iGotit

In my continuing failure to keep only the most serious of topics on this site, I add this...

Those who have known me for any length of time will know that I do not often replace my possessions just because something newer or shinier or more versatile has been released. I generally buy "nice" things and take care of them for as long as they will last, even if I have the means to "upgrade," I would usually rather just keep my money.

Well, after five plus years with the Kyocera QCP-6350 (no link, I think it predates the hyperlink), I have replaced it with an iPhone.

The QCP-6350 was a Palm phone and was the last phone made by Qualcomm - although it had Kyocera's name on it. It was considered better than its successor by far. While not on the cutting edge of technology, everything on it was integrated and worked.

It was only within the last few months that voice on it started breaking. In phone years, it should be in the ground and just about oil by now.

I should be as lucky for the iPhone to last as long. If not, I may be iRate. =)

Peta Bred

I was reading No Compromise and the people that they support.

I do not know if it is copywrited or not but their disclaimer reads:

The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the steering committee,
contributors nor volunteer staff. No Compromise is not intended to encourage
illegal/unethical activity or behavior. The information herein is solely
intended for entertainment, educational, research, academic, or other lawful
purposes and is from sources independent of No Compromise. Furthermore, the
information contained herein is neither guaranteed, nor warranted to be
complete, accurate or reliable.

I wonder if the steering committee knows the text of their disclaimer or if they experience cognitive dissonance whenever they read it.

They feature articles like this in there news, discussing acts of vandalism and, possibly, sabotage. They feature essays by people like this, defending acts of vandalism and destruction of private property because "they aren't as bad as real acts of terrorism." They have on their support list groups that engage in subversion and sabotage.

I notice that the site has also been pretty much inactive since the end of 2005. Did they get tired? Did they get tossed in prison? Did they get eaten by carnivores?

I would be interested to know.

Sunk

While it appears that S.1639 remains to be debated - something that none on my floating list wanted - the general consensus is that it has sank. I can now see blue and green in addition to red.

Also, I would like to thank Sen. John Cornyn for his efforts. Some accused him of flopping on the issue. He did not. Once he was able to read the text of the bill he fought it so hard that Sen. John McCain cussed at him. Sen. Cornyn may take that as a complement.

Floating

Senate bill S.1639 has me seeing red.

I am a sensible man but after today's cloture vote in the Senate, I would not mind hearing that Kennedy, Clinton, McCain, or even GWB was found in the Potomac.

Get on with It Then

I was reading about The World Can't Wait the other day. They are an organization that is seeking to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. One of their key voices is Craig Murray, a former British ambassador to Uzbekistan.

“I would personally rather die than have anyone tortured to save my life.”

My message to him is that he can take heart. No one will ever be tortured to just save his life.
However, if he is expecting others to follow him in his ideology, he may surrender hope there. There are millions of Americans and literally billions in the world who would see people tortured to save theirs.

There are hundreds of thousands who would see him tortured for any number of reasons or none at all.

When it comes to those things in GITMO that think of themselves as the acme of mankind, they are forfeit. If thumbscrews will get them talking, then please use them.

I used to try to emphasize what is torture and what is not. Humiliation that does not cause bodily harm is not torture. Stress positions is not torture. As much as it pains me to even think about it, Brittany Spears music is not torture. The problem with torturing a prisoner for interrogation is that he will tell you anything that he thinks you want to hear, be it factual or not.
Mr. Murray makes no distinction. To him, a tall stool with white noise is just as bad as pulling fingernails with pliers.

The position of political leaders is such that they must determine what is acceptable loss and to what extremes we may go.

Is it acceptable to use humiliation if it will yield information?

Is losing a battle justified if we can win the war by its loss?

Is firing a hellfire missile into the sedan of two young children, a pregnant woman, and a terrorist leader justified if it will save the lives of a few thousand?

Is letting a hostage be tortured - real torture with box cutters and wire - while waiting for a cell leader acceptable if it means we can get the entire cell?

Mr. Murry lives in a well protected world. I am sure that he has seen some of the worst of what man is capable and still holds his suicidal opinion.

Can Mr. Murray sleep at night knowing that thousands may die, not just him, because a sociopath could not be coerced to talk?

If that is the case, I wish he would just die and remove him self from the equation entirely.

