Zipped through Molon Labe again

After loaning out Molon Labe to a friend, he kept talking to me about it, and kindling my interest in rereading it.

By the time I got it back, I was chomping at the bit, and finished it in a couple days.

The second read through was not earth-shattering, but it certainly raised a few points I had forgotten. I may not be able to target shoot much right now, but I should at least be dry firing at simulated targets to practice my form, focus, and follow through. I've been meaning to start a Don't Break the Chain for the skills I want to cultivate, and riflecraft is definitely one of those skills.

I noticed that I enjoyed the supplementary information more this time around. It seems that my first read through of a book is mostly for plot, and the second is more detailed and enjoyable, which is not my intention. Maybe I need to pull out some of my once-read favorites, and give them a twice-over.

Books, Games, and Knives

I've been re-reading Atlas Shrugged, and have been enjoying it much more this time. Now that I know what's going to happen, I can actually enjoy the first third of the book, instead of spend years trudging through part one 20 pages at a time whenever I feel masochistic. I'm enjoying myself so much that I regularly check the Kindle's percentage complete bar and think, "Oh boy! I'm only 21% of the way through!"

Psychonauts is a wonderful game released for PC and original xbox (original xbox games are now playable on the 360 thanks to system updates) that breaks a lot of style, artistic, and gameplay molds for video games. It's a beautifully unique game, that is a joy to play (instead of a race to the finish line), and I've yet to see anything remotely close to it. I played it a few years back, and it had been hanging on my mind for a while, so I popped it back in and tried to keep my smile from hurting my cheeks. I should note that it's exactly the same game every time, there's no open-world aspect or random events, but the characters, the story, and the locales are genuinely engaging and interesting, which is near impossible to say about any other game. If you play one game in your entire life, make it Portal. But if you play two, play Psychonauts.

If you're too lazy to play, or not much of a gamer, or more of a voyeur gamer, there's a guy on youtube who has a 41 video series of him playing the entire freakin' game.

I really want an OTF blade. There's something about it that just screams Free America. Of course, being a knife-o-phile trapped in California for 28 years helps too. I want a butterfly knife too, but that doesn't have as much allure as the OTF. I'll get one as soon as we have, you know, income. The wait will have the added bonus of my wife not stabbing me with it for opening and closing it incessantly. Maybe I should start with the balisong so the accidental strikes on my knuckles will discourage excessive flailing about. Yeah right.

Pining for a fictional Wyoming

I've been reading Molon Labe this weekend, and every time I put the book down, I note the lingering motivation to move to the fictional Wyoming. I read, and literally think, "Wow, this sounds great. We should totally move there!"

Guess Mr. Party knows how to write to his audience.

MOAR

Finished Monster Hunter Vendetta last night, two days after I downloaded it.

The only reason it took that long was because I had just moved for three days, and needed sleep to continue forming correct sentences.

Can't wait for more!

E-ARC OF MONSTER HUNTER VENDETTA AVAILABLE NOW!!!!1111ONEONEOMGOMWTF:RH_&(B$-*BOOM*

SQUEEEEEEEEEE

ohyeahitsavailablein:
Ebookwise/Rocket Format
Mobi/Palm/Kindle Format
EPUB/Nook/Stanza Format
Microsoft Reader Format
Sony Digital Reader Format
RTF Format

(and with a little effort, PDF)

Monster Hunter International is even better the second time

Read a sample chapter here.

Buy it here for the vampire-killingly low price of $7.99

Emergency: TBWSYL - After action report

I finished reading Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, and enjoyed it greatly.

I did have a few problems with his conclusions though.

[SPOILERS AHOY!]

His initial concern was that genocide was not something that could be stopped simply because we were the USA, and "that wouldn't happen here." He was concerned about Bush's supposed tendencies toward fascism, and was afraid the USA would go the same way. In the end; he wound up joining up with the government agencies, because he felt good giving back to the community. Fair enough. But to say that his fears were unfounded because he was more likely to be killed in a car accident than by a fascist government? Not quite apples to apples. To a lot of us who ain't goin' out like that, being killed in a random car accident is very different that watching a government turn against its people over the course of decades, and refusing to acknowledge the exact same warning signs history has taught us to look out for.

I'm glad he feels fulfilled helping other people out, and I agree that once people (especially Americans) are more or less squared away in food, water, and security; they give freely of their time, money, and food. But I don't think his selfless conclusion is the right one (maybe I'm reading it wrong?), especially when he was instructed that his family was his first priority, then his neighborhood, THEN the organization.

He also said that we become what we fight. But does that mean he became a fascist, or that he no longer thinks the government will become fascistic simply because a different dude is sitting in the big boy chair, lording over the exact same devices Bush put into place, for either 4 or 8 years? We've got the same destination as those regimes he rattled off after visiting the Holocaust museum, we're just getting there at a different rate. It doesn't matter who's in the president's seat, or for how long, because if you keep giving the seat tools of power, eventually someone's going to sit in it who realizes the sum of their power, and isn't going to want to leave. That won't change until we start taking those powers away, wholesale.

