Friday, December 10, 2010

Biog News I Should Post

My son, Chris, got hitched yesterday!!!

I only heard that he was engaged about a month ago. He meet a girl in his Company, fell in love and they were trying to figure out their next post so they could be together. They couldn't wait and got married.

I've now got the daughter my wife and I never had, and without having to go through the teenage years and worrying about them boys that are always hanging around.



Ain't she cute?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

"Only Look LIke Terrorists"

Once again the left proves that they only think about one's race making them the racists again.

From a Washington Post article by Eugene Robinson:

TSA outcry is really a call for profiling

He goes through all the explanations of why we should give up our rights and just submit to a total invasion of privacy and then at the end...the bombshell.

If we only search people who "look like terrorists," al-Qaeda will send people who don't fit the profile. It's no accident that most of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were from Saudi Arabia; at the time, it was easier for Saudi nationals to get U.S. visas than it was for citizens of other Arab countries. If terrorists are clever enough to hide powerful explosives in ink cartridges, then eventually they'll find a suicide bomber who looks just like you, me or Granny.


I hate to break it to him, but there are a hell of a lot more to profiling a person than just there race.

Did they buy their ticket with cash? Are they acting odd? There are numerous indicators that someone should receive extra scrutiny outside of just "looking like a terrorist".

Unless we get pass this idea that ONLY Arab looking guys are going to be pulled aside, we will just continue to have to endure the sideshow that screening is today.

Monday, November 15, 2010

A Follow Up To My Last Post

I spent the time since my last post thinking about how to just piss off the TSA, and I figured that getting in line and striping down to my boxers and putting my clothes into the baskets going through the x-ray machine might embarrass them enough. (I'm in my mid 50's and I could care less what other people think of my skinny, but not bad physique)

Turns out the German's beat me to it.



My next airline travel date is in February and if this prblem isn't worked out by then, drop by Burbank airport and watch the show.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

I'm A Dirty Old Man





Re: this Growing backlash against TSA body scanners, pat-downs

I am sick of these half-assed steps to getting to where they are going in order to travel by airplane!!! They insist that by going through these machines that no pictures are going to show up on the internet with enahnced pictures of the likes of Angelina Jolie, Megan Kelly, Jolene Blalock or Jeri Ryan.

I swear, if they would just quit the beating aroung the bush crap and go to the straight strip naked to get through security and board a plane it would accomplish two things.

1) no bombs or weapons on planes

2) the airline industry would be financially secure forever.

I know that a major portion of my income would be used to fly to and from places just so I could see naked women. (That's how guys think....surprise!)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

WH rewrote Gulf spill report to support moratorium

Bastards!!!

12,000 people lost their jobs because of some "creative" editing of the report on the Gulf spill, but hey, that's no big thing over protecting the environment.

The White House rewrote crucial sections of an Interior Department report to suggest an independent group of scientists and engineers supported a six-month ban on offshore oil drilling, the Interior inspector general says in a new report.

In the wee hours of the morning of May 27, a staff member to White House energy adviser Carol Browner sent two edited versions of the department report’s executive summary back to Interior. The language had been changed to insinuate the seven-member panel of outside experts – who reviewed a draft of various safety recommendations – endorsed the moratorium, according to the IG report obtained by POLITICO.

“The White House edit of the original DOI draft executive summary led to the implication that the moratorium recommendation had been peer-reviewed by the experts,” the IG report states, without judgment on whether the change was an intentional attempt to mislead the public.


And let's not forget the 1.8 Billion dollars lost to the economy. The drilling rigs that went away rather than sit idle during the moratorium that ain't coming back...particularly any that went to Brazil, paid for with US taxpayer money to do DEEP WATER DRILLING!

The WH is claiming it was a misunderstanding...there was nothing to misunderstand! The Eco-Nazis in this administration rewrote the report so it would be interpreted to back up their desire to stop oil exploration on our coasts.

Jobs lost, houses foreclosed on all over not letting a crisis go to waste. Effing socialists.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

She Worked So Hard

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

The Reawakening

A sign that the people of this country are reawakening and once again standing up and proclaiming their pride in this country.



Hooah!!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Despare And Hope

I caught this video on the tube this afternoon and it sent a shiver down my spine.



While cruising by the Rott this evening, I caught this and I got some stiffness back.



Vote! They haven't destroyed us yet.

I Want My Job To Go Union

So I don't have to care about it anymore.

The other day I worked my normal 12 hour shift, got off, went home feed the dogs and, being it had been a busy day, went to bed early. An hour and a half later, my phone was going off. The power had gone off at work for about five seconds and when it came back on, the surge from one of our pumps blew a hold in a 8 inch pipe. A pipe that the site cannot run without.

So, it was back to work I go on a wet drizzly night.

My company lacks basic tools and supplies. In order to prop up the pipe that needed fixing, I had to pull the jack from my truck out to hold it in place and get to where the work needed to be done.

It took 7 hours to get the site back up to speed then I was able to go home, feed the dogs and get about 3 1/2 hours sleep so I could go back for an 8 hour shift. I even juggled the hours on my time sheet so that the company wouldn't get nailed for my working 20 hours in a day.

I really don't want my company to go Union, but after a day like that it would have been nice to just say "I can't help, the rules won't let me. Take it up with the Shop Steward". My co-worker and I were quit proud of getting everything running again and knowing that the company didn't lose too much production, as we were able to keep half the site running during the disaster.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Tea Party Hypocrasy?

One of the canards thrown at the Tea Party crowd is that we are hypocrites because while we want small government, we don't want to lose our Social Security.

No, I don't want to lose my Social Security! I've INVESTED money in my retirement for 40 years now with government coercion. Give me the money removed from my paychecks, that is supposedly sitting in some lock box, and let me deal with it. I think I could do better than the 1.23 percent.

Even with the few working years left to me, I doubt I could come out worse.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

I Guess My Boy Still Loves Me

I received a package from my kid today. He's still stuck in Korea for another year and we don't get to talk enough due to the time difference, but I got confirmation the brat is still thinking of me...kind of a parent care package... or a bribe, I'm not sure which. He wants me to sent him two aircraft encyclopedias that weigh about 5 lbs. each.

I had asked for this when he first went over and for about it. His Division patch. He sent one regular and one cammo.




















I guess I better haul my butt down to the post office and get those books off to him.



He had mentioned this once before, but with our typical 2 AM conversations, I had forgotten about this also. Some Army playing cards for the NorKos'



And then just as a added bonus he included a cool Tshirt

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I Have A New Hero

(Sorry, I have to use a link, the embed has an error in it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1huvEAxd-Y

I wonder if she's a native Arizonan or a emigrant "Snow Bird" or transplant from Kalifornia. I know where I'd put moy money.

Monday, October 04, 2010

A Civics Test

I stumbled across this today: How Long Since You've Taken A Civics Exam?


I was a little leery going in, I haven't taken a test on anything in years, but was pleased with the results.

You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %

Average score for this quiz during October: 73.7%


From the summary of this test:

Seventy-one percent of Americans failed this basic test. The overall average score was only 49%, with college graduates also failing at 57%.


And I'm one of those dumb TEA Party ignoramuses that just understand what is going on in this country.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

In Football People Get Hit

You look at the play and tell me what was illegal or...anything that should have set off a brawl between coaches and parents. (The controversial play starts at 0:26 and sorry, CBSNews cannot get their embed correctly set up, gotta cut and paste)

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6910808n

Looks clean to me. Why the hell would someone put their kid into Peewee football and get freaked because their kid got clocked on a play?

I LOVE football, but I'm torn about Peewee leagues, because I can understand the love of the game, but I also take into account the damage that the sport can cause. However, two 90 +/- lb. kids running into each other doesn't equal two men at 250+ colliding.

Now because of the parents not being to act like adults two teams have no chance of making the playoffs regardless of whether they are good enough for the honor.

I hope the "adults" can at least tell their kids they should go through the season and win as many games as they can and IF they should have made the playoffs with their record, the parents were responsible for screwing up.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Inspiration


After a month away from here I finally ran across something that got me worked up again. Since my Mom passed, I've been preoccupied with all the little things that crop up and have to be dealt with, and trying to do it long distance with my brother being I can't take time off of work until it's absolutely necessary for me to fly up there.

This morning I read a piece by Maureen Dowd. I really need to read her more often being she gets me pissed off faster than anyone, except maybe listening to Olberman.

Going Mad in Herds

Read her take on why a majority of the nation just doesn't trust Obambi and doesn't think he's actually up for the job.

The bookstore gave the president a copy of “Freedom,” a new novel by Jonathan Franzen about a dysfunctional family in America. This is apt, since Obama is the head of the dysfunctional family of America — a rational man running a most irrational nation, a high-minded man in a low-minded age.

The country is having some weird mass nervous breakdown, with the right spreading fear and disinformation that is amplified by the poisonous echo chamber that is the modern media environment.
[emphasis: mine]

It's the typical East Coast Elitism, "The peons are just too dumb to understand." Well, the people after finally getting the details of what "Hope and Change" entailed...do not like it one bit!

A commenter, Chris C. Riley of Seattle Wa. seems to be able to sum up nicely what the problem the p0easants are having with this administration.

If we’re not the ones we’ve been waiting for, who are we?

I am happy to be the first to provide an answer to this question. We are the chumps. We are the chumps that believe that appeasement is a substitute for defense. We are the chumps who believe that, while a for a family to attempt to spend its way out of poverty is idiocy, it is sound policy for a nation to do so. We are the chumps that believe that by turning the health care system over to the Federal Government we will simultaneously cut costs and improve quality. We are the chumps that believe that they way to ensure that African American children close the education gap with their white peers is to make sure that they are denied school choice and access to charter schools. We are the chumps who believe that if we smash the existing energy industry we will all get high paying government jobs as wind-mill oilers or solar cell squeegee boys. We are the chumps that believe that we can alleviate poverty by raising the minimum wage. We are the chumps who appreciate being forced to buy dangerous little lawnmower-cars by people who fly around in corporate jets to give speeches about our excessive use of energy.

We are a nation of chumps. Us chumps elected socialist Democrats in both houses of Congress and the White House. Us chumps(and our grand children) bought a multi-trillion dollar ticket to the most expensive three ring circus ever imagined. We chumps may have destroyed the most free and the most prosperous society in the history of mankind. At least we will ave earned a place in the history books

Sunday, July 04, 2010

4th of July



Y'all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Celebrate the creation of the greatest country to exist.

America, Why I Love Her

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Mom



Age 88 and at home in her bed holding my brothers hand, my Mom passed peacefully on today to be with my Dad and the rest of our family and friends that have gone before her.

She was a great old dame.

Her passing is not a sad thing. She's been sick for years and in and out of the hospital for the last two, but her complaints were minimal, she just wished she could get up and do more.

She was a stay-at-home mom all through my brothers and my young years, but when we got into Jr. High, she decided to go back to work. Her money was for fancy things for the house...and buying crap for my brother and I, and having someone to talk to beside the dog.

Mom told my brother yesterday that she had a good life and that even though she would like to stay around, she was ready to go.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Is This A Surpirise???

I took a "test" today on "The Best Political Quiz" site. I gotta say, I was stunned by the result!

Well, It Didn't Take Long, Did It?

The G-20 Summit started today and....



within hours the destruction starts.

Thousands protest summit in Canada; vandals smash windows, torch police car
Published June 26, 2010
Associated Press


TORONTO (AP) — Black-clad demonstrators broke off from a peaceful protest and torched a police cruiser in the financial district and smashed windows in a shopping district after veering off from the planned protest route.

A group, dressed all in black, smashed the windows of a bank, a coffee shop and some stores before heading to an area where Canada's largest banks are headquarted, smashing restaurant and shop windows there.

The roving band of protesters in black balaclavas then turned north and broke shop windows for blocks with baseball bats and hammers. They also broke windows at police headquarters.

Police with shields and clubs earlier pushed back a small group of protesters who tried to head south toward the security fence around the site of the G-20 summit. Some demonstrators hurled bottles at police.


And what is it that warrants all this destruction. (From Free Speech Without Focus
June 25, 2010 - 9:23 PM | by: Michael Tobin)

In the end, a staggering amount of money is spent on the manpower that maintains order while these demonstrators want to challenge it and I still don’t get the point. Most of the interviews I’ve done arrive at the goal of “Raising Awareness.” But in the attempt to raise awareness of everything, you communicate nothing.


A party for quasi-revolutionaries to wreck havoc on society is all this is. But don't worry too much. [emphasis:mine]

Toronto Police Sgt. Tim Burrows said authorities are quite pleased that the protests have been tame so far compared to what they've seen at previous summits. Hundreds of protesters moved through Toronto's streets Friday, but police in riot gear blocked them from getting near the summit security zone downtown.

Burrows said police will be watching splinter groups within the protest who he said have promised violence.

"From what we've seen in previous summits we're quite happy with what our protesters are bringing to the table with the exception of a few," Burrows said before Saturday's march.

"They've protested peacefully. There have been a few people that have decided that they wanted to step out of line and test our response and they found themselves where they should be."


Tame so far...setting a police car on fire and busting windows for blocks on end is considered tame now? Remember, this is just day one of two, but hey! grab the kids and attend after all according to a sponsor of the march:

The march, sponsored by labor unions and dubbed family friendly, was the largest demonstration planned during the weekend summits.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Return From Rottfest

Actually I got home four days ago, but I had such a marvelous time, working on not enough sleep that I lost one day. I loved being there so much, that I stayed over an extra day. The few extra bucks for "Business Class" paid off right there, being I could change flights without penalty.

The Rottfest was a gathering of some of the nicest, most interesting and informative people I have ever meet. An eclectic group for sure. A military doctor, a long haul truck driver, LEO's, teacher...not to mention all the myriad jobs we had each had in the past.

There was three firearms instructors there, along with a pile of various long and short arms. Got to shoot a .45 and .40 semi-auto handgun, plus a custom built AR-15 ("Bad Karma") and 50 rounds through one of these bad boys:



An HK PS90

We even managed to break the indoor range we were shooting at. An armor piercing round got mixed into a clip and a weld on the backstop split. (I didn't do it!) I did get a couple on pointers on my stance and I didn't get yelled at for any mistakes in range etiquette or safety.

One of the guys offered to build a custom AR-15 for me at a price that is less than I could get a basic off-the-shelf one for here and I think I'd be a fool to pass him up on the offer.

I've already got my calendar marked for Rottfest 2011.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

YeeeHaaww!!! An Update


I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I was heading to Texas for Rottfest 2010. I'm psyched for the trip and getting to meet the LC's that are going to be there...but (and why does there always have to be a but?) After I got my plane tickets, made arrangements for boarding my dogs and got the cash out of the bank needed for beer...er..for expenses, the "Check Engine" light comes on in my pick-up?

I swear my family seems to have a curse on it sometimes. When things are going smooth and you think you can relax and enjoy yourself for a bit....WHACK!!! something bad pops up at the last second.

Ah well. I'm not going to let it ruin the trip. The truck will be in the same shape when I get back. It'll just set back getting that HDTV I've been looking at for the last 6 months off a few more, and I'll have to keep using the semi-crappy battery eating Kodak camera for a while instead of that bitchen Nikon SLR I wanted to get for this trip.

If my truck is the biggest problem I have right now, I guess my life isn't really all that bad.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Have We Forgotten?

I'm coming in just under the wire here, and it doesn't make me happy.

I knew that this anniversary of our countries finest moment was here, and yet I almost let it slip past. I forgot to put my flag out this morning, and even though I finally realized what this day was, I put off posting.

I am ashamed!

There was very little on the news today about a day that shaped my entire life.

That D-day could pass with such little acknowledgment of the sacrifices of the generation before mine makes me fear more for the generation that is coming behind mine.

What is this day? What did it mean to those in Europe that where waiting for someone to throw off the oppression of NAZI socialism?

I give you a video of a French citizen who, even though he had to go through an interpreter, needed to express his feelings about what America did for his country.



God bless our soldiers both past and present. May we always stand for right and to free those who are under fascist regimes.

May we not forget what they did, EVER.

Why Do We Bother?

Once again our elected officials ignore the Constitution, the California State Constitution in this case.

California Assembly Passes Racial Preferences Bill
By La Shawn Barber • June 4, 2010 10:09 AM


[All emphasis:mine]

California legislators and the governor should carry a copy of the state constitution in their pockets and refer to it when writing and signing bills. It’s a useful guide, laying out what the people have a right to do and what the government shall not do. For example, Article I, Section 31 reads in part:

“The State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.”


New law where things got crossed? No!

Thirteen years ago, 54 percent of voters passed Proposition 209, which added this language to the state’s constitution. But politicians act as though it doesn’t exist. Last October, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who swore to uphold the constitution, signed into law a bill that directs state departments to award government contracts to the lowest responsible bidder subcontracting 15 percent of the work to minority-owned businesses and five percent to female-owned businesses. The contractor who fails to do so will be rejected, even if he’s the lowest bidder.


Extra points for being not white or being a girl, being you know those people can't compete on their merits, and the hell with what it costs.

If you think that the lawsuit in the works over the above law would slow them down, think again.

The latest attempt to circumvent the law came yesterday, as the California Assembly passed a bill that would allow the (taxpayer-supported) University of California and California State University systems to consider skin color in admissions.


It doesn't matter what the Supreme law of the State says, theses elitists know better and in order to get an equal outcome, they write unconstitutional laws to attempt to achieve their goals. It doesn't matter that they tried this before and it didn't work, it just led to a high percentage of minorities dropping out of college because they were not prepared to handle the load.

If someone is not academically ready to go to University, that is what City Colleges are for. If you can complete 2 years at a CC and you've got the grades, then is the time to continue your education. Plus it saves a ton of money for all sides.

Even if racial preferences accomplished what social engineers and the professional civil rights industry hoped, they are discriminatory. Preferring one individual over another based on race means the other individual is passed over based on race. Has anyone read the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act lately?

As I’ve said so many times, I could recite it while comatose, the civil rights movement’s goal was to dismantle government-sanctioned and government-mandated racial discrimination. Blacks fought to be treated fairly as individuals protected by law, and not judged based on group membership. How things got turned around, where some blacks started demanding special treatment, is another topic for another post.


Nuff said

Friday, June 04, 2010

Love Your Children More Than You Love Death

With the Israeli's interdiction of the "Gaza Flotilla" this week I decided to take a little tour through You Tube land and see what videos were around on everyday life there. We always hear about the starving children and lack of water and gasoline, and I saw LOTS of videos depicting this. The thing I noticed about most of the videos with his perspective was that they were put out by "Human Rights" groups to show that their getting "much needed" supplies to the dying people of Gaza.

I took me a while, but I did find these, all taken in 2010:

Gaza Grocery Store



Seems to be a fair amount of food there and nobody seems be rushing the store for supplies.

Drive Through Downtown Gaza



Lotsa single occupied vehicles there for a place that has no gasoline.

Then I tripped across this and I think I may have hit a a clue as to why these people are having a hard time fitting in with the rest of the world.

Muslim Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony



Starts out cute doesn't it? Then 50 seconds in you start questioning what these 5-6 year old kids are being "taught"?

What is your Path?-
Jihad

What is your most lofty goal?-
Death for the sake of Allah


Allahu Akbar...Huh?

Let's compare here:

Kindergarten Graduation Video

Thursday, June 03, 2010

YeeeHaaww!!!


Heading for Texas next week!

Going to Rottfest 2010 where I'll finally get to meet some of the people that I've been "talking" to for about 7 years now on the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. Outside of a couple of plane changes in Dallas, I've never been to Texas and I'm really looking forward to visiting. It should be a good time. Beer, guns, BBQ...not all indulged at the same time (Mheh!).

This will also serve as a scouting mission. I have seriously thought about retiring to Texas, but being I've grown up in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, I'm not sure how comfortable I'll feel in a place where they say if you stand up straight, you can see into Oklahoma. I did survive a year in Phoenix, so I've lived in a relatively flat area before.

The flight should be interesting. Burbank to Las Vegas, sit (gamble) for an hour, change planes, fly to El Paso, then to Dallas. Coming home is even more fun. I actually go east first, well SSE, Dallas to Houston, then to Las Vegas, sit (gamble) for an hour, then home to Burbank. I even upgraded to "Business Select" (woohoo!), which give me the elite privilege of boarding in the first hoard AND one (1) free drink. I also can bypass the line up to the security checkpoint, but I always arrive early (an ACD I developed at around age 30), so that won't make a difference flying out. Coming home, I'll have to trust my hosts to judge traffic getting me to the airport with time to spare.

The trip will only cost me only one vacation day, so with my work schedule (4 on/4 off)I still will have what works out to 21 days off, if I took them in a block. I just won't have any money to go anywhere. I'm hoping to go to Korea next April to visit my son and see some of the Far East. If I don't go while he's over there, I'll never get there. (Of course if the NorKo's go berserk and actually start a war...I ain't going). Looking at today's airfares to Korea...I'm going to rack up a sh**load of credit card miles to afford the trip.

Just have to set up boarding the dogs and I'm outta here.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

On Edge

I'm not sleeping easily these days.

Since March 26th, I've been a bit more on edge. I have a dog in this hunt. It's my boy. He's one of the 28,500 U.S. troops, facing 1,003,000 NorKo....and I'm hoping that his 540,000 ROK buddies are more motivated and better trained than I've been led to believe.

In the Koreas, Five Possible Ways to War

An Incident at Sea

Shelling the DMZ

A Power Struggle or Coup

An Internal Collapse

A Nuclear Provocation

When Chris enlisted I knew he could be put anywhere in harm's way, but Korea was one of those places that stuck him in a scenario that could go in any direction at any time. In the ME at least you know he's in a hot zone. In Germany, you figure he gets to travel and see some of the world. In Korea, even before the Cheonan, I was uneasy because it is soooo unstable there.

Our military is tied down in the ME, support is going to be slow getting to Korea if things go bad. Plus it looks like we are going to have to back Israel over the blockade incident which will require more assets committed there.

I guess I' just going to have to get use to restless nights for the next 14 months until his post is up. Of course I'll trade my anxiety to, at least, having things stay at the status quo.

An Alternate Reason?

I was listening to Talk Radio on the way home from work this morning and they we discussing the L.A. County Supervisors vote on a boycott of Arizona.

L.A. County votes to boycott Arizona over immigration law


I suppose the only thing that surprised me was that the vote was 3-2.

It did get me thinking though. I was wondering what other reason all these cities and counties would have to protest a state trying to enforce the law?

It suddenly dawned on me that their motive might possibly be SELF PRESERVATION!!!

When this law kicks in, illegals are going to flood out of Arizona, and they ain't going back to Mexico. Where are they going to go? L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, Boulder, Austin, New York, Oakland, Seattle, El Paso and Columbus. All these cities voted to boycott and put themselves on the list that the illegals are going to head for because they know they can find sanctuary there.

Kind of a double edge sword here. These cities are already quaking under the weight of paying for the amenities given out. What's going to happen when those 450,000 vacate Arizona and take up residence in their new barrio then apply for food stamps, WIC, go to the Emergency Room, ect. ? Now that they've advertised (again)that they are willing to take in people that don't pay taxes...and if you make 25K or under, you don't pay taxes...hell my kid the last time I did his returns not only got back what he paid, they decided he should get MORE back on top of that. If it was at least "Zero Sum", I might not have gotten upset, but he got a bonus thrown in. The taxes I paid got redistributed to him, plus I was getting the pleasure of providing his room and board.

The weeks around July 28th (the enactment date of SB 1070) should be interesting.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day 2010



Today is a day to honor our fallen heroes. There are many posts and videos all over the net today doing that, so I decided to do something a little different. I wanted to post something on why we honor these fine young men and women. What it is about these people that deserve our praise and honor?

This video of Oliver North describes why.



God bless our troops!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Ask A Simple Question...

From A-Mess-NBC:

CHUCK TODD: The curriculum in the Texas public schools just got a major rewrite. Critics say the new, more conservative curriculum is revising history and the revised Texas textbooks could soon be seen, actually, in classrooms all over the country. Evan Smith is the CEO and editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune. So, I have to ask, Texas is not the largest state in the union. Last time I checked, it was California. So, why is it that what Texas does with its textbooks gets, has a better chance of getting replicated in other schools across the country than what California does?

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2010/05/25/msnbcs-chuck-todd-knocks-texas-conservatives-new-history-textbooks-e#ixzz0oyBi8BUa
[emph-mine]

Simple answer, Texas has money to pay for their textbooks, not IOU's.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Let's Boycott The Easy Stuff

I'm sure we've all read this letter from Gary Pierce of the Arizona Corporation Commission:

Dear Mayor Villaraigosa,

I was dismayed to learn that the Los Angeles City Council voted to boycott Arizona and Arizona-based companies — a vote you strongly supported — to show opposition to SB 1070 (Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act).

You explained your support of the boycott as follows: “While we recognize that as neighbors, we share resources and ties with the State of Arizona that may be difficult to sever, our goal is not to hurt the local economy of Los Angeles, but to impact the economy of Arizona. Our intent is to use our dollars — or the withholding of our dollars — to send a message.” (emphasis added)

I received your message; please receive mine. As a state-wide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona’s electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the “resources and ties” we share with the City of Los Angeles. In fact, approximately twenty-five percent of the electricity consumed in Los Angeles is generated by power plants in Arizona.

If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation. I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands.

If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona’s economy.

People of goodwill can disagree over the merits of SB 1070. A state-wide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill.

Sincerely,

Commissioner Gary Pierce


I, for one, would look forward to the city of Los Angeles to stop taking electricity from Arizona. It seems that my city, Glendale, has 5 generators, 3 of which just sit idle because they have not been upgraded to the newer "Clean Air Standards".

They have been fired up in recent years though to get us through the brown outs. If we stop counting on Arizona's generation, want to bet that Glendale doesn't get an exemption to fire up those extra generators.

More money for my city, which like every city in Kalifornia, could use some extra cash.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Racial Profiling...Broken Window

First off, I'd like to post a chart on who the illegal aliens are in this country.

