Asphyxiated Emancipation

I am deeply saddened.

2010-05-02T23:31:00.000-07:00

A friend I recently reconnected with has cut me out of her life. We were pretty close in high school, lost touch, and reconnected this year. She said goodbye last week, out of a misguided sense that she was somehow putting me before her husband. Not sure how, as we were just very good friends, and I'd barely spoken to her in weeks. I don;t blame her, she needs to do what she feels she needs to for her marriage. Just, sad. I have so very few people I really consider friends, to lose one for something so silly...it hurts. But, she cut contact, so I have removed her every place I can think of, from facebook, from following my blog, etc. Not to be mean, but to comply with her wishes.

This sucks.

Stop it, just stop it!

2010-02-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

Get your hands off of my health care. So, Obama unveiled his shiny new plan for health care reform today. His shiny new, $1 trillion health care reform plan. Holy Shit. He doesn't get it. He . Just. Doesn't. Fucking. Get. It.

Americans want to be left alone with regards to our health care. Or, if you really want to help, make it legal for us to buy it across state lines. Government needs to get the hell out of the way.

I feel increasingly though as if I am trapped in a poorly written sitcom. Here we are, our ship hurtling toward a massive waterfall, and the captain let's go of the wheel with a cheery, "Hey guys! Let's play Monopoly!"....

Words of inspiration...

2010-02-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling rather optimistic about the future for the first time in quite some while. It's been a rough road these past few months, well, these past three years..well, all my life, really. I feel as though I am in a place now where I can achieve anything. Part of this is simply that I have finally been getting enough sleep, part is the happiness of a new old friendship, and part is simply for no definable reason.
But I am happier than I remember being.

And so, some of my favorite inspirational quotes:

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. -Theodore Roosevelt

I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head. -Theodore Roosevelt

It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things. -Theodore Roosevelt

If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. -Winston Churchill

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never! -Winston Churchill

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. -Thomas Jefferson

Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. -Thomas Jefferson

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. -Ronald Reagan

Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can? -Sun Tzu

What say you climb down off your cross, use the wood to build a bridge, and GET OVER IT! -Christopher Titus

Why, hello there!

2010-02-11T22:34:00.000-08:00

What a week, eh? Palin using notes from her hand has the naysayers all wee-wee'd up. SO Freaking what!? I'll tell you what it looked like to me. She had her notes right there in front of her, I know, because I watched her while she spoke. What she had on her hand were reminders for some ad-lib talking points she didn't want to forget. When you make a prepared speech, sometimes it goes faster or slower than you intend, and sometimes you end up a bit short.

As if the teleprompter in chief could do better. He had to have a teleprompter to speech to a classroom full of children, fer pete's sake!

Best use of "Downfall" footage EVER!

2010-01-20T18:51:00.001-08:00

I thought the one I saw this morning was funny, making light of the Brown-Coakley results. This wins, though. H/T to Don Gwinn, who got it from Tamara

Positive aspects to losing my job...

2010-01-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

-Lots of free time
-No longer stuck in a dead end job
-The stress of being unemployed and broke is less than the daily stress of my old job
-Get to see my daughter more than 5 hours a day
-Get to see my wife more than 30 minutes a day
-Might be able to finally go back to school and get a degree
-Don't have to spend money on office clothes anymore
-Less worry about laundry
-Don't have to shave as often
-No more employer politics being shoved down my throat
-No more arguing because I refuse to break the law
-I am far less bitter and negative than I used to be
-No longer "an important person"
-Much lower risk of being targeted by an angry citizen with a grudge
-Don't have to listen to my boss give me unsolicited advice about weight/relationships/cars/etc
-No more taking the heat on complaints about people who aren't at work when angry customers come in

Meh.

2010-01-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

That is all.

Get dirty, get self reliant...

2010-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Self reliance isn't pretty, I have learned(and continue to learn). It requires hard work, dedication, and forethought, as well as the application of what used to be called common sense, but now seems like soothsaying to most of the population. Sometimes, though, all it requires is a willingness to get your hands dirty. Literally, getting down on your hands and knees, and getting dirty.

Handling your own plumbing problems isn't our first instinct anymore. We've been persuaded by decades of government conditioning and countless television commercials that it's smarter to call the rotor rooter man when our toilet clogs, that we should go to Jiffy lube, rather than try to change the oil ourselves, and to spend extra for neatly packaged meat that we can just buy as we need it.

To break the chains that bind us, to live a free life, to learn the skills of our forefathers, we must be willing to get dirty. Oil, dirt, blood and poo will liberate us. Yes, I just said poo will liberate us. Bear with me.

There is great freedom in learning to take care of your own problems. If you need shelves, to build them, and if you need a car repaired, to do it. Oh, it's easier and more comfortable to pay someone else to do the job, but where does that lead? It leads to the need for more money, which means even more time spent working for someone else.

As I work my way through 20 pounds of hamburger, bagging and freezing the fruits of my trip to the store, I think about the money I save by buying in bulk, and I look forward to the day when I am freezing meat I have hunted on my own. As I put books on the shelf I built, I think about the money I saved over a trip to IKEA.

Which reminds me, I have gaskets to change on my truck, and a funny sound coming from the heater blower.

The Government Can...

2009-09-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

H/T to Sharp as a Marble

Ensuring Future Prosperity

2009-09-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was going to title this post "Surviving", but I realized that isn't what it is about. Really, how many of us want to "survive"? We want to keep living, sure, but really, what we want is to prosper, we want things to get better every day.

I store food. I store quite a bit, actually. I store not out of paranoia, but for the same reason I carry a gun. Preparedness. I believe in taking sensible precautions, that's all. I have multiple fire extinguishers at my house, and one in each car. I carry a gun whenever possible, save for when I am disarmed by government/employer fiat. I have life insurance and auto/home insurance as well. I like to not leave things to chance. What would happen, if I were laid off tomorrow? How would I feed my family? Well, we would go to the pantry, and make some food. We could make it quite some time on what we have stores, before things got uncomfortable, and even longer before things would get desperate. This is the way I provide for my family.

How do you start something like food storage? To most, it seems a daunting task, what with MREs and dehydrated foods available. "What exactly do I do, now that I have 150 pounds of wheat on my dining room table?", you may ask yourself.

The simple answer is this: Store what you eat. That's right, the stuff you eat every day. Of course, it helps a lot if the stuff you eat is good, solid food, rather than junk. But hey, those chips aren't really helping you prosper, are they? No, they aren't. They're slowing you down, making you fat.

So, first things first. Diet. Eat meat. Eat veggies. Eat fruit. Cut back on the unnecessary processed carbs. Most people aren't going to want to go wheat free, and that's fine. Most people don't have to. After all, wheat is a great storage food.

To be continued later...

2009-09-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Go read the rest. Spread it around.
The Reclamation of Independence

H/T to Big Dick(NSFW)

Milton Friedman on Donahue

2009-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

A little talk about "greed" and capitalism...

Food Blogging

2009-08-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Posts have been sparse lately. They've been sparse, because I am enraged to the point of speechlessness much of the time. I can't talk about anything political, without a red curtain falling over my eyes, a RCOB, if you will.

So, here's a recipe. My family always called it "Mexican Steak", I call it Carne Asada, though it is properly neither one. You'll need an electric skillet for this. I suppose you could use a regular skillet, but I've only ever used an electric for this, so we're gonna go with you needing an electric skillet. Really easy. My five year old helped.

Your ingredients:

1.5-2 pounds steak(I use London Broil, because it's cheap)
Diced Tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
Medium onion
Chili powder
seasoned salt
cayenne pepper
ground cumin
red bell pepper
olive oil
rooster sauce
El Pato hot mexican tomato sauce.

Here are your ingredients.
Please ignore the mess. This was all spur of the moment, so I had no chance to sanitize my kitchen in preparation. You won't need the coffee pot, nor the pan of brownies, bottled water, honey or compost bin.

Cut your meat into strips.

Then cut it again, into smaller pieces. They don't have to be perfect, you'll be eating this, not presenting it.

Dice your onion.

Cut your Bell Pepper open and slice it.

Then dice it.

Put the garlic into your garlic press and press it. Do this over the already prepared ingredients, so as to not lose any garlic juice. You do have a garlic press, right? I could not live without mine. I suppose if you're some sort of barbarian who doesn't own a garlic press, you could mince it.

