4.23.2K1 - 21.47 Morgan-san, I salute you. You have seen the light of truth, my brother. My only question is, why the hell was there a loose lion in Bamaland?
I'm tempted to actually write up a Church of the Gun...of sorts. Or at least throw an Epsy's story together, just because. Must listen to Hassidic New Wave more.
Ooh! Apple Powerbook shuts down airport - but not from a hack job. Rather, this one blocked an X-ray scanner, freaked out a chemical sniffer, and the cops yelled BOMB. Apparently the non-ferrous metal case does cause problems with the scanners, it can't see past it. And won't show up in a magnetic detector either. Titanium is also EXTREMELY flammable in the proper conditions, and is impossible to extinguish. Wonder if it'll happen again, y'know? The Apple PowerBomb, for the discriminating bubblegum terrorist.
4.23.2K1 - 21.43
Ragabash, I have no fricking clue. And, sure, I guess, but a good chara description would be better. I barely read Japanese anymore...*snif*
4.23.2K1 - 18.58
Okay. Yes, Bush did not sell the Arleigh-Burkes to Taiwan, supposedly claiming that their military doesn't have enough technological capability to support them (arguable, but not likely I think) and because it would take years to build 4 new ones for them (quite true) - so instead, they're selling all 4 Kidd-class Guided Missile Destroyers, after outfitting them with a new radar system. A quick comparison between the two shows that the Kidds are actually faster and are offensive warships, rather than defensive like the Arleigh Burkes. The Kidds have 2 5" rifles compared to the A-B's 1, the Kidd matches the A-B for torpedo launchers, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and close-in guns, but also mounts an anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) launcher as well, with multiple fire-control and search radars. It's designed to kill aircraft, ships, and subs, not just air targets. That, and a dozen P-3 sub-hunter aircraft, and also diesel-electric subs. We don't have any D-E submarines, but we are going to get them for Taiwan as part of the package. Interesting...sounds like they're expecting major harassment of shipping...and that the ChiCom submarine threat is much greater than believed.
How Canadians spell Canada: C eh? N eh? D eh?
Ragabash...KICK ASS. Excellently put in your arguments there - the reason it was a rarity so long ago is because we didn't have 2 working-parent families - mom stayed home and raised children, dad did the business work and brought home the bread. Sure, you can cry sexism all you like - but y'know what? It's worked damn good for MILLENIA. Women are more emotionally-based than men are, and are more social animals - more qualified for rearing children. And until recently, most jobs involved heavy labor and hard work - construction, etc. Which was better suited to a man's stronger, sturdier phyiscal attributes. It's not like this structure was written by someone and then humanity evolved into the roles, hell no. It's Who We Are. And some people want to blame everything else EXCEPT their own failings. And...if I see the princess pillow...I can easily make a slut one to duplicate it, and you can just swap 'em late nite.
4.23.2K1 - 15.20
Angelica, a 1500kg bomb IS a big one, yes - but it does NOT, I repeat NOT have the blast effect of high-yield nuclear weapons. The old explosives just weren't that powerful. You might HEAR it that far away, but that's about it. I'd guess effective coverage of about 75-100m, with a possible fallout area of 1km for random little bits of sh*t that get blown upwards and catch the wind. But not 6km, even modern 3,000 pounders don't go that big.
4.23.2K1 - 14.25
Hey Catsy, you ever heard of BAE Systems? Apparently somebody there is coming here from your page. Now I have more info and news to post, hee hee!
Search Request: "dirt pictures of anime" GEEZ! At least spell properly, dammit.
Major event a few hours ago on the sun, they were fortunate enough to get shots of the flare itself - check out the view from EIT 304, you can see it in the bottom right. Also check out the LASCO C2 and C3 satellites. Seeing the event like this is pretty rare.
I'm following the Peru situation closely, here's the latest I've been able to put together. A CIA-run surveillance plane, some sort of AWACS aircraft, picked up the missionary flight. The missionary plane WAS in contact with civilian ground control at the time. The CIA notified the Peruvians of the contact, and the Peruvian officer aboard the CIA aircraft ignored them and gave the order to kill the missionary plane - BEFORE the aircraft was contacted and/or identified. No attempt was made to even check the tail number. Yes, no flight plan was filed - however, in many cases, even here in America, with small, low-flying propellor a/c, no flight plans are required. The Peruvian officer jumped the gun and shot the plane down without identification - and hopefully will PAY for this one. And, apparently, someone at CIA likes Tom Clancy - from what was described in USA Today for Monday, front page story, the entire operation sounds like a direct take of Clear And Present Danger. And it's been running for a while too, but don't count on that much more. If the Peruvians are getting triggerhappy, then perhaps they should lay off.
Sakura-san, just come to a swordmaker's convention out here - they happen fairly often. A friend of mine hit one, and did all his shopping 2 hours before they closed on the last day. Bought 500 bucks worth of "assworded" Japanese blades for $160. ^______^ Shall I pass on when the next one is? ^_~
I must see this Puppetmasters movie. "He is the first human to win the award since 2096, and only the third to win the award since the European Game Organization permitted AIs to enter the annual competition...." And the PACO site is cute, though it's too friggin legit looking (coronersweb.com?). This is COOL.
4.23.2K1 - 0.10
P.S., Ragabash, give Guy the Bebop DVD when Jim brings back the book, it's in his keeping. We watched up to Jupiter Jazz 2, so he's up to date. Also started Gasaraki, which has them interested.
4.23.2K1 - 0.04
Gillian, I had copied someone else's freak test results to save time on posting (sue me)...that's why the score was low. Here are my TRUE totals:
Need to be unique: 86% Need to NOT conform: 95% Willingness to express dissent: 75% Overall: 87%
I'm very nonconformist and uncompromising on certain things (GEEE can you guess what they are?) which scored me high unique/not conform, but I don't run around screaming it in people's faces (honest, really) and...well, hell, several people out there know I'm too polite for my own good. :P Even if I come off as an irascible, grumpy, angry old man...I'm really not. I'm evil, but I'm polite about it.
Dammit. 96.4% teenybopper pure. Because I use HOTMAIL! and that's not fair. Hotmail's got a damn good security setup, and I can get at it anywhere. :p Not a fair question. And yes I saw Titanic. I laughed at it. Pretty, though.
Carolyn, make a bracelet shrine! Katherine already has a page, the fuzzebracelet does not!
The fuzzebracelet will be angry with you if you do not give it a shrine!
Katherine, do you NEED to rant about the general concept of Britney Spears selling ANYTHING? I'm sorry you had to see it, and I'm glad I have no TV :p
Sakura-san, post some of the A.I. links you found!
