It could happen:

Via Insty there is THIS.

If you've read One Second After, (and if you haven't, then you should) then you have an idea as to how bad it could be.... (It likely won't be QUITE as bad as predicted in that story, as that was, of course, fiction, and sensationalized....and was written to frighten people to make the threat of EMP a higher priority than it is today....but it will be bad)


The scenario, that of an EMP event, be it man made or natural, is one of the reasons I strongly suggest that people prepare....Have 90+ days worth of food, and means of getting clean, drinkable water. Just try living without electricity for 24 hours.....Now try living without transportation (and all the things it brings to you, like food, and water, and fuel). Think about how much food will spoil in your house alone without electricity....Will you be able to cook and prepare the food you have without electrons? Yeah, you have a gas stove. How are you gonna use the gas stove if the electronics that control the pumps and valves which deliver that gas to your home aren't working? (Those of you with electric stoves are screwed)...

How about the food that you buy at the store? If (and it is an if) the trucks that deliver it are operable, they will soon stop because because electronics and electricity are needed to meter, control, and move that fuel to the fueling stations. Not to mention that the store won't be able to take anything but cash.....and there isn't enough actual cash existing in this country to meet the needs, even if you could move it to the banks....and assuming that the bank could somehow figure out how to give you what is in your account......that they can't access because the server for their computerized records isn't operable.....if it isn't fried. Of course, the good news might be that they won't be able to tell how much you owe them either..... But what are we gonna do for a medium of exchange....assuming that you will have job without electricity....

Heat your house? Not a chance.....AC in the South? If you can't live without AC, then you'd better pay attention here.

How many meals are there in your house right now? How would you get water if there wasn't municipal water working. (or, if you have a well, no electricity)?

Yeah, you think you are prepared.....you have a generator. If it is natural gas powered, then you are screwed. 2 days, tops, then the natural gas pressure fails. Gasoline powered? You are only good for a few days, maybe a week tops. It is hard to store that much gasoline:  at best you can store it for 6 months. And that much gasoline is a real hazard.  Most air cooled gasoline engines are designed for rebuild or replacement after 250-400 hours of operation. Do you stock oil for the crankcase? How about oil filters? Air filters?   Diesel? Yeah, but how much fuel can you store? Same with propane. A few months, tops, if you are lucky, using those two last fuels. And that assumes that your gennie survives the EMP (mine will fail, but I have the parts stored to fix it, and it is diesel, and I keep enough fuel to run for about 4 hours a day for 180 days..... And I have lots of space....., but likely not enough fuel either)

Try an "experiment"....Some time soon (I highly suggest starting on a Friday night) turn off all your breakers that control everything except for your fridge and freezer (no sense in wasting all that food!). All of 'em. Turn off your gas, and turn off your water. If you really want a lesson, use no food that was trucked to your location or stored at any point using electricity to keep it fresh.....

Think about it. Yer gonna get hungry quickly, thirsty too. Yer house is gonna start to smell....You are going to get either cold or hot, depending on your location (maybe both). Life isn't going to be comfortable. I'll bet that few people will be able to deal with it for 12 hours, much less a weekend....and a significant part of that time you will likely be sleeping.

Now think about the fact that farmers need fuel for their tractors and harvesting equipment. Drying the grain so it doesn't mold or otherwise spoil. Fertilizer is trucked in, as is seed grain (few modern high yield hybrid grains will germinate a second generation). Fuel to bring that food to a distribution point. Fuel for you to get to that point and to bring you and it home.....Some means of exchange so you can purchase that food.....Starting to get the idea yet?

It isn't all bad news though. Would the US be able to deal with large scale EMP damage? Yep. We are, despite the fact that we are spoiled, a resilient people. Some folks might die (hopefully not many), and many would live only because the government would feed and house them. Whether that would include you would depend a lot on your state of preparedness.You can decide today if you want to live in a government shelter...under authoritarian rule...or not. Will you go when you get hungry enough? How about when your kids get hungry?

The only difference between most people and those who were forced to shelter in the Superdome during and after Katrina is a matter of degree. Few people have enough preparation for a serious event. You may have financial means to deal with the problems, and insurance to recover your losses, but what if there is little food or no decent shelter without electricity and no infrastructure for you to access those finances? And nothing that you can spend that money on to change your situation!  Seriously. All the money in the world won't help if there is nothing to buy. And, of course, such an event would bankrupt the insurance folks....

It's not all bad though.

Things would begin to get better after a few months. Most of the infrastructure will still be there. The wires and the power plants will, for the most part, still exist. So the only thing we will need to replace would be the control circuitry and the transformers. Maybe a few switches. You flat screen will likely be toast, as will your telephone and internet and the computer on your desk. But we can live without those. In a few months power will return, and things will, if not return to normal, at least return to livable. Some systems we can do without, some will be jury rigged. Food and fuel distribution will return, in some form.

But you'd better be self sufficient for a few months, maybe better 6 or more. If you have a house with a basement or a garage, you can easily do it. If you live in an apartment, you can rent a storage garage for a few bucks a month. You might even have one already. How far is it from where you live?

Sometime later, I think I'll discuss the issues with the fact that people are people. Human nature being what it is, and the issues with the thinness of the veneer of "civilized behavior" and the ramifications of that when our system of laws and governance (which are fueled by, or at least aided by, electricity and energy) is in disrepair or inoperable due to lack of electricity and fuel....coupled with the fact that everyone will likely be hungry and thirsty......and have kids who are hungry and thirsty.  And how that, coupled with the fact that you have food and they don't. can lead to..."issues".... And how you can prepare for that.

Hope this made you think

This is funny

Read the comments about THIS

Patriots Day

It are today. In my opinion, it should be a national holiday.

But then again, it'd just give those lazy, inefficient drones government workers another three day weekend. And we'd still be paying for them anyway.

Still missing a few.

visited 38 states (76%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

But I'll get there someday.

I cannot argue

With this.

And, until there is a downside, the numbers will continue increase.

I find it interesting that Mr Obama and the liberal section of the Democratic wing feels that by not raising taxes on those who make more money than me, they are somehow "giving benefits to the wealthy"....You know, those folks who actually generate a significant portion of the actual tax dollars that fuel the economy, and who risk their money to invest in businesses which, you know, actually employ people....those same employees who then pay taxes.

What really gets me angry is not only the outright lies about the above subjects, but the fundamental difference between my thought processes and theirs: That the solution to the problem is to raise taxes on whomever they can, in order to pay for their spending......The spending that they did every time they had a spare dollar (or dollar of debt) that they could shake loose from somewhere. They never stop their spending....They spend as much as they can, and then, when their excesses begin to bear fruit in the form of deficits, and someone wishes to cut that spending to a lower level, they cry "foul" and complain that the cut in spending will somehow damage those who benefit from that largesse..."You want old people to have to eat dog food to survive!"....even though a year or two before, those same folks ate well enough when the budget for their handout was 1/3 less.  The bombast and invective, while amusing, becomes irritating over time, due to the unreality and falseness.

I tire of the bullshit, from both sides. But I must say that I find our more, shall we say, liberal lawmakers are worst...And their policies are all the more irritating because of their philosophy of "take from those who make more and give to those who make less....for whatever reason that situation may exist"

Rejuvenation!

