A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

That Was Odd

Yeah, I have no idea why I wrote my last post. I wasn't even cheesed off about anything when I wrote it. Not even remotely agitated. Yeah. That was wierd.

Anyway.

Finals are over, so that means I'm off for the next month! Sweet!!! Plans? Not much, really. I'm probably going to spend most of my time rewriting More Than a Job, which I've re-titled as Justice Delayed. I re-read it a few weeks ago, and while I love the characters, the basic premise (Pierce as a hitman) was just too cheesy, especially since I'm going to try and have it published once I finish writing it. Aside from that, I really don't have all that much on my plate.

So, yeah, not much going on in my world.


Still no idea why I wrote that last post.

10 Things That Really Cheese Me Off

In no particular order...

1. Che Guevera T-Shirts. This man helped to incite violent revolutions in Guatemala, Cuba, Gongo, and Bolivia, ordered the deaths of thousands simply because they disagreed with his political views... and you want to put him on a T-Shirt?
2. Verizon. We upgraded to FiOS this week, which is cool, but now Verizon is calling us and telling us we ordered a whole lot of extra packages that we didn't order and that we owe them more money that we really don't. We'll get it sorted out, but it's still a royal pain in the @$$.
3. Liberal Fanatics. I like a lot of Democrats. I have several good friends who are outspoken proponents of the Democratic Party. It's the rabidly politically correct, bailout-everyone, ban-all-guns, Christian-muzzling, George-Bush-is-evil types that drive me up a wall. Especially the ones who refuse to even let the other side speak (This means you, Ms. O'Donnell)
4. Christmas Carols in November. Don't get me wrong, these seasonal songs have their place: the two weeks before Christmas. Not the day after Halloween. You want to start playing them after Thanksgiving, that's fine. But 24/7 for two months straight? I swear, if I hear It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year or Have a Holly Jolly Christmas one more time, I'm going to completely lose it.
5. The Big Three. They spend the last 30 years digging themselves into a hole, and now they expect Washington to bail them out at the taxpayers' expense? No way, Jose. Maybe it they'd built cars that people actually wanted to own, they wouldn't be in this mess.
   
6. Nintendo Power. I used to really like this magazine. Heck, I've been a subscriber since the 5th grade. Since they switched publishers last summer, though, the magazine has really started to suck. Now it's like almost every other generic game magazine; ads, a few previews, ads, a major review of a game or two, more ads, maybe an interview with a developer, even more ads, a lot of 2-paragraph micro reviews, still more ads, general bragging about how great they are, and, oh, did I mention ads?
7. The Mainstream Media. Our economy is in the crapper, Somali pirates are hijacking at least one ship a week, Russia changed its constitution in a way that will allow Putin to remain in power, Venezuela recently purchased several billion in new weapons from Russia, yet these barely seem to rate a 30-second blurb while reporters camp out in front of a hospital for days waiting for Brangelina's babies to be born. Plus, most of them don't even bother to check the facts on their stories any more. Dan Rather ring a bell?
   
8. Frivolous Lawsuits. Actually, people who won't take responsibility for their actions in general make me mad, but it's when they turn around and sue that my blood really starts to boil. If you spill hot coffee on yourself, you should clean yourself up, not clean out the company who sold you the coffee. My personal favorite: the couple who sued New York City's Metro Transit authority after they were hit by a subway train while making out on the tracks.
9. Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. Two more magazines that I really used to like. I've been "borrowing" my dad's issues of PopMech since I was 8, and I subscribed to PopSci since I was in middle school. However, that was before they went politically correct, i.e., green. Now, most of their articles are about some new technology that is going to replace fossil fuels or save the planet. I've got no problem with that, but there's more to science than green technology, especially when most of it is either decades away or will never work to begin with. Even nerdjedi is sick of PopSci now.
10. Writers who publish online but don't finish their stories. Now this really cheeses me off. I cannot tell you how many times I've come across a really great story on FanFiction.Net or FictionPress.Com or some similar site and follow the story for months, only to have the author suddenly abandon it for another story because they're bored with it or suddenly got a new idea. ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! Finish the story, **** it!!! I want to know how it ends!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    

Ford Fiesta: A Subcompact... Amphibious Assault Vehicle?

Starts off like a standard Top Gear review, but trust me, it gets interesting towards the middle.





Go Marines! Even if you are from Formerly-Great Britain!

I promise, this is the only Top Gear video I'll post for a while.

Also, I am now officially cheezed off at YouTube. Now that they've gone widescreen, the videos no longer fit perfectly in blog posts! Boo! *throws rotten tomatoes at YouTube*

Pearl Harbor Day

December 7, 1941

A Date That Shall Live In Infamy.

2,402 Killed.

We Shall Never Forget.

The Truth About College

How true, how true. Except during finals week, of course. Then, money suddenly becomes a nonissue.

Sanity, or Good Grades? Hmm... I think I'm leaning towards the latter.

Happy (Late) Thanksgiving

First of all, let me say a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers. I'm a few days late, I know. Things have been absolutely crazy around here for the last few weeks.

My grandmother was in a car accident about two weeks ago, wound up in ICU with bleeding on the brain, and has been living with us since she was discharged. She's doing much better now, thank the Lord. If you would please keep her and the rest of the family in your prayers, I'd really appreciate it.

As if that wasn't enough, finals are next week. Ugh. I've got lots of long-term stuff coming due in the next two weeks, so I'm gonna be busy as heck (worked pretty much 11 hours straight nonstop today). Didn't get as much done as I wanted to over break either, with cousins from both sides of the family up. Fortunately, I'm keeping a decent (if hectec) pace, so everything should get finished in time.

Yeah, so...

Pics of the new 2010 Mustang are out. I didn't like it at first, but I think it's starting to grow on me. What do you think?

Veterans' Day, 2008

World War I ended 90 years ago today. 40 million people were killed in the four years of nonstop warfare.

Untold millions, both soldiers and civilians alike, have given their lives in the pursuit of liberty. Do not let their sacrifice be forgotten, and never forget that freedom is not free.



If you can read this, thank your teacher.If you can read this in English, thank a Veteran.

You Won't Believe This!

Olny srma t poelpe can raed tih s.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

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Alas, I didn't come up with this, it was part of an email someone forwarded to me. It's still cool, though.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, 2008 World Champions!



Way to go Phils! Can't wait for next season!

Black Belt Patriot

If given the option, Chuck Norris would rather rely on his .357 Magnum than his roundhouse kick.



That should tell you something.

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On a more somber note, my uncle passed away unexpectedly this past weekend. Please keep my family in your prayers as we head through this difficult period.

Are You Kidding Me?

Get a load of this. I was in the Sporting Goods section of my local Wal-Mart tonight, and you're not going to believe what I saw.

I came across a half-row of ammunition. I know, real shocking. Yeah, well, they had big boxes of 12-Gauge shotgun ammo just sitting on the shelves in cardboard boxes. It wasn't 00-Buckshot, but you still would not want to stand in front of it. Now, conversely, they had boxes of dinky .22 rimfire ammo, the kind that's only powerful enough for squirrel or frog hunting, locked inside an armored cabinet.

Are you kidding me? Lock up the dinky little bullets that have a hard time downing prairie dogs behind a half-inch of armored glass, but leave cases of manstoppers on the shelf for anyone to grab? And before you yell at me, it's easy to hide a sawed-off shotgun under a jacket.

I Need Your Help!

I haven't posted in a while, this is true. It's just that... *sigh* I haven't really been motivated. School's been keeping me kinda busy (though not half as busy as nerdjedi. I swear, I'm in college and I don't have half the work he has), but still, I have had free moments every now and again. I just... haven't been inspired, I guess.

Okay, so now that I'm posting anyway, what do I have to talk about... ?

Well, I went paintballing over the weekend. That was a lot of fun (even if I did get shot a lot). Only downside was that I had to rent a marker, since I don't play enough to justify buying one. The one I rented was kinda lousy, kept jamming and misfeeding. It's a good marker if you take care of it (It was a Tippmann 98 Custom, if that means anything to you), but it had obviously been heavily used and the field probably hadn't done regular maintenance on it. How do I know? I've played twice before at two different places, rented the same type of marker each time, and the first two times they functioned flawlessly. Yeah, if I start playing more, I'm definitely going to buy my own gear. That is, of course, assuming airsoft doesn't become more popular around here, but I'm not banking in it.

The new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, comes out next month. Can't wait for that. I've seen a few trailers, and it looks awesome. Even better than Casino Royale. And it looks like there's even a halfway-decent car scene in this one, too. Sweet.

Anyone remember Codename: White Knight? Well, I finally finished it. I'm serious. I worked on it all summer, and I finished a few weeks ago. Its on hiatus for a while (still needs revisions), but having worked on it for nearly three months straight, I'm gonna leave it alone for a while. In the meantime, I'm going to be undertaking a major revision (actually more like a minor rewrite) of my other novel (and prequel to White Knight), More Than a Job. I'm also working on a brand new novel totally unrelated to the other two. Actually, I could use your help with that.

Okay, so in my new (as-yet-untitled) novel, the hero drives an old Pontiac GTO Judge muscle car. The only problem is, I can't decide what model year he's going to own. Specifically, I'm torn between the 1969 and the 1970 models. Which to you think looks coolest? Here they are:

1969:


1970:


I've put a poll in the sidebar, please vote on which car you like best. Thanks.

Oh, and I've also added a lot more to my review blog. Head on over and check it out.

I Can Has LOLs?

Just thought I'd share some lols I made courtesy of the icanhascheezburger lol builder.





You won't see these on any of the lol sites because I don't have an account.

Oh, and just a quick bit of news: Raptor's Reviews is going to be updated at least twice a week now. Last week was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, check back by Wednesday for Apocalypse Now.

Never Forget

Never Forget.

Never Forget The Men, Women, and Children Who Died That Day.

Never Forget The Sacrifices That Countless Men, Women, and Children Have Made Since That Day.



9.11.01 - 9.11.08

Reviews are back

Hey there!

Just a quick heads-up. My film-review blog is back up. I actually have to maintain it for my Art of Film class, so expect regular updates. To start off, there's a brand-new (if somewhat short) review of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)

Also, I gave the blog a new URL. You can check it out here. Enjoy.

You'll Hate Me For This!

Yeah, I know I said I was taking a break from blogging, but I thought I would leave you something to keep you occupied during my Siesta.

It's called Fantastic Contraption, and I guarantee that once you start, you won't be able to stop!

Taking a Break

I'm going to be taking a break from blogging for the next week or so. Two reasons: First, school is starting up and I'm going to be busy getting readjusted to things. Second (this is actually the main reason), the DNC is happening right now, and the RNC is next week, so I'm going to spare you from my political ranting.

On a similar note, I'm taking a Film Analysis class this semester, so expect to see my now-defunct review blog get a sudden revival.

Also, I'm seriously considering opening an account on FictionPress.com to post some of my original works. What do you think? Should I go for it?

Cows With Guns

... not sure I can really add anything to this ...

New Reaction

It's time Americans started using Common Sense. Get off your fat behind and work for change!

Common Sense

Watch this video. This guy says it better than I ever could.



I admit, the presentation is over the top, but this man has a very strong, very real point. We are sitting on our asses doing nothing while our government is running our country into the ground.
Think about it. Congress has an approval rating right now is at an all-time low (~15%) yet we still keep voting the same nonrepresentatives into office each year. Why? We all wine about how the President is a moron and how Congress is out of touch with the people, but that's it. We just talk. Nothing else. This has to end, or else America as we know it will cease to exist.

Oy! Again wit' the Rolls-Royce?!?!

Sorry, but yes. Yet another post involving the new Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Now, we all know that the car's styling is somewhat controversial (not that it matters once you see it in person). However, I recently stumbled across a picture of a Drophead that will cause even the most hardened critic to start drooling.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, The Hyperion:

It's a custom one-off Drophead designed by Pininfarina, the Italian design studio famous for applying its bodywork to Ferraris.

Unfortunately, the Hyperion, named for one of the mythological Greek Titans, will never see production. It was simply an excercise in design meant to recapture the elegance and sophistication that cars displayed in the 1920s and early 1930s. I don't know about you, but I think the boys at Pininarina succeded in a big way. Still, it's a shame that they won't build more.




P.S. I promise to leave this car alone now.

Correction

Okay, you all remember my Ugly Car post, ja? One of the cars mentioned in said post was the new Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, which I criticized for its headlights and funky windshield.

I take back everything I said about it.

I have to: I saw one today. No, I'm dead serious. Spring Lake, NJ, about 11:30 PM, driving south along Ocean Ave.

Man, pictures can't do that thing justice. Yes, the headlights and windshield look odd. But it doesn't matter. It is drop-dead gorgeous! Anyone who says otherwise needs their head examined (myself included). I only hope Sir Henry Royce and Charles Rolls, wherever they are, can forgive me for my warped views....

Yet another entry onto my list of dream cars.

World's Best Movie Martial Artists

5. Jackie Chan



Chan has never once used a stuntman, leading him to be considered uninsurable by movie studios. He started out really awesome (and can still kick some serious @$), but he soon descended into the realm of "Kung-Fu Komedy," the low point of which being the "Westerns" he did with Owen Wilson and the two Rush Hour sequels.

4. Jason Statham



Not so much a martial artist as an all-around action star, Statham nevertheless has a few solid martial arts hits under his belt (pun not intended), the most famous of which being he cult classic The Transporter. He ranks in as number 4 only because of his limited exposure as a martial artist.

3. Jet Li



A lethal weapon if there ever was one, Jet Li is without a doubt one of China's most famous movie stars, with his films grossing millions at Hong Kong cinemas. Unfortunately his American releases (with a few notable exceptions) have been rather mediocre, limiting him to the Number 3 slot.

2. Chuck Norris



Dude, it's Chuck Norris, the guy who they couldn't put on Mount Rushmore because the granite wasn't tough enough for his beard. 5-time world karate champion and legendary film and TV star, Norris has been in the business for over 30 years and has hundreds of knockouts under his belt. Unfortunately, that's not enough to secure the top spot.

1. Bruce Lee

How can it be? How can Chuck Norris be beaten to number 1 by a guy with only one American blockbuster? Watch and learn:



That's right, he just took out an entire martial arts school singlehandedly. Bruce Lee was a human weapon who opened the door in America for kung-fu movies. His untimely death shortly before the release of Enter the Dragon only adds to his mystique. And in case anyone doubts Bruce Lee's superiority:



Yes, that was Chuck Norris you just saw die.

Someone Can That Designer!

If you know me at all, you know I'm a car guy. It's not something I can really explain; it's a love of beauty and elegance that only other gearheads can fully appreciate. However, there are a few cars out there that I think the world would be better off without. In no particular order, here's my list of some of the world's ugliest cars.

1973 Pontiac GTO

From it's inception in 1964, and particularly from 1967 to 1970, the GTO always exuded a tough, brawny attitude, helped in no small part by it's aggressive design. But this "fresh" re-design left it looking (rightly so) like an econobox masquerading as a muscle car. Plus, it had a case of overbite so bad that it would have given any dentist a coronary.


2010 Kia Soul

Kia calls it a blending of the Scion xB and the Honda Element. Looks more to me like one of those freaky concept cars you see at auto shows, only with normal door handles. The headlights in particular irk me; they look like they're from a Transformers movie.


1956 Ford Edsel

Nicknamed "The Toilet-Seat Grill" for obvious reasons, the car was named after the late Henry Ford's son (and former President of the Ford Motor Company), the late Edsel Ford. Predictably, the car was a flop; it sold rather dismally for three years until Ford finally pulled the plug. It's probably a good thing Edsel, who was also a very talented automobile designer, died thirteen years before the car went into production: seeing his name on this monstrosity would have likely killed him.


2007 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

I love this car. I absolutely love it. It broke my heart when I found out that someone stole the real headlights and replaced them with the ones from the Fiat 500. Wait, what? Those are the real headlights? *Insert Horrified Scream Here* And would it have killed them to use a wrap-around windshield?


2001 Pontiac Aztek

Probably the most famous ugly car in recent history, there really isn't a whole lot I can say about it (pretty self-explanitory, don't you think) except to wonder what the designers at Pontiac and GM were smoking when they designed it, or what they were thinking when they let one of their kids design it.


2010 Toyota Prius

Despite what you might think, I really don't have a problem with hybrids; I just have problems with people who by them to pretend they care about the environment (park it in your driveway while you get chauferred around in an Escalade or private jet). This thing, however, looks like an over-inflated party balloon getting ready to pop. Or, if you paint it the right shade of green, it could pass for a giant booger or a radioactively-mutated garden slug. Oh, and guys at Toyota, the larger grill is supposed to be above the bumper.


1965 Fiat 500

Desinged to compete with such famous marquees as the Volkswagen Beetle and the Mini, the 500 comes off looking like the product of an unholy union between the two, only without the sickening cuteness that made its parents worldwide successes. Plus, it gave its headlights to the aforementioned Rolls-Royce.


1970 AMC Gremlin

In the early 70s, if it was an econobox, it was probably ugly. But the Gremlin here takes the cake. It was a perfectly proportioned station wagon... from the B-pillar forward. That's where they chopped off the back seats and the cargo area and welded on some random sheetmetal. Take the wheels off, fill in the wells, and you've got a spaceship from the old Battlestar Galactica TV series. No, wait, forget it: they'd still have made the back end longer.

Before anyone says anything, yes, this little rant of mine as inspired by Sam's Annoyance with Crayola.

The Muppets vs. Classical Music

I know I swore of YouTube posts for a while, but these are so good I just couldn't resist.

Okay, so we have, in order, Ode to Joy, The Blue Danube, Stars & Stripes Forever, and Habanera... Muppetized.

Enjoy.

I'm Sorry Boss

In response to a request that I post something original (something I admit I should have been doing anyway), I present you with a piece originally written as an exercise form my Advanced Writing course last semester. Enjoy.

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I’m sorry boss, I know I’m four hours late today; my building lost power sometime last night and my alarm clock reset itself, so needless to say my alarm didn’t go off this morning and I overslept; then some moron parked his delivery ban in my building’s driveway while he was dropping off flowers to the old lady who lives upstairs from me, and when I asked him to move his truck, the little old lady hit me with her purse – yes, sir, that’s why I have a black eye – yes, I know the client is coming in to close the deal today; so after the delivery guy finally moved his truck, I pulled out of the garage; I knew I would be late by that point – I did try to call you sir, but my cell phone has a dead battery because I was charging it when the power went out last night; so I finally get on the highway and am doing my best to make up lost time when I see a police car behind me flip on its lights and siren, so I pull over and turn the car off; next thing I know the cop rips my door open and throws me on the pavement –yes, sir, that’s why my suit is damaged – yes, I know that the meeting with the client is a formal one – yes I know that formal means wearing a suit that hasn’t been destroyed; turns out that my license plate partially matched one from a getaway car that some bank robbers had used that morning, but they didn’t tell me that until they had hauled me down to the precinct and began interrogating me; I had to convince them to call the little old lady who lives upstairs before they’d believe me – yes, I realize that it sound like a bunch of, uh, bull-stuff, sir, but I swear it’s – wait, what do you mean, ‘I’m fired’?

Top Gear: The "Fox" Hunt

It's Jeremy Clarkson and his "Foxmobile" vs. The Hunters and their Hounds (and Richard Hammond)



I swear, this is the last Top Gear post for a long time.

Top Gear: Boom De Yada

In the spirit of the Discovery Channel's now famous commercial... it's Top Gear! (please note that I didn't make this)



Many thanks to nerdjedi for sending me this video

It's Back!

Gearheads rejoice! After six long years, the era of the Pony Car is reborn!



Meet the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

With a 6.2-liter V-8 engine putting out 425hp and 408 lb-ft of torque; this bad boy is aimed straight at the Mustang and the Dodge Challenger. The Muscle Car Wars have a new force on the battlefield. And to make certain individuals (*cough* *cough* *Al Gore* *cough*) happy, the engine features Active Fuel Management, which means it shuts down up to four of its cylinders to increase fuel economy while cruising, for a maximum of 23mpg highway. (Bear in mind, this figure is for the aforementioned 6.2L V-8 from the SS model, not the sissy 3.6L V-6 of the lesser models)

What's really exciting is that this could mean the return of a whole string of classic muscle cars. In the good ol' days, the Camaro and Pontiac Firebird were built on the same platform. If the Camaro is a roaring success (which all accounts say it should be), this might mean the rebirth if the Firebird, then maybe the Pontiac GTO, and from there, who knows?

Now, the only question remaining is thus: should I stick with getting my Mustang, or pick up one of these instead?

Top Gear: Jeremy Clarkson vs. The Porsche Pipe

There's nothing I can really add to this. Just watch it.

Top Gear: The Boys Go Camping

This time, the guys decide to see what the big draw is to camping, or caravaning as they say in Britain. If you've been paying attention, you've probably figured that this probably isn't going to end well.











I've done a bit of exploring, and it turns out that this whole thing, or at least parts of it, was staged. Whatever, it's still hilarious.

Oh, and if you're wondering what the deal with Clarkson's Kalashnikov was, and why Richard Hammond was freaking out when they were sleeping, it turns out that James May is homosexual. Not like I have a problem with that or anything.


Also, and this has nothing to do with Top Gear, but I've decided to clarify my position in my last reaction.

Clarification

There has been some harsh reaction to this post. I feel I am to blame for this only because I do not feel I made my position clear enough. My opinion still stands.

Okay, Obama says that we need this "Civilian National Security Force" because "We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set." Thing is, we're not relying completely on the military. We haven't been doing that for over 100 years. In addition to our Armed Forces, we have the FBI, CIA, NSA, BATF, DEA DIA (Diplomatic Intelligence Agency), TSA, Secret Service, and many other Law Enforcement Agencies also protecting our national security. Not to mention the countless state and local police forces across the country.

I've heard one objection to my position made on the basis that Obama wants to establish a National Guard. Thing is, we already have one. It's been around since 1903, and it's designed to be a force of civilian reservists who are to be called upon in times of war to supplement the standing army and to keep the peace in times of extreme crisis at home (riots, natural disasters, etc.) Making the National Guard "just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as the Army a) defeats the purpose of having a reserve force (They're not meant to be front-line troops, and therefore don't need to be as well-equiped as the standing army), and b) in times of war, National Guard units come under the command of regular Army leaders.

I mentioned that the idea of having this "Civilian National Security Force" scares me, but I failed to explain why. It scares me because Obama says that said force needs to be "just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as the regular Army. How, exactly, does he plan to make it that strong? By giving it Abrams battle tanks, artillery, and jet fighters? Yes, the National Guard does have those things, but those are only used in times of war, and as I mentioned, National Guard comes under the command of the Army (or Air Force) at those times. Plus, those are all old equipment that has been phased out by the standing military (Ex: most national guard units are equipped with the M60 Patton tank. That was phased out in in the late '80s, with the last being retired just after the Gulf War [and those were used by the Air Force])

So, Obama is disregarding the roles that dozens of Federal and civilian Law Enforcement Agencies take in defending our National Security, and he can't beef up the National Guard without making it a part of the standing Armed Forces. So, what exactly is this "Civilian National Security Force?" The only thing that makes sense (without making something completely redundant and, ergo, completely useless) is a seperate, government-controlled, civilian-operated paramilitary force. What scares me is, why would Obama want such a force? The only thing I can think of is that he wants to use it for something he can't legally use the Army for and that the various LEA's around the country are not put together to do. Exactly what that might be terrifies me.

Top Gear: Plane Vs. Car: The Rematch

Okay, this time, it's a Bugatti Veyron vs. Europe's most advanced jet fighter: the Eurofighter Typhoon in a winner-take-all-loser's-a-vegetarian drag race.

Top Gear: Plane Vs. Car

Actually, it's more like Plane vs. The Car. The Bugatti Veyron is the fastest (255 mph), most powerful (1,001 horsepower), most expensive (over 1.5 million dollars) car ever made. And it's going up against a lousy Cessna turboprop! Not much of a race. Or is it? Either way, Jeremy is obsessed with that car.

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Is Obama Ressurecting the Brownshirts?

Check out this article from The Chicago Tribune. Pay particular attention to the part where Obama says that we can't rely on the military and need to create a "Civilian National Security Force" that is "just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Am I the only one who is very, very scared by this? Barack Obama, the man who wants to become Commander in Chief of our armed forces does not trust that they are capable of defending our nation, so he wants to create his own private paramilitary force to keep us safe.

What exactly is this force going to be tasked with doing? Who is going to lead it? How is it going to be equipped and/or trained? How are we going to pay for it? Most importantly, what, if any, oversight is the government and the military (the real military) going to have over it?

Civilian National Security Force. A government-controlled paramilitary force. Does this remind anyone else of the Brownshirts?

New Reaction

Obama looks like he wants to bring back the brownshirts. No, I'm not making this up.

Remember What This Day Is All About

It's not about getting the day off from work.

It's not about a killer sale at some store.

It's not about an all-day movie marathon.

It's not about grilling burgers and hot dogs and drinking beer in the back yard.

It's not about concerts or fireworks.

It's about this:


It's about the great nation that this flag stands for. It's about the ideas and ideals that this flag represents. Most of all, it's about the men and women who have been willing to give their lives in defense of those ideas, those ideals, this flag, this country. Never forget that.

Happy Birthday, America. May God continue to shed His Grace on Thee.

The Top Gear Police Challenge

Prepare to ROFLYAO!

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Part 2



I love these guys! This show rox!

And I hear they're making an American version...

New Bond Ahead!

Just found the trailer for the new 007 movie, Quantum of Solace.





Looks like another winner! Can't wait until November!

A Sign of the Apocalypse?

I don't believe it, but I actually agree with Barack Obama on something.



Should we head for the bunker now, or wait until the mushroom clouds start appearing on the horizon? Meh, I'll just watch the pretty explosions. Like a fallout shelter would do that much good anyway.

Queen

I don't know why, but I've suddenly developed a craving for Queen. No, not royalty; the English rock band. We Will Rock You, Another One Bites the Dust, Princes of the Universe, now do you know who I'm talking about?

I recently found the single Queen album I have (bought it years ago just for We Will Rock You) and ripped a few tracks to my laptop. Unfortunately, the only two tracks on there that I actually know are We Will Rock You and I Want it All (listening to that one right now as a matter of fact). I never realized how good these guys are. I've got to pick up a few more albums.

Songs on my want list (As of now):

• Princes of the Universe
• Another One Bites the Dust
• Somebody to Love
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• We Are the Champions
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Man, these guys are the kings of guitar solos! Definitely got to get more of their albums!

The Hemisfear

I have got to get me one of these!





Chip Foose = Lord and Grand Master of All Things Automotive!

And Jay Leno's a pretty cool guy too. Say what you will about his TV show, the man has great taste when it comes to cars. He's even got a website devoted to his (extensive) collection. Not that you can blame him or anything...

Baseball Meets the Bard

It's the classic Abbot & Costello sketch Who's on First... Shakespeareified.





I found this last year, believe it or not, but (obviously) never got around to posting it until know.

I apologize for the bad image quality at the end, but it's been like that ever since I found it.

Oh, and if you're not familiar with the sketch, here's the original version:

Freedom Under Fire

Watch This Video from CNN.

Long story short, David Olofson lent his twenty-year old AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle, to another man, who fired roughly 800 rounds (apparently without cleaning it) when the weapon malfunctioned, causing the weapon to fire a three-round burst before jamming. The guns owner's house was raided by the ATF (who didn't find any illegal weapons) and he was convicted of transferring an illegal machine gun.

Okay, this makes zero sense to me. The ATF acknowledges that the weapon malfunctioned, no illegal weapons were discovered in the guys house, he's an Army Reservist, husband, and father, with no criminal record to speak of, yet the government won't say why they chose to go after him.

What's even more disturbing is the precedent this ruling sets. The type of malfunction that happened, called a slam-fire, is not uncommon. It can happen a number of ways; the hammer or firing pin can fail to lock back after firing, the trigger sear can fail to re-engage, or the firing pin can simply stick in the extended position. It happens on all kinds of weapons, not just AR-15s, which by the way are notoriously unreliable if not kept absolutely clean. Some older semi-auto shotguns will slam-fire regularly. M1911-style pistols can slam-fire if they're not properly maintained. My friend has even had it happen several times on an old M1 Garand, a WWII-era rifle. Basically, what this means now is anyone who has a firearm malfunction and slam-fire can be tried and easily convicted of a major felony, thereby losing many of their basic freedoms (can't vote, can't serve in the armed forces or work for the government in any capacity, can't own guns, etc.)

Even the radically anti-gun CNN finds this disturbing. (Yes, Bill Tucker is pro-second amendment, but the CNN high-ups wouldn't let the story run if they didn't agree. Trust me on this; I've spent five years in journalism, I know how the system works.) I don't know why the government chose to pursue this ridiculous case, but I feel that it is gross misuse of power and a sham of justice, and that the presiding judge on this case should be disbarred and the victim's record should be immediately expunged.

UPDATE:

A federal judge just sentenced David Olofson to 30 months in jail. 30 months! All because his gun malfunctioned?!?!?! WTF? This is sick and wrong, people. Sick and wrong. Something needs to be done. That judge should immediately be disbarred, and Mr. Olofson should be pardoned and have his record expunged immediately if not sooner!

Updated Reaction

Anyone remember this reaction?

The guy got 30 months in jail because his gun malfunctioned!

2009 Ferrari California

Now that's what I call a car! Ah, if only, if only...

Memorial Day, 2008

To all those serving and who have served in our Armed Forces, thank you for defending our country and for keeping us, and the world, free from tyranny and oppression.

To those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to those who have willingly laid down their lives in defense of that freedom, thank you. Thank you for sacrificing your todays for our tomorrows. Thank you for giving up everything so that people you never knew and probably would never have met could live in a country that can truly be called free.

Freedom is not, has never been, nor shall it ever be, free. It is paid for by the blood and innocence of the men and women of our Armed Forces, by men and women who are willing to give up everything for the land that they love.

1,316,888 have paid that price so far.

Thank a Veteran.

Uhh... How Many States Are There Again?

O-kay... Barack Obama claims that he's visited 57 States, still has one more to go, but he can't visit Alaska or Hawaii.

Now, I've really tried to keep politics and political bashing out of my blog, but come on! This is sheer idiocy! And please don't tell me he misspoke. First, he had to stop and think about how many states he had visited. Second, if he had really misspoken , he should have been at least competent enough to immediately correct himself.

Regardless of my political views, I really don't think that we should elect someone to lead the country if they don't even know how many stars are on the Flag.

Heckler & Koch HK416 vs. Colt M4A1

This video is of a test conducted by H&K for a new SOCOM requirement, pitting their new HK416 assault rifle against the Colt M4A1, which is standard-issue for the majority of our front-line soldiers.

The video's in German, but you really don't need to understand what they're saying to get the point. Pay particular attention to what happens 1:30 into the clip.




The Army Ordinace Department says that the M4A1 is the best, most reliable rifle in the world, and that there is no need to adopt a new weapon. After seeing what happened to the one in the video, I say that's bullcrap. How about you?

Raptor's Nest

Yeah, I gave the blog a new name. Quite frankly, I was getting tired of *Insert Title Here* as the title, and truth be told, my original plan was to have *Insert Title Here* be a temporary title until I came up with something better. Only took me 20 months to get around to it...

By the way, does anyone know how to get the title centered?

A Gunless Gunfight

Check out this video I found on YouTube the other night.



Good news is that I am officially done with finals for the year, so school is over! I'm officially a sophomore (finally)!

Cinematic Dreams

I don't know why, but I've come up with a list of things I'd love to see happen in the cinema world, but probably never will.

• Quentin Tarantino directing Romeo and Juliet
  
• Bruce Lee in The Matrix
  
• Bruce Lee vs. Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li. vs. Jason Statham
• James Bond (Daniel Craig) either versus or teamed with Jason Bourne
• Quentin Tarantino directing Hamlet
  
• A remake of The Longest Day
  
• Al Pachino & Robert DiNero teaming up again, preferably with Martin Scorsese directing
• Some of Vince Flynn's novels getting made into movies
• James Cameron comes back and re-does Terminator 3 and make it not stink
• Jason Statham in a Quentin Tarantino movie
• Hugh Jackman playing James Bond
• Batman (Christian Bale) vs./teams with Superman (Brandon Routh)
• A Dirty Harry remake with Kiefer Sutherland as Harry and Kevin Spacey as Scorpio
• A new Robin Hood movie that doesn't stink (and keeps Robin as the hero)
• A Splinter Cell movie
• That Disney gets it's act together and stops making bad movies
• A Metal Gear Solid movie

Feel free to suggest further additions to the list.

Uncooperative

Command told us that it would be an easy mission; patrol Sector 7 for any signs of Arkellian activity. Intel had reported zero movement in the sector for the last week. Apparently, a quartet of Medium Assault Drones qualifies as “zero movement” in their book. Out of a group of thirty resistance fighters, only Sammy and I got out alive. It was dumb luck, really; I was covering our rear and Sammy had come back to take over when we heard their 50mm rail guns open up. We both knew what was happening, that there was no hope, so we took off running. It was the only thing we could’ve done; either that or stay and be slaughtered along with the rest of the team.

We ran for about a kilometer before I spotted the cave. It isn’t overly large, it’s just a small hole in the side of a cliff, maybe six or seven feet tall and five or so feet deep, but at least we can hide from the drones in it. For a while, at least; everyone knows that it’s nearly impossible to escape an Arkellian Assault Drone.

I cautiously lean out of the cave and quickly sweep the surrounding terrain through my rifle’s scope. “I think we’re clear for now,” I tell Sammy. She nods as she checks the charge in her rifle’s pack. Sammy doesn’t say much when she’s in mission mode. “How long do you think we have?” I ask.

“Ten minutes, if we’re lucky,” she replies in an emotionless voice. That’s about what I figured, although the way today’s been going, I sincerely doubt we’ll be lucky at all. “How do you think they found us?”

“They’re Arkellians,” I say, shrugging, “Does it really matter?” Sammy nods again, her eyes growing hard.

“Twenty-eight killed,” she says to no one in particular, “And for what?”

“An Intel screw-up,” I reply bitterly, “I thought they said ‘zero activity in the sector.’ So much for their data.” If looks could kill, Sammy’s gaze would incinerate me.

“You think this is funny?” she demands, anger creeping into her voice, “You think this is all a joke?”

“No,” I reply, “I don’t think it’s funny in the least. And you know why they died.” She nods again.

“Because they were human,” she says, “Because they were ‘uncooperative.’” ‘Uncooperative’ is how the Arkellians describe the resistance fighters, the ones who stood up and fought back after their invasion and the government’s subsequent surrender.

“Do you think it will ever end?” I ask. I’m being metaphysical here; we both know that the resistance will end one way or the other.

“Definitely,” Sammy says with an affirmative nod, “We just have to stay ‘uncooperative’ for a little bit longer; we’ll see the end of the invasion one day soon, you’ll see.” I smile, suppressing a mirthless snort. That line’s been repeated countless times since the resistance began. ‘A little bit longer and it will all be over.’ I have to agree with that, though half the time I’m sure it will be the Arkellians that come out on top.

“Looks like we got lucky,” Sammy’s sudden remark interrupts my thoughts and I check my wrist chrono. We’ve been in the cave for exactly ten minutes and twenty-three seconds. Lucky indeed.

At that moment, blinding spotlight suddenly lances into the cave.

Did I just say something about luck?

“YOU ARE TRAPPED, HUMANS! COOPERATE OR DIE!” The electronically-modulated voice of an Arkellian thunders in our ears. Sammy and I look at each other as the order is repeated, our hands instinctively flying to our rifles.

“So much for seeing the end,” Sammy says, her voice mirroring my thoughts as I nod in agreement.

“I’m sorry,” I say, “I should have kept us moving.”

“It had to happen sometime,” Sammy says, shaking her head, “Better sooner than later, I guess.”

“HUMANS! COOPERATE AND YOUR LIVES WILL BE SPARED! RESIST AND YOU WILL SUFFER A MOST PAINFUL DEATH!”

I look over at Sammy, who responds to my gaze by yanking back the charging handle on her rifle. The weapon immediately powers back up with a slight electronic whine. “Are you feeling cooperative?” she asks after a moment. I grin and yank back my rifle’s charging handle.

“Never,” I say as I flip the weapon’s safety off.

“HUMANS! THIS IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY! COOPERATE OR YOU SHALL SUFFER!”

For a long moment, Sammy and I stare at each other. It feels like eternity as my mind fills with things I wished that I’d done, places I wished I’d gone, words I wished I’d said. Then, as one, we leap from the cave with weapons blazing, defiant battle cries roaring from our lips.

<><><>

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a microfiction (1000 words or less) that I wrote for my short fiction class this semester. I got a B+ on it.

Please R&R.

Another New Reaction

Click here to read.

Man is the UK screwed up! Sure, the give us Doctor Who and Aston Martins (now actually half-owned by Kuwatis), but banning hoodies ?!?! What the hey?!?

Banning Hoodies in the UK...?

Check out this article. Apparently, there have been a spree of violent crimes in the UK, all of which were committed by people in hoodies, and now this newspaper wants the government to ban hoodies in response.

Honestly, this is so stupid and insane I'm not sure how to respond to it.

First off, the logic is extremely flawed; crimes are committed by people in hoodies, therefore everyone who wears a hoodie must be a criminal. I wear a hoodie when it's cold and wet out and the worst thing on my record is a traffic citation! And I wasn't wearing a hoodie when the accident happened, either.

Second, I wouldn't be surprised if this actually happens because the British governments owns a controlling stake in most of the UK's media outlets.

Third, well, I can't really think of a third. Probably because something like this would never fly Stateside. Any newspaper that called for a ban of any article of clothing whatsoever would likely be set upon by a giant pitchfork wielding mob (ah, the things that make this country great... jk) Okay, there probably wouldn't be a mob, but you know what I mean; public backlash would probably shut the place down.

Honestly, the UK is really screwed up. Most of their major cities have violent crime problems that make Washington DC, Chicago, and LA look like utopias, yet they brag about how their police don't need to carry guns. The government is bending over backwards to accommodate Muslim Extremists (Muslims only make up about 4-5% of the population in total, extremists even less), and the only sort of law they seem to be pass recently are increasingly ridiculous blanket-bans (I've heard a rumor, but have unable to confirm, that military veterans are no longer allowed to swim in public pools because they might frighten children). They need to get their head out of the gutter and start making serious changes, or else they're going to wind up as the West's first police state.

I FINALLY DID IT!!!!!!

I DID IT!

I finally took the plunge and bought a real airsoft gun!

It's a replica of the M1911A1, the world-famous Colt .45. The best part is, since I just placed the order (1:45-ish), the gun should ship TODAY! Hopefully, I'll have it in my hot little hands by Thursday, just in time fore Easter break!

The only downside I can think of is that I had to order a duster gas adapter from another retailer (DOT won't let them even carry gas anymore. Stupid soccer-mom politics), and that might take a while longer to get here. Sigh...

Anyway, I'm almost jumping out of my skin in anticipation; I'll tell you how everything is once the gun gets here. (can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!)

UPDATE:

The gun shipped at around 2:15 same day! I officially love Trinity Airsoft!

New Reaction At Last

Check it out here. Government incompetence/assault on freedom at its finest.

Read This

My Bad, Your Fault.

AMEN, BECK!






Yeah, not really big enough for a Reaction, but still...

The Force Isn't So Strong With This One...

While I love Star Wars with a passion, I must admit that at times Luke isn't the brightest lightsaber in the Temple, as evidenced here.

The end is kinda dumb, so quit out after the pic of Han in front of the bunker. Aside from that, enjoy.

Politics Has Gone To The Dogs

Ain't that the truth.

Picture is from I HAS A HOTDOG!

Sorry, Mr. Gore

Check out This Article on global warming.

Turns out that Al Gore might be wrong after all; there has been no net global warming in 10 years. And before anyone says anything, take a look at the links in the article and the charts on those links. Yep, net global temperature is down about 0.3 degrees Celsius since 1998! Yet for some reason the politicians claim that if we don't do something to stop it soon, we'll be doomed...

Yeah, this wasn't really big enough for it's own spot in the Reactions blog, so I just put it here.

And PLEASE check out The Raptors!

The Raptors

Okay, In Honor of the Oscars, I'm launching my own Movie Awards series, creatively titled The Raptors!

You can check out The Official Site for details and to nominate a movie for any or all of the categories.

Cool Lightsaber Video

Check this out.



I think that the choreography is excellent, but the sfx could've used a bit more work...

And, once again, my desire to make a Star Wars Fan Film has been reborn...

Indy 4 Trailer

Watch and enjoy!