And start it off right; you have GOT to read this!
Tactical Tommy Goes to the Store, courtesy of the Texican Tattler.
Found through the good offices of Uncle.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Another wonderful piece from Michael Crichton
Couple of years ago he wrote a book called State of Fear about the enviroweenies working to scare us all to death, to try to force us into doing what they want. I wrote about that book and a speech he gave, and it got me some of the more passionate comments I've had; all from people who insisted global warming was real, a true danger, etc. Mind you, I didn't mind the comments, with one exception they actually argued their point without insult or name-calling.
Well, Clayton Cramer linked to a speech by Crichton on Fear, Complexity & Environmental Management in the 21st Century. It's a wonderful piece, which touches on:
Just how wrong the predictions were about the impact of Chernobyl;
How people can 'believe' themselves to death;
More predictions of "We're all gonna DIE!" that were/are wrong;
And just how much we don't know how to manage nature.
(Ref the last, in 1987 Playing God in Yellowstone came out, about that exact subject. Well worth the read)
And, just to enrage the enviroweenies and Indians-as-God fetishists, both Crichton's speech and the book take note of the ways in which the first immigrants managed land and animals, fire being one of their main tools.
Go read the speech, at least; you'll be glad you did.
Well, Clayton Cramer linked to a speech by Crichton on Fear, Complexity & Environmental Management in the 21st Century. It's a wonderful piece, which touches on:
Just how wrong the predictions were about the impact of Chernobyl;
How people can 'believe' themselves to death;
More predictions of "We're all gonna DIE!" that were/are wrong;
And just how much we don't know how to manage nature.
(Ref the last, in 1987 Playing God in Yellowstone came out, about that exact subject. Well worth the read)
And, just to enrage the enviroweenies and Indians-as-God fetishists, both Crichton's speech and the book take note of the ways in which the first immigrants managed land and animals, fire being one of their main tools.
Go read the speech, at least; you'll be glad you did.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
There's no other way to put this
Fucking Barbarians
I don't care about their 'culture' and 'social mores', that this is considered a normal and proper thing in so much of the muslim world marks them as such.
"Appearing disheveled but composed, he said he killed Muqadas because she had committed adultery, and his daughters because he didn't want them to do the same when they grew up."
I repeat, fucking barbarians. And if the muslim community doesn't like being thought of as such, then a: speak out against this crap, and b: STOP IT!
I don't care about their 'culture' and 'social mores', that this is considered a normal and proper thing in so much of the muslim world marks them as such.
"Appearing disheveled but composed, he said he killed Muqadas because she had committed adultery, and his daughters because he didn't want them to do the same when they grew up."
I repeat, fucking barbarians. And if the muslim community doesn't like being thought of as such, then a: speak out against this crap, and b: STOP IT!
Remember Sacco & Vanzetti?
I do. It was a case I remember several teachers hitting on in school and college. A marvelous example of the unfairness and bigotry of our system, the teachers said. Except that they were guilty as hell, as noted in the article that Red State links to.
I haven't read the L.A. Times article, as it requires registration. However, Betsy has some excerpts from a letter written by Upton Sinclair:
"Alone in a hotel room with Fred, I begged him to tell me the full truth," Sinclair wrote. " … He then told me that the men were guilty, and he told me in every detail how he had framed a set of alibis for them." and
"But the fearless Sinclair was left a conflicted man by what Sacco and Vanzetti's lawyer — and later others in the anarchist movement — told him."
Fearless?
"My wife is absolutely certain that if I tell what I believe, I will be called a traitor to the movement and may not live to finish the book," Sinclair wrote Robert Minor, a confidant at the Socialist Daily Worker in New York, in 1927."
"He also worried that revealing what he had been told would cost him readers. "It is much better copy as a naïve defense of Sacco and Vanzetti because this is what all my foreign readers expect, and they are 90% of my public," he wrote to Minor."
So the 'fearless' Mr. Sinclair wrote a book painting the two as railroaded innocents even though he knew they were guilty and had said he was going to "write the truth about the case."
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
I haven't read the L.A. Times article, as it requires registration. However, Betsy has some excerpts from a letter written by Upton Sinclair:
"Alone in a hotel room with Fred, I begged him to tell me the full truth," Sinclair wrote. " … He then told me that the men were guilty, and he told me in every detail how he had framed a set of alibis for them." and
"But the fearless Sinclair was left a conflicted man by what Sacco and Vanzetti's lawyer — and later others in the anarchist movement — told him."
