called the year 2010 “twenty-ten”. A wave of shock hit my body. It’s like I was hurled into the future- “twenty-ten”. Just like that. It was like it was decided by Norton’s marketing company that we shall call 2010 “twenty ten”.

It’s not that I am against the Twenty Ten Campaign- it’s just that I don’t like to be forcefed it by commercialism. I know the advertising bigwigs got together and said, “Let’s say ‘twenty ten’- sounds futuristic, easy on the tongue”. Yet I was used to saying “two-thousand one”. Now I feel like I’m in an Arthur C. Clarke novel.

Let’s see what the message board masses say:

I don’t know. Twenty Ten sounds OK when I say it, but folks might just be influenced by the movie title Two Thousand Ten (the sequel to Two Thousand One A Space Odyssey).

I hope we all start saying twenty-ten. Maybe we should start campaigning now to enlighten the masses. Another thing that I have been thinking about is what we are going to call the decade. We have the noughties, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties but what do you call the ‘teens’? The teens sounds rubbish and we can’t exactly say the teenties. What do we call it?

I’ve always thought that to maintain consistency, we should have been saying “twenty – oh – one” etc, from the very first. We said “nineteen – ninety” whatever, so why not continue the style?

It makes more sense to say, Twenty ten, Rather than two thousand ten, But people will have their own ways of saying it…. But for sure twenty ten will be the most commonly used.

Well, saying twenty 10 certainly is easier. But, if it has to be spoken out loud, I think two thousand 10 will still be used.

I can remember when 1984 was so far in the future that the only person that could imagine it was Orwell….. and 2010… what kinda number is that !

would think that just saying 10, or 21 or so would be ok. when you get to the 2041 or 2075 I think many would just assume you meant 2041 not 1941 and such.

People would just be referring to the 20 century for anything in the 1900’s and just assume you were speaking about the 21 century I know I won’t be around in 2041 or 2075 , so I will just let them work it all out. Time will tell.

Anyway, speaking of the future, as Tony Vahl and Damian Hospital like to discuss, the year 2010 as depicted in old movies, TV shows, novels, newspaper articles, magazines, and comic books never came true in its entirety, and most of the time the vision of the future was way off.

Here’s a list of some things that the people from the past did not conceive well:

• The biggest gaffe is space travel. Everyone believed that by 2010 the moon would have been colonized and we would be way past Jupiter in terms of colonizing our solar system.
• Alien contact would have already been made.
• They did not predict that “smaller is better” would be the trend for technology.
• The closest we have to “virtual reality” is World of Warcraft, no Holodeck, folks.
• Robots in general, and the robot/computer revolution. Pass.
• Apocalypse. Remember that Y2K scare? Yup.
• Humans evolving into hairless telepaths. Actually, humanity is devolving.
• U.S.A vs U.S.S.R = nuclear holocaust. Yawn.
• The United Nations or United Federation of Planets or some other Utopian New World Order is in control. One group could NEVER MANAGE this world.
• Flying cars. Heck, even mainstream electric or solar powered cars. WTF is this hyrid junk we have bought into?
• Computer-run umpires or referees.
• Metal buildings. Why not?
• Woman President of the United States. No comment.
• No world hunger. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
• Overpopulation. “By the year 2000, there will be no room left for anyone.”
• Extinctions caused by mankind. We’ve eased up on that, I think. I read one article that said we would be forced to eat bumble-bees since we would have exhausted our beef supply.
• Cloning humans- same age, same memories, same personality. HAHAHAHAHAHA
• Utilizing the arctic poles and deserts for SOMETHING useful besides oil.
• Paperless. Uh-huh.
• No ghettos, slums, or dirt in the future- perfect infrastructure and transportation. Man, I would love to smoke whatever those guys were smoking after World War II. Oh, it was called national pride.
• Cyborgs- yeah, ‘cuz you know, I’m really sure our health insurance company will pay for cybernetic body parts.

