Today in History

2001, Netherlands: Scottish court finds Libyan Abd al-‑Baset al-‑Megrahi guilty in Pan Am 103 bombing

Forsaken: Vengeance

From here, regarding this:

This just makes me angry. It doesn't help that I have both a 2 year old and a baby named Grace.

I could skin those monsters alive, both with a smile on my face and hate in my heart.

That poor girl, tortured by the people who are designed to provide comfort and protection. Saying "I love you" as she was whipped and drowned and thrown across the room by people forsaking their sacred duty.

With the death penalty off the table, I'm hoping for life in prison, with the cries of that beautiful little girl echoing in their minds every minute of every day.

Government Overreach

Lovely. Like this is any of the state's business. What I do in my home or in my car is MY business. This makes me want to start smoking again.

"There oughta be a law" is never grounds for actually enacting a law.

Legislation expected to be introduced Thursday would ban smoking in vehicles when children are riding along.

Potpourri

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds. I don't look straight in pearls.
3. Last movie you saw? True Stories. Not recommended.
4. What is your favourite T.V. show? Current shows I try to avoid missing: House, Law&Order:SVU, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Knight Rider
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Mountain Dew
6. What is your middle name? Starts with A. I was named for a (literal) bastard forced to leave his native country at gun point by his legal father.
7. What food do you hate? Bananas and beets
8. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
9. What kind of car do you drive? A Chrysler Pacifica. It's a shame they went commie again. I won't own another.
10. Favourite sandwich? Most of them, but none with horseradish.
11. What characteristics do you despise? Dishonesty and manipulation
12. Favourite item of clothing? My "I make dead people" shirt that's no longer available. It's a Halloween thing, not a gun thing.
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Europe, not terribly picky about where. I want to see it all. After that, I would love to own a timeshare on St. Thomas. I love it there.
14. Favourite brand of clothing? Uhh, guy and straight.
15. Where would you retire to? St. Thomas
16. Favourite birthday? Do any of them matter after 21? Even 21 wasn't special. I was a suburbanite dad working in a corporate office by then.
17. Favourite sport to watch? Professional wrestling. I hate spectator sports.
18. Furthest place you are sending this? Where is google's server farm?
19. Person you expect to send it back first? No one
20. Are you a morning or night person? Night. Switching from the graveyard shift was one of the hardest things I've done.
21. What is your shoe size? 13
22. Pets? 4 cats, 1 dog, 3 kids
23. What did you want to be when you were little? Everything. A scientist, a soldier, a detective. Whatever was in the last book I read. Until I discovered computer programming, at 8.
24. How are you today? Software developer
25. What is your favourite candy? Something sugary. It's just candy.
26. What is your favourite flower? Geez. Do guys really like flowers? How about the tenacious rose bush I can't kill, no matter how hard I try?
27. What are you looking forward to? The weekend.
28. What are you listening to right now? My office-mate's angry typing.
29. What was the last thing you ate? M&Ms
30. Do you wish on stars?Yes, but Angelina Jolie has yet to grant me any wishes. Thankfully, I've seen most of those wishes in her various movies.
31. If you were a crayon what colour would you be? Errr....Infra red?
32. How is the weather right now? Cold as crap and windy.
33. Last person you spoke to on the phone? The school's automated attendance line for my sick son.
34. Favourite soft drink? Mountain Dew.
35. Favourite restaurant? I don't really have one. Most restaurants are for convenience. There is very little I can find in a restaurant that I can't make better and cheaper at home. The exceptions are usually seafood and oriental food, but that's changing.
36. Colour of hair? Brown
37. What was your favourite toy as a child?GI Joe!
38. Summer or winter?Summer
39. Hugs or kisses?Kisses
40. Chocolate or vanilla?Vanilla
41. Coffee or tea?Coffee, if I have to
42. Do you want your friends to email you back?I don't care.
43. What is under your bed? 10 years of crap we don't want to throw away. And a pair of roller blades.
44. What did you do last night? Nursed a sick wife and kid while entertaining two other kids.
45. What are you afraid of? I don't have phobia. I'm afraid of failing my family.
46. Salty or sweet? Sweet, until after. Then salty.
47. How many keys on your key ring? More than 10, less than 20.
48. How many years at your current job?3
49. How many towns have you lived in?4
50. Favourite seafood? Generic, but lobster.
51. Do you make friends easily? No, but that's my choice not their's. The Fremen have a saying, "Never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die."
52. How many friends will you send this to? Both of the people who frequent this blog.
53. How many will respond? Neither.

Picked up from the Cajun.

RE: New Legislative Session

Dear [Sent to every one of my representatives in government]:

At the start of the new legislative session, one that has some severe projections, I would like to take this time to mention a couple of issues.

First, regardless of how bleak the economic forecast may look, it is not possible to tax your way into prosperity. I know you voted for major tax increases last year. This is not the time to repeat that foolishness. The economy works best when government interferes least. The citizens of Minnesota will be better able to stimulate the economy if they are left with their hard-earned money intact. This spending will naturally and automatically increase the tax rolls via existing corporate and sales taxes, without new taxation being inflicted on your constituents.

Second, I am expecting to see your unwavering support for personal liberty. New regulation, restrictions and infringements do not help anything or any one. Specifically, there are several major gun control bills in the works this year. As you are certainly aware, gun control is about people control. No gun control legislation has ever improved the crime rate, because criminals aren't buying their guns legally. Gun control legislation is specifically aimed at restricting the law-abiding, that demographic that is not causing problems.

I am looking forward to your support on these and other issues.

Sincerely,
Me

Hmm? A Theme?

Apparently, it's Zombie Thursday.

Zombie Car Wash

Signs of the Times

Transportation officials in Texas are scrambling to prevent hackers from changing messages on digital road signs after one sign in Austin was altered to read, "Zombies Ahead."

Magical Technology

Just to be sure I understand this...President Obama has, by executive fiat, created a new technology that will "[increase] fuel efficiency standards by 40% to at least 35 miles per gallon" and use less oil?

Wow. All this time, I thought he was a lawyer and career politician, not an engineer and inventor.

Seriously, does he thing he can create new technology with a signature? You can't legislate technological breakthroughs.

"The days of Washington dragging its heals are over," he declared, saying it should be easier for states to adopt tough fuel-efficiency rules. "My administration will not deny facts; we will be guided by them. We cannot afford to pass the buck or pass the burden onto the states."

I have two issues regarding this quote.

#1. Where does the Constitution allow for this regulation?
#2. What did Patrick McGee major in to become a journalist? There is a difference between heal and heel. A professional wordsmith should know that.

Forsaken

There is a sacred duty undertaken by all men who choose to have children. That duty is to become a father. Fathers are more than just bread-winners. A father is a source of discipline and guidance. A father is both a protector and a provider.

A father's primary responsibility is providing for the welfare of his children. That means protecting them from outside harm, putting food on the table and guiding them towards productive adulthood. If that means working double shifts in a factory or forgoing the "swinging single" lifestyle, so be it. If a man manages to screw up everything in his life, but provides for his family and produces healthy, well-adjusted children, he didn't do too bad. Setbacks are temporary--the memories of your children, passed on to your grandchildren are, or should be, permanent.

Being a father carries the demand of always being stronger than anything life throws at his children. At trial or tribulation his children are dealt needs to be met with the force of Dad. Unreasonable authority figures, bullies, molesters, poverty, or anything else, without exception. That's not to say a father needs to handle each and every one of the problems. Some problems need to be dealt with by the child, with Dad's guidance. Some problems need to be addressed by other parents, teachers or police. However, a father needs to be strong enough to hear about every problem and decide on a proper course of action. He must be stronger than the idea of the problem.

Under no circumstances is a father allowed to forsake his sacred duty. If he molests, abuses or murders those in his care, the worst punishments should be inflicted on him. His soul should be seared with his failure, and he should spend the rest of his life in a tiny, dark, stinking hole, with nothing but his most wretched memories. Suicide is a coward's retreat from the actions of failure.

To Ana Lupoe and her children: Requiescat In Pace.