Fearless?
"My wife is absolutely certain that if I tell what I believe, I will be called a traitor to the movement and may not live to finish the book," Sinclair wrote Robert Minor, a confidant at the Socialist Daily Worker in New York, in 1927."
"He also worried that revealing what he had been told would cost him readers. "It is much better copy as a naïve defense of Sacco and Vanzetti because this is what all my foreign readers expect, and they are 90% of my public," he wrote to Minor."
So the 'fearless' Mr. Sinclair wrote a book painting the two as railroaded innocents even though he knew they were guilty and had said he was going to "write the truth about the case."
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Tsunami, a year later
While I was visiting my folks saw two shows, one specifically about the tsunami, the other one of the Discovery Channel "Here's what's going to kill you next!" shows. The second had good points, including a team scouting the sea floor around the fault area and finding some really amazing evidence of how strong the quake was and precisely how it generated the tsunami.
The first had a lot of video I hadn't seen before, and some of it was scary as hell. Most of the early stuff I saw either was from areas where the wave height wasn't that great, or you just couldn't tell because of angle, obstacles to view, etc. Some of this showed the proverbial 'wall of water' slamming in. One was from a beach where when the water pulled out, a lot of people went to the beach to see; you can hear the two people shooting it talking, finally one says 'tsunami', and finally someone realizes what's about to happen when they see the wave building in the distance and started yelling, too late. One guy who must not have believed what he was seeing was still standing on the beach when it hit him.
One from Banda Aceh showed a city street when the water started up. The first like a spill moving up, then deeper with timbers and cars and bicycles and people rushing along at(I'd guess) a good 20 mph. A couple of guys who'd been caught actually jumping along the mass of wreckage until they were able to jump onto some stuff trapped against a building and made it to safety.
I think the worst was someone shooting from the second or third story of a hotel; a half-dozen women were in the lee of a small building trying to hold on. The photographer zoomed in on one for a few moments; she was screaming and trying to hold on to another woman, then the photographer zoomed back out, and a few seconds later those two were swept away.
And then the aftermath. Women screaming and crying over the bodies of their children, men and women and children carrying bodies, children looking around for families they'll never see again. A guy sitting beside his bicycle. Apparently he'd been somewhere else when it hit and hurried home. You didn't really need the translation; "My family is gone. I'm the only one left. Why has God abandoned me?" The despair in that voice was enough to give you nightmares all by itself.
A quarter of a million dead. Something like 50,000 missing. People saying they'll not believe their family is dead until they see the bodies, which means never.
A few years ago an F5 tornado passed nearby, thanks to modern forecasting and chasers only a few died in a storm with winds of 319mph(I drove through an area that took the full brunt about two weeks later; pictures cannot do justice to the sight). The Gulf coast states take hurricanes every year, some of which can be terrible. Blizzards can still, forecasting or no, slam you with little warning. Rogue waves on the ocean can destroy ships. Earthquakes, almost always with no warning. Volcanos can sit rumbling and making people nervous for months and do nothing else, or can go from the first quakes to full eruption in days and kill thousands. Remember Nevado del Ruiz in Columbia? Actually not much of an eruption, but the mudflows it generated killed tens of thousands.
I can't remember who, but when I was little I heard or read someone saying about any body of water "If you don't respect it, it can kill you without a moments notice, and the water won't care". That pretty much goes for much of the planet and many of the creatures on it. Spiders and snakes and sharks and blue-ringed octopi and lions and hyenas and buffalo and fish and cattle and pigs and dogs and so on. But normally- make that 'usually'- they don't whack people in such numbers.
I still remember one picture from the days after the wave. One baby's hand sticking out of some rubble. I pretty much summed it up.
Note: Michelle Malkin has this link to Storm Track, which links to some of the videos.
The first had a lot of video I hadn't seen before, and some of it was scary as hell. Most of the early stuff I saw either was from areas where the wave height wasn't that great, or you just couldn't tell because of angle, obstacles to view, etc. Some of this showed the proverbial 'wall of water' slamming in. One was from a beach where when the water pulled out, a lot of people went to the beach to see; you can hear the two people shooting it talking, finally one says 'tsunami', and finally someone realizes what's about to happen when they see the wave building in the distance and started yelling, too late. One guy who must not have believed what he was seeing was still standing on the beach when it hit him.
