Shots Across the Bow

It felt like the Tennessee offense scored more points today than they did all last season.

It was fun to see a Tennessee team not play down to the level of their competition.

And it was nice to see a Tennessee team play with passion, and look like they were having fun.

But, this was the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, not the Florida Gators. Heck, they aren't even the Kentucky Wildcats.

Tennessee failed to score in the first quarter, stopped not by the Hilltopper defense but by their own mistakes. If the mistakes can be chalked up to first game jitters and not the Vols usual lack of discipline, then we are looking good for the rest of the season. We won't win them all, but we will play them all,and that's somthing that has been lacking for the Vols.

I liked Kiffin's decision to go for it on 4th down in the third quarter. Against WKU that's a good call. Against an SEC opponent, not so much.

I liked our running game. We ran with power and a bit of flash,and the offensive line opened some monstrous holes. Hardestyran better than I've ever seen him run before,and the new kidslook pretty exciting as well.

Monte Kiffin's defense simply smothered the HIlltoppers.

UT's freshmen contributed significantly, as Kiffin predicted, something that will help recruiting next year, not to mention our performance this year.

I give the Vols an A for this week. UCLA comes to Neyland Stadium next week, providing a tough early test for the Vols.

I have a dual monitor system on my desktop featuring identical Viewsonic monitors (VG2230wm). The monitors are really nice and I like having the virtual real estate especially when I'm working on a website or playing with graphics. It also comes in handy with World of Warcraft as since since I can surf the web while thrashing evil doers. Unfortunately, my multitasking ability has been extremely limited for the last week because one of the monitors decided not to play anymore.

I fired up the computer to start my day off checking me email, and my primary monitor stayed dark. At first, I though the display had died, or that the graphics card might have been the culprit, but Windows recognized that the monitor wasn't working and switched the primary display to my second monitor. (That's very cool programming, by the way.) I did some basic troubleshooting, including pulling up the device manager and discovered that the computer didn't see the monitor as a plug and play compatible monitor and had loaded a generic driver for that monitor. The second monitor was still recognized as the Viewsonic monitor and it was using the right driver.

I swapped the monitors between ports on the graphics card, and the problem moved with the monitors. I swapped the primary with the secondary monitor using the Windows controlpanel, and then using the nVidia control panel and the problem stayed with the same monitor. At this point, it was clear to me that the problem was with the monitor so I called tech support.

Wow.

First there was the communication gap. I speak English as a first language. The nice young man on the other end of the call did not.
Second, I understand basic troubleshooting. The nice young man on the other end did not.

He tried to tell me that the problem was probably with the driver and wanted me to download the most current one. I explained to him that I had two identical monitors on the computer. Both monitors were using the same driver. One monitor worked; the other didn't. Obviously, it wasn't a driver issue. Following his script, he insisted that I download and install the latest driver.

I did.

No change.

I called back and got another tech support rep. This time she was a nice young woman who had trouble with the English language. I explained the situation to her, including the fact that I had updated the drivers, swapped monitors and cables and that the problem followed the monitor. Her suggestion was to try the monitor on another computer. I explained to her that I had already accomplished that step of trouble shooting by placing the monitor on another port of the video card. She insisted that I had to try the monitor on another computer to verify that it was a monitor problem.

Fine.

I did it.

The monitor still didn't work.

I called tech support again and got the young lady again. I explained what I had done, and said I needed to return the monitor for service since I had proven beyond all reasonable doubt that the monitor was defective. Apparently, I hadn't done enough. She wanted me to get another cable and see if that fixed the problem.

Seriously? A cable?

I explained that I had already changed cables when I changed computers, and again when I had changed ports on the graphics card earlier, but the cable must have been the next thing in her script because she wouldn't move off of it. I finally asked her to escalate the call because it as clear that she had no understanding of the situation, and relatively little knowledge about how a computer works. She agreed to escalate the call and promised that I would hear from Viewsonic within 48 hours.

Two days later, and nothing.

So I called tech support once again, and told the person, who spoke American English very well, that I wanted a return authorization number so they could fix the monitor, and asked him why I hadn't heard from them within 48 hours as promised. He read through my file, agreed that I should have gotten a call back, issued the RA, and asked me a serious of specific,detailed questions about the symptoms and my system configuration. I gave him the operating system, the CPU, the graphics card,and the monitor model. I told him I was running two identical monitors on the system, the one worked, and the other didn't. I told him that I had moved the monitor between ports on the graphics card, and onto another computer running a different operating system. I told him that I had downloaded the most current driver and installed it. Through all of this, the problem stayed consistently with one monitor.

