Some used to say that the only difference between men and boys was the price of the toys.
I used to say that HD stood for Hundred Dollars, rather than Harley Davidson. It seemed like every thing that went wrong with the motorcycle cost $100.00.
Drive a tractor? Any competent tractor mechanic can set you back $500.00 just cleaning his fingernails.
My buddy Rivrdog has boat troubles. Something about a commode not flushing. Personally, I'd be tempted to drop overboard with a short section of coat-hanger and a flashlight and see if I couldn't get that sea-cock cleared, but I'm just that kind of guy. Course, Rivrdog lives way up in the frozen North, so the rivers might not be warm enough to swim.
Anyay, he claims that BOAT means Bring Out Another Thousand. Go yonder and commiserate with him.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Gallot is an idiot
From the La newspaper News-Star, we learn that State Rep Rick Gallot D-Grambling, is going to introduce legislation to tighten up gun regulations on state college campuses.
Brilliant! Gallot goes further, saying
I submit that college students are adults and should be treated like adults. If a college student is 21 years old and meets the other requirements for a license, he or she should be carrying a concealed weapon. If the student is under 21 and wants to keep a shotgun in his or her dorm room, that is no one's concern but the student and the parents.
When I was an undergrad at NSU in Louisiana, we routinely kept hunting firearms in our dorm rooms. No one thought anything of it. I was surprised to learn that firearms aren't permitted on campus. I guess I should tell my student son. - - Naah, he's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. Some things aren't the administration's business.
This is not a school safety issue, this is a personal safety issue.
Gallot's bill would close a loophole allowing students to have firearms in their dorm rooms, though University of Louisiana System rules already forbid the practice.Which means that only the criminals on campus will have access to guns.
The existing law prohibits students and non-students from having a gun or dangerous weapon on school property or in other firearm free zones. However, the law allows students to have firearms in their dorms or while going to or from a vehicle to a dorm room.
Brilliant! Gallot goes further, saying
"I submit to you this is not a Second Amendment issue," Gallot said. "This is a school safety issue."That's just exactly the problem they recently had at Virginia Tech. The only guy there with a gun was the criminal.
I submit that college students are adults and should be treated like adults. If a college student is 21 years old and meets the other requirements for a license, he or she should be carrying a concealed weapon. If the student is under 21 and wants to keep a shotgun in his or her dorm room, that is no one's concern but the student and the parents.
When I was an undergrad at NSU in Louisiana, we routinely kept hunting firearms in our dorm rooms. No one thought anything of it. I was surprised to learn that firearms aren't permitted on campus. I guess I should tell my student son. - - Naah, he's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. Some things aren't the administration's business.
This is not a school safety issue, this is a personal safety issue.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Grrrr.
Tommy Denton, on Sunday past, had an editorial in the Roanoke bird-cage liner.
In it, he comes out in favor of ....
I wrote him at tommy.denton@roanoke.com and told him that:
Tommy Denton is an idiot.
The inestimable Mrs. duToit has struck a nerve:
In it, he comes out in favor of ....
Be clear: I do not advocate the "outlawing" of firearms. I understand and accept the disciplined practices of hunting and sport shooting. I do advocate a strengthening of restrictions on the proliferation primarily of handguns, through requiring a state-approved purchase permit, periodic relicensing to demonstrate proficiency and safety awareness, and registration through a law-enforcement agency. These seem reasonable conditions for a civilized society to impose in the interest of public safety.
I wrote him at tommy.denton@roanoke.com and told him that:
Be clear, I do not advocate the "outlawing" of writing instruments. I understand and accept the disciplined practices of penmanship and letter writing. I do advocate a strengthening of restrictions on the proliferation, primarily of journalists, through requiring a state-approved competence permit, periodic licensing to demonstrate proficiency and public policy awareness and registration through a law-enforcement agency. These seem reasonable restrictions for a civilized society to impose in the interests of public safety.
Tommy Denton is an idiot.
The inestimable Mrs. duToit has struck a nerve:
Over 30 human beings have been added to the death toll, caused by gun control, and your side’s continued efforts to turn America into a nation of victims, instead of a nation of responsible adults. On the contrary, anyone who watched the events in Virginia and thinks that one more law would have made a difference is delusional.
Like Clockwork
**Update** Oyster found a link that didn't work. It's fixed now, I think. Also, LawDog has a good take on the tragedy. With 22,000 people on the campus and one lone shooter, it seems like someone should have been able to get behind him and knock him out... or a dozen folks swarm him and take him down. Mindset is everthing in a situation like this. Don't go quietly into the soft night.
Like Clockword, there are groups calling for stricter gun control in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
It is not my intention to dance in the blood of the slain, yet I note that other voices are calling for greater restrictions on freedom and I cannot stand by and let those voices go unchallenged.
If there is one thing I've learned in 25+ years of law enforcement, it is that a law abiding person cannot understand the criminal mind. Most violent crimes are senseless, and the more violent the crime, the more senseless it is. The rational mind cannot make sense of something that is by definition senseless. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. That is the nature of humanity, the nature of living, and the nature of the dichotomy between good and evil. As much as we decry the violence, we can't prevent it, except at a very basic, personal level.
There are already calls for more gun control. In the days and weeks ahead, there will be those persons trying to understand how this chain of events started and how one person was able to do so much damage in so short a time. As far as gun regulation is concerned, there are only one of two possible scenarios about how the still unnamed gunman obtained the pistol he used.
Scenario One. He obtained the pistol legally at some time prior to his actions. There was nothing in his background to alert authorities that a problem existed or that the pistol would be used for anything but lawful purposes. More stringent gun control would not have helped prevent the crime under this scenario.
Scenario Two. He obtained the pistol illegally, in violation of all laws. He either stole it, lied on the Form 4473, or in some other way breached the laws of the state to posess a pistol. We can say with some certainty that he breached the laws of the state by bringing the pistol on to the campus. Virginia Tech is a gun-free zone. More stringent gun control would not have helped prevent the crime under this scenario.
Either way, gun control failed to prevent this tragedy. In the days and weeks to come, we'll learn of incidents of pure heroism, like the acts of Professor Liviu Librescu who put himself in harms way so his students could be saved.
THen there is the heroism of Derek O'Dell,
We must, by all means, honor the dead and learn the lessons that this tragedy will teach us. We are still studying the Columbine incident and we have learned things from it that make our schools safer all over the United States. Colleges will learn from this tragedy, too.
We wonder what the outcome might have been if some of the heroes on that campus had been armed? The most basic right of any human is that of self-defense. Gun-free zones make crimes like this very easy for criminals who want to prey on the defenseless.
Like Clockword, there are groups calling for stricter gun control in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
It is not my intention to dance in the blood of the slain, yet I note that other voices are calling for greater restrictions on freedom and I cannot stand by and let those voices go unchallenged.
If there is one thing I've learned in 25+ years of law enforcement, it is that a law abiding person cannot understand the criminal mind. Most violent crimes are senseless, and the more violent the crime, the more senseless it is. The rational mind cannot make sense of something that is by definition senseless. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. That is the nature of humanity, the nature of living, and the nature of the dichotomy between good and evil. As much as we decry the violence, we can't prevent it, except at a very basic, personal level.
There are already calls for more gun control. In the days and weeks ahead, there will be those persons trying to understand how this chain of events started and how one person was able to do so much damage in so short a time. As far as gun regulation is concerned, there are only one of two possible scenarios about how the still unnamed gunman obtained the pistol he used.
Scenario One. He obtained the pistol legally at some time prior to his actions. There was nothing in his background to alert authorities that a problem existed or that the pistol would be used for anything but lawful purposes. More stringent gun control would not have helped prevent the crime under this scenario.
Scenario Two. He obtained the pistol illegally, in violation of all laws. He either stole it, lied on the Form 4473, or in some other way breached the laws of the state to posess a pistol. We can say with some certainty that he breached the laws of the state by bringing the pistol on to the campus. Virginia Tech is a gun-free zone. More stringent gun control would not have helped prevent the crime under this scenario.
Either way, gun control failed to prevent this tragedy. In the days and weeks to come, we'll learn of incidents of pure heroism, like the acts of Professor Liviu Librescu who put himself in harms way so his students could be saved.
THen there is the heroism of Derek O'Dell,
who also blocked a doorway and dodged a hail of bullets to protect his fellow students. Other students joined him, and they successfully kept the gunman from entering the classroom. O'Dell survived with a bullet wound to the arm.
