Here I be

Hey you, out there in the cold, getting lonely getting old, can you feel me?

I hope you all had a kick ass Thanksgiving and got a little time out of the salt mines to spend with your families.

I'm getting along as best I can. There are still some limited mobility issues that I've been dealing with. It comes with the territory I believe. My neck still has a catch or a snag in it when I look left, my back still hurts from the bulged discs, my left wrist is still sore (thank God I'm right handed), and my left shoulder has a catch / snag in it when I rotate my arm. I've had several vivid dreams about it since it happened. The sound and memory of the impact are still very fresh. I can still hear the metal crunch and recall the intensity of the crash the like it was yesterday. Not the first time I've dealt with traumatic experiences, time will heal it eventually...

We are back in the office working today and apparently "out of office" notifications do not do jack shit. You'd think that by having that on, that people would see that you are not available via email, phone, or in person, and would see that you have other people listed to contact in your absence. NOPE... Let's just keep sending emails to Stackz and ask questions about the stuff that the "out of office" has already told you that I'm not around to see it, know about it, or even address it. Holy shit we are living the idiot apocalypse, I swear. I should change it the next time I'm out to : "I am out of the fucking office dummy. I can be reached by waiting until I get back"...

9 days of vacation isn't enough. I think a month should be mandatory for everyone with a job. I wanted to go hunt, but then I figured that if I did kill anything, I'd be left to struggle alone with getting it back to the house. I'm in no shape to be lifting, pulling, or pushing anything at the moment. So, this year's hunting escapades may be delayed. I was able to tear down and deep clean every high speed impalement device that I own during my down time and also get a few things organized. I picked up a really cool micro-drone on Black Friday and I'm learning how to fly it with great success so far. I figured I'd learn to crash the cheap ones before I went and bought an expensive one to crash. Flying in first person view is easy with a camera streaming back to you, but I don't have that luxury on the micro-drone. I've had to learn to think in first person and tie that thinking into my hand and eye coordination. It's rough at first, but you get the hang of it eventually...

That's enough for now. I hope you all are back in the swing of things and doing well for yourselves. 

Have an awesome Monday y'all...

Those damn smart-assed Marines are at it again

I'm alive

I was rear ended by a big rig hauling an empty trailer Tuesday afternoon as I was headed home to drink beer with some fellow Marines for our Marine Corps Birthday. I never made it to the festivities and ended up in the ER. I got knocked into next week I think. Whiplash, muscle spasms, lower back pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain, and head aches... All the symptoms of being hit by a big truck. I've never felt force like that in my life and I've taken some pretty good licks. Van is totaled. 2006 Dodge Caravan with 394,000 miles on it, and absolutely nothing wrong with it. Paid for, minimal operating expenses, and in very good shape. I'm pretty sure I got the last good dodge caravan ever made and it is now ruined. Figures I'd be forced into a new car note. Just what I wanted, more financial hemorrhaging...

I got very lucky. The driver dodged off to the right at the last second and clipped me with his front left bumper, pushing it into his front left tire, which absorbed a lot of the impact. I was sitting completely still and looked up at the last second to see him sliding toward me with smoke rolling out from under his rig. If he had been any more square in line with the frame / front bumper tie in, he would have pushed me straight forward into several cars until he stopped. Luckily, the bumper folded on his truck at the right spot and I did not feel the full effect of the truck force moving at 50 mph. It was still brutal. It knocked me plain stupid for a few seconds. 

Since I'm under heavy medication to block these nerve synapses, I will be working very light today and tomorrow. I feel like I had a coke machine dropped on me… BUT I’M STILL ALIVE!!! 

It’s gonna take more than that to take this old Marine out...

Happy 240th Birthday Marines

Drinking and celebrating will begin at 17:30 today and you are expected to howl at the moon tonight. Semper Fi.

How Law Enforcement Can Use Google Timeline To Track Your Every Move

THE RECENT EXPANSION of Google’s Timeline feature can provide investigators unprecedented access to users’ location history data, allowing them in many cases to track a person’s every move over the course of years, according to a report recently circulated to law enforcement.

“The personal privacy implications are pretty clear but so are the law enforcement applications,” according to the document, titled “Google Timelines: Location Investigations Involving Android Devices,” which outlines the kind of information investigators can now obtain.

The Timeline allows users to look back at their daily movements on a map; that same information is also potentially of interest to law enforcement. “It is now possible to submit a legal demand to Google for location history greater than six months old,” the report says. “This could revitalize cold cases and potentially help solve active investigations.”

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How's this for "information of potential interest" ?

Ever heard of Non-Obvious Relationship Awareness software? 

Also known as NORA.

It can scan multiple databases, Geo-location information, social media friend lists, and recognize relationships that may not be obvious at first glance. The software is fast and requires no human intervention. It runs 24/7/365/Forever. Kind of like the "stock market" that runs on algorithms...

 

What does all this mean in terms of the Fourth Amendment? It's simple really, the technological and human factors that muddied the water of gathering and processing of data in the past are quickly disappearing...
 

Creepier than Google Glass? A third eye in the middle of your head

Where cyclops failed, triclops may be the answer.

Where Google Glass failed, sticking a camera in the middle of your head may well be the future. This seems to be the vision of the founders at 3rdiTEK with their 3RDi wearable.

Based in Montreal, this company launched an Indiegogo campaign on Tuesday, one that hasn't yet seen eye-to-eye with too many backers.

The idea is blindingly simple. There's a camera permanently strapped in the middle of your head. It's on a headband. The camera has got autofocus and is high-definition.

Whenever you want to take a picture, you tap the headband. You can even post directly to your favorite social medium.

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That's how this shit starts...

Pretty soon it'll be,  "New Upgraded 3RDi camera is fully integrated into human cerebral cortex interface for the first time in history." And people will love it... 

I believe I will pass. The last thing I need is an implant with first person view plugged into my brain. 

The Borg Hive Mind... It awaits us... 

A Father's Advice

If a sportsman true you’d be
Listen carefully to me. . .
 
Never, never let your gun
Pointed be at anyone.
That it may unloaded be
Matters not the least to me.

When a hedge or fence you cross
Though of time it cause a loss
From your gun the cartridge take
For the greater safety’s sake.

If twixt you and neighboring gun
Bird shall fly or beast may run
Let this maxim ere be thine
"Follow not across the line."

Stops and beaters oft unseen
Lurk behind some leafy screen.
Calm and steady always be
"Never shoot where you can’t see."

You may kill or you may miss
But at all times think this:
"All the pheasants ever bred
Won’t repay for one man dead."

"Early Instruction"
By Carl Kauba
c. 1902

Written by Mark Beaufoy of Coombe House, Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, in 1902, on presenting his eldest son, Henry Mark, with his first gun. Reproduced here by permission of the author’s granddaughter, Mrs. P. M. Guild.

This Is the Worst U.S. Earnings Season Since 2009

This U.S. earnings season is on track to be the worst since 2009 as profits from oil & gas and commodity-related companies plummet.

So far, about three-quarters of the S&P 500 have reported results, with profits down 3.1 percent on a share-weighted basis, data compiled by Bloomberg shows. This would be the biggest quarterly drop in earnings since the third quarter 2009, and the second straight quarter of profit declines. Earnings growth turned negative for the first time in six years in the second quarter this year.

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The oil market is cyclical and always has been. The current low price is cutting into developments, that will curtail future production and justify a future high price, which will start up development again when prices rise. It's feast or famine. There's not really any thing in the middle of those two. When it's good, it's real good. When it's bad, it's real bad. 

We did not go to war to get oil, we went to war to control the price of oil.

Oil went from $9 a barrel in 1999 to $165 a barrel in 2007.

Are you paying attention yet?

Seeing patterns are we?

 

 

Gun Sales Set Record for Sixth Month in a Row

The Federal Bureau of Investigation processed a record number of background checks in the month of October, indicating that gun sales were at an all time high for the sixth month in a row.

The FBI’s National Instant Background Check System processed 1,976,759 firearms related checks in October. That is a 373,290 increase in checks over last year and a new record for the month. It also makes October the sixth consecutive month to see a record number of checks.

Story here 

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THERE ARE NO OTHER RIGHTS IF YOU CANNOT DEFEND THEM... 

Maersk Line to Cut Capacity and Jobs as Global Demand Sags

A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S is scaling back capacity and cutting jobs in the world’s largest shipping line to adapt to a drop in demand.

The Danish company, which last month lowered its profit forecast for 2015 citing a gloomier outlook for the global shipping market, will shed 4,000 jobs in its Maersk Line unit as part of a program to “simplify the organization,” it said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.

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Less action in the ports, means less action at the distribution hubs, means less freight action on our highways, means less consumer action at the store because... You know.

People can't spend money they don't have. Those that do spend money they don't have, are usually spending other people's money. We know how that works.

The well is running dry. I'd suggest getting into the health insurance industry. I hear they are projected to do very well in the upcoming years. I mean, after all, it's guaranteed money for them. Why not get a piece of the extortion racket?

Signs, signs, every where signs...

No raises in 2016 due to “cheap oil”. Mark it.

I cannot wait until we will be allowed to reintegrate into the low unemployment rated job market as low-wage workers for Chinese businesses when they onshore to the US.

Significant numbers of the low-IQ, genetically inferior folk will find themselves slow and fast killed by high crime, malnutrition, drugs, chemicals, and each other.

You want a sure bet? Buy hundreds of mason jars, seals, and rings. Learn to can your own soups, meats, and veggies. Buy a farmers almanac and learn a little something. Your life might depend on it.

As always, that's about as raw and sugar free as I can say it.

 

Unicorn Hunting - Nebraskan style

Words of wisdom - Man Up

Your father probably told you a few things, but just in case, here are some words of wisdom you might have missed out on. If I missed some, please comment and remind me. Young men need to hear these little gems from time to time. It is mission critical that they do. This day and age, young men are running low on mentors. Be that missing mentor if the need arises. Man up man.


Buy high quality tools, so you only have to buy them once.

Keep a change of clothes at the office.

Never hit anyone unless they are an immediate threat.

Every hat should serve a purpose.

Smelling good is feeling good. Feeling good is everything good.

Never take her to the movies on the first date.

Learn to wet shave. If you do not shave, keep yourself groomed and neat.

Drink strong coffee. Hot tea is for old ladies.

Nothing looks more bad ass than a man in a well tailored suit.

Shave with the grain on the first go-around.

Always look a person in the eye when you speak to them.

Buy a plunger before you need a plunger.

Exercise and firearms make you happy. Go run, go lift, go bang, go play sports.

Brush your teeth before you put on your tie.

A small amount of your paycheck should go directly to your savings account every month.

There's nothing wrong with having some "you money" stashed away.

Call mom and dad every week.

Never wear a clip-on tie.

Give a firm handshake.

Compliment her shoes or hair.

Never leave a beer unfinished.

If you aren’t confident, fake it. It will come around.

You can tell the size of a man by the size of things that bother him.

Be conscious of your body language.

The only reason to point a gun at someone is if you intend to shoot them. Period.

Never lend anything you can’t afford to lose.

Ask more than you answer. Everybody likes to talk about themselves.

Never have sex with anyone that doesn’t want it as much as you.

Go for women out of your league. You may end up surprised.

Manliness is not only being able to take care of you, but others as well.

Go with the decision that will make for a good story.

When you walk, look straight ahead, and not at your feet.

Nice guys don’t finish last, boring guys do.

Find your passion and figure out how to get paid for it.

Don’t let the little head do the thinking for the big head.

No matter their job or status, everyone deserves your respect. (I call bullshit; no one deserves respect until they EARN it.)

The first one to get angry loses.

A man does what needs to be done without complaining. 

Never stop learning.

Always go out in public dressed like you’re about to meet the love of your life.

Never change yourself just to make someone happy.

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.

Luck favors the prepared.

Women find confidence sexy as hell.

Do whatever you want to do, but try to be the absolute best at it.

No one on their deathbed wishes they had spent more time at work.

Learn how to shine shoes. Never show up looking like you kicked a Hershey Bar.

Never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber bullet.

Wisdom comes from mainly getting older.

Men should read the words and deeds of great men of the past, especially fathers.

Be a man of self-control, self-denial, patience, humility, and have a principled approach to everything.

It’s easier to make your wishes conform to your means, than to make your means conform to your wishes.

Do not wife hunt in bars and tattoo parlors.

Meddle or interfere with nothing in which you have no concern.

Be willing to admit your mistakes and take blame.

Private and public life are subject to the same rules; and truth and manliness are two qualities that will carry you through this world much better than policy, or tact, or expediency, or any other word that was ever devised to conceal or mystify a deviation from a straight line.

A man should always say what he means and mean what he says.

A man may manifest and communicate his joy to the world, but he should conceal and smother his grief as much as possible.

Read history books, works of truth, and not novels and romances.

Never marry unless you can do so into a family that will enable your children to feel proud of both sides of the house.

Since your father will always be older than you, he will always be wiser.

Few things are more rewarding than blisters on your hands and a paycheck in the bank.

Don't be afraid to stand alone; living your values will cost you, but not living them will kill you.

You can spend your day dicking the dog, but if you walk around like you own the place, no one will question you.

Don't throw dirt on the sod.

Wealth doesn't make the man.

Your family will benefit more from you being a good custodian of your resources than they will from your greed.

Never knock a man who is working, no matter what job he’s doing.

The grass may be greener, but it's just as hard to cut.

What it all boils down to is that women are crazy and men are stupid.

Can do doesn't mean should do.

The best way to love your children is to openly express your love for their mother.

You don't have to like someone to learn something valuable from them.

People tend to treat you the way that you treat yourself.

If you have to die you may as well go out with your boots on.

It is never a mistake to buy food or tools.

Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.

Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

If a fight is unavoidable, do whatever it takes to end it as soon as possible.

Aim for the back of the head, through the face.

Become familiar with tools.

Just ask her out already, he who hesitates masturbates.

Don’t be your absent father. You may hate that woman but be there for the child you helped conceive.

There is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion.

Learn to use a knife.

Just because the water ran over it doesn't mean it's clean.

Never be afraid of getting your hands dirty or your knuckles bruised.

The people who are having too much fun at the office Christmas Party are the ones who are not around long enough for the next office Christmas Party.

Violence is never the answer, except for when it is.

Never dip your pen in company ink.

Failure is not a bad thing. Failure is the path to success.

Learn to swing an axe.

Believe in something, but believe not in everything.

Alphas are born that way. People know the difference. Know your circle.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

Never worry about the mule, just shut up and load the wagon.

False motivation is better than none at all.

Learn to throw a punch and take one. You will get hit.