Anyway, into the bowl it goes!

Turn your skillet to 350, and pour in some oil.

Put in enough to cover the skillet bottom.

All that stuff you cut up earlier? Throw it in the skillet.

Add dry seasonings until it starts to smell Mexican.

Add a couple squirts of rooster sauce and let it cook a while.

When the meat stops showing pink, you're ready for the next step. It'll happen pretty fast, so don't go too far.

Dump in the diced maters.

Cook it down a bit.

Surprise! I added corn. I've never done that before, just thought it might add some color and sweetness.

Add half a can of El Pato. Drop the temperature to 300.

Cover it. Be sure to open the vent on top of the cooker. Makes the house smell nice.

Leave it. Walk away. For at least a half hour, maybe 45 minutes.

Yours should look like this, more or less. Don't mind the few burned bits here, the corn burned a little, doesn't effect the taste.
Add the rest of the El Pato. Cook for about five minutes, uncovered.

Voila! Growing up, we ate this with tortillas rolled up on the side. Lately, I've been making brown rice with it. Either way, enjoy!

What Strings said....

2009-07-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Seeing Red

Go there, read it, be angry. And keep your eyes open for a chance to make a difference. These people are out there.

By the way...

2009-06-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

47 lbs lost, now. Just sayin'.

Lack of Content

2009-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Or, more correctly, content overload. I've had a lot of stuff to write about recently, but no way to coherently present my arguments. So many things have me so angry recently, that I can't let myself dwell on them, lest I find myself in a tower with a rifle. Even that last sentence makes me angry, since I am afraid that something I say in jest makes me a potential target for government data crunchers, and soon I may find grim faced men at my door, questioning me about national security.

I simply don't have any way to express my anger and dismay over the direction we've gone. For years, I've been writing and emailing and phoning, doing my best to ensure my representatives in Congress knew my feelings. Now, Speaker Pelosi tells us they are resisting our sentiments.
Fuck you, Mrs. Pelosi, Ma'am.

Well, I hope to try my hand tomorrow at roasting coffee on my grill. I had planned to do so some time ago, but life gets in the way. And I am lazy.

Going to Disneyworld, whether we like it or not...

2009-05-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

I don't see much of it on the internet, but I hear people talking about it sometimes in casual conversation. A lot of people think there will be an assassination attempt soon. I know the secret service is working overtime to prevent it, more so than any time in recent history, perhaps. The thought is out there.

I just have to say, I think it's a horrible idea. Put aside for the moment the immorality of assassinating a sitting president, the unlikelihood of actually penetrating the ring of security around Obama and the certainty that whoever managed the feat would be spending the rest of his life in a secret cell or worse. What if someone did it? Actually pulled it off. President Biden? Who in the Hell thinks that's a good idea? And gods forbid, if somebody was able to put both of them on ice, who ends up on the hot seat? President Freakin' Pelosi?! Are you kidding me?! Who thinks that wouldn't be a disaster for everyone?

No. Assassination isn't the answer, Bubba. I'm against it, and anyone with half a brain is, too.

Here's the deal, folks. The children are running things now. The adults were in the rear of the van, trying to decide where we wanted to go. Utah? New York? Maybe the old folks home to see uncle McCain? We split our votes, and never came to a real decision. Meanwhile, the kids stole the van and started driving. We were halfway there before anybody noticed, and now it's too late to turn the van around. We just have to go along for the ride, and keep them from spending too much of our money on stuff from the gift shop.

Our job now is threefold. First, restrain the spending as much as we can. Second, we have to make sure the Democrats lose their majority, come 2010. Third, we need a solid candidate to put into the top spot come 2012. We need to agree on those last two soon, so we don't have to worry about a repeat of our most recent indecision.

We have a chance to turn around the car and leave. We don't have money to live in Disneyland forever. But if we don't leave in time, we won't have enough money for gas to get home, either.

The time we have left...

2009-05-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

I was over at Brigid's today, reading her most recent post: Skeleton Coasts

Prior to that, a friend and I had a conversation that touched on the subject of time and relationships. Brigid's post and my conversation have me thinking about mortality, and the way none of us really know what time we may have left. As J. Shirley wrote in comments at Brigid's place, we all have the same amount of time, an instant. It's true. In the grand scheme of things, we each are on this earth for only a brief moment.

I learned long ago to suffer fools only reluctantly, and to guard my time jealously from those who would waste it. Far too often, we allow people to steal pieces of our lives, out of politeness, or obligation. I try not to, for I feel my mortality creeping up upon me. Though only 33, we live in uncertain times, and after all, even were I 20, I could be run down in the street later today. Everyone has known someone who is a bore or a pain to speak to. How often do we allow these people to use our precious time?

How often do we willingly trade away moments in pursuits we do not enjoy? How much time spent chasing a paycheck, often at the expense of those relationships or interests we enjoy most? Too often by far, in my experience. Some time ago, I made the choice that I would move toward a life without regrets. I can not change what has passed, but the future is mine to determine.

Ultimately, I choose to pursue those interests which both entertain me, and increase my chances at a life of increased freedom. I seek out those people whose company I enjoy, and I shun those people I have no use for. There is no guarantee of what lies beyond Death's pale curtain, even for those with unwavering faith. I live my life as though these few fleeting years are all I will have.

Laugh without restraint, Love with abandon, seek joy where you can find it.

The Threepers and The Prags

2009-05-02T13:31:00.001-07:00

Before I open this can of worms, let me state for the record, my views, my affiliations, if you will. Actually, I need to go back further, back to the beginning of my political evolution. Raised in CA, a product of the publik skools, I was thoroughly indoctrinated in liberal thought. I believed nobody needed a gun, a real man didn't need one, blah, blah, blah. In my mind, the only people who needed guns were the military. I thought they were cowardly and likely to induce bloodshed. At the same time, I had a rather juvenile preoccupation with knives, particularly the ones found in the BudK catalog.

In my twenties, I began taking POST Reserve training courses, and found that guns were fun to shoot. Around the same time, the Y2K scare was winding up to it's anticlimactic fizzle, and I decided I might need something other than a $20 katana to deal with the rioting hordes. I bought my first firearm, a Taurus revolver in .44 Special. I was bitten by the bug, but it was not yet serious.

After several years of trying to get hired on by a police department(I'd had a dream since childhood of being a police officer, keeping the peace with my pocketknife and my stern words), I elected to front the money, and put myself through the full CA POST academy. I reasoned this would put me on better footing to compete with applicants who had actual college degrees. During training, I was well and completely seduced by the shooting bug. As I began going to ranges, and tryng to engage in my hobby, I began to resent the lengths to which I had to go, due to the onerous laws in my state and county. One thing led to another, and I eventually became a full fledged libertarian, though I got out of the movement before being awarded my Wookie suit.

I swung over to the Conservative side a bit, and back toward the Libertarians with a small l, and finally settled where I am now. Jeffersonian Minarchist, free market supporter with Objectivist leanings despite my Faith. On the topic of guns, I am somewhat to the right of Ted Nugent. I believe the Drug War has cost us too many lives, too much money, and too much freedom. I have long been a pragmatist, seeking comfort in each small gain, and rejoicing at the slow creep of concealed carry across the US, despite the fact that I saw permits as an infringement.

Over the last couple of years, I have seen the government creep increasing speed, and after January, the mad rush toward socialism in America has chilled my blood to ice and caused a realignment in my thinking. I have obeyed the only gun laws I intend to. I am at my line, and I will hold it. No more, and no farther. I have no wish to see revolution in my country, nor do I wish to see bloodshed over our natural rights, but I will do what I feel I must. I try to take small steps wherever I can, to push back the curtain descending upon our country, to fight the creep of socialism.

Now that I have stated where I come from, let me state my intention. I believe the prags and the three percenters are both essential to our freedoms. I see the pragmatists as a negotiation team, sent in under a flag of truce to negotiate with the enemy. I see the threepers as the military sitting back in camp, waiting to begin, should negotiations fail. WE NEED BOTH CAMPS! Without the pragmatists, it becomes all too easy for the media/government to paint all gun owners as crazy gun nuts in need of control. Without the Three Percenters, there is no reason for the enemy to not dismiss us out of hand, and roll over the citizenry unopposed. They can make whatever laws they wish, because they believe no one will stand up to them.