It is always pleasing to me to see the transformation you can do with a scuffed shoe or boot, a can of Kiwi Black, and a bit of elbow grease.

I'm so glad my Dad taught me how to do it well.

I was....

Gonna go to the range and try out my new rifle yesterday. I had planned this day, based on weather reports. A rare thing.....A day off in the middle of the week, when the range is less crowded....

But when I woke up feeling like I had been in a bar fight (I don't mind feeling this way, I just prefer to drink enough to be hung over and remember why the fight started....Except that I haven't been in a bar in weeks) running a fever and all that, I wasn't too sure that I wanted to go.....Chills, fever, runny nose and the shakes weren't gonna make for the best day at the range.

But after a shower, I wasn't nearly as shaky, so I thought that I'd give it a try, even if it meant that I might not be able to really find out how well the new rifle would shoot. So I loaded the rifle, the range bag, the benchrest  and a whole shitload of .223 (Lake City) (it goes stale you know....you might as well shoot it before it goes bad....) into the car and began the journey to the DNR range, about 35 minutes away.

Less than halfway there, I realized that I was sick enough that I should not be driving a car, much less handling and firing a lethal weapon. So I turned around and went home. Unloaded the car and went into the house and crawled back into bed.

Bummer. It is supposed to be rainy and windy for the next week. I'll likely not get to the range for at least another 2 weeks.And that is if the weather cooperates with me on my days off.

Hope the Lake City doesn't go stale in the meantime.....

Waste:

No wonder NASA can't get anything done. They waste too much money.

Not only are they GIVING away Space Shuttles, they are spending significant dollars decommissioning them so that they can safely be used as a draw for tourists in major metro areas. Why is NASA spending the money, and why are they giving them away? They aughta be auctioned off to the highest bidder, be that a private individual or a municipality. Big bux to be made there. The caveat to the purchase would of course be that the buyer, not the seller, pay for the decommissioning and decontamination so that the public can be safe while viewing/climbing on/photographing them.

Go HERE to learn even more....The SRB's  (Solid Rocket Boosters) get transported back to Utah and REFURBISHED before storage, just in case we ever need them again (4, 17). AFAIK, they were designed for, and used only on, the Shuttle. Why refurb and store these when they can only be used on a platform which is being decommissioned?  Anyone....Bueller?  (one hint....Smells like Bacon/rhymes with "fork")

Billions of dollars of hardware given away, and millions more to make them safe for public consumption. Why? Political connections? Favors? Cronyism?

It's easy to give away things purchased with other peoples money

It occurs to me

After sleeping, that the gist of Mr. Obama's speech is that his vision of the United States is one of continued (if not expanded) Socialism.

He stated that he will not allow any decrease in government assistance to those folks who, for whatever reason, cannot take care of themselves. He feels that it is the responsibility of those who are, shall we say, more successful, to provide for those who are....not successful. There is no provision made for, or consideration of, why there is a relative difference in the level of "success". Forward planning, life choices, levels of saving, etc. have no bearing.

Further, he stated that he would remove "spending reductions in the tax code"....."newspeak" for increased taxes and reductions of exemptions in order to increase tax revenues at the expense of those of us who actually pay federal income tax. He will punish those who have chosen to invest in their future by purchasing a home, or working harder in order to advance in their field in order to increase their earning power to create a solid, secure future for themselves and their descendants in order to provide for those who for whatever reason, are unwilling or unable to provide for themselves

As Marx said: "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs"... The issue is what we each feel are needs, and the choices that we make in order to meet those needs, both in the present and in the future.

Ultimately, it comes down to the philosophical difference between those of us who feel that it is the responsibility of the individual to provide for his or her needs, and those who feels that it is the responsibility of the State to provide for our needs....much less decide what those needs might be. He somehow finds meaning in the Constitution that I miss....that it is allowed that the State do things that I do not see in that document with taxes.....More than roads, and military, and coinage and such.

Would that I could give up the future help from the State (providing, of course, that I get the money that has been taken from me by force I have already contributed (with appropriate interest)) and be allowed to opt out of the system that Mr. Obama envisions.

What Mr. Obama has stated, if only in veiled words, is that it is appropriate action to take from those who make good decisions and invest in their future, and give to those who make poor decisions and live in the "now", without a thought for the future.

And let us not forget that it appears that he finds the bloated, inefficient government departmental bureaucracies to be a Good Thing, if only because they provide jobs for many people who would otherwise not be as successful in private industry. He thinks that there will be no innovation which is not provided for, and financed by, government oversight (with your tax money). DOE, etc will do the job that (in his belief) private industry can't or won't.

His vision of our country is in opposition to mine. He appears to be, at heart, a Statist, and a redistributionist, and a Socialist.

And I am none of those.

Yup

What HE said.

(hey, it works for me)

Now just add in that there can be no spending beyond what the above code brought in LAST year.

another view HERE

So.....

If all these folks quoted by the Won are so keen on getting taxed at a higher rate and all that, why aren't they writing checks to the US Treasury right now? It's not like they US is going to turn the extra cash down or something. I mean, if they (and you!) really believe what you said and all....

I smell something, and it smells like ass, Mr Obama. No one is stopping you from returning your salary while you are in the White House, with all those folks stepping and fetching for you, and free transportation and free food and rent.....After all, by your own definition, you are "rich"

Step up, or shut up.

Put yer money where your mouth is. Set the example. Be the leader. Write the check for the past 2+ years of Presidential salary. Make it out to the U.S. Treasury. Failing that, then pledge this year, and next years salary.

Or shut the fuck up. I tire of your platitudes.

Bummer

I'd be PISSED if this happened to me.

Mistakes do happen, but what if the guy or gal who won threw away their tickets?

Buzzwords:

Just a prediction before Mr. Obama's speech:

"Equitable."

"Fair Share."

"Balance."

"Equitable."

"Share the pain."

Betcha he uses 'em all. More than once.


Oh, and let us not forget his favorite: "Rich".

Bet he pegs the use meter on that one....

You heard it here first!

When I got home, there was this email

An email from Mr Boehner, speaker of the house, to whom I had written in support of real budget cuts.

The return reply I got sometime today was, to be honest, a disappointment.

April 12, 2011 Mr. B Thank you for taking the time to contact me. It's good to hear from you. Your ideas, comments, and questions help make possible my goal of leading a House of Representatives that listens and reflects the will of the American people. That's why I'd like to ask you to keep speaking out by: Visiting Speaker.gov to sign up for email updates on issues that concern you; Offering your solutions and engaging other Americans on the challenges facing our country at AmericaSpeakingOut.com; Joining the conversation on Facebook.com/OfficeofSpeakerBoehner/; and Connecting with my office on Twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner/. I made a Pledge to America to focus on removing government barriers to private-sector job creation and economic growth - that includes cutting spending to help end the uncertainty facing job creators; repealing the job-crushing health care law and replacing it with common sense reforms that lower costs; reining in excessive regulations; and promoting an American Energy Initiative that increases energy production to create jobs and lower energy prices. I also pledged to lead an effort to reform Congress and rebuild the bonds of trust between the American people and their representatives in Washington. I hope you'll stay engaged and keep me updated on your thoughts as we work to keep this pledge. Thank you again for contacting me and please stay in touch.

