Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Preparation

Or lack thereof.

Surely some of these people had the foresight to stock up on gasoline BEFORE the storm hit? Maybe fill the car's tank as well?

Apparently not.

I mean, really, if you have the containers it's not like you can't use it in your car over the next week or so if the storm had fizzled, so why not fill 'em up before hand?

5 gallons of gasoline will let you run yer gennie enough to keep your home above freezing and keep your freezer cold for about 4 days if you are smart with most generators. 

Surely they could have purchased enough for that a day or two ahead of the storm? 

Skills:

I can hit a man sized target with a rifle at 500 yds 9 out of 10 times,

I can hit a man sized target at 25 yards 100% of the time....10 rounds , in under 10 seconds (including reload) with a 1911.

I can design (and build) a building, a bridge,a table or a bench or a drainage system.

I can operate nearly any piece of construction equipment in common use for the past 50 years, and repair them too, given the parts.

I can weld steel and aluminum, fab nearly anything out of metal, am a fair framing carpenter, can do tile and carpet. I am a decent plumber. I can fix nearly any mechanical device..... I have been known to repair COB electronics under a microscope.

I am a decent cook, I can handle a knife like a ginsu chef.... I can skin and butcher nearly any animal in North America. 

Yet I can't sew worth a damn. I can barely thread the needle 10% of the time. And let us not discuss my stitching.

Strange that.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The difference

Between Democrats and Republicans.

Honor and integrity.

You should read

THIS.

To many of you, this is no surprise. I've been waiting for the furor to die down and real facts to come out.

We now have them. More facts may be forthcoming, but the ones we already know are damning.

There are rumors that may be true that are even worse (scroll down), but until they become facts we can't be sure.

Hopefully, soon, this ineffective man (I won't call him a leader) will be gone soon.

More here

We shall see

If New York, New Jersey, and all the other blue states being trashed by this large (but not terribly intense) storm can do better than New Orleans at recovery in the aftermath.

While I sincerely hope that the damage is minimal, and no one is hurt, I wonder how they will recover. 

They all have HUGE "entitlement" populations, their populations all vote for Democrats, and they are all sheep like when it comes to government.

While they are somewhat better at self determination than their N'awlins southern neighbors, they are still democrats, and statist.

 


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Free automatic weapons

At the Nappanee gunshow...

So, since the restaurant next door has all you can eat bacon for $8.95, we went.

Sadly, the Free Automatics were already gone...or it may have been a rumor put out by the Brady folks.

We did meet up with Og and entourage at the restaurant, and had an excellent breakfast while we discussed the shape of the world and how things were going and such....

Either way, after a large(ish) (>12,000?) number of bacon laden calories covered with a significant amount of potatoes and eggs covered with heaps of cholesterol laden (real sausage) gravy, (I  stopped after 4 trips to the buffet, when I couldn't swallow any more and by them people were staring anyway) we entered the gunshow.

Sadly, there were very few bargains (unless you wanted shotgun barrels).

I had taken the 788 with me looking for a scope that would fit the look-though rings, but could not find anyone who had the same idea of the value of used scopes vs (nearly worthless) FRN's. So I didn't purchase a scope. I did get a great deal on some 45-70 bullets ($60/1000-- 405 grain hard cast flat point) and some ammo cases. I am told by people who know more than I that the prices on the more collectible firearms weren't great.


I was saddened that we missed out on the free automatic weapons giveaway, but it was an entertaining Saturday morning. If you like used firearms, and collectible rifles and pistols, you should check out the Nappanee Indiana gunshow, held spring and fall only.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Sometimes, I want to move to Texas

Especially when they tell the UN to butt out.

That is the kind of politician I can vote for.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

So voter ID isn't such a big deal...

If, of course yer the Prez.

(we all know how he was gonna vote anyway).

Strange that they protest that it is an undue burden for everyone else though, innit? (Even though you need an ID to function in today's society)


Just passing it along:

You should read this. The source appears to be InfoWars, so take it for what it is worth.

Having said that, it is not outside the realm of possibility.

Decide on the veracity, and plan accordingly.

I shall.

Perhaps not too bad an idea:

Maybe skip that coffee from the coffeehouse for a few days, or perhaps take a lunch instead of going out, or cut your beer dosage in half for a few evenings or whatever, and instead send the money HERE.

I'm gonna write a check as soon as I get home. Maybe not for as much as I'd like to, but if enough of us give a few bucks, it'll add up. No doubt a few bucks from each of us will help things, especially down the road.

Think about it.


Watching the political ads

on the Chicago area television stations, I must say that it is apparent that the people who the Democrats are pandering to must have an IQ somewhere between warm bread and newly hatched parakeets.

Not that anyone in the Chicago political scene is really worth voting for, but anyone who believes the half truths and misrepresentations in the ads must be an idiot or a union member or a lifelong democrat(but I repeat myself), not to mention the fact that the ad writers apparently believe that in order for the ad to be effective to the intended recipient the bullet points must be repeated at least three times shows that the candidates and the folks who write the ads think that the average voter is stupid and slow or retarded.

Were I in that voting block, I'd feel insulted, but after seeing the ads, I'm not sure the folks who they are aimed at have the capacity to understand WHY they should feel so.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

83 years ago

Was the beginning of the stock market crash.

While significant for the fact that it brought about the Great Depression and the bank runs which led which spread to affect those smart enough or who had not enough money to dabble in the highly leveraged stock market....

But more importantly, the effects of the crash which happened 83 years ago today opened the door for the (not so) thin edge of socialism.

And we live with those effects today.

It's not like they are gonna ever like us anyway...

But it seems that PahPakistan and it's government is unhappy that we aren't helping enough with their recovery and relief from their yearly floods.

Even though the US's contribution is greater than Paahkestans.

Sad that.

No good deed

Goes unpunished.

While approximately 90% of people have morals and will behave correctly, 10% don't, and won't.

Note:
This was from folks who weren't starving, weren't desperate, and weren't under stress. 

What do ya think might happen if they were under stress, were starving, or were desperate?

Some people.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Note to all those folks

Who are panic buying their Evil Black Rifles, new Glock pistols, High Capacity magazines, assorted AK's and the tons of ammunition:

YOU IDIOTS WAITED TOO LONG!

You paid way too high a price, significantly more than you would have paid for the same items 6 months ago. If you were wanting any of the above listed items, you should have purchased them 6 months ago (or even earlier) when the prices were lower. You should have had the brains to buy these well BEFORE the election. Panic buying indicates that you have no forethought, and that you couldn't see that pricing would skyrocket because people would suddenly realize that we might be facing 4 more years of "Hope and Change". 

I am sure that the merchants at the gunshows appreciate your lack of forethought, and really appreciate the panic you were feeling because you can't look farther than the end of your nose. I am surprised that you can think far enough ahead to tuck it in before you pull up the zipper.

This happened last election, and the one before that, and the one before that....Likely even before that, but i wasn't paying attention to such things much earlier than that.

If you feel like you paid a high price for those firearms ammunition or accessories, and it hurts, then maybe you learned something.

Now as soon as your wallet recovers from your lack of foresight, learn enough to go stock up and prepare by buying some food and other supplies BEFORE you need it desperately.


Monday, October 22, 2012

One way it should be done

is this.

I am, however, more supportive of using a Louisville Slugger or other type of implement to further express your disgust at someone's actions at a funeral. But I am like that...direct.

Notice that the cowards never even bothered to show up once the community organized.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Plans

I talk with other business owners a lot (I am also a small business owner), and we often discuss the health of our businesses and our plans for dealing with government and changing economic conditions.

One resounding theme of discussion and worry has been ObamaCare (the Affordable HealthCare Act).

On the one hand, it is going to force may of us business owners to hire more people.

On the other hand, we are only going to likely work each employee about 25 hours a week, and hire more people to make up for it. Thing is, none of us are going to be able to pay for ObamaCare. Most of the people we hire are relatively unskilled and they are not paid a great deal of money. They work as unskilled labor in service oriented businesses. Waiters, housekeepers, store shelf stockers, clerks, etc.

Since they are working in jobs for businesses where the profit isn't high, and the regulations and cost are, many businesses are going to be faced with a choice:

Since anyone who works more than an average of 30 hours a week is considered full time, and is therefore eligible for ObamaCare, and since the cost for ObamaCare is going to be somewhere north of $6K per employee per year, many businesses will choose to hire more people and work all employees for 20-25 hours per week. The current employees, all of whom work 30-40 hours per week currently, will likely see their hours reduced to 20-25.

The other options are to raise prices in an already competitive marketplace, difficult to do...

Or, of course, close the business, putting the employees out of a job.

Most of us see no reason to continue to operate our businesses if we can't make a profit, and the cost of ObamaCare will likely reduce our profit to near zero, or at least to a level which makes it not worth operating the business. Most of us put in 50+ hours per week operating and managing, and while we aren't poor, we don't make as much as others think. For many, the additional costs will put them into the red. For the rest of us, we are all looking at the fact that the risk of operating a business will not be worth the very small profit we might have left after the new costs.

A LOT of people are going to be out of work or making a significantly lower take home paycheck because of this. Especially those working in service type industries.

Unintended Consequences and all that.


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

One truth from the Debate:

There will be an attempt to put in more "Gun Control"....Likely via an "Assault Weapons Ban.

Both candidates agreed that some form of additional gun control would happen.

Again: we have a choice between bad, and worse.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Debate thought:

Thought:






more Green Fail

Now the battery maker (A123 Systems), which got a 500 MILLION dollar grant (only a portion of which was used before the feds cut them off) from the US taxpayers, is likely to file for bankruptcy.

How much more "Green" ventures will we have to help finance before we realize that this is pouring money down a rathole?

If the business plans are valid, then there will be plenty of venture capital available for financing these startups. I wouldn't even have issues with giving them some tax breaks for the first 5 years. But the way these ventures have been managed so quickly into direct failure, enriching only the management group, should be seen as criminal.

A quarter BILLION dollars going towards...what? (Shouldn't we as investors (albeit unwilling) at least get the salaries back from those folks that supervised the failure? )(Although I'd really prefer to see them jailed for malfeasance)

How many more failures of this type are on the horizon? How much more public money will we see go to waste with no jobs, no infrastructure, and no resulting return?

Mindset

You should read this

It ain't pretty. It IS biased, but it is also true, at least in the broad strokes.

And it shows the mindset.  Wild animals, sure. Caution IS required. I got that. But a massacre of non- threatening animals? Really? Why? Expediency? Bloodlust? What?

If you think many (not all!) police officers think you or your friends and/or family are any different, have any more value, than these animals, then you are foolish, delusional or just plain stupid.

Expect no better if and when.  



50 years ago

 The president was notified.

The shit nearly hit the fan.

But at least our Democratic president didn't bow or anything.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Yust in case you forgot

12 years ago, the USS COLE was attacked in Yemen.

You'd think that some of the folks supposed to be looking out for the interests of the US and the security thereof would maybe remember who did the attacking...and what part of the world such things happen in (and where the perpetrators come from). But they don't. Apparently all that eduction means nothing, as there are some (supposedly) really smart people being paid big bucks to make the decisions as to how to protect things on certain dates in certain parts of the world. But they sure make some stupid decisions about that stuff

.






USS Cole (DDG 67) underway

Not so much:

Total temperature rise in the last 15 years?

Exactly ZERO.

Not that you'll hear about it on the MainStream Media.

And now the denials begin:

1. You can't use 15 years as a basis to predict anything...(except that they always have).

B. There are more factors than just temperature (what we "deniers" have said all along!

And others yet to be heard...

 Is Global Warming Climate Change real? Maybe. Maybe not.

But we have wasted spent an awful lot of money (and enriched a great number of connected people in the process) to Do Something subsidize a renewable energy infrastructure that is ineffective for about the last 5 years or so....To what real effect?  

We have given an awful lot of money to, and subsidized the salaries of a significant number of "researchers" to prove....what?

We have strangled businesses and damaged our economy to make exactly what change in the environment? 

We have paid for a large number of "elites" to jet about the world in 1/3 full airplanes and spew How Many? tons of carbon from their private jets as they flock to exotic locations to "discuss" the "issues" in a party atmosphere group setting (rather than use video conferencing or other methods to save all that carbon and wasted energy) and accomplish exactly what?

Someday our descendants will look back and laugh at us for allowing this to happen. 






One day soon:

We are gonna have to think about things in this stark reality:






The weapons are different today than they were in the 16 and 1700's. The song was written in 1980. But the reference is old. Very old.

 They had it in them then, do you have it in you today?  'Cause likely, soon, the time will come when yer gonna have to decide if it is in you or not.

And that is gonna determine your future. Serf or Citizen? They are eroding your rights and freedoms by stealth and incrementalism..... What are you gonna do when they become open and quick about it? When they come for your freedom and the tools by which you ensure it?

Think now, Decide now. Find your line now. 

While you can.........While you have the time to do so.

Before you must.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

everyone should see

THIS.



H/T: Smallest minority

Not that the liberals will believe it.....

List of Indiana candidates in YOUR election:

Via Rich's Garage, Here is a list of candidates for your personal election.

An excellent resource.

Be sure to vote "NO" for the retention of Judge Steven David. (If there was a choice for horsewhipping the guy, I'd check that one, but there likely won't be).

Friday, October 12, 2012

most dangerous cities in the world

Surprising to me that some are in the US.Not the most dangerous, but some are high on the list.

Baltimore.

Detroit.

St Louis.

All areas with "gun control".

All highly "Blue".

Coincidence?

Sure there is.


Damned straight

You should show this to every cop you know. Good cops especially.

I have a chip on my shoulder for the cop who thinks that his job is to project power or to keep the citizens under control. Who think that rather than gently and peacefully taking control of a situation in a polite and respectful manner where possible rather than shooting or striking people who may or may not be involved in a situation is the best tactic.

I respect the cops who act like they are dealing with people, Who act as if they had a job to do, and who treat those they deal with respectfully and do their job by treating people as citizens rather than serfs. I know many, and consider some of them friends.




Thursday, October 11, 2012

So whyInTheHell

Doesn't Ryan tell Biden to Shut the Hell up and wait his turn?

(and Martha too?)

I'd have been impressed if he had.

Otherwise not so much. 


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Riots if Obama loses?

One of the largest differences between the Republican leaning conservative voting block and the DNC leaning liberal voting block is the method by which they express their anger and disappointment.

Lets face it, If the conservative bunch chose to riot and rampage, the destruction and death toll would be huge.

But we don't. We retrench and wait for the next opportunity. We don't destroy our community and that of others. We don't riot and loot. We just wait for the next opening to change things.

Not so with the folks who are liberal and organized by the DNC and their minions.

They'll riot at the drop of a hat. Many of them will have nothing to lose, it's not like you'll lose your job if you don't show because you are in jail if you are on welfare or receiving other "entitlements". Nor are that groups rules for behavior the same as conservatives.

So what happens when Obama loses (if he does, if Mitt can keep from screwing up the momentum he currently has)?

Some say riots in the streets. Maybe race riots.

If I lived in a large city with a significant "entitlement" population, I'd be cautious. I'd stock some extra food and water. Maybe make plans to park my automobiles in a safer and more secure place than on the street. Perhaps make plans to be elsewhere shortly after the election.

Mobs are cruel. Mobs are uncaring. Mobs can turn at any moment from "mostly peaceful" protest to terribly violent riots.

I'd be prepared for that, if I lived in a city that was largely "Blue" and had a significant portion of the population fed and clothed and housed via government payments.

Luckily, I don't live in an area like that. If you do, I'd consider making plans.






Monday, October 8, 2012

So a man walks into a bank.

May I help you? says the teller

"You bet yer sweet ass you can", the man replies." I wanna open an account in this fucking bank, sweetie".

"I don't have to deal with language like that, sir", she says.

"Well, then, sweet cheeks, go get your manager!" he replies.

She leaves her station, gets the manager, explains the issue, and he comes over.

"How can I help you sir?" He asks, somewhat stiffly.

"Look, I just won 98 million bucks in the lottery, and I need to open a fucking bank account", says the man.

"Oh, and was this stupid bitch not helping you?" says the manager....

On the town square

In one of the cities I travel through frequently, there has been, for over a year, a more or less regular bunch of people who are still "occupying" the public ways in protest. They are polite and respectful to passersby, but they are always there. Some are full time, some less so. Their presence is a more or less constant, rain or shine.

They protest the fact that a some people have significantly more wealth than they do.

I understand, I really do. They are unhappy with the fact that there are inequities in the distribution of wealth in this country. They are unhappy that some people have significantly more wealth, property, money and security than they do.

Of course, the fact that those people (the "rich") likely worked hard and made a lot of right decisions doesn't ever enter the minds of the "Occupiers". The fact that they (the "occupiers") could be working a second job (if they even have one) instead of "Occupying" the town square....making more money, earning more to use to invest and grow and maybe make a good decision to use for school to get a better job, or to start a business of their own. Instead, they waste their time holding up signs that very few people read , and delude themselves that they are making a difference in the world.

I admire their determination and dedication, if not their methods nor their philosophy. They think that protesting will make a difference, will change the ways of the US and the citizens therein. Foolish of them to think so.

They fail to realize that, to a large extent, they made the decisions which put them into the position they are in right now.....maybe they were unlucky, but also more likely they chose: not to learn a skill, or a trade, or to take the easy way out....or get a worthless degree (if they even worked that hard). That they likely made short sighted decisions and do only the minimum  needed to get by to the end of the month....Most of them that I see have tattoos....... Which really are worthless, but are expensive.  Where did the money for those come from?

The really really terribly sad fact is that if they were to look beyond this country, and open their eyes, and see beyond their imagined plight and distress that "that person has more than I do and it just isn't fair" that they would realize how very rich they actually are....and that, when viewed not just in the context of this country, but in the context of the world....

THEY ARE THE ONE PERCENT! 

That's right....if they bother to look beyond their (imagined and mostly self imposed) plight of being in the bottom 99 percent of the population of the richest country in the world, they might realize how lucky they are to be in the top 1 or 2 percent of the wealthiest people on the planet

Sure, by US standards they aren't rich. But they aren't poor either. They have the opportunity to bitch and moan about the fact that someone else is better off than they are, to protest instead of scrabble for enough calories to feed themselves and their families. To  have the luxury of enough time to whine that they don't have all the worldly goods they want instead of hope that they have (or can find) enough fuel to cook that food and to keep themselves warm at night. And they have enough time to bemoan the fact that they (only) have small homes to go to when they leave their site of protest... a home that is dry and (generally) secure from vandals and thieves. And that is protected by police who are (mostly) honest. 

Yeah, they whine about all those inequities. They have time to do so because they live in one of (if not the) most wealthy counties in the world. Where the poor live better than most other counties middle class, where the kind of poverty they believe they live in really doesn't exist. Where 99 percent of the rest of the world would change places with them in a heartbeat. 

The sad part is that they cannot see how lucky they really are. They cannot see that they are really the "1 percent" that they complain about . All they can see is that they don't have (and really haven't done anything to earn) what some other people in the country DO have. 

If only they could apply those same complaints that they have against those better off than they are, to themselves. I bet others in the world would consider them so lucky, and spoiled, and complain that they did not earn their position and wealth.....And if they were to really apply their complaint of unfairness to themselves, and their remedy "take what those undeserving rich bastards have and give it to us, who have less" then they'd be living in a much less nice and comfy existence with less food and property. But they won't ever help the real "99 percent". Few of the "occupiers" will ever understand, much less apply, their philosophy to those less fortunate than them.  And they'd likely think it unfair if someone DID apply their philosophy to their wealth.



Saturday, October 6, 2012

So I had the tractor up on the hill

at the back end of my property earlier this week....in the afternoon.

Now the tractor has the stock Kubota muffler...not loud, but not muffled into silence either.

On the other side of the fence is a piece of property owned by some guy who is big time into some church...they use the property for outings and such in the summer on weekends. Mostly they are decent folks from a large city who think this is the "country"....

Anyway, when I was up on the hill earlier in the week, I see a small encampment. 10-12 Army tents and a whole bunch of vehicles...Hey, none of my business what they do on the other property, so I go about MY business.

Some dude walks over the fenceline and sternly tells me I am "disturbing his peace", and I need to shut off the tractor RIGHT NOW.

I point out calmly that he is trespassing, and that it's not like I am mowing at midnight or anything like that...(but I could if I wanted to), and WhoInTheFuckAreYouAnyway?

So, seeing bluster doesn't work,  he then says "well, look man, I'm trying to appeal to your better nature".

I replied that he was assuming that I had a "better nature", (I don't) and he'd better get back on the other side of the fenceline. He quickly did so, and I continued to water the tree I had planted over Schmoo's grave and do some other stuff.

Since they were still there this morning (Saturday), bright and early, I decided that it was time to trim some branches with a chainsaw....So I did so this morning.... for about an hour.

They were Not Happy.

Tough.
I'm gonna get up even earlier tomorrow. Might even take the muffler off the thing. Wanna play with the big boys? Bring yer "A" game.

We play differently here, outside the city limits, past the end of the sidewalk.....

Better nature indeed.



ETA:


Friday, October 5, 2012

Think

about THIS.

What do you want yer kids to be when he/she grows up...

Serf?

or citizen?

A subject of the Government, or the master of it?

Read.

Think

Decide. 


so they say 1 in 6

people in this country live in poverty.

I find that hard to believe.

I don't see people starving to death, or at or below 5% body fat.

I don't see people who can't afford a cell phone, or those expensive trendy sneakers.

I don't see people freezing to death because they can't afford fuel to keep warm, nor because they have no warm clothing,

I do see people who are less fortunate than me.

Some have encountered bad luck, some are just lazy. Some are unable to help themselves because no one ever taught them to do anything besides lay around and wait for a government check.

Many are poor because they, (intentionally or not) choose to be.

But I don't see people who are living in "Poverty".

Look at the photos of the depression era citizens in this country. I don't see fat people, or people wearing new clothing or $150 shoes(or the equivalent price then). I don't see people living in free apartments, nor driving expensive cars or in any way wasting their meager resources.

I do today, and all these people are supposedly "living in poverty".

And we gotta take more money from the productive sector of our citizenry to give these fat people more freebies because someone redefined "poverty"?

Thursday, October 4, 2012

debate

Thoughts:


Romney looked good, but only because Obama looked so bad.

Romney came prepared, Obama didn't, not really.

Romney trashed the set statements and talking points Obama had memorized. All of which were crafted to set emotional hooks into people, all (or nearly) were refuted by Romney.

That was the best way to call someone a liar that I have seen in a long time.

It was nice to see someone actually let them define the differences between them. (which aren't as great as they would have you believe)

Obama, when he isn't given softball questions, and when the debate moderator isn't setting the stage for him, isn't much good at debate when his teleprompter can't help him.

But Obama's body language showed he really wasn't interested in being there, and he looked bored. Romney, on the other hand, looked engaged and eager for the challenge.

While Romney may have won the debate, it wasn't a resounding victory......and really, 40% of the electorate is gonna vote for whoever the DNC says to (and, to be fair, a similar percentage will vote for the anointed of the RNC with no questions either), so he really only needed to convince enough of the remaining 20 percent anyway... or enough to win the electoral votes.


Others think that it was the delivery


skmorphth

Migrane.

Bad one.

At least I can see out of one eyes, even if its multiple images from that one..

If I had a safety guy, this'd be a god time to go to the range, 'cause if I can shoot like this, then I can shoot anytime/anywhere, under any conditions. But I'd need a monder to keep me from doing someone harm....maybe me.

But...It'd be good training.

I'll be back when I can think more clearly and can string two words together without using the backspace key more than once or twice.


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

y'know...

In about a month, we are gonna decide on the path this country will take for the next four years.

Path A is a fairly short slide in to economic ruin, where inflation approaches that of Zimbabwe, your savings are worth less each and every day (soon to be at the point where your savings will have no buying power), where the State runs every aspect of our lives and Government is the larges employer and taxes rise to overwhelming proportions, where less than 50% of the people pay the bills for the rest, where the once great United States slides to third world status.

Path II is a slightly longer slide to the same end, the only difference is a slightly different path...Still with big Government running every aspect of your life, taking an ever larger portion of your livelihood, growing ever larger...., inflation rampant, and we slide (slightly less fast) toward oblivion.

Tough choice, ain't it?

I figure the slow slide is (marginally) better than the fast one. It gives me more time to turn (soon to be worthless) FRNs to tangible assets. .