Saturday, August 29, 2009
Escaping
The summer heat in the valley has been particularly oppressive this week, so we bolted to my wife's parents place at the beach for the weekend to get some relief. It's cooler, but not much and the air is still, which is a surprise. Still better than roasting in the desert right now, though and we've got good eats coming up so I have to split. Enjoy your weekend!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
AB962...
...Is a festering turd of a bill that just popped out of the CA state senate appropriations committee today.
This is the one that seeks to restrict ammunition transactions - only licensed ammo dealers may sell more than 50 rounds per month, Internet ammunition sales will be banned, thumbprints required for purchases, create a whole new bunch of crimes, create a new registry for the CA DOJ to oversee - it's a nightmare. You can read the text of this thing here.
So - it passed in the Assembly, then went to the Senate appropriations committee, where it was placed in the suspense file a few weeks back. Well, they pulled it today and it appears that the APPROPRIATIONS committee thought that creating a new regulatory bureaucracy in the middle of the worst financial crisis in the state's history was just fine and dandy. How are they going to pay for this? Oh yeah, taxes on ammo.
Since both the Assembly and the Senate are stacked with Democrats in California (thanks to gerrymandering, as well as spinelessness on the part of the Republicans), it's pretty much a given that this will pass in the Senate also.
So, the only real hope of killing this thing is with a veto from Arnold. Yeah. Won't be holding my breath on that one. Political considerations are more important to him than freedoms for the populace, I think, and since he's squared off with the Dems over the budget for the last few months, he may just want to sign it to make nice... as he has done in the past...
Another shiv in the back of Lady Liberty.
This is the one that seeks to restrict ammunition transactions - only licensed ammo dealers may sell more than 50 rounds per month, Internet ammunition sales will be banned, thumbprints required for purchases, create a whole new bunch of crimes, create a new registry for the CA DOJ to oversee - it's a nightmare. You can read the text of this thing here.
So - it passed in the Assembly, then went to the Senate appropriations committee, where it was placed in the suspense file a few weeks back. Well, they pulled it today and it appears that the APPROPRIATIONS committee thought that creating a new regulatory bureaucracy in the middle of the worst financial crisis in the state's history was just fine and dandy. How are they going to pay for this? Oh yeah, taxes on ammo.
Since both the Assembly and the Senate are stacked with Democrats in California (thanks to gerrymandering, as well as spinelessness on the part of the Republicans), it's pretty much a given that this will pass in the Senate also.
So, the only real hope of killing this thing is with a veto from Arnold. Yeah. Won't be holding my breath on that one. Political considerations are more important to him than freedoms for the populace, I think, and since he's squared off with the Dems over the budget for the last few months, he may just want to sign it to make nice... as he has done in the past...
Another shiv in the back of Lady Liberty.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tell me...
Have you seen or heard of this in the MSM? No? You're not likely to either. Wonder why that is? Hmmm... could it be because they're democrats? You know damn well that if Republicans had engaged in such shenanigans with guns, it would be over ALL the networks, repeatedly and in loving detail.
That's not even what I'm most annoyed about. Hell, I've come to expect bias from the mainstream media - any idiot can see that (Rathergate, anyone?) and I find myself more surprised when the news is actually portrayed in an objective manner..
No, what really chaps my ass is the fact that these hotheaded clowns get to suffer no consequences because they are local politicians. Can you imagine if you or I were to brandish a weapon in an argument and then ask the DA to just "forget about it"?
After he got done wiping the tears of derisive laughter from his eyes, I have absolutely no doubt that the response would be a resounding "F**k no. You're going to jail."
Some are more equal than others, indeed.
Citizens of Akron, do NOT vote these shits in. They are unworthy of you.
(H/T to Snowflakes in Hell)
That's not even what I'm most annoyed about. Hell, I've come to expect bias from the mainstream media - any idiot can see that (Rathergate, anyone?) and I find myself more surprised when the news is actually portrayed in an objective manner..
No, what really chaps my ass is the fact that these hotheaded clowns get to suffer no consequences because they are local politicians. Can you imagine if you or I were to brandish a weapon in an argument and then ask the DA to just "forget about it"?
After he got done wiping the tears of derisive laughter from his eyes, I have absolutely no doubt that the response would be a resounding "F**k no. You're going to jail."
Some are more equal than others, indeed.