One from Banda Aceh showed a city street when the water started up. The first like a spill moving up, then deeper with timbers and cars and bicycles and people rushing along at(I'd guess) a good 20 mph. A couple of guys who'd been caught actually jumping along the mass of wreckage until they were able to jump onto some stuff trapped against a building and made it to safety.
I think the worst was someone shooting from the second or third story of a hotel; a half-dozen women were in the lee of a small building trying to hold on. The photographer zoomed in on one for a few moments; she was screaming and trying to hold on to another woman, then the photographer zoomed back out, and a few seconds later those two were swept away.
And then the aftermath. Women screaming and crying over the bodies of their children, men and women and children carrying bodies, children looking around for families they'll never see again. A guy sitting beside his bicycle. Apparently he'd been somewhere else when it hit and hurried home. You didn't really need the translation; "My family is gone. I'm the only one left. Why has God abandoned me?" The despair in that voice was enough to give you nightmares all by itself.
A quarter of a million dead. Something like 50,000 missing. People saying they'll not believe their family is dead until they see the bodies, which means never.
A few years ago an F5 tornado passed nearby, thanks to modern forecasting and chasers only a few died in a storm with winds of 319mph(I drove through an area that took the full brunt about two weeks later; pictures cannot do justice to the sight). The Gulf coast states take hurricanes every year, some of which can be terrible. Blizzards can still, forecasting or no, slam you with little warning. Rogue waves on the ocean can destroy ships. Earthquakes, almost always with no warning. Volcanos can sit rumbling and making people nervous for months and do nothing else, or can go from the first quakes to full eruption in days and kill thousands. Remember Nevado del Ruiz in Columbia? Actually not much of an eruption, but the mudflows it generated killed tens of thousands.
I can't remember who, but when I was little I heard or read someone saying about any body of water "If you don't respect it, it can kill you without a moments notice, and the water won't care". That pretty much goes for much of the planet and many of the creatures on it. Spiders and snakes and sharks and blue-ringed octopi and lions and hyenas and buffalo and fish and cattle and pigs and dogs and so on. But normally- make that 'usually'- they don't whack people in such numbers.
I still remember one picture from the days after the wave. One baby's hand sticking out of some rubble. I pretty much summed it up.
Note: Michelle Malkin has this link to Storm Track, which links to some of the videos.
Happy Early New Year!
Just in case I forget later.
Remember I said I don't like working on ladders and roofs? Went down to see my folks the past couple of days and helped Dad take down the last of that tree we'd worked on before. Wasn't a lot left, and we got all we needed to cut before the wind got really nasty yesterday. Very happily without me falling from any great height.
I am trying to decide what to do, if anything, for New Years. Most of the folks I know don't go out to party, and I don't particularly enjoy spending the evening around a bunch of noisy drunks. I also have a great dislike of driving while some of these fools are on the road; I drive a truck, not a light armored vehicle. At this point I think I'll stay home and drink a little good stuff.
That's another factor; for what three or four drinks cost anymore, I can buy a bottle of good whiskey. So I don't generally drink when I go out, other than a beer or two in some cases.
Well, it's still a couple of days away. We'll see what turns up.
Remember I said I don't like working on ladders and roofs? Went down to see my folks the past couple of days and helped Dad take down the last of that tree we'd worked on before. Wasn't a lot left, and we got all we needed to cut before the wind got really nasty yesterday. Very happily without me falling from any great height.
I am trying to decide what to do, if anything, for New Years. Most of the folks I know don't go out to party, and I don't particularly enjoy spending the evening around a bunch of noisy drunks. I also have a great dislike of driving while some of these fools are on the road; I drive a truck, not a light armored vehicle. At this point I think I'll stay home and drink a little good stuff.
That's another factor; for what three or four drinks cost anymore, I can buy a bottle of good whiskey. So I don't generally drink when I go out, other than a beer or two in some cases.
Well, it's still a couple of days away. We'll see what turns up.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
This is a lousy thing to go into on this day,
but I have to.
I've only been over at Junkyard Blog a couple of times; no idea why not more often. Today I clicked over there, and found this post about Spielberg's new movie. I'd already heard enough about it to know I'll not put money in his pocket by seeing it; he also linked to this article which has a pretty good critique of Spielberg's point of view and the movie, and some in-depth information about the murders in Munich and what led up to them than I'd not seen before. It also has some information about the aftermath, in specific:
I remember hearing some at the time of the hijacking of a German airliner by Palistinians who wanted the three terrorists who'd been captured released. They were released. This is something I never heard a hint of before now:
"In the course of the making of the documentary film and writing of the book One Day in September, it was revealed that the hijacking had been set up between Black September and the German government."
