Halloween PSA

Lost: One Elk

My friend (the same one from the gun show yesterday) went hunting yesterday afternoon and shot an elk right before sundown. He knocked it down with a solid body shot and he thought it was D-E-D dead, but it jumped up as he approached and it ran into some thick trees, right when it got too dark to see very well. So we're going to go out this morning to see what we can see. Hopefully it was cold enough last night that nothing spoiled.

SAF

I am happy to spread the word.

And... BACK from the gun show

I didn't have money for anything, but my friend who I went with spotted me (and he owes me money). I got 1000 rds of 9mm (you can never have too much!), and a few subsonic .22 LR rounds for goofing off with (I've always wanted to see what the deal is). The book guy wasn't there this time, so no new "interesting" books.

My friend was looking for a single stack 9mm, and found a Kahr CW9, but left looking at a little S&W 642 (which is also on my list of gun wants, so if he got it I would be very jealous). In any case he needs to run it buy the wife unit first...

Anyway, a good time was had by all. Maybe an even better time will be had later, if we can get out shooting...

Gun Show

Going to a gun show with 40 bucks in my pocket, so no "loopholes" will be jumped through today... mayhaps I'll find some books or ammo...

And in the Vein of the last post

Kinda funny, and kinda sad. Let's look at a recap of Election 2008, as we head into Election 2010--



Of course, this little video leaves off how *HOPE* and *CHANGE* are no longer *SUPER EFFECTIVE*, but we will have to wait and see how thoroughly they have lost their potency.

Election 2010... Battle!

MSM encountered an Election!

Use Jon Stewart Rally!

It's ineffective.

MSM was defeated by Election!

...

Seriously, that's the best they can do?  80 people in Paris and 50 in Montreal are getting together?  A dude in Mexico signed a petition, and he doesn't even know what for?  This is news?

That is, almost literally, nothing.  Look, MSM, let me show you some math (I know, I know, math is hard, I get it.  I'll try to keep it simple).   If we take you numbers, two rallies of 80 and 50 expats, and average it for a rough estimate, we get 65 people per rally.  If we take your number of rallies, 1160, and multiply it by the number of people per rally, we get 75,400 expats worldwide attending a "mini-rally."

NOW--according to the US Census Bureau, the 2008 election had a total turnout of 131,144,000 voters.  That gives us a total percentage of expat rallyers who *say* they are going to vote of 0.0575%.  If we use the 2006 election numbers, the last non-presidential election, the total turnout was 96,119,000, we get a percentage of 0.0784%. 

To put that in perspective, that would be like me filling up the tank on my Jeep to go on a roadtrip, driving four blocks, and then giving up, rather than traveling the 400 miles I could go.

Again, almost literally, nothing.  Again, this is news?

Or is this, as Borepatch says, a dinosaur roaring it's defiance into the winds of change?

It's a musical day, I guess

I always liked this song, and this guy does an epic multitrack to it.

ARE YOU READY FOR A CHALLENGE!

Can you take it? Can you get through the whole thing?



I did, and I think I am just a little bit crazier because of it.

Here you go.

A little bit of Tears never hurt anyone, right?

Time Travel!

From the Gormogons, those drivers of technological tomfoolery since at least the 1920's, comes this video:



Crazy, or real? YOU DECIDE!

Cosmic Justice

I had to put up some shooting club posters--in the liberal arts building I may have accidentally covered the peace seekers (*gag*) club poster...

False Hope

Thanks to Breda and this post, I have found what I believe to be the most horrifying website on the internet, where false hopes and fake brain cells go to die, where people who believe in lies go to talk themselves happy.  It is a place of horrid horribleness, of sad patheticness, and of tales such as this:

"I was so excited I choked on a pretzel. True story."

Paul L., Boston, MA

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...

Remember Hope

Go and leave your own tales of woe, won't you? I left the following, though I have no hope (heh) of it ever seeing the light of day on that particular website:

I was so disappointed that I went and bought a 20-round magazine for my semi-automatic rifle because I thought it would be illegal in a few months.
--Blue S, MT

Do you have a tale of false hope, real or remembered?

Why I sometimes hate my school's office

They send out emails that really should be more targetted than "TO: All." Like this one:

Now, don't get me wrong.  While I am a conservative Christian, I completely support the freedom to choose your own lifestyle. I may disagree with it, but I support freedom in all flavors, colors, genders, and "other." But my dears, even if I were eligible for that scholarship I'M GRADUATING IN DECEMBER.  Could you maybe, please, THINK about who you are sending these blanket emails to?

