Topics

886

Aneristic Illusions / The Wild, Wild West redux

« on: April 17, 2010, 01:07:15 am »

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/04/16/20100416arizona-concealed-weapons-bill16-ON.html

Gov. Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1108 into law Friday afternoon. It eliminates the requirement for a concealed-carry weapons permit, but does require gun owners to accurately answer if an officer asks them if they are carrying weapon concealed. It also allows officers to temporarily confiscate a weapon while they are talking to an individual, including during a traffic stop.

"I believe strongly in the individual rights and responsibilities of a free society, and as governor I have pledged a solemn and important oath to protect and defend the Constitution," Brewer said in a news release. "I believe this legislation not only protects the Second Amendment rights of Arizona citizens, but restores those rights as well."

The law goes into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for this session, which could happen in the next couple of weeks.

Arizona joins Vermont and Alaska in not requiring such permits.

"If you want to carry concealed, and you have no criminal history, you are a good guy, you can do it," bill sponsor Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has said of his bill. "It's a freedom that poses no threat to the public."

National Rifle Association lobbyist Matt Dogali said the new state law would not violate any current federal requirements.

"There is no federal requirement for a permit or lack thereof," Dogali said.

The federal government oversees the background-check program required to purchase a weapon, which will still be required in Arizona in most cases.

Brewer last week did sign a separate law that exempts guns made and kept in Arizona from federal regulation, including background checks.

Arizona had 154,279 active permits as of April 4. Permit holders are spread across all ages, races and counties, but White males older than 30 in Maricopa and Pima counties hold the majority, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety data.

The permits generated $1.8 million in revenue last fiscal year, according to DPS. The money is used to help cover costs for enforcing laws related to the Highway Patrol, operating the concealed-carry weapon-licensing program and impounding vehicles.

Arizona's permit process will remain in place, and many gun owners may still choose to get a permit. Permits would still be needed in order to carry a weapon into a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol. They would also be needed if an Arizonan wants to carry his or her gun concealed in most other states.

For those who do choose to get a permit, the education requirements do change under the new law. Classes are no longer required to be a set number of hours or include any hands-on use of the weapon. Those who don't get a permit would not be required to get any training or education.

Retired Mesa police officer Dan Furbee runs a business teaching permit and other gun safety classes. He said if most people choose not to get a permit, it will put several hundred Arizona firearms instructors out of business.

"It's going to hurt," he said.

But he said what really concerns him is that the new law will allow people who have had no education about Arizona's laws and no training on the shooting range to carry a concealed gun. The eight-hour class currently required to get a permit includes information on state law and gun safety, as well as requires students to be able to hit a target 14 out of 20 times. Furbee said his class at Mesa-based Ultimate Accessories costs $79, plus $60 for the five-year permit.

"I fully agree that we have a right to keep and bear arms," Furbee said. "But if you are not responsible enough to take a class and learn the laws, you are worse than part of the problem."

He said it's not uncommon for students to walk into his classroom and pull a new gun out of a box with no idea how to hold it and no understanding of the laws surrounding it.

"If you are going to carry a concealed weapon, you should have some kind of training and show that you are at least competent to know how the gun works and be able to hit a target," he said. "You owe the people around you a measure of responsibility."

This new law is the latest of several that have passed over the past year since Brewer took over the office from former Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat.

Napolitano vetoed at least a dozen weapons bills that crossed her desk during her seven years in office, all of which would have loosened gun restrictions. In 2005, Napolitano rejected a bill that would have allowed patrons to carry loaded guns into bars and restaurants. In 2008, she also vetoed a bill that would have allowed people to have a hidden gun in vehicles without a concealed-carry permit.

In January 2009, Napolitano resigned to become U.S. Homeland Security secretary and Republican Secretary of State Brewer became governor.

During her first year in office, Brewer signed a bill allowing loaded guns in bars and restaurants, as well as another that prohibits property owners from banning guns from parking areas, so long as the weapons are kept locked in vehicles.

Gonna be 50,000 stupid fuckers getting arrested for brandishing, etc, soon.   

