Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

Find Me Here Today

I have been invited to post in a travel series over at the blog of a new bloggy pal of mine named Sunshine, over at her place: "And The Pursuit of Happiness"

I think that you should give her a read... and not just because I had something to say over at her blog.... and not because she thinks I look like PAul Newman.  Go  read her because she is sharp, funny, and a much better writer thank I am.

OK... go.  Click the link!

Sitemeter, Guns, and Church

I have never made any bones about the fact that I am one of the least technologically savvy men on the planet.  Well, at least in the developed world, anyway.  I'm not the guy to ask about computer servers, memory, POP connections, or any of that stuff.  I didn't set up the pc in our home.  I never set the clocks on the VCR's (when we used such things).  My wife's laptop is light-years more advanced than mine, which might have something to do with the twelve hundred dollar disparity in price, but I digress.  I know people that talk about computers in terms that make my head spin after three sentences.  I am in awe of the things that other people know that I don't know... which probably has a lot to do with me deeply ingrained educational inferiority complex.

Anyway, my problem isn't one of programming... today, my problem is about Site-meter.  I got my weekly report from those fine folks who monitor my blog and tell me how many people are visiting and all sorts of things... and you know what?  according to them, I had no visitors last week. 

None.

Now, I am am not so egotistical to think that my blog gets lots of traffic.  It doesn't.  I realize that my life is neither exciting nor glamorous... or even interesting to most people.  It isn't.  I realize that many of my more savvy blogging pals read my blog via Google reader or bloglines or subscription or other means (or just don't read anymore), but I can't accept that NO ONE read, or even visited my blog last week.

Is sitemeter just f***ing with me?

Hmm.

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In other news, I got a new gun on Friday.  There, that ought to excite the search engines.  A brand new pistol, right out of the box, and she's all mine.  Well, that's not really true.  She belongs to Uncle Sam... but my uncle, being a swell fellow, has given her into my care.

It was with some sadness that I turned in my old pistol (it was only four years old, but VERY well-used), but this new gun is of a larger caliber (bigger bullets make bigger holes, you see), and has a few features that that old one didn't have. She's a beauty (pronounced bewdy, if you are in Australia), she is.  Have a look:

I won't bother with nomenclature or anything like that, but I will say this:  I put three hundred fifty six rounds through it on Friday morning, and she shoots well.  Very well.

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We went to church as per usual yesterday, and Mrs Gunfighter had the luxury of sitting in the pew without soccergirl or me, as sg was acolyte, and I was the assisting minister.  What made this day particularly fun was that we had a supply pastor (guest pastor for those that don't habla the Lutheran) who is originally from Ghana.  Pastor Edward was pretty cool, if a little long-winded.  He gave a great sermon, made so much better because of his African accent.  A self-deprecating man, he made us laugh several times during the service, but the funniest thing that happened took place during Communion. 

Now, I know that some of my readers are adherents to the Roman Church, and therefore usually have wafers at communion, and some of my readers are of the LDS church, still others are Baptists, Jewish, non-denominational Christians, and other assorted groups and or non-believing heathens, heck, I even have readers that are Republicans (you know that I love all of you equally, though, right?, especially the heathens).  Well, in our church, during communion we use bread, and as communion is served, the Pastor breaks off a piece of bread, about the size of a quarter, or a half-dollar (remember those?) hands it to the parishioner and says:  "The body of Christ, given for you" and them moves to the next person.  Well, yesterday, Pastor Edward was tearing huge, and I mean huge, pieces of bread.  So large that some of the communicants had to hurriedly tear the pieces into smaller pieces and bolt them down by the time I followed with the wine, saying: "The blood of Christ, shed for you" while trying not to laugh all the while.  After doing this for a while, Pastor Edward looked at me and said, are there many more people?( we were a little more than halfway done) and I said to him, "almost half are left, you might want to go smaller"  Which he found quite humorous... I suppose he was trying to use as much of the bread as possible.  Almost twenty four  hours later, and I am still laughing about it, even as I type this.

There, conjure with that for a while.  I have a date with my new Sig.

GF

Fantasy Sports?

Are you a sports fan?  Are your spouses/lifepartners sports fans?  Are your kids sports fans?  Well, if you are, you should have a look at this site: Family Family Sports.

