Nov. 5, 2005 & Dec. 10, 2005
These dates have absolutely no significance for anyone except me, and I'm recording them only because I never want to forget them. Maybe someday I'll share the significance.
Last Week Of School
Thank God. I've got this week and next Monday, and then I don't have full week until mid-way through January. YES!!!
In other time-related news, tonight will be the fourth +6 hour day I've worked in a row, three of them until 10:30 or later. At least I got a start on my Christmas shopping last night. I have this horrible sinking feeling that next week, since I won't have school, I'm going to be working open to close just about every day.
Bank robberies
According to a woman at a jewelry store near my place of employment, the number of "scary incidents" during bank deposits have increased several-fold this year. I've already had to go on one, and probably will do another tonight. WI senate passed the concealed carry bill 23-9 last week, the assembly is expected to pass it this week. A little too little, a little too late. I'd much prefer to do a deposit run with gun.
And speaking of guns...
I fell in love with the USP (in all it's incarnations) all over again this week. Dang it. Got to "kick the tires" on a USP45, and somehow, the hi-cap USP9C has wormed its way onto my "To Buy" list. Cocked-and-locked carry, 13+1 capacity, decocker, mid-length barrel with recoil reduction system, and to top it all off, it fits like a glove. Any more choices and I'm going to start tearing my hair out.
So much to say...
I don't know where to start. I'd like to comment on the extremes in our media, which seems to be represented solely by thuggery or the-cult-of-the-omnipotent-state. Or the extremes in our political system, which seems to divided into wants-to-be-Marx camp and the wants-to-be-Mussolini camp. Someday soon.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Thursday, December 08, 2005
I'm Smarter Than This
I'm Smarter Than This
...or I thought I was. I'm going to help my mom make Christmas cookies this afternoon. She leaves to take my brother back to school and tells me to preheat the oven. I go do so. 30 seconds later I think "There was nothing on the counter." I had assumed she'd taken everything out and set it on the counter, therefore I had not done so. I've moved faster before, but I really got moving this time. I hit the hallway, smell smoke, and say "Oh CRAP I was right." Well, not exactly word for word what I said, but I don't say what I said in public. The bread's on fire. Everything is melting in its plastic wrapper. I spent 20 minutes getting everything out. Luckily I thought of this before the smoke reached the room I was in, or we'dve had a housefire.
The squirrels are intensely happy - we threw out all the bread that wasn't covered in plastic.
I'm smarter than this. Or so I thought.
Braveheart
It's not quite the dull movie I thought it was. I'm rewatching it, and I must say, I'm impressed. Not up to Patriot or Collateral quality, but quite good. William Wallace's words ring true even today:
There's a difference between us. You think the people of this land exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.
I AM William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my country men, here, in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?
Against that? No, we'll run, and we'll live.
Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take away our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!
This one is particularly stirring in a country that, from time to time, contemplates the draft. What Wallace does to those who enslave Scotland's daughters and sons is still appropriate for those who would enslave ours:
Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland's daughters and sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.
...or I thought I was. I'm going to help my mom make Christmas cookies this afternoon. She leaves to take my brother back to school and tells me to preheat the oven. I go do so. 30 seconds later I think "There was nothing on the counter." I had assumed she'd taken everything out and set it on the counter, therefore I had not done so. I've moved faster before, but I really got moving this time. I hit the hallway, smell smoke, and say "Oh CRAP I was right." Well, not exactly word for word what I said, but I don't say what I said in public. The bread's on fire. Everything is melting in its plastic wrapper. I spent 20 minutes getting everything out. Luckily I thought of this before the smoke reached the room I was in, or we'dve had a housefire.
The squirrels are intensely happy - we threw out all the bread that wasn't covered in plastic.
I'm smarter than this. Or so I thought.
Braveheart
It's not quite the dull movie I thought it was. I'm rewatching it, and I must say, I'm impressed. Not up to Patriot or Collateral quality, but quite good. William Wallace's words ring true even today:
There's a difference between us. You think the people of this land exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.
I AM William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my country men, here, in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?
Against that? No, we'll run, and we'll live.
Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take away our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!
This one is particularly stirring in a country that, from time to time, contemplates the draft. What Wallace does to those who enslave Scotland's daughters and sons is still appropriate for those who would enslave ours:
Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland's daughters and sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.
Monday, December 05, 2005
I Think I'm Gonna Make It
I Think I'm Gonna Make It
Through the end of this semester of school. They're lightening the load a little bit, and with the exception of programming, there's nothing too incredibly hard coming up. Boosted my grade up to an 89(B) in math, down from a (D) which I dropped to because of a test. Math is only going to be slightly difficult from here on out. My other class (maintaining computers) is gonna be easy, and programming will be difficult. I always manage to pull through in that class though. Always.
Work, On The Other Hand...
If I can make it to February, or at least the middle of January, I am home free. Everybody's struggling right now, and I'm on the lower end of the curve. I'm the employee you WANT to have - I ask what MORE I can do, you have to force me to take time off, I do my job competently...but there are some things that just aren't working out because of the season, and it's driving me up the wall and putting me in fear for my employment. On the other hand, I'm ALWAYS fearing for my employment, so this isn't much new. If I can just make it to February, I'll be ok, things will start going right. I hope.
Treason In Congress
Senators Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton are proposing to regulate the video game industry to prevent companies from making graphic video games. Not rating these games mind you, or preventing them from being sold to children (the Constitutionality of both of those proposals being dubious), no, they're going straight for the top of the heap - legislating against the CREATION of such games as Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas and God Of War. Apparently the First Amendment means nothing when compared to government assuming parental responsibilities.
Our elected officials would respect our highest laws much more if screwing with them carried a charge of treason.
Through the end of this semester of school. They're lightening the load a little bit, and with the exception of programming, there's nothing too incredibly hard coming up. Boosted my grade up to an 89(B) in math, down from a (D) which I dropped to because of a test. Math is only going to be slightly difficult from here on out. My other class (maintaining computers) is gonna be easy, and programming will be difficult. I always manage to pull through in that class though. Always.
Work, On The Other Hand...
If I can make it to February, or at least the middle of January, I am home free. Everybody's struggling right now, and I'm on the lower end of the curve. I'm the employee you WANT to have - I ask what MORE I can do, you have to force me to take time off, I do my job competently...but there are some things that just aren't working out because of the season, and it's driving me up the wall and putting me in fear for my employment. On the other hand, I'm ALWAYS fearing for my employment, so this isn't much new. If I can just make it to February, I'll be ok, things will start going right. I hope.
Treason In Congress
Senators Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton are proposing to regulate the video game industry to prevent companies from making graphic video games. Not rating these games mind you, or preventing them from being sold to children (the Constitutionality of both of those proposals being dubious), no, they're going straight for the top of the heap - legislating against the CREATION of such games as Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas and God Of War. Apparently the First Amendment means nothing when compared to government assuming parental responsibilities.
Our elected officials would respect our highest laws much more if screwing with them carried a charge of treason.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Now it feels like Christmas...
Now it feels like Christmas...
There's about 2 inches of snow, and the white wet stuff is still falling. Roads are good and it looks way more festive out than it did 2 days ago. Very nice. Around noon it looked like it was going to lighten up, but it went back to being nice and gloomy. Perfect holiday weather.
Lighten up
Everyone (well, 2 of my coworkers and one of my online friends) is telling me I need to lighten up, be more outgoing, be more pro-active. Even I am aware that I need to be less distant. Sure, I'm friendly, nice, and polite, but I hold myself back from lots of situations. Gotta fix that. Only problem is, I don't know how. And part of me isn't even sure I want to.
The longest day
Tomorrow will be the longest day I've worked yet. 9AM to 7PM, and going to a basketball game for 2 hours right after. Fortunately, Saturday will be a day of rest, no work, no school, going out to get the Christmas tree. Which reminds me, I have to do some Christmas shopping one of these days.
Lost
Lost was excellent last night. Missed the last 3 minutes, but it was still good. Can't wait to see what Eko and Locke found on the tape. Glad to see Sawyer's back, his presense was really missing from the show while he was incapacitated. I hope he goes back to being a bit of a rebel, not fitting in too well.
Let Me Go
Listened to this last night on Scott Stapp's The Great Divide CD. The hope I was holding out for it was not realized. That leaves 3 good songs on the whole CD (that I know of so far). Glad I got it for only $8.99.
There's about 2 inches of snow, and the white wet stuff is still falling. Roads are good and it looks way more festive out than it did 2 days ago. Very nice. Around noon it looked like it was going to lighten up, but it went back to being nice and gloomy. Perfect holiday weather.
Lighten up
Everyone (well, 2 of my coworkers and one of my online friends) is telling me I need to lighten up, be more outgoing, be more pro-active. Even I am aware that I need to be less distant. Sure, I'm friendly, nice, and polite, but I hold myself back from lots of situations. Gotta fix that. Only problem is, I don't know how. And part of me isn't even sure I want to.
The longest day
Tomorrow will be the longest day I've worked yet. 9AM to 7PM, and going to a basketball game for 2 hours right after. Fortunately, Saturday will be a day of rest, no work, no school, going out to get the Christmas tree. Which reminds me, I have to do some Christmas shopping one of these days.
Lost
Lost was excellent last night. Missed the last 3 minutes, but it was still good. Can't wait to see what Eko and Locke found on the tape. Glad to see Sawyer's back, his presense was really missing from the show while he was incapacitated. I hope he goes back to being a bit of a rebel, not fitting in too well.
