Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year, Y'all!!!



2010

Damn!!!

I never thought I'd make it to the new century and now we're ten years past it. I've got to thank my son for that, he's the reason I've stuck it out this far. Actually far enough that I now have decided that I want to keep going as long as I can, although with this new Obamacare crap coming down, my waning years may not be so pretty, but I'm going to bitch and moan and tell all the young doctors and nurses that I tried to warn the world that socialized anything doesn't work.

Kicking and screaming, that's how I plan on going out. I'm not afraid of dying, I'll have the rest of eternity to be dead, so I'd prefer to hang around here a bit longer.

ALTHOUGH....

I had one of those songs get in my head for no reason today and if I don't purge it soon, death may not come quickly enough.



Or one of you may track me down and waste me for getting it stuck in your head.

2009: The Year In Review: Betrayal Edition

Below is a pure cut and paste (I even stole the picture)of my friend's Blackiswhite's year end post. I post it here so that I have it preserved for posterity and I may stumble across it years from now.


2009: The Year In Review: Betrayal Edition
December 31, 2009 by Blackiswhite, Imperial Consigliere



Once again, we’re at that time of year when everyone examines the year that was with their clever lists, and wry observations. being neither clever or wry, I’ll simply point out where we weren’t a year ago, before the Dawn of the Age of the HopeyChangeyness (now with Skittles-crapping unicorns.)

A year ago, the government wasn’t the owner of two previously privately held auto companies, the largest insurer in the nation, or a large mortgage bank.

A year ago, our President wasn’t buddy-buddy with Chavez or Castro.

A year ago, we didn’t have a tax-cheat as Treasury Secretary.

A year ago, we didn’t have an Executive Order authorizing the immigration and placement of thousands of Palestinians in the U.S.

A year ago, U.S. taxpayers weren’t funding and facilitating abortions in other countries.

A year ago, five percent fewer federal employees made over $100,000.00 a year. It must be nice to get a raise in the worst recession in my memory…especially when you already have the job security of a federal employee.

A year ago, we had a President who wasn’t on record as thinking that the Constitution is “fundamentally flawed”.

A year ago, we had a President who did not bow deeply to the Saudi King and the Japanese Emperor.

A year ago, we had a President who did not avoid the Senate’s advise and consent role by appointing czars in places where they had never been before.

A year ago, we had a President who did not go out of his way to insult average Americans by casting aspersions on their values and the values of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

A year ago, we did not have a Supreme Court Justice who completely and utterly disqualified themselves before appointment with repeated statements calling their integrity and impartiality into question.

A year ago, we did not have government officials threatening private investors who were trying to protect their legal rights in bankruptcy.

A year ago, we did not have a presidentially appointed self-admitted Communist in government.

A year ago, a government official would not have dreamt of quoting Mao in public as a favorite philosopher.

A year ago, our elected representatives would not have dared to ask constituents for ID before answering their questions, or used union goons and police to silence and remove constituents from public meetings.

A year ago, the conventional wisdom would have laughed at the notion that we need hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus spending that stimulates nothing in order to turn the rising tide of unemployment.

A year ago, the government did not deign to set compensation levels for employees of privately held companies.

A year ago, the idea of government health care for all was the punchline of a Hillary Clinton joke.

A year ago, we didn’t have a President who has informed a whole sector of the energy industry that he wants to put them out of business.

A year ago, the EPA was not threatening to regulate carbon dioxide emissions if Congress doesn’t.

A year ago, INTERPOL could not operate on American soil without regard to the American Constitution and American due process.

A year ago, we didn’t have an attorney general who believed it was appropriate or necessary to try foreign terrorists in Article III courts.

A year ago, we had a President and administration that recognized that we were already in a war on terrorism, because the terrorists had already declared war on us.

A year ago, a statement to the nation about a terrorist act committed against Americans by the President was a duty, and not an annoyance.

A year ago, carbon dioxide was good because it helps plants grow, and not a pollutant requiring taxes by Congress that will be paid by energy consumers.

A year ago, in was understood that the government cannot force me to buy a government-approved health care plan with the threat of exorbitant fines and/or jail time.

A year ago, it wasn’t the priority of one political party to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to a group of community activists that have engaged in voter fraud and other criminal enterprises…time and again.

A year ago, the government didn’t fire watchdogs who caught influential friends of the government with their sticky fingers in the government till.

A year ago, we had a President and Leader of the Free World who didn’t sit on his hands and “bear witness” to the brutal repression and murder of people resisting a totalitarian regime that is determined to destabilize the region it is in.

A year ago, we had a President who did not support a leader attempting a coup by vilifying the people who lawfully prevented it.

A year ago, we did not face a government that grows fat and belligerent on our tax dollar, while constantly threatening to take more of our money and freedom from us.

A year ago, we didn’t have a President that accused our soldiers of perpetrating war crimes for political gain, or declared police guilty of acting stupidly while admitting in the same breath that he didn’t have all the facts.

A year ago, dissent was the highest form of patriotism; now it’s racist!

Friday, December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I haven't been posting lately because, even after my insisting I was going to get in the spirit of the season, it still took a couple of days to get out of my normal Grinch mood...I finally did. Just in time for a minor medical problem to crop up, which being a man, I ignored and denied until it became a big minor problem.

I got to visit our excellent local ER (Verdugo Hills Hospital) yesterday morning because I was in intense muscle quaking pain when I stood, sat, walked or lay down, and you should have seen me when I even contemplated transitioning from one phase to the other.

All is okay now, just semi-infrequent minor pains to remind me of what happens with putting off until tomorrow would be best handled today.

As to Christmas, I hope you have all enjoyed a great day with family and friends. I was hoping that Santa would have dropped off a nice shiny new conceal carry piece, but...maybe next year.

In that vein (and the spirit of the season) I'll give you this video (which, of course they won't let me embed):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TC2xTCb_GU

Monday, December 14, 2009

When Is The War Crimes Trial?

I haven't heard anything about the impending trial at the Hague for Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the Useless Nitwits for waging a war that deliberately targets civilians.

Report: UN-backed Congo troops killing civilians

JOHANNESBURG – A U.N.-backed Congolese military operation to oust rebels from eastern Congo has caused more civilian casualties than damage to rebels, with more than 1,400 people deliberately killed over a nine-month period, human rights groups said Monday.


Well, you know there is always collateral damage, maybe these guys just can't shoot straight or it's hard to tell who the civilians are...Oh wait...

Human Rights Watch said it had documented "vicious and widespread" attacks against civilians by soldiers and rebels between January and September. Soldiers being fed and supplied with ammunition by the United Nations have killed civilians, gang-raped girls and cut the heads off some young men they accuse of being rebels or supporting the enemy, groups said.

"For every rebel combatant disarmed, one civilian has been killed, seven women and girls have been raped, six houses have been burned and destroyed and 900 people have been forced to flee their homes," British-based organization Oxfam said.


I thought the Useless Nitwits were the good guys, the ones we are suppose to turn our sovereignty over to?

"The U.N. peacekeepers are being put in an appalling situation where they are supporting an army that is attacking its own population," it said.

The allegations come the same week the U.N. Security Council is to deliberate on renewing the peacekeepers' mandate.

Kevin Kennedy, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Congo, said the Security Council has repeatedly expressed support for the offensive against the rebels and for the Congolese army despite "all the risks involved and the potential consequences of cooperating with the FARDC (army)."


And yet...there is no condemnation of this august body supporting genocide.

Protecting civilians is the primary purpose of the U.N. peacekeepers, but they have struggled with a contradictory mandate that also requires them to support the Congolese army.


"Struggle" with a contradictory mandate. And what would that be? Look at them disapprovingly then writing a nasty After Action Report?

