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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I'm Not So Sure

That the gun rights victory over Chicago is actually a victory in the long run. Yes in the short term the ban was rejected, but in so doing the Fed added more clout to repeal local laws and control more of this country.

Seems to me that this victory could easily become another strike against, and not for, liberty of the people. Our once federalist government is dying, to be replaced my a monster.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Interesting

But not unexpected. The same general who was verbally attacked by the left is now the darling of the left.

So what's the difference?

His boss is now a Democrat instead of a Republican.

Sweat and Guns

Today I took the sister, brother-in-law and the Boss to some privately owned land for some short gun action. My sister and her hubby have been visiting from Florida for about a week. They own 2, 5 shot revolvers that they haven't fired in several years as well as the unfired and recently purchased 9mm. The revolvers are by Rossi and Charter Arms, the 9mm is a double stack Bersa. He recently got his carry license and she's considering doing the same.

His shooting wasn't half bad considering how infrequent he handles a gun, but my sister was awkward. She can shoot OK, but not with the practiced confidence I believe is necessary for a potential life and death situation. My sister kept asking me if she was hitting the paper, and I kept replying that I didn't know because I was watching her.

I told both that they need to shoot the guns more often so that handling their firearms and shooting becomes automatic. Somehow I doubt that will ever happen.

The Boss hadn't fired her carry gun since we bought it a few months ago due to her priorities being different than mine. As with most women she instinctively relies on me to be her protector. In today's world that doesn't make much sense. In any case, her shooting was decent. Since her hand surgeries that removed the bones connecting her thumb with the wrist, both hands, loading a magazine and pulling a slide back is problematic. Sometimes she can and sometimes she can't. Her Firestorm 380 was purchased because that was the only model we found that she has any hope of operating the slide, and the recoil isn't painful.

I only fired about 15 rounds myself because the trip was intended to get the others some trigger time. I demonstrated some double taps with one of my 1911s using the steel on meat pointing method and strong hand / weak hand only shooting.

I think we all enjoyed the time despite the sweat running down our faces. The shooting wasn't all that bad either because, well . . . . all the holes were at least in the black of a silhouette target at about 20 feet.

Being a gun person, I'm glad I live in the area I do. There are 3 gun shops within 15 minutes of my house, one with an indoor range. The competition keeps the price of guns and ammo lower than in other parts of the country. Guns are less expensive, and ammo a lot less expensive than in Florida where my guests live.

So why didn't we go to the indoor range to escape the heat you ask? Because the Boss and others hate shooting ranges, especially indoor shooting ranges. Even though the temperature and humidity was miserable, we could take breaks sitting in the shade, drink some water and gab a bit.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Corporate Targets - Middle Management

Little by little through my career as an engineer I've learned that just about everyone knows how to do a better job than the engineer does, at least in their eyes. Engineers have so many critics, ...uh customers, that it's quite impossible to satisfy them all. Consequently, engineers have little targets on them so that others have something to throw their darts at.

In my 2 brief stints in middle management I found the situation similar. Regardless of the situation, not only does higher management know better, but so do those reporting to you. I can certainly understand why so many people run away from positions of responsibility. The reward is seldom large enough to offset the abuse, unless one grows very thick skin.

I had a phone interview recently that brought the above to mind. Yes I'm still working in a long term, open ended contract position, but the interview is for a direct hire position. One of the questions asked was where do I see myself in 5 years. I've always found that hard to answer. I usually reply that I'm not one of those guys trying to climb the corporate ladder. All I want is to enjoy my job and feel useful. The management positions that I've had were because I was asked to take those jobs. I've turned some down, and taken a couple because I thought it was good for the company, and most importantly, because of the challenge.

Flies Know Best

A Texas cowboy attends a social function where Barack Obama is trying to gather support for his Health Plan. Once Obama discovers the cowboy is from President Bush's home area, he starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words.

As he was doing that, he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head. The cowboy says, "Y'all havin' some problem with them circle flies?"

Obama stopped talking and said, "Well, yes, if that's what they're called, but I've never heard of circle flies."

"Well, sir," the cowboy replies, "Circle flies hang around ranches. They're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse."

"Oh," Obama replies as he goes back to rambling. But, a moment later he stops and bluntly asks, "Are you calling me a horse's ass?"
"No, sir," the cowboy replies, "I have too much respect for the citizens of this country to call their president a horse's ass."

"That's a good thing," Obama responds and begins rambling on once more.

After a long pause, the cowboy, in his best Texas

drawl says, "Hard to fool them flies, though."

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Little Posting - - Several Days

Just now getting back into the swing of the daily grind, and my sister calls. She, her hubby and 2 dogs will be here tomorrow evening. So expect little posting for several days. Family trumps all else, you know.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Back to Reality

It sure was great to get away for a couple of days. No phone or TV. Just the Boss and me chilling out in Amish country north of Columbus Ohio.

Everywhere I went I was armed, and nary a "no guns" sign to be found. Even the Amish don't seem to have a problem with the legally armed.

We were in a shop in one of the small towns where a man looking to be Amish was running a computer controlled laser engraver. Odd.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

An Angel

When I was just a lad . . . . young man, I met an angel. She must be an angel to have lived with me all these years. As of tomorrow we will have been married for a short 39 years. I can't imagine living without her.

Tomorrow we leave for a little 3 day weekend to get away and celebrate. I'll be absent for a while, priorities being what they are.

Because he Opens HIs Mouth

You know how to tell when a politician is lying? When he opens his mouth.

The official unemployment rate dropped to 9.7%, so El Presidente says,

HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) - President Barack Obama says the addition of 431,000 new jobs in May shows "the economy is getting stronger by the day."

Yeah and something like 411,000 of those new jobs are temporary census workers. The only increase in employment is by government. And government jobs are by and large non-productive that does little to help the economy.

No sir, the economy is NOT getting stronger by the day.

No Kiddin

The radical activist group ACORN “works” for the Democratic Party and deliberately promotes election fraud, ACORN employees told FBI investigators, according to an FBI document dump Wednesday.

HT to Alphecca

How Strange

Greene admits he had no campaign headquarters, no party support, no contributions, no job, no computer and no cell phone.

Yet, somehow, he managed to pull off the most unlikely of victories, and -- unless state Democratic Party officials have their way -- will face incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint in November.


Although he seems to be a natural politician.

Voters also are wondering how the 32-year-old Greene, facing a felony charge for allegedly showing pornographic images to a college student last October, managed to capture 59 percent of the primary vote.

Man's Best Friend

A co-worker today repeated the often said that a dog is a man's best friend. He then went on to explain how a married man can prove it.

Lock your dog and your wife in the trunk of your car.
Drive around for a few miles.
Open the trunk.
Which one is happy to see you?

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I was Right

That may be the first time this year that I got anything right, according to the Boss anyway. The alternator was just fine according to the techs at the car doctors. When the battery suddenly went belly up with stiff legs in the air, it pulled the voltage down from the alternator with not enough left to operate the engine. New battery and all is fine.

If only liberal stupidity was that easy to cure.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

To The Doctors

This evening we dropped off the Bosses car at the shop. Tomorrow we'll find out if the alternator is sick or not. My guess is not, based on past experiences.

My '96 Ford F150 let me down at work one time. There was absolutely no sign of a problem in the morning nor when I left for lunch. When I tried to start it to go home it was dead as a smashed bug. No buzz, no click, nothing. The battery simply died, like falling off a cliff. Thankfully that place of employment had a motor pool. I borrowed a spare battery to get me home.

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Last week I had my yearly visit to the doctor. The BP, cholesterol and gout medicines are working fine with no noticeable bad effects. X-rays confirmed that my right hip joint has bad arthritis. The family Doc says cortisone shots for inflammation pain and/or visit a bone surgeon. Neither one sounds good to me. The shots are temporary, and getting cut on (on purpose) for the first time in my life has no appeal. I might visit the bone guy anyway, if just to get an idea what's ahead in my future.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Rules of Gun Safety

At the flea market today I saw many cool t-shirts. If being a red neck means t-shirts always have writing and/or pictures then I must be a red neck. Anyway, this one shirt proposes a new and first rule of gun safety that I found humorous.

The first rule of gun safety
Don't piss me off

I chuckled at that one.

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Upon entering the flea market, I don't remember seeing their no guns sign as in the past, not that that's ever stopped me before. Could it be that some are learning?

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In Cincinnati yesterday I locked my personal defense device in the car. A theatre with a graduation ceremony must surely be a disarmed victims zone, and I didn't want to cause a problem if busted. To my surprise there was an absence of signs for this college ceremony. So I sat through about 3 hours of activities feeling naked.

Got The Car Home

So I put some fix-flat stuff in the tire and reinflated it, then installed a new battery. I don't recall ever putting a new battery in that 10 year old car, though I must've at some time. The grandaughter was with us so we took her to the nearby flea market. It was only 5 minutes away and besides she complained of never having been there before.

I saw some cool knives that I managed to walk away from, and one t-shirt.

After about 3 hours of brousing we headed home with me in the car, followed by the Boss in my truck. As the Sailor commented in the post below, there's no guarantee that the alternator isn't a problem. I hope the Boss can take it to a local shop tomorrow to have it checked out.

I've had batteries suddenly kick the bucket in the past. Car batteries used to die slowly, giving some warning that they're getting weak. Seems like the new ones of the last decade or so will just suddenly go belly up without warning. When this happens some will idle after a jump but won't maintain the engine running under power. Other times this has been the sign of a bad alternator.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Sometimes the Planets Align

to create a wonderful day. Then there are times like today when just the opposite happens.

Initially things weren't too bad. We drive the hour+ to the Center of downtown Cincinnati and crammed into small seats in a theatre to watch a graduation ceremony. I managed to weather being in a city, which I hate, and the small confines of being in a crowd for 3 hours, which I also hate.

When we left all was right with the world as we headed for a meeting with several others at a restaurant. On the way I stopped to put fuel in the car, then it refused to start. Turning the key didn't even cause so much as a click. One of our future fellow diners drove a 1/2 hour back from the restaurant to give us a jump start. It started but wouldn't keep running. Then I noticed one of the tires was flat. So we just left it there.

The helper piled five of us in his van, we went to dinner with him and some others, than he drove us home. Tomorrow I'll be going back down there with a new battery and a DC powered air compressor, after the Boss gets home from church.

So much for the range time I had hoped for.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Universal Health Care, by Maxine via e-mail

I am sure you have heard the ideas that if you're a senior you need to suck it up and give up the idea that you need any health care.

A new hip? Unheard of. We simply can't afford to take care of you anymore.
You don't need any medications for your high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, etc.. Let's take care of the young people. After all, they will be ruling the world very soon.

So here is the solution.

When you turn 70, you get a gun and 3 bullets.
You are allowed to shoot one senator and 2 representatives.
Of course, you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head and all the health care you need! New teeth, great! Need glasses, no problem! New hip, knee, kidney, lung, heart?
Well bring it on.
And who will be paying for all of this?
The same government that just told you that you are too old for health care.
With all the seniors gathered there , it will be just like a nursing home-- only free.
And, since you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any income tax.


You know eliminating a few politicians isn't such a bad idea. Then again we could use them for medical experiments and save a bunch of cute furry critters instead.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Very Moving

This was sent to me by e-mail.
I present it to you without comment, as none is needed.

MAY GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN:

He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .