O'Guinnicus.com

Or maybe just the day that I realized it. I was watching the Daily Show last night, a show that I used to really enjoy but now cannot stomach (save for Ed Helms), and witnessed Jon Stewart (actor) arguing with Kimberly Strassel (journalist, The Wall Street Journal) about economic policy. Let's review what I've just said: Jon Stewert = ACTOR, Kimberly Strassel = at least somewhat educated. You could see the look on her face. She was asking herself why she would ever put herself in a situation where she would be arguing the most basic points of market economics with a the host of a fake news show who obviously had skipped the day they taught exactly what it means to be a "capitalist society" in college. If he even went to college.

Now, I'm not one to base the entiire downfall of the television community on one show. Not at all. My second example comes from MTV, the network who started the slow-motion suicide (to borrow from Ted Rall, the only idea of his worth borrowing) of American media responsibility. I've lived through Tom Green, Beavis and Butthead, and even Jackass, but their newest show really takes the cake. Yo Momma pits contestants from different "tough" (let's see them go to Oakwood) neighborhoods against each other in a battle royale of, and I'm not kidding about this, "Yo Momma" jokes. Yo momma jokes... you know, like "Yo Momma so old that she sees rainbows in black and white." And that's just round one. In round three, the finalists are taken to each other's house in order to find things out about their opponent and are then given categories of insults.
Is this seriously what we've come to? A comedian who instructs college kids and idiots in the ways of economics and politics and a show with a bunch of assholes making fun of each other? It's no wonder why we're in a learning slump.
Here's my two step remedy:

1. Turn off the TV
2. Read Betacrat, provided it ever gets finished.

Posted by Jameson at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So what? Scott at The Document hardly ever updates, yet I hear nary a complaint. Don't fret, dear reader(s); as soon as I'm back in O'Fallon, I have vowed to redo the stylesheets and layout so that it doesn't look quite as cookie-cutter. Once that's complete, it's regular updates.

In other news, Carl came to the U of I this past weekend. A good time was had by all. Congratulations to Carl for being able to utilize his ID and for his first visit to a true college bar. Also, Mike Halbrook and I were assigned to be the Communications Tsars (thanks to Scott for the over-inflated title suggestion) for National Order of the Arrow Shows, a task which I'm a little too excited to start on, and Halbrook is probably (and understandably so) less than enthusiastic to realize.

Posted by Jameson at 3:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These are the people who I wish were alive today so that I could assassinate them. Damn you three for writing such influencial documents.
In other news, I should have taken Introduction to Public Policy instead.

Posted by Jameson at 3:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, here it is: 4:00 AM. I 've just finished reading and summarizing Major Robert D. Allen's essay entitiled Lessons From Somalia: The Dilemma of Peace Enforcement. It took three hours to do. That's about an hour over par, but I chalk it up to the fact that this reading was actually pretty good. No obvious bias either way, just empirical evidence supporting claims that the UN is a paper tiger that would be nothing without the US.

Posted by Jameson at 4:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a meeting with Professor Ira Carmen today, I was accepted into the Political Science 499 seminar entitiled "Politics, Law, and Eugenics." Professor Carmen described the class in a brief overview like this:

There has been much discussion over the years of manipulating human genes to make people healthier, prettier, more athletic, and smarter. Now there exists the distinct possibility of doing these things. Such practices are called by critics "eugenics," and they raise profound legal and political issues. This seminar will address those issues.

Posted by Jameson at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Congratulations to Sugarland and Bon Jovi for their collaboration on "Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?". This song has earned a spot atop my shit list of songs for the lyrics:

I was runnin' away from the only thing I've ever known
Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the Twilight Zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold

Posted by Jameson at 12:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here it is, 4:00 AM. I've finally finished some slightly overdue Statistics homework, and I've just installed the newest O'Guninicus.com feature: a photo album! Go check it out and register. There aren't any pictures up there yet, but there will be soon enough.

Posted by Jameson at 3:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I woke up today and realized that I didn't have a presentation due in National Security Policy, I took the opportunity to sleep in. What started out as a little nap soon turned into an all day affair. By the time I woke up at 2:30, I was well aware of the fact that I had pretty much just wasted an entire day,

I did a lot to try and salvage it, though. I called Chris Sullivan to find out what had been done and what needed to be done about the Vigil selection committee, I printed off scholarship applications and the readings for class, and I headed over to KDR to get my picture taken for the composite.

At Bar Louie Mark, Adam, and I sat down for some $1 burgers. The bouncer either incorrectly ID'd me or was in a super-good mood, because he gave me an over 21 wristband, Afterward we watched The Chronicles of Narnia for the movie part of our Tuesday night tradition. I haven't read the books in years, and upon later discussion with Eric Stolze, hadn't quite realized when I was younger how obvious the symbolism was. I mean, it's bad enough that there's a messianic tiger, but the eventual head of state's name is Peter. Anyway, it's just so odd how it all seems so obvious now, but when I read the books, I really didn't care about the Jesus factor, I just thought it was badass that four kids and some mythical animals beat them some ass.

Posted by Jameson at 1:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My apologies to Carl Russell. In yesterday's first post, his name was erroneously left out of my list of thank-yous. Carl has done absolutely nothing, but in this day in age that is a commendable action. Thanks, Carl.

Posted by Jameson at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As any of you who I had beta test the last version of O'Guinnicus.com know, there is a substantial amount of work that is missing from the current version. In anticipation of graduating someday, I have decided to spin off the content that used to be on O'Guinnicus.com to a more profession-minded JamesonOGuinn.com. It's going to take a little work, but with time, I hope to make it an identity I can use.

Also coming soon is Betacrat.com, my new political blog. As soon as we get some server software updates, we'll install a community-making platform for that site. Anyway, check out the forums if you wish. And there, but for the grace of God, goes the Jameson.

Posted by Jameson at 2:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I've finally found a blogging software that I'm happy with. Today has brought two big changes to O'Guinnicus.com: the PHPBB system that can be found here and this blog. Many thanks go out to Shaun Young, my server guru, Scott Troyan, co-founder of TROYAN-O'GUINNSTOCKAPALOOZAFESTATHON 2006, and Mike Halbrook, the man who bought the domain for me and helped me with the final few code issues. I really cannot overstate the importance of the roles that these guys play. Thanks also to Greg Jackson for some friendly competition and ideas.

Posted by Jameson at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)