Libertarian Purity Meme

Saw this test at SnarkyBytes first. 

I got a 72, which falls square in the middle of "51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so. Your friends probably encourage you to quit talking about your views so much."

Yeah... yeah...

Vampire Sighting in My Town!

Here's something that you don't hear every day:

Western Slope woman blames vampire for car crash

Good grief.  You know that if there was a real vampire she wouldn't be alive to talk about this.  Which leaves only two possibilities: 1) She's been watching too many pop-crap movies, or 2) She isn't alive and I need to get Larry Correia over here, fast.

Yet another reason why I need a shotgun.

And to any Twightards out there:  the only thing a vampire is good for is as a wooden stake holder.

Subliminal Messages

Weekly Address: Jobs Creation from White House Weekly Address on Vimeo.

It's the Onion.  I'm taking this just as seriously as they are.

WAKEY WAKEY!

If you don't want the buildup, skip to about 2:00 for the singing to start.

And here is the original, in case you don't like techno remixes (LAME!):

Bones Were Poking Out His Leg

This is about a half mile from where I was on Saturday, helping build a Quonset for our neighbors:

Florida man, 63, faces charges after being shot in burglary attempt

He tried to break into a house, the homeowner shot his legs out from under him.  According to the radio, "bones were poking out of his legs."  Now he gets to think long and hard about what he did while waiting in the hospital.  Too bad the homeowner wasn't aiming a little higher; JayG could add one to his Dead Goblin Count.

I think there are a few more things that can be taken away from this.  1: Just because you are living up in the hill somewhere doesn't mean that you are safe from brigands. 2: Just because they look old doesn't mean that they are good people. 3: I need to get me a shotgun!

Do You Poo in Blue?

I really, really, really, don't know what to think about this...

Cool Kid.

All the News that's Fit to Print

Here's an attention-grabbing paragraph:

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the U.S. Census Bureau office in Grand Junction, which earlier this year was inundated by fumes from a marijuana-growing operation in the same building.

 I guess they don't call us "Happy Valley" for no reason...

Sunset/Sunrise

We had the coolest sunset last night:

Who knew it would usher in such a momentous day (today)?  We had the Supreme Court, Old KKKers, and Kagan, all in one day.  I can't say that we're going forwards, exactly, but we might be going sideways.

I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow!

KAAAAAAAAAAGAN!!!!

While solving the world's problems with a friend, we decided that Kagan probably wouldn't be our first choice for the Supreme Court. The main point of contention was the fact that SHE'S NOT A JUDGE! If the government was a sport, the Supreme Court is the Umpire, and it's like she hasn't even played the game before. Oh, sure, she might know the rules, and maybe even is qualified to ump for a different game... but that doesn't mean she would be a good choice.

I hope she get absolutely grilled during the questioning, at least. But they're probably just going to ask her if she's a lesbian...

Supreme Court

5-4, yo. w00t. I'm sure you can find someone else's commentary that is much more in depth and etc. But I didn't want it to sneak past me.

But wait, there's more: Reading the comments in that article reassert my beliefs that the United States is no longer a unified country, culturally, at least.

Care Bears: They're Back, and Meaner than Ever!

I don't know how you manipulate the trigger with those mittens on--maybe they're like Strongbad?

Worked All Day

Helped our neighbors (who are building a new house on 40 acres in the canyons between Grand Junction and Gateway) finish up a Quonset-hut-type building today. We worked for 12 hours straight. I'm sunburnt and tired, and maybe will put up pictures later. Now, to bed.

I wish I could go...

"The most politically incorrect event of the year," and I'm going to be in Montana that week. Of all the rotten luck.

Oh well, it was in Denver, anyway.

From SaysUncle

Those Wacky Morning DJ's

They were talking about Al "Big Al" Gore and his masseuse troubles. One of the DJ's said "Awwww. He's going to be growing a beard again. It's what he does when things get awkward."

Are you prepared for Al Gore's Beard?

One Year Anniversary

Today is apparently the one year anniversary of Micheal Jackson's death. I don't like Micheal Jackson. So here's a video for you--it's actually Weird Al's version of "Bad," called "Fat." I didn't really like it either, so I found a chipmunk version, to at least make me laugh.



You get all of the quality you pay for on this blog, people.

Youtoobery

Dr. Ashens makes fun of stuff. Dr. Ashens is funny. LAUGH! LAUGH!

Right!

PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!

I NEED HELP! THIS ONE GOT MY HOPES UP BUT THEY STILL WON'T STOP!

OH NO! LOOSE LIPS!

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!?!?

Water Buffalo?

I'm so sorry.

Cebu

So last night someone from Cebu City, Philippines visited my blog.  It made me think of this:



Moving right along...

HAHAHA! FOOOOOOOOLED YOUUUUU!

It's amazing what you can get away with if you look like you're paying attention.  This guy put some logos on his car and now parks in loading zones, explores abandoned military bases, and defeats anarchists with it.  Kinda entertaining.

Arson

It was arson, according to the newspaper.  What do you do if someone drives by and torches your house at night?  You can't return fire by the time they're gone.  Can't stay up all night on watch--I've gotta go to work in the morning.  Criminals suck, yo.  Don't doubt it.

UPDATE:  Just some more thoughts--It happened the same night a huge drug bust happened.  Also, according to the other neighbors, one suspect has been found and he said that he threw a rock.  The other suspect is still MIA. 

OKGO Never Ceases to Amaze

Silly Goose.

As seen at Walls of the City.

KC-135 and the Sunset

We live right in the airport landing zone, which makes for some great pictures.  This guy has been doing touch-and-go's all afternoon. $11,000 per hour, according to Wikipedia.

Your Random Music For the Day

Beer on the Way!

My first batch of the summer is bottled and maturing. Now, I still have about 200 empty bottles, two empty buckets, and an empty carboy. What should I make next?

My First Pistol: Springfield XD9 Sub Compact

Though I have others and have shot others, this is the first gun that I have bought, with my own money, for me.  After much deliberation over size, maker, caliber, and all the other things that you can worry over, I decided to get this:

As you can see, it is a Springfield XD Sub Compact in 9mm.  While searching on the internet, everyone liked it.  While at the gun shows, everyone I talked to liked it.  My CHP instructor liked it.  While holding it in my hand, I liked the look and feel (and the price!) of it.  And it's "NOT LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA," which is a win in my book.

I chose 9mm over 40S&W for two reasons, really—the availability and price of ammunition.  Next to .22LR, 9mm is about the cheapest ammo out there.  I figured that because of that, I would be able to shoot and practice with it more often, which in turn would lead to better shot placement—and you know “caliber doesn’t matter if you can’t hit the target.”

Shooting it was easy, even though I am used more to .22's and rifles.  With the short barrel I had to frequently remind myself to keep the front sight from wandering; missed shots were my fault and not the gun's. I had no problems with misfires.  It was at least able to stop an invading hoard of Cherry Dr. Pepper abominations:

So there you have it.  This is my pistol.  It is fun to shoot, but it is not a plinker.  The XD series has an interesting history, but this is no “historical firearm.”  9mm is not a hunting caliber, and it has a 3” barrel anyway.  This is a self-defense weapon.   If that bothers you I suggest you move to England.

Yard Work

I AM BECOME DEATH, DESTROYER OF WEEDS!

I Had the Strangest Dream...

I just had the strangest dream. I was the sidekick of a character who was a mix of Johnny Depp in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," and Vin Diesel in "Pitch Black." He was goofy, silly, evil, and badass. And actually I'm not sure if I was the sidekick or being protected by him.

Any Josephs out there who want to interpret?

NEED... MORE... 80'S!!!!!!!!

Books of 2010: Live Free or Die

I just read a book in literally less than 24 hours: John Ringo's new "Live Free or Die."  It had action, humor, alien and human bureaucrats, was excellent, and reminded me of why I resolved to not start a new series until it is finished, 'cause now I have to wait a year for the next one to come out.

11/10, and in case you were wondering, yes, I read it at work.  One hand was washing dirt, and the other was holding the book.  It was pretty brainless Wednesday.

Breaking News

Last night at about 12:30 my mom came up and woke us up, saying that our neighbors house was on fire. The wind was really whipping, luckily sideways from us, but if it had shifted we might have been evacuating.

