Jimmy Doohan...

James Doohan died today

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor James Doohan, best known as the feisty, Scottish-accented chief engineer on television's original "Star Trek" series -- a role immortalized by the catch phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" -- died on Wednesday at age 85, his manager said.

Doohan died at his home in the Seattle suburb of Redmond, Washington, of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, about a year after he was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological illness, manager Steve Stevens said in an interview.

You know, I could say something silly like "Scotty was beamed up one last time" or some such bullshit, but this really is sad to me.

Yeah yeah I never knew the man, how can he have any impact on my life etc...

Well first, I did meet him at a few events, and he was a very fine gentleman in my own limited experience, and in all reports i have ever heard. He appreciated the fans who loved him.

But more importantly, Scotty was the first "hero engineer" most of us were exposed to. The miracle wworker... A characterization that I can't imagine anyone else delivering, scotty was both an element of humor, and of reassurance in the star trek universe.

I think my absolute favorite scotty moments came in Star Trek IV. I mean he had just about the best line of the movie with "Keyboard... How quaint"

It's funny, but its the anniversary of Apollo 11 today. I think that Jimmy would have liked that.

Masada

WHEN Bassus was dead in Judea, Flavius Silva succeeded him as procurator there; who, when he saw that all the rest of the country was subdued in this war, and that there was but one only strong hold that was still in rebellion, he got all his army together that lay in different places, and made an expedition against it.

This fortress was called Masada. It was one Eleazar, a potent man, and the commander of these Sicarii, that had seized upon it. He was a descendant from that Judas who had persuaded abundance of the Jews, as we have formerly related, not to submit to the taxation when Cyrenius was sent into Judea to make one; for then it was that the Sicarii got together against those that were willing to submit to the Romans, and treated them in all respects as if they had been their enemies, both by plundering them of what they had, by driving away their cattle, and by setting fire to their houses; for they said that they differed not at all from foreigners, by betraying, in so cowardly a manner, that freedom which Jews thought worthy to be contended for to the utmost, and by owning that they preferred slavery under the Romans before such a contention.

--Josephus

I mentioned Masada in my previous post about Israel, "Israelis have guts", and I realized, theres probably a hell of a lot of folks who don't know what I'm talking about.

“Since we long ago resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God Himself, Who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice...We were the very first that revolted, and we are the last to fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that God has granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a state of freedom.”

-- Elazar ben Yair, Patriarch of Masada

Here is an excerpt from israel.org about Masada:

By the middle of the first century CE, Masada was held by a small group of Jewish fighting men and their families. When, in 70 CE, after four years of full-scale Jewish revolt against Rome, the Roman General Titus conquered and sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple, a number of warriors evaded capture and joined the group at Masada. Together they numbered less than 1000 souls.

For two years their control of Masada remained unchallenged. Then, in 72 CE, the Roman governor Flavius Silva moved up the 15,000-man Tenth Legion, which camped at the foot of the mountain stronghold and besieged the defending force entrenched on its summit. The Romans built a wall around Masada, as well as a massive ramp of boulders and earth. We are told by the historian Josephus Flavius - who based his story on the testimony of two survivors - how the defenders watched these preparations for the onslaught.

When the defenders' leader, Eleazar ben Ya'ir, realized that the end was near, he bade his followers to remain true to the cause for which they had fought so long and so valiantly. "Let us rather die", he cried, "than be enslaved by our enemy. Let us leave this world in freedom". Nine hundred and sixty men, women and children died by their own hands. The men embraced their wives and children and put them to the sword. Next, lots were cast, and ten men were chosen to take the lives of their comrades. Finally, the last surviving warrior set fire to the palace and fell upon his own blade. The defenders had left untouched abundant supplies of food and water, so that the Romans might know that they had preferred death to enslavement.

Let us rather die than be enslaved by our enemy. This is the spirit that motivates the israelies today, to resist islamist terror.

This was the spirit that inspired the warsaw ghetto uprising in 1943:

Support from outside the Ghetto was limited, but Polish units from Armia Krajowa (AK) and Gwardia Ludowa sporadically attacked German sentry units near the ghetto walls and attempted to smuggle weapons and ammunition inside. One Polish unit from AK, namely KB under the command of Henryk Iwanski, even fought inside the Ghetto together with ZZW. The AK tried twice to blow up the Ghetto Wall, but without much success.

The final battle started on the eve of Passover, April 19, 1943. Jewish partisans shot and threw grenades at German and allied patrols from alleyways, sewers, house windows, and even burning buildings. The Nazis responded by shelling the houses block by block and rounding up or killing any Jew they could capture. Significant resistance ended on April 23, and the uprising ended on May 16. Nevertheless, sporadic shooting could be heard in the area of the Ghetto throughout the summer of 1943.

So tell me, why are American jews so different? Why are they not defiant? Why are they not denouncing terror? Why are they not arming themselves? Why are they against the war...?

Or at least, most politically active or vocal American jewish groups are very much against the war. In fact most jewish groups in America are flamingly lefty, and organized Jewish politics were once very strongly associated with communism in America.

Near and dear to my own heart, most organized Jewish groups (except JPFO who I support wholeheartedely, and have donated to) are explicitly anti gun; yet there is little support for this theologically.

Beresheis 4:23, Ramban: “The sword is not the cause of murder, and there is no sin upon him who made it.”

A weapon, is neutral; It can be used for good or for evil. Calling guns evil or bad is non-sensical, fbecause gun can be used in self-defense. The Torah makes very clear that self defense is a fundamental right.

The Torah (Exodus 22.2) says that a householder may kill a burglar to save his own life.

Gemara Sanhedrin (72A) says: “He who rises to kill you, you must kill first.”

Actually, most of the orthodox and/or conservative jews I know outside of New York strongly support private gun ownership, generally because they remember, every day, what happens to an unarmed populace. That said however, there arent a heck of a lot of jews outside New York, the Northeast, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and California.

So how did Judaism go from Masada and Warsaw, to "Jewish Students for Palestinian freedom"?

This is a topic that has been debated among Jews of various political persuasions for a loooong time (at least a few hundred years at this point).

The modern American Jewish tendency towards irrational liberalism has far too many causes to talk about in less than a thick book, but let’s start with the history of jews since the second temple, the politics of Europe from the middle ages to today, and a good solid dose of self hatred in the grandest tradition of minority groups everywhere.

A good friend of mine is a Rabbi, a former gun owner and hunter, and a libertarian. He’s originally from Pennsylvania but is now living in London, married to a nice jewish girl from a good family.

He’s also one of the smartest, and most decent people I’ve ever met, but the only evil he is able to percieve is that of anti-semitism, which he seems to see in… well almost everything that isn’t 100% supportive of israel.

This atitude seems to be almost unique to American Judaism, London jews being the major exception (they tend to be even more liberal than American Jews).

This is most probably because America is just about the only place where Jews don’t have the fact that most of the world hates them graphically demonstrated on a daily basis... Unless you live in berkley that is.

Another of my good friends is a VERY conservative taditionalist jew from Switzerland. Her considered experience is that Switzerland is a very polite, very orderly country where Jews, who are a small but significant percentage of the population, are very politely and quietly detested.

And France? The best demonstration of the state of affairs in France has to be this: Hoax or not, the reports last year of a woman being assaulted on the Paris metro for being Jewish, while 20 people watched and did nothing, didn’t particularly shock anyone who’s been paying attention.

So we know why Jews AREN’T so liberal in other places, why ARE they so solidly liberal here?

Well how about the fact that perhaps 1/2 of all Jews in America live and/or grew up in the northeast (as did I, as a catholic) which is about as solidly liberal as is possible in a country divided so evenly down the left/right line.

Then there’s the fact that Jews in America tend to be better educated (yes it’s a sterotype, but demographic statistics say it’s also true), and the “good” colleges and universities in America have been institutions of liberal indoctrination since the ‘60’s

The folks that have dominated significant jewish thinking both religiously and politically in America since the ‘60’s have either been ultra liberal, or ultra conservative, and those on the ultraconservative side have only had one issue, Israel.

Oh and and coincidentally they’ve been, quite frankly, such total whackjobs that they made the ultraliberals look good in comparison.

Take all of these things together, and they have some pretty wide reaching implications.

It’s only been very recently that what people now call “neo-cons” (who have been writing the same stuff in policy journals since the late 60’s) have gotten any attention, or presented any real alternative to the lunatics on both sides. Here’s hoping we get a heck of a lot more of that.

But really lets go into it a little deeper here.

Above I said that Jews as a demographic are better educated. According to intelligence researchers, when looking at certain subgroups of Jews, they are also as a demographic slightly more intelligent

From the results of IQ tests (The Bell Curve - Liberals hate it), Ashkenazi Jews are about 15 IQ points ahead of the standard White Anglo Saxon types (about 1 Standard Deviation). The Sephardic Jews, on the other hand show no real difference from the average.

The best theory I’ve ever seen to explain this is the one was that it was self selection, or rather natural selection in visible action.

For thousands of years the Ashkenazim were in a cultural mode where intellectual performance was by far the most important indicator of success (some might say they still are, and the rest of us are getting there). Quite simply, smart and creative people got married and had kids far more than those of “average” (or below) intellect.

The Ashkenazi were also among the more restrictive in their relationships, not only marrying other jews, but generally only marrying other Ashkenazim, which re-inforced this trend (this is even more strongly evidenced in Hassidim).

But this introduced an isolating element. We forget, but in many places the Jews created their OWN ghettoes, to keep others out (okay it's more complicated than that)...

The Ashkenazi wrapped their culture and intellectual achievment around them like a cloak to keep out the hate of the world. They tried to pretend that they were anything more than loathed and barely tolerated anywhere they werent killed outright, as did most jews in western europe.

The Sephardim were even more self isolating, but they achieved a certain level of prominence in middle ages europe. It was this prominence that caused them to be cast out, and persecuted as the first victims of the spanish inquisiton; and they have never recovered.

The Jews been doing this at least since the 5th century with the adoption of christianity as the official state religion of Rome (and on a more limited scale as far back as 400-600 bc). It’s never worked for them for very long.

Funny, this is the same behavior that certain unpopular kids in high school exhibit. It doesn't work for them either.

Oh and It’s also the same basic philosophy that pacifists have been spouting for a few hundred years. Nope, doesnt work for them either.

It seems to be a basic psychological impluse in those that have a high level of threat against them, and little power to respond to it, “maybe if I act enough like them, or if they don’t notice me, they won’t hurt me” .

Okay back onto the "why Jews are liberal in America" a litt more specificially, we need to take a look at the political and social history of political parties in America.

It’s way too long a discussion (and I’ve done too much typing already), but the reason the Jews first came into the democratic party, is the same reason that the Irish (who were and are generally socially incompatible with the core party values); the democratic machine.

Machine politics absolutely dominated the Democratic party from the 1840’s until at least the 1960’s. During this period, unpopular ethnic groups (other than blacks in the south) were actively recruited by gross pandering, patronage, and lots of promises.

They were then encouraged to pit their interests against those of other groups in the party, and of course the other parties, competing for resources in what was presumed to be a zero sum political game.

All of this this reinforced the machine mentality, and the small group factionalization that prevails in the democratic party even today.

Now, lets add into the mix the fact that the largest single religious demographic in the socialist and communist parties in America were Jews... something I will NEVER understand. Remember, there used to be a lot of socialist Jews in eastern europe, but over the past 120 years most of them were killed, imprisoned, or went to Israel (or America)... to my mind a very graphic illustration of why you shouldnt trust the government to keep you safe.

Starting in the 1930’s and then accelerating greatly in the ‘50s-’60s (after HUAC), the democratic party absorbed most of the socialists and communists left in America. This influence is definitely still a major force in the party today.

So now we have a lot of jews here in America who advocate compelete disarmament. They advocate giving in to the culture of victimhood, or in allowing the state to protect them

A comment on Kim Du Toits site from about a year ago had this quote “They say, ‘Never forget!’ but they’ve forgotten what they were supposed to remember.”

For me.. well I wonder how one says "Molon Labe BITCH!" in hebrew...

But to be serious, if I had to chose between Masada and Majanek, I can only hope I would have the courage of Elazar ben Yair:

“We have preferred death before slavery”

Some Long Overdue Blogroll Maintenance

Okay, its been.. I dunno a couple of months since I went through the old blogroll..

Additions:
http://smokeonthewater.typepad.com (Jim is a good guy, and a good writer, I've jsut been reading him off of Kims site for the last two years ... plus he lives on a boat, which is cool, if cramped)
http://www.sgtpundit.blogspot.com (Another one of the good guys)
http://aarons.cc (I kept reading him off others blogrolls)
http://www.coldfury.com (same)

http://lt-smash.us (the indepundit, same thing)
http://triggerfinger.org (Yeah them too)
http://rivrdog.typepad.com (a fine ranter indeed)

Removals:

http://averytooley.com/stereo/ (he pretty much stopped posting, which is too bad)
http://moxie.nu/blog.php (again, she stopped posting)
http://revealedtruth.blogspot.com (yet another who stopped posting)

http://www.blueeyedinfidel.com/ (starting to be a broken record here)
http://www.nataliesolent.blogspot.com/ (still posting, but just "I'm Alive" posts)
http://timblair.net/ (stopped posting anything except Aussie politics and making fun of liberal newspapers)

I know I meant to add more, because of some of the great stuff I've read the past few days, but I jsut plain forgot the rest. Time to look through logs...

Israelis have guts

Apparently pig guts...

Laughing my ass off over here.

Swine: Secret Weapon Against Islamic Terror?
01:00 Feb 13, '04 / 21 Shevat 5764

A suggestion that has been made repeatedly since the start of the Oslo War is about to be adopted by Israel’s police force. According to a report by Maariv, the plan calls for the insertion of bags of pig fat in public buses and other central locations in the hope that it will deter Islamic terrorist suicide bombers aiming for martyrdom from detonating themselves there.

The suggestion is based on the fact that Islam regards the pig as an unclean animal and Muslim law bars any Moslem who touches a pig before dying access to heaven. One of the basic motives for Islamic suicide terrorists is the assurance that as a ‘shahid’ or martyr, their place in paradise is guaranteed as they die in ‘holy martyrdom’ for the sake of Islam.

...

Abdel Malek Dahamshe said, "The ethical inferiority and lowliness that the settlers have reached is intolerable. This is an act of first-degree desecration of God's name." MK Tzvi Hendel responded, "If these primitive murderers stuff their brains with nonsense about Paradise and who-knows-how-many virgins waiting only for them, then they certainly believe in the other nonsense that being buried with pigskin blocks their way to Paradise."

