The Countertop Chronicles

"Run by a gun zealot who's too blinded by the NRA" - Sam Penney of RaisingKaine.com

Monday, January 31, 2005

No Blogging

I'm sorry, I just don't feel like blogging about anything. I want to post details about the shooting/suicide at Blue Ridge, but just can't bring myself to do it. I don't have much else to say, so, I guess I won't.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Suicide

I went down to Blue Ridge Arsenal in Fairfax, VA to sell a gun and shoot a little and a guy on Range 1 (I was on Range 2) decided to try and kill himself. May god have mercy on his soul.

I had a bunch of stuff to actually post, but sorry, I just don't feel like it. I'm going to Church.

UPDATE: The Firing Line has more.

Friday, January 28, 2005

More on the FN Five-seveN

Jed at Freedom sight has a worthwhile update. You might also want to look at some of the comments in my original post. The only thing I will add to this is that it appears, from what numerous sources have told me, that FN still isn't marketing the Five-seveN for civilian sale. However, because of the lackluster military and police sales it achieved, it is basically sending them into the stream of commerce and not prohibiting its civilian sale - though not promoting it either. It just lets the product speak for itself - which apparantly isn't all that Brady cracks it up to be since sales still seem low.

I'll try to post some more precise figures during my weekly update post this weekend.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

May They Recieve No Resumes

The Department of Justice is looking for more attorney's to steal more of your land.
The Land Acquisition Section within the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, seeks to hire an experienced Trial Attorney to be located in Washington, D.C. The Land Acquisition Section is primarily responsible for acquiring interests in land on behalf of federal agencies via condemnation proceedings filed in federal district courts throughout the country. Agency purposes for acquisition may range from establishment of national parks to providing office space for federal employees to conducting military training. The legal and factual issues involved in determining just compensation are frequently complex and include ascertainment of the market value of property through use of recognized professional appraisal standards. Land Acquisition Section attorneys seek to implement the protection of the Fifth Amendment in a way that is just both to property owners and taxpayers.
Having spent a considerable amount of time practicing against these bastards, I can assure you that the last section is complete and utter 100% bullshit.


May they recieve no resumes.

Repeal The Seventeenth Amendment

Ravnwood has a brilliant piece up on the 17th Amendment and the erosion of states rights .

I'd just ad, as a former Vermont resident, that I am glad they are looking in this direction. Vermont probably has the fewest miles of interstate highways in the entire country, and according to Steve is only recieving $10 million a year in Federal Funds anyway. It seems to me that the state would take in well over $10 million in increased tax revenue just on the sale of beer to the kids in Burlington . . . . let alone through all the additional skiers and snowbaorders the state would attract during the winter.

Sounds like a great plan to me (both repealing the 17th Amendment and the 21 Years Old to drink law)

Screw The Public

Planned Parenthood takes the notion of screwing the customer to a whole new level.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Feel Good Story of the Year

Ya got to feel good for Eagles Tight End Jeff Thomason, though not necessarily the Philadelphia Eagles who I am sure don't want to be in this position.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Johnny Carson

Everyone seems to have something to say on Johnny Carson's passing.

I don't . . . . except that I have fond memories of watching Night Court followed by Carson and then Letterman with my then girlfriend and now wife in our dorm at the University of Tennessee. Very fond.

Anyway, while he is generally a little harsh, I tend to agree with Jeff Soyer's take on the three days of non-stop necrophiliac cock-sucking by the MSM.

Tant is Back

The Crease may be gone, but John Tant is back and blogging with the Dummocrats!!

Welcome back John!!!

Blogiversary

Though I haven't been posting in about a week. My intended posts this weekend didn't go up because, well, I have a family and a job and some things need to take priority.

So there you go. I celebrated my blogiversary by not blogging!!!!
What a wonderful concept.

Blogging is going to be pretty much non existant this week too as I work up something new and exciting here. . . . . oh what the heck, I'll tell you know.

Between work and family, I am finding the time to blog increasingly scarce and therefore in an attempt to preserve any remaining shred of quality left with this tired youn blog I am going to try to turn this into a weekly blog (not weak, I said week). That means I will work all week long to put together some material (a song lyric, pictures, thoughtful commentary, etc) and then every Sunday evening I will make my one post - so that you can spend all week taking your time to read this here blog.

