A sad farewell to an old friend

Friday was sort of a bad day; I had to attend the funeral of an uncle. He was a longtime companion to me, my dad, and sometimes my brother when we went deer hunting; he did a lot of camping and fishing with us at other times, also. I remember he and my dad and I fishing when I was small, and my brother was too little to go with us. He always had my cousin and me laughing, he was that sort of person.

The funeral was done well. It was at Camp Williams, and his ashes were put to rest with a military ceremony, since he was a WWII veteran (he saw action in the Pacific, while in the Navy). No matter how old you get, there is something about the bagpipes and the gun salute for a veteran that brings tears to the eyes. I did notice that he is being interred just a few feet from my dad, so if you believe in an afterlife, maybe they can keep each other company. So long, Uncle Wayne...

Chavez issues warning to political allies

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has told his political allies to join him in a single socialist party, or leave his government.

Sounds like King Hugo is consolidating followers to strengthen his throne.

Mr Chavez - who won a landslide victory in the December elections - has pledged to turn Venezuela into a socialist state.

And we know how well socialist states turn out.

One year

I noticed that yesterday was the one year anniversary of my blog. Over the past year I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of interesting people drop by here; a lot of my links that I have were people who stopped by and left comments,leading me to their blogs. To me, the quantity of hits were never as important as the people themselves, since I like meeting with others and sharing ideas. To those who have bothered to return after coming here, thank you, and I hope I can give you reason to return again. For those who stop by, but do not leave comments, please feel free to speak your mind, that is how we learn from one another, by communicating opinions and ideas.

The Brady Bunch is beginning to mobilize...

While cleaning out my spam this morning, I ran across a letter from the Brady Bunch; it looks like they're getting all excited about the recent court ruling on the Second Amendment. I'd like to paste a copy of the letter below. Has anyone else been getting spammed by these asshats?

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Dear Robert,

Last week, a Federal Appeals Court overturned Washington D.C.’s long-standing restrictions on handguns — a decision that endangers all of America’s gun laws.

This case is most likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court and we have a tidal wave of work to do before it gets there.

This battle — to its very core — is the most important battle we have ever waged. We need your help today to build a strong Brady Gun Law Defense Fund to save America’s gun laws.

This fight is so critical to the safety and sanity of our nation that an anonymous donor has extended his challenge and will match dollar for dollar all gifts to this Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Your gift will be fully tax deductible.

The threat to all our gun laws is truly unprecedented. The hypocrisy of the ruling is astounding.

What is at stake for you and your community? An emboldened gun lobby will use the ruling to challenge strong local, state and federal gun laws.

We must prepare for an onslaught of lawsuits in which gun laws will be challenged under this new reading of the Second Amendment — a strategy the gun lobby rarely used because of past legal decisions … until now. And, if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses itself and adopts the “individual right to bear arms” view approved by the Federal Appeals Court, all good gun laws everywhere could be at risk …

... from the long-standing machine gun ban … to the 1968 Gun Control Act … to the Brady Background Check Law.

… to your local and state laws … like the ones in California and New Jersey banning Assault Weapons … and many more.

These and many other life-saving laws promoting public safety are at risk. And we need to be ready for an immediate onslaught of challenges and fight them tooth and nail. We need your help today with a tax-deductible gift!

Why is this ruling so radical? Because the decision defies almost 70 years of legal precedent. All courts before this — save one — have ruled that the Second Amendment is not an individual right to bear arms, and this is the first Federal Appeals Court ever to declare a gun law unconstitutional based on the Second Amendment.

In her dissent, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote that Second Amendment rights relate to “Those militia whose continued vitality is required to safeguard the individual state.” Unlike Judge Henderson, the two judge majority ruled against decades of legal precedent…

… And completely disregarded the democratically-expressed will of the people of the District of Columbia, depriving D.C. citizens of a strict handgun law enacted thirty years ago.

Talk about judicial activism! We can’t help but note the unbelievable hypocrisy here too. Conservatives cry and gnash their teeth about activism from the bench. This decision is judicial activism at its worst.

Judge Silberman, who wrote the majority opinion, is well-known for his close ties to the right-wing. Now — with quintessential judicial activism from the bench — the gun lobby threatens to achieve through the courts what it has been unable to do in Congress.

