Olivers Big Movie

Olivers life so far...

Oliver face smash

title says it all!

Oliver Stands

Yea he can stand!!!

Greatest Play in Titans History!

In order to get ready for the 2008 NFL season I have been looking for plays and items that will help countdown the season. The first item is probity the greatest play for any Tennessee sports fan. Enjoy!

Lets change our country!

America the beautiful, and America the free. Our country is built on the moral fiber of the citizens that populate its lands. We as citizens are the fabric that holds this country together by our freedom of speech and by our right to vote. This is why it is up to us to help bring about a drastic shift in policy. Its time to face facts and understand that the War on Terror, and the War in Iraq is not working. That there are more important issues that face this great nation.

If we ever want any good to come of the disaster in the middle east than we need to demand the safe return home of our troops and the pullout of all military forces. We need to concede defeat and move on. Its time to stop ignoring everything else and turn away from war. We can protect our borders and stop terrorists from entering our country. It is not right to expect soldiers to keep fighting for a cause that has lost its way.

What progress has the serge in Iraq made? Not a damn bit if you ask anyone with half a brain. Of course the President and the right wing media would have you believe that everything is working. But really is it? What have they done? Oh they killed some insurgents. Well the insurgents will keep coming. They believe in there cause as much as we do and as is human nature they will always fight. You can not beat terrorists. You can contain them but you can not stop them. as long as there are governments than there will be groups that long for there fall. We need to wake up and stop the madness. We need to get back to being Americans and stop trying to police the world. What is going to happen is that by the time this Iraq mess has worked its self out we will be left with a broken economy and a country full of people that can’t pay there bills. We will have people that have been forgotten by the politicians that they elected.

Its time to wake up and help bring about change. It doesn’t matter if your a Republican or a Democrat or a little of both. Its not a party issue. its an American issue, If you want a country that you can be proud of than step up vote and bring change. Bring the message to others. Don’t let the uninformed learn about the problems of the world and our country from the media. Let them see the convection in your eyes and in your heart. Its time to stop watching and take action. Be part of the answer and stop letting the fate of your nation go by the wayside.

The Onion's anwser to subprime mortgages and how we pay them.

Jon Stewart Tears Cheney Biographer a New One

Jon Stewart grills Cheney biographer over the inconsistencies between 1994 Cheney and present-day Cheney. Cites John Gibson as someone who will allege treason for lack of acquiescence. In other words muhahahahaha Cheney the robot has been exposed...

read more | digg story

Bioshock and Madden 2008

Alright so I am on vacation from work this week. Besides going to the gym, playing with Oliver and spending lots of time with Mandy I have been playing Xbox 360. The two games that have my attention locked down are Madden 2008 and Bioshock.

Madden so far has proved to be an awesome football game that makes NCAA 2008 look like pure crap. No only does it look much better but it also plays better. The frame rate is moving along at a staggering 60 fps and it does not have the lockup issues of its college sibling. As of now I have taken the Tennessee Titans to the playoffs and have a first round match up with New England. Expect the review some time next week.

Now a game that has gotten much hype is 2k's Bioshock. Many gamers have been waiting for it for some time now and it should prove to be one of the 360's top games. Well I got to pick it a week early and let me just say that it is the best looking game I have played in a long time. The effects are top notch and the animations really help capture the setting. If you don't have a HDTV than you will be missing out on one of the best parts of the game.

It also controls well and the Computer AI is on target. I don't want to give to much away yet but let me say that its leaps and bounds better than the demo thats online at the marketplace now. I would say that I am halfway through he game so a review is about a week off.

I'm back....

After a few chaotic weeks I am back to the internet. Life has a crazy way of putting things in perspective and now with a focused mind I can finally get back to the things I love.

I know that i promised a review of Harry Potter and guess what you'll have to wait. Its not like there isn't 1000 of them already online. I did finish the book and let me say that it is a real treat. It is the best in the series and it really showcases what J.K. does best.

Speaking of the review I have decided that from know on I will go on a 1 through 5 rating scale. I will on give a 5 to those item that deserve it. For an example the movie 300 would be a 4 and the game Driv3r would be a 1. Only the best of the best will get a 5. Also on a side not I am playing a game for the Xbox 360 right now that may get a 5. It is that good and it hasn't even hit stores officially yet.

Also I will be adding video reviews in the near future and the site is getting a makeover and that may or may not mean that blogger is going by the wayside.

Well let me get back to writing, reviewing and slacking off...

Daniel

12 more hours

That's right only 12 more hours to go until The Deathly Hallows is
released!

