Monday, November 28, 2011

Zombie Apocalypse And The End Of The Innocence

From what I've seen of the zombie apocalypse as related on The Walking Dead, I would describe the people afflicted in the following way-

When a person dies and comes back as a "walker", nothing is left of that person but his dead and decaying corpse, albeit reanimated by what seems to be a colony of viruses driven by an insatiable appetite for human flesh and blood. When a "walker" looks at you, growls, stalks you and attacks you, it is that colony of viruses working through the person much as you might think of a person possessed by a band of demons.

Herschell Green didn't see it that way, and when the survivors, desperate to find the missing Sophia and needing safe harbor after the hunting accident that almost claimed the life of Rick Grime's young son, took refuge on the Greene farm, they learned in time that Herschell saw them not as dead people reanimated by a virus, but as sick people who might one day be cured. 

When they discovered Herschell kept in his barn captured walkers, many of whom were former friends and relatives, including his wife and step-son, it was Shane who took matters into his own hands and led the remainder of the survivors in what amounted to a massacre of the walkers, shooting them down as they filed out of the barn one by one, before doing so demonstrating to Herschell that this was not merely "sick people" by shooting a just captured walker multiple times in the torso with a high-powered rife, with no discernible effect.

Herschell and Rick watched helplessly as the massacre went unabated. Until the last walker came out of the barn, at which point the stunned survivors were faced with the same emotions Herschell had struggled with for months, in what was probably one of the best, most stunning, and most heart-wrenching, mid-season finales of all time.

 

When the show returns in February, more than one question will be answered, at least in part, not the least of which will be, how could this have happened without anyone's knowledge. Or was it a purposeful deception meant to protect the secret of the barn. But perhaps more importantly, the secret of the season one finale will finally be addressed. What was the big secret whispered by the doctor/scientist to Rick Grimes in the final moments before the Atlanta CDC exploded?

Some have posited he told Rick his wife Lori was pregnant, but I doubt that, since he seemed surprised when Lori told him this in the previous episode. The more likely guess bandied about is that he told him everyone was infected, which means everyone who dies will come back as a walker regardless of the means of death. The only difference a walker's bite makes is that it hastens the process. Which makes sense, given the countless numbers of walkers displayed thus far. It seems pretty obvious that not that many people would survive a bite long enough to escape a walkers grasp, then die and be reanimated, while most people who are eaten don't have enough left of them to return. An exception was "bicycle girl" from the series season one premiere, who was infected a few minutes before being half-eaten, the implication being the walkers stopped eating her when she "revived".

Whatever the case, I have no problem with the series thus far, unlike the myriads of other complainers who want non-stop zombie actions and chases, deaths, etc. That too would get old and predictable. I commend the writers for their focus on character development and story. In this show, believe me, there is plenty of blood and gore to go around. In fact, a little bit goes a long, long way.

Thanks to Perez Hilton for providing the embedded clip.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale Tonight

The survivors still haven't found Sophia, and Herschell Greene has been discovered to be housing a horde of zombies in his barn. So what could possibly happen in tonight's second season, episode seven mid-season finale when Herschell demands Rick and company hit the road?

Here's a lovely, tantalizing taste of a previous episode, when the crew discover a zombie trapped in one of Herschell's well.



I think I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The Walking Dead might not be the scariest show ever on television, but one thing is certain. It is for damn sure by far the nastiest.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Comrade Pelosi And The Rites Of Passage

The Noisy Room has a post about a little known initiative that is almost passing under the radar screen, practically unknown and almost completely unremarked. It's not just some minor bill or amendment being pressed by some minor or backbencher Congressman. In fact, right now its not a bill at all, but it is a major initiative favored by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi meant to control how your children are raised. In order to do this, she wants to pass a Federal Child Care Law. She knows she could never pass something like that now, of course, but this is one of her major goals, one of which she speaks often and unapologetically as she campaigns relentlessly to help Democrats take back the House of Representatives.

