There goes the decade

Well, I can't say it's been a great year, but I guess it wasn't too bad.  The point being, I guess, is that 2010 is sick of our crap and is packing it's bags for good this time.  No point in trying to say you'll change, cuz it ain't changing it's mind, but people attempt it anyways.  I suppose any reason to change for the better is a good reason, so I'll go ahead and say that I actually have a new years resolution this time around and that I actually plan on sticking to it.  So, 2011, I see you coming and I say, "bring it on!"  Let's see if you can waver my dedication to 2010.

Update:  Yep, took about four days for me to completely abandon my new years resolution.  Well, I take that back.  I'll still try, just not as hard...

WTF marketing.

I was browsing around on Mossberg's website not too long ago, when I came across one of their .22LR's.  Now, I like Mossberg and I think they make a lot of quality products, but I was dumbfounded to see they are still selling these rifles in this configuration:

Yes, that is a frakin' huge Barrett-style muzzle brake on a .22 long rifle.  Really?  What good is that thing gonna do?  Are people training small rodents to shoot guns, but are scared that the kick will be too much?  It's like somebody at Mossberg's marketing department bought a Barrett M82 and then declared that EVERYTHING should have a muzzle brake like that.  Now, I'll admit I think the Model 500 that they slap it on has a little bit of appeal:

More than a bit excessive, yes.  However it's nowhere near the ridiculousness level of having one on a .22LR or .17HMR for that matter.  But, apparently people are buying 'em, cuz Mossberg is sill selling 'em.  Whatever.  I guess it's just something that's lost on me.

Feeling Nostalgic

and maybe a little depressed.  Why must happiness be so expensive?  I just want to go shooting, but I still don't have the greenbacks for it.  That, and I miss my old guns.  Due to unfortunate circumstances some time ago, I had to sell them.  Like the great William Shakespeare once wrote, "alas, parting is such sweet sorrow."  So, for old times sake I'm just gonna put some pictures of 'em on here so I can at least enjoy some good eye-candy.

First, the 'ol Utah-made Kalashnikov.  I called her "Staite"

Then, my nice .40 Jericho, a.k.a. "Betty"

Man, I miss those guns.

Things I hate #64837

Shallow and image conscious people.  They really tick me off, especially when I don't have a choice about being around them or not.  Then, those who try to project that on others by generalizing according to gender, age, race, etc, are particularly susceptible to my anger.  For example, if someone says, "men/women are all ____(stupid, shallow, easy, ignorant) because they all _(insert speaker's favorite retarded activity here)_ . 

When I hear these things, I can't help but speak up and mention that I have never done anything like the retarded activity they are mentioning, because regardless of who they are talking about, someone participating in the conversation is indirectly insulted.  That, and it just makes you look like a dick when you bust out the sexist bull crap. 

Just because I learned the hard way that most of the women my age I have met, are shallow and inconsiderate morons, doesn't mean all of them are.  I'm sure there are some very nice, intelligent and fun women out there, but I am certainly man enough to admit that I am too mean, hateful, and introverted to ever meet any of them, let alone get to know them.  So there.

Just one more thing...

Went shooting on my b-day.  It was a whole lot of fun, but my roomie brought along some specialty 3 in shells he was wanting to try.  It's that crazy hyper-velocity stuff that Remington sells:

Note to self (or anyone else for that matter), do not just shoot a bunch of these for the hell of it.  Especially out of shorter barrel, pump action, home defense-type shotgun. Definitely not a recreational load.  I didn't shoot too many of these, but apparently my friends, on the other hand, still have some very tender chicken wings for arms.  

As for the performance of the guns, they were flawless.  I had another friend come along with his .22 rifle, one that I had never seen before...

The afterglow

Well, even though Christmas is over, it still feels like it's the season.  I'm especially pumped because I got a belated birth-mas present from someone nice.

I'm tellin' ya, my love of chocolate is probably more severe than that of a pregnant woman.

Merry Christmas

Sit down with some hot coco, relax, and crack open the nearest bible to remind yourself why we celebrate this day.  No, not to settle pagan and christian violence, but the birth of our lord and savior.  Now, once you've done that, have some fun.  I'll get you started:

Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

May all of you enjoy this wonderful holiday!

Conversations from work

I am just a stinker.  This is what went down in a conversation with a girl at work today.

Friend:  Why do guys have to stare at girl's butts?
Me:  Probably for the same reason guys stare at girls chests.
Friend:  Which is?
Me:  Because they're awesome.

It was at that point she walked away.  I'm just saying, stupid questions are going to get stupid answers.  That, and the little part of my brain that tries to filter stupid crap from being said just can't get up at 4:00 a.m. like I do.