Here is what it looks like today:

No one was hurt; the people just moved in and I'm not sure that they were living there full time yet or not. They are a young couple with a 2 year old.

In addition, as my mom was talking to one of the owners today he said that it looked like someone had firebombed his truck. I don't know if he knows what he is talking about or is just paranoid, but it is kinda scary.

Be glad of your shelter.

LOL

I normally hate interweb speak, but sometimes it just makes me laugh...

Musings on German Excavator Posts

A la Borepatch, I just wanted to share something weird that has to do with Google Search.  If you search for "German Excavator,"  I am fourth on the list with this post.  It is currently driving about 10% of my traffic according to sitemeter.  Many of the people who come here through that post are international, and most don't bother sticking around.  I must not be what they are looking for... which begs the question, if they aren't here to see an awesome German excavator stunt, what kind of weirdos are they?

Old Verse of the Moment

I thought it was about time to update my "Verse of the Moment" sidebar. The Chumbawumba got me off on something. Be sure to scroll down to read the new one.  Here's the old one.

Come ride with me
Through the veins of history
I'll show you a god who falls asleep on the job
How can we win, when fools can be kings?
Don't waste your time or time will waste you

No one's gonna take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive

Muse, "Knights of Cydonia"

And the video, which is freekin awesome:



No more compromises!

Chumbawumba

I recently found a Chumbawumba album and requisitioned it for the war effort. It has some very catchy tunes.

Do you suffer from long term memory loss?  I don't remember...

Books of 2010: One Day on Mars

I read another one, this time a cheapo Baen paperback by Travis S. Taylor called "One Day on Mars." It was somewhat enjoyable though you can tell that the author is somewhat new; I think that this book could have used much more editing. There was A LOT of techno mumbo-jumbo that lost my interest--in small doses and/or high writing skill, detailed description works well, but in this case I found that I just didn't care and skipped to where something happened. I also wasn't sure who the protagonists were--the corrupt Earth government or the Martian rebels who have a thing for mass murdering civilians?

I got it from the library, and if you are interested I suggest you do too.

6/10.

I'm Trying so Hard

I am trying to figure out a good way to organize my blogs over on the sidebar there.  In addition to adding some new ones, I am looking at having one big list, having two lists as seen previously, and maybe having three lists.  Then, with the new design features, you can have multiple columns on the sidebar... 

Did I ever mention that I don't deal with choices well?  I have no idea how this is going to turn out, and I welcome any and all feedback.

Erasure: Always HOMINY HOMINY HOMINY!

I want to be with you and make believe with you and live in HOMINY HOMINY HOMINY always!

Books of 2010: Free Fire

At the suggestion of my mother, I read "Free Fire," a Joe Pickett novel by C.J. Box. Even though I apparently started a series of mystery-criminal-thrillers in the middle, I was still able to follow along and found it an enjoyable read. And just so you know sort of the feel of the book, Joe Pickett is a Game Warden with the State of Wyoming. There were enough accuracies in the descriptions of the areas and guns and such to outweigh the sometimes strange premise.

Though I don't want to go into a long plot synopsis (I'm sure they're out there for you to find), I will say that it was good enough to make me interested in reading some of the other books with these characters.

I give it a 7.5/10 on my completely objective and never inaccurate scale.

Continuation of that Last Post

Just swung by the Sheriff's office.  In "twelve or more" weeks, presuming I haven't committed any felonies that I can't remember, I will be issued a permit. 

Concealed Handgun Class

I had a great time this weekend at my Concealed Handgun Permit class. There were supposed to be three students but I was the only one who bothered to showed up, so it was one-on-one instruction. We went through the course material in record time, I took (and passed with flying colors) the NRA Pistol Test, and we went and hit the range, which is what I really wanted to take the class for. We got through all the exercises just as it started to rain, and then my instructor offered to go through an extended "legal issues" section since we finished so much earlier than normal.

At the end I got a certificate with which I can go to the Sheriff's office to get my CHP (or CCW if you aren't in Colorado. I think I might just call it the WTHSAASACSLMNOFESCCP, short for "What the heck, stupid acronyms are stupid and confusing so let's make new ones for each states' concealed carry permits.")