To all those who deride me for my pig fat statement, apparently the Israelis are taking it seriously.

Now I'm not a big fan of Israel politically, because Israel is a poor ally and a poorer friend (they actively run intelligence and paramilitary operations against the US, and have been doing so since 1949). Israelis on the other hand... I love them. They live under CONSTANT THREAT OF ANNIHILATION, and they respond with nothing but balls.

You should visit Haifa, or Tel Aviv some day, and see just how alive those cities are.

Any other place in the world under such threat, the people keep their heads down, and they move quickly from building to building, they cringe at loud noises... I've seen it, and it's ... the word tragic is so overused, and so cheapened by such that I hesitate to use it, but it is appropriate here.

Israel is a different kind of place entirely. People party, and have fun, and enjoy life; while almost every day they read of, and often see horrific violence. They live their lives, not as if there were no threat, because everyone in Israel is VERY alert, but as if that threat didn't matter. They don't let the terrorists stop them from living their lives.

Every day you see beautiful girls in street clothes, some dressed up to go to the clubs; carrying M16 variants and SMGs (it's still mostly UZIs, or at least it was 4 years ago the last time I visited). Some may find that jarring, but to me it's reassuring; it says something about the human spirit.

If you ever have any doubt as to Isreali resolve, I have one word for you: Masada

These people will not be defeated. They may in the end be destroyed, but they will never be defeated.

H/T: Aarons rantblog

And the nominees for best supporting justice are....

John Roberts Jr. ???

Okay, he wasnt on anyones list, and hes never made a ruling in a case I've followed, so I really dont know who he is... and thats the problem.

Of course I wouldn't expect that I would know a lot of federal judges names, and the ones I do it's usually because they are asshats of the first order, but I was really hoping Bush would use this nomination to get a hard fight going.

Basically he hasnt ruled on any cases I was following, or considered important.. or at least if hen has I didnt remember it.

Fellow infidel JohnOC says "Well look at it this way, if you haven't heard of him, it means that he's not one of the ones that Dems have gone out of their way to smear"... which is a good and a bad thing really...

Look I dont really like Bush all that much, but he's a hell of a lot better than anything the dems have had on offer since... ummmm.... I'm thinking real hard here...

My biggest wish for this term, outisde of the GWOT; was that Bush would get to pick two, maybe three supremes (I figured Rhenquist and Kennedy at least. O'Connor wasnt a surprise, but I wasnt sure, The rumors about Ginsberg were completely unexpected to me, I thought she'd wait for a liberal president.), and a hell of a lot of federal judges in general; to maybe take back our constitution somewhat from the lawyers.

Well, it looks like we've got the stupid party backing down all over the place. They hold all the cards, and they dont want to use them for some reason. I dont know what it is... maybe some party hacks are holding them hostage for something...

I want my country back. I want to see 90% of the judicial legacy of the 60's and 70s (everything but straight up civil rights stuff basically) wiped off the map; and we arent going to do it by picking judges that don't piss liberals off..

Honestly, why arent the republicans using this as an opportunity to make the dems look like screaming loonies? That way when it comes time to replace Rhenquist, the Dems have lost all their good face, and political capital fighting the nobody...

Personally, I would have put up someone incredibly qualified, and demographically correct, but who the democrats would be absolutely guarnateed to Bork. There is nothing that could have made them look worse, thus clearing the way for whoever Bush wants for the chief slot... (personal wish, promote Scalia, and replace him with someone even more constructionist).

Okay Sgt. Pundit said it perfectly right here:

"I'm more than a little uneasy about this choice, and besides, I wanted to see Bill Frist and Harry Reid slugging it out on the Senate floor for my own personal amusement. Alas, Roberts will likely be confirmed with only minor opposition, and there lies the problem, if the Dems don't absolutely seeth at the prospect of the President's nominee being confirmed, then chances are the nominee is not the right judge for the job."

Exactly...

Do you honestly think..

Do you honestly think that I am going to reveal my ACTUAL security measures in public?

Commenter Ernunnos writes:

Pig fat? What's that about?

What kind of armor are you wearing in 114 degree Arizona heat? Do you wear trauma plate, and if so, how do you deal with the public? What's your home surveillance situation? Do you have run-flats on your car? A car-minder? Been to Bondurant? Can you spot a tail? Are you varying your routine? Do you have someone to ride shotgun? How are they armed and armored?

Now, how are you providing these same measures to your loved ones, and convincing them that they're necessary?

Guns are great, but there's a hell of a lot more to addressing a serious threat than strapping on a gun and thumping your chest.

Pig fat. Jesus.

Ok first things first. Theres rhetoric and hyperbole, and then there's serious security. I post pictures of the guns, and talk about pig fat etc.. as fun, as stress relief, and as a great big "FUCK YOU" to liberal bed wetters and islamofucks everywhere.

But did you really think that was all I was doing?

I mean I've been a security consultant for years for fucks sake. Yes I mostly do IT work (its easier and the money is frequently better) but I still do physical and electronic security work. My last private security contract was late last year asctually. When I wasnt such a lardass I did protective work on the side. Hell even when I was starting to be a lardass, it's only in the last three years that I stopped (when I came back from Ireland).

Ok I can understand, people dont read my web site, they dont read my blog etc... they don't know me, and they don't know who I am, they jsut see the picture of me with the big gut and they assume I'm some dumb fat redneck with a gun.

I guess that's just to my advantage really. It's generally good to be understimated.

I mean seriously, do you really think I'm stupid enough to show my full capabilities, my full load out, or my real protective measures?

Did you not notice I said I was taking standard AT/AK precautions. Do I need to spell out the fact that I know what those are?

The terrorists know what those are too, it's not like publishing them is giving anything away.

People accuse me often (and with justification) of over explaining everything, and that it makes me sound like I'm trying to prove I know it. It's actually just a habit I got into when I was talking about things that 90% of the people around me didn't understand, when I was younger; and I find it hard to break out of.

In this case I figured that anyone who knew what they were on about would know what I was talking about, and that anybody else wouldnt care.

There is a huge difference between public outrage, and private preparation. I guess people are so used to dealing with completely unaware idiots and tactical tommies that they just assume everyone else is one as well.

Ok, lets address some of his questions directly, since they won't compromise my security any, anyway.

What do I drive...

A modified BMW with sealing foam in the tires, and extended mobility extra stiff sidewalls (not a true runflat, no reinforcing disks, but I'll get a couple miles out of it). No armor though. I'd rather retain the speed and maneuverability vs the weight and expense. Does it have the capability to get me out of trouble (if theres room to maneuver anyway)? Absolutely.

Do I know how to drive it...

Very much so. I've been to Bondurants a couple times for different courses, and Barber, and CDA, and PDS (it's fun doing J's and 'leggers in a limo, and yes you CAN four wheel drift a 'burb, but I don't recommend it).

I also autocross, and I ice raced when I lived in New England, which helpos me understand the limits and techniques of control and agressive maneuvering.

I've driven a few BP/BR vehicles before (I actually know a guy who builds them. Fascinating process), and I understand their handling, and what they can effectively protect against; which is why I don't want one, unless the threat against me becomes far more serious. I dont think that is necessary.

Body armor...

I don't bother with armor. If it is effective enough against the likely threat (7.62x39 at close range), then its too heavy and hot to use effectively in my day to day life (as you point out). I actually have a level 3 vest around (or I did, I think ti was in the storage unit) , but I'm not so worried about pistol threats.

Oh and yes, they do make body armor in my size, and I wasn't always this fat.

A side note: This weight is a relatively recent developement after knee and ankle injuries and an enforced sedentary lifestyle ... well enforced it a strong word, it was just very difficult not to be because of my schedule and responsiblities. I'm workin on chainging that.

Anyway, back to the armor question... Lord knows I can't wait to see what they come up with from the silk protein experiments. If they can get those goats to make enough, thats strong enough, it could change the whole field.

Yes, I do take this one seriously, and yes I do know what I'm doing.

As I said Some people just don't understand the difference between reality and angry hyperbole. I find having to say"I know what I'm doing" all the time fucking irritating, but if I dont/ people just assume that I don't, which is god damned irritating.

Fine.

Okay so, taking this threat seriously, what are my ads and disads (anyone with half a brain can figure this stuff out, I'm not compromising my security any further by talking about it).

Disads

1. Out of shape (severely), makes it more difficult to run and hide (hiding is better than fighting in most situations). This also make me a more noticible target.
2. Limited set of fixed locations in my life, with varying degrees of defensibility, especially in the approaches
3. Single vehicle
4. No armor
5. Limited intel
6. Limited backup
7. Limited E&E resources (lots of options, not a lot of ways to execute them)
8. Limited budget
9. Friends
10. Family

What are my advantages

1. Determination. I'm fighting for my life, they are fighting for an abstract ideal. Of course some peopel dont fight very hard for their lives, which I will never understand. I dont underestimate the power of religious fanatacism, but I'm pretty fanatcial about my own skin. I'm even more fanatical about my friends and family.

2. Time: Unless they are going for a quick smash raid, or an ambush (both distinct possiblities), it takes time to plan, time to gather intel, time to travel, and time to execute. All of this time means more chances of being caught. They can reduce the time necessary by involving more people, but that increases the chances of a leak even more than the value of the reduced time

usually...

3. Resources... or rather their lack thereof. If they are going to run an extended op, they would have to be well financed. In a job like this, if you want to make sure of the job, you'll need at least 3 people, and I'd go with at least 4, and preferably six (point, two wings, two outriding flankers, driver). Getting them here, getting them set up, providing them with weapons and transportation SECURELY, those are all relatively expensive. There are more important targets than me...

Which actually brings up my biggest disadvantage. There ARE more important targets than me, which means I'm not really worried about a team of Palestinians hitting me.

What I AM worried about is one crazy aryan Iranian.

You cant be alert all the time, it isnt possible. I dont have the money for a PPT, and honestly I wouldnt want to live my life that way anyway. It's relatively easy to be alert against a large threat, but the smaller threats are almost impossible to protect against.

And he could be a sniper. Or a roadside bomber. Theres no defense against that.

Last and final rule of principal protection:

You can't stop a single fanatic, from killing a single target, if they are willing to trade their life. If they are smart enough (and it doesn't take that much), dedicated enough, and have enough time, they WILL succeed. All you can do is mitigate that risk, or hope that overwhelming protection will cause them to waste their life before reaching the principal.

Well like I said, I don't have overwhelming protection.

Am I scared...

No I'm not. I probably should be, but I'm not. If someone wants to kill me that badly, I'm not afraid of dying... torture I've got a problem with, but dying In dont. Hell, the shit I've pulled I should be dead many times over. I will manage the risks I can manage, I will be as vigilant as I can, I will protect myself as well as I can; if I fail, then I fail.

I'm angry. My family are off limits. My friends are off limits. I CHOSE to do what I did, they are just along for the ride.

I'm angry.

The false narrative

Have I mentioned that Victor Davis Hanson is a frikken genius, and that I read his stuff pretty much every chance I get... NO, well he is, and this is yet another example of why: Our Wars Over the War

...Why does this false narrative, then, persist — other than that it had a certain political utility in the 2002 and 2004 elections?

In a word, this version of events brings spiritual calm for millions of troubled though affluent and blessed Westerners. There are three sacraments to their postmodern thinking, besides the primordial fear that so often leads to appeasement.

Our first hindrance is moral equivalence. For the hard Left there is no absolute right and wrong since amorality is defined arbitrarily and only by those in power.

Taking back Fallujah from beheaders and terrorists is no different from bombing the London subway since civilians may die in either case. The deliberate rather than accidental targeting of noncombatants makes little difference, especially since the underdog in Fallujah is not to be judged by the same standard as the overdogs in London and New York. A half-dozen roughed up prisoners in Guantanamo are the same as the Nazi death camps or the Gulag.

Our second shackle is utopian pacifism — ‘war never solved anything’ and ‘violence only begets violence.’ Thus it makes no sense to resort to violence, since reason and conflict resolution can convince even a bin Laden to come to the table. That most evil has ended tragically and most good has resumed through armed struggle — whether in Germany, Japan, and Italy or Panama, Belgrade, and Kabul — is irrelevant. Apparently on some past day, sophisticated Westerners, in their infinite wisdom and morality, transcended age-old human nature, and as a reward were given a pass from the smelly, dirty old world of the past six millennia.

The third restraint is multiculturalism, or the idea that all social practices are of equal merit. Who are we to generalize that the regimes and fundamentalist sects of the Middle East result in economic backwardness, intolerance of religious and ethnic minorities, gender apartheid, racism, homophobia, and patriarchy? Being different from the West is never being worse.

These tenets in various forms are not merely found in the womb of the universities, but filter down into our popular culture, grade schools, and national political discourse — and make it hard to fight a war against stealthy enemies who proclaim constant and shifting grievances. If at times these doctrines are proven bankrupt by the evidence it matters little, because such beliefs are near religious in nature — a secular creed that will brook no empirical challenge.

These articles of faith apparently fill a deep psychological need for millions of Westerners, guilty over their privilege, free to do anything without constraints or repercussions, and convinced that their own culture has made them spectacularly rich and leisured only at the expense of others.

So it is not true to say that Western civilization is at war against Dark Age Islamism. Properly speaking, only about half of the West is involved, the shrinking segment that still sees human nature as unchanging and history as therefore replete with a rich heritage of tragic lessons.

To the folks at mahjoob.com

1. Fuck off and die. Especially you asshole with an icon that shows Usama and the towers. You need to die slower and more painfully than the rest.

2. You can't prosecute me for what I did. I broke no laws, because I live in America.

3. Allah will not burn my face off for doing this

4. "I have contacted many Islamic institutions to get something done about this. I want him charged" ... great way to disguise your intentions

5. Yahoo and hotmail arent actually anonymous folks

Unfrotunately I don't speak arabic so I can't read most of what has been said there, but just the english alone was enough.

A couple of my favorite responses

There seem to be a lot of you out there reading these last few posts, that have no grasp of hyperbole for humorous effect; nor the ability to discriminate between said device, and reality.

You should probably stop reading now to avoid warping your little minds.

Honestly, I'm not sure which one I like better. I mean Misha is in fine form here, but Rivrdog jsut blows me away.

The excerpts:

Who Does a Guy Have to Fuck to Get a Fatwah in This Town?

Yes, His Rottieness is Imperiously pissed off.

We find out (via the Imperial Chief of Naval Ops and don't miss his take on the subject either!) that yet another unworthy has managed to tick off the simian Assholes for Allah enough to make them issue a fatwah on him, yet here we are, after years of hard work, still fatwah-free.

