Saturday, November 08, 2003



Looking for optimism about Iraq from Peter Jennings? I didn't think so.
HOT DAMN!

Nothing says "I love you" like a 150 gr. bullet at 2,910 fps.

Well, I went to the Splauter. (That's "Splatter" and "Slaughter" mixed, by the way) My friend Ari and I met Analog Kid down in Enumclaw, met a few more people, and then headed out. I found out something interesting today. When AK says he likes to drive fast, he means it. I wouldn't mind, except for the potholes large enough to eat my truck. But I digress.

We got to the shooting area, unloaded gear, and then turned to face the pumpkin hoard. AK took out the first one, a nasty little black beast, with his trusty axe. (Yeah, I know, pumpkins are orange. Unless AK's missus gets hold of a pumpkin and a can of black spray paint. Hey, don't ask me!) However, realising that we were being over-run by the gourds, we turned to our Second Amendment rights to protects us from the Orange Menace. I can't count the number of rounds that we shot off. I know that I blew my .38 Special stash, the rest of my 30-06, all of my 12 ga., and all but 100 rounds of my .22 Long Rifle. And AK went through even more, as we was providing ammo to just about everybody. AK also introduced me to the joys of a 450 grain 12 guage shotgun slug, and the resulting ice pack on my shoulder that goes with it. I was doing fine until I popped off a round from that beast. Ari had to leave halfway through, but we shot some pictures, wished him well, and sent him off. Then we reloaded. After a while it was just AK and I, untill some new people showed up with their own guns. REINFORCEMENTS! Heh. They had quite a few nice rifles, and the pumpkins never stood a chance. As AK and I finished up, the other people were lobbing clays and blasting them out of the air.

I took pictures, but of course, I have a 35 mm camera. As soon as AK posts a few pics, I'll snag one and put it up. Or better yet, I'll send you over there to look at it. And as I've said before, if anyone wants to get all pissy over the fact that I don't have a digital camera, they can walk their happy ass down to Best Buy and buy me one. Until then, just deal with it.

The trip to Idaho was much needed, and very productive. More on that tomorrow. For now I've got dinner to cook and guns to clean, not to mention a girlfriend who now gets to deal with me all hopped up on testosterone and adrenalin.

Hiya, Honey!

Oh, and just so I don't get any "You should always have more ammo" lectures, I still have ten rounds of .38. Five in the gun, and five in the speedloader. If ten rounds doesn't get me out of trouble, 10,000 ain't gonna help me much. And since I've depleted my stocks, now is a good time to remind everybody that Ammo Day is November 19th. Just twelve days away, folks!

AMMO DAY, NOVEMBER 19th!

Friday, November 07, 2003



DANEgerus metes out a backhanded slap to the "prunesque" face of the insipid little crapweasel otherwise known as Nancy Pelosi.


Looks like Howie Dean has some endorsements coming his way.



Next year is going to be alternately fun and infuriating. The dream is Clark for VP, so Dick Cheney can tear his ass in debate.



It seems so quiet here without Raging Dave on the scene plying his irascible trade. Miss him? Here's some classics from Rantus Maximus:

14 October 2003: More proof that people just don't get it

24 October 2003: Another failure of Socialized Healthcare

28 October 2003: Brain Dead

Rage on.


TV wiseacres are having a field day with the Democrat Presidential candidates. Observe:
Jay Leno: "Howard Dean is a politician, a medical doctor and a Democrat. So he has three reasons to tell women to take off their clothes now."

Conan O'Brien: "Last night, during the Democratic debates, candidate Dennis Kucinich said he would stop the death penalty, cut the defense budget and set up a Department of Peace. Kucinich made the remark in response to the question 'Why is it you have no chance of winning?'"

David Letterman: "Are you ready for some exciting news? Dick Gephardt is running for president -- all right, settle down. Gephardt ran once before for president in 1988, but he was no match for the irresistible charm and charisma of Michael Dukakis."

Leno: "Joe Lieberman announced yesterday that he's running for president," says Leno. "He made the announcement at his old high school. Out of force of habit, the kids gave him a wedgie and broke his glasses."
I almost feel sorry for the poor dumb bastards.

Want more? Peep it here: PittsburghLIVE.com - Dems one sorry bunch


The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Gun Control "Logic" by Damnum Absque Injuria, and Why I Left the Democratic Party (Rosemary) by Dean's World.

Find the full results here.


It's one for you, nineteen for me....
An 89-year-old woman could be evicted from her home of more than 50 years for missing one tax payment of $572 on her South Hanover Twp. property.
Read more here.

Don't diss the taxman boy he'll tear you a new one.


Stars & Stripes reports that the Army had a good year for re-enlistment in [fiscal] 2003. There are a lot of Americans who are not worthy of their Armed Forces.


Play Whack-a-Pol, and regret only that you don't even symbolically get to give Reverend Al a knock on the noggin.

Thursday, November 06, 2003



Another day, another bake sale.



Going after Rummy

Charlie Rangel and some of his jackass buddies are calling for Rumsfeld's resignation. Why? Because.......get this........

".....I was outraged at his performance on the Sunday talk shows where he just completely lacks the sensitivity to be concerned about our men and women that are placed in harm’s way....".

He thinks Rumsfeld lacks "sensitivity" toward the men and women placed in harm's way. Let's take a look at what senstitive ol' Charlie had to say about our troops during the major combat portion of Operation Iraqi Freedom.......shall we?

