because i can

Bought my first handgun a while back. Better late than never. SW1911PD

I actually put it back and walked off twice. I've been to the range with it twice and I wait not so patiently for TX to fix the open carry situation.

In the meantime, we've still got ccl.

Short Blade KA-BAR TX says I can't carry my big one if I leave home. I don't know how that works with fillet and skinning knives. I don't do any huntin' or fishin' but it makes me curious.

Next purchase, something a bit more compact for everyday under-wear. CZ-P01

baby sitter

I think this has been removed from YouTube but ABCNEWS still has it.

Words cannot describe how angry I am. I cannot imagine being the parents of the baby or the teen.

hat tip: Bayou Renaissance Man found this story about kids in Britain.

how does this happen? how badly have we (civilized humanity) F'd up our society for this to happen?

1 month

I'm a month old now.

I'm playing with some of the settings, adding graphics, etc. I may go in and play with the template some before I'm through... we'll see

happy 4th '08

In the holiday spirit I thought I'd take a lil' break from complaining about stuff. Then I thought again. :)

I don't recall where this came from but I thought it was good enough to save. Here's hoping someday women will understand us men better. (Or maybe they'll just laugh and let us watch baseball.. it is summertime y'know)

If you think you're fat, don't ask us. We refuse to answer.

Learn to work the toilet seat. If it's up, put it down.

If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.

Don't cut your hair. Ever. Long hair is always more attractive than short hair.

One of the big reasons guys fear getting married is that married women always cut their hair, and by then you're stuck with her.

Birthdays, Valentines, and anniversaries are not quests to see if we can find the perfect present yet again!

If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear. Sometimes, we're not thinking about you. Live with it.

Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as navel lint, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.

Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

Shopping is not a sport, and no, we're never going to think of it that way.

When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine. Really!

You have enough clothes. You have too many shoes.

Crying is blackmail.

Ask for what you want. Let's be clear on this one: Subtle hints don't work. Strong hints don't work. Really obvious hints don't work. Just say it!

No, we don't know what day it is. We never will. Mark anniversaries on the calendar.

Peeing standing up is more difficult. We're bound to miss sometimes.

Most guys own three pairs of shoes-what makes you think we'd be any good at choosing which pair, out of thirty, would look good with your dress?

Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.

Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

Foreign films are best left to foreigners.

Check your own oil.

It is neither in your best interest nor ours to take the quiz together.

No, it doesn't matter which quiz.

Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after 7 days.

If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

Let us ogle. We're going to look anyway; it's genetic.

You can either tell us to do something OR tell us how to do something, but not both.

Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

ALL men see in only 16 colors. Peach is a fruit, not a color.

If it itches, it will be scratched.

Beer is as exciting for us as handbags are for you.

If we ask what's wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you're lying, but it's just not worth the hassle.

What the heck is a doily? Why would we care ?


Continuing the lighter theme for holiday posts, here's another email keeper. Again, I neglected to note where this originated. (My brain takes a lot of unscheduled sick days)

Things I MUST remember as a dog
1. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.
2. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.
3. I will not roll my toys behind the fridge, behind the sofa or under the bed.
4. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house.
5. I will not eat the cats' food, before they eat it or after they throw it up.
6. I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet in the house when I am about to get sick.
7. I will not throw up in the car.
8. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc. just because I like the way they smell.
9. "Kitty box crunchies," although they are tasty, are not food.
10. I will not eat any more Kleenex or napkins and then redeposit them in the backyard after processing.
11. The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.
12. I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.
13. I will not chew crayons or pens, especially not the red ones, or my people will think I am hemorrhaging.
14. When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it's raining outside.
15. We do not have a doorbell. I will not bark each time I hear one on TV.
16. I will not steal my mom's underwear and dance all over the backyard with it.
17. The sofa is not a face towel. Neither are Mom & dad's laps.
18. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.
19. I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for mom's driver's license and car registration.
20. I will not play tug-of-war with dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.
21. I will not eat mint flavored dental floss out of the bathroom garbage and therefore avoid having a string hanging out of my butt.
22. I will not use "roll around in the dirt" as an option after just getting a bath.
23. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is not an acceptable way of saying hello.
24. I will not hump on any person's leg just because I thought it was the right thing to do.
25. I will not fart in my owner's face while sleeping on the pillow next to their head.
26. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt across the carpet.
27. The toilet bowl is not a never-ending water supply and just because the water is blue, it doesn't mean it is cleaner.
28. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch when company is over.
29. Suddenly turning around and smelling my butt can quickly clear a room.
30. The cat is not a squeaky toy so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

new blog

[hat tip to LawDog]
If y'all get a chance, browse your way over to Home on the Range.
There's an extraordinary mind at work over there.

half right

I don't do alot of driving anymore, but I do spend some time on the roads. My first vehicle was a 125 cc Honda motorcycle so I am hyper-sensitive when it comes to driver distractions. I think people should be paying attention when they are 'in control' of any device that can harm people. Every time I go out on the roads I see drivers who are inattentive; cell phones, french fries, eye shadow, kids, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, the list goes on. Twice I've been run into by drivers while my vehicle was stationary. Countless times I've had to dodge people who are off in their own world and neglect to check a mirror or signal.

It looks like California is cracking down on cell phone use while driving.
www.dailynews.com
I'm reading this article and thinking "Hmm, they have a good idea here. This might work." Apparently, (I haven't looked up the exact legal wordage of the thing yet) drivers are required to use hands-free devices for cell phones. Seems pretty straightforward. Additionally, some people are looking forward to insurance rates going up for repeat offenders. Again, seems like a good idea. I start to think, "Wow, someone out there has got their act together."

I'm so stupid. I hate optimism, its such a tease.

While drivers can't hold a phone to have a conversation, they still are allowed to touch it or dial to make or take a call, said Tom Marshall, spokesman for the CHP.

Text-messaging also is still allowed for drivers over 18

I want to cry.

double tragedy

Chicago Police Officer Richard Francis was shot and killed.
www.chicagotribune.com

Early Wednesday morning, while on a seemingly routine assignment on patrol alone, Francis was shot and killed in a struggle with a woman who had caused a disturbance ... less than a block from his police station, police said.

This is a horrible tragedy and our hearts go out to his friends & family.

She may have fired at those police officers as well, sources said, before they fired several shots, wounding her. No charges were filed against her by Wednesday night.[emphasis added]

No charges? Are you kidding me? I can only hope this will be rectified when/if the woman is able to leave the hospital.

fix the budget

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/31/politics/politico/main3981095.shtml

It's not just the size of Clinton’s debts that’s noteworthy. It’s also that her unpaid bills extend beyond the realm of high-priced consultants who typically let bills slide as part of the cost of doing business with powerful clientele whose success is linked to their own.[emphasis added]

Clinton also reported debts more than one month old to a slew of apolitical businesses and organizations, large and small, in the states through which this historically expensive Democratic primary campaign has raged.[emphasis added]

Historically expensive .. .hmmmm
How many people were thinking Hillary Clinton could fix our national budget problems?

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s cash-strapped presidential campaign has been putting off paying hundreds of bills for months - freeing up cash for critical media buys but also earning the campaign a reputation as something of a deadbeat in some small-business circles.

How many people were thinking Hillary Clinton would stand up for small business and the working class?
Lets rethink that m'kay?

Muslim or Christian

In an attempt to try to get a handle on the Illinois view of Senator Obama I decided to root through some of the Chicago Tribune archives. This particular article seems to jump around a bit and from my viewpoint the timeline is cloudy as a result. The quotes below are taken out of order in an attempt to clarify order of dates and events.

[Note: From Meet the Candidate Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961 …. This makes him approximately 6-10 yrs of age during his stay in Indonesia]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-0703250340mar25,0,2024665.story

Although his campaign has denied that Obama was a practicing Muslim, the "Islam" issue is not likely to go away soon for the presidential candidate.[emphasis added]

[the Catholic School years]

… In fact, Obama's religious upbringing in Indonesia depended more on the conventions of the schools he attended than on any decision by him, his mother or his stepfather. When he was at a Catholic school for three years, he prayed as a Catholic.[emphasis added]

When Barack Obama was a boy here, he studied for three years at a religious school and prayed four times a day.

It was a Roman Catholic school. There, Obama was registered as student No. 203. "Yes, he prayed, because all the students here had to pray in the Catholic way--`in the name of the Father, [Son] and the Holy Spirit,'" recalled Obama's 1st-grade teacher, Israella Pareira Darmawan.[emphasis added]

Interviews with dozens of former classmates, teachers, neighbors and friends show that Obama was not a regular practicing Muslim when he was in Indonesia, despite being listed as a Muslim on the registration form for the Catholic school, Strada Asisia, where he attended 1st through 3rd grades.[emphasis added]

It seems of the 4 years in Indonesia the first 3 were spent in a Catholic school which REQUIRED students to “pray in the Catholic way”. Essentially, he was a practicing Catholic due to circumstance, not choice. The phrase “had to pray” is clearly indicative of a lack of choice. (No one goes to a party and says “we had to eat cake”.) Note the article used the phrase ‘regular practicing Muslim’ which implies he was a practicing Muslim who did not ‘regularly’ attend mosque or practice on a ‘regular’ or recurring basis.

In their first neighborhood, Obama occasionally followed his stepfather to the mosque for Friday prayers, a few neighbors said.

Here in the absence of an actual date, we can conclude ‘first neighborhood’ coincides with 1967. Note, the term “occasionally” is used here. I’ve known many practicing religious people who attend services at irregular intervals. Personally, I find regular attendance a non-factor, as determining one’s religion is based on their chosen set of beliefs. Also, “followed” is used, not “accompanied”; therefore we can deduce a young Obama was making his own decision to attend the mosque and not at the direction of a parent as he was not “with” a parent.

In simplest terms: When forced to attend Catholic services Obama worshipped as a Catholic. When free to do as he chose he attended a Muslim mosque. Granted, we’re talking about religious freedom of choice and a 6-10yr old child, but many children begin to voice interest in making their own choices at a similar age.

[4th year public school]

When he was at a public school for a year, he learned about Islam.

In late 1970, Obama's family moved to another neighborhood, and Obama enrolled in Public Elementary School Menteng No. 1, … In 1962 the Dutch handed the school over to the Indonesian government. At the time, the predominantly Muslim public school was considered one of the best in Jakarta.

"The Muslims learn about Islam, prayer and religious activity," said Hardi Priyono, the vice principal for curriculum. "And for the Christians, during the religious class, they also have a special room teaching Christianity. It's always been like that. We are a public school. We have always been a public school. [emphasis added]

When Obama attended 4th grade in 1971, Muslim children spent two hours a week studying Islam, and Christian children spent those two hours learning about the Christian religion.

Zulfan Adi, a former neighborhood playmate of Obama's who has been cited in news reports as saying Obama regularly attended Friday prayers with Soetoro, told the Tribune he was not certain about that when pressed about his recollections. He only knew Obama for a few months, during 1970, when his family moved to the neighborhood.

Here note the article is dated 2007. How accurate are memories after 30+ years? The 3 quotes included in the article don’t even agree. A teacher states ‘rarely’, neighbors say ‘occasionally’, and a former playmate uses the term ‘regularly’ until pressed about his memory. Interesting I think, the playmate who would most likely be in the best position to observe uses ‘regularly’ but gets pressured about his recollection. I’ll take media bias for 1000 Alex.

I think it’s fairly clear Muslim is the choice here, either by his family or by his own personal decision.

As the article states, the Catholic school’s records are not without flaw, and it is possible Obama is inaccurately listed as Muslim. However, if he was again listed as Muslim in the public school I doubt there was any error on the part of the Catholic record keepers pertaining to religious preference. There is no mention of a listed religious preference or mention that children were forced to attend selected services based on their enrollment documentations. Either way Muslim is the chosen religion, on paper, by Obama or by his parents. There is no mention of the school prohibiting him from attending Christian services; and one can only assume the media, while interviewing “dozens of former classmates, teachers, neighbors and friends” didn’t forget to ask about Obama voluntarily attending any Christian/Catholic services. [sarcasm rocks]

I think it safe to conclude the statement above “Obama's religious upbringing in Indonesia depended more on the conventions of the schools he attended than on any decision by him, his mother or his stepfather” to be false. Also we can see any denial by the Obama campaign to be false as well.

religious rights

Teacher_to_be_fired_for_pressing_beliefs

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio, June 21 (UPI) -- An Ohio school board is firing a science teacher accused of pressing his Christian beliefs on students.

John Freshwater discussed his creationism beliefs, disregarded evolution and failed to follow the standard curriculum while teaching eighth-grade science at Mount Vernon Middle School, board officials said.

An investigation revealed he continued teaching his beliefs even after he was ordered to stop, the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported Saturday.

The investigation found Freshwater said homosexuals are sinners and branded crosses into some students' arms, the board said. [emphasis added]

Freshwater's attorney, R. Kelly Hamilton, said his client's rights to practice religion were infringed and he plans to call for a hearing with the school board to fight the dismissal.

Hamilton said the allegations are "fabrications created by a couple of students … Not a single child has ever been harmed."

I’m pretty sure ‘Christian Beliefs’ don’t include injuring children. I don’t know what religion this guy is subscribing to but it’s not any form of Christianity I’ve ever seen. Since when does freedom of religion involve branding children? I am stunned that this issue already seems to be about this guy losing his job. Job my ass. He should be in jail.

If you’re told to do something by your boss and you ignore it you should be fired. I’ve fired people for it and I’ve been fired for it. That’s how employment works. I’m amazed the school board allowed him to continue teaching after the first incident.

Parents_say_teacher_branded_cross_on_son

The parents say that Freshwater used a piece of electrical equipment to etch a cross on their son in December. When they complained, the district responded by telling the teacher not to do anything similar in the future.

Administrators began cracking down on the teacher only after the parents hired a lawyer, the suit says.

So, I guess you can complain but you won’t be taken seriously unless you have enough money to hire a lawyer?

How long are we going to sit by and let lawyers attack our children when something like this happens? Lawdog talks about another lawyer attacking kids here.