Read it all. Then remember that the German government just released the terrorist who'd murderered an American, refusing us any opportunity to extradite him. And the damn Lebanese government, who held him for a short time, turned him loose.
Some things seem to hold true over time. One is that we can't trust many governments to give a rat's ass about what terrorists do to Israeli and American citazens; if they do care, it's only enough to give themselves some cover.
The other? Never trust those people to do something about the terrorists. A bit unfair? Maybe for some people over there, but recent history has shown that too many people in too many positions of power actually seem to delight in our people being murdered.
I didn't know squat about politics at the time of the Munich murders; I did know that when I heard later the Israeli's were hunting down the guilty and killing them, I thought "Good!". Looks like we need to have some people going hunting, too.
I've only been over at Junkyard Blog a couple of times; no idea why not more often. Today I clicked over there, and found this post about Spielberg's new movie. I'd already heard enough about it to know I'll not put money in his pocket by seeing it; he also linked to this article which has a pretty good critique of Spielberg's point of view and the movie, and some in-depth information about the murders in Munich and what led up to them than I'd not seen before. It also has some information about the aftermath, in specific:
I remember hearing some at the time of the hijacking of a German airliner by Palistinians who wanted the three terrorists who'd been captured released. They were released. This is something I never heard a hint of before now:
"In the course of the making of the documentary film and writing of the book One Day in September, it was revealed that the hijacking had been set up between Black September and the German government."
Read it all. Then remember that the German government just released the terrorist who'd murderered an American, refusing us any opportunity to extradite him. And the damn Lebanese government, who held him for a short time, turned him loose.
Some things seem to hold true over time. One is that we can't trust many governments to give a rat's ass about what terrorists do to Israeli and American citazens; if they do care, it's only enough to give themselves some cover.
The other? Never trust those people to do something about the terrorists. A bit unfair? Maybe for some people over there, but recent history has shown that too many people in too many positions of power actually seem to delight in our people being murdered.
I didn't know squat about politics at the time of the Munich murders; I did know that when I heard later the Israeli's were hunting down the guilty and killing them, I thought "Good!". Looks like we need to have some people going hunting, too.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Merry Christmas to all!
Or Happy Solstice, or Happy Day Off Work or whatever. That doesn't cover it? Screw you, just be happy.
My present for you is this for the devoted of the 1911:
(found in a post at The High Road)
My present for you is this for the devoted of the 1911:
(found in a post at The High Road)
Friday, December 23, 2005
All hail the fish!
I just checked my status at Truth Laid Bear, and I'm now a Flippery Fish.
Whatever the hell that means.
Hey, Sondra, wanna bass around?
Whatever the hell that means.
Hey, Sondra, wanna bass around?
Over at Moral Flexibility found this post on the 'get out of the country' response by a bigshot Liberal politician to an upset sport shooter. Down in the comments found an interesting piece of crap. I left a comment, but apparently it didn't meet with the moderator's approval, so I'll do it here:
I must admit I have to chuckle every time I hear an American brag about their vaunted liberties and freedoms. Yes, I’m sure that if you’re white, rich and well-connected, America can be a great place to live.
Yeah, that explains all the rich white Mexicans and everybody else crawling over each other to get here.
I must admit I have to chuckle every time I hear an American brag about their vaunted liberties and freedoms. Yes, I’m sure that if you’re white, rich and well-connected, America can be a great place to live.
Yeah, that explains all the rich white Mexicans and everybody else crawling over each other to get here.
Certainly, Canada is not without its own problems. But, unlike the U.S. Constitution, which is being progressively eroded (especially with respect to the First, Fourth and Sixth Amendments) by expedient legislation such as the ‘Patriot Act’, Canadians’ rights under our Charter remain largely intact.
"Largely intact"? Like a previous mention of private property rights basically being written out of the Charter by Trudeau? And the current crap going on? Ok.
I still have confidence that I won’t be rousted off an inter-city bus by armed constabulary at 3:00 a.m. for an unreasonable search, as happened to me in Arkansas last year. Admittedly, as an alien, I could claim no protection under your Constitution, but I watched as several dozen Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights were flagrantly violated. Presumably with impunity, because they were black, poor and politically unconnected.
Not having any knowledge of the incident you speak of, I'll only comment that based on your other comments, I have great suspicion that what you describe leaves a lot out.