It shouldn't go on too much longer now:

Congo's President Joseph Kabila has asked the U.N. to draw up a schedule to withdraw its forces, which have been in the country since 1999. The biggest U.N. accomplishment was overseeing Congo's first democratic elections in four decades, held in 2006. Kabila would have the peacekeepers withdraw before new elections scheduled for 2011.


Then the real killing begins.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

I"m Going To Enjoy Christmas, Damn It!!!!

A few days ago I dropped in to full Grinch mode for the season...again. I love Christmas..at least I use to, but for the last five or six years, I get so far and the mood falls away. The commercialism, the fights about even recognizing the holiday, the long cold nights all conspire to put me in a bad mood.

I'll still read the news, which is depressing, but try to remember that I have a job, a house, a kid who is doing well and count my blessings instead of what is pissing me off. Congress goes on their vacation soon, so nothing should get passed until next year.

The last couple of years have been particularly bad. No family around to share the season with, and for the first time in five years, I didn't have to work days. This year I have to work night shift, and my friends in Phoenix invited me to share it with them and my Godson, who is coming home from Louisiana, but I can either go out before Christmas and miss him by one day, or I get there a few hours after he flies home.

BUT, I've decided to put all the negatives behind me. When I finish my day shift on Thursday, I'm going to put up my Christmas lights (I may even turn them on) and get a tree, granted, a little tree, my creche, just some things to remind me that this is a special time and I do have a lot of things to be thankful for.

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Now That There Is Just Funny

Got this through an Email and just had to pass it on:



This was this guy's first boat and he was taking it to the lake, but he

wasn't quite sure of the correct procedure for launching a boat off a ramp.

However, he figured it couldn't be that difficult to do, so he stopped by his

Union office for advice, and they just told him...

"Don't let the trailer get too deep in the water when you're launching your boat".

Well later on, he couldn't understand what they meant by that, as he just could

barely get his trailer in the water!

Here's a picture worth a "thousand' words!

Your gonna love this guy!!!

Some people shouldn't be allowed to get married, have children or vote!





Do I Get Credit(s)

Under Cap and Trade Crap and Tax and/or the EPA diktat on reduction of Green house gases along with whatever BS they come up with in Copenhagen, would I get credit for sending my son to a different country and reducing the amount of energy used in the U.S.? Or could I get hit with an tariff from South Korea for exporting a pollutant to their country?

Could the tax credit offset the tariff, or will one be significantly higher than the other and it will cost me anyway?

If CO2 (breathing) is a greenhouse gas, am I going to have to pay a C&T tax/EPA fee on my animals? Food, water and license for them I understand and pay for willingly, but if I have to pay $100/year because they exhale...well, the dog can stay, but the cat goes...the bird...we'll see.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Christmas Comes Early

I'm gonna live forever.

Beer could be the new weapon against cancer

MEN now have another excuse to go down the pub thanks to new research suggesting that a compound in beer may prevent prostate cancer.
Tests showed that the ingredient, xanthohumol, blocked a biological pathway that allows prostate cancer to be fuelled by the male hormone testosterone.

The disease is commonly treated with drugs that act in a similar way.

Xanthohumol is a powerful antioxidant derived from hops. It belongs to a family of chemicals called flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables that are known to have anti-cancer properties.

Previous studies have already suggested that xanthohumol may block the female hormone oestrogen's ability to stimulate breast cancer. Scientists now believe it may have a similar effect in men.

In laboratory tests, the compound blocked the molecular "switch" that allows testosterone to trigger changes in prostate cells that may lead to cancer.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

This Is Boid



That is Boid. He's my computer companion. He sit in his cage kinda behind me at my computer desk and talks to me...constantly.

He really isn't "my" bird. My son was working at a pet store a few years ago and even though we had two cats and two dogs, he decided he needed his own pet and brought the bastard home. I was not thrilled.

Like most teenagers, he was never home and we felt sorry for the poor little creature being stuck alone in Chris' room all time, so we hauled him out to the kitchen and stuck him on top of my filing cabinet.

I had never been around birds before and all I knew about them was they crapped a lot and were noisy. Well he does crap a lot, but noisy he ain't. Outside of mild chirping, either at me or his reflection in his mirror, he's pretty sedate.

There is his once a day freak-out. He'll hang upside down from his perch and rapidly "exercise" his wings, then clamber all around his cage screaming, but this last only about 2 minutes and then he just goes back into chirp mode.

He did escape once about 6 months after we got him. Front door open and bird out of his cage, he saw sunlight and headed for it. Gone in 15 seconds. I just wrote him off as crow food.

The next day I was working in my driveway and kept thinking I heard him, so I started calling his name and every time I said it, he'd chirp back, I just couldn't locate where it was coming from. He'd spent the night in our neighbors eucalyptus tree two door down. I got an extension ladder and managed to catch the bastard. I guess once out in the wide open, he decided his cage seemed a lot less confining.

With my boy in the Army for the foreseeable future, I guess the bird is mine. It seems like all my animals somehow just get dumped on me, but I love them all.

Cockatiels live about 25 years, so I don't know who gonna last longer.

I'd bet on Boid.

It's Cold........As Hell!


This SoCal boy just about froze his butt off last night at work. I've said before that having been born and raised here that anything under 65 degrees is heavy jacket weather for me. It got down to 34 last night, so needless to say, my rounds where done at high speed. It was across the yard, check, adjust and scoot back to the office. Luckily nothing went wrong that required hanging around.

There is snow on the mountains over my house which made for a pretty drive home. That is one of the things that I really love about living here. You want snow? From my house you drive up Angeles Crest Hwy and you can visit it within 30 minutes. Decide you've had enough wet and cold...30 minutes and you're home again.

I've actually gone to the snow in the morning and to the beach (about 45 minutes in the other direction) for the afternoon. The water was too freaking cold to go in, but we could lie out on the sand and work on our skin cancer.

I've been home for almost an hour and my toes still hurt.

Next couple of nights are suppose to be the same, then some rain is forecasted to come though, but I don't care about the rain because I'm off.

Monday, December 07, 2009

In Rememberance

So long ago. Oh Lord, may we remember the sacrifices of our Fathers, Grandfathers, and now our Great Grandfathers who stood up to defend this great country and may we prove worthy of that sacrifice.

Amen

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Bookmark

Ran across this at Human Events and wanted to have it marked so if/when I cruise by here again I'll run into it.

Want to know what the Founder's thoughts were on the 2nd Amendment, what is a militia, how much they trusted government? Read this:


From the Horses' Mouths: The 'Politically Correct' View of Our Founders
by Bob Heinritz
11/24/2009



A teaser:

"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
Samuel Adams, during Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution Ratification Convention (1788).

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Is It Still 2009?

Where the hell did I go?

I said I'd be gone for a few days ...18 days ago.

Had a great time in Phoenix. My friend is not a political junkie like me, so we didn't discuss much politics, and the few things I brought up, we agreed on, which made for short conversations on those subjects.

ME: "Congress is screwing this country royal!"

Friend: "Yep."

ME: "Yep. Need another beer?"


When I got home, I still had five days off and I was in a good mood, so I avoided the news and just skimmed blogs for the next week.

Back to work was night shift...long, boring and cold, then 4 days off and the depression of being alone for Thanksgiving set in. My Mom and brother in Oregon, the wife in Montana and my boy in Korea. There was something good to lift my spirit, my neighbor made me a nice pumpkin pie, which I scarfed in one sitting. (Thank you Alexa!!)

