Quit chewing tobacco...
General | Posted 14 years agoExactly what it sounds like, the last time I had any chewing tobacco was the day before Anthrocon, I'd say I officially consider that I have quit.
Worker, friend, furry... thief?
General | Posted 14 years agoSo technically last night I stole the keys to a government vehicle! YAY!
Don't worry I'm not in trouble or anything, I had to go back out to lock something in my (gov't) Suburban, it was a lotta hours into overtime, and for whatever reason I picked up the keys to a Ford pickup and put them in my belt, I had the keys to the Suburban in my hand, the keys had been sitting on my supervisors desk.
Anyway I lock the stuff in my Suburban and hand the keys to that back in, and drive home, I stop at a circle K to pick up a Rockstar for the morning, and notice a set of G-ride keys on my belt. Awww crap.. quick phonecall later, yeah, I have the keys to a coworkers ride. I was advised to just drop them off today when I go into work, no big deal, stuff happens when you are running on caffeine and autopilot.
LOL
Don't worry I'm not in trouble or anything, I had to go back out to lock something in my (gov't) Suburban, it was a lotta hours into overtime, and for whatever reason I picked up the keys to a Ford pickup and put them in my belt, I had the keys to the Suburban in my hand, the keys had been sitting on my supervisors desk.
Anyway I lock the stuff in my Suburban and hand the keys to that back in, and drive home, I stop at a circle K to pick up a Rockstar for the morning, and notice a set of G-ride keys on my belt. Awww crap.. quick phonecall later, yeah, I have the keys to a coworkers ride. I was advised to just drop them off today when I go into work, no big deal, stuff happens when you are running on caffeine and autopilot.
LOL
Journal of boredom
General | Posted 14 years agoSo yes, I'm bored. My surviellance truck is covered in moths bigger than my hand.
I feel bad for the thief I tracked down, not very bad mind, what he did was a real blemish on furrydom, I can understand, even though I mislike it greatly, a general lack of virtue. I admit that, but you do not steal from your own. That's treachery, it's my job to catch people who break the law,'society punishes them or it does not, this isn't my concern, still, sometimes I feel an ache over it.
Funny that I didn't feel so bad sending a member of MS13 back to El Salvador where he will certainly be killed by his former associates. Then again he was an unrepentant murderer.
Strange thoughts on spookily quiet and dark nights.
I feel bad for the thief I tracked down, not very bad mind, what he did was a real blemish on furrydom, I can understand, even though I mislike it greatly, a general lack of virtue. I admit that, but you do not steal from your own. That's treachery, it's my job to catch people who break the law,'society punishes them or it does not, this isn't my concern, still, sometimes I feel an ache over it.
Funny that I didn't feel so bad sending a member of MS13 back to El Salvador where he will certainly be killed by his former associates. Then again he was an unrepentant murderer.
Strange thoughts on spookily quiet and dark nights.
Game of Thrones...
General | Posted 14 years agoOh god, I have been hearing about this show _EVERYWHERE_ so I finally decided to go over to my friends house and check it out... I don't have Cable you see, I figure I spend less than 40 waking hours or so outside work every week and I try not to spend it glued to TV. So I went to this friends house and he put it on the internet, which apparently you can do now with HBO if you have cable. I think that's great. I brought over a bottle of Lagavulin 12 year old scotch and the last of the white wine we didn't give away(more on that later, I hope), and didn't wind up touching either, actually I also barely ate or spoke for 7 hours. That show is incredible. What I love most about "Game of Thrones" is ironically exactly what I hated about "Master and Commander: the other side of the world", In that it drops you in what seems to be the middle of the damned story, and just expects you to piece together and make some kind of sense of WTF is going on. Its like a literal brain game, the characters are original, and the ones you think you should hate become rather quickly some of the most endearing.
If you aren't watching this show, you aught to start, IMHO.
If you aren't watching this show, you aught to start, IMHO.
I need to learn to stop being an asshole.
General | Posted 14 years agoI was a cockend in a situation where I was nervous about something going on.
Now I'm incredibly neurotic about it.
I need to A. Learn to stop being so neurotic
and B. Learn to be quiet when I should be quiet, loud when I should be loud, and enforce myself only when it is necessary.
Now I'm incredibly neurotic about it.
I need to A. Learn to stop being so neurotic
and B. Learn to be quiet when I should be quiet, loud when I should be loud, and enforce myself only when it is necessary.
Pizza and hanging out at my house
General | Posted 14 years agoAny of the local furries who might be watching, by all means drop by, there is pizza and some various alcohols for the over 21's, and soda. Basically we're just chilling, watching stuff on tv. The usual.
Re: Freaky Sh*T last night!
General | Posted 14 years agoI have decided to convince myself that what I saw/heard was my own mind playing tricks on me, or swamp gas caught in a thermal pocket reflecting the light from venus or the beam from my flashlight reflected off something shiny on the back of the truck, and also lit up two bottlecaps on the ground or something, despite it being the middle of the desert. The whistling was... the wind.. Lets go with that.
I'll post a journal later on Journal things.
I'll post a journal later on Journal things.
Really weird experience...
General | Posted 14 years agoOkay, I'm out in the middle of nowhere approximately 5 miles north of the US/Mexico border, atop a ridge, operating a 1.2 million dollar thermal surveillance system...it is pitch dark outside with occasional flashes from a lightning storm in Mexico, there are sparse clouds and there is a 1/4 moon. I hear what 100% sounds like someone whistling at me outside, so I get out with my gun and my flashlight, and begin to secure the area. On the other side of the truck I hear a step, and I see glowing eyes. I turn and put both my light and my pistol on target. It is a very large, completely white coyote. It looks at me for less than a second before it leaps,'silently, behind a lone tree standing behind the truck, and vanishes. It did not run off, it did not appear to land, it disappeared.