Let Me Go
Listened to this last night on Scott Stapp's The Great Divide CD. The hope I was holding out for it was not realized. That leaves 3 good songs on the whole CD (that I know of so far). Glad I got it for only $8.99.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Scott Stapp - The Great Divide
Scott Stapp - The Great Divide
Picked up a copy of Scott Stapp's solo CD last Tuesday. Not bad, but nothing as good as what Creed put out. Mark Tremonti balanced out Stapp's self-centered (as in, looking inward or writing about himself) writing. Most of what Stapp writes are short verses and short, repetitious choruses. And he has this odd habit of either speaking or shouting on the CD, without following along with the music. One final complaint - I've never seen liner notes so messed up, lyrically. They had to have gone to print a few years before he finished writing. Either that or someone at the printer had a good laugh and re-arranged the structures of half the songs.
That said, "Surround Me," "The Great Divide," and "Broken" are great songs, and I've got a good feeling about "Let Me Go."
Picked up a copy of Scott Stapp's solo CD last Tuesday. Not bad, but nothing as good as what Creed put out. Mark Tremonti balanced out Stapp's self-centered (as in, looking inward or writing about himself) writing. Most of what Stapp writes are short verses and short, repetitious choruses. And he has this odd habit of either speaking or shouting on the CD, without following along with the music. One final complaint - I've never seen liner notes so messed up, lyrically. They had to have gone to print a few years before he finished writing. Either that or someone at the printer had a good laugh and re-arranged the structures of half the songs.
That said, "Surround Me," "The Great Divide," and "Broken" are great songs, and I've got a good feeling about "Let Me Go."
Monday, November 28, 2005
Christmas time approacheth
Christmas time approacheth...
And it doesn't look like Christmas out. Or anytime near Christmas. Sure, the sky is the correct shade of dour gray, but it's 50 degrees out and all the snow melted. If the trend continues, we'll be wearing shorts to go get the tree next weekend, an activity that, thankfully, the manager gave me Saturday off for. The holiday shopping season started, and we (at the store) all survived the Black Weekend with a modicum of difficulty. Not horrible, but we're seriously lacking in numbers (the percentage of sales drivers offered by an employee that are accepted by the customer) and everyone's just digging the hole deeper. According to my calculations, I worked about 40 hours last week. Not bad for a part-timer.
Sig 220
Last time I checked, "my" discounted Sig 220 was still at the gun store. It's mocking me, I'm sure of it. It's purposefully not being sold in order to tempt me. LOL Maybe at the end of the Christmas season I'll buy myself a reward for making it through the Christmas workload and my first semester of college. But then I think not, it makes more sense to get the CX4 Storm, or the really nice 1911, since both are compatible with guns already in the house. When you make as much money as I do, and when guns cost as much as they do, you have to be at least 98% sure of your purchase. Part of me thinks I just want one because Neil McCauly used one in Heat. Perhaps I should stick with my rule of "Never buy anything used by a movie character you liked." That's what kept me from getting a USP9 back in July, I didn't know if I wanted one because I honestly liked the gun or because Vincent used one in Collateral. Now I wish I'd gotten it.
Math test today
Hopefully I didn't screw up as bad as I did last week. No way of knowing till next Monday though. The teacher gave us 18 points of extra credit problems and then skimped on the instructions, leaving us all to blunder along trying to figure it out. ...and don't even bother trying to ask questions...
No hesitation
A friend at work asked me if I could take 3 of her hours one day next week, making for an 11 hour day for me. I said yes, and looking back, I said it without any hesitation. I'm still trying to figure out why I did this, and it occurs to me, I'd do it for any of the people there. Hmm...perhaps I just always do everything I can to help my friends. I wonder, seriously, if that's a good thing. On the flip side, if I take these extra hours, I won't be able to go home until about 10PM because my parents will be at my brother's ball game.
Savatage
I'm looking into starting to listen to the band Savatage. Supposedly they're very much like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a band which is near the top of my favorites list. But from what I've heard, Savatage doesn't appeal to me very much. At least I can download a few songs before I decide to buy the CD. Which reminds me, TSO's Christmas Eve Sarajevo (12/24) is on infinite repeat in my head. Good song. I look forward to seeing them in concert next month. I hear they put on a heck of a show.
And it doesn't look like Christmas out. Or anytime near Christmas. Sure, the sky is the correct shade of dour gray, but it's 50 degrees out and all the snow melted. If the trend continues, we'll be wearing shorts to go get the tree next weekend, an activity that, thankfully, the manager gave me Saturday off for. The holiday shopping season started, and we (at the store) all survived the Black Weekend with a modicum of difficulty. Not horrible, but we're seriously lacking in numbers (the percentage of sales drivers offered by an employee that are accepted by the customer) and everyone's just digging the hole deeper. According to my calculations, I worked about 40 hours last week. Not bad for a part-timer.
Sig 220
Last time I checked, "my" discounted Sig 220 was still at the gun store. It's mocking me, I'm sure of it. It's purposefully not being sold in order to tempt me. LOL Maybe at the end of the Christmas season I'll buy myself a reward for making it through the Christmas workload and my first semester of college. But then I think not, it makes more sense to get the CX4 Storm, or the really nice 1911, since both are compatible with guns already in the house. When you make as much money as I do, and when guns cost as much as they do, you have to be at least 98% sure of your purchase. Part of me thinks I just want one because Neil McCauly used one in Heat. Perhaps I should stick with my rule of "Never buy anything used by a movie character you liked." That's what kept me from getting a USP9 back in July, I didn't know if I wanted one because I honestly liked the gun or because Vincent used one in Collateral. Now I wish I'd gotten it.
Math test today
Hopefully I didn't screw up as bad as I did last week. No way of knowing till next Monday though. The teacher gave us 18 points of extra credit problems and then skimped on the instructions, leaving us all to blunder along trying to figure it out. ...and don't even bother trying to ask questions...
No hesitation
A friend at work asked me if I could take 3 of her hours one day next week, making for an 11 hour day for me. I said yes, and looking back, I said it without any hesitation. I'm still trying to figure out why I did this, and it occurs to me, I'd do it for any of the people there. Hmm...perhaps I just always do everything I can to help my friends. I wonder, seriously, if that's a good thing. On the flip side, if I take these extra hours, I won't be able to go home until about 10PM because my parents will be at my brother's ball game.
Savatage
I'm looking into starting to listen to the band Savatage. Supposedly they're very much like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a band which is near the top of my favorites list. But from what I've heard, Savatage doesn't appeal to me very much. At least I can download a few songs before I decide to buy the CD. Which reminds me, TSO's Christmas Eve Sarajevo (12/24) is on infinite repeat in my head. Good song. I look forward to seeing them in concert next month. I hear they put on a heck of a show.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Borrowed Time
Borrowed Time
Monday updates only so far, with that trend continuing until about February. I've been working hours that qualify as full time (this week I'm putting in three hours shy of a full-time store manager's schedule). What's left over I work on school work, sleep, and hang out online (a little), not necessarily in that order, and not necessarily in equal amounts.
I'm getting the feeling I'm running on borrowed time. Too many early days, too many nights of getting to sleep at 12-1AM. God only knows I can't get sick, I don't have the time. The only way I was able to finish one of my homework assignments last week was because my computer chewed it up and I got a 5 day extension. I doubt the teacher's gonna give that one out again.
I'm not digging this, to quote a Nickelback song. I wonder if I'm burning out. I didn't accept a 4key assignment and pay to become a de facto 3key because they can't find one. The extra hours mean I can't spend as much time at school as I'd like, figuring out my complicated programming assignments, which mainly consist of the teacher handing us the book and saying figure it out, and then lecturing on something we've already heard about several times before.
Thank God I have no social life, no real-life friends, and no close ones online. Even my parents are starting to express displeasure with the amount of time that I'm gone, and they've always been extremely supportive.
National Ammo Day and other gun stuff
I realize this is kind of creepy. I go straight from talking about being burned out to talking about guns. Have no fear, I'm not going to go off the deep end. I bought 800 rounds of 9mm for National Ammo Day, a purchase I really, really like. Contemplated getting a Sig 220 when one showed up at the friendly neighborhood gun store for under $500, but decided against it. Which means I'm back to my problem of what to get in May:AR-15 or a REALLY nice 1911. Or a Beretta CX4 Storm. Or a NIB Sig 220. If only all decisions had such happy endings.
More on work
I'm considering (after the holiday season blows over) jumping up to 3key. More money, same hours, only difference is I'd have to close the store some days. And then I wonder....If I'm burned out now, what will it be like when I take on MORE responsibility? Another customer hit on me the other day. Everyone thinks this is hilarious. Had an 8AM meeting yesterday, and then worked till 6:30-7PM. Fun. Sort of.
More on The Legacy
As I noted in my last post, a Mr. Recently Exhonerated is the prime suspect in the killing of a 25 year old photographer. As of right now, his computers have been impounded and are being examined for evidence of murder and/or disturbing interests. Leg irons and handcuffs have been found at his house. Mr.RE still maintains the police are framing him, that the whole thing was a setup, and that some mysterious lights he and one of his Devil's Rejects brothers saw are to blame. Yeah, right. The police force procured pints of his blood (he says it came from a re-opened cut on his finger, if that amount of your DNA is THAT easy for the police to come by, you're an absolute idiot with a clotting problem and a disfunctional memory), killed a photographer, burned her and her items on his salvage yard, buried her car there, and snuck her car keys, tainted with HIS DNA into his room.
I'm still wondering who we'd be burying if that photographer had've had a Glock.
