Quintessence of Dust

Insanity

2009-10-09T03:21:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I haven't so much blogged in a very long time. Unfortunately, this trend will likely continue. Suffice to say, my time is not my own, and when it is, I don't know what to do with it. Hopefully I'll maintain sanity through December, at which point, perhaps I'll get to posting again. Silly life and busy-ness.

Health Care Reform

2009-07-28T08:08:00.003-04:00

So, before I ever saw any Health Care Reform Bill from Obama, I said I didn't like the idea of Socializing Medicine. I also told people that Obama would spend more than he helped. I also mentioned the fact that he was after guns and ammo, and that he was not pro-hunting.

So far, I've been right. He has spent more, albeit in his stimulus packages, than he has helped our country get out of the downward spiral. Not that Bush helped either, but Obama has upped the ante.

As to the guns and ammo, all you need to do is look at the scarcity of available ammunition and firearms to realize that all Americans that enjoy the shooting and hunting sports are scared out of their minds that Obama will impact their ability to enjoy their Second Amendment Rights, and are buying up both firearms and ammunition in near record amounts. This should be a boon both for the US gov't and the Firearms companies. However, the gov't is so over-spent that it apparently doesn't matter if there's windfall profits from the 2nd Amendment groups. Its gotten to the point where Reloading has seen a resurgence, and that was something I thought I'd never see.

Now for the health care. This article came out today, and I read it and was amused. I think the last two bother me the most. Number 4 because it is something that was promised, and now will not be carried out in the manner previously promised. Number 5 is just ludicrous. They already proved that it did not work once, and now they want to make it Federal Law, and thereby create an HMO that can only be overturned by a literal Act of Congress.

We shall see.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe

2009-07-27T08:43:00.002-04:00

I forgot how much fun this song was until I heard it on "Prairie Home Companion", at which point I laughed like an idiot. Classic...

Apparently I've been missing out on the Wurzels. I need to learn more about this band...

Wow, that's all incredibly hilarious.

The Boxer

2009-07-13T22:46:00.002-04:00

It took me awhile, but I finally watched "The Boxer" starring D.D. Lewis and Emily Watson. Mmm, Irish reality. It goes well with the reading for class I've got going lately. With any luck, I might even be able to use it. I would recommend it to most others who like Irish history.

The Irish

2009-07-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

As I stumble towards mediocrity in writing a thesis, I am reading more and more about the Irish, their history, their struggles, and their tragedy. Fascinating stuff. It allows one to realize that the concept of genetic memory has partial possibility, but at the same time has flaws. All in all, however, so many of the ideas that the Irish had as far as community or goverment make so much more sense than what the English had in place. Granted, it would be difficult to maintain their concepts of government in today's world, but that is also because so much of American socio-political thought has English roots. However, still fascinating stuff to learn. makes me want to have my own plot of land somewhere with a lot of trees keeping everyone else out as soon as possible.

Stargate

2009-07-11T00:21:00.003-04:00

Recent Stargate addict here. Anyone else find it amazing how they can open a door and shut it every single episode? Its like, "Look, we can do this," at the beginning of the episode, and then by the end, that door closes, sometimes moving them back in their attempts to get where they want to be. Hilarious.

Stargate SG-1

2009-06-23T23:05:00.002-04:00

Genius I tell you. Fantastic idea to study both sci-fi and mythological elements all at once by turning the gods of myth and legend into aliens and have them populate throughout the universe, etc. Fantastic. You should try it out, if you like Sci-Fi and know anything about mythology, that is.

HR 45

2009-06-19T09:33:00.002-04:00

Bad for you. Bad for me. Bad for America. Stop the insanity. And I quote from an e-mail, but only after I checked the actual link for the Bill in question. The e-mail isn't lying.

"Very Important for you to be aware of a new bill HR 45 introduced into the House.
This is the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sale Act of 2009.
We just learned yesterday about this on the Peter Boyles radio program.
Even gun shop owners didn't know about this because it is flying under the radar.
To find out about this - go to any government website and type in HR 45 or Google HR 45 Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sales Act of 2009. You will get all the information. Basically this would make it illegal to own a firearm any rifle with a clip or ANY pistol unless:

It is registered
You are fingerprinted
You supply a current Driver's License
You supply your Social Security #
You will submit to a physical & mental evaluation at any time of their choosing
Each update - change or ownership through private or public sale must be reported and costs $25 - Failure to do so you automatically lose the right to own a firearm and are subject up to a year in jail.
There is a child provision clause on page 16 section 305 stating a child-access provision. Gun must be locked and inaccessible to any child under 18.
The Government would have the right to come and inspect that you are storing your gun safely away from accessibility to children and fine is punishable for up to 5 yrs. in prison.

If you think this is a joke - go to the website and take your pick of many options to read this.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h45/text

It is long and lengthy. But, more and more people are becoming aware of this. Pass the word along.
Any hunters in your family - pass this along.
Peter Boyles is on this and having guests. Listen to him on KHOW 630 a.m. in the morning.
He suggests the best way to fight this is to tell all your friends about it and "spring into action". Also he suggests we all join a pro-gun group like the Colorado Rifle Association, hunting associations, gun clubs and especially the NRA.

This is just a "termite" approach to complete confiscation of guns and disarming of our society to the point we have no defense - chip away a little here and there until the goal i s accomplished before anyone realizes it.
Did Obama promise transparency? It seems his motives are more and more transparent while his methods are hidden in back rooms. This is one to act on whether you own a gun or not."

Now, my thoughts. Not. Cool. Simply and direct, that's what you wanted, right? If you want me to go further into depth about it, I may at a later date. Suffice to say that a gun can only be used if it is loaded, and that if a criminal enters my home w/ a loaded gun, it is ready to fire. If I have to keep mine unloaded and stored, I am at that criminal's mercy. There is no way I can unlock my gun, load it, and be ready for that criminal. I will have a hard enough time just drawing my weapon from its current unlocked storage, as I will be in the position of being surprised. A bill like this only helps the criminal who does not want to own a firearm legally, it harms the innocent, law abiding citizen. I really want to sit down and discuss this with these pseudo-intellectual anti-gunners sometime, and explain reality to them before they come up with another idiotic gun control bill that harms myself and my family; as opposed to the original intent of the 2nd Amendment which was for the average American to be able to defend themselves from attack (mainly by the gov't they were about to overthrow. Yeah, that'll make you think).

In my defense, I've been reading A LOT of William Blake...

2009-06-16T23:16:00.002-04:00

The Sun rises, but Night falls.
Plants breathe carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen.
Animals breathe oxygen but exhale carbon dioxide.

Spring is birthed
Summer is living
Autumn is dying
Winter is dead
And then they begin again.

The Loyal Dog chases its tail
The Cunning Serpent swallows its tail
Innocents experience the rotation of History.

Last year's leaves nourish this year's acorns
Just as the dead poet's verse
Lives in the learning student's mind.

Everything begins while everything ends
All at once reality appears and disappears
In a recurring drumbeat of resonance:
Echoes that speak the words we only think.

Chaos and Order play tag across the point of a pin-
Only a smaller and more dangerous game
Passing through the eye of a needle
To stitch it all together with ripped seams.

Here rests the question we seek
Because we do not actually want the answer to be found.

Bears

2009-06-13T09:51:00.002-04:00

So, as you can all gather, I am a hunter. I am pro-management of animal species by hunting. You can check my facts, but every animal put under a hunting season/game laws has actually increased its population. If you want to see more of an animal, find a way to get Sportsmen involved. If we want to hunt it, we'll make sure it survives and sticks around to be hunted.

On that note, there is also a correlation between having a predator high on the food chain not having a hunting season for them. This article talks about the facts that bears haven't been hunted in many states, and they've rebounded massively. Now they're getting to the point where they're losing their fear of man, and becoming dangerous in some instances. I found the car accident thing interesting, because if you think hitting a deer is bad, imagine that but with a bear. Some black bears reach 300 lbs, they're short limbed, thick bodied, and altogether solid. The preferred weapons to harvest a bear are things like a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with slugs, large bore rifles (in other words numbers like .300 and larger), and large bore pistols. In fact, the .454 Casull was developed specifically as a side arm to keep fishermen safe in Alaska.

That being said, I kinda' look forward to the chance to hunt bear at some point in my future. Don't know when, don't know where, but I'd like to do it sometime.

Medal of Honor Special

2009-06-12T07:41:00.003-04:00

I watched less than 8 minutes of this special, and had tears in my eyes. Wow.

Jim Croce

2009-06-10T23:43:00.003-04:00

Occasionally I get into a mood to listen to someone, and recently the singer/songwriter group of artists has been getting hit pretty heavily. As a result, here's some Jim Croce from YouTube for you all to enjoy. I really wanted to find "Time in a Bottle", but apparently nobody has a vid on YouTube of him doing the song, more's the pity. On an aesthetic note, you've gotta' love the 'stache, the man knew how to wear some stylish facial hair.

Benjamin Button

2009-06-06T23:43:00.002-04:00

Just finished watching "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I enjoyed it. I think that there can be comparisons with "Forrest Gump" in some respects, but that at the same time it is a completely different movie. The makeup was fantastic, as was the costuming. Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett performed stunningly. Fave character, the Irish Tug Boat Captain angry at his father played by Jared Harris. Comments are most welcome as to other people's enjoyment or disappointment in said movie.

Yet Another Mongrel Idiot Exec

2009-06-02T15:12:00.001-04:00

Someone at NBC cancelled "Life". Morons. I'm getting tired of viable shows that are good getting cancelled. Tired and done with their run, that's fine. Fresh, new, and different, not so much.

Status: Annoyed.

Gone, Not Forgotten

2009-05-29T23:07:00.002-04:00

Everyone by now should know I'm a HUGE Johnny Cash fan. Love his music, love him as an artist, was incredibly saddened when he passed away. I'm still surprised when I see the date and realize that its been over 6 years since his passing. Anywho, just a case in point on how much he rocks, by the numbers, he's the #17 best selling artist in the 2000's decade. That just makes me smile.

Matthew 10:16

2009-05-27T09:29:00.003-04:00

And I quote:

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (KJV)

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (NIV)

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (NKJV)

"Behold, *I* send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves." (Darby)

Above are a few different translations. I would have added a few more, but they would have either said the same thing, or would have been written in Middle English which no one but English Majors actually pays attention to (unless you're reading Chaucer in Senior English in high school).

However, a little backstory, and then why I'm writing this post. First off, this is when Christ is sending out the apostles. He has told them to bring their peace to the houses they stay at, shake of the dust of the streets from their feet in any city that doesn't recieve them, etc. This is obviously in Matthew, so Pentecost has obviously not happened, and Christ is still the presence of God here on terra firma.

Anywho, importance. If you look at Christ and Paul, the two major figures of the New Testament Era (you can argue for John and Peter, but Peter didn't write as many books as Paul, and while John may have written 5 of the NT books, his books deal more with future events than current) both of them took the debate to the grounds of someone else's academic comfort zone. Christ hit the Scribes and Pharisees in their own words, with their own logic. Paul did the same, and then he went to Greece and debated the greatest minds in the world at the time to a stand still. Neither of them reverted to, "Well, the Bible says," one time. They both answered the people of that time with the information pertinent to that time.

Now, where am I going with this? Simply this, I am constantly pondering and questioning why Christians do not take back the academic fields they have so easily given up. Study should be done with no bias, and with a desire to find out the truth. If Christ is the Truth, then what He says should hold up to intense scrutiny. The idea that the truth we find in the natural world somehow makes the Bible untrue always makes me chuckle, because in all reality, the problems between science and religion most often rest in how man understands what he is observing. With that, if we are to be as wise, shrewd, or prudent as serpents, and as harmless, innocent, and guileless as doves as we are conveying the gospel to those around us, then why do we insist on being simple in our answers to those who have questions? Innocence does not mean without knowledge, nor does it mean without information. Even secular information that could be deemed "unclean" or "unrighteous" can be studied by a Christian, if that Christian is living for God in the first place. When you read or learn something that challenges your faith, work it out and try to figure out whether your faith or your information is wrong, or if it merely rests as your understanding of either one in the first place.

5-25-09

2009-05-25T07:54:00.002-04:00

Thank you...Lest we forget.

Firefly

2009-05-21T23:28:00.001-04:00

So yeah, Fox is again stupid for cancelling this show. This one, Sarah Connor, and New Amsterdam...and yet they keep running 24. Idiots.

Updatage

2009-05-20T21:54:00.003-04:00

First off, waiting tables. Lunch does not mean a lower tip rate than dinner. I wear the same outfit and give the same service. Oh, and 20% is the new minimum.

Second, Hulu is evil. I have watched way too many things in the process of catching up in the last two weeks, scary stuff. Mostly Airwolf and Firefly lately, but I'm sure there's more coming (aka Glee, even if that's in the Fall).

Other news, summer classes are in full swing. I'm enjoying my classes, and looking forward to finishing up everything for the Fall Semester, working towards that ever elusive MA/MAT process.

Now you've been updated.

Late-Night TV

2009-05-14T23:17:00.002-04:00

I love old TV shows. I'll be honest, I do love old TV shows. Thus, Hulu is a HORRIBLE invention for me to do anything. I am soooo watching Airwolf right now, watched Highlander last night, Charles in Charge and Who's the Boss the night before, night before that was Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and then previous to that was a LOT of Voltron, He-Man, etc. This thing is eating my sleep life, slowly but surely.

Lady Panthers

2009-05-08T22:14:00.001-04:00

Congrats to the Lady Panthers of Ledford on their win over Salisbury tonight, putting them firmly in 2nd place in the Central Carolina Conference. Good luck in the Playoffs!

R.I.P. Dom DeLuise

2009-05-05T14:42:00.000-04:00

He shall be missed.

Papers and Recycled Thought

2009-04-30T07:46:00.003-04:00

Do you ever wonder if the papers you have to/had to write for class are original or not? Sometimes I wonder if the thoughts I'm putting down are actually original, or if I'm merely parrotting something I've read, but don't remember I've read. Example: writing my paper for Grammar and Composition this semester, I used the example of welding. Didn't know why I used it, just thought it would be appropriate to compare skills, but with the reality that writing has the ability to fix the work where welding only let you do it once. However, as I was reading through my articles again and writing my paper, I realized that one of the articles actually used the comparison to welding, but did not take it to the level that I had in my research paper. Of course, I had no recollection of ever reading that part of the article. I remember other parts of the article, but not that one. Odd, but interesting, and thus causing me to ask the question I did about subconscious memory. Makes you wonder.

Just When I Thought....

2009-04-29T16:59:00.002-04:00

So, I was toodling about the interwebs today, and came across this, the ultimate list of real life super-heroes. Enjoy...

http://worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superhero_registry_gallery.htm

Grad School Update

2009-04-29T02:24:00.000-04:00

One Paper closer....the big one is done, now on to the smaller papers.

GI Joe Resolute

2009-04-28T15:27:00.002-04:00

If you have not seen them, you need to watch them. I'm embedding the first one from YouTube, the others are up to you to find. There are 10 episodes that are 5 minutes long, and then the last one is a little over 11 minutes long. Worth it, can't wait to see what they do going forward.

Johnny Cash's Last Performances

2009-04-20T22:38:00.003-04:00

Wish I'd found this awhile ago. I don't care if he is a bit rough, he's still performing, and it still impresses me. There's more than these two, but this is all I hve time, papers press.

Willie Nelson

2009-04-20T22:06:00.002-04:00

I've never seen this one of Willie. Willie Nelson, Rainbow Connection. Kermit the Frog, Jim Henson, Outlaw Country, Modern Country, all tied up in just the simple choice of song and the person performing it. Wow. Here's the link, because I can't embed...

Bowfins in General

2009-04-19T23:08:00.003-04:00

I hate bowfins. And now you're all like, "What is Doyle on about now?" Well, bowfins, obviously. What is a bowfin? Well, here's the Wiki link - bowfin - and here's what happened. I was fishing away, enjoying my day, had a few white bass already in, ready for me to take home and fry up, when I get this thud on the end of my line. I begin to reel in said thud, only to realize I have a 2 foot long bowfin on the end of my hook. It proceeds to be difficult to land, and then snaps my rod in half. It then wriggles its fancy finned tailed self back into the water as I narrowly missed it with the large rock I chucked two handed at it as I realized that my rod was broken.

Suffice to say I must hie myself to a purveyor of fine fishing gear on the morrow to replace it. What's extra sad is that I've had the rod for a long time. It was the first one I had that I caught a trout on, the one I took on my honeymoon, etc. The only time I haven't used that rod was when I flew to NY and couldn't bring it, so I bought one up there and then left it at my parents' house. I have my reel still, and I only need to buy a new rod (preferably a better one than the basic level I had before), but its sad. I may have to do something with it to retire it and keep it as a memory. We shall see what the wife says.

Dave Arneson

2009-04-09T08:07:00.003-04:00

Some of you out there play games, some of you do not. For those of you who really enjoy RPG's, a founder of the genre passed away on Tuesday, Mr. Dave Arneson. I found out when checking up on my web comic fix at Giant In The Playground, better known as "The place where that guy writes Order of the Stick/OOTS". Condolensces to his family. The gaming world is saddened by the other half of the original pair who came up w/ role playing games in the first place passing away. (If you don't know the other half, look up Gary Gygax and get back to me).

Update

2009-04-08T08:36:00.003-04:00

Its been a bit, and I'm busy like crazy, but I figured I needed to update one and all on life in general. Currently that includes:

Class
Work
House Hunting
Container Gardening (with hopefully regular gardening starting this weekend)
Family visits
Trying to fish
Trying to find time to prep the hunting property

Otherwise, life is just boring here in Jamestown. I'll have some pressingly important articles or opinions sometime after I finish this semester, I'm sure. This semester is kicking my tail, though.

Ledford Update

2009-03-30T21:20:00.002-04:00

My girls wanted me to know that they have done one of the things we wanted to do for the last 2 years, beat Salisbury. They are now 3-0 in the Conference. And I cried...

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T08:42:00.003-04:00

'Tis here again, the day of celebration for Ireland's favorite son/Saint. Of course, in with Patrick are lumped Brigid and Columcille, who do not get their own days. Look them up, learn something.

The corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and onions are all in the crockpot together, set for 10 hours, and ready to go. The wife made soda bread last night, which we of course already sampled, and I had a piece for breakfast as well (yes, I am aware of the problems with that sentence's structue. Don't care).

Its a drippy, green day, perfect for celebration of a country known for green scenes and rainfall. I hope you all enjoy today. I know, usually I post a bigger blog, but I have to work instead. Enjoy the day, listen to Irish music, and please, don't drink green beer. If it was meant to be green, it would be bottled that way. Besides, if you were in Ireland, you'd never seen the food coloring, as all the good beer over there is too dark to see food coloring that has been added to ruin and taint said beer.

6 Days

2009-03-11T14:34:00.002-04:00

Less than a week until St. Patrick's Day. I hope that you all have prepared yourselves for said holiday. This should include eating of at least one of the following foods: cabbage, potatoes, corned beef, some version of sheep (lamb or mutton), trout, or salmon. Did I not give you enough veggie choices? Too bad. If you want to stretch it, onions may be added to something above, but onions on their own do not constitute you having fulfilled your Irish requirments.

For those of you of age, whatever adult beverage you choose must originate in Ireland, Scotland, or Wales. I put these three because all have been oppressed by the English, and therefore you can cross over a bit. In other words, if its made or bottled anywhere in England, you're a dirty Royalist if you drink it on St. Patrick's Day. Note, I didn't say dirty Prod, because there's plenty of those who wish for Ireland to be whole again.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-04T20:07:00.001-05:00

It cometh. Slowly, but surely, it creeps towards us, in its Gaelic Glory. Today being the 4th gives you 13 days to prepare for the day of rejoicing that slowly approaches. Be prepared, or fall by the wayside in sadness.

In other news, got a router today. My Wii is now Wiireless. Its Wii-tastic.

Anti-Stimulus

2009-03-02T16:58:00.002-05:00

So, I am going on record as "Anti-Stimulus", no matter what money it gives me. Will I use the money? Of course, I need it. However, I don't think the stimulus package is being sorted the correct way. Simply put, less money for big business, more money for the individual consumer and small business owner. Why? Well, because those are the people that keep this economy running. Yes, the Big Money guys keep the government running with their taxes, but it is the work-a-day person that makes the economy go. More money to the small people, stronger economy. Yeah, I know its not that simple, but its the model to use as opposed to the model we are currently following.

In other Anti-Stimulus News, there are apparently some states doing some bills about State Sovereignty. This is somewhere between The Civil War and the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debates. All of it has to do with how much power the Federal Government should have vs. how much power the state gov'ts should have. A little link-age for those that are interested.

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-24T14:37:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and I hope that all believers in Christ have made plans to observe it in some fashion. Some may not be able to attend a service, some may not agree with the placing of ashes on the forehead, and some may wonder why a confirmed Protestant is blogging about a Holy Day typically associated with the Catholic Church.

However, and you can attack this statement from different angles, the ash of Ash Wednesday is simply symbolic of faith. Christians have such a "permissive" religion overall, that one day of having an outward show of an inward belief should not be taken lightly. We talk about baptism as being the outward show of the inward belief. Why not a day with a cross of ashes on your forehead? Yes, I understand that the idea that there somehow exists some kind of grace is contradictory to the Protestant way of thinking. I appreciate the delicate theological theories that spin around this like a spider web. Still, I have a question to pose. If the believer is sincere, and the believer is looking for a deeper walk and relationship with Christ, then where does the conflict of belief arise?

I am actually planning on going to my first Catholic Service tomorrow that is not connected with a marriage or a death. Part of this is because I have class tomorrow night, and cannot go to any evening services. I did actually look into going to a Episcopal Church, as they are still "Protestant", but all the ones I found were only having evening services. And so, tomorrow, I will make my way to the 12:30 Mass, and sit and listen, and partake of the service. I'm not sure how much of the liturgy I shall partake of outside of the act of attending a service on Ash Wednesday. It is the drive to find a closer walk with Christ that compels the attendance, though. I'm interested to see exactly why I have that drive.

Annual Oscar Fashion Post

2009-02-23T11:11:00.003-05:00

All right, here it is, the annual Oscars Fashion review. I have two websites this year (one which will be good for the next 5 years, the other will probably go belly-up within the week). The first is simply the one from the Oscars, the second is Yahoo's "Fashion Report Card".

I'll start w/ the Yahoo Report Card, and then list a few specifics from the Oscar's Page. The Oscars will be around for the next 5 years, Yahoo won't. Get your looks on while you can:

1. Angelina Jolie- great dress, if only it wasn't being sullied by what was in it.

2. Miley Cyrus- what the...Christmas was over 2 months ago. You look like a freakin' lawn ornament Christmas Tree all frosted with snow. I could have mentioned a few other similarities like a pine cone or fish scales, perhaps "I'm melting"...horrible.

3. Kate Winslet- like the dress overall, but she has more curves that that, and should show them. The one fortunate thing, no Leo in this picture. That always improves the picture.

4. Mickey Rourke- I hate to mock a man's style, as this is apparently Rourke's, but I just can't see this on the Red Carpet. It isn't really the "I don't care" that happens when we get to P.S. Hoffman, its just someone not taking care of ol' Mickey.

5. Marisa Tomei- I like the dress. I think its one of a couple that could have had just a touch less train flowing out behind. However, opinions and armpits and all that.

6. Beyonce- whether poorly covering classics (At Last), or not being able to keep up with older artists (Tina Turner), Beyonce proves time and again that she really doesn't deserve the acclaim she has recieved. This dress continues that legacy, and makes it worth its weight in gold.

7. Anne Hathaway- Much better than last year or the year before. I love this, she looks good, and it only took her and her entourage/handlers three years to arrive.

8. Vanessa Hudgens- Feathers are a bit much, but she's got that cute and girly-thing going, so they work. Kudos.

9. Zac Efron-looks like he's growing out of his tux, his hair belongs back in the 50's, and he apparently has huge feet. I guess that does something for the ladies.

10. Jennifer Aniston- dress good, heels good, hair a little bit on the not working side. Could be better Jen. Hey, I still think you look better than that other one Brad's with now.

11. Heidi Klum- Best part of this outfit are the legs that jump through the slit. Everything else, just not good, not good at all. Apparently last year's dress w/ the NFL backboard was on purpose, and she banged her head and lost all fashion sense.

12. Meryl Streep- still trying to work it. Picked the right dress for her age/color, but not quite up to the sex appeal she probably wants. Still, not bad.

13. Hugh Jackman- Ladies everwhere love a man in a tailored tux and an accent. Good choice by the Academy, good work by his stylist.

