Virginia Irritating Criminal Background Check System

I already know the problem here: I'm not a criminal, so I must not qualify for the "instant" part.

in·stant 
[in-stuhnt]
noun
1. an infinitesimal or very short space of time; a moment: They arrived not an instant too soon.
2. the point of time now present or present with reference to some action or event.

Considering that the word doesn't match reality in regards to the situation here, I have substituted a more descriptive word for the system. If you still don't see why people like myself bitch about these background checks, let me just direct you to the information page for Virginia's VCHECK system:

This program became operational on November 1, 1989, and provides for a timely, point-of-sale, approval or disapproval decision regarding the sale or transfer of all firearms (except antiques) based upon the results of a criminal history record information (CHRI) check concerning the prospective purchaser pursuant to§18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia.

Emphasis mine. The VSP cannot now say that their background check system is timely, because my transaction last night was not approved before the store closed, thus violating the point-of-sale stipulation. Furthermore, if there isn't an approval or disapproval decision, the system has failed to work as required.

I heard from the dealer that ran the background check for my HK P30 last night that delays in the state were so bad, gun shows were reporting a 50% loss on sales. The VCDL is reporting significant hangups as well. I guess Tim Kaine got what he wanted after all, as I now have a gun that's paid for but not in my hands because of bureaucratic red tape. Way to go. But if it catches one violent criminal, it's all worth it, right? (That's a joke)

Can anyone in the class explain to me how a vague, half-assed system intended to catch a criminal for a crime they may or may not commit is not as destructive as inhibiting lawful commerce and transfer of property? Anyone?

"Oh, but CTone, what if some badguy was trying to buy a handgun to go on a murder spree; wouldn't you want them to be delayed or denied?" I'll answer that right after you answer this: what if a soccer mom was trying to buy a handgun to protect herself from her already armed ex-spouse who has intent to do her serious bodily harm or kill her? Is it fine and dandy for her to be delayed to? Which scenario do you think happens more often? The "what if" game cuts both ways, and I highly doubt these background check systems actually help convict criminals. Fortunately, there's a push to rid Virginia of their redundant, needless, and ineffective system, and I can only hope that with time, the nation will shed this ludicrous idea of pre-criminalizing persons for crimes they haven't committed.

Video game blogging

Aaaaaaaand Battlefield 3 is. . . . .

Terrible.

This game sucks so bad I doubt I will even finish it. I just quit playing not only for the gheyness, but also because it's boring. I'm a first person shooter type of gamer, and I'm known for being able to love the bitter with the sweet, but this game is bad. I don't have many positives here, so I'll tell it like it is.

The storyline sucks. The structure is so rigid that if you stray too far looking for cover you will be DQ'd. Bad guys appear out of thin air; you can watch this happen so much that it becomes something you start counting, like a pet word or someone who knifehands when they talk. Oftentimes your weapon has zero effect, like there's a glitch that keeps the game from acknowledging your hits.

Worst of all, there's these little story/video clips in almost every mission where you are 98% detached from what is going on, but are obligated to hit a random button every five seconds or so to keep from getting your ass kicked by some Iranian or Russian dude. The developers couldn't figure out how to make your character fight like a real Marine, so they make you watch it happen, and if you don't realize what's going on you will get stabbed to death. They should have left that stuff out; or at the very least, if you're going to add a fighting part into the game, give me some real controls so I can fight. Don't make me watch ten seconds of a struggle, and then quickly flash the "B" button and expect me to pick up the signal that I'm supposed to be interacting.

The entire game is senseless like that. The execution of it is as bad as it gets. The graphics are good, and the weapons are pretty cool. The rest sucks. It's my opinion, but I note again that I am the guy who plays the devil's advocate and sees both sides of everything. This game is not worth your time.

ETA: I don't have the time to play multiplayer online, so I stick with the campaign. I can't speak for multiplayer, but I think the campaign is garbage.

ETA2: What this bloke said. And I'm not even done listening because the wife and kids want my time. Wives in general have no clue as to what video gaming is all about. But that's ok; you are loved just the same.

ETA3: Kids are in bed, so I gave it another shot. Now it's not just ghey, but it's preposterously ghey. There's a scene where an enemy jet is engaging your Recon team, and it must be hyper realistic because it doesn't matter what you do, that jet will kill you. It can apparently shoot through anything, so there's no point in hiding. The game is super scripted, which is not what I would have expected from Battlefield. Y'all are slipping!

Back to the grind

Memorial Day weekend in the CTone family was spent with the little ones at Virginia Beach. We all had a blast, and it was a lot of work. Keeping three toddlers out of trouble was interesting to say the least, but it was worth it:



I saw on Drudge last night that it was mayhem in Miami, Myrtle Beach, Boston, and other touristy coastal venues over the weekend. Not so at VAB. It was certainly crowded, but everybody was super nice. My wife and I managed to keep the kids busy, and not hang out in the hotel. Since my laptop died on the first morning we were there, I had to find out via trial-and-error whether the VAB Zoo and the VAB Aquarium were Gun Free Victim Pastures; they were not. It was a comforting thing too; the VAB Zoo is not in a friendly part of town, and some parts of the Hampton Roads area is sketchy.

I was pleased that my trusty Kel-Tec didn't rust at all while sitting in my bag on the sand. Not that I thought I would need it, but it was nice to know it was there. My shiny new Spyderco Pacific Salt with its H1 steel was the perfect folding blade for the weekend as well. It rode faithfully in my swim trunks in the ocean every day, and got rinsed off passively in the highly chlorinated hotel pool; a pretty harsh environment all around for a piece of steel. On the last evening we were there, I finally rinsed off all the crunchy sand it had accumulated in the sink at the hotel, and there wasn't a hint of corrosion. Last night I put it on a stone for the first time to get rid of the factory edge, and it honed up well. Mike Janich had mentioned that H1 steel work hardens, and that over time as you sharpen it the edge will get better and better. I was amazed at how sharp it got last night on my first try, and it didn't take long. Not just hair popping, but face shaving sharp. Just the ticket for an EDC blade that does a great deal of light work:



I haven't put it into anything tough yet, but it slices through carboard just fine, and works great at making PB&J sandwiches.

I'm still waiting on the barrel for my MK12 Mod 0 build, and I owe a picture of how that's going. I'll do that tonight if I have a chance. I am also now on the hunt for a computer that lasts more than a month or two. My dead ASUS that had fried its last hard drive will soon meet its fate to the tune of a box or two of shotgun shells and some gasoline and matches. Maybe I'll take some pictures of that too.

Technology Super Fail

Blogging from the shattered screen of my Samsung Captivate, I must apologize for the lack of activity as of late. Despite being busier than Ive ever been, all electronic devices within a six foot radius of me have taken a colloctive bed-shitting, which counts as the paramount reason why I have not been blogging. My laptop with its shiny new hard drive(its third in two years) has given up the ghost yet again; this time within a month of its rebuild. Orbitz gave me an error for three days on my travel itinerary, but I was smart and saved the original email on my work email account on my phone. By the time I got my phone to send it to my yahoo account, it had arroused my anger to terminal levels. Blogging will continue when I can find electronic technology that does not suck.