Kudos to Mike Kelly. I wish this guy was my Congressman!

I have long been an advocate against so called "career politicians". They are so far out of touch with the rest of us, it's no wonder things are a fu@ked up as they are.

Mike Kelly is not a career politician. He's a businessman that owns Cadillac and Chevrolet dealerships in Pennsylvania that just happened to run for Congress and get himself elected.

Now I've spent a fair amount of my working life in the car biz. It's got it's share of shysters and crooks, but for the most part, the vast majority of dealers are good honest people that are just trying to make a buck in a very competitive business.

Listen as The Hon. Mr Kelly dresses down his colleagues and gives 'em a dose of truth. It's in a committee meeting, not in front of the  entire body, but it's still golden.

Give 'em Hell, Mike!!

  

Fetch My Flying What?

There's lots of really great blogs and bloggers out there. If I'm not careful about managing my downtime, I can easily spend a whole day reading them. (I have) I've put some of my favorites on my Blog Roll over there on the right. Some, like Guffaw, Murphy, and CarteachO I try to hit every day while drinking my morning java. Others I hit at least once or twice a week.

A couple of weeks ago I saw an unusual title on someone else's roll. Fetch My Flying Monkeys. It caught my eye because those damn flying monkeys in The Wizard Of Oz scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. I had to close my eyes whenever they'd come on. It wasn't until I was about 10 or 11 that I could stand to watch them. I think it scarred me for life and I've been overcompensating ever since.

Anyway, I went on over to her blog. Laura has an incredible sense of humor that really clicks with mine. Twisted, a bit demented, and decidedly off beat. Good thing for her that I'm happily married and look nothing like George Clooney. There's just something about a woman (especially a redheaded woman) that loves Dinosaurs and goats wearing hats....

Go give her blog a look if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed (unless you get offended by the "F" word, she isn't afraid to use it)

The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

It's really been since July that I posted anything here? Damn good thing that hardly anybody reads this. I might have disappointed someone.

I have only my addiction to the new bike to blame. I forgot just how much I enjoy riding, and riding here in Southwest Texas is a biker's dream. Open roads, no traffic. and 70-75 MPH speed limits. I found a great bunch of people to ride with, and I've devoted a lot of time to that pursuit. I've averaged 2500 miles a month since buying it.

But with the inevitable approach of the "Holiday Season" comes my annual bout with the Grinch.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Christmas like he did. I just don't care anymore. I don't want to keep Christmas from coming, I just want it to be over. For me, it has become the birthday of our Saviour, and little else.

I wasn't always this way. In fact, I used to love the holiday and everything about it. It was my favorite time of the year. Even though the 18 years of Hell that was my first marriage, I always looked forward to it.

The last time I truly enjoyed Christmas for what many see it to be, was in 2002.

It couldn't have been more perfect if it was a Hollywood production. My Mom was recovering nicely from a health scare in early November. My daughter was recently married to a guy that I thought the world of. The woman of my dreams had said "yes" early that morning. A surprise 8 inch snowfall blanketed the county and prevented my adopted brother (not one of my favorite people) from attending the festivities. I remember standing in the driveway of my Mom's house, smoking a cigar after clearing the snow off and thinking how perfect that day was. It was, beyond a doubt, the BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER.

It took less than a year for it all to unravel.

In January a deranged lady decided to end it all by ramming my parked Jeep Cherokee with her piece of shit Chrysler after walking in on her husband doing the nasty in her bed with another guy.

In February my employer decided they no longer required my services. In all fairness though, I had had just about all I could take from them as well, but I did have a new vehicle to pay for as well as all my other expenses. (It worked out though. I went into business for myself and took away all the accounts I serviced while working for them.)

In March, Mom passed unexpectedly. My adopted sibling and I were co-executors of her Estate and he proved his arrogance over and over despite what Mom's Attorney advised and her final wishes were.

In October, my precious Granddaughter was beaten to death by that guy I thought the world of. That's a story I'll eventually tell, but now isn't the time.

In November, my Step Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She passed in February 2004. We cared for her in her final days, and it was a huge strain on my already frayed nerves.

Needless to say, Christmas 2003 was a non-event for us.

And we realized that we didn't need it after all.

So as a result, we changed our outlook entirely. No more do we kill a tree for Christ. No more stringing the lights and decorating the house. I'm not a total Scrooge, though. I'll smile and wish you a Merry Christmas, I'll still attend the parties, I'll still buy a special gift for those that I love, and I'll still celebrate it as the birthday of our Lord and Saviour, but I'll pass on all that other stuff, if you don't mind.

Two New Texans!