Charles Rangel (D - La La Land) - Thursday, March 27, 2003 - Hannity and Colmes FNC

""I just don't believe that you bomb women and children in order to enforce [the U.N. resolution on Iraq],"

How fuckin' sensitive of you Charlie! I bet our troops really appreciated your "support"! While you were accusing them of killing women and children, why didn't you tell the audience how they rape chickens and pissed on their grandma's tulips! That would really show them how concerned you are!

"When challenged on his claim that U.S. forces were killing Iraqi children, Rangel said sarcastically, "You're right. They're shooting themselves. They just don't know they're being liberated."

Not that many of the other Donks know the first thing about supporting our troops, but this guy asking for the Sec. of Defense to resign for not being sensitive to our troops?! [sarcasm]Good luck with that! [/sarcasm]

It's like watching crack addicts waste away. :)


This is so totally cool. We get a lot of hits here from people doing web searches for "right wing wackos". I presume they are Lefties. It makes me want to insult them at least once a day, just to keep them coming back.


Remember that rant Dave posted from Kim du Toit regarding the emasculation of men in popular American media and culture? That same du Toit piece has caused considerable activity over at Instapundit .


This column is finding its way onto blogs across the land, and for good reason.
Is it too early to adopt a revisionist view of the US war in Iraq and for this column to admit its mistake in having vehemently opposed it from the outset?

At issue here is whether the Iraqi people have benefited from the overthrow of the Baathist regime and whether the American occupation will eventually benefit their country even more. I’m convinced — and berate me here from your patriotic bleachers, if you must — that what we have seen in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates in recent months may turn out to be the most serendipitous event in its modern history.

One need offer no apology for saying that the supreme virtue of this war is that Saddam Hussein was gotten rid of. Period. The very man who had established arguably the closest approximation of a genuine fascist state in the Arab world, that sustained itself on fear, repression, genocide, cult of personality and wanton murder — a state whose law was that those who rule are the law.
Revisionist Thoughts on the War on Iraq


The NukeVet expounds upon a little piece of new that should make Conservatives a bit happier. Click here, and enjoy yo'seff: Random Nuclear Strikes.


Zeyad sez:

"Another thing I'm sure you haven't seen in your news. There are paintings on the walls all over Baghdad warning Arab foreigners from a bloody revenge if they keep messing with our affairs. Iraqis are openly calling the GC to quit the Arab League."
It's true. I hadn't heard that.

Healing Iraq
"I supported the resolution because I gained information from the CIA and other former Clinton security officials that Iraq either had weapons or components of weapons of mass destruction. I have been severely critical of President Bush's inability or unwillingness to get more international UN help in Iraq. Getting that help is the only way we can succeed."

-- Dick Gephardt

Found on Instapundit.


The Brain Terminal has something to say about Howard Dean's Souljah Moment.

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

On the Road Again

The girlfriend and I are heading to Idaho for a couple of days, so you won't see any posts from me until Saturday or Sunday. Tim, I've sent off the votes for the Watcher's Council, but would you be able to post the results? Otherwise I can do it on Sunday.

I'll be getting back late Friday or Early Saturday, since I have a date with my 30-06 and several pumpkins lovingly provided by Analog Kid from Random Nuclear Strikes. And I'll be castrated before I miss a chance to blast pumpkins with some of the Pacific Northwest's finest. So, until then, I bid you all good day!
Pardon me while I cheer

Australian wines are outselling French wines in the USA

Good. I firmly believe that we as Americans need to support those countries who support us, and boycott countries who actively work against us. The best way for the average Joe to do that is with his dollars. I haven't touched a drop of any French wine or German beer since their obstruction in the UN, nor have I bought anything made in France or Germany. I've gone out of my way to make sure that I don't support companies from those countries. Same with China. On the other hand, Italian, English and Australian products have become more common in my house.

Here's to the Aussies!

And I almost forgot: Thanks to AlphaPatriot for the link.


Howard Dean took a big beating last night for intimating that people who display the Confederate flag are worthy of campaign effort, too.

Everyone else attacked him.

Ironic, isn't it? Burning an American Flag is protected speech. Flying a Confederate Flag is horrible and hateful and worthy of deportation.

Ja.

Ironic.
I'm stunned!



The Seattle Times has a writer who isn't a screaming moonbat liberal!

As usual, all emphasis is mine.

When does free speech become 'fighting words'?

Good question.

On Oct. 8 the College Republicans had a booth in front of the University of Washington Hub, selling cookies. A price list was posted:

On the list were prices per cookie, ranging from 25 cents to a dollar per cookie based on the race of the buyer, with the highest price to whites.

A sign was posted: "Affirmative Action Is Racism."

Jason Chambers, 22, was one of the sellers. For a few hours, he said, students came to talk, some agreeing, some arguing. It was civil. At 12:30 it changed. An insistent crowd of about 200 massed around the display. A couple of students ripped down the sign, scattered donuts and threw a box of cookies at a seller's head. The alleged perpetrators were black, though the crowd was of various races. The cookie sellers were white.


Please take note of "liberal tolerance". "We don't like what you say, and we're going to stop you from saying it!"

Campus police intervened and student adviser Phillip Hunt asked the Republicans to stop the sale. Hunt's assistant, Rene Singleton, recalled, "The College Republicans were pinned against a brick wall. It was a safety issue."

Gosh, you mean the Donks would resort to physical violence in order to stop someone from excersising their right to free speech? You don't say!

A UW spokesman said later the Republicans were shut down because they didn't have a permit. That was a bureaucrat's excuse. Conservatives at the University of California, Irvine, had a similar sale and were shut down for operating a retail business in violation of the antidiscrimination laws. Another bureaucrat's excuse

There's a pattern here, folks. This has been done at various colleges around the country, and the result is always the same. The oh so "tolerant" liberals scream and act like feces-flinging monkeys, and it ALWAYS ends with violence directed towards the conservative people holding the sale.

