GORE

* If you don't know why this post is up go here for the History lesson. *
The information here by itself is insignificant. But when you consider the history, you see another picture. I don't care who watches porn, or swears or any of these other things. I do some of them myself. But when you put this information in context, it makes you ask questions.
Every bit of information here is completely factual. Links are provided, see for yourself. The forum may be down pretty quick though.


In the Great Falls Tribune, on Nov 3 2000, Justice of the Peace Sam Harris stated “I feel the public has a right to know what’s going on in the county with our elected officials.”

The canons of judicial ethics state a judge “should avoid infractions of law; his personal behavior, not only upon the bench and in the performance of judicial duties, but also in his everyday life, should be beyond reproach,” and “In every particular his conduct should be above reproach”.


“ What we think is who we are” says Sam, a Judge from Great Falls who regularly plays an online game called GORE.

GORE is what one calls a "first person shooter," or FPS. It is a game where what you see on the screen is what your character in the game would see. That usually includes the business end of a weapon pointing away from you as you wander around the game's environment shooting and blowing up anybody and anything in your path. Further, GORE can be played online. As is common with these games, in order to generate or maintain interest, the game's developers maintain forums or message boards where the players of the game (or anyone else who is interested) can sign up and go online to hold discussions about the game or anything else that strikes their fancy. The folks who brought us GORE have such a forum. This is a public forum. you do not have to log in to read it, only to post on it.

This is a profile of Sam, a Judge from Great Falls. I know that Sam from the GORE forums posted Sam Harris's primary election results this last June.
I know that Sam from the GORE forums said " TBH (to be honest) teh last time I got gay porn off a guy's computer it cost me 2 years of my life and ended with teh guy hanging himself."
I know he said “ I am one of the only players that ALWAYS uses my own name. Whether you like me or not, you know who it is you are playing against. I got nothing to hide.”

But I do not know that this is the same man that said “The extent of his addiction is shocking” when defending his public exposure of Mike Smartt viewing pornographic images on a county owned computer. Harris stated in his complaint that as a result of viewing gay porn on Smartt’s computer he had trouble concentrating at work, and got upset each time he saw Smartt. “My stomach has been upset and I’m having trouble sleeping”

Sounds like a pretty sensitive guy, nothing like online Sam, who doesn’t mind talking about porn and who, in his own words, has pretty thick skin.

October 6, 2004, Sam learns his friend, Doghouse, had knee surgery: "Take care, Dog. Use you recovery time to play video games and watch porn."

“You gotta do a lot better than putz to hurt my feelings -- I get called dirty names all day Pretty thick skin, tbh. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm a little hurt that you called me a putz. I knew I was an asshole, was unclear about my putzery.”

And online Sam has this to say about how much he time he spends playing GORE.
“lol at anyone saying I don't play much. 1 to 6 hours a day for YEARS.”
But that wouldn’t be considered an addiction, would it? Perhaps more of a religious experience?

October 29, 2003, "I have gotten 2 years and approximately 1.4 million hours of gameplay out of Gore for a cost of $17. It is teh best game ever created. I will buy anything 4D puts in a box just because of that. Joel can make my money for giving me this game. If Gore II comes out, well, that is like teh 2nd coming of Jesus. It is very good." And that was in ‘03, so now it is 5 years.

Speaking of religion, online Sam says
"I say "fairly" hot because teh bible says some BS about not coveting thy neighbors wife. Since Dog is in my clan, I gotta think he doesn't really want me doing alot of coveting, you know?" November 13, 2003


Sam on the game feels that he can discuss just about anything.
In a thread about how long you should know some one before getting married he states:
“well, I think teh 15 minutes it takes to get teh license and $50 to $100 for Sam is long enuf for someone to get to know someone else well enuf to marry. Of course, I get paid to do teh weddings for such fools. If they are not paying me, then I think it takes longer.”

But a real Judge would never say something like this - would he? Not over a car being vandalized! September 19, 2006, "Put him in a coulee, imo. (in my opinion)" The next day, September 20, 2006, Sam expands on his suggestion: "A coulee is a small valley or ravine. He should be dead before u put him there, or else he may crawl away, thereby causing u troubles. Also, you should place some big rocks on him so coyotes do not drag his bones around for hunters to find (also causing u troubles)."