Citizens of Akron, do NOT vote these shits in. They are unworthy of you.
(H/T to Snowflakes in Hell)
Depeche Mode
Now, I'm not much of a concert-goer; I don't usually care to get into a crammed stadium full of drunk idiots to listen to overly loud music at an exorbitant price - in fact, this concert was the first I'd been to in at least 7-8 years... the company I'm with is much more important to me than the venue, and the company last night was excellent - as well as my wife, two of my best friends (who actually scored the tickets for us) went...
So,I'm pretty selective about who I'll go see, and an opportunity to see Depeche Mode was too good to pass up. They're a big name, with a long and fairly consistent history who produce a lot of music that I like.
We got in around 7, then lined up for some dumb Miller Lite taste test thingy that we had to pay a dollar for (hey, cheapest beer in the place!) - imagine that - Miller got a bunch of market research done last night, and actually got paid to do it too! Savvy guys...
We grabbed some overpriced beer then got to our seats... the stadium (the Honda Center in Anaheim, formerly the Pond) was almost empty at that point, and was filling sloooowly...
The opening band was a group of guys out of Sweden called Peter Bjorn and John. Their music was OK - nothing very memorable, but the sound absolutely sucked. Too much bass, and the vocals pretty much got lost in it, not crisp at all...
Depeche Mode was a whole different story. They came on to wild cheers, played their hearts out for the best part of two hours and whatever sound problems that plagued the opening band were not evident at all. They played a couple of songs from their new album that I'm not yet familiar with, and a bunch of their more famous ones, that everyone in the crowd knew.
Overall a very positive experience - the crowd was not rowdy at all, everyone was there to hear some good music and Depeche Mode did not disappoint. Probably the second best concert I've ever been to - after Eurythmics... not that I've been to a whole lot of 'em.
So,I'm pretty selective about who I'll go see, and an opportunity to see Depeche Mode was too good to pass up. They're a big name, with a long and fairly consistent history who produce a lot of music that I like.
We got in around 7, then lined up for some dumb Miller Lite taste test thingy that we had to pay a dollar for (hey, cheapest beer in the place!) - imagine that - Miller got a bunch of market research done last night, and actually got paid to do it too! Savvy guys...
We grabbed some overpriced beer then got to our seats... the stadium (the Honda Center in Anaheim, formerly the Pond) was almost empty at that point, and was filling sloooowly...
The opening band was a group of guys out of Sweden called Peter Bjorn and John. Their music was OK - nothing very memorable, but the sound absolutely sucked. Too much bass, and the vocals pretty much got lost in it, not crisp at all...
Depeche Mode was a whole different story. They came on to wild cheers, played their hearts out for the best part of two hours and whatever sound problems that plagued the opening band were not evident at all. They played a couple of songs from their new album that I'm not yet familiar with, and a bunch of their more famous ones, that everyone in the crowd knew.
Overall a very positive experience - the crowd was not rowdy at all, everyone was there to hear some good music and Depeche Mode did not disappoint. Probably the second best concert I've ever been to - after Eurythmics... not that I've been to a whole lot of 'em.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Interesting...
According to Ian Plimer, author of Heaven and Earth, the entire energy output of a windmill turbine over a typical 25 year lifespan is less than the energy used to create the materials to build it.
That is what one would call a waste of resources.
How the hell can that be "green" if your net energy result is negative? Are we not supposed to husband our resources as efficiently as possible?
Environmentalists - worse for the planet than a Chinese power plant.
That is what one would call a waste of resources.
How the hell can that be "green" if your net energy result is negative? Are we not supposed to husband our resources as efficiently as possible?
Environmentalists - worse for the planet than a Chinese power plant.
Playoffs
Well, the season is over for my mighty 8-11 Seahawks. They won their first game but then lost in the semi finals. Maybe next time... Fall will be upon us soon...
Here's a clip of Number One Son pulling off a "Statue of Liberty" play, and doing it very well, I might add. The defense bit on it pretty well...
Here's a clip of Number One Son pulling off a "Statue of Liberty" play, and doing it very well, I might add. The defense bit on it pretty well...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Well THAT was scary...
Number One Son and My Little Princess spent last week at summer camp and when we picked them up on Saturday, Number One Son had a fever and was feeling lethargic. His fever broke Monday morning but he's still been weak and has had a cough all week. Even now he's still feeling crappy.