This is going to be a long, hard fight, but with your help we will save our nation’s gun laws. We will keep you up-to-date as we confront this extraordinary threat to our efforts to reduce gun violence. But right now, we need your support to build our Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Remember that right now your gift to this fund will be doubled! Please act now.

Sincerely,
Your Friends at StoptheNRA.com

P.S. Your gift will be worth double when you give to our Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Please give a tax-deductible gift today.

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I'll send them a "tax-deductible gift" when hell freezes over...

Do they have tinfoil hats in Iran?

Historical war epic 300 has been criticised as an attack on Iranian culture by government figures.

"American cultural officials thought they could get mental satisfaction by plundering Iran's historic past and insulting this civilization," he said.

"Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Hollywood and cultural authorities in the US initiated studies to figure out how to attack Iranian culture.

"Certainly, the recent movie is a product of such studies."

This is an amazing case of paranoia; I'll bet half the people going to the movie don't even know that Persia and Iran are the same place, and probably don't know where it is located.

It's just a movie, people; just because it has some basis in history doesn't mean anyone is condemning a particular culture, though Persia was quite a bully, just like any large empire at that period in history. Everyone at that time was a barbarian.

I am getting real tired of people getting their panties in a bunch any time someone implies that said people's culture was not perfect. Iran has a lot more pressing problems than whether someone thinks that their 2000 year old ancestors were jerks. And looking at the country recently, they don't really have a real lot to brag about in the present.
Just my opinion.

It's finally starting to look less like winter

Some of these guys have been popping up from where the snow has melted.


Click pictures for full size.

The tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils all have foliage showing; it should only be a few weeks before the yard is full of color. I'm getting real tired of winter...

FBI admits abuse of Patriot Act

The Bush administration misused its authority and improperly obtained personal information about people in the US on hundreds of occasions, according to a report released by a US Justice Department watchdog.

Robert Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said he was to be held accountable for the abuses, which involved the improper use of so-called national security letters, which allowed the FBI to obtain personal information, including telephone, banking, and e-mail records.

Anyone who couldn't see this coming wasn't looking.
The federal government almost always abuses any power that is given to them; why should this be any different? Just about any governing body will try to evolve into a police state if you allow them to do so, that is why we have to keep on top of them all the time. Once the people give the state a certain amount of power, it no longer needs them to acquire more; it is as if there is a critical mass that is reached, and the state becomes a separate entity. It is because of this that the founders of this country attempted to limit the government by the enumeration of what the state could not do, these become the Bill of Rights. The government these days acts as if these are rights that they grant the citizens, rather than recognize them as a line drawn to show the limits of the state. It is time that people start holding on to these rights, before they are "redefined" and taken away.
Just my opinion.

Bush announces Latin America aid

US President George W Bush has unveiled a social aid programme to alleviate the plight of the region's poor, two days before a tour of Latin America.

Millions of dollars will be spent on education, housing and health care.

I don't understand this; why are we setting up an aid program for South America?

The Bush administration has been criticised by opposition Democrats for neglecting Latin America.

Correspondents say Washington is adjusting to the election of increasing numbers of left-wing administrations in Latin America, including some that are openly critical of the US.

Speaking at the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mr Bush vowed to boost aid to Latin America, saying "helping our neighbours build a better and productive life" was a US priority.

Since when is this our responsibility? South America has lots of people, lots of land, lots of resources; yet the common people in many of these areas are living in poverty and squalor. The problem isn't that they need American aid, they need to get their heads out of their butts and run their countries like it is the 21st century, instead of a bunch of barbarians and savages from the Dark Ages. Nobody down there seems to want a government that gives people freedom; they only have a revolution so that the guy on the bottom can shoot the guy on top and be the next dictator. People only get a better government if they are willing to work and sacrifice for it. If the people can't pull themselves out of their political cesspool, then that is their problem. The only thing that happens when you try to help people like that is that they resent you, and try to take advantage of you. I think we should let them all run to their glorious leader Chavez, if that's what they think they want. Let him spend money and have headaches.
Just my opinion.

