It's been a while since I've blogged anything personal, but I'll try to stuff some stuff in while I have a chance.

I now have a reduced school load because of Christmas break which is very nice. Nice enough that today a friend came over and we (he, my 2 brothers and I) played Tremulous and RTCW: ET together for a few hours.

This evening I went caroling with some other folks from church, which is always a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it's been raining today. I wish it were a few degrees colder so we could have snow, but oh well. Can't have everything your way I guess.

I've also come across some interesting reading lately, mainly <a href="http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2007/11/11/the_nerd_handbook.html">The Nerd Handbook</a>. I'd also suggest following the link about NADD in a new tab. (If you don't have tabs, you'd better be in a console.)

I've also been experimenting with Linux gaming, and I am very pleased that several games (such as the ones mentioned above) have Linux ports and that they always run much faster in Linux than Windows. I can run Sauerbraten in Linux at ~150 FPS with 4xAA, compared to less than 100 in XP. I'd assume it's from the lower overhead.

I finally got all of my Christmas presents bought and wrapped, although I haven't paid for them all yet. I was up after midnight last night working on them (which is unusual for me since I have to get up before 7).

I noted with mingled glee and disgust that Wisconsin's state legislature is trying to pass a bill to officially call their "Holiday tree" the State of Wisconsin Christmas Tree. While I'm glad that they are doing this, the fact that you would need to pass a bill to call a decorated evergreen tree a Christmas tree seems outlandish.

I'm also sick and tired of "Holiday Sales". I've never heard anyone ask what they should get their kids for Thanksgiving. I've also never heard stored combine Presidents Day and Valentine's Day into a generic holiday. It's outlandish and needs to stop. Also, have you heard that "ho ho ho" is no longer politically correct, because "ho" is slang for "whore"? Political correctness is a blight on our society. Call a spade a spade and be done with it.

Also, <a href="http://ronpaul2008.com">Ron Paul</a> seems to be censored from the media, despite his amazing support and fundraising. Just because he has radically old-fashioned market ideas shouldn't mean he gets shelved as a nut. I sincerely hope he gets elected and repeals the income tax, nixes DHS, and fixes our socialist healthcare and education systems. I don't think he can do all of this in one term, but any of the above would be a great improvement. I might as well go up and make that a link while I'm at it.

Well, this has been mostly ranting, but determined groups of people who argue a lot are almost always the movers and shakers of history. I'll end with a Churchill quote:

<blockquote><i>We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.</i></blockquote>