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Sep
15th, Monday, 2003: 2200hrs:
To whomever has my iPaq: I'd like it back. Thanks.
It was in my bag during class. When I got home, it was gone and
the zipper on the pocket was open. I suspect foul play. I
am a little upset right now.
Email from one of the Horde:
“An interesting fact I want to point out. If a person you meet is
an atheist, eventually they'll tell you. They always feel a need to
bring it up in some way or another. - Mike” You know, that's
interesting. Your right. They do! Hmmmm. Similar thing here in
Utah, not just the atheists, but anyone Non-Mormon also has to always
point out that they are not. I've never been around Southern Baptists
or Lutherans or Methodists who felt the need to bring that up as if it
was something that was really a grave concern. I think they are trying
to convince themselves. He emailed back: “As
do I. It takes just as much faith to NOT believe in God, seeing as how
it can't be "proven" one way or another. I
think in
Utah it might be because, in most of the state, the
Church
of
LDS still is the majority. People often feel the need to
distinguish themselves from the group, it seems. But, lest I incur the
wrath of the Mad Ogre, when I move out there I won't bring my own
religious beliefs up (not that I do anyways) just to distinguish myself
from the majority. I honestly don't think it'll be an issue, in any
case. To listen to some of the reactions I get when I get when I tell
people I'm moving to SLC, you'd think you had to be Mormon to live in
the state, and that they checked IDs at the border or something.”
It's
only an issue to some. You will find that being Non-Mormon in
Utah
is no different from being Non-Mormon in
California.
Did you know that there are more Mormons in California than in Utah?
It's true. Okay, so
Utah
only has 2 million people... but still. One of the beliefs of the LDS
faith is that feel anyone is totally free to believe whatever they
wish, however they wish. We accept other religions and have no problem
with them. Frankly we are often puzzled why others feel differently
about that. You would think this would be a common American trait, but
I guess it’s not. Blame the Puritans for that.
Personal item: Viagra. No, I don’t take Viagra, but I get enough spam for it! Anyways,
my wife works at a joint that promotes natural healing… herbs and
tinctures and all that stuff… well, they had this little bottle of
stuff that I decided to try out. Its called “HR-122” by a company
called Nutrition For Life International out of Huston
Texas.
This stuff works like Viagra and it’s only thirteen bucks for a bottle
of 110 tablets. What is interesting is that this stuff works. No, I
wasn’t needing it… but I was curious if it did anything. You know?
Haven’t you ever wondered what Viagra or the like would really do?
Curiosity got to me. Now, I have never had any problem in that area…
I have 5 strapping sons to prove it. But let’s just say that this shit
turned my “Sword” into a “Claymore”. This stuff is like… amazing.
No, don’t you ask me for any… find it yourself… I’m not talking about
it anymore. It says it also relieves acne. Interesting. You would
think this is what every teenage boy would want. My wife told me not
to take any tonight… she needs to rest. What?
“Geek With a .45” has a most excellent post that should be
required reading:
Read it here. My only response to this is “Yeah!”
Not sure
what this is turning into Sunday School tonight at MadOgre.com, but
here we go. Jesus is often called the Prince of Peace. That’s a good
title, and I like it. He preaches “Turn the other Cheek”, and I like
that to. But what I especially like is the fact that he has said “He
who doesn’t have a sword should sell his coat and buy one.” He also
personally made a whip and forcefully evicted the money changers and
merchants from the temple. Here is why I like that so much, even if
it is in seeming contradiction with the rest: Sometimes you have to
stop turning your cheeks, and start taking action. A simple insult or
small injury can be forgiven… this shows mercy. However repeated
insults and injury need to be promptly and thoroughly sorted out… this
shows justice. Sometimes justice is required. Sometimes justice
requires the use of a very specific and focused application of a
limited amount of violence. Just enough to satisfy justice, and no
more. This is something that is not understood by the Palestinians.
I’m not even going there tonight. I hope The Horde gets my drift, and
I think they do. If you don’t get it, think harder.
High Noon:
Some things just make you laugh yourself silly for no real reason.
This is one of them. It’s 3.5 megs to download… but it is worth it.
My sides are splitting and now I have the hiccups from laughing so
hard. Remember “The Star Wars Kid”? Well, someone put him into Star
Wars… This is just amazingly funny. I have to go drink water from the
other side of the glass now.
This link is from
NewsFilter.org.
So
now California is listed in the same category as Florida.
Too stupid to use a Punch Card Ballot. We are not surprised by this.
The rationalization is that minorities are too stupid to use these.
California Liberals are saying that Minorities are too stupid to vote.
I am not making this up... that is the rationalization that the Left is
using to delay the recall election. "Because of below average
intelligence." If I was a minority, I would be highly offended.
I would be super-pissed. Especially since it was the Left that
shafted the first Latino Supreme Court Justice nomination. Is it just
me, or does it look like the Left is digging themselves a deeper and
deeper hole? Not so much a hole, but a chasm between themselves and
the people they are supposed to be representing… Here is something to
make you think. Check this out. The Democrats are always harping on
the Republicans as being rich bastards who have no heart.
Take a look at this.
I found this via the
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler.
It’s really funny that so many soft-skulled Liberals hate SUVs and
Pickup Trucks (unless you are a construction worker).
I’ve noticed something… an SUV Trend if you will. When these
SUV-Haters find themselves in a bad situation… like a flooding area
thanks to these hurricanes… or in a blizzard and their little Toyota
Corolla can’t get out of the snow… all the sudden your big fat nasty
and deadly SUV looks like a magic flying carpet to them and you are now
their best friend. Because you can save their sorry asses. Because
you have a vehicle that get through the crap, you can get them out of
the area or fetch some groceries for them… But as soon as the sun come
out again and the roads are clear… SUVs are Evil! They are
Dangerous! No, idiot, SUVs are Life Savers. Just because you drive a
roller-skate, it doesn’t make you smart or socially conscious… it makes
you stupid, needy, and something SUV owners have to help survive.
Same thing happens when an emergency comes along and the Anti-Gun crowd
all the sudden wants to be best friends with the guy in their office
that owns some guns. This happens when there is a big crime wave like
what happened during the LA Riots after the Rodney King verdict. Same
thing happened just before the end of 1999 when everyone was afraid the
Millennium Bug was going to wipe out civilization. I had formerly
rabid anti-gunners coming up to me… “Say, uh, I’m thinking about buying
a gun…” *sigh* I have a mother in law that scoffs at my carrying a
folding knife clipped to my pocket… I wish I had a dollar every time
she needed to open something and asked “Anyone have a knife?” while
looking in my direction. Knives, SUVs, Guns… I like them. The
Horde likes them. If you don’t, don’t ask us for help when you find
that you need them. So you Liberals in the Carolinas driving your
little green-friendly cars… when the hurricane runs you over and floods
you out and your stuck… when the SUV’s roar past you, it’s a good idea
to turn your head and avert your eyes.
Speaking of Pickup Trucks...
I’ve been looking at them a lot lately. Namely because were I am at,
there are more Pickup Trucks than anything else. But I have been
looking at them because I am not wanting them. The utility of them is
far and beyond that of my little jacked up Cherokee. An extended cab
example can actually carry me, my wife, all my boys, and my dog better
than a Cherokee. If I can, I’ll trade my Subaru for one. I like the
older trucks, because I can actually work on them somewhat. No,
really. This is why I like my Jeep. Not that I am an expert. Hell, I
am still trying to figure out what is going on with it… but then again
I have not really dug into it. Anyways, I can’t dig into my Subaru.
This is annoying. I want a truck. Now when it comes to trucks there
are 4 main choices of brand. Ford, Chevy, Dodge and Toyota. I have a
brother that has a Dodge Ram. To him, it’s the greatest thing ever.
Toyotas are out, because they are all way over valued. So this leaves
Ford and Chevy. I like the brutal look of the older examples of these…
my favorite year for either is 1978. First I have to find someone
wanting to take this Legacy off my hands. If anyone wants to trade,
the Subaru is a 92. It runs just fine, so I want to trade for a
truck that runs just fine as well... I don't care about the age or
mileage. I just want a truck that runs.
0930HRS:
Had to switch the colors back. Hope you don't mind.
I couldn't stand to look at it anymore like that.
Sep
14th, 2003: 1930hrs: Wow. Lot's of "I
CAN'T STAND IT!" emails already! Is it that bad? One
said, "In some light, it looks more of a sickly baby-poo yellow rather
than a greenish color. Either way, it causes my stomach to quiver
in a bad way." Most of the sentiment has been along these lines,
"Yes, green on black hurts
the eyes a little, but it has an alien, otherworldly appearance that
just screams 'ogre'." Okay, I'll probably decide finally Tuesday.
I don't want to be responsible for quivering any guy's guts.
Okay, maybe sooner.
In the same email as that last above comment, I
got my ass chewed about my spelling and grammar. Yeah, he has
a point. It's not the best. Don't worry about my
schooling... trust me, I am much more careful about what I write for
that kinda stuff than I am here on MadOgre.com. Forgive me,
but you do not see me at my best. Quite often what is posted here
has been pecked out on a Compaq iPaq device and sent straight here
while my attention is on 3 or 4 hundred other things.
Super Glue. While at the store today
I decided to get pick up little tube of Super Glue. This was a
good thing. When I got home I found 2 of my 5 sons had stepped on
broken glass. Stitches would be needed. After the wounds
were cleaned and treated with the proper salves, I closed the wounds
with Super Glue. Before you freak out, understand this.
I am familiar with working with
injuries. When I took my youngest into the ER for a nasty
cut, it was only because this was a head injury and I wanted him
checked out... when the doctor closed the wound, he did so with
something called Dermabond. A fancy-schmancy rebadged Super Glue.
I asked the doc specifically what was different between it and Super
Glue. He said "Nothing" other than the fact that his glue was
kept "sterile". Well, okay... but so is a fresh new tube that
only costs me 1.50 a pop and his cost me considerably more. So
these cuts were carefully closed with Super Glue. I saved myself
more money and time than I want to think about. It's funny how
Doctors are now using this stuff... I've been using it for decades.
Yeah, it might sting a little bit at first, but at least you don't have
to go to the ER. If you decide to go this route, no
this... only use this for superficial cuts. Deep cuts could
require serious medical attention.
Dog Food. While at the store I spent
a long time going over dog food. I even asked a couple who were
stocking up on dog food (and I mean piling can after can and bag after
bag) about the dog food... and they really didn't know anything either.
Ranger hasn't really liked any of the food I have given him short of a
whole chicken and a huge chunk of roast. I can't afford to feed
him like that, so he needs Dog Food. For a 1/2 wild Mixed Breed,
he is a picky eater. After much consideration, I got him some
cans of the most expensive fair available. I thought "if he
wont eat this stuff, I can work my way down the line". He
loved it. Figures. Why can't he just eat the cereal
kind? The stuff that is sold bulk. The cheap stuff?
I'm going to be playing a trick on him. I'm going to be mixing
the canned with the dry... changing the proportions until he is
eventually eating just dry. Anyone else do this or am I
just nuts? I've never had a picky dog before. Cats,
sure, but a dog? I guess I helped his hunger too... I took him on
a 2 mile walk that worked up his appetite. Now if I could just do
that every day... Yeah, I know. I should.
Hey, I never mentioned that Ranger almost got me killed... did I?
Yeah, he did. He broke his chain and went off chasing some cows.
Well three of those cows are bulls. I went after him and caught
him. It was at that time the bulls decided to stop being chased
and to start chasing! They got to within 5 feet of putting
a set of horns into my back. Did you know that I can
hurdle a 4 foot barbed wire fence? I can. Once.
I'm not trying that again. Ranger has a heavier grade chain now.
Another Link had to go up. Kim du
Toit's site is one of the better blogs out there.
1600HRS: I have decided to try a
different color scheme. I'm going to roll with this for a
time and see if I like it. The idea of this is to make
MadOgre.com easier to read. This color scheme is easier to read,
while being sufficiently Ogrish to please me.
I'm going to give this a week and see if it's a keeper. Give it a
week as well, and then tell me what you think. The other
option was to keep the black background color and go with a brighter
color text. The contrast on that would be generally easier to
read, but the contrast differences end up hurting my eyes after some
time. Just Black text on a white background is fine for
Drudge, but I don't like it for my page. It doesn't say "Ogre".
Hopefully this does.
Making MadOgre.com easier to read is something that I just have to do
now for 2 reasons. First, my eyes are not getting any younger.
Second, the complaints to change it have outweighed the complaints to
keep it. I don't get a lot of complaints, but they are there and
they are all noted and considered. Even the ones that flame me.
A friend of mine has been gently pushing me to move to a different
format and host... "Movable Type" I think is what the system is called.
I am considering this. I just might do that at the end of this
month. I am outgrowing my current host and I'm paying way
too much for it as it is. That and I am wanting to get away
from FrontPage forever. We shall look at this situation
when I have some more time for it. I am also looking for
some new artwork, so any of you Illustrator/Photoshop gurus who could
help me out, I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for Banners and
Buttons and Logos... things of that sort to use when I make the big
change to the other format. Of course, I
might just roll everything back to the original format that can be
found in the oldest corners of the Archives. I'm already
considered a Retro-Blog for not using the new formats already... I
might as well go totally retro.
I have a couple links I had to put up.
Cold Fury is one I had been meaning to post for a
long time. One of those “slaps forehead” sorta things.
The other is a recent discovery. I found them
when sometime after they linked to me. Boots and Sabers. Written by
one Jed and one Owen, they do a good job.
Reading the bios of the two guys from Texas makes
me think that certain Drill Instructors are totally wrong about the
only 2 things that come from Texas. Solid folk down there. I should
know. I grew up in Texas. Yup. As if you couldn’t tell. Plano,
Texas is my Texan home town. I used to live right under the white
water tower that said “Plano” on it. Of course, shortly after that
tower was put up, we left… I mostly remember the big empty field that
became the site of that water tower.
I understand that area is just part of the large
urban sprawl now. Oh well. I also remember our cat that we had
there, and the fact that it was in that house that we watched the Space
Shuttle take it’s first piggy-back ride on the back of a 747. Hmmm… I
also remember a tornado ripping out our just completed wooden fence…
and my Dad taking me on a little Rally in that back field… doing
doughnuts and stuff in his Audi. That was the First and Last time I
ever remember him making gratuitous use of the throttle.
I wouldn’t mind going back to Texas. But I
would rather move to a place that has the following specs: Allows OPEN
CARRY. Allows Concealed Carry without a CCW Permit. Police, State and
Local are only concerned with ENFORCING the LAW and are not just a tool
for REVENUE for the municipality. Where the people at the DMV are
actually NICE. Where the Schools LISTEN to parents and not just
Parents With Lawyers. Where there are people and jobs, but not just in
the big cities. Where you can see a Pickup Truck with a Rifle in the
back window and no one cares. Where after you are moved in, someone
brings you a plate of cookies and says howdy. Helping you unload the
truck would be a bonus, but not a requirement. The cookies have to
have real chocolate in them and not that fake stuff. A place where
any given weekend – Saturday or Sunday – you can smell BBQ grilling.
They would also have to have places for youth to go and be occupied
instead of just building new Kiddie Jails for all the bored kids. A
good theatre would be nice too. Good eateries. Oh, and this place
has to have never felt 110 degree summers, and it has to have some
mountains.
Is there a place like that? Seriously… As soon
as I am done with college, I have my Masters under my belt… we are
there. “Ogre, that place does exist! It’s the 1950’s!” *sigh* I
know. Modern Living isn’t as good as it was supposed to be. Wait a
sec… what does all of that have to do with changing a couple links?
EVERYTHING! (okay maybe not, but I made you think about it, huh?)
Sep
13th, 2003: 1700 hrs:
Doctor Patricia D Ford wrote an
article for the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD
discussing some comparisons and between Combat PTSD and DESNOS.
This article can be found at the following link
HERE.
DESNOS (Disorders of Extreme
Stress Not Otherwise Specified) is often referred to as simply PTSD by
many Psychologists and Care Givers because of the many similarities in
symptoms, however the many differences can be profound.
DESNOS is often resulting from extreme traumatic stress events such as
sexual abuse or physical abuse in a child; being a witness or victim in
a violent act such as rape, a suicide, or a murder; or a victim or
witness of a disaster such as 9/11/01 or the Texas A&M bonfire
collapse.
PTSD, or Combat PTSD is a disorder that results from the psychological
trauma suffered by the patient while in a combat situation or war zone.
One doesn’t have to have been an actual soldier in uniform to suffer
the same experiences.
PTSD and DESNOS share a relationship similar to that of flu and fever.
The flu being PTSD and DESNOS being the fever. Not every case of fever
is the flu, and not every case of flu necessarily has fever.
The reason I am mentioning this article is that it’s the only one that
I have found that talks about the differences between DESNOS and PTSD
in any detail, where as other articles only lump the lot into PTSD as a
whole. I think this is disingenuous to those suffering from PTSD and
DESNOS. A veteran soldier living with PTSD and bouncing around from job
to job suffered a vastly different experience than a young woman who
was raped by someone she trusted. The psychological damages are
different across different levels. As such, treatment, care, and
handling for one patient would be totally inappropriate for another.
Through personal experiences, I have found the common practice is to
handle both the same way with only age appropriate differences in the
manner in which the care is given. Reading Doctor Ford’s article gave
me a great deal of hope for others suffering from PTSD as we can see
people are finally getting a better understand of just what PTSD really
is. PTSD as we know it now has been called “Shell Shock” or “Combat
Fatigue”. I find it laughable that we would tell the young lady who was
raped as a girl that she is suffering from “Combat Fatigue”.
Doctor Ford describes an early study of DESNOS and PTSD as a failure:
“This pilot study was not able to distinguish between DESNOS and PTSD
due to the small sample size (N=10) and the absence of a control group
of treatment-seeking veterans not diagnosed with PTSD. Moreover, the
study could not disentangle the roles of warzone and childhood
traumatization because almost all participants (80%) had experienced
childhood abuse. Although high rates of childhood trauma are the norm
in samples of treatment-seeking veterans with PTSD (Bremner, Southwick,
Johnson, Yehuda, & Charney, 1993), many report no history of childhood
traumatization and could therefore comprise a comparison sample.” I
find the percentage of high childhood abuse in combat veterans to be an
interesting example of how our society sends the poor off to war more
than the rich… mainly because those of higher socioeconomic status are
able to get out of going off to war. One example is former President
Bill Clinton who while drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, never
served a day in Uniform. Regardless of the politics of affluence at
play, the fact remains that 80% of the soldiers had symptoms of DESNOS.
This high level of childhood trauma and resulting DESNOS has
contributed to many misdiagnoses and a prolonged misunderstanding of
the disorder.
Doctor Ford formulated 3 hypotheses that I will summarize.
1. DESNOS and PTSD should differ etiologically only in DESNOS’s
association of severe early childhood trauma and PTSD’s association
with severe combat trauma.
2. DESNOS and PTSD should differ quantitatively but not qualitatively
in their association with symptomatic or impairment severity. DESNOS is
defined by symptoms (e.g., somatization, dissociation) and psychosocial
impairments (e.g., rage, guilt and shame, impulsiveness) that differ
from the cardinal intrusive reexperiencing, avoidance, emotional
numbing, and hyperarousal symptoms of PTSD.
3. Both DESNOS and PTSD should be associated with an elevated
likelihood of utilization of the most costly and intensive psychiatric
treatment services, compared to similar PTSD-treatment-seeking
individuals who do not meet criteria for DESNOS or PTSD. Meaning that
often an unethical Therapist will milk the case for all it's worth
instead of offering the best course of action to treat the patient.
Doctor Ford collected 84 participants in her study. All participants
were males from the ages of 28 to 67. Participant’s education levels
ranged from 10th grade through Masters. This large and broad based
sample size gives a greater possibility of a clear picture. One of the
problems with any such study is that it depends greatly upon patient’s
self reports. Doctor Ford overcame this by taking the time to
corroborate the self reports with past clinical documentation. She also
used structured clinical interviews, which would be expected.
One of the interesting aspects of her article mentions the differences
in the warzone experiences… “Warzone trauma varied from single or
infrequent instances of rocket, mortar or "sapper" attacks, to many
consecutive months of being under threat of intense fire from the
enemy, to observing or participating in grotesque or abusive violence.”
So even though we have “Combat PTSD” there may be multiple levels
within that category. The Sailor, the Marine, the Airman, while all
serving in the same war zone, all came home with vastly different
perspectives and experiences. “A dichotomously scored version of the
Keane, Fairbank, Caddell, Zimering, Taylor and Mora (1989) Combat
Exposure Scale was utilized to quantify severity of warzone trauma
exposure based upon: hazardous duty, subject to enemy fire, being
surrounded by the enemy, more than 25% of the soldiers in one's unit
KIA/WIA/MIA, seeing others hit by incoming rounds, and being in danger
of being severely injured or killed.” Such experiences simply can not
be charted and graphed. There are far too many variables to calculate.
The experiences of 2 individuals even within the same squad can be very
different depending upon many smaller details. Perspective, individual
specific tactical position, alertness, weapon condition, fatigue… even
where his is looking at any given moment can all factor in to change
one person’s experiences from another’s even in a small engagement. The
psychological impacts can be very different. One example of this can be
classmates playing on a playground. Can you chart and calculate the
“Fun Factor” that these children have? You have some children climbing
on the monkey bars, while others are playing tag or swinging. Yet they
are all on the same playground so they are all experiencing the same
“Fun Factor”? I don’t think that it can work like that.
The other main problem with this study is described in the first line
of the Conclusions section. “Limitations of the study include a sample
restricted to chronic PTSD-treatment-seeking war veterans…” The key
there is “Treatment Seeking”. I have had personal conversations with
many veterans who suffer with PTSD, but very few (about 1 out of 10)
had actually sought out any treatment or counseling. I think this is
indicative of the group being studied. Unlike most DESNOS patients,
most Combat PTSD patients are men who have been through the very worst
of humanity, overcoming situations that others can not understand. It’s
like describing what chocolate tastes like. “Sweet, creamy…” That could
be vanilla or caramel as well. These patients often come out of it with
a different perspective of authority; hence my opinion of self reports
being less accurate here than with other disorder studies. It is very
possible that most of the people afflicted with PTSD, never seek
treatment of it, and we thusly never learn of deeper impacts that this
disorder can have on the individual, the family, and the community at
large. We are only just now coming to grips with the levels of damage
PTSD affects, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and physically.
One major problem that I have with
PTSD Therapy is that the Therapists too often want to "bring out" all
the memories so the patient can "deal with them". I think this is
absolutely the wrong course of action. A common element in PTSD
patients are large sections of blocked memory. Suddenly unblocking
these memories can sometimes be as traumatic as the event was when it
happened. This would be like treating an electrical shock injury with
another electrical shock of the same power. You can only cause more
damage. The human mind protects the body when injured. Pain is a signal
of damage, and the bodily response is to protect the damaged area; such
as a sprained ankle when the foot and ankle swell and stiffen to
protect the effected area. The mind does the same thing with
psychological damage. Letting bits and pieces of the memory slip out
when the mind/body/patient is able to deal with it, and only as much as
can be dealt with over time. Eventually the whole of the repressed
memory is let out and the person can then come to terms with the
traumatic event. When this condition is in place, ripping out all the
memory can be devastating to the patient's psychological healing. This
is why it's important to take each PTSD case individually to determine
the very best course of action.
Another problem is that many
therapists are too quick to prescribe drugs. Some thing that patients
expect a prescription and wont be happy until they get it. However I
feel in many cases these drugs can be counter productive as they mask
feelings that should be explored. Yes, there are cases when serotonin
reuptake inhibitors like Prozac and Zoloft would be beneficial in cases
that involve deep depression… or even low-dose lithium in cases where
the patient has trouble dealing with rage and anger. (Dr Jonathan Shay,
Sidran Institute, 2003) However cases like these are few and far
between that could not be dealt with by treating other issues to cure
the problem rather than treat a symptom.
One thing that I believe helps the
individual to cope is a "Productive Outlet". This productive outlet can
take the recovering person's mind off his problems and let him focus on
other matters, giving himself a greater sense of self worth, while his
subconscious mind works out the deeper issues of his disorder. One type
of activity that can help more than others is giving "Service" to
others. Helping the elderly in the community with a mowed lawn, racked
leaves, painted fence... whatever is needed. Helping others in one of
the most self-healing pursuits a patient can attempt. This of course is
also recommended for patients with DESNOS. Doing a good deed helps
balance the karma for lack of a better word in the patient's mind.
Doing good deeds and rending aid goes a lot further in healing than any
amount of therapy or prescribed drug, such as the reuptake inhibitors
that are so popular and widely prescribed.
If any of my
readers have suffered from PTSD in the past or are suffering from it
now,
please contact me as I would like to know what therapy actually
was used for you, what it did for you, and what you thought could have
been done better.
Sep
12th, 2003: 1600 hrs:
Tough question
has come up.
A choice. The CZ-75B or a Springfield XD-9. If they are the same
price and both fit your hand about the same… all things being equal…
which one to get? Well, they are both about the same in regards to
accuracy, and are both very reliable. I think this is a matter of
taste as both represent 2 different schools of thought in terms of what
makes a good defensive handgun. On one hand you have a traditional all
metal, hammer fired, double action/single action automatic. On the
other hand you have a polymer framed, striker fired, single action
automatic. The trigger feel is better on the XD. In fact, my XD
trigger is better than the trigger on my last 1911. However one of the
advantages the CZ has is that it allows the owner to change the grips
to change both the feel and the look of the gun… customization is a
huge factor in America. (search for my remarks about hotrodding
handguns) The XD doesn’t allow this because the grips are actually the
frame. The CZ will also allow you to have the whole pistol to be
refinished however you want it to be refinished. You can’t even really
call it “Refinishing” anymore because of all the finish options out
there now that are often better than the original factory finish. The
XD, you can get the slide refinished, but you are forever stuck with
that polymer frame. Hope you like the color. If you are comfortable
with a Glock, then the XD is the choice. If your down with the
“Practical and Tactical” approach to defensive handguns, then the XD is
very much the choice here. If you are one who likes polished steel and
wood… the ability to change things… a more refined appearance… then the
CZ is the way to go. I’ve had a CZ, and I currently have an XD.
Actual pros and cons are both high on pros and low on cons… your
splitting hairs trying to make a comparison between physical
qualities. So all you have left are these esthetic issues. Different
points in my life have given my different tastes. Right now, at this
moment, I like the little XD, and thus the XD is my choice. Tomorrow
morning, it could be the CZ.
Good News – Bad
News:
Bad News first – They are going to make another Batman movie. Oh
great! That’s just what we need. More fluffed Hollywood hype for bad
acting, bad scripts, bad direction, bad sets, bad editing, and a
general lampooning of the comic book hero. The good news – Christian
Bale is going to be the Batman in this one. Sweet! Bale is awesome.
He is a seriously good actor, perhaps one of the very best. Oh sure,
he doesn’t have the stardom of oh, say, Kevin Costner… but there is a
difference. Costner is just a famous dude where Bale is actually an
actor of stunning talent. Holy cow, I’m actually looking forward to
this one! I want to watch Equilibrium again… don’t have the time to
watch it… maybe I’ll set it to scan at every 20 frames. One thing I
like to see in every new B-Man flick is the new design of the Batmobile.
What was up with the one that looked like a winged dildo? That
was a retarded concept. I think the coolest version was the one
used in the 70's tv series.
The U.N. Security
Council has lifted sanctions against Libya.
You have got to be kidding me. “The U.N. – Making the world a safer
place for Evil Dictators.” Let’s see. Libya used to be the first name
in Terrorism, fighting for 1st Place with Iran. They went
back and forth for awhile in the 80’s. Libya blew a jetliner over the
Sahara desert and another one over Scotland. Looking at all the damage
in Scotland, it’s a wonder the Tangos didn’t think about using the
plane as a weapon back then. I’ve got two words for Libya… fuck
Libya. They can rot. I’m just glad the US haven’t lifted sanctions
yet. I’ve got two words for the U.N… fuck the U.N. Those miserable
bunch of thieves and con men and cutthroats couldn’t be trusted with a
simple food program, and now they are letting Qaddafi off the hook for
crying out loud! What a bunch of bastards! I suspect The Left will be
suggesting that very thing any time now. I’d rather forgive Castro and
open Cuba for free trade rather than Libya. Why? Let’s see… 2
jetliners full of people… mass murder… only 20 years sentence? We give
longer sentences to guys who just smoke pot! “Oh, but we almost went
to war over Cuba!” Yeah? So what? We went to war with Japan and
Germany and we trade with them like we are best buddies! Okay, well
Japan and us have a long running love affair that you could call common
law marriage… Hell, my first dozen or so cars were all German. The
world is funny like that isn’t it? But Libya wasn’t a war fighting
situation… Libya was murder and mayhem, that is what terrorism is.
There is no honor in that. None. Only 20 years for that? Talk to me
about Libya in another 80 years and we will see then.
Email from
one of the Horde: "Ogre, I
just read the
Doubro Dialog.
That was the funniest thing I have ever read on your site next to your
Star Wars articles! What a dumbass! Who is that Doubro
guy!?! - Geoff"
*looking side to side* Is that a compliment? LOL, thanks!
Geoff! Dude! Prozac! Take some! I'm
not sure who he was... this was a couple years ago. I'm not even
sure what started him off. Wil over at Geeks with Guns has had a
couple run-ins with Doubro as well. Whoever he is, he is very
opinionated if not over zealous. Actually a few days after that
dialog happened, he wrote an apology for his poor logic. So in
his defense, Doubro was just ignorant, but he is a fine guy and I
wouldn't mind going shooting with him. But I am not going to be
trying to clear all the jams from his Milspec Bushmaster.
Oh, the
GUNS OF RONIN article is pretty much finished now. Thanks
for the patience. I wonder if these other ones will get as
popular as the Guns Of The Matrix. I heard RONIN is going
to become a series. Cool.
0900 HRS:
Issues: 1. Airline Security. 2. Liberal-Democrat
spinelessness in the face of a continual terrorist threat.
#1.
Arming pilots should be required. But that is just a very
small part of airline security. The other day we have seen a huge
breach of security when a guy shipped himself to Texas via airline
cargo. Ooops. Airline security isn't a big mystery,
yet we are trying to reinvent the wheel here. All we have
to do is to look at what Israel has done with it. They have been
doing it for decades, and it works. Why can't we do it like how
they do it? Seriously, take a look at that one.
What is stopping this?
#2.
Yesterday I said that we have destroyed the main engines of terrorism.
This was not quite accurate. The reason being is that there is a
whole religious order that wants nothing more that to kill us as much
as they can. Because of that seed, terrorism will always be a
possible threat. Terrorism doesn't have to be a big event, or
attack like what we had 2 years ago yesterday. It could also be a
smaller thing... a mail bomb. Remember the Uni-bomber?
Terrorism isnt going to be stopped so easily. There are other
kinds of terrorists... Animal rights extremists have committed acts of
terrorism in the name of animal rights... Doomsday Cults in Asia have
committed acts of terrorism. The IRA in northern Ireland has long
been a group caught up in terrorism, but we don't hear about them much
anymore thanks to the Middle East. They are still there.
The Doomsday Cults are still there. Yet the Left is very
caught up in attacking the president, promoting themselves, and
generally acting like a huge ship of fools in the face of the continual
threat. We can see the Left attacking President Bush and national
policy, but they are not offering any alternative solutions. We
have Democrats that are speaking out against anti-terrorist efforts yet
they have themselves voted for these same measures. The Patriot
Act is just one example. Let me just as this one question:
"How can we take the Democrats seriously?"
I have a
link I need to post, comes from Horde Member Carl: Its a
tribute.
September 11th, 2003:
 WE
REMEMBER. WE SHALL NEVER FORGET.
Since this attrocity happened, we
have kicked gratuitous ass, taken many names, and have effectively
destroyed the main engines of terrorism. There is a lot of work
to do yet... it isn't over. We have tracked Osama Bin Laden down
to a specific area. We are getting very close. His head
will soon adorn our pike.
As noted
above, my DSL line is now up. Unfortunately the Phone line is
no longer working. WTF? Yes, I have the microfilters on and
all that... I've had DSL before and I know the scoop. It's
evident that the guy installing it screwed it up somehow. This is
par for the course out here in Dumbassland.
Some of the
notes I had jotted down: I'll catch things up this weekend on
current events. Right now, I am behind in my homework. I
have to finish my Ronin article, some edits in other articles across
the site, and other details to fix. So I have a lot of work to do
now that the line is connected.
The move has
gone well. No real problems of any sort other than a delay in
getting my DSL hooked up. The new place is awesome. Being away from
the city bring 2 major bonuses. No city light pollution, and no city
noise. Going out into the back yard, with the porch light off... You
hear only nature and you can see all the stars, not jus the bright
ones. Awesome to behold. Makes you feel just how large the universe
really is… and it also brings me closer to God. I can’t help but to
feel my faith strengthened when I look up into night sky out here. I
think this may be one of the problems with all the liberals in the big
cities… they can’t see the stars like you can everywhere else.
Remember the Bush v Gore map? All the counties Gore had one were in
blue and Bush’s were red. Notice how in all the Blue areas are also
areas where you just can’t see the stars from? Funny that.
We are now
finished with the move and the U-Haul truck is returned. It's done.
We are so exhausted its not even funny. There is still a lot of work
yet to do... But we are done with the moving bit. Now it's all about
unpacking and finding places for our stuff. We have a lot of stuff.
We have more stuff than anyone I know. I think we have too much
stuff. I don't think it's good for a person to have so much stuff.
This makes me admire the Buddhist monks. The have a small bundle of
essential items and a bowl for food. That's it. That's all they
need. At any time they can be up and on the path of a new adventure.
That's admirable. Americans get caught up with stuff way too much. I
think the model should be something like 1 duffel bag and 1 backpack...
You can fill those with all your stuff. If it doesn't fit - you have
too much stuff. Modify this to include those with large SUVs... If you
can load it all into your vehicle, your good to go. But that's it. No
trailers... Okay, if you can pull your own trailer... Then that’s
really it. No more stuff for you. Moving should be a simple affair
and not a life sucking trial.
How can people
listen to NPR? The continual spew of liberal propaganda is
amazing. I heard more garbage in just 30 minutes of NPR than I've
heard in the last month. First off, I listened to an essay about how
great it was to work in a porn-video store while at the same time
busting on the customers. Then I listened to how George W Bush has
zero chance for re-election. I couldn't hear anymore. That was it. I
had to switch over to the other radio station... They play "Oldies".
After awhile I got to thinking about Bush. He has a good chance, but
he is slipping. His main base of strength isn't too happy with him.
His accepting the Left's stance on multiple issues hasn't won him any
friends while letting slip a large chunk of his backers. One of these
issues is Gun Control, and the Assault Weapons Ban. All the Second
Amendment Supporters are exceedingly pissed at Bush about this. This
ban has done NOTHING to curb any gun crime of any sort, and has only
served to artificially inflate the already extremely high price of our
sport / hobby / livelihood. Not to mention making everything much more
complicated for us. Bayonet lugs. What the hell is wrong with bayonet
lugs? A sworn police officer can buy a new rifle with bayonet lugs…
but I can’t. Why is that? First off, I’ve yet to find any crime
committed within the last 100 years that used a bayonet fixed to a
rifle. I’ve looked. There is none. Secondly, I’ve yet to come up
with any reason for a police officer, in the line of duty, needing a
bayonet on his rifle. There are no reasons regarding law enforcement
to justify bayonets criminal or enforcement. None. There are however
many reasons to allow the civilian population to have them. History.
Collections. Reenactments. Wait a second. I don’t have to justify
this. No, I don’t have to justify jack shit here. It’s not about
need. It’s not about Sporting Purpose. It’s not about Hunting. It’s
not about any justification. It’s all about the 2nd
Amendment which says that the right to keep and bare arms Shall Not Be
Infringed. To me, this is very clear wording. To me, this is more
clear in it’s wording than any other phrase to ever come out of our
government. “Shall Not Be Infringed.” Those are perhaps the 4
clearest and most important words in the Constitution… and yet they are
also the 4 most debated. Since President Bush has gone limpy on this
issue, we are upset. We want strong leadership with the balls to call
a Spade a Spade. He should allow and even FORCE the AWB to sunset.
Then he should write an executive order that forever protects the 2nd
Amendment from further infringement from asshat liberal politicians.
Don’t even get me started on the rest of his politics. His tax cut was
needed… but giving into Democrat pressure on all this other crap? No
freaking way. Jumping the gun into Iraq. That was needed. Dragging
his feet on Liberia? That was wimpy. That was really wimpy. That’s
actually my whole opinion of Bush. He’s a wimp. I’m disappointed.
My classes are
going very well so far. For some reason all my professors already
know me by name when most of the other students remain in obscurity.
I think this is because I am not afraid to ask a question or state my
opinion. This is probably not a good thing. Now that they all know
me, I will be under closer scrutiny when I turn in a paper. Nifty.
I’ll be graded harder. Oh well. I’ll get more out of it then.
Right? I hope so.
Ranger is
doing very well too. He is adjusting to the family and the new
digs with little problem. Well, there is one problem… cats. Ranger
has a thing against cats. This goes beyond the normal Dog v Cat thing…
this is blood lust. “Red Rage” kinda stuff. So I guess we wont be
getting any cats any time soon. I can go either way on that issue. I
like both Dogs and Cats. Ranger is absolutely not a cat friendly
doggy. Oh well. Ranger has already made up for any shortcomings. He
has been a potential life saver already. He has killed a 5 foot long
Diamondback. I was inside and my boys were outside playing… my 2
smallest. I was sitting there reading one of my text books and I hear
Ranger just come unglued. I scramble out there to see what is going on
and he is attacking something on the ground with the ferocity I had
only seen him exhibit to cats. I was afraid he pounced on a neighbor’s
cat or something. When I go up to him, I see the tail end of a snake
flipping around. Ranger had chewed the snake’s head off, and then
started chomping on the flailing tail. That evening Ranger’s dinner
was a huge chunk of left over roast. GOOD DOG! I’m trying to find a
good food for him, because he doesn’t like what we are feeding him.
There was a good sale on some dog food. “Beniful” or something. A
huge plastic bucket of the stuff for only 10 bucks. But it isnt’ a
good deal if the doggy doesn’t eat it, is it? He just knocks the bowl
over and scatters the chow. I don’t blame him. Ranger isn’t a cereal
eating type of dog. If I could, I’d feed him rabbits or something. I
need to find him some sort of bulk food that he will eat… he was quite
scrawny and under nourished when we got him and he really hasn’t gained
any weight. This concerns me. If he gets too famished he might start
wanting to eat something I’d rather him not eat. A well fed and
satisfied dog, is a happy dog. I have heard of an animal feed shop
around here that specializes in feed for farm animals that also has dog
food. I’ll have to check into it. See if its meat or cereal. Ranger
just wont eat cereal. Looking at some of the dog food out there… it’s
stupid. One kind is marked as “Vegetarian Dog Food”. As if a dog
would ever be a vegetarian. Excuse me, dumbass, but dogs are
carnivores. Not herbivores. You can tell by the teeth if you looked
closer. Dogs eat meat. Sure, they might chew some grass once in
awhile but that doesn’t make them cows. I believe in fresh meat for a
dog like Ranger… a just capped bunny or something like that. Something
that a wolf would normally eat out in the wild. Not a bowl of
grape-nuts. Most of the foods are billed as being made with rice.
Rice? Dogs do not eat rice. Nor wheat, nor carrots. Ranger is no
freaking little foo-foo Pomeranian pooch. Give your Pomeranian some
cereal if you like, but I’m going to be talking to the butchers in the
area looking for chunks of raw meat and bones for my dog.
Simple
Pleasures. Brothers and Sisters of The Horde, it’s been awhile
since I have written last. (and of course haven’t updated yet because
the DSL service has yet to be connected) Since the last ramblings,
I’ve rediscovered something. Simple pleasures in life can be the most
rewarding. Check this out. I was sitting on my back porch this
morning shortly after a most exquisite sunrise, sipping a cold and
caffeinated breakfast. In my hands rested my beloved Remington 514
rifle. Next to me on the right was a box of .22 Short ammunition and
on the left laying beside me with his head resting on my left foot, was
my dog. About 25 yards out was a little red can that took some of my
attention. Now the Model 514 isn’t a fancy rifle. Nor is it a fine
rifle. It’s a simple single shot bolt action. It doesn’t even have a
good trigger. But sitting there taking in some morning rays, plinking
at a relaxed and overly casual pace… it was some of the best shooting
I’ve ever done. Not accuracy wise… but in the shear satisfaction I got
out of it. CCI made the ammo. CB ammo in .22 Short actually. I’m not
sure what CB means, but the ammo its self is pretty quiet. It’s not
silent or anything like that, there is just not much of a bang to it at
all. This is perfect for my back yard. The stuff is pretty zippy and
accurate. Nothing like a “Velocitor” load or anything, but it’s good
enough for punching holes in that little red can. Ranger wasn’t even
concerned about it. I’d pop off a round and he would twitch an ear and
crack open one eye to see if I hit the can. If I missed, he would
give a little huff as if saying “If I had thumbs I could do better than
that.” But I really only missed when I pulled the trigger while
looking at him to see his reaction. I fired off only about 25 rounds.
Not that much, but I was satisfied. That was some good shooting.
Now the 514 can chamber .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle as well. I bet
it could even chamber .22 Magnum if I tried. The other rounds are a
lot faster and hit a lot harder compared to the CB load, but I don’t
see how they would have been any more satisfying to shoot. They would
have been a lot more noisy that is for sure. I think some of us have
forgotten the simple joy of just shooting. We often take it way too
seriously… sometimes even calling a round of shooting “Drills” or
“Working Out”. We practice stages from a competition, or work on
double taps from a holster… or try working up a newer faster loading
without sacrificing any accuracy… and that is all well and good… but
lately I felt that shooting was more work than fun anymore for me. And
that was horrible! Shooting should be nothing like work. Nothing at
all. If shooting is like a chore for you, like it was getting to be
for me… you really gotta try a box of .22 short and an old rifle. This
was like a breath of fresh air. This was the pure enjoyment of the
pastime. I think I only spent about 1.99 for the ammo. It doesn’t get
any better than that. I think my next gun might be a .22 pistol. Like
a S&W K gun. That would be great.
SEP
9th, Tuesday 1800hours:
I'm checking in from my school's computer lab, so forgive me for being
brief.
My mail server was totally stuffed with emails and I am told that it's
rejecting everything now. Well, that's taken care of for now, so
you can again email me but I might not be able to get back to you
promptly. 90% of the emails were freaking spam... this displeases
me a great deal. New filters have been applied so these should be
greatly reduced in the future.
I was asked
by Cooper what a good subcompact CCW piece would be and if I would
recommend the Springfield XD Sub-Compact. I tried returning
his email, but it bounced, so I will answer it here. Indeed I
would. Without hesitation or reservation. Mine has proven
to be most choice. I love it and carry it exclusively now and I
couldn't be happier with it. However a good holster for it is
still not here. Due to automotive issues, a holster will have to
wait. There are other good options for this class of gun.
Full caliber sub compacts. Steyr has one, Walther has one
coming, HK has promised one but we are not holding our breath for it.
Taurus has a few too. The Millennium series has been remedied
quietly and any new PT-145, PT-111, or PT-140 should be just fine, and
the Millennium Pro series should be even better. But out of all
of them, I like the little XD the best. That's what I spent my
own money on. Now don't overlook a small .38 revolver.
They are awfully handy and user friendly... they remain the most
popular CCW choice for a good reason. Kahrs and Kel-Tecs are not
my choices for small handguns and I don't recommend either, but a Kahr
worked over by a Master Gunsmith can be a beautiful thing... if you can
afford that. My other recommendations for small CCW work
are the little Glock models. The 26 & 27 are great little pocket
rockets and I can't fault them. They are not my first choice, but
then again they don't fit my hands and I am really biased against them
for that. Ogre has a grudge... go figure. Oh,
CZ is still thinking about bring in the RAMI pistol... that would be an
awesome choice. I hope they do soon!
I have also
been asked by the majority of the messages, how my classes are going.
Peachy. After 2 weeks all my Profs know me by name and
nature now. No, I am not one to sit on my hands when I want to
make a statement or ask a question... as such, the Profs are keeping an
eye on me. I'm too old to be intimidated by the instructors
or the other students... most of whom look to be high school aged.
Did I look that young and dumb at that age? I guess I did.
Being unafraid to ask questions or make a counter point has its
advantages I guess. I am getting more out of the classes, but at
a cost. When a paper goes across the grading desk now, it is sure
to be read in closer detail now.
I have a
more complete update I'll post from my home computer when the ADSL gets
switched on. Lots of interesting things going on. Lots
of news. And of course, your humble Ogre has lots of opinions.
Thank you all for your continued support. And thank you to the
cat in Michigan who ordered over a dozen MadOgre.com T-shirts... what's
up with that? Outfitting a baseball team? Kinda
creeping me out there. Alright, I gotta go, I have another
paper to write... which is why I came here to begin with. Later!
Check archives for earlier
entries.
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