Life

A call to arms (for some of you)

/ hsoi

Don’t fall for that crap that people are peddling on the message boards, in magazines or on TV. Get your shit in order, and get your training in order. Start kicking ass, and take out the crap that doesn’t matter. Start doing and believing in the stuff that works, and do it today and forever. You want science and studies? Fuck you, I’ve got scars and blood and vomit.

This is a call to arms for some of you. It is for me too. Stop all the things that make you a pussy and steal your energy. Get your life back.

– Jim Wendler

Doesn’t matter what we’re talking about:  your job, lifting weights, shooting guns, martial arts, raising your kids, whatever. It applies.

The power of the LGD

/ hsoi / 6 Comments

My dog, Sasha, is a Kuvasz. Kuvasz are a breed of dog known as a Livestock Guardian Dog. There are other such breeds, like the Maremma, Akbash, Komondor, and Great Pyrenees. Simply fascinating animals, and they truly are the “sheepdog” in Grossman’s analogy of “sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves”.

While poking around online, I found a great article about the Great Pyr and its use in siviculture in British Columbia. It’s that sort of first-hand telling of what these dogs can do that makes me adore them even more. Take 15 minutes and give it a read.

Sad

/ hsoi

A mother and dedicated Scout Leader is forced to resign her leadership position… because she’s gay.

Yeah I know… that’s BSA. They’re allowed to conduct themselves in this manner and that’s fine. But I don’t have to associate myself with groups and organizations that conduct themselves in this way.

According to the article, Denise Steele has been a Scout leader for 6 years. I’ll tell you, getting any parent to be involved as a volunteer in Scouting for more than a couple of years is awesome — 6 years is dedication and hard to come by. So we’ve got a person willing to put in the time, the effort, the love, the work, not just for her son but for all those boys. On top of that, Ms. Steele has been with her partner for 19 years. How many “straight” marriages last that long? So we’ve got a dedicated hard-working parent, and we’re going to throw that all out the door because she’s a lesbian. Heck, it’s not like any boys are in danger here…. *sigh*

Again, BSA is allowed to conduct themselves as they wish, but we don’t have to like it:

The big issue both Steele and Funk have with the situation is how it was handled by Inabinett. They both felt bullied, judged and put through emotional turmoil. “I think it’s disappointing – it’s a sad day for Boy Scouting. I think the actions are really out of sync of what scouting stands for,” Eric Ianson, a friend of Steele’s and an Eagle Scout said.

The scout law says a scout should be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and obedient, thrifty, clean and reverent, Ianson said.

“I mean, when the leaders of the troop hear that, how does it feel? Were they loyal to Denise? It certainly wasn’t kind what they’ve done to her,” Ianson continued. “It absolutely isn’t brave. The brave thing to do would be to take a stand here and say this isn’t right, this person has been great to our kids and it’s time to stand up for her and be great for her.”

Even other assistant scout masters from Steele’s troop felt it was vindictive, like Joe Leonard.

“I saw that he was vindictive and on a witch hunt because he asked her personal friends what her sexuality was. There’s no business in that. It’s a shame that a good leader for the boys has been removed because of one person who’s eccentric when it comes to his religious belief,” Leonard said. “It’s also a sad not that [Boy Scouts of America] has not or is not willing to entertain what other private organizations have done and their beliefs.”

Like I said before… BSA seems more concerned about avoiding lawsuits and problems than it does about adhering to its foundational beliefs. Sad.

Steve Jobs resigns

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Steve Jobs, founder and head of the “rebirth” of Apple, resigns as CEO.

Really, this is no surprise. Steve’s health has been deteriorating for some time, so it’s really never been a question of “if” but of “when”, and now we know. That he’s stepping down from day-to-day operations does make me believe his health is getting worse, so on a purely human (non-business, non-Apple) level, I do feel for the guy and hope things are OK for him.

On an Apple level… it’s really business as usual. One must consider that Apple is full of very creative people, and that folks like Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall, Jonathan Ive, are really part of the whole picture. Heck, it’s been Tim Cook that’s been running Apple in many ways for some time now, and yes he makes logical sense to take over as CEO. Apple != Steve Jobs, Apple > Steve Jobs. Folks need to remember that.

Granted tho, Apple won’t be the same without Steve. From the original foundings and his drive for perfection, to his return and how it truly changed the world… sure, Apple in many ways wouldn’t be what it is if not for Steve Jobs. Heck, WWDC is going to seem a little odd without him on stage. But, things will go on. Hell… they’ve been predicting Apple’s demise every year for the past 20-30 years, so what’s new? 🙂

Thank you Steve. Get well, or at least, enjoy life.