Of course, if something sufficinetly exciting happens, I may post about it sooner than Sunday.

Got that. Great. We'll see how this experiment works.

In the mean time, read some Rachel Lucas. I mean, the girl is just brilliant.

Oh my god, make her shut her stupid face

For the love of christ. What a bitter old wretch.

I'd pay good money to see Condi answer one of Boxer's questions with the actual answer, followed by, "Got it? Bitch?"

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Starbucks

How The Fuck Can A Small Cup of Coffee be called tall?

Pure Genius

Light Blogging Alert

With the President throwing a small little party, and me getting the heck out of Dodge for it, blogging will be light the next few days. Actually, it will be nonexistent tomorrow, very light on friday as I am at Georgetown, and pretty light this weekend since I am going skiing. Of course, Saturday is my one year Blogiversary, so i will have a bit of a special recap post up for that which your not going to want to miss.

Till then . . . . .

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Spirit of America

Congrats are in order to the folks at Spirit of America and all those bloggers who participated in the Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge. The Challenge raised $93,869 for Spirit of America
and projects in Iraq and Afghanistan while Spirit of America
received $409,133 in overall donations in December.

TOP 5 BLOGGER TEAMS
Northern Alliance: $12,293
Castle Argghhh! Fighting Fusileers for Freedom: $7,305
Team Pajamahadeen - Operation Viral Freedom: $5,060
TTLB EcoTeam: $1,837
Lizardoid Nation: $1,180

TOP 5 INDIVIDUAL BLOGGERS
Iraq the Model: $17,240
Little Green Footballs: $16,706
Roger Simon: $11,192
Adventures of Chester: $2,163
Chrenkoff: $1,485 (go Aussies!)

Of course, a special congratulations is in order for those crazy right wing wacko gun bloggers who came in a very close 6th place (by only $30 dollars, If I was paying more attention, we would have been a top 5 team) with a hearty thanks to our leader The Geek With A .45!!!

The rest of the team was
Because I Say So
Benjamin
FreedomSight
Head's Bunker
Heartless Libertarian
The Smallest Minority
TriggerFinger
and of course myself.

Thanks to everyone for participating!!!

God Bless Richard Branson

But F the French

"Since you have gaming and you have private double beds maybe there are two ways of getting lucky on a Virgin plane," entrepreneur Branson told reporters in France.

Drunken Road Trips

Ever take a drunken road trip???

I've been on several (and not just drunken) but I've never put as much heart into their retelling as Steve does in his discussion of the Trip to Pitt.

He's my drunken hero or the day!!

The Ten Ring

Denise from The Ten Ring commented on my post about not moving to Massachussets.

I hadn't read the Ten Ring before (that I remember) but really enjoyed it. I recomend you take a glance, about her sentimental post on shooting for the first time and thoughtful post on supporting your sport (its a long one, but worth it). She also has a nauseating post on obtaining a gun license in Massachussets. I read it and once again said God Bless The Virginia Citizen's Defense League!!!

God Bless The Old Dominion

The metal detector just inside the doors of Virginia's General Assembly Building let out a shriek Monday as Stafford resident Bruce Jackson strode through.

That was not at all surprising, since Jackson was wearing a loaded .45-caliber handgun under his blazer. On the other side of the gate, a uniformed Capitol Police officer examined his driver's license, then his concealed handgun permit, had a quick word and waved him along.


And God Bless the Virginia Citizen's Defense Leauge!!
The routine took only a few moments, but for Jackson and other members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, it required one step too many.

. . . .

"You don't have to ask the government for permission to carry a gun," said Philip Van Cleave, president of the league. "Once you start whittling away at the right, when do you stop?"

About 30 members of the league, a 2,400-member gun advocacy group, visited Richmond on Monday to lobby for loosened rules for gun owners. Besides the new restriction, the group also hopes to repeal a ban on carrying concealed weapons in restaurants that serve alcohol. "It's not about drinking," Van Cleave said. "It's about going into a restaurant to eat."


All in all, a pretty fair article in an otherwise overtly hostile paper.

Blue Ridge Arsenal

Blue Ridge Arsenal has had its share of problems over the years, but since new owners took over, the place is 150% improved. I was there yesterday and it was packed!!

Anyway, I was researching something here at work and came across this great article on Slate about it.

Enjoy!

