Aptenobytes

Saturday Music Dump

♫1♫Blue Mondayby New Order from the album "The Wedding Singer Soundtrack"
♫2♫De Que Callada Maneraby Pablo Milanés from the album "Antología"
♫3♫Hungry Heartby Bruce Springsteen from the album "River"
♫4♫Terrorism And The War On Nicaraguaby Noam Chomsky from the album "The New War On Terrorism: Fact And Fiction"
♫5♫Woodchopper's Ballby Woody Herman from the album "Four Brothers"
♫6♫Jaw, Knee, Musicby NOFX from the album "Rock Against Bush Vol 1"
♫7♫Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466, 2nd Movementby Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields Under Neville Marriner from the album "Amadeus: Original Soundtrack Recording, The Music Of Mozart (Disc 2)"
♫8♫Paranoia, Paranoiaby Bauhaus from the album "1979-1983 Volume Two"
♫9♫It Takes a Thiefby Thievery Corporation from the album "DJ Kicks"
♫10♫Lonesome Meby The Clash from the album "London Calling The Vanilla Tapes"
♫11♫M.A.D.by 98 Mute from the album "Punk-O-Rama Vol. 7"
♫12♫Take Her Downby The Lemonheads from the album "Creator"
♫13♫Wicked Little Crittaby They Might Be Giants from the album "Mink Car"
♫14♫Attitudeby The Replacements from the album "All Shook Down"
♫15♫Only Love Can Break Your Heartby Saint Etienne from the album "The Chillout Album (disc 2)"

Friday Cat Blogging, post St. Patrick's Day

Just gratuitous cat blogging with Furleigh today. No story to tell, just a cute cat sitting on a table.

as always, check out the rest of the Friday Ark

Anarchists Endorse Wolfowitz for World Bank President

Infoshop News - Anarchists Endorse Wolfowitz for World Bank President

My favourite bit:
Paul Wolfowitz brings an incredible international development resume to the Bank. In his current stint as Assistant Secretary of Defense, Wolfowitz led American development efforts in Iraq. Under Wolfowitz's watch, Iraq moved from a country which had been bombed back to the Stone Age to a country that has been bombed back to the Bronze Age. Wolfowitz also led efforts to wean Iraqis from their dependency on an oil-based economy. Thanks to oil shortages and power blackouts, ordinary Iraqis are moving towards sustainable lifestyles similar to programs promoted by the World Bank. Wolfowitz also helped Iraq develop population control measures via an innovative exchange program with the American military-industrial complex.

Once again, we laugh so we don't cry.

Continuation of discussion about gun issues from Babble

If you're here from the thread at Babble, please feel free to continue the discussion about gun ownership here. I won't censor anything, but please, let's keep it civil

Let's recap some of the points I've made (which I will also expand on a bit, and how they've been rebutted, and then go from there.

My first and second post pointed out that the Firearms Act is fairly vague concerning storage laws. I personally go beyond them, but I think that the law is to vague about what the definition of safe storage is. I was pointed back to a video put out by the CFC. I saw that video when I was taking my course, and it caused a half an hour of discussion, because IT"S NOT CLEAR! As I said, it's going to be a grey area until there is sufficient case law.

My third post pointed out that the real problem with violence and firearms had more to do with issues of class, poverty, drug addiction and insanity than access to firearms. I stand by that statement. Oddly enough, no one attempted to argue this point.

My fourth post pointed out the fallacy of comparing the gun registry with registering cars. I pointed out that if I don't use public streets, I don't need to register my car or scooter. I stand by that statement. You don't go to jail if you have an unregistered car in your front yard. You go to jail if you have an old gun that you haven't registered tucked in your attic. The response was that you have to register your car, and the proof was that when you import a car into canada it needs to get registered. This is true, but after that, you don't, and you certainly won't go to jail for not registering your car, so long as you don't drive it on the road. I was trying to point out the difference between regulating the use of something, and it's possession.

I then went on to say that unlike some of the pro gun rights people in the argument, I'm not a right wing neanderthal, and then recycled my favourite Orwell quote. That seemed to hit home with some people...

Next point was about proactive prohibitions. Certain people didn't seem to understand the concept, but it's tangential to the debate anyways, so I'll let that rest.

While we were discussing cars and firearms, the point was made as to how much insurance cost to drive a car. I pointed out that my liability insurance for use of all my guns anywhere in the world, doing anything legal and non-negligent or criminal added up to a grand total of fourteen bucks for 8Million dollars worth of coverage, at which point, my Gun Wishlist was dredged up, and I was asked whether the insurance company would cover somebody who had as many guns as I did. The answer is... Yes. Things then started to get inflammatory, so I set up this post, and suggested discussion continue here, rather than getting things all disruptive on Babble.

So here we are. Any questions?

Another new gun...

Well, I went to the auction to buy a gun for my boss' birthday, and this poor thing was about to go unsold, so I felt sorry for it and had to put in a bid. And I won!
It's a Model 1895 Stutzen rifle designed by Mannlicher, made by Steyr,

It fires an 8x56R cartridge, which is a bugger to find.

More Pics:
Side view of the chamber, with the sight up

Better view of the rear view site, with sliding elevator thingie.

Markings on the left rear side of the stock.

Top view of the receiver where the markings are.

Markings on the right side of the stock. Looks like this one was reissued by the armory.

I'm going to try and get more information on this rifle, like where and when it was made, and will update this post as I get info, but if you have anything to add, please leave a comment.

Giggle, it's amusing.

Laugh Net: Comparison of Libertarians and Anarchists:
Ok, it made me giggle a bit. Just in case you haven't seen it before.

It's been five years!

Today is the fifth anniversary of the start of this blog. I suspect that makes this one of the older blogs around, as I had to do it by hand when I started, none of this fancy new blogging software.

It's kind of neat to be able to look back over the last five years. This is the first time I've ever had anything close to a diary, so it's a new experience.

Cheers Aptenobytes! It's been a good five years!

Friday Cat Blogging

After a hiatus, it's back, and hopefully I'm back to blogging as well.

This morning, after sweeping the sidewalk, I come back to the door, and three of the cats are waiting for me. Very cute. Sorry for the picture quality, but all I had was my cell phone camera.

Comedic relief from anger about pit bull ban....

A new test has been developed and is being promoted by P.I.T.A. (People Interested in Terrorist Agendas for Pain in the Ass Dogs).  Our anonymous tipster for this organization gave us the complete test which is outlined below.  According to our source, this is the most accurate method known, and is nearly fool-proof for determining if a dog has any pit-bull blood in them.

Test 1 - Keep the suspected pit bull dogs in another room of your average home.  Wait until they are asleep.  The evaluator, in the formal living room of the home, will take an expensive, small-sized throw pillow from the sofa, and toss it into the middle of the floor.  Within two minutes, a pit bull type dog will appear, and will circle and mash the pillow with its feet. Grunting noises of satisfaction in making the pillow just so may occur the more full-blooded the dog is.  The dog will then lie down on the pillow, trying to make itself as small as possible, so that it fits as much of its body on the pillow as possible.  A snort or whiffle of contentment is a definate sign that it's a bull breed you are dealing with.

Test 2 - Confine the suspected pit bull dogs in another room.  This test will take place in the master bedroom of an average home.  You need a queen or king sized bed, immaculately made up.  Place a small, fresh out of the dryer personal garment, such as a sock or underwear on the edge of a corner of the bed.  Within two minutes a bull breed will show up, jump up on the bed and lay down on the item.

Test 3 - This test takes place in the bathroom of an average home.  The evaluator will enter the bathroom, closing the door firmly but not completely.  As soon as the evaluator sits down on the john, a bull breed will smoosh the door open with their face and come on in.  They will stare at you pointedly as you go about your business.  Some will lurk behind the door, with one eyeball staring at you in a disconcerting way (assuming the evaluator is shy).

Test 4 - The evaluator will sit on a sofa or chair.  The suspected pit bull will be placed across the room.  The evaluator will hold their hand, all fingers facing forward, palm down, and reach toward the dog.  As they reach, they will rotate their hand from about 30 degrees from left to right (like the queens wave, only facing the ground).  A proper bull breed will immediately understand that this is the universal, non-verbal signal for petting, and will proceed to cross the room, and place their big, fat head under your hand.  Grinning by the dog or evaluator is optional.  Leaning on the evaluator or trying to ooze into their lap is a sure sign that it's a bull breed.

Test 5 - The evaluator will allow the dog to lick his or her face.  If the dog tries to lick the inside of your eyeball, ear, or nostril, it's a bull breed.

Test 6 - This test will take place in a spacious area.  The evaluator will wait until the suspected bull breed is lounging comfortably on a sofa or bed, and appears disinterested in the evaluator.  The evaluator will casually sit on the floor, and begin to either do excercise type stretches or attempt to use their "ab-roller".  A true bull breed will ooze off the sofa, and come and stand on your hair, or stick their very cold nose into your eye, or lay down on you, thus negating the exercise you were going to do in favour of petting the dog.

Remember, this test has been developed to allow law enforcement and the justice system to fairly and accurately determine which dogs should be unfairly punished for being the breed they are.  This six step test is an ideal way to address these issues in your community - be sure to ask for it!

Thanks to *Mel Tierney* (author) for the comic relief!

Ontario passes pit bull ban

Ontario passes pit bull legislation:

FUCKERS!!!

God that pisses me off. Yet another nail in the coffin of a free society.