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Not that, according to some, he hasn’t already.

On his show tonight, he’s talking with who I believe is a psychologist (came in late, so not sure). His gripe this time is that two girls being chosen as cutest couple in some high school yearbook is inappropriate. The two girls are shown in a picture together, although the picture isn’t inappropriate in any way. They’re just facing the camera, with a one-armed hug.

The psychologist I think called him out on his true thoughts when she asked him whether he’d have a problem with a heterosexual couple doing the same thing. O’Reilly says that he have no problem with it, but does with this because it isn’t “socially accepted behavior.” Yet, O’Reilly also keeps saying that he thinks people should be keeping their sexual life behind closed doors. These two statements don’t match up. If he really thinks the latter thing, he should be saying that the school should abolish the cutest couple section altogether.

So, O’Reilly thinks that people should keep their sexual life private, but also has no problem with a heterosexual couple being picked as cutest couple, since it’s “socially accepted.” These statements, made within minutes of each other, don’t add up, O’Reilly!

Now, on the other hand, I have no problem with cutest couple sections, or who gets picked for them. It’s a non-issue, really. So, I don’t know why “Mr. I Don’t Have Problems with Homosexuals but Make Conflicting Statements” does.

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In this week’s episode of Dymersion Video, I go quasi-professional. Coming to you from my school’s TV studio, I present an editorial on the inability of Congress and the President to make this country better.

By the way, sorry for sounding so monotone and kind of boring.  Consider that it’s like my second time on camera in a TV studio, having to read from a teleprompter.  I plan on doing this again, and hopefully next time I’ll be better.

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Now, I’m not one to advocate telling corporations what to do in their day-to-day business (unless it’s illegal, unethical, or unhealthy), but there’s something that’s been bugging me for a couple weeks, and I know I’m not alone. Actually, it’s been bugging me for a lot longer, but the problem is getting worse. I’ll call it Holidayification, which I’ll define as going to the extremes to get an upcoming holiday in people’s minds. Generally, it covers most major holidays, but specifically, I’ll discuss Christmas.

I first noticed it several years ago, but this year has taken the cake. I think I first noticed Christmas displays going up a few weeks ago, maybe the second week of October. Now, I know corporations consider Christmas as a huge part of yearly profits, but is starting your marketing that early necessary? Do corporations really think getting the idea through our heads earlier and earlier going to make us spend more money for Christmas? My answer is…it’s probable. Their thinking is that by getting into people’s minds that Christmas is coming up that they’ll buy more. There may be other reasons for starting earlier, such as increasing population. By starting earlier, the increasing amount of people in the country will be able to get their Christmas decorations and presents.

However, I do see some problems with my previous ideas. I think that corporations are likely to get more money just from an increasing population. Seems simple to me; more people = more money. So the reason might seem to lean more to the burgeoning population. However, even with a larger population, it seems to me that people still don’t really seem to start buying for Christmas until Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. They’re busy worrying about Halloween and then Thanksgiving. So, there must be some other reason I’m not thinking of.

So, there must be a good reason for doing it, even if I do think the whole idea is a bit ridiculous. For example, this Sunday, my local Walgreens was playing Christmas music. I thought displays were bad, but now music? I mean, come on! If anything, they ought to be playing Halloween music. I don’t know. I just worry that we’ll soon be hearing Christmas music before the 4th of July. If it ever comes to that, I do expect a lot of Americans to put their foot down, given the importance of the 4th. Indeed, if it ever were to happen, I’d put forth a special version of Independence Week, shaming all the companies who are desecrating that holiday with their corporatization.

Dymersion Video update: My second time in front of the camera during a newscast went very well.  As I mentioned on Monday, I’m going to use my appearance on the show’s editorial segment as this week’s episode, so expect that uploaded to my YouTube channel sometime tomorrow.

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If there’s anything I hate more than chain email (and I hate chain email like I hate corrupt politicians), it’s badly researched chain mail, which seems to be a characteristic of a lot of them. Most of them are rumors started by someone who couldn’t spend two seconds looking up the facts, so they get all hot and bothered by the issue.

Take the new $1 coins from the U.S. Mint. I got a chain mail from my mother (who didn’t start it, so not her fault) complaining that these new coins should be boycotted because supposedly they don’t have “In God We Trust” on them. Well, apart from the fact that I could less if they did – I feel a lecture in the importance of God coming from a commenter in my future – something tells me that given most politicians in the federal government are not atheists, this wouldn’t fly with them. They’d be on the Mint faster than you could blink.

Sure enough, it’s not true. Just the position of the phrase has moved. As you can see, it’s now on the edge. This is interesting, because I think it’s the first time any coin (of any country, but not sure on that) has has words on the edge of them.

Now, I know what people are going to say, “But you can’t see it as easily.” Well, maybe you can to actually exercise for thumb and forefinger to get to it, but looking at the picture, it would seem that the words stretch the whole thickness of the edge, potentially making them a bigger font size than they are on any current coin. I’d have to see one to be sure, but if that’s the case, wouldn’t that make it easier to see? Especially for the elderly?

Surely doing this would make people happier, as it’s actually emphasizing the phase just that much more. But, people will probably still complain. By the way, “E Pluribus Unum” and the year are also on the edge. So, no people. This isn’t some vast far-left conspiracy to remove God from our lives. So, stop while you’re ahead.

