Status

Update:

I have started a brand new attempt to get into shape. It is a combination of:

A Multi-Vitamin
Weight Lifting
Protein...lots of protein



That combined with what I am doing now should bulk me up a bit and change the flab to muscle....At least that is the running theory right now

Twice Removed

Alright, I have been moving and hence the very infrequent updates. I have been submitting articles to Random Numbers so check there for the latest, but until I get settled, odds are I won't have enough time to post here for at least another 2 days or so

Picture for reference only, nothing to see here....move along

Status

I just thought that for all my loyal readers I would make note. Updates here will be less frequent as I have accepted a position as a contributing writer over at Random Numbers.

I write under the name Lagkiller, so please, take a look and see what I think...I will still update here, but not quite as frequently

The List

Recently I decided that it is about time I made a list of things that need to change in my life. A reflection one lonely night as I sat here by myself made me ponder the things that make me unhappy. First I decided is that I need to get in shape. Now by body is set for someone with very broad shoulders and for my height it is fairly akward, at least to me it seems. So my first goal is of course to lose weight and tone everythig up in proportion to the rest of me. This is spurred by the fact that most men peak in their best physical condition at age 23. That is a mere 7 months away for me and if this is the best, then the worst will be really ugly.

The second thing I need to do is be a little more brazen. Say what is on my mind more in public and to people around me. For example, asking a woman on a date is quite hard for me, and then even getting to open up takes quite a bit of time and stumbling around to open up. Simple things become imeasurably hard for me in areas like this and I need to teach myself to be less of a public speaker and more of a private conversationalist.

Third, I need to stop relying on peoples thoughts of me for my ego. I need to re-affirm that I can and I will alone be my own source of pride in the universe.

Next is probably going to be difficult for me, but I need to start taking care of things that are mine to take care of. For example, I tend to let my car get quite messy. Last time I moved I left 2 boxes of stuff that I didn't need in my car and now that I am moving again this odd sense of having a clean car because I am removing these materials kind of gets to me.

I will probably end up adding to this list, but these are the big 4 and probably the best focus areas.

Bumper Sticker

This afternoon, after leaving work for the day, I saw a bumper sticker with fairly small and badly contrasted writing. This coupled with my bad eye sight made me ride this poor guys bumper to read it, but I got it and it said:

People who abandon their dreams will discourage you from yours


So, how does this relate to anything? Glad you asked! Now, somehow, I listen to people who have given up on their hopes and dreams and never try to persue them again will affect you. Negative people in general discourage you from ever doing anything. I personally think this is something wonderfully applicable to anyone. I however aspire to a higher office and with this as my backing, I think that this specifically is something everyone should embrace.

A blend of 2 worlds

I saw this today.....I love EA Games, now if only they would sell this version





Hat tip to Space World

Some people....

I am posting a response to a blog I stumbled over tonight. Pissed me off something fierce that people could be so damn stupid....Maybe he's just ignorant, I can't really tell. Anyways, his "story"

Below is a little story I wrote that characterizes the “minor inconveniences” we are being subjected to, and takes them to their logical conclusion. Ninety-nine percent of the below is true (including Albertson’s drug testing policy) and very possible today:


Mike starts his day by getting his children out of bed and ready for school. Mike works the day shift at the Albertson’s grocery store downtown and although money is tight, buying mandatory uniforms for his kids to wear to school is a requirement, not a luxury. Street clothing for his fifteen year old daughter on the other hand, is a luxury and Mike’s inability to buy additional clothes for her is an endless cause of friction.
His son, Little Tommy, pipes up as they put on their identical clothing; “We’re going to the Library today on a field trip dad!” Mike’s face turn ashen, “Well that’s good Tommy,” he says “but remember don’t you dare check out any books since I won’t be there with you. We have to be very careful what sort of books we read. Remember, there are people watching what you read and they will use it against you.”
Looking frightened, Tommy nods his head in agreement slowly. “And remember Tommy” Mike adds “We have to study that Intelligent Design as an alternative to evolution thing tonight and afterwards we have to study the stork as an alternative to sexual reproduction.”
Quickly hustling out to the street with the kids to meet the bus, Mike waits along the sidewalk with them. It’s illegal in Mike’s community for children waiting for the bus to be unattended by an adult. Finally the bus arrives and Mike can turn supervision of his children to the bus driver and the television cameras that will record all of his children’s activities until they arrive home in the evening.
After a quick wave to the kids, Mike hops into his car and heads for the “random” checkpoint at the end of the street. Officer Bob is waiting for Mike to stop so he can check his license, registration, and insurance papers. Mike proffers the documents to Bob who notes that Mike appears to be tired this morning. “That’s probable cause, Mike” drawls Bob.
“But Bob, yesterday when I wasn’t tired, you said that was probable cause too!” exclaims Mike.
“And so it was Mike, now just step out of the vehicle while the dogs do their job.”
Realizing further protest would land him back in jail like last week, Mike complies. All the rest of the way to the Subway station, Mike waves to the cameras on each street corner, while keeping his thoughts to himself.
After two more checkpoints, Mike arrives at the train and stops at the passenger checkpoint for his “random” search. Luckily, Mike has learned not to carry and packages other than the one holding his identification papers.
The boss is waiting for Mike when he arrives at the grocery store. “Drug test day Mike,” says the boss. “Oh jeez, Mr. Whipple, I’m just a bagboy after all. Even if I did take drugs last night, what would that have to do with me carrying groceries out to cars?”
“Be careful Mike, don’t you know there’s a camera right there watching everything you say?” says Mr. Whipple without moving his lips.
Hanging his head in shame, Mike mumbles “Sorry Boss.”
Arriving at the Doctor’s office to donate his urine for Albertson’s, Mike is informed by the office secretary that his medical records haven’t been returned by the FBI yet.
Knowing this just isn’t his day, Mike calls Mr. Whipple and lets him know he can’t do the drug test because of the records problem. He goes on tell him he’s just going to go home.
After all of the reverse hassle heading home, Mike walks into his house only to find the place is total mess. All of the drawers are emptied out and the furniture is overturned. Stuck on the fridge is a note from government agents telling Mike not to leave work early again. Next time they’ll arrest him for obstruction of justice.
Mike thinks to him self; “I guess I’ll have the last laugh though, next week we have to out of this place and out on the street. The judge says I’ve got to give up my house to make room for a new Starbucks.” He wants to take the little flag lapel pin off his collar and throw it away, but he knows better.

This is stupidity of the highest degree. The entire story you made from whole cloth is not happening today and even with major powers given over to the government still would not happen for many many years. Let us disect the elements of your story.

School uniforms: While maybe being mandatory, clothing itself is mandatory. In most schools where uniforms are required it is part of the tuition in private schools and in public schools (much like the "free" lunch program) those who cannot afford them are given them from your dime and mine.

The FBI cannot simply waltz into a library and check your records for anything non-terrorism related. Have you even bothered to read the PATRIOT Act?

Those who fear the thought of intelligent design (which is supported by a number of scientists) obviously cannot believe that anyone would question their religion of Darwinism and MACRO evolution. There is no evidence of macro evolution on the scale needed showing species to speceis change yet you believe it like a Christian believes in God. Where is your scientific effort for truth? Is science not always changing looking for the truth? Why have you stopped here?

We do not have multiple daily "random" checkpoints accross the country, nor do we have police checking every single person out with vigor like you describe. The last time we had a large manhunt like that was for a serial killer who was killing people with no motive. That is quite justified.

Probable cause like you state has been thrown out by many courts.

Then you question the right of an employer for drug testing. Lets talk about the multiple issues you bring up here. First, you should (as someone who loves liberty) be the first person to stand up for the constitution since you cling to it so dearly. Remember the freedom of association clause? That pesky thing where we are allowed to deal with the people we want to deal with and not deal with people we dont want to deal with? The employer has that same right. Second, drugs do some really nasty things to your mind, to your body and generally cause ill effects to all around you. For example, pot tends to make people lazier, or hallucinogens make people see things that arent there. They are also an increase in cost of health care treatment and cause bodily functions to slow and cease in some cases. Do drugs or get a job, pretty simple choice.

Medical records are not seized, they are copied. There would have been no problem as of such. Even if the whole thing was taken they would have made a new set and transferred the records over when they got them back.