He listened carefully, took good notes, and said he was going to put this problem to the senior tech support guys, because it was something very unusual. He promised an email within a day or two to let me know what they came up with. That was on Sunday. Wednesday, I got the following email:

Dear Mr. Hailey,

Thank you for contacting ViewSonic Customer Support.

In regards to your current case number C987318, we have heard back from our technicians about the issue of your monitor not being identified as a plug and play monitor. What they suggested is to uninstall all the monitor drivers on your computer and restart the system to install the actual drivers for this monitor.

If this does not correct the issue please contact us again so that we can further assist on this issue.

Thank you for allowing us to assist you.

Sincerely,
John ViewSonic Customer Support.

This from the best guys they have. Once again, for the slow students in the room, I have two identical monitors running on this system. One works no matter where it is plugged in; the other won't work no matter where it is plugged in. This cannot be a driver issue. Period.

I'm shipping the monitor back tomorrow.

Now here's the best part. My other monitor? It did the same thing about 8 months ago. I called Viewsonic tech support and the guy I talked to recognized the problem instantly, said it had happened on a lot of monitors of that model, and gave me an RA instantly.

I guess he left the company and took all the brains with him.

So, when it comes time to replace my monitors, it's a fair bet that they won't come from Viewsonic.

Friend one represents conservative/libertarian principles. Friend two represents liberal/authoritarian principles.

I have two friends.

One of them is very upbeat and supportive. He tells me that I can meet any challenge that comes my way, that I have the capacity to succeed, and to excel, as long s I'm willing to work hard to overcome the obstacles in my path. He tells me that no matter what comes, I have the ability to survive it, and to prosper. He tells me that I am strong, and that I can stand on my own. I know he has my back, because he's been there when I've needed a hand, but he always let's me make my own way. Sometimes I get tired, and I complain that other people don't seem to have to work as hard, and he tells me that it doesn't matter what other people do or have; I can make my own fortune regardless of their wealth.

My other friend always tells me how much he cares about me, and how much he wants to help me succeed. He doesn't say it out loud, but the way he acts shows me that he doesn't think I can do it on my own. He "helps" me before I ask, and sometimes in ways that aren't really helpful at all. He insists that I do things his way because he knows what works best for people like me, and he can get very angry when I try to go my own way. He tells me that he's here to help me because I need his help, that the obstacles in my path are too big for me to overcome on my own. Sometimes, he tells me that I have to forget what I want and do what he wants, so that somebody else can get what they want. I'm never exactly sure how that's supposed to work, but he talks really fast and it's usually easier to go along than to argue. Other times he tells me not to work so hard, that other people have it much easier than I do, so they owe me something. He says I have value and worth,. so I shouldn't have to prove that value or worth by producing anything. In fact, because I have value, I should have my needs met without any labor on my part. He tells me I'm entitled to everything I need, and I should stand up and demand my rights.

The first friend makes me feel strong, independent, and capable. The second friend makes me feel weak, envious, and afraid.

Tell me why I should keep hanging out with the second guy. He's kind of a downer.

I am not a self defense expert, nor do I intend to play one on the internet. However, there are certain simple principles that I'[ve come to realize aren't as commonly known as I would have thought. And since the subject just came up in a very close way, now is as good a time as any.

Today, my son texted me and asked me how much it cost to get a Handgun Carry Permit. I gave him the ball park figures for the class and the application. He thanked me and told me that his roommate had been robbed at gunpoint the night before.,

Yeah, I called him immediately.

My son lives in an apartment in the Old City close to the railroad tracks. He described what happened. Apparently, his roommate was coming home from work at around 12:30 AM and when he parked his car, he noticed a couple of black men hanging out in front of the little coffee shop across the street. When he got out of his car and headed towards the entry to the apartment building, they left crossed the street towards him. He assumed they were just going to bum some change and turned to open the entry door. As he turned his back to them, they drew guns, and demanded all of his money.

He gave them everything, all $8.00 of it, and they ran off.

So now my son is thinking about getting a gun.

"Well, first things first," I said, "What would you have done in that situation?"

"I don't know," he said.

"Then you don't need a gun. What would have happened if your roommate had a gun at the time?"

"It probably would have been stolen too."

"Exactly right," I said, "Carrying a gun won't do you any good if you don't pay attention. The first thing you have to do is realize you live in a bad neighborhood."

"No I don't," he answered. "It's the Old City. It's well lit and..."

"Your roommate was robbed at gunpoint at your front door. You live in a bad neighborhood."

"It's not that bad! There are lots of people who live down here and..."

"One more time. You live next to the railroad tracks. Have you ever heard of anything good happening by the railroad tracks?"