We must, by all means, honor the dead and learn the lessons that this tragedy will teach us. We are still studying the Columbine incident and we have learned things from it that make our schools safer all over the United States. Colleges will learn from this tragedy, too.
We wonder what the outcome might have been if some of the heroes on that campus had been armed? The most basic right of any human is that of self-defense. Gun-free zones make crimes like this very easy for criminals who want to prey on the defenseless.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Breaux bows out
Reading the local newspaper for the first time in ten days, I notice that John Breaux has decided against running for Governor.
Some local pundits are wondering who is going to run as the Democratic alternative to Bobby Jindal?
Way back when I lived in North Louisiana, one of the names commonly associated with politics in that part of the state was Foster Campbell. Campbell is a populist Democrat, and I see that he is running for governor. He's been a presence in North LA politics for twenty years, yet no one south of Alexandria seems to think he's running, or that he is capable of running a statewide race.
Yet, many of the names I see bandied about are unfamiliar to North Louisiana voters. Except for possibly Landrieu and Kennedy, the rest are virtual unknowns from Alexandria north.
It's fixin' to get interesting in the Governors race.
Some local pundits are wondering who is going to run as the Democratic alternative to Bobby Jindal?
Way back when I lived in North Louisiana, one of the names commonly associated with politics in that part of the state was Foster Campbell. Campbell is a populist Democrat, and I see that he is running for governor. He's been a presence in North LA politics for twenty years, yet no one south of Alexandria seems to think he's running, or that he is capable of running a statewide race.
Yet, many of the names I see bandied about are unfamiliar to North Louisiana voters. Except for possibly Landrieu and Kennedy, the rest are virtual unknowns from Alexandria north.
It's fixin' to get interesting in the Governors race.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Side Trip
One of the side trips we made this week, the last, the most interesting, and in some ways, the most expensive, was at the Old South Winery, in Natchez, MS.
The Old South Winery is a small (read: tiny) winery that produces wines from the Southern variety of wild grapes called muscadines. Inside the winery, there is a long counter where customers can sample wines before buying. We sampled several varieties while talking to the proprietor. It seems that the winery is licenced as a producer, but is not licenced to sell wine by the drink. It ain't a bar. They can give away a drink of wine, but they can't sell it.
The Winery has a bare-bones web presence. I did manage to find their Wine Guide online. They gave Milady a couple of drinks and she decided on her wine list. We walked away from there with a case of wine. The Miss Scarlett variety is my personal favorite.
If you like good country wine, the Old South Winery has some you probably haven't tasted. I can't find an order form online, but I bet they'd ship it UPS. All their wines are in the $8.00-9.00 range.
The Old South Winery is a small (read: tiny) winery that produces wines from the Southern variety of wild grapes called muscadines. Inside the winery, there is a long counter where customers can sample wines before buying. We sampled several varieties while talking to the proprietor. It seems that the winery is licenced as a producer, but is not licenced to sell wine by the drink. It ain't a bar. They can give away a drink of wine, but they can't sell it.
The Winery has a bare-bones web presence. I did manage to find their Wine Guide online. They gave Milady a couple of drinks and she decided on her wine list. We walked away from there with a case of wine. The Miss Scarlett variety is my personal favorite.
If you like good country wine, the Old South Winery has some you probably haven't tasted. I can't find an order form online, but I bet they'd ship it UPS. All their wines are in the $8.00-9.00 range.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Two Days
I've been on the road the past two days. Not traveling the whole time, because the trip can be completed in 18 hours. It would be a good Saddlesore ride. When you are traveling with Milady and her mother, you take your time. Side trips are important.
Some notes from the road
The Florida Highway Patrol will let you run 80-something miles per hour on their Interstates. I don't know exactly where the cutoff is, but 89 miles per hour is over it. The officer was very professional and very polite. No, I did not get a ticket. I don't get tickets. Just doesn't happen. Professional courtesy and all that.
Alabama is more narrow at the southern end. If you can't blow through Alabama in an hour, tops, on I-10, you're not traveling properly.