14. Freida Pinto- I think the commentator from Yahoo is wrong. She's got that Indian-fashion flair going with this dress, and I like it. I think it works. The blue offsets her skintone and the simple, traditional hairstyle brings the dress together with the movie in which she performed.

15. Sophia Loren-this made me almost cry. What happened, Sophia? Seriously, what happened? You make me sad. Very sad.

16. Brad Pitt- part of what makes his outfits work is the fact that deep down, he doesn't care what anyone else thinks, he's dressing how he wants because it is comfortable. Needs more facial hair, as the beard gets a rum deal w/ a few of the other people on this report card.

17. Tarija P. Henson- Love it. Wasn't sure at first, saw a few more angles, love it.

18. Phillip Seymour Hoffman- fashion disaster...Awesome Meter exploded in the positive. None of it really works. He's overweight, his suit is a little bit like the one he wore last year (as does his wife's dress), but it doesn't matter, because it is awesome.

19. Halle Berry- I don't think there's an actress from anywhere in the Classic Hollywood Stable that could have done better. Lovely.

20. Reese Witherspoon- I wouldn't even buy a tie w/ this kind of design on it. I think the Yahoo person was kind with the "C". Seriously, this dress is horrible. Reese should have come in with Mickey Rourke.

21. Jessica Biel- Napkins are provided, you don't have to bring your own. In future, if you do bring your own, keep it in your purse. Hanging it out of your bodice is poor form. Wait, that's your dress, that's how its supposed to look? I'm so embarassed (and you should be as well).

22. Penelope Cruz- the more I look at this dress, the more I like it. First response was "Meh". But now, after seeing it a few times, it has so many nuances, so many little things going on, that it really is lovely. Only one thing, in some of the other pictures than on Yahoo, the train could have been a bit shorter, not a ton, just a touch.

23. Whoopi Goldberg- I thought we covered the bad animal prints last year with Diablo Cody. However, Whoopi decided there's always room for leopard. Maybe stuffed and mounted on my wall, but not wrapped around your body at the Oscars.

24. Amy Adams- I like everything about this outfit that ends in the word "dress". Hate the necklace, hate the platforms.

25. Nicole Kidman- looks like a Muppet on drugs. Seriously, think of all the feather stuff Henson used to put on his Muppets, and look at Kidman. And after you look at her, please answer the following question: Is she on drugs, as well?

26. Queen Latifah- could have chosen more wisely. She's beautiful, but form fitting clothing is not for her.

27. Josh Brolin/Diane Lane- good, classic, conservative, respectable. Only one thing: Señor Brolin could be an escaped member of a Latino Mob.

28. Virginia Madsen- Looks great, until that random flap of fabric that extends towards her shoulder. Made me wonder if there was a Star Trek Com-Unit in it somewhere.

29. Natalie Portman- Yahoo can once again kiss my...well, you know. I think she looks reserved and respectful of the nation's economy. Interesting choice of fingernail polish, though.

30. Daniel Craig- is possessive. Seriously, look at every picture both on the Oscars Page and elsewhere when he's in a picture with Satsuki Mitchell. She looks frightened and worried. Is it her first trip to the Oscars, or is Mr. Craig creepier than we know?

31. Evan Rachel Wood- might not be the best choice she's ever made, considering her choice to break up with Manson. However, also works with her skin tone and hair color, so nothing really negative to be said.

32. Adrien Brody- I hope he's doing a movie about some group of radical Islamists, because otherwise this is not acceptable. Seriously poor choice here. I understand comfortable, but this is just sloppy.

33. Sarah Jessica Parker- oh my. Words currently fail me, and none of them are encouraging or positive.

34. Viola Davis- I really want to like this dress, but something about the color combo throws me. I like the cut, the accessories, the hair, everything. But that blue-silver just doesn't do it for me.

35. Amanda Seyfried- Instead of just a napkin, this one is a napkin tied in a bow.

36. Sean Penn/Robin Wright Penn- Sean...blah, blah, blah...Robin Wright Penn is so hot, I don't care what her dress looks like.

37.Tilda Swinton-another questionable look. Made me wonder if she was trying to go asexual for the look. However, I still cannot make jokes, something about her just won't allow it.

38. Alicia Keys- Well, there's a couple problems. 1. Red toenails w/ a lavendar dress=no-no. 2. Looking stoned is not hot. 3. When your earrings are bigger than your hand, that's a problem. 4. After review in some other pictures, just needs a few more stitches to keep it from displaying too much upper/inner thigh.

39. Robert Downey, Jr. and wife, Susan- only question for him is the hair, but that's his style, so no comment. Question for her: was that the last silk towel you had, and so you just thought you'd send it out in style?

40. Marillon Cotillard-Nazionale will probably disagree again, but I don't care, this is horrible. First of all, too much sheer on the skirt, kinda' dirty in the not-so-sexy, not sure if she's a hooker way. Second, the bodice reminds me of something you'd find on an 80's album cover. Who lets people out wearing this stuff?

41. Tina Fey- looks oddly uncomfortable, but I like the dress on her.

42. Melissa Leo- not so much. In fact, not at all.

43. Robert Pattinson- has looked far too stoned, far too often recently. Needs a hair cut. Needs a ticket far, far away from movies. Needs to get through to minute 16 ASAP.

44. Bridget Fonda- There were a bunch of stoners sitting on their couch going, "No way man, her dress is like, talking to me, man. Like, it moves and stuff."

45. Melissa George- the commentator from Yahoo discusses the lingerie-likeness of this. I have one question further than that, "Does the bottom ruffle zip off, and is that only the first part of the strip act?"

46. Leslie Mann- Yahoo is again correct w/ the disco ball. However, I do like the hair, and the necklace is well chosen.

47. James Franco- missed certain important words in his vocabulary: iron, ironing board, tailor, tailored, tailoring, stylist.

48. Phoebe Cates- Not sure what's goin' on here, but minus the shawl-ish thing, I might like it.

49. Maria Menounos- it looks like fungus, seriously. Mushrooms are growing on her dress. There has to be one each year, I guess.

50. Lisa Rinna- On the road to Sophia Loren

51. Guiliana Rancic- Would have looked great, if she did not have that random strap slung in the middle of nowhere.

Others of interest from the Oscars Page:

1. Joey Fatone- sneakers never look good w/ a tux. No, they never look good, no questions.

2. Mary Hart-Easter doesn't take place until AFTER Lent.

3. Mickey Rooney-glad to see him still going. Like the matching colors w/ the date, classic. Find it fascinating that he's still dating (not really surprising, though). Could be worse.

4. Wolfgang Puck- has aged incredibly from last year.

There were a few others I saw, but no one of major import. However, feel free to comment. I feel like I don't have as much "umph" this year as I did last year, but that could be due to low energy after 35+ hours on the road this weekend.

Mr. Holder, a Question

2009-02-19T07:54:00.002-05:00

So Mr. Eric Holder, our current Attorney General (of which the first fact this article points out is that he is the "first black" attorney general, never mind his actual qualifications), recently made a speech about integration in every day life.

Now, there are a few things about this speech I want explained. First of all, I'll use an example from the apartment complex we live in. Of the few residents we really communicate with in our complex is a black family, the Arabic guys that have moved out and own the pizza place across the street, and another black family. We don't even talk to our neighbor that often, but that's because she has two small children our dog sees as hors'd oeuvres. This has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with the fact that we have too much of our own stuff going on to hang out w/ anybody in our apartment complex. The street I grew up on had a core of 5-6 families we knew and associated with. Of course, that was only rarely. The last time I remember actually talking to all of those families was when my dad cut a tree down on himself. Oh yeah, and all of them are white.

It has less to do with color, and more to do with deciding with whom we spend our time. I don't have many black friends, and not because I'm racist, but because my life does not connect me with a lot of black people. If I were going to hang out with people of other ethnicities, I'd literally have to go out of my way. More than that, I'm honestly out of place with a lot of what goes on in those other (literal) cultures. I had to ask another student at A&T what "bouigee" meant (if I even spelled that right). Now, the labels of ethnicity and culture are not out of place there. A culture has its own musical heritage, what it values as important, vocabulary, and common traditions. An ethnicity is based in an identity that a group of people, often coalesced through common skin tone/facial structure/body structure, whose experiences create a heritage. Culture and Ethnicity are closely related. I have very little experience outside of my own culture/ethnicity (and the word "ethnic" applies to whites, if you want an explanation, I'll thrown down later). Its not that I dislike other cultures/ethnicities, but rather that I am more comfortable in my own. Its not that I wouldn't like to learn about them either, its just that I have so much to do within my own that I don't have time. Is that a decision? Yes it is, but it is not a negative decision against, it is a positive decision for, and therein lies the difference that Mr. Holder apparently misses. What he also misses is that you do not have to have integration for influence to happen. A couple of examples would be who is the biggest consumer of hip-hop music (white males aged 18-32), arguably the biggest hip-hop star in the last ten years (Eminem), etc. What Mr. Holder is bordering on is the over-valuing of a culture, and that is dangerous. When you place the individual cultural experience as that important, you are de-valuing the original culture and making a caricature of all cultures. The more you draw attention to the "culture gap", the more obvious it becomes. If you let things ride, you'll realize (especially when you look at the Facebook/myspace pages for most of today's youth) that culture is becoming more blended each generation, and government interference/influence will only make that harder.

Focus

2009-02-18T21:33:00.002-05:00

Focus, what's focus, Precious?

No, seriously, focus. Rockel has announced his Oscar Predictions, and I will be tackling the fashion (as I did last year) on Monday. Unfortunately I will not be watching the dresses/tuxes/lack of formal wear as they happen as I will be en-route from Arkansas to home on Sunday. Someone will have the "Fashion Hits and Misses" list, and I will be able to go through and comment on each actor/actress and agree/disagree with the experts. Then you will feel free to agree/disagree with both myself and the experts. It'll be fun, I promise. After all, I have to make up for not doing the Golden Globes.

Spring Is On Its Way

2009-02-18T13:48:00.002-05:00

Not that I'd be able to pay attention to it this week/weekend, as the weather does not say Spring. More than that, the wife and I are up for 35 hour round trip to TX this weekend to try and replace our wrecked car. Good points on that is that we're actually going to be going through 7 states (not including NC) in 3 days, spending the night on the bank of the Mississippi River, and enjoying one another's company for long periods of time.

The two things that are worthwhile looking forward to with the inevitable change of seasons are fishing and the garden. Fishing can only get better, as I've been skunked each of the last two weekends. As for the garden, it will be both here in containers and in the back yard we've borrowed. This just means tasty, fresh veggies.

Other than that, I just look forward to finishing this semester of Grad School, and read like a mad fool the entire time. Not to mention all the writing. Meh. Concentration failing...

Tired Eyes

2009-02-08T22:43:00.002-05:00

Ever find yourself incredibly tired, but not sleepy? Worst crap ever. I'm currently dealing with this, especially since my body seems inclined to not let me sleep past 7:30 AM ever again. I can be up until 3 AM, my body clock goes off and gets me up well before 8AM. Nonsense, I say. However, I'm sure that it helps me not get too much heavier, as a regular schedule is supposed to help that.

In outdoors news, went fishing on Saturday, got skunked. Its apparently still too cold even here in NC for the fish to decide to bite. Granted, my fishing methods are probably not the best, as I was trying for more action baits, when jigging would have been more appropriate. The problem with jigging is that you have to be above the suspended fish, you cannot jig from shore, unless you are jigging close into it. Well, when the water temp is cold enough to have ice on an edge, then the fish move out as deep as they can, and that means they are nowhere near the edge, and you cannot effectively jig for them. Its all good, though, I enjoyed getting my casting back in shape. I look forward to more effective fishing in the months to come.

Etta James

2009-02-06T09:38:00.002-05:00

For those of you out of the loop on the pop culture, Etta James popularized "At Last". Anywho, she apparently did not appreciate Beyonce's rendition for Obama and Co., and stated it (coverage here). Hilarious. I love spunky old people.

Here's a little YouTubage. The scenes are from Wild at Heart, but the voice is all Etta. I thought about putting one of her more recently, but this is the one everyone knows.

Hmmm....

2009-02-03T20:11:00.002-05:00

For an author who's written a lot of crap himself, Stephen King has some gumption for this. I've read Meyers, and he's right, she can't write. But she's only got 4 books so far. He's got Lord knows how many, and a bunch of them suck, so I'm not sure what he's squawking about. Granted, I don't have anything published, but that's what makes me a critic and not an author (even if I hope to be an author someday. Maybe Santa will bring it for Christmas next year).