Tacoma shooting
This one's weird. Preppy college student procures illegal, fully-automatic battle rifle found nowhere else but the Swedish military, conceals it on his way into the mall, wounds 3 people, and is apprehended by 3 undercover officers. Here's the weird stuff: The rifle is a Bofor's AK-5, found only in the Swedish military. Importation is totally illegal, and there are extremely limited quantities. A cell-phone call from a witness at the scene positively identified the rifle as the AK-5 in a "during the shooting" call to police/news media. The police respond to the call by LOCKING ALL EXITS, effectively trapping everyone inside. Witnesses report seeing 3 undercover police officers (Perhaps citizens carrying legally concealed weapons? We'll never hear/know.) at the time of the shooting. Despite such heavy firepower, only three people (to date) were injured.
I know I'm not the only one wondering what new victim disarmament bill is a few days away.
Savin' Me
Nickelback's excellent, best-ever song Savin' Me is running through my head on infinite repeat. Much better than their current junk single. I'm so disappointed in them. They released some raunchy piece-of-crap single in the US, everyone else gets Far Away. Ugh.
Monday updates only so far, with that trend continuing until about February. I've been working hours that qualify as full time (this week I'm putting in three hours shy of a full-time store manager's schedule). What's left over I work on school work, sleep, and hang out online (a little), not necessarily in that order, and not necessarily in equal amounts.
I'm getting the feeling I'm running on borrowed time. Too many early days, too many nights of getting to sleep at 12-1AM. God only knows I can't get sick, I don't have the time. The only way I was able to finish one of my homework assignments last week was because my computer chewed it up and I got a 5 day extension. I doubt the teacher's gonna give that one out again.
I'm not digging this, to quote a Nickelback song. I wonder if I'm burning out. I didn't accept a 4key assignment and pay to become a de facto 3key because they can't find one. The extra hours mean I can't spend as much time at school as I'd like, figuring out my complicated programming assignments, which mainly consist of the teacher handing us the book and saying figure it out, and then lecturing on something we've already heard about several times before.
Thank God I have no social life, no real-life friends, and no close ones online. Even my parents are starting to express displeasure with the amount of time that I'm gone, and they've always been extremely supportive.
National Ammo Day and other gun stuff
I realize this is kind of creepy. I go straight from talking about being burned out to talking about guns. Have no fear, I'm not going to go off the deep end. I bought 800 rounds of 9mm for National Ammo Day, a purchase I really, really like. Contemplated getting a Sig 220 when one showed up at the friendly neighborhood gun store for under $500, but decided against it. Which means I'm back to my problem of what to get in May:AR-15 or a REALLY nice 1911. Or a Beretta CX4 Storm. Or a NIB Sig 220. If only all decisions had such happy endings.
More on work
I'm considering (after the holiday season blows over) jumping up to 3key. More money, same hours, only difference is I'd have to close the store some days. And then I wonder....If I'm burned out now, what will it be like when I take on MORE responsibility? Another customer hit on me the other day. Everyone thinks this is hilarious. Had an 8AM meeting yesterday, and then worked till 6:30-7PM. Fun. Sort of.
More on The Legacy
As I noted in my last post, a Mr. Recently Exhonerated is the prime suspect in the killing of a 25 year old photographer. As of right now, his computers have been impounded and are being examined for evidence of murder and/or disturbing interests. Leg irons and handcuffs have been found at his house. Mr.RE still maintains the police are framing him, that the whole thing was a setup, and that some mysterious lights he and one of his Devil's Rejects brothers saw are to blame. Yeah, right. The police force procured pints of his blood (he says it came from a re-opened cut on his finger, if that amount of your DNA is THAT easy for the police to come by, you're an absolute idiot with a clotting problem and a disfunctional memory), killed a photographer, burned her and her items on his salvage yard, buried her car there, and snuck her car keys, tainted with HIS DNA into his room.
I'm still wondering who we'd be burying if that photographer had've had a Glock.
Tacoma shooting
This one's weird. Preppy college student procures illegal, fully-automatic battle rifle found nowhere else but the Swedish military, conceals it on his way into the mall, wounds 3 people, and is apprehended by 3 undercover officers. Here's the weird stuff: The rifle is a Bofor's AK-5, found only in the Swedish military. Importation is totally illegal, and there are extremely limited quantities. A cell-phone call from a witness at the scene positively identified the rifle as the AK-5 in a "during the shooting" call to police/news media. The police respond to the call by LOCKING ALL EXITS, effectively trapping everyone inside. Witnesses report seeing 3 undercover police officers (Perhaps citizens carrying legally concealed weapons? We'll never hear/know.) at the time of the shooting. Despite such heavy firepower, only three people (to date) were injured.
I know I'm not the only one wondering what new victim disarmament bill is a few days away.
Savin' Me
Nickelback's excellent, best-ever song Savin' Me is running through my head on infinite repeat. Much better than their current junk single. I'm so disappointed in them. They released some raunchy piece-of-crap single in the US, everyone else gets Far Away. Ugh.
Monday, November 14, 2005
The Legacy
The Legacy
I'm going to omit names here, to protect the guilty, innocent, and indifferent.
We've got the makings of a new horror movie brewing in the local area. On Halloween, a 25 year old photographer goes to an auto salvage yard out in the country to take pictures for a car magazine. Said salvage yard is run by a recently exhonerated rapist (who also has convictions for theft and throwing a gasoline soaked cat in a fire) , and a very "Devil's Rejects" clan including his two brothers, who both have records of spousal abuse, child molestation, skipping bail, and not paying their bills. Photographer goes missing. Several days later, the photographer's car is found in the salvage yard. As of the 12th of November, the owner of the junkyard (Mr. Recently Exhonerated) was charged with her murder - the evidence being his and her DNA inside her car and scattered all over the property, a burned camera and dismembered burned female remains in a "burn can," and her car keys and license plates, covered in his DNA (?) hidden in his room. Mr. Recently Exhonerated was arrested several days before the murder charge because of a .22 rifle and a muzzleloader also found in his bedroom.
The "Devil's Rejects" are claiming it's a setup by the county, as Mr. Recently Exhonerated was suing the county for $26 million due to 18 years wrongfully imprisoned. While I have no doubt the investigating parties want this guy to be "the one," Ockham's Razor suggests it's not a setup - and even I was convinced it was until I heard the list of evidence.
If this isn't a book/movie in the next five years, I'll eat my keyboard.
And then it struck me, as I was discussing this a few days ago with my family - this is the legacy of gun control. Helpless, forcibly disarmed young woman brutally killed by feral loser, who manages to get guns despite an outright prohibition due to his being a felon. Whoops. How did that happen? I thought there was a law against felons owning guns. This is what you get when you follow gun control - victim disarmament - through to its logical conclusion: Innocent, defenseless people being killed by those who have broken the law before and have no compunction about breaking it again.
It just so happens that our good Governer Doyle vetoed (last year) a bill that would've allowed this young photographer to carry a concealed weapon when she went into this situation. The same bill has come up again this year, and Doyle's vowing to veto it again. Some reason about the streets running red with blood, and not wanting to send a message that Wisconsin is a state that loves violence. Given the amount of the killer's blood that was found mixed in with the photographer's, it appears this young woman didn't give up easily. It would be interesting to see what she would've done with a Glock 27. I suspect that yes, in an alternate reality, there would be at least one death resulting from the carrying of a concealed weapon - the death of the man, that in this reality, killed an innocent person.
My Own Experience
A few nights ago, I'm standing in the parking lot of the mall where I work, and a car pulls up a few yards away. Mid 20s male gets out, notices me standing off to one side, and advances towards me, growling the cliched "What're you lookin' at?" I hang my head and say "nothing." He heads over to the entrance, also a few yards away, spends a few minutes with friends, after which they all head to their cars, stopping to verbally harrass several women passing through the parking lot. I wonder what state of health I'd be in now if I hadn't acted meek and scared before this punk. As is my habit, I was carrying the best defense allowed to me by the state - a folding utility knife. Stopping by a self-defense store a few days later, I inquired about better defensive weapons that I can carry. Collapsible batons? Illegal. Pepper spray? Illegal. Taser? Illegal. Here I am, attempting to find safer, less-lethal weapons than my utility knife, and my efforts to keep myself and those around me and preserve the life of my attacker are thwarted by our governer, who has obviously never heard of the concept of human rights, and who has definitely never been approached in a dark parking lot by a hostile punk. It's almost like they want me, or someone else, to wind up bleeding to death on a sidewalk someday.
How my own experience ties in
Both of us were forcibly disarmed. If anyone in this state (outside of the police and military) they are a criminal, whether they need it for defense or not. The law and governer decreed I am to be disarmed, and I was put in a situation where I could've been beaten up while waiting for a ride. The law and governer decreed that a woman with an interest in photography, a woman with her whole life ahead of her, be disarmed, and she was put in a situation where she was killed, dismembered, and burned beyond recognition.
Any member of the public who would convict me of illegally carrying a weapon, who would vote to restrict my right to carry a weapon - I wish they'd been standing in that parkinglot instead of me. I WANT THEM to know what it feels like to fear for your wellbeing as some belligerent jerk stalks toward you and you wish you had something more to defend yourself with than fists and a glorified razorblade. Above and beyond that, I wish there was a video tape of that young photographer's final, terror-filled hours - because I'd make the people who'd disarmed her, and the people who merely wished for her disarmament watch it and listen to her screams, every night before they went to bed. I'd make them watch the legacy of gun control.
And as for the governer, the police forces, lawyers, and "public servants" that uphold his decree that young women should die so our state "won't send the message that it loves violence," any official who would use force to disarm innocent people - they should all be tried as accomplices to her murder. They aided the man who killed her. Their actions took the gun from her hand that could've saved her life. They're as guilty as her killer.
I'm hearing
Marc Broussard's "Home," specifically the first verse, running through my head on infinite repeat. Excellent song. Catchy, well written (love some of the rhymes in it), great beat...it's an all around excellent song.
School & Work
I've looked over my class schedule for next year, and I'm liking it. 9 "core" credits, lots of free time. Enough free time that if I make it through the Christmas season, I'll think about throwing my hat into the ring for 3rd key manager where I work. As it is, the head manager wants me to take on the added responsibility of looking after our customer orders.
I spotted, while walking through the mall to my place of work, the manager who'd turned me down for a job at the last place I interviewed (well, she didn't actually turn me down, she just refused to call after promising to do so, I had to go in on my own after what I was told was the deadline and ask) before I got my current job. I almost, almost stopped and told her that in 5 months I'd jumped up the totem pole to become 3rd in experience, 3rd in "command" at my place of work. I didn't though. That would've been rude. Probably fun, but definitely rude.
I'm going to omit names here, to protect the guilty, innocent, and indifferent.
We've got the makings of a new horror movie brewing in the local area. On Halloween, a 25 year old photographer goes to an auto salvage yard out in the country to take pictures for a car magazine. Said salvage yard is run by a recently exhonerated rapist (who also has convictions for theft and throwing a gasoline soaked cat in a fire) , and a very "Devil's Rejects" clan including his two brothers, who both have records of spousal abuse, child molestation, skipping bail, and not paying their bills. Photographer goes missing. Several days later, the photographer's car is found in the salvage yard. As of the 12th of November, the owner of the junkyard (Mr. Recently Exhonerated) was charged with her murder - the evidence being his and her DNA inside her car and scattered all over the property, a burned camera and dismembered burned female remains in a "burn can," and her car keys and license plates, covered in his DNA (?) hidden in his room. Mr. Recently Exhonerated was arrested several days before the murder charge because of a .22 rifle and a muzzleloader also found in his bedroom.
The "Devil's Rejects" are claiming it's a setup by the county, as Mr. Recently Exhonerated was suing the county for $26 million due to 18 years wrongfully imprisoned. While I have no doubt the investigating parties want this guy to be "the one," Ockham's Razor suggests it's not a setup - and even I was convinced it was until I heard the list of evidence.
If this isn't a book/movie in the next five years, I'll eat my keyboard.
And then it struck me, as I was discussing this a few days ago with my family - this is the legacy of gun control. Helpless, forcibly disarmed young woman brutally killed by feral loser, who manages to get guns despite an outright prohibition due to his being a felon. Whoops. How did that happen? I thought there was a law against felons owning guns. This is what you get when you follow gun control - victim disarmament - through to its logical conclusion: Innocent, defenseless people being killed by those who have broken the law before and have no compunction about breaking it again.
It just so happens that our good Governer Doyle vetoed (last year) a bill that would've allowed this young photographer to carry a concealed weapon when she went into this situation. The same bill has come up again this year, and Doyle's vowing to veto it again. Some reason about the streets running red with blood, and not wanting to send a message that Wisconsin is a state that loves violence. Given the amount of the killer's blood that was found mixed in with the photographer's, it appears this young woman didn't give up easily. It would be interesting to see what she would've done with a Glock 27. I suspect that yes, in an alternate reality, there would be at least one death resulting from the carrying of a concealed weapon - the death of the man, that in this reality, killed an innocent person.
My Own Experience
A few nights ago, I'm standing in the parking lot of the mall where I work, and a car pulls up a few yards away. Mid 20s male gets out, notices me standing off to one side, and advances towards me, growling the cliched "What're you lookin' at?" I hang my head and say "nothing." He heads over to the entrance, also a few yards away, spends a few minutes with friends, after which they all head to their cars, stopping to verbally harrass several women passing through the parking lot. I wonder what state of health I'd be in now if I hadn't acted meek and scared before this punk. As is my habit, I was carrying the best defense allowed to me by the state - a folding utility knife. Stopping by a self-defense store a few days later, I inquired about better defensive weapons that I can carry. Collapsible batons? Illegal. Pepper spray? Illegal. Taser? Illegal. Here I am, attempting to find safer, less-lethal weapons than my utility knife, and my efforts to keep myself and those around me and preserve the life of my attacker are thwarted by our governer, who has obviously never heard of the concept of human rights, and who has definitely never been approached in a dark parking lot by a hostile punk. It's almost like they want me, or someone else, to wind up bleeding to death on a sidewalk someday.
How my own experience ties in
Both of us were forcibly disarmed. If anyone in this state (outside of the police and military) they are a criminal, whether they need it for defense or not. The law and governer decreed I am to be disarmed, and I was put in a situation where I could've been beaten up while waiting for a ride. The law and governer decreed that a woman with an interest in photography, a woman with her whole life ahead of her, be disarmed, and she was put in a situation where she was killed, dismembered, and burned beyond recognition.
Any member of the public who would convict me of illegally carrying a weapon, who would vote to restrict my right to carry a weapon - I wish they'd been standing in that parkinglot instead of me. I WANT THEM to know what it feels like to fear for your wellbeing as some belligerent jerk stalks toward you and you wish you had something more to defend yourself with than fists and a glorified razorblade. Above and beyond that, I wish there was a video tape of that young photographer's final, terror-filled hours - because I'd make the people who'd disarmed her, and the people who merely wished for her disarmament watch it and listen to her screams, every night before they went to bed. I'd make them watch the legacy of gun control.
And as for the governer, the police forces, lawyers, and "public servants" that uphold his decree that young women should die so our state "won't send the message that it loves violence," any official who would use force to disarm innocent people - they should all be tried as accomplices to her murder. They aided the man who killed her. Their actions took the gun from her hand that could've saved her life. They're as guilty as her killer.
I'm hearing
Marc Broussard's "Home," specifically the first verse, running through my head on infinite repeat. Excellent song. Catchy, well written (love some of the rhymes in it), great beat...it's an all around excellent song.
School & Work
I've looked over my class schedule for next year, and I'm liking it. 9 "core" credits, lots of free time. Enough free time that if I make it through the Christmas season, I'll think about throwing my hat into the ring for 3rd key manager where I work. As it is, the head manager wants me to take on the added responsibility of looking after our customer orders.
I spotted, while walking through the mall to my place of work, the manager who'd turned me down for a job at the last place I interviewed (well, she didn't actually turn me down, she just refused to call after promising to do so, I had to go in on my own after what I was told was the deadline and ask) before I got my current job. I almost, almost stopped and told her that in 5 months I'd jumped up the totem pole to become 3rd in experience, 3rd in "command" at my place of work. I didn't though. That would've been rude. Probably fun, but definitely rude.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Blogger screwed up
...so I cut this into two posts.
Heat-style holdup
...in Norway. A gang of 8 men, armed with G-3s and MP-5s lit a semi on fire in front of a Norway police department, then robbed a bank distribution center while the police were putting out the fire on their own front steps. The whole robbery took about 15 minutes. When the police finally showed up, the robbers, attired in gas masks and bulletproof vests kept them at bay with automatic weapons fire and CS gas, then drove off, later burning their vehicles to destroy evidence. Technically impressive, but I hope the one who shot the police officer hangs.
Work
Well, the store survived and prospered despite the Christmas adset (where we change all the ads and sales over to reflect the Christmas season), the massive Star Wars opening, and a week with only two out of four managers, myself number among those two. I got hit on at work by a customer and had to endure four hours of ribbing from an out of town manager and another employee. I wonder if she'll be back and we'll start this all over again. Worked with aforementioned out of town manager, great guy. Fun times all week.
Math
I'm surprised I'm doing so well. I've actually got a handle on some of this stuff. My math teacher freely admits to using an answer key to a seperate set of problems, makes serious typographical errors when showing us work, and explained hexidecimal to octal conversion wrong to me twice today. I hope this is her last semester teaching something so exacting as math.
Heat-style holdup
...in Norway. A gang of 8 men, armed with G-3s and MP-5s lit a semi on fire in front of a Norway police department, then robbed a bank distribution center while the police were putting out the fire on their own front steps. The whole robbery took about 15 minutes. When the police finally showed up, the robbers, attired in gas masks and bulletproof vests kept them at bay with automatic weapons fire and CS gas, then drove off, later burning their vehicles to destroy evidence. Technically impressive, but I hope the one who shot the police officer hangs.
Work
Well, the store survived and prospered despite the Christmas adset (where we change all the ads and sales over to reflect the Christmas season), the massive Star Wars opening, and a week with only two out of four managers, myself number among those two. I got hit on at work by a customer and had to endure four hours of ribbing from an out of town manager and another employee. I wonder if she'll be back and we'll start this all over again. Worked with aforementioned out of town manager, great guy. Fun times all week.
Math
I'm surprised I'm doing so well. I've actually got a handle on some of this stuff. My math teacher freely admits to using an answer key to a seperate set of problems, makes serious typographical errors when showing us work, and explained hexidecimal to octal conversion wrong to me twice today. I hope this is her last semester teaching something so exacting as math.
(C)Rap and other stuff
(C)Rap
Spend enough time in a music store, like me, and you might develop one of the following reactions to rap music: 1.Come to like it, 2.Tune it out, or 3.Develop an intense hatred for it.
I fall into that 3rd category, though I find it much more amusing to direct "cynical energy" at it. It's always intensely interesting to listen for the newest "song" to pop onto the radio and hear the latest miscreat extolling themselves as the best gangster/hustler/pusher/word-I-won't-even-use-on-a-blog-no-one-reads/illiterate, uncouth, immoral wannabe criminal. It's hilarious, honestly. I hear dozens of these morons talking about using/abusing/mistreating women, killing each other, and engaging in criminal enterprises every single day, every song, without variation. I'm surprised the market isn't tapped out/exhausted right now, that's ALL they "rap" about!!!
They'll talk about "keeping it real" and being "socially concious" and crap like that - it's bull, and they have a mental disorder if even they can't figure it out. Every single one of them claims to represent the "streets" (find me a ghetto street where known criminals drive Cadillacs AND avoid police detection, I'm just dyin' to see it) - and then they extoll and show off lifestyles not even the law-abiding middle-class can afford. Either you're poor and living in a hovel, or you're making better money than I'll ever see by performing. Pick, you can't have it both ways despite what you profess.
Outside of P.O.D., Linkin Park, and K.R.S. One, I can't come up with a "mold-breaking" rapper off top of my head, and heck, those first two qualify as rock. The entire festival of fools is nothing more than illiterate braggarts playing to affluent and immoral fantasies of relatively disadvantaged teenagers. And I'm not even so sure on the relatively disadvantaged part - 70% of the consumers of rap "music" are white, 30% are black. The majority of those categories combined CANNOT be financially disadvantaged, or this country is FAR worse off than I thought. Sad and sick are two of the best words I can find to describe this situation.
Would I, if given the powers of a god or legislator, put an end to this insanity? Of course not. The market, the people, want this. Any attempt to stem this river is going to drive it underground for real. Far be it from me to tell people what to like. I just find it irritating/amusing/sad.
No one ever went broke underestimating people's taste.
The Police
Two police officers just walked past the spot where I was eating my lunch. My brain registered the Glock 21s on their hips, registered that they were wearing uniforms, and then went back to my sandwich. Whereupon I pulled myself out of my complacency and thought "This is wrong."
Only average people who pass the tests to wear a different set of work clothes get to carry weapons to defend themselves and others in this state. Even if I, as a private citizen, am more proficient with that same weapon, I'm a felon if I walk around with it on my hip.
This is a travesty.
Either we have the same rights as police, or we're living in a police state. We can't have it both ways.
Spend enough time in a music store, like me, and you might develop one of the following reactions to rap music: 1.Come to like it, 2.Tune it out, or 3.Develop an intense hatred for it.
I fall into that 3rd category, though I find it much more amusing to direct "cynical energy" at it. It's always intensely interesting to listen for the newest "song" to pop onto the radio and hear the latest miscreat extolling themselves as the best gangster/hustler/pusher/word-I-won't-even-use-on-a-blog-no-one-reads/illiterate, uncouth, immoral wannabe criminal. It's hilarious, honestly. I hear dozens of these morons talking about using/abusing/mistreating women, killing each other, and engaging in criminal enterprises every single day, every song, without variation. I'm surprised the market isn't tapped out/exhausted right now, that's ALL they "rap" about!!!
They'll talk about "keeping it real" and being "socially concious" and crap like that - it's bull, and they have a mental disorder if even they can't figure it out. Every single one of them claims to represent the "streets" (find me a ghetto street where known criminals drive Cadillacs AND avoid police detection, I'm just dyin' to see it) - and then they extoll and show off lifestyles not even the law-abiding middle-class can afford. Either you're poor and living in a hovel, or you're making better money than I'll ever see by performing. Pick, you can't have it both ways despite what you profess.
Outside of P.O.D., Linkin Park, and K.R.S. One, I can't come up with a "mold-breaking" rapper off top of my head, and heck, those first two qualify as rock. The entire festival of fools is nothing more than illiterate braggarts playing to affluent and immoral fantasies of relatively disadvantaged teenagers. And I'm not even so sure on the relatively disadvantaged part - 70% of the consumers of rap "music" are white, 30% are black. The majority of those categories combined CANNOT be financially disadvantaged, or this country is FAR worse off than I thought. Sad and sick are two of the best words I can find to describe this situation.
Would I, if given the powers of a god or legislator, put an end to this insanity? Of course not. The market, the people, want this. Any attempt to stem this river is going to drive it underground for real. Far be it from me to tell people what to like. I just find it irritating/amusing/sad.
No one ever went broke underestimating people's taste.
The Police
Two police officers just walked past the spot where I was eating my lunch. My brain registered the Glock 21s on their hips, registered that they were wearing uniforms, and then went back to my sandwich. Whereupon I pulled myself out of my complacency and thought "This is wrong."
Only average people who pass the tests to wear a different set of work clothes get to carry weapons to defend themselves and others in this state. Even if I, as a private citizen, am more proficient with that same weapon, I'm a felon if I walk around with it on my hip.
This is a travesty.
Either we have the same rights as police, or we're living in a police state. We can't have it both ways.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Thank You John Kerry
Thank You, John Kerry
I'm not too sure about the dates here, so if I'm off by a day, oh well.
I'm not a fan of democrats, liberals, and other communist/socialist critters. In addition to policy so despicable it usually belongs in the realm of "could choke a pig," they stole the word "liberal" from the classics, who are nothing like today's liberals. But, on this day, I feel compelled to thank a democrat. That would be John Kerry.
I find John Kerry a little more disgusting than your average liberal politician. One, he was in a position to get into a position to do a great deal of damage to our country. Second, before being "outed" by Libertarian presidential candidate Aaron Russo, his website contained a campaign promise to reinstate the draft, though phrased in such a way that not only did it sound relatively benign, but it gave him a great deal of flip-flop room. Not surprising. Third, he loved the so called "assault weapons ban" and voted to extend and strengthen it. *hack, spit* So yeah, John Kerry was a disgusting little rat, and I could probably find any number of words to tack on after rat that would fit him appropriately, though that would do injustice to rats, who I hold in high regard.
Today is the one year anniversary of the 2004 Presidential election. It's also the one year anniversary of the day I became a gun-owner. The night of the vote I went to a sporting goods store and purchased the most militarily-useful rifle I could find, specifically, one John Kerry would've given his thumbs to ban. An assault weapon. I did this in anticipation of a coming ban, or possibly a confiscation, or worse still, the thought that I might one day be forced into a compromising situation by our benignly named "Selective Service." My rifle still fills all those roles, though I expect it will be needed less these days. Over the last winter I became somewhat proficient with it - not up my standard of a "rifleman" but close enough that I was comfortable using it. My skills with my rifle have dropped since then - it requires a good deal of time to practice and to keep up the physical end of things - time that I find myself having less and less of lately, but I'm still honored to own it, and I'm sure I could use it in defense of myself, my family, or country if need be.
Thank you John Kerry. Thank you for making me a member of the gun culture, for making me a gun owner. I never would've done it without you.
Now go, and slither through the muck on your belly some more, stalking and playing mind games with your deer. Not only is that where you belong, but I'm sure you'll find intellectual equals among your prey.
School
In a little bit I've got a programming quiz, and I've got an "emerging technologies" paper due in two weeks. Fun.
Revenge Of The Sith
Brought it home last night, and the book is so much better. Good movie, but the dialogue makes me cringe most of the time. The fights are good, and I like seeing characters with tormented minds. When these movies get remade, eventually, I want to see Matthew Stover do the screenplay and Michael Mann direct.
I'm not too sure about the dates here, so if I'm off by a day, oh well.
I'm not a fan of democrats, liberals, and other communist/socialist critters. In addition to policy so despicable it usually belongs in the realm of "could choke a pig," they stole the word "liberal" from the classics, who are nothing like today's liberals. But, on this day, I feel compelled to thank a democrat. That would be John Kerry.
I find John Kerry a little more disgusting than your average liberal politician. One, he was in a position to get into a position to do a great deal of damage to our country. Second, before being "outed" by Libertarian presidential candidate Aaron Russo, his website contained a campaign promise to reinstate the draft, though phrased in such a way that not only did it sound relatively benign, but it gave him a great deal of flip-flop room. Not surprising. Third, he loved the so called "assault weapons ban" and voted to extend and strengthen it. *hack, spit* So yeah, John Kerry was a disgusting little rat, and I could probably find any number of words to tack on after rat that would fit him appropriately, though that would do injustice to rats, who I hold in high regard.
Today is the one year anniversary of the 2004 Presidential election. It's also the one year anniversary of the day I became a gun-owner. The night of the vote I went to a sporting goods store and purchased the most militarily-useful rifle I could find, specifically, one John Kerry would've given his thumbs to ban. An assault weapon. I did this in anticipation of a coming ban, or possibly a confiscation, or worse still, the thought that I might one day be forced into a compromising situation by our benignly named "Selective Service." My rifle still fills all those roles, though I expect it will be needed less these days. Over the last winter I became somewhat proficient with it - not up my standard of a "rifleman" but close enough that I was comfortable using it. My skills with my rifle have dropped since then - it requires a good deal of time to practice and to keep up the physical end of things - time that I find myself having less and less of lately, but I'm still honored to own it, and I'm sure I could use it in defense of myself, my family, or country if need be.
Thank you John Kerry. Thank you for making me a member of the gun culture, for making me a gun owner. I never would've done it without you.
Now go, and slither through the muck on your belly some more, stalking and playing mind games with your deer. Not only is that where you belong, but I'm sure you'll find intellectual equals among your prey.
School
In a little bit I've got a programming quiz, and I've got an "emerging technologies" paper due in two weeks. Fun.
Revenge Of The Sith
Brought it home last night, and the book is so much better. Good movie, but the dialogue makes me cringe most of the time. The fights are good, and I like seeing characters with tormented minds. When these movies get remade, eventually, I want to see Matthew Stover do the screenplay and Michael Mann direct.
Monday, October 31, 2005
See You In Another Life
See You In Another Life
One of the managers where I work left last week. Saturday, I believe it was. We closed right at nine and then we all went out for Chinese food, had a really good time at the resturant. It's weird being in a "civilian" setting with my bosses. Anyway, she was great person to work with, professional, fun...As is my standard farewell when I won't see someone again or for a long time: See you in another life, AMP. I hope life goes well for you.
In other work related news, I've now assumed something resembling the role of a second key manager (currently working beneath acting first key) due to a departure by the true first key. My schedule is currently busy, to the point where it may start to collide with school.
Didn't get to go to a haunted house with my two friends from work.
Alito For Justice
Bush nominated Samuel Alito as Miers replacement. Republicans are happy and the Democrats appear to be building up some righteous indignation that someone would dare judge law by the Constitution. *gasp* For me, gun control is the standard. If you believe government has no right to infringe on my right to own whatever I want, you're probably going to be a pretty freedom oriented guy (or girl) in the other areas. Alito is, like, the answer to my prayers here. Now if he'll just stay out of abortion, refuse to legislate for or against gays, and tell Boy George the Patriot Act is the worst thing since the old Alien And Sedition acts, that'll be the icing on the cake.
Gun Stuff
I've narrowed my list of possibilities down a little bit. Here they are, in no particular order.
One of the managers where I work left last week. Saturday, I believe it was. We closed right at nine and then we all went out for Chinese food, had a really good time at the resturant. It's weird being in a "civilian" setting with my bosses. Anyway, she was great person to work with, professional, fun...As is my standard farewell when I won't see someone again or for a long time: See you in another life, AMP. I hope life goes well for you.
In other work related news, I've now assumed something resembling the role of a second key manager (currently working beneath acting first key) due to a departure by the true first key. My schedule is currently busy, to the point where it may start to collide with school.
Didn't get to go to a haunted house with my two friends from work.
Alito For Justice
Bush nominated Samuel Alito as Miers replacement. Republicans are happy and the Democrats appear to be building up some righteous indignation that someone would dare judge law by the Constitution. *gasp* For me, gun control is the standard. If you believe government has no right to infringe on my right to own whatever I want, you're probably going to be a pretty freedom oriented guy (or girl) in the other areas. Alito is, like, the answer to my prayers here. Now if he'll just stay out of abortion, refuse to legislate for or against gays, and tell Boy George the Patriot Act is the worst thing since the old Alien And Sedition acts, that'll be the icing on the cake.
Gun Stuff
I've narrowed my list of possibilities down a little bit. Here they are, in no particular order.
- Beretta CX4 Storm 9mm
- SKS
- Russian M44 variant
- AR-15 variant
- Winchester 1300 Defender 20ga.
- Sig P220
- Springfield Armory 1911A1 "Loaded"
- Rock River Arms 1911
- Smith & Wesson Model 60
Not bad. 9 entries on the list. Right now I'm seriously looking at the Storm and Model 60, and it's a toss-up between the SA1911 and the Sig220.
And, National Ammo Day is coming soon, and I'm preparing to buy out all of Walmart's 9mm Whitebox 100packs. Nov. 19th, at 3:30PM.
School
Got my logic test back today. 89%, a high "B." I'm currently passing the class with a 94%. Funny, this is the class I care the least about.
Halloween
Oh yeah, today is Halloween too. Happy Halloween y'all.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Music and other things
The Voices In My Head
...are playing Seether's "Truth." From what I gather, this is a song about someone expressing their disappointment in their own behavior to a friend. Great rock song.
Goodbye Harriet Miers
So long, we hardly knew ya. Harriet Miers has asked for Bush to withdraw her nomination because she's become too big a burden on the White House. Relevant questions:1.Will he? 2.If yes, will we wind up with a real strict constructionalist nominee?
House
House is coming back, I think, next week. Great show. One of the best and most original on tv. I can't wait.
...are playing Seether's "Truth." From what I gather, this is a song about someone expressing their disappointment in their own behavior to a friend. Great rock song.
Goodbye Harriet Miers
So long, we hardly knew ya. Harriet Miers has asked for Bush to withdraw her nomination because she's become too big a burden on the White House. Relevant questions:1.Will he? 2.If yes, will we wind up with a real strict constructionalist nominee?
House
House is coming back, I think, next week. Great show. One of the best and most original on tv. I can't wait.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Funny Stuff
Saving Money
I swear, with the money I save on bringing my own lunch to school, and not indulging in vending machine snacks, I'll be able to buy a small house when I get out of college. My fellow students on the other hand, will not be so lucky.
Great Quotes Pt1.
1.Non Servium - I Will Not Serve
2."Oh bother," thought Pooh, as he chambered a round.
3.Ignorance is a lack of knowledge
Stupidity is a lack of intelligence.
Ignorance is cured by learning
Stupidity is cured by a funeral.
4."Going to war without France is like going deerhunting without your accordian" - I'm not anti-french, that quote's funny no matter the nationality.
I swear, with the money I save on bringing my own lunch to school, and not indulging in vending machine snacks, I'll be able to buy a small house when I get out of college. My fellow students on the other hand, will not be so lucky.
Great Quotes Pt1.
1.Non Servium - I Will Not Serve
2."Oh bother," thought Pooh, as he chambered a round.
3.Ignorance is a lack of knowledge
Stupidity is a lack of intelligence.
Ignorance is cured by learning
Stupidity is cured by a funeral.
4."Going to war without France is like going deerhunting without your accordian" - I'm not anti-french, that quote's funny no matter the nationality.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Today
Pragmatic
Give me a good reason to learn or do something, and I'll do it. For example, money is the reason I work. My programming teacher tells me "Yes, DOS is old, but the tech guys here say it should be a job requirement because they use it so much," so I do my hardest to learn DOS and command line scripts. Same teacher says VBS is used a lot, gives examples, and now I'm trying my hardest to learn VBS. Someone give me a reason to learn Oct and Hex without a calculator - OTHER THAN there's 18 or so weeks in the semester and the teacher can't just let us listen to rock 'n roll for 3 hours. Please. I'm begging you, give me a reason.
I think I've just stumbled on to an aspect of human nature here, one that guarantees why communism *hack, spit* and its variants don't work. This aspect is: Give me a good reason to learn or do something, and I'll do it. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into this.
Victim Disarmament defeated, soundly, in Brazil
Brazilians rejected, 64% to 36%, UK-like gun control over the weekend. What's most important about this is that they did it without legal standing. They have no Second Amendment enumerating their human right to own weapons of military significance. Instead, a majority of the country believes it is a fundamental human right to be able to protect oneself from criminals, government, and various other lowly critters. Victim Disarmament activists the world over are wringing their hands and lamenting how Brazil can reject such "progressive" legislation and blaming the usual scapegoat - the NRA. I'm not a big fan of the NRA - they seem to hold the view that some victim disarmament is acceptable with "acceptable" defined as "already being law." The AWB is the exception, of course, not the rule. But somehow, the NRA is always the big bad wolf whenever victim disarmament is soundly thrashed. As though 4 million Americans paid their dues to help Brazil...yeah right. The Brazilians may have taken a page or three from the NRA's playbook, may have even gotten some council from them, but *News Flash* the NRA ain't that big. On the flip side, no one complains when victim disarmament activists start spreading the doctrine of Hitler, Mao, and Stalin from their countries. I think at this point, Kim du Toit would probably go do a happy dance with an AK and a few 20 rounders.
Work
On the work-front, the managers have put me (past tense) in charge of training Christmas hires and new recruits, and they seem to like the job I've been doing. I think I train the final 2 this week. Not only that, but as a low level manager, I've been left in charge of the store alone twice now. I'm still awestruck by their trust in me, and am doing my level best not to screw that up. I appreciate this more than they can possibly know.
I'm currently trying to arrange a trip to a haunted house with 2 of my friends from work. I hope that works out.
Buy a hundred rounds...
Whenever there's government news that makes me nervous, I like to say "buy a hundred rounds." I wish I could follow through on this, but unfortunately, I'd be broke in about a week. I have, on one occasion, done something similar, though much more drastic. I'll cover that anniversary next week. If everybody followed this course of action, we'd be absolutely rolling in ammo - and that is A Good Thing, to quote Martha Stewart. Anyway, two items of interest: 1. I've heard rumblings that in the event of a bird-flu epidemic (pandemic, whatever you want to call it) government will be mandating the killing of all pet birds. I've got a copy of the BOR up, and that looks like it violates...one, two, three amendments. A triple header of tyranny. Not a big thing to a lot of people, but to bird owners...I think they'll be losing a couple stormtroopers over that one. Second item on the list is a Red Curtain Of Blood moment (as Kim du Toit would say). I'm listening to NPR this morning (ok, that was a mistake, I'll admit) and the guest is talking about the military's "last gasp" recruitment campaign, unveiled or starting recently. He says if the military continues to fail to meet recruitment goals, there's going to be serious talk about a draft. *vision tinges subtley red* That violates 4 amendments in the BOR, and at least 2 other "standard" amendments, nevermind eviscerating the intent this country was founded under and making the Union null and void due to a breach of contract.
"In this country, [a draught from the militia] ever was the most unpopular and impracticable thing that could be attempted. Our people, even under the monarchical government, had learnt to consider it as the last of all oppressions." --Thomas Jefferson to John Adams
'stead of buying a hundred rounds, I think I'm gonna go buy a dozen or so standard capacity Beretta magazines.
Star Wars, coming soon...
Star Wars:Episode III:Revenge Of The Sith is out on DVD November 1st. I've got my copy preordered, and I'm going back and reading the (most excellent) book over again. If only Matthew Stover had written the screenplay... It may not compare to TESB, or ROTJ, but it's the best new movie I've seen all year, and far and away better than Episodes I, II, and IV.
Stuff to buy
I averaged it out, and I buy one gun every 11 months. This is the average amout of time it takes for me to scrape up enough money, research the decision, and break out of the "paralysis by analysis" loop I'm so intimately familiar with. I've already listed my possible choices, but over the weekend, I found one more: the S&W Model 60. A beautiful little holdout gun if ever I saw one. Absolutely perfect trigger (it's double action is nearly better than my Beretta's single action), good capacity for the size and caliber (5 rounds of .357mag in a tiny package), and it looks good too. Price is a little steep, I could just about pick up another Beretta, or an XD9 Service for that price, but it's ok. Unfortunately, yet another monkey has been thrown into my wrench, so to speak. Too many options, so little time (and money).
Give me a good reason to learn or do something, and I'll do it. For example, money is the reason I work. My programming teacher tells me "Yes, DOS is old, but the tech guys here say it should be a job requirement because they use it so much," so I do my hardest to learn DOS and command line scripts. Same teacher says VBS is used a lot, gives examples, and now I'm trying my hardest to learn VBS. Someone give me a reason to learn Oct and Hex without a calculator - OTHER THAN there's 18 or so weeks in the semester and the teacher can't just let us listen to rock 'n roll for 3 hours. Please. I'm begging you, give me a reason.
I think I've just stumbled on to an aspect of human nature here, one that guarantees why communism *hack, spit* and its variants don't work. This aspect is: Give me a good reason to learn or do something, and I'll do it. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into this.
Victim Disarmament defeated, soundly, in Brazil
Brazilians rejected, 64% to 36%, UK-like gun control over the weekend. What's most important about this is that they did it without legal standing. They have no Second Amendment enumerating their human right to own weapons of military significance. Instead, a majority of the country believes it is a fundamental human right to be able to protect oneself from criminals, government, and various other lowly critters. Victim Disarmament activists the world over are wringing their hands and lamenting how Brazil can reject such "progressive" legislation and blaming the usual scapegoat - the NRA. I'm not a big fan of the NRA - they seem to hold the view that some victim disarmament is acceptable with "acceptable" defined as "already being law." The AWB is the exception, of course, not the rule. But somehow, the NRA is always the big bad wolf whenever victim disarmament is soundly thrashed. As though 4 million Americans paid their dues to help Brazil...yeah right. The Brazilians may have taken a page or three from the NRA's playbook, may have even gotten some council from them, but *News Flash* the NRA ain't that big. On the flip side, no one complains when victim disarmament activists start spreading the doctrine of Hitler, Mao, and Stalin from their countries. I think at this point, Kim du Toit would probably go do a happy dance with an AK and a few 20 rounders.
Work
On the work-front, the managers have put me (past tense) in charge of training Christmas hires and new recruits, and they seem to like the job I've been doing. I think I train the final 2 this week. Not only that, but as a low level manager, I've been left in charge of the store alone twice now. I'm still awestruck by their trust in me, and am doing my level best not to screw that up. I appreciate this more than they can possibly know.
I'm currently trying to arrange a trip to a haunted house with 2 of my friends from work. I hope that works out.
Buy a hundred rounds...
Whenever there's government news that makes me nervous, I like to say "buy a hundred rounds." I wish I could follow through on this, but unfortunately, I'd be broke in about a week. I have, on one occasion, done something similar, though much more drastic. I'll cover that anniversary next week. If everybody followed this course of action, we'd be absolutely rolling in ammo - and that is A Good Thing, to quote Martha Stewart. Anyway, two items of interest: 1. I've heard rumblings that in the event of a bird-flu epidemic (pandemic, whatever you want to call it) government will be mandating the killing of all pet birds. I've got a copy of the BOR up, and that looks like it violates...one, two, three amendments. A triple header of tyranny. Not a big thing to a lot of people, but to bird owners...I think they'll be losing a couple stormtroopers over that one. Second item on the list is a Red Curtain Of Blood moment (as Kim du Toit would say). I'm listening to NPR this morning (ok, that was a mistake, I'll admit) and the guest is talking about the military's "last gasp" recruitment campaign, unveiled or starting recently. He says if the military continues to fail to meet recruitment goals, there's going to be serious talk about a draft. *vision tinges subtley red* That violates 4 amendments in the BOR, and at least 2 other "standard" amendments, nevermind eviscerating the intent this country was founded under and making the Union null and void due to a breach of contract.
"In this country, [a draught from the militia] ever was the most unpopular and impracticable thing that could be attempted. Our people, even under the monarchical government, had learnt to consider it as the last of all oppressions." --Thomas Jefferson to John Adams
'stead of buying a hundred rounds, I think I'm gonna go buy a dozen or so standard capacity Beretta magazines.
Star Wars, coming soon...
Star Wars:Episode III:Revenge Of The Sith is out on DVD November 1st. I've got my copy preordered, and I'm going back and reading the (most excellent) book over again. If only Matthew Stover had written the screenplay... It may not compare to TESB, or ROTJ, but it's the best new movie I've seen all year, and far and away better than Episodes I, II, and IV.
Stuff to buy
I averaged it out, and I buy one gun every 11 months. This is the average amout of time it takes for me to scrape up enough money, research the decision, and break out of the "paralysis by analysis" loop I'm so intimately familiar with. I've already listed my possible choices, but over the weekend, I found one more: the S&W Model 60. A beautiful little holdout gun if ever I saw one. Absolutely perfect trigger (it's double action is nearly better than my Beretta's single action), good capacity for the size and caliber (5 rounds of .357mag in a tiny package), and it looks good too. Price is a little steep, I could just about pick up another Beretta, or an XD9 Service for that price, but it's ok. Unfortunately, yet another monkey has been thrown into my wrench, so to speak. Too many options, so little time (and money).
Monday, October 17, 2005
All Over The Board
School
Cold. Again. This time someone asked me why I was wearing gloves in math class. Which reminds me, we're still doing relatively useless stuff in there. Moving on a little bit to "clock" math, which might just have some applications in the real world. I doubt, however, that five years from now I'm going to have this overwhelming need to solve a truth table. Still got a Windows Script Host assignment to do - it's due tomorrow.
The Range
Went shooting this weekend. My Beretta 92FS and my dad's high-end 1911. I shot 115gr Winchester Whitebox, 124gr (I think) Magtech, and 124gr (again, not sure) Hornady TAP. My 9mm worked without mechanical flaw, though I'm desperately lacking in the accuracy department. 4 months off will do that to you (life's what happens when you're busy making plans, ok?). I am confident in my abilities at hallway ranges however, which is, right now, all that matters in the handgun department. Ran some CCI Brass, UMC, and Federal Hydrashok through the 1911, all 230-235gr. Note:Even high-end guns do NOT like to have the slide babied. Pull it back and let it snap.
Default - One Thing Remains
I'm still of the opinion that this is a mediocre album, but I've come to really like a handful of songs. All Is Forgiven, It Only Hurts, The Way We Were, Count On Me, and The Memory Will Never Die are the good ones. And Chad Kroeger should've kept Count On Me.
National Ammo Day cometh...
November 19th. The idea is for each gun owner to buy at least a hundred rounds (preferably per weapon) on this one day. NAD came about because of Al Gore's presidential campaign statement that he was going to render guns useless by taxing ammo out of existence, so someone came up with this clever BUYcott to put as much ammo as possible in civilian hands. This year there's a twist, a challenge. The challenge is to buy as much ammo as possible (depending on your needs) at 3:30PM on Nov.19th at Walmart. Walmart tracks product sales in real time, and if even 2% of gun owners buy out one or two calibers at the same time on the same day at their store, it'll cause one heck of a weird blip, and this might make the news. I'm not that hopeful, but it's something kind of funny, like flash-mobbing. So, I'm in.
Other stuff
My friend (referred to in a previous post) left yesterday. Won't be back for probably a year. I can't even imagine where I'll be in a year. Nearly 3/4 of the way through college, for one. It was kind of awkward this time he was back, I wonder what it'll be like next time. I hope to keep in touch with him between now and then however.
As Desmond would say "See you in another life."
Which brings me to my next little point of discussion - Lost. Definitely the best tv show I've seen yet. Jack and Locke's first episodes of this season are some of the best ever. Jack in the jungle with Desmond is an incredible scene, really makes you wonder what happened in Jack's life. Didn't care much for last week's "Everybody Hates Hugo." I'v got to be the only person out there who doesn't much care for Charlie, Claire, and Hurley. It was a good episode for the Sawyer/Ana L. interaction though. I kinda wish they'd stop with the inside-the-hatch stuff - I miss the out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere dynamic of the first season.
Cold. Again. This time someone asked me why I was wearing gloves in math class. Which reminds me, we're still doing relatively useless stuff in there. Moving on a little bit to "clock" math, which might just have some applications in the real world. I doubt, however, that five years from now I'm going to have this overwhelming need to solve a truth table. Still got a Windows Script Host assignment to do - it's due tomorrow.