WOW!!!

Sorry for the light postings this long weekend, but I've spent some quality time with the family as well as shopping for a new 1911. I come back, and am shocked by how many people have ended up reading my Five-seveN post.. Incredible how fast some things spread on the internet.

Anyway, while I was away this weekend, I did some more snooping around and wanted to tie up some loose ends with the post. I'll try to update it later today - probably after work since I'll be real busy in the office (its a short week - Monday and Thursday the office is closed and Friday I am at school).

Till then . . . . .

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Not Moving To Boston

I was thinking of taking a job in Boston, much to the chagrin and resistance of my wife.

Not anymore. God bless the Commonwealth of Virginia.

mASS BACKWARDS has the shocking details, which beg the question - at what point does the citizenry final have enough??

Friday, January 14, 2005

Let's Talk Media Bias

New York City's Free Daily Paper - am New York ran this sensational headline today
NEW GUN ALERT
NYPD concerned about new pistol hitting the streets
Its written by Adam Hutton, an am New York staff writer and perhaps the first nominee for this years award as worst journalist (wholly fictional story).
Since there is so much wrong with this story, lets just parse the whole thing down.
The New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association wants the government to outlaw a new handgun that easily cuts through bulletproof vests and pushes cops even further into harm's way.

"It's a killing machine," local PBA president Pat Lynch said yesterday. "It has no other use. There's no legal reason for this weapon to be available to the public. It only makes the dangerous job of police officers that much more dangerous."
Uh, right. Pat Lynch. As partisan and as out of touch with the members of the NYPD as almost any union official has ever been. He is a stooge for Chuck Schummer and the anti constitution gun banning lobby and nothing else. That's a great, credible source of information Mr. Hutton. I wonder if you'll interview any one else. Perhaps someone from the NRA, or even the manufacturer of the gun in question? I doubt it.

As for the statement that there is no legal reason for the gun to be available to the public, I guess Mr. Lynch never took any government classes in grade school. Or if he did, the New York school system must just skipped over that inconvenient little document called the Bill of Rights. Of course, we all know that the gun doesn't push cop's further in harms way, rather the criminals that a corrupt and morally bankrupt education system fostered by the likes of Mr. Schumer and his pals are the only ones pushing cops into harms way.
Its armor-piercing capabilities are a major selling point in the manufacturers description of the gun and ammo.

"Enemy personnel, even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters," boasts the company's Web site. "Any presently available soft body armor that allows reasonable mobility will be penetrated."
Actually, that quote doesn't seem to come from the company's web page at all. Here is what FN actually says.
The Five seveN Pistol is the companion weapon to the P90 sub-machine gun. The Five seveN is an easily concealable double action pistol with a larger, 20-round magazine capacity. A maximum use has been made of composite materials in the frame and slide to result in an extremely light weight, 1.7 pound, design. The 5.7x28mm ammunition has the capability of penetrating body armor at extended ranges. This new ammunition features a lead-free projectile to eliminate environmental concerns. NATO STANAG classification for the ammunition is currently underway.
Where did you get your quote Mr. Hutton? And why did you use it when, for the purposes you have used it, it seems to me that FN's quote might be just as shocking? Of course, lots of guns can pierce body armor, especially soft body armor. There simply is NO SUCH THING AS A BULLET PROOF VEST. What will the NYPD try to ban next, my .30-30 Marlin hunting rifle? Ooops, I forgot, Mr. Schumer and his corrupt cronies like Ted Kennedy and John Kerry already have tried to do that. I wonder what Mr. Lynch would think of the .30 Carbine revolver the guy next to me was shooting last night at the NRA? Thats an old time cowboy gun, but guess what, its gonna pierce soft body armor as well!!
The public availability of the gun worries the NYPD.

"This weapon is particularly worrisome based on its caliber and its ability to pierce armor," said NYPD Inspector Michael Coan. "Although it may be useful for the military, we see no reason why a civilian should possess such a weapon."
Apparantly, NYPD Inspector Coan, speaking I guess for all NY cops without any indication that all NY cops have consented to his repsentation, went to the same school as Mr. Lynch. You know, the one I discussed above that didn't discuss the Bill of Rights in government class. They probably didn't teach them about U.S. v. Miller, the only modern Supreme Court discussion of the 2nd Amendment, where the Supreme Court strongly suggested that the only weapons actually covered by the 2nd Amendment were military type firearms, ammunitation and magazines since they are central to the term militia/military.

