Light a Candle to Prevent Violence

"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing"

--attributed to Edmund Burke

(original idea from Weer'd)

(and Weer'd now has the other pictures up)

A Minecraft Joke

Stupid lily pads.

A continuation of last night

Sometimes it is good to put away your cynicism, sit down with your family, and watch a Christmas movie. It may be harder at some times than others, but it may just do a body good.

Oh, and great minds think alike?

And even more serendipity with today's music?

Karl Marx was obviously NOT a college football fan

He said "Religion is the opiate of the people", but it would have been much more accurate to say "Football is the opiate of the people." Take away the football, and they go all crazy and riot.

Thought for the day

No matter where you are in life, and how bad you may think things are, every time you get to the bottom of a bulk pack of .22, remember, you must be doing something right.

Good Quote

"...freedom is a delicate and subtle gift, easily perverted and often squandered."

From Eugene Peterson's introduction to Galatians in his Message paraphrase.

A long train of abuses and usurpations

The internet was invented so people like [EVERY TSA AGENT EVER] could look for specialized porn from the comfort of their own home.

SO WHY THE HELL DO THEY KEEP HAVING TO LIVE THEIR PERVERTED FANTASIES IN REAL LIFE?

Ok, I can get where people were coming from when the TS-Prodding Passengers in the-A was invented.  Terrorists are scary, etc.

95 year old cancer patients wearing adult diapers ARE. NOT. SCARY.  6 year old girls ARE. NOT. SCARY.   Hellfire and Damnation, even attractive and well-endowed women ARE. NOT. SCARY.

And yet.  And yet.

We get a statement from the TSA leadership defending these actions.

We get advertisements in the newspaper for more TSA job openings.

And if there is a single honorable TSA agent, they have forsaken any and all respect by way of their silence, and deserve nothing.

...

It occurs to me that we are approaching July 4th.  Are you going to re-read (or even write out) the Declaration of Independence, the reason for all the pretty shiny lights and burnt hot dogs?  It's frightening how you almost wouldn't have to re-write anything if you wanted to send it to the King George of our time.

Or are you going to be like most Americans, and just complain about your sunburn and the mustard stain you put on your red-white-and-blue t-shirt?

The United States are dead.  Long live The State.

So wrong

WARNING! WARNING! THE LANGUAGE IN THIS CHILDREN'S BOOK IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR POLITE COMPANY! DON'T BLAME ME IF YOUR EARS TURN BLUE AND FALL OFF!



From an email from my brother. Coincidentally, this book is one of the 18 signs of the collapse of society, found at Random Acts of Patriotism. So does it make me a horrible person that I thought it was kind of funny?

The wise man built his house upon the rock...

...the foolish wasp built it's nest inside the BBQ grill.

Yeah, that didn't last long.

Follow The Leader

John Reuben is one of my favorite Christian musicians. He thinks.  This song is off his "The Boy vs. the Cynic" album.  Even if you don't like the tune, I would urge you to read the lyrics.

They’ve got me pinned against the wall
It’s political and predictable
Anything you say will be exaggerated and completely blown out of proportion
Ignore them if you can but I doubt you will
They’re out to control how people feel by pushing their agenda on your sub-conscience
While you’re unaware they start the brainwashing process
Time to call out the unwilling
The ones who need to be cut deep in order to have feeling
You’re not used to facing opposition
You’ve done all the talking now it’s time to listen
I understand you want to make a difference
Well you can start by sticking to your own business
You’re an entertaining man trying to be a politician
Stop abusing your position

(chorus)
Follow him follow them follow me follow you follow who
Follow your leader
Do you even know what you’re buying into
Before you follow your leader
It’s the blind leading the blind
Don’t be so eager to follow your leader
Know the truth before you try and turn me into a believer
And make me follow your leader

Conservative uptight right wing republican
Last time I checked I was none of them
But that’s the brush you want to paint me with taint me with
Some aim to please but you aim and miss
ADD maybe, but I can’t tune you out
I would change the station but your signal's too loud
And you’re too proud to realize you’re a moron
Defend what you want whether it’s right or wrong
And this applies to both sides of the equation
Arrogant men in power sure are frustrating
On a pedestal you hear them ranting and raving
Proudly proclaiming what they know nothing about
I hear you talking loud but I will not allow
Tinsel Town to show me how to run my life
Sure you can sing and dance
But that don’t mean that you’re qualified to give America advice

(chorus)

There’s a snake bite in America’s skin from predators looking for causes to sink their teeth in
There’s a snake bite in the church’s skin from predators looking for causes to sink their teeth in
There’s a snake bite in the media’s skin from predators looking for causes to sink their teeth in
There’s a snake bite in the youth of America’s skin

Hey, look I have internet!