Truth in E-mailing: Or How to Prove a Point Without Propagating False Allegations

2009-02-03T12:19:00.002-05:00

I am constantly amazed at the process by which people today will put forward information they know is not completely true, and then say that because what the information allows them to help prevent, its OK.

Example, when you get that e-mail that something you have or have seen in your household (be it a cleaning solution, a beauty product, a type of food, etc.) will kill your animals or family, and there are documented cases of it happening, and yada yada yada: except that its posted anonymously without any documented facts to back it up. Then you head over to Snopes, and "TADA" they think its crap.

Now, the product may not be good for humans or pets or even the structure of the abode within which you dwell. However, telling someone that it will kill them when it most likely will not is wrong. Using false information to prove your point(s) is useless and stupid. Lying to help out the right cause is still lying, and will, in the end, harm the cause you're fighting for in the first place. That's just common sense.

Example for you, the ASPCA. I dislike them immensely because of the way the go after hunters and hunting. Granted, they focus on the "leg traps" and "canned hunts", etc., but they really want to end hunting altogether (check their glossary for how they characterize those terms). However, what they fail to tell you is that most leg traps are utilized well outside the boundaries of heavily populated areas, and that with a leg trap the animal has a chance to survive. On the other hand, if the trapper uses a Conibear Trap , the animal dies instantly (after having the trap snap down and break its neck, so you can see how humane that is). However, the Conibear has its own drawbacks like danger to the trapper, damage that can be caused to an animal too large for the size trap it triggers, etc. Oh yeah, and leg traps damage less fur than Conibears...think they might just want to end the fur business that they so adamantly attack? As for the "canned hunts" this is about exotics existing in the US. Guys pay to go on ranches with thousands of acres, and a high fence, that keeps the animals within a certain range that simulates their own home range. Yes, the animals are stuck there. No, they can't get out. However, this is not exactly as horrible as the ASPCA wants you to believe. Most of these places don't herd the animals into a corner of the fence and slaughter them, they selectively cull using ethical hunting techniques. Many of these animals now intermingle with local animals and vie for resources. I'm not saying I think that the exotics should be brought in at all, I'm just saying that now that they're here, getting rid of them completely would be more unethical than protecting native species.

Anyways, I'm rambling and ranting, but it all stems from the fact that people who use false arguments to prove a true point just piss me off. Its one reason I dislike politics of any kind. Lying should always suck, period.

Species Comparison

2009-02-03T08:06:00.003-05:00

So, for the "smarter" species, it sure takes cats forever to recognize their names...do they ever recognize their names? My dog, Royce, answers to his name. My cats don't even look at us when we use their names. Does that mean they don't know them, or the just choose not to answer to them? Ah well, just a pondering for the AM.

Broken Streak

2009-02-02T23:58:00.002-05:00

I was glad the streak was broken last week. I did not do it on purpose, life just happened, and that means I was too busy to get about my bloggage. However, I am currently having a tidbit to say about reading and catching up with people.

I love catching up with people. Its great to know that those who were a big part of your life at whatever point in your past are doing well. Whatever is going on in their life, you will not be as big a part of it now as you once were, but its still good to know they consider you some part of it.

As to reading, Robin Hobb is eating my life. I'm almost done with Renegade's Magic, the third in her "Soldier Son Trilogy". Then I can get back to work...or something like that. I'm just hoping that reading the two books for fun that I just read will relax my mind enough to really get down to work on my stuff for class in the next few days. Ah well, such is life.

Furthermore

2009-01-30T22:49:00.002-05:00

I know, I already posted today, too freakin' bad. I have had a realization: True Epic Movies are a thing of the past. By that, I mean movies like El Cid, Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Spartacus and I'm not sure what else fits. I'm talking movies w/ a massive cast, a minimum of 3 hours long (that's 180 minutes), and with limited CGI effects to replace the cast members. There's a few that get close, but most tend to miss the 3 hour mark, or not have a big enough cast. And its not to say that they were more common "back in the day", but rather its just an observation that the true "cast of thousands" and the extended run time create budget constraints now that make those types of movies almost impossible to make. Good, bad? I dunno', I just know that I love the big movie, and I'm always impressed by the actor that can carry one. Notice what actor carries three of those I mentioned up there: Charlton Heston. Yeah, Jimmy Stewart was great, but I don't know how good he would have been in mail or a toga. Then again, Heston as George Bailey may not have worked, and I definitely don't see Heston pulling off Elwood P. Dowd. Kirk Douglas on the other hand, did just fine.

Keepin' the Streak Going

2009-01-30T09:44:00.003-05:00

What they hey, might as well, right? Not much exciting today, just another day in a series of days. Got some menial tasks to do aroond and aboot the hoose (well, apartment, but apoortment doesn't sound as good as hoose).

Definitely watched a movie for one of my grad classes last night, namely Angela's Ashes. Having read the book, the book that follows it, his other book that doesn't quite connect in the Irish sense, and then his brother's two memoirs, I really enjoyed the way this was put together. The reason we watched it was to get some of the other students an idea of the impoverished Irish life that Joyce writes about in The Dubliners, as life really did not get any better between 1914 and 1935. What was funny was the prof and I getting the same Irish jokes, and the rest of the class staring at me like I was insane. Example, the movie description said something to the effect of "accurate depiction of life in a depressed area of Irish life" or somesuch nonsense. What they fail to realize is that until recently, Ireland was permanently depressed back for the last 600+ years. And no, it was not a reference to The Depression, it was not capitalized. Just a little Fenian funny for you there, if you get it. If not, its still funny, you just don't get it.

The 29th/18th

2009-01-29T10:24:00.002-05:00

So, I was looking at my blog today, and realized I have posted every day this week. On top of that, this will be my 18th post of this month. That's absurd for me. If I keep up on this kind of pace, I'll blow my previous posting totals out of the water. And no, it was not a New Year's Resolution. It goes along w/ the "Too much time on my hands" I was talking about that was creating my reading block. I actually pondered not posting today in protest of my prolific posting, but protesting myself seemed kind of redundant and asinine.

In other news, and speaking of reading blocks, I am torn as to whether or not to actually read some of the books my parents got me for Christmas. The books in question are by an author named Zane Grey. Most people today have no clue who I'm talking about with that name. However, if you're a John Wayne fan, or a fan of early Westerns in general, you'll realize that a great many of Grey's novels were adapted for the screen, and a great many other things you'll see in that wiki link. He wrote from the very early 1900's until his death in 1939. Anywho, what this has to do w/ said books is that my mom works at a senior center, and if you know seniors and their book collections, quite often they're trying to get rid of old books that are cluttering their space. Well, one such book came into my parents possession, and then into mine. The title is Betty Zane, and the link is there on purpose. The book shown has a slightly different cover from mine, but the same idea, and the copyright sits at 1903 in the book. So, it blew my mind the other night as I was cataloguing books that I have a book that's 105 years old. Think of what went on in the world while this sat on someone's shelf. Think of what's changed in literature, how we read, think about, write, and produce literature. Its not worth that much, as you can see, but the history, etc. is amazing. If you've ever seen Highlander (the original w/ Christopher Lambert), there is a scene where he is opening a bottle of brandy, sniffs it, and talks about everything that happened that year. Well, that's kind of like how I feel about the book, and I'm contemplating not ever reading it simply because I don't want to hurt it in my clumsiness.

High School Drama

2009-01-28T12:02:00.002-05:00

Oh the humanity...

Don't really have a position, as I don't have an oar in the water in Fairfax County. However, I can list a couple observations:

1. No matter how "sterling" your creds are, anything that seemingly compromises that earned reputation should be seen as a bad thing.

2. 60 is a ridiculous number for failing in the first place.

3. They don't mention "the curve", but if more places graded on a bell curve, you'd see a lot more interesting grades (have a math major actually explain to you how it works, and both the positives and negatives. One important factor, someone always fails).

4. Parents need to stop telling the school districts how wrong they are all the time (as they are wrong some of the time), and start telling their kids to get to freakin' work. That's right, I said "TELL THEIR KIDS TO GET TO FREAKIN' WORK". The less molly-coddling those kids get in high school, the better they'll be in college, and the better they'll be when they get to the work place. If Darwin taught us nothing (and you can claim all the studies you want that kids who don't have the same opportunities, yada yada yada. If you'll read the article, its about one of the best school districts in the nation, so don't give me opportunities bs), then we deserve to be saddled with every ill-behaved, public welfare sucking lagabout that comes through our high schools. Otherwise, Social Darwinism does have a few points, and it needs to be realized that even though they are not politically correct, they are true. Truth and political correctness are not sympatico on a great many issues.

And now that I've ranted, I'll let it go.

In other news, I may have gotten to a reading saturation point, which moderately amazes me. I'm actually having trouble forcing myself to read. It happens to me when I have not done a complete days work in a bit. I did manage to find another book I want to read, but cannot justify buying it just yet (too many other books to catch up on). The slice of literary curiosity in question is The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie. Ahh to just have money to buy whatever books I wanted. However, then I probably wouldn't have time to read them all.

Interesting Bits

2009-01-27T15:55:00.003-05:00

Just finished Silverberg's Nightwings, much better than the other book I read by him this week. Am currently enraptured with Atonin Dovorak's "The Water Goblin". Its one of those pieces of classical music where you think, "How did my music appreciation teacher miss this one? Honestly, everyone would like this."

Other than that, just got a new job, start sometime in the next couple of weeks. I'm back in food service, but its at a primarily organic restaurant called "Southern Roots", only open Tues-Fri for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. I'm lunch wait staff from Tues-Fri. Can't hurt, good hours for what I need, and I still get weekend. Can you think of a better job (other than the money) for a grad student?

Mike Rowe

2009-01-26T16:55:00.001-05:00

Lefty Ego posted this on Facebook, had to share, enjoyed immensely.

Pulp Fiction

2009-01-26T09:37:00.002-05:00

Finished a book last night, Conquerors of the Darkness by Robert Silverberg. Yeah, not the greatest, but interesting nonetheless. Could have been better if it was more than one book, or even a longer book. However, interesting is a good word. So yeah, I'm apparently up to a book a day or something. That won't last long, but I'm getting a bunch of reading done on The Dubliners. However, the next "relaxation" will probably be Louis L'Amour or Zane Grey (my mom found a group of 9 of these through her Senior Center for free, good stuff). However, much reading to do, many books to digest. The faster I read and digest, the more quickly I can find myself buying new books without guilt.

An Attempt

2009-01-25T20:19:00.003-05:00

As I am realizing that I will not be putting up a post about Golden Globes Fashion, I thought I'd put up an update of literature that I mentioned previously (as in back in June '08).

Martin and Jordan are still eagerly awaited. "Brisingr" wasn't bad, but I'm ready to see Paolini continue to grow in the conclusion. Did not buy Farland, as I did not/do not have money to go there.

In other book news, currently reading "The Dubliners" by James Joyce. Fascinating bits and pieces of Dublin at the turn of the century. If you've never read Joyce, don't jump into "Ulysses" or "Finnegan's Wake", start slow, otherwise it'll hurt. I just finished another George R.R. Martin co-authored book, "Windhaven". Interesting. Could have been better, but I don't have any real criticisms to tell you how that could have been accomplished.

I continue to buy books from used book stores to increase my library, in addition to all the ones I just had to buy for grad school. The difference is that I pay real money for Grad School books, and use trade credit for random books that have appeared in my possession over the years that I no longer want/need. I also occasionally trade off a Grad School book that I know I'll never touch again, but not often. However, the library grows. I'll have to, at some point, take a picture of the two sides of the book room and the space in the living room to give everyone an idea what I mean when I say "library". I honestly plan to build a "library" or at least a library-esque space in whatever house I eventually own. Its a dream of mine, and one that is easily achieved with decent 3/4 inch thick plank wood, stain, varnish, a hammer, a measuring tape, a pencil, a table saw, and the hardware to install the pieces produced by the stuff on that previous list. Ah well, someday.

Anywho, back to books. Some of the ones that are sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to read (for fun, not class), include a new collection of Tim Pat Coogan books that my parents bought me for Christmas, another 5 books in the Sackett series by Louis L'Amour, a couple of books connected w/ Teddy Roosevelt, Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland, Tales of Beedle the Bard (which I still need to purchase), Robin Hobb's Forest Mage and Renegade's Magic, Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, and then some various other biographies/collections of letters, etc. Only a little reading, should keep me busy through summer. I'll keep you posted as I polish off "enjoyment", as well as Grad School books. Speaking of which, I finished a book for class called "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith", worthwhile reading. I wouldn't spend too much money on it, but if you're thinking, "I need a compelling story that moves, set in Australia, and which Baz Luhrman wishes his movie Austalia could measure against with some modicom of respectability", then you should read it.