For the past 5 years my Daughter and her Navy Petty Officer Husband have been stationed in Bremerton, Washington. He was in the Engineering Section of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). During this time he was deployed three times, sailed over the equator just as many, and was out to sea for months and weeks at a time in between so that the Flight Wing could train. He's sweated in the Gulf off the coast of the Middle East, visited the Mediterranean, walked the streets of Hong Kong, and visited many other Ports-Of-Call. Some exotic, some not so much.


Meanwhile, my Daughter has endured life in the rainy Northwest. Bremerton, and Washington State for that matter, has some beautiful country, but having been raised in the Mid-Atlantic area, the weather wasn't exactly to her liking. So far this summer, for example, they have had only a small handful of days where the temps rose above 75 degrees. Living life wearing a sweatshirt in the summer and carrying an umbrella was never to her liking.

But now, that is all going to change.

After Rodney completes school on the 29th he is being re-assigned to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. For the next 3 years, at least, he will be reporting to duty on terra firma, No more sea duty, no more weeks, months, or a year at a time away.

Before he reported to the Stennis for duty,  he visited us here on the Lazy S Ranchito. Being something of a self professed redneck hillbilly cowboy, he fell in love with Texas just as my daughter had. They are both so anxious to get here that they are leaving as soon as his last class day is over on Friday and beating it down here.

For my part I have a fat briskett in the freezer to smoke for their arrival and have made arrangements for the neighbors to watch the dogs so we can take him to Bandera for the weekend. When asked what he wanted to see first, without hesitation he said, "The Cowboy Capital of the World, of course". I think he's going to fit in well here.

Fair winds and following seas, son & daughter! We'll see you soon.

I've Gone To The Dark Side

About a month ago, while I was doing my weekly refueling on my 15MPG F-150 something in my head just snapped. It happened when the pump stopped at $87.00 and change. Granted, this wasn't quite as high as a few years ago when I paid $97.60 to fill up, but it still stung.

My business requires me to put about 150 miles a week on the odometer. I've done all I can to re-arrange my stops and combine trips, but 150 miles is as low as I can get it. My mornings consist of visiting my accounts and "fronting up" my product and writing up what I need. Then I go to my warehouse and pick the orders. After boxing them up and writing invoices I go back and deliver.

So there I am, grumbling as the pump spits out my receipt for what is now my largest weekly overhead expense when I decided to do something I've threatened to do since moving to Texas. Buy a motorcycle.

I've owned bikes in the past, in fact I had my first mini bike at 12 and my first motorcycle (a Honda Trail 70) at 14. Street bikes came along shortly after getting my driver's license. But with the traffic and the miserable winter weather in the northeast, the luster fell off sometime in the mid 90's and I sold my last bike to a co-worker. I missed riding, but didn't miss the anxiety that come with it when riding in all that traffic.

Here I have miles and miles of open road and very little traffic. It's a biker's dream.

I found a nice bike on Craigslist up in Austin and bought it. A Honda Shadow 1100 that was adult owned and well taken care of. The only thing it needed was a new rear tire. The old one still had life in it, but it was closer than I prefer.

As I was shopping online for tires I remembered an old biker dude I ran into way back in the 80's. He had been riding since before I was born and his bike at the time was an ancient Panhead that looked as if it had thousands of road stories it could tell if only it could talk. I remembered that as I looked the old bike over, I noticed the back tire looked strange. I asked if that was a car tire on the back, and the old guy said "Yep, been usin' them since the 60's. They last forever and handle better than any cycle tire I've ever had"

So, because Google is my friend I did a search and lo and behold there is a movement out there where otherwise sane motorcycle riders are putting car tires on bikes. They call it Riding On The Dark Side. They even have an online forum, and we all know if there is a forum dedicated to it, then plenty of people must be doing it. So I read up on it then went to YouTube and watched a few video clips of guys riding on The Dark Side. I decided it was worth a try. I went to my local Wally World, purchased a Goodyear Viva, cash and carry, $82.00 out the door. About $50.00 cheaper than a mediocre bike tire and half the cost of a really good one. On average, a motorcycle tire will last about 13 to 15 thousand miles. Most guys running car tires get 25 to 30 thousand miles. Do the math and it gets real attractive in favor of the car tire.

I knew that Wally World would never want the liability of such an unorthodox notion, so I didn't even ask and took the tire and my wheel to a local tire shop to have it mounted. The Mexicans working there looked at me like I was crazy. "You want to do what Senor? We've never done that before."  But they did it, and now I have a new tire on the back of the Shadow.

I got it home and put the bike back together. I rode it cautiously at first to rub off the molding release agent that new tires have on them. Once I had a few miles on it I gave 'er hell. I leaned into a few turns and scraped the pegs. It was as if the bike was on rails! I rode the tar strips and blacktop seams and the bike never wavered. At low speed, the big contact patch is fantastic. I'm really liking this and I'm glad I did it.

