Sep 29th - This Groove thing is pretty danged cool.  I think I will have a Groove Shared Space for Mad Ogre.  The potential for Groove is amazing.  The ability to share information and ideas and stay connected with friends and family is fantastic.  The promise of the internet is realized in Groove.  Please, go take a look at Groove.  One downside to Groove is that in order to enter a shared space, you must be invited to that space.  Those that wish to try Groove out, can do so and send me an email for an invite into the Mad Ogre shared space. 

28th - Adding new sections and moving some furniture. Got some slight restructuring going on... hang in there.  The new sections are linked above, Movies, Literature, Tech.  These areas will become larger in time... Check back often.

Business Improvement Idea.  We shall be using this idea with my venture project, and I'll be sending this idea out to higher ups today.  I work for an outsource tech support call center.  Our Client is a technology provider for networking and telephony technologies.  We answer calls for technical support for our client's customers.  One of the constant issues we deal with is perception.  The main perception is that we have a disconnect with our customers.  This limits us and our ability to interact and assist the customers.  Perception is everything... Its the way you share your information and the way that the information is received.  One of our client's problems is that it has a perception issue as well.  It's marketing has yielded rather poor results because its not reaching the right audience.  The ad is a vague vision of the future powered by our client, but not indicating anything else.  The target seems to be investors and share holders.  It must make a shareholder feel smug seeing a commercial aimed at them.  The problem is that shareholder and investors DO NOT DRIVE THE MARKET.  The people that drive the market are the computer geeks that buy and use the products.  Screw the shareholders!  Shares are down to like five bucks a pop.  They need ads that reach the people that are going to buy and use the product.  They need an add that shows forward thinking in a way that they can actually USE - not vague idea of the future to buy into.  This client also has an image problem with its customers... there is a disconnect that we both are working very hard to overcome.  Which brings me to my idea.  Technical call centers have not changed in the last 10 years.  We have had improvements in hardware and software and customer management and case tracking tools... but its essentially the same damn thing as it was back when people called in for help about their brand new Apple IIc computer.  My idea is so stunningly simple... its right under our nose. Here it is in a nutshell:  We Partner With Groove Networks.  We use the Groove.net Shared Space for Peer to Peer computing and communication.  We no longer have Call Centers - We have Groove Centers.   The advantages of this set up are multiple.  This goes beyond talking on the phone, and back and forth emails.  This is real-time multilayered communication.  File sharing, sketching, threaded discussion, and live chat.  You really have to go take a look at Groove to really start to understand the potential there.  I've seen it almost a year ago and brushed it off.  The person that showed it to me was using it to play Chess and Dungeons & Dragons and talk about Ever Quest with friends around the world. I was impressed that he was such a geek, and that Groove was a nifty deal... but I didn't catch the real potential. Then recently I was brainstorming about my team's issues at work and trying to come up with an idea that could solve everything.  A master solution.  Then I remembered that red headed geek... Big time Geek.  He was even former NAVY!  (Hey, KevKev - Love ya Bro!  But you still suck at Rogue Spear.)  Groove is needed NOW.  With Groove being used as the interface between Us and our Customers - We can mesh with them seamlessly and problems that used to take a couple days, could now take only a couple hours... or just a few minutes.  This will let our Team Members interface with each other and my team interface with the other teams for a Giant Brain Bank.  The Call Center then becomes a Groove Center and is really one big Think Tank for creating Customer Solutions.  Now, to throw this into the mix for my own venture - I need to talk about this to the other Directors there.  Business Not As Usual.

Where I work... Damn if they are not BLOCK HAPPY.  I was all set and looking forward to running a test group with some test cases.  Problem is that Groove.net is blocked from access.  These guys are blocking damn near everything that they can.  Seriously you can be looking at a page and the block will slam down on it while your looking at it.  There is no reasoning with them or even questioning it... pretty much if you look at a site twice, you can bet it will be getting blocked soon.  I am looking forward to having MadOgre.com blocked in the near future.  Getting a site unblocked?  Right... better luck hitting Satan with a Snowball.  I may bitch about work some times, but really its not bad.  There are some very cool people that I work with and some good benis for being here.  The only problem is this damned internet blocking thing that does nothing more than PISS ME SLAM THE FUCK OFF.  I can understand blocking Porn, which was the reason for this to start.  The problem is that some people got heady with the power and started blocking other things.  "Work Related" is the argument.  Right.  TFL is not work related.  But Neither is CNN or MSNBC, and a myriad of financial sites that allow day trading to go on - or any site that the Surf Controllers want to view... No blocking those!  But hey - Those are not WORK RELATED!  It's just plain discrimination is what it is.  I am being Blocked from gun related websites, and put in the same category as Child Pornographer.  Nice.  I know one guy who QUIT because of this.  Pisses me off - he was a great engineer!  Internet Blocking as a whole is a BAD IDEA... Porn, that's one thing... other things?  Don't Do It.  These guys even blocked Qwest.net!  That's out main ISP out here!  HEAVEN FORBID someone pay a bill online while at work!  Judas Priest.

There is a new Lord of the Rings trailer and this one is the most compelling movie trailer I have ever seen.  I have been very afraid that HollyWierd will totally screw up the story.  They have not made ONE decent movie in a very long time.  Come on, the finest effort they have made all this last year has been Rush Hour 2.  Watching this trailer gives me hope.  It looks damned good!  December 19th, you can bet I will be in line to get tickets! Go to THIS site and download the LARGE ZIP option... Trust me, this is WORTH the download time for you guys on slower connections.  They have done such a fantastic job just on the trailer that it is unbelievable.  That flaming foot you see at the end of the clip, that monster is a daemon called a Balrog.  Should prove to be the most monstrous thing ever filmed next to Eddie Murphy's The Klumps.  I have a good feeling that is will possibly be the finest movie ever made.

One of my all time favorite games has been Rogue Spear.  Especially with the SSW or Nato 3 mods on the Urban Ops expansion.  This game has seen hours of play - Hours at a Time that is.  Now there is a new sequel being developed titled Ghost Recon.  It looks like its going to be nothing but Bad Ass.  Check it out here: http://www.ghostrecon.com/index.php They have a lot of info - but check out those screen shots!  Can you say HIGH POLYGON COUNT?  I knew you could.  Graphics are INSANE.  You can COUNT THE BLADES OF GRASS!  The weapon detail is just amazing.  I want this game. I am actually more than willing to PAY FULL RETAIL for this one!  I have not paid full retail price for anything since Star Craft: Brood War and DIABLO the first one.  This one looks like it might be too intensive for my PC.  If my PC can't play it - The option is to UPGRADE the PC.  Problem is that I don't know if I want to spend any more money on this PC. I am wanting an Apple computer... a PowerMac G-4 with OS-X.1... I don't know if this game can run on a Mac.  Aarrgh!  Upgrade just for the game?  Get the Mac and wait for a Mac compatible version?  Damn it all!  I know... do BOTH!  Why?  Because this game is WORTH IT. 

Sep 27th - Altering the site: Email from Reader: "George, NO! Don't do it!  You do not need to hype up your site.  You're work has a purity that has an attraction all of it's own.  Remember the Army: KISS!  Keep It Simple, Stupid!  I like it just as it is.  Your flash page rocks, by the way.  Keep your powder dry, Eric."  Thanks, Eric.  Your right, I don't NEED to add flash.  But I am wanting to.  A flashier site brings more readers with the hype.  People are often like moths drawn to a flame... or more like ignorant children awed by blinking lights and sparklers.  I tell you what - How about a compromise? How about I just add SOME flash? 

Oh My Hell.  I'm about to puke.  My wife got the last word on my today before I left for work.  She hit the store before and packed me a brown bag lunch.  I pull out a Cherry Cola... Not bad.  Then a Go-yurt... Uh, okay, am I 4? Oh well... no problem.  Then out pops an apple pie.  Cool.  Then out comes two frozen burritos.  HALT!  What the hell are these?  Huston, We have a problem!  Thank heavens we had organized today as a Pizza day here with my team.  We are ordering out for some Papa Johns pizza.  I AM SAVED!  Whew - Ogre just dodged a bullet! 

Starting some of the reconstruction right now.  New flash page is up as a reminder to myself to keep on this. Right now I am looking for some suitable images for certain things and if I can't find them - I'll make them.  Restructured and edited a few things... Take a look around. 

The HAWG Farm project is DOA.  None of the Directors have the time or resources to commit to the venture.  The Domain name is for sale.

Yesterday my oldest Son, 7 years, noticed that all the flags are no longer at half mast.  We explained the reasons for lowering the flags and that its time to raise them up again.  He observed that instead of lowering them, we should have raised them even higher.  Smart kid. 

Mrs. Ogre is learning how to create a web page.  She has a page she is tinkering with.  Wanna see it?  She wanted to try this after some debate over this site.  I had explained the changes that I want to make here and the neat "effects" that I wanted to do.  She questioned why I wanted to change my presentation when I had made an effort to keep this site as simple as possible.  I had no real valid rationalization other than whim.  This sparked her creative mind and decided she wanted to try her hand at learning web creation.  We share email (like everything else) so if you would like to give her some feedback that would great.  I have been using MS FRONTPAGE for this site as a matter of utility.  Yesterday I downloaded Dream weaver Ultra Developer 4.  At first it looked complicated but with some tinkering with it I realized that this highly acclaimed software is really no better than Front Page.  At least I can't see anything that Dream weaver can do that Front Page can not. Buttons and Image Mapping and all that...  To be honest my favorite WYSIWYG editor has been Fusion 4.0 because it lets you position an item such as an image EXACTLY where you want it, and not to the editors defaulted positions.  Maybe you can do that with Front Page, but I don't know how.  I like Fusion's drag and drop positioning.  EASY.  Front Page is great at text content like what I am currently doing... And really everything I am wanting to do with it can still be done via Front Page as well.  I don't see any pressing need to change software. However when I get my PowerMac G4 then I will change EVERYTHING.  Anyways.  Her site is pretty good for a "shake and bake" site.

Yesterday's mail brought 4 brand new stainless 8 rounder 1911 .45 magazines.  Thanks. I am looking forward to testing these out soon.  I'll write a review of them after I have shot with them.     

Yeah, the 26th was a great day.  Today?  27th?  So far it sucks to a level that I might just go back to bed and call the whole thing off until the 28th.

Sep 26th - Zoo Day!  Had a pretty good time up that the Hogle Zoo. The Zoo was free for all the schools in the area so Mrs. Ogre, being a teacher and all was tasted with assisting the kiddies up there.  Ogre went too.  Ogre likes the Bears.  Ogre had a staring contest with a Puma.  Ogre won because the Puma just got bored of it.  The Zoo is a neat place full of Dangerous and Delicious animals.   

 Updated the Ogre Off Road page.  I have some pics that I was able to toss up.  Props to Sage (My Bro-In-Law) for bringing down the digital camera.  Bring it back soon.  Spectre, take a look at your Samurai.  We need to find a top.  I've had ZERO luck finding a top. Hard or Soft.  The one hard top I did find was thrashed beyond repair... Totally un useable.  The heater core was rusted... I'll be searching junkyards for one.  If there are any MadOgre.com readers with a Samurai in a state of disrepair - let me buys some parts from you.  The thing about these Sams are that there are only two kinds.  Ones beloved, and ones totaled in a junk yard.

Updating the Political Section.  Have something new in there.  Check it out.  A vision George Washington had.  It's interesting.

Here is a chance for you to shoot Bin Laden.  A little Java based game that's pretty funny.

Sep 24 - What have I been telling you people?  Check this shit out - The Fed has just admitted that military action against Iraq is probable. Helms, a top dog there on Capitol Hill has made the statement to CNN.  Go Read HERE.  In your ear American Patriot, bloody git.

Friend of mine called to ask where he could pick up a Taurus PT145.  Gave him a couple suggestions, but I think he already checked out the best place... Gunnies.  Anyways, about the gun.  The PT145 is one of the best subcompact double action .45s you could get.  Thing kicks butt. Its a current thread subject at TFL.  Check it out.  I hope he gets it.  His only other pistol is a .22 Colt Cadet.  Nice little .22 but it doesn't make for a great self defense pistol.  He needs a .45 desperately and the PT145 is a fantastic one. 

Funny, he called back an hour later from home with the PT145 in his hand.  Sounded like a Proud Papa!  Kudos Sting!  Taurus has with out question - the best customer service in the gun industry.  Others can be very good - but nothing like Taurus.  If I was going to go buy a compact .45, that's what I would have got too.  Thinking about that to feed the 145... I'm thinking some 185 grain Gold Dots would be great.

Sep 22 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail, one of my favorite movies.  If you enjoy it too... check this out.  They eat Ham and Jam and Spam a lot...  Enjoy.

 Project Jack.  Okay!  The engine is now back up to snuff!  The Carb is done and it is now working as it should. With all new plugs, and a Moble 1 oil filter and Moble 1 5W-30 oil, it is running better than ever.  The old fuel filter was pretty much gone.  I replaced with a new one and then cracked open the old one.  These fuel filter are made in Israel, so I was curious.  The old paper element had gone to peaces and hunks of it were clogging the works.  These filters are also the only PLASTIC fuel filters that I have ever seen.  Anyways, the filter job took only a couple minutes and the new one has made a huge difference.  The engine actually sounds pretty damned snarly!  I'm still designing a new intake system for it... I've totally removed the old system parts and opened up a large area that will let me build it however I want.

Operation Infinite Justice is underway.  The nations military might is moving out and on the way to the all too familiar Persian Gulf region.  We are over there so much there starting to build 7-11s and strip malls.   The only hard part is finding just what needs to be attacked.  The interesting aspect is not the action it's self but how we are doing it.  A great number of our forces are going to be staging out from behind the Iron Curtain... Former Soviet states.  This hasn't happened since WWII.  Very interesting.  Evidently my "Former Spook Father" has been very busy lately with 3 hour trips for milk (The damned store is around the corner - you could throw a rock at it) and other things... can't talk about it.  I could tell you but then my Dad would have to kill you.  Code Named "WHITE NINJA" he can't even tell MOM what he is up too.  Interesting that he comes out of "Retirement" when all the sudden we have troops going into Soviet areas.  Funny, he also used the phrase Infinite Justice long before that phrase came out on the news... 

 21st - SPECIAL ALERT!  Open up MS WORD and type in Q33NYC (in all caps) then change the font to point size 22 and the font to WINGDINGS.  Here is what it looks like.  Q33NYC = Q33NYC.  Now, as disturbing as that is... It looks to be just a hoax, coincidence or whatever... Nobody uses WINGDINGS anyways right?  Then, just for giggles, I plug Q33 into GOOGLE.  Here is what GOOGLE gave me: http://islam.org/dialogue/Q33.HTM  "Surah 'TAUBA' - " As for those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend the same in the service of Allah's cause, give them the tidings of painful sufferings. A day will certainly come when these shall be heated up in the fire of hell and their foreheads, sides and backs shall be branded with them. They will be told : "This is what you have stored up for yourselves; taste, then, what you have hoarded." (Surah 9; Verses 35-36 ) Commentary by Sayyid Qutb."

A gift arrived via priority mail yesterday.  To my surprise it was a new knife.  A Kershaw Boa. The Boa is designed by one of the best knife makers on the planet, Ken Onion.  Clean smooth lines that just fit the hand perfectly. I've wanted the Boa since I first heard about it while surfing Bladeforums.com where Ken Onion is a member and often discusses his knives.  He posted up some pics a long time ago and I just plain fell in love with it.  Kershaw is manufacturing the knives for Ken so that normal people can have one.  A Ken Onion original often costs the same as a new 1911!  Now, for over a year and a half I have carried a Benchmade Mini AFCK M2 almost exclusively.  Fantastic little knife.  This Boa - WOW!  Just plain awesome.  It's every bit as good as I expected this unexpected gift to be.  Very sharp right out of the box. The recurved blade makes the most of it's length, allowing the cutting edge to be on the material being cut for as long as possible.  There is no choil that could stall a cut either, letting this knife cut to its max potential.  There is a lot of potential too. The blade steel is flat out the BEST blade steel out there.  I thought the M2 high speed tool steel of my Mini AFCK was perfect.  Oh, it's good steel alright. But CPM440V is just unbelievable.  Hard as hell, coated with a titanium coating that actually makes the surface steel even harder.  Hardened aluminum scales, dimpled for a good grip and blackened for a low profile while riding in your pocket.  This knife is perfect for work because its under the allowed length for bringing to work, it rides low and doesn't attract attention.  Now for the bonus. It has the Speed Safe mechanism.  Perfect!  This isn't my first Ken Onion Kershaw, the first was the Black Out... Loved it.  Hope this isn't my last either! A special thanks goes out for this... You rock, my friend.

Chicken shit.  I don't know why people think they can lecture me about courage and patriotism when they continue to do so from an aliased hotmail account.  That pretty much defines "Chicken Shit".  Also, I don't understand who some dickless geek can try to talk about Patriotism with out having served.  To try to impugn my own service as "Nothing more than a Ground Pounder" when all he has ever pounded was his own private parts.  Yeah, Your a big brave man there American Patriot - You told me!   Geeze... What a loser.  What did YOU ever do for the country?  What?  Like you flew F-15 Eagles or something?  BS.  Your a weasel, a little computer geek that doesn't know squat and your continued emails are nothing more than amusing evidence of your mental incompetence... I say "It's All About The Infantry" and then you come back with "Who Won The Last War? And the next one will be done with Black Ops."  Idiot, you can not win a war with out the people on the ground... A Man with a Rifle is what is needed to take ground and hold ground... Everything else supports that man.  Black Ops?  Do you know what that is?  Its guys on the ground with guns that sneak into places that they shouldn't be able to sneak into and then the make loud noises and break things and then try to sneak out... All with out Congressional knowledge or approval before hand and afterwards kept under a security classification such as Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret depending upon the level of security required.  Basically Ground Pounders being sneaky. Wars can not be won by just airpower alone... Didn't work in Kosovo did it?  We had our air power all over eastern Europe and it didn't do a damned bit of good did it?  Well, when one guy in an F-16 got shot down (because it should have been an A-10 up there not a fragile little F-16) and made it out he became a national hero - so I guess that was a good thing for him.  What did we really do?  Took out a few guns, trucks, things like that.  Did it change anything?  No, it didn't because we didn't have the INFANTRY on the ground to effect and enforce our policy.  Bill Clinton and yourself never will understand that.  "But you'll never learn, you'll be a eunuch all your life"  (From "A Funny Thing Happened on the way the Forum")  Ground Pounders?  Damn Right. 

George W Bush's speech last night was damned near the best presidential speech I have ever heard. Read the full text here:

Good evening my fellow Americans.
First, I want to pass on my condolences to the people of New
York and all Americans that are hurting in this tragic time. You can
rest assured that anything and everything that can be done to assure the
safety of our country will be done. This is the greatest country in the
world and we will get through this trying time. Now is the time for all
people to set aside our petty differences and show the world that no one
or nothing can destroy the fortitude of the American people.
To the people responsible for today's tragedy, I say this: Are
you kidding me? Are the turbans on your heads wrapped too tight?
Have you gone too long without a bath? Do you realize just who
you are screwing with? Americans are so hungry to kill, that we shoot
at each other every day. We will relish that opportunity for new
targets for our aggression. Have you forgotten history? What happened to the last people
that started fucking around with us? Remember the little
yellow bastards over in Japan? We slapped them all over the Pacific and
roasted about 2 million of them in their own back yard. That's what we in
America call a big ass barbecue. Ever seen Texas on a map? Ever wonder why it's so big?
Because we wanted it that way,… Mexico started jacking around
with us at the Alamo and now they cut our lawns. England? We sent them
packing. Ask your buddy Saddam about fucking with the good 'ole USA.
The only reason he got away the first time is because it's too
hard to shoot someone when you're doubled over laughing at
them. Our soldiers aren't trained to laugh and shoot at the same time. Now he couldn't stop
a troop of Boy Scouts from taking over his crappy little country.
Trust us, Afghanistan will end up a Giant Kitty Litter box.
Go ahead and try to hide, Bin Laden, We will come and get you! You think
you are Safe?? Just go and ask Noriega about that!!! There's
not a hole deep enough or a mountain high enough that's going
to keep your sorry camel riding asses safe. We will bomb
every inch of whichever country harbors you, your camps and
any other place that looks and even smells like you were there. Hell, we might
even drop a few bombs on people that have pissed us off in the
past. This is America. re We kick ass. This is what we do. Go
ahead and laugh now, but the Tomahawks are coming and we will
smoke your sorry asses.
God bless America!

Okay, Okay, that wasn't the real speech... you can catch that here at foxnews.com

This page is getting pretty lengthy.  I tossed the earlier hunk of it into the archives.  You can catch it here.

Sep 20th - Back to the Macs again... I am playing with a PowerMac 6360.  This Mac is a total pile of shit.  I borrowed this one.  A fellow at work who has 6 Macs lent me this one to mess around with.  I had come to know Macs a long time ago.  You had to boot them up with a flopping disk back then.  And this Mac (after the sans floppy boot up) is just like it... This one has had the memory harvested out of it, so it has just a small handful of megs... can't do much at all and is very slow.  That's okay, I am just checking out the interface and functions of the OS.  Yup.  It's just as I remembered Macs to be like.  User Friendly.  Great graphics (even on this POS) and there is just something very slick about it.  Maybe its the lack of DOUBLE CLICKING? I don't know.  This is MAC OS 8.5 and it seems to be every bit as robust and useful as Win 98SE, ME, or 2000.  I have been looking at XP and XP for a Windows OS on a PC - is very cool.  I like it a great deal.  As cool as XP is, I can't get it to intall on my PC... Have to upgrade that BIOS.  Anyways, XP looks like a Mac OS-X wanna be.  X is THAT COOL.

Had a question: "Do you post every email you get?"  The answer is NO.  Hell, I don't even read every email I get.  If its about MadOgre.com, I try to read them... Emails from dipshits get a filter put on them so they don't waste my time.  I only post either interesting ones, or relevant ones.  What ever I feel like doing.  This isn't an institution with rules.  I make this shit up as I go along.  Why?  Because I can.  This is my website and can do anything with it that I want! <Evil Maniacal Laughter>BWAA HAAA HA HA HA HA!!! </Evil Maniacal Laughter>

I KNEW IT!  Hell, even OLD Macs are better than PCs!  Email from a reader: "George. I have been reading your rants for the past few days. I think you have nailed it thinking Saddam was behind this. Watching the news and briefings from the White house I believe we are going to hit Iraq within the next few days. (Old Army training in prefix "E" classes) The business with Bin Laden is a deception to draw attention away from the real target. We do not have enough military left to do another Desert Storm so this will be a strike of some type to take out Saddam quickly. Bin Laden will be dealt with in time by Afghan rebels supported by Special Forces teams. I think you should definitely go with a Mac. My wheezy G3 233MHz is still able to keep up with just about everything I need to deal with, although I am still stuck with OS8.5 it still beats PCs. No worry about the viruses either. But then I just like being different. Too bad about the cretins on TFL, but it is much worse on other boards. I have given up on Glock talk and AR15.com because of this. Nice website!"  Hey, thanks.  I'll be back to TFL... You can't quit Family.  We are seeing a lot of "Pay No Attention to the man behind the curtain!" <Blatant Wizard of OZ reference.  The Talking heads and the Pentagon do not want it to get out main stream that Saddam is the Man.  Remember my rants about the Single Asshole Theory?  They pin everything on one asshole and then take care of him and its all over.  Clean Ending. "CUT! That's a wrap!"  But real life doesn't work that way.  In real life there are people who are behind things that the S.A.T. try to hide.  In this case its Saddam.  Why are they hiding this?  Well, it could be from some very good reasons.  CNN would spill the whole story and Saddam would go into hiding or something... put out forces at risk.  Let ABC and CNN and all the rest keep on Bin Laden... While we really go after everything else too.  Your right - absolutely correct - Special Forces will be having fun in the desert very soon if not already.  Again - Thanks for the Email.  See you on TFL.

I am proud of Mrs Ogre.  She kicks ass. While I was out running around town, an email came in that set her off.  Some Dumbass under the alias "American Patriot" seemed to think he could write me some bullshit.  Let me just show you what they said:  American Patriot's message - "I was looking at your site when what I saw brought me to write this letter.  One thing stands out, you want heads and your brothers are in the Guard but you don't want your brothers in the line of fire.  Just who do you want there then defending you?  Just who do you want there to take justice for the 5,000 plus innocent people who lost their lives?  Why did your brothers join the Guard in the first place.  Just to get an extra paycheck?  I think not, your brothers are more of a man than you could ever hope to be.  You mentioned a concern that you were scared that you would be recalled to active duty.  Highly doubtful since you have been out for more than the required time in the inactive reserve and to top it off, you are over 30 and nothing more than a ground pounder when you were in the service some 10 years age.  Your words also show your ignorance.  The people of Afghanistan and Iraq live in abject poverty.  They are already helpless, hungry and hurting.  You have also totally bypassed the one person and state government believed to be responsible.  You say bomb Iraq, what about the Taliban that actively supports terrorism and gives aide and comfort to terrorists?  What about bin-Laden?  He has in the past been linked to terrorist acts not only in this country but others as well. You obviously do not listen to our leaders.  If Iraq has in the past given aide and comfort to terrorists and continues to do so, they will be next in line for justice.  But the first thing we need to focus on is bin-Laden and Afghanistan since they are the ones directly responsible for this current crisis.  Saddam will be next if proof is found that he was behind this.  People are willing to jump into this because over 5,000 innocent lives were taken.  You obviously are not.  Our young men and women are willing to step  up and force terrorists to stand accountable for their actions.  You obviously are not.  Our veterans, this one included, are more than willing to be recalled to active duty to insure that justice is carried out.  You obviously are not.  Our veterans know that the American people are still in danger of being attacked.  This veteran is willing to take the chance and be killed in a terrorist attack, knowing full well that this great country will seek justice for that act.  You obviously are not.  Our allies are willing to stand by us. You obviously are not.  The Four Horsemen?!  What an retarded thing to say.  The country that we going after that is known for no human rights was only recognized by three countries of the world.  That is now two.  Saudi Arabia has broken off diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.  Pakistan has closed it's borders.  I do not know what the United Arab Emirates position is at this time.  The Four Horseman?!  Our own President's words.  "We have Muslim, Jew and Christian standing side by side in our Coalition.  Not much for the Four Horsemen? Signed, An American Patriot"  Wow. That's some load of bullshit there.  One thing stands out - He said I was "NOTHING MORE THAN A GROUND POUNDER"  And you say I show my ignorance?  Moron, Its all about the INFANTRY.  Everything else is just SUPPORT.  Who the hell is Bin Laden other than a HIRED THUG?  He is SMALL TIME.  Why bother with him?  Yeah, lets kill him, and sack the Taliban too... but only while we are on the way to get the motherfucker that HIRED HIM.  Of course I don't listen to our leaders... as I said before, I'm an Anarchist.  Fuck the Leaders.  I am a patriot, believe in the nation and have saluted the flag in the past... but I remain as always an Anarchist as I feel that the Government is totally fucked up.  Almost as much as you are.  And don't say a fucking word about my Brothers.  That's even worse than talking about my Momma. You don't know dick about my family.  As an American Patriot, before you call another one to task - you best have your ducks in a row.  I don't have the time to respond to the rest of this guy's spew.  Especially if he doesn't even have the balls to use his real name.  What the fuck is up with that?  American Patriot?  As if he is the only one?  Idiot.  Here is what Mrs. Ogre said before I got home: "You have made a great error in your judgment of this man. You like the rest of the mob will jump to conclusions and act without thinking all in the name of  "our country". You so nobly and full of patriotism are "willing to take the chance and be killed in a terrorist attack" To what end and purpose? To put your name on the death roll? And what would you have achieved by this? Nothing, but make someone else "who is full of patriotism" die to justify your death and where does this end? It is irrational thinking. No, what you have misjudged in Mad Ogre as cowardliness, is cold, deliberate, and calculated justice. He has served his country well and will do so again when the need arises. He KNOWS what war is like. It is an ugly thing to be avoided and when our freedom is at stake to be fought - honorably. He has set an example for his brothers whom you bestowed so much courage to -when all they have done is endured some training courses. He has seen death first hand, he has taken lives under order of the President whom you say he doesn't listen to.  I don't believe in sending the masses out to kill and destroy the enemy and themselves as well. Mad Ogre, doesn't want to see his brothers fight, He would protect them, He would defend them as he would his family here at home. He has five young boys under the age of 8. His concern (not fear) comes from leaving them. He teaches them to be true Americans, He teaches them the value of freedom, and responsibility for their actions. He is needed here at home to help raise up a generation of true Americans with values that were set down by our founding fathers. To lead them and set the example for them. It would be hard to do this if he "gave his life in a terrorist attack". No, that is not Mad Ogres way. If he had his way, he would lead a team of snipers right to the source, and take out the key people and leave the enemy without a "heart" and they would soon die. Mad Ogre never has been, and is not a coward. He is just very deliberate in his actions. When he does act out someone his left hurting. I love this man. He is an honorable man as I am sure you are to. It saddens me that our fellow Americans are joining in the attack against Americans. Everyone is so quick to strike out against a differing opinion, or a different skin color or a different religion -just differences! At the same time we are slow to realize that at heart all we want is what everyone else wants - a free country. It is our differences that we are fighting for, protecting, and giving our life for,  it is our freedom to BE who we are that we are defending. So my question is. How can we defend something that we are so quick to attack? How can we win? Help me and my husband stop the attack on other Americans. Mrs. Ogre"  You can see why I love her!  She dislikes idiots as much as I do.  That, and she shoots a .45 better than most people I have seen. She has more American Spirit than any self proclaimed Patriot.  BTW, a title such as PATRIOT is something that someone else gives you, you don't give it to your self.  Its not that cheap.  "Patriot" is a badge of honor. You EARN IT.  I've earned it.  Have you?

Okay - I can't just quit TFL.  The guys at TFL are FAMILY and you just can't quit family.  I'll be back.

Sep 19th - MAC ATTACK.  I have been looking into the possibilities of switching from a PC to a MAC.  Now, I have a killer good PC.  Its an AMD ATHALON 700 chip, 128 megs of ram, a Gforce 32 meg card, and sundry other goodies... However, I want a MAC.  I would even take an IMAC.  Reading up on OS-X just makes my techno-geek mouth water.  I need a G-4 Mac running OS-X, this goes beyond mere want... its a NEED.  There are a great many features that I like about the Mac, but one thing is it's unadulterated SPEED.  Despite what rapid PC fans say, Macs are just plain faster and do everything better.  For the money I spent on my PC, I could have had a Mac.  Damn.  Good news is that Mac prices are dropping because of both the Market, and because there are some killer cool new Macs about to come out.  I just want a G4 with lots of RAM and OS-X.  Is that too much to ask?

New Image on the Politics page.  Nothing else really new there as I have said everything here that I wanted to about politics.  So that section is a bit neglected.  So it Weapons... I am planning on doing a few reviews there but I have not got around to it.

Triple Dog DAMN!  The Samurai that I am rebuilding is going to need some serious engine work.  I was stress testing the cooling system just now.  I had removed the hood all together and was standing in front of the little rig while letting the engine run.  Did not sound good at all.  In fact, it sounded totally different than when I ran it before... I think flushing the coolant may have done something internally.  If not the coolant, then maybe it might have something to do with the TWO GOLD COINS I FOUND IN THE CARB!  Yeah... Coins... Gold colored... Two of them.  In the Carb.  What the hell?  Not real gold coins - the kinds you get at the Arcades.   I have no idea why it all the sudden sounded so vastly different... I'm not going to have to perform open heart surgery on Jack (The Samurai).  Crack open the engine and see what is inside.  *Sigh*  This project is now going to take a lot longer than I thought.  That's okay... I needed a hobby, and Spectre needs a Samurai.  I have located 2 other units that I can cannibalize for some of the parts I will need... Both are in A LOT worse condition than Jack is.  Neither one could ever be rebuilt.  That's too bad, because after I finish Jack, I'll probably be wanting to build my own!  And THAT ONE will be painted YELLOW!  I'm talking BRIGHT YELLOW.  Like, "Damn, THAT'S YELLOW!" kind of yellow.  Now that I have said that color 4 times, I'll stop.  Jack is going to be a dark grey.  Subtle, muted, and not to bring any attention to its self.  However some parts of it will.  Like the Diamond Plated skirting that I am planning on doing.  I have to do something due to some rusting.  The factory trim parts along the bottom under the doors will not be salvageable or replaceable, but I can put some Diamond Pate along there and it will look AWESOME.  I've seen two other Samurais with that and it is THE WAY to go...  Once I get that engine up to snuff.  The intake system on a stock Sami is just about the most retarded that I have ever seen.  The pathways are just TOTALLY screwed up.  Its like the Intake system wasn't just poorly designed, but designed as a JOKE on American buyers.  I have sketched out a new intake system that will perform a lot better.  The trick is to not just give it a free flowing and unrestricted intake, but to keep the preheating system and improve that as well.  If I don't improve that - then it will have problems during Alaskan winters.  That little engine just wont be able to heat up. Reminds me.  I need a hotter thermostat for it.  Fabricating the new Intake System is only problematic.  BOLO:  Doors.  Jack needs new doors.  The doors on them are fine accept the outside door handles.  All the replacement kits I have seen for it so far are for the INSIDE handles and not the Outside.   It would actually be a lot easier to just replace the whole door.  I am VERY tempted to put on the soft half doors designed for off roading - but then poor Spectre would be freezing his nuts off when he takes it up to Alaska.

RUSH LIMBAUGH is a MAD OGRE READER!  I don't listen to Rush very often... maybe 10 minutes a month.  But this morning I tuned in for a bit and what did I hear?  He was practically QUOTING me!  Does this mean that MadOgre.com is a part of the EIB Network?  I don't know.  He brought out for the first time that Sadam did it...  What have I been telling you people?  So if Rush has his Ditto Heads.. what do I have? Ogre Heads!  That's right, Rush in an Ogre Head!  He was pretty much regurgitating everything I was saying back on the 17th.  I think that's pretty cool.  Do I like Rush?  Yes and No.  Yeah, he is pretty much okay for a pompous, self-congratulatory, windbag... but he is also very much a tool of the Robber Barons.  Some of his views just plain piss me off.  Others I reservedly agree with.   One thing I agree with is his view for developing more Oil resources within the US.  Now, I know this is going to REALLY piss off someone at my work... Gretha, I love ya, but we have got to DRILL ALASKA.  Why?  Because we need to be able to split off of OPEC and all the middle east oil.  This is a National Security issue now.  While we are getting Alaskan Oil flowing at its peak production we can tap into the oil resources in Utah and Colorado.  Develop that.  And while all that is going on we need to freakin get on the ball and develop real battery technology that will allow us real and viable electric powered vehicles.  And this means Nuclear Energy.  Clean and Safe Nuclear Power.  What do we do with the waste?  Shoot it to the moon and get something useful out of the Space Program.  Huh? We can't do that?  Fuck the moon!  What has it given us?  I say turn that big ass thing into a landfill for radioactive waste.  Right now.  One good thing will be that it will stop the Martians from using it as a base to attack us from!  Screw them!

HATE.  There is a lot of people talking about HATE.  Mostly people hating the Muslims, and Muslims hating is.  What is disturbing is the hate that has showed up within the US against people with Arabic blood... even Eastern Indian people are becoming targets of Hate.  Hate in this way is a very bad thing.  Hate can be an evil thing.  Now, Hate can by used.  If you use your brain and focus your hate not on all Muslims, but on the authors of the terror - then it can be a tool.  Hate, like a fire, needs to be controlled carefully or it can destroy you and everything else in your life.  I caution people against hate and even using the word hate.  For good or bad, hate is always an ugly thing.  Use your heads people.

Late last night I got a little pissed off while on The Firing Line.  Flamed a few members, cussed a good deal, and was generally hostile.  I don't tolerate the Nuke'm All Nuts.  Those morons just pissed me off.  Normally I can respect others opinions.  Even Liberal opinions.  But these guys who want to just nuke off the entire planet are below contempt.   Not everyone at TFL is a Nuke Nut, actually only a few are.  A handful of Short-Bus rejects from other discussion groups like HardCoreTalk.com, or McUzi.com.  (Two of the WORST sites I can think of and no - I wont make links to those septic pools) TFL is still the best there is.  Maybe in the future I'll pop back in and see whets going on.

Sep 18th - Email from reader: "Greetings, Mad Ogre!  I was sent your website address from Nancy Herrington in Georgia.  She is the Executive Vice President of Women Against Gun Control. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the stuff on your website.  In fact, I've even laughed out loud...that's hard to get people to do.  It's a lot easier to make people cry.  It's nice to know that there are people who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, no matter how politically incorrect it may be. It's guys like you that will preserve our freedom in America.  Keeping fighting for what you believe in--especially the right to private individual firearms ownership! Best regards,  Janalee Tobias, President, Women Against Gun Control"  Thank you Janalee and Nancy... HEY WAIT A SEC, I'm NOT FUNNY! Kidding.  Sometimes you have to have some humor... especially these days. Being incorrect is a Mad Ogre specialty and doing so politically is just a bonus. 

Today required some special lunch break activities... That 1911 acquired by my friend needed some breaking in.  We went to the AF Gun Range (No link because they have no site - lamers) and shot a fast box of 50 through it and my own Government Model.  His new weapon performed very well, with no failures to fire or other stoppages.  In fact, his very first shot was RIGHT IN THE X.  No, not the X Ring - THE X... BULLSEYE!  Kudos to him!  Smooth action and crisp trigger... I was very impressed with it.  Safari Arms, and this is just a Parkerized MILSPEC version.  I would love to see a full house custom by these guys.  Very nice shooter.  He did have one issue - the Magazine release is a bit sticky, and the mag that came with it did not want to leave the well.  It would unlatch and move a few fractions of an inch and then hang.  I swapped the magazine out with my own Springfield mag, and that solved that problem.  The Springfield magazine worked just fine in his gun... and his magazine worked just fine in my Springfield 1911A1.  So we made that as a trade.  I think a little Dremmel Tool will fix that magazine just right.  Anyway, showed him some pointers and things and he really did a great job... One Ragged Hole!  KUDOS!

Speaking of Magazines... After about a half dozen TFL Gatherings in Utah, My collection of 1911 magazines has been reduced to JUST 1.  If any Utah TFL'ers have picked up any spare mags... Let me know.  Its hard doing a tactical reload with no reload!  Them mags are getting spendy... They are not any fancy mags, 2 of them regular Colt pattern mags, Blued.  1 blued with a Metalform rounded follower.

So, I'm walking into work.  Okay, I lied... I'm hobbling in with a damned cane to work.  (Stupid freakin sprained ankle) and all day long I get "Hey George, Howya Doin."  I always replied "Outstanding" which is my default response (more on that later) but on the INSIDE I was thinking "How am I doing?  I'll tell you how I am doing... I'm in fucking PAIN! That's how I am doing!  Every time I step down with my right foot I want to cry just like Rose O'Donnell when she gets to the bottom of the KFC bucket! That's How I am Doing!  Moron!"  But I really can say that - They are not morons, because they are all Networking Engineers and are thus damn near some of the smartest people who I have ever met.  And I am one of the bosses there so that just goes to show you that everyone there is really fucking brainy and I cant really call anyone there a moron.  And that just pisses me off all over again.  I need to hire a total idiot - just so I can tell him "How am I doing?  I'll tell you how I am doing... I'm in fucking PAIN! That's how I am doing!  Every time I step down with my right foot I want to cry just like Rose O'Donnell when she gets to the bottom of the KFC bucket! That's How I am Doing!  Moron!"  It has to be a He - cause I wouldn't say that to a Her.  She'd kick my ass... and my Daddy would fly out here and whip me to death with his metal-ring belt if I hit a girl, so I would have to let her kick my ass.  And that just pisses me off all over again.

"OUTSTANDING" In Basic Training I had a Drill Sergeant named Drill Sergeant Fields.  All Drill Sergeants are named Drill Sergeant something or other.  And DO NOT call them "Sir" or they will attack you in numbers like a pack of Hyenas and verbally lash you until you wither and cry.  They can do that.  More on that later.  Where the hell was I?  Ah, Fields.  Fields was this skinny little Asian Airborne Ranger from Honolulu that looked like Yule Brenner (The King & I)  was about 125 pounds and could pick up a HUMVEE and throw it at you. His favorite word was "OUTSTANDING!" and could say it really cool... "OouutStaaannnnnding!" Just like how Yule might say it.  He would say it after you answered any question as if that's exactly what he wanted to hear.  If you happened to be wrong, it was still Outstanding because that meant he was now going to climb right up your ass.  He was one tough bastard Fields was.  I never saw him sweat.  In fact, none of us ever saw him do anything even remotely human.  He, like other Drill Sergeants are actually not human.  They are really Daemons from deep within hell.  They can do things real people only dream of... Like be on the other side of the barracks, hear you drop your firing pin, and within THREE STEPS be in your face yelling at you at full volume.  Drills are meta-cool.  Anyways, when I say "Outstanding" its because I really want to throw a HUMVEE at you for asking me dumbass questions like "Howya Doin?" when its obvious that I am limping and in pain!  Moron!

Sep 17th - What a horrible, miserable weekend.  Started out nice... Went to the gunshow and helped a buddy get hooked up with a fantastic deal on a Safari Arms 1911.  Enjoyed the show all together.  Well, that was the highpoint of the weekend... because then I went and got myself a 2nd degree sprain in my right ankle.  That wasn't so bad I guess.  At least I wasn't actually lit on fire or anything.  Last night while reclining on the couch, I was enjoying a foot message from my lovely and sadistic wife.  Everything sounds fine?  Sure it does.  She decides that my toenails could use a trim.  Whiling giving me this pedicure she clips a bit too shallow and gives me a nice pinch.  It just hurt a smidgeon and I only gave her a little flinch.  This wasn't good enough for her so she then finds a hangnail and rips it out all the way up to my kneecap... Ouch.  But no worries.  She then says that she needs to put some Witch Hazel on it... and soaks the wound.  No, this wasn't the Hazel stuff.  This was rubbing alcohol.  Now I gave her a good yelp to which she seemed satisfied.  I should have yelped at the pinch!  As much as the weekend sucked - At least the Cherokee didn't need any work.  Drove very well all the to the show and back.   Tinkered with the Samurai some more - that is until I discovered that my ankle went on strike.

Doing some light reading I came across some things that really amused me.  I have to post this information here because its the Mad Ogre's duty to inform the public.  One was Eric Conveys an Emotion.  This is a guy with too much time on his hands.  Someone please take this guys digital camera away from him.  Kidding.. Its pretty funny. And even better was Robot Frank.  Maybe its my painkillers, but I laughed my ass off.  Robot Frank is pretty cool.  If I didn't have a job, I might do something like that just for fun.  Wait a sec... Yeah - Its the pain pills.  Then I laughed like an idiot reading Bad Candy.

Email from reader: "Hi George, I'm Josh- fellow TFL'er, check out my thread in General, looks like you were right. www.Debka.com is reporting Bin Laden faction has moved to northern Iraq, just before the WTC terror.  All the best, Josh  P.S. MadOgre.com rocks"  Thanks Josh.  Lets take a look at what this really means.  1.  Israeli Intelligence is the best in the world, and we can trust them for the most part.  Because They Need the USA and they really don't want to screw with our relationship with them.  2.  Saddam DID sponsor these attacks.  Osama bin Laden is often said to be a Saudi Millionaire.  This isn't true since Saudi Arabian officials freezed all of his assets.  He might have had some cash - but not nearly enough to be fronting for something this size.  Saddam has sworn to bring fire to the US.  He did that through bin Laden.  Laden was just a hired thug.  3.  If we demand retribution and war, we are not going up against a gang of Tangos - we are going to be hitting IRAQ.  Desert Storm II.  This time its going to be very different.  This time we are not stopping at the Kuwaiti boarders.  This time we are going all the way... taking Saddam OUT.  4.  With our goal set to bring down Saddam this is going to turn into a holy war for all the Palestinians and Muslims over there... We will have only ONE ally - Israel.  Israel will be attacked and we shall have to defend them too.  It will be a huge cluster-fuck of biblical proportions.  Some people thought Desert Storm looked like Armageddon.  So-Damn-Insane said that Desert Storm was to be the Mother of All Battles.  He has no fucking idea what this is going to be.  We are talking Four Horsemen over here.  The thing that troubles me is that people are so willing to jump into it.  My brothers are in an Artillery unit in the Virginia Guard.  They are on a 1 hour Standby.  I want some heads - but I don't want to send my Bros to get them.  This becomes a great deal more personal to me.  I have to evaluate things now.  Is it really worth it? As I think about these matters I am struck by the answer - OF COURSE IT IS.  I'm not talking about flag waving patriotism here, I am talking about the quiet and calculated application of our resolve to defend our nation.  We don't need a speech and parade and celebration and flag days to bring our nation together - we need to go over there and fuck them up.  We need to take out Iraq's military and government structures.  We need to destroy every industrial complex in Iraq, every railroad, ball bearing plant, power plant, hen house and out house over there.  Not to kill everyone over there - but to leave them HELPLESS, HUNGRY, and HURTING.  That way, we retain both our humanity, our honor, and our National Security.  We can not place all the blame for this on the terrorists.  We as a nation have made these attacks possible.  1. We have turned our nations intelligence gathering on ourselves instead of outward looking for the real threats.  2. We have deprived ourselves of means to defend ourselves.  A few guys with pocket knives were able to take down 4 Jets, 3 Buildings, and bring the whole fucking country to a stand still.  (CNN hasn't said a word about any news other than what happened on 9-11.)  Now, if we had some good and honest people who legally hold CCW permits that had been allowed to carry onboard, we would have seen a drastically different outcome.  3.  If the doors to the cockpit are armored against intrusion and bullets aboard the planes in other countries - why the hell not in ours?  We got soft.  That's all there is to it.  We had been under a national delusion that we had been safe under the care of Governmental Policy.  Well, like every other problem in the US, the Government doesn't do anything until some people get fucking KILLED.  Then they are like "Oh - that's an ISSUE and we need to fix it!"  Even if its well known problem.  Like how lame airport Security was. 

I think there is only one good reason for owning a TV set.  HBO's Band of Brothers.  Awesome show.  If you can swing it - get HBO JUST FOR THIS.

Sep - 14th - From the very beginning of this I have seriously doubted that one man, Osama bin Laden, did this horrible thing on 9-11.  While Osama is a gigantic ass, he isnt THIS BIG of an ass.  So, if he isn't, who is?  You already know... Sadam.  Isreali inteligence has discovered that Iraq was behind this all.  Check out the report on Geostrategy-Direct.  As soon as this happened, my first thought was Sadam has hit us back.  Being proved right usually makes me feel great.  In this case it just gave me chills.  If this is true - and Sadam and not Osama really did this then that changes things dramatically.  This is no longer terrorism, but a state sponsored act of war.  This means a Desert Storm II.  There is a great deal of clamor for war.  Most of this comes from those that have no idea about the realities of war other than CNN during desert storm and watching Saving Private Ryan.  We really need to be a little more carefull before advocating war.  Especially in the Middle East.  This is bigger than just revenge... This is going to be war on a global scale again.  I hope I am wrong.

Sep 13th - We are already seeing signs of the next wave of terrorist attacks... Bomb Threats.  Nothing more than a mere prank call.  Just a simple phone call and they can cause panic, demoralize us, divide us, delay us.  They can cause a great deal of disruption, they can shift our resources to one area and hit another.  They can wear us down. Deprive us of sleep.  Paranoia is a fantastic weapon.  Get ready for it.

The reactions of the sniveling cowards that are in charge of Corporate America are almost as sicken as the attack its self.  Here we are as a nation faced with a threat and the PEOPLE IN CHARGE decide to DISARM EVERYONE and sink their heads into the sand.  WAL-MART is no longer selling guns and ammunition, airliners are no longer allowing even a nail file aboard.  Oh, this is great.  Just what we needed.  Let ourselves become even bigger and easier targets.  NICE.  To all those in charge of things... Companies, Stores, Airlines... You have all shown an amazing lack of character and grit.  You DESERVE to feel afraid.  You flaccid sphinctered sheep, you sniveling cowards... You should all be beaten soundly about the head and neck with large clubs.  The proper action should be to ARM PEOPLE.  The airlines should put armed AIR MARSHALS aboard EVERY commercial flight, including cargo carriers.  Stores that sell GUNS and AMMO should have SALES on these items - with a free flag for every automatic rifle sold!  The Palestinians are correct - we are a nation of cowards.  Why?  Because we have let WHIMPS get to be IN CHARGE.  All buildings should have an ARMED GUARD posted.  Every BUS and every TRAIN should have an ARMED GUARD.  Every School should have a SQUAD.  This isn't a time for Police and the Guard - but for the STATE MILITIAS as well.  The nation should prepare... not pull its pants down to its ankles and bend over waiting for the next one.  Time to put on the armor and roll out.  

Today was very strange... People trying as hard as possible to get BACK TO NORMAL as if nothing happened.  We had a case today that was shaking.  Customer had a network that was down because part of it routed through the World Trade Center buildings.  Cant troubleshoot because this no longer in existence.  As if it was just any other problem we got it squared away... Business can move forward.  Yeah - business should roll forward - but roll forward into a new world instead of IGNORING things as if NOTHING HAPPENED.  Perhaps we are as a nation still in shock and denial.

I find myself wanting to believe in the SINGLE ASSHOLE THEORY and lay all my anger on one man.  To Kill Bin Laden and then wash my hands clean because ITS OVER.  However this is totally and utterly wrong.  This maniac could not in any way orchestrate these events by himself.  There is a larger group and this guy is just the scapegoat for it.  Oh, I am not saying he isn't involved... Sure as shit he is guilty!  But there are many others that are just as guilty.  These people too must be rooted out and destroyed.

Hey, What ever happened to the series DARK ANGEL?  That was a pretty cool show.  Interesting characters and plots - Very William Gibson.  Speaking of Gibson... The book Virtual Light is his best work. If you have never read it - Here is the whole book:  READ IT HERE.  Want to read some other books?  Check them out from a Russian online library.  Now, there is a lot of Russian text to sift through - but you can find English names and authors pretty easily.  Type the author's name in the search box... see if you can find the books text.  I'm going through it and finding all kinds of books I have wanted to read online.  Save the URLs or copy the text into WORD for later reading.  WHAT A GOLD MINE!  Hey, here is Neuromancer! Here are a BUNCH of Gibson books!

Sep 12th - The Day After.  I awoke this morning with a very sick feeling in my gut.  This is a Different Country now.  The comparisons to yesterday with the attack on Pearl Harbor are incorrect.  Pearl was a Military base, and the attack a Military Attack on a Military Target.  What happened yesterday was the work of some very sick and evil people.  The only thing that you can compare this to Pearl is that it awoke a sleeping giant.  The United States of America is a very unique country... we don't take threats and warnings or terrorist acts and roll over.  Unlike other countries, WE HIT BACK.  I can not comprehend what the Taliban leaders are thinking, what Afghanistan is trying to accomplish.  They may have given up a black eye - but we are going to crush them in return.  This morning the US awoke with a sense of purpose... Just like we did the day after Pearl.  Pay Back is a bitch Taliban...  Reap the whirlwind.

Despite harsh feelings towards the Middle East right now, I pray that people here in the States keep calm.  After Pearl Harbor many Japanese Americans were rounded up and put into camps.  Treatment was almost as bad as those in camps inside Germany.  Here in the US we have a great number of people with Arabic heritage.  This is time for a truly "United" states... Americans are Americans.  I fear a racial backlash against those with Arabic blood.  Let's remember that people are innocent until proven guilty... Let's remember that HATE fosters only HATE.  To all readers of MADOGRE.COM, Please squelch any racial bullshit that you hear.

I have been called a Liberal today because I disagree with a nuclear strike to Afghanistan... Nuke?  That's got to be the most stupid fucking thing I have heard all month.  This MORON was all set to throw the US into a NUCLEAR WAR when we don't even know WHO DID IT!  Taliban leaders and Bin Laden are only SUSPECTS, you bleeding Git!  Even if/when he is proven guilty - we do not destroy the whole area just to get one guy.  Judas Priest - We didn't nuke Panama when we wanted Manuel Noriega.  I know... How about we throw nukes at the whole middle east!  Would that make you feel better, you fucking retarded moron...  Your Daddy should slap you for opening your ignorant mouth.  Then next person I hear use the word "NUKE" will get a swift kick in the nuts.  You know what?  If this makes me Liberal and You Conservative?  Fuck you - I'll be a HAPPY LIBERAL any day.

IMAGES - MAD OGRE will be limiting all images... All past images will be deleted save just a very choice few.  This is due to the fact that I now have 4 sites on this server and will be running out of space shortly.  Speaking of sites:  Utahns Against Gunless Victims!  The latest addition to the Mad Ogre family of good websites.

Sep 11th - Today is a bitter day indeed. The terrorist acts committed today are truly  loathsome.  Retribution is on everyone's mind right now.  There has been mention of nuking the entire middle east.  People, please.  Remain calm.  Authorities are investigating just what happened right now.  The key to this is not in New York, but at the boarding gates of these 4 flights.  People are analyzing video tape and identifying everyone that boarded these planes.  If we want to know who is responsible, we have to first know who hijacked the planes.  Who they are and where they came from.  All the saber rattling right now is just silly.  We have got to know who to rattle the saber's at.  This is a grim time right now... Clear thought is more important than "Proper Politically Correct" reactions.  I am surprised that the Democratic Liberals have not blamed this on George W Bush already.  I am not surprised that the vomitous "Talking Heads" have slighted him already for his actions or lack of them.  People - Give the man a freaking break.  He doesn't know, any more than you do, who did this.  We will see a well aimed retaliation as soon as this criminal is identified.  Let the people investigate.  Use your brains.  If I hear one more idiot declare the necessity of a nuclear strike against everyone - I am afraid I will have to choke them. A lot. 

Careful examinations of the Pentagon crash site photos are very interesting.  It was said that the WTC towers were built to withstand the direct impact of a jetliner impact.  This is obviously not the case unless there were other charges inside these buildings.  Now, take a look at the Pentagon.  It took a direct hit as well, and remains in rather good condition.  Only a SMALL portion of that building has collapsed.  That is one tough damn building.  If you look at the close up photos of the collapsed portion, you see that the building is constructed with very thick layers up and down and side to side.  This was done to minimize damage from bombings or other attacks (Like this one).  We have seen other crashes over populated areas, such as Lockerby in England - which devastated a  very large area.  Relatively speaking the Pentagon took that hit on the chin and shook it off. It has been said in my office that the Pentagon is officially renamed The Quad.  People - Jokes about these things are in extremely poor taste.  I talked with my Father this morning.  Papa Ogre was at the Pentagon just yesterday and was going to go up again today.  The Ogres are all very grateful that he didn't go. 

Another Jeep issue - not to change the subject - But Damn it!  My Cherokee is losing its starter.  Looks like my work is cut out for me!  It is either the Battery, or the Starter... I am not sure which,  We pray it is only the battery. I am told the starter swap is very easy to do... a couple wires and a couple of bolts.  Easy... RIGHT!  Well, if anything, getting back under the hood will let me swap out that thermostat... 160* is too cold for this Jeep and I need to use a 180* unit.  I actually enjoy working on this Jeep - it's not too bad to monkey with.  I just wish monkeying with it was optional and not compulsory.  Still... I remain pleased with this Jeep.  While it has been in need of a lot of work since I got it - it has all been doable and not a lot of cash.  Now, if this was still the Supra - I would be very very upset as this little issue would require the car be put into the shop.

Okay - I admit it. I like these damned Harry Potter books.  Book 3 is started.  Shut up.

Sep 10th - The Tech Industry in Utah.  Don't hold your breath for Gateway. They are hurting very badly and I suspect them to be passing away within a year. Gateway's customer service has sunk to an all time low, they have closed the plant here in Utah, and they have been rejected by a large financial institution for some sort of funding that they needed (Rumor). Like the song about New York, If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere. If a company can make it in Utah - they will be a hit. Utah has a good history for stress testing tech companies. Packard Bell, Micron, NEC, Iomega, and some others... They get a little too big in the head and come to Utah thinking they can run with very poor management plans. The wrecking crew here in Utah just eats them alive. Would I bring a tech company into Utah? Sure. You can get away with salaries that are 1/3 that of elsewhere. You can get multiple languages out of a handful of people for international support. You have a lot less shrinkage of materials because people in Utah pride themselves on being honest (In General).  The cost of doing business in Utah is LOW.  Also Utah is a FACTORY for spitting out bright people with more Certs than any place else on the planet. MCSEs are a dime a dozen and so are CCNAs (fast catching up) and these guys are so hungry for work you can pay them fractions.  Yet these companies tend to do wonderful things to themselves by their own corporate policies and procedures that makes a business goal hard to achieve. Its really amazing to watch. Boggles the mind. 

Sep 9th - Several issues are on my mind.  First off is HBO's new series "Band of Brothers".  This has got to be some of the best film making I have seen since Saving Private Ryan.  There are few movies that I could ever say that about.  Just remarkable story telling.

Second.  Windows XP.  I have been trying to install XP for the past 8 hours with ZERO success.  I have tried EVERYTHING that I could think of.  It keeps hanging at the same point "Setup is Starting Windows" which is right at the beginning of the actual setup process right after it loads all the installation programs...  It totally freezes up.  This reminds me:  FOR TRADE: PC running an Athalon K7 700 with 128 megs of RAM, G-Force 32 meg card, blah blah blah... for trade for a MAC G-4 running OS-X. 

Third.  READING.  I have talked with some people that are considered "Generation Y".  Now, I myself am of GenX, and I have been surprised by the differences.  For one... GenX'ers have done a great deal of reading and my self have read most of what are considered to be The Classics and other great books such as The Lord of the Rings and On The Road... And despite my objections Books 1 and 2 of the HARRY POTTER series.  (Side Note: I now know what a Slytherin is and do not consider it to be an insult to be called such. So back off or I'll shove a broomstick up your ass.)  These GenY'ers do not read very much if any.  They may read what is HOT with the Pop Culture at the moment... Such as Harry Potter... but have not read any of the classical works.  They often don't even know who John Steinbeck is... never hear of him.  Never picked up "THE PEARL".  They have never read Dickens, or Tolkien... Now, education is about a lot of things, but reading great books is certainly one of them.  These young people may know all about HTML and other things that are so much crap.  Here is something for all scholars.  Once you finish reading it, I will expect your reports on my desk by Friday.  It's called the DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 

Forth.  The HS2000 Pistol.  I give it a BUY recommendation.  I had the chance to examine one today and found it to be very good.  Even better is the price.  Only $250 dollars puts it in the price range of many low quality offerings yet the quality was on par with Glock or even some SIGs (I am not a fan of the SIG Pro and the HS2000 seemed to be much better that that quality wise.), or the Steyrs.  This pistol is certainly better than any auto Ruger has ever put out and its cheaper as well.  The owner has said that it is very reliable and accurate on par with most everything else.  This has got to be the best deal going in handguns right now.  I'd like to see one in .45 and I'd also like to see a COMPACT version - but I suspect clever gunsmiths will be able to cut these down very easily.

Sep 7th - Miami, Florida.  11 Police Officers going down for the worst of offenses.  These jackholes confiscated weapons to use as "Throw Guns".  These Throw Guns were used to cover up 4 shootings where these guys killed people and planted these guns.  Truth was that these guys that got killed only had guns long after they had already died.  Nice work Miami's Finest.  You guys should all get the Chair.

Sep 6th -  Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson spoke out against Anarchists on the radio today.  Also in the news is Washington DC.  Washington is going to construct a 9 foot high fence all around the capital to keep out Anarchists.  Why are they so afraid of me?  While I am an owner of firearms, and a self proclaimed anarchist, I am not the type to commit criminal acts of violence and rioting.  I am much more likely to file a law suit than to fling a Molotov.  Okay, correction.  A bottle of gas with a rag stuck into it is one of my favorite toys and I think these are not used nearly enough here in the US... But still.  I'm not the type to be doing that kind of crap.  Several other anarchists who I know are also not the type to be doing that.  But I know who is... People who have made these kinds of threats here in Utah.  Anti-Mormons.  These people are bitter, hate filled, seething and deeply bent people who come live in Utah, the Utah Capital of the world and then bitch about there being too many Mormons.  That's like going to the Vatican and bitching about how the Catholic Church is everywhere.  Hey idiots, If you don't like the water - GET OUT OF THE POOL!  Simple as that.  If you like Mountains and Skiing and all that - Denver is just a hop and skip away.  I'll even help you pack.  I digress.  Anarchists are rather peaceful people.  As a philosophy, we just want to be left the hell alone.  You leave us alone and we wont take you to court... simple as that.  What?  An Anarchist using the LAW?  Sure?  Why not?  It's there and its by the people for the people...  I have no problem with county and state law for the most part.  It's the FEDERAL level that just needs to back the hell off.  Take one look at the BATF... They can't do ANYTHING with out someone getting shot.  That's real good Uncle Sam.  You can forget coming over for Christmas Dinner.  Intolerance is the bigger problem, Rocky.  Racial, Political, Religious... Intolerance is the poison that is killing people.  Not guns... Not Anarchists...  Its the people who claim to love DIVERSITY, yet are intolerant of people like Mormons.  How can you claim to be pro diversity if you are excluding people based on FAITH or CULTURE?  Intolerance is simply another form of IGNORANCE.  Stupidity & the ATF can kill.

Email from Reader:  "I like the changes to your website. It looks really great. I also like your pictures and stuff. Just thought I would let you know."  Hey, Thanks.  I kind of like it myself too.  What was a bad mood has turned into a new format for MadOgre.com.

Speaking of Stupidity... Check this out.  This was last night.  There is a certain type of software that I had to install on my PC at work.  It has 9 pages of an installation guide, each step by step procedure has to be done JUST RIGHT or it screws everything up.  Part of these steps are finding files, saving them in different places, editing registries, deleting folders, removing other programs, and doing 2 or 3 reboots along the way.  All for a program that tells me what my team is doing at any given time.  (Okay - the program does a lot more than that and is actually VERY COOL for what I do) The question is why couldn't this have been solved in the Installation and Setup program to do this crap automatically?  It took 90 Minutes from INSERT CD to actually USING this software.  What does this program do?  Okay - I'll tell you.  I am a Manager in a Call Center and all my engineers take calls from clients all around the world who call in with networking issues.  I am dealing with 7 different networking technologies and a team of 20 engineers.  I have to be able to see what my guys are doing, how the calls are coming in, and be able to make adjustments to that call flow.  This software does all that.  It is good stuff!  It's just a complete bitch to get installed right.

I have often mentioned that the M-96 Expeditionary Rifle is the finest .223 caliber battle rifle on the planet available to the American Citizen.  Number two is the HK SL8, and the main reason its in second place is due to its limited magazine capacity.  Well, these rifles have just swapped places.  Why?  Because its now possible to take your SL8 and feed it from USGI M-16 style magazines.  Simple as that.  A company in the US is making a mag well block that replaces the HK original.  To make it legal you have to swap out a couple more of the German parts and replace them with US Made parts... but that's all done in a snap with the kit.  Presto Chango - your SL8 is now a G-36! That M-96 I was wanting to get has just gone out the window.  This new full capacity kit, an SL-8, and the G-36 style carrying handle with integral optical gun sights... OH YEAH!

Sep 5th - Will someone please explain just what the hell THIS is?  There is something about this that becomes all too real if you watch it 3 times in a row.  Something about this is unnatural... It's not right.

FOR SALE: Best Offer - Any Offer, 1985(?) Chevy Van.  Full Size.  5 liter V-8 engine.  Bed in the back... Mini RV set up. Needs some restoration work and engine work.  I don't know what it really needs engine wise - perhaps just the Carb adjusted and a good tune up?  Doors need work on the latches.  First person to give me an offer gets it.  Note:  Buyer has to come get the thing out of my driveway!  

Lets give Mad Ogre a new look.  I am feeling especially dark lately, so this page will reflect that.  Who knows it might stay that way until I change my mind. 

Yesterday was the first day back to school for Mrs. Ogre and all the little Ogre's.  Seems everyone had an okay go of it... but they sure were all tired last night! 

Sep 4th - First day back to work from my vacation.  Welcomed back by the guys on my team... but not one word from my Uppers.  Not a single word even from the other managers.  I did however get to take on the chin everything that happened while I was away.  Excuse me now as there is a weeks worth of work to catch up on.  I especially like how a certain other manager who I have often covered for, shirked it off Monday when I wasn't there and said "Not enough time".  Nice.  No - No more favors.  I don't have the time either... too busy pulling these knives outta my back.  Business as usual and it seems other than these annoying things, that I didn't miss a thing. 

Sep 3rd - Well, I screwed BIG TIME.  Trying to get at the water pump I ended up - Don't ask me how - breaking my Power Steering Pump.  I don't know what happened.  You have to take tension off the water pump and part of that is loosening the bolt that holds that power steering fluid reservoir and pivoting that inwards so the belt is loose and you can take the belt off.  Easy huh?  No.  A.  The damn thing wont budge after removing the bolt. B. Now its leaking like it has an open drain plug.  No - there is no drain plug.  Slathering a silicone sealant all over it hasn't even slowed the leak down.  Anyways - examining the water pump housing as best as I can - I can not see where the water is actually leaking from.  There was several loose bolts that I tightened up - but that wasn't it.  I am afraid that the leak is something more severe now.  This is about all I can do on my own now... I will have to defer this job to a shop.  It was suggested to me that I try some additive to the coolant such as AlumaSeal or the like... These sealants are supposed to stop the leak from the inside.  I have NEVER had that crap work for me.  Never.  Even on SMALL LEAKS.  No, I will not put that shit into my engine.  I think that is one of the easier ways you get seriously gum up and screw up an otherwise perfectly good engine.  Anyways, I am not sure of what this is going to cost - Most likely about 150 to 200 bucks.  Boy am I thrilled about this. 

Sep 2nd -  Outlined HAWG Farm weapons training courses for Handguns, Shotguns, and Carbines.

September 1st - Happy Birthday to MRS. OGRE!  She is at the point now where she will no longer have any more birthdays or so she says... I didn't have any problems with 29, so I don't see why she is upset about it... 30 was the age mile marker that really sucked.  Next year, Babe... Next year! 

Looks like the Wagoneer needs a new water pump gasket.  Damn Damn Damn.  I don't know If I can do that right.  I'm going to take it into a shop and have it done right.  No sense in doing it and pooching the job a second time. If its NOT the water pump gasket then I have no idea what it could be.  However, driving it yesterday I had a great time until it overheated.  That big 401 puts out so much grunt and the thing rides so easy.  You just TOUCH the gas petal and the Wag pulls hard of the line... Once this thing is tuned up right and good to go - I'll start on the restoration. Work on the body and stuff.

NEW VEHICLE PROJECT!  A Suzuki Samurai.  Buying it for a friend and restoring it and putting some extras into it... Make him a great 4X4 rig... Zuks make great little rock-hoppers.  500 bucks is too cheap to pass up... This is going to be a fun little project.  I'll post up some pics as that project progresses.  Gots some great ideas for it.  Zuks are easy to work on... thankfully this rigs motor is a good runner... so most everything is going to be trim, suspension, paint, interior, and things like that.

Tomb Raider - Like every other movie I have wanted to see in the last couple of years - this movie was a disappointment. In fact, the last movie that I wanted to see that met my expectations was Saving Private Ryan.  Nothing since.  Tomb Raider had its high points I guess.  First is the appearance of several Suppressed G-36K rifles... Very cool.  Along with all the other HKs in the feature.  The badguy pulled out a Walther P99.  I guess this was going to be his weapon early on... and I was right.  German guns and the Good Girl is packing HKs - that means the Bad Guy will have a P99.  Bingo.  Actually this movie had about as much potential as possible... big budget, very good casting (It was cool to see that RIMMER from RED DWARF got another job) and... well, that's about it.  Movies based on Video Games are pathetic and this one was no different.  Pretty faced heroin kicks badguy butt... end of story.  The script was rancid and the directing was only worse.  However the only thing worse than the directing was the stages and sets.  I lay the blame for this on the Director... He should have stopped smoking grass long enough to realize the whole project was FUBAR.  Hmmm... come to think of it - the Director is only the one single moron to suck up to the Producer and say "HEY! That's a GREAT IDEA!"  When what he should have said was "That is a NASTY idea - SOD OFF!"  *sigh* I guess NO ONE in Hollywood has the stones to tell a producer that HE HAS A BAD IDEA!  If I was HEAD MAN at Paramount Studios - there would be a lot of firings going on.  Producers left and right would be BAGGING ORANGES at the local supermarket and the Directors would be out COLLECTING the SHOPPING CARTS!  But then again - that's just my opinion...

August content has been archived.  Here is a link to it.