Sincerely, John Boehner Speaker of the House

My reply:
You ass. You are either a total loser at negotiating, or you are stupid enough to let the Democrats lead you around by the nose, or you are actually in league with the tax and spend folks.

Either way, you disappoint me, and many of my fellow citizens. You screwed the fiscal conservatives in this deal, and effectively were complicit in damaging the country farther. How did you serve the people of the United States in any way with your actions regarding the budget of the government of the United States? How did you help any citizen by allowing the incredible amounts of deficit spending to continue?

I had respect for you, once. No more. You have shown yourself to be either in league with those who would spend this country to bankruptcy, or you are a weak leader who cannot fight the good fight in order to better serve the citizens of the United States.

You are not fit, in my opinion for your current position. In fact, your actions on the Budget show that you are not fit to be dogcatcher in a small town. You sir, by your actions, have shown that you should not be Speaker of the House, nor should you represent the Republican Party. You have, by your own actions, damaged this country.

You have failed in your promise to the American people, and have shown yourself to be a failure of the worst kind. I hold nothing but disgust for your actions.

"elections shouldn't matter"

No, seriously:

" But the fact is that elections shouldn't matter as much as they do"


Again: It be interestin' how dese folks be thinkin'.....

I find it frightening that these people are in Washington, making decisions that affect the country.


Not that her Republican counterparts are showing me much either.

yeah, sure....or not.

Romney enters the race.

What a waste of time, effort, and  a bunch of money that could be used to support a viable candidate.

If he is the best that they Repubs have got to offer, then we had better look forward to another 4 years of the Big "O".

I mean, seriously? As far as I am concerned....No. Just no. Not a chance. Not even a remote one. I won't hold my nose and vote for him like I did McCain in the last election. Just fucking "NO". Fuggedaboutit.

One word: Rommneycare. Need I say more?

He'll crash and burn like a shot down fighter jet over Libya. The sad part is he'll bring a lot of folks down with him. And waste a lot of effort and money doing so.

To all the Republican legislators

Thank you so much for your hard work on the budget.

Y'all are number one in my book.

Especially you, John Boehner. Thanks for all your leadership.

I can't wait for 2012.

Because she asked

Brigid is a wonderful friend of mine. Not only on the interwebz, but in Real Life. What is important to her is, by definition of "friend", important to me.

She asked me to post this. Likely, if you read my blog, you also read hers. But, just in case:

Please, go read. Donate if you can. Or not. You have free will... But I think the kids and wife are gonna have a hard enough time, and a donation can help with one small part of their struggle. And enough small donations make for a really big help.

Help demonstrate the power of the Internet.

Thank you.

kwickdraw?

So after I purchased my belts (and I was impressed with his work) from EvylRobot at the Holstersite.com, I had emailed him regarding his custom holsters, and asked him how hard it would be to make a drop leg holster shaped for a 1911? After a LOT of sketches and emails and such, we agreed on a price (I stole this from him!) and a time frame, and the work began.

A few weeks later (and, BTW, at the time specified) I got an email from E.R. that my holster was on its way!

I got the package, and it was exactly as we had discussed (and the holster was nice too)

 

This holster was designed for a 3" 1911, but the bottom was left open (by design), and it accommodates my full-size pistol as well:

It carries nicely. All of the weight is carried on the belt, and the leg strap secures the holster from swinging too much. It carries my smaller 1911 even better! I can RUN with this holster with no problems!

The holster is molded perfectly for a 1911. Not too tight around the trigger guard (nothing should enter the trigger guard except you trigger finger as you prepare to fire) and a well shaped sight channel. The leatherwork is outstanding, the stitching even and neat. The back of the holster is stiffened, and is designed to protect the leg from the beavertail and hammer.The holster protects the trigger, yet is cut such that gripping the firearm is easy, and draw is smooth and instinctive. Reholstering is easy as well, as the mouth of the holster is reinforced so that it stays open.

The holster is adjustable for height on the support straps using Chicago screws. The buckle is  large, square, and easy to manipulate with one hand.

How does it work? It fits well, and the holster sits perfectly to the point where my hand falls at my side.

(click to embigginate all photos)

I think that this is really going to really help my times in PPC









If you have the need for a custom holster, toss an email to Michael at the TheHolsterSite.com I think you'll find that you'll get exactly what you ask for.


Admit it, yer jealous.

Da new math

So 38.5 BILLION equals 100 BILLION. At least, that seems to be the way the Republicans do math.

Jesus H. Tapdancing Christ. WTF is wrong with these people?!?

The promise was ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS. Which, BTW, wasn't really enough, but would have been a good start. The current deficit, depending on who you ask, is somewhere north of 1.5 trillion dollars. so while the cuts of 100 billion dollars would not have erased the deficit (that is deficit spending, not total debt, by the way) it would have begun a process wherein we could have cut a bit more each year until we as a nation were at parity with our collected taxes in a few (maybe 15) years.

These Republican legislators sold us out. They failed in their promise. $38.5 billion isn't even close.

Just to put things in perspective:

The US was (is?) currently spending one hundred twenty five billion dollars more each month than we, as citizens are giving it in taxes, fees, and other income. $125,000,000,000 EACH MONTH. That is, BTW, one hundred twenty five thousand thousand thousand dollars.

Our legislators cut a really big amount off of that: 3.2 billion per month.  $3,200,000,. So this year we as a nation will now go 1.46 trillion dollars farther into debt each year. That number is 1,460,000,000, dollars DEEPER into debt.  While I will agree that 1.46 trillion is a smidge better than 1.50 trillion, it really isn't all that much. We are drowning. The hole we are in is being filled with 4 firehoses going full bore....they are bailing with a teaspoon.

   $1,500,000,000, (before)
   $1,460,000,000, (after)

Not a whole lot of change, is there?

Yeah, those folks in congress and the senate really helped here, didn't they?

 A little perspective...
Think about this:
If you were to make a stack of dollar bills (of you could find enough....there aren't actually that many actual bills in existence) containing all of the deficit spending that we do each year, it would make a stack about 537,500 feet high. A little less than 102 miles high. the stack would weigh 3,303,964 pounds...give or take a bit. 

Now that the "spending reductions" are in place: The stack of dollar bills that are spending (that we don't have) will only be 523,167 feet high....or only about 99 miles high. It would weigh only 3,215,859 lbs...more or less.

Note: these numbers are for the deficit spending THIS YEAR, not the debt.

Yep. those folks in congress sure fixed things, didn't they?

Sometimes I feel that the ballot box isn't going to get us out of this mess. The soapbox isn't getting the job done either.  There are other boxes....

Me? I like lampposts. More visual. But it is hard to get good American made rope these days.

Helping spread the virus

While I think that Ms Barhardt is a wee bit over the top, I cannot fault her for doing what she does HERE.

She has, if you will pardon the expression, balls. Big ones. Or she is foolish. Take yer pick.

But in my opinion, her point is well made. Especially the first video.

They are long, and a bit wordy (and a bit shrill). But worth watching. Especially the first part.

And Mr Graham really needs his ass kicked for his stupidity. His comments really show his unsuitability to govern anything, even a whorehouse.

Listen to her, Srsly.

Pass this forward to other folks who might find it interesting. Make it go viral.

