archshrk

General Ranting

• Some things to remember when engaged in apologetics debates 25.09.08

  When they quote scripture for their beliefs, it’s called “scriptural support”.
  When you quote scripture for your beliefs, it’s called “prooftexting”.
  When they provide bible verses that support their opinion, it’s called reading scripture “in context”.
  When you provide bible verses that support your opinion, it’s called “cherry picking verses”.
  When they make a distinction between two slightly differing [...]

• Apparently Photoshop is now too easy to use 13.09.08

  This poster was featured in a post on the Photoshop Disasters website. It turns out that Dane Cook has a few issues with the movie poster for his upcoming movie, My Best Friend’s Girl.
  Now before you head on over there to read the whole story, take a minute to watch this trailer to get [...]

• Strawberry-flavored Banana? 21.08.08

  Biochemists Manipulate Fruit Flavor Enzymes

  Would you like a lemony watermelon? How about a strawberry-flavored banana? Biochemists at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston say the day may be coming when scientists will be able to fine tune enzymes responsible for flavors in fruits and vegetables. In addition, it could lead to environmentally-friendly pest [...]

• How NOT to search the web 29.07.08

  I was over at JMG-Galleries reading about a couple of software launches. one was for a photoshop product called Adobe Lightroom 2. Jim had some good and not so good opinions about that but what he really had a problem with was a new search engine called cuil.com.

  The Ugly is reserved for [...]

• In yo’ face, HATERZ! Vista is the RoXoRz 25.07.08

  Photo: Lara Hartley
  Microsoft has been beta testing a new Operating System (OS) to select Vista critics in San Francisco recently. While the users have some very distinct complaints about Vista 90% were pleasantly surprised by Microsoft’s new OS codenamed “Mojave” as in the desert where they have lots of mirages (aka where I grew [...]

• Cell phones - New Law (2008) 09.06.08

  As previously reported, California is enacting a new hands-free cell phone law that takes effect July 1st, 2008. Below is an interesting email a friend sent me that might help everyone transition to the new law.
  According to new law that goes into effect July 1, 2008 you will no longer be able to use [...]

• The SPAM Marketplace 24.04.08

  Much like stocks in the real world, my spam comments fluctuate in value. Recently I noticed a trend where the offers changed depending on the day and time - despite coming from the same address.

  73% off for archshrk - Apr 23, 2008 9:30 AM
  90% off for archshrk - Apr 23, 2008 2:35 PM
  81% off [...]

• From Sex To Religion… 16.04.08

  I’m suing for harassment. I never thought it would come to this but the offense was just too great to overlook.
  You see, while at work, I passed by an empty desk and happened to notice something that just wasn’t right. It was training video with a very inappropriate title. I was traumatized.
  You [...]

• Chemical In Baby Bottles Cited As Health Risk 15.04.08

  According to FOX Business, A chemical used in consumer products ranging from baby bottles to food-can linings to compact discs is widely found in humans and may affect childhood development and reproduction, according to a new draft report from the government.
  Z Recommends reports that in recent months Evenflo has begun manufacturing a series of polypropylene [...]

• ‘Open’ Christianity kills me 22.03.08

  So I saw this (finally) on my good friend Sam’s site, Gospel Prisim and just had to share this. So many of the popular shows (even one’s I like) tend to have or promote very anti-Christian values. I once watched an episode of Cold Case that centered on a man who murdered some [...]

• List of scandals with “-gate” suffix 21.02.08

  “Since the Watergate scandal, the media has on occasion [*cough*] referred to social or political scandals by adding the suffix “-gate” to one of the key words used to describe the scandal. This new label has sometimes stuck but often a new name is used. The process is known as -gate construction.”
  Has everyone in the [...]

• I’m gonna propose you a proposition! 30.01.08

  Big Dan Teague
  Anyone who blogs usually has visions of making money from blogging. And why not. We here all sorts of stories where someone started making millions from blogging about the most mundane things. But for most of us, the opulent lifestyle is far from our reach. I count myself lucky [...]

• Mormons are Christians? 12.01.08

  Joel Osteen Declares Romney’s Jesus is Our Jesus?

  Chris Wallace interviewed Pastor Joel Osteen on the Fox Television Network’s “Fox News Sunday” program December 23, 2007. Osteen pastors what is touted as the largest church in the United States (Lakewood Church of Houston, Texas). Here’s an interesting segment of the interview.

  Wallace: “Is a Mormon a [...]

• Black Tie Optional 21.11.07

  Every year my company hosts a Christmas Holiday Party and typically, each year it gets a little better than the previous year. This year looks to be following that tradition. Unfortunately, I may not be good enough to attend. Stupid standards. You see, the problem is that the invitation reads - [...]