Books of 2010: To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Tell the Truth

A while back I ordered Jeff Cooper's "To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Tell the Truth" off Amazon because I wanted to read something by the good Colonel. This one seemed like it would be a good place to start (though I have also heard many good things about his other books), so away I went. In it, he has stories about guns, hunting (mainly in Africa), defense, even one about the ocean liners of the pre-WWII era. It is very enjoyable, interesting, and readable. And now I am more than slightly infatuated with the "Scout Rifle" concept...

So, if you have any interest good old fashioned war and hunting stories with a bunch of gun lore thrown in the mix for good measure, I recommend this book. I rate it at 9.5/10, just because it is pretty short.

90's music is so weird.

Why yes, I AM avoiding doing homework. Why do you ask?

Window situation

Well, inspired by KurtP and my Ranch Friends, who also offered to help me out if I needed it, I went searching for a used window to replace the smashed one.  $40 at a local junkyard, which is much more reasonable than the ~$200 the professionals were quoting. 45 minutes later (and much colder as it was windy and snowy) everything was back to normal.  So on to the next thing!

Beltman Belt

I've been meaning to do this for a week now. So here it goes.

After that big Kindle Case Hoopla, I decided instead to go with something more practical for my birthday present. Hey, when your mother offers to get you something, jump on the chance, right?
s
This is my old belt--it was 1.5", but pretty thin, and not stiff at all.  It's an Amish belt, from Lancaster County, PA.  Still a great belt, just too floppy to put anything heavy on.

Also visible in the picture is the lovely brown carpet in my apartment.  Don't walk in bare feet, cause you never know what you might find!

This is the new belt, from the Beltman.

Even crappy pictures can say a thousand words.

It is still plenty comfortable, which was surprising to me. It is VERY stiff, being about twice as thick.  It is very well finished, and very beautiful in a simple way.  Since my mom offered, I also got a key holder thingamajig.  I can get that wad of keys out of my pocket.

There you have it.  My pants still say up and my belt no longer tries to twist out of place when the gun is on.  I believe that was the point to the whole exercise.

And to the FCC, FTC, FAC, ETC;  yadda yadda yadda I didn't get any compensation from the Beltman yadda yadda yadda I am reviewing this because it is a quality product given to me by my mother who purchased it with her own hard earned cash as a gift to her wonderful son, not that you would know anything about "hard earned" yadda yadda yadda go blow smoke out your ears yadda yadda yadda also what did you expect me do write about on my blog yadda yadda yadda...

Snow...

Yes, that probably means what you think it means...

Sunday Music: David Crowder Band SMS [Shine]

Made with "700,000 LiteBrite pegs, 2,150 man hours, 1,200 LiteBrite images, 83 friends and 148 pizzas."



Why do I love the David Crowder Band so much? Because they have music videos with evil squirrel armies and others with 700,000 LiteBrite pegs.

Broken Glass and Packing Tape: A Tale Told In Pictures

This morning the neighbor told me to go out to my jeep--this is what befell my eyes:

Apparently, some idiot wanted to see how far he could get a glass window to explode if he threw a peice of concrete roughly 12"x6"x"3 through my window.

The answer to the question?  EVERYWHERE.  I don't see how they can call it "safety glass" when it explodes so violently--and it's definitely still sharp, believe me.

I'm really surprised at how little damage there was, considering how big a piece of concrete they used.  The only real damage besides the window is a ding in the leather on the steering wheel. I'm also surprised at how nothing was taken out of my jeep.  Not that there is much in there, but a couple of sleeping pads and a Estwing axe still would have been easy pickings.  This leads me to believe that it was a drunk fukker who did it and not someone who knew what they were doing.  Still pisses me off though.  'Scuse the French.  So I called the cops, the officer took a picture said: "Life sucks" (not in so many words, but I knew what he meant), and gave me a case number in case I wanted to file the insurance claims.  Of course, this isn't covered in my insurance as far as I know, so I'll probably not even bother with it.

So for the past couple hours I've been vacuuming and calling auto glass places, not that that is very useful on a Saturday afternoon.  I get the general feeling that a replacement will be here on Tuesday at the earliest and it will run me between $170-$200 bucks.  Yay.  And of course it was nice all week but is supposed to rain and snow(!) all weekend.

So until the work week is back, I'm rednecking it.

THERE I FIXED IT.

