I was trying to write a post on the whole Burns, Oregon thing, and kept rewriting it because It kept coming up with me sounding like a asshole (I am an asshole, but I try not to look or sound like one in public).
The one thing that I keep coming back to is this:
They went looking for a fight, and, eventually, the Feds gave 'em one. Sadly, a man died in that fight. But: As they say: Don't want none? Don't bring none......
The Feds were smart enough to wait until they had moved beyond support of the Refuge, and then pounced. This enabled them to take the leaders out of the game without a prolonged firefight....They HAVE learned over the past....The FBI apparently can learn from the ATF's mistakes over 20 years ago....
When surrounded by many men with guns, continuing to fight, or failing to cooperate, or running away is not a good option. The question isn't, are they taking you in??, but rather in what condition are they taking you in ...healthy? Bent? Broken? Dead?....Often the choice is one you and your actions make for them.
ETA:
For a more intelligent, better written analysis, go HERE and read what Weaponsman has to say...
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
So the MSM
Has finally caught up to the Wounded Warrior Project...
Wounded Warrior Project Spends Lavishly on Itself, Insiders Say
THe TV news has been quoting the NYT since yesterday....
Odd that the Cdnservative Blogosphere has known this for over a year and the NYT just figured it out....
Wounded Warrior Project Spends Lavishly on Itself, Insiders Say
THe TV news has been quoting the NYT since yesterday....
Odd that the Cdnservative Blogosphere has known this for over a year and the NYT just figured it out....
Where were you?
30 years ago:
I remember where I was that morning:
I was in a friends apartment when over the radio the local DJs (Bob and Tom, actually) said dead flat: "The space shuttle Challenger blew up on takeoff".
I said to him:
"That isn't something to joke about".
We turned on the TV and saw the news reports.
I remember where I was that morning:
I was in a friends apartment when over the radio the local DJs (Bob and Tom, actually) said dead flat: "The space shuttle Challenger blew up on takeoff".
I said to him:
"That isn't something to joke about".
We turned on the TV and saw the news reports.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
This could be worrisome:
"Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence"
The question is: Is it incompetence, or malice?
FBI Stops All Appeals Of Gun Owner Background Checks
So far I have never been Denied. Flagged once and Delayed, but never was I unable to purchase a firearm (eventually).
But what if you are Denied? Currently, there is no one to whom you can appeal. No one to see if an error was made, or if there is something in their records that is erroneous.
Yer just fucked.
Now, it could be that this is just mismanagement, or this could be temporary, or it could be that a larger number of people each moth will be Denied....
One way to prevent the proliferation of guns, innit?
Yeah, I don't trust many government officials. Many of those that aren't WAY beyond their Peter Principal levels are just plain incompetent, or are simply doing what they are told whether it is right/just moral or not.....If they even care that much. A large percentage couldn't hold a job in the real world without Civil Service protections or racial or gender set asides and quotas.
Having said that, their leaders are not always incompetent and sometimes have an agenda.
Which is this? Incompetence, or malice?
(Found via Wirecutter)
The question is: Is it incompetence, or malice?
FBI Stops All Appeals Of Gun Owner Background Checks
So far I have never been Denied. Flagged once and Delayed, but never was I unable to purchase a firearm (eventually).
But what if you are Denied? Currently, there is no one to whom you can appeal. No one to see if an error was made, or if there is something in their records that is erroneous.
Yer just fucked.
Now, it could be that this is just mismanagement, or this could be temporary, or it could be that a larger number of people each moth will be Denied....
One way to prevent the proliferation of guns, innit?
Yeah, I don't trust many government officials. Many of those that aren't WAY beyond their Peter Principal levels are just plain incompetent, or are simply doing what they are told whether it is right/just moral or not.....If they even care that much. A large percentage couldn't hold a job in the real world without Civil Service protections or racial or gender set asides and quotas.
Having said that, their leaders are not always incompetent and sometimes have an agenda.
Which is this? Incompetence, or malice?
(Found via Wirecutter)
Did they really think it was gonna end any other way?
Really trying (and failing) to find sympathy here.....(I need to note that I wasn't there, and can only make a judgement on what I (think) I know...)
So the FBI decided that the time was ripe:
The leaders left the Refuge (really bad tactic), and therefore their only safe haven, to speak at a community meeting down the road.....
Once they left the Refuge, they were a target. Little or no support.... The Feds took advantage of their situation. Once they left the rest of their party, they were vulnerable.
Starting a gunfight when you are stopped at a place of the other sides choosing, surrounded by armed men....with no support from your comrades?....Letting the other side choose the time and place (and terrain)?
Bad idea. (We don't know who shot first)
Never ends well. And it didn't end well in this instance. Bad decisions led to bad outcomes. Perhaps it was Hubris....I dunno
But really, how could they think that this would end any differently, no matter what the circumstances that started it?
It either ended away from the Refuge, or it ends AT the refuge. Now or later.
Not taking sides here, but I don't see how this can/could end any other way, except with gunfire and deaths.Bad tactics, from the start.
Taking a stand is one thing, Defying the Federal Government, without the support of the populace, is another. This should have ended 4 days after it started, when the rest of the US population chose not to rally to them.
I really don't see where the leaders of this "Movement" had planned this out very well.
One man is dead, and the folks that are supposedly leading this movement are in custody. For what?
When one breaks the law, one must be prepared to pay the price when caught.
I find it hard to feel sympathy for any of these folks.
So the FBI decided that the time was ripe:
The leaders left the Refuge (really bad tactic), and therefore their only safe haven, to speak at a community meeting down the road.....
Once they left the Refuge, they were a target. Little or no support.... The Feds took advantage of their situation. Once they left the rest of their party, they were vulnerable.
Starting a gunfight when you are stopped at a place of the other sides choosing, surrounded by armed men....with no support from your comrades?....Letting the other side choose the time and place (and terrain)?
Bad idea. (We don't know who shot first)
Never ends well. And it didn't end well in this instance. Bad decisions led to bad outcomes. Perhaps it was Hubris....I dunno
But really, how could they think that this would end any differently, no matter what the circumstances that started it?