Chris did actually call me on Thanksgiving, the first time I've heard his voice since he left, but I was paranoid of how much it cost him to call, so I kind of cut him short. He wants to come home for a friends wedding in May, and even though I'll probably only get to see him a few hours, I want him to have the cash to make the trip.

I'm getting no joy from football (again) this year. My Raiders...suck, ASU...sucks, any team I decided to root for, just to pick a side, they choose that game to play their worst.

This imbecility out of (surprise) Joy Behar,s mouth got me wound up:



While Whoopi was funny, I couldn't believe that none of them (at least in this clip, and NO! I don't watch The View) really didn't understand that this weekend, the "start" of the Christmas shopping insanity, is the point where stores start to make their profit...going from Red ink (loss) to black ink (profit).

The fact that Behar didn't know what it meant and "ASSUMED" it had some deep racial connotation to it just shows this woman knows nothing about bookkeeping or economics.

Damn near 11 months of running a store and you only make profit on that last month of the year. Working around the Christmas holiday and having to open up your business at 4AM to draw in that extra sale to make the rest of the year worth while.

I just wish the damn liberals could grasp the fact that "Black" can mean something other than a racial pejorative. Most of the time "black" is just a color.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Like You'd Notice

Going to be gone a few days.

I'm bouncing around the house trying to pick up, clean up and pack up so I can get away from here for a few days. My neighbors are going to throw some food at the animals while I'm gone, so as of Thursday morning, I'm outta here!

Four days in Phoenix with some friends that I neglect way too much. Steve is one of my few really close friends, he dates from my attempt at an education at ASU and his lovely...saintly wife, who was is college sweetheart, knows what happens when we get together and try to prove we are still the same as we were (OMG!!!)30 years ago. Of course she knows Steve and I aren't in our 20's anymore and while we brag about all the beer we are going to down...the spirit is willing but our bodies just ain't going to cooperate. Two guys asleep on the couch watching a movie with a PILE of 4 or 5 beer cans (on coasters) strewn before them. (Yeah, laugh it up Pam)

It's just a trip to get out of L.A., but i can ignore politics and responsibility for four days, hell I don't even have to rush home. I don't go back to work until Friday night.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

On The Fort Hood Shootings

I have been watching the coverage of the murders that occurred at Ft. Hood for a few days and getting increasingly outraged at the spin the press has been trying to put on this!

First thing was Obo's incredible insensitivity to what occurred. His first statement where what had happened came at a time that interrupted a speech about what a good time they all had at the White House Tribal Nations Conference. (Oh, and Obo-wan, he received the Medal of Freedom..not the Medal of Honor...and you gave it to him just two months ago you dumb fuck!!)

Obo is going to give his condolences and comfort the grieving families...next Tuesday, after he has a few days rest at Camp David from campaigning being President. I guess his schedule is really full and the biggest attack on the U.S. since 9/11 just happened at a bad time.

Now as far as Major Jihadi, there are so many things about this POS, blood is shooting out of my eyes!

First,the Army knew this guy had problems and either ignored them or feared some perceived backlash for calling an anti-American terrorist bastard out on his statements justifying the killing of Americans because he had Palestinian heritage and worshiped a pedophile prophet (racial profiling).

He was using his authority as a doctor to try to convert people to Islam and was reprimanded for it.

They keep referring to him as the "ALLEGED" killer (or gunman, or perpetrator)...The SOB was taken down with the gun in his hand shooting at the cops!!!! He was the only one around, outside of law enforcement, with a gun in his hand! We now have to wait for ballistics, let him sue if it's wrong.

His cousin was going on about how he was being "picked on" about his religion, but I really have to wonder if it wasn't a case of Captain Jihad spouting off about the rights of suicide bombers to "fellow" soldiers and their reaction to someone telling you that you're the one who caused the problem and deserve to die. Kinda like the atheist bringing up how he feels that "piss Christ" is a legitimate piece of art to someone he knows is a Christian and being shocked that they vehemently found it offensive.

While this POS has received (what will be remembered as) the finest medical care in the world, when they get him patched up, just put his ass in with his buddies at Gitmo...or Minnesota...or wherever they're going to water board the bastards next year.

Although he hates this country because they are oppressing "his people/religion", he is more that happy to be in the Army and have them pay for his schooling and give him a salary, when asked to fulfill his contract and do what he was trained for, he decides he really didn't think that doing the job they hired and trained him for was ever going to be necessary.

Sum'bitch!!! It's the same as "Conscientious Objectors" that enlist, use up resources, then say they didn't understand that they might have to deal with putting their butt on the line and protecting the country that gave them the education and/or training for their job. (I'll just leave now and use those taxpayer dollars to further my career).

Anyone who pulls that shit should have their degrees or certification revoked, let them start over on their own dime (future gov't financial aid for education is also forbidden).

Finally, I really want to point out that this pond scum is responsible for the deaths of 14, not 13!!! Francheska Velez, who had just got back to the U.S. from Iraq three days before and was pregnant was killed...along with her child.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Latest News From The Front

Chris just got back from a week long field exercise and posted a pic on his Facebook page and I'd like to pass it on.



Damn! He's still tall and thin (not really skinny anymore), but the size of his arms are amazing.

Any women dropping by, he's conservative and single. LOL

Thursday, November 05, 2009

I Now Officially HATE This Effing State!!!


I kinda went into hibernation this last week. Five busy 12 hour shifts in a row just about did me in. I actually slept for 20 hours straight after the final (and hardest)shift.

Yesterday when I finally felt up to checking some news, this is what I run into:

California Outright Steals Worker's Money

LA Times:

Reporting from Los Angeles and Sacramento - Starting Sunday, cash-strapped California will dig deeper into the pocketbooks of wage earners -- holding back 10% more than it already does in state income taxes just as the biggest shopping season of the year kicks into gear.

Technically, it's not a tax increase, even though it may feel like one when your next paycheck arrives. As part of a bundle of budget patches adopted in the summer, the state is taking more money now in withholding, even though workers' annual tax bills won't change.

Think of it as a forced, interest-free loan: You'll be repaid any extra withholding in April. Those who would receive a refund anyway will receive a larger one, and those who owe taxes will owe less.


These SOB's are "borrowing" my money INTEREST FREE to supposedly dig themselves out of the hole they put us in. They won't cut anything, but just keep on spending...probably adding more spending on top, and next April when I file for my refund...they'll still be broke.

I will come close to actually breaking even being whoever calculated the Kalifornia Tax Table for withholding must have graduated from a UC skool, I've always had a little extra State withholding taken out once I realized I was paying about $300 every April. I just have to cancel that extra withholding and the numbers should work out about right.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Dedicated to My Son

You get 'em Kid!

STARK RAVING MAD!!!


This is a personal rant about what a WONDERFUL day I had today, so feel free to skip it if you like.

AN OIL FIELD PRIMER:

The production site I work at has been having problems for about the last 3 1/2 years. The oil wells that bring fluid up have an average cut (water to oil ratio) of 97%. For every barrel (42 gallons in the oil field...I don't know why), we get 32 barrels of water that we have to do something with. Normally we shoot this waste water down another non-producing well at about 1100 psi with the idea of flushing oil through the zone towards some of the producing wells...at least that's the theory. The ideal thing is to produce the maximum amount of oil while being able to get rid of the water so everything stay balanced.

MY COMPANY:

We have severe injection limitations.

The owner wants to produce a sh*tload of oil, as do we all, but he always wants to run the wells that bring the most oil which also bring up the most water. We Operators have come up with 9,000 combination's of maximum oil production and still get rid of the water, but he keeps insisting that "ON PAPER" we should be able to run this new combination that he's worked out.

It doesn't.

WHY I'M STARK RAVING:

Yesterday, the day Operator decided he would run over balanced and "hide" some of the water productions by shunting some of it to a stock tank, thereby getting the production numbers up for his last day on shift.

Well, he forgot to close the shut at the end of his shift, and the night guy after about two hours noticed the production for those two hours was equal to what we normally do in a day. It took him about an hour to find the valve that was cracked.

When I got to work this morning I had 417 bbls (17,514 gals) in the stock tank and and an unknown amount of water that had skimmed from the stock tank to our shipping tank, contaminating the oil (we cannot ship oil that has more than 3% water).

That worked out to another 123 bbls (5,166 gals)...that means I got stuck with 540 bbls (22,680 gals.) extra water to get rid of...and still try to produce oil, so shutting all the producing wells down is out of the question.

My Foreman called in sick this morning (good thing...bad thing?), so I got to make all the decisions about what wells to keep running and what to shut down. I managed to get rid of about 200 bbls but I left my relief right on the edge of disaster, and that is something I just don't like to do.

As an extra added bonus the company that handles our pipeline wasn't completely happy with the accuracy of the machine that records how much oil we ship out and wanted to run another test...out of any day to do this they picked a damn good one. I got us passed even though the bastards showed up 2 hours before they said they'd get there. (Damn, I'm good!!!)

This is not the first time that that Operator has pulled this crap, and I got to talk to the owner about what happened during our morning telephone report. This Operator is the first to talk about "team work" and is also the first to leave you hanging and the first to complain about others not doing something HE feels should have been done. I hung his ass this time, he screwed three people trying to make himself look good. He even left a note saying he would work OT during a guys vacation, not a full shift, but he'd come in for two or four hours....to help out. Damn, if I'm there for 8 to 10 hours, I might as well work the 12.

There...I feel better, tomorrow is another day with more problems and I'll get through it just like I did today.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sanity In California?

It won't do any good, but at least somebody stood up and said it.



I've got to feel for Lockyer, a Democrat, who has finally come to the conclusion that spending more money doesn't solve the problem of not having the money to spend, and when 3/4 of the stuff you're spending it on is "junk". The man, belatedly, has shown that he does care about what is going on (could we see a conversion to the Dark Side here?).

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Universal Health Care Will Make The World Better

I have a very close friend from my attempt at a college education, who is now a PhD in Psychiatry and is an avid proponent of Universal Health Care. I'm agin it and he's fer it, so we don't discuss it in detail often, because we both just piss off the other guy, and our friendship is deeper than this one issue.

He did send me an unsolicited mass Email:
Responding to lies about health care reform

By the way, there is nowhere in the legislation that outlaws private insurance. It just makes another option available. Gee, for people who are supposedly so much into free enterprise, you would think they would appreciate the value of a little competition, especially from a competitor that is as lame (so they say) as the government.


I did respond:

First off, let me make clear that though I am registered Republican, I'm really not. I am a Conservative and Federalist. You may say I'm a Libertarian, but some group took over that title and I don't agree with all they espouse.

We know you and I have different views on reforms for Health Care, so I just want to point out some things. (and I won't hate you if you still disagree...you effing commie, statist, socialist, fascist, nazi bastard!!!!!)

The common point I believe we have is Health Care needs to be reformed.

Like all things the government gets involved in, they start making rules about something that they have little or no knowledge. Their concern is how it plays with enough of the people back home to get reelected.

The problem I have with this bill is that IT ISN'T EVEN WRITTEN YET!

They cranked out something as fast as they could with huge holes in it (to be filled later), and expect us to take their word that it'll all work out right. I don't trust them, they won't give up their health care program to join this miracle of legislation (and the Unions and Federal employees are exempt also).

Everywhere this has been tried, it doesn't work.

MEDICINE AND HEALTH:
Here’s a Second Opinion


I don't see where the country with the highest approval and survivor rates has to go down to a lesser system. How about we bring them up to ours?

It will be different this time? Give me a break. Look at Oregon's state run medi-care.

(Funny video, and it makes the point)

I'm going to close this out with the words of the man that wants us all to enjoy this utopia of medical miracles that awaits us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTi-WdOu2s

I know reform is needed, but details would be nice and Obambi is still in campaign mode and the Dems won't give details and won't let the Repubs even suggest ideas... and 52% is not a mandate.


This exchange took place back in August, and I haven't heard from him since.

Today while bored out of my mind, I was goofing with the internet and ran a search on my friend to see if I could get a hit...I did, and this is what I found on his web site:

Why do you charge so much?

Because our fees look high, people often think we make extravagant amounts of money. In reality, we know skilled tradespeople who earn more than we do. By the time we pay our office overhead, absorb unpaid bills, and cover the costs associated with being a psychologist (licenses, insurance, mandatory continuing education, etc.), there is not as much slack as you might think.

In addition to being clinicians, we also are in a business where our livelihood depends on getting paid for our time and expertise. Since we dedicate large blocks of time to each individual client, the amount of time we have is limited. Furthermore, the expertise comes to us at a high price, with many years of study, sacrifice, and poverty. We also face the constant need to keep up to date and further our training, and we carry a large amount of responsibility as health care providers.

Nonetheless, our fees are much lower than other professionals who also sell their expertise. Lawyers, for example, often charge two to two-and-a-half times as much as we do. Physicians often charge less than we do per contact, but you only get a few minutes of their time. If you look at the hourly rate, theirs is much greater than ours.

Frankly, we value what we do, and we hope our clients do, too. If you are going to pursue psychotherapy, you need to think of it as an investment -- an investment in your life. For less than what you might pay to put new carpet in your home, you can improve the quality of your life, have better relationships, and feel more at ease with yourself.

[emphasis mine]

I know this man, and I know he cares about his patients and wants them to be better, but I also know he has a nice house, and a business that he'd like to keep. I just wonder what his opinion is going to be when Psych care is included under health care and the government sets the price..."your fees are $X per hour, but as a cost saving measure, we'll pay 3/4$X per hour this year until we're over budget next year and then...we'll see how much we have to reduce it then.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Everythings Amazing and Nobodys Happy

How quickly we become numb to the miracles around us.



Along with the things mentioned above that have occurred in my lifetime: color TV...Stereo records...DVD's...Microwave ovens...satellites...Teflon...Permanent Press clothes...organ transplants...joint replacements...nuclear power...

Sunday, October 11, 2009

60's Justice

Growing up I loved "Dragnet", and "Adam 12".

The more things Change....

Football Sunday

I'm a Raiders fan.

I was thrilled that my team was going to be on TV today...until the game started. Down 31-7 at halftime, that was the end of my hopes for anything close to a descent season, and I guess CBS agreed as they switched to a different game.

It's going to be another loooong season.

The other thing with football that bothered me today was regarding the news that Rush Limbaugh was interested in partnering in ownership of the Rams. The Players Union voted that they were against his owning a team.


Some NFL players wouldn't work for Rush's Rams


Word that Rush Limbaugh is interested in buying the St. Louis Rams has some African American football players swearing off any future employment with the team.

New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott say they would never play for the Rams if Limbaugh owned the team.

Kiwanuka told the New York Daily News, "I don't want anything to do with a team that he has any part of. He can do whatever he wants, it is a free country. But if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play." Scott said, "He could offer me whatever he wanted, I wouldn't play for him. . . . I wouldn't play for Rush Limbaugh. My principles are greater and I can't be bought." Just what the hapless Rams need: Quality players who refuse to play for them.


Yeah....Right.



Truth to Power Mr. Smith.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Too Funny

These people were always finding water all over their pool deck and furniture, every time they came home, after being away for a few hours. They thought the neighborhood kids were watching for them to leave, and using the pool. However, they could never catch them doing it. So they set up their video cam. This is what they recorded.......