I don't know what, or even if to report. But my hand to god, that just happened exactly as I report it.
I don't know what, or even if to report. But my hand to god, that just happened exactly as I report it.
STUFF SHIPPED!
General | Posted 14 years agoIn case anyone was wondering, shipped stuff today. Expected delivery date July 7.
Anyone else feel like 4th of July was anticlimactic? Maybe its just me, we didn't have fireworks most places down here because our state is, y'know, on fire... and we're trying not to encourage that sort of thing.
I'm going to post another journal from work.
L8r
Anyone else feel like 4th of July was anticlimactic? Maybe its just me, we didn't have fireworks most places down here because our state is, y'know, on fire... and we're trying not to encourage that sort of thing.
I'm going to post another journal from work.
L8r
A little late, 4th of July journal, not asleep yet.
General | Posted 14 years agoI just felt like I wanted to repost this here, it is a transcript of "THE AMERICANS" by Gordon Sinclair, broadcast on _CANADIAN_ radio in 1973. Its interesting to see this kind of appreciation, especially because now, 38 years later, you don't even get this kind of attitude from citizens of the US.
The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the world.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Well, Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did, that's who.
They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Mississippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. And I was there. I saw that.
When distant cities are hit by earthquake, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.
The Marshall Plan... the Truman Policy... all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. And now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.
Now, I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.
Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or a woman on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are right here on our streets in Toronto, most of them... unless they are breaking Canadian laws... are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the bonds, let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both of them are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name to me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their noses at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.
I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.
This year's disasters... with the year less than half-over... has taken it all and nobody... but nobody... has helped.
The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the world.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Well, Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did, that's who.
They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Mississippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. And I was there. I saw that.
When distant cities are hit by earthquake, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.
The Marshall Plan... the Truman Policy... all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. And now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.
Now, I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.
Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or a woman on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are right here on our streets in Toronto, most of them... unless they are breaking Canadian laws... are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the bonds, let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both of them are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name to me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their noses at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.
I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.
This year's disasters... with the year less than half-over... has taken it all and nobody... but nobody... has helped.
Quick Journal
General | Posted 14 years agoSo, in re(not to be confused with INRI), to the previous incidents, Items will actually be mailed back to their rightful owner TOMORROW because Government fox does not remember that 4th of July means no mail, yay me.
I just want to talk about "Comment hidden by poster", Has anyone thought about how absurd this is? I don't know if you are aware, but if you select this option, it hides the comment from YOU, from the person you are posting on, and from everyone else. Basically it becomes "Comment is a quiet creepy muttering by someone you may or may not know", which in this fandom, lets be honest, is awesome.
FA really needs the option to delete or edit comments, or, just be decent and put in a second comment explaining why you hid one, because otherwise.. its the damned oddest thing on this website...
and people post furry macro inverted nipple tentacle rape vore beastiality scat zoophile pictures on here....
I just want to talk about "Comment hidden by poster", Has anyone thought about how absurd this is? I don't know if you are aware, but if you select this option, it hides the comment from YOU, from the person you are posting on, and from everyone else. Basically it becomes "Comment is a quiet creepy muttering by someone you may or may not know", which in this fandom, lets be honest, is awesome.
FA really needs the option to delete or edit comments, or, just be decent and put in a second comment explaining why you hid one, because otherwise.. its the damned oddest thing on this website...
and people post furry macro inverted nipple tentacle rape vore beastiality scat zoophile pictures on here....
Updated with chronological events
General | Posted 14 years agore: Events of 06/30-07/01
General | Posted 14 years agoOkay, now I actually have time, I can post what happened more or less, and I guess everyone will realize how boring it was and such.
It pretty much started with me sitting in mobile surveillance truck at work, in a high wind and rain condition, which meant I really couldn't surveil anything. To kill time I was surfing the internets on my iPhone, when I noticed Prisma_lin( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/prismalin/ ), had posted a link to someone elses FA journal. This FA journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2487355/ belonging to Fullnekoalchemist.
Now, for the record, while I do have access to a pretty sick battery of tracking and locating equipment (yes we CAN find you using your cell phone!), using any of that without first getting a warrant is kind of majorly illegal, HOWEVER in this case FullnekoAlchemist had enabled the GPS tracking of his phone and run a GPS trace on it himself. Showing a map of the phones location (at the time) somewhere a bit north of the U of A around the corner from where a classmate of mine used to live back in 2002.
Now I've had shit stolen from me, but not at Anthrocon, however I _HAVE_ had friends get ripped off there, and more importantly, they took his smart phone. I can't live without my iPhone as everyone who knows me well could tell you. I sent txts to members of Furizona and also to Pedro to see if they knew of anyone else other than myself and JonTheCollie who went to Anthrocon and I'm seriously pondering that I should do something personally when I received this note from the lovely and terrifying Dakotawolf( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/dakotawolf/ ):
Just wondering if you knew if any one else from Tucson went to AC. Someone's bag was accidently picked up, I hope.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2487355/
Now I'm reasonably sure no one accidentally took anything, that doesn't honestly ever happen, but I did think I could get it back, so I send a PM to FullNekoAlchemist advising that I did live in Tucson and am an Agent with DHS, and that this being "Transportation of stolen goods across state lines" I actually CAN (though my bosses wouldn't like it), make arrests and seize evidence in this situation. I ask if they know how accurate their GPS targeting data is and they tell me within 9 feet and give me DD.MMMMMM heading which is actually considerably more accurate (but civilian GPS will only show you the 9 foot variance). I say that I can head over there after my shift and see about recovering the items. I get some additional information which will remain private, phone #'s and such. I talked to JonTheCollie because depending on what I can find out/accomplish that night, I may want him to accompany me during daylight hours to go knock on the door, basically a "keep the car running" kind of thing.
