So I thought I'd put a link out there to my new Hero -
Dr. John Coleman - a man who know a few things about meteorology, climatology and a few other -ologies, I'm sure:
http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html
Read it!
Especially read it if you need to fill up your car any time soon...
- when you do say a Amen! to Democrats and ineffective Republicans in Congress and Al "Inverter of the Interwebs and Destroyer of the American Economy and Way of Life" Gore.
America must drill. Now. Continental Shelf and ANWAR and, hell my backyard, if there's any oil there. Do it responsibly and for profit. As much profit as you can make for your stockholders and employees.
The Crazed American is sick and f---ing tired of the march to Socialism our government (both parties) is taking.
I will not stand for it.
Well, this weekend, I'll stand for it. I'm going camping.
Do I need to pay a carbon tax on the campfire I'm going to have?
Crazed American, setting a course for the high Uintas.
If you're lucky, I may post some pictures.
Crazed American, out.
11 June 2008
What does it take?
I realize that i have to do a better job of posting... To all of my wonderful reader(s), I heartily apologize.
To sum up my life up until now:
I am not real pleased about either choice for president. Also, not exactly sure how Bob "Mr. War on Drugs and I Don't Like Gay People" Barr is a Libertarian...
Both candidates are pledging to remove "obscene profits" from all corporations. Marxism. Bolshevism. Communism. National Socialism.
American is best when it's people are free to succeed or fail.
The Crazed American is not real thrilled about the prospects for the fall. I may still vote for Fred Thompson. Or my Dad. I really don't see myself voting for John McCain. Definitely not Barry O.
Also, Barry O should release his birth certificate. I mean, what , is he worried about identity theft? John McCain had to release his when they had the whole Canal Zone Birth issue.
What a bunch of morons.
***
Read an excellent work - read the whole thing in 2 days. Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air - dang! Made me want to climb Medium and small sized mountains. You can go ahead and keep the real tall ones.
Reading another interesting book: WARDAY by Whitley Streiber and Jim Kunetka. Great book - written in 1984 about the aftermath of a "limited" nuclear war in 1988. Exhaustively researched, and a real good yarn. Written in kind of a method that might have been looked at by Max Brooks before he wrote World War Z
Other than that - it snowed this morning. Of course, I do live at 7000 feet ASL.
To sum up my life up until now:
I am not real pleased about either choice for president. Also, not exactly sure how Bob "Mr. War on Drugs and I Don't Like Gay People" Barr is a Libertarian...
Both candidates are pledging to remove "obscene profits" from all corporations. Marxism. Bolshevism. Communism. National Socialism.
American is best when it's people are free to succeed or fail.
The Crazed American is not real thrilled about the prospects for the fall. I may still vote for Fred Thompson. Or my Dad. I really don't see myself voting for John McCain. Definitely not Barry O.
Also, Barry O should release his birth certificate. I mean, what , is he worried about identity theft? John McCain had to release his when they had the whole Canal Zone Birth issue.
What a bunch of morons.
***
Read an excellent work - read the whole thing in 2 days. Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air - dang! Made me want to climb Medium and small sized mountains. You can go ahead and keep the real tall ones.
Reading another interesting book: WARDAY by Whitley Streiber and Jim Kunetka. Great book - written in 1984 about the aftermath of a "limited" nuclear war in 1988. Exhaustively researched, and a real good yarn. Written in kind of a method that might have been looked at by Max Brooks before he wrote World War Z
Other than that - it snowed this morning. Of course, I do live at 7000 feet ASL.
22 May 2008
It did not suck.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Started GREAT. First 60 minutes were fabulous.
Next 30 minutes were good.
'bout the time we got to the last waterfall I found myself muttering "come on".
Moose remarked that we probably witnessed the greatest feat of Russian engineering, and amphibious vehicle that didn't rust to a stop at the first contact with water.
The ending was a tad, well, shall I just say that it could have been better.
Brought the Young Indiana Jones Adventures in to the official lore - nice.
Overall, initial reaction is that I would rank it just behind Temple of Doom. But not by much.
Highest complement I can pay a film (and I have seen a lot) - "I got my money's worth"
Acting was great - Harrison Ford's older than my Dad. Impressive that he did the majority of his own stunts. Kudos.
