BloggerBlaster Poll!

Ok... let's hear it... name your favorite John Wayne films... one from the black and white era... and one from the color era. The Shootist? The Searchers? True Grit? How about The Angel and the Badman? Hell town? Riders of Destiny?

What say you?

And yes... now that you ask.. me and the boys are in fact spending the day watching black and white John Wayne movies. Hey... they're rated G!

I'm only one movie in but I'm reminded of some great lines...

Cowboy: Ya gonna pull him through doc?
Doc: He's gonna pull himself through. If two bullets couldn't kill him, I reckon I can't either.


Lady: Ya just went out there to talk... what'd ya have to go and shoot him for?
John Wayne(after killing two charging mexicans): well ma'am... the conversation kinda went dry.


The technology is so much better... but today's movies suck in comparison.

So You Think Ashcroft Changed Things?

If so I strongly suggest you read this article.

Pay particular attention to the timeline of events... and note that apparently the government can now claim any weapon it wants is a machine gun, and can prosecute you. Seriously? Are we all now expected to go get class III FFL's just in case?

Look... all auto-loading weapons are naturally full-auto. It takes designed in extra mechanics to make them semi-auto. At some point... those mechanics fail. Every semi-auto weapon out there is really an automatic weapon waiting to happen. In fact... by this standard... your over-under could even be labeled a "machine gun".

Its not a good day to be on the gun rights side of the fence boys. It took Nixon to go to China... I'm now wondering if it took Dubya kill the Right to Bear arms.

With Republicans Like These...


"Given the unquestionable threat to public safety that unrestricted private firearm possession would entail, various categories of firearm-related regulation are permitted by the 2nd Amendment," - Brief to the Supreme Court, argued by US Solicitor General Paul D. Clement

Who needs gungrabbing Democrats?

Someone tell me where the Second Amendment qualifies the Right to Bear Arms with public safety.

It ain't in there. Public saftey is the number 1 reason ownership must be unrestricted.

A while back I wrote that Bush would be redeemed in the eyes of conservatives if his appointees came through on this 2A case. Now its clear that the man's character is so flawed he's failed in even this. If the justices come through... it will be in spite of him... not because of him.

Many of us were deeply concerned about this case when the Court opted to take it. Now we reason to be even more so.

That's One Way to Go About It...

Thought of the Day

The CIA has handpicked various leaders and installed them in governments all over the world... from Panama to Iran to Iraq to Pakistan...

So why on earth would you think they'd be above in picking the leaders in America?

NFL Playoff Games:

Seattle, Dallas, Jacksonville, Indianapolis


Book it.

The Joy of Dadhood

So an otherwise quiet morning was interupted by my wife's report the Eli had discovered a monster under the bed in the guest bedroom.

Now I don't know how y'all deal with your pest issues but we take our monster problems very seriously. Drwho took the boys off to seclusion while I suited up... boots... bastard sword... firearms... black cowboy hat. (please... everyone knows you need a black cowboy hat to fight monsters)

So... I head up stairs... slam the door... and being shoutin and hollering nonsense... it was a great battle indeed. Once the beast was slain.... I devoured it... then came downstairs, grabbed the spotbot, and proclaimed that no one was allowed to go back up until I gave the word.

So... while now its entirely likely that my kids really believe in monsters... they also know that if one ever comes around... daddy will kill it and eat it... and clean up its remains with spotbot.

Let's See...

At the start of the Iraq war... oil was around 30 bucks a barrel. Anyone remember what gas prices were? About $1.50 per gallon depending on where ya lived.

What about now? Oil is over 100 bucks per barrel... and gas is 3 bucks a gallon.


Can we PLEASE invade Iran? That way we can go ahead and get oil up to about 300 bucks per barrel and gas would got up to say...6 bucks a gallon. That would be awesome!

Hey but wait a second... these numbers look a little wierd. How come the price of gas only went up 100% while the price of oil went up more than 200%? Wow... these gas companies must really be hurtin' these days... skrimpin' by as best they can to keep their prices down. But... well no... that's not right... I mean they've been reporting record profits.

What's the deal?

Some of you know where this is going... but not all... and that's why we're going there today. Here's the deal folks... deep breath now... the price of oil is not related to the price of gasoline in the US... other than giving the gas companies and excuse to raise the price artificially.

How can this be possible?

Simple. Gas companies don't ever really pay for the oil they use. At the begining of each quarter they tell the US government how much oil they need to buy... and the government promptly prints up how ever much money they need... and they go buy their oil with it. At the end of the quarter... they give the money back to Aunt Samantha.

Wouldn't it be nice to run a business in such a fashion? Its a shame we can't all get that sweet of a deal. But here's the problem... the more the price goes up... the more they have to print... and the more they print.. the less each dollar is worth. That's the definition of inflation. This inflation is in addition to the other rampant inflation caused by magicly printing up money to cover the teetering housing market... which has been propping up the teetering... Everything Else market.

Seriously... we're rapidly approaching the day when the dollar isn't worth what it costs to print it.

Ah... but what's that got to do with oil?

Glad ya asked.

See... this whole thing works as long as oil is priced in dollars... because of the natural lag between the creation of new dollars and felt inflation. Ahhh.. but what happens if you price oil in Euros?

Well... remember back in the nineties when russia dumped a third of its paltinum reserves? What happened to the price of platinum? It instantly dropped through the floor. See that word? That word is "instant".

Instant means... no lag time. Instant means we couldn't just print up money to buy whatever we want. In short... instant is bad... really really bad.

And what is Iran doing?

Right.

They are pricing their oil in Euros... and trying to get the rest of OPEC to do the same. We can't let that happen. So we'll invade them.... kill them... and screw up the oil supply for the whole world even worse.. at the same time China is ramping up demand.

Bloody Brilliant.

But no... that's not really it... we're really invading them because they might get nukes... you know... just like we invaded Pakistan to keep them from getting nukes. Just like we invaded North Korea... and India.

But they're terrists!!!! And they hate us!!! They hate us for our large American penises!!! The US always has a noble cause to go along with its chosen war... of course... the cause and the war needant actually have anything to do with each other. They just need to sound good together.

Stupid Government Factiod of the Day

The average foster family recieves 13,000 dollars per foster child per year in their care.

The standard per child income tax deduction is 2,000 dollars per year.



ummmmmmmm....

Aftermath

Well... in the aftermath of my previous post on the mommy board the Oprah Watchers asked me 3 questions... These are my answers. This post resulted in 5 replys all saying "I thought about debating Nate... but this isn't the right thread for it."

Bwak Bwak Bwak.

1) What's wrong with healthcare today and how would I fix it: First of all the problems with our healthcare system are extremely over stated. If you need treatment in the US.. you get it. Anyone that says otherwise is either knowingly lieing or ignorant. Remember that movie with denzel washington and his dieing kid? It was roughly as realistic as Star Wars.

There is a problem with our healthcare system. That problem is government. There is way to much government involvement. You wouldn't believe the regulations involved. Its insane. Doctors cannot speak to their spouses about their work for fear of the dreaded HIPPA violation. Seriously is this the CIA or something? Virtually ever problem facing our healthcare system today is the direct result of government involvement. For example... costs... costs are driven up by added bureaucracy mandated by the government. Drug costs are artificially inflated because of insane FDA requirements... the strictest such requirements in the world. Why are drugs cheaper in Canada? Because Canada's requirements are easier to meet. Medicare and Medicaid are by definition social medicine. They are the biggest payers in the game, so they control prices... and they also get to set the rules for everyone else... even those not on medicare and medicaid.