As I was getting ready to leave to coach flag football, my wife called me from work to tell me she had just received an email from our church (the summer camp was a church event) that said there had been a confirmed case of swine flu at my son's camp. My heart stopped. I called our doctor, explained Number One Son's symptoms and they said to get him to urgent care in the next town over. So I got another coach to step in for my guys - I really didn't want to be around any kids until I knew for sure what was up anyways, and besides which, getting my kid to the doc was obviously more important - saddled up with the kids and jetted over to urgent care. On the way over, Number One Son told me that a kid in his tent at camp got sent home sick on the second day. Great.
We were interviewed by two med students before we got to see the doctor, gave them the whole story and then when the doc came in repeated it.
The doctor was a real calm guy and explained that despite the hype, swine flu actually is less damaging than the regular flu. He took a swab from my son's nose and said they'd be able to get a presence/absence test within ten minutes. That would tell if he had the flu, but not what strain. If it came up positive, they would have to send a swab to county to determine whether it was H1N1...
Ten minutes later he came back and said it was negative. I pretty much just melted in my chair. I'm not ashamed to say that I was very worried on the way over there, kicking myself for not taking my kid in to the doctor's earlier and just pretty much trying to hold it together in front of the kids (I think I did that quite well, actually).
Anyway, that was our excitement for the day. I think I'm going to have a beer now.
As I was getting ready to leave to coach flag football, my wife called me from work to tell me she had just received an email from our church (the summer camp was a church event) that said there had been a confirmed case of swine flu at my son's camp. My heart stopped. I called our doctor, explained Number One Son's symptoms and they said to get him to urgent care in the next town over. So I got another coach to step in for my guys - I really didn't want to be around any kids until I knew for sure what was up anyways, and besides which, getting my kid to the doc was obviously more important - saddled up with the kids and jetted over to urgent care. On the way over, Number One Son told me that a kid in his tent at camp got sent home sick on the second day. Great.
We were interviewed by two med students before we got to see the doctor, gave them the whole story and then when the doc came in repeated it.
The doctor was a real calm guy and explained that despite the hype, swine flu actually is less damaging than the regular flu. He took a swab from my son's nose and said they'd be able to get a presence/absence test within ten minutes. That would tell if he had the flu, but not what strain. If it came up positive, they would have to send a swab to county to determine whether it was H1N1...
Ten minutes later he came back and said it was negative. I pretty much just melted in my chair. I'm not ashamed to say that I was very worried on the way over there, kicking myself for not taking my kid in to the doctor's earlier and just pretty much trying to hold it together in front of the kids (I think I did that quite well, actually).
Anyway, that was our excitement for the day. I think I'm going to have a beer now.
Why no post?
It's been a pretty hectic week, what with various adventures in car repair as well as other minor crises around the house... plus the kids started school yesterday and I had to adjust my work schedule accordingly, which essentially means no late night internet for me! Gotta go coach right now.. be back later...
Monday, August 10, 2009
Well, damn
Where the hell have I been? Like I said here, it's been quite a while since I've been shooting, but I really should have known before today that my local range had been closed down. Hearing that just really set the tone for the day.
They had been involved in a two-plus year long legal battle with some jackass developer who wanted to build townhomes or some such next door, and a judge finally came down on the developer's side I guess... they gave out notice around the end of July that after SIXTY-THREE YEARS, they would have to close their doors. Most of the range pics I have posted on this blog were taken at this range. It's sad and not a little infuriating to see it go.
Shooting options in Southern California were limited before these guys were shut down. It's almost as if the powers that be want to put an end to the gun culture here or something. Dammit, I need a beer.
This post at Calguns pretty much lays it all out.
They had been involved in a two-plus year long legal battle with some jackass developer who wanted to build townhomes or some such next door, and a judge finally came down on the developer's side I guess... they gave out notice around the end of July that after SIXTY-THREE YEARS, they would have to close their doors. Most of the range pics I have posted on this blog were taken at this range. It's sad and not a little infuriating to see it go.
Shooting options in Southern California were limited before these guys were shut down. It's almost as if the powers that be want to put an end to the gun culture here or something. Dammit, I need a beer.
This post at Calguns pretty much lays it all out.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy...
...for Luddites.