I want to see some sort of accommodation between the groups, I want to see peace between us, to work for a common cause, that of rolling back the infringement of our freedom. I think most of us would agree that the majority of gun laws in this country are useless and anti freedom. It's the way we get them repealed that causes disagreement, in my mind. I've seen a lot of name calling, a lot of rudeness from both camps.

I intend to invite people here from each camp, for an honest debate, in the hope of reconciling two factions who should be working together. I will attempt to avoid moderation of the comments to this post. The things I will delete are obvious trolling posts which consist mainly of name calling, and blatant calls to revolution or assassination of government officials. I don't need that sort of trouble here. Beyond that, I ask only that people debate politely and in good faith. I don't forsee any trouble from those I am inviting, but perhaps spectators from both camps will not be so polite.

I intend at this time to invite Mike Vanderboegh, David Codrea, Sebastian from Snowflakes in Hell and Caleb from Gun Nuts Media, as a start. If any of them choose not to debate, I will attempt to find a suitable replacement for whichever group. I may be asking for trouble, but I feel that, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, we must all come together, or we shall assuredly all hang separately.

Miscellaneous Blatherings...

2009-04-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, I hit my first weight loss goal last week. 36 pounds, which is 10% of my total body weight at the time I started on Weight Watchers. Yay, me! My energy level is increasing steadily, and my overall health is much better. Just hafta keep it up.

I see from my stats that I actually have visitors to my little corner of the web. Howdy, y'all! Sit down, drink somethin', leave a comment. Seriously, nice to know someone's at least reading this stuff.

Swine flu. Wow. You know, I never really got stirred up over the avian flu hoopla, but this stuff actually has me a little bit worried. Glad I got more preps laid in over the last couple of months. It gives me peace of mind that I can spend an extended amount of time at home without needing to visit the store. Who knows if we'll even remember this in ten years, but it has nasty potential, in my opinion.

Coffee. I have been putting off my planned green coffee purchase for some time, and making do with store bought stuff. It's difficult to throw down $100+ on coffee(orders over 25 pounds qualify for free shipping, which is a big deal when it ships from New Jersey), more so when things are as tight as they have been lately. Yesterday, I added together the dregs of a couple near empty bags of green beans, and got enough for a half pound. OMG, I can't believe I have been drinking that swill in a can. So, looks like I'm gonna have to tighten my belt a bit, and order some coffee, come payday.

Airforce One buzzing New York City? Who the hell authorized that little stunt? Idiots.

I saw a sign today, on the way through the next town. ".22 Ammo in", it said. I feel like I've gone crazy. Stores are actually putting out signs when they get shipments of .22 ammo. Holy Moly.

Well, that's what I have for now. All you anonymous readers, keep dropping in. It certainly adds a bit more pressure to write, when I know I have an audience.

Weight loss, continued...

2009-04-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

328 pounds as of this morning. That's 32 pounds lost since February 28. Last week was bad for weight loss. I fell off the wagon pretty badly, not tracking much of my food for two days, and an emergency room induced Carl's Junior visit on Saturday. Still, this week went great, and I am back in control.

Here we go, the anti-gun media is going to jump on this one.

2009-04-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

3 officers killed in PA

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer Ramit Plushnick-masti, Associated Press Writer – 49 mins ago

PITTSBURGH – A man opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call Saturday morning, killing three of them, a police official said. Friends said he had been upset recently about losing his job and that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

The calls to lock down gun sales should come soon. More at the link.

I can controlz teh Intranets???

2009-04-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

No. Not only no, but Hell no. This can not be allowed. Some of our "betters", our lords and masters up on the shining hill in D.C., have decided that bloggers need to be silenced. I can't think of any other reason why they would need to have the power to shut down the internet. Look here:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/should-obama-control-internet

Thu April 2, 2009 12:33 PM PST

Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?
Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure.

There's quite a bit more at the above link.
This can not be allowed to happen. If it goes through, it's a big step closer to the ammo box, and we do not want to do that. I'd suggest getting phone numbers and addresses of people you know in cyberspace, just in case this happens. If our ability to organize effectively is curtailed, we'll be in a world of hurt. The internet has been the reason behind some of the more extreme policy reversals we've seen lately. The DOJs decision to scrap used brass, the statement by Holder that a new AWB is needed, things like that. If we can't make our voices heard, the government has a lot less to fear. Can you imagine going back to the days when the only news came from big media?

Woot! Weight loss.

2009-03-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

I got on the scale this morning, and I am now at 339.6 lbs. That's down from 360 when I started Weight Watchers. It hasn't been as difficult as I thought, for the most part. 25 more pounds will put me at my August 2006 weight of 315. That's what I weighed when I began my current job. 20 pounds more from there, and I can begin running a little bit. At that point, the weight should really start to come off. Boy, I am excited.

Making the most of things.

2009-03-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

I was visiting Breda's blog today, when I stumbled across this little gem she posted.

Very thought-provoking. Thanks, Breda.

Where do we begin?

2009-03-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before the role of education in the saving of our Republic, and I think we all recognize, at some level, that we must reclaim education if we are to reclaim our country. Where do we start, though? Do we abandon our current careers, go back to school for teaching certificates, and spend 20 years trying to teach the next generation self-reliance?

I don't think so. Certainly, for young people, that might be a viable option, and it is an admirable one. However, we need action that produces faster results than that. To that end, I have suggestions...

Make a new shooter. Find a friend, family member or co-worker who is not a gun-owner, and work to make them one. It has been written that power comes from the barrel of a gun. Well, so can freedom. My own political rebirth and journey toward freedom began with shooting. As a new shooter learns more about guns, he/she learns about the absurd patchwork of laws governing them. Guns breed a desire for freedom, and that is your ally.

Subvert the work your local school district has done. When a young person in your life begins spouting the nonsense which passes for truth these days, correct them. Not with condescension or snotty remarks, but firmly, and provide sources they can check for themselves. When they learn they've been lied to about one thing, it will make them look more critically at other information. Failure to teach critical thinking has been the oppositions greatest success.

Above all, homeschool your own children. It isn't as hard as you might think. If you never allow the rot to gain a foothold, you don't need to dig it out of their brains.

It will take dedication, perseverance and a lot of patience, but freedom can be brought back to this nation.

My weight loss journey begins...

2009-03-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I wrote the following elsewhere...

After high school, I slowly put on weight. I ran a lot in high school, and was trim at 185lbs, 5'7". My healthiest weight since was in the police academy in 2003. I was 5'10", and 295 lbs, up 10 lbs from when I went in, but in considerably better shape. I was running three miles a day, and up to 6 on alternate days. Quite a monster, until I tore up my knee going over a wall during training. Having a bum knee really makes the weight go up. In May of '06 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, put two and two together and figured out I'd had it since I was in the academy. It came on with the extra muscle I put on my chest. It stayed when my chest got fat.
Got up to 360 in August of '05. I decided something had to be done. Got down to 315 by August of '06, then took a desk job. I fought with my weight since then, doing pretty good the first year, only putting on 15 lbs. Last year, I caught a particularly nasty bug that severely reduced my activity capacity. I was back up to 360 last week. Not gonna do it anymore. I just need to drop enough weight to be able to run again. Down to say, 290. Then I can shed the rest. My goal is 240, though 215 would be nice.
I had a physical last winter, at 350. Other than my weight, the doctor was shocked at my overall good health. Blood pressure is normal, cholesterol good, no other warning signs of any bad stuff. I don't like the way I look or feel at this weight. I want to be around for my daughter. I want to feel like I did in the Academy again.

This would be easy if it were something I could quit cold turkey. I can drop bad habits, but I can't stop eating altogether, clearly. My insanely busy schedule complicates matters. When I don't get enough sleep, it's damned hard to get any exercise.

I joined Weight Watchers today. Got a work buddy on it, too.

We'll see what happens. As of today, I am 357 lbs. It would be nice if one or two of y'all could keep on my ass about this.

Oh yeah. How'd I drop from 360 to 315 in a year? I had a job in a titanium foundry, slingin' airplane parts. 10 hour days carrying 60-85 lbs housings will take the weight off, let me tell ya....truth be told, I only worked that job six months, so yeah. 45 lb loss in six months...

