Thursday, January 30, 2014

Show me.

How many liberal, progressive, gay, DNC supporter owned businesses did the same?

Chick-Fil-A gives free food to stranded motorists stranded in southern snowstorm.

Forget the fact that most of them were stranded because they waited until the "goberment" told them to go home, or were too stupid to move their cars over to the side of the road and WALK to a safe place when the roads were clogged (Jaysus, it was 10 degrees with almost no wind)...forget that they have supported politicians that chose to have little or no storm preparation for a well forecasted weather event (anyone with access to a national news station knew, if they were paying attention, that there was going to be a winter weather event in the greater south)... Forget the fact that very few were smart enough to plan ahead and depended on someone else (that government, BTW, failed in that mission) to see to their security and well-being.

I'd like to see one...just ONE example of a liberal leaning, or a gay owned, business which chose to help stranded commuters in the way that the Chick-Fil-A chose to.

Just one.



SO what happens when the colanders come out?

I mean, really, if 2 inches or so of snow can paralyze the south for more than 24 hours, what's gonna happen when the SHTF?

I mean, really, have they become that soft and reliant on others?

BTW:

In the SOTU address, didn't I hear Barry say that he would do all he could to circumvent the Constitutional limits on his powers? That he would essentially ignore the rules that the Constitution sets forth for new laws?


And when he said it, didn't I see all the members of the House and Senate gleefully clap in approval?

WTF?

Stealing credit from others

So in his SOTU speech he said:

“You saw us taking a lot of action last year,” he said. “We produced more energy in this country, more oil in this country, than we imported for the first time in 20 years.”

Except he and his minions did everything they could to PREVENT any new energy sources from happening.

None of the new oil or gas fields came about form any actions of the federal government...in fact, they were a hindrance to the process.

But then again, the truth is not something which Barry has to deal with often.


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

And I thought we got a lot of snow...

But apparently it is "snowing" in the Caribbean too.

Remember, you voluntarily take a tracking device with you all the time....

Just like those collars they put on bears and tigers to track them.....





So folks in Ukraine got a warning message the other day:

"Dear subscriber, you have been registered as a participant in a mass disturbance,"

Seems obvious in hindsight, doesn't it?

I mean, how hard is it for the government to ping your cell phone and find out where you are? And if that phone were where a protest was, at the time that the protest was happening, then likely YOU were there too. Bad bad boy....Here is an IRS audit to make you behave better next time....Or maybe a visit from the Authorities....

We voluntarily take a device with us that can track our every movement....in a city, even down to feet. And even if we "turn off" the GPS portion of the phone, it is easy for the authorities to covertly turn it back on....

Hint: If you are going to a mass protest, LEAVE YOUR Cell phone at home (your everyday one that is). If you gotta carry a phone, get a "burner phone". Protip: NEVER EVER EVER have both your personal everyday cell phone and your burner phone on at the same time...Never ever even have them within a mile of each other (farther is better). Should anyone (*Cough* NSA!!*Cough*) care enough to look, the fact that they are both co-located will be evidence enough to link the two together. In fact, it is best if you never have them in the same area at the same time ever....Leave your personal cell at home and drive to the location where your burner is....move farther before you turn it on. (This includes when you buy it and activate it for the first time....and even when you buy minutes for your burn phone......don't even have your main phone with you. Leave it at home, and buy minutes as far away from home as possible.

Seriously....do you think that the NSA (or the FBI) has capabilities that are any less than the government of Ukraine? 

Remember, your phone "pings" the network several times a minute, active call or not.  In the countryside, this will lead to a location error measured in a few thousand feet....maybe more in an area where there is only one tower...But in an urban area, they can track you down to within less than 50 feet using adjacent towers to triangulate. And that is just using the cellular network...Using GPS, they can read your location to (sometimes) as few as feet. Yes, to less than a 10X10 area.

So if you want to go somewhere that the feds might not approve of, like, say, a protest against the government, LEAVE YOUR PERSONAL CELL PHONE AT HOME.

If you feel the need to communicate with others at the protest (or whatever you are doing to piss off Big Brother) then either use a burner phone that has NEVER BEEN POWERED UP WITHIN A MILE OR MORE OF YOUR PERSONAL CELL, ever, and has never been used to call anything but the other burn phones of your group, (and those phones also have to follow this rule or you are screwed) or find another means of communication...like say, THESE (buy 'em through my link on the sidebar so I get a commission, if you please) or other low powered close range communications devices.... They are cheap and they work well....but be careful what you say....they are not hard to intercept. The one advantage is that, unlike the cellular networks, they are harder to simply turn off....although they can be jammed.

Either way, if you are doing ANYTHING that the feds might not approve of, or meeting with anyone who could perhaps be linked to anything that the FEDS might no like, then turn off and leave your cell phone at home.

*If you are gonna go to a protest and you fear retribution, you have to ask yourself beforehand..."Is it worth it?"  Decide before you go.....And realize that with modern hi-rez photography, if you show your face at the protest you'll likely be recognized by facial recognition software.....If the feds/NSA/FBI/Obama Administration care enough to find out who was at the protest or other proscribed activity....

Am I paranoid? Maybe......a better question is AM I PARANOID ENOUGH? Recent revelations by Snowden and actions like those of the Ukrainian government make me wonder....


The sad part is that these actions can no longer be considered impossible. I was raised believing that the Constitution allowed us to protest (peacefully) and that the government wouldn't/was prevented by law from doing anything about it.

But today, I no longer believe that to be true. That which once separated us from places like Ukraine, or the Banana Republics no longer is in force, if it still exists at all.


ETA: BTW, NOW is the time to purchase your secure alternate communications devices....BEFORE you need them.....Just sayin'

Monday, January 27, 2014

That'd be my luck......







Can't remember where I found this....if it's yours, let me know so I can give credit. 

ETA: Commens says XKCD

Cold.

Just plain damned cold.

-18 give or take with wind chills in the -40's.

That's the prediction for the next few days.

I bet I meet a bunch of truckers that aren't smart enough to buy a $25 bottle of fuel treatment and add it to their fuel. They'll gell up and then bitch about having to be towed (circa $800) and then be charged another $500 to have their fuel treated and their fuel systems purged of the gelled fuel after being warmed in a garage. 

Or, we will have a few whose batteries are marginal on a warm day, who will bitch that they have to pay about $400 to have someone come out and start their trucks. But it only costs about $300 for a set of batteries that will likely have enough reserve power to start a truck on a cold day.....if they treat their fuel. And they still won't buy new batteries afterwards.

Fools. Penny wise and pound foolish. You'd think that they'd learn after many years on the road.....But they apparently can't.

But hey, we don't mind taking their money. Lots of overtime and lots of profit.

Likely, someone who fails to do one of the above things will have serious frostbite from staying a cold, broken semi truck. Likely from not having a decent set of winter clothing. Happens every time we get some bad weather.

Cheapness will get you.

Me: The truck (a diesel) is full of treated fuel, and I am positive that it will start at colder temps than this. (If I bother to shut it off....it only burns about 0.4 gallons an hour). I'll leave with gear that will enable me to walk to safety if I should need to.

Stupidity should hurt....and in this case, it'll hurt your wallet.


I am, however, growing tired of all this global warming. I am running out of places to push and pile it. 




Thursday, January 23, 2014

How long?

How long do you have to own a firearm before you can transfer it to someone else and not be a part of a "Straw Purchase"?

It is a valid question.

10 minutes? 10 days? Months? Years?

This a serious question. It could affect all of us. And, sadly, the Supremes will likely do things the way they always do and rule narrowly, leaving the above question unanswererd.

Here is the issue: Say I buy pistol....the newest Super-Duty Blastomatic from Guns-R-Us....I own it a week, take it to the range and try it, and I don't like it. Can I sell it next week? Or do I have to wait a time before I can do so. .....EVEN IF I go through an FFL to sell it to another person....Have I broken a law?

That is what essentially happened in this case. Dude got a discount on a weapon because of his LEO credentials....Chose not to keep his purchase. Sold it through an FFL to his uncle. So Uncle isn't a Prohibited Person, 'cause he passed a NICS check. 

So how long do we have to own a gun before we can sell it? Seriously.

Note these quotes:

"The assistant to the solicitor general, Joseph Palmore, admitted to the court that the ATF was “interpreting” the will of Congress when it added the “actual buyer” question in 1995 on the background form."

and:

" Mr. Palmore said the other “critical” purposes of the ATF’s agenda with determining the final buyer was “tracing of firearms and to prevent the anonymous stockpiling of firearms.” Uncle Sam is not supposed to be getting involved in a citizen’s decision to buy as many guns as he decides he wants to defend himself."