Inauguration Positives, Negatives

2009-01-20T17:11:00.003-05:00

Overall, I enjoyed his speech. However, his quotes seemed to be lacking. Both his "in scripture" missed, as it only hit like 4 words, and his Washington one seemed to be sliced for what he needed it for, instead of the reference it should have been. Making a reference means a lot more than that. His wife's dress was reminiscent of Cindy McCain's from the Concession Speech, and I dislike both. That's two strikes for her on fashion, in my opinion. I could be wrong, and probably am, but the "Black Widow Spider" and "Shiny Gold Sparkles" just didn't do it for me.

The respect for the outgoing president impressed me. The obvious willingness for repoire between himself and Chief Justice Roberts encouraged me. His comments about our presence in the Middle East and anti-terrorism made me smile, especially when he echoed Bush (I can only imagine how uncomfortable people who thought that was offisdes were when he said it).

I also have to make a point that his cadence was oddly preacher-ish, if you are familiar with the Black Preacher Cadence. I could have done without the news coverage of specifically racially stereotyped people, though. That part annoyed me. Obama did a good job making his comments of racial equality, while not over-stating it. The news agencies just couldn't leave well enough alone.

And on to the first 100 days...

Latest Music Fling

2009-01-20T11:06:00.002-05:00

I have been on a huge Classic Country kick lately, don't know why. So, here's some good stuff that I've been enjoying. Well, I think its good stuff anyway.

First, some Merle Haggard and a prison song.

Next, for those of you who like Ray Charles, here's a clip of why he's only one of two guys in both the Rock and Roll Hall and Country Music Hall. This is in link form, because the embedding has been requested to be removed. I guess that's what happens when you're this a, right? And yes, I do think they were that good. And just in case you didn't think that was good enough, how about Johnny Cash and Ray Charles? (And no, this isn't necessarily "country-esque")

And last, a song that was stuck in my head for like 2 days, done by the original artist, Glen Campbell. Its apparently been recorded by Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash and a few others. Ladies and Gentlemen, Wichita Lineman:

$150 Million

2009-01-20T10:06:00.003-05:00

$150 million and counting...and he's supposed to help us not go deeper into debt.

Used Books

2009-01-19T16:45:00.003-05:00

So, for those of you who do not know this about me, I love books, movies, and music. I am actually somewhat addicted. I have a place that feeds my addiction called "Edward McKay's". The wife and I went there today, I got two new books, and a pair of records. One of the records was some non-descript Jazz, and the other was "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkle (for $5). Gotta' love quality, but inexpensive, vinyl.

Anywho, along with my propensity to relish the process of collecting said media, the wife and I have turned the afore-known "Book Room" into a pseudo-media room. Yeah, it needs some work in the electronics department (I have a 20 inch TV as my centerpiece), but with the new bookcases, it now has that "library" feel to it. Of course, said bookcases being 6' tall, somewhat double stacked in places, and the other bookcases filled to overflowing (not to mention the ones in the living room), and I still don't have room for all my books and movies to sit and be displayed. Someday, I shall build floor-cieling bookcases, and it will be glorious.

Anywho, my addiction has been fed, my book collection bragged about, and I am (for today) a contented reader/collector. I will say this, at this pace, our children will never lack for reading material, and it will be reading material they might actually like reading.

Speaking of books, book recommendation for those of you who enjoy a good sci-fi read. "The White Plague" by Mr. Frank Herbert (of Dune fame). If you like quality, modern sci-fi, this is good stuff. Granted, it was published in 1982, but it transcends the time gap amazingly well for all that. Suffice to say, it has Ireland in it, a deadly plague, atomic threats, and a change-up of gender roles. Fantastic stuff, made me realize that he is actually more talented than I realized. When an author invents a world, that takes imagination. When an author plays with the world that exists and invents characters that you find believable, compelling, and intriguing, well that's another skill set altogether.

Season Change

2009-01-18T18:13:00.003-05:00

How do you know when "serious" hunting season is over? When you clean your guns. Yeah, that's right, I got to have some quality time w/ my firearms today and make them shiny and clean. It really is an enjoyable process, if you can get past the fumes. However, it makes them last longer, shoot more accurately, and connects you with the heritage of gun owners.

"Heritage of gun owners? Isn't that a bit farfetched?" Not really. I used to clean guns w/ my dad in January every year. We always had to wait until after the holidays because there just wasn't enough time between the end of deer season in the middle of December and the Christmas Season. So, sometime around January 10th-15th, we'd break out the gun cleaning apparatus (and believe me, there's a bunch you can accumulate) and take care of our firearms. Cleaning firearms extends further than just the whole operational side of it. Cleaning firearms also preserves that weapon, and keeps it in working order. You know that (fill in the blank) your parents have that you want when they pass on so you can remember them? Yeah, well, I'm planning on at least one of my dad's firearms (including the ones he got from my g-pa) as a way to remember him. You may think that's kind of morbid, but when you can hear a shot in the woods, and from the direction of the shot and the timbre of the sound, know which family member it came from, when memories of your parent are inextricably linked to images of them holding a firearm (and the specifics of that firearm), you begin to realize that the word "heritage" is the correct one to use.

So, today, I celebrated some of that heritage. I cleaned my guns on my own, w/ the door shut because Lauren hates the smell. However, it is a habit that is worthwhile. Someday, if I have kids, and they shoot with me/hunt with me, they can plan on cleaning guns as well. Its less of a chore than it seems, because the tool has more significance. Its not like you just wiped the sawdust off a saw. This gun spent hours in the woods with you, freezing just as much as you did (if not more, because it doesn't have an interior heating system), getting beat up by the elements, and when you called on it to fire (even though it was moderately frozen), it still put an accurate shot on the game animal you were hunting. Yes, it remains an inanimate object, there is no denying that. However, just like your car takes on a personality the more you drive it, a firearm does it more so because of the time you spend with it, the time your forebears may have spent with it, and the time your children will eventually spend with it. Yeah, heritage is right.

How Do You Know She Is A Witch?

2009-01-16T14:42:00.003-05:00

Not quite, but the same idea. How do you know when you've been around English entirely too long? When you can go to class w/out reading the actual novel that's been assigned, and just the theory work behind it, and then still be able to discuss the novel intelligently because you know the author's style, and you know what to expect from their work. Granted, this only works with authors with limited/focused scope (and this author would be limited, and angry, and I won't mention the name, but I'm not a fan). However, I just thought that the realization of the day would be worth mentioning.

Yesterday's realization was interesting, too. Yesterday I realized that the typical process of organic life produces crap. If your body does not produce crap, something is wrong. Therefore, there is always an abundance of crap laying about, and one should not be surprised if they get stuck with it sometimes (whether stepping in it, cleaning it, or just having it shovelled on).

Ahh, cynicism.

Tomorrow

2009-01-15T21:33:00.001-05:00

Plans for tomorrow: Wake up late, very late. Get some cleaning done. Do homework. That's it.

Environmental Science 101

2009-01-14T13:26:00.002-05:00

How do you keep a species from being killed off? OOOOO, PICK ME, I KNOW!!!!

Apparently the Aussies don't.

The best way to keep a species from being killed off is to cull anything that feeds on it. Oh yeah, and by the way, Rabbits are an invasive species introduced by the English, and a species which forced Australia to build several rabbit proof fences, until other means of control were discovered (ahh, wiki links). However, as we all know, when you do not have a predator, the prey explodes, and with the problems of rabbits in the past, you'd think they'd have gotten that memo.

More than that, if there is a rabbit problem, why not import guys who train beagles, seriously? Pay out for some guys who want to train dogs, and do some rabbit hunting trips for people, etc. If people will fly their butts to Australia to fish the Great Barrier Reef, to NZ to hunt for red stag and fish for huge rainbows, why not make it worth their while to come on Down Under and get some rabbit? Make it a package deal, add it in for a reduced price, subsidized by the gov't? Oh wait, how about give the common man back more of his firearms and let him do it himself, there's another thought for you.

Golden Globes

2009-01-13T05:59:00.003-05:00

I want to do a Golden Globes fashion thing like I did with the Oscars last year, but with my job search, Grad School, and work, I have not been able to bring all that together. I shall endeavor to get that done sometime this week.

Jan. 12th

2009-01-12T22:58:00.001-05:00

Found out today that my last day at Ledford has been moved up. There is a Spanish speaking sub taking over next Wednesday, so this Thursday is officially my last day. Huzzah for the job search.

End of a Couple Years (vs. an Era)

2009-01-06T20:15:00.003-05:00

I officially announced my resignation as the Head Soccer Coach at Ledford High School today. I am unable to continue in this capacity due to economic and academic requirements that I need to fulfill instead. The decision was not an easy one, and the probable success of this year's team made it even more difficult, especially as I have seen them grow and become who they are now. For those from the team who read this, know that words are a little less than useful to explain how I feel. It might actually be harder on me than it is on you, believe it or not. To quote someone else involved with the process, "This sucks!"

New Year

2009-01-01T10:37:00.002-05:00

New Year Post, and a bit of a hunting update. Currently in NY. New Years Day. Not hunting today. Squirrel tally sits at 4, with a few lucky, smart ones that I've missed. Tasty squirrels, by the way...smoked and then baked to finish the cooking...yum.

In other, random, unrelated news, I definitely stayed up until 4 something this morning w/ my bro-in-law and his friends playing Halo 1&2...ah the memories. Oh yeah, and I got pwned, because I am incredibly out of practice.

Hmmm....

2008-12-23T12:27:00.002-05:00

So much for last post of the year. I have a question, why do people use cliche's that don't make sense? Example: Christians who say, "We covet your prayers". Really? You sin so that someone else can draw closer to God, providing you consider the rabbit's foot interpretation of prayer to be the correct one. Christian-speak really annoys me a great deal of the time, to be honest, and this is only one example.

How about, "Beloved", or perhaps "The Will of God", and the one that really annoys me the most, "The Kingdom". See, each of these has some significance in Christianity, and for those outside of the religion, they really don't get the mumbo-jumbo.

"Beloved", because we're supposed to love everyone. Ever see someone say this from the pulpit, pastor or lay person, and you know there's someone in the congregation that they do NOT love? Yes, its a commandment, but don't lie about it, then you're breaking two instead of one. And yes, I understand you can love someone w/out liking them, but its not easy, and its not common. Spouses make it happen all the time, but how many members of your church that you dislike are you going to go out of your way to invest your emotional health into, when you have a really good idea they won't do the same back? Yes, in a perfect world they would, but we live on Earth, not a perfect world.

And the "Will of God", are we talking the revealed or personal? More than that, how do you prove that what He wants is what you say He wants? More than that, since all His ways are mysterious, how do you begin to approach it? Yeah, there's easy answers to a lot of that, but I'm venting, so let me go. Suffice to say that the lumping of all the different parts of God's Will into one little set of words annoys me; not to mention the way that many idiot pastors/teachers throughout the Protestant denominations describe how one follows/finds the will of God.

And the last one, the whole "Kingdom" thing. To the best of my understanding, furthering the Kingdom is a problematic statement. Christ has no kingdom here on earth (yet), if He did, He'd have absolute control. He currently does not, because He chooses to allow Satan's influence. Yes, you can say that means He has control, but since He's ceding part of it, He does not at the same time. If there is a question of the completeness of His control, then He does not have complete control. During the millenial reign, He will have complete control. However, until then, He sits in heaven at His Father's right hand. That is not to say He cannot do anything here on earth, it is to say that "furthering His Kingdom" is misleading. If you are leading someone to Christ, you are helping us draw closer to the Rapture/Tribulation process (another sticky theological discussion), however, you aren't furthering the Kingdom, because Christ chooses where that Kingdom's boundaries exist. If you truly believe that man can do nothing good without God's help (aka, you cannot be saved other than by grace through faith because of the payment of Christ's blood), then you really aren't furthering the Kingdom ever, you are simply being a servant and fulfilling the purpose God has for you. He uses you to further his own kingdom. Therefore, you are essentially boasting/bragging/being prideful when you say that you are helping said Kingdom.

I feel better now.

Christmas Time is Here...