By most objective international standards, the quality of life in the US is on the decline. As the gulf between the rich and poor widens, as compromises in personal freedoms are introduced in the name of ‘national security’, as political corruption continues largely unabated, claims of ‘liberty’ and ‘freedom’ ring somewhat hollow.
Hee, I guess compared to the gentle social life in France, and the huge unemployment, and the people being murdered by Islamists, our lives must seem pretty bad. Though I keep reading about middle-class people in other countries who want to live like the 'poor' do here, and most millionairs here are self-made, so I must be missing something. Like just what your 'objective international standards' are. Political corruption? You mean like the finance and bribery scandals that got your PM and party a no-confidence vote? Guess we'll have to work harder to live down to your standards.
Claims of democracy are hollow without an informed electorate, a viable and free press and freedom from censorship. America has now dropped to forty-fourth place in the world in terms of freedom of the press (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_Without_Borders)
If I remember right, this is one of those organizations that think Castro and his little buttmonkey in Venezuela are wonders; so screw their opinion.
America’s record on human rights abuses has become a scandal (http://web.amnesty.org/report2004/usa-summary-eng), it now leads the world in incarceration rates (http://www.sentencingproject.org/pdfs/pub9036.pdf),
continues to slip on the UN’s ‘Human Development Index’, falling to tenth place in 2005 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index), largely reflecting its levels of poverty and inequality.
To quote somebody in the comments, I wouldn't cross the street to piss on Amnesty International; they suck up to every anti-American, anti-capitalist and anti-Jewish weenie in the world. Screw them too.
America is a great nation. But it could be a true world leader with a rational foreign policy and improved social equality for its citizens.
First, we're a great nation party BECAUSE we don't have what you probably define as a 'rational foreign policy', which probably means "hand over the keys to the UN and EU and let them run your lives". And 'improved social equality' tends to be code for 'socialist control of the country and everyone/everything in it; no thank you, we've seen how that crap works in other places. So you just go ahead and feel superior; I'm sure the terrorists and sympathizers your current government has let into the country will get to you eventually.
Jackass.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Ok, this is NOT a cheery day
Found a post over at Clayton Cramer's on- ready?-
"Around the holidays, the biggest challenge for many theater companies is convincing audiences to care about yet another staging of "A Christmas Carol." This season in Atlanta, however, Actor's Express wants to stir up buzz about a less familiar property -- namely, a pedophile musical."
Somehow, I don't think 'stirring up a buzz' about this will be a problem.
On the upside, some of the real pedophiles are really, really stupid.
"Around the holidays, the biggest challenge for many theater companies is convincing audiences to care about yet another staging of "A Christmas Carol." This season in Atlanta, however, Actor's Express wants to stir up buzz about a less familiar property -- namely, a pedophile musical."
Somehow, I don't think 'stirring up a buzz' about this will be a problem.
On the upside, some of the real pedophiles are really, really stupid.
And so much for my hopes for Lebanon
Found this at Little Green Footballs.
I just love this from the Lebanese PM:"“Originally they (the U.S. government) could have requested that Germany hand him over. Why are they asking us?” Siniora told reporters. “He served his sentence in Germany and there are measures that will be completed in Lebanon ... Why are they asking us now?”
We DID ask the krauts, you little bastard, as you damn well know, and they turned the dirtbag loose anyway; THAT'S why we asked you!!
Apparently all the murders and bombings and etc. by this bastard and his friends weren't enough to sour the Lebanese- at least the politicians- on giving cover to them.
I just love this from the Lebanese PM:"“Originally they (the U.S. government) could have requested that Germany hand him over. Why are they asking us?” Siniora told reporters. “He served his sentence in Germany and there are measures that will be completed in Lebanon ... Why are they asking us now?”
We DID ask the krauts, you little bastard, as you damn well know, and they turned the dirtbag loose anyway; THAT'S why we asked you!!
Apparently all the murders and bombings and etc. by this bastard and his friends weren't enough to sour the Lebanese- at least the politicians- on giving cover to them.
And some people from New Orleans really are dickheads
Yeah, my language is going downhill; sometimes I don't care.
About three months ago my ex agreed to let a guy from NO who was about to lose his hotel room stay at her house. I wasn't thrilled(my daughter still lives there), but a: I was assured that he was on the list of people who'd been checked out and b: I had no say in it anyway. Seemed like a decent sort after I'd met him.
About a month ago he got word he had a FEMA trailer and a job waiting for him, the trailer for use 'till his house settlement was sorted out. He needed to get back quickly, the buses and airlines were full-up, so they agreed to drive him back. He promised to pay back the gas money.
No money arrived, and my daughter told me the other day that the dickhead has changed his phone number. So no address, no phone number, and a Louisiana dickhead cheated them out of money they couldn't afford to lose.
I just LOVE people sometimes.
About three months ago my ex agreed to let a guy from NO who was about to lose his hotel room stay at her house. I wasn't thrilled(my daughter still lives there), but a: I was assured that he was on the list of people who'd been checked out and b: I had no say in it anyway. Seemed like a decent sort after I'd met him.
About a month ago he got word he had a FEMA trailer and a job waiting for him, the trailer for use 'till his house settlement was sorted out. He needed to get back quickly, the buses and airlines were full-up, so they agreed to drive him back. He promised to pay back the gas money.
No money arrived, and my daughter told me the other day that the dickhead has changed his phone number. So no address, no phone number, and a Louisiana dickhead cheated them out of money they couldn't afford to lose.
I just LOVE people sometimes.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Update on the slimy Krauts action
More accurately, the followup; Lebanese authorities grabbed the scum-sucking waste-of-oxygen terrorist when he landed. So at this point the little pile of pig crap isn't getting backslapped by his Hezbollah buddies, and there's a fair chance he'll be extradited for trial here.
I'm thinking after we fry him, we bury the body in something appropriate, or in an appropriate place. Like a latrine, or a hog farm.
And to the German authorities: you suck. You suck so hard there's an imitation black hole in northern Europe. You sucked up to Saddam, you sold out to him, and now you sold out to a bunch of murdering terrorists. Fuck you and all your little socialist brethren, and I hope it'll be a cold day in three hells before we give you one hand out of the mess you've dug yourselves into.
I'm thinking after we fry him, we bury the body in something appropriate, or in an appropriate place. Like a latrine, or a hog farm.
And to the German authorities: you suck. You suck so hard there's an imitation black hole in northern Europe. You sucked up to Saddam, you sold out to him, and now you sold out to a bunch of murdering terrorists. Fuck you and all your little socialist brethren, and I hope it'll be a cold day in three hells before we give you one hand out of the mess you've dug yourselves into.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Oh, Germany?
You can kiss our collective ass
Let's see, sucking up to Saddam, violating the sanctions you said 'needed more time to work', selling him weapons and tech... check. Releasing a terrorist murderer sentanced to 'life', even though there's a waiting request for his extradition from us? Check. Sitting with France and Russia and calling us names and undercutting us in the war? Check.
Yeah, you can kiss our ass. Assuming we don't give a great big crap on you when you try, you gutless collection of socialist assholes.
But I repeat myself.
Let's see, sucking up to Saddam, violating the sanctions you said 'needed more time to work', selling him weapons and tech... check. Releasing a terrorist murderer sentanced to 'life', even though there's a waiting request for his extradition from us? Check. Sitting with France and Russia and calling us names and undercutting us in the war? Check.
Yeah, you can kiss our ass. Assuming we don't give a great big crap on you when you try, you gutless collection of socialist assholes.
But I repeat myself.
About the fudge,
Kevin asked, so,
1.5 cup sugar
2/3 cup (5 oz.) evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups mini-marshmallows
1.5 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Line a 8x8" pan with foil.
Combine the sugar, milk, butter and salt in a(preferably) non-stick saucepan. Heat until it's melted, then bring it to a full boil. You have to keep it at the boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, stir in everything else and keep stirring 'till all the marshmallows & chips are melted and mixed in.
Pour into the pan, spread it out level, and let it cool. Then refrigerate for at least two hours. After that you should be able to remove it, peel off the foil and cut it up. Then proceed to torture friends and family with it.
I didn't have a pan that size, so I bought some of the cheap foil pans(3/$1) and used that without lining. With luck, the slab, when cold, will pop out and you can reuse the pan.
Screw the '1/2 cup pecans', I used 2 cups in the last batch, and it came out great. If you don't like that many, cut it back. Up to you.
And I'd suggest getting all the stuff ready in a bowl or two so you can just dump it in when you take the pot off the heat; the cooler it gets, the harder it is to mix up.
1.5 cup sugar
2/3 cup (5 oz.) evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups mini-marshmallows
1.5 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Line a 8x8" pan with foil.