With that I will be out another $150 or so what with all the charges they slap on. This was the one thing that I wanted to do this summer, though, so I don't mind terribly. All things are possible with enough cash.

Oh, and just for fun, something happened to my Jeep whilst driving to the class. Something so amazing it will never happen again, and I took a picture:

Isn't that the combination to the Atmosphere Shield of Druidia? What a coincidence!  

Hope you all had a good weekend too!

Changed the Title

Just trying it out. I needed a wider picture, and while I could do it with good ol' John Brown's Body like it was, I thought I would see what else I could do.

Let me know what you think.

Quote that Made Me Laugh

"Europe is like a whole other world. Its citizens tolerate insane levels of taxation, live happily in extremely close quarters, and posses fashion sensibilities that foster foreign-looking footwear and business suits dyed colors we associate with the management elites of the "oldest profession."

Frank Marcus, from the February 2010 edition of "Motor Trend"

A Scripture for Sunday

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law resist them.

Proverbs 28:4

Do I need to explain?

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day...

Actually, we really really needed the moisture.

...

But you know that the only reason it's raining is because we just cut the hay field...

Way Cool Navy Takeoff

Scootch forward to about 2:45 for the takeoff. It's way cool.



And be sure to have it in fullscreen.

Designer

Messed around with the new feature, "Designer." I will probably mess around with it some more in the future. Consider your self warned.

I bought something...

There was a gun show today... and it isn't legal in sunny California.

The Rifleman's Song, or the Riflemen of Bennington

A way back when I went to PA for spring break, I got a CD called "Homespun Songs of the Patriots in the American Revolution." It has quite a few little songs performed on traditional instruments, and is somewhat enjoyable, though the sound quality can be a little bit crackly.  One of the songs I quite like; not only are the lyrics good, but I can actually play it on my penny whistle.

Why come ye hither, Redcoats,
Your minds what madness fills?
In our valleys there is danger,
And there's danger in our hills.
Oh hear ye not the ringing
Of the bugle wild and free?
Full soon you'll hear the singing
Of the rifle from the tree.

cho: For the rifle, for the rifle.
     In our hands will prove no trifle.

Ye ride a goodly steed,
Ye may serve a foreign master;
Ye forward come with speed,
But ye'll learn to back much faster,
When ye meet our mountain boys
And their leader,  Johnny Stark,
Lads who make but little noise,
Lads who always hit the  mark!

Have ye no graves at home
Across the briny water,
That hither ye must come
Like bullocks to the slaughter?
If we the work must do,
Why the sooner 'tis begun,
If flint and trigger hold but true,
The quicker 'twill be done!

Over at NancyR's place she is asking for some good patriotic songs, and this was one that I like.  I've been meaning to put the lyrics down here ever since I got the CD, and she finally made me do it.

Random TV Shows

I really like "Big Bang Theory." And in case you are wondering, someone showed it to me on DVD, so I haven't ever watched it on TV. Unfortunately, some of my friends call me Sheldon, but I guess that just makes me a visionary. And then I found this T-Shirt while messing around on Amazon, and now I want it...

Facebook in Real Life

I have a real life.  I am not on Facebook.  I figure I can waste enough time with blogger and I don't need any more help.  And, just for the record, I don't want to talk to anyone from high school. 



And if you want to get a hold of me, use email, dagnabbit!

Books of 2010: Update

Since the last time I did this, I have read four more Brian Jacques books, a brewing book by Randy Mosher, and a John Ringo/Tom Kratman sci-fi.

They are: 
"Outcast of Redwall" 5/10
"Marlfox" 7/10
"The Legend of Luke" 9/10
"Tagerung" 10/10
"Radical Brewing" 43256/10
"The Tuloriad" 10/10 (Don't read unless you've read some of the other Posleen War books)

I think this brings my total for the year up to 21 books, not counting textbooks. 

The four Redwall books are as you would expect. 

I heartily recommend "Radical Brewing" for anyone who is interested in making their own beer. He really shows how you can do simple things to customize recipes and make "Radical" brews.

