What do you mean there's a war on? With who...? Really?

Remember back in the day when we were going to war because we were attacked and we would not rest until we found the bad guys, al Qaeda/Taliban/Osama bin Laden, that attacked us, and how we would hunt them to the ends of the Earth and punish anyone who was harboring them?

No?

Maybe you'll remember that Saddam, not bin Laden (because he isn't a threat or interest), was linked directly to al Qaeda and 9/11 and how we had to invade Iraq to dispose of Saddam and his WMDs before we were attacked again, by Iraq and al Qaeda?

No?

It's ok, apparently no one else does either. Seems that the whole(new) reason that we invaded Iraq so that we could be at the central front in the fight against he Sunni Muslim extremism of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network and the Shiite extremism fueled by Iran.

Don't believe me?

CLICK THIS LINK TO BE LIED TO AGAIN.

Oh, and get ready for...

Wait for it...

Ready for more Fearmongering Propaganda?

Wait...

!!!!!'Nuclear Holocaust'!!!!!

That's right friends, prepare to be misled, fearmongered, and propagandized into complacency/lock-step, the dreaded fear of a nuclear winter has been brought back, just for you, so that you can feel safe, while the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is pulled out from under your feet like a table-cloth.
But, there's a bright side. There's all kinds of new American Idol and America's Greatest Dipshits lined up to keep you exactly where they want you. Oh, and be a good American damnit!!! Go buy something, because that's exactly what the terrorists don't want you to do.

Buy a house, buy a car, buy anything that will make a feeble attempt to stabilize a crippled economy, because Islamic Fundamentalists want to disrupt you as you go to Best Buy to buy that HD Plasma Wide Screen Flat Panel.

Don't want a National ID? DHS says, FUCK YOU!!

In a thinly veiled attempt at circumventing Congress and not making a public scene, the Department of Homeland Imprisonment, ahem... Security is working with, so far, a couple of state houses to implement a new ID.

Where's the harm in that? Seeing as how Congress is against a National ID, because WE THE PEOPLE, are against a National ID, that is the harm in that. How does this equate to a National ID? If DHS implements it in all, or a majority, of states, then what we effectively have is a National ID. Once that happens, Congress will bend to the will of DHS and the state houses because, "Well, it's already in place in most of the US; might as well push it through." And just like that... You've been tagged with a National ID.

Oh, and ummm, that's the MARK OF THE BEAST for you end-time/Revelations types. For the rest of us, it's total control of personal information/finances.

No, your Social Security Card is not a form of ID. Have you ever read your SSC?

links? Oh hell yes, I have links.

DHS and Vermont get together for a special ID.

DHS and Arizona get together for a special ID.

And before you ask... Yeah, you're next.

The Ramblings of a Coward or How to Piss on the Honor of Heroes

I don't think that the man that presumes the Presidency of the United States of America has felt the full brunt of his outrageous blunder. "Blunder?", you ask? In the not so distant past Mr. Bush made a clear and concise separation between the conflict in Iraq and the Vietnam conflict. Yesterday, however, he stepped on his dick and stated that Iraq is like Vietnam. More to the point, he also stated that Vietnam could have been won if we had stayed longer. What kind of horse-shit is he attempting to peddle here?

I take great offense to this man even mouthing the word, "Vietnam", let alone speaking out out with any type of authority on the subject. Mr. Bush, unlike you, my family fought in Vietnam. My family bled in Vietnam. My family has been rendered asunder by the Vietnam conflict. But you see... Not just my family, EVERYONE who was ever close to my family gave to the Vietnam conflict. The Vietnam conflict touched all sides of my family. Even my immediate family paid the price of Vietnam.

I'm reading all that I can at this time on this topic (not Vietnam, but the topic of this post), and I am still struggling to get my head around it. First, what good can come of comparing the Vietnam conflict to the conflict in Iraq? How can it help the country? How can we reconcile Iraq when we haven't reconciled Vietnam? We're still recovering remains from Vietnam, for Christ's sake. How can you hope to further the cause of Iraq by comparing it to one of the darkest times in your country's short history? What hope are you giving the families of those deployed to Iraq by making such a comparison? Hell, how can you hope to maintain the morale of the deployed troops by making such a comparison? It doesn't matter if he said, "Would be like.." or, "Is like...". What would he know of what it would be like? He's never fought in a military conflict in his life. He has no experience, save that of what other's provide him with. He has no catalog of action from which to draw from in order to justify his speaking out of turn.

Again, it seems that the big kids table is not the place for Mr. Bush. But then again, those weren't his words at all. If he hadn't been reading from a pre-written speech, that someone else wrote, we'd be getting words like "Strategery", "Conflictation", "Quagmirification", and any other make believe word that any number of four-year-olds can concoct.

A good friend of mine once said that we are supposed to be nice to little kids and dumb animals. I don't suffer dumb animals.

Oh... Links to the articles or speech from Mr. Bush? Look 'em up.

Edited to add:Michael Vick is the new Paris Hilton. Fuck Vick. Send him away like the embarrassment that he is and forget about him, after making an example out of him in the justice system of course.

Is the next presidency already being setup?

I understand that the current administration has a full time job with covering their asses and making themselves unaccountable, but damn, when are the American people going to say, "Alright!! You people have to answer for some of this shit!"?

The following WaPo article tells of yet another OFF-LIMITS policy that has been ushered in.

HEY, AMERICA!!! KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF OUR BUSINESS!!

Want to know how to stifle the 1st Amendment? Read on.

In the following ABC news article you will learn of a couple who were protesting by wearing t-shirts in 2004. You may or may not remember. You can catch up by reading the link. The important thing here is that I have a link for you to click that will take you to a document that has been created to stifle your 1st Amendment rights, completely.

Here's the link to the article.

More importantly: Here's the link to the document. Oh, and ummmm, we're not supposed to be in possession of this particular document. Hmmmm... I wonder why?

There just aren't enough ass kickings to go 'round.

Is there no end to the complete dumbass of main stream media talking heads.

These fucking people shouldn't be allowed to speak, let alone speak to the nation as if they have any real input.

This silly cunt, Erin Burnett, says that if China stops making poisoned food or non-lead painted toys, that the prices at Wal-Mart are going to go up, and that the American people don't want that. Oh yeah, and China's our best friend right now. What a smoking load of horse shit. Are you people out there not even paying attention to the shit that you watch on t.v.? Or is the idea of not thinking like those around you, or being an outcast that much of a problem for you.

I say we ship this silly bitch to China so she can see who her friends are.

Wanna see something cool?

VAN HALEN AND DAVID LEE ROTH ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
HISTORIC CONCERT TOUR MARKS FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR VAN HALEN IN 22 YEARS
LOS ANGELES, CA -- August 13, 2007

Beginning this September, in what promises to be the most exciting live tour this year, Van Halen will embark on a national concert tour throughout the U.S. and Canada with its original lead singer David Lee Roth for the first time in 22 years.

Considered by fans and media alike as one of the most highly anticipated tours in rock and roll history, Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen will perform with Eddie's son, Wolfgang who joins the line-up as the band's bass player. Van Halen and Roth have not performed or recorded together since 1984's classic multi-platinum album 1984 and subsequent tour, making this tour truly a historic event.

25 dates in all were announced today for the tour which is slated for a September 27th kick-off in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tickets for select dates on the tour go on sale beginning on Saturday, August 18th and are available on www.LiveNation.com. A complete list of confirmed dates can be found HERE. The Van Halen tour is being produced by Live Nation. Individuals who have the Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the official credit card of the tour, will be offered access to purchase preferred seats to all U.S. shows.

Fans can enjoy the ultimate Van Halen experience including concert pre-show parties, backstage access, premium seating and more. For additional details go to www.ILoveAllAccess.com.

Fans are encouraged to also check in at www.Van-Halen.com or www.DavidLeeRoth.com for additional information.

Van Halen remains one of the most important and influential bands of all time. Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, the band quickly won a loyal hometown fan base with their electrifying live shows. From the moment they released their self-titled 1978 debut album, Van Halen shook the foundations of rock, thanks largely to Roth's peerless showmanship, Eddie Van Halen's revolutionary guitar virtuosity and their songwriting abilities. It changed rock music forever.

The band's first album proved one of the biggest selling rock debuts, with key tracks like "Eruption," "Running with the Devil," "Jamie's Cryin'," "You Really Got Me" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" leading the way. The next year, the band followed up with Van Halen II, which included the hit "Dance the Night Away."

Subsequent albums like Women and Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981) and Diver Down (1982), along with worldwide touring, solidified the band's reputation for innovative and unparalleled live performances. Classic Van Halen tracks from the early 80's include "Everybody Wants Some," "Unchained", "And The Cradle Will Rock", "Beautiful Girls", "Mean Street" and "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" just to name a few.

With their sixth album, released in, and titled 1984, Van Halen rose to stratospheric heights. Recorded at Eddie Van Halen's 5150 Studios, the multi-platinum smash yielded one of Van Halen's signature hits, "Jump," which remained #1 on the Billboard charts for an astounding five weeks straight. Other hits from the album include "Panama," "Hot For Teacher" and "I'll Wait."

The band's record of achievement is hard to top. Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status' for their albums Van Halen and 1984, Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry. The Diamond Award is presented to an artist for album sales of 10 million or more units. They are also in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most #1 hits on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart than any other band in history.

Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in March of this year, Van Halen has produced a treasured body of work that fans will admire for decades to come.


Sooooo, who's going to Cleveland with me in October? WOOT!!!! Fucking Diamond Dave baby!!! I haven't seen Van Halen since 1984 and damned if it ain't about time to get "Unchained".

While you were sleeping, in front of the t.v., we got sold out.

I've been following this for sometime, actually since last year, but it's about to come into law, and I figured that you'd like to see it. If you don't know what "Posse Comitatus" is, look it up, you'll wish that you had sooner.

While you're at it, maybe you should take a look at how close martial law might be.

Keep in mind that the whole reason that you're reading the rest of this post is so I can say, "I told you so, you pathetic, complacent, fucks!"

Congress passed a controversial bill which grants the President the right to commandeer Federal or even state National Guard Troops and use them inside the United States. This bill, entitled the John Warner Defense Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122.ENR), contains a provision, (Section 1076) which allows the President to:

“...employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to...

1. restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States..., where the President determines that,...domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order;
2. suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy...” [3]

Senator Patrick Leahy and others have condemned Section 1076 because it effectively nullifies the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C. 331-335) and gives the President the legal ability to define under what conditions martial law may be declared. [4]

H.R.5122 was signed into law by President Bush on October 17, 2006, and will take effect October 1, 2007 (unless an earlier effective date is established by regulation). "On the same day, Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which abolishes the legal protection of habeas corpus, authorizes the president to detain and jail anyone (even US citizens) without charge and subject them to harsh interrogation that may or may not involve torture." [5]

President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.

Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act of 2006. In a sense, the two laws complement one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home, preparing to order the military onto the streets of America. Remember, the term for putting an area under military law enforcement control is precise; the term is "martial law."

Section 1076 of the massive Authorization Act, which grants the Pentagon another $500-plus-billion for its ill-advised adventures, is entitled, "Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies." Section 333, "Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law" states that "the President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of ("refuse" or "fail" in) maintaining public order, "in order to suppress, in any State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy."

For the current President, "enforcement of the laws to restore public order" means to commandeer guardsmen from any state, over the objections of local governmental, military and local police entities; ship them off to another state; conscript them in a law enforcement mode; and set them loose against "disorderly" citizenry - protesters, possibly, or those who object to forced vaccinations and quarantines in the event of a bio-terror event.

The law also facilitates militarized police round-ups and detention of protesters, so called "illegal aliens," "potential terrorists" and other "undesirables" for detention in facilities already contracted for and under construction by Halliburton. That's right. Under the cover of a trumped-up "immigration emergency" and the frenzied militarization of the southern border, detention camps are being constructed right under our noses, camps designed for anyone who resists the foreign and domestic agenda of the Bush administration.

An article on "recent contract awards" in a recent issue of the slick, insider "Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International" reported that "global engineering and technical services powerhouse KBR [Kellog, Brown & Root] announced in January 2006 that its Government and Infrastructure division was awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in the event of an emergency." "With a maximum total value of $385 million over a five year term," the report notes, "the contract is to be executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," "for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) - in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs." The report points out that "KBR is the engineering and construction subsidiary of Halliburton." (3) So, in addition to authorizing another $532.8 billion for the Pentagon, including a $70-billion "supplemental provision" which covers the cost of the ongoing, mad military maneuvers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places, the new law, signed by the president in a private White House ceremony, further collapses the historic divide between the police and the military: a tell-tale sign of a rapidly consolidating police state in America, all accomplished amidst ongoing U.S. imperial pretensions of global domination, sold to an "emergency managed" and seemingly willfully gullible public as a "global war on terrorism."

Make no mistake about it: the de-facto repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) is an ominous assault on American democratic tradition and jurisprudence. The 1878 Act, which reads, "Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both," is the only U.S. criminal statute that outlaws military operations directed against the American people under the cover of 'law enforcement.' As such, it has been the best protection we've had against the power-hungry intentions of an unscrupulous and reckless executive, an executive intent on using force to enforce its will.

Unfortunately, this past week, the president dealt posse comitatus, along with American democracy, a near fatal blow. Consequently, it will take an aroused citizenry to undo the damage wrought by this horrendous act, part and parcel, as we have seen, of a long train of abuses and outrages perpetrated by this authoritarian administration.

Despite the unprecedented and shocking nature of this act, there has been no outcry in the American media, and little reaction from our elected officials in Congress. On September 19th, a lone Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) noted that 2007's Defense Authorization Act contained a "widely opposed provision to allow the President more control over the National Guard [adopting] changes to the Insurrection Act, which will make it easier for this or any future President to use the military to restore domestic order WITHOUT the consent of the nation's governors."

Senator Leahy went on to stress that, "we certainly do not need to make it easier for Presidents to declare martial law. Invoking the Insurrection Act and using the military for law enforcement activities goes against some of the central tenets of our democracy. One can easily envision governors and mayors in charge of an emergency having to constantly look over their shoulders while someone who has never visited their communities gives the orders."

A few weeks later, on the 29th of September, Leahy entered into the Congressional Record that he had "grave reservations about certain provisions of the fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization Bill Conference Report," the language of which, he said, "subverts solid, longstanding posse comitatus statutes that limit the military's involvement in law enforcement, thereby making it easier for the President to declare martial law." This had been "slipped in," Leahy said, "as a rider with little study," while "other congressional committees with jurisdiction over these matters had no chance to comment, let alone hold hearings on, these proposals."

In a telling bit of understatement, the Senator from Vermont noted that "the implications of changing the (Posse Comitatus) Act are enormous". "There is good reason," he said, "for the constructive friction in existing law when it comes to martial law declarations. Using the military for law enforcement goes against one of the founding tenets of our democracy. We fail our Constitution, neglecting the rights of the States, when we make it easier for the President to declare martial law and trample on local and state sovereignty."

Senator Leahy's final ruminations: "Since hearing word a couple of weeks ago that this outcome was likely, I have wondered how Congress could have gotten to this point. It seems the changes to the Insurrection Act have survived the Conference because the Pentagon and the White House want it."

The historic and ominous re-writing of the Insurrection Act, accomplished in the dead of night, which gives Bush the legal authority to declare martial law, is now an accomplished fact.

The Pentagon, as one might expect, plays an even more direct role in martial law operations. Title XIV of the new law, entitled, "Homeland Defense Technology Transfer Legislative Provisions," authorizes "the Secretary of Defense to create a Homeland Defense Technology Transfer Consortium to improve the effectiveness of the Department of Defense (DOD) processes for identifying and deploying relevant DOD technology to federal, State, and local first responders."

In other words, the law facilitates the "transfer" of the newest in so-called "crowd control" technology and other weaponry designed to suppress dissent from the Pentagon to local militarized police units. The new law builds on and further codifies earlier "technology transfer" agreements, specifically the 1995 DOD-Justice Department memorandum of agreement achieved back during the Clinton-Reno regime.(4)

It has become clear in recent months that a critical mass of the American people have seen through the lies of the Bush administration; with the president's polls at an historic low, growing resistance to the war Iraq, and the Democrats likely to take back the Congress in mid-term elections, the Bush administration is on the ropes. And so it is particularly worrying that President Bush has seen fit, at this juncture to, in effect, declare himself dictator.

Counting your vote.

I've watched this video over and over in disbelief. Every time I see it, I get that much more pissed off. I know that it's two hours, and that I lose most of you after 15 seconds, but I would appreciate it if you set aside the time and watched this one. It just may change your life, or at least your perception. It also is relevant to the present time, what with the Iowa straw-poll being botched and all.

While I can no longer embed the video due to the embed code being pulled from Google, and the quality not being good enough, the following link works and the video is of excellent quality. We'll keep putting it up until I can burn a copy of my own and upload it to my server.

Click Me To Watch The Video

Wonder what happened to change Dick's mind? Money?

In 1994, Dick Cheney gave all the right reasons for why we shouldn't have occupied Baghdad when my compatriots and I were there in 1990-91. Keep in mind, he was the SECDEF at the time. Short but sweet.

How we have arrived at our current location in time.

How much of this do you know? If you don't know all of it, you should be ashamed, and you also have nothing to bitch about, ever.

Enjoy.

Digging through even more mounds of bullshit.

So, while surfing around and looking for those who would circumvent or stifle the Constitution, I found this little morsel that could effectively end our 2nd Amendment rights. I have been busy as of late and failed to disseminate this information before the initial deadline.

Make sure you're sitting down when you click this link

What does all that mean? You ask, while rubbing your eyes.

Here's what the NSSF(National Shooting Sports Foundation) has to say:

"As written, the proposed rule would force the closure of nearly all ammunition manufacturers and force the cost of small arms ammunition to skyrocket beyond what the market could bear—essentially collapsing our industry. This is not an exaggeration. The cost to comply with the proposed rule for the ammunition industry, including manufacturer, wholesale distributors and retailers, will be massive and easily exceed $100 million. For example, ammunition and smokeless propellant manufacturers would have to shut down and evacuate a factory when a thunderstorm approached and customers would not be allowed within 50 feet of any ammunition (displayed or otherwise stored) without first being searched for matches or lighters."

LINK TO THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

Luckily, the actions of many have allowed us to spread this information further, and hopefully, squash this thinly veiled attempt.

Here's some information from Front Sight Magazine's editor:Proposed OSHA Regulation Threatens Firearm and Ammunition Industry

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the government agency charged with assuring the safety and health of America's workers, is proposing a regulatory rule ( REG LINK )affecting the manufacturing, transportation and storage of small arms ammunition, primers and smokeless propellants.

As written, the proposed rule would force the closure of nearly all ammunition manufacturers and force the cost of small arms ammunition to skyrocket beyond what the market could bear—essentially collapsing our industry. This is not an exaggeration. The cost to comply with the proposed rule for the ammunition industry, including manufacturer, wholesale distributors and retailers, will be massive and easily exceed $100 million. For example, ammunition and smokeless propellant manufacturers would have to shut down and evacuate a factory when a thunderstorm approached and customers would not be allowed within 50 feet of any ammunition (displayed or otherwise stored) without first being searched for matches or lighters.
NSSF and SAAMI have already had a preliminary meeting with OSHA officials to begin the process of explaining to them the major problems this proposed rule presents for all levels of the firearms and ammunition industry. Furthermore, NSSF and SAAMI are each seeking a 60 day extension of the public comment period (currently scheduled to expire July 12).

NSSF is urging all retailers to contact OSHA directly and request a 60-day extension of the public comment period. Retailers should inform OSHA that the proposed rule constitutes a "significant regulatory action" as defined in Executive Order 12866 (1993) Section 3(f)(1) in that it will clearly "adversely affect in a material way" the retail sector of the firearms and ammunition industry, productivity, competition and jobs and that the annual compliance cost for all retailers of ammunition will far exceed $100 million dollars.

Click this link for a template letter. If you choose to draft your own letter, the reference line must read as follows:

RE: Docket No. OSHA–2007–0032
Request to Extend Public Comment Period and Request for Hearing on
"Significant Regulatory Action" as Defined in Executive Order 12866
Please fax the letter to: 202-693-1648 (include the docket number and Department of Labor/OSHA on the cover sheet and in the reference section of your letter).
Please e-mail the letter by visiting: this site and following the submission instructions.

There's a lot there, and not a lot of time to act. I urge each and every one of you to write your legislators and pressure them into killing this back door attack on the 2nd Amendment.

Through the efforts of NSSF, SAAMI, NRA-ILA etc., OSHA has granted a 60-day extension to submit comments on this issue. The new deadline is September 10, but do not delay! Be heard. There are plenty of form letters, etc. to send to your congressman and OSHA directly.

Want to lower the price of gas? Contact your legislators.

While this legislation is awaiting debate, I urge you to contact your leadership and ask them to not only support this bill, but to do everything in their power to make sure that it happens.

I'll post an article from Slate about this yet to be debated bill, but if you do not contact your leadership, then this bill may never even see the light of day, as many are not only aware of it, but may never be able to hear/vote on it. Following the article will be a link to the actual bill.

Slate article follows:

Go NOPEC!Congress takes on the biggest, baddest cartel of all.
By Timothy Noah
Posted Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at 8:02 PM ET

Longtime readers of this column may recall my interest in a lawsuit filed in 2000 by Carl and Debbie Prewitt, a married couple who ran a Texaco station in Birmingham, Ala. The Prewitts were naïve enough to think that the United States might care to enforce the Sherman and Clayton antitrust acts against an international conspiracy to fix the price of oil. The conspiracy, which began in 1960 and continues to this day, is called the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. An appellate judge shut down the Prewitts in 2003, just as another judge had, in a similar lawsuit two decades earlier, shut down the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Far from taking on OPEC, the U.S. government actually protects OPEC from citizens who try to compensate for the Justice Department's peculiar blind spot. Think about that the next time you shell out $60 to fill up your tank.

OPEC would like you to believe that it's an international agency dedicated to world peace and economic development, like the United Nations or the World Bank. But of course, OPEC is a cartel. Cartels are illegal in the United States, and in recent years the Justice department has busted international cartels for computer memory chips, vitamins, and rubber, all of them operating in secret. OPEC conducts its price-fixing out in the open. Its name adorns a public building in Vienna! The United States accepts this mockery in silence. Indeed, during the formal American occupation of Iraq (prior to the establishment of a sovereign, if shaky, Iraqi government), the United States itself went native and became, via the Coalition Provisional Authority, an actual participant in OPEC. (Incredibly, re-establishing Iraq as a member of OPEC is listed proudly in the CPA's in-house compilation of its accomplishments.) The only reason America's price-fixing lark never became much of a story is that Iraq's postwar oil production, beset by sabotage, poor management, and insurgent attacks, never progressed beyond 40 percent of capacity. Today, at 1.9 million barrels a day, Iraqi oil production remains below the 2.6 million barrels a day, judged "erratic" by the U.S. Treasury Department, that Saddam's dictatorship was extracting immediately prior to the U.S. invasion. If, as this country's harshest critics maintain, we invaded Iraq for its oil, we've got embarrassingly little of the black sticky stuff to show for it.

The American legal system's bizarre tolerance of the OPEC oil cartel has long irritated Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., who around the time the Prewitts filed their OPEC lawsuit undertook to remove any legal doubt as to whether OPEC was susceptible to U.S. antitrust enforcement. That doubt, more imaginary than real, arises from whether OPEC's member nations enjoy "sovereign immunity" because they are countries, not private companies. "Sovereign immunity" is a red herring because OPEC itself is not a sovereign nation. And anyway, Kohl has pointed out, "The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act … already recognizes that the 'commercial' activity of nations is not protected by sovereign immunity."

To wit:

Under international law, states are not immune from the jurisdiction of foreign courts insofar as their commercial activities are concerned, and their commercial property may be levied upon for the satisfaction of judgments rendered against them in connection with their commercial activities.

Is conspiring to set the price of oil a "commercial" activity? Of course it is. OPEC's member nations get paid for the oil they export.

Kohl drafted a bill, dubbed "NOPEC," that said OPEC could no longer protect itself from antitrust prosecution by citing "sovereign immunity" and explicitly granted the Justice Department jurisdiction. The bill went nowhere back in 2000. But this past spring, Kohl dusted it off, and John Fialka reports in the July 6 Wall Street Journal that NOPEC has won the support of veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate. The appeal of NOPEC extends from left to right; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is pushing it, and so is the Heritage Foundation. The Bush administration, however, can't stand the idea.

The White House Office of Management and Budget says it opposes the NOPEC bill "adamantly." Perhaps this is because, as I've noted before, OPEC is just about the only international organization that President Bush has any regard for. (Shortly after taking office, Bush lectured a reporter about the importance of keeping oil prices "stable and predictable," even if that meant preventing a price drop.) Conceivably Bush is worried that busting OPEC might give Russia too free a hand in setting oil prices. (Russia is not an OPEC member, and its oil production now rivals, and may actually exceed, that of Saudi Arabia.) But busting OPEC would weaken two of Bush's least-favorite regimes, Iran and Venezuela. The Saudis wouldn't be happy, but neither would they be terribly impoverished, given the significant power they'd retain (as guardians of one-quarter of the world's proven oil reserves—about four times those of Russia) to affect prices. Diplomatically, busting OPEC strikes me as a wash at worst.

Economically, dismantling OPEC would be a boon. Cartels, even when managed to keep prices "stable and predictable," mainly have the effect of driving prices up; that's why people create them. A decent case can be made that gas prices should be higher, because that would limit gas consumption and therefore carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. But OPEC isn't in the business of encouraging conservation. It's in the business of maximizing profits. If gasoline prices are to rise artificially, it makes no sense, ecological or otherwise, to bestow the windfall on Texas oil barons or Saudi princes. Better to return the money to consumers, either through government expenditure or through rebates that encourage further conservation or some other benefit to society at large. Free trade is good enough for vitamin pills and memory chips. Why isn't it good enough for petroleum?

Link to the bill below:

S 879 RS

Good luck, I hope that we can push this through.

Edited to add: I had to change the link to the bill so that you guys could have it.

Crossing the Rubicon

Edward R. Murrow rose and applauded Keith Olbermann on July 3, 2007



Everything that I ever wanted to say, as eloquently as I ever wanted to say it.

Welcome to Rome 2007 A.D.

I have to apologize for my lengthy absences and lack of attention on all sides of the Internet and everywhere else for that matter. Why have I been gone? Actually, I haven't been gone. I've been here at one time or another in some capacity. Occupied may be the word of the day. With what? Politics. Ewwwwww! Yeah, I know... How dare I say such a word. As many of you may or may not know, the political atmosphere of our country is more volatile now than it has been in decades, if not hundreds of years. I have abandoned the two party system of our government due to the fact that I don't feel that anyone is trust worthy. So, don't go calling me a liberal or conservative or whatever. The issues at hand are solely of Constitutional importance and we ignore them at the peril of the Bill of Rights and the very ideals that this country was founded upon.

Daily we are blind-sided by the current administration's refusal to abide by the rules set forth and seemingly operate solely along a criminal if not dictatorial tack. The immigration debate is hotter than ever and the current immigration legislation must be squashed, in its entirety. We have broad and encompassing immigration laws already on the books that only need enforcing, plain and simple.

Is the current administration's every action so despotic or illegal that they have to refuse to cooperate with the Senate at every turn? How is it that the VP can honestly claim that the office of the VP isn't part of the Executive Branch?

If you're one of the many who either choose not to be informed or think that this country is running along smoothly, I submit the following links for your edification:

Bush Won't Supply Subpoenaed Documents>Bush Won't Supply Subpoenaed Documents

One of the most informative, yet, scary articles on the VP, albeit a few years too late.

Senator Sessions' 20 Loopholes of the Immigration Bill

While the loopholes that Senator Sessions mentions are from the old immigration bill, the issues that he addresses are still part of the new bill. In an effort to make the new bill more appealing, the president has offered $4.4 Billion dollars. Where will those billions come from? Nowhere, it's imaginary money. Why do I say that? Because the president has stated that those billions would come from the fines that illegals would have to pay. See how it's imaginary? We call them illegals for a reason... They are here illegally. Simple concept isn't it? So, the president says that he is going to fine these illegal aliens to the tune of $4.4 Billion dollars. We can't even locate these illegals. How does he expect to get money from them?

The new immigration legislation is titled S. 1348 I suggest that everyone familiarize yourselves with it, albeit a bit late, unless you act today and contact your representatives and demand that they vote against it.

I got so busy with the "amnesty" bill that I forgot to mention the recent attacks on free speech from both sides.

Trent Lott, while being enraged that we bloggers and talk radio side tracked the immigration bill that failed, decided that the 1st Amendment needs to be repealed.

I'll post a few links, you guys have to do some deeper digging on your own. I can't cover every news agency by myself.

Talk Shows influence immigration debate.

Static from radio hosts.

While what Lott says is enough to hold him in contempt and expel him from any leadership capacity in the country. Hillary, while voting for the frigging Immigration bill with Obama, decided that she wanted a piece of the "free speech killing" pie. While she states that we need equal time for both sides of the debate, there is a more sinister issue at hand... The control of the airwaves and the control of what is said on those airwaves.


THIS JUST IN!!!!

WE HAVE DEFEATED THE IMMIGRATION BILL!!!

I'll get back to Hillary's 1st Amendment bashing soon. It's time to celebrate!

Intercept a private jet, but cannot intercept 4 airliners? I call Bullshit!!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - F-16s intercepted a small plane after officials misinterpreted a phrase uttered by the pilot as his aircraft flew over military airspace: "hostile takeover."

The pilot was talking about business, the plane's owner said. But a frantic air traffic controller couldn't confirm that because the pilot had turned off his radio, said Maj. Roger Yates of the Clay County Sheriff's Department.

Within minutes, federal aviation authorities scrambled the fighter jets to intercept the plane Monday evening just outside of Oklahoma City and escort it to the Clay County airport near Mosby.

Read the rest of the article at the link below:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19210952/

Damn Conflicted

You've no doubt noticed the header change from almost a solid year of being there to what it is now. And thus you see the source of my confliction. You see, I'm in a weird spot. It isn't easy for me to write this, as I haven't actually got it all sorted out as of this time. As long as I have been in posession of enough ability to view something in amazement, I have been a Captain America fan. Not the kind of fan, mind you, that has every issue and is intimately familiar with all aspects of the Cap's history. Even so, I am not unfamiliar with his character either. I have drifted in and out of the story of Cap pretty much all of my life. Mostly in favor of other aspects of the comics continuum.
No, I'm not a johnny-come-lately Cap fan... Just a fan. But see, that's just it. Captain America stood as more than a simple comic character. In the darkest recesses, even the most hardened critic and haters of comics had/have pieces of Captain America within them. Cap is/was the universal symbol of us as Americans. His undying love for his country. No, he didn't always agree with what was going on, but he never turned his back on the country. I defy anyone to deny that each and every time that they saw Cap or his shield, they felt pride in who they are as Ameicans. As I write this, I realize that the younger I was, the more of a Captain America fan I was. Before our facination with mutants, born or man-made, or our intellectual growth into larger issues, we identified with the simplicity that Steve Rogers represented. Red/White/Blue; American Pride/Spirit; Good vs. Bad. Not flashy, not covered in weapons and never beyond understanding. Pretty much the same reason that I cry every time the National Anthem is played.
I feel that I took Captain America for granted. I feel that I didn't pay him the proper respect as I feverishly read Daredevil, X-Men, Wolverine, Iron Man, and every other comic that I was reading, that wasn't Captain America. I feel that I wronged him by thinking that he'd always be there, just out of eye-sight, with his shield protecting us from the world. And that when I needed him, all I had to do was turn around, reach out, and there he'd be. When I turned around last week, he wasn't there as he had been in the past, and my heart hurt.
It has taken me a week to formulate this post. At first, I wanted to post his obituary, or some headline from the Daily Bugle, but even then, I felt ashamed. Ashamed to recognize him and his sacrifice because I didn't give him enough respect while he lived. I'm still not square with my feelings on this situation. I'll sort them out, or I won't. I'll still miss Captain America.

R.I.P. Steve Rogers (Captain America 1941)July 4, 1917-March 7,2007

L8R,

Wrench

Yeah, I know, and I apologize, but...

So, it's been like, for-ev-er, since I posted, right? I have good reasons, I've been busier than ever. How's that? You ask.

* After creating a myspace in the form of Independent Rebellion. I started networking like I was building tunnels underground (visualize an ant-farm). In the beginning I was only building a website and myspace for Small Town Tattoos and Piercing, and that kept me busy enough. Only a short time later, I became friends with the Las Vegas Hot Rod Girls. A few days after that, I became a 50/50 partner in the Las Vegas Hot Rod Girls. I took over total design and web-representation for LVHRG and began updating their Myspace and building a massive website. I figure that the web-site located @ http://lasvegashotrodgirls.com will be a continually evolving entity all on its own.

But I am getting ahead of myself. During the site build for LVHRG and shortly after an xmas photo shoot. I got hooked up with Branon White. Branon White? Branon White Racing's Myspace. I have designed 8X10 autograph glossies for him, designed his new logo (the BWR), designed his business cards, did the banner you see and can get on his site, and did a graphic for the back of his 24ft. trailer. Who is he? He pilots a Harley Davidson drag bike. So, we have this ongoing design thing, as he has agreed to use my services for the entire AHDRA season. You can read about him at Drag Bike.com and you can read about him and me in this month's RPM Magazine, print version.

I've also been busy doing a smallish bit of stuff for Tony Billet, an NHRA top fuel guy.

On top of all this busyness business, I'm maintaing a 3.4GPA and have made the Dean's list. WOOT!!

Back to LVHRG: If you go to the LVHRG Myspace you'll see all the image manipulation that I have done. Also, if you see anything new from them as far as print media, logos, web-sites, etc. I am the one who does it.

Oh, and I'm building a web-site for CHAOS MMA Productions. I have already built their myspace. You can see it @: CHAOS MMA.

I will also be building a web-site for Mark Rogers very soon. Mark Rogers? He runs Arlen Ness Las Vegas. Yeah, I said "Arlen Ness Las Vegas". His myspace, which I have nothing to do with, can be seen here: Mark Rogers' Myspace.

In case you haven't clicked the links in the above:

http://myspace.com/independentrebellion
http://myspace.com/lasvegashotrodgirls
http://lasvegashotrodgirls.com
http://smalltowntattoos.com
http://myspace.com/bswracing I don't run it.
http://myspace.com/125695108 I don't run it.
http://myspace.com/hellsforty
http://myspace.com/smalltowntattoos

And last but not least: I am in the process, and it is a process, of rebuilding the entire department website for a college English department.

Busy? Hellsyeah I'm busy.

L8R,

Wrench

Iron Maiden selling out venues like it's the 1980's.

All of you who really know me, know that I'm probably the most intense metal head walking, among other facets of my musical sustenance. Iron Maiden's new album, A Matter of Life and Death is a serious return to the powerhouse days of Maiden. Not only that, but they have rocketed to the top ten in the US and are selling out venues around the world. Among all the other detritus that people are attempting to pass off as music, Iron Maiden are sitting proudly and defiantly among them. Almost brings a tear to the eye. All that being said, it doesn't come with out the price of reality smacking us in the face.

Allow me to illustrate my point: Lauren Harris. The preceeding link will take you to Lauren Harris' myspace. Who is Lauren Harris? She's the daughter of Iron Maiden bassist, Steve Harris, and she's quite the hottie. She also happens to be on tour with her dad and opening for Maiden on the non-US legs of the tour. Now, this isn't Kelly Osbourne by any stretch of the imagination. Strap yourself in for a rockin good time.

Anywho, I just wanted to spread the word to those of you who are interested and those of you who probably don't give a shit anyway.

Dropping the ball and missing the important things.

Shortly after three eight-year-old boys were found mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas, local newspapers stated the killers had been caught. The police assured the public that the three teenagers in custody were definitely responsible for these horrible crimes. Evidence?

The same police officers coerced an error-filled “confession” from Jessie Misskelley Jr., who is mentally handicapped. They subjected him to 12 hours of questioning without counsel or parental consent, audio-taping only two fragments totaling 46 minutes. Jessie recanted it that evening, but it was too late— Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were all arrested on June 3, 1993, and convicted of murder in early 1994.

Although there was no physical evidence, murder weapon, motive, or connection to the victims, the prosecution pathetically resorted to presenting black hair and clothing, heavy metal t-shirts, and Stephen King novels as proof that the boys were sacrificed in a satanic cult ritual. Unfathomably, Echols was sentenced to death, Baldwin received life without parole, and Misskelley got life plus 40.

For over 13 years, The West Memphis Three have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. Echols waits in solitary confinement for the lethal injection our tax dollars will pay for. They were all condemned by their poverty, incompetent defense, satanic panic and a rush to judgment.

But there’s still hope for them, and you can help.

The above is the opening splash page for The Official Site for the West Memphis Three. This past week was West Memphis Three Awareness Week, and I had every intent of getting the word out sooner, but less important things and just plain forgetting got in the way. I'm almost ashamed to admit it. No, I am ashamed, because that's the fucking problem with this country, we are too quick to forget. To quick to put the important shit on the back burner in leiu of something far less important and most likely absolutely trivial. Here we are on the Internet with the capacity to flood the world with media, print, and sites with the truth and support of this travesty of justice, and we fill it with bullshit about less-than-nothing.

Though I have been busy and trying to get things rolling as solidly as possibly on a few fronts, that doesn't take away the fact that some things warrant more attention than others. So, with that said, even though the week has passed, this thing is bigger than a week. It's an every day slap in the face of truth and justice. Here's the kicker: You're not immune from shit like this. You think that you're safe because you might know someone or some other bit of bullshit, but when the hammer falls and you're the one on the receiving end of some dumb ass case, you'll wish you paid better attention to what was going on around you and how fucked up things are getting. If we don't reign this kind of shit in, it will get worse, and that's not some conspiracy shit, that's fact. We cannot keep looking away from the failing system. It will consume us. That uncomfortable feeling you have right now is someone's hand up your ass convincing you that your liberties are secure and telling you and everythin's ok, and people like this Wrench guy don't know what they're talking about and they should be ignored. Ignore at your peril.

Falling victim to the black hole that is Myspace.com

Yes friends, the beast came and tempted me, and yeah though I was resistent for a lengthy amount of time, I was laid low by the beast and succumbed to its temptation. It's all good though. It's good for business and networking. See, when I finished the Small Town Tattoos site, I created a companion site on Myspace so that all our friends and others could have active participation in the living, breathing, behemoth that is Small Town Tattoos. I figured, "What the hell. It can't be bad for business, right?" And here we are Independent Rebellion's Myspace. I figured that if the best people in the world that I know can have a Myspace, who am I to deny its power and ability to thrust me to the fore. While I have your attention, I would like to direct you to Garage Magazine. Quite possibly the best magazine dedicated to Kustom Kulture and all that is pure and good in the world of wrench turning, pinstriping, tattoo owning, tattoo doing, and any other odd-ball or off the wall activity that requires hot chicks, hot rods, and cold beer. It's now owned by Pay Up Publications. You'll recognize Pay Up, or you won't. Those that do know who it is know that he can only bring more power to the mag and its purpose.

You guys should creep on over to Coop's Blog and check out his progress on a few things. Anywho, things are rolling right along in a slightly productive motion, so I cannot complain. I'm considering getting back into photography on a more serious note and taking pix of chix. If you're interested and you're in the area, e-mail me and we'll see what we can work out. It's something that I've always wanted to do, and as you can obviously see, have been heavily influenced by, and am seriously considering giving it a try. If it works out, fine. If not, that's fine too. It's not like there aren't enough professional photographers taking some seriously hella-cool images of chix, rods, and the life in general.

Till next time, my blessed deciples.
Get more tattoos, get grease under your nails, make more friends,and don't tolerate any bullshit.

Finally!

Whew... After a shitload of cramming and scrambling, Small Town Tattoos and Piercing finally has a home on the web. As the shop is a living breathing entity, so is its presence on the web. So, when you're coming here every day to see if I've written anything witty, stroll over there and see if I've posted anything new. Oh yeah, I'm the webmaster there too, as I should be, since I built the site. Yeah, yeah, I know you're saying, "But Wrench, how in the hell do you find time to do all it is that you do?" Well friends, I don't find time, I make time by shirking other things and missing deadlines at school and neglecting my family, just so you guys can have all that your greedy hearts desire.

It's all for you people. And another thing, check this out. I designed the new staff/fighter card for an upcomming GFC event. That's it over there on the right of the post. Anywho, I've gotta go to class.

L8R PPL

Aspirations, Exasperations, and Machinations

So, for those of you who don't regularly visit Jimmy Shine's Site, this is the pinnacle of my hot rod building dreams. Chopped, slammed, and stacked 30's model Ford trucks. Yeah, I have designs on a few Highboys as well, but the trucks are the bee's knees to me. The pic and the other pix in my flickr album are from Jimmy's site. You can take the links and see a lot of other kick ass customs and rods at his site.

As far as everything else...? The billboard design gig is looking up, and it seems that there are quite a few trips planned to various MMA events on the books. If you see some really killer billboards advertising GFC promoted MMA events, chances are I designed it. The newest billboard is for the GFC9 event in October.

There are quite a few web design productions in progress as well. On top of all that, I am busier than ever at school. Yeah, I have a few irons in the fire, but nothing that I cannot handle.

Oh yeah, HAHA!! It's Life0party's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Fucker! Hope that you don't end up at the other end of the lanes tonight. Be safe on your way home.

That's all from Select-o-Matic tonight kiddies. Yeah, I wish that there was more too, but...

Hot Rod Art

Hot Rod Art
Originally uploaded by Wrench Devil.

Here it is. The first of many stenciled pieces of Sharpie art that I am sure that my son is going to want. As you can see... If he wants art, he gets it. I told him that he should put it on his back or somewhere where it would be horizontal and would fit better, or resize it to fit his forearm. He wasn't having any of it. Independent Rebellion in its finest form.

Update, info, and no one to read it.

Here it is, a much needed update and post... Who's going to read it? No one until I email every in about 27 countries and tell them that I have finally quasi-got my shit together and secured some (legitimate) webspace with domain names and the worx. Why did I need to secure web space? You ask with at puzzled look. Well, it's like this; I have a really good sketch of what I am going to do after I graduate college, and it isn't going to be working my ass into the dirt like I have up to this point.

I have been a graphic deisgner for years and have actually gone through several company names that just didn't seem to work. No, I'm not going to list them, that would be telling. So, what you have is the current and most likely, final, rendition of an idea that I have been carrying around for over 25 years. Independent Rebellion Graphics and Machining is the end product, and it pretty much describes all facets of my life down to the letter. Independent, Rebellious, Graphic (in a lot of areas) and a Wrench (Machining).

The kick-ass thing about the company name is... my son's initials are IRGM. How's that for a kick in the nuts? My goal is to spend the rest of my life in a garage/shop somewhere with my boy, doing nothing but turning wrenches on custom hot rods and bikes. Hell, he already has more mechanical ability than most adults that I know and he's 4, and he loves it as much as I do. I'll post a pic of his new tattoo tomorrow. And before any of you say anything about his tattoo... I asked him if he wanted me to resize it, but he wanted it in its full glory. Nuff Said.

Anywho, one of the best friends that I have decided that he wanted some web space because, get this, his MySpace account wasn't doing it for him. It was limiting him and his creative/programmer tendencies. So, he wants his own space, and here we are. Select-o-Matic and "Lon and the Family Goad" sitting side by side on one server. I think that it's a great idea and a whole lot of creative energies that aren't wasted ont he 360 will be spent here.

Remember ChromeHounds? One of the best games ever created, hands down. Remember that I was a moderator at http://www.chromehound.com ? I own it now. I'll save all the Geek Gospel for another post. Needless to say... School is wide open and I'm busy as a one armed hatchet murderer at a frat party. All is well and getting better, but that is for another post as well.

See... All these future posts about absolutely nothing that you have to look forward to. Aren't you just pissing your pants with excitement?

If not goto Chris' Site and see what he's up to. It'll be sure to tide you over. Especially if you start browsing through his links.

That's about it for now. I'm expecting a call about a billboard design that needs re-designed, and that was supposed to goto the printer already.

L8R,

Wrench

The Full Custom Gospel Geekery of Select-o-Matic

Warning!!!!
What you are about to read is full of information that is probably of no interest to you whatsoever. In fact it may even sicken you, it almost sickens me.

Anyone who is as much of a regular reader as I am a regular poster knows that I am no stranger to videogames and the XBOX in particular. Well friends, it has happened. The glory of glories is about to descend from the heavens and bestow upon us a most wonderful and powerful gift.

Brief History: In the early 1980's there came upon this great planet, land, continent, blah, blah, blah one of the geekiest of the geeky; the most technical of the technical geekies; a most splendiferous creation as such had never been witnessed. Yes friends, I'm talking about Battle Tech. Battle Tech wasn't just another pen and paper RPG (Role Playing Game) on par with the likes of Dungeons & Dragons. I say nay!!! It was something much, much more. We were beset upon by massive weapons of mass distruction (MWMD's for the politically inclined among you). Giant robots of some serious tonnage that allowed us (in our heads and on paper) to wreak death, hell, and destruction on our opponents without mercy.

These Battle Mechs came in different classes and factions and many other intricacies that we will not visit upon in this post.

Classic BattleTech Site

Needless to say, it allowed us to explore the mechanical, technical and spiritual sides of our nature in a different light. Then came the onset of console video gaming. Yep, right there in your own living room, a white bar on each side of your TV with a little bouncing white ball of paralyzing magnitude, that made a "blip" sound just to lull you further into your own complacency. We dreamed of cruising the battlefields in our Mechs................... Ummm, for a long time. Fast forward through Combat, Frogger, ExciteBike, Mike Tyson's Punchout, Altered Beast, Castlevania, Spiderman, Breakout, Super-Breakout, Yar's Revenge, Pitfall... Well, you get the idea.

Then, while we were sleeping and dreaming of vast wastelands ruled by the Draconis Combine and liberated by the Eridani Light Horse, a simple thing happened. A PC simulator simply called MechWarrior was released. Hearts stopped, people begged for forgivness, some even thought that it was the end-times, finally come upon us. Alas, no, it was but the future of a new brand of sin. We would play these simulations on every console, as they were released, with a fervor and lust like no other. With each new leap in technology we were getting closer to realizing the true experience of being a Mech Pilot.

Synopsis

Fast forward into the NOW!!! (Make a swooshing noise for effect)

SEGA and From Software are about to release a title called ChromeHouns exclusively for the XBOX 360. This is not your dad's or even your dad's dad's Mech sim (that is if you're a little guy reading my blog, but I would question your parents judgment if you were). No friends, this is what was foretold by the soothsayers, ancients and other crazy-unshaven-smelly guys with hoods over their heads. Though the Single Player mode is little more than a tutorial for the massive online-multi-player mode, this title promises to keep us in bliss for quite some time to come. I dare say that this game may even off set the time that would otherwise be dedicated to the sacred Rainbow Six Vegas, and Splinter Cell: Double Agent.

I will not go into the massive details that are needed to discuss this game, as it has not been released in NA (North America) yet, but I will place links for you to click at your leisure or peril, whichever you decide.

Official ChromeHounds Site

First and best ChromeHounds Fan Site That WrenchDevil6 guy is a moderator and contributor there.

So, as if you thought I wasn't spending enough time updating my blog, it could be friends that between this game, class and taking my son to see his Grand-dad-Dean-dad, I may not update for a while. Then again, I could, so keep coming back. If for nothing else than to click a link to Steve, Coop, or Masuimi's site.

Oh, and on the school thing... Shakespeare was an awesome class. I start Scientific and Technical Writing tomorrow.

Until next time...

How your Internet could be affected.

How does this threat to Internet freedom affect you?


Google users—Another search engine could pay dominant Internet providers like AT&T to guarantee the competing search engine opens faster than Google on your computer.

Innovators with the "next big idea"—Startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay Internet providers for dominant placing on the Web. The little guy will be left in the "slow lane" with inferior Internet service, unable to compete.

Ipod listeners—A company like Comcast could slow access to iTunes, steering you to a higher-priced music service that it owned.

Political groups—Political organizing could be slowed by a handful of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups to pay "protection money" for their websites and online features to work correctly.

Nonprofits—A charity's website could open at snail-speed, and online contributions could grind to a halt, if nonprofits can't pay dominant Internet providers for access to "the fast lane" of Internet service.

Online purchasers—Companies could pay Internet providers to guarantee their online sales process faster than competitors with lower prices—distorting your choice as a consumer.

Small businesses and tele-commuters—When Internet companies like AT&T favor their own services, you won't be able to choose more affordable providers for online video, teleconferencing, Internet phone calls, and software that connects your home computer to your office.

Parents and retirees—Your choices as a consumer could be controlled by your Internet provider, steering you to their preferred services for online banking, health care information, sending photos, planning vacations, etc.

Bloggers—Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips—silencing citizen journalists and putting more power in the hands of a few corporate-owned media outlets.

Blocking Innovation

The threat to an open internet isn't just speculation -- we've seen what happens when the Internet's gatekeepers get too much control. These companies, even, have said as much about their plans to discriminate online. According to the Washington Post:

"William L. Smith, chief technology officer for Atlanta-based BellSouth Corp., told reporters and analysts that an Internet service provider such as his firm should be able, for example, to charge Yahoo Inc. for the opportunity to have its search site load faster than that of Google Inc."

Such corporate control of the Web would reduce your choices and stifle the spread of innovative and independent ideas that we've come to expect online. It would throw the digital revolution into reverse. Internet gatekeepers are already discriminating against Web sites and services they don't like:

In 2004, North Carolina ISP Madison River blocked their DSL customers from using any rival Web-based phone service.

In 2005, Canada's telephone giant Telus blocked customers from visiting a Web site sympathetic to the Telecommunications Workers Union during a contentious labor dispute.

Shaw, a major Canadian cable, internet, and telephone service company, intentionally downgrades the "quality and reliability" of competing Internet-phone services that their customers might choose -- driving customers to their own phone services not through better services, but by rigging the marketplace.

In April, Time Warner's AOL blocked all emails that mentioned www.dearaol.com -- an advocacy campaign opposing the company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme.
This is just the beginning. Cable and telco giants want to eliminate the Internet's open road in favor of a tollway that protects their status quo while stifling new ideas and innovation. If they get their way, they'll shut down the free flow of information and dictate how you use the Internet.

_______________________________________________

This is the real deal folks. This will only open the door to complete control over what you see, where you see it, and how much it costs you just to log on and look at your favorite site. This will have a major effect on all university sites that publish information for public and student access and much more.

Get in the fight on this one. You will most certainly regret it if you don't. Even if you are a casual Internet surfer, your voice must be heard.

Call your Representative:

It's time.

Next week, the full House of Representatives votes on whether to protect Internet freedom. Your representative, Nick Rahall, needs to hear solid constituent support for protecting Net Neutrality—the Internet's First Amendment.

Here's an important detail:

Next week, House members will be voting on a larger law governing our nation's communication policy—and the current version of this bill guts Net Neutrality. So every representative needs to hear in no uncertain terms that either this horrible bill gets changed on the House floor to protect Internet freedom, or it should be voted against.

Some tips when calling:

1) If the staffer is making a tally of constituent calls, make sure they have a category specifically for "Vote no on the COPE telecom law if it doesn't protect Net Neutrality." Otherwise, your representative may get a diluted message and miss the point.

2) If they ask for more details, you can urge your representative to support the bipartisan Sensenbrenner-Conyers Net Neutrality amendment (HR 5417) which passed the House Judiciary Committee last week with a powerful 20-13 biparttisan majority. And if that fails, they should vote against the entire bill.

3) If you get a voicemail option, leave a message. They will get it.


Thanks for helping to save the Internet.

Ok folks, time to get damned serious about your Internet.

This is a no-bullshit message to anyone and everyone who even glimpses at this blog. I have c&p'd the following letter from moveon.org. Pay it some pretty serious attention.
________________________________________
Subject: Congress is selling out the Internet

Hi,
Do you buy books online, use Google, or download to an iPod? Everything we do online will be hurt if Congress passes a radical law next week that gives giant corporations more control over what we do and see on the Internet.

Internet providers like AT&T are lobbying Congress hard to gut Network Neutrality--the Internet's First Amendment and the key to Internet freedom. Net Neutrality prevents AT&T from choosing which websites open most easily for you based on which site pays AT&T more. BarnesandNoble.com doesn't have to outbid Amazon for the right to work properly on your computer.

If Net Neutrality is gutted, many sites--including Google, eBay, and iTunes--must either pay protection money to companies like AT&T or risk having their websites process slowly. That why these high-tech pioneers, plus diverse groups ranging from MoveOn to Gun Owners of America, are opposing Congress' effort to gut Internet freedom.

You can do your part today--can you sign this petition telling your member of Congress to preserve Internet freedom? Click here:

Petition

I signed this petition, along with 250,000 others so far. This petiton will be delivered to Congress before the House of Representatives votes next week. When you sign, you'll be kept informed of the next steps we can take to keep the heat on Congress.

Snopes.com, which monitors various causes that circulate on the Internet, explained:

Simply put, network neutrality means that no web site's traffic has precedence over any other's...Whether a user searches for recipes using Google, reads an article on snopes.com, or looks at a friend's MySpace profile, all of that data is treated equally and delivered from the originating web site to the user's web browser with the same priority. In recent months, however, some of the telephone and cable companies that control the telecommunications networks over which Internet data flows have floated the idea of creating the electronic equivalent of a paid carpool lane.

If companies like AT&T have their way, Web sites ranging from Google to eBay to iTunes either pay protection money to get into the "fast lane" or risk opening slowly on your computer. We can't let the Internet--this incredible medium which has been such a revolutionary force for democratic participation, economic innovation, and free speech--become captive to large corporations.

Politicians don't think we are paying attention to this issue. Together, we do care about preserving the free and open Internet.

Please sign this petition letting your member of Congress know you support preserving Internet freedom. Click here:

Petition

Thanks.
___________________________________
The above is not a joke, it's as serious as you not being able to read my blog tomorrow. Some of you may say that wouldn't be a bad thing, but imagine not being able to read anything on the Internet tomorrow.

Get on that petition.

Sam Hornish Wins INDY 500!!

Ladies and gentlemen,
Today was one of the, if not the, most emotional Indianapolis 500 races that I have ever seen, and I've pretty much seen them all. And I almost missed this one.

I won't go into a pit by pit run down of the entire race, but I will say that seeing the second closest race in history was one of the highlights of my life so far.

Michael Andretti came out of retirement to run this race, supposedly his last. With 7 laps left he was in the lead with his rookie son, Marco, in second place. Michael's car wasn't up to the challenge, Marco goes around him, Sam Hornish Jr. is in third place behind Marco as Marco goes around Michael. Marco is in the lead with two laps to go. At this point in the race I don't know whether to just turn the TV off and walk away before I die of a heart attack, or cry.

Hornish attempts to pass Marco and falls back, with a half a lap left. By this time, Michael's dream of winning is once again, gone. Hornish is at least six car lengths back behind Marco and here we are thinking that this rookie, Marco Andretti, son of Michael Andretti (who has never won at Indy) and grandson of Mario Andretti (who won in 1969), is about to win the fucking Indy 500 on his first run.

Hornish, like no other driver that I have ever seen, absolutely eats up the track and passes Marco and wins by .0635 of a second. All this transpires within mere inches.

I almost puked.

My heart goes out to Michael. I really wanted him to win. He says that he will take some time and reflect and that by getting so close, he may be back next year. He lost something like 23 pounds and got in pretty much the best shape of his life for this race.

There was some other drama with Hornish and Kanaan. Danica had a very likely chance of winning but caught the shittiest luck in the world when a yellow came out as she was exiting the pits.

Unofficial Results From Indianapolis Motor Speedway

I'm glad Sam won. He deserved and earned it.

For more information on the race and everything IRL go to Official Indy Site.

I'm glad that I chose not to watch the Formula 1 race today. I haven't check the results from that race yet.

See ya.

Hot Wheels of Hell-o-Matic!!!

Alright, I'm sure that you've no doubt seen that glorious header that I have put in. It all stems from a kick-ass project that I had no part in whatsoever. Isn't it great!?!

So, Coop has been chosen to create not one but two CUSTOM Hot Wheels® cars in his honor. Take a trip over to Positive Ape Index and take a gander at the whole explanation from the man himself.

As always, any and all Coop images that I use on my site are the sole copyright of Coop. I don't make any money off of them, and I don't claim them as my own, but they sure are some of the best images in the friggin free-world. Hell, they're some of the best images in the not-so-free world too. They just don't know it.

For everything Coop, take a walk over to Coop Stuff and pick something up. And while you're there, pick up the tattoo flash set for me. Drop me an email and I'll send you my address so that you can send it to me.

How's that for an update then?

It ends today, for a bit.

The last final was taken @ 0800 this AM and that was it for me and Spring 2006. Yeah, I know you have missed me and your days have been nothing but pure agony since I have been gone, but you'll be glad to know that I pretty much blew this semester away.

Summer school is not too far away. More writing classes this summer. At the rate I'm going my writing degree will be completed before I even get started in anything else.

What have I been doing besides writing tons of peer reviews and studying for Pharmacology exams and such, you ask? I've been playing a bit of guitar as of late. First time that has happened in over a year or so. I was playing a shitload of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat on the 360, but that has slacked off as well. Seems that no matter how you try to replace Rainbow Six, it just won't happen.

You may find this odd, but I suggest that you go out and pick up Fiona Apple's new disc, Exrtraordinary Machine. I'm a fan of hers because she's smart as hell and her style is like no other. I'd write a review of it, but my opinion on things is only my opinion. If you like it then cool. If not, that's cool too.

Ok, time for a rant: IF/THEN is the way it works people. IF your glass isn't right-side up, THEN it has been knocked over. NOT: IF your glass isn't right-side up, THAN is has been knocked over.

I've seen this mistake all my life and especially in print adds and commercials for automotive companies. Just start paying attention, you'll see it too.

See, that rant wasn't so bad. No where near as explosive as one that I wrote a few days ago to some relatives. But we won't go into that.

So, if all that wasn't all over the place enough for you. Tune in tomorrow, I'll be sure to ramble on about something totally worthless on a larger scale.

Seeking feedback.

Ok, so I'm doing peer evaluations in my Creative Writing class... Well, actually it's my professor's class, I just write for it. Anywho, we receive works from our peers and evaluate them. Amazing isn't it? Just like the name states. So, I decided to do something different with one of the responses. I'll list the initials of the author so as to give her credit for her work, which will be the first poem.

M.C.

There, you know who you are. And here is her work.

Regret

In Life:
There’s a point when you realize that you’ve simply gone too far.
You’d do anything to set all the clocks (and the world) back a day.
Then maybe you could fix what had been done, in some way.
Yet, there is no way, no special power, and no magical star.

You are stuck with this horrible feeling you cannot change.
If you had stopped a moment sooner—a precious sliver of time—
You’d never have reached this point where pain sits like slime…
While you question whether salvation is within your range.

You want to take back all of bad the things you’ve done and said.
You long to make time fly—so it all goes away.
You wish to forget and to be forgotten.
You hate all the voices, the tears, the sorrow.

After Death:
There’s a silence that causes you to realize you have missed out.
You’d give anything to have a second chance to set it all right.
Then maybe you wouldn’t be sad and alone all through the night.
Yet, there is no new option and no chance to take a different route.

You are stuck with the memories of the life that you’ve lost.
If you had only known a little more—a handful of life’s secrets—
You’d never have reached this point where thoughts trap like nets…
While you wonder whether your heart is colder than frost.

You want time to do the good things you should’ve done and said.
You long to replay all the time you wasted away.
You wish to remember or to be remembered.
You miss everything, even the voices, the tears, the sorrow.

Learn to cherish joy that fades today,
And sorrow that may come tomorrow…
Or learn…
To live and die

With the burden of regret.

Now, my response to her work. Which is supposed to be something along the lines of a description of what we feel the poem or work is about and how much we enjoyed it, blah, blah, blah.....

My Response:

Regret

In Life:
There’s a point, when too far going
You continue on, full well knowing
That one step more will mean the end
Of situation or of friend.
But the choices, your’s to make,
To have and hold or eat the cake.
Are made by you, and you alone
There’s no regret to bemoan.
Resolve to speak
Resolve to act
To move with couth or move with tact.
Or full ahead respect for none
Words are said and deeds are done.
Search not for star or special power
Stand firm and know that every hour
You commanded all about
What came in and what went out.
In Death:
Your lot is cast, no sense to ponder
No past to weep, no place to wander
You missed out on nothing, you’re the one
Deeds were done or deeds undone
Your one regret what were it met
Would have been to have had

Regret.

©2006Wrench Devil/WrenchDevil6

So, there it is. Comment on what you think or don't. It's there for your enjoyment.

Yet another...

The semester is rapidly coming to a close. Seems like yesterday I was writing my first Notebook entry. Speaking of yesterday's notebook entry... I completely forgot about it. Life interrupted, but I think that I have done enough extra stuff over the course of the semester to cover it. I'm working on getting two more writing classes over the summer. Registration is happening as we speak and I can't get a frigging advisor meeting until Thursday. And to cap it off, Fri is advanced registration for Fall 2006. I can't get my status upgraded to Junior until this Fall so that makes me a Sophomore for 3 semester or some shit like that.

Things have also shifted into idle on a couple of web sites that I have been working on. Seems we can get all the software to do what we want it to do. Oh, well, it'll get done or it won't. The gaming front is coming along rather well however.

New for the 360 this week is Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. Hopefully it will be a welcome break from GRAW and all the Sharpshooter matches and non-tactic assheads that dominate the game. It's a shame that everyone is waiting for the release of Rainbow 6: Vegas in the fall, and having to feed that craving with games that will never get played after its release.

I have to plug a couple of websites this time. They are sites that I have been a member of for a very long time.

AGE a great site that is composed of mostly over age 30 gamers.

XBOX Users Group Great group who started as an XBOX news site called XLN a couple of years ago. I was pretty involved with them in the past before I had to get out of gaming and the Internet altogether because of no connection (read poor).

I may be writing for the AGE blog and new site when it comes about. Sharky has many interested so there should be quite a few posts a day there.

Anywho, that's about it at the Select-o-Matic, at least for today.

Slacking?

So, you could say that I have been slacking. Then again you could say that I haven't been obsessing over this and other blogs that were eating away at everything else. Blazing Angels was and still is an awesome game with the replayability that dwarfs many other games. I've been busy at other sites such as www.ubi.com, www.xbox.com, www.adultgamingenthusiasts.com, and www.xboxusersgroup.com. I'm woking on getting my XBOX Community Developer status and that has taken up some time.

All in all, I've been zooming around some communities that I frequent and neglecting others, like www.iamtrouble.com. I am sure that Masuimi won't mind. It's funny how one thing can so quickly be replaced by another. Was it that the one thing was just busy work until the other could be refreshed? Or was it that I was so engrossed in the one that I got burned out quickly and need a break? Hell, who knows.

Blazing Angels

Blazing Angels
Originally uploaded by Wrench Devil.

Feeling like recreating some of the major air battles of WWII? Then Ubi's Blazing Angels is for you. This game is a true smoker. It immediately immerses you in air combat.

Yeah, I know that I said that I was waiting for more Clancy titles and Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers, but this one was tooooo good to pass up.

So that's how I pretty much spent my spring break: Beating G.R.A.W. completely and flying the unfriendly skies of WWII.

I ran into some conflicting issues on the new site that I was building. So until some new software is appropriated or old software is re-implemented that project is on the back burner.

Oh, I have an XBOX related blog running over at MSN called: Independent Rebellion, but the name of it is deathpusher so maybe if you search for it you'll get to it.

That's about it from the Select-o-Matic.

Comments now enabled.

It seems that the code for comments and backlinks were a bit awry. All is as it should be now. Blogs as a species are a fickle lot, one bit of mismanaged syntax and you are thrown into the code-search abyss.

Add to that, I have done something in my settings that blocks me from seeing Flickr tags of any kind on any blog. Yes, I see and use Flash on every other page of the Internet just not Flickr tags or badges. It's something I'm working through.

Oh, Ghost Recon:Advanced Warfighter for the 360 is the shizzle my nizzle. Though a bit predictable when played through in hard mode the second time through, it is still a challenge and a great game. Given the money they spent on development and all the corporate sponsors they had (read: Dodge, Pepsi, AXE and others) they could have secured the rights to at least a sample of All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix instead of having some hack band redo the track.

The final fire-fight is a bit perplexing as well, while firing from behind cover at the enemy a couple hundred meters away, you unwittingly eliminate the main antagonist of the entire game. No special colored icon around him or anything like that, just a shot taken from long range at a silhouette at best and that's it, on to the credits. A bit of an unexpected let down.

Now it's a wait for Rainbow Six: Critical Hour and Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers for the original XBOX.

Any donations for the cause will be greatly appreciated, I'll put the PayPal donation button up later today.

Edited to add: The donations for an XBOX game were mostly a joke. Any donation made to Selec-o-Matic goes to keep the site running and to purchase better hosting and domain name acquisition. If you donate, thanks a bunch.

XBOX Arrives.

So, as you can probably guess, the new 360 arrived and all I can say is damn. This is the kind of gaming we were dreaming about 25 years ago. I've been busy on that front pretty much full time since I took it out of the box. That and things have been slow on every other front as well.

I've yet to write the book review on James Wright's work that I read. It's some really down and out stuff that never actually lets you come up for air. To call it depressing would be to shine a positive light on it. Not that he couldn't write, and not that everything has to be all shiny and happy, but damn that's some dark and lonely writing.

I also have to write an artist analysis. I'll most likely write it on Steve or Coop. I was considering Ed Weston but decided against it. I can write about any visual artist, not just photographers.

It's funny how you get away from the Internet for a few days and you feel as though you are out of touch with the whole world.

More Musings from the Madman

Something I cooked up yesterday morning... Have not thought of a name for it yet. Enjoy.

What malevolence this,

Mortality

Imposing that preference be

Made

In the sparkling dew covered

Morning

With haste and befuddled

Musings

Are we to want but for a

Handful of events?

What of eyes met,

Destinations sought,

Episodes lost? Surely

We are mocked by the Magistrate.

Icarus

Icarus
Originally uploaded by Wrench Devil.

Filled with the thrill of flight, Icarus did not heed the warnings of Daedalus, his father, and flew too close to the sun.

I was in the right place at the right time and all I could think of was the story of Icarus, as the sun blazed from behind the clouds.

Enjoy.

Constitutional Peasant...

Arthur: Old woman!
Dennis: MAN!
Arthur: Man, sorry. What knight lives in that castle over there?
Dennis: I'm 37.
Arthur: What?
Dennis: I'm 37! I'm not old!
Arthur: Well, I can't just call you "man".
Dennis: You could say "Dennis".
Arthur: I didn't know you were called Dennis.
Dennis: Well you didn't bother to find out, did you?
Arthur: I did say I'm sorry about the "old woman", but from behind you looked...
Dennis: What I object to is you automatically treatin' me like an inferior.
Arthur: Well, I am king.
Dennis: Oh, king, eh - very nice. And how'd you get that, then? By exploiting the workers! By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society. If there's ever going to be any progress...
Dennis' Mother: Dennis, Dennis! There's some lovely filth down here. Oh, how'd you do?
Arthur: How'd you do good lady? I am Arthur, king of the Britons. Whose castle is that?
Dennis' Mother: King of the who?
Arthur: The Britons.
Dennis' Mother: Who are the Britons?
Arthur: We all are. We are all Britons, and I am your king.
Dennis' Mother: I didn't know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective.
Dennis: You're foolin' yourself. We're living in a dictatorship! A self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working class...
Dennis' Mother: Oh there you go bringing class into it again!
Dennis: But that's what it's all about! If only people would realise...
Arthur: Please, please good people. I am in haste. Who lives in that castle?
Dennis' Mother: No one lives there.
Arthur: Then who is your lord?
Dennis' Mother: We don't have a lord.
Arthur: What?!
Dennis: I told you. We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as sort of supreme executive officer for the week.
Arthur: Yes.
Dennis: But all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting...
Arthur: Yes, I see.
Dennis:...by a simple majority. In the case of purely internal affairs...
Arthur: Be quiet.
Dennis:...require two thirds majority. In the case of old ladys...
Arthur: Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!
Dennis' Mother: Order, eh? Who does he think he is?
Arthur: I am your king!
Dennis' Mother: Well, I didn't vote for you.
Arthur: You don't vote for kings.
Dennis' Mother: Well, how'd you become King, then?
Arthur: The Lady of the Lake,... [Angel chorus begins singing in background] her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. [Angel chorus ends] That is why I am your king!
Dennis: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
Arthur: Be quiet!
Dennis: But you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!
Arthur: Shut up, will you? Shut up! [Grabs Dennis and shakes him]
Dennis: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
Arthur: Bloody peasant!
Dennis: Oh, what a give-away. Did you hear that? Did you hear that, eh? That's what I'm on about. Did you see him repressing me? You saw it, didn't you?