aubreyturner.org

Jeff Medcalf delivers a full frontal fisking of the former commander-in-briefs, Bill Clinton at Caerdroia.  This had me laughing:

Amazing, Bill Clinton finally realized that it’s possible to have a foreign policy, rather than just stumbling blindly from crisis to crisis hoping that no one notices the brunette under the desk. He’s right though, that the US can’t “kill, jail or occupy all of its adversaries.” Some individuals will need to disappear, and some soon-to-be-former leaders will need to be turned over to their soon-to-be-former slaves for the Mussolini treatment. Thanks for reminding us to use all of our options.

One of these days I’ll be able to type ‘Caerdroia’ without slowing down like I’m driving over a speedbump. 

I heard this on the radio this morning.  It just seemed so sad to me that someone so young would take such a drastic action.  (Dallas Morning-News, registration may be required)

A 12-year-old girl at an Addison private school was found dead in a campus restroom Wednesday from what police described as a self-inflicted injury.

About 3:10 p.m., police and rescue personnel responded to the Greenhill School in the 4100 block of Spring Valley Road after someone called 911 to report an unconscious person in a restroom.

Addison police Officer Brad Freis said the first officers who arrived found a middle school student with what they described as a self-inflicted injury. Police declined to say whether the girl had a weapon.

I’ve always been conflicted about suicide.  My personal values and beliefs tell me that it’s a decision that adults can make for themselves.  As self-owners, we’re ultimately in charge of ourselves and we can control our final disposition.  Despite that, though, like all other choices, there are consequences to it.  The problem is that the person who makes the choice is not (usually) going to face them.  Having known a girl whose mother killed herself when we were in elementary school, I saw just how irresponsible that choice was.  If people were to consider the destruction and pain that they were going to leave behind, they’d realize that it’s just not the right choice.

Of course, none of this applies with children.  It just saddens me to think about it.  This poor girl must have thought that things were never going to get better (whatever they were).  It’s unfortunately that no one was able to intercept her before she made such a horrible and irreversible decision.

The Department of Homeland (in)Security has chosen the the former privacy officer of DoubleClick as its first privacy “czar”.  DoubleClick is one of the worst offenders with regards to disregard for privacy.  Their goal, before getting a huge public black eye at the time, was to link all of your online activity to your personal profile information (which they acquired through the purchase of another company).  They were planning to do this through the use of cookies and web bugs that would be used to identify you at any site where you browsed or (of most interest to them) purchased.  This earned them an FTC investigation and forced them to change their plans.

Of course, this woman was hired after that fiasco, but I still don’t trust anyone who works in the data collection industry to look out for our interests (nor do I expect them to give a damn about the constitution for that matter).

My initial impression:
   Hello, fox.  Would you like the keys to the henhouse?

But then I’m just a hysterical luddite wanker who wants to get us all killed because I have something to hide. 

Link via Slashdot

Some Denton-area teenagers were out playing with a potato gun over the weekend and the episode ended badly for one of them: (Denton Record-Chronicle, registration may be required)

A Denton teen is in critical condition after being shot in the face with a frog exploding from a potato gun, and his mother wants to know why the illegal weapons are available on the Internet.

Daniel Benjamin Berry, 17, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth early Sunday after he looked down the PVC pipe barrel and was struck in the face by a frog.

“He is going to be blind in both eyes,” said his mother, Lisa Berry, from her vigil in the critical care waiting room. “Some other kid ordered one [potato gun] over the Internet. They thought it was a toy. It’s not a toy. It’s a dangerous weapon.”

The accident occurred about 1 a.m. near the Old Alton Bridge in the Copper Canyon area. Denton County Sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Patton said three teens took the homemade mechanism, which is considered an illegal weapon, to the bridge along with a supply of potatoes to fire for recreation.

“At some point, someone decided to fire frogs from the gun,” Mr. Patton said. “And at some point, the gun misfired.”

A crowd of teens had gathered to watch, the sheriff’s spokesman said.

“Mr. Berry was a spectator. He walked over to try to help with the misfire. He looked down the barrel and the gun fired on a delayed reaction. The frog struck him in the face.”

…

Ms. Berry said she doesn’t blame the other boys for her son’s injuries. They did not know the destructive power of the weapon they bought, she said. Once her son is past the critical phase, she plans to find out more about how such weapons can be sold, she said.

