August 31, 2005
A New Hostage Crisis
We are about to enter a new hostage crisis. The hostage? The entire United States economy.Given the destruction and chaos in southern Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi we are already seeing a short term minimum of 2o%, and up to 40% disruption in our petroleum distillate production and distribution (things haven't stabilized enough to really know yet). It will be at least several weeks before this even begins to be mitigated, and several months (at minimum), before we are back up to where we were before Katrina.
This is already resulting in gas prices well above $3.00 per gallon in some areas after only three days of disruption, and I believe we will see an average gas price across the nation of between $3.25 and $3.50 per gallon by next week. Gas price futures jumped 13% yesterday, and gas rationing is already occurring in some areas around the country. If a media fueled gas panic sets in we may very well see $4.00 per gallon, to dire consequences.
Before I explain what I mean by" hostage crisis" any further, a few things need to be cleared out of the way.
First, the current commodity price of Oil (somewhere north of $70 per barrel) has nothing to do with it's actual wellhead price, and everything to do with speculators over the last three years. They have repeatedly driven the price up on the slightest pretext, and as the floor hasn't fallen out from under them, they will continue to do so (as is the nature of markets).
Many people have said, falsely, that the reason for the current price per barrel is that China and India are buying all the oil they can. This is true, but they aren't buying it at our commodities exchange price. The natural demand price of oil right now given the current available capacity is somewhere between $40 and $50 per barrel.
What is propping up this speculative market is psychology (as is the case with all speculative markets). The personal assumption is that turmoil in the middle east and high consumer demand will make things more expensive, therefore speculative investors buy oil futures at higher and higher prices, which makes other investors follow them in, thus fulfilling the promise of the trend at which point the trend leaders take their profits out, and then start another round of speculation. The media supports all of this by the nature and tone of their reporting on oil prices, and the difficulties in the mid-east and other oil producing regions...
Second, the current price of gasoline has little to do with the very high price per barrel of oil; and far more to do with the cost of transportation, distillation, and distribution. Even if we were buying the oil at $27 per barrel (the low of the last ten years, when average gas prices were something like $1.25 per gallon) our gasoline would STILL be near where it is today; because there is not enough refining capacity to cover our internal fuel demand, and hasn't been for about three years (massive refinery explosion, shut downs, and environmentalist actions). There hasn't been a new refinery built in the U.S. since 1976, and there HAVE been numerous shutdowns. Our total refining capacity has increased some 25-30% in that time due to improvements in efficiency, but our demand for fuel has gone up enormously (I have seen estimates ranging from 45% to 170% and I have no idea what is correct or how they were derived). Price increases are a natural result.
Again, this is the nature of markets.
Third, the other major component of gasoline prices is speculation and precautionary bumps on the part of the gasoline producers and distributors. The profit margins on gasoline are extremely thin (from 1% - 5%), so any time there is the slightest disturbance in the psychology of the markets, gasoline companies increase their prices immediately to compensate for the presumed future increase in THEIR costs. If the market will bear this increase without a significant reduction in demand, they have found a support level; and prices will not fall below this support level until demand is reduced. This does not translate into profit taking however, because the added revenues are used by the oil companies to provide additional stocks, or invest in infrastructure, which combined with long term elasticity of demand tends to stabilize prices at support levels for relatively long periods of time...
...Unless there is massive speculative turmoil and production issues as there have been for the last three years that is. Then things go all to hell. These factors feed into each other creating a speculation spiral, and effectively an oil bubble. This bubble will last, and grow bigger until one (or a combination of) three things happens.
1. The markets realize the fundamental unsoundness of the speculation, confidence falls out of the market, and there is a price collapse to the $40-50 per barrel level estimated as the demand price at the moment (that's also the price it was when the current gas price jumps started three years ago).
2. Consumer demand significantly reduces (more than 8% over the course of 90 days), causing the futures market to collapse somewhat, though probably not to demand level. 5% can be considered "noise" in a frothy market, but 8% is presumed to be an indicator, and the trend will be established for profit taking, without the subsequent speculation cycle acting as a price support. If consumer demand dropped more than 10% however, and certainly more than 12%, we would see a fall to demand level, or possibly below (in the short term), followed by a restriction of production to act as a price support.
3. Prices increase and stabilize to the point that it becomes economical to extract more oil from the VAST resources available outside of the middle east.
Of the three, I think the most likely to happen is a combination of 1 and 2.
But here is where I am worried:
The economy of the united states is a hostage to the price of fuel. Energy costs are already one of the largest components of production, distribution, operational costs for many consumer goods. These companies have thin margins as it is, and so any increase in energy costs will be directly passed on to consumers. We have a very limited capacity to accept these short term price increases, which if they occur will cause a massive slump in buying.
I believe that terrorists will use the opportunity and economic disruption caused by Katrina to aggressively strike at oil supplies and refining capacity, both in the middle east, and elsewhere. This is their moment to bring the United states down if they have the intelligence and the capability to do so.
I believe that they do, and that we will almost certainly see attempted attacks in the coming weeks.
This additional disruption in the supply chain could cause a world wide oil panic (primarily fueled by the U.S.), and result in oil prices over $100 per barrel, with gasoline prices in the US increasing to over $5 per gallon.
If prices here go over $4, we will immediately enter a massive recession, as all consumer goods become suddenly more expensive. The media will have a field day, which will cause even greater panic and disruption.
Consumer confidence will instantly plummet, thus feeding the recession cycle; until fuel demand and supplies balance, which will take months. The resulting recession could take years to recover from.
Please note that the ACTUAL impact of ANY of the events I've been talking about is relatively small in relation to the outcomes. It is the PSYCHOLOGICAL impact which has created the current situation, and could cause the panic I am so worried about. This psychological impact is fed by peoples lack of understanding of the basic market conditions, and the medias feeding that lack of understanding, as well as their desire to cause harm to the current political administration.
Now I just hope the terrorists are either too stupid, or too incompetent; or our intelligence and defensive resources are too good to let this happen.
My favorite movie...
... is the princess bride, so I thought this was cute:
Rockstar INXS - Not what I was expecting.
Well this week was completely different, and not at all what I expected. Lets just go right into the songs:Mig - Paul McCartney, "Live and Let Die": Ugh... What was that? The vibrato monster has arrived. Man he CAN screm well though. Just way too much vamping and screaming. Also the Tom Jones act doesn't do it for me. Wow he certainly can hold a note cant he (like I keep saying, he makes his living doing freddy mercury, and you have to be able to hold a note like that) I still can't believe he's straight... I don't like it, but I dunno if it'll get him a bottom nod. I THINK so, but I'm just not sure.
Jordis - John Lennon, "Imagine": Imagine Mariah Carey doing this song on prozac, with dreadlocks. Yeah that was it. Once again she manages to suck the soul and emotion completely out of a song while providing a perfectly lovely pop vocal. Oh and she looked great, but god that hair really is nasty. I'm guessing the 13 year old girl audience cohort loves it (and the band loved it too), so she's safe, but to my mind it was actually worst performance. You couldn't provide a better illustration of a cover that is wonderfully sung but completely awful.
Suzie - Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody":Well, she looked great, and she opened it well. She got the power of it, but not the delicacy. She just doesnt have the tonal quality or breath control (Mercurys breath control was amazing). She screwed up the change into the first break, and didnt really pick it up from there. Really bad sour notes on the reach and she missed the key. She recovered a bit on the second break, and the audience was getting into it pretty well. I loved her facial expressions, and her stage presence was pretty good. Solid finish... Overall half decent sliding to very good, and with the difficulty of the song that may be enough. Hell I think she'll get the encore for it.
Ty - Rolling Stones, "Can't always get what you want": Wow, that was nothing like what I was thinking. Very good though. He really made it work like the front man for a Gospel choir piece (which is actually how Mick really wanted it to sound) VERY reminiscent of Sam Cooke , and his stage performance was pretty good. Maybe a little too much vamping there for a minute but he was having fun with it which I love. Oh and great fashion choice too, even with the hair. Check out J.D. doing the Stevie Wonder impersonation off to the side there... funny stuff.
Marty - Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here":I'm probably hardest to please on this song since it's one of my all time favorites, and it is a simple but difficult song (unlike BoRap which is just damned hard); but he nailed it lyrically. He was a BIT off key, and I'd have put a little more body and bass into it, and a bit more growl (and I did when I used to sing this song on stage), but he really did a good job. He also showed INXS that he could sing the softer stuff without screaming. His vocal quality here was completely different than in any of his other performances. I think it was the best performance, though both Ty and Suzie were far more animated.
J.D. - Elvis, "Suspicious Minds ": He blew it. He could have really put every ounce of soul into this one and he didnt get it at all. Yes he was vocally competent, and he was playing to the ladies very well, but he really didnt make this the standout he should have. The vibrato monster re-appears here as well. The only time I felt the song like I should have was in the speeded up last verse and chorus. Was it good? Yeah it was, but it wasn't great, and it should have been.
Well, who I think it SHOULD be in the bottom three is very different who I think WILL be.
I think the bottom three SHOULD be Jordis, J.D. and Mig; but I think Jordis is probably safe, and Suzie will get the bottom nod simply based on the audience not liking her that much.
As to who's eliminated, it will almost certainly be J.D. He just isn't the right singer for INXS.
August 30, 2005
Reaction, Appreciation, Construction, and Morality
Brad Warbiany (Warbs) has a post today talking about this post by Bradford Plummer:Here's an anecdote about Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita that I have never heard before (that is, I don't remember reading it in Eichmann in Jerusalem):On this one, Warbs and I are in concert. It is entirely possible to appreciate the construction of something, without approving of the content of that thing. In fact, some art is deliberately produced this way to provoke reactions in the viewer/reader that would play with their moral sense.
As Kubrick was beginning to film, an Israeli guard in a Jerusalem prison gave a copy of "Lolita" to Adolf Eichmann, who was awaiting trial. An indignant Eichmann returned the book two days later, calling it ''a very unwholesome book." The sulphurous halo of Nabokov's novel was still burning brightly in the popular consciousness of 1960 and it seems that Eichmann's guard gave the book to him as an experiment--a sort of litmus test for radical evil: to see whether the real-life villain, he who impassively organized the transport towards certain death of countless innocents, would coldly, or even gleefully, approve the various and vile machinations of Nabokov's creation.Heh. I'd laugh harder, but this sort of thing persists to this day, depressingly. Yes, it's now "acceptable" for people to enjoy and endorse Lolita without also approving of Humbert Humbert, but that's only because the book has been designated a "classic," and only the most extreme moralists would be unashamed to denounce it. Good for people. But the confusion between the quality of a work of art and its moral character certainly lives on. If film reviews over the past year or so are any indication, apparently no one can enjoy Fahrenheit 9/11 without also endorsing its political views wholesale, and a denunciation of Che Guevara the human being suffices for an appraisal of The Motorcycle Diaries. But that's obviously wrong. Good books can be written about pedophiles. Good movies can be made that contain repugnant views on things. So it goes. Someday we'll get over this, but not, apparently, anytime soon.
Actually Lolita is a poor example of this, because Humbert Humbert is not a sympathetic character in any way (at least in my reading of the book). Humbert is a pathetic and weak NOT-MAN, and we are meant to dislike him. The fascination is supposed to be in his obsession and moral dissolution, for which we are intended to feel both attraction and revulsion.
A far better example is that of propaganda, and this is where Warbs and I are really thinking along similar lines. Warbs cites Farenheit 9/11 as the example used by Bradford in his argument :
Bradford,
I am one of the right-wingers who can appreciate Fahrenheit 9/11 for the piece of propaganda that it is. Michael Moore is a talented filmmaker, who can craft loosely-arranged snippets of video and completely unrelated facts into a piece of work that causes most lemmings to watch it to reflexively hate Bush. It wouldn't have been such a popular film if Moore wasn't so good at it.That being said, I still think he's completely wrong, his movie is full of deceptions and outright lies, and don't think in any way that it proves what he wanted it to prove. But that was never his point. He made that movie to make himself rich and to cause people to hate Bush. It succeeded on both fronts, regardless of such things as "facts".
Brad Warbiany | Homepage | 08.29.05 - 3:18 pm | #
I’d like to disagree just a bit, not on the basic premise (Propaganda is the perfect vehicle for demonstrating how one can appreciate the construction while disliking or even hating the content of something), but in the example used.
“Roger and Me” is a brilliant piece of propaganda, and actually a fairly decent movie upon which Moore made his reputation.
Unfortunately everything he’s done since has lacked any sort of subtlety whatsoever, as well as significant elements that are risible on their face by anyone who has been paying atention; so any hope of persuasion rather than simple reinforcement of existing views is out the window. To my mind, propaganda should serve BOTH purposes, so F-9/11 is only a marginally effective (though certainly well constructed) propaganda piece.
Of course you make more money playing to your audience, so that is what more does. It is more of a agitprop piece to stir up the base.
I believe the most well constructed piece of propaganda ever made is Leni Reifenstahls "Triumph of the will". It is in scope and composition a completely magnificent movie, about the most repugnant evil of the past century. In it we watch through wonderful cinematography, and some of the best scoring ever used in film; the most perfect example of demagoguery in modern times. Intercut with this are persoanl scenes which allow you to relate to those involved, and detach them from their ultimately evil purpose.
It is both fascinating, and disgusting, and the scale and visual impact of the film alone contrasts against this evil. In effect, and viewed from our presepective; it is a meta-analysis of propaganda itself, and as such it is a marvelous piece of film (though it's intent was anything but).
If you can watch "Triumph of the will" without at least seeing how these feelings are created, then there is something wrong with you. If you are not revulsed by them in relation to the ultimate subject of the film, then there is something even worse wrong with you.
I hate to sound like a moral relativist, but honestly, it is all dependant on perspective.
Perhaps we need a somewhat less controversial example, and one that is more relevant to most of my readers who havent seen the film.
There is a lot of music out there I dont like. I don’t like Eminem for the most part, because I generally don’t like his sound, OR his lyrics which I frequently find personally, morally, and ethically repugnant (although Stan and "Lose yourself" are just great pieces). Frequently even those pieces I do like are about extremely unpleasant subject matters (Stan, "Cleaning out my closet" etc...).
That said, I think that some of his writing is BRILLIANT.
I don’t like his music, but I can appreciate it’s intelligence, it’s structure (his use of rhythm and vocabulary to complement that rhythm is some of the best ever in the business), and it’s personal emotional expression. Eminiem is clearly writing the most intelligent and expressive rap on the pop charts today.
Oh and yes, I know there are many better than he (Atmosfear, Blackilicious Jurassic five and the lyricist lounge, Talib Kweli, Rahzel, Scarface, KRS-1, etc…) but they have not achieved the pop success that Eminem has. His music is getting out there. I suspect that for the most part it isnt being appreciated on an intellectual/lyrical level by most of his listeners... but maybe that's just me being culturally elitist.
August 29, 2005
Song Meme
This one has been around in a different format for a while, and I haven't bothered; but I kind of like the way you do it in this form, so here goes.A.) Go to musicoutfitters.com.
B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function at the upper left and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year.
C.) Bold the songs you liked, strike through the ones you hated, underline your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about).
Hmmm, looking at this list I'd have to say... DAMN THAT YEAR SUCKED. Of course I already knew that having been through it. I think I was mostly listening to Metal and Classic rock at the time. I'm guessing I'd do better with music from the year of my birth actually. I mean just the fact that JOEY LAWRENCE had a top 100 hit in this year should tell you how bad it was.
1. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
2. Whoomp! (There It Is), Tag Team
3. Can't Help Falling In Love, UB40
4. That's The Way Love Goes, Janet Jackson
5. Freak, Silk
6. Weak, SWV
7. If I Ever Fall In Love, Shai
8. Dreamlover, Mariah Carey
9. Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect
10. Informer, Snow11. Nuthin' But A "G" Thang, Dr. Dre
12. In The Still Of The Nite, Boyz II Men
13. Don't Walk Away, Jade
14. Knockin' Da Boots, H-Town
15. Lately, Jodeci
16. Dazzey Duks, Duice
17. Show Me Love, Robin S.
18. A Whole New World, Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
19. If, Janet Jackson
20. I'm So Into You, SWV
21. Love Is, Vanessa Willlams and Brian Mcknight
22. Runaway Train, Soul Asylum
23. I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me), Expose
24. Ditty, Paperboy
25. Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap
26. The River Of Dreams, Billy Joel27. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), Proclaimers
28. Two Princes, Spin Doctors
29. Right Here (Human Nature)-Downtown, SWV
30. I Have Nothing, Whitney Houston
31. Mr. Wendal, Arrested Development
32. Have I Told You Lately, Rod Stewart (love the song, when don by Van)
33. Saving Forever For You, Shanice
34. Ordinary World, Duran Duran
35. If I Had No Loot, Tony! Toni! Tone!
36. I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), Meat Loaf37. Slam, Onyx
38. Looking Through Patient Eyes, P.M. Dawn
39. I'm Every Woman, Whitney Houston
40. Baby I'm Yours, Shai
41. Come Undone, Duran Duran
42. I Don't Wanna Fight, Tina Turner
43. I'd Die Without You, P.M. Dawn
44. Whoot, There It Is, 95 South
45. Hip Hop Hooray, Naughty By Nature
46. Another Sad Love Song, Toni Braxton
47. Will You Be There, Michael Jackson
48. Comforter, Shil
49. Good Enough, Bobby Brown
50. What's Up, 4 Non Blondes
51. All That She Wants, Ace Of Base
52. 7, Prince and The New Power Generation
53. Dre Day, Dr. Dre
54. One Last Cry, Brian McKnight
55. Just Kickin' It, Xscape
56. I Get Around, 2Pac
57. Bed Of Roses, Bon Jovi
58. Real Love, Mary J. Blige
59. Here We Go Again!, Portrait
60. Cryin', Aerosmith
61. Cats In The Cradle, Ugly Kid Joe
62. What About Your Friends, TLC
63. I Got A Man, Positive K
64. Hey Mr. D.J., Zhane
65. Insane In The Brain, Cypress Hill
66. Deeper And Deeper, Madonna
67. Rain, Madonna
68. The Right Kind Of Love, Jeremy Jordan
69. Bad Boys, Inner Circle
70. That's What Love Can Do, Boy Krazy
71. Do You Believe In Us, Jon Secada
72. Angel, Jon Secada
73. Forever In Love, Kenny G
74. Again, Janet Jackson75. Boom! Shake The Room, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince
76. When She Cries, Restless Heart
77. Sweat (A La La La La Long), Inner Circle
78. It Was A Good Day, Ice Cube
79. More And More, Captain Hollywood Project
80. How Do You Talk To An Angel, Heights
81. Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat), Digable Planets
82. What Is Love, Haddaway
83. To Love Somebody, Michael Bolton
84. Give It Up, Turn It Loose, En Vogue
85. Alright, Kris Kross
86. Check Yo Self, Ice Cube
87. Fields Of Gold, Sting
88. Ooh Child, Dino 89. Faithful w/ Go West
90. Reason To Believe, Rod Stewart
91. Break It Down Again, Tears For Fears
92. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix, Joey Lawrence
93. Three Little Pigs, Green Jelly
94. Livin' On The Edge, Aerosmith95. Hey Jealousy, Gin Blossoms
96. If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, Sting
97. Anniversary, Tony! Toni! Tone!
98. One Woman, Jade
99. Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Taylor Dayne
100. Two Steps Behind, Def Leppard
HT: Mostly Cajun, who is in Southwest LA right now,
August 28, 2005
Quickie poker
I went out to Pker with Jim, JohnOC, and my brother last night, and I was doing real well for a while. I went up to about 30k; starting out the final table+1 player big stacked with blinds at 2 and 4k.And I blinded out.