The reconstruction of Biloxi and Gulfport are progressing nicely. There is only so much that the crews that are there can do, but I submit that a good craftsman in that area will be fully employed until the next hurricane. If you're a young person wanting a career in the building trades, you could do a lot worse than the Mississippi gulf coast. Were it me, I'd save enough money for a good used bulldozer and park it somewhere safe waiting on the next hurricane. There will be a next hurricane. Bulldozers are invaluable in the days and weeks after a hurricane.
I'm tired and I have a lot of stuff to do this weekend. Blogging will recommence shortly.
Some notes from the road
The Florida Highway Patrol will let you run 80-something miles per hour on their Interstates. I don't know exactly where the cutoff is, but 89 miles per hour is over it. The officer was very professional and very polite. No, I did not get a ticket. I don't get tickets. Just doesn't happen. Professional courtesy and all that.
Alabama is more narrow at the southern end. If you can't blow through Alabama in an hour, tops, on I-10, you're not traveling properly.
The reconstruction of Biloxi and Gulfport are progressing nicely. There is only so much that the crews that are there can do, but I submit that a good craftsman in that area will be fully employed until the next hurricane. If you're a young person wanting a career in the building trades, you could do a lot worse than the Mississippi gulf coast. Were it me, I'd save enough money for a good used bulldozer and park it somewhere safe waiting on the next hurricane. There will be a next hurricane. Bulldozers are invaluable in the days and weeks after a hurricane.
I'm tired and I have a lot of stuff to do this weekend. Blogging will recommence shortly.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
We're told
We're told by our businessman/tour guide that this little cottage belongs to Tom Selleck. It probably keeps the rain off his head.
We're also told that this humble abode belongs to Pat Sajak.
With an empty waterfront lot (164 feet frontage) going for 5.85 million, and the distance between the pilings at 8 feet, we get a pretty good idea of the value of property in the area.
However, the Sun-Sentinel says that housing orders in the metroplex are down by 37% from last year and homebuilders are offering wild incentives for people to buy.
At any rate, I'm not buying. I've had enough of Pompano Beach and it's time to head home. Tomorrow morning, we're loading the car to start the trek back to our little portion of Louisiana. It's been fun, but it'll be good to be back in my bed.
Boat Ride
Yesterday we were priviliged to be invited to take a boat ride down the Intracostal Canal, to survey the properties along the waterfront and to give the boat owner an opportunity to use his boat. It seems the boat hadn't been started in three or four months.
Some boat owners have told me that the two happiest days in their lives were the day they bought the boat, and the day they sold the boat. Be that as it may, there are one hell of a lot of boats in the Greater Miami Metro area. The boat we were on was a 24 foot dayfisher. The owner is a businessman in the area and doesn't make enough time to get out on the water.
In Boca Raton, they paint hotels pink. No, the hotel wasn't leaning, the boat was rocking.
Property is horribly expensive along the waterway. We saw one For Sale sign that offered 164 feet of waterway frontage (the lot looked to be about a quarter acre), for $5.85 million dollars. While that might not be the most expensive real estate on the planet, it certainly looked expensive to this country boy. I remarked to Milady that we should buy it, then drag a couple of double-wides up on it. She laughed.
Evidently, my mother-in-law doesn't like riding in a boat. Brother Bill exclaimed that no one would believe that we got Miss Reba into a boat. The picture above is Milady and Miss Reba in the Atlantic Ocean, with the beachfront condos as background. Afterwards, we took the boat owner to a late lunch at Hooters. Miss Reba enloyed a chicken sandwich and enjoyed talking with the waitress.
Some boat owners have told me that the two happiest days in their lives were the day they bought the boat, and the day they sold the boat. Be that as it may, there are one hell of a lot of boats in the Greater Miami Metro area. The boat we were on was a 24 foot dayfisher. The owner is a businessman in the area and doesn't make enough time to get out on the water.
In Boca Raton, they paint hotels pink. No, the hotel wasn't leaning, the boat was rocking.
Property is horribly expensive along the waterway. We saw one For Sale sign that offered 164 feet of waterway frontage (the lot looked to be about a quarter acre), for $5.85 million dollars. While that might not be the most expensive real estate on the planet, it certainly looked expensive to this country boy. I remarked to Milady that we should buy it, then drag a couple of double-wides up on it. She laughed.