OK, enough of the not taking stuff seriously part. Not that we have the slightest intentions of taking cave-dwelling pissants willing to murder over their hurt feelings seriously, but what we do take seriously is that those camel molesters are still known as "The Religion of Peace (Our Imperial Ass)" in some circles.

Fatwah?

According to a bulletin from the Analog Kid at Random Nuclear Strikes, this blogger had an actual, By God (pun intended) "Fatwah" issued on him.

Alrighty then! I hear the rumble of distant guns! Locked and Loaded, SIR!

WARNING: The rest of this post will contain foul language, which I deem appropriate to discribe our enemy.

If any of you rag-head rug pilots who heard that fatwah are reading THIS blog, you might put a cc on that fatwah, goat-hosers. Make it read: Rivrdog. And while you're on the way up from your cozy little house down near Portland State University (yes, I DO know where you live, I hung with the dude who taught a lot of you backpacking and outdoor skills, remember?), stop and pick up a tube of KY Jelly. You will know my neighborhood when you get close to it, just roll down the car window and listen for the banjos.....

They both jsut keep getting better as they go. Such creative se of profanity and insults...

Though actually, that is one thing that muslims (or at least the middle eastern ones) seem to do well is creative insults. I had a muslim roomate in college who's favorite was:

"You are lower than the infected pus from the boils in the cunt of a syphylitic hog"

Which is great in english, but sounds even better in ... well basically all of the seven languages this kid spoke.

Interesting guy, he's half Indian, half Omani; his father a muslim, his mother a christian (I have no idea how that worked out, but they split when Hamid was a kid), his grandfather on one side a hindu who converted to christianity, his grandmother a tamil, on the other side his grandfather was a sufi (I think, it was 10 years ago and the details are fuzzy)... He split his time growing up between India and Oman.

Hamid enrolled in the Platoon Leaders Program, and earned his U.S. citizenship as an enlisted Marine; before going on to complete his commissioning program, and earn a commission as a Marine second lieutenant. He's now an english teacher somewhere in the middle east.

I havent read sluggy in years

But this one seems to fit some of what we've been talking about lately (H/T Toad):

Responding to comments etc...

Some folks have expressed concern because I haven't posted all day. Okay, first things first. I'm fine.

Second, for those saying not to worry, a fatwa isnt a big deal... well I agree it isn't. It's not the fatwa I'm worried about, fuckheads issue fatwas all the time. I actually find the fatwa thing amusing.

What worries me is that there was a direct command to specific extremist groups that I should be killed, along with a direct acknowledgment back that I would be. That is why the FBI contacted me at 8 oclock on a Friday night. S'cuse me for being cynical, but anything that makes a federal employee work overtime on weekend, I'm going to take seriously.

Oh and for those of you who think this is bullshit, or sounds fishy etc... fine, believe what you want. It's not like I could prove it to you anyway. I could give you all the specifics in the world, it wouldnt matter. You'll believe whatever you want to believe.

For those of you who believe it cant happen here etc... or that Arizona is an unlikely place for islamic terror... have you been paying attention?

My own alma mater Embry Riddle was linked to the 9/11 hijackers for fucks sake. There was a known Al Quaeda cell in Phoenix, and another Islamic terror group was actually headquartered out of Tucson for a while.

Im tired and lazy so I wont bother finding links right now, I'm sure commenters will put them up soon enough.

Now, excuse me for sounding paranoid, but you need to take these people a little more seriously as a threat. If we arent careful we could end up like Israel.

Okay, moving on...

Lots of folks have asked about my ammo situation. My initial reaction was "Hey, I've got all I need", but then I thought again for a second and realized I'm running a bit low. I did an inventory today, and I'm lower than I'd like:

1000 5.56x45 (but all but the 250 I have magged up is lacquer wolf which my bushie doesnt like)
500 7.62x51
350 .45acp
100 12ga
50 9mm
5000 .22lr

I've also got some ammo for guns I no longer own just taking up space.

1000 .45lc
1000 asst .40 and .357 sig (about half super premium, half PMC whitebox)

The last couple times I went shooting I blew more than 1000 rounds each time, and I haven't been to a gun show in months. I finally blew through most of the ammo I got for helping my friend close and auction off his gun store (about 25k rounds of various calibers), and of course I've just lost my job so I cant really afford to go buy more.

Which is too bad, because crossroads of the west is next weekend too... Sucks, but what can you do eh.

Manyhave expressed an interest in helping me out financially. For those of you who wish to provide material assistance in some way, there's a donate link on my website. If you want to send me something physically contact me directly.

God I feel like such a whore for that... especially since it was only 4 months ago that I was selling shit to pay rent, and a bunch of folks gave me money then too.

Honestly though, I'm paying part of my moms bills (shes seriously ill) and mine, and I've got too many responsibilities to worry about pride, so if you want to give it to me, I'll take it and just be grateful.

A heck of a lot of folks have offered me a beer or a place to stay if I'm up their way. I say if the opportunity ever arises, I will take y'all up on that. I love good beer wine and whiskey, barbecue, beef, chicken, and sausages, and I'm allergic to onions.

Now, if you are in Arizona at any time, people I like (and thats most of the people from the NoR, and most of the regular commenters on my blog) are always welcome to stay at my place; and drink my beer and whiskey. My cooking is pretty darned good too (ask a few of my commenters, they'll tell ya).

Of course you may want to stay away for the time being...

For those offering your tactical support and advice, I appreciate it. If I need to pull an E&E I know I've got rear area support and thats comforting. If I ever get any more specific information either directly or through the fibbies, I'll know who to call. I have IP address logs that lead to Arabic language sites etc... but I dont speak arabic, and the translation programs don't work very well. My personal contacts are coming up dark except that theres a ton of chatter about me in various locations, and nothing they can isolate through the noise.

This is one of the consequences of going public. The cockroaches scatter when the light turns on, and you cant tell the real traffic from the commentary. I'll leave that to the SigInt guys.

When I went public with this I had a goal in mind. I wanted to make people aware that this particular subculture is our enemy, and always will be until they have all been killed. I'm not trying to aggrandize myself, nor am I trying to get traffic or attention.

My girlfriend called me up and told me she was angry at me, because I was jsut egging them on. She said I was jsut trying to cause trouble.

That's not it at all...

I put it out there, because it pissed me off like you wouldnt believe. The thought that someone would try and kill me, for excercising my right to be an asshole.. I cant even explain to you how angry that makes me.

I wanted to share my anger with you all. I certainly didnt expect this big a reaction, I figured maybe a few dozen people more than normal would show up, or at most a few hundred, but since I first posted, I've had more than 5000 hits, and hundreds of comments.

OF COURSE I know what we did was offensive, and assholic, that was the fucking point.

People have been saying, "well if you didn't want death threats you shouldnt have done it" or "Stupid for using your real name" or "you should have worn a balaclava" etc...

Then there's the other group saying "Well you burn a mans holy book, of course he's gonna get angry" or "I dont see you burning a bible now do I" or "Hypocrite, you dont want them burning our flag".

You folks really don't get it do you...

I think the idea that thousands of people would riot, and that dozens would die because of a fraudulent news story is offensive, and absurd.

I want everyone to be able to burn the bible if they want to, or the flag, or the constitution, or the declaration of independence, or anything else for that matter.

I CERTAINLY don't want our soldiers being punished because they mishandled Korans.

Islam wants me to die because of this. Our entire society is based on the freedom to do much of what we please, and they want to kill us all because of it.

I bought those Korans, and they were mine to do with as I please. They were nothing but ink stains on a page, and the very fact that people would react to it by either saying I shouldnt have done it, or I was stupid for doing it; or saying that I must be killed because of it...

I jsut dont have the words. I keep trying to explain, but they jsut arent forming in my head. How do I make the point to you that what we did wasnt anti-muslim, or rednecky, or triumpahlsit bullshit, or ignorant or anything else that so many of you believe it to be.

It was an expression of freedom.

When I was talking to the FBI, the junior agent asked my why I did it, didnt I know people would get upset. I said "Sure, I knew; that's why I did it. I did it because I could, because this is America and I ahve the right to. It doesnt matter if they hate that I did it, because this is America".

He nodded and said, "thats right it is, and you certainly do have that right".

Actually I thought that was rather cool. Federal law enforcement arent exactly renowned for their respect for citizens rights.

Also, they were entirely cool about my being armed. They asked where I was carrying (a perfectly understandable personal safety measure), and what I was carrying, and just nodded. Local phoenix cops are usually pretty cool about it (at least if you are a cleancut white male. I've heard different from natives, black men, and mexicans) but in my experiences feds want to be the only armed guys in the room. Of course the fact that they WERE cool worried me somewhat...

I did it in the most offensive way possible to illustrate my point; and to flush out the idiots out there who think that just because they don't like what I was saying, that I shouldnt have said it; or worse, shouldnt have been allowed to, or should be killed for it.

I absolutely knew what I was doing, and I knew there would be negative reaction. I'm okay with that. I expected stupid internet threats, maybe a hacking attempt or a DOS (actually I still do); maybe some harrassing phone calls.

I'm fine with that; so long as no-one breaks the law or makes serious threats, then that a healthy expression of ideas, and thats what our society lives on.

But think about this: an unknown man has sworn to his god that he will cut my head off, BECAUSE I PISSED ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT I OWNED.

You shouldn't be allowed to punish someone for their beliefs, or their expression of them no matter what they are saying, and how much you hate it. You shouldnt be allowed to punish someone for their use of their own property,, no matter what you think of that use.

The basic principle of my political and social philosophy, is that the only time you are allowed to restrict someone elses rights, is when you are preventing the restriction of your own rights, or the rights of others, or when you are extracting reparations or damages for behavior that did.

It's a pretty basic principle, but most people don't seem to get it.

Look if you want to understand what I did (and why I did it) better, you need to read what I wrote, not just the bits other people have hotlinked.

Read these, and maybe you'll understand:

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/this-guy-does-horrible-things-to-koran.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/far-fetched.html

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/updates-and-reactions.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-did-i-do-it.html

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/03/politics-of-liberty.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/03/rights-penumbras-and-emanations.html

Okay, back to the more fun stuff...

For those of you who would like to go shooting with me, subhuman scumbags notwithstanding, I'm a member at Scottsdale gunclub, and anyone who wants to come with is welcome. If you havent been there, you really need to check it out. It's one heck of a range facility.

I also shoot frequently at Rio Salado Sportsmans Club (Usery Mountain Range), Ben Avery, and out in the desert north of town (where I can blow stuff up).

I'm thinking next weekend we're going to have another team infidel shoot. Obviously the when and where can't just be announced this time, but contact me directly and I'll figure things out.

My best friend of 21 years, Jim, is coming to hang out for a week with me, and he hasn't been shooting since he got out of the army.

We're gonna show him a damn good time, and yes, more Korans will be desecrated.

I havent really decided how, one thing I definitely want to experiment with is some binary explosives. I have played a bit with them before, but I'd like to do some more real world experiments with more Korans, and more computers.

Yes, that's right, I'm gonna do it again. I'm doing it because I CAN, because this is America. I'm doing it to prove the point that these threats don't matter to me. I'm doing it to show that you can't stop me from expressing myself without killing me, no matter how much you dislike it.

You aren't paying for it, I am. The Korans are mine, the ammo is mine, the explosives are mine, it's not on your property, and I am harming no-one, other than perhaps myself.

My rights cannot be taken, or limited; but by force, or willing consent. I do not consent. If therfore you wish to abridge my rights, you will have to use force.

Bedisde Manner

Well, I'll be snug in bed, with these by my bedside:

That's just what's in reach; there's other fun stuff around the house. Remember, it's not whether you're paranoid, it's whether you're paranoid enough.

Funny enough, other than moving the AR from my office to the bedside, and having more than one reload for everything, thats pretty much my normal bedroom accompaniment so to speak.

Oh, and yes, it's real, it's live, and some of you will recognize exactly what type it is.

Repost - Faimly history, and a plan of action

Theres a song thats important in my familys history. It's a song about fighting against usurpers, and invaders, and those who would take what is yours and kill your families. I posted it a few weeks ago, now I feel like posting it again:

Follow Me Up To Carlow (Fast Irish March)

Lift MacCahir Og your face
Brooding o'er the old disgrace
That black FitzWilliam stormed your place,
Drove you to the Fern
Grey said victory was sure

Soon the firebrand he'd secure;
Until he met at Glenmalure
With Feagh MacHugh O'Byrne.

Curse and swear Lord Kildare,
Feagh will do what Feagh will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low.
Up with halberd out with sword

On we'll go for by the lord
Feagh MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow.

From Tassagart to Clonmore,
There flows a stream of Saxon gore
Oh, great is Rory Oge O'More,
At sending loons to Hades.
White is sick and Lane is fled,

Now for black FitzWilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
To Liza and her ladies.

Curse and swear Lord Kildare,
Feagh will do what Feagh will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low.
Up with halberd out with sword

On we'll go for by the lord
Feagh MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow.

See the swords of Glen Imayle,
Flashing o'er the English pale
See all the children of the Gael,
Beneath O'Byrne's banners
Rooster of the fighting stock,

Would you let a Saxon cock
Crow out upon an Irish rock,
Fly up and teach him manners.

Curse and swear Lord Kildare,
Feagh will do what Feagh will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low.
Up with halberd out with sword

On we'll go for by the lord
Feagh MacHugh has given the word,
Feagh MacHugh has given the word,
Feagh MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow!

I dunno about you, but this sounds like a pretty good plan of action to me:

March of Cambreath

[chorus]
Axes flash, broad sword swing
Shining armors piercing ring
Horses run with a polished shield
Fight those bastards 'til they yield

[chorus 2]
Midnight mare and blood red roan
Fight to keep this land your own

Sound the horn and call the cry
How many of them can we make die?

Follow orders as you're told
Make their yellow blood run cold
Fight until you die or drop
A force like ours is hard to stop

Close your mind to stress and pain
Fight 'til you're no longer sane

Let not one damn cur pass by
How many of them can we make die?

Guard your women, children well
Send these bastards back to hell
We'll teach them the ways of war
And they won't come here anymore

Use your shield and use your head
Fight 'til everyone is dead

Raise the flag up to the sky
How many of them can we make die?

[bridge]

Dawn has broke the time has come
Move your feet to the marching drum
We'll win the war and pay the toll
We'll fight as one in heart and soul

[chorus 2]

[chorus]

[chorus 2]

How many of them can we make die?
How many of them can we make die?

