12.31.2011

Why is this even a question still?

I was roaming around the darker recesses of the internet when I stumbled across this infographic.  I thought it might be of some interest to you (click to embiggen).
As you can see it's a flowchart that was compiled from the comments on a Facebook poll.  It details the assorted arguments over same-sex marriage.  This particular argument is one of the things that makes me contemptuous of conservatives in general and republicans in specific.  Not that liberals/democrats are any better.

What it comes down to is, under our social contract (i.e. the U.S. Constitution) no person has the right to force another to live by a moral code not of their choosing.  An ethical code yes, but not a moral one.  That means that if I choose to marry a woman, a man, an eighteen year old or an eighty year old, it's no bloody business of yours.  So long as I violate no municipal, state or federal ordinance, I may do as I wish.  Any attempt to infringe on that, is a violation of the social contract.

Plus it really pisses me off.

12.30.2011

The Soundtrack of My Life

Well, I no longer have an iPod, but I can list the top 15 songs I've been listening to pretty easy.  So, taking a cue from Tam and Wing, I offer up the soundtrack of my life, or at least the highlights of the last couple of months.


  1.  Return (Coming Home - Dreamside Remix Part I)
        by Cruxshadows
  2.  Kiss Me Deadly
         by Lita Ford
  3.  Boys Don't Cry
         by Norman Palm (cover of The Cure)
  4.  Holiday of Choice (Dead Kennedys vs. Fatboy Slim mashup)
         by Mad Mix Mustang
  5.  Last Caress
         by The Misfits
  6.  Marilyn, My Bitterness (v2.0)
         by Cruxshadows
  7.  Guns of Brixton
         by The Clash
  8.  Outta Me
          by Bikini Kill
  9.  Rebel Girl
          by Bikini Kill
10.  Heat of the Moment
         by Asia
11. 日々の音色
         by Sour
12.  Trolhammaren
         by Finntroll
13.  The Hunger
         by The Distillers
14.  County U.S.A.
          by The Clare Voyants
15.  Black Dresses
         by The Butchers and The Builders

When i looked over the list I was kinda amazed, not by what was on it, but by the order.  I'm certain I'd been listening to Punk more often than this.

I Wonder if His Name is Church?

You can't make this stuff up folks.




For those who don't get the reference:




For more RvB wonderfulness go on over to Roosterteeth and loiter for several hours.

12.22.2011

A Magical Place

  I love /k/.  It's one of the more interesting (if slightly insane) areas of the intarwebz.  I was browsing through and fell upon a humor thread, of which I have culled the best and here I present them for your perusal and enjoyment (click to embiggen).  
   First up, Trolling the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (hhhaawk-ptui!), with Opah Rater and his cousin Mois T. Nougat


 

 


 
  I don't know if this BCPGV ad is real or a shoop, but I find it hilarious.


 
If the Brady's and their ilk were a super hero they's be...


And if they could shape the law in their own image.



 Pretty certain they think these are the rules of gun safety.



  Like all of 4chan, /k/ delights in pointing out the stupidity of people.  Beginning with the formerly Great Britain.





The press.



The police.



Facebookers



And Mitchell's Mausers (not a /k/ approved vendor),



Of course, /k/ is not above tweeking their own nose.



  Helpful /k/ shows you where you need improvement.





Creative bastards, /k/omandos are, and believers in Murphy's First Law of War. They never let common sense stand in the way of a good idea.








  Sometimes They point out truth that is so horrifying, you have to laugh, or start crying.


  Of course, sometimes they make you laugh until you start crying.










  So remember boys and girls, when you need advice, don't go to /k/ but if you want an overabundance of opinion, fact and warped humor, feel free to stop by.  Because:

All images were found on /k/ and are used without permission of their owners.  If you really don't like it, tell me and I'll pull it.

We're Not Gonna Take It!

Allow me to call your attention to Alaskans' Freedom to Travel USA, a citizen's group that is dedicated to legislative reform of the TSA. I'm not certain they go far enough, but you have to start somewhere.

Wassail!



Yesterday marked the begining of the Yule season. The days grow longer, spring is on the way. Marked by celebration, feasting and drinking, Yule will last until January 2nd (hence the 12 days of christmas).

May your season be filled with kith and kin, peace and love, and lots of mead and stout.

12.21.2011

Tribes

Humans are social animals. For the most part, we like having other humans around, and even if we don't like other humans, we usually have pets of one stripe or another (dogs, cats, fish, ferrets, chinchillas, pot-bellied pigs, snakes, birds and goats). One of the ways humans detect danger in other humans is looking for the guy that either doesn't fit in, or doesn't like being around humans or doesn't care if he's around humans or not. The lack of a pack mentality is disturbing to many humans. We like people to fit into our group, our tribe. When someone acts in a way incongruous to how we expect a tribe member to act, it frightens us.


In many primitive languages, stranger was synonymous with, or even was the word for, enemy. If a member of the tribe acts like a stranger, what does that mean? To many people it means that they may not have actually been a member of the tribe.
"Perhaps he was lying to me, perhaps he's really the enemy! And I trusted him! That bastard!"
There's a reason people like to use the Sheep/Wolf/Sheepdog analogy. They're all pack animals/herd beasts.

Now consider, that there are two fundamental types of tribe; familial and associative. Familial tribes are families, clans and ethnic groups. Familial tribes one is born into and tend to form the base cultural matix upon which all further behavior is based upon. . Associative tribes are joined through voluntary association. Examples of associative tribes include professional organizations, clubs, political parties and most modern countries.

Familial tribes are a stone bitch to deal with, and the bigger they are, the harder it is. think about what people go though, seperating from an abusive parent or spouce? How about the centuries of ingrained ethnocentricity of certain nations/ethnic groups? Familial tribe exist to protect and nurture the members of the tribe. And while the tibe as a whole is more important than the individual, the tribe exists becasue it defends the individual.

Associative tribes are almost as big a pain, but tend to be even more acrimonious about those who break with custom and tribal law. Associative tribes don't exist to care and provide for the tribe members, but to accomplish particular goals or provide specific services. Literally; the tribe is more important than any individual.

Now I'm not much of a joiner, and I don't particularly like humans. In fact I don't particularly care if I'm around them for the most part (are your hackels rising yet?). I have my familial tribes; my ethnicity and my kin. I also have some associative tribes, but not many; my kith, the RKBA comunity at large (though not too close an association, I make too many of the louder members too nervous), and my religion. I also consider myself an American and obey the laws, if not the mores of that tribe as well. Not that I get on with all of the sub-tribes of that particular nation, and I keep finding myself less and less satified with the association. In short, I am a conservative. But because I am not a "pack animal" I often don't fit in, like a goat among the sheep, or rather, a bear among the sheepdogs. I have my own ethics, my owm morals and my own mores. I go my own way and do as I see fit.

In short, I make people nervous. I can't help it. I know no other way to be. I'm fairly certain I'd not want to be a herd beast.

So.

What tribes do you belong to?

Steal This Image



Used without permission from Virtual Shackles.

12.19.2011

The King is Dead

Kim Jong Il died over the week-end. Refered to as "Dear Leader", "Our Father", and "Supreme Leader" he was responsible for the death of somewhere between 3.3 and 7.2 million of his own people.

The King is dead. May the Norks never get another.

Death comes for us all. Even for kings he comes.
-Robert Bolt

12.09.2011

Cult Classic Round-up

Peter, over at Bayou Renaissance Man has presented us with the list of the top 100 cult films according to NPR. While the cult status of much of the list is in question (at least I find them dubious), I present to you herre the list, with my personal "have seen" list in red. How about you? which have you seen, can you think of a 101st?

2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick, 1968
Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988
Angel of Vengeance, Abel Ferrara, 1981
Bad Taste, Peter Jackson, 1987
Baise-moi, Virginie Despentes, Coralie Trinh Thi, 2000
Begotten, E. Elias Merhige, 1991
Behind the Green Door, Artie Mitchell, Jim Mitchell, 1972
La belle et la bête, Jean Cocteau, 1946
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Russ Meyer, 1970
The Big Lebowski, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, 1998
Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982
Blue Sunshine, Jeff Lieberman, 1978
Brazil, Terry Gilliam, 1985
Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale, 1935
The Brood, David Cronenberg, 1979
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Robert Wiene, 1920
Café Flesh, Stephen Sayadian, 1982
Cannibal Holocaust, Ruggero Deodato, 1979
Casablanca, Michael Curtiz, 1942
Un chien andalou, Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí,1928
Coffy, Jack Hill, 1973
Daughters of Darkness, Harry Kümel, 1971
Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero, 1978
Deadly Weapons, Doris Wishman, 1974
Debbie Does Dallas, Jim Clark, 1978
Deep Red, Dario Argento, 1975
Dirty Dancing, Emile Ardolino, 1987
Django, Sergio Corbucci, 1966
Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, 2001
Don't Torture a Duckling, Lucio Fulci, 1972
Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton, 1990
Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, Aristide Massaccesi, 1977
Emmanuelle, Just Jaeckin, 1974
Enter the Dragon, Robert Clouse, 1973
Eraserhead, David Lynch, 1977
The Evil Dead, Sam Raimi, 1981
Fight Club, David Fincher, 1999
Flaming Creatures, Jack Smith, 1963
Freak Orlando, Ulrike Ottinger, 1981
Freaks, Tod Browning, 1932
Ginger Snaps, John Fawcett, 2000
The Gods Must Be Crazy, Jamie Uys, 1981
Godzilla, Ishirô Honda, 1954
The Harder They Come, Perry Henzell, 1972
Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby, 1971
Häxan, Benjamin Christensen, 1922
Hellraiser, Clive Barker, 1987
The Holy Mountain, Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973
The House with the Laughing Windows, Pupi Avati, 1976
I Walked with a Zombie, Jacques Tourneur, 1943
Ichi the Killer, Takashi Miike, 2001
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh, 2008
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Don Siegel, 1956
Invocation of My Demon Brother, Kenneth Anger, 1969
It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra, 1946
The Killer, John Woo, 1989
Lady Terminator, H. Tjut Djalil, 1988
The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson, 2001–3
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, George Miller, 1981
Man Bites Dog, Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, 1992
Manos, the Hands of Fate, Harold P. Warren, 1966
The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman, 1964
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, 1975
Near Dark, Kathryn Bigelow, 1987
Nekromantik, Jörg Buttgereit, 1987
Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero, 1968
Pink Flamingos, John Waters, 1972
Piranha, Joe Dante, 1978
Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Jr, 1959
Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon, 1985
Reefer Madness, Louis Gasnier, 1936
Repo Man, Alex Cox, 1984
Ringu, Hideo Nakata, 1998
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jim Sharman, 1975
Rome Armed to the Teeth, Umberto Lenzi, 1976
The Room, Tommy Wiseau, 2003
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975
She Killed in Ecstasy, Jesús Franco, 1971
Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven, 1995
Soul Vengeance, Jamaa Fanaka, 1975
The Sound of Music, Robert Wise, 1965
Star Wars, George Lucas, 1977–2005
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Todd Haynes, 1988
Suspiria, Dario Argento, 1977
Tank Girl, Rachel Talalay, 1995
Tetsuo, Shinya Tsukamoto, 1989
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Tobe Hooper, 1974
This Is Spınal Tap, Rob Reiner, 1984
Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Bo Arne Vibenius, 1974
Thundercrack!, Curt McDowell, 1975
El Topo, Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970
The Toxic Avenger, Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, 1984
Two-Lane Blacktop, Monte Hellman, 1971
Two Thousand Maniacs!, Herschell Gordon Lewis, 1964
The Vanishing, George Sluizer, 1988
Videodrome, David Cronenberg, 1983
The Warriors, Walter Hill, 1979
Witchfinder General, Michael Reeves, 1968
Withnail & I, Bruce Robinson, 1987
The Wizard of Oz, Victor Fleming, 1939



12.07.2011

A Day That Will Live In Infamy


Seventy years ago, 2,402 American servicemen and 57 civilians were killed during the early hours of a Sunday. An additional 1,247 servicemen were wounded. The attack was called "unprovoked and dastardly". It was one of the worst defeats in our military history.

From the ashes of the burning ships and wrecked airfields America arose, and as we have always done in the past, we tightened our belts, spat on our hands and set to work. We sent the flower of our youth, into the fire of battle and defeated our enemies. We had bootstrapped ourselves up from almost 20 years of economic disaster to become the economic powerhouse of the world. In less than five years, Japan, Germany and Italy had all fallen before the allied forces. We were magnanimous in our victory, requiring neither tribute nor title. We shared our wealth, knowledge and philosophy with all and sundry, with various levels of success.

In peace, we strove to remember our fallen warriors. The more than thousand sailors and marines entombed in their ships and the thousand plus others who are buried ashore are honored by the USS Arizona Memorial. The twenty-four hunded rough men who stood watch at night to protect us from our enemies.


The question is, could we do it again? Could we save ourselves from looming disaster. Do we have the courage and commitment? Do we have the principles? Can we do what that "Greatest Generation" managed to seventy years ago? I don't know.

Recessional
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine
Lord God of Hosts be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word
Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

12.04.2011

Bugger Melancholy, I'm All the Way to Choleric

So, things like this


and this


have been making me feel like this.


To avoid doing this





I've decided to post some lulz about the things that make me want to do this





to those responsible. So without further ado....



To which I repond




Ahh..the perils of home ownership.





All too many people on the internet (and IRL) are like this



To which I can only respond with




The lonliest politician, all alone on friday night....




WTF?!? Why is it looking at me? Make it stop! OH GODS, CONDITION BLACK!!!



Seriously, that's just creepy.






My response to all the incessant 1911/Glock arguments (and bollocks to your M&P).




As best I can tell, this is how Saudi's think of their women.


My only desired interaction with Eric Holder.



And becasue no lulz post is complete without a lolcat....






11.30.2011

A Song for the 99%

A song for all the #occupiers, socialists, marxists, professional bums and 40-year-old adolescents. It's a song for the hipsters, the collegiate elites (yes Michael Avery, I mean you) and the MSM. It's a song for anyone who expects, hell WANTS the government to take care of them. It's full of classical references that I don't expect all of you to get. It's a holiday song, which is fitting for the season, and a classic, which is fitting anytime. Enjoy.



And yes I know Jello Biafra turned into a giant douche later on. Doesn't mean the message isn't valid.

11.29.2011

Habeus Corpus? What's that?

So the Senate is seeking to redefine America as an actual military battleground, and allow the military to detain indefinitely, without trial or charge, American citizens. Somebody tell me that this is just my PTSD fucking with me. Please?

The authors of this travesty of legislation; Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), worked on the bill in secrecy. Wait, John McCain? Vietnam veteran John McCain? Hero P.O.W. John McCain? WTF? Man am I glad I didn't vote for that dude. To think that a guy that close to winning the presidency sees no problem with instituting the KGB in America. That's pretty terrifying. I think we may have actually dodged a bullet back in '08. Wait, did I just say I'm thankful that Obama is president? What the fuck just happened?

People often bandy about "When is government tyranny too much to stand for?" I think this might just be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. When the government can arrest and imprison ANYONE without charge or trial. I think that's the line.

At what point does Jeffry Habib, al-qaeda operative become John Public, outspoken critic of the government? What happened to the fifth amendment? Or the Sixth? Or the Eighth? Thor's teeth, it's only a hop, skip and a goose-step from "detaining illegal combatants on the battlefield of America" to "declaring martial law for the duration of the emergency". For the duration is a synonym for" whenever we fucking feel like it."

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

-Hermann Goering

11.19.2011

Presenting Penn & Teller: politcal comentators?

Penn Jillette is hands down, one of the funniest, well-spoken and talented performers of all time. Case in point. Warning: Explicit Language.

11.11.2011

Veteran's Day



It's all there is to say.

Asked and Answered

Billy Beck asks the questions "Why didn't Mike McQueary just punch Jerry Sandusky's lights out, on the spot?" and "Just exactly what sort of eunuch-drone is this, and where on earth do they come from to this country where men once knew the right thing when they saw it?".

Because he's a coward. Because he's been programed to be a coward for the entirety of his life.

From the time we are children we are told "Don't hit!" and "Fighting is wrong." As youths we are told that "Violence never solves anything." and "It's not worth fighting over." violence is discouraged through punishment; detention, suspension and expulsion. As adults we are told "It's not worth dying over." and violence of almost any form is punishable by law, both criminal and civil. Even in some cases, self defense.

Admittedly children are poor judges of what constitutes "justifiable circumstances" and youths often have a poor sense of "appropriate response". An adult however should, and must be able to make these judgements, and to have trained them not to use violence when appropriate, is a disservice to the adult and the community.

We live under the Rule of Law almost in name only. The powerful and the rich do as they please and are only occasionally called to answer for it. More often than not the punishments are light, if any at all. And punishment for those who employ violence righteously is almost as common. Yet should we shirk our duty to our community? Should we allow ourselves and our loved ones to become victims, to save ourselves from punishment?



All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do
nothing.
-Edmund Burke

A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A Little Late, but the Love is Still There.





Thanks for doing what you're best at, for 236 years. Sorry for being a little late, have a present on me.
And for anyone wanting a bit of USMC to brighten up your desktop...