887

Apple Talk / Unlimited How Not to Be a Fat Fucky Bastard thread: now 100% more fat free

« on: April 16, 2010, 06:12:10 pm »

Okay, having lost 35 pounds, a few people have asked me how I did it.  What you're going to get here is a very difficult plan that requires discipline.  There is no easy way.  I'd also like to give credit to Nigel, who helped develop the bare-bones plan that the doctor gave me into a more comprehensive and effective method.

First, cut out all of the following:

Fast food.  No exceptions other than salads.
Anything that went in a deep fryer.  Period.
Booze of any kind.  No exceptions, no days off.
Junk food (chips, ice cream, pastries, etc)
Non-diet soda.  This one is a killer.

You will notice that I have not mentioned carbs, etc.  There is good reason for this.  You NEED carbs.

Second, plan your calorie limit.  Nigel pointed out a really good site, http://thedailyplate.com  Go there, and plug in your height, weight, age, etc, and tell it the following, no matter what the real case is:

1.  I wish to maintain my present weight.
2.  I do low/moderate exercise

When you do this, it will give you your "break even" calories.  Subtract 500 from this number.  This is your target goal, every day except Sunday.  On Sunday, hit your break even number, but don't exceed it.  You need to do this to be in decent condition for Monday at work, and to give yourself a rest.

Third, plan your diet, using the number generated above for your total daily intake.  HOWEVER, no meal should be larger than the following example:

1.  Two slices of bread, low cal mayo, and either a piece of cheese OR meat the size of the palm of your hand.
2.  A pile of veggies the size of your fist.

Calculate the calories involved (regging an account at the daily plate opens up all kinds of neat tools for doing this), and you can figure the number of meals per day.  This is important...the idea is to shrink your stomach.  Multiple small meals are better than 3 solid meals.  Space these out evenly over the day.  Plan 340 calories for 2 slimfasts or the like.  This is important, and I'll cover it later.  Also, plan 90 calories for bed time (also covered later)

If you aren't having a sammich, then substitute it with the food you are going to eat, but nothing larger than your fist in total volume.

Fourth,  Eat a piece of fruit within 20 minutes of waking up (or veggies, etc), to keep your body from going into conservation mode.

Fifth, Veggies should be about 80% of your diet.  This has the added advantage of being CHEAP.  ONE piece of fruit per day (loose fruit like berries, etc, should again be the size of your fist.)  Bear in mind that for these purposes, tomatoes are veggies, but corn and peas are fruit.

Sixth, DO NOT EAT WHILE ON THE COMPUTER OR WHILE WATCHING TV.  If it's time to eat, get away from the comp or TV.  Break the habit of eating while you do these things, they're killers.

Seventh, Diet soda has zero calories.  Coffee has 4 calories per cup, tea has zero, and water has zero.  No milk (if you need calcium, take Tums), no juice.

Eighth, LEAVE THE TABLE HUNGRY.  Do NOT fill up with low/no cal food like pickles, etc.  The idea here is to shrink your stomach, which will ease unnecessary hunger.  When you get too fucking hungry, have one of your two slimfasts.  They're nothing but Potassium, and will trick your hunger for a couple of hours.

Ninth, Eat a salad right before bed.  Garden salad ONLY.  No meat, no eggs, no anything.  Lettuce and sliced veggies only.  Use either balsamic vinagarette or low fat Italian dressing.  DO NOT PUT THE DRESSING ON THE SALAD, leave it on the side, and dip into it.  This salad will let you go to bed without an empty stomach, and will also have the added advantage of making you shit the whole world out of your guts in the morning, which will make you feel better than you'd think possible.

Tenth, NO CHEATING.  NO "VACATIONS".  Not even if you're at a fucking wedding.  NO EXCEPTIONS.  I cannot stress this enough.

