The life and times of an ex²-pat Yank.

The bad computer

2010-07-14T10:10:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone... So, for today's task at work, I'm having to completely wipe my work computer's hard drive, and reimage the entire bloody computer. This will take me pretty much all of today and tomorrow to do.

Gah.

For some reason, I was unable to install Adobe CS5 on the damn thing. So, I'm currently writing a disk image of my current 'bad' computer before I wipe the drive and start from scratch.

This doesn't make one happy, let me tell you.

On another note, I'm really enjoying my new iPhone 4. All of the 'reception' and 'dropped call' things that seem to be plaguing other users are not happening to me. My only complaint, is that the supposed 'amazing battery life' thing is completely not true. This battery lasts just about the same amount of time as my first iPhone 1.0. So... Not too cool there... But other than that... It's a great fun toy and tool.

My Lady has her iPad too... She's really getting into the ease of use, and the awesome mobility of it. Yay.

That's the 'Apple-geekery' of the day.

I hope you, my fine readers, are having a better day than I... Signing off.

1st Vlog from my iPhone

2010-07-05T14:40:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I've made a quick video with my new iPhone 4. I also used the nifty iMovie for iPhone app on the phone to stitch a couple of things together. This is mainly a test, but thought it would be fun.

What a week!

2010-05-22T00:49:00.002-05:00

Well, I promised to try to keep up with this old blog of mine, so here I am again.

Weird thing, is that I'm doing this post from my iPhone, so if there are glaring errors in the text, I plead iPhone typo.
This week was a really long, and fairly arduous one. Lots of work, tonnes of organising, and heaps of meetings. I'm not sure if I can say that I enjoyed it, especially as I spent both Monday and Tuesday sick at home on the couch, and then Wednesday and Thursday just trying to get caught up. (I failed at that task, by the way.)

However, this week I also saw my student workers really take charge, and make things work. I don't know if I can even explain the caliber of the students that go to my little Libral Arts College... They are, of course all intelligent, but... It's their drive to not only succeed, but also to help all of their fellow students to ALSO excel, which is a hallmark of their character.

None of my students' will EVER know about this place that I go to, and I'll never let them know about it.... But I feel compelled to write a special thank you to them regardless. I couldn't do my job without the 12 students that work for and with ne in supporting all things 'media' and technological at my Little Liberal Arts College.

Besides that, I'm afraid I don't have a tonne to share tonight. I'm beat, and typing on an iPhone isn't nearly as easy as all the Apple ads make it out to be.

Be well all my friends in cyberspace. I'm off to bed in 'meatspace' and deserve it. Ciao!

-- Tuckmac

It's been a long time

2010-05-16T13:15:00.003-05:00

I've not been writing a blog for over a year now. It's a bit sad that I didn't feel the need to write anything here since February 2009. And, so... Now you're wondering what has changed in my life to make me finally pay attention to my blogger-site and has given me the gumption to post something.

Well, I'll tell you... It's this whole 'Facebook Privacy Thing.' Specifically This Article from the NY Times.

I started blogging back in the old days... You know, the days when scores of people were posting long and occasionally well or badly written screes on the web, for the entire web to see.

I met many friends in cyber-space that way, these friends are still people that I follow, whether it be on their blogs (which I'm impressed that they still maintain) or their Tweets, or their Facebook pages. Some of whom I've actually finally met via "Meat-Space" and actually now know what they look like.

Back in these old days, we all had our cyber-psuedonyms. I was Tuckmac (still am on this blog) and we'd link to each other's cyber-psuedonyms, and even if we knew the REAL name of the person on the other side of their 'web-name' we wouldn't ever utter it. Now, it so came to happen that more and more people got onto the whole "Blogging Thing" and they didn't know, or follow these older rules. I became quite angry with some people who are friends (and they still are, no hard feelings) who would link to this blog with my REAL NAME. GAH! There were many years there where I was quite bold in my political statements, and used the anonymity of this blog as a cathartic vehicle of my out-pouring soul. I was outed. Many who read this know who I am, and for some of you, I wouldn't have preferred that.

(You know who you are FBI guy that follows this blog).

That being said, I can hack it. I have dealt with the fact that the World Wide Web has changed, and that there's nothing private anymore.

But, see... That's the thing. I USED to be private on the 'Open-Web' that the article above was talking about. No one saw anything about me that I didn't carefully vet myself. I was anonymous on the web for a LONG time... I liked that.

Facebook was meant to be private. I put stuff up on Facebook that I didn't mind sharing with people that I KNEW, but wouldn't generally be interested in sharing with the average Joe off the street. The changes that Facebook has made to their privacy settings is upsetting. And I'm really tired of people giving me the: "Hey it's the web, anything you post is open to everyone" argument.

When I post 'questionable' things, I do so via secret accounts, with made up e-mails, and no last names. When I post stuff on Facebook, my name is automatically attached to it. Now, if my friends see that I am bitching about a co-worker, then it's okay... But if that co-worker (whom I'm not a friend with on Facebook) can see that post... It's an issue.

So... I've wiped my Facebook account to as 'private' as it seems to let you get it. I'm not leaving Facebook. It's an amazing thing to be able to stay in close contact with my friends over the pond, and to keep up with all that happens in my friend's worlds.

I will tweet. I will Facebook... But. It's going to change a bit. If I have anything questionable to say, I'll probably post it here. I have a certain amount of anonymity here, and I know that no one from work, aside from my Lady know who I am... And won't find me, without some sort of weird 'luck' due to Google. That's the way it's going to have to be.

But, I've missed this a bit, so perhaps it's not a bad thing. Hmm...

Well, I'm off to enjoy my day.

-Tuckmac

Darn, I want this t-shirt

2009-02-27T13:46:00.001-06:00

Busted Tees are a bit overpriced considering what they are...

That being said, however... They have some of the best t-shirt designs on the web.

I want this one.

--Tuckmac

Well, it's been an interesting few weeks

2009-02-07T11:23:00.003-06:00

Since my last post, where I admit I was less than enthusiastic about our new President, things have been occuring which frankly, bears out my opinions.

President Obama has done a few good things... Dealing with Gitmo, terrorist defendants, the environment, and other 'liberal' ideals.

However, during this stimulus-package debate, President Obama has been less than stellar.

In holding to his 'bipartisan' goals of governing, I've seen a so called 'trimmed down' stimulus package that will not do ANYTHING to actually help our economy.

Gail Collins from the New York Times, wrote something 'pithy' that actually does sum up what is going on in her column today titled: Tough Times at Obama, Inc. An exerpt:

"I dropped out of school for a semester to campaign for Barack Obama. And now I’m asking myself whether I spent four months living with my aunt and going door to door in Dayton, Ohio, just so we could have a stimulus plan written by a bunch of moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats in the Senate."

Yes... Ms. Collins, exactly... People expected Obama to be this transformative presence in the new American Government, and he may actually BE such a thing... But no true Republican will be happy, and certainly no true Liberal Democrat will be happy.

In the stimulous package bill currently blundering through the US senate, my OWN democratic Senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar voted for a REPUBLICAN amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

Okay... Highway beautification? Yeah, we can do without that sort of thing right now in our tough times. And casinos and gambling establishments? Fuck them. But... Everything else????

Parks? Museums? Theatres? Art Centers? We don't NEED these things anymore?

Minnesota has been losing its small theatre companies, dance is suffering, arts organisations are tumbling... And now the Feds have decided that none of these things are important either.

May I just say that I fucking HATE living in America at times like these... Corporate ass-wipes who put us into this failing economy in the FIRST place are getting huge stimulus cheques from the US government and $18 Billion of this money went for BONUS cheques to the CEOs of these companies. Aren't bonuses meant to be perks for GOOD work?

All of that is fine... But the arts are not.

When people can not afford to go out to dinner... A FREE museum or art gallery can be the only thing for a family to be able to go out and DO. The cultural side of life can be the only thing that will help people be able to DEAL with their problems, but... No... Culture is the FIRST thing to lose it's funding. But we'll give money to giant polluting corporations that DO NOT use the money to STIMULATE anything... No... They use it for fun company trips to the Virgin Islands, and for big bonuses for it's owners.

America... Get WITH it. Fuck the Republicans in congress and pass a REAL stimulus bill that will actually STIMULATE the economy! Money for the poor... Money for non-profits, money for small-business... Money for cities and municipalities who will help people that actually NEED it.

The Republicans continue to 'cut taxes.' F That. RAISE them. The CEOs that just got $18 billion in money from our government? Take it back through taxes... Tax the richest 10 percent in America 50% of their incomes. Tax them on bonuses... Tax them on property ownership... Tax the fucking rich, and give it to the REST of society that actually need it.

There IS no middle class anymore. Without a middle class, there is social unrest. (Just look at the history of Europe during the 19th Century. When there is no buffer of people between the REALLY rich and the VERY poor... The poor get angry. The poor get violent... And the country suffers.

--Tuckmac

Today, I got me a new President.

2009-01-20T17:43:00.004-06:00

Mr. Barak Hussein Obama was sworn in today as my nation's president. I have to admit to having mixed feelings about today.

For the past week, everything... News, radio, other people... Have been speaking about January 20th, as though it was the day of the second coming of Christ.

People were crying, when they were talking about it. I mean... Crying. Wow.

I know that the election, and now swearing in of the 44th president, a Black Man, is a momentous and exciting occasion for my county. And I believe that people reacted differently to this man, depending on their own backgrounds, and ages, and creeds.

My reaction: Um... It's about TIME we elected a minority to the White House, I mean... Come on! Can't we move onward, past all this race crap?

But again... That's just my reaction. My mother was raised in a time of segregated schools, water fountains, and Blacks having to ride in the back of the bus. I was raised, where my first 'serious girlfriend' was African-American, and frankly... No one blinked. I certainly did not think that I was 'breaking rules' by thinking a beautiful girl was beautiful, now was I?

I understand, how someone of my mother's experiences, would react to President Obama in a different way than I would. Therefore... All people who have been annoying me the past couple of weeks... If you're in the "But a minority is finally in the highest office of the land" crowd... You are okay, I can hack it.

To the people who have been overly giddy... Due to the fact that a smart guy is replacing a horrificly STOOPID guy in the White House... Um... Okay. I sort of understand this too. Look, I admit that I am so happy I'm goofy, that Bush is finally out of the American Presidency. Really. I think that he has been the worst president we've had in my country for the past 100 years or so.

But, BUT... The idea that Barak Obama is going to be able to do all the things that he says he wants to do? Nah... Come one, folks. There's this big thing called a Congress. Every single one of the bastids is owned by major corporations, and those corporations control the votes. Doesn't matter if the Senator or Representative is a Republican or a Democrat, any real policy change that Obama tries to put through will be gutted/disallowed/ignored, you have it. Nothing is going to change.

Look, we may get rid of Gitmo. That's great. We may actually be able to get out of Iraq in a year or so... Also great. But universal healthcare? Forget it. Education upgrades? Forget it. Science funding? Phfa... All that's going to happen is that the rich are going to get richer... The poor are going to get poorer.... The middle-class is going to get poorer... And our environment is going to get worse.

Nothing is going to change that. As long as greed is the foundation of this great nation of ours... It will continue to lurch to the 'Right' in social issues, moral issues, tax policies, and fiscal irresponsibility.

Our county has perhaps eight years, where we'll have a decent man in the White House, who really won't be able to do much... And then our country, 'cause we've proved ourselves to be rather stupid... Will vote in Sarah Palin, or some OTHER doofus like Bushie was, to be the figure-head for the military-industrial complex... And it will all get much worse again.

Eight years of a reprieve, where things will only get sort of worse... Then Eight to 12 more years of Republican's destroying our Earth, our rights and our country.

Yeah... Congratulations Mr. Obama. I'm happy you're here. However, I'm a realist enough to know that you being here doesn't mean much beyond a nice fact that you're Black, and it's freaking about freaking time.

--Tuckmac

I just can't seem to do it... Dammit.

2008-12-19T17:22:00.002-06:00

Okay, so it's been a month. Here I am... Checking other blogs, thinking, "Damn, why won't they post something?" And I'm MORE than guilty of non-blogging than they are.

And I don't really have an excuse. I promised myself about two months ago, to start doing the 'blogging' thing again. I've been really missing the whole 'writing one's thoughts down' experience that the whole 'blog' culture helps to force one to do. And I just seem incapable.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

Right... Here goes again...

It's been cold, here, in Minnesota for about the past month. And most Minnesotan's are immune to a winter. I mean, we'll kvetch about it being cold and snowy, but really... We tend to complain about our humid and hot summers too. It's just something that we do, we talk about the weather, and 'how, well... Jeez, you know, it could be worse.' Oh, yeah... You betcha, it's been worse here before.

Here's the sitch: I've been regaling My Lady with tales of the dire "Minnesota Winter" for almost six years, now. But, since moving back to the country, and living through our now third winter in Minnesota... She hasn't been terribly impressed with the true horrors of an ACTUAL cold Minnesota winter. Whether that's due to Climate Change, or what... I'm not sure. But it's been positively balmy during the past few winters. An occasional cold week, or something... Perhaps a particularly heavy snow storm, but nothing truly monumental.

Well, that's changed this year. It's freaking AWFUL right now, in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. The winter has truly hearkened back to my childhood days of freakishly low wind-chill, and what seems to be a constant stream of low-pressure systems bringing just enough snow every two days to make driving a true horror.

We've survived, in the past four weeks:
Six mini-snow storms. Not leaving enough (about 2-4 inches 5-10cm) at a time, to do much.
Temps from -14°F to 20°F (-25°C to -7°C) with wind-chills MUCH lower. At times, when one figures in the wind-chill, it's 'felt like' -40°F (-40°C - Yes, the temperature scales get close together at freakishly low temperatures).

And we had a light dusting of snow this morning... With warnings of yet another storm coming tomorrow.

I can't even tell you how un-impressed I am with the weather this month. It's absolutely fridgid, and I can't say that I'm immune to this weather, anymore than My Lady, even though I've grown up here. This is cold even to a Minnesotan. And none of us are happy. It's one thing to have a week of arctic cold, heck... We're used to at least two of those events a winter... But to have it REMAIN this cold... For a whole month? No fair. Not fair at all.

All this has done, really... Is make My Lady and I more and more homesick for Britain. Tis the season to be homesick for England/Scotland... And we already have been a bit down about not being able to even VISIT this year... But when you factor in the weather, it makes Britain seem to be paradise.

Och weel... We miss 'home' but we're stuck here. Obviously, we'll make the best of a bad (cold) situation, and battle onward...

Missing all our friends back in the UK...

--Tuckmac

Cheese Sandwich time, November...

2008-11-19T14:33:00.003-06:00

Hi folks,

Well, I was making a concerted effort to actually start blogging again, and once again... It's been weeks.

Well, since the day of Obama-vomit (also known as the day after celebrating the win of our candidate... Whoo-BOY the hangovers...) My Lady and I have been very busy. She had a show go up this past Saturday at The Soap Factory, and she needed several elements from me (as her work chronicler) so that took some time. Well, okay... LOTS of time. (Note: depending on when you read this, you may need to go HERE and click on Minimal Manimal, to see the show in question.)

Work's been a bit crazy this particular term. We continue to 'scale-up' the services at work for the campus, and we're not actually getting more employee hours. What this means, is that Tuckmac and the rest of the crew get slammed every hour we're there. I have TOO many projects going on my PERSONAL computer, let alone the student-run lab computers, and I'm trying to stay on top of everything, and generally failing. But... As per a normal educational-based job... We have time to catch up once the term is over, and the students and faculty piss off for Holiday.

Can't wait.

My Lady and I made a deal to hit a weekly music session at our favourite pub, Merlins Rest, and have failed in our promise. Our lives are just a bit too weird lately. HOWEVER... Now that her show is up, I am thinking that we may actually get the time to start going back to the session... And I can't wait.

Part of the weirdness and busy lifestyle that I've been attempting to maintain comes from the change in my work hours. During the term-time, to try to accomodate the students on campus, is that my boss and I have started doing four 12-hour days a week (and thus having one extra day off a week, mine are Wednesday's) I hear what you're thinking... Jeez... Tuckmac has a whole extra day off... He's swimming in free-time. Well, no... Actually... That is NOT the way it works. You'd be surprised how busy a Wednesday can be, when one tries to cram everything into that day... Errand running, grocery shopping, doctors appointments... Etc/ ad nauseum. So, the days are long, the day off is nice, but crazy, and Tuckmac is zonkered.

Now that the term is almost over, this will be my last Wednesday off for a while. I'm actually rather looking forward to getting home at 6:00pm instead of at 8:30pm though... It'll be nice, even though I'll be back to five days a week.

My Lady continues to work too hard, and do too much. My darling workaholic is currently at a staff meeting at the Soap, and she's also working a shift tonight at the pub. No rest for my weary kitten.

Um... Finally, I threw my back out last Friday. It was dire. I'm finally starting to feel a bit better, but there were five days there, where every inhale of my breath HURT. It sucked.

So... Yeah. That's about it. Work... Work... Work... Play? What the heck is that? More work... Work some more... Ohh... Sleep. Work... Work... Gah.

My life is really boring, which is why I tend to avoid the "Cheese Sandwich" type blog entries. So. Now that I've bored all you poor little pullets, I'm going to call it a day.

Hang on, folks... The world just may be getting better. We'll see.

Oh, my dear sweetest one...

2008-10-30T16:47:00.002-05:00

I've had a crush on Isabella Rossellini pretty much since I was 13. I always thought she was glorious, and sexy, and brilliant... (More adjectives, ad nauseum)

Anyhoo... I came across this 'Short' today, and well...

I think it's all been ruined.

Damn.

Have a good one, all...

Ramblings...

2008-10-29T22:37:00.003-05:00

Is Any other American that is really sick of the bloody election crap?

I am.

Look. I get a THOUSAND e-mails a day. It's my own fault, I mean... Joining MoveOn back in the day when it was all about Clinton diddling an intern... I never stopped my 'membership' and I really probably should have. Suddenly I'm getting e-mails from Barak Obama, ACLU, and the DNC (Democratic National Committee) The problem of course, is that they all send the SAME bloody e-mail. And several of them have more than one of my e-mail addresses... How did THAT happen? So what happens, is I get eight e-mails across my accounts, and they're all about the same!

Gah.

I want to be left alone!

I'm voting a straight DFL ticket. I am. I'll tell everyone on the internet. Yes... Tuckmac is voting for the Dems.

Duh.

Now let's move onward. I am NOT going to cold-call voters for the Dems... I'm not going to give an already 'rich' campaign any more money... I'm not going to go door to door and stump for the Dems.

I just AM one. I will vote. Leave me alone. I'll be doing my civic duty on the fourth of November, and that's all I am going to do.

Okay...

Other than that... Um... (See, I said 'ramblings' so that should mean that I'll have more than one thing to ramble about...)

Nope. I just wanted to vent about being bothered daily by the damn electioneers...

Oh... I remember... Anyone else having a similar nightmare to me?

McCain wins... The Dems go after the Republican's for voter fraud, by like the 2000 and 2004 election, the Dems kinda just do it proforma, and drop it after three days. In January, McCain is at the swearing in, and has a massive heart attack. Sarah Palin is then, in a few days, confirmed as the next President of the United States of America.

She decides to, at the same time, redecorate the Oval Office in shades of mauve and fuchsia and touches of dead animals like stuffed moose-heads and a polar bear on a stand, oh, and nuke Iran.

Russia then nukes the USA due to a treaty with Iran, we all die in horrible hell-fires of atomic warfare... And some dude in Paraguay looks up from his TV dinner and says: "Well, there went the neighbourhood."

Yeah.

Not a happy nightmare. But it keeps coming back!

I know that most have probably seen this, but...

2008-10-16T17:10:00.003-05:00

(Image by Reuters)

I mean, it just doesn't get any better than that.

--Tuckmac

Every now and again, you see a photo that sums it all up.

2008-10-13T17:14:00.002-05:00

Thanks to: Daily Kos

Wow. Six months. That is a record for me.

2008-10-08T20:55:00.002-05:00

Funny... I last posted in May of 2008. Today it's the 8th of October. That's not cool.

I know that no one will actually SEE this post, as you're all not checking here anymore. And I'm not sure why I'm writing.

Why DIDN'T I write?

Well... I'm living in the States now, and as you all know, the election is on. It's been on forEVER.

I have lost all hope for my country. Most of my friends... Most of the bloggers I still read... Most everyone has hope.

I don't.

McCain is going to win. Why? 'Cause our country is seriously screwed up. And I just haven't had the gumption to write about things. Yes... I'm still a howling liberal. Yes... I will vote for Obama.

But... You know... I keep getting e-mails from the Obama folks, and the MoveOn folks, and the DNC folks (Democratic National Party folks for my Brit friends) and... They keep asking if I will get out and stump for Obama. Make calls... Stand outside places handing out literature... Etc.

I can't.

Although I am voting for Mr. Obama, I don't like him. I don't support his centrist ideals. He's just another 'Clintonesque' fake-Democrat that is running for office.

Doesn't anyone else remember what being LIBERAL means? Obama's all about tax-cuts... We should be RAISING taxes... Our bridges are falling down... Our roads are crumbling... People are starving in the "Leading Economy in the World" (although that's rapidly going to shite)...

I'll vote for the guy, 'cause he's a SHIT load better than the Republican alternative, but... Really. Obama is easily as Republican as Ford was... It's just that the entire electorate in America both R and D are now EXTREMELY conservative... And there's nothing out there on the radar to fix it.

Damn. I love my country, but... To Paraphrase Ghandi:

"I love America, but it's full of Americans."

--Tuckmac

Gah... Two weeks... What is he THINKING?

2008-05-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

Hello fine readers, Tuckmac here, feeling a bit sheepish. I have been making a real effort to write here at LEAST once a week. And here I am, two full weeks, fourteen days, finally making a new entry.

I give the same reason many other's do. Work. It's been kicking my tail lately. And when I'm not doing my job, I'm trying desperately to pick up the ragged threads of my own art career, and get out and make photographs.

And when I'm not doing THAT, I'm cleaning house, or shopping, or taking the dog to the vet, or any other daily fluff that seems to suck so much time out of one's life.

And when I'm not doing THAT, I'm working with My Lady on our collaboration for her 24 hour performance and media event in July, LINK. (Full disclosure, it's HER piece, of which I am a minor-player, but... I'm keeping up with her as much as I can.)

So, yeah... My plate is a bit full, at the mo'. Does that mean that I still don't have a social life? Well, no... Not necessarily. My Lady and I have been able to hit a few art openings, attend some good live music events, and are able to hang out with friends quite a bit. Don't think that we're some weird shut-ins that never see the light of day, or the neon-lights of the night. It's just that other things (like blogging) tend to get shunted down the list a bit.

All this being said. My Lady is happy, busy, and occasionally frustrated. I'm happy, busy and flustered. But we're hanging in there. It would be nice to see a light at the end of a tunnel, but it's not approaching too soon. On top of all of this OTHER malarkey, we're also in the process of applying for her PERMANENT residency in the U.S. (She's been 'provisional' for two years now) So, that's more going though paperwork... Photographs, and talking to people about writing letters of support. "Yes, Tuckmac and His Lady ARE actually living together as husband and wife... Blah, blah... Blah."

So.

That's it in a nut shell. Hopefully our family and friends that read this blog will have their impatience assuaged by this short missive... And I promise.... I'm still occasionally collecting links from across the inter-web, and will try to assemble a "Linky Day Wednesday" soon.

Smiles from across the pond, or in your back-garden...

-- Tuckmac

Why didn't Tuckmac sleep on Wednesday night.

2008-05-09T13:43:00.004-05:00

A scary thing happened around 1:00am in the morning VERY early Thursday.

I smelled something 'burning' when I had taken my puppy for his walk. But, you know... It smelled like someone had burned food. When living in an apartment building, you get used to stuff like that.

Then, about 5 minutes later, one of our neighbours knocked on our door, asking if we had burned anything... As we hadn't, we said no... He went away.

Soon, however, we heard what sounded like a clock-radio alarm. You know... Do Dah... Do Dah... But it wasn't particularly loud, so we didn't really think much of it. Then... I heard a noise out our door, and opened it to see this:

For the record... Everything is now fine. My neighbour's door is still broken... And I'm fairly certain his flat still stinks, but... He's fine. His apartment is fine. OUR apartment is fine... And we all got off on a scare-only basis.

However, I have a couple of issues...

One: His alarm went off, and it didn't sound like an alarm... And wouldn't the apartments on BOTH sides of his perhaps have their alarms go off too? But no...

And Two: There are no fire-alarm triggers in the hallway... What happened, was that our other neighbour that eventually called the fire department... Was told to evacuate the building. He ran up and down every hall in our building, and there's no 'general alarm' anywhere to be found.

Isn't this a bit spooky? I mean, the scary thing about apartments, is that you and I and all our families have done something stupid in our kitchens. Now imagine living in a building with about 55 different flats... That's 55 to 110 people.... All of whom are more than able to be as silly as I have been in the past...

That's bad odds.

Damn. I may not sleep again!

It's a video day, what can I say...

2008-05-06T18:49:00.003-05:00

Came across this brilliant little video on Facebook today... For my American readers, you may have no idea who Boris Johnson is... But, he's the new mayor of London (Jesus wept) and there's nothing we can do about it. However, you should have an idea of the guy, so here:

Gah...

--Tuckmac

Jeez... A bit MORE 'Big Brother' please?

2008-05-06T09:12:00.003-05:00

I mean... WOW. CCTV everywhere and NOW the dreaded...

DATABASE!!!!

You are in the matrix.... And there's no escape!

Suddenly it all makes sense.

2008-04-20T16:38:00.003-05:00

My Lady and I were out doing a bit of instrument-string shopping in St. Paul, when she noticed this sign:

And it all became clear... Starbucks and a Sweatshop... Or Starbuck's IS a sweatshop?

You decide!

--Tuckmac

You have GOT to be kidding me!

2008-04-14T15:06:00.004-05:00

Just read this: Link.

I wanted to throw up.

I mean... Not as much as I did when THIS idiot was re-elected.

But...

Man.

Oh, a bit of cheese sarnie for you...

We just got back from Duluth. It was fab!

Good times!

Well... The Berlusconi thing has sort of ruined my mood a bit... But...

Och weel! I'm off!

--Tuckmac

Oh fer cryin' out loud...

2008-04-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

Full disclosure... I'm an Obama supporter. My reasons are many and varied, and I don't have time to go through my own reasons for supporting his candidacy.

What's driving me a bit nuts today is the "Feminist" angle that many prominent and respectable women are taking, this philosophy that is driving them toward supporting Hillary Clinton for president.

It's 'cause she's a woman.

That's it. I swear, some of these older feminist ladies would vote for Eva Peron, if she were alive and running.

This article,by Doug Grow, cheesed me off today. Amy Klobuchar (DFL MN), and superdelegate has decided to throw her support behind Sen. Obama for president. She's made this decision, and now... The other female superdelegates are pissy, 'cause she's violated some sort of "feminist-code" or something.

A quote from the article:

State Rep. Phyllis Kahn, a DFLer from Minneapolis, is a pioneer for women in a number of fields. A Clinton supporter, she thinks that perhaps younger women, such as Klobuchar, don't understand how hard it was for women to break down barriers.

Oh fer...

Here's my take on why the whole feminist argument is bunk, okay... Women today are still hitting glass ceilings. I get that... Women today are still not working at the same percentage as men, when one looks at pretty much every job out there. But......... Isn't the idea of supporting a woman for president, simply because she IS a woman, just a bit out of step from the feminist idea? Isn't feminism about 'equality' and how women are just the same (I'll say better, generally) than men? Shouldn't women who consider themselves to be feminist, support whomever is BEST for a job, rather than supporting someone due to the sex of that person. Is the idea that WOMEN take over from men, or that all of us live in actual equality?

Barack Obama is the best candidate. Hillary Clinton is NOT the best candidate. Can we perhaps all agree that her having a uterus doesn't actually change those two facts?

Probably not, but... Darn. I wish it could happen.

-- Tuckmac

Blog Against Theocracy 2008!

2008-03-23T12:24:00.004-05:00

Greetings fine readers! Well, another year's gone by, and as I've done the past few years, I'm joining the 'blogswarm' against Theocracy in America.

Questions arise, and as I do every year, I say... No, I'm not an atheist. No, I'm not anti-religion. No, I'm not a militant against Christianity, a la Richard Dawkins...

So, why do I write in support of First Freedom First every year? I mean, come on... No one is REALLY trying to break the American tradition of the "Separation of Church and State," ARE THEY???

I don't know... Readers, you tell me...

In our current election cycle, there were rumors abounding about Barack Obama being a Muslim, and when everyone had debunked that one... They started picking on his Christian pastor being anti-American.... Blah, blah... F-ing' blah!

What do these recent allegations have to do with Barack Obama being a candidate? Why couldn't a person who is non-religious run for President in America? Because Americans would go ape-shit, that's why.

If you are not a Christian in this country, do NOT run for office. I mean... You're pretty much screwed. I feel quite honoured, that the first Muslim elected to Congress is from my home. But Mr. Ellison got a shed-load of abuse as he was running for his seat.

Why aren't more of my fellow Americans appalled? What does your 'faith' (which is one heck of a fuzzy concept anyway) have to do with your abilities to represent the people in America?

Most of us have jobs, right? Okay, so when you interviewed for your job, were you asked to which religion you followed? When you go into a shop on the main-drag of your town, do the people in the shop ask you what religion you are before selling you something? When you pay your credit card bill, do you have to check a box marked "Christian" or do they just take your money without worrying about your beliefs?

Of course not. Generally, American people are not persecuted according to whichever faith they belong.

Unless you are running for office.

There is a major disconnect in our society folks. A scary and frightening one. Where most of our society in America embraces freedom of religon, our leaders, the ones that control our country are all self-proclaimed religious nut jobs.

Are they actually? No.... But they have to at least PRETEND to be Über-religious, or they won't have a chance of being elected.

I could never run for office, and that angers me. I'm a smart guy, I have a Master's degree... I work at a great institution that has been known for churning out politicians... But... I don't attend church services, so... I'm not 'Christian' enough to be a politician in America.

This is a frightening trend that should be checked and stopped. We have to stand up all together as a free and right society, and support candidates that DON'T say they've been 'Born Again' 'cause damn it, most of us were born right the first time.

Religious freedom in America will end, if we keep sending nut-jobs to our houses of power. The more Muslims we send, Hindus, Secularists, and quiet Christians.... The better.

Oh, I forgot... Happy Easter. Or... As one of my friends back in Britain said: "Happy Zombie Jesus Day".

(I can only write that piece of blasphemy right now, 'cause we HAVE religious freedom. Can you imagine a place where we don't have the right to have a little fun with religion? I can't.)

--Tuckmac

Montanans can sometimes make me smile.

2008-03-08T17:05:00.004-06:00

I don't really talk about it much, but I went to Montana State University in Bozeman, MT for just under two years. Yeah... I lasted that long.

Don't get me wrong, Montana is a beautiful place. It truly is "Big Sky Country" where you swear to the gods that the heavens just cannot be that big and awe inspiring. As for Montanans themselves, the people are by and large, polite and respectful folks. There are also a shed-load of howling bigots, but I'm not going to talk about the type that drove me from the state... No, I'm going to actually wax positive about our weird big state, out West.

See... The first time I came across the sort of libertarian-slant of the Montanan, was when the "Federally mandated interstate highway speed limit" was in effect. See... In the old days of the '80's and '90's, all the freeways in the country had to be capped at 55 mph. If a state didn't do that, the marvellous federal government would cut their road-funding, and the state would be forced to pay for all their OWN roads. (Oh the terror! I'm not being facetious, that would be a REALLY horrible thing. I mean, the Fed HELPS pay for Minnesotan roads, and look what happened to our 35W bridge over the Mississippi!) Anyhoo, Montana said, okay... And made a nice slow speed limit. But, instead of charging you huge fines for speeding... The cops would charge you a $5.00 'gas-wastage fee'. (Okay, I think it was called an 'environmental impact fee' or something) I kid you not... They'd pull you over for going 75 mph in a 55 mph zone, write you a ticket. You'd give them $5.00, and they'd give you a receipt.

Awesome concept, hmm?

(This happened to me, so I know it's true. There was a lot of talk about it being an urban - 'er rural - myth... But NOPE. True.)

Anyhoo, when the Fed stopped making road-funding to the states dependent on standardised speed limits, Montana raised the speed limit to... Guess..... As fast as was safe.

That's it.

Just don't drive so you ain't safe, and the cops won't bug you. Now... That left it up for a bit of interpretation, but generally if you were on a straight-away, and there was 100 miles of nothin' around you... Heck, you could go 110mph, and it almost felt like flying.

This post isn't about Montana and its speed limits. No, it's about the "Real ID Act" that the Department of Homeland inSecurity is trying to pass. It says that someday, in the near or far or sometime-future, every State has to abide by a Federally mandated 'safe ID' program.

What's cheesed off the Montanan folks, is really something that should cheese off MOST people, see:

To get a "real ID" one must report to a government office with a birth certificate. That's just about it. Not a picture ID, not fingerprint data. No. Just a birth certificate. Of course, since every state, heck, County
, has a different birth certificate, you don't think that it'd be pretty easy to slide in a FAKE birth certificate?

Hell... Easy and cheep as chips to do... Give me a few minutes on my computer, and a decent printer, and I could whip up a fake in a few minutes... I mean, I'm a graphic designer, I know. But KIDS could do this stuff now on their home computer systems. And what, terrorists don't have laptops with Word and an ink-jet in their possession? Please.

I digress... The whole thing is quite silly. It ALSO smacks of 'Big Brother' and all sorts of negative connotations surround this program. I know Britain is also going through a few problems with their National ID plans. I mean, people... Doesn't this whole "ID" thing just sort of smack of Nazism/Communism? I'm not exaggerating, it's like "I neeed to zee your PApars!" (Hard to fake a German accent with text, but you get the point.)

Well, Montana's Gov. Brian Schweitzer, was interviewed on National Public Radio back in January, and damn if he didn't symbolise the "libertarian-leave us alone" attitude of that huge state!

What a guy. I mean... How often do you hear a politician say, "Blah, blah, blah..?"

-- Tuckmac

Fun personal conversation...

2008-02-27T12:57:00.002-06:00

Two nights ago, My Lady decided that she would like to cook. This is a rare, and usually wonderful treat for me... Anyhoo... Her experiment was, um... Not quite as brilliant a success as she had hoped...

Tuckmac, sitting on the sofa after dinner, turns to His Lady, "Well, at least I didn't have to cook dinner tonight."

Her wry reply, "Yeah, but you had to eat it."

--T

Every now and again...

2008-02-26T09:26:00.003-06:00

The Onion just makes my day.........

Diebold Leaks Election Results

I'm just not sure how 'un-true' this story really is, to be completely honest....

--T