Well, I’m sure there are a bunch of other things, but I’m getting tired beating a dead horse. My point is that due to politics, money, social changes, and other factors, 2010 is DULL compared to the vision of our predecessors. It SEEMS to me that are automobiles get a new feature every year (and they are marketing as being green even though they still are gas guzzlers), our cell phones (which cause cancer) get more features, our computers get smaller, our TV screens get bigger, cosmetic surgery and enhancements are in vogue, but it’s all the SAME OLD CRAP and we still have the major problems- poverty, disease, sin, ignorance, corruption, hunger vs waste, pollution, selfishness, wars, sexual exploitation, the love of money and security, and voluntarily staying inside the Matrix. So long for now, I will be making money online

Posted in PSA | No Comments »

More DailySkew photos and funny pics

Tony Vahl used this pass to get us into a comic book convention in Orlando to sell our stuff. We got the comic book table for free. Special thanks to Peter David for posing.

WHO IS CCB3? Making sense of the puzzle.

Click and zoom to experience this billboard.

Many thanks to R.A.W. for his words of encouragement: “Im starting to not understand your posts anymore. movie poster my ass. huh? for real? cmon. keep trying though, dont let my snarky comments discourage you.” Perhaps you should try out motivational speaking, R.A.W., because you have inspired me to create your official Tashman Technologies ™ Trading Card:

Posted in PSA | 3 Comments »

DailySkew on YouTube

Here’s my parody on JustinTV, YouTube, lifecasting, and the Internet. What do you guys think? Mentioned in this video: Max Headroom, The Matrix, microphones, and stuffed animals.

Let me know what else you want and I’ll try and put a skit, interview, or news brief for you one of these days.

Eat it and weep.

Posted in PSA, mock | 9 Comments »

List of human rights violations in China

Heck, we live in a global economy now, and surely our capitalism will influence China in positive ways. After all, getting paid 20 cents a month is better than nothing, right?

Anyway, before you rationalize and apologize for the U.S. aiding and enabling the oppression of billions of Chinese, here’s a quick list of known human rights violations in China…just for the record:

• No one really knows what the law is in China. The only law which seems to be enforced is when a citizen is charged with “subversion of state power” for…speaking… or…being at the wrong place or the wrong time.
• The MEDIA is run by the government (with only a few exceptions)… ’nuff said.
• Caps on freedom of speech include: you can suggest that territories which the governing party claims (like Tibet and Taiwan) should be independent; criticizing the ruling Communist party; mentioning democracy in a good light; intense monitoring of publications and internet posts- with severe punishments.
• Speaking of Internet, China got Yahoo, Google, and MSN to ban certain words to come up in search engines…such as “DEMOCRACY”. Skype filters such words as well. Some internet sites are totally blocked.
• Want to apply for a protest permit at a particular park? Don’t be surprised if you get sentenced to “re-education through labor” instead of getting your permit.
• Movement is restricted by the bureaucracy. If you have a “rural” working permit, don’t be seen trying to work in a “urban” district. This creates a second class citizen scenario. Peasants are non-persons in urban areas.
• Repressive Chinese factories- whatever the boss says goes. Period. He (never a she) sets your hours, pay, and discipline. Caught talking to a girl? No pay for a month.
• Communist party members must officially be atheists. All religions must register with the government. Religious leaders get chosen. Content gets censored. No living Buddha may be reincarnated without government approval. There is a “Pachen Lama”- a fake monk leader- who serves as the mouthpiece for Red China.
• There is no due process. The police round people up and imprison protesters or enemies of the state. IF there is a trial, many judges are corrupt, paid off, or afraid. Forced labor, torture, and forced confessions exist.
• “For a prosperous, powerful nation and a happy family, please use birth planning.” There is a ONE-CHILD policy. How do they enforce it? Jail-time, forced abortions, and sterilization, of course. Some say even killing. This policy is somewhat relaxed in certain urban areas.
• CRIMES PUNISHABLE BY DEATH: Tax fraud and 60+ more.
• Ethic minorities living in China? They are discriminated against and are “non-persons” even though the”Chinese constitution” says “All nationalities in the People’s Republic of China are equal”.
• Workers can’t form their own unions, they can just join State-run unions.
• Postal mail and e-mails are sometimes…delayed. Internet chat rooms? Blogs? Watched.
• North Korean refugees? They wind up as forced prostitutes.
• Farmers have their land seized.
• Citizens have their apartments demolished.
• Defense lawyers are monitored, and some are beaten.

