badexample.new.mu.nu

March 26, 2005

GUESS WHO HAS HALOSCAN NOW?

And while upgrading him, I found out that the code for displaying the pre-Haloscan comments can vary from template to template.

The key, apparently, is finding the line that starts

<a class="comment-link"

and copying that all the way to the final </a>

Anyway, T1G's got Haloscan.

Posted by: Harvey at 12:33 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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March 25, 2005

TODAY'S LOVE NOTE

(Introduction)

If I had never met her, I would have dreamed her into being.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

Posted by: Harvey at 11:09 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Things I Learned While I Was on Liberty in Pattaya Beach, Thailand, and Really, Really Drunk - Part 17

Over at Drunken Wisdom

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FOR POST COMMENT-PARTY CLEAN-UP

Blogdaughter Machelle of Quality Weenie left town & forgot to lock up her blog. Go point up her folly in her comments.

After she gets back, she can borrow a box of this:

bad detergent.jpg

Posted by: Harvey at 08:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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MEANWHILE AT ALLIANCE HQ

Friday Linky Stuff

Filthy Lie Round-up: Evil Glenn's Investment Advice

I especially recommend GEBIV'S and Alex's entries.

New Filthy Lie Assignment: What will Evil Glenn be doing for April Fool's day?

Posted by: Harvey at 08:17 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Help Frank and Make Money

Another Filthy Lie - Over at IMAO

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March 24, 2005

EVIL GLENN'S INVESTMENT ADVICE

(A FILTHY LIE)

So I sent an e-mail to Glenn Reynolds, asking him how I could get rich like him.

He told me to sell T-shirts.

It's good advice, but I didn't really know what to use for a design, so I decided to just take my sainted mother's advice:

BE HONEST

So... behold the Instapundit T-shirt:

glenn t-shirt.jpg

Thanks, Glenn!

[hat tip to Lynn of Reflections in D Minor for the link to Pegasus Publishing and the "Rude - Adult Designs" apparel gallery]

INSTAPUNDO DELENDA EST!

Posted by: Harvey at 11:11 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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An Open Letter to Shootists, Gunmen and Gun Molls and Those Contemplating That First Adult Shootin' Iron.

(A Guest Post by blogless Peter, for Carnival of Cordite)

I like to think that I've learned a bit in the fifty years I've spent as a shooter and gun owner. I'm a pretty fair amateur gunsmith, I've been handloading ammunition for forty-five years now and there was a time when I strapped on a holstered service revolver to go to work every day.

Over the years I've both been asked by non-shooters about that first gun and been present when other gunnies have been asked. That first shootin' iron is today's topic.

The mistake we gunnies make most often is recommending our favorite iron to that non or new shooter, Lord knows it's a mistake I've made myself. Trouble is, the right iron for an experienced enthusiast is not necessarily the best first gun for a beginner. As a matter of fact it seldom is.

The vast majority of non-shooters who are thinking about that first gun want something for home and self-protection. Let's begin there. Another time we can discuss fun guns and hunting rifles and shotguns.

In most cases when we are discussing firearms for self-protection we are speaking of a handgun. In some locales handgun ownership is very difficult, in those areas a shotgun or short rifle, perhaps a carbine shooting a handgun round makes sense. Still, let's discuss the handguns first.

The first handgun should stay away from the extremes. Avoid the very large, the very powerful and loud. Avoid the tiny little guns, they are very difficult to shoot. Avoid the extremely cheap as well as the extremely expensive. Most extremely cheap firearms are unreliable. The extremely expensive should be avoided simply because the new shooter may decide he or she doesn't like having a gun around, by avoiding the extreme that person won't take a bath selling it. There is also the strong possibility that the new shooter will find out how much fun it is and want something with more features down the line. When we stay in the middle we maintain the best trade-in value.

Avoid both extremes in power. A hand cannon will certainly put a bad guy down but a cartridge with a huge muzzle blast and horrendous recoil will never be shot enough to attain proficiency. Especially if each cartridge costs more than a dollar. By the same token, the mouseguns will kill. That is very small comfort if the bad guy dies from infection four days after he's ripped your arm off and beaten you to death with it.

Above all, avoid complexity. Most serious professionals use autoloaders these days, the Glocks, the Sigs, the wonderful old 1911, there are a host of good autoloaders in serious cartridges. Great Guns! If I were on my way to a gunfight and restricted to a handgun I'd pick one. Well actually if I were on the way to a gunfight I'd change directions and go to a picnic or maybe the library, instead.

Still an autoloader isn't a beginner's gun. Complexity breeds accidental discharges. During the great shift from revolvers to autoloaders during the late '70s through the '80s police departments endured an almost tenfold increase in inadvertent firearm discharges. There were also Officers killed because of problems manipulating safeties. The beginner doesn't need complex. The beginner doesn't need to worry about in which order to remove the magazine and clear the chamber. The beginner doesn't need one recoil spring for light target loads and another for business loads.

Speaking of springs, in my youth autoloaders were considered less reliable because to be loaded and ready a few springs had to be under constant tension. Improved metallurgy has made that mostly a thing of the past. The modern autoloader, fed good ammunition is just as reliable as a good revolver. Still, the autoloader is not the best choice for the beginner.

While there are some tactical situations that the increased cartridge capacity and easier reloading are an advantage, home and personal defense aren't those situations. A civilian in a defense situation won't have the time to fire six rounds, the gunfight is won or lost within three seconds. The rule of thumb is that if we need more than six shots it ain't a gunfight, it's a war.

That leads us to the double action revolver. Which one and in what chambering?

The very best for the beginner is the mid sized four inch barrel length six shot in .38 Special or .357 Magnum. Unless one has someone experienced, stay away from the used guns. If, on the other hand, we have someone who can tell the difference between used and abused, a good used revolver is not only a great bargain but will hold it's value. A good gun shop that has a variety of used revolvers will often let the shooter put a box of ammo through a used revolver and, if it's not satisfactory, allow the purchase price in trade for a new one. Ask.

If our new shooter can afford the price difference, Stainless Steel is a useful upgrade. It's not THAT difficult to avoid rust but again, the less the new shooter has to worry about, the better. An adjustable rear sight is another nice option but, again, not absolutely necessary. Legions of bad guys have been brought toes up by fixed sight revolvers.

Brands? Smith and Wesson, Ruger and Taurus. Unfortunately Colt has downsized it's line of fine .38 and .357 revolvers.

In S&W we look for what is called the "K Frame" There are too many model numbers to keep track of but if the clerk at the gun shop doesn't understand .38 or .357 K Frame Smith, leave.

In Ruger we might get lucky and find the old Security Six in good shape. If not, the slightly heavier GP100 is a fine revolver.

In Taurus we again look for the medium framed four inch .38 or .357.

No matter the choice, forget buying .357 Magnum ammo for now. All .357s shoot .38 Special ammo just fine. Our new shooter doesn't need the muzzle blast and, in the lighter weight guns, unpleasant recoil. We want to start with the load we call the target wadcutter. This is a bullet shaped like a little bitty beer keg at a moderate velocity. The relatively quiet report and light recoil make it easy to shoot. The peculiar shape of the bullet makes it more effective than it's energy numbers suggest. Once our new shooter is accustomed to the mild loads we can introduce him or her to the most effective .38 round, the old FBI load, the 158 grain lead hollow point Plus P load. The civilian won't need the full charge .357 Magnum ammo. With the likelihood of being indoors in a defense situation the very loud muzzle blast is disorienting to the shooter.

While there are many directions a shooter can go once the experience is there, this is the starting point. While the four inch medium frame revolver is not as easy to hide as some other firearms, with the proper holster neither is it impossible.

There are smaller cartridges that are easier to shoot, they are lacking in that hard-to-define thing we call stopping power. There are heftier cartridges, they are more difficult to shoot.

Of all the bewildering choices, the medium frame revolver shooting the .38 Special is THE choice for the beginner.

Next Carnival we'll cuss and discuss the choices for those who are restricted to a shotgun or rifle for a home defense gun.

Posted by: Harvey at 10:49 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
Post contains 1290 words, total size 7 kb.

1 How scary is this? I was just e-mailing a blogger buddy TODAY saying it's time for me to buy my first gun and I had no clue what to buy. I was going to have to sit down with my Dad and decide. I wanted something with little recoil, simple, and would definitely kill. Looks like this post was made for me...

Posted by: Boudicca at March 24, 2005 11:05 PM (z7nbM)

2 It's funny in that I've gone the gammut of different handguns for carry, and this weekend, I bought something that I will actually carry through the summer that I would actually be effective with -- trying the balance all the factors, and what did I end up with? A stainless steel 2" Taurus .38.

Posted by: Phelps at March 24, 2005 11:26 PM (dlDrm)

3 I was thinking of picking up a non black-powder pistol for home defense and I was already leaning towards a SW .357. This just kind of helps me feel more comfortable in that decision.

Posted by: Contagion at March 25, 2005 11:18 AM (Q5WxB)

4 Bou, I have no idea of your financial situation nor much else about you, other than what I've read (not often enough) in your Blog. Your choices are slightly more limited by the unfortunate fact that it's only very recently that the gun makers have noticed that a woman's hands are smallet than a man's. This is important because if the grips are too big then it is uncomfortable to shoot, the recoil hits the wrong part of your hand. It's also difficult to get the first joint of your trigger finger where it belongs for accurate shooting. Don't give up, though, there is an answer. If you can afford one, take a very long look at the S&W Model 65LS. They are kind of pricey but the S&W engineers actuall sat down with real women and reengineered their K Frame with a woman's hand size in mind. If that price tag is a deal breaker, don't give up. Unless your hands are unusually small, you can comfortably shoot a ROUND BUTT K Frame by taking the factory grips off and adding a set of Pachmeyer Compac Professional Grips. You are much more likely to find a used round butt than a Ladysmith, women that have Ladysmiths don't let go of them. Another option is the only five shot model that I suggest for a beginner, the Ruger SP101 in either 38 or .357 with the three inch barrel. At 27 ounces it's a little light to absorb the recoil of the Plus P .38 loads and WAY too light for the full charge .357s but, with enough practice the hot .38s are quite managable. The key is to hold the shootin iron with the first joint of your trigger finger on the trigger. Does the middle of the back end of the butt hit your thumb? If so, it's too big. After all this pontification I'm probably going to find out that you're 5 foot fifteen inches and can palm a basketball.

Posted by: Peter at March 25, 2005 12:03 PM (+7VNs)

5 She's 5'2" on a good day - in heels :-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 25, 2005 12:48 PM (ubhj8)

6 What Bou said, I too am contemplating getting our first gun. What is funny is I have been wanting one for awhile now but didn't know what hubby would say and he is the one that brought it up. Yea! So is there a gun out there for a small handed women that a large handed man could use just as well? And to add an extra requirement, small handed women also has arthritis in the hands and they sometimes hurt to grip things.

Posted by: Machelle at March 25, 2005 02:28 PM (Ur8KI)

7 Machelle I think the best place to start would be for you and hubby to attend a gunshow you'd be able to see and handle a big selction of guns in one place.

Posted by: Blogless brother at March 25, 2005 06:18 PM (6cyEp)

8 Machelle, the grips on the family's 'only handgun' should fit the smallest set of hands. Too small a grip is better than too big. Grips that are too small are somewhat less comfortable to shoot, too big and accuracy is qiute difficult. When Linda Lou and I go somewhere together we often just take her little Ladysmith .38, we don't care all that much about being loaded down with a truckload of iron. If we are going to be separated, say I've an appointment with my Doc and she is doing a little shopping or some such, she carries the gun. It would take an unusually ill sicko to want to rape me. I just never did get as purty as Momma wanted me to be. Depending on how bad your arthritus is you should be fine with a revolver. Just use a two handed grip and use your off thumb to cock the revolver and shoot single action.

Posted by: Peter at March 25, 2005 09:06 PM (6krEN)

9 I had an incident in a parking lot in a ghetto this week, which prompted me to realize I need to go ahead and get a gun, learn to shoot, and get a concealed weapons permit. It is time. I'm not big. Like Harvey said, I am 5'2". I have large hands for a woman my size, but not man size. Just long fingers. So I will need a small grip. I have cut and paste all this into a document for me so I can do my research. Thank you SO much. I am sure my Dad would not have known about the new guns for women's hands, as much as he knows about guns. He has a .45. That's too much gun for me.