Evidently, my mother-in-law doesn't like riding in a boat. Brother Bill exclaimed that no one would believe that we got Miss Reba into a boat. The picture above is Milady and Miss Reba in the Atlantic Ocean, with the beachfront condos as background. Afterwards, we took the boat owner to a late lunch at Hooters. Miss Reba enloyed a chicken sandwich and enjoyed talking with the waitress.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Vacation - Day Four
We went hunting for holsters yesterday and found a bunch at a place called Knife and Gun. (Near Commercial at 11th? I was lost as a goose.) Surprisingly, they had a really good selection of left-handed holsters along with an indoor range. Not that I wear a pistol on the left, but when you find a lot of left-handed holsters, you can be sure that the selection is good.
The choice? DeSantis cozy partner.
I got it for a price near MSRP, so it wasn't a bargain, but it's good leather and it should last a long, long while. Plus, I got to handle a variety of holsters before I settled on this one. I'm pleased.
Today, we've been invited to go out on a boat to tour the Intracostal Canal. Sounds like fun.
The choice? DeSantis cozy partner.
I got it for a price near MSRP, so it wasn't a bargain, but it's good leather and it should last a long, long while. Plus, I got to handle a variety of holsters before I settled on this one. I'm pleased.
Today, we've been invited to go out on a boat to tour the Intracostal Canal. Sounds like fun.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Those trees
Dan, in comments, has it right. Those poor pine trees were pruned during Hurricane Wilma. The limbs became projectiles. Those limbs above the destruction level were either plaible enough to survive, or have grown since that time.
You see these poor trees everywhere. Here's one at the Pompano Beach Muni Golf Course.
Brother Bill says that scraggly pine marks the tenth green on that course and from the tee box, you can't see the green. The golfers use that scaggly tree as a golfing aid.
The ladies plan to go visit family today. Miss Reba has a great-grandbaby she's never seen and they're going to see that baby today. Brother Bill and I are headed for Bass Pro Shops. I'm needing a new holster for my Model 60. Bill isn't a shooter and the Yellow Pages ain't much help. Hopefully, someone there can put me on a nice IWB holster that I can find in the Miami area.
You see these poor trees everywhere. Here's one at the Pompano Beach Muni Golf Course.
Brother Bill says that scraggly pine marks the tenth green on that course and from the tee box, you can't see the green. The golfers use that scaggly tree as a golfing aid.
The ladies plan to go visit family today. Miss Reba has a great-grandbaby she's never seen and they're going to see that baby today. Brother Bill and I are headed for Bass Pro Shops. I'm needing a new holster for my Model 60. Bill isn't a shooter and the Yellow Pages ain't much help. Hopefully, someone there can put me on a nice IWB holster that I can find in the Miami area.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Vacation - Day Three
We made it to Pompano Beach before dark yesterday and found Brother Bill's house. An apartment, actually.
I'm going to drink coffee and go our for a newspaper. The dead-tree newspaper still has a certain appeal that this compter just doesn't. That, and I'm pirating internet access from a network somewhere in the neighborhood.
This is a Norfolk Island Pine tree, notice the lack of limbs below a certain height, and a rather common pine configuration above. What do you suppose happened to those limbs? People who kno tell me that the tree gets pretty and full when it is allowed to grow unmolested.
UPDATE: Later, we found that there are casinos in south Florida, and spent a couple of hours helping the Seminoles with their cash flow. We later made it to the beach, where the chill wind coming off the ocean made the experience almost unpleasant. We were at the beach for nnly a half-hour before Milady was ready to go back to the car.
The evidence shot is above.
I'm going to drink coffee and go our for a newspaper. The dead-tree newspaper still has a certain appeal that this compter just doesn't. That, and I'm pirating internet access from a network somewhere in the neighborhood.
This is a Norfolk Island Pine tree, notice the lack of limbs below a certain height, and a rather common pine configuration above. What do you suppose happened to those limbs? People who kno tell me that the tree gets pretty and full when it is allowed to grow unmolested.UPDATE: Later, we found that there are casinos in south Florida, and spent a couple of hours helping the Seminoles with their cash flow. We later made it to the beach, where the chill wind coming off the ocean made the experience almost unpleasant. We were at the beach for nnly a half-hour before Milady was ready to go back to the car.
The evidence shot is above.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Vacation Day One
Nothing much to report. We spent yesterday on the road, covering some 650 miles. We spent the night somewhere west of Lake City, FL. Today is more of the same, except we hit I75 and head south.
