Mark's Mom

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball

2008-11-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

"These are hollow spheres, made of rubberized rocket fuel; when ignited, they propel themselves around at random at high speed, bouncing off the walls and breaking through doors, turning the entire building into an inferno."

Full article here: http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/secret-rocket-b.html?happyfunball

Election news

2008-11-05T22:06:00.002-05:00

I know we're all burnt out on the election but I did find this article you should read. We should take time to remember that there are people who made a sacrifice.

This happens to me all the time

2008-11-05T22:05:00.002-05:00

How to bounce back from a loss.

2008-11-05T22:00:00.003-05:00

Shamelessly ripped off from A Boy and His Computer. "Don't struggle young one, your blood shall replenish me."
Seriously, this guy did fight for this country and I honestly believe he did run for the right reasons so I wish him well.

More about my Mom courtesy of a jealous suitor.

2008-09-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

Mothshade sent some fresh one liners over.
The last hot meal I had was Mark’s Mom.
Mark’s Mom – The grit that doesn’t quit.
Mark’s Mom – Smoke ‘er if you’ve got ‘er.
Mark’s Mom – Bust it like Black and Decker.
Mark’s Mom – With a screw-top lid, for your convenience.
Mark’s Mom – Boffin in the coffin.
Mark’s Mom – Dead bang.
Mark’s Mom – Feel the burn.
Mark’s Mom – Made with a shade.
Mark’s Mom – Rock her urn.
Mark’s Mom – Be the next nail in her coffin.
Mark’s Mom – Churn the urn.
Mark’s Mom – Forget six feet – six inches will do fine.
Mark’s Mom – Bed the dead.
Mark’s Mom – Put the take ‘er in undertaker.
Mark’s Mom – Pour some gravy in her grave.

Flying

2008-07-23T05:34:00.002-04:00

I love airports after you get past security. I am sitting in a hallway with me feet up writing a blog post on Wi-fi, it's almost as good as home. I'll be away for a few days brushing up on Apple technician training. Keep an eye on MySpace for updates and pictures.

Perhaps the Germans could help them in some way

2008-06-07T13:30:00.002-04:00

Read this: French Military Falling Apart

Then as you snicker and laugh follow this link and start to really laugh.

A country has GOT to have priorities. I only wish I weren't so busy crying about the sad state of affairs in my own country to enjoy this.

Happy Easter

2008-03-22T22:52:00.001-04:00

I misunderstood the law; I'll fall in line now.

2008-01-29T22:55:00.000-05:00

Why does the president have the power to unilaterally authorize wiretaps of American citizens?

Because he is the president.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0102-31.htm

LOLcats

2007-09-27T12:40:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen this trend on the Internet Google it and amuse yourself for hours. This one is my favorite and if you don't get it you need to watch more Sci-Fi or look it up on Wikipedia.

Where have you been?

2007-09-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

It’s been a long summer and I haven’t had much to say. All my usual political frustration has died out because I realize how futile it is to hope for change in this system. I’ve instead focused more on personal development and getting back to making my life better with what I have to work with. To that end I ended up going back to work at Best Buy part time as a “Geek”. The seventy hour work week is soul crushing but it has helped me to realize something important. I am lazy and don’t want to work one hour a week, let alone seven, but if I have to do it I should do something that is more appealing than my regular full-time job.

I hate being a recruiter, so much of the work goes against my own personal ethic and everything else annoys me. Working for Best Buy reminds me that I love technology and making things work. I love playing with computers and teaching smart people who want to learn how to use them. If I can make a living working on computers instead of using people as currency I’m going to do it. Best Buy is certainly not my first choice for long term employment but it is a start.

I am happy to say that it was a long and happy summer with a lot of time to spend with friends. I once again hit Hocking Hills State Park, Patriot’s Landing in NY and my usual July 4^th blowout at home. If I am lucky and have the time I plan to learn more about Linux, Vista and technology in general. I really want to more knowledgeable about all technology so I can stay fresh. Recently I have been a little bummed because I felt that I was falling behind the curve. It seemed that every 12 year old with a high-speed connection could punk me and I even recently discovered a virus on my own machine. That’s like a fat doctor who has a 2 pack a day habit.

One last thing; now that my favorite lunch spot has a Wi-Fi connection I plan to update a little more often.

I'm feeling much better now

2007-07-20T12:50:00.000-04:00

Recently I have been very busy. This is not the reason I haven’t posted to here; in fact that should create more material for me to post. I have been remiss because I am lazy. Of the Seven Deadly Sins (Envy, Wrath, Pride, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony and Lust) I struggle most with Sloth. Gluttony is a close second but Sloth kicks my ass every time.

A friend who actually updates his blog with interesting material consistently asked how life is going for me. I am more content and happy then I have been in a long time and that leads me to be complacent. I will be working on re-organizing my digital life soon and I hope to have some tips for my readers. (Both you and mom.)

Recently I have been looking into social networking and sharing sites like MySpace, Yahoo 360 and the like and they all share one thing. In order to really get involved you need to have friends. My friends tend to be somewhat like me in that they don’t like to spend time communicating the mundane details of their lives and I have to say, I respect that.

Let’s face it, most of us are fairly boring people. I only barely amuse myself by having a running inner dialogue of favorite lines from movies when I can pair them with events in life. “Put that thing away before you get us all killed!” Having said that did do something interesting again this summer.

I spent 4 days in Hocking Hills camping, hiking, kayaking and having a great time. I doubt there is a heaven but if there is mine looks a LOT like Hocking Hills. This year’s trip was a huge success with lots of friends and it really helped me to unwind. I am hoping to get in two more camping trips this year and if I do that I will consider myself lucky.

With a little luck and fortitude I will update more frequently now that I have some time and don’t forget to ask questions if you want me to comment.

Shame

2007-05-06T12:10:00.000-04:00

One of my Pet Peeves is people who send those emails the get forwarded over and over and have no truth whatsoever. It takes all of 2 minutes to check Snopes and verify that boycotting gas on May 15th is stupid and false; little Johnny is not dying of cancer and needs 500,00 get well cards and Bill Gates is NOT going to give you any money no matter how many people you forward this to.
When I made my last posting I checked Snopes for information but did not find any evidence to the contrary and as a result I accepted the story of an 11 year old girl defending herself as true. I have since learned it is not and I'd like to apologize for my error.

Praise the non-specific deity and pass the ammunition.

2007-05-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

I’ve got three things for you dear reader. Two involve firearms and the third involves a shocking abuse of authority and now that I think about it, another good reason for firearms.

Statistics show that you are more likely to kill a family member than an intruder with a firearm in the home. That is not the fault of the firearm, it is the fault of the user. Take safety and training classes and make sure everyone in the home does too.

More guns, especially military grade guns means more crime. You simply cannot argue against this point; unless of course you point out that emphasis on personal responsibility and devotion to the defense of your country can be used to override stupidity. I seriously doubt anyone would make the point that knowing your neighbor is armed and trained in firearms use discourages you from acting like an idiot or prevents you from breaking into his home. I would also go so far as to venture a guess that no one could even dream up the argument that the answer to gun crime involves better social pressure on people rather than on legislation on guns.

I fear my government because it is corrupt and the people who protect it abuse their authority. "Great idea," wrote a person posting under the name "soundsgood." "Absolutely hammer everyone (obviously except cops and family) who does 1 m.p.h. over the limit. . . . Let's really give them something to complain about." They feel that they are above the law and that they are “against” us. What happened to “Protect and Serve”? When my government and their Stormtroopers finally decide the Constitution no longer applies to everyone equally they become no more than thugs and when faced with thugs the answer is force. Someone recently pointed out that military force can simply hit me with a cruise missile from offshore. One man or a small group cannot possibly stand up to our government for a prolonged period of time. Just ask insurgents in Iraq.

Chaiman Mao says bend over

2007-02-28T09:30:00.000-05:00

China is the wave of the future. You know this because you, or someone you know, has seen their job go to China in the last 15 years or so. For the sake of argument, let’s say you want to go visit your old job in China. To gain entry into China you need a Visa, let’s take a look at what their website has to say about getting a visa.

Number of Entry American Citizens of other countries
Single Entry $50 $30
Double Entry $75 $45
Multiple Entry for 6 Months $100 $60

That’s right folks, just for being an American you get to pay a premium for entry into China. I mean, it’s bad enough they compete unfairly by using labor at near slave rates but they want to continue to milk us. Never forget, they are not ally to us in the modern world, they war on us with economy.

However, let me not rant about those overseas like an isolationist at home. Never forget the enemy here, the corporate suit who makes more in a single day than you made all year BEFORE his 25% bonus. He made the deal with the Chinese because it means he can keep up double digit growth for another five years before it all tanks. He does this because I don’t want to pay more for that new HDTV television or that stupid piece of extruded plastic that I just have to have. He knows I will jump to his competition in a heartbeat for a 5% cost reduction.

This is the core of capitalism but the way to keep capitalism working is to ensure fair competition. The playing field is not level and I am not sure how to fix it other than trying to introduce the feeling of entitlement most Americans have to the Chinese.

What do you believe?

2007-02-27T13:33:00.000-05:00

I found an interesting site that asks questions about your beliefs and tries to help sort out which religions match those beliefs. It’s not a simple “you are a _______” answer and I found the results a bit surprising. If you get a few minutes head on over and let me know what you believe. My results appear below.

I Blog Therefore I am Irrelevant

2007-02-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

It's snowing here and it seems all my friends have the day off work. My boss had me work from home because the weather was so bad. It's not often this part of the country gets a foot and a half of snow in 24 hours. Places in upstate New York get this kind of weather all the time but it makes me realize I should stop laughing at the Southerners who start to cry when they get a 1/2 inch of slush. I am also grateful that I have a warm home and a a happy "hearth" to live in.

I noticed this article some time ago but I wanted time to decide what really upset me about it. Now that I've had time to digest it I find what bothers me most is simply a difference of opinion. I differ from the administration not in the finer points of law but in the broader idea of government. I feel that the real aim of the administration and even of past administrations is to "fix" its citizens or to make them better. The core of early formations of governments tend to be more along the lines of common defense among citizens but over time these systems expand to intrude upon more aspects of everyday life. In my mind it leads to a situation like that in the movie Serenity and then we have to tear it down and start again.

My desire is for liberty, pure and simple. It is my opinion that our current government is a greater danger to liberty than it is a guardian. Sadly, I am in the minority but it is my hope that one day very soon the greater population of the United States of America will want freedom more than a sanitized society, "safety" or the ability to screw with their neighbors.

So this is 100

2007-02-04T21:09:00.000-05:00

I had many plans for this post. A series of important links, deep thoughts about my life, expressions of gratitude for my friends and even some off the wall stuff. Then, out of nowhere I get what may be the most perfect 100th post for any blog anywhere.

Special thanks to Mothshade!

Some sarcasm included at no cost to you.

2006-12-18T16:44:00.000-05:00

Oh sweet irony, the law of unintended consequences strikes again.

At least we live in a country that believes in freedom, not some place like Nazi Germany. Thank God it can’t possibly happen here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - A bit of whimsy as a gift from me to you.

P.S. This is my 99th post. If you have any ideas about a great 100th Post, let me know.

Druken Blogging

2006-11-30T20:04:00.000-05:00

There are many things that you should not do when drinking. I am pretty sure blogging is one of them but I've decided that I am free to ignore my own common sense. I need the people that read this blog to know that if they hear about a solid tech job in the Youngstown area they need to contact me. You see, my payday was yesterday but I did not get my paycheck until after my bank closed today. Now, I know what you are saying, "Mark, you can deposit your check tomorrow and you'll only be two days late." Normally, I would agree with you but the problem this time is that my check is $350.50 SHORT and the boss says he'll "figure it out soon". This is the same boss that let our insurance lapse almost 2 years ago now and yet still manages to ride me about what work I am doing every day. Now, don't get me wrong, I like having a week of for Christmas and going to Germany but none of that mean spit if I can't afford to buy Christmas gifts for the people I care about or I have a freaking heart attack with no insurance. If I were more secure in my principals I'd quit tomorrow but I am a weak coward that needs the job more than his own pride. Anywho, I'm going to go ahead and try to relax a little. I'll drink some more wine, eat a fine dinner with my wife and contemplate how I can kill the "golden" goose without losing my egg hookup. Again, Mark needs a job and Mom's whoring doesn't provide good insurance. Hook a coward up.