If you own or use firearms

There is a petition on the web against HR 1022, which is designed to erode the Second Amendment and the rights of the citizens of this country; please go and sign it. It may not mean anything to some people, but it will let our representatives know how we feel about it. If you know anyone who believes in the rights of the people to bear arms, let them know about it, and encourage them to sign it also.

Sign the petition!

Utahns quick to donate in crisis

Living here in Utah, I have noticed that most of the population, especially the ones with roots in this area, are very good about helping their neighbors, regardless of race or religion.

A daughter swept away in a tsunami. Another murdered by her husband. A husband killed in a plane crash. And sons injured or killed when a van rolls during a university outing.
When tragedy strikes, Utahns step forward with open hearts to offer support - and open wallets - to help ease the financial burden through accounts set up at Utah banks and credit unions.
In the days after the Feb. 12 Trolley Square Mall shootings, donations flowed into accounts created to help victims' families with medical, funeral and living expenses and honor those who were lost with memorial scholarships and other endeavors.

People here are friendly, as a rule, and glad to help. Most of the negative things heard are usually about newcomers to the area. Back in the 19th century there were some problems with some zealots ( The Mountain Meadow Massacre), but on the whole the natives of this area are a decent bunch. A little odd, sometimes, to those of us who are non-LDS, but they are good people.
Just my opinion.

Woman Accidentally Swallows Lover's False Teeth

A Romanian woman recently needed medical help after she accidentally swallowed her boyfriend's false teeth during a moment of passion.

You can't make up this sort of stuff...

Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions...

Is it just me, or does anyone else get a creepy feeling when they see something like this? I was just looking over my sitemeter and ran across it.

Fast-thinking pilot drops hijacker

We need more people like these, who refused to be victims.

TENERIFE — A fast-thinking pilot with passengers in cahoots fooled a hijacker by braking hard upon landing, then accelerating to knock the man down. When he fell, flight attendants threw boiling water in his face, and about 10 people pounced on him, Spanish officials said Friday.

Interesting article; the pilot saw a way to enlist the passengers in taking down the hijacker, and went with it. It shows that thinking on your feet and making quick, on-the-spot decisions is important.

The only ones secure enough

These guys are partly responsible for national security?

The FBI lost 160 laptop computers in less than four years, including at least 10 that contained highly sensitive classified information and one that held "personal identifying information on FBI personnel," according to a new report released today.

The bureau, which has struggled for years to get a handle on sloppy inventory procedures, also reported 160 missing weapons during the same time period, from February 2002 to September 2005, according to the report by the Justice Department inspector general's office.

The report mirrors the results of a similar audit in 2002, which reported 354 weapons and 317 laptops lost or stolen at the FBI.

Idiots like Bloomberg are wondering how illegal weapons are getting on the street? And who knows what kind of sensitive information may fall into the wrong hands.
Sometimes I think the federal government's motto should be: "SNAFU is SOP".
Just my opinion.

Scientists develop portable generator that turns trash into electricity

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A group of scientists have created a portable refinery that efficiently converts food, paper and plastic trash into electricity. The machine, designed for the U.S. military, would allow soldiers in the field to convert waste into power and could have widespread civilian applications in the future.

Researchers tested the first tactical biorefinery prototype in November and found that it produced approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumed, said Jerry Warner, founder of Defense Life Sciences LLC, a private company working with Purdue researchers on the project. He said the results were better than expected.

This would seem to be a useful device for emergency situations in cities, for running hospital and other emergency equipment. If a reasonably priced model could be developed for civilian use, it would be good for small farms and ranches.

Just for fun

Anybody got some good captions to put on this picture of Giuliani?

Campus gun-rights duel erupts again

Legislation that could restrict guns on college campuses hadn't even been released to the public by late Monday, but already gun-rights advocates are lobbying to kill it.
An e-mail Gunowners of Utah (GOUtah) sent members calls on them to stop the "aging ex-hippies" at the University of Utah from restricting concealed weapons anywhere on campus.
"There's no reason why the University of Utah should be given any special perks with banning guns," said Charles Hardy, GOUtah's policy director. "There are no other state agencies that can ban guns without a legitimate, secure area."
The group's target is SB251, drafted as a compromise between pro-gun lawmakers and higher education officials. Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, the bill's sponsor, said it would allow faculty members to choose whether to allow guns in their offices, and it would regulate guns in dorms, requiring concealed-weapons permit holders to store their weapons in school-provided lockers.

I don't see why they need a solution to a problem that does not exist; can anyone tell me how many people have been threatened/injured/killed by legal gun owners on the campus?

But for many U. students, the bill doesn't go far enough.
Marko Mijic hopes the bill passes, but, ideally, the pre-pharmacy sophomore wishes guns could be banned.
"It would be nice to have guns prohibited on the entire campus," he said. "But I think this bill will help ensure the safety of faculty and the campus as a whole."
Jonah Petit, a junior in mechanical engineering, agrees.
"It could be harmful, even fatal to have guns on campus," he said.
Others, though, such as Marilee Larsen, a freshman, said she isn't worried about licensed gun-owners on campus. "If they're licensed, then they know how to handle a gun, and the U. is public property," she said.

Why is it harmful to have legal guns on campus, but no one seems to be worried about people who carry them illegally? It sounds more like a bunch of naive youngsters who have been well programmed by their parents/schools into knee-jerk reactions.
Just my opinion.

An important birthday 167 years ago

Feb 5 is the birthday of Hiram Maxim, inventor of the first true machine gun, as opposed to multi-barreled guns such as the Gatling gun. John Moses Browning would go on to improve the machine gun with the M2 and the BAR, but Maxim was the one who started it all. As a side note, he was also the inventor of the spring-loaded mousetrap that most of us have used at one time or another.

The only ones qualified to jump to conclusions

A 74-year-old Korean War veteran was held at gunpoint and then tackled by Salt Lake City police officers after he refused to comply with orders to raise his hands above his head.
Miles Lund said he tried to tell the officers - who believed he was carrying a gun - that his war injuries rendered his right arm immobile.
"But they just wouldn't listen," he said.
Instead, according to witness accounts and a police report, at least three officers tackled the man, wrestling him to the ground at Liberty Park and wrenching his arms behind his back to handcuff him.
Lund said at least one officer also kicked him in the ribs.
When they found no gun - only a retired military police officer's badge - the officers let Lund go.
"They didn't even apologize," said Lund, who suffered strains to his injured arm along with cuts and bruises. Lund said he is now also suffering a twitch in his left eye that Veterans Affairs doctors have been unable to diagnose.

This happened back in November, and the police involved still haven't suffered any repercussions from the incident, and it looks as if the department is just waiting for people to forget about it so they can sweep it under the rug.
The victim was held at gun point and beat up by the police just because someone called the police and said he had a gun (which he did not have). So, someone's unsupported word, with no description of the gun, is good enough to treat an elderly citizen as a criminal? If I knocked someone down, the first thing the police would ask me is whether I actually saw the gun he had. But they're the only one who are allowed to jump to conclusions. I hope he hauls them to court.

Bunch of ignorant barbarians...

Health officials in Pakistan say they have failed to immunise over 160,000 children against polio due to rumours the vaccine causes sexual impotence.

Parents in parts of northern Pakistan told the BBC news website they feared an "American conspiracy" to cut the fertility of the next generation.

Amirullah Khan, a resident of NWFP's Swat district, quoted Maulana Fazlullah of a local FM channel as telling his listeners the vaccination drive was "a conspiracy of the Jews and Christians to stunt the population growth of Muslims".

In some areas immunisation teams were beaten up by local people, officials said.

Elsewhere parents just refused to get their children immunised.

If they can't get their heads out of their butts and accept health from people, then let them die off and go to hell in their own way. I refuse to have any sympathy for fools.

More from the nanny state

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A lawmaker said she will introduce a bill next week that seeks to make California the first state in the nation to ban spanking children who are 3 years old and younger.

The legislation would make the violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $1,000.

Give me a break.

The TSA again rises to the occasion...

Southwest Airlines was still looking into how the 80-pound, 4-foot-9 fourth-grader made his way through security and onto two flights Monday, from Seattle to Phoenix and then to San Antonio.

Evidently we have a database to deny or approve people taking flights, but a minor can just walk on board without even having to purchase a ticket. Does anyone besides me wonder what would happen if someone strapped a device to a little kid and sent him on a flight? Even if that is not possible, how is it that a 9 year old is able to outsmart several people and con them into giving him a free, unsupervised ride?

