An amalgamation of sundries and miscellany.

The Beast

So, I’ve found the most amazing music making device I think I have ever laid eyes on.

-Splintofewnious

Greetings Interwebers.

My good friend Jinky Williams approuched me some time ago and asked me if I would be interested in posting upon this here blog. Now here we are. I am definitely excited to get the ball rolling and see what will come up next.

I guess I should say a wee bit about myself. When I am not playing Bagpipe Hero or crafting tasty treats, I seem to find myself goofing off with my wife or Jinky. I enjoy shooting the breeze, reminiscing on old video games, watching clouds, Seattle Stouts and attempting to be a good husband. I do not really have much to say as introductions really are not my thing. Maybe you all will have to let me know if I am doing theHouse of Jink any good.

Jinky and I have talked about putting some avatars to use.

Best regards and looking onward,

Splintofewnious

“It is my pleasure to bring to you a true story from the memory of the only man alive today who was a private, a foot soldier who went to Passchendaele, lived in the trenches, saw his mates killed and in his own words describes the wonderful feeling of all for one, one for all.”

View the rest here

“No barbed wire…it might hurt the thieves, allotment holders told”

Via Daily Mail, originally found on Retarded News

Article nutshell: A guy has been ordered to remove his fence because it may potentially injure thieves.

Goldurn, but we’re going to heck in a handbasket. There’s really no need for commentary because it pretty much writes itself.

Like with so many things, the good guys are the ones who take the brunt of following the rules. Gun control? That’s good news for the criminals. They know that the upstanding, hard-working law-upholders are low-risk, because they’re not allowed to pack heat.

My friend Eric had a good idea: The law needs to be changed so that you need to get a permit *not* to carry a handgun. Because I tell you what, we’d have a lot less muggings and corner store knock-overs if they knew everyone and their grandma was packing.

Now, I know that the above wouldn’t work without some modifications. But seriously, right now it’s the people who are legally carrying handguns that are getting the public beatdown, not the lowlives. People seriously are more afraid about the idea of someone who is responsible enough that they have registered their handgun with the government and carry it on their person, out of sight, than the idea of being in the same store as a criminal brandishing a knife.

The only people who respect gun control laws are those who don’t need them in the first place.

As the video says at the end, “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.”

So, I was reading Lifehacker and ran across a link to an article on one of their sister sites, Gizmodo, aboutentry blankets with arms. These things, which evidently are big-time in the market right now, were heretofore unknown by me.

They compared four of them, and went with the Slanket as the pretty much hands-down champion of the armed blankets.

I checked out the Slanket website. I am definitely gonna get me one of these. These things are awesome!

So, half the interwebs has probably already seen this (or at least 18,957 people as of this moment in time). But it’s so cool I had to post it.



It’s “Snow” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, but with new lyrics by Palette-Swap Ninjas. I believe they also performed the song, but I’m not certain.

The video is done by a guy with no video output, and all the in-game stuff was done in custom matches with no machinima tools, so hats off to him, too.

“I fight for a better tomorrow not because I believe one is necessarily forthcoming, but because I believe a better tomorrow is worth fighting for.”



If you’ve been following my Twitter feed recently, or have received an email from me in the past couple of weeks, you may have seen this quote.

I know I’m hardly the first person to have ever felt this particular sentiment, but I’ve not heard it stated in this way.

Idealism seems to be absent from our present society. Often times, when someone states that they have an ideal of any sort, they are mocked and derided for their lofty aspirations. They are told they need to “come back down to earth”, that this is “real life”, and “that’s impossible.” Those around them, often even their close friends and loved ones, try to pull them back to a world of compromise (of self and values).

I argue that we desperately need idealism, and that the concept is misunderstood and/or undervalued. An ideal is not meant to be attained; it is meant to be pursued. It is an overarching goal, a “true north” that we can set our life compass by so that we don’t lose our way. It’s a guiding light and a distant spot on the horizon.

When driving a car, if you look only just beyond the hood, you’re going to be weaving around and having all sorts of trouble keeping on track. Your reference point is hardly a constant, leading to course corrections, each more radical than the next. You attempt to stay on the road, though you can’t tell where the road is even going.

It is only when you look to the horizon, a location far away, that your course begins to be consistent.

So is it in life. If you elect to pursue short-sighted goals, your life will be likewise short-sighted. You will lack direction, frequently and arbitrarily change course, and compromise your beliefs. You will be a double-minded person, unstable in all you do. The decision to pursue a course of action is based on if you feel like it or not. The target keeps on moving, and you keep changing direction to chase it.

The world has enough double-mindedness to last a thousand lifetimes. What we need right now are people who have ideals and the conviction needed to adhere to them, regardless of circumstances. Even when there is no hope of that ideal being realized, they still press on uncompromisingly.

An example of an idealist can be found in David, my cousin-in-law. He’s an awesome guy, and I am well-pleased that my cousin found him. I am proud to call him family.

He writes about his conviction to not eat meat here. It is an eloquent expression of his belief, the origins of said belief, and why he adheres to it. Although he fully acknowledges that his actions will not amount to more than a droplet in the comprehensive ocean of the meat industry, he is compelled to adhere to his conviction. The understanding that quite possibly no more than a handful of people will ever know about it or be affected by it does not faze him in the least, because it is a burden his heart has.

While I may not share this particular conviction, I have the utmost respect and regard for his decision. He is standing for something he believes in, being true to his heart and fighting for a better tomorrow.

We need more people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, even in the face of evident futility.

Freedom fighters fight because they believe in freedom. It is this ideal that keeps them fighting, even when they don’t see freedom happening. So should it be for us. We need to keep up the fight, not because we think we’ll win, but because the fight is worth keeping up.

In the latest “anti-terror” movement, the UK police force has seen fit to dole out another round of suspicion-mongering posters.

Their whole article reads out of something that could easily have been something Sutler’s PR spinners turned out, pre-election. I think I hear the theme song to Brazil.

Sigh, I’m done with this. It’s too easy to write about all the junk that’s going on in the world. I’m not really a negative person by nature. And besides, it’s not so much an amalgamation of sundries and miscellany when most of the words on this site (especially in the past two weeks) have been used to explain or express unhappiness with the current state of the world.

Look for some lighter-side stuff to come.

Haven’t played it, heard it was good.

Final rating: 8.5/10.