John Hurt was great - would have liked to know that character a bit better.
Dr. Jones, I got my money's worth.
Wish Sean Connery had been in it.
Also, note to film directors. This movie is entered as Exhibit #23516625442 that just because you CAN do super fantastic special effects, doesn't necessarily mean you have to. Sometimes less is more...
I have ideas as to where the Indiana Jones films should go from here. That's for a later post.
Started GREAT. First 60 minutes were fabulous.
Next 30 minutes were good.
'bout the time we got to the last waterfall I found myself muttering "come on".
Moose remarked that we probably witnessed the greatest feat of Russian engineering, and amphibious vehicle that didn't rust to a stop at the first contact with water.
The ending was a tad, well, shall I just say that it could have been better.
Brought the Young Indiana Jones Adventures in to the official lore - nice.
Overall, initial reaction is that I would rank it just behind Temple of Doom. But not by much.
Highest complement I can pay a film (and I have seen a lot) - "I got my money's worth"
Acting was great - Harrison Ford's older than my Dad. Impressive that he did the majority of his own stunts. Kudos.
John Hurt was great - would have liked to know that character a bit better.
Dr. Jones, I got my money's worth.
Wish Sean Connery had been in it.
Also, note to film directors. This movie is entered as Exhibit #23516625442 that just because you CAN do super fantastic special effects, doesn't necessarily mean you have to. Sometimes less is more...
I have ideas as to where the Indiana Jones films should go from here. That's for a later post.
21 May 2008
For the Record: I love Indiana Jones Movies
I have seen all of them to be able to quote from them at length.
A while back I read a summary of the proposed Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars. I thought - cheesy: nuclear explosions, alien relics and space ships.
ummm....
From CNN.com:http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/21/bts.indiana.jones/index.html
Early reviews of the latest Indiana installment have been mixed, but the Harlem audience was firmly in Indiana's corner. "It gets 10 stars," said one audience member, Robert Egbert. "The sound effects were crazy and the action was off the hook. I loved the space ship!"
I may have to hate George Lucas. Can Congress do something useful? Call it the Han Solo Shoots First Act, it would be to restore Han Solo killing Greedo in Star Wars IV, and then forbidding George Lucas from being allowed to make (or change) any more movies.
I mean really. Don't get me wrong, I am going to see the new Indy Flick tomorrow, (and rewatch Temple of Doom and Last Crusade tonight), but I swear, on the Precious Felt of the Hallowed Fedora (Peace Be Upon It), this movie had better not suck. I am not expecting Schindler's List, or Lawrence of Arabia, but I had better be entertained and not have my (admittedly limited) intelligence mocked. I don't have the highest expectations, but I expect a good, escapist romp, by the Powers of the Almighty Bullwhip (PBUI).
I'll let you know.
A while back I read a summary of the proposed Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars. I thought - cheesy: nuclear explosions, alien relics and space ships.
ummm....
From CNN.com:http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/21/bts.indiana.jones/index.html
Early reviews of the latest Indiana installment have been mixed, but the Harlem audience was firmly in Indiana's corner. "It gets 10 stars," said one audience member, Robert Egbert. "The sound effects were crazy and the action was off the hook. I loved the space ship!"
I may have to hate George Lucas. Can Congress do something useful? Call it the Han Solo Shoots First Act, it would be to restore Han Solo killing Greedo in Star Wars IV, and then forbidding George Lucas from being allowed to make (or change) any more movies.
I mean really. Don't get me wrong, I am going to see the new Indy Flick tomorrow, (and rewatch Temple of Doom and Last Crusade tonight), but I swear, on the Precious Felt of the Hallowed Fedora (Peace Be Upon It), this movie had better not suck. I am not expecting Schindler's List, or Lawrence of Arabia, but I had better be entertained and not have my (admittedly limited) intelligence mocked. I don't have the highest expectations, but I expect a good, escapist romp, by the Powers of the Almighty Bullwhip (PBUI).
I'll let you know.
09 May 2008
Knaves abound...
IN what could be the funniest thing I have read in quite a while, i have stumbled across this
Pulp Fiction (A Slurry Tale) as written by William Shakespeare. http://pulpbard.wikispaces.com/
Highly recommended to all fans of the work of Quentin Tarantino and the OG hisself, William "BillyMack" Shakespeare.
Hurt myself laughing so hard...
(Further proof that there is no amount of time that the intertubes can not lay waste to...)
Pulp Fiction (A Slurry Tale) as written by William Shakespeare. http://pulpbard.wikispaces.com/
Highly recommended to all fans of the work of Quentin Tarantino and the OG hisself, William "BillyMack" Shakespeare.
Hurt myself laughing so hard...
(Further proof that there is no amount of time that the intertubes can not lay waste to...)
02 May 2008
Battlestar Galactica
I have to admit the fascination with that show has waned a bit for me. Don't get me wrong, it's still the best Sci-Fi show on television (that I watch - I've still never seen Lost - No time), it just got a little "Soap-Opera'y" for my tastes after the exodus from New Caprica.
That being said, I may not see every episode when they come on Sci-Fi (although I do have Sci-FI HD now, so I may need to remedy that situation), but I do try to catch up with the episodes online.
That all being said I have 3 hypothesis as who might be the final Cylon.
1) Lt. Felix Gaeta
Evidence - he wrote it better than me: http://www.haibane.info/2008/05/02/cylon-speculation/
To add to that - he was "able to beat the Cylons at computer programming"
Makes good sense.
2) Everyone
Evidence: "It's all happened before, it will all happen again."
3) An unnamed unseen Cylon - on Earth - the Holy Grail in the Photo.
(Dirk Benedict - the Original Starbuck)
I am personally not all that sad that the series is coming to an end. It' provided me with quite a few hours of thought provoking enjoyment, I dig the acting, writing and special effects. They just lost me a bit when they started getting away from the chase, entered the "soap-opera zone", got all metaphysical, started humanizing the Cylons, and lost most of the over-riding "military-vibe" that they nailed the first 2 seasons.
Just my 2 cents.
That being said, I may not see every episode when they come on Sci-Fi (although I do have Sci-FI HD now, so I may need to remedy that situation), but I do try to catch up with the episodes online.
That all being said I have 3 hypothesis as who might be the final Cylon.
1) Lt. Felix Gaeta
Evidence - he wrote it better than me: http://www.haibane.info/2008/05/02/cylon-speculation/
To add to that - he was "able to beat the Cylons at computer programming"
Makes good sense.
2) Everyone
Evidence: "It's all happened before, it will all happen again."
3) An unnamed unseen Cylon - on Earth - the Holy Grail in the Photo.
(Dirk Benedict - the Original Starbuck)
I am personally not all that sad that the series is coming to an end. It' provided me with quite a few hours of thought provoking enjoyment, I dig the acting, writing and special effects. They just lost me a bit when they started getting away from the chase, entered the "soap-opera zone", got all metaphysical, started humanizing the Cylons, and lost most of the over-riding "military-vibe" that they nailed the first 2 seasons.
Just my 2 cents.
01 May 2008
Something to ponder
Being a resident of a certain western state that is, quite frankly, viewed as being weird byt he rest of our country, I just stumbled upon something interesting.
Seems the local religious majority believes in laying in food. Storage to some, stockpiling to others. I am quite sure it's not a recent trend, but as a minority, I have to say it's kind of disconcerting.
Example: the Food storage calculator
http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm
I ran it for my family - these are some serious numbers.
Probably has to do with something about the "local religious majority" being persecuted for all of these years. BUt this is a LOT of food were talking about here.
My reaction can only be likened to being on a cruise ship, then finding out all of the rest of the passengers have put on life vests and nobody told you.
I am now going to research this a bit more...
Seems the local religious majority believes in laying in food. Storage to some, stockpiling to others. I am quite sure it's not a recent trend, but as a minority, I have to say it's kind of disconcerting.
Example: the Food storage calculator
http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm
I ran it for my family - these are some serious numbers.
Probably has to do with something about the "local religious majority" being persecuted for all of these years. BUt this is a LOT of food were talking about here.
My reaction can only be likened to being on a cruise ship, then finding out all of the rest of the passengers have put on life vests and nobody told you.
I am now going to research this a bit more...
Oh, joy... and the Crazed American puts a piece of the puzzle together
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/majornews/1917167/Chinese-build-secret-nuclear-submarine-base.html
The Chinese are building a "Secret" submarine base.
Not so secret, is it?
Underground sub pens, berthing for a dozen aircraft carriers.
Good for them.
Job security for the US Navy.
All of a sudden the robust ground penetrating ordinance we were "developing to attack Iran", don't seem so out of place, now do they? They, in fact make a whole lot o' sense. Divine Strake, anyone?
This is what the Crazed American does, he puts disparate pieces of the puzzle together!
The Chinese are building a "Secret" submarine base.
Not so secret, is it?
Underground sub pens, berthing for a dozen aircraft carriers.
Good for them.
Job security for the US Navy.
All of a sudden the robust ground penetrating ordinance we were "developing to attack Iran", don't seem so out of place, now do they? They, in fact make a whole lot o' sense. Divine Strake, anyone?
This is what the Crazed American does, he puts disparate pieces of the puzzle together!
23 April 2008
Knock me over with a feather... (2nd Amendment blog)
Ladies and gentlemen, I the Crazed American have just read a post on Daily Kos.
Little background for some of you out there. The Crazed American is hard to pin down politically. I'm libertarian to a point (not the "no legal age of consent" point). I guess I am a Jeffersonian Liberal. I believe in freedom and the rights of people to exist without the burden of a "Anything for you / Do anything to you" government.
Daliy Kos is a "liberal" (borderline Marxist) "progressive" blog, that typically gets me with it's "liberal" knack for going way overboard in the Nanny State (Socialist) way. Oh, and the "President Bushitler is responsible for: (insert the name of your favorite calamity here)".
They are also typically mightily anti-Second Amendment. All for the rest of the Civil Liberties, except for #2.
So, I heartily endorse this link:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/21/19133/5152
Go there and be amazed. "Angry Mouse" gets it. I think that he/she also realizes that if the American Government (the party in charge really doesn't matter, does it?) does get a little more aggressive in "taking care of the people", that the anti-gun people in this country (i.e. "anti-gun Liberals") are going to find out first hand what government and other kinds of oppression are really like.
Welcome to the club.
(Hat tip to "To Which I Replied..." http://existingthing.blogspot.com/ and "Say Uncle" http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/04/22/liberals-and-guns/)
Little background for some of you out there. The Crazed American is hard to pin down politically. I'm libertarian to a point (not the "no legal age of consent" point). I guess I am a Jeffersonian Liberal. I believe in freedom and the rights of people to exist without the burden of a "Anything for you / Do anything to you" government.
Daliy Kos is a "liberal" (borderline Marxist) "progressive" blog, that typically gets me with it's "liberal" knack for going way overboard in the Nanny State (Socialist) way. Oh, and the "President Bushitler is responsible for: (insert the name of your favorite calamity here)".
They are also typically mightily anti-Second Amendment. All for the rest of the Civil Liberties, except for #2.
So, I heartily endorse this link:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/21/19133/5152
Go there and be amazed. "Angry Mouse" gets it. I think that he/she also realizes that if the American Government (the party in charge really doesn't matter, does it?) does get a little more aggressive in "taking care of the people", that the anti-gun people in this country (i.e. "anti-gun Liberals") are going to find out first hand what government and other kinds of oppression are really like.
Welcome to the club.
(Hat tip to "To Which I Replied..." http://existingthing.blogspot.com/ and "Say Uncle" http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/04/22/liberals-and-guns/)
19 April 2008
Product Review: DISH Network HD
Simple review -
I'll state that I like DISH Network - with a few reservations.
To be Honest, I'd rather have cable - and the high speed Internet that goes along with it. But since the developer who built the neighborhood in which the Mountain Redoubt sits didn't have the foresight to include decent telecom infrastructure, I have nothing saved a jury rigged phone line - it actually runs to the neighbor's junction box by the street. How do I know this?
My rant against Qwest.
Two years ago,I decided to re-sod my yard (maybe re-sod is an incorrect terms, the plants that made up our "yard" were never sod to begin with). So I did the responsible thing and called the "Blue Stake" people. Out they came, when they were supposed to (wonder of wonders), and dutifully put little orange flags where our telco line was supposed to go - from a little green box next tot he street to the junction box on the side of the house. So when I ran the tiller near that section of the lawn I was careful to excavate the actual line, till where the line had been and then rebury the line. At that time I noticed another line that came out of our junction box that went in the back yard... I had already done the other side yard and the back - I had a sinking feeling. My feeling was confirmed when I went inside and picked up the telephone - no dial tone.
Rat-bastards.
Dug up the balance of the mystery line (found the break), spliced the cut, tacked a goodly portion to the side of the house, and carefully and deeply buried the balance of it.
Phone service restored.
This is a sample of the confidence I have in Qwest. I have others, but this was supposed to be a review of DISH.
So anyway, love my new HDTV. Love the Service that I have (America's Top 200 with HD). Two gripes only (and one isn't really a gripe): 1) When I signed up for the HD service, I was told that I'd get a rebate. Rebate is still "processing" Five months later.
2) Discovered last night that I hae allergies to the type of Aspen Trees in the yard - but only when they drop a LOT of pollen, correspondingly I couldn't sleep. So I went down to watch some TV. Discovered I had two additional HD channels (SCIFI and CNN). Hot-diggetty-dog. Why didn't they tell me? Not complaining that loudly, but a quick note on last month's bill would have made me all warm and fuzzy. As it is now, I can try to struggle through the 4th season of Battlestar Galactica in full 720p glory (not really feeling it).
So, if you are like me and have to have Satellite TV, then I recommend DISH Network. Just don't be pissed when the signal cuts out due to snow or rain. Where I live we get LOTS of snow, not so much rain (although the National Weather Service says we should get rain today and snow tomorrow), but like a lot of modern technology - when it works, it's great.
***UPDATE***: Still wish that I could get the HD feed for the Salt Lake ABC Affiliate...
I'll state that I like DISH Network - with a few reservations.
To be Honest, I'd rather have cable - and the high speed Internet that goes along with it. But since the developer who built the neighborhood in which the Mountain Redoubt sits didn't have the foresight to include decent telecom infrastructure, I have nothing saved a jury rigged phone line - it actually runs to the neighbor's junction box by the street. How do I know this?
My rant against Qwest.
Two years ago,I decided to re-sod my yard (maybe re-sod is an incorrect terms, the plants that made up our "yard" were never sod to begin with). So I did the responsible thing and called the "Blue Stake" people. Out they came, when they were supposed to (wonder of wonders), and dutifully put little orange flags where our telco line was supposed to go - from a little green box next tot he street to the junction box on the side of the house. So when I ran the tiller near that section of the lawn I was careful to excavate the actual line, till where the line had been and then rebury the line. At that time I noticed another line that came out of our junction box that went in the back yard... I had already done the other side yard and the back - I had a sinking feeling. My feeling was confirmed when I went inside and picked up the telephone - no dial tone.
Rat-bastards.
Dug up the balance of the mystery line (found the break), spliced the cut, tacked a goodly portion to the side of the house, and carefully and deeply buried the balance of it.
Phone service restored.
This is a sample of the confidence I have in Qwest. I have others, but this was supposed to be a review of DISH.
So anyway, love my new HDTV. Love the Service that I have (America's Top 200 with HD). Two gripes only (and one isn't really a gripe): 1) When I signed up for the HD service, I was told that I'd get a rebate. Rebate is still "processing" Five months later.
2) Discovered last night that I hae allergies to the type of Aspen Trees in the yard - but only when they drop a LOT of pollen, correspondingly I couldn't sleep. So I went down to watch some TV. Discovered I had two additional HD channels (SCIFI and CNN). Hot-diggetty-dog. Why didn't they tell me? Not complaining that loudly, but a quick note on last month's bill would have made me all warm and fuzzy. As it is now, I can try to struggle through the 4th season of Battlestar Galactica in full 720p glory (not really feeling it).
So, if you are like me and have to have Satellite TV, then I recommend DISH Network. Just don't be pissed when the signal cuts out due to snow or rain. Where I live we get LOTS of snow, not so much rain (although the National Weather Service says we should get rain today and snow tomorrow), but like a lot of modern technology - when it works, it's great.
***UPDATE***: Still wish that I could get the HD feed for the Salt Lake ABC Affiliate...
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