Semaj, said to have been trying to reach his grandfather in Dallas, also is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen car on Sunday.

The boy probably will remain at the center until his grandfather or another guardian can take custody of him, said Fred Wist, a prosecutor in Washington state's Pierce County.

Wist has filed charges against Semaj in connection with Sunday's high-speed pursuit. Authorities say Semaj, who had run away before, eluded police at speeds of 80-90 mph until he took an exit and the engine blew. He was returned home but ran away again Monday.

The kid is also a car thief, and was able to keep ahead of the police for a while. I have to wonder what he is going to be like at 16, at the rate he is going. Sounds to me like someone needs to bring a little discipline and authority to his life.

Meanwhile, old ladies are still having to take off their shoes to take a flight...

Excuse my griping...

I noticed that it's been over a week since I wrote anything; where has the time gone? That's what happens when you're both busy and feeling down. The weather for the past couple of weeks has been miserable; low single digits at night and highs in the high teens and (on occasion) the low twenties. This has a tendency to make those of us prone to joint ailments very unhappy. Today I had the added joy of going outside at 7:30 AM and 5 degrees, and find a flat tire. Have you ever changed a tire in single digit weather with a bad back and an arthritic knee?
The heart doctor changed some of my pills the other day; after a couple of days of light palpitations, my ticker seems to have evened out, at least for now.
Nietzsche once said: "What does not kill him, makes him stronger". He didn't know what he was talking about; what does not kill me usually just makes me feel like shit, not stronger. You'll have to excuse my mood; sometimes I get this way. I'll probably do better tomorrow, I just feel like I had to blow off a little steam today.
Saturday is my birthday; the grand age of 55 (w00t). I think I'll go to the gun show on that day and try to cheer myself up. If that doesn't work, maybe a couple of beers and a steak for dinner will do the trick. Have a good one, people...

Young people's views are different from their parents' views

The views of young people today on politics, social attitudes and even life goals are far different from those of their baby boomer parents, suggests a new national survey of 18- to 25-year-olds.

Another survey from the no-shit-Sherlock department. Since when has any generation not differed from their parents? I'm in the so-called Boomer Generation, and my views differed from my parents, and their opinions were different from their parents. Since when is this news?

What is of interest is some of the views expressed by the group they were polling:

The poll also finds that this generation's top life goals are to be rich (81%) and famous. (51%)

By contrast, a study of college freshmen in 1967 found that 85.8% thought it was essential to "develop a meaningful philosophy of life" while just 41.9% thought it essential to "be very well off financially."

Guess we'll have to see what they make of things when the reins are handed over to them.

Of course, they'll be older then...

The Moroni Code?

Vern G. Swanson, longtime director of the Springville Museum of Art, knows some readers will think he's crazy. Others will be intrigued, and still others may be offended.
That's because Swanson has written a provocative new book theorizing that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene, that they bore children and that LDS Church founder Joseph Smith was their direct descendant. Swanson also suggests that this heavenly birthright gave Smith spiritual authority as a prophet and affirms the historical legitimacy of the LDS Church.
Titled Dynasty of the Holy Grail: Mormonism's Sacred Bloodline, the book was published in November by Cedar Fort, a Springville-based publisher. The scholarly 540-page tome hasn't yet attracted much attention beyond Utah, but Swanson believes his topic will eventually reach a large audience of Mormons, Holy Grail theorists, and fans of The Da Vinci Code book and movie.

I don't mean to sound like I'm making fun of someone's religion (especially where I am living), but this just cracks me up.
Can anyone show me definitive proof (not just the New Testament) that the messiah in question existed, and that he got married and had descendants?
And how can you trace anyone's genealogy back 2000 years? Hell, if you are tracing back the surname Smith, things can get pretty murky just a couple of generations back. And to claim an ability to trace the Smith family back to Yeshua bar Yusuf of Palestine strikes me as near impossible. I may have to check out the book just to see how he claims to have accomplished said task.
To my LDS friends and relatives, I mean no disrespect to your beliefs, but I think this is pushing the boundaries of belief just a bit.
Just my opinion.