The question, I suppose, is this: What is he going to do when they call him up, and ask him to help them round up criminals who all happen to have something in common besides being criminals? Maybe they're all Jews, or maybe they're all disabled people, or maybe they're all people of a certain political belief. If he's ready to say "Fuck off" when asked to do something similar after being told it's for "the good of the community," then I'm on the same page. If not, then he truly has become what he fought. Only under a different dude in the big boy chair.

---

But don't let this make you guys think I didn't like the book! I loved it! It was a great chronicle of his journey from 0% prepared to considerably prepared, and his mental and physical struggles along the way. I highly recommend you read it, and will recommend it to my friends. The end just kind of bugged me.

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life

After reading Kevin's second post about a book he was reading, Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, my interest was piqued, and I called a nearby B&N to confirm they had it in stock, and picked it up at 9pm yesterday (sunday).

I got to bed around 4am because my eyes stopped working.

Almost done with it, and antsy to return to it. I'm also antsy to share it with friends.

This books gets the ET double triple ultra seal of uber mega approval. Head over to Kevin's place to read this first and second post on the book for an idea of the topics covered. He IS a liberal, so there will be a few (very few) parts where you'll have to resist the temptation to yell at the book, but it's easily worth the annoyance. Read it.

UPDATE: I've finished the book, read my after action report.

NEW INVENTION REVOLUTIONIZING PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT!

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But seriously, I wasn't much of a reader because I just couldn't find anything that would hold my interest long enough. But I made the effort and with the help of the library (sucks to buy expensive books and wind up not liking them), I was able to get into a niche, and ride that niche to some awesome reads.

I was thinking about a post about how cool it is in today's world of recharging batteries, and buying new games every few weeks to entertain you for ~10 hours, to have this tiny, light, box-shaped object that can entertain you for many more hours for less money, without recharging, or any other special care.

Books are pretty cool.

Finished Starship Troopers

It was refreshing to read a book that was more than just a fun story. I ran out and bought a copy of my own after returning it to the library.

World War Z right now, Moon is a harsh mistress later

Sure, why not?

Been meaning to do this, but was never thinking of it at home.

The rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123.
3. Find the first five sentences.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

"Hell, kid, I'll let you have mine." He turned to Al Goodman. "Put the Gun Digest on my tab, too."

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged. So HA!

Party Hard*

* In this instance, "Party Hard" means that I got drunk off overly strong bloody marys, and read Monster Hunter International for the entire party. At least I was still in the same room as our guests!

No nethack update today

I know you're all just crushed.

Picked up Monster Hunter International and didn't put it down till 3am. Only because I had a meeting I needed to be sharp for in the morning Can't wait for my lunch break.

After I finish this book, (if I don't read it again immediately) I've got another book I started that is just begging to be read. Then there's the gun show this weekend, and helping my sister move. Plus Rock Band parties, regular parties, and casual get-togethers. Projects to plan, places to go, people to see.

Man. I don't know what I was thinking when I started listing all that, but I'm actually doing all those things this weekend. Busy busy.

Well now I've got to order it.

You can't get a better book review than that.

My wallet probably won't mind...

UPDATE

Finished the sample chapter.

Couldn't help myself, and went for the next day shipping. It'll be here tomorrow.

Excited.

Art of the Rifle

My order of Art of the Rifle by Jeff Cooper finally came in. It's easy to see why he is so idolized by gunners.

I had no idea that a sling can be used to increase your accuracy by making your firing position more stable.

He speaks of the purpose of a rifle, the mindset of a marksman, and of an emotional connection with your rifle.

I took my tactical sling apart and remade it to a military-style sling that I could use in firing positions.

I studied the pictures and descriptions and practiced dry-firing in some of the shooting positions he layed out, using the sling to achieve a remarkable level of stability. This is something one can practice sitting on the floor in front of the TV in the evening. I hope to improve my stability in the open-legged sitting position, and have little doubt that I will succeed.

Even after only reading part of the book, I regarded my AR differently. I thought that I needed an older rifle with a wood stock in order for it to be a rifle I could connect with, but excused that as clinging to nostalgia. When I picked up my rifle to practice last night, I definitely felt differently about it. I should stop thinking about my rifle as an AR-15 (type), and start thinking about it as a unique rifle with qualities and requirements unique to any other rifle.

I'll continue to cultivate my appreciation for my rifle in practice and hope to impress myself the next time I head out to the desert.

Book Readery

I'm working my way through one of the required classics I've somehow missed. Currently I'm enjoying Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I've marked some quotes of interest so I figured I'd share them.

"I don't know. That's what we ought to find out. Not just what you said. Not just business and earning a living. Things like winning battles, or saving people out of fires, or climbing mountains."

Of what importance is an individual in the titanic collective achievements of our industrial age?

He seemed unusually skillful at obtaining favors from the Legislature.

Dagny knew nothing about the field of "Washington ability" or what such an ability implied. But it seemed to be necessary, so she dismissed it with the thought that there were many kinds of work which were offensive, yet necessary, such as cleaning sewers; somebody had to do it, and Jim seemed to like it.

It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. you should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener.