Friday, April 28, 2006

Biggest Feather in the KGB's Hat

There's been some banter of late about just why Viet Nam went the way it did. It's pretty simple really.

The KGB did it.

There is plainly documented proof that the KGB ran massive insurgency counter-war operations in the US during the 60's and 70's. It was the USSR's response to Containment.

KGB operatives were positioned throughout the University system of the US and other Western countries. They targeted young women with a specific message of peace... and then added the hook of free love... which of course actually ment free sex.

Women are easily manipulated emotionally... and where the young women go, the young men will follow. Simple genious. Hippy chicks put out. You want to get laid? You need a hippy chick. You want a hippy chick? You need to be a hippy. Replace hippy with Commie and the mask comes off.

The amazing thing about the totality of the KGB's accomplishment is that its still effective today. Looking around the modern US... the same sicking mindset is still there among the baby boomers... right there... just below the surface... just dying to get out.

If any generation has done more harm to America than the Baby Boomers... I have no idea which it was. The Generation that won WWII may have been a glorious group... but it's kids were the most spoiled, useless, pathetic generation America has ever known. Interesting isn't it? One generation defeated Nazis... and spawned the disease that would kill America.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

08/11/1965. Hill 65

Newspapers back then said C Company of the 173rd Airborne was ambushed that day in Vietnam. But that ain't exactly what happened at all.

See... Operation Hump was a search operation that began on November 5th. Charlie didn't find C Company on that hill... C Company dropped in his lap. Trouble was... those 30 or so paratroopers didn't mean to find 1200 VC. At least not all at once.

One of the proudest days of US Military History involved Hill 65.. when just 3 companies of Paratroopers held off three massive human wave type charges by the VC. Literally hundreds of VC were killed and wounded. In a press conference after the battle for Hill 65 was long over, the US service men answered some questions from the Saigon Press... when asked about "Being Ambushed" and other such nonsense... One sergeant... Sgt Bryant simply said, "I figure the Viet Cong would have been able to hold roll call the next morning in a telephone booth."

One of the great characters of that era was General Westmorland. This was a soldier's general. After the fight, which was likely the America's biggest engagement during the war, he stood toe to toe with many of the soldiers who fought at Hill 65. He would start out by asking them if they fired their weapon. All but one responded in the affirmative. The one negative simply said, "Sir, I'm a Grenadier, I was so damn busy firing a M60 Machine Gun, a M16 Rifle and my 45, I never got to my Grenade Launcher."

Near the end of the day the General was grilling one soldier with a speech impediment... the poor boy was gettin' a little flustered until the General asked him how he knew he killed the enemy. The boy went calm and sat... flat as can be...without so much as a stutter, "Because I got his blood all over me."

What happens when 1200 well trained VC try to take a hill from 50 or so pissed off Americans?

They fail.

A few months from now... in early November... think about the 173. Drink a beer for C Company... And piss on anyone who says the US got its butt kicked in Vietnam.

The 173D had no idea who they were facing that day... but you can bet your butt... the VC knew exactly who they fought on Hill 65.
God's Law and the State

Bill rightly notes that the King of Nineveh actually incorporated God's Law into Civil laws of the City, as told in the Book of Jonah. Bill also points out that this is different than adopting Christianity as a National Religion. I do not disagree.

Where we see things differently is the modern emplimentation.

The plain truth is the catholic Church has no clue what God's Law is or isn't. At least if you're looking for any type of consensus. Many Christians flatly believe that drinking is a sin. They beileve it breaks God's Law.

Now... they're wrong. Terribily terribly wrong... but they still get a vote... and there's a lot of them. The Church is so divided it can't even decide what day is the Sabath... wether or not God is offended by Dancing or musical instruments.

The fact is... the laws on which Christians do agree have already been implimented. Thou Shalt Not Steal. Thou Shalt Not Murder. Ect. Ect. Beyond those... anything more simply gives the government to much power. This wasn't an issue in Nineveh of course, because well... where kings are present limited government is not. No real worry about a slippery slope in Nineveh... they were already a dictatorship.

Bill appears to advocate the road to Peticoat Tyranny.

Monday, April 24, 2006

The Book of Johah

Sometimes you're in a rut. Sometimes you're in a groove. Sometimes its hard to know the difference.

The wise will tell you that the Bible is partly a collection of books telling and re-telling the same story again and again. The Prophet Jonah's book is a great example of this.

You all know the Bible Story... but have you ever sat down and read the whole book?

Contrary to popular belief Jonah was a prophet. Not a fisherman. God called Jonah and told him to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach repentence. God would destroy the city in 40 days.

Jonah doesn't want to do this though. He knows God is a loving God. He fears that he will be successful in his preaching, and Nineveh will be spared by God. I don't know if Jonah had an ex-wife in Nineveh or what, but he certainly seemed to want for its doom. Maybe he just didn't like city folk. I can certainly relate. The prophet even goes so far as a to set up camp after he preaches in Nineveh... apparently just to see it destroyed. I've gotten ahead of myself though.

Anyway... Jonah refuses God's command and hops on a boat bound for Tarshish.

God apparently didn't think that was funny.

God caused the sea to become angry... and the ship was risking break up. The crew was frantic... trying to discover the reason... and Jonah fessed up. Jonah told them to cast him into the sea.

At first the crew refused... they even prayed that innocent blood be kept from their hands... but in the end decided God does what God does... and they tossed Jonah over-board. Jonah went willingly.

It was then that God sent the fish.... and in the fish... Jonah spent three days.

Hrm... Sounding familiar yet?

The fish vomited Jonah out onto land and God once again told Jonah to go to Nineveh. This time... Jonah went.

Remarkable in the story is the wholesale repentence of the great city. Christ himself mentions it. And just as Jonah feared... God spared the city.

Jonah was so pissed that God spared the city... he actually prayed to God... saying, "I told you so!" Then he promptly begged for death... which I understand is a common occurance among people who've recently rebuked God in such a fashion.

In the end... God chastizes Jonah for having compassion for one thing out of selfishness... and not another. The book is incredibly important, as it demonstrates God's love and patience with people other than Jews... even prior to Christ's arrival.

It's also another telling of the redemption tale. The despair of one, in this case Jonah in the fish, leading to the salvation of many.

Bill said it well in the comments in the prior post. Sometimes its better to skip the Bible study plan, and just read the books. A forrest is often easier to comprehend than a single tree.
God's Own Curmudgeon

I reckon we've all got our favorite books... or at least our favorite verses in the Bible. Some love the fire of John. Others love the puzzle and imagery of Revelation. Still others love the simplicity and ease of Psalms. And while my favorite verse can be found in Luke... my favorite Book of the Bible is something a little more unexpected.

Tradition escribes Ecclesiastes to King Solomon... but the authorship is not proven. Its author only refers to himself as The Preacher. Of all the Bible... this is the book for the Secular Humanist to examine, for it shows the utter futility of life here on Earth. The simple wisdom in the book snatches me up every time.

Everything you do... is futile. You toil and work your whole life... and for what? All that you do has been done before... and it will be done again. The Preacher says, "There is nothing new under the sun." You're earthly works will remain unfinished... and they will be taken up by another... and another... and if they are taken up by a wise man... they will progress... but eventually they will be taken up by a fool.. and all will be undone.

This is the way of the World.

But but but! You say... Look at our technology! Bah... The Preacher would be unimpressed. He lived long... and he saw many technological advances. What do they mean? Man still goes to the same grave as beast he would say. The space shuttle is just another boat. The moon is just another island. It's nothing new. Microwaves are nice... but do we not still cook best with fire? Nothing new.

The Preacher's advice is simple; Eat, Drink, and Be Merry... For that is all that is good. Fear God, and Obey his Commandments.

Only one thing was new under the Sun... Christ. Having never known Christ though, one can easily see why the Preacher felt the way he did. He had everything. He had power. He ruled a great kingdom. He had wealth such that everything his heart desired was his. He endevored in all things... and found them all to be empty. Nothing ever satisfied him. Nothing but God.

If you've never read the book all the way through in one sitting... I recommend it. Its like sitting in Hardees on a weekday morning listening to a bunch of crotchety old men. Its not a long read by any stretch. You can read it outloud in about 20-minutes. Give it a shot.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Attention Wrenchers

Brilliam has a quextion:

Here we go. I have a '96 1500 Vulcan Classic.Four speed box. Have Vance/Hines pipes, new along with jet kit. Carb has been removed and cleaned. Here's problem. When you idle or rev at idle, no prob. If you try to take off before the bike is totally warmed up, it'll stall when you go from 1st to 2nd. Like there's suddenly no fuel. Any idea's? Once warm, it runs great. Didn't do this before.

My knee jerk reaction is that its flooding when its cold. Note the mods. More air going out... more fuel going in... but what about intake mods? When she's nice and hot to trott she may be able to handle all that gas... but when she's cold she may need more air flow to help.

I say either open up the air box... or use a smaller jet. What do ya think boys?

Saturday, April 22, 2006

A Visit to the Armoury

Ol' Bird chimed in a thread or so down and asked about stockin' up on weapons. I figure the best way to get that ball rollin' is to offer some general types of weapons, explain their uses, then get into specifics.

The first thing you have to ask is always, "what do I want this gun to do for me?"

Here are some common uses and examples, and understand... we could spend 200 comments on each of these catagories... I'm being real broad here. Once we know what we're really interested in, we'll narrow stuff down.

Meat Gun: This a rugged hunting rifle. Depending on the local geography its going to vary pretty widely. Around here in Tennessee you've got thick brush and rough terrain. Something light, and easy to swing around is a great option. It could be a lever gun like a 30/30 or a Marlin Guide Gun... or it could be a bolt action long range rifle. This weapon is what ya use to bring home food.

Truck Gun: This is a Oh Shit weapon. You're out and about... The Shit Hits the Fan, and you have to get home. It needs to be small enough to hide in accessable spot in your vehicle... Must be semi-auto. These weapons tend to be a step down from Duty Rifles. Mini-14's... The Keltec SU-16... these tend to show up in scavenger calibers to. .223 is real popular. These aren't going to win any wars, but you will certainly out gun any gang of thugs that decides to jump ugly with their 9's. Its a just in case weapon. A luxury... but a damned handy one. Somefolks substitute a duty pistol for the small rifle... but I don't like it.

Duty Rifle: These are big rugged guns. FN-FAL's... AK's... AR's... Battle weapons. .223 or .308 should be your only choices here... and I'd go with .308. Dead men don't shoot back... and sometimes you just might need to reach out more than a couple hundred yards. This would be your primary weapon. Bayonets... extra mags... slings... get all the goodies. Must be Semi-auto.

Concealed Carry Pistol: This is your walkin' around gun. I've posted at length on CCW pistols. Y'all know where I stand. If ya want a wheelgun get a little taurus titanium .357. if ya want a semi... it gets more complicated. Bird, get your chick a millenium in .40 or the wheelgun.

Duty Pistol: Berretta 92... Taurus PT-101 (my gun)... or the ultimate... a Full-Size 1911. This is your primary backup to your Duty Rifle... and the first choice for close-quarters fighting.

House Gun: Nothing beats a 12-guage pump for pure home defense. I love the mossberg myself because its just more gun for the money. As far as customizing it... the first thing should be a mag extension... then a pistol grip stock. I don't like lights on my guns because they give away your location, and the fact is... in the dark, you should know your house better than the boys you're huntin'. On the other hand... the light may keep you from shooting your wife. Of course if your wife stays where you tell her to stay that's not a problem. Your call.

So... Obviously there are guns that defy these catagories, and guns that fit in two or three catagories. But like I said... what do you want the gun to do? Personally I'm lookin' for a truck gun... and I'm debating on the Keltec SU-16 or one of the fancy Berrettas. If I were lookin' for a Duty Gun I'd go buy an FN-Fal or an AR-10... well... maybe that Springfield Squad Rifle... ok.. so it would take more than a little debate on that one... hrmm...

