DJ Tiesto sucks

Update 10/8/08: I'm full of shit! I had some wires crossed when I posted this, and posted that he made sandstorm. Well, as one of the commenters pointed out, Sandstorm was done by Da Rude, who really had a mediocre sound (save the original Sandstorm, of course). But that didn't stop me from playing his CD until it was no longer playable. My experience with Tiesto was from one of his earlier CDs, where he sounded just as I described. Uninspired, and underdeveloped. Shitty progression, overused sounds, basically simple shit trance. His newer stuff is MUCH better. In fact, I'd rate it as above average. (which says a bit coming from a snob like me) So, let the record show that DJ Tiesto doesn't suck. Anymore.

I posted the video because I thought it was amusing, but took minor issue with the fact that the video doesn't address the issues I had with his music; rather, it seems to take umbrage to trance in general. Personified by a popular European trance DJ, Tiesto.

Original post follows below
-----------------------------------

Yes, you made sandstorm, and probably most of the 30,000 remixes of that song. Other than that original, you suck. Your uninspired, underdeveloped music gives trance a bad name.

Semi-coders and pseudo-code

Coworker: Hey, really quick, I need you to write a quick script to generate a config file for, like 800 elements.
Me: Give me the data, and an example of the output you want, and give me three minutes.
Coworker: Three minutes? Ok, only if it's really quick, though.
Me: I'm waiting for the data really quickly.
Coworker: Yeah yeah...

Minutes pass

Me: Hey, I'm almost done.
Coworker: Huh?
Me: Actually, I'm not, because you haven't sent the data over.
Coworker: Ahh, shaddap... So, can you just send me an example of your code so I can write it?
Me: What?
Coworker: Just send me an example, and I'll just write it. I just need an example of a loop.
Me: You want me to send you an example of the most basic programing function a language could have, so you can write some pseudo-code and then make me troubleshoot it when it doesn't work? No deal.
Coworker: But-- fine.

Shin Chan is the shit

It's so full of inuendo and idiocy, I giggle like an idiot whenever watching it.



Shin Chan official website

Compromise for everyone but RP

Many say they love RP and everything he stands for, BUT they won't vote for him because of his stance on the war.

However, in the next breath they'll talk about how they are accepting the lesser of two evils in an alternate candidate, becuase they know that politics is a game of compromise.

They feel that the war on terror is too much of a negative to ignore.

I happen to feel the deviation from the ideals of the framers of this nation is doing more damage to America than Osama Bin Laden could ever do.




I don't understand how some people don't notice.

Why don't they get it?

Coworker: Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could have something show up in the monitoring software to show the current weather?
Me: Give me 10 minutes.
Coworker: Seriously?
Me: Yes, seriously. I keep telling you this, but if it's on a computer, I can write a probe for it, and we can monitor it.
Coworker: What about, like, the local traffic?
Me: Dude. If it's on a computer... We can monitor it.
Coworker: Huh. Cool.

8 minutes later

Me: Done!

I bitch about it, but Nimsoft's NimBUS API is pretty cool. (once you figure out all the undocumented features)

"It's the Economy, Stupid!"

Stop what you're doing right now, click on the title link and watch the whole thing--it takes a little under 9 minutes.

Yikes.



Via David.

Real men of genius; Mr Cable Management Guy

Are you ready?

No, really. Are you ready?

I don't think you're ready.

Take a moment, and prepare for a mild aneurism...

... well?

... ready?

If you're sure you're ready...

Clicky.

Mr. Cable Management Guy; we salute you, you magnificent asshat.

Vote Hillary for a better 4 years from now.

Just one Conservatarian's humble opinion.

If a Republican wins two things will happen. First, the incredible "Bush hate" will turn into "Rudy/Romney/McCain hate" because it was never "Bush hate," it was Republican hate. Secondly, Republican leaders will remain in the apparent coma they've been in, and continue the "cut taxes and spend like drunken sailors" fiscal policy.

Hillary will be torn to shreds by the end of her "service." Sending Democrats (and likely women, unfortunately) back years in the minds of most Americans. This is likely because her presidency would follow a Clinton bent, as her campaign has, and she lacks the slick-shit charm that old BJ (Bill Jefferson) had to get out of the numerous scandals that spilled from his office. It's likely she'll resort to using Bill's charm to get her out of trouble one (hundred) too many times, and Americans enamored with slick Willy will wise up. Also, she'll lack the Republican majority that kept the insane spending in check. By the end of her presidency, uttering the word "Hillary" should leave Americans reaching for a drink to wash the bad taste from their mouth.

Hillary will impose (and I do mean impose) her free lunch health care scheme, which will immediately cause a severe drop in the level of health care available to everyone except the rich. And by everyone, I also mean Democrats. This will slap the socialist idealists (who seem to be in the majority) in the face and remind them that when the government tries to do anything except waste money, it fails miserably. This is the only risky venture since prolonged use of this system threatens to severely damage the the best health care industry in the world. Hopefully this doesn't stick for 8 years. *shudder*

Hillary will increase taxes to pay for her pet programs early, which is a pinch majority of Americans are willing to accept because they feel guilty for working hard (for some damn reason). However, this pinch will be made significantly harder with the instant, unstoppable bloat that will be caused by the "free" health care. Americans will feel the pinch, then they'll feel pliers digging and twisting. Hillary will refuse to cut her programs for as long as possible, opting to raise taxes on the rich (you know, the people who make jobs and pay people) until we near a recession.

Hillary will strengthen clandestine information gathering powers and technologies under the guise of Homeland Security, and likely misuse them (as Clintons are wont to do). She will be skewered by the privacy and government watchdog groups that grew powerful watching Republicans. She'll suffer the monster she helped create when the anti-war and pro-privacy groups she chanted with against the Bush administration turn on her. This will be fun to watch.

Hillary will rub America the wrong way. She'll play a Carter, and with any luck, our Reagan will appear.

Vote Hillary for a better 4 years from now.

That's what I'm worried about

Fucking blogger. Click here to view.

Like you and me, only better... Old Chap.

SO! How's banning guns working out for you blokes across the pond?

'It's not safe to walk the streets after dark', admits Home Secretary skewered in kebab farce

Seems the Home Secretary over in Merry Old England decided to she had a hankering for a kabob, but feared for her safety after dark and brought a (no doubt armed) guard with her to keep her safe on those dangerous streets she gets paid to keep safe.

So, the streets are not safe, but citizens should continue to believe that the government is doing a great job. Got that guys?

Oh, and don't be afraid for her; she has taxpayer funded armed guards accompanying her on her trips out of her bubble of delusion protection.

Asked why she would not feel safe on Hackney's streets at night, the Home Secretary replied: "Well, I just don't think that's a thing that people do, is it, really?"

Sure, a single mother working two jobs might be in danger walking home to make dinner for her kid, but she should probably just hire some private security.

Miss Teather, member for the London constituency of Brent East, added: "To think that people don't walk around late at night, and to think that everybody goes around in a cocooned ministerial car with a couple of policemen watching, is absolutely astonishing.

Too right.

Back to my original question; just how are things going with your little experiment in law-abiding citizen disarmament?

The Home Secretary made her admission in an interview at the end of a week when three teenage thugs were convicted of murdering father-of-three Garry Newlove, kicked to death outside his home.

Oh bugger. I suppose things are just peachy other than that, right?

The controversy raged as Ministry of Justice figures revealed the steep rise in the number of under-18s convicted or cautioned over violent offences.

Total offences for ten-to-17-year olds climbed steadily from 184,474 in 2003 to 222,750 in 2006, the last year for which figures are available - a rise of 21 per cent.

But the increase in violent offending was steeper, while robberies rose even more dramatically, up 43 per cent over the three years.

But they still don't need guns. They've got TASERS! They're COMPLETELY safe.

One other man has died in the UK after being shot by police with a Taser and a baton round but a post-mortem examination concluded the death was due to natural causes.

See that? Natural causes.

Tasers have been used 450 times in the past five years in Great Britain and up to now police say there have been no fatalities or serious injuries.

Looks like they've got everything under control. Nothing to see here, move along.

I see why Kevin calls that place the petri dish.

Overheard at work. Just another Wednesday.

Everyone's working on something, soft keyboard clacking, and occasional mouse clicks are all that can be heard.

