People are constantly fighting over the content of the constitution, which always confused me because it's not missing parts, or written in another language, but people are always fighting over what it says.
I think I've figured out why.
People argue that there is no right of the people to keep an bear arms even though that exact wording is in the 2nd amendment. The same people argue that the right to an abortion is in the constitution even though the word "abortion" appears nowhere within the document.
The answer is so obvious. Someone, somewhere along the way misread the 2nd amendment! See they thought it read:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear abortions shall not be infringed."
It all makes sense now!
As a retired supreme court justice said, "We don't need people who can interpret the constitution; we need people who can read."
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thought police. No, seriously. The fucking thought police
This is not a straining leap coupled with extrapolation and assumptions. This is not like when someone yells,
"THOUGHT POLICE! 1984! DOUBLEPLUS UNGOOD!"
This is like;
Well shit. The motherfucking thought police... Never thought I'd see the day.
Massacre fallout: Charges for essay
High school teacher 'disturbed' by violent content of assignment
That had to be one hell of an essay. This straight "A" student didn't make specific threats or threaten specific people, but the police saw fit to actually charge him with a crime for his writings.
A student was charged with a crime for writing something that was construed as threatening, even with no corroborating evidence. I, like Uncle am speechless.
Hat tip to Uncle
"THOUGHT POLICE! 1984! DOUBLEPLUS UNGOOD!"
This is like;
Well shit. The motherfucking thought police... Never thought I'd see the day.
Massacre fallout: Charges for essay
High school teacher 'disturbed' by violent content of assignment
Told to express emotion for a creative-writing class, high school senior Allen Lee penned an essay so disturbing to his teacher, school administrators and police that he was charged with disorderly conduct, officials said Wednesday.
Lee, 18, a straight-A student at Cary-Grove High School, was arrested Tuesday near his home and charged with the misdemeanor for an essay police described as violently disturbing but not directed toward any specific person or location.
That had to be one hell of an essay. This straight "A" student didn't make specific threats or threaten specific people, but the police saw fit to actually charge him with a crime for his writings.
A student was charged with a crime for writing something that was construed as threatening, even with no corroborating evidence. I, like Uncle am speechless.
Hat tip to Uncle
Overheard at work
Coworker 1: I can't believe we messed it up.
Coworker 2: Maybe, but we did it with teamwork!
Me: It takes teamwork! One person to do the work, the other person to mess it up!
Coworker 1: Together we can spin our wheels!
Coworker 2: Maybe, but we did it with teamwork!
Me: It takes teamwork! One person to do the work, the other person to mess it up!
Coworker 1: Together we can spin our wheels!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The beginnings of justice?
Current, former officers indicted in elderly woman's death
That poor elderly woman who was gunned down trying to defend herself from armed people in plain-clothes forcing their way into her house.
Whoops. The plain clothes people were police officers enforcing a no-knock (unannounced) raid on this elderly woman's house. The police did not dress as police officers, nor did they state that they were police officers when they broke into her home. She saw armed people forcing their way into her house and she feared for her life and fired the gun she kept for safety from gang violence at the officers. The officers returned fire and killed this poor woman who died afraid for her life. (More info)
The raid was based on an unreliable source, and the various paperwork steps for approving a no-knock raid were skipped or are being contested. But hey, at least they got the right house this time.
Justice should be served, but it won't bring this poor woman back.
Hopefully this will give people pause and let them reconsider this idiotic policy.
Hat Tip to David Codrea
That poor elderly woman who was gunned down trying to defend herself from armed people in plain-clothes forcing their way into her house.
Whoops. The plain clothes people were police officers enforcing a no-knock (unannounced) raid on this elderly woman's house. The police did not dress as police officers, nor did they state that they were police officers when they broke into her home. She saw armed people forcing their way into her house and she feared for her life and fired the gun she kept for safety from gang violence at the officers. The officers returned fire and killed this poor woman who died afraid for her life. (More info)
The raid was based on an unreliable source, and the various paperwork steps for approving a no-knock raid were skipped or are being contested. But hey, at least they got the right house this time.
Justice should be served, but it won't bring this poor woman back.
Hopefully this will give people pause and let them reconsider this idiotic policy.
Hat Tip to David Codrea
DING DONG Jack is dead!
Jack Valenti, Hollywood's Lobbyist, Dies at Age 85
I don't take enjoyment in the death of another human, but this guy was quite the villain to hackers and coders everywhere. He suppressed the free speech of hacker magazine 2600, by filing a preliminary injunction under the DMCA.
DVD playing software is licensed out by the MPAA. When you buy a computer with DVD viewing software or buy a DVD player, a bit of money goes to the MPAA for use of a license to decrypt the CSS encoding and watch the DVD. Linux is a "free as in beer" so it costs nothing, there are many reasons for this, but suffice to say, Linux users didn't want to have to pay money for software to view a DVD that they'd already legally purchased. The MPAA was asked to provide a free Linux/Unix player to let people view the content of DVDs they'd paid money to watch. When the MPAA refused to deal with developers, and told them to use windows instead, the gauntlet was cast. One one side people who bought movies and just wanted to watch them on their computers at home, and on the other, a huge corporation unwilling to provide a simple program to allow viewers to watch the DVDs they'd already purchased. When DVD John, as he is now known all over the world, published the DeCSS to decrypt the CSS protection the MPAA tried to stop 2600 from printing it. Suddenly they began suing and shutting down hackers and strong-arming ISPs of people or sites which simply POSTED the information to the internet! By simply printing something, you could be charged. This is why my license plate frame says "Source code is free speech"
Jack is known for his quote,
Jack wanted to beat down people with the threat of lawsuit. People who wanted nothing more than to view a DVD they'd legally purchased. As time wore on, the lawsuits slowed because judges were less and less likely to uphold the idea of punishing someone for simply printing something.
I think I'll be wearing my "You don't know Jack" shirt tomorrow. (I'd find a pic, but its been discontinued) ... (as has he)
I don't take enjoyment in the death of another human, but this guy was quite the villain to hackers and coders everywhere. He suppressed the free speech of hacker magazine 2600, by filing a preliminary injunction under the DMCA.
DVD playing software is licensed out by the MPAA. When you buy a computer with DVD viewing software or buy a DVD player, a bit of money goes to the MPAA for use of a license to decrypt the CSS encoding and watch the DVD. Linux is a "free as in beer" so it costs nothing, there are many reasons for this, but suffice to say, Linux users didn't want to have to pay money for software to view a DVD that they'd already legally purchased. The MPAA was asked to provide a free Linux/Unix player to let people view the content of DVDs they'd paid money to watch. When the MPAA refused to deal with developers, and told them to use windows instead, the gauntlet was cast. One one side people who bought movies and just wanted to watch them on their computers at home, and on the other, a huge corporation unwilling to provide a simple program to allow viewers to watch the DVDs they'd already purchased. When DVD John, as he is now known all over the world, published the DeCSS to decrypt the CSS protection the MPAA tried to stop 2600 from printing it. Suddenly they began suing and shutting down hackers and strong-arming ISPs of people or sites which simply POSTED the information to the internet! By simply printing something, you could be charged. This is why my license plate frame says "Source code is free speech"
Jack is known for his quote,
If we have to file a thousand lawsuits a day,we'll do it.
Jack wanted to beat down people with the threat of lawsuit. People who wanted nothing more than to view a DVD they'd legally purchased. As time wore on, the lawsuits slowed because judges were less and less likely to uphold the idea of punishing someone for simply printing something.
I think I'll be wearing my "You don't know Jack" shirt tomorrow. (I'd find a pic, but its been discontinued) ... (as has he)
I <3 my 1911
My XD is no longer my go-to gun for most handgun situations. My 1911 has chiseled out a place in my heart.
I used to just like my 1911. It's a mil-spec, it's somewhat historical, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure how the change occurred because I haven't been shooting it as much lately because of .45 ammo prices and my extra 9mm ammo. Somehow while only handling it and thinking about it the 1911 forced its way into my #1 slot. It just grew on me. I just love the way it feels, the way it handles, the way it points, and the way it conceals. I also love the way it's tough, this is no show piece. No bells or whistles here, this 1911 means business.
Hey, look what we've got here? I'm on my lunch break playing with a digital camera and look who showed up?
Click for huge size!
Look at the gun powder that worked its way into the checkers on the grip where my fingers go.
I used to just like my 1911. It's a mil-spec, it's somewhat historical, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure how the change occurred because I haven't been shooting it as much lately because of .45 ammo prices and my extra 9mm ammo. Somehow while only handling it and thinking about it the 1911 forced its way into my #1 slot. It just grew on me. I just love the way it feels, the way it handles, the way it points, and the way it conceals. I also love the way it's tough, this is no show piece. No bells or whistles here, this 1911 means business.
Hey, look what we've got here? I'm on my lunch break playing with a digital camera and look who showed up?
Click for huge size!
Look at the gun powder that worked its way into the checkers on the grip where my fingers go.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Make it stoooooooooooop!
Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I shall replace you with a perl script
Via ThinkGeek
I thought of this shirt because I'm not too far off from replacing someone with a couple hundred lines of perl...
this feeling...
is it...
could it be...
EVIL!?
Oh hell. Curse my black hat roots...
Ahhhhhh... The power...
I thought this one up...
Sadly, you exhibit all the grace and poise of a drooling mental patient chewing on a deck of cards.
I can't wait to use it.
The Toggle Switch
Bah! The guy who's pushing me to finish my code keeps interrupting me while I'm trying to work!
"Hey, so, how's it coming?"
*remove headphones* "What?"
"How's the code coming. Any progress?"
"Yes, of COURSE there has been progress. I've been working on it for two hours since you last interrupted me!"
"Oh. Yeah. Just checking."
30 minutes later
"Hey, could you check on that alert?"
"Dude!" *remove headphones* "What?!"
"Chill; I just want you to look at that alert."
"Dude, I can't just stop coding and do something else."
"??? Yeah you can!"
"No; I can't! See, in my head there's a BIG toggle switch. One side is working, living, breathing, eating, talking, driving, everything I do. The other side of the switch is just CODING. There is NO in-between! I'm either in coding mode, or I'm in other mode, but I can't keep switching back and forth like this! --Do you want the code or not?!"
"Ok man, code. I'll just look at it."
Gah! *replaces headphones*
Ok, so I was a little pissy, but I'm not a typical programmer, so he should just be happy that I'm not making demands, pushing back deadlines, and screwing around with new shit we'll never use.
"Hey, so, how's it coming?"
*remove headphones* "What?"
"How's the code coming. Any progress?"
"Yes, of COURSE there has been progress. I've been working on it for two hours since you last interrupted me!"
"Oh. Yeah. Just checking."
30 minutes later
"Hey, could you check on that alert?"
"Dude!" *remove headphones* "What?!"
"Chill; I just want you to look at that alert."
"Dude, I can't just stop coding and do something else."
"??? Yeah you can!"
"No; I can't! See, in my head there's a BIG toggle switch. One side is working, living, breathing, eating, talking, driving, everything I do. The other side of the switch is just CODING. There is NO in-between! I'm either in coding mode, or I'm in other mode, but I can't keep switching back and forth like this! --Do you want the code or not?!"
"Ok man, code. I'll just look at it."
Gah! *replaces headphones*
Ok, so I was a little pissy, but I'm not a typical programmer, so he should just be happy that I'm not making demands, pushing back deadlines, and screwing around with new shit we'll never use.
NoteTag Information (Long version!)
The following e-mail includes guidelines and instructions to help you get the best out of the service.
Please read them before using the service.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Please try to use plain text e-mail wherever possible.
Please keep the body of the e-mail free from other text. (don't forward messages to NoteTag or reply where it will quote the previous message)
One command per e-mail (for now ;)
Tags have no spaces in them. If you make a tag "San Diego" it will make two tags, "San", and "Diego". Use "sandiego" to keep it simple.
All tags and commands are case INsensitive. This means "gEt CHINA" will be the same as "get china". That way you don't have to worry about your e-mail capitalizing the first word. Caps matter in notes, though.
All single quotes will be removed. So dont bother.
NoteTag is meant to be used to quick (read: "short") notes. Your notes are limited by 100 characters. If you find your notes are too long, voice your complaint, but know that this probably isn't the right service for you.
There is no limit on tags you can associate with a note, so got nuts. (but not too nuts :)
GET CREATIVE! If you think of a creative thing to do with NoteTag, leave a comment! http://tinyurl.com/5g5txp
If you want to stop using NoteTag, please let me know why so I can consider resolving the problem you're experiencing. NoteTag will never get any better if you don't make recommendations. The only dumb question will be the one unasked!
NoteTag is a one-man show! Please bear with me on interruption of service and replying to e-mails. I'll do my best to keep it running as much as possible!
COMMANDS
The following commands must be used to start every message to NoteTag. The command, its function and an example will follow.
add [tag] [tag...] note [my new note goes here]
This command adds a note to your database with the tags as searchable words attached to it. You may use one or more tags.
Your note may NOT rpt NOT have the word 'note' in it. It will not read properly. You may use 'notes' or 'notebook' or '-note', anything but a space followed by the the letters 'note' (caps or no) followed by a space. This will likely change in the future (likely change it to 'nte'), please be patient for now.
Also, try not to end your note with a space, as you will require the space when you delete the note with the del command.
EXAMPLE:
add walmart market note remember to buy 1gal of cheese
get [tag] [tag...]
This command will retrieve all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
Notes will come in one email per tag, so if you request three tags, you'll get three e-mails with notes.
EXAMPLE:
get walmart
del [note you want deleted]
This command will delete all instances of the note within your database. The note portion IS case and punctuation sensitive, and must be matched EXACTLY.
Since you must match the note EXACTLY to delete it, I'd recommend keeping the notes you add simple.
EXAMPLE:
del HOOOOly CRAP! Im sure Glad I d0nt h\@ve 2 typ3 this on my phone!!!12^%^%$#
del id rather keep it simple
clr [tag] [tag...]
This command will remove all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
EXAMPLE:
clr shopping walmart
all notes
This command will retrieve all notes for all tags, sorted by tags. This may be a lot of data, so it is not recommended you run this command from a device with limited output or screen size like a phone.
help
Use the \"help\" command to get a short message with instructions and guidelines for useage of NoteTag. It will include a link to this information at the end.
ODDITIES
Creating notes with multiple tags creates multiple instances of the note with the different tags you requested. This means that if you add three notes for tag "market" and one note for both "market" and "walmart", if you "clr market" there will still be a note for your last note under "walmart". A fix in on the way.
If you want to authorize a new e-mail address, you have to let me know manually right now. Soon you will be given an authorization key, and to add a new e-mail, all you'll have to do is send "aut my_authorization_key". Until then, please bear with me.