I get off work around 0130 and make my way back up to Tucson, arriving at the U of A neighborhood around 0230 in the morning. My handheld GPS initially lead me to an older stucco house on Lee near Mountain. The house did not have a number or a mailbox, and was dark, however, the GPS told me I was a little over 100 feet out and the driveway was NOT that long, I was a little puzzled, but I decided to go back the next day as I didn't really feel the need to knock on someones door at 0230, seems kind of rude, and in Tucson its a good way to get shot. I got back in my car and started out when I thought to myself I should at least circle the block, I don't know why I decided to do that. Following the GPS, I wound up in an alley behind Lee that cut between back yards of houses, a lot of older neighborhoods here are built like that, and the Alley got me 50 feet north from the GPS location.
50 feet to the North was a guest house behind the house I initially went to, in that area of Tucson guest houses are frequently rented out to multiple U of A students, in this case, those students were sitting in a type of shack that had been built on the back of the house, playing video games, drinking, and smoking something which didn't smell like tobacco. I called out for them to come to the fence and talk to me, they didn't notice me however, so I broke out my high intensity LED flashlight, and set it to 270 lumen strobe. That got their attention and one of them came back to talk to me.
I asked him if one of he or one of his friends had recently been to Pittsburgh, he said "yeah" I asked who, and he told me N***, but he doesn't live there. In response to "where does he live" I recieve a vague "I dunno, the north side". I let that pass, and ask if they have a phone # for N***, they tell me they do, and I take it down. I thank them for their cooperation and go back to my car.
I speculate that they called N*** because he didn't seem too surprised to be getting a call from me at 0245. That call went something like this:
Me: Is this N***
N: yes?
Me: Did you recently attend the Anthrocon furry convention at the Westin convention center in Pittsburgh
N: I did
Me: did you happen to come into posession of a nintendo bag containing an Android phone?
N: No I did not.
Me: N***, do you know how GPS tracking works?
N: No...
Me: Basically a modern smart phone can be sent a signal to upload its highly accurate location to a website, by its owner. Now N***, a droid phone isn't cheap, and this one travelled from PA to AZ, which is across state lines, making it a Federal felony if it was knowingly stolen, this phone was GPS tracked to your friends house by the U of A, and they immediately turned over your phone # and address(okay so I lied a little, while I'm admitting that, it IS a felony, but no AUSA would ever prosecute it, not worth their time). Now N***, ask me what I do for a living?
N: I dunno...this?
Me: No, I don't track down phones for a living N***, I work for DHS. You should be careful about taking peoples things, you never know who they know. Now, do you have that Droid Phone?
# I might, yeah, I picked up a phone, I was trying to find out who it belonged too but I couldn't unlock it....
Me: Did you happen to pick up anything else with the phone?
N: No...
Me: Alright, I'm sure you're telling me the truth N***, you sound like a good person who wants to do the civically minded thing, and you found a phone, and wanted to return it, is that right?
N: Yes.. right.. exactly!
Me: Alright N***, I don't want to bother you or upset you, where is a good place I can meet you to get the phone back
Me&N: *various dithering about times and locations*
Me: So outside the old navy at park place mall, noon?
N: I'll be there.
Me: thank you for your cooperation.
So I feel pretty good about this, start to drive home, and recieve another call back from N***.
Me: Hello?
N: hey, I looked through my stuff
Me: and?
N: I have the phone, I also have some buttons, a badge, an..*etc, etc, most of the stuff*
Me: do you have the nintendo bag?
N: No.. I couldn't.. I didn't have room for it, so i had to throw it away, I'm sorry.
Me: that's fine N***, what about *items he didn't list*
N: I don't know, it looked like someone worked over the bag before I found it (likely bullshit, but you take the victories you can get, most small item thefts NEVER turn back up, but FTR if someone had already worked over the bag, they'd have taken the digicam and the phone).
Me: alright, just put it all in some kind of bag, I'll meet you at the old Navy.
N: I just want to say I'm really sorry.. I'm really so very, very sorry..
Me: I understand N***, the important thing is that this is all getting back to the owner.
At that point I drove home, advised RikMach, my housemate, to set his Alarm for about 10 AM and that we were going out the next morning, brief synopsis
The next day we travelled to Park place mall, and made contact with N***. He provided me his Drivers License from which I copied down the information I needed, Name, Address, DL# in case I want more information off of his license later for any reason, he handed me a Walmart bag filled with items matching the description of what was missing, though not all of it.
We sent him on his way. Honestly everyone is going to want this guy charged, arrested, tried, etc, its not going to happen in Tucson. We are very short on police due to a hiring freeze that is in its 2nd or 3rd year, the courts are swamped, and there are major crimes happening all the time. Hence why the police didn't run this info down in the first place. Its a sad world we live in sometimes.
Between all of this I sent a bombardment of Notes to FullNekoAlchemist and I'm sorry if It was too many. Its just nice to actually get someones stuff back, and as soon as I here back on an address, I'll ship the items back, likely 3 day select because its inexpensive and fast(shameless UPS plug by ex employee).
Once again:
I hate to add this, but I do want to point out that I am credentialled law enforcement and that this did happen to be something I could have claimed jurisdiction on if it had come to that. I'm, actually trained at eliciting responses, legally, and I have a MASSIVE legal defense fund to back me up if something terrible happens. I don't endorse or recommend vigilantism because it can get people hurt or killed, or arrested. Being a good witness and "when you see something, say something" is still the best way to make a difference.
Especially in theft cases, if you see what looks like someone taking something that isn't theirs, it probably is what it looks like, report it.
I also want to shout out to everyone who has heaped completely unnecessary praise on me, I did this because it was honestly a chance to use some pretty cool skills and training that I never get to use, and because it was the right thing to do. The praise may be unnecessary, but its good to see that people still care about good news.
L8r everyone.
"Honor First"
It pretty much started with me sitting in mobile surveillance truck at work, in a high wind and rain condition, which meant I really couldn't surveil anything. To kill time I was surfing the internets on my iPhone, when I noticed Prisma_lin( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/prismalin/ ), had posted a link to someone elses FA journal. This FA journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2487355/ belonging to Fullnekoalchemist.
Now, for the record, while I do have access to a pretty sick battery of tracking and locating equipment (yes we CAN find you using your cell phone!), using any of that without first getting a warrant is kind of majorly illegal, HOWEVER in this case FullnekoAlchemist had enabled the GPS tracking of his phone and run a GPS trace on it himself. Showing a map of the phones location (at the time) somewhere a bit north of the U of A around the corner from where a classmate of mine used to live back in 2002.
Now I've had shit stolen from me, but not at Anthrocon, however I _HAVE_ had friends get ripped off there, and more importantly, they took his smart phone. I can't live without my iPhone as everyone who knows me well could tell you. I sent txts to members of Furizona and also to Pedro to see if they knew of anyone else other than myself and JonTheCollie who went to Anthrocon and I'm seriously pondering that I should do something personally when I received this note from the lovely and terrifying Dakotawolf( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/dakotawolf/ ):
Just wondering if you knew if any one else from Tucson went to AC. Someone's bag was accidently picked up, I hope.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2487355/
Now I'm reasonably sure no one accidentally took anything, that doesn't honestly ever happen, but I did think I could get it back, so I send a PM to FullNekoAlchemist advising that I did live in Tucson and am an Agent with DHS, and that this being "Transportation of stolen goods across state lines" I actually CAN (though my bosses wouldn't like it), make arrests and seize evidence in this situation. I ask if they know how accurate their GPS targeting data is and they tell me within 9 feet and give me DD.MMMMMM heading which is actually considerably more accurate (but civilian GPS will only show you the 9 foot variance). I say that I can head over there after my shift and see about recovering the items. I get some additional information which will remain private, phone #'s and such. I talked to JonTheCollie because depending on what I can find out/accomplish that night, I may want him to accompany me during daylight hours to go knock on the door, basically a "keep the car running" kind of thing.
I get off work around 0130 and make my way back up to Tucson, arriving at the U of A neighborhood around 0230 in the morning. My handheld GPS initially lead me to an older stucco house on Lee near Mountain. The house did not have a number or a mailbox, and was dark, however, the GPS told me I was a little over 100 feet out and the driveway was NOT that long, I was a little puzzled, but I decided to go back the next day as I didn't really feel the need to knock on someones door at 0230, seems kind of rude, and in Tucson its a good way to get shot. I got back in my car and started out when I thought to myself I should at least circle the block, I don't know why I decided to do that. Following the GPS, I wound up in an alley behind Lee that cut between back yards of houses, a lot of older neighborhoods here are built like that, and the Alley got me 50 feet north from the GPS location.
50 feet to the North was a guest house behind the house I initially went to, in that area of Tucson guest houses are frequently rented out to multiple U of A students, in this case, those students were sitting in a type of shack that had been built on the back of the house, playing video games, drinking, and smoking something which didn't smell like tobacco. I called out for them to come to the fence and talk to me, they didn't notice me however, so I broke out my high intensity LED flashlight, and set it to 270 lumen strobe. That got their attention and one of them came back to talk to me.
I asked him if one of he or one of his friends had recently been to Pittsburgh, he said "yeah" I asked who, and he told me N***, but he doesn't live there. In response to "where does he live" I recieve a vague "I dunno, the north side". I let that pass, and ask if they have a phone # for N***, they tell me they do, and I take it down. I thank them for their cooperation and go back to my car.
I speculate that they called N*** because he didn't seem too surprised to be getting a call from me at 0245. That call went something like this:
Me: Is this N***
N: yes?
Me: Did you recently attend the Anthrocon furry convention at the Westin convention center in Pittsburgh
N: I did
Me: did you happen to come into posession of a nintendo bag containing an Android phone?
N: No I did not.
Me: N***, do you know how GPS tracking works?
N: No...
Me: Basically a modern smart phone can be sent a signal to upload its highly accurate location to a website, by its owner. Now N***, a droid phone isn't cheap, and this one travelled from PA to AZ, which is across state lines, making it a Federal felony if it was knowingly stolen, this phone was GPS tracked to your friends house by the U of A, and they immediately turned over your phone # and address(okay so I lied a little, while I'm admitting that, it IS a felony, but no AUSA would ever prosecute it, not worth their time). Now N***, ask me what I do for a living?
N: I dunno...this?
Me: No, I don't track down phones for a living N***, I work for DHS. You should be careful about taking peoples things, you never know who they know. Now, do you have that Droid Phone?
# I might, yeah, I picked up a phone, I was trying to find out who it belonged too but I couldn't unlock it....
Me: Did you happen to pick up anything else with the phone?
N: No...
Me: Alright, I'm sure you're telling me the truth N***, you sound like a good person who wants to do the civically minded thing, and you found a phone, and wanted to return it, is that right?
N: Yes.. right.. exactly!
Me: Alright N***, I don't want to bother you or upset you, where is a good place I can meet you to get the phone back
Me&N: *various dithering about times and locations*
Me: So outside the old navy at park place mall, noon?
N: I'll be there.
Me: thank you for your cooperation.
So I feel pretty good about this, start to drive home, and recieve another call back from N***.
Me: Hello?
N: hey, I looked through my stuff
Me: and?
N: I have the phone, I also have some buttons, a badge, an..*etc, etc, most of the stuff*
Me: do you have the nintendo bag?
N: No.. I couldn't.. I didn't have room for it, so i had to throw it away, I'm sorry.
Me: that's fine N***, what about *items he didn't list*
N: I don't know, it looked like someone worked over the bag before I found it (likely bullshit, but you take the victories you can get, most small item thefts NEVER turn back up, but FTR if someone had already worked over the bag, they'd have taken the digicam and the phone).
Me: alright, just put it all in some kind of bag, I'll meet you at the old Navy.
N: I just want to say I'm really sorry.. I'm really so very, very sorry..
Me: I understand N***, the important thing is that this is all getting back to the owner.
At that point I drove home, advised RikMach, my housemate, to set his Alarm for about 10 AM and that we were going out the next morning, brief synopsis
The next day we travelled to Park place mall, and made contact with N***. He provided me his Drivers License from which I copied down the information I needed, Name, Address, DL# in case I want more information off of his license later for any reason, he handed me a Walmart bag filled with items matching the description of what was missing, though not all of it.
We sent him on his way. Honestly everyone is going to want this guy charged, arrested, tried, etc, its not going to happen in Tucson. We are very short on police due to a hiring freeze that is in its 2nd or 3rd year, the courts are swamped, and there are major crimes happening all the time. Hence why the police didn't run this info down in the first place. Its a sad world we live in sometimes.
Between all of this I sent a bombardment of Notes to FullNekoAlchemist and I'm sorry if It was too many. Its just nice to actually get someones stuff back, and as soon as I here back on an address, I'll ship the items back, likely 3 day select because its inexpensive and fast(shameless UPS plug by ex employee).
Once again:
I hate to add this, but I do want to point out that I am credentialled law enforcement and that this did happen to be something I could have claimed jurisdiction on if it had come to that. I'm, actually trained at eliciting responses, legally, and I have a MASSIVE legal defense fund to back me up if something terrible happens. I don't endorse or recommend vigilantism because it can get people hurt or killed, or arrested. Being a good witness and "when you see something, say something" is still the best way to make a difference.
Especially in theft cases, if you see what looks like someone taking something that isn't theirs, it probably is what it looks like, report it.
I also want to shout out to everyone who has heaped completely unnecessary praise on me, I did this because it was honestly a chance to use some pretty cool skills and training that I never get to use, and because it was the right thing to do. The praise may be unnecessary, but its good to see that people still care about good news.
L8r everyone.
"Honor First"
Good deed
General | Posted 14 years agoTonight, I did a good deed, and it was awesome not because I feel like I deserve credit for doing it, fuck that, civic and professional duty. It was awesome because it allowed me to do awesome things, in an awesome way, that I so rarely get to do.
Details to follow tommorrow, pending everything working out perfectly.
Details to follow tommorrow, pending everything working out perfectly.
Post Anthroconalyptic
General | Posted 14 years agoI make up word, yes!
Anthrocon was its usual giant bucket of awesome. I will elaborate when I'm less lazy, but still recuperating, though I did manage to dodge the concrud this year. Airborne works people, buy 2 tubes before the con, take 2 Airborne drink thingies per day, turn a little orange from all those vitamins, and dodge the nastiness.
Anthrocon was its usual giant bucket of awesome. I will elaborate when I'm less lazy, but still recuperating, though I did manage to dodge the concrud this year. Airborne works people, buy 2 tubes before the con, take 2 Airborne drink thingies per day, turn a little orange from all those vitamins, and dodge the nastiness.
AC MEME! (Stolen from Swifty)
General | Posted 14 years agoArrival and Departure:
--> Thursday, June 23rd - Morning/Afternoon
<-- Monday, June 27th - Whenever
Staying at:
The Westin
Room share:
JonThecollie, Mune, Rafe, and A friend of a friends who needed space
Major plans at the con:
Shopping!
Lots of mingling and meeting folks
A good share of drinking and social chemistry
Maybe getting some arts
And other mayhem and mischief
Who will I be with:
Jack Forumites (AKA: Army of Dave), Tucson Furs, anyone I get the opportunity to hang out with.
Fursuit:
None yet
Attending parties:
Sure.
How best to find me:
Look around for the guy in a zoot suit.
Stage performance:
Nope.
Drink:
Scotch on the rocks.
Hugs:
eh, Why not?
Talk:
Too much!
Art:
nope.
Do you do trades?
Can't Draw, sadly.
What is your gender?
Male.
Can I touch you?
I can't imagine why you'd want to.
Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Please!
Can I give you lots of money?
If you want to, I guess.
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
If you are a woman, but i'm not a huge fan of personal contact.
How tall are you?
About Six feet, one inch.
You look pissed off out of suit can I come up to you?
Never a great idea.
Are you nice?
I think I am, but reviews are mixed.
Are you cliquey?
Don't believe in them.
Can I stalk you?
Credentialed law enforcement agent, so probably not a great idea.
Can I flirt with you?
Sure why not, but I warn, I am very hetero!
Can I scritch you?
Women only.
Do you like parties?
Sure, I party.
Are you throwing a party?
Probably going to do a mongrels showing at my room.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Walk up and say hi!
Are you Fursuiting?
Not yet.
Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
If i'm there, but I'm, not a great dancer.
Can I buy you breakfast, lunch, or dinner sometime?
Free food is awesome.
Can I take a picture of ya?
I'd prefer that you did not, for personal as well as security reasons.
Can I steal ya away for *censored*?
Thats on a case by case basis.
Would ya like to get a commission done of ya?
Hell yes.
Wanna cuddle at the con?
I don't really like interpersonal contact.
You like shinies?
Shiney what?
--> Thursday, June 23rd - Morning/Afternoon
<-- Monday, June 27th - Whenever
Staying at:
The Westin
Room share:
JonThecollie, Mune, Rafe, and A friend of a friends who needed space
Major plans at the con:
Shopping!
Lots of mingling and meeting folks
A good share of drinking and social chemistry
Maybe getting some arts
And other mayhem and mischief
Who will I be with:
Jack Forumites (AKA: Army of Dave), Tucson Furs, anyone I get the opportunity to hang out with.
Fursuit:
None yet
Attending parties:
Sure.
How best to find me:
Look around for the guy in a zoot suit.
Stage performance:
Nope.
Drink:
Scotch on the rocks.
Hugs:
eh, Why not?
Talk:
Too much!
Art:
nope.
Do you do trades?
Can't Draw, sadly.
What is your gender?
Male.
Can I touch you?
I can't imagine why you'd want to.
Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Please!
Can I give you lots of money?
If you want to, I guess.
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
If you are a woman, but i'm not a huge fan of personal contact.
How tall are you?
About Six feet, one inch.
You look pissed off out of suit can I come up to you?
Never a great idea.
Are you nice?
I think I am, but reviews are mixed.
Are you cliquey?
Don't believe in them.
Can I stalk you?
Credentialed law enforcement agent, so probably not a great idea.
Can I flirt with you?
Sure why not, but I warn, I am very hetero!
Can I scritch you?
Women only.
Do you like parties?
Sure, I party.
Are you throwing a party?
Probably going to do a mongrels showing at my room.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Walk up and say hi!
Are you Fursuiting?
Not yet.
Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
If i'm there, but I'm, not a great dancer.
Can I buy you breakfast, lunch, or dinner sometime?
Free food is awesome.
Can I take a picture of ya?
I'd prefer that you did not, for personal as well as security reasons.
Can I steal ya away for *censored*?
Thats on a case by case basis.
Would ya like to get a commission done of ya?
Hell yes.
Wanna cuddle at the con?
I don't really like interpersonal contact.
You like shinies?
Shiney what?
Okay.. So, Coffee the panhandling dog.
General | Posted 14 years agoI've seen this dog before, in person while visiting at home. it appears healthy and happy, maybe it works long hours, that's what dogs are bred for, I work out in the southwest in a place called the "San Rafael valley" every day I see ranchers out herding cattle from dawn to dusk on horseback, their dogs Which are of no definable breed working with them, same shit in my opinion, farm dogs get less days off.
But thats not why I'm posting this journal. I'm posting it to relay a comment I read on a news article, I find this comment disturbing, disturbed, and idiotic. What makes it worse is that it was written "allegedly" by a college professor, albeit a Canadian one:
I disagree. Coffee is being exploited. ALL animal abuse must be addressed. If Coffee is allowed to be treated this way, it gives license to others to continue to do the same. PETA is advocating for all the animals. So are other AR advocates. ALL the animals need to be free from exploitation and abuse. Making a dog work long hours without rest and shocking him and teaching him degrading tricks is abuse. As for this thing about animals not our equals: science disproves this arrogant speciesist attitude. Coffee and other dogs and other mammals have emotions, feelings, they feel pain, they have their own thoughts and desire, they are sentient. They have the intellectual capacity of a small child. If we would not exploit a small child we should not exploit a poor dog. Arrogant speciesism is the moral equivalent of racism. Grow a heart.
Sooo much I want to say about that... Probably do it from work.
But thats not why I'm posting this journal. I'm posting it to relay a comment I read on a news article, I find this comment disturbing, disturbed, and idiotic. What makes it worse is that it was written "allegedly" by a college professor, albeit a Canadian one:
I disagree. Coffee is being exploited. ALL animal abuse must be addressed. If Coffee is allowed to be treated this way, it gives license to others to continue to do the same. PETA is advocating for all the animals. So are other AR advocates. ALL the animals need to be free from exploitation and abuse. Making a dog work long hours without rest and shocking him and teaching him degrading tricks is abuse. As for this thing about animals not our equals: science disproves this arrogant speciesist attitude. Coffee and other dogs and other mammals have emotions, feelings, they feel pain, they have their own thoughts and desire, they are sentient. They have the intellectual capacity of a small child. If we would not exploit a small child we should not exploit a poor dog. Arrogant speciesism is the moral equivalent of racism. Grow a heart.
Sooo much I want to say about that... Probably do it from work.
Love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life...
General | Posted 14 years agoI don't know how it came to this, i've never regretted anything more in my life. No its not my job, I don't regret that, but I do regret that it took me 12 years since I left home to really find work, almost 2 years ago now, that I do enjoy doing as much as I enjoy this.
There is so much more I want to type on this subject, but it is too pompous frankly.
I just needed to say it somewhere.
There is so much more I want to type on this subject, but it is too pompous frankly.
I just needed to say it somewhere.
7 days in heaven
General | Posted 14 years agoSo, when the drama llama's gotcha the forward operating base is the place to go to forget your troubles.
7 days living in a trailer, grilling 3 meals a day on a bbq and working 16 hours. It was great, I got to run down some guatemalans over 4.5 miles of rugged terrain and up a mountain. I worked with a helicopter overhead, and the good ole' all seeing eye in the sky kept us plenty busy.
I was pissed that the group of 25 Non mexican undocumented entrants made it up past the main road and into the mountains, we wound up getting them with a little help from our flying bretheren and their whirly bird(which as I understand it, may or may not be the word). I found the first of many hiding under a tree, and I don't know what the look on my face actually WAS at the time, but I must have looked really angry because I've never seen anyone so terrified of me.
We got very effective at holding back the traffic (both narcotics and human traffic) in that area that they started rolling beachball sized rocks into the border road and writing "Pinche Migra" in the sand. I love it when scumbag smugglers get pissed at me, it means i'm working.
Now its back to the real world with a fat overtime check and a couple days of R&R before I take up my place as another All Seeing Eye In The Sky and a whole new schedule.
Life is good, thank you all for the opportunity to serve and protect.
7 days living in a trailer, grilling 3 meals a day on a bbq and working 16 hours. It was great, I got to run down some guatemalans over 4.5 miles of rugged terrain and up a mountain. I worked with a helicopter overhead, and the good ole' all seeing eye in the sky kept us plenty busy.
I was pissed that the group of 25 Non mexican undocumented entrants made it up past the main road and into the mountains, we wound up getting them with a little help from our flying bretheren and their whirly bird(which as I understand it, may or may not be the word). I found the first of many hiding under a tree, and I don't know what the look on my face actually WAS at the time, but I must have looked really angry because I've never seen anyone so terrified of me.
We got very effective at holding back the traffic (both narcotics and human traffic) in that area that they started rolling beachball sized rocks into the border road and writing "Pinche Migra" in the sand. I love it when scumbag smugglers get pissed at me, it means i'm working.
Now its back to the real world with a fat overtime check and a couple days of R&R before I take up my place as another All Seeing Eye In The Sky and a whole new schedule.
Life is good, thank you all for the opportunity to serve and protect.
Like twitter, but not!
General | Posted 14 years agoI am not a fan of the my way o the highway theory of life.
Why is it impossible in the furry fandom to be angry with someone and still consider them a friend?
Why is it impossible in the furry fandom to be angry with someone and still consider them a friend?
Random creepy fact
General | Posted 15 years agoI have a roll of Duct tape and sedatives on my night stand.
Okay, Ahora voy a explicar, I managed to catch the flu from somewhere, probably someone I "interacted with" at work, and my cough actually got so bad they put me on a codeine cough syrup(did anyone else know they still MAKE this stuff?!), and the duct tape is for some stuff I was making for work, some IR night vision spotlights and assorted other toys.
But still, its WAY funnier when I say it the other way.
Oh in case anyone actually reads these, I'm doing about a million times better.
Okay, Ahora voy a explicar, I managed to catch the flu from somewhere, probably someone I "interacted with" at work, and my cough actually got so bad they put me on a codeine cough syrup(did anyone else know they still MAKE this stuff?!), and the duct tape is for some stuff I was making for work, some IR night vision spotlights and assorted other toys.
But still, its WAY funnier when I say it the other way.
Oh in case anyone actually reads these, I'm doing about a million times better.
Insert title here? (I guess I forgot to put one originally)
General | Posted 15 years agoIt's funny, I'm decent looking and make over 60k a year, up to 105 in two years, I own a house, 2 cars( well, one and a truck) and still I can't find a cute furry girl... Life is awesome AND shitty
this whole "Wearing purple" thing...
General | Posted 15 years agoI'm not saying that bullying isn't wrong, and its certainly wrong to discriminate against LGBT people, however, bullying is a part of youth and human nature that no school system (and there have been many different kinds of attempts) has ever managed to eradicate. Generally it doesn't make a lot of sense anyway to choose to openly embrace an alternative lifestyle in the most judgemental and hurtful place society has yet invented (commonly referred to as High School).
This didn't seem to be a big issue with anyone until that kid at rutgers killed himself, which I still don't understand because even if he wasn't openly gay, people were gonna figure it out eventually, and it seems like he had a lot going for him because I don't know that many hetero people who managed to find a hookup in like, the first WEEK of college.. It'd be one thing if he was straight and they drugged him and let a dude have sex with him and put it on the internet, but this was his chosen lifestyle... does it suck, yeah, should you kill yourself? No.
Its a pretty groovy time to be gay, I expect gay marriage to happen in 3-5 years, which is good because thats about the same time I expect straight marriage to end anyway. Gays will be able to openly serve in the United States Military in a few years, which is good because I live near a huge air force base and the main Army Intelligence(*insert obvious joke*) base, and there are a fucking lot of gay people serving in the closet at both. Some of the biggest hit TV shows in America are "Dancing with the stars" and "American Idol", and the whole metrosexual movement is straight guys acting gay to get chicks... yeah, its a groovy time to be gay.
However, being in peoples face with gayness is probably a bad fucking idea, I don't participate in the "Straight Pride Parade" where I dress up as a jock and chase scantily clad cheerleaders down main-street (however any scantily clad cheerleaders who are interested in being chased may PM me for my home address and a bus ticket...), and I think that a parade where a man dresses up in a leather gimp mask and assless chaps, running down the street getting paddled by a man in a dress with a 3 day beard is probably not a parade worth having... at least not every year, shit like that is funny in moderation. Americans are uptight about HETEROsexuality, HOMOsexuality isn't going to be mainstream in this country until at LEAST we get a few decent nude beaches and a legal red light district in a major city. You need to accept that, and be like everyone else, keep the whips, chains, leather, ass paddle and ball gag chained to the bedposts in the dungeon under the stairs which doesn't appear in the blueprints of your house.... At least, I think everyone else does that, I know I do.
I guess I pretty much just have to say, in the words of Chopper Read; "people need to Harden the Fuck up". I think that as hazing in its various social settings and forms has been banned, people have become more sensitive to comments and actions which might otherwise be irritating, but possible to deal with. If you love cock, love cock. But don't be a pussy about it! People are going to give you shit for loving cock, its because they have insecurities about their own sexuality, especially in America. Hell, people are gonna give you shit about the toppings you order on a hamburger, people are idiots, especially in America. If you don't have a problem with what you do, don't kill yourself because others have a problem with who you do, and if they try to fuck you up, take some classes, hit the gym, or just buy an ASP collapsible steel baton. I don't know about you guys, but _I_ wanna read the news article about some super-gay girly-boi getting shit from like six complete wankers, one takes a swing at him, and the next thing anyone knows he's beaten the living CRAP out of all of them and is standing there bitching about breaking a nail.... I'd FRAME that fucking picture...
This didn't seem to be a big issue with anyone until that kid at rutgers killed himself, which I still don't understand because even if he wasn't openly gay, people were gonna figure it out eventually, and it seems like he had a lot going for him because I don't know that many hetero people who managed to find a hookup in like, the first WEEK of college.. It'd be one thing if he was straight and they drugged him and let a dude have sex with him and put it on the internet, but this was his chosen lifestyle... does it suck, yeah, should you kill yourself? No.
Its a pretty groovy time to be gay, I expect gay marriage to happen in 3-5 years, which is good because thats about the same time I expect straight marriage to end anyway. Gays will be able to openly serve in the United States Military in a few years, which is good because I live near a huge air force base and the main Army Intelligence(*insert obvious joke*) base, and there are a fucking lot of gay people serving in the closet at both. Some of the biggest hit TV shows in America are "Dancing with the stars" and "American Idol", and the whole metrosexual movement is straight guys acting gay to get chicks... yeah, its a groovy time to be gay.
However, being in peoples face with gayness is probably a bad fucking idea, I don't participate in the "Straight Pride Parade" where I dress up as a jock and chase scantily clad cheerleaders down main-street (however any scantily clad cheerleaders who are interested in being chased may PM me for my home address and a bus ticket...), and I think that a parade where a man dresses up in a leather gimp mask and assless chaps, running down the street getting paddled by a man in a dress with a 3 day beard is probably not a parade worth having... at least not every year, shit like that is funny in moderation. Americans are uptight about HETEROsexuality, HOMOsexuality isn't going to be mainstream in this country until at LEAST we get a few decent nude beaches and a legal red light district in a major city. You need to accept that, and be like everyone else, keep the whips, chains, leather, ass paddle and ball gag chained to the bedposts in the dungeon under the stairs which doesn't appear in the blueprints of your house.... At least, I think everyone else does that, I know I do.
I guess I pretty much just have to say, in the words of Chopper Read; "people need to Harden the Fuck up". I think that as hazing in its various social settings and forms has been banned, people have become more sensitive to comments and actions which might otherwise be irritating, but possible to deal with. If you love cock, love cock. But don't be a pussy about it! People are going to give you shit for loving cock, its because they have insecurities about their own sexuality, especially in America. Hell, people are gonna give you shit about the toppings you order on a hamburger, people are idiots, especially in America. If you don't have a problem with what you do, don't kill yourself because others have a problem with who you do, and if they try to fuck you up, take some classes, hit the gym, or just buy an ASP collapsible steel baton. I don't know about you guys, but _I_ wanna read the news article about some super-gay girly-boi getting shit from like six complete wankers, one takes a swing at him, and the next thing anyone knows he's beaten the living CRAP out of all of them and is standing there bitching about breaking a nail.... I'd FRAME that fucking picture...
On dingos and the eating of babies...
General | Posted 15 years agohttp://www.time.com/time/world/arti.....00.html?hpt=T2
Its the case that just won't go away... not that I really want it too.
So, after all that, apparently there are American breeders of Dingos, which make good pets, it would seem. I'm thinking about getting one, it would amuse me.
Its the case that just won't go away... not that I really want it too.
So, after all that, apparently there are American breeders of Dingos, which make good pets, it would seem. I'm thinking about getting one, it would amuse me.
Where are the women at...
General | Posted 15 years agoLOL, its a common complaint I guess.... I'm a straight male furry, in decent physical shape, good job, good prospects, own a home and two cars.. living the American dream... Now I just need to find a woman who is mentally and physically attractive to me and can accept the fact that I'm a fur.
I'm gonna die single XD
I'm gonna die single XD
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