HT to my Facebook Friends Sareda and Linda

This reminded me of one of my dogs, Tori, a Shepard/Collie mutt that I had in High School. My parents had a pool and Tori loved to swim! So much so that in the dead of winter (if there is such a thing in SoCal) when it was night, 40 degrees and the pool wasn't heated, would run out the dog door, jump in the pool, swim a lap, run back into the house...then shake off.

Good thing I loved her, because there's nothing better than a damp dog getting the foot of your bed soggy on a nice winter evening.

10,000 Hits



I finally hit a milestone! Last night at about 11:45 PM I got my 10,000th hit. It took a while (3 years 10 months), but I made it. This will be my 537th post, so I average one about every two days. I'd like to do better, but I doubt that's going to happen. Actually I'm surprised I've kept it up this regularly, this long.

Thanks to all of you that drop by, even the pervs looking for 16 year old Mexican virgins (about 85% of my hits).

Monday, October 05, 2009

They Said We Were Nuts

Got this over at Sig's place.

It's downright creepy!



During the campaign when his photos started showing halos behind him and women started fainting at his speeches we kept saying this was too much of a cult of personality and deification of the man, and we were told how wrong we were. Well now they are addressing their grievances to him in the form of payer.

Deliver Me!!

Sunday, October 04, 2009

The Astounding World of the Future



WTH happened to that world that was promised us while we were growing up?

I really believed we would be a lot closer to "The Jetsons" than we are.

Friday, October 02, 2009

A Celebration! UPDATED



My Son turned 21 year old today.

I cannot express how proud I am of him. He has become a fine man.

UPDATE:

In the fine Army tradition, his mates at "The Hump" helped him celebrate his birthday by teaching him not to mix beer, soju (Korean vodka) and Wild Turkey.

The pic below is his signaling that it was a lesson (hopefully) well learned and long remembered.

Friday, September 25, 2009

A Simpler Time?

A friend of mine over on Facebook posted this:



I wish I had a teacher like Red had, and I wish there were more "celebrities" like Mr. Skelton who could broadcast their love of God and Country today.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Even Banks Are Anti-U.S.

Was I stunned that this happened...No.

Does it bother me...You bet!

Bank of America Flag Controversy Illustrates Dangers of Blind Obedience


Last week, a Bank of America branch in Gaffney, SC stirred up controversy by removing American flags from an adjacent sidewalk. The bank later returned the flags, which were intended for a funeral procession for a fallen Marine. But the city isn’t about to forgive the bank


This happens again. I don't understand how an American company can be worried about showing some patriotism, when they didn't even have to put the flags out, is so worried that they might "offend" someone. Who exactly is going to be offended by honoring a fallen soldier being brought home to rest?

I've sent a letter to BofA telling them that they cannot count on my business, EVER!

I am curious as to when you are going to change the name of your bank?

Obviously with the actions of your branch in Gaffney, SC you are afraid that displaying the American flag in honor of a war hero's body being brought home.

"...branch Manager Brandy Tate, who told her the bank’s policy did not allow flags for fear of “offending a customer.”"

What customer is it that you beleive is going to be offended by the display of our countries flag?

“We want to ensure the community knows how deeply proud we are of the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. The bank does fly the American Flag at our locations throughout the country and flags were displayed in front of our banking center in Gaffney the evening prior to our dedicated Marine returning home. We deeply apologize for any misunderstandings. “

The only misunderstanding here is what country you do business in and that we are the last bastion of freedom that allows any semblance of free trade.

I currently bank with Citi, and I can say I'm not happy with their ability to handle business, so I have been looking around to move my accounts elsewhere. With this news, I can say that BofA has dropped to the bottom of the list.

Since the hippies burned down your branch in Isla Vista in 1970, you haven't stood for anything that might create controversy,

Keep the BofA, just call yourselves "Bank of Anonymous" as you are in fear of someone thinking that you represent America.

Good Riddance.




Maybe it's time to let them know how the people feel again.

FETE

A Good Return For Our Money

Another blogger pointed out this PSA to show that Barney Frank backed ACORN. It's a blink and you missed it shot, but it is in there, and there is enough documentation and records from the Senate floor, and from committee hearings to prove where the dog got his fleas, so I'm not going to quibble.

ACORN Grassroots Democracy Campaign



The part that got me was at 8:25...they, over the last 10 years have given out $15 billion in benefits to people...out of the $85 billion they have received in grants.

Math time: $15 billion/$85 billion = 17.65% goes to the people they are helping and 82.35% goes to the organization.

Sound like the "Cash for Clunkers" program, such a deal $1.22 billion paid out to get "bad" cars off the road....but $1.66 billion for the government to handle the paperwork.

Why, oh why do I not trust the government to handle any program in a cost effective way?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

I Gotta Get Me One Of These

I haven't been into models for 40 years, but this is something that could get me back into it.

Go watch this video: Now YOU can own an SR-71
HT: DJ Allyn

I've only flown 1 model plane in my life and that was one of those that you controlled with the strings to fly it by spinning in a circle until it crashed or you got so dizzy that it crashed.

I had two or three when I was a kid and Santa brought me one, but being I was the only boy up at the end of our street, all the Dad's would come out Christmas morning to see what cool toy I got that year and of course they would play with it...it would crash, so I would never get to fly it. I did end up with a little collection of airplane motors sitting in the garage.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

9/11/09...A Day After


I was just too melancholy yesterday to post anything. I really didn't get enough sleep the day before and I watched the ceremonies at the Twin Towers and Pentagon in the morning waiting for my shift to end.

Eight years later and I still get that sick feeling in my gut reliving Sept 11, 2001. It's not pleasant, but I refuse to take the PC recommended solution and just let it pass, or like Obambi and his ilk would like to do, turn it into another "Earth Day"..."A day of Service......and remembrance".

NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET!

They want me to atone for something I feel no guilt about. I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!, I can acknowledge minor flaws of my country, however, they refuse to recognize the major flaws of their "religion".

I AM PROUD OF MY COUNTRY! No other has contributed so much to try to better the world as we have, and we do it willingly and not asking for thanks, and the world has certainly kept that part of the bargain.

I'm not going to embed this video, you go watch it if you think you can. A man, Kevin Cosgrove who went to work and found and found himself stuck on the 105th floor.

Kevin Cosgrove - 9/11


On another side of my life...Before going into work, I was checking my Email and looking to see what my friends had posted during the day, when there was a huge double boom that rattled the windows of my house. The animals quickly showed up for reassurance, while my heart was trying to slow down.

It was the Space Shuttle landing at Edwards AFB. Typically, I had forgotten they were still up there and had forgotten they were suppose to land a few days ago, except the weather in that hurricane prone area sucked (again), so they HAD to land here.

It was a great reminder of what achievements this country is capable of when it wants to. It was a beautiful picture perfect landing, perhaps the prettiest I've ever watched, but then again, I felt a downward feeling when they started talking about it being close to the end of our meager shuttle program.

We have been to the Moon, but once again, we are on the edge abandoning exploration to expand our horizons so that we can "be fiscally responsible" by supporting people that don't like, if not hate, the advantages our country provides to anyone and everyone that is willing to get behind the ideals set down back in 1787 in our Constitution.

Right now I'm watching the Tea Party gathering in Washington D.C., Hundreds of thousands of people that are just fed up with the politicians. Please notice that this event takes place on a Saturday as these are people with jobs, and unlike working for a Union or being a "grass root" unemployed lefty that got $20 to hold up a pre-printed sign and shout back what the "community organizer" is spewing through the bullhorn...these people are unpaid, and most likely laid out a bit of their own cash to attend...and they'll most likely be back to work on Monday.