"The Tuloriad" was an interesting story about how one tribe of Posleen survive the Earth Invasion, and how the humans decide to convert them to Christianity.  It had some very interesting mind games in it (which is what makes the best science fiction) and an excellent afterword, in which the authors defend religion from atheism, in the context of the current struggle of western vs. middle eastern cultures and religions.  In short, they say: "Don't go to a gun fight without a gun, and don't go to a holy war without a religion."  Good stuff.

Maybe the next time I do this I can get to my books one at a time.

Gun Conundrums

I have been a rifle/shotgun person mostly, with only mild forays into the world of pistols.  However, I have been meaning to get a concealed weapon permit (or "concealed handgun permit" in Colorado) since the economy went belly up, my Dad died, and I turned 21 within a week of each other.  That's not a good combination to inspire confidence in the world being hunky dory, huh?  So here I am, taking the NRA Basic Pistol class, and researching pistols. 

Let me lay out what I am looking at and why, and maybe someone in the wide world of the interwebs can give me some suggestions.

Ever since I first saw the Ruger LCP, I have had a crush on it.  The appeal of having a gun on my person in any weather at all times and just being able to have it in a pocket is very high.  It is in .380 Auto, though which is very (too?) small.  That is my main waffle point on an LCP.

Going along with Ruger is the SR9c.  I am a Ruger person, so this was the next pistol that I started looking at when I waffled on the LCP.  I like that it is a "thin" 9mm pistol (but still a double stack magazine) rather than a brick grip.  It has a 3.5 inch barrel, which is the longest of the three guns I am looking at, but I think that the thinness would be more important for conceal-ability.  The main problem with this gun is that it is harder for me to find one in town.  Then, I just have something against 9mm--it's ".45 ACP set to stun," right? 

The gun that I am leaning towards most right now is the Springfield XD Sub-Compact.  It has a 3 inch barrel, which is shorter than the SR9c, but it is thicker.  I like the way the safeties work on it, combining the 1911 grip safety with the Glock trigger safety.  I like the feel of it in my hand, also.  My problem with this gun now is that it comes in 9mm and .40 S&W.  This, of course, opens a whole other can of worms.

When I come at this issue from a purely self-defense power standpoint, of course the .40 wins.  Real life isn't that simple though, and when you take into consideration price, availability, and ease of shooting, 9mm can beat about anything except .22 LR. [tinfoil]And in case civilization ever collapses there will be a lot more 9mm out there than the other choices[/tinfoil].  Considering that I started out this whole exercise at .380 Auto, 9mm can look good from a stopping power perspective too.

In any case, I will most likely wait for my first paycheck in a couple more weeks before I actually go out with the intent to purchase.  I welcome all constructive comments.

Top Shot

I watched the first episode of Top Shot at my friends' (who have satellite) house last night.  It was a little bit too much reality TV and not enough gun for my taste, but then I don't watch much TV so I am not brainwashed into enjoying people complain and boast about each other.  I don't know if I will bother to watch any more episodes...

Proof of Evil in the World

In the same spirit of my post a couple days ago about good vs evil, I thought I would offer conclusive proof of evil  in the world for anyone who doesn't believe.  I am warning you, this picture is not for the young or squeamish, or anyone who wants to have joy in their life. 

Through the glare, you can see the sign.  It says "School Starts August 23."

It's June.

The school administration is clearly evil.

Thus, evil is in the world.  Need I say more?

Hot Hot Hot DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DAAAA!

Two record setting days in a row!  While the average is around 84, yesterday it was 101 and today it was 102.  And I'm working in a building with no A/C...

Aftereffects of Excessive Force: How NOT to Install Baseboards

Last weekend we painted the kitchen and dining room, and then went out and bought new flooring for said rooms.  As the company putting in the new linoleum charges by the foot to remove baseboards and also charges to move appliances, yesterday we started getting everything cleared out.

Now to the interesting part of my story: 

The guy who my family bought the house from years and years ago was a freekinmooronackidiut who probably didn't know what end of the hammer is the heavy one and so just used rocks to pound in an excessive amount of three and four inch nails (Seriously! For baseboards!) and glue to keep them from migrating.  Lots and lots of glue, of many different types.  Maybe he had some sort of fear that the baseboards would rise up and smother him in his sleep, so he wanted to make sure they were locked against the wall.  One section of board was about a yard long and had 10 nails, wood glue, and some sort of caulking.  By the end we were just about ready to pay the extra cash for the professionals to do it.  It definitely required brute force

Anyway, I will leave before the floor people get here, so who knows what the place will look like when I get back...

