A Study in Contrast: President's Day

United Methodist links to POTUS.

"They served lemonade to guests at the White House in an age of temperance. They had roles in inaugurations and extended spiritual advice to presidents on justice issues, ranging from slavery to war."

Five Badass Presidents on Cracked via Gun Nuts Media.

"I have only two regrets: I didn't shoot Henry Clay and I didn't hang John C. Calhoun."

President's Day

I thought there would be more than eight. Happy President's Day.

How to Straighten Wire

Can it really be this easy?



Via Instructables.

Baby Monitors aren't secure.

Baby Monitors aren't secure.

Really? Is anyone surprised by this? I just don't see it being a huge risk. Without intercepting the monitor transmissions, you can pretty well assume that my kid is bed at night.

Karma

Karma is a bitch.

Coal Creek Armory: Gun Prices Are Too Damn High!

Some sale items, plus they are giving away two Glocks. No details on the give-away. They say you need to go by. I was thinking about shooting tomorrow if I can get a kitchen pass, so maybe I can learn more.

Coal Creek Armory: Gun Prices Are Too Damn High!

Update - I guess I'm going to have to become a fan on their Facebook page. Apparently they are going to have more content there - including the details of the give-away. You have to guess how many casings are inside an aquarium.

Tonight I'm Frakking You

I really wanted to like this video. It wasn't as funny as I hoped, but I'm posting it for a couple of reasons.



1. Alessandra Torressani (Zoe from Caprica) in the Princess Leia outfit is pretty hot.
2. I had not seen the Interactive Transcript feature on YouTube before today. It scrolls through the lyrics in sync with the video. You'll have to view the video on YouTube to see this feature.

Why Ham Radio Endures in a World of Tweets

Wired discusses "Why Ham Radio Endures in a World of Tweets." The article talks about the magic of talking to someone many miles away and the personal connection that is made. While I agree, I still say the cool part is not depending on someone else's infrastructure to make the connection. I think there has been a resurgence of people wanting to understand how to do things for themselves and not depend on Chinese imports at your local Wal-Mart. We see it in the popularity of DIY shows, Make Magazine, and the preppers. Ham radio is a fun way to learn a useful skill.

Via W2LJ's Blog - QRP - Do More With Less

Guns - A Response

I had previously posted an exchange between me and friend on Facebook discussing the topic of guns. Here is her response:

"Brick - thanks for the offer, but I think I would cry and run away at the site of a gun. Not ever interested ever. Sorry.

If God's will is for me to be gone tomorrow because I couldn't protect myself in a bad situation and the lesson that other's learn from my death is strong that I would be completely at peace with my life and the blessings that he provided along the way.

Again - this is a long time stand. Nothing recent has changed or grown my statements from last week. My statement to my husband 13 years ago was that I could never live in a home with a gun - ever.

I value my friends' opinions and everyone's rights to carry as the laws allow today. Everyone has an opinion and a right to feel safe.

Thanks for sharing everyone -"

My previous response employed the traditional tools of rhetoric (logos, pathos, and ideals). I tried to appeal to her sense of right/wrong, attempted to tug at her emotions, and reason with her.

But it is hard to argue with faith. I understand her point, but I can't believe God wouldn't want me to protect my family if I had the option. I went so far as to look for Biblical support for my stance. I found several verses and interpretations that support my view. Being fair and balanced, I searched for counter-arguments and found several including the official position of the United Methodist Church on guns. (More on that in a later post.)

I decided that I would not reply to her. I appreciate that she did, but I felt like we were just in two different places in our beliefs and faith. Neither one of us is ready to be swayed. I will continue to study this issue.

Good enough for cops, good enough for the NFL

Cops are using iPads and so may the NFL.

I still want to check out the NoteSlate I mentioned earlier, but I coming around to the idea that the iPad is a tool and not just a toy.

Via Slashdot.org.