Coworker: K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-YYYEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I'M DOCTOR ROCKSO, THE ROCK AND ROLL CLOWN, AND I DO COCAAAAIIINNNE!!!!

Silence returns, soft keyboard clacking, and occasional mouse clicks are all that can be heard.

Code Monkey

This is why I'm glad I can turn "programmer mode" on and off.

Why must management oppress my people?

Quote of the me!

Breaking the law is not something someone should tell you to do.
~ Me!

Like herding fucking cats!

It is said that getting programmers to work together on a project is like herding cats.

UPDATED

My boss told me to try to get a workaround up for the programmer who was dragging his feet, because in the meantime, we're getting burned. I call one of the programmers who is busy with other stuff for more info.

Me: Hey, would it be better if I set up the database like this or like that?
Programmer: Kinda depends on what data you're storing.
M: It's the data coming across right now.
P: The first way would be best. Why are you storing that data? That's what [feet dragging programmer] is doing.
M: Yeah, but we need something storing the data so we can review it until [FDP] finishes his part.
P: Who asked you to do that?
M: The boss did. We keep getting burned for missing these alerts, and he wanted something up until the project was finished. It'll be kind of a kluge, but it'll work until [FDP] finishes up.
P: But we're done. All we need is [cursory bit of data] from you.
M: *astonished noise*

The whole reason I was SPENDING time on this was because [FDP] looked like a deer in the headlights at our last status meeting. He barely understood what was going on, and we were considering dropping him because he had NO results or measurable progress

M: That was what was holding you up?!
P: Yeah.
M: All you need is [cursory bit of data] from me, and it'll be done?
P: Yeah.
M: Why didn't you ask me for it?
P: We were going to, at the next meeting.
M: Are you unaware of how long we've wanted this done, and how long we've been caught up in stupid development issues?
P: What do you mean?
M: If you need something from me, CALL ME. If I'm holding up development, CALL ME. If you need me to dance a jig for you to finish this project, call me and I'll dance the damn jig! We need this project DONE! No, wait, we needED this project done MONTHS AGO!
P: ... So you're sending that?
M: Yeah, you'll have it within the hour.
P: OK.
M: And it'll be done?
P: Well, not done done.
M: ...

UPDATE:
I understand how the data in this project is supposed to flow, I understand what part does what, and what language each part will be written in. This is why I know when information required to proceed is really unimportant, and should not bring development to a standstill. After sending that cursory bit of data over I called back and asked him to clarify on "done." His version of "done" means "done with the overall view." I pressed him on an ETA, and he asked me for some redundant information. I told him he already had that info, and anything I send will be out of old because I've already made the changes he requested at the last meeting. He replied that he needed that information so he could make sense of the information I sent last week. I told him that he shouldn't, because the two pieces of data were UNRELATED.

P: Well, you just send it over anyways.
M: OK, but I really need an ETA.
P: Once we have that data, we'll have a better picture of the overview and we can work up a timeline.
M: Ok, but I need to know if it'll be a week or two months, because I need to know if I need to continue working on this workaround.
P: You did that yourself, you do whatever you want.
M: *urge to kill rising* *deep breath* Oookayyy... I'm going to call you a bit after I send that over. I will need a broad timeline.
P: Ok, you just send that over.

The Governator's Guns

Governor discusses his weapons
Get login here

"I have around 20 swords, from samurai swords to broadswords to everything from axes and spears from the Conan movies," he said. "All the weapons, from Uzis to machine guns, shotguns and pistols and revolvers . . .

"Remember how many law enforcement people I have played and military people I have [played]. I was the Terminator, with the gun that with one hand you cock and spin. All those things I have."

It must be good to be king.

Ugh! So much fail! I can see forever!

For some damn reason, we can't find a freaking .NET programmer who understand SQL, and can finish a goddamn project!

We've gone through THREE! Every one flaked out or just dragged their feet.

If there are any .NET coders out there looking for some contract work, leave a comment!

I do NOT want to have to learn .NET so we can get this simple project done!

Playing SEALs and robbers

Marko has an incredible post up about the dangers of the militarization of the police.

It's too good for me to post quotes, all of it is perfect.

If you read nothing else, read this.

Suspicious person

Xavier relates a story of danger, preparedness, and humor.

Worth the laughs, give him a click

James does not discriminate

James is known for picking up strays, and notes that while many expect an outdoorsman and self defense advocate to own big dogs, he does not discriminate.

Enter Fuzzball


James thinks this poor fellow was attacked by a previous owner with a tire iron since Fuzzy has an unnatural fear of them. He also relates his reasoning for choosing stray dogs;

To paraphrase Mark Twain, if you give a stray dog a home he will never bite you. I have found that they will literally jump into the jaws of death just in the hope you will be able to run away while they are being eaten. I'm not sure that it would be possible to live with such devotion every day and not become emotionally attached.

Good man.

Opie and Anthony: Anthony on home protection

Anthony's Office - Episode 1 - Watch more free videos

BeatBearing sequencer

Via MAKE

on call

fucking son of a can't believe I have to won't answer their fucking phones gotta drive all the way down to damn hell crap murder

I keeed, I keeed, I rather like my job.

Quote of the YEAR

This quote needs to be tattooed on people's foreheads.

Backwards.

In fact, it's so good, I'm going to increase the font size.


Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.
~ Milton Friedman


(and for the poor, poor IE users;)
Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.
~ Milton Friedman

Via Joe Huffman

Citizen, arm thyself

Found at Laurel Zimmer's blog.

A disturbing call to 911 from a frantic woman who had a stalker trying to break into her house. The audio goes from beginning to end. Listen carefully to the audio and try to guess how much time has passed since the beginning of the call; at one point the operator says how long the call has been.

It's a somber reminder that calling 911 doesn't guarantee safety; a gun in the hand does.

"Don't get stuck on stupid!"

Retiring general aims to create a culture of U.S. preparedness
As Lt. Gen. Russel Honore gets ready to retire from the Army and hand over his command on Friday, he says he wants to spend the rest of his life creating a "culture of preparedness" to prevent another post-disaster disaster.

"There's an attitude everywhere else that people are smarter than they are in New Orleans and in Mississippi. They're not," the 60-year-old general said at his office at Fort Gillem, just outside Atlanta. "What happened in New Orleans could have happened anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard."

"In this new normal, with the possibility of terrorist attacks, natural disasters and industrial accidents, we need this culture of preparedness," he said. "A vast part of America still thinks, '`That couldn't happen where I live.' And they are dead damn wrong."

A good message from someone I hope to hear more from in the future.

Keep your fork.

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There's Cake!

HABERDASHERY!

It's more likely than you think.

The Bill that no one will talk about

Blogonomicon has a post up on The Bill that no one will talk about. Passing overwhelmingly in the house, and expected to pass in the senate, no one wants to talk about this bill. Except one man who did NOT vote for it.

Read up. These are important times, and these are important issues.

Various Engine Animations

This is very cool!

Example:

This is fucking hilarious!

Actually, this is WAY more hilarious!

.... candygram...

Land Shark - Saturday Night Live - Season 1

Posted Dec 01, 2006

In this classic SNL skit, a shark attacks on land.

What's the difference between 9/11 and a cow?

Rudy Giuliani doesn't know how to milk a cow.

But I live in a good neighborhood part 8

Police: SJ Newlyweds Bashed By Dozen Teenagers
Teenagers Attack Newlyweds On Way Home From Church Party

Just driving home with your new spouse and friend, after leaving the church new year's party...

Even non-gun grabbers are sometimes taken aback at the notion of carrying a gun to church. They view it as the height of paranoia. Attacks on churches are very well documented, and these same people often forget that carrying a gun to church also means having it with you on the way to and from church.

This is unnerving to read because it reveals the harsh truth.
Random acts of violence can visit anyone, at any time, and irrevocably shatter lives.
Act accordingly.

What really gets me is that this would likely have ended instantly if one of the victims had simply brandished a gun. Instead, their lives are forever changed.

The quotes are raw, and still carry the fear of the victim. If you've got the stomach; read on.

"My heart was racing. It was like something out of a scary movie where someone is after you," said Maria. "I was thinking, God please stop. Why us? Why us? Who are they? I was terrified."

