Sunday Music - Rock Sugar

Y'all heard these guys yet? Rock Sugar - Shook Me Like a Prayer



I like it - so sue me. Continue Reading

Weekend Cigar Blogging

This just in from Thompson Cigars - the CAO America "Four for the Fourth" box and an additional three "Bottle rockets" (Churchill).

This is one of my favorite cigars, being a medium-full smoke with lots of flavor.

I've had my eye on this deal for a while, now that I got my income tax refund, I went ahead and jumped on it.




You see that third one over in the box of four? It's being saved for a special occasion.

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I Can Predict the Future

And I have proof! Here's a post of mine from January 11th:

Climatologists Say This Will be the Warmest January in Over a Century

Here's a story dated today:

WEATHER: HOTTEST JANUARY EVER SAY CLIMATE EXPERTS

CLIMATE scientists yesterday stunned Britons suffering the coldest winter for 30 years by claiming last month was the ­hottest January the world has ever seen.

Damn, I'm good.

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Added a Link

CO Arms now has a link over on the side. They're a local gun maker I just learned about. Took a drive by there during lunch, but didn't want to drop in unexpected. It's a machine shop, after all. they have work to do. =)

I do hope to talk to them in the near future, though.

Thanks to Linoge for finding them.

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That's Why They're Not Called Happy Fuzzy Bunny Whales

This was to be a passing reference to current events, but it looks like things are about to get interesting (emphasis mine):

Did trainer slip into killer whale tank or was she pulled in?

A witness told CNN affiliate WKMG-TV that the whale approached the glass side of the 35-foot-deep tank at Shamu Stadium, jumped up and grabbed the trainer by the waist, shaking her so violently that her shoe came off. A SeaWorld employee, who asked not to be identified, also described the incident the same way.

But Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman said Brancheau slipped into the tank.

"This appears to be an accident," said Jim Solomons.

Reminds me of Bob Uecker in Major League - "Just a bit outside."

I hope her family doesn't let them get away with this.

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Forget Don't Ask Don't Tell

We haven't even fully integrated women into our armed forces yet.

However, the Navy has taken another step in that direction.

Via Abby, who echoes my sentiments exactly:

I do have to admit that serving on a submarine is one of those things I don't think you could convince me to do with a cattle prod and a suitcase full of unmarked twenties...but to each their own.

I took a tour of the Rhode Island a few years ago. It's one of the largest submarines in existence, and I couldn't get out of there quick enough.

Besides, they come pre-sunk, if you catch my drift....

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Compare and Contrast

This President, talking to schoolchildren:



The last one:

Interesting....

(found here, via email)

UPDATE: The first picture isn't an accurate representation of what went on. See comments.
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The Tea Party Revolution Started in 1980

Most "conservative" politicians didn't get it - the reason Regan was elected wasn't because of his patriotism or belief in God, but because of quotes like these:

Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Man is not free unless government is limited.

One way to make sure crime doesn't pay would be to let the government run it.

The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.

I always wondered why the Republicans quickly moved their message from this to "God and Country". It was easier, and less threatening to the incumbents, I guess.

The more I watch, the more I come to realize that there's no fundamental difference between our two parties - they both want to stay in power, and they won't willingly give up an ounce of it.

Now, politicians are beginning to talk the talk again (see Brown, Scott), but I have to wonder - will they walk the walk?

Will we hold them accountable if they don't?

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Florida Biker Bar

via email:

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CMP Sales Update

LATEST CMP SALES NEWS:

MORE .30-06 HXP AMMO SOON: Our most recent purchase of HXP ammunition began arriving on Feb 17, 2010. It will take another 4-5 weeks before the full shipment is received. Until we actually receive the entire shipment, we will not know what packaging configurations will be available or the amount of each configuration. We do not yet know what our final cost will be. We do know that the quantity is large enough to satisfy our customer needs for several years. We will not accept any pre-orders or establish a waiting list. Thanks for your support and patience. We expect to again begin accepting orders by the end of March, 2010.

CARBINE MAGAZINES STILL AVAILABLE: see item PS103 under the "Parts Surplus" tab on https://estore.odcmp.com.

.30 CARBINE AMMO NOW AVAILABLE: We have received enough Aguila .30 carbine ammo to fill all backorders and still have a large quantity of ammo in inventory. We are now again accepting orders for .30 carbine ammo - item 438A. See the "ammo" tab on the Estore https://estore.odcmp.com.

M1D SERVICE GRADE NOW AVAILABLE. We are now accepting orders for the M1D Service grade. $1,500. See the Garand page at www.thecmp.org. Other grades of the M1D are not available at this time, but we do expect to have some towards the end of 2010.

CORRECT GRADE AVAILABLE. We have accumulated several hundred "Correct Grade" Springfield Armory M1 Garand rifles and are accepting orders. See the "Garand" tab on www.thecmp.org.

.308 AMMO AVAILABLE ON ESTORE. We currently have several different loads of .308 ammo listed at the "ammo" tab on the Estore at https://estore.odcmp.com.Quantities in each category are very small and we expect to sell out of all of them soon. Once an item is sold out, it drops off the Estore.

BAYONET UPDATE. We have not yet received the expected shipment of Garand bayonets, but do expect to have some available for purchase by the end of April 2010.

M1 GARAND CLEANING RODS NOW ON ESTORE. Cleaning rods for the M1 stock butt trap are now available at the "parts surplus" tab on https://estore.odcmp.com. Item numbers are PS105; PS106, and PS107.

Thank you for your support and patience. Continue Reading

Red Light Cameras in Millington, TN

The good news? The Mayor say we need only two:

Despite being a vocal supporter of red-light cameras, Millington mayor Richard
Hodges says he will not support a plan that would put cameras at more than two intersections.

A couple of things:

1. Two - like the number of terms you're not going to serve after backing this money-grab?

2. I'm going to become a vocal supporter - of your opponent when election time comes around.

I can't see red light cameras doing any good for the city - or for the politicians supporting them.

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Sunday Music

I'm a sucker for a good story.




Jerry Jeff Walker - Navajo Rug Continue Reading

Weekend Cigar Blogging

As I close in on my first year of cigar appreciation, I'd like to revisit a few smokes I tried early on, before I knew squat* about cigars.

CAO Italia, Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 - First, I've grown to like the Italia a lot more than the first time I tried it. I still get spicy notes, more white pepper than anything else, but those notes come across in a good way. Had me craving a big bowl of pasta after smoking it. =)

I have a few in the humidor these days. Like my beer fridge, my humidor is prepared for just about anything.

Before, I said I liked the Vintage 1990 over the '92, but recently, I've come to enjoy the '92 at least as much, if not more, than the '90. The '92 is a little bigger tasting than the '90, and has earned a spot in the humidor along side the '90's

CAO MX2 - Here we go, round three with this puppy. I've had bad luck with this smoke in the past, but a recent CAO sampler I got had three box pressed MX2's in it, so I'll give it another go.

The thing about this smoke - it's a "double maduro", meaning that both the wrapper (outer cover) and the binder (inner cover) are of the maduro variety. Maduro, I've come to find out, isn't a type of leaf, but the curing process.

It's pretty strong (I'm smoking it now), and the first third is peppery and leathery. The draw is a little tight, but not enough to hamper anything. Sailorcurt is right, the finish (aftertaste) doesn't last long.

Moving through the cigar, the leather gives way to dark chocolate. The black pepper is still there, but it has moved to the background. The draw has loosened up, providing plenty of smoke. It's a lot better now.

It's strong, too. I'm getting a bit buzzy. Not much, but this is one to smoke after a good meal, not a light lunch.

I have to mention, the construction is impeccable. Not a hole, tear or soft spot throughout.

Final verdict: a keeper, but definitely not for beginners.

One thing I've learned about my way of getting to know a cigar: I can't just sit and think about it. If I do that, I'm too busy thinking about it and not trying to enjoy it. Once I occupy myself, in this case doing some light work in the back yard, the cigar presents itself better, and I can let it come to me, rather than trying to pull out whatever it is I'm looking for.

* At this point, I'm pretty comfortable saying I do know squat about cigars, but not much more than that.

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Meridian 59

A little while back, I posted about Meridian 59's owners, Near Death (now referred to "Now Dead") Studios had closed shop and the game was no more.

Looks like news of M59's death were premature:

Psychochild and Q, after some back and forth, have officially ceded ownership of Meridian 59 to Zandramas and Zaphod, the long long long time ago original creators of Meridian 59. While new (or refined) content is to be expected at a later date, Z and Z are currently focused on combating cheats and increasing stability.

And, here's the best part (emph mine):

If you're an old-timer or a new player, feel free to give Meridian 59 a play--especially considering that, for the time being, account creation is free! If you're interested, feel free to e-mail FattyMoo at subscriptions@neardeathstudios.com with an account name, an account password, an e-mail address, and your server preference (you'll probably want 101)

Now, M59 isn't like WoW or Ever crack quest. The graphics are dated (the original graphics were on par with Doom). And, at the moment, it's not playing well with Windows 7. That's Z&Z's top priority right now - get the game running smoothly on the newest operating systems.

The world is considerably smaller, and there are no "levels". Spell and skill levels are based on percentages, so it's possible to have a mage with all six levels of spells in one school with less than thirty hitpoints (they max at 150).

However, the other big point to M59 is Player vs Player (PvP) combat. It's wide open - if you have 30 hitpoints or more, you can be attacked. Guilds go to war with each other all the time, and there's usually a random player killer (PKer) running around preying on unsuspecting players. When there is, there's a group of hunters tracking him or her down. That's what I do.

Another thing about dying? It's harsh. You lose a hit point, and random percentages off your skills and spells. All your stuff drops to the ground, allowing anyone walking by to pick it up. That's where the player community comes in, as some players will grab and hold your "good" stuff till you make your way out of the Underworld. Others will take what they want and taunt you about it. Another PvP opportunity, if you ask me.

There's also some good Player vs Environment (PvE), good critters to fight, quests to run, etc.

Check it out, what do you have to lose but a hitpoint or two?

Gilroy's Meridian 59 Reference is the place to get all your M59 information.

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All This Snow is a Result of Global Warming

That's what someone told me the other day. Had a pretty reasonable explanation, too. Increased heat causes more water vapor, etc.

So, even IF I accept that, what's causing the snow to stay on the ground for going on two weeks?

I've lived in the Memphis area since 1969, and four days is the most I can remember snow sticking around for (actually it was ice that time).

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Super Thoughts

First and foremost - How 'bout them Saints!

To clarify, I am not a band wagon jumper. Understand, before the Titans, the only teams we in west Tennessee had to follow were the (then) St Louis Cardinals and the Saints. Seeing as my family is from north Mississippi, and Ole Miss (Archie Who?) fans from way back, the Saints were a natural choice for me.

It was nice to see them win in such a fashion, not like last time, when the Minnesota fumble/interception machine went into high gear.

I kinda feel bad for Peyton, he's going to build on his rep as a choker, the guy who can't win the big game. He's not deserving of that, though. There are 21 other people playing for the Colts, and they choked collectively. Hanging the loss on Manning isn't right. There were so many dropped passes out there, it looked like they were channelling the Titans' receivers from a year ago.

It was a good game, and I'm glad one more team has gotten their Super Bowl win.

Now it's time for the Titans to get theirs.

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Sparse Blogging

Sorry for my lack of posting, I just don't have a lot to say at the moment.

Maybe once the Herenton - Cohen fiasco gets into full swing, but then again, I'm pretty much fed up with Memphis' former King, so I may ignore it altogether.

I will say this: GO SAINTS!

Have a great weekend, everybody.

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Way to Go, Memphis!

Greyhound bus passengers stranded in Memphis up to four days

When Action News 5 interviewed another stranded passenger, Cynthia Caponey, a security guard threatened to not let her back inside the station, claiming Greyhound "has that right."

Caponey was trying to get to St. Louis to see her son and grandsons.

"We're all at a loss in there, trying to figure out why we're the only ones not moving," Caponey said.

Caponey was in disbelief at how the security guard treated her.

"Just because I wanted to say something and voice my opinion," Caponey said. "I should be able to, I guess I'm not understanding that."

Despite the security guard's threats, Caponey decided to be interviewed in hopes of getting help for the other passengers.

After the interview, the security guard kicked Caponey out of the station, forcing her to wait outside in the cold for her bus.

Boy howdy, that's class right there.

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