Knight jumps queen! Bishop jumps queen! Pawns jump queen! *Gangbang*!

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Oh look, it's tropical storm Zeta.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone woke up to find out Santa brought you just what you wanted (within reason, sheez).

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Clark: Our holidays were always such a mess.
Clark Sr.: Oh, yeah.
Clark: How'd you get through it?
Clark Sr.: I had a lot of help from Jack Daniels.

You know, nothing puts me in the spirit more than National Lampoon's Christmas vacation. Who hasn't felt like the loveable loser that Clark is? Who doesn't have a Cousin Eddie buried somewhere in their family tree. So, with it being time for Christmas and New Year holidays, posting will be sporadic from here until next year. Enjoy!

• Lo, Saturnalia!
  Those silly pagans and their rituals. Let's take them over!


• SNL Raps Narnia.
  If you thought like me that SNL has long sense been funny, check this out.


• New Jersey tourist slogan search bars sarcasm.
  Nothing says pompous like the lack of appreciation for good sarcasm.


• Greenpeace versus an armed whaling convoy.
  Any bets on seeing activist sushi?


• Pot meets kettle in Florida email spam.
  I don't care who it is from, if it is unwanted, Spamkiller gets it.


• Don't piss off Santa wielding a Christmas tree.
  Bringing a shopping cart to a North Pole fight....idiots.

Friday FIREPOWER!
Stay safe this holiday season!

Fencing the border.

The Mexican government, angered by a U.S. proposal to extend a wall along the border to keep out migrants, has struck back with radio ads urging Mexican workers to denounce rights violations in the United States. Facing a growing tide of anti-immigrant sentiment north of the border, the Mexican government is also hiring an American public relations firm to improve its image.

Mexican President Vicente Fox denounced the U.S. measures, passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, as "shameful" and his foreign secretary, Luis Ernesto Derbez, said Monday the wall was "stupid."

"Mexico is not going to bear, it is not going to permit, and it will not allow a stupid thing like this wall," Derbez said.

Good thing this wall is on our territory then. Otherwise, it almost sounds like Mexico is looking for a fight.

Many Mexicans, especially those who have spent time working in the U.S., feel the proposal is a slap in the face to those who work hard and contribute to the U.S. economy.

He said many Mexicans felt betrayed by the anti-immigrant sentiment.

I don't think any of the honesty, hard-working Americans take issue with an immigrant that has come to the country legally. This sentiment isn't anti-immigrant, it is anti-illegal alien!

The House bill, passed on a 239-182 vote, includes a proposal to build 700 miles of additional fence through parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. It would also enlist military and local law enforcement to help stop illegal entrants and require employers to verify the legal status of their workers.

As demand goes down, the workers will look elsewhere. You have to ask why these people aren't heading south into Central America. On second thought, nevermind.

Mexicans are outraged by the proposed measures, especially the extension of the border wall, which many liken to the Berlin Wall. Some are urging their government to fight it fiercely.

Berlin wall was built to keep people in. Big difference.

Police discourage self-defense home invasion shootings

A Chandler homeowner shot and wounded a man who was trying to break into his house near Dobson and Pecos roads, police said.

Police gave this account:

Sagio Maurice Henry, 35, of Chandler, rang the doorbell of Cary Dennis' home around 1 p.m. Thursday, and then went to the back door, where Dennis saw him. Dennis went to get a weapon and returned to find Henry prying open a window.

Not there for a casual hello, I take it. Should have called 911 when he got the weapon, though.

After startling Henry, Dennis chased him outside and ordered him to stop. When Henry brandished a pickax handle, Dennis shot him once in the chest.

Okay, this is where I would have stayed inside and fortified until the police came. Under Florida law, chasing a fleeing felon to use deadly force is a no-no. However, apparently he was still on his property, and the felon did turn to present a valid threat. I wonder what he was shooting, if the guy got hit and was later treated.

Henry fled on foot and later was picked up by police at a Valley hospital. He was taken to Maricopa Medical Center, where he is receiving medical attention for non-life-threatening wounds in the jail ward.

"I am kind of still shaken up," said Dennis, who works in after-market auto parts. He would not talk further about the incident.

Police discourage self-defense home invasion shootings, Chandler police Detective Frank Mendoza said.

"We don't recommend handling things this way," Mendoza said. "Given the situation, he had plenty of time to call 911 and leave the home."

Okay, this is the part that really gets me. I can understand calling 911 when you got your weapon, but leaving the house? Who's to say he doesn't have a buddy or two waiting outside for the all clear? Sorry folks, Castle Doctrine. If you come in uninvited, you leave in a body bag.

Once his condition improves, Henry will be booked into Maricopa County jail and charged with one count of burglary, Mendoza said.

Police are not pursuing charges against Dennis, Mendoza said.

One more for the good guys, but WTF is that detective smoking!!!

Stop me if you've heard this. 40 Santas walk into a bar....

Forty drunken Santas rampaged through central Auckland, stealing from stores and assaulting security guards, the New Zealand Herald reported on Sunday, in a protest against the commercialization of Christmas.

Police said some of the Santas threw beer bottles, one tried to climb the mooring rope of a cruise ship and a security guard was punched during the fracas.

"They came in, said 'Merry Christmas' and then helped themselves," convenience store staff member Changa Manakynda told the Herald, which reported the Santas also attacked a Christmas tree.

The event organizer, Alex Dyer, had warned the antics would only stop when someone was arrested, said the Herald, which linked the incident to "Santarchy."

Santarchy (www.santarchy.com) and online encyclopedia wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) record protests going back around 10 years in the United States, with participants marking Christmas in anti-commercial manner involving street theater, pranks and public drunkenness.

Police said identification was a key issue as they tried to sort out which of the 40 men and women had done what.

"With a number of people dressed in the same outfit, it was difficult for any witnesses to confirm the identity of who was doing what," Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers told Reuters.

Some people will use any excuse to get drunk and rowdy. Santarchy? Sounds like fun.

Do Japanese Brides Fart?

Trivia no Izumi (Fount/Spring of Trivia) outdid itself tonight, with a survey to find out when people who had been married for three years first heard their wife pass gas! They interviewed 1000 Japanese husbands by means of an internet poll, and as you can see in the pie chart on the right, almost half the wives (43%) couldn’t keep it in for more than a year. 29% first let rip in the second year, 16% avoided a bottom burp until their third year, and 12% of husbands have been spared their wives’ anal emissions.

For good measure, this segment of the show also had face-to-face interviews with some of the husbands describing the how and where of their wives’ flatulance, accompanied by their wedding photos, leaving their neighbours in no doubt who they were talking about!

Fark Comment: It's a known fact that women don't fart. They don't keep their mouths shut long enough to build up any pressure.

Just kidding. We all know what the survey results would be if they asked the wives about their husband's flatulence.

EDIT:

Speaking of, you may remember that I picked up a recipe for a faux Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese dish, mainly broth, meat/seafood, and noodles. Well, I was able to fix it over the cold and miserable weekend. It didn't turn out half bad, for the modifications I had to make due to missing ingredients. However, the gas production should lower the cost of crude for the next few days....

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

I'm gonna barbecue your ass in molasses! - Sheriff Buford T. Justice

• It's Photoshop Phriday.
  What a creepy bastard.


• Save a life today.
  Learn to give UPS!


• NCSoft 2, Marvel 0.
  

  In a Wednesday e-mail to many of the experts in the online game community, Greg Lastowka, an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Law, noted that "the terms of the settlement apparently allow the NCSoft character creation engine to stand, which is a victory for the players."
  
  But he also echoed von Lohmann's concerns.
  
  "However, Marvel's claims of player infringement have not been formally rejected by the court, which means analogous claims might be pursued by Marvel, or a like-minded company, in the future."