Lost Post

2006-11-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

I lost this post while I was in Munich and tried to re-create it but I think I failed. I found it on my iPod and I am posting it here just to have it for future reference.

On my second day in Munich I started off with a solid breakfast here at the hotel. It was more solid than most hotel breakfasts and included some traditional favorites with pretzels and weisswurst. Have I mentioned how much the food here rocks; if you know what you are ordering it always tastes good. The eating establishments all have a very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere that makes you feel like a regular after about 5 minutes.

Our first stop was Castle Nymphenburg, the summer palace for royalty here in Munich. It is far more baroque than I like but it still was very impressive. Since they always clear out the furniture from these places you can’t imagine people living in them but the carvings and paintings really bring home how old (in this case not very) things are. For me the high point was the Gallery of Beauties which holds painted portraits of 36 women of all social classes that King Ludwig found beautiful. I must say that he had some fine taste in women. I’d love to come back in late spring when the gardens are all in bloom and the grounds are more attractive. Did I mention that it was cold and raining, again?

Once we were done there we headed out to see the Concentration camp in Dachau. I am not sure what I expected but I can tell you what I found. I found that it’s one thing to say that prisoners were tortured there; it’s another to see how they were tortured and what equipment was used. Anyone who knows me can testify to my distant emotional state but I moved from room to room and kept getting my heart torn out. The audio tour combined with the written information on the grounds makes for a very long tour. I could have easily spent 6 hours or more and I did not get to see the entire camp. The death still hangs heavy there and you feel it passing through the main gate, passing through the shower rooms and every cell in the prison within the prison. I felt a shameful sense of relief when I left because my feet hurt from walking all day.

Because it is Sunday here many places are closed or will close early. We hit Lowenbrauhaus for a nice dinner before heading out. If you ever come to Munich Lowenbrauhaus is located just off Marienplatz near the Glockenspiel. If you face the Glockenspiel and then head to your right, cross the street, turn right again and head about 50 meters down that sidewalk before turning left. After about another 50 meters it’s on your left and you can’t miss it. They immediately recognized us and gave us our “usual” table and passed the English menus out. I was half expecting a cold shoulder for being an American but everyone has been very friendly so far.

Munich - Part 2

2006-11-15T07:05:00.001-05:00

Day 2,

Today we started out early for Castle Nymphenburg, the summer home for Munich royalty. It’s located on a sprawling estate just west of the city. Like most homes turned into museums it’s hard to imagine what the life was like for the people living there. While the carving and artwork was stunning it was devoid of life. The style is overwhelmingly baroque for my tastes but it was still well worth the trip. There are three major areas worth visiting.

The first is the gallery of beauties, 32 portraits of women that King Ludwig found beautiful. They came from all social classes and were painted by a master artist. They are nearly photo quality and the realism is breathtaking. I must confess that King Ludwig’s opinion on beautiful women is dead on. Moving on from there I visited the carriage house and stables where you can see the coaches and sleds that transported royalty. It was all quite ornate and it leads to a porcelain sub-exhibit that is very large. I found myself a little overwhelmed at the somewhat repetitive designs but it was still worth my time and the boss’s money. The final section of the castle is the grounds which include a canal for moving about Munich. I would love to come back in the summer when it’s not raining, cold and dreary to see it.

We had to cut short our visit to make sure we made it to Dachau. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip to the camp but I did get an education. I figured that about 3 hours would be more than enough time to see everything but I would suggest leaving 6 or more hours to walk through the exhibits and stories of the survivors. We left when the camp closed only reluctantly and I really wish I had time to go back. I really enjoyed learning more about the camp and the Reich but it was very hard on me emotionally. The knowledge that people were tortured is very different from seeing the equipment used to torture them while standing in the room that witnessed their pain. I felt guilty for the relief I found sitting down on the bus and resting my aching feet.

Day 3

Today the plan was to go to the picturesque Bavarian town of Mittenwald. It’s a shame we ended up on the wrong train going to Berlin. We lost at least 3 hours getting turned around and headed in the right direction. We did finally make it and the trip through the mountains alone was amazing. The town itself is actually very small but densely packed with shops, small eateries and some of the most attractive buildings in Germany.

I did manage to pick up something for the frau here and I sure hope she likes it because returning it will be a bitch. My German continues to improve but it was a bit of a shock using it so much down there. They speak less English there than in Munich but I suppose that if I want Mexicans to speak English in the U.S. I need to speak German in Germany.

Days 4 and 5

We are at the Electronica trade show and my feet are still killing me. I’ve names my blisters Hans and Frans and they plan to pump me, up. To me, this may be the most boring part of Germany but it does give me a chance to refine my pronunciation for German. It also gives me a chance to post this and maybe even some more pictures. As I wrap this up I’d like to mention how incredibly friendly and helpful I have found the people here. I felt invited and appreciated in every shop, restaurant and building I was in. The section below is for listing my complaints about Germany and its people.

This section intentionally left blank.

That’s all folks; I meet one more candidate for dinner tonight and then head home. With luck my flights will be on time, I’ll sleep on the plane and my wife will not have moved me onto the front porch for leaving her behind.

Munich or bust

2006-11-11T14:04:00.001-05:00

Leaving home this morning was rough, my wife and I hate to be apart and on a trip this long it is near-impossible to say goodbye. I know sales guys and other types of that like a little time apart but we hate it. I know it affects her more than me but with both suffer mentally and physically when I have to travel.

I made things even worse because she dropped me off at the boss’s place and I had to make another round trip because I brought the wrong shoes with me. When she finally had to drive away I felt like my heart was going with her. All the excitement of traveling to a foreign country and learning German fell away in that heart-breaking moment. I wish more than anything she could have come with me or that I did not have to go.

Once we left for the airport I was amazed at how fast the time went; the hour drive to the airport and hour flight to Washington D.C. seemed to pass in a flash and now I find myself in the lounge of the D.C. airport waiting for my connecting flight that will take me over to Munich. It’s almost depressing to sit here and feel compelled to write about how much I miss home and hearth instead of how excited I am to be traveling.

Once I board flight UA902 for Franz Joseph Strauss airport I imagine I will feel different but I’ve heard nothing makes you feel the distance more than flying over the ocean. Since this is an over night flight I wonder if I will dream I am where I belong or if I will slumber to thoughts of adventure.

The flight over was less annoying that I thought a flight that long would be. We had a strong tail-wind and a good flight crew. There was some turbulence over the middle of the Atlantic and dinner was almost ruined but then I decided to not eat the airline food and dinner was saved. We flew on a 777 and it was the first time I have been on a plane that big. It had the 2X5X2 rows of seats like you see in the movies. I was lucky enough to score a window seat but because it was dark all I got to see was lights when we were over land.

As the flight descended into Munich I was amazed at how pastoral and agricultural the area was. Around a city Like Munich in the U.S. you would see tons of suburbs and McMansions. The airport was very modern and I was quite impressed until the first display screen I saw was the Blue Screen of Death in German. Customs and immigration we easy to breeze though and I sure will be in sharp contrast to returning home.

Once we got into the city via the subway/tram systems I was shocked by how clean and “safe” the city feels. There are more bicycles than cars which makes for a clean and efficient system when paired with a good public transportation system. I was pretty excited about this until I had to walk a few miles in the cold rain. Thank goodness my wife finished repairing my pull-over fleece or I would have been miserable. (Extra kisses for you when I get home sweets.)

We did have some time today to hit a simple German pub and have a drink while eating a quick snack of pretzels, sausage and a spicy mustard that made me fall in love with German food despite the things they call “food” that other countries call “processed meat for dogs”. I am not a beer fan but today I found a German Light Wheat that I would drink again if I can find it. I also enjoyed a glass of semi-sweet white wine before doing some basic tourism around downtown Munich.

We saw the Church of St. Michael and the Glockenspiel (not in motion) and many of the finer architectural highlights of the city. I spent some time learning German before coming over but it seems I wasted my time; by the time I get out, “I don’t speak German well.” they are answering me in bemused English. I think they appreciate my efforts, that or they are laughing at how bad my German really is.

As expected I miss my wife something awful and I often imagine her with me. I’d like to be able to point out some of the things I see to her. It’s also weird how my “types” of people fit in here. Many people I see on the street in a populated area share a surface similarity and that even carries over into there voice and speech. It’s very odd to see my “pinched face girl” or “dorky kid I grew up with” speaking German.

Internet access is spotty so I will try to upload as often as I can and out up a flickr photoset if you want to see some pictures.

Shhh....

2006-10-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been noticing how much I try to do at once at work. My boss has been hovering over my shoulder quite a bit and its got me much more aware of what I am doing. In addition to the task at hand I am usually also trying to do what he's asked me to do, answering an IM, listening to CNN, and trying to stifle to overwhelming urge to smack said boss for his recent excess of micromanagement. Then when I come home it's the same kind of juggling with different tasks. Throw in trying to balance the social pressure of friends and family wanting or needing my help and I sometimes feel like I want to be ship wrecked on a deserted isle. At any rate I'd like to try to simplify and streamline things for awhile like I did a months back. It seems like I do this on a recurring cycle. I think that's what getting older is all about, trimming that which is not critical so you have time for the things you have to do; whether you want to or not.

Allow your mind to settle - like the muddy water churned up by a boat, it will soon become clear when undisturbed. - A Thousand Paths to Happiness - David Baird

Read it.

2006-10-19T14:23:00.000-04:00

Liberal or Conservative, Republican or Democrat, Godless Heathen or Lamb of God; read this article and forget what you believe and look at historic precedents here and abroad. Those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it. If you do not want a totalitarian government that strips the individual of their rights then the time to act is now; vote independent, oppose incumbent candidates or run for office yourself. If you do want want the government, the same government that has stripped our rights a little at a time for decades, to become the ideal that demagogues throughout time have fought for; stand up so I have a bigger target.

Article

If

2006-10-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

If it is true, if it happened the way it's written, and if there's supporting evidence then I am appalled and justified in being more afraid of my government than I am of the terrorists they keep ranting about.

The Story

I do note that this seems to be the very definition of a biased publication but that does not mean the story is untrue. I'd also like to note that all charges against Mr. Howards have been dropped which makes me think that the story is fairly accurate as written. If that's the case then I hope Agent Reichle is severely reprimanded for overstepping his authority. The job of the secret service to is protect our leadership from physical harm, not sharp commentary. I could understand the stress of the job leading them to suspect this guy of being nefarious and checking into him but not cuffing him and tossing him in jail for expressing an opinion.

I can't promise I can avoid annexing France.

2006-10-10T19:22:00.000-04:00

I confirmed today that I will be taking a business trip to Germany sometime next month. I am really excited about this because I’ve been learning to speak and read German in my spare time. I’ve kicked up my efforts recently because to the chance to use what I’m learning. I am by no means fluent but by the time I get there I should be able to understand most basic questions posed to me. I will be in Munich for an electronics trade show and whatever side tours I can manage. I am looking forward to the Rathaus-Glockenspiel, the Hofbräuhaus and maybe side trips to Schloss Neuschwanstein and maybe even the town of Dachau. I plan to write a summary and post some pictures here to let you know what the trip was like. Let me know if there’s anything you think I should try to make time for on the trip.

P.S. If there's anything better than the love of a woman I have yet to find it.

On in the win column

2006-09-15T12:13:00.000-04:00

Remember this story about a Wiccan soldier that could not have a Wiccan symbol on his grave marker? The state of Nevada not the Veteran’s Administration has decided that his widow can indeed place the symbol on the stone. While I applaud the right thinking and decent actions of the state I would like to point out two things. One, this soldier’s grave should have been marked however his wife saw fit even if it is on Federal ground. I can think of no more totalitarian act than trying to control the last resting place of the fallen. It’s bad enough that our government tries to control every aspect of our lives; they don’t need to control our death. Two, this is not a victory because the federal administration that covers this sort of macabre regulation still has not officially recognized this religion. In theory, the feds could override the state and come in and remove the marker. I am sure there would be protests and legal battles galore but when it comes down to brass tacks it’s all about forcing people, individuals, to fit the mold through coercive threats that can and will be enforced at the point of a gun. While I would not have a problem with this when we are talking about a criminal who is really harming someone; I take umbrage when it is used to establish control of behavior that is simply undesirable. For now, I will put this one in the win column but as far as I am concerned the battle still rages.

My last posting gleaned a few comments but the people I talk to agree about one thing. They do not like our elected officials. I simply cannot find a lot of people who approve of our government. This does not fall along party lines, both conservatives and liberals feel they are being wronged. No one is saying they don’t like democracy or suggesting a new form of government, they just don’t like what the people who hold those positions are doing with the power we gave them. Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that we have moved from a relatively benign and non-interfering government to one that has to have its hands in your pocket, on your shoulder and all over your life. Conservatives want the government to stop people from behaving immorally; liberals want the government to force people to accept things they find offensive or become dependent of the government. The middle ground on this is for everyone to pull back and live their lives more independently. If you find television offensive, don’t watch it. If you don’t like guns, don’t own one. Stop trying to force “your” beliefs on others; except me of course, my belief on not forcing beliefs must be forced on everyone. I think I might be ranting, at this point so I will wrap it up with this. There’s a lot of anger in the country right now and I hope that instead of boiling over and becoming a civil war we can take a deep breath and say that we agree to disagree. If you can’t do that maybe you should remember this; many liberals are in favor of gun control so who do you suppose will be better armed when the shit hits the fan?

Too Many Things All at Once

2006-09-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

I read that the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq exceeded the number of civilians killed on September 11, 2001. I make no judgment or profound statement about this but I would like to mention two things. The first is that I sorely feel for the families who have lost the hero who died defending freedom. I sincerely hope that despite the lifetime of grieving they can remember the joy that their lost soldier brought them, the promise of freedom the soldier gave us all and that they can find peace and comfort in their respective belief systems. The second is that we need to be very careful about choosing to send our soldiers into battle. I supported out mission in Afghanistan and I still do. I supported the invasion of Iraq but now I am not sure we should have gone there. Now that we are there I agree that we should not simply pull out, we must finish what we started or the deaths of our soldiers will be in vain. What we need is leadership to bring a lasting peace to Iraq. I am not sure where that leadership will come from and I wish that our current leadership had been able to see that before committing us to Iraq.

Speaking of leadership, I am sorely disappointed. In Ohio we have the opportunity to elect a new governor. Our choices are as follows: A man part of a corrupt and confessedly criminal current administration or a corrupt and dishonest man. Our choices are not exactly what I’d call an ideal situation. I’d rail about the individual men themselves but they are only the symptom, not the disease. We as Americans are content to keep narrowing the field of existing candidates to two terrible choices and force ourselves to pick the lesser of two evils over and over again. It’s time to find a new way; I don’t know if that’s adding new parties (Libertarianism seems mostly not bad), choosing better candidates in the primary or executing corrupt politicians for treason. Possibly it’s a combination of all of the above. I suggest you write me name in for every office I am eligible for according to the state and federal Constitution. Not sure what I am eligible for? May I suggest reading the documents that govern our lives? I am certainly no worse than the official choices and I am certainly going to stand up for individual rights better than any candidate a party can field.

I recently got a new toy, a video iPod and wanted to rip some movies to it for my own personal and non-piracy related issues. Currently I own CD’s and I can simply insert said CD, rip the music off and copy it to my iPod. Surely, it would be just as easy to insert a DVD I own and do the same right? Since you are reading this you must know that that is simply not the case. Once again our elected officials have failed us by passing legislation that makes it illegal to bypass the copy protection on DVD’s that you own. They stood up to the people who put them in office and protected the poor defenseless multi-billon dollar movie industry. “All the best justice and influence money can buy.” should take the place of “In God we trust.” If you are ever interested in copying a non-commercial DVD for iPod or PSP use may I recommend a Google search for “Lenogo”. They make some good software and I am sure that you would never use it to violate the law, right?

I know my regular readers (in so much as they check my page frequently not as in I write often enough to read something new regularly) and I don’t think this applies to any of them. If by chance you are here and I don’t know you I’d like you to take a moment and ask yourself how you are different from Islamic extremists that are such a nettle in our side right now. I am pretty sure you have not committed violent acts against America or we’d know about you by now. That being the case, let’s look at your beliefs. Are you in favor of freedom to do as you will so long as it harms none or should you and the people you agree with impose order on the masses? Does your morality come from a sincere desire to make yourself a better person and avoid harming others or from dogmatic doctrine backed up by a much translated very old book? Do you make decisions based on the very best and most accurate information you can obtain or have you already made up your mind on what you will do in almost any situation? If you choose the second option please do me a favor and die in a fire. If, on the other hand, you like the first option take a look at the world and how it is changing. If you see a way to make it a better place let me know, I’d love to meet people like you.

Fun and Projects

2006-08-17T22:02:00.000-04:00

The best part of summer is relaxing and forgetting how much you really need to get done. Sadly, this summer has not been a case of being able to do that. I have picked up more than a few side jobs for friends and family while still working at my “real” job. Burning the candle at both ends like this I may trigger my long awaited heart attack. I’d update my blog more often but usually all I have to say sounds like whining about the gradual erosion of civil rights as we slide towards fascism.

On the positive note I am somewhat excited by the plan my wife and I have for our upcoming sixth anniversary. Her cousin invited us up to New York to come camping and enjoy a pig roast. I believe that we should have a great time and my wife’s cousin and her boyfriend are fun to spend time with even if we just sit around and shoot the breeze. Beyond that I am still looking to play a kayaking trip before fall and with luck it won’t be in my flooded basement.

I am considering what do to this winter with my spare time and several projects are on the top of my list. The first and I dare say, most appealing involves embracing Linux and ditching Windows entirely on my desktop machine. I hear I can even install Linux on my iPod and a dead badger. I should also spend some time with my German lessons as I have new CD’s and a kid friendly workbook for people as mentally challenged as I am. My final appealing project is building my new website to bring back the whole Mark’s Mom vibe of the site instead of my all-too-real fears of lost liberty. I doubt the poor fools compelled to read this really care one way or the other about any of these projects but I’d sure like to hear what your winter projects are.

Discrimination and Freedom

2006-07-06T11:10:00.000-04:00

Anaximander mentioned a story in his recent flurry of blog postings about a valedictorian being silenced for mentioning Jesus in her speech. He goes on to say that in his opinion the ACLU wouldn’t have objected if it had been a reference to Mohammed or The Buddha. I can not speak for the ACLU but what I can say is this; mentioning a religious figure or adding that your beliefs or faith gave you the strength to succeed falls very clearly into the first amendment protection category for me. Despite an incredibly strong love for the concept of the separation of church and state, I see this as an attack on religion by the state. If she wanted to lead a prayer I might object, but the mere mention of religion does not warrant these actions.

In another case of the state attacking religion I point you here. The government refuses to recognize the Wiccan faith and as such will not put the Wiccan symbol on a soldier’s grave marker. Here is a list of the accepted symbols they will use. What I want to know if who decides one religion is valid and another is not. This issue gets me more than a little hot as my wife is a semi-practicing Wiccan so the discrimination hits home. The main reason I support the separation of church and state is to prevent the inevitable discrimination that would come about. A secondary but more practical reason is that as an agnostic I am not prepared to make a stand on faith and pick one religion over another. If there is a state religion it would almost have to be Christianity and despite a few overly vocal and clearly crazy evangelists the Christians I know seen to be mostly good people. However, the Wiccans, Moslems, Buddhists and Norse God worshipper I know are also good people. So, when presented with a multitude of faiths I take a live and let live approach but it seems America is putting a militant edge in evangelizing Christ, “The lamb of God”. I feel more threatened on a day-to-day basis by Evangelical Christians than extremist Moslems. Religious zealotry is ugly no matter what faith you believe in. If more Christians practiced the gentle and loving faith preached by Christ in the Bible I’ve read, then I think America would be a better place with greater tolerance and more compassion. I know of several people who believe in this way and one couple stands out in my mind as nearly perfect examples of “good people”. I wish the world had more "good people" in it, it might just inspire my faith.

Thank you

2006-06-08T10:56:00.000-04:00

As promised I’d like to thank Microsoft, the RIAA, the MPAA and other organizations primarily concerned with piracy and restricting the way I use the music, movies and software I buy. Because they are more concerned with financial gain than making a quality product I’ve discovered and embraced Open Source, Creative Commons and the GPL. I am running Linux at home after being a Windows user for 16 years and despite some challenges I am really having fun. I can install so many quality programs gratis that any limitations Linux has are nudged aside to make room for potential. Ever more restrictive and unreasonable DRM on legitimate purchased CDs have tuned me onto independent artists who will sell me a CD, the MP3s and the lyrics of their music in one package that is less than half of what the recoding industry normally charges. The MPAA’s crusade on people stealing movies while at the same time stealing my time by putting commercials I can’t skip on DVDs I bought makes me so ill I’ve stopped buying their crap.

In short, my eyes have been opened and I can get all the software and entertainment I need for a much lower (or free) price and I don’t get treated like a criminal. If not for corporate America’s insensate greed I might have missed out on this new revolution. Now, don’t mistake me for a Communist, I am very heavily in favor of a free market but it’s a case of charging what the market will bear. I refuse to buy a product that limits how, when and where I can use it when I have an alternative. I’ve saved money, time and sanity by avoiding bloated and annoying DRM laced flotsam released by corporate America. Thank you to the alphabet soup of industry organizations who tell me “no”, keep up the good work and I’ll do my part by evangelizing alternatives to your crappy business model.

Update: This is what I am talking about.
Microsoft calls you a liar every day.
God forbid you get to play our High Def disc and enjoy what you paid for on Open Source

This is Outrageous

2006-05-31T13:15:00.000-04:00

I have an overdeveloped sense of outrage; the vast majority of things I blog about are things that just piss me off and the general consensus from readers is, “Yeah, that’s bad but who really cares”. This leads me to believe that I just get too involved in the moment, kind of like this moment courtesy of Al Gore.

Al Gore has a new movie coming out called An Inconvenient Truth that I was mildly interested in. In an interview he stated the following: “I think the answer to that depends on where your audience's head is. In the United States of America, unfortunately we still live in a bubble of unreality. And the Category 5 denial is an enormous obstacle to any discussion of solutions. Nobody is interested in solutions if they don't think there's a problem. Given that starting point, I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentations on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience to listen to what the solutions are, and how hopeful it is that we are going to solve this crisis.” So, his belief is that it is okay to deceive for his belief in the greater good. Now, I believe in global warming and the need for better environmental stewardship but I don’t believe lying by hyperbole and omission is the way to do it. Is it so much to ask that people simply tell us the facts without distortion? Sorry, stupid rhetorical question. Enough on this topic, let’s move on to the next outrage for today.

Recently Congressman Jefferson’s office got raided by the FBI. The FBI got a warrant based on the probable cause of having Congressman Jefferson on tape accepting a bribe. Now, Congress is up in arms over the separation of powers and the alleged threat of the executive branch seizing power and intimidating the legislative branch. I agree the executive branch is seizing too much power all over the place but not in this case. What we have here is a case of checks and balances. The executive branch working in concert with the judicial branch (that warrant thing, remember) to check a corrupt member of the legislature. Members of Congress and the Senate have been showing contempt in ever increasing ways for the rule of law. They exempt themselves from many of the laws the pass on us and have the gall to get angry when we hold them to the laws that do apply to them. What they need is a sharp reminder than no one is above the law. Perhaps a few years in PMITA prison could serve as example to future leaders when some lobbyist comes around with a suitcase full of money and tickets for a trip or sporting event.

I suppose everyone needs some rest and recreation so I am headed out camping this weekend. When I get back remind me to offer my heartfelt thanks to the RIAA, the MPAA, the BSA and Microsoft.

Obvious Logic

2006-05-12T10:15:00.000-04:00

I’d like to introduce everyone to Obvious Logic a blog written by the best computer geek I know. Despite being second to none in esoteric electronic knowledge he manages to avoid that pasty, living-in-the-basement, dork vibe by balancing his life with a wife, off-roading in his jeep and having an abundance of common sense. (FYI he’s also a pretty good shot.) His blog thus far does not deal overmuch with technology and tends to be more about current events and what is horribly wrong about them. Check it out and tell him Mark’s Mom sent you.

What is freedom really?

2006-05-11T12:08:00.000-04:00

I have been quiet far too long my friends, I am sorry. I have no excuse or reason other than outright laziness. If you’ll forgive my sin of sloth I will proceed directly to my rants.

The Boy Scouts drummed out a kid because he is a Wiccan; story here. Are you prepared for my long winded and eloquent speech on freedom of religion? Too bad I’m not going to give one; the Boy Scouts are a private organization, not the government. They can remove anyone from their ranks as sure as you can kick someone out of your home. If some public official had been fired for being Wiccan you can bet I’d be up in arms as my wife is nominally Wiccan in the same way most of you are Christian. I think that her religion is just as valid as any other and they do face discrimination of placing the Wiccan symbol on graves of Wiccan soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery but that is another story that looks like it is soon to be resolved.

My second story is Hillary Clinton having a good idea even if it is blatant pandering before an election. She can propose this knowing it will be shot down and she can say what a good person she is and point to the republicans for obstructing progress. Total political maneuvering and the usual bull crap I’ve come to expect from every political official. It IS a good idea though.

I’m going camping next month and I think about it every day. I sometimes wonder if I shouldn’t buy a farm somewhere off the beaten path and live off the grid. As much as I truly love technology a pastoral lifestyle has strong appeal. I think I need to talk to my wife about our plans for retirement or hiding when the government goes beyond tracking calls within the United States to listening to calls within the United States. If you think I am paranoid ask a radical conservative what’s wrong with it. When they say “nothing” remind them of the 4^th Amendment and they will gloss it over and say you’re interpreting it the wrong way and mention that we need security. Sleep well citizen, your government is watching you and protecting you.

My Grandparents Are Immigrants

2006-03-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Since the media has decided that I need to focus on illegal immigration I figured I should make a short post with my thoughts. The first is that “jobs Americans won’t do”. Mr. President, I humbly suggest you finish that sentence: Jobs Americans won’t do for substandard pay and no benefits for rich or greedy individuals and corporations. However, Americans also don’t want to pay other Americans for these jobs. Who wants to pay $15 dollars a plate for dinner when it used to be $12; or $2000 more than before for roofing jobs? We love the Wal-Martization of our culture even if it is not Wal-Mart doing it. However, this is all bitching and not solving anything. The current political figure heads said they want solutions, not criticism.

Try this, put up real borders and stop the illegal immigrants from sneaking over here. Next, round up every illegal immigrant from any country you can find and deport them. Now we are faced with a labor crisis of monumental proportions, where are we going to find millions of workers to fill unskilled labor jobs? We’ll eliminate welfare and all those people we are paying to sit at home and play with themselves can get a job. Two huge problems in one fell swoop, I should run for President and pretend I have some power over the mega-corporations and special-interest groups that really run our lives.

Soaked Fur II

2006-03-28T10:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, I had fun this weekend. The wife and I traveled to Erie, PA with two other couples for a visit to Splash Lagoon an indoor water park. Despite some initial setbacks in the planning stage we arrived like the bunch of excited kids we were. The park was fairly large but also crowded. Since the guys wanted to hit the water slides and the girls were more inclined to relax in a pool we split the groups. The slides were a blast and had some pretty cool features including two that shoot you out into a bowl and spin you around about three times before you drop like a stone into a pool or another slide. The ladies were able to float along a “lazy” river that had way too many people in it and had jets that actually hurt a little if you got in front of one. After a few hours we re-united in a blessed place called the adults only spa. In this somewhat isolated area there is a huge hot tub where no one under 18 is allowed. Nothing unusual goes on there but it is nice to escape the constant screech of wet children for awhile.
As we sat and soaked in the warm water two guys came in. They were larger men that had more body hair than I do. Now, if you know me you know that anyone bigger than me with more body hair must resemble Bigfoot. These guys looked over the crowd in the hot tub and decided to depart; it stuck me that these two were probably a couple and I sort of felt bad because I think they felt uncomfortable. After a little while longer they guys in the group decided to score food and drink for the ladies and we headed out leaving the women folk to their ease. Finding a table was not easy due to overcrowding but I finally found a place to sit and wait for the food. While the other two guys in my party were gone the two gentlemen I saw earlier in the hot tub approached and asked, “Is this the soaked fur table?” I said that it wasn’t and they thanked me and turned to leave. As they did I saw the towels they had printed and it said “Soaked Fur II April 24th, 25th & 26th” I made the connection and realized there was a convention in town.
It seems large hairy homosexual men are often know as “Bears” and their friends are “Cubs” and in celebration of this particular attraction a club hosts an annual get together. By the time I returned to the hot tub there were more than two dozen gay men relaxing in the hot tub and maybe two straight couples. By far the best part of the day was sitting in the hot tub and watching uptight straight people come in, get half way into the water and then realize who else was in the water and try to leave without jumping straight up and running on top of the water to the edge. Of course we were making snide jokes among our own small group so we were really no better but Kaos came up with the best joke. “Let’s (the thee guys) sit without the girls and see if we can get drinks bought for us.
After all was said and done the trip was a lot of fun and worth the trip. If you plan on going stay at the Residence Inn if at all possible, the facilities are nice, the breakfast spread is awesome (and free) and the hotel is connected to the park. Hospitality was a key word for the staff and they tried hard to make everyone happy but I think they were just stretched too thin to make it work all the time.

Dodges Rolled up Newspaper

2006-03-14T10:52:00.000-05:00

I’m sorry, I’ve been a bad blogger of late and have not posted anything. Part of it is because I am lazy, part of it is because I am concerned with some issues of import affecting friends and family and part of it is because I didn’t feel I had anything to say. As stated before I am trying to give and upbeat and humorous feel to the blog instead of the usual downer. To whit please go read this and come back, go ahead, I’ll wait.

Are you laughing as hard as I am? No? Is it because it strikes a little too close to the truth? The government is slipping towards a dictatorship according to Sandra Day O’Conner. She and I disagree on the “whys” but we both see a consolidation of power at the expense of freedom.

Anaximander’s little girl is in the hospital and it is my understanding she is pretty sick. I hope you’ll all join me in prayer/fervent hope/belief in medical science that she will get well soon. While we’re at it, aim some positive thoughts towards the impending Kaosling due in about 2 months. No worries there but a little good will can never hurt.

What a Rush!

2006-02-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

Rush Limbaugh made a good point today. He was asking if “I” wanted a president that answered only to popular opinion and polls. Of course I want a President who considers the “will of the people” when making decisions but we are a representative democracy so the decision will ultimately be up to the elected official. So, I want a President that makes the hard choices and lives with consequences. Ultimately, that is a fine description of the current President. If we extend the question and ask what else do “I” want from a President then I can explain a big beef I have with the current administration and to a lesser extent previous administrations.

I also want my President to explain the decisions that are made and why it is important. I want a President to persuade me that the decision is the right one even if I disagree with it. When 10% of the population disagrees with a President then almost no explanation is required; but when a significant majority disagree it is time to use that charisma that carries a President into office to convince the unwilling. There will always be some opposition but if you shine the light on your cause and explain why it is important then even people like me who disagree with you will respect you for at least trying.

There is too much secrecy in government and I believe that secrecy is poison to democracy. A democracy depends on a well informed populace making good choices. As we have shown all too often many people are willfully ignorant by choice; let us not add secrecy to eliminate the few concerned and knowledgeable voters left. Secrecy used on a limited basis with the knowledge and consent of at least one other branch of government is laudable. Secrecy based on nebulous and unshared “intelligence data” or silence regarding an “ongoing investigation” irritate me. I could see those excuses used on a limited and infrequent basis but it seems the executive branch has been using those excuses on an ever increasing basis over the last three decades.

I am looking forward to a movie coming out in March called V for Vendetta and the commercial tagline is, “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” I could not agree more, every elected official should concern him or herself with making sure that their actions are above board, open to public scrutiny and really in the best public interest. As someone who has lost trust and faith in the government I am telling you how to get my trust back. Tell me what is going on, inform me of why you plan to take action and most of all if a mistake is made, own up to it, apologize and work to make sure it never happens again.

Health update: Pulse Rate: 76 Last Meal: Tuna fish sandwhich and rice. I still need to exercise.

Where does it stop?

2006-02-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

In yet another example of what I consider to be massive abuse of power by the government I present this story to you. I am dismayed by the lack of detail in this story and I’d like to find a more detailed source. On its face all I can say is that this type of thing is why I slide more and more towards militant Libertarianism everyday. The undertone on this seems to be a case of the law being used to try and enforce morality. Why can’t people see that when you give morality the force of law you are no better than the extremist Muslims that outlaw flying kites? At what point do you stop and say, "This law is silly and tramples individual freedoms."?

Funniest link in awhile

2006-02-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

Mothshade pointed me to the key demographic target of Mothshop and I must say I've met good people like this before.

Rapid fire random thoughts

2006-02-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

Good news it looks like someone is finally getting the idea enforced DRM is a bad idea. Now, if only more lawmakers would step off the "let's make news laws right away" bandwangon.

Like freedom, afraid the government means to take it from you? Try this.

Funny, very, very funny.

The kids I will never have will all attend Karate classes.

Private industry and government, working together to screw the little guy.

Someone please explain to me why supressing free speech is required to protect the President. I think Cindy Sheehan is a whack job but as long as she was sitting quietly and not threatening anyone why are we arresting her and tossing out a Congresscritter's wife for wearing a "Support our Troops" shirt. I mean honestly, it's a bit (a LOT) tacky to wear a t-shirt to a State of the Union speech but illegal, come on.

Finally, I'd like to say I hope that the King family's grief is tempered by their fond memories of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. From what I have read she was a class act.

Pulse Rate: 96 Last Meal: Salami sandwhich and Macaroni and Cheese (It's a wonder I am not dead yet.)

I'm right and you're wrong!

2006-01-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

I saw an article today that does not surprise me but it's nice to see someone test the theory. I wish this were different, if people used facts and logic to make decisions instead of rhetoric and emotion we might have a better society. I wouldn't mind providing a little physical incentive to some of these zealots on both sides.

Angry Rant

2006-01-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, I had to rant a little today because I want to blow off some steam. I have three things to complain about and then you are free to go.

1. Teddy Kennedy – For you to hammer Judge Alito over and over about the morality of joining a group that espoused some anti-minority leanings while at the same time belonging to just such a group yourself is just asinine. Never mind the staggering lack of morality to drive drunk and leave a woman to drown in the backseat of your car. Go home and shut up you bloated windbag, you are among the worst politics has to offer.

2. Ray Nagin – Chocolate mixed with milk my ass; you are just as dumb as you have been portrayed for your inept handling of the hurricane. Then to dodge a scheduled CNN interview for and “emergency” that took place in a fancy restaurant; boy you showed us the kind of leader you are. By the way, mayor or no, how about you eat MRE’s every day with the National Guard until you get New Orleans back up and running.

3. Robert Marshall – Get the heck out of a woman’s reproductive system. I thought you ultra religious conservatives were supposed to be pro-life and turn the other cheek per Jesus’s instructions not interfering with other people’s lives in the worst tradition of bad government.

I’m done for now but I will be back, I hope I don’t have to pull my hair out in frustration again, I don’t have much left.

Pulse Rate: 96 Last Meal: Chicken, broccoli and fries with unsweetened iced tea.