To the Soldier Who Delayed My Flight

I do not know you. I do not know what your circumstances were. I do not know from whence you came. I do not know your ultimate destination.

I do not know how you died.

On Friday, June 22nd, 2007, your departure from American Airlines flight 1549 was witnessed by Seattle Tacoma Airport's Police and Fire crews, by military men in uniform from all branches, by the hundreds of passengers from your flight, and by the hundreds of passengers from my flight waiting there in the terminal looking out of the windows.

The men in uniform on the tarmac saluted you. Others and myself, dressed in civilian clothes, came to attention there by the gate.

For my part, it seemed a poor choice of attire. I should have had a suit at least.

Many that saw you depart were crying. Some left in disgust. Most stood tall and looked upon you with reverence. None ignored you. Children barely big enough to walk and couples in their eighties stood looking out of those windows. You left an impression on everyone.

There is no way that I know to show gratitude to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Any show of respect or thanks seems inadequate and trite in comparison. We continue to try.

We will continue to support you. We will pray for your families. What our military cannot provide for you, we will endeavor to do.

Thank you for your service,

Shawn McManus

Don't Scratch Your Ear with It!

Whenever I go to the gun range, I try to bring along others. Ideally, I will bring along others who are already shooters but have fallen out of practice as well as those new to shooting.

Last Thursday, I found myself at the range with a very experienced, well practiced shooter and someone else who saw a gun in a movie once.

The man new to shooting required a lot of instruction. When I say "a lot," I mean it in the same way that the Hoover Dam took a lot of cement to make.

I swear I have never been that nervous around firearms.

The other shooter and I explained our pistols. We had both brought Glocks that night. We taught him how to operate the pistols. We explained the internal safeties. We explained safe operation. We stressed muzzle awareness. We repeated the safety rules repeatedly and again.

Right after explaining hand placement and how to work the slide, he cuts his hand on the slide (gives himself a nice blood blister anyway).

He dry fired a few times and we loaded a single round into the first pistol.

We told him to keep the weapon pointed down range and to keep his finger straight until he was on target.

The first thing he does is pick it up with his finger in the trigger well and turns around with it. We yelled at him to turn around and face the target. So he does it again. When he was not doing the hokey pokey with it, he was looking down the barrel.

Among the questions he asked that night:

"Why is it so loud? The movies aren't that loud."

(referring to a bullet) "This little thing can kill someone?"

"Why does it kick so much?"

"So if I..."
"TURN AROUND!"

With a few exceptions, I think that everyone should own a firearm. Of those, most people should carry them.

I think he may be one of the few.

You Must Think I'm Someone Else

While walking back from the teriyaki takeout restaurant last Tuesday, a representative from the Washington Environmental Council asked if I was interested in joined his organization.


"I think you may have the wrong person."


He looked puzzled for a moment then so I asked, "Are you taking a survey."


He clarified, "Oh no. We are looking for new members. Those who are concerned about the environment. We lobby Olympia [the Washington state capitol] to fight global warming."

"Hmm."

"You're not on our side?"

At this point I am thinking of how much to throw at him. Should I throw the science, the data, or the politics or perhaps some combination of the three? "The totally opposite side."

We wished each other a nice day. He stayed in his place trying to recruit and I walked back to the office with my lunch.

While eating my environmentally conscious chicken and rice, I researched his organization. They have a few good points. I especially like the electronics recycling ideas and possibly the water use that protects individual farms.

The problem that I have with this organization is that they are married to communists who use "environmental causes" to stifle and control businesses. They create shortages when there is plenty and famine with there is little. They talk about regulating the timber industry to ensure sustainable growth. As I read their initiatives and their site, what they really mean is that they want to exact control over the timber industry.

I am sure that having "sustainable forests" is important to the timber industry. They do not need to have those who would just a quickly destroy their livelihoods telling them where and how to run their businesses.

They want to exact control over water sources too. I will not begin to discuss the problems with that at this time. Perhaps I will in the near future.

All told, I find them to be another worthless organization who obscure facts and data to fit their own political ideologies. The fact that they are on the "opposite side" of me makes them all the more deplorable.

I should have driven a Hummer to lunch.