Ok.. lets prioritize.

Bird has his House Guns. That's a great starting spot. Next I would recommend either a CCW pistol or Duty Pistol... Then a Truck Gun... then a Duty Rifle. Remember when you're shopping CCW and Truck Gun... sometimes you can get small rifles in popular pistol calibers that even use the same mags. A semi-auto .45 pistol and a semi-auto .45 rifle that used the same mags would be an awesome combo of ccw or duty pistol and truck gun. Something to think about.

What do y'all think?

Oh... me?

hehehe... Lets say I got my bases covered.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Pimping America

The analogy isn't pretty but it's accurate. The pimp doesn't care about the johns. He doesn't care about the whores beyond what they can provide for him. His affection for them is best likened to a farmers affection for his chickens. The ones who lay the most are his favorites.

I don't care about America anymore. I don't care who she's screwing or why. I don't care about those getting screwed. Hell... they're askin' for it. Its a service they're payin' for.

I'm just looking to make money off of the transaction.

The American public isn't interested in independence or self-reliance. It's lookin' for a tit to suckle. No thanks. Not my bag. I have no interest in saving them what don't want saved. At this point, I'll just defend what's mine thanks. If you want to fight for yours, more power to ya. Just stay outta my way and leave me the hell alone.

If you're like me I do have some advice though. Pimp her. There is still money to be made here. Large sums of it. Get it. Then get out. There is every reason to scrounge around a sinkin' ship to find some life jackets. But there ain't no reason at all to go down with her.

My wife and I are doing very well. We're greatful that our little whore is bringin' in the cash... but that doesn't change reality. We know she's a crackwhore... and we know she's dangerous. She'd put a knife in my back without a second thought if she got the idea that it would get her a little cash for her next fix.

America is an unrepentant crackwhore. Get what you can from her...

Then get the hell away. 20 years from now... look for ol' Nate to be bloggin' from an Island somewhere south of the Hurricane Zone... earning 10%.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Wonder How Things Are in West Virginia

A quick check of the weather shows its 65 and cloudy in Morgantown. Chance of rain... they don't even bother mentioning the gloomy grey haze that blankets the sky over the whole state.

And here?



Eh....



We're sufferin' through it.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy





Hey... it's more of a tractor than that sad little thing Bill's got! I consulted JAC on the matter. He says if its got 25hp and is capable of using ground engaging equipment then By God its a tractor. Granted the cruise control almost disqualified it.

I really wanted a John Deere... but the truth is for the money the Cub Cadet was just a better piece of machinery. Better warranty, bigger cut, and Kohler motor, which is both stronger, and more reliable than the Briggs JD uses. The Kohlers run a whole lot cooler, and I've got some grades to deal with.

Can ya tell the girl is havin' a good time? She had a ball ridin' that Cub. She made short work of the backyard. Now I'll hear no squawkin' from the hen's nest either. She begged me to let her ride it, and I gave in. It's my tractor and I am the primary user.

I swear... I'm cursed with a wife that loves power equipment. I 'bout have think she has a weedeater fetish... and God help shrubbery now that I got that cordless hedge trimmer. Hell... The poor girl was depressed for two days when she realized we would never need to edge the front of our lawn.

Anyway... I reckon some day I'll post some pictures of Casa De Nate... along with the Red Light District, which is the affectionate knickname we've given our Tiki Bar. Just think of it like this.. very large... very square... very brick... and just a little imposing.

Monday, April 17, 2006

The Goodness Test

I've now had the misfortune to come in contact with this site twice.

I encourage you to go there... take the test... view the conclusions... and then send copious flames to the idiots that run it. Please note that the name of Christ is nowhere to be found, unless you count the brief, and completely incorrect explaination of taking the Lord's name in vain.

God's Laws are apparently randomly pulled from the author's hind quarters. Several questions are straight from the Ten Commandments... then he chooses to throw in something about reading the Bible regularly... which is never mentioned at all as a requirement of God one way or the other. I mean... are we to conclude that illiterates must be extra good to make up for the fact that they don't read the Bible?

I'd love to slap these morons.