Now, I’m just a blogger. I’m not a world leader or on a committee with influence. I know I’m illogical. Heck, I’m the type of guy that would free animals being trapped in labs for painful experimentation even though they would surely die if I freed them. I just tire of people defending China human rights violates by saying “China’s not there yet, but they are on the path to democracy” or “our economic partnership is logical”. I’m tired of the U.S. supporting it. Heck if you go to China on business or vacation, you probably won’t see ANY of these violations, especially if you meet the girl of your dreams there. I guess I have to stick to the Civilization PC game to boycott China.

Anyway, we can HOPE that the spirit of freedom will be ignited from U.S. companies like Wal*Mart setting up shop there, and Chinese workers are getting paid thanks to our influence.

Posted in China, PSA, judge, rant | 5 Comments »

The War is Over

I loved SECRET WARS when I was a kid.

In the meantime, if you’d like to make money by selling on ebay, click here: Silent Sales Machine.
Yes, you too can make money out of thin air just by sitting in your underwear? Wanna know how? Ya gotta read Silent Sales Machine. The author explains all about affiliate links and how to utilize ebay to sell your products and get commissions on selling other people’s products.

Posted in PSA | 10 Comments »

Aging: Blood sugar, weight gain, injuries, diet, cholesterol, heart disease

When I was a young boy in Broad Channel Day Camp in Queens, NY, I was in a very athletically competitive environment. I was surrounded by young kids, teenagers, and head counselors that were probably 21- at the MOST. We played softball pretty hard, although the camp had rules to prevent collisions at the plate. At camp I was taught how to play tennis, handball, swimming, etc. Winning was the only option. We had no conception about slowing down or how it is to experience reality as an “old person”.

At school and in the Brooklyn Glenwood projects, physical competition was just as tough, and we played against each other in the asphalt and concrete jungle.

In the classroom, although we went over the early 1980’s food pyramid, and I learned how the body works and about basic nutrition, discussion about obesity and how the preservatives in the frozen food section in the supermarket could wind up killing you was not talked about. No one enforced or even suggested getting the mindset to get into daily regiments of exercise or what food really damages you.

Heck, no one even told me that pizza or soda or potatoes chips were bad for me until Coach Jeck told me in 9th grade Florida High School in Boyd Anderson. I mean…I knew…but to what extent?

Granted, health experiences with my grandfather opened my eyes up to the path to the hospital via stroke, heart attack, or diabetes: he ate red meat, eggs, smoked, and didn’t have a regular exercise routine. Heck, he was just a normal guy born in 1919 before Americans even knew what fiber was.

My uncle was in shape, though. He would tell me about exercising, but not diet. His biceps were rock solid when I was a kid. I thought he was the strongest man in the world when he flexed. My family friend who was a pharmacist would tell me about the chemical reactions of the human body, but he loved junk, too. Everybody loves junk. McDondald’s fries? MMMMmmm. Cupcakes? Yesss….

During my teenage years, I would get on fitness kicks and do some weight lifting, running, and walking (my grandmother walks everywhere, and she and I used to have these mammoth walks to the comic book store), but I never gained weight, and never had a strict program. In terms of eating habits, I would try to phase some things out of my diet, especially when Cecil Adams told me what was really in Jello and the red cherry in the fruit salad, but once again- as an American- I was exposed to the poisons via fast food, restaurants, and the junk that clutters the supermarkets. Cecil Adams once had an article about the great American Food Conspiracy, and how companies just add so much fat and unnatural preservatives to make food taste better to keep you addicted.

Now, let me speak more generally: when you are a kid, teen, or adult in your 20’s, you kinda think you’re invincible. Never mind that the Buddha already discovered this lesson thousands of years ago- it’s no newsflash. But you think you’re somehow exempt. Granted your body can process cake, candy, and pretzels better when you are a kid. It could be all the energy you had, and the fact that you can pretty much eat anything you want that creates the perception that getting old can’t happen to you.

