"...because a cop is too heavy."
This is the response I normally give people when they ask me why I have a Concealed Weapons Permit and carry a concealed firearm. I give this answer when a) I'm not in the mood to go into lengthy explanations as to why it's a good idea to be able to protect your own life instead of relying on someone else to do it for you, or b) the person asking the question is a borderline idiot and/or a "Brady Bunch" kinda person whom I'd rather not waste my time with.
But just for the sake of the argument - that, plus the fact that this is my blog - let's take a look at that simple statement, shall we?
"I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy." So just what, exactly, do I mean by that? Simple - I'd rather be able to protect my own life right then and there, at that moment in time when it needs to be protected, than wait for a police officer to arrive on the scene and assist me because by the time he'd get there, I'd already be dead and my killer would be long gone.
Before I get too deeply into this, let me state right now that I have ZERO problem with the police. Hell, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist in the Air Force for 19 of the 23 years I was in, so I know just what police work is all about. I know about response times and things like that, and for that reason alone I'd MUCH rather be able to protect myself rather than wait for the SEVEN TO TEN MINUTES it will take a police car to reach you when you make the 911 call. The bad guys ain't gonna wait that long, count on it.
Aside from that, the courts have stated in plain language that the police have no responsibility to protect you from harm or act as a bodyguard. That's because it's not their friggin' job! Their job is law enforcement, NOT personal protection. Anyone who thinks that the job of the police is to protect you from harm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is living in a dream world. There is a HUGE difference between "law enforcement" and "personal protection," lemme tell ya! And it is NOT the cops' job to protect you...that's why we have (drum roll, please!) THE SECOND AMENDMENT. It's YOUR job to protect YOURSELF, and our Founding Fathers gave us the means to do it.
My life is worth protecting, and it's so valuable to me that I absolutely refuse to entrust that duty to anyone else. Period. I'd rather do it myself, and I absolutely will and do arm myself to do just that. I also think that the lives of my family and friends are equally as valuable and worth protecting, and I absolutely would not hesitate to pop a cap in your ass if you threaten me, my family, or my friends with serious bodily injury and/or death. It's just that simple.
Okay, so for all of you nice folks out there who disagree with what I've said so far, lemme paint a picture for you: it's 9:45PM, and you're just leaving the mall. You walk out into the parking lot and approach your car when you notice two punks leaning against your car. You don't want your car beaten to death by all of the mall parking lot morons, so you park in Outer Mongolia rather than park next to the building, which means that you're on the far end of the parking lot and way out of casual view by the other folks leaving the mall. As you approach your car, the two punks stand up and approach you, one standing in front of you and the other placing himself off to your right, far enough so that you can't see them both at the same time. The one standing in front of you produces a knife and snarls, "Gimme the money, muthafucka, or I'm gonna cut you!"
Pop quiz, hotshot: WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? Your choices are:
a) Ask the young man to wait while you call 911 on your cell phone
b) Give him your money and hope that he doesn't cut you up like a loaf of rye bread anyway
c) Tell him you don't have any money and hope that he doesn't cut you up like a loaf of rye bread anyway
d) Draw your legally-carried concealed .357 Magnum and chide the young man for bringing a knife to a gunfight.
True story, folks. Happened to me coming out of the Coliseum Mall in Hampton, Virginia one hot July night in 1994. As soon as the pistol came out, the knife hit the ground and the two punks ran for their lives. Thankfully, I didn't have to shoot anybody. But I would have, count on it. Had the punk not dropped the knife or had he taken so much as one step towards me, I'd have blown his fuckin' head right off and not felt bad about it for a microsecond. Protecting my own life is that important to me, and it always will be.
Want to know a sure-fire way to lose my business forever if you're a business owner? Post a "No concealed weapons" sign on your door. Basically, what you're telling me is that in order to do business in your establishment, I have to give up my right to protect my own life.
Sorry, what you're selling isn't worth it.
Face facts, people - it's a tough world out there sometimes, and you better be able to take care of yourself when the crap hits the fan. All of the gun control laws in the world won't help you when you have a punk in your face with a knife or a gun, threatening your life and the lives of your loved ones. I'd be willing to bet that if that particular situation ever happened to Chuck Schumer, Ted Kennedy, or Billary Clinton, they'd be wishing to God for a pistol right about then.
As for me...well, I won't be wishing for a pistol.
I'll be deciding WHICH ONE to use.
IHC
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
'Tis the season, I reckon...
So here it is two days before Christmas, but something feels different this year. The feeling about it just being different this year has been nagging on the outside of my conciousness for the past few weeks, and up until a few days ago I hadn't the slightest idea of what was causing it.
And then, out of the clear blue nowhere, I figured it out. I sat back one night and reflected on what I had been thinking about over the past few weeks, which were the Christmases past, and I suddenly realized why this year just felt different.
It was because of WHICH Christmases past I had been remembering.
I was remembering Christmas 1979, which was my first Christmas away from my family and my home. That year found me in the Air Force and stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. I was a Sergeant assigned to the Customs and Border Clearance Section of the 8th Security Police Squadron, and since I was working a Monday through Friday, 0700 to 1600 hours, weekends and holidays off REMF job (that's Rear Echelon Mother F*cker for you civilian types), I was off on Christmas Day. Me and the other dorm rats of Building 1423 threw a Christmas party, and I gotta say that it wasn't half bad. We were all intent on doing three things: having fun, getting drunk, and trying to forget that we were 12,000 miles away from home and family.
