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I've been itching to write about this whole Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday fiasco. Somehow when reading about viewpoints on this topic as background music I keep hearing Mr. Garrison from South Park sing, "Merry F*ing Christmas." I've actually thought about going into a known department store, and make someone respond to me "Merry Christmas," and then say, "Ooooh you're in trouble now, I got it on video!!" But the lack of hours in a day in which most of these great stores are open just doesn't correlate nicely with my schedule. I think Sacred Cow Burger got it for the most part right. I would like to state I'm tolerant of all sides/views (Liberal/Consevative), and I think we should strive for a utopia, but not at the cost of a practical reality. I think the reality is that Christmas is a National Holiday, much like Columbus Day was......but I won't even go there. There exists a re-occuring pattern, where we are constantly wasting time and money on redefining the past and history.An excerpt from Sacred Cow Burger's blog entry....

Liberals seem to live by the axiom, "Do as I say, not as I do." No matter what grand ideals they profess, they hold themselves entirely blameless for disregarding them; regardless of how contradictory their words and deeds are.

Take the professed Liberal doctrine of "diversity" and "tolerance" for instance. Ah, such noble, admirable ideals! Everyone will get along just fine if we just accept and embrace that we're all different and we can all get along. Such an idyllic, utopian world view!

And what a frickin' pity that Liberals wouldn't recognize such principles if they reared up and bit 'em square on their ass.

My favorite part in closing....

Suffice it to say that I think it's high time that the majority shrugged off the tyranny of this ridiculously small Leftist fringe and told them, in no uncertain terms, to practice some of that tolerance they preach and keep their intolerant, mean-spirited, anti-Christmas bellyaching to themselves.

Manifesto for Agile Software DevelopmentIndividuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking software over comprehensive documentationCustomer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a planThat is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.And of course...No more pages of specifications to wade through.

Well if Tookie had any chance of living, it was completely thrown "out the door" when these two morons showed up. It's funny though, Jesse's track record is pretty bad. Terry Shavio...dead, Cindy Sheehan....technically dead, Lousiana incident...many dead, Tookie....dead. Way to go Rev. Jackson. I think I'm gonna call Sean Penn, the Rev. Sean Penn, he's showed up to the last three huge media events(Sheehan, Lousiana (remember the sinking boat rescue operation?), and Tookie).Where was Rev. Al Sharpton???I think it totally sucks that Richard Pryor's death is shadowed by this media event.

It's been a struggle for me because I had a chance to be white and refused.

I went to Zimbabwe...I know how white people feel in America now, relaxed! Cause when I heard the police car I knew they weren't coming after me!

Richard Pryor December 1, 1940 - December 10, 2005

Out of the crooked timber of humanity, nothing straight can be made.

Immanuel Kant

Title: That's EnoughArtist: Johnny Cash

Well now I heard that you been thinking bout me really I don't mindI know you try to block my progress a lot of the timeWell the mean things you said don't make me feel badCause I can't miss a friend that I never had(I've got) I've got Jesus and that's enough (that's enough) that's enoughWhen I'm sick (he's there) and troubled (he's there)When I call him he will answer my prayers (answer my prayers)When I'm burdened (he's there) with a load (he's there)That's when Jesus is a comforter (to my soul)Well you may scorn me turn your back on meGod's got his arms wrapped all around me(I've got) I've got Jesus and that's enough (that's enough) that's enoughYou know there's been a lotta times that I didn't have a dimeAnd I didn't cry to nobody but my LordHe heard my plea and came to see about me cause he's one thing I can affordSo if you push me down he'll pick me upAnd he'll stick by me when the goin' gets tough(I've got) I've got Jesus and that's enough (that's enough) that's enoughWell he's the great emancipator and my heart regulator (Jesus is) yes he isHe'll make my way brighter and my burdens lighter yes he will (Jesus will)Well you may scorn me turn your back on meGod's got his arms wrapped all around meAnd he fights down the devil till he makes him give upAnd that's enough (that's enough) that's enoughWhen I'm sick (he's there)....