2008-12-23T10:24:00.002-05:00

Yes, those are the lyrics from one of the greatest Christmas Specials of all time, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Hopefully everyone's holiday season has hit its stride, whatever stride that might be.

As for myself, tomorrow the wife and I pack up the dog and head North to Roch-est-ah. Hopefully with minimal snow on the way. While we're there, I don't care if it snows and buries us all (providing we can get out and come back down for me to go back to work).

Because of the Christmas in NY thing, the wife and I did Christmas on Sunday, as far as gift giving. I have some nifty new things and bits, one of them being Pro Evolution Soccer for the Wii. Granted, its from '08, and the graphics aren't that great, but with some work, the controls can be amazing for this game. So many possibilities. And the intuitive movement of players, runs, and passes makes for fantastic soccer, especially for someone who knows/likes soccer. I just need to work on my abilities a bit more to improve. Very fun.

The wife got Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii, and it is actually better on the Wii than on any other system. Reason? Because the Wii can require you to use the Wii-mote and Nunchuk controllers to increase the level of difficulty/exercise required to play the game. The wife plays that almost as much as I play PES. Scary.

In case this is my last post of this, 2008 Ano Domini, I hope all who read this (as few as you are) enjoy your holidays. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and make sure you do something festive.

They Say Its Your Birfday...

2008-12-20T11:56:00.002-05:00

So, had my morning of hunting interrupted by the imbeciles across the ridge again. Something definitely rap, and from the early 90's this time. I have to say, I think both myself and the deer would prefer the AC/DC again. I'd love to give them an offer they couldn't refuse (deer and imbeciles).

Otherwise, nothing major for the day of birth rememberance. I plan to enjoy the day, at a ton of leftovers/clean the fridge, and clean the apartment, on this, the day of my birth (forgive me, I watched Godfather I yesterday. Thus, the reference per paragraph).

Otherwise, all the Christmas shopping is done, and its just time to spend at home w/ the wife and animals. You know the deal, leave the gun, take the canoli.

End of Semester

2008-12-15T23:53:00.003-05:00

I am officially done w/ my second full semester of graduate work. Painful process, but now complete. In other news, I have also read the first 4 Twilight novels. Honestly, not a bad story...but she SUCKS as a writer. Seriously, take a freakin' creative writing class for crying out loud. Could have been soooooo much better.

Anywho, in other news, also reading "Brisingr" by Christopher Paolini, and moving right along with that. I have a stack to get to after I finish that one, and I'm really trying to shoot through a BUNCH of books between now and January 8th, because that's my first day back to class. I also have plans to write copious amounts as well. All I can say about the reading is, I have to reduce the size of the book stack, otherwise its going to get ridiculous and out of hand. Oh wait, its already that, I just have to keep it from getting large enough to cause personal injury should it get toppled by one of the cats.

Otherwise, not much else. There's some stuff upcoming that I'll get into when the time comes, but otherwise, really looking forward to Christmas.

Paper Update

2008-12-11T06:20:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am updating that lovely paper. I am now 3 full drafts into it. To be honest, for me that is a remarkable number. I don't think I ever gotten past 2. More than that, those 3 drafts do not represent the amount of side scribbling either, something else I have never done before. Typically, at CU, it was one and done, B on the paper, moving right along. Ahhh, Revise and Edit. Annoying, but necessary. I should send one of my papers to one of my old profs at CU and see what they have to say about my writing now. One would hope they think its improved as my process has improved. At least, I hope my process has improved. I'll find sometime in the next couple of weeks when I get my grades :) Anywho, paper status: not finished, but could be handed in as is and probably deserve a B.

Paper Update

2008-12-10T22:24:00.002-05:00

SO FREAKIN' CLOSE!!!!! Now if I can finish this thing, proofread it tomorrow, print it, and take it to the party where its due, I'm good. Yeah, this is short, but I'm in that, "Find something else to do before you finish your paper" stage. You know the one, you're burned out, you have just enough energy to not finish your paper, even though you want to finish it soooo freakin' bad. You just can't stay focused because your brain is so fried on stupid words and ideas. And then you slowly find yourself moving into an alternate consciousness. Hoping to get back to your writing center. Granted, you originally are moving away from that writing center, and into every single distraction known to man. Your thoughts have nothing to do with a Japanese author who committed suicide and an Italian author who spent most of his career in exile from Italy because of his political beliefs, but who may not have been as devout as he claimed according to new information that has surfaced in the last decade (that's Mishima and Silone, in case you're wondering). And you're hoping, oh yes, hoping that blogging will somehow get you moving again, but you actually find that blogging may be taking some of your inspiration. Then you realize that it really isn't taking anything, you're actually just more interested in blogging than that stupid paper. However, you know that at some point what you're interested in and what you must complete will be at odds, and you will have to complete that thing you really don't want to look at. The only consolation, and what you find yourself focusing on is that when you finish "that thing", you are done until January 8th. That's almost a month. Remember that, almost a month. And now, to work.

Out of Sorts...Paper

2008-12-08T23:21:00.001-05:00

Ever have an assignment due, but you're just out of sorts while doing it? Yeah, that's me right now. There's some stuff weighing me down, and I have a MAJOR paper due on Thursday. I can't seem to find a way to motivate myself to get it done. Every time I turn around, I just fall apart on it. I'm hoping that I can somehow salvage my brain tomorrow night/Wednesday night and get it knocked out. Last thing for the year and all that. Its just tough and annoying. Such is life.

December 7th

2008-12-07T07:32:00.004-05:00

I hope most people remember today, and don't treat like any other day. For those who read the beginning sentence of this post and say, "What the heck is he talking about?", I remind you: Pearl Harbor Day. We pay so much attention to our generation's loss, and forget about the loss of the generation who allowed us to live in freedom in the most powerful, advanced, and free nation in the world. FDR said the day would live in infamy, but apparently only for as long as the people harmed by it are alive. I pray that is not the case.

If you do not recognize the picture above, it is the USS Arizona listing after being struck by Japanese bombs. It took about two days to sink, and over 1000 men were drowned in her hull during that process.

Here is a picture (above) of the USS Arizona more recently. You can see the outline of her hull underneath the memorial for the death of her crewmembers. All in all, 2403 people died that day, military and civilians, at which point we entered a war on two fronts, and ended up with a total of over a quarter million military and civilian deaths by war's end, a little over three and a half years later. So far in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think we're sitting about 7000-7500 total US casualties between the World Trade Center and the deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, in the over 7 years since 9-11.

In any case, and without tangenting, wear a little black today and remember The Greatest Generation, because there are fewer and fewer of them to remember for themselves. Lest we forget.

Semester...Christmas

2008-12-04T00:23:00.002-05:00

Oh, the end is near...very near. Repent and type, for the deadline cometh. There shall be ten sources, and when the sources are opened, then shall ye read the answers which thou hast sought. And in thy seeking, thou hast greatly erred, but the truth shall set you free. The truth, or the fact that thy deadline must not be missed. In the end, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Need a treestand to curl up in...fudge...oddly shaped Christmas trees...(trailing maniacal laughter).......

2nd Amendment Second Time Around

2008-12-01T23:16:00.002-05:00

All right, here's a few more articles of interest for the day on the 2nd Amendment.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122765896364158291.html

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/113008/new_361693802.shtml

The first is about the Obama Administration's possible discrimination against gun owners. The second is about a group trying to make it illegal to fire a gun within 300 feet of a house. Great idea, except if you're trying to defend your house.

And last of all, a little new bloggage to go along with my perspectives. Granted, its written from a pro-gun stance, but there it is...

http://nssf.typepad.com/

A Little Post-Election 2nd Amendment

2008-12-01T16:30:00.003-05:00

So, read this article today, thought it interesting. I disagreed with it, but I thought it interesting. My biggest questions have to do with two things. First, why the anti-handgun specifically? I hunt w/ a pistol, I've taken a deer w/ my pistol (see previous pictures), so what this guy wants me to live within is a non-pistol hunting time if I'm good enough to be an athlete in the NFL. Interesting...

Second, he calls for the abolishment of the 2nd Amendment. What? How? First off, he's a Sports Columnist. If he wants to do Political Analyzation, he needs to work for a different department. Otherwise, as a Sports Analyst, he should realize that a bunch of his readers do not just own guns for hunting (a "Sport), but also for shooting (an Olympic Sport) and self defense (not a sport at all...unless it involves pixies). So, he wants to not only remove the players rights to own a gun, but all of America's rights to a gun? Insane. His "license" idea is not a freedom, it then becomes a government controlled process, which is exactly what the Founding Fathers were trying to prevent from happening again.

Now, where I think he misses the boat is on the simple fact that these players do need protection. Granted, if they did not put themselves in a situation that required protection (a major point in concealed carry classes), then it would not matter. However, if you're going into a situation like that, why not hire someone? Shoot, he's making $7mil a year, he could hire two guys licensed to carry in every state in the Union, pay 'em $75K a year, and they'd take care of all his problems. He'd have a tax write-off, and he'd look extra cool because of it.

I agree that there's no need for him to pack in public w/ his salary. There are some lower paid players ($500k is a far cry from $7mil) who might be able to justify carrying, but not Burress. Furthermore, he's injured, what's he doing in a club, keeping those kinds of hours if he's trying to heal anyway? He's proven his decision making is not the best, and he needs to find a new place to play. His distraction isn't worth it to the G-men, just like Owens wasn't worth it to the Eagles (at the time, now they could use all the help they can get).

However, to return to the talk by said Sportswriter. He needs to check his facts, and realize that you can't just start tossing out pieces of the Constitution. If you put in an Amendment getting rid of another Amendment, that's major. Its only been done once, w/ alcohol. Otherwise, the Amendments added are only for the improvement of the country. More than that, the Supreme Court decided that the 2nd Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms. What the Supreme Court did not say is that you have the right to do it whenever and wherever you want with impunity. Burress needs to pay for his crime. He is not licensed to carry in either NY or NJ, and even his FL carry permit was expired. Once again this points to existing gun laws being enforced, not new gun laws being written (or entire Amendments being tossed because this idiot thinks he knows more than Thomas Jefferson. Let me tell you, after reading his article, not that mine's any better, he has nothing on Jefferson). Oh yeah, one more little fly in the ointment, this story about Steve Smith (of the Giants, not Panthers).

No really good way to close this, too many more thoughts. However, more posts to come as the story unfolds. Oh yeah, and Michael Bloomberg, gem of a human that he is, wants to make sure that Burress is prosecuted as hard as can be done. Yay for him, maybe he should focus more on guns in NYC than in VA.

Australia

2008-11-28T09:19:00.003-05:00

Honestly, I saw the movie, and I need to see it at least once more before I give any kind of review/discussion of it. That means its good, right? I will say this, the kind-of, but maybe-not references to "The Lion King" and "The Man From Snowy River" were interesting, outside of the obvious "The Wizard of Oz" references. I'm sure there's more, but like I said, I need to watch it a few more times to get them all and form a complete opinion.

Hmmm....

2008-11-24T23:17:00.001-05:00

When will you get it through your thick skull that I am the head Toymaker, and You are just my assistant?

I'm having random quotes flit through my head. Bear with me, there are more to come.

Just...Wow

2008-11-21T06:15:00.003-05:00

How smart was Einstein? Well, everyone I know accepts e=mc2, however it apparently had not been proven...until now. How was this feat accomplished, how was the mighty Einstein's work corroborated by modern scientists?

And I quote (from here):

"It's taken more than a century, but Einstein's celebrated formula e=mc2 has finally been corroborated, thanks to a heroic computational effort by French, German and Hungarian physicists.
A brainpower consortium led by Laurent Lellouch of France's Centre for Theoretical Physics, using some of the world's mightiest supercomputers, have set down the calculations for estimating the mass of protons and neutrons, the particles at the nucleus of atoms"

How amazing is it that a formula that has been used to produce amazing things like the atom bomb, has not been proven mathematically. Furthermore, that in order to prove it, there was required a team of people and supercomputers. Einstein, he just had his noggin, but we, we have to use supercomputers. Fascinating.

What's this?

2008-11-19T23:05:00.003-05:00

Yes, it appears there is another post here at Quintessence. Why is that, you might ask? Well, because of the simple fact that I'm a few posts away from making it for the end of the year, and I figured I'd knock another one off. I figure I have to at least get to 92, like I did last year and the year before, otherwise I'd just be unable to live with myself. More than that, it'd just be slack on my part.

Anywho, there really is not much new. I'm doing some full-time subbing for Spanish, and I'm learning Spanish again while doing it. I'm trying to keep up w/ my reading, but that's a hit or miss proposition. I'm sorry, but one can only read so much of some genres of literature. Book in question, "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. Yeah, it won the Booker Prize (The UK's highest literary award), but that doesn't make it a good book to read. I honestly feel like I'm watching an anime on fast forward while watching it because of the flashing images she works with in her writing. It makes my head hurt.

The only good thing I have to say is that it'll be cold-ish on Saturday, and I'm hunting all day long. That's right, I'll be spending the entire day in between stands or in stands. I'm excited, I haven't hunted a full day in forever.

Oh yeah, the last thing, still plugging away at the book. There's a TON to go, but working on it still. I'm slowly finding my way of getting stuff done, hopefully finding a way to put that on fast forward and get more done in a shorter amount of time than I currently do, but we shall see about that. Baby steps and all that.

Social Observation

2008-11-18T22:27:00.002-05:00

When did it happen in this country that when someone rings your doorbell at 10:30 at night in an apartment complex, you don't at least answer your door? I was taking some garbage out tonight, and saw that one of my distant neighbors (by distant I mean not in my bank of garden apartments, but rather across the "driveway" to my parking lot and down a bit of a hill, all the way on the end of another bank, not even 100 yds away, but far enough apparently). So, thinking that they would like to know this before they wake up tomorrow without a functioning vehicle, I rang the doorbell, and then stood on their doorstep. Its below freezing, I'm wearing a t-shirt, flannel pj pants, and a Johnny Rockets t-shirt (incredibly scary, apparently). They did not bother to answer their door. I could see their shadow moving behind the blinds and them checking me out. I'm kind of confused as to how they could mistake me standing there freezing for someone menacing. Anywho, I waited for a bit, and then rang their doorbell again. Still no answer. So, I walked away.

I almost felt angry about it. I mean, I know that with the beard and everything I look a little scary, but a guy obviously in what he's sleeping in ringing your doorbell probably either needs help or wants to help, right? It annoyed me that we as Americans are either so nonplussed by those around us who need help, or so mistrustful of those around us that we are frightened into not opening a door. What if I was bleeding out on their step? I dunno', I mean I understand why they didn't answer, but it bothers me that America has reached that point. It also frustrates me that I could not help them simply because they did not feel safe. Very scary thought.

For Those Not Up On Facebook

2008-11-17T18:49:00.004-05:00

I have harvested one deer so far this year. Biggest antlers on a buck I've ever shot, which isn't saying much. The good thing is that it did not need to be in the gene pool anymore, and he wasn't exactly small, so I got a good bit in the freezer. Oh yeah, and I shot him w/ the pictured weapon of choice. 40 yds, .357, one shot. Here's a little picture-age. Be offended or enjoy as you see fit.

Equality, Racism, Class, and My Questions

2008-11-14T06:09:00.002-05:00

A lot of my Literary Theory class has been focused on the idea of Class. Granted, my prof is a Marxist, so that's to be expected. However, there have been some incredibly valid points made, and questions raised. First of all, why is it that the top 10 percent of the US has something like 50-60% of the wealth/resources? Yes, that sounds like I'm heading towards socialism, but the question leads somewhere.

Research points to the idea that those with more capital in their life (and there are several types of capital), even if they are living poor at some point in their life will do better and be better and have more than those without it. Examples of capital include inherited money, a family culture that puts high regard on education, a respect for money and the process of saving it, and there are some more that are less important, but you get the idea. It has been posited that people without some of the above opportunities are more likely to perpetuate the problems that we so often connect with poverty and everything that goes with it.

Where my point is headed, and my question will come in is this: other than the obvious answer of inflation, why are there over 300 billionaires in the US today, and yet we seem to have an increasing group that makes less money than they can live on, and not because they do not work. This argument leaves out completely the dead beats, the non-workers, and instead ponders those who do work. Two parent homes that want to stay two parent homes that break apart because of stress over money and working schedules. Single parent homes with latch key kids who just get by each month. College Graduates from many fields working thankless, two-bit jobs trying to make ends meet just until a job in their field opens.

Yes, there are those who are the "undeserving poor" (to quote/misquote from "My Fair Lady", as I can't remember the quote, but know its something similar to undeserving). There are those who have been somewhat institutionalized with welfare (and I think welfare is the wrong way to go about it). There are those that have tried and failed, and have given up. What I want to know is how do we close that money gap? This last economic failure did it to some degree (I want to know how many million/billionaires' money is what I term "imaginary", or tied up in someway with investments, stock, etc. In other words, not able to be pulled out of a bank and counted right now), but that's simply because the stock market had issues. The media keeps talking about "mainstreet America" feeling the brunt of the problem. Well, I'm sorry, but looking at my wallet, nothing has changed. I'm still broke, I just pay less (almost a dollar) for gas. However, it bothers me that those who are that rich do not do their civic duty and make sure that their excess wealth has something done with it. If those with that much money did something like take care of more funding of public need, the gov't would give less, and have more for the ridiculous debt it is ringing up. My wife and I gave to several charities last year, and we're broke. Why? Because we still have more than the people that those charities help. We aren't doing it this year, we're really broke (and this is not bragging, this is for purpose of argument for both the charity and our lack of money). However, those who do have extra, and who aren't paying off debts, why not give $25 to some charity, or a church, or whatever? I'm not asking for them to just start writing checks, I'm asking for them to realize that Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" not to make Scrooge a caricature, but to use Scrooge to point to altruism as the way to help people.

Anywho, as to how we fix the problem, I keep hearing a "flat tax". My only problem with that idea stems from the possibility/suspicion that the rich would find a way around it. That's just my suspicion and conspiracy theory talking. Something has to be done to fix the problem of the great divide of economy in the United States. Hard work cannot be given as the answer, because there are so many Americans that either work hard, or would work hard if they had the opportunity, but never get beyond paycheck to paycheck. How do we fix that? And yes, this is one of those left-leaning posts that I was warning about.

Longer Posts To Come...Again

2008-11-06T23:14:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I have a bunch of thoughts. First and foremost, how does the concept of race work in America now. In the past we've talked about it as if it were gospel. However, now that America has voted a black man into the presidency, race must be re-thought. I'm not saying that it goes away, just gets re-tooled a bit. For example, every black male in America (with a Harvard education) can dream of one day being in the Oval Office. However, girls of all shapes, sizes, and colors need not apply (yet). And yes, that's really pathetic satire.

Next up, if race gets re-thought, then so does the argument about what can and cannot be achieved depending on a person's starting point. Obama was raised primarily in a single parent home from what we've been told. That being the case, then anyone in a single parent home should be able to achieve what he has achieved. Granted, it is more difficult without the support of parents and inherited money, etc. However, it appears that all that can be overcome.

Last, but not least, if the blacks in America have come into their own finally (as the Irish Catholics did under Kennedy, yet another Messiah figure in US politics), then what does it say about their position in politics. They are no longer the downtrodden, no longer the ones who are being pushed out of the way in favor of some old, white guy. Come January 25th, the most powerful man in the world is no longer white. What does America do with the ideas of race and equality now? And more than that, what definition of equality do we begin to set out and follow? I've heard that it now turns to class/economics. Only one problem, I disagree with the idea that I am somehow entitled to someone else's money just because they have a lot of it. So, class/economics does not work. Should be interesting.

Critique

2008-11-05T18:03:00.002-05:00

Oh yes, even politics get fashion do's and don't. So, I shall discuss Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain.

First off, the winner, Michelle Obama. Here's a pic. My personal opinion...what the crap? Its a nightmare. Way too busy, way too loud (notice her daughters red, but not blaring, dress), and way too reminiscent of a black widow spider.

Second, Cindy McCain doesn't get away. Points for the limited style. However, the gold gauche idea is just not doing it for me. If the red is wrong for Michelle, the gold makes Cindy a little more obviously rich.

New President

2008-11-05T06:07:00.002-05:00

Congrats to Barack Hussein Obama. Now the political Right might get their act together after getting their butt kicked. A couple questions for Obama.

1. How many people voted for you because it was "historic"?
2. How many people voted for you because you're black, and they're a person of color?
3. How many people actually voted for issues, or instead believed in your charisma?

Now, all that being said, it may sound like sour grapes. Its not. Its the beginning of what's going to be allowed to be done by those who did not vote for Obama. For all the people that didn't vote for Bush the last two elections and complained, but who voted for Obama, now you have to listen. Those who supported the anti-Bush movement have had their voice, and it wasn't sour grapes. Now, those of us who did not support Obama have our turn to use our voice. At least, that's the way I see it.

Update on Vote Day

2008-11-04T11:19:00.002-05:00

Yes, its Election Day, finally it is here. After this, I no longer must listen to insipid ads about idiot candidates. What got really annoying was voting early, and then discovering that the ads become more annoying because they are less functional for me personally than they were before. That's also not saying much.

Let me say one thing about Election Day and the validity of votes before I move on to catch you up on life. There's not really such a thing as "throwing your vote away", unless you truly agree with Thoreau that not voting for the majority means you have no voice. Any vote cast creates a voice. Enough votes for non-standard candidates means that the members of the two party system must examine why people are voting that way. What issues, what platforms are they voting for, or are they voting against? For those who voted independent, I respect that, and to anyone who tells them they threw their vote away, let me ask you a question. Did you vote for a candidate or against one? If the person who voted Independent voted for someone they actually believed in, who's vote was really wasted?

Next, soccer ended a couple weeks ago. We won our last game, on senior night, 3-0, and cost the team we beat a home playoff game. Missed getting into playoffs just barely, but crap happens. Other than that, I'm working as much as I can, getting my work done for grad school, and trying to figure out the best way to finish up everything possible this Spring. May happen, may not, suffice to say I'm ready for however it works out. The next stage of life awaits, and the possibility of a better life beckons.

Speaking of a better life, I have some interesting, not so conservative thoughts on that for another post. I'm just stating it here so I can ponder it later. Don't worry, I'm not turning into a flaming liberal, but I have some interesting, at least to me interesting, questions to toss out for comment. Not that I get comments on this blog anyway, but perhaps it shall pique some curiousity and spark some commentation.

Gun Funny

2008-10-09T21:59:00.002-04:00

Here is a little something that made my day, from Michelle Malkin involving guns.

Question for McCain

2008-10-08T08:20:00.003-04:00

Why does it seem that Senator McCain has yet to actually hit Barack with issues that are staunchly Republican, and ones that he knows that Obama is against? If you want to rally your base and get those swing voters, hit them in places that Obama has already screwed up. Example, hit them with abortion or the 2nd Amendment. Not once in this election have I heard McCain or Palin go after Obama in the Sportsmen or Gun-Rights category. This makes no sense to me. This is an easy homerun for them, because Obama's record is staunchly anti-gun. That being said, McCain's little $300b egg he started to incubate last night is interesting as far as getting votes. What I don't understand is how we're paying for that, especially after the $700b we just doled out to fix the mortgage/insurance crisis (and in that vein, I still want to know who's going to jail for that. AKA AIG).

One other thing, the comments about the taxes, especially about the $250k benchmark for taxes. There is no way on earth that Obama's numbers are correct on who makes that number in small businesses. This is a number for the gross intake of a business. Do you really think that even your local gas station doesn't do at least $250k a year? I put $40-$50 per car per fill once a week to once every other week. That means at least $200 a month in gas. That's just one household in the Jamestown area, and I haven't gone in for cigarettes, gum, a candy bar, or something to drink (all of which cost more in the "convenience" stores connected to gas stations, because that's where they make their profit). You mean to tell me that my $2400 a year in gas sales (depending on traveling, etc.), plus the other few hundred thousand people in the area, doesn't get one of those stations to $250,000 in a year? In all probability, they all hit that kind of number in a year, unless its a backwater nowhere. This also includes the small businesses that fix your car, do your dry cleaning, work as contractors, small time farmers, etc. What Obama isn't taking into consideration is the simple fact that these people make that much money, but they only keep less than a quarter of it because the rest goes to overhead expenditure. In reality, the people running it go home with maybe $50k out of that $250k. However, they still get into the upped tax rate boat because they take in that much money. Not once has he talked about the words "adjusted" or "net", just a simple "if you make", which points to gross. Perplexing.

Anywho, just some stuff to toss out there for ponderment. Someone tell me if I'm wrong, or give me more reasons why I'm right. Just try to be prudent in your phrasing so it doesn't come across as ranting. And if I'm ranting, I apologize.