"No, but..."

"Stop. Listen. Your roommate was robbed by two men with guns right at your front door, on a well lit street, and they got away clean. You live in a bad neighborhood."

"Ok, you might be right."

"Good. The first step in self defense is being aware of your surroundings. Now that you understand that you live in a bad neighborhood, you have your eyes open and you can defend yourself. Now then, your roommate saw the two guys before he got out of his car, right?"

"Yes."

"Ok, the store has been closed for hours; it's late at night, and downtown is deserted. Are those two guys there for a good reason or a bad one?"

"Probably bad."

"Alright, so what are you going to do about it?"

"Call the police."

"Ok, when?"

"When they start coming at me."

"Remember the official police motto: When seconds count, we'll be there in a few minutes. Try again."

"Ummm...sit in my car and call 911?"

"What if they come after you while you are sitting in your car?"

"Oh. Ok, should I just keep driving and call 911?"

"Bingo. You're still mobile, and our two would be thieves learn very quickly that there are better corners to hang out on."

The point I was making with him was that self defense starts long before you get into a bad situation. You have to remain aware of your surroundings at all times, and plan to avoid trouble whenever possible. Your goal is to never have to use force to defend yourself. Only when that option is removed should you consider a forceful response.

Now this doesn't mean to live in fear, or go 18 blocks out of your way to avoid a confrontation. What it means is that the easiest way to win a fight is to avoid it entirely.

The thing that most anti gun folks don't understand is that those of us who chose to arm ourselves take that responsibility even more seriously than those who don't. We know that if we get into a confrontation, there's a good chance somebody will die. I have liberal friends and I'm guessing that most of them are thinking, "But not everyone who carries a gun thinks like that!"

They're right. Criminals certainly don't. But the vast majority of those who chose to apply for and get a carry permit do think that way. Every study ever done on crime and permit holders shows that those of us who chose to arm ourselves are more law abiding than even the police departments. But we still hear the same tired canards about vigilantism, and living in fear, and other disparaging remarks.

Locally, we have a County Commissioner, Greg Lambert, who has an HCP. The local liberals love to make fun of him, and one in particular is quite vocal about her belief that he is too unstable to be allowed to carry a gun. Of course, when I asked her to provide an example of Lambert using his gun in reckless or dangerous fashion, she couldn't name a single incident. On the other hand, Commissioner Lambert has been involved in two incidents where he could have acted recklessly or dangerously and he didn't.

In the first incident, Lambert, who owns a used car lot, was sitting in his office when a young thug tried to hold him up at gunpoint. Lambert, who happens to be a quick draw champion, drew down on the kid, but didn't shoot him. Think about that for a second. Lambert could have shot the kid dead and been justified as the kid was trying to rob him and had already pulled his gun. INstead, he outdrew the kid, talked him down, and held him until the police got there.

Hardly a reckless use of his gun.

In the second incident, Lambert was in a mall when a man shot another. He heard the shot and went toward the scene, but when he got there, he realized that the situation was not one where he could safely contribute, and he let mall security and the police take the shooter into custody.

I pointed out both of these incidents, and her response was typical. In essence, she said it didn't matter what he actually did; he was still unsafe.

You can show a liberal logic, but you can't make them think.

Anyway, I believe I got the point across to my son that carrying a gun is only one small part of self defense. The first piece is maintaining an awareness of your surroundings, and the people in them. The second is forethought. Have a plan. Know what you're going to do when things go south. The third piece is to have multiple layers of defense, but that's a post for another day.

I love the part at the end where that nice young brownshirt tells the sheep that "It's your meeting." So much for a public forum.

Of course, this only confirms what has been obvious throughout the Obama Presidency; the message is always managed, always controlled, and always scripted. There is a time and a place for spontaneity, but never when the cameras are rolling. President Obama lives and dies by the teleprompter not because he can't speak in public but because that's the best way to make sure he stays on scriipt.

The irony is that what the nice young brownshirt was doing is exactly what Pelosi and her folks have been claiming that conservatives are doing.

For those who want to object at my calling this guy a brownshirt, read your history. The attacks on dissenters have already begun, and given the Justice Department's treatment of the NBP thugs, I see nothing to stop them from escalating.

A family member got her carry permit 60 days after filing.

The folks at Disney have just made an offer to buy out Marvel Comics.

My interest in upcoming Marvel movie projects just dropped by 75%.

Words fail me. There are a lot of mean, ugly people in the world, and apparently, the ACLU stands ready to aid every one of them.

Teddy thought it was a laughing matter, so I'm sure he would be ok with me bringing it up.