Not That Patient

One of the sites I read daily (or mostly daily since I do not read blogs every day) is Kim du Toit's. From one of his recent posts, a supposed reader made this comment to him:

The law states that self-defense is the last option. You do have the moral and legal responsibility of using deadly force as a last option, and yes retreat comes first.

It is not in his post but I am wondering what law that is. Even in Texas, before the Castle Doctrine was passed, deadly force can be used on an intruder without fear of criminal reprisal. The current Castle Doctrine that goes into effect September 1st removes the possibility of civil reprisal as well. (It was all too common for the families of slain burglars to sue those who killed the burglar.)

If faced with a dangerous sociopath, people have a moral responsibility to incapacitate him. That includes killing him. Whether or not anything else could have been done to stop him is academic.

I say "supposed reader" not because I think that Kim would contrive such a missive himself, but because his regular readers would not send a message like that - except for maybe someone wanting to play devil's advocate - and that he and others like him receive plenty of mail like that as a matter of course.

Getting back to my point of this though...

The last part about "retreat comes first" is something that bothers me. There are many states with laws like this.

I have not been in the situation of facing a burglar in my house. Nor do I hope to ever be. </standard disclaimer> I cannot know for certain what course of action I would take but my attitude is thus: If I "get the bead" on someone who has broken into my house or car, he has the time it takes for me to pull the trigger* to convince me that he surrenders his life and neither he nor any of his cohorts are a threat. I will not yield the element of surprize to say, "Hands up!" The only warning he might get is the chambering of a round. I will not risk losing anything to take the time to ascertain his situation.

It is his duty to not to be there. Failing that, it is for him to surrender, not retreat. If he tries to run I will kill him. If I think he may be with others I will kill him. If he is armed or if I think he has harmed anyone in my family I will kill him. If I think he has taken any of my possessions - you guessed it - I will kill him.

Some may argue that material possessions are not worth human life. I disagree. However, if that is the case, it is best that it not be risked by stealing.

The time that it takes to defend my house, my family, and my sacred honor may be precious little. I will not waste it.


* He had better hope that I have a gun on me. Any other item such as a golf club, kitchen knife, or my hands and I will not even take the chance of allowing him to surrender. My having a firearm affords him that little bit of latitude.

Because We Are Not Losing

I heard that Senator Harry Reid confirmed telling bloggers that General Peter Pace is "incompetent."

His contention was that Gen. Pace performed poorly as an advisor" on the Iraq war. Would the Senator care to qualify that? Is he upset that our military has not killed every terrorist there or is he upset that our military has conducted wonderfully despite his efforts to hamstring them and curtail the President's war efforts.

What would he say is performing well? A general that parrots him would be my guess. He would like a general that supports withdrawing from Iraq and says President Bush is a Bad Person.

I have the impression that Senator Reid does not like that General Pace disagrees with him. General Pace does not support his agenda. General Pace is not a Democratic lemming.

Unfortunately, Senator Reid is the Majority Leader and can use his position to keep General Pace from being reappointed. I think that is a shame and our military will suffer because of it.

With Interest

If you had a $30,000 loan with a ten percent interest rate, would you take a $10,000 loan to pay for part of it that came with a fifteen percent interest rate?

There are a lot of reasons not to pass the Senate's version of the immigration reform. One argument that I have heard in favor of the bill was that it would help with the baby boomer social security "looming disaster."

A first it sounded bad, much like the example given. Then I started reading more into it... and it got worse. Social Security not withstanding, almost everything paid in taxes across the board with the current Senate bill would increase disproportionately with the "legal" population.

Pigeonholes

A co-worker (in Seattle - I don't get these conversations in Texas) was trying to determine what exactly I was politically. While I consider my self a Republican, most Republicans in Washington State are by comparison bleeding heart, moonbatty, liberals.

George W. Bush is in an extremely difficult situation. I appreciate all that he has done given the circumstances and political climate he has had. However, he is about a 25% with me. He spends like a liberal, argues like a mouse, and is willing to lose a war without a fight. (Make no mistake: We can win - definition later - in Iraq but not if we lose in Washington.)

"So you're a libertarian."

I do not support open borders or open immigration. I also believe that the war in Iraq is not only justified, it is good.

"So you're a facist."

Facists are socialists with a flair for the industrial military complex. I support neither. I do desire a strong military. This is different than institutionalized defense spending.