Ayup, I didnt catch a hand for 55 miniutes. We stayed 9 handed the entire time, until finally I was down to two big blinds, and I catch A-6.
So anyway I go all in with 8k and two callers, one with just 2k who was going out anyway. He's got shit, and the other guy has K-J.
Flop comes out, 8-5-6 and I'm a happy-ish man with a pair and the over.
Queen on the turn and I'm about to celebrate.
MOTHERFUCKER gets the king on the river.
Anyway I ended up 8th with 50 points. So I'm at 850, with only 150 to go. I've still got Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to play though, and Jim made 800 points last night so we're going to try and catch it in the next three days.
Rock Star - Why do I bother watching sundays?
That said, having them record an unreleased INXS song... Well we've been waiting for something like this for a while. We need to hear them all sing the SAME song, and have it be an INXS song to really figure out who should be with the band.
Ty is getting more irritating on a personal basis. Oh and I'm still pretty sure he and Marty are gay.
Neither J.D. nor Maryt have a studio voice, and Martys screaming outtakes show it pretty clearly. Jordis, Suzie, Mig, and Ty, are all good for studio recording so I expect they'll do well with it. The real question becomes how will their different vocal styles sound with THIS tune?
Oh and Ty's high energy performance style is definitely not going to help him here. He's going to have to rely on professionalism and ability. The same thing goes for both J.D. and martys stage presence, which has kept them alive so far (though how anyone could LIKE the way J.D. overdoes it is beyond me). But, as we saw in the songwriting competition, J.D. can actually be a much stronger competitor vocally when he ISN'T onstage.
Anyway, it should be interesting...
Suzie: Whoa, that's better than she's ever done on stage. Oh and it seems like a coold song, though not an INXS song.
Jordis: Yeah she sucked. She put no effort into it, it didnt sound right, she had no breath and tone control. Plus she pissed the Farrisses off.
Ty: A little overdone, but strong. Maybe not the right emotional message
Mig: Sounded kind of like the backstreet boys there, but good
Marty: Ok he jsut doesnt have breath and tone control. Too much scream, too little modulation, too much wandering etc... But the second take with the breathy tone... yeah that worked REALLY well. Actually it sounded almost like Michael Hutchence would have sung it.
J.D.: He kept dropping it. I think he could have had it if he had practiced; his voice could have done it right but he didnt know the song at ALL, and he didnt warm up. BIG mistake.
Heres the thing though, I think J.D. probably did better than we saw on tape. I'm thinking the producers edited it to make him look REALLY bad, because the band wasnt pissed off with him, as they would have been if he really sucked as bad as they showed us.
Also I'm almost certain they used a couple of the negative clips more than once; because his head was in the exact same position, and he took a breath in the exact same spot in the same phrase, and he dropped out in the exact same way etc... This is a common video editing trick to make you think something happens again when it hasn't.
Ok the songs:
Mig - Paul McCartney, "Live and Let Die": Mig should rock this one completely. It's probably the best song McCartney ever did after the Beatles, and it's been covered VERY well in the past. Some big shoes to fill, but I think Mig can do it.
Jordis - John Lennon, "Imagine": Let's see Jordis REALLY get the emotion into this one. Dont make it sound like a pop song, give it the real emotion. I wonder if she can sing this quietly and gnetly while still expressing herself... Honestly I don't think she'll pull it off well. Bottom Three.
Suzie - Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody": It would be SOOO unfair for Mig to get this song, since he makes his living singing it. That said, I'd LOVE to hear him do it. I think Mig would nail it, and Suzie is STUPID to want to try this song. Sure if she gets it it's a slam dunk, but I jsut don't think it's POSSIBLE for her to get it right. It's the hardest rock song in the world, from the greatest rock vocalist of all time. Bottom Three
Ty - Rolling Stones, "Can't always get what you want": I think J.D. or Ty would be great for this song, but since Elvis is in the building Ty should make this one scream. He's gonna jagger it up on stage, and the choir will just drive him higher.
Marty - Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here": This happens to be my favorite Pink floyd song. I think Marty can pull it off VERY well, but not if he starts screaming. He's got to get the soft into it or it ruins the song completely. Even in the "We're jsut two lost souls swimmin in a fishbowl" part, it's forceful, but not yelling. I think he's going to blow it and end up in the bottom three.
J.D. - Elvis, "Suspicious Minds ": Ok this is Definitely J.D.'s slam dunk. He was an Elvis impersonator fer chrissakes. I LOVE this song, it's my favorite later Elvis tune. Not only that, but J.D. is PERFECT for this, vocally and in his personal style. I have only one concern, in that the teenage girl audience isn't going to like the SONG rather than the performer. If he makes it though, I think he gets the encore.
I SOOO want J.D. to do well with this one. i think if he can nail it he can REALLY get it going and get the encore. Suzie... I think she's gone this week to be honest with you. I jsut don't see how she can do anything but die horribly with this song. I just dont think Marty is going to pull it off. Jordis.... I dunno man, this may be her death week too.
Anyway my bottom three pick for this week is Marty, Suzie, and Jordis; but we may see J.D. there instead of either Marty or Jordis.
What type of gamer are you?
You scored as Method Actor. You think that gaming is a form of creative expression. You may view rules as, at best, a necessary evil, preferring sessions where the dice never come out of the bag. You enjoy situations that test or deepen your character's personality traits.
Law's Game Style |
H/T: Yogimus
Aww HELL YEAH!!!
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John Wayne You scored 47% Tough, 14% Roguish, 19% Friendly, and 19% Charming! |
You, my friend, are a man's man, the original true grit, one tough talking, swaggering son of a bitch. You're not a bad guy, on the contrary, you're the ultimate good guy, but you're one tough character, rough and tumble, ready for anything. You call the shots and go your own way, and if some screwy dame is willing to accept your terms, that's just fine by you. Otherwise, you'll just hit the open trail and stay true to yourself. You stand up for what you believe and can handle any situation, usually by rushing into the thick of the action. You're not polished and you're not overly warm, but you're a straight shooter and a real stand up guy. Co-stars include Lauren Bacall and Maureen O'Hara, tough broads who can take care of themselves.
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My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: |
| Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid |
HT: Joan Crawford
August 26, 2005
Liveblogging - Guns on TV - Numbers and Snipers
Interesting episode of numbers tonight (a repeat), about sniping; and I think I'm going to liveblog it.
Any time crime shows start talking about guns I perk my ears up, usually to be disgusted by massive errors and anti-gun propaganda.
Well in the first five minutes a "sniper expert" shows up, and starts talking about possibilites, skill, gun types etc...
The first thing was "There were four different calibers. In this shooting, he used a 7.62x39... he could have picked up a russian SKS for under $100, or he could be using a Blaser R93. It has interchangeable barrels, which could explain the multiple calibers, and would be an easy way to avoid having you link his gun to all four shootings". Hell he even pronounced Blaser properly (It's a very interesting gun actually. Col. Cooper has a lot to say about them, both good and bad), although I've never seen one in 7.62x39, I'm sure it's available. Of course we saw the rifle he used, which I think was a rem 700 (I didnt see it for long enough).
Not bad there; though you haven't been able to find an actual Russian SKS for under $100 in a while. At least not in any condition for 200-300 yard shot.
Next he talks about a snipers state of mind, and the human factors effecting taking a shot. Adrenaline, cramping, sweat, breath control ... spot on. Somebody actually did their homework.
Compare this to the new TNT series "Wanted", which features great gun porn, but gets all the details wrong (and this from a show that has an ATFE agent as a main character... of course if you know anything about ATF agents that may be the best thing about the show).
Other Numbers episodes have featured the "correct" weapons and frequently the correct tactics and execution for FBI agents and SWAT members involved in dynamic entries etc... So it would seem that either they have a gunny on staff, or someone is really doing their homework.
Then they move into instructing Charlie to shoot a rifle; which should be no big deal for any real cop, FBI agent etc.. but for hollywood that is a BIG DEAL, as if merely shooting a gun was a major life altering decision...
Well actually it is, but rarely in a negative way.
Back to the instruction...
They started him on an Accuracy International rifle with a nightforce scope, both very good choices in service with police and military around the world (though not exactly what I'd use to teach a beginner). Also they were shooting at 25 yards.
His first shot barely hit the paper, which is to be expected, and his brother wants to call the whole thing off, but Charlie insists on learning, so they discuss valid breath control techniques, and he makes a dead bull the next shot.
Unfortunately they gave him a total of about 30 seconds of instruction. This could have been a decent scene if they spent some time on it; and I think could have moved the story on a bit deeper, but oh well...
The episode then degenerated into pop psychology, and there wasn't any more real gun detail.
Overall it was a better depiction of firearms than we generally see, which means it was palpably anti-gun, but at least the details were mostly correct this time; and it wasnt so grossly stupid that I wanted to shut it off.
Unfortunately that's about as good as it gets from hollywood.
Wal-Mart and the free market
There are a lot of Wal-mart haters out there. Wal-mart puts small retailers out of business, Wal-mart ruins town centers, Wal-mart screws up traffic patterns, Wal-mart does this, Wal-mart does that etc... etc... etc...I do shop at Wal-mart, even though they are the number one importer from our enemy, China (from our ally Taiwan as well). I do believe that China is our enemy, and that they will start a war with us in the next few years, and I understand that Wal-Mart helps the Chinese army build it's war machine. In fact, analysts say that Wal-Mart accounts for anywhere from 15% to 40% of all real U.S. imports from communist China (I'm not sure whose numbers to believe).
Guess what, every other retailer does it too; Wal-mart is just the most visible.
If I were to refuse to shop at businesses that did business with, or stocked products that are manufactured (or whose components are manufactured) by the peoples republic of China; I would go naked and hungry.
Actually that's not quite true, I could find other alternatives for far more money. Once I did, those alternative suppliers/manufacturers would STILL be dealing with offensive foreign governments; because our labor and environmental movements, and our government and tax system have made the economical manufacture of consumer products impossible in this country.
I fully and firmly believe that Wal-Mart has the right to do business in any way it sees fit so long as it is legal and ethical. I fully and firmly believe in a free and open market.
Wal-mart is where it is, because they used every advantage they had to obtain good market position, then used that position to compete better than anyone else. Nothing that Wal-mart does is immoral, or unethical (mean and viciously competitive is another story). They are using their size and market position as they should be, and it is completely legal and proper for them to do so; they are practicing capitalism at it's finest.
Is it fair? Absolutely. You have the same opportunity Wal-mart does. It took them 40 years to get where they are, and they didn't use any legal trickery to do it. You might be able to do the same thing yourself in 40 years.
Is Wal-mart good for consumers... well that's a mixed bag. In many ways yes, but there are some specific cases where Wal-mart is definitely hurting the consumer.
I shop at Wal-mart for certain items because it is cheaper, and more convenient (theres one two miles from my house). This doesnt bother me.
What does bother me, is that I also shop at Wal-mart because frequently they are the only retailer with an item I want (or it's equivalent) in stock. What bothers me even more, is that to some extent what I can buy at all is dictated by what Wal-Mart wants to sell.
Heres the problem: Wal-mart is HUGE; in fact they are by far the largest corporation in the world, and the largest private employer in the world (just under 300 billion in revenue, and just under 2 million employees). Wal-mart by itself is the 33rd largest economy in the world.
This size, and the power it gives them over their suppliers, creates artificial distortions in the market. Wal-mart is the flipside of the network effect; in that the fewer distribution channels of a product (in this case retail outlets), the more control those channel owners have over the product produced. This reduces the choices and options available in the market, which reinforces the original factors, and creates de-facto monopolies (or partial monopolies).
Let me explain this with a specific market segment example. Wal-Mart essentially dictates what CDs, DVDs, and video games will be released by major producers, and what will sell well; because they sell more than all other outlets for these products (in some cases more than all other outlets combined).
If Wal-Mart chooses not to carry your video game, it will fail; in fact it will most likely never even be released. Your CD or DVD? same thing (unless you are a major star). If they give your product a poor shelf position, not much shelf space, or low stocking levels, it will fail.
Wal-marts size, and low prices have pushed out so many smaller retailers that there are very few outlets left for products that are not sold at wal-mart. In fact in much of rural America, they are the ONLY retail outlet for many products, and thus, if you arent in wal-mart, you aren't in (insert town here).
This means that if Wal-mart doesn't sell it, you can't buy it (let's leave out online for now... oh and we should note that Sears was in this exact same position for many years; from the late 1890s until the developement of the interstate highway system in the 50s)
This also means that for many producers (and/or distributors), if it won't sell at Wal-mart, they won't produce it; or they will change it so that it WILL sell at wal-mart. This prevents many small but viable market positions in music, movies and video games from being filled (at least outside of local distribution), because without Wal-mart as a sales venue they are never produced or distributed.
To cite a recent example, Wal-mart told rockstar games that if they didnt do something about the "hot coffee" issue, that they would drop all Rockstar games now and in the future from distribution. This would immediately put Rockstar out of business, so of course Rockstar immediately moved to recall the game etc... etc...
All of this also means that Wal-Mart gets propietary products made just for them, that are similar to the main product line products that other retailers get, but with slightly fewer features, slightly lower quality construction, and at a slightly lower price. This reduces the total volume of sales for the main product line, which increases it's prices and reduces it's availability. It can also create incomaptibilities with the main product line.
What's worse (to my sensibilities anyway) is that Wal-mart also gets special versions of movies, CD's, books, and other intellectual property that are changed from the original versions to meet Wal-marts standards (again, this would not be a problem were it not for Wal-marts strongly dominant retail position making them the only consumer option in many markets).
Given all of these factors, Wal-mart is the priority for most manufacturers that do business with them. This means Wal-mart gets stock first, and Wal-marts special versions ship first, while other retailers are left waiting.
Let us list some other markets where Wal-Mart has similar (though not as pervasive) effects:
- Low end housewares
- Small Appliances (toasters and coffemakers etc...)
- Toiletries and sundries
- Small consumer electronics (things like hair dryers and alarm clocks)
- Discount clothing
- Low end jewelry and watches (Wal-mart is by far the #1 jewelry retailer in the world)
- School supplies (kids non-designer backpacks are a biggie, being sold almost entirely at discount stores)
- Low end bedding
In all of these markets Wal-mart has a dominant (or at least very strong) influence, because while there are alternatives, they are significantly fewer in number, they are significantly less convenient, fewer consumers have access to them, and their prices are significantly higher.
Ok, that's out of the way, now the question remains: can and should there be anything done about this distortion?
How about NO and NO? The only thing that could reasonably be done is break up Wal-Mart, and that definitely should NOT be done. There is no legal or moral justification with any legitimacy, for breaking Wal-mart up.
The only other option is to start up (or build up) a viable competitor (or competitors) that will counter these distortions, and provide an outlet for those non-WalMart products; then hope it is commercially viable. Kmart and sears are trying to do that right now. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Meijers, Target, and Kohls get together for the same reason.
So in the real world how do you compete against Wal-Mart? Well, in the case of video games, CD's and DVD's as I mentioned above, you really can't. There are only 5 major record companies, and they want to deal with the BIG retailers, so the only way to compete is to BE a big retailer or a big distributor dealing with the small places. This is why that particular market segment distortion causes a problem for me; there really is no alternative national channel
Now as to other market segments however, competing with Wally world is simple: Aim Narrower, Aim Wider, Aim Higher, and Aim Nicer
Okay being cryptic there, and aren't those things a bit contradictory? What does that mean?
Wal-mart looks to take a median to low-end position in most of the market areas it serves; they carry a relatively narrow selection of a broad range of product types, all at the low end of that product types spectrum; and they provide the minimum amount of customer service necessary to allow consumers to select a product and complete a purchase.This is how they offer the lowest possible prices on most of what they carry.
To compete, you offer consumers what Wal-mart doesn't:
1. You give customers a narrower selection of product types, more relevant to their needs
2. You give customers a much broader selection of brands, models, and options within those types
3. You give customers the option to purchase the higher end models and brands that Wal-mart doesn't carry
4. You strongly emphasize customer satisfaction, and enjoyment of the shopping experience. People will pay more for better service, so long as it's a reasonable amount more.
If you do that, Wal-mart can set up a superstore in the same shopping center as your little niche shop, and you'll just be thanking them for the foot traffic.
Let me give you a generic example that has repeated itself all across the country:
Wal-mart is the #1 retailer of firearms and ammunition in the country, mostly because they have the most locations (by a factor of at least 50) of any retailer in that market. When Wal-mart opens a new store near an exisiting gun shop, sometimes that gun shop goes out of business, but more often they see a large INCREASE in their business.
Why?
Because Wal-mart offers a low entry cost into the shooting sports, but serves a very limited section of the market, with a very limited selection of products, very little knowledge of the segment, and very little customer service.
Lets get into a bit of detail here:
- Wal-mart only stocks 7 brands of firearms in most of their stores (They do sell about 20 brands total, but most of them arent stocked in most stores). If you don't want one of those seven brands, you need to go elsewhere.