I'm All In

2006-01-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

I had a great time last night playing poker with a bunch of my friends. I had a rare turnout of 14 people and as far as I know a good time was had by all. We play very low stakes but you’d never know it by the way we sweat a quarter raise. For me, the very best part of these games is filling my home with the laughter of friends. More than once I folded a bad had and just sat and enjoyed the table banter and good natured taunting I heard. I am truly blessed to have so many good friends. If you were there last night, thanks for your time and your friendship.

How many guns do you need. Anyone who says they need a fully automatic AK-47 with an extended clip for hunting is a liar. However, I do believe that pesky amendment thing does say we have the right to bear arms and further, I don’t care how many guns you have as long as you keep and use them responsibly. As my readers know I am not a fan of our current government, it is corrupt, self-serving and nigh unto outright evil. I truly believe that left unchecked it will one day try to take away our freedoms like speech, religion and equality and when it does that there will be a revolt. When soldiers come to take away that which you will not give do you want a knife, a handgun or a solid rifle on your shoulder.

I in no way advocate overthrowing the government by force and would prefer to see peaceful transition to a less corrupt and bloated government. I must sadly confess that I do not believe it is possible and I just hope I am long gone if there is American blood on American hands. The people in power are kept in check by the knowledge that if their behavior is truly egregious they will be voted out of office. I see so clearly the political process being suspended in the next few decades in “a time of crises” so that our leaders can “protect” us. Civil liberties will be sacrificed for the “greater good” and there will be a grab for power. One of the hallmarks of corrupt and tyrannical governments is the desire to disarm the populace. It’s one thing for a political entity to fear losing his job, it’s another for that same entity to fear losing his life. Guns protect our rights and our rights should protect guns.

Yes, it does give you an awesome rush of power to put a bullet into a target at 50 yards, there’s nothing wrong with that. I get the same rush with a throwing knife, a well placed arrow or a perfectly executed hip throw. Power in and of itself is not a bad thing, it’s how you use it that counts.

Pulse Rate: 108 Previous Meal: Fried chicken and fries with an iced tea. (Yeah, I know)

Bang!

2006-01-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

I’ve been shamed into writing this post because everyone I track has updated their blogs more recently than me. I’ve been itching to write about the various corruption articles I’ve read recently but I am trying to be more positive this year. I am having trouble thinking of things that are both good and new. Most of the joy in my life really comes from the same places it always has; my wife, my friends and my home. I did get to have some fun last weekend so I guess I’ll start there.

Ryan, Zeb and I went to a local gun show on Saturday and Zeb picked up a new Springfield .45 and Ryan got a Russian rifle that fires a very large round. I managed to avoid a purchase thanks to my involuntary vow of poverty. I’d like to get something for home defense and concealed carry but right now paying off debt is a bigger priority. Once things were settled we headed over to Jeff’s house. Jeff’s place is out in the country, has nice terrain for controlling fire and neighbors that don’t mind the racket of gunfire. We spent a few hours shooting too many rounds of .22 and several different varieties of handguns. To cap the day we switched to rifles including an AK-47, an Enfield and Ryan’s new commie rifle. The AK-47 has a slight upward tick as recoil but is easy to control. The Enfield kicks buy due to the bolt action is relatively easy to be accurate with. The new rifle kicks like a mule and Ryan tells me the shot is equivalent to 30.06 rounds. Ryan said he was still sore from firing about 40 rounds (one of which went through a tree) but I didn’t feel anything amiss after my five rounds.

I learned a few things on this second trip to do some shooting. I am an awful shot and have a lot of trouble holding the gun steady and visually lining up targets. You don’t want Zeb shooting at you unless you have a death wish. A .22 garter gun is accurate from physical contact out to about 4 inches. Finally, I learned that having guns, even if you don’t hunt or plan to start an insurrection needs to be protected just because it’s fun to fire for target practice. My theory for gun control is as follows: If you want to ban guns there are two reasons. The first reason is because you want to be able to control the populace by force and fear and thus you must be opposed. The second reason is that you fear guns because you don’t understand how they can be used safely and responsibly. That is ignorance and ignorance is forgivable if it is not willful. If you haven’t learned how to use a firearm safely, fire it responsibly and store and protect it with due care then you should do so before opposing responsible gun ownership.

Pulse Rate: 84 Previous Meal: Waffles and an orange

Too Fat

2005-12-31T10:10:00.000-05:00

This New Year’s Eve leaves me with some time to think about what I have and what I want. I am lucky to have a wonderful wife, good friends, and a happy home. I want to lose weight, reduce my debt load and lower my heart rate. In the things I want I suppose I am not different from many Americans. I don’t know about the rest of my fellow Americans but the reasons I am overweight, unhealthy and in debt are my lack of self control and my laziness.

To nurture the things I am grateful for I have several plans. I plan to praise my wife, care for her needs and seek new ways to share the joy she brings me. I plan to spend more time with the friends I have, I have let too much time slip away without surrounding myself with the people who know me and like me anyway. Finally, I plan to care for my home and all that it holds while enjoying the pleasures it brings me.

To rectify my errors I plan to ponder more on self control to help me eat less, eat right and spend less. I also plan to exercise to assist losing weight and hopefully take better care of my heart. To that end I plan to add a note at the bottom of each blog entry listing what I have done to improve my health.

Pulse Rate: 102 Previous Meal: Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwich

Merry Christmas

2005-12-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope that you find comfort and joy with your friends and families.

It's For the Best

2005-12-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

Continuing on my riff of government corruption, deceit, fruad and outright theft I thought you should see these. I know that no one wants to hear the same song played over and over but why are we letting these criminals continue to prey on us. Is it because they claim to have our best interests at heart? If that is the reason I have your best interests at heart, send me 15% of your income and a percentage of everything you buy, or else.

The news is not all bad, some people make beautiful things from code (plug in this site and see if the flower is not appropriate). Other people make things guaranteed to get a laugh if they ever get used. Mom always said she’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints and I’m with her on that one. I believe it was Voltaire that asked God to “make my enemies ridiculous” and God answered in the affirmative. Perhaps it may be time for me to start praying.

You Decide

2005-12-06T09:29:00.000-05:00

I am not sure how funny this post will be, I guess it depends on your sense of humor.

The Story

The question: Who raises a 4 year old that locks a cat in the fridge to "keep it safe"?

It you are truly looking for some humor listen to the Mr. Obvious skits on the Bob & Tom show. "The Flashlight" is one of my favorites. Whatever you do, make sure you DON'T use any kind of illegal filesharing program to obtain the skits, go buy the CD from their online store. Piracy is wrong and hurts everyone.

Funny not Funny

2005-12-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

I thought about my recent postings and the stated purpose of my blog and I am going to try and temper my postings with balance. If you don't want to be depressed don't follow the not funny link.

Funny: I thought this guy was supposed to eat heads not feet.

Not funn: I thought honor and service mean something. Since the source is conservative it lends credence to the idea that I'm not the only one that smells something funny coming from the government.

Death is Funny

2005-12-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

Mothshade points out that my blog is becoming a bummer and I am forced to agree. In way of an apology and a course correction I decided to write about the funniest thing I can think of, death. Yes, it’s time to talk about that grand comedy coming to an end with a flourish and a whimper. This weekend my wife and I attended the services and funeral for a distant relative. From all accounts the man was a good guy and an all around decent human being. Sadly, my wife and I hardly knew the guy so while I feel for his family I didn’t personally mourn his loss. Now, with no personal connection to the dearly departed I end up sitting in a suit in a too hot room about to pass out from the density of floral scent in the air. I’d normally chat with the people around me but most of them prefer to speak their mother tongue instead of English and since it’s their relative I can’t blame them. Now I am really bored and my mind seeks a new challenge and this is what I came up with.

When I die I don’t want flowers, candle and endless sobbing. Instead I reluctantly suggest a three hour showing in a funeral home for people to pay respects to my mourners. My corpse should be rigged for sound so that every five or ten minutes “I” say things like, “I’m not dead yet” or “I don’t want to go on the cart”. Finally the assembled audience should get to sing along with me in a rousing chorus of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. Instead of flowers give that money to my family for the important part of the send-off. After the showing my corpse should be cremated and my ashes used for fertilizer, no stone tablets for me thank you very much. The weekend following the showing is the really important part of my send off, the wake. All the money that was saved by NOT sending flowers can be used to buy booze and everyone should get together for a party. I want my life remembered over a drunken poker game filled with really bad jokes, numerous funny toasts and stories about what a bastard I was. Anyone caught sobbing shall be forced to do a shot and apologize for bringing down the mood. Finally, everyone should join in a moment of silence/prayer/sincere wish that I manage to evade Mom’s inevitable wrath. My life is about joy and friendship and I don’t see any reason my death should be any different.

The Republican War on Science

2005-11-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

I just finished The Republican War on Science by Chris Mooney. The premise is how the Republicans have used the phrase "good science" to take the word of one or two scientists who disagree with the general scientific consensus to promote their own views. The book is very dry but makes some excellent points without resorting to insulting the beliefs of conservatives. I recommend this book to open minded conservatives who can accept that some Republican leaders are corrupt and irrational.

Speaking of corrupt and irrational Randy Cunningham resigned today amid a multi-million dollar scandal; as Fark put it, 1 down 534 to go. I firmly believe you show me a Congress Critter and I'll be able to show you a corrupt politician that has forgotten they are there to represent the majority or the people in their district and not big business. Government it too big people, it needs to be defanged and declawed and neutered before it finishes destroying the couch and urinating on our carpet.

Politically Incorrect or Slightly Slanted

2005-11-21T21:34:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Politically Incorrect Guide to American History by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. Ph.D. The first two thirds of this book are well written, thoughtful and draw conclusions based on solid facts and research. It is a most decidedly written from a right-wing slant er... vertical wall but the author is accurate and presents facts. The last third tends to be a little lean on facts and heavier on the author’s opinion but mostly avoids nonsensical ranting. What really bothers me is that the author spends so much time focusing on how truly awful liberalism is and how the liberals and Democrats ruined America. Many high level Democrats did ignore the Constitution, distorted intelligence to push through personal foreign policy agendas and were criminal in their abuse of authority. The author fails to mention that this level of corruption is equaled only by high level Republicans. Dr. Woods lets off the conservative leadership with a wink and a nod so that he can spend more time harping on admittedly liberal holes in modern history textbooks.

I hope that you’ll read this book with an eye to the author’s bias and realize that the only truth in history is that our leaders lie, cheat and steal from us every day. Corruption and dishonesty are not owned by one party or another and the only bi-partisan spirit in Congress is the spirit of screwing the individual American. If you truly believe that one party holds the moral and ethical high-ground and you can get the majority of people who bother to vote to agree with you I promise you this, the government will continue on as it is now. It’s time for a change folks, we need new blood in the political area and hopefully a party fully formed to bring back limited government and encourage individual freedoms. I am about to start a new book, The Republican War on Science, and once I have finished I’ll let you know what I think about that one.

Good Question.

2005-11-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

I found this article very interesting. It “asks” questions of Muslims and I think the questions are well thought out and incisive. I encourage you to take a look and share your thoughts.

Are You a "Good" Christian?

2005-11-14T11:39:00.000-05:00

First, I apologize for not posting sooner. My Mother-in-law has been in the Hospital for a week or so and I really haven’t had the energy or time to post. Mom will be fine and the whole time I was more worried about my wife than her mom. After losing my “would be” Father-in-law a few years back my wife is a basket case when family goes to the hospital. Well, enough of my excuses and onto the post.
Kaos sent me a link to this page and after reading it carefully, letting my emotion over it die and re-reading it with an eye towards bias and out of context quotes I find I am still faced with an unpleasant opinion. These people seem to want a conservative religious state and in that way they are similar to the Islamic Fundamentalists. They differ from the Taliban in that they have not used violence to achieve their goals. When someone says, "Not only is homosexuality a sin, but anyone who supports fags is just as guilty as they are. You are both worthy of death." (Fred Phelps), I can’t help but wonder how close they are to violence. This level of hatred and intolerance makes a poor example of Christianity and I realize that they are no more representative of a true Christian and Osama bin Laden is representative of a true Muslim. I know more than a few religious folks who oppose homosexuality and feel that it is a sin but they don’t stop loving their gay family members or go around trying to suppress homosexuals. They live their life according to the beliefs they hold and accept that others do not agree with them. If given a choice I’d much rather live in a society of Christians like that than the “Christians” listed on the linked page.

