Movie Review: Ender's Game

Full disclosure, it's been quite a few years since I read the book but I still remember much of it vividly.  That being said, I really enjoyed the film adaptation. Unlike some (many), it wasn't just the names of the characters/title and some piece of crap that Hollywood put together, for the most part, it stays true to the premise and storyline of the book.

There are of course some changes and many of the scenes don't get as indepth as the book leaving some of them, for want of a better word, hollow, ( I needed to explain some parts to the SO who hadn't read the book) but overall the screenplay does a very good job of capturing Card's world/vision. 

The most phenomenal part, to me at least, were the special effects and visualizations. When I first read the book, I envisioned the 'Ansible' battle scenes on a screen much like what you'ld see on the old Space Invaders' video game.  This movie took that, and the team competitions a the school, to a whole new, state of the art, level w/ fantastic graphics and imagery.

I'ld give it a 4/5 stars.  May not buy it but I would definitely watch it again.

CSGV is Jealous...

...that they don't have any membership to take advantage of a VISA membership program like the NRA has.

They managed to get a dozen people to show up for a 'protest' at the VISA offices. (comments disabled on the video of course). to drop off a 'petition' w/ 5,100 signatures.

I'm sorry but I bet Visa makes exponentially more than that each month from NRA members using the card.

A dozen protesters?  There were groups larger than that showing up at the show today.

Here's the link to apply for the card.  I wonder how many new applications they will get due to Ladd Everitt and his band of merry nitwits.

And to show you just how dense these people are:

And one of the two 'Likes':

Yes, the 'liked' the claim that one of their supporters were going to be financially irresponsible and attempt to steal money from a cc company by not paying their bill.

Wow.

Defending 'Tactical Rifles Inc'.... Badly

The verbal wrangling regarding the lawsuit over a negative product review continues. Some of the defenders are not helping their case.  Example.  The accusation was made that 'SnipersHide' forum deleted the TR account and any 'positive' comments under threat of a ban.

Here's 'SnipersHide's response:

1. We did not delete David’s account, he never made one. Deleting an account does not block it, if he truly was prevented from speaking we would have banned the account. That ban would still exist. Deleting removes any blocks the site employs through the software. By David saying he had an account and it was deleted is one of those hard to prove things… however it does not pass the sniff test and I have yet to see David respond on any other forum to negative comments about his rifles.

Rebuttal:

Meanwhile David just emailed me the screenshots of his “invalid username” login on your website.

Hmm. Having an 'invalid username' means an account was deleted?

Here's the screenshot of my attempt to login:

I don't and have never had an account at SH.  Could an account have been deleted?  Sure, but an 'invalid username' screen isn't evidence of that.

But so far TR doesn't seem to have any real evidence that's been presented publicly nor, w/ the fact their lawsuit doesn't even seem to have been researched, doesn't do them any good from a PR standpoint.

Oh, and this:

we should have stood up for Dick Metcalf because his anti-gun employer and the guy who took his editor’s position threw him under the bus and the polly wants a cracker “bloggers” vilified him for something he probably only wrote half of and certainly didn’t select the title for.

'Probably only wrote half of'?  Really?  Evidence?

Howabout the FACT that he started repeating the same BS in every anti-gun rag across the US after his @ss got canned? 

Gun Show Weekend: Arcola, IL

Feb 22 & 23

Arcola Gun and Knife Show

Arcola Center rt-45 and main Arcola, IL

Bryan 217-460-2387

$5 entry,under 12 free with adult. show from 9AM - 4PM Sat, 9AM - 2PM Sun Sponsor: Arcola Guns. For table rental call Bryan 217-460-2387. Food and free parking.

DOOT readers get 10% off.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does: Ed Markey

Sebastian TBFKASIH goes into detail what Markey's 'Smart Gun' legislation says. 

Too bad we don't have an attachment we can connect to politicians to shut them up/off when they're not being smart. Yeah, voting and all that but by the time they're in office, it's too late.

Streisand Effect: TacticalRifles.net

What does a company do when someone publicly complains about receiving a substandard product?

Why sue the person, forum and forum owner where it was posted for slander/libel. 

Tell me how well that works out for you, eh TR? 

h/t to FTF.

Stupid Computer: Avast 2014

Right after I got back from Xmas, my main laptop started giving me issues, locking up after about 10 min. and requiring a restart.  I ran virus scan after virus scan.  No joy.  I cleaned it out, defragged, the works.  Nothing.  It would work in 'Safe' mode but that was it.  A month and a half it sat there, w/ me occasionally trying to figure it out. 

The whole time my netbook worked just fine.  Until yesterday.  Then it started locking up too.  Crap.  Both 'puters down would be bad, bad juju.  Virus scans came back the same. Negative issues.  So I started trying to figure out what I had done. The ONLY change I had made was updating Avast it's latest engine/version.  I broke out the Google-Fu.  Turns out several features in Avast 2014 are totally hosed and.... cause your computer to lock up every 10 min or so.  Disabling Avast (I have other anti-virus) and the computer seems to be working. 

Now this isn't some minor issue.  This is a glaring screw up, one that should have been caught had they even tried it on a separate computer.  I've had good luck w/ Avast the last few years but it's going to stay off until the get it unscrewed.  I bet I'm not the only one.

IL state Rep 110th Dist. Candidate Highlight: Darrell Cox

DOOT has sent out a 2A related questionnaire to candidates for this district.  Primary is 3/18.  Response from Coles Cnty Sheriff Darrell Cox:


Which, if any, pro-firearm groups do you belong to? (NRA, ISRA, SAF, etc).

 Life member of NRA, member of ISRA, and member GSL 

 Are you a hunter? Target shooter? Collector?

 I hunt upland birds, I am an NRA Conventional Bullseye competitor, I hold qualification cards for both indoor and outdoor, and yes I collect Colt firearms.

 If you’re willing to divulge, what is your favorite firearm in your collection or what is your ‘dream’ gun that you really want to own?

 I own a Winchester 1897 that is new in the box. 

 Will you be attending IGOLD this year?

No 

 Illinois recently passed a concealed carry bill under duress from the courts. How do you feel about the arguments used by both sides during debates and/or the entire process it took to get the law passed?

Lets not forget IL has concealed carry because a federal judge ordered it. Citizens have a God given right of self protection, it's not "allowed " by government. 

What do you think of the bill itself?

 I believe it is too costly and too prohibitive. 

 What would you change in it?

 I would reduce the cost to obtain a permit, Illinois should recognize other state permit holders, and concealed carry should only be restricted in places where it is prohibited by federal law. 

What is your opinion on semi-auto firearms often labeled as ‘assault weapons’? Magazine capacity limits?

 Semi auto firearms/magazines are no more of a menace than any other firearm, it's the person using it. 

Would you support a youth safety program such as the NRA’s Eddie Eagle to be presented in more Illinois schools?

Yes, absolutely.

IL State Rep 110th Dist. Candidate Highlight: Kevin Garner

I've sent a series of 2A questions to the various candidates for State rep for my district. Primary is 3/18.   First response was from Kevin Garner:

Which, if any, pro-firearm groups do you belong to? (NRA, ISRA, SAF, etc)

1. NRA LIFETIME MEMBER

 Are you a hunter? Target shooter? Collector?

2. All three

 If you’re willing to divulge, what is your favorite firearm in your collection or what is your ‘dream’ gun that you really want to own?

 3. I have a Mitchell Mauser 8mm with Bayonet,, would like to have an M-1 Garand

Will you be attending IGOLD this year?

 Will definitely try to make it 

 Illinois recently passed a concealed carry bill under duress from the courts. How do you feel about the arguments used by both sides during debates and/or the entire process it took to get the law passed? What do you think of the bill itself? What would you change in it? 

 5,6, and 7 I think it stinks,, we have fought for too long to get conceal carry just to compromise and as a gun owner I feel very much like I LOST rights,, fees and threats of felonies have made it distasteful for common or poor folks to even consider it

 What is your opinion on semi-auto firearms often labeled as ‘assault weapons’? Magazine capacity limits?

 8. I believe this is a big joke, semi auto is nothing more than a double barrel shotgun and they have put these scarey names to misrepresent to the public,,, as far as gun magazines remember Cain slew Able with one rock not ten,, if one wants to murder then they will find a way regardless

  Would you support a youth safety program such as the NRA’s Eddie Eagle to be presented in more Illinois schools? 

9. Yes absolutely

Movie Review: Lone Survivor

The story of Marcus Luttrell, former US Navy Seal, and his surviving an encounter w/ Taliban insurgents in 2005. 

I have to say I enjoyed this movie even though I still can't see Mark Wahlberg as anything but Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch to this day. I got to hear Luttrell at the NRA meeting back in '08 so knew alot of the story involved and he has several cameo's throughout the movie. It didn't delve much into character development and focused primarily on action but those scenes were done well enough for you to get attached to several of the individuals involved. The 'falling' scenes made my back and legs hurt. My biggest gripe were the AK's used by the Afghani's were WAY to clean.

This likely won't be a purchase or regular view but it is definitely worth seeing.

4.5/5 stars.

The Natl Guard Anti-2nd Amend Kerfluffle

Much hay is being made about the scenario for a recent NG training exercise that had the bad guy being a white supremacist janitor that loved his guns and hates kids.  

Here's my take on it. 

Blame the dumb@ss who wrote it and the higher ups who approved it, not the rank and file NG guys.  Having done numerous exercises in three separate branches, most of the enlisted guys likely didn't know nor cared much about the background of the scenario.  If my experience is any indicator, it was maybe rattled off to them in a formation and then they focused on the meat of what they had to do for actual training before they went home for the night/weekend.

I know I heard it many times.  Some umpty-scrunch rebel group/bad guys has some-such beef w/ the US.  What are they wearing?  What are they armed with?  Where do we go to take them out?  When's chow and were are we sleeping tonight? 

But some nitwit thought he was being funny and wanted to push an agenda.  Some officer either didn't read it or didn't care and approved it for distribution.  Then the news got out. 

So that's how I feel about it. Others can agree or continue the upset. 

Sucking Sounds From the Sun Times

Really, how obsequious can you get?

We see two problems here. The first is that Dart’s office is the source of most of the objections filed statewide, which suggests that other sheriffs and municipal police departments — who were provided no extra funding to pay for criminal background checks — are failing to dig as deeply as Dart into the background of people applying for concealed carry permits.

"Oh Sheriff Dart.... You're so wooonnnndderrrrfulllll!!!"

Right, the problem isn't Cook Cnty Sheriff Dart who wanted to object to EVERY license application, but all the hundreds of other departments in Illinois. 

It's got nothing to do w/ the catch and release 'justice' system in place for decades, it's the CCW law itself.

They wanted a system to object to the licenses. They got one.  Now they b!tch about having to do it and try to claim the 99%+ of 'clean' applicants should be punished as well.

And they wonder why their readership is dying.

Slow

Weather, work, kids, and some seasonal news slump have me a bit frazzled for content so posting is probably going to be light unless something really strikes me.

About the only thing right now is a really stupid full registration bill in IL that has 0 chance of moving.  Good to know our legislators waste time w/ bullcrap like this while the state slaloms into bankruptcy.