Oh wait, my bad. It turns out that Mr. Coan, as the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information (as political of a job as you can imagine), does represent all the cops. I wonder how those cops actually feel about him? Of course, it helps that you actually know what your talking about before you say anything. That's something my current employer insists upon. Apparantly, the NYPD does not (which I will get to in a second).

Police in Connecticut recently seized a "Five-seveN" pistol made by FN Herstal, a Belgium based company that also manufacturers the pepper spray pellet gun that killed a 21 year old reveling Red Sox fan in Boston last fall
Well, thats interesting. It would be nice to have some more information on this seizure, wouldn't it? Was the gun being used illegally in a crime? Was it stolen? What occurred to make the police seize it? And who cares about pellet guns? Is am New York and Mr Hutton now suggesting that we ban pellet guns too? Or just put people out of business who's guns are misused? Of course, that would mean that New York's finest can no longer carry the Glocks they used to murder Amadou Diallo? Or what about all those people that have been murdered over the years by cops using Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers? Huh? Plenty of them were NYPD officers. I wonder what Mr. Lynch's feelings about that are?
After loading the weapon with ammunication that can be bought legally by the public, the police fired three rounds at a bulletproof vest from 21 feet away. All three bullets went through the font and back of the vest.

"Most shooting take place at a distance much shorter than that," said local PBA spokesman Al O'Leary after viewing a videotape of the Connecticut police ballistics test. O'Leary told amNew York the association wants the state and federal governments to ban the "Five-seveN" and its ammo.

At eight inches long and weighing less than two pounds, the weapon is easily concealed and uses the same ammunition as the company's p90 machine gun. The sleek bullets are fired from the barrel at a much higher velocity than other handguns, which is what allows them to puncture armor.

For less than $1,000, customers can get the gun, two 20 round magazines and 50 bullets.


Well, I guess Al O'Leary must be old school chums with Mrrs. Coan and Lynch. He apparantly didn't learn about the bill of rights either. Of course, this ballistics test is sort of odd. Was it really a bullet proof vest they fired at? Or was it just soft body armor? And what was the vest supported by (ya know, how you position the vest and what is behind the vest will impact these sorts of things). As for the ammo - lots of ammo can be bought legally by the public. Its that old bill of rights thing - and most of it will pierce body armor under the right conditions, though truth be told couldn't they have gotten someone who was part of the testing team to comment, not simply someone who watched a video?? I seem to remember CNN got into trouble basing an anti gun story on a fake video. Maybe thats the standard Mr Hutton strives for. Of course, the dumbest thing about this whole article is how flawed its underlying premise really is.

While we can argue day and night over whether a criminal will pay $1,000 for a gun, 50 bullets and two magazines (I don't think they will, because they can get plenty of other guns that do the same thing for much less money), the fact is its not all that apparant that Fabirque National will even sell the Five-seveN to the general public. In fact, absent a police department or government agency deciding to part with one (or allowing one to be stolen) a criminal can't obtain one. You see, FN has restricted sales of the Five-seveN to military and law enforcement agencies only!!!

What's that you say, Mr. Hutton's story and concerns are utter bogus bullshit? Yep, you heard right.

According to Modern Fireams, the Five-seveN is available from FN for government or law enforcement sales only a point confirmed by FN's own web page.
Suggested Price:
(Law Enforcement agencies only- 5.7 x 28 caliber weapons are not available to the general public)



Nothing like doing a bit of research.

I wonder if Mr. Hutton even actually checked out FN's web page? What a fine start to a long and crappy career in journalism.

After this whopper, Mr. Hutton has nowhere to go but up.
In fact, I hear CBS and 60 minutes have a couple of openings for your talent with his moral compass.

What a Sunset

I am looking out my office window right now, at the White House and the Old Executive Office Building and the Washington Monument and witnessing the most incredible sunset I have ever seen!

Of course, its the first day I have forgotten to bring my camera to work.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Go Apple Go!

It seems everyone in the blogsphere wants to attack Apple nowadays. First it was my good buddy from up in Vermont Jeff Soyer complaining about Apple defending its intellectual property.

Now, it turns out the Blogfather himself, an actual law professor, doesn't seem to get it either.