Then, today....

Well, the first day went well. I was out and about, so I ended up hitting Burger King for my first meal, used half my points there, even with choosing healthier options. Kept an eye on what I ate thew rest of the day, and ended up coming in exactly at my points limit. Wasn't terribly hungry, even when I woke up this morning, but I definitely felt more energized than usual. Must be the extra veggies. Hmm, think I'll blog this.

Anyhow, I finished brunch a while ago, and I am at just under half my allotment of points for today. I also have more than my daily points in extra "activity" points, as well as flex points they give me for the week. Haven't felt a burning need to use them, though. Knowing they are there helps.

A bit different from my usual freedom oriented stuff. Only, not so different, when you think about it. Here, I speak of freeing myself from unneeded weight, from the daily troubles of a fat man, in a world designed for smaller people.

On Freedom

2009-02-15T00:21:00.001-08:00

Reading a friends blog, I left a comment, a comment I got rather carried away with, and so I post it as my own blog here. The comment I left was in response to something she said about things she wasn't taught in school, like the difference between a privilege and a right. Of course, me being who I am, I got my rant on, and said the following.

They do not teach this stuff in school, and it is by design, rather than accidental. The school system was created to mold subservient worker drones, not active, critically thinking citizens. It has succeeded, to a large degree.

Those of us who are awake and paying attention have a huge responsibility. We are the last fading chance for Western Civilization. The heritage passed on to us by the Greeks and Romans is like a guttering candle flame, nearly extinguished by the wind. We must shelter it, and give it care, or it will be extinguished, plunging the world into darkness.

Benjamin Franklin, when asked what kind of government he had given us, replied, "A republic, if you can keep it.". Well, we've lost it, as few people even understand that our government was not meant to be a mob rule situation. So, it falls to those few of us who care, to do what we can to bring it back, to give honor to those men and women who risked their lives, their fortunes and their families, to ensure that liberty and freedom were made law.

We got in the mess we are in, because education was left in the hands of evil people who desired power. We got into this mess because of a willingness to compromise, to give in, "for the greater good". Well, it hasn't been for the greater good. My grandparents knew freedoms I can only dream of today, and my daughter will not have many of the ones I have now, unless we shoulder the burden, and take back our lives from the traitors in Washington DC.

Some freedoms have been won by those who did not have them, and for that I am grateful. However, many more have lost basic human rights under this government, and that is not something we should be willing to live with. The 20th century has been among the darkest in this nations history.

I will not go quietly into that dark night, I will not yield, I will not submit. I will rage against the theft of my freedom, and I will do what I must to educate others in the rights and responsibilities of an American citizen. Men and Women have bled the ground red to preserve our birthright as Americans. 200 years of blood calls out, asking us to hear, to understand what has been taken from us. Shall it fall upon deaf ears? I say no. I say we take back our rights. What has been lost can be retaken. We shall not fail, we shall not falter, and if we fall, to be trod upon and crushed underfoot, let no one say it was because we did not try.

The one thing the politicians understand is loss pf power. We, the people, hold that power. Only too few of us are educated enough to understand. That is our duty, to seek out the truth, and to spread it. Seed the contagion of truth and of freedom among those you know. Do not allow ignorance to be passed as truth.

The road will be long, and it will not be easy. You and I may not see the end, nor may our children. But if we persist, if we pass our legacy, our truth on to our descendants, one day, the people of our country will know true freedom again.

Foolishness, folly and filthy traitors...

2009-02-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

Over the last decade, as I have learned more and more about the things I was never taught in public school, I have at times been bemused, irritated, frightened, disgusted, and a range of other emotions. I have suffered an ever increasing concern over the direction I have seen this country taking. I have called, emailed and phoned politicians, from mayor to congressmen, all the way up to the president. I've passed out fliers and collected signatures for petitions. I have tried to organize people, even had a hand in a failed third party or two.

Through it all, I have tried to keep a cheerful outlook on things. At this juncture, all I feel is anger. Anger at the dirty rat bastards who passed this joke of a stimulus bill, casting my grandchildren into debt, and pulling the rug from under economic recovery, all in the name of political gain.

Furthermore, now some faceless government bureaucrat will tell my doctor how to best treat me? Unacceptable. I hear the rumblings of states who are near to fed up with the feds, and I wish my wife would pack up and move with me. Montana would be nice, where we can still get a piece of land and outfit it for survival. I see the grumblings of the discontent, and I wonder where the new patriots are.

I fear reasoned discourse may be a forgone conclusion at this point. The feds have pushed and pushed, and states are beginning to push back. We have a president whose idea of working with the losing team is to tell them, "I won", as though that is sufficient to invalidate their concerns. He has his pet chief of staff in charge of the census, and he has Congress dancing to his tune.

I see CA is possibly going to cut food stamps. Nothing good will come of that, though I would ordinarily be the first to applaud such a measure. It needs to be phased out, not yanked away. One by one, I see the bastions of reason and rationality crumbling. Daily, we hear of new legislation proposed to be rammed down our throats. Like children, we are told we will take our medicine, whether we like it or not.

I think we went wrong when we stopped using rope on journalists and politicians. Even as I write this, I fear a visit from stern faced men in suits who will question me for making threats.

Deep within, I feel the heat of a burning rage as it stirs to life. I hope to channel it into some useful form of action, but what? The left has shown us that peaceful protest does nothing, else the war would have ended years ago. Clearly the ballot box no longer works, as the number of useless morons now outnumber the thinking populace. The jury box is no good in a country where the education system has been turned against our history and civic duties. I shudder at the notion of civil war, but I greatly fear that is where we are headed.

I fear for my family. I fear for the future of our country. I fear for the unborn generations who may never know freedom, once the light of America is extinguished. I rage at the treason which has brought us to this place. Treason by the very people we elected to serve us.

That's it, I'm done....

2009-02-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

All through the election cycle, I had people I knew, people who normally were reasonable, intelligent people, telling me that, "Obama won't take your guns", despite reams of evidence to the contrary.....
Now, here we are, not 20 days into his administration, and we have Eric Holder as Attorney General, Rahm Emmanuel as Chief of Staff...Obama may not try to take my guns, but his cronies sure as hell will.
This morning, I logged onto the internet, and everywhere I went, I saw this:

A list rife with errors, with no way to clear ones name after being mistakenly put on, a list one of our congressmen was on, fer Chrissake! And, as Breda says, "Why does the government assume that they are the only ones with a list?".

800 Billion dollars for special interests, in the name of "stimulating the economy"? The fox is in the henhouse, my friends. We are in for interesting times. When things collapse, and the fighting starts, the grocery stores will shut down. I have spent my whole life being accommodating, being "tolerant" of those who used the Constitution for toilet paper. Putting up with differing viewpoints. No more. I am right, and on this subject, anyone who disagrees is wrong. End of story.

Why haven't I heard of this guy before?

2008-10-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Brings back memories, that does...

Yep, really like this guy...

Hmm, this is the first of his I heard, NOT safe for work or children. If you don't like the F word, don't click on it. Hilarious.

Which Leading Man are you?

2008-10-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Your result for The Classic Leading Man Test...

John Wayne

You scored 79% Tough, 0% Roguish, 24% Friendly, and 0% Charming!

You, my friend, are a man's man, the original true grit, one tough talking, swaggering son of a bitch. You're not a bad guy, on the contrary, you're the ultimate good guy, but you're one tough character, rough and tumble, ready for anything. You call the shots and go your own way, and if some screwy dame is willing to accept your terms, that's just fine by you. Otherwise, you'll just hit the open trail and stay true to yourself. You stand up for what you believe and can handle any situation, usually by rushing into the thick of the action. You're not polished and you're not overly warm, but you're a straight shooter and a real stand up guy. Co-stars include Lauren Bacall and Maureen O'Hara, tough broads who can take care of themselves.

Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the
Classic Dames Test.

Take The Classic Leading Man Test at HelloQuizzy

Where am I politically?

2008-09-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

You are a
Social Liberal
(86% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(95% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Anarchist

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Of historical moments and reactions....