Eleventh  Do cardio workouts.  Do not lift weights.  All the weights you need are already attached to your fat ass.  Treadmill is best (eliptical if you have bad knees), go as fast as you can comfortably walk for one hour, then a 5 minute cool down.  If you can't afford the gym, just go for a walk, but keep your pace up.  Drive out a 2 mile route, and use it.  When that becomes easy, and it will, add a mile.  4-6 miles is the most you want to do.  IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT, DO NOT - I REPEAT DO NOT - RUN.  Your knees won't like it.  Calculate the calories (daily plate or elsewhere) burned AND ADD THEM TO YOUR DAILY ALLOWANCE.  Replace those calories, you'll need them.  The purpose of exercise is to stimulate your metabolism, not burn fat.  It requires a marathon to lose one pound of real weight.  Lastly, drink loads of water while doing this and DO NOT WEAR PLASTIC OR WHATEVER TO MAKE YOURSELF SWEAT.  Water weight loss is an illusion, and will FUCK YOUR KIDNEYS UP.  Work out for two days straight, then take a day off, then two more days, then a day off, etc.

Twelvth, NO FUCKING CHEATING.  NO VACATIONS.  NO EXCEPTIONS.  EAT NOTHING YOU HAVEN'T PLANNED INTO YOUR DIET.  This is NOT easy, for the first several weeks you are going to be in pain from hunger, feel weak, cranky, everything else.  This is NORMAL.   It is the price you pay for NOT BEING A FATASS.  The Slimfasts are there to help you.

There's a few more hints I'll post as they come to mind, and I'd appreciate Nigel's input, but that's the basic plan.

Okay for now,
Dok.

888

Bring and Brag / NEW PROJECT: THE AUDIO BOOK OF THE DEAD

« on: April 16, 2010, 12:40:21 am »

I'm planning on publishing a book once per year, with the best of PD writing in it.  Consider it a 96 page (possibly more) paperback version of Intermittens.  Format will be based on submissions, and it will either be a standard paperback, or something like the Book of the Subgenius.  Illustrations are welcome, too.  Heres the deal:

1.  Authors retain all rights to their work (it's "printed with permission").

2.  I front the initial production costs.  These costs will be taken off the top.  Any profit shown will be donated to the board, to help Faust maintain/upgrade things.  If it starts to sell elsewhere in any quantity, we can discuss as a group what to do with future issues.

3.  Submissions for the first book will be final on October 1st of this year.  I will then edit the book and set for a January 1st release date.  Not everything in the thread will be necessarily used, and editorial/content control is in my hands alone.  However, any actual changes to text will be passed by the author for approval.

Post submissions here in their entirety:

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=23981.0

However, do NOT comment in that thread.  Instead, discussion should take place here.

Who's in?

889

Apple Talk / So, Jim, this jury I was on...

« on: April 15, 2010, 05:16:54 pm »

The victim:  A 36 year old woman who - along with her mother - went into physcial therapy as a career, specializing in working with brain damaged children.  Obtained a PhD, did a lot of good work for over a decade.

The jackass:  Driving 97MPH in a 45 MPH zone, at 2:15AM on a Friday night, blood alchohol at .17 (.02 over extreme DUI) in a Ford Explorer.  Suspended license, no insurance, no registration.

The Cop:  Sheriff's deputy driving on patrol, along with his fiance, a CVS officer (non-bonded, no weapon, still a cop).

The victim had been attending a going away party for a friend at Dillon's Country Bar on the largely empty state route 90 near Sierra Vista.  She had drunk water all night, and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .00...IE, she had nothing to drink.

At or around 2:15, she got in her Dodge Durango to go home, a distance of about 1 mile.

1.7 miles East, Sheriff's Deputy Berry and his fiance were heading East on patrol when a West-bound Ford Explorer blew past them doing 97MPH in a 45MPH zone.  Deputy Berry made a U turn and began an attempt to catch up, accelerating to 110MPH on a wet road at night.

He never even got close.  When he was still 2000+ feet behind the Explorer, the victim pulled out onto the highway, 650 feet in front of the Explorer.  Had the Explorer been doing the speed limit, she had more than enough time to accelerate.

At this point, she is going 21 MPH.  The Explorer is going 147 feet per second, and the police cruiser is going 162 feet per second in pursuit, at a distance of about a half mile from the Explorer.

The explorer impacted the back of the Durango without even hitting his brakes.  It was an "offset rear end collision"...which is to say, he didn't hit her headlight to tail light,  but about 10 inches off center.  At this point, a number of things happened.

Deputy Berry began to brake at a moderate rate.

The Dodge Durango accelerated by about 50MPH in a third of a second.  The victim was wearing her seat belt, but her car began to spin at the exact moment it began to accelerate.  Two things happened:  One, she broke the left side of her skull on the upright between the front and rear left side windows, and two, the right and left sides of her brain partially separated (read:  her brain tore in half) under the extreme G's generated by the impact and acceleration.

The Ford Explorer turned sideways and began to roll.  The driver was not wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected from the vehicle, which rolled over him on the concrete, leaving what I call "The Shroud of Dumbass" imprinted on the passenger side door of the vehicle.  His ribcage and skiull break, and all major organs are destroyed or damaged.  He dies within minutes.

The lawsuit alledges that had Deputy Berry turned on his emergency lights when he first saw the Explorer, the victim would have seen the pursuit and would not have made the turn.  Evidence points otherwise, and we found that the deputy was following the law and department procedures by attempting to close the distance before turning on his rollers.  As such, we found for the defendant.

The result:  The victim is now permanently and profoundly brain damaged, but is expected to live out a normal life span.  Her parents will take care of her for as long as possible, but she will eventually be moved into an institution, where proper therapy will most likely not be available.  The children she worked with no longer have a therapist.  This woman was also a pillar of the community, and was considered the "go to" person for people with trouble (very small town).  They no longer have her for help, or even just friendship.

All because of one drunken bastard.

890

Apple Talk / Hey, Nigel...Where Did Everyone Go?

« on: April 05, 2010, 09:30:05 pm »

I was passing the aircraft graveyards down by DM Airforce base the other day, and when I went along the back side, I noticed that one of the older yard's fences had collapsed.  There are still ancient DC3s there, along with some other museum pieces, and the fence looked like it had been down a while.  I hadn't noticed that before.

It's still federal property, Nigel...Why hasn't anyone fixed it?

While I'm on the subject, half the bridges in this city are falling down.  Nobody seems to care.  All the revenue goes elsewhere - God knows where - and everything seems to be falling apart.  Also, the whole legal district is emptying out.  Most the shops on congress are just empty storefronts. 

So where did everyone go?  Did The Stand happen while I was sleeping or something?  Did I miss all the fun?  That would figure.  The apocalypse finally happens, and Dok sleeps through it.  Perfect.

Remember when we used to build things?  When new buildings and roads went up every time you blinked?  Yeah, me neither...They haven't even rebuilt the WTC, or even done a proper memorial, and don't even get me started on New Orleans.  Odds are, what's left of Providence will be allowed to turn into one big mildew stain on the East coast, because we've forgotten how to DO anything.  Or we're too broke, because we're busy running a few wars that don't seem to have any purpose that anyone can properly explain.

What the hell is going on? 

891

Apple Talk / Official and Unlimited Excuses for Not Posting Real Content Thread.

« on: April 05, 2010, 08:33:43 pm »

So, yeah, finished the graphic novel issue on Friday and Saturday (no sleep Friday night), had way too much caffeine trying out the cold brew equipment...Yeah, I know you don't need lab gear to make it, but we wanted it NOW.  Dropped Freaky off, and went downtown to Witless to my people.

Met a few guys at a barrel-fire party in an abandoned lot on Drachmann, not far from the Meatrack, and whipped them into a frenzy.  Had a good time watching a few of them fight each other, then staggered off down 12th street.  Things got a little hazy after that...Everything was swaying and blurry.  Got into some kind of altercation, came away with scraped knuckles.  I still have my wallet, so I guess I won.

After that, it's a blur, and at some point Maria and her sister Shorty were loading me into the back of Maria's jeep.  Woke up alone at home at about 11AM Sunday morning, having missed all my pills for the night.  Spent a glorious day of withdrawl symptoms, got in come kind of fight with Kai on IRC (nothing too serious, I hope), and then accidentally took two doses of my sleeping pills.  Somehow drove to work at 5:30AM, and haven't accomplished shit all day.