But then one day- and this could be when you’re 28, 30, 32, or 34 or younger or older- not everyone is the same- you realize it takes more work to maintain your physical health. Perhaps you look in the mirror one morning and notice something changed. It could be lethargy. It could be back pain. It could be an ulcer. It could be the love handles. It could be an injury during tennis. It could be getting winded when playing with your kids. It could be going to the doctor and having high or low levels of something in a blood test.

The big joke is the once invincible person is now talking about what the best ace bandages for your knees are or which pain reliever cream is the best on the tennis court now. The big joke is being forced to read the nutritional labels on every food item, and trying to decipher if “fully hydrogenated vegetable oil” is good or bad for your particular diet plan as set by your doctor. The big joke is wondering how you wound up in a Weight Watcher’s program, and how counting calories become a daily ritual. The big joke is forcing yourself to have the time to do 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity at least 4 times a week as an adult. The big joke is actually measuring a teaspoon of ketchup. The big joke is having such terms as “lactose intolerant”, “carbs”, and “LDL” becoming part of your working every day vocabulary.

All of those are fine. It is what it is.

I remember when my grandfather had to eat dietetic rice cake patties and sugarless candies: those things were horrible and joyless for him, he hated it, but he did it, and I wondered how. So I have to laugh when I fast forward decades and I hear I eating popcorn with no butter, salt, or junk on it to get the fiber without the saturated fat or bad cholesterol or sodium. I laugh when I use virgin olive oil on salad instead of blue cheese dressing. I laugh when I put almonds in a salad instead of croûtons. I laugh when the only thing that is healthy for me in Wendys is a baked potato- with no butter and sour cream, of course. And cheese? Most people don’t know how bad cheese is. So yeah, I laugh like The Comedian laughs, and The Joker laughs, and Tony Vahl laughs.

Years ago, I read that buying canned food is generally bad because of the sodium levels and preservatives. For example, it is more healthy to buy dried beans and cook them, then to buy a can of beans laden with preservatives. Seems to me that women have more of an advantage in this society since they actually take the time to cook.

Of course, what’s healthy for me may not be healthy for you; everyone has different needs based on their physical makeup and chemistry.

So…what’s my point blogging about all of this stuff you already know?

1) Younger people reading this- watch what you eat. Try not to get into bad fast food or junk food habits, because it may be hard to change when the comes. It is very addicting. Try to stay active.
2) People my age (30’s): see a doctor and get a blood test to see where you are at.
3) Older people: I learn from you.
4) To accept making changes to your lifestyle, and your physical abilities. I remember when Randy Johnson no longer had his 100 MPH fastball when he was in his 40’s, but he still tried to blow hitter away.
5) Keep your diet plan, stay away from ice cream and cheese doodles, and get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise as much as you can, even if it’s just walking.

Posted in PSA, diet, health | 5 Comments »

Food Pyramid and exercise

As I celebrated my 32nd birthday, I just want to give a little DailySkew public service announcement: eating healthy and exercising daily will greatly improve your chances of avoiding the hospital at an early age.

Not only does eating right help your body, but it also helps to balance your emotions.

As far as daily exercising goes, stretching, light weight lifting, and walking/jogging/dancing does wonders for me.

Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but it helps.

It’s easy to lose track of the things we all need to do on a daily basis due to family responsibilities, work, or leisure activities. And let’s not deny that we all have a lazy gene. Also, some of us don’t have the ideal opportunities to eat right or exercise (I have been bringing a dumbbell in my office), but managing your diet and physical activity actually can pull you back into reality if you start to drift off.

Getting a routine going and showing progress by challenging yourself with goals improves self-esteem, and helps us cope with stress. The hormones released in your body when engaging in exercise fight depression or fixations. The only negative would be if you perform an exercise incorrectly, which can put strain on your joints and back. That’s why you have to get a safe regiment. However, if you do it right and eat healthy, your stamina and immune system will get stronger.

In the computer world, we have a saying: crap in; crap out. The same applies to eating. If we eat junk food, fatty foods, and avoid fruits and vegetables, the chances are that our outlook will be full of junk.