  
  Good news for the City of Heroes/Villians guys. Still can't forgive them for Issue 5 and E.D., though.


• In Japan, nothing takes precedence over a good shit.


• Computer spots a blockbuster from box office flop.
  Awesom-O 4000 unavailable for comment.


• Careful of who you meet on the internet.
  It just may be someone you get to know in ways you never want to.


• Lost...their damn minds.
  

  Seven "Lost" cast members have been cited by Honolulu police.

  Who can blame them? After being stuck on a island for so long, I'd be in a hurry to get somewhere else as well.


• Supervillians beware the minds of Fark!
  


• The Schizophrenic Muzak programming at work is the reason I wear headphones and listen to streaming audio. I heard the following, in a row, earlier this week while in training:
  
  Mamma Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys - Ed Bruce
  Joy to the World
  Bye, Bye Love - The Everly Brothers (all accordian, no less)
  You Can Do Magic - America
  Saved by Zero - The Fixx
  

Friday FIREPOWER!
I started my collection of handguns when I turned 21. Needless to say, that was some time ago. It was also during a time before the accessory rail became a popular option on handgun frames. So, I carry a Surefire flashlight as well as the firearm, occupying both hands. What if I wanted a laser as well? How about both?

For an older Glock, your option was pretty much only a recoil rod replacement like the LaserMax. However, now you can have a second option, Crimson Trace Lasergrips. I've mostly seen them on Berettas, but they are a nice option for the Glock. Gunblast has a current article on the Glock version. Take a look.

Also, the F22A is now fully operational. Only a dozen, but still, they can hopefully kick major ass. They already do on paper and in flight-sims.

Career Aptitude Test

Your ideal career path is: Shipping and Receiving

How sure are we?
BARELY

You like things to be orderly, but you also like to let loose and break out of the grind once in a while. You aren't into high-level thinking, but that doesn't mean you aren't clever in your own way. You aren't really a leader, but that doesn't bother you. You are happy to get in line and follow the crowd, as long as there's a frosty cold one waiting for you at the end of the day.

Garbage In, Garbage Out. Sounds like my coding.

EDIT: Notice the sound loading up? Pretty cool, eh? I'm following the lead of my buddy Ken. I'll get a smaller file out there soon, but I've loved "Late Goodbye" ever since beating Max Payne 2.

Mother of the year award.

Meet Tiffany Eagle and Ashley Tomaszewski. The two Indiana women went to Kokomo's Big Daddy's strip club early Sunday morning and proceeded to drink until they were plastered. While that's not a crime, the fact that the gals had left the 22-year-old Eagle's newborn son in an unheated car outside the topless joint is where the alleged felonious behavior comes in. According to a Kokomo Police Department report, the three-month-old baby (who was wearing a sleeper) was lying face down in the back seat of Tomaszewski's 1996 Oldsmobile. Cops reported the temperature outside at about 32 degrees at 3 AM, when they were called to the scene after a bar patron spotted the unattended baby, who was later examined at a local hospital and appeared unharmed. When interviewed by cops, Eagle (pictured below at left) claimed that she had left her son with a sitter, and that Tomaszewski, 21, had transported the child to the club. For her part, Tomaszewski, who blew a .28 on a Breathalyzer test, accepted no responsibility for the infant.

Hangin's too good for him!!

Burnin's too good for him!!

He should be torn into little bitsy pieces and buried alive!!!

I'll kill him!

KII - ILLL!!!

Don't ask where he keeps the tire pump.

A 40-year-old Orange Park man was arrested Friday afternoon after several residents along Doctors Lake Drive reported seeing him riding a bicycle naked from the waist down.

According to the Clay County Sheriff Office, James Bardroff was arrested about 4:15 p.m.at the Hideaway Trailer Park, where one of the witnesses had followed him. He was charged with breach of peace.

Several people told deputies they saw Bardroff riding a mountain bike in the 3800 block of Doctors Lake Drive with only a T-shirt on. One witness said he was holding a pair of shorts over his groin.

When questioned, Bardroff said he was wearing a pair of "short-shorts" which were inappropriate. He was arrested and taken to jail.

Or maybe he was just out trying to show off his Giant?

What type of humor do you like?

the Idiot Savant
(38% dark, 46% spontaneous, 63% vulgar)
your humor style:
VULGAR SPONTANEOUS LIGHT

You like things silly, immediate, and, above all, outrageous. Ixne on the subtle word play, more testicles on fire, please. People like you are the most likely to RECEIVE internet forwards--and also the most likely to save them in a special folder entitled 'HOLY SHIT'.

Because it's so easily appreciated, and often wacky and physical, your sense of humor never ceases to amuse your friends. Most realize that there's a sly intelligence and a knowing wink to your tastes. Your sense of humor could be called 'anti-pretentious'--but paradoxically enough, that indicates you're smarter than most.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Johnny Knoxville - Jimmy Kimmel




The 3-Variable Funny Test!
- it rules -

If you're interested, try my latest: The Terrorism Test

Richard Pryor dead.

Richard Pryor, the groundbreaking comedian whose profanely personal insights into race relations and modern life made him one of Hollywood's biggest stars, died of a heart attack Saturday. He was 65.

Pryor died shortly before 8 a.m. after being taken to a hospital from his home in the San Fernando Valley, said his business manager, Karen Finch. He had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.

Pryor once marveled "that I live in racist America and I'm uneducated, yet a lot of people love me and like what I do, and I can make a living from it. You can't do much better than that."

But he battled drug and alcohol addictions for years, most notably when he suffered severe burns over 50 percent of his body while freebasing at his home. An admitted "junkie" at the time, Pryor spent six weeks recovering from the burns and much longer from his addictions.

The first time I heard of Richard Pryor was sneaking a listen to an LP that a friend had when I was very young. My first film exposure was Stir Crazy. Then The Toy, of which I remember and I think enjoyed the best. As I grew older, and cable television matured, I was able to catch more movies such as Car Wash, Silver Streak, and Greased Lightining. The advent of Usenet allowed exposure to previous works, in digital form. Once MS took hold, it seemed like he disappeared. I believe many thought he had died before now. How apropos that his last work was entitled "I ain't dead yet, motherf*ckers".

A fellow Farker used the below image....and I can't think of one that fits better.
Have a safe flight, Richard...

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

I shall taunt you...a second time-a...

• What Kind of Food Are You?

  You Are French Food

  Snobby yet ubiquitous. People act like they understand you more than they actually do.

  
  Bite Me. Hat tip Ken.


• It's Photoshop Friday.
  A plane...into the house....


• Air Marshal Kills Passenger, Citing Threat
  

  An agitated passenger who claimed to have a bomb in his backpack was shot and killed by a federal air marshal Wednesday after he bolted frantically from a jetliner that was about to take off, officials said. No bomb was found.
  
  The man, identified as Rigoberto Alpizar, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen, was gunned down on a jetway just before the American Airlines plane was about to leave for Orlando, near his home in Maitland.
  
  It was the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks that an air marshal had shot at anyone, Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said.
  
  According to a witness, the man frantically ran down the aisle of the Boeing 757, flailing his arms, while his wife tried to explain that he was mentally ill and had not taken his medication.
  
  The passenger indicated there was a bomb in his bag and was confronted by air marshals but ran off the aircraft, Doyle said. The marshals went after him and ordered him to get down on the ground, but he did not comply and was shot when he apparently reached into the bag, Doyle said.

  I can hear it now. Why was he shot? Why wasn't he stunnned? Why wasn't he tackled? Why were we delayed? Why were we treated so badly? When the complaints start, I have something for the complainers...
  


• Europe at night from space.
  Smoking lamp is lit...