While my internet is up, I'll tell you a story about one of my distant Kansas family members--I think she's a second cousin twice removed, or something.

She was a nurse, and worked hard for many years supporting her husband, who was going to vet school.  Recently, right when he was about to graduate and start a clinic, and you know, actually start to make a living, she out of the blue divorced him and moved to Mexico to work as a horse rider in a circus there. 

I am not making that up.

As far as I know she is still there.

The moral of the story is: people are weird, crazy, and sometimes slightly stupid.

Philophisitizing

From time to time, we all have to sit down and contemplate the big questions.  Sure, there's always the standard "Glock vs. 1911" debate that the gun forums are so fond of, or deeper still is the "Is there really a God?" question. Or the classic Animaniacs question "why do hot dogs come in packages of 8 but hot dog buns come in packages of 10?" One of my favorites is "Free Will vs. Predestination" argument, which I honestly believe every theological debate can be condensed back into.  One that seems to be fairly common these days is "What the heck is [insert politician of choice] THINKING?!?!?!?!"

But a question that has been heavy on my mind lately, and I can't seem to come up with any explanation that satisfies. It could just be the question that defines the times...

Why do shower curtains have 12 holes?

"I am," he said.

I'm in Montana, soon to be moving back to Colorado, and I don't have to put up with too much in the way of idiotic, wannabe police states. Even so, with something that arguably affects me only very indirectly, I can recognize a slippery slope with the best of the libertarian crazies. And so, I link to Borepatch, and say here (figuratively) loudly:

Picture Poetry

I was sick of sitting at my computer on Saturday, and had to get out of my apartment. Up into the hills I went, with intentions of trying out my new gaiters, and I brought some 9mm in case I was attacked by killer targets. But while I was up there, I decided to make a little fire.

I'm sure that there's some sort of metaphor of life in there.  Call it picture poetry.  I'm sure there are others who can say things better, more eloquently, even with words rather than pictures, but hiking up into the hills and making a fire really helped me feel better that day.

Oh, and the targets (in this case, sticks stuck into the snow) were pushed back and the gaiters were the best $25 I've spent in a long while.

A thought

Tell me what you think:

A progressive is one who expects the worse and prepares for the best. They think that my guns are going to go out all by themselves and rob banks and kill grandmas, but they don't ever think that it could be them who gets mugged.

A conservative is one who prepares for the worst and expects the best. They don't expect anything to happen with an inanimate object that is sitting in a bedside table drawer, but they keep it there just in case someone comes through the bedroom window at O dark hundred.

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…

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.

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. 

Huble Deep Field 3D

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

Caliber Thoughts

The other day me and my roomate were just goofing off and looking at all of the different calibers we have sitting around here. I give you one of the most absurdly over-armed college apartments in the neighborhood (I can't boast too much, because it is Montana, after all):

from L-R: we've got .22's, .380's, 9mm, .45 ACP, .223, and .300 Remington Ultra Mag (for that extra kick).

Then, because I was just working on a lab report and had excel open, I made a little graph:

Not that it's useful for anything...

And none of this counts our neighbors, who have six or seven more assorted hunting rifles and shotguns. And none of this counts the other rifles back home in CO that have my name on them (another hunting rifle of a more "reasonable" caliber, and a varmint rifle). And all of this is from four relatively poor college students.

So to all you gun banners out there:  if an "arsenal" is 6 guns (or whatever number you want to pull out of your ear to make you happy), and just within these two apartments we have over 15 guns, are we planning a revolt?  Or a mass murder?  Or are we just people who enjoy shooting--for recreation, self-defense, and preservation of our way of life?