Harriet We Hardly Knew Ye

2005-10-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination today I and can’t say I’m unhappy. I would have preferred her to go through the hearings and get a fair vote. I would have liked to have seen how she answers questions and judge the type of candidate President Bush nominated. I think I understand her reasons, she did not want to be torn apart by the jackals in the Senate, she did not have a judicial record to fall back on, she was not likely to be confirmed and with possible upcoming indictments her legal expertise may be required elsewhere. I hope the next nominee from the White House can stand up under scrutiny and will be as moderate and wise a choice as John Roberts.

Assassin by Ted Bell

2005-10-26T14:59:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed the aforementioned novel quite a bit and will read more books by Ted Bell. I would however like to list my one complaint, this author jumps around more than a jackrabbit on crack. I felt almost no sense of continuity between chapters.

Have You Been Borked?

2005-10-24T17:01:00.000-04:00

I just finished The Tempting of America by Robert Bork. I admit to feeling overwhelmed through many parts of the book and was forewarned about this. I feel Judge Bork makes some excellent points and was treated unfairly during his confirmation hearings. My real concern after reading this book was how liberal legislators and organizations really worked to distort Judge Bork’s opinions and rulings. I hope you’ll note that it is a concern, not a surprise. Liberals and conservatives spend so much time bashing each other that it’s amazing that they find the time to ruin our lives in such a bi-partisan manner. The only disappointment in the book (other than my own weak knowledge of the law) was that Judge Bork did not offer any solutions for reform. I think I can agree with him that the Supreme Court has ruled beyond their authority time and again but what do we do to fix it?

News of the Really Weird

2005-10-14T10:32:00.000-04:00

My first story is along the vein of Chicken Lover from Southpark. Please allow me to introduce “Rabbit Lover”. This guy is special in ways that I cannot describe but I can say that he should have bred his own stock instead of running up a huge credit card bill.

The second big story involves special people of another type entirely and I dare not go into details. Afterwards I could only think “I Like Monkeys”.

Amen and Zeig Heil

2005-10-13T11:49:00.000-04:00

I have not the words to describe this so I hope you will all comment.

Welcome to Christian America.

A good analysis.

Here Come The Men In Black

2005-10-12T10:20:00.000-04:00

As promised I am reviewing Men in Black: How The Supreme Court is Destroying America by Mark R. Levin. Mr. Levin’s writing style flows well and complex issues are explained in ways that make sense. While I cannot agree with all his views his message is on point each time, the Court has repeatedly usurped authority reserved for the States and the people. One of the arguments he covers is that homosexual laws and marriage should be decided by the State and I agree. However, I get the impression from the quotes he pulled that he believes that homosexuality is on par with child molestation, and homicide. I think that even if you are opposed to homosexuality that comparing sex between consenting adults with raping and killing babies is way over the top. Again, to be absolutely clear here, Mr. Levin did NOT actually do this but he reproduces a quote on pages 72-73 from William F. Buckley of this nature and seems to agree with the argument.

In several instances Mr. Levin hits on an issue near and dear to my heart, the rights of non-citizens vs. citizens. If you are a citizen of the United States you may count on my voice to support your rights. If you are not a citizen then you have no rights under our Constitution. Though Mr. Levin seems to indicate that armed combat against the U.S. somehow nullifies your rights he’s right about denying access to our court system to terrorists. John Walker Lindh and Yaser Esam Hamdi are citizens of the United States. They were taken prisoner on foreign soil after fighting United States armed forces. I don’t care what crimes any U.S. citizen commits, they deserve a fair public trial. I am for charging these two with treason and then executing them when they are found guilty but they need to have a trial. To hold them as enemy combatants without trial or rights is exactly what the framers of the Constitution were trying to avoid, in my opinion.

I have nothing but unbridled praise for Mr. Levin’s coverage of the wanton abuse of the commerce clause. He points out how the Supreme Court has recklessly overstepped its authority to interfere with commerce contained entirely within a state’s borders. If I could choose one section that could sell this book on it’s own it would be page 136 for its coverage of Wickard v. Filburn. I won’t go into it here but if you are in the library or bookstore pick up this book and read page 136, I defy you to put the book down after that. In summary I suggest everyone read this without fear of the being forced to put up with the kind of hyperbole that some extreme conservatives engage in. Mr. Levin makes well reasoned, thoughtful and clear points without resorting to name-calling and circular reasoning.

A Great First Step

2005-10-11T11:15:00.000-04:00

I have to give credit to the Catholic Church for coming out and stating what I hope we all know is true. This display of common sense combined with an honest belief in the Almighty is what this country needs. If I wanted religious zealotry I’d go to places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran – you know the places we are fighting (or about to fight) to make free. Anyway, good news for Catholics, now, if they can just stop playing with the kids…

Morning Rant

2005-10-10T10:16:00.000-04:00

I noticed a minor bit of hypocrisy that I wanted to share with you. When President Bush nominated John Roberts for the Supreme Court a conservative political interest group assumed that the Democrats would try to delay and filibuster his appointment. They paid for a television advertisement that kept urging people to call their senators and make sure Judge Roberts got “a fair up or down vote”. This ad was modified after Judge Roberts was seated on the Court and before Harriet Miers was nominated. The new ad encouraged the Senate to continue the spirit of bi-partisanship and give the new as-yet-unnamed nominee “a fair up or down vote”. Now that we know who the President picked and the conservatives feel that she doesn’t appear to be an extreme right-winger the ads have vanished. Which is it you hypocrites, so we give nominees “a fair up or down vote” or just the candidate you like?

Personally I do not like Ms. Miers because she lacks judicial experience and it appears to be a reward for service appointment instead of the best person for the job. I know that not all Supreme Court justices have been judges but they have been in positions of public scrutiny and often have held elected office. To be fair that did not stop them from making some bad choices but I still prefer a public record and judicial experience over private sector lawyers. However, I would still prefer to see her appear before the Senate judicial committee and answer questions before getting “a fair up or down vote”.

As a final note, I read Lies My Teacher Told Me over the weekend and found it to be an interesting read. I learned a few new things and my mind was stimulated to think about things from a new angle. I hope you’ll take the time to check this book out and let me know what you think. In the interest of full disclosure some of the book is overly preachy and it does have a liberal slant. In order to balance this out I am also reading Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America right now. This book has a conservative author and I am finding it a good read as well. I’ll review it in detail soon.

Jokes from Mothshade

2005-10-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

Mothshade sent me a few new jokes for the site last night. I guess he felt i was getting to heavy and forgetting this site is supposed to be funny. I've listed my favorites in bold and italics and I encourage you to visit his site, it's listed to the right.

Mark’s Mom – Ice-cold corpse and an Oreo cookie, a classic combination.
Mark’s Mom – Crumbs in the bed never felt so good.
Mark’s Mom – A little of the old bump and grit.
Mark’s Mom – Scatter some ashes.
Mark’s Mom – Dirty bitch.
Mark’s Mom – She’ll spread for you.
Mark’s Mom – Charred for extra flavor.
Mark’s Mom – No talk, no cuddle, just business.
Mark’s Mom – Put the cream in her coffin.
Mark’s Mom – With grit, for traction.
Mark’s Mom – Go down in flames.
Mark’s Mom – Everything you’ve heard she was.
Mark’s Mom – No rest for the wicked.
Mark’s Mom – She gives good dead.
Mark’s Mom – Plenty to go around.
Mark’s Mom – Rock her underworld.
Mark’s Mom – Pardon her dust.
Mark’s Mom – The spirit is willing.

Q. What do you call Mark’s Mom at the bottom of a martini glass?
A. Bone dry.

Q. How does Mark’s Mom make her way through the airport?
A. In a soot-case.

Q. What does Mark’s Mom do during oral sex?
A. She grits YOUR teeth.

Q. How do you ask Mark’s Mom out on a date?
A. With a ouija board.

Q. What’s the difference between Mark’s Mom and a sheep?
A. A sheep complains more during sex.

Q. What’s the difference between Mark’s Mom and Elton John?
A. Mark’s Mom is just a flaming ho.

Q. What should you always wear during sex with Mark’s Mom to protect yourself?
A. A dust mask.

Q. What comes in a can and should be used to freshen up after sex with Mark’s Mom?
A. Endust.

Q. What's the easiest way to get Mark's Mom in the mood for sex?
A. Nibble on her urn.

Q. What does the tag on Mark’s Mom’s luggage read when she returns from a trip?
A. DOA.

Q. What stylish black vehicle did Mark’s Mom arrive to his wedding in the back of?
A. A hearse.

Q. What's the best way to get Mark’s Mom all wet and ready to get nasty after bringing her back to your place?
A. Flush her down the toilet.

Change and Generosity

2005-09-30T13:56:00.000-04:00

Change never ceases to amaze me. I always think I am adaptable and that I react well to change. When change happens I am usually caught flat-footed and find myself swimming upstream to make sure I don’t get left behind. This was illustrated to me most recently when technology, one of the defining aspects of my life, left me high and dry. I am no novice computer user and I knew my laptop was dying a slow and painful death but I did not want to let it go. When a good friend offered to loan me his I bit the bullet and backed up my laptop. I had spent months customizing the interface on that machine and found that when I switched machines I was stymied again and again because some shortcut or trick I used was no longer working. I re-installed my programs in only a few hours but I know that it will take a few weeks to restore my Zen like mastery over my technology.

I also learned that my friend is a more generous person than I am. I am once again humbled by the better person and must strive to catch up. I value all my friends and I would try to help them out in any way I could; but to give up my laptop for a few weeks would be a sacrifice I could not imagine. When I reach that level of grace I will be a better person but until then you can have my technology when you pry it from my hands by force.

Post 50, also something about corruption.

2005-09-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

One of my biggest pet peeves regarding government is corruption. Instead of being representatives of all the people our elected officials ~~always~~ sometimes see fit to represent the highest bidder. I am not sure what to do about it other than putting them on trial and making life in prison the price of being convicted. Beyond that I suppose your best bet is to know which officials are most corrupt and elect the (hopefully) less corrupt person running against them. To whit, take a look at this.

The Garden of Life

2005-09-20T11:34:00.000-04:00

I have been doing a great deal of thinking lately about what is important to me and what could use a little less of my attention. For example, a good friend is in the hospital after having her gallbladder removed due to a sudden onset of abdominal distress. My thoughts are with her and her husband and she is due to come home today or tomorrow. This got me thinking that I don’t see them as often as I would like so I’d better start picking up the phone a little more; after she’s healed up of course. This is just one example of how I need to tend the garden of life a little better. I have a great number of things that bring joy into my life and so very few that bring me grief that if I would only spend a bit more time on weeding I could consider myself blissful. I guess I should get off my butt and get some things taken care of instead of coming home and crashing on the couch so much.

Get well B. I want to have you and that weasel-looking husband over for dinner and a fire.

New Pet

2005-09-13T20:03:00.000-04:00

My wife and I received a new cat for our anniversary. In my house we have a strict rule: Never own more than two cats. Since we already own two cats I could not accept this gift, until those pale blue Siamese eyes looked up at me and said, "Surely you mean two cats by weight, not volume?" I am a sucker for Siamese. Since Shadow, our largest cat, weighs 18 pounds and Freya is a mere 12 pounds we can keep Musashi the Siamese as he only weighs 2 pounds. I know he will one day gain enough weight to throw off the equation but I'll napalm that village when I get to it. In the meantime I proudly introduce Musashi. If you want pictures check the link to the right for my photo gallery.

