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Well tomorrow is that big communist holiday, May Day. So as a way to show their solidarity with modern liberalism’s parentage, illegal aliens everywhere will be marching in the streets, tying up traffic and generally annoying us. Yours truly will be there, braving the crowds to witness the event and take the odd photograph or fifty.

Weather appears to be looking great for the event so nobody will be able to use that excuse.

However, I do expect diminished turnout for the event. Let’s face it, enthusiasm has diminished for the issue and I think public sentiment is firmly against illegal immigration, despite the wishes of the liberals in Congress and the Bush administration. Plus I think Bush might have actually hurt the cause. In his attempts to convince conservatives that he’s not just pulling promises out of his ass (he is) on enforcement, there have actually been a couple high profile raids of illegal immigrants across the country. This has created some fear within the criminal community and so some may not participate out of fear of being identified.

I’m also expecting the format to be slightly different. I think organizers quickly learned that waving Mexican flags and chanting in spanish turns alot of Americans off. So I’ll expect more American flags at the event, insincere as their holders may be. And I expect more chants in english.

We’ll hear lots of claims of racial discrimination by jack-booted thugs coming in the middle of the night to tear apart innocent families. And since the pro illegal alien crowd appears to take as much issue with the Bush Administration as I do on this issue, I think you’ll see alot of Bush bashing as well. Admittedly, that is helped by the fact that these sort of rallies are funded by socialist/communist groups.

I’m hoping to see the same creative in costumes and sign-making as I did last year, as I need something to amuse me. I’ve learned from last year to be a bit more covert, so hopefully this year will be incident free. Pictures will be going up in my gallery, and I’ll put up a post about the event as soon as I get them pulled together. The rally doesn’t start till 4 and I expect it to go for several hours so probably late evening I would expect.

Wish me luck.

Note : I’m officially declaring this comment area an open thread for Andy to get his damned “Si Se Puedo” bs out of his system. The rest of you can safely ignore this comment area.

On Sunday, June 3rd, the blogosphere battle royal Blog Wars II will be taking place at 1 pm. I think everyone from last year is returning to play. Plus we’ve gotten a few additional people signing on, but we still have plenty of room for more targets participants. Feel free to invite friends if you want. We’ll have to see if we can’t get one of those pansies from NARN to show up too.

From talking to people I’ll answer some frequently asked questions

Where’s it being held??

It’s being held at the same field as last year. You can find a map on their website.

How much does it cost??

Well, they have several package deals. If you want a Tippman 98 gun, which is a standard gun but still very very capable, it’ll cost you $35. If you want to upgrade to an A-5 gun, it’s $45. This will get you few hundred rounds of paint (which won’t be enough). So plan some additional money for more paint. I know several people last year went into together on a case, which are $50 apiece.

Also we’ll be playing for charity so count your contribution in there.

What should I bring???

Well if you use your own equipment bring that for sure, otherwise the field will provide you the equipment you absolutely need to play. However, I would suggest comfortable shoes/boots as you will do alot of running on uneven ground. I’d also suggest clothing that covers your entire body as you’ll also do alot of crawling and jumping behind trees. I’d suggest some loose fighting clothing as it helps take the sting from the paint. You don’t need camo, although you are welcome to wear it, but most people last year did not.

Does it hurt?

Yes and no. Yes it hurts in some cases, however, it doesn’t hurt near as much as you probably think. The first one is the worst and once you’ve gotten over that mental hurtle you’re free. Besides, most people have so much adrenaline going through their system they barely feel it. Well….until the next morning when you count up your bruises.

Can I shoot you?

Sure…most people look forward to that

I’ve never played…

Most of the people from last year had not either. But that didn’t stop them.

Any other questions let me know…

Well, the latest Woot-Off is over. Lasted a couple days and at no point did the mythical Bag O’ Crap make an appearance. Bastards. Woot You! And then it ends with 10000 freaking flying Monkeys?!?

Out of sheer curiousity I then wander over to EBay to see what sort of prices the flying monkeys were catching. Well not surprisingly people are making a profit, but it was a bit depressing to see hundreds of monkey for sale and the title on most of them claims it is “RARE!!”

For the love of monkey sex people, they just sold 10000 of the damn things. It’s not freaking rare. May you be mowed down by a thousand Roombas, and then beat to death with a pope hat.

Yeah, I’m going to bed, and if the Bag O’ Crap shows up at midnight, somewhere a monkey will have to die.

Most of you have no idea what I’m talking about, so start here and then join us for the next woot-off here.

I got tagged by Tiger Lilly, and while she’s only 13, I should probably do what she says otherwise she’s likely to hurt me. Heh, those of you snickering have to meet her first.

So here’s how it works….question A to Z…I answer them, you read them, and then we call it finished? Sounds good fine….here goes….

A- Available or Single?

Both

B- Best Friend.

I once heard someone say that a friend will bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be the one sitting in the cell with you saying “Dude, that was sooo cool”. By that standard I’d have to say my best friend is the collective group that comprises the MN Militia.

C- Cake or Pie.

Diary Queen Ice Cream Cakes

D- Drink of Choice.

Beer….mmmmm, beer

…

…

…

sorry, I had to clean the drool off the keyboard.

E- Essential Item.

Go go gadget computer!!!

F- Favorite Color.

It makes it easier to explain my complete lack of style if I just pretend I’m colorblind

G- Gummi Bears or Worms.

Worms

H- Hometown.

Grew up in Champlin, MN

I- Indulgence.

If it’s bad for me, immoral, fattening or stupid, then yes I do.

J- January or February.

Whichever has more snow in it

K- Kids.

Scare me….or at least other people’s do. I’ve been told I’ve improved so I’m being threatened with babysitting.

L- Life is incomplete without

Carbon….at least on this planet

M- Marriage Date.

Sometime between now and when I die.

N- Number of Siblings?

Two younger sisters

O- Oranges or Apples?

Orangex

P- Phobias/Fears.

Tornadoes…despite the fact that I love bad storms. But had a close call with a tornado that I’m not keen on repeating.

Q- Favorite Quote.

“I’d rather be right than politically correct”, this one has been mistakenly attributed to me by multiple people. It’s not mine but I’ve filed for adoption.

R- Reasons to smile.

It makes liberals miserable to see people happy….so smile!!

S- Season.

Hunting

T- Tag Three.

This goes to three non-bloggers….Drunkguy, CC, and 50c. Respond in the comments….or else….something.

U- Unknown Fact About Me.

Well honestly if it’s unknown how am I gonna know it?? I barely remember my phone number.

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals.

Tyrant of Animals is probably a better description…

W- Worst Habit.

I bite my nails…there…my horrible secret is out!

X- X-rays or Ultrasounds.

I’ve had both, and X-Rays suck slightly less.

Y- Your Favorite Foods.

Beer….wait, I said that already…..Pretty much anything unhealthy for me.

Z- Zodiac.

Gemini

I’ve been keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the illegal immigration issue. I haven’t put together a post for awhile on it for a number of reasons.

1. It’s the last thing most people (including myself) want to see headlining my blog AGAIN
2. Pretty much everything has been contradictory
3. Working second shift, and 60+ hours a week is not conducive to being able to sit down, gather my notes, collect my thoughts and write a post.

But there have been a number of jumbled thoughts rolling through my head lately.

First, you can’t trust a damn thing the White House says on the immigration issue. They’ve been pushing out alot of propaganda for awhile now. Most of it seems to be centered around an attempt to create a feeling of momentum and warning Republicans not to get bowled over by it. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the White House claim that it has a certain legislators support or so-and-so said this, and then right away the person in question will speak up “Heh, no I didn’t….not even close”. I think the thought behind it (from the administration’s perspective) is to make it appear hopeless to resist since they are winning so many converts. In reality, they are just demonstrating how desperate they are, and how little credit they have on the issue.

Secondly, when you compare the White House to Ted Kennedy, it’s actually Kennedy that seems the most rational. To be fair, both have taken the approach that they want amnesty regardless of how much it costs the American people. However, when the White House pushes it’s guest worker program, at least Kennedy is sober enough to say, heh, but can we make sure that this doesn’t drive down wages for our people?!? So while both are out to bend the American people over and give them what for, at least Kennedy is wanting to whisper sweet things in our ear while it’s happening.

Third, as I’ve written before, Bush appears intent on making immigration part of his legacy, but he is definitely stuck between two forces that don’t want to budge. While oddly enough he seems to have sold enough people on amnesty, it’s the other parts that are causing him problems. As I stated above the Kennedy lead forces want protections for American workers. Meanwhile business allies of Bush reject anything that gives too many protections to workers. Both sides are demanding he come closer to their side. Meanwhile, legislators are hesitant to come on board because they are hearing from the American public who wants Bush and Congres to come to THEIR side. So while Bush seems intent on ignoring the will of the people on this issue, he can’t do it without both Kennedy and the business community and neither seems willing to grant it without Bush fulfilling all of their demands. Now there is a easy way out of this of course….listen to the American people. But like I said, Bush seems intent on making this his legacy.

Fourth, and finally, I think illegal immigration opponents may have fallen into a trap and framed this issue wrong. While in a debate with someone on another blog on immigration, the debate quickly lead into who benefits more from illegals in the US. And it occurred to me later, that this was a moot point. It’s not even the issue. Even if society did benefit more from illegals (which it doesn’t), it’s still the damn law. Sure there are laws that don’t make sense, but that doesn’t mean you just break them at will. Especially if it’s your constitutional duty to enforce them (ahem Bush!). Even if society benefits from illegals it does NOT benefit by creating a culture of lawlessness by allowing illegals and employers of illegals to get off the hook.

Ok I consider these thoughts officially processed and they can stop bouncing around my head now.

I’d like to remind everyone about the pro illegal immigration rally coming up this Tuesday. I’ve already conned my way out of work that day so I’ll be there. People are welcome to join me in attending and watching the craziness.

In the past few weeks I’ve come to some startling realizations.

I haven’t been physically inside a bank since…well, I can’t remember. A large majority of my contact with friends/family is via electronic means, mostly my computer. I have no idea where my local library is. Since I hate grocery shopping more than anything else, why not just order them and have them delivered? I haven’t held a paycheck in my hand for five years, thanks to auto-deposit. More of my bills gets paid via electronic means than actually writing out a check. I haven’t ordered food for delivery via the phone in years.

From conversations, mostly electronic, with friends and co-workers I’ve found I’m not outside the norm. In fact, several other people expressed surprise that I do as much by hand as I do. There are some people who awe me with their level of electronic interaction with the world around them.

“Cogito ergo sum”, originally expressed by René Descartes (damn French), and is better known to people as “I think, therefore I exist“, or more traditionally “I think, therefore I am“. I think we’ve finally reached the point where this is no longer true. Perhaps “I’m online, therefore I exist” is a better way of stating it in today’s world?

After all, without the use of email, computers, internet (or that “set of tubes” for the politically minded), instant messanging, etc can one truly be considered a connected member of our society these days? And yes, I realize the irony of asking this via an online blog. When even the government goes online, for example paying taxes, can it really be considered new technology? If you are not online, do you still exist?

Recently, I had a conversation (via email) with a friend with whom I share no mutual friends. One could consider our friendship “an outpost” of human contact. I forget how the topic came up, but it occurred to me, if one of us died, would the other one ever even find out?? Short of the abrupt termination of contact I mean. It then occurred to me that this sort of friendship was not unique in my life. In fact, I could think of several individual friends of which we share no mutual friends, but rather our lives crossed paths at one point, a connection was made and we have remained in contact. In those cases, the rate of electronic communication versus face-to-face contact is the highest.

In my life at least, actual interaction with another human being seems to occur most as part of a social gathering of mutual friends. From conversations with others, it does not appear as if I’m unusual in this respect.

Now I understand this isn’t exactly a profound realization, nor do I expect that it is an original one. But it’s one that occurred to me recently. Now I was surprised to realize I’m not altogether unhappy to realize this is the case. Certainly, I don’t feel isolated or shut off from the world. Social gatherings provide me the interaction I desire.

Yet, I was a little disturbed with the realization that there are people in my life with whom my contact has become almost exclusively electronic. Even worse was the realization that I have friends whom the people around me don’t even realize exist, thanks to the largely electronic means of our communication. Almost as if our social lives have become like a computer network, and in some cases each of us are the single node connecting two distant branches. Just as a single point of failure is dangerous in a computer network, it strikes me as dangerous in real life as well.

As I write this it occurs to me that I should have some statement or purpose to all this. I should give you all a life lesson by which to go forth and better the world. I’m not upset that I don’t have one, and I’m not even sure one is necessary. Indeed, I’m not certain one could identify this as “broken”, therefore no reason to “fix” it.

Mostly it is surprising to me how easily this type of existance has crept upon us. And I find myself intrigued in how far this will go and what the results will be. I remember people I once knew being obsessed with games such as “Everquest” and more recently “World of Warcraft”. I remember my pity for them as they descended single-mindly into a fantasy world, complete with “online friends”, “online social groups” or even “online marriages”. Perhaps they were just ahead of their time? Perhaps in my pity, I was just showing my disgust for the world ahead?

One day a fourth-grade teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.

All the typical answers came up - fireman, mechanic, businessman, salesman, doctor, lawyer, and so forth.But little Justin was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when the teacher prodded him about his father, he replied, “My father’s an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off all his clothes in front of other men and they put money in his underwear. Sometimes, if the offer is really good, he will go home with some guy and make love with him for money.”

The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some exercises and then took little Justin aside to ask him, “Is that really true about your father?”

“No,” the boy said, “He works for the Democratic National Committee and is helping to secure the nomination of Hilary Clinton, but I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the other kids .”

[H/T : 50c]

Heh, dick head Harry Reid!!! Pay attention…

Are we beating these terrorist scumbags and child-targeting insurgent bastards? Are we winning?

Well, let’s see if we want to switch sides with them. Let’s imagine the war where the insurgents have our cards and we hold theirs.

Imagine the US completely occupied by Al Qaeda forces, subject to Sharia law. We are able to take pot shots at a few of them, and we manage to murder a few dozen of our own people every day in an attempt to stop the population from collaborating with the hated invader. But more and more Americans seem to be turning to Sharia and want to get on with their lives. We find sixty percent of the population wants Al-Qaeda to leave, but hatred for the US insurgent forces – the Wolverines – is at about 98%. The people hate the occupiers, but they despise the Wolverines.

Now imagine that a year into the occupation of America, George Bush’s two daughters were killed in a firefight with the enemy, which had surrounded the college sorority house where they were hiding. A year after that, President Bush was pulled out of a septic tank in Crawford by the Fedayeen, then put on trial and sentenced to hang, which he did on national television to widespread cheering. Condi Rice, captured in an early morning raid several years ago, has been a great source of useful information to target the American resistance, and Donald Rumsfeld was killed by a suicide bomber this last summer.

Everywhere you turn – in every street and every city in America – Al Qaeda forces run security patrols, training Americans to do this for themselves. The only way to stop this is by killing our own people, which further alienates us from a populace that already despises us.

Does that feel like winning to you? Me neither. Welcome to the insurgency.

- Bill Whittle

Amen

So apparently this next election will bring the beginning on online debates between the presidential candidates. It’s being compared to the first televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon. Which is stupid, because the if nothing else an online chatroom goes backwards from a televised debate. Remember, the good part about the televised debate was you could see the candidates. Now you couldn’t see OR hear them. But since this idea came out of the Huffington Post, we shouldn’t be surprised.

But it got me thinking. What would an online presidential debate look like. Especially if it took the form of a typical chatroom?? Well, considering my thankfully limited experience in online chatrooms, I offer this probably very accurate prediction

** Hi11ary has joined chatroom **
** McCain has joined chatroom **
** BaRock! has joined chatroom **
** Da Mayor has joined chatroom **
** MiTT has joined chatroom **
** 4Honey has joined chatroom **
Hi11ary : Waz up Homies?
Da Mayor : Heh
4Honey : What up girlfriend?
MiTT : WTF? Who is 4Honey?
McCain : 4Honey, ASL???
4Honey : 53, Male, North Carolina
Hi11ary : Is that Edwards?!??
4Honey : :-)))))))
BaRock! : D00d u r SO gay
McCain : LOL!
MiTT : ROFL!!
Da Mayor : Not that there is anything wrong with that
Hi11ary : ROFLMAO!
4Honey : STFU Noob!! You’re gay!
BaRock! : LOL ooooh burn!
4Honey : Heh, at least my initials aren’t BO!
McCain : Lame!
MiTT : Seriously. Loserville, Population You
4Honey : BMA
BaRock! : 4Honey Flamewar!
4Honey : u little biotchs! i m gunna kick ur asses
McCain : With what? ur giant hair?
Hi11ary : LOL!
4Honey : FU
** 4Honey has left chatroom **
BaRock! : LOL!!
MiTT : ROFL!!!!!!1!!
McCain : hehe
Hi11ary : :-)))))))))))))))
Da Mayor : BOT
McCain : OK topic?
Hi11ary : Boobs
BaRock! : ???
Hi11ary : Sorry, Bill got ahold of keyboard
McCain : hehe
MiTT : doods, I raised some major bling
BaRock! : noob, I beat ya
Hi11ary : I p4wned both you
McCain : I sux
Da Mayor : Yup
BaRock! : LOL
Hi11ary : BMan, did Soros help you out?
BaRock! : Why tell you?
MiTT : u noobs know what team talk is?
BaRock! : stfu
McCain : fu Osama
Da Mayor : :-O
Hi11ary : Not cool dood
MiTT : HS!!
BaRock! : focking weak asshole
McCain : whateva dood, s is like so next to b on the kybd
Da Mayor : uh? no??
McCain : whateva
BaRock! : u r a fucking asshole
Hi11ary : *nods*
Da Mayor : Seriously man
MiTT : dood say sorry, this is lame
McCain : f that
BaRock! : that bullshit
McCain : u r
** BaRock! booted for language violation **
McCain : LOL
Da Mayor : weak
Hi11ary : totally
MiTT : Well just us guys left
Hi11ary : Heh!!!
McCain : like u count
Da Mayor : LOL
McCain : cons outnumber libs though
Hi11ary : neocons you mean
MiTT : poor lib, whining already
Da Mayor : LOL, stupid libs
Hi11ary : whateva, Im more conservative than u r
Da Mayor : am not!
Hi11ary : r 2
MiTT : LOL
McCain : hehe
MiTT : Billary 1 Mayor Lib 0
Da Mayor : fu
** Manbearpig has joined conversation **
Manbearpig : Save the planet!
MiTT : o no
Da Mayor : lame
Hi11ary : Gore u r supposed 2 b watching Bill
McCain : LOL
Manbearpig : did u guys c my oscar?
MiTT : dood, this chatroom is 4 presidential candidates
Manbearpig : I had to talk about an Inconvenient Truth!
Manbearpig : the planet has a fever!!
Manbearpig : what is ur carboon f00tprint?
McCain : dork alert!
Da Mayor : u realize u r using electricity which creates carbon right?
Manbearpig : yeah i am rich i just buy carbon offsets
MiTT : dood i heard a penguin was drowning
Manbearpig : where?
MiTT : the zoo
Manbearpig : thanx
** Manbearpig has left chatroom **
Hi11ary : thanx
Da Mayor : me 2
McCain : me 3
** Kucinich has joined chatroom **
Kucinich : u tards told me the wrong chatroom!
MiTT : shit, he found us
Hi11ary : sux
Da Mayor : GTR cya
** Da Mayor has left chatroom **
MiTT : me 2
** MiTT has left chatroom **
** Hi11ary has left chatroom **
McCain : l8r
** McCain has left chatroom**
Kucinich : this sux