- Yes, Wal-Mart sells the Ruger 10/22 for $25-$50 less than most gun shops do, but it's the only Ruger model most stores carry. Wal-mart only carries a few models from each brand, and if you don't want those specific models, you are out of luck. Most decent gun shops will carry far more brands, and will carry many models per brand.
- Most wal-marts will only carry one or two ammunition selections, in a small number of very popular calibers. If you want something else, sorry, they don't have it. Most decent gun shops will have at least one load if not two or three from every major ammunition manufacturer in the popular calibers, and at least one offering in most of the less popular calibers. If they don't have it, they will almost certainly order it for you, or they will know who does.
- Wal-mart stocks special wal-mart only versions of many of the firearms it sells. Some of these special versions are made in China or Japan, while the standard production models are made in America. Some of these models are made to a lower quality, fit and finish, or poorer tolerances than the standard production models are.
- Most Wal-marts only stock a few dozen guns; most decent gun shops will stock several hundred.
- Most gun shops will order a gun for you if they don't carry it, Wal-mart will not.
- In most gunshops you can load (generally not with live ammunition), unload, disassemble, and work the action and trigger of a prospective purchase before you buy it. In wal-mart, you can't. In fact in some Wal-marts you can't even touch the gun you are going to purchase until you leave the store (a manager carries it out to you).
- Wal-mart doesn't sell handguns at all. If you want a handgun, you have to go somewhere else.
- Wal-mart (obviously) doesn't sell used products. Used guns account for at least half of most gun shops business.
- Wal-mart does not service the weapons they sell, and they don't carry parts or repair items for them. They also generally do not carry accessories for them other than scopes and rings.
- Wal-mart doesn't stand behind the guns they sell. In many Wal-marts guns cannot be returned, even if defective; they must go back to the manufacturer.
- Wal-mart associates generally don't know anything about guns. They generally can't give you advice on what to buy, or why.Wal-mart isn't a place where you can experience the "gun culture". You don't trade stories with the counterhand at wal-mart.
What it comes down to, is you are meeting their need better than Wal-mart is, and this difference in value is worth the extra cost to them. That's the whole secret to competeing against ANY lower priced item.
If you don't provide better service, and better selection; then yes, Wal-mart is going to put you out of business; and I don't see how that's a bad thing.
"But.. but.. the little old lady down the road and her husband make these adorable little stuffed bears for $50 each, and the cheap $10 wal-mart teddy bears are driving them out of business, and it's just not fair"
Quit whining, that's the way the market works. You could make the best product in the world, and wal-mart can sell something that is only half as good, for 3/4 as much; but if consumers dont want to spend the extra 1/4 for your extra quality or functionality, then you will fail, AND YOU SHOULD. That's what a market economy is all about; you survive, and you succeed, by giving the customer what they want, and taking what they want to pay for it.
If Wal-mart is chopping the price out from under you, then obviously your product isn't worth the price difference to the people who are buying from Wal-mart. Either find different customers who value your products more, or increase the value of your product to the existing customers (or both, thus doubling your potential market).
At the movies...
Summer Fading, Hollywood Sees FizzleI saw "Sky High" last week, and it was kinda fun. It was cute, and pleasant, and completely unmemorable in every way. Actually I'm wondering why it wasnt a Disney straight to video release.
The movies mentioned in the article above, Stealth, and Bewitched? Well I was actually looking forward to seeing them (Bewitched because I like looking at Nicole Kidman, and Will Ferrel is due for a movie that doesnt suck), but I never even noticed they were there. Apparently the theatrical run for the two of them was like two weeks. The dukes of hazard movie has been out three weeks or so, and I want to see it, but it's already being pulled from theaters. Hell, the dukes of Hazzard was considered a fairly big hit... for about three days after which everyone forgot about it.
The movie business has been complaining for years about declining audiences, declining revenues... (even though they made record money each year of the last five; mostly from DVD sales) everything but the declining quality of their output. They leave that last one to their audiences.
Yep, movies pretty much suck these days. Oh sure, they arent horrible, but they arent pulling people out of their houses to go see them either.
I used to be a two movie a week man. Even if the movies weren't "great I'm dying to see that", it was a part of my "entertainment lifestyle" if you will.
"Even Robert Shaye, the studio leader behind "The Wedding Crashers," one of the summer's runaway hits, shares the worry about the industry's ability to connect with audiences. "I believe it's a cumulative thing, a seismic evolution of people's habits," said Mr. Shaye, chairman of New Line Cinema.Ayup, that was me. Notice I said WAS? Actually the amazing arrogance of that final paragraph could stand all on it's own as a testament to the "why" of hollywoods failure.In previous years, he said, "you could still count on enough people to come whether you failed at entertaining them or not, out of habit, or boredom, or a desire to get out of the house. You had a little bit of backstop."
I think I've been to about ten movies this year total, probably 15 last year; and other than the hardcore geek movies (Sin City, Revenge of the George Lucas money making machine, Batman, F4 - horrible mistake that - etc...) I'm not sure I can even remember any of them clearly. I think there was something with Adam Sandler... ummmm.... oh and the Angelina Jolie thing... Yeah.. ummmmm....
The only movie I can say that I'm looking forward to this year is Serenity, and that's because I'm a HUGE firefly fan. Joss Whedon is my master now. I WAS looking forward to "V for Vendetta", but that was pushed off til next march for some reason.
We are constantly inundated with advertisements for movies, but are any of them catching our attention? Hell, are the movies themselves? I can't think of anything coming out this week, or next week, or...
At the recent theater industry annual convention the president of the assoc. said "Well, the first thing is, the movies arent very good" (or something like that. I read the exact quote last week and can't find it now). Yeah, we noticed. Or rather, we didnt notice, and didnt really care; we jsut didnt go to the movies.
Of course compressing the time from theatrical release to DVD release down to six weeks doesn't help either. Now they are saying that "Consumers want the option to see movies on DVD at the same time as they are in theatrical release". No, not really, we jsut dont feel like going out to see the crap you are producing, but we'll happily watch it at home for less money, and we don't feel like waiting two months to do it.
I mean why would I go and pay $30 to see a movie in the theater with my girlfriend, when two months later I can watch it on my home theater with better picture and sound, and more comfortable seats, for less money? I don't mind paying $9 a seat for a good movie, but (again other than the hardcore fanboy movies) how many of those have been out lately? It doesnt even have to be a GREAT mvoie (though one of those every once in a while would be appreciated), just a good one every now and then please?
Can't think of any offhand? Good me neither. I know I reviewed several movies as good on my blog recently, but I'll be damned if I can remember what they were.
The movies just arent good enough to bother with.
Oh and then theres the 30 minutes of advertisements before the movie. No, not the previews/trailers (those I kind of dig) I'm talking about 10-30 (I measured 26 minutes once) of actual straight up advertising before the TRAILERS started, then 5-20 minutes of trailers.
If my movie "starts" at 2pm and it's not actually playing by 2:10 I start to get irritated. By 2:25 I'm ready to leave.
Remember, all of this is coming from the guy with the 8 movie subscription at netflix, and who basically has a TV for watching movies. I'm the guy who's xbox doesnt even have controllers plugged in (I use it as my second DVD player for the bedroom TV). I'm a certified movie nut.
But not this year, or last year.. or really the year before that either.
In the last five years the only movies that stand out in my memory are the fanboy movies (which I tend to love even if they arent that great, because I know the material so well). I'm sure there were good movies in that time, but GREAT ones? Memorable ones? Ones that are worth plunking the cash down for? Few and far between.
HT: Eric Raymond, in one of his far too rare entries
August 25, 2005
Home Sweet Home
Well we pulled in at just past 11 Arizona time, after 13 hours on the road today. Subtracting 2 hours for food and fuel, and we've got 11 hours actual driving time for 775 miles.Yeah we were cooking pretty good, expecially considering we spent over two hours either stopped, or at below 35mph because of construction delays.
Other than the scenery, which is always spectacular; and Jims repeated attemptes to kill us both (I honestly don't know why this guy still has a drivers license. He gets pulled over on average once a month, and he's one moving violation away from a permanent revocation), the only thing we saw of note was a gasoline tanker light his brakes on fire on southbound I-17 (a not infrequent occurance actually).
So the total mileage for the trip worked out to 2677, about 300 miles less than google thought it would be including the detour to Breckenridge; but about 200 miles more than jsut going straight through on 40 would have been. Hey, neither of us had seen Charlie (Jims brother) in years, so a couple hours driving and $20 of gas was well worth it.
Total Mileage: 2677
The total gas consumed: 97 Gallons
Average mpg: 27.6
Total time: 87 hours
Total average speed: 31 mph (rounded up)
Total driving hours: 45
Driving Average speed (including fuel and food stops): 60 mph
We had a lot of construction delays, or that average would have been considerably higher, but we did fairly well, and mostly we didnt push it.
Not wanting to do it agian any time soon though. Sleepy time now.
Rock Star WTF???
Okay so I was right about Deanna being eliminated this week, but Deanna, Ty, and Marty on the block? Suzie gets the encore? WTF?More and more I think the voting population is mostly 12 year old girls. Either that, or the voting is rigged for dramatic tensions cuz there is NO Ty or Marty belonged there (and the band agreed). Oh and Marty has more balls than I thought, I just wish he'd show it more.
Ok the performances:
Do we even need to have these performances? I mean we know that Ty is going to do a perfect arena rock bit Marty is going to do something different and cool and Deanna is going to make her song into a blues tune that INXS wont like.
Ty - "What You Need": This song is almost perfect for Ty (though Marty could have doen well with it too). High energy, balls out, big changes in phrasing and pitch... and he nails it.
Deanna - "Elegantly Wasted": Yeah... she's so got it, but it's not an INXS song when she sings it. Also a little off key in the harmonization, and iffy breath control. Sexy, great blues voice, but not right for INXS.
Marty - "Don't Change": I dug it. It sounded very little like an INXS song, but maybe thats a good thing. Soemtimes you want a Ripper owens, and sometimes you want a Sammy Haggar. He did tone it down a bit, and it worked for him (now if J.D. could do the same thing...)
Now will someone please tell me why Jordis and Suzie or J.D. weren't up there with Deanna? Deanna I understand, the crowd doesnt like her style, and she doesnt fit with INXS, the others... I keep coming back to thinking it was the producers creating tension.
Breckenridge...
Lemme tell you that was a long ride. Kansas City to Breckenridge... it's only like 700 miles, but the amazing boringness of Kansas makes it seem twice as long.Oh and yeah, start time was about four hours later than Jim claimed he would do. We saw just over 30 miles per gallon, lowest gas price was 2.46 (ks) highest was 2.89 (co).
Then we get into Breckenridge, and meet up with Jims brother at a bar for a couple of beers. All is well, until this little old fat drunk next to me starts trying to pick a fight with me. No really, I'm not kidding.
I actually just turned directly to him and said "Are you actually trying to get me to kick your ass?" To which he responded "Yes, yes I am".
I just started laughing my ass off...
Anyway on to Scottsdale. 800 miles of not much but pretty rocks between here and there.
August 24, 2005
Late to the party
For some reason the performance videos werent showing up til late for me, but here goes...First thing, I like how they were all supporting each other tonight. And they all looked comfortable on stage together... except J.D.
After listening I may have to change my prediction, I'm not sure if J.D. or Deanna will be eliminated this week.
Mig - "Do or Die" : Ehhhh.... It's a saleable song, and Mig performed it extremely well; really getting his vocal range into play. Inxs clearly liked it, I didnt really. I'm guessing with a little tweaking actually I WOULD like it, maybe an arrangement thing. That said, if he doesnt get the encore I'd be very surprised.
Deanna - "My Truth" : I like it. Not very original, pretty straight forward blues based rock, but perfect for her voice, and her performance was perfect. Also note the HUGE smile on the bands face. I'm diggin it, she's working it...
She was better than Suzie, but I'm guessing the voting still puts her in the bottom three
Jordis - Aerosmith "Dream on" : For some reason her performance video isn't available, but fmr the reviews online ("wailing mad cow" etc...) looks like Jordis is on the block.
J.D. - Foreigner "Cold as Ice": Ok a little too much elvis, and not enough J.D. The women loved it, but I was unimpressed. Bottom three definitely.
Suzie - Rolling Stones "Start Me Up": All right I was impressed. Not perfect, but she relaly got into it and it was darn good. It might keep her out of the bottom three, actually considering Jordis, it almost certainly will.
Ty - Tina Turner/CCR "Proud Mary": Like I said, a gimme. Nuclear energy, big fuckin smile.. He's solid. No encore though.
Marty - Live "I Alone": Damn, alright I was wrong about Marty not having the vocal power or presence for the song. Twas good, but not quite perfect. When he got a little wild on stage, he got a bit too screechy and lost the tone of the tune. Definitely safe though.
August 23, 2005
I got a sweetie little woman there...
I'm goin'a Kansas City, Kansas city here I come..Or rather I'm already there; we had a little change of plans earlier today...
Jim: You know I haven't seen my brother since his wedding two years agoSo instead of making Tulsa tonight, we made Kansas City. We probably could have pushed on another couple hours, but theres really no point. Kansas is... Kansas. It's long, straight, mostly flat etc... (I've done the 70 run many times). The western portion of I-70 is so straight and flat you can read a book on the steering wheel while you drive through the sunflower fields.
Chris: Really? You know if we stay on this highway instead of turning south we'll be there tomorrow right?
Jim: What?
Chris: Yeah, it's an extra half day on the trip, (about 400 miles extra actually), you should call him up and ask if he's good to see us tomorrow...
Jim, who has only been west of the Misissipi once before (in Arizona a few weeks ago) drove across it today, in his "Five states in one day" driving tour (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas); a new personal record.
And for the record we made 620 again today, and again Jim couldnt rouse his lazy ass til I rolled him out of bed (literally) at 10 o'clock (after futilely trying for several hours beforehand). We seem to have averaged abotu 32mpg today, with a high price of $2.81 (illinois), and a low of $2.41(Missouri). Why anyone who lived withing 30 minutes of the border would actually buy gas in Illinois I'll never know.
We got on the road at 1115 and drove til 2100 local, switching time zones in the process, for a grand total of 11 hours on the road. We would have easily made another 60 miles, but we stopped to clean up with a much needed (on both our parts) haircut.
On the interesting sights front, nothing much to report today, except the usual swarm of Indiana state troopers. I swear they must have more than every other state combined... either that or all they do is set up speed traps on I-70, because we didn't go 5 miles in IA without seeing one, and we didnt even see ONE Illinois statie, and only two MO staties, over a combined road distance more than twice that traveled IA.
Oh and let me just say that this great nation of ours is filled from sea to shining sea with beautiful and friendly young women. Of course I'm sure they are mostly insane, but at least they are pleasant to look at and speak to casually.
Tomorrow we have a 680 mile run into Breckenridge, which is a straight shot on I-70. I expect we'll get in around 8 o'clock local time given what I think our ACTUAL start time will be.
Jim swears he's getting up at 6am this time... yeah, right. I'm setting my alarm for 9, theres no use in my being tired all day for nothing (like I was today).
Then Thursday we make a final run down to Scottsdale, which is gonna be a bitch (about 800 miles), but home is at the end of it, so it's doable... If I can get his lazy ass moving before noon that is...
August 22, 2005
Springfield Ohio
We were hoping to make indy tonight, but we got a VERY late start (like 26 hours late), and didn't get on the highway in Jersey til noon.We WERE going to get going around 5am... and I got up at 4:30, but lazy ass took too many painkillers the night before and I couldn't roll his ass out of bed til 10am. After the day before you'da thought he'd learned, but no...
Ahh well, he's my best friend.
The internet map says it was 580, but the odometer says it was 620, and I trust the wheels on the ground. We've averaged just over 60mph (including food and gas stops), and right around 30mpg. So far the lowest gas price we've seen was $2.51 and the highest was $2.91 (on the PA turnpike). No dead stops on the highway yet, and I've had to pull Jimmy down from 95-100 a couple times (he goes a bit nuts on the highway sometimes. He thinks it frikken deathrace 2000 or summat).
Interesting sights along the way so far? Well early on we watched a tank carrier light himself on fire (overheated brakes); and there were a couple of OTR trucks that clearly featured a somnabulant operator, but other than that nothing too weird yet.
Anyway, by about 10:00 we were about ready to hang it up. We're going to try to get going around 6 tomorrow and hope to make it out to around Tulsa (770mi). Jim thinks we MIGHT be able to make it to OKC (880mi), but we would be pretty wasted, so I don't think that's going to happen.
I havent heard from my girlfriend, and she doesnt have a phone at the moment so I can't call her. I love you honey and I hope everyone is OK.
Well, I'm off to sleep. Long day tomorrow... and the next day, and the day after that...
In the Immortal words of Spoons
"Holy crap!http://www.thespoonsexperience.com/archives/2005/08/holy_crap_1.phpMig is straight?!?"
Pretty much my thought as well there hoss...
"In the midst of all this, MiG is a little disappointed with his encore reward -- a phone call from his wife in London. He's sure she's going to show up at the house and knows she's hiding somewhere. Talking on the phone, he tells her he "looked behind every wall," but, obviously, he didn't check the stairways, because she climbs up one behind him and taps him on the shoulder. The smile on MiG's face is more eloquent than words."Man, there goes my "Mig, Marty, and Ty are all gay" theory. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Actually I posed the question to Spoons last week "I think that all three of them are gay, and as far as their rockstar future goes do you think it will matter to the public, or to the band"
Creditably, no-one thought it would matter to the band, but I think it may still matter to the public (in which case it probably WOULD matter to the band).
And theres an interesting social question in that. While in general public acceptance of gays in the arts as a whole is .. if not total, at least significant; this doesnt necessarily apply to popular music. There have only been a couple of openly gay country artists, and it has certianly hurt their careers. I can think of no successful openly gay rap or hip hop artists, and very few R&B. There are certainly a hell of a lot of gay pop, alternative, and metal artists (not a lot of folks actually gave a damn about halford for example); but for the most part mainstream rock has... at least publicly... remained straight.
Kinky and debauched certainly, but gay men pretty much not allowed. Lesbians on the other hand are a mixed bag, seemingly based on how much the perspective audience may want to sleep with and/or watch said lesbian having sex with another woman.
This is probably because mainstream rock (along with Rap which I also mentioned is almost exclusively straight) is one of the few musical markets that is strongly dominated by straight men. Most musical segments sales are actually strongest among teenage girls, who buy from two-four times as much new music as any other single group (depending on how you count the stats etc...).