If government agents had been in his home they would have still needed a warrant. There is nothing in any act of congress that negates the need for a warrant. Things like the PATRIOT Act make it much easier to get a warrant for TERRORISM related charges, but they still need one.

You story, while you claim it to be 99% factual, is in fact 100% fiction.

Unions

Somehow, the unions always seem to trick some of their members into believing the lie that they are better off union represented. Case in point, Northwest said they were going to cut back on flights if the mechanics union went on strike. The pilots union said it was a violation of their contract and Northwest couldn't cut its' flights service. How is this helping anyone? It helps the union in the short term yet it stabs them in the back in the long run. Next time the union goes to negotiate a contract, they will ask for a whole lot and get nothing in return because the company had to spend its money now instead of then, assuming they are still in business then. Southwest is one of the few (if the only) airline that is actually doing well in the market. They are all non-union.

Now to all you union junkies out there, let me run this by you. If you demand wages equal to $20 per hour (and note that this would be more equivilant to a $8-$10 per hour job, just add in benefits like insurance, profit sharing, et al) for a union when a business can only really afford a $15 employee pay model, you are dooming that business to failure. Now here is the odd little thing that most unions cannot grasp...IF YOUR EMPLOYER GOES OUT OF BUSINESS, YOU LOSE YOUR JOB! So many times I have talked to people and when I bring this up they say "Well, the government wouldn't let that happen." Hello? Does the government now control all methods of business and economics? Who exactly believes that the government will take every business and prevent it from failing? Should everyone who operates like AMTRAC be propped up by the government?

Unions played a pivotal role in the world by making working places safer and getting wages and benefits for people who were deprived of them previously. Now that the government stepped in and created government programs to take place of most of the unions basic functions. Once those programs were in place, the unoins took more license to step up to be "more equal" than everyone else. Once they had acheived a place of maximum greed, they stepped up into a new role. Political powerhouse. These unions took it upon themselves to make policy changes that benefitted them. For example, minimum wage laws. Every time the minimum wage is passed, mose unoins have it in their contracts that they get a proportionate increase. So who pushes for minimum wage laws? Unions. The average person doesn't live on the minimum wage so they have no interest in it. I however, being non-union make less because of the minimum wage. It creates an artificial inflation, it pushes the value of a dollar higher and the common man gets screwed in the end while the unions and their fat cat heads get richer. Yet they claim to represent the "little guy."


Little guy my ass

Warning to my Aussie Brothers....NOW

Please, PLEASE learn from our (US and UK) lessons. Eject these people from the nation. Do not allow them to go anywhere except to Saudi Arabi. If there is any sanity left in the world, do not make the mistakes we made in allowing these people to stay, because if you do....many will die.

A Melbourne radical Islamic teacher last night described Osama bin Laden as "a great man" and declared he would be betraying his religion if he told students not to train in terrorist camps.

Abdul Nacer Benbrika, also known as Abu Bakr, said: "My religion doesn't tolerate other religion . . . Jihad is a part of my religion."

ASIO revoked Mr Benbrika's passport earlier this year, the ABC reported, and it recently raided and questioned him. But although it took papers, charges had not been laid.

Earlier this week former ASIO officer Michael Roach said Australia had about a dozen terrorist cells, with up to 60 individuals in Sydney and Melbourne. Australian Federal Police chief Mick Keelty has confirmed this.

Last night's inflammatory statements came as Prime Minister John Howard said he had been briefed yesterday about possible changes to strengthen the law on terrorism. He said he would be saying something about the matter shortly.

It is likely to be discussed when Coalition leaders meet today for wide-ranging talks before Parliament resumes next week after the long winter break. The meeting will be attended by Mr Howard, new National Party leader Mark Vaile, Peter Costello, Warren Truss, Robert Hill and Nick Minchin.

Mr Howard said the Algerian-born Mr Benbrika, who lives in Melbourne's northern suburbs and has been in Australia for 16 years, was "a person of interest to the relevant government agencies" and he had to be careful what he said about him.

Mr Benbrika told The 7.30 Report, which reported that some of his students had gone to overseas terrorist training: "According to my religion, here, I don't accept all other religion except the religion of Islam."

