New-Style Etiquette

The test for any kind of politeness is utility - that if properly employed by all parties, at the end of the day everyone goes home with the same number of body parts they arrived with, everyone stays out of jail and the mental ward, and nobody spends quality hospital time.

Courtesy of Murphy, folks will rush up and express (often whilst in the depths of inebriation) their undying attraction for you - all good if you find them hot and compatible. Not so good if you find them unattractive, and still less good if they are not merely unattractive but both deeply enthusiastic and *NOT* of the gender you find intriguing in any kind of physical way.

The gay guy with the undying hots for the straight guy, the straight guy lech'ing after the lesbian, the lesbian with a yen for the het girl, and the het girl on overdrive chasing the gay guy - round and round we go, and where the dysfunction stops, nobody knows. Murphy has a quirky sense of humor when hanging out with Cupid.

In the throes of their enthusiasm, the newly fixated often find the bonus round of "I'm special, if they just get naked with me, they'll change!" and worse, actually BELIEVE that vile tripe. A second bonus round, a double dose of "who has which infectious STD, and how lethal is it", is available for the particularly unlucky.

The trick is, getting shed of an unwanted newfound admirer without indulging in a verbal or physical smackdown, particularly when this is thrust upon you for the first time, isn't easy. Easy is shredding someone emotionally, or providing physical education. Hard is at least taking a shot at letting them down easy while making it abundantly clear that "happy naked time" is just not going to happen with you, them, or them and their ten best horny friends.

Success in this endeavor is worthwhile as it cuts down the chance of happy fun jail time, hospital time, and vindictive crazy rejected person time.

Yet, throwing a pity moment (there might be children reading this after all) at the unfortunate who finds you unilaterally pounceable or just running away screaming "My eyes, my eyes! Make the pain stop!" each has its own downsides. The goal is to depart unscathed, after all.

After watching this dysfunctional carnal merry-go-round for a few years, I have a few thoughts - not for the lovelorn, for they are surely beyond help (at least for the moment) but in terms of escape and evasion while burdened with a regrettably kindly nature.

After all, you COULD just tell them that they are ugly, smell funny, and you'd rather get it on with a bed of nettles with a hornets nest in the center...but that seems unduly cruel. A quick whap upside the head is a reliable form of communications, but tends to cause the nice blue lights to flash and appear, as the headache fairy descends from the local donut shop.

Never underestimate the polite "no, but thank you, I'm flattered by your interest" approach - it's pretty darned low cost, lets' your admirer save face, and frequently allows you to scamper off unscathed. Works less well as a sudden change in course when you've gotten all hot'n'bothered and gone off alone with someone and gender becomes a matter of "surprise, surprise" (and yes, it does matter - I don't like "surprise, surprise" any more than anyone else) - a good variant, if you can keep your cool is the trusty old "umm...this wasn't what I bargained for, I'm sure you a great person and all, but I just don't fly that way" followed by a high velocity Bugs Bunny'ish departure (doppler effect scream optional).

Failing that, there's always Plan B. A lot of Plan B's. Scampering, verbal impact therapy, pointing them at someone else, etc...

I'm just mightily tired of hearing about dolt #1 (the enamored one) and dolt#2 (the enthusiastically uninterested one) of whatever gender getting all frisky (in a bad way) with one unable to hear "no", and the other too stupid to be able to communicate "no" without a laying upon of hands.

Spent some time honing this after a series of recent reminders how much this kind of crud annoys me, and my apologies if I express myself poorly or inflict it with insufficient grace.

Super-Majorities...

Here in Washington, school levies (unlike other public bond issues and tax levies) require a super-majority to pass - 60% in favor. It's been that way for quite some time, presumably because folks might tend to vote with hearts rather'n' brains when it comes to funding the educational system.

A new blitz of ads on the idiot box informs us this is a very bad thing, and there is an initiative on the ballot that will make it "all better" - getting my hopes up that the initiative would extend the super-majority requirement to *all* bond and levy measures.

Sadly, the proponents go to some length to explain that rather than doing the sensible thing they propose to abolish the super-majority concept entirely. This is not good.

It is quite bad enough that we have a large segment of the population that, if you simply trot out a child and point out how terribly oppressed they will be if the nimrods don't vote as you suggest, who will blithely go along with just about any measure no matter how ill-considered. It is, after all, for the kids.

Fortunately, until now, the super-majority requirement has somewhat (though certainly not entirely) been something of a stumbling block to those who would use the "cute pathos" card to drive electoral success. Should the initiative pass, one more impediment to taxing us all into oblivion will be removed by the dead hand of a ignorant electorate.

Perhaps we'll dodge the bullet...

A joy to read...

Sadly, in this lesser day, our public schools (and all to many private ones) in the name of "diversity" and "fairness" turn out substantially inferior graduates compared to those of yore on a depressingly regular basis.

I treasure odd things, and well-written invective approaching the beauty of Victorian era skewerings fall among that group of oddities.

Lawdog's contribution, with the additional virtue of being quite well-aimed at justifiable targets of ire, is one I shall treasure for some time.

Thank you.

A fairly modest proposal

I don't have the time, and I certainly don't have the server resources to take the hits such a page would generate, but I am hoping that in the next day or so some semi-talented sort will take the necessary steps to put up a website listing the manufacturers, re-sellers, and local dealers that do business with governmental entities or their employees in the State of California - from the big buyers in Sacramento to the Banning Police Department - so that we, as private buyers and enthusiasts, can refrain from doing business with these firms until such time as they repudiate any existing contracts and agree to refuse new business from political bodies in California or their employees.

"Or their employees": California, and many other jurisdictions, have created a two-tier system by which "special people" (judges, prosecutors, elected officials, police officers, etc) get to enjoy a whole range of rights and privileges not enjoyed by the peons - rights and privileges that tend to shield them from the bad effects of poorly thought out law. It is my intent in this suggestion that this demographic should again have something stronger than their internal moral compass to inspire their actions in this matter - say, a shortage of firearms and ammunition.

I'll write more later, but the above is my initial response...

The Dad Report

This is a brief one, but essentially he appears more alert and is clearly more interactive. Trach tube still in, but (as much as one can tell with voice not an option) mental presence is apparent. He's been moved to a much nicer room, with actual sunlight.

Downside is he's running a fever with pneumonia today, though the fever appears to have broken and the staff are quite attentive.

Bad blogger, Bad!

What with one thing and another, things have been a bit busy around here, to the point that blogging has fallen off in favor of sleep and the occasional episode of House, Boston Legal, or Shark (which requires little in the way of creativity beyond the occasional evil giggle).

My apologies for not being more prolific, and I will now subject you to several blurbs to catch you up in my wonderfully weird world - and then I shall rush off to do errands.

First off, and most recently, I recently returned from Memphis, TN and a training seminar there - I didn't get out much (I didn't rent a car this trip, depending on the hotel shuttle), so cannot wax either rhapsodic or derisive regarding the local club scene, but I can testify there are a whole bunch of wonderful barbecue joints down there - I specifically hit Corky's (more touristy) and Germantown Commissary (less touristy, and OMIGAWD good).

My CPL was good there, so as soon as was practical once I departed the "forbidden zone", the Keltec P32 re-entered my array of disaster resolution tools that I tote about. Something about Memphis being declared the murder capitol of the United States (the talk of the town while I was there).

There did appear to be a fair number of exceptionally well publicized murders in the local media, and a fair amount of controversy about the local mayoral election.

Good flights both ways, and a minimum of TSA silliness.

All in all, a pleasant and educational venture.

Mens' Wearhouse

I like the Keltec P32 I bought years ago. I like the hip pocket holster that I had a friend build to carry it - while it will never be the fastest draw on the block, what it loses in speed, it makes up in subtlety.

But it requires a certain...depth of pocket and forgiving cut to conceal effectively.

This is my second time down at Men's Wearhouse, where I ran into understanding sales staff and a tailor willing to...help things along in the arena of discrete carry.

Moderately priced clothes, nice fit, and a *very* helpful and understanding staff. As I rebuild the ruins of my wardrobe, I'm thinking I'll be visiting there regularly - and at Nordstroms, of course.

Only thing that could be better would be an menswear shop that included firearms and accessories as simply a part of the line of inventory required to supply the well-educated gentleman.