Combine the sugar, milk, butter and salt in a(preferably) non-stick saucepan. Heat until it's melted, then bring it to a full boil. You have to keep it at the boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, stir in everything else and keep stirring 'till all the marshmallows & chips are melted and mixed in.
Pour into the pan, spread it out level, and let it cool. Then refrigerate for at least two hours. After that you should be able to remove it, peel off the foil and cut it up. Then proceed to torture friends and family with it.
I didn't have a pan that size, so I bought some of the cheap foil pans(3/$1) and used that without lining. With luck, the slab, when cold, will pop out and you can reuse the pan.
Screw the '1/2 cup pecans', I used 2 cups in the last batch, and it came out great. If you don't like that many, cut it back. Up to you.
And I'd suggest getting all the stuff ready in a bowl or two so you can just dump it in when you take the pot off the heat; the cooler it gets, the harder it is to mix up.
Oh, Canada,
you're determined to follow Britain down the toilet, aren't you?
Lots of gunbloggers(the Geek here, for instance) have been pointing at the promise(threat?) by Prime Minister Martin that if his Liberal party wins the next election he'll move to ban handguns. This is, of course, after years of telling people "registration has nothing to do with eventual confiscation, nothing at all!". Which, of course, was bull; it's the same with these clowns as with the VPC and Brady group weenies here, lie about what you want to do so you can do it a little at a time.
And the Liberal party has pretty much made it clear what it thinks of anyone who disagrees that this is a good idea, one of their weenies telling an upset voter "take your NRA gun loving ass back to the U.S. where you belong".
For anyone tempted by the though of "Well, if we give a little it won't be too bad, and what's so horrible about having to have a license to own firearms?", I give you this from Moral Flexability:
"My original thought was that a registry, assuming the government doesn’t have a hidden agenda seeking to disarm the populace, was not a bad idea. Owners should be licenced and the firearms should be registered. Much like vehicles. For the few million price tag originally forcast, it seemed like a good idea.
Lots of gunbloggers(the Geek here, for instance) have been pointing at the promise(threat?) by Prime Minister Martin that if his Liberal party wins the next election he'll move to ban handguns. This is, of course, after years of telling people "registration has nothing to do with eventual confiscation, nothing at all!". Which, of course, was bull; it's the same with these clowns as with the VPC and Brady group weenies here, lie about what you want to do so you can do it a little at a time.
And the Liberal party has pretty much made it clear what it thinks of anyone who disagrees that this is a good idea, one of their weenies telling an upset voter "take your NRA gun loving ass back to the U.S. where you belong".
For anyone tempted by the though of "Well, if we give a little it won't be too bad, and what's so horrible about having to have a license to own firearms?", I give you this from Moral Flexability:
"My original thought was that a registry, assuming the government doesn’t have a hidden agenda seeking to disarm the populace, was not a bad idea. Owners should be licenced and the firearms should be registered. Much like vehicles. For the few million price tag originally forcast, it seemed like a good idea.
Even in my short time as a recreational shooter and gun owner I’ve watched the “incremental approach” you’ve described begin it’s magic, No more I say. Moderation has entirely failed to serve the firearms owners of this country."
In EVERY CASE I have ever read of, registration HAS been followed by confiscation, either of a particular type of firearm(as a start) or as a blanket thing. Hell, look what happened in California with the registry of 'assault weapons'(all for the public safety, of course). SKS owners were assured their rifles were clear, then about a year later the AG changed his mind and added them to the banned list. And it goes on from there.
The only reason for registration of firearms is to a: make it more difficult/expensive to own them and b: to make it easier to confiscate them down the road. Period. People like Sen. Schumer here make speeches on news shows about how he's only for 'common-sense gun safety laws', but when speaking to the believers he says every law is only a step toward a total ban. If they say it's about crime, they're lying; I've had a couple of people admit it would do nothing toward stopping crime, they just don't think gun ownership should be allowed.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Ok, this stuff is GOOD!
I tried making some fudge for the first time a while back. Got the recipe from my daughter, and made two changes; added more pecans and used some different chocolate chips.
I found some Ghirardelli chips that are 60% cocoa, and I'd intended to make cookies to try them out. Instead, I used them for the fudge.
Oh, this is almost as good as I remember sex to be. I mean DAMN, it's good stuff.