He said he was "not involved in anything here. I am teaching my brothers here the Koran and the Sunna and I'm trying my best to keep myself, my family, my kids and the Muslims close to this religion".

"I am telling you that my religion doesn't tolerate other religion. It doesn't tolerate. The only one law which needs to spread, it can be here or anywhere else, has to be Islam."

Pressed on why he did not tell students not to go abroad for terrorist training, he said: "If I do this, it means I am betraying my religion."

"Jihad is a part of my religion and what you have to understand (is) that anyone who fight for this sake of Allah . . . when he dies, the first drop of blood that comes from him . . . all his sin will be forgiven."

He described Osama bin Laden as "a great man. Osama bin Laden was a great man before 11 September, which they said he did . . . and until now nobody knows who did it".

He said the problem was that there were two laws - Australian law and Islamic law.

Mr Howard strongly rejected the notion of two laws. "Suggestions that there is an exclusivity of religious belief in this country is against the values we hold," he said. "It's also very unfair and damaging to those hundreds of thousands of Muslim Australians who share my view . . . that we should respect other religions and we should try and live in tolerance and harmony."

Mr Howard said he thought Australians were more nervous because of the London bombings. "What has shaken people about the London attacks is that it was apparently carried out by native-born people. I think that shook people and made people realise, well if that can happen in a country like England . . . it could happen in Australia."

Now I realize that some may look at this and say "It is but one man, what can he do?" He is one of the highest leaders of Islam in Australia and yet somehow people didn't see this kind of talk as wrong here. Liberals led us to tolerating these people, however this kind of thing cannot be ignored. What is coming is terrible and needs to be stopped at all costs.

ACFVR

I found this website today. Quite interesting on the things that they found. Thousands of votes in Wisconsin cast from people who didn't even exist. But I will let the summary speak for itself:

While Democrats routinely accuse Republicans of voter intimidation and suppression, neither party has a clean record on the issue. Instead, the evidence shows that Democrats waged aggressive intimidation and suppression campaigns against Republican voters and volunteers in 2004. Republicans have not been exempt from similar criticism in this area, as alleged voter intimidation and suppression activity by GOP operatives led the Republican National Committee to sign a consent decree repudiating such tactics in 1982. However, a careful review of the facts shows that in 2004, paid Democrat operatives were far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression efforts than their Republican counterparts. Examples include:

• Paid Democrat operatives charged with slashing tires of 25 Republican get-out-the-vote vans in Milwaukee on the morning of Election Day.

• Misleading telephone calls made by Democrat operatives targeting Republican voters in Ohio with the wrong date for the election and faulty polling place information.

• Intimidating and deceiving mailings and telephone calls paid for by the DNC threatening Republican volunteers in Florida with legal action.

• Union-coordinated intimidation and violence campaign targeting Republican campaign offices and volunteers resulting in a broken arm for a GOP volunteer in Florida.

Vote fraud and voter registration fraud were significant problems in at least a dozen states around the county. Vote fraud is a reality in America that occurred not only in large battleground states like Wisconsin but in places like Alabama and Kentucky. The record indicates that in 2004, voter registration fraud was mainly the work of so-called “nonpartisan” groups such as Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and NAACP National Voter Fund. Examples include:

• Joint task force in Wisconsin found “clear evidence of fraud in the Nov. 2 election in Milwaukee,” including more than 200 felon voters, more than 100 double voters and thousands more ballots cast than voters recorded as having voted in the city.

• NAACP National Voter Fund worker in Ohio paid crack cocaine in exchange for a large number of fraudulent voter registration cards in names of Dick Tracy, Mary Poppins and other fictional characters.

• Former ACORN worker said there was “a lot of fraud committed” by group in Florida, as ACORN workers submitted thousands of fraudulent registrations in a dozen states across the country, resulting in a statewide investigation of the group in Florida and multiple indictments and convictions of ACORN/Project Vote workers for voter registration fraud in several states.

Over There

I saw this tonight and and it's pretty damn good. I thought it would be liberalized since it is a TV show, however it is very well based. One part stuck with me, one of the cars coming through their checkpoint had been shot up and they left it because it might have explosives in it. One of the soldiers said "Maybe they were escaping a firefight. Maybe they were driving without lights to avoid attracting attention. Maybe they heard gunshots in the dark and sped up to escape. Did you ever think of that?" The sargent simply replied, "Yes." Of course it turned out that the car was rigged with explosives and when they remotely opened the trunk it blew up - after a dramatic pause.

It is a great show and I higly recomend it, it fills the void until the next season of 24.

Law Enforcement

Now today, spurred by a story in the Washington Post, I thought it appropriate to write about the police. The story is a man brought in $120 in pennies to pay for a speeding ticket and of course the judge made him stay until they were all counted and then released a statement to the press. "If the person is mad at the cop, why take it out on court administration?" Pearson asked. "They're punishing the wrong people."

Now this judge is somewhat right but mostly wrong. How he is right is that the cop gave the man the ticket and thats about where the cop is wrong. Pearson should have gotten the ticket in court and said it is unreasonable to ticket this man, the law itself is unreasonable and there is no reason to be fining this man. Now, this judge and every other judge in the country should be throwing out tickets left and right, especially considering the nature of the offense.

Now, as to speeding tickets and in general all "fines" are completely unreasonable. If the offense is truly as bad as fine advocates and police and government officials claim, then speeders and traffic offenders should face jail time. For example, uninsured motorists get jail time, so why not speeders? Uninsured motorists aren't in danger of killing anyone because they dont have insurance, but according to the "experts" speeders do.

Now in addition to the above, cops who are trying to catch people speeding cause more accidents than they would ever prevent. I cannot count the number of times I have seen people slam on their breaks because they saw a cop all the sudden only to have the car behind them have to swerve out of the way to avoid them, usually going off the road or hitting them and causing an accident. They cause congestion when they pull someone over (and the morons still slam on their brakes) as people stop to gawk at whats happening.

How does any of this help anyone? If my memory serves me correctly it was Montana who had no speeding rules until the federal highway funding was pulled for non-compliance with their mandatory 55 mph limits. They had one of the lowest crash rates in the nation. Now granted, their fatality rate was higher but your odds of hitting someone else were slim. Once speed limits were introduced those rates BOTH increased dramatically. Speeding tickets cost lives, they dont save them

Moooooooooore on smog

Why so many o's? Well a new report indicates that the major cause of smog in California is coal burning power plants! No? Well how about BIG OIL, yes BIG OIL makes a lot of smog! No? Arnold of course! No!? I give up, something absurd like cows or something...

Got smog?

California's San Joaquin Valley for some time has had the dirtiest air in the country. Monday, officials said gases from ruminating dairy cows, not exhaust from cars, are the region's biggest single source of a chief smog-forming pollutant.

Every year, the average dairy cow produces 19.3 pounds of gases, called volatile organic compounds, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District said. Those gases react with other pollutants to form ground-level ozone, or smog.

With 2.5 million dairy cows — roughly one of every five in the country — emissions of almost 20 pounds per cow mean that cattle in the San Joaquin Valley produce more organic compounds than are generated by either cars or trucks or pesticides, the air district said. The finding will serve as the basis for strict air-quality regulations on the region's booming dairy industry.

Of course, all peace loving hippies are veagans anyways so they aren't to blame of course. I find it quite funny that for all these years, smog has been caused by pollution and big business and oil and Eeeeeevil Republicans, now foiled by an actual scientific study.

Oh well, guess if a lie is repeated enough...

Hackers in Vegas

I found this both quite funny and even more funny when I realized that my company chose this week to hold a national manager conference in Vegas.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Even the ATM machines were suspect at this year's Defcon conference, where hackers play intrusion games at the bleeding edge of computer security.

With some of the world's best digital break-in artists pecking away at their laptops, sending e-mails or answering cell phones could also be risky.

Vegas is a great place, but it is very funny that my manager is there right now and very well could have compromised the entire company network...Him or anyone else there

Air America Scandel

I'll let this one sit. There isn't really all that much to say except:

1. The guy who gave the money to Air America as an "investment" would have probably invested in Enron and Global Crossing and every dot com bust in the 90's.