2008-09-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been seven years. Seven years since I turned on the t.v. while getting ready for a day trip to San Fransisco, and saw smoke billowing from the World Trade Center. It was my first wedding anniversary, and I had taken some of my meager vacation time to have some fun. The blood drained from my face, as I stared at that gaping hole with people milling about inside. Smoke, thick and black poured from the building. Before the newscaster said the words, I knew it was an attack. What else could it be?
As I watched, the second plane hit, and it was certain, America was under attack. Nobody knew who it was, nobody knew why, but we were a target, and there was no way of telling if it was over, or if there would be more damage. Before the day was out, the Pentagon was hit, all flights were grounded, and an ordinary man did something quite extraordinary:Upon learning of the attacks, he rallied his fellow passengers and sacrificed himself for people he did not know. It was a moment worthy of any John Wayne film, as Todd Beamer and a handful of passengers took the fight to the enemy, right there on the plane.
I stayed glued to the screen for the rest of the day, and for much of the following few. We made it to S.F. a day or two later, but it wasn't the same. Nothing has been the same since. America, MY America, was forever changed. Some of the changes were good, like admiration and respect for Police Officers and Firefighters. Some of the changes were terrible, like the hand-wringing race to pass laws to prevent a recurrence. The growth of the TSA caused me to swear off flying commercially for good.
I remember as a child in grade school, watching the dreams of a generation explode across the sky as the Challenger exploded. Few things have affected me as deeply since. The assault on the World Trade Center had that effect, that immediate sense that my world would never be the same. As an adult of 24, I lost my innocence on September 11th. America was no longer an untouchable giant, solid and resolute. A mighty blow was struck, and the colossus was brought to her knees, wavering and bloody. She arose with a terrible anger and lashed out, perhaps not entirely in the right direction, but certainly dispensing overdue justice to a number of deserving individuals.
Nothing was ever the same, and the world was changed in an instant. I still can't believe it was seven years ago. It seems like it was someone else watching that screen....

Stop the Presses!!!!

2008-08-29T14:11:00.001-07:00

Sarah Palin for VP?! No freakin' way! I am in shock. Never in a thousand years did I think this would happen. I am more excited about this election than I have been in a long time. What a move by McCain!
More later, I have work to do...

Holy crap, two weeks!??!?

2008-07-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go?

The Oregon Jamboree is in town, sigh...I can't believe I was excited about this when I moved here. It's like a freakin' plague of locusts has hit town. Drunken, rowdy locusts. I went to Safeway earlier, and I had to climb *into* the milk cooler to get the last two gallons of milk. As in, feet off the floor, my body fully *inside of* the cooler.

One couple set up camp last year directly across the street from my house, and treated us as their replacement television, watching us as we went about our lives, pointing at things they found of interest. At one point, a friend stopped by, but I had my hands full, and couldn't get to the door in time. I stepped out on my balcony, and was informed by the couple across the street that, "There was a guy in a green Chevy at your door. He went that way."..? They've set up in the same place this year.

So far today, I have chased three volunteers away from my driveway, which they like to block with cars...

Well, at least I can listen for free. Or rather, I must listen. Even with my windows closed, I have no choice.

I need a larger coffee roaster...

2008-07-15T22:56:00.001-07:00

The one I have only does a pot at a time. Therefore, I have to roast several times a day to feed my addiction. I found this one: Behmor Drum roaster at Sweet Maria's for just $299. A bit more than I can afford this moment, but as a planned purchase, quite doable. It can roast up to a full pound at once, and can do four batches in an hour. Very nice, I could roast my coffee for the week over an hour or so, and also give gifts to friends. The downside is that it isn't the best for darker roasts. since I started roasting my own though, I have discovered that coffee doesn't have to be roasted charcoal black to be drinkable. Indeed, one of my favorite roasts so far has been on the very light side.

Even my "accidents" have been better than anything I ever drank from the store, and better even than most "fresh roasted" beaneries. I cannot believe it took me so long to discover roasting my own!

As the seasons turn, the colors change....

2008-07-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I got a little tired of the standard Black with grey that I initially chose when I started blogging. It's also a bit hard on the eyes...

so, let me know what you think of the new color scheme.

In which I feed my addiction....

2008-06-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

So, this morning, bright and early, I realized that my sampler of green coffees from Sweet Maria's is nearly gone. I have enough for 5 or 6 pots of coffee, then it's back to store bought swill.

So, I went online and ordered 25 lbs of green coffee goodness. I got 5 lb packages of Kenya, Sumatra and Papua New Guinea. I also picked up 5 lbs of Mocha Java and 5 lbs of something called "Eyes Wide Open" blend. Supposedly, they chose the beans based on high caffeine content. That should be interesting...

Speaking of interesting, I found a 12 cup French Press on the Sweet Maria's site. $49.95

Guess I know what I am buying for myself as soon as I can find a good excuse.

So, my order is supposed to ship within 1-2 days of ordering. UPS from New Jersey takes about 6 days, so that'll put it into next week sometime. Maybe by next Friday, I will have my coffee, my precious, my own. Preeeeccciiooouuuussssssss.......

Heller...

2008-06-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm late to the party, but I've got a bit to say, anyhow. first thing I did this morning was head over to Scotusblog to find out the decision. That set the tone for my whole day. Overall, I'm damn happy with the decision. It could be better, in particular, I wish they'd addressed the "bear arms" part of the question, but that really wasn't what the case was about. Maybe someone in DC will test that part in a couple months. Or maybe it's best to let sleeping dogs lie and continue down our current course, which seems to be working just fine.

The next few months should be very interesting, as the various Communist states shuffle and dodge, trying to weasel out of the decision. Eat my shorts, Diane Feinstein....

Recoil whore....

2008-06-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've always known I was fond of heavy recoil. Shotguns and Mosins don't bother me like they do other people. I wasn't quite aware of how much I like recoil until yesterday. I'd shot somewhere around 300 rounds from my Baretta Neos, and switched to my carry guns. Starting with the p-11, I was suddenly having a lot more fun. I switched to the Glock 22, then the 21. The bigger the gun, the more fun I was having. Finally put a few rounds downrange from my 3 inch .44 special. I LOVE recoil! .22 is fun, but it just doesn't do the same thing for me.

What a surprise....

2008-06-09T13:46:00.001-07:00

What Kind of a Western Bad-Ass are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as John Wayne

You a classic all American cowboy who does the right thing. When you're sober. Which means occasionally. You like horses, the outdoors, whiskey, hot tempered women, whiskey, and bourbon.

Clint Eastwood

100%

John Wayne

100%

Charles Bronson

100%

Lee Marvin

100%

Lee Van Cleef

75%

A thank you for Matt G....

2008-06-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Back in January, I read this post from Matt.

I've been thinking about fresh roasted coffee since, and finally realized that I can roast my own coffee for less than I can buy a can of cheap swill in the store, let alone buying the whole bean stuff. So I used some of my "stimulus" check, and bought a Fresh Roast Plus 8 from Sweet Maria's.
Thor's Beard.....
I can't believe I was going without this stuff for so long. Even the worst of what I have done so far is orders of magnitude better than what comes in a can, even better than grinding store bought beans. And the caffeine content is MUCH higher, it seems. I'm actually saving money by roasting my own beans, and getting a better result in the bargain.

So, I raise my freshly roasted, ground and brewed cup of Papua New Guinea Peaberry in a toast to Matt. Thanks for giving me the knowledge to better myself (and if you don't believe coffee can make you a better man, that's because you've been drinking swill). And curse you for getting me hooked on roasting.
Now he's trying to convince me I need a French Press. Not that I wasn't thinking so, myself....and a burr grinder, and a water filtration system, and maybe some more of that Sumatra Mandheling.....

Coffee cup meme...

2008-06-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get tagged, but I saw this at Matt's place, and it seemed like a good reason for a post. Trying to get into the habit, ya know?
So, here's what I am drinking from at the moment. That's freshly roasted and ground coffee, courtesy of my new Fresh Roast Plus machine. Yummy!

I'm tagging Strings and Blondage.

Overheard in the local A&W....

2008-06-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Bush could lower the gas prices anytime he wants to, Hell, he owns half the G**D***** oil companies, anyway!

*Sigh*
Where to begin?

Tiny bits, which fall from my mind...