• Know where to sit on any make of plane.
  Sit down, shut up, and enjoy the flight.


• Send your name to an asteroid onboard a spacecraft.
  Phone number costs extra. E-harmony dot com unavailable for comment.


• Lion at Rome zoo treated for arthritis with injections of gold. Yelps "Au!"
  Fark headlines rule.


• Most popular Christmas light show this year shut down.
  If it is causing a nuisance to the neighborhood, then limiting it or shutting it down isn't quite a bad idea. I'm not being a grinch here, but if there are 300 cars lined up down your rural street, traffic is a bitch. There is the noise and litter that comes along with it. Heaven forbid if you actually have to get out and go somewhere. Public road means for everyone, not just the ones enjoying the light show.


• Cartoon Network pot ring shut down.
  Dexter's Meth Lab?

Friday FIREPOWER!
Shooting, Liberian Gansta style.

Images from the battle for Monrovia, Liberia, where use of iron sights is known to be strictly prohibited. Also prohibited are aiming, assuming a supported firing stance, and any common practice of marksmanship whatsoever. Hip-Hop/Rapper/Gangsta shooting stances are mandatory, the "Glock Foh-Tay" hold being the most popular. lethality is acheived by subjecting the target to a wide swathe of area fire, simliar to unaimed indirect artillery, or scaring the enemy away with gesturing and aggressive hip-hop style dancing while firing. Points are awarded for artistic effort, style, fearsome facial expression/vocalizations and blue duct tape.

Cue Kenny Loggins. Everbody cut Footloose!


Stop, hammer time.

Klaatu, Verata, Necktie! Nocti!.... No, that's not it... An N word, definitely an N word

Gimme some sugar baby.


Which B-Movie Badass Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hat tip to Ken for the link.

A day that shall live in infamy.

The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Tis the season to be offended.

and that's why I like Santa...Because he's a fat bastard...works one day a year...eats all the cookies he wants...rewards the good and punishes the bad...kinda like a vigilante with gifts.

Listen to Foamy, he'll lay it down the way it is. Hat tip to Rez for the link.

He's just a squirrel, looking for a nut...

Squirrels have bitten to death a stray dog which was barking at them in a Russian park, local media report.

Passers-by were too late to stop the attack by the black squirrels in a village in the far east, which reportedly lasted about a minute.

They are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh.

A pine cone shortage may have led the squirrels to seek other food sources, although scientists are sceptical.

The attack was reported in parkland in the centre of Lazo, a village in the Maritime Territory, and was witnessed by three local people.

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Stylin and Profilin.

• It's Photoshop Phriday!
  The animals are evolving....


• To be the man, you have to beat the man.
  WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!


• Happy Birthday SOHO.
  Revealing the secrets of the solar system, one star at a time.


• It's "Huge" condoms!
  Guys are always finding ways to lie about their size.


• That Christmas Light house is back again.
  I liked the Wizards of Winter version better.


• 12 satellite dishes going on 13.
  Hey ya'll, watch....um....these 5000 channels.


• Tropical Storm Epsilon.
  EPSILON?!?!?!? V'ger wanted for questioning.


• Cheater sues for being cheated of cheats.
  Strongbad unavailable for questioning.


• Obligatory Christmas cuteness...
  

Friday FIREPOWER!

• Could you make your own M41A Pulse Rifle?
  I'm thinking not, NFA rules and all, but damn would I buy one.


• AH-1W gunship video from Iraq.
  I have new respect for the wire-guided TOW missile.


• Start them young...
  


• ...but hope they keep their trigger discipline when older. Oh yeh, Beretta has a rifle called the Rx4 coming out.


• However, I care little, because the PS90 is coming. The Five Seven Forum has a sneak peek of an upcoming Shotgun news article on the PS90.
  

ASU Student Body President doesn't want girls posing for Playboy.

Arizona State University officials can't keep students from posing in pornographic magazines, but they can keep publications from using university logos.

After ASU women were featured in Playboy magazine's "Girls of the Pac-10" issue last month, ASU Student Body President Yaser Alamoodi suggested that the student code of conduct be used to prevent coeds from modeling for future issues.

"I'm not against people posing for this magazine by itself, but what I'm against is girls who pose with ASU running with a theme throughout the picture," he said. "It's a disservice to the students and an insult to all the effort we put in."

Administrators told him that they aren't fond of the issue either, Alamoodi said, but that the code cannot be used against consenting adults participating in off-campus photo shoots.

Nude pictorials and a recent ranking as one of the country's top party schools may prevent people from taking ASU seriously when it comes to academics, he said.

Go figure. A Yemeni national by way of Saudi Arabia wants to be able to tell women what they can and can't do. Oh yeh, that's progressive democratic liberal thinking there. Attention whoring. Perhaps he should clean up his own issues before worrying about others? Oh, that's right, he's into politics. At least he's starting out right.

Alamoodi: I'm all dangerous now. Man, I haven't gotten laid so much in my life as I did after 9/11.

NT: So all at once you were hot with white chicks after September 11?

Alamoodi: Girls always confuse sympathy with sex. And guys are always up for it. And I'm not gonna say no.

With that attitude, maybe he should go look up former ASU cheerleader Courtney Simpson (NSFW) to see how she's using the ASU logo. I hear she's available for the right price.

Answering the age old question... (Probably NSFW)

Is it the size of the Hard drive or is it the way that you router?

Giving the phrase "Have it your way" new meaning...

A name like Ronald MacDonald might have raised suspicion from the start for a Wendy's employee.

MacDonald, 22, no relation to the red-haired clown at the centre of McDonald's advertising campaign, has been charged with stealing from a safe at the Wendy's restaurant where he worked.

The restaurant manager said he found MacDonald and another employee taking the money at about 1:30 a.m. Monday.

If you can't control what your kids see, Sony can help.

Sony Corp has become the latest of the video game console makers to announce parental controls in it newest machine, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

Now, all three major console makers are promising parents the means to help restrict their children's access to violent video games.

Sony will place the controls on its forthcoming machine, PlayStation 3, according to the ESA. Users of PlayStation 2 could limit access, but only to movies, not games.

Microsoft Corp. had already placed parental controls in its new Xbox 360, which debuted last week. The machine lets users restrict access to video games and DVDs that carry certain ratings, such as "T" for "teen" or "M" for "mature." It also offers parental controls on the company's Xbox Live online gaming service, limiting who their children can interact with.

Offering tools to control content viewing is better than having someone telling you what content you can view. Of course, this all goes out the window if the parent/guardian doesn't care to set up the controls or if their kid plays the objectional game at someone else's house.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stay safe, be careful, get stuffed! I'm outta here until next week.


EDIT: Wait, I can't leave yet....not without...

Friday FIREPOWER!

yeh, yeh, it's Thursday. Sue me. :P

• Anyways, what arsenal is complete without the Bloom Automatic Golf Ball Launcher?
  

  Those grenade launcher attachments on your Yugo SKS 59/66 are cool looking but what can you really DO with them? A lot of the guys here at Surplusrifle.com are removing them and replacing them with much better looking and even somewhat functional brakes and flash hiders but what if you could actually have some fun with the original muzzle launcher?
  
  Bloom Automatic has the answer with its line of big time fun grenade launcher attachments specifically designed to launch Golf Balls from your 22mm flash hider or muzzle launcher. The Bloom Automatic Golf Ball Launcher easily attaches in seconds to your standard Yugo SKS 59/66, AR-15, FAL, CETME/G3, and MAS 49/56. Other rifles with a 22mm flash hider or muzzle brake will work as well. The launcher uses dog point set screws to lock into the groove, or grooves, on the flash hider/grenade launcher. Unlike cup point set screws, these do not bite into the metal and should not cause any marring of the finish. It didn't on mine during testing so I think it's good to go. Complete and well detailed instructions are included with the kit.
  