I saw a review in the local fishwrap for this book, breathlessly explaining in loving detail how our lives will become so much better when the cost of moving around becomes prohibitive; how, at $8 per gallon, airlines will disappear; at $14 a gallon, Walmart will cease to exist and so on until we reach the liberal utopia of, I suppose, a horse-and-cart economy, locally grown foodstuffs and so on...
So, if you live in an area where you can't actually grow food, or grow cotton, or live near the bio tech companies that produce modern medicines, then I guess you're fucked. Because if the cost of movement is prohibitive, you're not going to be able to leave - and what do we have then? A mass die-off, aka an environmentalist's wet dream. And it looks like the author is cool with that.
Look, it's quite simple really: the lower the cost of energy, the cheaper the goods you need are. The cheaper the necessities, the more time and money you have to devote to pursuing happiness and thus the higher the standard of living. As energy costs increase, so does EVERYTHING, since energy is required to grow, manufacture and transport everything we use, wear and eat. People will not be happier or better off when the majority of their time and sweat goes to just staying alive, even if the environmentalists insist "it's for their own good".
Tell me again why capitalism's so evil?
I saw a review in the local fishwrap for this book, breathlessly explaining in loving detail how our lives will become so much better when the cost of moving around becomes prohibitive; how, at $8 per gallon, airlines will disappear; at $14 a gallon, Walmart will cease to exist and so on until we reach the liberal utopia of, I suppose, a horse-and-cart economy, locally grown foodstuffs and so on...
So, if you live in an area where you can't actually grow food, or grow cotton, or live near the bio tech companies that produce modern medicines, then I guess you're fucked. Because if the cost of movement is prohibitive, you're not going to be able to leave - and what do we have then? A mass die-off, aka an environmentalist's wet dream. And it looks like the author is cool with that.
Look, it's quite simple really: the lower the cost of energy, the cheaper the goods you need are. The cheaper the necessities, the more time and money you have to devote to pursuing happiness and thus the higher the standard of living. As energy costs increase, so does EVERYTHING, since energy is required to grow, manufacture and transport everything we use, wear and eat. People will not be happier or better off when the majority of their time and sweat goes to just staying alive, even if the environmentalists insist "it's for their own good".
Tell me again why capitalism's so evil?
Good times
We invited a couple of good friends over last night for an improptu barbecue, so I had to stock up on some necessities - namely, a case of Stella Artois (my favorite beer in the whole wide world) and several pounds of carne asada (plus some insanely hot salsa) from a local carniceria...
This morning when I checked the cooler, there were only two beers left! Did we get robbed during the night? My memory is a little fuzzy...
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Well...
...looking around the web lately, it seems like the Democratics have gone and fired up middle America, and we have the usual intellectual heavyweights trying to douse the flames with gasoline...
They can barely conceal their contempt for the people anymore...
Fine. The more obvious they make it that they're completely uninterested in discourse, the more people will see them for what they truly are.
They can barely conceal their contempt for the people anymore...
Fine. The more obvious they make it that they're completely uninterested in discourse, the more people will see them for what they truly are.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Sigh
One of my buddies at work gets to pick up his Lancaster Arms AK-47 tomorrow and invited me to go shooting on Saturday. No can do - flag football tahes up the lion's share of the day. Sunday's out too, worst luck.
You know, it's been way too long since I've actually hit the range - in light of the current ammo shortage, I've been doing a lot more hoarding than shooting, out of fears that the stuff I shoot might not be easily replaced. I've had a particularly tough time trying to get a hold of .30 carbine ammo at anything approaching a decent price.
I'm definitely going to have to make time - and soon. No point in having tools you don't use, eh what?
You know, it's been way too long since I've actually hit the range - in light of the current ammo shortage, I've been doing a lot more hoarding than shooting, out of fears that the stuff I shoot might not be easily replaced. I've had a particularly tough time trying to get a hold of .30 carbine ammo at anything approaching a decent price.
I'm definitely going to have to make time - and soon. No point in having tools you don't use, eh what?
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Lunacy
Markadelphia, a fairly well-known liberal commenter over at The Smallest Minority, wrote up a fairly long-winded post on his blog singing the praises of Obama's health care propsals. It's a sum-up of the same leftist/class envy twaddle I've been hearing my whole life and I'm getting sick of it. I left a comment that I thought I'd share:
No deficit spending. The cost of health care reform under the legislation is fully paid for:
Have you seen the economy lately? We're ALREADY deficit spending.
half through making the Medicare and Medicaid program more efficient by eliminating waste
I have NEVER IN MY LIFE seen a government program eliminate waste. Every program I'm aware of GROWS in costs, most way beyond their original estimates. Why should this one be any different?
and half through a surtax on the income of the wealthiest individuals aka the top one percent
Ah yes, those rich bastards need to pay their fair share! Because they don't pay enough right now. It saddens me that you don't even see the immorality in this at all, Mark. It horrifies me that half the country agrees with you. "From each according to his ability to each according to his need". Honestly, you'd think we'd fucking LEARNED from the last century of history, but the left in this country thinks they've got it all figured out. This shining city on a hill has gotten noticeably dimmer over the last few months. God help humanity when you people finally extinguish it.
I'm sorry, but I love this country dearly and I hate to see it go the way of Europe.
The definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over, expecting a different result. The left REFUSES to accept the realities of the last hundred years of human history, and they're going to make the whole damn country pay for their ignorance.
Once socialism gets a strong foothold here, it's all over. Everywhere. What sort of future are my children going to inherit?
No deficit spending. The cost of health care reform under the legislation is fully paid for:
Have you seen the economy lately? We're ALREADY deficit spending.
half through making the Medicare and Medicaid program more efficient by eliminating waste
I have NEVER IN MY LIFE seen a government program eliminate waste. Every program I'm aware of GROWS in costs, most way beyond their original estimates. Why should this one be any different?
and half through a surtax on the income of the wealthiest individuals aka the top one percent
Ah yes, those rich bastards need to pay their fair share! Because they don't pay enough right now. It saddens me that you don't even see the immorality in this at all, Mark. It horrifies me that half the country agrees with you. "From each according to his ability to each according to his need". Honestly, you'd think we'd fucking LEARNED from the last century of history, but the left in this country thinks they've got it all figured out. This shining city on a hill has gotten noticeably dimmer over the last few months. God help humanity when you people finally extinguish it.
I'm sorry, but I love this country dearly and I hate to see it go the way of Europe.
The definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over, expecting a different result. The left REFUSES to accept the realities of the last hundred years of human history, and they're going to make the whole damn country pay for their ignorance.
Once socialism gets a strong foothold here, it's all over. Everywhere. What sort of future are my children going to inherit?
Setting her straight
A young soldier schools Senator McCaskill on her duties and responsibilities to the Constitution. Check out the crowd - a standing ovation with every point the guy makes. Must be a bunch of those bought-and-paid-for, bussed in members of the astroturf VRWC that the DNC keeps whining about...
Found over at the gun counter...
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
A Thought on Liberty
I was thinking up a rant about healthcare but it's late and I'm tired, so I'll save that for another day. I just got to thinking, what does liberty really mean?
To a liberal, the scope of liberty is limited to just a few things: freedom to ingest/smoke/inject whatever they want, freedom to wear whatever they want (including nothing if the boobs not bombs crowd is any indicator), and the freedom to bed whoever they want. That's about it. They'll happily trade away every other liberty for free shit.
Don't believe me? Look at Europe. They have that trivial stuff and they think they're free. The big stuff, the ability to make serious life decisions, about healthcare, about free speech, about protection - from both criminals and an overreaching government; well, they've lost just about all of that.
Next time you're at a zoo, look at the enclosures. The better zoos have nice, open enclosures, with vegetation and landscape to imitate the natural habitats - to an extent. No matter how nice the enclosure, however, there are still walls. There is still no escape, and the animals know it - they'll pace the perimeter again and again. Liberals still haven't figured that out yet.
To a liberal, the scope of liberty is limited to just a few things: freedom to ingest/smoke/inject whatever they want, freedom to wear whatever they want (including nothing if the boobs not bombs crowd is any indicator), and the freedom to bed whoever they want. That's about it. They'll happily trade away every other liberty for free shit.
Don't believe me? Look at Europe. They have that trivial stuff and they think they're free. The big stuff, the ability to make serious life decisions, about healthcare, about free speech, about protection - from both criminals and an overreaching government; well, they've lost just about all of that.
Next time you're at a zoo, look at the enclosures. The better zoos have nice, open enclosures, with vegetation and landscape to imitate the natural habitats - to an extent. No matter how nice the enclosure, however, there are still walls. There is still no escape, and the animals know it - they'll pace the perimeter again and again. Liberals still haven't figured that out yet.
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