I just don't get it. Why don't people understand basic concepts of property ownership?

Let me give you a hypothetical. Say someone stole one of your guns, turned around and sold it, and then one day you saw the guy with it using it at the range. Wouldn't you be pissed? Shouldn't you have a right to stop him from using it? Should you be able to have him tell you who he purchased it from?

That is what's going on here.

Trade Secret information that is vital to Apple's future competitiveness (lots of people want a heads up on new Apple technologies - to either incorporate into PCs or to incorporate into MP3 players) was leaked.

In order to retain the protections afford by the law to its trade secret information, Apple must restrict its distribution to a very small number of people and vigorously protect against any breachs of its protections. One of those persons with access, who had Apple's trust and signed a non disclosure agreement, has been leaking this stuff and giving Apple's competitors a heads up as to new developments.

Apple simply wants to stop it. I don't think Steve Jobs or Apple's lawyers are dumb enough to think they can resolve the harm that happened in this case, but they want to stop it from occurring in the future and in order to claim trade secret protection in a prosecution of the leaker (or an action against someone who has stolen this idea or for a future product) Apple must vigorously defend its rights when information is leaked. If they don't take this action the courts will not provide them the protections for future products.

So, Apple essentially had no choice but to do what it did. And what it did is no different than any one else would do in Apple's situation.

For me, the fact that this web page knew what they were doing was wrong all along (based upon the facts as I have read them) makes them all the more culpable.

I'm sorry folks, but get off of Apples back on this.

No Fat Chicks In Bikinis

No Fat Chicks In Bikinis.

OK?

Got It?

It used to be a sticker on my car. Its a motto to live by. If you don't things like this happen (you've been warned).

Apparantly, its not only a serious problem for American's, but also for
Brazilian's as well. And just image, they REALLY like the dental floss string bikinis down there.




(pun intended).

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

More on 'HFS

The Washington Post is planning a big story on WHFS tomorrow and has a Live Online session currently up.

'HFS didn't have the biggest ratings (in fact, they were actually quite pathetic considering how many people seem to be fans) but it was a D.C. institution. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, in D.C. seems to be shocked at this news.

I didn't listen to the station too much (I prefer 94.7 WARW - Classic Rock) but certainly had it preset on my radio and like many others in town would always skim by, usually out of old time sake. The HFStival that the station held every spring may have been the biggest long running annual rock and roll show in the country.

WHFS

Like most cities, D.C. has it's alternative rock station. However, unlike most cities, D.C.'s alternative rock station can pretty much take most of the claim blame for originating the format. In any case, WHFS, which broadcasts at 99.1 on the FM dial, actually was broadcasting at a different location in the 1970s. I didn't know that, and after reading this historyI can say there is a lot I didn't know about the station.

Sadly though, it appears that Infinity Broadcasting, which know owns WHFS has killed that station in favor of some Spanish language crap.

Rocket Science

Want to lose weight?

The government on Wednesday urged most Americans to eat fewer calories and exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day, updating guidelines that advised people to lose weight but gave few specifics on how to do it."


Geeez, now they tell me! I thought I was supposed to sit on my ass watching Oprah while I ate bon bons and drank beer.

BUsh's Ownership Confusion

From today's Wall Street Journal.
On the campaign trail last year, President Bush said a priority of his second term would be to "build an ownership society, because ownership brings security, and dignity, and independence." Sounds good to us. But the rhetoric doesn't square with news that the Administration may file an amicus brief against property owners in an upcoming Supreme Court case concerning eminent domain.

Never mind that there's no pressing reason for the federal government to weigh in at all on the case, Kelo v. New London, since the issue before the court is a matter of state and local authority. What's more strange, given the President's ownership agenda and stated affinity for strict constructionism, is that the Bush Justice Department would consider siding with opponents of property rights.

Eminent domain stems from the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which allows the government seizure of private property for "public use" with "just compensation." Historically, courts and local governments have understood "public use" to mean roads, bridges, schools and the like.

But in a 1954 decision, the Supreme Court allowed Washington, D.C., to use eminent domain to appropriate land in a slum neighborhood and sell it to private developers. In time other cities, seeking higher revenues from richer taxpayers, followed course and cited urban renewal as a "public use" justification for taking a citizen's private property.