  The BATF & Boom has ruled that these launchers are NOT considered firearms or destructive devices after considerable head scratching on their part. If you have questions please feel free to contact Vince Bloom at bloomautomatic@yahoo.com for more info.



• Three Simultaneous Headshots
  

  The soldiers had been told that the house was a being used as a base by insurgents - and up to three suicide bombers were expected to leave it later that morning.
  
  The plan for Operation Marlborough was simple: allow the three suspected bombers to leave the house and get into the street, then kill them with head shots from the four sniper teams. Each team was equipped with L115A .338 sniper rifles, capable of killing at up to 1,000 yards.
  
  As the terrorists entered the street, a volley of shots rang out and the three insurgents slumped to the ground.
  
  Each terrorist had been killed by a single head shot - the snipers having spent the past few days rehearsing the ambush in minute detail.
  
  The SAS troopers had been warned that only a direct head shot would guarantee that bombs would not be detonated.
  
  Only three of the four snipers fired, the fourth was to act as a back-up in case one of the weapons jammed or a sniper lost sight of his target.


[eric cartman]
KICK ASS!
[/eric cartman]

Setting aside a time to get together...

Employers be warned: UK workers who schedule Wednesday meetings are potentially going to a job interview and regular Friday afternoon meetings could be an excuse for a rendezvous with their lover.

A survey of 167 companies revealed a growing trend of so-called "me me meetings," out-of-office meetings used to cover a more personal encounter.

The poll, by Genesys Conferencing, showed 81 percent of office workers admitted arranging meetings to fit in with personal activities.

It also showed that over half of their colleagues were suspicious of the motives behind the meetings for which many of their workmates left the office.

Genesys said the most popular reason for a "me me meeting" was to get away early for the weekend.

But the survey also showed Friday afternoons were the best for meeting lovers or to go shopping. Monday mornings were the most popular time for scheduling a meeting to mask looking after the children and Wednesdays were the preferred time for job interviews.

Around here, going out for a job interview is affectionately known as a dentist appointment. When I first started working here, many moons ago, there was a member of the team who came in dressed rather nicely for an era before business casual. That team member went out early one day for a dentist appointment. The next week, another appointment. The week after that, a two-week notice was rendered. Coincidence?

Anyways, I have to schedule a meeting every Wednesday. Because of Outlook's calendar functionality, if I don't block out the time, I'd never be able to head out to lunch with the La Nop Bunch.

Religious philosophy and more...

You are a Self-Discoverer

You're not religious, but you've created your own kind of spirituality. Introspective and thoughtful, you tend to look inward for the divine. You are distrusting of all forms of organized religion. You especially dislike religious gurus and leaders, who you feel are charlatans.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

Normally, I don't pay too much attention to these quizzes. However, this short one seems to be spot on. Curious.

EDIT: Preach on. "Yo butt ain't made for that".

Ready, Set, Mow?

On his command the drivers run to their mowers and start them with a racket that sounds like exactly what it is — a field full of souped-up riding lawn mowers tearing around a dirt track outside Max Blob's Bavarian Biergarten.

It's another day at the lawn mower races at Blob's Park, where driveway mechanics, gear heads and speed freaks of all description dedicate themselves to the proposition that anything with an engine can, and should, be made to go faster than it was intended to go.

One race has to be restarted after the No. 44 mower pulls a wheelie off the line that ends with the driver on his back and front wheels pointed to the sky. The drivers don't seem to mind, though, as they help to right it. The crashes and spills are just part of the sport's rebellious fun.

Not everyone sees it that way.

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an industry group representing the companies who manufacture mowers, has consistently taken a position against the races.

"We don't think it is in the spirit of our association, which is to promote safety," said Bill Harley, president and CEO of OPEI. "They're made to cut lawns."

So far, at least, that's kept some major potential sponsors away from the races. U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association President Bruce Kaufman would love to have the money. He says it wouldn't change the sport.

"We don't race for money," he said. "We race for trophies, we race for glory and we race for bragging rights. For 15 years it's been rock and mow."

For some reason "Hey Ya'll, watch this" just doesn't cut it anymore. :P

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

"If you're being mugged by a couple of clowns, don't hesitate; go for the juggler."

• It's Photoshop Phriday!
  Condomania!


• PBF comics.
  Some of the funniest comics I've read in quite some time.


• Hops in beer may be healthy.
  Alas, more rednecks would be alive today if it wasn't for "Hey Ya'll, Watch This!"


• 'Cool mom' gets 30 years for sex parties.
  
  Old and busted.


• 37 year-old teacher marries 15 year-old student.
  
  New Hotness


• Woman dies after ants eat her eye.
  Lasik via Amdro?


• 'Baywatch' Babe Breaks Neck In Diving Accident.
  Mystery muff is still wanted for questioning.


• Fla. Senator Wants Pink DUI License Plates
  

  Sen. Mike Fasano, of New Port Richey, filed a bill earlier this month that requires the first three characters on the plate to read "DUI."
  
  "Maybe it will embarrass people and keep them from drinking and driving," Fasano said. "Maybe they'll think twice."
  
  The bill also says police "may stop any vehicle that bears a DUI plate without probable cause to check the driver."
  
  "It is another attempt to isolate people, point them out and make them subject to ridicule and harassment from peers and other drivers," ACLU spokesman Dean Richards told Local 6 News.

  Well, I'd be inclined to want some sort of indicator that the person driving on the road next to me has been a menace at one time or another. If we are supposed to be driving defensively, how can we without all of the available information we can get about others? Still, too many loopholes. You're tagging the car, not the person. Also, if they have paid their debt to society, why call them out. I guess with the sex-offenders list being so popular, it'd only be a matter of time before everyone's dirty affairs label them.


• New Rules for Life:
  
  • Lose that pop-up ad for Classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days: mowing my lawn.
  
  
  • Stop saying that teenage boys who have sex with their hot, blond teachers are permanently damaged. I have a better description for these kids: lucky.
  
  
  • Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.
  
  
  • New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.
  
  
  • The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the moron. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low and one NutraSweet," ooh, you're a huge moron.
  
  
  • If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy, old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.
  
  
  • No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking up the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's looting.
  
  
  • When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to know in months. "27 Months." "He's two," will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place.

Friday FIREPOWER!

• Thermobaric weaponry, man portable kickass.
  

  This is a version of the standard USMC Shoulder Mounted Assault Weapon but with a new warhead. Described as NE - "Novel Explosive"- it is a thermobaric mixture which ignites the air, producing a shockwave of unparalleled destructive power, especially against buildings.



• Make your own "Spaceballs: the flamethrower".
  It's a hit with all the kids. Thanks Rez.


• ''Growler'' officially a new name in anti-radar warfare aircraft.
  

  About 30 names, including “Shocker,” “Demon ” and “Gator,” also were considered, said Chuck Wagner, a spokesman for the Naval Air Systems Command.

  
  College Humor unavailable for commentary.

You can't say that here.

"What's a bong?" Stephen asks. This from a man who also has a teen-aged daughter. Very strong on a financial analysis of any kind in any industry, but a bit behind the curve when it comes to one of the main fuel sources of popular culture.

A bong is a super-chargable means of smoking dope, Stephen. A bong is...."

"You can't say that here or I'll have to throw you out of the store," says a stern voice from the front.

Slowly I turned.

"I beg your pardon?"

It's the clerk who is glaring at us from behind the counter. "I said you can't use the B-word in here. They are "waterpipes."

"I'm sorry but I'm still not getting this. Are you saying that one cannot call a bong a bong?"