What would I do to fix the problem? I would get government out of the way. The government sticks its big butt into every transaction that takes place and it bogs down the system. Remember... HMO's were actually created by congress. Not good. I would UNcreate them. I would deregulate the medical industry at every level possible.

2) After I burn the schools (don't forget shipping those NEA folks to Cuba!) do I expect everyone to homeschool: No. But neither do I want to provide government sponsored day-care for your kids... call it school if you want but that's not what it is. Its daycare. I know its daycare because if it were a school then I could hold the teachers accountable for the results. I can't. Therefore its a daycare. So... you have kids... you have to work all day.. what do I expect you to do? Well.. you're a grown up. I expect you to take responsibility for your choices and your children and work it out without putting a gun to my head and forcing me to pay for your daycare.

I absolutely believe every parent is potentially a better teacher for their children than those in public school. How can I say this? Well... who potty trained your kids? Who taught your kids to walk? If you can teach them that stuff... then you can teach them to read... and if you can teach them to read... you can teach them anything. You know your kids better than anyone else. You know their individual needs better than some so-called professional that spends all day telling 25 other kids to shut up, and has to call the police every time a 7 year old climbs on a desk.
But... would i force you to homeschool? no. Never. You kid's education is totally up to you. I would simply create a much bigger demand for private schools by shutting down the government ones, and the market would then meet that demand. Private schools would spring up catering to all different needs and budgets. Why? Because there is money to be made. We spend billions and billions on education... more per student than any country in the world... and yet our kids still can't read as well as those in Iceland. Its pathetic. I'd give that money back to the public where it could be used to get real, effective education... as opposed to day care.

3) Hard times and Safety Nets in Nate's perfect world: I am morally opposed to all forms of forced charity. How much more could you give to charity... or church... if you weren't giving a third of your income to the government? How much more could you save? How much less would you need those so-called "safety nets"? Charity is the job of individuals and the Church. Its not the place for government. Davie Crockett used to say... "I don't see the word charity in the constitution anywhere."

The best example I can think of is social security.. arguably the biggest mistake we've ever made. Why can I say that? Because it did the exact opposite of what it was supposed to do. Prior to social security employers offered pensions, and folks saved for retirement. Once government got involved, employers stopped offering them.. and people stopped saving... because they thought the government was going to take care of them.

Then they turned 65 and realized they'd be trying to live on 1200 per month.

See? Its not a safety net. Its a trap. Its trapped millions into virtual poverty. Ya think all those old women working at walmart are doing so to fight off the boredom of retirement?
Look at SSI disability... how many people are trapped on 1200 dollars per month, unable to supplement their own income because doing so would jeopardize their government handout?
And to bring it back to the original point... the end does not justify the means. Stealing is stealing. Now.. if you want a safety net.. fine. You enroll in Social Security and you can enjoy the benefits. Just don't force me to do it. But the truth is that's not possible. You have to have me involved or the system doesn't work.

Why not just put a gun to my head and order me to give you 1200 bucks a month? Why make the government do it for you?

This is the best proof I can offer that government safety nets are a myth. If they were financially possible... you wouldn't have to force everyone to enroll. You don't see insurance companies forcing folks to enroll. Yet they are financially viable. Ya want unemployment insurance? Go buy some. Maybe if the government wasn't taking all that FICA money out of your check each month you could even afford to! Seriously... take a look at your pay stub. How much do they take out for FICA each month? OK... look at the year to date. Now add that to last years... and the year before and the year before. Add it up for your whole life... put it in a savings account earning 5% and what do you have? You have one helluva a safety net, and you don't need Aunt Samantha (you might call him Uncle Sam but I changed his name when he turned into such a sissy) giving you permission to us it.

Fishy

Boy ain't this just convenient... I mean... of course this is totally legitimate... IRAN IS THE DEVIL!!! WE MUST INVADE NOW!!!

We Stand Down as They Stand Up

Trouble is... if you're to fucking stupid to do jumping jacks then I suspect "standing up" just might be to much to ask.

Here's the problem I have with people like our buddy Bill. See Bill knows how incompetent our government is domestically. He knows they can fuck up a county fair... but in his mind... somehow... as soon as they leave our borders... these morons who asshole to asshole couldn't make a beer fart in a whirlwind... suddenly they become damned geniuses... capable of transforming prehistoric tribes of Aborigines into a bonafide Republic.

Brilliant!

Pardon the salty language today... I'm fired up.

Stirring Up Trouble

I doubt you're aware of it but apparently there are message boards for pregnant mommies out there. My dear wife plays on one regularly... and the subject of politics came up... a woman asked DrWho what she thought about Universal Health Care.. Public Schools and such... In turn.. my wife asked ME to answer for her.

UNWISE!!!!!

This is what I wrote:

Do we support Universal Healthcare: Not only no, but HELL NO. And when I say HELL NO please understand that it means if Candian or European style Universal Healthcare is implemented here, we will be gone in a matter of months. Let me be clear... the more the government is involved in Healthcare.. the worse Healthcare gets. All Universal Healthcare will do is drive providers away, limit your options, bankrupt the nation, and ultimately kill people. That's what happens when you can't get treatment. You die. The good news is... you died with an insurance card in your pocket. The bad news is, that insurance card doesn't do you any good if there aren't enough doctors left to accept it. Canada has learned this the hard way.

I'm going to go into a little more detail here... so bear with me. I know when I say "Supply and Demand" some of your eyes glaze over... but that is really what its about. Universal Healthcare takes something that is very valuable and in very short supply ( healthcare) and makes it appear to be free to the end user ( the patient). Well when something is free do you worry about using to much of it? Are you careful with it? Here in Tennessee, we implemented a program called TennCare which was basicly HillaryCare. No one outside of congress had insurance as good as TennCare recipients. What happened? Well ER visits were free... office visits were free... ect ect ect.. so everytime they had the sniffles they were in the ER. They were calling for ambulance rides for the sniffles. Abuse was rampant.. small town doctors left the state... major hospitals closed down... and the state had to kill the program because it was going bankrupt. Now imagine that on a national scale... and combine the fact that many doctors will simply leave the US before they'll work under those conditons. I suppose you can tell we're a little passionate about this issue. That's because we have a lot at stake. We don't want to move.

Ok... next question... Public Schools: Considering that we're homeschooling... our position is probably predictabe. We hate public schools. We hate the public school system. Its a dangerous and foolish system that is designed to do exactly what it does... which is produce good little consumers and worker bees. The public school system was not designed to educate. It was designed (by Rockerfeller) to condition. That's what it does. It conditions kids into little herd animals. The Nation may need little herd animals, but the People would be better served with strong minded educated individuals. Strong minded educated individuals are far more likely to come from home schools and private schools than public schools. Personally if I had my way every public school would be burned down and the grounds on which it was built would be sown with salt and left as a desolate reminder of the minds lost there... and while I was at it I would ship every member of the NEA to Cuba where they belong.

I'm sure by now you can imagine what my answers are going to be to just about any question you can think of. We don't see government as a solution to the problem. We believe government is the problem. We do not want "safety nets" because we see them for what they are; traps.
Now all this is not to say that we are anarchists. Anarchy is just Might Makes Right. We do favor some extremely limited government. It should protect the weak from the strong... but it is not Charity. It should protect our borders. Its one of the very few legitimate responsibilities.
In general we want to be left alone. I don't want the government telling me how to live my life, what I should, when I should sleep, how much water I should have in my toilet, or what safety precautions I must take while I travel. My wife is the same way.