It either ended away from the Refuge, or it ends AT the refuge. Now or later.
Not taking sides here, but I don't see how this can/could end any other way, except with gunfire and deaths.Bad tactics, from the start.
Taking a stand is one thing, Defying the Federal Government, without the support of the populace, is another. This should have ended 4 days after it started, when the rest of the US population chose not to rally to them.
I really don't see where the leaders of this "Movement" had planned this out very well.
One man is dead, and the folks that are supposedly leading this movement are in custody. For what?
When one breaks the law, one must be prepared to pay the price when caught.
I find it hard to feel sympathy for any of these folks.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Breaking:
Apparently the feds have gotten tired of waiting in Burns Oregon.
Rumor has it that shots were fired, theFeds have control of the compound and Ammon Bundy and others are in Custody. Casualties (unknown as to whose casualties they might be...) are in the hospital, hospital is on lockdown.
More as it develops.
ETA: The Feds have told the rest of the occupiers that they can go, and they should just go now, while they can.
Rumor has it that shots were fired, the
More as it develops.
ETA: The Feds have told the rest of the occupiers that they can go, and they should just go now, while they can.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Suggestions?
Got a friends who is looking for her second carry gun.
She is looking for a DAO pistol, single stack.
I gave her my Sig P250 to try, but she is a curvy girl, and cannot easily conceal it. She likes the trigger, but it is too bulky for her
She likes the feel of the Glock 43, but it isn't DAO. She is kinda stuck on the longer trigger.....
She doesn't want a tiny 9mm, but she does want a concealable 9mm....
Any suggestions?
She is looking for a DAO pistol, single stack.
I gave her my Sig P250 to try, but she is a curvy girl, and cannot easily conceal it. She likes the trigger, but it is too bulky for her
She likes the feel of the Glock 43, but it isn't DAO. She is kinda stuck on the longer trigger.....
She doesn't want a tiny 9mm, but she does want a concealable 9mm....
Any suggestions?
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Another class
I'm helping teach yet another NRA First Steps pistol course. Demand for this course has grown to the point where we are teaching once a month and the classes are full every time (the classroom at our range accommodates 27 max).
More and more people are getting serious about carrying, and this class is as it is called, the first step. Women, non-white people (in an an area that is probably 90% white) are taking this class. Lots of interest, we could run 3 classes a month, but there are only so many instructors..... Used to be a few years ago, we had issues getting enough interest for a once a month class that was half full, not so much today. Every time Barry talks, attendance jumps. Plus crime is rising everywhere, and people are realizing that the police just make a report after the fact....(or, as one of my students pointed out,if they aren't drawing a line with chalk around your body)
We charge just a bit more than the NRA charges us for the class, (covers insurance and a few dollars per person for the range facilities) none of the instructors or coaches are paid, the pop and coffee is free and range time is at zero cost.
I enjoy this, and I owe a lot of folks who taught me 30-40 years ago, few of whom I am able to thank, cause they have passed. So this is my thanks to them......
Payin' it forward, one person at a time.
More and more people are getting serious about carrying, and this class is as it is called, the first step. Women, non-white people (in an an area that is probably 90% white) are taking this class. Lots of interest, we could run 3 classes a month, but there are only so many instructors..... Used to be a few years ago, we had issues getting enough interest for a once a month class that was half full, not so much today. Every time Barry talks, attendance jumps. Plus crime is rising everywhere, and people are realizing that the police just make a report after the fact....(or, as one of my students pointed out,if they aren't drawing a line with chalk around your body)
We charge just a bit more than the NRA charges us for the class, (covers insurance and a few dollars per person for the range facilities) none of the instructors or coaches are paid, the pop and coffee is free and range time is at zero cost.
I enjoy this, and I owe a lot of folks who taught me 30-40 years ago, few of whom I am able to thank, cause they have passed. So this is my thanks to them......
Payin' it forward, one person at a time.
JMB
Today is JMB day,....IMO, should be a National Holiday.
Yes, the Birthday of John Moses Browning.
'Twas his genius which created such firearms as the Model 19898, Model 19892 and 19894 lever actions....and the M-60 family of machineguns. And other designs.
And, of course, the Model 1911 pistol, that tilting barrel action which has essentially influenced the creation of nearly every non-blowback pistol on the market today.
There were many others, but these are the highlights.
Yes, the Birthday of John Moses Browning.
'Twas his genius which created such firearms as the Model 1
And, of course, the Model 1911 pistol, that tilting barrel action which has essentially influenced the creation of nearly every non-blowback pistol on the market today.
There were many others, but these are the highlights.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
It never ceases to amaze me
That people who are terribly emotionally tied up in an argument, when it is pointed out to them the flaw in their argument or position, cannot accept their failure in logic.
"Yes, but...."
"A=B Yes? "
"Yeah"
"B=C, yes?"
"Yes"
"Therefore A=C,"
"NONONONONONO.....I think that...."
Aaaaand around we go again. Emotion is the enemy of logic for many people. Religion is the only thing that trumps that.....
"Yes, but...."
"A=B Yes? "
"Yeah"
"B=C, yes?"
"Yes"
"Therefore A=C,"
"NONONONONONO.....I think that...."
Aaaaand around we go again. Emotion is the enemy of logic for many people. Religion is the only thing that trumps that.....
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
How many black people
Who think the Oscars are too white, and that blacks are ......underrepresented in the awards, shall we say....
Are going to vote Democratic this year...
and choose between Hillary Clinton (a white woman) and Bernie Sanders(a white man) and not complain about how they are underrepresented....?
I mean, double standards are fine, up to a point.
Are going to vote Democratic this year...
and choose between Hillary Clinton (a white woman) and Bernie Sanders(a white man) and not complain about how they are underrepresented....?
I mean, double standards are fine, up to a point.
The blue cities are imploding
The Blue model is beginning to show the cracks....
First Baltimore and that poorly run police department (and the mayor who said, in effect, "Let the niggers riot")..