What's it All About

2005-09-12T15:54:00.000-04:00

I am not sure what to title this post as I am having trouble defining my position. The reason I am writing this is to sound out my thoughts and figure out what I want to say. I am irritated to the point of anger when religion trumps science. I want to be clear on this to avoid unnecessary arguments, when accurate, reproduced and proven science presents the right answer and religious people turn their backs on the right answer because it contradicts the Holy Book. I am trying to avoid citing examples because the message I am trying to get across is bigger than a single dispute like homosexuality, evolution or if the Sun revolves around the Earth. My view on any Holy Book is that it contains a message for followers to live better and happier lives. What concerns me is when someone takes that message, word-for-word, as absolute truth and closes their mind to the possibility that there is more to the story. When Copernicus was persecuted for proposing a Heliocentric solar system religion proved that despite having a good message so often that it can be blinded by tradition, doctrine or outright stubbornness.
The flip side of this is when a scientist cuts corners on a study or fails to properly document it for thorough examination and reproducibility. I have seen that up to fifty percent of scientific studies are flawed in ways that skew the results. What I really think we need to do as a civilization is to examine our science closely to prevent abuse and then when we have an answer build on it for future discoveries. If good science tells me the Earth goes around the Sun or the Earth is millions of years old and the Holy Book says otherwise then I can see that the Holy Book makes for less than one hundred percent accurate source. That does not mean that I cannot take valuable lessons from the Holy Book but that I am open to new ideas and my beliefs are flexible.
When people refuse to accept this I believe they become extremists, bigots and close their mind to the truth. I must stress that not every religious person is like this. I know many people that can reconcile scientific fact and the message of the Holy Book. We need more people who can and do live very religious lives but who also question and adapt to new information. I sincerely hope that these reasonable people can persuade the less reasonable friends to sit down and persuade the extremists that they need to come back and join the mainstream. My own opinions are outside the mainstream but I recognize that and don’t try to force others to obey my word through violence, legal maneuvering or simply shouting louder and getting red in the face. I hope that if you have a different view on this you’ll leave me a comment so we can talk it out using a reasoned debate that consists of more than “The Holy Book says this and the Holy Book is always right.”

Inappropriate for Kids and the Weak Minded

2005-08-29T17:53:00.000-04:00

My “loyal reader” has asked what in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is inappropriate for children. That question gave me this post.

Glorification of violence especially with weapons that cause lethal harm.

Theft of property including cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, planes and boats.

Strong anti-government messages (maybe that one is okay for kids).

In game scripted events that demean women.

Rewards for attempting life endangering stunts.

Strong sexual implications up to an including bondage, prostitution and sex toys. (All fine for CONSENTING adults in my opinion).

Encouragement of betrayal and dishonesty.

Wanton disregard for the law and police officers.

Stereotypical depictions of race.

Rampant drug use. (There is some anti-cocaine message but it mostly gets lost).

I am sure that if I try I could come up with a few more but you should get the picture. Having said all that one might question what quality makes the game appropriate for anyone let alone children. My answer to that is a mature adult with established social norms can decide what appropriate behavior is and what it is not. Despite all that I have listed above I have no plans to enact or emulate anything inappropriate. I find the game content to be amusing in its over-the-top betrayal of those actions and in many parts of the game see a strong message of tongue-in-cheek satire of the system. In fact there are redeeming qualities including a stress on honor, friendship, overcoming racial stereotypes and the plight of the inner cities. The game programmers went to extra-ordinary efforts to put in quite a bit of funny commentary both on the face and also in the subconscious of the game. If you can define right and wrong, are over 18 and don’t mind a little blood give it a shot.

Been Busy

2005-08-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting more but my boss has been out of the country for the last week. Usually this leaves me a little more free time but this in not the case this time around. I have also been side tracked by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I have said it before but this game is not for kids but for adults it can be a blast. All I can say is you haven’t gamed until you have beaten an Elvis impersonator to death with a double ended dildo.

Let’s rub some salt in the wound

2005-08-19T10:32:00.000-04:00

In my post on June 23rd of this year I mentioned that 5 asshats on the Supreme Court decided it was okay to toss people off their own property so that it can be resold to private companies. While polls show that the majority of Americans think this is a bad move we are once again held in check by a government that does not represent our interests. The wholesale purchase of our government by corporation has left the average citizen without a voice. This leaves a wound in our collective liberty and corporate America has arranged for the salting to begin. The company that won the court case has opted to pay these people what their land was worth 4 years ago instead of the current appreciated value. In addition, to ensure the spread of rot in this open bleeding sore they are charging back rent on all the home owners since the time of the original court case. I learned about this from here and I was sickened. At the bottom of the article there is another link that lists the contact information of the people involved. I say we spread this story and everyone who cares should call this company to express the pain and outrage you feel as the result of their villainy. If it were up to me I’d put them in a cell just down from the BTK killer to rot for treason against the American dream.

NEWS FLASH!!!

2005-08-18T15:45:00.000-04:00

Paris, July 15, 2005 - AP and UPI reported that the French government has raised its terror alert level from RUN to HIDE on its four-level danger scale. The two highest French danger levels are Surrender and Collaborate.

The rise was precipitated by a fire yesterday which destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing its military.

Walken in 2008

2005-08-17T09:21:00.000-04:00

Christopher Walken is my President

According to this site Christopher Walken is running for President in 2008. Since the site was put up Mr. Walken’s publicist has stated that he is not running for President and has no connection with the website. While in reality I know it is a humor site and that Mr. Walken is unqualified to hold political office (just like almost all of our current elected officials) I indulged myself with this bit of fantasy.

Dateline: Washington D.C. – Christopher Walken holds press conference to announce Presidency.

Reporter 1: “Mr. Walken, what is your stance on terrorism?”

Mr. Walken: “I believe strongly that terrorism is a sort of prank…and I love a good prank. In fact, any…suspected terrorist will be escorted to my basement bunker…I will prank them for hours…before finally pranking them to death…with a tire iron.”

Reporter 2: “Mr. Walken, what can you tell us about your plans for the education system?”

Mr. Walken: “Kids need to study math…it’s the key to the universe. Also, as an artist…I believe that kids need more music…especially cow bell…in schools.”

Reporter 3: “Mr. Walken, healthcare is a critical issue for many people, what are your plans regarding this issue?”

Mr. Walken: “I think that laughter…is a vital part to feeling better. I plan to cut…the pinkie finger off every doctor…in America so that when the doctor presents the bill…to patients…the patients can say, ‘You’re pretty funny for a guy with nine fingers.”

Reporter 4: “Mr. Walken, what do you feel is the biggest threat to America today?”

Mr. Walken: “Marsupials…‘cause they’re fast.”

Reporter 5: “Mr. Walken, how can we protect social security?”

Mr. Walken: “Something like that…something important…needs to be hidden, in the one place you can hide something like that. I plan to wear that uncomfortable hunk of cash in my ass.”

Reporter 6: “Mr. Walken, one last question please. Why run for President?”

Mr. Walken: “Sometimes…people gotta know…they can’t fuck…with America. Nobody I know can…convey…that message the way I can.

Respect

2005-08-17T08:30:00.000-04:00

I am playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas right now. The game is most certainly for adults and is wildly inappropriate for anyone who can not separate fantasy from reality. For example, it is highly unlikely anyone can be shot 57 times and still manage to kill 40 gang members over and over again and not face consequences. Since I can clearly delineate between this violent and over-the-top fantasy world and the real world I have no problem playing the game. However, recently my character was sent on a mission to kill a rival gang leader at a funeral. I don’t know where Rockstar Games (makes of GTA: SA) get off with this kind of sickening game play. Some people have no respect for the dead; mom agrees with me 100% on this one.

Disgusting and shameful

2005-08-10T17:03:00.000-04:00

I support the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. I feel that he is centrist enough to be fair and just in his decisions. More importantly, I feel he favors a narrow interpretation of the Constitution that limits the powers of the federal government. Having laid out my bias I feel compelled to point out this story. ( http://www.factcheck.org/article340.html ) NARAL sickens me and shows just the kind of deceit and cowardice the conservatives crow about when they bash liberals.

Public Service Announcement: Wolvenelf is going to give Kaos wood behind the shed. If I were Kaos I’d be checking my six frequently for the next few days.

Why don't we just make everyone speak 3 languages.

2005-08-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

This is stupid. I am not opposed to legal immigration and I certainly support tailoring your service to the community that uses it. What I am opposed to is the government supporting, nay enforcing, multi-lingual legislation or even worse non-English preferences. I don’t care how many Hispanic people are in Colorado because Colorado is still in America. What’s next, are we going to have to have our money exchanged into Pesos when we go skiing? We are one country with one language, one currency and one national identity. Let all the legal immigrants come here and join us to make the entire country stronger. Prevent us from losing our national identity though dilution of culture. I welcome those people of any race and any culture who want to come to America because it is a great country with many opportunities. What I do not support is taking that which makes us great and changing it until we can no longer function as a single nation. We tried that once in the 1860’s and things did not go so well.

Happy Anniversary

2005-08-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

I like to wish Anaximander and his lovely wife a very happy anniversary.

Freedom of Speech

2005-08-04T12:44:00.000-04:00

It should come as a surprise to no one that I was not a big supporter of going to war in Iraq. I think the choice was wrong and now, all we can do is strive to rebuild Iraq as quickly as possible. It should also be noted I am a huge supporter of free speech and support the right to say anything no matter how idiotic it is. To that end I’d like to use my free speech to call this guy an asshole.

What kind of pirate am I?

2005-08-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

Zebulon sent me this link that is apparently a pirate name generator but it gives you html code that you must post to make work. Then, as more people vote for you your pirate ranking and name evolves. So, please click below and vote to make me a better pirate or so help me ye will be walking the plank.

What kind of pirate am I? You decide!
You can also view a breakdown of results or put one of these on your own page!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

Solutions

2005-08-02T16:02:00.000-04:00

I think I have a solution to our foreign policy woes, economy, dependence on foreign oil, and obesity in this country. The problem with my plan is I need people smarter than me to make it work. I’ll lay it out here in hopes someone will make it a reality. We need to make cars that run on body fat. Think about it, we have proven we can produce fat in far more quantities than we can possibly use and if we can run our cars on it we would not have to worry about the Middle East any more.

Madder than Hell...

2005-08-02T08:37:00.000-04:00

Somebody mentioned to me that they felt the recess appointment of John Bolton was sleazy. He was very upset at President Bush for doing so but I know that President Clinton made 140 such appointments and President Regan had 240. President Eisenhower did this with three Supreme Court Justices. I share my friend’s anger but it is not directed towards President Bush, it is directed at the government as a whole. While these appointments are well within the law, the law should be re-written to reflect the change in times. Congress can now be contacted in times of emergency and further, we are more informed about goings on in Washington D.C. and around the world. We should be angry at our entire government not just one party. We are all fed up but for different reasons, it’s time to use the powers granted to us by the Constitution to remove those people who have failed us and replace them with non-corrupt officials who are focused on reducing the powers of the Federal Government.

MLOF

2005-08-01T11:17:00.000-04:00

We all know what MILF is and of course Mark’s Mom is one MILF we call all agree on. However, Zebulon felt MILF did not do her justice so now; Mark’s Mom is also a MLOF. Mom Lit On Fire, she’s so hot that she’s combustible.

GLMF 2005

2005-07-25T14:39:00.000-04:00

This weekend my wife and I accompanied Kaos and his wife to the Great Lakes Medieval Fair. This picture was taken at the gate when we arrived. Almost right after the picture was taken it began to rain, then pour and finally it really started to come down. Despite this we made the best of our visit and eventually things dried out enough to see some really funny performers. My only regret it that I have no discipline when it comes to buying things for my wife. If something makes her smile I want to buy it for her.

I also found out Anaximander is expecting a little girl and IÂd like to congratulate him and his wife. He and his wife are trying to choose a name and are torn between Olive and Sophia. I like Sophia even with the risk of her being called Sophie now and then. IÂve discovered the way to make people use the right name is to correct them every time they get it wrong.