2008-06-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

I just don't seem able to keep up on this blogging thing. I take to it in fits and starts, and Blogger doesn't help by losing my posts. Maybe I'll switch to wordpress....
Been very busy with the business stuff lately. Learned some cool staff tricks from MCP, Megan Claire Pike..If you look her up on You Tube, you'll find her videos. It's amazing, the things she can do with a stick and no hands...hmm, nevermind, that isn't what I meant.

As usual, I am upset about the direction our presidential race has taken. These are the best three our country could produce? I could drag a porkchop past a homeless shelter and find a more worthy candidate. Though, as LawDog points out, most people have forgotten what small power a president is actually authorized to wield. It seems to me, the only difference between McCain, Clinton and Obama is the speed at which the handbasket will drop.

I keep thinking about the astronauts in the space station with no bathroom. Of the articles I have read, only one mentioned they were using the facilities on an escape craft, but it also stated those facilities were very limited. I mean, really. What are they doing? It isn't like they can step out and go behind a bush. And they can let it float around inside, either. I don't imagine they have many Walmart bags on hand, either.

I've had quite a lot of allergy difficulties lately. Claritin takes care of my runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing, or Benedryl works, if I run out of Claritin. But the only thing for a sinus headache and congestion is the stuff I can't get anymore. Since the drug warriors decided we needed to be protected from Meth producers, I live in a fog, with my head full of snot. But hey, at least the hillbillies down the street have to buy meth imported from Mexico, and that's what matters, right? I did find a small stash of contraband Nyquil and Sudafed when I cleaned out my medicine cabinet the other day. I keep it taped beneath my sock drawer now, lest a house guest find it, and alert the authorities...

Remember. The media lies. The government lies. If you would know the truth, you must seek it for yourself. If you seek the truth, follow the money.

Having never been in the armed services....

2008-03-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

because they wouldn't have me, but having known quite a few in each service, I offer the following for your amusement. I don't know where it came from, but I found it at APS. Absolutely hysterical, and so far as I can tell, entirely true to life....

US AIR FORCE OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE because I know I couldn't hack it in the Army,
because the Marines frighten me, and because I am afraid of water over
waist-deep. I swear to sit behind a desk. I also swear not to do any
form of real exercise, but promise to defend our bike-riding test as a
valid form of exercise. I promise to walk around calling everyone by
their first name because I find it amusing to annoy the other services.
I will have a better quality of life than those around me and will, at
all times, be sure to make them aware of that fact. After completion of
"Basic Training", I will be a lean, mean, donut-eating, Lazy-Boy
sitting, civilian-wearing-blue-clothes, Chair-borne Ranger. I will
believe I am superior to all others and will make an effort to clean the
knife before stabbing the next person in the back. I will annoy those
around me, and will go home early every day. So Help Me God!"
____________________
Signature
____________________
Date
US ARMY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my otherwise
mediocre life to the UNITED STATES ARMY because I couldn't score high
enough on the ASVAB to get into the Air Force, I'm not tough enough for
the Marines, and the Navy won't take me because I can't swim. I will
wear camouflage every day and tuck my trousers into my boots because I
can't figure out how to use blousing straps. I promise to wear my
uniform 24 hours a day even when I have a date. I will continue to tell
myself that I am a fierce killing machine because my Drill Sergeant told
me I am, despite the fact that the only action I will see is a
court-martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge the fact that I will
make E-8 in my first year of service, and vow to maintain that it is
because I scored perfect on my PT test. After completion of my
Sexual.....er.....I mean "Basic Training," I will attend a different
Army school every other month and return knowing less than I did when I
left. On my first trip home after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I
am cool and propose to my 9th grade sweetheart. I will make my wife stay
home because if I let her out she might leave me for a better-looking
Air Force guy. Should she leave me twelve times, I will continue to take
her back. While at work I will maintain a look of knowledge while
getting absolutely nothing accomplished. I will arrive to work every day
at 1000 hrs because of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 to report
back to "COMPANY." I understand that I will undergo no training
whatsoever that will help me get a job up! On separation, and will end
up working construction with my friends from high school. I will brag to
everyone about the Army giving me $30,000 for college, but will be
unable to use it because I can't pass a placement exam. So Help Me God!"

_____________________
Signature
_____________________
Date
US NAVY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Top Gun, in lieu of going to prison, swear to sign away 4 years of
my life to the UNITED STATES NAVY, because I want to hang out with
Marines without actually having to BE one of them, because I thought the
Air Force was too "corporate," because I didn't want to actually live in
dirt like the Army, and because I thought, "Hey, I like to swim...why
not?" I promise to wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to
have my name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants I own. I
understand that I will be mistaken for the Good Humor Man during summer
and for Nazi Waffen SS during the winter. I will strive to use a
different language than the rest of the English-speaking world, using
words like "deck, bulkhead, cover, geedunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and
head," when I really mean "floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole
in wall and toilet." I will take great pride in the fact that all Navy
acronyms, rank, and insignia, and everything else for that matter, are
completely different from the other services and make absolutely no
sense whatsoever. I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every morning
unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief, in which case I will show up
around 0930. I vow to hone my coffee cup-handling skills to the point
that I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a typhoon, and
still not spill a drop. I consent to being promoted and subsequently
busted at least twice per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected for
Chief, I am required to submit myself to the sick, and quite possibly
illegal, whims of my newfound "colleagues." So Help Me Neptune!"
______________________
Signature
______________________
Date
US MARINE CORPS OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (pick a name the police won't recognize),
swear..uhhhh....high-and-tight.... grunt... cammies....kill....fix
bayonets....charge....slash....dig....burn....blowup....ugh...Air Force
women....beer.....sailors wives.....air strikes....yes
SIR!....whiskey....liberty call....salute....Ooorah
Gunny....grenades...women....OORAH! So Help Me Chesty PULLER!"
X____________________
Thumb Print
XX _________________________________
Teeth Marks

Garlic Bread...

2008-01-05T02:25:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me that there just might be someone out there still buying garlic bread at the store, pre-made. In hopes that I can help someone, I shall post my "recipe". Nothing special, really, but it seems to go over well.

You will need:
1 loaf of crusty bread, either french or sourdough will do
1 stick of butter, or the tub equivalent, melted in the microwave
1 bulb of garlic, pressed. If you don't have a garlic press, minced works almost as well
2 cups grated cheese-Optional, and the type of cheese is up to you, I find a blend of colby and cheddar works well

Cut your loaf in half lengthwise
Pour the butter over the loaf evenly, using a dinner knife to spread it into the nooks and crannies.
Use half the bulb on each loaf half, and try to spread it evenly.
If desired, sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
Put in oven on the low broiler setting. Put it on the middle or lower rack, too close to the flame and you risk a fire. TRUST ME on this...Check after about 5 minutes. When the bread is a nice golden brown on the edges, you are done.
Enjoy.

Note that an entire bulb of garlic might be overkill for some. When making it for others, I tend to use only a half bulb.

Blogger action figures....

2007-12-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Marko....
Pick a blogger from your blogroll, then pretend they have their own action figure. What accessories would be likely to come with the toy, if you ventured down to the local emporium of many things?

Without further ado, I present the LawDog action figure.
Comes complete with Church Gun, and Pink Gorilla Suit.
By pressing a button on his back, he can be made to utter any of several prerecorded messages, including snippets of Shakespearean plays and curses involving several assorted deities.
Also included is one fishing lure, which fits into the figures nose...
Scale copy of Shakespearean plays, horsewhip and trout available separately.

Bilbo and Gandalf and Gollum, oh my.....

2007-12-19T14:52:00.001-08:00

Via Wil Wheaton, I see that Peter Jackson has agreed, in conjunction with New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, to make not one, but two movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's work, "The Hobbit". Oh, yesss, my precioussssss.....
I have waited most of my life for this. The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, on the silver screen...words can not express the wonderfulness of this. Of course, we have no date of expected release, and as yet, no director. I don't expect to see it released until 2011 or so, but when you have waited this long, a few more years don't matter, so long as it is done correctly.

Reason for the season...