WANTED:

Information regarding a smashed Jeep window

the morning of 10/23/2010

No reward, 

but I am willing to let you help me  

beat up the perp.

500 Miles

This song was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning. I don't know why.



Hopefully it's stuck in your head now.

Added: I just listened to it 7 times in a row. I think I'll stop now.

Not here, my man

Try somewhere else, please.

Heh. Today is 10/22!

Today is October 22, which, as pointed out elsewhere, is 10/22 Day! So, let's play a game!

 

Can you spot the 10/22 hiding in a pile of bluesun's junk?


And goofing off with photoshop:

Why, yes, I do believe that I will have to find somewhere to shoot it this weekend Where there aren't hunters. Without a hunting license, hunting season kinda sucks. All my usual spots up in the mountains will be covered in an obnoxious orange color.

Does...not...compute...*spark*spark*

My mom just sent me an email asking about graduation parties.

uhh... uh... uh... uh...

Wait, I'm graduating?  Oh, crap.  I AM graduating.

I think I need to reboot my brain for the full effect to kick in. 

That seems... a little strict.

I got these two emails today:

First

I haven't shopped there for a long time, so I was like "whatever," and was going to ignore it.  Then I saw I had another one.

Second

Wow.  That seems kinda harsh.  I mean, flogging?  I guess none of the other developers will make any boneheaded mistakes after this example!

Voting

Ballot in the mail.  Are you going to vote?

Techno Jeep

This may even rival James May's "Top Gear Theme" for awful music made with cars.

What the Heck?

The link refers to this.

...

How did I get on some MathCad salesman's twitter page?

Top Gear-designed electric car

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't drive something made by those guys if you paid me. I don't think I'd get close, either, for fear of disappearing in a flash of BBC-produced "entertainment."

But here's the autocar review:

Switchfoot Blues

Is there nothing here worth saving? Is no one here at all?
Is there any net left that could break our fall?
It’ll be a day like this one when the sky falls down
And the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been throwing down this broken house of cards?
It’ll be a day like this one when the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

Is there nothing left now, nothing left to sing
Are there any left who haven’t kissed the enemy
Is this the new year or just another desperation

Does justice ever find you? Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?
And nothing is okay until the world caves in
Until the world caves in, until the world caves in…

Quote of the Book Bombing

Larry Correia called for the book bombing of John Brown, a fellow author.  In one day the Monster Hunter Nation shoved the book up from #220,997 on Amazon to #3,068, and up to #88 in Epic Fantasy.  In response, John Brow said:

"Holy crap. May the bullets of the Monster Hunter nation always fly like the hammers of hell."

 It made me smile.

Do Nothing Congress? Unfourtunately Not.

THEY WEREN'T ACCOMPLISHMENTS!  IF HISTORY REMEMBERS YOU, IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE TRAMPLING OF CIVIL RIGHTS, YOU MORONS!  FORCING PEOPLE TO BUY INSURANCE?  USING TAXPAYER'S MONEY TO BUY COMPANIES THAT WERE SO INEFFECTIVE THEY SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS?  INCREASING HATE CRIME LAWS TO MAKE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY ILLEGAL ILLEGALER?  I DON'T WANT A PRODUCTIVE CONGRESS--IT JUST PROVES THAT THE SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES ISN'T WORKING!  GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE--"WHERE'S THE LOVE?"  YOU DON'T GET NO LOVE.  SCREW YOU.  SCREW YOU AND YOUR LITTLE DOG, TOO.

Tactical Kindle Case: Google Edition

Yesterday I got my first hit from Google for "tactical kindle case."

I feel like this is a major milestone, but I'm not sure why...

How to do a Fourier Series in Excel

Now, I'm not actually going to go into the whole detail here, so anyone who is coming here from a Google search, sorry, but this is what one of the cells from our spreadsheet looks like:

=(2/(1*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(1*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(1*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(($DY$3-$A$3)/34.75*D$2+$A$3)+(2/(2*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(2*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(2*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(3*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(3*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(3*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(4*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(4*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(4*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(5*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(5*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(5*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(6*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(6*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(6*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(7*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(7*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(7*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(8*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(8*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(8*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(9*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(9*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(9*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))+(2/(10*3.14159)*($DY$3-$A$3)*EXP(-1*Sheet1!$E$37*(10*3.14159/34.75)^2*$C3)*SIN(10*3.14159*Sheet2!D$2/34.75))

Basically you just have to go out to a (ridiculously) large number of n's by hand.  Our teacher said it couldn't be done! shouldn't be done! and that you could do it very easily in Mathcad, but we weren't deterred!  Boldly stepping into unknown territory, we made a very large and complicated spreadsheet!

