Shadowsbane - Dispelling the Darkness

Venue review - Dodge City Paintball

2011-07-11T19:32:00.003-05:00

Ah, paintball. One of the many pastimes enjoyed by yours truly as often as possible. A demanding sport that requires the most out of both its' players and their equipment. Players have to be fit enough to sprint, jump, dive and turn on a dime, all the while shooting at one's adversaries and, in theory anyway, not getting shot by the same. Anyone who disagrees about it being a sport, I invite to play with me sometime and I'll show you what it takes.

It's a sport that demands the best from its players and their equipment, for sure. But it also demands an arena worthy of the sport. Anyone can play paintball and have fun as long as they're willing to get a little dirty, the gun works, and the field is a good one. Whether woodsball or speedball, the field is an integral part of the experience. My favorite small woodsball fields generally have a forested area with moderate underbrush, some good elevation changes and at least one open area near the center. I'm not much of a speedballer myself, but I can enjoy it as long as it's not the only thing I'm playing that day.

Just this weekend I was out for an evening of paintball with several of my coworkers at Dodge City Paintball. The field is located off Highway 3 out near Piedmont. From NW Expressway in OKC you can head West out past Piedmont Road and hang a left on NW 150th. The road will immediately turn right and you just keep driving until the road turns to dirt, then it's about another 1/4 mile till it dead-ends at the fields.

Currently they have two speedball fields and two woodsball courses. The speedball fields are where I'll start. One is an airball field with your standard set of inflatable cover. This field is a pretty good one. The cover is well-spaced and seems to make for a decent speedball match. The second is a course known as Tetanus. It's made up of a bunche of metal crate and pipes and stack of tires. The name is well-deserved. Feel free to hide behind the cover, but you may not want to touch it. While I like the initial looks of this field better, we found it to be quite one-sided, as one team initially has a large stack of railroad ties to hide behind, while the other is basically left standing in the open. The refs make sure of that. Once you get past that the course is OK.

The woodsball fields are what I'm out there for, and unfortunately this is where the disappointment begins. Now it's not really their fault, this first point, but the poor guys had the bad luck of getting hit by a tornado that ripped up a large portion of the trees. Fewer trees = not-so-good woodsball field. The first field you see is practically bare, and not at all fun to play on really. They've basically turned it into a crappy speedball course surrounded by some fallen trees. The course in the back seems to have been spared the brunt of the tornado however, and was thoroughly enjoyable as a course. The few fallen trees in that area added to the field really, and it was good.

The other problem related to the tornado is the inevitable debris. The speedball fields are easy enough to clean up, but immediately upon entering the first woods course I spotted a small piece of lumber with a bent, rusty nail jutting out. I promptly tossed it into a trash pile to get it off, but it did little to assuage my fears of impaling myself on a tetanus-infested shard of something pointy and mean. Luckily the day went without such disasters.

The second thing a good venue needs for players to have a good time is decent rental equipment. This is where the disappointments start to really take their toll, as this is a completely controllable variable. Tornadoes come and go, but your equipment is vital and it's not that hard to mark a bad gun for repair later. Given that many of the ones who come for company paintball don't have their own guns, it's mandated that we all use rentals to make the playing field a little more even for everyone.

I've been to Dodge City three times. Once with church, before I really knew what I was doing, so I don't remember much. The second time was our previous company outing. That second time the rental guns failed me a total of six times. The very first match the grip on my gun broke, which made it more difficult to use but didn't really affect the function. I promptly returned it after the match and had them hand me a new one. After that it was a series of 5 guns that would shoot no more than 5 times without failing in some way or another. The bolt locked on one and began leaking all my air, and others simply would not re-cock all the way, leading to misfires in the most important of movements. Always during a sneak assault from an unexpected direction when I exposed myself to an enemy, knowing I could take them out and take their cover. That is, until my gun would fail me and cause my painful demise.

This year I had not so much trouble with my gun, but two of our party had trouble that required they return theirs. One with similar trouble as I had and the other whose gun seemed to not be shooting at velocity. After visiting the chrono station (which the refs did not require before playing, a serious safety concern) the gun could not be made to shoot faster than 150. All of the guns would fail to fire occasionally and would need the bolt manually cocked. I never returned mine for fear I would only get one in worse condition.

Another thing needed is good paint. I don't so much remember the paint from our last visit, but this year we could not get it to break to save our lives. I traded fire with a coworker constantly during a 5-minute standoff between the two of us in the woods. We each bounced rounds off each others' masks, necks and other various appendages. Finally I gave up on him and moved to assist a teammate in need. I knew my enemy wasn't moving out of that cover quickly. My teammate was up against two, and when I flanked one and caught his attention my teammate took him. None of the rounds broke, he just agave up.

I turned my attention to the other and got the drop on him from the side. I unloaded 8 rounds into his arm, side and gun. None broke. He simply gave up, not wanting the onslaught to continue. Later on I flanked one of the same two in a speedball match and from 15 feet fired 5 rounds into his hindquarters, only one broke. The last player on their team and I traded fire over direct line-of-sight and he simply gave up when he got flanked by my teammate.

A final comment I'll make is the facilities. I know they had a bad run of luck with the tornadoes, but this was also an issue prior. They have a couple awnings and a place to store the paint and guns, but they have no water. Oklahoma summers are hot and nasty, and water is imperative. Our ref resorted to bumming drinks that we had brought, because they had nothing for even him to drink. If a player drops from dehydration out there it's at least 20 minutes to the nearest hospital and that's if you're driving real fast. Hydration is something I consider a must, and the fact that they don't even provide something for their refs, let alone for the players, speaks negatively to me.

This review has turned out longer than expected, so here's the TL;DR. A venue needs good fields, good equipment and good paint to really make for a good experience. Unfortunately Dodge City Paintball can't do much in the way of fields at the moment, and that's just a string of bad luck. But twice I've been out and we've had a horrid time with their equipment and I know at least this time we had no luck with their paint. I've got a couple real nasty bruises from the bounces that are going to last me a while.

A good venue is a must if you're going to play paintball at any level of experience. For those of you looking for a place in central Oklahoma I'll suggest Adventure Zone south of Guthrie. I haven't played their speedball fields, but they looked good while I was there and their woodsball fields were very good. My personal favorite is the city though. For a good time paintballing, try them out. Dodge City just isn't up to snuff. The rentals have been rock-bottom the last two times, at least one time their paint was part of their downfall and their fields at this point are downright dangerous to the players. I like to slide into my cover and I got lucky this time. There's obviously still shrapnel out on the fields though, and I'd stay far away given the choice.

Happy hunting.

Return of the Geek

2011-07-11T15:20:00.003-05:00

Greetings, fellow carbon-units, and welcome back to my sadly-neglected little corner of the internet. It's time to break out the dust-ninjas and torch the cobwebs because this geek is coming back to once again chronicle the random thoughts which pass through my head that no one really cares about.

A lot has changed in the last few months. Yours truly has moved to a new home, gotten himself a beautiful wife and is living it up in the bright, happy sunshine of the Bahamian Islands. OK, I might have lied about that last one, I guess two out of three ain't too shabby. I did get to visit the Bahamas though, and it is quite a lovely place. Almost as lovely as Key West is... interesting. Cut scene! Anyway, wedding photos may or may not be posted, pending my receipt of them. These things do take time. I'll see what I can do about getting some up though so you guys can see my lovely bride and my ugly mug with a big, cheesy smile.

Well there's the reason for my most recent curious absence. I am back, however, and looking forward to coming out with at least two new posts in the near future which I already have planned and have started to write, a first! Stay tuned for Helpful Hints from your Friendly Neighborhood Geek part deux (read part one). But coming up first, my review of Dodge City Paintball in Oklahoma City, and why you should never go there (or what's left of there).

Signing off...

Helpful Hints from your Friendly Neighborhood Geek

2011-02-22T17:09:00.008-06:00

Hello, I'm a geek. I don't just mean I like computers. It's my job to fix and support computer systems. It's what I do, and I love it. Usually. Most of the time I enjoy interacting with users and helping them with their issues. But sometimes I just have to close my eyes, lean my forehead on my palm and contemplate just how much damage I might cause were I to smash my head into my keyboard.

So here for you today, for my stress relief, your reading pleasure and maybe even a little education, are some helpful tips from a techie.

1. Anti-virus programs are your friends. There are dozens available. Free ones like AVG, Avast and BitDefender, and paid ones like Norton, McAfee and Kaspersky. Contrary to what you may think, the free ones work quite well, so there's no reason not to have one. Just be careful and stick with one AV program. They often don't play nicely with the other kids.

And do learn a little about them. None of us techies expect you to know everything, otherwise we'd be out of a job. We just like you to know enough to utilize them properly. Learn how to set automatic updates, schedule scans, run manual scans etc. If you don't know how, surely you know some kid around the street who does. Here's a tip: If you ask nicely and offer to buy him pizza, he'll probably help. This is all assuming we're not talking about a company computer. If your company has its own anti-virus, leave it alone and let the guys who get paid to take care of it do so. Still, learn what it looks like so you know what's going on.

And remember, anti-virus programs don't let you do whatever you want with no consequences. Forgive the crude analogy, but think of them like a condom. They work most of the time and keep bad things away from places you don't want them. Sometimes they fail and something gets through. If you don't use one you might get lucky for a while, but eventually you're going to get burned. So please use a good anti-virus and at least know the basics of how it works and looks. Which leads me to the next tip.

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2. Fake anti-virus programs are NOT your friends. Remember when I said you should at the very least know what your anti-virus looks like and know its basic functions? This is where that comes in handy. So you see a popup on your computer that says "Internet Antivirus 2011" Does it look like your regular anti-virus program? No? That's because it's not. Do you remember installing it? No? That's because you didn't.

LEAVE IT ALONE. Call that kid you know and get ready to buy him pizza again. While you're waiting for him to arrive, here's the scoop on what you're seeing. It's called malware, and it comes in many forms. You've probably heard many of them before. Spyware, trojans, viruses, worms etc. Your particular variant is called scareware, and it's pretty much what it sounds like. It's a piece of software you stumbled across somehow that tries to impersonate real anti-virus software in order to accomplish several things.

You see that notice that you need to activate the software to remove the infection? Protip: don't click that. They want to steal your credit card information and buy lots of things on your dime. Then it's probably going to install itself even deeper on your computer, mess with your privacy, send a bunch of emails to your friends in your name prompting them to download the same scareware and generally just cause havoc.

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3. Only you can prevent forest fi, er, malware. I can hear the wheels turning already. "Isn't that what my anti-virus program is for?", you ask. No. Your anti-virus program is there to try to save your backside when you have an "oops" moment. Your AV program can be rendered completely unnecessary if you play by the rules. Conversely, if you insist on breaking the rules the whole thing can be rendered completely impotent. It can only do so much. "How do I avoid getting malware?", you query. Why, I'm so glad you asked.

I'm no statistician, but I have a lot of experience with removing malware and I'm of the opinion that no less than 80% of malware could be avoided if people would follow a few rules. Rule #1: Be careful on facebook, myspace, friendster, xanga (I know you're out there. I'm staging an intervention) etc. Of course facebook is safe. But do you really think everyone on there is as nice as you are? Avoid everything but the major apps, be extremely wary of every link you click on, especially if it takes you off the official facebook site, and lock down your privacy settings while you're at it. There are thousands and thousands of people willing to take advantage of facebook to further their devious little schemes. Don't let them.

Rule #2: Be careful with email. A while back we had a huge string of PCs infected with malware because users opened Zip files attached to emails that looked like they were from FedEx, UPS etc. Most of the time the Zip file would contain something that looked like "invoice.doc". The problem with this is, they weren't due to receive any shipments, and by default Windows hides known file extensions. So, unbeknownst to them, the users were actually opening files named "invoice.doc.exe". A word to the wise: .exe files are bad juju if you don't know exactly what they are.

Rule #3: Stop. Watching. Porn. No, I'm serious. The people who make porn want money, and they're obviously not the most morally upstanding people you'll ever meet. Is it really such a stretch to believe they would resort to underhanded tactics like installing spyware and adware on your PC to cause more advertisements and try to make more money? Trust me, they do.

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4. Don't lie to us, we're not stupid. Two reasons for this really. Number 1: our job is to fix problems. It's a lot easier to fix problems when we know what they are.

Reason number 2 ties in with the first. We either already know what you did, or we will find out. I'll say about 60% of the time we already know what you did and we're just asking to confirm our suspicions. 35% of the time we may not start out with an idea of exactly what's happened, but we will figure it out. 4.9% of the time we just don't care enough to figure out exactly how you broke something. We'll fix it and go back to our windowless basement office. .1% of the time you'll have us completely fooled and we'll never know that you secretly did X to break it.

So if you spill coffee on your keyboard and it stops working, please don't clean it up, then call us and say "I don't know, it just stopped working." Just tell us so that we can grab you a new $10 keyboard out of the stockroom we probably have and call it a day. This saves us time and ends in the same result. If you're getting a fake anti-virus or weird popups, we know you went somewhere you're not supposed to. Despite our relentless campaign to make you a safer user, you did it. Oh well, sometimes it happens. Be more careful.

Porn popups only happen when you go to naughty sites. Don't lie about it, we know. If you visit a shady link on facebook and end up with a fake AV, you call us, we clean it up and go on our way. If you visit naughty sites and get porn popups, you call us, we come, we raise an eyebrow, we clean it up and we tell you to keep that crap at home. Then we make a mental note of who you are in case it happens again.

If you visit naughty sites, then lie to us about it, here's what goes down. We come, we raise an eyebrow and immediately know what you did. You lie and pretend to be innocent. We tell you it's going to take a long time to clean up, why don't you take an early lunch. Before we clean it up we look at your history and other items and take screenshots so we have proof. I have a nifty little program that makes it easy. We save the evidence, then clean the computer up. Before we lock your computer we "accidentally" leave that program up so you see it when you come back. Now you know that I know, and you can safely assume I'm a bit miffed. We don't like being lied to.

So don't lie. Most of us probably aren't going to report you unless it's something heinous like child pornography. If that's the case you're out of luck because I'm locking down your system without cleaning anything up, locking out your user account so you can't access it to cover your tracks and I'm calling the cops. That's pretty rare though. So long story short, if you lie to me, I'm going to get evidence of what you did. Then the next time you do it, I might just be more inclined to report you.

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5. Don't argue with us, and don't explain how we should do our job. This sort of goes with the previous one. When you tell me your computer says a network cable is unplugged, the first thing I'm going to tell you to do is reseat (that means unplug and plug back in) both ends of the network cable. Don't tell me that can't be the problem. When your PC says a cable is unplugged there are not many things that it can be. Either one of the closely-monitored, very expensive pieces of networking equipment have gone bad and are only affecting you (I have seen it happen), rats have chewed through the cabling somewhere (also seen it happen actually) or you kicked a cable. Sure there are other possibilities, but which one is more common?

When you get porn popups on your computer and we tell you to stop looking at porn, don't tell us you weren't. We know you were and you know you were. Just hang your head in shame, mumble your understanding and we'll both go our separate ways. Basically when we tell you how something works, why things are the way they are or why something broke, don't argue with us. If you know better than us, why are you paying us money to fix it? The more you argue, the more we consider walking away and telling you to fix it yourself.

And when we're fixing a problem, unless I specifically ask you how you perform an action, the words "Don't you think you should...", "I think you should...", "That's not how you..." etc. should never cross your lips. Sometimes I need you to show me how you do something, I'll admit that. There are several programs clients use that I know how to install, but I'm not intimately familiar with how to use them. For the most part though, if I'm doing something differently than you it's either because I want to achieve a different goal than you think I do, I'm trying a different way to do it for troubleshooting purposes or I just know a better way to do it. You like to click Start > My Computer > Shared Drive > Subfolder, I like to push [Windows key]+R and type \\server\shared\subfolder. Potayto - potahto.

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6. Be specific. Details are important. Most of you have never heard of the company I work for, but here's a little idea of what we do. We provide technical support for around 250 clients. Each of our clients has anywhere from a dozen to 100 employees. Our clients all know we serve more than just them, yet occasionally I still get this type of call (paraphrase of an actual call):

"Thank you for calling [technical support], this is Andy, how can I help you?"
"My computer is broken."
"With whom am I speaking?"
"[insert name]"
"And you're with who?"
"[insert client]"
"And what's the problem you're having?"
"My database is disconnected."
"Which program are you in?"
"[insert proprietary program from another company]"
"What were you doing in the program when it gave you the error?"
"Trying to open it."
"To open the program?"
"Yes."
"Was it before or after you logged into it?"
"After."
"What was the exact error message you got?"
"[gives message]"

Then I take a number and enter a support ticket, we call back and get it resolved. Please don't make us play 20 questions. I much prefer the calls where I answer and get the following response: "Hi Andy, this is [insert name] with [insert client]. I'm getting an error message that says [insert error] when I try to log into [insert program]." So much nicer for both of us. Unfortunately it doesn't always work that way. Most of the time when I get a call I either hear what the client wants, what's keeping them from getting what they want or a gripe session about how things never work the way they want. Give me the first two together, and leave out the third. If it's a recurring issue just say so in those words. I want to stop it from happening again just as much as you do. Contrary to what you might think, I DO have a supervisor and they don't like it when a supposedly "fixed" problem happens again.

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7. Error messages are important. This goes along with the previous tip, but deserves its own spot too. Programs with decent designs give specific error messages. Ever gotten a Blue Screen of Death? Ever see the code in that screen that looks something like 0x000000A3? I can understand it being gibberish to you, but it's important to us. A lot of programs actually give you the error message in plain text. Those are equally important. Error messages are your computer's way of telling you "Well heck, whatever you just tried to do didn't work. Here's why...." So write it down, take a screenshot, memorize it, leave it up for us to see. Whatever it takes to relay that information to us. The faster we figure out exactly what's wrong, the faster you get your machine back.

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8. DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief, typing in all caps does not signal the email server to send me that message faster because it's super important. What it does is make your message harder to read. In the world of computers, typing in all caps is like walking to my office/cubicle/front door and screaming at the top of your lungs. Or at least being obnoxiously loud.

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9. Upgrade. Seriously, I know you don't like to spend money, but the computer world changes fast. The year is 2011 and Windows XP is 10 years old. There comes a point when I'm not fixing your artifact from 1998 anymore. If you complain to me that your computer is slow, the first thing I look at is the specs. Oh, you're still running a Pentium D with 512MB of RAM? Buy a new computer. If you are using anything that was designed for Windows ME, 98, 95 or anything else older than XP, I'm not even going to try. Hardware starts to fail, operating systems become corrupt, things just break down. There comes a point where it's going to cost you more to pay me to fix it than to upgrade.

Windows XP is the patriarch of the family. He's stable, mature and well-liked. It's a solid operating system, unfortunately you can't buy it anymore. So if you want a new computer, you get the rising star that is Windows 7. Windows 7 might not be as time-proven, but it's been around long enough to be very solid. He's slowly taking up the mantle of leadership from dear ol' dad and making his place in the world. He's stronger, faster, more versatile and just plain cooler. Is he different? Yeah. But change is good.

Windows Vista is the red-headed stepchild of the family. Throw him back in the closet where he belongs.

(No offense to any red-headed stepchildren out there)

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10. Two words: canned air. You can clean your computer. It's a good idea even. Blow out the crumbs from in the keyboard, blow the dust off the monitor, blow the dust from inside the computer. Here's a secret I'll let you in on. Opening a computer doesn't require a college degree. It's usually a button or two thumb screws. Just turn it off, take off the side and give the insides a good dusting with the canned air. Just don't touch anything. Blow off the fans and heatsinks especially, they catch dust like crazy and cause the computer to overheat.

Please, please, PLEASE do this more often if you have animals. I once opened a computer from a client who kept dogs in their office (who knows why). As soon as I opened it my bosses eyes got wide and he immediately ordered me to close it and take it outside. I was destroying the computer's data, so I didn't care about what sort of shape it turned out in. I took it outside, opened it up and turned it open side down. When I picked it back up, there on the ground was a basketball-sized lump of pet hair and dust. It was like it formed to the shape of the inside of the computer. Do you know what dust is? It's mostly dead skin and other nasty things. I'm not easily grossed out but I got a little queasy.

Seriously, buy some. This stuff is cheap.

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11. Email is awesome. Don't abuse it. Here are a few helpful hints.

Don't abuse the "Reply All" button. Does everyone really need to see your reply?

If it's bigger than 10MB, seriously consider another method of delivery. Email systems have file size limits for a reason.

I don't care how funny that 5MB video is, don't forward it to everyone in the company. Let's say you have 50 people that you forwarded it to. That email is delivered to each of them individually. You now have 250MB trying to make its way through your network.

Chain letters suck. Everyone hates them, no one believes them and yet so many people forward them. Stop it.

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12. Passwords. We know, we know. You hate having to remember them, you hate having to change them. They really are important though. Please don't make your Gmail password "password". It's just not a good idea. Nor should you make them anything else easy to guess by anyone who knows your kids', pets' or spouse's names or your favorite sports teams etc. I hear you saying it already. It's easier to remember, and it's not like you have anything important in there right? Well let's assume for a minute that your online banking statements aren't coming there. Do your facebook notifications come to that account? If so, now all they have to do to get access to your facebook or other websites is request a password reset and they're in. Even if the only thing that comes to that account is the family reunion pictures from your great aunt Gertrude, you still need a secure password.

Say someone gets access to your Gmail. So you really don't have anything important in there. What you do have is a contact list. Maybe they send a nasty link to great aunt Gertrude or one of your friends who DOES get their online banking statement through email and end up compromising their security. The password reset questions are important too. Do you remember the little bit of a scandal that happened around the last presidential election? Sarah Palin had a wimpy password and easy-to-guess password reset questions and someone got into her account and had a little fun with it. Believe me, you won't realize just how important your email is to you or how violated you can feel until you realize someone has access to everything in there.

A decent password will be at least 6 characters and contain capital and lowercase letters and numbers. An ideal password is at least 8 characters and contains capital and lowercase letter, numbers and symbols like *#@%_(). My email password is over 10 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols. Normally for most relatively unimportant account I use similar passwords that make it easier to remember, but aren't exactly the same. I change these passwords once or twice a year. I've been known to have passwords as long as 14-16 characters for things I really want to keep locked down, like my router at home.

I understand some people feel the need to write passwords down. Some of you have a lot of them to remember, I understand completely. I have dozens. Post-it notes are not your friends. Maybe for a couple days while you memorize the password, but take them down when you're not around and put them someplace safe. I have a tip for you. Get a program called Truecrypt and install it to a thumb drive. With this program you can create a small, encrypted file to store your passwords and other secret items in. It's got a bit of a learning curve, so if you need help you might want to order pizza again. The advantage of this is that you can keep your passwords written down to help you remember them, but in a heavily-encrypted file so if anyone snatches it from you it'll be almost impossible to access them. Instead of remembering 3 dozen passwords of varying lengths, you can remember one longer one.

Don't let your browser remember your passwords. People like me know how to find and access them where the browser stores them, I've done it before. Just don't.

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13. We aren't wizards, some of us just play them online. Everything takes time to fix, and some things can't be fixed. Word crashed and you lost your document? I can try to recover it assuming you have auto-save enabled. You accidentally closed your document and hit "Don't save"? Now you're out of luck. When you do that, Word deletes the auto save files because it assumes you really meant it when you hit "Don't save." Did you delete a file from the server accidentally? Sure I can get it back. As soon as you tell me where amongst the 750GB of files your 200K Word doc is.

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14. My world doesn't revolve around you. You aren't the only person who needs something fixed. Chances are you aren't the first person in the queue. Sometimes your problem gets bumped by a more important one. You're having trouble opening the pictures your aunt sent you of the family reunion? OK, I'll bite. But only after I'm done fixing the boardroom computer which suddenly crashed so the CEO can have a video conference with a potential million dollar client in 13 minutes. But when I promise I'll try to fix your problem, I will.

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15. Common sense. It's back in style, in case you hadn't heard. We got a call from a client from a while back that went a little something like this:

"Thanks for calling [tech support], this is [insert name]. How can I help you?"
"This is [insert name] with [insert client]. I'm having a weird issue with my computer after I turned it on and I just wanted to call you before I did anything." (Notice they at least give a semi-concise description of what's going on. They're trying!)
"OK, what seems to be the issue?"
"Well I turned on my computer this morning and smoke started coming out of the back of it. We weren't sure what to do about that."
"Smoke? Is it still on, is it still smoking?"
"Yes it's still on, and it's smoking a little. It's making a funny noise too."
"OK can you see the back of it? Where that big black cable plugs in? We're looking for the power cable, it won't have screws."
"Yes I see it."
"OK pull that out."
"Should I shut it down first?"
"NO, just pull it out. Right now."
"OK, it's out."
"OK. I'm on my way. Don't touch it until I get there."

Now I understand some people don't understand computers. That's why I have a job. The computer is making a funny noise, it's not booting or just generally acting up, OK, call tech support. But if your computer is smoking? Unplug the power and *then* call me. In this case I would much rather you describe the problem to me afterward than risk the computer erupting into flames while you're explaining it to me.

Email scams. Everyone hates them, most people just delete them. Some people still fall for them. Do you know any Nigerians? If someone walked up to you on the street and told you in broken English that they would give you $1,000,000 USD if you give them your name, bank account numbers and $2,500 cash for fees they'll incur, would you believe them? If you would, we need to have a chat. If you wouldn't, what makes a person in an email any more believable?

Other email scams are a little trickier, I'll admit. There are a fair number of bank-related and PayPal scams out there. The same rule applies though. If some random person called your home claiming to be from a bank and asking for your name, social security number, credit card numbers etc., would you give it to them? If there's ever any question about matters regarding accounts, always contact the business directly by going to their website, not by clicking a link in an email.

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16. Learn a little yourself. It does help to at least try to learn something about computers. I don't ask my doctor how medicine works, but sometimes he tells me I need to learn to eat healthier, exercise more or learn to take better care of myself when I'm sick. He's the medical expert, but I can help him by learning a little bit about how to take care of myself. We don't expect you to be experts on computers, but you knowing a little about them helps us both, so don't be afraid to ask questions. I may well tell you something is just complicated, because it'll probably take a lot of time to explain and there's a good chance you still won't get it, but I like being able to show you how better to use that magical device that makes life so much easier, yet so much harder at the same time.

Part of what I do is fix problems that you encounter, but if the problem you're encountering can be prevented by teaching you how to do something, we both win. Teaching a man to fish, so to speak.

--------------------------------

17. Finally, trust your tech guy. His livelihood relies on his ability to do his job well, so he probably does. For the most part I think we all enjoy our jobs. I know I do. We are human though. We eat, sleep, have fun and yes, sometimes we make mistakes. Have a little faith in us though. If you ask me how something works and I say "It's complicated" it's not because I don't really know what I'm doing, and it's nothing personal. What I mean is it really is complicated and I think the details are going to either bore you or go over your head. I don't ask my banker to explain finance laws to me and I don't ask my doctor to explain how a particular drug interacts with my body to fix my problem. I just trust they know what they're talking about.

Also understand that we're not out to get you. There are bad apples, as in every job. But for the most part we're here to help you with your problems so you can get back to what you do best with minimal impact to you. If you treat us nice, we're usually pretty likable. I know a few who are socially withdrawn and would rather just fix your problem and get off the phone ASAP, but they really do want to help you. They just don't like dealing with people that much. Most of us do have lives, we like to have fun.

If you treat us nice, you'll almost always get the same in return. There are clients whose voice I know as soon as they pick up the phone. A lot of them I enjoy chatting up while I'm helping them with their issue.

Sometimes we're a little short with people too. Ever called an IT guy the day after a big holiday? He probably didn't sound as chipper as usual. That's because problems still happened over the holiday, but no one was at work to realize it, so they pile on the next day. So the next time you call your company's IT guy or that kid from a block over, be nice to him. Geeks are people too. Oh and by the way, despite my always saying "IT guy", there are some girls in the field too. I've worked with at least two.

--------------------------------

There's your insight into the mind of one IT guy. I don't claim to speak for all of us, but I'm probably not too far off-base. We don't hate you, we don't think we're better than you and we don't think you're an idiot. We know there's a reason we have a job, and that's because not everyone can be a computer expert. We're here to help you with your computer the same as your mechanic helps you with your car. I like to think we're nicer than mechanics though. We're also not as greasy and we don't hold your device hostage and keep piling on costs for things you don't need.

So be nice to the geeks in your life, they'll be nice to you too. I hope you enjoyed this article for what it is, a chance to laugh and learn.

This article is from the mind of a self-described geek. It's intended to be a humorous, yet mostly accurate insight into the job we do. Any humor directed at any person or group is entirely in good fun and with no ill will intended.

2010-12-08T10:05:00.002-06:00

Today I read about a fellow Second Amendment enthusiast and activist who is undergoing legal trouble. Now I'm not acquainted with Paul personally, but being the community that we are I empathize for him heavily and hope that my readers, few though you may be, will at least give this story a read and offer your thoughts and, if possible, your support.

Copied from: OpenCarry.org - Legal Defense Fund for Skidmark

------------

Legal Defense fund for Skidmark -

Several weeks ago Skidmark took a notion to drive to Williamsburg from his home near Richmond, thinking that he'd take the scenic route to enjoy the fall color in the leaves along the James River. His leisurely trip was interrupted at the Surry ferry crossing; a private contractor working for VDOT to "ensure security" ordered Skidmark to get out of his car, instead of asking if he could look inside the vehicle as he is supposed to do. Perhaps the "security" contractor noticed Skidmark's GSL and VCDL magnets on the rear of the car.

Skidmark asked the guy what authority he had for ordering him out of his car instead of simply asking him to pop the back open so they could look inside. The guy refused to answer that question, and simply reasserted his demand that Skidmark get out of the car. Skidmark elected not to take the ferry, and went to the turn-around point where he had a conversation with the "security" contractor's supervisor. When Skidmark asked him what authority the first guy had to order him out of the car, the supervisor basically called Skidmark a liar and told him that what had just happened never did happen. Skidmark pointed his finger at the supervisor, punctuating the word, "you", and said, "You don't know, you weren't there."

The supervisor took the finger-pointing as "a threat" and ended up calling the Sheriff's office. Now, Skidmark was openly wearing his Rohrbaugh 9mm at the time, but never made any reference to it during the course of these events. A deputy showed up after a while and interviewed everyone else who was involved before getting around to talking to Skidmark. By now, Skidmark had parked and locked his car, and was never "operating a motor vehicle" during the time the deputy was present. The deputy demanded that Skidmark produce a driver's license. The deputy threatened Skidmark with unspecified criminal charges if he failed to produce the driver's license as ordered. Since Skidmark was not in, or even near, a car, he declined to do so, orally identifying himself by giving the deputy his name and address.

At no time did Paul gesture towards, touch, mention, or make any reference to, his handgun.

The deputy demanded that Skidmark produce "paperwork for that gun". Skidmark asked what "paperwork" the deputy was referring to and was told "We want to make sure that gun is legal."

After finally getting the deputy to state that he was not detained and was free to leave, Skidmark got in his car and left. No attempt was made to stop him or to place him under custodial arrest for any offense.

Much later, having arrived back at home in Chesterfield County, Skidmark was placed under full custodial arrest by five deputies from the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office (who even brought their K-9 unit along). These men cuffed Skidmark, put him in the back of a cruiser and took him to the Chesterfield courthouse where he was fingerprinted, photographed and took him in front of a magistrate. There, Skidmark learned that he had been charged with obstruction of justice and brandishing a firearm. (Obviously, if either of these charges had been legitimate, Skidmark would have been arrested on the spot.) Skidmark had to put up a sizeable cash bond in order to secure his release, because the magistrate in Surry County had specifically marked the misdemeanor arrest warrants to prohibit release upon recognizance or by issuance of a summons. They clearly wanted Skidmark to have to go to jail pending trial.

Several members of this Forum attended the first hearing in Surry to set the trial date fully expecting both charges to be nolle pros'ed. We were not allowed in the court room – the hearing was CLOSED. Trial was set for Jan 4, 2011.

Let me consolidate this for you – Skidmark "brandished" his finger and didn't produce his papers on demand. He thought he had the situation resolved, but apparently underestimated the deputy's determination to punish him for contempt of cop – the "we can do this the easy way or the hard way" type of thing.

Like a lot of us, Skidmark is not in a position to comfortably afford the needed representation on his own. Something I think that the deputy was counting on – what they don't understand is our collective resolve.

Accordingly, we are setting up a legal defense fund for Skidmark and hope that many of you will contribute and plan to attend the trial. The following from his attorney:

Skidmark's Legal Defense Fund
Anyone wishing to contribute should send a check to:

Virginia Legal Defense
P.O. Box 100
Broad Run, Va. 20137

Checks should be made out to "VLD Attorney Escrow", with a notation on the memo line that it's for Skidmark (Paul Henick). Just writing "Henick" will be sufficient. All such checks will be deposited into the attorney-trust account on Paul's behalf and as his property; anyone who does so should understand that this is not tax deductible, and that it's an irrevocable gift to Paul. If there's money left over at the end of all this, it will go to him.

....................................OR

Be sure you click the PERSONAL tab, and then click the GIFT button, This will eliminate PayPal taking a cut of your contribution.

2010-12-06T11:29:00.004-06:00

Basically this guy George Jakubec was stockpiling large amounts of explosives in the house he was renting.

Below is a link to a story describing officials' plan to dispose of this houseful of ordinance and my depiction of how the conversation went. The house has contained these explosives for months and so far has not exploded. It's unlikely to without something causing it to do so. Keep in mind that residents are not being evacuated while this is all being planned out.

Govt suit #1: "Let's see, shall we.... evacuate residents and try to cart it all out in one bunch?"

Govt suit #2: "No, no that's too risky."

GS#1: "Oh, the stuff seems stable enough to not evac residents while it's in there, let's just cart it off bit by bit and dispose of it!"

GS#2: "No, that's still too risky."

GS#3: "Hey, let's build a wall around it and set it on fire!"

GS#2: "Yeah, that'll do the trick!"

Yahoo! News - Explosive House

So let me get this straight. We have a house full of explosives. Check. For several months now these explosives have been there and have not gone off yet, and are unlikely to without being "prompted" to do so. Check. Residents are told they can stay in their homes while all this is being planned out, so there's no fear of them randomly going off. Check. Officials have already managed to remove and dispose of several pounds of explosive. Check.

And the best plan the government suits can come up with is to set the whole shebang on fire? Now please understand, I'm no expert in the field of explosives and dangerous chemicals, but this can't really be a good idea. Some of these substances decompose at high temperatures, and details are sketchy on exactly what all is in this house but they seem to have confirmed that there are grenades of some sort involved.

Something tells me this has a chance of going horribly, horribly wrong.

New website! Sort of....

2010-12-02T20:03:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed if you tried to get here through dispellingthedarkness.blogspot.com that you were redirected. That's because yours truly finally got around to purchasing a legitimate domain name, so this blog (which will also hopefully be updated more often) is now going by the name www.shadowsbane.com!

Check back for updates soon, I'm planning on having something before Christmas. In the meantime: in the (unlikely) event that you have my blog bookmarked, you may want to update it to match the new domain name.

Happy reading!

In Memoriam

2010-05-31T08:20:00.001-05:00

To the fearless and the fallen,

Today is Memorial Day; and it is a day of remembrance, thankfulness, and honor. Today we celebrate the lives of those who carried out their sworn duties to protect even in the face of nigh insurmountable odds. Today we honor all the brave men and women who selflessly sacrificed their lives so that they might liberate the oppressed and strike down the oppressors; to secure the freedom of nations; and to protect their fellow soldiers and citizens.

John 15:13 tells us "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." These men and women stared into the very heart of danger and bravely marched on knowing it might well be their end, but also knowing they fought for a cause greater than any one person. They fought for justice, for peace, and for freedom. I would be proud to have called any of them my friends.

What finer example of Americans could any man find than the ones who stood to defend the ideals this nation was founded on? I dare say no mortal man has ever given a gift as costly or as powerful as what you have given to the people of this world. You've given them peace, freedom, and an enduring hope for a better tomorrow. History and future generations may yet forget your name, soldier, but so help us God may we never forget your valiance and your sacrifice.

So to you, who marched toward the sound of peril with an unwavering gaze and iron resolve; no words can truly express the weight of your sacrifice. To you I say thank you. Great victories often require great sacrifices and I pray we never forget yours, and that we never surrender the freedoms you so courageously died for.

On this Memorial Day we honor the memories of heroes such as you. The greatest failure of America will be if we ever forget the sacrifices of the fallen, or ever question their gift to mankind.

And to those who serve still today, I pray that God's hand will be upon you. Hold fast to the knowledge that you stand for everything that makes America great, and defend her with pride. The world will forever be in your debt, and in the debt of your forebears, many of whom gave their lives to defend the very freedoms that you fight for today.

So carry on, brave warrior, and Godspeed.

An Open Letter on Open Carry

2010-05-21T13:06:00.004-05:00

This is an open letter to the following group of Oklahoma State Representatives:

Turncoats, changed vote from Yea to Nay:
Auffet ( D) johnauffet@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7394
Carey (D) johncarey@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7366
Glenn (D) larryglenn@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7399
Hoskin (D) chuck.hoskin@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7319
Inman (D) scott.inman@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7370
Luttrell (D) ken.luttrell@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7355
Rousselot (D) waderousselot@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7388
Shoemake (D) jerryshoemake@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7373

Present, but did not vote:
Buck (D) sam.buck@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7383
Hilliard (D) weshilliard@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7412
Kirby (R) dan.kirby@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7356
Morgan (D) dannymorgan@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7368
Morrissette (D) richardmorrissette@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7404
Nations (D) billnations@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7323
Smithson (D) glensmithson@okhouse.gov (405) 557-7315

Dear Representatives,

I am writing you this letter today as a concerned citizen of the state of Oklahoma, former state representative for grassroots gun-rights organization Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, and as a holder of a concealed handgun license. House Bill 3354 was a very important piece of legislation to many gun owners and Oklahoma Citizens licensed to carry firearms. Not only would it have allowed those of us with concealed handgun licenses to carry our firearms openly, it would have strengthened language in place designed to protect our privacy, and it would have allowed appellate judges to carry firearms in their places of business - the courthouses.

This piece of legislation passed the Oklahoma Senate with a veto-proof majority of 33-15, and the Oklahoma House with an even more veto-proof vote of 74-24. Unfortunately, Governor Brad Henry, for reasons unknown to myself, took it upon himself to veto this bill. Many of your citizens - voting citizens I might add - were in high hopes nonetheless because we knew the bill passed with veto-proof majorities, and assumed that you would all stay true to your votes and the veto would be overridden. Imagine our surprise when this did not happen.

The great decision I face at this point is not one of what to do next; I already know what that will be. I will continue my push for the rights of Oklahoma citizens as I have for years. No, the great decision I face is to decide which group of elected officials has committed the greater evil here. We have on the one hand the first group above, who seem to have inexplicably changed their standpoints in a matter of days. This group could have easily swung the tide in the favor of our rights, but they changed their minds and decided to vote against the bill they supported only days ago!

Then we have the second group who committed what may have been an even greater evil: apathy. This is a very important issue for many Oklahomans, and yet this second group saw fit to not even vote on the issue even though they were present. To take a stand against gun rights is one thing. Misguided, yes, but at least it shows you're willing to take a stand for something. But to show such apathy as to not vote? I have to ask myself why you are in such a position in the legislative body if you do not exercise your duty to the people who voted you into that position.

To these two groups of legislators, I pray that you'll come to your senses, that some of you will learn to stick to your guns, and that some of you will find guns to stick to. But now I have to address what I feel is the most heinous violation of the trust placed in our legislature by any of you. For this I'm not addressing a group, for this I will call out Representative Glen Bud Smithson.

Rep. Smithson you said of those supporting open carry the following: "Most people who are confident in themselves don’t need to strut down the street showing everybody their gun. Why do they need to show everybody their gun? Because most of them are cowards." Representative, I must say I am absolutely appalled that such a crass statement would make its way to the public ear. You, sir, are a breed of the most cowardly type yourself. You lead the life of an elected representative, who I'm sure has protective measures in place for yourself and your family, and make such bold and insulting statements about the very people you voted in!

You stand on your podium and insult those who disagree with you, yet you apparently do not have the bravery to back up your own statements, because you didn't even vote on the bill. If you have the gall to make such statements about the citizens of this state, I would think you would have it in you to at least take a stand when the bill came around, but I must have been mistaken. You speak the words of an opinionated and hateful man, yet can't even back them up with a vote. That, to me, is just disgraceful.

Around 97,000 Oklahomans have licenses to carry firearms. Are you really willing to insult 97,000 voting citizens of this state? We are not cowards by any means sir, far from it. We are citizens who will not bow to the will of the common criminal and give in to their demands. We will stand and fight for what we have worked for, we will fight to defend our families and we will fight to defend our very lives against the criminals to whom laws mean nothing.

Holders of concealed handgun licenses are among the most upstanding, law-abiding citizens in this state and in this nation. We have taken upon ourselves the great responsibility of carrying a weapon with which to defend the many ideals we stand for. I will say again Representative Smithson: we are not cowards. We - unlike you - have the means, motivation and wherewithal to back up our boldness.

Now again to the entire group, and to any who read this open letter. Oklahoma is one of few states which currently forbids expressly the open carrying of firearms. Back when concealed handgun licenses were first discussed, detractors said that car accidents would turn to shootouts, that there would be blood in the streets. This is not the case. In every case, states which passed these laws saw continued - and in some cases expedited - drops in violent crime. However, in cities such as Washington DC and Chicago, severely restrictive gun laws have not reduced the criminals' capability to cause harm, but have in fact reduced the capability of the citizenry to defend themselves against the onslaught of criminal behavior which the police forces have failed to quell.

Here is a story which shows the true merits of open carry: http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atlanta-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d18-Open-carry-deters-armed-robbery-in-Kennesaw These citizens unknowingly deterred an armed robbery. Their guns helped prevent violence, not instigate it.

This is where things begin to get ironic. Should open carry pass in Oklahoma, rare will be the day when I openly carry a firearm. No I will still choose to conceal mine, however, as the current laws are written, I have much to worry about if my shirt accidentally rides up, someone notices my firearm and they choose to report it. It's my understanding that I could lose my license for such a violation. Why is it that I should have to worry so much about keeping my firearm absolutely concealed? Many states allow open carry, and in none of those places has it caused widespread fear and panic.

I, among many others I presume, do not wish to openly carry my firearm, but for open carry to be legalized so that I can worry less about concealing mine perfectly. I simply want the ability to carry without fear of legal action should my firearm become visible, it's all about a little extra peace of mind and comfort for me. It can be quite uncomfortable to conceal in certain climates.

There are those among us however that wish to carry openly, and I support that right fully. Obviously it does not cause mass fear and panic, it does not cause violence and it does not cause lawlessness. Many other states have proven that for years.

Representatives, I urge you to reconsider your positions on this issue of great importance should another opportunity to override Governor Henry's veto come up. Your voting citizens know you changed your minds or showed apathy by not voting. They will remember, and I hope YOU remember that those very citizens are the ones who elected you.

Sincerely,

Andrew Connel
Former state representative for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
Concealed handgun license holder
Voting citizen

On the Illusions of Sleep...

2009-12-14T22:39:00.001-06:00

Gazing at the horizon,
On a cold winter's day,
Finding no comfort,
In the place where I lay.

Shadows whisper softly,
And the mist, it creeps in,
Waiting intently,
For the end to begin.

Born of my mind,
These phantoms and sights,
From my own inner quandaries,
Do they find their might.

But feebly they linger,
As a pinprick appears,
A tunnel surrounds me,
As the end slowly nears.

The light grows intensely,
And drives the shadows afar,
Mist slips away slowly,
And I wake with a start.

The Righteous Fight: A Poem

2009-11-02T23:45:00.002-06:00

Here am I
Attempting to disassemble the system of lies
Which the world has put forth in front of your eyes
Proselytize
Is perhaps the word I seek
To place you in my frame of mind
Christ said of the meek
They shall inherit the Earth
Though He spoke not of the weak
For there is an intrinsic worth
In the humble and bold
And as for me I will hold
Fast and steady to the truth I seek
Though the future looks bleak
I will not hold back
But rather keep on track
Gaze steady and strong
I will dive headlong
Into the darkness before me
No call to attention or warning
The darkness trembles before me
For with me I carry
The Light of all Lights
In whose truth and whose might
I shall not lose sight
Of the righteous fight
Or the truth for which I stand
For I am no mortal man
But strengthened in Christ
In whom I can do all things
Fly on eagle's wings
Soaring to heights
I could never imagine
I'm filled with such passion
I will never be quiet
I will lead forth a riot
An invasion of faith
An army of love
To stand against hate
My strength from above
This battle we fight
Will be won in due time
Never lose hope
And never lose sight
Never lose faith
For our strength is in Christ

A Hard Look at the Heart of American Freedom

2009-10-15T15:25:00.003-05:00

Starting within the next couple days I'm going to start a series of articles on my opinions, thoughts and ruminations on the first 10 amendments to the Constitution - better known as the Bill of Rights.

I'm going to explore the history of each and attempt to discover why the founders of this nation thought them all so important, as well as how they apply to you and me today. It's been a long ride, this great country of ours, and the political, technological and social landscapes have changed dramatically over these many years. When the First Amendment was drafted, there was no television, radio or widespread print media. When the Second Amendment was devised there were no semi-automatic firearms, machine guns or even modern smokeless powder for that matter.

Time has had quite an effect on this country and her people, but the freedoms set forth by the Bill of Rights are still just as relevant today as they were well over 200 years ago. So check back every now and then for my articles on our most precious freedoms, starting with one of the most important: our Freedom of Speech, Religion and Assembly.

Harassment of the most heinous form

2009-08-20T21:36:00.010-05:00

Do you remember the name Lori Drew? You should; she was a big deal a couple years ago. Here's a recap if you don't remember, or you can skip a couple paragraphs to today's story. She created a fake Myspace account making herself look like a boy who was interested in a girl named Megan Meier. Well she twisted that situation until she basically crushed 13-year-old Megan when the "boy" started dissing her. Megan committed suicide shortly after.

We're talking about a 49-year-old woman who conjured up this ruse which caused a 13-year-old girl to take her own life. 13 years old. I want you to think about that. We're looking at a 7th or 8th grader maybe; a girl who felt she didn't have many friends and was put in a situation where she thought someone was genuinely interested in her. Than poof, no more interest, just disrespect. From a woman old enough to be her mother.

Well, my friends, it's happened again. This time the culprit is one Elizabeth Thrasher. At 40 years old she becomes the first person arrested under newly-enacted "cyber-bullying" laws in Missouri. At 40 years old she posted pictures of a 17-year-old girl, along with her e-mail address and phone number, claiming that she was looking for sexual rendezvous. The reason? Get this: revenge on her ex-husbands new girlfriend.

Allegedly, the girl is the daughter of Thrasher's ex-husband's new girlfriend. Thrasher and the new girlfriend have apparently had several disagreements, so it would seem that her actions were for revenge of some sort. So let me spell this out: a 40-year-old woman posted a 17-year-old girl's personal pictures and contact information on Craigslist soliciting sex, in order to get back at her ex-husband's new girlfriend.

This girl then found herself receiving unwanted emails and voice messages with sexual advances. Some insulted her. According to a Fox News article, she was even threatened with rape.

A 40-year-old woman soliciting unwanted sex on behalf of a minor to get back at someone in a catfight. Absolutely absurd. She's lucky the consequences of her actions weren't so drastic as in the Meier case. She should be absolutely ashamed of herself. It's immature, stupid, and morally reprehensible for a middle-aged woman to take out frustrations against her rival's daughter to begin with, but to do it in such a heinous manner is nigh-unforgivable. She faces up to four years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

I doubt you'll ever read this, but this message is for you Elizabeth Thrasher. You're one sick human being and you need to take a long hard look at how low you've stooped to pull a foolish stunt like this. Grow up, get a life and have fun in prison.

For anyone out there who's even thought of trying anything like this; put yourself in the shoes of a 17-year-old girl suddenly receiving unwanted sexual advances and harassment from middle-aged perverts. Think about how frightened and sickened you'd be, think about what your friends would think if they saw that listing. Think about trying to explain to your friends, parents, teachers, your boyfriend that it wasn't really you. According to a Fox News article, she was even threatened with rape. This is the kind of thing that could ravage someone's life for years to come.

So if you're out there and thinking about harassing someone like this, or in any way for that matter - don't. Don't be that guy. Lori Drew and Elizabeth Thrasher got their kicks harassing teenage girls, one to the point that she committed suicide. A 13-year-old girl with 3/4 of her life still ahead of her, gone in a flash. A 17-year-old girl harassed ad horrified by perverted old men. Kids caught up in situations they weren't even a part of. Victims of feuds between adults; adults who should know better than to be so stupid.

Harassing others may make you feel powerful, but no one else thinks so. Everyone else thinks you're weak and foolish because you couldn't solve your own problems without stooping to the level of bullying someone who couldn't defend themselves. Just don't do it. There's no excuse, there's no taking back the abuse that a 17-year-old girl took, and there's no bringing Megan Meier back to life.

Awaken, you who sleep.

2009-08-04T01:19:00.001-05:00

I gaze at the horizon, stained crimson with the glow of a summer sunset, and hold on to hope. The hope that someday the people of this world will lift their eyes and set their gaze upon the future and all that we could be. The hope that we will step forth from the ashen remains of what we once were and begin life anew at the feet of our Maker, in the world he molded with mere words.

The time is now, my friends. Let us rise to our feet and cast off the sordid veil from our sleeping souls so that we may cast His light upon the world. Arise, O dreamer, and join in the ranks of the purified. We will let no stone cry out for us; nay, should any mountain stand in our way we shall cast it into the sea.

We are the children of the Most High, sanctified by the blood of the Son. Though we be but men, we carry with us the shining splendor of His grace and majesty. Our quest is to bring message of His forgiveness and hope that will wash away the pallid shroud of sin. No longer shall we be imprisoned by the desires of our flesh.

Come the day of reckoning we shall stand tall in the face of our adversaries with His truth as our mightiest weapon. We will not falter; nor will we let victory slip from our grasp. We are warriors sanctified by His sacrifice, and we shall not allow the sins of this mortal world to even slow our stride.

Awaken, you who sleep. The dawn of a new day is breaking, and He paints in the colors of the sunrise a portrait of glorious victory.

Update: It seems someone from the Christian Crew's artistic group ACE took it upon themselves to make a song to kind of go along with my writing. Available here. Thanks Vivi!

Society's Priorities

2009-07-10T22:58:00.003-05:00

Just once I'd like to see the mainstream media get their priorities straight. Yes, you can see it coming already, this one's going to be a rant people. It's the big news that everyone has been talking about for two weeks now: Michael Jackson died.

Big deal.

Granted, the man was a music legend and was known to contribute to quite a few charities, but he was also a very strange individual. Not only had he said on multiple occasions that he enjoyed sharing a bed with young teenage boys, he refused to give up the practice saying it was one of the most loving things you could do for a person. He had plastic surgeries that, pardon my being blunt, made him look like a walking freak-show. His career was pretty much over, and he had mountains of debt to pay off. He was 50 years old and died of either natural causes, or a drug overdose.

According to a Yahoo! News article, on July 6th ABC, CBS and NBC spent 20 times more time talking about Jackson than they did the 7 US soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan. They gave 20 times more attention to a creepy, self-possessed possible child molester who died than they did 7 American heroes who gave their lives to protect the people of that nation. Where are your priorities people?

It's not even just this one time; news about soldiers almost always takes a backseat to everything else and it drives me insane. The Jackson memorial service was a huge extravaganza with dozens of big-name celebrities. It aired on 19 networks and drew over 31 million viewers. Congress even held a moment of silence for him.

Where's the moment of silence for the soldiers? Does the fact that soldiers die more often than celebrities make their deaths any less meaningful? If the media is going to shower that much praise and respect upon a man with such obvious and appalling flaws while they practically pass soldiers off as statistics they had better start getting their priorities straight. I'm disgusted.

Readers, tell me who you think deserves the kind of memorial service Jackson got: a washed-up, self-absorbed child molester or an American hero who died to protect innocent lives?

My opinion in short: Michael Jackson died. Get over it and go thank a soldier.

Manifesto of a Spiritual Warrior

2009-06-24T00:48:00.003-05:00

Matthew 5:5 states "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" The Greek writers chose the word "praus" for meek, which means "strength brought under control." Christ did not intend for believers to be timid and passive, rather he wanted us to be strong, but humble and graceful at the same time. And so with this I choose the life of a spiritual warrior and make this my creed.

First and foremost, I will love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the greatest commandment and one I will keep above all else.

Second, I will love my neighbor as myself, showing the compassion and understanding I would want granted to me.

Third, I will learn to love myself, but will not show pride. I am created, loved and saved by the Lord most high, and I will respect and love myself as such, because I know that no man can show true love to anyone else if he has none for himself.

Fourth, I will heed and hold to the commandments laid forth in the Scripture. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but with His help I will do my best to present myself with shining moral character and humility. I will avoid impurity at all costs, and with the help of He who strengthens me, will stand as an example of righteousness.

Fifth, I will follow His calling in my life, and play my part in His plan with humility and thankfulness. In this way I will help to spread the Gospel to the far corners of the earth, and to the dark places in my own city.

Sixth, I may have both much to learn and much to teach, so I will fellowship with and encourage my fellow believers in their walks. Matthew 18:20 states "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." For followers of Christ there is spiritual strength in numbers.

Finally, I will carry His light with me and shine it in the darkest of places. I will stand against injustice and strike down untruth. I will carry with me the full armor of God to defend myself against attack, and I will carry His Word in my heart as a weapon to cut the enemy down. The Word of God in my heart shall make me a mighty warrior indeed, but I will also carry myself with humility and grace.

Fear me, O Darkness, for I am come, and with me the Light of Lights. Gaze upon me and despair, O Evil; see in my eyes the fire of your undoing. Your requiem carries o'er the air and I bid you come. Come and feel the sting of my blade. So say I, a warrior of the mightiest breed. One whose strength, love and righteousness flow straight from the Word of God.

Preventive Detention

2009-06-02T15:31:00.012-05:00

I hear it all the time. Democrats lavishing praise upon Obama and seeking to blame most any problem in America on the Bush administration. They praise Obama for promising to close down Guantanamo, for the bailouts and stimulus, for his plans to withdraw troops. They cut down Bush for sending troops in the first place, blame him for our economic woes, and curse him for the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo.

Well my liberal friends, here's a wake-up call. How do you feel about the "Obamessiah" (pardon the term, I'm trying to emphasize the unending, blind praise that Obama seems to get from his supporters) proposing a plan that would allow the United States government to detain anyone, anyone that they deem a threat to the nation's security? Unlikely you say? Wrong. It's called "preventive detention" and it would allow the government to detain individuals that it felt were a danger to society, but without evidence. We're talking about an indefinite imprisonment with no trial, no evidence, not based on past crimes, without bail.

Does this sound familiar? It should. Let's look at a few similar examples. Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare. He and his ilk detained anyone they thought might be a communist, and forced them to rat out other supposed communists. How about the American detention of Japanese Americans during WWII? Here's a doozy. The Nazi Gestapo. Pretty horrifying to think of, no?

Alright, pop quiz time. How many of the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution does a policy like this tear down? By my count, no less than four, but possibly six depending on your interpretation of the 9th and 10th. Let's examine the four though.

The Fourth Amendment:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The Fourth Amendment is a pretty important one, being the one that prevents the government from searching or detaining us without a warrant. Obama wants to circumvent that and detain "dangerous" people... well, just because. Kiss this amendment goodbye if he has his way.

The Fifth Amendment:
No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Another important amendment. This one says the government can't hold you for a crime without actually charging you with one, and that you can't be detained for any length of time without due process of law. Looks to me like Obama's "preventive detention" gives this one the shaft too.

The Sixth Amendment:
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

This one's very important. I'm seeing a pattern here, one almost begins to think the framers wanted these "amendment" things to all be important. Weird thought huh, who would have known. Anyway, another shafting here.

The Eighth Amendment:
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

And the last (also important) amendment I'd like you to look at. This one's iffy actually. I'm not sure if it really counts as "excessive bail" since there's really not any bail at all.

There you have it. Quite possibly one of the most ridiculously unconstitutional ideas I've ever seen. While they're at it the government might as well take all their property, quarter troops in their house, turn them into slaves, tell them they can't practice whatever religion they happen to be a part of and call the whole thing a big "Let's burn the Constitution" party. I can't figure out if they'd serve alcohol though, since one amendment banned it and another repealed that. I think that little conundrum would melt their poor little brains. Maybe they'll just serve punch.

Obama says "...going forward, my administration will work with Congress to develop an appropriate legal regime so that our efforts are consistent with our values and our Constitution." I'm amazed he even has the gall to utter the words in conjunction with a proposal to practically tear down the Constitution. In no way can the idea of "preventive detention" be considered Constitutional.

Mr. Obama, I doubt you'll ever read this, but on the off chance you do, I want you to consider this an open letter to you, and a man-to-man challenge for everyone to see. I want you to show me beyond a shadow of a doubt that this kind of policy falls within the precepts of the Constitution, not violating it in even the smallest way. Then, assuming you do pull off a miracle and prove that such a policy doesn't infringe on anyone's rights, I want you to tell me how you figure you have the right to do such a thing. The Constitution lays down the authority of the government very specifically, and I don't recall reading anywhere that it has the right to detain individuals indefinitely, without cause, charges, warrant, trial, or due process of law.

And for all you Obama supporters: how do you like Dear Leader now?

Spiritual War

2009-05-09T23:56:00.002-05:00

This is one I wrote several years back.

Spiritual War

The cold iron grip
Of pain’s embrace
Takes its toll on my life
It wears on my face

I push though the hurt
Only to find even more
The darkness envelops
This inner spiritual war

The demons, they cause me
To stumble and fall
But I get up and fight on
And push through it all

Battle rages between Satan
And God the father, my Lord
As I draw out my weapon
My Bible, my Sword

Enemies throw fiery darts
And shoot arrows of hate
But I block them with ease
With my shield of Faith

And now I advance
With Sword in my hand
As the enemy tries
To make one final stand

But they'll fall to my blade
And this battle will pass
Into the Lake of Fire
Will the demons be cast

The Fallen One has fled
But the war is not won
Until to Earth He returns
Christ my Lord, the Son

My life will go on
Till that final day arrives
The day that my Lord
Reaches down from the skies

But what’s this I hear
I've expected that sound
The angels cry out
The heavens resound

Christ Jesus is coming
To take away his own
I cry out in joy
I’m finally going home

But that means one more thing
One final Great War
In one-thousand years
Battle cries will soar

But today there is peace
In the realm of the Lord
We think not of battles
Nor prepare we for war

Now for one-thousand years
Peace and worship have ruled
But it draws ever nearer
That final spiritual duel

When suddenly, vibrations
In the ground and the air
The Great War has come
Our warriors prepare

The heavens now quaking
With warriors cries
Satan’s minions will fall
And no longer darken the skies

For days battle rages
And victory draws nearer
His minions falling quickly
Satan cowers in fear

Now comes a white rider
With eyes all aglow
Satan crumbles before Him
Hewn down by His sword

Into a lake of fire
The Deceiver is cast
For an unmeasurable time
Will his punishment last

God in Heaven will reign
Forever the Lord
For it’s finally over
This great Spiritual War

Beneath a Sky of Black

2009-05-09T23:51:00.000-05:00

Beneath the sky of black
A fragile mortal stands
Weary, alone, and frightened
His gaze glides o’er the sands

Time has lost its’ meaning
His life has lost its’ way
He battles with emotion
But emotion has its way

His eyes stream crystal waters
As a sob escapes his throat
His sadness overwhelms him
On another sob he chokes

Alone among a thousand
With his tortured dreams this night
So many all surround him
But none will ease his plight

With fear inside his heart
And hatred on his mind
He screams at God for answers
But answers doesn’t find

For desires of flesh are what he wants
Forgiveness what he needs
But mortal doesn’t know this
And on his sin he feeds

This mortal once was strong
A force with which to be reckoned
In control he thought he was
But then his demons beckoned

He attempted to appease them
And so offered them a token
But beneath that sky of black
This mortal then was broken

Miss USA

2009-04-24T10:52:00.002-05:00

That's right, Miss USA. Probably not a subject you'd expect me to write about, and until yesterday I wouldn't have thought I'd write about it either.

For those of you who don't know, there was a good bit of controversy at this year's pageant surrounding Miss California, Carrie Prejean and one of the judges, a man who calls himself Perez Hilton. As you may or may not know contestants are, at one point in the pageant, asked a series of questions, the answers to which can seriously affect their standing. The controversy began when Perez Hilton, an open and widely-known gay rights activist, asked Miss California this question: "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" Prejean responded with this answer: "Well I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there. But that’s how I was raised and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman. Thank you."

I haven't yet heard an actual recording of the response so I'm just going on the words here, but it seems to me that she was, at first, trying to give the politically correct response, but then decided that she wanted to stand her ground and stick to her beliefs. I for one applaud her for taking a strong stand for her beliefs, and doing so with a response that I thought was well-worded and not inflammatory at all. Perez Hilton apparently didn't feel the same way.

Hilton called her answer "“the worst answer in pageant history", also saying "She lost it because of that question. She was definitely the front-runner before that." Now Hilton is openly gay and a gay rights activist, I don't agree with it but it's his choice. The thing is, you can't ask such an obviously loaded question, then when the answer offends you let your personal bias get in the way. So she doesn't agree with your opinion, she doesn't have to. What she did demonstrate is an uncompromising personality. She knows what she thinks is right and she refuses to back down from it, now whether you agree with her opinion or not, you have to give her credit for taking such a firm stand for her personal beliefs in that setting.

But if the story stopped there, I wouldn't be writing about this. No it gets worse. Hilton later wrote in his blog on perezhilton.com (formerly PageSixSixSix.com) "She lost not because she doesn’t believe in gay marriage, she lost because she’s a dumb b****!" The censoring there is mine, he just said it but I refuse to allow such coarse language on my blog uncensored. At one point Hilton apologized for the remark, but later retracted that apology and insulted Ms. Prejean even more saying on MSNBC (laughing) "I was thinking the c-word, and I didn't say it." Wow, such restraint, someone give the "guy" a medal.

Now I was always under the impression that the Miss USA pageant is supposed to be wholesome and clean. It was actually conceived as a rival to Miss America when the Miss America winner of 1950 refused to pose for pictures in a bikini. That makes me think that the pageant officials would want to choose judges of high moral character. Not necessarily Christian, but someone who people can look up to as upstanding. Apparently that's not the case, because they chose Perez Hilton.

As I mentioned before, Hilton, whose real name is actually Mario Lavandeira, is an outspoken gay rights activist. But let's not let that cloud our vision, we'll ignore that fact for now and focus on his celebrity gossip blog. He's well-known for using his blog to call out celebrities who he thinks are gay, encouraging them to "come out of the closet" so to speak, even if they maintain that they are heterosexual. He also has a habit of using images to try to humiliate the people in them.

For example, he posted up a picture of Miss California with the pageant host holding a microphone near her mouth for her answer. What's wrong with that? Well he doodled on the picture and turned the microphone into, well, certain male parts. I shouldn't need to get any more specific. He does this with a lot of images if you look through his blog, though I don't encourage you to do so. He draws all kinds of sickening things like this and apparently thinks it's funny. In addition to all that, he uses all sorts of colorful language on his blog, such as referring to pregnancy as being "spermatized". He also occasionally writes songs, two of which are titled "The Clap" (referring to the STD gonorrhea) and "My Penis." Yes, wholesome fellow.

Whose bright idea was it to hire him as a judge for the pageant, much less to allow him to ask such an obviously loaded question. Anyone can tell that there was only one "right" answer to that question, and that was an answer Ms. Prejean was not willing to compromise her morals to give. The Miss USA pageant is supposed to produce role models for young women to look up to. How can that goal possibly be accomplished when the contestants are required to be willing to leave their morals and beliefs by the wayside in order to conform to the opinions of an outrageously opinionated judge?

What REALLY irks me is that no one seems to care about how Hilton insulted Prejean. He called her a "b****" and openly admitted that he'd have preferred to use a certain "c-word" which is widely considered to be one of the worst words you could ever use to refer to a woman. He rips into her for not being politically correct saying "Yes. I do expect Miss USA to be politically correct," claims that she lost the pageant because of her answer, then insults and degrades her, all while sitting on his high horse acting like he's the upstanding citizen, vilifying her for being intolerant. And the media loves it. How can anyone put up with this "guy?" How can people simply stand by as berates and insults a bright young woman for sticking to her beliefs?

I'm personally appalled that anyone would have chosen him as a judge to begin with, but they follow up that genius idea by allowing him, a ridiculously outspoken and obviously biased gay rights activist, to ask a loaded question like that. Then they let him get away with cutting her down with words no one should use to speak about anyone, much less a Miss USA contestant, and no one says a peep, except to apologize for HER opinions, not Hilton's. Yes, the leaders of the Miss California pageant actually issued an official apology for Prejean's *obviously* bigoted and insulting opinion. But don't worry, Hilton can still say whatever he wants without fear of backlash. He is, after all, a champion of free speech and equal rights. Unless you disagree with him. But who could possibly disagree with a genitalia-drawing, privacy-invading fountain of profanity and filth like this saint?

As I said before, I applaud her decision to stand by her beliefs. But enough of my ranting. What are your opinions?

The Second Amendment: Right, or Responsibility?

2009-04-09T11:49:00.002-05:00

As anyone who knows me can attest, I'm quite the gun rights advocate. I'm the Oklahoma representative for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, as well as a gun owner. So today I'd like to touch on a topic that's very important to me, the Second Amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

It's strange how 27 words can spark so much controversy. It's also strange, to me at least, that liberals voraciously defend every letter of the Bill of Rights - until you ask them about the Second Amendment. That's when they start to shudder. Why is it that liberals single out this one amendment to oppose? Perhaps they fear that which they do not understand, perhaps they are simply pawns in a misguided movement to ban privately-owned arms, or perhaps they are part of an orchestrated effort to deprive the people of their only means of defense against oppression. I'll not presume to understand their motives, I'm just here to educate the masses.

A short history lesson.

The United State of America was originally nothing more than a British colony. The settlers came in search of new lives with more freedom. What they eventually found was "taxation without representation" and a government whose oppression they could stand no longer.

The American people seized control of the colonies in 1775. They then formed the Second Continental Congress and on July 4th 1776 finalized the text of the Declaration of Independence, which was actually not signed until August 2nd of that same year. There's your fun fact for the day.

As Wikipedia states: "The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights, including a right of revolution." That last part is important. Obviously the Brits didn't take kindly to all this, and so began the American Revolutionary War.

Why all the history? Because history repeats itself, and those who do not learn from it's mistakes are doomed to repeat them. But we'll come back to the history in a bit. For now let's break down the text of the amendment.

"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,"

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently decided "[T]he adjective 'well-regulated' implies nothing more than the imposition of proper discipline and training." Proper discipline and training which any parent can bestow on their child. The next big disagreement is what the word "militia" implies. Is it the army of the US, or is it something different, something far greater?

"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms."
Richard Henry Lee, Additional letters from the Federal Farmer, at 169, 1788

"...that standing army can never be formidable (threatening) to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in the use of arms."
Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper #29

"I ask you sir, who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people."
George Mason,Elliott, Debates, 425-426

At this point it's pretty clear that the founding fathers intended the militia to be a separate entity from the "regular" army. The whole of the citizenry, all free men and women capable and willing to bear arms in the defense of the nation should other measures fail.

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

This is a pretty self-explanatory statement. The people - that is, citizens of this country - have a right to bear arms and that right is not to be infringed. I've heard a few people say that the word "people" in this clause referred to only the militia, but I see two problems with that. The first is that we've already established that the militia is composed of all people capable of bearing arms. The second problem is this: nowhere else in the Constitution does "the people" ever refer to anything except the entire population of the country. Let's hear what one of the founding fathers had to say.

"As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow-citizens, the people are confirmed by the next article in their right to keep and bear their private arms."
Tenche Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.

Why do I own a gun?

I own a gun for defense. Defense of what, you might ask. Defense of anything. My property, my life, my family. I own a gun because there are those out there who mean harm, and to whom laws mean nothing. I personally have had my car broken into once, two attempted break-ins while I was home, and a couple times where I was out and about and ran into situations where I feared for my safety.

I'm working on getting a license to carry my handgun concealed. Why? Because there are a lot of people out in the world who are willing to go to any length to get what they want, and they do not care how you feel about it. Thomas Paine once said this:

"Arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe and preserve order in the world as well as property."

Police are a wonderful group of men and women, but when the rubber hits the road they often can't arrive fast enough. Be it a mugging, robbery, rape or assault, the police rarely arrive in time to stop it from happening. Their work is by it's very nature, a reaction. Do police prevent some crimes? Yes, I'm sure they do, but when you're cornered by someone who's broken into your home, can you trust the police to arrive in time? I have a great amount of respect for anyone in law enforcement, but ultimately your own well-being is up to one person. You.

This is one of the many reasons our founders put the Second Amendment in place. America is about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and the Second Amendment is your best bet at ensuring someone else's pursuit of happiness doesn't threaten your life. But while all this is important, it's not even the main reason I support the Second Amendment, which leads me to this last section.

Why the Second Amendment?

The First Amendment gives you all the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, press, assembly. It gives you the right to believe what you want to believe, to speak your mind, to protest injustice, and all without fear of retaliation from an oppressive government. That's what America is about. It's more than just a country, it's an ideal. That's why these freedoms are given in the First Amendment, because those are the ideas that define America.

So what does that have to do with the Second Amendment? It ensures you can defend your life and property, yes; but it's so much more than that. The Second Amendment is a means to defend the first. The founders of this great nation knew what it meant to be oppressed. They knew what it was like to be told what they could and couldn't believe, say and do. They knew how it felt to be denied the right to fight for their freedom, and they wanted to make sure that the people of this nation had the rights they so valiantly fought for, and the ability to defend those rights should the need ever arise.

You see there are people in this world who want much more than a common thief. They want your freedom, your allegiance, and your life. They want power. We're talking about the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini. They didn't care about human rights, they just knew what they wanted and how to get it. They suppressed freedom and expression, oppressed their people, and murdered countless innocents. What was Adolf Hitler's opinion on citizen ownership of firearms?

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let's not have any native militia or native police. German troops alone will bear the sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order throughout the occupied Russian territories, and a system of military strong-points must be evolved to cover the entire occupied country."
Adolf Hitler, dinner talk on April 11, 1942

How about Mussolini?

“The measures adopted to restore public order are: First of all, the elimination of the so-called subversive elements. ... They were elements of disorder and subversion. On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results.”
Benito Mussolini, address to the Italian Senate, 1931

Mao Tse Tung?

"All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party."
Mao Tse Tung, Problems of War and Strategy, Nov 6 1938, published in "Selected Works of Mao Zedong," 1965

As you can tell, these men knew how how to suppress rebellion against their tyrannical regimes: by removing from their subjects the ability to fight back. Let's hear from someone else, someone on the other side of things. Let's hear from a man named Mohandas Ghandi.

"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest."
Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Chapter XXVII, Recruiting Campaign, Page 403, Dover paperback edition, 1983.

Arms are so much more than a defense against home invaders or muggers. Citizen ownership of arms is the last line of defense against oppression and tyranny. The founding fathers knew it, even dictators knew it. The founders of this great nation knew that one day the government might turn on this people like theirs had done to them, and they wished to do everything in their power to ensure such tyranny would not disgrace this nation again. With all the previous in mind, the spirit of the Second Amendment can be summed up with a quote from Thomas Jefferson.

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.
The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is
wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty.
...
And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It is its natural manure."

You see we live in a great nation. It's a nation where I can rise up and sing high praises to Jesus Christ my savior, where I can pursue my dreams of happiness, and where I can live without fear of repression. America doesn't belong to the government, it belongs to the people of this land. The founding fathers believed that, as was said in V For Vendetta, people should not be afraid of their government. Government should be afraid of it's people, and should the government of this nation ever overstep it's bounds we as Americans can stand up to our leaders and say "We are America, and you answer to us. We will stand against this oppression and retake our nation, be it by finesse or by force."

Can't you see? Our freedoms extend so far as to allow me to discuss the violent overthrow of this government. Am I planning a revolution? While the founding fathers knew it might someday happen, no, I'm not. I'm just an American trying to enlighten his fellow citizens. We have these rights for a reason, and to allow them to slip away could someday spell the death of freedom in this country. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day; but someday someone will realize that Americans have lost the means and motivation to defend their own rights, and that person will take them away.

That's why this issue is so important. Common criminals are nothing compared to a government intent on enslaving it's people. And who will you turn to when your government turns on you? Who will stand for the freedoms and ideals that our forefathers died to preserve? We the people will be the last hope. So why do I so fiercely defend the Second Amendment?

Because America may one day face danger from it's own government, and I will be there to stand tall and defend her. Because I am a gun owner and a patriot. Because I love this nation and her people.

Because I am an American.

The tragedies.

2007-08-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

A tragedy comes, such as the V-Tech shootings. People scream and cry and curse God and ask why He could allow such a thing to happen. They raise all kinds of questions: how could the school allow this to happen, do we need to change our gun laws, why did no one notice something wrong with the guy? They show support: they buy hats and shirts and ribbons, they make posters and paint their cars. And then we forget. We let the status quo take over again. Everything goes back to normal.

The war in Iraq came along. People said "No! We shouldn't be there, bring them home!" People said "That's right, send in the troops and show those people what's what!" Then we forgot. The troops are still over there giving their lives every day, and we forget about them. People go on with their lives as if nothing matters except what's in their own little bubble.

What kind of world do we live in where people can simply forget about such atrocities? Sure we talk about it for a couple weeks, shake our fists and say "Someone should do something about that." Then we forget, let the status quo take over again, and everything goes back to normal.

We live in a world that is slowly becoming desensitized to everything that goes on around us. Soldiers dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, massacres in Darfur, murders on our own streets, and no one seems to care. Gas prices make the news more often than rape and murder. Sports dominate the American mind so much that we forget about our troops. We work to sate our own insatiable lusts for money while families starve right down the street.

What kind of world have we made for ourselves?

What kind of world are we making for our children?

.44 Magnum, A Poem and a Question Posed

2007-01-31T12:50:00.001-06:00

A six-shot revolver,
Was placed to his head,
With rounds of caliber high.
Life flashes fast,
As the trigger is pulled,
For the end of that life is nigh.

Life's naught but fleeting,
A moment in time,
But granted eternal import.
A decision made poor,
Or one not made at all,
Will forever cement your remorse.

To where will you go,
When that fell hammer drops,
To where does your soul set it's path?
Judgment before you,
Second chance not afforded,
What say you is what He will ask.

Everyone in life is faced with a question: "Where will I go after I die?" Is there an afterlife, reincarnation, or is it all just over? A question pared with the previous is this: if there is an afterlife - a Heaven and Hell we shall say - to where do I want to go and how will i get there? Life is the longest thing anyone does, but as the poem suggests, it's often not as long as we expect it to be.

When you lift your eyes and gaze at the future that lies before you, where do you see yourself? Where will death carry you, Heaven or Hell? Through the decisions I have made in my life I know my path is one set towards Heaven. But what of you? Perhaps it may be the time for you to take a step back and lift your gaze to meet that of your end and make a decision as to where it is that you would like to spend your eternity. Life can be compared to a game of Russian Roulette. Every morning you wake up you mae your decisions and spin the chamber; you never know just what will happen. Life comes at you hard, but death is unforgiving of mistakes.

Where will you stand?

Those Eyes

2006-10-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

I look into his eyes
So full of emptiness
As he searches for a way
To cure himself of his distress

I see him every morning
And he looks into my eyes
Searching for some comfort
But comfort haven't I

He longs for one to love him
A shoulder on which to cry
Someone to give him comfort
Someone to share his life

He searches for a savior
As he looks o'er my way
But a savior I can't give him
As I am why he pains

He searches for a savior
But it seems he hopes in vain
He wishes I could take him
But him I cannot save

And so he just goes on
Clinging to the hope
Someone will come to rescue
Him from this sinking boat

But I just look into his eyes
And only hurting do I see
And as I look into those eyes
My mirror stares back at me

Bid the Blood

2006-09-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

Bid the blood flow
From these mortal veins
That through the spilling of self
I might come to change

I am what I am
Though not what I will
For complacent am I
Under mask made of steel

Bid new blood come
And with it new life
And a heart that be willing
To defiance, defy

Wellsprings of Faith
Strength give to my heart
Hope and love too
May they ne'er depart

Render self helpless
To strengthen my soul
Life anew do I need
So bid the blood flow

A True Friend

2006-07-02T22:31:00.000-05:00

Life is flashing
Emotions clashing
And time has lost its way
The world as you know it
Turmoil and hurt and
Seems dark both night and day

But never fear
For I am here
And I will soothe your hurting spirit
Either night or day
Ill ease your pain
Just call and I will hear it

Just give me your cares
Worries you cant bear
Ill hold them for a while
Ill take you in
My arms and then
Ill comfort you while you cry

Always there
No matter where
And it doesn't matter when
Ill take your pain
Till you're strong again
Because I am your friend

Indescribable

2006-07-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Love is like a candle,
So softly warm and bright,
Yet when love is extinguished,
The day turns into night.

But when I look into your eyes,
They slow down life and time,
And just for that one moment,
I know that I'm alright.

So I gaze into the eyes,
That captivate my soul,
And I wonder if I,
Could e'er be good enough.

Now here I am again,
The words I cannot find,
To express to you how I feel,
Mere words cannot describe.

Your eyes shine bright and deep,
And they steal my heart away,
Such beauty Ive never seen,
And I don't think words can say.

Your smile lights up the room,
And slows time to a halt,
Emotion overwhelms me,
And this moment seems so long.

But you pass me by again,
And my spirit cries desperately,
Cries out to say I love you,
But courage I have not in me.

So you go on your way,
And my heart cries silent tears,
Such love I have in me,
Yet it seems my greatest fear.