WebMD is a reliable health website about ways to organize your daily nutritional meals and they talk about light exercise. Unlike Yahoo’s fitness tips, they don’t contradict each other.

I know a lot of people get frustrated because there is always some new study about fiber, cholesterol, the best way to serve green vegetables, or if vitamins are really good or bad. But you just have to keep things simple, check the Nutritional Values on food, and try to be active on a daily basis.

Posted in PSA, diet, health | 3 Comments »

Craigslist crimes

Reporting live in front of my monitor: Continuing the DailySkew’s public service announcement to STAY AWAY FROM CRAIGSLIST, here’s a brief list of some new craigslist crimes (everyone is innocent until proven guilty):

I’M NOT GAY: Edward Terry Wallace robbed, assaulted, threatened, and raped two transsexuals near San Diego. He has a girlfriend and one-year old child. Wallace was reading the craigslist t4m sex posts, and decided to meet them to steal their money…and other stuff.

DON’T BUY TICKETS: Anthony Vaughn Davis, Madge L. Hayes, Robert Patrick Conderato were busted for running a scan using a stolen credit card to buy several concert tickets, and sold them on craigslist in the Pittsburgh area. The people that bought the tickets from their craigslist ad were denied entrance and held at admission.
FATHER AND SON: Todd “Tutt” Carter, 38, and his son, Nicholas Harrison, 19 pimped out teenage girls across state lines. The son would “test” them out, and only give them just enough condoms to work, and treated them like slaves. All ads were on craigslist, of course.

SKEWED: Brad Self and Sean Boyle met a craigslist girl, robbed her of cash and drugs while they tied her up with duct tape. Then they posted about her on craigslist with a warning notice about her “lifestyle”. They referred to each other as “Mr. Black” and “Mr. White”, from the “Reservoir Dogs”. They were just trying to “save” her: “Our illegal actions were outweighed by her illegal actions”.

I DARE YOU: A man was driving a piece of construction lift equipment down a street at 3 a.m, driving at 2 mph. The man was in the lift bucket with an unopened six-pack of beer and a bag of beef jerky. First he told police he was just going to the store. But when they asked him why he was in the bucket on the lift, he said he was delivering the $20,000 piece of construction equipment on a dare from somebody he met on craigslist. The lift had been stolen from a construction site.

NEED A KIDNEY? William Miller posted: “Kidney’s yours. It’s As simple as that. Do it as soon as you want it done. $100,000″. U.S. federal law prohibits selling human organs and tissues.

DON’T BUY ANYTHING: Ray John Hollandsworth estimated he had been paid about $2,000 since for his part in an overpayment scheme to scam buyers on craigslist, being operated by an unidentified person in Nigeria, who was supplying him with counterfeit money orders and bogus business checks.

RESERVING A PLACE IN HELL: Jordan Arnold, Christopher Black, and Jessica King took pictures of kids in lingerie, posted them on craigslist, set up a sexual encounter, drove the kids to a prearranged place, forced them to have sex with strangers in hotels in California, and then took all of the money.

Posted in Crime, PSA, news | No Comments »

FDA peanut butter warning

This is Damian Hospital reporting LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE OFFICES OF THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. Sources say that certain peanut butter products are tainted with the strain of salmonella typhimurium, which has sickened 474 people nationwide and has implicated in six deaths. Now, DON’T PANIC…{chuckle}…the FDA have just announced this as a precuatonary measure, and are saying Americans should postpone eating cookies, crackers, candy and ice cream that contain peanut butter or peanut paste while the agency works to investigate which products may have been tainted. Also, do not RUB PEANUT BUTTER ON YOUR BODY.

Here’s a list of recent peanut butter product recalls:

• McKee Foods Voluntarily Withdraws Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty Crackers and Peanut Butter Cheese Crackers (January 17)
• Perry’s Ice Cream Company Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
• Hy-Vee Inc. Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
• Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 16)
• Kellogg Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Austin® and Keebler® Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Select Snack-Size Packs of Famous Amos® And Keebler® Soft Batch Peanut Butter Cookies Because of Possible Health Risk (January 16)
• Peanut Corporation of America Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 13)
• King Nut Issues Peanut Butter Recall (January 10)
• Kellogg Company Announces Precautionary Hold on Austin and Keebler Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers (January 14)
• Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Butter Found in Connecticut (January 16)
• Salmonella recovered from King Nut peanut butter by MDA lab found to be a genetic match to cases in national Salmonella outbreak (January 12)
  

Back to you, Tony.

