Social Networking... the next big addiction problem?

If you're a fan of the television network A&E, then you may have seen a show called Intervention at least once.  The show focuses on someone who is or has abused addictive and potentially deadly substances, namely alcohol and narcotics.  Now, substance abuse is a very real problem, and it does take control over one's life.  My father was one such example.

However, a Pennsylvania university recently discovered that there might be a digital side to addiction.  The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology imposed a week-long, institution-wide ban on all social networking, including Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, with some very interesting results.

Being perpetually connected through social media can increase stress, weaken personal relationships, and even cause sleep loss, according to a U.S. university. [...] "The majority of students behaved much like smokers who sneak cigarettes after class," he said. "They would sneak off to check things on their smart phones."

Something to think about, when you check your latest tweets or review your friends' status updates.

Homemade Shotgun Weaponlight

I have been mulling over buying a weapon light for my Mossberg for quite some time. However, we all know they cost a whole lot of money, money that I don't have.

Alas, as I was sorting through junk at my old house in preparation for a yard sale, I found a plastic bicycle lock frame mounting bracket. It's a two-piece plastic affair that you attach to the frame of your bike where, presumably, you would put a cable lock or something similar. It would probably cost around $5.00 at a bike store.

I nabbed that bracket and 5 nuts and bolts, brought it home, and set to work. Lo and behold, the bracket fit snug as a bug onto the Mossberg's mag tube, just in front of the forend and just behind the bayonet lug. I positioned it so the light could be mounted on the left side, where my thumb could hit the tailcap pressure switch. I had to jury rig a sleeve to fit the light into the bracket, but it soon fit nicely. With a couple tightened screws, my shotgun now is ready to fight at night! Unfortunately, I have yet to take a class on how to, so I might not be...   View the pictures after the break.

Featured Movie: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

After a bit of a hiatus (about three months, whoopsie), today I open the spaghetti western vault and bring you, my readership, a true classic Western which should not be missed by anyone regardless of what movies you like.

The third installment of the great Italian producer Sergio Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy of spaghetti westerns, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly tells a story of greed, murder, and subterfuge in the Civil War.  With a cast that's sure to please even the most skeptical moviegoer (Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef), it's a classic that has stood the test of time.  It's way more than a rental, it's a definite buy, on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Usually this spot is reserved for the plot and spoilers, but it's too good of a movie to do that.  Instead I'll leave this with some quotes and then you can comment about the movie in the comments box.

"There are two kinds of people in the world, my friend: those with loaded guns, and those who dig.  You dig." -Clint Eastwood.

"Hijo de una gran puta!  I hope you end up in a graveyard!  With the cholera, and the rabies, and the plague!" -Eli Wallach.

"The pity is when I'm paid, I always see the job through." -Lee Van Cleef.