Matters worsened in 1981 with the Michigan Supreme Court's infamous Poletown ruling, which stretched the definition of "public use" further by blessing the city of Detroit's decision to seize an entire community on the grounds that expansion of a nearby General Motors assembly plant would create more economic benefits.

The GM plant was never built, but the floodgates were opened. One analysis of cases between 1998 and 2002 found more than 10,000 instances where local governments -- often citing the Michigan precedent -- had attempted to use eminent domain to obtain properties not for "public use" but for private development. And nothing is sacred. In 1999, two Atlantic City churches were bulldozed for an MGM casino.

Last year, the Michigan Supreme Court overturned Poletown, calling it a "radical departure from fundamental constitutional principles." In a unanimous ruling, the Court said reversal was necessary "to vindicate our constitution, protect the people's property rights and preserve the legitimacy of the judicial branch as the expositor, not creator, of fundamental law."

Elsewhere, however, eminent domain abuses continue. Just last week a federal judge in New York upheld a Village of Port Chester decision to condemn well-maintained rental properties belonging to William Boyd, a small-business owner, and transfer them to a developer with plans for a Stop & Shop parking lot. And in Norwood, Ohio, a judge has ordered Carl and Joy Gamble out of their home of 35 years to make way for office and retail construction.

The Kelo case, which is scheduled to be argued before the Supreme Court on February 22, also involves developer-driven encroachment. A Connecticut developer in cahoots with local officials and Pfizer is seeking to raze more than a dozen homes and small businesses. This will be the High Court's first chance in 50 years to provide some guidance on eminent domain, and property rights advocates nationwide are hoping the Justices will use the opportunity to remind states and lower courts of what the Founders intended.

Worried that a Bush Administration brief against land owners is in the works, the National Taxpayers Union, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and other free-market groups signed a missive sent to the White House in October. No doubt, Business Roundtable-types are pressuring Mr. Bush on the other side, along with states and localities that feel that private property can be taken and then parceled out to maximize tax revenues. The letter urges the Administration to "affirm its support for property rights and refrain from filing a brief in Kelo." So far, the response has been a troubling silence.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Good For New Jersey

I spent my first 18 years in the People's Republic of New Jersey and don't often have nice things to say about the most congested and least moral state in the union. However, every now and then, I am pleasantly surprised. Turns out parents in Buena Vista, NJ rejected the idea of Paris Hilton filming the simple life in their middle school.
The proposed filming had provoked heated opposition from parents who felt it was not appropriate and feared that it would hold their community up to ridicule.

Producers of the hit show starring racy heiress Paris Hilton had approached school officials in December, offering to pay $5,000 to film an episode at a school 30 miles west of Atlantic City.


Good for Buena Vista! The parents who objected were correct. Paris Hilton is not a fit role model for middle school students and wanted nothing more than to ridicule and embarrass them. After winning this battle, they should know focus their sites on eliminating the plague of school officials who allowed the process to even get this far.

Gun Control Poker

Deal Me In

For all you Dirty Old Men

Jasmine St. Claire, the one time porn star best known as the woman who broke Annabel Chong's gang bang record, taking on 300 guys in 'The World's Biggest Gang Bang #2' but who more recently has had some rather impressive mainstream success as a music promoter and executive on the once again popular hair band circuit has a pretty good 20 questions Rewind over at Metal Sludge.

I'd encourage everyone of my readers to check it out.


Needless to say, some of these links might not exactly be work safe. But your probably bright enough to figure that out.

Monday, January 10, 2005

A bit undervalued

I'm worth $3,810,706.53! How much are you worth?

Apple Computer
The Most Important Media Company of the 21st Century

The NY Times gets it.
Having successfully connected the music world and the computer worlds with the iPod, Mr. Jobs may have his sights on extending Apple in other new directions - perhaps a high-priced set-top box - rather than looking backwards. He has worked his magic in Hollywood before and would have the credibility to strike an alliance that might permit Apple to deliver movies and video to some sort of elegant digital home server.
Thats the reason I am so bullish on Apple stock. Its a long term investment, baby. One I saw coming over three years ago. Think iTunes for movies (and you thought iTunes was delivering free music videos just for the heck of it?) and remember that they already have the internet's largest collection of trailers online at the Quicktime site and Jobs is currently negotiating with Hollywood for the rights to future Pixar movies.