"(I felt) just fear, absolute fear. I've never been through anything this traumatic in my life," Jason said. " The driver's side has the biggest damage of the door below the handle. That blow was aimed towards her head. That's the force they were aiming at her head."

Dan was beaten the worst, Fadipe reported.

Doctors said his injuries would take a year to heal.

"I took one to the forehead, one to the back of the head -- a couple to the arm (and) to my back," said Dan.

"They were going for his head with these weapons," said Jason.

"They almost killed a man," Jason said. "They could have killed my wife, and they had complete utter disrespect for any human life or anything. It was relentless disrespect, relentless violence."

The couple said police officers have told them their case is not a top priority because the department is understaffed.

SWAT team busts in, takes son for checkup.

SWAT officers invade home, take 11-year-old at gunpoint
Cops demand boy go to doctor because of fall during horseplay

This is unreal.

Nearly a dozen members of a police SWAT team in western Colorado punched a hole in the front door and invaded a family's home with guns drawn, demanding that an 11-year-old boy who had had an accidental fall accompany them to the hospital, on the order of Garfield County Magistrate Lain Leoniak.

The paramedics were allowed to see the boy, and found no significant impairment, but wanted to take him to the hospital for an evaluation anyway. Fearing the hospital's bills, the family refused to allow that.

The sheriff said the decision to use SWAT team force was justified because the father was a "self-proclaimed constitutionalist" and had made threats and "comments" over the years.

However, the sheriff declined to provide a single instance of the father's illegal behavior. "I can't tell you specifically," he said.

Can you not tell us because its sooooper seekrit??? Or could it be because he didn't do anything illegal, and was only guilty of making you uncomfortable? I suppose you can't answer that question specifically either...

"He was refusing to provide medical care," the sheriff said.

However, the sheriff said if his own children were involved in an at-home accident, he would want to be the one to make decisions on their healthcare, as did Shiflett.

"I guess if that was one of my children, I would make that decision," the sheriff said.

Wow. Sometimes you just wonder if people can hear themselves talk. You just want to record the conversation, and play it back for them until they understand the deep disconnect in their line of thinking. At least, you HOPE it's a disconnect, and not just a rationalized double standard. "I'm the ONLY ONE qualified to make that kind of decision!"

"While people can debate whether or not the father should have brought his son to the ER – it seems like this was not the kind of emergency that warrants this kind of outrageous conduct by government officials," a spokesman said.

The crux of the issue. Should society be allowed to infringe upon people's rights simply because their choices and decisions make other people uncomfortable. Last I checked, the bill of rights doesn't enumerate those rights for everyone unless you're weird. In fact, that's why we live in a republic, so minorities cannot be oppressed by majorities simply because of numbers. But hey;
"The United States can't be so fixed on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans..."
~ William Jefferson Clinton, March 1, 1993
There you have it.

"Now I'm hunting for lawyers that will take the case … I'm going to sue everybody whose name was on that page right down to the judge," he said.

Godspeed, from another American who believes in the constitution, and makes "comments."

How to Escape Microcar-Attacking Ninjas on Roller Skates

It just could save your life...

Quote of the current socio-political landscape

'Need' now means wanting someone else's money. 'Greed' means wanting to keep your own. 'Compassion' is when a politician arranges the transfer. ~ Joseph Sobran

My addiction, exposed!

James of Hell In a Handbasket heard my cry for help, and layed it all out for me.

Most of the stuff that we perceive as being spicy hot has zero nutritional value. So why would anyone crave it physically? It certainly doesn't help the body keep going in any way.

Sugary and fatty foods are calories, and even if the body doesn't need them right away those foods are easily broken down and stored as fat in case they are needed later. But hot spices?

I was reading an article about 25 years ago, when the fascination with hot spices and different kinds of peppers was just taking off in the US. The author speculated that the appeal was because the hot taste caused the release of endorphins in our brain. (Brain: "3rd degree burns on the tongue! Release endorphins to try and stave off the onset of shock!")

So you wanted to put Tabasco in your too hot soup because you are a filthy junkie.

Might as well just mainline a chipotle, and then you're going to start turning tricks on the street for jalapenos. You'll spend all your money on nachos at the local 7-11 because they let you put as many peppers on as you want, and you'll be kicked out of your house because you can't make rent. It won't be long after that you start going through the dumpster at the Taco Bell, sucking almost empty packets of "Fire" sauce for the last few drops. Eventually the cops will find you frozen to death on a park bench with a half eaten habanero clutched in your fist.

Spice addiction. I've seen it before. It is always ugly when it finally ends.

James

It's not an addiction! I can quit whenever I want! ... I-- Just don't want to, that's all!


... BACK OFF!

But seriously, I was rolling on the floor when i read this, thanks James!

The 360 is back

... and I'm trying really hard not to expect the police. :)

It's 9:30, and we're pounding away on the drums of rock band and having a great time.

Good to be back.

Fantaisie Sign - Ian Pooley Remix

Don't watch the video. Just hit play, and scroll down.










Further...












...A bit more...










That should do it.

...

...soooo... what's up?

Hey wait!

Fuck the remix, the original is way better!

You can actually watch this video.

Be sure of your target, and what's behind it!

This is disgusting.

Cops get reports of someone shooting into the air on new year's, they arrive and see the shooter. Shooter points gun at officers and flees into a house which had a party going on inside. Officer fires 11 shots into the house wounding four including one man shot in the face, and a 9 year old.

Towandaa Austin, 18, a neighbor, said she was outside and yelled at police: ” ‘Stop shooting! There’s kids in there!’ They said shut the f- up.”

You can shoot through cover if you are VERY sure the dangerous assailant is on the other side, AND is an immediate threat, AND must be subdued immediately.
Now listen closely, because this part is important;
You may NOT shoot through cover if that cover is a 9 year old.

Hat tip to David

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Seriously?

I love spicy food, but it wasn't until a recent event that I began to wonder if I love it a bit too much.

My mom made some posole, but added too many habanero peppers and apologized for making it so hot. I assured her it was no problem, and thanked her for making it so spicy. I quickly filled a bowl and went to town. She was right. It was hot. I eat a lot of spicy things, and this was extremely spicy. It was a challenge to finish the bowl, and was a very enjoyable (somehow).

A few days later, I returned to finish the soup and mentally prepared myself as I prepared the soup. I also commented aloud at the spicy damage I was about to inflict upon myself. I withdrew the reheated soup from the microwave and placed it on the table, sat, and stared at the hazardous soup.

Then, in what hindsight can only conclude as an attempt at self torment, I formulated a sentance that must have originated from a deeply detached part of my brain, and understanding fully how this soup treaded dangerously upon my limit for spicy food, said;

"Maybe I should add some Tabasco."

My girlfriend looked at me in disbelief, "What?!" It took a little bit for me to realize the implications of what I'd just suggested out loud. I say a lot of weird things, but this really confused me. "What the fuck is wrong with me???"

Why DO I like spicy food? I usually order the spice level of my food with words like, incapacitating, deathly, or coma-inducing. This crossed a line somehow. Why do I do this?

Yeah? Well, your MOM...

It should be obvious...

CLICKY for full size.

Repost is a repoooost!

Flinch - Why shooting isn't like the movies

Carteach has a great post up with pictures and videos explaining flinch.

If you've never shot before, or if you're new to shooting, managing flinch is a huge part of shooting accurately. This post is definitely worth your time.

mah Berfdey

I took the occasion to spend a few hours at the range. The G22 seems to be getting better at digesting the cheapo remington golden bullet bulk box. I only had one FTE and one FTF. As usual the G22 loved the thunderbolt, but somehow I was shooting better groups with the cheap stuff.

The trigger seems to have stiffened up since the recent trigger mod, and I was shooting smaller groups as a result. The scope remains removed in favor of some more enjoyable iron sight practice. Though I feel I'm rather close to maxing out my iron sight ability with this gun, and expect the scope will be making a come back after this remission. The space gun seems to be capable of some pretty good accuracy. I still long for a 100 yard range with good conditions to really explore the accuracy of this enjoyable plinker.