Then we hear about the failure in Flint, Michigan. and the elevated lead level in the water (although I doubt that the lead levels in the kids are solely from a years worth of slightly acidic river water eroding pipes)....and the Hype by the Media is that no one can in any way use the water, even for bathing or washing......or even flushing. Instead, an example of how dependent these citizens are, is that the National Guard must DELIVER water door to door, because the residents apparently cannot even rouse themselves to go to distribution centers to get the FREE WATER.... The Democrats failed that city so badly that the State took over most operations in Flint....
And now, the TEACHERS in Detroit have become so disgusted with the conditions in the school building (Mold, Rats,leaky ceilings, rotting floors, lack of heat, etc) that they are staging a "Sick Out".
What do these cities (and the Greater St Louis, and the Katrina era New Orleans and most "old" US cities) have in common?
Yep, run by Democrats for 30 or more years. Run into the ground. Political appointees with little proper backgrounds (Usually a degree in something like Political Science) making decisions that affect millions, both immediately and into the future...
Chicago, Milwaukee Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and many others are not far behind.
And now the cities are crumbling, and the wealth is going to the suburbs, or elsewhere, leaving only the poor to reap the results of the leadership failure.
Expect more reports of infrastructure failures and failures of leadership to come from these cities run by those who follow the DNC.
First Baltimore and that poorly run police department (and the mayor who said, in effect, "Let the niggers riot")..
Then we hear about the failure in Flint, Michigan. and the elevated lead level in the water (although I doubt that the lead levels in the kids are solely from a years worth of slightly acidic river water eroding pipes)....and the Hype by the Media is that no one can in any way use the water, even for bathing or washing......or even flushing. Instead, an example of how dependent these citizens are, is that the National Guard must DELIVER water door to door, because the residents apparently cannot even rouse themselves to go to distribution centers to get the FREE WATER.... The Democrats failed that city so badly that the State took over most operations in Flint....
And now, the TEACHERS in Detroit have become so disgusted with the conditions in the school building (Mold, Rats,leaky ceilings, rotting floors, lack of heat, etc) that they are staging a "Sick Out".
What do these cities (and the Greater St Louis, and the Katrina era New Orleans and most "old" US cities) have in common?
Yep, run by Democrats for 30 or more years. Run into the ground. Political appointees with little proper backgrounds (Usually a degree in something like Political Science) making decisions that affect millions, both immediately and into the future...
Chicago, Milwaukee Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and many others are not far behind.
And now the cities are crumbling, and the wealth is going to the suburbs, or elsewhere, leaving only the poor to reap the results of the leadership failure.
Expect more reports of infrastructure failures and failures of leadership to come from these cities run by those who follow the DNC.
Snowpocalypse
Or something.
I mean....."Blizzerdd warnings!!!!!!....As much as (haha, you whiney little wimps) a FOOT of snow in a day! Zomg! Prepare! (actually, in the winter (or any time) you should be prepared for a week without heat or electricity and the possibility that you can't get out because of the weather...)..
The authorities are sounding the alarm:
12 inches in a day and up to 20 inches in the storm total? Here, we call it a "significant snowfall".... and go on about our business. Winds of "up to 35 MPH with gusts of 60"....gee, guess you'll have to buy a frikkin hat and maybe some gloves (although it isn't supposed to be that terribly cold....). Possibility of ice? Better get some (fresh) gas for the genset....... So you can power the Dish and all...
Seriously, this is gonna be a decent snowfall and winter storm, but the hype and panic are making me laugh.....Many parts of the US and Canada wouldn't even slow down for a "Winter Storm" such as this....But because it will impact both DC and New York Cittee, the news folks are going apeshit.
If this happened in Rapid City S.D or OKC, the national news probably wouldn't even mention it....
I mean....."Blizzerdd warnings!!!!!!....As much as (haha, you whiney little wimps) a FOOT of snow in a day! Zomg! Prepare! (actually, in the winter (or any time) you should be prepared for a week without heat or electricity and the possibility that you can't get out because of the weather...)..
The authorities are sounding the alarm:
12 inches in a day and up to 20 inches in the storm total? Here, we call it a "significant snowfall".... and go on about our business. Winds of "up to 35 MPH with gusts of 60"....gee, guess you'll have to buy a frikkin hat and maybe some gloves (although it isn't supposed to be that terribly cold....). Possibility of ice? Better get some (fresh) gas for the genset....... So you can power the Dish and all...
Seriously, this is gonna be a decent snowfall and winter storm, but the hype and panic are making me laugh.....Many parts of the US and Canada wouldn't even slow down for a "Winter Storm" such as this....But because it will impact both DC and New York Cittee, the news folks are going apeshit.
If this happened in Rapid City S.D or OKC, the national news probably wouldn't even mention it....
Monday, January 18, 2016
Glenn Frey
Has passed.
Gone to the Hotel California.
Hope he is takin' it easy.....
Jesus, the musicians and performers of my youth are fallin' like dominoes....
Gone to the Hotel California.
Hope he is takin' it easy.....
Jesus, the musicians and performers of my youth are fallin' like dominoes....
MLK's dream:
(BTW, his Birthday was the 15th, but the Democrats move it around so the Government employees have an extra long weekend every year.....)...Hardly a tribute to the man when his day just becomes another day off....
So here we are....53 (actually 52-1/2) years later after his big speech on the Mall in Washington.
Is his dream alive?.
Depends. Most places, yes, it thrives. If people are willing to let it.
Ferinstance:
We bowl with a bunch of people. All races. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian. It is a fun league, and we do have a lot o fun.....together. Color/race/ethnicity is not a factor in our relationships. No one really cares. The kids that run around are treated as kids. Children of all races play together...Adults of all colors watch out for those same kids. Asshole adults are treated like assholes (they don't stick around long).....Content of Character is really the only judgement....No one acts like a "Yo" or an inbred cracker....everyone is a decent solid citizen. Cops from Gary mingle with firefighters from Portage who mingle with business owners from Valparaiso......all fairly well educated and who speak English. People wearing Hijabs are looked at, but are treated with courtesy and politeness...and not noticed..... like everyone else.
Same-Same at the gunshow this weekend. The folks showing and selling Nazi items were, for the most part, shunned. The crowd was mostly white, but no one cared about the other ethnicities....I didn't see a single vendor turn anyone with cash away from a sale.... Yes, there were a lot of assholes....they were treated as such, no matter what their skin color. Decent people who acted well were treated politely. The big point here is that no one CARED what your ethnicity was. Buyers were treated like buyers....ethnicity was, for the most part, ignored. If you didn't look (and more importantly ACT) like a gangbanger, or a skinhead, then you were not treated any differently than any of the rest of the crowd.
The point is that no one gets treated special, or differently based on skin color or ethnicity. Everyone gets treated the same.
MLK's "Dream" may not be alive everywhere, but here in the Middle and upper class midwest, it lives and breathes.
So here we are....53 (actually 52-1/2) years later after his big speech on the Mall in Washington.
Is his dream alive?.
Depends. Most places, yes, it thrives. If people are willing to let it.
Ferinstance:
We bowl with a bunch of people. All races. White, Black, Hispanic, Asian. It is a fun league, and we do have a lot o fun.....together. Color/race/ethnicity is not a factor in our relationships. No one really cares. The kids that run around are treated as kids. Children of all races play together...Adults of all colors watch out for those same kids. Asshole adults are treated like assholes (they don't stick around long).....Content of Character is really the only judgement....No one acts like a "Yo" or an inbred cracker....everyone is a decent solid citizen. Cops from Gary mingle with firefighters from Portage who mingle with business owners from Valparaiso......all fairly well educated and who speak English. People wearing Hijabs are looked at, but are treated with courtesy and politeness...and not noticed..... like everyone else.
Same-Same at the gunshow this weekend. The folks showing and selling Nazi items were, for the most part, shunned. The crowd was mostly white, but no one cared about the other ethnicities....I didn't see a single vendor turn anyone with cash away from a sale.... Yes, there were a lot of assholes....they were treated as such, no matter what their skin color. Decent people who acted well were treated politely. The big point here is that no one CARED what your ethnicity was. Buyers were treated like buyers....ethnicity was, for the most part, ignored. If you didn't look (and more importantly ACT) like a gangbanger, or a skinhead, then you were not treated any differently than any of the rest of the crowd.
The point is that no one gets treated special, or differently based on skin color or ethnicity. Everyone gets treated the same.
MLK's "Dream" may not be alive everywhere, but here in the Middle and upper class midwest, it lives and breathes.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
WOW
I mean,.... (name for a mexican landscaper) H tapdancin' Cheeerist.
The Indy 1500 had a line to get in about 400 people long. AT 11:15 AM/ (the Show opens at 8).
Crowded? Like a can of pickled Norwegian Herring. I actually skipped a row and came back later several times because they were SO crowded. Had I not driven 2 hours to get there, I'da left and gone back home.....(Plus I wanted to say "Hi" to Tam)
The show promoters must LOVE IT when Barry opens his pie hole.......figure at least 15,000 people (at $12.00 a pop) That is some real cash profit there. Might have been 20K or more. I am not that good at figuring those kind of crowds
No real deals to be had though. guns or ammo. (At least not by the time I got there) fewer private sales folks too, I noticed....so Barry has had some effect....maybe? ....I dunno.
All in all, a friend turned an old Colt government model into a new Mustang and a bit of cash, and I left with a decent pair of scissors......But that was it. I came to spend some money,,,,,,,but not spend it foolishly....so I left with nearly all that I brung.
Armslist it is then.
The Indy 1500 had a line to get in about 400 people long. AT 11:15 AM/ (the Show opens at 8).
Crowded? Like a can of pickled Norwegian Herring. I actually skipped a row and came back later several times because they were SO crowded. Had I not driven 2 hours to get there, I'da left and gone back home.....(Plus I wanted to say "Hi" to Tam)
The show promoters must LOVE IT when Barry opens his pie hole.......figure at least 15,000 people (at $12.00 a pop) That is some real cash profit there. Might have been 20K or more. I am not that good at figuring those kind of crowds
No real deals to be had though. guns or ammo. (At least not by the time I got there) fewer private sales folks too, I noticed....so Barry has had some effect....maybe? ....I dunno.
All in all, a friend turned an old Colt government model into a new Mustang and a bit of cash, and I left with a decent pair of scissors......But that was it. I came to spend some money,,,,,,,but not spend it foolishly....so I left with nearly all that I brung.
Armslist it is then.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Planz finalized.
I will be at the Indy 1500 from about 1:30 am Local time.....until probably 4.
Hope the line isn't too long.
If yer gonna be there, and want to meet up, drop me your cell number in an email (TheMiddleOfTheRight at theGMayl dot Kom
Hope the line isn't too long.
If yer gonna be there, and want to meet up, drop me your cell number in an email (TheMiddleOfTheRight at theGMayl dot Kom
Thursday, January 14, 2016
It has begun....
At least in Finland.
Apparently, the north African "refugees" (from Syria, of course) are (and have been) misbehaving in Finland as well as Sweden and Germany....
Enter the Sons of Odin.
Vigilantes? Perhaps. Just a gang? Maybe.
Or it could be that people are pissed off enough that their government has allowed a bunch of unemployed young men from Northern Africa who are, at best, unsuited to be in a "civilized" western society...especially with no one to teach them how to behave in their new digs. (if they ever, in fact, even knew how to behave at all, anywhere)
I think that these patrols get more support than what the Finnish government might like you to believe. But they are a symptom of the failure of the Government and the Police to fix the problem unchecked immigration has caused.
How long til the pogroms begin in Germany.....they do, you know, have a history and all....
Apparently, the north African "refugees" (from Syria, of course) are (and have been) misbehaving in Finland as well as Sweden and Germany....
Enter the Sons of Odin.
Vigilantes? Perhaps. Just a gang? Maybe.
Or it could be that people are pissed off enough that their government has allowed a bunch of unemployed young men from Northern Africa who are, at best, unsuited to be in a "civilized" western society...especially with no one to teach them how to behave in their new digs. (if they ever, in fact, even knew how to behave at all, anywhere)
I think that these patrols get more support than what the Finnish government might like you to believe. But they are a symptom of the failure of the Government and the Police to fix the problem unchecked immigration has caused.
How long til the pogroms begin in Germany.....they do, you know, have a history and all....
That was then
This is Now.
Read:
America used to know how to assimilate immigrants
What he leaves out is how easy it is today (and how hard it was then) to enter the country.
And the fact that the trip was, essentially, one way. Then, it was 2 weeks or more travel to get to the US (and roughly the same home) and cost about half a years wages. One left friends and family behind forever, for the most part. One had to commit to living in the "new World" for the rest of your life....
Today you can fly "home" anywhere in the world in less than 12 hours (maybe a bit more if you live in Australia) and easily return, at less than a months wages for most people.
And while thre may have been Irish Ghettos and "Little Italy" and places where only the Polacks or the Hunkies lived, they worked alongside other American.....and had to learn at least some english to communicate and survive....A common language that helped make them all one people. No one accommodated them, they accommodated their new world and new home.
The kids were mixed in together in school and learned English and by the second or third generation were truly amalgamated Americans, even if they held to the cultures of the old home country.
Accommodating our recent immigrants has prevented them from assimilating.
Read:
America used to know how to assimilate immigrants
What he leaves out is how easy it is today (and how hard it was then) to enter the country.
And the fact that the trip was, essentially, one way. Then, it was 2 weeks or more travel to get to the US (and roughly the same home) and cost about half a years wages. One left friends and family behind forever, for the most part. One had to commit to living in the "new World" for the rest of your life....
Today you can fly "home" anywhere in the world in less than 12 hours (maybe a bit more if you live in Australia) and easily return, at less than a months wages for most people.
And while thre may have been Irish Ghettos and "Little Italy" and places where only the Polacks or the Hunkies lived, they worked alongside other American.....and had to learn at least some english to communicate and survive....A common language that helped make them all one people. No one accommodated them, they accommodated their new world and new home.
The kids were mixed in together in school and learned English and by the second or third generation were truly amalgamated Americans, even if they held to the cultures of the old home country.
Accommodating our recent immigrants has prevented them from assimilating.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Hey, it's a renewable resource....
So I'm drivin' the Dodge Diesel today (actually delivering some used Veggie oil to a guy who uses it to heat with)
Anyway, I stop to buy my usual lottery tickets at the local gas station, and, seeing as how the truck hadn't warmed up yet (it was 3 above F this morning when I started it) I left it run while I went in.
Some woman came in and was grumbling about the asshole letting his diesel truck "spew fumes across the landscape".... and "burning carbon and wasting energy". (not that she was riding a bicycle or anything, mind you....
"But it isn't diesel" I said.
"What?" she asked
"It's whale oil. Humpback whales, actually... I buy it by the 55 gallon barrel. Burns cleaner and it is a renewable resource".
Kinda fun watching her face kinda screw itself up.
I smiled and left.
***I hate EnviroNazis....Especially those who like to lecture on Carbon Footprint. I'll go against nearly anyone when it comes to carbon emissions. Unless you live in a yurt I probably have a smaller carbon footprint than you. Most EnviroNazis really don't live the lifestyle their stated belief would suggest.
Not actually whale oil. Can't use it in the winter....gets too thick below 30 F.
Anyway, I stop to buy my usual lottery tickets at the local gas station, and, seeing as how the truck hadn't warmed up yet (it was 3 above F this morning when I started it) I left it run while I went in.
Some woman came in and was grumbling about the asshole letting his diesel truck "spew fumes across the landscape".... and "burning carbon and wasting energy". (not that she was riding a bicycle or anything, mind you....
"But it isn't diesel" I said.
"What?" she asked
"It's whale oil. Humpback whales, actually... I buy it by the 55 gallon barrel. Burns cleaner and it is a renewable resource".
Kinda fun watching her face kinda screw itself up.
I smiled and left.
***I hate EnviroNazis....Especially those who like to lecture on Carbon Footprint. I'll go against nearly anyone when it comes to carbon emissions. Unless you live in a yurt I probably have a smaller carbon footprint than you. Most EnviroNazis really don't live the lifestyle their stated belief would suggest.
Not actually whale oil. Can't use it in the winter....gets too thick below 30 F.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Holee SHIT
SO again NO ONE WON the big PowerBall prize.
leaving us with a projected prize of $1.3 Billion. (yes, with a B) (I bet it goes much higher than that, actually)...
Now I gotta buy tikets again.
Sure hope I win this time. The waiting is killing me.....
ETA: this will (should he be the lucky one and all that), at least make for a bigger Island for Murph....and more warriorettes...and bigger awarships and better warplanes.
leaving us with a projected prize of $1.3 Billion. (yes, with a B) (I bet it goes much higher than that, actually)...
Now I gotta buy tikets again.
Sure hope I win this time. The waiting is killing me.....
ETA: this will (should he be the lucky one and all that), at least make for a bigger Island for Murph....and more warriorettes...and bigger awarships and better warplanes.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Stuff dreams are made of:
Didja buy yer PowerBall Tikket?
current estimates put the prize at $800 MILLION.
so, lessee, lump sum payment, so $450 Million...
Taxes on that at what? 40%,,,, SO you go home with something like 270 MILLION dollarz, all taxes paid.
That really wouldn't suck. I'm not sure I could spend it all ...Even helping Family and Friends.
I mean, one can do only so much partying....
But it will be fun trying to spend it.
Here's hopin'
current estimates put the prize at $800 MILLION.
so, lessee, lump sum payment, so $450 Million...
Taxes on that at what? 40%,,,, SO you go home with something like 270 MILLION dollarz, all taxes paid.
That really wouldn't suck. I'm not sure I could spend it all ...Even helping Family and Friends.
I mean, one can do only so much partying....
But it will be fun trying to spend it.
Here's hopin'
Friday, January 8, 2016
NRA propaganda:
But, in this case, it is true.
Show this to EVERY person you know. If you Facebook or whatever, post it there.
Make sure the truth get out there.
With your help, we can make the truth known.
"Can't stop the signal".
HT: Komrade Karl
Show this to EVERY person you know. If you Facebook or whatever, post it there.
Make sure the truth get out there.
With your help, we can make the truth known.
"Can't stop the signal".
HT: Komrade Karl
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Let's look at one of Barry's examples:
Zaevion William Dobson's example, to be precise.
He's the young hero whose corpse Barry held up who Obama used as a prop so he could shed a tear.
Kid WAS a hero. Might have become someone according to reports.... (if he didn't fall prey to the Black Culture that destroys so many young black men) His killer(s)? They were gang members. Probably would have looked like Barry's sons, had he been able to sire any.....Didn't have their guns legally. Barry's new pronouncements would not have changed anything, were that to happen 6 months from now instead of in Mid December 2015.
If Barry really wants to fix the "gun problem" then he needs to deal with drugs, gangs, and yes, Black culture.
Blacks do more killing of each other (both with and without guns, actually) in their neighborhoods (percentage wise) than any other demographic. Hard to admit for many, especially blacks, but that is true. They commit more crimes, and therefore encounter police officers more often than the rest of us....
Few legal gun owners commit crimes. Lots of illegal gun owners do. A fairly high percentage of those illegal gun owners are black. Fix the illegal gun owners issue, and nearly every one of your gun problems will go away.
Unless the end goal is civil disarmament, of course.
He's the young hero w
Kid WAS a hero. Might have become someone according to reports.... (if he didn't fall prey to the Black Culture that destroys so many young black men) His killer(s)? They were gang members. Probably would have looked like Barry's sons, had he been able to sire any.....Didn't have their guns legally. Barry's new pronouncements would not have changed anything, were that to happen 6 months from now instead of in Mid December 2015.
If Barry really wants to fix the "gun problem" then he needs to deal with drugs, gangs, and yes, Black culture.
Blacks do more killing of each other (both with and without guns, actually) in their neighborhoods (percentage wise) than any other demographic. Hard to admit for many, especially blacks, but that is true. They commit more crimes, and therefore encounter police officers more often than the rest of us....
Few legal gun owners commit crimes. Lots of illegal gun owners do. A fairly high percentage of those illegal gun owners are black. Fix the illegal gun owners issue, and nearly every one of your gun problems will go away.
Unless the end goal is civil disarmament, of course.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Even NPR sees it:
Hears this referenced on the radio and had to research it when I got home:
The Case For Civil Disobedience in Oregon
It is an interesting article detailing the excesses that the folks in Burns are protesting.
If NPR is trying to be sympathetic to these folks, then there has been, and is an issue with the behavior of the BLM....but we knew that already, didn't we?
The Case For Civil Disobedience in Oregon
It is an interesting article detailing the excesses that the folks in Burns are protesting.
If NPR is trying to be sympathetic to these folks, then there has been, and is an issue with the behavior of the BLM....but we knew that already, didn't we?
Of course it does...
Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Has Serious Problems
You should "upgrade" to windows 10 immediately....
Of not, because there really aren't any issues with Windows 7. In fact, it operates over 50% of the WORLDS computers.
But Microsoft wants you to upgrade. Because. Borg.
(Me, I hear that they will support it 'til 2020, so if my hardware lasts that long, I'm gonna stay right here in 7 land).
(YMMV, past results are not indicitatve of future earnings, always practice safe sex. brush daily, and wear your boots)
You should "upgrade" to windows 10 immediately....
Of not, because there really aren't any issues with Windows 7. In fact, it operates over 50% of the WORLDS computers.
But Microsoft wants you to upgrade. Because. Borg.
(Me, I hear that they will support it 'til 2020, so if my hardware lasts that long, I'm gonna stay right here in 7 land).
(YMMV, past results are not indicitatve of future earnings, always practice safe sex. brush daily, and wear your boots)
As reported: The Executive Orders
(my comments are bolded)
Closes 'gun-show' loophole
Require gun dealers, whether they sell in a store, at gun shows or over the internet, to conduct background checks on those wanting to purchase a firearm. The administration is not setting a limit on the number of transactions someone can make before they are considered a "gun dealer" but notes that "even a few transactions" can be enough to require a license and a background check. Failure to obtain a license can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
So this really does nothing, as all FFL's have to do background checks anyway. Unless there is a limit put on how many private sales one can do in a certain amount of time, this has no teeth. Private sales are private sales. If no records then who can tell? (there really was never a "Gun Show Loophole")
Close loophole related to trust and corporate purchases
The National Firearms Act restricts sale of weapons such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. In recent years, individuals have been able to avoid background checks by purchasing these weapons through trusts, corporations or other legal entities. The number of these types of applications grew from fewer than 900 in 2000 to more than 90,000 in 2014, the White House said. The order will require people purchasing these weapons through trusts or other legal entities to undergo a background check.
Not really a big deal for most of us, and it has only been a big deal (and doubled or a bit more) in 2013 and beyond.....So it will, at most affect a few thousand class three people.....most of whom did the trusts for other reasons than to avoid the background check....And very few people ar killed with either legal silencers or legal full auto machine guns.
State participation
Obama said Attorney General Loretta Lynch has written a letter to states urging them to provide complete information, such as criminal history, to the federal database that's used for background checks. The AG's office is also asking states to increase communications with anti-domestic violence agencies.
Again, really a toothless thing
Streamline background check system
In 2015, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System received more than 22.2 million background checks, an average of about 63,000 per day. Under current law, if a background check isn't returned within three days, a dealer can move ahead with the sale. To speed up and modernize NCIS, the order directs the FBI to hire more than 230 staffers - a move that would double staff size - and complete technical updates to the database. The goal is for background checks to be processed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Cool! better service! Yeah!
Lost or stolen guns
The order also stipulates requirements related to what happens if a gun is lost or stolen while in transit to a firearms dealer. Dealers are required to report lost or stolen weapons from their inventory but the laws related to guns that go missing during transit aren't as clear. Under the new order, the licensee shipping the gun will be responsible for reporting it missing or stolen.