The Noisy Room was kind enough to provide a link to a page that would demonstrate just what this kind of government run child care might look like, from the earliest days of the Soviet era. TNR also provides a helpful passage which might be especially pertinent. Following is a small portion-

Communist society considers the social education of the rising generation to be one of the fundamental aspects of the new life. The old family, narrow and petty, where the parents quarrel and are only interested in their own offspring, is not capable of educating the “new person”. The playgrounds, gardens, homes and other amenities where the child will spend the greater part of the day under the supervision of qualified educators will, on the other hand, offer an environment in which the child can grow up a conscious communist who recognises the need for solidarity, comradeship, mutual help and loyalty to the collective. What responsibilities are left to the parents, when they no longer have to take charge of upbringing and education? The very small baby, you might answer, while it is still learning to walk and clinging to its mother’s skirt, still needs her attention.

The scary thing about it is that these very kinds of people, whether or not strictly communist, have had a stranglehold on our nation's educational system for decades, and they aren't about to relinquish their steely cold grip. We see it tightening at an alarmingly accelerating rate even as the overall quality of our children's education has in general declined to such a corresponding degree it could not be an accident, even if it is not intentional.

It has only been lately that so many of our major political figures on the left have actively pursued such a goal so openly, directly, and unapologetically. Perhaps it speaks to an air of desperation on the part of Democrats. After all, this is not something widely advertised or disseminated to the general public, but is a selling point Nancy Pelosi uses in her fund raising efforts among hard core leftist donors. Help return Democrats back to power in the House of Representatives, help them keep control of the Senate, and re-elect Barak Obama to a second term as President, and I, Nancy Pelosi, once and future Speaker of the House of Representatives, will give you a National Child Care Law.

This should come as no surprise. It has been a goal of the left, including liberal Democrats, for many decades, to establish complete control of the nation's education system and to indoctrinate schoolchildren to adhere to leftist dogma. This latest attempt by Pelosi is just the latest strain of the virus, and the one which might prove the most resistant to any political antibiotic should it ever be passed. After all, it would be yet another entitlement, one that so many would find attractive, and once it was established it would be extremely difficult and problematic for any politician to speak against it or try to repeal it. Or at least, that is Pelosi's hope, and if she is successful in regaining control of the House for the Democrats, she would feel she has the mandate and the same kind of power and influence she used to pass Obamacare.

She did it once, right? Don't think she would be shy about trying it a second time. Only this time, we don't really have to wait until the bill is passed before we know what's in it. Subsidized child care for the poor, at taxpayer expense, and maybe, just possibly, a mandate that you have to actually purchase child care from a qualified provider if you are at a certain income level or above.

Is there any question as to where all this could possibly lead? Vladimir Lenin would be so proud of his ideological twin sister.






Saturday, November 19, 2011

Rick Perry Reaches Out To #Occupy Wall Street, Gets The O'Reilly Factor Smackdown

UPDATE-I've actually been called a liar concerning the content of this post, but thankfully Bob Belvedere of Camp Of The Saints has rode to my rescue and supplied the link to The O'Reilly Factor interview in question. Perry's incredibly naive remarks pertaining to the Occupy Wall Street movement and what he falsely believes to be their true motivations begins at about the 4:00 mark of the accompanying video.

Rick Perry just keeps on acting in ways that make him seem determined to wreck his campaign. Maybe he was serious all those times when he said he really wasn't interested in running for President, and some inner part of him just hasn't truly reconciled the conflict. Whatever the case, he really stepped in it last night on The O'Reilly Factor. It would have been bad enough as it was originally set up. See, I am reasonably sure O'Reilly is in the tank for Mitt Romney, so this whole interview with Perry was probably a set-up. But that's neither here nor there, because Perry just makes things so easy for his detractors.

O'Reilly questioned Perry about a new ad which criticizes Obama for supposedly calling Americans "lazy". I am very aware of the occasion, but there is a good reason you would very much in vain look through the archives of this blog for a post relating to it. Sorry, there's no there there, and I can find sufficient reasons and occasions to criticize Obama without making shit up, or portraying things out of context. That does not do the GOP cause any good, particularly as pertaining to matters when it is so blatantly, obviously false, and provably so. O'Reilly correctly pointed out that Obama was not referring to "the folks" but to those government entities, ambassadors and officials, who should try harder to sell America as a good investment.