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I must say, that for the most part, I’m impressed. At least, in the area of diaster response, FEMA has seemed to have learned a few things. The response time, as well as the level of services and their quality, seems to have improved dramatically over Katrina. Areas of refuge were setup, food and drink were provided, activities were setup, and best of all, no pointed fingers.

However, we can all always learn from things like this. Clearly, FEMA needs to work on their media presence. That staged press conference, with FEMA employees asking soft questions? Not so good. If you can’t get one setup in time, release a press release for God sakes. Or, better yet, let the call-in reporters ask questions. And allow more time for people to show up before starting the show, not 15 minutes.

I’m an optimistic guy, and I think FEMA will learn from this time’s mistakes. If not, what’s one more blot on their record, right? In any case, Bush better hope it doesn’t happen under his term. See, if it happens with the new (likely) Democrat President, the Republicans can blame it on them.

Hopefully FEMA gets better, but knowing the government and its response to events, there seems likely to be some screw up in the future.

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Tonight I did something I haven’t done for several years…went costume shopping.

I loved going out trick-or-treating as a kid, but once I grew older, I knew the fun had to stop. So, I relegated myself to behind-the-scenes candy duty, which was alright in itself, giving out candy to kids, and seeing them dress up every year. Never thought I’d see myself in a costume again.

Then I turned 21. I’ve been trying to get out more this year, since I know it’s the last year I’ll really be able to have some fun. So, I’ve been trying. Still far from being a huge partier, but that’s all right. Well, I got invited to a costume party on Halloween, so I know I should be a good sport and dress up.

So, I went to Walmart with the idea of finding a complete costume set. Turns out it didn’t work out so well. So, I ending up having to combine what I was able to buy (pirate shirt, patch, gun, and cloak) with my suit shirt, paints, and shoes. I thought it might look silly, but it actually turned out pretty nice. Not bad for a little improvisation. I am a little disappointed that Walmart didn’t have a sword though. I can’t be a pirate without one! So, tomorrow, I’m going to head to CVS and see if I can pick one up. If not, it’ll probably be back to Walmart, though I don’t know if my luck will be any more. But, I’ll try.

So, for the first time in years, I’m celebrating Halloween again. Just in a little more of an adult style.

P.S. This week’s Dymersion Video episode won’t be available until the end of the week at least.  This is because I’m doing an editorial for the news show I participate in at school (making one of my rare on-camera appearances).  So, it’ll double as this week’s Dymersion Video (and one of the best visually looking ones to date).

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I have received some very positive commentary on a couple of the questions I submitted for the CNN/YouTube Republican debate, and I cannot be happier that I decided to participate.  Commentary is obviously no guarantee any of my questions will get chosen for the debate (which would be an awesome thing to happen), but I’m just happy to know that people took a look at them.

I do plan on submitting some more questions in the coming weeks, and I’ll probably touch on some other hot button issues as illegal immigration and abortion.  However, with the slew of other people asking these same questions, I want to be creative.  Ever sine I submitted it, I haven’t seen any questions asking the candidates to choose one mistake they’ve made during their terms, and tell the lessons from it.  There could be some out there, who knows, but I have yet to see it.  So, I hope to really focus on more questions such as that one.  Something that could get the candidates really thinking.

Since, honestly, any candidate can just repeat a platform position that anybody could look up.  But when they have to start getting honest with voters about their past, I think it can really show their character.  It is true that they could just simply deflect the question, but I hope they would not, as that too would be a show of character.

So, in conclusion, I’m happy with what people have said, and though I was planning on doing so anyway, seeing that really makes me want to continue submitting questions.  Prepare to see more in the coming weeks!

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In this week’s Dymersion Video, I put together my questions for next month’s CNN/YouTube Republican Debate. I also make some brief comments on the wildfire disaster in Southern California. If you want to skip the California stuff, you can see the individual questions on my YouTube channel.

Just had a thought…I’m pretty sure McCain and Ron Paul will be in this one, but does anyone even know if Romney has agreed to it?  If not, I’ll have to remove that one.

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 In this episode of Dymersion Video, I talk about an artist who, for his latest creation, caused the suffering of an innocent animal in the name of “art.”

The video still has some problems, but it’s not nearly as bad as when I was trying to capture it on Friday.  So, bear with it, and it’ll sort itself out several seconds afterward.

I still do plan to make this week’s episode a series of questions I’ll be submitting for the CNN/YouTube Republican Debate.

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It started about a year ago.  I was getting a sandwich at my campus library’s cafe, and I saw them.  Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips.  I’d never had kettle cooked potato chips before, so I was intrigued.  I took a bad of that, and ended up eating it all.  That started my love affair with kettle cooked potato chips.

Ever since then, I’ve made it a point to get some when they are relatively chip, and to find a variety I like as much as Miss Vickie’s, which isn’t sold in large bags, at least not in this part of the U.S.  I haven’t yet been able to quite succeed.  Miss Vickie’s chips have a certain texture and thickness to them, and also a certain taste, that I can’t precisely match with other brands.  I never expected to get the exact same chips, as that’s impossible, but something close would be nice.

I think the closest chip thus far has been the Cap Code brand kettle chips.  They’re pretty nice.  I has some whilst at the Greater Hartford Open this summer, and I must say, they come in a close second.  Right now, however, mostly due to price, I’m stuck with Lays.  I don’t know…I like ’em, but they’re just not the same.