Since it was my birthday, I decided to celebrate by bringing my baby along for some quality time. She has been sadly neglected with the cost of .45 lately, but there was no way I was talking myself out of some 1911 range time on my birthday! Oh boy did I miss shooting that gun. Crisp trigger breaks, quick resets, smooth controllable recoil, and (of course) a big boom! There's no one thing I love about that gun, it's just the perfect complete package. I shoot it so well, I surprise myself. Shooting tiny groups never gets old. The only thing I find lacking for quick, aimed fire is the mil-spec sights which are low and slick, but difficult to find in a hurry. I think I might be tempted to take a file to the rear sight and open it up a bit. I can't bring myself to replace them since the snag-resistant low profile of the sights was one of the selling points.

After returning home I relished a detail strip and cleaning of the 1911, and enjoyed its beautiful, brutal simplicity.

That night it was time for the birthday dinner of delicious sushi. My sister and her husband go to a sushi bar that serves lots of interesting rolls, so we usually go there. While I'm usually more of a nigiri kind of guy (because I enjoy the taste of fresh sushi), the interesting rolls they make there are too good to pass up. I also had about a bottle of Soju, which is surprisingly good with a lot of lemon. Family, friends, and all the sushi you can eat is the perfect way to enjoy a birthday. If I hadn't drank and ate so much I would have likely attempted to watch the entire Indiana Jones Box set I got as a gift. I suppose I'll have to leave it for another time.

Great birthday. Looking forward to the next one.

Just another day at the office.

The project planning planners plan,
Questions? Surely you jest!
Meetings for meetings, pre and post.
Submit a change request!

I sent you that two months ago.
There's too much on my plate.
Are you checking the triage board?
Your time's not up-to-date!

I'm handing this thing off to you.
How was this overlooked?
This ticket is seven days old!
Why am I triple booked?

We need to shift some paradigms.
Has he tried to reboot?
Someone deleted my hard drive!
I'll just telecommute.

I'm taking my vacation now.
You sure that that's legit?
You need to do it this weekend.
That's it you guys, I quit.

Provided for your protection

James has a good post up on concealed carry in public restrooms. Don't get caught with your pants down when you hit the head.

I can neither confirm nor deny using the hook. Though every time hand touches gun, thumb goes for safety; and I am quick to note when the safety is not on.

Currently playing;

Wii: Latest Mario Party
PS2: Guitar Hero II
xbox: Thief: Deadly Shadows
Xbox360: Super Repair Center Adventure

Tin foil hat anyone?

Found over here; (scroll down)
http://www.lessemf.com/personal.html

(not hotlinking because I don't want them to know I'm speaking ill of their silly product :)

Overheard at work... Seriously

Coworker: Last night we went to a club after the party and this hot-looking girl started making eyes at me. She walks up as says, 'Hey cutie, wanna dance?' and I looked at her and said, 'Where the fuck are your teeth?'

Apparently closer inspection revealed that meth is one hell of a drug.

Oh god.

This is horrible.

Sometimes life gives you lemons, and after you make lemonade, it beats you with a pool que.

Tax Misuse Refund

Congress to Hold Hearings on Steroid Use

Who do I have to talk to, and what forms do I have to fill out to get a refund on my share of the taxes spent on this nonsense?

If you want to spend time dicking about with Major League Baseball, do it on your own dime. In the meantime, gimme my money back, or get back on topics that ACTUALLY MATTER.

People Of The Gun picture

I posed (yes, posed) for a picture for entry in the People of the Gun. Thought you might want to see a more recent picture of me since I seem to like changing my appearance so much.


Note the lefty AR upper, and the mag lock.

Xbox360 repair/RMA shipping box arrives

Guess what arrived with packing materials, a check sheet, shipping instructions, and a pre-paid shipping label?


It'll go out tomorrow.

Make ramen de-fucking-licious

In an effort to combat the scourge of bland ramen, I've experimented with different additions, and have found a winning combination.

Here's what you'll need...

Ramen, the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen, an egg, red pepper, a seasoned pre-cooked chicken leg, black pepper, your spice of choice (in my case, curry) and optionally tapatio, tabasco, or seasoning salt.

Fill a small pot half way with water, you need enough to cover the ramen block plus 3/4" or so. You'll need enough water to evenly heat the chicken leg. Add the seasoning and spices early to speed the boiling. Stir up the spices so they're evenly mixed, and no clumps of seasoning form at the bottom of the pot and burn. Add two or three times the amount of your spice of choice, so the ramen and chicken really pick up the flavor.


Add the ramen block when the water reaches a light boil. Keep the ramen at that heat, and poke it with a cooking utensil until it starts to loosen up. Turn off the heat when the ramen is cooked enough to be stirred freely. (the ramen is still undercooked at this point)


With the heat off, add the egg, and break it apart like you would if you were scrambling it. Adding the egg while at a boil causes the egg to cook into large pieces instead of cooking into lots of small pieces that you'll get in each bite, instead of a few large pieces of egg.


When the egg is pretty well mixed in, turn the heat on low and continue mixing. The ramen should still look a little undercooked. This is fine, since it doesn't need a constant boil to cook the noodles.


Add the chicken leg, and try to submerge it completely, and cover it with noodles if necessary. Keep the heat low, and stir occasionally. You're just finishing the ramen, and heating the chicken leg.


Serve in a bowl, eat with your face!

I had too little water in this one, make sure you have enough for the extended boiling time.

Don't forget the can opener

The left side is now NOT to open your hungarian surplus ammo can.

The bottom right (5 o'clock) is the right way. Make sure you get the can opener with your ammo can.

Happy holidays!

What we're thankful for

Defiant Infidel has an incredibly moving post about an experience he had in line at a store.

People become so preoccupied with what they don't have, they don't have a chance to think of all the things they DO have.

I'm going to go read it again...

Everything dies.

DI has a reminder for all of us.

Ummm, but, did anybody read that? He had a rifle and two handguns, but he was stopped when he was hit by a few well placed rounds by this lone woman. That is the key here. These idiots fall down and die when hit by accurate return fire.

These pieces of trash who decide to murder innocents before killing themselves carry no magic artifacts which protect them from being interrupted when carrying out their evil actions. No matter how dangerous or unstoppable these mutants seem to be, they all die when (in order of preference) you stick a few hundred grains of hot lead into them, spill enough of their blood, or bounce their head off the concrete a few times.
If it's alive, it can be dead. If it's dead, it can be deader.

Don't throw your hands up and cry to the heavens, "There's nothing anyone could have done!" Bullshit. Carry whatever weapon you can, and if you encounter one of these goblins, make up your mind fast.
Better yet; make up your mind now.

Response to Shane in Sydney.

Shane in Sydney left a few comments over the weekend, here's one of them;

wow - I'm not an American, and its weird reading these endless stories and fantasies full of fear & terror - and all that will save you is GUNS!! I don't know anyone with a gun, and this weird fear filled gun culture of America is very strange from an outside perspective. Most of the writers of this stuff seem to be middle class people class people in safe neighbourhoods (can you ever be safe without GUNS !! I can hear you say...). So scaredy scaredy scaredy Americans.... harmless & sad but then hunting the world for BAD PEOPLE to kill.... such as muslims and anyone that doesn't like Israel. So many millions dead so that Americans can't their terror & cowardice.

To the displeasure of some, I will respond to this obvious Troll. While I don't advocate feeding Trolls, I feel my views warrant defending. On the off chance that Shane actually seeks to have a discussion or *gasp* a debate, I'm going to respond as if his comment were more rationally stated, and less sophomoric. Enjoy!

Shane, thanks for taking the time to respond in such a thought provoking manner; your challenging of my subject matter in the good neighborhood post, and my why own guns post, drips with respect, and cutting candor. You are an example to us all that people can be civil and courteous, even when they disagree; even on the internet. Please allow me to reply to your more spirited comment.

Your contention that gun-owning Americans live in fear is misconceived; in fact, quite the opposite is the case. Most gun owners who take the defense of their loved ones seriously live quite peacefully. This is because they are confident in their ability to protect their loved ones should it be required. They know they will not have to dial 911 and pray they don't get a busy signal, hope they dispatch someone immediately, and wish against statistics that they arrive fast enough to stop a crime in progress. If they feel threatened, they don't have to wait until they are attacked to call the police, who would otherwise ignore their request. They know that if they don't have cell service, they will still have a fighting chance. They know that they are the first line of defense for the loved ones who depend on them for safety.