I am tired. I go to sleep. As a word of caution, ALWAYS check your wake-up alarm. You may miss something extremely important if you do not, so sayeth the Atomic Playboy. :p
4.22.2K1 - 13.51
Ragabash, I thought you said SP 1-3 was on disc 1 and 4-6 was on disc 2. Oh well, it was late then and I've had very little sleep. And, don't laugh - the Netherlands, to be "violence free", have told citizens to turn in anything that can be a weapon - even baseball bats. And, yes, kitchen knives.
And, to deal with the explosion in crime (England and Wales take the #2 position in crime among industrial nations, Australia takes #1 with 30% of its population victimized, while the US didn't make the top 10) and other problems in England (any relation to earlier posts? NAAAAH), they have Anti-Social Behavior Orders - imagine a restraining order, but one that can be used to protect you from anything that annoys you.
Great. The English police can arrest you for anything now, even if you haven't done anything criminal. Am I alone in seeing this as insanity? Perhaps this ASBO should be applied to the government, they've done the most to increase crime there.
Perhaps we're getting close to the "division by zero" line...
4.22.2K1 - 12.59
Chicago wants records of gun sales for "multiple purchases" - or, when you buy a second gun within 5 days of the first. Not just for the Chicago area either, but for all 50 states, claiming that the gun manufacturers flood the city with handguns and encourage crime. So, if you're a perfectly normal, law abiding citizen, your name, address, phone number, social security number, birth information, and other private info is in his personal hands - and US District Judge George Lindberg made it happen, by ordering BATF to turn over the records. What does Chicago Mayor Daley and Judge Lindberg want? Gun registration. Knowledge of what guns you own. Why? Well, let's look at the past.
In Germany, before the Jews and other "undesirables" were rounded up into the camps, gun registration was in place. To quote Aaron Zelman, president of the Jews for the Protection of Firearms Ownership, "If you were to study the Weimar Republic example, you'd see that do-good, feel-good folks felt that if they registered and created a permit system, they could make sure that criminals didn't have guns. The Nazis came to power and took over the registration lists. You can't have confiscation without registration. You have to know where the guns are." THen they passed a law banning those firearms - and came collecting. The people being disarmed, the Nazis started the ghettos and work camps. They did the same thing with the Poles, finding their gun owner registry and confiscating firearms. I would note, however, that Hitler left the Swiss alone. Not by politics, or a respect for their neutrality, but of fear of their citizens - who were all firearms owners, and trained in their use. The prospect against fighting not just an army but every man, woman, and child in Switzerland kept them free, fat, and happy - and enormously prosperous. In 1918, the Communists in the new Soviet Socialist Republics also began a gun-registration plan, and soon came knocking.
Ah, you say, but those are facist, communist, EVIL pig-dog regimes, and that things like that cannot happen in the west?
Canada, our dear neighbors to the north, passed registration laws for handgunners in 1934. They promised that confiscation was never the goal - and for a time, people believed it. Alas, in the mid 1990s, the Canadian government banned nearly half the firearms in the country. And going about it slowly, as the firearms owners die the guns must be turned in. No passing to your children or family or friends. The Canadian Firearms Act of 1995 requires licensing for long guns as of Jan 1 this year, and registration in 2K3. And the Canadian Supreme Court upheld the law. Here's the interesting thing - the central provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba are refusing to enforce the law. This is unprecedented in Canadian history, and hopefully it will spread - but don't count on it.
Australia, a fine fine country, was well known for its access to firearms and relatively low crime rate because of it. However, the Port Arthur massacre of 1996 quickly changed that. The basics - a mental patient was released from a state-run hospital, for unknown reasons. He quickly went to gun stores in the area, trying to buy any kind of firearms he could. The store owners refused to sell him anything, threw him out, and reported him to the Tasmanian PD - which did nothing. Eventually, he did acquire two guns, and went on a rampage in a park in Port Arthur, killing 32 people. There are reports from Australia that the police spent two hours watching him through sniper scopes before he was finally arrested - during this time, they watched him kill 3 more people. The police were warned. The police watched him kill. What happened to this man? He's back in a mental hospital. Two weeks after this shooting, the politicians promised to keep Australia safe from evil criminals. Laws were passed banning many firearms, and with the gun licensing and registration that had been enacted by anti-gun politicians previously, the government simply posted notices to turn in firearms in two more weeks. Law abiding citizens, knowing that the government had registration lists of what guns they had, did - 640,000 firearms were destroyed. Criminals, for whom guns come unregistered, did not turn in their guns, nor did they need to - and the government did not know that they had it. In one month, homicides were up 8%, and assaults were up 44%. The crime rate continues to rise fairly quickly - but the government refuses to remove it.
In England, gun licensing and registration went into effect. Over time, slowly, the Tommies had the screws tightened. Just a little here, and a little there, but now it's virtually illegal to own any kind of firearm - even a single-shot shotgun. A polite, elderly (70+) English gent still had his, hidden away when the bobbies came knocking. It's fortunate, because a little while later his house gets broken into in the middle of the night. He used the shotgun to defend his life from an armed man (his weapon escapes me, I believe it was a knife) and protect his home from a lethal threat. He will now die in prison, being convicted for the crime of murder for trying to save his life. That may be an isolated case, but go look up crime reports in England - it's pretty shocking.
And even here in the United States, where firearms ownership OF ALL KINDS is not only a law, but framed in the constitution tantamount to a God-given right, the process has begun. In 1967, the city of New York passed a rifle and shotgun registration act, promising it would not lead to confiscation. In 1991, the city passed an assault rifle ban, with no grandfathering. Send in the cops. One man in Staten Island refused to comply with the city ban, and his house was raided and he was arrested. Simply for refusing to follow an unconstitutional law. Spot-checks of random homes are planned now, to ensure compliance. California, another fine democratic stronghold and liberal Mecca, also passed an "assault weapons" registration, then very quickly banned them. In fact, the new ban on CA handguns is to the point where, out of each shipment of guns that the gun store purchases (with their own money), they must give some to the government to "test" for public safety. They also cannot buy, sell, or trade any firearm that does not have a manual safety(eliminiating effectively all revolvers, some H&K guns, and glocks). There's also a huge laundry-list of firearms that you cannot buy, sell, or transfer either. And the registration of assault weapons I mentioned? Whoops, the CA government changed its mind, this year they're illegal. You also cannot buy, sell, or transfer any magazine that carries more than 10 rounds. And, as I mentioned before, "high power" ammunition is banned in Los Angeles. AGAIN - I point to the crime rates - how many of you in the big cities don't find it to be very strange when nearly every night there's a report of someone gunned down or another robbery at such-and-such a store, because it's so passe now?
Just to prove once and for all that guns DO NOT cause crime - in Massachusetts, they're slapping themselves on the back over the latest gun laws to go in. But, the police are left scratching their heads over a very, and I quote, "surprising side effect" - a huge surge in the sale of knives on the street and an increase in knife-related assaults/crimes, to the point where more than HALF of Boston homicides last year were done by the blade. There's a city law in Boston that prohibits sale of knives of any kind to people under 18, but there are still school stabbings - including a fatal assault on an 11 year old Springfield boy. Had it been a gun, it would be the top news story, again. What does the city council want to do? Make those knife sales illegal. But aren't they already?
Your government wants you disarmed. There is no other explanation for the consistent denials of truth and spreading of lies from certain well-known Congressmen and -women. Charles Schumer of New York and "Auntie" Dianne Feinsten of San Diego, CA lead the charge to strip you of your God-given, constitutionally-protected rights as a free human being. My only question, one which they refuse to yet give an honest answer to, is WHY.
I even posted on time. *scared*
Ragabash, only disc 1 was in the DVD book, Jim & I went through it completely. Dunno where Shamanic Princess disc 2 was...
Now listening to WHMR - Hold Music Radio. Get the extension of an office phone, call it from another one. Put that line on hold, then kick the speaker on that holding phone and turn it up. Light, jazzy, soft hold music shall fill the air as WHMR broadcasts throughout your workday.
Gen-chan, 9s do have a sharp recoil. Not too hard, but it's all at once, unlike a .45 (longer, slower). Many people don't like 9mms because of that sharp, sudden recoil. .22s are dirt-light.
Katherine, I DID warn you about NY Taxis, didn't I? Those lunatics are LEGENDARY. Awesome haul. *grins*
I am not an atomic playboy! XD
4.22.2K1 - 10.27 93.7% huh? Not surprising. What happened to your back, and is that a Phantom Menace sorta thing? Hee ^_^ OOH! Cool on the Dark Tower stuff. Maybe he'll finish it before Robert Jordan finishes Wheel of Time? :P
Paid To Kill, may be funny because it refers to fictional items/characters, but it does run the risk of being misinterpreted by all kinds of lunatics out there. I'll have much more lies and damn lies from the Left here shortly, I'll start scribbling around 11 or so and post when done (hopefully by 1300). Manifestos take time...heh.
4.22.2K1 - 8.59
After watching the first chunk of the Tokyo Babylon OAV (I see dead bikers! XDDDD) it occurrs to me that someone needs to do the fanfic. Tokyo Babylon Five - Subaru Sees A Shadow. Any takers?
Ragabash, hidooooiiii yo. You even absconded with the Shamanic Princess disc. Otherwise, Bring Your Weapon To Anime Club Night was fun. *lmao* Ragabash brought its new sword, I brought Spike, we had fun.
I am not an atomic playboy! XD
Akira has done well enough in New York that it'll be coming to Los Angeles and other points west. Yes, it's got some rather violent parts, and Tetsuo the Pizza Topping doesn't win the hearts of toddlers worldwide, but the story IS quite good. Too bad they won't show it in Vegas.
Ragabash, restore your archives, you're missing April.
4.21.2K1 - 17.46
The Man From Seattle is no longer the richest dude in town - he's been ousted by Sam Walton, chairman of the Walmart Empire. Wonder if they're gonna merge...that'd be funny.
Dora, welcome ^^ that came out longer than I really intended, but...ah well. I figure I covered the basics on that topic. *laughs* All it takes is practice, really...
Hmm, some neat information about Kennesaw, GA - 16 years ago, they passed a law that required every home to have a gun, and from what I'm told by a local NRA instructor, every head of household to go armed wherever they are. Overnight, crime dropped - and stayed - 89% lower than it used to be, compared to the mere 10% drop statewide. Sixteen years ago, the anti-gun zealots promised blood in the streets and violence undreamed of. Again, they are proven wrong. But, is the civil triumph in Kennesaw hailed as a peaceful community that has nearly truly defeated crime? (a mere 243 incidents per 100,000 residents, compared to 4000+ per 100,000 in nearby Decatur) Is a town where only 1 out of FOUR THOUSAND people have been the victims, compared to 4 out of every hundred nearby, even mentioned as a statistical abberation? Why not? What is so wrong with the idea that responsible adults can carry the power of life or death safely and securely, that it gets hushed up and shunted aside when it works?
From the NRA's First Freedom magazine: Yes, there is a very strong anti-gun philosophy going on today, demonizing guns and gun owners/users - even our armed forces. At Lenwill Elementary, in West Monroe, TN, a 3rd-grade honor student has a relative who is in the Army. This relative is a hero to this boy, and he drew a picture to show to a friend at school. This picture depicted his relative with a canteen and a knife, and also had a fort, with a note as to what weapons would be found in there. A teacher happened to glance it, and the student was suspended from school because the drawing was "upsetting". Quoth the principal: "We have zero tolerance for drawings with guns...." "We can't tolerate anything that has to do with guns or knives." And a different school official said that the picture depicted "violence". Gee, if our children grow up being told that soldiers are "bad" and "violent", and the enemies of peace loving people everywhere...who the hell is going to fight for America when the time comes? And with such an ATROCIOUS lack of respect for our military, is it any wonder that morale, recruiting, maintenance, et. al. are all way down? Why give your life for a country that doesn't respect you? Is this the curse of the Vietnam era, back to haunt us...the poor grunt dogface, hated and reviled because the politicians who tell him what to do then turn around and stab him in the back, the schoolteachers making the armed forces to be nothing more than street thugs? Is THIS the world they want?
More tomorrow.
Greg, you should come see Las Vegas drivers. The taxis are horrible out here, thank god most of the fun occurrs at low speeds. When you live here, you quickly learn what back roads and industrial-park areas connect you with where you want to go. Otherwise, you can forget trying to drive anywhere with the hordes of lost, goggling tourists who spend more time looking at a) maps b) casinos c) advertisements, and whom I might add are also slighty drunk from the easy-access alky they hand out in the casinos (not free, but it's damn near)...it's ROUGH on these roads. Some of our intersections average 1 collision a weekday, 2 on the weekends, and a couple more thrown in for perversity. Decatur and Sahara is, according to all filed insurance claims, the NINTH most dangerous intersection in the US - and it's not that far from my place. And I can see your source cleanly. Very funky pages there.
I am not an atomic playboy! *LOL* I love that song. Too bad www.atomicplayboy.com refs to Playboy, tho meebe I'll steal .net or .org or something.
4.21.2K1 - 14.14 Free showers in Quebec! Look, if the entire population (even in other countries) is against what you want, then perhaps ya'll oughtta rethink things - of the people, by the people, for the people? Or have we, in these late days, become complacent and trust our government without oversight? If we have, then the ballgame's over, since there's noone left who cares.
Peru shoots down American missionary flight from Brazil, kills a mother and her seven-month-old baby daughter. The plane was apparently mistaken for a drug-flight, it is not known if the PAF fighter recieved or ignored the radio ID from the pilot. Apparently, after the plane was on the ground, the Peruvian fighter came back and strafed it again. The pilot is wounded in serious condition. This oughtta do wonders at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec right about now.
And in similar news, F-15Cs out of Kadena are going to provide escort duty for the possibly soon to resume surveillance flights in the South China Sea. They're debating using the RC-135s instead of the EP-3Es, apparently because the 135 is a little faster.
The EU wants to tax purchases made over the internet and force the US companies to collect it - even for purchases made from US countries for EU buyers. Wonder if we can use SeaLand as a shipping port, and let the EU gang go there to pick up their stuff? After all, in the UK the tax is 17.5% for the merchandise coming in - perhaps the EU just wants to cut off US businesses and get something homegrown building up?
Ragabash, you went and bought it? What about your DVDs, hmm? < -.- > Umm, let's see. Black Heaven, Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, 1 ep of Shamanic Princess, Rayearth, and Tylor. I'll bug Guy when he gets here and see what he can remember. *laughs*
Damn, and I thought Malcom dumping his girlfriend by changing his phone machine to "Thank you for calling Malcom, the most eligible bachelor in Las Vegas, leave a message!" was cold. But that has been outdone, when BBC tech loses job due to interview with computer. Damn, I hope they don't get that over here.
Sakura-san, I can sympathize with the hair thing. *laughs* BTW I found a photo that I was going to post this morning before work, but it needs a spot of editing first. I'll get it sometime laaaate tonight, and let you know. Tech support isn't all that bad - the idiots on the line assume you don't know jack sh*t anyways, but even then you know more than they do (so it shouldn't be hard to fake it).
4.21.2K1 - 12.55
Since I've been asked(requests! woohoo!), I'll do today's Gun Blog for the basics of shooting a handgun, the different kinds, and where to start.
There are two types of handguns - revolvers and semiautomatics. They are very different in operation, however revolvers are easier to use than semiautomatics. I recommend that people get started shooting with those. Fewer controls, simpler operation; rather like the difference between an automatic transmission(revolver) and a stick shift (semiauto).
Revolvers are the classic "wheelguns" from even before the cowboy days, and have very slight differences in their operation. They are named due to the revolving cylinder holding 6 cartridges (though nowadays you can get anywhere from 5 to 8 for large caliber guns). The rounds are stored in the cylinder, each in separate chambers. As the gun is fired, the cylinder rotates to the next round. Revolvers do not have safeties, the only controls for the firearm are the trigger and the cylinder release. The cylinder release is a latch (normally at the back of the gun) that locks the cylinder in place and keeps it from swinging free during shooting. When the revolver fires, the round goes off inside the chamber, which sends the bullet into the barrel after crossing a VERY small gap (around 10-20 thousandths of an inch normally), picks up spin from the grooves in the barrel, and goes on to its target. Revolvers can be quite accurate, since the barrel is mounted in the frame and does not move. Another benefit to revolvers is that if a round is a dud, and does not go off for whatever reason, you can just pull the trigger again and the cylinder will turn, bring the next round into play, and drop the hammer again. If a round is a dud in a semiautomatic, however, the gun must be manually cycled to eject the failed cartridge and bring a new one into play. Revolvers are also by nature much more heavily and sturdily built, and have fewer moving parts than semiautomatics. This makes them popular with hunters, because you can safely use very powerful loads in them. The biggest drawback, however, is capacity and reloads - except for a very few guns holding 7, 8, or 9 rounds (usually only .22LR are small enough to fit), the vast majority of revolvers have six shots before they need to be reloaded. Reloading a revolver is also time consuming, the empties must be ejected and then reloaded separately. Speedloaders can offset this somewhat, but it will still take a few moments.
Semiautomatic handguns are more modern inventions, first appearing in 1895 with the classic "broomhandle" Mauser. Semiautomatics are generally a little more compact than revolvers of similar barrel length, and thinner due to the lack of a cylinder. The design and function of semiautomatics differs sometimes heavily with different types of firearms, for this example I'll discuss a Government Model 1911. Operationally, the ammunition is stored in a detachable magazine (not true for some extremely early semiautos) and is fed into the chamber by the action of the slide. The chamber in this gun is actually an integral part of the barrel, and so the bullet does not have as much time in the barrel as it would with a similar-length revolver. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer drops forward and strikes the firing pin, which in turn strikes the primer at the base of the round. When the round goes off, the gas pressure inside the barrel pushes the gun back - called the recoil impulse. (this is, of course, the same for revolvers) In a semiauto pistol, the energy from the recoil is used to move the slide, the large portion that moves back along the top of the gun, backwards. Once the slide reaches the maximum rear travel, the empty case is ejected and the slide travels forward, scooping the next round from the top of the magazine into the chamber. When the magazine is empty, the slide stays locked back to show it has no more ammunition. Controls on the Model 1911 include the magazine release button, the thumb safety, the grip safety, and the slide release. The grip safety on a 1911 is located at the rear of the grip, and is designed to keep the hammer from falling in case the gun is dropped or struck while it is not held in the hand. The thumb safety is a manual block safety, also preventing hammer drop even if the trigger is pulled without the safety being off. It is the triangular piece located forward of the . The magazine release is used to eject an empty magazine, it is the round button where the trigger guard meets the grip. The slide release is the long lever that runs above the trigger, just below the slide. This will lock the slide back when the last round fires, and is also used to let the slide go forwards to chamber the first round in a fresh magazine. Semiautomatics have more parts, require more care, and are more complicated than revolvers. However, they are a little more compact, can carry far more ammunition in detachable magazines - for a 1911, 8 in a standard magazine, 14 for a "double-stack", and even more if you can find extra-long magazines. Some 9mm handguns can carry as many as 18 rounds in a standard magazine, and have 30 and even 50 round magazines (though these are quite large). They are also easier to reload, merely by hitting the magazine release and swapping in a new "stick" you have a fresh set of cartridges. Semiautomatics are popular for their small size and high capacity, though they do take some getting used to.