Olbermann slams Bush after Hillary blamed for losing Iraq

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann began tonight's Countdown program with a special comment. The unusual move to open his show with the comment, which are almost always reserved for the closing of the program, added gravity to his words.

read more | digg story

Harry Potter countdown: 1 day!

With one day left the excitement for The Deathly Hallows has hit an all time high for a book in the series. Tonight midnight release parties will usher in the final book. I will be attending the midnight release party at the Books-a-million in Tiger-town, here in Auburn, Al. I'll be snapping shots and bring you first hand news of all things Potter. Look for my posts in the early hours of the morning and than my review some time tomorrow afternoon!

Now today's item is a controversial review that was post on NYtimes.com A staff writer got her hands on the book early and wrote a review that than ran in the paper. Stores were not supposed to sale the book early but many have. I in fact could have picked up a book yesterday from a local store after asking to get shots of the boxes. The clerk told me that he would gladly sell me to book. Of course I said no.

Here is the link to the NY Times review. Have fun at the release parties tonight and Happy Reading!

Daniel

Actual Picture of Leaked Deathly Hallows

I found this picture of the book online, don't worry no spoilers just the first page.  I guess this proves that the people who leaked the book on bit torrent actually had the real copy.  I am sure that Scholastic will bring legal action to those involved.  This could prove to be the most expensive picture that person or persons have ever taken.  Please do not download this book from bit torrent seeing as it would ruin the excitement of the release. 

Harry Potter countdown: 2 days

Harry Potter Boxes, originally uploaded by bamshackles.

With all the hype surrounding the seventh book I figured it would be cool to get a few shots before it was released. After alittle detective work I found where the books were hidden. Sadly they were in there boxes safely sealed. Still I took a few pictures that should help increase the excitment. This is as close as your going to get to book seven legally. Enjoy!

Harry Potter Countdown: Day 3

With only three days left until Harry Potter hits stores for the last time reports have been issued that one of the books sellers has sent out advance copies early.  This was a big no no with he publishers and now legal action may be taken.  Here is the link to the story.

 

Also MSNBC.com had a great article about Professor Snape and his true motives.  If you have a second have a read because I found the story well written.  It brought to light a few issues with Snape I have yet to think of.  Here is the link.

 

We only have three more days!

Teen Buys PS2 on eBaY, Gets $90,000 Instead

A British teenager who bought a Sony PlayStation 2 on eBay for £95 ($194) got more than he bargained for when he opened the package. Instead of a shiny, happy gaming console, there was a whole heap of euros - €65,400 ($90,000) to be precise

read more | digg story

Deathly Hallows called 'greenest book' in history

When you thin of the millions of Harry Potter books sold each year you don't stop to think about all the trees that must be cut down to provide the papper for these books. With the release of "The Deathly Hallows" Scholastic Inc is changing all of that...

read more | digg story

Harry Potter countdown: 4 days

In four days we will have Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in our
hands. Sadly there are those who can't wait to spoil the fun we are
having.

Today on digg.com it was revieled that someone had leaked the
entire book onto bittorrent. When downloaded you get a photocopied
version of every page.

This is very sad and I hope that it does not spoil the ending for
those of us who are patient. All I will say is that this person will
not ruin my fun. I will wait four more days and enjoy HP 7 the legal
way!

Sent from my iPhone

Harry Potter countdown begins....

My ticket to The Deathly Hallows, originally uploaded by bamshackles.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out on Saturday July, 21st 2007!

Today marks the first day in a week long countdown where I'll feature a Harry themed post for each day left. Today take a look at my ticket to the seventh and final book in the series.

My new Iphone.

I got an iphone last week. I really love it. You should really believe the hype because this is the best thing apple has released in a long time. Check out these pictures of it and be jealous!

Attack of the Killer Chihuahua

Attack of the Killer Chihuahua, originally uploaded by bamshackles.

Watch out if you see this evil beast roaming around your bushes, Wanita is the most terrifying chihuahua of all time and will eat your face! You have been warned.

Xbox setup

Check out my awesome Xbox 360 setup for racing games. It took a while to save up for it but I finally did. I got the official racing wheel from Microsoft and than a 20 inch lcd from HP. I have been having a blast in Project Gotham Racing 3.

Hit me up on xbox live my tag is bamshackles.

WWE Wrestler Chris Benoit and Family Found Dead in Home

NOT A JOKE. World Wrestling Entertainment is deeply saddened to report that today Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in their home. There are no further details at this time, other than the Benoit family residence is currently being investigated by local authorities. Tonight’s Raw on USA Network will serve as a tribute to Chris Benoit.



read more | digg story

Michael Moore Calls For New 9/11 Investigation

Answering questions after a preview of his new documentary "SiCK0", Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore discusses 9/11 eyewitness testimony of explosions, suppressed video footage from the Pentagon and the unlikelihood of a plane striking a five story building at 500mph with ultra precision.