Thats the "March of Cambreath" from Heather Alexander, and is another fast Irish march like "Follow Me Up to Carlow".

How many of them can we make die... That's an interesting question isn't it? It's the question asked by a man in a last stand, against the hordes; fighting for everything he holds dear. He knows he's going to die, HE'S JUST GONNA TAKE EVERY LAST MOTHERFUCKER WITH HIM.

Sometimes there are fights you can't win; That doesn't mean you don't have to fight them. That doesn't mean you dont have to die in the process. Sometimes you have to go out, there's nothing that says you have to come back.

The question remains:

And yea though I walk through the valley in the shadow of death
I shall fear no evil
For I am the meanest motherfucker in the valley

Oh and who would the action plan be used ag'in? Well, let's just use your imagination then shall we; I'm sure you can come up with a worthy answer.

Well now, arent these interesting

Found in my logs:

My home page http://www.chrisbyrne.com in arabic

My blog http://anarchangel.blogspot.com in arabic

Let me just reprint what I said below about those who would harm me and mine.. in arabic

???? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???. ??? ???? ?? ???? [?????] ??? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ? ? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ? ??? ??? [???? ???] ?? ??? ???. ??? ??? ????? ??? ? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ????.

??? ???? ????? ????? ? ?? [????-?????] ??? ?????? ?????? ? ???? ????? ? ???. ?? ??? ???? ??? ? ?? ???? ? ????? ??? ? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? [?????????] ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ? ? ??? ??????? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????? ? ??? ????? ???. ??????????? ??? ?? ?????? ? ??? ????? ??? ? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? [????] ??? ???..

I should note, that when literally translated, that is HORRIBLY bad:

Harmed to any [and airs] me or astrologer of mining

I wrap up receives only complete bullets in pig fat. I goes to starts [[krynG]] around pieces of pig meat with me me; Will enforce payment them I inside wounds your, afterwards [[fwrs] so hand] their to you. Afterwards I as cock will cut up cock and attacks in last direction will and enforce payment them fall to flew you.

I heavily [sllHt] always, already [[bwwb] - [trbbd]] I is cars and sent down my, and I wait for you you. Indeed you resulted after me or mines, you will die, and I will make curses you ascertain be soft paradise sees for each eternal you [[mwthrfwkrs]] [shrryrt] indeed you tries to is complete anything to me, to my friends, to any person I care of obstacles; I will kill you. [sydaafe'bnfsy] I be soft simply, I will kill you, and while you is I dye [[byss]] on you.

Posted by cbyrne at 01:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Far Fetched?

A commenter on one of the many fine blogs that have linked to the story of the fatwah against me had this to say:

I’m not at all doubting you have knowledge of this man and are familiar with his website, but the law of averages tells me these events are very much out of the ordinary.

There must be more to it because after spending nearly an hour reading at his website I came away with a lot more doubt than I initially had and more than a few additional questions.

Why would the FBI be involved when there are literally thousands and thousands of websites displaying anti-Muslim comments? What has this man posted that hundreds of others haven’t? He has an ‘army’ of five? That’s hardly much of a threat, even if he is as well armed as he professes to be.

Also, this man lives in Arizona, hardly a hot spot for Muslims or radical Muslim threats to the general population.

Like I said, I could be wrong, but there are number of things that don’t add up.

-- Kaleidescope, a commeter on Sondrak.com

Far fetched? Yeah I can see that. I certainly didnt expect this. Hey, anyone who wants to ask me questions, go ahead, ask away.

Feel free to email me, I just emailed Kaleidescope.

Do I think this makes sense? Fuck no.

Do I think this is real? FUCK YEAH

Its people who don’t believe the threat is real that are the problem in this country, in dealing with terrorists, and others who would destroy our way of life.

I could have kept quiet about it, but I want people to know that this is the real enemy, and they DO target us in our homes, and this threat IS real.

At some point, some local media boy is going to pick this up, or some asshole over at DU is going to see it, then every america hating asshole in the world is going to try and make my online life hell.

Thats pretty much what I expected when I put up the videos, and I can live with that.

Threats to cut off my head and the heads of my family however, those I can not live with.

Understand that they want to kill or enslave all of us. It doesnt matter where you live, it doesnt matter what you do, it doesnt matter if you are "sympathetic to their plight", it doesnt matter if you are for or against the war, it doesnt matter if you are American, or Canadian, or French, or German or British.

You are not a whabbist muslim. They want to kill you, and destroy our civilization because they believe god commands them to do so.

There is no root cause.

There is no likely target profile.

You are a westerner, you are an infidel, you must be killed or enslaved.

If you don't get that this is a total war against all westerners by those evil bastards, then you too will fall; unless the rough men are there to save you from it.

And people wonder why I love Maiden

Another prophet of disaster Who says the ship is lost Another prophet of disaster Leaving you to count the cost Taunting us with visions Afflicting us with fear Predicting war for millions In the hope that one appears No point asking when it is No point asking who’s to go No point asking what’s the game No point asking who’s to blame ’cos if you’re gonna die, if you’re gonna die ’cos if you’re gonna die, if you’re gonna die If you’re gonna die, die with your boots on If you’re gonna try, just stick around Gonna cry, just move along If you’re gonna die, you’re gonna die In 13 the beast is rising The frenchman did surmise Through earthquakes and starvation The warlord will arise Terror, death, destruction Pour from the eastern sands But the truth of all predictions Is always in your hands If you’re gonna die, die with your boots on If you’re gonna try, just stick around Gonna cry, just move along If you’re gonna die, you’re gonna die

You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too You’ll fire you musket but I’ll run you through So when your waiting for the next attack You’d better stand there’s no turning back The bugle sounds as the charge begins But on this battlefield no one wins The smell of arcrid smoke and horses breath As you plunge into a certain death The horse he sweats with fear we break to run The mighty roar of the russian guns And as we race towards the human wall The screams of pain as my comrades fall We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground And the russians fire another round We get so near yet so far away We won’t live to fight another day We get so close near enough to fight When a russian gets me in his sights He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow A burst of rounds take my horse below And as I lay there gazing at the sky My body’s numb and my throat is dry And as I lay forgotten and alone Without a tear I draw my parting groan

Recipes for REAL men - Volume 7 - It may not be kosher...

but it's just damned good...

Okay this one is a quicky. It's probably my favorite sandwhich in the world, and I jsut finished eating one (actually two) and I thought I'd share it with you.

This is the kind of sandwhich they'd charge you $12.25 for at Katz's... except you can't get this one in a real deli, because the mere suggstion of it might cause an excited utterance in yiddish.

Ingredients:

4 large sourdough bulkie rolls (it's like a more pillowy kaiser roll)
2lbs of extra lean black pepper pastrami (sliced tissue thin)
8 pieces (4" square or larger) of VERY thinly sliced extra extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz prepared yellow mustard
8 oz cream cheese (solid, not whipped. More or less to taste)
8oz of sauerkraut (optional)

Preparation:

fill a 2qt sauce pan half way with warm water, and add the mustard to it. Bring to a low roll.

Crumble the pastrami into the simmering mustard water, avoiding clumping. Stir thoroughly to distribute evenly.

Before cutting the rolls, lightly toast the outside, on both sides. Dont brown the roll, just get it lightly crispy and warm.

Spread a thin coating of cream cheese evenly across all the rolls, then spread more mustard (whatever kind you prefer) over the cream cheese.

Boil the pastrami just until it starts to curl slightly. Don't drain it, just pull the meat for each sandwhich out with a fork and spoon, or tongs, and let drip for a few seconds (to avoid soaking the bread). Heap evenly onto the bottoms of the rolls, then while still steaming hot put the cheese on top, and cover with the top of the roll.

If you are going to add kraut, do it before you add the cheese, and then stick it under a broiler for 20 seconds or so to melt the cheese over the kraut.

Serve with a side of salt and vinegar potato chips, and two half sour garlic and dill pickle halves (or clausens deli style if you dont have a source for real deli pickles nearby).

If you cant get decent pastrami at your local supermarket, Costco has some not bad stuff from Sabra, but it's a bit salty so you have to blanch it for a few seconds in plain water before boiling in the mustard water... unless you LIKE your pastrami that sour, which actually isnt a bad thing if you are using sweet mustard, and a creamier cheese.

Be sure to check out:

Recipes for REAL men Volume 6, Andouille Guiness Chili
Recipes for REAL men Volume 5, Eazza the Ultimate Pizza
Recipes for REAL men, Volume 4 Two Pound Meat Sauce

Recipes for REAL men, Volume 3 Highbrow Hash
Recipes for REAL men, Volume 2 MuscleCarbonara
Recipes for REAL men, Volume 1 More Beef than Stew

Why did I do it?

Why did I do this: http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/06/team-infidel.html Why did I write this:

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/this-guy-does-horrible-things-to-koran.html

Why don't I just keep my head down?
Why did I bring this on my self?
Why dont I just go along to get along?
Why don't I realize that this is all my fault? I could have stayed at my job and wouldn't have this thing with the death threats if I'd just not said anything.
Why do I have to be such an asshole?
Why did I use my real name?
Why am I such an ignorant racist?
Why do I hate muslims?

...........

If you don't understand why I did what I did after reading the links above, nothing else I say will ever explain it to you.

As to why I made it public, why I didnt hide my identity, let me say this: A man stands behind what he does. A man lets you know what he believes in. A man doesn't hide from the consequences of those beliefs.

I have had some slightly frightened and uncomfortable phone calls and emails from a few people mentioned on this web site, obviously trying to appear something other than craven. They didnt succeed.

I have had other phone calls and emails expressing support, and solidarity. There are dozens if not hundreds of people around this country, and indeed around the world who are backing me on this. To those people, I don't know what to say. Thank you.

I have had people call me ignorant, fat, stupid, racist, evil, insensitive, disrespectful...

Mostly I have had people asking me why I did what I did. Really what we did, but I'm the face, I'm the guy doing the burning and the pissing, and I'm the guy speaking out about it.

My fellow infidels, y'all can speak up, or stay silent, but I won't do your speaking for you. I stand behind what I did, but I wont drag anyone else into the line of fire with me.

What I did was specifically in response to the treatment of our military by Newsweek in the false koran "desecration" story, and the corresponding muslim response.

I wanted to make the point that they have to play by OUR rules now. We shouldn’t keep playing by theirs. If we do, we will fail.

When one is constrained by rules of ones enemies choosing, while they accept no such constraints; one has lost any ability to control the initiative. When one concedes the initiative to the enemy, one has lost as surely as if one has laid down their arms.

We need to stop playing by the enemies rules, and force them to play by ours; and make no mistake, Islam is the enemy.

Why don't I regret what I did, why dont I apologize?

I have no regrets about destroying the Koran. Their religion tells them to kill or enslave me, and I have no qualms about destroying their "holy" book. In fact I wont refer to it as desecrating, because that concedes that the printed word of a madman from 1400 years ago is somehow sacred.

I feel much the same about the Bible by the way. Interesting reading, some great teaching, more than a little insanity, but a bible isnt sacred; even if you believe the thoughts within it are. The bible is a book like any other.

In fact muslim reactions to koran "desecration" are themselves sacreligious, because islam specifically warns against idolatry and recommends iconoclasm.

But speaking of the bible, in most muslim countries it is a crime (sometimes punishible by death) to espouse christianity, or in some cases to even posess a bible. Muslims burn bibles, and flags, and hell they even burn American security contractors...

And still we play by their rules.

We are told to be culturally sensitive, to respect others symbols, to respect their cultures... Their culture is trying to destroy mine. Their culture has killed dozens of my friends over the past 5 years. Their culture is repugnant and evil. I WILL NOT respect it.

Are there "good muslims"? Well first, doesn’t that just smack of the old souths "Good niggers"...

Are there muslims who are not trying to destroy my culture, and force me to bend to their religious will? Yes of course there are.

Tell me, how often do you see them denouncing in the streets the actions of their co-religionists? How many of them are hiding and helping these evil murderers? How many of them protest our actions as being "anti-muslim". How many of them simply stand by and do nothing?

I've had muslim roommates, friends, co-workers, even a secular muslim girlfriend once. I don’t CARE what ANYONES religion is. The point at which I start to care is when they try and force anyone else to follow their religion, or to harm others who don’t.

Muslims need to learn something if they wish not to be the enemy, as do Americans as a whole if we wish to survive:

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” -- Edmund Burke

Updates and reactions

Interesting reaction to my news about being fatwahed http://bbs.fuckedcompany.com/index.cgi?okay=get_topic&topic_id=1912751

Please note, I wasnt contacted or threatened directly. This was not a bluster. No public fatwah announcement was made or press release or vague email or web threats. The FBI wouldnt tell me how they recieved the threat specifically, other than it was from arabic language communications off the internet.

I have already contacted all the other Team Infidel members personally. No others (including team infidel) have been identified by name, however my families past addresses are including in the lists of mine, as are some addresses of friends (no-one I currently associate with from the NoR).

The videos are being passed around terrorist groups along with my personal contact information. My face is the only one you see clearly in the videos (I did that on purpose). No-one elses names are associated with the videos. No-one elses real name is mentioned on my web site.

I am perfectly willing to risk myself for what I believe in; but that’s not my decision to make for other people.

The FBI wouldnt give me any names or specifics. Only that it was a european based palestinian arab group, along with a corresponding saudi group or groups; and that there are members in the US but they couldn't confirm if any of them were involved yet.

Honestly I think they knew more than that, but they didnt want me to go hunting. In fact they specifically said “we dont want you to go hunting".

These are from a commenters on the NoR, where I am the moderator:

"Chris, not to belittle your problem, but wouldn’t it be interesting if these animals made the connection to this site and put us all on some kind of list? I can imagine what the response would be. Homeland Security, the FBI, local police departments, and other law enforcement branches would go ape.

“You’re on a death list because of you connection with the Nation of Riflemen website sir.”
“Oh good, target practice.”
“But sir, you are in danger.”
“But I need realistic target practice.”" --Rod

"Damn. Be careful, Chris.

I have to say, if I received such threats I’d be scared. When I get scared, my first thought is that I should kill whatever is scaring me.

All Muslims are potential (leaning towards probable) enemies until proven otherwise." --Matt

"Is there such thing as a good ol’ red neck fatwah? Curious to know what advice the FED’s gave you, but I don’t think you should make it public.

If enough of us post videos of fun in the desert, maybe we could bring the rat’s out of the shadows where we can get a good bead on ‘em.