All this fun and since I'm doing the first half my day on the bike, I'm saving a bunch of money on gas too. 48 miles to the gallon and it's a fun way to start my day.

Independence Day: July 4 1776

"And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

235 years ago 56 men drafted and signed a document that had these words as the last line. They knew the gravity of what they about to do, and these words reflect that. They were committing high treason against the Crown.

If caught, they would surely hang for their actions and their words.

One, John Hancock, already had a price on his head. $500. When he signed it, he is said to have remarked that by his signature, he hoped that the price would double. He made sure to sign large enough so that King George could see it without his spectacles.

We hold our Founding Fathers to be somwhat old and wise. Wise they certainly were, but only one could be considered old; Ben Franklin. He was in his early 60's at the time. Most of the others were young by today's standards. 18 of them were under 40 and 3 of them were in their 20's. They came from all walks of life. Lawyers, a doctor or two, shopkeepers, tavern owners, ministers, and farmers.

Ordinary men undertaking an extraordinary task. Severing the bonds of tyranny and creating a new Nation.

Some of these men would not live to see it to fruition, and others would suffer greatly and literally lose everything because of their actions.  But they did it nonetheless. Fully knowing the ramifications of their actions. It was said by one observer in the room " in no face was he able to discern real fear.".

I am eternally grateful to those 56 men. Both for what they did, and what they created. Every freedom I enjoy today is because of them and their actions on that hot summer day in Philadelphia in 1776.

So thank you, Messrs. Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton, John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott, William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris, Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross, Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean, Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn, Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton.

148 Years Ago Today

While we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, what I feel to be the most sacred of National Holidays, these past few days, July 1-3 also mark another important event in our Nation's history: The Battle Of Gettysburg.

The Battle Of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. When the smoke from the battles cleared, more men lay dead than from any other battle in the war. Somewhere between 46,000 and 51,000 men perished.

Until then, Lee and his Army of the Confederacy had given the North the old What-For. Undefeated thus far,  Lee and his Army were in high spirits as they marched northward.

Gettysburg was to be merely a stop over point for Lee's advancing Army. A place to rest and possibly obtain some much needed supplies. Among which was shoes for the many Confederate troops that had, up to this point, marched barefoot.

The ensuing 3 day battle would culminate in what has been called Pickett's Charge. Held 148 years ago today.

On this date in 1863, Pickett's charge was planned for three Confederate divisions, commanded by Maj. Gen. George Pickett, Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew, and Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble. On farmland owned by a freed slave, three divisions of men were going to march over a mile across open land toward a small stand of trees on the Union Line.

Prior to the start of the charge, Confederate Artillery was supposed to bombard the Union Lines with cannon fire. In what was probably the largest artillery campaign of the war, somewhere between 150 and 170 cannons fired at the Union Forces

It has been said that the sound of cannon fire was so loud that it could be heard in Philadelphia, almost 100 miles away. Unfortunately for the Confederates, though, it had little effect as the rounds were overshooting the Union forces and landing harmlessly well behind them.

The charge began with a line of men over a mile long. It was more of a march, really, as the actual charge was not to take place until the line had come within a couple hundred yards of Union positions. As the Confederates came within about  400 yards of the Union line, the mile-long front shrank to less than half a mile as the men filled in gaps that were created throughout the line as their comrades fell to enemy fire.
As they approached Union lines, they faced canister shot from the Union cannons. (Think #10 tin cans filled with steel ball bearings.) Undeterred they charged forward.

Pickett's Charge was a bloodbath. There is no other way to describe it. As the Confederates fell back, Lee is said to have told General Pickett to rally his division. Pickett responded "General Lee, I have no division". Well over half of his men lay dead in that field.

Although the war would rage on for almost two more years, the south was, in essence, defeated at Gettysburg.

My Shameful Addiction

Hi, my name is East of The Pecos and I'm an Auctionholic.

(Hi East!)

Well, for me, it all started when I was just a wee small lad. I was probably about six or seven years old. See, my Uncle Louie had just gotten married and bought a new house in town. The people he bought it from had a Personal Property Auction to liquidate a lifetime of stuff they had accumulated and couldn't fit into their new digs. It was the first time I had ever been to an Auction, and it started me down the road to an addiction that would last my entire life

A couple of years later my Mom went to work for a Faith Based Organization that ran a Nursing Home, Assisted Living, and Apartment Complex for Seniors. Part of her job was to liquidate the Estates of people entering the facility to help pay for their care. Once again, the evil auction process entered my life. This time, though, I would go too far.