Posted by: Boudicca at March 25, 2005 09:55 PM (z7nbM)

10 Being a soon-to-be gun owner myself, I have nonetheless focused on semi-autos. I've been reading, taking classes, and visiting the range every week for months, and I strongly believe that I've developed enough mental competence to safely handle an auto-loader. I am familiar with safely unloading, jam-clearing, and operation controls on many models, though I still need to learn field stripping. However, since my wife is the best person ever, she's going to buy a gun as well. She will probably buy exactly the revolver you're describing. So, we'll have both. The thing is, semis fit my hand better, I shoot better with them even though I practice regularly with both, and since I'm a big galoot, I'm totally comfortable with .45 ACP. Even though my comfort level with semis is high, and improving all the time, should I STILL hold off? Thanks.

Posted by: Scott Ganz at March 26, 2005 01:56 AM (IS+5Y)

11 Scott, the first thing to remember is that nobody died and made me the Gun Pope. I am neither speaking ex cathedra nor from a position of infallibility. If you read my reasons for a new shooter going with a wheelgun and and still choose the square gun, fine. I have neither the desire nor the power to excommunicate you from the Church of the Loud Noise. Here are the questions that I can't answer, only you can. Bear in mind also that if you've shot enough to know that you shoot autoloaders better than revolvers, you don't really qualify as a new shooter. Still, the real question is not what we shoot best, it's can we shoot what we have well enough. Back when I shot for the department's team I had tricked out competition guns that I shot way better than my service revolvers. They were designed to win matches. I would have no more carried them at work than I would have worn a barbed wire jockstrap. We don't have to be able to shoot the balls off a bull butterfly at three hundred meters. All we have to do is put a shot or two in the chest area up close. Now the questions... Are you willing to put the discipline and effort to learn the more complicated manual of arms? Are you willing to drill the safety procedures until they're second nature? Are you willing to practice the clearing of jams and dud rounds? Are you willing to accept the more frequent maintainance required? Note, a quality autoloader stands up to abuse better than a comparable revolver, a revolver stands up better to neglect. Most gun owners aren't shooters, they simply want to have a gun on the bedside table and maybe in the car. Your autoloaders are sensitive to lubrication and ammo. The wheelguns will still go BANG! when they've sat so long that the brass cartridge cases turned green. As long as the internal parts haven't rusted solid a revolver is ready. Here is my rule of thumb. People who shoot for fun are (usually) willing to master the selfstuffers, people who view the practice shooting as a chore should stay with the DA revolver.

Posted by: Peter at March 26, 2005 09:24 AM (ywZa8)

12 Any recommendations for a guy with short fingers? I've got a normal sized palm, but for some reason, my fingers are stubby. (this was one of the reasons why I took up the banjo and stopped trying to play a guitar... but I digress) I've never had a chance to shoot much, but I will say that a Colt 1911 seems to fit my hand a lot better than any 9mm that I've ever picked up. Co-incidentally with this post, I too am giving serious thought to getting a pistol permit and I really liked this post, as well as it's timing. My initial thoughts were mostly to get a .22 revolver for target shooting and plinking. But as I am an assistant manager for a family -run convenience store, the protection aspect is something that I am now giving a lot of thought to. Unfortunately, I live in NY state, a "may permit" state, instead of a "shall permit" state, so it will probably be several months before I can actually get my permit. And who knows if I'll ever be able to get a concealed carry license... Just one more question: Why are you still the "blogless Peter"? You've got some serious information to impart, and I for one would be proud to blogroll you! (Kind of like getting a strong endorsement from a paperboy on being the editor-in-chief of a newspaper.)

Posted by: GEBIV at March 26, 2005 11:54 AM (vI2yr)

13 I'm guessing Peter been traumatized after seeing all the comment parties & doesn't want to wind up with a llama in his living room :-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 26, 2005 01:06 PM (ubhj8)

14 Wow, Peter, you HAVE seen a lot... Yeah, I'm a regular shooter. I love going to the range, I'm working hard to play catch-up, since I started shooting at 24, and I have to make up for lost time. The problem is that, since I'm a total LA Blue Stater otherwise, I have no older gun mentor in my life. I have a father, and a great one, but what my parents know about guns you could fit between your toes. I'm learning everything from the web and from guys who are willing to show me things. I've now decided that guns are the hobby I should have had since I was old enough to handle them. Thanks again!