There are other flavors of semiautos, like the striker-fired Glocks and Walther P99s, the micro-size Beretta and Seecamp pistols, and the very unique squeeze-cocking H&K P7 series. I'll go into those in slightly more detail later.
If you are buying your first firearm, there are a few things to consider beyond price. Reliability, of course, is key. Let's assume that you're going to purchase a revolver, for its ease of use and again, reliability. The major manufacturers, like Ruger, Taurus, Smith & Wesson, are all companies with histories of making good, robust firearms. You will want to try out at least a few different revolvers, looking for the best combination of the following:
Grip comfort and balance are fairly self-explanatory, you don't want to have an uncomfortable, heavy gun to shoot. Usable sights tends to vary according to personal tastes - there are many varieties out there, and you should be able to find something you can see clearly and use easily. Just remember not to point the gun at someone by accident when you're checking out sights. Caliber is important for selections because more powerful guns have more powerful kicks to them. Personally, for the first time shooter, I would recommend a .357 Magnum revolver. Yes, a .357 is a very powerful round - however, it has the unique ability to chamber a different cartridge, the much-lighter .38 Special round. This is a fairly light-recoiling round, is decently accurate, and is availible anywhere you go. This gives you the choice of two different cartridges for the same gun, without the need to buy additional parts - so even if you never bought another one, you would still effectively have two guns in one. Action comfort is the last but definitely not the least of the criteria - can you, in addition to holding the gun comfortably, reach the trigger and all the controls easily and quickly? For shooters with smaller hands, some of the larger revolvers have a trigger than can be too-far forward to reach easily. With the hammer down (in double-action mode) you want to place the pad of your index finger on the trigger and be able to squeeze back without having to twist the gun or lose a comfortable grip. You will, of course, want to ask the store owner if you can try a "dry-fire" or two to see how the action feels. It should be smooth, with building pressure (it will be heavy, but you will get used to it quickly), the trigger should stop at the back and then the hammer should drop cleanly. The Ruger GP-100 is widely recognized as one of the finest revolvers, if you can find one in a 3" or 4" barrel I would strongly consider it. Taurus also puts out a line of revolvers made from titanium - while a little more expensive, they do have a very nice grip and are also ported, making them quite comfortable to shoot.
4.21.2K1 - 10.39
More on the Jedi religion, specifically that the British government is threatening fines (and so are the Aussies, at $1,000AD) for anyone who fills out "false information" in a census. Some of the otherarticles DO point out that the "Jedi religion" is akin to zen buddhism - desire for inner peace, a lot of meditation and reflection, and also a bit of altruism as well (defend the weak and protect the innocent). What's so wrong with that? Or do the english not want (more) brown-robe-clad monks running around with swords? Either way...religion IS supposed to be free. And personally, I think it'd be funny as hell to have 10,000 more people list Sith as their religion. Which would be bloodier, the Protestant/Catholic fights, the Orange/Green fights, the Jedi/Sith swordfights, or the soccer matches?
4.21.2K1 - 9.09
Ragabash, I can NOT remember what we're showing, just that we're not showing Escaflowne. *L* Post a list?
4.20.2K1 - 22.05
Meg, Schindler's List is one of the finest pieces of cinema I have ever seen and DOES need to be seen all the way through, once. And remembered, because it DID happen.
Dora, Champions is a COOL system. I like it lots better than Shadowrun.
Alan, the Mario thing is twisted.
Firefly, I think the first thing is to never be alone. And then demand an explanation when they become normal again.
Kristina, well, whoever it was. I like your barbituate joke, that was a good one. *grins* Good luck with webservering - I will be getting one set up, but my ISP will do it ^^ Intermind is VERY cool.
4.20.2K1 - 20.21
Busy day today. BUT! The Pulse Rifle will be complete soon, I spent a good chunk of the day with the gunsmith. This will be very impressive when it's finished...
The Navy has decided that there is not going to be a court-martial for the captain of the Greenville, which rammed the Ehime Maru in early February. Good. Again, the Ehime Maru was in restricted waters, and Waddle did know she was there, and gave an order to break contact with the ship and turned 2 miles away from Ehime Maru's last known position. THEN he performed the emergency maneuver. Yup, that's right, that would mean Ehime Maru followed the sub and I speculate her captain was probably waiting to watch it perform the emergency blow, wanting to put on a momentary show for his passengers. Waddle probably will get cashiered, though, with an honorable discharge.
Remember what I said about copycats? Since everyone's having a Columbine Memorial, and Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold are STILL major news stories two years after their deaths, is it any wonder that it'd happen again today, this time in Louisiana? Everyone knows that there are no guns on school campuses. So...they can't stop you right away. Perhaps we should rethink that and actually have armed security on schools? Not to mention, perhaps LETTING THE PAST GO and stop glorifying these sick bastards who kill a bunch of people and remain immortal forever?
Oh now this is cute. "'Rich Jews should come here'", so sayeth one of the 4 Prime Minister candidates. Admittedly, his choice of words strikes one funny - but he makes a point. Getting rich people to come to your country and invest, build things, run corporations, and provide economic growth is a GOOD THING. Taxing rich people at 55% on the INCOME tax alone (not to mention all the other taxes) is NOT a way to make them invest their money - it's outright theft.
This wins the bizarre award - the nose of the latest Japanese toy robot is a *koff* sex toy, complete with working motors. I fear for Japan...
Not liking the name Kaname Yoshida (western format), son kills father for giving him a "horrible name". My question is...why the HELL did he wait till he was 54?! You'd expect something like this from a KID, but nope - the unhappy son was 54 and dad was 78! Talk about biding your time...there's also a neat little mini-article about Japanese naming conventions written by a reader. And "Kaname" itself isn't that bad a name - apparently the kanji directly refers to the center peg of a fan, and it's associated with "the core of something", the "main point". However, some of the alternates/combinations do tend to bring it a less manly interpretation...but I think it sounds cool.
And it looks like they have a working earthquake detector that reads ion concentrations in the atmosphere. And, it has a track record too!