Our whole political philosophy boils down to responsibility. A child asks who is going to take care of her. A grown up takes care of herself. We take full responsibility for our lives and the lives of our children. We don't expect nor ask for anyone's help. We certainly would never put a gun to your head and demand that you help us. And see... when you use the force of government to take money away from someone, and give it to someone else... that is what you're doing. You're stealing. Disagree? Consider... what happens if I don't pay my taxes? I go to jail. I am harmed. If I resist to much... I could be killed in the struggle. So what you're doing is taking money from me, by force. You're using just as much force as a masked gunman at a convenience store... you're just more polite about how you demand my money.

But in the end it all comes back to responsibiliy. Who is responsible for your life? What I would ask you is... are you a child? Do you need Mommy to save you from the Big Bad World?
Just remember before you answer what Mommy does when you say yes. Mommy comes to my house with a gun... puts it in my face and says give me your money or I will hurt you. Then Mommy takes that money and gives it to you.

In our view... That is what "social services" are. In our view... That is what "safety nets" are.

Yeah... something tells me that will be REALLY well recieved by the post-partum crowd!

This is for Jamie

Somethin' tells me this song wasn't big in Austrailia back in the ealy 90s... But anyone that hangs out here just has to be aquainted with Copperhead Road.

ATF DAMMIT

Of course... this edition is for medicinal purposes only.

We pick up the story as our hero debates with his loving wife the use of super glue to seal small cuts. Ignoring both her objections and decade of advanced medical training... he's glued the cut.

So that's the debate. You have a cut that could probably use a couple stiches. Glue it? Or go to the ER? I maintain that the risk of infection through exposure to whatever toxins may or may not be in super glue is less than the risk of infection through exposure to the many and varied bugs in the ER.

At any rate... Its handled... and of course I'm now stuck with the swelling ache bit... so I've decided to self medicate a bit further... this time with bourbon.

Now... Judging by his insane comments of late... both here and at JAC's I can reasonably conclude that Bill's been on about 2 week bender... and God bless him for it. If he keeps it up another 50 weeks they'll make him an honourary Australian.

Speaking of Aussies... I wonder if Jamie's loaded yet...

Charting New Territories of Stupid

Bill wipes his ass... inspects the paper... and then decides to share his findings with us:

Bush does not have open trade agreements with dictators, he imposes embargoes. Bush encourages open trade with governments that respect human rights and have representative governments. These are both classic pro-freedom positions which Ron Paul opposes. Bush also has expressed a willingness to use force against nations that use force against American citizens around the world, particularly where those American citizens were acting in a capacity representing America as an entity. Ron Paul stridently disagrees with this position. Thus, Ron Paul would remove both positive and negative reinforcement against dictators - trade if they behave and force if they don't. This not only lends legitimacy to dictators, but it solidifies their power.

So...

Bush is more pro-freedom than Paul, because Paul would remove embargos that hurt dictators in various places around the world... like say... Cuba.

We have a word for this... we call this "hypocracy". See Bill conveniently ignores the fact that Bush, and the US, not only support various dictators around the world... some of the worst regimes have actually been placed in power by it.

Iran anyone?

Saddam himself was put in power by the US!!! The same assinine meddling that Bush is attempting in Afganistan and Pakistan has consistantly resulted in anti-freedom dictatorships. The House of Saud is about as anti freedom as any ruling class in the world... and we prop them up!

So never mind that Bush is all for running around installing and supporting dictators all about the globe... his only criteria being that they kiss his ring.

Oh... but he won't let us buy cuban cigars... so clearly he's more pro-freedom than Paul.

Bill has embarassed himself. Boo him accordingly.

So Falls the Record

In 1980 Gold hit its all time high of 850 dollars per troy ounce.

Today it trounced that record.. hitting $860.00 in London trading. Who knows what might happen in the US. You know how we love a front runner.

Don't think for a second this is the end of the gold rally. Gold will peak in the 1300's.

An Alternative Means to Slow Government Growth

Government... like fire... has a natural tendency to grow. It wants to eat more and more... it HAS to eat more and more. Its just the way of things.

Our forefathers sought to combat this natural phenomena with laws that restricted the goverenment... hedging it in tight between the few things it was allowed to do, and the things it was never allowed to do under any circumstances.

As we've seen over the last 200 years this approach failed... so... I've decided to offer my own solution... and its a completely original one at that!


See... those drawn to government power aren't particularly bright... and they suffer from the ailment of taking themselves and their positions far to seriously. I seek to cure them of that ill... and make use of their lack of wit to effect my ends... a small barely noticable government.

How?

I shall degree that any government official that speaks publicly... or in any government meeting or official capacity... must only speak in rhyme. Failure to rhyme will result in immediate an immediate silencing and a suspension for the rest of the day.

Further more... all laws must be written in iambic tetrameter and must also rhyme.

Now... lets see you create a 2 trillion dollar budget in I.T. that rhymes... Mr Halfwit "public servant".

In addition to these rules I would also require ridiculously silly parades once a month... where-in government officials would be forced to walk in bizarre and silly ways around the capital. Those judged to not be silly enough would be suspended without pay for 2 months.

There would also be a hat... resembling a penguin astride a massive pineapple... which would be warn by anyone speaking in congress. This hat would be a cherished national treasure and would be passed from speaker to speaker during sessions.

Now... what say you?

Regional gods

A subject was heavy on my mind for time... Someone I have a relationship with is deeply involved in teaching Christianity internationally. Mostly in South America but recently she taught in Tailand. When I spoke to her after that trip to Asia... she was both encouraged and deeply sad. She saw miraclulous things... but she faced some challenges in forms she didn't expect... at least not to the degree they were presented.

One of these challenges was not a lack of belief... but the belief and worship of other gods.

Now this isn't a problem we westerns deal with much. If you believe, then you are either a Christian, Muslim, or Jew... that's really about it. We don't find ourselves debating much with each other about God.

Instead we find ourselves debating with atheists, not about which god is the true creater, but if there is a creater at all. A popular atheist debate tactic is to point out that different regions of the world worship different gods... therefore they conclude that all of them must be false.

Now this is sort of the long way around the barn but it occured to me that the questions are actually the same, and should be dealt with the same way.

***Warning: God and I did not have breakfast together this morning. He didn't tell me this over bacon and eggs. While I pray that these words glorify God... I do not claim divine infallibility here. Proceed with caution.***

So why are there these regional gods? Well... the short answer is... we're not the only ones here that are being judged. Job mentions a council meeting in Heaven... attended even by Satan. What was this meeting? Well... I suggest that it was a meeting of Principalites and Powers called by God.

See... God sent out these Principalities and Powers to govern various areas of the earth. They were to defend the weak... help the poor... and do God's will. God also makes it clear that these beings will be judged just as we will.

So how did we end up with all these regional gods worshipped throughout the world? Well.. because God put them there... and they gave in to temptation and allowed themselves to be worshipped in God's stead.

So who is the Great Spirit worshipped by the American Indians? He was a principality created by God and sent to watch over North America.

Who is Allah? In short... if not Satan himself... he's just another principality. Perhaps more clever and more powerful than most... but nothing before the might of God.

Ah... but why have all of these beings failed? Why are all of them being worshipped? I don't know but I know the Bible speaks of God reading them the riot act for being such abyssmal failures... which is how we know they'll be judged.

Think of the bizarre behavior of these so-called "gods". Tell me this doesn't make all the sense in the world.

Now this is basic stuff. .. sunday school stuff. But then I am reminded... Sunday School stuff is rarely taught in Sunday School anymore. Now days Sunday School is a means to insure that Christianity is a Church of eunuchs.

We're in the Christmas Spirit

Just watch... trust me. And note the VIP in the audiance.

Ninja's are Pussies!

