Pink Eyed Jim’s Blog

Guess who totally forgot that today was Friday, and therefore forgot that it was Free For All Friday?

If you guessed me, you guessed right.

Well, I’m fixing that as of right now. Once this is posted, you will be able to do the normal FFAF procedure, which, if you’re not familiar, is:

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to http://www.pinkeyedjim.com/wp-register.php (If you already have an account, or wish to use the guest account, go to http://www.pinkeyedjim.com/wp-login.php.)
2. Register an account. If you don’t want to register (but I strongly urge you to do so), feel free to use the guest account below.
3. If you want to post but not register :Login/Password: guest/freeforall
4. Click on the “Write” tab on the top left of your screen
5. Enter a title, check the box for the category “Free for All.” Make sure all other categories are unchecked
6. Type what you want to type in the box called “Post”
7. When you’re done, click “Publish”

Rules:

1. Please keep it somewhat clean…if you don’t think I would post it, don’t. God forbid if I find spam or (non-free) porn links…
2. Feel free to link your blog or site, so long as it’s not the sort of site that would get you in trouble regarding rule #1…
3. I reserve the right to edit/delete inappropriate posts (or those with really obvious spelling mistakes)
4. Do not edit the guest user profile or I will eat your children.
5. Have fun!
6. Check out some of the other cool FFAF blogs.

Update: Any Minute Now!
Two days ago, I mentioned that I had ordered my four foot interchanger pipe. Well, it shipped last night, and according to the UPS tracking site, it is now in Lenexa, KS. I’d like to say a big “Hi” to the workers at the UPS facility in Lenexa, “Have a happy New Year, guys and gals” and I hope you guy help make my new year happy by being nice and gentle to my baby.

She left Silverthorne, CO (shoutout lolzorz!) at 5:34 AM this morning, and made it to Lenexa, KS by 7:30 PM. Total distance: 663 miles.

With any luck in the next two days, it will find it’s way the 1,180 miles to my house. I’d love to hit my four footer on New Year’s Eve. Keep your fingers crossed.

As of now, www.pinkeyedjim.com is running wordpress 2.0. It’s working really well so far, and I love the new admin backend. I still can’t get Adhesive to work on my blog for the life of me, so who knows what I’ll do about this month’s Free for All Friday?

Sirius for my Dad
Well folks, my Christmas was officially a success. For the first time in about four years, I was able to afford to buy my father a gift, AND I had a perfect idea of what to get him. My dad’s a really big fan of a certain “King of All Media” and now has no way to listen to his show. Luckily for me, Sirius Radio had a great special on their Sirius One Radio with a $30 Programming Gift Card (note to my dad: Don’t click that link unless you want to know how much I spent on your Christmas Present). I got him this package as well as another $30 programming gift card. I just hope that he’ll get it in time for the January 9th premiere. This was actually the first time in my life where I was able to get a really great gift for my dad, and it was one of the high points of my Christmas.

A Four-Footer-Fix for Me

Update: This has shipped. Story here.
I also got a nice $100 Simon Visa Debit Card, which I spent (wisely?) at this wonderful online shop that I found called “High Alititude,” which is the online store connected to a head shop in Breckenridge, CO and sits at an elevation of 9,600 feet (about 1.75 miles) above sea level. I bought this 4-foot glass tube with the Original Interchanger Spin Lock system to replace the one that we broke this past summer. I splurged for UPS 2 day air in hopes that I can have my four-footer up and running again by New Year’s Eve.
I found this store by doing a Google search for “Original Interchanger” after a year of searching and getting no real results (other than some kids in some fourm somewhere talking about these pipes). This November, High Altitude was listed for those keywords, and they actually carried the products! Needless to say, I was excited and looked all over the site; they had a 3 foot tube, but no 4 foot tube. I shot off an email to the company through their web form and within hours I had recived a response:

I’m a sucker for speedy and polite customer service. So when I was actually in the market for this product (over a month later) I made sure to order from this company and tell my readers about this company. If their shipping is as fast as their web customer service was, I’ll be inclined to say that this store is quite possibly the best online retailer I’ve ever done business with.

I’ll keep you posted.

This has long been a member of the “Should I take this?” tribe of questions.