Balance: Good, Evil, Fury and Acceptance... Also, an Excellent Quote

As I mentioned earlier, the comments on this post are up to 140+ at the time of this writing.  One of the commenters, geekwitha45, said something that I really liked, here quoted in it's entirety:

The irrational belief that gunfire somehow carries with it its own extra moral dimension of evil independent of the evil of the actor wielding it always amazes me. I guess despite ipods, humans never really stray far from their demon haunted animistic world.


>>that you're quite simply far, far more likely to be shot in the US than in the UK

And in the UK, you're simply far, far more likely to be beaten senseless, and spend time in a coma ward than in the US.

And yet some folks in the UK has the gall to tell us that this somehow forms the basis to claim the moral high ground? Especially considering the context of institutionalized defenselessness?

There is no virtue to be found in helplessness.
There is no virtue to be found in granting evil any advantage whatsoever.

Providing a wide field of low risk soft targets legally, culturally and psychologically restrained from fighting back is one heck of an advantage to grant.

It seems to me that we are entirely right to hold in contempt both individuals and societies so enervated that they won't lift a finger to protect themselves.

I cannot help but feel sympathy for those who believe and act otherwise, who are trapped in that web of enfeeblement, and I cannot help but feel disgust for those who institute, enforce and perpetuate such an evil.

  THIS IS GOING TO BE MESSY, AND I MAY OR MAY NOT REACH ANY CONCLUSIONS.  BUT I NEEDED TO BABBLE.

This is something that I have been thinking about lately, and of course I go and complicate it by throwing some religion in too.  It is hard to find that place between standing against and fighting evil, and showing love to someone despite their beliefs.  As a Christian, I am called to "make disciples of all the nations," right?  Love and Kindness, eh?  But also, I am to never accept evil, and never to compromise with it.  I mean, my leader is described in Revelation 19 like this:

Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

Not a dude who panders to the opposition.  And we "shall be like him."

But here is an issue.  What is evil?  You might have the classic image of villain with the black hat and mustache, or maybe some third-world dictator who eats babies for breakfast.  And while both of those may be true, evil is much more common in the world.  I think that C.H. Spurgeon approaches it very well in this sermon:

Whatever I may not be, one thing I know I am—a sinner, guilty, consciously guilty, and often miserable on account of that guilt. Well, then, the Scripture says, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."

 And now we can get to my point, and it is roughly the same as Kevin's in the Constrained vs. Unconstrained post.  These people who call for the government to save us from the inconvenience of life don't see themselves as sinners--they're helping!--and are immediately going down the path of evil.  If instead you realize anything could go wrong and that you can't help it (also known as "Murphy was an optimist"),  you are cocked locked and ready to rock, physically, mentally, and morally. 

After all, scripture says in Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose."  It doesn't say "We know that all things will be good for those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." 

Super Mega Ultra Photo Post: All American Weekend

After work on Friday I went to a JUCO Game (the Junior College World Series).  It's a Big Deal here on the Western Slope.  I had a good time, a SnoCone, a footlong hotdog, and an ice cream sandwich from Cold Stone Creamery. There was a real good turnout.  I think this year they have had a record attendance.

As the sun went down there was a great effect on the clouds:

Today my Grandpa and I went to "Max's Antique Power Tractor Show '10"  My Grandpa is a big tractor guy, but usually my Grandma, who can't get around very well, ties him up.  So this year, my Mom stayed with Grandma and I went to the show with Grandpa, to get him out and about.  The only complaint I could have was that it was 95 degrees out.

And of course there was a tractor pull:

As of the time we left, I think the winner was an Oliver tractor that pulled 150% of its weight.

There was also all sorts of antique engines doing all kinds of things--there was a working grain mill, a working blacksmith, and a working saw mill, among others.  And the worlds biggest pencil sharpener:

Here's the actual motor:

Zooming in a bit you can see...

...the actual pencil sharpener part.

There were (was? meh.) also all sorts of random antique stuff, like this:

Ummmm... yummy?