I was remembering Christmas of 1982 when I was a Staff Sergeant and a brand-new Military Training Instructor assigned to the 3711th Basic Military Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, Texas. I had just picked up my very first flight of basic trainees on December 17th, all of whom would be spending their very first Christmas in the Air Force away from their homes and families. I went through four Christmases like that, from 1982 to 1986.
I was remembering Christmas of 1989 when I was once again in South Korea, assigned to the 6168th Combat Support Squadron, Security Police Flight, Taegu Air Base. I was a Technical Sergeant assigned as the Flight Chief of a Law Enforcement Flight of eleven troops. No REMF job this time around, though - Christmas Eve found me working the swing shift, getting off duty at 2200 hours (ten PM) and then heading up to the NCO Club to have a few drinks, play some darts, and try to keep my mind off of the fact that I was once again on the other side of the world and away from my family during the holiday season.
I was remembering Christmas of 1990, the Christmas I was supposed to be spending with my family after being in Korea the year before, but Saddam Hussein screwed that up for me. That year found me assigned to the 1st Security Police Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and deployed to Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD. This was a particularly hard one for me because it was the second year in a row I missed, and we were in a Muslim country which meant that we couldn't even decorate for the holidays. But that all banded us together somehow, that and the fact that we all knew the shooting was going to start pretty damned soon. I was off Christmas Day, but since we were in a dry country in a "bare base" environment, there really wasn't that much to do.
And then I would always find myself thinking about my son, who is currently in the Air Force and is a Technical Sergeant of Security Police, now deployed to Iraq for the second time away from his wife and family.
I find myself remembering what it was like to be a serviceman overseas away from family and friends and loved ones during this most special of holiday seasons, and I inevitably think of the men and women in uniform today, in that very same situation, far away from home, wishing they were all somewhere else.
And that's what's been bothering me this year; that's what has made this year different. I can't help but think about all of our servicemen and women who are far away from home and family, and I wish it wasn't so.
I also feel like I should be over there with them. Lonnie, Bulldog, I know you two understand, as will anyone else who's ever served.
So in the hustle and bustle of the next 48 hours, when you're busy unwrapping presents, drinking egg nogg, singing carols and celebrating with family and friends, please take a minute out of your day and remember the men and women in uniform who are protecting us and enabling us to celebrate, and who can't celebrate as we can because of where they are. Drink a toast to them and say a quick prayer of godspeed and safe journeys home, because they surely deserve it.
To my brothers and sisters in uniform around the globe - Merry Christmas, and God bless you all.
IHC
And then, out of the clear blue nowhere, I figured it out. I sat back one night and reflected on what I had been thinking about over the past few weeks, which were the Christmases past, and I suddenly realized why this year just felt different.
It was because of WHICH Christmases past I had been remembering.
I was remembering Christmas 1979, which was my first Christmas away from my family and my home. That year found me in the Air Force and stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. I was a Sergeant assigned to the Customs and Border Clearance Section of the 8th Security Police Squadron, and since I was working a Monday through Friday, 0700 to 1600 hours, weekends and holidays off REMF job (that's Rear Echelon Mother F*cker for you civilian types), I was off on Christmas Day. Me and the other dorm rats of Building 1423 threw a Christmas party, and I gotta say that it wasn't half bad. We were all intent on doing three things: having fun, getting drunk, and trying to forget that we were 12,000 miles away from home and family.
I was remembering Christmas of 1982 when I was a Staff Sergeant and a brand-new Military Training Instructor assigned to the 3711th Basic Military Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, Texas. I had just picked up my very first flight of basic trainees on December 17th, all of whom would be spending their very first Christmas in the Air Force away from their homes and families. I went through four Christmases like that, from 1982 to 1986.
I was remembering Christmas of 1989 when I was once again in South Korea, assigned to the 6168th Combat Support Squadron, Security Police Flight, Taegu Air Base. I was a Technical Sergeant assigned as the Flight Chief of a Law Enforcement Flight of eleven troops. No REMF job this time around, though - Christmas Eve found me working the swing shift, getting off duty at 2200 hours (ten PM) and then heading up to the NCO Club to have a few drinks, play some darts, and try to keep my mind off of the fact that I was once again on the other side of the world and away from my family during the holiday season.
I was remembering Christmas of 1990, the Christmas I was supposed to be spending with my family after being in Korea the year before, but Saddam Hussein screwed that up for me. That year found me assigned to the 1st Security Police Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and deployed to Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD. This was a particularly hard one for me because it was the second year in a row I missed, and we were in a Muslim country which meant that we couldn't even decorate for the holidays. But that all banded us together somehow, that and the fact that we all knew the shooting was going to start pretty damned soon. I was off Christmas Day, but since we were in a dry country in a "bare base" environment, there really wasn't that much to do.
And then I would always find myself thinking about my son, who is currently in the Air Force and is a Technical Sergeant of Security Police, now deployed to Iraq for the second time away from his wife and family.
I find myself remembering what it was like to be a serviceman overseas away from family and friends and loved ones during this most special of holiday seasons, and I inevitably think of the men and women in uniform today, in that very same situation, far away from home, wishing they were all somewhere else.
And that's what's been bothering me this year; that's what has made this year different. I can't help but think about all of our servicemen and women who are far away from home and family, and I wish it wasn't so.
I also feel like I should be over there with them. Lonnie, Bulldog, I know you two understand, as will anyone else who's ever served.
So in the hustle and bustle of the next 48 hours, when you're busy unwrapping presents, drinking egg nogg, singing carols and celebrating with family and friends, please take a minute out of your day and remember the men and women in uniform who are protecting us and enabling us to celebrate, and who can't celebrate as we can because of where they are. Drink a toast to them and say a quick prayer of godspeed and safe journeys home, because they surely deserve it.
To my brothers and sisters in uniform around the globe - Merry Christmas, and God bless you all.
IHC
Thursday, December 18, 2008
America, You've Been Lied To...
And the lying has been done by your President-elect, Barack Hussein Obama. (I say "YOUR" instead of "OUR" because I didn't vote for the man, and much like the Democrats did in the last two elections, I'm not claiming him as MY president. But I digress...)
Here's the lie told by The Great Pretender during his presidential campaign: "I am a supporter of the Second Amendment." Sounds good, right? I mean, it's pretty clear-cut at first, right?
Until you go to his web site, which listed four of his "top priorities" for gun control within days - DAYS - after his election. And for those of you who, like myself, would cut your own hand off before clicking on the link to his site, here's his plan.
1. Make the expired federal assault weapons ban permanent.
This is the Clinton gun ban that President Bush let expire when it ran out and failed to get the needed votes in Congress in order to be reinstated. When the ban failed to get renewed, the gun control crowd went nuts with the usual claims that crime would rise, there'd be blood in the streets, and it would be generally the end of civilization. Well, the FBI just released its report on crime statistics for 2007 and the report shows that crime is at its lowest level since the mid-1960's! The trend listed in the report shows very clearly that over the past few years gun ownership has skyrocketed, and crime has plummetted. There's a connection here, y'all....can you see it? Obama, by the way, voted FOR the gun ban when "Slick Willy" proposed it, and he voted FOR its renewal.
2. Repeal the Tiahrt Amendment.
Simply put, this amendment prohibits the release of BATFE firearms tracing information to anyone other than a law enforcement agency conducting an official criminal investigation. This means that a lawyer who wishes to file a frivolous lawsuit against a gun manufacturer can't get his slimy paws on the info about your guns. This is important to the Brady Bunch because one of their tactics is to drive the gun manufacturers out of business by suing them into oblivion. This amendment, by the way, was supported by the Fraternal Order of Police as well as the BATFE themselves. I guess Obama thinks he's smarter than the thousands of members of these two organizations.
3. Close the "gun show loophole."
Simply put, there is no loophole. Federal law requires a firearm dealer to conduct a background check on all persons who purchase firearms from them; a private citizen selling his own firearms from his personal collection has no such obligation. If you've ever been to a gun show and taken a good look around, you'll see that the majority of people there are licensed firearm dealers, and when you go to purchase a firearm from them, guess what they have you fill out? Correct! The federal background check form! And unless you have a CCW license, you will NOT get the gun until your background check clears. Which means you won't walk away with it that day. The rest of the folks there are private citizens, selling their own weapons out of their own collections. So you see, there IS no "loophole."
4. Make guns in this country childproof.
"Childproof" is nothing more than a made-up term for a list of schemes designed to ultimately prevent the sale of firearms by imposing either highly expensive or impossible design requirements, such as 'biometric shooter identification' or 'smart gun' technology. This technology, as of today's date, DOES NOT EXIST. But that won't stop The Great Pretender from using it to infringe upon your rights.
The NRA/ILA (that's National Rifle Associate Institute for legislative Action) sent out an e-mail alert on this information to all of its members, of which I am one, and just days later this item was mysteriously missing from the Obama web site. Gee, I wonder why that is? Could it possibly be that the transition team and the Great Pretender didn't want the truth to come out? I mean, why else would you post and then remove something when it came under scrutiny?
Sounds to me like they're hiding something.
Okay, so some of you are just going to dismiss what I've said as just another "bitter" American clinging to his guns and his Bible, and ya know what? You're right - I most certainly am bitter, and I definitely am an American, and I do read the Bible, so I guess I'm guilty as charged. But here's a suggestion for you: don't take what I've said here as fact. Check it out for yourself - do a web search for Obama's voting record in Congress, and see for yourself just what he's voted for and what he's voted against.
You know the old saying that "actions speak louder than words?" Well, get ready for a shock. Obama supports the Second Amendment like I support his being President.
Not one damned bit.
IHC
Here's the lie told by The Great Pretender during his presidential campaign: "I am a supporter of the Second Amendment." Sounds good, right? I mean, it's pretty clear-cut at first, right?
Until you go to his web site, which listed four of his "top priorities" for gun control within days - DAYS - after his election. And for those of you who, like myself, would cut your own hand off before clicking on the link to his site, here's his plan.
1. Make the expired federal assault weapons ban permanent.
This is the Clinton gun ban that President Bush let expire when it ran out and failed to get the needed votes in Congress in order to be reinstated. When the ban failed to get renewed, the gun control crowd went nuts with the usual claims that crime would rise, there'd be blood in the streets, and it would be generally the end of civilization. Well, the FBI just released its report on crime statistics for 2007 and the report shows that crime is at its lowest level since the mid-1960's! The trend listed in the report shows very clearly that over the past few years gun ownership has skyrocketed, and crime has plummetted. There's a connection here, y'all....can you see it? Obama, by the way, voted FOR the gun ban when "Slick Willy" proposed it, and he voted FOR its renewal.
2. Repeal the Tiahrt Amendment.
Simply put, this amendment prohibits the release of BATFE firearms tracing information to anyone other than a law enforcement agency conducting an official criminal investigation. This means that a lawyer who wishes to file a frivolous lawsuit against a gun manufacturer can't get his slimy paws on the info about your guns. This is important to the Brady Bunch because one of their tactics is to drive the gun manufacturers out of business by suing them into oblivion. This amendment, by the way, was supported by the Fraternal Order of Police as well as the BATFE themselves. I guess Obama thinks he's smarter than the thousands of members of these two organizations.
3. Close the "gun show loophole."
Simply put, there is no loophole. Federal law requires a firearm dealer to conduct a background check on all persons who purchase firearms from them; a private citizen selling his own firearms from his personal collection has no such obligation. If you've ever been to a gun show and taken a good look around, you'll see that the majority of people there are licensed firearm dealers, and when you go to purchase a firearm from them, guess what they have you fill out? Correct! The federal background check form! And unless you have a CCW license, you will NOT get the gun until your background check clears. Which means you won't walk away with it that day. The rest of the folks there are private citizens, selling their own weapons out of their own collections. So you see, there IS no "loophole."
4. Make guns in this country childproof.
"Childproof" is nothing more than a made-up term for a list of schemes designed to ultimately prevent the sale of firearms by imposing either highly expensive or impossible design requirements, such as 'biometric shooter identification' or 'smart gun' technology. This technology, as of today's date, DOES NOT EXIST. But that won't stop The Great Pretender from using it to infringe upon your rights.
The NRA/ILA (that's National Rifle Associate Institute for legislative Action) sent out an e-mail alert on this information to all of its members, of which I am one, and just days later this item was mysteriously missing from the Obama web site. Gee, I wonder why that is? Could it possibly be that the transition team and the Great Pretender didn't want the truth to come out? I mean, why else would you post and then remove something when it came under scrutiny?
Sounds to me like they're hiding something.
Okay, so some of you are just going to dismiss what I've said as just another "bitter" American clinging to his guns and his Bible, and ya know what? You're right - I most certainly am bitter, and I definitely am an American, and I do read the Bible, so I guess I'm guilty as charged. But here's a suggestion for you: don't take what I've said here as fact. Check it out for yourself - do a web search for Obama's voting record in Congress, and see for yourself just what he's voted for and what he's voted against.
You know the old saying that "actions speak louder than words?" Well, get ready for a shock. Obama supports the Second Amendment like I support his being President.
Not one damned bit.
IHC
Monday, December 15, 2008
Of Paternity Tests, Self Humiliation, and Low Moral Values
If you’re like me, you’ve seen The Maury Show on mid-day TV and are quite familiar with what seems to have become the main staple of the show – paternity tests. And, if you’re like me, you’ve become so tired of these shows that you’re ready to gouge your eyeballs out whenever you see it on the screen.
The logic of what motivates these young women mystifies me at times. I mean, it’s one thing if you’ve been in a relationship with a man who fathered your child, then the lowlife scumbag dumps you and claims the kid isn’t his. I’m ok with that, sure. But what mystifies me is the FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL who is coming on the show FOR THE EIGHTH TIME to see if she can find out who the daddy of her baby is, and she’s now testing THE TWELFTH MAN to see if he’s the daddy.
Are you kiddin’ me? Am I the only one who has sat back and said, “Well, let’s see, if she’s testing the twelfth man for paternity, that means that she had sex with AT LEAST twelve men IN A THIRTY DAY PERIOD, because that’s the normal human female menstrual cycle, right? That would equate out to the young “lady” being with a different man about every two and a half days! And did you forget that she’s FIFTEEN?
Can you say, “SLUT?” I’m not so sure I’d be that quick to parade my sorry ass on TV to find out who the daddy of my illegitimate baby is, especially if I was that young. And you just gotta ask yourself, where the hell were the parents? Is this what our youth are being taught? That it’s OK to be promiscuous – oh, let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? It’s okay to screw everything in the neighborhood with a dick – because when you get knocked up and have no idea who pappy is, all you have to do is contact good ol’ Maury and he’ll help you figure out which welfare daddy you get to sue for child support.
Here’s a quick, easy, and cost-free solution for you: KEEP YOUR FRIGGIN’ LEGS CLOSED, YA TRAMP!
And then, there’s the guys…you’ve seen ‘em, the self-styled “playahs” who take great pride in the fact that they’re screwing every “ho” in the neighborhood and who constantly deny the inevitable trail of babies they leave behind. They get on the show, show their faces as they stand there while the fifteen year old mother tells everyone what a bad person they are, then they come out and deny everything. They lay the blame on the mother, claiming that she’s a slut – which she is – and a “ho” – which she is – and that there’s just no way that he’s the baby’s daddy. And why not? Well, take your pick – the reasons are many and varied. “The doctor told me I can’t have kids.” Yet the asshole is seventeen and never been sick or injured. “The doctor told me I can’t have girls, only boys.” How is that, genius? I know medical science has come a long way, but I don’t think it’s come so far that it can tell which chromosomes you may or may not have, thereby predicting what sex the child will be. “I just know that I ain’t that baby’s daddy!” So, what, in addition to being a “playah” you’re also clairvoyant?
And inevitably, when the test results come out, 9 times out of 10 it’s the same: “You ARE the father!”
Like there was going to be any other results.
I keep coming back to one thing: where in the hell are the parents while the girl is out banging everything in pants, and the “playah” is out there sowing his seeds and littering the town with his illegitimate kids which he has no way to support? But then again, no worries there – that’s what the welfare system is for, right?
If this is where today’s youth is headed – one segment of it, anyway – we should all be afraid. Very afraid.
As for me, right now I’m just disgusted, and I don’t know who disgusts me more – the girl for not learning the magic of keeping her legs closed, the guy for the irresponsible use of his dick all over town, the parents for not keeping either of them in check, or Maury for giving them a medium to exploit.
This is not exactly what I call, “entertainment.”
But then, that’s just me.
IHC
The logic of what motivates these young women mystifies me at times. I mean, it’s one thing if you’ve been in a relationship with a man who fathered your child, then the lowlife scumbag dumps you and claims the kid isn’t his. I’m ok with that, sure. But what mystifies me is the FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL who is coming on the show FOR THE EIGHTH TIME to see if she can find out who the daddy of her baby is, and she’s now testing THE TWELFTH MAN to see if he’s the daddy.
Are you kiddin’ me? Am I the only one who has sat back and said, “Well, let’s see, if she’s testing the twelfth man for paternity, that means that she had sex with AT LEAST twelve men IN A THIRTY DAY PERIOD, because that’s the normal human female menstrual cycle, right? That would equate out to the young “lady” being with a different man about every two and a half days! And did you forget that she’s FIFTEEN?
Can you say, “SLUT?” I’m not so sure I’d be that quick to parade my sorry ass on TV to find out who the daddy of my illegitimate baby is, especially if I was that young. And you just gotta ask yourself, where the hell were the parents? Is this what our youth are being taught? That it’s OK to be promiscuous – oh, let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? It’s okay to screw everything in the neighborhood with a dick – because when you get knocked up and have no idea who pappy is, all you have to do is contact good ol’ Maury and he’ll help you figure out which welfare daddy you get to sue for child support.
Here’s a quick, easy, and cost-free solution for you: KEEP YOUR FRIGGIN’ LEGS CLOSED, YA TRAMP!
And then, there’s the guys…you’ve seen ‘em, the self-styled “playahs” who take great pride in the fact that they’re screwing every “ho” in the neighborhood and who constantly deny the inevitable trail of babies they leave behind. They get on the show, show their faces as they stand there while the fifteen year old mother tells everyone what a bad person they are, then they come out and deny everything. They lay the blame on the mother, claiming that she’s a slut – which she is – and a “ho” – which she is – and that there’s just no way that he’s the baby’s daddy. And why not? Well, take your pick – the reasons are many and varied. “The doctor told me I can’t have kids.” Yet the asshole is seventeen and never been sick or injured. “The doctor told me I can’t have girls, only boys.” How is that, genius? I know medical science has come a long way, but I don’t think it’s come so far that it can tell which chromosomes you may or may not have, thereby predicting what sex the child will be. “I just know that I ain’t that baby’s daddy!” So, what, in addition to being a “playah” you’re also clairvoyant?
And inevitably, when the test results come out, 9 times out of 10 it’s the same: “You ARE the father!”
Like there was going to be any other results.
I keep coming back to one thing: where in the hell are the parents while the girl is out banging everything in pants, and the “playah” is out there sowing his seeds and littering the town with his illegitimate kids which he has no way to support? But then again, no worries there – that’s what the welfare system is for, right?
If this is where today’s youth is headed – one segment of it, anyway – we should all be afraid. Very afraid.
As for me, right now I’m just disgusted, and I don’t know who disgusts me more – the girl for not learning the magic of keeping her legs closed, the guy for the irresponsible use of his dick all over town, the parents for not keeping either of them in check, or Maury for giving them a medium to exploit.
This is not exactly what I call, “entertainment.”
But then, that’s just me.
IHC
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmastime and the traditional Holiday Beefstick
Oh, stop it...not talkin' about that kind of beefstick!
Anyway, most families that celebrate Christmas have a holiday tradition or two that they carry out every year during the holiday season. I have one, too, and it involves a Pepperidge Farms Beefstick. It goes like this.......
Waaaaay back in 1979 when I was naught but a 22 year old sergeant serving in the United States Air Force, Christmas of that year found me at Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of South Korea. I had been married about 18 months, just had a newborn son born to me the month previous, and had never been away on a remote tour before. (A remote tour, for those civilians among us, is when you go overseas for a year and can't take your family with you.) So needless to say, Christmas was going to be a challenge for me.
That's when my father and mother , bless their hearts, came up with a novel idea.
One of the things you missed the most in Korea at that time was good old American food. See, back then there were no McDonald's incountry or any other kind of American food place, and the only American food you could get was at the big commissary - in Osan, 200 miles north. At my base we were limited to what we could get at the Base Exchange, which wasn't much. And the mail service was slow at best, so any food you sent over to Korea had to be non-perishable.
So my parents came up with the idea of sending me a Pepperidge Farms Beefstick. All two feet of it! To say it was popular in the barracks would be a huge understatement! We had a hell of a party around just the beefstick! I loved it because I love beefsticks, and it was a taste of home in a land very far away. It also meant something to me because my parents had sent it to me. That alone made it special.
So the next Christmas when I was at home, they sent me and my family another one. And the tradition was born...every year since then, I've gotten a beefstick for Christmas from my parents. And that includes the Christmas I spent in Taegu Air Base, Korea in 1989 and the Christmas I spent in Saudi Arabia during Operation DESERT SHIELD. On both occasions - especially in Saudi Arabia - the beefstick was really popular with my coworkers, and I literally had to keep it under lock and key when I was in the Gulf!
My son joined the Air Force the same year I retired, and when he went away for his first holiday I fully intended on sending him a beefstick to keep the tradition alive...and then I thought, 'Nope, better let my parents do it.' After all, THEY are the ones who started the tradition, so by all rights it should be them who continue it. So every year for the ten years my son has been in the service he's gotten a beefstick for the holidays from my parents - and that includes Christmas 2003 when he was in Iraq, and again this year in the same place.
So the tradition will continue, at least for as long as I'm around. I'll pick it up when it's my time - which I hope will be a LONG time from now - and if my son has children and one of them is a boy who joins the service, I suspect the tradition will continue.
And that's just fine with me.
IHC
Anyway, most families that celebrate Christmas have a holiday tradition or two that they carry out every year during the holiday season. I have one, too, and it involves a Pepperidge Farms Beefstick. It goes like this.......
Waaaaay back in 1979 when I was naught but a 22 year old sergeant serving in the United States Air Force, Christmas of that year found me at Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of South Korea. I had been married about 18 months, just had a newborn son born to me the month previous, and had never been away on a remote tour before. (A remote tour, for those civilians among us, is when you go overseas for a year and can't take your family with you.) So needless to say, Christmas was going to be a challenge for me.
That's when my father and mother , bless their hearts, came up with a novel idea.
One of the things you missed the most in Korea at that time was good old American food. See, back then there were no McDonald's incountry or any other kind of American food place, and the only American food you could get was at the big commissary - in Osan, 200 miles north. At my base we were limited to what we could get at the Base Exchange, which wasn't much. And the mail service was slow at best, so any food you sent over to Korea had to be non-perishable.
So my parents came up with the idea of sending me a Pepperidge Farms Beefstick. All two feet of it! To say it was popular in the barracks would be a huge understatement! We had a hell of a party around just the beefstick! I loved it because I love beefsticks, and it was a taste of home in a land very far away. It also meant something to me because my parents had sent it to me. That alone made it special.
So the next Christmas when I was at home, they sent me and my family another one. And the tradition was born...every year since then, I've gotten a beefstick for Christmas from my parents. And that includes the Christmas I spent in Taegu Air Base, Korea in 1989 and the Christmas I spent in Saudi Arabia during Operation DESERT SHIELD. On both occasions - especially in Saudi Arabia - the beefstick was really popular with my coworkers, and I literally had to keep it under lock and key when I was in the Gulf!
My son joined the Air Force the same year I retired, and when he went away for his first holiday I fully intended on sending him a beefstick to keep the tradition alive...and then I thought, 'Nope, better let my parents do it.' After all, THEY are the ones who started the tradition, so by all rights it should be them who continue it. So every year for the ten years my son has been in the service he's gotten a beefstick for the holidays from my parents - and that includes Christmas 2003 when he was in Iraq, and again this year in the same place.
So the tradition will continue, at least for as long as I'm around. I'll pick it up when it's my time - which I hope will be a LONG time from now - and if my son has children and one of them is a boy who joins the service, I suspect the tradition will continue.
And that's just fine with me.
IHC
Monday, December 8, 2008
Concealed Carry now allowed in National Parks...it's about time!
For those of you who may have missed it, here's a link to the story outlining the fact that it is now legal to carry concealed weapons in National Parks:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28072607/
Personally, I think this is the best thing to happen since the Heller ruling! Another positive step towards protection our Constitutional rights, not to mention making it easier to protect something just as valuable - namely, your own life.
So here's a quote or two from the article that draws my attention for its obvious lunacy - obvious to everyone except the moron who spoke it, that is.
"Once again, political leaders in the Bush administration have ignored the preferences of the American public by succumbing to political pressure, in this case generated by the National Rifle Association," said Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees."
Just which "American public" is this jerkoff referring to? I don't recall seeing anything anywhere about the "American public" being opposed to being able to defend itself in National Parks. The Park Rangers sure as hell can't protect you! Considering the sheer size of most National Parks and the number of park rangers per square mile, I'd say finding one in an emergency is gonna be a real chore! (Not the ranger's fault, by the way...they can only hire as many rangers as the Federal-mandated budget allows.)
"This regulation will put visitors, employees and precious resources of the National Park System at risk. We will do everything possible to overturn it and return to a commonsense approach to guns in national parks that has been working for decades," Wade said."
I'm confused....someone please explain to me exactly what "risk" is being run by allowing law-abiding, concealed weapons permit holders to carry their weapons in national parks? I always thought it was the bad guys - you know, the ones who IGNORE and BREAK the laws - who were the risk. Sounds to me like nothing more than typical Brady-bunch doublespeak.
For the life of me, I will never understand what the "anti-gun" crowd has to fear from law-abiding, honest citizens who want to carry a weapon concealed to protect their own life. Wake up, people! It's not US you need to be afraid of! It's the thugs, thieves, gangbangers, rapists and murderers you need to be afraid of!
Oh, I see....so the "logic" here is if you make the item illegal, then no one will be able to use it to do bad things, right? Just like drugs are illegal, so no one uses them and America doesn't have a drug problem, right?
Yeah, THAT works real well!
Oh, I see....so you want to limit law-abiding citizens from being able to purchase more than one gun a month in the "logic" that this will decrease the amount of illegal weapons on the streets. Guess you didn't read the FBI report on violent crime in which it stated that the vast majority of violent crimes that were committed with a firearm were committed with a STOLEN firearm.
Yeah, that works real well, too.
It's like this, people - right now there are more than TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND gun laws in effect nation-wide, and the statistics prove that THEY DON'T WORK. Here's a novel thought for ya - instead of passing more laws, why not just enforce the ones we already have? What a novel, brilliant idea!
Wanna know what DOES work to reduce violent crime? GIVE EVERYONE A CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT AND LET THEM ALL CARRY GUNS. In EVERY STATE where a "must issue" CCW law has been passed, violent crime has actually DROPPED. Gee, I wonder why that is? Maybe the con who was interviewed in a Florida prison about six years ago said it best when he said that violent crime was down because "everyone has a gun, and we don't wanna get shot either!"
Two phrases you just can't use together in the same sentence: "COMMON SENSE" and "GUN LAWS."
Ain't no such thing. And the sooner everyone realizes this, the better.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28072607/
Personally, I think this is the best thing to happen since the Heller ruling! Another positive step towards protection our Constitutional rights, not to mention making it easier to protect something just as valuable - namely, your own life.
So here's a quote or two from the article that draws my attention for its obvious lunacy - obvious to everyone except the moron who spoke it, that is.
"Once again, political leaders in the Bush administration have ignored the preferences of the American public by succumbing to political pressure, in this case generated by the National Rifle Association," said Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees."
Just which "American public" is this jerkoff referring to? I don't recall seeing anything anywhere about the "American public" being opposed to being able to defend itself in National Parks. The Park Rangers sure as hell can't protect you! Considering the sheer size of most National Parks and the number of park rangers per square mile, I'd say finding one in an emergency is gonna be a real chore! (Not the ranger's fault, by the way...they can only hire as many rangers as the Federal-mandated budget allows.)
"This regulation will put visitors, employees and precious resources of the National Park System at risk. We will do everything possible to overturn it and return to a commonsense approach to guns in national parks that has been working for decades," Wade said."
I'm confused....someone please explain to me exactly what "risk" is being run by allowing law-abiding, concealed weapons permit holders to carry their weapons in national parks? I always thought it was the bad guys - you know, the ones who IGNORE and BREAK the laws - who were the risk. Sounds to me like nothing more than typical Brady-bunch doublespeak.
For the life of me, I will never understand what the "anti-gun" crowd has to fear from law-abiding, honest citizens who want to carry a weapon concealed to protect their own life. Wake up, people! It's not US you need to be afraid of! It's the thugs, thieves, gangbangers, rapists and murderers you need to be afraid of!
Oh, I see....so the "logic" here is if you make the item illegal, then no one will be able to use it to do bad things, right? Just like drugs are illegal, so no one uses them and America doesn't have a drug problem, right?
Yeah, THAT works real well!
Oh, I see....so you want to limit law-abiding citizens from being able to purchase more than one gun a month in the "logic" that this will decrease the amount of illegal weapons on the streets. Guess you didn't read the FBI report on violent crime in which it stated that the vast majority of violent crimes that were committed with a firearm were committed with a STOLEN firearm.
Yeah, that works real well, too.
It's like this, people - right now there are more than TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND gun laws in effect nation-wide, and the statistics prove that THEY DON'T WORK. Here's a novel thought for ya - instead of passing more laws, why not just enforce the ones we already have? What a novel, brilliant idea!
Wanna know what DOES work to reduce violent crime? GIVE EVERYONE A CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT AND LET THEM ALL CARRY GUNS. In EVERY STATE where a "must issue" CCW law has been passed, violent crime has actually DROPPED. Gee, I wonder why that is? Maybe the con who was interviewed in a Florida prison about six years ago said it best when he said that violent crime was down because "everyone has a gun, and we don't wanna get shot either!"
Two phrases you just can't use together in the same sentence: "COMMON SENSE" and "GUN LAWS."
Ain't no such thing. And the sooner everyone realizes this, the better.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A few random Saturday Morning thoughts
If you're like me, you've been hearing all over the news lately how lousy the economy is. But in all of the gloom and doom it sure is nice to know that our government is fully aware of what's going on - I mean, after all, just this past week they "officially" declared the economy to be in a recession.
Well, ain't THAT just a great big BFO - that's Blinding Flash of the Obvious. Nice to see our tax dollars at work, isn't it? The government also said that we've BEEN in a recession for nearly a year...and we wonder why it takes Congress forever to get anything done!
On top of that, the Big Three automakers are going back to Washington, hat in hand and without the corporate jets this time, begging for the federal government to bail them out. Now, I don't know about you, but I sure as hell saw this coming. When the feds bailed out Wall Street and then Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, I told my wife right then and there that this was starting what was going to be a dangerous trend, and that the parade of "penniless" businessmen was soon going to start. And sure as hell, it has. Part of me says bail them out, and part of me says let them drown. If we bail them out, I'd insist on ALL THREE of the corporate big wigs - the CEOs - being kicked to the curb. I'd also insist on a VERY severe salary cut on the part of ALL corporate executives, the TOTAL ELIMINATION of ANY bonuses at any level higher than shift supervisor, and I'd want the money PAID BACK WITHIN TWO YEARS.
The part of me that says "bail them out" is motivated by two thoughts: the hundreds of thousands of Americans who would be out of work if we didn't do it, and the thought of America being populated by nothing but foreign cars. Somehow the idea of the State Police driving Toyotas just sits wrong with me, ya know? So as much as I hate to say it, it looks like the only recourse is to bail them out, but I sure as hell ain't happy about it.