I love this part... After you acknowledge your guilt... it never asks if you repented or not... if just asks, "Since you're guilty will you go to Heaven or Hell?" Since I am guilty, but also forgiven, I select Heaven. Here the "Goodness Test" totally blows the whole point of Christianity... which is Redemption.

The test responds:

INCORRECT

While it may seem that God's goodness will cause Him to overlook your sins, the opposite is actually true. Perhaps the following illustration will add some clarity: Imagine you're standing before a judge, guilty of multiple crimes. The judge is about to pass sentence when he asks, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" You stand up, look the judge in the eye and say, "Yes Your Honor, I believe that you're a good man... and because you're good, you will let me go."

No you moron. What I will say is something like... "Christ died for me."

The judge will probably say something like, "Well, you're right about one thing... I am a good man. And it's because I'm good that I'm going to see that you are punished for your crimes." The very thing you are counting on to save you on the Day of Judgment -- namely God's goodness -- is going to be the very thing that will see to it that justice is done. Because God is so good He will make sure that every murderer, rapist and thief receives justice... but He won't stop there. He will also make sure every liar, blasphemer, and adulterer is punished. While this is something that is extremely tragic and far from God's ultimate desire for any person, the Bible is clear that the place of punishment for those who do not turn from their sins is Hell.

No you moron. God knows the score quite well. It was His plan after all.

Does the fact that you're headed for Hell concern you?

No you moron.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite the author of this stupid test and all of those who support it to read the New Testament.
Sundy Dinner

As previously discussed... Biblicly speaking, supper is the evening meal. Making breakfast and dinner the morning and afternoon meals respectively. While even we southrons are forgetting this, largely do to the invasion of yankeedom, the truth isn't determined by popular vote.

The traditional sundy dinner is fast disappearing, but we did get to enjoy it yesterday. My Mom and Dad got to come to church with us, and we ended up spending the better part of the day together. This of course included the production and partial injestion of an enormous meal. The perportions of Sundy Dinner are always out of whack though... if you're servin' 6 you make enough for 18. That's just the way it is. If ya didn't... what would ya eat on Wednesday?

While fire cooked meat or fried chicken are the unquestioned staples of Sundy Dinner in the South, we went a different way. We had:

Slow cooked Sirloin Roast with carrots: I'll not discuss the preparation for fear of inviting a flame war between the bitterly divided sects. You know who you are.

Mashed 'taters and Gravy: Real ones. Boil the taters... mix 'em up in the tactor (you call it a KitchenAid). We do this a little different to... we add about about 4 sticks of butter and some amount of ranch dressing mix. If you've never tried 'em this way I recommend it. Tastey. Gravy is thick to dammit.

Greenbeans. Fried in bacon grease and butter of course.

Texas Toast. Mmmmmmmmmm

Wash it all down with a tall glass of sweet tea... then break out the watermellon!

Eat like that... soak in the hot tub... watch the youngin's run around on a sunny spring day in the South.

That's Heaven right there y'all.

Steamed Squash. Lots of butter of course.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Oh Death...

Where is thy sting?

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Nelson Riggs Goes Bye Bye

Somewhere in Oklahoma

Big Red let out that all to familiar growl as we were blasting up the ramp on to I-40. We were on a mission... and the the big CBR was taking' Big Red's boasts a little personal. JAC was rollin' through the gears.

I swept up onto the big road behind my co-conspirator and felt that twinge... that itch. The CBR was well into triple digits, and it was time to either let off or let her go.

Twist the wrist a little more... God's Country ahead.

I swerved off to the outside of the fast lane and let the CBR show her ass a little. JAC just wanted to watch though, and by the time we hit 140 he was backing Big Red down under protest.

I shifted into 6th at 145.

At 150 the sprawling Oklahoma landscape reduces itself to a mere blurry haze surround one focused circle in front of me. The yoshi pipe is screaming behind me. At 8,000 RPMs the bike is pulling hard. We're in her wheel-house and she's swingin'.