• US Postal Service Issues Recall 19.11.07

  I found this story over at Sirdar’s site the other day and thought it was worth sharing. Also, I posted this so late last night that I forgot to explain where it came from. I mean, I may be a thief, but I’m an honest thief. Something I also noticed was that [...]

• A new kind of spam 13.10.07

  I’ve been getting hit with a new kind of spam lately. the trackback spam. And it moves pretty fast. The post I just published…already hit.
  Basically, a dumbing blog is created that post countless articles that basically read
  [random name] wrote an interesting post today on
  Here’s a quick excerpt
  and then is followed by a [...]

• Nesting 10.10.07

  My first car was a 1978 Plymouth Volare - two tone blue. Imagine a mini Nova. Two doors with the pimp car frame-less windows and it rode close to the ground and I could replace the tires for as little as $25 but go splurge on the $55 tires that lasted much longer. [...]

• shark infested beaches 24.09.07

  Saw an ad online for a certain search engine that was titled “top 10 shark infested beaches” which got me to thinking…
  Beaches don’t typically have problems with sharks - it’s the waters that are infested. Then again…
  References to “land sharks” appear in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sailing chanties, referring to merchants who cheated sailors. Indeed, [...]

• Student tasered for being a menace to society 18.09.07

  As you can see from the above video, the student in question was beginning to harass Sen. Kerry. For whatever reason, the campus police decided to remove the student (heckler?) from the venue. Now we can debate the validity of this decision but at the moment the student began resisting, he became a [...]

• New Contact Page - Now with more spam 17.09.07

  So I realized recently that my old contact page wasn’t working. And by working, I mean the form didn’t show up anymore. So I quickly did a search for an update but the original author is no more. Not deterred, I turned to the ever-present Google to find a new contact form [...]

• Domain for Sale 07.09.07

  I’m always on the lookout for a good deal. Luckily, one of my regular readers, archway, told me about a killer deal in a recent comment…
  I saw this domain for sale, according to the appraisals, its worth over $5000.00 usd. It has just the perfect amount of keywords….
  Turns out the site they were telling [...]

• Miss Teen contestant meltsdown 29.08.07

  Miss Teen USA contestant, Lauren Caitlin Upton (17), was asked why one-fifth of Americans couldn’t find USA on a map. What followed was a bumbling answer that would make George Bush proud. Think Miss Congeniality and “Describe your perfect date” (see answer below*)
  Now before we get into the details, keep in mind that [...]

• What Problem 29.08.07

  I’ve been experiencing a problem with Wordpress lately. It seems that any post on PhotoJulia.com that starts with the letter ‘W’ in the post slug returns a blank page when in single view.
  I’ve try different themes, deactivated plugins and optimized my database but no change. And when I say blank, I [...]

• evil archshrk 21.08.07

  I think this number is a little low.
  So often in life we look for hope and inspiration in the stories from scripture. We look at our own lives and try to find understanding by identifying with those people who loved God and found redemption and meaning in Him. Unfortunately, we most often identify [...]

• Not so randumb 02.08.07

  Not too long ago, I added a feature to my site that linked to a random post on my site. Unlike the list of randomly selected post to the left (check them out) this link was truly random. If you clicked on the Suprise me! link, you would find yourself reading a completely [...]

• Is Harry Potter evil? 30.07.07

  You’ve probably already the latest Harry Potter book by now. If you haven’t, then you aren’t likely to read it any time soon. Don’t worry, I’ll not spoil it for you - I never read any of the Harry Potter books. And I’m OK with that.
  I was reading a short post over [...]

• I’ve shut the door on China 10.07.07

  I didn’t want to do it but let’s be honest…nothing good comes out of China these days.
  Actually, that’s not being very fair. The problem is that I’m getting a lot of spam comments and the URL for the commenter(s) is always something-random.something-with-car-name.cn (the domain for China). It wouldn’t bother me if it was [...]

• Personalized Spam 05.07.07

  Found this in my spam bucket…
  Hay!!! best link for you hello
  you have an indeed class resource of archshrk.com give please reference to the similar resources spam all right I went away to meeting
  [cluster of typical spam links] senks!!!
  Nice to know that they’re spamming me personally. Apparently, I’m not alone…

• Hot Christians 22.06.07

  I’m in the middle of moving my site from one host to another and what do I find in my comments but the best spam EVER!
  Hello, my name is Anna! As you can probably tell, I’m a Christian woman who loves Jesus Christ and cares for all humans, even the wicked. What you probably don’t [...]

• spammers are adapting 19.06.07

  The following message was caught by my amazing comment spam filter (akismet) and I was all ready to mark it not spam (or at least follow the author’s link) but then I was suspicious…
  This is the second time I’ve gotten a message, supposedly from this site, stating “you have a private message“. There is a [...]

• 11:11 Prophesies 18.06.07

  Recently, a friend of mine was asking about the 11:11 Prophesies. I heard about this before but had trouble finding info on the subject so I asked a good friend about it and he replied:
  11:11 seems to be a “heightened spirituality” token of a trans-substantial interdigitating heterologous harbinger, indicium towards a unitarian augury of [...]

• 50 signs you’re a blogaholic 15.06.07

  My wife thinks I blog too much. Actually, she thinks I love the computer more than I love her (not true honey). So when I read Jonathan Deamer’s 50 signs you’re a blogaholic I knew I had a problem. I didn’t want to steal his content outright so here are some of [...]

• No Not Call Registry and VOIP 15.06.07

  I received a call from (859) 212-1501 this afternoon and it turns out to be a prerecorded message in Spanish. A quick internet search reveals that it appears to be a telemarketer using VOIP which can ‘fake’ the caller ID. Is there anything that can be done about this? Is there anything [...]

• Whois 24.05.07

  I track visitor traffic on my website pretty religiously. Compulsory is more like it. A regular addiction it is. But that’s not the point. The point is, who are these people and what do they want. For example…
  Who is this site? affalink.affa.gov.au/information_technology/outsourcing/contentkeeper_splash.cfm Someone came to my site via this site [...]

• The Japanese have too much free time 03.05.07

  Based on these finds (and others we’ve all seen before) it is clear that the Japanese have far too much free time on their hands. From sterile looking masks to banana bunkers, Compact Impact is adding to the clutter that is our collective junk drawer.
  The very sterile looking white gauze mask inspired us to [...]

• Skywalk dirt road 29.04.07

  If you’ve read the reviews, you probably heard about the 14 mile dirt road leading to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Many have asked why they didn’t pave the road before opening the Skywalk to the public. Well, the short answer is…they couldn’t. The unpaved portion of road is actually county land and has [...]

• New car sales pitch 25.04.07

  Borrowed this one from Tommy. I thought I’d go over some of the phrases car sales people like to use, and what they really mean.
  Runs like new…Never ran in the first place
  Looks like new…A car can only be this ugly on purpose
  Only driven on Sunday…It was a race car
  Low mileage…a race car with a [...]

• Grand Canyon Skywalk reviews 17.04.07

  Long time readers may be familiar with my coverage of the Grand Canyon Skywalk and have even expressed interest in going. And while I enjoyed my recent trip to the Skywalk, others have not. So in the spirit of fairness I give you some recent reviews by people who have gone to the [...]

• Don Imus is not a racist - you are! 13.04.07

  Don Imus is not a racist - you are!
  Now before you get all rilled up, let me explain. Don Imus probably is a racist but his infamous comments (below) really aren’t. If you say that they are, then you’re a racist. You see, Don Imus never said anything specific about the Rutgers [...]

• 10 flagrant grammar mistakes 09.04.07

  If you want to craft an error-free message that reflects your professionalism, be on the lookout for these common grammatical slip-ups
  These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we’re in a hurry, quickly dashing off emails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I’m being kind here), and that breezy, [...]

• Sanjaya Anthem 09.04.07

  This is for all you American Idol fans, especially those who really hate Sanjaya.

  Thanks Kristi for sharing this with me.
  Now with lyrics to Sanjaya Anthem:
  Sanjaya, Sanjaya
  Gon’ set this place on fiya
  Sanjaya, Sanjaya
  Gon’ set this place on fiya
  Sanjaya, Sanjaya, Sanjaya
  Sanjaya, Sanjaya, Sanjaya
  Sanjaya, your the one I admire
  Who cares if Simon likes ya
  I think that he’s a [...]

• McDonalds hates you 05.04.07

  McDonald’s has a new product they’re test-marketing here in California and they have a great ad-campaign for it - “we hate you, now buy our product”
  It’s not that obvious of course but the idea is the same. Basically, three guys from Boston are eager to get their hands on McDonald’s new 1/3 pound [...]

• For Sale: one soul - slightly used 04.04.07

  Before I begin, I have to tell you…6 - 8 weeks is a long time.
  OK, so last Friday I’m at Dell Taco, no wait - I’m at Fantastic Sam’s. Scratch that, I’m at the Dealer’s. Actually, I’m taking my 5th ARE exam and that means I only have four more to go. [...]