You might be an engineer if...
...you have no life and can prove it mathematically.
...you enjoy pain.
...you know vector calculus but you can't remember how to do long division...

GunUp

I was so bored yesterday night that even after watching a movie and scratching out two more blog posts, I went and joined GunUp.com.  Who knows what it is going to wind up being, but for now it might just serve as a needed diversion. 

I'm actually considering getting into the gunblogger conspiracy.  With boredom as my motivation, who knows what kind of trouble I could get into...

This video is totally freaky

My brother sent me this video--apparently it made him think of me. How am I supposed to take that?



Seriously. I don't know about you, but I'm freaked out.

Stupid Movies to Clean Guns to: Babylon AD

It has Vin Diesel in it. It has a future dystopia setting (though not the greatest one I've ever seen). It has what seems like a lot of mindless exposition that doesn't really accomplish anything. It doesn't have enough action in it to justify the amount of mindlessness--however, there is a scene where Vin Diesel takes out a UAV jet by crashing a snowmobile into it. It has a 7% Rotten Tomato score.

It is a decent movie to watch if you aren't watching it to watch it. Like if you want some background noise to clean guns to. However, I kinda wish I had put in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" or something instead.

Added:  And no, I don't know why I have so many weird French dystopian future movies.

Excuses Excuses

All I want to do is go shooting, but it's getting dark.
All I want to do is go shooting, but my ammo is low and my money is lower.
All I want to do is go shooting, but I have this crazy little thing called homework.
All I want to do is go shooting, but I need to eat supper.
All I want to do is go shooting, but it's getting cold outside.
All I want to do is go shooting, but the guns need to be cleaned.
All I want to do is go shooting, but hunting season is starting and my spots are going to be crawling with people dressed in orange.
All I want to do is go shooting, but...

Weird, Man.

I just discovered there's a cultish new-agey electronica band out there called "Dead Can Dance." Who knew.



I think it is perhaps just a little too out there for even my eclectic tastes. But each to his own, right?

Speaking of Good Times...

I shot holes in stuff yesterday.  I just realized that I've been shooting every Sunday for a month!  Yay!  Oh, and how do you like my redneck range bag?  It's a soft side tool box that was on sale at Lowe's for $10.  Works just fine--all of the pockets on the inside are great for stuffing magazines and such in.  It's kind of amazing how much crap you can stuff in it, actually.  I think over the summer when I came up to MT I had 300 rounds of 9mm, two pistols in cases, an ungodly amount of .22LR, targets, markers, and a little bit of etcetera in it.  If I could improve anything I would like a better shoulder strap as the one it has is pretty wimpy and not well padded.  But I can't really complain for $10.

Movie Review: RED

We went to RED after the aborted hike on Saturday.  I found it to be incredibly entertaining--the first movie all year that I felt like I got my money's worth (Inception came close, but I paid $10.50 for it while I only paid $5 for the matinee here).  It was reasonably clean, no cussing every line just for it's own sake, no explosions of gore (although there were plenty of explosions), and no gratuitous sex scenes, if you care about stuff like that.  The characters are hilarious as is most of the dialogue.  My favorite line is when Marvin (John Malkovich) shoots the big bad guy a second time to make sure that he's dead.  Frank (Bruce Willis) asks exasperatedly, "Do you feel better now?" to which Marvin replies "Yes.  Do you want to get pancakes?"

After the movie ended, we went and made pancakes for supper.  Good times.

About that Hike yesterday

We made it halfway before we ran into snow and decided to turn around.  We had to decide if a 5 mile hike was enough, or if a 10 mile hike, half of it in snow, was good, and we chose to go home.  5 miles is still a goodly hike.  It started out kind of rainy, but turned nice after half an hour.

My camera apparently has a smudge on the lens, but you get the idea.

A Scripture for Sunday (and for Alan Baird)

Proverbs 28:1

    ¹ The wicked flee when no one is pursuing [them],
    but the righteous are as bold as a lion. 

In case you missed this whole situation, Linoge has a good summation here.

GONE HIKIN'

We've been planning a camping trip for the past couple of weeks, a way to finish out the summer.  Of course, then the weather forecast had to come in and ruin it for us (we don't want to camp in the rain if we can help it).  So we're just going to do it as a day hike. 

