How do you tell a happy camper?

He falls asleep waiting for the ferry to load so he can get home, of course.

Woke and left at oh dark thirty, catching the six am ferry to Whidbey Island, drove to the range and met up with Prescott and Cubflyr. Tracey_B drives up with truck and trailer and keys for the gate - the Appleseed is on! It was one of my best ones and I have had many great ones, but the fear of failure, failing the shooters not a safety thing, was oppressing, since I worried about having enough instructors for all the folks...

Seems that when I spoke the sky would clear up and the Sun would shine, and I had to keep talking. Wonderful people in the world, not in the news, not in front of the television, computer monitor or looking for love in all the wrong places. One just has to go out and meet them - work together and amaze each other and ourselves.

I was greeted by Ron, telling me Todd sent his regards and to mention him, I looked at Ron and said from Eastern Washington? Tdow? Yep, seems he had purchased a sling from him, through the internet and mentioned the upcoming Appleseed. Cool, and Ron shoots well, he will make Rifleman another day.

Coupeville Appleseed Now to get back to my regular programming.

Chains that bind us...

Woke from dreams of impossibility. A Command Sergeant Major going to a dinner with Commander and his wife, where we find out the unit is being set up for failure, the History already written... of course it is under the current White House - that was where the dream was really strange, since I like fighting in Southwest or Southeast Asia much better than in the home country... do pray that there is no truth in dreams, you don't want this one to happen to anyone.

Time for second cup of coffee, in my Special Operators mug. Thanks, son. I can't read Latin (I am the product of a government education system) so I pretend it is a cool mug to warm my hands with.

Freedom, Liberty and personal responsibility... all wonderful concepts. And don't we just know we are part of the experiment of government that allows men to stand tall? Except where we can't. Here in America and the world at large. How does that happen, it wasn't designed that way. Or was it? By those others out there.

First they made the government too big to ignore, and then they started to make the people depend on the government. Really depend on the government. The way it was designed was the government was supposed to depend on the people. It is just an imaginary creation without a life of its own, not like a supernatural being. But we don't have to pay attention to the government, if we walk outside of the law, and many do - or we can blend in and everyone knows we must be law abiding, cause we are nice folks, cut our yard and clean up the trash after parties and picnics. But what I am doing in private never threatens the government or the public and so they don't know. And many do.

Then there are the herds, or flocks of people that just graze away, with total trust in the government and its goodness on our lives. I do think that is most of the folks. They just want to have fun... and aren't going to lose any sleep over worry about what might be really going on. But that isn't where the chains are, for those that we should really watch out for, to be careful around, they are bound by the same chains that hold many of us - DEBT - what we owe is a burden. You can carry your brother, and never feel the weight but your debt bends your back, darkens you days and makes you do things you aren't going to find fun. How did that happen? You weren't born with debt, yes there is a national debt, and you being born doesn't mean that you owe any of it. Really, there is a bank or two everywhere, there are governments everywhere, and you don't owe any of those debts and it isn't your responsibility to repay any of them - and you haven't been paying attention to collapse of nations, banks or fool ideas. Why is your national debt your problem? It isn't, but you don't understand the chains, the reins of government or of the bankers. Borrow a little and they help you repay regularly, borrow a  lot and they start to turn you in their direction - they have become your partner.

It is only money, it is only a tool, and it is being used by people and institutions that don't love you, why are you paying any attention? Ah, so you can be concealed and free to do your own will, don't borrow, don't leave tracks and they will never notice. They only count the people that owe them and they put them in asset or debit columns - which is no way to treat a people. Chained to the money, manipulated by the godless. Doesn't matter the political party, the nation, the person, if they are part of the borrowing they are only slaves, how much did Spartacus owe? The reason he was feared, because he didn't fear -
all they had for him was death, and we will all share that individual event.

The say that change happens... and I have noticed

I was searching for an old blog post on the Just the Library Keeper blog, which I now think I worked pretty hard on... and for sure I notice that this blog hasn't many of the better qualities of that older version of a younger old man confronting obsolescence. That is what growing older and out of current society and culture is about isn't it?

My wife says she has fried another microwave, since that is two it is only coincidence, if she does it with a third we will give her that skill level. Until we replace it, life will be a bit inconvenient.  How did we get from fire and heating elements to microwave radiations? Must have missed that science class. Although I still remember the burn from running up Radar hill at Graf, and that was behind where the radars were watching, that stuff is warm in the extreme.

I was trying to find links to my RWVA log and went back and went through several years of posts on the older blog, and smiled often - noticed that I re-used many favorite pictures - noticed that it seems all the posts are still there. I think I wrote better in the old days, but that is subjective self analysis - not to be trusted, but then Facebook is here and like texting there is little reason for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Or even rules of  polite society, do we even acknowledge a 'polite society' anymore?

I am preparing for a big weekend, the Appleseed at Coupeville on Whidbey Island, ferry crossing in the early morning, best look up the weather for Saturday and Sunday. I have a small very professional crew for twenty-five potential Riflemen. Only five of the shooters have done an Appleseed before.

While reading about the San Antonio Open Carry demonstration I ran across this, on the left symbol. From the III Percenters I would guess. I like it, very soft and still firm in what it seems to portray. Everyone does understand that means 97% are still lost, misled, and uncommitted? Yeah, that is a bunch. And it could be that when the time comes, everyone is still going to do the very best they can to survive, create, succeed and be worthy of  the Lord's love.

Well, VA paperwork needs filled in for health benefits, one of the Church Brothers is on a personal mission to get us all signed up and he has stirred my wife to worry, so I must. Take care out there. 

Foggy cat feet...

Yep, read that poem once...

So I have done well, turned on the Blues, went and composted - lovely.

I went in the garage, and find the smell of drying peppers permeates the air, pungently,. is that enough p's?

I clean my rifle, roll my mats, drift my front sight, center the rear sight (took it off to look to remount it - NO!). Packed my shooters box to zero my rifle next trip to the range. Ready to go to the YMCA,

 That is enough for this day, thank the LORD and ask for those things only He can provide, cause I haven't got them for you. But you already knew that.

Notice anything a little clumbsy on the internet?

I tried to post the Moxee, WA 19-20 October link to the Appleseed forum on Blogger, and couldn't Friday evening, strange, thought I would have to ask the Help desk. Went off to the Appleseed and demo'd instructed and watched and talked. Got a half pint of Irish whiskey, good food and a solid nights rest on Saturday - how did that happen? Ah, nice people - the only way to be.

There is an after action report on the shoot. My take away is that I have spent five years on the Appleseed Trail, my first Appleseed was on that same range, different management and name, in October of 2008. I had the same Stevens target rifle, and my sights are really off, but look at those groups. Anyway, by Monday after another solid nights sleep, I could update my Appleseed Trail links, post pictures and couldn't get a like or two on Facebook, sometimes. I have a cousin riding the Peace Train, in Peking, China now. I am reading about the domestic return movement of the children of the baby boomers... everyone wants to put folks in boxes, but folks want to fool around.

I did drive out to clamming on Friday, that is different. Kind of a wife support activity. Having said that, two of the Bible Study men and two wives and one other lady taught me how to have fun sucking clams out of their sandy swamp at low tide. Since we used clam guns, it was still a gunny activity. Right? I got the benefit by having about two pounds of fried clams Sunday evening. I am so blest and lucky to be alive.

I just do think that this is worth sharing, especially since the country I wandered in and met with on Friday, Saturday and Sunday didn't meet Main Stream Media attention or note, we aren't a blip on the screen anywhere  - but there are many more of we than they know, we are just humble.

There must be some dangerous bloggers out there...