It's been a long long time since I've been to this part of the US. I didn't remember that north Florida had hills. I'm logged on thanks to the wireless internet at Days Inn. Wireless internet still amazes me. I understand it in principle, but the actual application has me amazed.
There's nothing like a road trip to see America, although seeing it from an Interstate Highway perspective leaves something to be desired. Still, we're traveling to a destination. On this journey, the destination is important.
On the best trips I've ever taken, the destination wasn't important. It was a guide, a marker, a signpost. The give-and-take of the road was the destination. If there was something interesting, you stopped. If there was nothing happening, you moved on. If something caught your eye, you tarried for awhile. Those are great trips.
Today, though, we have an appointment in Pompano Beach, Florida. It's about 450 miles from where I sit right now. I'd best get my butt in gear.
It's been a long long time since I've been to this part of the US. I didn't remember that north Florida had hills. I'm logged on thanks to the wireless internet at Days Inn. Wireless internet still amazes me. I understand it in principle, but the actual application has me amazed.
There's nothing like a road trip to see America, although seeing it from an Interstate Highway perspective leaves something to be desired. Still, we're traveling to a destination. On this journey, the destination is important.
On the best trips I've ever taken, the destination wasn't important. It was a guide, a marker, a signpost. The give-and-take of the road was the destination. If there was something interesting, you stopped. If there was nothing happening, you moved on. If something caught your eye, you tarried for awhile. Those are great trips.
Today, though, we have an appointment in Pompano Beach, Florida. It's about 450 miles from where I sit right now. I'd best get my butt in gear.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Road Trip
Milady has decided that we are overdue to visit her brother, who lives in Pompano Beach, FL. So, we are scheduled to pick up her mother in Jena, load her into the car and head generally southeasterly until sundown at which time we'll find a motel.
Sounds like fun. For those of you who don't like their Mother-in-Law, I don't suffer under that burden. Miss Reba is funny, insightful, and a pleasant travel companion. She also likes a little toddy come nightfall, so I'll pack my flask and Miss Reba and I will share a drink when the sun comes down.
We'll be gone a week. I'll post photos as they become available.
Sounds like fun. For those of you who don't like their Mother-in-Law, I don't suffer under that burden. Miss Reba is funny, insightful, and a pleasant travel companion. She also likes a little toddy come nightfall, so I'll pack my flask and Miss Reba and I will share a drink when the sun comes down.
We'll be gone a week. I'll post photos as they become available.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Wretchard speaks
If you haven't read the Belmont Club, you've missed what I think is one of the more thoughtful blogs on the net today. The semi-anonymous Wretchard (he outed himself a while back, but I neglected to care) is a thinker and I often turn to him to help jell my thinking on issues. He's one that I turn to, among others
Today, in his own comments, he sums up something that I've been thinking for a long time. He sums up the the comments of the Speakers trip in the Middle East quite succintly
The guy I disagree with most online is the Oyster, yet I imagine that if he and I met over burgers and beer, the conversation would be conjenial. Still, I sense a coming storm, where the petty divisions we see as separating us will fade to insignificance and other considerations will come to the forefront.
I see in militant Islam the seeds of that storm, where we will be forced to choose sides and commit ourselves to the struggle. I see that the motivation for choosing will be greater than the next election or which party will be in power. The penalty for choosing wrongly might be life, property, or the immortal soul.
I pray that I am wrong.
Today, in his own comments, he sums up something that I've been thinking for a long time. He sums up the the comments of the Speakers trip in the Middle East quite succintly
Take Pelosi's hijab and all the rest as data. And what that data suggests is that there is a deep, deep division in the West that is practically paralyzing it. And no matter how large the giant, if he is paralyzed and incapable of movement, then he is helpless.When I read the thoughts of my Democratic friends, I often think "How can they be so wrong, yet so intelligent?" My best friend is a liberal Democrat and we disagree on vitually everything political, yet remain the deepest of friends.
I suspect that before long the question of whether someone is gay or straight, Jewish or Gentile, Democrat or Republican will only be of quaint or passing importance. Things may get worse before they get any better.