It’s time that we get off our butt’s and realize we are all, as Americans, Fatwahed. Chris just got bumped closer to the top of the list." -- Hood

Some folks have suggested I go to the media.

Yeah...

Right...

Somehow I think the story there will something be more like "Local Racist Gun Nut gets whats coming to him" rather than "Islam shown for what it really is".

Hell, I debated whether I was going to put it up on my blog or not. Then I decided FUCK THEM.

Actually I don't think there was ever any doubt in my heart about this, but my rational mind...

Well once again FUCK THEM.

Better to die on my feet than live on my knees.

Now as to WHY I've been fatwahed, well take a look at these two posts

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/this-guy-does-horrible-things-to-koran.html

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/06/team-infidel.html

Fatwah

A Fatwah has been issued against me by a known terror group. Corresponding groups have responded indicating that I will be eliminated shortly.

They have my name, address, telephone numbers, and the names and addresses of my friends and loved ones.

The FBI has been unable to tell me of any actionable threat, however they beleive that the threat is real. They have warned me to take the standard anti-terrorist precautions, suitable for Bogota or South Africa not Phoenix.

They are also contacting the people on the list that was distributed, including my mother, my stepfather and step siblings, and the people who worked on Team Infidel with me.

The thousands of hits I've been recieving from the JP domains with blocked referred information are anonymizer proxies used to hide the identities of those viewing my site.

As my resume is public information, my employers or former employers may also be targeted.
There is concern that staff at my former employers has fed them my personal and private information as well.

The FBI agents I spoke with clearly indicated that althoguh they had nothing direct or specific to an individual (and thus couldnt jsutify protective custody), they are very seriously concerned about this threat.

If you attempt to do anything to me, to my friends, to anyone I care about; I WILL KILL YOU. I will not simply defend myself, I WILL kill you, and while you are dying I will piss on you.

I have jsut rolled all my bullets in pig fat. I'm going to start carying around pieces of swine flesh with me; and I'll shove them into your wounds, then force feed them to you. Then I'll cut your cock and balls off and shove them down your throat.

I am heavily armed at all times, I have booby trapped my car and my home, and I am waiting for you. If you come after me or mine, you will die, and I will make damned sure you won't see paradise for all eternity you evil motherfuckers.

UPDATE: For all of you just reading this post linked somewhere else, theres a lot of followup

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/06/team-infidel.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/this-guy-does-horrible-things-to-koran.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-did-i-do-it.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/far-fetched.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/updates-and-reactions.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/07/responding-to-comments-etc.html

Some background material

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/03/politics-of-liberty.html
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2005/03/rights-penumbras-and-emanations.html

The FBI

Just contacted me. They believe there is a credible threat against my life for the actions of team infidel.

I am meeting with them shortly. I may be offline for a while.

Pain, Relief, and Addiction

Some of you know my history with physical pain, some don't. Anyway I'm feeling something that I want to talk about, and I want to give some context, but without some disclaimers this is going to come off as one massive pity party.

I'm in a lot of pain, pretty much all the time.

I've had severe headaches ever since I was a little kid. They come on fast and hard, and they start hurting so bad they make me sweat buckets. They used to make me pass out, but through martial arts techniques (concentration and meditation) I learned how to control them and function through them. Now they still hurt, but most of the time I just make the pain not matter.

From a very young age, I started growing very quickly in large spurts. I was 4' before I was 5 years old; I reached 5 feet from 8-9, and I stopped growing at 13, at 6'2" (about a foot taller than the average for 13). I also have a ridiculously heavy bone structure (my orthopedist used to call me the "Cro-Magnon". That rapid growth gave me permanent stretch marks, and godawful apin while I was in a spurt. I used to rock back and forth all ngiht long just aching... It's hard to describe but lets just say it isn't pleasant.

I have had chronic insomnia since I was a little kid as well (I started getting acid reflux and severe heartburn around the same time). I dont know if you know this, but severe sleep deprivation HURTS; and it hurts a lot. Your entire body jsut starts hurting one system at a time as it tells you that it needs to heal itself.

As a teenager and into my early twenties I had a series of severe injuries to my ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, and back. They ranged from falling out of a helicopter (bad one that) to rolling down a flight of stairs, a number of very bad fights, and three opposing football players deliberately going for my knees and ankles (I broke my left ankle, and both pinkie fingers in that game. Then I taped them up and kept plaing. We won). I've been stabbed, sliced, bitten, dragged, hit by cars, hit by bats, chemically sprayed, shot with less lethal projectiles, hit by a large number of other martial artists, hit by wooden swords, hit by lightning, and shot.

The knee injuries and ankle are in particular pretty bad, and I get constant moderate pain from both, along with my wrists and finger. All of thsoe injuries are also arthritic, which jsut makes it worse.

Since my late teens I've suffered from Ulcerative Colitis; but we never firgured out thats what it was til after I got out of the AF, and saw the right specialists. Ulcerative colitis can be unbelievably painful; and it's pretty damned disgusting to talk about., so let me jsut say, it's something you really never want to have, unless you enjoy spending hours at a time in the bathroom wishing you were dead.

Anyway, all that together, and I'm between a pain 3 and a 5 all the time (thank god not as bad as my mother, who is at a 7 or 8 most of the time).

When you have a lot of pain, al the time, it becomes part of the background noise. You dont even notice it unless somethign aggravates it. Between developing the tolerance, and the martial arts training, and just general cussedness... well I've got the mind over matter thing going.

Some of you may not have experienced that...

"Pain dont hurt"
"Huah Sergeant"
"I SAID PAIN DONT HURT"
"HUAH Sergeant!!!"
"Mind over matter trainee, if you don't mind, it don't matter"
"HUAH Sergeant!!!

Aaaaaany way...

My wisdom teeth were pulled about 5 hours ago. I have a ridiculously high tolerance for pain medication to go along with the high pain tolerance, and they had to give me 8 topical novocaine swabs (double dose), then 10 shots of Lidocaine to numb me up (about 2.5 times normal). The doctor had to stop three times while pulling to give me more, and still he could only give me enough to just get them out. I could still feel everything he was doing.

Honestly, it wasnt that bad. I've felt a lot worse in my time, and I'm glad to be rid of them.

As part of the normal routine, he gave me a scrip for percocet. The irritating thing is, even after seeing how resistant I was to pain meds, and after I talked to him about it, and knowing how much I weigh, he only gave me 12 5/525s (5mg of Oxycodone, and 525mg of acetomenophine).

That aint gonna do shit.

The swelling hasn't even really started, the real pain is going to start tomorrow; but I need 15mg of Oxycodone just to have any effect at all because of my bodymass and my drug tolerance.

I've taken 4 of them at this point, for 20mg of Oxycodone, 2100mg of Acetomenophine, AND I'm taking 2000mg of Ibuprofen, and 2200mg of Naprosyn (to hold down the swelling and inflamation, and they are working great). They are tearing up my stomach even more than usual, but they are doing the job. I cant take any more of the percs for at least another 4 hours, and it would be better to wait six to eight, because 4mg of acetaminophen is enough to cause liver damage.

Here's the thing about painkillers and me. They don't do much for the thing they are supposed to be tartgeting, which is breakthrough pain; but they do something else... that background pain...

It's gone

That level 3-5 pain is pretty much gone. I mean there are twinges in my joints if I move funny, but NOTHING like what I'm used to.

When you are used to a lot of pain all the time, and then it's gone... I can't even describe to you that kind of relief.

Imagine never, ever, being comfortable, ever.

Not just a little uncomfortable some of the time, imagine laying down on a bed of small sharp rocks, or walking barefoot across rough gravel; now take that feeling, and thats what I feel all the time.

Now take that pain away.

I'm really not describing it well... maybe I can relate it to something pleasureable that a "normal" healthy person might experience in their day to day life.

Okay, so you are walking around in your normal eveyr day life, and you get your day to day aches, paines, stresses, bumps etc...

Now imagine getting an expert massage while you are in a perfect jacuzzi.

That's what the difference feels like to me. See I can never, ever relax. Theres always this pain and tension; and now it's gone.

But that feeling only lasts for about an hour or so, and then gradually the pain goes back to what it was, until the painkillers have completely worn off.

I can understand how people can become addicted to painkillers. Never mind the opiate addiction, just having the ability to feel comfortable for a few hours.. well if you are in severe pain all the time, for months on end, the prospect of some relief of that is far more addictive than any opiate could ever be.

It's a CARNIVAL!!!!

The 22nd Carnival Of Cordite is up at babboon pirates (what a name eh)

http://baboonpirates.blogspot.com/2005/07/carnival-of-cordite-22.html

I went a little nuts because I missed last weeks and submitted like 4 things.

Missed my 50k mark, but got my 200k mark

Today... errr yesterday now since it's exactly midnight... I hit 200,000 unique visitors to my combined main website and blog (the Japanese flood pushed me over sometime in the afternoon).

Of course thats counting the close to 150k visitors I had from the 10+ years I've had my personal web site (12 actually, but 10+ on my own domain. Before that it was on my colleges site).

For just the blog itself, it looks like sometime around Monday I went over the 50k mark for unique visitors. Thats since February 14th 2005, so call it 5 months. I knew I was getting close, but I wasnt keeping an eye out, and I missed it.

Darn.

Also some time in the next week I should hit 100k page views on the blog. I have no clue about the main page.

I'm averageing something like 400 or so uniqe visitors per day, and two page views per visitor, so hey, that's something.

Now if NZ bears statistics wouldnt jump around so much every day (272 links to 154 in 1 day???).

Oral Surgery

My wisdom teeth are being removed tomorrow morning.

I went in today for my scheduled appointment, (I made it last week before being fired) my first in like 6 years (since the Air Force), and other than needing a cleaning rather badly and needing a debridement because I have six years of buildup, I'm OK. I have literally zero cavities (I've only ever had one in my life, when I was six, and I had supernumerary teeth, so I've never had an adult cavity).

Oh and of course the wisdom teeth. I've needed to get them done for years, they have decayed from the inside out, and are really rather painful, but they arent impacted or abcessed, and they fully erupted... so basically it wasnt critical until now. Anyway, I asked them to schedule me as soon as possible so I could get in before I have to go on COBRA. A $300 co-pay is a hell of a lot better than a $2000 full pay, and GOD do I need them done.

So if I'm a little loopy (... OK loopier than usual) tomorrow, that's the Vicodin talking.

Japanese flood

For some reason I'm getting flooded by hits from Japan on my main web site, www.chrisbyrne.com

The only thing I can think of is that it has to do with a mailing list I'm on where we were discussing japan (and not in a positive way), but no-one has emailed me, left a comment etc...

Isn't it though?

A strange coincidence, and coming out in the open

Huh, I started thinking about this earlier today and I realized, I wrote this letter to Kim DuToit a year ago almost to the day:

I was just fired a few minutes ago. Officially I was “terminated without cause”, and that for future employment inquiries they will report that I “decided to leave”. Unofficially I learned that the decision had been made by “senior management” to fire me about three months ago, but that they had kept me on to finish up my projects.

Coincidentally, about three months ago I was at a social function with my boss’s boss when he took me aside and said to me “Is that a gun?”—I was, as usual, carrying my Kahr K9, and he had seen the gun under my shirt—“Would you mind taking that out to your car? I really don’t like guns and I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to have one here”.

I said “Sure, no problem, but let me just say this...”, then I explained to him that I was carrying a weapon legally, that I never carried while at work or with clients, that this was not a work function, but that even if it was the company had no firearms policy which they should if they want to restrict gun possession around the company. I told him that I always carried outside of work when it was legal for me to do so, but that I had no problem taking my gun back to the car if it made him more comfortable.

The next week a new supplement was issued to our employee handbook that prohibited possession of all firearms at company facilities, offices, events, functions, company-related functions or events, company-sponsored functions or events, or any organized gathering of employees, clients, customer business partners or vendors.

It also made very clear that any violation of this policy would result in immediate termination.

Well when I received this I politely refused to sign it as it violated several state and Federal laws (right to privacy, right to freely associate etc...). I told my boss this, and the head of HR, and I suggested what needed to be changed to be legal. I also informed them that pursuant to state law if they wanted to ban firearms from the building they had to post a sign at all entrances saying such. All of this was offered to be helpful, not in any way adversarial. I have no problem complying with a company policy as long as it’s legal. The policy had apparently been dashed off boilerplate and hadn’t been vetted by the lawyers. They issued a new policy the next week which was worded differently and didn’t try and restrict out-of-work functions as much, but was still pretty restrictive. Unfortunately I can’t share it with you due to a non-disclosure agreement, but even with the new language I doubt if it would stand up in court, but I just didn’t want to fight it any more. They still haven’t put up the signs.

A few days later my boss told me on the sly that his boss was looking for a reason to fire me. He also let me know that his boss was going to make him give me a poor performance review; his quote “I hate to do this, but there’s nothing I can do, and you need to start watching your back a bit more”. Finally I was reprimanded for my “unprofessional behavior” in carrying a gun around my co-workers.

Please don’t misunderstand me, my boss is great. He’s been behind me 100%, very supportive, and really one of the best bosses I’ve ever had, but when the Number Two guy in the company decides you have to go, that’s just the way it is.

So anyway a few weeks ago my major project ended, but I was already booked in on two more projects. Well let me just say I aced them. The sales guys for both projects, and the customers raved. My boss gave me some really positive feedback and we talked about the great opportunities I had just created with the two previously very difficult clients. Then he told me that he had to give me an official warning for poor performance because I had been lax in some of my paperwork, and that I had taken too much comp time for all of the uncompensated mandatory overtime I was doing. We talked about how this was going to affect my bonus, and what we could do to improve things in the future.

That was a week ago. Today at 3pm we reviewed the projects again in preparation for wrap-up meetings. Again I got some great feedback on my performance and for creating these great new opportunities, and then my boss’s boss came in and said “I’m sorry, we’re going to have to let you go”.

He in fact wanted to have me escorted off the premises immediately. He actually looked frightened of me and left the room quickly. My boss said he would stay with me while I copied my personal files and cleaned out my stuff. We talked for a good hour about what had happened. He confessed to me, again off the record, unofficial etc… that his boss has been afraid of me for months, and when the decision had been made etc… He said that his boss was honestly afraid I would pull out a gun and shoot him.

At this point I was understandably not happy, but I was pretty calm. My boss apologized for the bullshit, and said that he felt like he had let me down.

So basically I was fired for being a gun enthusiast employed by a GFW.

I think I’ll be spending a lot of time at the range this weekend.

That was on July 15th 2004; now one year later, if not to the day, to the week... Weird huh. At the time I asked Kim not to reveal who I was, but I feel fine in coming forward now to say it was me.

