The Smallest Minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. – Ayn Rand
When it Becomes Difficult to Tell Parody from Reality…
…you understand just how ridiculous your opponents really are. I don’t know who it is that’s writing the VPC Blog, but he or she is bloody BRILLIANT. Go spend some time over there.
In the latest post, I discover that I’ve been duped! I actually OWN a “Han Shot First” T-shirt.
I feel so USED!
Überpost Coming.
Sorry about the lack of posting. I’ve been busy, and I’ve been fermenting another überpost in my head. It will be a few days, however.
Fair warning – I think this one’s going to break the record for length (and no, it’s still not the post on Heller).
And half the reason I’m writing this post is so I can’t back out of writing the one I’m promising, ’cause it’s going to be a LOT of work.
UPDATE: Suitably chastened, the Heller post will come first.
It’ll be easier anyway, and it is a good excuse to put the süper-überpost off a bit longer.
If You’re Curious…
…about the “Unique Visitor” thing, here’s the current-as-of-this-post “Visitor Loyalty” bar graph from Google Analytics:
(Click for full size)
So, how do YOU read that?
I’d Like to Thank My Loyal Readers…
All sixteen of you.
According to Google Analytics, between Jan. 23 and the time of this post, TSM has received 23,129 site visits by 9,461 absolutely unique visitors. Of which 9,445 have visited exactly one time.
Which means, (carry the one…) I have sixteen visitors who have visited more than once in the last month.
And one of them is Markadelphia.
Boy, do I feel special! 😉
UPDATE: It would appear that not only is Google evil, but it is capable of error. I feel like Nomad at the end of The Changeling!
Hey!.I Just Realized…
…Bush signed the “economic stimulus package” – i.e. “giving us our money back because we know better how to spend it.” I figure the check will arrive in May or June – just in time to pay off my trip to the 2nd Amendment Blog Bash.
I wondered how I was going to pay for that.
Great Company.
I just got back from dinner with Matthew of Triggerfinger (again) and KevinP, the guy who maintains this outstanding Wikipedia page on The Joyce Foundation. Kevin is also one of us gunnies who take newbies out to the range for the first time. We had a good dinner and great conversation. Damn, it’s nice to sit down and talk with people who know the topic and are as involved and passionate about it as I am.
Unfortunately I have to get up at 5:00AM tomorrow (4:00AM Arizona time) to catch my flight back, so this is it until the weekend. Good trip, and meeting new people (never my strong suit) has been an enjoyable experience.
A Pleasant Evening.
I had a very pleasant evening with Sarah “Stickwick Stapers” and her husband last night. Dinner at The County Line, and then a little star, planet, and nebula gazing through one of the UT Austin Astronomy Dept. telescopes. Mars was a blob, but Saturn was quite beautiful. I was reminded of an art print I have, Sword of Herschel, a piece done by a Tucson artist, Kim Poor.
Click for larger image
We then returned to the restaurant parking lot where I’d left my car and stood around talking until almost 11:00. We would have done it longer if we didn’t all need to get up early this morning.
Now I get to add Sarah to the list of “bloggers I’ve met.” And no, we didn’t discuss religion!
Last Meal in Austin, TX.
OK, the arrangements for tonight are:
Dinner, 7:00PM at the Iron Cactus on Stonelake Blvd.
The relatively late start will give everyone a chance to get there (I hope). Looks like there will be at least three besides me. Please RSVP in comments if you can. Hope to see you there.
Thursday Night Blogmeet.in Austin?
Reader KevinP suggested via email that we get together Thursday night for dinner and conversation, along with anybody else who’d like to attend. I think that’s a great idea. Please leave comments suggesting a location and an RSVP. We’re planning on meeting for dinner wherever about 6:30PM.
So what say you, Austinites?
Well This is Shaping Up Nicely…
Dinner tonight with Triggerfinger, and dinner and stargazing with Stickwick and her husband on Wednesday.
This blogging thing has great fringe benefits! Everywhere you go, you “know” somebody!
UPDATE: Just got back from a pleasant dinner with Triggerfinger. Now I know why I own a pickup truck instead of a ‘Vette – my ass slides straight onto the seat of the pickup. I have to climb down into the pavement to get into a ‘Vette.
Good food, good conversation. Beats the hell out of trying to read a book in insufficient light.