For 2006:



So! If you're "brown skinned" and in this country illegally, you belong to the group that makes up 91% of the illegals in the country (Whereas illegal Canadians make up 0.00375%).

Who comprises the bigger problem here, and which ethnicity is more likely to run into contact with the police?

I can't wait for the ACLU and the SPLC to hit us with the "statistics" that point out that Latinos are being "disproportionally" affected by the law enacted in Arizona.

The "Broken Window" comes from the policy LAPD put into practice over a decade ago. "If you allow one broken window to go un-repaired, it drags down the rest of the community as more widows go un-repaired".

By ignoring the illegals here, we just allow more illegals to come with the feeling that they will be given a bye.

Then you get the lazy cops that don't want to do their job:

Police Chief Thomas Manger of Montgomery County, Md., in suburban Washington said he doesn't have the resources or the desire to enforce federal immigration violations by people who aren't disrupting the community.

"If they're not committing a crime here, frankly, I'm not sure how it enhances public safety to target those people for removal," he said.


Police Chief...this guy needs to be replaced yesterday. "If they're not committing a crime here,...", WTF? They have already committed a crime. Why is that so hard to nail down? Does this SOB tell his officers to ignore someone that doesn't come to a complete stop at a stop sign to not write a ticket, because they could be tackling real crimes? I bet not. ($$$$).

On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the latest challenge to the law in federal court on behalf of labor unions and others.


ACLU and MALDEF, I'm not surprised, but NAACP? Every Black run Blog I've gone by seems to support the Az law. I know that the NAACP is founded on the principle of having their constituents kept in perpetual poverty or Sharpton and Jackson couldn't afford their $2000 suits for their TV appearances to condemn the racism in this country while they actually fight against their own race.

Tucson police officer Martin Escobar also filed a lawsuit, arguing there's no "race-neutral" criteria for him to suspect that someone's in the country illegally. Some say it would be impossible to enforce without relying on indicators such as skin color, clothing and accent.


Well Officer Escobar, quit!

If you can't do your job, in these economic times, there is somebody to fill in and do the extra work you don't want to do. Fuck! You ask for a license, like you do at every stop you make. If they have one, that's proof of legal residence...if they don't have one? You what? Let them go anyways...maybe just because they're brown?

They worry Hispanic crime victims will be too scared to call for help, or eyewitnesses will refuse to cooperate in murder investigations.


Let's look at "Sanctuary Cites":

Some of the 31 American cities are Washington, D.C.; New York City; Los Angeles; Chicago; San Francisco; Santa Ana; San Diego; Salt Lake City; Dallas; Houston; Austin; Detroit; Jersey City; Minneapolis; Miami; Denver; Baltimore; Seattle; Portland, Oregon; New Haven, Connecticut; and Portland, Maine. These cities have adopted "sanctuary" ordinances banning city employees and police officers from asking people about their immigration status.


Look at the crime rate statistics of these cities compared to the rest of the country. It ain't pretty. Even though there is is no way you will get deported, the crime rate is beyond horrific, and like was exposed last year, these cities when they do have to deal with someone who is a major felon and illegal, they put them on planes "on the honor system" that they will stay on the plane until they get home, or just put them on a bus to another city.

The members of MS-13 are more feared than the cops, so who is running the streets?

I know it's never going to be perfect, but get the border under control, get the bad asses out of my country and then...and only then should we talk about bringing the ungrateful illegals into the light.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

And I Don't Blame Them



The cactus in the photo at right planted along the Arizona border with California gives a pretty good indication of the reaction of that state to the boycott directed at them by the Los Angeles city council over the new immigration law. However, what is the opinion of folks in California? If a Los Angeles Times poll showed overwhelming support for the boycott, do you not think this would be front page news? Well, the results were overwhelming...97.6% of the respondents to this L.A. Times poll were opposed to the boycott of Arizona. The poll question: "Was the L.A. City Council right to pass a boycott of Arizona?" Here are the results:

Yes. Arizona needs to feel the consequences of enacting a bad law. 2.1% (378 votes)

Yes, though the boycott should be more of a symbolic gesture than an official measure. 0.4% (64 votes)

No, but only because doing so is probably illegal and not in L.A.'s interest. 4.2% (771 votes)

No. The city should mind its own business. 93.4% (17,030 votes)


Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2010/05/14/la-times-downplays-overwhelming-result-own-online-poll-arizona-boycott#ixzz0o1cUeZFt


For my part, My son and I went to Phoenix for 3 days last week and took in a D'backs/
Dodger game and purchased food and gas.

While I was out there, I talked to some people and they are pissed that L.A. is telling them that they have no right to deal with a very bad and scary problem. I wish I had the results of this poll while I was there so I could point out it's just the liberal elitist's in government that are pushing the asinine boycott.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Some Fun

For The Ones daily speech here's a little game to play to keep from falling asleep. the rules are simple:

Rules for Bullshit Bingo:
1. Before Barrack Obama’s next televised speech, print your “Bullshit Bingo”
2. Check off the appropriate block when you hear one of those words/phrases.
3. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, stand up and shout “BULLSHIT!”



Enjoy!

Saturday, May 01, 2010

A Quote

"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force."— Ayn Rand

I have got to read this book!!!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Instead of not posting because of laziness or nothing to write about, I'll most likely have an excuse for disappearing for the next five days. I'm heading north to the beautiful city of Beaverton, Or. to see my Mom and my brother.

Mom's not doing great, she's bedridden and the breathing problem she's had for the last 4 or 5 years has gotten real bad. She's in her mid eighties, so I figured I better get my butt up there. She's under hospice care with my brother taking care of her and a visiting nurse coming by to handle the hard stuff. NO MORE HOSPITALS!!!! by her orders.

My brother is suppose to be getting an internet connection by the time I get up there and I'm going to introduce him to the wonderful world of the net. He and my son are best friends and it will allow him to talk to Chris in Korea for free, so that was the selling point.

I know, it seems odd trying to get someone 50 years old to see the benefits of the net, but he thought he was off the grid until I told him about Spokeo.com. Most of the info is wrong, but mine was close enough to request they pull it off. (Go there and type in your name and see what data they have mined and assumptions made.)

Being this is a last minute trip the cost was a little steep, but I used a lot of the credit card miles I've racked up and being all they had left was first class it cost me $100 more, but it still works out a little less than a regular ticket. Now when I get home I'm going to have to go on a spending spree to build my miles up again so I can go to the RottFest in Texas this June.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Monday, April 19, 2010

Back to the 50's?

I just turned 56 yesterday. I don't want to go back to the 50's. I don't really remember much about it except having fun playing those now forbidden games of dodge ball, tag, musical chairs at school, and entertaining ourselves with playing war, and throwing dirt clod at each other.

I don't what to go back to the '60's either. Fun times. The Beatles showed up along with all those entertaining hippies, but by the end of the decade I was seeing the cracks between what the "Free Love" generation idealized and what happens in the real world.

The '70's, still mostly a fun time for me. I really, really fell in love for the first time...I actually got engaged, but we grew apart (bummer), but I started working regular jobs (in hospitals), making money and being able to support myself. Made a lot of dumb decisions that taught me about how life works. All the years of my Dad telling me that applying myself would reap benefits started to sink in, although America had hit a low. The Carter years of "don't hope for better because we're past our prime".

The '80's, I hit my prime I had a job that I liked, met a good woman and got married, bought a house, had what turned out to be a great kid, and the country rebounded under Reagan.

'90's...My life was stable, but things stared to change. Job that I liked, but my good woman started to phase herself out of the picture. The owner of my company, and best friend, died and the company was bought by a bunch of yahoo's that didn't understand the oil industry.

'00's, new job at a underfunded company, my wife and I separated, my boy grew up and joined the Army and left the nest.

'10's, we'll see, but it's looking ugly.

The reason for this?

I keep being told that Conservatives want to go back to a period they idealize. I don't! I've lived through five decades and some were good and some sucked, but I don't want to live them again or live them over and over. I love the advancements that have been made in my lifetime, however, I see the pitfall we are leaving to the future generations.

I want my grandchildren to enjoy these advancements, plus more, but with the debt we have already foisted on our children and with the shift to government directing where spending will go, My dreams that my grandchildren will have a better life than me is now just that, a dream.

As of today, I, my wife, and my son each owe $41,500 just to pay off the incurred debt. Ever run up a credit card debt and work to pay it off? It took me a long time to pay off an amount a hell of a lot less than $40K! And that was after I stopped spending. The government just keeps piling additional debt on us and telling us as soon as they can, they promise to stop spending and will pay off the debt....really!!! Any year now.

I am angry! I live on the front lines of what this country is turning to. ( A long read, but worth it) We are turning this country into a system where there are more bureaucrats and government workers than there are people actually producing something besides rules and regulations that they will tax or fine me with.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

My Poor, Poor State

I really do like living in California. It's a beautiful place and I've lived here my whole life, so even living in L.A. with it's overcrowding doesn't bother me too much, it's normal for me. However the politics and government of the state/county/city has me wanting to escape at the first opportunity.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Obamacare Passed

NOTE: I wrote this two days ago, right after the vote to enact this POS and it took me two days to clean out all the really bad language.

To my son and my future grandchildren, I'm sorry.

My generation has saddled you with a bill that can never be paid.

Analysis: Health care's political lift uncertain

WASHINGTON – The initial blush of President Barack Obama's health care triumph immediately gives way to a sober political reality — he must sell the landmark legislation to an angry and unpredictable electorate, still reeling from the recession.

Voters may not buy it.


"angry and unpredictable electorate"...Hell yes we're angry. 60% of the people didn't want this bill to pass, but the congresscritters know better than us what we need. Unpredictable? I predict that us stoopids are going to wreak retribution on those that jammed this POS on us.

"We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people," the president said late Sunday, beginning his sales pitch from the White House one hour after Congress passed the sweeping measure.


So sayeth "the one", they are working for the people, even though the people sayeth "NO!!"

Voters are furious. They hate Washington. They also detest incumbents. They're concerned most about the economy. And unemployment that's hovering near 10 percent. They're also split over whether Obama's health plan is good for a nation with enormous budget deficits and climbing debt.

How those variables play out is anyone's guess.


My guess/hope will be that these asshats get voted out of office at the first opportunity. With unemployment high and no new jobs (except gov't jobs, 16,000 new IRS agents to make sure you pay for Oabamacare). Oh, I get it, jobs created, but who pays the salaries of these IRS workers...the taxpayer, so we'll have to pony up more to pay for these new jobs that create nothing.

"It will end up being the smart thing to do politically because I believe that good policy is good politics," the president said Saturday at the Capitol.


The "smart thing to do politically", he said. Damn straight. Anytime you can give someone something for nothing, you've got a guaranteed vote in the next election.

Ahead of the vote, a Gallup poll showed more Americans believe the measure will make things worse rather than better for the country as a whole and for them personally. And most polls show most people don't like the plan although some surveys showed Americans giving high marks to individual elements.


The hell with the people and what they think. They actually bought into the idea that their elected Representatives where there to represent them. Most American's know that there are needed adjustments to health care coverage, but we also can figure out that putting more people into the system (a lot of them unemployed, be able to cover everything and we will save money, just isn't going to work out the way they are telling us.

Throughout the yearlong debate, the GOP derided the bill as "socialized medicine" and warned that it would be devastating. But Republicans may find themselves looking sheepish given that the status quo won't change for most people for years.


The only thing that changes right off is that our taxes go up. We pay for this for 5 years before the benefits kick in.

Got the word today That this is most likely force the owner of my company to implement a copay on our insurance premiums. Even with all the troubles our company has gone through, he still carried 100% of the cost, Medical, Dental and Vision, but he said this is straw that breaks the camels back. Thank you pResident Obama, you just reduced my income by $3,600 per year.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Is The Delta Smelt Saved Already?


Remember this from way, way back...8 months ago?

California's Man-Made Drought
The green war against San Joaquin Valley farmers.


California has a new endangered species on its hands in the San Joaquin Valley—farmers. Thanks to environmental regulations designed to protect the likes of the three-inch long delta smelt, one of America's premier agricultural regions is suffering in a drought made worse by federal regulations.

The state's water emergency is unfolding thanks to the latest mishandling of the Endangered Species Act. Last December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued what is known as a "biological opinion" imposing water reductions on the San Joaquin Valley and environs to safeguard the federally protected hypomesus transpacificus, a.k.a., the delta smelt. As a result, tens of billions of gallons of water from mountains east and north of Sacramento have been channelled away from farmers and into the ocean, leaving hundreds of thousands of acres of arable land fallow or scorched.

For this, Californians can thank the usual environmental suspects, er, lawyers. Last year's government ruling was the result of a 2006 lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other outfits objecting to increased water pumping in the smelt vicinity. In June, things got even dustier when the National Marine Fisheries Service concluded that local salmon and steelhead also needed to be defended from the valley's water pumps. Those additional restrictions will begin to effect pumping operations next year.

The result has already been devastating for the state's farm economy. In the inland areas affected by the court-ordered water restrictions, the jobless rate has hit 14.3%, with some farming towns like Mendota seeing unemployment numbers near 40%. Statewide, the rate reached 11.6% in July, higher than it has been in 30 years. In August, 50 mayors from the San Joaquin Valley signed a letter asking President Obama to observe the impact of the draconian water rules firsthand.


Who'da thunk that the species would be able to turn around so fast...or I guess the reality would be that the Dems are throwing the fish under the bus. Now the news is:


Buying Votes With Water


Politics: The water spigots are back on, at least temporarily, in California's Central Valley. Turned off to protect a tiny fish, they happen to be in the districts of two congressmen "undecided" on health care reform.

One could chalk it up to good fortune or just good constituent service. But in the middle of a contentious health care debate marked by Cornhusker Kickbacks and Louisiana Purchases, we may be forgiven if we find an announcement by the Department of the Interior regarding California's water supply a tad too coincidental.

On Tuesday, the Department of the Interior announced it was increasing water allocations for the Central Valley of California, a region that depends on these water allocations for local agriculture and jobs. The timing adds to our suspicions.

According to the Interior announcement, "Typically (the Bureau of) Reclamation would release the March allocation update around March 22nd, but moved up the announcement at the urging of Senators (Diane) Feinstein and (Barbara) Boxer, and Congressmen (Jim) Costa and (Dennis) Cardoza."

Blue Dog Democrats Costa, who represents California's 20th Congressional District (Fresno), and Cardoza, who represents the 18th (Stockton to Modesto), are both listed as "undecided" in the upcoming vote on health care reform, whether it be on the Senate bill itself or the "deem and pass" resolution known as the Slaughter rule, after Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter.


What a coincidence!!! Two congresscritters with districts with unemployment rates running at 40% suddenly get the water they have been begging for the last year released just before the vote on Obamacare.

The 2-inch-long delta smelt, a fish destined for the Endangered Species list, plugs the drains releasing water to the farmlands. So to protect it, environmentalists filed lawsuits and the decision was made to restrict the water flow and safeguard the smelt, even if that meant turning some of America's best farmland into the functional equivalent of Death Valley.


So, until the Department of Interior releases it's next allocation update, the Delta Smelt is off the Endangered Species List, whereas Reps Costa and Cardoza were on the list and needed a little bakshish.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Best Of Us


A soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.

"But You Did Nothing For 8 Years!!!"

Dropped by an old friends site today that I've neglected to visit for far too long. He had the proper response to the above meme:


When The Better Answer Is Still The WRONG Answer…

March 13, 2010 by Blackiswhite, Imperial Consigliere


Instead, the correct answer for every Republican faced with the OUTRAGE!!!!111!!! of leftist plant, member of the Fourth Estate, or Dhimicratic Lawmaker who employs the “YOU were in control for 8 years and did NOTHING!!!11!!!” meme is to look them in the eye, and say calmly, but firmly “You’re right. And do you know why? *pause, to make sure you have their attention* Because it isn’t for the FEDERAL government to address. The question that YOU should be asking yourself Mr. SEIU protester/Olbermann/Congressman Grayson is why you hate the Constitution, think you know better than the men who wrote it, or the wisdom of the voters and the legislators of your own home states? You keep trying to take power that doesn’t belong to you, and despite the Civil War’s net effect of shifting the balance of power between the Federal Government and the individual states, the states still are sovereign entities, and it is up to them to address this issue if the people of their states believe there is a compelling need to do so. Massachusetts showed the way on this, and yet you still persist in a nearly delusional belief that the Tenth Amendment no longer applies, and that we are empowered to forever expand special welfare for some and continue to call it “general welfare” for all. It’s time Congress confined itself to things within the grant of power specifically made to it in the Constitution.”

Sunday, March 07, 2010

The More Things Change.....

Bathroom Books - My library of magazines and books that sit in the bathroom to occupy 10 minutes that would be wasted. One of them is "Let's Be Heard" by Bob Grant. The lead page to the third section has this:

WHOSE GOVERNMENT IS THIS, ANYWAY?

The career politicians and bureaucrats, along with the pundits of the left, are currently wailing and keening over what the depict as dangerous "antigovernment" sentiment at loose in the land, but they're way off base. Most people believe strongly in our form of government. We just don't like how it has been perverted and contorted out of shape over the past few decades.

Our dissatisfaction has two main, related causes.

First, government does too many things we don't want it to do. In fact, the general drift of government activism has been to do things that help small minorities and special interests at the expense of the majority.

Second, every time the government does anything, it ends up costing us too much money. The costs nearly always outweigh the benefits.

In other words, the people who pay for government are the people whom government seems least interested in serving. You could even say that we pay government to do things that damage us. But we're not angry at government--just at some of the bozos who run it.


This was written in 1996, but sounds like it could have been penned yesterday.

Where I'm At

Heard a song today and it hit home about what's going on in my life. For some reason I listened to the words and heard them all over again. This song came out back when I was in Jr. High so forgive me if the lyrics had kinda faded into the background.

Friday, February 12, 2010

No Flight For You, Achmed


Truly unbelievable!!

Airport body scanners violate Islamic law, Muslims say

"It is a violation of clear Islamic teachings that men or women be seen naked by other men and women," reads the fatwa issued Tuesday. "Islam highly emphasizes haya (modesty) and considers it part of faith. The Quran has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private parts."

The decision could complicate efforts to intensify screening of potential terrorists who are Muslim. After the Christmas Day bombing attempt in Detroit by a Muslim suspect from Nigeria, some have called for the use of body scanners at airports to find explosives and other dangerous materials carried by terrorists. Some airports are now in the process of buying and using the body scanners, which show in graphic detail the outlines of a person's body.

But Muslim groups say the scanners go against their religion. One option offered to passengers who don't want to use the scanners would be a pat down by a security guard. The Muslim groups are urging members to undergo those instead.


The only reason they are installing these body scanners is BECAUSE of the Muslims. If their religion says they can't go through a scanner like the rest of us are forced to do, then the simple solution they don't fly.

Solves two problems at once. They don't have to risk their modesty and I don't have to worry about some towelhead blowing up the plane. Flying is a privilege, not a right, so they can take their fatwa and shove it.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I'm Baaack!!

All is well in my little piece of the world, I just took a break from blogging. The last month has been routine, but interesting.

I can now talk with my son over in Korea over the internet. The time difference is a bitch, but when I work graveyard it's something to do during that 1 to 3 AM lull. If I'm home, and up, we can use the webcams, though the video delay can be a little disconcerting if you pay too close attention.

It's good to be able to see and talk to him again.

My wife came through town a few weeks ago for a couple of days before heading back to Montana. It was good to see her again, but she's better off up there and I ain't going to live anyplace that has temperatures in the single digits. Not to mention there really isn't a thriving oil industry there.

Had to put my poor 19 year old cat "Belly" down. (I didn't name him) Cancer got him. Even though most of the time it was like we were two roosters in the same hen house, I miss the bastard.

Got another dog. A Pit/Lab mix. Sweet as hell, but she's 1 1/2 years old and full of energy. Shannon was loved by the family I got her from, but her training was a bit on the harsh side so she still cowers if I speak loudly to her. She'll fit in as she gets more comfortable. She's smart enough. Ralph, my other dog, was able to teach her the dog door in one day (Thank the gods)

Here is the best pic I've got of Shannon. If I crouch down to try to snap a shot, she's in my lap and all I get is a close-up of a dog nose. Got plenty of those.



Finally, Here's a pic of the mountains over my little valley from my drive home from freezing my butt of at work last night. 35 degrees at 3AM and for a SoCal boy that's more cold than I like.



That's how I like my snow...UP THERE. It's pretty to look at, but getting up and going out to dig my truck out before going to work...I'll pass.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Rifleman

I finally break down and get a new machine and what do I get hooked on? A black and white TV show from the '50's.



I went to HULU to find a movie to watch but ran into "The Rifleman", a show I loved while I was growing up. Lucas McCain was my hero. In those 30 minute shows I found a man who was fair, honorable, worked hard for what he wanted and above all loved his son.

In all the years I have watched this program, I had never known how Lucas and Mark got to North Fork, now I do.

Did you know Sam Peckinpah wrote and directed the original screenplay and a lot of the first year episode?

And for you rifle purists, I know that the show is set in the early 1880's and the rifle was produced in 1892...I don't care!

There are 50 episodes on Hulu if you'd like to go back down that trail.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

New Toy

I've been gone for a while due to getting a new computer. The last one lasted over 9 years, so I was due.

I am now involved in trying to get all the crap transferred from the old machine to the new one plus adding on some new toys.

I should be able to handle phone and video chat over this system, so I can really talk to my boy in Korea for free and if the video works, I can see what he looks like.

Friday, January 01, 2010

When You Think You've Heard It All

From boston.com

But as a progressive, I would sooner lay my child to rest than succumb to the belief that the use of a gun for self-defense is somehow not in itself a gun crime.

DOUG VAN GORDER
Quincy


This idiot is not only a "progressive", he's a teacher! And not only is he a teacher, he's experienced the horror of being a helpless victim.

I AM a math teacher at Brockton High School, the site of a school shooting earlier this month.


I was mugged once. I was scared, and just wanted the situation to be over, but the more I gave into the demands of the mugger, the more he'd demand, until I finally decided that the next step could/would be to get rid of the witness.

That is the one "no holds barred" fight I have ever had in my life...hell, it's the only fight I've ever had, but the one thing I learned from that experience was that the second I fought back, the mugger was the one conceding position.

Current school security procedures lock down school populations in the event of armed assault. Some advocate abandoning this practice as it holds everyone in place, allowing a shooter easily to find victims.

An alternative to lockdown is immediate exodus via announcement. Although this removes potential hostages and makes it nearly impossible for the shooter to acquire preselected targets, it unfairly rewards resourceful children who move to safety off-site more shrewdly and efficiently than others.

Schools should level playing fields, not intrinsically reward those more resourceful. A level barrel is fair to all fish. [emphasis: mine]


If one dies, we all die, that makes life "fair". He recognizes the danger of sitting and hoping the police show up in time, but is willing to sacrifice the many for the few.

This asshole has to be one of those that worked to forbid games like Dodge ball and Musical Chairs because someone loses, either through guile, speed or luck.

Let's go back to the quote I cited at the top:

But as a progressive, I would sooner lay my child to rest than succumb to the belief that the use of a gun for self-defense is somehow not in itself a gun crime.


First off, I going to guess that this asshat has no children of his own. God help you if you did anything to hurt my boy. I don't care if he is 21 years old and bigger, stronger and faster than me, my duty is to protect him and do everything in my power to see that he lives a long life.

That last line is the best:

than succumb to the belief that the use of a gun for self-defense is somehow not in itself a gun crime


Using a weapon to protect the innocent...is a crime itself. (I'll bet a months wages this spineless sheep voted for Obama.) This guy, DOUG VAN GORDER of Brockton High School in Quincy, Mass. is not going to be like Liviu Librescu at Virginia Tech, he's going to be hiding behind your children hoping HE doesn't get shot.

Army Christmas Party

My son posted this on his Facebook page, so I stole it.

This is from his "Office party".

Good Sign or Bad Sign?


With my son being part of the trip wire defense of S. Korea, I try to keep up on what is happening over there. Now, Chris, who is around 100 miles from the DMZ never hears anything about what the North is doing. It seems the only time the camp goes on any type of alert status is when the South Koreans are protesting something (which seems to be a weekly occurrence).

So it piqued my interest when I read this:

N.Korea calls for end to hostile relations with US

SEOUL — North Korea on Friday called for an end to hostile relations with the United States, vowing to work towards a nuclear-free peninsula seven months after its last atomic test angered the world community.

The call was made in a policy-setting New Year joint editorial of the communist country's state newspapers. North Korean people must learn and memorize the editorial, which is seen as ideological guidance for the year ahead.

"The fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of Asia is to put an end to the hostile relationship between the DPRK (North Korea) and the USA," the editorial said.

"It is the consistent stand of the DPRK to establish a lasting peace system on the Korean Peninsula and make it nuclear-free through dialogue and negotiations," the editorial said, according to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).


On the surface, this looks promising...BUT...I just don't trust them.

Our enemies know all to well that we have a weak administration that is happy to talk and talk, give unilateral concessions and tell us that "progress" is being made. Iran and North Korea have been yanking our chain for years buying time to continue their programs.

The other thing that worries me about this is whether this is a set-up? Life isn't getting better in the North, so why not talk peace and get the ROK to ease up and let us relax, then hit hard and fast.

I've not seen a scenario where the North could win a war, but it would be a bloody mess while it lasted.

On the flip side, it could be real. I would certainly love a very scary situation to go away and allow the families that have been separated for 56 years (my entire life) to be reunified.

That said, what would that mean to the 30,000 U.S. troops stationed there? Would they be pulled and sent other places? It doesn't make me sleep better having Chris in Korea, though I am proud of him. As a Dad, I'd be happier with him at Ft. Rucker in Alabama. It could turn out to be a frying pan/fire thing if he gets moved to the ME. He says he could use a deployment to a hot spot if he decides to stay with the Army and he is Gov't Issue, so where he ends up isn't up to either of us.

It's a new year, so right now I think I'll be a little optimistic and hope that this decade brings a little peace to part of the world.