At first, the sales were just something that Mom dragged me to. She was a single mom in a time when that wasn't in vogue. I would wander around looking at all the neat stuff and always listen to the Auctioneer. His chant, to me anyway,  was like a Mermaid's siren song was to a Sailor. It was slowly drawing towards the reef. I was mesmerized.

Then it happened. Most addicts can't tell you that exact moment they fell into the abyess, the first time the monkey sank his claws into their back. I can.

Looking at some of  the sale items spread out on a table, I spotted a pair of bookends. they were Scotty Dogs, and Mom LOVED Scotty Dogs. My pockets were flush with my allowance money and I was determined to buy these for Mom.

I remember that anticipation as I watched the ringman select items for bid. When he finally held up those bookends I felt the rush of adrenalin. The Auctioneer started at a dollar. My heart sank because my allowance was only 75 cents (a princely sum for a kid in 1964) . But a magical thing happened, no one bid. Then 50 cents, again no bid. Then it came down to a quarter. My hand went up and for one glorious moment, an eight year old kid was the most important person in a crowd of a hundred people.

The Auctioneer had his "Have" and launched into the search for his "Want". 25, I have 25 do I hear 30, 30 the bid, 30 do you bid boys? 30 I have, do I hear 35, 35 do I have 35? Up goes my hand and the fight is on. The adrenalin rush is like nothing I'd ever felt in my young life. I have to own these dogs! I have 35, do I hear 40, 40 the bid. My unseen nemesis bids again; I have 40 do I hear 45, 45 the bid? Again the bid goes up and again I counter. The rush get stronger, my whole body trembling and the beads of sweat start forming on my forehead. 50, I have 50 do I hear 55? 50 do I hear 55, 50 the bid, last call for 55, are we all in? 50 going once, 50 going twice, SOLD! 50 cents to the young man in front!

The ringman walked over to me and placed the prize dogs in my shaking hand. I went to the cashier and handed over 2/3 of my allowance. It was worth every penny. The kiss from my Mom when I gave them to her was worth it too. And Mom was nice enough to give me back the 50 cents that I paid.  BONUS!

So that's how it happened. Since that day I’ve been addicted to the whole process.  As I got older I started  going to auction barns and weekly sales.  Then I started working in the car business and attending car auctions, eventually working at the largest one in the world in Manheim PA.  I thought about it a few weeks ago, and between the sales I got paid to work and ones that I attended as a buyer or gawker, I have somewhere between 10 and 12 thousand sales to my credit.

Since moving to Texas I have had the chance to live my lifelong dream.  After almost 5 long years away from the auction business, I’m back! And I’m the guy behind the mike! 

That’s right, I am a licensed Associate Auctioneer. Most of the time I’m a Ringman, but several times throughout the sale, I call bids. Once I get 10 sales under my belt I can take the State test for full fledged Auctioneer status. I passed that mark quite a while ago, but I’m really content with things as they are. Eventually I’ll sit for the exam, but for right now I’m happy to just be back in the game.  And not only am I in the game, I’m the team Captain!

True Grit Redeux

Ever since I can remember, I have been a fan of John Wayne.

As a child, I looked up to him. He sat tall in the saddle, almost always played the good guy, and of course, always got the girl. And it wasn't just any girl. It was girls like Maureen O'Hara, Kate Hepburn, Angie Dickinson, Stefanie Powers, Natalie Wood, Sophia Loren, and others.  To watch him on screen was to see manhood personified.

He only received one OSCAR for all of his acting performances. It was for his portrayal of Marshall Rooster Cogburn in True Grit.

And I have to add that if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be living in Texas. Watching him as a kid was what made me want to come here in the first place. Falling in love with Texas was all me, but coming here to visit, that was all Duke.

So, you can probably imagine my reaction when I heard that there was going to be a remake of True Grit.

HOW DARE THEY! This is blasphemy. There are things in this world you simply don't fu@k with. Even if you are the Coen brothers.

Well, I rented it from the RedBox last night, fully prepared to curse it loudly and turn it off in disgust before the first scene was over.

Damn, I hate it when I'm wrong. I really liked it. So much so, that I'm going to buy a copy for my library. It will never replace the original for many reasons, but it sure shines in it's own way.

The dialogue and story line are very true to the original. Jeff Bridges does an admirable job as Rooster (although at times I think he was channeling Carl from Sling Blade), and Matt Damon does a great job as LaBoeuf. Hailee Steinfeld (who is 24, by the way) plays Maddie. Josh Brolin is Tom Chaney. and although his role is small, he does a good bad guy.

Being as it is a Coen brothers movie, the ending has to be different. There is no Rooster on a new horse jumping a 3 rail fence. I won't spoil it for those of you that haven't seen it yet, but do see it. It's worth the price of a rental. I don't do theaters because I have a big screen, 5.1 surround sound and a really comfy recliner. But if I didn't have that, I'd even spring for a ticket to see this one.

I think even Duke smiled down and said "Good job, kid"

The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart Beats Fox News?

I've always been kind of a smart-ass, I can't help it. Ever since I can remember, I've been afflicted by the the disease.

As a kid, I was pretty introverted. I went to a school across town from where I lived, so most of the kids were essentially strangers to me. Early on I realized that if I could provoke a laugh or two, I'd be more likely to be noticed, and therefore accepted by my peers. It really helped me to come out of my shell. Nothing was off-limits to me, I was an equal opportunity smart-ass. I became quick with a pun and quicker to point out the absurd around me. I was a class clown and spent a lot of time standing in a corner or in the Principal's office, but I had friends because of it, so that made it worth it.

That's why I love Jon Stewart. He is the consummate smart-ass.

Sure, there are times that he infuriates me when he goes off on one of his left leaning rants, but he spreads the love around and goes after the left as well. He's an equal opportunity smart-ass, just like me. He destroyed Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala equally on their show Crossfire. So badly in fact, that the show was cancelled shortly after. While it's certainly debatable as to whether Jon was responsible for that, it surely bears speculation. Tucker was clearly out of his realm and outclassed. At least Begala had the common sense to mostly keep his trap shut for most of the segment. He knew he was not going to win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmj6JADOZ-8

Then there was his response to 9/11. When America was reeling in the days following the attacks, we were in mourning. It upset our world so badly that we were almost afraid to laugh, lest we offend someone. Jon's moving monologue just days after the attack told us it was OK to laugh. It also showed me that even though I disagree with him sometimes, he loves America just as much as I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqY3_0RSAXY

The list of people he has interviewed reads like a Who's Who. Presidents, Vice Presidents, Congresscritters, Senators, Foreign Leaders, Kings, Pulitzer Prize winners, and not one of them has been spared his barbs. He is an equal opportunity smart-ass. he even called Obama "Dude", pissing off his left wing audience (How dare he insult the Chosen One!).

So imagine my reaction when I read today that his show ranked higher in the Neilson ratings than any offering by Fox News.

http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=4582

Fox is, and probably always will be my go-to source for hard news. But I really think they need to take a hard look at Jon and his partner in crime, Stephen Colbert. They might just learn something.

The War We'll Never Win

In my previous post about Florida's new pee-in-the-cup law I expressed my disdain for our "War On Drugs". Lest I look like some Hippie or Doper, I thought I might take a moment or three to expound on my thoughts about it.

First off, I don't do drugs. I can't say I've never done them, I was young once (back in the last century) and experimented a bit. I smoked my share of weed, tried Coke a time or two, and I'm still waiting for one of those flashbacks they promised me. When I finally grew up, I wised up. Unfortunately, some of my friends didn't. I've attended the funerals of some of them. I've watched a few others lose jobs, families, and friends. And a few I've visited or written to when they found themselves guests of the State or County. In short, drugs are bad, mmkay?

But the war on drugs is worse. Much worse.

Starting as far back as 1914 with the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act and then the Narcotic Drugs Import and Export Act in 1922 The die was cast for the start of a war we could never win.

In 1937 President Hoover ramped it up when his Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon  called on Harry Anslinger to serve as the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.

Under Anslinger, the bureau lobbied for harsh penalties for drug usage. The FBN got the credit for criminalizing drugs such as cannabis with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, as well as strengthening the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914. they worked hard to stop the smuggling of opium and heroin and had overseas offices in Turkey, Beirut, Thailand, and other countries where smuggling was rampant.

Harry, it seems, wasn't beyond stretching the truth wherever possible in reaching his goals. Any one who's ever seen the movie "Reefer Madness" should realize that. He, and his buddy,  William Randolph Hearst, the publisher, bombarded the Government and the public with half truths and outright lies. Here are some  gems:

"Colored students at the Univ. of Minn. partying with (white) female students, smoking [marijuana] and getting their sympathy with stories of racial persecution. Result: pregnancy"

"Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, jazz musicians, and entertainers. Their satanic music is driven by marijuana, and marijuana smoking by white women makes them want to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and others. It is a drug that causes insanity, criminality, and death — the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

The modern drug war was started by Tricky Dick Nixon back in the 60's and was given a big boost by Nancy, the wife of my favorite President Ronald Reagan again in the 80's and early 90's. It has been an abject failure. It has wasted Trillions of dollars and has reaped no benefits whatsoever, unless you count the money and property seized in the course of arresting sellers and users. And of course the profits of the prison industry.

As I type this, over 750,000 non-violent drug offenders are in our prison system. People that would otherwise be productive members of society are imprisoned because they ingested something that the Government decided is bad for them. They hurt no one but themselves, but we have to pay to warehouse them.