Of course, that means that it's going to a gorgeous day, and we're going to get to the lakes we're hiking to and go "WHY DIDN'T WE PACK TENTS?!?!"  Everyone's heard of Murphy's Law, but I think Murphy was an optimist...

Life: Ever Onward

I just signed up to take the GRE here in a couple weeks.  I am paying $160 for the privilege. But, since I have yet to find a job, grad school may be what is in my future... as such, the GRE is needed. 

On a related note, you need to have 2 forms of ID with you.  I wonder what would happen if one of them is a concealed handgun permit?

I'm afraid I've fallen into a rabbit hole...

All because of that backgammon thing.

I found that there is an "Internet Backgammon" game that came on my computer.  I muddled through a couple games and won.

I read the backgammon page on Wikipedia and discovered:

• The First Internet Backgammon Server started in 1992, and was the only internet backgammon server for five whole years!
• Tunç Hamarat is a Turkish professional backgammon player living in Austria, whose exploits have earned him a place on Austria's postage stamps.  And, he is a Jazz DJ in Vienna!
• Nard, the ancient Persian precursor to backgammon, and Senet, the ancient Egyptian precursor to backgammon, both go back many thousands of years!
• Computer scientists, who apparently have nothing better to do, have extensively studied backgammon since the 1970's and had developed programs that could defeat world class players by 1979!

Wow!  With Wikipedia's help, I never have to lose trivial pursuit again! Thanks, Wikipedia!

Oh, crap. Paradigm shift.

I just ran into a country album that I actually kind of like.  What... what's happening to me? 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Polkamatic

Pump up the bass!



The thing really takes off at about 1:04. Too bad it's so short. Though for those of you (not naming names) who aren't in to techno, maybe that's a good thing...

Still, it's a good way to wake up, right?

As seen in my METE 2020 Notes

(Yes, that is the professor who I wrote those poems about.  Yes he does have a long nose.)

Crosswinds

Sometimes I think about getting a pilot's license.



Sometimes I am happy about being stuck on the ground...

Oh, and Speaking of Styx...

It's kind of weird how much they changed, yet how similar they still look.

What you you think--is this as good as the Beatles version?

Space Balloon. This is Way Cool.

And this one I did find at SayUncle.

Drivable Radio Flyer

They took an old Mazda pickup and went all out.  Read more here and more pictures are here.

Now, sing it with me:




T-t-t-TOOOOO MUCH! TIME ON MY HA-AAANDS!

And, believe it or not, I didn't find this at SayUncle, but got it in an email.

What the Flip, Batman?

According to my Blogger Statistics page, the top referring site to me right now is a German internet game site's forum..  "www.backgammon-live.com/community/forum/topic-654367.html".  Unfortunately you have to register to view the forum, not to mention my conversational German is a bit rusty since I got out of High School.

Some Questions:

1) Who?
2)What?
3)When?
4)Where?
5)Why?
6)How?

I really, really, don't understand.

A Google search for "backgammon-live" reveals that apparently there are some very ravenous internet backgammon people out there.  Oh the things you can do on the internets!

Old Verse of the Moment: Chumbawamba, "I Want More!"

It's been down there for most of the summer, and I finally felt like getting a new one.

But here's the old one, saved for posterity.

Chumbawumba, "I Want More!"

This is Tearoom England
They'll kick your face in
Oh so nicely

I want more!
--No hurry
More!
--So sorry
I want more!
--Don't worry
More!

I want more!
--No hurry
More!
--So sorry
I want more!
--Don't worry
More!

Sung as a counterpoint, that is, the "More" from one singer and the "--" parts from another.  This gives the impression of some sort of argument, where one side is demanding more and the other is trying to placate them. 



I can look at this song as the current leaders and their ilk calling us to give in just a little bit more.  See Lawdog's cake story, at the bottom of the link.  They are doing it for our own good, don't you know!  ...Tyranny with a smile.

I prefer to look at it as a cry to arms.  I want more.  I want my rights to be supported.  I want my government to be able to add and subtract.  I want my power back from the endless acronymed bureaucracies that are trying to regulate the minutia of our lives. 

It's weird, the thoughts that a british Anarcho-Punk band can get me thinking.

A Short News Commentary

Apparently, Bill Clinton is the best stumper the Democratic Party has got. 

I AM SO AWESOME.  I MEAN, LOOK AT ME!