A buck sixty comes a lot faster than you'd think it would. The bike is terrifyingly calm and smooth... as if it wasn't really working at all... the eye of the storm. This is what it feels like inside a tornado. At 165 mph the wind blast is enough to tear you off of the bike... but only if you stupid enough to sit up and ask for it. I don't know if I'm breathing or not. I can see... but I can't hear... I can taste... but I can't smell. Mostly... I can just feel.

I can feel the bike has more to give... the speedometer lies to me... bragging that we've hit 185... but I know its just boasting. I slowly ease of the throttle and let the Hurricane fade.

The landscape replaces the blur.... the focused circle grows.

Suddenly I see Big Red pull up beside me, presumably to let some of the after-glow rub off. To my surprise I see JAC pointing at the back of my bike. I turned around to see what the deal was and I found that my new Nelson Riggs saddle bags had apparently been blown off.

We pulled over and spoke to digest the situation and formulate a plan. An 18-wheeler rolled up beside us. The old boy had apparently seen the bags blow off and was kind enough to stop and tell us where they might be.

"I was rollin' about 80 in this ol' rig... I ain't never seen nothin' go by me like that! And them bags went straight up in the air to! It was a sight!" He seemed to get a big kick out of the whole thing.

We went back for the bags but we never found 'em. I guess some witness wanted my dirty undies for a souvenir.

A costly but memorable trip to God's Country.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

And Spacebunny...

That smile on your face has a way
to fool any old fool.
You came straight from Heaven,
but I know the Devil did to.
Life's Sweet Drug


You ever wonder why the views from the mountain top are the prettiest? Its because ya worked so hard to get there. More often than not we cherish the obstacles more than the reward, which they end up defining anyway.

Sometimes you just have to ride right through it.

Up top... that's one of the obstacles we blew through... or over... or around... or I guess sorta all three. Then beside it... those are 13 graves of Unkown Confederate Soldiers we found. I do believe the Sons of Confederate Veterans keeps them tidy.

On row 2 you'll find a pretty nice crop duster picture. Click on it. It's a lot better in its larger form... and yeah... next to it.. That really is JAC takin' a piss break. That last picture... that's what I spent a lot of time lookin' at. JAC tryin to figure out just where in the hell we were.

If you haven't checked out the audio blogs and ride reports over at JAC's I recommend them. Most of the tales have already been told... though I am savin' one.

Someday I'll tell y'all about the Glow-In-The-Dark Cemetary.

Anyway in two weeks I have lived enough to aquire two years worth of blogging fodder... now I just need the time to do it. Sadly time is the one thing I don't have. Its only through lottery like luck that I have been allowed this breif moment.

Don't give up on me y'all. I'll be around.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

The Immigration Solution: Nate Style

This is not a difficult question to deal with folks. Here's my plan for handling the illegal immigrant problem.

1) Require all schools to verify nationality and legal citizenship status. Illegals need our schools desperately and they use them as daycare centers. If such an option wasn't available it would put a big kink in their plans.

2) Arrest all illegal immigrants immediately.

3) Conscript them. For every year you were in America illegally, you owe America 1 year of military service. After the service term full citizenship is granted without question.

4) Wives of conscripted husbands will be used in civilian service to the military, doing whatever they are capable of. There will be a greater need for domestic help. This should tidy things up quite a bit.

Call it the American Foriegn Legion. They will learn English and culture by emersion. Its the best way anyway.

That's my plan. Call it racist. Just don't call it ineffective.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Note the Tag


Hey y'all... we're home. I thought y'all'd really dig this picture... I took it. Who knew JAC was the Queen of the Bad Girls. He'll probably make up some damned lie to explain this... take it for what its worth. Photo-evidence by God. See for yerself.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

All Dressed Up...

and no where to go.

Why am I still here? Why am I not out on the dirt roads?

Y'all will have to direct that question to JAC. Here I am... cocked, locked, and ready to rock. And where.... is JAC?

He's at home. Romancing his split-tail. The boy has put our whole trip on hold... so he can make sure his wife's undivided attention quota has been properly met.

He even asked me to run and get him a set of goggles.

Its like he's 16 or somethin'.

I am depressed.