Which not coincidentally is why pop music sucks so hard, and generally has throughout history. They are writing for teenage girls, whose taste is... questionable.
Anyway back to the point at hand; would the lead singer of a mainstream rock band being openly gay hurt that bands career and sales? I'm not so sure it would matter to INXS who have always been on the alternative edge of things; but what about a real rock band (none of this emo shit), not yet established, who are targeting adult males as their audience?
I can't think of any right now so I'm not including examples.
Now, as to song selection...
This week is a major "Oh shit" moment. Lesse singinging their own "original" (not very original really but hey who's counting) tunes will be Mig and Deanna... or maybe not....
Ty is doing some kind of power ballad, which the band doesnt seem to like, and Deanna is doing a straightforward blues tune.
Prediction, Deanna is eliminated this week.
Jordis - Aerosmith "Dream on" : Great tune, one of my favorites from Aerosmith (who I have seen live more thna 10 times, including at mamakins and the house of blues), but I've never heard a woman sing it properly (and I've heard a few try). Aactually this would have been a better one for deanna... I have no doubt that Jordis can do a competent job of it, but great? I jsut don't think so.
That said, I think she's safe for the week.
J.D. - Foreigner "Hot Blooded": Wow... kind of a funky choice, but I can dig it. "Foreigner.. DUDE!! ... hey man, first album.... Aaaaalright ok yeah" sorry, pop culture reference. Hot blooded could work out really well for J.D. actually, if he doesnt try and elvis it up.
I'm guessing he'll be in the bottom three though.
Suzie - Rolling Stones "Start Me Up": And she doesn't want to do the song? I think her voice is good for it, I think she's got the energy for it.. she just needs some confidence and some strut to pull it off.
She will round out the bottom three with J.D. and Deanna
Ty - Tina Turner/CCR "Proud Mary": Yeah, this ones a gimme. Just from the song selection he's gonna get the encore on this one. He'll do the Ike and Tina version on speed, and the energy will jsut be insane. I'm picturing sweat flinging about the crowd at this point, and a grin six miles wide.
Marty - Live "I Alone" : These song selections are from the message boards so I dunno how accurate they are, but I love the song... I dont know if Marty has the vocal power for it, but he can certainly scream, and I can't wait to hear it. If he does it right HE may get the encore not Ty.
August 21, 2005
Efficiency and evil
Theres an interesting rumination up over at Fran Porreto's place today: Our Secret WishMost of this was left as a comment on the post, but I thought I'd start a discussion here as well.
"The wise and gentle king had the best interests of his sbuject at heart; he levied just taxes, and dispensed justice with a firm but fair hand. All prospered throuought the land in his reign, and he fathered many children to continue his legacy..."Theres an old saw: Rule by the perfect man is all well and good; but what does one do when the perfect man gets a bellyache.
The perfect man syndrome is so ripe throughout fiction that it is a joke cliche at this point. This is even more true in SF and Fantasy; to the point where actual scholarly papers have been written on the subject.
Sometimes it isn't a single perfect man, it's a race of them (Jedi, "the elves", the worm riders in Dune etc...). But it almost always comes down to a "benevolent dictatorship" of an elite class.
This is both because it is an excellent storytellers device (it does away with a lot of necessary but tedious explanations of political structure and whatnot.. i.e. "because the king commands it"); and because the "ruling elite" are interesting to write about.
Some authors, philosophers, political scientists etc.. extoll the vitrues of said dictatorship, because it is efficient. Assuming one is able to select the apropriate "perfect man" then all force of the state can be directed appropriately.
Of course the perfect man would need to have infinite time, infinite attention, and infinite memory; else the formation of beurocracies (which are the true enduring legacy of absolute monarchy). Beurocracy was created to ease a kings burden, and to excercise political control. In fact, the absolute monarchy almost inevitably became the absolute beurocracy in short order (at least for the smaller things like public works, civil courts etc...) thus to a large degree negating the single advantage the absolute ruler has.
This of course becomes an instrument of corruption, and hastens the decay of society... but that leaves out the bigger problem: There is no such thing as benevolent dictatorship. The condition of rule by one man over another is inherently corrosive to the soul of both.
Men can not be ruled by other than themselves without evil. It may be a small evil, a necessary evil, but evil it be nonetheless. The only exception to this is god, should ones philosophy allow for it.
Fucking hell ...
My girlfriend was in very bad a car accident last night. She was driving with friends up to some little town in Colorado, to pick up one of THEIR friends who is moving to Arizona, and to celebrate HER best friends birthday, which is exactly one day before MY best friends birthday who I just celebrated with and am driving home to Arizona from New Jersey with, starting today.Kind of an odd coincidence really considering the plans were developed seperately weeks apart without consulation; and not the best of Omens..
Anyway she just called me to tell me that she hit a deer, totalled her stepmoms car, and that her best friend had a concussion and was flown to the hospital.
A few minutes before that my brother called, and my mother is getting worse (no further details).
Now, about that whole starting today thing. We were supposed to be packed on on the road before 11am so we could get a full day in (no way were we getting out earlier considering...) but my stupid drunk ass friends stupider drunker ass girlfriend threw a FIT last night when we tried to make her go home, and she and her best drunken ass friend ran off into another bar.
This is on the jersey shore, where the bars run thick and wide so to speak.
I spent the next three hours trying to recover and return home with said stupid drunk ass friends etc... Finally having to carry Jims hysterical girlfriend back to the car, and losing her best friend who had apparently gone home with some random guy.
I finally get them home at 4:30, and then spend the next five hours babysitting two drunks with alcohol poisoning.
It's noon, they just got up a few minutes ago, and I haven't had any god damned sleep ... hell in two days because I didn't sleep yesterday either (broken AC in 90 degrees and 90% humidity, on a saggy couch).
This is why I wanted to just get a cheap hotel, and make sure we didnt really go out last night after Jims birthday dinner. Instead there was no dinner involved, and vast quantities of alcohol for everyone but me (who was driving) were.
We were supposed to meet up with Geek with a .45 for lunch today, and obviously that aint happening, and now my mom and my girlfriend... Just a great way to start a trip.
Alright, I have mixed feelings about the guy...
But this is just one damned cool way to go...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9018348/
Writer’s ashes going, going, gonzo!He's in Kitten Country now boys...
Hunter S. Thompson memorialized with fireworks
Ed Andrieski / APWOODY CREEK, Colo. - With a deafening boom, the ashes of Hunter S. Thompson were blown into the sky amid fireworks late Saturday as relatives and a star-studded crowd bid an irreverent farewell to the founder of “gonzo journalism”.
As the ashes erupted from a tower, red, white, blue and green fireworks lit up the sky over Thompson’s home near Aspen.
The 15-story tower was modeled after Thompson’s logo: a clenched fist, made symmetrical with two thumbs, rising from the hilt of a dagger. It was built between his home and a tree-covered canyon wall, not far from a tent filled with merrymakers.
“He loved explosions,” explained his wife, Anita Thompson.
The private celebration included actors Bill Murray and Johnny Depp, rock bands, blowup dolls and plenty of liquor to honor Thompson, who killed himself six months ago at the age of 67.
August 20, 2005
Primers and Liability
A reader identifying himself as "Retired Geezer" left this comment:I would just like to recommend that nobody makes up their own "special load" for defense. Just use what the police use. I don't want anyone to hear the attorney to say "He wasn't happy with regular bullets, he had to make his own "Man Killer" bullets. Retired GeezerYou hear this advice all the time, and for the most part I think it's good advice, but not really for the same reasons as are commonly given.
| Email | Homepage | 08.19.05 - 9:40 pm | #
Massad Ayoob; certainly the countries premier expert witness on self defense shootings; has performed an extensive study of self defense shootings in which handloads were involved, and he has found that:
1. while your likliehood of being demonized by prosecutors is very high; that would be the case anyway, and that basing that demonization on ammo choice is a weak strategy for the prosecutor because this argument can be asily turned around on them by competent counsel and expert witnesses
2. Use of handloads in a self defense shooting seems to have no effect on your liklihood of conviction
There is one thing that WAS a definite negative, in that Ayoob found that the use of handloads made if FAR more likely that prosecutors would decide to charge you in the first place, and that a grand jury would return a true bill of indictment (as lawyers are wont to say however, a good prosecutor could indict a ham sandwhich).
Okay so that out of the way, I personally would suggest not using handloads for another reason entirely: primer contamination.
In 20+ years of shooting I have had perhaps one failure per year of the primers in quality factory centerfire ammunition. In fact I doubt that it is even that high, but they do tend to stand out in memory.
And that is the point, they stand out in memory because they are so rare. I typically fire several thousand centerfire rounds a month (at least 1000 a month minimum, and when I'm lucky several thousand a week) in various calibers and weapons. As I said, I get MAYBE one failure a year from my quality factory ammo.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said of my handloads. I am handling primers perfectly (careful to avoid skin oil and sweat contamination), and I am not using penetrating solvents etc...; but through the course of several thousand handloads (admitedly I don't load very much) I have had perhaps 10 times the rate of primer failure.
I specifically credit this to primer failure because I have pulled bullets and tested powder from several of these malfunctions, and in each case it was the primer failing to ignite the powder with a solid hit.
This has occurred with three different primer manufacturers, from different presses, and using different processes (routines). Not only that but discussion with other handloaders has indicated similar experiences.
On the range, or in the match, I absolutely trust my handloads. I won't take the chance that I screwed up, or that the primer died for some unknown reason when my life is on the line.
August 19, 2005
Stroke
My mom had a stroke yesterday... uhh thursday.. whatever day it was I left for Jersey.Or rather she had a series of small strokes a few days before, when she was in the hospital, and they weren't sure what was wrong. They figured out it was PROBABLY TIA (mini-strokes )yesterday.
She's OK, disoriented with limited memory, and physical co-ordination, but there doesn't seem to be any additional permanent impairment.
They ARE worried about more of them, and about her unrepaired aneurysms bursting; but there's really nothing they can do.
Anyway I was waiting to write about it until I got some more details, which I did today. More tests next week.
Jersey sucks
Just as I remember it. The smell of raw sewage on the drive out from newark is not one to be forgotten... unfortunately.But we wont be here long. Just long enough to make Jims girlfriend realize that yo9u cannot fit the entire contents of a three bedroom house into a ford focus.
Oh well, I'm off to my aunts place (shes about an hour away).
August 18, 2005
Tonight there's gonna be a jail break
As I've mentioned before, my best friend lives in New Jersey, at least for the next three days. I'm flying out there tonight to forcibly pry him from the clutches of vile statism, an escort him to his new life in sunny Arizona.I get the pure joy of flying in to Newark at 2am, and spending a couple days in Jersey celebrating Jims birthday, before we make a break for freedom.
We will then proceed to make a high speed run in his SVT focus (very fun to drive car, but not really an interstate cruiser) across this fine nation of ours.
(pay attention jihadi fuckwits, this could be your chance...)
We're going to take I-70 out to St. louis, then 44 down to OKC, and finally run 40 out all the way to AZ.
Total distance: About 2500 miles
Total drive time (given a 50-62mph average speed): 40-50 hours
Total Trip time: I figure four days plus or minus. I've done it in less than 3 but that was unpleasant
Lord knows I've done this trip so many times I can do it with my eyes closed, plus the American interstate system isn't exactly difficult to navigate, but Jim's never done it before.
Besides... ROAD TRIP!!!
So lesse... the list of states we'll be passing through...
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
West Virgina (for all of 11 miles)
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois (is east St. Louis the biggest shithole in the entire country? Or is it Gary Indiana)
Missouri
Oklahoma
Texas (and you can damn well be sure we're gonna hit the big texan)
New Mexico
Arizona
I expect we'll be back on Wednesday or thereabouts. We're going to make a speed run, but be will also be stopping with friends a few times along the way.
As to blogging, I'll be sure to post reports as and when possible. Obviously my internet access will be somewhat limited, though I may do some audioblogging or summat.
I took the precaution of shipping myself a couple of guns to travel with (yeah I could check them in baggage, but I REALLY don't want to go through that bullshit), and will be leaving a heavily armed housesitter, so no frikken funnybusiness.
All in
Damn... just damnFirst seating I get NOTHING until the blinds are all the way up to 400-800. I took down a couple hands but never more than a couple hundred. At this point I'm down to 5 blinds, and I've got a-6 suited. The bet comes around at 1500, and I call it. We see 2-5-6 on the flop, so I go all in. I get one caller, he's got Q-5, and the turn comes out Ace. I'm feeling good with my two pair, and he trips up on the river.
I'm out like 40th out of 61
Damn...
I had the first losers table with a huge lead, and ended up dumping most of it to this girl on a hard luck flush (I had two pair). She caught it on the river, and I never recovered.
Second seating I'm fighting up pretty good, I manage to get up by 20, knock a bunch of folks out, and I'm sitting down at the final two tables with about 30k.
We end up knocking four out total, but were going around, and I'm just getting rags. Nothing but 6-8 off suite etc... and one guy manages to take down... well basically everybody else. He gets this MASSIVE stack Finally the blinds are up to 2 and 4k, about to go up to 4 and 8; I'm down to 16k, and we're down to 6 players, with 4 at the other table. I'm in the big blind next hand, and I get pocket threes, so I raise the 4 to 8k pre-flop with me having 8k left. I get two callers, all in, including the big stack who has me thoroughly dominated.
So fuck it, I'm all in next blind anyway right? I call the all in, and we flip'em. He's got the pocket rockets...
Damn....
The flop comes out, 3-8-A... DAMN... JUST DAMN....
6 on the turn
7 on the river, and that's all she wrote. The other all in caller went in with Q-J suites, so I've got the better hand, but it's still 8 players left and I'm out of the points in 9th place out of 58.
Damn... just damn...
Rockstar INXS - Surprising me
Mig, Jordis, and Marty were top three, and Mig got the encore. Oh and man I wish they showed the encore video on the web site. Mig called the other top to up with him, and I'd have loved to see the top three up there at once.
Suzie - "By My Side": Honestly, I was impressed. She did a good job with it. She really go the emotion into it, but still not that sense of... longing I guess it is, that Hutchens always had.
Deanna - "Never Tear Us Apart": Once again she's channeling Melissa Ethridge. Man she got the nuts into it, but I didn't think it was a great performance. Oh and she went a little spastic on stage too. I certainly felt her desperation, but...
Jessica - "Mystify": I don't care for the song, but honestly I thought her performance was better than Deannas. Her vocalization was better, and she got the tone better... but it still just didnt sound right. This is a song with a hollow sound to it, and she made it round and full.. plus her energy and emotion wasn't really there. Deanna at least made an impression, and you could tell how much she wanted it; I never really felt that from Jessica. I think she knew she was going out this week, and this was it.
And so, Jessica is going home. Really I think she's better than Suzie, but Suzie just did the better job of it. And as the band says, it's no longer about who's good, it's about who's the best with INXS, and I agree that person isnt Jessica (Or any of the women actually; if it doesnt come down to Mig, Ty, and Marty I'd be amazed).
That said, I guarantee you she gets a contract by the end of the week. She's got the nuts man.
UPDATE: Spoons thought the same as I did about Deanna and Jessica, and was surprised by the result as I was. I didnt hate jessica though, I still thought she was generally better than suzie.
August 17, 2005
VH1 Rock School?
What The Fuck???
Seeing Gene Simmons say to a bunch of 10 year olds "You're gonna open for Motorhead, and if something goes wrong I'm not gonna step in"
Holy shit dude, isn't that illegal in 36 states?
"Mr Simmons is a very... intimidating man"
Fuckin A, it's KISS man.
Pop Star - INXS
What the fuck was that???I was playing poker again so caught it on video (I wonder if I missed anything good there, I'll be playing again tomorrw during the show as well). but damn that just kind of sucked. I mean if I wanted to watch American Idol...
On to the reviews:
Ty - Rod Stewart, "Maggie May": Ok a bit too mcuh vibrato, but other than that pretty good. Kind of incongruous hearing that song coming out of somebody who looks like he should be singing "Firestarter" but hey.
Ty really does have a great voice, and he's got stage presence and energy. It's funny but just listening to it, it was kind of like Jackie Wilson doing Maggie May...
Suzie - Sam Cooke, "Bring it on Home to Me": Pretty good actually, she didn't QUITE get the soul into it that it needs, but actually it's better than McCartney did it. I think she knew how close to the edge she'd be on this one and she put jsut about everything she had into it. But not quite... Where is that last little bit Suzie, and what is it going to take to get it from you? Really this girl should be singing country.
Jordis - Bob Dylan, "Knockin on Heavens Door": Mariah Carey sings Dylan... What the hell was that? I mean yeah he voice is great, but I just HATED what she did with that song. I didn't think it was possible to entirely suck the soul out of that song, but she did it.
That said, I bet the voters love it.
Jessica - Natalie Imbruglia, "Torn": Honestly, I think the only reason to make her do this song is if they wanted to get rid of her. She did a great job with it (oh and DAMN THAT ASS... wow), but it's just a weak song. I actually LIKE the song, but it has no place in this lineup.
Marty - Britney Spears, "Baby One More Time": Uhhh DAMN! Channeling David Bowie there for a minute. Shit if I was a gay man I'd fuck him. And that screaming second verse... yeah that was actually damn good.
J.D. - Marianne Faithful "As Tears Go By": When I saw the song selection for this I kind of felt sorry for J.D. It's not the strongest song, kind of light weight really though the lyrics are actually quite personal and emotional. He did a great job with it, really it couldnt have been done better, it's just not a great song.I want to see somethign with more balls in it from him.
Deanna - Bonnie Raitt, "I Can't Make You Love Me": She did a great job with it, and damn the puppies were on full display wot. Kind of emblematic of her future on the show though. She really had the voice for it, and she did it great. You should be almsot crying by the end of the song, and she was just about there...
But I just don't think the voters are going to go for it.
Ok Marty gets my vote here. Mig and Ty turned in good performances, Suzie and Jordis did good enough to get by, and J.D. , Deanna, Jessica are on the block.
Personally I think Deanna did a better job than Jordis OR Suzie, but I'm guessing the voters will think differently.
August 16, 2005
Bad Beats
GAAAAAGH!!!!I was the third or fourth knockout both seatings tonight. It was so bad I didnt even sit the losers table...
