New commenting system

I'm using Disqus for commenting now.

If you want you can test it out. You can reply and use threading now. You don't have to sign up for an account, its optional.

Please note I DO approve all comments. If you are here to troll or spam, its not gonna get through. Also I log all IP addresses too. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

Dominos Pizza's new online ordering system is so creepy.

Thank you Dominos Pizza.

Not only I can order my pizza online now, but I can find out who actually baked it

When it goes in the oven!


Also I can find out the name of the creep who will deliver to me. (So I can yell at them by name not finding my apartment complex AGAIN)


Dominos Pizza, you have filled an important void in my life.

Now they should work on pizza injections in your skull. Once that is out in the open i'm all golden.

Vlogging just burns me out sometimes...

Don't get me wrong I love vlogging on youtube. The interaction you get from other vloggers is far greater than any other video site, but at times it does seem like a chore and it can get quite tiring.

I try not to do a video for just the sake of doing a video. My motive is simply to get my opinion out. I don't want fame or tons of subscribers. (though it would be nice to) I just want to start a conversation and make friends on the site.

While its starting to become a bit overwhelming with the increase of subscribers I feel sometimes I can't disappoint them. They took the time to discover me and I should deliver. At the same time I can't release uninspired shit. I have to go for quality and not the quantity of videos.

The point of this entry is to let you all know that I don't do vlogs for a week or two and then suddenly reappear, its intentional. I'd rather moderate my time versus cranking out videos all day, everyday. There are more important things in my life other than vlogging to worry about....like graduating school, finding a REAL job and a new place.

Still youtube and stickam are fun places to waste time...if you have the time to kill!

Twitter doesn't care about your feelings.

Twitter Blog: Our Terms

There's some discussion in our forum right now about content disputes and the specifics of our Terms of Service. It seems there is room in our Terms for folks to debate the difference between an update and an insult. There is some confusion surrounding our official policy with regard to taking action.

Some people think we should ban one person if another person is unhappy with the content—or more specifically, if they personally define that content as "harassment." In the case being discussed, we didn't perceive a violation of our Terms after a careful review.

This speaks to our larger stance that Twitter is a communication utility, not a mediator of content. For those who are interested in this debate, please note that we are engaged in editing our ToS so it more clearly states the scenarios in which we will take action. The revised ToS will reflect this earlier statement of our policy on abuse.

I would agree if a violation was made posting personal info. But just because someone called you a "cunt" doesn't mean its harassment. I've been called much worse and I don't bawwww at people to get someone banned. Unless someone posted my home phone number all over, its not harassment.

Edit: Don't get me wrong. Calling a female a cunt is horrible, but it doesn't warrant banning an account.

Its yet another issue of unwarranted self importance from a blogger. You are not a special person. People are going to call you names. Deal with it. Of course if they are ACTUALLY harassing you (ie, putting up personal info online) then twitter is responsible.

Friendfeed and Spokeo are completley worthless sites

I really don't get the hype of these sites that take a creepy inventory of your online life.

The blogosphere right now is having a grand old debate on the effectiveness of a site like friendfeed and what type of "noise" its creating.

I consider it pretty useless to me. The main reason why because very few of my friends actually use the site. The only people I have found on such sites are people with over inflated egos and unwarranted self-importance.

Personally it find completley worthless to have multiple notifications on when I favourite a video on youtube or a pic on flickr. I already have facebook (hate it as you may, I love it) as my online "hub". I don't need yet another Web 2.0 time sink.


TL, DR:
Friendfeed and spokeo are a waste of time.

"What music do you listen to?" *sigh* I listen to indie music.....

For all intents and purposes I can considered a music snob. I do not like a vast majority of mainstream music. I am tired of the horseshit pushed on to the masses from outlets like MTV, the RIAA and Clear Channel.

I am a Indie music fan. I wasn't always like this. There was actually a time and place when I believe Britney Spears was a credible artist (way before her crash and burn) not not a record company vehicle that was based more on her looks and not actual talent. I used listen to a ton of hip hop simply because its been expected for a young black man to do so.

For all intents and purposes I am not a hipster. I am not that anal or snobby. I hate PBR and I find Thrift Stores tacky as fuck. I am not super skinny as well, in fact i'm probably too fat for AA or Urban Outfitters clothes.

It sounds cheesy but one cold and depressing Buffalo winter day back in 2005 I had turned on to XM radio to a station called "The Verge" that had Canadian music (which I do not subscribe to anymore) and heard The Arcade Fire's song "In the Backseat". To this day it when I hear it it almost drives me to tears and it somewhat comforts me whenever I feel super depressed.

I began to find out more about them and similar bands across canada such as Broken Social Scene and Stars through places like BrooklynVegan, Pitchfork, DrownedinSound, NME and other place. Then I started to discover bands in this country like LCD soundsystem and in the UK like Bloc Party.

I would see many bands like them in person in Toronto and Buffalo over the next 3 years and I even joined an online community of "Indiefucks" (though they don't really talk about indie music often and more about other things!).