And now, guns guns guns. Hee. ^_^ Here's something to bring up. You've all heard the phrase "assault weapon", correct? And how they're evil, vile, and kill and maim people? Well, assault weapons by federal definition are no different than regular firearms, except for cosmetic differences. An "assault weapon" is defined as any semiautomatic rifle that has more than two of the following - pistol grip, a second pistol grip, detachable magazine, flash suppressor, bayonet mount, grenade launcher, or collapsible/folding stock. Nothing else. There's no difference between a "preban" and "postban" (referring to the 1989/1994 assault weapons bans) .223 AR-15 rifle - except that one might be able to fit in a more compact carry case. Nothing about the internal workings of the weapon, nothing about the action, nothing about the reliability. I personally like the extra features because I'm a military nut, and I like having assorted collectibles - and the guns are the most fun because you can shoot them. Grenade launchers are damned hard to come by, the 37mm flare launchers that resemble the M-203 do not count, as far as I know. Bayonets? Haven't been used since the Korean War, but they are still there and look cool. Flash suppressors are useful, this way you don't get blinded by your own shots. Second pistol grips, well, some people like them, some don't. Detachable magazines are extremely useful and much easier to reload when you're not on the range. An "assault weapon" is just a simple media scapegoat, and has no difference for anything - it doesn't matter what gun you use, it takes a human being to make the decision to pull the trigger. Or plunge the knife. Or swing the baseball bat. Or push the gas pedal. Yes, murder is a bad thing. The gun is just a device, nothing more, nothing less.
And I'm outta here! Will be home very late. Talk to ya'll tomorrow!
4.19.2K1 - 18.41 An Initial Draft of the US Apology Letter to China (since amended)
Dear China,
We're sorry that you don't train your fighter pilots better. As a token of our apology, here's a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000.
We're very sorry that your front-line fighter planes can't outmaneuver a 35 year old prop-driven airliner. Perhaps you'd like to consider purchasing some surplus 1960s era Lockheed Starfighters from Taiwan. (Who just replaced all theirs with shiny new F-16s)
We're sorry that you believe your territorial waters extend all the way to Australia. For future reference, here's an American 6th grade geography textbook. (Please take note of the copyright information printed inside the cover.)
We're sorry that you can't seem to see your part of this incident. We know that it may seem easier to blame others than take responsibility. Consider this while we build several new Aegis destroyers for our friends in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
We're especially sorry for treating you with such respect for the last 20 years. We'll definitely rethink this policy and will probably go back to trating you like a common untrustworthy street gang very soon.
We're very sorry for ever granting you Most-Favored-Nation trading status. This will be rectified at the soonest possible opportunity.
Sincerely,
The United States Of America
Tis a shame that version 1.0 was never sent...but at least they're back in line.
Quebec City sealed off before major world summit, citing the problems in Seattle and other major summits. One wonders...if they have to go to the point of erecting concrete walls and wire-mesh fences, maybe it's time that they stopped keeping things in government so secretive - if they're supposed to represent the people, and their laws affect the people, shouldn't we know what they're doing? A government that has to keep everything secret from its citizens is hiding much more than mere National Security secrets...so what are they hiding? What are they afraid of behind their fences and walls?
There are still stupid people on the internet - People are still falling for e-mail viruses, this latest one is a love-matching game. "Ooh, I can find girls online!" *click-click* Sigh. Perhaps they should go crack the NSA Halls Of Fun and go look for things that'll redirect too much power into the motherboard/hard drives and fry systems. Stupidity kills, people. Not yet on the net, but the day is coming.
Miss Israel turns heads in her diamond-encrusted flak vest for the Miss Universe pageant in May. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, but I don't think combat riflery would be one of the contests.
Somehow this doesn't surprise me. Save money on taxes and donate dead bugs to a museum. It could net you up to 5 grand, if you have a good collection. Perhaps that guy who blew up his apartment should have considered collecting them instead.
IBM's new sidewalk ads in San Fran won't go away. And the city's not happy. Love, Peace, Linux...
On the computer issue, there's a new security design flaw in WinNT/2K machines that will let a hacker jump in as a middleman between you and your connection, and cut you off. And it's been known since day 1, apparently. Isn't it such a happy feeling, knowing that MS has such a market share that there's no need to fix the flaws in the programs, since...there's no market share left to sell to?
4.19.2K1 - 10.48 Pictures of the perpetrator in the Tynesdale Techno-Toilet Kidnapping have been published on the Register!
4.19.2K1 - 10.39
woo, finally a normal day. I'll post later this evening, I should have plenty of time to dig up news. Quick blip, big explosion at Force 17 headquarters, Arafat has finally been seen, new variant of Melissa out there, market's mixed, and the space shuttle's goin up in about an hour. More later.
4.18.2K1 - 23.28
This took a lot of thought on whether I even wanted to post it...but screw it. If you're gonna send, e-mail me for address I guess.
Hmm, a birthday list. Okay, since I'm being bugged, here we go.
Carolyn, the view outside should be pretty - here's the auroral coverage map. It's pretty big on the backside. Data coming from the satellites is all screwed up, but there was a big flare about 30 hours ago, so this should be a nice show. Bookmark that so you can go check and see if it's covering you.
Tay, told ya. :p Stupid management people. Ah well, all is koo. This is probably one of the few times that you're HAPPY to spend money. BTW, CUTE update!!!
Hmm, in the Chobits manga the restaurant that Minoru met Hideki at was called Duklyon...any coincedence?
The ChiComs are apparently now willing to discuss returning the airplane - it looks like they realized GWB isn't going to lean over and spread cheeks like King Bill did. Debate over the arms sale continues to rage, personally I'm FOR Taiwan getting the Burkes. The antimissile capability is unrivaled - and it's NOT an offensive weapon system.
The final report on the Egyptian Air crash is coming out soon, and it looks like it was deliberate...no mechanical explanations.
Yeah, sure, the Federal Reserve cut rates and the market exploded today, but...why? No warning, no exploration, just WHAM and the market goes way up. Was the market in danger of hitting something? Is there going to be bad news coming soon that'll be offset by this half-percent cut?
Putting new meaning to the .org domain, the nerds have gotten their revenge and apparently enjoy the intimate companionship of females 37% more often than their "normal" counterparts. No wonder Yahoo quit selling porn.
And someone has actually created the first TRUE cyborg. Okay, so it's only a (nearly) mindless fish, but - it works. Again, I'll point out that the Wright brothers' flyer only lasted what, a few seconds in the air the first time? Now look where we are. All things take is time and effort. We have plenty of both...perhaps, in 30 or 40 years, the technology will be far more widespread and advanced. Until then...we keep plugging away, one step at a time.
This is truly sad that we're championing XP because it's a stable system and that MS has gotten all the bugs out. At least, all the major ones. Actually, it's a blessing that it just works. That's supposed to inspire confidence? But like they say...when the sheep go to buy their new computer, MS's licensing deals force no competition, and so XP is what they'll buy, because it's there and they don't are. Great article re: product activation and the signed drivers - and I wonder. Will MS use its driver control to bring other companies into line? "We won't sign your drivers unless you quit doing X" or something along those lines?