Posted by: Scott Ganz at March 26, 2005 02:08 PM (IS+5Y)

15 GEBIV, tune in next Carnival, I understand that it's much easier to get a rifle or shotgun in your state and those are what I'm going to talk about. I'm Blogless on purpose, BTW. While I enjoy writing, I only have so long to enjoy some activities that my physical condition will soon enough make impossible. I'm in the early stages of Parkinson's. Don't take this as a plea for sympathy, I'm old enough that, unless I live to about 120 years old, it's not what will kill me. Thing is, I only have a few years of shooting left and a half-dozen grandkids to teach how, along with the proper way to string cusswords together. Worse, nobody but me is willing to teach them how to chew tobacco. I'm anal enough that, if I had a Blog, I'd spend too much time on that. I'm trying to learn the Cowboy Action Shooting game, an old dog can learn new tricks but it sure is slow. Harvey is giving me the best of both worlds, here. I can write when I want without feeling chained to daily postings. I've got a dozen or so Carnival of the Cordite posts taking form in my head and, judging from the response (which is quite flattering, BTW. I need to go out Monday and buy a larger hat.) I suspect many more will follow. I'm going to stay on the hardware aspect for a while, the what with? angle of shooting. When that is done, I'll go to the how to part, unless there are too many folks doing that end better than me. Once a week and commenting is as much as I want to do. It takes me two or three days at the reloading bench to get one all-day range session, considering that I've got to keep the kids and grandkids stocked up, too. Anyhow, that's the deal. I'll pound out one of these carnival posts each week until everyone gets tired of it. Mainly, until Harvey gets tired. This ought to be fun. Thanks, Harvey.

Posted by: Peter at March 26, 2005 11:07 PM (6krEN)

16 I would also recommend a .38 as a first pistol. My favorite carry is an old Colt Detective Special. A pistol is a better choice for a beginner because with a mis-fire, you simply pull the triger again for a fresh cartridge.

Posted by: Tom Cowles at March 27, 2005 12:26 AM (5B+5T)

17 Pete - I think we can sqeeze another week or two out of it ;-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 27, 2005 10:03 AM (ubhj8)

18 Peter, we'll read your posts as long as Harvey lets you post them. And he better not kick you out, *shakes fist* if he knows what's good for him!

Posted by: GEBIV at March 27, 2005 10:09 AM (huM2u)

19 For the ladies: I would strongly suggest you visit some gun shows, or gun dealers, and handle the various models. My girlfriend (5'1" & 103 lbs) & I must have hit about a dozen shows - she learned that she couldn't rack the slide on most autos, that LadySmith grips were too small for her(she has long fingers), that most small .38s grips were too short for her. She fell for the SP101 - fits & points perfectly for her. She's been shooting it for a better than a year, now. Point is: pick them up & see how they feel in your hand, don't just blindly buy. If they feel good in your hand, chances are a lot better you'll be able to shoot well.

Posted by: Steve at March 27, 2005 11:11 PM (KBo+q)

20 Wow you really know a lot about your firearms and their ammo. Thanks for the tip about the .357 Magnum and what ammo to use. I'm hoping to go looking at ammo for sale soon, so your advice came just in time.

Posted by: Ammo for sale fan at June 17, 2011 09:56 PM (xWLBo)

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TODAY'S LOVE NOTE

(Introduction)

It only takes a second to say "I love you", but it will take a lifetime to show you how much.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

Posted by: Harvey at 10:39 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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SEVENTH OCCASIONAL JERKY AWARDS

A while back I started the Little Right Wing Circle Jerk, which is founded on two principles:

1) Information found on blogs is at least as accurate as information found in the mainstream media
2) It's morally wrong to hijack someone else's blog.

The second one is fairly easy to agree with, but the first one requires a little nerve to assert.

In my recent surfing, however, I've come across a post in praise of the excellent job the blogosphere does of getting its facts straight. In honor of which, I present:

THE SEVENTH OCCASIONAL JERKY AWARDS

The Little Right Wing Circle Jerk Award of Merit (or "Jerky") is given to those who defend the honor of blogger credibility vs. the so-called "journalistic integrity" of the mainstream media. I hereby award a Jerky to:

Pamela of Atlas Shrugged for her post "PWR; Pamela's Weekend Recap. The Chicken Came First" (found via the New Blog Showcase Carnival #6 at Snooze Button Dreams)

Here's a sample quote:

The American people are searching for truth in a mad, mad, mad world. And there is veracity in the blogosphere. Unlike the MSM (mainstream media) the blogs have tens of thousands of fact checkers, specialists - all in the their area of expertise. Any fallacy, misrepresention or out and out lie will be "outed" by the bloggers. The blogosphere maintains the highest standards. They answer to a higher authority - us. Vetted by all Americans, blogs are forums in which to correct and speak out. No inaccuracy goes unpunished, inhabited by lawyers, doctors, engineers, sanitation engineers, scholars, construction workers - well, you get the idea.

As long as she promises not to hijack any blogs, Pamela is cordially invited to display either the Jerky Award image or the Little Right Wing Circle Jerk logo, or both.

[Credit: Jerky Award and LRWCJ logos created by Pam of Pamibe, the queen of graphic design - she's the one to see for all your blog-related image needs]

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Things I Learned While I Was on Liberty in Pattaya Beach, Thailand, and Really, Really Drunk - Part 16

Over at Drunken Wisdom

Eric's up to some devilment over there, too.

Posted by: Harvey at 07:33 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Fischer-Spassky Highlights

Over at IMAO

Posted by: Harvey at 07:24 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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March 23, 2005

TODAY'S LOVE NOTE

(Introduction)

I love you more now than when you began to read this sentence.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

Posted by: Harvey at 11:36 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 28 words, total size 1 kb.

MEANWHILE AT ALLIANCE HQ

Filthy Lie Assignment Reminder:If you asked Evil Glenn for investment advice, what would he tell you?

Is due by 8pm CST Friday, March 25th. Late entries must be accompanied by a lame excuse. This is still the assignment from March 11th, just with an extended deadline. If you've already done the assignment, check the assignment post to make sure your comment or trackback is there. If it's not, e-mail me at harvolson@gmail.com with a link.

Wednesday Linky Stuff

Precision Guided Humor Round-up: North Korea's Grievances

New Precision Guided Humor Assignment: What are some signs that the terrorists are losing?

Two optional exercises.

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DO AN ATHEIST'S PRAYERS COUNT? - UPDATED 3-28-05

Tammi of Road Warrior Survival says that Bloodspite of Technography has a sick mother and that we should pray for her.

Nick of Patriot Paradox has a sick wife and also asks for prayers on her behalf.

Since - religiously - I'm "none of the above", that seems to exclude me.

But it just occurred to me today... nowhere in the Bible - correct me if I'm wrong - does it list "believing in God" as a requirement for having one's prayers answered. In fact, I honestly can't think of a single reason why my prayers should count any less than the prayers of any other garden-variety sinner. When it comes to prayer, isn't it the message - and not the messenger - that matters?

I sincerely WANT these people to have good things happen to them, so I'll look up to my Godless sky and ask a favor. I'll send a tiny emotional care package out on behalf of people I don't know, but who mean a lot to people I do. If God wants to refuse delivery, that's his call. If it's not to be - for whatever reason - at least I tried.

I figure as long as God's sorting through his holy virtual e-mail anyway, he might as well get my spam, too.

Even if I *do* think he's 404.

UPDATE 3-28-05: Further thoughts on the matter here.

Posted by: Harvey at 05:02 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
Post contains 248 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Yes your prayers count. And one of these days we'll sit down and have a wonderful discussion about that. No preaching, just explaination. I seem to have a knack for that..... And every good thought, well wish is appreciated. BTW - Tonite while I was talking to LeeAnn she had a car accident. I'm still waiting to hear back from her. She said she is ok - but I need to talk to her first. Add her to the list.

Posted by: Tammi at March 23, 2005 05:15 PM (HaRi0)

2 ...do you want an honest answer to that question, Harvey? Or, is it a rhetorical question? The short answer will take a couple of hours. The long one takes a lifetime.

Posted by: the Humble Devildog at March 23, 2005 05:52 PM (cwP+t)

3 HD - Your time. If you want to tackle it...

Posted by: Harvey at March 23, 2005 05:58 PM (ubhj8)

4 As a fellow atheist here is my take on it. I don't pray, 'cause I don't believe there is anything out there to hear or care. I do believe in sending people good wishes, by telling them I'm hoping for the best for them, am thinking about them, and will do anything within my power to help them. Sending the emotional care package out from yourself would only work if you actually tell the people you care about what you are feeling,otherwise there is no effect. That's my two cents worth, anyway.

Posted by: amanda at March 23, 2005 06:42 PM (cqrWD)

5 Do you believe energy is powerful? Remember the nameless answers to many names but requires none.

Posted by: at March 23, 2005 07:04 PM (4z4Me)

6 Wow, you've read what I've been thinking. I guess you would call me agnostic...and when people as for my prayers .... I usually reply with, "You are in my thoughts" and things along that line. But you brought up a good point...is praying only for those who believe in God? Thanks for bringing this up...I don't get to talk about this sort of thing as often as I would like...just because I'm still interested in many opinions.

Posted by: Sissy at March 23, 2005 07:37 PM (2Om/w)

7 In my mind, everyone's prayers count as long as they are sincere and from the heart.

Posted by: Boudicca at March 23, 2005 08:37 PM (z7nbM)

8 Who does an atheist pray to? Harv, you're an agnostic. You don't know if God exists or not. You don't deny He exists.

Posted by: GEBIV at March 23, 2005 09:06 PM (Z+Kbb)

9 I'm not a particularly religious man, my wife, the lovely and gracious Linda Lou is a strong believer. Before we married I agreed to go along with her so as to present a united front for the children. She was willing to be flexible enough to attend the Church of my Department's Chaplain who, in addition to being a Minister was a Reserve Deputy. I have a point, I'll get to it. I feel the background has some small value. I believe that the Church we raised our children in gave them a way to tie the important moral and ethical values together, our now-adult kids all live ethical lives, none have been locked up, none have become the emotional, moral or addiction-riddled train wrecks that we parents fear so much. As an added bonus, they are all four reasonably happy and, while not scaring Bill Gates, are reasonably prosperous. So, that part worked. I make no claim that another church or no church might not have worked as well. I do suspect that tying the morality and ethics together was easier the way we did it. I was probably the picture of hypocricy in my church going, right up until the day my drinking finally got the better of me. I went to church only because it was expected of me and because of the deal I had made with my wife. Then came August of 1985. I came to in a cell in my own jail, fortunately I'd managed to get locked up before I killed someone driving blind drunk. What brought me to semiconsciousneess was the very loud voices of my wife, my Lieutenant and the Chaplain, all very irately and loudly telling me what I had to do to avoid losing my marriage, my family and my career. The first, second and third things I had to do was stop drinking, enter substance abuse treatment and continue in AA after treatment. One of the tenets of AA is prayer. I got hung up there for quite a while as I simply did not believe. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I simply did not know what I believed. Fortunately our Preacher and Chaplain is a very smart guy. He explained that it wasn't important to work out my beliefs then, merely important that I follow directions. He solved my problem with a simple directive. In the morning I got up out of bed, hit my knees and said "To Whom It May Concern, please give me the strength to get through this day without drinking." At bedtime I hit my knees again "To Whom It May Concern, thank you for the help today." As the weeks sober turned into months I started asking fior a little more help in some other areas of life. As the months of sobriety turned into years I started helping other alcoholics, including those who had multiple relapses into drinking. To this day I believe that the single biggest predictor of successful sobriety is that daily prayer of first asking for help and then giving thanks for that help. I no longer begin my prayers "To Whom It may Concern" although I'm not sure that it would matter if I did. I know a little more about my beliefs, although I'm not even sure that THAT matters. What I do know is simple. He does answer the prayers of the nonbeliever. I'm living proof. I asked for some help to keep my family, my career and my life together. I got all of that and more. It didn't matter that I didn't believe in Him, you see, because He believed in me. Oh, and be careful of selfish prayers. While all prayers are answered, not only is the answer sometimes no, but He has whopped me alongside the head for being an asshole a time or three. I use the term He, it would not surprise me a whole lot if instead I found Her. Sorry if this was long and boring.

Posted by: Peter at March 23, 2005 11:46 PM (M7kiy)

10 I'm agnostic but... When I was abroad in an oriental country they had this idea of positive energy being released into the universe via a type of praying so I don't see any reason why your prayers should be any less an attempt to release that kind of energy. I won't go into the idea of organised religion vs Alex coz I've done that on my blog before.

Posted by: Alex at March 24, 2005 02:31 AM (RbeLs)

11 Peter - Long, yes, boring, no. Would the world be a better place if you had a blog? Yes.

Posted by: Harvey at March 24, 2005 06:45 AM (ubhj8)

12 I believe in the sending of positive energy and well thoughts out. I was raised in a very religious family, however as I got older it didn't seem to fit with me. I played musical religions for a while. And I ended up where I am. The one thing that seemed constant in all of them was: If you wish well to others, your wishes may be granted. So now I just send happy thoughts to whomever is in need.