The guy I disagree with most online is the Oyster, yet I imagine that if he and I met over burgers and beer, the conversation would be conjenial. Still, I sense a coming storm, where the petty divisions we see as separating us will fade to insignificance and other considerations will come to the forefront.
I see in militant Islam the seeds of that storm, where we will be forced to choose sides and commit ourselves to the struggle. I see that the motivation for choosing will be greater than the next election or which party will be in power. The penalty for choosing wrongly might be life, property, or the immortal soul.
I pray that I am wrong.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Redeployment
I see that Harry Reid is calling for Congress to cut funding for the Iraqi war. No funds means no war. Speaker Pelosi is treating with Syria. The Democrats are doing everything they can to get us out of Iraq.
They make me sick. When you look at the problems that Europe is having with Muslims, and you look at the problems that Minneapolis is having with Muslims, then you look at the problems Iraq is having with Muslims.
I have to admit, the Muslims seem to be a bother lately. I also have to admit that most of the time, it seems that what we're doing in Iraq isn't working, and that the problems just keep getting larger and larger. That the problems don't lend themselves to easy solutions. And that the Iraqi people aren't stepping up to solve their own problems.
Then, we've got this Democratic Congress, with a few left-wingers making noise, trying anything to get us out of a war. The big issue is to make President Bush look bad, with hopes of a Democratic president in 2008.
If I were President Bush, I'd solve it easily. I'd talk to every member of my cabinet, request their resignations and get a firm commitment from them that they wouldn't re-enter government service for one year. Then I'd get Dick Cheney to write the same letter, then I'd call Nancy Pelosi and tell her, "You got it. It's all yours. I'm resigning effective tomorrow at noon and you're going to be the President."
"But Mr. President, what do you mean?" Pelosi asks.
"It's simple, darlin. You're so goddamn smart, you figure it out. Cheney and I are going fishing, then we're going to watch you solve this crisis that you've been so vocal about. It's all yours."
In one fell swoop, Bush would have solved a number of problems, not the least being the wondering about the first female president. Pelosi wouldn't be term limited, so she could run for re-election. Then, with a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, we could watch them solve all the worlds problems.
It'd be great.
They make me sick. When you look at the problems that Europe is having with Muslims, and you look at the problems that Minneapolis is having with Muslims, then you look at the problems Iraq is having with Muslims.
I have to admit, the Muslims seem to be a bother lately. I also have to admit that most of the time, it seems that what we're doing in Iraq isn't working, and that the problems just keep getting larger and larger. That the problems don't lend themselves to easy solutions. And that the Iraqi people aren't stepping up to solve their own problems.
Then, we've got this Democratic Congress, with a few left-wingers making noise, trying anything to get us out of a war. The big issue is to make President Bush look bad, with hopes of a Democratic president in 2008.
If I were President Bush, I'd solve it easily. I'd talk to every member of my cabinet, request their resignations and get a firm commitment from them that they wouldn't re-enter government service for one year. Then I'd get Dick Cheney to write the same letter, then I'd call Nancy Pelosi and tell her, "You got it. It's all yours. I'm resigning effective tomorrow at noon and you're going to be the President."
"But Mr. President, what do you mean?" Pelosi asks.
"It's simple, darlin. You're so goddamn smart, you figure it out. Cheney and I are going fishing, then we're going to watch you solve this crisis that you've been so vocal about. It's all yours."
In one fell swoop, Bush would have solved a number of problems, not the least being the wondering about the first female president. Pelosi wouldn't be term limited, so she could run for re-election. Then, with a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, we could watch them solve all the worlds problems.
It'd be great.
Waters edge
I had the grandkids in the truck with me as we crossed the Red River between Alexandria and Pineville, when I heard the older exclaim to the younger "Look, that river is as big as the whole ocean." I had to smile, then ponder that at ages 4 and 7, their education has been neglected. They need to see the ocean.
PawPaw will be proud to show it to them. Leastways, the Gulf of Mexico, which is within striking distance of a weekend jaunt. Drive down on Friday, come back on Sunday, it's workable. I like going to the shore once a year or so, to recharge the batteries and see what's cracking down on the coast. The recovery from Katrina continues on the Mississippi and Alabama coast, slowly. I don't know if you can see progress every day, but you can certainly see progress on a yearly jaunt.
Of course, there's seafood and Milady will probably take a chance in one of the casinos. Pawpaw likes to sit and ponder life while listening to the waves. The tinkling of ice in a glass, the darkness on the water and the sound of a rising tide help me to recover from the stress of daily life.
PawPaw hisself is generally of the opinion that when life crawled up out of the ocean and lay gasping on the beach, the more intelligent of those life forms took a minute to catch their breath in new lungs, then immediately headed inland. Those forms of lesser intelligence stayed at the waters edge, and you can see their descendants still there today.
Still, a trip to the beach is educational and relaxing. We'll have to schedule something for late May or early June. I've asked Milady to give me a list of weekends when she'll be available. She has told me that she'll have it by later this afternoon.
PawPaw will be proud to show it to them. Leastways, the Gulf of Mexico, which is within striking distance of a weekend jaunt. Drive down on Friday, come back on Sunday, it's workable. I like going to the shore once a year or so, to recharge the batteries and see what's cracking down on the coast. The recovery from Katrina continues on the Mississippi and Alabama coast, slowly. I don't know if you can see progress every day, but you can certainly see progress on a yearly jaunt.
Of course, there's seafood and Milady will probably take a chance in one of the casinos. Pawpaw likes to sit and ponder life while listening to the waves. The tinkling of ice in a glass, the darkness on the water and the sound of a rising tide help me to recover from the stress of daily life.
PawPaw hisself is generally of the opinion that when life crawled up out of the ocean and lay gasping on the beach, the more intelligent of those life forms took a minute to catch their breath in new lungs, then immediately headed inland. Those forms of lesser intelligence stayed at the waters edge, and you can see their descendants still there today.
Still, a trip to the beach is educational and relaxing. We'll have to schedule something for late May or early June. I've asked Milady to give me a list of weekends when she'll be available. She has told me that she'll have it by later this afternoon.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Daddy's Guns - V
I was surprised to see this rifle in my Dad's closet. I remember this gun from my youth, but I never remember it in attachment with my father. I remember this gun hanging in my grandfathers shop, just above the reach of young boys.
The Benjamin Pellet Rifle. As common as dirt in Louisiana during the '.50s and '60s, a boy knew he had moved up in the world when he wore out his first BB gun and stepped up to a pellet rifle. Every kid on the block had one of these, either in Sheridan, Daisy, Crossman, or Benjamin configuration.
You can still buy a Benjamin rifle today, not much changed from the example that hung in my grandaddy's shop. Airgun depot has them. The ones they sell today are steel.
This one is made of brass. Solid brass. Whether or not any rifling still exists in the barrel is up for grabs, and I haven't shined a light down the bore. I can say with some certainty that a cleaning rod has never gone down the barrel, so there may be rifling remaining in that soft, brass barrel.
The pump mechanism doesn't work, but there is a leather washer in there that is probably cracked and allowing the air system to leak. Those leather washers were a common failure if you neglected to oil the air system. As I recall, it was an easy fix. I'll take this one to the gunsmiths in a week or so and see if we can get it working. My brother has claimed this rifle, but he won't be able to pick it up until summer. Heh-heh! I'll see if I can get it working. I was never allowed to touch it as a boy.
The Benjamin Pellet Rifle. As common as dirt in Louisiana during the '.50s and '60s, a boy knew he had moved up in the world when he wore out his first BB gun and stepped up to a pellet rifle. Every kid on the block had one of these, either in Sheridan, Daisy, Crossman, or Benjamin configuration.
You can still buy a Benjamin rifle today, not much changed from the example that hung in my grandaddy's shop. Airgun depot has them. The ones they sell today are steel.
This one is made of brass. Solid brass. Whether or not any rifling still exists in the barrel is up for grabs, and I haven't shined a light down the bore. I can say with some certainty that a cleaning rod has never gone down the barrel, so there may be rifling remaining in that soft, brass barrel.
The pump mechanism doesn't work, but there is a leather washer in there that is probably cracked and allowing the air system to leak. Those leather washers were a common failure if you neglected to oil the air system. As I recall, it was an easy fix. I'll take this one to the gunsmiths in a week or so and see if we can get it working. My brother has claimed this rifle, but he won't be able to pick it up until summer. Heh-heh! I'll see if I can get it working. I was never allowed to touch it as a boy.
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