All the really cool kids are doing it, so let's join in.

My last post has stirred up some of my friends who think it is unfair and inaccurate and possibly over the top.

I agree with the last, but that's a feature, not a bug. Using Rep Watson's absurd rhetoric to lampoon the fawning media coverage of Obama's pitching prowess was just an added bonus. My first aim was to demonstrate just how ridiculous most Obama apologists are when they try to link all opposition to him to racism, which is exactly what Rep Watson said in this clip. Listen to it again if you don't believe me. She very clearly lays out her position that all opposition, not some or most, but all opposition is rooted in his racial identity, which is patently false. All you have to do is look at the opposition to government health care under the Clintons and compare it to the opposition today to see that it is the issue that drives the opposition, not the color of Obama's skin. To claim otherwise is dishonest, not to mention completely absurd. Her argument falls apart even earlier when she claims that wishing for a President to fail is the same as wishing for America to fail. Once again, listen to what she said while President Bush was in office. Apparently, she wanted America to fail back then.

To point out her hypocrisy and absurdity, I engaged in a bit of absurdity myself. Apparently, I was effective.

Look, I know there are people out there who oppose Obama based on his race. I have family members who voted Republican for the first time in their lives over that very issue. Notice what I just said; they voted Republican for the first time. Yes, they are life long, ardent Democrats.

So much for Rep Watson and her race baiting stereotypes.

The argument was made that blacks want to be identified by their race, and have that race treated as equal in every way to whites. If that were a true statement, I would have no problem with it. Unfortunately, all too often in the real world, we see that some want to take advantage of a perceived inequality to gain an unfair advantage. Take Jayson Blair as a prime example of this process in action. Or Obama himself. Every defense of his programs by his supporters carries with it the accusation of racism. Every single one. If you can defend his programs without ever bringing race into it, then I will respond with thoughtful criticism and there can be an exchange of ideas, because you will have demonstrated that the debate is about the ideas of the man, not the color of his skin. But But as long as some Obama supporters want to tell me that I'm a racist because I think his healthcare plan sucks, I will respond with scorn and ridicule, because they have proven that they don't have any real argument to present.

As far as wanting him to fail, it's not personal and it has nothing to do with his skin color. It has everything to do with what I see his policies doing to America over the next several decades. You can believe that or not; I know it to be true.

"They are trying to see that the first president who looks like me fails."

I didn't realize that Obama has boobs and a vagina.

Of course, it does explain that pitiful throw in St. Louis.

All future posts concerning President Obama will feature this picture:


Because it looks so much like him.

Ted Kennedy is dead, and liberals everywhere are rushing to praise this "Lion of the Left" and it's making me sick to my stomach.

How skewed do your priorities have to be to praise Ted Kennedy for living a life of privilege and power even after what we all know he did? To refresh your memory, after partying late into the night, a young Ted Kennedy along with passenger Mary Jo Kopechne, drove his car off a pier on Chappaquiddick Island.

While Mary fought to escape the car, Teddy swam away.
While her air grew foul, Teddy consulted with friends and family on how best to "manage" the situation.
While she drowned in misery, Teddy swam across the sound to try and set up an alibi, pretending he'd never been on the island that night.
While her body was trapped in the car all night, Teddy was in his hotel room.

It wasn't until after her body was found that Teddy finally reported the accident. The diver who found her body testified that had Kennedy reported the accident immediately, there was a good chance he could have rescued Miss Kopechne. The inquest determined that Kennedy was negligent and that his negligence was responsible for her death. However, the grand jury was not allowed to hear the results of the inquest, only the DA's summary report, which did not include the inquest's conclusions, and Kennedy never faced manslaughter charges.

Political power and his family name kept Ted Kennedy from paying for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, and the gaping moral blind spot that seems epidemic among liberals allowed him to continue to work as a Senator in Washington right up until he died yesterday.

And now those same folks are talking about what a great guy Kennedy was, how he supported all the right causes, and always seemed to have his facts in order.

It's too bad he didn't show that same moral clarity and command of the facts the night of July 18, 1969.

Dying isn't the worst thing that can happen to you in an accident.

You might live through it.

Modern liberals claim to value the individual above all, yet they subordinate the rights of the individual to the needs of the state at every opportunity. This is called insanity.

Conservatives, on the other hand, value conformity to established norms, yet fight to protect the freedoms of the individual against the encroachment of the state. This is also insanity.

Socialists, like all tyrants, claim to know what is best for you and will do whatever it takes, even kill you, so you can live happily ever after.

Libertarians just want to be left alone with their booze, drugs, guns, and hookers. They aren't real good at governing, but they do throw good parties.