Changing gears, today is the 143rd anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment. That's the one that officially outlawed slavery and indential servitude in the United States. (No, my Yankee-educated friends, the Emancipation Proclamation did NOT end slavery in the United States, only in the Southern states over which Lincoln had no legal jurisdication at the time - but that's another story for another time.)
For those of us who are students of true American history and not the politically-correct, Northern version currently being taught in our school systems, this amendment is known as the "Illegal Amendment." Why, you ask? Simple. And I'll try to keep it short as well.
1) After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Johnson administration declared that the Southern states were no longer a part of the Union (funny, I thought that's what the war was all about - keeping the Southern states IN the Union) and would have to be re-admitted.
2) A condition of re-admission to the Union was that the Southern states ratify the 13th Amendment.
3) In order for an amendment to be ratified, you must have a two-thirds majority vote. According to the Constitution, only states which are members of the Union can vote to ratify an Amendment. This would exclude territories and states in secession or otherwise not part of the Union.
4) Therefore, the Southern states - who had been declared "non-members" of the Union by the Johnson administration - had no legal right to vote for the amendment, and their votes for ratification should not have been counted.
And without the Southern state's votes, the Amendment would not have gotten the needed majority vote in order to pass!
An interesting little point in American history that the Yankee history books don't teach, huh? Now, before some narrow-minded little Yankee-educated moron jumps up and accuses me of being in favor of slavery, all I can say is maybe you should try reading my profile before opening your mouth.
Last but certainly not least for this morning, I see that O.J. "I Really Did It" Simpson is finally going to jail. Well, well, well, the American judicial system finally got it right. In all fairness, it wasn't the judicial system that screwed the pooch on that the first time, it was Marsha Clarke, that incompetant DA who totally botched the case from jump street. All I can say is if Vincent Bugliosi had been prosecuting O.J. the first time around, his ass would have been in jail way back in '95 serving two life sentences.
But justice has finally prevailed, so I guess I can live with that.
Time for some more coffee.
Well, ain't THAT just a great big BFO - that's Blinding Flash of the Obvious. Nice to see our tax dollars at work, isn't it? The government also said that we've BEEN in a recession for nearly a year...and we wonder why it takes Congress forever to get anything done!
On top of that, the Big Three automakers are going back to Washington, hat in hand and without the corporate jets this time, begging for the federal government to bail them out. Now, I don't know about you, but I sure as hell saw this coming. When the feds bailed out Wall Street and then Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, I told my wife right then and there that this was starting what was going to be a dangerous trend, and that the parade of "penniless" businessmen was soon going to start. And sure as hell, it has. Part of me says bail them out, and part of me says let them drown. If we bail them out, I'd insist on ALL THREE of the corporate big wigs - the CEOs - being kicked to the curb. I'd also insist on a VERY severe salary cut on the part of ALL corporate executives, the TOTAL ELIMINATION of ANY bonuses at any level higher than shift supervisor, and I'd want the money PAID BACK WITHIN TWO YEARS.
The part of me that says "bail them out" is motivated by two thoughts: the hundreds of thousands of Americans who would be out of work if we didn't do it, and the thought of America being populated by nothing but foreign cars. Somehow the idea of the State Police driving Toyotas just sits wrong with me, ya know? So as much as I hate to say it, it looks like the only recourse is to bail them out, but I sure as hell ain't happy about it.
Changing gears, today is the 143rd anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment. That's the one that officially outlawed slavery and indential servitude in the United States. (No, my Yankee-educated friends, the Emancipation Proclamation did NOT end slavery in the United States, only in the Southern states over which Lincoln had no legal jurisdication at the time - but that's another story for another time.)
For those of us who are students of true American history and not the politically-correct, Northern version currently being taught in our school systems, this amendment is known as the "Illegal Amendment." Why, you ask? Simple. And I'll try to keep it short as well.
1) After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Johnson administration declared that the Southern states were no longer a part of the Union (funny, I thought that's what the war was all about - keeping the Southern states IN the Union) and would have to be re-admitted.
2) A condition of re-admission to the Union was that the Southern states ratify the 13th Amendment.
3) In order for an amendment to be ratified, you must have a two-thirds majority vote. According to the Constitution, only states which are members of the Union can vote to ratify an Amendment. This would exclude territories and states in secession or otherwise not part of the Union.
4) Therefore, the Southern states - who had been declared "non-members" of the Union by the Johnson administration - had no legal right to vote for the amendment, and their votes for ratification should not have been counted.
And without the Southern state's votes, the Amendment would not have gotten the needed majority vote in order to pass!
An interesting little point in American history that the Yankee history books don't teach, huh? Now, before some narrow-minded little Yankee-educated moron jumps up and accuses me of being in favor of slavery, all I can say is maybe you should try reading my profile before opening your mouth.
Last but certainly not least for this morning, I see that O.J. "I Really Did It" Simpson is finally going to jail. Well, well, well, the American judicial system finally got it right. In all fairness, it wasn't the judicial system that screwed the pooch on that the first time, it was Marsha Clarke, that incompetant DA who totally botched the case from jump street. All I can say is if Vincent Bugliosi had been prosecuting O.J. the first time around, his ass would have been in jail way back in '95 serving two life sentences.
But justice has finally prevailed, so I guess I can live with that.
Time for some more coffee.
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