While catching up on my feed reading, I found this awesome Make article on getting your aluminum powerbook laser etched. Too bad I have the titanium powerbook, if I had the aluminum version I'd get it done asap.

I found this article. I think it's a rather good read, and another example of how San Francisco is a testing ground for the future of cutural utopia.Here's a link to an aritcle that was published in the SFGuardian about the Pink Pistols.The Chronwatch saw this coming since February of 2005.Here's an article from the San Francisco Chronicle that came out earlier this week on December 5, 2005.Here's an excerpt from the article.

For a long time, Margaret Hurst lived in fear.

Gangs control turf just a few blocks from her Mission District apartment in San Francisco, and she's sure a neighbor across the street deals drugs. Her building was broken into four times in one year. She saw teenagers on her street display a gun. And while she was stopped at a red light one day, a man tried to punch in her car window in a case of road rage.

So she bought a handgun. Now Hurst is no longer scared.

"I'll tell you one thing. If I'm going down, I'm taking them with me," said 49-year-old Hurst, who is about as un-Charlton Heston as any woman with a British accent, braided bun and long flowing skirt could be.

Another great excerpt...

"Assuming I'd be able to make a 911 call in the first place, you're looking at six or seven minutes realistically before police can get here," Hurst said. "You can get killed many times over in that length of time."

Here's some statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Report on San Francisco

• In 1995 San Francisco had a population of 738,371. There were 99 homicides and 10,903 violent crimes.
• In 2003 San Francisco had a population of 772,065. There were 69 homicides and 5,725 violent crimes.
• From 1995 through 2003, the homicide rate decreased by 33.3% and the violent crime rate decreased by 49.8% in San Francisco.
• Although San Francisco had an unusual number of homicides, 88, in 2004, the city has averaged 71 homicides each year over the past decade. 63 of the homicides in 2004 involved a firearm.

The laws that forbid the carrying of arm ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. ... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.

Cesare Beccaria (1764)

I find the above quote from italian criminologist Cesare Beccaria very moving, and easily applicable to modern day. I also think the Pink Pistols prove by example that humans love generalize each other, even the press? It also proves democracy (granted the press doesn't completely get in the way by spinning things, and "We the people..." actually think for ourselves!!) is still alive! I don't think the National Gun Association is going to allow it to go into effect, that's the entire purpose of that entity, to uphold the 2nd ammendment.

I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.

John Cage

A structure chart of my monolithic C program for school.This program is suppose to implement an extremely simplified version of the ever-so popular Sudoku game.

Thanks to FireRabbit, for pointing me at this video. Now if only this were true!!

If you don't see the comedy in this. You probably should be watching more South Park.If you don't know about MEChA, I think there's a pretty good definition on Wikipedia, and if it isn't accurate, then you can even make changes!! So no complaining!On a completely political note. I think California will go back to Mexico, and the MEChistas will celebrate everywhere. It's hilarious. I mean look at Antonio Villaraigosa he finally won the Mayor race for the city of Los Angeles. Even after being part of a radical group of MECHistas called "Voz de Aztlan." And we all know about Cruz Bustamante (a.k.a. Busta-MEChA, if you don't know of him read up). He might just be the next Governor (he's Lt. Governor now) of California. God forebid, this man if he becomes Governor. But who knows, Villaraigosa finally won. If Bustamante ever becomes Governor, I'm moving out of California.The Stanford Review has a great write up on their MEChA chapter, and the foundation of the group here.CalNews.com also has an interesting article on Cruz Bustamante.

These are suppose to be a pages from the CIA Sabotage Manual. If that's true, I wonder how many people did this?The description from the Flickr site is ...

In the 1980s the CIA produced a small illustrated booklet in both spanish and english designed to destabilise the nicaraguan government and economic system.

I found it when I was browsing del.icio.us popular bookmarks.

Thanks to Merc. Check out this video.I think I will start learning this stuff on Monday.

They know the world
without even going out the door.
They see the sky and its pattern
without even looking out the window.
The further out it goes, the less knowledge is;
therefore sages know without going,
name without seeing,
complete without striving.