Re: The "Speaks for Itself" Video

Here is another video clip that has turned up. This one shows the helicopter prior to take off, flying away, and being shot down.

Crispy

US-CERT TA05-117A -- Oracle Products Contain Multiple Vulnerabilities

Technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA05-117A.html

Crispy

US-CERT ST05-009 -- Benefits and Risks of Free Email Services

Non-technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST05-009.html

Crispy

Iraqi Widow Beats Terrorist with Shoe (video)

I was scanning over headlines at BareKnucklePolitics when I saw a link for a clip of an Iraqi widow who beats a terrorist with a shoe. Now this clip, I thought to myself, I can't miss. After viewing this, I decided that if I was a terrorist, it would make me think twice about causing trouble.

Mad props to the Iraq Widow Woman! Smack away, ma'am. Smack away.

Crispy

Crispy's Tech Tips Pt III

But don't feel like paying an arm & a leg for some buggy MS piece of bloat-code garbage? Look into the world of open source code. Check this out!

As some know, I used to use Trillian as my instant messenger program due to its ability to connect to various services simultaneously. After a serious security flaw was found in the program over one month ago (which has still yet to be patched), I switched over to Gaim, which does all the same things with the following improvements: it is 1) more secure and 2) open source. Open source, basically, means that the code is free to be viewed and modified by anyone. Since the source code is public information, users can send feedback to the originating company about security flaws, features, code streamlining, etc. This results in more frequent and timely updates for your software. These all work together to provide a much better experience on the side of the end user (you and me). So instead of paying $150+ for MS Office, you can download OpenOffice for free (legally, too) . OpenOffice has equivalents for all of the applications found in MS Office.

Take the plunge. Check out open source.

Crispy

Movie Review: The Interpreter

2.3/5

Mediocre story line. Mediocre plot. Not the best character development, either. A total of 2 suspensful scenes. Don't waste your time on it.

I've heard that the Amityville Horror is supposed to be good. My vote was to see that, but I was out-voted by friends, which enabled me to bring the review of The Interpreter to you instead. I suppose it is better to let the snake bite the other guy; I just hate being the other guy.

Crispy

Blake Douglass and his Yearbook Photo

Back in October I wrote about a high school senior who decided to sue the school because his proposed senior photo was rejected from the yearbook. Since that time, the case was heard by the District Court. Here is a copy of a paper that I wrote for Political Science regarding the case:

On October 13, 2004, a story broke the headlines about a young man’s senior photo that was rejected from the high school’s yearbook because he was posing with a shotgun. The young man, Blake Douglass, decided to take the issue, which he believed violated his 1^st Amendment right of freedom of speech, to court after the yearbook committee, advisor, principal and superintendent rejected the photo because it contained a firearm, according to original reports. The Douglass family claims the photo was rejected by school faculty members, not the yearbook committee.

The case, Douglass v Londonderry School (2005), was brought before the District Court in New Hampshire where it was presided over by Judge Steven McAuliffe. Judge McAuliffe did not rule in favor of young Mr. Douglass. As I mentioned earlier, the family claimed the photo was rejected by faculty members and not the yearbook committee, which is student-run. Had they been able to establish this fact in court, Judge McAuliffe says he would have ruled in favor of publishing the photo. There are very few high school students that I know of who would reject a photo, no questions asked, without the input from a higher authority.

In years past, Douglass had seen other seniors pose with items pertaining to their hobbies, such as musical instruments. Since he is an avid skeet and trap shooter, he decided he wanted to be remembered by having his senior photo pertain to skeet and trap. After the photo had been rejected and once Douglass decided to sue, the school adopted a policy which banned the use of props in senior photos. Douglass also claimed this was a specific action which targeted him. Since the new policy was adopted after he sued, his lawyer argued, it shouldn’t apply to him. When the ruling was made on the 17^th of March, however, the judge failed to see how "the new policy is a ruse or facade, actually designed to suppress his particular message."

The photo that young Mr. Blake Douglas presented to the Yearbook committee is one of the most professional-looking photos I've ever seen for a high school yearbook. There is no way that a case can be made that this photo is "inappropriate". The photos that a senior has in his or her section of a yearbook should be decided by that person. I do agree that there should be some regulation, but that regulation should not ban fully clothed people in completely normal, law-biding situations from being shown in the yearbook. One could make the argument that since the shotgun photo is "inappropriate" for a yearbook, my fencing pictures are also inappropriate for a yearbook since I am holding a "sword" (as the uneducated should say), which is a weapon, in my hand.

No, you can't have your shotgun pose picture in the yearbook, but some 16 year old girl can have more ink in her body that you can find in the pens of a college student's dorm room and more piercings on her face than you can put make up on while most of her body is exposed through her dress (or lack thereof). Does anyone else see a contradiction here? If she has the “right” to express her self through her inappropriate style of dress then he surely should have the right to express his professional sportsmanship through a simple photo in the yearbook. I have included his proposed photo at the end of my paper, also. I think the question that should be asked here is, “How much will a yearbook picture affect us in 5 years?” The answer is that it won't matter. On the other hand, how much will the current direction of our nose-diving circa-high school student/graduate culture affect us in 5 years? The answer? TONS. Those juvenile delinquents that you and I see running around everyday are the future of this country. I really think there comes a time when we need to step back and re-evaluate what we are doing.

Blake Douglass’ goal was to simply have his senior photo, pictured below, in the yearbook. The photo was rejected by either faculty or the yearbook staff, or both. One part that I do not understand is that the judge said the rejection of the photo was valid, if it had been done by the yearbook committee. However, the school made a policy regarding what would be considered acceptable material for potential pictures. So, in a sense, they, the school & not the yearbook committee, rejected other photos simply by adopting that policy. That seems to be a contradiction to me.

There was a little bit more to the paper, but I decided to cut the online posting of it here. If you would like to read more about the case, go here & here.

Crispy

Excuse me, Do You Have a Clue?

Okay, so there I was running through various blogs - true web "surfing" - when I ran across this particular blog entitled, "WELCOME TO COLUMBINE COUNTRY!". Now, I'd rather into several idiotic blogs, but none of them were worthy wasting my time on. There wouldn't be much of a challenge in ripping them to shreds (similar to having a duel with an unarmed man). Since I am a pro-right-to-bear-arms kind of guy and this person was attempting to make firearm-bearers look ignorant by distorting the truth, I decided to make him/her look stupid by pointing out the truth of the matter(s).

Picture #1
Many people at gun shows are history buffs. It is no surprise to see various items from world history on display or for sale. I remember one time a guy was selling the NSDAP armbands (the red/white ones that the SS worn). Big deal. It didn't make him a Nazi for selling it. It doesn't make the purchaser a Nazi either. Maybe one of their relatives served in the Germany military. Heck, maybe he was SS. If collecting such artifacts are wrong, then it is also wrong to collect Indian ("Native American" for you PCs) arrowheads. Also of note, I believe the machine gun pictured is an MG-42, though I cannot make it out due to the low quality of the pictures. The MG-42 was used by the Germans during the war. Starts to make sense now, doesn't it?

Picture #2
You've quickly demonstrated that you have a "thing" for flags. Take note, eagle eye, of the other items that can be seen. There is an older US flag on display to the left of the Confederate flag. Left of that flag, I believe, is a flag from one of the armed services of the US. Next to that flag is another US (current or former) flag. That booth was selling flags, not racial supremacy, moron.

Picture #3
And how many Democrats do you think you'll generally find at a gun show? You point was disproved in my previous arguments.

Picture #4
Because he is wearing a cowboy hat you assume that he is ignorant and can't read? I like your insight. So, I guess that your "comment" in Picture #11 is negated or does that mean that you can only make that type of assumption against other Caucasians? Hey guess what! I've still got more for Picture #11.

Pictures #5, 6, 7, and 8
Do you really think these bumper stickers are meant to be serious? I mean, you don't really believe the owners of the stickers that say, "Be Kind to Animals" or "Real Men Don't Eat Meat" really believe that? Also, what's wrong with the one that says, "Second Amendment Defender of the Rest" and one above that? Thomas Jefferson said we should have a revolution every 200 years or so. We're overdue.

Picture #9
And state pride is bad how?

Picture #10
Another unkind comment. You seem to have a lot of built up hate inside you. Can't we all just get along?

Pictures #11 & 12
In addition to my Picture #4 comments, maybe it is because they are dressed like gang bangers? Be sure to note how the male in the white shirt is handling the firearm in Picture #12. That is not the stance for an accurate shot. That is the stance of an ignorant murderer/drug dealer type. I have more to say about this picture in #14. Uho.

Picture #13
He is probably reading where the weapon was manufactured and by whom it was made. Note: this was also another unkind comment. Where is your toleration?

Picture #14
He is looking at the sight picture. Notice how he is pointing the weapon in a safe direction - above everyone's heads. That isn't what you thug buddy was doing in Picture #12. Since you brought up the "Iraki"...

Picture #15
If you were a criminal, would you expect someone to draw on you from the refrigerator?

Picture #16
Again, another hateful comment due to racial profiling.

Picture #17
Well, all the firearms pictured there are specifically for hunting. Since most anti-firearm folk don't have any problem with such weapons, what is you case against them?


Ahhh, another ignorant person exposed. It feels so good.

Crispy

Speaks for Itself

Warning: The following post contains graphic content and strong language which may be unsuitable for children. Viewer discretion is advised.

Instead of my ranting and raving for several paragraphs about the stupidity of certain people, and those they support, I'll just show you this video instead.

For those of you who don't know, some of the terrorists in Iraq decide they were going to shoot down a helicopter. Well, turns out that the helicopter was carrying 11 civilians (3 Bulgarian crew members, 2 Fijians and 6 Americans) and zero military personnel. Upon shooting down the helicopter, the terrorists ran to the crash site and began taking footage of the wreckage and the burned bodies. About 150 meters from the crash site, an injured survivor is found where he is screamed at, made to stand up and is then murdered. Trained ears will be able to pick up the sound of the cycling of the bolt of the AK-47 seconds prior to the man's execution. The Muslim terrorists continued to shoot the man a total of 15 times, even after he was dead.

If you've seen footage or pictures of the aftermath of IEDs or VBIEDs (especially the Assassin's Gate pictures, where some of the bodies were still bleeding due to the flash fire from the blast), the graphic nature in this video is nothing new. This execution, however, is beyond description.

To All Terrorists, World Wide: Way to go, infidels. You just pissed off me, and untold numbers of other soldiers and future soldiers, even more. Don't expect mercy or sympathy from me because my job is just to kill you. "I have come chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum."

For those of that have seen Boondock Saints:
"In nomine Patris, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti." You know what comes next.

I probably shouldn't say the following and will wind up editing it later, but for those of you that support these people, I hope you realize how wrong you are and are able to correct it before it is too late. In my eyes, you are just as guilty as the ones who strap on the bombs and murder civilians.

Crispy

Thanks to WaMi for bringing this to my attention.

A Glimpse of What is to Come

In my next planned post, I will tear apart the AIM user who owns this profile:

"This is dedicated to the children of Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq who are resisting the foreign occupation of their homes. Stay strong brothers and sisters. God willing, your freedom will come soon." - Rogue Nation

---

I Support Those Who Resist

I cannot immediately recall a more uniformed comment. I will also tear apart the propaganda contained in the Muslim-operated Al Jazeera article he linked to.

I can't let this one wait any longer... First off, that picture on the bottom of the page ISN'T of US Forces. That picture is the Iraqi National Guard, though the caption would lead you to think otherwise. Note the decommissioned uniforms and the AK-47s (not to mention the fact that he isn't wearing his Kevlar correctly).

Crispy

P.S. - Put your fire suits on for this one.


UPDATE 23APR @ 0059:
P.S.S. - I also have a movie review in the works.

Political Science Rant

Our discussion stumbled its way to the dawn of the Great Depression at which time the professor blamed the Depression on consumers because demand (as in supply & demand, economics) had gone down for many products. Instead of blaming the companies that maintained too high of a supply, he blamed the people for not maintaining a demand.

How backwards can a person's thinking get? According to his logic, if every person in the US bought a new car in 2005, car companies should (foolishly) expect these very same people to all buy new cars again in 2006. The companies would prepare for this anticipated demand by producing an equal to greater number of cars. When the consumers don't show up at the dealership to buy these new cars, it would be the fault of the consumers for not maintaining that level of demand into 2006. The fact of the matter is that the car companies were wrong for having created such a surplus of supply. The demand had been met in 2005. To blame the entire Depression on consumers' failure to maintain a constant level of demand is insane. Eventually, everyone who can afford it will own an automobile /refrigerator /radio /telephone /washing machine /etc.

What about the reliance on credit (just as we have today)? What about the people who, once they maxed their credit accounts, refinanced their homes in order to have more spending money (just as we do today)? What about fractional reserve banking (2nd article; Google; though this came about in 1933, it didn't help the issue)?

I'd go on, but I'd really like to enjoy our sleep in. "Tootles."

Crispy

Early Morning Observation

People are freakin' weird. Ever find something out & you just want to pop someone in the back of the head the next time you see them? Yeah, me too. *shakes head in disbelief* I'm starting to really believe that most of the people around me are out of what is left of their minds.


Crispy

P.S. - Yeah, I know I haven't put up a worth while post in the last few weeks. We've been pretty busy with end-of-the-year parades, retirements, etc. Finals are coming up in the next few weeks too. Hang tight my loyal readers! The light at the end of the tunnel draws near.

Mozilla Firefox 1.0.3 Released!

Get 1.0.3 here.

Read about it here.

Crispy

Observation of the Day Pt. II

"Zero will always be greater than a negative one."

How true it is. Blind dates are not cool.

Crispy

Observation of the Day

Attempting to find a replacement date for a formal occasion with less than 48 hours remaining causes headaches, among other things. It has also been found to be a real pain in the gluteus maximus.

T Minus 18 hours, 27 minutes and counting.

Crispy

US-CERT ST05-008 -- How Anonymous Are You?

Non-technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST05-008.html

Crispy

US-CERT SA05-102A -- Multiple Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Components

Technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA05-102A.html

Non-technical: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/SA05-102A.html

Crispy

P.S. - Windows Update revealed 6 "High Priority" updates for XP.

And So It Begins...

Granddaughter yanks grandma's feeding tube: 81-year-old neither terminally ill, comatose, nor in vegetative state

Crispy


UPDATE 13APR @ 0839:

You can read about developments in the story here.

Political Correctness

We've been discussing civil liberties and civil rights. Our topic of discussion moved to the First Amendment, the establishment of religion clause and some fairly recent cases that have been heard by the Supreme Court. The Lynch v. Donnelly case of 1985 ruled that nativity scenes are allowed to be on government property as long as they are part of a larger display (something with reindeer, Santa, etc). Even though it sounds like I'm going to comment about the case ruling, that's nowhere near where I'm going with this.

As my professor (who is a leftist that practically laughed at me the other day for stating it was the job of the parents to watch over what their children watched on TV instead of the government [until the rest of the class started to agree with me]) was describing the larger display part, he abruptly stopped at the mention of snowman and quickly changed it to "snow people". For the rest of the lecture, every reference he made to the Plastic Reindeer ruling contained "snow people" instead of "snow man". How politically correct must be make ourselves before we can't even speak? This is almost as bad as the people that are complaining about writing in red ink on students' papers. This is like saying "inflatable wildlife" instead of "balloon animals". Give me a break.

The following picture is the perfect analogy of politically correct terms:

Yeah, they might look nice. But in reality, they do nothing.


Crispy

Image taken from Satan's Laundromat

As Promised...

I've (finally) put up the "The Best of My Round Box" section, located between "LINKS I LIKE" and "Previous Posts". Currently, it only houses links to nine other posts. I will be adding the tenth one as soon as I decide which post qualifies. The section won't be limited to only ten posts, but that's where I'd like to start, for now. The list may change over the next few days or weeks, depending on when I can work on it. If you have any suggestions for that section, as always, feel free to send in your comments.

I've also changed the number of posts displayed on the main page from the past 7 days to the past 15 days, since I haven't been blogging much. So there you have it.

Crispy