Still here..

Sorry again for the lapse.  There's been a lot of stuff going on, and I haven't felt very motivated to write much lately.  I'm doing the school thing, with a twist--classes are online, and they start tomorrow.  Sundays are Dungeons and Dragons night:  at some point I'd like to DM a scenario of my own.  Today I thought some more about what I'd like said scenario to be, and in the process ended up creating bits of a whole world in my mind.  I'm thinking I'd like to write about it sometime.  Maybe people'd buy the books.  Tell me, internet: do you like adventures? 

I'm still alive...

but civilization is doomed.

Jobs In A Downer Economy

That's right. Everyone's favorite veteran-turned-Interwebs-superhero is looking for a job. This, of course, is not an easy ride. Y'see, the combat pay isn't going to last me forever, and neither will unemployment. Plus, I feel a little dirty collecting handouts, even if it is about what I've lost to taxes in the past.

What can I say, I'm an honest sorta guy.

As you may have heard, the economy has fallen on hard times lately. This, of course, makes things tricky, especially for one such as myself who has no actual college degree, and little work experience aside from the military and a few various unskilled jobs. I'm not above working in fast food if that's what's required, but I'd really like to land something with more potential than that.

So, alas. I'll probably be looking at going back to school with my GI Bill. Or maybe we can all start a facebook group for irate victims of unemployment and turn it into something awesome.

Stay classy, internet.

Keep oot them Canucks, eh?

So let's talk about the circus sideshow that is the Obama administration. Yes, let's. Normally I try to stay above the filth of personal political attacks, but I think we can all agree that Janet Napolitano is a douche bag.

The latest barrage of blatant idiocy and douchebaggery? Border security is important. With Canada. Pop that link open in a new tab. I'll wait for you to read it.

Done? Excellent.

Sure, it's important to defend our borders. It's a great idea to screen people coming in for terrorist ties. But really, is Canada such a rogue state that traffic over the border from there can be considered a serious threat? More so, than, oh, I don't know... Mexico?

When told that the rumors of 9/11 hijackers coming in from Canada were false, she offered this gem:

I can't talk to that. I can talk about the future. And here's the future. The future is we have borders.

To quote the internet: lolwut? And Bush was the buffoon? Fkn srsly?

Now it's true that people who wish to harm our country and its people can come in from anywhere, and most likely will choose the path of least resistance. But overall, I think a nearly failed state such as Mexico is easier to get through than Canada. And I'm not Director of Homeland Security, but overall, a rash of drug-related kidnappings and massive identity theft seems to be more of a threat than anything one of our closest allies and neighbors could present. It's not 1812 anymore, folks. Then again, Canada's probably considered a nation of dangerous right-wingers to these left-of-Lenin loonies.

The Tea Party

Yesterday's local Tea Party in Greensburg was, in my opinion, a resounding success. I woke up a little late, since I was still sleepy from my late return from a funeral in Philadelphia the night before, but it was sort of a moot point as I didn't actually leave until about a half hour before the event's scheduled start time (noon) since I was waiting for the girlfriend, Sheri, to return from class.

So, rubbing sleep from my eyes, I shuffled to my car (Sheri was considerably bouncier than I was) and started off towards downtown Greensburg. We were still rolling down Pittsburgh Street, the courthouse barely in sight, when the first signs of just how big this event was going to be started showing. I had never seen traffic backed up like this. Up the hill we went, to courthouse at Otterman and Main Street, where Greensburg Police were directing traffic. From here, I could see that Courthouse Square was completely packed. There wasn't any parking left in the entire city, from what I could see, unless I wanted towed, so I drove up to Seton Hill University, Sheri's point of embarkation, and we walked all the way to the courthouse. Despite the drizzle, we all had a good time it appeared, the speeches were excellent (from what we could hear), and much cheering took place.

A few notes of concern:

• The sound system was terribly underpowered, and people more than halfway back could hardly hear what was being said. I feel sorry for the folks across the street.
• We have -GOT- to come up with something better to shout than "USA! USA!" I mean seriously. Besides, which USA are we cheering for, anyway? The old one guided by the Constitution, or the one that started to form about half a century ago and is now looking eerily like the next Soviet Union? Which brings me to my next point:
• In Soviet Russia, slogans chant YOU!
• I appreciated the honks of support by passing motorists. Still, there were a few assholes who insisted on driving around the block, leaning on their horns the whole way. It was a typical demonstration of the Left's leading debate tactic, namely, "If you can't defend your views, simply shut out the opposition." Very classy, guys.

And now for everyone's favorite, PICTURES!









Legend:

• Picture taken as we approached the event on Otterman Street, from the west.
• Our original vantage point, about halfway back.
• A little closer to the tent, facing the other way towards Main Street.
• I missed most of the introductions, but I'm going to guess this is Pastor Keith Tucci.
• Signs of our times. There were some better ones but I couldn't get a good picture of them. Meh.
• General Washington! Woohoo!

All in all, a great showing for the local defenders of liberty.

I Guess I'm An Extremist...

According to the Department of Homeland Security, I'm a violent radical anti-American right-wing extremist. Isn't that grand.

That's right, the DHS has come out with a report on "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," which pretty much classifies anyone who disagrees with the Messiah as an enemy of the state. Let's see here....

Pro-life? Check.
Against unconstitutional federal power grabs? Check.
Against governmental meddling in private industry? Check.
Concerned about the loss of constitutional rights, including but not limited to, the First, Second, and Tenth Amendments? Check, check, check, and then some.
Supported third-party and small-government candidates like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and the like? Chiggidy-check.
Recently returned veteran? Oh hells check.

Yep. Looks like I'm a right-wing extremist, and probably a white supremacist and anti-Semite as well.

So, I invite all my fellow right-wing extremists to attend their local militia gathering tea parties today and kill some cops and minorities show Big Government we aren't going to stand for their bullshit anymore. I'll be at the Greensburg, PA courthouse around noon, but there are plenty of these events taking place all over the country.

Happy Easter. (a few minutes late)

So my original plan was to write a neat little post on Easter, maybe have a quick message, and share the story of the origins of Easter traditions and whatnot, gathered from many sources across the interwebs.

I ended up getting mildly sloshed at a gay bar and spending Easter hung over.

Oh well.