I was waiting in a queue today and this was my number… They looked at me funny when I asked if I could keep it (normally they take them and tear them up), but I just had to scan it. Figured there'd be some other green-inclined folks that might be amused.
These are courtesy of celebrity IAM member Steve Rolston (well, celebrity if you're into comics anyway) — I think they are BME/girl and BME/boy #7… As always, you should let your voice be heard over in the BMEshop forum as far as colours and so on go. Hoodies? It's starting to get cold!
I don't know if this guy makes the military look worse, or tattooed people. Meet Private Kerri McAllister:
The only reason I joined the Army was to kill people. I really feel like there are some people who deserve to die, so why let somebody else do it when I can take care of business? Saddam for one. He was really [messing] his people up...
[But] I cannot die a happy man until I go to an Iron Maiden concert. [If I don't like the army], I'd love to be a bouncer in a [topless] bar.
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but if some dumbass says crap like “the only reason I joined the Army was to kill people” they should be instantly disqualified. Anyway, you can expect one or two columns to be posted later today, as well as perhaps an experience update depending on how the day goes.
Oh, and you'll get a preview of the awesome new BME/boy and BME/girl shirts too.
While flying over the ocean yesterday I saw a nuclear sub, ironically, right before watching The In-Laws (about a stolen sub), cruising along on its way to threaten someone or other's life for no good reason… I'd like to refer to this article (more) written by a US solier in Iraq:
From the moment the first shot was fired in this so-called war of liberation and freedom, hypocrisy reigned. Tell me where the humanity was [for] two young children brought to a U.S. military camp by their mother, in search of medical care? The two children had been, unbeknown to them, playing with explosive ordinance they had found and as a result were severely burned. Following an hour-long wait [they] were denied care by two U.S. military doctors. ... One of many "atrocities" on the part of the U.S. military.I once believed that I served for a cause: "to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Now, I no longer believe; I have lost my conviction, my determination. I can no longer justify my service for what I believe to be half-truths and bold lies. My time is done as well as that of many others with whom I serve. We have all faced death here without reason or justification.
How many more must die?
At least he seems to “get it”… A couple days ago a bunch of US troops got drunk and decided to party at the Baghdad Zoo. One of them tried feeding a rare Bengal tiger through his cage (breaking through the first layer of protective barriers), and of course the drunken dumbass got his hand bitten. In response, his buddies opened fire and killed the endangered tiger (more). It's as if killing things is all these kids can think of at this point.
I recently passed through the US and over the few days I was there was searched and detained a dozen times. It was insane. You know what, it ceases to be random after about the fifth time in a row, and when you hit double digits, it's just ridiculous… and going into restaurants and actually seeing “Freedom Fries” on the menus was disgusting and insulting. I can't believe people are stupid enough to buy into that crap. Well, Bush wants more of it. More police powers are being demanded (more)…
The thing about all this new “security” stuff is that it doesn't work. It's only going to catch dumbasses that aren't a threat anyway. People who are actually determined to cause problems will do so — if you want a free society, that's one of the things you've got to live with. Part of me wants to write a “How To” book on airline security. Having been searched so many times recently, I saw dozens of serious holes — unpatchable holes at that — which would allow me to bring guns, machetes, and any other weapons to any point in an airport and even onto a plane.
I wonder what would happen to me if I posted such a guide to USENET?
I've been travelling for 24 hours, and fighting to get an internet connection for about 12 hours… I finally have one hobbled together but I don't know that it will last. If it does I'll get some emails and IMs answered but I can't promise it. While in transit I wrote a column in response to the “tattooed women are slutty” op-ed piece that was talked about here a ways back, under the thesis that “because tattoed women are hot, slutty women sometimes pretend to be tattooed” (don't worry, it'll be less offensive than that in its edited form).
Other than that, I'm working on a rewrite of the personals system, and then after that I'm doing the new experience engine and the full email integration system here…
PS. Also, I believe there is a problem with my email server so the IM functions may not have been working; I'm looking into that now.
