I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Random comments and observations from someone who should know enough to keep their comments and observations to themselves, but obviously fails to do so.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Mental Health Services in a Correctional setting
Inmates often have better access to medical and mental health services while they are incarcerated than when they are out on the street. (Of course I will state that often most seem to not bother to seek services while they are out.) In a correctional setting, treatment is regimented and defined. It may not offer the celerity or convenience of a doc-in-a-box, but you will get treatment.
I would like to point out on an aside that treatment is regulated on an "As Needed" basis. Heart attack or broken leg? You get to ride the ambulance to the hospital, along with matching silver bracelets and a guard to match. Back pain or toothache? You aren't going to die from it so we'll get you some ibuprofen until the doctor can see you and determine if you are a drug seeker or are in valid need.
Today, I want to talk a little about Mental Health Services. At one time, there was a lot of money flowing from the state and there was a large number of beds at the forensic unit. Then the funds dried up, and bed space was lost. Currently, getting any type of mental health involves a lot of waiting. We had one violent, destructive inmate take approximately 8 months before he was picked up for housing in a proper forensic environment.
Recently we have been holding the son of a rather... influential family. They have money, connections, and resources. But the "kid" was caught red handed, and he confessed to his string of crimes. I'm not comfortable with discussing the specific mental health treatment he was receiving, but I will only state that it can easily be classified as "minor." (This requires a lot more discussion, but for his privacy and the fact that this issue/case is ongoing I shall refrain from expounding upon it.)
Long story short, a few weeks prior to his court case the "kid" stops taking his pill. And then he acted up in court. And thus the defense requested a mental competency evaluation. Normally we see a turnaround of months before an inmate will be picked up for such an evaluation. BAM! Pretty boy is out and receiving treatment.
Money talks, and in the courts you get what you pay for.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Is New Jersey "White Republican?"
I'm from the South. My wife is from the North. On the political spectrum, I lean to the Right while my wife leans to the Left. But neither of us is what the media portrays right wingers and left wingers to be.
But I found the following sentence to be oddly... Jarring.
"To all the people who have given me advice to stay away from white Republican places like Jersey, Florida, Texas and the South, let me say this."
Jersey? White Republican? Well, some parts of it are. But even in those areas, it's pretty left leaning for me. Oddly enough, I find more signs of racism there than where I live in the South. And don't get me started on the gun laws.
Obviously, each person has their views skewed by their own perception. They can perceive something better or worse dependent upon their own personal views. Thus, the view that white/Republican = Racist. Quite disappointing. It merely shows that the writer has preconceived biases, which places them on the same level of perception as the racists that they decry.
But I found the following sentence to be oddly... Jarring.
"To all the people who have given me advice to stay away from white Republican places like Jersey, Florida, Texas and the South, let me say this."
Jersey? White Republican? Well, some parts of it are. But even in those areas, it's pretty left leaning for me. Oddly enough, I find more signs of racism there than where I live in the South. And don't get me started on the gun laws.
Obviously, each person has their views skewed by their own perception. They can perceive something better or worse dependent upon their own personal views. Thus, the view that white/Republican = Racist. Quite disappointing. It merely shows that the writer has preconceived biases, which places them on the same level of perception as the racists that they decry.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Traffic
I keep finding things to post about, but I rarely have time to post them.
For example, before Thankgiving I had a close brush with death. It was about 4am and I was headed north to work. There is a portion of the highway that raises into a curving bridge. It curves right, then left. Yes, there are a large number of accidents on this bridge when the weather is bad.
So, tooling to work, not many vehicles out that early in the morning. I saw some headlights and in my sleep addled mind they were in the other lane, separted by a jersey wall. But I thought "man, those lights are bright." Normally, they lights get blocked by the jersey wall as they get closer... But not this time. I was in the far right lane, the oncoming driver was in the far left lane. I only had a moment of realization before they passed me. Heart was beating a million miles an hour, and the only thought I could get out was "Oh S***!"
I was a little rattled and there is no place to pull off for a few miles. I did not have my bluetooth in. (I rarely have it in that early in the morning.) I pulled my cell phone, but I was shaking and dropped it under the seat. (I didn't find it until I was on lunch break.) It was 25 minutes before I got to work, so when I called the State Police they thanked me for my input but advised me that there was little they could do. I knew as much. Obviously, no accidents reported.
For example, before Thankgiving I had a close brush with death. It was about 4am and I was headed north to work. There is a portion of the highway that raises into a curving bridge. It curves right, then left. Yes, there are a large number of accidents on this bridge when the weather is bad.
So, tooling to work, not many vehicles out that early in the morning. I saw some headlights and in my sleep addled mind they were in the other lane, separted by a jersey wall. But I thought "man, those lights are bright." Normally, they lights get blocked by the jersey wall as they get closer... But not this time. I was in the far right lane, the oncoming driver was in the far left lane. I only had a moment of realization before they passed me. Heart was beating a million miles an hour, and the only thought I could get out was "Oh S***!"
I was a little rattled and there is no place to pull off for a few miles. I did not have my bluetooth in. (I rarely have it in that early in the morning.) I pulled my cell phone, but I was shaking and dropped it under the seat. (I didn't find it until I was on lunch break.) It was 25 minutes before I got to work, so when I called the State Police they thanked me for my input but advised me that there was little they could do. I knew as much. Obviously, no accidents reported.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Green Top Sporting Goods, still kicking it after all these years.
Green Top used to advertise itself as the "South's Largest Outdoor Supply" or something like that. And at the time I believed it. Then came the large chain stores and they took that slogan down. In approximately 2007, the announcement was made that a Bass Pro and a Gander Mountain were opening in the area of Green Top.
And Green Top was scared. To talk with the employees, they thought that their shop would be put out of business and they would all loose their jobs.
But brand loyalty and customer service won through. Gander Mountain garnered a lot of complaints about high prices and bad customer service and it closed. Green Top moved in to their location and now operate an even BIGGER store than before. And it is awesome. It makes me feel good that the "little guy" survived and is doing even better.
Oddly enough, I have not made it out to the new Green Top location since they took over the Gander Mountain site. There are a million reasons, mostly because I just don't need the temptation to spend more money.
But I finally made it over there, and it is awesome! They have made great use of the space. The organization is quite similar to Gander Mountain. The majority of their long guns are out on display where they can be looked at easily. They have a number of collectible shotguns locked in the case, and they also have a number of their higher end rifles kept behind the counter. And all of their pistols are behind the counter. They seem to have a lot more long guns than pistols. Their pistol counter was very crowded, but their selection seemed a bit off. More specifically, they didn't have the pistol that I was looking for in stock. But, nothing is perfect.
I will state that I've been to the new location twice this month. On that note, when I went there on Friday it looked like someone's ex had sold off a nice extensive AR collection. There were multiple AR's in different configurations. There was one with a forward grip, green laser, and optics for a really good deal... So good I tried to figure out how to buy it right then and there! (Couldn't buy it without gutting the Thanksgiving/Christmas budget.) So, good deal missed, but I'll be back!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Did I miss Halloween?
I forgot to make a Halloween post. I like to post a few spooky music videos I find off of YouTube, but Halloween just kind of snuck up on me. I had a very busy month and I even got my car in to it's annual inspection at the last minute. (It was not what I had planned!)
I have a bit I'd like to talk about. Several incidents involving inmates with mental health issues or disabilities that should not be incarcerated but are, training at the Academy, life in general, et al. I had more to write but I just spaced out. Of course, life is busy and I don't have time to post as often as I'd like, nor am I as creative in my posts as I would like to be.
Well, at least I have a quick post up. I recently got another comment to my blog and that was much appreciated.
Until my next post!
I have a bit I'd like to talk about. Several incidents involving inmates with mental health issues or disabilities that should not be incarcerated but are, training at the Academy, life in general, et al. I had more to write but I just spaced out. Of course, life is busy and I don't have time to post as often as I'd like, nor am I as creative in my posts as I would like to be.
Well, at least I have a quick post up. I recently got another comment to my blog and that was much appreciated.
Until my next post!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
The gun show in Downtown Richmond
I made it up to the C&E Gun Show in Downtown Richmond today. This was the first time that they held the gun show at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Previously the C&E Gunshow was held at The Showplace on Mechanicville Turnpike. But, that location was sold and something new is to be built there.
The big issue for that location is that the attached parking charges $6. One big issue is that so few people are used to paying for parking. That was a big drawback for the Sixth Street Marketplace when that was in operation. But, if you go to Downtown Richmond, you will probably have to pay for parking. And they wonder why people don't come. Fortunately I was able to find some free on street parking.
The crowds were not as heavy as I'm used to when it was at The Showplace. Also, there were a number of empty tables. On that note most of the tables did consist of firearms or firearm paraphernalia. There were very few tables of artsy/craftsy stuffs as I've become used to. For the most part I don't go to a gun show to purchase firearms, as I find them very overpriced. However, I did find some good deals that made me stop and think.
I don't think that the Greater Richmond Convention Center is a good place for the gun show. Hopefully a better location will come available to them.
The big issue for that location is that the attached parking charges $6. One big issue is that so few people are used to paying for parking. That was a big drawback for the Sixth Street Marketplace when that was in operation. But, if you go to Downtown Richmond, you will probably have to pay for parking. And they wonder why people don't come. Fortunately I was able to find some free on street parking.
The crowds were not as heavy as I'm used to when it was at The Showplace. Also, there were a number of empty tables. On that note most of the tables did consist of firearms or firearm paraphernalia. There were very few tables of artsy/craftsy stuffs as I've become used to. For the most part I don't go to a gun show to purchase firearms, as I find them very overpriced. However, I did find some good deals that made me stop and think.
I don't think that the Greater Richmond Convention Center is a good place for the gun show. Hopefully a better location will come available to them.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Marine Cutbacks.
Business Insider has an article about a funny video that was posted in a response to military cutbacks.
Marines Use Nerf Guns In Video To Lampoon Government Shutdown
It's pretty funny. "No First Sergeants Were Actually Used in the Making of this Video."
Marines Use Nerf Guns In Video To Lampoon Government Shutdown
It's pretty funny. "No First Sergeants Were Actually Used in the Making of this Video."
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Deathinger
This.
Deathinger
I can't figure out how to post the actual video to this site. Blogger makes it easy to post from YouTube and not Vimeo. (Of course, Google owns Blogger and YouTube so that's a pretty straight forward set up right there.) But go watch it. It's an awesome short animation about "Death School" for the harvesters of souls in the afterlife.
Deathinger
I can't figure out how to post the actual video to this site. Blogger makes it easy to post from YouTube and not Vimeo. (Of course, Google owns Blogger and YouTube so that's a pretty straight forward set up right there.) But go watch it. It's an awesome short animation about "Death School" for the harvesters of souls in the afterlife.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Stick Shifts. I love them. I hate them.
When I was 15, I got my crash course in driving stick. My dad told me to get in the driver's seat of our F-150, and take it on down to the cow pasture.
Now, I'd had very little experience in driving any vehicle up to now. And the concept of using the clutch was very hard to understand. Plus I was getting on streets that were not known for slow traffic. The pasture, maybe ten minutes down the road, took almost a half an hour for me. Between taking forever to turn onto the main road (too much traffic for me) and having the engine cut off almost every time I tried to shift... By the time I got their my grandmother had already fed the cows and was leaving. I don't really recall the trip back, but I'm sure that it wasn't any better.
But, I eventually figured out how to drive stick shift. And I became pretty good too! The rescue squad that I volunteered for needed drivers, so I took the course and became certified. When I got hired in corrections, I took the EVOC course for cruisers and vans. The instructors kept making the van course tighter for me because I could do some fun stuff with the transport van.
There were some interesting incidents. The first time I was put in the drivers seat of a massive moving truck, I had to get used to the idea of "Reverse" in the far upper left position. I was exceptionally used to First Gear being in this spot. I only confused the two once... Unfortunately I was at a stoplight driving uphill. It was pretty scary.
So... About two years ago we bought a new car. My wife's car was having back to back EXPENSIVE mechanical issues. When the transmission went, so did the car. We were fortunate that we had a friend who was a manager at a local Hyundai dealer. We got a great deal on a used Elantra. One of the reasons that we got such a good deal was that it was manual, and not automatic. Apparently there is not a huge demand for an Elantra that is not Automatic.
I hate that car.
Shifting is such a pain. I'll grind gears or place it in the wrong position. I'm just terrible at using it. The manual transmission for this car is just so different from the larger trucks that I'm used to driving. In the trucks, I had the feeling of power when I was able to shift myself. In this car, I think it's built for speed but with four cylinders it doesn't seem to work. Now, my wife has absolutely no problem with it. She is in love with her car. Well, I guess it's good that I have no desire to drive her car.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Dusk Maiden of Bones
Because I haven't posted and AMV in a while, here is one that I like.
I may have to buy the album from this, MS MR "Secondhand Rapture." The video is from "Dusk Maiden of Amnesia" which I have not watched. (I'll have to post a review of "Another" at some point in the future.)
I may have to buy the album from this, MS MR "Secondhand Rapture." The video is from "Dusk Maiden of Amnesia" which I have not watched. (I'll have to post a review of "Another" at some point in the future.)
Thursday, September 12, 2013
We protect the guilty. But what about the innocent?
I merely must vent my frustration in that the criminals have more rights than us law abiding citizens.
While I shall not go into the details of the issue at this time, I will state that it looks like everything has turned out in my favor. Unfortunately the whole situation has left a sour taste in my mouth.
That is all.
While I shall not go into the details of the issue at this time, I will state that it looks like everything has turned out in my favor. Unfortunately the whole situation has left a sour taste in my mouth.
That is all.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
I have updated My Blog List.
I have added Grandma's Recipe Books and The Steel Bookshelf to "My Blog List." Jon had been kind enough to leave a comment on my blog so I felt that I should at least help him out by adding a link to his sites. It won't be much, but maybe it will add him a little higher on a Google search.
The term "illegal" can not be used at college.
Change the language and you change the conversation. Groupthink out of UCLA:
UCLA Student Government resolution bans derogatory term.
And I had forgotten that the AP had removed the term "illegal immigrant" from their lexicon a few months back.
AP Stylebook rejects the term illegal immigrant.
UCLA Student Government resolution bans derogatory term.
And I had forgotten that the AP had removed the term "illegal immigrant" from their lexicon a few months back.
AP Stylebook rejects the term illegal immigrant.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Things that make inmates go "huh?"
I love watching an inmates brain go into vapor lock, especially when they are on a whine session about some trivial matter that I can't really discern.
Inmate: "This is a violation of my Constitutional rights!"
Me: "What about your Constitutional lefts?"
Inmate: (Quizzical look, and then they walk away.)
Inmate: "This is a violation of my Constitutional rights!"
Me: "What about your Constitutional lefts?"
Inmate: (Quizzical look, and then they walk away.)
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Obama is dissapointed.
Obama "dissapointed" that Russia granted asylum to Snowden
Wow. Great international relations there, Commander-In-Chief. I'm sure your "disappointment" will have the Russians quaking in their boots and not laughing at your impotence.
Wow. Great international relations there, Commander-In-Chief. I'm sure your "disappointment" will have the Russians quaking in their boots and not laughing at your impotence.
Friday, August 2, 2013
I found new shorts!
One drawback of carrying concealed is that it restricts the type of clothing that you can wear. Being that I'm a big collector of clothing from Wal-Mart (you can't beat the prices) I tend to wear pants that are one size too big and shirts that are 2XL. I'm not exactly a fashion model.
Of course, that was focused on CCW at a 5 O'Clock position. Between martial arts in college and a career in Corrections, I am not quite the paragon of health. Most significant of my health issues is back pain... So I've stopped carrying IWB. Sitting with a firearm in that position became most painful. Once I drove to my destination, I didn't want to be there anymore.
Thus, I've been doing Pocket Carry for a bit. I prefer my S&W 5 shot. Short barrel, but very accurate. I've got a nice Don Hume holster for it. (I don't think that they make that style any more.) The draw back is that most pants now have short pockets which can be quite annoying.
"Is that a pistol in your pocket?"
"Yes, you can tell by the grip sticking out."
Recently, I've been catching some sales at Bass Pro. Still a bit more than Wal Mart, but not by much when they are on sale. The RedHead shorts that they sell are awesome! (RedHead is the Bass Pro house brand, I believe.) I love the deep pockets, and they allow me to carry concealed in the pocket with no issues. Most are cargo style so that makes it easier for me to carry extra items, such as my iPod.
Bass Pro RedHead Shorts
Of course, that was focused on CCW at a 5 O'Clock position. Between martial arts in college and a career in Corrections, I am not quite the paragon of health. Most significant of my health issues is back pain... So I've stopped carrying IWB. Sitting with a firearm in that position became most painful. Once I drove to my destination, I didn't want to be there anymore.
Thus, I've been doing Pocket Carry for a bit. I prefer my S&W 5 shot. Short barrel, but very accurate. I've got a nice Don Hume holster for it. (I don't think that they make that style any more.) The draw back is that most pants now have short pockets which can be quite annoying.
"Is that a pistol in your pocket?"
"Yes, you can tell by the grip sticking out."
Recently, I've been catching some sales at Bass Pro. Still a bit more than Wal Mart, but not by much when they are on sale. The RedHead shorts that they sell are awesome! (RedHead is the Bass Pro house brand, I believe.) I love the deep pockets, and they allow me to carry concealed in the pocket with no issues. Most are cargo style so that makes it easier for me to carry extra items, such as my iPod.
Bass Pro RedHead Shorts
Friday, July 26, 2013
In regards to the proper care and feeding of chemical agents.
Don't store it in direct sunlight. Check the canister for damage and leaks. And take it out of service by the listed expiration date.
That being said. let's mosy on to a similar topic.
Oleoresin Capsicum. O. C. Pepper Spray. Basically this is the "weaponized" version of a hot pepper. The oils of the peppers converted by modern science into a pressurized agent used to disorient a subject. It's almost as au-natural and hippie friendly as a hickory shampoo. Ha ha, I kid, I kid.
It is known as "less than lethal" due to the fact that it sits lower on the use of force chart. However, "less than lethal" can be lethal at times without intent. (See studies on positional asphyxiation in conjunction with use of chemical agents.) Nothing is 100% safe. (Remember that radio contestant who died from drinking water?)
On that note, pepper spray is a bit of an area-of-affect tool. Let's say that you are going hands on with an inmate. Unless the situation goes pear shaped, you should not deploy pepper spray. Not only are you hitting the inmate with the chemical, you are hitting the officers also. Not every one is affected by O. C. the same way. Take me for example. I've had a lot of exposure to it and I can work through it. Also, it makes me very angry. And my anger is not directed at the inmate, but he officer who made a very poor decision.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
International Cat Speculators
International Cat Speculators.
Update: Apparently someone has bought a web domain and set it up as International Cat Speculators. Read the comments, they are so funny!
On that note, leave a comment on my blog. Just say hi or something.
Apparently it's a thing now.
It's a joke on Instapundit, by the way. My family has a good handful of cats plus a number of strays that hang around. If there was a way to make money off of them then I'd be rich.
Update: Apparently someone has bought a web domain and set it up as International Cat Speculators. Read the comments, they are so funny!
On that note, leave a comment on my blog. Just say hi or something.
Friday, July 12, 2013
DC Celtic Events
Anyone remember Yahoo Groups? I'm still a member of several Yahoo Groups. Sometimes I get some really interesting info on them. I actually prefer getting info over text based e-mail than using Facebook. It's a simple format, where in Facebook they will sometimes hide posts and you won't know that anyone wrote anything.
Recently, the DC Cetlic Events group was updated. I was happy to see this. I was so used to the groups fading away and being forgotten. Plus, the moderator included a nice note explaining why the news group had been "ignored" for so long. That was a nice touch.
Recently, the DC Cetlic Events group was updated. I was happy to see this. I was so used to the groups fading away and being forgotten. Plus, the moderator included a nice note explaining why the news group had been "ignored" for so long. That was a nice touch.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
I need a vacation... from my vacation.
So... Spent a little over a week on vacation. And I'm still recovering from it.
It rained most of the week. I think the rain actually made the fishing a little better because it kept all the speedboats and jet skis off the lake.
I'll post later.
I think.
It rained most of the week. I think the rain actually made the fishing a little better because it kept all the speedboats and jet skis off the lake.
I'll post later.
I think.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Gay Marriage
So... The Defense of Marriage Act has been found unconstitutional.
Of course, the news pretty much just said (to paraphrase) "gay marriage is legal." I was working that day and of course the inmates took it at face value.
The majority were really upset thus we had to watch out for possible acts of violence of inmates against inmates whom they saw as of an alternate sexual persuasion. Yes, certain news stories will raise the risk that inmates may act in a certain way. This "certain way" often involves violence, but not always.
So, the following sentance is about that "not always" part.
The day the news story broke, I was proposed to by a small number of inmates.
On the upside, apparently I appeal to 100% of the population. I'm sexy and I know it!
Of course, the news pretty much just said (to paraphrase) "gay marriage is legal." I was working that day and of course the inmates took it at face value.
The majority were really upset thus we had to watch out for possible acts of violence of inmates against inmates whom they saw as of an alternate sexual persuasion. Yes, certain news stories will raise the risk that inmates may act in a certain way. This "certain way" often involves violence, but not always.
So, the following sentance is about that "not always" part.
The day the news story broke, I was proposed to by a small number of inmates.
On the upside, apparently I appeal to 100% of the population. I'm sexy and I know it!
Monday, June 17, 2013
TeleVenture watching!
I'm very disappointed in myself.
Apparently they started showing the fifth season of The Venture Brothers and I did not notice.
So, I've missed a significant number of the episodes! Well, I've set it to the DVR. Now I just have to find free time to watch the episodes when my wife is not using the DVR.
I can't really tell you the last thing that I recorded. Growing up, we had a VCR. That implement caused more fights, I swear. We had one TV in the den, and one in my parents bedroom. So us kids watched that den TV all the time. We only had a handful of VCR tapes. And they all got filled up. When you have a tape that can only record about 4-6 hours of video at a time... (This was before the big fancy 8 hour video tapes!) Worse was when we would record over a program someone else was watching.
You can still use a VCR with a cable box. You just have to have the cable box tuned. I tried it a few times. The DVR is the only way to record stuff now. You have to pay the company to record it. And apparently you can't record the Super Bowl, but I've never tried. My wife is a TV junkie and she records and watches everything! Our DVR stays full all the time, and my wife will watch all the programs as soon as she can. It kind of kills me. I hate the fact that most of the shows my wife watches, I can't stand. Cooking competitions? Mentally unbalanced dance moms? Pretty much I hate most reality TV. (The original Ninja Challenge on G4 was pretty cool.) But she does like a lot of the crime shows and I can enjoy them, even if I find them pretty formulaic.
Apparently they started showing the fifth season of The Venture Brothers and I did not notice.
So, I've missed a significant number of the episodes! Well, I've set it to the DVR. Now I just have to find free time to watch the episodes when my wife is not using the DVR.
I can't really tell you the last thing that I recorded. Growing up, we had a VCR. That implement caused more fights, I swear. We had one TV in the den, and one in my parents bedroom. So us kids watched that den TV all the time. We only had a handful of VCR tapes. And they all got filled up. When you have a tape that can only record about 4-6 hours of video at a time... (This was before the big fancy 8 hour video tapes!) Worse was when we would record over a program someone else was watching.
You can still use a VCR with a cable box. You just have to have the cable box tuned. I tried it a few times. The DVR is the only way to record stuff now. You have to pay the company to record it. And apparently you can't record the Super Bowl, but I've never tried. My wife is a TV junkie and she records and watches everything! Our DVR stays full all the time, and my wife will watch all the programs as soon as she can. It kind of kills me. I hate the fact that most of the shows my wife watches, I can't stand. Cooking competitions? Mentally unbalanced dance moms? Pretty much I hate most reality TV. (The original Ninja Challenge on G4 was pretty cool.) But she does like a lot of the crime shows and I can enjoy them, even if I find them pretty formulaic.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
I need a hobby.
I need a hobby.
Well, I need a "cheap" hobby. I used to have a lot of hobbies... but they all cost money.
A lot of money.
I used to shoot competitively. IDPA, IPSC, Cowboy Action, steel matches... I can't afford the ammo if I could even find the ammo. Plus I work every other weekend and the matches seem to fall on the weekends that I work. I won't say that I'm a very good shoot. As a matter of fact I'm pretty slow compared to the hard core match competitors. But it's still a lot of fun.
I love computers. Not just getting online with them. I like to tinker with them and add components and try to upgrade. I also enjoy running different programs and seeing what I can do. But, components cost money. Plus my hard drive is currently out of space so I need to increase the size of the hard drive... But I don't have any money.
I used to enjoy driving. I'd pick a destination, or even a road, and just go. I've found old graveyards, Civil War monuments, turn of the century stores, and more. I guess you can find all of this on the internet now, but it was fun to explore and find it on my own.
Currently, my life involves work, spending time with my daughter, taking care of the yard and house, and surfing the internet. I've got Netflix, but I can't find much on it that keeps my attention.
Time to find a cheap hobby.
Well, I need a "cheap" hobby. I used to have a lot of hobbies... but they all cost money.
A lot of money.
I used to shoot competitively. IDPA, IPSC, Cowboy Action, steel matches... I can't afford the ammo if I could even find the ammo. Plus I work every other weekend and the matches seem to fall on the weekends that I work. I won't say that I'm a very good shoot. As a matter of fact I'm pretty slow compared to the hard core match competitors. But it's still a lot of fun.
I love computers. Not just getting online with them. I like to tinker with them and add components and try to upgrade. I also enjoy running different programs and seeing what I can do. But, components cost money. Plus my hard drive is currently out of space so I need to increase the size of the hard drive... But I don't have any money.
I used to enjoy driving. I'd pick a destination, or even a road, and just go. I've found old graveyards, Civil War monuments, turn of the century stores, and more. I guess you can find all of this on the internet now, but it was fun to explore and find it on my own.
Currently, my life involves work, spending time with my daughter, taking care of the yard and house, and surfing the internet. I've got Netflix, but I can't find much on it that keeps my attention.
Time to find a cheap hobby.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Король и Шут - Кукла Колдуна + текст песни
I found this neat little tune on YouTube. Honestly, I could use a translation. But, I enjoyed it. And of course all the Google products are all neatly wrapped together, allowing me to post the cryllic alphabet up top.
Yeah, I think it's neat. I doubt anyone else would.
f
Yeah, I think it's neat. I doubt anyone else would.
f
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Rare footage of the LASD
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Astronaut Chris Hadfield does "Space Oddity."
Commander Hadfield apparently recorded and mixed this cover of "Space Oddity" originally sung by David Bowie.
OK, it's a lot of fun! Plus he's got a great voice.
I've seen a few band remake Major Tom/Space Oddity. But this is the best cover I've heard so far.
OK, it's a lot of fun! Plus he's got a great voice.
I've seen a few band remake Major Tom/Space Oddity. But this is the best cover I've heard so far.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Update on my search for Djembe!
A little bit ago I posted that I was looking for information on a group by the name of Djembe. Recently I got a response from a comment that I had left on YouTube.
They gave me the following link: Djembe - Russian Gothic. This gave me a list of the songs, a little bit of the bands info, and the album artwork. It helped me out a lot!
Apparently I had all of Djembe's music stored somewhere. Originially I had it on some Zip disks... which had gone bad. (I actually have an external Zip disk reader!) I had given my wife a bunch of R/W CDs for her to use... and she found that I had already used one. When she gave it to me, I found that I had a lot of music on it. Long story short, I was able to identify some of the music as Djembe, but I was able to ID the rest of the music after I compared it to the list on the Web Page.
Thus, the Djembe album was called "Medieval Hits." It was listed as "unpublished" in 2000. The album contained four tracks.
1. In Taberna
2. Saltarello
3. Tourdion
4. Maria Virgine
5. Palestinalit
The following is copied directly from the above link:
Line-up:
Artistic Director
Igor Tiouvaev - darabucca (african drum), fluters, hemshorn, vocal
Georgy Efimov - violin, flute, vocal
Nikolay Soloviev - djembe (african drum), china cymbals, bells, vocal
Svetlana Galkina - synthesizer, percussions, vocal
Irina Efimova - tambourine, ancient cymbals, vocal
Sergey Firsov - djembe (african drum), vocal
Sergey Barsukov - saaz, hud (eastern stringed instruments played by plucking)
It makes me feel good that I've been able to get this information.
They gave me the following link: Djembe - Russian Gothic. This gave me a list of the songs, a little bit of the bands info, and the album artwork. It helped me out a lot!
Apparently I had all of Djembe's music stored somewhere. Originially I had it on some Zip disks... which had gone bad. (I actually have an external Zip disk reader!) I had given my wife a bunch of R/W CDs for her to use... and she found that I had already used one. When she gave it to me, I found that I had a lot of music on it. Long story short, I was able to identify some of the music as Djembe, but I was able to ID the rest of the music after I compared it to the list on the Web Page.
Thus, the Djembe album was called "Medieval Hits." It was listed as "unpublished" in 2000. The album contained four tracks.
1. In Taberna
2. Saltarello
3. Tourdion
4. Maria Virgine
5. Palestinalit
The following is copied directly from the above link:
Line-up:
Artistic Director
Igor Tiouvaev - darabucca (african drum), fluters, hemshorn, vocal
Georgy Efimov - violin, flute, vocal
Nikolay Soloviev - djembe (african drum), china cymbals, bells, vocal
Svetlana Galkina - synthesizer, percussions, vocal
Irina Efimova - tambourine, ancient cymbals, vocal
Sergey Firsov - djembe (african drum), vocal
Sergey Barsukov - saaz, hud (eastern stringed instruments played by plucking)
It makes me feel good that I've been able to get this information.
I have come to a conclusion...
I have come to a conclusion...
Eventually, everything in America shall become illegal. With the exception of illegal immigration, of course.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Yard Work
Spring came late here. Earlier this season we had snow, which turned into 90 degree weather in a space of 12 days. Now we are back to cool and wet weather.
I'm currently "on vacation." Well, I have time off and I get to stay at home for a week. Not going anywhere special. So I've been trying to clean the house and work on the yard. I'm happy that the prediction of 5 days of rain proved to be false.
Today was mostly yard work. I ran some of the engines on my tools to make sure everything was in working order. (I'd only used the lawn mower so far.) Ran the generator for a few hours and placed some fuel stabilizer in the tank. (We had it out a few months ago because we thought we were going to loose power, but didn't. And I really don't think that I winterized it after that use.)
The inch worms are out in force. I had so many of them on me. I actually threw all of my work clothes into the wash after I finished. And inch worms leave your clothes smelling funny. Along with every thing else that I washed with those clothes.
I'm currently "on vacation." Well, I have time off and I get to stay at home for a week. Not going anywhere special. So I've been trying to clean the house and work on the yard. I'm happy that the prediction of 5 days of rain proved to be false.
Today was mostly yard work. I ran some of the engines on my tools to make sure everything was in working order. (I'd only used the lawn mower so far.) Ran the generator for a few hours and placed some fuel stabilizer in the tank. (We had it out a few months ago because we thought we were going to loose power, but didn't. And I really don't think that I winterized it after that use.)
The inch worms are out in force. I had so many of them on me. I actually threw all of my work clothes into the wash after I finished. And inch worms leave your clothes smelling funny. Along with every thing else that I washed with those clothes.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Found a new blog, "Lurking Rythmically."
I added a new blog to my list of blogs that I read.
It's called "Lurking Rythmically." I can only say that I found it because I was following links in other blogs and thus I had a bunch of tabs opened when I realized what I had. Yeah, I'm an ADD internet surfer like that.
So, I'll add it to my list of blogs. I can't tell you whom I need to thank.
It covers a wide range of topics, from gun rights to My Little Pony to games. That covers the majority of my interests right there!
I'll link this awesome post of theirs that I enjoyed reading. My "So-Called" Rights.
Enjoy reading!
It's called "Lurking Rythmically." I can only say that I found it because I was following links in other blogs and thus I had a bunch of tabs opened when I realized what I had. Yeah, I'm an ADD internet surfer like that.
So, I'll add it to my list of blogs. I can't tell you whom I need to thank.
It covers a wide range of topics, from gun rights to My Little Pony to games. That covers the majority of my interests right there!
I'll link this awesome post of theirs that I enjoyed reading. My "So-Called" Rights.
Enjoy reading!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Issues with Blogger
I don't post much by way of this blog. However, I do respond to a handful of other blogs using this ID. Today, I can't seem to post any replys. I keep getting errors of some sort.
Oh well.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
What is Buck Wild?
For all intents and purposes, I have an electronic newsfeed. I get most of my news online. It is supposed to give priority to local news over national/international. And I have it set for "news" and "science" over sports, entertainment, et al.
So why is the news about a "Buck Wild" star dying keep headlining my news feed? I've never even heard of the show. Plus, are reality stars really all that newsworthy? Half the stuff they do, they do it for the show.
Yes, I agree that the deaths of three people are a tragedy. But why focus on that and ignore other events. Don't take it the wrong way, but the last I read the cause of death was not known. Unfortunately I feel that when the results are realeased that the cause can be boiled down to stupidity.
To the family and friends who lost their loved ones in this incident, my sympathies go out to you.
So why is the news about a "Buck Wild" star dying keep headlining my news feed? I've never even heard of the show. Plus, are reality stars really all that newsworthy? Half the stuff they do, they do it for the show.
Yes, I agree that the deaths of three people are a tragedy. But why focus on that and ignore other events. Don't take it the wrong way, but the last I read the cause of death was not known. Unfortunately I feel that when the results are realeased that the cause can be boiled down to stupidity.
To the family and friends who lost their loved ones in this incident, my sympathies go out to you.
Monday, April 1, 2013
House Set of Subterranean Animism - Chireiden Set
This is a neat string of electronic music. Pretty much it seems that someone just put the whole album on YouTube. But the music flows pretty seamlessly from one to another.
Just a nice listen.
Happy April Fools Day!
It's April 1st! It's a day traditionally associated with pranks and jokes.
I should totally post something really funny here.
But I got 'nuthin.
I should totally post something really funny here.
But I got 'nuthin.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
"We wear short shorts!"
Inmates have nothing but time. As trainers, we constantly push that inmates have 24 hours a day to plan escapes.
They also have plenty of time to plan pranks.
As pranks go, replacing an inmates lotion with a depilatory (IE: Nair) is pretty funny. They step out of the shower, lotion up, and let the burning sensation begin!
The perpetrators got out one line of "Who wears short shorts" before the beatdown began.
They also have plenty of time to plan pranks.
As pranks go, replacing an inmates lotion with a depilatory (IE: Nair) is pretty funny. They step out of the shower, lotion up, and let the burning sensation begin!
The perpetrators got out one line of "Who wears short shorts" before the beatdown began.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Found a fun article on BuzzFeed.
I found this pretty entertaining, from BuzzFeed Politics.
Buzzfeed - Things Dems would have freaked out on...
Buzzfeed - Things Dems would have freaked out on...
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Djembe, who perform Touridon.
Years ago, an Early Music group from the broken Eastern Bloc (Russia? Poland?) came to North Carolina. They may have visited some other places but I heard a little bit of them there and they also had their music played on RenRadio.com.
This was when I was just getting serious about early music. But, things changed, computers crashed, and I ended up loosing a lot of their music and all of their info.
And recently I've been finding little bits of them all around.
I present to you "Touridon" by the group Djembe.
I had hoped that the person who posted this video could give me a little more info on the group... but no luck. I do hope that some day I'll get more info on the music group Djembe and that maybe I'll be able to own their CD. (Or what ever media that their music will be played on in the future.)
Edit: I've posted an update!
This was when I was just getting serious about early music. But, things changed, computers crashed, and I ended up loosing a lot of their music and all of their info.
And recently I've been finding little bits of them all around.
I present to you "Touridon" by the group Djembe.
I had hoped that the person who posted this video could give me a little more info on the group... but no luck. I do hope that some day I'll get more info on the music group Djembe and that maybe I'll be able to own their CD. (Or what ever media that their music will be played on in the future.)
Edit: I've posted an update!
Recognition, even if small.
I'm neither elegant nor loquacious in my writing. I don't post much on my (unread) blog nor do I post many responses on other websites.
But I do get enjoyment when one of my posts gets either a laugh or other recognition. It does make me happy.
=o)
But I do get enjoyment when one of my posts gets either a laugh or other recognition. It does make me happy.
=o)
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
I'm not bored, I'm lonely.
OK, I just posted because I was upset that Diablo 3 was down. Now I've got time to do stuff on my own.
But I just realized that it's not about entertainment, it's about interaction. There are a lot of people I've met in game that I have fun with online. And I can't talk to them. I've been texting some friends to see what they are up to, but they are all busy or out of town. My wife has dinner plans with her friends.
I just want some human interaction. My daughter will be awake soon, but I'm not going to get her up earlier because I'm lonely. =o)
But I just realized that it's not about entertainment, it's about interaction. There are a lot of people I've met in game that I have fun with online. And I can't talk to them. I've been texting some friends to see what they are up to, but they are all busy or out of town. My wife has dinner plans with her friends.
I just want some human interaction. My daughter will be awake soon, but I'm not going to get her up earlier because I'm lonely. =o)
Diablo 3 is down.
So, I've got some free time online. Adorable Preciousness is down for the nap, my errands are done, and I've got the house to myself.
I want to play some video games! Specifically, Diablo 3.
And the game is down. Of course.
Sadly, the fact that D3 is an online game means that I can't even play solo at home while the servers are down. That's very annoying.
Yes, it's easy enough to find something else to do. But, I kind of don't want to. It's hard enough for me to get time to play games as is. It's kind of annoying that when I set my schedule up to get an hour or two of gametime and then it goes out the window... But I'll live.
Eh, I'm just griping. But, it gave me something to post about.
I want to play some video games! Specifically, Diablo 3.
And the game is down. Of course.
Sadly, the fact that D3 is an online game means that I can't even play solo at home while the servers are down. That's very annoying.
Yes, it's easy enough to find something else to do. But, I kind of don't want to. It's hard enough for me to get time to play games as is. It's kind of annoying that when I set my schedule up to get an hour or two of gametime and then it goes out the window... But I'll live.
Eh, I'm just griping. But, it gave me something to post about.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
On Spam and The LawDog Files
I know that I don't post much. I'm busy and every time I get in front of the computer I can't think of all that much to say.
However, I will post comments at a few blogs. Normally by the time I get to a blog post I find that people with more intelligence and wit than I have already posted and therefore leaving me with little of importance to add to the conversation.
I know, I know. You are thinking "it's the internet, intelligence has nothing to do with it. I still have a little self respect, so go with it. However, every so often, I'm given an opportunity to share my insight on a blog response.
Recently I posted on The LawDog Files. I knew that the blog has a lot of readers, and a lot of posts. However, my follow up e-mails showed that he gets a lot of spam posts. WOW! LawDog does a good job of cleaning up his responses, because I didn't see the the spam on his site. So, kudos to LawDog for his hard work. Note that LawDog's blog allows anyone to post on his site without any verification.
Other sites are a little different. Some sites offer "Captcha," while others require the administrator to approve all comments. Aaron Williams uses a neat little system called "Sweet Captcha" on his website. This requires you to drag the appropriate item into a picture to use. This will prevent bots from spamming your blogs, definitely And it's not always as infuriating as some of the other captcha programs. Yes, you can refresh them but sometimes even I can't read what they are posting. (One captcha I dealt with showsed a photo of a number and what was posted was NOT a number or even a letter!)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
"The Villains" video of "Red Death Ball" by Hana Pestle
Really tired, so I'll post this one without much comment.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
Coloris by she, in AMV form!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
"Locked Out of Heaven" cover by Kristin Moura
A friend of mine has uploaded a music video on YouTube. I thought that I'd share.
Enjoy!
Website of Emerald City Comic Con has been hacked.
You may or may not have heard, but the website for the Emerald City Comic Con had been hacked. They have currently redirected their old site to their Facebook page. (I'm using the term hackers for people who break into improperly secured websites. I know that it can cover a lot more than that but I'm being rather general for this post.)
What is scary is that the hackers actually went through the trouble to delete the back up files. That is just scary. It's a shame that if someone takes advantage of a flaw, they will go through the trouble to do as much damage as possible.
I can't find it, but I read an article a while back about someone who got their personal account hacked and everything erased. Somehow the victim got a line of communication established with the hacker and for all intents it was just a "kid" who was being destructive because they didn't know the consequences.
It's something that I've noticed with inmates. A portion of them either don't think about their actions or they actually have no sympathy for their victims. For some this will change over time, for others it won't. (The rest seem to fall under the "altered mental status" category but I won't talk about that today.)
Nothing is 100% foolproof. I know a lot of hackers have the concept that websites "must be taught a lesson" if they don't have their stuff properly done. Not everyone is going to catch every mistake, and that is not a reason to "punish" them.
What is scary is that the hackers actually went through the trouble to delete the back up files. That is just scary. It's a shame that if someone takes advantage of a flaw, they will go through the trouble to do as much damage as possible.
I can't find it, but I read an article a while back about someone who got their personal account hacked and everything erased. Somehow the victim got a line of communication established with the hacker and for all intents it was just a "kid" who was being destructive because they didn't know the consequences.
It's something that I've noticed with inmates. A portion of them either don't think about their actions or they actually have no sympathy for their victims. For some this will change over time, for others it won't. (The rest seem to fall under the "altered mental status" category but I won't talk about that today.)
Nothing is 100% foolproof. I know a lot of hackers have the concept that websites "must be taught a lesson" if they don't have their stuff properly done. Not everyone is going to catch every mistake, and that is not a reason to "punish" them.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Nut Shot!
Normally issues with inmates can be resolved without resorting to hands on. Unfortunately there are a few who are either going to push it past the limit or who won't give us time to talk it out.
One interesting fact about fighting inmates is that there are "rules." When fighting male inmates, they rarely bite or go for groin strikes. My only question is this: When an inmate decides to kick me in the nads, why is it that I always have a full bladder beforehand?
Monday, January 21, 2013
Rusty And Company.
I'm a big fan of webcomics. Quick wit, lots of laughs, and often something to think about.
One of the webcomics that I like to read is Rusty and Co. I'm not providing a link to it because it has been taken down by it's creator. Apparently, the creator ran a Kickstarter campaign in order to make some stuffed animals of it's namesake, Rusty the Rust Monster.
And then Wizards of the Coast stepped in.
There is an argument that WotC may or may not have a legal leg to stand on. Whom actually owns a trademark on a rust monster? I'm not a lawyer so I'm not throwing my hat into the fight.
But I'm just sad that WotC could not come up with a better solution to the problem than "let's sue!" They could have been smart and used it as a promotion. I mean, they have to do something because Dungeons and Dragons does not appear to be selling.
One of the webcomics that I like to read is Rusty and Co. I'm not providing a link to it because it has been taken down by it's creator. Apparently, the creator ran a Kickstarter campaign in order to make some stuffed animals of it's namesake, Rusty the Rust Monster.
And then Wizards of the Coast stepped in.
There is an argument that WotC may or may not have a legal leg to stand on. Whom actually owns a trademark on a rust monster? I'm not a lawyer so I'm not throwing my hat into the fight.
But I'm just sad that WotC could not come up with a better solution to the problem than "let's sue!" They could have been smart and used it as a promotion. I mean, they have to do something because Dungeons and Dragons does not appear to be selling.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
No ammo at Wal Mart
I made a mistake.
I went to buy some ammo.
Horrible mistake.
I'm not going to lie. I like to go to Wal Mart and buy their "Winchester White Box." Generally I can get 100 rounds of plinking ammo for just a little more than 50 rounds of the same at my local gun store. It's just the facts, and I have to be frugal with my money. Also, the fact that someone had given me a Wal Mart Gift card helped with my decision.
So, I went to... well, I traveled to several Wal Marts and I found bupkiss. If I needed shotgun shells or rifle rounds, I'd have been good. But they were wiped clean of all pistol caliber rounds with the exception of .40 cal.
Well, I had planned to go to a "steel match" this weekend and obviously I had let my plinking rounds run low. But no dice at Wal Mart. Therefore I decided to pay a bit more out of pocket and pick up some rounds from my local gun dealers.
Once again, bupkiss.
I was rather shocked to see that one of my "slower" local dealers to nearly have a line out the door! I've yet to be in there when there were more than three people in there. But, there they were.
And they were out of pistol ammo too.
I had no better luck at any of the other local dealers. Suffice it to say I skipped the steel match.
I went to buy some ammo.
Horrible mistake.
I'm not going to lie. I like to go to Wal Mart and buy their "Winchester White Box." Generally I can get 100 rounds of plinking ammo for just a little more than 50 rounds of the same at my local gun store. It's just the facts, and I have to be frugal with my money. Also, the fact that someone had given me a Wal Mart Gift card helped with my decision.
So, I went to... well, I traveled to several Wal Marts and I found bupkiss. If I needed shotgun shells or rifle rounds, I'd have been good. But they were wiped clean of all pistol caliber rounds with the exception of .40 cal.
Well, I had planned to go to a "steel match" this weekend and obviously I had let my plinking rounds run low. But no dice at Wal Mart. Therefore I decided to pay a bit more out of pocket and pick up some rounds from my local gun dealers.
Once again, bupkiss.
I was rather shocked to see that one of my "slower" local dealers to nearly have a line out the door! I've yet to be in there when there were more than three people in there. But, there they were.
And they were out of pistol ammo too.
I had no better luck at any of the other local dealers. Suffice it to say I skipped the steel match.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Konrad Mueller killed a man... in the 14th Century
Apparently, an eternal lamp has been lit since 1357 in a church in Switzerland. This was done as restitution for a murder. Apparently the current owner of the farm sued in order to stop the practice, and won.
Swiss Court Wipes Clean an Ancient Farm Debt - Yahoo News.
Swiss Court Wipes Clean an Ancient Farm Debt - Yahoo News.
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