Online Sam cares about his online friends.
”The reaso for the drop-off in CTF players teh last couple of days is that I am out of town and no one likes to play without Sam.I know it hurts teh game, that is why I don't leave often.”

And he has good self esteem.”I read your reply to my post and realized I may be a little off base. I took your advice and took a good look in the mirror. I looked and looked, then I thought "Damn, I'm good lookin' and I really go da skillz, and that Leo is still fulla sh*t and screwing up his kids letting them play violent games in a nasty atmosphere online."lol and piss off again. :p”
Violent games in a nasty atmosphere? And he doesn’t leave often because it hurts the game?

This is from a newspaper article regarding Harris sexual harassment complaint.

“Throughout the next few days, Harris returned to Smartt’s chambers and monitored any new internet activity. At some point during this time, Harris took digital photographs of the temporary internet files on Smartt’s computer that recorded website access beginning in August 2000”.

This is a statement from online Sam
“I think you would find that Montana is one of teh strongest states in teh union for personal rights. Our right to privacy is far stronger than your federal rights. However, we don't tolerate BS that serves no other purpose than sticking it to someone else.”
Hmm. Right to privacy? I wonder how online Sam would feel about Sam Harris’ actions?

Well, here is a tidbit from just the other day. I find myself agreeing with several of the points he makes. He is talking about Clinton.

9-26-2006 “I want honor in my president. I don't mind if the bus driver is getting a blow job under the table, but I don't want that out of my president. And I damn sure don't want a president that lies about it. When I screw up, I admit it. I put it in black and white in plain english. Period. I would never disrespect my own office by lying. And I cannot respect any official, especially the highest official, that lies.”

He comes back later to clarify.
9-26-06
"Sam says character counts.The leader that will lie to the one he loves most, betray the one he loves most, and cheat the one he loves most, clearly puts his own short-term gratification above the well-being of the one he loves the most. As a leader, I expect him to put the citizens' needs above his own. A man who would betray his wife in this fashion, certainly will not put my needs above his. He will act for my good when it happens to be consistent with what is necessary for his good. When those two diverge, he will choose his own good over mine. A public servant must choose the public good over his personal needs. I believe that the president's sex life is my business for that reason.
It reflects on his character. Also, he did not just lie. He lied under oath. He violated his ethics as an attorney.
This is UNACCEPTABLE in Samworld. This is not an ordinary lie."

Yep, character counts. I’ll agree with that.

Well I asked,

and some of you answered. I appreciate all the responses to my last post.
I don't think we expect our leaders to be lily white, we expect them to hold our values, and Live by them. I would hazard a guess that often it is some form of the media that really gets the public in an uproar about the actions of those in power. Because that is how the general public gets information.
Is blogging a form of the media?
I know for a fact that someone from the Great Falls Tribune has been reading here... from some of the comments on GeeGuys site, I believe there are many people that have knowedge of some of the more, ah, unsavory aspects of certain politics in our little town. But I did not know.
I am disapointed.
If I didn't blog I would not know what I know now.

I feel I should post something..

but I am drawing a blank as to what.
A picture was suggested by one fellow, but he also recently made a comment as to the pictures I have posted in the past, so.

You have probably all noticed the story over at Electric City Weblog. GeeGuy keeps throwing credit my way, so I thought I should post something. First off, keep reading. It gets way better!

This whole deal, and the politics that surround us as election time draws near, have made me think about the scrutiny our public officials are under. Living under a microscope as it were, every action examined for it's adherence to what is considered right and proper.
So what is your opinion.

Should our public officials be held to a higher moral and ethical standard than the common man?
Or should we just figure that they are human, and have flaws?

Well.