"Oh yeah."
"You're a Constitutional Partyist."

I like many of their tenets, I disagree with them on enough key issues that I cannot support them. It would be better to fix the Republican Party than try to convert them.

"What are you? I need to put you into a bucket!"

I am a conservative. I would do away with individual taxes - not all at once but over time. I would abolish federal minimum wages. I would get rid of federal involvement in education except for the service academies, ROTC programs, and the like. I would get government out of the business of gambling, market statistics, health insurance, life insurance, and death insurance (although I would make provisions for military, civil service, and possibly those who choose to "opt-in"). I would get rid of the ED, HUD, NEA, and BATFE. Some of these I would get rid of sooner than later but I would plan for most to be phased out over the course of 20 years or so.

"How can you be a conservative if you support gay rights?"

I do not like governments to "define marriage." That does not mean I support "gay rights." The term is as ambiguous as "winning the war on terror." Both need to be defined before they can be argued.

While I support the ideal that people may live as well as their abilities allow or as poorly as they choose, I look at homosexuality much like I do drug abuse. It is personally destructive behavior with similiar results. Some drugs I make exception to and think they need to be completely outlawed. They are not only physically dangerous to the users but to the people they happen to be near. Homosexuality is emotionally dangerous.

Talk to women who have lost their husbands to drugs and then to women who have lost their husbands to homosexuality. You will find remarkable parallels.

"So you're an anarchist? Sort of? Or not?"

I believe governments should be only as big as they need to be to do the minimal the majority wants them to do. I realize that this puts me into a minority but that is what I believe.

"I think that makes you different."

Perhaps. But I am not as uncommon as I used to be and the ideas are spreading.

I Was Hungry

I heard Hillary Clinton speaking on religeon the other day. I then heard the usual suspects speaking on Hillary speaking on religeon.

Hillary made a statement about how someone can not be a Republican and Christian at the same time. She may have been "wondering out loud" or the like. I would have to paraphrase.

Her statements about how her religeon affects her beliefs is standard. I know of none who is religeous that does not. One of the problems lays with using religeon to justify taking things of others. Another is using it to foul government.

The verses Matthew 25:35-36 read

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.

Methinks Hillary would rewrite them

For I was hungry, and you passed legislation to take food from others and give it to me. I was thirsty, and you made the Clean Water Act. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your country and gave me welfare.

I was naked, and you outlawed Walmarts. I'm still naked. I was sick, and you gave me national health care. I'm still sick. I was in prison, and you let me go.

While I may prefer this to Sharia, given my druthers, I will have neither. Charity is not charity when it is forcibly taken. Nor is charity the purvue of government.

This Is Getting to Be Comical

My flight last night was delayed. Then it was delayed some more. Then it was gate changed and delayed. Then was delayed, gate changed, gate changed, delayed...

Finally I think they just gave up and cancelled the flight. I took the first guaranteed flight for the next day. (Upgraded - Yay!)

Also, my shirt - green and a nice-not-fancy one - had a massive ink stain on the pocket. (Ruined - Boo!)

At the airport, parking was miserable. I finally decided to park at the gate and even then it was on the top of the garage in the sunlight and about 80 flights of stairs up from the gates. (Maybe 2 but I am in a hurry by now.)

The flight today took off 35 minutes late. It flew to Colorado, stopped mid-air, and went right back to Texas.

We then waited another two hours to leave again.

This time, it was mostly OK except for one thing: I got sick. I have never been sick on a plane before today. I was waiting in line for the lav when I asked the flight attendant if I could sit in her jump seat.

She gave me a plastic bag for Just In Case. The lav became available and I rushed it. I broke into a sweat and felt like passing out. I do not know how long I was in there and when I returned to my seat, my shirt was soaked.

I think I slept for the remainder of the flight but I do not know how long that was. Also, my shirt - blue and also nice-not-fancy - had two buttons missing from the front. I think I have the TSA to thank for that.

When I checked into the hotel they asked how I was doing. They asked this not with an I Really Do Not Care What You Say tone of voice but the You Look Like Hell tone of voice. My shirt was untucked, my face flushed, on my flushed face my cut swollen pussy nose, and I could probably use a haircut.

I think the cut on my nose is getting infected and I am wondering if that had anything to do with it. If so, this is going to be an interesting week.