I can't say it often enough:

GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND THAT I LOVE

Thursday, September 10, 2009

OBSCENE Profits!!!!



I work in the oil industry and I hear it all the time. "They're making to much profit off the poor folk of this country!"

Bullshit!!!

The Congresscritters have been screaming this over the money Health Insurance make and how they are going to tax the hell out them to make it fair. Look at the chart to the left (click on it to make it bigger if you need), the whopping profit brought in is a staggering 3.3%. That rates them at number 86, way below Gas Utilies (#16)and Railroads (#15).

They tell you that they made X billion in profit, but what they never bother to bring up is the multiple billions invested to earn that OBSCENE 3.3% profit.

If the damn government would quit trying to regulate every facet of the industry, you would actually find a real example of a company that could charge less and provide more and probably make a bigger profit.

Global Warming....Change....Cooling

Somethings happening here!

We are still dealing with the Station Fire here. The weather in my valley has cleared, but the fire has just moved on down the mountains and the fire crews are getting a handle on it.

The fire was arson and I don't think Linda Sanchez was talking about what caused the fire itself, but what caused it to grow so big, so fast.



Well, California is in a drought, and it was hotter than hell when the fire started, so it must be AGW that caused this to happen...right?

Aahh, No!



Turns out that Global Cooling causes droughts in California, but never let a crisis go to waste and don't bother with facts asd they just muddle up the message. Besides, I'm sure that Global Cooling is caused by Global Warming somehow.

Friday, September 04, 2009

We're All Flakes In California

A lady who owns a bakery in California has two minutes to address her congresscritter:



And the Congresswoman ignored her and moved on to the next question.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Station Fire

As I approached home today, my little valley smelled like a doused campfire and looked like it too. Thick with a wet cloying miasma. I felt like a fish being smoked.

My boy was ragging on me about not posting pictures of "the biggest fire to hit La Crescenta" and he wanted to see. I had the camera in the car with me last night, so I figured I would drive around "upper" La Crescenta and take some shots of how close the fire got to the homes.

THE MAN wouldn't let me!!!

If you don't have ID saying you can be there, you can't cross Santa Carlotta Rd. The Sheriff's were polite, but I couldn't get close to the burn areas.

I've lived here for over fifty years and this is the first time I've seen the San Gabriel Mountains burn on their front face. Two days ago it was scary. My house down at the bottom of the valley was safe, but I know a lot of people living up close to where the flames were and I really feared they would lose their homes.

If this had sprung up a month from now, when the Santa Ana winds (pronounced Santana) kick in, it would have really been hell on earth.

I did get a couple of pics before the cops chased me home:\





The mountains you can't see are huge (not speed bumps like the Appalachian "Mountains").

The wind is calm today so maybe the fire crews can gain more ground on this today.

I'm off for the next seven days, so if I can sneak up close, I'll try to get more pictures.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

THE RECLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE

This is borrowed from BlackisWhite's blog Taxes, Stupidity, and Death

THE RECLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE

WHEN IN THE GENERATIONS SUCCEEDING the one that pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to usher in the birth of the world’s only truly free nation, Liberty’s Progeny incrementally ceded their birthright to the government conceived and designed to serve a free people, and not be its servant, this generation is awakening to the terrible mistake that we, and our ancestors allowed to happen. Charged with the terrible knowledge that comes with opened eyes, we now take up the long abdicated duty to rouse our fellow citizens and actively wrest the power and the liberties that have been progressively talked, cajoled, threatened, wheedled, and extorted from us, not only by those who ostensibly served us, but by their supporters and enablers who, by accident or design, saw fit to usurp and disdain such freedoms, that they might be withheld, and where impossible to withhold, might be condemned, until a corrosive contempt for these liberties, wrapped in velvet gloves, might so suffocate the circulation of them that this nation, conceived in liberty and the providence of a wise and benevolent creator, might indeed perish from the earth, plunging the rightful heirs of a proud and noble heritage in the the darkened waters of chaos, despair, and evil that surround them, a dank deluge that even today, other human beings actively seek to escape from in the inspiring embrace of this blessed and free country.

We, the awakened and aware, freely accept the charge that the architects of this republic passed on to us over two centuries before, in the hope that all who partook in the blessings made possible by nation they created would somberly undertake the duties of citizens, and so appropriately train themselves in virtue, and educate themselves in the workings of the precepts and ideals set forth in their foundational documents that they would possess enough wisdom to recognize that not all threats to our freedom would come from without our ranks, the knowledge to recognize that not every chain and shackle menacing us will immediately appear to be what it actually is, and the humilitynot to assume that the ingenuity and innovation that has been the hallmark of American success has been the product of man alone.

To this end, we hereby identify and reclaim our independence from the tools used to slowly enslave a free people and usurp the freedoms that we could not be persuaded to freely give up, or voluntarily suppress the free exercise of on our own:

1. We reclaim our independence from the tyranny of ‘Political Correctness’.

The Constitution does not now, nor has it ever guaranteed a right to be free from being offended. Early successes in causing the disruption of free speech by insisting on the use of words or terms stripped of their meaning or altered by redefinition and deliberate use of ephemism, in order to avoid offending more delicate sensibilities lead to its use to deliberately avoid, delay, or prevent the free exchange and communication of ideas because we allowed ourselves to be more afraid of offending someone or being branded with a label chosen to imply that there was a problem with the offending speaker, rather than the intended recipient.

No more.

Words have meaning and names have power. But truth overcomes, when it is given the opportunity to exist unfettered by the artificial restraints that those who fear it would place upon it. The Founding Fathers knew this, which is why they favored the “marketplace of ideas” approach. And we now ratify and affirm this concept, having borne witness to the damage and impaired decision making that results when we remain silent and let others avoid any real discussion of topics, events, and ideas out of the fear that we might offend someone.

2. We reclaim our independence from your victimhood.

For too long, we have stood by silently, and allowed some to increasingly balkanize this country with sob stories of how one thing or another makes them a victim, and therefore they deserve some special deference, special preference, and recognition that they are special. We watched for too long, with growing alarm, as the hyphenated-Americans increasingly failed to take it upon themselves to overcome their victim status, yet continually expect to be rewarded for it as they brandished their victimhood like a cudgel, ready to bludgeon any who dared to question their entitlements and almost rapacious appetites to expand them.

No more.

One of the many unique blessings that this country has to offer is the presence of second and third and fourth chances. Others know this, and rather than think that the good things available to those who work for them were something that they were simply entitled to by virtue of their sob story, real or imagined, they decided to man up, and overcome. That doesn’t happen through accepting help and deciding to continually demand more. We are a generous people, but there are limits. Decide of your own accord to know the satisfaction of making your own destiny, rather than subsistence on the labor of others. You might be surprised at what you accomplish, or how that might come to benefit your fellow citizen in ways that you cannot even imagine.

3. We reclaim our independence from the myth of a compelling interest in diversity at the cost of excellence.

The latest affront to the ‘American Exceptionalism’ that our current President feels the need to apologize for in foreign capitols is the recent notion of a “compelling interest in diversity in our government, our institutions, and our culture”. This is the bastard child of Political Correctness and victimhood, which would not have been possible without the misapprehension of the concept of equality as enshrined in our law, the correct interpretation being that citizens of this country have equality of opportunity and equality in stature in the eyes of the laws that govern us. Once the “right” of offense took hold and started keeping company with victimhood, those benefiting from the employment of both decided that equality really meant that everyone had a right to be to be surrounded in all walks of life by people who looked just like them, whether those people were qualified to fulfill those roles or not.

No more.