Funniest thing this week

2005-07-19T17:02:00.000-04:00

Okay folks I don’t have a lot of time today but I think you’ll appreciate this link. Zebulon sent it to me and I laughed so hard I was nearly fired. Please, go take a look and make sure for the sake of your job no one can hear you laugh.

Big Gay Al

2005-07-18T16:38:00.000-04:00

30th Birthday
Originally uploaded by Myrddyndenox.

What this picture says about me. I am overweight and bald. Put a pink handkerchief on me and I AM Big Gay Al. By this time next year I will be healthier or I think I will be dead. I know my blood pressure and heart rate are both going up and they need to get lower. I need cardiovascular exercise but my motivation is so low. You’d think that knowing your life is on the line would be motivation enough but it just isn’t. I have a family history of heart disease and if I don’t act fast I could be next. If you are one of my friends and you read this blog do me a favor, don’t let me be lazy. Ask me how often I am exercising, ask what I had for lunch and remind me that I have a life worth fighting for.

30 and feeling lazy.

2005-07-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

Today is my 30^th birthday and I had planned to write some deep philosophical essay on how things have changed for me. Instead, I found out my wife’s grandmother was in the hospital after suffering a mild or “mini” stroke. It looks like she will be okay and will not suffer any long term damage but it was still enough for me to once again realize that my silly shit is irrelevant. To whit, my essay is as follows: I’m 30, I feel older because I am out of shape and I am not doing anything about it. If I want to live to see 35 I better start eating better food and getting some exercise. (End Essay)

I did get to enjoy a feast of a dinner with the wife and in-laws. Tomorrow I get to go spend time with friends and I am looking forward to that. My wife has the rest of the weekend off so I think I will try and focus on enjoying our time together. Right now, as I write this, one of our cats is lying next to me and purring up a storm while a real storm is thundering outside. It’s the little moments folks, stop and enjoy them while they last.

Cures what ails you.

2005-07-12T23:01:00.000-04:00

I am not a bright person. I was not feeling well when I got home today and so I tried to rest. I ended up napping which always leaves me too hot and I get a headache. So, naturally I decided to make myself feel better by drinking. That last sentence DOES make sense if you are Irish, trust me. My drink of choice is a “Snakebite” and it is a shot of Yukon Jack with a hit of lime syrup that results in liquid candy. The problem is that when I am not feeling well shots don’t go down so well. I decided to take a few hits off a Mike’s Hard Lime and then pour the shot into the bottle. It went down smooth and I liked it but now I am woozy but not drunk. I hope that I feel better tomorrow because I don’t like be vaguely unwell. What I really need is a break in the weather but I know that is not going to happen.

I have a question, who reads this blog? I got curious and created a Technorati account to see who links to me. (Thanks Anaximander) I’d like for you to leave a comment letting me know what you think, what you’d like to see more of and what you get out of it. Since I don’t know my audience I write for myself and as a result I skip over a lot that might be of interest to you. Anyway, take care of yourself and leave me some freaking feedback.

I love my wife.

2005-07-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

A marriage has ups and downs like any other part of life and right now I am celebrating an up. I sometimes take for granted how wonderful my wife is and how much she cares about me. My birthday is approaching and she is working hard to make sure I enjoy myself. However, I also know that the past few months she has been trying to make everyday a little better and it is paying off. I am a happier person and I love her so much more everyday. I know tomorrow may bring new challenges but I am not worried about it because right now I am in love with someone special.

Anaximander

2005-07-06T16:24:00.000-04:00

A good friend of mine has just started blogging and I am linking to him here and I will also put it in my sidebar. He is one of the smartest people I know but if you like my world view you may find him just to the left Genghis Khan. Seriously he is somewhat conservative and devoutly religious without being preachy. On many issues he and I agree including our opinion that the government has gotten to big and corrupt. Our main difference is that I am a believer in complete freedom to do anything you want to do so long as you are not actually hurting anyone; he believes society can and should regulate and attempt to control behavior even when that behavior in not directly harming someone.

More "Supreme" Court nonsense

2005-06-28T16:44:00.000-04:00

Since my last posting the Supreme Court has managed to get even dumber. They cleared the way to sue programmers who create software that can be used to exchange files. (This would to my mind include Microsuck.) This is like suing hammer makers when someone beats the non-existent brains out of an idiot because the hammer was used to commit the crime. Then, they managed to make it totally clear that they do/don’t support the separation of Church and State by saying it is/isn’t okay to post the Ten Commandments on publicly property. Am I the ONLY person that thinks that “our” government is both corrupt and incompetent at the same time? All well, if this is the best America can do I guess we deserve what we get. At least this guy is doing something about it.

The Supreme Court

2005-06-23T13:08:00.000-04:00

To the 5 Supreme Court Justices who feel that the government should be able to take people's property and give it to large corporations: Each of you is a wanker, a complete asshat who has no concept of freedom and fairness. You deserve the scorn and hatred of every American and it is my sincere hope that your life is as miseable as the lives you ruin each and evey day with your boneheaded rulings.

I go now to go camping in a State Park before you decide to sell the property to a large corporation that has financed the careers of your friends and relatives.

No posts for awhile

2005-06-23T09:01:00.000-04:00

I am going on vacation and will not be back until Tuesday. I am going camping so there will be no posts here until then at the earliest. Go find something interesting and send it to me so I have something to write about when I get back.

Intelligent Design and evolution

2005-06-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

I try and respect religion, I really do. I think that a person filled with faith and kindness can turn the world into a paradise. However, when people deny science because it conflicts with faith I smell zealotry. I can buy that God created then universe and has a divine plan for its evolution. What I can’t buy is that the universe is 6006 years old and that radio carbon dating and other scientific methods are “tricks” played by God on scientists. To that end I found http://www.venganza.org/ very humorous and was pleased by the pointy stick it thrust at the hypocrisy of some organized religion zealots. I think we need to teach verifiable facts in schools and religious doctrines in church. I am NOT saying that evolution is a fact (though the pieces are starting to come together) so it need not be taught in my opinion but then “Intelligent Design” should also find no place in schools except maybe Sunday school.

Be a man for the sake of those you love.

2005-06-21T09:24:00.000-04:00

I cannot abide by hypocrisy, it drives me right up and wall. When I encounter a hypocrite my blood boils and I become disgusted. On the occasion I discover I am being a hypocrite I feel truly ashamed and try to do everything in my power to put an end to my own foolishness. Recently someone has come to me with relationship troubles and I scolded him for being selfish and immature. His problems focused around his feelings and what “she” was doing to him.

I explained that my view on life as a man is that we are given the emotional fortitude and toughness to endure all manner of perceived injustice. Or to borrow from earlier works:

“Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?”

I am a stoic and I feel that it is my job to provide my wife with comfort and joy without thought of my own desires. Now, lest I sound like a martyr I choose to do this because of all that my wife does for me. The fundamental basis of true love is putting someone else’s needs above your own, the desire to see them happy even if it means making a sacrifice.

This morning, when I was pouting like a child because I felt that I was giving and not getting I learned that I was going to be asked to give even more and get even less. I immediately became angry and resentful until I remembered how harshly I scolded the gentleman I mention earlier for focusing on his feelings. Since I cannot abide hypocrisy I was forced to look at my own negative feelings and under the light of reason the poison was removed from my soul. I am now prepared to give more and get less and I will do it with a smile. I will do it because I love my wife and she needs a husband who can be strong enough to be a man and not a pouting child that asks for more than she can give.

Next time you find yourself feeling taken for granted; try to think about what the other person is going through and that if they are leaning on you it is for need of support. Indeed, if I may borrow from an even earlier work:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

I am not a religious man but I know wisdom when I see it and now you’ve just seen it too.

Obligatory Posting

2005-06-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

I am miserable this morning due to a headache but my love for all of you compels me to post something. Below you will find links to many fun and interesting things that caught my attention this weekend.

Rise of Legends – From the people who brought us Rise of Nations

Dungeons & Dragons Online – The most “Duh” MMORPG ever.

I.M.P.S. The Relentless – From the creator of Troops

Link – For people who masturbate too much. (Safe for work)

The last one is a joke for those of you that have had your sense of humor surgically removed.

I've been hit where it hurts.

2005-06-15T14:52:00.000-04:00

http://www.gadgetmadness.com/archives/20050613-master_replicas_darth_vader_episode_iii_helmet_replica.php

Third paragraph down.

I quit, I am going home and taking my ball with me.

Creepy to say the least.

2005-06-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

I have recently been tipped off to a very creepy site. I won’t go into details because I would ruin it for you but you really should go see it. Make sure you have Quicktime installed and let the whole movie load before getting started. http://www.vansowerwine.com/installation/playwithmeint.htm

With a little help from my friends.

2005-06-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

I had a friend recently tell me he actually reads this tripe and it surprised me to no end. I honestly thought no one but me ever visits the page. If just one person deigns to read this I guess it is my duty to keep posting. It seems there would be no better time to talk about my friends than today. You see, my friends are what make my life interesting. I don’t have many but the few that I do have make up for their numbers in quality. I am going to start with the one that prodded me to keep posting.

S and his wife C are starting a strong family that I look forward to seeing grow. He is exactly the kind of provider I hope I could be if I had kids. His faith and his moral bearing will make him a good father. His wife is an excellent mother and I think she makes the perfect companion for S. She brings a color and zest to the family that might otherwise be dragged down by day-to-day drudgery.

R and his wife K are newlyweds who just moved into their first house. You can find more about them in R’s own words by following the link to “Kaos” on the right hand side of this page. R is like a brother to me and as long as I should live he will bring a smile to my face. His experiences so often mirror my own and so we often find ourselves commiserating with few words needed. I’d like to see him more but he’s always busy building a bomb shelter in his back yard in preparation for the day when the U.N. invades us. K is a beautiful woman and the best thing about that beauty is that it goes right down to the bone. Her spirit is as luminous as the light in her eyes and even from a distance you can see how much she cares for R. They always bring fun with them I wouldn’t try to host an event without inviting them.

P and his wife B are also newlyweds and have just moved into their new house. (To the one or two loyal readers I have you know I have been best man at both weddings and heavy lifting for both moves.) I have known P for a long time and watched him mature into a devoted husband. I can see clearly how much he cares for B and how much he hates to let her down. He’s also the most lethal person I have ever met behind a mouse and keyboard in real time strategy games. B has shown she has a keen eye for home décor despite working full time. She knows quality and substance when she sees it; which makes me wonder why she married P. (Just kidding, I can’t avoid taking a swipe at my friends now and again.)

J and his wife L are new friends of mine and I am better for knowing them. They were introduced to me by R and K which speaks to what good people they are. I helped them move into their new house as well but I was the small fry that day; much to my own relief. J has a good sense of humor and more musical talent in one finger than I have in my whole body. He seems to be relaxed and at ease all the time and he has helped me realize that life does not revolve around being tense and irritable all the time. L manages to be every bit the fine lady without ever making you forget she “just one of the guys”. She is always fun to hang out with and also has a positive attitude that makes you want her and J near you.

J and C have given me so much and asked so little that I feel in debt to them. They served as parents of the groom at my wedding and have been friends for much longer. J kept me sane at one of the darkest times of my life and made me think about how I can be a better husband. His faith and humility carry him through life with a grace few others could manage in similar circumstances. C is a ravishing beauty with the biggest heart I have ever known. You know that she genuinely cares for strangers as much as friends and to cause anyone harm is to hurt her. If we had more people like that no one would hurt another for fear of ruining C’s faith in humanity. I was honored to call them Mom & Dad is only for a day.

I have one more set of friends that I don’t want to mention as they value their privacy. They know who they are and they mean the world to me. Both are “good people” who make communities tick and their mutual love will carry them through life with joy.

Finally I come to my best friend, my wife H. In my darkest times she was the light that banished the shadows of doubt and fear. She is my reason for being and she keeps me from going completely insane. I could not imagine the Hell my life would be without her and my most joyous moments come when she smiles. She is beautiful, engaging, patient, compassionate, and everything else a man could want. Simply stated, she is my better half in every sense of the phrase.