[more to come, I'm sure :) ]
Thanks for signing up, I hope NoteTag is as helpful to you as it will be to me!
Please read them before using the service.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Please try to use plain text e-mail wherever possible.
Please keep the body of the e-mail free from other text. (don't forward messages to NoteTag or reply where it will quote the previous message)
One command per e-mail (for now ;)
Tags have no spaces in them. If you make a tag "San Diego" it will make two tags, "San", and "Diego". Use "sandiego" to keep it simple.
All tags and commands are case INsensitive. This means "gEt CHINA" will be the same as "get china". That way you don't have to worry about your e-mail capitalizing the first word. Caps matter in notes, though.
All single quotes will be removed. So dont bother.
NoteTag is meant to be used to quick (read: "short") notes. Your notes are limited by 100 characters. If you find your notes are too long, voice your complaint, but know that this probably isn't the right service for you.
There is no limit on tags you can associate with a note, so got nuts. (but not too nuts :)
GET CREATIVE! If you think of a creative thing to do with NoteTag, leave a comment! http://tinyurl.com/5g5txp
If you want to stop using NoteTag, please let me know why so I can consider resolving the problem you're experiencing. NoteTag will never get any better if you don't make recommendations. The only dumb question will be the one unasked!
NoteTag is a one-man show! Please bear with me on interruption of service and replying to e-mails. I'll do my best to keep it running as much as possible!
COMMANDS
The following commands must be used to start every message to NoteTag. The command, its function and an example will follow.
add [tag] [tag...] note [my new note goes here]
This command adds a note to your database with the tags as searchable words attached to it. You may use one or more tags.
Your note may NOT rpt NOT have the word 'note' in it. It will not read properly. You may use 'notes' or 'notebook' or '-note', anything but a space followed by the the letters 'note' (caps or no) followed by a space. This will likely change in the future (likely change it to 'nte'), please be patient for now.
Also, try not to end your note with a space, as you will require the space when you delete the note with the del command.
EXAMPLE:
add walmart market note remember to buy 1gal of cheese
get [tag] [tag...]
This command will retrieve all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
Notes will come in one email per tag, so if you request three tags, you'll get three e-mails with notes.
EXAMPLE:
get walmart
del [note you want deleted]
This command will delete all instances of the note within your database. The note portion IS case and punctuation sensitive, and must be matched EXACTLY.
Since you must match the note EXACTLY to delete it, I'd recommend keeping the notes you add simple.
EXAMPLE:
del HOOOOly CRAP! Im sure Glad I d0nt h\@ve 2 typ3 this on my phone!!!12^%^%$#
del id rather keep it simple
clr [tag] [tag...]
This command will remove all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
EXAMPLE:
clr shopping walmart
all notes
This command will retrieve all notes for all tags, sorted by tags. This may be a lot of data, so it is not recommended you run this command from a device with limited output or screen size like a phone.
help
Use the \"help\" command to get a short message with instructions and guidelines for useage of NoteTag. It will include a link to this information at the end.
ODDITIES
Creating notes with multiple tags creates multiple instances of the note with the different tags you requested. This means that if you add three notes for tag "market" and one note for both "market" and "walmart", if you "clr market" there will still be a note for your last note under "walmart". A fix in on the way.
If you want to authorize a new e-mail address, you have to let me know manually right now. Soon you will be given an authorization key, and to add a new e-mail, all you'll have to do is send "aut my_authorization_key". Until then, please bear with me.
[more to come, I'm sure :) ]
Thanks for signing up, I hope NoteTag is as helpful to you as it will be to me!
Your tax dollars at work
Clearly someone at the department of health and human services needed some critical data regarding a "properly fitting" "thumb hole"
I wasn't sure what on Earth this waste of my money was looking for until I searched for his request and found it related to bowling balls.
That is all...
I wasn't sure what on Earth this waste of my money was looking for until I searched for his request and found it related to bowling balls.
That is all...
Monday, April 23, 2007
Got Peace?
The church I go to is really more agnostic than anything. The line of belief it's most closely related to is that based on "The Science of Mind".
I left church after the service with my dad and we walked to my car, talking. I noted the bumper stickers in the parking lot.
Got Peace?
Make love not war
Give peace a chance
Arms are for hugging
Impeach Bush
And then, my eyes fell on my bumper...
Yeah... I'm quite the paradox it seems...
I left church after the service with my dad and we walked to my car, talking. I noted the bumper stickers in the parking lot.
Got Peace?
Make love not war
Give peace a chance
Arms are for hugging
Impeach Bush
And then, my eyes fell on my bumper...
Yeah... I'm quite the paradox it seems...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Do you even know what a barrel shroud is?
She only introduced the bill; why should she have to know what she's banning?
For our readers, a barrel shroud is a covering that goes around the barrel of a gun (usually a rifle) that prevents the shooter from burning their hands when they shoot.
No safety feature is safe from our legislators.
Hat tip to David Codrea
Friday, April 20, 2007
25 years murder-free in 'Gun Town USA'
25 years murder-free in 'Gun Town USA'
Crime rate plummeted after law required firearms for residents
Its... uh... probably just a coincidence...
Crime rate plummeted after law required firearms for residents
In March 1982, 25 years ago, the small town of Kennesaw – responding to a handgun ban in Morton Grove, Ill. – unanimously passed an ordinance requiring each head of household to own and maintain a gun. Since then, despite dire predictions of "Wild West" showdowns and increased violence and accidents, not a single resident has been involved in a fatal shooting – as a victim, attacker or defender.
Its... uh... probably just a coincidence...
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Quality discussion at Stouty's
Stouty voiced his opinion on the VT murders, and the comments section lit up. After a bit, I finally felt the need to weigh in and then found myself caught in the conflagration. But in a good way. After a while we'd covered quite a few points rather well, hence, I LINK for you to go read yourselves. I suspect you'll enjoy the back-and-forth.
God I love a good political argument.
And don't mind Practical Radical, though largely irreverent, he still has good points to add to the argument. Plus, he keeps the discussion from becoming a circle-jerk by having the audacity to challenge our opinions! ;)
God I love a good political argument.
And don't mind Practical Radical, though largely irreverent, he still has good points to add to the argument. Plus, he keeps the discussion from becoming a circle-jerk by having the audacity to challenge our opinions! ;)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
LawDog on VT
Lawdog definitely has a style all his own, and he's more deserving of a read than I.
If you can only read my posts or his; read his. Hit mine tomorrow.
Hat tip to JR who is still the man.
If you can only read my posts or his; read his. Hit mine tomorrow.
Hat tip to JR who is still the man.
Marko with some VT truth
Adventures in Blogger
Wow.
I was digging through some of my old notes and ran across something I suspected but never researched about how the the blogger publishing works. Basically, it was a cheap way to get seen and pick up a bit more traffic. I don't know if I tried this at some off-hours time last time, but I just tried it again, and all I can say is, Damn. That's a lot of traffic.
It would be pretty easy for me to toss together a script that would take advantage of this, but I realize that while I may have increased the quantity of visits, I doubt I've increased the quality...
It's tempting to play with... But I think I'm going to hold off on this for now...
Um... so... yeah... Maybe a little bit more... For testing...
I was digging through some of my old notes and ran across something I suspected but never researched about how the the blogger publishing works. Basically, it was a cheap way to get seen and pick up a bit more traffic. I don't know if I tried this at some off-hours time last time, but I just tried it again, and all I can say is, Damn. That's a lot of traffic.
It would be pretty easy for me to toss together a script that would take advantage of this, but I realize that while I may have increased the quantity of visits, I doubt I've increased the quality...
It's tempting to play with... But I think I'm going to hold off on this for now...
Um... so... yeah... Maybe a little bit more... For testing...
Converting Anti Gunners
I was up on the Internet until three last night, and considered canceling the gym date with my sister the next morning but fell asleep before I finished the thought. 6 hours later the phone rang as it always did on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"Hey. I'm leaving now."
"mmmmm... *sigh* I was up late working..."
"And you'll wake up when you start sweating! C'mon!"
"... mmm... Alright. I'll see you there."
It took me a little longer to get ready than usual, because I had to wake up first. When I got there I saw she was on the stationary bicycle, and was glad because whenever I used it, I lost inches. However, I was discovering that I really needed to stay on the full 60 minutes to see a difference. I was late, and decided I'd stay past when my sister leaves to make sure I get the full benefit of my gym visit.
We talked about her work like we usually do, and 30 minutes later she had to leave, and left me to myself. I thought I should have brought my book or my ipod, but I realized I could probably better use the time just thinking to myself.
Shortly after ten, a regular walked in and took her usual spot on a bike. This time she was one row ahead of mine, and one to the left. I usually only talk to my sister when at the gym, but I knew that she was friends with another regular working out in the area.
"Hey girl" The second regular said to the first working out near me.
"Hey, how ya been?"
"I've been better; the world's been better." She said gesturing to the three TVs covering the Virginia Tech murders.
"Yeah, it's scary stuff. See you later!"
"Bye."
I looked at the woman and remembered that comments I had overheard from her before seemed to indicate she was a liberal. Her whole persona screamed public school teacher, and that meant no guns no how.
A bit ago I kind of had my eyes opened to the state of gun ownership in California, and resolved to make a difference. This was my chance to see if I could change the thinking of a liberal, or at least challenge them to think or research.
She stopped reading the book she brought and watched the TVs for a while. I leaned forward a little and said loudly enough to not be talking to myself; "Don't watch too much of it." She paused a bit and turned her head around, "Yeah. It's just really unsettling." Perfect, feeling uneasy about your vulnerability is the first step! :] She continued;
"It's really sad that someone could do something like this. I mean, how screwed up do you have to be to get a gun, and go killing perfectly innocent people. These kids were just trying to get an education."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. What really got me was that the teachers with permits were allowed to carry guns on campus until, I think, two years ago when they voted it down."
"Well I don't think that the German teacher was going to be able to do anything when he just got shot in the face. And teachers shouldn't be able to have guns around kids, what if a woman teacher is overpowered and someone takes her gun?" Ok, she acknowledges that most women are physically weaker than men and somewhat vulnerable, that's one thing I won't have to cover.
"Well, I'm just saying it could have been different."
"I don't think what we need is more guns. I mean, guns just made it easier for him to kill so many people." Excellent, I know how to counter this.
"Well, it did make it easier for this idiot to kill so many people, but it would also make it easier for a female student to defend herself and others from someone like this. Just like a gun would let a woman teacher even the playing field with someone stronger than her. Did you hear the latest news this morning?" She didn't, and I told her what I'd heard this morning about the letter the murderer left.
"It's just scary to me that some could just walk into anywhere and just start killing people."
"Well, majority of these kinds of attacks take place in 'Gun free zones' where people aren't allowed to have guns even if they have permits. That guy who shot up that Amish school supposedly did it because he knew it would be a soft target."
"Some people can have guns, I guess, but there are people out there who are just crazy. Who really needs an assault rifle? To protect your house?! C'mon!"
"Actually the assault rifle ban only outlawed certain cosmetic features not functionality."
She gave me a confused look.
"I mean to say that it didn't take any more firepower away from anyone, just guns that look mean."
Her confused look turned into something else. "Are you a member of the NRA?" She asked the question with the smirk you give a kid with cookie crumbs on his face when you ask if he was in the cookie jar.
"Heh, no. I just grew up shooting with my dad. It was a lot of fun. Actually, back in the day, a lot of kids used to bring their guns to school with them."
Surprise hit her face quickly. "What? No they didn't."
"Yep. Kids used to go shooting after school or have marksmanship training, or boy scouts, and they'd carry their .22 rifle with them to school and just keep it in their locker until school was out and they'd go shooting. No one gave it a second thought."
"... Well maybe in middle America or something." Gee, why not just say "flyover states"
"No, I'm pretty sure it happened all over. Back then, this kind of thing never happened. If there were guns on campus, I'm sure anyone would think twice about shooting up the place." Hasami
She answered quickly. "But he's not going to think twice because he killed himself. He's a coward. At least face the police and get shot, he's a coward for killing himself."
"Since he's not facing the police and he's not afraid of getting dying, there's no deterrent. All the police in the world could only hope to get to him soon enough. He knew he was going to die, I'm just saying that if someone in the class was armed, teacher or student, it might not have been 32."
She looked forward and nodded thoughtfully.
"Then we can talk about the campus police's response time. I mean, the police are too far away to help you in most cases, and anyways, they have no legal requirement to help you."
"What do you mean?" Oh man, this is playing out perfectly.
"The supreme court has found, more than once, that the police are not legally required to protect you."
"What!?"
"If you call the police and they don't come, you can't sue them. They're not legally liable."
"But they're the police!"
"In most cases they're a separate agency from the government."
"No, our tax dollars pay for them."
"Our tax dollars go to the city or the state pay for them, and the city or the state pays for the agency to patrol your neighborhood. Well, could you imagine people suing the police for taking too much time to get to their call? They'd be bankrupt. They don't have enough people to do everything."
"You're right, but we can't protect them from everything, I mean if they're beating up someone like that boy a little bit ago they should be sued."
*nodding* biting tongue
"Gee, well that's really comforting!" She said sarcastically.
Empathy time. "Yeah, it's not really a good feeling to know that you're vulnerable. I just found out about it a few years ago, my dad brought me shooting a lot, but when I was old enough to understand this stuff, he told me that I need a gun because when it comes down to it; I'm the only one responsible for my safety, for the safety of my girlfriend, and for the safety of my loved ones."
She nodded thoughtfully, and waited for me to continue.
"I mean, look at the LA riots; the police literally stepped back and let LA burn for days."
"That sounds like what the Russians did to the (something, I forgot, I was too busy thinking of what to say next, but I got the feeling she was parallelling government assisted genocide)"
"Well," I joked, "you should be careful about drawing those kinds of parallels!" Trying to give her more of a us vs them mentality.
"No, that's exactly what its like." Not sure she understood me; but she got the point.
"Then you think about us, I mean, we're not LA, but we live along a fault line. As soon as there's an earthquake there will be no police to help you. If there's an earthquake or other emergency, and you dial 911 and say some one's trying to get into your house, they won't come. They're too busy taking care of the dead and injured, and getting the city stabilized.
"So, no police."
"None. All that would stand between you and a looter (Katrina's still fresh), rapist (Sorry, kinda playing on fears), or gang, would be your gun.
She looked forward again, but this time, with a more troubled look on her face.
"Well, I stayed 10 minutes over my time." Actually I was 2 minutes early, but I wanted to leave her to her thoughts.
"Thanks for making 20 minutes fly by!"
"My pleasure. Hey, have you ever been shooting before?" She shook her head no. "I come in twice a week, but a little earlier. There's a range not too far from here, and first time shooters are always free."
"Really? Well; I don't have a gun."
"No problem, they have guns you can rent there, or you can borrow mine."
"I could probably just borrow one from my brother!" Hmm, source of hostility? I'm guessing he's in the NRA :) "Well, that's really nice of you."
I didn't want to force a decision or a date now, i wanted to let her process what we'd talked about. "Well, see you around."
"Yeah, nice talking to you!"
FIN
I walked down stairs, got a quick drink, walked out to the parking lot, and proceeded to do the happy dance. I was quite pleased with myself! I turned off the radio so I could focus on remembering the conversation, and hurried home to type it out while it was still fresh.
I'm going to let her sit on it for a week, and then see if I can catch her again and see if she has made up her mind.
This is awesome? Y/N
"Hey. I'm leaving now."
"mmmmm... *sigh* I was up late working..."
"And you'll wake up when you start sweating! C'mon!"
"... mmm... Alright. I'll see you there."
It took me a little longer to get ready than usual, because I had to wake up first. When I got there I saw she was on the stationary bicycle, and was glad because whenever I used it, I lost inches. However, I was discovering that I really needed to stay on the full 60 minutes to see a difference. I was late, and decided I'd stay past when my sister leaves to make sure I get the full benefit of my gym visit.
We talked about her work like we usually do, and 30 minutes later she had to leave, and left me to myself. I thought I should have brought my book or my ipod, but I realized I could probably better use the time just thinking to myself.
Shortly after ten, a regular walked in and took her usual spot on a bike. This time she was one row ahead of mine, and one to the left. I usually only talk to my sister when at the gym, but I knew that she was friends with another regular working out in the area.
"Hey girl" The second regular said to the first working out near me.
"Hey, how ya been?"
"I've been better; the world's been better." She said gesturing to the three TVs covering the Virginia Tech murders.
"Yeah, it's scary stuff. See you later!"
"Bye."
I looked at the woman and remembered that comments I had overheard from her before seemed to indicate she was a liberal. Her whole persona screamed public school teacher, and that meant no guns no how.
A bit ago I kind of had my eyes opened to the state of gun ownership in California, and resolved to make a difference. This was my chance to see if I could change the thinking of a liberal, or at least challenge them to think or research.
She stopped reading the book she brought and watched the TVs for a while. I leaned forward a little and said loudly enough to not be talking to myself; "Don't watch too much of it." She paused a bit and turned her head around, "Yeah. It's just really unsettling." Perfect, feeling uneasy about your vulnerability is the first step! :] She continued;
"It's really sad that someone could do something like this. I mean, how screwed up do you have to be to get a gun, and go killing perfectly innocent people. These kids were just trying to get an education."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. What really got me was that the teachers with permits were allowed to carry guns on campus until, I think, two years ago when they voted it down."
"Well I don't think that the German teacher was going to be able to do anything when he just got shot in the face. And teachers shouldn't be able to have guns around kids, what if a woman teacher is overpowered and someone takes her gun?" Ok, she acknowledges that most women are physically weaker than men and somewhat vulnerable, that's one thing I won't have to cover.
"Well, I'm just saying it could have been different."
"I don't think what we need is more guns. I mean, guns just made it easier for him to kill so many people." Excellent, I know how to counter this.
"Well, it did make it easier for this idiot to kill so many people, but it would also make it easier for a female student to defend herself and others from someone like this. Just like a gun would let a woman teacher even the playing field with someone stronger than her. Did you hear the latest news this morning?" She didn't, and I told her what I'd heard this morning about the letter the murderer left.
"It's just scary to me that some could just walk into anywhere and just start killing people."
"Well, majority of these kinds of attacks take place in 'Gun free zones' where people aren't allowed to have guns even if they have permits. That guy who shot up that Amish school supposedly did it because he knew it would be a soft target."
"Some people can have guns, I guess, but there are people out there who are just crazy. Who really needs an assault rifle? To protect your house?! C'mon!"
"Actually the assault rifle ban only outlawed certain cosmetic features not functionality."
She gave me a confused look.
"I mean to say that it didn't take any more firepower away from anyone, just guns that look mean."
Her confused look turned into something else. "Are you a member of the NRA?" She asked the question with the smirk you give a kid with cookie crumbs on his face when you ask if he was in the cookie jar.
"Heh, no. I just grew up shooting with my dad. It was a lot of fun. Actually, back in the day, a lot of kids used to bring their guns to school with them."
Surprise hit her face quickly. "What? No they didn't."
"Yep. Kids used to go shooting after school or have marksmanship training, or boy scouts, and they'd carry their .22 rifle with them to school and just keep it in their locker until school was out and they'd go shooting. No one gave it a second thought."
"... Well maybe in middle America or something." Gee, why not just say "flyover states"
"No, I'm pretty sure it happened all over. Back then, this kind of thing never happened. If there were guns on campus, I'm sure anyone would think twice about shooting up the place." Hasami
She answered quickly. "But he's not going to think twice because he killed himself. He's a coward. At least face the police and get shot, he's a coward for killing himself."
"Since he's not facing the police and he's not afraid of getting dying, there's no deterrent. All the police in the world could only hope to get to him soon enough. He knew he was going to die, I'm just saying that if someone in the class was armed, teacher or student, it might not have been 32."
She looked forward and nodded thoughtfully.
"Then we can talk about the campus police's response time. I mean, the police are too far away to help you in most cases, and anyways, they have no legal requirement to help you."
"What do you mean?" Oh man, this is playing out perfectly.
"The supreme court has found, more than once, that the police are not legally required to protect you."
"What!?"
"If you call the police and they don't come, you can't sue them. They're not legally liable."
"But they're the police!"
"In most cases they're a separate agency from the government."
"No, our tax dollars pay for them."
"Our tax dollars go to the city or the state pay for them, and the city or the state pays for the agency to patrol your neighborhood. Well, could you imagine people suing the police for taking too much time to get to their call? They'd be bankrupt. They don't have enough people to do everything."
"You're right, but we can't protect them from everything, I mean if they're beating up someone like that boy a little bit ago they should be sued."
*nodding* biting tongue
"Gee, well that's really comforting!" She said sarcastically.
Empathy time. "Yeah, it's not really a good feeling to know that you're vulnerable. I just found out about it a few years ago, my dad brought me shooting a lot, but when I was old enough to understand this stuff, he told me that I need a gun because when it comes down to it; I'm the only one responsible for my safety, for the safety of my girlfriend, and for the safety of my loved ones."
She nodded thoughtfully, and waited for me to continue.
"I mean, look at the LA riots; the police literally stepped back and let LA burn for days."
"That sounds like what the Russians did to the (something, I forgot, I was too busy thinking of what to say next, but I got the feeling she was parallelling government assisted genocide)"
"Well," I joked, "you should be careful about drawing those kinds of parallels!" Trying to give her more of a us vs them mentality.
"No, that's exactly what its like." Not sure she understood me; but she got the point.
"Then you think about us, I mean, we're not LA, but we live along a fault line. As soon as there's an earthquake there will be no police to help you. If there's an earthquake or other emergency, and you dial 911 and say some one's trying to get into your house, they won't come. They're too busy taking care of the dead and injured, and getting the city stabilized.
"So, no police."
"None. All that would stand between you and a looter (Katrina's still fresh), rapist (Sorry, kinda playing on fears), or gang, would be your gun.
She looked forward again, but this time, with a more troubled look on her face.
"Well, I stayed 10 minutes over my time." Actually I was 2 minutes early, but I wanted to leave her to her thoughts.
"Thanks for making 20 minutes fly by!"
"My pleasure. Hey, have you ever been shooting before?" She shook her head no. "I come in twice a week, but a little earlier. There's a range not too far from here, and first time shooters are always free."
"Really? Well; I don't have a gun."
"No problem, they have guns you can rent there, or you can borrow mine."
"I could probably just borrow one from my brother!" Hmm, source of hostility? I'm guessing he's in the NRA :) "Well, that's really nice of you."
I didn't want to force a decision or a date now, i wanted to let her process what we'd talked about. "Well, see you around."
"Yeah, nice talking to you!"
FIN
I walked down stairs, got a quick drink, walked out to the parking lot, and proceeded to do the happy dance. I was quite pleased with myself! I turned off the radio so I could focus on remembering the conversation, and hurried home to type it out while it was still fresh.
I'm going to let her sit on it for a week, and then see if I can catch her again and see if she has made up her mind.
This is awesome? Y/N
Monday, April 16, 2007
DOH! ... WOOHOO!
I took my Benelli Nova shotgun apart for cleaning since I'd only given it a cursory cleaning.
When I took off the extension tube I prepared for the spring to fly out, but it just sat there. "??? The spring SHOULD be under more tension than this..." I pulled on the spring and it just stretched. ??? I pulled a little harder, and the spring flew out. Great. The idiot who installed the extension tube did it wrong, and I was an idiot who didn't check it. Doh! I completed the strip-down and put it back together and loaded it. I removed the shells I had loaded it with before I started cleaning, 5 +1, and when I loaded it again, I accidentally put the +1 in the tube. ??? Wait, I unkinked the spring, and now it takes more shells! I grabbed some more defensive shells from my box o' ammo and loaded it up and found it now held the proper count of 7 +1! Woohoo!
Ahhh... Life is good, and I love my Nova.
When I took off the extension tube I prepared for the spring to fly out, but it just sat there. "??? The spring SHOULD be under more tension than this..." I pulled on the spring and it just stretched. ??? I pulled a little harder, and the spring flew out. Great. The idiot who installed the extension tube did it wrong, and I was an idiot who didn't check it. Doh! I completed the strip-down and put it back together and loaded it. I removed the shells I had loaded it with before I started cleaning, 5 +1, and when I loaded it again, I accidentally put the +1 in the tube. ??? Wait, I unkinked the spring, and now it takes more shells! I grabbed some more defensive shells from my box o' ammo and loaded it up and found it now held the proper count of 7 +1! Woohoo!
Ahhh... Life is good, and I love my Nova.
Multiply Virginia Tech by 5
I was reminded of THIS earlier post recounting the very real terrorist threat against our schools.
If this was just ONE student with TWO guns, imagine what an organized TEAM of terrorists armed with automatic weapons could accomplish.
Allow law abiding citizens to be armed wherever they are.
The time for change is NOW.
If this was just ONE student with TWO guns, imagine what an organized TEAM of terrorists armed with automatic weapons could accomplish.
Allow law abiding citizens to be armed wherever they are.
The time for change is NOW.
"this will help students ... feel safe on our campus."
Gun bill gets shot down by panel
HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
This will keep happening until law abiding citizens and students are allowed to carry guns on campus.
HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."
This will keep happening until law abiding citizens and students are allowed to carry guns on campus.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
The one law you can't repeal...
Sorry gunnies, more required reading. It has a great anecdote, and is written briskly and smoothly. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
If there are any antis out there, this essay is even more required than it is for gunnies!
You can't repeal the law of unintended consequences.
The essay reveals some of the truths even most gunnies don't want to acknowledge. Almost all gunnies are law abiding folks, but the laws we abide aren't necessarily those that come out of the mouths of the twisted, lying, bags of hot air who sully the vision of this nation's fathers.
Via War On Guns. (check it out daily!)
I think I'm going to go read it again...
If there are any antis out there, this essay is even more required than it is for gunnies!
You can't repeal the law of unintended consequences.
The essay reveals some of the truths even most gunnies don't want to acknowledge. Almost all gunnies are law abiding folks, but the laws we abide aren't necessarily those that come out of the mouths of the twisted, lying, bags of hot air who sully the vision of this nation's fathers.
Via War On Guns. (check it out daily!)
I think I'm going to go read it again...
Religion and God
I posted this to a board a while ago, and I was reminded of it so I dug it up. I think it's worth sharing...
Someone commented;
To which I replied...
I don't believe in jesus or any of the other superheros that you read about in books, but I can appreciate why others would. I admit that I hold certain religious beliefs that I can logically explain no more than any preacher of any other religion. It really just comes down to the fact that in my gut (for lack of a better word), my particular beliefs make sense to me, and other beliefs don't. People should be allowed to follow their gut, but shouldn't be forced to believe anything. However it's the responsibility of the people to seriously question their faith until they are truly (and I do mean truly) satisfied that their faith makes sense to them.
I'm agnostic because there's no major religion that believes exactly what I do. I believe in fate, and that we walk a path. I believe that we make decisions along that path that affect the way we live certain parts of our path; but that our overall destination and greater paths cannot be changed. Most of my beliefs come from parts of eastern philosophies (which is oh-so trendy in california, unfortunately). I DO believe that something or someone is out there, but you'd have a hard time convincing me that he or she would love you unconditionally one minute and then banish you to eternal damnation the next. Frankly, I think the creator of the universe would have something better to do.
I don't believe in the religious stick or carrot. You shouldn't dedicate your life to something because you want or don't want.
Oh yeah, I'm 22.
(and don't give me any "you'll change when you get older you young wippersnapper!" BS, because that's just admitting that you could change your own beliefs when you get even older. It doesn't make sense, and beliefs rarely change when you actually think them through the first time.)
Someone commented;
Well wasn't god created in the image of man? or vice a versa or something like that and what is to stop god from having mortal traits
If man can love you one minute and hate you the next what is so unbelievable about god being able to think that way as well ?
Just like a father that gets pissed off as what his kid does. Isn't he the heavenly father ? and are not we his children? do you see my point?
To which I replied...
A father might get mad at his kid for spilling paint in the garage, but he doesn't cast him into a firey pit to be tortured for all eternity. I think you're confusing anger with wrathfulness. And if you're not, and god would banish you forever for spilling paint in the garage, I certainly wouldn't want to believe in a god who was such a dick.
er... frankly... :)
Gun Store Jerks
Every month or two someone posts a question to one of the gun boards to the effect of "Why are the employees in gun stores jerks?" Which prompts a flurry of backlash from small gun shop owners rehashing the same stories they told last time this question came up about idiot customers who are much bigger jerks than they are. Then slighted customers respond about how they were mistreated by some gun shop employee some time, which causes more responses and on and on and on.
The basic claim from the gun store "jerks" is; gun store owners/employees have to deal with some REAL idiots, and they have a right to be bitter. Many of their stories include instances where they got to blow up at someone because they were being exceptionally idiotic. I say "got to" because they felt they had put up with enough crap from the customer, and felt justified in snapping at them.
This reasoning is bullshit because of one thing...
Helpdesk.
I worked helpdesk for a while, and had to deal with the bottom of the barrel, bar-none, true idiots. I know plenty of other people who've done the same thing for years. I honestly believe that there are few things in this world more frustrating than spending three hours trying to get some computer illiterate retard to open his e-mail settings. Yes, I have spent hours explaining to someone every little detail involved in accomplishing this task, from how to use a mouse, to what that thing moving around the screen is, to finding the "Start" button, to getting to "Control Panel," to explaining what icons are, to detailing how to change information in a window. Only to hang up, and take another call the exact same way. However, throughout all these infuriatingly idiotic calls, I and every other helpdesker I know, have kept our cool. We may blow up about it afterwards, but we DON'T take it out on the customer. This is primarily because the customer doesn't deserve it. The customer is an idiot. Yelling at an idiot is like yelling at a chair because a spring broke. It's pointless, and the mark of someone without self-control.