Americans rose to prominence in the world in no small part due to the idea of merit and the pursuit of excellence. This was embodied in our government and institutions as much as in the private sector. Civil Service exams for public sector jobs ensured not only that people could do the work required of them, but that the best qualified were hired to do the job. Now, the standard in many fire departments, police departments, government agencies, and university staffs is not excellence, but the color of skin, gender, or sexual preference. The identity has eclipsed ability and we are all the poorer for it. Prepare for a change.

4. We reclaim our independence from the contempt of our citizenship.

For too long, we have silently permitted others to use the appeal of emotion to exact our acquiescence in their actively allowing people who have violated our laws to come here to live and work among us without asking permission to do so, or obeying our laws in doing so. We have allowed others to cajole us into allowing these persons to use our resources, and take benefits intended for citizens, without them being required to become citizens or apply for residence. We have been too long silent as others continually advocate for the application of the protections that are conferred upon us as our birthright to those who are not citizens and have tried to kill citizens, or have expressed a deep-seated desire to do so.

No more.

No sane person so despises something of value that is theirs by virtue of “the accident of birth” that they simply would give it away to others who want it and yet show contempt for those who have it by stealing it from them. Likewise, no sane person so dishonors a gift purchased with the blood of others that they will give it to those who only desire to kill or enslave them. No longer will we be silent as others confer all the benefits and protections of citizenship upon those who disrespect it, or would steal such benefits and protections without assuming the responsibility to pay for them, or worse yet, murder us because we have them.

5. We reclaim our independence from the “Freedom from religion” that has erroneously been read into the Constitution.

From the institution of Thanksgiving, to the architecture of our public buildings and monuments, the opening of government proceedings, down to the acknowledgement on our currency, this country has very deep and undeniable judeo-christian roots, and has been governed by leaders who unashamedly proclaimed their according personal beliefs while in office. It has influenced our laws and been the bedrock of every ideal that has allowed this nation to grow and prosper. This heritage has been the target of a decades long campaign to shove God out of the public square and exile him from congress with our elected officials by people who have refused the notion of a higher authority, because their own beliefs and desires are in contravention to those expressed by that higher authority.

No more.

Assaulting our national heritage with such dubious legal notions such as a separation of church and state that forbids any mention of God or expression of religion on or in state-owned property, and dismantling existing law with the fallacious statement “You can’t legislate morality” does violence to our history and demonstrates weak logic and understanding of what law is. The Founding Fathers’ intent with the Establishment Clause was the prevention of any one church gaining the favor and sanction of the Federal Government. A ban on ANY expression of religion or belief in God was never their intention, and the evidence of that is still surrounding us to this day. The current state of the law is based on a false premise that can be easily dismissed by a simple walk around the monuments and buildings in the District of Columbia, and taking out you wallet to pay for an ice cream cone. As for the “You can’t legislate morality” canard, this is also false. The law is, in its most simple essence, an expression of morality, codified. The question that then arises is whose morality should be expressed in the law? Those of people who can point to no particular belief system that has certain valuable virtues at its core, or those that can?

6. We reclaim independence from the cynical attempts to use shame to stop us from speaking out.

We have all felt this. The accusations that we are poor Christians because we refuse to give the government power not granted to it in the Constitution and go along with the currently contemplated healthcare reform bill. The charges that we hate the Earth and our children, because we oppose the highest single tax increase ever, combined with the deleterious effect on American jobs that would result in the passage of the Cap and Tax bill, which owes its existence to the myth of man-made global warming and the fact that it feeds the Federal Government its two favorite entrees: money and power. The charges that we are bad, greedy, selfish people for not supporting the idea that government and welfare entitlements are the way to improve the lives of Americans who are struggling, whatever the reason. The charges of “Racism” whenever we raise a provocative question or level a criticism at a person, policy, or idea that might happen to involve a person or persons who are not Caucasian.

No more.

Charges like “racist” and “racism” made without objective, quantitative support, and only the subjective justification of emotion will be ignored. The race card is maxed out, and the bank is no longer willing to extend the credit line. As for attacking our faith, or our practice thereof, we will no longer be held to account by people who do not understand the faith they would use as a weapon against believers, when the wielder subscribes to no belief system at all. Those who rely only on themselves for the regulation of their conduct and ethics no longer get to condemn those who answer to a higher authority. Not any more. We reclaim control of the shame that you have opted out of, and we will no longer allow you to use it to make us answer to you.

7. We reclaim independence from the notion that the Federal Government is the solution to every problem and the answer to every question.

For too long, we stood by and allowed debate and action on all matters, predicated upon on a destructive and dangerous idea: That the Federal Government is the only way to meet a need, fix a problem, or prevent a problem. In time it became a security blanket, and we became a nation of thumbsuckers, eager to give the federal Government more power and more money, if only it would keep us safe from life and the living of it as free people, until we no longer looked to it for protection from others who would have our liberties or destroy them; we looked to it for protection from the consequences of our own actions.

No more.

We were so fixated in seeking the federal government’s assistance with every aspect of our daily lives, no one within or without the Federal Government ever exercised restraint and said “No. The Consitution does not give the Federal Government the authority to do that.” And now that people are alert to the fact that the Federal Government is poised on the cusp of the largest power grab it has ever made with the healh care bill, some of us are finally saying “No. You do not have the authority.” The stakes have never been more obvious. Met with the anger of constituents who are actually paying attention, elected officials are employing various means to intimidate these citizens who are expressing their disgust and anger that a government that serves them would ever feel so entitled to our money and our data in the passage of something so clearly opposed by those who wold have to live under it, these servants have resorted to insulting their constituents, calling them shills in the pay of their political opponents, calling them stupid and saying that they simply did not understand the printed words on the pages of the bill, brazenly lying to them outright about what they have proposed and are considering, and filling audiences at public meetings with rent-a-mobs from the SEIU, ACORN, and others, so that they will face a friendly audience that is also hostile to the voters opposed to this latest demonstration of government off its leash. The days of promising good governance but delivering graft, corruption, and self serving sinecures are over. We do not care about your party; both have proven themselves reckless and dishonest. We demand that you act responsibly, that you do the people’s business, not your own, and we demand that you act within the confines of the Constitution. No more will we simply accept legislation that exceeds the authority strictly enumerated in the Constitution. No more will we accept interpretations of the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause that are so tortured and stretched beyond reason or recognition as to be unrecognizable to anyone who has read the Constitution. No longer will we accept legislation from the bench that relies not on interpretation of the Constitution, but mystical divination of mysterious penumbras that only a few ‘right-minded’ jurists can see. Those days are over, and you can return usurped powers to the states and the individual citizens in whom the Constitution rightfully places them, or you can have them stripped from you.

We, those who have come together in virtual congress to reclaim our independence from those who have by various means obtained it from us, realize that this probably wasn’t the HOPE! and CHANGE! that those persons had in mind, but nevertheless, the time has come.


Blackiswhite, Imperial Consigliere

Free Citizen of the United States of America,

August 29, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

I Couldn't Have Made A Right Decision

Something bad is going to happen to me.

My computer had slowed down to dead. As much as I love computers, I dreaded getting on mine. If I shut it down, start up was a 15 to 20 minute process and even then, everything took forever to load and/or process. I was right on the verge of buying a new machine, but figured that I'd try one more thing.

It cost me $20, but it was worth every penny. I had been running a couple of freeware IObit programs for quit a while, and it would clear up some problems, but eventually my computer would bog down again.

I figured I'd give it one more shot with a paid for guaranteed program before I try to figure out where to come up with the cash for a new system (there goes that big screen HDTV for another year).

I don't know what it did, how it did it, nor do I care, but everything is running at mach speed again. I think this will help with my posting being I won't have to constantly wait for the machine to catch up...yeah, Right!!!

Red Sky In The Morning

I was sooo!!!looking forward to getting home this morning. Last day of work for four days, and last night was busy. We added another well into our overloaded system and trying to re-balance all the vessels,tanks and pumps is labor intensive, a lot of walking in circles and trying to read gauges and site glasses in the dark.

This is what I came home to in my beautiful little valley.



This is 7:30 in the morning. There is a rather large fire burning in the mountains above me and there is no wind. You should see large mountains in this picture, but hell, I can barely see across the street. It kind of reminded me of we I was growing up here in the early '60's, only then it was smog.

My house in is no danger down in the slums of La Crescenta, but I think I'll just hang indoors until this dissipates.

Chris went to the "Blue House" (the Korean version of the White House) today on a "field trip", but I haven't heard from him to find out how it went, but it's Saturday there, so I think I'll jump on AIM and see if he's around.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

A Week Already?

I must be getting real old because I can't believe that it's been a week since I last posted.

I received a pic from Chris last night, I guess they needed some ballast for a helo flight down to Kunsan AB. He got his first ride in a Chinook.



Those are his feet hanging off the back ramp on the way home. Lucky kid!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

16 Year Old Mexican Indian Virgin Girls

HA!!! Caught you again!

This is an internet ritual for me that goes back two years.

It started with this: 14 year old Mexican indian virgin girls

Continued to this: 15 Year Old Mexican Indian Virgins

I'll tell you, they are still the largest entry page. At least 5 to 1.

For your patience, I'll give you some music.

Videos are non-existent for these two movies that were complete surprises when I first saw them.

"Phantom of the Paradise" was an extra, we went to see something else, but they stuck this movie in first. It was a combination of Faust and Phantom of the Opera with a rock sound track.

This is Jessica Harper doing two raw takes of "Special To Me".

Great voice!

You'll have to go to the link because there is no embed and seeing her sing is way better that looking at an album cover.

Phantom of the Paradise - Special To Me - Jessica Harper

This one is not really a video, just the album cover, but I love this song (and the movie), I was on the slow side of learning about this movie, but as much as I got sucked into this movie (I probably went 20-25 times), I never dressed up or went up on stage.

Something Just Doesn't Seem Right Here!

This is the 800m Womens Final at the World Champiionships in Berlin.

SAfrican in gender flap gets gold for 800 win

(You really only have to watch the first 4+ minutes)



Build, musculature, stride...It just doesn't seem to add up.

You guess. It'll take three weeks to get the results back.

Everything the Government Runs is Bankrupt!

(I tried to post this yesterday, but FoxNews can't get their embeds or links written correctly and it wasn't up on YouTube yet.)

Judge Napolitano explaining why government cannot be allowed to take over health care.



When government wants to save money, it shut down like Chicago's City Hall did yesterday.

When private enterprise wants to make more money, it works overtime.


That is going to be posted on the wall above my desk along with:

I have never been given a job by a poor person


Need a good sign for a rally you're going to try this one.

I've Got A Question


I know the owner of my company is going to cancel our insurance if ObamaCare goes through, that 8% penalty for not providing health insurance will cost him less.

What I would like to know is what happen to my dental and vision plan when the medical part is dropped? The reason we get dental and vision is it doesn't cost much to just add those onto the package, but as stand alone plans, I bet they get pricey, and would there be an insurance company left that would just be writing just these policies?

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The F-22 Program Needs To Go Forward

Ran across this last night by Gen. McPeak (ret.), Air Force chief of staff from 1990 to 1994, was a national co-chair of Obama for President.

Notice the bolding there at the end of his credentials.

Why We Need the F-22

It’s been more than half a century since American soldiers were killed by hostile aircraft. Let's keep it that way.


That is a sentiment I can get behind.

The United States relies on the Air Force, and the Air Force has never been the decisive factor in the history of war.

—Saddam Hussein,
before Desert Storm

High-end conventional war is characterized by the clash of industrial forces. It’s armored, mechanized and increasingly air-power centric. Few are equipped by training or temperament to understand the phenomenon, especially as it concerns air warfare, a relatively recent aspect of the human experience. (In this regard, Saddam Hussein had plenty of company.) But the bottom line is that in high-end conventional war, neither our Army nor Navy can be defeated unless someone first defeats our Air Force.

For high-end conventional war we’ve built an Air Force that, for now, is virtually unbeatable. Anyone looking at our air-power capabilities knows there is little hope they can concentrate conventional forces for decisive engagement of our Army or Navy. We will track them and pick them to pieces. When Saddam Hussein tried us on for size in the early-1990s, the ground war was a four-day walkover that followed the initial 39 days of aerial combat.


Any conflict comes down to "boots on the ground", but to protect those "boots", the job is a hell of a lot easier when they aren't having to keep looking up to see if something is falling from the sky on them.

I pointed out earlier that we have Air Superiority right now, but those days may be getting short.

We have forced anyone with a bone to pick with us to find an alternative to high-end, conventional war. We’ve had to invent a vocabulary for this low end: “asymmetrical” conflict, it being another poorly understood activity. But it seems clear that in this sort of war our existence is not threatened, that we can regulate the resource input. It can be expensive in men and material, but we cannot be defeated militarily.

When the enemy succeeds, it is because we do not defeat him and then weary of the fight. This is not a good outcome, but it is better—and much cheaper for us in lives and treasure—than losing a high-end, conventional conflict.


I make no excuses that we don't want a "fair" fight. I want our military to go in, kick ass, take control and then we can consider being magnanimous after our victory.

I have a stake in this and so do a lot of the people I know. Sons, daughters...if not themselves that are on the front lines around the globe, that we would like to come home safely.

You got a Su-27, well we can see you, but you can't see us...but that's not going to last very long.

The future air combat capabilities we should build are based on the F-22, a stealthy, fast, maneuverable fighter that is unmatched by any known or projected combat aircraft. But the F-22’s production run may soon come to an end at just 187 planes, well short of establishing the fleet size we need. After all, it’s expensive, and getting more so as the number contemplated has been repeatedly reduced. In an argument they seem to think makes sense, critics say the aircraft has no worthy opponent—as if we want to create forces that do have peer competitors.


Get that? The fewer we produce, the more expensive each plane is, the more we produce, the less cost per unit. Yeah they still cost a butt-load of money, but when the Russian counterpart gets out, we'll need more that 187 F-22's spread out or sitting in the wrong place is almost as useless as not having them to begin with.

It’s been more than half a century since any American soldier or Marine has been killed, or even wounded, by hostile aircraft, a period roughly coincident with the existence of the Air Force as a separate service. Even during the Korean War—the Air Force’s first engagement wearing new, blue uniforms—enemy air attack was primitive and rare. The main air battle was fought along the Yalu River, just as in Vietnam it was fought over Hanoi, and in Desert Storm, over Baghdad. Our guys on the ground had hard work to do, but when they looked up, they saw only friendly skies.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why we should wish to change this.


We've lost a lot of pilots in those fifty years, but it was always our fighters ruling the sky. Our troops on the ground were left to deal only with their troops on the ground. I'd like to keep it that way.

Bonus Stuff:

I needed another F-22 video to close this off and I found a cool one:



Also, if you are close to L.A. and you've never been to an Air Show I would recommend the Edwards Show Oct. 17 and 18. They WILL have a F-15 and F-22 there so you can marvel both their capabilities and compare something that first flew when I was graduating High School (1972) and what they can do now 36 years on.

I'll be at the Air Show on Saturday, the 17th and I'll wear my Rottie T-shirt. If you see me say hi!