Barnson.org

Turns out, I am an opiate abuser. At least according to my drug screening.

Yup, I failed the drug screening for my new job today – failed for “opiates” (heroin, morphine, etc). It was a simple dipstick urine test, and they’re sending it off to the lab to confirm.

Thing is.. I don’t use opiates. I’ve taken no painkillers, no antibiotics, nothing at all except Pepto last week, and maybe a Tylenol a week ago.

I DID have a poppy bagel last weekend, but there are varying theories about if that could have caused it.

SO – does anyone have any thoughts? I may be a Nurse, but I have no real experience about how the lab works. They say the test theyre going to do is more conclusive, but I’m a little scared, having accepted the offer and quit my other job.

Boyoboy – Friends are writing nasty letters, Ive got huge phone bills, and now I’m failing drug screenings.. when did I become Lindsay lohan?

There is a controversy about a movie shown at the Sundance Film Festival that I thought, given our mutual backgrounds in performing, might provoke some interest:

Rape Scene Storm

A MOVIE showing the simulated rape of 12-year-old actor Dakota Fanning has prompted outrage across the US after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. US religious groups and child protection organisations have called on police to investigate whether the makers of drama Hounddog had violated US child pornography laws with the rape scene.

In Hounddog, the character played by Fanning — best known for playing sweet child characters in Charlotte’s Web and I Am Sam — appears in her underwear, is sexually abused by her father and is raped on-screen by a teen.

It goes on to quote Bill Donohue as saying, “It matters not a whit whether Fanning’s mother, along with Fanning’s teacher or child welfare worker, gave their consent,” he said. “What matters is whether they are an accessory to a crime.”

To deny that these things take place in real life is to close your eyes to the real world. Relatives of mine have been sexually abused while a minor, and it’s startlingly common, particularly in Utah, the sex-abuse capital of the United States. Is it possible to depict these harrowing acts tastefully in film? Or is that a line we should not allow filmmakers to cross in this nation?

A very clever take on reinterpreting Star Wars IV-VI in light of what we learned in I-III.

Did you know that the first field agent of the Rebellion was… R2-D2?

http://www.morningstar.nildram.co.uk/A_New_Sith.html

I have been getting adicted to podcasts since I have gotten my Ipod nano. Any reccomendations for podcasts that you all enjoy listening to?

Here is a video that my wife forwarded to me last nigt. It is taken from someone’s balcony during a recent ice storm in Portland.

Enjoy…

Now I know everyone on this page will think this woman is either a loon or a misguided soul, but Laura Mallory is trying to remove Harry Potter from the classroom because it promotes Wicca and other non-Christian things. To quote:

Today’s generation faces evil like no other in history with the bombardment of violent, sexual and occult images of our modern mass media. I think perhaps we are so desensitized, we couldn’t recognize it even if on the plate in front of us. This case addresses only one facet of that evil, being spoon-fed to our children, even in the public schools. With the deceptive, exciting, children-friendly packaging of witchcraft in the Harry Potter series, our youth today view witchcraft not only as good and fun, but harmless fantasy. I’d like to clear up some misconceptions about the case and then just share my heart for a minute.

I disagree with her on two points: 1) Our generation is NOT facing evil like no other. Jews in Europe in the 1930s and 1940 faced evil like no other. It’s just another example of the hyperbole being fed to us to convince us we need help from something.

2) Even if we were living in the most evil times, Harry Potter is not the problem. Parents who don’t take active roles in their children’s lives, or who attempt to prevent their children from discovering life for themselves, they are the main culprits in our children’s demise. Harry Potter has as much to do with children converting to Wicca as Huck Finn did to promote slavery.

Oh, and by the way: Mallory hasn’t read the books yet

My $.02 Weed

We often hear about problems caused by US soldiers in Iraq. We see TV shows about soldiers accidentally shooting the wrong people.

We don’t often see this.

I guess in a bad way, my mom and I are famous. For those of us that live in MD, you may have heard about this.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/10833703/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

Yup, that was us. I know..I know, it was stupid. I have heard it from a dozen people. BUT….I ALWAYS leave my purse hidden in the car while at church. We have some elderly ladies who are mentally challenged and they steal money out of your purse. So we were told to keep it at home or hidden in your cars. Well, apparently I am not the only one who does this. The church down the street was hit on xmas eve and purses, men’s wallets, cell phones, cash, and xmas presents were stolen. Two schools, including my daughters, was hit during the day. Parents just running in to get their kids for only a few minutes would come back out and find their car window’s smashed in and purses stolen.

It has taken me two weeks to get my life back in order and it is still a battle with credit card companies, bank, etc.

We bought a new dishwasher just before Christmas. Easy enough. I decided to sell the old dishwasher we replaced. I posted the ad online in Craigslist and through a local “penny saver” kind of paper. I posted the sale price at 125 figuing that i would be negotiated down.

I got a response from this guy named Steve. He said that he wanted to send me a check then coordinate a courier to pick it up. That sounded weird, but okay sure. He said that he needed my name and address to send me a payment. He took about a week and a half to get the payment to me. Friday I finally received the UPS envelope with his check.

The check is from a company called: New Orleans Leftover Data Centers, Inc. 2171 Pine Ave. New Orleans, LA 70130

The check amount is for $2500.00

His email to me was that he wants me to Western Union $2100 to an address in Clinton, MD. The difference in $ would mean that he is paying me a little more then $300.

Something sounds wrong about this. I have sent him emails stating that I am concerned about the amount of the check. I told him that i feel uncomfortable about this transaction.

Any advice?

My issues with this… – I have thought about him wanting to try and get me to deposit his check and send his money only to have his check get rejected. – Money Laundering?

I looked up the company on the check using google. The address for the company on the check is different then the one shown on the website.

What do you guys think i should do?

Here’s what we know.

J.J Abrhams (MI3, Lost, Alias) is writing, producing, likely directing.

Shatner and nimoy have been hired as consultants, and there is talk of them being in the movie.

The plot centers around the early exploits of a young Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Captain Pike. Likely a flash forward to Spock and Kirk will ensue as well. There will likely be no relation to TNG era Trek. Enterprise will also likely go unmentioned.

Matt Damon had been suggested as Kirk. Daniel Craig (the new Bond) has expressed interest.

The movie will be “character based”, and the focus is to appeal to non-fans more than fans.

The possibility exists that the movie will contradict some known continuity, and may completely reboot the franchise.

Paramount is looking for a July 2008 release, and will likely try to use the film as the big tentpole for their summer.

SO – What are your thoughts? Casting? Rebooting the franchise angers a lot of TNG fans who love the continuity (I’m in there somewhere). Excitement levels? Predictions?