I never could figure this one out, but for some reason there are still many travelers roaming the globe without travel locks. I must have missed something because I was under the firm impression that having a travel lock packed for the journey was an event fueled by common knowledge.

With that being said, I feel the need to take this chance to explain the importance of this inexpensive nightmare prevention device known as the “travel lock”.

Let’s be honest though, we have to admit that a travel lock is simply a small padlock with a different name. Make no mistake this is not some kind of super special supped up version of the regular padlock, rather, this is the exact same thing.

Either way, it is a vital item that needs to be added to your list of things required.

A travel lock is simple, small and usually very light if even noticeable. Travel locks can be found quite affordable in most cases. As an added bonus, the low cost does not at all sacrifice durability of the product itself. Again, we’re talking about a padlock here.

To sum it up… travel locks are there to operate as a “car alarm” for your backpack.

I’ve known a few backpackers who have had packs searched while asleep and the end result was not at all one of delight.

In my opinion, every precaution that you can take that will help make your journey run smoothly is worth the time and money involved if it is within reason.

At an average cost of only $5.00, you have to ask yourself… why not?

Article Source - http://www.backpackearth.com

I know this is quite late, but the fact that I’m managing to get this list together at all is quite an achievement. If anybody wants to buy a gift for a special blogger, check out the stuff in this article.

Of course I want an iPod. I specifically like this 60 Gig model for $269.99 plus $9.99 shipping.

I love products made from hemp. I really want hemp jeans. Orvis has these snazzy looking hemp jeans for $98.00. I take a 38 waist and like the blue color, thank you very much.

The only thing better than hemp jeans are hemp shoes. I have Journeys’ Hemp Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, in the natural finish. I want the Green/Parchment as well.

These All Stars aren’t hemp, but they’re damn sexy anyway.

This hemp tee is pretty cool too. I’d love one. And it’s only $9.99 right now!

I’m a huge Gary Larson fan, and I love The Far Side. Naturally, I’ve been salivating over The Complete Far Side for a while now.

This HP Digital Camera has a 6.2 megapixel resolution and a 30 fps video mode. This would more than fufill my needs. Plus it’s only $269.99.

I ABSOFUCKINGLOUTELY want this Nederland Soccer Jacket. $79.99, I’m an XL.

I pretty much randomly decided the other day that I’d like a speed bag. This kit over at The Sports Authority seems like a good place to start, and only $39.99.

Remember folks, only three more shopping days left!

In a speech today, President Bush defended the secret wiretap program. He says that spying on citizens is legal, that he’s not guilty of using “unchecked power,” and that those who blew the lid on this program are shameful.

Hold on a minute.

(Jim loudly slaps himself across the face)

Ok, I’m back.

Seriously folks, I can see the scenario now…

It is mid-September, 2001. George W. Bush is in his office (yes, the oval one) wracking his brain to come up with the best way to protect the nation in the light of the recent attacks. He’s had little sleep since the 11th, so he dozes a bit at his desk as he thinks.

“I’ve got it,” he says, “we can set up a program where we can listen in on the phone conversations of suspected terrorists. They can’t know we’re doing it of course, otherwise it’ll ruin the surprise and the terrorists might not use the phones to talk about sensitive information anymore. So we’ll have to keep this one a teensy little secret. We can’t even tell the judges who would normally sign our warrants, because we don’t know if they’re terrorists.”

He lowers his pen and begins to jot down a few notes…

Has this guy never heard of “due process” before?

Has the man who claims to be such a true American patriot really fallen this out of touch with our forefathers’ views of what governments should and shouldn’t be able to do to their citizens?

Of course what irks me most of all about this whole thing is that Bush now has the unmitigated gall to suggest that those who broke this story are a shameful lot.

Excuse me?

I thought our press was supposed to be free. According to the Reuters article, the New York Times knew about this, but kept the program confidential for over a year before running the story. I’m mad that even that happened.

Who are these people at the New York Times to decide to keep information out of the hands of the United State’s citizens? I thought journalists were supposed to report the truth, regardless of the sensitivity of said truth. How much longer was the New York Times going to let our government spy on its citizens illegally before they printed it? How long were they willing to let the government do its thing without our notice?

Nobody gives a shit about the average American citizen anymore. Not our government, not our press, not even most “average American citizens.”