Gun Myth: Shotguns can clear a room in one shot. The pellet spread in a shotgun is not wide enough to do THAT kind of coverage. What makes shotguns so effective is the massive amount of energy a full shotgun load takes with it - either in one big hammerblow with a slug, or multiple impact with buckshot. But it does not spread to cover a very wide area, and will not knock down 3 people at once.
WOO! I whine about the Master Grade kits yesterday, and today they come in and get shipped out! *crosses fingers to avoid another credit card fiasco* < ^^; >
SD Meg-chan...at least you know people are reading it, nu?
This is new. "referrer blocked by AdSubtract" in the counter tracker. Never seen that before.
Crayola, DO NOT DO THAT - those ads are a joke. It wants you to give it every e-mail address you know, and if you "guess right" it'll tell you. I'll lay even money that it's a scam to get e-mail addys from you, and then put those people on advert MLs (after sendign them the same letter). I got it before, it sounds too fishy and too illegitimate. Ignore it, delete it, block it.
Catsy, too true about DVD players. They're dirt-cheap now, just as much as VCRs (I've seen decent ones at Walmart for under $150), so the players are affordable. The DVDs themselves are hitting a point where they cost LESS than the VHS tapes that used to be the standard. It's just a matter of time before VHS goes the way of casette tape - still used occasionally, mostly just to make copies of things.
Actually Meia, I saw multipe hits from one singapore server in one counter tracking list ^^ Hadn't seen them before and wondered who it was. (might be you) ^^; and wondered why someone in s'pore would read my drivel. Hee. ^^
4.18.2K1 - 1.49 REALLY long post alert...
BAHAHAHAH! Set Imood to "gelatinous" and I get referred book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Hmm. Common Gun Myths, apolitical version.
Myth 1: Clips and magazines are the same thing. Not by a long shot, bucko. Clips are small metal...clips, that hold cartridges. They go around the back of the cartridge, and punch in a little bit along the case. Often called "stripper" clips, they only hold the rear of the round via spring tension, and are often ejected with a cute "ping" when the ammunition in them is expended (this is notorious on the Garand rifles). A magazine is a large, spring-loaded box that has a plate atop the springs, which the cartridges freely rest on and are pushed upwards by. The magazine completely contains the cartridge, and can either be detachable or integral to the gun (many older rifles and some hunting rifles are made this way). Often times, a magazine will be fed by clips of bullets inserted through the top, rather than one at a time. Yes, they both hold cartridges, but they are two different things - just like you can use pliers or a crescent wrench to unscrew something, you can use clips or magazines hold ammunition where it's easy to get.
Myth 2: Silencers make your bullets so quiet that they can't be heard at all. Only one firearm I have ever run across, either personally or in information hunts, has ever come close to this distinction - a .22LR caliber bolt-action rifle with a full-barrel-length sound suppressor. You will still hear the sound of the action, and you will still hear the bullet whiz downrange - but it is NOT going to be perfectly quiet, though this comes damn near. I have gotten the chance to play with this weapon system as well, and it was LOTS of fun. The guns you see in movies, like M-11 submachine guns or MP5s or even suppressed pistols, have far more powder going off and use much heavier bullets. Suppressors (as they should be called) lower the report of the weapon considerably, yes - but you're still going from a peak of 170 decibels (that's why you wear hearing protection) down to (for the good suppressors) a range of 130-140db. Yes, it's still loud - but not so much as before. With subsonic ammunition, that doesn't get the supersonic crack going, it's much quieter but can still be noisy. Suppressors LOWER the amount of sound, and also muffle it well - especially for heavy rifles, it can be somewhat harder to tell just where the sound came from.
Myth 3: Guns will knock you down and back, hard. Nope. The mass of an standard 9mm hollowpoint bullet is quite light - 147 grains commonly. That's 1/3 of an ounce. Even at 1100fps, it's NOT going to deliver a large amount of kinetic energy to the target. Why do people fall down? Because the bullet DOES start poking holes in things like muscles, organs, the nervous system, etc. Simple muscle reaction to the horror of getting shot and/or nerve firings being caused by wound trauma. I have seen video of a .308 rifle being fired from a range of 3 feet at a person wearing heavy assault-type chest armor - multilayered kevlar & ceramic compounds. They did recover the bullet and present it to the camera, from inside the jacket. The person wearing the vest rocked back an inch or two, but that was it. You can deliver more kinetic energy to the target with a good old-fashioned Louisville Slugger. Bullets are not used to knock you down. Bullets will not knock you down. Bullets put holes in you. That's all.
I'll post more later. BLARGH...I still have to work on Bishounen. Sigh. I suck.
It's not surprising, really. The Japanese sarariman typically spends 12-14 hours a day at work, often feeling the same things himself that are spoken about him - pointless, useless, waste of resources, etc. And the current business environment there is...not so good. Yen going down (sell products overseas if possible) and Nikkei going into the crapper (13 year lows). Not to mention the extremely structured lifestyle which gives little outlet to personal feelings, the phrase "Cog in the corporate machine" is nearly exact. If Japan did not have such a strong social structure, the country would have exploded long since. The thing that scares me the most, though, is a fat Japanese man with an afro. I think someone should send the reviewer Black Heaven/Section Chief Oji.
Could this be a new trend in the Japanese comic industry? Will "sararimanga" (my word! my word!) become a new hit with the older folks? One can see it now...Sarariman 1/2, can Ranma keep his job with all the stresses of his Jusenkyou curse, keeping it a secret at work, and being hit on by BOTH sexes at work after the obligatory water-splash sequences? One sees a strange version of Secret of My Success with that. Or perhaps, Super Science Ninja Team Sarariman? Oh wait, that's been done...go see Shinesman. Umm, there's always Sarari Moon, where the Sararisenshi must protect Japanese companies against hostile takover from the evil Foreign Nega-investors. If you were (un)fortunate enough to witness the Sailor Moon Stunt Doubles at Anime Expo 1996...you know what to expect. And last but not least, for the Sci-Fi fans, Musekinin Kachou Tylor (Irresponsible Section-Chief Tylor). Yes, friends, Justy Ueki Tylor gets a REAL job. Will the yen survive? Seriously...I'd like to see this idea worked out more. Working comics for working people. Sararimanga! It must be done. And it's my word too!
Sakura-san, I'll get one scanned for you when I get some taken. ^_^ I've got others requesting too, so...I've just been under a bizarre-@$$ week, and tonight we found out we're having an apartment inspection thursday afternoon. Dammit. Fortunately I can stash all my firepower, I think that might cause...consternation when the bank manager gets here. (or constipation for that matter) ^^;;;;; And hoping you're going to be okay.
Hmm, I guess for my birthday...I would REALLY like anything that's 1940s-ish, aviation related things from the time, anything to do with eagles or predatory birds, artbooks, or Gundam SD or MG models. (not expecting any of the latter) ^^; Anything would be very appreciated, however, even just cards. *feels like a retard actually listing things* Fheh, e-mail me if you're gonna send something, I'll slip you my address. Don't forget to reciprocate if you do.
Carolyn, I misspelled your name and it looked like Cryalon...somehow I got Crayola out of there and thought it was funny. ^^ Gomen. *appeals to the fuzzebracelet for forgiveness* That's it! I was trying to remember why you looked familiar! A stoned blue-haired daisuke-glomping Olsen twin!
Hmm. Instead of Lupin teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts...what if Lupin showed up? (a very cool site, by the way)
*notes that it would be exceedingly easy to build a GOOD Squall teddybear at the local teddy bear store and wonders how much people would give him for it*
I know you're not, Kris. All I said was that the title of RPG isn't so applicable to them because the storyline is relatively fixed. I personally like tabletop RPGs ^_^ but either way. And good analogy for why play video games - because it's something different, new ways of telling stories, and it's a little more interactive. I argue with you not. ^_^
Meia-san...now THAT is fucking COOL. I like the "Wanna See My Sakabatou" part...I'm surprised I'm (apparently) the first to make the Samurai X/1999 joke. And the hole thing can be explained - look very closely at the triangles, they are different angles. The little one is 5x2, so find the left corner of the big one and count 5 over and 2 up - it doesn't match. Looks like it, but not quite.
Kristina, you talk about IPs topping others and sodomizing each other...and...dammit, the brain just does bad things with that line and the concept of cybersex. Stop that, you. Belle and Sebastian...wasn't there a cartoon on Nickelodeon YEEEEEAAAAAAARS ago (like when it first came ON) that had some kid wandering around (Europe?) with his St. Bernard, and as I recall the kid was named Sebastian and the dog was Belle...he was looking for his mother, or vice versa. The little shred I remember of it made me think it's an OLD Ghibli series...anyone know what I'm talking about? Hee hee...That was a barbiturate. *LMAO* I love a challenge! More tomorrow.
Tay, thank you! I do try *grinning* They're catchy because I follow the beat the most ^^ even at the expense of some of the lines. Don't worry about the rent thing. My apt is the same way, and I've been here 2 years with 6 month leases each time. They just hate paperwork as much as we do and put it WAY off. ^^; When time comes, they'll be ready to sign. (they also need to see how much to raise your rent by, too)
If anyone came looking for the Mokona Song, click here or go to the Reloads (the Fuuma filk is there too).
MOOOOUUUUUUUU...my GP03 kits are on backorder, and will be forever! *cries* saa...oh well. Not like I don't have tons of other things to do.
Someone in Singapore likes me...HEN NA YO. Why? *shudder*
No new readers I can see today.
I'm off to sleep. No posts for tomorrow, I'm stuck on Jury Duty all day. *UGH* At least it's not for a week like Commiefornia, it's only for a day out here unless I get seated (not likely). See ya'll tomorrow evening with more of the same!
"Mississippi voted overwhelming to keep the Confederate emblem on its flag Tuesday, rejecting suggestions from the governor and business leaders that a new flag would help the state escape its segregationist past..."
The Confederate flag has NOTHING to do with segregation, and until people quit perverting the truth for their own ends, and LYING TO YOU, then we're never going to get past square one. Okay. YES, the south had slaves during the Civil War. But - can anyone answer just WHAT the Civil War was about? TAXATION. Lack of representation. Being (as they saw it) unjustly ruled from afar. Yes friends, the same thing that happened when we rebelled against England. Items that were being sold from the southern states were being taxed when they entered and exited other states - the product was so expensive to buy in the markets in the North, it wasn't worth MAKING or GROWING. The North had its own ideas for how to run a country, and the south had different ones, because it was a different land. And y'know what? Until 1863, several years AFTER the war started, there were still slaves in the North! And go look at what was done by the Northern armies during the infamous "March to the Sea" - is it any wonder the Southrons STILL hate dam'yankees? And check this out - even in the majority-black areas, the flag vote still went two-1 FOR the confederate logo - which would mean no small amount of black votes FOR the flag. Ya'll wanna play the race card, I'll shoot a hole in it. It isn't there. Yes, the Ku Klux Klan existed - yes, maaaany bad things happened to black people. But y'know what? They can vote now. They have just much more opportunity now than they had even 40 years ago. Or 20, for that matter. How much more do we have to pay for our mistakes? There are no more slaves in America, under the old definition. What more do you want? Monetary reparations? All the homes of the old slave owners? Your own nation?
Hell, there's a thought. Remember the election map I posted? Let's gather all the politically liberal people into one side of the country, and all the politically conservative into another, and part ways. You don't like our politics, we don't like yours...so let us part friends and be neighbors instead of brothers. I wonder how long that would last...
Ragabash, I did. Check your e-mail for "Greetings, old friend!". *grins*
4.17.2K1 - 19.49
Back on the air!
Well, another update on the Great MP3 Raid in Taiwan - Apparently, the students DID have their rights violated and the rest of the government is going to support them - but the IFPI is now saying it had nothing to do with it and is burning its connections to the Taiwanese chapter. And one of the Justice ministers says the search and seizure was legal - Hmm, I thought Taiwan was a free society. So does this mean that the cops can legally go ANYWHERE and search? Or WAS the law violated in this, as the Education Minister implies?
Music Video Concept: Pen Pen to There's Something Living In My Fridge by Weird Al.
Intel cuts prices on chips again, now down 23 percent. Whoopie, I just picked up most of the hardware for Chii-chan - case, motherboard, 700mhz Athlon chip, and 128mb RAM, $250 total. HD I'm looking around 130-150 for a 60gb drive, which is plenty. Let's see, another 300 for DSL, plus monitor and peris. We'll see. ^_^
4.17.2K1 - 17.42
Lack of update due to local computer problems. Maybe later tonight.
4.16.2K1 - 23.05
Whee, an archive. Though this gets posted today, I'm gonna leave it up for tomorrow.
Ragabash, that's because she sits next to you and has to listen to you whine & rant. :p And agreed - FF7 is a story/adventure game. Not ALL that role-playingy. You can't go join Sephiroth and help him summon Meteo and destroy the world, right? (oh my, was there someone else who hasn't finished besides me? :P heh) And fight off all of ShinRa? REAL roleplaying, is far far more fun. And the wierder your character, the more fun it is. (I should talk, I wrote up this guy as a Cherubim in an In Nomine game...and made it work. Truly a testament to madness.) Too bad that game died. We should restart, we still have Jim.