Posted by: Contagion at March 24, 2005 07:12 AM (Q5WxB)

13 I always like it when Peter visits. I never find anything the man writes, boring.

Posted by: Boudicca at March 24, 2005 08:20 AM (z7nbM)

14 Uh Peter...that was beautiful. And if I were you, I'd just save yourself the aggrivation and start looking into Blogspot.... :-)

Posted by: Tammi at March 24, 2005 09:31 AM (HaRi0)

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What's Irking North Korea?

Over at IMAO

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BAD EXAMPLE INTERVIEW

Remember all those interview questions you sent in last week?

I answered all 35 of them.

Over at Jennifer's History & Stuff.

Posted by: Harvey at 06:23 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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1 Now, are we supposed to fess up to which questions we asked or are we supposed to let you try to guess?

Posted by: Contagion at March 23, 2005 10:07 AM (Q5WxB)

2 I knew I should have sent mine in... Ah well.

Posted by: Alex at March 23, 2005 11:18 AM (RbeLs)

3 Yeah, she used mine!! Now I know how truly sick you are! :-P I love my Blog Grandpa!!!

Posted by: Sissy at March 23, 2005 12:53 PM (OvwmV)

4 Contagion - I won't ask, but you can confess if you'd like. I usually do when *I* submit interview questions, but that's because I have pride where my shame ought to be :-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 23, 2005 01:39 PM (ubhj8)

5 I think you should see a counsellor.

Posted by: _Jon at March 23, 2005 01:50 PM (ZM3Qb)

6 I love you Harvey, haven't laughed so hard in quite awhile. Especially where you want to be in ten years, damn near fell off my chair. YouÂ’re the man Harvey, youÂ’re the man. Got an evening meeting, but when I come back I'm going to reread the interview again, it was that good.

Posted by: BeeBee at March 23, 2005 04:40 PM (eCSv3)

7 Sounds like the same old shit to me... remind me not to read it!

Posted by: Mudfish Billy at March 23, 2005 05:01 PM (MEfjQ)

8 _Jon - Will do... paging Doctor Daniels... Doctor Jack Daniels... BeeBee - Anything to keep you cheery :-) MB - Go fuck yourself, you stupid anal wart :-P By the way, you owe me about $1000 in back wages for workin' the bar while you were out screwing donkeys in Tijuana.

Posted by: Harvey at March 23, 2005 05:24 PM (ubhj8)

9 You owe me $1000 for for all the berre & whiskey you gave away while I was out spankin the monkey...

Posted by: Madfish Willie at March 23, 2005 06:52 PM (MEfjQ)

10 How about a thousand fuck you's instead? :-P

Posted by: Harvey at March 23, 2005 08:30 PM (ubhj8)

11 Howabout the both of you shut the hell up and MW gets back to the bar where he belongs. I frickin' missed him. ;-)

Posted by: Boudicca at March 23, 2005 08:39 PM (z7nbM)

12 I think Bou is right! *grin* It's a great interview though, I'm still laughing.

Posted by: Teresa at March 23, 2005 10:46 PM (nAfYo)

13 [spanks Bou] You can't mention the Bartender's name and then AVOID swearing! Fuck. What's the matter with you, girl? :-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 24, 2005 06:22 AM (ubhj8)

14 Okay, I asked 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. I'm still trying to figure out the logic to number 13.

Posted by: Contagion at March 24, 2005 07:28 AM (Q5WxB)

15 Opps! Sorry. I fucking missed teh Bartender and he needs to get his ass behind the damn bar. How's that?

Posted by: Boudicca at March 25, 2005 08:55 AM (z7nbM)

16 Better. Typos, too. Nice touch :-)

Posted by: Harvey at March 25, 2005 08:59 AM (tJfh1)

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March 22, 2005

TODAY'S LOVE NOTE

(Introduction)

If I know what love is, it is because of you.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

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Things I Learned While I Was on Liberty in Pattaya Beach, Thailand, and Really, Really Drunk - Part 15

Over at Drunken Wisdom

Posted by: Harvey at 07:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Frequently Asked Questions About Harvey

Over at IMAO

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