No Thanks I'd Rather Not

IF I DON'T LOOK AT YOU WILL YOU GO AWAY?

Sometimes you might not want to eat whatever it is someone is offering you. Just make a face and maybe they'll stop.

Lending is Giving

I am an international financier. Been on that jam since 2008(!!) and so far it's going well. Everyone I have loaned to has paid their loans back 100%. Which is kind of amazing but here we are. Kiva sent this video out to lenders and I'm posting it here because when I'm bloated with excess it feels nice to know that I'm not completely awful.

Arnold is Numero Uno

Is Weed Paleo?

 This is the very best.

The joint. The glass of white wine. The plate of meat in his lap. The shorts. The room full of people sitting elbow to elbow while Mr. Universe relaxes lengthwise on a couch. That shirt. That shirt, which, given the context of the above, is utterly and completely redundant.

Pure truth to power.

Throwback Thursday: Just a Friend by Biz Markie

Amazing old school jam. All-time classic right there.
That hook! Those lyrics! That chain!

DON'T GIMME THAT! DON'T EVEN GIMME THAT!

If you don't love this then you really need to reevaluate your life choices. All of them.

Just Chillin at Home

Yoga Mats Make Exellent Baby Mats - Who Knew?

This is my friend's kid. When her mom is looking after her she has bows in her hair and matchie matchie outfits and she looks super cute and put together. When her dad is watching her she looks like she stepped out of Mad Max. Guess which parent was running the show when I took this picture?

Cheesy

Dat Battery Tho!

Some people do not love cheese. I am not one of those people.

Sometimes a bro needs some cheese. I've had a (very hot) girl tell me she was  impressed when a guy had some gouda in the fridge. And that is not a gourmet cheese! Point is, some good cheese can really strengthen your game. So you need to pick that shit up.

Hot Jamz, All In A Row

Usually I post these one at a time but this time someone else did the heavy lifting. Thanks, internet.The EFIX jam is pretty good. I always liked the original version of that song and the cover is a nice update.

Throwback Jamz: Secondhand News by Fleetwood Mac

Another sad song that sounds happy. I love this song.

If your band is good enough that Stevie Nicks is singing backup at any point then you are crushing it.  It is inaccurate to say that Lindsay Buckingham is underrated: he is awesome, and his awesomeness is common knowledge. So: properly rated.

Lyrics:
I know there's nothing to say
Someone has taken my place
When times go bad
When times go rough
Won't you lay me down in tall grass
And let me do my stuff

I know I got nothin' on you
I know there's nothing to do
When times go bad
And you can't get enough
Won't you lay me down in the tall grass
And let me do my stuff

One thing I think you should know
I ain't gonna miss you when you go
Been down so long
I've been tossed around enough
Awh couldn't you just
Let me go down and do my stuff

I know you're hopin' to find
Someone who's gonna give you piece of mind
When times go bad
When times go rough
Won't you lay me down in the tall grass
And let me do my stuff

I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news
I'm just second hand news
Yeah

Perfection is Hard to Find But You Know It When You See It

You Look Amazing

I laughed.

Cray Cray, plus: Gun Control

Crayfish are the Best

I wrote a long post about some personal stuff but when I re-read it I realized it didn't make for a very good read. I mean, it was well written (duh) but it served no purpose aside from boring ego-stroking. Here's the tl;dr: dating is :-/ 

Instead, let's talk about some stuff that makes Republicans flip out: gun control.

Took a CCW Permit class over the weekend. This is a state-mandated sixteen hour course you must complete if you want to get a CCW permit. There were 32 people in the class. Of those 32 I was the best shooter and it wasn't close, mainly because I was one of the only people that actually, you know, had spent some time shooting before. There was one other guy that had taken some training and could shoot, and two other guys that did not have training but could shoot well enough, although their draw and reloads were crap because they never practiced that stuff. Which: hey, you should practice that stuff. Everyone else was so raw and new that they had no idea what they were doing. To be clear: these people are applying for a permit to carry a gun in public spaces.

No one failed the qualification, although the guy next to me qualified only because some of his shots missed the paper at 15 yards. He was literally so bad that he was good.

The class was analogous to the time I got my Class M (motorcycle) driver's license. When I was done I was legally allowed to ride whatever motorcycle I wanted, anywhere I wanted. Based on the testing and qualification I was actually qualified to ride a motorcycle while supervised in a parking lot, during the daytime. Point is, it's too easy to get a motorcycle license, and the qualification for a CCW is too easy. The classroom education is fine - they do a good job with the legal ins and outs of carrying a gun, but if you can't keep the bullets in a 8" circle from THREE YARDS then you are not qualified to carry a gun. A minimum level of competence should be required. If you cannot meet the minimum level of competence then you need to practice more and/or get a gun that you can shoot.

Yeah it's great that the constitution protects your right to own a gun but the government already curtails your constitutional rights if you are a danger to yourself or others. Exercise your right to free speech but do not yell "FIRE" in a crowded theater. Same principle applies here. This is common sense. I am not infringing on any rights except your right to be an unprepared/unqualified asshat that carries a gun around in public. If that's gun control then I'm cool with it. You should be, too.

Liberals for Liberal Values: Thucydides and Sam Harris

The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.
--Thucydides

It's on wikipedia as:
The State that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.

//
Sam Harris has been making public appearances and talking about liberals being for liberal values. What does that mean?

It means that if you are a liberal or a progressive or a 'do unto others' human being and you believe in things like equal rights for women, equal rights for LGBTQRSTUVWXZ*, education for all, preventing human trafficking and slavery, etc, etc then your views are not in alignment with traditional Islam. Get comfortable with that fact. 

The popular shorthand for Harris' position is that he is a racist. That is inaccurate. All he is doing is looking at Islam objectively. He says on his blog:

I genuinely believe that both Affleck and Kristof mean well. They are very worried about American xenophobia and the prospects of future military adventures. But they are confused about Islam. Like many secular liberals, they refuse to accept the abundant evidence that vast numbers of Muslims believe dangerous things about infidels, apostasy, blasphemy, jihad, and martyrdom. And they do not realize that these doctrines are about as controversial under Islam as the resurrection of Jesus is under Christianity.  

The litmus test for intellectual honesty on this point—which so many liberals fail—is to admit that one can draw a straight line from specific doctrines in Islam to the intolerance and violence we see in the Muslim world.

The problem seems to be that militant rejection of these core Islamic values sounds too neocon to the sensitive liberal ear. To which I respond: toughen up. When did liberals become a bunch of pussies?

People had to fight for liberal values for as long as there have been liberals. Do you think the battles between unions and strikebreakers were a big love in? People died by the hundreds and that was for workers rights IN THIS GODDAMN COUNTRY.

The good old US of A kicked the Nazis and Japanese in the dick because those fuckers were trying to put their boot on the neck of half the world. Liberal values right there. My grandfather was a die-hard borderline socialist and he would kick your ass like he did the Japs (his words) in 1941-45. He was a liberal before Reagan made that a dirty word and he was hard as nails.

Liberals fought for civil rights in the 50s, 60s and 70s and were beaten, tortured, and killed. Again, that was IN THIS GODDAMN COUNTRY. Those are your forbears. Stand up for your rights, and stand up for the rights of others. Be prepared to defend them, with force if necessary. Do it with pride.

If you want more information visit the source and get up to date.

*Spelling possibly incorrect. I support gender equality in principle but in practice I leave the details to others. I'm busy.

Sweet Pups: Ruby

Got to spend some quality time with the best pups around: Sweet Rubes. She's great pups. Obedient with a side of excessive energy, so she does funny dog stuff like jump around too much and get carried away and dig in the grass. She runs and bounces and she will kiss your face if you get down where she can reach it. I like to crouch down with dogs and give them hugs and kisses. All the hugs and kisses. Anyway, here's a photo of her getting ready to share some sugar. It gets no better. Love that girl.

Dear North Korea: Don't Ever Change

Clearing up the backlog with this.
Little Man Syndrome indeed.