Even though I have made some friends who listen to the same music as I do I still find it very difficult to even explain to the uninitiated about these bands or to simply find someone to accompany me to a show. My brother continues to tease me and calls me a hipster, which i'm far from it.

I can't and don't want to be an elitist about this music. I still think SOME (but not all) mainstream artist are talented in their own right (such as Kelly Clarkson) I am also not a poseur. I do care about the music deeply and I am not going to shows just to be seen,(like *sigh* Scenesters)

I don't want to interject race into the matter, but I am a black indie rock fan. I simply don't care about those who feel the need tell me that the music I am listening to is simply made for white people. Call me a sellout (its happened so many times for me not to care), but I can't stand about 95% of today's rap. Its lyrics passionate nor made of any substance for me to care about. Tupac and Biggie must be rolling in their graves knowing that total garbage is released today. It pisses me off that people are buying Lil' Wayne or Mike Jones CDs.

I consider any hip-hop released past 1996(save for a few artists like Kayne West and Common) horrible. There is no creativity or passion in hip-hop anymore. Nas once said it perfectly, "Hip hop is dead".

So the next time you ask me what I'm listening to, I'm listening to music that is not corrupted by payola scandals or by the RIAA. I'm listening to indie rock. If you think its "weird" or "funny" go fuck yourself. :)

In defense of facebook

Really the facebook bashing has got to stop. If people used the website PROPERLY and not as a myspace2 then maybe they would get more out of it.

I'm tired of the people who whine about the applications! If they bother you so much BLOCK THEM! If a friend continues to invite you bite a vampire or use a to use a funwall, either tell them to knock it the fuck off or don't be that persons friend!

The same goes for Facebook's privacy policies. Understandably they aren't perfect (Facebook Beacon anyone?) If you are worried about that creepy ex or your parents finding about your profile BLOCK THE PERSON. If they are blocked they cannot SEE your profile at all!

How hard is it to block someone? If every one ignored or blocked someone they don't want looking at their social networking profile cyber bullying or trolling wouldn't happen!

Another thing you shouldn't do is add your everyone on the face of the earth to your facebook. I only add people who I know IRL, co-workers, youtube people, friends from LJ/other online places who I have known for a considerable time and potential networking contacts. The site will work the best IF YOU ACTUALLY ADD PEOPLE YOU KNOW! So clean out your friends list once in a while.

Facebook is not myspace, its not the quantity of friends you have its the QUALITY.

To those "marketers" out there, you aren't welcome on facebook. So don't bitch and moan when you find out that Zuckerburg and co smashed the bannhammer on your ass for sending out 100 unsolicited messages about your "stock tips" or other crap. Facebook is doing a great job to keep your ilk of the site.

Its really not hard to NOT get banned from facebook. If you are unsure follow these rules.

To summarize: If you aren't using the site for what its meant for, which is to cultivate existing friendships. You really don't belong on there. Please stick to myspace or bebo.

BTW: Facebook IS NOT OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE CIA! It is a half baked conspiacy theory. If a government agency wanted to get info on me they would be wasting their time. I don't think they will find me liking Be Your Own Pet or hockey as vital to national security. Until I can find CONCRETE information that is readily available from a reliable source (and not Sara's anti conspiracy anti sweatshop blog or Alternet) I consider it BULLSHIT.

Shit was so LIONCASH

Shit was so LIONCASH, originally uploaded by leonwestbrook.

....JUST DO IT SON.

Youtube Partnership...more like PARTNERSHIT

My name is Justin and I have been rejected by the YouTube partnership program THREE TIMES in 2 months!

Call me bitter or plain jealous, but its clearly evident that someone at YouTube doesn't like me or my videos. Now it'll fully admit I never really expected to get it anyway. But I really wonder is it even worth it to get it?

I know for certain that you tube partners get the following:
*A banner on their videos and profiles
*Auto play on their video
*The chance to make a pitiful amount of money that won't even fill up your SUV or
pay your cable bill

I know for a fact only a select few people have actually quit their day jobs to produce sub-par videos made only for the masses. One scumbag in particular uses thumbnails of girls cleavage to cheat at almost every opportunity.. Another girl who thinks she's Japanese, just stares at her camera to appeal to pedophiles.

Right now I'm happy with the 500 subs I have. I'd rather have quality and not a mass of dummies subscribing to me. Now don't get me wrong there are partners out there that are awesome and I continue to watch their videos, but really a majority of youtube partners are chosen for sex appeal, bad comedy or just churn out content for the Lowest Common Demoninator.

When I quit YouTube the first time I figured no one wanted to see anything that is of actual value and intelligence. That is still the case and I accept that, but fortunately my subscribers are awesome and I watch people who are similarly minded.

That said, i'm pretty glad that I'm not a partner. I'd rather not degrade or dumb down my videos for simpletons. Having a banner would be great, but not at the cost of my integrity.

I'll stick to my day job and try to work my dream to make money writing.