Meantime, I’ve got Mac and iOS software to continue writing.

Blackouts coming?

/ hsoi / 9 Comments

ERCOT – Electric Reliability Council of Texas just issued a warning that there’s a risk of rolling blackouts across the state. (h/t Rog)

They are taking steps to avoid that, but it’s possible.

Consumers can help by shutting off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances, minimizing the use of air conditioning and delaying laundry and other activities requiring electricity-consuming appliances until later in the evening.

Um… I’m not so sure about minimizing the use of air conditioning. 🙂

Nevertheless folks, every bit helps. Check the press release as it contains a lot of simple things you can do to minimize power consumption. Every lightbulb adds up.

Inside the Secret Service

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

LIFE Magazine has a piece “Inside the Secret Service“. (h/t Fark)

It’s quite cool.

I thought slide 16 was interesting:

“Legend has it,” Petro writes in Standing Next to History, “there’s a blood oath that Secret Service agents take in which we swear to lay down our own life to save the president’s. There is no such pledge, no such promise, and, maybe even more important, no such requirement. It’s a myth, nothing more than part of the mystique that surrounds the Secret Service.” That said, Petro goes on to detail expectations that are made of agents. “Most people duck when they hear gunshots. . . But Secret Service agents need to do just the opposite. . . When shots are fired, we’re trained to pull our weapon, stand up straight, and return fire. Instead of protecting ourselves, we turn ourselves into a larger target. That’s one reason why all of our weapons training is done standing up. We don’t do any prone shooting.”

No prone shooting.

A couple years ago I read an in-depth article about Secret Service training. It’s fascinating what they go through.

Stage 2 water restrictions coming for Austin

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

I was wondering when this was going to happen… kinda expected to see it sooner.

Austin is going to stage 2 water restrictions starting September 6.

Please spread the word. And people please… adhere to the schedule and restrictions. Your lawn is not THAT important. Predictions are that our exceptional drought is going to last for a long long time (years, potentially). We need to be mindful.

Sweet morning

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Puppy barking just before dawn. I let Sasha out and she bolts for the fence. Sure enough, the mother doe and her fawn.

It’s a nice morning. Feed the dog and cats, then take out a raw beef bone for Sasha. She’s excited. We go out back.

I sit with her. She’s laying in the grass, gnawing away. The sun is rising. The morning is peaceful.

Hey look… bats catching a morning meal.

Bzzzzzzzzz…. ah cool! At the feeder just a yard from my head, a hummingbird came to feed.

Sweet peaceful silence of the morning Just me and the critters.

Car break-in

/ hsoi

(wow WordPress… you sure are sucking lately… wrote a whole post and you lost it… let’s try again).

Last night my neighbor’s car got broken into.

Another neighbor discovered some “trash” in her flower bed this morning. Turns out it was a wallet and some other belongings. Everything remained in the wallet, except the cash (natch). She called Austin Police. When I saw the cruiser pull up across the street I went to ask what was going on and got the skinny.

It would appear this was a premeditated crime. That is, it wasn’t a teenager walking by a car, saw a wallet, checked for an unlocked door and snatched the money. No… they had tools. There were no windows smashed nor visible damage, but his car door no longer locks… so they suspect a slim jim. His door was locked, his wallet was out of sight in the center console. They still broke in and took it. Their other car was also jimmied open, a bag was taken and also found in the flower bed but nothing of value lost.

APD told us a few days ago some other cars were broken into a few blocks away.

I checked my car. Nothing that I could see.

As I’m writing this, my neighbor called… she was driving out of the neighborhood and on the cross street she saw another APD car. She pulled over, asked, and yup… her car was broken into. I don’t know any more details than that.

But the one neighbor, his doors were locked, but stuff was in the car… not visible, but still there. Exactly why these people were targets, I don’t know, but it does say simply that you should keep nothing in your car except car things, like the spare tire and owners manual.

It also says… the world is getting uglier. You need to be prepared for it.

Jani Lane, dead

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Jani Lane, best known as the (former/original) lead singer of the hair metal band Warrant was found dead at age 47.

Googling for more information, there isn’t any… other than he was found dead in a hotel room.

Jani’s been struggling with drugs and alcohol for quite some time, lapsing in and out. Following all his ups and downs via Metal Sludge over the years, you wondered when this was going to happen… you hoped that it wouldn’t, you hoped he’d pull things together. But alas. 😦  Even if the cause of death isn’t substance-related, you could see how it was all taking a huge toll on him.

R.I.P. Jani.

Here’s my favorite Warrant song, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (tho I’ll agree that “Dog Eat Dog” was an underrated album)