Daniel wanted to join the Air Force but she would not sign for him, she said. She encouraged him to go to college until he was old enough to join without parental consent. So he has been attending the International Business School in Denton.

“All he ever wanted to do was be an Air Force pilot,” she said. “That isn’t going to happen now.”

This whole incident leaves me with several rather intemperate thoughts:

• Where was the parental surpervision?  They may be teenagers, but they’re still underage and need guidance.
• Why didn’t the parents of the other teen who ordered the gun know about it?  It’s not like it’s a popgun you can hide under a shirt or something.  It’s a freaking potato gun.
• I don’t understand how they thought this kid would be able to become a pilot.  If he doesn’t have enough sense not to look down the barrel of an explosive device, he doesn’t have enough smarts to be a pilot
• What kind of sadistic bastard puts a frog in a potato gun?  I know that young kids can be somewhat cruel, but these were teenagers.  They’re supposed to know better.

Of course the mother wants to hunt down the potato gun supplier, but why didn’t she raise her son with enough sense to avoid looking down the barrel of a gun?

Am I just an insensitive prick for thinking that a bit of personal responsibility is needed here?  Frankly, at this point, I don’t care anymore.  I’m tired of things being made against the law because some irresponsible people don’t have enough sense not to get themselves hurt doing something stupid.  (I didn’t put that bit about “something to offend everyone” up there in the top left corner for nothing.)

This weekend at the gun show I couldn’t resist acquiring a Marlin Camp Carbine (.45ACP).  I probably paid a bit too much for it, but it is in almost new condition.  The bore doesn’t look like it’s been used at all, and it looks like it still has the original grease in the action.  From what I could tell, the original owner fired it a little but probably didn’t clean it.  I’ve written to Marlin for a manual so I can take it down and clean it before I try to fire it.  I’ve gotten in the habit of field-stripping and cleaning all new guns before I fire them.  It’s most helpful with a used gun, as it gives you a chance to verify that all the parts are in good condition before the first firing.

See the link above for pictures.

Imagine you’re the president.  You’ve waged a war despite the naysaying and obstructionist policies of the rest of the world and come out on top.  Your approval ratings are high.  As long as the country’s economy doesn’t go completely to hell in the next year, you’ve got a lock on the 2004 election.

So, what do you do next?  How about pissing off one of your major constituencies?  One that is single-mindedly dedicated to a single issue.  One that votes.  One with an advocacy organization that has 5 million members.

It was unlikely that the law would get renewed.  All you had to do was shut your mouth and just wait for September, 2004 and do nothing.  But no, you just had to step on the Presidential wang with your golf spikes, didn’t you?

I didn’t vote for you in 2000, but I was giving you the benefit of the doubt for 2004 (provided that you didn’t support Patriot II or try to make the Patriot act permanent).  If this nonsense continues I will simply sit out the elections or vote for someone else as a protest. 

Link via Instapundit.

More commentary:
Kim du Toit
The Bitch Girls

I almost got rear-ended this morning by a dumbass who was tailgating when another dumbass stopped for the vehicle in front of her who was turning left (of course she did this right after pulling out in front of me in a 50MPH zone, which didn’t leave me a lot of braking distance).  In Texas it is legal (and expected) that if someone turns left that you go around on the right (provided you can do it without leaving the pavement).  I’ve noticed lately that a lot of people are stopping instead of passing.  Perhaps these people are new to the state and simply didn’t bother to check up on our laws (I know that some states prohibit passing on the right when someone is turning).  Alternately, since this woman was driving a Suburban, maybe she doesn’t realize that it will fit into the space available on the shoulder.  The main downside I’ve seen to the advent of SUVs is that a lot of people are driving them who have never driven anything that big before and they don’t know the boundaries of their vehicle.

From the Texas driver’s handbook:(pg 6-3)

PASSING ON THE RIGHT

In Texas and many other states, you may pass on the right. You may pass on the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety.

1. The road is clear of parked vehicles or other things and is wide enough for two or more lanes in each direction.

2. You are on a one-way road.

3. You may pass on a paved shoulder when the vehicle you are passing is slowing or stopped on the main travelled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn.

Do not pass on the right by driving off the paved portion of the highway.

Of course, this could just be a problem with drivers in Argyle.  I’ve noticed over the past few months that they’re getting more and more squirrely in the mornings.

I have a confession to make.  It’s kind of a guilty pleasure, but I like The Dead Zone series on USA.  The premise fascinates me.  Can you imagine having the ability to see the future or the past simply by touching a person or an object?