And there goes the record

Its official. Ron Paul has now broken the all-time single day fund raising record. 12/16 Ron Paul collected over 6 million in donations... breaking the previous record by over $300,000.

Understand... this is not some Internet record... this is the all-time record by any means necessary record. This includes those days when people like Mitt Romney donate 10 million to themselves. Ok obviously 10 million is more than 6 million... but a self donation isn't a contribution... so quit your bitchin'.

If Hillary or Obama or Giuliani did this... it would be front page news everywhere you looked. Ron Paul did it... so tomorrow no one will know.

Unelectable Indeed

At 10:37pm EST Ron Paul's 4th Quarter donations smashed through the 17 million mark.

I've maintained that the one with the most money will win any given election... not necessarily because of corruption but because donations are an excellent indicator of support.

The polls are wrong folks. In a few days... everyone will see that.

Its a Tuesday...





people work on Tuesday.




Elkan and Tildabelle say hi!


Skippin' rocks! Feedin' Ducks!


So if she weighs the same as a duck...


All hat... No cattle.


I sincerely recommend camping. Right now. Stop what you're doing and go buy an RV. Grab the wife and kids and get the hell away. As for us... we'll be back.

Someday.

This is the way we roll...

Its a cold rainy Dismember day... we've got a fire going... popcorn... a case of capri sun... RC and vicaden for Dad... piled into the recliner watchin Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with my boys.

Now go away and leave us alone!

On the Birth of a Child

Feel free to disagree with the theology... but the ancient hebrews believed that a man's prayers could only be heard by God after he'd sired. Children were a blessed gift that came not from a choice or physical act... but from God.

I remember the morning I found out DrWho was pregnant with Jeb... I rememeber being humbled... as if a great joyous boulder had been dropped on my shoulders. It is an honour and a privilage to bear the weight.

To those whom God has so recently blessed... congratulations.

Tell me if this is normal...

At 2:00pm I had an appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed. They finished up around 3:05 or so...

At this point... shouldn't I be staggering around groggy and doped up?

Seems odd that I should be typing... walking up and down steps.

Ya know what else is odd?

Waking up before they're done.


God damned do I hate dentists... and apparently that includes oral surgeons.

I'm gonna kick someone's ass over this.

This Just In...

The Wii kicks ass. Seriously. I boxed so long I literally woke up sore. I've not had this much fun since our first atari.

My Young Alphas

One of the more amusing aspects of homeschooling is watching other parents complain about how easily their children cave to peer pressure. Wait... you mean you send your kids off to a prison for 8 to 10 hours a day specificly designed to segregate them by age and foster conformatiy and consumerism... and they aren't independant???

I'm shocked!

Jeb doesn't do well in classes. Mostly because he's liable to get bored and simply go off by himself and ignore them. This is well documented.

Eli though... he's just now getting to the age where fun stuff like that starts show up... like yesterday...

See we had the boys at one of those play areas that can be found in various malls. This one is bigger than average and there were lots of kids there. As usual... there was one little brat. That's a universal rule. There will always be a little brat there.. and his mother will always be yammering on a cell phone, totally oblivious to what he's doing... and then she'll have the nerve to get all pissed when a frustrated parent justifyably punches her in the face... I hate that.

Anyway...

So this brat... as soon as he sees Jeb... walks over and tells my son that he is not allowed to participate in their game. Jeb being Jeb looked at the boy like he was an idiot and went on to join the game. Irritated, the brat reiterated that Jeb was not allowed.

Confused... Jeb came back and asked his mother why the boy told him he couldn't play. Understand he wasn't complying. He just was legitimately curious. Heeding his mother's advice, he walked back over to the brat... got in his face... and explained that he was going to play, and that the brat was being very bad... very naughty... and that he should act better. Not satisfied with dressing down the boy... Jeb then went and dressed down his mother... who upon hearing about her child's poor behavior... laughed.

Again.. they get pissed when you punch them for this... I don't understand.

Anyway... Eli wasn't feelin' good.. but he was clearly paying attention to all this. He watched Jeb go back to lecturing the brat... who by the way was 5 years old and a good 6 inches shorter than Jeb. The Brat at this point decided to take a few swings. It was noted by almost everyone though that The Brat was being very careful to make sure that none of those swings connected.

This is where Jeb looks at The Brat like he's a bug... and Eli decides he's seen enough.

Eli hopped up and walked over to check this out. He didn't appear angry... just interested. Once he got over there though.. he immediately began punching and kicking the Brat... who tucked his tail and ran like a scalded dog from the wrathful 2 year old.

Thus ended the confrontation... excepting that for the rest of the time the Brat was there... Eli never left his side. He followed him around... watching him... as if to give him every possible opportunity to start another fight... and therefore forcing a constant state of submission in the Brat.

This was greatly amusing...

Few things are as entertaining as watching a natural born gamma male (the brat) instinctively react in fear to an alpha (jeb) and then be totally cowed by a younger, less patient alpha (eli).

I can't wait till Elkan gets to join in.

My God...

Polly Come Home Again.

Robert Plant and Allison Kraus together.

Some things defy explaination. This is beauty my friends.

Urban Ignorance

Ya know... when folks generally think of ignorant people... they think of the rural. Its always some small town kid that's never left the county he was born in that first pops into your mind.

The truth of course is the exact opposite. There is nothing quite so ignorant as some tit from Chicago... as we found out today.

See... we decided to take the boys through Mammoth Cave on our way home from Thanksgiving... so we stopped off at a campsite on the way down and took a 2 hour tour this morning.

Our group was blessed with the presence of a mid 30's black woman with 5 kids... from Chicago. This bitch ran her mouth non stop the whole time... asking the stupidest questions I've heard from someone not from Ohio. This is pretty close to how our conversations went...

Yankee:"We're from Chicago... we've never seen no woods or nuthin' like this before. You just don't know what Chicago's like."

Nate: "Ma'am... I've been to New York and Chicago. I know what its like... and I hope I never have to go back there."


Yankee: "So do y'all have a whole bunch of land and put your own potatos in the ground and stuff?"

Nate: "We have a garden."

Yankee: "Do y'all have coyotes? We talk to some farmers at smith's farm in illinois and they said them coyotes was eatin' people up!"

Nate: "We have wild dogs... but I've never heard of one attacking a human. Most folks just shoot 'em."

***insert wide-eyed terror here***

Yankee: "You have guns?"

Nate: "Sure. Otherwise folks might get eaten by wild dogs... or bears... or something worse."

Yankee: "So ummm... you know... is it safe? I mean to drive around alone at night?"

Nate: "Huh? What do you mean? Of course its safe. We leave our house unlocked. We don't even lock the cars."

Yankee: "You can't do that where we're from."

Nate: "I know. I've been there. That's why I don't want to go back. There are all kinds of things you can't do where you're from."

Yankee: "Oh my! What's that? Is that a coyote?"

Nate: "No. No that's a deer."

Yankee: "Is that safe?"

Nate: "Ma'am... that's supper."

That went on for literaly 2 hours. We could not get away from this moron. But the best... the best was her 12 year old son... See... he started yapping about rocks... special rocks... deep down under the ground... and there was all this heat down there... and after about 300 years of that heat under the ground... these special rocks became....

Bacon.

I shit you not. The kid thought bacon was a special kind of rock.

I just shook my head and said, "Look kid... you don't eat rocks. You eat meat... and meat doesn't grow from the ground. Meat comes from animals. Bacon ain't a rock. Its a piece of pig. Someone raises a pig nice and fat... and then kills it... and they cut the bacon out of it. Ya know where steak comes from?"

At that point he looked like he was gonna cry and ran off to mommy.

