And this bit of cheesy...

I am penning this post just so that I hit my first 100 post month. Y'all have a grand day and will see you much later tomorrow. ;)

Yeah, nothing important going on like Brady twits or nationalizing our industries or just the end of the world as we know it...

Nope, just me hitting 100 ;)

So, what have I relearned?

In the recent readings that I have made, I have relearned (as if I had truly ever forgotten) that you do not pick a fight, you do not give chase once the fight has been quit and you do not unilaterally escalate. Also, if you ever come under life-threatening duress, preparedness is likely the only thing that will save you and your loved ones very lives.

I will continue my pursuit of knowledge in the written word, but now I am sure that I need to relearn the skills of my youth through some on site training. Now, to figure out where to go and spend that money. ;)

In the Gravest Extreme

In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection written by Massad F. Ayoob, ISBN 0-936279-00-1.

Mr. Ayoob is a well-known authority on the use of firearms and confrontation. This book, albeit somewhat dated (21st printing of a 1980 copyright) by today's standard, has some very useful discussion of the who, what, why, how and when of personal defense with a firearm. Also, his style of writing is quite readable.

In my opinion, the discussion about do not give chase, do not instigate, be judicious in the application of preemptive strike, to be aware of and current on the local laws applicable, firearm safety, and leave police work to police personnel is the most important treatment in this book.

Next in importance are the discussions of caliber, recoil, home defense scenarios and the general use of firearms for defense in any number of scenarios is near as critical as the former list.

This book (about 135 pages in a roughly 5-3/8" X 8-3/8" platform) covers the many aspects of firearm use, especially with regard to personal defense, very well and from the viewpoint of someone who knows. That knowledge from many years in LE, instructor and student of the topic.

Never Underestimate

your ability to become irrevocably angered by the television late at night... particularly last Saturday (28 March 2009) night. It also speaks volumes about how careful one should be with the idiot box remote.

I am actively blocking this from memory, but the bit about how vegetarian is so much better for the planet because livestock involves too much trucking still blows a fuse. You know, have to truck the feed to the cattle, have to truck the cattle to the slaughter, have to truck the slaughter to the grocery.

Never... expletive deleted... mind that cattle mostly grow up on the range and that ALL grocery store groceries are trucked to the grocery. What a bunch of irresponsible twits.

Y'all got to Quit It

Meant to comment on this last week... but, didn't get around to it.

Recently, I was having some idle conversation with a couple of colleagues while visiting a customer in NW Ohio and the following was the result...

Them: "Yeah, when you see someone driving down the road with a child in the car and smoking a cigarette, I just want to drag them out and smack them."

Me: "Y'all got to quit it."

Them: "Huh?"

Me: "Do you live in a two story house?"

Them: "Yup."

Me: "Do you have children?"

Them: "Yup."

Me: "Do you make them put on a helmet, elbow and knee pads before they mount the stairs?"

Them: "Uhhh..."

Me: "Exactly, y'all got to quit it."

Last for Today

Derek over at geekpolitics.com sent me some mail and benign flattery will get me to take a look every time. This is pretty good stuff. :)

Tomorrow is the last day of the month

AND, the first day of my fifth decade. I don't imagine there will be much in the way of postage until maybe Wednesday afternoon. ;) I know, great loss. ;)

Take it slow.

So, now I feel better...

about nearly blowing myself up a few weekends ago...

Scientist accidentally injects Ebola into finger
45-year-old woman given experimental vaccine for deadly virus

AP Story posted on MSNBC.com

We have Upped our Standards...

Now, Up Yours... pretty much.

MSNBC.com new services story posted on MSNBC... oddly enough.

Fuel efficiency standards hiked for 2011
The first increase in passenger car standards in over 20 years

3D Printer...

This is ... again useful words escape me... awesome. -- It is worth the time, if the video doesn't load here, just use the previous link.



Thanks Frank.

So the Narrative is not in English...

This guy is... for lack of any truly descriptive word... amazing.



Appreciate it Frank. By the way, F1 started this last weekend as well. :)

Tax Day Teaparty

Look, there is going to be one in Birmingham. Reckon I will be there as soon as I get done with National Buy a Gun Day. Currently conflicted, I am tossing about a muzzle loader, another .45 or another 12 ga. OR maybe a pocket .357 or 3" .410 / .45 LC... decisions, decisions...

And the Response from Sears is...

Well first, my answer to their response. It will now be a FROSTY day in the netherworld before I even consider spending my time and/or money with these ...individuals.

To preserve any anonymity that I may have left, I have redacted my name from the following, suffice it to say that they misspelled my name from the e-mail that I sent to them.

Here is what Sears had to say...

Thank you for contacting Sears.com. We are very sorry that you was treated in this manner by Sears.com. We do apologize for this treatment.
We do appreciate you being a Sears customer, and again sorry for this matter.


Look for Great Ideas throughout the store and find Sears exclusive innovations from great brands like Sony, Kenmore, NordicTrack, Craftsman and Reebok.

Shop www.sears.com now to pick up great products for the season.
Associate name redacted by me
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@customerservice.sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

30 March 2009, 20:50

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 26 Mar 2009
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 26 Mar 2009

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

The only one for the Weekend

With the receipt of my new laptop, which is running fine, and the return / upgrade of my previous economic stimulus effort, I am now sitting here thinking unpleasant thoughts about Kenmore specifically and Sears generally. At least it should only be a week before the new Bosch appliances are delivered. Below is the open letter I wrote to Sears on their website. I imagine that my less than ideal reviews of the appliances and their customer service staff will never see the light of day, but I feel better for having ranted. So, here it is...

Good Day,

I recently purchased a Kenmore washer & dryer on Sears.com and the dryer was defective from the start. I suspect the washer was too, but it is of little consequence at the moment.

After three rounds of field service failed to repair the appliances, I contacted customer service via e-mail and after two rounds of e-mail was tremendously dissatisfied with the result. In a nutshell, I was told that I could exchange the defective equipment for same brand and model or I may be charged a restocking fee. Let me be perfectly clear. I had owned the appliances for less than 30 days, one (and probably both) were defective upon installation and the best that I get from e-mail interaction is that I can pay to return them and/or get another set of potentially the same aggravation. By the way, these customer service people understand that we buy washers and dryers in sets, right?

Yesterday (28 March 2009), I carefully loaded them into the back of my pickup and drove to the Sears store in the Galleria Mall in Hoover, AL - where I picked them up originally. The appliance manager started with the I will help you call customer service but in no way appeared ready to resolve the issue. Fortunately for me, your phone customer service took forever to answer the call, hung up on him twice and then proceeded to tell him to call someone else to get the help he needed. At this point, he was ready to help.

We went downstairs, he returned the two defective appliances, issued credit and got me in touch with a very knowledgeable young man to help me make my new purchase. At this point, I will tell you that the manager's name is Sajid and the associate's name is Alex. These two gentlemen should be commended for their helpfulness and the phone / e-mail customer support people should be summarily terminated.

The story ends with this. I have now paid $1200 more than I started out with, in order to wait a week for a more highly rated set of appliances delivered and installed with a 5 year protection plan so that I don't have to deal with any of this again. So, as I sit here unable to do laundry in my own home for the next week, I will be thinking about my future relationship with Sears.

All I can say right now is, if I ever set foot in one of your stores again, it will be to find the two who helped me and thank them for their help with an additional purchase. But, I find it unlikely that I will set foot in one of your stores, and certainly not on Sears.com, again.

A little short on postage tonight

No, not because I am having a large time out and about. I received my Dell birthday present to me today and am just about done setting it up. I am looking forward to not being strapped to the desk anymore. :)

The Vista jury is still hung. My desk top is a one year old HP with Vista Home on it and am not exactly enthralled with it. The new portable has Vista Home 64 bit... I can hardly wait to start learning about this one's shortcomings. oh bother...

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

27 March 2009, 22:20

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 26 Mar 2009
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 26 Mar 2009

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

How to make yourself feel old

when you are not quite yet there (by my standard anyway).

Ride down the road listening to some music on Sirius from around the early collegiate days and think, I am four days from my fourth decade.

No, wait a minute, I am four days from COMPLETING my fourth decade and fixin' to start my fifth. I may leave early today and start an entirely different kind of fifth. ;)

How to make yourself feel old

when you are not quite yet there (by my standard anyway).

Ride down the road listening to some music on Sirius from around the early collegiate days and think, I am four days from my fourth decade.

No, wait a minute, I am four days from COMPLETING my fourth decade and fixin' to start my fifth. I may leave early today and start an entirely different kind of fifth. ;)

Tom over at Boomers and...

Bullshit has been encouraging folks to go read David E. Young here. This is here so that maybe, I will take some time this weekend to go read.

What a complete putz...

Geithner says new ‘rules of the game’ required
Treasury secretary proposes broad new rules to avoid economic failure

AP story posted on MSNBC...

It is only a matter of time before US Steel, Nucor Steel, Ford, GM, Boeing, Smith & Wesson, Olin-Winchester, etc are too big to fail or pose a threat to the economy and must be nationalized. That is one sure way to ensure they don't threaten anyone's economy ever again... nationalize them.

I can hardly wait until the .gov makes the firearms and the bullets and the health care and the... oh, you get the point.

Suing over clean air

Here (PR Newswire story posted on MSN Money about parents suing corporations over air quality) is another one of those conflicts that fills my soul every day. Is industry responsible for the environmental quality surrounding its manufacturing plants?

The answer is an unequivocal yes, in my opinion. Environmental stewardship, Employee safety, Exemplary quality, Unequaled customer service & Stable profitability should be the hallmarks of US manufacturing. Unfortunately, all too often it is not. This is in part due to corporate irresponsibility and in part due to US citizen (individual human) irresponsibility.

Corporate irresponsibility takes many forms... didn't see the drum of toxins leak into the river, didn't know it was toxic, didn't care that it was toxic, figured it was someone else's problem, third world does it and we need to compete... ad nauseum.

US citizen (individual human) irresponsibility takes primarily two forms... I want it the cheapest I can get it and the cheapest comes from places without our rules AND as long as it is not in my backyard, I really don't care. People just don't realize how tightly tied to manufacturing, most of our jobs really are. So for all of you out there pointing fingers at "bad" manufacturers, take a look around your house and tell me how many Made in China - Taiwan - Singapore - Pakistan tags you see. Then, point the fingers at yourself as well.

And now, for the cynicism... One part successful ambulance chasers + one and one-half parts governmental stooge + one part indignant media + one-half parts injured citizen = corporate earnings to take a beating + additional case precedent set for air quality lawsuits.

I wonder how much of this stems from the EPA's new stance (John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard) on CO2 emissions? And I wonder when the rest of us can expect the same for the emissions of our... whatever has a "Carbon Footprint". I truly loathe that combination of words. This is going to end in taxation on cattle ranchers commensurate with the size of their herd. Might just as well bag the rest of us for our pets.

As a side note, I used to work for US Steel - Gary and lived near Lake county. If they are going after the big ones, they also need to go after the little ones.

Burford Holly...

Latin Ilex Cornuta 'Burfordii'


Picture from King's Sunset Nursery

Saw a few of these last weekend at the wedding rehearsal dinner and ceremony (congratulations again Casey & Lindsey). According to Steve Korson - General Manager of the Pine Tree Country Club these can grow as tall as 30 feet if allowed to.

Also, serious kudos to the folks at Pine Tree Country Club for a very nice weekend.

A Monument to September 11 from...

the Russians. This is amazing and has been in place since 2006. Funny (not really) that I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about this (911 Monument). For all of what I don't like in the world... all I can say is thank you to this.

Thanks Tom

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

26 March 2009, 18:10

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - Updated
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 26 Mar 2009
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - Updated
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 26 Mar 2009

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Terry Tate - Office Linebacker

I received this in an e-mail forever ago and the devalued Prime Minister rant made me think of it. There are many to choose from but this is the only one I have that is even marginally acceptable in polite company. More at The Return of Terry Tate dot com.

This one has taken the time...

to get it right. It appears (as I have only read one and perused a couple others) that she uses facts to formulate her view and then articulates said view quite effectively. This, unlike me who reads a story, develops a rather dim view (generally without further corroboration) and then proceeds to rant about it here.

Kellene @ Women of Caliber has Children & Guns-Part I and some other very well thought out / presented works of interest on her blog. I urge you to take a few minutes and go read it.

As I left for her in the comments, appreciate the linkage... reciprocity will be the next thing I do.

Interesting and/or Amusing

take on things. The Institute for Human Continuity

The who is going to make it after December 2012 Lottery. This is certainly good for some mental masturbation.

Thanks James.

WMD in Iraq? Nope... just enriched Uranium.

Just 550 METRIC TONS of it.

This is copied from an e-mail that I received. Thank you Tom.

On July 5, 2008 , the Associated Press (AP) released a story titled: Secret U.S. mission hauls uranium from Iraq.

The opening paragraph is as follows: The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program (a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium) reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.

See anything wrong with this picture? We have been hearing from the far left for more than five years how Bush lied. Somehow, that slogan loses its credibility now that 550 metric tons of Saddam's yellowcake, used for nuclear weapon enrichment, has been discovered and shipped to Canada for its new use as nuclear energy.

It appears that American troops found the 550 metric tons of uranium in 2003 after invading Iraq . They had to sit on this information and the uranium itself for fear of terrorists attempting to steal it. It was guarded and kept safe by our military in a 23,000-acre site with large sand berms surrounding the site.

This is vindication for the Bush administration, having been attacked mercilessly by the liberal media and the far-left pundits on the blogo-sphere. Now that it is proven that President Bush did not lie about Saddam's nuclear ambitions, one would think that the mainstream media would report the true story.

Once the AP released the story, the mainstream media should have picked it up and broadcast it worldwide. That never happened, due in large part, I believe, to the fact that the mainstream media would have to admit they were wrong about Bush's war motives all along.

Thankfully, the AP got it right when it said, "The removal of 550 metric tons of yellowcake, the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment, was a significant step toward closing the books on Saddam's nuclear legacy." Closing the book on Saddam's nuclear legacy? Did Saddam have a nuclear legacy after all? I thought Bush lied?

As it turns out, the people who lied were Joe Wilson and his wife. Valerie Plame engaged in a clear case of nepotism and convinced the CIA to send her husband on a fact finding mission in February 2002, seeking to determine if Saddam Hussein attempted to buy yellowcake from Niger . The CIA and British intelligence believed Saddam contacted Niger for that purpose but needed proof.

During his trip to Niger, Wilson actually interviewed the former prime minister of Niger, Ibrahim Assane Mayaki. Mayaki told Wilson that in June of 1999, an Iraqi delegation expressed interest in "expanding commercial relations" for the purposes of purchasing yellowcake. Wilson chose to overlook Mayaki's remarks and reported to the CIA that there was no evidence of Hussein wanting to purchase yellow cake from Niger.

However, with British intelligence insisting the claim was true, President Bush used that same claim in his State of the Union address in January of 2003. Outraged by Bush's insistence that the claim was true, Wilson wrote an op-ed in the New York Times in the summer of 2003 slamming Bush. Wilson did this in spite of the fact that Mayaki said Saddam did try to buy the yellowcake from Niger.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence disagreed with Wilson and supported Mayaki's claim. This meant nothing to Wilson who was opposed to the Iraq war and thus had ulterior motives in covering up the prime minister's statements. It was a simple tactic, really. If the far-left and their friends in the media could prove Bush lied about Hussein wanting to purchase yellowcake from Niger, it would undermine President Bush's credibility and give them more cause for asking what other lies he may have told.

Yet the real lie came from Wilson, who interpreted his own meaning from the prime minister's statements and concluded all by himself that the claim of Saddam attempting to purchase yellowcake was "unequivocally wrong." Curiously the CIA sat on this information and did not inform the CIA Director, who sided with Bush on the yellowcake claim. This was made public in a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report in July 2004.

Valerie Plame also engaged in her own lie campaign by spreading the notion that the Bush Administration outed her as a CIA agent. Never mind that it was Richard Armitage - no friend of the Bush administration - who leaked Plame's identity to the press. Never mind that Plame had not been in the field as a CIA agent in some six years.

The truth is, due to their opposition to the war, Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame, the mainstream media, and their left-wing friends on the blogo-sphere engaged in a propaganda campaign to undermine the Bush administration.

Now that Saddam's uranium has been made public and is no longer a threat to the world, do you think these aforementioned parties will apologize and admit they were wrong? Don't count on it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25546334/

The Sliding Rocks of

Racetrack Playa

This is immensely cool. Just exactly how do these rocks move about?

Mr. Hannan could just as easily be speaking to Big Daddy O

I may watch this (or this) every day forevermore.

Thanks Tom

Clinton: U.S. drug habits fuel border violence

Secretary of state in Mexico to bolster anti-narcotics cooperation - AP Story posted on MSNBC.com

Yes dear, the Mexicans are having drug lord issues because semi-automatic (1 trigger squeeze = 1 shot ... every time) civilian firearms from the US (which the .mx .gov will not release any identifying information about) are being used in Mexico by gangs.

Right... these are the same gangs who have fully automatic (1 trigger squeeze = every bullet in the magazine ... if held long enough) military firearms, grenades and rockets --> these folks would rather use civilian armaments rather than military armaments. Again... Right.

Oh wait a minute, she is also blaming our drug use. So, now it is time to beef up border security and actually have LE move against the distribution network and users... No silly, that is mine... what they will likely try is a variety of gun bans and rehab programs instead.

They (.gov) are laying the groundwork for the abrogation of our right to self defense a.k.a. 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms through international subjugation of our Constitution.

Hate is such a strong word... but it is nearly the only one I have left.

John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard

John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard

Typical government, don't they know it is now called global climate change? Since the Globe is not warming anymore...

I simply do not have the words (that can be printed in polite company) for this bit of buffoonery.

MArooned: It Cometh...

MArooned: It Cometh...

Jay has a bit of discussion about National Buy a Gun Day a.k.a. Tax Day - April 15.

Thankfully I live in the middle of Alabama and we have no silly laws like MA, CA or DC. So, my list of potentials is a little more like this...

Remington Pump - 12 ga magnum marine if I can find one. Because a Saiga-12 is not a pump.

Taurus Judge - 3" 412 chambering in Titanium if I can find one. Because it is odd and I am odd... And, .45 LC in that small of frame might be fun to shoot.

Various Manufacture - Pocket snub in .357 for those few days when an overgarment just doesn't work. Read, can not conceal the PX4 subcompact or XD 45.

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

25 March 2009, 20:30

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Best explanation that I have heard

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.'

Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know.'

'You don't know? You're a Christian man and don't know what's on the other side?'

The doctor was holding the handle of the door. On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining; as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, 'Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough.'

Received today via e-mail. Thank you Amanda.

Before I forget...

Who is the money behind the stock market (read DJIA) these days? It is bothering me something fierce knowing (based on the nature of our business at my day job) the state of heavy manufacturing (read primary steelmaking) in this country is about 30% of August - September 2008 levels; how does anyone have the ready cash to buy stocks at the rate of consumption we are seeing?

More later... if there is any reason.

That caught up thing...

must sure be big. I been walking towards it since yesterday and it hasn't gotten any bigger on the horizon.

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

24 March 2009, 21:40 -- still working on when they are actually in session.

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Good to be back

and be able to see caught up from here. :)

17 March - Green beer lunch at Hooters, fly to Cleveland via Chicago, drive to Wauseon to visit customer.

18 March - Visit customer.

19 March - Present to customer, drive to Cleveland, fly to Birmingham via Baltimore.

20 March - Back to work, wedding rehearsal dinner.

21 March - Wedding.

22 March - Turn brain off.

23 March - Here we are.

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

23 March 2009, 20:25

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

I know...

It's a funny looking Sunday.

Nope...

Not today neither. Best bet is now for Sunday.

Out of pocket today...

Will do better tomorrow... I hope.

Another wee jewel from MSNBC

This bit of drivel is a NY Times story posted by MSNBC. "White House bracing for a bailout backlash Obama administration worried populist anger could complicate agenda"

It leads me to the following two (among many) questions.

1. Since when has "populist" anger ever slowed our government one bit?
2. Why do they shift from President Obama to Mr. Obama part way through the story?

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

16 March 2009, 18:25

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 03 Mar 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - No Change
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Got my tomatoes and peppers started today...

Yes, I know, this should have been done a month ago. Time, it just escapes me anymore.

Each of these at the left is a cottage cheese (or similar) container with drainage holes drilled in the bottom and hold four seeds of some variety... to be described below.

Starting from Left to Right (seeds placed in each container at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock at about 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep):

Column 1: Top two containers have four each Roma VF tomato seeds planted. Bottom two containers have four each Early Girl Hybrid tomato seeds planted.

Column 2: Top two containers have four each Big Boy Hybrid tomato seeds planted. Bottom two containers have four each Jalapeno M chile seeds planted.

Column 3: Top two containers have four each Cascabella chile seeds planted. Bottom two containers have four each Poblano chile seeds planted.

Column 4: Top two containers have four each Sweet Banana chile seeds planted. Bottom two containers have four each Long Thin Cayenne chile seeds planted.

Column 5: These two containers have four each Serrano chile seeds planted.

I have so many different varieties planted because I like them all and I do not yet know which will perform best in my garden. First year of in-ground (v. potted) gardening is happening this year.

There is a story that goes with this and...

while it is a bit long, you may get a chuckle out of it now that we all know that everyone (meaning me, myself and I) are ok. And, I will get over my bit of embarrassment for my responsibility in the event, one of these days.


This little aloe plant was gifted to me by a wonderful lady whom I share a work place with. In the few different places that I read about aloes, most of them recommend a wide shallow pot for the aloe. So, I took myself out to Lowes on Friday the 13th (March 2009) and found this pot, saucer and cactus potting mix.

I cleaned it all up Friday night... woohoo BIG Friday night... and assembled. Here's to hoping that the little guy grows.

Ok, so the story goes like this...

Anyone who has ever been near a sudden ignition knows that there is a whoosh just before the boom. The whoosh is the air trying to get to the source of the boom. Fortunately for me, I know this and was able to get partially turned before the boom engulfed me. No real damage, just some burnt hair, some cooked flesh (all of which is healing with no scars) and some badly bruised ego. To this day, I am thanking God that it was no worse than it was. I was tremendously fortunate. And, BTW, if someone had been available with a video camera, I would probably still be viral on Youtube.

Now, for the reason behind the whoosh --- boom. I have been meaning to get out in the back yard and clean up the felled brush, raked up pine straw, last year's Christmas tree, etc. This, of course, means making a small pile and burning it. Let me pause and make this comment... gasoline and pine straw (even if it is soaking wet) is a very combustible mix indeed.

Let me further set the scene with this bit of information. I quit smoking a couple years ago, so I have no lighters, etc laying about the house. I also quit taking the Birmingham News a couple months ago, so I have no real supply of combustible paper products around the house.

A couple of tries with wadded up paper towels and kitchen matches only served to frustrate. So, I say to myself, Self, you have a bunch of stuff to get done today, you had best get at it. I then proceed back up to the garage, fetch the can of gas (back of my head screams that this is a bad idea, I shush it with, I got stuff to do today, it will be alright) and head back down to the pile.

Now, I proceed to pour said accelerant onto the pile. I walk away a good 50 feet with the gas can, would not want it to catch fire. I put it down, walk back and lean down to light the spot where the gas trail stopped. Yup, what little wind there was, switched 180 and picked up right as I struck the light and whoosh --- boom. I know enough to slam my eyes shut, stay ducked down, turn and walk away from the fire.

As soon as I had walked far enough that my back was no longer hot, I was able to open my eyes and begin feeling about my body for signs of damage. Fortunately, I was dressed as if I were going to work, so I had on fire retardant clothing and a baseball cap. All of this kept the singed hair to a minimum... bad stinky, but a minimum. My lips, tip of my nose and right cheek caught the worst of it. But, no real swelling, discomfort, charring or blistering. Thank God, I was very fortunate that day... That day, of course, was Saturday a week ago.

To make matters worse, I now had a much larger fire than I wanted, so I had to stay put to ensure that it did not get out of control. I was not able to run in the house, do an inspection and begin the treatment option until about 45 minutes after the boom. Fortunately, it was not as bad as it looked and the boom, as booms go, was pretty tiny. Matter of fact, to anyone not in it... it probably sounded more like a woof.

So, armed with all of that information we can now progress to Monday morning at work. The first question was, predictably... "What happened?" Insert previous story here. Then comes the... "You should have put aloe on it." Insert commentary on how my previous aloe met its demise just a short while ago. Now... "Would you like a cutting from one of mine?" Answer... of course, I would.

So now, I have a new baby aloe planted as appropriately as I can muster to forever remind me that I was a dumb@ss. ;)

Thanks Diana, I do appreciate it.

Oh like this matters...

According to this bit of AP news posted on MSNBC...

"Obama abandons term 'enemy combatant'
The president still asserts the military's authority to hold Gitmo detainees"

Oh my, so we aren't going to call them names anymore, but will still keep them locked up. Good for us.

BTW, the ones of these who were caught doing... well for a simple way to state it... bad things, man... should just be happy to be locked up and not just blown away. Of course, blown away (along with as many others as possible) is what they were hoping for. I guess the rest of us should be happy that they are locked up and not blown away.

Here is a semi-random thought: One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. To them, we are just as bad. Of course, I am firmly on this side... so IMHO, they are not freedom fighters.

In another semi-random thought: It is too easy to lock folks up, just ask Americans with Asian features from the 1940's or those who were loaded on the cattle cars in Europe in the 1940's.

So, of course, the question is... What are we going to call them now? Perhaps, Aggressive Adversary will do for a new and improved moniker?

Last semi-random thought... for now: Again, I assert that our commander-in-chief is floundering about. I truly hope that someone with the courage, ability and decency of an average citizen --by citizen, I mean educated, tax-paying, gainfully employed person whose views gravitate toward the center-- steps up to guide this guy. Lord knows we can't trust any of the ones he is currently surrounded by.

Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper

I began and finished this little gem last night. It is Principles of Personal Defense written by Jeff Cooper, ISBN 0-87364-497-2.

This booklet (about 55 pages in a roughly 5-3/8" X 8-3/8" package) doesn't talk about the how, the why, the when, the who or really even, the what.

It presumes that you have a firm grasp of:

How to implement your chosen defense.
That your reason for implementation is known by you.
You will choose when to implement.
Who you will implement against.
What it is that you are even trying to accomplish with said implementation.
All in the realm of personal defense.

The following quote from the preface page ix succinctly states the purpose of personal defense. "In war there is no substitute for victory, and this is equally true of personal combat, which is, after all, a microcosm of war. When a coward is offered deadly violence, his reaction may be to surrender, or cower, or flee, or call for help; not one of these choices is likely to obviate his peril. But this booklet was not written for cowards."

Cowardice to me, is one of those amorphous characteristics, one does not truly know their capacity for cowardice until it is truly tested. I trust that I am not a coward, but until I have to face an unknown, equal or superior force with real consequences of failure... I will not truly know. - ancillary commentary by me.

The body of the booklet does not discuss anything but the Principles of personal defense. The author defines principle in the following statement, extracted from the Preface pages vii and viii, "If a principle exists it must be immutable, for that is what a principle is - a truth standing apart from the mood of the times.

These principles (among many things) lie in elevated state of awareness, absolute belief in your chosen course of action, your willingness to react with as much vigor as you can muster and calm, intelligent use of what is at hand to defeat those who threaten your life.

IMHO - This is a very good "no shit Sherlock" read... meaning that upon reading you will likely have the... slap your forehead, duh moments that I had. But, it is those obvious things that are so obvious as to not be paid attention to, that can be deadly.

I never hurts to have a clear reminder of what is truly at stake during the moments (maybe seconds) that you have to defend yourself.

Thank you Hillary & Barack

The Russians are working on a bomber base in Cuba? -- and/or Venezuela. MSNBC once again with an AP story...

Gun Confiscation

There, did that get your attention? ;)

I have wavered back and forth on the topic of what I would do when they come to retrieve my firearms and I have flogged it to death along these lines...

A. The ones doing the dirty work.

The ones who would be doing the coming to get them would only be performing the duties that they are paid to perform. It is hard (philosophically, morally, or any other way you look at it) to initiate armed aggression on those who are "only doing their jobs". Of course, the car loaders in 1940's Europe were "only doing their jobs" when they loaded civilians onto trains. Whether or not the loaders knew the final destination / purpose of the trains is irrelevant at some point. Sure, it is possible that at the beginning of the "relocation effort" some (mayhap most) had no idea what was happening; but, at some point in time, it is quite unlikely that they no longer had knowledge of the end use.

There is no real limit to the suffering that we, as humans, are capable of inflicting on others when it is sanctioned by some "Higher Authority". Pretty sure that God would have us do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

B. The ones who would be ordering the dirty work.

These worry me more. These are the Clintons, Emmanuels and Holders of the world. They are actually in a position to thwart the Constitution outright by implementing a ban on firearms. They are also in a position to circumvent the Constitution by leveraging UN mandates against us. It is this group that would actually "legalize" the firearm ban / grab and make it ok for the group from A or, more likely C to implement.

In this case, we have to hope that those with the means and the oath to support the Constitution come to our aid.

Having served in the Army and for a short period in the National Guard, I know the oath that I took includes defending the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. To my knowledge, I am still sworn under that oath no matter that I am no longer on active duty. I don't remember ever being freed of that pledge.

And, from what little (and it is very little) that I know of Law Enforcement, their oath seems to generally include similar language about preservation of the Constitution.

Let us all pray, hope and/or believe that the implementers (A) will tell the enablers (B) to stow it and tell the enablers' dogs (C) to move along peaceably.

C. The politicians, attorneys & activist judges (oh my) might raise a force that does not have the same Constitutional oath.

This actually worries me the worst (not the most... the worst). If this comes to pass, we all need to worry. With all the talk of the "brown shirts", it is not unreasonable to take the next logical step. Upon the arrival of the administration's "brown shirts", it is safe to believe that upholding the Constitution will not be a prime directive. Especially since the formation of the "brown shirt" contingent is not provided for under the Constitution. Of course, neither are most forms of taxation levied by the Congress, but that doesn't slow them down one bit.

Also, just because the "brown shirts" start out listening to the administration... it does not mean that they will forever more.

D. If there be confiscation, there is nothing that says it must be done while I am at home.

With the proper search and seizure warrant, they would have all the documentation that they need to forcibly enter my home and confiscate whatever they choose to... probably all while I am not home to go to jail with my stuff. That just bugs me... while I am not home. That is the easiest way to disarm the populace, do it while they are at work.

Concealed carry permit holders / and users of said permit will still (in alll likelihood) be armed even after the home has been disarmed.

E. My response.

As I have said before, if I am home, I will just not answer the door. And, if I am not home, I hope they break in with as little collateral damage as possible. I wish them the best of luck in removing the gun safe and/or its contents.

Danfinition - Brother v. Brutha

I don't use brother and brutha interchangeably.

Brother is someone I feel kinship with at some level, a level that equates with there is very little that I would not do for this person.

Brutha is just a word I use interchangeably with man... you know... hey man, what's happenin'? v. hey brutha, what's happenin'?

Tam has this...

over at View from the Porch

If all people are equal, then all labor is, too...

This is too good to pass up. Thanks Tam...

Mr. Eric (gun ban extremist, now Attorney General)

Holder, I have a comment...

So, I am a coward because I am white and I really don't want to have "meaningful" discussions on race. Ok, here's your coward, you miserable race-baiting bastard.

My "meaningful" discussion on race involves...

What's up?, How's it goin'? How's yer Momma and them? Who ya got in the Iron Bowl? Whatcha got on for the weekend? Ya want some help with that?

...you know friendly conversation with... OMG, all of my friends. I don't really care about race, but you do and that worries the daylights out of me. Because it feels like race bait when you call me a coward for being white and it feels like friendly gab when I tell Tommy to bite my @ss and he gives me the finger.

Let me tell you something else that no one wants to talk about and maybe its not important to anyone but me... there is almost nothing that I would not do for my brother Tommy and, for that matter, any of my friends who are close enough to call brother. I mean that and I don't care if you don't believe me.

And, I don't use brother and brutha interchangeably. Brother is someone I feel kinship with at some level and Brutha is just a word I use interchangeably with man... you know... hey man, what's happenin'? v. hey brutha, what's happenin'? No difference in my mind, nor, apparently, in the minds of those whom I converse with every day. So you can take your version of race discussion and shove it.

Now to the stories that brought this out onto the printed page.

Let us start with the stark contrast in tragedy and reaction here...

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - how about the different public reactions from Texas to Louisiana to Mississippi... As an aside, I was in Gulfport, MS two weekends ago and there is an awful lot that is still flattened. Or, just has a set of concrete stairs rising from the ground and ending where the entry used to be. Still not much discussion of Mississippi and all that tragedy.

The difference between two weekends ago and summer of 2005 when we went down to Biloxi for the purpose of helping friends and parents of friends recover anything at all... 2005 was MOUNTAINS of debris and trash and wrecked homes... 2009 MOUNTAINS gone. It is all wrong... NOLA needs to shut it or everyone needs to care about more than just NOLA. Oh wait a minute, I am a coward and therefore need to be marginalized.

More recently... the Iowa floods of 2008 and the devastating effect of Winter 2008/2009 on Kentucky. Not much on the news about either of these.

Lastly... the most recent reason for this post is this MSNBC Story...

"The NAACP is accusing Wells Fargo and HSBC of forcing blacks into subprime mortgages while whites with identical qualifications got lower rates.

Class-action lawsuits were to be filed against the banks Friday in federal court in Los Angeles, Austin Tighe, co-lead counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, told The Associated Press.

Black homebuyers have been 3 1/2 times more likely to receive a subprime loan than white borrowers, and six times more likely to get a subprime rate when refinancing, Tighe said. Blacks still were disproportionately steered into subprime loans when their credit scores, income and down payment were equal to those of white homebuyers, he said.

Melissa Murray, vice president of corporate communications for Wells Fargo & Co., called the lawsuit "totally unfounded and reckless." The bank is receiving federal bailout funds." -- Banks steered blacks to bad loans, NAACP says - MSNBC dot com story from Friday, 13 March 2009 - Associated Press

This screams race baiting... Louis Farrakhan, Spike Lee, Al Sharpton, et al would be proud. In my reading of the story, there was no data, just statements. Nice way to create a "feel" of wrong being done with the evidence not in... well, evidence.

Let me also add, that if this be true, that these banks were race-biased and intended harm or to take advantage solely because of race... those miserable ... just dissolve the bank charters, distribute the debts and assets then fire everyone associated. Period... there is no excuse for such blatant acts of idiocy. Oh wait a minute, that might just set a dangerous precedent. People would have to be accountable for ALL their actions. Wouldn't want that... just ask a recent mother of 14.

You know, if we didn't have politicians, attorneys and activist judges to create problems for us, we might not have any problems to worry about.

Thanks y'all for giving me something to worry on.

Last - all of you who are going to or are going to want to flame the daylights out of me and/or this post... read it, think on it and then discuss. I will be happy to have discussion with anyone. There will be no screaming match, no inflammatory volleys and lastly no worse vulgarity than what I have already used.

-Dan

Golly, the Fear MUST be Curtailed...

Even my uneducated donkey knew this last year when the all-knowing media couldn't just hush.

The little gem linked above is an MSNBC story telling us that we need to quit being skeered and get back to living.

The only quote that is needed from the story is this...

"That's how the president's top economic adviser Larry Summers on Friday described the burden of worries about the shrinking jobs market, rising foreclosures and falling wages afflicting Americans. The cycle of fear must be broken, he said, before the recovery can begin." -- 'Excess of fear' must be stopped, Summers says - MSNBC dot com story from Friday, 13 March 2009 - MSNBC news services (my personal mini-rant: amazing how no one has to put their name on the story).

...the rest of this story will likely just aggravate.

I vividly recall last August (2008) discussing this topic with a good friend. Our conversation boiled down to this... the media needs to quit scaring people and this financial crisis will begin to mend itself.

But, more important to the "city" democrats was an opportune tragedy / crisis to capitalize on. They got what they wanted... an utter boob at the head of US government.

I have grown beyond weary of the puppeteer. My advice to all politicians, attorneys and activist judges... leave us alone, we will get it fixed without the governmental intervention. Y'all have already done more than enough damage.

Lastly, when you take credit for fixing what you broke, there are a number of us who will know just how full of yourselves you are. Best advice for you to take after that... see the immediately previous...

Today's Status of the Following Items in the Alabama Legislature

13 March 2009, 20:20 HB225 went to the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday... yup, missed that one too.

House Bills
HB225 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - Update
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
HB302 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB362 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
HB432 - Privacy of Pistol Permit Holders - No Change
Pending Committe Action in 2nd House - 26 Feb 2009
HB528 - Explosive Devices, WMD, etc... - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 05 Mar 2009
HB680 - Amdt to Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

Senate Bills
SB124 - Hospital Reporting of Gunshot & Stab Wounds - No Change
Read Second Time in House of Origin - 12 Feb 2009
SB296 - Seizure of Firearms During Emergencies - Updated
Pending Committee Action in 2nd House - 12 Mar 2009
SB310 - Concealed Carry on Campus - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB407 - Storage of Firearms in a Motor Vehicle - Updated
Read 2nd Time in House of Origin - 12 Mar 2009
- Committee Action: (7 Yea v. 0 Nay w/ 2 Abstain) / 1st Substitution
SB475 - Expungement of Record when Not Guilty or Pardoned - No Change
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

I was done until...

I received this USGS footage via e-mail...

Yes, I know that bears and other critters are dangerous. But still, this -in context- is hilarious.

Thanks Frank.

Danfinition - Rantsman

Rantsman: While it may seem obvious that the meaning lies in one who rants, this is not completely the case. A rantsman is one who has elevated the art of ranting to such a place that it is worthy of note not only for its content, but also for its sheer soap box goodness.

A soap box being the thing that old politicians and snake oil salesmen (but I repeat myself) would stand on to get above the crowd and make themselves better heard. In this case, it is a good thing.

I Almost Missed this One...

From the You MUST be Joking file... Firehand has this bit about Obama et al. wanting the VA to begin charging veterans for treatment of service-related injuries. It can also be found on CNN. I am amazed that CNN even reported on this... perhaps, the honeymoon is soon to be over.

The only good news about it... when they attempt the coup, our military might just take the Constitutional high ground and tell them to shove it. God Bless our service members current and past.

For those of you who know me and think that I am a fine rantsman... I got nothing on this cat. Keep up the good work and Thanks Firehand...

And this is why I waffle on Senator Sessions...

Clicking on an image will download a larger one that can actually be read.

True, he voted to confirm Eric (gun ban extremist, now Attorney General) Holder. But, he seems to generally come down on the right side of fiscal matters. And, while such form letter communications are somewhat laughable, it is considerably better than the zero communications from Senator Shelby who generally comes down on the other side of fiscal matters... e.g. voting to confirm Timothy (tax cheat extraordinaire, now Treasury Secretary) Geithner.

Yes, I keep picking on those two votes... mostly because my lazy self is not even treading water when it comes to national issues.

And, while this may be a strange place for this revelation/epiphany... I worry more about being taxed into servitude than I do about the "black helicopters" coming to remove my firearms. Not much more, but more.

Allow this quick explanation... I have no say whatsoever in taxation. Either the store, the state or my employer collects it for the various government entities. There is nothing that I can do about that. There is, however, something that I can do about it when they come knocking on my door. I just won't answer the door; you know... Dave's not here. ;)

Nationalize the Oil Industry

I received this video today via e-mail. It appears to be taken from Fox News and it claims to be Maxine Waters (D) California making a bit of a gaffe. If this video be true, it is relatively obvious that it is a campaign advertisement that is not from the left.
Thanks Frank.