The Shrapnel Anniversary

Or was it lace?

My wife's and my thirteenth anniversary was Saturday. This coincided with the first ever Nation of Riflemen Shooting Festival and Conference. For an anniversary present she signed me up for it. (I am not saying what I got her because I may not be able to get it and if not, it will still be another four weeks before I know that I did not and if so it will be two to four weeks beyond that - just in time for her birthday. She might read this post too.)

Much fun was had and many paper and cardboard targets were killed. A steel target was injured pretty badly too.

Part of the shoot featured a "live" range for anyone to go and do some pistol practice. On this particular range, no rifle practice was allowed. No rifles firing pistol ammunition was allowed. And certainly no crew served machine guns firing rifle ammunition was allowed.

For some reason, this slipped my mind. So when I saw one of the participants setting up a .30 caliber machine gun, I said nothing to him. Neither did anyone of the other dozen or so people down there. The man with the machine gun was not there for the safety briefing. He did not know the restrictions for that range.

He should have known better not to shoot at a steel target that was ten yards away though.

I was the farthest person on the range from him and the farthest from the target. When he started shooting, he aimed at that steel target and shattered it. While this may have looked impressive it 1.) damaged the range equipment; and 2.) sent shards of steel flying.

The man beside me was hit in his arm. I felt a sting on my nose. I though that maybe it was a casing that was ejected my way and did not think anything more about it for almost a full two seconds. I felt a drip off of my nose. I touched it and saw red. For another few seconds I kept my hand under my nose until it was covered in blood.

During the safety briefing, they said, "Unless you are bleeding, don't come whining to the medical station."

My nose was now free flowing blood, both on the outside and through my right nostril. I thought, "This will probably qualify."

At the medical station, an Army medic washed it and bandaged it. He said that it may need stiches or at the least a tape suture.

Since the bleeding had stopped - or mostly stopped - I finished the shoot that day.

I was slightly pleased with how well I did too. The two events that followed my blood letting were multiple target events. The first was four shots on one target, switch magazines, four shots on another target. It was hit or miss and the RO called which target was first. The second was two shots each in three targets, switch magazines, and then two additionals shots in each target. This was scored 5 to 2 per shot. I hit perfect in the first and dropped a single point in the second (4 instead of a 5). *pats back*

Then it was time for dinner. Another shooter - the one that had been hit in the arm - and I wound up at Bone Daddy's Smokehouse in Richardson, TX. The waitress asked how we were doing.

I explained that my nose that was once almost as cute as hers was now all mangled and ugly but I was otherwise fine.

We had ribs. I cannot imagine sitting across from me would be very appetizing. It looked as if I rubbed one of the barbequey ribs over my nose then put a band-aid on it.

After dinner, the other shooter explained that he was not going to go shooting the next day. He had a earlier flight and did not want to miss it. Then he gave me his unused ammunition. I explained that he could check up to 11 pounds in it's original packaging on the flight. He told me that it was more than that.

Then I saw he had the better part of a case - approximately 800 rounds - remaining.

How does one respond to this type of generosity? He could not fly with it. Even with just 11 pounds, the packaging it was in would not be allowed. Should I have offered to hold on to it for him "until next time"?

Oh well. Thanks for the ammo, Chris. I will endeavor to put them all in the black for you.

My lovely wife had arranged for a baby sitter for the girls while we went looking for an urgent care clinic. After two calls to our insurance company, we were able to find one with whom there were affiliated and that was open.

The nurse asked how "it" happened.

My wife told her that she did not like my anniversary gift to her and threw it at me.

The nurse then asked how it really happened.

I then repeated pretty much everything that you have read up to here - leaving out the Bone Daddy's waitress of course.

The PA washed it, washed it some more, and took a look at it. He said it could be glued. He then glued my nose with what smelled like model airplane glue (fortunately leaving the nostrils open).

He gave us some instructions* for care and sent us on our way.

* There were
avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight;
avoid sweating;
keep it clean;
keep it dry.

Did I mention that Day 1 of the shoot was in the mud, sun, and hot? Perhaps I was fortunate that Day 2 of the shoot was cancelled because of rain, wind, and a lot more rain.

If this is what I get for lucky number 13, I anxiously wait with some trepidation for the next anniversary.