Srsly, follow the link. Watch

coupla questions:

1:

If some parts of government are so "non-essential" that they can easily be furloughed....Are they really needed? While I am sure that the folks in the Department of Agriculture feel that their jobs are essential, and the tasks they labor mightily at are of great importance to the economic health and welfare of this fine country......Counting ears of corn is not really an essential task....Nor will the children of this country stop learning if the Dept. of Ed fails to come to work next Monday....And let us not forget those earnest, hard working folks at the Dept of Energy who labor mightily at....Well, whatever they so mightily labor at. (yeah, I know ending a sentence with a preposition and all that...so sue me).  Do we really need all these non-essential personnel? Other than acting as a (well compensated) jobs program, why do we need all these "non-essential" folks?

If these departments of whatever are so little needed that they can be arbitrarily shut down, then, as so many other folks have asked, what for do we need them? Can the Military folks just pack up and go home? I think not. Police? Nope, again, they got to stay at work.

B: Which bringz me to the subject of priorities:

On the one hand, we have the military folks who can't just go home (even though, by my reckoning, we taxpayers will have voided our contract with them by cutting off their pay (should the Goobermint shut down)...on the other hand, those departments which take in money at the IRS will remain open (but not those who hand out refund checks) and those departments of the government who hand out freebies to those who are unwilling to take responsibility for their own welfare help our needier citizens live more fulfilling lives through taxpayer funded assistance will remain open.....How come the screwed up priorities? Do the powers that be really feel that the fine men and women of our military are non-essential? As opposed to the folks who hand out ever increasing amounts of YOUR money to others? Perhaps they are afraid of those "entitled" folks growing angry and rioting? WhatRyaGonnaDo if the military does???

Personally, had I the power to do so, I'd force a shutdown until our legislators could find a way to bring our spending to the point where there IS NO DEFICIT...How they chose to spend that money is another discussion, for another post....

A timely reminder

Stingray has GOOD ADVICE.

I too was at the 2009 SHOT show....I walked up to H-S precision and said "Lon Horiuchi"

He turned and walked away from me.

Let us hope that their business suffers forever. It will only be so if this story is repeated often.

Wish list

I wish that I could find a 1911 in .357 Sig. Single stack, of course.

It would be a perfect firearm for Buy-A Gun Day.

Of course, I'd want a production pistol, not a one-off custom. Bar-Sto makes barrels for a 1911 in .357 Sig, but I'd end up with some sort of FrankenGun, and I really don't want that.

No one I can find makes one. 

But it'd be nice....

So:

When I go nuts and begin killing/maiming/shooting Liberals people because someone chose to burn the Flag of the United States.....Or defamed or trashed the Constitution of the United States.....


Can I escape blame?

Can I expect that the person who burned the Flag or trashed the Constitution will be blamed?

'cause according the logic used by most of the MSM and the President, I would not be at fault.

So were they lying

when they made their recommendations earlier (too safe?)?

Or are they lying now (not safe enough?)?

Either way, this shows that the EPA is (or was?) not doing their jobs properly...

If the levels of recommended isotopes that were previously set were truly safe, and not arbitrary,  then increasing them by a factor of 1000X (yes, one thousand times!) is obviously unsafe. On the other hand, if the levels were arbitrarily set way too low, then they have forced unneeded regulatory expenses on industries for years for no apparent increase in safety.

One wonders which it is.

Either way, they show their incompetence...either then, or now.
And makes one wonder why we need the EPA.

Put your interest in the future, because you're going to spend the
rest of your life there. 

So..... where are all those "experts":

Who for the past 20 days or so have predicted that the world would end covered in radioactive dust (or whatever) from the melted/exploded/leaking/radiation spewing abominations that were once peaceful nuclear power generating stations at Fukushima, Japan.

According to their predictions, we should all be dying right now of festering sores, with mutant clublike feet and hands, as our skin falls off in sheets while our hair falls out in the soft blue glow of radioactive contamination, all while children succumb to thyroid cancer and leukemia. 

Or something like that.

So where are they now?

Sumpthin' to think about:

“There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by sword. The other is by debt.”
– John Adams 

Uncle

Has a sense of humor

Thought for the day:

Hard to argue with....

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all... The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.


Teddy Roosevelt

100 years ago....

1911.....3/29...

The M1911 was adopted by the United States Army.

A good thing.



There may be more modern pistols available, but the 1911 has existed for 100 years....for a reason.

I own 4 examples of the design, and several variations...I carry one nearly every day.

Thank you, Mr. Browning.

Should I call her " Vera"?

At the gunshow on Sat. I sold one, and bought another....Traded a handgun for FRN's and then, before they devalued too much farther while I was holding them...., I used them to buy a longgun.  (gotta love a state where FTF purchases are legal)

"She's a 26" heavy barrelled Savage 112 in .223 with a Timney trigger topped with a Weaver "classic" scope...."

I may well have to call her "Vera".

Or something.

Claimed accuracy is 1.1" at 100 yds....Said claim made after I had purchased it, so I have little reason to doubt the man. Said he was selling it to generate cash for Cowboy Action firearms...

The stock needs a bit of work (dents and scratches), but the metal is pristine. The trigger is SWEET!.... Rifling is clean and sharp, and the crown is either recently turned or it has less than a  thousand rounds through it......Bluing is even and has no scratches. The scope is clean and sharp.

Likely the rifle will shoot better than I will be able to.My hands are not as steady as they were when I learned to shoot 25+ years ago.

We shall see.

We'll give 'em to them anyway

Interesting viewpoint from a Democrat:

The Tea Party Republicans in Washington claim they’re concerned about the budget balance, but it’s a  disguise! It’s not true! It’s a lie! That’s not what they want. They want — they want other people not to be able to have their own opinions. They don’t deserve the freedoms that are in the Constitution! But we’ll give them to them anyway.


Interesting how these folks think, innit?

Bacon!

Went to the Nappannee gunshow today. Bought and sold some guns too....But that is another post, for later, when I can take a few pictures for posting.....

Today's topic is bacon....

A bit of background:

Midwest Chick and I convinced Og and his friend to go with us, as they are serious collectors and this a  show for serious collectors....

Of course, we had promised them that there would be, nearby, an Excellent Breakfast.  And, I think, that he will agree.

So we went to get food before entering the gunshow.

I so love watching someone find their Happy Bacon Moment.  The smiles on their faces were gratifying.....

Bacon! (this was, I believe,  the third trip past the buffet..)

Amish Bacon. Not sure of it is made with real Amish. but it sure tastes GOOD.

I, of course, only ate 0.93 lbs of bacon (as well as some biscuits and gravy and assorted potato bits and such) 'cause I are on a diet.....

Halfway through "Earth Hour"

Yeah, right, like I was gonna bother....

I don't do symbolic shit.

I actually live it.

And any of you fools who think that one hour of behavior change out of 8,766 does anything (besides increase your level of self- induced smugness) significant needs your ass kicked.

Just on general principles.

Yeah

What a nightmare.

Hard to argue with

Yes, they are serious

It is pretty much ludicrous though, isn't it?

Welcome to the Global economy

Wonder how many plants will shut down until Japan gets their shit together.

Lotta people gonna be out of work. And so Japan's troubles become our troubles.

Just a question:

How long.....






Until France surrenders to Libya?