So a law is clarified. Cool.
Mental health services
The White House is proposing to spend $500 million for increased mental healthcare services. Other provisions include reporting of Social Security information to the background check system, a move designed to keep those with mental health issues or who receive disability payments due to mental impairment from purchasing firearms.
Wouldn't have stopped Homes or Lanza, or likely kept Gabby Giffords from being shot in the head. I fail to see what, besides posturing, he is gonna fix here...Patient Privacy still is in force, so much reporting is still not gonna take place.
Gun technology
The president is issuing a memorandum to the Department of Defense, Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to increase research into gun safety technology. The memo also directs the agencies to promote the use and acquisition of new firearm technology.
So, really, the above is nothing but words. But that is all we really can expect from Barry, isn't it?
Increased personnel, other measures
The White House said the president's 2017 budget will include funding for 200 new Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents to enforce gun laws. Another $4 million will go towards enhancements to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, which tracks evidence that can be used to link gun-related crimes.
Why wait until 2017? Why not RIGHT NOW? Isn't even one life saved worth it? Guess where Barry will be in 2017? Yeah, not caring, really.
*****
So effectively, if this list is complete,, Barry is gonna make a whole lot of noise and actually, with the exception of better staffing for NICS and all, really gonna make a lot of noise, but really do nothing to change anything or do anything to keep people safe(er) from criminals with guns. (he won't address the real issue: that most gun violence is from people who would look like his son if he had had one)
Closes 'gun-show' loophole
Require gun dealers, whether they sell in a store, at gun shows or over the internet, to conduct background checks on those wanting to purchase a firearm. The administration is not setting a limit on the number of transactions someone can make before they are considered a "gun dealer" but notes that "even a few transactions" can be enough to require a license and a background check. Failure to obtain a license can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
So this really does nothing, as all FFL's have to do background checks anyway. Unless there is a limit put on how many private sales one can do in a certain amount of time, this has no teeth. Private sales are private sales. If no records then who can tell? (there really was never a "Gun Show Loophole")
Close loophole related to trust and corporate purchases
The National Firearms Act restricts sale of weapons such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. In recent years, individuals have been able to avoid background checks by purchasing these weapons through trusts, corporations or other legal entities. The number of these types of applications grew from fewer than 900 in 2000 to more than 90,000 in 2014, the White House said. The order will require people purchasing these weapons through trusts or other legal entities to undergo a background check.
Not really a big deal for most of us, and it has only been a big deal (and doubled or a bit more) in 2013 and beyond.....So it will, at most affect a few thousand class three people.....most of whom did the trusts for other reasons than to avoid the background check....And very few people ar killed with either legal silencers or legal full auto machine guns.
State participation
Obama said Attorney General Loretta Lynch has written a letter to states urging them to provide complete information, such as criminal history, to the federal database that's used for background checks. The AG's office is also asking states to increase communications with anti-domestic violence agencies.
Again, really a toothless thing
Streamline background check system
In 2015, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System received more than 22.2 million background checks, an average of about 63,000 per day. Under current law, if a background check isn't returned within three days, a dealer can move ahead with the sale. To speed up and modernize NCIS, the order directs the FBI to hire more than 230 staffers - a move that would double staff size - and complete technical updates to the database. The goal is for background checks to be processed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Cool! better service! Yeah!
Lost or stolen guns
The order also stipulates requirements related to what happens if a gun is lost or stolen while in transit to a firearms dealer. Dealers are required to report lost or stolen weapons from their inventory but the laws related to guns that go missing during transit aren't as clear. Under the new order, the licensee shipping the gun will be responsible for reporting it missing or stolen.
So a law is clarified. Cool.
Mental health services
The White House is proposing to spend $500 million for increased mental healthcare services. Other provisions include reporting of Social Security information to the background check system, a move designed to keep those with mental health issues or who receive disability payments due to mental impairment from purchasing firearms.
Wouldn't have stopped Homes or Lanza, or likely kept Gabby Giffords from being shot in the head. I fail to see what, besides posturing, he is gonna fix here...Patient Privacy still is in force, so much reporting is still not gonna take place.
Gun technology
The president is issuing a memorandum to the Department of Defense, Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to increase research into gun safety technology. The memo also directs the agencies to promote the use and acquisition of new firearm technology.
So, really, the above is nothing but words. But that is all we really can expect from Barry, isn't it?
Increased personnel, other measures
The White House said the president's 2017 budget will include funding for 200 new Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents to enforce gun laws. Another $4 million will go towards enhancements to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, which tracks evidence that can be used to link gun-related crimes.
Why wait until 2017? Why not RIGHT NOW? Isn't even one life saved worth it? Guess where Barry will be in 2017? Yeah, not caring, really.
*****
So effectively, if this list is complete,, Barry is gonna make a whole lot of noise and actually, with the exception of better staffing for NICS and all, really gonna make a lot of noise, but really do nothing to change anything or do anything to keep people safe(er) from criminals with guns. (he won't address the real issue: that most gun violence is from people who would look like his son if he had had one)
Monday, January 4, 2016
pretty clear
Read this if you need a pretty clear (and concise) explanation of what is happening in Oregon that has sparked the (illegal) occupation by a bunch of so called Militia...
For the record: I think the BLM has done everything they could to destroy the Hammonds, and their staff members conduct is inexcusable and contemptible....and possibly criminal if it comes to that. But that is no excuse for perpetrating a felony.
I think the fools that are protesting by occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters are doing no one any favors, least of all themselves. I also think that they are being led by a government agitator. Sadly, this can only end in bloodshed or jail time for these men. Nothing good will come of their actions. The media will portray them as armed, aggressive fools. They will not get the support that happened at the Bundy Ranch. The Hammonds and the people of Harney County don't support them, and they are closest to the area and the issue.
Sad, really
My only question: Will they be as patient with these men as they were with the leftist "Occupy" movement? Same thing, really, except the Militia folks are not yet shitting on cop cars and such....