That is twice I was fired for my political views and actions in 12 months.

Leadership

The biggest thing missing from the debate last year about presidential candidates was an asessment of their leadership skills, and natural abilities.

Now we are all talking about 2008, and there doesn't seem to be anyone really generating any real interest.

Sure character, intelligence, integrity, and honor are critically important (and Kerry failed on all but one), but none of them tell you much about a persons ability to lead.

Some folks are just natural leaders. People will follow them, and not know why. Natural leaders tend to generate intense passion and loyalty in their supporters, and intense hatred in their opponents.

Some others aren’t actually great natural leaders, but sociopaths who project leadership, which some are duped by, and then use that projection to manipulate the dupes. This is known as the “cult of personality” effect and can be illustrated in cult leaders and politicians like Bill Clinton, Fidel Castro, Hitler, Stalin etc…

There are people who are good leaders solely out of competence. They are just the best person for the job at the time.

Finally there are those who, whatever else they have or don't have; are good leaders because they have overwhelming character, resolve, and purpose. They are on a mission from god, or a holy quest, or a personal crusade and they are gonna take you with them.

To be truly great (or truly monstrous), you need to have at least two of these things behind you. We haven't had a president like that in a loooong time. Maybe Roosevelt, maybe not. Honestly since Lincoln I dont think there’s been a truly great leader as president, only some near greats.

Look at the last 50 or so years:

Bush has some natural leadership ability, but not much skill, and it’s stymied by his other faults.

Cinton was a sociopath plain and simple.

Bush senior was a good administrator, and competent, but not much of a leader.

Reagan was a natural leader, and had great moral character, but he wasnt quite there. Maybe as a younger man he would have been truly great as a natural leader.

Carter, a genius but he had no bottom and almost no natural leadership.

Ford, a joke. A scrub president selected because everyone thought he was too nice and too dumb to lie.

Nixon, a paranoid sociopath.

LBJ, a consumate politican, but no leadership ability at all. He was a great schemer, a great manipulator, a very intelligent man, but not a leader.

The best natural leader we’ve had in the White House in the last 50 years was clearly JFK. Sure the man had a hell of a lot of faults, but he inspired people to follow him. People still have an amazing passionate loyalty and affection for him today (of course this has MANY reasons, most of which are more myth than reality, but still). Unfortunately he had little else going for him. He wasn't very smart, or very competent, and he didnt have a great cause, other than his truly great love for America (which shouldn't be underestimated, but isn't enough for a successful presidency). Basically if he hadnt been shot he would have been well loved, but not done very much.

You would think Eisenhower was a great leader, but actually his subordinates didn't like him very much. What he was was a brilliant delegator, a solid desicison maker, and very good at bringing different elements of his commands together. Of course it was his brilliant delegation that brought us Fidel Castro, the Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missle crisis, the Viet Nam war etc…

Everyone hated Truman as a boss. He was a nasty bastard, but he was good at his job, and he made tough decisions and mostly stuck to them. He was a very good postwar president, and a good practical leader, but not a natural leader.

You have to go back to Roosevelt before you get a truly great leader, and even then the guy started some things in America that may eventually end in our downfall so I’m not sure if he qualifies.

Of all the possible presidential candidates out there, with any chance in hell of being NOMINATED never mind elected; I can only think of three that I can picture voting for: Ron Paul, George Allen, and Condaleeza Rice.

Honeslty people, I'm not seeing the leadership there either...

So as I’ve asked all too many times before, who and where are our great leaders? I don’t see any coming up right now, and we’re gonna need’em real frikken soon.

Terminated

I was terminated without cause about an hour and a half a go.

The only explanation I recieved was "Your work ahs been excellent, you've done everything we've asked of you; but your management style does not fit with the new direction of this organization".

I asked my boss pprivately and all he could say was "I wish I could tell you what was going on, but I cant. I can say what I can say, and that's it".

I said "why now? did this have to be done before my 90 days was up?" he said that had something to do with it, but he couldnt say any more; that we had to leave it at that.

I've been telling you from the time I took the job that the politics were tough, and that from the time I took the job I was concerned about being fired for stepping on too many toes. The problem is to do the job I had to. I tried to be as light as I could, but I had a lot of doom and gloom things I HAD to do, and people don't like that.

I never went after anyone, but people assumed I did. I found out a few weeks ago that a director whos job he felt I threatened was trying to get me fired; going so far as to tell HR that I "Hated and discriminated against women and inorities". I talked with my boss about it who said "Sorry Chris, I didnt realize how political things were there. Just be careful".

Well I guess I wasn't careful enough.

"I did my job Dan, and I did it damn well" - "Yes, you did, good luck"

That was it.

UPDATE: I was just looking at my logs, and I saw some familiar IP addresses.

Apparently the people at the home office have been doing searches on "Chris Byrne Shooting Koran", and visiting the "Team Infidel" page.

My CIO, and senior VP in Minneapolis are both devout Muslims.

Do the fucking math

Oh and for those of you thinking I should sue? Forget about it; I live in Arizona. Even if I lived in another state, I've been working there for less than 90 days; and was still in my probationary period in which I can be dismissed for any reason without cause.

Well, I Honestly Can't Deny It...

http://www.space.net.au/~dpwyrm/interactive/kooks/kook.html

Kook report: 73 You are undoubtedly odd. You worry your family, and you no longer have any normal friends. When you go on holiday, you chose places like Transylvania, the Sonora desert, McMurdo Sound and the Amazonian rain-forest. You mutter and mumble to yourself in times of stress, and you try not to open your wardrobe too often, in case something comes through...

Actually I rather think McMurdo would kick ass. I have a friend who went on an Antarctic Cruise, and I would have loved that.

There is no spoon folks.

I'm not an addict...

JRonus: Can anyone give any insight on .44 magnums? I want it primarily for target shooting and occasional hunting. Thanks

Toad: Well I don’t have any recent experience so I’m not going to be any help (I prefer automatics and I’m a recoil wuss). But for an adjustable sight double action pistol on the basis of purty I like the Colt Anaconda. Here is a used one from GusAmerica. I’m kind of curious now myself about what the revolver fans like?

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976577363.htm

I tried out the Anaconda, and honestly I didnt care for it. It never seemed to me to be up to the (admintedly very high) standard of the python, and it jsut didnt feel as god as a Model 29.

If I could afford one, I’d have a Dan Wesson, AND a model 29 sitting in my range bag. Unfortunately I can’t; for one thing, neither of the originals are made anymore, and the owners dont really like to sell them for less than a small fortune.

For me, the 629 just doesnt feel the same… and really it isnt, because they are made very differently; from different steel.. but maybe it’s close enough. Dan Wesson may be making the .44’s again (I heard maybe yes, maybe no. now with the CZ thing, who knows), but not to anywhere near the same standard they had in the 70s…

See heres the thing, I want DA revolvers in .357, .44, and .45lc ... plus .454 casull… and maybe one of the little tiny titanium/scandium .357 for pants pocket stuff (almsot as small as a KelTec, a little thicker, and 4 times the power… yeah I’ll take that).

So the .44 is way down the list, which is too bad.

Oh and I need to buy a replacement SIG and Glock first (I sold mine to Dustin), then maybe add a P220 (you can never have too many .45s...) hell, a model 10 or a model 25 wouldnt be out of the question either (again, you can never have too many .45s), one of those mech-tech carbine conversions… and maybe a S&W-1911sc (commander length, scandium frame, 28oz, external extractor, perfect trigger… yeah, I need one of those)....

Oh and a heavy barrel 24" upper for my AR... and... and...

Yeah, I’m not an addict; addicts go to meetings.

Burning The Flag

Alright, I havent said anything about this because I wanted to let the fervor die down for a bit.

If you are an American citizen, burning the flag (unless properly disposing of one) is wrong. It is intended as, and recieved as; a gesture of disrespect for the service that millions have provided to this country. The burning of an American flag by an American citizen is an act of dishonor equivalent to the denunciation of your citizenship; and should cary a social stigma equivalent to it. It is a direct insult to those freedoms which allow you to burn the flag in the first place

And that's the thing, you DO have that freedom, and you should.

The most dangerous words in the English language are "There ought to be a law"...

No, there ought to be some courtesy and civility; there ought to be some decency; there ought to be some respect; but we don't need a law to prohibit burning the flag.

We don't need to write laws to ensure civil behavior, and we shouldn't. You cannot write laws to make everyone behave honorably, because there is no honor in "not breaking the law"... if one has to write laws enforcing honor, then honor has no meaning.

We most certainly do not need to alter our constitution, to prohibit a class of distatasteful expression.

We don't need a law for this, we need a society where people actually understand what the flag represents. Because I tell you right now, those people who burn the flag certainly do not. They have no real understanding of what they are doing, it's just a symbol to them, and NOT the same symbol it is to you and me. It's a political tool and nothing more.

To them, the flag has no real meaning or message.

To me, it's a different story. When I see the american flag, I cannot help but straighten up; and I unconsciously want to salute. When I see the flag, I think of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making those colors mean something.

A flag is nothing, it is just a symbol, a piece of cloth; and if you dont understand what it means; if you don't believe in what that symbol represents; you have destroyed nothing...

It;s what is represented by that symbol that is important; and you haven't destroyed that by burning the symbol...

But you HAVE made a lot of people angry, and they are mostly the type of people you really don't want to make angry.

Now I don't think we need an amendment to protect the flag... but I well and truly believe that burning the flag should automatically be considered "Fighting Words", for the purpose of a justification defense.

No, you wont get off, but it will just be misdemeanor simple assault, with a light sentence.

So go ahead, burn the flag, but if you try and do it anywhere near me, I'm going to take extreme exception. Hell, I live in the real America, what jury is going to convict me for shoving that pole right up your ass.

Next Mom update

Well, she had a series of seizures last night and today. Shes had a hell of a lot of tests, and she says they are going to have some solid info for her tomorrow.

Thankfully these ones were far more mild than the previous ones. She doesnt appear to have any additional memory loss or disorientation.

... You know its funny, my mom is so hard to deal with on her medical care..

See the problem is that she is unable to give up control over any bit of her life. She has always had control issues, and her illnesses have just made them worse.

She's the type of person who will deliberately do something that she knows will hurt her.. like take all ehr medications and flush them down the toilet... to maintain the illusion of control, rather than admit she is helpless before the illness, and let the doctors make decisions for her.

Pride is important; without pride what are you; but theres a point where pride must be set aside, and survival must take priority. I can understand not wanting to live with the indignities and pain of a crippling illness, but that's not what we are talking about here. This is lying to doctors, and not following medical instructions, jsut so she can feel like shes in control of her own life; even though by doing so she makes herself worse, which actually REDUCES the control she has over her life.

For some time now it has been clear that my mother needs to assign durable power of attorney to me, or at the very least a medical power of attorney; because there are long periods of time where she is incapable of making decisions for herself. She says she will have her lawyer write one up, but it never happens. She's been incapacitated when some major financial issues have come up, and I have had to work around those as best I could...

She knows hse has to do it; she knows it's the right thing; she even consciously wants too.. but she just cant give up that bit of control.

Aat the Dr.s office the other day, on the elevator ride down, I finally said to her "You've lied to me, you've broken your promises to me, I'm tired of you killing yourself jsut to feel like you are in control. You can do it all you want, but if you do, it will be without me. You need to accept that you are no longer in control of your own life; the doctors are; and that is IT!"

She broke down crying, and I had to almost carry her out to the car. Then she spent the next 20 minutes alternately apologizing for her behavior and trying to jsutify it.

At one point she screamed at me "I'm not a drug addict dammit"... as if by sheer will alone she could control the incredibly intense pain and withdrawals from opiates that happen when she stops taking her medication. I'm still convinced that's what triggered her seizures in the first place.

Finally I told her again "Either you stop trying to pretend you arent sick, that you arent hurt, that you have the capability to take care of yourself... either you give it up and jsut do what you have to do to survive; and MAYBE YOU'LL GET BETTER... Either you stop making yourself WORSE EVERY SINGLE DAY; or you've lost me."

Thats it.

I made a similar speech to my ex-wife five years ago; her decision was to stay sick, and get sicker, so I left.

But this is my mother...

Sometimes I just don't know. Theres nothing else I can do. I'm not going to sit by and watch while she kills herself for her stupid pride.

I'm not.

You know its bad...

When the national weather service issues a sever weather advisory, telling people not to go outisde because...

National Weather Service Zone - AZZ023 PSRNPWPSR WWUS75 KPSR 101249 NPWPSR URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 549 AM MST SUN JUL 10 2005 AZZ022-023-027-028-102300- GREATER PHOENIX AREA-... SCOTTSDALE... 549 AM MST SUN JUL 10 2005 HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM UNTIL 8 PM MONDAY FOR THE DESERT AREAS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY FOR THE SOUTH-CENTRAL DESERTS OF ARIZONA...INCLUDING THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA...FROM 10 AM UNTIL 8 PM ON MONDAY. THE EXPECTED AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURE AT PHOENIX ON MONDAY IS 111 DEGREES...AND MOST OF THE SOUTH-CENTRAL DESERTS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 109 AND 112 DEGREES. IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTSIDE MONDAY...IT WILL BE HOT...SO AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT AND SUN...AND AVOID STRENUOUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IF POSSIBLE. YOUR BODY CAN LOSE UP TO A GALLON OF WATER AN HOUR THROUGH PERSPIRATION. STAY IN THE SHADE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS TO AVOID DEHYDRATION. WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT...LIGHT-COLORED...LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING. WEAR A WIDE-BRIMMED HAT TO SHIELD YOURSELF FROM THE SUN.

Now heres the thing, NWS temperature for phoenix is taken in two places, at the airport on a patch of grass at the top of a 12 foot pole; and at the top of a 2700 foot mountain.

This has an irritating effect (at least to me), that the NWS numbers, while useful meteorologically, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL TEMP ON THE GROUND.

Typically seaking, the actual ground temps are from 5-20 degrees hotter than the official temps of the day. I have several accurate thermometers, and on a "109 degree" day, the thermometer I have on my THIRD FLOOR PORCH IN THE SHADE, generally reads 114-117. The official temp yesterday was 109, my thermometer? 117 (the one in my car said 116)

That means if they issue a warning for 112, you can guarandamntee its gonna be over 120 in the streets.

Yay!

Update on my mom

Still no word yet. They admitted her friday night, but didnt get her into the neuro unit untl 1pm tday. She hasnt had more than the briefest exam or diagnostics... it seems like htey are waiting til monday when the senior docs are all back from vacation.