I'll make an exception where there was legitimate danger, which can happen when idiots handle firearms, but most of the yelling or put-downs are not the result of dangerous misuse of firearms. It's just people being dumb and ignorant (as they are wont to do), and otherwise rational people losing their cool.
Despite what they will argue, people snapping or blowing up at customers doesn't happen just as much in every industry. It seems focused in the gun shops for reasons owners and employees are not willing to fess up to.
You think you got it hard? Try working helpdesk.
The basic claim from the gun store "jerks" is; gun store owners/employees have to deal with some REAL idiots, and they have a right to be bitter. Many of their stories include instances where they got to blow up at someone because they were being exceptionally idiotic. I say "got to" because they felt they had put up with enough crap from the customer, and felt justified in snapping at them.
This reasoning is bullshit because of one thing...
Helpdesk.
I worked helpdesk for a while, and had to deal with the bottom of the barrel, bar-none, true idiots. I know plenty of other people who've done the same thing for years. I honestly believe that there are few things in this world more frustrating than spending three hours trying to get some computer illiterate retard to open his e-mail settings. Yes, I have spent hours explaining to someone every little detail involved in accomplishing this task, from how to use a mouse, to what that thing moving around the screen is, to finding the "Start" button, to getting to "Control Panel," to explaining what icons are, to detailing how to change information in a window. Only to hang up, and take another call the exact same way. However, throughout all these infuriatingly idiotic calls, I and every other helpdesker I know, have kept our cool. We may blow up about it afterwards, but we DON'T take it out on the customer. This is primarily because the customer doesn't deserve it. The customer is an idiot. Yelling at an idiot is like yelling at a chair because a spring broke. It's pointless, and the mark of someone without self-control.
I'll make an exception where there was legitimate danger, which can happen when idiots handle firearms, but most of the yelling or put-downs are not the result of dangerous misuse of firearms. It's just people being dumb and ignorant (as they are wont to do), and otherwise rational people losing their cool.
Despite what they will argue, people snapping or blowing up at customers doesn't happen just as much in every industry. It seems focused in the gun shops for reasons owners and employees are not willing to fess up to.
You think you got it hard? Try working helpdesk.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
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.
Composing Lines
Pushing the lines along with your fingertips at the behest of half your brain and with random quirks of input from the other half ensures that the form, shape, and cadence of the line you parent holds some mystifying uniqueness that recreations will never capture.
Who could have the heart to erase them knowing they'll never be seen again?
Who could have the heart to erase them knowing they'll never be seen again?
Friday, March 30, 2007
ow ow ow ow ow OW!
If you're squeamish, read no further
Some idiot dropped a weight on my toe at the gym and it pushed my toenail into my toe. I didn't know it at the time, but as it continued to grow it became an ingrown toenail, and became infected.
Not cool.
It didn't hurt very much to walk on it, but if it was ever touched or pushed on, it hurt like hell. At first I thought the discharge was just crud, but when I realized it was badly infected I tried to see if I could raise the part of the nail growing into my toe, it began to bleed profusely.
Also, not cool.
After I got the blood cleaned up, I decided I should probably go to the doctor. Not sure if there was anything they could do about an ingrown toenail (or even if it was important enough to go to the doctor for), I searched Google for more information.
Very not cool.
Ok, so it's definitely infected, and I should definitely go to the hospital, but that operation? Oy. Oh well, maybe they'll have another fix for it. It's just an ingrown toenail.
So I hit the hospital as soon as they open, and bring my book so I'm actually looking forward to the wait. I see the doctor and expect I'll be given an appointment with a pediotrist.
"Nope, that's going to have to come off."
"Bugger."
Sooo not cool.
The doctor promised me that a lot of people get the operation, and that the partial toenail removal will be almost painless. I knew it was going to hurt, but as long as it would take care of the problem, I shouldn't care. What's a little temporary pain, right? I'll just have to cowboy up. What she didn't tell me, was that the painless procedure would be preceded by a series of painful injections!
As she prepped for the minor surgery I became very anxious. I wasn't sure why, but I'm sure it had something to do with the pictures I found on google, and what I read about the operation.
"I gotta say, I'm REALLY apprehensive about this, and I don't know why."
"Well, we haven't started yet, you can still change your mind."
"Changing my mind won't fix the problem, I'm just being a baby, ignore me. I just wonder if it would be better or worse if I saw it." (I was lying flat with my upper half slightly tilted downward)
"You don't want to see it.-- I mean, I would be more comfortable if you didn't watch."
SLIGHT PANIC! "... Ok."
She told me that I would be getting some shots to numb the site, and that I would barely feel the operation. I hate needles. I hate how the look, I hate thinking about them, I hate the feeling before, during, and after their use. But I'm not one to run away, so I may not like needles, but I'll grab a pair and put up with it just to prove I can. She asked if I was ready, and started the injections.
I've had painful shots before, but this was a whole NEW kind of pain. This was like if pain was a successful author, and pain's older brother resented it, so his unskilled mind incorrectly figured pain's formula for a successful book, and just multiplied it by ten and expected the book to be a winner just because he copied what he thought was the right elements. I read pain's older brother's book, and it was nothing like his younger brother's books. I want to carve this into a wall so future generations can be aware of spectacular levels and many varied types of pain I encountered. What was worse was that the site was slowly numbing, and it made a very strange type of pain; the kind of pain that your brain registers, but you only feel because you know you should, like when you break your arm and it doesn't hurt, but you feel really wrong. I didn't scream, and I didn't yell. There were a few tears though, and I'm pretty sure I would have thrown up if I had eaten anything. It was almost as painful as my spinal tap. Actually, thinking about it now, I was young and freaked out, so this probably was more painful.
So... just... eugh-
After the numbness started to work, I swore I could feel the scissors, and the pressure, and the twisting on my toe, and my imagination went wild. Then she she stood up.
"Ok, now we can get started."
I laughed the most nervous, pained laugh ever. "You mean what I was feeling WASN'T you tearing my nail off???"
"No, that was the injections."
"But I felt you--" I cut myself off when I pictured how and where she would have to deliver the injections in order for me to think she was yanking on a hanging flap of my nail. I quickly thought about bunnies and puppies before my mind concluded its thought.
She waited a bit and made sure I was numb, then started the removal. After those shots this was like relaxing in a jacuzzi.
When she was done she wrapped it up and spoke.
"Will you need a note for work?"
"I didn't think I was going to miss work. I go in at 12."
"In about 4 hours this is going to wear off, and it's going to hurt. I'll prescribe you some Vicodin."
"I'm not going to take Vicodin."
"No, I think you will."
I got my antibiotics and vicodin, and hobbled myself out to the car. I drove to work to do some things I couldn't do from home. By now the pain faded in my memory, and when I thought about it, I figured I was just imagining most of the pain, and that it probably wasn't as bad as it seemed. I resolved to keep the pain to myself so I didn't seem like a n00b who freaked out because he had to get a shot.
When I got in, I explained what had happened and one of my older coworkers looked intensely at me and said with a tinge of fear; "Did they give you those shots???"
At this question I felt a weight off my chest (surprising since I hadn't even held it in that long), "Oh god. Yes they did."
He shifted in his seat and looked around. "I've lived a long time, and I've done a lot of painful things, but those shots were easily one of the most painful things I've ever experienced."
Wow. Validation. I guess it really did hurt as much as I thought. The next day I told my Dad that I got the operation done and asked him if he ever had it done. He said the hadn't, but he heard it was extremely painful. After hearing this, I admit to feeling a little proud that I took the pain so well. It's been a little over a day now, and I did take one vicodin five hours after the operation and knocked out for a few hours watching Pulp Fiction, but that was the most of the pain. Every once in a while I'll get a strong pang of pain that will throw me off, but it's mostly just sore now. I still haven't looked at it, and I still get a little sick thinking about it. It's a permanent operation (OW!) which is good, but it's likely I'll have to (OW!) have the other toe done.
Oh well. What's a little temporary pain, right?
UPDATE: THE RETURN!
Some idiot dropped a weight on my toe at the gym and it pushed my toenail into my toe. I didn't know it at the time, but as it continued to grow it became an ingrown toenail, and became infected.
Not cool.
It didn't hurt very much to walk on it, but if it was ever touched or pushed on, it hurt like hell. At first I thought the discharge was just crud, but when I realized it was badly infected I tried to see if I could raise the part of the nail growing into my toe, it began to bleed profusely.
Also, not cool.
After I got the blood cleaned up, I decided I should probably go to the doctor. Not sure if there was anything they could do about an ingrown toenail (or even if it was important enough to go to the doctor for), I searched Google for more information.
Very not cool.
Ok, so it's definitely infected, and I should definitely go to the hospital, but that operation? Oy. Oh well, maybe they'll have another fix for it. It's just an ingrown toenail.
So I hit the hospital as soon as they open, and bring my book so I'm actually looking forward to the wait. I see the doctor and expect I'll be given an appointment with a pediotrist.
"Nope, that's going to have to come off."
"Bugger."
Sooo not cool.
The doctor promised me that a lot of people get the operation, and that the partial toenail removal will be almost painless. I knew it was going to hurt, but as long as it would take care of the problem, I shouldn't care. What's a little temporary pain, right? I'll just have to cowboy up. What she didn't tell me, was that the painless procedure would be preceded by a series of painful injections!
As she prepped for the minor surgery I became very anxious. I wasn't sure why, but I'm sure it had something to do with the pictures I found on google, and what I read about the operation.
"I gotta say, I'm REALLY apprehensive about this, and I don't know why."
"Well, we haven't started yet, you can still change your mind."
"Changing my mind won't fix the problem, I'm just being a baby, ignore me. I just wonder if it would be better or worse if I saw it." (I was lying flat with my upper half slightly tilted downward)
"You don't want to see it.-- I mean, I would be more comfortable if you didn't watch."
SLIGHT PANIC! "... Ok."
She told me that I would be getting some shots to numb the site, and that I would barely feel the operation. I hate needles. I hate how the look, I hate thinking about them, I hate the feeling before, during, and after their use. But I'm not one to run away, so I may not like needles, but I'll grab a pair and put up with it just to prove I can. She asked if I was ready, and started the injections.
I've had painful shots before, but this was a whole NEW kind of pain. This was like if pain was a successful author, and pain's older brother resented it, so his unskilled mind incorrectly figured pain's formula for a successful book, and just multiplied it by ten and expected the book to be a winner just because he copied what he thought was the right elements. I read pain's older brother's book, and it was nothing like his younger brother's books. I want to carve this into a wall so future generations can be aware of spectacular levels and many varied types of pain I encountered. What was worse was that the site was slowly numbing, and it made a very strange type of pain; the kind of pain that your brain registers, but you only feel because you know you should, like when you break your arm and it doesn't hurt, but you feel really wrong. I didn't scream, and I didn't yell. There were a few tears though, and I'm pretty sure I would have thrown up if I had eaten anything. It was almost as painful as my spinal tap. Actually, thinking about it now, I was young and freaked out, so this probably was more painful.
So... just... eugh-
After the numbness started to work, I swore I could feel the scissors, and the pressure, and the twisting on my toe, and my imagination went wild. Then she she stood up.
"Ok, now we can get started."
I laughed the most nervous, pained laugh ever. "You mean what I was feeling WASN'T you tearing my nail off???"
"No, that was the injections."
"But I felt you--" I cut myself off when I pictured how and where she would have to deliver the injections in order for me to think she was yanking on a hanging flap of my nail. I quickly thought about bunnies and puppies before my mind concluded its thought.
She waited a bit and made sure I was numb, then started the removal. After those shots this was like relaxing in a jacuzzi.
When she was done she wrapped it up and spoke.
"Will you need a note for work?"
"I didn't think I was going to miss work. I go in at 12."
"In about 4 hours this is going to wear off, and it's going to hurt. I'll prescribe you some Vicodin."
"I'm not going to take Vicodin."
"No, I think you will."
I got my antibiotics and vicodin, and hobbled myself out to the car. I drove to work to do some things I couldn't do from home. By now the pain faded in my memory, and when I thought about it, I figured I was just imagining most of the pain, and that it probably wasn't as bad as it seemed. I resolved to keep the pain to myself so I didn't seem like a n00b who freaked out because he had to get a shot.
When I got in, I explained what had happened and one of my older coworkers looked intensely at me and said with a tinge of fear; "Did they give you those shots???"
At this question I felt a weight off my chest (surprising since I hadn't even held it in that long), "Oh god. Yes they did."
He shifted in his seat and looked around. "I've lived a long time, and I've done a lot of painful things, but those shots were easily one of the most painful things I've ever experienced."
Wow. Validation. I guess it really did hurt as much as I thought. The next day I told my Dad that I got the operation done and asked him if he ever had it done. He said the hadn't, but he heard it was extremely painful. After hearing this, I admit to feeling a little proud that I took the pain so well. It's been a little over a day now, and I did take one vicodin five hours after the operation and knocked out for a few hours watching Pulp Fiction, but that was the most of the pain. Every once in a while I'll get a strong pang of pain that will throw me off, but it's mostly just sore now. I still haven't looked at it, and I still get a little sick thinking about it. It's a permanent operation (OW!) which is good, but it's likely I'll have to (OW!) have the other toe done.
Oh well. What's a little temporary pain, right?
UPDATE: THE RETURN!
If ye love wealth greater than liberty...
"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
-- Samuel Adams
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Responsibility and Gun Ownership
I spoke to the wife of a friend at his behest; he said that she didn't see the value in gun ownership. He wasn't quite right. She told me that she saw the value in gun ownership, but didn't think that he was taking the purchase seriously, or considering the responsibilities that come with owning guns for defense.
Unfortunately there are far too many gun owners who simply purchase guns instead of owning guns. They hear on the news that violent crime is on the way up, so they buy a gun. How progressive. They might get training, but they probably won't. They might shoot it more than once, but the probably won't. The gun will sit in a shoe box on the top shelf of the hall closet, unloaded, locked, next to a box of whatever ammo the man at the store said would fit their gun, and think to themselves, "There. Now I'm/we're safe." After many years these owners will be reminded they have this gun (because many honestly forgot), and decide that it was just a passing fancy or a frivolous purchase, and ask the nearest gun shop how much they can get for it. Were these owners to be called upon to use their firearm in defense of themselves or their loved ones, if they remembered where it was, that they owned a gun, could successfully load it, and it wasn't stolen months or years ago as many of these kinds of guns are, these owners would likely be too afraid to use or too afraid of misusing it to actually employ it in the purpose of defense. These people are the people who get shot with their own guns.
