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Now, wasn't that worth Scrolling down here?

"Sarah Palin said Wednesday she feels a kinship with the moose-hunting, tax-hating voters of New Hampshire."

Regardless of what you think about recreational hunting, I think the country is on the wrong path if one of our national unifiers is moose hunting. I wouldn't hire Elmer Fudd to be president, I don't want Sarah Palin to be in the position to be president either.

Couldn't get it to imbed, so click the pic for video

'Steele Street' series Book #9

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages - Publisher: Dell (August 26, 2008 ) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0440244692 - ISBN-13: 978-0440244691

Back of the Book reads:

HE'S THE BAD BOY SHE ALWAYS WANTED.

He'd know her anywhere. Johnny Ramos had just come off a tour of duty in Afghanistan to find Esmee Alden trolling the mean streets of Denver in red lace and leather. The smartest girl he ever knew turning tricks? Not even close. Esmee's in danger so deep, only Johnny can get her out - which is why the elite government operative is shadowing her every move.

SHE'S THE GOOD GIRL WHO GOT AWAY.

Esmee had everything planned down to the last detail: dresed in disguise, she'd recover a stolen painting and pay off her dad's ruthles bookie. Until Johnny Ramos, her high school crush, blows into town and nearly blows her cover. Now Esmee, a P.I. and an art-recovery expert, has a mother lode of bad guys on her tail ... including the one bad boy she always wanted: Johnny. But passion will have to wait. Because when bullets start flying, suddenly they're on the run, playing it fast and loose - and heading straight into the line of fire...

Loose and Easy at Amazon.com

Loose and Easy at Chapters.ca

Loose and Easy at Amazon.ca

13 -Oct-08 to 14-Oct-08

Review: A Cyclone of a story - would have been appreciated.

Johnny Ramos is back after his third tour of duty and is looking for a little down time. He has news he has to deliver and isn't looking forward to it. Leaving the bar, he spots someone he'd recognize anywhere; the object of his every fantasy: Esmee Alden. He can't believe his eyes - no way the smartest girl in school is one the streets, turning tricks. Curiosity gets the better of him and he follows her.

Esmee, aka Easy, is all grown up. She's a P.I. and an art-recovery expert, and she's on her way to do just that - to recover a stolen painting, bring it to its owner and get paid. That money will pay off her father's loan with a bookie.

Meanwhile, her mom was kidnapped from the parking lot at work, she can't find her father, and there are men after her. Seems the bookie, Franklin Bleak, wants Esmee to use as collateral against her father.

In comes Johnny Ramos. He follows Esmee, trying to play it cool, only to help her escape Bleak's goons. Now, she has a 5am deadline to bring Bleak the $82,000 her father owes him. Will she be able to meet that deadline?

I don't know what to say. Not what I expected, not the usual that I read by Janzen. She introduces new characters well, but this time there were just too many 'goons' that it was hard to keep track of who was with who and where they were. While the twists were good, they were obvious. I like how Johnny sweeps back into Esmee's life, the action scenes were perfect. I liked the 'badass' in Esmee, but I didn't really feel the sparks that were there. Sure, you feel them from Johnny, but not so much with Esmee. He's supposed to be the biggest crush she had in high school, but you don't feel it.

I found the action scenes good, I liked Dax Killian, Esmee's cousin (and if the seguay into the new book means what I think it means, he'll be in the next one). I did find that the ending went a little too smoothly. They had leverage against Bleak, he had leverage against them, and it all ended too neat and tidy. I was expecting more. It almost feels like the book was hastily written. Not to say that it was, it just felt like it. And yet, for all the book was lacking, I was still glued to each page, anxious to see how Johnny and Esmee bail themselves out. I think, because the book was based on a 10 hour period instead of a couple of days took away from the book. A lot more could have happened in between. More explanation of her past few years would have been appreciated. It's like there's another story there, one that should have been told and the reader never gets enough of to fully and completely understand.

Rating:

Specs:

- 30 rounds per second
- Remote control operated with LCD screen that monitors the live feed from the gun's on-board camera
- $1400
- Kill everyone

via uncrate

Video games can be fun, that is, if they don't involve roaming a school and shooting kindergartners. The game in question, named "kindergarten killer",  has been pulled off a Finnish children's gaming site one week after the worst school shooting in Finland's history. The operators of the website released a statement that said: "We have removed pages from our site that are not necessarily appropriate for younger family members". 

I have questions. Number one, why is it only after things like school shootings that these types of games get banned, and two: what do you mean, "not appropriate for younger family members"? What, like it's a great idea for grandma to get online and shoot herself some toddlers? Give me a break. 

Speaking of guns, there's a tiny pile of them missing in Russia. Police have announced they are searching for over 215,000 guns which have disappeared from arsenals around the country. There's even an official list; it holds 215,326 entries as of last month. Interior Ministry official (that means, "the guy who eventually will take the fall") Sergei Fedkin said the ministry was "not responsible. Experts believe the main source of arms in the criminal world is military bases, and above all, the defense ministry."

See, those Russians aren't so different from us after all. Just like in America, it's hard to find politicians taking responsibility, and easy to find those that shift the blame somewhere else. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

American troops acting on a tip killed the No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq — a Moroccan known for his ability to recruit and motivate foreign fighters — in a raid in the northern city of Mosul, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

The military statement described the man, known as Abu Qaswarah, as a charismatic leader who had trained in Afghanistan and managed to rally al-Qaida followers in Iraq despite U.S. and Iraqi security gains.

Killing these guys is easy. Finding them is the tough part. That information comes from tips from concerned Iraqi citizens. And the way to get that information is by making sure they know you have their best interests at the forefront. And the way to do that is to be out on the streets, not holed up in a FOB. That was the key change in the operational doctrine when General Casey left and General Petraeus took over. When people talk about the surge, they tend to think it was just putting more troops in the fight. But while that was a necessary step, it wasn't the key to victory.

McCain is first column Obama is second column.....Stark differences between the two on the issues.  And don't forget Obama's Tax Plan, which will take a big step in moving America into being a Socialist nation!

"So, if the Glock really is so good, then why does no other army want them? It’s a serious question."

I will concede all of the arguments from Glock Lovers about the inherent reliability of the Glock platform.  But for me, one of the main reasons I do  not own a Glock (in addition to all the comments at his site) is Aesthetics.  Honestly...Is there really any comparison between that and, well, any one of these?

Staring Down the Barrel: the Rise of Guns in China - WSJ.com via kwout

Just image ... 1 Billion NRA members!  Maybe we'll rename it the World Rifle Association? Would Nacy Pelosi and Obama run and hide in their rat holes?

But for now, I have more. This video was emailed to me today.

What more can I say? This is the "Amazing" man who will probably soon be the leader of the free world. I think he may have failed his geography class.

Also, to touch on my 2nd Admendment statement yesterday, check out this site.

Whether you agree with gun ownership or not, the founding fathers of our country thought it was important enough to place the right to bear arms within our Constitution. Of course they never foresaw criminals getting uzi's, but I personally believe that I shall fight for my right to own a gun and the ammunition for it to hunt for food when grocery prices are sky high. I shall fight for my right to own a gun to protect myself and my family from those criminals with uzi's, and not be thrown in jail for it. I also shall fight to educate our children about gun safety. Those children never exposed to gun safety and hunting training are at a disadvantage when faced with the possibility of a gun within their reach. Mine know what a gun can do and at their young age have a respect for it. I am certain those children protected from the existance of guns do not have the same respect and knowledge.

Fight for your Constitution. Your vote is your voice.

*Stacy

Aside from getting the right skills and experience as a policeman, you should also be able to get the right police gears to help you fulfill your duty diligently. Here are lists of police gears that can help you in your line of work.

Holsters

There are a number of holsters available for you. These are gears where you can place your gun. Holsters should be durable and should keep your gun in a safe and secure place. There are a number of types of holsters that you can buy including duty holsters, tactical holsters, ankle holsters and shoulder hostlers.

Cases and Holders

Your police gears should always be with you in case you need it. There are a number of cases and holders that you can use to keep these accessories in place. You can buy baton holders, chemical spray carriers, flashlight holders, glove pouches, radio and pager pouches, key holders, magazine pouches, badge wallets and a lot more.

Restraints

One of the things that a police should always have with them is a restraint. You should have your handcuffs with you along with your handcuff keys and leg/ waist chains.

Flashlights

Policemen should always have their handy flashlights. There are different kinds of flashlights that you can have including standard ones, rechargeable flashlights, weapon lights and micro lights. Make sure that you have enough supply of batteries with you.

Police Batons

Police gears should include batons. There are basically three types of batons including expandable batons, fixed length batons and training batons.

Apparel and Uniforms

Policemen should always wear complete and appropriate uniforms during their line of duty. The first thing on your list should be body armors, pants and shorts, under gear, 5.11 vest headgear, 5.11 jackets, outerwear, sunglasses, protective gloves and watches.

Pepper Spray

Peppery spray can provide with protection. You can buy police duty spray, personal peppery spray and inert training spray that you can use in case you get yourself in a brawl.

Equipment Bags

With all these police gears, you should invest on a good equipment bag to organize your things. Equipments bag should sturdy and durable enough to hold all your gears. You can use backpacks or patrol bags. You can also buy long gun carry bags.

5.11 Knives

Knives are very important police gears. Not only would it protect you, it can also be used for a number of purposes. Knives come in various shapes, sizes and styles. You can opt to buy folding knives, fixed blade knives,  5.11 TDU training knives or multi-purpose knives.

Metal Detectors

Metal detectors are primarily used to detect guns or knives. You can buy handheld metal detectors that you can use wherever you are.

Gun Accessories

All police men have a gun and there are a lot of accessories that you can buy for it. You can shop for gun slings, gun locks and safe, gun grips and accessories.

When doing your online shopping for police gears, make sure that you compare products and prices to get the best value for your money!

The most important step the Army took, however, was to totally revise the way it trained soldiers and leaders to fight. Note, I'm not talking so much about how they fight, but rather, how they train. One of the first things they did was examine every task a soldier would likely be asked to perform. Now, this sounds pretty simple, but it wasn't. The looked at all the tasks every soldier had to be able to do, then they had to look at all 200 or so of the different MOS's in the Army and come up with the tasks that soldiers in those jobs would have to do.  The Army also had to break these lists down by rank. After all, we expect a Sergeant to know more than a Private.

Using these individual tasks as building blocks, the Army then looked at what each unit, from squad to field army, would have to do. And they had to do this every type of unit, from infantry to quartermaster units that provide shower and laundry services. All of these tasks were written down in a standardized format so a soldier could quickly read and learn what he and his unit were expected to do and train accordingly.

Now, for the manuever units, infantry and armor, there was one little problem. Even if you could look at the book and say a unit was well trained, there is no substitute for going out and fighting war games. But since it is considered bad form to fire live ammunition at your own people, there was little feedback to tell you if you were doing it right. Something more was needed. And so MILES was invented.

MILES is the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System. It is a giant game of Laser-Tag. In fact, Laser-Tag is a ripoff of MILES technology. The basic MILES setup is a harness and a "halo" of laser receivers on each soldier. And his rifle has a small laser mounted on the barrel. Each time you fire a blank, the laser fires a short pulse. If that pulse hits a harness, a beeper on the harness emits a loud, very annoying sound. That sound is to let you know that you are "dead."

Each laser had a small key that had to be inserted for the laser to fire. But if your harness was beeping, the only way to shut it off was to remove the key from the laser and put it in the harness. That way you wouldn't keep fighting after you were "dead."

With this simple gear, an infantry squad could get instantaneous feedback on how well it was doing on a training exercise. But what about units equipped with M-113s, or Bradleys, or tanks?

Well, they thought of that as well. Each vehicle had its own harness. It was fastened to the track with velcro. and each weapon on the vehicle had its own laser. But the important component was the control box. We all know that an M-16 won't destroy a tank. So each laser fired a specially coded pulse. Let's say a Bradley was hit with laser pulses from an M-16. The control box would read the pulses, realize they were from an M-16, and ignore them. But if an anti-tank missile hit the Bradley, the control box would read the signal and electronically "roll the dice" to determine if the vehicle had been killed. If the vehicle was killed, there was a yellow flashing light that would blink. If the control box decided that the hit wasn't a kill, the light would only flash a couple times.

With MILES gear on board, crews of armored vehicles could learn the effect of their gunnery and manuever in a training exercise. The proficiency went up immensely. No other nation in the world had trained their troops as well in armored combat. The payoff was seen in Operation Desert Storm.

Let's first address the issue of my "right" to bear arms, which I was able to exercise as soon as I got my permit to do so. Now, is it just me, or does there seem to be something fundamentally wrong with that last statement? I had to get a permit to exercise a right. Let's take a look at the definition of the word "right"... "that which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, moral principles, etc." By definition, and indeed by principal, it is completely ludicrous to require that a permit be obtained to practice something that is a right. However, as long as this unconstitutional law remains in effect I will continue to abide with its absurdity.

Continuing along the same vein, the issue of the concealed carry of a weapon and the need of a special permit to do so is also an unconstitutional requirement. The requirement of a CCW permit somehow would almost lead a person to believe that jackets and coats did not exist in 1776. Of course they existed then, and they have existed throughout history until CCW laws began to be enacted in the 1980s. It is more than obvious that the founders of our nation, the framers of our Constitution, did not see a difference between bearing arms in the open, or bearing them concealed.

People who do not own a gun or who have an aversion to guns may find blatant violations of the 2nd Amendment as "not a big deal." However, whether a person is a gun owner or not, they should be concerned with the gradual erosion of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Today it may be a right they're not too concerned with, but tomorrow they may find the cross hairs on a right they would consider a big deal, and here's the rub -- all of the Amendments are a big deal, so let's treat them as such.

I'm not worried any longer about McCain coming back from (way, way) behind and winning. I'm not worried that he'll have the chance to continue steering this country into the ground, in the same way he steered so many Navy planes.

I'm not worried about Palin's now-fading alternate future as a female Joe McCarthy in the executive branch. Palin is going to fly back up to Alaska (shooting wolves out the window on her way, no doubt) and resume governing the nation's biggest welfare state (until she's impeached for abuse of power).

What I am worried about, the thing that keeps me awake at night, is the possibility of the assassination of President-Elect Barack Obama.

We've seen the video and heard the audio of McCain supporters in Pennsylvania and Virginia, calling Mr. Obama a "terrorist", shouting "kill him" at the mention of his name. Rabid supporters placing heavy emphasis on his middle name, as if somehow that's some sort of damning evidence against him, a dangerous political exploitation of the Xenophobia that runs rampant in the worst minds and hearts of this country.

Gov. Palin hammers on and on about his connection to William Ayers, one which has been shown to be a tenuous one at best. And in these last seven years, we've been conditioned to believe Muslim extremists are actively plotting to destroy this country one way or another.

As the lies pile up like so much shit around the feet of the leadership of the political right in this country, I find myself wondering how much of a stretch it would be for someone who swallows the tripe wholesale - as the party faithful do so often - to put these messages together and, in the ludicrous belief that they are somehow saving their country, make an attempt on the life of a man they erroneously believe to be a muslim extremist bent on our destruction!

The more and more I hear coming out of the mouths of the McCain campaign, the more and more I read the collections of right-wing forwards that circle the country's inboxes, the larger and larger the heavy ball of worry grows in my stomach. I do not believe that this country, its economy and constitution gravely weakend at the misguided hand of another far-right politician, could withstand that kind of national trauma.

Any man or woman who has knowingly spread these kinds of lies should be held accountable should any assassination or assassination attempt take place. The finger of blame should point squarely at the architects of the house of lies the McCain/Palin campaign resides in. Anyone who has passed along the hate- and fear-inciting emails should be made culpable.

If Mr. Obama should fall by assassin's bullet, the blood - you right-wing party faithful, you vile brainwashed brownshirts, you cowards and liars - shall be on your hands.

The Nuremberg defense will not work, and at the day of reckoning you will be held accountable.

Falei com meu pai de minha ideia e pedi a ele grana pra mim descolar uma guitarra da melhor de todas, a Gibson Les Paul p/ mim tocar Led Zeppelin que nem o Jimi...

Ele comprou pra mim hehe, 10 mil reais...

não aprendi nada e o projeto da banda acabou, nenhum amigo meu comprou instrumento algum e os que conprarão venderam

Eu nem aprendi nada tb, aí em 3 meses vendi minha guitarra por 4 mil no mercado livre...

Gastei tudo já... hehe... comprei um PSP e um DS, MUITO IRADO...

Aí ontem enquanto eu falava com uma roqueira aki no msn, ela disse que eu tinha uma voz legal...

Então tive uma ideia, vou ser vocalista agora, tipo o axl manja?...

Alguem aki manja de preço de microfones? qual é melhor marca e tal?

Folks are wanting to read about Palin. Okay, I got your back on that. Did you ever wonder what the fuck a culture war was? I got your back on that too.

Enjoy.

on palin street: where the old civil war is pronounced the new "culture war"
okay, so sarah palin didn’t tank the vp “debate,” and she is pulling adoring crowds across bible belt, america. shit, in some ways i even dig her. i betcha my mom does too. cuz she’s got spunk. here’s what else she’s got. sarah palin has a civil war bone to pick. and so do her supporters, the militia moms and the joe sawed-off’s of main street.

remember when palin gave that speech at the republican national convention? remember how it catapulted her into a central figure in the presidential spectrum? the day after her speech, the follow the leader pack that is the bulk of american media reported, "Palin Reignites Culture War" (Newsweek, Oct 3), "Sarah Palin Sparks Revival of the Culture War" (U.S. News and World Report, Sept 23), "The Culture War: It's Back" (Salon.com, Sept 15).

so what is this "culture war"?

the culture war emerges on the american political and academic scene during the late 1960’s and then again in the early 1990’s.

culture war version one: the late 1960’s battle for (more than one) ethnic studies

this culture war movement evolved out of the civil rights movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s. the premise: academia was perceived by many to be eurocentric to a fault, at the expense of quality education in any field. this singular ethnocentricity, focused on the ideas emanating from or appropriated by one generalized group, was challenged by the ethnic studies movement. the ethnic studies movement sought inclusion of races, genders, and pop culture into the academic landscape (course offerings, departments, teaching positions, degree options). a defining moment in this culture war came in 1968, when the black student union at san francisco state university conducted the longest student strike in the nation’s history in their fight for ethnic studies inclusion on campus.

culture war version two: the early 1990’s conservative declaration of a moral war

two decades later, the culture war idea re-emerges with the reagan-era conservative movement. it is most definitively marked by pat buchanan’s “culture war speech” delivered at the 1990 republican national convention. buchanan spoke of the culture war as describing two clashing definitions of right and wrong. he said that the cold war was over and the culture wars were at hand with public morality at stake. then, in 1991, author james davidson hunter comes out with the book, “culture wars: the struggle to define america.” hunter and buchanan agreed on their premise—that there were two definable polarities on hot button issues: abortion, gay rights, gun politics, the separation of church and state, civil rights, free market capitalism. and, according to these conservative mouthpieces, the two polarities never really met or mixed. to get a sense of where we are now, it makes sense to reflect on the ultra-rights derision of “the unwisdom” of a “radical left aided by a cultural elite that detests christianity.”

culture war version three: palin and the new civil war

the sunday new york times opinion section featured an article on the new culture war by frank rich. rich reported with some alarm an emboldened american racism and the growing call for obama blood at palin rallies. he writes of "the violent escalation in rhetoric, especially (though not exclusively) by Palin," and through her slurs, "the rhetorical conflation of Obama with terrorism is complete." according to the article, it just doesn't fit a presidential or VP candidate to instigate this anti-muslim lynch mob tide.

and check out what rich uncovered about a "disconcerting" quote used by palin to hail small town america in her pivotal RNC speech. rich found out that the quote was from a man named westbrook pegler, a man famous for "his anti-Semitism, racism and violent rhetorical excess." for example, here's what mid-century columnist pegler phrased his death wish for bobby kennedy, "Some white patriot of the Southern tier will splatter his spoonful of brains in public premises before the snow falls."

said to have re-ignited in 2004, and heavily re-entering the national narrative post-palin’s recent RNC speech, it is clear that the current “culture war” is the new civil war. it is a epic battle on all fronts--spiritual, moral, legal, intellectual, political, economic, generational. it is a near secession movement, a split between two groups, each trying to hold onto their ways of life.

yesterday, hundreds of people in the bay area were present for the annual indigenous peoples day sunrise ceremony at alcatraz. yesterday in new york city hundreds turned out for the columbus day parade in little italy. columbus day in the usa.

columbus and his crew sailed around the world but best selling author thomas friedman said the world was flat. and so the civil war of yesterday is the global split of today. on one hand a global north of experts and benevolence and solutions. on the other, a rising respect for the heretofore infantilized, commodified global south (“emerging,” “developing,” and always, a “market”).

the world is flat. its as flat as the bottom of my brooklyn pre-war apartment’s black porcelain sink and and america is the drain. the forty different races and ethnicities in my high school made us just one sight in a nation sprinkled with similarly diverse and defacto U.N.’s.

the global north and global south are no doubt watching as we, the diplomatic delegations, the new civil war soldiers in the flat global field, fight out yet another battle in the age old clash between control and freedom. equality and dominance.

the battle for the american presidency is but another, albeit crucial, continuance of human beings figuring out how to govern ourselves, feed ourselves, and be with each other in this poignantly beautiful, mortal, world.

peace from your favorite political poet,

roopa/N

1) Gun control just doesn't work. China is an authoritarian country with vast controls over its people, just owning a gun can land you in prison and gun crime is punishable by death! If gun control was going to work, it would here.  But it doesn't:

China may be freer from gun crime than many nations, and official statistics show overall crime on a continuous down trend. Yet, these days, reports about gun crimes turn up as often as several times a week even in the tightly controlled state-run media. The reports are often brief, without much follow-up as cases progress. Still, the splashy gunfights, murders, gun-factory raids and smuggling busts that get reported contrast with China's zero-tolerance stance on guns, and point to changes in criminals' behavior.

2) The rise in the gun culture gives me hope for China moving becoming freer, not necessarily "democracy" as we see it, but freer in the sense of having a more limited role for the government.  As more people become armed or familiar with weapons, the more difficult and costly it will be for China to launch a pogrom against politically incorrect groups.  Having access to guns isn't going to foment a revolution, I don't really think the Chinese people want a revolution (no not even Tibet, the Dali Lama is only asking for special status ala Hong Kong), but more people being armed will serve to expose the limits of the all powerful government's power and give that government pause before resorting to unjust force.

The first issue we need to tackle is gun ownership, we need to let them know that if as a general rule SAPS cannot issue gun licenses within 60 days the current law needs to be “put on hold” and any person who DOES NOT have a criminal record must be issued a gun license. It is insane that law abiding citizens cannot get a license to own a firearm to protect themselves and their family. Gun laws do nothing but keep guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens, no matter what laws are passed the bad guys will still get whatever guns they need.

The handgun ban which removed all legal pistols in the UK hasn’t stopped illegal handguns. In the United States, the States that have laws which state that anyone who does not have a criminal record can carry a concealed firearm are the lowest crime rates. Arizona is a State with such a law, except in Phoenix where you cannot carry a concealed firearm, and Phoenix has the highest crime rate in the State of Arizona. Florida is another State that has such a law, so the bad guys started staking out the Miami International Airport and targeting visitors and rental cars because they knew they did not have guns.

Here is more information on how gun control has failed:

• More guns less violent crime
• False promise of gun control
• Gun Control:Myths & Reality
• Australia one year after gun ban
• Failure of gun laws

I does not matter what party you support, this issue crosses all party lines, I urge you to contact your MP, and the current Minister of Safety and Security  Nathi Mthethwa, and threaten to vote for one of the other parties if they do not do something, the MP’s and cabinet ministers, need to start feeling the rath of the people, if you do not know who your MP is contact me by email and I will find out for you. If you need help with a short letter use this one, insert your information, your MP’s information and mail or fax it, I guarantee you if enough people do this they will listen, the only thing they understand is the threat that you will vote for another party.

So it was something of a surprise when I came across the story of a prisoner that ran from the cops while being returned to prison.  He managed to elude cops on foot and a helicopter long enough to grab some pants and shoes from somewhere and get changed into them despite being handcuffed.  When they found him, he was holed up in a shed and had to be manhandled by the sheriff and some firefighters.  And all this took place in the downtown area of the county seat.

That's the sort of thing that most editors of sedate local rags would drool over given the modern media climate, right?  So why was it buried in the back of the sports section atop the classifieds?  (Note that the paper has only two sections—general and sports.)

I'm still trying to decide if it was a triumph of the hard-nosed, rural newspaper man over the sensationalist tendencies of slick modern media or just another example of the "head in the sand" sort of 1950's sentimentalism that grips a significant portion of the population around here.  Consider the fact that the cover stories for this week's paper were homecoming courts, a nonagenarian sweater-maker, the CROP Walk, a community band honoree, and . . . oh, what's this?  A little blurb about a teenager killed while driving recklessly in the fog.

Huh.

I guess simple incompetence didn't cross my mind.  Of course, this is the same paper that featured a "letter" to the editor that I believe attempted to use "and" as a verb and built up a rambling argument against Obama laced with biblical references before making a hard right (no pun intended) and concluding with a point about gun ownership completely unrelated to the main thrust of the argument.  Oh well, nothing like satisfying the stereotype, I suppose.

Never let it be said that the rural life doesn't have its peculiar entertainments.

This news certainly caught my attention, but this blogger's opinion left me a bit less than thrilled. (Check out the picture to the right for example A)

According to the Wall Street Journal, because fewer and fewer men are going hunting, the sport has started to target women.

Apparently, they're trying everything from "pink guns to gender-specific hunting courses." Also, they're looking for hunting spokeswomen, creating specially-tailored weapons, such as lighter crossbows and apparel makers such as SHE Safari and Foxy Huntress LLC are marketing camouflage expressly to women.

With Leather mentioned that womenhunters.com offers support.

Now, of course, since With Leather is so deeply involved in casting opinion on some of the world's greatest athletes, you'd expect him to make an intelligent comment from all of this, right?

Wrong. Think again.

Here's what With Leather had to say:

"First of all, do NOT waste your time at WomenHunters.com.  I went there expecting tips on hunting women, and it left a lot to be desired.  Why can’t I get a little support here?  I’ve been targeting women for years, and the Wall Street Journal hasn’t written dick about me.  I can’t even get a license.  Apparently hunting women is only legal in Ohio and Texas."

Ah, how refreshed and inspired I feel from reading that.