For the record: I think the BLM has done everything they could to destroy the Hammonds, and their staff members conduct is inexcusable and contemptible....and possibly criminal if it comes to that. But that is no excuse for perpetrating a felony.
I think the fools that are protesting by occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters are doing no one any favors, least of all themselves. I also think that they are being led by a government agitator. Sadly, this can only end in bloodshed or jail time for these men. Nothing good will come of their actions. The media will portray them as armed, aggressive fools. They will not get the support that happened at the Bundy Ranch. The Hammonds and the people of Harney County don't support them, and they are closest to the area and the issue.
Sad, really
My only question: Will they be as patient with these men as they were with the leftist "Occupy" movement? Same thing, really, except the Militia folks are not yet shitting on cop cars and such....
y'know, I gotta say
That this whole Oregon thing has certainly shaken the tree and gotten the somewhat radical (for whatever level of radical works for you) folks to start shrieking and flinging poo.......at the government, the "Militia" and at each other.
I mean, I realize that I am far from mainstream, but these folks are WAAAAAY beyond that.
Kinda fun to watch, actually. I wonder if the Left has the same issues?
I mean, I realize that I am far from mainstream, but these folks are WAAAAAY beyond that.
Kinda fun to watch, actually. I wonder if the Left has the same issues?
Not a bad idea:
Of course, the feminists and the liberals (two groups who, for the most part have venn diagrams that largely overlap) and the DNC (pretty much ditto) will be screaming about a "woman's right to choose", and "my body my choice" and "entitlements" and all their standard whooraw and such...
But really, He has a point:
Gary Johns’ suggestion that compulsory contraception ‘would help crack intergenerational reproduction of strife’ has been slammed by welfare groups
I think that (here in the US, at least), properly implemented, simple drug tests every month would do more, mind you....one fail and you are allowed rehab, two and you don't get welfare for a year. That, I think, would work better.
But I am told that I am mean, and racist, and all that.
But really, He has a point:
Gary Johns’ suggestion that compulsory contraception ‘would help crack intergenerational reproduction of strife’ has been slammed by welfare groups
I think that (here in the US, at least), properly implemented, simple drug tests every month would do more, mind you....one fail and you are allowed rehab, two and you don't get welfare for a year. That, I think, would work better.
But I am told that I am mean, and racist, and all that.
So, Isn't this "Racist"?
I mean, forcing people to get ID's and all......Especially ID's that meet Federal Standards and such.
Didn't we hear how an ID (of any kind) to vote was a terrible hardship to people, poor people, people of color and all that?
Yet I don't hear the outcry from the DNC or any other liberal organization about this:
Illinois, Missouri and other states State Issued ID (and Drivers licensees) not valid ID for entry into Federal facilities.....Including Airports.... (link fixed)
Isn't that racist? It was a hardship for people to prove their identity to vote....now you have to meet even more stringent Identification standards to fly, or enter a federal courthouse, or a federal prison....Isn't that even more racist(er) or something?
Think about this, however:
Now, to fly DOMESTICALLY, you need either a Compliant State ID, or a US State Department issued PASSPORT....
Haven't we heard this somewhere before?
Ihre Papiere bitte Your Papers, Please......
Didn't we hear how an ID (of any kind) to vote was a terrible hardship to people, poor people, people of color and all that?
Yet I don't hear the outcry from the DNC or any other liberal organization about this:
Illinois, Missouri and other states State Issued ID (and Drivers licensees) not valid ID for entry into Federal facilities.....Including Airports.... (link fixed)
Isn't that racist? It was a hardship for people to prove their identity to vote....now you have to meet even more stringent Identification standards to fly, or enter a federal courthouse, or a federal prison....Isn't that even more racist(er) or something?
Think about this, however:
Now, to fly DOMESTICALLY, you need either a Compliant State ID, or a US State Department issued PASSPORT....
Haven't we heard this somewhere before?
Note that to the "average joe"
That those people in (or actually, near) Burns, Oregon are "Militia"....
They are gonna lump these fools in with people like us.
I'm not so sure that that is an accident, especially with the timing of Barry's coming Anti-Gun push.
I'm fairly certain that this is a setup.
Think about it.
ETA: I just saw Ammon Bundy on CBS....I got the feeling that he isn't sure, exactly, why he is there or what the end goal is....
They are gonna lump these fools in with people like us.
I'm not so sure that that is an accident, especially with the timing of Barry's coming Anti-Gun push.
I'm fairly certain that this is a setup.
Think about it.
ETA: I just saw Ammon Bundy on CBS....I got the feeling that he isn't sure, exactly, why he is there or what the end goal is....
Sunday, January 3, 2016
So where
are the III patriots?
I mean, they have that short bus, and the mobile kitchen and all that that they solicited donations from a shitload of people to acquire.....Just for situations like THIS happening today in Oregon...yet I don't see any of them driving there to feed the protesters.
(Just for the record, I don't think that these folks are gonna make any difference, and really, even the Hammonds (who are going to jail) are not supportive of this protest......And committing a crime on Federal Property isn't a good idea...it is, in fact, a really bad idea...I think about half of the leaders are agent provocateurs)
But this is exactly what those folks gave all their money for.
I mean, they posted that if you didn't donate you weren't a "True Patriot" and all that....(I didn't give 'em a dime....I don't need some keyboard Kommando to tell me whether I am a patriot or not)
ETA:
for a decent overview of this incident (and lots of links) go HERE
(another, somewhat opposing view, HERE)
"Guns don't keep you safe"
Says Hillary Clinton.
Yet she is surrounded by armed men. Odd that. Is she a hypocrite?
The Donald says "If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!”
Which is true, but Hillary only means her words of rule for the little people....
Yet she is surrounded by armed men. Odd that. Is she a hypocrite?
The Donald says "If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!”
Which is true, but Hillary only means her words of rule for the little people....
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Footprints in the sand:
Your inspiration for the day:
And I awoke, and looked around....
I knew I wasn't alone:
I looked back, and saw only one set of footprints...
Jesus looked at me and said quietly:
"The Sandpeople ride single file at night to hide their numbers"
Friday, January 1, 2016
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