I'm just sayin'

In any organization

there is about 10% that actually do something to help or promote or raise funds for that organization. The rest never show when there is work to be done. And 20% of that sub-group complain about the work done.

That was the case this weekend:

At the range which I belong to, there is a barn for storage of targets for the outdoor range. The roof has needed work for YEARS, and this weekend some of the more active members got together to re-roof the thing.

Out of 100 members, 9 showed up. All worked for at least 6 hours, clearing brush and trees, tearing off the old roof, and rebuilding the structure prior to the actual re-roofing.

10.5 hours for some of us. And I found out that I was REALLY out of shape. I still hurt today, even though the work party was on Saturday.

The sad part is that few, if any of the rest of the members will appreciate the work those people put in. And they'll likely complain about the color of the new roof.  If they do, I hope anyone who worked on the barn doesn't kneecap them. Even though the kneecapping will be most richly deserved.

But they'll store their stuff there anyway.

And my thanks to those who worked with me to improve our club.

Questions

So now that our Dear Leader has decided to follow the lead of the us, and France (France!) and the UK in arming up to remove Qaddafi enforce the no-fly zone above Libya, I have to ask a few questions:

One: Isn't this really a war for oil? Should we expect all the liberal anti-war groups to get themselves sober enough to protest organized and begin chanting "no blood for oil!" like they did when Bush was working towards regime change in Iraq?  Of course, that argument falls flat when it is a war for Europe's oil, not oil for the US......Doesn't it? Will Code Pink and their ilk soon be staging sit-ins and such everywhere the president goes....or they can get someone to point a camera at them?

2. Why are we the point country this time? We really get very little oil from Libya. Last time I checked it was something like 1.6%. Shouldn't the Europeans be taking the point on this? Oh, yeah, none of them have any military to speak of anymore. They hid behind NATO so they could spend their military money on socialist programs. So now they only have a token military force, therefore need the US to do their dirty work.

III. Who is paying for all of the hardware, like missiles and Tomahawks and the F-15 that just got shot down? Should we bill France? Or Spain? Perhaps take the cost out of the dues mandated by paid to the UN?

IV. Once the UN acted (took them long enough!) why was there no mandated waiting period for Qaddafi to implement the restrictions which he had promised to abide by? When the situation in Iraq was happening, everyone pushed for patience. Why not the same now?

Five. Any argument used against the war in Iraq, or Afghanistan (or Vietnam, for that matter) could be used in today's actions against Libya. So why is it now a good idea, and not when a Republican is pushing for "regime change"?

6. Do our actions today, at the bequest of the UN, make our country (and therefore it's military) an extension of the UN? Are we now the enforcement arm of the United Nations? Since we are the only country with a military able to do this (besides Russia) are we, therefore, lapdogs of the UN? Will this be precedent setting.....Will we invade (or at least bomb) any country which has sufficiently offended the folks at the UN at the request of the UN? Or will there continue to be a double standard after 2012 when our next president is a Republican (or at least a conservative), with continued protests next time the US decides to unilaterally remove a threat or to prevent a leader from massacring his own citizens?

VII. Will the Nobel Committee revoke Mr. Obama's Peace Prize? (Not that he had actually earned one or anything, but that is another discussion for anther time) I mean, now HE is the warmonger, on a par with the EEEVIL BUSH.

Para update #3

So the new extractor arrived today via Fed-Ex.

No springs though.

So I am both happy with their service, and kinda disappointed that they only did half of what they promised.

I'll install it in the next few days and test it out at the range shortly after that.

more as available.

Y'know

As the tragedy in Japan plays out, I grow more and more disgusted with people, and especially the MSM.

Total people likely to die from direct or indirect issues with the nuclear power plants will be .01% of the already dead and missing that we know about from the earthquake and tsunami which precipitated the incident. Yet they harp on the "pending meltdown" with a gleam in their eyes, as if such a disaster would be a good thing for anyone, were it to happen,

And it appears that if you say "nuclear" or "radioactive" to most people, and especially a reporter, they immediately go into this wild eyed pants-shitting hysteria. If you say the word "contamination" then they immediately add a puddle of urine to their already messy pants.

And it isn't like there is no information available about radiation. For gods sake, folks, use those wonderful tools we have available on the Internet: Google, Yahoo, etc. For quick information, and at least a place to start, you can use Wikipedia. It's not like there is any cost for their use (assuming your Internet access already exists....if not, go to your local library or Starbucks).

'Take an hour to learn to understand what the numbers mean. The background radiation in most European cities is higher right now that it is in most paces in Japan, even close to the plant.

I realize that most reporters are not chosen for their high level of intelligence, but rather for their ability to look handsome in a suit (or to fill out a blouse) in order to be more attractive to their viewers, and to be able to read a teleprompter without squinting, but for chrissake, take a little time to learn enough about your subject to be able to speak intelligently.

I understand that if you have no training in anything besides speaking and your main goal in life is to look good, not actually be more intelligent than the average dachshund, that the science parts can be hard, what with all those confusing numbers and units like microsieverts (which sound an awful lot like, you know, millisieverts) rads, millirads, microrads, grays,  becquerel, curies, etc.

Perhaps you should have someone just convert the units and measurements to the Banana Equivalent * so you can more easily understand.

Unless, of course, you really just want to either look stupid, or just breathlessly sensationalize what is really not that big of a deal.

If instead, you spent some time generating real sincere sympathy for those funny looking yellow-skinned slant-eyed people, you'd actually do some good instead of wasting airspace and oxygen.


BTW, where are the fund raisers and demands for the US to send billions of dollars of foreign aid to the Japanese people.....you know, like there were for Haiti.....

*thanks to Og for reminding me

aid?

So how many billions of aid are we going to provide to the Japanese to rebuild their country (or at least the part that was washed away by the tsunami after the earthquake loosened everything up)?

If we improve things there as much percentage wise as we did Haiti, then exactly how good will it be....A paradise?

I don't see any telethons or other fundraisers for the stricken Japanese prefectures....Why not?

SOrry

No blogging lately


Been busy.

Recall of ammo

Remington .223

info HERE

Calling out the liars

Yes, they do that. Debunking a debunker.

Worth the read. Interesting how some folks twist things to make themselves look good, innit?

Underwhelmed/Para update #2

I called Para again at 11:45 am Central time, since they did not call me back.

This time, I spoke to an actual person. This time my experience was actually good.

He offered to send me a new extractor. I accepted, as this is the easiest and fastest way for me to return the pistol to operation. He apologized for the failure, and also offered to send me new springs for my other LDA carry. 

This is the sort of service one would expect. No issues, no problems, and no hassles. Helpful and friendly. Beyond the minimum.

Sadly though, it took 3 phone calls to get it. He did apologize for the failure to return my call, and said that they (Para) were training new customer service reps. IMO, I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO CLL THEN MORE THAN ONCE. But I did. Hopefully, this is the end of things.

Hopefully, having given him model and serial number, they will send me the correct part.

Updates as appropriate. But you can bet that this WILL have an influence on my next purchase. (and I buy 2+ pistols and rifles a year, on average....)

Now if only they would give precise instructions as to the takedown of the LDA system, life would be perfect.

y'know

Now that things are "settling" in Japan...That is to say that the situation is stabilising....Those who are homeless have been brought to/found shelter and those who still have a home or shelter are learning to deal with no or intermittent electrical power and other utilities... All while the nights are below freezing.

Anyway, one thing I am reading reports of is that stores, even stores in the areas which are not housing refugees from the tsunami affected areas, are beginning to run low on food. Gasoline is, by all accounts hard to come by.Emergency rations are being...rationed. Only children and elderly are getting food right now in some shelters.

This is the reason that preps such as a weeks worth of food. and perhaps a few days worth of water are important. The Japanese society and government are well organized and will soon, no doubt, have the distribution of food and water and fuel quickly reorganized. Major roads will soon be passable. People in shelters will no doubt be clothed and fed very soon. Stores will soon be stocked. Gasoline will soon be available, even if it is rationed. But this sort of disaster recovery takes time: days, even weeks.

But in the meantime, those "lucky" folks not in shelters without food in the house or water stored, or a supplemental means of heating their house will be having issues. What do you do when your food runs out and the stores are empty? Or when the water distribution system is damaged by the earthquake and you are thirsty? I guess you just wait in misery until the system is fixed.

Or, you open your previously stocked emergency supplies and are comfortable until the system returns. If nothing else, you can help others until the authorities get organized and up to speed.

Or you can wait and be miserable until the stores are restocked. If they are.


You are stocked for a week or so, aren't you?

If not, why not?

and they wonder

Why the rest of us think badly of them sometimes.

Soldiers I can understand...but children?

Sick.

Underwhelmed

Called Para at 8:35 AM central time. Their system is set up so you have to leave a message and they will call you back. :-( ....I left a detailed message and a phone number.


Now they don't promise you when they will call back, and so at 4:30 central time I called them back...same message. Perhaps tomorrow.

I am underwhelmed. It would have been nice to get a real person to speak to the first time......Failing that, a return phone call would have been nice...Perhaps they have had a great deal of calls as this is a Monday.

Either way, it strikes me as less than desirable levels of customer service.

 Now I have to expect them to call back when I will not be able to answer. I do, after all, sometimes have to work and all that.

This, again, sucks.

On Penetration:

Once upon a time......many years ago, someone, I will not use his name (I promised), had an ND (Negligent Discharge*) happen in my house. Luckily, no one was hurt, nothing was damaged, and things went forward....

This Sunday, I finished removing the old carpeting from that room. As the bullet from the ND had never been found, and no exit or other bullet hole had ever been found, it was assumed that it was somewhere in the floor......I found it today.

The bullet, which was a 200 grain lead semi-wadcutter, was lodged in the particle board underlayment, beneath the carpeting and padding. I was actually surprised to find that the bullet had not penetrated farther.

Actual penetration (at a very shallow angle) was just under 3/4 of an inch.

This was a reload, 200g LSWC, loaded to about 750 FPS. I would have thought that it would  be able to penetrate the floor, even at this angle....

But nope. just made it to the layer of plywood under the particle board....and it was between the joists. The plywood backing the particle board is also 3/4 inch... I really would have expected the bullet to have penetrated the flooring and gone into the basement.

The bullet was surprisingly un-deformed. I could load it and shoot it again, I think.

But I'll keep it instead, as a reminder to be careful and always follow the Rules...Or I might send it to that person, perhaps cast in acrylic, just as a memento... and as a reminder of how stupid lucky we were that day that no one was hurt.

Lesson learned that day. One neither of us will ever forget. 





---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* ND (Negligent) rather than AD (Accidental) because the person, could have been anyone, even me....was field stripping an XD and when they pulled the trigger to get the slide off the frame, found out that they had not checked the chamber enough times.....

Para update

It's broke.

As I wrote here, it died at 437 rounds.

The end (claw) of the extractor broke off. I am hoping that Para will just send me a new one. It'll be easier (and likely faster) to strip the slide and repair/replace the thing than to send it back to them and wait for them to decide to fix it. It's not like replacing the part will be hard to do or anything. This is a part of normal cleaning after every 300-500 rounds or so anyway...

I am disappointed though. I had expected better from Para. I own several other firearms from them, and some of these have round counts nearing 10,000, with nothing breaking, and only new recoil springs after 5,000 rounds or so.

This is a failure that should not have happened. And it shakes my belief that Para makes a good firearm. Perhaps the complaints about Para letting quality slide have some merit. Then again, maybe this was a fluke.... I dunno.... I have the alloy framed brother of this pistol, and it has 5,800 rounds through it with no issues, and no parts besides the aforementioned  recoil spring(s). Below is the broken extractor, still in the slide:

Broken extractor (click to embiggenize)

and another view:

broken extractor 2 (click to embiggenize)

And here is the extractor from the other LDA, unbroken...Just so you can see what it should look like (this one has extracted over 5800 rounds with no issues):

unbroken extractor (klick to make big)

This is why we should shoot our carry firearms. Not only practice......Find the weak link, and either get it fixed, or replace the pistol...or learn when to change parts that break regularly BEFORE they break when you really really need them (such as recoil springs).

The issue is that had this broken anywhere outside of the range, this could have been very serious. This was not something that could be fixed with "tap, rack, bang". Failure drills do not fix this sort of issue. Essentially, this is (right now) an expensive single shot firearm until I get it fixed.

I hope I never need my firearm...I hope I never shoot it except on a range of some sort, and only in practice. But should I need it to, I want it to go Bang every time I pull the trigger....Not fail like this one did. 

This sucks. And then I gotta shoot it some more (and then some more after that) to verify reliability after it is fixed.

Just got back

.......And re-tuned into the news cycle. Was out of decent contact with any real news except for radio, which was somewhat less than overwhelming in its coverage of....well, anything really useful. (All I had was net news via a cell phone, and I was driving, so reading news wasn't really an option).

I am watching coverage as to just how badly the forces of nature have kicked the Japanese people in the testicles.

I hope they find most of the missing and that they don't starve nor end up glowing in the dark due to the ever escalating issues at their nuclear power plants. The fact that they are flooding the reactor(s) with seawater (and by some reports, seawater deliberately contaminated with boron) tells me that they have a real emergency and are willing to write off the plants in order to prevent a catastrophe. This could be bad. Even for us in a few days.

This incident (yeah, I know to them it is a catastrophe, but to the rest of the world, it is just an incident) shows exactly why I preach (and practice) preparation for emergencies. Yeah, some folks have had their homes washed away, and therefore even if they had prepped, they would have none at this time. But many (most) still have homes, even if they are filled with foul smelling mud and water. Had those folks had preps, they'd be able to dig them out and open them and would at least have food and water for a few days or weeks. It's better than starving or dying from dehydration.You have to be alive in order to be miserable.

Which kind of person would you rather be? one with options, or without?

How about if after that you had the additional fear of radiation? Just the not knowing (even if you were not directly affected by the destruction of the quake or were high enough that the following tsunami didn't directly affect your home) if there was life threatening levels of radiation would affect your performance. Would you be as willing to help others?

Do you have a weeks worth of food and water? Do you have a means to detect radiation? How about durable storage of supplies? A tent or other shelter? KI/KIO3?

Bet that many folks in Japan would give you 50 times what you would pay for those things today, just to have them. Think about it.  

And while you are thinking about it, thank whatever higher power(s) you believe in that it isn't you, and that you have time to make better choices in your preps....and ask him/her/it/them to give the Japanese a bit of mercy.