Meanwhile, they are keeping her as medicated as possible, which brings her pain from 10+ down to 7 or 8. They are worried that any more meds will cause respritory failure.

Doncha just love hospitals

Taking mom to the hospital

It's very not good this time. Two large black spots on her brain, and in her word "The worst head pain I've ever felt in my life".

The neurologist doesnt know what it is, and I've got to get her to the neurosurgeon.

If you dont hear from me for a while, you know where I am.

God Save England

Dystopian Sci-Fi, heavy metal, and the british mind

I was lsitening to the radio this morning, and "INto the Void came one. This is a song I really like, but I'd never listened closely to they lyrics before, ad really thoguht aobut them.

Theres somethign about the British mind that makes them write dystopian Sci-Fi. I dont really know what it is, except perhaps a lack of native optimism about the future. I can say that it is clear throughour british Science fiction, and British heavy metal; those brits really expect the future to suck...

Into The Void
Black Sabbath

Rocket engines burning fuel so fast
Up into the night sky they blast
Through the universe the engines whine
Could it be the end of man and time
Back on earth the flame of life burns low
Everywhere is misery and woe
Pollution kills the air, the land and sea
Man prepares to meet his destiny
Rocket engines burning fuel so fast
Up into the night sky so vast
Burning metal through the atmosphere
Earth remains in worry, hate and fear
With the hateful battles raging on
Rockets flying to the glowing sun
Through the empires of eternal void
Freedom from the final suicide

Freedom fighters sent out to the sun
Escape from brainwashed minds and pollution.
Leave the earth to all it’s sin and hate
Find another world where freedom waits.
Past the stars in fields of ancient void
Through the shields of darkness where they find
Love upon a land a world unknown
Where the sons of freedom make their home

Leave the earth to satan and his slaves
Leave them to their future in the grave
Make a home where love is there to stay

Girlfriend update

She's sleeping right next to me righ now... makeup sex is great aint it.

Sometimes, I swear she starts a fight just for the makeup sex.

See here the thing. I dont cry and wail and carry on if she says "I cant be with you any more". I jsut said, "Wwell, I don think thats true, but if thats what you want, fine".

Next day rolls around "Honey, could you come pick me up? I was mad at you, but I'm not anymore"

Sure baby.

Like I said, on-again off again. Honestly, I'm okay with where we are. Shes crazy, and I dont mind. SHes not the kind of crazy that will start a bar fight to see if I'll bleed for her, or to fuck my life up or anything like that. Shes jsut the kind of crazy who will "break up" with me for a day, and then the next day its like it never happened.

I do love the girl. I know shes not the girl I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with or anything, but we have a good time when we arent pissing each other off, the sex is great, and we are comfortable together.

It may sound un-romantic, but being comfortable together is an asset you cant replace easily. Being with someone you can jsut be quiet next to for hours is a rare thing. Being with someone you can read next to in bed, and she not have to jsut say things to fill up space? Priceless guys, priceless.

So yeah, I'm okay with things the way they are. SOmehow I had a feeling this would happen. It isnt the first time, and it porbably wont be the last time. And It'll be the same each time "I hate you" "No you dont, but if that waht you want"....

I tell you this though; if I scremed my undying love and begged her to stay, do you think she'd be back in my bed right now.

I actually got a 1540...

But the next year they published the scalar adjustments, and it is a 1600 on the scale they are using today. Also it was before they allowed calculators.

Your SAT Score of 1600 Means:

You Scored Higher Than Howard Stern You Scored Higher Than George W. Bush You Scored Higher Than Al Gore You Scored Higher Than David Duchovny You Scored Higher Than Natalie Portman You Scored Higher Than Bill Gates

Your IQ is most likely in the 150+ area

Equivalent ACT score: 36

Schools that Fit Your SAT Score: California Institute of Technology Stanford University Princeton University Yale University Harvard University

Yet more unsurprising shit volume 27

Your Extroversion Profile:

Assertiveness: Very High

Excitement Seeking: Very High

Activity Level: High

Friendliness: High

Cheerfulness: Medium

Sociability: Medium

No doyeee

You Know You're Addicted to Caffeine When...

You haven't slept since the Clinton Administration. Your next-door neighbors often call to complain about the sound of your chattering teeth. Instead of Tic Tacs, you suck on Vivarin. You plan to name your twins "Cappuccino" and "Espresso." On the way to work you get pulled over for speeding and you don't even have your car. You kill a guy for trying to switch your regular coffee to decaffeinated Folgers. You wake up in the middle of the night screaming "Pepsi! For the love of God, I need Pepsi!" When a Maxwell House commercial comes on, you actually lick the TV screen. You drink so much coffee it starts shooting out your ears. You're shaking like Michael Jackson on his wedding night. You think sleep is for the weak. You've just had your 20th cup of coffee within 20 minutes on a Friday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, just so "the milk doesn't go bad over the weekend" You believe that the coffee bean is a vegetable. You know from experience caffeine tablets don't dissolve in cola. You wake up to Mountain Dew, before switching to JOLT. You can name five flavors of JOLT. You have a mini-fridge under your desk... and a catheter. You drink decaf by accident and slip into a coma. Mountain Dew is the stuff great decisions are made of. You regard the fact that your hands are shaking as a good sign. You have tattooed across the knuckles of your hands "JOLT" and "COLA" Your birthday is a national holiday in Colombia. You go to sleep just to wake up and smell the coffee. Your coffee pot is next to your bed and your alarm clock is in the kitchen. You've ever an airplane's call button just to get a coffee refill. You've knelt and prayed before a Starbuck's logo. Your web page has the Mountain Dew color scheme. You have distilled Jolt Cola to make it more potent. The dishes in your house are all coffee cups. You see nothing wrong with using water joe (caffeinated water) to make the coffee you use to take your no-doze. You believe that sleep is simply a poor substitute for sleep It's 6:09 AM and you're on your 2nd 20oz. cup of coffee. You have to drink some form of caffeinated beverage just to sleep. You'd rather be beaten over the head with a sledgehammer than give up that first cup of coffee in the morning. You've given up sex, TV, or all forms of meat for Lent before, but can't make it 40 days without caffeine. You suck on a used coffee filter (full of coffee grounds) whenever the can runs out of coffee. You dip espresso beans. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to caffeine.

You Know You're Addicted to Coffee When...

You can jump start your car without cables. You answer the door before people knock. You get a speeding ticket even when you are parked. You've worn out your third pair of shoes this week. Your eyes stay open even when you sneeze. You grind coffee beans in your mouth. You can type sixty words per minute -- with your feet. You soak your dentures in coffee overnight. You sleep with your eyes open. You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug. Instant coffee takes too long to make. You channel surf faster without the remote. You don't sweat... you percolate. You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers. You short out motion detectors. You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in. The only time you are standing still is during an earthquake! You've worn the finish off your coffee table. All your kids are named Joe. Juan Valdez named his donkey after you. People get dizzy just watching you. Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house. The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse. The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you. When someone asks 'How are you?' you say, 'Good to the last drop'. You buy milk by the barrel. You can outlast the Energizer bunny. You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer. You can't even remember your second cup. You chew on other people's fingernails. You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore. You don't get mad, you get steamed. You don't need a hammer to pound in nails. You don't tan, you roast. You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee. You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee. You have to watch videos in fast-forward. You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse. You help your dog chase its tail. You introduce your spouse as your coffee mate. You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit. You lick your coffeepot clean. You name your cats Cream and Sugar. You ski uphill. You speak perfect Arabic without ever taking a lesson. You speed-walk in your sleep. You spend every vacation visiting Maxwell House. You think being called a drip is a compliment. You think CPR stands for Coffee Provides Resuscitation. You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison. Your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an I.V. hookup. Your coffee mug is insured by Lloyds of London. Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position. Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale. Your only source of nutrition comes from Sweet & Low. Your taste buds are so numb; you could drink your lava lamp. Your Thermos is on wheels. You're so wired, you pick up AM radio. You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers. You've worn out the handle on your favourite mug. You take your morning coffee with you in the shower. Your heart beats noticeably faster as a reaction to the smell of coffee. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to coffee.

OK, I didnt plan this one at all

Your Porn Star Name is: Dan Rather

Well, since I grew up in Boston

And lived for some years in Ireland, this isn't exactly surprising:

Your Slanguage Profile

New England Slang: 100%

Aussie Slang: 75%

British Slang: 75%

Victorian Slang: 75%

Canadian Slang: 50%

Southern Slang: 50%

Prison Slang: 25%

I wonder if thats a kosher dog...

You Are 73% American

Most times you are proud to be an American. Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!

Broke up with the girlfriend

A couple hours ago.

This isn't exactly a major surprise, w've been on again off again for almost a year. Now we're off again.

She says I'm "snobby", but apparently has no idea what it means. Of course the fact that I insist that she is using the wrong word jsut makes her say I'm beeing snobby even more.

She seems to think snobby is just a generic term for stubborn, agressive, and slightly arrogant.

snob ( P ) Pronunciation Key (snb)

n.

1. One who tends to patronize, rebuff, or ignore people regarded as social inferiors and imitate, admire, or seek association with people regarded as social superiors.
2. One who affects an offensive air of self-satisfied superiority in matters of taste or intellect
   

I will fully and freely admit, I know how smart I am and I make no bones about it, but I am not a snob. I like what I like, which are GOOD things, AND THAT DOESNT MAKE ME A SNOB. I dont dislike or insult other because of their choices, but somehow because I choose good things, insist on good service, and can't stand stupid mistakes or incompetence, that makes me a bad person...

She insluts me in other ways INCORRECTLY as well, and I call her on it. SHe alwsy says "No, you're wrong", and of course I KNOW I'm right, which irritates me even more And god help me if I PROVE beyond all doubt that I am right, because that jsut proves her point.

Yeah, mkay.

Honestly, I got tired of her insulting me all the time, INCORRECTLY. I think I could have lived with it if she was using it correctly, but I'll be damned if I'm insulted for something I'm NOT. Theres plenty of TRUE things you can insult me for.

The other thing is, she absolutely cant stand argument. Any disagreement that gets the slightest bit confrontational or hostile, or argumentative, and she either tunes it out, blows it off, or snaps bout it. And dont you DARE raise your voice to her, or she'll flip out.

So finally I called her on it for the last time, and she said "I can't be with you anymore". Fine with me. The sex was great, the physical affection was nice, and we liked watching movies together. Everything else, we drove each other crazy. I tolerated it because I cared about her, and because I'ma kind guy, and a care giver, but shes really just batshit crazy.

Actually its kind of cute, but I grew up with crazy people, and have had a ton of crazy girlfriends and a REALLY crazy wife, so I have a far higher tolerance than... basically everyone.

Anyway, ladies, here I come... or not.

I'm working 70+ hour weeks, the likliehood of me having enough time and energy to find someone to date asymptotically approaches negative absolute infinity at the moment. The union set of my time and energy functions is Aleph null.

(yes I know that's bad math - for one thing asymptotes assume a 0!=0 origin, I'm jsut trying to be cute here guys. I also know that at least a few of my readers are fellow math and phsyics geks and that will be jarring to them)

Though to my readers, if you know anyone reasonably attractive, who actually understands what's written on this blog, has an entirely too high sex drive, is far to affectionate, only slightly insane, more than a bit kinky, single, female, non-smoker, and living in Arizona (libertarians are a plus, but I always seem to end up with liberals), send her my way.

Of course if you DO know someone like that, I would assume you are keeping her for yourself. After all, you are an intelligent bunch.

I

Objects of lust, a quickie edition

Okay, I jsut want the hell out of one of these:

Thats an S&W model 25, in .45lc, with a tapered barrell, and cocobolo grips...

DAMN that's sexy.

I used to have one of these:

And man, it was one hell of a wheel gun (18 oz, 7 shots of .357... good combo). I had it's all stainless brother the 686p as well, and I MISS them; but I just LOVE the .45lc round.

I don't know why, it jsut always seemed like the ideal revolver round to me. Aand with modern guns, and handloading, you can push some DAMN fine numbers our of one.

Besides, that model 25, would be a great companion piece for this:

But I think I'd want mine blued, with cocoblo furniture to match the 25 (oh and yes, that's an alaskan co-pilot takedown, available in everyting from .357 magnum, to .50 alaskan)

UPDATE: Kevin Baker is buying himself the very model 25 I want... bastard

"This guy does HORRIBLE things to the Koran"

Yes, yes I do... and so do my friends

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mss_cyber/message/3601

Someone at a muslim youth group on yahoo has found Team Infidel

From: fAuZi` Date: Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:53 pm Subject: This guy does Horrid Things to the Koran.

faozhi@... Send Email

Assalamualaikum.

Check this website.
http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/

Download the videos.
This guys does lots of shameless acts on the Koran. For us it is spell as Quran rite.
Astargfirullahalazim.
Jus to make my fellow brothers and sisters aware of this.

Actually, I've recived surprisingly little negative reaction to it. Almost disappointing really, because I know how most of us freedom and gun lovers who read me every day feel about that stuff, so I'm preaching to the choir as it were. I got a lot of GREAT negatives on some of my other controversial essays, like "Homophobia is Offensive". Great negatives means your message is getting out beyond your social mirror, and into the hostile intellectual world out there.

I want to see your negatives people. I want you to THINK about WHY we did this.

Oh and to all you folks who think I'm just some dumb redneck hick (as if that made any difference), I was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts, attended an MIT youth program for gifted students, and have degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science, with a minor in Advanced Mathematics. I am most definitely not stupid, nor am I ignorant. One of the comments left was "why dont you actually READ it".... well I have read the Koran (or Quran if you will), and I find it's contents to be approximately 50% intersting and 50% vile. I wonder if my commenter had read the book, especially athe various parts about killing, lying, cheating, stealing, rape, murder, etc... were all OK as long as "the infidel" was the victim.

Well I say right up front, we're TEAM INFIDEL, and we are NOT victims. We are telling you right now, that whatever our idiotic communist, america hating press says or does, WE DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR SENSIBILITIES.

And there are about 100 million other Americans who feel exactly the same.

No I am not taking intellectual refuge in groupthink (that is after all what liberals do for a living),

Muslims, and those who would destroy America, and all we stand for...

I'm trying to make it clear to you exactly how wrong you are, in every possible way.

We are NOT all passive victims. In fact those who WOULD be (who would have us ALL be); those who believe we are to blame for your failure, your viciousness, your barbarism... those are the minority; surrounding themselves with an echo chamber of their own opinions, endlessly repeated at"the right" parties and in "the right" newspapers and by "the right" people.

