A new disease plagues the people...

His name: Michael Bay. Not that he's new; he's given us "classic" movies like Armageddon and Bad Boys I and II. I recently watched Transformers (against my will and better judgment) and seriously, folks, Bay should not be allowed to direct anymore. Why, you ask? His special effects are stupendous, with moving, epic battles, throbbing soundscapes, etc. etc. Here's what I want all my readers (all 3 of you) to do:

1. Rent/watch Armageddon
2. PAY ATTENTION TO DIALOGUE, MUSIC, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
3. try to have a cognitive thought during a slow scene, i.e. the epic cookie sex scene

Its not possible. Why? Because Bay, that ham-handed, moronic, lousy excuse for a director, insists on having every single moment of his movies jam packed with noise, or movement, or a shiny veneer (spelling, probably) that makes your head throb. Its senseless, and has no point, and is sheer tripe. Besides all that, Bay's last great movie, the Island, has been sued for flat-out plaigarism. The original story that was lambasted by Mystery Science Theater 3000 was called Parts: the Clonus Horror, and if you watch it you can tell that the Island is a newly refurbished carbon copy of Parts. so, in conclusion:

Michael Bay is a talentless joe who steals ideas, repeats the same wornout idiotic formula, panders to corporations for extra income (watch Transformers and count the sponsorships; I counted 21 and didnt include all the GM bits--by the end, I felt like Id watched a 2 hour Chevy commercial) and generally brings me closer to aneurism every time he makes another movie.

Thats all.

Dove Hunting

...is for the birds. My hunting buddy decided I wasnt quite Texan if I didnt go bird hunting (which he still calls me New Mexican to get my blood boiling). We headed out as early as possible for a perpetual drinker and night owl--8 AM--and he walked me through the sanctimonious process of shooting dove. Quick pointers from him, minus all the cussing:

1. Doves fly erratically
2. Lead slightly, but not too low
3. Doves are visual animals, so some stalking is required
4. shoot the suckers when they are sitting still, if possible

I came up with the last one. After 5o rounds from me, I managed to bag one. It was fun anyway. I have decided, however, that I dont like bird hunting. I love shooting shotguns, but wringing birds and cleaning them rubs me the wrong way. I'll stick with big game. Not saying I wouldnt go again, but next time I'll bring the KABAR for the dirty work.

Everyone should attend a gun show at least once. Not simply because I think an understanding of our Second Amendment rights is vital to understanding the rest of the Bill of Rights, but because the people that attend them have gobs of character. This past Sunday, Brando and I took Ram and Mark to one just for kicks. They've been looking into getting concealed carry permits, so it was partly to test the waters of current pistols.

Its really sad that I had to stop and explain to my sister why there was a seller with Nazi flags up on the wall. We went to an irregular show Ive never gone to before, but there are always "historic collectors" hawking wares that are borderline fascist--dont get me wrong, I appreciate the old Luger P08 more than the average joe, but seriously, when you start putting on "periodic uniforms" and running around like a Nazi, youre just being a fruitcake.

That aside, it was a nice show. A few rare and random collectables, and I think Mark and my sister have a better grasp on the current arms market. Good stuff, I tell ye.

A promise is a promise

I know I said I would be posting again, but the last two weeks have completely fragged my brain. Brandon and I have been cramming for our Cisco Networking final, and now that the day has approached, Im just ready to get it over with. SO, Saturday or Sunday, I'll unload some posts.


Also, Rambouillet is posting again! HOORAY! Welcome back, Ram!

Jiffy Perfection

I was always amazed as a kid by the glossy perfection of a new can of peanut butter. Wonderful, isnt it? Its a shame I had to mar the top just for my sandwich. Oh well...

New toy

Or at least new to my readership. A beautiful Taurus Tracker in .357 mag--truly, a delight to shoot. I took to the range a week after I got it and put 100 rounds of .357 and 50 rounds of .38 Special through it and I am extremely satisfied with its performance. For those who say that the .357 kicks too much, I saw pshaw. This thing is a breeze! My only complaint is the sights are a tad off and I wasnt really concentrating on accuracy the first time out. Next time, though, Ill float the sights and things will be peachy.