There are other owners to whom guns are simply a plaything. There's no shame in that; guns are tools, and if going out to the desert with your buddies twice a year to shoot propane tanks on top of flaming Christmas trees (true story) is your idea of a good time, more power to you. Guns are just objects, and can serve as entertainment. The guns spend most of their time in a safe, and are rarely cleaned or shot. Somewhere in the back of this owner's mind is the idea that the guns can be used for defense of himself and his loved ones, but it's really an afterthought or a footnote to the purchase.
The owners I really have a problem with are those who, like the first type buy a gun for protection of self and loved ones, but are more active with its use. These are the guys you see at the range shooting off their gun as quickly as possible at a full-size target at the closest range allowable, and landing 4/10 hits on the paper, reloading, and then repeating. These owners are not concerned about their skills, tactics, or the legalities. They think that by simply owning a gun, they've won any fight they could possibly get into. Your basic mall ninja. While most of these guys are pretty easy to spot, and avoid, there exists a contingent who thinks exactly the same way, but are more low-key about it. If ever called upon to use their gun in defense of themselves or their loved ones, their answer is always "Reach for my glock and start firing." Little attention is paid to the ineffectiveness of a handgun vs a rifle or shotgun, and much stock is placed the movies where they saw that dude flying through the air shooting three pistols at 87 terrorists, killing 2-3 with each shot. These owners are not interested the legalities of shooting someone in their place of residence, the psychological effect of taking another life, or the physical strains of a life-or-death situation. They're confident in their ability to land rapid hits in vital areas of multiple targets while minimizing their own exposure based completely on their inflated self-image. As the saying goes, "All you need is ignorance and confidence, then success is sure!"
To all gun owners I say; you can either imagine yourself shooting someone or you can't. There's no shame in admitting you don't think you'll be able to pull the trigger, just have no delusions and plan for what you will do, or train and practice until you change yourself.
When I bought my first gun, it was not for fun. Guns were serious business to me, because I was afraid of them, and the idea of one being around bothered me to my core. I bought my gun to protect myself and my loved ones, it was a responsibility I took up with a heavy heart, because it meant that no one else was in charge of the safety of myself and my loved ones. I would have no one to blame if I failed to act. During the first months of ownership I had to learn not to think of a gun as an item of totemic significance, to realize that the gun never does anything because it's simply a machine which requires an operator. When I realized that I was in charge of the gun and its usage, my potential use of the gun became something of totemic significance. Too many questions flooded my head, and I decided that I wasn't yet prepared for this responsibility, but swore I would be.
To me, it is a burden. It demands you change your thinking and the way you view and react to the other humans around you. When the rose-colored glasses come off, and you realize that the world can be a dangerous place, and that the safety net you thought was always there really full of holes, there's no going back. At the point of this realization you must come to terms with the fact that before now, you were very vulnerable. Now that you have become enlightened to your position in this world, you must do something to regain control of your life which, up to now, was at the mercy of some random meth-head with a steak knife. A gun is the most effective weapon you can use, so you buy one.
So now you find yourself very alone. Confronted with this new responsibility to be in charge of your personal safety and the safety of your loved ones, charged with the possibly of taking the life of another human being, and you're staring at the implement of destruction in your hands.
Many owners don't make it past this point. The weight of the responsibility is too much, and they either relinquish the responsibility, refuse to acknowledge the responsibility, or replace their apprehension with blind confidence.
Not everyone is ready for the responsibility, which is perfectly understandable.
Those who accept the responsibility will begin the life-long task of preparing themselves for what they paradoxically hope will never happen.
Guns are the ultimate freedom, an ultimate power, and the ultimate responsibility. If you hold in your hand a gun, and you hold in your head the will to use it on another human being, then you hold in your heart a heavy responsibility. Once you accept that responsibility you will begin a journey of practice, research, and preparedness that will only end when you do.
I don't think anyone in their right mind would ask to put their sight picture COM on a mother's son and apply steady, relentless pressure. No matter how deserved. Taking a life is something I wish for countless reasons I'll never have to do, but since accepting my responsibility, it's something I force myself to think about, prepare for, and train to do. To me the responsibility will always be a burden. But, once you begin to fully understand the weight of the responsibility, you will happily carry this burden because it means that your loved ones won't have to.
Gun ownership is serious business, and can be a life-altering decision, but the negatives pale in comparison with the knowledge that YOU are in charge of your destiny and responsible for one of the most important things in life.
Unfortunately there are far too many gun owners who simply purchase guns instead of owning guns. They hear on the news that violent crime is on the way up, so they buy a gun. How progressive. They might get training, but they probably won't. They might shoot it more than once, but the probably won't. The gun will sit in a shoe box on the top shelf of the hall closet, unloaded, locked, next to a box of whatever ammo the man at the store said would fit their gun, and think to themselves, "There. Now I'm/we're safe." After many years these owners will be reminded they have this gun (because many honestly forgot), and decide that it was just a passing fancy or a frivolous purchase, and ask the nearest gun shop how much they can get for it. Were these owners to be called upon to use their firearm in defense of themselves or their loved ones, if they remembered where it was, that they owned a gun, could successfully load it, and it wasn't stolen months or years ago as many of these kinds of guns are, these owners would likely be too afraid to use or too afraid of misusing it to actually employ it in the purpose of defense. These people are the people who get shot with their own guns.
There are other owners to whom guns are simply a plaything. There's no shame in that; guns are tools, and if going out to the desert with your buddies twice a year to shoot propane tanks on top of flaming Christmas trees (true story) is your idea of a good time, more power to you. Guns are just objects, and can serve as entertainment. The guns spend most of their time in a safe, and are rarely cleaned or shot. Somewhere in the back of this owner's mind is the idea that the guns can be used for defense of himself and his loved ones, but it's really an afterthought or a footnote to the purchase.
The owners I really have a problem with are those who, like the first type buy a gun for protection of self and loved ones, but are more active with its use. These are the guys you see at the range shooting off their gun as quickly as possible at a full-size target at the closest range allowable, and landing 4/10 hits on the paper, reloading, and then repeating. These owners are not concerned about their skills, tactics, or the legalities. They think that by simply owning a gun, they've won any fight they could possibly get into. Your basic mall ninja. While most of these guys are pretty easy to spot, and avoid, there exists a contingent who thinks exactly the same way, but are more low-key about it. If ever called upon to use their gun in defense of themselves or their loved ones, their answer is always "Reach for my glock and start firing." Little attention is paid to the ineffectiveness of a handgun vs a rifle or shotgun, and much stock is placed the movies where they saw that dude flying through the air shooting three pistols at 87 terrorists, killing 2-3 with each shot. These owners are not interested the legalities of shooting someone in their place of residence, the psychological effect of taking another life, or the physical strains of a life-or-death situation. They're confident in their ability to land rapid hits in vital areas of multiple targets while minimizing their own exposure based completely on their inflated self-image. As the saying goes, "All you need is ignorance and confidence, then success is sure!"
To all gun owners I say; you can either imagine yourself shooting someone or you can't. There's no shame in admitting you don't think you'll be able to pull the trigger, just have no delusions and plan for what you will do, or train and practice until you change yourself.
When I bought my first gun, it was not for fun. Guns were serious business to me, because I was afraid of them, and the idea of one being around bothered me to my core. I bought my gun to protect myself and my loved ones, it was a responsibility I took up with a heavy heart, because it meant that no one else was in charge of the safety of myself and my loved ones. I would have no one to blame if I failed to act. During the first months of ownership I had to learn not to think of a gun as an item of totemic significance, to realize that the gun never does anything because it's simply a machine which requires an operator. When I realized that I was in charge of the gun and its usage, my potential use of the gun became something of totemic significance. Too many questions flooded my head, and I decided that I wasn't yet prepared for this responsibility, but swore I would be.
To me, it is a burden. It demands you change your thinking and the way you view and react to the other humans around you. When the rose-colored glasses come off, and you realize that the world can be a dangerous place, and that the safety net you thought was always there really full of holes, there's no going back. At the point of this realization you must come to terms with the fact that before now, you were very vulnerable. Now that you have become enlightened to your position in this world, you must do something to regain control of your life which, up to now, was at the mercy of some random meth-head with a steak knife. A gun is the most effective weapon you can use, so you buy one.
So now you find yourself very alone. Confronted with this new responsibility to be in charge of your personal safety and the safety of your loved ones, charged with the possibly of taking the life of another human being, and you're staring at the implement of destruction in your hands.
Many owners don't make it past this point. The weight of the responsibility is too much, and they either relinquish the responsibility, refuse to acknowledge the responsibility, or replace their apprehension with blind confidence.
Not everyone is ready for the responsibility, which is perfectly understandable.
Those who accept the responsibility will begin the life-long task of preparing themselves for what they paradoxically hope will never happen.
Guns are the ultimate freedom, an ultimate power, and the ultimate responsibility. If you hold in your hand a gun, and you hold in your head the will to use it on another human being, then you hold in your heart a heavy responsibility. Once you accept that responsibility you will begin a journey of practice, research, and preparedness that will only end when you do.
I don't think anyone in their right mind would ask to put their sight picture COM on a mother's son and apply steady, relentless pressure. No matter how deserved. Taking a life is something I wish for countless reasons I'll never have to do, but since accepting my responsibility, it's something I force myself to think about, prepare for, and train to do. To me the responsibility will always be a burden. But, once you begin to fully understand the weight of the responsibility, you will happily carry this burden because it means that your loved ones won't have to.
Gun ownership is serious business, and can be a life-altering decision, but the negatives pale in comparison with the knowledge that YOU are in charge of your destiny and responsible for one of the most important things in life.
glock *sigh*
Went with my sister and brother-in-law to the range on Sunday; they're interested in purchasing their first gun. I brought my XD-9 and my 1911 (which they both shot VERY well), and we rented a few guns to try out. I begrudgingly admitted that they should check out the .45 glock (g21) and even shot a partial mag out of it. First time shooting a glock in a long time, mushy rental trigger, and since it was a .45 it was big as a brick. I would have been happy to keep all the shots on the paper. 9 shots, all within a 3"x3" square over the X. Just like all the other times. I hate glocks, and I hate even more that I shoot them so well. I guess there's no way around it.
My brother-in-law summed it up nicely for someone still new to shooting, "It feels like shit, but it shoots great!" Quite so... I hate glocks so much that I'm going to have to buy one.
My brother-in-law summed it up nicely for someone still new to shooting, "It feels like shit, but it shoots great!" Quite so... I hate glocks so much that I'm going to have to buy one.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Been doing some... restructuring...
I've been restructuring my life for a bit now, and have been busy kicking myself in the butt, and changing the way I live my life.
So, I've been a little busy. Sorry for the long lull in posts guys and gals. (there's got to be at least two of you...)
Below you'll find some delicious posts for your blog dining pleasure, thanks for putting up with me.
-ET
ps: Teehee! Gun show's tomorrow!
So, I've been a little busy. Sorry for the long lull in posts guys and gals. (there's got to be at least two of you...)
Below you'll find some delicious posts for your blog dining pleasure, thanks for putting up with me.
-ET
ps: Teehee! Gun show's tomorrow!
Common sense regulation of the FIRST amendment.
Alright, how's this for a twist you ungrateful 1st-amendment-only supporters. So forgetful of the support you get from 2nd amendment supporters when the time comes to pass more laws restricting gun ownership. Your keyboard chatters as you laugh loudly on your blog, proclaiming one more victory against the "crazed gun nuts"; completely unaware that the amendment you hold so near-and-dear is next on their list.
I'd like to stand up, and be the first to call for "common sense" regulation of our freedom of speech.
In the recent years, and with the advent of the intarweb, it's becoming increasingly apparent that there must be regulation of the freedom of speech. In the wrong hands, the freedom of speech becomes a tool for hate, threats, violence, and deviant behavior such as pedophilia.
Therefore, I'd like to propose the institution of the following "common sense" regulations to put a stop to the misuse of our first, and most precious right. These regulations are penned with the greater good in mind! If it saves just ONE life, it will be worth it.
The following regulations will refer to printed materials, published materials, materials placed on web logs or "blogs", web forums, web sites, chat rooms, and all other forms of digital and physical media availability. Hereafter referred to as "posts."
Carry: Carrying materials in the form of physical media such as pamphlets, posters, or notices, or in digital media such as portable flash memory cards, hard drives, or laptops, must be approved by the Sheriff of the county in which the proposed carrier of this information resides. Permits shall be issues on a "may issue" basis, and may be revoked at the Sheriff's discretion with no explanation required. Pamphlets and posters have been known to incite riots and violence and must be controlled and managed. Digital media can be transferred or copied in seconds to others who may then transfer the information to others, increasing the affected population exponentially. This rapid dissemination of information must be controlled for the safety of our population.
Assault sites: Sites which exceed regulation length, size, breadth of information, or approved content limits will be classified as "Assault Sites." In the past "blogs" have contained a preponderance of information and many varying topics. Limits will control the amount of people who view a post or "blog", and word limits for the amount of information being made available. Limits will also control the offensive appearance of these sites, while these appearances don't affect the content or ability of the site, they serve only to strike fear into readers. There is no reason anyone but professionals should have control over this much information potentially available to our children. If you want an "Assault site", join the reporter corp.
Automatic operation: Various tools allow the reproduction of rapid amounts of information in milliseconds. Tools such as "copy" and "paste", which are likely available on your computer at home and therefore available to our children, allow the high-speed reproduction of information. These tools endow too much power to disseminate copious amounts of information at a "rapid-fire" pace. This kind of speed of publishing has no legitimate civilian use, and should be left to the professionals.
Manufacturing: There are various free and pay publishing tools available on-line. These tools allow the average citizen to publish content. These tools will be controlled and regulated through legislation. Because these tools will be under control, and managed for content based on these rules, people will not be allowed to manufacture or program their own publishing tools. If left unchecked, people could create tools beyond our control, and subvert the common sense regulations imposed on this new media.
Filter bypass ("cop killer") posts: These posts subvert, bypass, and "kill" filters that protect our children from objectionable content. These posts are defined as any post which uses misleading language or implies subject matter or topics it may not directly address. These sites are made to attack our children, and must be stopped. I realize there will be an issue positively determining which sites are attempting to subvert any filters of blocking mechanisms, so there will be some inadvertent violations. These site owners are required to maintain a clear understanding of the laws, and make their content obviously obvious.
Penalty: Any site owners or content providers found in violation of these rules will be brought on felony charges of "Conspiracy to disseminate subversive information." This charge will carry a minimum 3 years and a maximum 30 years in federal prison.
