Meditations on Self Defense

Lawdog has posted a spot-on post about the obligation of a society to defend itself from any critter wanting to do them harm.

And this example, Gentle Readers, is the exact reason why I throw things at the TeeVee every time some talking head in a uniform, or some Brady idiot, steps up to the microphone and solemnly parrots, "We don't recommend that people fight back" or "The best thing is to cooperate and let the criminal have what he wants."

Bushwa. Codswallop. Horse-puckey.

Every-stinking-time this variety of oral spew is uttered, it goes into critter Risk/Reward assessments and encourages them. Hells bloody bells, these sorts of statements encouraging -- rewarding -- critters should be grounds for arresting the idiots uttering them.

Evil is not defeated by submitting to it. Evil is not defeated by running away from it; nor is evil defeated by ignoring it.

Evil is only defeated by fighting back.

Careful where you get your driving advice.

He posted on the BMW M5 forum — www.M5board.com — as "AmericanM5," the proud new owner of a 2008 BMW M5 painted Space Gray.

He had a problem. It happened when he had "everything set to max" and changed gear with the shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. As he said, "and I'm going pedal to the metal pushing 140 and upshifting, there tends to be a thud noise with the gear change." AmericanM5 wanted to know if this was normal.

And he added: "Let me say I am a beginner when it comes to high-performance cars as I am only 18, so take it easy on me."

The forum members told him that yes, the sensation of an abrupt gear engagement is normal with the M5's automated sequential manual transmission, but several also took the opportunity to express their concerns.

Wrote one: "It's just disturbing to know...that an 18-year-old who is asking these questions about a 500-horsepower car is driving the same streets I am. I don't have anything against young guys driving nice cars, but an 18-year-old being [behind] the wheel of an M5 is what accidents are made of."

AmericanM5 responded: "I completely understand where you are coming from, assuming that I am irresponsible...that is definitely understandable. I do sometimes make bad decisions but I am young and I do drive safe and I will not endanger the lives of others."

These posts were dated January 25, 2008.

At 3:30 a.m. on January 26, a 2008 BMW M5 painted Space Gray flew off the raised end of a runway at a private airport just outside Ocala, Florida, sailed 200 feet through the air and stuck a huge tree. The impact with the tree occurred 15 feet off the ground. Five young men, aged 18 to 20, were killed instantly.

Members of the M5Board began to put the pieces together. AmericanM5 said he was 18, had a 2008 M5 in Space Gray, and said he lived in the Ocala area. And he signed one of the posts, "Josh."

The driver of the crashed M5 had been Josh Ammirato.

What's that old adage? "You can take an idiot to the internet, but can't make him learn?"

What is a 710?

A few days ago I was having some work done at my local garage. A blonde came in and asked for a seven-hundred-ten. We all looked at each other and another customer asked, 'What is a seven-hundred-ten?' She replied, 'You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one.' She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there. The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked ‘is there a 710 on this car?' She pointed and said, 'Of course, its there.'

If you're not sure what a 710 is, Click Here.

Happy 50th LEGOs

The 50th birthday of the LEGO brick is in January 2008 and there is plenty to celebrate. Children all over the world have played with LEGO bricks for the past 50 years, and LEGO is still right at the top of many wish lists – just as it always has been. Industry and trade associations also recognize the LEGO success. Just before the turn of the millennium the LEGO brick was voted “Toy of the Century”, one of the highest awards in the toy industry, by both Fortune Magazine in the US and the British Association of Toy Retailers.

The LEGO history began in 1932 in Denmark, when Ole Kirk Christansen founded a small factory for wooden toys in the unknown town of Billund in the south of the country. To find a name for his company he organized a competition among his employees. As fate would have it however, he himself came up with the best name: LEGO – a fusion of the Danish words “LEg” and “GOdt” (“play well”).

Barely 15 years later Christiansen discovered plastic as the ideal material for toy production, and bought the first injection moulding machine in Denmark. His courage, input and investment paid off: in 1949 he developed the LEGO brick prototype, which continues to excite countless children and adults to this very day. Over the years he perfected the brick, which is still the basis of the entire LEGO game and building system today. Of course there have been small adjustments in shape, colour and design from time to time, but today’s LEGO bricks still fit bricks from 1958.

Another game I won't have time for.

Still, I might just have to get me an Xbox360 once the HDTV goes in.

What do you do if you see a wreck including a beer truck?

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You steal that shit. Of course, these folks aren't scientologists, because they aren't helping the situation.

And the obligatory "Wanted for questioning":

Old gun control testimony still as poignant as ever.

The woman in the video is Suzanna Hupp. Suzanna was dining with her parents at a Luby's on October 16, 1991 when George Hennard drove his truck through the front window, then proceeded to kill 23 people, wound 20 more, then commit suicide. Hupp, who had a handgun in her vehicle, was prevented by law from bringing it into the establishment. A law that was eventually fixed, and prompted Mrs. Hupp to run for office.

A humanoid figure on Mars.

ARM outstretched, head tilted in mid-stride — is this mystery figure the final proof that life exists on Mars?

The intriguing image was captured by Nasa’s six-wheeled robot explorer Spirit during its three-month mission to study the surface of the Red Planet.

Snapped at the rock-strewn Gusev Crater, believed by scientists to be the bed of an ancient lake, the grainy picture appears to show a Bigfoot-style alien creature strolling casually down a hill.

Wanted for questioning:

What would you do if....

A Terminator 2 quiz.

Just in time for the Sarah Connor Chronicles...and no I didn't remember the PIN number either.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

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Bad day to go car shopping.

A midair collision between two single-engine planes over suburban Los Angeles left at least five people dead, including one killed by the falling wreckage, police and federal officials reported.

The collision occurred about 3:35 p.m. Sunday (6:35 p.m. ET) in Corona, California, about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

The pilot of each aircraft was killed, along with one passenger in each plane and another person inside a car dealership below, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Wayne Pollack said.

The engine and part of the cockpit of the Cessna 150 fell through the roof of a Chevrolet dealership killing one person inside the building, he said.

Well, statistically speaking, flying is still the safest way to travel. Unfortunately, instances are very binary in nature. Either everyone dies or everyone lives.

How to make your daddy proud.

I'll take my eggs, condition 1 please.

Shop or I'll shoot! Is it because we're in the midst of a nonsensical war, or because we have a republican as president? Whatever the reason, gun-shaped objects seem to be all the rage these days. So, if you've got a thing for guns, (handguns, pistols, revolvers or whatever shoots), here's a list of items to admire. Or loathe. Your choice.

NBC set to ruin a great BBC show

The popular BBC car show "Top Gear" is revving up a U.S. edition.

NBC has ordered a pilot for "Gear," to be produced by BBC Worldwide Prods. Like the original, it will be a mix of cars, humor and celebrities.

Casting is under way for hosts of "Gear," which will be announced at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The pilot will be filmed at a secret location around Los Angeles equipped with a race track and hangar where the show will be filmed in front of a audience.

"It's a show with a very edgy point of view," BBC Worldwide Prods. topper Paul Telegdy said. "It's a celebration of car ownership but also a celebration of attitude and anti-establishment in every sense of the word."

NBC reality chief Craig Plestis said he is a longtime fan of "Top Gear."

"It all comes down to subject matter -- it's a cool show about cars," he said. "It's very compelling for us because we have a great platform and space on the network to have such a show."

See, this shows that they know nothing about the magic that is Top Gear. Top Gear isn't about the cars, it is about the hosts and their interaction with motoring. Jeremy Clarkson's smart ass remarks, Hamster's nice guy attitude, and May...well, May is just happy to be there. There is no way to replicate that on this side of the states. NBC should have just given up when Clarkson said no. Besides how the hell could they get away with destroying a car wash with a homemade convertible van in America without getting their ass sued.

Internet Rule 34 in real life. NSFW

Inspired by comic book and anime art, and crafted using cutting edge materials, these posable silicone dolls are designed with fun in mind. Boy Toy Dolls are lightweight, easy to maintain, and made of an exclusive, all new silicone material. They have features that cannot be found on any other doll in the world.

And yes, of course, they are anatomically correct!

Hand crafted by the creator of RealDoll, through a new sister company of Abyss Creations, Phoenix Studios, these dolls will only be available as limited editions. Each Boy Toy is named after a month, and the quantity of each doll that will be made will be equal to the number of days in that month. There will only be 31 Miss December dolls, 31 Miss January, etc. These are extremely limited quantities, and each doll will be hand detailed by Matt McMullen and include a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Internet rule 34 roughly states that if it is in cartoon form, then there is porn of it. Follow the link to see the NSFW site and pictures of the "girls".

Here's looking at you kid:


Go ahead, stick you weiner in:

Boom

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Soul Caliber IV character update

Um, Holy Shit! Might have to get a PS3 for this one.

EDIT: Ah yes, Penny Arcade has weighed in on the matter.

Like guns and have a Citi-Bank card, read this.

Long and short of it: Citi doesn't support non-face to face transactions. Their prerogative. It also isn't your prerogative to use their services either. Free market. Love it!

Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp. are refusing to process any credit card transactions between federally licensed firearms retailers, distributors and manufacturers -- a move which will severely limit available inventory of firearms and ammunition to military, law enforcement and law-abiding Americans.

The first company to be affected by this decision appears to be firearms distributor CDNN Sports Inc.

"We were contacted recently by First Data/Citi Merchant Services by a June Rivera-Mantilla stating that we were terminated and funds were being seized for selling firearms in a non-face-to-face transaction," said Charlie Crawford, president of CDNN Sports Inc. "Although perfectly legal, we were also informed that no transactions would be processed in the future, even for non-firearms. I find this very frightening."

