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The Guild Wars Ladder has been given a facelift, but more importantly, it has been expanded to give you much more information about every guild in the Top 1000, and to do it in nine different languages, too. Check it out! At the same time we were putting the polish on this new feature, we decided to take a look back at Guild Wars history. Our Historical Ladder page shows the high-ranking guilds in each of our championship and fun seasons.

Linky

Finally one of my projects is out the door!

My second day at school came and went. It was good. I am a little over qualified for my Computer Science class but it is a prerequisite. Not sure what to do. The instructor that is supposed to see if I can move up to the next class is not responding to my e-mails and getting to the school early enough so that I can hunt them down is hard.

I was given a "battle promotion" at work. We don't call it that, but its what it is. The guy that was qualified to do all the Customer Service Interface programming found another job so it was handed to me. So, I just became the lead CSI developer. I am getting experience and that's what matters.

So all these terrorists that blew up those stations in London last week were local citizens. These guys want change in the way Western countries behave towards their own people. The strategy worked in Madrid. Will it work in Britain? I doubt it. The people there have always been subjects, not citizens. The government rarely does the will of the people. I keep reading these articles how these moms are speaking out against gun violence but yet virtually all guns are banned! Even toy guns! Wake up retards, its not guns that are the problem. Your little island has some social/political issues that you need to address. Your "rulers" don't care about you. They need to save face and invade some more countries and start searching all your homes. You can't govern yourselves so don't be surprised when they tell you what you can and can't do in every aspect of your life.

I think the problem here is that governments are moving further and further from the people. I think a majority of people in this republic would agree that the war in Iraq was a sham and completely unwarranted yet our government continues to do as it pleases. I write our representatives a few times a month regarding this or that but some of these responses scare me. For example, Rep. Jay Inslee is completely disconnected from the constituency. He votes according to his own globalist agenda or conciounse. I get these replies to me that might as well read like a letter to a servant. "I, your honorable and just leader, feel that what I believe outweighs all logic and reason. You, small and unintelligent tax payer, must live your life according to the laws I feel are right." Well, it didn't say that. Might as well have though.

Maybe I am unique, but when I write my representative, I voice concerns over laws these people rubber stamp. Even through their own admission they rarely even read what they enact! Why do we need a 1,000 page document regulating free trade for example? Does that make any sense? Its not free trade at all.

The point is that these governments, with all their power and greed, can't force their will on everyone. The western populaces may have accepted that they are simply tax payers who support their governments' yearly military excusrions into various parts of the world but there are people out there who will have none of it. I feel sad that its the people that have to pay the price for the governments' mistakes and transgressions. When you have governments that invade countries and with their financial might and military power fund and support the enemy of people in various parts of the world, those people and their governments become enemies too. We've got them in a corner and they are willing to die for their freedom.

Just like our revolutionary forfathers were willing to die for ours.

I am now switching from Newegg to Zip Zoom Fly as my prefered computer parts and software merchant. Its still out of California, but Newegg's site has been running really slow, their prices just don't compete like they used to, and they don't allow negative reviews of things they sell. Their handling was very fast. Anyway, I will let you all know how Zip Zoom Fly treats me. From what I have heard, it should be just fine.

I haven't felt really happy lately at work. It drags on a lot for me. I want to go home often. We haven't had a chance to buy groceries in a while so my lunches are lame. Plus I have been conteplating my future and career options so its made doing this harder. I mean, I like working here and I am not going to quit but I definately want a direction. Like school or starting a more career oriented job.

I was going to right about the shocking loss for civil libertarians yesterday in the Supreme Courts landmark ruling (sorry, its CNN) that the government can seize your private land for private or public use. You see, some home owners back East didn't want their homes to be taken (with compensation, but that's all subjective) so that the local city can authorize the tax generating strip mall. So the land was taken for private use but because it impacts the public, the judges voted to enforce eminent domain.

I am seriously getting sick thinking about this. The implications are far reaching. We are taxed to our ears. Property taxes, excise taxes, sales tax, income tax, going on and on. Its something that our country inherited from the English. And now they completely disregard our personal property. Anyway, I am too upset to write about it. Read the article. You decide.

Anyway, I have been doing some shopping online and have been visiting all my favorite "sexual gratification augmentation" retailers. I mention a few of them on my links page but one that stands out in my mind is Marquis out of Germany. Lots of kink, less vanilla. Haha. Its funny to hear myself say that. Its really "augmented" my wife's and my relationship. Although some of the stuff from this couple can be more revealing than I would share, the owners of A Thing For Rubber 3.0 offer a good look at what I am talking about. Latex clothing is amazing but leather like stuff from Stormy is just as fascinating. Ah, happy thoughts. We're married and we're having fun! eBay has had some good retailers out there lately. I was pleased to find a variety of things. I am weary of the quality sometimes, and no amount of security features convince me that shill bidding doesn't still happen. Oh and note to self and all others: always check the cost of shipping and handling before bidding. Above is the cover of the current issue of SkinTwo magazine, probably my favorite. The cover is incredible. and the card below is a sample of some of the events we'd like to go to although this one is from a NYC club.