Ok so first session goes around, and I'm just getting nothing. I take down one hand to double up early on, and that's it. The blinds are up to 100-200, and I'm sitting on like 5k.
Pocket comes up, and I get A-c and 9-d, so I call the 200, pot goes around, and we've got a family pot; 1400 on the table, and the flop comes out, 8-d 10-d j-d, I go in for 1000, and I get three callers. The A-d comes on the turn, and I check it, there's three others to check.
River comes Q-d, and I put in 500 representing weakness.
Yep, I've got a straight flush to the Queen, with the ace on the board. Only one card can beat me and it's the rarest fucking hand in poker. It goes around and everyone folds but one guy, and the bet comes to me at 3000 (the rest of my stack). There's no other callers, so I say "fuck it, I'm all in I don't think he's got the king".
I mean how can you fold a fucking straight flush? There's one card in the damn deck, hes got five times my stack, and he's probably trying to bet me out right?
He had the fucking king. Straight flush to the queen gets taken out royal flush.
MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!
The next seating I get in with Queen-10 when the flop comes out QJJ. Anyway I bet the pot up till I've got 3k in there (out of 5k stack) because hey, I've got queens and jacks. So a 5 comes out and I go all in on the turn, and I get a caller. We flip'em and hes got K-5 so I'm feeling good but nervous...
Until that fucking king came on the fucking river.
I was so disgusted I just went home after that. I didnt bother to stick around for the losers table.
Oh well, theres always tomorrow.
August 15, 2005
Gack... shitty day
Ok so first I get two hours sleep this morning, because my home AC guy needed to come and clean my ducts.$200 too. The landlady is going to be thrilled aobut that I'm sure.
Then I go to the DMV, and it's going to be WEEKS before I can get this shit straightened out, and I'm sans vehicle till then. I have to fill out an investigation packet (7-10 days for them to send it to me), wait 4 weeks or so for their decision, than go before a hearing officer for his decision... all told they said it could be 7-10 weeks.
No car, in Arizona, in August and September, while trying to find a job. Yeah this pretty much sucks.
My stress relief for the day is shot because the NoR and Kimdutoit.com are donw all day for unspecified reasons "Kim is blaming the democrats" ;-)
And now my brother calls up, he's been robbed and I need to come over tomorrow to help fix stuff.
Fun day overall
August 14, 2005
Go. Read. NOW!
Hat tip to Jed over at freedomsight for this one: http://news.com.com/2061-10796_3-5820618.html
I have signed our Opinion because we have correctly applied existing legal theory and constitutional jurisprudence to resolve this case on its facts.
I feel the pain of conflict, however. I fear that, eventually, we are all going to become collateral damage in the war on drugs, or terrorism, or whatever war is in vogue at the moment. I retain an abiding concern that our Declaration of Rights not be killed by friendly fire. And, in this day and age, the courts are the last, if not only, bulwark to prevent that from happening.
In truth, though, we area throw-away society. My garbage can contains the remains of what I eat and drink. It may contain discarded credit card receipts along with yesterday's newspaper and junk mail. It might hold some personal letters, bills, receipts, vouchers, medical records, photographs and stuff that is imprinted with the multitude of assigned numbers that allow me access to the global economy and vice versa.
My garbage can contains my DNA...
Oh yeah, that's some good shit. Supreme court nominee anyone?
Rockstar INXS - J.D. Doesnt Suck
Ok so the assignment was to write a song together, and everyone else went and wrote a cheezzee consensus piece of fluff.Well, J.D. hated it and wrote his own song that kind of kicked ass. He TRIED to get the rest of his team to go along with him, but because of his past hisory the team wasnt really going with him. Actually pretty much Jordis wasnt willing to even think about doing his thing, and Marty just kind of talked around the conflict, while as far as I can tell Jessica didn't say a word.
He made his team lose, but honestly I think it was his teams fault for not listening to him when he obviously had the better song.
He wrote by far the best song... In fact he wrote a song I could see INXS recording.
Not only that but his voice sounded great with it. I take back what I said last week about J.D. not having the voice for it. His problem isnt his voice, it's that he's overdoing it on stage. I'd love to hear him do something out of Elvises acoustic catalogue (he was an Elvis Impersonator at one point).
Kind of hard to make an argument against J.D.s choice really. Yes, teamwork is important, but if your team isnt treating you with respect, sometimes you just have to go with whats right even if it pisses everybody off. Of course how is the band going to take his unwillingness to work with the rest of his team... I dunno. If they review the tapes before they start making decisions I think maybe J.D. is going to GET credit rather than lose it.
Ok so we heard part of the song list for tuesday:
Mig - Peter Frampton, "Baby I love your way": Wow Mig was not happy about that song. I think he'll do a great job with it, but I'm not a big fan of the song, and obviously Mig agrees with me.
Marty - Britney Spears, "Hit me baby one more time": Oooh boy. Ok I guarantee you that was Dave fucking with him. From the little practice clip we saw, I think he'll do something cool with it.
Suzie - Sam Cooke, "Bring it on home to me": Great Song, she's fucked. McCartney couldnt do it, Eric Burdon couldnt do it, there aint no way Suzie is going to be able to do it.
We didnt hear the rest of the songs that they are getting, but so far the message boards (grain of salt etc... Talk about a trip into 5th grade there) are saying the following:
Ty - Rod Stewart, "Maggie May": Hmmmm..... okay it's not a hard song to do, I don't think it's a song thats all that great for Ty, but it may work. I mean they went for cheeze with Marty and Mig, why not for Ty as well.
Jordis - Unidentified Bob Dylan Song: Since we dont know what song it is, I cant really say anything except that when acoustic is the order of the day, it's hard to go wrong with Dylan. The man couldnt sing, but he wrote some of the best songs of all time.
Deanna - ???
J.D. - ???
Jessica - ???
Poker again
I'm in the hunt for a seat at the monthly, so I'm hitting the tables as much as I can; and of course boring y'all with the details.So two main seatings tonight, and two mini-tournaments AKA losers tables.
In the first seating I made it to like 10th out of 24 (slow night) before I was taken out 2 pair to the straight. I thought he was bluffing on the king and ended up dumping on a 10k+ pot.
Oh well; it happens. I ended up taking a 30k+ lead on the mini-tournament and taking down my third loser table in a row. Knock up another 50 points.
Second seating was a bit bigger, I think we had 30 sit down. I quadded up, and so did another guy, then he knowked out two to double that. Theres six of us on both tables, and he's got me 100% dominated. So the betting goes around, and my stacks worth it in the pot, and everybody else gets pushed out on the flop but me and him.
I flop a set of 7s , and go all in.
He calls me with two pair.
I'm all set to take a commanding chip lead, and the fucker draws the boat on the river. Motherfucker.
So once again back to the "victory challenged" table, and after 2 hours of play and getting down to 500 at one point, I managed to end up 60k and take the table down again.
So thats 4 in a row, and I'm up to 800.
I've got Tuesday and Wednesday to catch up, two seatings and two losers each; so I SHOULD be able to make my 1000 by the time I leave for Jersey, but then I'm going to miss the next three torunaments. The good thing is there are three more after that before the end of the month.
Oh, and why am I so anxious to make the monthly? Well first of all, I like to win; but the prize kicks ass: An all expense paid seat in a three day WSOP sattelite tournament in Vegas.
Sure, I've been to vegas more than I can count, but to be able to sit in a cash tourney with a luxury hotel suite on someone elses dime? Oh hell yah.
August 12, 2005
Basic Ammo Questions - Part 1
NoR reader Skittlesman asked the following very important question:How is a glaser safety slug different from a normal round? Also, how is a winchester silvertip different from a normal FMJ Round?
Good question there S-man. One of the most frequent questions we get in the NoR, is "What Ammo should I carry in my gun" followed by "What's the difference between ammo types".
Okay so first, what is FMJ?
FMJ is the common abbreviation for "Full Metal Jacket", the term for a bullet that is jacketed (covered) with a harder metal alloy than lead. Most FMJ bullets are round nosed, semi-conically nosed, or truncated cone (a conical bullet with the tip chopped off to produce a flat point).
FMJ bullets are by convention used by the military, since the 1890s; because they are not "designed to cause undue suffering". Yeah that's stupid, silly etc... but there was a time when war was thought of as little more than the recreational pursuit of gentlemen; and that there were rules of fairplay. The restriction to FMJ grew out of this philosophy, because expanding or fragmenting ammo was thought to be "unsporting" and all that.
Up until the late 70's FMJ was the most common load for just about everyone, but the development of more modern Jacketed Hollowpoint (JHP) designs (which were originally introduced in the early 20th century, but did not function well as introduced, in firearms of the time), superceded FMJ as the common carry ammo.
FMJ has two distinct disadvantages as a modern defensive loading. One, it can overpentrate in high velocity loadings; and two, FMJ will rarely expand (especially in the low velocity non-over-penetrating loadings), limiting the size of the wound channel to the caliber itself (expanding bullets can expand up to double their base diameter).
This lack of expansion is fine for larger caliber bullets (like .45, which is at least reasonably effective in FMJ as many thousands of Germans, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, and Viet Namese could testify to... if they were not very very dead), but for smaller bullets like 9mm, wounding capability of non expanding ammunition has generally proven to be poor.
The other major type of bullets used prior to the 1970s would be unjacketed, or partially jacketed lead. Mostly used in revolvers, because you dont have to worry about feeding issues; and by reloaders, because you can easily and cheaply make your own.
Lead bullets WILL expand, depending on the bullet shape, alloy, casting process, and the load velocity. This allows you a very fine level of control in your loadings, thus making them popular with handgun hunters. They are also often used by target shooters, because you can load special designs, weights, etc... and because you control your own tolerances etc...
The three common variations of lead bullet are soft cast/soft point, hard cast, and Jacketed Soft Point, or "partially jacketed".
Hard cast lead bullets are just that, very hard cast lead. These bullets will expand less, penetrate more, and generally leave less lead buildup (called fouling) in the barrel than soft lead.
Soft cast bullets are the bullets generally used in factory lead rounds. Soft lead bullets will expand significantly at relatively low velocities, which is a big plus; however they do not stand up well to higher velocities, and can leave a lot of fouling in the bore. Soft cast bullets are not appropriate for use in autoloaders because the bullets can be damaged while feeding.
Jacketed Soft point bullets are a compromise between the two types. They control expansion by using a very soft lead alloy, but encase it half way (or more) in a jacket (as in the FMJ).
Oh and lead bullets may not actually be cast, they may be swaged (as most FMJ bullets are), but that's more detail than is strictly necessary right now.
Okay so FMJ and lead out of the way, what are hollowpoints?
For once, the name of a firearms related item actually has a name that means just what it says: Hollowpoints are bullets that have a hole/cavity in the tip i.e. a hollow point. Yes that's a huge oversimplification, but really that is the essence of the thing.
The point of a hollowpoint (excuse the bad pun), is that it will expand more, at lower velocity than either hardcast, or FMJ ammunition.
There are three basic variants of hollowpoints, unjacketed, soft point/partially jacketed, and jacketed.
Unjacketed lead hollowpoint ammo is relatively rare, because it's difficult to control expansion, without fragmentation (through overhardening).
Partially jacketed hollowpoints are similar to softpoint as described above, but they have a cavity in the nose. This improves expansion at low velocities, while preventing fragmentation (hopefully) at medium velocities. They are still unsuitable for high velocity applications. Partially jacketed bullets are basically only used in revolvers because the soft hollowpoint nose is unsuitable for feeding through auto pistols.
Jacketed hollowpoint bullets are similar to FMJ, in that there is a metal jacket which covers the entire outer surface of the bullet (in most designs), which controls expansion and improves penetration. In a JHP however, the tip has a cavity in it which forces the softer lead to mushroom out splitting or stretching the jacket.
When hollowpoints were first introduced they were all of the soft lead, or partially jacketed variety, and the bullet making technologies at the time were unable to produce consistent, uniform, and reliably expanding designs that did not fragment.
Even with the greater distribution of fully jacketed hollowpoint designs in the 1930s, manufacturers were generally unable to produce designs that met the criteria described above. It wasn't until the mid 1950s that decent JHP bullets became commercially available, and really the 1970s before JHPs were reliable and consistent enough for carrying as defensive ammo.
That development made the 9mm a little more acceptable for American handgunners to carry for self defense, which in turn spurred a 20 year run of development in Jacketed Hollow Point designs to help the 9mm get better at killing bad guys; eventually ending up where we are now... with basically everyone carrying modern premium jacketed hollowpoints, basically all the time.
Okay so I just said "Premium Hollowpoints", what exactly do I mean by that?
A premium hollowpoint is a bullet specifically designed to expand to the maximum degree while retaining the maximum weight OR fragment into the largest possible pieces (for some designs), so as to produce the most effective possible wound. Importantly, it also means that they are EXTREMELY reliable and consistent (not always the case with the non-premium bullets).
There are many premium hollowpoint designs (at least one from every major manufacturer in fact); but the market is fairly solidly dominated by the following brands:
Speer GoldDot
Federal Hydrashok
Remington Golden Saber
Winchester Silvertip
There are a lot of strong secondary and/or specialty players in the market like Triton, Cor-Bon, and Black Hills (the last two both load other peoples premium bullets to a higher velocity and/or quality level than the general run of factory ammo) but they are really going for the niche markets.
Each of the major players has a distinctive characteristic that makes them particularly desirable (or undesirable), for a particular weapon or application.
Gold dot bullets for example have a very thick star shaped jacket, that is strongly bonded to the lead, and have a very large conical hollowpoint cavity. This allows for great expansion without much loss of mass, and almost no chance of shedding the jacket, or pealing a petal off (a common occurance with cheaper JHP designs). An expanded Gold Dot bullet looks very much like a sunflower. Gold Dots are available as reloading components. Unfortunately Gold Dots are also about the most expensive of the premium hollowpoints.
Hydrashoks have a thinner, pre scored jacket, with a medium diameter but very deep cavity, and a central post of lead. This post tends to act as a penetrator so that thick soft materials (like clothing) which frequently clog up other hollowpoint designs and prevent expansion will do so less frequently and less severely. An expanded HydraShok looks something like a flower with a wilted stamen.
Remington Golden Sabres are the last in market position behind all the other premiums, but they have a niche carved out with guns that just wont feed other hollowpoints. The golden saber uses a very hard, pre scored (spiral scored actually) jacket, with a very small diameter, deep hollowpoint cavity. This combination closely replicates round nose FMJ, and the golden saber will frequently feed in guns that choke on other JHP designs.
The one major problem generally seen with the golden saber is the deep spiral scores in the very hard jacket (see the problem? That's also the main advantage). These scores can catch on burrs or sharp edges inside the weapon. Also the hard jacket controls expansion well, but can sometimes lead to bullet fragmentation at high velocities, and at low velocities can prevent expansion, This isn't necessarily a bad thing because in both cases a more effective wound could result, but you could be caught on the edge between the two which can sometimes result in over penetration.
Basically if your gun doesn't like any other hollowpoints, try out the golden saber, and the next choice, the Winchester silvertip (which I generally prefer).
Winchester Silvertips are hollowpoint bullets with a relatively shallow and small diameter cone shaped hollow point cavity, and a relatively thick nickeled gilding metal jacket.
The shape of the silvertip is more like a FMJ round than any other premium JHP, and therefore feeds somewhat better (they have the reputation as the easiest feeding JHP in many guns).
Combined with the jacket material and construction, silvertips have a reputation for better penetration and weight retention than most hollowpoints. They also withstand extremely high velocities (like full power 10mm) without fragmentation better than most other hollowpoints. This comes at the sacrifice of maximum expansion.
This is an interesting tradeoff to make actually. For calibers that may be somewhat defficient in penetration, the silvertip is ideal. I believe all american manufacturers of .32 and .380 pistols recommend winchester silvertip, and at least two specify it exclusively for some pistols.
For calibers that have a reputation for overpentration however (like 9mm) they may NOT be an apropriate choice.
They are EXTEMELY popular among 10mm users for several reasons. First, they are the most powerful commonly available premium commercial load. Second, they are available as reloading components at reasonable (relatively) cost, Finally as mentioned above, they stand up to the full power 10mm loadings. Most other hollowpoints will overexpand and shed mass, which resduces their effectiveness. The Silvertips expand to almsot the perfect degree with full power 10mm loads, balancing penetration and expansion to produce the maximum wound effect.
There is one final major category of defensive ammunition, and thats frangibles. There are several types, but the commonality between them is that they are all designed to break apart on hard surfaces (for whatever reason).
The most common frangible type are compressed sintered metal bullets. These are basically metal powder forced into a mold at high temperature and pressure, with binding agents. They are specifically designed to burst into powder when hitting a hard surface, rather than ricochet, or break into large pieces. They are chiefly used as a training round because they present less danger on a shooting range, and may present less of an environmental hazard than lead bullets.
Glaser safety slugs, and the similar MagSafe and BeeSafe rounds are technically, prefragmented composite ammunition. The bullet itself consists of a thin metal jacket, filled with small shot suspended in resin, and sealed with plastic or soft lead.
Glasers will break apart on impact and produce many very small wound tracks in soft tissue, while presenting minimal risk of damaging ricochet or over penetration.
They are VERY effective against soft tissues, however they perform poorly against heavy leather clothing, and they have almsot no wounding potential through barriers. They may not break glass depending on the angle at which they impact.
Again, this can be a good tradeoff to make. I personally tend to load Glasers when I’m carrying in crowded environments, and inside drywalled buildings (being most buildings these days). That means I’ve got the Glasers in most of the time I’m carrying concealed.
That said however, I always keep a magazine of premium JHP’s (Gold Dot or hydrashok depending on the gun) handy in case I have to face a tactical situation in which Glasers would be ineffective (lots of soft partial cover, some hard surfaces etc...).
I do not recommend Glasers as general carry ammunition unless you are able to acquire a large quantity of them (at least 100, and preferabely 250 to 500), so you can obtain adequate practice with them in your guns. The Glaser (and mag safe etc...) shoot VERY differently than standard loads. Also, they may not be reliable in all semi-auto pistols, and you should shoot at least 100 rounds through the pistol in question before you can really count on them. This is kind of problematic because Glasers run about $3 a round.
Yes, I said $3 a round. Conventional premium hollowpoints run somewhere under $1 a round for most calibers, and FMJ practice ammo typically runs between $0.10 and $0.50 per round.