I started blogging because I made my life into a weekly letter for my mother, and she could get it immediately through email, and then I could also send it to all my siblings (who don't really always want to know what that fool older brother was doing) so I did blind copy for them. That filled their inboxes up quickly, remember the old days of taking forever to download, upload and do you even want to open the mail, look at the size of it? Yeah, I know that was long ago and in a land far away. Some young lady seeing one of those monster emails, mentioned to me that I should blog. So I did. And there have been a couple of variations, and still there is a continuous electronic trail through time - they could attempt to determine if there was any original thought anywhere, or how long I have held to those heretical beliefs. Waste of time.

Not the writing, that has been just what I needed, for my mother and for me. I wrote on Facebook yesterday evening as I closed the computer for the night "You know you still love them when a picture from the past, your past, still warms you and reminds you of how much you miss them. A great love never dies, does it?" I had drifted off into pictures from my past, of people no longer here. 

Facebook is fine for little bites of us, a taste but for full measure, one has to write books worth of the library one seldom lends out to the public. I will only get impressed when they do it with poetry, like my mother did, or reasoned logic like my father, who didn't write as much as he read and listened -- a very wise course for a husband and father, grandfather.

The President fears the unregulated bloggers, they can and often do, say anything and no one will know the official story, which could be a spin doctor's best effort for distortion of reality (LIES).

Well, no one reads too much into my blog. I am all about me and my adventures, going clamming with wife and a couple of the church brothers this afternoon. I may tell you about it later. I have an Appleseed tomorrow in Yakima, still remember how many people on my cross country motorcycle trip asked me about Appleseed and the RWVA (since I hadn't answered all their questions in my blogging - fail).

Wanted to think about learning how to play piano enough for playing hymns for  the Men's Bible Study, my religious music major cousin offered to help, I had forgotten how many of my family have better talents than organized mayhem of the battlefield. I should done better myself. I have done some little artistic fooling around. A new lapel pin for church, seat belt spins the single pinned ones, a White Cockade to show during the Three Strikes presentation, for few outside of Scotland understand the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Stewart White Rose, and no one wears a cockade - heavens, you would have to look the term up.

It could very well be, that the President wouldn't worry about the bloggers so much if they all wrote about how wonderful he is, but they instead all write about their own passions and problems and perfections -- and that means he is very small in their lives, which is exactly how a President should be - very small in American's lives, he is only middle management. Where has this idea come from that someone is to RULE his party, his government, his/her friends and peers? We really aren't subjects here, nor subject to authority. If God gives us choice, why shouldn't all the lesser creatures?

'to avoid a potential default on the debt'

Lovely phrase, and is now the real reason the TEA Party and other terrorist Conservative groups must be beaten.  Or so many have told me... through the media, they are afraid to meet me in the streets at high noon.

But, I agree that is the key phrase, the most important phrase of this century for our elected leaders.

But they are like always going about it all wrong. They are not stopping spending more than they have, they are not paying off any debt with real assets (like GOLD, NUKES, OR Government buildings). And stupidly, thinking they can avoid potential default by borrowing more - they are insuring they will truly default on the debt. They are cutting their artery in the leg, thinking it was the one in the neck they had to worry about.

You may all go to bed and don't worry, stupid is what others do with their lives and their loans. You pay yours off, and don't borrow any more. Just pay cash or trade the excess that you don't need that someone else does. Forget the insanity in the government, they are badly advised by lawyers and accountants normally representing a very high class of snake oil salesmen or bankers that no longer like depositors because the Federal Reserve Bank is giving away money to loan on anything.... and they all think YOU are going to bail them out and not hold them accountable, because this is too complicated to feed you in a sound bite.

To keep your great credit rating, and avoid potential default, pay your bills, STOP giving more than your tithe away, and wear out those things you bought long ago, especially those slimmer fashions before you got fat.

Boy, quiet weekend, isn't it?

Government shutdown and threatening of next months VA Checks and maybe even Social Security have been covered by The Main Stream Media as the watch the action, or crickets chirping in the hallowed halls of government.