Debate

2008-10-07T22:36:00.002-04:00

I have to say, tonight's Debate was much better than the last one. More than that, Tom Brokaw regained some of my respect with his work tonight as the moderator. Not once did he play partisan, and he went so far as to do his job and keep the focus on the time, even at the expense of his own party member. My hat goes off to him, and may it stay off for a long time.

Fact Checking

2008-10-02T22:45:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, I just posted a great poster. However, saw this, thought everyone would benefit. Enjoy.

Just a little something

2008-10-02T22:37:00.003-04:00

Here's a little something from an old favorite website. Wish I had enough money, I'd wallpaper a room with these bad boys...

Aw Crap

2008-10-02T06:17:00.003-04:00

Just saw this. Have not had a chance to actually read up on the bill being passed in person, however if this article correctly portrays it, that's not cool. I seriously ponder calling NC's Senators and telling them not to vote for it. Too many earmarks, and both McCain and Obama said "No more earmarks". Not OK, not OK at all. Another view, and one I still do not like. The simple fact of the matter lives in the reality that this bill should not be the blank check its shaping up to be, instead it should be a very specific fix-it plan. I honestly think the US should fix things as they break, not try to fix the whole thing at once. They didn't know any of this was going to happen, and they still don't know what's going to happen because they just don't know. If you don't know what's going to break, how can you fix it before it happens? This is just me thinking out loud, and trying to make sense. Craziness. What moron thought that debt was a safe commodity in the first place?

OK, and one more, just because I liked the article.

Interesting

2008-09-30T12:59:00.001-04:00

Not sure how trustworthy they are, but they seem to have some interestingly researched facts. Something I haven't seen in the National News Media yet...

http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/Obama_fundraising_illegal/2008/09/29/135718.html?s=al&promo_code=6BD9-1

Another Gun Post

2008-09-28T08:03:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I know, I've probably just gone off on a tangent that may or may not last for the near future, however, I'm having fun with it.

Yesterday I heard an interesting argument I had not heard before. It was from someone who I have been loosely acquainted with for about a year. He said that he's never heard of a democrat or republican threaten to take your guns, they just wanted to get rid of things like automatic weapons that are dangerous.

Now, this is not a completely bad statement. It is an over-simplified one, but it gives me something to work with and discuss. Some simple facts about guns some people do not know

1. Without a Curio and Relic License, it is illegal for any person in the US to own a fully automatic weapon. (And if they have such a license, they are only allowed to own fully automatic weapons that have were in circulation prior to 1986, which was when The Hughes Amendment to the Firearm Owners Protection Act was snuck into that legislation).

2. The difference between automatic and semi-automatic. Often these are muddled even within the hunting community. Semi-automatic means that the trigger must be engaged each time a shot is fired. Automatic or Fully Automatic means that you pull the trigger once, and the gun fires at least twice. Confusion exists on these terms because many gun buyers call semi-autos "automatics", which is a misnomer.

3. There is really no such thing as "military chamberings" or "military calibers". The 7.62 classification is actually a .30 caliber bullet, and whatever the suffix is (x39, x51, x54r) denotes more specifically what kind of casing follows this bullet. The true difference between most military issued bullets and civilian is that military bullets are primarily FMJ's or full metal jackets (as those penetrate better than the expanding hollow points/soft points). These are available for civilians, but without the armor piercing capability. Another favorite is the 5.56x45 NATO, which to civilians would be the .223 (even though they are not completely interchangeable). There is also the Russian answer to this round, the 5.45x39, but it is not as popular here in the states.

4. Any gun that looks military must be military capable. In fact, this idea fools many people into thinking that a popular gun like the AR-15 should be illegal. The only thing that separates the AR-15 from a regular M16 is the auto vs. semi-auto. However, since the previously mentioned legislation of 1986, it is also illegal to make a gun change from semi to full auto (and might I say, increasingly difficult). Part of what makes these guns so popular is that they are made by Colt, a company known for quality. Consistent accuracy out of the box (in other words, without doing much work on the firearm) makes them popular with gun enthusiasts of all stripes (hunting, sport shooting, law enforcement), and the variety of bullets allows for them to be extremely useful in many facets of all of those stripes. As a hunter, an emphasis on accuracy sits as logic and necessity. Easily attainable accuracy makes for extreme desirability. Lightness of the rifle gives another reason, as I hate hiking over hill and dale with a heavy firearm. The gun is also highly customizable, which can get expensive, but also incredibly specific. However, this also loses points for the firearm, as you can put a ton of stuff (like a collapsible stock, pistol grip, etc.), all which do not increase the rate of fire, just the comfort of using and storing the firearm. The other thing often mentioned by opponents of owning a firearm like this is the "high capacity magazines" that often look like banana clips. Personally, I like having the option of extra rounds, as I have actually had either the poor accuracy or incredibly hardy animal problem on things that range from a squirrel to a whitetail. I once had to put 10 rounds of .22 ammo into a squirrel. Not because I didn't shoot accurately, but because the squirrel was that tough. Granted, many .22's offer higher capacity magazines in non-semi autos, but in most states where taking 2 deer in a day is legal, having more than the standard 5 rounds found in most semi-auto rifles makes for a better chance. The point of hunting is killing in as few rounds as possible, but I've even heard stories from Hunter Safety Instructors where they put 18 rounds of 12 gauge ammo into a deer because it would not go down, and they were trying to put it down. Granted, that's on a Yankee deer (they're bigger and tougher than these wimpy Southern pseudo-canines), but I've never had to hit a deer with more than 2 shots, but as my 12 gauge only holds 5, and my .30-.30 only holds 6, I honestly would not mind an AR-15 w/ 15 round capacity. I always like to be ready for all eventualities.

Anywho, time for church, and I started to wander. Anyone who wants more info on anything up there, drop me a note, I'll be glad to discuss more, and hopefully stay on track this time.

AHSA, Obama, and Gun Control

2008-09-24T12:42:00.002-04:00

The AHSA or The American Hunters and Shooters Association, President Ray Schoenke is my topic of the day in response to those who have bemoaned my lack of blogging. I have mentioned them before, but now I would like to talk about them a bit more factually, as they are endorsing Obama as 2nd Amendment Friendly (to which I scornfully reply, "HAH!!!" in my most scornful manner possible).

Your wiki link to AHSA, your link to their actual website, and now on to my comments.

I have been hearing radio ads by Mr. Schoenke recently on my radio stations that make me turn the channel. He begins by discussing how Obama is 2nd Amendment OK, and then ends with discussion of how McCain screws Americans out of jobs. Now, apart from the simple fact that this has nothing directly to do with guns (you can argue for manufacture and purchase if you want, but the ad does not connect them at all, instead it has a disjointed jump), this statement is disagreed with in a middle of the road publication like "Field and Stream" in their October Issue. They stated that he voted to allow for frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers when their product was used in violent crimes (I'd like to see them pass that legislation against Louisville Slugger), voted to ban all drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (I am split on this one), and did not go pro-gun in the DC dilemma recently reviewed by the Supreme Court or allowing Americans to carry guns for self protection in National Parks (note: this does not guarantee hunting, merely the ability to defend yourself). That being said, it is interesting to note that Schoenke says that Obama is not going to mess w/ your guns.

Next up, Mr. Biden's connection w/ the whole gun issue (and Mr. Biden is a known anti-gunner). The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms made a statement to Mr. Biden (see here), and its one I thoroughly agree with. Here is a man who has a staunch anti-gun record saying he has a "little over and under Beretta". Pick anti or pro, please. If you want a 2nd Amendment friendly president, see who the CCRKB endorses.

Lastly, here is an example of Mr. Schoenke's "pro-gun" AHSA (see link). This is seemingly common sense. However, the AHSA purposely glosses the fact that there is a group called the Fifty Caliber Shooters Association (FCSA) that specializes in the use of this gun, often specifically for long range hunting shots. Simply put, they have an ethical standard for the use of this gun. Any hunter out there knows that it is too much gun for a whitetail at the average range found on the East Coast. However, shooting mountainside to mountainside in pursuit of elk, this gun fits right in. How the AHSA can specifically neglect a small group of hunters/shooters and still remaind the "American Hunters and Shooters Association" is beyond me. More than that, part of what drives the business is spending money, and validating the supply of weapons/ammo each year in the US. The FCSA spends more on one gun and a scope than I have spent on every gun I own, and almost all of that ammo, plus my "new" bow. Seriously, I don't think in ammo and weapons I have hit $3k (the bottom end price for a .50 cal is $2k, and the scope is roughly $1k), and I currently own 2 bows, and guns in two states. Granted, some of those guns were gifts, but even adding their money, I don't hit that mark. However, even though they lay out that much cash and focus on safety and ethics much more than many other hunting groups, the AHSA thinks they should be outlawed.

Anywho, there's my vented bile on the AHSA for now. Hope you enjoy, those who read. Let me know what you think, tell me if I need to leave the 2nd Amendment alone for a little bit, or if I'm making sense. I know this, and I will state it, Obama will not get my vote simply because how he votes and what he says about the 2nd Amendment does not add up, and that is not OK with me.

Questions, Questions, Oh Those Pesky Questions...

2008-09-06T01:42:00.003-04:00

So, here's a little link for you to go to, especially if you're a hunter/fisherman and are wondering who to vote for this November...

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/additional/Obama_FactSheet_Western_Sportsmen.pdf

First off, this is in his "additional" file, so it tells you how important it is to Mr. Obama. I also found this site on Mr. McCain...

http://sportsmen.johnmccain.com/Sportsmen.htm

Now, Senator Obama makes statements about bills he supports. Only problem is, they all are all beyond his reach, and the only thing he could do is fully fund or cut them. Senator McCain actually makes no claims about what he will or will not do as far as land protection/conservation as far as I could see. However, McCain admits to being a fisherman, whereas Obama says he doesn't know either, but supports the right to practice them. However, I would be interested to know how either of them felt about carrying a gun for self defense in a national park, if they thought that hunting should be allowed in a National Park (as in Yellowstone, where the deer, elk, and wolves are all out of kilter, and the bears have little fear of humans because none have shot at them in awhile). Furthermore, McCain really says very little to sportsmen, but a great deal to the 2nd Amendment on his site. Most fishermen should take this as a sign of support for them, because a typically a strong 2nd Amendment stance causes the candidate to have a positive leaning towards the harvesting of animals. There are a few choices in wording in Obama's statement I question (I'd question McCain as well, but he seems to be lacking information). First off, on page 2, when you say you, "will fight to protect roadless areas on Forest Service lands from all new road constructions," that's great. However, at what point do you say that these will be available to hunters? You don't do that either. The comments about wetlands conservation are interesting, but not really compelling, as Illinois is not as much of a flyway state as Obama thinks. Lastly, for now as I'm exhausted, he lists a bunch of groups he agrees with as far as his "pro-hunting' status, among them the Mule Deer Foundation, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, BASS/ESPN, Pheasants Forever, the American Sport Fishing Association, and Trout Unlimited. That being said, I doubt very much most of these support him, simply because I used to work with the guys who made up their readership/membership. There's more, but I'm falling asleep, finish tomorrow.

Or, perhaps on Sunday. Anywho, what is interesting to note is that Obama makes these statements about his outdoors stance, but does not have one Sportsmen group (this does not include The Sierra Club, nor the American Shooters and Hunters Association) backing him. However, McCain has a page designed by Sportsmen to speak for him. Kinda' makes you wonder. Oh, and the reason those two don't count, the first wants you to think they're pro-conservation, until it comes to actually regulating animal population, then they're anti-harvesting of animals. The second has some good stuff, but is overall soft and weak when it comes to really pushing for issues, and "has also been fired on by the NRA for bending on issues the NRA is firm on and for donating to Democrats and even the Brady Campaign." Anyone who contributes to the Brady Campaign is not pro-guns. I can expound on that more if anyone wants to know about it, but as my readership is slight, not so much.

Me and My Questions

2008-09-04T14:55:00.002-04:00

So, here I am thinking again. The question of today is: Who started the race vs. gender question in this Presidential Race? Why, I think that would be Bill Clinton, would it not? So, now that everyone is claiming that women voters will flock to McCain because of Palin, it resurfaces. There was also an article about the number of people that dislike the media (read it yourself), and how many people think the media is after Palin, etc. Interesting article, just wonder how correct it can be w/ only 1000 people polled (yeah, they give those +/- stats, but whatever). I'm not sure what my point here is, or if its more that I really dislike the direction the race has gone on gender/race issues. Just a side comment, which party was it that voted the most in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, anyway?