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Halo 3 Achievements Revealed

Looks like the Achievements have been revealed for one of the most anticipated games to grace the XBOX 360. If you look over the list there is nothing really special but it sure did get the writer of the article hyped up. But than again the game is Halo 3 and I do understand the hype after all it should be the best shooter on the 360.



read more | digg story

Bush Trampled on Fundamental Rights in the Name of National Security

A judicial branch has told the administration that it may not trample on fundamental rights in the name of national security. President Bush's broad assertions of power in his war on terrorism are under assault by U.S. judges who have rejected his indefinite imprisonment of enemy combatants and the domestic spying program.



read more | digg story

Random musings on life...

So I am sitting in bed waiting on my lovely girlfriend to get home from work. I'm listening to Journey 's Don't Stop Believing which may seem strange but its fitting when you think about America and how things are going right now. Times are hard for the true middle to lower class of hard working people that makeup the strongest part of this nation. But enough about that for now. I'll blog that rant at a later date.

As I was saying I am waiting on my beautiful lady to get home from Applebees. She is a server/host there and her working nights is one way that we make ends meet. Tomorrow she is starting a job at JCPenny's so she'll how two jobs. I know living the American dream right!

I of course work at AuburnBank. As you might have guessed from the above statements I don't make a ton of money. Its not a bad job but its alright I guess. If you were to take into account inflation and the cost of living now I'd say that I make closer to minimum wage than you might think. Hopefully good things will start to happen at the old job soon. I've been there a year so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Well i guess I got to go do other non important stuff but I'll finish this later with my rants on America's ever declining economy, political process, and over quality of living...

Shuttle launch as seen from WB-57 High Altitude Research Aircraft [PIC]

Picture taken from the WB-57 research aircraft of the Atlantis Shuttle from the Kennedy Space Centre. Really shows a truely amazing sight!



read more | digg story

Dressing Down to Fight Global Warming

Air conditioners typically account for 30% to 50% of office buildings’ energy consumption so any step taken to curtail their use would yield significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. "China is exploring a different way of controlling greenhouse gas emissions," said Wan Gang, the country's Minister of Science and Technology



read more | digg story

New MacBook Pros

Yea so now my Macbook Pro is officially old. Yesterday Apple released an impressive update to the popular line of notebooks. Here are the specs.

Yea I am now Jealous that 8600 card really blows my ATI x1600 out of the water....

Man caught in the act..

Yea this is scary. Check out what Google Maps street view caught. The fact that we can see this stuff from Google Maps feels a little to much like "1984"

Click to see the man. Zoom in for full detail...

Paris Hilton is in Jail...

Yea so Paris is in Jail. Wow I really didn't think she would be forced to go. I thought somehow she would wiggle her way out of it and do now time.

Here is the info straight from http://www.thesmokinggun.com

Paris Hilton was booked into a Los Angeles jail in June 2007 to begin serving time for violating terms of a probation sentence imposed following a drunk driving plea. In January, weeks after pleading no contest to a reckless driving charge, the 26-year-old Hilton was cited for driving with a suspended license. After signing a document acknowledging she was not to drive, Hilton was pulled over by cops in February and charged with a probation violation. As a result, she was sentenced to 45 days in jail. Hilton posed for the below left mug shot after her September 2006 arrest. The second booking photo was taken when she surrendered to Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to begin her brief sentence.

Now on the other hand why this is such big news really just blows my mind. If the War in Iraq got this much media attention maybe we would realize the new strategy isn't working and get the hell out of there. There are so many more important things our country and its leaders need to be worrying about. As citizens it is our duty to bring to light the real issues that are important to us. If we keep our eyes fixed on the Hollywood elite than we will never change the course of our country. Its up to us to force our leaders into changes that are direly needed.

Rant on Relgion in Politics

Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark, D-Calif., is the first openly "nontheistic" member of Congress, the Secular Coalition for America announced Monday, March 12.

In a statement, Stark said he is a "Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being."

Only 45 percent of Americans said they would vote for a "generally well-qualified" atheist, according to a February Gallup Poll, ranking them lowest on a list that included Mormons (72 percent), candidates on their third marriage (67 percent) and homosexuals (55 percent).
Only three other elected officials agreed to be identified: a school board president in Berkeley, Calif.; a member of a school committee in Maine; and a town meeting member from Massachusetts.