Conclusion: No one loves and appreciates the freedom of speech more than I, which is why I know these laws and regulations are necessary for the preservation of our union. We must think of the children! I know that some will argue that these rules and regulations destroy the freedom of speech, and are open to abuse. To them I say: If you've done nothing wrong; you've nothing to hide.
For those of you unaware, I modeled these idiotic laws after the laws gun owners must already deal with, laws similar to these are already on the books and being enforced. Now that I finish it, I'm a little hesitant to post it. It just seems TOO plausible to me. I'd be more afraid our betters would think my (sad, sad) satire was a great idea, but then I remind myself that as far as they know, the Internet is a series of tubes. (speaking of tubes, net neutrality would make some real strides toward the fictional goals I outlined in this satire. Scary, eh?)
While I'm on the topic, I feel compelled to remind everyone that our rights are not granted by the bill of rights, they are ENUMERATED. It's like saying you have the right to a blue sky. If you revoke the blue sky amendment, the sky will still be blue. The bill of rights doesn't allow us to have our rights, it just reminds everyone that we are endowed by our creator with these inalienable rights.
I'd like to stand up, and be the first to call for "common sense" regulation of our freedom of speech.
In the recent years, and with the advent of the intarweb, it's becoming increasingly apparent that there must be regulation of the freedom of speech. In the wrong hands, the freedom of speech becomes a tool for hate, threats, violence, and deviant behavior such as pedophilia.
Therefore, I'd like to propose the institution of the following "common sense" regulations to put a stop to the misuse of our first, and most precious right. These regulations are penned with the greater good in mind! If it saves just ONE life, it will be worth it.
The following regulations will refer to printed materials, published materials, materials placed on web logs or "blogs", web forums, web sites, chat rooms, and all other forms of digital and physical media availability. Hereafter referred to as "posts."
Carry: Carrying materials in the form of physical media such as pamphlets, posters, or notices, or in digital media such as portable flash memory cards, hard drives, or laptops, must be approved by the Sheriff of the county in which the proposed carrier of this information resides. Permits shall be issues on a "may issue" basis, and may be revoked at the Sheriff's discretion with no explanation required. Pamphlets and posters have been known to incite riots and violence and must be controlled and managed. Digital media can be transferred or copied in seconds to others who may then transfer the information to others, increasing the affected population exponentially. This rapid dissemination of information must be controlled for the safety of our population.
Assault sites: Sites which exceed regulation length, size, breadth of information, or approved content limits will be classified as "Assault Sites." In the past "blogs" have contained a preponderance of information and many varying topics. Limits will control the amount of people who view a post or "blog", and word limits for the amount of information being made available. Limits will also control the offensive appearance of these sites, while these appearances don't affect the content or ability of the site, they serve only to strike fear into readers. There is no reason anyone but professionals should have control over this much information potentially available to our children. If you want an "Assault site", join the reporter corp.
Automatic operation: Various tools allow the reproduction of rapid amounts of information in milliseconds. Tools such as "copy" and "paste", which are likely available on your computer at home and therefore available to our children, allow the high-speed reproduction of information. These tools endow too much power to disseminate copious amounts of information at a "rapid-fire" pace. This kind of speed of publishing has no legitimate civilian use, and should be left to the professionals.
Manufacturing: There are various free and pay publishing tools available on-line. These tools allow the average citizen to publish content. These tools will be controlled and regulated through legislation. Because these tools will be under control, and managed for content based on these rules, people will not be allowed to manufacture or program their own publishing tools. If left unchecked, people could create tools beyond our control, and subvert the common sense regulations imposed on this new media.
Filter bypass ("cop killer") posts: These posts subvert, bypass, and "kill" filters that protect our children from objectionable content. These posts are defined as any post which uses misleading language or implies subject matter or topics it may not directly address. These sites are made to attack our children, and must be stopped. I realize there will be an issue positively determining which sites are attempting to subvert any filters of blocking mechanisms, so there will be some inadvertent violations. These site owners are required to maintain a clear understanding of the laws, and make their content obviously obvious.
Penalty: Any site owners or content providers found in violation of these rules will be brought on felony charges of "Conspiracy to disseminate subversive information." This charge will carry a minimum 3 years and a maximum 30 years in federal prison.
Conclusion: No one loves and appreciates the freedom of speech more than I, which is why I know these laws and regulations are necessary for the preservation of our union. We must think of the children! I know that some will argue that these rules and regulations destroy the freedom of speech, and are open to abuse. To them I say: If you've done nothing wrong; you've nothing to hide.
For those of you unaware, I modeled these idiotic laws after the laws gun owners must already deal with, laws similar to these are already on the books and being enforced. Now that I finish it, I'm a little hesitant to post it. It just seems TOO plausible to me. I'd be more afraid our betters would think my (sad, sad) satire was a great idea, but then I remind myself that as far as they know, the Internet is a series of tubes. (speaking of tubes, net neutrality would make some real strides toward the fictional goals I outlined in this satire. Scary, eh?)
While I'm on the topic, I feel compelled to remind everyone that our rights are not granted by the bill of rights, they are ENUMERATED. It's like saying you have the right to a blue sky. If you revoke the blue sky amendment, the sky will still be blue. The bill of rights doesn't allow us to have our rights, it just reminds everyone that we are endowed by our creator with these inalienable rights.
Unintended Consequences
I'd heard mention of this book for a few months, and decided it warranted further investigation... Then forgot about it. Weeks later, someone on one of the boards brought up the book again, and everyone echoed that it was a must read for any gun owner. I did a little more research, and found that the ATF tried to intimidate publishers (among other things) to stop the book. Now, I was REALLY interested. I looked at the huge book, and wondered if it was going to join the ranks of so many other books with dog-eared bookmarks on a page number usually under 100.
I looked at the first page, and began my marathon of reading. It was hard to put the book down, and on the last couple hundred pages it was impossible I actually called in sick to finish it. Yeah. That's right. I know everyone likes to say that a book was "hard to put down" but I'm an extremely jaded reader, and have little tolerance for things that waste my time. Even if I like a book a lot, I'll still stop to do things like eat, answer the phone, or save orphans from burning buildings. Such was not the case with this book. (pooooor little Timmy)
I'm the last person who would review a book. I don't like reading books for extended periods of time because I don't have a good reading position that lets me read for more than 20 minutes without giving me a neck ache for the rest of the day. I don't see the value in reading "stories" about things that do not obviously help me with my life or my immediate concerns. When I do read, I usually read reference books, and would regularly shift myself into odd positions on the couch to figure out a way to allow me to continue reading without killing my neck, and continually adjust the light to keep from tiring my eyes.
Even though I had all those things against me, I had extreme difficulty stepping away from this book.
So what exactly made this book so amazing? I'm not sure. It's a mixture of history, anger, outrage, humor, astonishment, thrills, and (of course) guns. The book begins retelling history. The author admits that while the history isn't 100% accurate, it's as accurate as he can make it. He talks about the origins of gun control and the incrimentalism that brought us to the laws we see today. The book is fiction, but the history is accurate. It deals with court rulings, and specific cases that have resulted in the progress of gun control. Along the way, history is developed for the fictional characters who will play important roles in the rest of the book. Once all the history is set, we find ourselves in the present day, this is where most of the action takes place. This is where the ATF gets mad.
(Mild spoilers ahoy!) Our hero repels some ninjafied attackers from his friend's property, only to find they were federal agents of the F-troop (that's the ATF, I was going to hyperlink "f-troop" to the ATF's website, but since my site would show up on the reference, I was afraid they'd find me, blow up my house, shoot my children in the back, shoot my wife in the face while she nursed our child, unload an mp5 at me from a van as I stand unarmed on my porch holding my baby daughter, apply liberal amounts of "tear" gas then incendiary grenades, attack me without identifying themselves, shoot each other, tear my house apart and say "oops, lolz" and leave, raid and shoot me due to a paperwork error on their part, stomp my cat to death, shoot my dog, laugh about it, execute a ninjified no-knock raid without checking the address first, burn my house down, fire automatic weapons at my house from helicopter gunships, "return fire" preemptively, then "find" evidence that I'm a polygamist pedophile spy who deals guns to terrorists and coke to babies while setting puppies on fire and not rewinding videos before I return them) (seriously, I would do it as an "FU", but I know their record with people who say "FU" to them) (anyways, back to the story!) Our hero decides that he's finally tired of what the ATF is doing to people, and begins the process of inciting the second civil war. Fought to regain the rights of the amendment that protects all the others.
Most of the book is history, but it's told though fictionalized character which keeps the drama and excitement levels high. I really don't want you to roll your eyes when I say "history" it's extremely well written (unlike other "gunnie" books), and that makes the pages fly by. I was surprised when the story got started that I'd gotten so far though the book on just history.
The story from "present day" on is non-stop action and thrills, I'd recommend stopping once you get there if you have things to do that day (or the next day depending on the time), and returning once you have a big enough block of time to finish.
This isn't exactly "light fiction." This book deals with some very serious issues that we face in America today. This book deals with the beginning and end of a violent civil war, and the overthrowing of some systems of government. This is truly an important book. (in my humble opinion :)
If you're a gunny, this book will run you through the gamut of emotions. You'll be seeing red one minute, and cheering the next, it's really quite an amazing book. This book is also important for reasons I won't go into publicly. If you're a GFW, this book will have you pegged at "fear and five eighths"; it will scare the heck out of you. (if that isn't a promotion for gunnies, I don't know what is!)
Unintended Consequences truly is required reading for gun owners, and for people who take their liberty and freedoms seriously. (I know I just said "required reading" and I mean it. THIS MEANS YOU!) (No, seriously, buy it now!) (WHY ARE YOU STILL READING?!)
Unintended Consequences is again available on Amazon. If the book was $100, I'd still buy it in a heartbeat. In fact, I'm thinking of buying two in case the ATF burns one of them.
I looked at the first page, and began my marathon of reading. It was hard to put the book down, and on the last couple hundred pages it was impossible I actually called in sick to finish it. Yeah. That's right. I know everyone likes to say that a book was "hard to put down" but I'm an extremely jaded reader, and have little tolerance for things that waste my time. Even if I like a book a lot, I'll still stop to do things like eat, answer the phone, or save orphans from burning buildings. Such was not the case with this book. (pooooor little Timmy)
I'm the last person who would review a book. I don't like reading books for extended periods of time because I don't have a good reading position that lets me read for more than 20 minutes without giving me a neck ache for the rest of the day. I don't see the value in reading "stories" about things that do not obviously help me with my life or my immediate concerns. When I do read, I usually read reference books, and would regularly shift myself into odd positions on the couch to figure out a way to allow me to continue reading without killing my neck, and continually adjust the light to keep from tiring my eyes.
Even though I had all those things against me, I had extreme difficulty stepping away from this book.
So what exactly made this book so amazing? I'm not sure. It's a mixture of history, anger, outrage, humor, astonishment, thrills, and (of course) guns. The book begins retelling history. The author admits that while the history isn't 100% accurate, it's as accurate as he can make it. He talks about the origins of gun control and the incrimentalism that brought us to the laws we see today. The book is fiction, but the history is accurate. It deals with court rulings, and specific cases that have resulted in the progress of gun control. Along the way, history is developed for the fictional characters who will play important roles in the rest of the book. Once all the history is set, we find ourselves in the present day, this is where most of the action takes place. This is where the ATF gets mad.
(Mild spoilers ahoy!) Our hero repels some ninjafied attackers from his friend's property, only to find they were federal agents of the F-troop (that's the ATF, I was going to hyperlink "f-troop" to the ATF's website, but since my site would show up on the reference, I was afraid they'd find me, blow up my house, shoot my children in the back, shoot my wife in the face while she nursed our child, unload an mp5 at me from a van as I stand unarmed on my porch holding my baby daughter, apply liberal amounts of "tear" gas then incendiary grenades, attack me without identifying themselves, shoot each other, tear my house apart and say "oops, lolz" and leave, raid and shoot me due to a paperwork error on their part, stomp my cat to death, shoot my dog, laugh about it, execute a ninjified no-knock raid without checking the address first, burn my house down, fire automatic weapons at my house from helicopter gunships, "return fire" preemptively, then "find" evidence that I'm a polygamist pedophile spy who deals guns to terrorists and coke to babies while setting puppies on fire and not rewinding videos before I return them) (seriously, I would do it as an "FU", but I know their record with people who say "FU" to them) (anyways, back to the story!) Our hero decides that he's finally tired of what the ATF is doing to people, and begins the process of inciting the second civil war. Fought to regain the rights of the amendment that protects all the others.
Most of the book is history, but it's told though fictionalized character which keeps the drama and excitement levels high. I really don't want you to roll your eyes when I say "history" it's extremely well written (unlike other "gunnie" books), and that makes the pages fly by. I was surprised when the story got started that I'd gotten so far though the book on just history.
The story from "present day" on is non-stop action and thrills, I'd recommend stopping once you get there if you have things to do that day (or the next day depending on the time), and returning once you have a big enough block of time to finish.
This isn't exactly "light fiction." This book deals with some very serious issues that we face in America today. This book deals with the beginning and end of a violent civil war, and the overthrowing of some systems of government. This is truly an important book. (in my humble opinion :)
If you're a gunny, this book will run you through the gamut of emotions. You'll be seeing red one minute, and cheering the next, it's really quite an amazing book. This book is also important for reasons I won't go into publicly. If you're a GFW, this book will have you pegged at "fear and five eighths"; it will scare the heck out of you. (if that isn't a promotion for gunnies, I don't know what is!)
Unintended Consequences truly is required reading for gun owners, and for people who take their liberty and freedoms seriously. (I know I just said "required reading" and I mean it. THIS MEANS YOU!) (No, seriously, buy it now!) (WHY ARE YOU STILL READING?!)
Unintended Consequences is again available on Amazon. If the book was $100, I'd still buy it in a heartbeat. In fact, I'm thinking of buying two in case the ATF burns one of them.
Lunch with a Sheepdog
I set a lunch with an old neighbor because my dad suggested he might be a good person to talk to about a letter of recommendation for my CCW permit. I wanted to talk to him about why I chose to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but he started talking about entrepreneurialism. I've been pondering this topic for some time, so all his input was more than welcome.
When we got around to talking about the permit, he asked me why I wanted the permit. I told him that I knew that the police couldn't be everywhere, and that when it came down to it; the person in charge of protecting my loved ones and myself was me.
"So, you're looking to take a more 'active' role."
(Uh oh, we're into that omnipresent gray area. I know he takes a pretty active role, but he doesn't use a gun. Better make sure we're on the same page before I come off as a PDwannabe)
"Well, I don't plan on being a vigilante if that's what you're asking."
"Oh no, you misunderstand me. I mean... If you're unarmed, and you see a woman getting beat up in an alley by two men, what do you do?"