I know that they big guys never covered the truckers, cause everyone knows they couldn't have shown up, and a million Vet March on Washington, DC? Most veterans were in church and with families or supporting great things in their community. You can count on the vets. There seemed to be a bubble on my internet connection, but you can't believe everything on the internet can you? But I would. There were even greater rumors of generals relieved through the military in the last quarter, in preparation of their resistance to unlawful orders. Don't know myself, but I do know who is running the military, and they aren't generals - who only have great effect outside of their organization, and some effect inside of it. But folks in politics think Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans, or Grant took Richmond.

None of that was on my radar, locally. We had a wonderful time hosting the Men's Bible Study in our home, good friends, Good News, and great food. Everyone left with that warm glow that feels like family. Then church was fine, seems there is a Billy Graham Crusade event, around 7 November, that our Pastor is trying to get us to become part of, to reach out to those that don't know.  After church, doughnuts, coffee and talk - then to Sunday School lessons and then back to the Fellowship Hall for more coffee and talk. While there I wandered over to see and noticed a young boy, about seven or eight, and he looked aware and polite. So I barged in and said. "You look like you are waiting for orders."

He looked at me, wondering... and so I hit him with the second sentence. "Go get a hot dog." and he did. You understand that I recognized the kid I once was, waiting for an invitation to do something, knowing there wasn't a coin in my pocket and I had not one friend within sight, and never wanting to bother anyone. The hot dogs and many other foods are free, but this was a kid that looked alone, first time I ever saw him, and like I said - he reminded me of someone I knew all too well.

I did some more spreading food and drink around among some visiting adults, but now have to get my suit cleaned, because I am clumsy, and got soup over it as the liquid made a miniature tsunami. Ah, so much more to perfect. Hope you have a wonderful week, RWV Appleseed next weekend in Yakima area.

Busy day, so I had best have a strong cuppa coffee...

It is true, that the People of America do not need any political parties, especially any party that thinks they are in charge of  something. The people of America are supposed to be in charge. But then, the folks with money would have trouble spreading their money around to get their way in the hallowed halls and chambers of horrors. If anything, the effect would be exactly the same as the Yankees win every World Series. Which directly is why, political parties, people with money and those that want good order do not want the people to keep and bear arms. Too many to buy, they don't directly affect anything.. but they are scary. Which is why, the governments fear of the folks, becomes heavier arms for the Department of Education, the National Park Service, the IRS and such. They do want to make you afraid of them... be very afraid.

I can't be afraid, still working on getting the home ready for Men's Bible Study this evening. Which sounds so simple, and the Bible study is, but the wives' support system is where it gets complicated. On days like this I want to live in a monk's cell. Another class I should have taken, how to be social, and not afraid of what others think, as long as you aren't offending. I will be sorry for all that I offend anyone, but I really don't care what you 'think' about me, my family, and especially my home. I am married to someone that does get concerned if we aren't all we should be in others' eyes. Which should bring my stress level up, but it doesn't.

I have been thinking of the end of the world, and doing contrasts and comparisons with Historical downfalls and such. It has already taken place. What was great about America was stolen, perverted and abused until there were no longer great people produced. Therefore, and ever after, all the King's horses and all the King's men can never put America back together again. Pot holes. That is the symptom of the disease that caused the death of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Pot holes. Look around, where ever you are, there are indications of the world in collapse. Because we live in it, we adjust and work around and don't know that the best years are long gone. The greatest freedom, the most productive, the most sharing and caring. Those days are gone. Not that we don't live on, produce more, are efficient than our great-great-grand folks. We are suffering because we aren't serious about anything, we have pleasured ourselves into pampered pets. That whole idea of a meaningful life, became trying to have a luxurious life. It is all about me, not enough about we, and certainly not one thing about THEE.

As the idea that one didn't have to protect the family, clan, tribe, state or nation - one could hire it done, the Roman Republic slipped into Empire and one man would be center stage... it wasn't really so, but did give everyone a target for blame, shame and to assassinate. Little gods that can't deliver never endure. There were pot holes in the Roman Empire, roads that weren't repaired, bridges that fell. Not all at once, in bits and pieces, no one stood up to fix them - the Senate was busy organizing a grand opening of a new marketplace or something. Or trying to put down a few rebellious legions, led by a former Senator, or a nation that wanted to fix its own pot holes first and was getting too independent.

