Archive for the ‘Misc’ Category

Pom Rush

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

Pom Rush App Icon

I’m excited to announce that Pom Rush is now available in the App Store!

I’ve been working really hard on Pom Rush and I hope you’ll try it out. It’s free to download and includes in-app purchases. It’s compatible with the iPhone and iPad and is suitable for all ages. Visit PomRush.com to learn more or get Pom Rush in the App Store now!





App Store Icon

Pom Rush is an infinite running game in which you play the role of a pomeranian puppy collecting coins and crystals while avoiding the mean cats that inhabit the various worlds you visit. There are 10 poms and 10 worlds to unlock and even more powerups and vehicles that can be upgraded throughout the game.

Simple controls mean that gamers with any level of experience can join the fun. The adventure continues as you beat your high scores and upgrade your powerups and vehicles, including a car, hot air balloon, and a broomstick for your poms. Pom Rush is compatible with the Apple iPhone and iPad. Download on the App Store

Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 22nd, 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy Yule! This is a photo I took of Punzo the other night. When I uploaded it to Google Plus, they applied an Auto Awesome filter that made it twinkle. You can see the original image by visiting my Flickr Photostream or by clicking here.

Only a couple weeks have passed since my last post and in that short time New Mexico and Utah managed to legalize same-sex marriage via high court rulings. Marriage licenses have already been issued as anxious couples attended early morning openings at various county clerk offices. This will make for some happy couples this holiday season. There is clearly momentum gaining fast for marriage equality and where I initially thought it may take 5-10 years to get every state on board, I now think that we won’t have to wait any longer than 2015.

The Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are going to be very interesting. Several national leaders and celebrities are boycotting the event due to Russia’s newly implemented anti-gay policies. Three openly gay olympians – Caitlin Cahow, Billie Jean King, and Brian Boitano – have been selected for the official U.S. presidential delegation to represent the United States. I think it’s exciting to see this level of international involvement and I expect to see many visible pro-GLBT messages at this year’s events. The Olympics are about people coming together in a spirit of international unity, friendly competition, and a celebration of diversity.

Catching Up

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013

Wow, I haven’t written anything in a while! I guess I’ve just been preoccupied with other things, like helping my mom sell her houses and constructing a fence and dog house for our pomeranians. Oh, and seeing Catching Fire in IMAX! Unfortunately the property sales along Route 3 in Belfast, my mom’s house included, are confidential and I personally don’t know what business is looking to develop, despite rumors of Wal*Mart, Home Depot, and Lowes.

I continue to be faithful to my vegetarian diet. I do continue to eat a little fish and shrimp, which I may give up at some point, though overall it’s been very easy for me. A few restaurants, like Texas Roadhouse, make it very difficult to find vegetarian options, so in those situations I usually just put together a number of side items. My mom prepared a special tofurkey for our Thanksgiving dinner and my family has been eating less meat as a result of my decision.

Black Friday Shopping with Ashley & Tayler

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I went Black Friday shopping and got rear-ended by another vehicle. Fortunately the woman behind me has insurance and I have a front and rear dash cam that recorded everything. It was also reported on local news. We all had neck pain and headaches for a day or two following the incident. I’m still able to drive my RAV4, though it’s going to need quite a bit of repair. I didn’t even buy anything, though I’m more of a Cyber Monday kind of guy anyway (I spent way too much yesterday).

In national news, Hawaii and Illinois legalized same-sex marriage. While I was not especially surprised, it was historic in that Hawaii was the first state to try to pass marriage equality back in 1991 (see Baehr v. Miike). I’m sure the new law will bring a great deal of revenue to Hawaii, one of the most popular wedding and honeymoon destinations in the US. New Mexico is expected to be the next state to legalize same-sex marriage and there are lawsuits in many other states, most notably Virginia. The same team of attorneys who represented the Prop 8 case, Ted Olson and David Boies, have joined a lawsuit in Virginia that could be the end-all case in this matter (see Bostic v. Rainey). The potential for an historical decision is huge when you consider that this is the same state where the 1967 Loving case arose and put an end to discriminatory laws that prohibited interracial marriage.

British Olympic Diver Tom Daley

This past week also brought with it news of British Olympic Diver Tom Daley. Daley, who is 19 years old, decided to offer a public statement concerning his sexuality and the fact that he is currently in a relationship with a man. Last year I blogged about the London 2012 Olympics and Tom Daley, including some of the athletes who were out at that time, most notably Matthew Mitcham. Daley’s decision to come out is being labeled brave, and rightfully so, though I have to agree with BBC’s Matt Slater that it shouldn’t matter. Daley’s announcement comes at a time when much of the world, most notably Russia, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, still enforces discrimination against gay and lesbian people. Nonetheless I think Daley will serve as a role model for other youth across the globe, showing that you can be yourself, even in sports.

Second Amendment

Monday, January 21st, 2013

It seems we’re losing the warm weather here in Maine and it’s turning into the typical cold of these winter months. My next move is going to be to a warmer part of the world where it never, ever snows, hehe. Just warming up at Tim Hortons, getting some breakfast. They have a full breakfast combo (sandwich / drink / dessert) that’s not much more than $4, so I’ve been coming here a lot when I get off shift. The weather isn’t what’s in the news, though.

I’ve recently been introduced to the gun issue, as have many of us. It’s not something I ever thought much about before. I’ve been trying to educate myself about the difference between automatic weapons, semi-automatic, machine guns, assault rifles, and other definitions that seem to get confused in the media. I’ve never had a desire to own a gun, but I do strongly believe in the Constitution. I am concerned that if the government can take away parts of one constitutional right, what’s to prevent them from doing the same thing to other rights? I also feel that a standing militia is an important facet of our national security.

On the other hand, we do have to draw a line somewhere. Even our 1st amendment rights are not absolute (you can’t yell “bomb” in a theater or defame or harass someone), and so it must be with the second amendment. Somewhere between pellet guns and nuclear weapons, we have to find a compromise. It seems many want to draw the line at semi-automatic rifles. I’m honestly not qualified to assert a strong position on this issue, but I have no bias either way, and I don’t want to jump to conclusions on either side of the debate.

That said, it does seem to me that the problem is not the guns. School shootings and public massacres of the kind in Newtown or Aurora are relatively modern. Older Americans can recall a time that it was commonplace for students to bring hunting rifles to school with them. Guns have been around for a long time, including semi-automatic rifles. School shootings are a fairly new phenomena. Logically it would seem that guns are not the underlying problem. It’s possible they may exacerbate situations when an individual with a serious psychiatric condition acts out in violence, but I do not believe that is justification to undermine gun rights. If it were justification, then the same logic could be applied to the majority of drivers based on a minority of vehicular manslaughters or even drunk drivers. To be fair, we do regulate drivers. To drive, you must have a license and registration and insurance in most states. Limitations on gun access seems more effective a plan, such as improved gun education, trigger locks and gun safes, more rigorous background checks, and enforcement of already existing laws.

I am still learning about this topic and I encourage everyone to educate themselves about it. Beyond the media misinformation there is a wealth of real information you can use to inform yourself. It is important that all Americans understand what the Second Amendment means, its history, and its modern relevance. We must not cast aside our Constitution. It is the foundation of our country. At the same time, we need to do what we can to understand gun violence and take reasonable steps to prevent it. I do not believe in evil people, only those who are ignorant or are already suffering themselves, often from serious psychiatric disorders such as sociopathy. We cannot continue to rely on the justice system to handle such individuals after they have already caused harm to others. Mental health services, schools, and other entities in our country need to step up and take preventative action before such tragedies occur. I hope our country will come together and find common ground that will both respect the US Constitution and move us toward a safer future. Education is the first step forward.

London 2012

Monday, August 13th, 2012

The London Olympics were amazing this year. A few weeks before they started, one of my mom’s best friends and former English exchange student living with her in high school, came to visit us for a couple days. She’s an editor for a major television network in London, so she told us a lot about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff and filming. She wants us to come visit her next time, which would be pretty cool. I wish I could have seen the Olympics in person.

I’m watching the closing right now. The Spice Girls were awesome. I was so excited to see them together again at the 2012 Olympics, following their reunion concert a couple years back. They look great. Ginger’s always been my favorite.

I watched a lot of the archery because that’s become a new hobby of mine, along with scuba diving and rollerblading, and I love it! I go out to the range I set up and shoot several times a week. It’s a very addictive sport.

England is much more progressive than the United States. I was happy to see that there were many GLBT-friendly recognitions at the 2012 Olympics this year, such as celebrity appearances and respects to those past, like Freddie Mercury. I think it’s very important that GLBT people have a place and recognition in the Olympics. Wikipedia has a list of GLBT sports people, and here’s a more specific list of out GLBT Olympians. I know some had hoped that a few Olympians from countries that criminalize homosexuality, would come out at the Olympics and seek asylum in London.

Matthew Mitcham, a 24-year-old Australian diver, is of course one of the best known out gay Olympians. He’s pretty cute, but I have to say, the English diver, Tom Daley, has already stolen my heart, hehe.

Daley apparently hasn’t indicated whether he is gay or straight, but either way he’s super cute! He has been targeted by a couple people, including a teen and a 28yo who made an anti-gay comment about Daley on Twitter. Both individuals live in the UK and have been criminally charged for their homophobic tweets. I hope that we’ll soon have similar cyberbullying laws in the United States in the coming years. Ignorant religious fundamentalists know their time is running out here in the USA and elsewhere in the world. My little sister’s generation already views them the way most adults now view the KKK and other hate groups. Anyway, here’s some cute pics of Tom Daley <3. Click the photos if you want to see a larger version ;)


MDNA & The Hunger Games

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Madonna’s new album MDNA was released today. I pre-ordered it a while ago and got a notification last night, downloading it at midnight. Most of the music is dance club style and reminds me of Confessions on a Dance Floor. So far my favorite songs are Turn Up the Radio and Beautiful Killer. Apparently her music video for Girl Gone Wild has caused controversy. While I’m not surprised that Madonna is able to cause controversy with one video, I am a little surprised that Americans are still so sensitive to nudity and sexuality. For all our freedoms, particularly free speech, we remain a very prudish nation within the developed world. Madonna’s always been my favorite artist and I’m glad that she continues to push the envelope, even though I’m disappointed there’s still an envelope to push. The music video of my favorite song of all time, What It Feels Like for a Girl, was completely banned from MTV (except MTV Europe) in the early millennium. Girl Gone Wild is below.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend seeing The Hunger Games. I read all three books prior to opening night. I’m definitely team Peeta, hehe. If I had to choose, I would probably want to live in District 3 (computer technology) or District 4 because I could live on the ocean. The series is on par with Harry Potter, though my favorite fiction series is still His Dark Materials (the Golden Compass book series). The Hunger Games soundtrack is also pretty good, with genres similar to the Twilight soundtrack, which I love, even though I’m not a huge fan of the actual literature (with the exception of Taylor Lautner – go Team Jacob!). I’ve also been working on iPhone programming (if you have any ideas for Apps, let me know!) and continuing grad school at UMaine. Just picked up Kid Icarus: Uprising for my 3DS the other day, too. It’s pretty awesome and definitely worth the wait – I’ve had it reserved since January! You may recall that I made my own Pit costume for Halloween last year.

Team Peeta! <3

I’m looking forward to tilling a garden this Summer so that some of my potted plants can migrate outdoor and have a life outside rather than in the house or my greenhouse. An orchid I got from Florida is just starting to bloom. I have rice, radish, and bell peppers growing inside right now, and I’m trying out tea (Camellia sinensis) – it only makes sense considering I drink up to a gallon of loose tea every day (no exaggeration). Unfortunately the plant requires several years of growth before leaves can be harvested. I’ll be happy if I can just get some of the seeds to germinate. Here in Maine we got teased by the 80˚F weather recently, now back down in the 30’s. I’ve been rollerblading a lot and can’t wait to get back in the water to go scuba diving this Summer, as well as some archery.