• MadTV - iRack 02.04.07

  I’m not sure who their making fun of first but “a good time was had by all.”

• Problems loading the site? 18.03.07

  I’ve been experiencing some problems with this site the past couple of days. If you find that loading pages is very slow or does not load at all, please follow these instructions and email the results. If you don’t already have my email, then use the contact page. Your help is greatly [...]

• Styx Trinket 12.03.07

  I don’t know what it is but I want it.
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  I think the spammers are not so random after all. They are clearly targeting me as a consumer with an unhealthy obsession for all things STYX related. They know that I could not resist [...]

• I don’t want their love 31.01.07

  Max Barnes writes to tell me “She will love you more than any other guy”
  But I don’t want any other guy to love me.
  Over a several millions men have been helped with the potent ingredients
  in Pen-is [mightier than the sword] Growth Patch - men have experienced bigger size, deeper penetration more action, and super-satisfying [...]

• Butt I didn’t do it 17.01.07

  Another gem from the Inbox.
  Dear Tenants,
  We were made aware today that cigarette butts are being deposited in the building’s out-going mailbox. This is a Federal offense not to mention a huge fire hazard. Please assist us in advising all employees and visitors that smoking is allowed in designated areas on campus, which is [...]

• ELF X X X GALLERY 13.01.07

  ELF X X X GALLERY?
  Now that’s a new one. I get lots of hits from visitors looking for Grand Canyon Skywalk, Haunted Car Commercial or from the WPG2 forums but never anyone looking for ELF X X X GALLERY. I think [...]

• Gift Bag vs Wrapping Paper 21.12.06

  The issue of Gift Bas vs. Wrapping paper came up over at Michele’s today (and over lunch at work).
  According to the BBC: For most of us, it’s a Christmas afterthought. But to a growing number the wrapping of a Christmas present is every bit as important as the gift inside, and messy wrapping [...]

• 20 ways to make yourself the least popular person in the room 06.12.06

  ‘Tis the season for love, cheer and goodwill toward men. So they say. The reality is that expectations are unattainably high — for mood, for behavior, for warm, fuzzy family togetherness, for the joy and wonder we’re supposed to feel and spread all around. For most folks, that’s more than a tall order — it’s [...]

• Two for Turkey 16.11.06

  Good news folks, we’re haveing two more people over for Thanksgiving. My good friends have agreed to come join us for dinner this year and boy am I looking foraward to it. Here’s an exerpt from the email below. I think you’ll agree they too, are overcome with excitement. They can [...]

• Our Store is Your Cureal 04.10.06

  If your like me (and who isn’t) you’ve probably gotten your share of spam email. Typically these offer better performance, replica watches or cheap software. There is the occasional Spamlib but one of the most perplexing spam emails is the one titled “Our store is your cureal”. Now you know better than [...]

• archscoundrel 29.09.06

  One of the latest spam trends I’ve noticed is how the spam sender’s email looks strangely familiar. Can you see why?
  archscoundrel
  archspirit
  archtaxpat
  archseducer
  archsteward
  archtraitor
  archstantonmusic
  At least these spammer’s don’t use Spamlibs to generate their messages.

• I finally did it 28.09.06

  After much build up and soul searching, I finally broke down and did it. I finally used the name of all names at Rubio’s.
  Several months ago (seems like years) I learned that Rubio’s can’t spell my name right. Many of you know my name so you are probably shocked to hear that anyone [...]

• Architects Associates 29.08.06

  There are certain truths within my chosen field of architecture that every client, employee and courier learns. One of which is that big fancy firms are full of themselves. The other is that they (the BFF’s), universities, and design magazines don’t see this.
  Welcome to Architects Associates. If you are looking for the [...]

• In the Beginning 24.08.06

  In the beginning, God created heaven and earth.
  Shortly thereafter God was in receipt of a notice to show cause why he shouldn’t be cited for failure to file an environmental impact statement. He was granted a temporary planning permit for the project, but was stymied by a Cease and Desist Order for the earthly [...]

• Spam Libs 14.08.06

  Today, I realized how spammers write those weird emails… Spam Libs. Like the classic Mad Libs but for spammers.
  Mad Libs consist of a book that has a short story on each page, but with many of the key words are replaced with blanks using different parts of speech such as a noun, verb, adjective, [...]

• Frustrations 18.07.06

  While dealing with some frustrations at work, my lovely wife (PhotoJulia) sent me an email to help me refocus my attention on God and I thought I should share what she sent.
  Here are some scriptures for you. I love you and I pray that God will take away those frustrations that are harboring in your [...]