Governments, being made up of people, have self interest and survival instincts - so when threatened by their own incompetence, others with better ideas, and just real life folks that want to destroy you - you concentrate on the threat you understand the best. Which is normally internal to your nation. They would never address their own incompetence, since they don't understand why it doesn't work.. They also don't do well with other cultures, languages, philosophies and national goals - they don't even try to understand.

Humanity will continue, just not like it could have been, and History will be written about how this leader was this, and that leader was that, and how the people suffered or survived because another hero or savior a rose. But there isn't anything new, just the same failings, sins, and saviors and time rolls on. The world I was born into is gone, in a twinkling. The best past is in Norman Rockwell paintings, in some fine stories, in some great music.  But all I see and hear around me center on coarse, crude, or crud, or curses.  Well, I do see the blessings, the blest and the better.  None of which is mainstream, main street nor main lined. See the end of the best world ended. Pot holes. You should fill them in, but you are taught to wait for the experts from a failed government... happened just like this every time it could have been great.

I want to blame Thomas Jefferson, it was his writing...

Not that government education and history re-written aren't also at fault. But he personally changed 'life, liberty and the pursuit of property' to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. He already had property, and wanted to broaden the appeal of the Declaration of Independence to the unwashed masses that he thought only pursued happiness in a good rum or stout.

So the only part of the Declaration of Independence taken to heart in America, is that key phrase, 'pursuit of happiness'. The original 'sound bite' for the revolutionary journalists, who were still using printing presses.

Yep, the President isn't happy, and compared the Republicans to terrorists and such. Saying that they couldn't stop working (which they haven't) and demand anything from the factory. But that describes a strike, a union weapon in the war on management, and the President couldn't say this was a strike - the unions would wonder. It is fine, I understand although he didn't really say it, that the current government shutdown is a LOCK OUT, an anti-union tactic of management against unruly workers and impossible demands. The media will report it however they will, truth is never in advertising and the media only reports the news for the sponsors to gain audience, only.

It does not matter, they (and I mean all of thems in Washington, DC and the IRS, NSA, and alphabet organizations linked to the US government) will fail, since they aren't working together to solve real problems they and the past have created. They could do better by shutting their telephones, office doors, keeping the media out and working on a solution in a hot Summer in Philadelphia without air conditioning. But they really have lost focus. The people with money will be yanking on strings, puppets march to the tune of Toy Soldiers.

As the people will work without them, and the people will, the government has no choice but to clamp down and make everyone do what it wants. Give out fines, beat them, soak them and shoot them down... that is just what happens when the people threaten the life of the people in power. That is a universal. They weren't paying enough attention to all the collapsing governments everywhere in the last two hundred years.

I have determined, having helped my wife a bit with her IRA rollover mess (caused by investment houses that don't want to lose customers and assets) that I am going to have to try and find a job like my grandfather did during the Depression. And I don't have his talents, but I will have to put myself out there as a gatekeeper, a security subsystem to defense of a self sustaining agricultural enterprise of some kind. Return to the era of the feudal system? Governments are only worthy that work, after that one goes back to brigands, clans and liege lords. But you knew that didn't you? Sergeant at Arms has real meaning then, and weapons master works, too.

How do I measure government failure, 17 Trillion ways....

There are many economists that will try to reassure me that the debt isn't too big when compared to the Gross National Product, to which I say - that is not what will kill America.

What kills America is not the unsustainable debt, the problem lies in that the government is too criminal, corrupt or just irresponsible to have in effect a real working plan to eliminate the debt, its pressure on the stupid leadership and that threat of NO FAITH in the dollar.

If you think that the artificial pains and reporting by the media is discomforting, how are you going to behave when all you have saved, invested and counted upon will evaporate? Just like starting out, with nothing except the will to live, and work to make it better. And how old are you now?

Not being wiccan nor especially afraid of ghosts...

my Halloween is always a children's holiday when they get to dress up and eat too much candy. Which is where I think it should always be, just for children. The churches seem to do more Harvest Festival stuff, still with masks and costumes and games and prizes, but no ghosts, goblins, witches and spooks (CIA and NSA not invited).

I have better ways to scare myself, I have been reading the End of the World Books, a bunch of them, one right after another, while the government that the Founding Fathers would never recognize sit watching the flames and fiddling on like one infamous Roman did... nothing really changes does it?

Each of the authors takes a different approach to what it would be like, all of them want the digital age to die immediately so everyone wanders around looking for a savior, a hero, a somebody to take charge and take care of us... since we couldn't do it ourselves. King George the Third needed the typical American voters of today to be his loyal subjects back in the day (1770- 1783) but that wasn't what he got.

Somebody named Jack would have to save us - he does in almost every fairytale, in our literature and the movies. Truth is that many somebodies have stepped up and worked with others to make life safe, better, and easier.  And change is difficult, my grandfather brought running water into his home, and my grandmother was embarrassed she didn't have to go out to get the water for everything like her neighbors did and her mother had forever. My grandfather wasn't named Jack, he was Will and he would work hard, fix stuff and make life better. Thousands of those folks back in the day.

What makes me soak up the terror of the collapse of the world as I know it, is that I see the danger, and notice that none of the fine folks in government, that will be responsible and certain it isn't their fault will do one thing to stop the coming failure of government. They have been pretending for years that everything is under control and as soon as they find something that isn't, they make a law against it or tax it or ban it or wallow in it off camera. But their irresponsibility continues to grow, and they never get serious about fixing that feature (character flaw? planned obsolescence?). 

Yes, I think one should not read books about chaos and destruction of civilization while the Federal Government exposes its inability to be civil and truthful and productive... could give me nightmares, where is that wine?

And the meek shall inherit the earth...

I have heard that my whole life and long ago I was confused by the meek and weak, and thought that was the same.  But it wasn't.  Back about the same time I would fight because... well, I was a boy or young man and had nothing to show me that I wasn't supposed to fight, learn how to fight, and win the fights... Yeah, I know there were adults around that told me, in many ways and for many reasons that fighting wasn't that wonderful a thing.  But as a boy and a young man, it might be your only independent display of competence, courage and sacrifice - it might be the only way you could become a hero.

Often ignored, when young, is the winning the fight.  Christ really did understand how to win the fight. Master Morihei Uyeshiba understood how to win the fight, Buddha understood how to win the fight... but so many of their followers ignored their lessons or focused on the fight, not on the winning. You really can't win the fight by being a coward and surrendering, can't win that way. For the opponent will come back and peck at you again, you will know what hen-pecked chicken really means. You can't win the fight by attacking anything your opponent loves more than his life... really, you can't win that way. You can't win by destroying your enemy and thinking that all the other potential enemies are going to fear you... duh, as a young boy child that was a sure way to get the next one to get up and whoop upon you mightily. Those that are going to fear, will, but those that see your new wonderful status as CHAMPION, will get ready to attack and show you what defeat looks like. Some of those folks are really bad to the bone.

(for those thinking I might be trying to speak to the fools in government, you can stop reading here - but I have no message for those that can't be humble, so they are all so out of this blog)

No, I am concentrating on philosophy this day, and how to take what the LORD has given me and work with it. It has been said we are a nation of sheep, in the Soviet Union they would have said rabbits - the idea being that we are weak and afraid. The Gun Community, which isn't afraid of enough often enough, will hold out that the heroes with a firearm are the Sheepdogs, protecting the flock. Not a bad choice of one-upmanship, going from sheep to sheepdog. Dogs are pretty brave, and every working sheep dog I have met, and the ones without sheep even, are really smart and loving (not sure how much they love sheep, but they do care for them on command).