Then my friend and neighbor up in Montana texted me, said he was at a gun show in Helena, and asked if I wanted him to get me anything.  So, through the power of technology, I was able to get a book that is impossible to find anywhere but at gun shows. 

I don't know what will happen Sunday, but I think this has already been an all-American weekend.  I've eaten a hotdog at a baseball game, got hot and dirty at a tractor pull, and (indirectly) bought something at a gun show.

Here's one to watch

Kevin at The Smallest Minority put a couple posts up about guns in England, and has an Englishman commenting.  How and why someone from Britain got ahold of that blog is a mystery for the ages.  I expect the fireworks to fly in interesting directions, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one watching.  You should go over there and check it out.

Tar and Feather Their Effigy, then Light it in Fire and Run it out of Town on a Rail!

Nowadays we can't even respectfully disagree without being dismissed and ridiculed out of hand.  Back in Colonial Times if you didn't like someone your options were numerous, including:

Tarring and Feathering

Out on a Rail

and

Burning in Effigy

I like the idea of Burning in Effigy.  It gets your point across with suitable violence but doesn't actually hurt anyone (unless your mob gets out of hand)

NOTICE:  I am not pointing fingers at any idiots in particular.  So don't get all up in a tissy fit if you lean in that direction.  Though some people (watch the last thirty seconds or so) do need to get their teeth punched out.  But as far as you know, this is all unrelated. 

Hopefully Breda Sees This

I went to the Public Library and saw this:

Let's zoom in a bit on that kid in the middle:

It's blurry, I know, but he is playing a Nintendo DS that has been installed in the library, presumably by the library.  Of course the volume was dinkling around at full blast.

...

OMGWTF?

Let me break this down for you...

DOES NO ONE TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TO READ ANYMORE?  IS IT TOO MUCH TO EXPECT TO HAVE A QUIET ATMOSPHERE AT THE LIBRARY?  AAAHGRAAHJAAKASBD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!11!11!1!







The library just killed a little bit inside of me.  And they didn't have the book I wanted.

You have to see this to believe it

More John Reuben. This time it's "Doin'." (<=Is that the correct punctuation?) This is awesome. Professional Duck Duck Goose.

Der are dem dat do, and der are dem dat dippity do. Which one are you?

Har Har Har

This post can go right along with this one.

Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks dog.

#1. Governor starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural.

#2. He calls animal control. Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 upon relocating it.

#3. He calls veterinarian. Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases.

#4. Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged.

#5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while wildlife services conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals.

#6. Governor spends $50,000 of state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area.

#7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease.

#8. Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack and for letting the Governor intervene.

#9. Cost: $75,000 to train new security agent.

#10. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state.

Arizona :

#1. Governor shoots coyote and keeps jogging. Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge. Buzzards eat dead coyote.

From some email I got.

Eh, they changed the state from Texas to AZ, but... yeah. CA sucks. If you are from CA, I'm sorry. If you are still in CA, leave now, before it falls off and sinks into the Pacific.

Brewday Today!

Mmmmmm... beeeeeeer...

I'm finally making my first batch of the year!  It's partly a (really old) kit that my Uncle gave me for Christmas.  I didn't know what any of the ingredients were, they were all labeled as #1: Malt, #2: Hops, etc.

So I added some more stuff that I had leftover from a previous batch.  We'll see how it turns out!

FE=WIN

I passed the FE Test! Yay! Now I can get an EI (Engineering Intern) Certification, assuming I graduate next semester. Then I can be stuck in a soul-stealing job for the rest of my life, just like Dilbert!

Ice Cream Riot

The song "Do Not" by John Reuben, way back from his first album.

Do not tell me what I can and cannot do when I rock

Israel

The news in three sentences or less!

It's a blockade.  YOU CAN'T GO THROUGH. If you are a bleeding heart activist and think this is the way to do it, well, then click here.

Update: AH HAHAHAHA!  Bleeding heart activist terrorists!  Still screw 'em.

Sigh... Summer Break is Over

I start work this afternoon.

Which is good and bad.

I like money, because I like groceries and a dry place to put my bed.

But this is what I do all day:

Which doesn't inspire gobs of enthusiasm.

Maybe tonight I'll start a new batch of beer.

Beeeeeeeeeer...