Abdicating the responsibility to another (police)man is your prerogative and certainly your right. Obviously, no one requires you feel any responsibility or duty to protect yourself, your wife, or your children. Certainly not your government. Just know that some men and women DO feel that responsibility, that duty, and would be crushed beyond words if their failure to be prepared resulted in the death (or worse) of a loved one or innocent. Just as you find our "gun culture" strange, we find your "culture of cognitive dissonance" strange. Along with the "there was nothing anyone could have done" attitude citizens adopt after what should have been an eye-opening lesson in reality.

Good neighborhoods are safer; that's why we live in them. But while it is more safe to live in good neighborhoods, it is not 100% safe. Nothing is. Not even where you live. No matter how much of a gun-free bastion of public safety you seem to be convinced to have found in Sydney. Random acts of violence can visit anyone, at any time, and irrevocably shatter lives. Arguing that incidents like the recent "good neighborhood" story don't happen, is obviously moot.

It is extremely likely that I, like most gun owners, will never wield a gun in anger. This is fine by me. I certainly don't want to have to go through the legalities, personal expense, emotional trauma, or life-threatening danger of having to use a weapon to defend myself or my loved ones. I think we both agree though, that anyone who would hope to shoot someone, should seek professional help.

The intention of the good neighborhood posts is to enlighten the people who assume they are immune to crime and violence because they live in a "good" neighborhood. This perception of invulnerability seems to be something from which you suffer. You seem to be of the notion (please correct me if I'm wrong) that bad things will not happen to you if you live in a good neighborhood, or that if bad things DO happen, the police will save you and your loved ones. This perception is simply wrong. The perception is so common, and so obviously wrong, that I've covered it many times, and will not bother rehashing.

But I am not so entrenched in my beliefs that I cannot have my mind changed. If you have arguments that can convince me that guns are not necessary to protect my loved ones from harm, I will happily give up the added responsibility, sell all my guns, (except a few .22s for recreational target shooting) invest the thousands I'd get back, and enjoy my life with one less thing to concern me.

Please Shane, please convince me I don't need guns.

Rabbits and wire management

Part of rabbit ownership is staying committed to proper wire management.

Lest the following happen;


Those I've spoken to have told me that no matter how much of the wire shielding the rabbit removes, there is never a dead bunny lying next to two exposed, live wires. Neither has any clue why this is, but we certainly won't tempt fate.

TRIGGER DISCIPLINE

Even the dog-shooting master chief has it.

FYI

For those who were fooled (myself included); that woman who stopped that church shooting was neither a security guard, nor a plain-clothed security volunteer.

She was a private citizen.

THIS JUST IN!!!!!1!11@#

MEN WHO HIT BALLS WITH STICKS FOR A LIVING (lol) MAY TAKE PERFORMANCE ENHANCING SUBSTANCES!

EVERYONE FREAK OUT!

But I live in a good neighborhood Part :(

JR has the scoop on a horrible story.

An unexpected knock at the door resulted in the seemingly pointless murder of the woman who answered.

The wife answered the door.

The husband told investigators he then heard three or four shots, Irving said.

The husband said he found his wife bleeding in the foyer, Irving said.

Nice neighborhood, no reason, no theft, just simple murder.

Why?

Just like JR's family, we do not usually get unexpected visitors. When a playful relative visited recently, my girlfriend found the peep-hole to be blocked. When she asked the unknown visitor to unblock the peep-hole, they responded playfully that she should just open the door to find out. She did not. She reiterated more forcefully that the peep-hole be unblocked, and the playfully alarming relative relented.

It's really difficult to believe this kind of random act of violence is something we should have to prepare for, but this is the world we live in.

It's really easy to be taking that extra step of safety, and reasoning with yourself; "Don't be so paranoid! It's probably just someone messing around." I know this, because I've done it many times before. I will strive to correct that fault.

My heart goes out to this poor soul, and to JR, may both our guns remain ready, and undrawn.

Xbox bricked? Turn it into modern art!

Now, where can I find a super high pressure water jet?

Timely link provided by MAKE.

1-800-IGNORE-MY-XBOX

The Xbox 360 has decided it will no longer work. Apparently due to some flaw of manufacture...

But worry not, microsoft has decided to graciously extend their warranty to cover the thermally challenged hardware.

Simply call 1-800-4MY-XBOX, and microsoft will gladly send you a box, postage paid, to ship your xbox back to them in, so they can confirm the issue, and send you a refurbished? replacement.

Sounds easy right? One phone call and 3 hours later, I hadn't spoken to a single soul. I called in the evening on the west coast, so I don't imagine they were in peak hours. At hour two, I went online and signed myself up for a LIVE account (with the hottest news, tips, and spam straight to my e-mail box!) so I can begin the warranty process. Entered the serial number and found my hardware to be covered, and was advised that a shipping box would be arriving shortly. I left the phone on hold just to yell at whoever picked up the phone when my turn finally came. I hung up after three hours.

Excuse my cynicism, the (online) process doesn't take much time, and they are indeed replacing consoles, but I feel this whole bit of nonsense could have easily been avoided, and would have been better for both parties.

We'll see how it goes.

If only...

Notably absent from the photo are the police, (6 mins away) and the mall security guards. (ran away)

If only someone was there. I know I probably don't mean it, but I wish I could have been there.

If only...


The second picture I made puts a pit in my stomach, and a weight on my waist.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Part 2

From The Almighty Oleg

GOOGLE! DO YOU SPEAK IT?!

UPDATE

The Armed Canadian points out that unless we are to believe that professional reporters are unfamiliar with GOOGLE, they have willfully mislead their readers for the sake of frightening them.

As I've said before, it's inexcusable for a PROFESSIONAL reporter and researcher to present blatant lies, and claim ignorance. This is journalistic malpractice.

Can you tell the difference between these two rifles?
You may be smarter than an MSNBC reporter!


UPDATE;
The Armed Canadian has a correction post up wherein he analyzes a picture of the shooter and concludes it to be an AK variant. The point stands; the article he linked stated the rifle was an SKS, yet provided a picture of the eeeeeevil terrorist AK-47.

The rifle in the picture does indeed look like an AK type, and I should note that there are kits and accessories to make your SKS look VERY AK-like. It is understandable to mistake the two when encountering a hail of gunfire, but there is no excuse when your article states plainly the rifle is an SKS.

They don't do pilates...

...and they shoot up in the loo.

Group Therapy

Wow.

Penis not big enough?

Xavier has the scoop on yet another penis-compensating, cowboy, redneck, neanderthal, who wants to carry a gun.

Oh wait...

Pro-gun non-hunter?! TIME PARADOX!

CNN just doesn't get it;
Thompson does not have hunting license

When asked if Fred owned any guns, he answered "I own a couple of guns, but I'm not going to tell you what they are or where they are." That's not the way a hunter answers that question, that's the way someone who understands the meaning of the 2nd amendment answers that question. Recreational shooters took note.

Uncle correctly (and humorously) notes, It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.

Murder Empowerment Zone

Media Coverage of Mall Shooting Fails to Reveal Mall's Gun-Free-Zone Status

But despite the massive news coverage, none of the media coverage, at least by 10 a.m. Thursday, mentioned this central fact: Yet another attack occurred in a gun-free zone.

The same was true for the attack at the Trolley Square Mall in Utah in February (snip) ban there was even more noteworthy because the off-duty police officer who stopped the attack fortunately violated the ban by taking his gun in with him when he went shopping.

I didn't know this; it makes the whole argument pretty obvious,

Few know that Dylan Klebold, one of the two Columbine killers, closely was following Colorado legislation that would have allowed citizens to carry a concealed handgun. Klebold strongly opposed the legislation and openly talked about it.

There is nothing you can do to prevent someone from killing people if they plan to take their own life.

You can only hope someone ON SITE has the ability to limit the carnage.

The image of the police arriving on scene at Virginia Tech, and hiding behind trees instead of entering the school is burned into my mind.

SOP for most police departments, when a suspect is inside a structure shooting, is to establish a perimeter, and wait for SWAT. This means that if an army of police were standing outside VTech on that day, there would have been no change in the outcome.

Modeselektor - DancingBox

GITS: SAC Solid State Society

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is going into the third season; Solid State Society


Holy shit. My life has meaning. :3

Ghost in the Shell was a revolutionary movie at the time, and when intentions were announced to create a series out of the movie, I (like many) was skeptical. Usually when a series is spawned from a movie (especially an AWESOME movie) it doesn't end well (see: Blood+ then vomit). But the Stand Alone Complex series fires on all cylinders, and may even bypass the movie. (blasphemy!)

Stand Alone Complex follows a secretive government agency in future Japan called Section 9, which engages in black OPs, and information warfare. The series usually begins with unrelated cases that hint at a larger scheme, and the late season finishes the larger plot.

The greatest strength of this series is that it doesn't insult your intelligence like most anime does. While it is possible to simply tune out and enjoy the action, direction, and artwork of the series, following the story is far more rewarding (though admittedly more difficult). Since Section 9 is a black government agency, there are constant power struggles from different factions within and without the government. Misdirection, misdeeds, and misuses are constantly keeping the different parties on their toes. When the larger plot is revealed it's not a series of splashes of paint that (when you blur your eyes a little) reveal the larger picture. Instead, each brush stroke is carefully planned out to develop the picture while confusing or misleading onlookers. When the larger plot is revealed, you'll be amazed at how well they developed the progression that lead to its discovery.

Along the way, bits of the characters' history, motivation, and challenges are revealed seamlessly, instead of as a wedged-in soliloquy voice-over that takes up half the episode as in most (bad and mediocre) anime. Single episodes that have little or no effect on the overall plot fit in seamlessly, and usually challenge the viewer in a different way. Some episodes consist entirely of characters talking, trying to figure out how incidents are related, while others explore the intentions and motivations of characters who will never appear in the series again. An episode followed an unknown man's thoughts through his job as a helicopter pilot for a government official. He dreamed of being more than the small man he had become, and thought of how he had come to this point in his life while recounting some history of the refugees. These stories do not disappoint.

The episodic plots deal with very serious subject matter, and are certainly not intended for children. Heady episodes covering adult topics, and brutal animation and artwork will surprise you. Episodes cover child slave trade, plight of war, death, torture, and personal loss. Good direction keeps you enthralled with twists in the plot, while delivering unexpected kicks in the stomach. Just when you think you know what's going on, another carefully crafted layer of depth is revealed, and you are left wondering again. These layers are developed smoothly, and revealed in a manner confluent with previous events that leave you wondering why you didn't see the connection earlier.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will challenge, and reward you.

Catch it on Netflix or rent is so you can make your decision before buying the series.

Washington

Cox + Combes - Washington

Just in case you haven't seen this hilarious video.

Sorry to send you to myspace, but it's all I could find.

Google wants my nipples.

What in the name of google adwords did I do to deserve this?!

A search of my e-mail shows 1 use of the word "Thai," 0 uses of the word "nipple," and 0 uses of the word "gong." Why would using the word Thai immediately conjure up nipples instead of the myriad other things associated with Thai? Clearly, google has it out for my nipples.

Don't worry guys, I won't let them hurt you!

Wow. Just wow.

Firefighters asked to report people who express discontent with the government

A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught "to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States."

Keith Olbermann raised the alarm about the program on his show Wednesday, noting that "if the information-sharing program works in New York, the department says it will extend it to other major metropolitan areas, unless we stop them." He then asked Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now with the ACLU, "This program seems to be turning [firefighters], essentially, into legally protected domestic spies, does it not?"

I suspect an increase in calls to anonymous "tip lines" (AKA make-your-own-probable-cause lines) warning of possible fire hazards in buildings heretofore difficult to obtain warrants to enter...

Don't worry folks, nothing to see here, move along.

Quote of the work.

Coworker: I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I get change management into place.

Truer words were never spoken.

I Seeee youuuuu!

Hello.

FUCK YEA!!!!!1!@!2!!12!!!!!@21!!GODDMANIT

Christian Bale as John Conner! Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins

FUCK YEAH

Quote of the WIN

If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid about?
-Clint Smith

Quote of the... Ouch...

David's delivering some reality. Ouch.

If I were you, I'd strap 'em on and tell my wife--not "ask"--that I was going to acquire the means and the knowledge to safely keep a gun in the home to defend my family with. If she's "uncomfortable" with that, I'd want to find out if she'd really rather have a $150 gift certificate than a man.

USB toaster will murder your other toasters.

Hi-goddamn-larious...

This show will break your brain.

Rickrolled?

While I found this xkcd humorous, I feel compelled to remind everyone that a successful rickroll requires the rickrollee to navigate, view, or listen to the rickroll by choice.

POR EJEMPLO

Sending an attractive woman to flirt with Rick Astley, and having her give him her number. However when Rick calls the number, it goes directly to an answering machine playing... well... you know.

He makes a compelling argument...

Larry on why he's voting for Huckabee.

Chuck Norris has come out and endorsed Mike Huckabee. Chuck Norris has spoken. I have to vote for Huckabee now, because I’m afraid that Chuck Norris will round house kick me in the spleen, through the Diebold voting machine, if I push any other buttons.

It's not that bad...

I guess the only thing worse than paying $600 for an unexpected car problem, is not having $600 to spend on an unexpected car problem.

Who am I to complain? The sky's blue, the sun is out, and I've got the new Air album.

Life

Is

Good

$Ouch.00

Soooooooo...

Evap system leak detection pumps are NOT covered by California emissions warranty...

...also, cam sensors are not covered by powertrain warranty.



...also, ouch.

.. also, OOOOUCH!

Oh well. At least I haven't been spending money on non-essensials.

There's always that part of you who thinks that when you get some money saved up, unexpected expenses always come up. Therefore, if you spend all your savings on... oh, you know... stuff... then you won't have any unexpected expenses! Wishful thinking is just that.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ... oh wait...

SR just cringed

That's what happened to the Xbox 360 last night when I fired up my "hardened" difficulty campaign on Call of Duty 4. It was truly a dark day. I pushed the button twice to restart it, and when the screen stayed blank instead of showing the Xbox 360 startup, I just got that sinking feeling. Then the red circle of death showed up.

My girlfriend looked at it and said, "I think I'm going to cry."
At the time, I thought she was kidding, but when I thought of the $400 piece of hardware that bricked itself for the most heinous act of attempting to use the console for its intended purpose, I could understand if she wasn't kidding. EDIT: the Xbox was a gift from her brother

So we sat there and stared at the circle.

I looked at Freedom Fighters (regular xbox game), and guitar hero (ps2), and wario ware (wii)...
and Call of duty 4 (360)
and Gears of War (360)
and FEAR (360)...

I didn't want to play anything. I was disgusted with the whole situation. I couldn't believe someone would release a product that might simply irreversably break during the course of normal function. Adding insult to injury was the fact that this was not a hardware problem (AFAIK). It's not like hitting a baseball too much and having the seams bust, it's like your toaster refusing to work because you bought a lot of bread. It's software, and it shouldn't work like that.

My girlfriend ventured, "Maybe now?"
What could it hurt?
I push the button and prepare for that sick, angry feeling when the screen flickers and it starts up normally!

I cautiously attempt to play again, and have it freeze again right after the same part of the game. I turn it off for a bit and restart it, but this time I play another level, freezes again. Toss in another game, and play uninterrupted for a bit, then switch back to COD4, and start a new profile and play with no problems. Hmmm...

Hopefully it was just a problem with that game profile. I seems pretty stable, and I don't want to have to put up with a randomly bricked and unbricked system that so many others have had to put up with.

Hope springs eternal.

Hardware, however, does not.

CNN youtube republican debate

At least CNN will put tough questions through...

Looking forward to seeing some R's squirm...

Call of Duty 4

It's awesome. Play it.

It has made me think about getting xbox live just to play online.

The maps are planned out to very minute details and really improve the experience. Cutscenes are not overused, and really draw you into the game. The single player seemed rather short, but you can keep it spicy when you play it again by trying a different route or focusing your fire on different places. I noticed I was playing in the same spots on the maps, and doing the same things, so after I started avoiding those places I noticed the game was much more interesting. The shifting focus when aiming down the rifle is great, and it really captures the experience of using iron sights.

It's awesome. Play it.

NRA: "CNN, your reporter FAKED that story!"

From 2003 on the expiration of the federal assault weapon ban. Still relevant with the recent attempts to revive the ban.



The segment went longer than the video, and can be read below...

Extended transcript here.