But sheepdogs are meek, and you are not called to be sheep dogs (really) you are called to be sheep herders, you are called to care for your flock. Your children, your elders, the lonely, the lost, the others that aren't strong, smart and able - those that will run or freeze in fear in the center of the flock, going where they will all be safe... herded by wolf pack, sheep dogs or shepherds - they are sheep. It is not your calling to change the sheep, to skin the sheep, to chain the sheep, poison the sheep. You get to lead them beside the still waters, you get to take them through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, --- no, I don't mean everyone is supposed to be a Pastor... I just mean that you need to win your fights, by caring for your flock and changing your enemy into your friend. The only way to win is that you love each other.

You have to be able to fight, to defeat your evil nature, to defeat evil when you see it, to sacrifice self for the love of the sheep, the sheep dogs, the wolves, for Man and God - knowing that you can't be defeated, means that you only have to work heroically - and praises all belong to the LORD. Only the hero can humble himself enough to be meek. Then he will inherit the earth. For those that foolishly proclaim that he will die and be buried in the earth, well, you will inherit the wind.

Yes, the President has made a line and won't negotiate...

Show some firm resolve.

So of course the National Parks are closed, off limits, not to be enjoyed nor preserved for posterity. No telling what is happening there while no one is on watch.

So, since the Federal government can't open up Mount Rainier National Park, God cleared the skies, brought out bright sunlight, and it is reflected on the fresh snows from the last two weeks of wet. You have to be impressed here in the great NorthWest, when all your gray skies and gloomy wet weather pass and the mountains cry out "Look at me, I am awesome!"

Yes, the day is great here, thank the LORD, because little men and women in Washington, DC, just don't do anything for the weather, the people nor the Lord God almighty.  Not an election cycle, is it?

Full faith and trust in.... the US government? not today...

Almost 17 trillion dollars in debt. And we aren't even fighting a war for our lives.

They had best start selling off the parks and the lands and paying down the debt, or the currency will become worth nothing. That is what happens, and I have some RVN currency, when it doesn't matter what the paper says, no one is buying it, taking it in payment, nor will you accept it.

I have a much higher credit limit than I use, the Federal and State governments should also, especially since they don't really create things. Really, they don't. Okay, they will create a mess, but you can't show me where that was supposed to be a function of government. And, are you buying a mess anytime today, tomorrow or from the past?

I have an idea, sell a couple of nuclear weapons to Iran, then they won't have to make their own. Then mention why the Soviet Union never used theirs. Or that we, Americans, haven't used any since WWII.

Leadership to me has always meant someone I would follow, into battle mostly - but I have tried to follow the best of my father and other men I have met during my life.  Not one elected to current political offices, very few media types, no entertainers.

The government has gone to forcing, bullying and demanding that I follow - the ton of rules, regulations, acts, and swarms of agents against me are LEGION. And this from a government that doesn't love me, won't protect me, doesn't nurture me -- have I requested stupid people with stupid ideas to force me to lose weight, stay young and virile, strong and hard working? Nope, not I.  So how did they start to think they are intelligent, fine folks? Who is fooling whom?

So why follow the fools? Come on, just because other fools elected fools, or the fools hired expert fools does not mean you should become so foolish. If there was a good to great idea in government, the people in government aren't sharing it, nor its benefits. Nor are they willing to subject themselves to their own foolish ideas. What do you think they are peons? What do you think they really think YOU are? Foolish in the least.

So today I find I know nothing about the Artillery...

I once was a 13 B, 13F, then a 13E and did wonderful things... but steady improvement means change.

So I catch a picture of two fine paratroopers that have distinguished themselves and A Battery 2-319 AFAR

Nice job, very nice job, then I notice that one of them is a 13D and I remind myself there is not such... well there is now.




So enjoy the quick video, remembering that the equipment demonstrated is for heavier units than the 82nd Airborne Division, but charts and darts remains the same.