Gone

Until at least Sunday morning: Funeral

more later

Say a prayer

For the folks in Japan today.

8.9? That's a hell of a shake.

wonder what he'd think of things today?

Mr. Bell. What might he think of what the world has done with his invention?

It is a good thing

That the Tea Party folks don't act this childish, or with this sort of callous disregard for the rule of law.

As many of us tea partiers have (and carry) firearms, there would likely have been blood, except for the fact that we all acted like responsible, adult, law abiding citizens.

Not to mention the property damage we could have done with all of our pickups.


I wonder how many of the riotersdemonstrators are from Wisconsin?

Via Insty

ETA: From the comments : "Remember the riots by the Tea Party folks when the Obamacare bill passed?.....nah, me either"

437 rounds

Took the new Para to the range again tonight.

At the start of the evening, the round count was 400.

37 rounds later, had my first failure to extract. As I was shooting reloads, I thought that it might be my handiwork causing the failure, so I cleared the malf and continued. Round 438 fired and ejected cleanly, but round 439 failed to extract. The slide would move back, but leave the empty cartridge in the chamber.

After clearing that malf, I had 2 rounds fire and eject properly then failure after failure to extract after that. I swabbed the bore, but no joy. The extractor is either broken or just gunked up (a technical term, for you non gunnies).

I dunno....might just be dirt. The firearm has fired 400+ rounds (some reloads with extremely dirty powder (Winchester 231)) with absolutely ZERO maintenance, so I'll detail strip the slide and clean it and see what is what.

If it is only dirt, and cleaning fixes the issue, then its off to the gunsmith for tritium sights and then onto my belt for daily carry. If it is something else, like a broken extractor or whatever, then off to Para for a fix, and then the whole process starts over.

We shall see.

Either way, I got more range time. Turning money into smoke, noise, and tattered paper is always good for my blood pressure. And that is never bad.

via The Old Jarhead

Slavery...with a twist. 

Interesting.

y'know

The Constitution isn't perfect, but it is a hell of a lot better than the system we are using today.

fast ammo

Gotta say, I was impressed with the pricing and speed of shipping from Lucky Gunner.

your mileage may vary.

(they gave me nothing for this testimonial. FTC goods: go fuck yerself)

Not Rodney....

But another kind of Carrington....

A Carrington event would be Bad. How bad?

Think no power or communication. Think of the consequences of that loss.

While likely not as bad as depicted in "One Second After", It would likely be bad. Very Bad. No one knows for sure. Could be only an inconvenience. Could be worse that we think.

If you live in an area where Ice Storms are common, you've likely been inconvenienced by power outages for hours/days/weeks. Most people get their power back in a few hours or at worst a few days. Imagine that squared. No power for your TV/internet or your fridge. (and no internet, period, but we'll get to that later), no power for your heater. No way to get fuel for your generator (if you even have one). No resolution after weeks or months.

Your home is likely similar to mine. You need AC power to run your fridge, your oven, your furnace. You need gas or electric power for your water heater and/or your furnace. You need AC to run your well (if you have one) or your water company needs it for their pumps (they may have backup, diesel powered pumps, but for how long do they store fuel?  Enough to power the pumps for WEEKS??) What about if you live in the south? Can you survive without air conditioning? If not, you'd better have a plan.

Every service needs power. Even if only 10% of the power distribution infrastructure is damaged, it could take years to repair. Many transformers are built to specific need, and are not stocked in quantity. Several years ago, due to an ice storm, many power poles in my area were broken due to the weight of ice and snow (and wind). The utilities ran out of replacement poles, and restoration of power to many homes was delayed  for a week or so while additional sources for the 3000+ poles were found and said poles were trucked to the area. Now think about transformers which have 3-5 week lead times, maybe 3-4 months....Multiplied by the thousands. And trucks which have no fuel and therefore cannot move said equipment to the areas needed, even if they could be produced without power to begin with. How do we find enough people with the knowledge to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again quickly?

How about your local stores? With no computerized registers, how are they going to be able to take your money for the food you need? How about ordering? How will the trucks get there to bring food, even if they have a way to reorder? What about the meat that you need....and milk? Not going to last long in the summer without refrigeration. No bread either, because the bakery is down without power, and they only keep 2 days (if that) of flour on hand.

Now add in the failure of most communications devices. No telephone for weeks/months. No cell phones. No internet/cable. Not that it matters, because many folks won't have any power to run those devices. No internet/digital lines for communication. No working (or at least only partially working) switching centers for the internet and phone lines. Likely no satellite communication either. Even if you can power these devices with generators, the surge will likely have damaged the equipment. And again, where do all these generators come from? How about the fuel to run them?

So if you have no AC and no communications, how do you distribute food ? How do you move the fuel needed to transport all the repair parts (and technicians), the food and other supplies we need in order to survive? How many people have more than a few days of food on hand, or the means to store or or acquire it without a working transportation infrastructure?

Lets not forget that with no communications, there is no banking as we know it today. Few actual dollars are transported, compared to the real amounts of "money" we move with ones and zeros, passed from computer to computer, with little actual cash passed from bank to bank. How do stores pay for the food and supplies that they want to order (but can't because there is no communication). How do YOU get paid, in order that you can pay the store for the food? (that they don't have, and cannot order, and are unable to have delivered....)

With no working phone system, how do you call for the police (who can't get there because they have no fuel for their vehicles) when someone decides that your meager supply of food would be better used by him and his family/group rather than by you and yours? The thin veneer of civilization will not last when people are faced with hunger (especially when THEIR children are crying because their stomachs are empty).

There is no place to go, as your choices are either bad, or worse locations in which to live. Few areas will want refugees, because they have the same issues from which you were retreating. Few are going to want to share what little food and shelter they have, as this is no short term thing. Many folks will be forced to make hard choices between their sense of charity and compassion and feeding their families. Likely, you, as an outsider, will find yourself unwelcome should you try to find a better place to take your family.

I'm not saying that this will happen, nor am I saying that everyone will go "Mad Max" and our society will break down. Nor am I saying that the US will end. But for a few months, maybe a year or two, things will be very different from the reality we now experience. The US is strong, and the people (for the most part) resilient. Rebuilding would likely happen quickly.

HOWEVER:  While there are those in this society who will work hard to make things better, there are also those who expect things to be handed to them in today's society, and who will be willing to take what is yours with very little thought or remorse if things go "SMASH". If you think everyone is going to be nice in such a situation, you are a fool. Right now, there are criminals. People with moralities and values which bear little resemblance to yours or mine. And let's face it, right now things are relatively good, and relatively prosperous.  Wait until things get hard. If the luxury of AC power goes away.... if the work done by coal and atoms and hydropower ceases to exist, then there will be many more whose morality will crumble. A higher concentration, perhaps, in the inner cities, but many are living not too far from your home right now. Many are held in check and behave only because the federal and state government essentially provide them with enough food and other basics... they are bribed to behave. And many of the people you meet on the street and in stores will follow their lead, once they lose THEIR jobs (and the support/comfort/food/shelter that they gain from those jobs). That nice guy who lives on the corner? He works, and he is happy, and comfortable, and law abiding. But take away the job, and the income, and the supplies and food and comfort which they supply, and see if he is still a nice guy when he is cold, and hungry, and his kids haven't eaten in a week. Bet he isn't that nice guy you thought he was. You'd better not be a nice guy either. Doesn't mean you should become an animal, but you'd better be careful, and you'd better not trust him. You really don't know him that well. Likely he won't trust you either.