2. Air America shamelessly accepted this money without question even though they knew it was a non-profit youth organization.

3. The money was squandered which is expected from liberal morons

4. Congress won't act on this outrage, but they will act on Martha Stewart...Go figure

Medicine

I will put a warning tag up here as I plan to get somewhat descriptive in a medical problem that I had. I will try to use words that will go over young-uns heads, but I don't plan to put up pictures or anything.

Back in late 2002 I developed a problem. I had a recurring feeling like someone had punched me in the groin. It burned when I would urinate and had to go much more frequently than I had in the past, to a point where I HAD to go (no option) about every hour. I realized that I should get some sort of medical help, but the basic diagnostic tests were over $300 - a bill I could certainly NOT afford.

Now I was working some different jobs, I hopped around a bit and never stayed long enough to get medical benefits or if I did get them, left shortly there after. When it got terrible, I was working for select comfort and I was planning on going to the doctor the week I was fired from there. So I went the afternoon I was fired and got checked. Rather than do the best thing and check the things that were likely (urinary infections, blockages, irritations) they first, FIRST did an STD test. I could have told you I didn't have any from the fact that my girlfriend had a week before had her own test as part of her yearly check up, and as much as I protested it was the first thing they did. I had to force them to do other tests knowing the result would be negative.

After a fair amount of protest, the doctor gave me a mild antibiotic thinking that it might be dried soap inside my urinary tract and that it could be dislodged with the prescription he gave me. It didn't help and I was without insurance so I was stuck again until I got insurance. I went through 2 more jobs before I landed at my current one where I finally took the time to go to a specialist. He basically talked to me about my previous experience (1 year prior) and asked if he could look inside. Numbed me up and took at catheter sized camera and shoved it in. I had a growth in my eurethra and needed surgery to open it up. Great, slicing meat around there is just what I wanted. So I had the surgery and as the different insurance reports come back, the total cost for this very minor, out-patient surgery was over $10,000. Luckily insurance picked up most of it.

Now during this time I tried several things. I tried to look at it in a cash cost basis. Almost the same, maybe about $2000 less, but that is still a huge chunk of change. State or Federal sponsored insurance. Being Male and making more than $12,000 per year I didn't qualify. If I had let this go on I could have died because the blockage would have become so severe that my bladder would have exploded and kill me. Apparently since I am a White Male, I don't qualify to live. There are however 3 different services that the only qualification is that you are female for 2 of them or a woman with a child for the 3rd. A man with a child qualifies for none of them, unless they are of a minority. If you are a white male, or the child of a white male, a big middle finger up for you!

Now, my problem is coming back so I will need to schedule a second more extensive surgery to correct the problem for good, but with more risk and a higher cost (of course!). There are 3 problems with this whole story. One of which, is mine. My problem was waiting so long to get things done, more so I didn't have the cash to do so and this is and isn't my problem.

The second is that there are no programs for men. No programs for white men. You have to be unable to live anywhere to qualify for state aid. The third problem is that medical costs have gone out of control. Insurance has ruined family practice and most medical treatment centers. The abolishion of the insurance business in ALL fields is a good solution to this. Car insurance is not a need. Mandate a savings account for your car rather than insurance. Good drivers are rewarded with the interest they earn, bad drivers have to pay until they can drive. Health insurance will reduce the moron moms bringing their child to the emergency room at 1 AM because their child sneezed....Once.....Yesterday (true story unfortunately).

I will probably be taking a week or so off in early September for my next surgery and will post more about it when it happens.

End of the rant for tonight

My big fat Texan President

Yes folks, according the the government you all love and adore, president Bush is considered over weight... Dont mention that he is the most fit president ever. He is considered FAT by government standards.

Warning, liquids should not be ingested while reading this

I recently stumbled upon a new blog which listed "Signs that Allah is not on your side"


Absolutely hilarious, some of my favorites:

• You can't light your matches to setoff your shoe bomb
• You get life in prison for trying to blow up a plane with a shoe bomb

• Your backpack full of explosives is a dud.
• Your co-conspirators backpacks full of explosives are also duds.
• Your safehouse is raided by the police
  - You learn what a 50,000 volt shock from a stungun feels like.