And isn't that just a little bit sad...

Jeff Cooper on Training

I bought "To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Tell the Truth," by Jeff Cooper, the other day, and reading through it I found this passage that seemed pertinent in light of that whole "Mall Ninja" kerfluffle the other day. 

From the essay, "Heads Up!"

"The private person who arms himself must remember that he will most likely be fighting as an individual when the flag flies.  The chances of his standing shoulder to shoulder with five, ten, or fifty close friends, strongly motivated and properly armed to confront the foe is unlikely.  Therefore the individual can fave only one objective in fighting and that is the destruction of his personal adversary or adversaries.  He will not have the dubious luxury of giving orders, taking cover, obtaining fire superiority, moving to 'close with the enemy.' He will simply have to shoot to hit and to make every shot count."

 He goes on to say:

"From this it follows that that the overwhelming priority of the individual book of tactics is the first principle of self-defense--and that is alertness."

 And he concludes with

"If you don't know you're in trouble, no amount of ability on your part will save you."

 Anyway, I am not sold one way or the other on the "need" of  some kinds of training vs. other kinds vs. just having an "attitude of alertness."  But I thought that it was interesting that I ran into this essay (which was originally written who knows how long ago) at the same time it came up again. 

U.S.S. Intrepid in Lego Form

I never was this ambitious with my legos. Mostly I did spaceships. Small spaceships, at that.  This dude made a 1/40 (about so the Lego guys are human sized) scale USS Intrepid model, complete with Corsairs. 

Read about it here, see some of the guy's other stuff (including a Hoplite Chariot and an F111) here.

Thank You, Interwebz! How can I ever repay you?

I had a problem getting my Corel Painter to work since I got my Windows 7 computer.  I finally got fed up having to fake it, and a quick Google search gave me the advice I needed--put a new empty folder in a certain directory, and viola! everything is hunky dory!  Now I can pump out crap like this:

PRAY TO ST. OBY!

I knew that stupid Wacom tablet I bought a couple years ago was worth it!

Columbus Day?

Wait, today was Columbus Day?  What is that, like a holiday to celebrate the capital of Ohio?

What did it do to get it's own holiday?

Tough day today

I have to walk all the way to school to watch "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."

In other (possibly related, but I'll let you decide) news, my "World Literature, Ancient to Renaissance" class is pretty much a joke. But since I'm taking it for a scholarship requirement and not a credit requirement, I am not complaining.

What's Worse?

"Bronx Gang Claim Gay Recruit Torture Was Forced by Leader"

I don't know what's worse--that they think that is a viable excuse or that I'm afraid it might work.

If you do some horrible thing, in this case "burglary, robbery, assault, menacing, unlawful imprisonment and criminal sex acts," why should I care if you did it because you were threatened to do it? Why should I care if the leprechaun on your shoulder told you to do it? Why should I care if you thought it was funny? Why should I care if you did it because you are a habitual criminal, involved in the gangs since you were 12?

You did it. You pay for it.

And as far as I am concerned, you should have two choices--life in prison or a short rope, depending on the severity of the crime and repeat offenses.

Don't even get me started on the insanity of hate crimes...

Sunday Music: Work

This song pretty much sums up where I'm at right now:



Lyrics:

Just in case, I will leave my things packed so I can run away
I cannot trust these voices

I don't have a line of prospects that can give some kind of peace
There is nothing left to cling to that can bring me sweet release
I have no fear of drowning, it's the breathing that's taking all this work

Do you know what I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone.'
What I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone.'

Empty spaces, shadows hit by street lights
warning signs and weight of tired conversations

In the absence of a shoulder, in the abscess of a thief
On the brink of this destruction, on the eve of bittersweet
Now all the demons look like prophets and I'm living out
every word they speak, every word they speak

Do you know what I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone, '
What I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone'
What I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone.'

Do you know what I mean when I say, 'I don't want to be alone.'....
I have no fear of drowning. It's the breathing that's taking all this work.

Haven't done this in a while...

I found something missing from my blog. A big explosion. I haven't been very good about taking Larry Correia's advice to put in an explosion every 100 pages.

I fix that problem...

now.

Books of 2010: A Deeper Blue

Last one in the series (for now).  Pretty good, shorter than the others.  I think it wasn't quite as good as the last one.  Lots of VX gas, lots of Disney.  Not so much on the Keldara, which is kinda why I liked the last one more.  This one just has a bunch of stupid government bureaucrats who get in the way. 

I might be able to get some real work done, now that there's no more of these books to get in my way.  Or maybe I'll just find some other series to distract myself with.

A solid 7/10.

I thought it was the end of the world... but then it wasn't

I was sitting in the computer lab today, surfing the web, when suddenly the power went out.  I said to the guy next to me "This is the beginning of the end!  The power is out for the entire US!  Preemptive strike from China!"

...

But then the power came back on.  Oh well.  I was about ready for "Wolverines!" but I guess not.

Double Dipping?

I want one

But who wouldn't?

http://teapartypacecar.com/

I wonder what that paint job would look like on my jeep?

Found at Traction Control.

Books of 2010: Unto the Breach

This one was pretty good.  It was mostly pure action, and once you got about 50% in, it really picked up. 

One more to go in the "Paladin of Shadows" series.  I don't think I can read it all today, though--as you may have noticed I've been slacking off on the school work.  It might take two days, instead of just one...

So, "Unto the Breach," John Ringo, best one yet, I give it an 8.5/10.

A Short Movie Review: Chrysalis

The Future. France. Every thing is gray. Everything is reflective. The hero's name strangely and frighteningly resembles the name of one "David Hasselhoff," which I could not get over. Those dang Europeans are all chipped, so the police can track you. It does absolutely nothing to prevent crime.

And there you go. Everything you need to know about Chrysalis.

HIDE YER KIDS HIDE YER WIFE HIDE YER HUSBANDS CAUSE THEY RAPIN EVERYBODY

I must have missed this when it first came out...

Poems for METE 2020

METE 2020 is my least favorite class this semester--an "introduction class" to all of the other classes I've already taken. I have just missed it every semester, and am finally taking it in my LAST semester.

The real reason I don't like it, however, is that the teacher... drones. On and on. I've started writing poems in the margins of my notes.

Here's a limerick:

My prof. has a monotone voice
It's just that I don't have much choice
For graduate, I must
Or my education is bust
When the hour's up we all will rejoice.

And here's a haiku:

I don't understand.
What is he talking about?
I want to go home.

I might share more in the weeks ahead.

Books of 2010: Choosers of the Slain

OH JOHN RINGO NO!
OH JOHN RINGO NO!

Ooooo!  Good action scene!

OH JOHN RINGO NO!

OH JOHN RINGO NO!

In case you're wondering, yes, I did just read another one.  In a day.  Basically by skipping all of the details about the European sex trade.

Two more to go!

6.5/10, not as good as the last one.

Magic Cables will Cure Cancer

This is awesome. Seriously awesome. First, look at the price. About $2500. Then, look at the reviews. They are all about like this:

For years, I have been wondering why my RCA home theater system sounded so terrible. People told me to upgrade the speakers, but I didn't believe them. Then I learned about the Denon cable. It was the answer I was looking for. The US Postal Service car pulled up, and put a nondescript brown box in my mailbox. I had opted for Free Super Saver Shipping - just in case, I added paper clips to my order to make sure I spent at least $25 to qualify for Free Super Saver Shipping. When I opened up the package, I found the beautiful cable inside. I knew I had made the right choice. The cable was blue - deeper than the ocean blue, bluer than a smurf and bluer than my Mondays. I saw the beautiful cable inside. I knew I had made the right choice. The cable was blue - deeper than the ocean blue, bluer than a smurf and bluer than my Mondays. I couldn't wait to hook up the cable. I hooked it up to my 10 year old RCA speakers. Just to be prepared. I made myself a cocktail, took and shower and unhooked my phone (I did not want any distractions). I put in an 8-track of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. I turned on the system. I was blown away. I literally could see the musicians playing the music. It was unreal... but then something happened. I saw space/time warp in front of me, and before I knew it, I was in 18th century Germany. I was at the birthplace of Beethoven. I saw Beethoven be born. In fact, it was serendipity of being in the right place at the right time, but I got to play the role of midwife! Unfortunately, I had no way of coming back to our current time - or I didn't know how. I had to live in 18th century Germany until Beethoven, whom I had befriended, grew up. Wow, could he drink! What a few drunken nights we had! I took apprenticeship at a Bierhaus and even participated in the French revolution. Anyway, he wrote a symphony for me that was so incredible, that he sent me back to the future. Just in time to write this review.

Thanks, Borepatch! You made my boring regular Wednesday into an fabulous amazing Wednesday.


Here's another one:

...ǝɯıʇ ....ıʇ 11ıʇs s ǝɹǝɥʇ ....ɯǝɥʇ ɟo ...11ɐ ...pǝsdɐ11oɔ sǝıʇıɹɐ1nbuıs ǝɥʇ

sǝ1qɐɔ ǝɥʇ ʎɹoʇsǝp ...sǝp

Just had an conversation with the police...

Apparently the neighborhoods starting at my street and going south have been experiencing a rash of burglaries.  The police are just hitting the streets to see if anyone has seen any suspicious activities.  Since my apartment is a cave, I hardly ever see anything out of the one window, so I wasn't very helpful.  I was left instructions to call them if I saw anything.

According to the police, the break-ins have been either during the day or "hot" robberies, when the people are home.  Since I am usually home most of the day, and you can not sneak in to this place, I'm not too worried.  But, as always, we'll just have to see what happens...

Added:  It was just suggested to me that I should sit out on the front step in my rocking chair, with my roommate's pipe and the neighbor's shotgun.  That might be kinda fun...

Books of 2010: Kildar

Yeah, I found this John Ringo book free on the interwebz.  I read it, I enjoyed it mostly--but really, the only way to truly describe it is with "OH JOHN RINGO NO!"

If you don't understand, I'm sure google can help you out...

Rated 7/10.  But it's better than the first one.

Red Green: King of the Flawed Logic

But because of the magic of television, most of his stuff works anyway!

Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance

Walked to school this morning, got through the first class.  Went up to talk to my lab partner about the lab that was due today.  Turned out that we needed to do some more work; some of our graphs done in MathCad were incomplete.  My flash drive had the data on it.  My flash drive was left at home--first time in three years.  We were going to go back to the apartment to work on it, before  I realized that none of the computers at home have the program we needed in a recent enough version.  So I ran home to get it, and ran back, sweating with shin splints--an expenditure of time and effort that ANY OTHER DAY -EVER- wouldn't have been necessary. 

If I hadn't have just assumed that my flash drive was where it usually is, it would have been much less frustrating.  So I am here now simply telling you to think ahead, don't assume, and be prepared. 

In other words, don't be like me.

Huble Deep Field 3D

When you think about how big the universe is...

Happy Birthday to Me.

Today is my birthday. w00t.

Well, off to school...

Books of 2010: The Last Centurion

"The Last Centurion," by John Ringo, was very interesting. It was a Baen free download onto my kindle, which is always good. I started this one before Monster Hunter Vendetta, took a break from it for a day to read MHV, and then finished it a couple days later.

It was a very interesting read--the style is non-standard, kinda "bloggy," actually. It follows a soldier through a global flu outbreak and cooling event. You can just hear John Ringo ranting on his soapbox, which I love. Actually, you can hear an interview with him about this book where he rants a little bit here.

I found it very entertaining, and it had some very good points about modern society and science (in other words, if you are a regular reader of Borepatch you'll want to read it).

Good stuff. Rated 9/10

Shower Gremlin: Second Most Annoying Thing in the World

I swear there's a gremlin that lives in the wall in our bathroom. You start out with fantastic hot water pressure, but as time goes by it just gets lower... and lower... and lower...

Then, when it gets to a certain lowness, the shower head starts squealing, which is about the most annoying sound in the world. Oh wait, no, this is the most annoying sound in the world:

WHY   SO   SEWIOUS?

But the squealing gremlin in my shower who keeps turning down my hot water pressure is probably second.

In other news, apparently we as a country want to get involved in another land war in Asia, thus proving that no one in our government or military has ever watched Princess Bride. I'm just sayin'.

HOOOOO-LEEEEE CRAP.

And they call ME racist?

This is filled with such a gross, biased, and crude misrepresentation of the facts that I honestly don't have any idea where to begin.

Aye ye freaking ye.

Uh... wow?

I just noticed that I put up 90 posts last month--beating the old record of 72 from June. That's 3 a day. Three posts a day of what I can mostly describe as mindless, inane chatter. And weird music videos.

But you know what, I seem to enjoy doing it, so... whatever! I just hope I haven't set myself up for unrealistic expectations.

But now I think that I should make another label that is more than the "wasting time" one that I have already. Because this is truly wasting time on an epic scale.

Bond

I don't know where they got the name "Bond" from--spy or otherwise--but I know that I like the music.  It's like... classical dance music.  This video, though, is so cheesy it's fun:



Anyway, there's your music education for the day.