The big one

I turned 26 today.  Everyone at work made me feel like an old man.  Great.  It doesn't help that I already feel like I'm falling apart, with my back snapping like a cheap Christmas gift, but now I have coworkers telling me I'm at the age that I should look in to getting regular prostate exams.

Well, it's not all bad, I've been getting some awesome and unexpected b-day presents from all sorts of cool people.  One in particular, I'm hoping to make use of today, rain be damned...

Cool.  Someone nice also promised me cookies.  I REALLY hope they deliver on that one.  It's always the perfect choice for a gift to a fat guy.

The coolest video you'll see all winter

I think this takes the cake for most awesome winter activity that is full of win.  Those Swede's really know how to get their money's worth from their defense budget.

Well, happy birthday and merry Christmas!

The events so far: I have no raincoat and have had to freeze my butt off at work (I'm sure it's still there).  I had to yell at multiple people for being stupid while I was there, and lifted WAY too much heavy crap.  Now I'm having heated arguments with my lower back about whether or not I should be feeling mass amounts of pain.  Later, I forgot my cellphone halfway across the state, and nearly got into an accident on the freeway when the guy in front of me lost control of his truck.  Yep, doing pretty good so far.

Right when I begin to think the week of fail is about to rear it's ugly head, something awesome actually happens to me!  I get a little brown package at the doorstep.  I got my Christmas present from my family. 

I have been dying to read this one for a while now.  I just gotta see if can prevent myself from reading the whole thing within two hours like I usually do.  As much as I love to read, I'm really not one for novels very often.  Non-fiction is where you'll always find me when I'm at the library. 

So, despite all the crap of the day, it's still a good one.  I like it when I'm reminded that my family loves me.

No respect....well, maybe sometimes.

It's really rare for me to find that someone has not only taken my advice, but had it work out for them extremely well.  Not that I'm in the habit of giving bad advice, just that no one ever seems to want to hear it to begin with.

Some time ago I had a friend approach me who had recently got the drive to make their first gun purchase.  This person wasn't a complete stranger to shooting, but was living in the People's Republik of Kalifornia for most of his life, so was still somewhat new to the excitement of gun ownership.  He had just gotten his CCW permit and was looking for a cheap, reliable, and of course, compact pistol for concealment.  After explaining his requirements and budget, I explained to him the firepower vs. size restraints, and then we discussed what calibres he liked.  In the end I recommended a couple of guns, but the primary of which was the Ruger SR9C.

Sometime later still, I was in the neighborhood and dropped by.  Come to find he had actually gotten that Ruger at the gun show that same weekend after our conversation.  He has been quite satisfied with his purchase and says he wants to let me give it a whirl in the near future.

Like I said, this don't happen too often, so it nearly brought a proud tear to my eye.  Not only had I helped someone choose a satisfactory first gun, but they actually thanked me for it too.  I just love it when a plan comes together.

I am Jack's jealous thoughts

Well, the other day I had something infuriating happen.  There I am in my room, just thinking of nothing in particular(actually trying to think of what to post), when my roommate bursts through the door with a shotgun in his hands.  Not just any scattergun, mind you, but a brand new Saiga 12 complete with two 20 round drums that he bought that same day.

Now, I have been wanting one of these things for a while, so having this happen is like seeing your best friend cruising around town with that girl you've been dying to ask out.  My only comfort is that I can keep my covetous thoughts at bay by knowing I'll get a chance to shoot this thing in the very near future.  

Of course, he's gonna want to customize this puppy to no end, but he's having a little trouble making up his mind about how to go about it. 

I think there's some kind of holiday soon...

I haven't tossed up any music lately, so in the interest of recognizing this great time of year, here's my favorite Christmas song.


I once heard a better version of this song, but I suppose you can't quite find everything on the internet just yet...

They are the voices in my head

Okay, really stupid blog fodder time.  As I've said before, I think of really dumb crap sometimes, and yesterday I had one that was over the top.  I got some girl's phone number that day, and I can't help but think of crazy hypothetical scenarios within other hypothetical scenarios.  So, with out further adieu, this is what transpired and the things I thought of.  Remember viewers, some of these things are disturbing...

At a loss

I have no idea what in the world to post.  I kinda started this blog as a way for me to vent about my generally crappy days, but yesterday was pretty darn good.  Pretty freakin' great, in fact.  So, yeah.....um.....I'll have to think about this for a few hours, then maybe I'll have something to write about.

If I were a Brit man...

My heart goes out to the Royal Air Force.  They are being killed by their own government.  Now, the budget cutbacks that they are enduring have finally ended the greatest legacy in British aeronautics.  If I were a citizen of the UK, I'd be crying right now.  Thank goodness we still use ours, here across "the pond".

What a pity.  It's such a capable and yet pretty bird.

Voices in my head

I'm getting better at not saying things that I think of.  Because, the things I think of are just downright retarded.  Take, for example, this conversation I had with a friend recently.

Friend:  Well, I'm gonna have to find you a nickname you don't mind.  Something you'll actually like to be called.
Me:  like, Honey Bunches of Oats?
Friend:  I'm not calling you a cereal.
Me:  Honey bucket then?
Friend:  Okay, I'm not calling you anything with "honey" in it.
My thoughts:  Finger lickin' good?
Me:  Hmmmm....

Interrupting Interlude

My post on Monday still applies to my every waking moment.  Oh well, on the bright side, I just saw that LaurenOC12's YouTube channel was finally updated with some new vids. So, I get to enjoy a couple songs that I haven't heard right before I have to go to bed.  Good music and a good voice.  Check it out.

Lauren O'Connell- O Death

Hooked on .380 ACP phonics

So when I went down to visit the collective family, I got my first trigger-time with a .380 auto.  Why haven't I shot one till now?  Well, I never really went out of my way to do so.  That, and I have always been somewhat of a big bore fanboy, so the appeal was somewhat lost on me for a while.  That is, until now.

Exhibit A:

The full story so far:

Interative Ineptitude

I swear, I think I have absolutely no social grace whatsoever.  I'm able to make friends easy enough, but eventually I always seem to say the EXACT thing that will piss someone off, even when trying my hardest to do the polar opposite of that.  The worst part, is that it always sounds like offending them was my intention from the start.  Social interaction of even the most insignificant amount, is something I find to be way more complex and difficult than it should be.  This doesn't really bother me too much, considering I couldn't care less of what most people think of me.

For those few people I actually do care about however, that's when it starts to swell into a much bigger issue.

Hell, it's about time...

Finally!  Get to have a big shindig today and play Starcraft 2 with everyone.  It's been too long since the last one.  I swear, LAN parties are like the nerd equivalent to going out and getting smashed on Saturday night.  Yep, I plan on getting completely sick with the amounts of soda and junk food we'll consume, and we are going to trash talk the night away.

My day, in the form of a comic

Cyanide and Happiness just understands me too well.

Earlier, I walked in on the middle of a conversation, and all I heard this girl say was something to the effect of, "it's weird, it feels like I've got wings or something."
I quickly jump in with, "Huh, I'd expect someone like you to be sprouting horns on your head, if anything."
So, I was just being my usual self, when that person asks me why I have to be so mean to them all the time.  Well, let's give that explanation a shot, shall we?  Some music should do nicely.

For your listening pleasure

I just realized I missed this week's installment of BB&Guns on Blog Talk Radio.  I really like listening to this show, but it seems I'm never available to listen to it live in recent months.  So, help me feel less guilt by checking it out, and by maybe listening to an episode or two.

Walk without rhythm, and you won't attract the worm...

It really brightens my day when I hear from someone cool that I haven't conversed with in a while.  I like to stay on silent running, so to speak, because I don't like to be found by too many people I'm familiar with.  The only downside to this is that I tend to lose contact with some of the actually cool people I know.  I gotta figure out a way to fix that.

The Holy Gospel of St. John Moses Browning

It is finally becoming canonized.  I saw on Say Uncle's blog that Utah is passing legislature to make the Browning Model 1911 the official state firearm.  Awesome!  Let's hope this is a trend other states will follow.

I also heard some cool news from my roommate, that my dream rifle (the XCR) is going to get another caliber conversion kit, this time for the 5.45x39mm cartridge.  I really wish I could afford one of these things right now.  I'm just such a fanboy of 'em I'll have to give you some XCR eye-candy for your viewing pleasure.

Here's the standard variant in 5.56x45mm

and here's another in 7.62x39mm

you can go on their website for more details about the rifles themselves, but once I have the time, I'm sure I'll write a post detailing the many reasons I love these rifles.

Look at the bones!

I just figured I would post something away from home for once.  Granted, not far from home (about 5 miles), but the point is still valid.

I sometimes wonder if I get any respect from other people at all.  I was at a friend's house yesterday, and someone there wondered if I was gay, and another friend told me today that I should get into online dating.  Two things that, once heard, will plummet any man's confidence in life in general.  I tried to drown my sorrows with some Stewart's root beer, but that stuff was pretty gross.  I'm always disappointed when Henry Wienhard's isn't available.  At least I'm watching Monty Python's The Holy Grail.  That will put a smile on even the most calloused of old stones.  It's comforting to know that, at the end of the day, the black knight will always triumph!

Filler

Nothing worth posting is really coming to mind, except that someone told me about Austrian Death Machine a few days ago.  Pretty funny stuff.  Not a bad sound either.

The TSA; a.k.a. the Time-wasting Sexual Assaulters

So, everyone and their dog in the blogosphere has been ranting and raving about the horrendous actions of the TSA in recent weeks.  I'm trying not to follow too many trends, but I can't help but want to share a particular experience I had with this crack-squad of savvy-motivated personnel.  It may not be as exiting of a tale as some others, or as pornographic, but it certainly merits a re-telling here.

I got a guy for everything....apparently.

So, today someone asked me where they could find some pmc3  in town.

Now, I don't dabble, nor do I even associate myself with any kind of jewelry making or crafts in the least bit, so why do people think I know this kind of stuff?  So, naturally, I then asked this person, "what makes you think I would know anything about that?"
She responds, "well, you're smart, I figure you would find out about it."

Now, this is true, I can't just leave the subject alone.  I HAVE to find out where to get it.  Otherwise, it would annoy me to no end that I didn't find out.  So, now I have just spent about an hour of my time looking up places to find this crap locally, but... really?  Seriously, I just don't get why I'm asked the weirdest freaking questions sometimes.  I inevitably get asked something unusual during the course of the day, but I was just surprised I got one this odd, right at the beginning of my day.  Occasionally, I wonder if I'm the only one who takes more than a passing google search to find stuff.

Whatever. My curiosity always gets the better of me, but I should at least try to give the right answer the next time something like this happens:

That is, unless you were asking if I have a guy for human meat...

Down in Purgatory

A scene from the home front:

So, I'm obviously back from the folks'.  Just now getting the motivation to post something real again.

While I was with my family, I heard some interesting news.  The local shotgun range that the mother-figure used to work at, has changed hands.  Apparently not for the better, either.  Even though I was never any good at "shotgun sports", I had a real liking for this place, and it's high degree of professional level ranges.  If, I'm not mistaken, they also had lots of newbie-friendly classes and instructors.  It was nice, well-planned, very challenging, and also conveniently located in a 'spiritual limbo'.

Hulu for the win!

They have Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol!  I love this show, but I still wish I had it on DVD.  With razzleberry dressing, that is.

For the special woman in your life

Bullet Girl.  It's the next big thing. Tell your friends.

Seen at Say Uncle

Things I Hate #47283

Flakiness.  It's just a common courtesy to be where you say you're gonna be when you said you'd be there.  That is all.

And I'd do it again I tell you....I'd do it again in an instant!

Sometimes I don't know particularly why, but I'm just kind of a jerk.  Way too often.  Most people who know me will tell you that I am kind of a funny guy, but a lot of others will also say I'm very sarcastic, cynical, and occasionally snide with an interest in the macabre.  Both are right.  I honestly wish I could just be that nice, funny guy all the time.  However, it seems whenever I try to do this, I'm only emotionally slapped in the face and figuratively told to sit down and shut up.  I used to be that nice guy most of the time, but it seems as though I just can't pull that off as much as I used to.  Not only this, but my short-term memory seems to be problematic, as I was just thinking of the perfect words to describe my frustrations, but now I seem to have forgotten them.

I should be somewhat happy.  I'm working another shift at my work, so I can get more money, I finally got a new charger for my phone, so now I can contact the outside world (not that I do this often, but it's nice to know I can).  Best of all though, is that I get to go see my family this weekend.  So yeah, despite all that, I still can't quite cheer up.  So, in lieu of whatever words I had in mind, I'll just toss up some more music.

Update: When I'm a jerk I'm pretty much like Tim in this video, from 1:10 to about 4:44

Seether - Careless Whisper

Who could have guessed a George Michaels song would ever sound good?

The Ultimate Console

Is, of course the PC.  I know, I know, my nerd is showing.  But I love getting other people to recognize the greatness that is PC gaming over the tripe of consoles.  You pay less for your games, you can scale your graphical settings to optimize your frame rates,  you can upgrade your hardware over time for less than the cost of the newest console (and get better performance than the console as well),  most of your input is all superior digital controls instead of analog, and then there's the mods.  I got to introduce someone to the glory that are mods today, which blew his freaking mind.

After you've payed for your game (that was cheaper than the console's) and had it for a while, you can change your game experience to be something completely different.  If the game you bought was fairly popular, and it's code reasonably accessible, some basement-dwellers will inevitably get together and make some crazy total conversion mod for it, and release it to the unsuspecting public for free. Which, for all intents and purposes, gives you a whole new game for free.  Jackpot!

So in the interest of getting this guy some more recommendations, Here's a small list of some of my favorite total conversion mods out there (in no particular order):