That was bad enough, but then Perry really stepped in the shit when he started on the #OWS. Somehow, he seems to have swallowed the latest meme promoted by the mainstream media, and by Democrats, and others among the left, that all of the problems caused by the #OWS are a result of a minority of the demonstrators, or that somehow evil, vicious anarchists have taken over the movement, or corrupted it somehow. But the original premise of the group is still valid, supposedly, as are the intentions of the original members, who are actually the majority.

You would expect this kind of blathering nonsense from Democrats and the MSM, but from a GOP presidential candidate? I think Perry has solidly cemented himself alongside Herman Cain as a starring cast in the Not Ready For Prime Time Candidates. Unfortunately, there is as of yet no links I can point you to, but really, does it matter? At this point, Rick Perry should do the right thing and get out of the race, as his only legitimate role now is that of spoiler.

Who knows, maybe that's all he was ever meant to be.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Pagan Temple Tentatively Endorses Michelle Bachmann

I think its funny how most Republicans are going way out of their way to nominate anybody but Mitt Romney. They started out with Michelle Bachmann, but when Rick Perry got in the race practically the same damn day Michelle won the Ames Iowa Straw Poll, people gravitated to the Texas governor who admittedly looks great on paper. We've been stirring the ingredients in this pot ever since.

We gave Michelle an all-too brief look, had a flubbedy-dubbedy conversation about Rick Perry, just recently got smashed up in the Cain Train derailment, and now we're all wanting to sit on the love seat by Uncle Newt, still wet with the Global Warming induced bodily juices of Nancy Pelosi. Through it all we sat and listened and watched as The Donald demanded birth certificates, while Tim Pawlenty whined about not being liked enough and while Chris Christy whined about being like too much. We watched with mouths agape as Mitch Daniels declared that no bitter clingers need apply, and Paul Ryan said, "Me? Hell no" (in so many words). We watched in amazement as the MSM told us if we were really smart we'd nominate Jon Huntsman, and we wondered when Rick Santorum would bring out the chain saw.

And still there is flappably unflappable, flippety floppety Mitt, holding a steady and firm hold on 24 percent of the GOP electorate, poised to take it all, while the Crazy Uncle of the Tea Party, Ron Paul, keeps managing to escape from the attic.

But we decided against Michelle Bachmann early. Why? Maybe she's too religious, or too conservative. Maybe she's a little nutty. After all, she mixed up the birthplace of John Wayne Gacy as the birthplace of John Wayne, and accepted as truth an anecdote from a supporter who claimed her daughter suffered brain damage as a result of a forced Gardasil vaccination. Maybe they're afraid Marcus her husband (with whom she's had not one or two show children, but FUCKING FIVE) is a closet homosexual, or maybe they resent his insistence that homosexuality can be cured, to the extent he runs a business based on that proposition, that a man or a woman can be what the hell they want to be.

Whatever the reason-and granted, there is some validity to some of them-there can be no doubt that Michelle Bachmann is the one candidate who has stood the test of time. She has not wavered, has stood strong, and continued the good fight.

Because of this, and because I think she's the candidate most likely to reach across the aisle and rip Obama's smug fucking face off in a debate, I support Michelle Bachmann for the GOP nomination. Note I said this is tentative. Nothing should ever be written in stone.

But this lady is, despite what the leftist smear merchants and their "Republican" and "conservative" fellow travelers say, far from merely another far right wing ideologue and wingnut. She knows her stuff, as demonstrated in the below video.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Every Gang Leader Needs A Black Man In His Crew

Brand spanking new, from The Rubberbandits.



New double album due out December 2nd.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Penn State-Just The Beginning Of A Major Bombshell

UPDATE-Since I'm getting ready to move on to newer posts, I'm going to remove the embed, since it plays automatically and I can't change that, which would be irritating having to scroll down the page to find it to turn off the sound. However, here is the link to the radio interview, and I urge any who read this post to go there and listen to this very compelling interview of radio personality Mark Madden. First of course, read this post in its entirety, as near the end I give the most pertinent points of the interview in the timeline. Although I can't of course vouch for the veracity of all the charges against Jerry Sandusky-or Joe Paterno-it's nevertheless an interview you don't want to miss.

I've also included an update about Saturday's game between Penn State and the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers.