Despite having plenty of things to do, I am not doing them. I am sitting here to share a tale with all of you.
On Wednesday night a 12 year old boy went to the park with a friend. He was suposed to be home around 7:30. At approximately 7:45 his mother got a call from the police dept. that he had been bitten by a dog, but had refused medical care, so no official presence was dispatched to the scene. The concerned mother asked where her son was, and where this had happened, but was told that dispatch did not know. Near his home the boy had said. So she jumped in her car and went looking for him. When the boy was located, he was fairly shaken up, and told his mother, in a confused and sporadic way, of riding his skateboard down the street, seeing the dog, being attacked and knocked off the board, getting up, knocked down again, and bitten. People heard his yells and came to help, catching the dog, calling the authorities etc. He was just leaving the place this had happened.
Mother and son went home, cleaned the wound, called the ER for advice on treatment, and then returned to the scene to make sure the dog was going to remain incarcerated until Animal Control picked it up.
After a conversation with the people who had custody of the dog, the mother, having a suspicious nature, called back to dispatch to confirm what she had been told, and found that yes, the story checked out, and everyone was aware of where the dog was.
A quick trip for ice cream -medicinal, to calm the nerves- mother and child returned home, and life continued it's journey forward.
Everyone is doing well, the young man is sore, but not too traumatized, the dog and owner are paying the price for the sad series of events. However, the mother is still a bit upset by something in this story.
Can you figure out why she is upset?

I have not been my self lately

But I don't know who I've been.

TSJ has a hot and heavy discussion going on. We also seem to have a relatively new blogger who chose to jump in with both feet. Interesting.
While I can appreciate and sympathize with the police officers and residents who have to live with this problem, I cannot condone the way they have chosen to combat it. They appear to have no problem punishing, in effect, the entire city for the crimes of a few.
Perhaps it might be better to target these people and their actions instead of the industry and the stores?
Is there an ordinance in this city concerning panhandeling? Is there a policy concerning vagrants? Is there a policy concerning public intoxication?
I respectfully submit that these are problems that need to be addressed, before making an attempt at changing the way every convienence store, grocery store and beer distributor do their business. If I want to buy a single beer, the actions of someone else should not force me to buy a six pack.
If I get drunk (on one beer!) and run down the street naked, screaming obsenities, and breaking out windows with a baseball bat, I would expect to go to jail. I would have committed a crime you see, and should be punished. But buying one beer is not a crime, so why should it affect my life?

Choices

I generally dislike conflict. But at times it is unavoidable. I have a habit of second guessing myself, and often I am full of doubt. I overthink things and end up doing nothing as a result, or take the easy way, so it is easier on others. I think of things that make me happy, and those that make me sad, and try to find a medium I can live with. But when am I more important than those around me? Where is the line, and how do I find it. When is it time to say enough, when it impacts so much more than just me?

Another Friday night.

My girl has been lovin' school! She is kinda shy, but her teacher is great, and she is really starting to get with it. I talk to the teacher every day, and get the lowdown on what's up. She is EXCITED about homework!
My boy is very outgoing, always in the middle of everything. (Like the group of kids that talk to much in class!) I ask how his day was, then I ask if he got in trouble. Good so far this year. He has never actually done anything bad, just boy stuff. Then they give them these "reteaching " things to fill out.
What did you do wrong? talked to much.
Why was this wrong? the teacher didn't like it.
What will you do next time to avoid filling out this stupid form? not get caught.
Yeah, that works.
Screw around in class and you get to face Pissed off DAD! Hey, that really does work!

By the time I started school, I could get decent grades without actually studying, so I didn't. Except for math, hated that. Junior History the teacher got mad at me I was so far ahead in the textbook. Loved history. I was scared of foreign languages though, so I got out of that whole thing. I took enough other electives they didn't push it. Now I think about it, and I wish I had actually made an effort in school. And gone to college... And stuff. But I didn't.
Oh well! Hindsight and all that.

Casinos

are EVIL! They pull normal people, good and virtious, in off the streets, strip them of their money, and morals, their common decency and free will, and spit them out the exit, bereft of morality, with nothing but a life of crime, drugs and degradation left before them. The flames of hell are fueled by casino signs. Lets ban them!

Pawn shops are evil. They fuel the thirst that is quenched at the keno machines, their only purpose to take the possessions of those that have no other place to turn. They multiply, for no other reason than to support the decadent lifestyle of gamblers.