So cityboy... remember... when you're feelin' all high and mighty... remember... a kid from a small town knows everything there is to know about citylife. There's a lot of bars... a lot of resturaunts... and a lot of people.

But you?

You don't know shit about the way the world really works. The majority of you have never stepped foot outside your asphalt jungle.. and if you have... you were to closeminded to learn anything from the experience. Just like this moron from Chicago... you think central park is the woods... and anyplace with less than 100,000 people is "out in the country".

Can you imagine what that moron would've said if she knew that what she called a house in Chicago would go for around 50k here? And what we call a decent house is something she could never dream of affording in Chicago?

Yeah... but we're the ignorant ones.

There is nothing... nothing quite so irritating... and foolish... as a damned yankee tourist... except for a damned urbanite yankee tourist.

Please.. go back to your sesspool before you spread your infection.

Happy Thanksgivin' y'all!


From the Walmart Parkin' lot...

Yeah that's us! Campin' in the Walmart parkin' lot thanksgiving night. Jeff Foxworthy would have a field day.

Its fun... but its gonna be a rough night if these damned teenagers don't stop raisin' so much hell.

Seriously... get a life and a job.

Bad News

So the gun grabbers have been backed into a corner... and rather than back down they've decided to take an all or nothing shot. Unfortunatly in my opinion... its going to come down to this.

I am not at all happy about this. We've made plenty of excellent gains in the lower courts. We (gun rights advocates) have more to lose than we stand to gain.

The fact is there was no reason to want this to go to SCOTUS. If SCOTUS had refused to hear the case... quite simply the matter would've been settled in our favour. Very few regulations would've been protected from challenge.

Now that Roberts has a chance to stick his big butt into it... God knows how it will turn out.

I don't like it. I don't trust the republican appointments to SCOTUS at all...

There is an upside though... Candidates will now be forced to take a position on this issue... which royally screws Hillary and all the other Dems... it also screws Guilianni.

Well Said...

"The ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination." --Voltaire

Bullshit CSI

For decades now the FBI has been going around telling everyone that they can match bullets to the gun that fired them. Every moron that watches CSI or Law and Order can tell you exactly how the process works and how accurate it is.

They know it works. They've seen it on TV.

Of course... Gun Guys like have been telling you all along that this is completely false and has always has been. Good lawyers have repeatedly destroyed this "evidence" by asking that their process be tested.

Invariably the labs have failed miserably when forced to account for their conclusions.

No matter though... people see it on TV so they believe it... and consequently the conclusions are rarely challenged.

Well guess what?

The gun kooks were right again.

How this is news is beyond me... since this "evidence" has been beaten at trial dozens of times... but hey... some folks just don't believe it until they see it on tv. So there ya go... now its been on TV.

But But But... The CDC says...


The CDC says what?


The CDC says the flu vaccine doesn't work.


From the study published on the CDC's own website I find the following.

There were several methods of analysis used... but they all yielded the same results. The vaccine's effectiveness was not significantly different than zero. See the table from the study below:



So they know for a fact the flu vaccine doesn't work... but they still recommend that you get it. I wonder why... Now the other question... why aren't there similar studies posted for other vaccines?

Epitaph

Lets set aside the effectiveness/safety debate for a moment and ask a different question. Is it ethical to benefit from the unethical? What I am asking is... do the ends justify the means? Ever?

If your answer is "sometimes" then its quite likely that you have no moral center at all.

The truth is... in the 60s children were killed in a controlled abortion environment by Merck to develope their MMR vaccine. Merck does not deny this.

The Physicians Desk Reference lists the source cells for MMR as RA 27/3 and WI-38.

RA 27/3 was a little boy... Where does the designation come from? R is for Rubella, A for Abortus, 27 for 27th fetus tested, 3 for 3rd tissue explant. There were 26 abortions before number 27 "worked".

Once that "worked", it was implanted on the lung tissue extracted from another murdered child... this one a little girl. Her designation is WI-38 (Wistar Institute 38). She was killed at 3 months gestation.

She was aborted for "psychological reasons".

In the 70's MRC-5... a boy at 7 weeks gestation was killed... and used to cultivate weakened virus strains. To this day MRC-5 is sourced commonly in childhood vaccines.

These three older lines are not enough though... new lines are always being sought. So... when you hear about the new AIDS vaccine from Merck... take a moment and remember its source. This cell line was taken from the retinal tissue of an 18 week gestation baby, aborted because, according to Dr. Van Der Eb at recent FDA hearings, "the father was unknown and the woman wanted to get rid of the fetus". Dr. Van Der Eb went on to say, "PER C6 was made just for the pharmaceutical manufacturing of adenovirus vectors." He added, "I realize that this sounds a bit commercial, but PER C6 were made for that particular purpose."

My friends we have a word for this:

Evil.

We Have No Data to Show...



A few questions have been asked about Vacination... so I decided to post. If ya look at the title of this post, you'll see the most common tactic employed by self proclaimed "Vacinologists". See... when confronted with questions about saftey and negative outcomes... they immediately state.. "We have no data to show... blah blah blah." Now... the implication is that they've done studies and have found the opposite is true. In fact.. what they mean is... no studies have been done.



It actually goes deeper though... as a big time study has been done. The study was done by Dr Thomas Verstraeten using Vaccine Safety Datalink data as a project collaboration between the CDC's National Immunization Program (NIP) and four HMOs. The study examined the records of 110,000 children.

What did it find?

1. Exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines at one month was associated significantly with the misery and unhappiness disorder that was dose related. That is, the higher the child's exposure to thimerosal the higher the incidence of the disorder. This disorder is characterized by a baby that cries uncontrollably and is fretful more so than that see in normal babies.

2. Found a nearly significant increased risk of ADD with 12.5ug exposure at one month. (I'll explain why this is such a big deal in a minute)

3. With exposure at 3 months, they found an increasing risk of neurodevelopmental disorders with increasing exposure to thimerosal. This was statistically significant. This included speech disorders.

Now... the interesting thing about this study... is what they chose for a control group. Rather than using a control group with 0 mercury exposure, they chose a control group with an exposure of 12ug. Now consider... the EPA limit for safe dosage of mecury is 10ug. The Journal of Neurotoxicology states that anything above 10ug is neurotoxic. So their control group was already over the EPA recommended safe level... and they STILL found a nearly significant link to autism at just 3 months.

Ok... lets talk common sense. There are two things that have been indisputedly linked to autism: Aluminum, and Mercury.

Let's take mercury first... Mercury is fat soluable. Which means fat stores it. The human brain is made up of roughly 60% fat... which makes the brain a happy little storage depot. Ethylmercury... which is the type of mercury in Thimerosal is known to easily pass the blood brain barrier, as well as the placenta barrier. See where we're going here? Each and every shot that your child gets deposits a little more mercury in the depot. That's why there is greater rate of autism at 3 months... and 6 months.. and 12 months.

But they aren't using thimerosol anymore. Right?

Do you know that? The government didn't outlaw thimerosal. They recommended manufacturers stop using it. They require no follow up testing to demonstrate that the vaccines are actually thimerosal free. But hey... big pharm.. these are good guys... we should trust them right? Merck's good people.

If you want your kid to get a thimerosal free vaccine the only way to be 100% sure is to insist that it comes from a single dose vial.

But remember... thimerosal is NOT the only problem. Our own pediatrician tried to explain america's increased autism with the aluminum from all the canned cokes we drink. I don't know about you... but I don't know any 3 month olds that actually drink from coke cans. I do know that virtually every 3 month old in the US has had multiple exposures to aluminum in vacines... exposures during the most vital period of brain developement.