Our press are not our voices, they are not our representatives; they are not, by their own declaration, even Americans (at least not while they are "reporting" the news). They are not Americans; they are the new internationalist, the transnational progressivists, and they are using you.

They are using you as a lever against the America they hate. Against the Capitalist system they hate.

They are using you, because they have no sincere beliefs, and they think that it is impossible that you actually believe what you do. They think that you are really just lying about what you believe, and using that big lie for propaganda purposes "After all, no-one could really believe THAT. How Backward and outlandish".

They are using you, because they want America destroyed, much as you do; and they believe that you cannot possibly succeed, but perhaps in failing, you can weaken America. Perhaps you can weaken America enough for them to take over, to destroy us completely; and to rebuild us in their desired image.

WE are Americans, and WE WILL NOT ever, allow them to take our freedoms, or our rights, and sacrifice them on the altar of collectivist progressivism

WE are Americans, and WE WILL NOT allow you to take our freedoms, or our rights, through political correctness, or fear, or terrorism, or by ANY OTHER MEANS.

WE are Americans, and WE WILL NOT FALTER

WE are Americans, and WE WILL NOT FAIL

WE are Americans, and WE WILL NOT stand for your behavior, celebrating in the streets while thousands of us are killed.

We are a people just as proud, and as fierce as yours in every way, no matter what your leaders tell you. We are not rotted from within, we are not weak, we are not womanish, WE HAVE NOT FALLEN.

WE are Americans, and WE WILL STAND AND FIGHT.

We will fight you with bullets, and with bombs; and we will fight you with ideas, and with ideals.

Muslims, you burn our flags, and our bibles. In your countries the mere posession of them is a crime, punishable by death from stoning.

And you call us barbarous?

Your culture has failed. Your religion is nothing but the lies of a mad man, addled by the sun and syphillis; and driven mad by his equal lusts for power, food, gold, and sex. I have no respect for your religion, and I will not treat it's book as if I do. I do not hate you, but I do not respect you, and I do not revere you, nor will I respect or revere your book.

I do not hate all muslims, even though your religion commands you to enslave me, or kill me. I do not hate all muslims even though your religion compels you to remain in the 14th century.

I do not hate you
I do not fear you
I do not misunderstand you

I pity you

I only wish you could have the benefit of a real civilization. I only wish you would let go of your 14th century failed culture, kill your corrupt leaders, kill your power mad religious zealots, kill your frightened mullahs and imams, KILL THEM; and once you have done so, join the rest of the world.

Until you do so; until you destroy those among you who would bring down our world; until you rid us of them; my hand is turned against you.

So come on Muslims, do your worst.

Just so you know I'm not some right wing religious nut either. I'm a libertarian, and my feelings towards the bible are somewhat less than charitable, but you don't see christians rioting and killing hundreds over a rumor of some bible pages being flushed down the toilet.

Oh and if any assholes decide they'd like to do the real thing, be forewarned, I am heavily armed at all times, my home and car are booby trapped, and I live in Arizona where it is my legal right to kill you to defend myself.

No I'm not kidding, I'm warning you.

I almost feel sorry for the asshole that tries to fuck with me. Almost, but not quite.

Gutting the ATFE

Read this and then come back to me: http://www.givemeliberty.org/RTPLawsuit/Update2005-07-04.htm

Done? Good....

Now this case is about taxes, but theres something very important about the courts nterpretation of the delegated powers of the executive branch.

Most significantly, the Court held, relying on a 1920 decision by the United States Supreme Court, that the principles of due process apply to all administrative orders. We take that to mean the Court’s order applies not only to IRS first party summonses, but also to IRS third party summonses, and to IRS levies and liens.

In what may be the most significant sentence in the 13-page decision, the court stated:

“The rule of due process upon which we relied in Schulz I, and upon which we rely now, can be stated thus; any legislative scheme that denies subjects an opportunity to seek judicial review of administrative orders except by refusing to comply, and so put themselves in immediate jeopardy of possible penalties ‘so heavy as to prohibit resort to that remedy,’ Oklahoma Operating Co. v. Love, 252 U.S. 331, 333 (1920), runs afoul of the due process requirements of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.“ [Page 10].

Although the objects in contention in Schulz were IRS administrative summonses, it is unavoidable that the Due Process issues raised and articulated by the Court in Schulz have direct implication for all forms of routine IRS administrative process including liens, levies and seizures. This decision reiterates those constitutional principles.

One might note, this also GUTS THE ATFE COMPLETELY.

Why?

Because all they have are administrative procedures. None of their rules are actually laws. Prior to this decision the administrative procedure was how the executive branch got around constitutional challenges, because it is very difficult to challenge the constitutionality of them in court. THe executive powers for administering laws are very broad, and widely open to interpretation. Well this decision basically says they have NO VALIDITY UNDER THE LAW; without a federal court order backing them, they are merely a request.

Let me repeat this, THIS GUTS THE ATFE COMPLETELY…

All those lists of parts etc… that aren't in any legislation as illegal? Nope, now they need a law, or a court order to say they are illegal. Not only that, but it's going to be pretty damned hard to find grounds for those court orders. Before they always hid behind the shield of "administrative procedure", but NO MORE.

This applies to many executive orders as well; specifically those not applying to national security, war powers, or the military, and affecting domestic issues or american citizens within the united states and its territories (Exective orders are writs from god everywhere else, presuming we can enforce them that is).

See the ATFE, the DOJ, and the Commerce departments have had these lists of guns and parts that couldnt be imported... Well unless it's formalized in blackletter law, IT'S GONE.

Oh and in '86 the ATF put in place an administrative procedure that banned the production of new automatic weapons for sale to non-law enforcement civilians; guess swhat, IT'S GONE.

Not only that, but because of this ruling, and until they get a court order or law that says otherwise, IT’S AS IF THEY WERE NEVER IN FORCE; because they never were legal; at least for new "offenses" that have not yet been adjudicated. Once a judge has ruled, then the adminsitrative procedure has the force of law... but here the great part... ONLY FOR THAT PARTICULAR INSTANCE. A judge will have to rule on each individual case or warrant until and unless they produce actual federal law.

This just completely destroys the ATFE, and a whole bunch of other federal agencies. It may do the same for states under supremacy doctrine if the administrative procedure used by the state is found to violate due process, or any other constitutionally controlled issue.

I'm thinking that gun owners in CA, NY, MA, and NJ might have somethign to say about that... maybe using the "Arbitrary and Capricious" doctrine, equal rotection, or hell even making a 2A claim (never gonna happen. Lawyers are too scared).

Of course it is also a MASSIVE power grab for the federal bench; not that that is in any way surprising...

Oh, and no matter what the courts say, ATFE will still come and blow your house up, possibly killing you, or your elderly neighbors in the process if they think you are a violator. It’s not like they are going to let a little thing like law, due process, or the constitution get in their way.

Just ask David Koresh... Oh wait....

UPDATE:

Ok, a few people have commented that "thats unrealistic" or "the REAL application is more limited" or "Correct in principal but in reality" etc...

Yep, they are right.

Ok, I am speaking in the judicial ideal here; as I said, as a practical matter it is a different world. The ATF is still going to do whatever it wants to do, unless a judge forces them to do otherwise, which means going to court.

What this really does is, once you actually get to court, the burden of proof for justification or the policy shifts now to the government; and if they can't positively justify the policy, it has no force.

We dont have to argue a negative defense against the administrative procedure, they have to argue an affirmative application.

It also means they can't simply seize and destroy property based on their administrative procedures. In fact I dont think a seizure warrant would be sufficient, I believe they would actually need to amke a positive justification of their seizure and destruction separately from a warrant, giving you the opportunity to respond (if my reading of the due process argument is correct anyway).

And of course this still has to go to the supremes, who one might have noted recently, are loathe to limit the power of the state.

On a fundamental level, what I say is true, but fundamental vs. practical....

Reconquista...

I just got this in from MinuteMan HQ. I'm exepriencing mixed emotions here, anger at the action, and satisfaction that these scumbags in the reconquista movement are finally being exposed for what they are...

June 29, 2005

CLAIM FILED AGAINST MAYOR OF BALDWIN PARK FOR SUPPORTING

HATE CRIMES & RICO VIOLATIONS AGAINST SENIOR CITIZEN

(Baldwin Park, CA) The law firm of Lively & Ackerman, of Temecula, CA, has filed a formal governmental claim against the City of Baldwin Park, its Mayor, and Police Department. the firm represents Murrieta senior citizen Laura "Dottie" Dalton. According to the claim, "This governmental claim relates to an incident that took place on May 14, 2005, near the Danza Indigenas monument at the Baldwin Park Metrolink Station. The Claimant is a senior citizen who attended a peaceful protest against racism engaged in by the City of Baldwin Park through its support of a monument which denounces white and other non-Latinos. Specifically, there was a protest and counter-protest that took place on May 14, 2005. The issues that evoked the controversy specifically arise from the fact that the tax-supported monument has quotes that read “It was better before they came [obviously referring to Americans of European or ‘white descent],” and “This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and will be again.” The Mayor of Baldwin Park was present in support of the monument and the protesters who support the continued display of these racist, separatist and discriminatory comments."

The claim goes on to state that, "Mayor Lozano appeared to support racist comments made by protesters against Claimant, and endorsed discriminatory comments made by his fellow protesters. Other City Council members were also present at the protest, which eventually turned into an anti-white mob. [...] Furthermore, many of the attendees at the event were known to be here in the United States illegally. Instead of enforcing the law against their illicit presence, and thereby reducing the risk of a large mob mentality, the members of the City Council present at the event actively discouraged any enforcement of the law and actually incited protesters to attack those who were near Claimant. After inciting the crowd, members of the crowd did actually start throwing heavy objects toward Claimant. Claimant LAURA “DOTTIE” DALTON was hit by a full bottle of water that was intentionally hurled at a high velocity at the Claimant at about 1:00 pm." The medical records of Ms. Dalton indicate that she suffered a brain hemorrhage as a result of the foreseeable violence escalated by the Mayor of Baldwin Park.

The claim seeks one million dollars in compensation for medical bills, future medical expenses, and punitive damages. The claim also requests that the City of Baldwin Park eliminate the racist comments set forth in the challenged monument. The City must respond to the claim in a manner prescribed by the California Government Code.

A copy of the actual claim is attached hereto.

You know you're too much of a military geek when....

You're sitting on the rooftop observation deck of your friends mountainside luxury home, looking out over the 40+ mile, 270 degree view...

And instead of thinking "Hey, Nice view" all you can think is:

"Hmmm, other than being a little exposed this would be a great OP (observation point). We could give full BDA and FCO on the entire valley from here... too bad about the nasty enfilade , that just means we'll need to keep the patrols out further... hmmm, good sight lines for the 240's and a few natural obstacles... now if we could only protect that ridgeline properly..."

It's even worse when you say it out loud.

Or when looking a new place to live, instead of checking out the decor, and the appliance and fixtures your first thoughts are

"Hmm, good sightlines, no viable ambush points, nice thick walls.. yeah that hallways is a perfect funnel into a kill zone... Nice E&E out of the neighborhood, easy access out of town... Yeah this is defensible, I could live here"

Feel free to add your own.

We Hold THese Truths...

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refuted his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

--And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

--John Hancock

New Hampshire:

Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

---

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

---

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Article. I.

Section 1.

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section. 2.

Clause 1: The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

Clause 2: No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Clause 3: Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. (See Note 2) The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

Clause 4: When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

Clause 5: The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Section. 3.

Clause 1: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, (See Note 3) for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Clause 2: Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies. (See Note 4)

Clause 3: No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

Clause 4: The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

Clause 5: The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

Clause 6: The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Clause 7: Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section. 4.

Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

Clause 2: The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, (See Note 5) unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Section. 5.

Clause 1: Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Clause 2: Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

Clause 3: Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.

Clause 4: Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Section. 6.

Clause 1: The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. (See Note 6) They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, beprivileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

Clause 2: No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

Section. 7.

Clause 1: All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

Clause 2: Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Clause 3: Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section. 8.

Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

Clause 2: To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

Clause 3: To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

Clause 4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

Clause 5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

Clause 6: To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

Clause 7: To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

Clause 8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Clause 9: To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

Clause 10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

Clause 11: To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

Clause 12: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

Clause 13: To provide and maintain a Navy;

Clause 14: To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

Clause 15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

Clause 16: To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Clause 17: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, byCession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

Clause 18: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section. 9.

Clause 1: The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

Clause 2: The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

Clause 3: No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

Clause 4: No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken. (See Note 7)

Clause 5: No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

Clause 6: No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

Clause 7: No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

Clause 8: No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Section. 10.

Clause 1: No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

Clause 2: No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

Clause 3: No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Article. II.

Section. 1.

Clause 1: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows

Clause 2: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Clause 3: The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President. (See Note 8)

Clause 4: The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

Clause 5: No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Clause 6: In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, (See Note 9) the Same shall devolve on the VicePresident, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

Clause 7: The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Clause 8: Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Section. 2.

Clause 1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

Clause 2: He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section. 3.

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section. 4.

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article. III.

Section. 1.

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Section. 2.

Clause 1: The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;--between a State and Citizens of another State; (See Note 10)--between Citizens of different States, --between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

Clause 2: In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

Clause 3: The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.

Section. 3.

Clause 1: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

Clause 2: The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Article. IV.

Section. 1.

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section. 2.

Clause 1: The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

Clause 2: A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.

Clause 3: No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due. (See Note 11)

Section. 3.

Clause 1: New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

Clause 2: The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

Section. 4.

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

Article. V.

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Article. VI.

Clause 1: All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

Clause 2: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Clause 3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Article. VII.

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,

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The Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scot Key
-to the tune of "To Anachreon in Heaven"

O say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bomb bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
'Tis the star-spangled banner - O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto - "In God is our trust,"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

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Off for the weekend...

Well its off for the three day weeend.

Chili, Barbecue, Beer, Guns, and Girlfriend for me this weekend.

Here's hoping yours is just as good.

And remember, Independence days is a true celbration of our freedom, our independence, and our greatness as a nation. Don't waste it.

I didnt miss it this week...

Yes folks, I'm back in the carnival of cordite, having missed last week by forgetting to post and link etc.... These 70-80 hour weeks are killing me.

Here is your linky goodness:

http://gullyborg.typepad.com/weblog_archive/2005/07/carnival_of_cor.html

Next week I have a ocuple of interesting things, including some Gratuitous Gun Pics and fun with 1911's.