Names

Some people do, some people don't. Tam doesn't, Brigid does. My brother doesn't, I do. Name things, that is. Some people name their instruments, most people name their boats (for better or for worse), some people even name their automobiles. You name a thing because it's important to you, because it's more than just a tool, it is an extension of you. Is it really any surprise that people name their weapons?

But by naming your weapon, perhaps you become more familiar with it. It ceases to be a tool to be used but rather a teammate or a friend with which you co-operate to accomplish a task. By learning more about your piece, becoming familiar with her, you gain a greater understanding of what you can do together. And yes, like ships, guns should be female (unless you're Russian). I have only two firearms that do not have names. Both are unfamiliar to me, we haven't spent enough time together for me to learn their names (the Ruger 10/22 and the Mauser C96), but we'll get there.

And if you think this is some silly-assed mumbo-jumbo, there's a dead serious group anyone can respect that's been following a similar practice for almost seventy years now. They just don't call them by name.

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit.

My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other.

Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy.

-My Rifle: The Creed of a United States Marine

Moral Minority?

From Kevin via Uncle.

This test places you on a moral matrix to determine your political focus and affiliation. Dunno about that, some of the results being posted over at SayUncle
seem to indicate a broken algorithm. Anywho, I blew three minutes and wound up with this:

You scored 1.5 on Moral Order and -6.5 on Moral Rules.

The following categories best match your score (multiple responses are possible):

1. System: Conservatism
2. Ideology: Conservative NeoLiberalism
3. Party: Republican Party
4. Presidents: Ronald Reagan
5. 04' Election: George W. Bush
6. 08' Election: Ron Paul

Of the 643,188 respondents (11,582 on Facebook):

1. 3% are close to you.
2. 2% are more conservative.
3. 3% are more liberal.
4. 75% are more socialist.
5. 18% are more authoritarian.

I do note that many of the definitions and explanations used make reference to religion. I assume that it means christian religion, and therefore many of the (already blurred) questions now have answers that do not represent what I actually believe. Despite the prima facie explanations used to help out the examinee.

Jane Austen's Fight Club

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I always marvel at the ingenuity of Americans. No mater what we encounter we feel the need to put our own spin on it. Sometimes for the worse, often for the better. Or at least for the lulz.