I was lucky, and was able to acquire a large quantity of Glasers, MagSafes, and BeeSafes at an auction for a steal, and thus I was able to develop the proper level of confidence in these ammo types through my carry guns.
Now, I DO recommend that all bedside revolvers default load be glasers or something similar, because they are very effective at household ranges, there is minimal risk of damaging over penetration, and you don't have to worry about feeding and function in a revolver.
So thats it for part one, handgun carry ammo. I havent decided what I'm going to do next, any suggestions?Recipes for REAL men - Basic Cooking Secrets - Volume 1
Okay so I'm watching good eats (Alton Brown is a FREAK, but great fun) and I thought, I should write some posts about some basic secrets to good cooking.This first one will focus on the dozen "secret ingredients" for great cooking. It's not that these ingredients are so secret, it's that using them is the secret to great quality, and restaurant taste.
1. Butter
Butter is the basic ingredient of... well everything really.2. Cream and/or condensed milk
Almost every decent sauce starts with either plain butter, butter and oilive oil, a roue (butter and flour), beurre blanc (shallots, white wine or lemon juice or white vinegar, sometimes cream, and butter), or beurre noir (shallots, red wine or cider vinegar, and browned butter).
Butter is one of the most basic ingredients in almost all baking. Without butter, most baked goods just don't taste right.
Also almsot all frying, sauteeing, and pan roasting NEEDS butter. To sautee properly I almost always use a mixture of butter and olive oil. This gives a better flavor, and browns the food better.
Finally, butter can be flavored and mixed with almost anything to act as a garnish or topping. It draws and enhances flavors wonderfully (which is why it gets funky in the fridge sometimes.
Honestly, margarine is evil horrible stuff. It's vegetable oil with emulsifiers and proteins added, and then bubbled through with hydrogen until it congeals. I mean who wants to eat that? Oh and baking with margarine is punishible by death (or at least it should be).
You can't have a white sauce without cream; it's that simple. The use of cream in American cooking has fallen on hard times, and that's just wrong. Almost anywhere a recipe asks for milk (except in baking), you'd likely be better of using cream.3. Buttermilk
Heres the thing, milk is welll... watery.
Cream and condensed milk both have far more buttersolids (the things that give dairy it's flavor) than milk. Yes theres more fat in cream, and that adds in texture and flavor, but the non-fat buttersolids are at least as important.
Restaurant cheese sauces? Yeah cream there.
Gravy? HELL yes theres cream there, even in brown gravies. Actually msot brown sauces will have at least a little bit of cream unless it's a clear brown sauce (which will have butter and red wine of vinegar usually).
Oh and white soups? Yeah theres cream in that too.
Seriously, almost anywhere you would use milk in a recipe; a restaurant or pro chef would use half and half, or light cream.
Condensed milk can be used when thickening is important, and where you need a little extra sweetness. I most often use it in baking, or making puddings or dessert toppings.
Then only time I'll use milk in preference to cream (other than in baking which requires precise fat and sugar balances) is when I'm dissolving something in the milk that doesnt like to dissolve in a fatty solution. Even then you can usually get it to dissolve properly by adding a little lemon or lime juice (be careful it can cause curdling).
NEVER EVER EVER cook with skim milk. You might as well just use water, because that's all you're getting with skim. If you are worried about fat content (why are you reading me anyway but...) and your recipe calls for skim, then buttermilk is almost always the better option.4. Sour Cream (unsweetened yoghurt with lemon juice can work as well)
Buttermilk is the left over liquid when butter is made, and as with cream and condensed milk, it contains a lot more buttersolid but almost no fat as compared to whole milk. It WILL have a slightly sour taste, because it has a lot of lactic acid in it, so be careful with recipes that are sensitive to acid.
That said, the most acid sensitive cooking is baking, and buttermilk is just MADE for baking.
Also buttermilk is the basis for a lot of sauces and dressings. It can be made sweet, savory, rich, or tart depending on how you complement it.
Try a buttermilk and sour cream dressing with lime juice, light olive oil (be careful about your fat balance), cracked peppercorns, tabasco, and powdered mustard.
Sour cream is often used as a texturizer, and adds a slight to moderate sharpness to sauces. It's also one of the most basic ingredients to a white dressing. You really can't make eastern european food without sour cream, and a lot of middle eastern food is improved by it (though they would traditionally use yoghurt, which is effectively sour goat cream).5. White Pepper
Funny thing is though? I dont like sour cream. I cook with it, but I dont care for it as a topping.
Don't want to speckle your sauces? White pepper is your friend. Just about every savory sauce needs pepper and salt, but sometimes you dont want the pepper to show (although I LIKE the speckled effect personally, plus I like fresh cracked pepper).6. Balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce (both vinegar based)
Remember, pepper helps balance out the flavors of fat in your sauces.
Got a brown sauce? A marinade? A Red Sauce? any kind of savory sauce? Use a little balsamic vinegar in it. It adds flavor, and helps emulsify fats. It's especially good in sauces to be used with rare beef.7. Olive Oil
Want the savory flavor but not the sourness of the balsamic vinegar? Toss a little hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce in it (depending on whether you want heat or not) and it WILL be better. Mix it in with your ground beef when making burgers or meatballs. Sprinkle it on your potatos. I put hot sauce in just about everything (I LOVE my alfredo with some hot sauce).
You can't cook italian without olive oil. Hell as far as I'm concerned you can't cook without Olive oil period. Almost every red or brown sauce starts with olive oil. Olive oil has its own wonderful flavor, AND it absorbs and enhances all the other flavors around it. Every kitchen should have a strongly flavored extra virgin, and a light salad olive oil8. Garlic
You can't cook without garlic. No really you can't. NOW BE CAREFUL, because most people use WAY too much garlic. Only very rarely should more than one clove of garlic be used in a recipe for four, and most often you should use less. Garlic is such a dominant flavor that you have to be careful about how you use it, and how much of it you use. WARNING, except as an aid to savory sauces, or on potatos, don't use garlic powder or garlic salt for anything.9. Shallots
If you want restaurant style sauces and sauteed dishes, you will need to use shallots... LOTS of shallots. You clean them, and then mince them so fine they are turned into a paste (pros have a machine that does this for them). When it's done properly, the shallots will dissolve into any sauce, or into the butter/oil you are sauteeing with. Personally, I'm not that big a fan of shallots (I'm allergic to onions, and shallots are jsut a mild onion. They dont make me sick, but they give me wicked heartburn), but almost every restaurant sauce uses them.10. Cornstarch or Arrowroot (or sometimes potato flakes)
How do resaurants get their sauces to be so thick and rich and creamy? Well as mentioned above they use butter and cream and buttermilk, BUT that isn't necessarily sufficient for the proper texture, especially in a brown sauce, or any drippings based, or broth/stock based sauce (that's a lot of sauces). Most people try and thicken sauces with all purpose flour. While this CAN work out for you, it isnt necessarily the best way. Flour can very quickly lump up, and glutens can cause problems with the sauce. So the secret here is to use something else, that will thicken with less material, and that wont clump up. That means corn starch, arrowroot, or potato flakes. The best gravies start with a drippings and butter flour roue, add some stock, seasonings, and possibly cream, and then the final thickening is done with arrowroot or potato flakes. Oh and some folks like acorn flour for this purpose, but I've never used it.11. Parmagian Cheese
Parmagian is the universal cheese. Just about anything you cook that isn't sweet, and needs a little bit of savorieness, or a bit of a crust on it; and parmagian is there for you. My personal favorite? I mix finely grated parmagian in my breading for chicken picatta. There is only one thing, too high a heat and the presence of moisture with make parmagian go stringy or grainy unless there is an adequate emulsuffier and acid/fat balance. Also that stuff in the green tubes? Yeah thats fine for shaking over your spaghettios, but do yourself a favor and go get some REAL parmagiano regiano. You'll thank me.12. Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is another texturizer, and flavoring agent. Plain cream cheese doesnt have a very strong flavor, but it accents other flavors very very well, and it has a wonderful texture and mouth feel. That mouth feel survives melting, which most cheeses can't say.
Cream cheese is also incredibly versatile. It blends equally well with garlic and onions, as it does with strawberrys and honey.
I like to add a little cream cheese into all my cheese sauces, which tends to smoothe them out and richen them up. I also make dessert toppings with cream cheese and sweet flavorings and/or fruit.
Well that's not a lot of info yet, but it's a start. Theres quite a few other "secret ingredients" I can think of, but those are the most important.
August 11, 2005
10 Greatest Metal Bands of All Time
Okay so I'm watching the VH1 "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" for the umpteenth time, and I was thinking... okay what about jsut Metal.I'm a hard core metal head, classic metal, progressive, speed metal, thrash metal... basically anything that isn't just power chords and screaming (sorry you death metal fans. Some of your stuff is fine but most is horrible shite).
Okay so ground rules.
1. Solo artists not allowed
2. This is my "definition" of metal:
Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer, and Blue Oyster Cult don't count (progressive blues, forerunners of metal, not metal yet). Metal wouldnt exist without them, but they aren't metal by this definition.
I AM counting Sabbath as metal however. There is no metal without sabbath, and althought Sabbath with Ozzy trod the edge of metal and blues, they created the entire genre of doom metal, and post Ozzy they got nothing but harder.
Also progressive metal (like Dream Theater), and altmetal/grunge metal count, but progressive hard rock, hard rock, hardcore punk (although I'm wavering on L7 and the MC5) etc.. don't.
I'm on the fence about industrial, goth metal, death metal etc... some of it is real metal some is more electronica... some it just screaming and power chords. Let's make it an artist by artist thing.
Some hairmetal yes, some no. Hell most of it was really hard rock anyway. Let me repeat this, hard rock is not metal. AC/DC, GnR, Crue etc... are not metal. Twisted Sister and Skid Row are right on the edge of real metal (but don't even TRY and tell me that Dee Snider and Sebastian Bach aren't metal), Whitesnake (though I love them and they kick ass) are NOT real metal.
Nu-metal (though I like some of it) is right out...
Well... except System of a down, and Disturbed maybe, and a couple of other bands that are more real metal than nu-metal. I'm thinking of Linkin Park shit whan I say it's right out.
4. They must have been around for at least 5 years, and really 10 to be serious about it. By that I mean they need to have produced an album before 2000, unless someone can tell me there some amazing metal band that transcends it's newness. Damageplan, Audioslave etc.. need not apply.
I DON'T mean they need to have been together for five or ten years. I'm not going to disqualify a spectacular single album band.
5. The criteria for "best" are as follows
- Best Music
- Biggest Impact on metal
- "Most Metal"
Okay so here's my top five, but I'm having a hard time deciding on the sixth through tenth:
1. Black Sabbath
2. Metallica
3. Iron Maiden
4. Judas Preist
5. Megadeath
Honestly I don't think anyone who loves the whole world of metal would SERIOUSLY disagree with the top five above, except for re-arranging the order...
buuuuuut number six through ten.... honestly I can't decide. Motorhead is definitely up there, Slayer, Pantera... I could go deep into the 70s and pull out some diamondhead....
Okay I'm jsut gonna put up a list of the other metal bands I consider among the greatest, and let all of you decide. Or you can stick up your nominees... plus I want to see your picks in comments.
Hell, maybe you can change my mind about the top five. I doubt it, but you can try.
Heres the list in no particular order
Motorhead
Slayer
Pantera
Diamondhead
Dream Theater
Queensryche
Faith no more (okay thats pushing it, they are on the edge between progressive rock and metal)
Anthrax
Korn (yeah, its pushing it, but I think they're real metal)
Alice in chains (prior to Jar of Flies they were real metal)
Soundgarden (prior to Superunkwnown they were real metal)
Mercyful fate (remember what I said about goth/industrial/deathmetal being on the borderline)
Rainbow
Slade (dont laugh they actually kicked ass)
Uriah Heap
Ministry
Scorpions (yeah they were the best of the '80s arena metal, come on you know it)
Testament
Kings X
Candelmass
Danzig (technically a band and not jsut Glen solo but I'm kind of wavering on that one).
Sepultura
Static-X
Soulfly
Suicidal tendencies (oaky I know, more punk but still...)
Type O Negative
Sisters of Mercy
Napalm Death
Fear Factory
Rammstein (again, on the edge of metal, but I love them anyway)
Prong
Helmet
Hatebreed
Shadows Fall
Deftones
Disturbed
System of a Down
Iced Earth
And finally...
Rage Against the Machine... Yeah I hate their politics, love the music, and yeah they are pushing the definition but I've got five words for you: Killing in the name of. If that aint metal what the fuck is?
Whaddya all think? Writing the lsit down got my head a little clearer, and I think I could pick my top ten, but I want to see what you guys think.
Governator Overworked?
Ok, I'm kind of irritated by this bullshit...http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20050811-1238-ca-schwarzenegger-fitnesscontract.html
By Steve Lawrence
ASSOCIATED PRESS12:38 p.m. August 11, 2005
SACRAMENTO – Responding to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's multimillion dollar deal with two muscle magazines, a state senator says she will introduce legislation Monday to bar top state officials from having second jobs.
"The truth of the matter is they are getting paid to do (state) jobs that the public perceives they're committed to 24/7," Sen. Jackie Speier said Thursday. "They accepted the positions knowing what the parameters are."
Speier, D-Hillsborough, said she would introduce a bill and a constitutional amendment to bar the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, insurance commissioner, secretary of state, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction and state controller from taking second jobs...
...Schwarzenegger's press secretary, Margita Thompson, said the Republican governor would be willing to consider signing a ban on outside jobs as long as it applied to legislators as well as statewide officials...
Yeah pretty much just a bitch (in both senses of the word). I see no reason why a government official should be prevented from having an outside job so long as there is no conflict of interest, or appearance of impropriety.
In fact Schwarzenegger decided the contract could be interpreted by SOME (read liberal scumbags) as a conflict of interest and dropped it.
But this is jsut bad law. It's jsut plain stupid, AND there are some FEDERAL constitutional implications (prior restraint, freedom of association etc...). Of course theres precedent from other states and it’s never been taken to a higher court as far as I know.
Just another piece of “there oughta be a law” bullshit.
Holy shit I actually won
Mr. Completely postal match that is.http://mrcompletely.blogspot.com/2005/08/e-postal-handgun-match-1-flyswatter_11.html
I was thinking 9 would get me the upper middle... turns out there were a few 8s and a bunch of 7's but no 9's.
This is out of 20 possible there folks. DAMN those bugs were a bitch to see at 10 yards. Honestly half those hits were just plain luck anyway.
That's doubly true since I did it with one of these for gits and shiggles:
Rockstar Update
Well it turned out to be Brandon, Suzie, and Jessica...Not a big surprise, they were my alternate pics. I was playing poker so I didnt see the show, but the performance videos...
Jessica - "Disappear" Honestly I thought Jessica was too upbeat, too thick, and too country with "Disappear". I love the song, and it's not supposed to sound like that. She rocked it without a doubt, it just didn't sound right to me. Ok but she definitely had the guts for it, she was singing as if her life dependind on it, and I can see keeping her.
Suzie - "Bitter Tears": Actually I really liked her doing this song; and I hadn't liked any of her performances so far all that much. She really got the guts into it after that first verse and just nailed it perfect the rest of the way. Definitely the best of the three.
Brandon - "Don't Lose Your Head": Sorry man... not bad, but not bad aint gonna do it when you're on the block, especially against the other two performances. That's too bad because Brandon was starting to grow on me. He was sharp in spots, flat in spots.. I think he muffed a couple of lines... Not only that, but Jessica was singing for her life, and Brandon just wasn't balls out like she was.
Let's see how they do on the acoustic only bit for next week. That's going to be very tough for Jessica, Suzie, Deanna, and J.D.
Lord I wish I could see their song options list...
The only way I can see Deanna not hitting the block is if she gets something very bluesy and emotional. Hmmm, actually I'd LOVE to hear Deanna try Allannah Myles "Black Velvet". She's great, I think she second only to Jordis among the women, but the acoustic week is jsut going to be killer without the right song.
J.D..... I don't think there's a thing he can do to avoid the block; he just doesn't have a voice for acoustic.
Jessica and Suzie... tossup there. If they find the right song then they're solid, if not...
This is going to be the week for Jordis I think. If she gets anything near a decent song she's jsut going to clean up.
Marty is probably going to hit something alt rock... I'd love to hear some Nick Cave, or Pogues thrown in there but I dont think they'd throw him a bone that big.
Mig didn't look happy when they said acoustic only next week, but the guy just has too much talent not to be safe in this group. I think what he'd REALLY like to be doing is something from the Queen catalog where he can showcase his vocal range, which is pretty damned impressive (anyone who can cover Freddie Mercury has to have a 4+ octave range).
I'm guessing Ty is going to look for something like "Tears in Heaven", something very emotional, and a ballsy choice. Tears in heaven in particular isnt a vocally difficult song, but it's so powerful and emotional that it really takes guts to sing it. The only way I can see him not being safe is if he gets TOO ambitious and can't pull it off.
Any way you slice it I'm guessing that Marty, Jordis, Ty, and Mig are safe next week, J.D. is on the block no matter what he does, and Deanna, Suzie and Jessica are down to song selection.
Shuffle up and deal
Did pretty well at poker night tonight.In the first seating I was CRUSHED. After about 30 minutes I dropped a 12k pot small pair to big pair. Next hand I'm all in with 650 on pocket queens, 1500 in the pot chip leader calls it with an A-2, and he draws the ace on the river.
Ah well shit happens.
Second seating I was just dominant. I knocked 8 people out on my first table, and another 4 on the second. I end up starting the final table with 40k, two others on the table with a little less than me, and a the rest are small stacks.
I dont get a hand for like 15 hands, and the blinds go up to 2k-4k; theres some serious money in the pots, and I'm down to like 27k just from the blinds and a couple of calls. I take two more out, and now we're three way tied with three small stacks on the outs.
Two of them dump to Renee, my eventual heads up; and the blinds are 4 and 8 with 4 of us left on the table, one about to blind out. I bump him out on two pair; Renee takes 2/3 of the other womans stack, I get the rest, and we go heads up with her dominating me like 80k 40k.
Not a great situation.
Anyway I managed to beat her back till I was only down 10k, and she takes down a monster from me with pocket aces. By then the blinds are 10 and 20k. I'm big blind, and I go all in pre flop on A-10 suited, she calls it, I flop one short of the flush plus I pair the ace, and motherfucker but she ends up with two pair on the river.