You know what I'd hate to be this weekend? A Nebraska Cornhusker football player, or for that matter, one of the many Cornhusker fans at the game, which due to fallout over the recent scandal has raised security concerns. Because no matter how the game turns out, its going to be messy. The Nittany Lions might well be so distracted and demoralized by the recent scandal that culminated late yesterday in the firing of legendary Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno, in which case their victory will be a hollow one. Or, the Nittany Lions could be out for blood and satisfaction to such an extent that their last home game, the much vaunted Senior's Day, could result in a romp of the Cornhuskers. Don't be surprised too much if the penalty flags start flying early and often. Hopefully, there won't be any serious injuries for either side. But, don't bet on that.

Penn State fans were so outraged they took to the campus last night in an orgy of protest that could have been much worse than what it ended up being. Thankfully, no one was injured, and the only significant property damage was that of a news van that was overturned, its windows then kicked out.

But this was a situation that could not have been addressed in any other way. When Jerry Sandusky was reported to have sodomized a ten year old boy in a Penn State locker room, the authorities should have been informed immediately. Instead, what transpired over the course of at least the last nine years, and which did involve Paterno, can only be described as a coverup of near epic proportions, assuming all the current reports are to be taken at face value.

But what has been reported so far may be just a very small tip of a very big iceberg. And if what is currently being alleged by some turns out to be true, its not going to be a matter of the other shoe dropping, but several other shoes kicking the Penn State legacy clean in the nuts.

According to Pittsburg talk show host Mark Madden, in fact, Jerry Sandusky, who founded a non-profit agency for young boys, did not merely use The Second Mile as his own private procurement agency for sex with young boys-

HE MAY HAVE PIMPED THEM OUT TO WEALTHY PENN STATE DONORS. Check out the following radio interview.

Watch this at WEEI

Yes, as sickening as it sounds, that is what is being alleged. After what has been reported so far, is it really that hard to believe? I just wonder how many of them are former or even current members of the Penn State Alumni Association. This is going to be really bad, and you have to wonder whether or not Penn State might actually face legal, criminal and civil actions because of this. This could even warrant sanctions by the NCAA.

It's hard to see how Penn State recovers from this in our lifetimes. This could destroy all their athletic programs, including but not limited to football. Think about it. If you were a star high school athlete offered a scholarship, or even a chance to play as a walk-on, at any first class university, would Penn State be your first choice, or even in your top ten, after this?

It makes it somewhat easy to empathize with the kids at Penn State, who are having to come to grips with their whole universe turning upside down practically overnight. And if this is true, its only going to get worse.

Just for them, this Saturday, I'll be rooting for them.

H/T Soylent Green

UPDATE-Since the above radio interview with Mark Madden is fairly long, I thought it might be helpful to provide a timeline of the three most important points relevant to the new information. They are approximations, possibly off by two or three seconds, but are as follows-

7:43-Madden alleges that Sandusky used The Second Mile as a way to procure young boys for sexual puposes.

8:06-It is highly probably that Sandusky was allowed to take an early retirement, at the age of fifty-five, in exchange for a coverup, and that the situation was well known among the highest levels of the Penn State Administration and the football coaching staff. Yet, Sandusky continued to make use of the Penn State facilities and was more or less a permanent fixture at Penn State even after his retirement.

13:43-Joe Paterno didn't just have a vague idea of what was going on. He knew the situation with Sandusky "in great detail", or this was at least the case as pertaining to the one incident in 2002 with the ten year old boy in the locker room showers whom Sandusky is alleged to have sodomized.

In closing I apologize for the radio embed, I typically don't embed players that play automatically, and frankly its getting to be a pain in the ass. But I thought this story was too important not to spread.

Finally, I am frankly worried that this story might be swept under the rug and ignored. This might involve some very wealthy, influential people, and more to the point, known homosexuals and it could be a cause for concern if the homosexual community starts alleging false accusations and "homophobia", or "gay-bashing", etc. Which would be bullshit, but there you have it. I hope I am wrong, as it would be a shame if this were glossed over for the sake of a politically connected special interest group, but I'm very much afraid that's what might happen here.

UPDATE-The fans and the players of Penn State acquitted themselves well yesterday. Unfortunately, Penn State lost, but still played admirably, almost overcoming a 17-0 nothing deficit beginning near the end of the third quarter, only to ultimately lose by a respectable score of 17-14.

Before the game, past and present Penn State players joined on the field with the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers in a touching prayer for the young victims, which are rumored to be far greater in number than the eight now being alleged.

Other than some turbulence at the tailgating aimed mostly at the media by some boisterously angry fans, the crowd was engaged, yet respectable throughout the game. I was also wrong about the penalties. There were some, but not that many, probably not as many as in a typical game, and nothing that really stands out, other than one bizarre instance in which a Nittany Lion offensive player was called for a face mask violation against a Cornhusker on the defensive squad, which is an exceeding rare penalty.

Otherwise, a good game. A clean game. And surreal.

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Fox Basically Has A Liberal Democrat Problem

I was having a late breakfast this morning, and I had the Fox News Show Happening Now on in the background, where a Mr. Joe Cirincione of the State Department was being interviewed by Jenna Lee about the current controversy regarding the nation of Iran. Cirincione has been hyped as some kind of nuclear expert and was giving his opinion about current worries about Iran's nuclear program. I wasn't really paying that much attention, until I heard him mention the name of GOP presidential primary candidate Herman Cain. When I heard what he said, I was so shocked I literally jumped up from my chair and practically ran into the living room. I was so shocked I wasn't exactly sure I had heard what I thought I had, so later I went on the Fox News website and found the Happening Now Blog.

Sure enough, others had heard it, and were commenting on it. One of the commenters was kind enough to supply what seems to have been a direct quote. Or if not, it was close enough to what I remembered I copied it and pasted it below, as follows-

"Iran basically has a Herman Cain problem, they both DID something terribly wrong in the past that is now being disclosed. It is humiliating to try to acknowledged what happened."

Like i said, I couldn't believe my ears, and evidently many others are equally outraged. Some blame Jenna Lee for not calling him, but frankly, what could she say? This interview had nothing whatsoever to do with Mr. Cain, and she clearly was not prepared for such an obvious political hit job.

Fox should issue an apology to Mr. Cain, his family, his campaign, and his supporters, which by the way I am not one, though I would have zero problem voting for him or supporting him should he win the nomination.

Furthermore, this Democratic apparatchik should no longer be invited on Fox to speak on any matter whatsoever. And while they're at it, there are a plethora of other leftists and liberal Democrats who should be given the boot.

One of these days the Koch Brothers or someone similar are going to realize that a cable news channel that in addition to hard news and investigative journalism, is devoted to the discussion of conservative issues with a minimum of liberal bullshit, would bury Fox along with every other "news" show currently running.

Fair and balanced. It was good while it lasted, but its run its course. You can only put up with a minimum of vermin infestation. Before long they get to the point where they start to take over, and then you have a problem. Before long, the integrity of your dwelling becomes so compromised it is no longer fit for human habitation. What happened today is just one sign among many that its time for Fox to call the exterminators.

UPDATE-Fox News has provided a video of the interview, so you can see for yourself. The entire video is 4:33. The offensive remark comes at roughly the 1:23 mark.



UPDATE-Welcome to readers of Doug Ross @ Journal and thanks to Doug for the link, and of course to my buddy Zilla for sending it to him.

Monday, November 07, 2011

Just A Cock On The Beat

Shepherd Smith went ballistic a few days ago when a couple of expert legal guests, in discussing the latest developments regarding the case of missing Kansas City baby Lisa Irwin, stated that sometimes the police are more interested in closing a case than they are in solving it. They also said plainly that sometimes cops will rush to judgment to the closest available suspect in order to do so. If you want to see somebody get their panties in a knot, watch the following video courtesy of Mediaite. Warning-its not pretty, but it is kind of, well, hilarious. He even defends the actions of policemen who in an earlier time arrested him and a friend for open container. Shep obviously loves him some po-po. 



This isn't the first time ol' Shep has exhibited hang-ups regarding the police. Just take a look at this Freudian slip from Shep's closet.



