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Werewolves and politics?
General | Posted 11 years agoA rather interesting, if lengthy, commentary on politics by Ralph Hayes Jr. Warning: Liberals won't like it.
http://www.rhjunior.com/werewolves-.....te-republican/
http://www.rhjunior.com/werewolves-.....te-republican/
Got this from a friend
General | Posted 11 years agoA cowboy, who just moved to Wyoming from Oklahoma, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, "You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time."
The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona , the other is in Colorado . When we all left our home in Oklahoma, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself."
The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss."
The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.
"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking."
"Hasn't affected my brothers though."
Engineering Humor Part 2
General | Posted 11 years agoThe second installment (the formatting is giving me fits):
Engineering Vocabulary
It is in process – So wrapped up in red tape that the situation is almost hopeless
We will look into it – By the time the wheel makes a full turn, we assume that you will have forgotten about it, too.
A program – Any assignment that cannot be completed by one telephone call.
Expedite – To confound confusion with commotion.
Channels – The trail left by inter-office memos.
Coordinator – The guy who has a desk between to expediters.
Consultant (Expert) – Any ordinary guy with a briefcase more than 50 miles from home.
To activate – To make carbons and add more names to the memo.
To implement a program – Hire more people and expand the office.
Under consideration – Never heard of it.
Under active consideration – We're looking in the files for it.
A meeting – A mass mulling by masterminds.
A conference – A place where conversation is substituted for the dreariness of labor and the loneliness of thought.
To negotiate – To seek a meeting of minds without knocking heads together.
Re-orientation – Getting used to working again.
Reliable source – The guy you just met.
Informed source – The guy who told the guy you just met.
Unimpeachable source – The guy who started the rumor originally.
A clarification – To fill in the background with so many details that the foreground goes underground.
We are making a survey – We need more time to think of an answer.
Note and initial – Let's spread the responsibility for this.
Let's get together on this – I'm assuming you're as confused as I am.
See me (Let's discuss) – Come down to my office, I'm lonely.
Give us the benefit of your present thinking – We'll listen to what you have to say as long as it doesn't interfere with what we have already decided to do.
We will advise you in due course – If we figure it out we'll let you know.
To give someone the big picture – A long, confused and inaccurate statement to a newcomer.
Engineering Vocabulary
It is in process – So wrapped up in red tape that the situation is almost hopeless
We will look into it – By the time the wheel makes a full turn, we assume that you will have forgotten about it, too.
A program – Any assignment that cannot be completed by one telephone call.
Expedite – To confound confusion with commotion.
Channels – The trail left by inter-office memos.
Coordinator – The guy who has a desk between to expediters.
Consultant (Expert) – Any ordinary guy with a briefcase more than 50 miles from home.
To activate – To make carbons and add more names to the memo.
To implement a program – Hire more people and expand the office.
Under consideration – Never heard of it.
Under active consideration – We're looking in the files for it.
A meeting – A mass mulling by masterminds.
A conference – A place where conversation is substituted for the dreariness of labor and the loneliness of thought.
To negotiate – To seek a meeting of minds without knocking heads together.
Re-orientation – Getting used to working again.
Reliable source – The guy you just met.
Informed source – The guy who told the guy you just met.
Unimpeachable source – The guy who started the rumor originally.
A clarification – To fill in the background with so many details that the foreground goes underground.
We are making a survey – We need more time to think of an answer.
Note and initial – Let's spread the responsibility for this.
Let's get together on this – I'm assuming you're as confused as I am.
See me (Let's discuss) – Come down to my office, I'm lonely.
Give us the benefit of your present thinking – We'll listen to what you have to say as long as it doesn't interfere with what we have already decided to do.
We will advise you in due course – If we figure it out we'll let you know.
To give someone the big picture – A long, confused and inaccurate statement to a newcomer.
Thought-provoking quote
General | Posted 11 years agoI was browsing around the internet today and ran across this, a short essay by Colonel Jeff Cooper, a well-known and respected gun writer. I do not qualify by his criteria. A humbling thought.
Among the other signs of times we discover that coping is unfashionable. As far as I can tell, today's young people are taught not to handle problems but rather to call for help. This is very bad conditioning. As a boy, I led a privileged life, but I nonetheless often got into jams beyond reach of assistance. I never called for help, and my father would have sneered at me if had done so. At age seventeen while driving alone I blew a tire. I had never seen a wheel changed but I figured the matter out for myself. This is not to boast but only to point out that young men should be expected to cope.
The point is that a young man of 21 should be able to cope with the world around him in a general fashion. . . . Before a young man leaves home, there are certain things he should know and certain skills at which he should be adept. These things should be available before a son leaves his father's household.
What should a young male of 21 know, and what should he be ableto do? There are no conclusive answers to those questions, but they are certainly worth asking. A young man should know how this country is run and how it got that way. He should know the Federalist Papers and de Tocqueville, and he should know recent world history. If he does not know what has been tried in the past, he cannot very well avoid those pitfalls as they come up in the future. A young man should be computer literate and, moreover, should know Hemingway from James Joyce. He should know how to drive a car well — such as is not covered in Driver's Ed. He should know how to fly a light airplane. He should know how to shoot well. He should know elementary geography, both worldwide and local. He should have a cursory knowledge of both zoology and botany. He should know the fundamentals of agriculture and corporate economy. He should be well qualified in armed combat, boxing, wrestling and judo, or its equivalent. He should know how to manage a motorcycle. He should be comfortable in at least one foreign language, more if appropriate to his background. He should be familiar with remedial medicine. These things should be accomplished before a son leaves his father's household.
They do not constitute "a college education," which may or may not be a trade school.
— Jeff Cooper
Among the other signs of times we discover that coping is unfashionable. As far as I can tell, today's young people are taught not to handle problems but rather to call for help. This is very bad conditioning. As a boy, I led a privileged life, but I nonetheless often got into jams beyond reach of assistance. I never called for help, and my father would have sneered at me if had done so. At age seventeen while driving alone I blew a tire. I had never seen a wheel changed but I figured the matter out for myself. This is not to boast but only to point out that young men should be expected to cope.
The point is that a young man of 21 should be able to cope with the world around him in a general fashion. . . . Before a young man leaves home, there are certain things he should know and certain skills at which he should be adept. These things should be available before a son leaves his father's household.
What should a young male of 21 know, and what should he be ableto do? There are no conclusive answers to those questions, but they are certainly worth asking. A young man should know how this country is run and how it got that way. He should know the Federalist Papers and de Tocqueville, and he should know recent world history. If he does not know what has been tried in the past, he cannot very well avoid those pitfalls as they come up in the future. A young man should be computer literate and, moreover, should know Hemingway from James Joyce. He should know how to drive a car well — such as is not covered in Driver's Ed. He should know how to fly a light airplane. He should know how to shoot well. He should know elementary geography, both worldwide and local. He should have a cursory knowledge of both zoology and botany. He should know the fundamentals of agriculture and corporate economy. He should be well qualified in armed combat, boxing, wrestling and judo, or its equivalent. He should know how to manage a motorcycle. He should be comfortable in at least one foreign language, more if appropriate to his background. He should be familiar with remedial medicine. These things should be accomplished before a son leaves his father's household.
They do not constitute "a college education," which may or may not be a trade school.
— Jeff Cooper
My Writing
General | Posted 11 years agoSince I'm a writer rather than an artist, I suppose I'd better prove it.
Here are three tales about my Chakat Universe alter-ego, Chakat Blackrose. The Beginning is some backstory. Cub Keeper is hir introduction to the world. Gun Nut is having some fun aboard the Folly.
Enjoy!
Here are three tales about my Chakat Universe alter-ego, Chakat Blackrose. The Beginning is some backstory. Cub Keeper is hir introduction to the world. Gun Nut is having some fun aboard the Folly.
Enjoy!
Awesome find
General | Posted 11 years agoI found this little story online and just had to share it. I just wish this was for real. I'd sign up in a microsecond.
The Frog Leaps – © Ralph Hayes Junior
It was the twelfth month of the voyage of the good ship Diaspora. The engines of the longship roared through the night as the crews labored to adjust the trajectory of the colony vessel, pointing us towards that distant pinpoint of light that was to be our new home. If all went well, and no reason it should not, in two month’s time we would be setting foot on the Martian soil.
As a supercargo-class passenger there was less than nothing I could do to contribute to the efforts of the crew, save to recline in my acceleration couch and wait for the vectoring to end. I passed the time flipping through the files on my datapad, sifting through the last few terabytes of downloads taken from Earth before we passed out of SatNet range.
It wasn’t exactly cheerful reading. Well, not in the classical sense of “cheerful.” As a bunker baby, though, I have to confess to getting one hell of a lot of schadenfreude out of it.
Back at the beginning of the 21st century, the writing was already on the wall. Runaway spending; worldwide fiat currencies, all racing towards collapse; increasing encroachment by the federal government on people’s rights– what little of them there were left. It’s said that a frog in a pot of water, if you turn the heat up slowly enough, will not notice it until it is too late– that it will sit in the water and boil alive. The leftists and socialists and other totalitarians had relied on that, turning up the dial as fast as they dared…
In those last few years, the frog had started to notice. Thousands, millions of common people began rallying together to protest the governments’ extravagance and unconstitutional powers. The government and their cronies in the press called them racists, fascists, terrorists. They called themselves Tea Partiers.
At first they made headway; winning seats in the government, pushing back unjust laws and unjust taxes… but those in power do not give up easily. The ruling class, the oligarchy that had replaced our elected officials pushed through laws in the dead of night that criminalized the Tea Party and it’s activities. They sent out agents of the IRS to harass and torment their leaders. They got the press to ignore their rallies and protests and petitions. They destroyed net neutrality and used their corporate cronies to strangle them into silence on the internet.
Frustrated and outgunned, the Tea Partiers retreated. They fell back among the survivalists, retreating to ranches and settlements in the back country, living the pioneer lifestyle, going off grid. At least as far off grid as anyone in the 21st century could really go, anyway. Their enemies in the political arena declared victory over them. There was even dancing in the streets by the radicals and hedonists at the “triumph over the white male zionist christian patriarchy…” Triumph, because the last conservatives had been beaten down and driven to the point of living like the Amish, or worse, like Indians on a reservation. The grinning idiot in the white house himself had been on TV, proclaiming that “It seems the Tea Partiers have finally met their Bunker Hill.” And hence we were re-labeled… from Tea Partiers to Bunker Babies.
It was a clever little snipe; eliciting not merely Bunker Hill, but the image of us as paranoid bunker-dwellers… and the memory of a certain Archie Bunker, the televised character and parody ‘right wing bigot’ of a prior generation…
Nobody was laughing quite so hard after the economy collapsed.
A hundred years of theft and fraud disguised as a monetary system finally came to a head. The value of the dollar imploded; with it went every fiat currency in the world– and they were all fiat currencies, all of them backed by the dollar. The stately british pound, 300 years old and devalued to half a percent of its original worth, vanished in a puff of smoke. The german deutch mark followed its ancestors to the grave. The lire, the peso, the yen, the ruble– none were spared as the chain reaction swept the globe.
Economies already burdened with obscene taxation collapsed into the ground. Stores shuttered, factories ground to a halt. Civil unrest followed close behind, with riots blossoming in every city.
The ruling class then moved. Surprised? Don’t be foolish; they had planned for this. They had arranged for this to happen. All across the globe, martial law was declared. The conqueror’s boots marched in the streets of Washington, and they all came from within. Surprisingly little blood was shed; the masses, used to meekly standing in line for whatever Father Government gave them, humbly knuckled under. Order, if such a thing can be called by that name, was restored.
It was then that the ruling class turned covetous eyes on the remnant. The grasshopper reigned, and the ant was ripe for plunder. Laws were passed, orders were signed; the food and staples of the working class, which they had saved against time of need, were to be taken from them– by force of arms, if necessary. Any who resisted would be sent to till the now abandoned fields of the American breadbasket in prison orange.
The announcement was broadcast over the failing television networks; excoriating those to be looted as “hoarders” and selfish ogres who would have left the nation to starve. These enemies of brotherhood and progress were given a deadline– hand over their wealth by then, or face the consequences.
What I would give for a photograph. What I would give for just one look at the faces of those arrogant, greedy, self-anointed royalty when they woke up the next morning to pillars of fire streaking into the sky.
You have to remember; the technology to reach space, to reach another planet, dates all the way back to 1969. The computer power to fly a mission to the moon once took up an entire room; today, it could fit on a cell phone as an app. Chemistry, engineering, materials sciences had advanced by leaps and bounds since then…. and the working proof-of-concept, Space Ship One, had been launched decades ago. Anyone with access to the tools, talent, and technology fifty years old was hypothetically capable of reaching space.
And the Bunker people had that.
The leftist elite had laughed at the seeming gormless rubes that had packed the ranks of the Tea Party. But it wasn’t just uneducated middle-class workers in their ranks. Pilots, engineers, mechanics, programmers, inventors– all the people who had made the spoiled left’s lifestyle possible, yet had been given nothing but contempt by them, had joined the ranks. Rand had been prophetic; as success had been more and more severely punished, “Going Galt” had become the option of choice of both the humble laborer and the great inventors and innovators. And the lowly grease jockey and the Lockheed engineer found they had more in common with each other than with the Great Thinkers who ran the world now.
They planned. They networked. They labored in secret, in underground hangars dug out by hand, working from blueprints broadcast over private wireless networks and with parts printed out by fabricators designed in the public domain half a century prior.
Then, when the rulers and would-be masters of humanity announced their intent to plunder them of the last of their possessions and dignity… they had launched.
In the space of an hour, over ten thousand hand-made rocket shuttles had leapt into the void, beyond the reach of the highest flying drone or rocket or missile. Within twenty four hours they had navigated to a geostationary point, as the little tin kings panicked far below. Within three days, they had assembled into the first orbital colony, built out of the very bodies of the ships that had carried them aloft.
The rulers and tyrants and bureaucrats had raged and seethed and threatened… to no effect. They had left their space programs unfunded, their rockets and shuttles to rust. The Bunker People were beyond their reach. Predictions that we would eventually have to come down “for lack of resources” withered when, by the end of the year, the orbital colony had established a mining base on the moon. We were no fools; even as the orbital colony was being built, plans were set in motion to colonize the moon, mars, the asteroid belt— to move ever outward, as far out of the Earth’s reach as we could get; to sever all ties with the homeworld.
And so it has been for the past thirty years. I was one of the first infants born on that first station. And so I have watched as we have spread outward, to the moon, to Mars, ever further out of the tyrants’ faltering reach. And now here I was, following in my parents’ tradition, ready to make camp on one of the moons of Saturn…
They had tried to boil the frog in their pot. They had never counted on the frog deciding to leap.
The Frog Leaps – © Ralph Hayes Junior
It was the twelfth month of the voyage of the good ship Diaspora. The engines of the longship roared through the night as the crews labored to adjust the trajectory of the colony vessel, pointing us towards that distant pinpoint of light that was to be our new home. If all went well, and no reason it should not, in two month’s time we would be setting foot on the Martian soil.
As a supercargo-class passenger there was less than nothing I could do to contribute to the efforts of the crew, save to recline in my acceleration couch and wait for the vectoring to end. I passed the time flipping through the files on my datapad, sifting through the last few terabytes of downloads taken from Earth before we passed out of SatNet range.
It wasn’t exactly cheerful reading. Well, not in the classical sense of “cheerful.” As a bunker baby, though, I have to confess to getting one hell of a lot of schadenfreude out of it.
Back at the beginning of the 21st century, the writing was already on the wall. Runaway spending; worldwide fiat currencies, all racing towards collapse; increasing encroachment by the federal government on people’s rights– what little of them there were left. It’s said that a frog in a pot of water, if you turn the heat up slowly enough, will not notice it until it is too late– that it will sit in the water and boil alive. The leftists and socialists and other totalitarians had relied on that, turning up the dial as fast as they dared…
In those last few years, the frog had started to notice. Thousands, millions of common people began rallying together to protest the governments’ extravagance and unconstitutional powers. The government and their cronies in the press called them racists, fascists, terrorists. They called themselves Tea Partiers.
At first they made headway; winning seats in the government, pushing back unjust laws and unjust taxes… but those in power do not give up easily. The ruling class, the oligarchy that had replaced our elected officials pushed through laws in the dead of night that criminalized the Tea Party and it’s activities. They sent out agents of the IRS to harass and torment their leaders. They got the press to ignore their rallies and protests and petitions. They destroyed net neutrality and used their corporate cronies to strangle them into silence on the internet.
Frustrated and outgunned, the Tea Partiers retreated. They fell back among the survivalists, retreating to ranches and settlements in the back country, living the pioneer lifestyle, going off grid. At least as far off grid as anyone in the 21st century could really go, anyway. Their enemies in the political arena declared victory over them. There was even dancing in the streets by the radicals and hedonists at the “triumph over the white male zionist christian patriarchy…” Triumph, because the last conservatives had been beaten down and driven to the point of living like the Amish, or worse, like Indians on a reservation. The grinning idiot in the white house himself had been on TV, proclaiming that “It seems the Tea Partiers have finally met their Bunker Hill.” And hence we were re-labeled… from Tea Partiers to Bunker Babies.
It was a clever little snipe; eliciting not merely Bunker Hill, but the image of us as paranoid bunker-dwellers… and the memory of a certain Archie Bunker, the televised character and parody ‘right wing bigot’ of a prior generation…
Nobody was laughing quite so hard after the economy collapsed.
A hundred years of theft and fraud disguised as a monetary system finally came to a head. The value of the dollar imploded; with it went every fiat currency in the world– and they were all fiat currencies, all of them backed by the dollar. The stately british pound, 300 years old and devalued to half a percent of its original worth, vanished in a puff of smoke. The german deutch mark followed its ancestors to the grave. The lire, the peso, the yen, the ruble– none were spared as the chain reaction swept the globe.
Economies already burdened with obscene taxation collapsed into the ground. Stores shuttered, factories ground to a halt. Civil unrest followed close behind, with riots blossoming in every city.
The ruling class then moved. Surprised? Don’t be foolish; they had planned for this. They had arranged for this to happen. All across the globe, martial law was declared. The conqueror’s boots marched in the streets of Washington, and they all came from within. Surprisingly little blood was shed; the masses, used to meekly standing in line for whatever Father Government gave them, humbly knuckled under. Order, if such a thing can be called by that name, was restored.
It was then that the ruling class turned covetous eyes on the remnant. The grasshopper reigned, and the ant was ripe for plunder. Laws were passed, orders were signed; the food and staples of the working class, which they had saved against time of need, were to be taken from them– by force of arms, if necessary. Any who resisted would be sent to till the now abandoned fields of the American breadbasket in prison orange.
The announcement was broadcast over the failing television networks; excoriating those to be looted as “hoarders” and selfish ogres who would have left the nation to starve. These enemies of brotherhood and progress were given a deadline– hand over their wealth by then, or face the consequences.
What I would give for a photograph. What I would give for just one look at the faces of those arrogant, greedy, self-anointed royalty when they woke up the next morning to pillars of fire streaking into the sky.
You have to remember; the technology to reach space, to reach another planet, dates all the way back to 1969. The computer power to fly a mission to the moon once took up an entire room; today, it could fit on a cell phone as an app. Chemistry, engineering, materials sciences had advanced by leaps and bounds since then…. and the working proof-of-concept, Space Ship One, had been launched decades ago. Anyone with access to the tools, talent, and technology fifty years old was hypothetically capable of reaching space.
And the Bunker people had that.
The leftist elite had laughed at the seeming gormless rubes that had packed the ranks of the Tea Party. But it wasn’t just uneducated middle-class workers in their ranks. Pilots, engineers, mechanics, programmers, inventors– all the people who had made the spoiled left’s lifestyle possible, yet had been given nothing but contempt by them, had joined the ranks. Rand had been prophetic; as success had been more and more severely punished, “Going Galt” had become the option of choice of both the humble laborer and the great inventors and innovators. And the lowly grease jockey and the Lockheed engineer found they had more in common with each other than with the Great Thinkers who ran the world now.
They planned. They networked. They labored in secret, in underground hangars dug out by hand, working from blueprints broadcast over private wireless networks and with parts printed out by fabricators designed in the public domain half a century prior.
Then, when the rulers and would-be masters of humanity announced their intent to plunder them of the last of their possessions and dignity… they had launched.
In the space of an hour, over ten thousand hand-made rocket shuttles had leapt into the void, beyond the reach of the highest flying drone or rocket or missile. Within twenty four hours they had navigated to a geostationary point, as the little tin kings panicked far below. Within three days, they had assembled into the first orbital colony, built out of the very bodies of the ships that had carried them aloft.
The rulers and tyrants and bureaucrats had raged and seethed and threatened… to no effect. They had left their space programs unfunded, their rockets and shuttles to rust. The Bunker People were beyond their reach. Predictions that we would eventually have to come down “for lack of resources” withered when, by the end of the year, the orbital colony had established a mining base on the moon. We were no fools; even as the orbital colony was being built, plans were set in motion to colonize the moon, mars, the asteroid belt— to move ever outward, as far out of the Earth’s reach as we could get; to sever all ties with the homeworld.
And so it has been for the past thirty years. I was one of the first infants born on that first station. And so I have watched as we have spread outward, to the moon, to Mars, ever further out of the tyrants’ faltering reach. And now here I was, following in my parents’ tradition, ready to make camp on one of the moons of Saturn…
They had tried to boil the frog in their pot. They had never counted on the frog deciding to leap.
Missing companions
General | Posted 12 years agoAs the readers of this journal know, I have separated from my wife and moved in with a friend. Who, unfortunately, is highly allergic to cats.
So I had to leave my loving companions behind with my wife. I miss them, a lot. And the longer it's been, the worse the pain of separation. How I wish I could have brought them along. But life sometimes doesn't give you the choice.
Of the dozen cats we had, three would have come along, had I been able to bring them.
Mira is a Maine Coon, a blue tortoise-shell, 12 years old, and not large for her breed. A sweet-heart and lover. Cayenne, or Caye-Caye, is a Turkish Angora, with moderately long and silky fur, a classic red tabby. A bit of a tomboy, a little hyper, and my lap-cat. She'd rather sleep in my lap than anywhere else. If I sat down, she was usually in my lap in less than a minute. And Shadow, a rescue shelter kitty, almost solid black, with a long coat. By his appearance, it is very possible he is part, or completely, a Maine Coon. A bit stout these days, he was skinny as a rail when we got him. He was the hardest cat we've had to gentle, it took months of patience, time that seemed wasted when he barely responded. Then suddenly, almost overnight, he turned into another lover. A bit shy, especially compared to Caye-Caye, but he always seemed to be close by, and he would strop my legs when he wanted attention. He would tolerate being held, for a minute or two anyway, but he loves tummy skritches. It just requires a little care to get them started.
I think I see them, sometimes, out of the corner of my eye, but I know they aren't here.
So, my dear pets, I miss you terribly and I wish there was some way I could have you here, but it simply cannot be. Be well, and know I sitll love you.
So I had to leave my loving companions behind with my wife. I miss them, a lot. And the longer it's been, the worse the pain of separation. How I wish I could have brought them along. But life sometimes doesn't give you the choice.
Of the dozen cats we had, three would have come along, had I been able to bring them.
Mira is a Maine Coon, a blue tortoise-shell, 12 years old, and not large for her breed. A sweet-heart and lover. Cayenne, or Caye-Caye, is a Turkish Angora, with moderately long and silky fur, a classic red tabby. A bit of a tomboy, a little hyper, and my lap-cat. She'd rather sleep in my lap than anywhere else. If I sat down, she was usually in my lap in less than a minute. And Shadow, a rescue shelter kitty, almost solid black, with a long coat. By his appearance, it is very possible he is part, or completely, a Maine Coon. A bit stout these days, he was skinny as a rail when we got him. He was the hardest cat we've had to gentle, it took months of patience, time that seemed wasted when he barely responded. Then suddenly, almost overnight, he turned into another lover. A bit shy, especially compared to Caye-Caye, but he always seemed to be close by, and he would strop my legs when he wanted attention. He would tolerate being held, for a minute or two anyway, but he loves tummy skritches. It just requires a little care to get them started.
I think I see them, sometimes, out of the corner of my eye, but I know they aren't here.
So, my dear pets, I miss you terribly and I wish there was some way I could have you here, but it simply cannot be. Be well, and know I sitll love you.
Surgery sucks!
General | Posted 12 years agoThis is basically a rant, a venting of frustration and anger at something I have no control over.
Back in late October, I had a detached retina, and I was in for surgery on Halloween. Wonderfully auspicious day, don't ya think?
The surgery went well, as surgery. Part of my problem is that I didn't recognize the few signs I had earlier as significant. I didn't have the classic 'flashing lights', for instance. When it did come to my attention, the macula (the part of your retina where you can actually focus your attention and see details) had detached. Basically, my retina had detached completely and was floating inside my eye and slowly collapsing into a ball.
Fortunately, I got a good surgeon and he got the retina re-attached. Having the macula detach, however, means that I will never have decent vision in that eye again, because there's no way he could re-attach it exactly where it was. Everything in that eye is blurry and i have some relatively minor problems with double vision. Fortunately, not enough to keep me from driving, although I get eye fatigue now and cannot drive anywhere near as long as I used to. Three or four hours is about my limit anymore, and I used to be able to drive almost indefinitely, at least until I was too tired to be safe. Which was a minimum of about 12 hours. One of my preferred pastimes, taken away. Also one possible source of income, as I used to drive semi's. There are other reasons that isn't a good choice any more, at least not Over-The-Road, or OTR.
It also makes reading a computer screen a bit of a struggle. I can read, but it's basically using the good eye and ignoring the other one. Applies to pretty much any kind of reading, actually. And I go way beyond bibliophile, to bibliomaniac. My absolute favorite pastime, taken away. Again, my limiting factor is eye fatigue. Although I don't write a lot, I do enjoy doing so and this limits that as well.
Believe me when I tell you it isn't any fun at all.
Folks, take care of your eyes. Pay attention when anything, anything at all, changes. Go visit your ophthalmologist regularly and anytime things don't seem right. You can't replace them and they are not easy to repair. Nor is it cheap, I ran up over $25k in medical bills in basically one day, and that was outpatient surgery. You can easily multiply that by 10 for inpatient. Fortunately insurance paid most of it, but I still got hit pretty hard. It's going to take me a couple of years to pay it off.
I apologize for venting on everyone, but I needed to get this off my back
Back in late October, I had a detached retina, and I was in for surgery on Halloween. Wonderfully auspicious day, don't ya think?
The surgery went well, as surgery. Part of my problem is that I didn't recognize the few signs I had earlier as significant. I didn't have the classic 'flashing lights', for instance. When it did come to my attention, the macula (the part of your retina where you can actually focus your attention and see details) had detached. Basically, my retina had detached completely and was floating inside my eye and slowly collapsing into a ball.
Fortunately, I got a good surgeon and he got the retina re-attached. Having the macula detach, however, means that I will never have decent vision in that eye again, because there's no way he could re-attach it exactly where it was. Everything in that eye is blurry and i have some relatively minor problems with double vision. Fortunately, not enough to keep me from driving, although I get eye fatigue now and cannot drive anywhere near as long as I used to. Three or four hours is about my limit anymore, and I used to be able to drive almost indefinitely, at least until I was too tired to be safe. Which was a minimum of about 12 hours. One of my preferred pastimes, taken away. Also one possible source of income, as I used to drive semi's. There are other reasons that isn't a good choice any more, at least not Over-The-Road, or OTR.
It also makes reading a computer screen a bit of a struggle. I can read, but it's basically using the good eye and ignoring the other one. Applies to pretty much any kind of reading, actually. And I go way beyond bibliophile, to bibliomaniac. My absolute favorite pastime, taken away. Again, my limiting factor is eye fatigue. Although I don't write a lot, I do enjoy doing so and this limits that as well.
Believe me when I tell you it isn't any fun at all.
Folks, take care of your eyes. Pay attention when anything, anything at all, changes. Go visit your ophthalmologist regularly and anytime things don't seem right. You can't replace them and they are not easy to repair. Nor is it cheap, I ran up over $25k in medical bills in basically one day, and that was outpatient surgery. You can easily multiply that by 10 for inpatient. Fortunately insurance paid most of it, but I still got hit pretty hard. It's going to take me a couple of years to pay it off.
I apologize for venting on everyone, but I needed to get this off my back
Moving Day
General | Posted 12 years agoAs a number of furs are aware, I am moving. I've been trying to accomplish this since before Labor Day, but Murphy has been very active in my life recently.
My wife and I are divorcing. The split is mostly amicable, the main reason is we've just grown apart over the years.
I will be leaving, the gods willing and the creeks don't rise, Wednesday or Thursday, and I'll be in northwestern Colorado the next day. It'll take me a few weeks to get settled in and re-acclimated to the altitude. I've moving from about 600 ft above sea level to over 6000, so my lungs will be working hard for a while.
It will take at least two or three weeks before I have internet at home. I'll be dependent on hot spots, which are not common in rural Colorado. I will try to check in here if and as I can.
For those who are interested, note me or email me in a couple weeks if you want my new address or phone. My email won't change, I went to gmail some years back to end that particular run-around.
My wife and I are divorcing. The split is mostly amicable, the main reason is we've just grown apart over the years.
I will be leaving, the gods willing and the creeks don't rise, Wednesday or Thursday, and I'll be in northwestern Colorado the next day. It'll take me a few weeks to get settled in and re-acclimated to the altitude. I've moving from about 600 ft above sea level to over 6000, so my lungs will be working hard for a while.
It will take at least two or three weeks before I have internet at home. I'll be dependent on hot spots, which are not common in rural Colorado. I will try to check in here if and as I can.
For those who are interested, note me or email me in a couple weeks if you want my new address or phone. My email won't change, I went to gmail some years back to end that particular run-around.
Thoughts on the future
General | Posted 12 years agoI received an email today, a photo essay on the downfall of Detroit. (I am willing to forward it to those who are curious about it. Just note me your request, with your email addy.) It triggered this response from me:
As I have said before, the powers that be in Washington and in state capitols are utterly blind to anything that doesn't fall under the aegis of their own goals or if it's something that will impact the next election.
The apathy and ignorance in this country is appalling, and I have no idea what it will take to shake up the voters.
Of course, by the time the sheeple do wake up, any chance they would have had of success will have been legislated out of existence. We already live in a police state here in the USA, it just isn't blatant. Yet.
In many ways I don't really want to be around to see it, and the fact that I am an old man who won't live to see the worst of it actually comforts me. I have an immense sense of pity, and sympathy, for what the younger people of today are going to have to endure in that chaos and destruction. The USA will become a third world country in the not too distant future, if it survives intact at all, and that collapse is going to be astoundingly short. While the destruction of our way of life will be a tremendous loss to the world, we haven't had a bad run, after all. A little short, yes, but not bad, overall. Democracy will be recorded as a failed system of government, and the democratic republic that was the USA will be treated likewise. All systems of government fall under that heading sooner or later, and it will continue so until humanity evolves into something different and human nature becomes, dare I say it?, something better.
The constitution, in many ways, has become just another piece of paper in a museum. That attitude exists among the sheeple and the powers that be. For the sheeple, it's a tragedy they don't recognize yet. For the PTB, the constitution has become a stone around their necks that prevents them from enacting their vision of a perfect society.
A true Utopia is unattainable, and I am immensely pleased that it is so. Those 'Utopians' who try to impose their ideals on others, by force if necessary, are in actuality tyrants of the absolute worst sort. What is utopia to one will always be an unmitigated horror to another. What is utopia to me would not be allowed to exist by the powers that be, here in the real world. It would be far too great an impeachment of them and would be far too appealing to many of the sheeple.
However, the vast majority of those sheeple, in excess of 99%, would not be able to survive in what I see as utopia. For one of the prime tenets of that society would be freedom, the true freedom that doesn't exist today, anywhere. Where the problem lies is that such freedom includes the freedom to starve. Charity would be reserved for the truly needy. Someone who doesn't want to work would be ignored, and rightly so, because the world owes no-one a living. Concomitant with that is a culture of honor and truthfulness that has been long absent from the world. Absolute and total self-responsibility is the third leg of the triangle. You are responsible for your actions, no one and nothing else is. This is another place where the sheeple of today would be unable to cope. The vast majority would be unable even to comprehend the concept.
The American "Way of Life", that is so desirable to other nations and envied by them, is doomed. And dying, with the end in sight. The enemies of democracy have used the protections that democracy gives them to destroy that same democracy from within.
I hang my head in shame at what our once great nation has become.
As I have said before, the powers that be in Washington and in state capitols are utterly blind to anything that doesn't fall under the aegis of their own goals or if it's something that will impact the next election.
The apathy and ignorance in this country is appalling, and I have no idea what it will take to shake up the voters.
Of course, by the time the sheeple do wake up, any chance they would have had of success will have been legislated out of existence. We already live in a police state here in the USA, it just isn't blatant. Yet.
In many ways I don't really want to be around to see it, and the fact that I am an old man who won't live to see the worst of it actually comforts me. I have an immense sense of pity, and sympathy, for what the younger people of today are going to have to endure in that chaos and destruction. The USA will become a third world country in the not too distant future, if it survives intact at all, and that collapse is going to be astoundingly short. While the destruction of our way of life will be a tremendous loss to the world, we haven't had a bad run, after all. A little short, yes, but not bad, overall. Democracy will be recorded as a failed system of government, and the democratic republic that was the USA will be treated likewise. All systems of government fall under that heading sooner or later, and it will continue so until humanity evolves into something different and human nature becomes, dare I say it?, something better.
The constitution, in many ways, has become just another piece of paper in a museum. That attitude exists among the sheeple and the powers that be. For the sheeple, it's a tragedy they don't recognize yet. For the PTB, the constitution has become a stone around their necks that prevents them from enacting their vision of a perfect society.
A true Utopia is unattainable, and I am immensely pleased that it is so. Those 'Utopians' who try to impose their ideals on others, by force if necessary, are in actuality tyrants of the absolute worst sort. What is utopia to one will always be an unmitigated horror to another. What is utopia to me would not be allowed to exist by the powers that be, here in the real world. It would be far too great an impeachment of them and would be far too appealing to many of the sheeple.
However, the vast majority of those sheeple, in excess of 99%, would not be able to survive in what I see as utopia. For one of the prime tenets of that society would be freedom, the true freedom that doesn't exist today, anywhere. Where the problem lies is that such freedom includes the freedom to starve. Charity would be reserved for the truly needy. Someone who doesn't want to work would be ignored, and rightly so, because the world owes no-one a living. Concomitant with that is a culture of honor and truthfulness that has been long absent from the world. Absolute and total self-responsibility is the third leg of the triangle. You are responsible for your actions, no one and nothing else is. This is another place where the sheeple of today would be unable to cope. The vast majority would be unable even to comprehend the concept.
The American "Way of Life", that is so desirable to other nations and envied by them, is doomed. And dying, with the end in sight. The enemies of democracy have used the protections that democracy gives them to destroy that same democracy from within.
I hang my head in shame at what our once great nation has become.
The 9th Circus Court
General | Posted 12 years agoMany people refer to, and think of, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals the way I have this journal titled. One law instructor for the police, that I know of for certain, has referred to the Court as "the one that hands down those idiotic decisions." I may have paraphrased that, but the essence is correct.
However, there is at least one judge who gets it. This is an excerpt of an email I received today, talking about the decision that claimed that the Second Amendment did not apply to individuals:
One of those decisions was made years ago. The Ninth Circuit ruled that the Second Amendment did not grant an individual the right to bear arms. Thankfully, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that it does.
But here’s the reason I tell you about the Ninth Circuit:
As the Court majority ruled that individuals did not have a right to bear arms, here is what one of the judges wrote in dissent.
“All too many of the other great tragedies of history – Stalin’s atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a few – were perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. Many could well have been avoided or mitigated, had the perpetrators known their intended victims were equipped with a rifle and twenty bullets apiece, as the Militia Act required here. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars.
My excellent colleagues have forgotten these bitter lessons of history. The prospect of tyranny may not grab the headlines the way vivid stories of gun crime routinely do. But few saw the Third Reich coming until it was too late.
The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed – where the government refuses to stand for re-election and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.
However, there is at least one judge who gets it. This is an excerpt of an email I received today, talking about the decision that claimed that the Second Amendment did not apply to individuals:
One of those decisions was made years ago. The Ninth Circuit ruled that the Second Amendment did not grant an individual the right to bear arms. Thankfully, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that it does.
But here’s the reason I tell you about the Ninth Circuit:
As the Court majority ruled that individuals did not have a right to bear arms, here is what one of the judges wrote in dissent.
“All too many of the other great tragedies of history – Stalin’s atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a few – were perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. Many could well have been avoided or mitigated, had the perpetrators known their intended victims were equipped with a rifle and twenty bullets apiece, as the Militia Act required here. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars.
My excellent colleagues have forgotten these bitter lessons of history. The prospect of tyranny may not grab the headlines the way vivid stories of gun crime routinely do. But few saw the Third Reich coming until it was too late.
The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed – where the government refuses to stand for re-election and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.
Engineering Humor
General | Posted 13 years agoThis is one of two pieces I have from my college days.
Axiom # 1: In any calculation, any error which can creep will do so.
Axiom # 2: Any error in any calculation will be in the direction of most harm.
Axiom # 3: In any formula, constants (especially those obtained from engineering handbooks) are to
be treated as variables.
Axiom # 4: The best approximation of service conditions in the laboratory will not begin to meet
those conditions encountered in actual service.
Axiom # 5: The most vital dimension on any plan or drawing stands the greatest chance of being
omitted.
Axiom # 6: If only one bid can be secured on any project, the price will be unreasonable.
Axiom # 7: If a test installation functions perfectly, all subsequent production units will malfunction.
Axiom # 8: All delivery promises must be multiplied by a factor of 2.0.
Axiom # 9: Major changes in construction will always be requested after fabrication is nearly
completed.
Axiom #10: Parts that positively cannot be assembled in improper order, will be.
Axiom #11: Interchangeable parts won't.
Axiom #12: Manufacturers specifications of performance should be multiplied by a factor of 0.5.
Axiom #13: Salesmen's claims for performance should be multiplied by a factor of 0.25.
Axiom #14: Installation and Operating Instructions shipped with any device will be discarded
promptly by the Receiving Department.
Axiom #15: Any device requiring service or adjustment will be least accessible.
Axiom #16: Service conditions as given on specifications will be exceeded.
Axiom #17: If more than one person is responsible for a miscalculation, no one will be at fault.
Axiom #18: Identical units which test in an identical fashion will not behave in an identical fashion
in the field.
Axiom #19: If, in engineering practice, a safety factor is set through service experience, at an
ultimate value, an ingenious idiot will promptly calculate a method to exceed said safety
factor.
Axiom #20: Warranty and guarantee clauses are voided by payment of the invoice.
The Recommended Practices Committee of the International Society of Philosophical Engineers
presents:
A Compilation of Finagle's Universal Laws for Naїve Engineers
Axiom # 1: In any calculation, any error which can creep will do so.
Axiom # 2: Any error in any calculation will be in the direction of most harm.
Axiom # 3: In any formula, constants (especially those obtained from engineering handbooks) are to
be treated as variables.
Axiom # 4: The best approximation of service conditions in the laboratory will not begin to meet
those conditions encountered in actual service.
Axiom # 5: The most vital dimension on any plan or drawing stands the greatest chance of being
omitted.
Axiom # 6: If only one bid can be secured on any project, the price will be unreasonable.
Axiom # 7: If a test installation functions perfectly, all subsequent production units will malfunction.
Axiom # 8: All delivery promises must be multiplied by a factor of 2.0.
Axiom # 9: Major changes in construction will always be requested after fabrication is nearly
completed.
Axiom #10: Parts that positively cannot be assembled in improper order, will be.
Axiom #11: Interchangeable parts won't.
Axiom #12: Manufacturers specifications of performance should be multiplied by a factor of 0.5.
Axiom #13: Salesmen's claims for performance should be multiplied by a factor of 0.25.
Axiom #14: Installation and Operating Instructions shipped with any device will be discarded
promptly by the Receiving Department.
Axiom #15: Any device requiring service or adjustment will be least accessible.
Axiom #16: Service conditions as given on specifications will be exceeded.
Axiom #17: If more than one person is responsible for a miscalculation, no one will be at fault.
Axiom #18: Identical units which test in an identical fashion will not behave in an identical fashion
in the field.
Axiom #19: If, in engineering practice, a safety factor is set through service experience, at an
ultimate value, an ingenious idiot will promptly calculate a method to exceed said safety
factor.
Axiom #20: Warranty and guarantee clauses are voided by payment of the invoice.
An Engineer Story, and Amusing
General | Posted 14 years agoA Short Story for Engineers
You don't have to be an engineer to appreciate this story.
A toothpaste factory had a problem: they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the tube inside. This was due to the way the production line was set up, and people with experience in designing production lines will tell you how difficult it is to have everything happen with timings so precise that every single unit coming out of it is perfect 100% of the time. Small variations in the environment (which can't be controlled in a cost-effective fashion) mean you must have quality assurance checks smartly distributed across the line so that customers all the way down to the supermarket don't get pissed off and buy another product instead.
Understanding how important that was, the CEO of the toothpaste factory got the top people in the company together and they decided to start a new project, in which they would hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem, as their engineering department was already too stretched to take on any extra effort.
The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP, third-parties selected, and six months (and $8 million) later they had a fantastic solution on time, on budget, high quality and everyone in the project had a great time. They solved the problem by using high-tech precision scales that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box would weigh less than it should. The line would stop, and someone had to walk over and yank the defective box out of it, pressing another button when done to re-start the line.
A while later, the CEO decides to have a look at the ROI of the project: amazing results! No empty boxes ever shipped out of the factory after the scales were put in place. Very few customer complaints, and they were gaining market share. "That's some money well spent!", he says, before looking closely at the other statistics in the report.
It turns out, the number of defects picked up by the scales was 0 after three weeks of production use. It should've been picking up at least a dozen a day, so maybe there was something wrong with the report. He filed a bug against it, and after some investigation, the engineers come back saying the report was actually correct. The scales really weren't picking up any defects, because all boxes that got to that point in the conveyor belt were good.
Puzzled, the CEO travels down to the factory, and walks up to the part of the line where the precision scales were installed.
A few feet before the scale, there was a $20 desk fan, blowing the empty boxes out of the belt and into a bin.
"Oh, that," says one of the workers. "Bubba" the Redneck put it there because he was tired of walking over every time the bell rang."
[note: sometimes you need an engineer, sometimes you just need a lazy man ...]
You don't have to be an engineer to appreciate this story.
A toothpaste factory had a problem: they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the tube inside. This was due to the way the production line was set up, and people with experience in designing production lines will tell you how difficult it is to have everything happen with timings so precise that every single unit coming out of it is perfect 100% of the time. Small variations in the environment (which can't be controlled in a cost-effective fashion) mean you must have quality assurance checks smartly distributed across the line so that customers all the way down to the supermarket don't get pissed off and buy another product instead.
Understanding how important that was, the CEO of the toothpaste factory got the top people in the company together and they decided to start a new project, in which they would hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem, as their engineering department was already too stretched to take on any extra effort.
The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP, third-parties selected, and six months (and $8 million) later they had a fantastic solution on time, on budget, high quality and everyone in the project had a great time. They solved the problem by using high-tech precision scales that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box would weigh less than it should. The line would stop, and someone had to walk over and yank the defective box out of it, pressing another button when done to re-start the line.
A while later, the CEO decides to have a look at the ROI of the project: amazing results! No empty boxes ever shipped out of the factory after the scales were put in place. Very few customer complaints, and they were gaining market share. "That's some money well spent!", he says, before looking closely at the other statistics in the report.
It turns out, the number of defects picked up by the scales was 0 after three weeks of production use. It should've been picking up at least a dozen a day, so maybe there was something wrong with the report. He filed a bug against it, and after some investigation, the engineers come back saying the report was actually correct. The scales really weren't picking up any defects, because all boxes that got to that point in the conveyor belt were good.
Puzzled, the CEO travels down to the factory, and walks up to the part of the line where the precision scales were installed.
A few feet before the scale, there was a $20 desk fan, blowing the empty boxes out of the belt and into a bin.
"Oh, that," says one of the workers. "Bubba" the Redneck put it there because he was tired of walking over every time the bell rang."
[note: sometimes you need an engineer, sometimes you just need a lazy man ...]
WHY?
General | Posted 15 years agoPEOPLE ASK WHY? Why Carry a Gun?
My old grand pappy said to me, 'Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps, and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin.'
I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.
I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.
I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.
I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.
I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy.I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.
I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.
I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Police protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves.
Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess. Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.
A LITTLE GUN HISTORY:
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late! The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are 'citizens.' Without them, we are 'subjects.'
Switzerland issues every household a gun! Switzerland's government trains every adult to whom they issue a rifle. Switzerland has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world!!!
IT'S A NO BRAINER! Don't let our government waste millions of our tax dollars in an effort to make all law abiding citizens an easy target.
I'm a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please forward. If not, Delete; and keep your head down.
"The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson
My old grand pappy said to me, 'Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps, and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin.'
I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.
I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.
I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.
I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.
I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy.I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.
I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.
I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Police protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves.
Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess. Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.
A LITTLE GUN HISTORY:
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.
Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late! The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are 'citizens.' Without them, we are 'subjects.'
Switzerland issues every household a gun! Switzerland's government trains every adult to whom they issue a rifle. Switzerland has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world!!!
IT'S A NO BRAINER! Don't let our government waste millions of our tax dollars in an effort to make all law abiding citizens an easy target.
I'm a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please forward. If not, Delete; and keep your head down.
"The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson
Something to think about
General | Posted 15 years agoThis was sent to me by a friend. Something to keep in mind when texting.
A friend I forwarded this to commented that the mental imagery was something else ... ROFL
A good reminder for the younger generation especially in this world of hi-tech. I have noticed that many who text message & email have forgotten the "art" of capitalization.
I cannot stress enough that capitalization is important. Capitalization is the difference between "helping your Uncle Jack off a horse" and "helping your uncle jack off a horse."
A friend I forwarded this to commented that the mental imagery was something else ... ROFL
A good reminder for the younger generation especially in this world of hi-tech. I have noticed that many who text message & email have forgotten the "art" of capitalization.
I cannot stress enough that capitalization is important. Capitalization is the difference between "helping your Uncle Jack off a horse" and "helping your uncle jack off a horse."
Life isn't fair
General | Posted 15 years agoThose who know me will attest that I am a gourmand (lots of food) rather than a gourmet (fancy food). I am nearing my 61st birthday, and my body has played a totally, completely and utterly savage trick on me. It seems, and the gods alone know why, that I am now lactose intolerant. I am not a cheese fanatic, but I will happily admit to loving certain varieties. Especially Swiss, Jarlsberg and peccorino Romano.
This might not seem like such a disaster, until you think it through. Just how many things have cheese in them, for example. Or sour cream, or yoghurt. And ice cream. And mac and cheese (a life-long favorite). How about pizza? And the list goes on and on. Cheeseburgers, beef stroganoff, spaghetti, lasagna, and ...
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
I just have to vent. I have to.
This might not seem like such a disaster, until you think it through. Just how many things have cheese in them, for example. Or sour cream, or yoghurt. And ice cream. And mac and cheese (a life-long favorite). How about pizza? And the list goes on and on. Cheeseburgers, beef stroganoff, spaghetti, lasagna, and ...
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
I just have to vent. I have to.
ROFL
General | Posted 16 years agoIF YOU'VE EVER BEEN CALLED FOR JURY DUTY ... THEN YOU HAVE TO KNOW THIS IS PRICELESS!
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place ...
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
______________________________ _____________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, "isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?"
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
______________________________ ______
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
______________________________ _____________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
______________________________ ___________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney.
Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about 20, medium height, and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
______________________________ _______
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
______________________________ ___________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK?
What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________ ___________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And, Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________ ________
And the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No .
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law.
And that, my friends, is a good example why most politicians in our government and courts are lawyers, and our nation is so screwed up.
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place ...
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
______________________________ _____________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, "isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?"
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
______________________________ ______
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
______________________________ _____________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
______________________________ ___________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney.
Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about 20, medium height, and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
______________________________ _______
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
______________________________ ___________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK?
What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________ ___________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And, Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________ ________
And the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No .
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law.
And that, my friends, is a good example why most politicians in our government and courts are lawyers, and our nation is so screwed up.
FYI
General | Posted 16 years agoReceived this from a good friend today, too bad it's only partially in jest:
Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown in the economy, Congress has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 50 years of age and above on early retirement, thus creating jobs and reducing unemployment..
This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early). Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to Congress to be considered for the SHAFT program (Special Help After Forced Termination).
Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW program (System Covering Retired-Early Workers).
A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Congress deems appropriate.
Persons who have been RAPED could get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependants & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance).
Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Congress.
Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Congress has always prided themselves on the amount of SHIT they give our citizens.
Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring this to the attention of your Congressman, who has been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.
Sincerely,
The Committee for Economic Value of Individual Lives (E.V.I.L.)
Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown in the economy, Congress has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 50 years of age and above on early retirement, thus creating jobs and reducing unemployment..
This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early). Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to Congress to be considered for the SHAFT program (Special Help After Forced Termination).
Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW program (System Covering Retired-Early Workers).
A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Congress deems appropriate.
Persons who have been RAPED could get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependants & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance).
Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Congress.
Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Congress has always prided themselves on the amount of SHIT they give our citizens.
Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring this to the attention of your Congressman, who has been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.
Sincerely,
The Committee for Economic Value of Individual Lives (E.V.I.L.)
A very bad pun ...
General | Posted 16 years agoThe world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me
up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they
could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or
Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.
I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking
confused but I never remember to take them in with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or
Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me.. I am
bi-sacksual.." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank
look.
up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they
could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or
Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.
I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking
confused but I never remember to take them in with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or
Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me.. I am
bi-sacksual.." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank
look.
Computer updates - UGH
General | Posted 16 years agoI updated my o/s last night. It took over five hours with a 1.5M DSL connection. And I have problems. I lost a couple of configuration files, which is my own fault. On the other hand, I also lost some important system tools, and that isn't. So I'm a tad grumpy today.
Gonna see what kind of support I can get on this issue. I really hope I don't have to do the full upgrade again, although I will if I have to.
The major problem is that the applications pulldown menu has disappeared. That means I can't start any applications without a lot of hassle. Things like admin tools. Which hurts.
I'm a bit surprised by this. Ubuntu Linux is supposed to be one of the best, and cleanest, o/s' out there. I'll see what happens when I report this.
Gonna see what kind of support I can get on this issue. I really hope I don't have to do the full upgrade again, although I will if I have to.
The major problem is that the applications pulldown menu has disappeared. That means I can't start any applications without a lot of hassle. Things like admin tools. Which hurts.
I'm a bit surprised by this. Ubuntu Linux is supposed to be one of the best, and cleanest, o/s' out there. I'll see what happens when I report this.
Bill Gates says something I can agree with (which is rare)
General | Posted 16 years ago This should be posted in all schools and work places.
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT ... In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT ... In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Got a job!
General | Posted 16 years agoGot a job offer today, and I accepted. It pretty much came out of the blue. I'd had the interview several weeks ago, and never heard anything, so I had written it off.
The new job will be in Oak Ridge, TN, about 170 miles from home. That will be a bit of a hassle. Worse will be my lack of internet access at first. I'll get a connection, but I'm not sure how long it'll take. A few days, a few weeks, I'm just not sure at this point. I will be checking online while I'm home on the weekends. So I'll be slow responding for a while.
Anyway, I'm feeling up and positive for a change.
The new job will be in Oak Ridge, TN, about 170 miles from home. That will be a bit of a hassle. Worse will be my lack of internet access at first. I'll get a connection, but I'm not sure how long it'll take. A few days, a few weeks, I'm just not sure at this point. I will be checking online while I'm home on the weekends. So I'll be slow responding for a while.
Anyway, I'm feeling up and positive for a change.
Friday was a bad day
General | Posted 16 years ago<sigh> I was laid off.
It wasn't really a surprise, I've actually been waiting for it since about Christmas. It's still not a good thing.
Now I just get to go job hunting, yet again. And I'm getting old enough that my age is starting to be an issue. Oh, well, nothing I can do about that. So it's just going to be perseverance and working my tail off to find another one before things completely fall apart. Wish me luck.
It wasn't really a surprise, I've actually been waiting for it since about Christmas. It's still not a good thing.
Now I just get to go job hunting, yet again. And I'm getting old enough that my age is starting to be an issue. Oh, well, nothing I can do about that. So it's just going to be perseverance and working my tail off to find another one before things completely fall apart. Wish me luck.
Computers! Bah! Humbug!
General | Posted 16 years agoMy laptop is dying. When one of failing parts is the power button and that is integrated into the keyboard, it's not exactly practical to attempt repairing it.
A new laptop has been ordered and is enroute. Now comes the fun of cloning the h/d. Since I run Linux it's a tad more complicated in some ways, and easier in others. The unfun part is the fact that the old laptop is a Compaq and, as usual, they have some sort of stupid proprietary connector on the h/d. In fact, I ordered a replacement from them (at three times the price of an ordinary replacement) and it turns out they don't stock h/d's with that connector any more, so I had to return it. Which was a major hassle. More than a trifle annoying, all of that. They made sure I won't buy anything else from them.
The replacement is HP and hopefully it will have standard connectors. From the description, there's a second h/d bay internal. Sure hope so, that will be very useful. Since it's a refurb, I got it for less than half of retail and $1.99 shipping. Not a bad deal.
I noticed that serial and parallel ports are no longer provided, only USB. I've still got some older equipment that use those, so I'm going to have to come up with some sort of adapters, or else get my desktop working again. That requires a new mobo, processor and RAM, which will cost more than the new laptop. <sigh>
A new laptop has been ordered and is enroute. Now comes the fun of cloning the h/d. Since I run Linux it's a tad more complicated in some ways, and easier in others. The unfun part is the fact that the old laptop is a Compaq and, as usual, they have some sort of stupid proprietary connector on the h/d. In fact, I ordered a replacement from them (at three times the price of an ordinary replacement) and it turns out they don't stock h/d's with that connector any more, so I had to return it. Which was a major hassle. More than a trifle annoying, all of that. They made sure I won't buy anything else from them.
The replacement is HP and hopefully it will have standard connectors. From the description, there's a second h/d bay internal. Sure hope so, that will be very useful. Since it's a refurb, I got it for less than half of retail and $1.99 shipping. Not a bad deal.
I noticed that serial and parallel ports are no longer provided, only USB. I've still got some older equipment that use those, so I'm going to have to come up with some sort of adapters, or else get my desktop working again. That requires a new mobo, processor and RAM, which will cost more than the new laptop. <sigh>
