The Blog of Kaimelar Morvaltur, Elven Jedi

2010-03-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Loyalty over Love.
You will hate the path, but you will gain peace.
You will never have your true desire, but others will be pleased.

Love over Loyalty.
You sacrifice what others think for what you feel most deeply.
You sacrifice what ease you had for one you love completely.

Two paths.
Two hearts.

Two souls.
Two sides.

Let he who finds the eternal balance be eternally blessed.

Insani-tea!

2010-02-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

Life has been quite busy. I cannot even say that it is hard to take time to just sit and relax with a cup (or pot) of tea. Why? Because it is beyond hard...it is near impossible. Regardless, a friend of mine who had very little to no exposure to tea was interested in getting into it, and, being the tea lover that I am, I promptly supplied him with many samples of both loose leaf and bagged tea, of many varieties. I also provided him with a strainer and an info sheet . It is the latter of these last two that I decided to post for you now, in hopes that it might one day help someone as much as it helped him. If there are errors, forgive me, and please, mention them in a comment so that they can be corrected.

Water
Water is important in making tea. It will literally make the difference between a tea tasting good or not. If at all possible use bottled or filtered water.
As far as heating the water, stovetop or electric kettle is preferable, but the microwave will do, if necessary. Temperature is important, but the specific water temperature for each tea will be in that tea’s section.

Tea
Bagged tea is easy. Bagged tea is cheap. Bagged tea usually tastes like crap once you have had loose leaf, especially good quality. But it will do in a rush. Also, there are a great number of herbal blends that are only available bagged, and these are perfectly fine bagged. The difference between bagged and loose tea lies mostly in the actual quality of the leaves from the tea plant that are used. And herbal blends often don’t have any tea leaves at all and are simply called “teas” because they’re blends that are steeped in hot water to make a drink. The general rule for how much tea to use is one bag or one teaspoon of loose leaf per eight ounces of water. Most loose leaf can be re-steeped at least once. It’s best to simply try re-steeping, to see if the leaves/bag still has any life left. Now, on to specific types of tea.

Black Tea
Black tea is the most oxidized of all teas, and also the most caffeinated, and the tea with the least antioxidants. In general, the more oxidized a tea is, the more caffeinated it will be, and the fewer antioxidants it will have. Not to say that it does not have any; it simply has fewer than, say, a white tea.
Steeping black tea is super easy…but also can be complicated.
Water temperature: Boiling. Go ahead, this part is easy. Just boil the water, and then steep the tea. Because the leaves are so oxidized, they can’t be scalded by the very hot water.
Steep time: This is totally based on personal taste. Steep times vary, but you must be careful to not steep the tea too long or you will get a bitter brew. Always go for less time than you think. You can always put the tea back in for a bit if it’s not strong enough for you.

Oolong Tea
Oolong tea ranges in oxidization somewhere between a green and a black tea. The taste, however, is more akin to a green tea, though it is certainly unique. Oolong is brewed to be strong, and thus, it is quite simple to just put the leaves in the brewing vessel and never have to take them out, simply refilling the vessel with hot water for repeated steeping. In fact, most oolongs get better after the first or second steeping. Unlike other teas, the flavour of oolongs evolves through multiple steeping.
Water temperature: Just boiled. Boil the water, and then leave it for about a minute, then steep. Because of how oolong is made, the chance of scalding the leaves is low.
Steep time: Leave the leaves/bag in the steeping vessel for multiple steeping. There’s no need to pull them out. After pouring the initial water over the leaves, it shouldn’t be more than a couple minutes before the first infusion is ready to be drunk.

Green Tea
Green tea is famous for its high level of antioxidants. Green tea is by far one of the most popular, with thousands of incarnations of it, ranging from fruity green teas to spicy green teas. It is less oxidized than black and oolong teas, and thus care must be taken in the steeping to not scald the leaves.
Water temperature: Not quite boiling. You want the water to be fairly hot, but not boiling. Boiling, or just-boiled water will scald the delicate leaves, giving you a bitter tasting cup of tea.
Steep time: Much like black tea, the length of time the leaves are left in the water varies by personal taste. However, steep times for green tea, on average, will be longer than steep times for black tea.

White Tea
White tea, while less famous than green tea, in fact has the highest antioxidant count of any tea, primarily coming from it being the least oxidized of any tea. The leaves are extremely sensitive and tender. However, a well made cup of white tea should be quite smooth and refreshing.
Water temperature: Hot. If you see small bubbles form in the water as it is heating, it’s definitely hot enough.
Steep time: White teas typically have long steep times. Some, in fact, can be left in the brewing vessel indefinitely, like oolongs.

Rooibos
Rooibos, or rooibus, is not technically a tea, containing no actual tea leaves. Instead, in contains leaves from the African red bush. Rooibos come in a very wide variety of flavours. Naturally sweet, it is often drunk for its antioxidants, or as a refreshing midday drink. Rooibos typically goes quite well with lunch.
Water temperature: Boiling.
Steep time: Indefinite. The leaves can be left in as long as desired with no danger of a bitter cup.

(Yerba) Maté
Maté is another non-tea, instead being the leaves of a South American plant. It has a high caffeine content and is drunk many places in South America as an alternative to coffee.
Water temperature: Boiling.
Steep time: To taste. Various mates taste better stronger. It’s usually an experiment, to find the optimal taste for optimal steep time.

Herbals/Tisanes
Containing no tea at all, these are typically blends of flowers, spices, fruits, and other herbs. If you can think of it, it’s probably been turned in to a tisane, the name for a blend that is infused in hot water to make a beverage.
Water temperature: Boiling.
Steep time: To taste. It’s hard to mess up making an herbal. If it tastes too strong after you’ve steeped it, add more water. If it is not strong enough, steep it longer. There’s really no limit, except your own personal preference.

Programming puts your very soul in danger...

2009-11-16T18:38:00.001-08:00

From a conversation during program testing:
"me: I see

still getting a timeout error?

Kenney: we get a forked vm exit abnormally error

which is even more cryptic

lol

Sent at 6:27 PM on Monday

me: That is so fricking weird...

That sounds like your soul is being split or something...

Sent at 6:31 PM on Monday

Kenney: it is

>_<

2009-10-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Just an Update

2009-10-07T10:56:00.001-07:00

I am not dead.
I am very much alive.
I need sleep.
I will still update this blog occasionally with longer bits of randomness, since Twitter's 140 character limit sometimes just does not cut it.
Feel free to follow my Twitter feed at:
Morvaltur's Twitter Feed.
I will be starting up another random blog soon, so be on the lookout for that.

2009-07-22T19:21:00.001-07:00

I have finally determined why I seem to be so restless all of the time. It stems from the fact that for nearly the past ten months, I have done nothing but "study" and "read" and "learn" and there has been nothing along the lines of "doing" something with all of this accumulated knowledge.
Also, and I will be the last to say that I enjoy regular schedules, but I would quite enjoy having one with set starting and stopping points - even just temporarily. With what I am doing now, it never ends. I go to learn, I come back from learning, I keep learning on my own, and then, on weekends, there is more individual learning. Yes, it is broken up by minuscule breaks, the largest of which is sleeping, but even this does not stop one from realizing that in under six hours, it will all continue, just as it has in the past. It does not seem like much of a routine, but, in fact, it is the worst routine - monotony. The problem is not that there is too much change, but that there is a lack of it.

2009-07-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

The Central Coast Renaissance Faire was pure epic win.

Today, I heard one of the most profound quotes: "I can't wait for it to be summer."
Thus, it has been proved that summer term really is just the same as any other term of the school year.

2009-07-14T08:49:00.001-07:00

     "Youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness."

    -- F. Scott Fitzgerald

2009-07-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

I was watching the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition and noticed something very odd...
First, when Aragorn is looking into the Palantir in front of the throne of Gondor, you can clearly hear the sounds of a man whispering the words of A Elbereth Githloniel while Aragorn is talking to Sauron...
An Elven hymn! Seriously?
And then Aragorn drops the Evenstar and it shatters. Fits with what happens. But does it really fit with the story or is this just another Peter Jackson made-up emotional moment?

2009-07-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

I often wonder if certain feelings, actions, and words are truly real; or if I am merely being played.
Perhaps this is my paranoia speaking.

2009-07-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

I was reading over some old blog posts and ran across this one: Link where I told about one of my computers crashing and me losing some 300+ songs and videos. 300+... I look at that now and laugh. Why do I laugh? Because I now have some 38,000+ songs, comprising over 375 days worth of music. And that is not counting any video at all. I do not believe I ever foresaw having that much... Not in my wildest dreams.

2009-07-06T19:06:00.001-07:00

Tonight I went and walked along the river near where I live. I previously had only heard that it was there and had never seen it for myself. It was beautiful. The walk along the river was quite peaceful, and it allowed me to have a nice, quite think.
There was a small trail, branching off the main path. I think next time I shall find out where it leads.