This episode from a couple of weeks ago really got my attention with the moral dilemma it presented.  Imagine knowing that one of your friends will die, but that saving your friend would cause the deaths of many others (a bus load of school kids and another friend).

* From the theme song for the show, New Year’s Prayer by Jeff Buckley.

The University of North Texas staged a production of The Laramie Project this weekend (for those that may not remember, it’s about the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming).  Some protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas staged a protest with their typical hateful nonsense.  This spawned a counter-protest.  If I had known that this was going on I’d have joined the counter-protest.

Protesters, opposition line up near play’s production

04/13/2003

By Megan Middleton / Staff Writer

More than 80 University of North Texas students held a counterprotest Saturday night across the street from 10 members of a Kansas church who came to protest the university’s theatrical production of The Laramie Project.

The play looks at the town of Laramie, Wyo., after the kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay college student. It was created by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, a collective of gay- and lesbian-rights activists in New York.

Protesters and counterprotesters took to both sides of Chestnut Street at the intersection of Welch Street near the Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building, where the production would later begin.

The group of protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., held signs that read “Fags Die, God Laughs,” “God Abhors Fags” and “UR Going 2 Hell.” A child of one of the church members also held a sign that read “Matt in Hell.”

The groups screamed back and forth at each other, and many drivers yelled at the group from Kansas as they were passing by.

The church members remained at the corner for about an hour.

“There’s room for all of you in hell!” shouted one person with the group from Kansas.

Several women with the church stood on an American flag and sang, “God hates America,” to the tune of “God Bless America.”

“This is the scariest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” said Zack Huggins, a UNT junior who came out as a part of the counterprotest against the Kansas group. “I was hoping I lived in a day and age where this kind of hate wasn’t around anymore. I’ve lost some faith in humanity.”

Counterprotesters held up posters, some in the shape of hearts, that read “God Loves Everyone.” Other signs read: “God Made Gays” and “God is Love.”

The group of mainly students also sang “Over the Rainbow” and chanted, “Go back to Kansas,” to the church group.

….

A lot of times we don’t have groups like this [counterprotest],” Mr. Hockenbarger said.

He said the group is not concerned about evangelizing to help people become Christians.

”I’m trying to spread a message—that message is repent or perish,” he said. “Our purpose is not to recruit. Our purpose is not to win souls.”

Note the highlighted portion.  These people sound just like the Islamofascists that rail against America and our “decadent”, “evil” culture.  Simply substitute Allah for God in their rantings.  I’m not sure, but isn’t this the same church from which Phelps spews his hatred?  If so, these are evil, nasty freaks who show up at the funerals of gay people with signs that say things like “God hates fags” and “Fags burn in hell.”  And their hatred seems to include anything modern.  One of the protesters above was holding a sign that said, “God blew up the shuttle.”

How horrible it must be to live with a such a dark and nasty pit of hatred in your heart.  I feel sorry for their children growing up and being indoctrinated into this foul and odious mindset.

When I did my taxes recently I tried to use Kiplinger’s TaxCut, instead of TurboTax because I was upset with TurboTax for their product activation policy.  I checked out the features on the box for TaxCut and it seemed to compare favorably in that it listed the ability to download my stock trade info and my W2.  Unfortunately, the reality turned out to be less impressive.  It turned out that they didn’t support my company’s W2 download and they only supported about 8 brokerage firms.  It seemed kind of cheesy to me that they couldn’t download data from E*Trade.

So out of frustration after trying to import data via files, I gave up and used TurboTax online.  The TurboTax software worked quite well and included a very useful cost basis calculator (which came in handy with some stock that I sold off as a single lot that was originally bought in three lots).

As part of the Kiplinger TaxCut setup, it asked me to register.  Being suspicious of registration schemes, I always make up a new email address for each company that I do business with online.  It only took a week before I started getting spam at the new address that I used, despite the fact that I opted out of ALL emails from them.  What’s worse, is that they were using an outside agency, so it implies that someone actually had to go to the trouble of pulling the data and sending it to the spamhaus.

They just blew their one and only chance to work with me.  I won’t be buying TaxCut in the future, regardless of whether they fix their import problems.  I’m serious about not wanting any email crap.  I get a bunch of email as it is and I don’t need unsolicited offers crowding out real email.  If I get another spam from them I will redirect the address so that the email is sent to one of their online contact emails (or, if I can find it, to their CEO).