This was a political demonstration, and entirely peaceful. It didn't block anyone or wreck anything. But at politically correct UW, it was heresy

See my rant from yesterday. Add this to the list.

The police report said, "The organizations and people felt it was outrageous for the UW to let an organization promote such an event when cultural diversity should be celebrated and not looked down upon." It wasn't an attack on anybody's culture. It was an attempt to mock affirmative action by applying it to cookies.

Set that aside. Consider that students thought it perfectly proper to suppress a political demonstration because it offended them. Singleton said students came to her office all morning asking "that we take action against them. And we did not. We are in support of the First Amendment."


"I can say anything I want but you can't! I can call your president a Nazi but you can't say anything! And if you try I'll BEAT YOU!" Typical liberals from Seattle. TYPICAL! This isn't the exception, IT'S THE RULE HERE IN LATTE LAND!

Says attorney Bruce Johnson of Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle: "The First Amendment encourages uninhibited, robust and wide-open speech. There is no such thing as a right not to be offended." There is a right not to be harmed.

There was no harm here. There was offense only. Those offended by free speech may speak back offensively. They may not rip down signs and throw cookies.


Unless, of course, you're part of the Sooper Sekrit Moonbat Brigade! Thoughtlessly promoting the ideals of facism and communism everywhere!

"We are deeply disappointed," the regents said, "that the College Republicans' bake sale's 'statement' did not embrace the basic value of respect for its student colleagues."

Were the regents also disappointed in those who tore down the sign and threw the box of cookies at a student's head? No. The regents didn't mention them. The regents proclaimed freedom of speech and condemned only those who had exercised it


I read a good quote from Drumwaster the other day. "Hate implies that I respect these people. I don't. I hold them in contempt, but I don't hate them. They're not worthy of my hate."

These walking piles of shit who rip down signs and restrict free speech have earned my contempt. The UW has earned my contempt. Every day comes another example of hypocricy and strong-arm tactics from the Democratic Party. These people don't care about freedom, they don't care about anyone's rights, they don't care about ANYTHING BUT GRABBING POWER. Communists, facists, call it what you will but they both use the same tactics. The tactics of the Democratic party.
Sounds good to me

The following was sent to my email. I have no idea if Robin Williams ever said this, or if he even thought this. But, the email said it was his little speech, so that's who I'm giving credit to. If anyone has information to the contrary, let me know and I'll fix it pronto (See update below-RD). I just liked it so much I wanted to post it.

Raging Dave's
Robin Williams' ^ plan!

I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan..................

1. The US will apologize to the world for our "interference" in their affairs..... past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, Noriega, Milosovich and the rest of those 'good ole boys.' We will never "interfere" again.

2. We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea and the Philippines. They don't want us there. We would station those troops at our borders so no one can sneak through holes in the fence.

3. All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of who or where they are. France would welcome them.

4. All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit. No one from a terrorist nation would be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone........We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

5. No "visiting students" over age 22. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get an "F" and it's back home baby.

6. The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing non-polluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaska wilderness.......The caribou will have to cope for a while.

7. Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go some place else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

8. If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not "interfere." They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.

9. Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island some place. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

10. All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us "Ugly Americans" any longer.

The Language we speak is ENGLISH.....learn it...or LEAVE...

Now, ain't that a winner of a plan?

UPDATE: Claudia has informed me that this whole thing is an urban legend. I can't say I'm surprised, because Williams is somewhat leftist. However, here's the question I have for you:

Would you change the speech at all? Why or why not?
Confessions of a Murderer

Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer, is expected to enter a plea bargain today. Ridgeway is expected to enter FOURTY-EIGHT counts of "Guilty" in a King County courtroom. The website is a registered site, but I'm sure the news will be out as soon as Ridgeway pleads.

Sources close to the case say Ridgway has confessed to 42 of the 49 listed killings, plus six not on the list.

Fourty eight murdered women. Fourty eight lives torn apart. And the thing that bugs me is that he copped a plea bargain. He won't be getting the death penalty, he'll get live in prison without parole.

And I'm kinda torn on this.

On one hand, I want the bastard to fry. There's nothing in the world that can replace what he took away from fourty-eight families, but sending him on a one-way trip to hell would give those families some sort of closure.

However, without the plea bargain, many of those deaths would have remained unsolved. Period. Some of these murders were twenty years ago, a cold case if I ever saw one. The chances of those murders being solved without Ridgeway's cooperation are nil, and his cooperation was part of the plea bargain. The King County law enforcement only had enough evidence to try Ridgeway for seven or eight of the murders, even though they suspected him on a lot more. Now we can finally solve the rest, and see some sort of justice done to the murderer.

So, I guess I would rather see the cases solved than see Ridgeway fry. Anyone else have comments on this?

HipperCritical reveals more of the ethically-vapid mess at The New York Times.
You'll be reading and hearing about this everywhere, of course. What a bunch of pigs. Democrats Mull Politicizing Iraq War Intelligence

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Misha has a poem for Rachel. Brutal.
Mike Totten notes some Leftist or other who expresses dismay that Iraq has a resistance whereas the US and UK have none. Amazing.
Whatever you do, don't give parents vouchers. Use the money to fix the schools.
The moonbats sure have no qualms about involving their children in their hijinks.
More reasons to hate Seattle

I might just get flamed for this.