2007-12-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

I've been posting a lot of secondhand stuff lately, just news articles, and quizzes, links to other places...At any rate, not a lot in the way of original content. I'd like to get back to more productive posts, get my muse fired up again. I've been having a lot of good ideas for fiction lately, and my hope is that blogging will help with that.
The title stems from a seasonal pet peeve of mine. Every year, as Halloween passes, and retail starts the push for Christmas, as time draws closer, the inevitable bickering begins between the Christians and the "non-believers", be they pagan or athiest, jewish or wiccan. The "look at me" Christians tend to start it by denouncing the commercialization of their Holy Day, and feel obligated to throw in a complaint about using the term, "holiday party" instead of Christmas party. The Wiccans feel compelled to rebut this with how the Catholic Church "stole" the festival from ancient pagan celebrations as a way to convert people to Christianity. This year, we had Asatruar pointing out how it was actually the old Roman Saturnalia that the church overran in their conversion of the heathens, and when they got to Northern lands, merely continued it, as it had proven a successful tactic once before. They also point out that Jesus could not possibly have been born in December, as the shepherds are described as still having sheep in the fields. (Thank you for the historical viewpoint. I love my Asatruar brethren, but sometimes we get our noses wedged so firmly in the history books that we tend to stumble over things.)
My point is, it doesn't matter what the "reason for the season" is in your particular viewpoint. Regardless of whom stole what from whom, or what you want to call it, this time of year has taken on a life of its own. Yule, 12 days, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzza, Festivus or Winter Solstice, is it too much to ask that we celebrate our particular flavor in private, and accept that not everyone celebrates in the same way? Is it too much to ask that we all resolve to be just a little bit more decent to one another? Not every day, mind you, I'm just saying, for a few weeks each year, maybe we could practice a little bit of tolerance, pull our noses out of other folks' business, and just wish them well, so long as they aren't physically harming us?
Instead of pulling down the pentacle decorations, or getting all eaten up inside over a manger scene, how about you start a quiet dialog with your neighbor who wears the funny robes and smells of incense? Or your coworker who went on a mission last year? If you can't do that, maybe just wish them well, in whatever manner comes naturally, be it Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or what have you. For those being greeted, if the greeting doesn't conform to your personal beliefs, could you just accept it in the manner it was given, which was someone wishing you well? Do we have to fight? Over something as silly as a ritual greeting? When I sneeze, and a Christian says, "bless you", it does not offend me. When I make a purchase at a local store, and the clerk tells me to have a "blessed day", I take it in the spirit it was given.
That's all I am saying, people. Be nice to one another, just for a little while. In a couple of weeks, this will all be over, and we can go back to sharpening the knives and lighting the fires under the oil pot.

How many five year olds?

2007-12-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

Looking for payday loans?

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences

2007-12-13T14:25:00.001-08:00

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Intrapersonal

You prefer your own inner world, you like to be alone, and you are aware of your own strengths, weaknesses, and feelings. You learn best by engaging in independent study projects rather than working on group projects. People like you include entrepreneurs, philosophers and psychologists.

Intrapersonal

93%

Bodily/Kinesthetic

89%

Verbal/Linguistic

89%

Interpersonal

89%

Musical/Rhythmic

82%

Visual/Spatial

79%

Logical/Mathematical

79%

Evil....

2007-11-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

How can you kill your own child? Beat her to death, because she won't call you "sir"?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/28/child.remains.ap/index.html

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- The stepfather of a 2-year-old girl lost control and beat her to death because she wouldn't say "please" and "yes sir," an attorney for the girl's mother said Wednesday.

Police believe 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers is "Baby Grace."

1 of 3

A body found last month in Galveston Bay is believed to be that of the little girl, Riley Ann Sawyers, though DNA tests are pending.

Her mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, and stepfather, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, were arrested Saturday.

Trenor's attorney, Tommy Stickler Jr., also said Wednesday that Trenor is pregnant.

According to court documents, Trenor, 19, told police she and her husband killed the girl in July and hid her body in a shed before dumping it in the bay.

Stickler said Zeigler, 24, was overwhelmed by his sudden fatherhood and didn't know what behavior to expect from a toddler. Trenor moved with her daughter from Mentor, Ohio, to Texas in June to be with Zeigler, whom she met online.

Zeigler wanted his wife to spank Riley with a belt when she failed to say things like "please" and "yes sir" or "no sir," Stickler said Wednesday. Zeigler didn't believe Trenor was doing it, however, because the 2-year-old's behavior wasn't changing. Watch Riley's grandmother recall "a very wonderful little girl" »

The fatal beating happened after Zeigler stayed home from work to make sure his wife was following his discipline plan, Stickler said.

In her statement to Galveston authorities, Trenor said the girl was beaten with leather belts, had her head held underwater in a bathtub and then was thrown across a room, her head slamming into a tile floor.

Although the affidavit said the couple abused Riley over a four- to six-hour period, Stickler said it wasn't a continuous event. Instead, Zeigler grew increasingly enraged as he spanked Riley and she kept forgetting to do things the way he wanted.

"There was never an intention to beat Riley to death," he said.

At one point, Trenor wanted to call an ambulance but Zeigler wouldn't let her, saying they would both be arrested if officials saw her injuries, Stickler said. Instead, Riley was given some over-the-counter pain medication.

When Riley later stopped breathing, Zeigler performed CPR on her tiny body, Stickler said.

Neal Davis III, Zeigler's attorney, said Trenor's story isn't believable.

"She is placing all the blame on Royce, but I think that once the facts come to light, once the timeline's established and the evidence is combed through ... I think her credibility is gonna become a big issue," Davis said.

Trenor and Ziegler were arrested after investigators spent weeks trying to identify the girl they dubbed "Baby Grace," whose body was found in a plastic box floating in Galveston Bay. Riley's paternal grandmother in Ohio had called police, thinking a sketch of the dead child might have been the granddaughter she hadn't seen in months.

Trenor and Zeigler remained jailed Wednesday on charges of injury to a child and tampering with evidence. Bail was set at $350,000 each.

The mother and father should be doused in gasoline, lit on fire, and drug behind a pickup until dead.
She was two years old. I just have no words for monsters like these. My wife and I tried for four years to have a child, and had given up when she became pregnant. We've since tried for four more, without success. My daughter is the most precious thing in the world to me. How is it people like these are entrusted with the care of children?
There is no excuse. Whatever Hell might exist, these people belong in it.

Which Action Hero am I?

2007-11-25T01:15:00.001-08:00

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight

As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause.

Batman, the Dark Knight

100%

Maximus

67%

Lara Croft

67%

James Bond, Agent 007

67%

Neo, the "One"

58%

William Wallace

58%

The Terminator

50%

Indiana Jones

50%

El Zorro

33%

Captain Jack Sparrow

33%

The Amazing Spider-Man

25%

Marko Kloos knocks one out of the park...

2007-11-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

This I believe...

I usually agree with what Marko says. Today, however, he wrapped up my political beliefs in a tidy little package. Go read it.

Somehow I missed posting this-Medal of Honor

2007-10-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Lieutenant Michael Murphy, USN was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor Monday.

Summary of Action
Operation Redwing
June 28, 2005

On June 28, 2005, deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, a very committed four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a reconnaissance mission at the unforgiving altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. The SEALs, Lt. Michael Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz, Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell had a vital task. The four SEALs were scouting Ahmad Shah – a terrorist in his mid-30s who grew up in the adjacent mountains just to the south.

Under the assumed name Muhammad Ismail, Shah led a guerrilla group known to locals as the "Mountain Tigers" that had aligned with the Taliban and other militant groups close to the Pakistani border. The SEAL mission was compromised when the team was spotted by local nationals, who presumably reported its presence and location to the Taliban.

A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia. The enemy had the SEALs outnumbered. They also had terrain advantage. They launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs. The firefight continued relentlessly as the overwhelming militia forced the team deeper into a ravine.

Trying to reach safety, the four men, now each wounded, began bounding down the mountain's steep sides, making leaps of 20 to 30 feet. Approximately 45 minutes into the fight, pinned down by overwhelming forces, Dietz, the communications petty officer, sought open air to place a distress call back to the base. But before he could, he was shot in the hand, the blast shattering his thumb.

Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in. Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

An MH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight additional SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard, was sent is as part of an extraction mission to pull out the four embattled SEALs. The MH-47 was escorted by heavily-armored, Army attack helicopters. Entering a hot combat zone, attack helicopters are used initially to neutralize the enemy and make it safer for the lightly-armored, personnel-transport helicopter to insert.