"Yes. It is store policy. Nobody in here is allowed to use that word in talking about these waterpipes."

Social intercourse is such a lost art nowadays. "I don't make the rules" and "It's just the way it is" are all too much the norm. Then again, some folks do have way too much time on their hands. Plus, you don't go to "bang you in the ass" prison for selling waterpipes, but you do for bongs. Hat tip to Rez for this one.

The Scripts of Babylon5

FIRST TIME EVER AVAILABLE

• A total of fifteen volumes containing all 92 Babylon 5 episodic scripts plus two B5 TV movies written by J. Michael Straczynski, each averaging more than 400 pages.


• An average of 7 scripts per volume.


• An extensive introduction written exclusively by JMS for each volume of this collection, detailing the inner workings of the cast, crew and studio, and including his thoughtful, revealing and deeply personal episode-by-episode commentaries, which provide a rare and uncensored glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of Babylon 5. Nothing is held back.


• Each volume also contains memos written by JMS during production on Babylon 5. These never-seen-before memos cover every aspect involved in creating the Babylon 5 universe, from casting to sets, prosthetics, wardrobe, photography, the science behind the creative decisions and the history of the various races and species. These previously-classified memos provide a fascinating perspective on the show as it was being created.


• Most volumes also contain candid, behind-the-scenes B&W photos of cast and crew taken by Straczynski, drawn from his personal archives, seen here for the first time.


• Lost and alternate drafts of scripts, including (in volume one) the original pilot script for “The Gathering” used to sell the series, but which was not used as the production draft...a draft radically different from the one that was finally shot and aired.


• Much more than a script compilation; it is the story behind the making of the Babylon 5 series, told from the inside.

The current terror level.

RIP, Latino Heat...

A World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., wrestler was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis on Sunday morning, according to the WWE Web site.

Eddie Guerrero was scheduled to appear Sunday night in a WWE Supershow at Target Center.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner was called to the scene at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. Authorities had not released any information on his death.

Guerrero was a featured star on the UPN series "WWE Smackdown!" and son of Mexican wrestler Gory Guerrero.

Guerrero, who was born in 1967, is survived by his wife Vickie and his two daughters, the site said.

In honor of those who served...

Thank you.

Wasabi chased with Cold Water

• Birthing a green puppy named Wasabi.
  Awwwww, how cute. Where are the eggs and ham?


• Cold water (NSFW)
  Looks a titty bit nipply out.

They're called African killer bees for a reason.

A South African woman was killed by hundreds of thousands of enraged bees after her vehicle hit an electricity substation that contained their hive, an emergency services group said on Tuesday.
"The car crashed into an electrical substation in Johannesburg which housed a bee hive. It was 10 years old and had in excess of a million bees and they just went wild," said Paul Nel, spokesman for Netcare 911, a private paramedic and ambulance service.
"The people managed to stumble out of the car but they were just overcome by bees," he said.

Hmmm. I can go with the Eddie Izzard response: "Covered in beeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzz".
Or perhaps, the cynical bastard response: "Ah, and I see the next installment of Final Destination has wrapped up principle".
No, I think I'll go with the Tommy Boy bees reference.

Taking one...er, two for the team...er, part two.

A weekend bar brawl involving a cheerleader for the Carolina Panthers has sparked charges and questions over an apparent mistaken identity.

Panther cheerleader Angela Keathley, 26, and another woman whose identity remains a mystery to police face charges for a bar brawl at Banana Joe's in Tampa, Fla., early Sunday. Police arrested Keathley and another woman who identified herself as fellow cheerleader Kristen Owen after authorities said they got into an argument in the bathroom at the bar.

Police said the woman who identified herself as Owen gave the authorities the cheerleader's address. But according to her parents, Owen — a first-year cheerleader and recent college graduate —was not even in Florida at the time of the altercation.

"She was out of town in Columbia, South Carolina, at a wedding," Renee Owen, Kristen's mother, told ABC News affiliate WFTS in Tampa. "She did not go to Tampa this weekend."

The events that led to the arrests began when bar patrons complained that two women were engaging in sex and tying up a bathroom stall. Police said "Owen" punched Keathley in the face and was charged with battery. Keathly was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

"There had been a physical altercation between one lady and another bar patron, all over the use of a stall or something that happened in the bathroom," said Tampa Police Lt. John Newman. "According to the report, there was quote, unquote some sort of sexual activity going on in the stall."

Authorities first learned that the woman was not really Owen after she posted bond. Police said they will try to identify the mystery woman with fingerprints and help from the NFL today.

Aw come on. You know what we all want to see, a threesome!

Taking one...er, two for the team.

Two Carolina Panthers cheerleaders were arrested early Sunday morning at a Tampa nightclub after an incident that reportedly began with the two of them having sex.

The Charlotte Observer reported that according to a police report, Kristen Owen, 22 and Angela Keathley, 26, were arrested after an incident at Banana Joe's in the city's Channelside district. One cheerleader was charged with battery, the other with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

According to the Observer, the police report claims the two cheerleaders were having sex with each other in a stall at the bar when other patrons got angry they were taking so long in the bathroom. Owen and another person started arguing and Owen hit that person in the face, according to the report.

The below two cheerleaders having sex in a bar's bathroom....RAH.

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Cold November Rain

• It's Photoshop Phriday!
  Honesty in game titles.


• If your parents go on Dr. Phil...
  ...please don't let them talk about their oral sex life.


• Man Kills Buck With Bare Hands in Bedroom
  Must be the only person in Arkansas without a shotgun.


• The true meaning of "Mile High City".
  I hear there is a club, too. >:)


• This chick takes penetration all the way up to her breasts.
  Ah Fark, headlines a plenty.


• Trick or *BLAM*
  Talk about getting lead instead of coal.


• Tyra Banks "knows" what it is like to be fat.
  At the end of the day, though, she can take her fat off.


• Man sits on toilet, ends up in sticky situation.
  And I thought with the AIDS scare of the 80's, people learned to check the seat before sitting on it.

Friday FIREPOWER!

• The XM8 (OICW Increment 1) is dead.
  

  The purpose of this Amendment is to CANCEL Solicitation W15QKN-05-R-0449, OICW Increment One.
  
  This action has been taken in order for the Army to reevaluate its priorites for small caliber weapons, and to incorporate emerging requirements identified during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Government will also incorporate studies looking into current capability gaps during said reevaluation.



• Mobile Tactical High-Energy Laser.
  

  High-energy lasers are the only systems proven effective against small, late detection threats such as artillery rockets. Offering accuracy and lethality, this speed-of-light capability promises to transform the battlefield. Northrop Grumman is now developing a mobile variant of the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) that destroyed artillery rockets and shells in testing.
  
  A Mobile THEL will allow warfighters to defend against advanced, widely-proliferating threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles, short-range ballistic and cruise missiles, and air-to-surface munitions.



• MTHEL eliminates mortar rounds in flight.
  

  The Tactical High Energy Laser, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the U.S. Army, shot down multiple mortar rounds Aug. 24, proving that laser weapons could be applied on the battlefield to protect against common threats.
  
  In tests representative of actual mortar threat scenarios, the THEL testbed destroyed both single mortar rounds and mortar rounds fired in a salvo at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.



• The FN products are coming!
  Get those checkbooks ready, because the PS90 and the FS2000 are almost here.

Two all beef panties, special sauce, let us cheese...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Quaker Maid Meats Inc. on Tuesday said it would voluntarily recall 94,400 pounds of frozen ground beef panties that may be contaminated with E. coli.

The beef products were produced by Reading, Pennsylvania-based Quaker on July 19 and shipped to retail stores in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The beef products have an establishment code of "Est 2748" inside the USDA mark of inspection. A Quaker official could not be reached on the recall.