Fast food restaurants? Obesity is an epidemic in this country. People cannot be allowed to live like this! We must do something! Big tobacco is forcing people to smoke, using underhanded tacticts to influence the ignorant and illiterate, because who else would not know smoking can kill you! You cannot put that store there, someone may not like it! You cannot use those words, someone may get insulted! We cannot allow this free enterprise, freedom of choice, personal responsibility claptrap to continue, our citizens are obviously not able to determine right and wrong for themselves, cannot take responsibility for themselves. Let's legislate, regulate, hand over all choice to the government, it will take care of us!

There is an image in my mind, of Utopia, a perfect place, where every man is equal, and has no more and no less than his neighbor. I can almost make it out, a hazy image, a memory behind a misty gray curtain...

Just getting around to this..

Well, I didn't make it to Blues and Brews. I was stressed out, tired of my life, and just wanted to get out of the house and not think about anything for a while.
So I called a girl I know, and asked if she wanted to go listen to some music, drink a few beers and unwind, since I know her life is a lot like mine. Two girls, goin' out. Well, then my sister called, she was coming to town. So she is going too, which is fine, I kinda like her. Then the other sister wants to go to, since we hardly ever do anything together. O.K. So now we have four women. Mercy.
Well, none of us have a whole lot of money, and we were not sure if B&B was gonna be the thing, so after many phone calls (where do you want to go? I dunno, where do you want to go?? I don't care, this isn't a big deal, make up your frikkin mind!) I was like, let's just start hitting bars with live music till we find something decent!
So the first place we went was pretty bad. The band did NO sound check, were blowing fuses in equipment before the first song was over, and then the half decent female singer sat down so the male bass player could sing a Patsy Cline song! I was so outta there. Luckily, the others agreed.
The next place was a bar I used to go to in that other life, you know, before I had kids and stuff. Sister #2 had heard that it was a thrash metal band, so we didn't figure on staying long. But that band was tearing down when we got there, and the next one was pretty good. Very good mix of music, competent singer, good guitars, etc.
I got to see a whole new side to my friend, which was cool, she turned out to be alot of fun! The sisters had to go about midnight, they were worried about turning into pumpkins or something.
Ended up getting to know the band, which is always cool, dancing a bit, drinking to much, and getting to bed way too late. Then, after about 3.5 hours of sleep I, like a dumbass, got up and spent the day on the boat. The hangover did not go away, it just rolled over into Sunday!
But it was fun. I may have the urge to do it again. Someday.

Cool

The Harley Run for 9/11 just went by.
Awesomely cool.
Just thought I would share that.

9-11

I was running a little late getting the boy to school, and I was still moving slow from the C-section. The Other Half was out of the house by 7:15 and I didn’t have the T.V. on, so I was unaware of anything until after I dropped my son off and was on the way home. Flipping through the radio stations, I heard a news reporter, and the first thing I noticed was the real emotion in his voice, it made me listen.
It made me hear that a plane had just crashed into a building in New York. Still on maternity leave, I was back at home to see the T.V. coverage, reporters near tears, devastating carnage and pain as the towers fell and crushed a nation. I was filled with horror, and grief and a deep rage that anyone would dare do this to us. I cuddled my baby girl and cried for all the pain and sorrow in the world that beautiful morning. My husband called, furious, filled with the urge to do something, anything, frustrated that he was powerless to strike back in the face of this affront to our country.
I watched the towers fall, and people die, and live, heard of the plane that crashed in that empty field. I grieved for those that died there, but rejoiced that there were people that took action, refused to give in and died for the lives of strangers.
I saw a plane crash into the Pentagon, and the grief and fury grew. I watched heroes rise and fall, ordinary men and women doing what needed to be done, with the strength of their pride in this country and love of life bearing them through the pain and fear of that dark day.
I watched the sun set over the rubble of two buildings, battered and burning, hunched over the crumpled bodies of people who never saw the hate and insanity flying out of the blue skies that day.

And the Flag flew, and Freedom did not die.