More from The High Road:

First Data's reply

Thank you for your message. The posting at www.nssf.org regarding Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp. is inaccurate. Further, while we generally do not comment on individual merchant customers, we would like to briefly address the 12/26 letter posted on the web site. Regretfully, that letter did a less than satisfactory job of expressing applicable policies. Those policies are more properly detailed below.

Citi Merchant Services and First Data do process firearms transactions. Our policy restrictions address only the sale of firearms in a non face-to-face environment. Non face-to-face transactions occur when a cardholder is not present in front of a merchant and includes mail order and online purchases. It is our policy not to service merchants that make non face-to-face sales in a number of industries, including firearms.

It is not the policy of Citi Merchant Services or First Data to refuse to process transactions from duly licensed merchants that sell firearms in face-to-face transactions at the point of sale.

The posting also incorrectly states that Robert Tenenbaum is the supervisor when, in fact, he is not.

9-11 is good. 9mm is better.

Top 50 video game cabinets

Seeing classic arcade game machines lined up next to each other is an easy way to have a wave of nostalgia smack you in the face harder than a hurled barrel compliments of Donkey Kong himself. It brings you back to a time when games were simple, fun, and fairly cheap to play for the most part. Whether it was laughing at how all the enemies bullets traveled 75% slower than your own or enjoying the cheesy digitized voices, there's no denying the classic games had something special.

But there is something about arcade games that we don't think gets enough credit. While everybody has their picks for the best games, most people don't give too much thought about the artistry that was put into the cabinets which held these games. It is with that in mind that I-Mockery is paying tribute to what we consider to be the The 50 Greatest Arcade Cabinets In Video Game History! Keep in mind, this list isn't ranking the games themselves, but the unique designs for the cabinets and cockpits which encased them. Chances are, you'll see some games on here that you've never even heard of, and that's likely because some of them sucked more than E.T. on the Atari 2600. But hey, at least their outer shell designs were damned nice to look at! Furthermore, if there are some games you feel should be on the list, let us know and we might eventually add them!

What, no Street Fighter 1 with the plunger pads?

There are Klingons in the Whitehouse.

Well, at least they aren't around Uranus.

Stop. Hammer fight.

A schoolboy was hit with a hammer in an attack resembling a Quentin Tarantino film, a court has heard.

Henry Webster, 16, was punched, kicked and hit repeatedly on the head on a tennis court at Ridgeway School in Wroughton, Wiltshire, in 2007.

He suffered three skull fractures, one of which caused brain injury.

Two men aged 19 and 18 and two boys aged 15 and 16 are appearing at Bristol Crown Court charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Mr Patrick said a fight was arranged in January last year, after Henry had "barged" into a group of boys in a school corridor.

"It was to be a fair fight. A one-on-one - or so Henry thought.

Well, there is the problem. If you find yourself in a fair fight, you've probably made a mistake. Besides, ginger kids don't have moves like these...

Indian Sweet Child O Mine

Much better than that Sheryl Crow crap version, IMHO.

Just in time for next Christmas

Alienware put on what it termed a "technology statement" in Vegas tonight with the aptly named "curved display." That's its unofficial name. It also has no price yet, and no release date more specific than "second half of 2008." What we can tell you is that after the brief minute or so we spent with this monitor, we think high-end PC gamers are going to be excited for this monitor.

The specifics are that it's a rear-projection DLP screen that can run at a resolution of 2,880 by 900 pixels (wider than a 30-inch LCD, but not quite as tall). Alienware also said it was running off only a single, midrange ATI Radeon HD 3870 graphics card. We only sat down (crouched, really) in front of the curved display for a minute, but we were instantly impressed by the level of immersion. The panoramic screen encompasses your entire line of sight, including your peripheral vision. The effect eliminates almost all visual distractions from your gameplay.

Election Quiz

The quiz seems to be based on the answers that the candidates have given up until this point (and info from their websites). Where do you match up?

It stuck me near Rudy. I won't vote for Rudy. Sorry, but the gun control thing in NYC and his answer at the YouTube debate completely soured me on him. They're all a bunch of left-wingers to me. :P

Rudy Giuliani

Here you find an overview of all issues. You can click on an issue to see your repsonses and responses from Rudy Giuliani as well as the sources on which they are based.

50% agreement Gun control
83% agreement Environment
75% agreement Iraq
92% agreement Economy
83% agreement Income
83% agreement National security
67% agreement Family
67% agreement Immigration
92% agreement Health care
50% agreement Law and order
58% agreement Education
67% agreement Terrorism

Your man playing video games too much?

Use your persuasion, courtesy of CTRLALTDEL-ONLINE.COM.

Today's awwwwwww moment

Worse Movie Evah: a trailer review.

Once again proving why video game movies should never, ever be made by Boll, here is a review of the trailer for In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Film. Sad thing is that given that title, he plans more...

Were you spanked as a kid?

Happy New Years. Got goals?

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