E. coli O157:H7 is a deadly bacteria that can cause diarrhea and dehydration. Children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are most susceptible.

Hmmmm, someone has been watching a weeee bit too much of Cheaper by the Dozen on Starz.

Thought for today.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
- Unknown

It helps if the safety is off...

A home-invasion robber died after struggling with the couple whose window he had kicked in.

Shelly Laughman, 36, said she tried to lock the front door after the 44-year-old suspect punched it Sunday night, but the man, whose name was not immediately released, kicked in a plastic window and clawed in.

"He had a crazy look in his eyes," she said, "and he mumbled something that sounded like I'm not here to hurt you."

She screamed for her sleeping husband, Paul, 52. He wrestled with the man while his wife called police and retrieved a shotgun.

With the gun pointed at him, the man was released and told to leave, but the couple said he rushed again. Shelly Laughman aimed the shotgun and pulled the trigger, but it didn't fire because the safety was still on.

Eventually, Paul Laughman and a neighbor subdued the man again and police arrived.

The man continued to fight with officers, and collapsed while being walked to a patrol car.

Police said they tried to resuscitate the man and called rescue workers, but he was pronounced dead at Halifax Medical Center.

"No weapon of any kind was used by police," said police Lt. C.H. Fordham at the scene.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the cause of death.

"I have no idea why he picked our yard," Shelly Laughman said. "That guy could've killed us, and I would've killed him if I could get that safety off."

The body, under stress, reacts as it has been trained. A little something called muscle memory. If she would have gotten used to the shotgun before this situation, then she would have instinctively been able to thumb the safety off and fire. It did work out in the end, and she is left without a nasty cleaning bill.

Happy Halloween

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Happy Halloween

• It's Photoshop Phriday.
  Ah yes, kiddie books.


• Jackson Denies Claim She Has Secret Child.
  

  On Friday, Young DeBarge, the brother of Jackson's ex-husband, James DeBarge, said Jackson and his brother had a child named Renee who was living with Rebbie Jackson, Janet's oldest sister.
  Young DeBarge, 28, is promoting his debut album.

  Nah, ya think?


• Test your drawing skills with your mouse.
  Thank you Coors.


• New Bond: I hate guns.
  "But I like the millions I make by acting like I like them."


• Astros roster has no black players.
  Basketball and Football only needs to ball to play, takes less time, and is easier to start a game with. It's all about personal choice and market conditions.


• Wal-Mart memo: Unhealthy need not apply.
  They only want the shoppers to be rednecks, old, or fat asses.


• God has a message for you.
  Stay out of the damn plane!


• Mr. Sulu, Rump factor 1.
  Where no man has gone before, crossing the neutral zone, etc. etc.
  

Friday FIREPOWER!

One more for the good guys.

A 38-year-old man with a permit to carry a concealed firearm shot one of two men accused of trying to rob him at a car wash late Monday, Reno police said.

Luis Alfredo Aguirre, 18, of Reno was booked into the Washoe County Jail on suspicion of attempted armed robbery.

His cousin, Jorge Aguilar, 21, of Reno, was treated Tuesday at Washoe Medical Center for a bullet wound in his liver, Reno police said. Sgt. Doug Evans said Aguilar would be arrested on suspicion of attempted armed robbery when he leaves the hospital.

Police said the the cousins are known gang members and withheld the identity of the shooter.

About 11 p.m. Monday, a man with a souvenir wooden bat approached a man washing his Mini Cooper at a car wash at 690 Booth St. and demanded his money and keys, police said. Another man appeared at the other side of the car wash, yelling and holding his hands up.

Police said the second man began to charge at the owner of the Cooper, who pulled out a small-caliber semiautomatic pistol and shot him. The suspects ran to a waiting car and drove to Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.

Hmm, some thoughts on this. First off, he shot the guy charging him. Unfortunately, according to the letter of the story, that person was unarmed. Could be trouble. Secondly, if you are going to take a firearm to the car wash, you better make sure it is stainless incase it gets wet. No sense carrying a rusting firearm. :)

One of the funniest Halloween comics.

Sorry, I'm front loading this week's crap spewing cause I'm pretty slammed at work and home.

Roles reverse as the matress covered her ass.

A woman whose home was ripped from the ground and tossed into Highway A1A by a tornado said a mattress saved her life after winds lifted her into the air as she clutched her pets, according to Local 6 News.

One of several tornadoes spawned from Hurricane Wilma Monday hit a neighborhood in Floridana Beach, Fla.

Dawn Lindsay was clutching her two pets inside her home when winds ripped the second floor from the structure and tossed it into A1A.

Lindsay and her pets were then pulled out of her home by the winds and dropped in another part of her home.

"Dawn was on her bed watching the news of the impending storm in her rental home when out of no where she was flipped in the air, animals and all," Local 6 reporter Donald Forbes said.

She said she a mattress landed on her and acted like a shield from the flying debris. She said the mattress saved her life.

"I feel it is a miracle and that there is a purpose for me to do something with my life," Dawn Lindsay. "I'll never look at things the same again."

The tornado ripped off Lindsay's second floor and flattened all of the walls in her home.

Lindsay said everything she owns was destroyed or lost in the tornado.

She said she is leaving Florida and moving to Connecticut after the latest hurricane to hit the state.

You know, I always thought that the old saying of hid in the tub with a matress on top of you was just something of a wive's tale. She's living proof that it isn't. However, it sucks for people with waterbeds.

Never bring a sword to a gun fight, unless it is this sword.

Without knowing any information about the sword or the bullet, hard to judge what exactly is being proven here.

Wrasslin's back.

A little bit of history. I was/am a big professional wrestling fan. I have been ever since Gordon Solie was with Championship Wrestling of Florida, live from the Sport-a-torium.

I guess I lost interest in it after the heyday of the three major leagues, WWF, WCW, and ECW. Once the WWF, now known as the WWE, swallowed those guys up, it just wasn't as fun anymore, because there were no alternatives. Now there is.

Spike TV has started running TNA wrestling on Saturdays at 11pm. I happened to catch it this past Saturday. It was refreshing to see old and new faces wrestling with little fluff to get in the way. On a lark, I watched the PPV last night. I can say I'm thrilled about watching wrasslin again.

It was a good show, with a mix of wrestling, street fighting, extreme, japanese, and luche libre styles. I knew it was going to be a good PPV when the first match had a guy named Samoa Joe (who looks like a big, evil Emeril Lagasse)was taking on Jushin "Thunder" Liger. RAH!!!

Anyway, you can catch the recount of the matches on the TNA website. All I can say is that in business, competition is a good thing, because the consumer wins.

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Suckage taken to a whole new level...

• "You are all going to die. I hate to remind you, but it is on your schedule." George Carlin Calendar 10-18-05


• It's Photoshop Phriday!
  You got your Sci-Fi mixed up with my Sci-Fi.


• Northwest Airlines to charge smokers more for insurance.
  I'm screwed with the fat tax kicks in.


• Woman surprised to find pork of such caliber at her local grocery store.
  Gives a new meaning to cooking blackened food.


• PSP Porn.
  For when you gotta go, on the go.


• Dregolas. Maybe Legolas has a loser cousin who shops at K-mart or something.


• When the game you love playing changes...
  

  Enhancement Diversification:
  
  This is a new system being implemented into City of Villains and City of Heroes (when City of Villains launches) to promote the use of more different types of Enhancements in powers. Using a system of diminishing returns, when slotting the same type of Enhancement into a power, you will begin to see less effect of that Enhancement when the bonus reaches a certain threshold. The effectiveness of Enhancements you are slotting in can now be seen in the Enhancement Slotting screen.
  
  What does this mean? Simply, if you are slotting Enhancements and your bonus to a single attribute reaches 70% through Enhancements, you will begin to see a drop in the amount each Enhancement should be giving you. If you exceed 100% bonus, then the drop will be more severe.

Now, as with most MMOs, there will be changes that will negatively affect currently gameplay. This is generally called a nerf. I think the following poster pretty much sums up my feelings towards the upcoming (and previous) changes.


Quote:
---------------------------------------------------------------
this is a wounderful game (if not why are you playing)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Good question. Actually, I’m not playing the game right now.

I’ve played CoH almost every evening for a year & a half but now I haven’t logged onto the game since Oct 9th. I just have no desire to play CoH at this point in time.

I’m still planning on playing CoV for the content once, so it’s nice that the subscriptions are connected but I feel very apathetic towards CoH and Cryptic right now.

I never liked lower power at levels where your enhancements go yellow (ie lvl 26, 31, 36, etc) so obviously I don’t like the nerfing of ED which will be even worse then going through those levels. I won’t like the mobs left with a fraction of health after a pre-I6 “normal” set of my blaster's attacks, I won’t like the lower defense on my tanks and I won’t like my Emp healing for less.

Also, the fact that I built my 1st hero in a ED-friendly manner and that he was not fun at all to play once he got into the 20’s obviously colors my thinking. I feel like by not knowing how to build a strong hero when I 1st got the game and by not knowing a good strategy for slotting, I’ve already played an ED-type game and I didn’t like it.

Even more than the impending nerf that is coming like a train down the tracks, though, I’m just tried of constantly re-learning and respecing all my heroes all the time. Maybe CoH will stabilize some day and maybe it won’t. But I don’t want to keep redesigning all of my heroes and changing them every time a new issue comes out. Maybe if I don’t like all this change all the time then I need to focus on single player games.

I don’t know all the answers, but I do know is that a game should be fun and it should be something you look forward to logging on & playing. Unfortunately CoH is neither of those to me at this point in time.

Because I did find it such a fun game to play for a long time I am, of course, sad by this turn of events and by my lack of desire to log on and play. All things come to an end eventually, though, so while being sad that I would like to play a different game than the developers want to publish (relatively stable rules, powerful heroes, etc), I should probably thank Cryptic for a fun ride and wish them all well in their future endeavors.


All I can say is thank God Quake 4, Resident Evil 4, and Soul Calibur 3 are all coming out soon.

Friday FIREPOWER!

Rhineland Arms R22 Target Rifle.

The R22 rimfire rifle represents the ultimate achievement in the design and manufacture of a modern semi-automatic 22LR carbine. By combining high strength aluminum, steel and plastic, Rhineland Arms has created a modern 22 with near perfect ergonomics, high accuracy capability and very reliable. The R22 uses a proven bolt, magazine and trigger system, for a reliable and modular rifle.

The receivers and trigger housings are machined from solid billet aluminum. The barrels are made from ordinance grade 4140 steel. The rifles have coatings of Military-Spec Hard Anodization on the aluminum and Black Oxide on the barrels. The hand guards and scope rail are of a one piece design for maximum strength and to facilitate a bipod while retaining the free float barrel. The barrels use a locking ring system, allowing for easy removal.

When karma meets dog, ma.

The author of a new state law that allows felony charges against owners of dangerous dogs was hospitalized over the weekend after his own dog attacked him.

Bob Schwartz, who also is Gov. Bill Richardson's crime adviser, was hospitalized at University of New Mexico Hospital on Sunday night with bites on both his arms, said Pahl Shipley, a spokesman for the governor.

A hospital spokeswoman declined to release Schwartz's condition, but Shipley said Schwartz is "going to be fine."

Schwartz has three dogs registered with the city: a boxer and two English bulldogs, said Denise Wilcox, who oversees Albuquerque's animal care centers.

Schwartz was instrumental in getting a law passed during this year's regular legislative session that would allow felony charges to be filed against owners of dogs deemed dangerous or potentially dangerous and that seriously injure or kill another animal or person.

The law was designed to make dog owners accountable, said Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, who worked with Schwartz to pass the bill.

"But I guess when it happens in your own family, that's another story," she said. "That's tragic."

Wilcox said Sunday her office had not received a bite report from University hospital, which is required when a dog bite leads to medical attention.

Build a game system on a budget

You want to build the ultimate gaming machine, but like most of us, you don't have thousands of dollars in discretionary income to spend on the latest and greatest gear. So what will $500 worth of components get you? You would be surprised.

Pleasantly surprised, I might add.

But the dead deer with an IV made it weird

Cops in North Carolina thought it was odd enough a Jacksonville man was driving an ambulance reported stolen hours earlier.

Odder still was that he was wearing a makeshift doctor's uniform consisting of a stethoscope, a pager-like gadget and latex gloves stuffed in his back pocket.

But then things started getting really strange when they saw a dead deer, fully stretched out and wedged in the back. Some said there was an intravenous line attached to the animal and there was evidence a defibrillator had been used.

Apparently love knows no bounds.

Mistaken identity: guilty until proven innocent.

The 17-year-old from northern New South Wales was stunned to discover students had copied footage from an X-rated website featuring an actress she looked like.

The 10 seconds of film was then circulated by email to dozens of other students, wrongly claiming she was the star.

The girl's parents have had to become members of a US porn site to track the original video and clear their daughter's name.

"As her parents we were astounded at the resemblance of the porn star to our daughter and, had we not recognized the difference in body features, we would have thought the same as everyone else – that it was her," her father said.

"She was crying in her room. I asked her if she had ever been drugged at a party because the video shows the porn star with eyes rolling and acting in a possible drug-induced state. She replied, 'No, never'."

It was discovered the actress had a tattoo on her shoulder, proving their daughter was not involved.

Her father also sounded a warning about cyber bullying.

"Some parents may not have had the time and money to find the original video and their child's name would be under a cloud because they could not have proved them innocent."

You know, it sucks to be accused of something you didn't do all because of circumstantial evidence. Innocent until proven guilty is a noble concept, but one that people just don’t have the time for anymore. Society is fast to deem a person guilty based on anecdotal data, when the true evidence has yet to be seen. It takes time to track down the truth, and what you say can and will be used against you. Then you have to fight hard against a biased audience to even attempt to prove your innocence and reclaim your standing. That is why plea bargains are so darn popular. It's easier to give up, than fight for right against wrong.

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Same shit, different Friday.

• It's Photoshop Phriday.
  Video game crossups...er, crossovers.


• Man coughs up screw after operation.
  Talk about getting screwed by the doctors.


• Watch 'em wiggle.
  See them jiggle.


• People do strange things for halloween.
  Please, think of the dogs.


• Southern Hospitality.
  Or the definite lack thereof in Jacksonville.


• The F in football doesn't stand for fun.

  East Irondequoit Eastridge quarterback Kenny Rogers will sit out Friday's game against Victor following a one-game suspension.
  

  I guess he didn't know when to hold 'em.

Friday FIREPOWER!
Get those checkbooks ready. A few new evil black rifles will be coming soon. Check out the discussion on The High Road.

• FN SCAR.


• FN P90 Civilian


• Robinson Armament's XCR.


• Steyr AUG

In America, you usually send court papers.

A WOMAN whose bitter hubby demanded a divorce on a road banner got her own back yesterday — by publicly branding him a love cheat.

The wife, called Wendy, was last week confronted with the poster on a bridge over the A27 near Brighton, East Sussex.

But yesterday she replied to her fella, known as JBS, with a 10ft sheet at the same spot reading: “No way — YOU are the cheat!”

Commuters have been captivated by the feud. But marriage councillor Trish Owen warned: “It’s not very constructive.”

The best teen girl squad ever....

Politics Test

Hat tip to Ken for this one.

You are a Social Conservative (38% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (73% permissive) You are best described as a: Republican Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

The Box Of Truth: Body Armor

A while back, my friend Michael contacted me, he said, "I am sending you some "shootpacks" (18"x18")
The one condition is that you not mention my name or the supplier. Because your setup is informal, they would not want to have their name connected with the testing since you don't have a NIJ-certified laboratory setup.
For your information, body armor material is designed to work when worn by a human.
Humans are compressible.
IIIA material will work when put on a person or over 4" of ballistic clay, but if you just put IIIA material over concrete or over boards, it will fail."

Is this a great job or what!

The box contains Modeling Clay from Hobby Lobby.

I hung the armor over the front.

Don't look at the 7.62x39mm, it isn't pretty.

City of Villains pricing announced.

NCsoft® North America has announced that customers will be able to subscribe to two of its massively multiplayer online games, City of Villains(TM) and City of Heroes®, for the subscription price of one. Subscribers to City of Villains and City of Heroes will have only a single subscription fee of $14.99 per month to have full access to both games.

City of Villains, a stand-alone sequel to last year's hit, City of Heroes, is expected to be released on October 31, with a subscription price of $14.99 per month. The pricing plan means that current City of Heroes subscribers need only purchase City of Villains to play and enjoy features from both games. The games were developed by Cryptic Studios(TM).

Along with the value of being able to play the two games for $14.99, players will receive four additional character slots per game server, and access to crossover areas from both games such as player-versus-player zones in City of Villains. Additionally, City of Heroes' players who subscribe to both games will have access to the base building and base raids featured in City of Villains.

Good times had by all, if they would just hurry up and get the new tech from CoV into CoH.

Welcome to Florida. Liquid Sunshine State.

Property rights: Your gun in your car.

Florida businesses could soon face criminal charges if they try to stop employees from bringing guns to work in their cars, thrusting the state into a growing national debate pitting individual freedom against job safety.

Backed by the National Rifle Association, two state lawmakers have filed bills that would allow workers to have guns at work, as long as the weapons remain locked in their vehicles.

Debate about guns in workplace parking lots erupted in 2002, when 12 workers at an Oklahoma paper mill lost their jobs after managers found guns in their vehicles parked on site, a violation of company policy.

The state's Legislature responded by passing a law giving employees the right to keep guns locked in their cars at work. Several companies filed suit in a case still winding its way through federal court.

The Florida bills will likely face similar opposition from businesses.

"We would be opposed to any effort that would prevent us from determining who can or cannot bring weapons onto our property," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said.

Bill Herrle, a vice president for the Florida Retail Federation, said the group questions whether the proposal would conflict with existing employment law and property rights.

Boys and girls, that is the crux of the issue. Do the employers have the right to tell you what you can and can't have inside your private property, if such said property is on company premises. Where I work, I remember a passage in the handbook banning weapons from company property. Fine and dandy. However, the passage made mention of any vehicle parked on company property.

Whoa! Wait a second. I've done some research and can't find where an employer has the right to tell you what you can and can't have in your private conveyance. The next year, that employee handbook was updated to say company vehicle instead of any vehicle. Understood, that's their property.

So, who's property rights win out? Tell you the truth, as long as they have no right to search my conveyance, I'll tell them anything they want to hear. Otherwise, they better have proof.

Boobiethon. Go. Donate.

Sometimes, you just need that little push to get you going in the right direction. A good person needs no incentive, but being rewarded for good behavior is always nice. :)

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Look ma, no hands.

• It's Photoshop Phriday!
  Mmmmm, delicious movie tie-ins.


• How one idiot with a camera can ruin it for the rest.
  If you're having fun with the opposite sex, the time to share is AFTERWARDS!


• Serenity starts today.
  Go see the movie about the best gorram show Fox ever farked over.


• Your shit don't stink?
  Here's the science that says it does.


• Cybersex is grounds for divorce.
  Good thing I don't live in Belgium.


• China is about to be penetrated by Longwang.
  I be he's a hit with the ladies.


• Woman Ticketed For Sitting On Park Bench With No Kids.
  Welcome to zero tolerance, which means zero thinking because laws are written with zero common sense.


• A beautiful, heavenly body.
  Get your minds out of the gutter, it's just Hyperion.


• A great new movie staring Jack Nicholson.
  Looks to be a great family movie!

Friday FIREPOWER!
Boys and girls, this weekend is a momentous occasion. The duty to retreat is gone. Read it and weep, anti-gun suckers!

The 2005 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES Chapter 776
JUSTIFIABLE USE OF FORCE

776.012 Use of force in defense of person.--A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other's imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:

(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or

(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.

776.013 Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.--

(1) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:

(a) The person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person's will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and

(b) The person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.

(2) The presumption set forth in subsection (1) does not apply if:

(a) The person against whom the defensive force is used has the right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is not an injunction for protection from domestic violence or a written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person; or

(b) The person or persons sought to be removed is a child or grandchild, or is otherwise in the lawful custody or under the lawful guardianship of, the person against whom the defensive force is used; or

(c) The person who uses defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity or is using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further an unlawful activity; or

(d) The person against whom the defensive force is used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who enters or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person entering or attempting to enter was a law enforcement officer.

(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

(4) A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person's dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence.

(5) As used in this section, the term:

(a) "Dwelling" means a building or conveyance of any kind, including any attached porch, whether the building or conveyance is temporary or permanent, mobile or immobile, which has a roof over it, including a tent, and is designed to be occupied by people lodging therein at night.

(b) "Residence" means a dwelling in which a person resides either temporarily or permanently or is visiting as an invited guest.

(c) "Vehicle" means a conveyance of any kind, whether or not motorized, which is designed to transport people or property.

776.031 Use of force in defense of others.--A person is justified in the use of force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to prevent or terminate the other's trespass on, or other tortious or criminal interference with, either real property other than a dwelling or personal property, lawfully in his or her possession or in the possession of another who is a member of his or her immediate family or household or of a person whose property he or she has a legal duty to protect. However, the person is justified in the use of deadly force only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. A person does not have a duty to retreat if the person is in a place where he or she has a right to be.

Of course, there are those that do oppose such a thing...

Florida's 'Force with force' law sparks campaign to warn tourists about potential violence

Warning that Florida streets have the potential to morph into the O.K. Corral, gun-control advocates will launch an international campaign to alert travelers about a new state law that allows people to use deadly force in self-defense.

Because, you know, it would be bad to be able to legally defend yourself in any situation outside your home.

On Saturday it will become legal to use force on an attacker without first trying to escape the confrontation.

Only with the commission of a forcible felony. See the above listed statutes.

"Under existing law, you have a duty to try to run and maybe get chased down and beaten to death," she added. "Now, if you have a knife, firearm or pepper spray, you can use force to protect yourself."

It does a bit more than that. It prevents zealot prosecutors from using perfect hindsight and crime-scene analysis to nitpick a charge against someone because they didn't have time to try and open a door or window. Seconds count in the street, during a situation, not so much in a courtroom months later.

The Brady Campaign, established by former presidential spokesman Jim Brady and his wife Sarah, plans to aggressively advertise on the Internet to warn out-of-state tourists. Hamm said that as of Wednesday when the phrase "Florida Vacation" is typed onto some search engines a link to www.shootfirstlaw.org will pop up.

The group is also running ads in the travel sections of the Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, Chicago Tribune and likely some London newspapers beginning Sunday. They will also be putting up billboards in places where they can be easily seen by tourists and passing out airport fliers in English and Spanish.

I will give the anti-gun blissninnies this, they do know their target audience. It is always easier to preach anti-gun messages to the choir of the disarmed.