So to make a short story even longer, I ended up in second, giving me a grand total of 700 points for the month so far. 1000 points gets me an alternate seat at the monthly tourney, and 2500 gives me a guaranteed seat.
I'll be able to hit maybe six more qualifiers for this month so I may make alternate, I may not; we shall see.
August 10, 2005
If there's a god in heaven...
..."He drives a silver thunderbird"Marc Cohn was shot in the head sunday, during an unsuccessful car jacking attempt. He is conscious, talking, and stable.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/09/cohn.shot/index.html
Silver Thunderbird
- Marc Cohn
Watched it coming up Winslow
Down South Park Boulevard
Yeah it was looking good from tail to hood
Great big fins and painted steel
Man it looked just like the Batmobile
With my old man behind the wheelWell you could hardly even see him
In all of that chrome
The man with the plan and the pocket comb
But every night it carried him home
And I could hear him sayin'...Don't gimme no Buick
Son you must take my word
If there's a God in heaven
He's got a Silver Thunderbird
You can keep your Eldorados
And the foreign car's absurd
Me I wanna go down
In a Silver ThunderbirdHe got up every morning
While i was still asleep
But I remember the sound of him shuffling around
Then right before the crack of dawn
I heard him turn the motor on
But when I got up they were goneDown the road in the rain and snow
The man and his machine would go
Oh the secrets that old car would know
Sometimes I hear him sayin'...
Don't gimme no Buick
Son you must take my word
If there's a God in heaven
He's got a Silver Thunderbird
You can keep your Eldorados
And the foreign car's absurd
Me I wanna go down
In a Silver Thunderbird
27 Minutes
27 minutes ago, I heard a woman screaming "Oh my god, help me, someone please help me", and then a crash of breaking glass.I immediately went to the window and couldnt see anything, so I went outside with three things:
1. My USP
2. My flashlight
3. My cell phone with a headset in
I dialed 911 as I was moving and I reported exactly what happened, and that I couldn't identify exactly which apartment it came from (it was one of six, and I have some strong suspicions).
I haven't heard anything since, and the police have not yet arrived. I HAVE verified that 4 out of the six apartments are ok; but from two of them, including the one I suspect the scream came from, I got no response. I can't hear anything, and lord knows I can't do anything. Unless I can positively identify where the scream came from, and that someone is in actual danger, I can't and shouldn't do anything more.
27 minutes, and still no police. Actually about 32 minutes now.
I live in a good neighborhood, and this is a Wednesday; not exactly a busy night. Not only that but I know where at least 4 blue and whites are; including the watch commander, right now (a convenience store down the street. They're there every night around this time).
Don't ever try and tell me that the police can or will protect you. The only thing you can count on is the ability to defend yourself. If you live in Massachusetts, New York, California, or New Jersey that fundamental right is already severely limited, and yet those are among the most violent and crime ridden places in our country.
Hell if you live in Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Boston, or Washington D.C. effectively your right to self defense has been abrogated by the state. Almost no-one there legally owns a gun, but yet they have the highest incidence of murders commited with firearms (admitedly mostly criminal on criminal).
Do not let them tell you they can protect you. Do not believe it. Do not let them tell you that you don't need that right. Do not let them tell you you can't protect yourself. Do not let them tell you that isn't a right.
Defend yourself, and don't let anyone try and stop you.
43 minutes, still waiting...
UPDATE: About an hour later he came back, and my suspicions were confirmed; the abusive boyfriend of the woman across the way. He was kicking and pounding on her door, and I called the police again.
Now it's two and a half hours, he's come and gone twice, and the cops... well they just aren't bothering. It's been a few months since the last one, but these two have a history.
My girlfriend said to me "Honey, what gives you the right to get involved. That's not your job leave it to the police".
I will never understand that attitude.
My response? "Honey she was begging and screaming for help. I'm certainly going to respond. It's everyones moral duty to stop abuse and crime from happening if they can".
There was a time when everyone felt that way; now people just don't want to get involved.
August 09, 2005
Live Bloggin - Rockstar
Sorry theres been nothing politicial or gun related lately, the inspiritation is on low at the moment. Time for some mindless entertainment...So on to the live blogging:
Umm Brooke Burke, metal micromini and stiletto kneeboots? Oh yeah, Chris Want.
Suzy - R.E.M. "Losing My Religion" : That took some balls to choose, and Ok, it was kind of a cool arrangement. It very definitely highlighted her voice, but I wasn't that impressed.
Mig - Free, "All Right Now": Mig nailed it, again. This is getting monotonous. Considering this guy makes his living by covering Freddie fucking Mercury.. only one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time, none of this is surprisng. But I want to hear a song from him that I can actually FEEL HIM in, instead of just doing a well vocalized cover.
J.D. - Seal, "Crazy": Lots of emotion, also a very ballsy choice, and he got the guts into it; he just doesn't have the timbre for the song.
Jessica - Nirvana "Come as You Are": What the HELL was she thinking? She doesn't have the voice for this song at all, and she sounds like Cher on ludes singing it. Yeah she's gone this week.
Jordis - Eric Clapton, "Layla": Hmmm... you know, it sounded good, but she doesn't seem to be into it tonight. Just a little off her game, a little less energy than she's had before, and no snap on the backbeats... Oh but I love the corset dress; VERY tasty.
Brandon - Rolling Stones, "It's All Over Now": I dug it, he was kinda channeling Chris Robinson again, and maybe he was a bit too tight... I think maybe he was trying to be a little more controlled in his performance, and I would have rather seen a little more balls out. He got better towards the end though... I like it, but I dunno, we'll see.
Marty - The Killers, "Mr. Brightside": Yaknow, Martys voice just sucks, but it wasn't that bad for this song. The balls he threw into that were jsut great. I'd love to see this guy do something a little quirky.. maybe some madness, or blur, or somthing 90's angst rockish. I liked it, but I think he's gonna be on the block this week for sure.
Deanna - The Doobie Brothers, "Long Train Running": Okay, I'm a bit biased because I really like this song as done by the doobies, but I thought she did it cool. She really does have an amazing voice for blues, and blues inspired rock. She sounded a little rough and hoarse today, and the doobies were always smoothe, so I dont know how well it will go over. The dress great, but it would have been better without the pants underneath.
Ty - Bob Marley, "No Woman, No Cry": Okay he started slow on it; but as he sang he jsut fell right into the groove. He was somewhere else for a while and I LOVE that. He broke it down well into the bridge, but the closing wasn't as strong as I wanted to see. I think he's safe from the block this week.
Okay my guess is that this week will see Marty, J.D. and Jessica on the block, but it's just a guess; Suzy could be there instead, and maybe Brandon.
Oh and I'm still thinking that Ty is going to take this one all the way. Just looking at howthe band reacts to him, and how he works the crowd. I know Ty doesn't want to pigeonhole himself, but I REALLY want to see him do "Cult of Personality".
UPDATE: Looks like spoons shares the same diversions as I do
August 08, 2005
August 07, 2005
Well, If you're gonna go nuts, go nuts with style
This guys is a real prize nut job:
Crusader Nabbed By Michigan Cops
Medieval sword, mallet, armor no match for ye olde Taser
AUGUST 5--Meet Robert McClain. The Michigan man, 42, was arrested last week after he attempted to literally go medieval on cops. According to the below Royal Oak Police Department report, officers were dispatched to McClain's home after a motorist called 911 to report that McClain had fled the scene of an auto accident. When they arrived at his crib, McClain allegedly tried to strike a cop with a four-foot sword. After missing, McClain retreated to his basement, where he donned a chainmail armored vest and leather gauntlets to protect his arms. He also added a giant wooden mallet to his arsenal and beckoned officers to come downstairs and get him. "I'm gonna crush your fucking skulls," McClain warned. Then, in a nice rhetorical flourish (for a lunatic, at least), he added, "I have a thousand years of power." That omnipotence, however, was no match for a police Taser, which felled McClain. He was then carted off and charged with felony assault and a misdemeanor count for failing to remain at an accident scene.
And to comemmorate this occaison, lets all sing the classic Leslie Fish song, "Harmless Historical Nuts".
As I was out shopping, expecting no harm Two big F.B.I. men grabbed me by the arm Dragged me into a cellar, shown lights in my eyes Demanding full answers without any lies About this new threat to good patriotism, This Society for . . . creative anarchism.I said they're just...
..... harmless historical nuts
Who wear boiler plates on their butts
Who dress up in clothes from the 12th century
To bash on each other with sticks and debris
And make up the worlds largest private army.....
Harmless historical nutsI answered 'tis true to that club I belong
But pardon me gentlefolk, you've got the name wrong
Now, I swear by the cross and the host and the chrism
That last word is actually anachronism
It just means outdated, pray why don't you look
In Sir Merriam Webster's reliable bookIt'll says we're just....
..... harmless historical nuts
Who wear boiler plates on their butts
Who dress up in clothes from the 12th century
To bash on each other with sticks and debris
And make up the worlds largest private army.....
Harmless historical nutsWhen finally persuaded to look up the word
They blushed and they winced loud enough to be heard
They hastily sent me back out on the street
But I new it wasn't over and once more we'd meet
So I passed on the warning to realms far and near
To give the impression for all the next yearThat we're just...
..... harmless historical nuts
Who wear boiler plates on their butts
Who dress up in clothes from the 12th century
To bash on each other with sticks and debris
And make up the worlds largest private army.....
Harmless historical nutsAnd yep, soon enough four infiltrators came in
All snooping for politics, sniffing for sin
Three went away again scratching their heads
But the fourth quit his job and turned stick jock instead
He's won coronets, he's in love with the sport
And we still have a copy of his last reportIt says we're just...
..... harmless historical nuts
Who wear boiler plates on their butts
Who dress up in clothes from the 12th century
To bash on each other with sticks and debris
And make up the worlds largest private army.....
Harmless historical nuts
Harmless historical nuts
God damn tiny little bees
Jesus h. Christ those things are tiny from 30 feet.
There's my target for Mr. Completelys first handgun E-post match.
The rule is 20 shots on this target (warning .pdf) at 10 yards, any part of the bug gets touched it's a hit.
I was planning on shooting this twice, once for .22, and once for .45; but I didnt get a chance to go to the range today like I had planned; so I did my favorite thing to do with my guns, I fired them inside my house...
Actually I can only do that with one of my guns, the Walther P22; because I have a suppressor for it, and a .22 bullet trap stuffed with wadding.
Of course I was using that Aguila SuperColibri stuff, which is pretty damned inaccurate as well, but really I dont think I could have shot the little walther much better with Eley super match. The can obscures a lot of your view, the sights aren't that great in the first place, and the front blade is significantly larger than the bee from 30 feet away.
Thinking about it, if I'd taken followup shots on the ones I'd missed, I probably could've corrected and made a few on the second shot, but the rule was to try to get a shot on each bug.
Oh and yes, I did make all 20 shots, the lower right hand shots were cropped out by my scanner, and since they were clean misses (both just to the right of the intended target), I didnt bother rescanning.
I should really try it again without the can, using the same ammo, then repeat with and without the can with a couple different loads just to understand the performance of the pistol a bit better, but I can't do that in my house.
Oh and yes, it's pretty damned quiet. It makes about the same amount of noise as throwing a pebble against concrete, or maybe snapping a pencil.
August 06, 2005
Recipes for REAL MEN, Volume 8 - It's a pork fat thing
Ya know, Steve H. swears by beef fat, but for my money, all non dessert food should be fried in bacon grease.Just for a second or two, but still, everything needs bacon grease. Oh and lots of butter, and cream.
I was hungry, bored, and didnt feel like shopping. I had some boneless chicken, bacon, feta cheese, and new potatos, which gets me to thinking...
Hmmmmmm....
Ingredients:
1 lb trimmed boneless chicken breast
1 lb black pepper cured bacon
2 lb new potatos
1/2 lb feta cheese
4 oz Parmagiano regiano cheese, finely grated
1 dozen button mushrooms (optional)
1 dozen chery tomatos (optional)
1 red pepper (optional)
1 green pepper (optional)
1 large bermuda onion (optional)
1 habenero pepper (optional)
Seasoning:
4 tblsp stone ground dijon style mustard
4 tblsp chipotle habanero hot pepper sauce (I used AZ gunslinger)
2 limes
1 clove elephant garlic
1 tblsp fresh rosemary
1 tblsp fresh thyme
1 tblsp fresh oregano
1 tblsp cracked black pepper
1 tblsp paprika
Preparation:
Okay first step,
Quarter the potatos, coat liberally in lime juice, and microwave covered on high until slightly softened (5-10 minutes depending on your potatos). This step is optional, but it seriously reduces cook time without effecting the taste much. Preheat your oven to the highest heat setting (assumign a normal oven that drops out below 600 anyway. If you have an 800 degree volcanic then ... YOU LUCKY BASTARD ... set it to 550).
Dice the bacon large, and fry in a high walled thick frying pan or skillet with until lightly crisp; then remove from the pan and drain the grease through a strainer into a mixing bowl. Do not clean the pan yet as you'll be using the remaining drippings in the next step.
Add about a tablespoon of butter (more or less depending on your pan size) to the pan, mince and crush the garlic, and lightly sautee in the pan on low heat until golden. Deglaze the pan with a little vinegar and add the result to the bacon grease.
Prepare a mustard emulsion dressing with the bacon grease, mustard, hot sauce, the rest of the juice from the first lime, and all the rest of the seasonings (minced very fine). The lime juice is there to aid in the emulsion not primarily for flavor. If the emulsion is too fatty (it slides off a fork) add more mustard until it will evenly coat a fork.
Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces, and coat thickly with the dressing. Cover and leave aside to marinate.
Mix the rest of the dressing in with the potatos, in a non stick pan with deep enough walls to stir the potatos completely. Spread the mixture out in one even layer on the bottom of the pan. then cover with the parmagian cheese, and cracked blacked pepper, and mix it up again to form an even coating of dressing and cheese. This will create a crispy flavorful crust, that will carmelize nicely when roasted. Now spread it out into an even layer for real, and put in the oven, under your broiler. You want the highest heat possible here because you want to roast and carmelize quickly without drying the potatos out. This is why microwaving first helps.
Stir the potatos every five minutes or so until golden grown with dark and carmelized crust and points.
While the potatos are cooking, heat your frying pan and drop a couple tablespoons of butter in the pan to lube it up; then put the dressed chicken in the hot pan, stirring frequently.
Wash and slice your mushrooms, adding to the pan once the chicken is firm and white, turn the heat to low, and re-cover.
Quarter your cherry tomatos, squeeze a little lime juice over them and put them to the side.
Slice your red peppers into 1/4" by 1" stips. Finely mince the habanero, and dice the green peppers and onions into 1/4" to 1/2" chunks to your preference. It is not important to dice to an even size here, in fact some variation is nice in texture and mouth feel.
Crumble the bacon into the chicken, then add the onions and peppers to the pan, along with the rest of the juice of the lime. Stir rapidly over high heat until the mixture is fully glazed, not wet; and there is no real moisture in the pan. This shouldnt take very long, and shouldn't really cause the veggies to wilt. The idea is that they will still be crunchy and fresh when you bite into them.
To plate the dish, make a bed of the potatos in the plate, then cover with chicken leaving 14" to 1/2" of the potatos showing (the idea is to have several clear layers on the plate).
Cover the chicken with crumbled feta, as much or as little as your want but leave 1/4" to 1/2" of chicken showing, and scatter some tomato quarters over the top. Garnish with fresh parsely or cilantro.
I almost made a creamy feta cheese sauce to drizzle over it, but I thought that would be overkill.
I personally would serve this for two HUGE plates, but that's just me. The dish should probably serve four.
I made this last night minus the onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms (but WITH my last habanero), and it was so damn good I can't describe it. For all you rabbit food lovers I'm sure the mushrooms etc... will make it even better for you.
Be sure to check out:
Recipes for REAL men Volume 6, It may not be Kosher...
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
August 05, 2005
Working on something interesting...
For dinner. This may result in a new "Recipes for real men"..Heres a hint: Chicken, Bacon, Potatos, and Feta cheese.
Unfortunately yes, yes it is...
Jesus H. Christ on a wanking pogo stick
That my friends, is some fucked up shit. I mean I'm a kinky perverted bastard whose motto is "A Filthy Mind is a Terrible thing to Waste" but ... DAMN...
My uh... favorite?
Home Alone
Until last year, I practiced self-bondage. I got off on the thrill of the struggle to escape. One evening while my boyfriend was working abroad, I got carried away and irreparably bound myself, wearing my tightest corset, nylons, 7" heels, nipple clamps, and a ball-gag. I managed to knock the phone onto the floor and after 3-4 hours effort, I dialed 999 with my heel. I couldn't say anything but the police broke in and rescued me. The sergeant said he'd never seen anything like it in 40 yrs on the force. I live in a small town, so I moved shortly thereafter due to the embarrassment.
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
The man in black will always have a special place in my heart. That man didnt so much sing as he did speak; but he did it balls to the wall... without ever raising his voice.When I first heard tha thte Cash biopic was going to star Juaqin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon my response was somewhat precdictably "What the FUCK ARE THEY FUCKING THINKING"
However, I have just seen the first trailer, and I'm hopeful and optimistic.
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/walk_the_line/large.html
I thought Ray would suck too, and it turned out to be spectacular; lets hope lightning strikes twice.
Oh and if you havent heard Johnny Cash do Trent Reznors "Hurt", find it, steal it, I don't care just listen to it right the fuck now.
August 04, 2005
Alright now, I hate reality TV...
But I used to love the band INXS, AND it's good to see some real rock and roll one one of these "make me a star" shows...So on a tip from Bruce at Massbackwards (still struggling on in my home state, still coming close to moving to NH... come on Bruce, YOU CAN DOIT!!!.), I checked out the web clips of the songs for the last few weeks of rock star - INXS
Anyway, he's pointing out the talent of a certain Jordis Unga, a VERY beautiful (bi racial I think, and horrid hair but hey) and certainly very talented young lady with serious guts; BUT...
The songs she's singing aren't really the best for her voice.
