tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74510151425013749522024-02-07T06:23:45.193-08:00Asphyxiated EmancipationGovernment is not reason, it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
-George WashingtonAsphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-5872009584068678482010-05-02T23:31:00.000-07:002010-05-03T11:29:54.567-07:00I am deeply saddened.A friend I recently reconnected with has cut me out of her life. We were pretty close in high school, lost touch, and reconnected this year. She said goodbye last week, out of a misguided sense that she was somehow putting me before her husband. Not sure how, as we were just very good friends, and I'd barely spoken to her in weeks. I don;t blame her, she needs to do what she feels she needs to for her marriage. Just, sad. I have so very few people I really consider friends, to lose one for something so silly...it hurts. But, she cut contact, so I have removed her every place I can think of, from facebook, from following my blog, etc. Not to be mean, but to comply with her wishes.<br /><br />This sucks.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-43442775483349484912010-02-22T13:37:00.000-08:002010-02-22T13:42:19.559-08:00Stop it, just stop it!Get your hands off of my health care. So, Obama unveiled his shiny new plan for health care reform today. His shiny new, $1 trillion health care reform plan. Holy Shit. He doesn't get it. He . Just. Doesn't. Fucking. Get. It.<br /><br />Americans want to be left alone with regards to our health care. Or, if you really want to help, make it legal for us to buy it across state lines. Government needs to get the hell out of the way.<br /><br />I feel increasingly though as if I am trapped in a poorly written sitcom. Here we are, our ship hurtling toward a massive waterfall, and the captain let's go of the wheel with a cheery, "Hey guys! Let's play Monopoly!"....Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-48000876689566327502010-02-11T22:42:00.000-08:002010-02-11T23:17:13.252-08:00Words of inspiration...I'm feeling rather optimistic about the future for the first time in quite some while. It's been a rough road these past few months, well, these past three years..well, all my life, really. I feel as though I am in a place now where I can achieve anything. Part of this is simply that I have finally been getting enough sleep, part is the happiness of a new old friendship, and part is simply for no definable reason.<br />But I am happier than I remember being.<br /><br />And so, some of my favorite inspirational quotes:<br /><br /><span class="body">Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.</span> -Theodore Roosevelt<br /><br /><span class="body">I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head.</span> -Theodore Roosevelt<br /><br /><span class="body">It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.</span> -Theodore Roosevelt<br /><br /><span class="body">If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.</span> -Winston Churchill<br /><br /><span class="body">One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!</span> -Winston Churchill<br /><br /><span class="body">A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.</span> -Thomas Jefferson<br /><br /><span class="body">Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.</span> -Thomas Jefferson<br /><br /><span class="body">Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.</span> -Ronald Reagan<br /><br /><span class="body">Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?</span> -Sun Tzu<br /><br />What say you climb down off your cross, use the wood to build a bridge, and GET OVER IT! -Christopher TitusAsphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-89887132174939237702010-02-11T22:34:00.000-08:002010-02-11T22:37:56.078-08:00Why, hello there!What a week, eh? Palin using notes from her hand has the naysayers all wee-wee'd up. SO Freaking what!? I'll tell you what it looked like to me. She had her notes right there in front of her, I know, because I watched her while she spoke. What she had on her hand were reminders for some ad-lib talking points she didn't want to forget. When you make a prepared speech, sometimes it goes faster or slower than you intend, and sometimes you end up a bit short.<br /><br />As if the teleprompter in chief could do better. He had to have a teleprompter to speech to a classroom full of children, fer pete's sake!Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-56967308737229161682010-01-20T18:51:00.001-08:002010-01-20T18:53:37.418-08:00Best use of "Downfall" footage EVER!I thought the one I saw this morning was funny, making light of the Brown-Coakley results. This wins, though. H/T to <a href="http://pushthepulldoor.blogspot.com/">Don Gwinn</a>, who got it from <a href="http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2010/01/ar-news.html">Tamara</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BB0Pu-rvFjs&color1=0x6699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BB0Pu-rvFjs&color1=0x6699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-4916302352630878162010-01-19T09:57:00.000-08:002010-01-19T10:05:18.045-08:00Positive aspects to losing my job...-Lots of free time<br />-No longer stuck in a dead end job<br />-The stress of being unemployed and broke is less than the daily stress of my old job<br />-Get to see my daughter more than 5 hours a day<br />-Get to see my wife more than 30 minutes a day<br />-Might be able to finally go back to school and get a degree<br />-Don't have to spend money on office clothes anymore<br />-Less worry about laundry<br />-Don't have to shave as often<br />-No more employer politics being shoved down my throat<br />-No more arguing because I refuse to break the law<br />-I am far less bitter and negative than I used to be<br />-No longer "an important person"<br />-Much lower risk of being targeted by an angry citizen with a grudge<br />-Don't have to listen to my boss give me unsolicited advice about weight/relationships/cars/etc<br />-No more taking the heat on complaints about people who aren't at work when angry customers come inAsphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-7083254697137517112010-01-18T10:18:00.000-08:002010-01-18T10:20:04.653-08:00Meh.That is all.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-8955163083369225942010-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:002010-01-02T12:41:13.966-08:00Get dirty, get self reliant...Self reliance isn't pretty, I have learned(and continue to learn). It requires hard work, dedication, and forethought, as well as the application of what used to be called common sense, but now seems like soothsaying to most of the population. Sometimes, though, all it requires is a willingness to get your hands dirty. Literally, getting down on your hands and knees, and getting dirty.<br /><br />Handling your own plumbing problems isn't our first instinct anymore. We've been persuaded by decades of government conditioning and countless television commercials that it's smarter to call the rotor rooter man when our toilet clogs, that we should go to Jiffy lube, rather than try to change the oil ourselves, and to spend extra for neatly packaged meat that we can just buy as we need it.<br /><br />To break the chains that bind us, to live a free life, to learn the skills of our forefathers, we must be willing to get dirty. Oil, dirt, blood and poo will liberate us. Yes, I just said poo will liberate us. Bear with me.<br /><br />There is great freedom in learning to take care of your own problems. If you need shelves, to build them, and if you need a car repaired, to do it. Oh, it's easier and more comfortable to pay someone else to do the job, but where does that lead? It leads to the need for more money, which means even more time spent working for someone else.<br /><br />As I work my way through 20 pounds of hamburger, bagging and freezing the fruits of my trip to the store, I think about the money I save by buying in bulk, and I look forward to the day when I am freezing meat I have hunted on my own. As I put books on the shelf I built, I think about the money I saved over a trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IKEA</span>.<br /><br />Which reminds me, I have gaskets to change on my truck, and a funny sound coming from the heater blower.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-63514307129191329832009-09-05T17:27:00.001-07:002009-09-05T17:28:31.860-07:00The Government Can...<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LO2eh6f5Go0&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LO2eh6f5Go0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />H/T to Sharp as a MarbleAsphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-11349483689767231162009-09-03T11:25:00.000-07:002009-09-03T11:50:03.612-07:00Ensuring Future ProsperityI was going to title this post "Surviving", but I realized that isn't what it is about. Really, how many of us want to "survive"? We want to keep living, sure, but really, what we want is to prosper, we want things to get better every day.<br /><br />I store food. I store quite a bit, actually. I store not out of paranoia, but for the same reason I carry a gun. Preparedness. I believe in taking sensible precautions, that's all. I have multiple fire extinguishers at my house, and one in each car. I carry a gun whenever possible, save for when I am disarmed by government/employer fiat. I have life insurance and auto/home insurance as well. I like to not leave things to chance. What would happen, if I were laid off tomorrow? How would I feed my family? Well, we would go to the pantry, and make some food. We could make it quite some time on what we have stores, before things got uncomfortable, and even longer before things would get desperate. This is the way I provide for my family.<br /><br />How do you start something like food storage? To most, it seems a daunting task, what with MREs and dehydrated foods available. "What exactly do I do, now that I have 150 pounds of wheat on my dining room table?", you may ask yourself.<br /><br />The simple answer is this: Store what you eat. That's right, the stuff you eat every day. Of course, it helps a lot if the stuff you eat is good, solid food, rather than junk. But hey, those chips aren't really helping you prosper, are they? No, they aren't. They're slowing you down, making you fat.<br /><br />So, first things first. Diet. Eat meat. Eat veggies. Eat fruit. Cut back on the unnecessary processed carbs. Most people aren't going to want to go wheat free, and that's fine. Most people don't have to. After all, wheat is a great storage food.<br /><br />To be continued later...Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-59014562940496311462009-09-02T21:56:00.000-07:002009-09-02T22:00:17.155-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"></h1><blockquote><h1 style="text-align: center;">THE RECLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE</h1> WHEN IN THE GENERATIONS SUCCEEDING the one that pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to usher in the birth of the world’s only truly free nation, Liberty’s Progeny incrementally ceded their birthright to the government conceived and designed to serve a free people, and not be its servant, this generation is awakening to the terrible mistake that we, and our ancestors allowed to happen. Charged with the terrible knowledge that comes with opened eyes, we now take up the long abdicated duty to rouse our fellow citizens and actively wrest the power and the liberties that have been progressively talked, cajoled, threatened, wheedled, and extorted from us, not only by those who ostensibly served us, but by their supporters and enablers who, by accident or design, saw fit to usurp and disdain such freedoms, that they might be withheld, and where impossible to withhold, might be condemned, until a corrosive contempt for these liberties, wrapped in velvet gloves, might so suffocate the circulation of them that this nation, conceived in liberty and the providence of a wise and benevolent creator, might indeed perish from the earth, plunging the rightful heirs of a proud and noble heritage in the the darkened waters of chaos, despair, and evil that surround them, a dank deluge that even today, other human beings actively seek to escape from in the inspiring embrace of this blessed and free country.</blockquote><br />Go read the rest. Spread it around.<br /><a href="http://threesurethingsoflife.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/296/">The Reclamation of Independence</a><br /><br />H/T to <a href="http://www.bigdicksplace.com/">Big Dick(NSFW)</a>Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-41993692235794518472009-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:002009-09-02T13:44:06.201-07:00Milton Friedman on DonahueA little talk about "greed" and capitalism...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RWsx1X8PV_A&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RWsx1X8PV_A&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-64438359294059870552009-08-18T19:47:00.000-07:002009-08-18T20:55:31.133-07:00Food BloggingPosts have been sparse lately. They've been sparse, because I am enraged to the point of speechlessness much of the time. I can't talk about anything political, without a red curtain falling over my eyes, a RCOB, if you will.<br /><br />So, here's a recipe. My family always called it "Mexican Steak", I call it Carne Asada, though it is properly neither one. You'll need an electric skillet for this. I suppose you could use a regular skillet, but I've only ever used an electric for this, so we're gonna go with you needing an electric skillet. Really easy. My five year old helped.<br /><br />Your ingredients:<br /><br />1.5-2 pounds steak(I use London Broil, because it's cheap)<br />Diced Tomatoes<br />3 cloves garlic<br />Medium onion<br />Chili powder<br />seasoned salt<br />cayenne pepper<br />ground cumin<br />red bell pepper<br />olive oil<br />rooster sauce<br />El Pato hot mexican tomato sauce.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_cwgNEFnmaJY386btYerESfv8qnNQm-pRUGIDotFuPEPWJ0GkPkFxcmU7DQ8UZ6fQKTcAQ4hZixYiVW2r2mSRS5kXchTJpTRktYHQAXpfuzkpQdCQ7Lj_oGIIrsRdBTR2YeBpbZb_ts/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_cwgNEFnmaJY386btYerESfv8qnNQm-pRUGIDotFuPEPWJ0GkPkFxcmU7DQ8UZ6fQKTcAQ4hZixYiVW2r2mSRS5kXchTJpTRktYHQAXpfuzkpQdCQ7Lj_oGIIrsRdBTR2YeBpbZb_ts/s320/017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371502964526918594" border="0" /></a>Here are your ingredients.<br />Please ignore the mess. This was all spur of the moment, so I had no chance to sanitize my kitchen in preparation. You won't need the coffee pot, nor the pan of brownies, bottled water, honey or compost bin.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdv66Gnc8QBH0t2L8DSeHJ6kIO3cSAMg_tSjh6TmWpeMjeE3genn7bYJa9g4FrM_R2r4Zaga3cfvg4SNotZcy4M_Z4WmCMjTXrTwwP6PhhFT-Fx1rNlBMFj5IXUvXGEtjqjIs77fPplA/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdv66Gnc8QBH0t2L8DSeHJ6kIO3cSAMg_tSjh6TmWpeMjeE3genn7bYJa9g4FrM_R2r4Zaga3cfvg4SNotZcy4M_Z4WmCMjTXrTwwP6PhhFT-Fx1rNlBMFj5IXUvXGEtjqjIs77fPplA/s320/018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371504003527582194" border="0" /></a> Cut your meat into strips.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYlFT_kiuUilcmYqLXNmAjvdVXq4AkcynmVPkwbzAdGqXJHMy_QKjX6SvES8EMzfun_ECNmx3ciTiG7E1H18_hqntBz5Xvif2mDaazDqmQo26FCM3EuwBMdEjapoaNj_LbRNHxrSWmSM/s1600-h/019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYlFT_kiuUilcmYqLXNmAjvdVXq4AkcynmVPkwbzAdGqXJHMy_QKjX6SvES8EMzfun_ECNmx3ciTiG7E1H18_hqntBz5Xvif2mDaazDqmQo26FCM3EuwBMdEjapoaNj_LbRNHxrSWmSM/s320/019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371504556748298674" border="0" /></a><br />Then cut it again, into smaller pieces. They don't have to be perfect, you'll be eating this, not presenting it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv0Qq-N2DfTxdNE0Zwy0sU_brkOjl-KvCjo2jqwk0McGJL1a7Q5Z39tIsk28ht2D3_cQ8TDRdR6t542WXPp6D_C_GwSKcKdehAapaz0Dy8pqLXjzZnt_y_ruS4IoWL3NTf1bjG5vvBMU/s1600-h/020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv0Qq-N2DfTxdNE0Zwy0sU_brkOjl-KvCjo2jqwk0McGJL1a7Q5Z39tIsk28ht2D3_cQ8TDRdR6t542WXPp6D_C_GwSKcKdehAapaz0Dy8pqLXjzZnt_y_ruS4IoWL3NTf1bjG5vvBMU/s320/020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371505512496174418" border="0" /></a> Dice your onion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2c7rQ9jqEmUE7YISVhID3K4bzcYzVf3o3TlpMdOBZLNPql8y0tV-McsWgqF7EmyFP4kbw84esHMYJpU00hyphenhyphenZ1IWa5E-Zjx4RMYiEw7afLTaVN3ZRRIHntK1xyMx0e6bqRKK97zCrPqhw/s1600-h/022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2c7rQ9jqEmUE7YISVhID3K4bzcYzVf3o3TlpMdOBZLNPql8y0tV-McsWgqF7EmyFP4kbw84esHMYJpU00hyphenhyphenZ1IWa5E-Zjx4RMYiEw7afLTaVN3ZRRIHntK1xyMx0e6bqRKK97zCrPqhw/s320/022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371506041648484386" border="0" /></a> Cut your Bell Pepper open and slice it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBgQrbzYhqHbMDwbLcGQQnZG9QhEivCUEAv9CghMeHKzcumjVsE4Dws61pQ0Scs49rHtV90SKjmSwbdomNHVJ-8-Vn2dfQYfj9_YVCqO3iyD82EJkTHBV-rEgqQ6U8Jhp41Pq1saY1bQ/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBgQrbzYhqHbMDwbLcGQQnZG9QhEivCUEAv9CghMeHKzcumjVsE4Dws61pQ0Scs49rHtV90SKjmSwbdomNHVJ-8-Vn2dfQYfj9_YVCqO3iyD82EJkTHBV-rEgqQ6U8Jhp41Pq1saY1bQ/s320/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371506780570279794" border="0" /></a> Then dice it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNJ6uxEj9ST5-bUPLC7p8-bzKK35rW0nxN1wBwS5ZT8pKzb08pInHpRvGSB3oGJXutywUj40giwDoqGN40vg54u6X6RkvE8qFdfmvMTdTuBFv6I-t8ueKunS3kUaAQO7t5kNS_3CYyfg/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNJ6uxEj9ST5-bUPLC7p8-bzKK35rW0nxN1wBwS5ZT8pKzb08pInHpRvGSB3oGJXutywUj40giwDoqGN40vg54u6X6RkvE8qFdfmvMTdTuBFv6I-t8ueKunS3kUaAQO7t5kNS_3CYyfg/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371507422449262978" border="0" /></a>Put the garlic into your garlic press and press it. Do this over the already prepared ingredients, so as to not lose any garlic juice. You do have a garlic press, right? I could not live without mine. I suppose if you're some sort of barbarian who doesn't own a garlic press, you could mince it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEp2cusXCrngGsBTKt0CpKW1dsPPXnYSe4wXcG8ORunyNv5z-iQtkxsGi7uM8gDDwqEEBqWY2IKOrVV5woWzi42YnMSh5OGOeiT7yLAC0o7T8cYjLobrGPYATcegFNwjThswVWoOvf1M/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEp2cusXCrngGsBTKt0CpKW1dsPPXnYSe4wXcG8ORunyNv5z-iQtkxsGi7uM8gDDwqEEBqWY2IKOrVV5woWzi42YnMSh5OGOeiT7yLAC0o7T8cYjLobrGPYATcegFNwjThswVWoOvf1M/s320/027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371508149705342322" border="0" /></a>Anyway, into the bowl it goes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgP5Vk9m7rK4A4lfz2bUxxoEXd2KnUQ5SbHFxQqm_Mb-36lQ5qo6WPhhyoxH4O8HSPA98-vhnFZ4eZrDJGIT3TCGSCmRELRvFrsiEOZgQxQ5aWXq1vyowesmAKH91_dz1VUzku9eYGdg/s1600-h/028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgP5Vk9m7rK4A4lfz2bUxxoEXd2KnUQ5SbHFxQqm_Mb-36lQ5qo6WPhhyoxH4O8HSPA98-vhnFZ4eZrDJGIT3TCGSCmRELRvFrsiEOZgQxQ5aWXq1vyowesmAKH91_dz1VUzku9eYGdg/s320/028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371508829183220210" border="0" /></a>Turn your skillet to 350, and pour in some oil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2uq7LRg3e_VIFW5rgiHPBUTz88U_7SezdJZEM6nUjShhKEtXjtCRSsL42xNyRsZ4fCX08hxwweKmXwiAGIlFO_Mq8TG84paiD1BH4SYIfoGtMGSb9x3yXPVUITQWwK3JsuU2Kw-ZFb0/s1600-h/030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2uq7LRg3e_VIFW5rgiHPBUTz88U_7SezdJZEM6nUjShhKEtXjtCRSsL42xNyRsZ4fCX08hxwweKmXwiAGIlFO_Mq8TG84paiD1BH4SYIfoGtMGSb9x3yXPVUITQWwK3JsuU2Kw-ZFb0/s320/030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371509453000623090" border="0" /></a>Put in enough to cover the skillet bottom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1zMkRBGv_WS4XfTn9iTH75G-5Zihh9Z8WsfL3s5apYI_zIWwAP8jStsixS-yc2PSkTnVIrmIWt6idfWg5QiJHZ4Md2O7vNZAwdi9V743y4brTg0h5VLK8GrswLB6moY53rf7Wqpi54Q/s1600-h/031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1zMkRBGv_WS4XfTn9iTH75G-5Zihh9Z8WsfL3s5apYI_zIWwAP8jStsixS-yc2PSkTnVIrmIWt6idfWg5QiJHZ4Md2O7vNZAwdi9V743y4brTg0h5VLK8GrswLB6moY53rf7Wqpi54Q/s320/031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371510090052148674" border="0" /></a>All that stuff you cut up earlier? Throw it in the skillet.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUneCYZnSawaLK0Wh333pOSg5tjTiY5hgClvHif7gzDSY3gxGOmFvQ0ZCfmBv_s_dwSOaCATanDq2-Hy9ghIBqYV0pEetFiXYVZgnx2soNuB-kpyooPIuS30eZRZaVI_OHtkpC79ubFvI/s1600-h/032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUneCYZnSawaLK0Wh333pOSg5tjTiY5hgClvHif7gzDSY3gxGOmFvQ0ZCfmBv_s_dwSOaCATanDq2-Hy9ghIBqYV0pEetFiXYVZgnx2soNuB-kpyooPIuS30eZRZaVI_OHtkpC79ubFvI/s320/032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371510732562492194" border="0" /></a>Add dry seasonings until it starts to smell Mexican.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinn74zAfz8FBlrqSZbO2KG5WzkBAwOI5nJg10TkffeF2-ZNTW7bIqAF4jUMAvn9h9rcTewC1DDZb1zmNRvaGWl5UVLSDo2cYgqJmRb-O94d9UNWG-c-G4qd9WxTiXJjC4IBuUols1Ek0k/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinn74zAfz8FBlrqSZbO2KG5WzkBAwOI5nJg10TkffeF2-ZNTW7bIqAF4jUMAvn9h9rcTewC1DDZb1zmNRvaGWl5UVLSDo2cYgqJmRb-O94d9UNWG-c-G4qd9WxTiXJjC4IBuUols1Ek0k/s320/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371511525996094562" border="0" /></a>Add a couple squirts of rooster sauce and let it cook a while.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuFL9hViih0j37QrKj3nv3CGxiiyXuloJEuofmPiuMj9iLENWXGc3HA5FbSUM-gZ5xHFlKosJelMm3jZh5U8tcmB0pvRg8nddPL2nMHKfuuUnqRxFEM9wxemU-ADrqERfqMPHZq5Zbrc/s1600-h/038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuFL9hViih0j37QrKj3nv3CGxiiyXuloJEuofmPiuMj9iLENWXGc3HA5FbSUM-gZ5xHFlKosJelMm3jZh5U8tcmB0pvRg8nddPL2nMHKfuuUnqRxFEM9wxemU-ADrqERfqMPHZq5Zbrc/s320/038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371512100673501378" border="0" /></a>When the meat stops showing pink, you're ready for the next step. It'll happen pretty fast, so don't go too far.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPK-CaUnY_qF-4OR6dBBcngvdAjnU4Q3ZO9rO4uLNyGyQqU900NI94sXk1zcwdVdLTWJETx1ObvOnqmH1_ujrKdCpBIzFFOLXZsvSbHB2hTldVOzEwxcFjoZvvxxBKHV_S3dsmJW9OyM/s1600-h/040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPK-CaUnY_qF-4OR6dBBcngvdAjnU4Q3ZO9rO4uLNyGyQqU900NI94sXk1zcwdVdLTWJETx1ObvOnqmH1_ujrKdCpBIzFFOLXZsvSbHB2hTldVOzEwxcFjoZvvxxBKHV_S3dsmJW9OyM/s320/040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371512748567837746" border="0" /></a>Dump in the diced maters.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNIuPJjCPOBMq1fVlqycbmgbUBcjMdNuEkfBveSN_RyqXsUnGPYwwb902Wl05NFIXF2w6Hy0HcxtCIBtsuo6MFn-6lXjoB2J6ZL20Ko7RH2CwPcfRzLuwBU4z3dSntE691hUr-EJqgIc/s1600-h/041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNIuPJjCPOBMq1fVlqycbmgbUBcjMdNuEkfBveSN_RyqXsUnGPYwwb902Wl05NFIXF2w6Hy0HcxtCIBtsuo6MFn-6lXjoB2J6ZL20Ko7RH2CwPcfRzLuwBU4z3dSntE691hUr-EJqgIc/s320/041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371513657770671858" border="0" /></a><br />Cook it down a bit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlJ71rUgbxt7Go9ZZ_YOAQnRtnWxSonDBddCq28PiUWEgbN56NbXOMam_W8iP81DTGPJ-e2gpLuhIAuUChY95j3_YluPKj1kS8dJ7XZW03dtK5Di5-a3Cn-SaD4Zr5Cp6lDG-n_yvVEM/s1600-h/042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlJ71rUgbxt7Go9ZZ_YOAQnRtnWxSonDBddCq28PiUWEgbN56NbXOMam_W8iP81DTGPJ-e2gpLuhIAuUChY95j3_YluPKj1kS8dJ7XZW03dtK5Di5-a3Cn-SaD4Zr5Cp6lDG-n_yvVEM/s320/042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371514364739161698" border="0" /></a>Surprise! I added corn. I've never done that before, just thought it might add some color and sweetness.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzoVpecnl1NGGqL68aFGSqXwaAHUBAvhGGr_wXcOI3N_VvOLAeHgxsn9ewv5VfuQm8FG95rZTbWao08nS4UlHfgKXsYESJH861cOrys2bPiRPYL2Ku61kV1Orpru3Qf5VbvuFYJPBX5Q/s1600-h/043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzoVpecnl1NGGqL68aFGSqXwaAHUBAvhGGr_wXcOI3N_VvOLAeHgxsn9ewv5VfuQm8FG95rZTbWao08nS4UlHfgKXsYESJH861cOrys2bPiRPYL2Ku61kV1Orpru3Qf5VbvuFYJPBX5Q/s320/043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371515132144634114" border="0" /></a>Add half a can of El Pato. Drop the temperature to 300.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrrqrca8WCEZufCwT6P4LJCUmmU38S_wI07EPJWOzzvzClI6dW6qp3vbNUPC1ltQa5T1fuF91oyru70SBwGpqT7wQG0eqbg36TFiip5xVmmHUFFFV0WsRQ4k-ewjQUBHctVEdgZocCUY/s1600-h/044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrrqrca8WCEZufCwT6P4LJCUmmU38S_wI07EPJWOzzvzClI6dW6qp3vbNUPC1ltQa5T1fuF91oyru70SBwGpqT7wQG0eqbg36TFiip5xVmmHUFFFV0WsRQ4k-ewjQUBHctVEdgZocCUY/s320/044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371515523653071522" border="0" /></a>Cover it. Be sure to open the vent on top of the cooker. Makes the house smell nice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtVQr2zwcoElul1G5HKIEHazVbeCB3NyTCDrBxqJq6cG9Usa1c-Jpo_ZZT0gncmfmP_4yGRSuklF0jp7fKDTQK3YRzsgMkXJ7iZxaKbkfgFDl1hEgi_XN84AojQ8MKdWHbDW9sJcHXrg/s1600-h/045.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtVQr2zwcoElul1G5HKIEHazVbeCB3NyTCDrBxqJq6cG9Usa1c-Jpo_ZZT0gncmfmP_4yGRSuklF0jp7fKDTQK3YRzsgMkXJ7iZxaKbkfgFDl1hEgi_XN84AojQ8MKdWHbDW9sJcHXrg/s320/045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371515936529286962" border="0" /></a>Leave it. Walk away. For at least a half hour, maybe 45 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCZPSUuoBfIx_oGyBNVGTX2IiSweDrDxf3dW0bcbJ0KezIwEiL923kIe_TJ-Hl8NoPPS2jOYwY0lxS6n42ezyOtTx5C00C-TjF4LnEJJdYTdj2sqLqdhau3wVu8mKjq6WXA2otXDuXdQ/s1600-h/047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCZPSUuoBfIx_oGyBNVGTX2IiSweDrDxf3dW0bcbJ0KezIwEiL923kIe_TJ-Hl8NoPPS2jOYwY0lxS6n42ezyOtTx5C00C-TjF4LnEJJdYTdj2sqLqdhau3wVu8mKjq6WXA2otXDuXdQ/s320/047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371516536983026642" border="0" /></a>Yours should look like this, more or less. Don't mind the few burned bits here, the corn burned a little, doesn't effect the taste.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7k2g94E3Ik7xm6nVoiX5SD3fSmq2_rslSUXLh8A1Lf-qyWGw6fI3YmmTVkZvZuiyNwernRPW4H-y8fiwO0xAo0-Fz_tu815qqbcXbPDDcWVvgM9l2pn3iandi6M-KCeYwkzw44pgVrw/s1600-h/048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7k2g94E3Ik7xm6nVoiX5SD3fSmq2_rslSUXLh8A1Lf-qyWGw6fI3YmmTVkZvZuiyNwernRPW4H-y8fiwO0xAo0-Fz_tu815qqbcXbPDDcWVvgM9l2pn3iandi6M-KCeYwkzw44pgVrw/s320/048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371517300901785362" border="0" /></a>Add the rest of the El Pato. Cook for about five minutes, uncovered.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYxGo4VyzKb-3w2TKu_xI_XG5gyH9YgdZICAUBzsNad3GbFbUoQtMs4b5Qi1WvTTDlXb70GQyNpnv_7fhgt4-Yi7sM8xF0Wep3_b0W9A3dMMzFT9w14Qs4pHv-7WQ8UX99LVvAbU-ZnY/s1600-h/049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYxGo4VyzKb-3w2TKu_xI_XG5gyH9YgdZICAUBzsNad3GbFbUoQtMs4b5Qi1WvTTDlXb70GQyNpnv_7fhgt4-Yi7sM8xF0Wep3_b0W9A3dMMzFT9w14Qs4pHv-7WQ8UX99LVvAbU-ZnY/s320/049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371517848528954834" border="0" /></a>Voila! Growing up, we ate this with tortillas rolled up on the side. Lately, I've been making brown rice with it. Either way, enjoy!Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-8601424865436086412009-07-05T21:20:00.000-07:002009-07-05T21:22:23.108-07:00What Strings said....<a href="http://bacastrings.blogspot.com/2009/07/seeing-red.html">Seeing Red</a><br /><br />Go there, read it, be angry. And keep your eyes open for a chance to make a difference. These people are out there.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-89961009092189816922009-06-29T15:16:00.000-07:002009-06-29T15:17:14.046-07:00By the way...47 lbs lost, now. Just sayin'.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-45164491320863594542009-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:002009-06-29T15:16:16.306-07:00Lack of ContentOr, more correctly, content overload. I've had a lot of stuff to write about recently, but no way to coherently present my arguments. So many things have me so angry recently, that I can't let myself dwell on them, lest I find myself in a tower with a rifle. Even that last sentence makes me angry, since I am afraid that something I say in jest makes me a potential target for government data crunchers, and soon I may find grim faced men at my door, questioning me about national security.<br /><br />I simply don't have any way to express my anger and dismay over the direction we've gone. For years, I've been writing and emailing and phoning, doing my best to ensure my representatives in Congress knew my feelings. Now, Speaker Pelosi tells us they are resisting our sentiments.<br />Fuck you, Mrs. Pelosi, Ma'am.<br /><br />Well, I hope to try my hand tomorrow at roasting coffee on my grill. I had planned to do so some time ago, but life gets in the way. And I am lazy.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-33721143449758626472009-05-20T09:08:00.000-07:002009-05-21T08:40:14.253-07:00Going to Disneyworld, whether we like it or not...I don't see much of it on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span>, but I hear people talking about it sometimes in casual conversation. A lot of people think there will be an assassination attempt soon. I know the secret service is working overtime to prevent it, more so than any time in recent history, perhaps. The thought is out there.<br /><br />I just have to say, I think it's a horrible idea. Put aside for the moment the immorality of assassinating a sitting president, the unlikelihood of actually penetrating the ring of security around Obama and the certainty that whoever managed the feat would be spending the rest of his life in a secret cell or worse. What if someone did it? Actually pulled it off. President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Biden</span>? Who in the Hell thinks that's a good idea? And gods forbid, if somebody was able to put both of them on ice, who ends up on the hot seat? President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Freakin</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Pelosi</span>?! Are you kidding me?! Who thinks that wouldn't be a disaster for everyone?<br /><br />No. Assassination isn't the answer, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bubba</span>. I'm against it, and anyone with half a brain is, too.<br /><br />Here's the deal, folks. The children are running things now. The adults were in the rear of the van, trying to decide where we wanted to go. Utah? New York? Maybe the old folks home to see uncle McCain? We split our votes, and never came to a real decision. Meanwhile, the kids stole the van and started driving. We were halfway there before anybody noticed, and now it's too late to turn the van around. We just have to go along for the ride, and keep them from spending too much of our money on stuff from the gift shop.<br /><br />Our job now is threefold. First, restrain the spending as much as we can. Second, we have to make sure the Democrats lose their majority, come 2010. Third, we need a solid candidate to put into the top spot come 2012. We need to agree on those last two soon, so we don't have to worry about a repeat of our most recent indecision.<br /><br />We have a chance to turn around the car and leave. We don't have money to live in Disneyland forever. But if we don't leave in time, we won't have enough money for gas to get home, either.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-59383981630235259902009-05-05T15:40:00.000-07:002009-05-05T16:04:44.281-07:00The time we have left...I was over at Brigid's today, reading her most recent post: <a href="http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/2008/10/sails-and-skeletons.html">Skeleton Coasts</a><br /><br />Prior to that, a friend and I had a conversation that touched on the subject of time and relationships. Brigid's post and my conversation have me thinking about mortality, and the way none of us really know what time we may have left. As J. Shirley wrote in comments at Brigid's place, we all have the same amount of time, an instant. It's true. In the grand scheme of things, we each are on this earth for only a brief moment.<br /><br />I learned long ago to suffer fools only reluctantly, and to guard my time jealously from those who would waste it. Far too often, we allow people to steal pieces of our lives, out of politeness, or obligation. I try not to, for I feel my mortality creeping up upon me. Though only 33, we live in uncertain times, and after all, even were I 20, I could be run down in the street later today. Everyone has known someone who is a bore or a pain to speak to. How often do we allow these people to use our precious time?<br /><br />How often do we willingly trade away moments in pursuits we do not enjoy? How much time spent chasing a paycheck, often at the expense of those relationships or interests we enjoy most? Too often by far, in my experience. Some time ago, I made the choice that I would move toward a life without regrets. I can not change what has passed, but the future is mine to determine.<br /><br />Ultimately, I choose to pursue those interests which both entertain me, and increase my chances at a life of increased freedom. I seek out those people whose company I enjoy, and I shun those people I have no use for. There is no guarantee of what lies beyond Death's pale curtain, even for those with unwavering faith. I live my life as though these few fleeting years are all I will have.<br /><br />Laugh without restraint, Love with abandon, seek joy where you can find it.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-20591984917294531062009-05-02T13:31:00.001-07:002009-05-02T14:09:41.589-07:00The Threepers and The PragsBefore I open this can of worms, let me state for the record, my views, my affiliations, if you will. Actually, I need to go back further, back to the beginning of my political evolution. Raised in CA, a product of the publik skools, I was thoroughly indoctrinated in liberal thought. I believed nobody needed a gun, a real man didn't need one, blah, blah, blah. In my mind, the only people who needed guns were the military. I thought they were cowardly and likely to induce bloodshed. At the same time, I had a rather juvenile preoccupation with knives, particularly the ones found in the BudK catalog.<br /><br />In my twenties, I began taking POST Reserve training courses, and found that guns were fun to shoot. Around the same time, the Y2K scare was winding up to it's anticlimactic fizzle, and I decided I might need something other than a $20 katana to deal with the rioting hordes. I bought my first firearm, a Taurus revolver in .44 Special. I was bitten by the bug, but it was not yet serious.<br /><br />After several years of trying to get hired on by a police department(I'd had a dream since childhood of being a police officer, keeping the peace with my pocketknife and my stern words), I elected to front the money, and put myself through the full CA POST academy. I reasoned this would put me on better footing to compete with applicants who had actual college degrees. During training, I was well and completely seduced by the shooting bug. As I began going to ranges, and tryng to engage in my hobby, I began to resent the lengths to which I had to go, due to the onerous laws in my state and county. One thing led to another, and I eventually became a full fledged libertarian, though I got out of the movement before being awarded my Wookie suit.<br /><br />I swung over to the Conservative side a bit, and back toward the Libertarians with a small l, and finally settled where I am now. Jeffersonian Minarchist, free market supporter with Objectivist leanings despite my Faith. On the topic of guns, I am somewhat to the right of Ted Nugent. I believe the Drug War has cost us too many lives, too much money, and too much freedom. I have long been a pragmatist, seeking comfort in each small gain, and rejoicing at the slow creep of concealed carry across the US, despite the fact that I saw permits as an infringement.<br /><br />Over the last couple of years, I have seen the government creep increasing speed, and after January, the mad rush toward socialism in America has chilled my blood to ice and caused a realignment in my thinking. I have obeyed the only gun laws I intend to. I am at my line, and I will hold it. No more, and no farther. I have no wish to see revolution in my country, nor do I wish to see bloodshed over our natural rights, but I will do what I feel I must. I try to take small steps wherever I can, to push back the curtain descending upon our country, to fight the creep of socialism.<br /><br />Now that I have stated where I come from, let me state my intention. I believe the prags and the three percenters are both essential to our freedoms. I see the pragmatists as a negotiation team, sent in under a flag of truce to negotiate with the enemy. I see the threepers as the military sitting back in camp, waiting to begin, should negotiations fail. WE NEED BOTH CAMPS! Without the pragmatists, it becomes all too easy for the media/government to paint all gun owners as crazy gun nuts in need of control. Without the Three Percenters, there is no reason for the enemy to not dismiss us out of hand, and roll over the citizenry unopposed. They can make whatever laws they wish, because they believe no one will stand up to them.<br /><br />I want to see some sort of accommodation between the groups, I want to see peace between us, to work for a common cause, that of rolling back the infringement of our freedom. I think most of us would agree that the majority of gun laws in this country are useless and anti freedom. It's the way we get them repealed that causes disagreement, in my mind. I've seen a lot of name calling, a lot of rudeness from both camps.<br /><br />I intend to invite people here from each camp, for an honest debate, in the hope of reconciling two factions who should be working together. I will attempt to avoid moderation of the comments to this post. The things I will delete are obvious trolling posts which consist mainly of name calling, and blatant calls to revolution or assassination of government officials. I don't need that sort of trouble here. Beyond that, I ask only that people debate politely and in good faith. I don't forsee any trouble from those I am inviting, but perhaps spectators from both camps will not be so polite.<br /><br />I intend at this time to invite Mike Vanderboegh, David Codrea, Sebastian from Snowflakes in Hell and Caleb from Gun Nuts Media, as a start. If any of them choose not to debate, I will attempt to find a suitable replacement for whichever group. I may be asking for trouble, but I feel that, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, we must all come together, or we shall assuredly all hang separately.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-78611420561321905632009-04-27T20:00:00.000-07:002009-04-27T20:11:45.654-07:00Miscellaneous Blatherings...So, I hit my first weight loss goal last week. 36 pounds, which is 10% of my total body weight at the time I started on Weight Watchers. Yay, me! My energy level is increasing steadily, and my overall health is much better. Just hafta keep it up.<br /><br />I see from my stats that I actually have visitors to my little corner of the web. Howdy, y'all! Sit down, drink somethin', leave a comment. Seriously, nice to know someone's at least reading this stuff.<br /><br />Swine flu. Wow. You know, I never really got stirred up over the avian flu hoopla, but this stuff actually has me a little bit worried. Glad I got more preps laid in over the last couple of months. It gives me peace of mind that I can spend an extended amount of time at home without needing to visit the store. Who knows if we'll even remember this in ten years, but it has nasty potential, in my opinion.<br /><br />Coffee. I have been putting off my planned green coffee purchase for some time, and making do with store bought stuff. It's difficult to throw down $100+ on coffee(orders over 25 pounds qualify for free shipping, which is a big deal when it ships from New Jersey), more so when things are as tight as they have been lately. Yesterday, I added together the dregs of a couple near empty bags of green beans, and got enough for a half pound. OMG, I can't believe I have been drinking that swill in a can. So, looks like I'm gonna have to tighten my belt a bit, and order some coffee, come payday.<br /><br />Airforce One buzzing New York City? Who the hell authorized that little stunt? Idiots.<br /><br />I saw a sign today, on the way through the next town. ".22 Ammo in", it said. I feel like I've gone crazy. Stores are actually putting out signs when they get shipments of .22 ammo. Holy Moly.<br /><br />Well, that's what I have for now. All you anonymous readers, keep dropping in. It certainly adds a bit more pressure to write, when I know I have an audience.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-4923794677479272682009-04-10T20:05:00.000-07:002009-04-10T20:08:14.738-07:00Weight loss, continued...328 pounds as of this morning. That's 32 pounds lost since February 28. Last week was bad for weight loss. I fell off the wagon pretty badly, not tracking much of my food for two days, and an emergency room induced Carl's Junior visit on Saturday. Still, this week went great, and I am back in control.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-49299161312498316692009-04-04T11:16:00.000-07:002009-04-04T11:20:12.844-07:00Here we go, the anti-gun media is going to jump on this one.<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090404/ap_on_re_us/pittsburgh_shooting;_ylt=ApvOqPgihzTaoVVwGdL01x7Zn414">3 officers killed in PA</a><br /><div class="byline"> <cite class="vcard"></cite></div><div class="byline"><cite class="vcard"></cite></div><blockquote><div class="byline"><cite class="vcard">By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer <span class="fn org">Ramit Plushnick-masti, Associated Press Writer</span> </cite> – <abbr title="2009-04-04T10:26:16-0700" class="recenttimedate">49 mins ago</abbr></div> <p>PITTSBURGH – A man opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call Saturday morning, killing three of them, a <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1238866002_0">police official</span> said. Friends said he had been upset recently about losing his job and <span style="font-weight: bold;">that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></p>The calls to lock down gun sales should come soon. More at the link.<blockquote></blockquote>Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-8252086559678773332009-04-04T09:58:00.000-07:002009-04-04T10:07:12.665-07:00I can controlz teh Intranets???No. Not only no, but Hell no. This can not be allowed. Some of our "betters", our lords and masters up on the shining hill in D.C., have decided that bloggers need to be silenced. I can't think of any other reason why they would need to have the power to shut down the internet. Look here:<br /><a href="Mother%20Jones%20article">http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/should-obama-control-internet</a><blockquote><br /><div class="dateStamp">Thu April 2, 2009 12:33 PM PST</div> <p>Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?</p> Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure.</blockquote>There's quite a bit more at the above link.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />This can not be allowed to happen.</span> If it goes through, it's a big step closer to the ammo box, and we do not want to do that. I'd suggest getting phone numbers and addresses of people you know in cyberspace, just in case this happens. If our ability to organize effectively is curtailed, we'll be in a world of hurt. The internet has been the reason behind some of the more extreme policy reversals we've seen lately. The DOJs decision to scrap used brass, the statement by Holder that a new AWB is needed, things like that. If we can't make our voices heard, the government has a lot less to fear. Can you imagine going back to the days when the only news came from big media?Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-27804514770978263302009-03-19T06:42:00.000-07:002009-03-19T06:45:59.898-07:00Woot! Weight loss.I got on the scale this morning, and I am now at 339.6 lbs. That's down from 360 when I started Weight Watchers. It hasn't been as difficult as I thought, for the most part. 25 more pounds will put me at my August 2006 weight of 315. That's what I weighed when I began my current job. 20 pounds more from there, and I can begin running a little bit. At that point, the weight should really start to come off. Boy, I am excited.Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7451015142501374952.post-80376668586379575972009-03-15T18:58:00.000-07:002009-03-15T19:04:27.062-07:00Making the most of things.I was visiting Breda's blog today, when I stumbled across this little gem she posted.<br /><br /><object width="446" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/AimeeMullins_2009U-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/AimeeMullins-2009U.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=482"><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/AimeeMullins_2009U-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/AimeeMullins-2009U.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=482" width="446" height="326"></embed></object><br /><br />Very thought-provoking. Thanks, <a href="http://thebredafallacy.blogspot.com/">Breda.</a>Asphyxiated Emancipationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10629933064494074309noreply@blogger.com0