Fuck The Police

Ya know, I generally support whatever the cops want to do to make our streets safer, as long as they are within the bounds of reasons.

But when shit like this happens, enough is enough.
Sgt. David Perry of the Truro Police Department and other law enforcement authorities here say that the program is voluntary but that they will pay close attention to those who refuse to provide DNA.

"We're trying to find that person who has something to hide," Sergeant Perry said.


In Massachussets, asserting your constitutional rights is the same as having something to hide. Of course, in Taxachussets, its not as if the courts will actually protect you either.

As if that story is bad enough, we then learn from Say Uncle that the cops in Tennessee haven't read the constitution either.

Witt said that when he was pulled over he was told his vehicle had been weaving. A check of his driver's license showed it had been suspended in connection with a child support payment issue from a previous relationship. Witt also admits he had a .25 caliber pistol and no handgun carry permit. Several other officers arrived, and Witt was charged with driving on a suspended license and two weapons charges, one involving the pistol, the other a switchblade knife.

He said when he was placed in a transport vehicle to be taken to jail, he asked the driver to tell the other officers that there was a money bag containing more than $19,000 in the trunk that needed to be secured.

"They never even knew about that bank bag until I told them about it," he said.

After Witt made $6,000 bond, he and his wife, Martha, returned to the sheriff's office to see about getting his property back. He said they went into an office with Aikens. No one else was there, Witt said.

"He had $10,000 laid out on the table," Witt said. "He told me that I was going to 'donate' the rest of the money to their drug fund, and he would give me a receipt for that. He said that a drug dog had hit on the car, and he told me that they could take all of the money and the car, if they was so minded, on grounds of suspicion of drugs."

Witt said Aikens also told him, falsely, that in Tennessee, it is illegal to carry more than $10,000 in cash.


Luckily for Mr. Witt though, it seems that the court's in red state Tennesse are far more protective of the rights of the average citizen than in the Traitorous Lout's home state (Teddy Kennedy's date disposal problems not withstanding)
"I was totally honest with them, but they treated me like a dog," said Witt, who gave his account of the events in an interview with the News Sentinel in his Hamilton County home.

Witt's nightmare gradually became even worse for the two officers.

First, Witt sued, and got all of his money back plus legal fees.

And last month, after hearing Witt's story, a Loudon County grand jury indicted both officers for extortion, a felony. They are accused of threatening to seize Witt's car and all of the $19,649.25 in a bank bag in his car if he did not make a "donation" to the county's drug fund.


Like I said. Fuck The Police!

UPDATE: Apparantly, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals seems to agree with me . . . the police can't be trusted and are no more than common criminals. As Jeff as Alphecca points out, selling a gun to a police department tantamount to encouraging and facilitating crime and a black market.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Not too bad!!

Check this target out!



Open iron sites (no scope) from 80 yards with my Marlin 336. 170gr. 30-30 Winchester Silvertips

Not too shabby. The first shot was low and I adjusted the sites accordingly. Its a pretty gosh darn nice 3 shot group, if I do say so myself. Too bad the deer have to wait another 10 months before I can really test it out.

Shot it at the Shinbone Ridge public range in LaFayette, GA.

Its a good spot to spend the afternoon (or several of them!)

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Too Funny

This is just too funny!

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Lets Go Out To Dinner and See A Movie

One of the first Phish songs I ever really got into was Dinner and a Movie. Its probably the most popular "date" option in America (and perhaps the world). For the last hundred years, billions of dinner and a movie dates have taken place and continue to take place (in fact, my wife and I grabbed dinner and saw Meet the Fockers the other day).

Anyway, the point of all this is both restaurant and theater owners are going to be impacted by the latest grousome attack in Northern Virginina.Man Loses 3 Fingers In Va. Machete Attack (washingtonpost.com)

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Your Music Ain't Even Worth A Fricken Nickle!

Was driving back up to D.C. today and heard this story on NPR about the frauds in Nickleback. Seems someone have proven once and for all that corporate schlock rock really does all sound the same.

This page has more information.

Of course, you could just listen to How You Remind Me Of Someday yourself and make up your own mind!

Kudo's to Canadian metal head Mikey Smith for pulling this off. Its also worth noting he has a tribute to Buckethead available on his homepage too. I had a couple of things to say about Mr. Head a few months ago.