Actually listening to most of them, I'd make the same criticism. There's a few serious standouts (Deanna for example has a voice much like Melissa Ethridge only shes better looking, with a hell of a lot more power and better tone; and she has chosen songs to highlight that), but I'm seing some decent vocal and stage talent that isnt making it with the songs they're chosing. Also some of them seem to be trying to get by on showmanship, good looks, and sex, which wont fly too long when you can't choose songs that highlight your assets and play down your weaknesses.
...Although I will give them credit for having the balls to try some of the songs they are going for, especially Jessica (who is also wonderful to look at - if a bit skinny, and who would be amazing singing Kim Carnes, Bonnie Tyler, Meatloaf etc...). I have done some of those songs on stage, and they are NOT easy...
Also almost all the women seem to have either pop, or country vocal style, timbre, and range, not a rock and roll style. In fact most of them don't really look all that comfortable doing rock... That said, I'm willing to bet they may get some pop and/or country interest out of this when they are elimintaed (you can just see the band off to the sides reaction to the ones I'm talking about).
One thing that bugs me, is that they are almost all overdoing the stage acting; which some of them can pull off, but most can't. Actually if J.D. would tone it done a bit, and drop a bit of the vocal drama he'd be close to the best out there. Hell, as he is he'd make a great metal lead.
To my mind the biggest exception to these criticisms is Ty, who has blown me away with all of his songs so far. If this kid doesn't get at least a record deal out of this, something is wrong with music... of course we all know something IS wrong with music, but hey, I can dream.
Ty and Jordis are making the songs work even though they AREN'T right for them, AND they have limited rehersal time AND the arrangements are funky, AND the production isnt optimal to their shows... and let me tell you folks, that's a pretty solid measure of talent. They both have presence, energy, sex, charisma... They've got the goods.
Oh and hey, whats up with all the Canadians? More than half the contestants seem to be canadian. Not that theres anything wrong with that. Oh yeah, and I think half the guys are gay.
At this point I think that Jordis, Ty, MiG, Deanna, Jessica, and Heather (who was already eliminated - she totally blew Sheryl Crows "If it makes you happy" which amazes me - but she's got the goods too.), are really going to see something from this, and some of the women are going to get something going just on looks and pop or country... protools and a hot body can do wonders.
I'm not crazy I'm just a little unwell
So going to the poker tourney last night was probably a mistake.I was feeling better last night so I went out to poker with friends. I wake up this morning, fever is back full force, lots more red dots, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, headache...Oh joy.
Thats actually a pretty typical pattern for me when I'm sick. Wake up shitty, take a nap or rest for a while, feel better in the evening, do something that I know I probably shouldnt do... like drink 3 triple vodka tonics with triple lime for example (no that doesnt even get me buzzed, and I don't get hanbgovers unless I get very dehydrated. One would at least hope the quinine and salicylic acid were helping...) and then get myself sicker in the morning.
Shuffle up and deal
Went to my weekly poker tourney last night. 4 seatings (two main tournaments, two consolation tournaments).Both mains I ended up finishing in the middle (20th out of 48, and 18th out of 40). Both I only took down one real pot the entire time, for decent stack... and then never got another real hand until I blinded down to short stack, and busted out on an agressive play with a marginal beat (first was trip K's vs a small straight chased to the river, second was 9s and 3s vs Qs and 3s).
ARGH.....
Thing is, I cleaned up in both consolation tournaments i.e. "losers tables". On the first loser I was in second place sa the time was rolling down, and I was out of the points hunt so I dumped it to the chip leader so she could get the points. On the second loser I took every stack on the table (7 stacks of 4k). Once I was big stack I was doing it mostly with mediocre cards, I was just betting right.
Then I went home, got online, and immediately took a first and a second place on pokerstars (I like the 45 man tourneys).
Obviously I can play the game, but it's pretty damn hard to win if you dont get SOMETHING to work with. I was literally in less than ten hands for both of those main seatings.
August 03, 2005
August 02, 2005
Random Acts of Poetry
For those of you who don't know, Rescorla was a cornishman, who emigrated to the United states in the early 60s, joined the army (he had already been in the army in the UK, and a Rhodesian policeman) and served with great distinction; most notably at the battle of Ia Drang Valley, memorialized in the book and Movie "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young".
Though we don't know what version Rick was singing, (there are many, and they get less anti english as you get newer versions), I like this one best (the original english version - translated from Welsh):
Men of HarlechRescorla has been nominated for presidential medal of freedom, and all I can say is, he earned it and more.Men of Harlech, march to glory,
Victory is hov’ring o’er ye,
Bright-eyed freedom stands before ye,
Hear ye not her call?
At your sloth she seems to wonder;
Rend the sluggish bonds asunder,
Let the war-cry’s deaf’ning thunderEvery foe appall.
Echoes loudly waking,
Hill and valley shaking;
‘Till the sound spreads wide around,
The Saxon’s courage breaking;
Your foes on every side assailing,Forward press with heart unfailing,
‘Till invaders learn with quailing,
Cambria ne’er can yield!Thou, who noble Cambria wrongest,
Know that freedom’s cause is strongest,
Freedom’s courage lasts the longest,Ending but with death!
Freedom countless hosts can scatter,
Freedom stoutest mail can shatter,
Freedom thickest walls can batter,
Fate is in her breath.
See, they now are flying!Dead are heap’d with dying!
Over might hath triumph’d right,
Our land to foes denying;
Upon their soil we never sought them,
Love of conquest hither brought them,
But this lesson we have taught them,“Cambria ne’er can yield!"
Rescorla served with the 7th cavalry at Ia Drang, the same unit that Custer was massacered commanding. Their regimental motto is "Garry Owen" from the Irish folk song. Reportedly custer heard several of his Irish troopers singing the drinking song, thought it had spirit, and that the beat was good to sing on horseback:
Garryowen
Let Bacchus' sons be not dismayed,
But join with me each jovial blade,
Come booze and sing and lend me aid,
To help me with the chorus,
We are the boys who take delight in
Smashing the Limerick lamps when lighting,
Through the streets like sporters fighting,
And tearing all before us.
Instead of spa, we'll drink down ale,
And pay the reckoning on the nail,
For debt no man shall go to jail,
From Garryowen and glory!
We'll break windows, we'll break doors,
The watch knock down by threes and fours,
Then let the doctors work their cures,
And tinker up our bruises.
Instead of spa, we'll drink down ale,
And pay the reckoning on the nail,
For debt no man shall go to jail,
From Garryowen and glory!
We'll beat the bailiffs out of fun.
We'll make the mayors and sheriffs run.
We are the boys no man dare dun,
If he regards a whole skin.
Instead of spa, we'll drink down ale,
And pay the reckoning on the nail,
For debt no man shall go to jail,
From Garryowen and glory!
Our hearts so stout have got us fame,
For soon 'tis known from whence we came.
Where'er we go they dread the name
Of Garryowen in glory!
Instead of spa, we'll drink down ale,
And pay the reckoning on the nail,
For debt no man shall go to jail,
From Garryowen and glory!
Another thread was about James Bond, which got me thinking about Scotland and Sean Connery, which gouth me on to "The Longest Day" (probably the best war movie ever made).
That brought me on to military marches, which brought me to the offical march of the royal navy "heart of oak":
Heart of OakCome, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,
For who are as free as the sons of the waves?Hearts of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.We ne'er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
And if they won't fight us, we cannot do more.Hearts of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children and beaus,
But should their flat bottoms in darkness get o'er,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.Hearts of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.Still Britain shall triumph, her ships plough the sea,
Her standard be justice, her watchword "Be free,"
Then cheer up, my lads, with our hearts let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, and King.Hearts of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.Our worthy forefathers, let's give them a cheer
To climates unknown did courageously steer
Through oceans to deserts, for freedom they came
And dying, bequeathed us their freedom and fameHearts of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
we always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
I'm a big fan of the Aubrey and Maturin novels which reference the song often, and it can be heard in the film "Master and Commander". It's an amazing thing to hear the Andrew crews singing this song, still much the same after 250 years; it makes me think that England might have some hope after all.
Anyway finding the original men of Harlech got me on about wales; which got me back on about scotland, and I ended up back at a page about Sean Connery, and another about Catherine Zeta Jones (who knew the welsh could do somethign that beautiful eh), which brought me to one of my favority poems of all time:
Do not go gentle into that good night -- Dylan ThomasDo not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Obviously this has me thinking a lot about my mtoher, and my grandfather... It amazes me that a man like Thomas could write this, and yet he chose to kill himself (he deliberately drank himself to death)...
Woke up, got outa bed...
And fell right back in. I've got a fever and a nasty fire in the belly at the moment.I think it's jsut stress. I was pulled over last night picking up my girlfriend (right turn at one of the few no-right-on-red intersections in the area. It was 1 am and I forgot about it completely), and I found out that my drivers license has been cancelled again. That's different than suspended, because I havent done anything wrong in Arizona, it's coming from another state. I dont know exactly what it is, but I suspect it's more identity theft bullshit coming out of Massachusetts.
I moved out of Mass years ago, BUT they say I had a ticket there, and a failure to appear for a year that I lived in California, and that I owe taxes and registration and a cancelled insurance fee for the years I lived in CA, and Ireland.
They say "Well it doesnt matter if it was you or not, your plate wasn't returned". I told them, "It wasnt me, and I can prove it. The state police got my plate because of the LAST time you suspended my license, registration and insurance for something I didnt do" (it was something my father did actually, and he has the same name as me, which used to happen with irritating frequency).
I've been going through this since '94. I had a car accident in OK city, which spread my belonings across I-40, and ever since then, every few months something comes up. I fix them, I put fraud alerts out, I do everythign the credit beureaus ask you to do to notify them and protect yourself etc... and still I get screwed over.
The state of Massachusetts doesnt care about evidence, they jsut want money from me. They are basically holding my DL as extorsion against them getting like $2k in taxes and fees. I even got them the state police report, and supposedly the dropped everythgin and removed the block.
SOOOO I reinstated my AZ DL last year, and got a new one.
Now they are telling me it was cancelled AGAIN last year, and I'm guessing it's the same bullshit.
The state of Massachusetts contracts out all its fine/fee collection services to a private company, and just like every other private debt collection agencey I've ever dealt with, even after you settle things in your favor, they keep posting the same wrong negative information automatically every three or six months. Its in the computer and it stays there forever, or until you sue them to get rid of it.
Believe me, I've been through it a dozen times.
Anyway the cop was cool, she didn't arrest me (she could have), she jsut took my plate and let my GF drive me home (I was two miles from my house).
So now I'm stuck in PHX with no vehicle, no job, and not enough cash to rectify the situation so I can get my vehicle back on the road to get a damned job...
AND I'm going to have to go to court, explain all this to a judge who will msot likely not give a shit and fine me a huge amount anyway because they hear so much bullshit they expect everyone to lie to them anyway.
This whole thing started more than ten years ago, with something I DIDN'T DO IN THE FIRST PLACE... GAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Somebody up there really hates me.
UPDATE: May or may not be just stress, I've got some little red spots popping out. Maybe I ate something I'm allergic to...?
August 01, 2005
Things to to when unemployed - Volume 2
So in the past 24 hours I've read four books (well, finished one and read three really). My reading list was piling up longer and longer working at my old job, and now I get to plow through
Heres the reviews:
Black Rednecks and White Liberals - Thomas Sowell - Encounter Books, NF, 2005, 372pp
Thomas Sowell has frequently been called the smartest man in America, and I'm not going to argue, at least as far as social dynamics, and social economics go. I'm a regular reader of his columns, and essays; of which this book is an expanded collection.
Here Sowell is allowed to expand and fully explore the topics at hand (with detailed footnotes, references, and bibliographies - this book could easily be used as a social sciences textbook) and he does so to great effect. All told there are six extended monographs of 50-70 pages each, all centered on our perceptions of race and culture; and on how those perceptions have shaped society and history.
I was going to say "I especially recommend..." but honestly there was only one of the six essays (the final "History and Visions") that I didnt think were very good or excellent, and really thats only because I'd read some of the same points several times over in Sowells other writing, so the essay did not come across as fresh or interesting. The title essay "Black Rednecks and White Liberals", "Are Jews Generic", and "The Real History of Slavery", are absolute must reads
I wont deny, it's a thick read for all that it is only 3oo some-odd pages (the rest devoted to notes and ereferences), but it's very definitely worthwhile.
Now I need to find a copy of Bill Whittles "Silent America"
Tinker - Wen Spencer - Baen, SciFi, 2003, 438pp
The tag line on the book is a quote from publishers weekly "Buffy fans should find a lot to like", and while I am a Buffy fan, and I did like the book, they arent really connected; except that the main character is a spunky semi-sexy ass kicking teenage girl.
Oh and on the semi-sexy bit, there is more than a bit of eroticism in the book, perhaps a nod to the Laurell Hamilton/Charlaine Harriss crowd, but with pointy ears instead of pointy teeth. Unlike Hamiltons recent efforts though, the sex hasnt gotten in the way of the story, and it isn't really inappropriate or jarring.
The book itself was funny, with a fair bit of action, but a bit shallow in its characterizations. I like the premise (a dimensional rift causes Pittsburgh to move to elfhame, hilarity ensues...), and theres a good framework for building characters, but the book feels like a setup for a series.
Shallowness can be tolerated in a book if there is promise of more goodness to come, and it seems there is; though I have no idea if a series has been optioned for this book. Heck, I'm still hoping for another installment of the Aron Allstrom "Doc Sidhe" series which was written in a similar style.
Overall, I'd say give it a go. It's a light, fast read (about 3 hours), and it IS an interesting idea.
Into the Looking Glass - John Ringo - Baen, SciFi, 2005, 278pp
This is about the best Sci-Fi I've read in the past year; and that's really saying something. It's certainly the best SF of 2005 so far.
...And honestly, I'm not surprised. The best SF authors going today are probably David Weber, David Drake, Eric Flint, and John Ringo.
This book calls back a bit to one of Davd Webers (a collaborator with Ringo in the past) books, "The Apocalypse Troll"; but the premise iteslf is almost entirely novel...
Well let me modify that. There is no such thing as a new basic idea in Sci-Fi, it's all in how those major ideas already existing are fleshed out and implemented, and detailed etc... in that light, Ringo has this one LOCKED.
The details were all good, the physics were mostly correct, the weaponry was VERY well detailed and correct (a major sticking point with me)... and the dialog was GREAT (there jsut needed to be more of it.
As is so common in Military SF that isnt told strictly first person (first person SF tends to be focused on internal dialogue which by its nature forces character developement out in the text), the problem here is a lack of character developement. This is a pretty short book, and it feels like it was a short story idea that ended up too long for a novella, but it wasnt quite fully novelized. There's easily room for another 200 pages, and the characters deserved to play out those 200 pages. Also the book was clearely written as a closed story, so theres no real sequel possibility (which is too bad, Bill Weaver is too good a protagonist for just one storyline).
This is definitely a must read if you like military SF at all, and it isnt by any means traditional hard SF, but it should appeal to those across the spectrum (except the pournelle nazis). Read it.
Eleven on top - Janet Evanovich - St. Martins, Myst. Fic, 2005, 310pp
This was a fun, funny, fuzzy read; and I still love Stephanie Plum and her friends, but the last few Plum novels from Evenovich have really just been potboiler material.
Theres a lot more story to tell here, and I cant figure out if Janet is just trying to stretch out her money maker, or if she can't figure out how to tell it. Basically the last three books havent advanced the plotline any. We are pretty much where we were with "Hard Eight" and "To the Nines"; and "Visions of Sugarplums" and "Ten Big Ones" were barely even there.
Also, there has been an issue of time compression. This novel only covered a period of I think about 5 days (I'd have to leaf through to be sure, but it sounds right, certainly no more than a week); and other than the typical mishaps (two cars blown up in this one), they arent really fully fleshed out days.
Oh and she's running out of clever gambling based names. I'm guessing the next is going to be called dirty dozen or something similar, and the one after will be somethign to do with unlucky 13.
I like to call this "sitcomming" a series, where an author just kind of settles into a rhythm and pops out what is basically a short story, expeanded just barely into novel length; dealing with a short period of time, and not advancing the main story arcs. This lets you run a series on for a few years; much like sitcoms on television; so long as folks will continue to pay for new books. The thing is, sitcoms get stale, and so do series. As I said, I still love the characters and dialogue, but I could have skipped the last three books and missed basically nothing.
The reason I love series, is that they allow characters room to grow, and develop. You get to know the characters, their lives, their environments etc... Eventually you can probably write your own book in the series jsut by presenting a dilemma to the characters, and reacting as you know they would react.
And therein lies the rub. Eventually some authors do jsut that. They give up on originality, or advancing the story, or trying to surprise anyone etc... and they just write the same thing with different details. Worse, they make it impossible for new readers to enter the series, because they presuppose a complete knowledge of the world that has passed, and provide little or no new developement, so the characters seem wooden and two dimensional to those readers who havent "lived" through the previous books.
I can think of a very few long series that havent fallen prey to this (Robert Parkers Spenser, J.D. Robbs Eve Dallas Series, anything by W.E.B. Griffin up to the last few corps books), and many more that have (Robert Jordan, are you listening? Finish the damn series before you die of colon cancer).
Oh and to anyone who makes a crack about my liking David Eddings after writing that, you really don't seem to get the point THEY WERE WRITTEN WITH A REPEATING STORY LINE ON PURPOSE AS PART OF THE PLOT. Okay so maybe you dont like that as a plot device, but it wasnt jsut potboiling, it was actually done as part of the story.
Aaaaanyway, honestly, pick up "Eleven on Top" as a paperback for an airport read, but otherwise, I'd leave it.
NEXT UP IN QUEUE: The Hitman Trade paperbacks, Transmetropolitan trades, Haunted - Kelly Armstrong, "The Good, The Bad, and The UNdead" and "Every Which Way But Dead" - Kim Harrison, "By Order of the President" - W.E.B. Griffin, "Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception" - Eoin Colfer, "Ill Met by Moonlight" - Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis... ummm theres a big frikken stack of about 20 new unread ones actually...
Well at least I won't be too bored.
Things to do while unemployed - Volume 1
Read the entire six year online archive of Mallard Fillmore (unfortunately the other 5 years are not available):
I can only think of one other nationally syndicated conservative strip (and no regularly syndicated libertarian strip, though in it's day Calvin and Hobbes was pretty libertarian, and Bagge and Bok have regularly printed individual toons) and thats Prickly City from Arizona cartoonist Scott Stantis:
