November 2010 Archives

I'm a month early, but it never hurts to get a head start.

My resolution is to spend more time shooting. I got bogged down in other stuff much of the second half of this year and my time at the range got cut to zero.

We've been a one car family for about 3 years and it eventually became impossible to overcome a lack of transportation. With the kids getting older, and my wife getting more active outside the home, I sucked it up and stayed home a lot. Also when you've got one vehicle a minor repair turns into a big hassle and impacts everyone.

Well, thanks to a gift from my mom, I'll be able to spend more time at the range.

My goal is to shoot at least one match a month, and practice 3 times per month. It's still not a lot, but considering I went months without practice this year, It's a big improvement.

I don't consider myself to be an expert shootist, but I know my strengths and weaknesses. What I need is more time to practice what I know.

At some point, I'm going to have to get some land. There's somethings that are hard to practice at a "normal" range. There's not many places you can practice what you do at a USPSA or IDPA match, or the things you learn at an intermediate pistol self-defense class. So a place of my own would be great, but that's a ways off.

So Charles Schumer and the FDA have a bug up their asses about these caffeinated malt beverages ...

I can tell you first hand they are harmless.

My friend's employer was overseeing the construction of a 20 story high rise building in Austin. They kept finding all these cans of energy drinks all over the place. Some time goes by and they discover these aren't energy drinks at all, they're basically high gravity malt liquor with some extra junk packaged in a harmless looking can. They decide to try some and get buzzed.

He tells me the story, and we go up to the local quickie mart and buy a couple so I could try them. I lived.

You could call me a beer connoisseur, but not a beer snob. I brewed beer for years, and not just the little kits you can get. I had an all grain set up, and my own kegging equipment. I love to try new stuff, but I'll still knock back plain ol' American swill lagers if I'm in the mood.

So basically, I know a few things about beer.

This stuff is nasty. It's loaded with artificial colors and flavors, and sugar. It doesn't taste anything like beer or malt liquor. It's sweet and fruity for the most part, but not in a good way. It kind of reminds me of cough syrup.

It does have some kick though. The problem for me is that the alcohol wears off long before the "speed" does and I wake up at 2 am completely lucid wondering why the hell I'm awake.

From personal experience I have witnessed 5 people consume these drinks, including myself, and not one fatality occurred. Granted, 5 is a pretty small sample size, but sales are pretty good. People should be dropping like flies.

Apparently the kerfuffle, has to do with young people drinking them in excess or something.

I got news for the FDA, people have been drinking themselves to death long before this stuff came out. You might as well ban cheap vodka and Everclear while you are it. You can kill yourself abusing all kinds of substances, but we don't ban all of them.

Furthermore, just because it's not in can doesn't mean people won't mix similar concoctions themselves.

I suspect not many folks will be sad to see these drinks go, I know I won't, but I can't help feeling like here comes the FDA to ban something out of some trumped up, overblown fear. Again.

How many people die from FDA approved drugs? I don't know. Some googling turns up interesting results. Reports say 100,000 - 320,000 people per year. Avandia, Vioxx, google it.

The reports of deaths to due to these drinks are kind of sketchy, and would certainly fall under abuse. Reports of deaths due to FDA approved drugs are not as sketchy and are not from abuse.

My own experiences and the track record of the FDA lead me to believe they are full of shit.

It certainly looks like this guy got what he deserved.

It appears the dude breaks into a home, assaults a woman, and leaves (presumably after she wakes up screaming and fighting). The very next night he tries it again and gets on the wrong end of a gun. Yeah, they're just going to pretend like it never happened, and not do anything about it. Dumbass.

Either that, or he has the worst luck selecting houses to break into.

I'm not bald! I guess I picked a haircut for my avatar that was bald on top, but didn't realize it.

Anyways, I picked up the Kinect for Xbox 360 and the family had a blast with it tonight. I was kind of skeptical, but it's everything you have head about it.

It is laggy? Yes, you have to anticipate some. Is it buggy? Somewhat. Is it fun? Oh hell yeah.

The whole family played off and on for about 3 hours tonight. Lots o' fun. I broke a sweat and was huffing and puffing after some of the games. It's a good workout and fun too.

My kids are still too little to play controller based games, but they had no problems with the Kinect games. I did have to move it down a little bit so it could see them though.

I have Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports, and we had lots of fun with both. I think the dance game would be hilarious.

My wife was somewhat against the Kinect, but she was hooked after a few minutes of play. I think this could be one of those rare things that is both fun and good for us too.

The NFL has an injury problem, according to the announcers of the games I've been watching. I was watching the Colts and Eagles last night when Austin Collie got laid out, and the announcers were obviously concerned for the player, but also for the sport. Apparently, a player lawsuit could potentially kill the NFL as we know it.

The way I see it, they have two options: slow everyone down, or remove the pads. (I vote for no pads, as you can tell from the subject.)

I don't see how it will ever be possible to run at full speed and hit someone with your head and not have a risk for injury, but I do know that if you weren't wearing a helmet you'd think twice about it.

The game would be different for sure, more like the old days with the leather helmets, but still a fun game. I think scoring would actually go up though, as I think defenses will be slowed down more than offenses.

While I'm at it, all this "sports turf" stuff has to go. Football should be played on a muddy field. I bet the knee and ankle injuries would go way down.

Will the fans watch this new old style football? I don't know, but the current game is going to change, either with a bunch of silly penalties, or some other means. Hard hitting defenses are going to be a thing of the past.

I was watching the results come in last night, and without fail every Democrat blamed the economy for the thrashing.

I think it's true that the electorate is really upset that Democrats didn't make the economy the number one priority, and instead focused on a "progressive" agenda, but I think this is just as much a refutation of the agenda, as well as how that agenda was legislated.

I have never wanted to vote so much in all my adult life. That is all.