Needless to say, I'm a wreck right now, and I won't be writing the Unvarnished Truth #2 until tomorrow morning, probably at 9AM MST.  Sorry, but that's just the way it is...My brain is in the right zone for writing, but there's nothing there to write...I think I'd rather be yet another day late, than to post some brain-damaged jabbering in place of a well thought out rant.  Brain-damaged jabbering has its uses, but not in this particular case.

Okay for now,
Dok

892

Aneristic Illusions / Teabaggers at CG spontaneously turn into Lester Maddox clones.

« on: April 03, 2010, 07:19:59 pm »

hxxp://www.capitolgrilling.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=523678&page=1#Post523678

 

It just keeps getting better as the thread goes on.

893

Apple Talk / NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR MSY ISSUE 1

« on: April 01, 2010, 02:23:55 am »

NOW TAKING ORDERS.

Cost of the issue = $7.50 (52 pages, black and white, 6 of which are text, half of which are completely new material.)

Shipping = $2.00  Shipping will be media mail, no exceptions.

So the total is $9.50  DO NOT FORGET TO ENCLOSE YOUR SHIPPING INFORMATION.  Also, don't forget that I won't recognize your real name.  You might consider including your board name.  Or not.  You choose.  I will destroy all info upon you telling me that you have received your copy(s).

Ship date:  May 3rd, or whenever your payment clears, whichever comes SECOND (due to an agreement with our local distributor geek, I can't ship until after may 1st, and the next post day is May 3rd.

Payment options:  Cheque or money order (any sort).

Payment to be made out/sent to:

PM ME FOR ADDRESS.  THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.

I will pick up from that address every other day, and deposit the day I pick it up.  Takes about 3 days for cheques to clear, so make allowances.

Right now, I have enough for local distribution (I think) and everyone who has reserved a copy.  There's no deadline to order, but it's first come, first served, and although a reprinting won't increase the price, it adds 35 days (!!!) to get the copy to me, then however long it takes to ship to you.

Our next issue is scheduled to release July 1st, though that's a little up in the air due to the fact that there was way more to this than we thought, and the printing takes longer (or costs more, which nobody wants).

 

I'M SO HAPPY THIS SHIT IS IN THE CAN THAT I COULD PLOTZ!
\

894

Apple Talk / Three meetings in one day...

« on: March 31, 2010, 11:06:16 pm »

...With Filthy Assistant and Mike the Engineer in attendance.  Amazingly enough, I didn't kill anyone.

Yes, you will now recognize Doktor Howl as an icon of peace and serenity.

Now sit on my lap and tell me you're sorry.

895

Horrorology / Unvarnished Truth #3: Filters and preconceptions

« on: March 30, 2010, 06:44:23 pm »

We've all got 'em.  Each and every one of us tends to impose our own ideas on top of other peoples' ideas, because it's easier than listening.  Problem is, when this goes to far - and what consists of too far may vary - communication becomes impossible.  It's an easy trap to fall into.  Humans are by nature a pattern-seeking species, and we are conditioned from birth into a win-lose mentality..."I must prove your idea wrong for mine to be right". 

This tends to reach religious levels, when it comes to certain topics.  We have seen this demonstrated on PD in multiple discussions, particularly on the subjects of drugs and politics.  In one thread, the question was asked "WHY do people do drugs", and within a page, the discussion became "Drugs are MAGIC!" (no shit) to "Drugs will KILL YOU the FIRST TIME you even think about using them (hyperbole mine, but you get the point).  Likewise, when a new political idea was brought up, but not yet explained, three people lined up to explain what it was, and why it wouldn't work.

This is because we all wear filters, through which we have chosen to view the world.  Sometimes this is a good thing.  I expect that a filter that says "there is no excuse for torture" will fly with most of us, for example.  However, when those filters become so thick that you can't accept ANY view if it doesn't fit into a predetermined set of responses, then the filters have rendered you incapable of processing anything new.

I am willing to bet, for example, that at least one person - having read this - will read about half (or less) of #2, and assign the idea to "privilege" or "rational anarchy" or what have you, because their filters have become so ingrained that they have to pound everything into a round hole, no matter how square it is.

Is that any way for a human to act?  Basically, you are willingly allowing yourself to act on programming as if you were a computer.  And since you act on this programming, can you see an idea or the world you live in as it actually is?  Obviously not.

One shocking truth (all the more shocking because it came from Robert Anton Wilson) is "The universe was not set up for the convenience of domesticated primates".  Humans being what they are, this truth is unacceptable, so humans run out and invent religions, and wind up burning at the stake anyone who insists that this truth is actually self-evident.

As much as we all enjoy a good sneer at people who do that, we ourselves do it all the time.  The universe presents us with facts...But we're so comfortable and in love with our preconceived notions and programming that we warp our own perceptions until we can't see the facts that blow holes in our lovely theories.  Good examples of this are supply side economics, the free market, communism, anarchy, any engineering issues, and people who bet like fans in the playoff series.

The universe, of course, punishes you for this sort of thing.  Not like an angry God would, but simply by allowing yourself to stick your own neck in a noose.  The consequences of betting like a fan involve a light bank account and humiliation by your peers, people who believe in "the free market" tend to lose their arses to people who know better, and communists, libertarians, and anarchists always find themselves alone at parties, because they tend to be hopeless evangelizers, and who the hell wants THAT when you're fucked up on rum and looking for some dirtyfun?  The penalties for ignoring engineering realities tend to be brutally self-evident, and occur much faster...just google "The Tacoma Bridge Failure" (Rumors that this was simply the inherent evil of Northwestern bridges notwithstanding.).

A few facts that might help break this conditioning:

1.  Humans are not efficient.  This is immutable.  Ask yourself, "When was the last time someone dealt with me efficiently?"  How did it make you feel?  Humans are social creatures, and "social" is the enemy of efficiency.  If your system or idea requires humans to be efficient, it will fail.  This rules out communism, the free market, and libertarianism.

2.  Humans automatically form "tribes".  This is hardwired right into the backs of our brains.  When there are 8 or more humans involved, they will form cliques, which lead to factions, which lead to tribes, which lead to governments.  This is as sure as the fact that the sun will rise.  This rules out anarchism.

3.  Humans do NOT do what's in their best interests.  Anyone who has ever seen Murphy's Law in action - in it's original form - knows this (the original version was "If there's more than one way to do a job, and one of those ways will result in disaster, then somebody will do it that way.").  Another good truth to consider is Finagle's Law:  Perversity (the tendency to do what is patently NOT in your best interest) tends to a maximum.  Consider, for example, the schmoe making $20K/year screaming for a flat tax.  It's going to bankrupt him, but he's been taught that a progressive tax is "unfair" to the wealthy.  This truth prohibits a free market, libertarianism, and rational anarchy.

4.  Humans do NOT do what's best for the group.  Anyone who has worked for the government or a large corporation knows this.  People tend to be petty and inefficient, and will make short-sighted decisions 999 times out of a thousand.  Consider the subprime mortgage clusterfuck...Which required monumental fuckups of truly titanic proportions, which of course both the government and corporations fell all over themselves to commit.  I propose that neither corporations nor governments are any more capable than each other, and anyone who knee-jerks to the contrary need only compare the American car companies' failures to the failure of our government to simply balance a budget.  This rule prohibits communism and libertarianism.

5.  Teenagers ARE going to fuck.  This rule can't be changed without neutering the entire teenage population.  This probits silly shit like "Abstinence Only Birth Control", which deserves a mention.  What I mean by this rule is that people ARE going to follow biological imperatives before religious or social imperatives, and can explain a lot more behavior than Palin's daughter and kids like her.

These are only five examples, and by themselves trash the cherished beliefs of about 45% of the population.  That 45%, of course, will continue to believe and in fact act on those beliefs, just as another 54% will continue to act on equally silly beliefs.

The question is, do you plan to be part of that 99%, or can you train yourself to be part of the 1% that is willing to take the bull by the tail and stare the unpleasant facts in the face?  Do you have the GUTS to toss your pet theories when the universe demonstrates that they are wrong?  Can you bring yourself to think of something NEW, or at least LOOK at something new?  My idea may also be wrong, and I'm willing to see if it can be logically disproven, but before you can apply logic to that idea or anything else, you're going to have to take the blinders off.

Can you do that?

Okay for now,
Dok

896

Apple Talk / I am in the wrong racket.

« on: March 27, 2010, 07:37:50 pm »

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/65937#

$1625.00 Tee shirt.  No shit.

Looks like this.



$1625.00.

 

897

Aneristic Illusions / Some fun quotes:

« on: March 27, 2010, 06:22:27 pm »

http://mediamatters.org/research/201002040060

Fox News personalities' pattern of violent rhetoric

John Stossel

Stossel said he has "Barney Frank in effigy" hanging above his sofa. In a February 3 interview with New York magazine, when Stossel was asked, "What's hanging above your sofa?" he responded: "Barney Frank in effigy." [New York, 2/3/10]

Glenn Beck

Beck portrays Obama, Democrats as vampires, suggests "driv[ing] a stake through the heart of the bloodsuckers." Beck aired a graphic portraying Obama and Democrats as vampires and said: "The government is full of vampires, and they are trying to suck the lifeblood out of the economy." Beck then suggested "driv[ing] a stake through the heart of the bloodsuckers." [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 3/30/09]

Beck talks about "put[ting] poison" in Pelosi's wine. On the August 6, 2009, edition of this Fox News show, Beck stated:

BECK: So, Speaker Pelosi, I just wanted to -- you gonna drink your wine? Are you blind? Do those eyes not work? There you -- I want you to drink it now. Drink it. Drink it. Drink it.

I really just wanted to thank you for having me over here to wine country. You know, to be invited, I thought I had to be a major Democratic donor or a longtime friend of yours, which I'm not.

By the way, I put poison in your -- no, I -- I look forward to all the policy discussions that we're supposed to have -- you know, on health care, energy reform, and the economy. [Glenn Beck 8/6/09]
Beck: "To the day I die, I am going to be a progressive hunter." Telling his listeners that they "are going to learn so much on Friday," Beck compared himself to "Israeli Nazi hunters" and commented: "I'm going to find these big progressives and, to the day I die, I'm going to be a progressive hunter." He added:

BECK: I'm going to find these people that have done this to our -- you know, to our country, and expose them. I don't care where -- I don't care if they're in nursing homes. I'm going to expose what they have done and make sure that the people understand, because our Constitution, our republic -- if it survives -- it will only survive because the people are waking up and through the grace of God, because we are that close to losing our republic. [Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program, 1/20/10]
Beck: "Grab a torch." Asserting that politicians are addicted to spending, Beck stated: "When do we ever run those who are bankrupting our country and literally stealing our children's future out of town? Grab a torch." [Glenn Beck, 1/6/10]

Bill O'Reilly

O'Reilly: "f I could get my hands on Tiller -- well, you know. Can't be vigilantes. Can't do that. It's just a figure of speech." On the November 6, 2006, broadcast of his radio show, Bill O'Reilly said of the late Dr. George Tiller: "f I could get my hands on Tiller -- well, you know. Can't be vigilantes. Can't do that. It's just a figure of speech." [Westwood One's The Factor with Bill O'Reilly, 11/6/06]

Dick Morris

Morris: "Those crazies in Montana who say, 'We're going to kill ATF agents because the UN's going to take over' -- well, they're beginning to have a case." During a long conspiracy theory about a "super-national authority" that will oversee U.S. financial institutions, Morris asserted that because Obama's policies are "internationalist ... [t]hose crazies in Montana who say, 'We're going to kill ATF agents because the UN's going to take over' -- well, they're beginning to have a case." [Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto, 3/31/09]

Ralph Peters

Peters stated that if a Taliban-held soldier is a deserter, "the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills." Peters, who repeatedly appeared on Fox News to discuss the attempted bombing, asserted of Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban in June 2009 and appeared in two Taliban propaganda videos: "[W]e know this private is a liar; we're not sure if he's a deserter." Peters added that if he is a deserter, "the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills." NBC's Jim Miklaszewski subsequently reported that the Pentagon said Peters' comments "could endanger" the captured soldier. [Fox News' America's News HQ, 7/19/09]

Michael Scheuer

Scheuer: "The only chance we have as a country right now is" for bin Laden to "detonate a major weapon" in U.S. Scheuer, who has frequently appeared on Fox News as a terrorism expert, said during an appearance on Glenn Beck, "The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States." [Glenn Beck, 6/30/09]

898

Apple Talk / Enrico, I need some advice.

« on: March 24, 2010, 03:39:23 pm »

Dear Glorious Faggot,

Yesterday, I sent a part out to be rubberized.  On the requisition, I wrote "I need this back as soon as is possible.  We have a product stream down."

In this morning's meeting, I asked the buyer when we would get the part back.  He replied with Friday.  I asked him why so long, considering the urgency of the situation, and he replied "Well, you didn't give me a date, so I told them to get to it when they could."

How can I impress upon him that "as soon as possible" does not mean "whenever the vendor has nothing else to do"?  Bear in mind that I have a complete machine shop and 7 angry bikers at my disposal, and can contract more if necessary.

Love and kisses,
Dok

899

Apple Talk / Happy OR KILL ME Day!

« on: March 24, 2010, 12:46:35 am »

On this date, 235 years ago, Patrick Henry stuck his head in a noose (damn near literally), and told the King of England to kiss his spotty arse...and thus "Or Kill Me" was born as a concept, though he had in fact phrased it "or give me death".

900

Horrorology / Unvarnished Truth #1: Communism, Libertarianism, and Rational Anarchy.

« on: March 23, 2010, 04:48:38 pm »

"Taking any false premise to its logical conclusion gives a good approximation of insanity."
- Albert Einstein.

The problem with most political theories is that they're composed mostly of wishful thinking, and a belief requirement that most organized religions would be envious of.  For example, talk a little smack about democracy, and you'll see fanaticism that was identical to the monarchists of old.  Divine Right used to be the rallying cry; now it's "50%+1".  We've all seen how well that works.

Communism, for example, requires that the majority of domesticated primates will do what's best for the group, rather than themselves.  Likewise, Libertarianism fails to acknowledge Finagle, and operates under the assumption that individuals will do what's in their own best interests, and disregards all evidence to the contrary.  Rational Anarchism assumes that monkeys won't form increasingly complex tribes.

Base your actions on a faulty premise, get a faulty result.  You can bank on this the way you can bank on the fact that the sun will come up in the morning.

However, good luck convincing anyone of this.  Political theories in general, and the above three in particular, are basically the religion of their adherents...Who WILL see things as they want them to be, not as they are.  All three of the above examples are utter failures, and always will be, but there is never any shortage of people determined to worship at their altars anyway, for the same reason people in Kansas refuse to believe that the world is older than 6000 years, isn't flat, and wasn't put here for us to rape like a passed out sorority girl at a Tailhook convention.

They will argue justice, or liberty, or equality...All noble concepts, to be sure, but they will then argue that their flawed reasoning will somehow bring about these things.   Antoine Lavoisier could tell you how these things usually work out.

Here's the deal:  Domesticated primates can't operate without a system of governance, and no system of governance is perfect.  As societies become more complex, the imperfections in any given system of governance become aggravated, until finally the system fails.  The following period of anarchy isn't pretty at all, contains no liberty, justice, or equality, and invariably is replaced by the monkeys left in the aftermath.  Minarchism/Libertarianism fails for the same reason...They are systems that cannot abide complexity.

As I have said before, any political theory that demands "purity" from monkeys is doomed.  The less purity required, the more robust the system (You can, of course, take this too far).

So what to do?  Few systems work, the ones that do don't work for long, and are invariably corrupted by the very societies they govern.  The answer, of course, is to let the monkeys have their systems, and figure out how to remain autonomous within that system.  I'm going to twist the meaning of the "Temporary Autonomous Zone" just a bit, and make it more resemble the Speakeasys of the prohibition era. 

Or:  Have your fun, just don't let the monkeys know about it.  Fact is, the very complexity that causes the monkey's systems to fail also allows you to operate under their radar.  I'll be talking more about this in installment #2.

Okay for now,
Dok