A lady I work with found out about a month ago- about two months after her husband's last leave- that she's pregnant: Good Thing. Bad Things: hubby is back over in the sandbox, and she's been having morning sickness. So I took some for her to try(have you ever met a woman that chocolate didn't cheer up at least a little?), and she's implied it helps the sickness. I'm not sure, I think she's just using that to guilt me into bringing more in.
The place I found the chips no longer has them, but I found another that carries big bags at a good price, so I've got fudge makings for a while. They make good cookies, too; you can taste a definate difference from the chips I usually use, but it's a good difference.
Dammit, now I want some. Fudge, I mean.
Well, sex too, but there's fudge in the house. Damn, I need to get out more.
I found some Ghirardelli chips that are 60% cocoa, and I'd intended to make cookies to try them out. Instead, I used them for the fudge.
Oh, this is almost as good as I remember sex to be. I mean DAMN, it's good stuff.
A lady I work with found out about a month ago- about two months after her husband's last leave- that she's pregnant: Good Thing. Bad Things: hubby is back over in the sandbox, and she's been having morning sickness. So I took some for her to try(have you ever met a woman that chocolate didn't cheer up at least a little?), and she's implied it helps the sickness. I'm not sure, I think she's just using that to guilt me into bringing more in.
The place I found the chips no longer has them, but I found another that carries big bags at a good price, so I've got fudge makings for a while. They make good cookies, too; you can taste a definate difference from the chips I usually use, but it's a good difference.
Dammit, now I want some. Fudge, I mean.
Well, sex too, but there's fudge in the house. Damn, I need to get out more.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Some more news on the OKC Bombing comes out
KTOK reported this a few days ago:
"The McCurtain Daily Gazette reports today government documents show a US spy satellite targeted the eastern Oklahoma compound called Elohim city after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing."
You know, the compound that various feds said- under oath in court- they were never interested in, didn't know anything about in relation to the bombing? That one?
KTOK has a link to the article, but I can't get it to come up right now. The Gazette's site has an archive to their articles on this mess here, though.
"The McCurtain Daily Gazette reports today government documents show a US spy satellite targeted the eastern Oklahoma compound called Elohim city after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing."
You know, the compound that various feds said- under oath in court- they were never interested in, didn't know anything about in relation to the bombing? That one?
KTOK has a link to the article, but I can't get it to come up right now. The Gazette's site has an archive to their articles on this mess here, though.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Books
Not in general, a specific series.
Glen Cook is a pretty good writer. I know his work mostly from two series, The Black Company and the one I'm talking about now, The Garrett Files. Garrett is an ex-marine earning a living as a private agent in a city called TunFaire. There's lots of PI's out there, but his world has some differences: magic works, and there are elves of various breeds and ogres and dwarves out there; mixed with pretty women and villains most vile. His partner is The Dead Man. Literally. Well, not a man, but a Loghyr, a species that has several differences from humans, including a: when dead it takes a long time for their body to decay and b: when killed, sometimes their spirit doesn't go away; it stays with the body, sometimes for a long time.
It's what I used to hear referred to as sword & sorcery fiction, though with the storylines I guess you could call it sword & sorcery mysteries. I like them. Garrett is a believable character, and he's not the only one. The magic is often a factor in a story, but it's not there simply to make a complication, it's part of the story.
The first few aren't in print now that I know of, but they can often be found used(Sweet Silver Blues, for instance). Happily, they do well as standalone stories, not requiring you to read them in sequence.
You get a chance, check them out; you just might like them.
Glen Cook is a pretty good writer. I know his work mostly from two series, The Black Company and the one I'm talking about now, The Garrett Files. Garrett is an ex-marine earning a living as a private agent in a city called TunFaire. There's lots of PI's out there, but his world has some differences: magic works, and there are elves of various breeds and ogres and dwarves out there; mixed with pretty women and villains most vile. His partner is The Dead Man. Literally. Well, not a man, but a Loghyr, a species that has several differences from humans, including a: when dead it takes a long time for their body to decay and b: when killed, sometimes their spirit doesn't go away; it stays with the body, sometimes for a long time.
It's what I used to hear referred to as sword & sorcery fiction, though with the storylines I guess you could call it sword & sorcery mysteries. I like them. Garrett is a believable character, and he's not the only one. The magic is often a factor in a story, but it's not there simply to make a complication, it's part of the story.
The first few aren't in print now that I know of, but they can often be found used(Sweet Silver Blues, for instance). Happily, they do well as standalone stories, not requiring you to read them in sequence.
You get a chance, check them out; you just might like them.
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