We're going to go see our insurance agent today. Hopefully we will be able to go and get our camera replaced. I am anxious to get out of here. I am not feeling very well. I have decided to stop drinking pop (again, *sigh*) so we'll see how it goes. I am very irritable. I noticed that I have gained some more weight. I need to not give up this time. I have too many things I would like to do, kids to raise, wife to love that would be cut short if I continue down my current path. At least the sun has finally emerged.

Oh and remember: Kinky couples are people too!

In a recent landmark battle regarding the medical use of marijuana, the Federal Supreme Court released its opinion in the Raich v. Ashcroft case today. In short, the ruling solidifies the federal position regarding drugs and trumps any State laws saying otherwise.

This is another loss in the continual battle between States' rights and the federal government. The federal government continues to solidify its tyranical position over this land perverting the Constitution and creating legitamcy for its power and beauracy by interpreting simple English words to mean things other than what they do. I do not see how the Commerce Clause can be taken so out of context, misused and abused as it has by our federal government unless our federal government is truely a self serving, evil whore that thrives off bribery and manipulation.

Today's ruling empowers the federal government more. Through the mastery of wording and political manipulation, the Supreme Court affirms that the Congress can do whatever it wants and the more it wants to do it, the more legitacy it has to do what it wants. The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and all the writings and wisdom of the founding fathers has essentially been flushed down a toilet and disregarded now for decades. This is no new news I suppose. Its sad how people take so many things for granted until they are gone.

To me its not about the drugs. I don't care if someone wants to use drugs. Its preservation of the Constitution that I hold in the highest. To remain truley free and not some sheep. I don't want to have the illusion of freedom. And on final note, the whole drug war is a waste of time and money. People use the stuff anyway. Just like prohibition of alcohol last century, prohibition of drugs has done less good than bad.

Marijuana never kicks down your door in the middle of the night. Marijuana never locks up sick and dying people, does not suppress medical research, does not peek in bedroom windows. Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could.

— William F. Buckley, Jr.

On a fundamental level, Libertarians believe that it is the unalienable and constitutional right of individuals to medicate themselves and choose for themselves what to put into their bodies, as long as they live up to the consequences of their actions. The federal government has no proper say in the matter, and state governments violate the rights of the people in their own attempts to enforce morality. The decision to ingest, smoke or consume any drug should be up to the individual, under the advice of his or her physician, when appropriate. Locking people up for trying to relieve their pain is cruel and unusual punishment for an act that hurts no one.

— Michael Badnarik Libertarian presidential nominee 2004

My wife has accepted a position at my company. She starts tomorrow!

Yes please. Check out Checks and Balances for some information about its history. Here is the text of the document. To summarize, this piece of legislation passed within 6 weeks of an incident in New York City, gives sweeping powers to the federal government to monitor everything from bank, morgage and credit applications and transactions to surveiling anything and anyone suspected of terrorism. Its un-patriotic to support this legislation. Emotionalism and fear is what passed it and both of those things never result in rational outcomes. What upsets me most is peoples' complete ambivolence to the situation and lack of drive to have laws like these reversed and not passed in the future.

Anyway, you now know my opinion. Maybe I am missing something. Anyway, back to other things.

Okay some crazy good news. I have have finally located a video input card for my computer. The choice is now between USB and PCI, which is cheaper. The CTX MD001 is here! A whopping $33.00 plus shipping and handling at Newegg I plan on getting this when we get back from Hawai'i. This will make converting all our old movies like Carnage: Auf Deutsch and other short skits we made in school a breeze.

Okay so like I really am getting spoiled on internet speed. Until last week, I have enjoyed the usual 3 Mbps download and 25.6 Kbps upload speeds from my cable provider which is now 4 Mbps download and 38.4 Kbps upload because of general improvments to the entire system. But no, I am very satisfied with average so I had them upgrade me for a little more a month to 6Mbps download and an awesome 76.4 Kbps upload. It was amazing how quickly I upload and download now. I had no complaints before but my ping times all dropped and I can do more multitasking. Plus with me working on all those websites, double the up speed is very much worth it. For all the griping I have about Comcast and their cornering of the local broadband market, I must say I am pleased with their service. I am just looking forward to come competition to help lower prices or increase the value of the money I pay them every month.

Also, an interesting article about a potential increase in internet speeds is located here. The major internet communications giants are predicting a 1000% increase in broadband speeds by 2008. Its very exciting technology. Yes, a thousand percent.