Caucasus Update: Cowboy Upped

Bush told Russia to get out of Georgia.

Russia giggled.

And then threatened Poland (their other national past time).

Hell Ride

Hell Ride is a blood and sex soaked tale of revenge,retribution and mayhem involving two rival biker gangs, starring a few notables: Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen and Larry Bishop, who also wrote,directed and co-produced.

I'm still not sure if it was intended to a be a more light hearted take on the 60's motorcycle flicks fused with elements of the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, or a more serious effort at a real biker movie, but whatever it was supposed to be, it works for what it is. In some respects, it's a near spoof.
In keeping with things 'Tarantino' (and this is), the violence is never ending and personal. And I like that.

The plot offers a few twists and surprises that are easy to keep up with, the action keeps moving, and the characters, though not always nice, are likable.

Warning: if graphic views of the naked female form are offensive to you, stay away from this movie. The flesh parade of hookers and nymphos is as never ending as it is eye catching. I didn't mind, but it is rare (as in: never before) that I leave a theater wondering if 'nipples exposed' outnumbered 'bullets fired' in an action movie, but in this case, it would be a legitimate piece of trivia.

Final analysis: It was fun ride that didn't last as long as it could have because, to it's credit, the mindless drama bullshit that often passes as narrative was kept to a minimum, revealing only what was needed to keep the story moving along. Not boring.

Teasing The Bear

So the Russians have invaded their undersized neighbor of Georgia, and it appears they will soon be occupying the place for a while.

Some in the media seem upset, and even shocked, shocked, at the display of aggression and brutality.
Get real,folks.
Russians are assholes.
And damn brutal ones,too.

A little background: the Caucasus region is a hotbed of ethnic rivalries. Nuff said about that.

What happened this time: Georgia got stupid and took steps that they should have known by now would indeed piss off Russia, triggering Russians to do the one thing Russians are genetically programmed to do well.

Most successful societies learn by intuition certain survival techniques.
But, the one thing Caucasus region peoples have yet to learn, by intuition or otherwise, is how to just get along and coexist.

Were it not for Russia's propensity to be an asshole of a neighbor, this may have all disappeared by now, with only one or two Caucasus ethnics left to squabble after having killed off the other hundred or so ethnics.
But no.
Russia steps in, dominating everybody, bringing somewhat of a peace to the region.

This gives the various groups time to rebuild their populations in anticipation of another round of bloodshed.

How will this end?
The same way it started.
And then again, some more.
The future follows the past. The past tells the future.

If history is any guide, living in the Caucasus means never having to say you had enough,already.

Some Happy Happens

So, it looks like I am now a step-grandpa, or something like that. This also means I'll have to start getting used to the smell of baby vomit all over again.

No,No,No... Not Me! No Effing Way

Here's the deal:
This fellow who calls himself RW has ventured '1 Step Beyond' and created his own 'on-line personality test'.

Not one to avoid stepping in a steaming pile when I least expect it, and sometimes even when I do, I took the giant leap and landed full footed.

Now, I got shit on my boots. That is, if I had boots. Well, I do have boots, just not on me right now. OK, so I got digger on my slippers. That better?

Go ahead, click on that RW link thingy above, and take his test. See what you come up with.
Warning you: this guy's witty.
Now go have it.

This is what I got (and it's so wrong.)

Ringmaster Ned
Take Your Secret Self
1 Step Beyond today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test
Generator.

Going 1 step beyond I would be standing in the middle of a lot of people
who are interesting and just sort of pointing shit out for you. Lookit that.
Lookit this. I have other things going on right now but if I can just get by
announcing stuff that would be OK with me. I could DJ on the radio so long as I
don't have to go beyond traffic weather and music. Or I could be the person at
the info booth at the mall over Christmas. Whatever. I act like I'm keeping my
life private but really there's just nothing going on. Ooooo lookit the
clowns!

The real me, the secret me, the me I really am if I could me:
I'd be living in a subterranean lodge, alone, surrounded by hills and forests, cut off from family and needy friends, shooting at trespassers and posting the pictures on-line.
Remember? I'm the whack-job who likes to take lonely roadtrips, communicating with only a few randomly select strangers just keep my language skills up.

I only live where I do now because it's easier to find women.
And beer.

The First Spectator

So President Bush visits China and becomes the first of his kind to attend the Orympics on foreign soil.

When else could he have pictures like this taken, and not have some explaining to do?

Have fun, Mr. President.

This one is just begging for a "Caption This":

You think she'd strike this same pose if the President's first name was 'Bill'?

A Messiah Who Is Keeping His Promises

"Hope and Change" is Obama's mantra, but it's looking a lot lately like the only changes he's bringing are in his positions, his downward spiraling poll numbers, and the grand illusion that he could ever be wise enough to be an effective President.

And he's not hiring good help,either. Surely, I would assume, somebody in his apostolate would clue him in that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is intended for military use, and not for public consumption.

Thus, he brings great Hope to the McCain campaign.


(With no dog in this fight, I'm just watching the show.)

I Never Made Any Claims, Did I?

I am 29% Idiot.

I ain't too bright. But all those other idiots annoy the hell out of me. I may not be the brightest bulb in the bunch, but at least I know my limits.

Take the
Idiot Test
@ FualiDotCom

(via Mark)

Screwin 'Em,Still

Last week Congress passed, and the President signed some reform bailout package to deal with the current mortgage meltdown.

It purpose, so it's supporters claim, was to help stupid borrowers stay in the homes that they cannot afford. I smell the bullshit on this one.

Some history: back in the 90's, after the fall of The Wall, and the emergence of the imaginery 'peace dividend' and the subsequent cutbacks in military spending, California was thrown into an economic spiral downward. Jobs were scarce. Houses where being foreclosed on at a rate never before seen in this state. I took my chances at that time, and got my young family into a decent home at a giveaway price. (about 30% off the original list price).

All around me my new, and unemployed, neighbors were walking away from their homes. Just up an walking off, mostly heading to Arizona or Texas where there was work. For about four years, there was three or four bank-owned properties on every block. It was that bad.

There was no cry-out then to 'save people's homes'. Then again, the home values were not artificially inflated by funny money loans like the problem today. The issue was a plain lack of jobs. If you found work(and you couldn't), you could keep your mortgage. (I soon lost my job as well, but since enough 'went before' me, driving the market down, I was able to hang on with unemployement checks and odd jobs).

The difference today?
There is employment. People can pay a mortgage. Just not the mortgage they agreed to.
If the people are employed, they can also be screwed. By their lenders in cohoots with the government.

The house I'm buying at 45% discount would not likely be available to me today if this Jew and Screw Housing Act was in effect six months ago.
This is a bailout of the lenders. Another gimmick to enslave the gullable further.
It is better to dump the overpriced house, and wait two years (according to FHA rules), and then buy another one saving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the now delated price.

I'm not aware of all the particulars that went into this subsidy legislation, but you can bet it's not about saving home owners. It's about screwing them, and rewarding the lenders for bad practices.

"Smart" Is Stupid

I've seen more than one news article talking up this brand new concept of the Smart Car.

Basically, the Smart Car is a little tiny nuisance of a vehicle being hailed as some sort of triumph of automotive engineering. Starting package is around $11,000 MSRP, but likely much higher considering the ridiculous demand for these pissy little things.

It's powered by a 70 horse-power, three-cylinder engine, gets 33mpg city and 44mpg highway. It boasts a high safety rating for side and front impact collisions (I do not believe this for two seconds). It only sits two, plus maybe four grocery bags.

Back in the late 80's, Suzuki offered the Geo Metro. It had about 70 horse-power, a three cylinder engine, and got 38mpg city, and about 45mpg highway.

I had one, a '91 two-door hatchback, and this is the mileage I did indeed get. I bought it used for about $1,000 with about 100k miles on it. In three years, I put an additional 150,000 miles on top of that. Never had to fix or repair anything. Just tires,brakes and a battery. That was it.

I can tell you, the Metro was a damn good car that gave everything it promised. It didn't promise much,mind you, but it did live up to the deal.

This much ballyhoo'd 'Smart Car' is the stupidest thing to come around, at a fool's price, to boot.
We already had a car that gave just as much in mpg, just as little in performance, and offered a lot more room for shopping,groceries etc...

The only thing 'news' about the Smart Car, is that people seem to be falling for it as the next wave of gas mileage salvation.
Less is not more. Old is not new. Better it's not. I don't care how many articles you want to publish trying to convince me otherwise.

Cont'd

After about three weeks, I called the original specialist to ask about these tests I was supposed to be taking. (Remember? The tests you were gonna set up about this maybe/maybe not cyst/tumor you said I maybe might not have had but maybe did?)

Well, that bitch forgot all about me, and couldn't find the file. And needed to see me again. In about four weeks. All booked up, nothing available.

With that 'tumor' word thrown at me, I didn't think it very wise to waste too much more time waiting for her to clear her schedule.
I went and found another specialist.
After about thirty minutes worth of checking me out, he informed me that I needed to go higher up the specialist food chain.

Well, this didn't sound good, but at least I was getting some movement in the right direction.

Another test, and a referral to the department head at the region's premier teaching school. After looking me over, Dr Specialist Extreme is now on the case, and taking it very seriously.
Bad news: it's a tumor.
Good news,maybe: it doesn't appear to be cancerous.
Another round of tests is scheduled for next week, along with a referral to another extreme specialist, followed up with a neurosurgeon.

I asked Dr Extreme if I was 'in trouble'. He didn't give me a clear answer, other than to say a case like mine is rare, but not uncommon. Not sure what the hell that means.
Next week will be a busy one.
I'm gonna get poked and prodded and photographed several different ways.
Eventually, they'll be taking knives to me, but I'm not sure how soon that will happen.
The next few weeks are a mystery.
Escrow will close before the end of the month.
I may be under the knife and trying to recuperate by then.
I just don't know.

I got a lot to do, and having a lot done to me, at the same time.
And this is what is bothering me.
Not being in control.
Not knowing the timeline.

I really want to be left alone. But the Blonde is smothering me. And people keep calling. Wanting updates, and what not. Demanding them. Mary's is the only voice I need to hear right now. And the only one I even want to hear.
But she won't be calling.

This Is Just Wrong

By now you've heard the story about the fat cat that was found wandering the streets in Jersey and weighed a whopping 44lbs.

No secret: I am a cat lover. It's just not that I love my three cats individually, which I do.
I love cats as a species.
Nothing compares to the magnificent creation that we call a cat.
So beautiful, sleek and athletic.
Possessing the attributes of a finely tuned predator, yet gentle enough to serve as a cuddly companion.

Try spending a few minutes truly studying a cat at it's most cat-like behavior, and you cannot deny that there is a Creator above us, and this is His masterpiece.

That said, to allow a cat to grow so grotesquely fat and deformed is an act of animal cruelty.
No. Even worse than that.
It's sacrilege.
A crime against the Creator Himself.

I see other fat cats at the vet whenever I bring one of my beautiful babies in for their check up. I tell ya, it's appalling what some of these cat abusers get away with.
And I don't keep it to myself.
I tell them how I feel.
I tell them they suck.

Cat abusers like this should not be allowed to own cats.
They are no better than those who allow their cats to roam around breeding fodder for the shelters.
It's that simple.