Here are some fun facts:

- There is a 10X increase in Alzheimer's disease in those receiving the flu vaccine 5 years in a row. (Dr. Hugh Fudenberg, in press, Journal of Clinical Investigation). All flu vaccines contain what? Say it with me now... Mercury and Aluminum.

- A woman with variant Mad Cow Disease was allowed to given plasma to be used in vaccines in England. This wasn't discovered until after the plasma was pooled and used to make millions of doses. That's ok though... because we have no idea if it will really spread the disease. "We have no data to show..."

- The WHO states there is no safe dosage of mercury. Trace elements are to much.

- "Thimerosal Free" vaccines are still manufactured with thimerosal. Its filtered out at the end, and it still leaves trace elements.

- The vast majority of polio cases around the world are caused by the live antagen vaccine

- Aluminum hydroxide and aluminum phosphate are in virtually every vaccine there is.

- So is acetone.

- So is fromaldehyde. YUMMY!

- Lets not forget a few common ingrediants in things like... antifreeze.

- With our current level of technology it is impossible to determine one virus from another in animal tissue. So its impossible to be sure that only the wanted virus is being added. Stow-aways are not uncommon... nor are they detectable. AIDs was in fact transmitted to humans from apes by an oral polio vaccine given to 300,000 africans. Oops.

It is crucial to make informed decisions people. If you want to research more I suggest you start here.

UPDATE:

It appears I've omitted one entertaining bit. Remember that bit about mercury being fat soluable? Well it turns out another favored tactic of the Vaccinologists is to claim that studies show no increased mercury levels in the blood. Duh. That's because its stored in fat. Its rather like looking for undigested food in the liver.

Just in Case You Were Wondering

At this point... in the combined fighting in Afganistan and Iraq... Over 4000 US men have been killed. Just over 2000 children have lost at least 1 parent in this war.

Think long and hard about that... then tell me that shithole is worth that cost in American lives.

I was perfectly ok with the invasion... everything including and upto the fall of Bahgdad. What followed however has been a grade a clusterfuck. Those responsible for forumlated US strategy in that region be tried for treason at worst... and condemned by history as some of the most grossly stupid of all time at best.

They Aren't Your Kids

For the few of you that still believe your childrens are your own... please see this link. You are no longer capable of deciding what's best for you kids. You will comply.

Note the money quote: "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, but it is going to get done."

In otherwords... we'll throw you in jail if you don't vacinate your kids. Resist arrest...and we'll kill you.

There are only two legitimate responses to this action:

1) Pack up and leave immediately.

2) Start shooting government officials.

2 is more fun... but its not the one I would recommend for an individual to take. I am confident such legislation in on the way before long in my state... and when it happens... we'll leave. If it becomes national... we'll leave.

Though I confess... I will be sorely tempted to excersize option number 2 on my way out.

John Browning Day

Amen brother. Amen.

I only wish I'd thought of it myself.

My Pretty Lady

I suppose at this point its fair to make an assesment of Bonita. So where to start?

First of all, as I've said many times before she's far more gentle than I ever expected. She's extremely good with our kids and the neighbors. She plays just as well with 6 pound dachsunds as 100 pound rottweilers... though she takes longer to sort things out with aggressive male dogs.

Right.. but what about the training?

Indeed. If you've ever been around service animals... seeing-eye dogs for example... then you know how Bonita behaves in public. She's just like that. She doesn't sniff. She doesn't bark. She's at work. She's a real treat to take out with you... trouble is... here in Pristine America... dogs aren't much allowed in public. It gets frustrating. Bonita is a trained canine bodyguard. She's specificly trained to deal with all kinds of attacks... including home invasions... car jacking... and parking lot attacks.

She does have a bite command and is starting to respond to it... but there is extreme trust involved for all parties conscerned and that takes time and work. However... its not necessary to give the command for the dog to protect you.

I suppose pretty much everyone just assumes we adopted a really well behaved GSD. If you didn't know what to look for... you'd think the same thing. But there are subtle hints if you watch her. While other dogs loll in the sun... often she sits at attention... like she's marking a potential threat.

I've used the guard command "wache" now several times with her... and he response is satisfactory. Basicly she sets up a perimeter around whatever you've told her to guard... and non shall pass. Again... even this is easy to miss. I once had Jeb outside playing... and needed to go inside... so I told her to watch him.. then went in to see what she did. She sat down at attention.... watching him... watching the tree line.. watching the gate.... then ever 5 to 10 minutes or so... she would patrol this invisible circle.. she'd walk around the area Jeb was playing in... then go right back to sitting at attention.

You have no idea what type of affection this sort of thing creates in the heart of a father.

See... I don't think Bonita would protect me kids. I know it. I don't think she is scary... I don't think she is capable. I know it.

Criminals and evil men deal with dogs all the time. They know how to handle them. The vast majority of untrained dogs can be dealt with effectively in seconds. House has a dog? bring a raw steak. Dog barks... toss the steak... dog goes and eats the steak... not only can you rob the house... you've made a friend.

Thats not a made up situation. That's a real tactic that criminals use.. and it works.

It doesn't work on protection dogs. it doesn't work on Schultzhund. See.. it goes back to their training. Food is never used as a reward. The reward for good behavior or appropriatly responding to a command... is a bite! They get to bite something if they do what they are told.

Situationally Bonita's been trained to deal with those types of tricks and tactics. Unlike a titled Schultzhund... she won't respond to commands from strangers. Obediance is reserved for trust pack leades. She responds very well to me... and she now responds very well to DrWho. But a would be attacker shouting "no" would like just result in a more impressive display of force.

She's everything we expected and more. She's the sweetest dog I've ever been around. She's affectionate and calm. She's extremely clever... and yet somehow patient. She asks permission to go outside... and then she lets herself in the back door. Its still amusing to watch her open doors. She's the most dangerous dog I've ever owned... and yet cannot reasonably be described as a liability in anyway.

Now if we could just do something about the shedding...

Are Your Bags Packed?

If not... I suggest you read this... then take a strong look at the make up of the Supreme Court... and ask yourself how much you trust John Roberts.

Right now there is no real split in the lower courts. Two major courts have decided that the Second Amendment is an individual right. US vs. Miller, the last second amendment case the Supreme Court decided, also upheld that view.

Speaking of Miller... did you note that the reporter's only mention was that the court "Unaminously decided" that the men couldn't own sawed off shotguns? Note he did not mention that the court specificly stated that the men COULD own machine guns... and tanks... and air craft carriers... and cruise missiles.

The point is... as early as tuesday we'll know if this court will end the Second Amendment debate. I suggest that if they get it right... Bush's nominees will have paid off... and all the evils Dubya has committed will be forgiven. How odd to think... a court case could reunite the Republican Party....

I don't have any faith though. I think Roberts... or more likely Alito... will screw us. Roberts dropped hints during his confirmation. He stated that Miller didn't settle anything. That means he's well aware of the holes the decision created, even if most of the country is not. It doesn't say anything about what he thinks should be done about them though.

I'm Back


and all is well.

Happy HallowOOt!!!!

Pre-Trick or Treating yard work!

Why yes.. my family IS adorable.

And that's Elkan... Repleat with Monster Costume!

I couldn't decide if he looked like Boo from Monsters Inc.

Or something from Where the Wildthings Are...

So... Y'all Expecting a Lot of Tricker Treaters?






Nope. We're just hitting the after halloween candy sales one day early...

Here's yer sign.

ATF Returns!

Well... its Blue Moon Winter Brew tonight... at least until the smokes come out...

Smokin' and drinkin'... smokin' and drinkin'... ya know mix in some guns and trains and that's damned near a song! At least it aughta be.

I hope is well with you and yours... just a quickie tonight to get back in the swing of things. If you're around... say howdy.

My Give a Damn's Busted

Its better to say nothing than to post something pointless. If my heart's not in it... I'm just not going to write it. I'm not going to blog for blogging's sake. The point is... I see the news.... Iraq... Blackwater... The fires in California... Hillary... Ron Paul...

I just don't care.

When I'm not passionate about something... my writing sucks... and well... I'm not passionate about any of the issues of the day.

I will point this out though...

This fire in california is putting out more Carbon monoxide than in one day than a million cars produce in a week. I say we force the hippies to by Carbon Credits.

Plus... I've gotten to thinking about these fires. Whats the big deal? Its a fire. Its plants burning. This ain't rocket science people. Put water on it. Push dirt on it. How freaking incapable are you jerk offs?

Ya seriously can't stop a fire?

And why aren't all you hippies living in enviro-friendly hobit holes anyway?

California's burning. Good. Any chance we can spread that fire to San Fransisco, Sacramento, and LA?

So You Think This Country is Worth Saving...

if so... perhaps you should take a moment to glimps through this list of government agencies to which you are currently beholden:


Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Commerce (DOC)
Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of Education (ED)
Department of Energy (DOE)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Department of Labor (DOL)
Department of State (DOS)
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Department of the Treasury
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
African Development Foundation
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Commission on Civil Rights
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Corporation for National and Community Service
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Election Assistance Commission
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Farm Credit AdministrationFederal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Federal Housing Finance BoardFederal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Maritime Commission
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
Federal Reserve System
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
General Services Administration (GSA)
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Inter-American Foundation
International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB)
Merit Systems Protection Board
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
National Capital Planning Commission
National Council on Disability
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
National Mediation Board
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
National Transportation Safety Board
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Office of Compliance
Office of Government Ethics
Office of Personnel Management
Office of Special Counsel
Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Panama Canal Commission
Peace Corps
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Postal Rate Commission
Railroad Retirement Board
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Selective Service System
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Tennessee Valley Authority
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
United States Agency for International Development
United States International Trade
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Administrative Committee of the Federal Register
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
American Battle Monuments Commission
Appalachian Regional Commission
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board)
Arctic Research Commission
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
Broadcasting Board of Governors (Voice of America, RadioTV Marti and more)
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Chief Financial Officers Council
Chief Financial Officers Council
Chief Human Capital Officers Council
Chief Information Officers Council
Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
Commission of Fine Arts
Commission on Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People around the Globe (HELP Commission)
Commission on International Religious Freedom
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States
Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction
Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Delaware River Basin Commission
Denali Commission
Endangered Species Committee
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board
Federal Advisory Committees
Federal Executive Boards
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
Federal Financing Bank
Federal Geographic Data Committee
Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds
Federal Interagency Committee on Education
Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy
Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer
Federal Library and Information Center Committee
Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission
Indian Arts and Crafts Board
Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group
Interagency Council on Homelessness
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
Japan-United States Friendship Commission
Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries
Marine Mammal Commission
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission
Millennium Challenge Corporation
Mississippi River Commission
Morris K. Udall Foundation: Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy
National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
National Indian Gaming Commission
National Park Foundation
Northwest Power Planning Council
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Postal Commission
President's Commission on Moon, Mars and Beyond
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency
Presidio Trust
Regulatory Information Service Center
Social Security Advisory Board
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Veterans Day National Committee
Vietnam Educational Foundation
White House Commission on Presidential Scholars – "Presidential Scholars Program"
White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance

So... you're either answering to them... funding them... or both.

Slaves.

Nate on Ron Paul

Let me see if I can sum up the best arguement I've heard yet for supporting Ron Paul...


"If any snowball can make it in Hell... This snowball can!"


That's all could and well.. but neither physics nor chemistry bow to intentions. The fact is... compared to the flies of the Republican party... he's a misquito... which means he may actually bite and cause some irritation... but in the end... he'll just get swatted.... that's assuming he even makes it past the initial fumigations designed to eliminate misquitos entirely.

Listen... there is an ironclad law about elections... simply put... The candidate with the most money wins. Now... that's not to say necessarily that the money causes the victory. The truth is donations are an extremely accurate measure of support. The more popular a candidate is... the more folks give him... or it... as the case may be... financial support.

The losers always claim the coffers were boosted by the nefarious special interests... but the fact is... if that were the case... the same side would almost always win.... because the same people have the same money to give each cycle.

Wake up people.

The RNC is broke.

Hilary will be elected.

I suggest you make your plans to bug out... or make your plans to fight and die.

Me?

I see nothing worth dieing for.

Gypsy Wind

So where has ol' Nate been?

Its a fair question... after all... its been more than a week since I posted. What's been takin' up so much damned time?

Well... We decided the Escalade just wasn't fit for long trips. Oh its great for around town... but we needed a little more freedom.

So I went out and snatched up a Class A motorhome. For those keeping score its a Fleetwood PaceArrow. Oh lord do we love it. We've spent the last several nights in it. The boys actually ride up on the dashboard... glaring out the massive windshield... just enthralled with the sensation... its like sensory overload.

Its got a low miles 460 in it... smooth as it can be. Cruised up Mont Eagle twice now... and she held 65mph the whole time... both times. I could've accelerated... but I wanted to keep her below 4ooorpms.

Its a great rig. If you've got kids... I can not recommend it enough. Families NEED these things. Its the difference from being trapped... and freedom. No more stuck to a house because of nap times or schedules. Ya just take the whole damned house with ya... including the kitchen sink. Hell... my wife took a shower at 70mph tonight!

Anyway... this means we can actually do things now. We can go to football games... we can go to amusement parks... we can just spend the day anywhere we want... and if the kids get grumpy or need naps... we can just go back to the RV and take care of it.

Imagine ladies.... ya want to spend a day at the mall? Fine. Go for it. You go shop with the boys... hubby and maybe 1 kid stay at the RV and play xbox... or watch direct TV... or play on the laptop.. or hell.... take a nap. No problem. And believe me... its so awesome to be able to drive down the road... and to know that your family is happy and truely comfortable. You can look over your shoulder and not see kids strapped into torture devices.... I mean.... carseats.

Anyway... where has ol' Nate been?

He's been on the road.

You should be too.

Well Said

"My friends,
I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey.

If when you say whiskey you mean the devil’s brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.

But;

If when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman’s step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little while, life’s great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.

This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise." - Noah Sweat

Kudos to Luke for the find.

I Find Myself Considering...

the insane. You all know about the ICBM Tour... where JAC and I did the Iron Butt 1000 on our sport bikes. It turns out we don't get our certifications though... since apparently... we went to fast. That's right... the sanctioning body has decided to put on its panties and refuse to certify anyone that has an average speed that's to high. Pussies.

At anyrate... recently... I am finding my mind conflicted... and pulled in totally opposing directions. In the one sense... I'm madly researching massive motorhomes... that I may transport my family in the finest of comfort... and better still... I don't have to strap my kids into torture racks for hours on end.

On the other hand... recently I've had visions of loading up the KLX250 and heading out in a mad attempt to complete the Iron Butt on it.

1000 miles in 24 hours on a KLX 250.

How bout it?

A Thin Blurred Line

I wish to tell you... if I may... a tale of the ancient... I would share a story of our past... from a time and place long gone... a time when men still remembered magic... and dragons weren't nearly so popular.

This tale starts as many do in what appears to be an idealic setting... with a man... who has no idea what history has in store.

You see back in those days... in that place... there weren't just warriors and wizards... the art of magic had actually been specialized much in the way that science has been here today. There were wizards that focused on everything you can imagine... from creating great wealth, to travel, to protection from harm... but the one group in particular this story focuses on.... were known as Pyromancers.