Re read that last....Read it again.

Any doubts as to the agenda?



Ain't it the truth:




Image Stolen from The Pirates Cove

Happy birthday John

Browning, that is. John Moses Browning.

Nearly every firearm made today (with a few exceptions) has a bit of a Browning design in it's ancestry.

Go here for a few pictures of his work and history

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Things that make ya go HMMMM?

Go HERE. 

Read it.

Read it all.

Whitewash? Sounds like it. I was suspicious when it happened, but had little time to devote to investigating, and haven't had much time since.

I think that there is more to this than we know. And I believe that the coverup goes very hgih in our government.

I fear what will happen to the many decent, law abiding muslims that are in this country when another attack is actually carried out in the US by muslims.

If what I suspect has happened, then this was a failure by our PC riddled DHS folks.

And I find that scary.

Link found HERE

Monday, January 20, 2014

Your turn, folks

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." 

MLK. 



I see a great deal of progress on the White side towards achieving that goal, but not so much from the Black side. 

Gotta work both ways there for it to work at all. 




Sunday, January 19, 2014

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Indeed:




My grandfather said this ti me many times...if in a slightly different way.

He's right, and I have always tried to remember to never make the same mistake in the same way.

I'm a little busy right now, so think on the above.

Stolen from 90 miles










Friday, January 17, 2014

The professor

Finally left the island.


2 standards

and another reason why we don't trust police anymore:

Officer cleared in Dorner mistaken ID shooting

Now if I find a random car and ram it with mine and then discharge my firearm...am I gonna get cleared by the court? Even though my excuse is that I was skeered or something?

Remember, this truck was not very similar to the one they THOUGHT Dorner MIGHT have been driving.

You or me would have been charged with attempted murder, at the least.

But cops, apparently have the option of shooting at people when they are scared shitless.

"Officer Safety" and all that. 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

question:

If Chris Christie's use of a publicly owned asset (i.e. bridge) to cause difficulties for another mayor is so bad (and IMO it is a crime and he should be punished for it, if he can be proven to have given the order).....


Then WHY IN TH HELL ISN'T the fact that Barry closed parks and other public spaces during the budget talks not an equally bad thing.....Why isn't the Media screaming about that? Calling for investigations? CLAIMING A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED? Barry used the Parks and publicly owned buildings as a lever to pressure other lawmakers to cave on the Budget talks.....What is the difference?


OH, wait, my bad....the MSM. Right..... like they are gonna say anything bad about their poster boy and all....

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Yes

Jimmy Carter Miss Me Yet

Something to think about:

So last week, as I posted, I was planning on going into my business as the weather was forecast to be very bad.

When the wind did pick up (about 1:00 pm) I left the house for what is normally a 15 minute drive. Full tank of fuel, food and water for three days, warm clothing (and gear so that if I actually HAD to, I could walk to safety) and a phone. I expected te drive to take not more than an hour and that I would arrive with plenty of daylight....

When I was about a mile from my destination, I encountered a Semi-truck that was sideways in the road...a line of cars was stopped, with nowhere to go. While the roads were bad, they weren't THAT bad, so I figured I would turn around and go another route....


Not so much.

As everyone had stopped, about a mile or so BEHIND me, there was another accident involving a Semi blocking the road.

Can't go east, can't go west. No other way out that was possible to traverse in anything but a Snow-Cat or a snowmobile...While I had a tow strap, I wasn't going to move either of the semi trucks with my 3/4 ton 4WD truck.

So I sat....and waited....and waited.

Now this isn't going to be a slam on either the Indiana State Police or the Lake County Sheriff, although neither did their job that night (to be fair, they likely had a LOT to do, but still....).

The point here is that all the plans you or I might make for getting out of Dodge if/when we might need to can be ruined by the mistakes or bad judgement that another person might make. Escaping a flood?? What about the idiot who waits until it is too late, then drives into water too deep for his car, blocking the road? Yer stuck, and nothing will help. Maybe you are running away from a hurricane......but everyone else is too, and the roads are jammed and someone runs out of gas in the middle lane?

Your best plans can be destroyed in an instant by others. Plan for that too.


Saturday, January 11, 2014

If I didn't work for myself....

I'd quit.


My boss is an asshole.


Whining

Y'know, I don't mind the occasional 18 hour or 16 hour day.....I really don't mind 2 or even three in a row.

But 6 in a row is starting to drag on me a bit. If I'm lucky I'll only have 12 or so today, and maybe 8 tomorrow.

Fatigue is cumulative. I ain't 18 anymore.

Some weeks you earn your money. I guess this one is my turn.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

sorry

Too busy to blog, can't even read the other blogs.

no time.

gotta keep things running. They at least pay the bills.

go read the folks on the left side.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

So far, we have survived the snowcapolipse

Just the highlights:

Left for work at 1 pm to beat the weather. Figured I'd arrive while it was still light outside. Note: BEFORE the weather turned bad.

almost made it to work.....

Almost.

Some total assholes who shouldn't have been driving corked up the road about a mile from my destination....At 2:45 PM. 4wd doesn't help in snowdrifts when they are around a semi truck and trailer. Then another one about a mile behind me. I was truly trapped. Trapped by fools.

Thought about walking it, but the weather was....bad. Even though I could SEE the lights of my destination about a mile and a half away.

40 MPH winds (gusts to 70). temps in the single digits (then lower) heavy blowing snow. . I did have the gear to walk it (if I had to), but wasn't willing to risk my life .

Both the State Police and the County Sheriff chose to deny responsibility for getting a tow truck, so I and the other 60+ people spent the night in our cars until 4 am when they (finally) got the wreck out of the way. I spent the evening checking on my fellow trapped travellers every couple of hours, and even though it was -15F(!!!) by the thermometer with winds and blowing snow, no one froze. Several did run out of fuel, but we moved them to vehicles with enough fuel (and room!) to keep the engines running so no one froze. Did make for a long night though, having people come to MY truck for help. Somehow I became the person in charge....why I don't know. Still, one must do what one must.

I had a full tank of fuel, food and water for three days, and gear to keep me alive in the weather, with or without my truck..I was never in danger...... Still, it wasn't fun. Sleeping in the front seat of a pickup isn't good for anyone's back.  I did get about 3 hours of actual (sorta) rest.

Spent the next days dealing with stranded travellers.
Protips: Don't enter the domain of a MAJOR winter storm with clothing suitable for Orlando and nothing else,
Don't travel in the winter without some survival gear....
Don't drive into blizzard conditions in a car with less than 6" of ground clearance.
If you NEED medication, have enough with you for several days, especially if not having it is life threatening. Have enough food and water (and fuel) in your car to sustain you for more than an hour....
Think about LOOKING at the weather forecast for your route (a fair number of people were, apparently, unaware that there was a MAJOR winter storm forecast for the area).
If it is gonna be cold, think about using a bit of gas line antifreeze so your car doesn't die on you.

Something I have noticed:
Stressful situations bring out true colors of character in people:

Good people are even better towards their fellow man. this accounts for 95% of the people, even though some are useless as possible. they are at least nice.

The assholes balance this, however. Their assholishness seems to become more pronounced at times like this. They make the average for humanity be just about even., maybe slightly negative.

I did suggest to one person that if he didn't behave, he could brave the cold and snow as he cold be tossed out. Good sense prevailed and he learned to behave very quickly. Others saw this and chose to modify their behavior as well.

The good news is that, despite fatigue, I didn't draw any blood on anyone, even once......

It has been fun.

More later after I get some sleep.









Sunday, January 5, 2014

Da snowpocalypse is upon us

9" since late last night. not much wind until a few minutes ago, then it seemed to get interesting. Very interesting. Visibility is now somewhat variable: from 1/6 mile to less than a few feet.

I tried to take a picture to post, but all that came out was white....like looking out from inside a jar of mayonnaise, kinda sorta ish....

Temps are falling, but not rapidly (yet) and things are looking like we have an actual winter like the ones I remember from my childhood. Haven't seen conditions like this at all for the past 10 years or so. Might just get interestingish.

But hey, the fuel in the truck it treated, it is plugged in, and if I have to go into work the emergency survival gear is already packed and I am as ready as I can be.

We were out earlier in the Prius and it wasn't that bad (yet) and if the winds don't drift too much snow it'll be ok, the plow boys and girls are doing a fairly good job.

Tonight will be interesting. Near record cold and blowing conditions making wind chills dangerous for those not smart enough to dress accordingly and/or stay inside.






Saturday, January 4, 2014

More parallel reality

Read this article.

Interesting how they see things, Innit?

Blame everyone and everything except liberals and Democratic policies. 

It's like reading "Pravda" in the '70's and '80's.

Friday, January 3, 2014

88 fewer deaths costs:.....

Over $100 MILLION .

Yep, Chicago had 88 fewer murders last year (415). A good thing, right? Sorta. It was only 20 fewer homicides than occurred in 2011( 435).  The number of homicides in 2012 was 503.

But that took over $100 million dollars in overtime (partially because the City has chosen to reduce their police officers for several years running, but still.

And a significant portion of the "savings" was just changing the definitions of "Homicide" to reduce the numbers.  "Figures lie and Liars figure" and all that....

But even if we take the numbers at face value (a risky proposition) and assume that the extra police presence made a difference (doubtful) then the city had to spend  $1.136 MILLION for each homicide that they (supposedly) reduced in a calendar year.

Worth it? Not to most people. More than 70% of these homicides were drug or gang related.

You'd think that with all the budget and pension issues that the city has, they'd not spend all that money saving lowlifes in the South Side of Chicago.

(not that there is anything but causal evidence that the extra money spend on police presence really made a difference anyway).

What is a human life worth? Depends on the human, doesn't it? Is it worth over a million dollars to "save" a gang member or drug dealer (but I repeat myself) from being murdered by a rival? I'm not so sure.

Seems like a lot of money for a dubious level of return. 




Thursday, January 2, 2014

I just met

An even more Beta male than Pyjama Boy.

Only this one was real.

He and his girlfriend just told me how driving in snow in NW Indiana was the "worst, most scariest night of my life".

No wrecks, no slide offs, nothing. And to be honest, the roads here were slippery, but really not that bad.

A more weaselly cull of  a man I have never met. If this is what civilization is helping to breed, then I don't want to be civilized anymore.

If this is the future f our country we are doomed.

Oh, and BTW, his name was "Lance".

Your thought for the YEAR.

"The duty of a Patriot is to protect his Country from his Government."

Thomas Paine. 

We haven't been doing a very good job of that, have we?


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

So it is a new year

and I have to ask you, what will you do with it?

Will you continue to be unhappy with the state of affairs in our government? With the way they (the socialists Left are changing our society? With their (continued) damage to our economic system and to our freedoms?

WILL YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? 

Will you do anything to change the status quo? To hamper the people who would change this (admittedly imperfect)  republic which has served us so well for over 230 years? To reverse the changes that they have begun? To impede their progress towards changing this to a Soviet-style State? 

Will you agitate for changes to return us to what we once were? 

Will you actively work to demonstrate to people outside of your circle of friends and acquaintances the damage that the Left has done to our fair Republic lo these past 6 years? To show them the path to fixing that damage? 

Will you stand up and be counted? Stand and help lead the changes that are so sorely needed? Stand and be a leader to your neighbors and fellow citizens? 

I intend to. Beyond this blog, with it's 200 or so daily readers.....I intend to agitate to make the changes that we need to our government...Local, State, and especially Federal. I intend to lead my fellow citizens to the light....to show them the alternative way. 

I urge you to do the same. 

Will I make a difference? Perhaps...Perhaps not. Yet I risk little in making the attempt. I doubt that the organs of the State will choose to silence me by arresting me....(but perhaps that means that I am not trying hard enough?). 

I urge you to make the attempt to change things. We got where we are, in part, by letting apathy take hold of us....and the other side simply tried harder. 

USE all means of communication! Internet, meetings, face time, one on one...whatever it takes. set a goal of converting two people every week.....and urge your like minded friends to do the same. 

There are more unhappy people than you might think. Get them to choose to change the state of their unhappiness. Show them the way. Show them how to engender change. Start conversations. Give them a chance to express their unhappiness, then show them a way to make it better. 

This year we have mid-term elections. We CAN change things. Shift the balance of power in our legislative branch. While the GOP is not the best choice, we can support Tea Party folks and change the balance of power, and at least break the power of the Left to affect our lives and change our Republic. 

As I said above, we got here through apathy. Let us change that.  We are losing because we don't care enough.

I'd much rather use the Soapbox and the Ballot box than the other one.