Now that's dedication to our men in blue. I thought it might be interesting to go digging into Shep's past, to see if I could find just what was the genesis of his devotion to our nation's law enforcement. Thankfully, police interrogations are typically videotaped and stored in archives for future reference. With some digging, I think I might have found the video of the interrogation Shep underwent so long ago which he alluded to in the first video. It's a little rough, but hey, who knows? I know he doesn't seem the type who would like things rough, but you never can tell about our Shep.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Report On Occupy DC

Michelle Fields deserves some kind of journalism award for her report on The Daily Caller, along with combat pay. At one point, protesters are blocking traffic, refusing to allow a man with a child to pass. They pushed an old woman to the ground, causing what was hopefully a minor injury. But they get all worked up when somebody stepped on the gas when a couple of the mangy assholes stepped out in front of their automobile, and the police let the driver of the car in question go. I'm not sure I get what the bit was with the woman, man and the two young kids, but it seems like they were acting in an untoward way toward the family and the woman let them all have it and then stormed off.

Throughout all of this, Michelle Fields was harangued by the Occupy protesters, who accused her of making up her reports while some of them chanted "Fuck the Daily Caller".

As hard as it is to believe, it is even worse than the video demonstrates. This all took place when Americans For Prosperity tried to conduct a conference entitled "Defending The American Dream Summit". The Occupy Protesters were trying to storm the meeting, and Fields, who had been assigned by the Daily Caller to cover the protests, was there to film the attempt.

Robert Stacy McCain, who was present at the seminar, interviewed Fields for his blog The Other McCain following the events on the videotape. According to her, they followed her around, purposely blocking her from interviewing any of the participants, and even insulted her clothes. Apparently they didn't like the company Ann Taylor, where they assumed she got her clothes. And according to her, they also screamed out repeatedly "Fuck Michelle Fields" although unfortunately not while she was in the process of recording them.

Yeah, these fucking animals are just like the Tea Party, huh? 

There's been a problem with the Daily Caller embed, so if it doesn't come through here, go to the link and watch it.

Thursday, November 03, 2011

National Novel Writing Month


Can you write a novel by the end of the month? If so, you might be interested in National Novel Writing Month You are required to register on the site, where they can track your progress, offer you support, and supply a forum of like minded writers. If you get er done by the end of the month, you'll see it published on-line. I'm seriously thinking of giving it a shot. The catch is, it has to be 50,000 words or more. I'm not sure, but I think that works out to 1700 words a day, which is roughly five pages, I think. That is not as easy as it might sound, by the way. I just found out about this, so I don't know if I can do it without sacrificing time for other matters. Obviously, quality would be one of them.

But I think I do have a partial solution. Tarot cards. Yep, I'll draw a card at the end of every night, sleep on it, and craft the novel based on what card, or cards, I draw. 

It might be interesting, but I just wish I had known about it ahead of time. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any prizes, outside of the title, and of course the bragging rights. But if anything else, this might be a good motivational exercise.

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

The Artwork Of Marllyn Manson

Pictured-1947 Los Angeles murder victim Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia, as pictured by Marilyn Manson the artist. As you might suspect, there's more, much more, at the link.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Death Of A Street Poet

I've been trying to avoid letting my blog be taken over by the Occupy Wall Street movement, but there are some things that bear mention, and a Halloween death is impossible for me to ignore. Gateway Pundit tells the story of the for now unnamed homeless man, known for now only as "Street Poet", who died over Halloween while availing himself of the "hospitality" of the Occupy Oklahoma City protesters. It's pretty sad. The guy was a homeless drug addict who suffered from asthma, and over the previous two days before he was found dead in his tent, he complained of breathing problems. Instead of taking him to a clinic or an emergency room, the protesters housed him, fed him and fattened him for the slaughter. Now they have their symbol, an image of homelessness and despair to contrast against the "corporate greed" of the "1%". Here he is sometime before his death.



Wait and see if the Occupy Movement doesn't blame his death on capitalism and corporate greed. Uh, no, he rushed headlong into his own demise, however out of control he might have been, and he didn't get any help from you, you scumbag hipsters. In fact, capitalism didn't kill him. Wall Street didn't kill him. You sat back and fed him, encouraged him, listened to his sad attempts at rap, yet ignored his obvious need for medical attention. So if anyone is responsible for his demise, besides himself-that would be you. You let him die.

But hey, you good what you wanted. Another symbol, this one in the form of a needles, senseless death to exploit.

Yay. Good job, douchebags.