Now likely you've never heard of pyromancers. In all honesty you know quite well that all of this magic is a bunch of school boy nonesense. But in spite of what you know... once there were wizards... and if you look back even further... you would find the legends of the fire wizards.

The Pyromancers were the most feared group in all the world. They focused completely on offensive magic... spells that were used to attack others. They cared not to protect themselves... they believed in inflicting as much damage as possible as quickly as possible. They were the artillary of their day... A pyromancer could be a nuclear bomb... or a sniper. What he could not be... was a shield.

Among the pyromancers... one of the first actually... was a young man named only Kier.

Kier was a conflict. He wasn't your typical wizard. Oh he was bright enough but his athletic physique made him stand out. He seemed more like the type for carrying bastard swords than staffs. That fooled no one though.. for he was fierce about his devotion to his craft. Perhaps he was devoted to nothing more.

More often than not Kier would be in the wilderness with his friends seeking some adventure or another. I could spend days recounting the old tales of Piper and Glorn... unfortunately... this is a much darker tale.

Its a tale that begins at what looks like the end... and ends at a begining... and I suppose this is as good a time as any to finally get started.

It was a fine autumn day... not a lot different from this one when the ancient God Grimbrand appeared to Kier and his friends. Grimbrand had been watching them.. and had decided to grant them authority over their own kingdom... it would be theirs to do with as they saw fit... and so it was.

Kier threw himself into the affair... he let it consume him... he obsessed over it... so much that after a while he stopped thinking of himself as a pyromancer at all... he only saw himself as a king. He shut himself off from the world beyond his kingdom... and years passed.

So much happened... but he simply didn't notice.

The gods warred in the heavens... and he didn't notice.

Men warred on the earth... and he didn't notice.

Kier's focus was a lazer on his kingdom... and his kingdom flurreshed... but guild brothers were dying.

Kier never cared enough to know what the god's fought about... they always fought about something...he had no idea that they were actually fighting over the pyromancers. He had no idea that one by one the fire wizards were being stipped of their gifts.

He just didn't know... until it was to late.

One day Kier looked up and it was all different. His kingdom wasn't his anymore. Grimbrand had be vanquished... and the victor... Lancer... now ruled with an iron fist. Not knowing what else to do... Kier simply left.

He went home... to the old guild house... the secret place. But there he found nothing. Nothing but ruins. He wondered how long it had been. How long had he been gone?

He wondered the lands... and he learned that the pyromancers were gone... and almost forgotten... only the old remembered them... they were to powerful... it wasn't fair... the gods had to put them down. Good riddence to all of them. Almost.

Kier found himself standing on the corner of an empty street... and it was there that he realized... they missed one.

Kier wasn't just the last pyromancer... he was a master. He was among the most powerful pyromancers the world had ever known... and revenge was on his mind.

No no... revege is not to be served cold at all.

Kier spent the next few months wondering the realms... posing as a collector. He used his enormous wealth to procure some artifacts relevant to his past... like... the formal cloak of his guild for example.

All the while he watched and listened.

The fools of this new world were comfortable. They knew the rules... they knew the balance of power. They knew their place in it. More than one flirted with his own death by assuming Kier was also bound by those rules. He took it all in... he used it to fuel his rage... the last fire wizard simmered... and calculated his eruption. but he played humble... he never let his power show itself.

It wasn't time.

Or maybe it was?

One day Kier learned of a great celebration... a wedding of all things. Apparently to great heros were to be married... and the gods themselves were hosting. The whole realm was invited. Everyone.

Would Lancer be there?

On the appointed day everyone made their way to the great cathedral... build by the gods themselves for this very occasion. Hundreds had gathered. The guards at the door had no time to worry about a strange man in a silly robe. Kier made his way into the audiance and waited. Up front he could see the heros focusing on each other... oblivious to their own doom.. only so many feet away. He saw the smug and smiling faces of the gods... loathesome.

It was time.

Kier calmly... coldly.... slowly stepped into the open....

Most people simply didnt know what was happening when the strange man in the strange black cloak raised his arms to the sky and spoke those ancient words.

It was only in the last perceivable instant that Lancer turned and looked at him.

Their eyes met for an instant.... just before the world exploded in a torrent of white hot death that hadn't been seen in an age.

White flash.

Silence.

Kier stood in the smoldering ruins... alone. hundereds of corpses lay strewn... smoking... seared. Even the worldly husks of the gods themselves were destroyed. Heros... the most valient and powerful men and women of the entire realm... killed instantly... shattered... like nothing more than dried leaves under a heavy boot. It was impossible. It wasn't fair. It couldn't happen.

But it did happen.

Kier threw his head back and cackled with glee... and then he disappeared... never to be seen nor heard from again.


And that dear friends... is a true story.

Apology

Its monday... I haven't blogged in forever... and even then it was just a hit and run. Fact is I don't have time. Its monday... there's aparently a lot going on in the political world... but I can't seem to make myself give a shit.

Democrats say this... Republicans say that... Libertarians say this... stay in your lanes. Say in your box.

Lanes and boxes used to piss me off... now it all just bores me.

Its a powerful boredom.... its the boredom of understanding.

Do you know why its so important for magicians to keep their secrets? Because if people knew... they'd be bored.

I think back to the days in college when I used to play these online games. They were fun... You had your little character and you ran around and collected items and weapons... and they the more stuff they did... the more powerful they were... the cooler it was. The coolest people in the game were the "gods"... the creaters... the coders. They made the items and objects... and even the areas.

Occasionally they'd "come down" and interact with the mere players... and when they did... it lent an air of unpredictability... it was so much fun to play when they were around. Anything could happen... because they could literally... make anything happen.

Then I screwed up.

I was asked by the admin to join them... to become a God... to be a coder.

This was my first real exposure to The Boredom of Understanding.... and incidentally... this is where the makers of the Matrix truly screwed up. More on that in a minute.

See... once I was a coder... I new that the power of an item or the damage a weapon could do was nothing more than a number in a line of code. I could change that number any time I wanted. There was no economics involved. I could make as many insanely powerful weapons as I wanted. There was nothing challenging... its just changing a number.

it was customary of course for coders... gods.. to create a signature weapon or item to show off their ability as a coder... and carry it with them. I remember... I became so bored and apathetic... another coder was named "Dolphin"... he was a rookie but everyone liked him... I eventually coded up a "tuna net" that was specifically designed to trap him. It would make him shout and scream... it would tell everyone playing the game... hundreds of people around the world... that Dolphin had been trapped in my Dread Tuna Net. After a few moment's humiliation it would kick him out of the game completely.

Sounds like fun right?

It wasn't.

Because I knew how it worked. It wasn't magic. It wasn't special. I understood it. It was predictable.

And that's where I am right now... bored with politics... and predictability.

That's why I've insulated myself off with my kids right now... because they aren't so predictable. Being individuals... they are new... unpredictable... and partly uncontrollable. They are after all... mine.

Once you understand the boxes and lanes... once you see the man behind the curtain... once you know its just a number in a line of code... that's when you really know what boredom is.

And that thing they screwed up in the Matrix?

Neo was effectively seeing things as a coder. He saw the code in the Matrix. He could manipulate it from within... just like I could as a creator god in the game I played in college. They completely missed the boredom of it. They never had Neo behave correctly. He should never have been in a fight. His adversaries simply should've disappeared. Agents... the Trainman... they are nothing... items with mere numbers to change. They are less than a passing thought.

The Matrix trilogy... arguably Hollywood's greatest disappointment.