The Range
Went shooting this weekend. My Beretta 92FS and my dad's high-end 1911. I shot 115gr Winchester Whitebox, 124gr (I think) Magtech, and 124gr (again, not sure) Hornady TAP. My 9mm worked without mechanical flaw, though I'm desperately lacking in the accuracy department. 4 months off will do that to you (life's what happens when you're busy making plans, ok?). I am confident in my abilities at hallway ranges however, which is, right now, all that matters in the handgun department. Ran some CCI Brass, UMC, and Federal Hydrashok through the 1911, all 230-235gr. Note:Even high-end guns do NOT like to have the slide babied. Pull it back and let it snap.
Default - One Thing Remains
I'm still of the opinion that this is a mediocre album, but I've come to really like a handful of songs. All Is Forgiven, It Only Hurts, The Way We Were, Count On Me, and The Memory Will Never Die are the good ones. And Chad Kroeger should've kept Count On Me.
National Ammo Day cometh...
November 19th. The idea is for each gun owner to buy at least a hundred rounds (preferably per weapon) on this one day. NAD came about because of Al Gore's presidential campaign statement that he was going to render guns useless by taxing ammo out of existence, so someone came up with this clever BUYcott to put as much ammo as possible in civilian hands. This year there's a twist, a challenge. The challenge is to buy as much ammo as possible (depending on your needs) at 3:30PM on Nov.19th at Walmart. Walmart tracks product sales in real time, and if even 2% of gun owners buy out one or two calibers at the same time on the same day at their store, it'll cause one heck of a weird blip, and this might make the news. I'm not that hopeful, but it's something kind of funny, like flash-mobbing. So, I'm in.
Other stuff
My friend (referred to in a previous post) left yesterday. Won't be back for probably a year. I can't even imagine where I'll be in a year. Nearly 3/4 of the way through college, for one. It was kind of awkward this time he was back, I wonder what it'll be like next time. I hope to keep in touch with him between now and then however.
As Desmond would say "See you in another life."
Which brings me to my next little point of discussion - Lost. Definitely the best tv show I've seen yet. Jack and Locke's first episodes of this season are some of the best ever. Jack in the jungle with Desmond is an incredible scene, really makes you wonder what happened in Jack's life. Didn't care much for last week's "Everybody Hates Hugo." I'v got to be the only person out there who doesn't much care for Charlie, Claire, and Hurley. It was a good episode for the Sawyer/Ana L. interaction though. I kinda wish they'd stop with the inside-the-hatch stuff - I miss the out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere dynamic of the first season.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Life of Vincent
Conversational Profanity
Maybe I'm the odd one out here, a little too old fashioned for today's world, but has anybody ever noticed how profane we're becoming as a society. We can't communicate without expletives, the more vulgar the more common. Why is this? Sure, I swear occasionally, to myself, if I'm frustrated or something bad happens...but I take a small amount of pride in never saying anything I would later be embarrassed about around anyone. But conversational profanity is becoming the norm these days. Weird. Even weirder is that the women/girls have foul mouths these days too. Not that I'm some kind of Puritan, but I expect them to have slightly better behavior.
Socializing
Went out bowling with my recently-returned and too-shortly-to-be-gone friend, his wife, and his sister. First time bowling, ever, and I bowled a 132, coming in third, beating his sister's 123. Like I told him, I wish I could shoot that straight.
Despite the heck it raises at home, I will never regret hanging out with you guys. Let's do this again some time, maybe next time on my dime.
Editing
Someday real soon I'm going to figure out a privacy-oriented way of spreading this blog around to some of my online friends, and I've got to announce a reversal of policy here. I won't edit offensive posts, I recently learned I can't. Instead, anything I deem offensive will be deleted, and I'll make an attempt to post an edited version, giving proper credit.
Maybe I'm the odd one out here, a little too old fashioned for today's world, but has anybody ever noticed how profane we're becoming as a society. We can't communicate without expletives, the more vulgar the more common. Why is this? Sure, I swear occasionally, to myself, if I'm frustrated or something bad happens...but I take a small amount of pride in never saying anything I would later be embarrassed about around anyone. But conversational profanity is becoming the norm these days. Weird. Even weirder is that the women/girls have foul mouths these days too. Not that I'm some kind of Puritan, but I expect them to have slightly better behavior.
Socializing
Went out bowling with my recently-returned and too-shortly-to-be-gone friend, his wife, and his sister. First time bowling, ever, and I bowled a 132, coming in third, beating his sister's 123. Like I told him, I wish I could shoot that straight.
Despite the heck it raises at home, I will never regret hanging out with you guys. Let's do this again some time, maybe next time on my dime.
Editing
Someday real soon I'm going to figure out a privacy-oriented way of spreading this blog around to some of my online friends, and I've got to announce a reversal of policy here. I won't edit offensive posts, I recently learned I can't. Instead, anything I deem offensive will be deleted, and I'll make an attempt to post an edited version, giving proper credit.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Default - One Thing Remains
Picked up a copy of Default's One Thing Remains today. Haven't given it a proper listen all the way through, but it sounds unremarkable. Just a decent voice over good guitar trying to sing important metaphorical stuff. Count On Me is good though, and like I said, I haven't given it a proper listen all the way through.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Random news
"Have nothing in your life you cannot walk out in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."
*big grin* Yeah, I watched Heat. Last week, along with Road To Perdition. Heat's excellent, RTP is just good. Why do I feel I should feel bad about wishing Neil McCauly and Eady had escaped to New Zealand with a few million dollars? He was the Bad Guy after all. Oh well. Heat is a definite "must own."
School was cold today. I put my gloves (not big thick winter ones, in case people think I'm nuts) on halfway through math. You'd think they could afford to heat this place. Got an 80%(C) on the math test from last week. The teacher let us retake the problems we got wrong (at half credit), and since I was only 2 points away from a B, I think I might've boosted my grade a bit. Now I hope we move on to something real people actually use.
Activated my "free market" phone over the weekend. Now I'm just trying to decide if I should leave it charged and/or on all the time, and/or carry it with me.
Visited a "hometown" gun store over the weekend. Nice little place out in the boonies where everybody knows you and they stock civilian-military hardware. Looked at an AR-15, but there was also a Rock River Arms GI.45 that caught my eye (Vin Suprynowicz recommends them, despite their low price, so that's good enough for me). And I'm still looking for a high-capacity 20ga. Decisions, decisions. If only every conundrum had such a satisfying conclusion.
Also over the weekend, I got promoted (temporarily) to low-ranking manager where I work. Wow. Someone trusts me, a virtual unknown - an X factor, with that kind of responsibility. I'm staggered, seriously. And honored. I will do my best to make sure their trust is not misplaced. The promotion comes with a nice pay hike too.
It's been an uneventful weekend, government-wise. No "buy a hundred more rounds" announcments. I suppose I should be greatful.
*big grin* Yeah, I watched Heat. Last week, along with Road To Perdition. Heat's excellent, RTP is just good. Why do I feel I should feel bad about wishing Neil McCauly and Eady had escaped to New Zealand with a few million dollars? He was the Bad Guy after all. Oh well. Heat is a definite "must own."
School was cold today. I put my gloves (not big thick winter ones, in case people think I'm nuts) on halfway through math. You'd think they could afford to heat this place. Got an 80%(C) on the math test from last week. The teacher let us retake the problems we got wrong (at half credit), and since I was only 2 points away from a B, I think I might've boosted my grade a bit. Now I hope we move on to something real people actually use.
Activated my "free market" phone over the weekend. Now I'm just trying to decide if I should leave it charged and/or on all the time, and/or carry it with me.
Visited a "hometown" gun store over the weekend. Nice little place out in the boonies where everybody knows you and they stock civilian-military hardware. Looked at an AR-15, but there was also a Rock River Arms GI.45 that caught my eye (Vin Suprynowicz recommends them, despite their low price, so that's good enough for me). And I'm still looking for a high-capacity 20ga. Decisions, decisions. If only every conundrum had such a satisfying conclusion.
Also over the weekend, I got promoted (temporarily) to low-ranking manager where I work. Wow. Someone trusts me, a virtual unknown - an X factor, with that kind of responsibility. I'm staggered, seriously. And honored. I will do my best to make sure their trust is not misplaced. The promotion comes with a nice pay hike too.
It's been an uneventful weekend, government-wise. No "buy a hundred more rounds" announcments. I suppose I should be greatful.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Random Government News
Two items of disturbing news today.
1.Three small backpack bombs have been found around the country. Aside from the fact this means there could be mini acts of terrorism, if it keeps up, I have no doubt we'll be seeing far more monitoring of transportation and public places.
2.This one is disturbing to the point where I want to blow a paycheck on ammunition and rifle magazines. Bush announced his intention today to use the military to quarantine parts of the country should there be an outbreak of bird-flu. He hastily added that he doesn't expect to have to do this. Oh joy. Like NO didn't teach us about letting armed government forces control cities.
1.Three small backpack bombs have been found around the country. Aside from the fact this means there could be mini acts of terrorism, if it keeps up, I have no doubt we'll be seeing far more monitoring of transportation and public places.
2.This one is disturbing to the point where I want to blow a paycheck on ammunition and rifle magazines. Bush announced his intention today to use the military to quarantine parts of the country should there be an outbreak of bird-flu. He hastily added that he doesn't expect to have to do this. Oh joy. Like NO didn't teach us about letting armed government forces control cities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)