• Pirates Disappoints 09.07.06

  I don’t have a lot of time right now but wanted to let you know that I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest yesterday and I left feeling unsatisfied. Basically, there were so many sub-plots that there was no real main plot. The movie was all over the map (metaphorically speaking). [...]

• Klyad, your order is ready 28.06.06

  It’s been a while since I’ve been to Rubio’s and even longer since I’ve given them a faux name but this one really takes the cake.

• Craig’s List Assault 19.06.06

  As you may have noticed in an earlier post, we are selling some furniture on Craig’s List. Included in that onslaught of listings was a 5-peice bedroom set. It is real pine furniture - not particle board or other such nonsense - but real wood. Below is a transcript of the email [...]

• Secrets of the Da Vinci Code - Revealed 17.05.06

  Secrets of the Da Vinci Code - Revealed

  The movie’s BORING!
  Journalists gave the eagerly awaited film “The Da Vinci Code” a cool reception at its first press screening on Tuesday, a day ahead of the world premiere of the adaptation of Dan Brown’s controversial novel.
  The release of the big-budget Hollywood thriller has already prompted a [...]

• Dizzy-Land 12.05.06

  If I wanted to be dizzy, I’d go back to Disneyland.

  Work is was driving me crazy. About a year ago I was put in charge of two projects. A big step for me in my career. Up until then, I had only been working on someone else’s projects. But [...]

• I Wish I Had More Time 20.04.06

  I wish I had more time to blog. I have lots of things I’d like to talk about but not the the time to prepare the posts. I could just ramble on about things like imigration reform, changing the look of my website or the value of a well placed burrito.

• Wiarton Willie suspected in double murder 02.02.06

  WIARTON, ONT. - An official in small-town Ontario is being accused of covering up a murder, but she says she was protecting the town from bad publicity.
  Francesca Dobbyn told Wiarton town council on Monday that she knew Wiarton Willie might have killed his two understudies, but hid the facts so the town’s summer tourist [...]

• Wrap it Up! 08.12.05

  I was recently reminded of how life changes. Someone put it this way…
  I’m pretty certain that when I was a kid, most people actually wrapped their gifts. You know, in boxes, and with wrapping paper and too much clear-tape? As I got older, and the gift bags became popular, I started receiving fewer and [...]

• Crush and Store 02.12.05

  It finally came, my very own Crush and Store. Well, it’s not realy mine - the office paid for it, but it’s for my use.
  * WPG2 CANNOT LOCATE GALLERY2 ITEM ID 39 *
  OK, so here’s the deal. My office recycles but someone has to take the aluminum cans to be recycled [...]

• What Privacy 25.10.05

  This is very upsetting; you might want to pass it along.
  Now you can see anyone’s Driver’s License on the Internet, including your own!
  I just searched for mine and there it was…picture and all! Thank you Homeland Security, where is our right to privacy? You can remove yours from the list, I suggest you [...]

• FTC: National Do Not Call Registry Accepts Both Cell Phone and Home Phone Numbers 15.12.04

  “The Federal Trade Commission reminds consumers that the National Do Not Call Registry has accepted personal cell phone and home phone number registrations since it opened for consumer registrations in June 2003. There is no deadline to register a home or cell phone number on the Registry.
  To register a telephone number on the National Do [...]

• Do Not Call - HOAX 14.12.04

  An email urging wireless customers to sign up their cell phones for a national “Do Not Call” list is currently circulating the Internet. The email urges customers to sign up before they begin receiving calls from telemarketers once a national directory of cell phone numbers is put in place

• Name Butcherers 15.11.04

  So the last few times I went to Rubio’s I just used my real name without any trouble. Today, I used Clyde which I was certain to see misspelled but Clide would be within reason.
  Clint on the other hand…what the heck is that all about? That’s not even close. Clint! [...]

• Rubio’s 18.09.04

  So I eat at Rubio’s a lot these days. That’s not such a big deal (unless you’re watching what you eat) Now Rubio’s is a fine restaurant. I like their food well enough and it’s not as ‘junky’ as some other places. I like their fish tacos and also the Burrito [...]

• DREADNOUGHT 11.09.04

  “I am perturbed. On the one hand I am disappointed with Bush. I am angry that his handling of post-war Iraq has been so terrible…On the other, he is doing well in terms of my conservative values. On the family, faith-based initiatives and God generally, Bush is awesome.” From Dreadnought Manifest
  I found this blog post [...]

• Rose Is Rose 09.09.04

  roseisrose.gifI usually enjoy this comic because its cute and harmless. This type of joke would usually only anger me because of the sexist attitude but now it just makes me sad.
  Eph 5:22-33Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is [...]