A global display of terrorism and other suspicious events.  Pretty fascinating to watch.

Many people who know me know that I don’t drink.  I mean I do, but I don’t do it often.  I’m not really a social drinker, just an experimental drinker.  When bad times befall me, I don’t turn to the bottle.  It’s just not my thing.

But here lies adventure.

Artists, literary giants… hell, a whole continent was swept up with this stuff in the late 1800s to early 1900s.  Alcohol, herbs and wormwood creating a powerful (possibly hallucinogenic) effect when heavily imbibed.  But I’m told the effect is like clarity, an other-worldly sense, which I’m eager to experience.

With its popularity came profit-driven sales, then quality decreased to the point of public harm.  The poor bought the wood alcohol versions of this popular liquor.  Dementia and death ensued, and the libation known as Absinthe was banned almost everywhere.

The harm wasn’t in the drink itself, it was the substandard ingredients used to sell more of it.  Never trust a politician.

Now, luckily, it’s reemerging.  It’s been seen in movies (which is probably where I first heard about it) such as Alfie and EuroTrip (Michelle Trachtenberg is unseasonably hot). It’s ugly green head is not so ugly anymore, and I’m going to find out how naughty or nice it is.  Just call me Santa Flaws.  I’m willing to experiment on myself.

Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.  I purchased two bottles of Absinthe, two glasses and two spoons from OriginalAbsinthe.com on October 27, 2006.  Twelve days later (November 8, 2006), I found it lying on my doorstep after the mailman left it there.  For me, this is good, because the mailman won’t wait for me to get to the door (I’m usually at the other end of the house) and if I had to wait to sign for it, then I’d probably have to go to the post office and get it.  So, I’m happy camper.

I hear it sloshing around in the glass bottles and pray to bacchus nothing’s broken.  I get out the trust swiss army knife knock-off and dig in.

It’s well packed.  The box is sealed well, and when I open it, the contents are all heavily bubble-wrapped.  Score!  One by one I open the contents.  The first bubble-wrapped glass… good.  Second bubble-wrapped glass… good. *sigh of relief*  Now on to the bottles.  Cut, slash, unwrap… perfect.  Second bottle, just the same.  Spoons in the box?  Check… or Czech, if I’m being cheeky.  It’s all there, it’s all good.

I bust out the camera.  You can see one of the many pictures above.

So there you have it.  It wasn’t cheap, and I had that typical worry of buying something from eastern Europe (it’s actually sold through a UK company, but it’s a Czech Republic product), but it’s turned out well.  I expect it to be an experience I could only have by shelling out the cash.

Wish me luck.  If I survive, I’ll tell you all about it.  I’ll try to get pics, too.

Update 20061113: I tried a little of the absinthe tonight, maybe a half ounce, straight, without anything added. I wanted to see what it was like without anything added, so I could get the real taste of the drink. It’s very strong, 140 Proof (70% Alcohol), so I let it breathe a little in the glass so the alcohol could dissipate a bit. Smooooooth. It’s actually quite tasty, though. Somewhat fruity and floral, tastes of orange, corriander, sage, cinnamon, and other things I simply can’t discern. Overall, it was very pleasant. I only had a little bit, but it was enlightening. Thumbs up for absinthe!

They are lying to you.

The money is always there, but you don’t have to take it.  Blaming money for how politicians act during campaigns is like blaming testosterone for rape: “Gee, your honor, if I didn’t have all this testosterone running through me, I wouldn’t have a need to rape someone!”  No, you don’t rape someone because it’s wrong to violate someone else, to aggress against them for your own satisfaction.

Slimeballs act poorly, and I don’t know a single major political candidate who doesn’t act poorly.  Make these bastards exercise a little personal control.

In Florida, go here: Candidate Tracking System.  Then choose:

Election Year: 2006 General Election
Office: All
Status: Qualified
County: [pick your county]
Candidate Last Name: [leave blank]
Then click the “Submit Query” button.

There you’ll find a list of candidates suited to your area.

Not sure which district you’re in?  Go here: District Map.  Don’t let it fool you, it says it’s for the Senate, but if you use the search box on the bottom left that says “Find Your Legislators” and put in your Zip+4 Code, you’ll get all the district numbers you need.

Do a little research.  I know, it’s late in the game to give this info, but better late than never, right?

For the candidates that came up that I knew nothing about, I simply copied the name and put it into Google, tacking on an “FL” at the end, maybe putting the full name in quotes.  Usually the pertinent info will come up.  The more unique the name, the easier it is to find.

So I find the candidate’s website, check out the position points (which are usually on the home page) and see if they match with my point of view (or as close to it as possible).  None of the major party candidates satisfy my point of view of how our government should be run, so I search for a candidate that has a Libertarian bent (less taxes, fewer services, less government in general), but I have to weed out the whackos with agendas to “get people” or who think in utopian terms.  I’m looking for someone with a mature attitude, a solid philosophy of how to make decisions if elected and facing legislation, and no alarmist talk (i.e. vote for me or the other people will fuck us all up).

Okay, so this morphed from campaign finance reform into how to find the people running in the election and who I look for to vote.  Hey, it’s a blog, it’s my opinion, and if you didn’t want me to blog all over your lap then you wouldn’t have stayed to read this.

Sorry about the mess.  I’ll get the dry cleaning bill.

Just a sweet, sweet tool.

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/

Thanks to Paul Farrell, we learn that “Quietly hidden in Adams’ groundbreaking work is a financial formula so simple it rivals Einstein’s E=mc2. In its original form Adams’ formula was apparently so heretical and so explosive that no major house would touch it when he proposed publishing it as a one-page book. After initial rejections, he announced sadly that “if God materialized on earth and wrote the secret of the universe on one page, he wouldn’t be able to find a publisher either.”

Fortunately for America’s 95 million investors, Adams’ secret nine-point formula was finally revealed in “Dilbert and the Way of the Weasels.” Notice its simple brilliance in the exact reproduction of his formula:

1. Make a will

2 .Pay off your credit cards

3. Get term life insurance if you have a family to support

4. Fund your 401k to the maximum

5. Fund your IRA to the maximum

6. Buy a house if you want to live in a house and can afford it

7. Put six months worth of expenses in a money-market account

8. Take whatever money is left over and invest 70% in a stock index fund and 30% in a bond fund through any discount broker and never touch it until retirement

9. If any of this confuses you, or you have something special going on (retirement, college planning, tax issues), hire a fee-based financial planner, not one who charges a percentage of your portfolio

Adams boldly states that this is “everything you need to know about personal investing.” In just 129 words, nine simple points, one page you have the unabridged “Unified Theory of Everything Financial.” That’s it. Everything!

Thanks to Adams’ formula, the average irrational investor can ignore Wall Street: “Everything else you may want to do with your money is a bad idea compared to what’s on my one-page summary. You want an annuity? It’s worse. You want a whole life insurance policy? It’s worse. You want to invest in individual stocks? It’s worse. You want a managed mutual fund instead of an index fund? It’s worse. I could go on, but you get the point.”

Source:
‘Dilbert’ deserves the economics Nobel:
‘Unified Theory of Everything Financial’ wins in parallel universe
Paul B. Farrell
MarketWatch, Last Update: 7:46 PM ET Oct 9, 2006

http://www.cbs.com/innertube/player.php?cat=112614&vid=112618

The DVD can be found on Amazon.com:

9/11 Documentary

On September 11, 2001, filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet (and James Hanlon) were filming a documentary on a rookie New York City firefighter when they noticed a plane overhead. That plane would hit the World Trade Center. The firefighter and the Naudets rushed immediately to the scene. The Naudets filmed throughout Sept. 11 and the days afterward from the firemen’s perspective, as it became clear to them that this was the only known footage from inside the Twin Towers that day.

One of them was INSIDE WTC1 minutes after the first plane hit, and later WHILE WTC2 collapsed! I saw this film years ago and I’ve never forgotten about it. The footage is amazing, the editing is superb, the emotion is intense. It’s a must-see film, so if CBS pulls it before you get a chance to watch it, go buy it on Amazon or wherever you want. The Amazon link above is not an affiliate link, so I’m not pushing it to earn any cash… I believe this film is fantastic and I sincerely wish people to see it and to never forget what extremists will do to get their own way.

I could write a monumental tome trying to piece together everything surrounding 9/11, but it’s such a quagmire I don’t think it would help. The blame-game is virtually pointless, so it comes down to what you, personally, stand for.

I heard somewhere recently (I think in the movie “The Libertine”): “It’s easy to be against something, but sometime you have to grow up and be FOR something.” It’s very true.

I think the meddling of the United States in foreign affairs brought emnity with it, but how can we not meddle in foreign affairs when we’re all part of a global society, a global market. The United States is probably the most powerful country on the planet, but we haven’t always acted responsibly with our power. More terrorism on U.S. soil was inevitable, and it was spectacular in it’s horror and fury.

The mouse may scare the elephant away, the elephant may crush the mouse, but while both exist in the same moment, terror and hope radiates outward to infinite horizons.

Hope is better. Let’s not forget the terror and work towards a better future.

U.S. Wellness Meats out of Monticello, Missouri, is sweetness.

Now I’ve only tried the Pre-Cooked Entrees (I’m no chef; I neither have the patience nor the talent), but all of it is good stuff. They come in vacuum-sealed plastic bags, so you can cook in the microwave or boil-in-bag, or just take it out and warm them up in the oven.

The shredded beef is my favorite for all-around usefullness, I can throw it together with anything and it’s good. Not much fat, but versatile and tasty. *Remember, try not to OD on fat, but fat from healthy, grass-fed beef is not nearly as harmful to you as hormone-laced, grain-fed the meat and fat from commercial cattle.

The BBQ shredded beef is VERY tasty, organic BBQ sauce is quite good. Can’t have it all the time — a bit too rich for constant use — but ocassional use is a treat.

Brisket… just damn, it’s hickory-smoked and virtually smells like bacon. *drool*

The Roast is the only “iffy” one, and by iffy I mean I love it, but others may not. It’s very tender, very tasty, but a lot of fat in it. Just cut pieces of it and cook them in different ways (oven, microwave, toaster oven, bag boil) and see which is best for you.

The US Wellness Meats people take orders anytime, but only ship Monday-Wednesday because they only do next-day delivery. So if you order after noon on Wednesday, you’re not going to get your order until next Tuesday. It’s a crappy system, because they can ship same day if you order on Tuesday or Wednesday before 10 am CST. I just don’t understand, but hey, guess I just have to plan ahead.

There’s a $75 minimum purchase, and $7.50 per order charge. I was afraid they’d nail me with the $7.50 for each item, but not so; when the whole order went through, there was only one $7.50 charge, so that was a relief. There’s no shipping charge, only the $7.50 handling charge, so you can add up your total in your head fairly easily and not be shocked at the checkout screen.

Now the meat is expensive, obviously, but I consider it well worth the money, ESPECIALLY with pre-cooked stuff.

If you have the cash and are concerned for your health, US Wellness Meats is a winner in my book.

I’m gonna have to get a new cell phone soon, and the #1 priority will be a powerful antenna. Around my house (with T-Mobile) I get maybe 1-2 bars. Inside: 0.

What kind of phone do I have, you ask? Motorola v300.

How much do I use it now? I think it’s in my briefcase in the living room, uncharged.

What features am I looking for in my next phone? Why, glad you asked!

First, of course, is that powerful antenna so I can use it at home. Without that, the phone is useless to me.

Second is bluetooth so I can use the wireless headsets. I need hands-free phone.

Third is a speakerphone feature with which I can start a call instead of waiting for the call to connect, THEN switching to speakerphone. Fucking annoying. I really don’t like putting the phone to my head, it’s just an uncomfortable position to hold for the long calls I have to make, so good speakerphone is necessary.

Fourth is a cradle where I can charge the phone instead of using the annoying little wire and plugging it into the bottom of the phone, then jiggling it for 5 minutes to make sure the damn thing actually starts charging. Why is my phone in my briefcase, uncharged, unused, unloved? Because I rarely use it at home and charging it has always been a bitch.

All the other bells and whistles that are constantly promoted by the wireless companies, such as MP3 players, camera, video, radio… all useless to me. I could care less about that. I just need the fucking thing to WORK.

My cell phone ain’t bling.

My cell phone ain’t status.

My cell phone just needs to WORK!

My cell phone frustrates me.

This should be its own post. :>

schwarzerwind Says:

September 2nd, 2006 at 10:39 pm

The problem isn’t your antenna. It’s T-Mobile, and yes, I use them too. So I know of what I speak. My friend and I are jumping ship to Verizon, soon, because in the last 9 months, they have become fucking abysmal.

I don’t know what’s going on at T-Mobile, but they are on the bullet train to hell, and I been with them 4 some years now. I hear great things about Verizon’s signal strength and quality, though, and I am seriously looking into them.

I’ve addressed these concerns to T-Mobile, who simply don’t care, and tell me it’s not their problem at all, but perhaps how I use my phone. They even suggested I turn the phone off every day or so for 5 mins, then turn it back on, so it reconnects to their tower, thus (POSSIBLY) improving the signal.

Bullshit. It needs to work. 24/7. My house is the only place I get a good signal; everywhere else, just like yours, 1-2 bars or NO SIGNAL AT ALL. And the latter happens quite alot.

No Doubt – Spiderwebs

[audio:11_-_Spiderwebs - no_doubt_-_cd1.mp3]

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3006/ – Download Helper Addon for FireFox

Remember, always download your favorite videos because you never know when they’re gonna go away….

Remember my trials with Two Pimps and A Dream – Waffle House

So I’ve been using Compupic Pro, and when it started giving me shit (corrupted database of almost 3GB) I started looking around for a nice alternative. I tried a few, but I figured I’d try Picasa again. My first time with Picasa wasn’t great, but I figured “new version, maybe better”. Nope.

It choked bigtime. Crash and burn.

Now, Picasa isn’t right for my extraordinary photo collection, but it has worked very well for others I’ve talked with, so I can’t totally shit on it.

You can give it a try and see if it’s something you’re looking for. It’s free, it’s google, it’s worth a shot.