The pain and the rage are cushioned by time, but the empty places in so many lives will never be filled. For all the children who lost fathers and mothers, for all those who lost sisters, brothers, friends, for the brave men and women who gave their lives that day We Must Never Forget.

PSA

As most of you know, B & B loan and rental was destroyed by fire on Sept 6th.
However after a hectic couple of days, they are now open at 201 2nd ave S., the old E-Z rent building.

That is all.

Just wondering...

Is anybody going to Blues and Brews? Should be pretty good this year.

Of mice and men

I was thinking about how women hate mice. Well, except me. But is it really just women? Are girls allowed to scream, and jump on the chair, just because they are girls? How many men out there would scream Eeeekkkk! And run, if it was considered OK for men to be scared of mice?
Is this something that has evolved over time, like the ability to walk in high heels? The manly man protects the woman, saves her from the tiny furry creature, (that is bent on ravaging her toes, and other lower portions?) and has her everlasting gratitude. They probably fall in love and live happily ever after.
But if he said Crap, a mouse, deal with it yourself, I’m going to get a beer, I hate those little bastards more than you, all his friends would all laugh, and make fun, and he would end up a sad, lonely, old man, with no children and no one to love him.
So he knows he must take care of the damn mouse.
Just for the record, there is a special breed out there, the men that can admit to being afraid of mice, or spiders, but have so many other redeeming manly qualities that they can still function. However, they only actually admit this fear to women, so when said women inevitably bring it up in conversation they can act patronizing, and lead the other men to believe they only say such things to get laid, and make the girls feel better…

What say you? Any opinions?

So to whomever recommended the Alice White merlot- Thank you.
Very nice. Full rich flavor. Very little of the mouth puckering dryness, which I quite disprove of in my wine.

Damn, had another picture, but Blogger is giving me crap. Maybe later.

Say what?

So I got this in one of my less secret E-mail addresses.

Dear Ms. Firefly,

Thank you for your supportive comments regarding the development of American oil and gas resources. It is a pleasure to hear from you.

What comments? How did you hear from me? I have never e-mailed any political entity.

Like you, I believe it is vital to increase and diversify our domestic production to include the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and our American-owned offshore assets. Developing these American-owned resources will strengthen our economy and energy security while protecting consumer's pocketbooks. ANWR is one part of a comprehensive national energy policy that will strengthen our overall national security and energy independence. Energy development in ANWR will boost North Slope oil production, lower oil prices, and create many jobs in Alaska and elsewhere in the United States .

Like me? Now you are agreeing with an e-mail from me that I never sent, telling you things I may not agree with?

On August 1, 2006, I voted for and the Senate passed S. 3711, a bill to enhance the energy independence and security of the United States by providing for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources in the Gulf of Mexico, by a vote of 71-25. This bill provides for opening more than 8.3 million acres of American-owned territory in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing, while maintaining a 125-mile buffer zone in waters around the Florida coast. As you are well aware, the prices of oil and natural gas have skyrocketed over the past few years. It is estimated that 1.26 billion barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas may be domestically recovered from this area. Opening up this area to domestic energy development would directly increase available U.S. energy supplies, which would reduce foreign and domestic energy prices. This bill will now go to a joint House-Senate conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate passed versions.

Uh, so how soon is the price of gas going down?

Thanks again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact my office with any other questions or concerns that you may have.

I didn't contact you! But now I will! Your office will hear my concerns about unsolicited political e-mails telling me I agree with things I may not agree with!

Sincerely,Conrad BurnsUnited States Senator*DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. For future correspondence please refer please refer to my website at http://burns.senate.gov/contact*If you would like periodic email updates on important issues for Montana, please sign up for my newsletter at http://burns.senate.gov/newsletter to my website at http://burns.senate.gov/contact

And I will damn well reply to this damn message if I damn well want to. Putting it in all caps doesn't scare me!
And don't you dare put me on your e-mail list, even though I'm probably already paying for that, like the nice flyers you send in the mail, that say right on them "payed for with taxpayer money."

5 things I know.

I hate my car.

I need to teach the boy to take pictures.

I am totally bored right now.

Shopping SUCKS.

Clothes for little tiny people should not cost as much as clothes for big people.