Transcript highlights below;

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNARD PARKS, FORMER L.A. POLICE CHIEF: There's only one reason for it and you cannot hunt with it. It's only one reason and that is that it kills people. It's a military weapon. It should be kept in a military arsenal and out of the domestic society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now we give you the other side from the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre

Wayne, thanks for being with us.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, NRA: Hi, Kyra. Good to be with you.

PHILLIPS: Well, if the ban on assault weapons expires, what kind of weapons would be legal?

LAPIERRE: Kyra, let me say this to start: I'm glad you ran the story because apparently the only difference between "The New York Times" and CNN is that when a reporter for "The New York Times" fakes a story, he's fired, and at CNN he's not.

Your bureau chief, John Zarrella, deliberately faked the story yesterday and intending to show that the performance characteristics of banned firearms on the list are somehow different from the performance characteristics of firearms not on the banned list. He was -- he was implying that these were machine guns or fully automatic guns. That's not true.

PHILLIPS: Mr. LaPierre, I have to stop you there. No one fakes stories at CNN and John Zarrella definitely did not fake a story at CNN. You're very off base. I'm going to let you say your opinion, and let's have a conversation, but don't accuse our reporter of faking any stories, sir.

LAPIERRE: Let me say it again. In front of the whole country, your reporter faked that story yesterday. It deliberately misread...

PHILLIPS: All right, we're going...

LAPIERRE: There's no way it could be true and I challenge CNN to defend it.

PHILLIPS: Well, we're not going to continue this interview because our reporter did not fake...

LAPIERRE: Because you don't want the truth. The truth you don't want out there.

PHILLIPS: OK, that is not true. We did not a fake a story.

LAPIERRE: You ought to register your -- you ought to fill out a lobby form and register.

PHILLIPS: Why don't we ask another question? What are the uses for an assault weapon? Tell me what the uses are for this.

LAPIERRE: Why can't you accept the truth? There is no difference, Kyra, in the performance characteristics of the guns on the banned list and the guns not on the banned list. They don't shoot any faster, they're not more powerful, they're not machine guns, they don't make any bigger holes, all which your reporter, John Zarrella, implied in that story.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about the ammunition. Folks had problem with the ammunition. We've heard a lot in the last 24 hours from viewers who made the point that it's not the weapons who do the damage, it's the ammo. OK? Can legally be bought, ammunition. Now does this do -- do just as much damage than an illegal weapon?

LAPIERRE: Kyra, they all fire the same ammunition. Why can't you accept the truth? There is no difference in the guns on the banned list and the guns not on the banned list.

Your reporter's story was deliberately misleading the viewers. Bill Clinton deliberately misrepresented the House and the facts to the House of Representatives in the Congress and I don't believe this House of Representatives is going to fall and have the wool pulled over their eyes the way what happened did in '94.

The truth matters. The public needs to hear the truth and the truth is every police officer on the street knows it. There's not a dime worth of difference between the guns on the banned list and the guns off the banned list in terms of their performance characteristics and I challenge CNN again to defend that story to its viewers because it's not true.

PHILLIPS: What do you say...

LAPIERRE: All day yesterday you misled the viewers.

PHILLIPS: What do you say to the members of the law enforcement community that we had on the air who say assault weapons don't belong on the streets?

LAPIERRE: Kyra, I got calls all day yesterday from law enforcement officers going crazy over that story you ran saying it's not true. They were dismayed that there was a law enforcement officer on there lending himself to it.

The story misrepresented the facts. What we need to do to stop crime -- every time you catch a criminal, 100 percent of the time, prosecute him. Put him in prison.

We have all kinds of gun laws. Catch a violent felon with a gun, put him in jail. Catch a violent drug dealer with a gun, put them in jail 100 percent of the time. That's what rank-and-file cops know stops crime. But again, I challenge CNN in the headquarters to take an objective look at that story and defend it because it's simply not true.

PHILLIPS: All right. Executive vice president...

LAPIERRE: "The New York Times" reporter was fired, John Zarrella ought to be fired.

PHILLIPS: Executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, that's why we are interviewing you today and that's why we're addressing this to show both sides of that story.

And we all stick by John Zarrella and how credible of a reporter he is.

Thank you for your time, sir.

Miscellaneous Updates

Hey guys... Still alive... Though not for lack of trying to kill myself by staying up as much as possible while on call after I dropped the ball last time I was on call. fail Following is a bunch of updates on various topics...

I'd been meaning to revisit my large blanket crochet project, and finally got around to it. I made surprising progress with just a few hours a night. Might as well get something done while wasting away in front of teevee programs that do not interest me. (though HGTV seems to be growing on me) Large blankets are always nice, but I wanted a LARGE blanket. Like 8'x10'. As soon as the idea popped into my head I already knew what color I'd make it, and grabbed the "camo" yarn (beige/green/brown/black) for which I'd been having difficulty finding a use. I chose a double stitch and kept it very loose (which was hard for me because I always want it to look tight and nice), after a few rows I was very glad I'd made it so loose. I like the idea of large casual projects because the investment can be very low and the result very satisfying.

I've never really questioned why I found crocheting interesting, I just figured it was about creating things. After I got started and became familiar with the progression of a project and the properties of different stitches, I made some semi-complicated half-finger gloves and then put down the hook for a while. The blanket I'm working on is currently more of a scarf; but I'll keep everyone abreast of updates.
Posts pertaining to this topic will follow under the name,
"Blanket Watch 2007" and will likely begin never.

We went to the gun show last weekend, and while I wanted to go on the first day to find the good deals that usually get snatched up early, I guess it probably was a good think I didn't, because I'm trying to NOT spend money. The midday of the last day of the show was a better choice because more folks were interested in making deals and getting rid of their stock. Found some NON-reproduction Russian Mosin clips, and because I only vaguely remembered that original Russians were supposed to be good, I only bought two. Both have performed flawlessly so far, and retain the rounds well. I have yet to make them produce rimlock in the magazine, even when I try. (a testament to good clips!) I must look for this guy next show... Also picked up a .50 ammo can for a whopping $3 and a canteen cooking stand for $2. My canteen pouch now holds a canteen, a metal cup, and a cooking stand. All I need to do is add a magnesium firestarter to the little pocket on the side of the canteen pouch and I'll have most of what I need for simple cooking. Gotta love the simplicity of these tools. I eyeballed the Enfields throughout the show and found what seems like a new semi-local gun shop which promises to have a bunch of used LEO shotguns and some 308 Enfields (or "Smelly Ishys" if my lingo is correct). I've been on the look out for some cheap inexpensive shotguns I can lend out in case of emergency.

We went to my Aunt's Saturday-After-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner, and I was reminded of exactly where I get my crazies from. One of my cousin's friends attended the dinner and during a collaboratively disjointed discussion about... well... actually the discussion had no subject (literarily speaking)... anyways, he held up his hands and said, "Wait, I think I'm the only one who doesn't get this conversation because I'm the only one trying to make sense of it." I guess that pretty much sums it up. My Aunt and her friends have... interesting tastes, so the food is always very different, and usually very good.

Dexter was exceedingly good last night. I was reminded of what good writing and cinematography can do to you when I noticed my heart pounding in my chest when [highlight for spoiler] the FBI came for him. [/highlight for spoiler]

I've been letting my normally buzzed hair grow out, and it's longer than its ever been (which really isn't that long). I always cut it after it got too wavy, but now it seems the length is straightening out most of the waviness. It's uncharted territory, but I think it looks good. It is rather strange to actually have to care for my hair more than simply giving it a few strokes of a brush.

No updates on Dwarf Fortress yet. (Sorry guys, I'm sure that's why you all visited)

After my sister got married young (18) I've always seemed to have a problem with it. I never really intended to, I just had trouble having the same relationship with her that I had before it happened. It hurt me to see myself pushing her away, so I'd invite her over, or hang out with her, but even then it still felt awkward. Last night she and her husband (who's a really great guy) came over to eat sushi and drink, and it was the first time since her wedding (3 years?) that I didn't feel disconnected from her. We watched TV, played guitar hero, and wii, and sat and talked about every which thing. They wound up leaving 6 hours later, and my girlfriend and I felt good about the experience. I truly hope I'm over whatever hangup I had, and this wasn't just a fluke.