I pick up the local Leftist rag, the Seattle Weekly, on a semi-regular basis. If you want to find out what the barking moonbats are thinking (oxymoron alert) then this is the place to go. A lot of it is fairly disturbing, because you read it and then sit back thinking "How the hell can that even process in the human brain?" The article I saw today is of that type. The intro to the article reads:

"Capital Hill is nearing rock bottom, plagued by public drug use and drug dealing, a problematic park, a dearth of social services, a short-staffed police precinct, and a mayor who apparently couldn't care less."

The article goes on to describe several of the problems happening on Capital Hill. For those who don't know (and be thankful you don't) Cap Hill is where you go to find anything out of the norm. My tattoo parlor is up there, which is about the only reason I ever venture to that part of the city. Well, that and taking pictures of the local Barking Moonbat Brigade when they're having a protest over something that nobody with half a brain gives a shit about.

The article names the problems pretty damn good. Rampant drug use. Drug dealing. Prostitution. Homelessness. It's all there, and I've seen it with my own two eyes. It's not uncommon to walk down Broadway and have to side-step some tweaked out bum who's staggering around, high as a kite, screaming at people. You can't go a block without being hassled for "some spare change, a quarter, cuz I haven't et for days". The foul stench that these people give off is only overpowered by the smell of cheap booze on their breath. Apparently, the entire problem is getting worse and worse to the point where the residents of Cap Hill can no longer afford to ignore it.

Too bad. They have brought this upon themselves, and now they must live with the results.

You want to know the mindset of the Capitol Hill population? It's summed up quite nicely in the Weekly. Here's a quote for ya:

There's nothing inherently wrong with drug use, prostitution, or drinking (hell, this paper is all for all three).

Do I need to repeat that? Read that sentence again. And again. THAT is the mindset of people in this town, especially on Capitol Hill. Drug use? You won't find a larger group of proponents for drug use than on Capital Hill (and it's neighboring city section, First Hill, aka Pill Hill). If there is any vice than human kind can think up, it is ADVOCATED on Capitol Hill. Now, while this in and of itself can be debated as a good thing vs. a bad thing, what the residents want is really pissing me off.

They want the government to solve the problem.

Let's forget all about the fact that we pretty much encourage drug use! Now that the results are on our doorstep, MAKE THE CITY SOLVE THE PROBLEM! We advocated prostitution, but now that they're selling themselves on our doorstep, MAKE THE CITY SOLVE THE PROBLEM! We said people should be able to drink all they want, but now that they're pissing and puking in our doorstep, MAKE THE CITY SOLVE THE PROBLEM! Let's forget about the fact that everything we've worked for is now a reality, we don't like the results so MAKE THE CITY SOLVE THE PROBLEM!

Every time a cop sneezes in the direction of a favored minority or "disadvantaged group" in this city, there's lawsuits filed, civil action demanded, riots, protests, and all manner of people going nuts. Oh, but now you WANT MORE COPS??? What if they arrest a black man? Will you still riot and demand the cop be fired? And dear god, let's hope that a cop doesn't face a homeless black man on drugs with a weapon! You just wait until the first cop shoots a transient to save his own life, and watch the protests, the speeches, the riots, the demands FLY!

So my response to Capitol Hill is this: SCREW YOU, YOU WORTHLESS TURD-HUMPERS! The problem isn't going to go away, because you REFUSE to eliminate the conditions that allow the problem to thrive in the first place! YOU are the people who wanted to be left alone! YOU are the people who were outraged when a cop arrested a black guy pissing in a doorway. YOU were the people who were "anti-establishment" with your cries of DOWN WITH THE MAN and SAVE THE (fill-in-the-favorite-cause-du-jour-here). YOU were the people who made damn sure that NOTHING COULD BE DONE about the drug use, the transients, the prostitutes, and everything they brought with them. So now YOU deal with the results, you whining lick-spittles! But don't you DARE take a god-damned cent from me until you change your fucking attitude and STOP ALLOWING the drugs and the prostitutes and the transients to rule the roost! Capitol Hill is yet another example of a group of people following a hedonistic lifestyle, but when they're too fucked up to continue they want someone else to solve all their problems for them. These worthless pukes were more than happy to have the druggies and the drunks when it was cool or when they could make a buck off them, but now that the problems inherent in allowing that sort of behavior to continue un-opposed are showing, they want to whine and snivel to the city to fix it and make it all better! These people supported an entire CULTURE of drug use but "Oh gosh we have DRUG DEALERS in the neighborhood! How could that ever happen??? Pass the joint, man."

Go back and read that first quote from the magazine. "There's nothing inherently wrong about drug use, prostitution, or drinking...." THAT is the reason Capitol Hill is a crime infested shithole to begin with! And until people wake the hell up and smell the damn coffee, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. The people of Capitol Hill don't want the problem taken care of because of any kind of morals or discipline, they want those transients gone because "they're harshing my mellow, man!"

But, knowing Seattle like I do, people will bitch, tax dollars will be spent, and the problem will continue. Because too many people feel just like the Weekly does. And those people never, ever, ever learn. Mindless drones without a single original thought in their heads, blathering their bullshit and demanding more money. That's it. That's all there is. The Seattle Weekly might as well be a mainstream newspaper in this city.

This city needs to be carpet bombed, bulldozed, flattened, nuked, carpet bombed again, and then finally flushed into the Puget Sound like the pile of shit that it is. God, I can't wait to get out.
Just kinda sitting here doing some work and popping some random CDs in the players. Know who's really underrated as a band in [our] era?

Pretenders.



Currently Tattooed Love Boys is on, from their debut album, 1980 for heaven's sake.

That song made me put in this next CD, their second album, 1981:



Less popular than the first album, for sure, but Bad Boys Get Spanked is a song everyone should know by heart. Just plain and simply outstanding.

Don't even try to leave a comment that says "Pretenders Blow" or anything like that because that would be offensive and insensitive and, as it turns out, total bullshit.
Democrats are assaulting Republicans at Philadelphia polling places.
Ho. Ly. Shit.

I don't think I have any words to add to this. Kim, I'm with ya.
From the ubiquitous "The more things change..." file

Treatment with leeches may reduce pain and stiffness in patients with arthritis of the knee, German scientists report.

Modern-day medicinal use of leeches is limited to the treatment of blood clotting problems after surgery. Dr. Gustav J. Dobos, from Kliniken Essen-Mitte, and colleagues maintain that leech saliva contains anti-inflammatory substances and other chemicals, which could relieve symptoms of arthritis.
Yahoo! Health
The Gay Bishop Brewha

I've been holding off from posting anything about the openly gay priest who has just been consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church. Part of is was that everybody else and their brother had an opinion on it. Part of it was that I was raised Catholic, and I really don't give a hoot about the Episcopal Church, or who they consecrate. And part of it was that it just felt wrong, somehow. But I couldn't put my finger on why it felt wrong. So I've been mulling it over, doing some thinking, and on my way to work this morning, it hit me.

The problem is the very fact that this priest has allowed his sexuality to come to the forefront of who he is.

Now for most parishioners, we see the priest once a week, maybe twice a week if we're involved with the church. I never knew the sexuality of my priests, because their sexuality was not part of the job description. How did Robinson's sexuality ever come to the front? Did he openly announce it? "I'm gay, and you have to accept me!" That's Pride, a cardinal sin. Or is he promiscuous? Lust is a cardinal sin, and having pre-marital sex is definitely not in the church's preaching. His sexuality doesn't have anything to do with the way he performs his job, so how did it get pushed to the front? Well, I found this little tidbit from the article.

Though there have been gay bishops in the past, all were closeted when they were elevated to their posts. Robinson has been open about his 14-year relationship with his partner throughout the process in which he won election to the new post.

Alert! Alert! Danger, Will Robinson! Stay with me while I make a trip into Morality Land! For the sake of this discussion, when I refer to "Christians", I am most emphatically NOTreferring to asshats or idiots like Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell, or any other so-far-right-that-they're-medieval bible thumper, OK?

Pre-marital sex is a sin, according to just about every Christian church I can think of. No matter how long you're together, you're not supposed to have sex until you're married, right? Actually, if you want to get all biblical, homosexual acts are a sin, but most Christians are taught to "hate the sin, love the sinner". However, the Episcopal Church is asking it's congregations to now accept a person as Bishop who is committing not one, but two sins very openly in his daily life.

Priests are supposed to be role models. They are supposed to live their life as sin-free as possible, as an example to emulate. Bishops are even higher on the food chain, as it were. By elevating this man to the position of Bishop, you have just told your congregation "It's OK to sin! Check it out!" And that's not going to go over well with many people.

Had Robinson kept his sexuality and his relationship to himself, I doubt there would have been an issue. But once the cat was out of the bag, it became a big problem. You cannot tell people not to sin, but then elevate a person who openly sins on a constant basis to a high position in the church. In my opinion, the Episcopal Church messed up. Robinson chose to become a priest, and he chose to have his relationship even though it was at odds with what the church teaches. That's a problem right there. But exacerbating the problem by elevating him to Bishop is practically BEGGING for the church to split.

Robinson could have remained a priest, or a pastor, or any number of roles, and the church would have been fine. But this whole episode stinks to high heaven. I think that politics are heavily involved, and the last time politics and the church were intertwined, we got the Spanish Inquisition. (OK, that's an exaggeration, I admit, but you get the point.) More importantly, I think that the political forces in the church are forcing an agenda on other members, and I don't like it. I didn't like it when it happened in the Catholic church (which is why I'm not a practicing member), and I don't like it when I see it in other churches. It's not just one thing, it's the whole episode that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

But, in the end, it's the Episcopalian's burder to bear, not mine, and whether or not their church splits in half over this will be educational to watch.
Why the Angry Left is so angry


CBS dumps "The Reagans"

Score another one for talk radio and the blogosphere! 15 years ago, they would have run this series without a second thought. Times have changed.
So I guess I'll just stick mainly to Linky Love, like this l'il tidbit from Silent Running.
Blog Administrator's Note

Four Right Wing Wackos has a new blogger of record, most notably for the purpose of advancing the likelihood of folks at The Watchers Council actually reading and appreciating this site.

I have been the Blogger of Record all along. As most of you know, I post bites. This may be my longest post in ninety days. Bites sucks for Watchers Council and other magnet forae.

Ergo: Raging Dave, aka Rantus Prolificus, is now the Blogger of Record at 4RWWs.

That's kind of fly.

Maybe he can get that putz Lee over at Right-Thinking to blogroll us fer Chrissakes. Ditto those boobs over at the Rottweiler.

Buh!

Give 'em hell, Dave.

Molly Ivins: "Liar".
Glenn Reynolds reports that there's a quagmire in Germany.
Got Hatred?

Check out these quotes regarding Chief Wiggles from a forum I frequent.

William Bean - Nov 3, 2003 5:48 pm
"Cheif [sic] Wiggles looks and sounds drunk. That or really really tired. Considering he has all that time to type shit into an internet portal I'd say he's tired. Really really *hic* tired."

T.R. - Nov 3, 2003 9:27 pm
"I hope wiggles isn't fondling those poor kids... I did not accuse wiggles to begin with, but it is well known that pedophiles seek the trust and company of children. Add to that the fact many are in positions of trust in the community and the thought just crossed my mind."