"Atheists are the last group that a majority of Americans still think is OK to discriminate against," said Fred Edwords, director of communications for the American Humanist Association.

Story taken from http://www.beliefnet.com/story/213/story_21388_1.html

This article really makes me want to jump on the soapbox today. So here I go.

Religion in politics is a very touchy subject and not one many canidates will openly discuss. In reality who or what you believe in does not make you a better leader. Does it matter if you shape your polices around the Christian way? No it doesn't matter at all! It does however make you more likable, and more electable if you do go down that path. If you are a Christian than you'll win just about every "Red" state.

See the thing is people vote because of religious issues first and what is truly important second. Don't get me wrong I am not against religion or god. I just want people to wake up and realize that religion is not, and should not effect our government policies, and it should not decide the outcome of an election. If you notice in the article you see that Americans would not elect an openly atheist president into office. Why not I ask? Does it make them a bad person? All it means is that they may be open to ideas and polices that many leaders would be opposed to. Several of those leaders only support Christian beliefs because it wins them votes.

It's not just atheists that get the political shaft with voters. People of other religions get chastised in the media, and by the common American for there beliefs. I guess our country is only free for Christians. Its like were saying you can live in our country and pay taxes, but you can never lead our country because your beliefs make you inferior to the rest of the population.

I for one think its time for us to wake up and pay attention to what the 2008 runner's ideas are. Who cares if they are gay, straight, black, white, or atheist. This country is about equality. If we don't practice this than we don't deserve to vote, or even live in this great nation. Its time to grow up and open our closed minds to new ideas. Let's honor the rights of all our citizens and not just the ones who look to a higher being for answers. Remember that the person you elect is responsible for your life and the lives of the ones closest to you. Please don't elect another president without looking at everything they stand for. Just look at our country and its leardership now. "Strong faith based morals" don't always equal a good leader now do they?

How to fix voting in America...

Hillary Clinton has proposed a bill that would make Election Day a federal holiday, and make it a crime to send misleading or fraudulent information to voters. She is also looking into a way to cut the length of some lines across the country.

I think that Hillary is onto something here. I hope this passes because it could improve election day turnout across the country. Voter rights also need a close look at because of the rise in voting crimes across the nation. The rights that many take for granite are in constant danger of being tampered with by individuals that have a total disrespect for our constitution. Ideas like the one above are a step in the right direction and are a welcome change in the political banter we here from Washington everyday.

Personally this is how I would change voting for the better....

1. Make Election day a national Holiday where polls all open at 6am and close at 10pm.

2. Standardize all voting methods and allow for secure internet voting at designated s in addition to current polling s. Doing so would dramatically decrease lines around the country.

3. Provide a tax break or credit for those who do vote. This could be in the range of 25 to 100 dollars. Remember we want people to vote.

4. Better inform citizens of the candidates and there stances. The more knowledge you have the more likely you are to make a choice. In other words inform the nation and voting rates will go up. Not everyone watches cable news. We must find a way to reach all of America in the political arena.

These are a few ideas I have thought of in just about 20 minutes. I hope that Congress can find away to motivate the Americans who choose not to vote. The day that Americans all go out and vote together will be the start of a better country for us all.

Baby Oliver

Oliver is my 8 month old son. He is just starting to crawl and make word like sounds. Here are a few pictures and videos of the cute boy.


Here he is just crawling


Laughing and watching tv.


So innocent what could he do wrong?


Just looking cute


Oliver and his beautiful mother

Here is the video of Oliver crawling...

Eve Online

So my hunt for the best MMO is still ongoing. I have of course played World of Warcraft, Everquest 2, Starwars Galaxies, and now Eve Online. To me the best by far is WOW, but EVE offers a different kind of gaming experience and it warrants a few months play.

So installing EVE was easy but the new player tutorial is awful. It is boring and took me a good 4 hours to complete. Still that said the tutorial is a must do because the learning curve in EVE is step to say the least. Once you get going the game becomes a breathe of fresh air to seasoned MMO players. The skill system rewards you even if your off-line since you can train skills on-line or off.

So far I have played for half a month and like EVE very much. The player base is nice and very helpful. With 25,000 players online at any given time, 100,000 subscribers worldwide, you'll always find a person to chat with or group with. Also it should be noted that there is only one server and that downtime is very rare in this game. That means no more Tuesday morning forum trolls for you non-workers out there.

Of course I know it won't suck my soul in like WOW did and I guess that's a good thing lol. If your looking for a couple hours in space exploring, fighting, mining, or pirating than EVE could be the MMO for you. Just don't expect to be wowed because after all there is only one king of Online Gaming and 8 million people will back me up on this...