It has transformed our police from helpful public servants into a para-military force. Thousands people have been innocent victims of these para-military police tactics. Search warrants served at the wrong house, innocents caught in crossfire, no knock raids where the residents thought they were experiencing a home invasion and tried to protect themselves, being shot in the process. I don't hate cops and I certainly don't think all of them have this mentality, but many do, and that taints the good ones.

In many countries drugs are still illegal, but instead of jailing addicts, they treat them. Either by detox or by supplying pharmaceutical grade drugs and clean needles. It costs less and allows addicts to be contributing members of society, not a drain on resources. In still others, drugs are legal and usage has gone down. Would that work here? I don't know, but anything has to be better than what we have going on now.

The drug war going on in Mexico right now has cost over 30,000 lives, decimated cities like Juarez and even  upscale places like Monterrey. Tourism has dropped off to virtually nothing, and has turned the whole country into a Police State. Dead bodies hang from overpasses and decapitated corpses are dumped on the streets. Car bombings and drive by shootings are a daily occurrence. Corruption is rampant and drug cartels rule entire regions and even dictate what the press reports. They are so brazen they mark their vehicles with their logos like they are official vehicles. They set up roadblocks and kidnap and murder at will. No one really knows how many victims there truly are, because many bodies simply disappear.

Prohibition does not work. Period. It didn't work in the 20's with alcohol, and it isn't working now with drugs. I don't know what the answer to the drug problem is, but what we've been doing since 1914 ain't it.

Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It's official, the government IS insane!

Want Welfare In Florida? Pee In The Cup Please.

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed legislation yesterday requiring persons applying for welfare benefits to submit to drug screening.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303745304576359780327686022.html

http://www.newser.com/story/119958/florida-to-drug-test-welfare-recipients-under-new-law-signed-by-rick-scott.html

All I can say is, it's about damn time!

It's almost impossible to get a job in this Country without peeing in a cup. If you have to be tested to get a job, you sure as hell should be tested to get my tax dollars.

My wife works for a DOD Contractor on the the Air Force Base here. Not only did she get tested to get the job, she has to go for random tests at her employer's whim. In 4 years she's hit the bladder lottery 3 times
.
I wonder why the UCLU doesn't have a problem with that?

I really don't agree with our War On Drugs nor do I agree with drug testing for employment. But if we are going to test people wanting to work, then we damn sure should test people that want money for nothing.

 Memorial Day

The informal start of summer. Picnicking with friends and family, perhaps some frosty adult beverages, maybe a spirited game of softball or volley ball. Time to fire up the grills and char some tasty animal flesh. Good times!

But in the midst of it all, take a moment or two to remember those that sacrificed their all to give us the freedoms we enjoy. They gave the two most precious gift of all, to all of us; their lives and our Freedom!

Officer Down. Rest In Peace Sgt Kenneth G. Vann

I have no words to offer other than I hope in my heart of hearts that the pieces of shit that did this, once found, do not live to see trial.

Deputy shot and killed at traffic light

My deepest condolences to his family and the entire Bexar County Sheriff's Department.

The Legend Of Wyatt Derp

Wyatt Derp

We live a good 25+ miles outside of the city in a very sparsely populated area. Although there are some 50 or so 5 acre plus lots in our subdivision, few have been built upon. Of those that do have houses, many are weekend places for folks from bigger cities like San Antonio, San Angelo, or the Midland/Odessa area that come to enjoy the lake and the peace and quiet that abounds here.

Being that far removed and secluded, townsfolk sometimes come here to dump animals, especially cats.

About 2 years ago, a pair showed up that were unlike the feral cats, in that they were both wearing collars. One sported a leather collar with a rabies tag and the other had a flea collar. Both were younger cats and, while not affectionate, were friendly enough that I could pet them, especially when food was involved.

After about a week or so it became apparent that they weren't going back to wherever they came from, at least on their own accord, so at feeding time I took the collars off of them. The one wearing the flea collar had outgrown it to where it was getting too tight. Although she wasn't happy about the removal process, she seemed to be happy once it was gone.

 The leather collar on the other cat had the aforementioned rabies tag still attached, so I called the Vet's office. I gave the Vet the number from the tag and told them I had the cat if the owner wanted her back. It wasn't 5 minutes until my phone rang. Turns out the cat came from town, well over 30 miles away, and they had given it up for dead. The little girl who's pet it was, was very happy to get it back. My guess is that it was given a ride by a neighbor. I'd have loved to see the look on that neighbor's face when the cat reappeared!

The other cat still lives here. We've named her Mom because of her prodigious ability to breed. She wants no part of the easy life of a house cat, preferring to live outside and doing whatever outside cats do. We feed her and her offspring and in return they keep our house and land free of scorpions, tarantulas, and wolf spiders. They also keep the rattlesnakes at bay. She teaches her kids well how to survive in the wild. All but one, that is.

Early this year she brought one of her kittens to the back door. It was a mess. One eye was runny with tears and it was skinny and listless. I scooped him up and brought him inside. I filled a small dish with half and half and put him in front of it. He drank every last drop.

There was no doubt that this little guy was not going to survive if put back outside, so I filled the sink with warm water, bathed him and wrapped him in a towel. He slept on my chest in the recliner for the rest of the evening, and that night he cuddled up to me under the covers in bed.

The wife said he needed a name and dismissed several that I suggested, like Jake (too much like a dog's name), Amos (reminded her of a lazy guy at her work), Lefty (in deference to the runny eye, but we shouldn't make fun of the less fortunate), and Floyd (too goofy and we had already nicknamed one of the deer we feed Floyd). So finally I suggested Wyatt.

Wyatt settled in and as the days passed we noticed that he was, well, different. Kittens are uncoordinated but he was more clumsy than normal. After playing with him with a laser pointer we discovered that he was defiantly blind in that left eye. We also believe that he has limited vision in the right as well. This really affects his depth perception in that he has a hard time judging how to jump up onto things. He simply can't do it very well, preferring to climb on stuff instead of jumping up like a normal cat. When he tries to jump down from something, he invariably falls. Cats don't always land on their feet, especially when they're visually impaired.

He also sees spots, I think. He chases them around, running into things. He's all legs going every which way when he runs, and he has no brakes. When he tries to pounce on something, he extends his front paws, but forgets to stop running with his back legs, plowing ahead, come what may. He's a constant source of amusement. When we play with the laser, he'll chase it around in a circle (as long as it's to the right, he can't see it if it's to the left) and after 2 or 3 revolutions, I'll stop but he keeps on going, just like the Energizer Bunny, until he gets dizzy and has to lie down and get his bearings.

So now he has a last name too, Derp. That's right, Wyatt Derp. It's even on his vet records. I told the receptionist that we named him that because it sounded better than Thud.

As if Joplin, MO didn't have enough to deal with

There are very few people in this world that I truly despise. Fred Phelps and his crew of douchebags (mostly his inbred family) from the Westboro Baptist Church top that short list. These are the same gang of reprobates that picket the funerals of our fallen Military Heros with signs proclaiming the God Hates Fags and Thank God For Dead Soldiers as well as other vitriolic, hateful, and disgusting slogans.

Well, it would seem as though they plan to go to Joplin, MO on Sunday to spread more of their special kind of hatred.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110525/NEWS11/110525048/Westboro-Baptist-plans-protest-Joplin?odyssey=mod|mostcom

Hey Fred, just a heads up dude. People that have lost everything, really have nothing to lose. You might want to consider that before you go there.

On second thought, forget it. I hope you have a good trip and meet lots of new "friends". I'm sure there's plenty of 2X4's laying around.....

Oh, and since your an Old Testament kinda guy, this is from me to you: Genesis 19:31-36. Look it up, I think it might apply.

Standing up for what's right

Guffaw, I couldn't agree with you more!

http://armedlaughing.blogspot.com/2011/05/action-is-magic-word.html?showComment=1306410015765#c6178182058686974439

While there are those that seemingly live to complain, I try hard to stay positive and find the good, and the humorous, in most every situation. That philosophy served me well most of my life, especially during my years as a first responder.

But I can't continue to laugh stuff off when our rights are being trampled into the dirt!

One of the things that made going into a dangerous situation easier was being secure in the knowledge that others had your back. This is especially true when you are a volunteer. After all. we didn't get paid for it and we all had day jobs as well as families to think about.

So, that being said, it's time to rant.

TJIC. His predicament really pisses me off. See, I remember saying the EXACT same thing (1 down 534 to go)when I heard about the shootings in Tuscon. The only difference is I said it to my wife, not on the Internet. Will the thought police break down my door now and confiscate my guns? Will they confiscate my computer and deny me my rights? I invite them to try!

TSA. I have a beautiful 2 year old Grandson that I haven't met yet. He is 1800 miles away and because I absolutely refuse to give up my 4th Amendment rights in order to board an airplane, I have yet to visit. I have a business to run and cannot take 2 weeks to drive there and back.

Pima County SWAT. I have the utmost respect for Police Officers. They do one of the hardest jobs imaginable. But these clowns and their inept Sheriff are lying, murdering cowards that shot a man and left him to bleed or over an hour denying him medical attention. Even if he was a bad guy, which I am convinced he wasn't, he did not need to be shot at 71 times and hit 60. It only took two rounds to kill the most wanted man in the world, fer crissakes!  I hope they all face murder charges. If not, well, they'll face the ultimate judge one day and hopefully they'll all rot in Hell for what they did to that Marine.