TMO - Nov 4, 2003 4:58 am
"That is nice to hear that the Chief has the foresight to carry a crate or two of meds along with all the plastic pellet guns and Barbie Dolls."
If you must, read it all here.
There are so many places on the web that I look for news and opinion and other, errrr, stuff, that sometimes I neglect to keep up with Austin Bay. Then every time I remember to check him out I recall why I feel like a dunce when I remember that I forgot to check him out. Anyway, he opines: : "Al Qaeda has its own school system".
Regarding the memo

Pat Gang over at Strategy Page was an interesting insight into the Rumsfled Memo that had so many DC press people wetting their pants.

Rumsfeld asked EXACTLY the right questions of his most trusted subordinates.
.
.
.
“What have we learned?” “Are there better ways of doing what needs to be done?” “Did we prepare adequately for foreseen and unforeseen difficulties?” “What could we have done on the front end to reduce our problems on the back end?” “Do we have the right people assigned to the right jobs?”

Boys and girls, these questions are asked EVERY SINGLE DAY by successful businesses around the country. Only rarely are such questions ever asked in the stuffy halls of government. Perhaps their very novelty made these questions newsworthy. It’s also no wonder, in that event, that nobody in the Washington press corps had a clue as to what was really going on.
Read more here

Monday, November 03, 2003

Better Late than Never

Some good news, and some bad. Let's start with the bad, shall we?

First off, the demands placed on our troops are raising fears of a "Hollow Force" in the future.

Now personally, I think we should have been expanding our forces from day one. The Army's fun meter is pegged, boys and girls. I also think we should pull our troops out of Europe for good, as they are no longer needed to defend against the U.S.S.R. But I happen to think that a major overhaul of our troops is also in order. The Clinton Era did more damage to the military than most people think. Trust me, I was there. As good as our troops are today, they could be better. They CAN be better. Rumsfeld is hesitant to expand the Army any more, prefering to use money to advance our technological advantage. I say that all the new tech is great, but you need dedicated, intelligent soldiers to use that tech. One without the other can't work.

Most people already know about the Chinook helicopter that was shot down. For those who don't know, the Chinook is a twin engine, twin rotor helicopter used to carry heavy loads. It's big, slow, and ugly, but when you gotta positivly, absolutely have it moved overnight, the Chinook is who you call. Anyways, the headline to this story is "Bush: US mourns every loss"

Does that even need to be said? There is a small segment of the population that cheers when a US soldier dies, but the majority of Americans feel each loss. I know that I check the names of the dead, praying and hoping that I don't recognise any of my old platoon mates in the list. What I and my friends hope for is that the Donks aren't allowed to yank us out if Iraq prematurely, thus ruining all our work and rendering each life lost a vain effort.

There is a difference between casually tossing American lives aside, and devoting them to a purpose. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY likes the fact that American lives are being lost. However, those soldiers signed on the dotted line, knowing that they might have to make the ultimate sacrifice. I myself signed that line, and took that oath, years ago. And my father, who had served for twenty two years, who also knew the risks, was the man who swore me in to active duty.

So the question often comes up: Why are these men dying? Why did they have to go over there? I can give you many reasons, but some of the most compelling are these.

---"We taste something. We can't recognize that taste," said Talib, an Iraqi who works for the state tobacco company. "We [are] happy ... because when we switch on the television you never see Saddam Hussein. That's a big happy for the Iraqi people." ---

---Since the fall of Saddam, Baath Party approval is no longer required for marriage. Anham's schoolteacher salary was $3 a month under the dictator. It is $120 a month under coalition forces. Not enough for a limo, but it does get her a taxi.---

---She is scared of kidnapping and gunfire beyond the classroom walls. But not afraid of American forces, or the helicopters they fly overhead. "I wave to helicopters," she said in English.
---

You want to know how our troops feel? Go listen to them.

We have a chance to give freedom to millions of people who have never experienced it. We have a chance to tumble the thugs, dictators and theocracies surrounding Iraq without firing a shot. We have a chance to make this world a better place. Those troops know it. And it shows. Every loss hurts, and should not be forgotten. But it is a sacrifice that needs to be made.
Germany is sending troops to Iraq.
Just yesterday I got the name of the soldier I adopted here: AdoptaPlatoon™.

Anyone who is likeminded should give it a visit.
You oughta love this, Dave: Symantec Says No To Pro-Gun Sites.

Oh dear! There's a Liberal catfight afoot!
The Council Has Spoken

The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Commiewatching by the Bay by Commiewatch, and The New Skinheads by Michael J. Totten.

Full results are here.

Sunday, November 02, 2003

Remembrance

I was looking at RNS when I saw this post by Puggs. It perked my interest for several reasons. One, my grandfather was in the Navy during World War Two. I never heard much about it except that my grandfather's ears, back, and knees were never the same. The guns on the ships in those days had a plate underneath the actual gun. After the gun had fired, the plate was swung out, allowing the spent powderbags (and anything not fired) to drop from the breech. The plate was then pushed back in, and the gun reloaded. This was the Forties, and ships were being built as fast as possible, which meant that a sailor had to stand there and push that plate in and out. My grandfather was only 5'1", almost too short for the Navy, but he wanted to join. And so he did, and was given the job of pushing this plate in and out every time the gun fired. It was one of the few jobs that he could do. And he did it, for years. My father was born in 1940, and on Dec. 7th, 1941, America was forced into the war.

People who grew up during the Reagan years don't quite have a grasp of what our Navy did during WWII. We were outgunned, outmanned, and on the run from 1941-1943. We didn't have a truly major victory until the Battle of Midway in June of 1942, and even then it was by a whisker. In any case, the USA didn't have the edge the way we do today. In fact, until late 1943, the war in the Pacific could have gone either way. One of the reasons it turned OUR way was due to ships and men like the USS Johnston.

The day JOHNSTON was commissioned, CDR Evans made a speech to the crew, "This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm's way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now."

I can't imagine many modern commanders saying that today. I could be wrong, since I was a groundpounder, but I really wonder.

On the morning of October 25, 1944, without warning, JOHNSTON and Taffy III were set upon by the Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force. During the previous night, this powerful enemy force of 4 battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and two squadrons of destroyers had slipped through San Bernardino Strait undetected.

Six escort carriers, three destroyers and four destroyer escorts, against the might and fury of a full Japanese battle group. I can't imagine it, I really can't. It would be like me in a Jeep Wrangler with my .22 rifle against a Sherman tank. I don't want to know what was going through the minds of those sailors.

JOHNSTON outfought the entire Japanese destroyer squadron, concentrating on the lead ship until the enemy quit cold, then concentrated on the second destroyer until the remaining enemy units broke off to get out of effective gun range before launching torpedoes, all of which went wild. JOHNSTON took a hit which knocked out one forward gun, damaged another, and her bridge was rendered untenable by fires and explosions resulting from a hit in her 40mm ready ammunition locker. Commander Evans shifted his command to JOHNSTON's fantail, yelling orders through an open hatch to men turning her rudder by hand. Still the destroyer battled desperately to keep the Japanese destroyers and cruisers from reaching the five surviving American carriers. "We were now in a position where all the gallantry and guts in the world couldn't save us, but we figured that help for the carriers must be on the way, and every minute's delay might count...."

"By 0930 we were going dead in the water; even the Japanese couldn't miss us. They made a sort of running semi-circle around our ship, shooting at us like a bunch of Indians attacking a prairie schooner. Our lone engine and fire room was knocked out; we lost all power, and even the indomitable skipper knew we were finished. At 0945 he gave the saddest order a captain can give: 'Abandon Ship.'..."


Ever want to box with a grizzly bear? How about fighting it with one hand tied behind your back and your left leg in a splint, how about that? And if you lose, the bear eats you.

At 1010 JOHNSTON rolled over and began to sink. A Japanese destroyer came up to 1,000 yards and pumped a final shot into her to make sure she went down. A survivor saw the Japanese captain salute her as she went down. That was the end of JOHNSTON. From her compliment of 327, only 141 were saved. Of 186 lost, about 50 were killed by enemy action, 45 died on rafts from battle injuries; and 92, including Commander Evans, were alive in the water after JOHNSTON sank, but were never heard from again.

So that ship lost more men in one day that all the US forces lost during major combat operations in Iraq. But it went down swinging, and it stopped the Japanese force cold. The sheer determination of that crew leaves me breathless. The courage they showed in the face of certain doom makes me want to cry. And I wonder if people actually know how close it was. I wonder of people today understand just what it took to win that war, the sacrifice, blood, and sweat that was needed to win. I hear all the cries of "quagmire" and "another Viet Nam" today, and I have to wonder if these people know anything at all....

If for any reason at all, we should never forget the sacrifice and bravery of those sailors on the USS Johnston, and the sailors on ships all over the world during World War Two. Reading accounts like this makes me wish that my grandfather was still alive, so that I could thank him, and ask him to tell me his stories. These stories need to be remembered and retold, so that we, as Americans, can understand the sacrifice made by our parents, and grandparents, and great-grandparents. We need to remember what happened so that we can understand what's happening today. And we need to honor those soldiers and sailors and Marines, for ensuring that we can live happy, prosperous, and free.
Pardon me while I say "I TOLD YOU SO!

Found this little piece at AlphaPatriot. It seems that a group of California politicos are trying to say "But... but... we were TRYING to get all those dead trees removed!"

Two words for ya. 1) Bull. 2) Shit.

Try this little experiment, if you will. Go to Google. Type in "Beetle Killed Tree Lawsuit". And then start reading. Let me give you the headlines from the first page alone.

Tree clearing in park draws Anchorage suit
Court Puts Tree Harvest on Hold
Green groups sue Forest Service, costing you more $$
‘Let it burn’: Threatened lawsuits could cripple fire fighting
Court Puts Tree Harvest on Hold Monday
Vote Postponed on Lawsuit Regarding BLM-Nevada


Lawsuits, lawsuits, and more lawsuits, all preventing the logging of beetle killed trees. Tons of lawsuits, stifling the harvest of dead lumber, preventing the Forest Service from getting these trees out of the forest before the infestation spreads. Go read my essay at the top of the page for even more links. Hell, go check out this site to see even MORE headlines about the Eco-freak's actions. I can't begin to tell you just how wrong these eco-people are. They sit in their wooden homes, reading their pamphlets and papers, making signs on their cardboard, and never once think about where all that wood comes from. They get their degrees in the liberal arts and think they know everything about forestry, a subject they don't have a clue about. They sit in the city and smugly file lawsuit after lawsuit preventing logging of beetle killed trees, but can't understand why acres of trees go off like firecrackers when a spark is applied. They know NOTHING about fuel ladders or preventing insect infestation, and yet the file even MORE lawsuits that prevent the foresters from doing their jobs. These fires are the culmination of decades of the eco-freaks having it their way.

Take it from someone who grew up in the forest. The eco-freaks don't have a clue about the forest. Not one clue. And you are seeing the result of their actions, and their lawsuits, and their idiotic regulations. I feel for the people in SoCal, I really do. I would NEVER want to lose my home, my memories, and all the things I've worked so hard to obtain. My drumset. My saxophone. My pictures. All my collectables. If my house went up, I'd grab my girlfriend, the pets, and the guns, in that order. Actually, the girlfriend would be grabbing the pets, and I'd be grabbing the guns at the same time. But the rest of it would probably burn, and I would be devastated. But at the same time, I can't help but think that if the people of SoCal hadn't bought into the eco-freaks bullshit, they wouldn't be facing the firestorm. If they hadn't allowed the eco-freaks to hijack ecological policy in California, these fires wouldn't have been nearly as bad as they are.

I wonder if the eco-freaks will be allowed to continue hijacking policy. And I wonder if anyone will learn from this tragedy, or if they will continue on with even mordevastatingng results. The Donks have already started to point fingers at President Bush. "You didn't give us enough money to cut trees!" they cry. I listen to Barbara Boxer (C-Cal) screech and hollar on national TV, and I just shake my head. If they would just let the lumber companies in there, they wouldn't NEED money, they would get PAID! If they would just listen to the people who actually know about forests and wildlands, they wouldn't NEED money, they could get PAID, and the fires would not be raging out of control. It's up to the people of California to deal with the politicians and eco-freaks who put them into this position.

Will they listen? Or will they just continue to plug their ears and hope for the best? I don't know. But I DO know that the politicians who allowed the forests to fall into such a bad condition should be held accountable, and not allowed to point fingers at someone else. They can blame Bush all they want, but it was their caving in to the various eco-groups that allowed the forests to turn into a tinderbox, just waiting for a spark.

UPDATE: DANEgerus has a link on his blog that perfectly describes how the eco-freak policies helped turn SoCal into the firestorm of today.

UPDATE PART TWO: Found via Drumwaster, a link to yet someone else who has seen eco-freaks in action. And I love the very first line:

As a friend of mine said, "If my house had burned down in the California fires I think I'd get a flame thrower and go looking for an environmentalist's house to return the favor."
Yet Another R.O.C.B. Moment

Anyone who grew up with a rudimentary education knows that the US Supreme Court makes decisions on law based on the US Constitution. After all, many times they decided on whether or not a law is CONSTITUTIONAL, right?

THEN WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS????

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor predicts that the U.S. Supreme Court will increasingly base its decisions on international law rather than the U.S. Constitution, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

By doing so, the court will make a good impression among people from other countries, she said.
"The impressions we create in this world are important and they can leave their mark," Justice O'Connor said.
On the whole, the U.S. judicial system leaves a favorable impression around the world, she said "but when it comes to the impression created by the treatment of foreign and international law and the United States court, the jury is still out."


Maybe someone should send a memo to Sandra Day "Tranzi Bitch" O'Connor that if she doesn't feel that the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION is good enough to base UNITED STATES LAW on, she should just GET THE HELL OUT!

"I suspect," Justice O'Connor said, "that over time we will rely increasingly or take notice, at least increasingly on international and foreign courts in examining domestic issues."

And I suspect that if we look at other international laws right now, we see laws that would make the Founding Fathers sit strait up in their graves and begin bitch-slapping any tranzi puke stupid enough to suggest implementing them in the USA. If little miss "Tranzi Bitch" O'Connor wants to give up this countries national sovereignty, she's going to have a hard fight, and dammit, we WILL win! Maybe "Tranzi Bitch" O'Connor should also realize that Supreme Court Justices CAN BE IMPEACHED! Maybe "Tranzi Bitch" O'Connor should re-read the Constitution again, the very same Constitution that she TOOK AN OATH TO UPHOLD!

Article VI of the Constitution plainly provides that nothing except the Constitution itself, laws enacted by Congress in accordance with the Constitution and treaties theretofore existing or which should thereafter be made in accordance with the Constitution, should be the "law of the land" "supreme" over the constitution and laws of the several states.

I don't see anything there that mentions whether or not we should check with the socialist EU goons to make sure we don't hurt their feelings, do you?

And last but not least, "Tranzi Bitch" O'Connor should understand that if she wants to give away the sovereignty of this nation, there are millions of us who have the will and means to ensure that she fails in her "progressive" Tranzi bitch dreams.

Thanks to Kim du Toit for the links.
Range Report

I'm sold. Total and completely. The M1903A3 performed as it should, and it's a damn cannon. It kicks pretty damn hard, although not as hard as a 12 gauge shotgun. Analog Kid, myself, and my friend Ari all took turns lighting it off. To quote Ari: *BOOM* "Ouch! Holy shit! That hurt! I gotta do that again!"

I'm still feeling my shoulder this morning, but that gun is as accurate as the shooter can be. How many other machines made in 1942 still work as well as when they were made? The one problem is that the spring is worn out on the magazine, so it won't feed rounds properly, in essence making it a single shot gun for the time being. But that's OK, you don't want to kick off too many rounds in a row from it anyways. Not unless you enjoy the feeling of your shoulder being several inches behind where it SHOULD be.

We also took the girlfriend's son with us, and he went through about 300 rounds of .22 ammo with my birthday gun. This was his first time doing any kind of real shooting, and he enjoyed it quite a bit. I think I've got him hooked. The next gun for me to try is my .308 Winchester. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. And the shotgun is getting it's tryout next Saturday, when AK and friends get together for a little high-velocity pumpkin carving. Heheheheheheheh. AK should have a digital camera with him, so he'll have pictures.

This is gonna be fun!