The heavy weight of the attack helicopters slowed the formation’s advance prompting the MH-47 to outrun their armored escort. They knew the tremendous risk going into an active enemy area in daylight, without their attack support, and without the cover of night. Risk would, of course, be minimized if they put the helicopter down in a safe zone. But knowing that their warrior brothers were shot, surrounded and severely wounded, the rescue team opted to directly enter the oncoming battle in hopes of landing on brutally hazardous terrain.

As the Chinook raced to the battle, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter, killing all 16 men aboard.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs, Murphy, Luttrell, Dietz and Axelson, continued the fight. By the end of the two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Axelson and Dietz had been killed. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.

The fourth SEAL, Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket propelled grenade and was knocked unconscious. Regaining consciousness some time later, Luttrell managed to escape – badly injured – and slowly crawl away down the side of a cliff. Dehydrated, with a bullet wound to one leg, shrapnel embedded in both legs, three vertebrae cracked; the situation for Luttrell was grim. Rescue helicopters were sent in, but he was too weak and injured to make contact. Traveling seven miles on foot he evaded the enemy for nearly a day. Gratefully, local nationals came to his aid, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three days. The Taliban came to the village several times demanding that Luttrell be turned over to them. The villagers refused. One of the villagers made his way to a Marine outpost with a note from Luttrell, and U.S. forces launched a massive operation that rescued him from enemy territory on July 2.

By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

This was the worst single-day U.S. Forces death toll since Operation Enduring Freedom began nearly six years ago. It was the single largest loss of life for Naval Special Warfare since World War II.

The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community will forever remember June 28, 2005 and the heroic efforts and sacrifices of our special operators. We hold with reverence the ultimate sacrifice that they made while engaged in that fierce fire fight on the front lines of the global war on terrorism (GWOT).

-NSW-

Hungry....

2007-10-21T01:29:00.001-07:00

I want a midnight snack badly...Am I getting one? No. Know why? 'Cause Julie turned out all the lights before she came upstairs....No way am I going downstairs in the dark all by myself...No dogs, no lights, just poor stupid Byron, waitin' to be zombie food....Everyone knows you leave a light on downstairs at night, because then the zombies don't get you. And if you do forget, and turn it off, you freakin' go downstairs with the person who's hungry, because the zombies don't come after two people,not at first. They only go after the stupid people who wander off alone, then there's a big crash and the zombie's trying to get at you, so you run, and the zombie follows you back to the previously secure location where everybody is holed up, and then you get back in, but now there's a hole in the fortifications,and the zombies know about it and they come in full force, and you all have to run before you'd planned, and your getaway vehicle isn't ready yet, so not everybody makes it. Only a couple people get away, all because somebody turned off the stupid freakin' lights downstairs, dammit!
What the hell....turnin' off all the lights..I don't know what she was thinking, here I am on the midnight scared of zombies diet, sittin' up on the web instead of eating...
Yes, I know there are no zombies downstairs,andthey aren't real...
Still not going down there, zombies ain't gonna get me, man. It's always that guy who gets eaten, the one who stands there and says, "there's nothing to be afraid of, (insert monster here) isn't real, you guys are chicken!!!*CHOMP!*
Yeah, I'm staying upstairs until daylight. Maybe noon. And when I do go down, I'm takin' a flashlight, man...AND Julie's gonna go down in front of me,'cause she turned off the "no zombie" light......

Yeah, I'm a freak. So?

Not much to say...

2007-10-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot to say today. I've been fighting a bug off again on again for two weeks now. Haven't been able to take off of work, too much to do. I really need a couple days rest. However, between work, a three year old, and business stuff, there's no time to get well. I guess I oughta see a doctor, but I haven't been able to find one since we moved to Oregon three years ago. The ones nearby are all overbooked and not taking new patients. Closest I've found is an hour away, and even those are hard to find. about six months ago, I found one. An hour away, but he was a great doctor, didn't try to talk down or act superior, worked with me on my problems. I saw him twice, then he left the office to work elsewhere. It takes about two weeks to get an initial appointment. I live so far off the beaten path, doctors can't make a lot of cash here, so to find a really good one is rare. Urgent care is $100 out of my pocket if I go. Funny, you'd think I would have good medical care, working for local government...Our healthcare plan sucks...
But, overall things are looking up...

Transformers...

2007-10-18T09:34:00.001-07:00

As a kid, one of the first cartoons I remember, after looney toones, is Transformers. I saw the movie Tuesday night, and I have to say, the 20 year wait was worth it. Getting the original actor for the voice of Optimus Prime was perfect. When I heard that voice, I got chills. Watching the movie was like being a kid again. I bought the movie expecting to be disappointed, but hoping for more. Wow. The eye candy....

2007-10-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

So, I knew it had been a while since I'd posted, but I hadn't realized just how long...
Today, I saw that Strings(over in the link sidebar) had posted about me, so I thought I'd better write something for you good folks to look at. When I logged in, I see I haven't posted since JULY??!! Thor's Beard!!!
Well, what's on my mind? The wife and I own a belly dance studio in the small "city" where we live. 8700 people, not what I consider a city, but I digress. Anyhow, there is an organization here called SHEM. It's a group put together by various local churches. They help out the needy with food, utility bills, sometimes shelter, and so forth. We read in the local paper a few weeks back that they are having financial trouble, and might be forced to close. Wife and I discussed it, and offered to do a fund raiser for them, inviting other styles of dancers and performance groups. I was going to do some fire breathing, a little fire staff spinning, a good time, and helping a good cause. The office staff were overjoyed to have our offer, moved to tears on the phone.
Yesterday, wife calls the SHEM office, and finds out the Board of Directors has refused our fund raising offer. They do not feel as though belly dance is appropriate, but they'd like our fire dancers at their luaus!!!! Umm, WTF, over! Aren't hula dancers mostly naked??
I am appalled(but not too surprised) that we are not allowed to help, due to ignorance and bigotry. Many of our students are very conservative Christians. We have children who take our classes. This is NOT exotic dancing like you would find in a strip club...
Oh, well. Anyhow, welcome to y'all, and thanks to Strings for the link. I will make sure to post more often.....

How will you die?

2007-07-16T07:19:00.001-07:00

Via Strings(over on the sidebar! Look, linkys!)

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"So, you're a cannibal."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

2007-07-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

People look at me funny when they find out I carry a gun inside my home...
This is why I do....

Mother/son gangraped/tortured by 10 suspects in their teens....

A group of 10, some as young as 14, tricked the mother into opening her door, then took turns raping her, and torturing her son. They also forced the son to have sex with his mother...

There is no punishment heinous enough for these monsters...

Good to know.....

2007-06-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

$5675.00

Mingle² - Online Dating

Chris Benoit....

2007-06-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

I watch WWE fairly regularly, with greater or less interest, depending on how much the writers screw up the storylines. I enjoy the extreme athleticism of the wrestlers, and don't particularly care that it's scripted. After all, so are action movies..
Chris Benoit was among my favorite wrestlers, an amazing athlete, and respected by everyone he worked with. By all accounts, he was a genuinely nice guy. His death is really bothering me, particularly since it's come out that he killed his wife and son before taking his own life. On camera, you could see, even when he tried to put on a frightening persona, that he was a big teddy bear. Seemed like a real family man...
What happens to make someone decide not just to kill himself, but to take his wife and child with him? He had an amazing career. I know there had been a recent cancellation of his upcoming pay per view match, with the reason being given as personal issues. That most likely means he pissed off somebody he shouldn't have. I simply can't imagine harming my daughter, even were I at the point of ending my own life, the thought of killing my child goes against everything I am..What happened in his head? How do you break that sacred trust?
"Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of children..."
How do you look into your childs eyes and kill them?
I'm so sick right now...
Earlier today, I read a blog by someone whose son drowned yesterday...Followed by Ambulance Drivers account of responding to a dead infant call...Now this...I need to go hold my daughter...

Well, shoot.....

2007-06-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

I got into my old blog by accident this morning, so I guess I'll have two blogs...I have no idea what I'll fill them with..

I can't access my old Blogger account.....

2007-06-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm making a new one.....
Here's the old one, if you are interested...
Loud Mouthed Snook

More to come soon...