"I grab the arm of the nearest person, tell then to call 911, and haul ass over to stop them."
"'Stop them'... you could be seriously injured or killed doing that"
"I decided a long time ago that I would never be one of those people who stands there and watches someone get killed or seriously injured. There's a quote that I heard, 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing' it really kind of changed the way I think about myself. I'll never do nothing."
"Good. You've really thought this through."
"It's an important decision."
Once we were clear of the vigilante/PDwannabe/mall ninja/sheepdog hurdle, we understood each other and were able to talk about sheepdoggery more freely. (it is kind of an odd topic in Kalifornia where it is thought that the police save everyone instantly and are faultless) He's a big guy, and is not afraid to get in peoples' faces, he also is very well connected to the police department, and has several personal cell numbers of cops who work in the area. Whenever he sees something going on, he calls someone who's on duty, and they're there in minutes. No 911, no busy signal, no waiting, no triage. He also actively maintains these relationships and is careful not to misuse them. He admits that he very rarely is "active" and usually relies on passive avenues of ascertaining threats and diffusing situations (having already placed his phone call). He also has a rule that he'll never "go active" when with loved ones. He confided that he had once sent his wife away on a false alarm. "That was tense. It was the only time I wished I'd had a gun."
I picked up a lot of logistical sheepdog info from him. Everyone wants to talk about how you act and what you do when the time comes to stand out from the sheep, but no one talks about how you get through the days when nothing happens, and you have to deal with the sheep who regard you as they would a wolf.
Definitely an interesting discussion.
When we got around to talking about the permit, he asked me why I wanted the permit. I told him that I knew that the police couldn't be everywhere, and that when it came down to it; the person in charge of protecting my loved ones and myself was me.
"So, you're looking to take a more 'active' role."
(Uh oh, we're into that omnipresent gray area. I know he takes a pretty active role, but he doesn't use a gun. Better make sure we're on the same page before I come off as a PDwannabe)
"Well, I don't plan on being a vigilante if that's what you're asking."
"Oh no, you misunderstand me. I mean... If you're unarmed, and you see a woman getting beat up in an alley by two men, what do you do?"
"I grab the arm of the nearest person, tell then to call 911, and haul ass over to stop them."
"'Stop them'... you could be seriously injured or killed doing that"
"I decided a long time ago that I would never be one of those people who stands there and watches someone get killed or seriously injured. There's a quote that I heard, 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing' it really kind of changed the way I think about myself. I'll never do nothing."
"Good. You've really thought this through."
"It's an important decision."
Once we were clear of the vigilante/PDwannabe/mall ninja/sheepdog hurdle, we understood each other and were able to talk about sheepdoggery more freely. (it is kind of an odd topic in Kalifornia where it is thought that the police save everyone instantly and are faultless) He's a big guy, and is not afraid to get in peoples' faces, he also is very well connected to the police department, and has several personal cell numbers of cops who work in the area. Whenever he sees something going on, he calls someone who's on duty, and they're there in minutes. No 911, no busy signal, no waiting, no triage. He also actively maintains these relationships and is careful not to misuse them. He admits that he very rarely is "active" and usually relies on passive avenues of ascertaining threats and diffusing situations (having already placed his phone call). He also has a rule that he'll never "go active" when with loved ones. He confided that he had once sent his wife away on a false alarm. "That was tense. It was the only time I wished I'd had a gun."
I picked up a lot of logistical sheepdog info from him. Everyone wants to talk about how you act and what you do when the time comes to stand out from the sheep, but no one talks about how you get through the days when nothing happens, and you have to deal with the sheep who regard you as they would a wolf.
Definitely an interesting discussion.
Spotting
I decided to break from my usual cardio routine and do a little lifting. I haven't lifted in a very long time, but I wan't overly concerned with being overly strong.
The way I lift is, I try to destroy myself. I lift until I can't lift any more (literally, the bar won't move) for two sets, and then on the last set I go till I can't go any more, then I ask for a spot and do two more. These last two usually have very little influence from me, but I still try. This type of lifting causes very good results for me.
I didn't want to bulk up any more, so I decided I'd just tone. I bench pressed for four sets, and gradually lowered the weight until I was straining to lift the empty bar.
I was closing in on my last few when I realized I had no one to spot me. I looked around, and spotted a few guys, but only one was close enough to hear me. He was one of those guys ubiquitous to weight rooms, short but big, wearing a beanie-cap North by North-West at a forward cant, with slight yaw, walking in slow motion while bobbing his head, exagerating his lifting grunt, and constantly looking around to see if anyone is "chekin' he aouttt".
I'm a little hesitant of asking this guy, but I figure we're still in a weight room, and you would just turn down someone asking for help.
"Hey, give me a spot?"
*looks at me incredulously* "Psssh." *smiles*
"Naw, really, spot for my last two?"
"Ha." *bobs his head, and turns away*
(is this guy "too sexy for his spot?")
"I'm not kiddin', c'mon, gimme a spot."
"Pssssh. Ask a woman." *gets up, and takes a slow, exagerated walk away*
"Ooooh-kay..."
The way I lift is, I try to destroy myself. I lift until I can't lift any more (literally, the bar won't move) for two sets, and then on the last set I go till I can't go any more, then I ask for a spot and do two more. These last two usually have very little influence from me, but I still try. This type of lifting causes very good results for me.
I didn't want to bulk up any more, so I decided I'd just tone. I bench pressed for four sets, and gradually lowered the weight until I was straining to lift the empty bar.
I was closing in on my last few when I realized I had no one to spot me. I looked around, and spotted a few guys, but only one was close enough to hear me. He was one of those guys ubiquitous to weight rooms, short but big, wearing a beanie-cap North by North-West at a forward cant, with slight yaw, walking in slow motion while bobbing his head, exagerating his lifting grunt, and constantly looking around to see if anyone is "chekin' he aouttt".
I'm a little hesitant of asking this guy, but I figure we're still in a weight room, and you would just turn down someone asking for help.
"Hey, give me a spot?"
*looks at me incredulously* "Psssh." *smiles*
"Naw, really, spot for my last two?"
"Ha." *bobs his head, and turns away*
(is this guy "too sexy for his spot?")
"I'm not kiddin', c'mon, gimme a spot."
"Pssssh. Ask a woman." *gets up, and takes a slow, exagerated walk away*
"Ooooh-kay..."
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Spyderco vs CRKT
I like Benchmade. I like Benchmade for many reasons.
But why should I like CRKT over Spyderco? CRKT is obviously a lower grade than Spyderco...
Spyderco is obviously a quality manufacturer, they use quality materials, and seem to have a quality design. They like their design. A lot. A whole lot. Excessively. Sure they change the blade style slightly from time to time, and the offer full, partial, or no serrations... Yeah. But they've introduced some interesting designs... Like a small metal one, a small metal one with a defined grip curve, a small... pointy one... erm... Paw prints? The obligatory Resq-u knife. Something wavy. Something... er... whatever. I-can't-believe-it's-not-Ambush. But for the most part it's really just more of the same over and over again. Little tweaks here and there. A few extra lines. Like I said; it's quality hardware... It's just really uninspired. Just because you've bought the best paints doesn't mean you'll create a masterpiece, or that you won't just paint the same bowl of fruit over and over again. Not to say that the fruit bowl isn't a good painting, it's just that some people don't like fruit.
My Spyderco Ladybug deals with friction, sweat, heat, and pressure all day and asks for more. I trust it, and it's earning my respect; but that doesn't mean that I like it.
Looking at their line I see little variety, and extremely limited evolution. In fact, the only evolution I can see is the initial implementation of the choil (which I really like, by the way). Then I see a more innovative grip design in the Manix. Then I see a stronger blade design, and a more accentuated grip in the Native. Then I see the Native III with a strong blade attached to a grip that looks like it was made to actually fit a human hand. The Native III is a very functional utility blade, high-quality materials, a properly fitting grip, and a choil feature for added control. But it seems to have something that the other models don't. Is it heart? Is it creativity? Is it a flair for utility? I don't know, but they've made a good knife. It's different from what they've done before. And they know it. That's probably why they're prominently displaying on the front page of their site. I want a Native III.
While Spyderco slowly realizes that there's more to the knife world than a big, round hole, serrations, and thin grips, CRKT, a lesser knife company by most standards was doing some interesting things, some new things, and some old things with their own flair added. CRKT wasn't hung up on bringing the consumer the latest-and-greatest steel which only marginally outperforms its predecessor (which only marginally outperformed its predecessor), they were more concerned with design. Designs with purpose, designs that were new, designs that were classic, designs that were interesting, designs that were different, designs that were particular, designs that were useful, designs that were concealable, and designs that were innovative. And for less green than Spyderco. Much less. Am I afraid my CRKT is going to fall apart in my hands? No. I've mistreated my m16 (not terribly, of course), and have yet to see anything but quality from CRKT. And I've certainly yet to see anything of competing functionality from Spyderco. Does that mean I'm buying "junk" knives because I'm cheap? No. But when Spyderco comes out with a bear claw for half of what they usually charge for their knives I'll happily trot into the knife shop, and buy it. Until then; I'll be content using knives that specifically fit the purpose I'm using them for, and will lovingly give my "junky" knives a few passes of the sharpener, and continue using them with confidence.
But why should I like CRKT over Spyderco? CRKT is obviously a lower grade than Spyderco...
Spyderco is obviously a quality manufacturer, they use quality materials, and seem to have a quality design. They like their design. A lot. A whole lot. Excessively. Sure they change the blade style slightly from time to time, and the offer full, partial, or no serrations... Yeah. But they've introduced some interesting designs... Like a small metal one, a small metal one with a defined grip curve, a small... pointy one... erm... Paw prints? The obligatory Resq-u knife. Something wavy. Something... er... whatever. I-can't-believe-it's-not-Ambush. But for the most part it's really just more of the same over and over again. Little tweaks here and there. A few extra lines. Like I said; it's quality hardware... It's just really uninspired. Just because you've bought the best paints doesn't mean you'll create a masterpiece, or that you won't just paint the same bowl of fruit over and over again. Not to say that the fruit bowl isn't a good painting, it's just that some people don't like fruit.
My Spyderco Ladybug deals with friction, sweat, heat, and pressure all day and asks for more. I trust it, and it's earning my respect; but that doesn't mean that I like it.
Looking at their line I see little variety, and extremely limited evolution. In fact, the only evolution I can see is the initial implementation of the choil (which I really like, by the way). Then I see a more innovative grip design in the Manix. Then I see a stronger blade design, and a more accentuated grip in the Native. Then I see the Native III with a strong blade attached to a grip that looks like it was made to actually fit a human hand. The Native III is a very functional utility blade, high-quality materials, a properly fitting grip, and a choil feature for added control. But it seems to have something that the other models don't. Is it heart? Is it creativity? Is it a flair for utility? I don't know, but they've made a good knife. It's different from what they've done before. And they know it. That's probably why they're prominently displaying on the front page of their site. I want a Native III.
While Spyderco slowly realizes that there's more to the knife world than a big, round hole, serrations, and thin grips, CRKT, a lesser knife company by most standards was doing some interesting things, some new things, and some old things with their own flair added. CRKT wasn't hung up on bringing the consumer the latest-and-greatest steel which only marginally outperforms its predecessor (which only marginally outperformed its predecessor), they were more concerned with design. Designs with purpose, designs that were new, designs that were classic, designs that were interesting, designs that were different, designs that were particular, designs that were useful, designs that were concealable, and designs that were innovative. And for less green than Spyderco. Much less. Am I afraid my CRKT is going to fall apart in my hands? No. I've mistreated my m16 (not terribly, of course), and have yet to see anything but quality from CRKT. And I've certainly yet to see anything of competing functionality from Spyderco. Does that mean I'm buying "junk" knives because I'm cheap? No. But when Spyderco comes out with a bear claw for half of what they usually charge for their knives I'll happily trot into the knife shop, and buy it. Until then; I'll be content using knives that specifically fit the purpose I'm using them for, and will lovingly give my "junky" knives a few passes of the sharpener, and continue using them with confidence.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
The return of Maddox!!!
Maddox is back, and he's kicking babies and punching hippies!
One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't
(It ain't right clicking)
One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't
(It ain't right clicking)
Monday, March 05, 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
OMGHOWITSMADESPRINGS!!!1
Ok, I have no idea why I love How it's Made on the Science Channel. The music sucks, the narrator's voice is boring and near-monotone, there's very little "showmanship", it basically has all the makings of a show no one would watch voluntarily.
And yet...
For some boring reason...
I love this show.
It just shows how odd things are made (obviously). The first episode I saw, which also was my most favorite, showed how springs were made. It was awesome.
At first I thought it was seeing all the crazy automated machinery, but I also enjoyed watching some dude make a kayak... It's weird... But I like it.
And yet...
For some boring reason...
I love this show.
It just shows how odd things are made (obviously). The first episode I saw, which also was my most favorite, showed how springs were made. It was awesome.
At first I thought it was seeing all the crazy automated machinery, but I also enjoyed watching some dude make a kayak... It's weird... But I like it.
Friday, March 02, 2007
On Spyderco
My brother-in-law's birthday party was last night and I'd planned on getting him a nice knife. I knew he usually carried Spydercos (he's an electrician), but I wanted to get him a knife that was... you know; nice. Now, before Josh starts yelling, this was BEFORE our Spyderco challenge, and before I had considered taking Spydercos seriously. Since I realized that there might be something about Spyderco, I called my sister to see if he always used Spydercos for a particular reason. She said she thought he liked them because his dad always used them, but wasn't sure. I told her I'd like to take him to the knife shop, and get him whatever he wants, but I was afraid he'd worry about price; she though it'd be fine so I'll do that.
At the party I found some friends of his talking about guns and took part in the conversation regarding legalities of OLLs, and other possibly illegal guns. The guy was an EMT, and had a slew of unregistered guns. It reminded me that many in California simply don't care or worry about the Assault Weapon laws. We needed to pick up the food so she suggested I go with the EMT as an extra set of hands. When we got to his car, I asked him what he did, and when he said he was an EMT, I asked him what knife he carried; SOG Flash 2. Assisted opening, one sided slider lock, partially sarrated, and obviously well used.
"SOG Flash... Looks like you use it too!"
"Yeah, I like it. The assisted opening is nice."
"Benchmade 940. My EDC."
"Hey, I like Benchmade... *opens* Niiiiice!"
"And...! *reach* Spyderco ladybug at 6 o'clock on my waistband. Added the clip myself."
"Nice! That's cool!"
*talk about different brands, vendors, and models we like*
(this guy knows his stuff, why don't I ask him...)
"Hey; what do you think about Spyderco?"
"I like 'em."
"... Why?"
"Well... Actually, I don't own one."