Posted in PSA | 3 Comments »

Filipino hostage released by pirates

He’s back! Jolan Besana has finally arrived home to General Santos City after weeks in Manila, after being held by the pirates of Aden for months. Great way to start the New Year.

Here are exclusive photos:

Posted in PSA | No Comments »

DailySkew Post #900: 2008 Year in Review

2008 lived up to its billing, but ultimately it was no different than 1864, 1919, or 1983 or any other year- people lived, people died, and the world will never be the same again.

Eneagram Personality Type #8 (It was his year, 2008) is the Challenger, and personification of a “dog eat dog” world, with skewed notions of fairness and justice.

Before I get into this, my condolences to everyone who lost a family member this year, dealt with sickness or injury, or painful circumstances beyond their control.

2008

From the cultural standpoint in America and other countries- it’s official: the Internet is here, and here to stay, and has never been more influential in our daily lives. We truly live in an instant digital world. Whereas the Internet and digital world has been here very strong in recent years, in my view 2008 was 100% fully accepting of this world, and the new technology and systems became the NORMAL state of business: Google, Facebook, myspace, youtube, friendster, JustinTV, craigslist, ebay, amazon, webcams, streaming video, downloading torrents, instant messaging, Twitter, Yahoo news, e-mail, surfing on mobile phones, iTunes, photo albums, blogs, etc. are no longer niche geeky things.

In fact, digital communication has become the norm for me, now that my friends don’t live nearby and my extended family lives overseas. It’s my habit, for better or for worse, and this is how I express myself now.

The MEDIA and its role in feeding us what “THEY” determine to be newsworthy [marketable] never ceases to get my attention, and the presiential election and economy were the two major problems I had with MEDIA coverage this year, in addition to the MEDIA’S Scale of Importance. The Snapshot Joe reporting by the MEDIA generally frustrates me when I speak with people who have been spoon fed everything, and regurgitate to me the “facts” at face value without questioning. I’ve learned to bite my tongue in “real life” when interacting with people (blogging and reading comments just doesn’t seem *as* real to me).

The fact that the MEDIA is an Unhealthy Type 8 (short sighted, jumping from topic to topic, no memory) just added to the chaos this year.

Ultimately, I don’t believe humanity in general took a step forward this year, and I kinda stopped worrying about it as much. Many of the comments posted here and other sites seem to demonstrate the futility of it all. It seems that in this world of terrorism, sexual slavery, poverty, and economic recession, Lazy Man Ethics (LME) is the spiritual currency.

As much as people like to criticize patriotism, organized religion, or the post-war “good old days” that we experienced in the late 40’s and 50’s, there is a lot to be said about feeling part of something greater than yourself, and to have an identity and purpose.

What’s 2008’s identity? “Change” and “Bail me out”. Great.

Thanks to the Internet, we have many options to choose as to what we want to be bombarded with. When I was a kid it was just local radio, 5-channel network TV, three newspapers, and magazines. Now, I have a multitude of options and variety.

I haven’t listened to conservative talk radio since around Nov.5 and actually feel good about that, especially since based on the shows I listened to, Rush Limbaugh was more accurate than CNN. I’m not saying I’m I look down upon political junkies, or that I’m somehow “evolved”- because discussing the issues is good, but I’ve been staying away from the Talking Heads in general since November due to the fact that I personally have no control over anything that they are fear mongering. I mean, everyone is an economics expert by the water cooler. I never knew we had so many experts walking around, with all of their contradictory theories.

Fear and panic- that’s what millions are buying right now, after buying hope and change all year. Greed and materialism are at the roots of all of the suffering, as is the attachment to security and status. I’ve been expecting the anti-matter cloud to come and wipe everything out since July 1985, and it hasn’t come yet. When it does, it does; it can’t be stopped. I understand it’s human nature to panic, complain, speculate, and try to control, but 2008 made me a bit tired to constantly rant and rave about every presidential policy, bill proposal, economic theory, regulation, and who should be blamed for the latest injustice, etc.

To me, all of this noise blocks our true perceptions of reality: we have our health (hopefully), and if you don’t or are living with a handicap, you still have enough energy to find Skew.DailySkew.com and read this post. You have a computer, Internet access, or a mobile phone. No matter what your situtation is, you are blessed. Don’t let the MEDIA or the inner demons that we all have tell you differently.

Let’s hope 2009 is a bit more peaceful and stable.

Happy New Year.

Posted in MEDIA, PSA, Shark King | 5 Comments »

Jolan Besana Free at Last: Filipino released by Solomia Pirates

Making his way to Manila, family man and my wife’s brother-in-law, Joland Besana is free at last. Let us all take the time to celebrate his return.

“Although they provided us food, the sound of the cocking guns and sight of them being pointed at us was a horrifying experience. Those were torturous and painful days that we’ll not forget very soon.”

“I could not imagine dying without seeing my children. I used to hear of hijacks, but had never experienced it. But I kept praying we all get home safely. When they captured us, they demanded our mobile phones and money.”

“I hid my wedding ring, but started wearing it only after the pirates started being friendly, but they took it days before we were released.”

Posted in PSA, news | 2 Comments »

Breaking News: Pirates are back

Hey folks, guess what I learned on Yahoo.com today?

Pirates are back!

And Drudge FINALLY got into the act as the world has now noticed:

After months, the mainstream MEDIA has finally picked this story up (it was on NPR and FOX). It took a Saudi Arabian oil vessel to be captured for the U.S. to release a statement of “shock”.

If only the MEDIA would follow my lead, and put some faces and personal stories out there to force a call to action.

Click here for the original story about Jolan Besana’s capture and captivity. He still has not returned home.

Posted in MEDIA, PSA | 9 Comments »

England’s Royal Navy attack Somali pirates

Pirates caught red-handed by one of England’s warships after trying to hijack a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia actually opened fire on two Royal Navy ships. The Brits were armed with machine guns and SA80 rifles, and took care of business.

Interestingly enough, the Somalian pirates had a Yemeni-registered boat, and one of the pirates was from Yemen.

Great Britain’s HMS Cumberland is part of an anti-piracy patrol from Nato’s maritime force.

They are taking initiative to make the seas a safer place for travel.

As DailySkew readers know, my wife’s brother-in-law Jolan Besana has captured by the Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden 56 days ago, and still hasn’t returned home yet.

My nephew, Jericho Besana, prays for his father’s safe return.

Posted in PSA, cowards, news | 2 Comments »

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings, Kwame Kilpatrick, and Taco Bell

Who cares about that stuff?

The U.S., Russia, U.N., Africa, and NATO should be stopping a defeating the Somalian pirates that are holding my wife’s brother-in-law Jolan Besana for ransom.

Many Filipino sailors have been held prisoner by these African terrorists, and the only results have been ransom pay-offs.

I am sick of the U.S.’s two-faced foreign policy, the weakness of the U.N., and the lack of responsibility from the other African nations.

All the U.S. and Russia care about is the Ukrainian ship that was hijacked because it has weapons on it. They don’t care about the regular civilians that have been kidnapped for months now.

Piracy in the Indian Ocean is immoral, unethical, and a crime against civilization.

Contact your local Congress Representative and tell him or about this problem.

Posted in PSA | 4 Comments »

apple earnings, ruben cavazos, chuck wicks, and iron man 2

Gotcha.

Being held captive Day 33.

Innocent Filipino sailors are still being held captive in Somalia by pirates.

One of them- Jolan Besana- is a proud father, loyal husband, all-around nice guy, and a part of my family.

There have been recent updates about the pirates of Aden:

Some hostages from other ships were freed after payment was received.
More ships were taken- the problem is not being stopped!
The Ukrainian arms ship is still held, and Russia was unable to obtain it.

I know you’re focused on the U.S. presidential election, the world economy, the new James Rhodes in Iron Man 2, and Apple stock, but you should be spreading the word that the U.N. and U.S. need to put pressure on African countries to fix their own problem, and help free these hostages. You can also understand why the U.S. MUST get involved in international affairs to make the world a safer place- either by asserting real pressure on countries or by using force.

Jolan Besana’s children and wife

Posted in PSA | 2 Comments »

Somalia Pirates Update

My wife’s brother-in-law Jolan Besana is still being held hostage along with the other members of his Filipino crew.

The fact that pirates are killing each other over the Ukrainian weapons that they hijacked is not good because it just causes more instability and makes it tougher to contact the pirate leaders and negotiate a release.

The good news is that more MEDIA outlets in the West have picked up this story.

And yes, it’s frustrating to me that some people sympathize with terrorists and apologize for them.

I sure wish the the U.S., NATO, or the U.N. could have sent in a Special Forces type A-Team to take care of business. I think our intelligence agencies can pinpoint where Jolan’s ship is being docked. In fact, I happen to know that he is a prisoner on the ship itself. With shark infested waters and being in the Indian Ocean, there’s no way for him to swim for it.

The Somalia pirates of Aden are not high-tech. They are simply hoodlums with speed boats and rocket launchers. They are an embarrassment to the human race, and they would have no idea what I just said. They are terrorists, and need to be stopped.

Anyway, spread the word.

Jola, Julian, Susan, and Jericho Besana are waiting for Jolan’s safe release

Posted in PSA | 2 Comments »

Somali Pirates hijack Ukrainian ship; Russian attack

versus

Well, those dumb Somalian messed with the wrong country. These hoodlums hijacked a Ukrainian ship carrying loads of missiles and ammunition, and now Moscow has sent a Russian warship to get the weapons back, their hostages, and will probably exact a dose of cold Russian revenge.

Dumb, dumb pirates….

To read about why this is a serious and personal new story, check out these links:

Filipinos held hostage
Pirates of Aden

Hey,Putin, show the world what happens to people that mess with Russian. If it was American hoodlums that stole your ship, we’d be nuked.

Posted in PSA, news | No Comments »

Greek Ship with Filipino Crew Hijacked by Somali Pirates (My brother-in-law)

Jolan Besana, my sister-in-law’s husband, is one of the members of the MT Centauri, a Greece-owned cargo ship. Somalian pirates armed with rocket launchers took over the ship, that has a crew of 25 or 26 Filipinos. This happened off the southern coast of Somalia. The cargo is carrying 17,000 tons of salt, and the crew and ship is being held for ransom, with the threat of death.

The pirates hijacked the ship on Wednesday night. My wife’s sister no longer has any more tears left.

The Gulf of Aden- which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean- was the only route the MT Centauri could have made to get back home, and it is one of the world’s busiest waterways (off Mogadishu). The ship had been en route to Kenya to unload the salt.

Piracy continues to be a world wide problem, and the United Nations needs to be more involved to patrol certain waters, especially off Africa’s coast.

Negotiations are taking place between the terrorists and the Greece owned shipping company. International maritime authorities are also involved. The Philippines, which can’t legally give into the demands, have been trying to ban Filipino seamen to work near African coasts. In other words, it’s up to private firms to raise money to get the sailors back. A German firm recently gave $1 million dollars for the release of only 8 sailors.

Somalia has said that the seafarers remain unharmed. Around 80 Filipinos are still being held hostage in Somalia from previous kidnappings.

I happen to know that Jolan always gave food and money to African workers who helped him unload cargo in previous trips, and that he truly has a great and generous heart. He is a sailor because it is the only way he can support his family, as he had great electronic and mechanical skills that makes him a valuable crew member.

I am asking for your prayers for his safe recovery home, as he has 3 children in General Santos City in the Philippines, Jola, Jericho, and Julian. Today is Jolan’s birthday, and it’s heartbreaking a good man is being held captive.

Damian Hospital and Jolan Besana’s first encounter in Feb. 2006

Posted in Crime, PSA | 12 Comments »