We saw Beowulf in 3D, which was quite entertaining. Very cool movie, and very worth seeing in 3D. I'm not sure if it was the 3D or if it was the IMAX HOLY-SHIT-I'M-30-FEET-FROM-THE-SCREEN experience, but the movie felt more satisfying than I thought it should have.

Thanks to this jerk I really want to spend money on one of these. It's the first time in a while I'm really excited about a new product. Of course, I'll wait until a few hardware/software revisions, and user reviews before I consider buying one, but the idea sounds so perfect!

I'm taking violin lessons at the ripe old age of 23. I'd always wanted to learn an instrument and always thought the violin would be a great instrument to learn. The last time I seriously considered it, I quickly admonished myself with the standards; too old, no time, too hard, no music experience, lack of commitment, too expensive, etc. etc. etc. But this time I actually realized what I was doing. I was holding myself back from something I wanted to do. So I said aloud (while alone in the car, of course) "No. Fuck you. Don't tell me what I can't do. I'm going to learn to play the violin just to prove to you that I can." I'm 5 lessons in, and my teacher says I'm a natural. I'm always a little surprised when I practice for three days and seem to make no progress, and suddenly notice a leap forward on the fourth day. I plan to learn the basics and continue practice on my own until my skill catches up to my knowledge. Honestly, I'm amazed at what an hour a day can accomplish. Wouldn't you give up an hour a day to learn or do something you've always wanted to? I'm memorizing songs surprisingly easily, unfortunately I'm supposed to practice reading the music and usually just wind up playing it from memory. Having a great memory is a good problem to have, I suppose. :)

At Thanksgiving my mother introduced me to a Russian friend of hers she met in an ESL class. Apparently her husband thought that since he brought her to America and she spoke poor English, he could do as he pleased. Wrong. Police reports have been filed, and she's staying with my mom for now. I'm hurt that people can be so despicable. But at the same time I'm inspired that people can help strangers in need.

The air has smelled different lately, and I feel like my senses are more acute (but without apprehension). I feel change coming.

I've added a new tag; reflection.

Fwarf Dortress (whatever)

Eagerly hoping for migrants I readied some extra beds, just in case the influx was larger than I anticipated. It was kind of a tough call because beds take wood, which I don't have much of here, and a jaguar has been stalking in the only area with trees left. Just as my carpenter finishes up some barrels and begins building beds, migrants show up. Thank god! My 5 dwarf-run fortress was doing great, but simply lacked the dwarf-power to get any larger tasks done. I hoped for at least 5 more migrants, hopefully with advanced skills, and hopefully carrying useful goods. I got 18!

After some minor freaking out, I ordered my now Legendary miner to carve out some modest dormitories to accommodate the influx, along with a large circular bedroom/study for himself. Something befitting his legendary status. As it turned out, 23 seems to be a magic number for my fortress. I was a little short on workshops, but that was easily remedied. Tasks are getting completed at a steady pace, and all is right with the fortress. The only problem I've run into, is the incredible amount of stone I've accumulated with all my mining. I have a few peasants doing the hauling of most of the misplaced stuff cluttering hallways and workshops, but there is a so much damn stone! I figure it will take at least two years to get all this stone out of the way at the current pace. I'm tempted to just reassign everyone to stone hauling and get all this shit out of the way!

I got an alert that a dwarf was interrupted by a fire imp, and went to take a look. Somehow the dwarves can see though vertical layers of lava, and are usually frightened by a fire imp dawdling several levels down inside the magma vent. When I checked the unit screen I was worried to see the blacksmith was the one interrupted by the imp. Uh oh. He has been turning out crafts, and weapons in his workshop for a long time. If he's seeing imps in there, that could mean they've found the hole in the vent I've dug. Sure enough, not only was one imp working its way through the lava channels to the soft underbelly of my fortress, he'd brought two of his friends with him! Strength in numbers I suppose. I had no experience with fighting or military other than equipping hunters with crossbows, and having them down small game, but I guess it was time to learn. I drafted my legendary miner (ultra-strong) and my hunters, and trapper into a soldier squad and figured out how to send them to fight the imps. I had read imps could hurl fireballs, and did NOT want to get a fire started in my fortress since they're very difficult to put out. The drafted dwarves rushed into the lava access tunnels just as the imps came up the stairs to meet them. Short work was made of them and the fortress was safe for another day.

My fortress was bustling with work, and food and drink stores were high. All was well. Then a dwarven grower was taken by a strange mood. I had read about these moods and knew that he had gotten a brilliant idea in his head and was going to work single-mindedly to make his amazing craft, and attain legendary status in the process! However, if he requires materials that I don't have, he'll go crazy and likely remove his clothing and go for a dip in the magma pool. Not quite sure what a grower would make, I watched him closely. He wandered around a bit, and then claimed the craft shop. So much for my bolts getting made... He ran outside and grabbed some wood from a stockpile, and returned to his workshop. I sure hope he finds what he needs, because I don't want to have to close off that shop so he starves to death after he goes nuts. He sets out to find another item and begins wandering to a far off corner of the map to find... more wood. I guess he wanted that specific kind of tree wood, because he passed the stockpiles on his way out the entrance. He returned to the workshop and I was alerted that he had begun work on a mysterious project. Alright buddy, I'm going to have a legendary woodcrafter, and an artifact to boot for the cost of two logs of wood. A short while later he emerged victoriously and beamed with pride at his masterpiece;

A tower cap timber ring of the highest craftsdwarfship. The ring is adorned with spikes made of highland timber.

Well shit... it-- uh... it's not exactly legendary armor or a weapon of some kind, but it sounds pretty amazing. I guess...

The now-legendary woodcrafter gets to work on those bolts I ordered, and quickly completes the first batch Usul the woodcrafter has created a masterpiece! Oh REALLY? I imagine wooden bolts made by a legendary woodcrafter would fetch a high price with the traders, and hardly take up any weight! Awesome.

My fortress is still full of stone (but that problem is slowly being remedied), and I've yet to come up against any significant challenge (knock wood (maybe)) so I'm trying to think of an elaborate project for my dwarves to work on. Something along the lines of a large tower or an underwater dining hall made of glass. Or perhaps I should prepare for the inevitable titan or dragon attack. Hell, I'll probably just pull the wrong lever and screw it all up. :)

In other news, my steam trap didn't work since steam seems to only rise one level. I'll have to rework my plans. Possibly requiring water be poured over an area to seep down into grates rather than the mixture taking place over two vertical levels.

Computers and cycles

I used to work mornings. Early mornings. This meant that at 5:00, I needed to be in the NOC, checking for alerts at our customers.

Every day, there would be minor issues between 5 and 8. They varied from network issues to services stalling, but they would clear up before 8. It wasn't until I started asking the night person (later) about it that he commented that night is pretty quiet, save for a few actual alarms, but mornings always had issues that would usually clear themselves up.

We've got a pretty wide base of customers, so I think it's a good test set, but I never really could figure out why this would happen.

Another strange thing is; holidays are generally quiet. Even today, black friday, I'm at work while almost all of our customers are not, and it's quiet. This wouldn't be so strange if it weren't for the fact that the weekends aren't as quiet as holidays.

I know computers will always suffer from random cosmic-ray-related failures, and these failures should not care whether it's Christmas or not, but that doesn't change reality.

Even light user use doesn't explain why servers that work on weekdays get more failures on weekends than holidays.

Guess computers need days off too.

Toast is goddamn delicious

I don't eat breakfast. That is; I don't eat breakfast foods. I'm known to order steak or fettucini (SR can attest to that) when dining out in the morning.

Considering I am usually just waking up at 11am, I've never really seen the need for breakfast.

The last lazy sunday my girlfriend and I had, she prepared quite a few slices of toast separated by butter. (being an avid fan of toast and bread in general) I partook in a slice and decided I should really grab a piece or two before I head out the door.

I grabbed a few slices this morning. They were very good.

*counting down 5 seconds till a breathless Blogagog comment* :)

Quote of the -- er... wow...

Seems Uncle doesn't much care for the presidential turkey ceremony.

Not only should the president order the execution of the turkeys, he should kill both gobblers himself. With his bare hands, while wearing a loin cloth. He should then rise, his body glistening with sweat and blood, and take a bite out of its head and display it proudly to the American people.

That's damn funny.