"...Uh huh..."
"But I do like some of their stuff... Like the Spyderfly... And... There was another one..."
"The native?"
"Yeah! The native... I guess I just know a lot of people with them. They seem alright."
Hmmm... Later I asked my brother-in-law why he liked Spyderco and he said that he just got them because he always has. When I told him I was planning on getting him a Griptilian, but I wanted him to pick something from the knife shop. He perked up when I mentioned the Griptilian so, maybe he's not really that married to Spyderco.
Just some more opinions to throw on the pile...
At the party I found some friends of his talking about guns and took part in the conversation regarding legalities of OLLs, and other possibly illegal guns. The guy was an EMT, and had a slew of unregistered guns. It reminded me that many in California simply don't care or worry about the Assault Weapon laws. We needed to pick up the food so she suggested I go with the EMT as an extra set of hands. When we got to his car, I asked him what he did, and when he said he was an EMT, I asked him what knife he carried; SOG Flash 2. Assisted opening, one sided slider lock, partially sarrated, and obviously well used.
"SOG Flash... Looks like you use it too!"
"Yeah, I like it. The assisted opening is nice."
"Benchmade 940. My EDC."
"Hey, I like Benchmade... *opens* Niiiiice!"
"And...! *reach* Spyderco ladybug at 6 o'clock on my waistband. Added the clip myself."
"Nice! That's cool!"
*talk about different brands, vendors, and models we like*
(this guy knows his stuff, why don't I ask him...)
"Hey; what do you think about Spyderco?"
"I like 'em."
"... Why?"
"Well... Actually, I don't own one."
"...Uh huh..."
"But I do like some of their stuff... Like the Spyderfly... And... There was another one..."
"The native?"
"Yeah! The native... I guess I just know a lot of people with them. They seem alright."
Hmmm... Later I asked my brother-in-law why he liked Spyderco and he said that he just got them because he always has. When I told him I was planning on getting him a Griptilian, but I wanted him to pick something from the knife shop. He perked up when I mentioned the Griptilian so, maybe he's not really that married to Spyderco.
Just some more opinions to throw on the pile...
Thursday, March 01, 2007
But I live in a Good Neighborhood! Part 6
Tagger allegedly stabs ex-deputy
Close to home...
No, seriously! I used to live on this block when I was a kid! I'd ride my skate board to that PetCo to buy crickets for my lizard! And my dad's a deputy...
REAL close to home...
Close to home...
No, seriously! I used to live on this block when I was a kid! I'd ride my skate board to that PetCo to buy crickets for my lizard! And my dad's a deputy...
REAL close to home...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Obligatory Zumbo Post
The dude's done. He didn't "accidentally" call us all terrorists, he just accidentally did it out loud.
He's done.
Lets Zumbo Washington now.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Urge to shop rising...
I just noticed that the Wii shopping channel has the most PERFECT shopping music!
Must... buy... Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past... GAH!
Must... buy... Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past... GAH!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Hide-a-knife
THIS
PLUS
THIS
Equals
I've been looking for something small enough to be hidden in an unobvious place that could be used in instances where I might be relieved of my knife (which are the situations where you would probably need it the most). On my most recent trip to the knife shop I saw the Spyderco ladybug which weighs only .5 ounces. Now, I'm the first to admit to being a total knife snob, and that's kept me from brands like Spyderco (spit) and CRKT, but I picked up a few CRKTs a bit ago and are confident in their limited use but still wouldn't use one for my EDC. This is my first Spyderco, and the only reason I bought it is because of it's esoteric task.
It didn't have a clip, so I had to find a something to add one... What better place to start fabricating a clip than with a clip?
Pick up a pilot pen of the model pictured above, and remove the clip by applying upward pressure on the clip from the bottom. There is a low profile cap that fits on top of the cap and holds the clip in place with pressure. Once the clip is removed, you'll find it is a "J" shaped and has a slightly serrated end. Remove the bend from the bottom of the "J" so it's now "L" shaped. Take the serrated end and put it into the lanyard hole on the knife with a hammer. It'll go in for the entire serrated section, and will stop at the edge where it gets wider, give it a few wacks to set that edge into the grip, but don't let it stick out the other end of the grip. I haven't tried it out for an extended period of time, but a drop of epoxy in the lanyard hole would make the clip solid.
I'm carrying mine at the 6 o'clock position on my waist, though it could just as easily be clipped onto a sock or inside the short sleeve on a shirt.
Ideally, you should bend the clip to copy this clip design.
PLUS
THIS
Equals
Hide-a-knife
I've been looking for something small enough to be hidden in an unobvious place that could be used in instances where I might be relieved of my knife (which are the situations where you would probably need it the most). On my most recent trip to the knife shop I saw the Spyderco ladybug which weighs only .5 ounces. Now, I'm the first to admit to being a total knife snob, and that's kept me from brands like Spyderco (spit) and CRKT, but I picked up a few CRKTs a bit ago and are confident in their limited use but still wouldn't use one for my EDC. This is my first Spyderco, and the only reason I bought it is because of it's esoteric task.
It didn't have a clip, so I had to find a something to add one... What better place to start fabricating a clip than with a clip?
Pick up a pilot pen of the model pictured above, and remove the clip by applying upward pressure on the clip from the bottom. There is a low profile cap that fits on top of the cap and holds the clip in place with pressure. Once the clip is removed, you'll find it is a "J" shaped and has a slightly serrated end. Remove the bend from the bottom of the "J" so it's now "L" shaped. Take the serrated end and put it into the lanyard hole on the knife with a hammer. It'll go in for the entire serrated section, and will stop at the edge where it gets wider, give it a few wacks to set that edge into the grip, but don't let it stick out the other end of the grip. I haven't tried it out for an extended period of time, but a drop of epoxy in the lanyard hole would make the clip solid.
I'm carrying mine at the 6 o'clock position on my waist, though it could just as easily be clipped onto a sock or inside the short sleeve on a shirt.
Ideally, you should bend the clip to copy this clip design.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Blogagog is Back!
Blogi has returned to the blogospheoroidy... thing.
Head on over there and welcome him back!
He's got two new pictures up!
Head on over there and welcome him back!
He's got two new pictures up!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
But I live in a good neighborhood! Part5
Gunman still at large
Sometimes I drive to the el pollo loco at the Tustin Marketplace for lunch, and sit in my car about 50 yards from this Home Depot.
Sometimes I drive to the el pollo loco at the Tustin Marketplace for lunch, and sit in my car about 50 yards from this Home Depot.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Range Report Part 2! This time it's personal
Eager to get my .22 back out to the range the next day, I went to Turners and (yet again) found them woefully lacking in ammo. So, I did what any self-respecting gunny would do; I went to Wal-mart!
When I got there, they only had some Remington Thunderbolt. Says high velocity; should be fine... As the woman rang up the 5 boxes of 50 ($0.0264 per round woot!) and I was enjoying the puny total that was being displayed, my attention turned to the gun accessories section. I asked her to put my purchase on hold, while I took a quick look. I checked if they had any bore snakes damn, and then allowed my eyes to drift across the small selection of goods. My eyes stopped on the rifle scopes. I couldn't.... Could I? It does have a 20 inch barrel... And it certainly has the mounts... But it's only a 50 foot range... Ah, what the hell. I grabbed a cheap BSA scope, and some cheap mounting rings. If I don't like it, I didn't spend too much on it. I can always upgrade. (I tried to find a picture of the scope, but couldn't without more details, I'm surprised to see that it has a very similar profile to the one in the picture.) I returned home and pulled my no-frills scope out of it's wrapping, and opened up the instruction book. X many clicks? Adjustable parallax? Battery compartment? Riboflavin? I just want to shoot the thing... Oh wait; it's a generic instruction book, my scope has none of those things! Nice.
I get the rings onto the weaver mount, and try to check that they're lined up. Hmmm... This one isn't fully seated on the weaver mount... Bugger. I reseat it, and try swapping the rings. Nope. Seems the weaver mount is wider in the front than to the rear. Hmmm... I seat them as best I can, and put the scope on. It's noticeably leaning to the left a few degrees. Well, as long as it's on solid, and it doesn't move, I should be able to adjust... Maybe I should have spent more than $6 on the mounting rings. :)
So now, I've got a silly looking gun, with a silly looking paint job, and an oversized scope mounted atop the whole package of nonsense! Oy. Oh well, it's cheap (and therefore fun!) to shoot!
I arrive at the range, and admit to feeling a little bit insecure about my silly looking gun with a $25 wally-world scope on top of it. The gentleman from last week is there with his wife, and I realize that I was there at the same time as before; Sunday morning. I look around, and realize that I recognize a few other people from last Sunday morning. Church? The gentleman recognizes me, and we talk briefly about the G22. I offer him a chance to shoot it, but he's just leaving (like last week). They must be getting in right at opening time. I'll have to get here early next week to let him shoot it. I grabbed some cheap targets, and a pen, and headed out to my lane.
I colored in the 1.5 inch X to make it more visible (like usual), and sent the target out to the end of the range. I put myself prone with my elbows on the naval-high bench, centered the crosshairs on the big black dot, and slowly squeezed the sloppy trigger. The shot was about 6 inches low. I was about to adjust, but I realized that I should probably put a few more shots downrange first to make sure I didn't just suck. I adjusted the scope, and shot until I was right on the spot. By now I was getting used to the trigger, it had a lot of take-up, and had a heavy portion at about 50% then got soft at about 65%, then broke at 75%. The trick was pulling hard enough to get past the 65% without pulling through to the break. I tossed up a fresh target with a few tiny target spots, and shot off the rest of the box of ammo.
Barring anyone shaking the bench, or my occasional inability to stop just past 65%, my shots were right on top of each other.
There's something cool about pulling a target, and seeing one .22 inch hole where three shots were placed. Something VERY cool.
After some nice shooting, some more people arrived, and with shots going off around me, I found it hard to keep the trigger controlled. But I took advantage of the time to focus.
About mid-way through my second box, someone the lane to my right started shooting off a .44 magnum. In an indoor range, you can feel that in your chest. I watched the flames shoot 7 inches out the sides of the large revolver, and smiled. I returned to my shooting after the 6 shots were spent, and heard one more shot. A long length of string came out of nowhere, and bunched up in the air for a second before falling to the ground in a small heap. Dude, that guy just shot the string off the target runner with a .44 magnum! The shooter swore up and down that the sights were off on his friend's gun, and after the string was replaced, and independent shooter verified that the gun was shooting about 6" high (at 20 feet!). Although their groups were all over the paper anyways, so I kind of figured it might have happened even if the sights hadn't been off...
Anyways, that ragged hole where 3 rounds of .22 entered is still fresh in my mind. Now I can't wait to get my scoped space gun out to some longer ranges to see what it can really do...
When I got there, they only had some Remington Thunderbolt. Says high velocity; should be fine... As the woman rang up the 5 boxes of 50 ($0.0264 per round woot!) and I was enjoying the puny total that was being displayed, my attention turned to the gun accessories section. I asked her to put my purchase on hold, while I took a quick look. I checked if they had any bore snakes damn, and then allowed my eyes to drift across the small selection of goods. My eyes stopped on the rifle scopes. I couldn't.... Could I? It does have a 20 inch barrel... And it certainly has the mounts... But it's only a 50 foot range... Ah, what the hell. I grabbed a cheap BSA scope, and some cheap mounting rings. If I don't like it, I didn't spend too much on it. I can always upgrade. (I tried to find a picture of the scope, but couldn't without more details, I'm surprised to see that it has a very similar profile to the one in the picture.) I returned home and pulled my no-frills scope out of it's wrapping, and opened up the instruction book. X many clicks? Adjustable parallax? Battery compartment? Riboflavin? I just want to shoot the thing... Oh wait; it's a generic instruction book, my scope has none of those things! Nice.
I get the rings onto the weaver mount, and try to check that they're lined up. Hmmm... This one isn't fully seated on the weaver mount... Bugger. I reseat it, and try swapping the rings. Nope. Seems the weaver mount is wider in the front than to the rear. Hmmm... I seat them as best I can, and put the scope on. It's noticeably leaning to the left a few degrees. Well, as long as it's on solid, and it doesn't move, I should be able to adjust... Maybe I should have spent more than $6 on the mounting rings. :)
So now, I've got a silly looking gun, with a silly looking paint job, and an oversized scope mounted atop the whole package of nonsense! Oy. Oh well, it's cheap (and therefore fun!) to shoot!
I arrive at the range, and admit to feeling a little bit insecure about my silly looking gun with a $25 wally-world scope on top of it. The gentleman from last week is there with his wife, and I realize that I was there at the same time as before; Sunday morning. I look around, and realize that I recognize a few other people from last Sunday morning. Church? The gentleman recognizes me, and we talk briefly about the G22. I offer him a chance to shoot it, but he's just leaving (like last week). They must be getting in right at opening time. I'll have to get here early next week to let him shoot it. I grabbed some cheap targets, and a pen, and headed out to my lane.
I colored in the 1.5 inch X to make it more visible (like usual), and sent the target out to the end of the range. I put myself prone with my elbows on the naval-high bench, centered the crosshairs on the big black dot, and slowly squeezed the sloppy trigger. The shot was about 6 inches low. I was about to adjust, but I realized that I should probably put a few more shots downrange first to make sure I didn't just suck. I adjusted the scope, and shot until I was right on the spot. By now I was getting used to the trigger, it had a lot of take-up, and had a heavy portion at about 50% then got soft at about 65%, then broke at 75%. The trick was pulling hard enough to get past the 65% without pulling through to the break. I tossed up a fresh target with a few tiny target spots, and shot off the rest of the box of ammo.
Barring anyone shaking the bench, or my occasional inability to stop just past 65%, my shots were right on top of each other.
There's something cool about pulling a target, and seeing one .22 inch hole where three shots were placed. Something VERY cool.
After some nice shooting, some more people arrived, and with shots going off around me, I found it hard to keep the trigger controlled. But I took advantage of the time to focus.
About mid-way through my second box, someone the lane to my right started shooting off a .44 magnum. In an indoor range, you can feel that in your chest. I watched the flames shoot 7 inches out the sides of the large revolver, and smiled. I returned to my shooting after the 6 shots were spent, and heard one more shot. A long length of string came out of nowhere, and bunched up in the air for a second before falling to the ground in a small heap. Dude, that guy just shot the string off the target runner with a .44 magnum! The shooter swore up and down that the sights were off on his friend's gun, and after the string was replaced, and independent shooter verified that the gun was shooting about 6" high (at 20 feet!). Although their groups were all over the paper anyways, so I kind of figured it might have happened even if the sights hadn't been off...
Anyways, that ragged hole where 3 rounds of .22 entered is still fresh in my mind. Now I can't wait to get my scoped space gun out to some longer ranges to see what it can really do...
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