I'm not into fantasy sports, but this place looks like it could be fun if fantasy sports are something that you enjoy.

Peer Recognition

It's always nice to be well thought-of by one's friends and peers, isn't it?

Isn't that the thing that drives most people? We want people that we know and respect to respect us, don't we? Indeed, we want to be held in high regard by people whose thoughts we esteem. It's one of the motivations behind parenting, to some degree... it's something that partly drives our careers... it certainly is in my field, anyway.

Who knew that bloggers were no different in their desire to be noticed??

Sure, we would all like to be on the radar-screens of people like Dooce, Kos, Firedoglake, The Field Negro, or any number of high-profile bloggers who are the real faces of what you and I do. I confess, I'd love to be noticed... I'm shallow like that, but more than that, I am always overjoyed when someone takes a moment to tell me that they enjoyed, or were touched by something that I wrote.

Today, I had one of those moments. I got an email from Lady M, a contributor at Suburban Turmoil who told me that she had bestowed a coveted Perfect Post award on me, for my post about injured veterans.

Thanks so much, Lady M. Hearing from you was a bright spot in my day. GF

 

Calling All Lurkers

Hi... my name is Gunfighter, what's yours?

I have been pating attention to the traffic here at A Modern Warrior's Life, and I notice you.  You visit, sometimes frquently, yet I never hear from you.  Why is that?  Apparaently you find my content interesting... or at least so horrible, that it is like watching a different train-wreck every day. 

I have to tell you that your silence most offends me (c'mon, without Googling, somebody tell me where that line comes from!).  If you are reading this and you have never commented before... jump in, I promise not to bite you... at least not too hard.

So.  Come out, come out, wherever you are!  You lot in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney Australia... let's talk Rugby or Footy.  Whoever is reading this, looking for information about Kilts in Belgrade, Serbia, let me answer your questions... and tell me what you are doing in Belgrade?  Let me guess, you are a bored embassy worker on the night shift.  No worries, I won't tell.

Closer to home, Helloooooooooooooooooo New Jersey! (again, without Googling, tell me the reference), I see you up there in Morristown... home of Fairleigh Dickinson (or Fairly Ridiculous, as we said when I was a kid).

I want all of you to come out of hiding so I can say hello right back.

C'mon, you know you want to.

GF

Go Read This Blog

Really.  Go read this now.

Eavesdrop DC

Really.

My Anniversary

You know something?  The anniversary of my blog came and went on March 23rd.

I started my blog in a different place, with this post, and in the intervening time, I have learned a few things that perhaps I should, in my sleep deprived state, share with you... because I'm SURE you've never heard any of this before.

1.  Write whatever you feel like.  Even if you have built a readership that is interested in your coin collection, write about flying kites, if you like.  People will... of won't read your blog on it's own merits it has.

2.  Popularity contests can be draining.  Don't play those games.

3.  Memes are fun.  I like getting to know things about people (in some places they call it being nosey)

4.  As much fun as blogging is, you have to find other things to do with your time.

5.  Don't take negative comments too seriously.  The world is just full of unkind people, don't let them spoil your fun.

6.   Bloggers can be your friends.

7.  If you wish, you can build a rather large group of diverse, eclectic friends, that you may never interacted with otherwise.

8.  Even liberal bloggers enjoy seeing things get shot to smithereens by a large, smiling, teddy bear-like fellow.

9.  Chicks still dig kilts.

You know,  I could go on at length about all of this stuff, but you already know it.

Thanks for bothering to read... all six of you.

New Banner Design - What Say You?

It's going to look something like this?

Tell me what you think?

Honored

Just the other day, over at The Electronic Village, I was honored to become the 900th registered black blogger at their site.    Additionally, my new blog has already made the list of Black Blog Rankings, where I am currently at number 334... my old blog The View From Here, is still on the list and ranked at 106.

I thank the folks at The Electronic village for including me in their rankings.  I also appreciate the time and effort that anyone takes to read the scattered thoughts that I fling at the world of cyberspace.

GF

Muchas Gracias!

Thanks to all of you who were kind enough to point me towards blog/banner/template designers! Special thanks to the reader who volunteered her services.   

You know... the generosity of fellow bloggers and netizens never ceases to amaze me.   Tu eres personas muy especial!

GF