Gunwalker. The dumb asses killed one of their own. Who thought up that brilliant plan? The BATF has been running amok for as long as I can remember. Time to relegate them to the trash heap..

Recent State Court Decisions & The United States Supreme Court. I'm going to lump these together because they both concern the same Amendment of my beloved Constitution and Bill Of Rights. Be warned; if the cops enter my home without a warrant or personal invitation, The safety on my rifle will not be on like Jose Guereña's was. Yes I will die, but I will not die alone! We shoot trespassers who force their way in here in Texas. I strive every day to live within the law so there is no reason to kick my door in unless you have a death wish.

I never wore the uniform of the Armed Forces. I wanted to because my father did. But a heart murmmer kept me from it. But I am still prepared to defend my country and possibly die for it. I hope with all my heart that I never have to, but I would rather die a free man than live under tyranny!

A big Tip O' The Hat to:

Guffaw, David Codrea, Mike Vanderboegh, and every other freedom loving American that is fed up and is willing to speak out about it!

Texas flinched!

Damn it all!

Just when I thought my beloved Texas was going to send a strong message to the Feds and especially the TSA concerning the "Gate Rape" of airline passengers, they have to flinch.

http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2011/05/patricks-intrusive-touching-bill-junked/

We had a shot at telling Janet Incopitant-o and her minion Pistole to piss up a rope, leave their hands to themselves, and respect the 4th Amendment rights of Texans, but the bill is DRT.

Double Damn!

Dan Patrick, author of House Bill 1937 was hung out to dry by at least 12 fellow Senators and  Lt. Governor Dewhurst. Sen. Kirk Watson, D(ickhead)-Austin worked to align the opposition.

Dewhurst, Hell will freeze before I vote for you again.

And Watson, I have no words for what I wish upon you.

There was a time when Texas had the balls to say this to their oppressors:

This bill, had it passed would have laid the groundwork for other states to follow in our footsteps. Now it just emboldens the Department of Homeland inSecurity.

Three's A Charm (or so they say)

The old saying is "Three's A Charm". 


I can only hope that there's a modicum of truth to that. See, this is my third attempt at blogging. 


The first never got past the title and set-up stage. I got that far, then chickened out. There are so many talented folks out there Blogging that I felt a lot like Wayne and Garth; "I'm not worthy", so take one died on the vine. 


The second attempt was much more deliberate. In fact it was just a couple of weeks ago. I spent all day on it. Setting up the blog, getting it to look just the way I wanted it. Then I sat down and literally spent the whole day on my inaugural  post. I finished it up in the late afternoon and was truly proud of it. It related to a very tragic chapter in my life and how it changed not only my life, but my family's as well. 


It actually went up on the Blogger system and I thought I was finally on my way, as it were.


That was two days before Blogger melted down. After the meltdown, it was MIA. Taken down for unknown reasons and the title "unavailable for other blogs".  Numerous emails to Blogger have been unanswered. I didn't break any rules, spam anyone, I didn't even use any of George Carlin's 7 Words You Can't Say On Television. Unceremoniously dumped like a Prom date that wouldn't put out.


The good news is that I have learned to draft online content in WordPad. I still have that post and eventually I'll put it up again. It's a helluva tale and it might just help someone going through something tragic in their life.


So here I go again. Take 3.


So who am I you might ask? Well I'm a crotchety over 50 male. 


I'm married to the most wonderful woman on Earth. 


I live within sight of our Third World neighbor to the south, Mexico, somewhere between Del Rio and Comstock, Texas. 


I'm opinionated, conservative/libertarian, unapologetic, and decidedly un-politically correct.


I am a strong supporter of the Constitution. By that, I mean the entire document, not just certain parts. 


I am a "Gun Nut". I love shooting. It appeals to my need to be precise. I also want to own every gun I've ever seen, thus my collection will always be meager to me. I've only ever gotten rid of one gun. It was a trade-in on a 1911 and although it was over 11 years ago, I still regret it.


I also enjoy introducing people to the shooty sports. I love the look on their faces when they send the first rounds downrange.


I love the water. It might have to do with being born under the sign of Pisces, I don't know. I live on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. 130 square miles of the clearest blue water you could ever hope to see. I spend as much time on it as I can, be it boating, swimming or fishing.


I have little tolerance for stupidity, and none for racism. Like Stephen Colbert, I don't see race. I have little regard for what I call hyphenated Americans. African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Italian-Americans. Bullshit! We're all Americans, dammit! Until we all start thinking that way, there will always be division.