I'd like to believe that most of us are moral, hard working people. And likely most of us would continue to be. But enough folks won't be that things will be different. No police to help. Most cities will empty, as people attempt to find food and water and shelter that doesn't require electrical power to make it habitable. People will likely follow roads to areas that are perceived to be better. If you think I am wrong, look at what happened during Katrina. Most people that were affected waited for help. Some, however, took the opportunity to loot what they could, and then when they became hungry and thirsty they began moving to other areas. IIRC, the Police Chief of Gretna, which is a municipality outside of New Orleans, set up a roadblock to keep people out of the town, and made them wait for aid. Probably not a bad idea. But what happens after a few weeks? Who is going to stop people like them then?

FEMA plans on having private contractors (truckers) bring the materials they need to help rebuild. Again, where are the truckers going to find fuel? And, while FEMA and the Army and other government folks did an adequate job post Katrina, they were stretched to the limit.

 Multiply Katrina by a factor of 50. Subtract fuel. Subtract the idea of moving people to areas not damaged.  Add in the chaos caused by little or no communication. Subtract electrical power...Add in a bit of hunger after 2 or more weeks. Subtract police presence. You do the math here.

The result? I really hope that what I see is wrong. But if you are smart, you'll look at the above equation and come up with a plan for it. Can you plan for everything? NOPE. But you can plan for many of the issues. Have a plan to feed your family for a month or two. Have a plan to keep the food that you have prepared  and your shelter in YOUR possession. Have a plan for keeping your house habitable. Know where there is a source of water, and how to get it safely, and make it safe to drink. Plan on an alternate source of heat, if you live in an area where you need heat in the winter. Figure out what to do when there is no water for waste disposal. If you have no skills, then think about acquiring some.

Plan for, and PREPARE for these things now. THEN is too late. NOW is the time. How to prepare depends on your location, your circumstances, and your abilities.

Yeah, I know I sound like I am nuts. Maybe I am. But : 'tis better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it". A few dollars and a bit of forethought now might make a HUGE difference then. 

Will it be as bad as discussed in the article and above? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe only in some areas. Maybe it'll be worse. Maybe we won't notice it at all. But if we have an event as suggested above you choices to prepare or not, to spend money on some supplies or on a new flat screen TV might well decide which part of the Darwinian sorting you find yourself and your family on.

Your choice.

Think about it.

San Francisco is full of crap

Or: How unthinking environmentalist whackos activists fail to consider the law of unintended consequences.

You really should read these

In order. Interesting. Think about those folks.

Day One

Day 2

Day 3

Day four

Fifth day

Number 6

Day seven

Ocho

Day nine

Number 10

Eleven

Fannin

12

Diez y tres

after

Sadness

Borepatch's dad has passed. 

Send him some good thoughts.

even the liberals have bailed on the UN

See HERE.

So this would lead one to ask.....If the Liberal driven UK chooses to defund (at least their portion) the UN, can it really be that important? (We all know the answer to that, but to the liberals, it was a Big Thing).

One would wonder why the loss of funding, unless it was because they needed the money for their pet liberal projects inside the country, and the darkies, wogs, slant-eyes and furriners be damned.

But maybe I am just cynical.....


Now if we can only get the US folks to do the same: defund the UN, and maybe then begin chopping Bribes to Despots"foreign aid".

Sometimes I think those followers of John Birch weren't so crazy after all. 

"You can have my DNA

When you pry it from my cold, dead body."

Seriously....

At least, that is what I expect to soon have to tell the TSA and other DHS departments.

They would like to have THIS machine to collect and analyze you DNA quickly.

Of course, they would never, ever keep a database of any citizen's DNA, would they? I mean, they have never ever kept illegal databases (databasi?) before, have they?

And you thought the porno scanners were invasive. 

yer so much safer since 9-11

or not.

" 'cause we deserve the free ice cream!"

seems that when budget cuts might affect people who get a proportionately larger slice of the pie, then it is time to cry racism.

For how long should these folks be propped up? When will they take steps to become self sufficient?

HEH

It all be 'cause they lowlifes

no one wants lowlife, ghetto thugs living in their neighborhood.

No One.

It's not that these people are racist. Some are, after all, black. But they don't want bad people fleeing a place where they helped to make a ghetto moving into their neighborhoods, where they will make the new place a new ghetto. 

What we see here is class issues. People moved to middle class suburbs for a reason. And they don't want lowlifes to invade their neighborhoods and bring crime or blight to their homes and schools.

That is not racism, it is realism.

Issues:

Cops are helping the unions in Wisconsin.


Now, while I am all for free speech, and I support the police choosing to support the union folks in their protest, I have several issues:

1. They were in full anti riot kit. IMO, this is a uniform. Had they been wearing civilian clothing, and not identifying themselves as police, then I would have few issues (although one might wonder about their loyalties, but that is another matter for another time).

B. Any time the police refuse to implement a lawful order...I.E :

"We have been ordered by the legislature to kick you all out at 4:00 today. But we know what’s right from wrong. We will not be kicking anyone out, in fact, we will be sleeping here with you!"

then they have broken their oaths and they should be subject to disciplinary action and/or terminated. While I am sympathetic to their dilemma, they have to choose their sides. (and this is a LAWFUL order, not an unlawful one that they could legally decide to ignore).

 III. If they choose to abrogate their responsibilities in support of the union, then that is indeed a choice that they have the right to make, they are free citizens after all, and can make the choice to side with the unions. They have a right to their opinions, and the right to support anyone they choose. BUT THEY CANNOT DECIDE WHICH LAWS THEY WILL ENFORCE AND WHICH THEY WILL NOT. It is an "all or nothing" thing here. There are no illegal or unconstitutional orders being given. It's not like anyone can occupy the capitol at any time. Had I chosen to "occupy" the capitol 2 months ago, I would have been asked to leave, and then removed, had I chosen to ignore that order, possibly with trespassing charges thrown in for good measure. 

What we have here is people with conflicting loyalties who have shown us that they will not uphold the laws nor the (lawful) orders of their superiors. And this makes them unreliable, and unsuitable to be police. In any fashion. If the police cannot be depended upon to enforce order, no matter what their leanings, then they cannot be police.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?





HT: WRSA

another instance

of the media playing Baghdad Bob. (look it up on wikipedia if you don't remember the Iraq war)

"the majority of US citizens support the unions!"

HERE and HERE . They were trumpeting it on CBS news this morning as well.

The sad part is that they fail to realize how they undermine their credibility. And the part that angers me is that they think that you, and I, and our fellow citizens are dumb enough to believe whatever they say.

And that should anger you too.

I cannot believe that anyone will willingly support even higher taxes for someone else's paycheck, especially municipal workers and teachers. (maybe for the military folks paychecks)

Were one to believe in conspiracy theories one might think that the MainStream Media were the propaganda department for the Democrats Socialist Party and their supporters, the unions.

I think that the real poll will come in 2012, when we find out where the support really lies.


ETA: good questions about this issue HERE