2009-07-05T21:36:00.001-07:00

Status of watching all four season of Battlestar Galactica plus both movies: Complete.
Feeling about this: Slightly disappointed, slightly relieved.
Expounding on the disappointment, I am slightly disappointed because it is all over, and I am slightly disappointed that the fourth season was not better. However, I was not as disappointed when I finished BSG as I was when I finished Firefly.

River Tam: 1
Cylons: 0

However, Daniel, the mysterious thirteenth Cylon "skinjob," who is only mentioned briefly, has become one of my favorite characters. Why? Because barely anything is mentioned about him, thus allowing me to fill in the blanks for myself, the way I would like them.

2009-07-05T21:25:00.001-07:00

It has come to my attention that everyone in the world should, for one reason or another, be excited for the upcoming Central Coast Renaissance Faire, whether they are attending or not. Thus, I felt the need to share this piece of information with the portion of the rest of the world who actually reads this blog.
Consider yourself informed.
Whether or not you are excited for this event is your personal choice.
I, for one, am excited.

2009-06-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Tender baked chicken with cheese melted on it... a delectable meal to end a good day.

2009-06-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

As a continuation of the epiphanies of the true nature of movies I give you...
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which is really only a combination of "Forrest Gump" and "Titanic."

As a reminder to those who do not remember the original combination, it had been determined that the "Land Before Time" series was merely a combination of "Jurrasic Park" and "My Little Pony."

This made me laugh...

2009-05-11T09:50:00.001-07:00

Read in a book on the principles of communication, in the section describing stereotyping and its negative effects, giving examples of stereotyping: "All Russians like vodka. All men watch wrestling."

No wonder the United States government was always so certain they could win the Cold War, if it escalated to global military conflict. They were always assuming a strong connection between the opponents and alcohol would give them an advantage...

2009-04-28T10:09:00.001-07:00

And to follow-up that last post, my life feels suddenly more fulfilled:

Remember: "Cylon tea is a good drink, but watch out, there are many copies..."

2009-04-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just once, I would like to see a typo on a package of tea that, instead of Ceylon, labels it as Cylon tea...
Owning such a package would be even better...

2009-04-08T21:38:00.001-07:00

I have realized that the only reason for there being a level requirement on potions in games is for the same reason that there is a drinking age in the USA and other countries...

Some thoughts and Poetry

2009-03-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Nightwish is amazing. Absolutely amazing. 'Twould be even more amazing to be one of their road crew. Sadly, the chances are horribly slim... But one can dream, no?
If you have not seen the new documentary "Made In Hong Kong," about their Dark Passion Play Tour, you should go watch it. It is currently hosted in its entirety on their MySpace page for a limited time.

Last thought/writing for today is a bit of old poetry I dug up from the dredges of memories. Take it or leave it, as you will.

Nighttime sharpens,
Heightens each sensation.
Watch the sky and
Savor this temptation.
Silently the stars
Shall throw back their bars,
Releasing from a sunny, dusky sky…

Sunlight, still there,
Lights the moon with splendor.
Her face shines,
Her hair glows,
Softly lies beside me.
What now to resist?
There is nothing more amiss.
The swan, she swims the
Dark and inky pool
Of nighttime in its
Never ending rule.

Open your eyes
And your mind
Forever sees the stars.
Show the world all
The wonders you can see.
In the darkness your spirit starts
To soar.
With the stars,
You’ll live as never before.

In the beauty dark
Perchance you’ll see
The bleeding moon
That is me.
Stop, Look, Listen, Feel.
Dream upon the crescent, white.
Before you lose chance
And’t dis’pears form your sight,
Leaving naught but
Blood and Peace
In its wake.

Whilst it yet remains in sight
It offers shelter
And invades with light.
Blood and Light,
Flowing mingled down
Though Windows,
Doors, and Metal Crowns.
The mix of essence
Washes the day
From your face
And bathes you in a beauty
Terrible and real.

Come, lover, my dear;
Dance with me among the stars
We shall flee the day
And follow night.
All is black and
Perfect in our sight
And together thou and I
Shall revel and move
The heavens along
Who lie in course
Upon Calcified Ways
Horses and Swans
Swirl around us.
Turkeys and Triangles
Trot and roam.
Love speaks words
Both lovely and cruel.
Hearts cry out
In a human’s embrace,
And still we dance,
You, and I,
The bleeding moon.

You are a beauty of
Golden and black.
I am the silvery
White, red-stained moon.
Together, we make a most
Glorious music.
Broken, chaos and pain
Rules our worlds.

Then you are gone.
The moon is alone.
It wanders the heavens,
Shedding its blood.
All is silent, quiet, divine.
But beneath it all
Chaos reigns.

2009-01-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

There are few pleasures in this world greater than tasting new tea.

2009-01-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Each time I face disappointment, which blessedly is not that often, I must force myself to look beyond the first or even second layer, and peer deeper into the situation to see the blessing and the plan hidden below...

Bounced Back Images of a World of Make-Believe

2008-12-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Reflecting on my recent, and distant, past, it saddens me to realize that this is the first Christmas in nine years that I shall not have one of my greatest compatriots with me to celebrate. I am mournful.

It cheers me though, to know that I still have the great friends I do. Merry Christmas to all of you, but especially to you, the Lord of Vampires, the Lady Elerrina, Feasilwen, Meldaseler, Bluthure, Bella, the Whose Poetry is Tragic, the Queen of Cheese, Teal, Steph & Cameron, SS and his fiancé, the Disturbed One, the Lady Cally, Eartur, and more that escape my mind in this quick moment of writing.

Oh, and in a joking afterthought, for those that understand, "The City shall be reunited, if only for a time, and the Crimson shared!"

And now, back to our regularly scheduled tea drinking... *television static sound*

2008-11-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

"Pity the shallow souls who have forgotten how to shudder.
Pity, too, the deep ones who fear all."

~Inspired by Leon R. Kass, bioethicist

2008-11-27T19:45:00.001-08:00

Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was slightly gray

It didn’t have a father, just some borrowed DNA.

It sort of had a mother, though the ovum was on loan,

It was not so much a lambkin as a little lamby clone.

And soon it had a fellow clone, and soon it had some more,

They followed her to school one day, all cramming through the door.

It made the children laugh and sing, the teachers found it droll,

There were too many lamby clones, for Mary to control.

No other could control the sheep, since the programs didn’t vary,

So the scientists resolved it all, by simply cloning Mary.

But now they feel quite sheepish, those scientists unwary,

One problem solved but what to do, with Mary, Mary, Mary.

2008-11-27T12:48:00.003-08:00

For the tea lovers: I would recommend a good Oolong or Darjeeling for those looking to pair tea with their turkey.

2008-11-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Foggy and cold with a cup of tea.
I could get used to this.

2008-11-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

There is a point at which one stares at a specific word so much that it loses all meaning and no longer looks like a real word, instead simply looking like a mere collection of letters.
Current word that it utterly disassociated in my brain: "color."

2008-11-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to ASS, the American Socialist States. What's your ~~dream~~ contribution?

Waiting for English where there will inevitably be slamming of Essays written by former Students

2008-11-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

My quotes that I am living by right now:

"C++ is like sticking a helicopter inside a Miata and hoping for some improvement."

"C has all the communicative power of two Dixie cups and a string."

Ra-Ankh-Eye of Horus

2008-10-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

I am still in the process of learning more about this group, but I am looking in to forming a Rank-eye chapter at Cal Poly, SLO. Read on for more information (that was kindly provided by wikipedia and the official website).

"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ra-Ankh-Eye of Horus is a co-ed Egyptian fraternity, started at Rose-Hulman in 2004. Though originally only located at Rose-Hulman, Ra-Ankh-Eye of Horus currently has chapters started or starting in ten colleges.

Contents
1 History:
2 Fraternity Philosophies:
3 Traditions:
4 External links

History:
Started by Russell Muren as an alternative to the Greek fraternity system in 2004, Ra-Ankh-Eye of Horus was an example to college students everywhere of collegiate freedom. The first class dove into their fraternity and its general lack of rules. Rush continued to be successful in the next two years and overall enrollment grew, mostly due to the overall lack of requirements in order to join. Information about the fraternity spread by word of mouth to students at other schools, and by the summer of 2006 there were five more chapters at universities throughout the United States.

Fraternity Philosophies:
Ra-Ankh-Eye of Horus was started in response to the infinite complexity and general lack of creativity in the fraternity system today. It was founded on the belief that anyone should be able to participate in fraternities without cost or obligation. Members are not turned down for any reason; even membership in the Greek fraternity system.

Traditions:
Although members are not required to participate in any events or make any financial contribution, the fraternity currently takes part in one unofficial tradition in which members are invited to a taste test of the Jones Soda Holiday Pack. This tradition was started in 2005 and occurs in late November or early December. It is currently the only event in which a majority of the fraternity congregates.

External links
Ra-Ankh-Eye of Horus official site.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/a/_/Ra_Ankh_Eye_of_Horus_7728.html"
Category: United States student societies
"

2008-10-21T06:59:00.001-07:00

SLO is an absolute haven for tea lovers, if you know where to look. The best place I have discovered as of yet is a small corner shop called the Steynburg Gallery. Half art gallery, half cafe, they serve baked snacks in addition to their coffee and tea. But, judging by the fact that the tea menu is nearly as large as the menu for the rest of the cafe, tea has great prominence here. The best way to enjoy tea here is to devote a couple hours to the pursuit and purchase a pot. Purchasing a pot gives you an endless supply of hot water, a tea pot with a large amount of high-quality leaves, and a cup. The difference in purchasing one pot versus one cup is this: When purchasing a cup of tea, it is given to you in a 1 1/2 cp. mug. Because of the endless supply of water and the long lasting leaves, a pot will last you far longer. As of yet, I have only spent three continuous hours on one pot, and it never lost its flavour. I was even able to bring the leaves back with me to use myself. And the difference in how much money a pot will set you back versus a cup? Only $1.50 to $2.00 more.
The Steynburg gallery is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in SLO looking for some good tea.

2008-10-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Heard on the bus this morning. The irony struck me..."The sun is as bright as Hell out there!"

I was always under the distinct impression Hell was a dark place...

2008-10-05T13:18:00.001-07:00

There is a certain awesomeness to re-connecting with people whom you never thought you would ever see again, in places where you never expected to see them.

Profundity

2008-09-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

"Tea is so hecka bueno."

2008-09-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Moved into the new building.
Unpacked everything in the new building.
Made tea in the new building.
Setup the computers in the new building.

Questions?
*laughs*

Feelings: Unedited

2008-09-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I ask myself, "Why the heck am I downloading more music? I have so much already to which I have never even listened, and even more that is just sitting around, as if I would ever listen to it again." Then I realize the answer, "I love music. Music is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Simply put, music is amazing." Not to be cliche, but "Why not?"

2008-08-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Insomnia is the nearest I have been able to replicate such conditions of the lack of a sense of time, as I previously spoke about. However, the conditions must be right, or else the feeling will be non-existant. First, the one performing the test must be an insomniac, or else they will become sleepy during the test, thus changing the variables and giving them a sense of things changing. Second, all lit timepieces must be covered and not visible. Third, the insomnia must lie on a bed, or sit in a chair, but in almost, if not total, darkness. It is best if there is almost, if not total, silence. After a time of remaining motionless, the sense of time will be lost, for there will be no motion, no noise, no timepiece, and no activity of any sort other than the inner bodily functions and brain to mark any change.
Sadly, this comes far short of emulating a removal from time for several reasons. First, in this experiment, there can be no activity, in order that the feeling may be accomplished. But, in the true sense of the removal from time, anything could be done, and it would all have the feeling of continuing on, never aware of when it all would end. Second, in the experiment, other senses are deprived as well. These, too, in ideal conditions, would be available. There is no true way for this experiment to ever be conducted so that ideal conditions are reached, short of finding a way to stop time itself for everything and everyone but the user. I begin to wonder: is this feat even possible without divine intervention? (Referring to the fact that the only recorded instances of time itself standing still except for a person or group of people are located in religious texts.)

2008-08-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

I wish there were a way, to remove oneself, even temporarily, from time. In this way, the whole concept of time could be forgotten. Life is so short, that the only way to lengthen it is to forget about any way of tracking the time. Through this, perhaps, one could truly live. For, so long as we measure the time, we are not living, but dying. Each day we come closer to the end. This may sound morbid, but it is not the fact that we will die that is important, nor is it that forgetting a sense of time would make us immortal, for it would not. But forgetting a sense of time, even for a while, would make each and every moment far more important, if not precious, if we do not know when it will end, and we are not, even subconsciously, looking out toward that point when that moment will end.
Thus, it is having no sense of time, but knowing that that time will one day come to an end, almost a paradox, for which I wish.

And more tea...

2008-08-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm...
Seeing new tea at Keller's, tasting the new tea, and finding the new tea delicious are all factors which contribute to the urge to purchase more tea. After all, one can never have too much tea, right? The way I see it is that I need to stock up before going to college, because I have no idea of the quality of the tea carried by the couple tea rooms in the college town in which I'll be living, much less the quantities and prices that they offer it at. Thus, I found myself purchasing not only Raspberry Black, but the new Mango Black as well. Delicious tea, the mango, though it only makes about three cups before the leaves become very weak.

2008-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

At the frustrations of a good friend of mine that I have posted random and very un-deep material on this blog after not posting for months, I shall now commence with a very thoughtful deep post.
Over the past month or so, as I have been packing up various items to take away with me, and packing up other various (and more) items to leave at home in storage, I have been gradually struck, just as a mailbox is struck by the lead pellets of a shotgun in a slow-motion, backyard-produced action film; with the depth at which I will miss some of the people of this great world whom I call friends. Out of the great many people in this world, and the smaller number, yet still large amount of people that I know, those few dear friends of mine will be missed immensely when I leave. Certainly, I know that I shall see them again, but it is the psychological separation that is the most difficult. I know this from prior experience, that when psychologically separated from those dear to me, it is a sad moment. One can only survive these moments on the hope of seeing these people again and the memories that were

2008-07-23T18:19:00.001-07:00

This is amazingly unbelievable. (First, I know, forgive me for not posting in a while. Things have been hectic with orientation and such in SLO). Back to the unbelievableness. First off, somebody actually wanting to use a harp with a "Guitar Hero"-esque game. Second, the harp is made of laser beams... Just amazing... Just look at it for yourself. Here's the website: http://www.stephenhobley.com/build/ Be sure to check out the video of the inventor playing "Freebird."

2008-06-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

I went tandem skydiving last Saturday. It was amazing. There are no other words to describe it. You just have to experience it. And, even if you are afraid of heights, I would still encourage you to go, as this did not affect those of us who went who have that fear.

On another note, I finally got an electric kettle, allowing for the easy boiling of water in my dorm room. Plus, I ordered, on a whim, some new tea, called Angel's Dream. It arrived yesterday, and I made some of it this morning. First off, the smell of the leaves was awesome, with blackberry and maple scents wafting to my nostrils. A definite plus. The smell of the tea itself only held undertones of these flavors, but the tea itself was smooth, leaving an aftertaste of blackberry. Overall, a good tea, a definite good find.

2008-05-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

"Creepy? You bet, but it isn't America if you can't kill zombies."
-Aaron Van Groningen, referring to the "New Sand" game on fallingsandgame.com

My house

2008-04-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

Your home is a

Four-wheeling Wizard's Retreat

Your kitchen is manned by a team of Keebler Drow Elves. There's a pantry with emergency backup caffeinated beverages. You also have some breakfast cereals in there, but you haven't had breakfast since last Spring. Your master bedroom is decorated to look like the treetop village of the Galadhrim. Your study has every fantasy novel ever written, including multiple editions of the Silmarillion and advance copies of Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition. One of your garages is home to your ATVs, hangglider, snowmobiles, and jetskis. It also containts a truck the size of a boat, which pulls a boat the size of a bus.

Your home also includes a roost for griffons. You've never actually seen a griffon, but you keep the roost ready anyway. Your guests enjoy your home theater with hi-def plasma screen TV, and the thrones you watch it from. Outside is the moat that protects your home from goblin invaders and extended family.

Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Build YOUR Dream Home!

Shockage

2008-04-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am stunned. Speechless. I don't know what to say. Andrew Lloyd Weber is writing a sequel to the Phantom of the Opera. My first thought: Wow, that is so amazing! This could be added to the list of my all-time favorite musicals! My second thought: It's not going to be as good as the first one. It's a sequel. I'm going to get really excited and then be uber disappointed.
And now I just want to find out as much info as possible about it.
Articles for your enjoyment regarding this:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982859.html?categoryid=2062&cs=1
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108816.html
http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=16517

2008-03-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

W00t! I get to see my best friend this morning!
A todo de ti, hijos de medusas, NUNQUAM LAMAIE MORDE ME DICE!!!
Auf Wiedersehen, Pepinos!

2008-03-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

URGH!!! So frustrating! GRRRRRR!!!!

Not two minutes ago I heard the horrible thing that tells me that spring/summer is approaching...

Fornicating cats outside my window.

Why is this frustrating right now?

Two reasons:
1. It's annoying.
2. My airsoft assault rifle battery is not currently charged.

2008-03-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you find good quality tea at good prices in the most random places.

Case in point: Keller's Gifts in McHenry Village.

I went in today, having heard that they sold tea. Their selection of loose leaf tea is not very large, but was of a decent size that I was easily able to find something to try that I liked. Their loose leaf ranges from about $7 - $15 per pound, but you can buy it in half-pound, quarter-pound, or even an eyeballed amount. I ended up choosing a quarter-pound of Gunpowder/Temple of Heaven ($7.59 a pound) and paid $1.90, the cheapest I have ever paid for tea of this type. A good buy indeed.

2008-03-04T05:48:00.001-08:00

Odd how somethings, like even the smell of a shampoo, can bring back intensely strong memories.

2008-03-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but I feel sick inside. Like someone partially ripped out my heart and soul and left me there to die on my own. It's a strange feeling, and I have yet to determine its origin...

Hamas

2008-02-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

Hamas

“Hamas.” The name of this organization inspires fear in some, anger in others, and confusion in others. The fear grows in the hearts of those whose lives or whose families’ lives have been adversely affected by the operations of this organization. The anger lies in many of those same hearts; hearts of men eager to fight for their country and preserve their nation. Yet confusion sits in the hearts of the millions, if not billions, of people around the globe who have never heard the name of this Middle Eastern group and possibly never will. Yet this Palestinian organization works toward ends that, if accomplished, would change the face of today’s world.

The History of Hamas

Officially, the group known as Hamas exists as a Palestinian political party in the Palestinian National Authority government, but in reality, there is much more to it than simply politics. Hamas, which is an acronym for “Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya,” meaning “Islamic Resistance Movement,” is a large militant organization as well, whose operations touch and affect much of the Middle East.
This group originates from an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood, a dangerously violent Islamic political group. Cells of the Muslim Brotherhood already in the West Bank and Gaza composed Hamas when Sheikh Ahmed Yassin first formed it in 1987. The organization has now spread throughout the Middle Eastern countries, especially those surrounding Israel.
In 1994, the Palestinian National Authority was formed as the interim government for the Palestinian-occupied areas. Through this time period, Hamas continued its attacks on Israel and responded to the new government with threats of a civil war. The 1990s and the 2000s saw Hamas engaged in many terrorist activities, primarily targeting civilians with suicide bombers. Many more Palestinians joined Hamas in 2000, following an incident in which Israeli soldiers killed several stone-throwing Palestinians, thus violating the Palestinian security forces’ jurisdiction.
Then, in January of 2004, Hamas offered Israel a 10-year truce in return for a complete withdrawal by Israel from the territory taken during the Six Day War, as well as the formal establishment of a Palestinian state. March of the same year saw the killing of Hamas’s leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, by Israeli soldiers under the orders of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The next leader, Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, guided Hamas for less than a month before he too was assassinated by Israeli forces. The identity of the new leader, Mahmoud al-Zahar, was kept secret to protect him.
Since that time, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, allowing Hamas to take more control over this contested area. Then, with the 2006 Palestinian National Authority elections, the Hamas political party gained control of a majority of the seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Disputes between the Hamas and Fatah parties led to more violence and splits within the PNA. At last, an agreement was reached that unified the government. Less than a year later, in June of 2007, fighting erupted again between Hamas and Fatah. This led PNA President Mahmoud Abbas to dismiss the Hamas-led gove rnment. The Palestinian National Authority effectively split into two parts with Hamas controlling Gaza and Fatah controlling the West Bank.

The Importance of Hamas

Hamas is far more active in the Middle East than many realize. Charities and social welfare programs are some of Hamas’s biggest outreaches to the Middle Eastern community. Following the Islamic teaching of charity, the groups backed by Hamas give “charitable” aid to families of men who have been killed, wounded, or imprisoned while committing terrorist acts. This aid includes food, scholarships, financing for rebuilding homes damaged by war, an initial large monetary grant, and a monthly allowance. Grants and allowances are also given by these organizations to the men who perpetrate the acts of terror and are wounded “on the job.” Cover organizations exist around the world whose sole purpose is to funnel money into Middle Eastern, Hamas-backed charities so that it can be given to the “needy.” These worldwide funds exist especially in many European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and France.
The list of “operations,” as they are called, by Hamas is long and bloody. Hamas makes no attempt to conceal its intentions. Their “Glory Record,” as they call it, is widely available to anyone interested. The Glory Record listing in the Jewish Virtual Library catalogs eighty-five different acts of terrorism for which Hamas is to be credited. These operations span from stabbings, shootings, and ambushes to vandilism, kidnappings, and burglary. Scales of violence range from single stabbings to large conflicts with many dying.
The political influence of Hamas grows stronger as more Palestinians join them in their fight against Israel. This influence was evidenced in the January 2006 Palestinian National Authority’s elections, where Hamas took control of the Palestinian Legislative Council, winning seventy-six of the one hundred thirty-two seats.
The general goal of Hamas is the destruction of Israel and the founding of a Palestinian state in the Middle East. The goals of Hamas-led terrorist activities always lead back to the destruction of Israel. In the same way, Hamas is constantly working, via politics, to force the establishment of a permanent Palestinian state.

Should the United States Recognize Hamas as the Legitimate Voice of the Palestinian National Authority?

In taking a serious look at this question, the first thing that must be considered is what the Palestinian National Authority is. The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative organization that governs Palestinian-held territory in the Middle East. It is the result of the 1994 Oslo Accords, which were peace talks between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel. Its purpose is to serve as a temporary government during what was supposed to be a 5-year period in which peace negotiations would take place. It has control over security and civilian issues in the Palestinian areas.
Hamas, on a strictly political level, is one of the multiple political parties within the government of the Palestinian National Authority. Their primary opponent is the Fatah party of which the current president, Mahmoud Abbas is a member. During the January 2006 elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council (akin to a legislature), Hamas took power and became the majority party by winning seventy-six of one hundred thirty-two seats.
As for the question itself, the answer, with all of these things considered, reveals itself quite easily. While Hamas cannot be looked upon as the only voice of the Palestinian National Authority, it must certainly be regarded as one. There is no reason to disregard Hamas as a voice, for the elections were fairly won, to the best knowledge available. Hamas cannot be regarded as the only voice, for they are not the only party in power. They control the Palestinian Legislative Council, but the president of the PNA is of the Fatah party, the prime minister is of the Third Way party, and the foreign minister is of the PFLP party. In this way, it becomes quite clear that for the United States to do anything other than recognize Hamas as a voice in the PNA would be to deny the validity of the elections and, thus, deny democracy itself.
The effect of this recognition would certainly bolster the support of many for Hamas. However, this support can be reduced or morphed by the United States only recognizing the political party that is Hamas and not condoning the terrorist actions that the organization as a whole has utilized.
Developments since the posing of this question have now rendered it a moot point for discussion and debate. President Mahmoud Abbas disbanded the Hamas-led government on June 14, 2007, following the Battle of Gaza. Following a 30-day period where he had temporary control of the whole government, the Palestinian Legislative Council confirmed a new, mainly Fatah, government. Hamas no longer holds the same power that it once did within the Palestinian National Authority.

Links

2008-02-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

I plan to add a new links section for friends' blogs on the right side of my page. If you would like to be in this list, please respond to this post with your blog url. Thanks.

2008-02-14T05:51:00.000-08:00

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”
~ C.S. Lewis

The Warm Fuzzies

2008-02-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

I like music. A lot. That is part of the reason why the possibility of acquiring 1500+ new techno songs excites me. Another reason is that most of them are by European groups that never reach America otherwise.

Oh, and another reason is that I am getting them for free and legally, too.

It makes me feel warm and fuzzy...

And now, today's issue:

2008-02-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

Is evangelizing alien species ethical?

Randomness

2008-01-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how many of you have actually heard the song "Everytime we Touch" by Cascada, but it is honestly a great song. I posted a bit of the lyrics a few days ago, but now I think I'll post the whole thing.

I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me
I still feel your touch in my dreams
Forgive me, my weakness, but I don't know why
Without you it's hard to survive

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling
And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last
Need you by my side
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky
Can't you hear my heart beat so,
I can't let you go
Want you in my life

Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky
They wipe away tears that I cry

The good and the bad times, we've been through them all
You make me rise when I fall

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling
And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last
Need you by my side
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky
Can't you hear my heart beat so,
I can't let you go
Want you in my life

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling
And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last
Need you by my side

The artist is a moderately good singer, who is from Germany, though you would never guess it since she has virtually no accent.
The humourous part? Some friends and I actually made up dance moves to this entire song. Let's just say it involves a lot of jumping. *laughs* Move over, stupid "Soulja Boy" dance, we're takin' over!

Realizations

2008-01-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last night, at Winter Formal, I, along with my compatriots, came to two very important theories.

1. Hifie (or hyphy, or hifee, or however you want to spell it) music was created by castrati rappers.

2. Shakira's music is simply a Hispanic form of Middle Eastern bellydance music.

Oh, and another realization was enforced for me: I may not have many good friends, but those that I do have are awesome.

2008-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

Mmm, I got more loose leaf Blueberry White tea. It's Archer Farms brand, so not super-great stuff, but decent enough. Unfortunately, just not as good as the Blueberry White that I got from Monterey.

Who Wants To Take Me To Germany???

2008-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

From this source: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/calendar.html

"Stephenie Meyer in Germany
February 28th — March 6th
*Disclaimer: EVENTS ARE TICKETED. Tickets are available through the event organizers, please see the websites below for more information.

Click here to view the tour dates in German.
(Klicken Sie hier fur Deutsch)

Thursday, 02/28/08 at 5pm

Hamburg
cinema Zeise-Kino 1
www.zeise-kinos.de

Friday, 02/29/08 at 6pm

Berlin
Dussman shopping mall
Website

Saturday, 03/01/08 at 5pm

Munich
literature festival Munchner Bucherschau junior
Website

Monday, 03/03/08 at 6pm

Cologne
literature festival lit.COLOGNE
MS RheinEnergie/Literaturschiff
Website

Tuesday, 03/04/08 at 6pm

Tubingen
cultural center Schlatterhaus
www.osiander.de

Thursday, 03/06/08 at 7pm

Buxtehude
award ceremony Buxtehuder Bulle

Tickets are available only through organizers. Please check the given web pages for further information.
"

2008-01-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

""Besides, friends don't let friends drive drunk," he quoted with
a chuckle."
~"Twilight," Stephenie Meyer

""Afraid of a needle," he muttered to himself under his breath, shaking his head.
"Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she
runs off to meet him. An IV, on the other hand…""
~"Twilight" Stephenie Meyer

2008-01-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky.
They wipe away tears that I cry.

~Cascada, "Everytime We Touch"

HOW?

2008-01-15T06:51:00.001-08:00

HOW DOES ONE LEARN ANYTHING, EXCEPT TO EXPERIENCE IT FIRSTHAND? ONE CANNOT. IT MUST BE FACED HEAD-ON.

Yes, I am a tad bit peeved.

Notice

2008-01-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

I hate sin. I am so sick of how easily it entraps one, even when it is being looked out for. It makes you feel like crap mentally. And it bugs me that I can't even seem to permanently beat little petty stuff.

Die Tage

2008-01-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

Today is the fifth anniversary of that fateful - be it good or bad - day. Let only he who knows it ponder these things.

On a different note, it seems I have finally acquired a taste for Earl Grey and its spinoff teas, without having to fill the stuff with additives. This is something that I know I was not doing last summer (2006) as Polde will attest to. *grins*

2008-01-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Oi. Six hours of airsoft can leave one's legs aching a bit. Especially if it follows a day or so after trying ice skating for the first time (which, by the way, was a very interesting experience. I am not rushing to go try it again, but at least I did not fall down).

On the To-Do list for today:
1. Put together bookcase.
2. Finish both Beowulf Lego sets.
3. Start playing with ideas for a Sweeney Todd Lego set.
4. Maybe start playing with some tea recipes...

This will be interesting.

How to Overthrow a Country

2007-12-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Good stuff in this article!

"I. Before you begin

Subjugation of a nation is a tremendous undertaking requiring foresight, ingenuity, and careful thought. The first task of many is to decide whether the country is a suitable candidate for a drastic and sudden change in government. The degree of difficulty varies with size, population, political awareness, and literacy.

The large state, tending to contain a greater number of persons, differs substantially from the small state in that the body politic is much more complex and hence more difficult to seize control of. It is generally advisable to tackle a smaller, unimportant regime rather than a country that, if seized, might draw a foreign power into the coup hence rendering it a failure.

One thing to do before attempting anything of this kind is to make sure who your friends and allies are. With a little effort, it is possible to gain a mass of supporters such that it is quite difficult to quell your actions. A way to do this is to select (if possible) a nation whose government does not have support of all of its classes (poor, rich, middle). Or, if neccessary, lure to your cause a religious minority, or ethnic minority, that already has grievances against the current regime. Perhaps you might form a coalition. Summarizing, it is a requisite to get at least some support besides from soldiers of fortune, who are generally "gung-ho" incompetents anyway.

Ideally, you should be part of some branch of the armed forces, police, national guard, or some government agency equipped with personnel trained in the use of weoponry. In the public's eye, you already have some sort of authority, so a little more authority couldn't hurt, could it?

So, now what kind of government should we tackle? A democratic? Maybe. They are usually fragile, anyway. But much of the international community will frown on your taking a small, helpless, struggling democracy, and perhaps take actions that are unfavorable. How about a Marxist dictatorship? Now, that's a good idea. Most of the time these are anti-communist, even though they receive aid from the U.S.S.R., so it is a very good probability that Russia will not jump to help them. The Soviet Union waits to see if the new government will be pro-Soviet, not pro-Marxist, so you will be safe for the first few days. Also, not much of the world likes Marxist dictatorships.

If you have a choice of which nation to put down (you usually don't), do not select a NATO country, or some other nation that receives $4 billion annually, because superpowers do not like to see their money to go down the drain so suddenly. Pick Martinique, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, or Surinam. If you're white, don't go in an African dump unless you have a deathwish. Plus, if the country has low literacy levels, good, for the people there won't know what is happening.

Things to avoid:

- High literacy rate
- Large per capita income
- Voter participation
- An "established" nation
- Countries with allies

Things to look for:

- Civilian unrest
- Minority in control
- Centralized government
- Political apathy

Note: An OK from Washington or Moscow couldn't hurt.

II. The Mechanism of the Coup d'Etat

The first thing that should be done is the neutralization of all relevent political forces, including the general infrastructure of the state. This includes, among other things, highways, telecommunications facilities (including radio, TV, etc.), airports, and so on. The reason these are political forces is that they are controlled by nonmilitary portions of the state (in the event you were wondering). Unfortunately, these are a large and spread apart group of targets, so if you have no tactical or popular support your attemps will be fruitless.

Undoubtedly the absolute first thing you should do is to cut all forms of communcations with the outside world off at once. Be sure to include: Telephone, Telex, Wireless, Radio, etc. THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT. It will prevent the present government from mobilizing its forces, deploying their forces in strategic locations that are not normally guarded, etc. It will also prevent them from calling outside for emergency help, jeopardizing your hard work, not to mention your life. Soon the rest of the world will know something has happened, but they will not know who has taken the government, how the coup is progressing, and so forth. Make sure all forms of communications are completely cut.

One other important thing to do is remove air facilities from the use of the loyalist forces. It is not necessary to seize control of the airports; all that is needed to be done is to close the airports. A bomb or two in the middle of the runways will do nicely, or perhaps a couple of cars parked there, with snipers preventing their removal. You should not rely on airfields for your coup; if you rely on them and they are shut down, you will encounter problems. The old government will probably rely on them, and you will easily be able to prevent their usage of them. At an early time during the coup it should be evident as to its success.

Government officials and employees of higher rank have a choice to make-- whether to remain loyal to the old government, or to join the new attempt at government. If they stay loyal, they may be richly rewarded; if they defect, and the coup fails, they will be out of a job mighty quick. The success of your coup depends much on whether many of these officials decide to join the coup.

In addition to those people who remain loyal and those who join your cause, there is a "wait and see" element involved. Often this is the majority of the population, especially if the present regime is somewhat repressive. They don't want to show too much enthusiasm for either side, until it is more or less decided who will gain control. It's best to plan a sudden, abrupt seizure of all facilities to make the coup seem a smashing success; if this is done, the undecided will know to whom to turn.

When you take power from the original government, it is best to know who actually runs it. In most of the world (but not in the U.S.) there are two governments: 1- a largely ceremonial government, the part that people see on television and at most public events. They are, for the most part, what is known as a "figurehead", set off to the side to keep the government's "alter- ego" working on policy. 2- the "real" government, the government that formulates domestic and foreign policy, makes all executive decisions, and basically controls the infrastructure of the nation. The part of the government you will need to take is (obviously) the latter. It is composed of the executive head (called by whatever title he may hold- Prime Minister, President, General Secretary, etc.), ministers, and various deputy and second ministers who make small yet influential decisions.

The people you are most interested in detaining (or bumping off) are the Minister of the Interior (he normally supervises the police forces), the party leaders (of the ruling party, or of the only party, if a one-party state), the Minister of Defense, and the central figure of the "real" government. Once these people are neutralized, in one way or another, the basic functions of the state will be under your command, at least temporarily.

What is often done is to detain (under house arrest, of course) the aforementioned officials, and leave the ceremonial portion of the government alone. This is done to give an aire of legitimacy and continuity after such an abrupt turn of events. Later, these may be kept or allowed/forced to leave, as need arises.

You will not stay in power for long if you do not exert some sort of influence over the armed forces. The military has the ability to remove virtually any threat if perceives from within the boundaries of the nation-- especially YOU. If you are a foreigner, and do not have (or used to have but have now lost) support of the militia, prepare to die. You as a person will cease to exist, unless you leave the country. And, always have several prepared escape routes planned out in advance-- even the perfect coup d'etat will have its complicatons, and there will be things that you have overlooked. That is why it is best to have thoroughly studied the past and recent history of that state. Do your homework! If you do you will be richly rewarded.

III. After the Coup

Once you have removed the major functions of the government and bureaucracy from the Loyalist government, you will not yet be in solid control of them yourself. You will want to retain your control, and thus prevent a counter-coup from ensuing. Your new regime will be weakest at this time, and many times some other group seizes the reins of government hours after a coup d'etat-- and this group is not necessarily the old loyalists. The military, political forces within the nation, and the public must all be satisfied to some extent in order for you to continue your rule. This can be attained either by a show of force, or by concessions made to any of these groups, such as a democratically elected government in the near future, or granting the military more influence over political decisions, and perhaps quickly promoting a number of young officers that proved faithful during the crisis. "Promote" those officers who have clout but you suspect might try to take more power for themselves to desk jobs, or remote outposts. And give them all pay raises, if at all possible.

The goal of the new regime is to "shear" off the top layer of government, and more or less retain the old bureaucracy. Lower officials should be made to feel as if little or no change has taken place, and whatever change that has occurred is for the better. After a short while these people will realize that the new government is fully in control, and all will be calm and orderly.

Mass media will act as a Vehicle to assert your control. Write the first communique as a positive, necessary step for a long-needed change. Reassure the people that the coup is a revolt for the masses-- not inspired by communists, or an extremist group, but by the public in general. Display the national symbols, and inspire the feeling of patriotism and unity. These techniques were used quite successfully so recently in the 1985 coup d'etat in the Sudan. People poured into the streets, waving the old flag of the country, and having an all-around good time. A popular general was instated as the new chief of state, and a democratic government was promised.

Lastly, your new regime has to be made to look legitimate in the eyes of the international community. Show evidence of atrocities made by the former government, witnesses, etc. Take positive steps in the direction of popular democracy, promise elections, and invite the foreign (especially American) press into the country to see these steps. Soon the world will forget about your coup, but whenever your country is in the news, they will remember this.

IV. A Final Word

You will probably realize now that the fast, simple coup was actually the result of much swift planning and hard work. The coup is not an easy thing to accomplish-- should you be planning one of your own, know what you are doing and be sure to succeed. Hopefully I have been of some help."

Naming Trend

2007-11-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

Rolling with a growing trend it seems, and knowing that I shall not change my name upon marriage (if and when it shall come), I figured that I would share the meanings for my names. However, in order to preserve the slight bit of anonymity I enjoy at this point, I shall simply list them as which name they are. Those of you who know my true names may mentally make the replacement. Come now, you all have good imaginations.

First name = "Steward." Could also be "cupbearer," or as more far from the mark, "butler."

Middle Name = "Faithful." So, together, my first and second names are "Faithful Steward."

Last name = Could be, in a general sense, "nobleman's estate." More specifically, it could mean "Elli's estate" or "Ellis's estate."

So, let's do a little math. Add them all up and what do you get (I know, it's stretch)..."Faithful Steward of a Nobleman's Estate." Uber. I know.

2007-11-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Guy Fawkes Day to all!!!

2007-10-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to setting up my RSS feeds for other websites. Now I can go to one place and see if any of the 8+ blogs or 4+ webcomics have updated their sites. It saves so much time compared to physically browsing to each site.

In other news, we barely felt the side effects of the 5.6 scale earthquake that happened in the Bay Area last night. Here, it lasted for all of 5-10 seconds and merely felt like a gentle rocking.

I feel like creating some Post-Apocalyptic style Lego.

Yes, it is "Lego", not "Legos". "Lego" is the singular and the plural. "Legos" is not a word.

And I'm wearing a Pink Floyd shirt that has a fuzzy pig on it. FUZZY PINK PIG! W00T!

Oh, and a friend of mine wants to teach me how to play Dungeons & Dragons in return for me teaching him how to play Vampire: the Requiem (an amazing game, by the way). More updates on this continuing story later (like when they actually happen, since they haven't yet).

2007-10-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

To Ban Or Not To Ban
For the past seventeen years, the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom has maintained a Banned Books List. This is a list of literary material that has been banned from being held or used in public libraries and schools. Anyone can confidentially report a piece of material to be challenged and potentially banned. Submitted materials generally have sexually explicit content, offensive language, or are unsuited to the age group they were written for. This act of banning these works has brought about a question of great importance: “Should banning books be allowed?” I believe that the banning of literary materials should not be allowed on the grounds that it is a restriction on learning, a violation of the rights of American citizens, and a violation of human rights. In the end, banning books will accomplish very little in the way of silencing ideas or dissuading people from reading the material.
The banning of books restricts learning and the education of the minds of youth. Bans do not allow teachers to use the restricted material in their curriculum. This disallows them from using a source that has the potential to give the students insight into the material being learned and to give them lessons that may not have been available from any other sources. If an administrator believes that a work contains material unsuitable for classroom use, it is not necessary to ban the material. A teacher can simply be requested not to use the book in question. Any further issue on the part of the teacher is something that should be worked out at that level. Banning the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, on account of its alleged pro-slavery views and offensive language, went against the original purpose of the book. “‘Even to the present day, we so often condemn books that were written to fight the very things we claim to be fighting. Mark Twain’s (Samuel Clemens’) Huckleberry Finn is so often cited as being racist, when it was written against slavery and racism’” (“Quotations” 1). What has been called “offensive language” is merely an accurate representation of the story’s language of the day.
The First Amendment from the Bill of Rights states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”(United States 1). Every book written by an American citizen is written with the provision that the author has the freedom of speech and of the press. This means that they have the right not to have their book censored, or, in this case, banned. The banning of books restricts the freedom of speech by disallowing the author’s words to be heard or read in specific areas. It also restricts the right of American citizens to view these works.
When books are banned from libraries and curriculums, human rights of young citizens of the United States are being violated. The banning of books because they are inappropriate for the age group at which they were targeted makes the assumptions that all citizens of a specific age are of the same maturity level and that, by reading books discussing issues regarding the breaking of laws, a person will have intentions to break the law. This is entirely presumptuous, at best, and likely not true. Everyone matures at different rates. Thus, a person’s age is not a perfect measure of personal maturity. As for personal intentions, researching the breaking of a law is not breaking the law itself. Let the government enforce the laws when they are broken, not by making “pre-emptive strikes” where there is no wrong being done. There is no way to prove that the person was going to break the law, so there is no reason to restrict their rights. Making these assumptions is unfair and unrealistic.
Banning books has accomplished nothing in the way of silencing ideas or dissuading the reading of the banned material. These books may still be bought at bookstores, and, even if outlawed from sale or ownership, it is guaranteed that they will find some way to become available to those living in the restricted area. It has been shown that a majority of students who have knowledge of books being banned from their curriculum will acquire them through other channels and read them regardless of the ban (Howard 1). Therefore, nothing has been accomplished. The students whose curriculum has banned books will still read them. The curious citizen whose library has banned books will simply buy them from a bookstore or the Internet and still read them.
In conclusion, the banning of books should not be allowed. There are other ways to reduce the use of questionable materials, but infringing on the rights of American citizens is not the most effective way to deal with these issues.

Works Cited
“Quotations on Censorship.” The Censorship Pages. Books A to Z. 3 March 2007. .
Howard, Douglas. “Silencing Huck Finn.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle Careers. 3 March 2007. .
United States. National Archives and Records Administration. The Bill of Rights. 3 March 2007. .

2007-09-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Everything is better in the dark.

Music
Silence

Water
Fire

Smoke
Blood

Metal
Tea

2007-09-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

I now present to you, in all its unedited glory, a year after shooting: Cheater! The Movie.

2007-09-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have a burning desire to fill my room or apartment with hollow plastic playpit balls about two feet deep. What a joy it would be to roll out of bed each morning...

2007-09-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

How many times shall we be forgiven our sins, even if they be the same sin time and time again? The question has haunted many, and now it haunts me.

2007-09-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

I lost my best friend today.

It's hard, just losing someone you've known so well for so many years.

A Brief Synopsis of the Nation of Das Auurepublik Dem Wutland

2007-08-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Closed air, water spaces and impossible to counterfeit ID cards to prevent illegal entry into the country.
2 rulers with veto power over each other. Country occupies the current boundries of Germany. Not a member of the EU, but maintains observer status. UN member state, an annual contribution of .00025% of the total United Nations budget.

Economy:

Farming, which has under it textiles. Then we have composites, plastics, metals etc. research for military purposes. We also function as a trading and commercial clearing house (the idea here is a hybrid between the commercial capabilities of Switzerland and the shipping ability of the Rotterdam port in Holland). We've outlawed prosititution and baboons.

Immigration:

No illegal immigration. We have a citizen militia as a border patrol. We work to assimilate new immigrants into becoming good, solid Wuterlanders. As such, we've instituted a crackdwon on violent ethnic beliefs such as militant Islam and the Klan.

Sexuality:

Praciticing homosexuality is illegal.

Foreign Policy:

We're in the UN. We observe the EU. We don't care about NATO (we haven't made NATO membership a goal for our country). We offer diplomatic support for the war on terror. We don't care about nuclear proliferation. We support the Kyoto Protocol in hopes of making nice with other people who do and increasing our stance in the world. We offer "moral support" to Africa. We only use trade as a political tool when necessary. We offer "moral support" to Palestine. Our general approach to foreign policy is a Kissengerian/Old European realpolitik - we believe in acting in our state's own interest above anything else and that diplomacy is only effective with a threat of force.

Language: German vernacular, Quenya "official", and a Tengwar alphabet.
Name: Auurepublik dem Wutland (ADW)
Currency: Wutmark
Capital: Wutstadt is where the people live. Wutenburg Castle (aka "das Maunten") is where all official business is carried out. Wutenburg is located where Gutenburg castle is today, but we tore down the old one and built a giant artificial mountain in its stead. At the very top of das Maunten is the corporate headquarters for Wutenferger Burger, our national restaurant.
Names of other places: Neue Wutstein Schlosser (some castle place in the alps), das Kassel, das Kaev (too lazy to write the a with umlaut), das Kaben. We have also renamed a certain piece of silverware "das Fork".

Other info: The unofficial title for both national leaders is "Wutkaenzler" (again with the umlauted a). A special deputy called the Wutenferger Burger Wutland Regional Manager (perhaps "das Regional Manager") heads the Wutenferger Burger restaurant chain. It is, thus far, the only state-run business. They have 3 things on the menu: Wutenferger Burger, Wutenfries, and Wutenshake. The burger is made from a secret ingredient (some call it "das Mystery Meat", others call it "das Animal Digest"), the fries are made from cardboard, and each shake is required to have a certain amount of cement added for texture (ironically, the only flavor available is concrete). The business survives only due to government subsidy. Each burger stand looks like an exaggerated Hansel-and-Gretel style house with an excessively curvy roof.

2007-08-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

School started. A brief rundown of my classes:
1. Choir - I'm only in choir for one semester and for a very specific reason - guy's singing group.
2. American Government - I thought the class was going to talk more about forms of government (right up my alley). It wasn't.
3. AP Spanish 4 - Well, I certainly got myself into this one. Work is rare, but work is hard. Aside from the teacher, I am half of the class. Despite the new all-school rule about not being able to eat or drink anything but water in individual classrooms, this teacher has created her own exception to that. Plus, I'm assisting in putting in a microwave in her room in order to make tea.
4. Independent Study - As of yet, I don't actually have the class fully set up, but, I'm in the process of finishing the forms. It will be an online course in Advanced Integrated Mechanical Physics.
5. Honors English - *shrugs* It's alright. The year's topic is European Literature, but our teacher is having us read, for every "ancient novel," a contemporary partner. I would have no problem with this, except that the class is European Lit. and we are reading "The Red Badge of Courage" as the contemporary equivalent to the Illiad. I guess there was no European equivalent...*shrugs* But! We're reading Beowulf second semester!
6. AP Calculus. It's calculus. No problem. The only odd thing is that we are still on section 2 of the prerequisite chapter after three days and Cameron is on section two of chapter 1 after 1 day.
7. Study hall. It's good. The teacher lets me make tea in his class. What's better?
8. Bible 12: Christian Ethics - Good class, so far. Some of the work is a little buzy-ish, but it should end up being fun.

In other news, some of the details for the new "Auurepublik dem Wutand" are coming together. I'll post some of them soon, I promise.

The Black Veil

2007-08-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Interesting bit of reading I found online... A voluntary code of ethics for vampires... *laughs*

1. DISCRETION
This lifestyle is private and sacred. Respect it as such. Use discretion in who you reveal yourself to, and make certain that your motives are to truly communicate about our culture and to engender understanding. By no means should you talk to others about yourself and our community when your motives are for selfish reasons such as self-promotion, sensationalism, and attention-getting.
Do not hide from your nature, but never show it off to those who won't understand.

2. DIVERSITY
Our paths are many, even though the journey we are on is essentially the same. No single one of us has all the answers to who and what we are. Respect everyone's personal views and practices. We cannot let petty differences of ideology prevent us from maintaining a unified community; there are enough who would attack us from the outside.
Our diversity is our strength. Let our differences in viewpoint enrich us but never divide us upon ourselves.

3. SAFETY
Use sense when indulging your nature. Do not flaunt what you are in public places. Feed in private and make certain your donors will be discrete about what happens between you. Donors who create rumors and gossip about us are more harm than they're worth. If you engage in blood-letting, put safety and caution above all other things. Blood-borne diseases are a very real thing, and we cannot risk endangering ourselves or others through irresponsibility. Screen donors carefully, making certain they are in good health both mentally and physically.
Never overindulge or get careless. The safety of the entire community rests upon each member's caution.

4. CONTROL
We cannot and should not deny the darkness within. Yet we should not allow it to control us. If our beast or shadow or darkside is given too much sway, it clouds our judgment, making us a danger even to those we love. Never indulge in pointless violence. Never bring willful harm to those who sustain you. Never feed only for the sake of feeding, and never give over to mindless bloodlust.
We are not monsters: we are capable of rational thought and self-control. Celebrate the darkness and let it empower you, but never let it enslave your will.

5. LIFESTYLE
Live your life as an example to others in the community. We are privileged to be what we are, but power should be accompanied by responsibility and dignity. Explore and make use of your vampire nature, but keep it in balance with material demands. Remember: we may be vampires, but we are still a part of this world. We must live lives like everyone else here, holding jobs, keeping homes, and getting along with our neighbors.
Being what we are is not an excuse to not participate in this reality. Rather, it is an obligation to make it a better place for us to be.

6. FAMILY
We are, all of us, a family, and like all families, various members will not always get along. However, respect the greater community when having your disputes. Do not let your individual problems bring emotional strife to the family as a whole. Settle your differences quietly among one another, only seeking out an elder's aid in mediation when no other solution seems possible. Never bring your private disputes into public places and never draw other family members into the issue by forcing them to take sides.
Like any normal family, we should always make an effort to present a stable and unified face to the rest of the world even when things are not perfect between us.

7. HAVENS
Our havens are safeplaces where everyone in the community can come to socialize. There are also often public places where we are likely to encounter people who don't understand our ways. We should respect the patrons of these places as we should also respect the owners of the establishments and always be discrete in our behavior. We should never bring private disputes into a haven. We should never initiate violence in a haven. And we should never do or bring anything illegal into a haven, as this reflects badly upon the community as a whole.
The haven is the hub of the whole community, and we should respect it as such, supporting it without business and working to improve its name in the scene so that we can always call it home.

8. TERRITORY
The community is extensive and diverse. Every city has a different way of doing things, and a different hierarchy of rule. When entering a new city, you should familiarize yourself with the local community. Seek out the local havens. Learn what households have sway here. Get in touch with key members of the community, learn who is who, and show proper respect where it is due. You should not expect to impose your old way of doing things on this new scene. Rather you should adapt to their rules and be glad of their acceptance.
Always be on your best behavior when coming to a new city either to visit or to stay. We are all cautious and territorial by nature, and only by making the most positive impression possible will you be accepted and respected in a new community.

9. RESPONSIBILITY
This lifestyle is not for everyone. Take care in who you choose to bring into it. Those who are mentally or emotionally unstable have no place among us. They are dangerous and unreliable and may betray us in the future. Make certain that those you choose to bring in are mature enough for this burden. Teach them control and discretion, and make certain that they respect our ways.
You will be responsible for their actions, and their behavior in the community will be reflected back to you.

10. ELDERS
There are certain members of our community who have established themselves as just and responsible leaders. These are the people who helped establish local communities, who organize havens, and who work to coordinate the networking of the scene. While their word does not have to be law, they should nevertheless be respected. They have greater experience than many others, and usually greater wisdom. Seek these elders out to settle your disputes, to give you guidance and instruction, and to help you establish yourself in the local scene.
Appreciate the elders for all they have given you: if it was not for their dedication, the community would not exist as it does now.

11. DONORS
Without those who offer themselves body and soul to us, we would be nothing. We cannot be other than what we are, but it is the donors who sustain our nature. For this service, they should be respected. Never mistreat your donors, physically or emotionally. They are not to be manipulated or leeched off of for more than what they freely offer. Never take them for granted. Appreciate them for the companionship and acceptance which they offer us, which so many others would refuse. This above all: appreciate the gift of their life. That communion is sacred. Never fail to treat it as such.

12. LEADERSHIP
When you choose to take a position of authority in the community, remember that you do not lead for yourself alone. Leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege. A good leader must set an example for everyone through his actions and behavior. His motives should be selfless and pure, and he should put the interests of the whole community before his own.
The best leaders are those who serve to better the community and whose person and behavior gives no one -- even those outside of the community -- a reason to criticize them.

13. IDEALS
Being a vampire is not just about feeding upon life. That is what we do, but not necessarily what we are. It is our place to represent darkness in a world blinded by light. We are about being different and accepting that difference as something that empowers us and makes us unique. We are about accepting the dark within ourselves and embracing that darkness to make us whole beings. We are about celebrating the thresholds: body and spirit, pleasure and pain, death and life.
Our lives should be lived as a message to the world about the beauty of accepting the whole self, of living without guilt and without shame, and celebrating the unique and beautiful essence of every single soul.

2007-08-06T20:47:00.001-07:00

Seen anything utterly ridiculous lately? Try http://vermontrepublic.org . It's the website of a group of people working for Vermont to leave the Union and become a country of it's own. Grassroots organization my foot...

Irkage^3

2007-07-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

It irks me that people, mostly rappers and preps, call our state Cali. As though it was some girls name. Seriously, it's called California, or if you want to be more specific, say Nor Cal, So Cal, or Val Cal. But not Cali, that just sounds retarded.

2007-07-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Went to the church this morning to volunteer doing some data entry. Half a hour into the process, the program crashed. I ended up spending some time fixing a crashed laptop back up to perfection.
Now I've been working on moving computers and setting up a new computer with Vista for the past 3 1/2 hours. This Vista is pretty awesome.

2007-07-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

First, I saw a Settlers of Catan game made in pizza. Then, I stumbled across rules for a Settlers of Catan drinking game - that were in Spanish. So now I'm translating them. Last, I got my paycheck for this month and discovered that I have finally earned enough money to finish paying for my Senior year of high school's tuition. Now to just pay for college...

2007-07-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Crazy. I beat "Unreal I" in a day and a half. Then, I just beat "Unreal Tournament 2004" in under a day.

In other news, my friends are far away. I miss them.

2007-07-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, whilst having a discussion on films, Cameron and I came to the important conclusion that every single one of those Land Before Time movies was simply a sick crossing of Jurrasic Park and My Little Pony.

2007-07-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Went airsofting last night over at Jeff's house. It was sweet, even though there were only five of us there. Hopefully there will be more next time. But it was still fun. We started out with a free for all deathmatch, which Jeff won with his crazy, .20 gram firing gun. Then we did a pistols only match, which I actually did well in, probably because I have the most practice with those. Then we did another free for all before playing a couple of team matches. The team matches were fun. There was a really sweet standoff between me and one of Jeff's friends. I was underneath a flatbed trailer providing covering machine gun fire for Jeff and Joel. Meanwhile, our friend on the other team tries to shoot me under the trailer. Failing, he comes around the back of the trailer and still cannot shoot me. Finally, he comes and jumps on top of the trailer, holding his gun over the side pointing underneath the trailer. He starts shooting wildly, and never hits me. I take my secondary gun and start shooting at his hand. In thirty seconds of shooting, neither of us hit the other person and we finally just called it a draw and went back to the spawn point. It was prety sweet. The only disappointing thing was that I didn't get pictures...

Fun Picture

2007-07-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just found this in storage. Not sure why I'm posting it, but it's the best I had at that point. Funny because my room doesn't look like that any more.

The load out is this:
1. Israeli Arms UZI
2. Israeli Arms .44 Desert Eagle
3. Walther P22
4. Sig Sauer P226

Oh, and, for those of you who got really scared because you didn't notice the orange tips - yes, this is airsoft.

2007-06-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Well, Melissa wanted me to post, so here I am posting.
I had hoped to get to bed earlier last night, but where did I find myself at 10 pm? Out in the garage/driveway using a hacksaw blade to file grooves into some metal pieces to fix the hinge on my parents' shower door. It was crazy. But it's done. Then, this morning, I am working early on invoicing that just came about last night but has to be done by 7:30 am today. Oh, and I have to put up a supplemental lighting system in the backyard with all the fun cables and such before Mel and Laura get here at 9:30 this morning. It's going to be a long morning. I'm going to need that Monster sitting in the cupboard before long...

2007-06-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

The latest from Nightwish:

Nightwish's upcoming album will be called "Dark Passion Play". It will be released by Nuclear Blast on September 28th, by Spinefarm Records / Universal on September 26th and by Roadrunner Records on September 28th.

The tracklist reads as follows:

1. The Poet And The Pendulum
2. Bye Bye Beautiful
3. Amaranth
4. Cadence Of Her Last Breath
5. Master Passion Greed
6. Eva
7. Sahara
8. Whoever Brings The Night
9. For The Heart I Once Had
10. The Islander
11. Last Of The Wilds
12. 7 Days To The Wolves
13. Meadows Of Heaven

The cover art for this album can be seen here: http://nightwish.com/images/news/cover_dpp.jpg

2007-06-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

One can write out of love or hate. Hate tells one a great deal about a person. Love makes one become the person. Love, contrary to legend, is not half as blind, at least for writing purposes, as hate. Love can see the evil and not cease to be love. Hate cannot see the good and remain hate. The writer, writing out of hatred, will, thus, paint a far more partial picture than if he had written out of love.

- Jessamyn West, "To See the Dream, part 3", 1956

2007-06-04T05:48:00.000-07:00

The Highland Games were awesome. Enough said. But there is never enough said, so I'll say more. Despite the fact that I really was not there as long as I would have liked, it was fun looking around with friends and just hanging out. I can't wait for the Casa de Fruta Faire in October. That'll be even more awesome!

Updated Highland Games Information

2007-05-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Note the 1$ change in price... but here are all the details. Click link at bottom for map.

Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of the Clans

Saturday June 2nd 2007
Tuolumne River Regional Park
Modesto, California

CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETIC EVENTS
CABER TOSS, SCOTTISH HAMMER
PUTTING THE STONE
WEIGHT FOR DISTANCE & HEIGHT

PROFESSIONAL BAGPIPING BANDS

CELTIC MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT
Including:

Tempest
Last Nights Fun

CHILDREN'S ATHLETICS AND GAMES

HIGHLAND & COUNTRY DANCING

RENAISSANCE RE-ENACTORS

CELTIC IMPORTS AND MERCHANDISE

OVER 40 CLANS IN ATTENDANCE

FOOD & BEVERAGE BOOTHS

Saturday June 2nd 2007
Tuolumne River Regional Park
Modesto, California

Age 13 and above $11.00, Age 12 and under FREE

Gates Open at 9:00 a.m. Close at 5:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR MAP!

W00T!!!

2007-05-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, baby! YEAH, BABY! YEAH!!!
I have the new single "Eva" from Nightwish's new album (to be released Sept. 28 2007). I love it! Just for all of you, I'll post the lyrics:

Eva (Eva)

6:30 winter morn
Snow keeps falling, silent dawn
A rose by any other name
Eva leaves her Swanbrook home
A kindest heart which always made
Me ashamed of my own
She walks alone but not without her name

Eva flies away
Dreams the world far away
In this cruel children's game
There's no friend to call her name
Eva sails away
Dreams the world far away
The Good in her will be my sunflower field

Mocked by man to depths of shame
Little girl with life ahead
For a memory of one kind word
She would stay among the beasts
Time for one more daring dream
Before her escape, edenbeam
We kill with her own loving heart

Eva flies away
Dreams the world far away
In this cruel children's game
There's no friend to call her name
Eva sails away
Dreams the world far away
The Good in her will be my sunflower field

Nightwish!!!

2007-05-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, the cover of the new Nightwish single with the new singer has been released. The name of the single is "Eva" and here is the cover:

The new singer is named Anette Olzon, and she is from Sweden.

Here's a short bio for her off the official Nightwish site: http://nightwish.com/en/band/members/facts?id=16

Enjoy! The new single "Eva" comes out May 30! W00T!

I need...

2007-05-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

I am in need of numerous amount of Lego minifigures to be used in minifigure customization. If you have any or have access to a supply, please post a comment!

2007-05-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

I went laser tagging with my youth group yesterday afternoon. I did okay, but now I remember why I changed my "physical shooting game of choice" to Airsoft from laser tag:
-Can be done indoors, outdoors, or wherever you want.
-Not everyone has the same gear or gun(s).
-The gear/guns is not clunky and large.
-One has far more options for game types.
-After the initial purchase of the gun, it's much cheaper.
-Is not limited by where computers and electrical cords can go.
-If you shoot someone anywhere on their body, dependin if it is a game with medics or not, they're out.
-There are way more options for fun stuff (i.e. smokescreens, bombs, grenades, flashbangs, mines, tripwires, traps).
-It allows for a more militaristically-realistic experience.
-Games don't have to have time limits that end just as you are making a "Last Hoorah" charge. *laughs*

I'm sure there are more reasons, but those are mine for now. Anybody reading, if you're interested in airsofting, tell me, and we'll get a game set up.

2007-05-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

We invented two new games today at school...

"3 Feti Up" (also known as "Game Fetus")
&
"Fetus Ball"

w00t!

2007-05-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Went shooting with some friends at Barnwood Arms this afternoon. First time with a .45 or a .357. Nice guns. The .357 was a revolver. Really nice gun. Decent kick to it, almost more than the .45, probably because the .357 was a revolver and not a semi-auto. Ended up using full load shells for the .45 instead of the half loads that the store was selling. Oh well, gets you used to more kick. We rented a .22 and a Beretta 9 mm. I like the Beretta. Good gun. I've shot it a few times there. Unfortunately, they don't have a Walther P22 that you can rent, and I didn't get to shoot the Wather P99 they have. Maybe next time I'll do that and the Sig Sauer .308. James Bond gun! w00t!

2007-05-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

APUSHistory test tomorrow morning.
Decorating tomorrow afternoon.
Junior Senior Banquet tomorrow night.
Oh boy, here comes trouble...