TGIF it is a great day to be Thankfull for...

So shouldn't every Friday be great? I think so...

I am feeling a bit tired, have been at the YMCA working out and getting that hard body, which I can only find portions on on me - after I have been pumping iron and working out a bit. So I put the garbage cans on the curb had breakfast and coffee and prepared to get the Trusty Triumph out the doors and down to the shop for service and safety checks.

I heard the ravens mobbing some predator bird and looked to see which one, if I could find it. I did it wasn't flying but perched upon a limb in the edge of the Green Belt - the back woods, behind the backyard. So I pulled my little Canon out and zoomed in to get the shot. So I could share how cool it is to be backward backwoodsy kind of folk. Too Cool.

I started my bike up, got properly prepared (sunglasses under full face helmet, gloves) and rode off a little. Then stopped and took some more pictures - this has no telephoto lens, just 4x by 4 digital. Pretty good for a cigarette pack size camera without film.

 It was lightly drizzling as I went, not even enough to wash off the bugs on the shield. Get to the shop, talk to the mechanic, get my order in, and then wander around looking at all the other bikes on display, talking to the other male customers about motorcycles, gear and goings (one is thinking about Iowa to see parents) - I mention going off to Minnesota soon. We talk fool experiences a bit (when we were wrong and it laid down). When my wife picked me up for the trip to the YMCA -- I realized it was just like talking firearms and shooting at the range. There may be bigger or better but this one is mine - and all that I can do with it - this one is mine.

At the YMCA I hit a few machines and worked some calories and heated up. And as it is the end of the YworkWeek (I may go tomorrow - but will probably shoot and cut grass instead). I feel like the Tea display I caught as I got my 24 oz of  black coffee from the barista. And a nap and covers is in the immediate future. Have a great weekend and make the NSA jealous, and the IRS plotting to get you cause you rock and don't have fears enough without them hounding you.

Pork Belly and six left turns to go...

A high school friend catching up after forty plus years told me proudly that she had abs, finally. Which was not impressive to Earl as it was to her. I was more impressed by her position in career choices and  business success - is it a guy thing? But I have long known about the recliner fat feature of where your fat pools as you laze back and mindlessly entertain the brain. And even working men don't normally look like the WWE hunks, unless you have been following the old school ones like Brute Benard with his big belly.

All that came to mind as I did my skin cancer self examinations, always looking for signs of trouble. As I pulled skin around and tightened it, I found I had abs! Which I had seen before in High School football locker room in about 1964. Presently they are hidden behind that pork belly that is much looser and doesn't protrude like it has in the recent years. So the time spent working out (rowing and biking and some weight machines) at the YMCA has been positive for my fitness and health. But then I do have time, I am so retired.

Anyway, the showers are scattered today, so in the break I decided to go for a gentle jog - just to prove I can still do it, slowly and steadily. It is away from electronic tethers, and only the spy satellites will wonder as I wander about what I am doing away from the forms of electronic monitoring - ie, Blogger, Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Outlook and cablevision service. I took my best thoughts, started out with a prayer for World Peace and then moved on to other religious reasoning, interrupted by story lines of heroic action adventures of Earl (only I will ever know what difference a daydream will make). So, fifty three minutes and fifty seconds later I am back home safe and sounder than when I departed.

Time for breakfast and more coffee - a day is a whole twenty-four hours to make.
 

So, what me worry?

No, I am not worried about the government having all my data, emails, letters, calls and history of everything Earl has ever done. I will go to war with the government if they declare war on me - and I know the government doesn't have any real control of any or all its agents. Case in point, all the current problems with truth and perceptions on the media, the number of assaults by soldiers upon other service members, or rogue IRS, 

They do hide behind what they call the law. IF the agent does something illegal, it must be investigated and pondered. If Earl does something illegal, Earl gets arrested and threatened until Earl pleads guilty to maybe a lesser charge. Notice a difference?

Studying History, I will give you a great Christian institution to look at: The Roman Catholic Church under the Pope. The need to protect the faith from false preaching, values, Muslims and Jews, and a few Wiccans and Witches&Warlocks working for the Devil.  They created the Inquisition, and it grew in power as it threatened the population into compliance and quiet. And they could get you and keep your soul from Heaven, or so they thought. The English monarchy used religion for centuries to suppress the efforts of the Pope. Half the war on the Irish was because they wouldn't convert to a Protestant faith, all the Irish war with the English was because the English and Scots weren't Irish nor well behaved tourists.

I am sure that people can design programs for computers to influence human activity, look at the last Presidential election. I am sure I wasn't influenced - but I am smarter than the computer and the programmers and most certainly than the President's party and staffers. Look at the mess they have made of the country that they control - truly anti-Rights laws (about guns, guys) passed stupidly.  Same kind of politicians in Washington DC as in the Blue State governments. But there is talk of splitting from New York, California, Illinois and Colorado and forming a new state from the Red State folks held in bondage by the Blue State folks in charger there.  Check out West Virginia, they had differences with the Old Dominion in Richmond. The Civil War settled the question about leaving the Union, but established the precedent of counties leaving a state.

I would like all Americans to decide to disconnect from the services that have complied and assisted the government (GOOGLE!) in capturing the truth? about all the folks. At least the folks on line, using telephones - those that hand write their communications, or meet face to face only have to worry about security cameras, and the Gestapo, which we don't have because we don't speak German and have NAZI party in charge - do we?

If I win the Lottery, I will pay my taxes and my tithe, then give some money away (my wife will tell me to whom) and then buy some land and leave. Y'all be good and be blest mightily. Don't worry about the government - they only tied in Korea, lost in Vietnam and blunder about making the world afraid of their power projections - mainly because they are so irrational.

So you are going to change

Restless night, and sure enough some things aren't the same in the morning. More improvement in my health and will have to work on the fitness. That second step is going to be slower, but has to happen.

Just one aside: the fellow that ran to Hong Kong after exposing the NSA to the same attention the NSA subjects the world.... that was a great paying job you left. Also, no matter that our people know what the government was doing and could do with what they have --- we already know the godless Chinese Communists are hacking away to get the same information - or the portions they would like. Hasn't anyone heard of data sharing? Spies looking at spies, bad governments looking at the other bad governments - could write a book or two about that.

Now, the real problem isn't the gathering. It is what happens with it, don't give it to the terrible IRS, CIA, FBI, or Homeland Security. And since the elected officials and their fine civil servants seem to have no sense of shame, honor nor competency - don't let them have it either unless it is shredded first.

Anyway, my paper targets shouted at me instead of politely talking to me. The problems with paper data. it isn't as hidden as the computer files -- right in my face on my desk. Well, have had breakfast and on my third mug of coffee, the sunshine outside calls to me, have much to do and places to be. Don't blog forever!
LIVE!!!!

You can find everything on the internet...

The President is who?

Might not be true, he could be a French model.

Ah, is my face red!

One Appleseed in Washington was canceled so I got to go to Oregon to shoot at an Appleseed there this weekend, at the Douglas Ridge range - which is having some land use problems because of the discovery of wetlands! Everything in the west of the Great Northwest is wetlands, flood plain or tidal waters - water, watter everywhere and then it rains! Wetlands indeed!

Anyway, as I drove the three hours down to the range in Oregon, I thought about how the movement of shooting has crested - partly from the cost of shooting stuff, and partly from the cost of living and gasoline. But mostly because handling of firearms safely and proficiently and learning about the Heritage of 19 April, 1775 will get you bombed up by Cheicken Terrorist without a cause, or even have some government agency notice your activity and send the IRS or the FBI SWAG to your doorstep. What was Nathaniel Harrington doing on the green in Lexington on 19 April 1775? Well, maybe the terrorists will only attack the large crowds watching the runners and  not families on a rifle range in the middles of somewhere... Well, everyone get back on the streets and announce the opportunity to learn marksmanship to 4MOA and the Heritage and tell them to visit RWVA forum for more information.

Well, I arrived (early) I was noticed and greeted and became a good thing to talk about the good old days. Not only all the instructors but the returning shooters from Appleseeds years ago. It was good, and I even made some new buddies. Other old men from long ago wars, and younger men working for a Rifleman patch.

Including me, twenty shooters, just enough to make the words flow and the shooting slow down. So, no matter what Fred has said about fewer words and quicker training, it can get away from our best efforts and good intentions. They did one AQT by the end of the day, they had the two Redcoat targets, all positions, transitions and marksmanship and safety were taught, just not as much practice. Since we had an AQT and some good shooters returning from other Appleseeds, there were two that earned a Rifleman patch. No pictures since they may have declined - many did, and they NSA and Homeland Security will have to look for satellite coverage to find out who got the patch.

I never got to the AQT except to staple one up on my target backer. Seems that I am healthy, after having troubles last year - but that doesn't mean I am fit to fight. Or do the transitions from standing to seated or prone quickly with the muzzle in a safe direction. I need many more dry practice getting up and down with a rifle without making everyone in the general area afraid.  I also see a need for speed - even giving up two shots will still need a faster surrender to gravity and the ground.

Anyway, I supported a black powder shooter mounting a scope on his rifle - I talked he worked. I also got lots of sunshine and sunburn (yes. I had sunscreen, but one must apply it). So, looking at my targets (bad enough that I didn't take pictures for sharing, but did take the paper to shred in a controlled environment - home!) It was great to shoot the M1 Garand (always) and I did improve - someone should buy me a bunch of ammunition or reloading components and I can continue to improve. Still, without the live ammunition - the dry practice, including the transitions from standing to seated and prone, are what I must improve and can afford to do. The difference between healthy and fit is HUGE!

You do understand the danger, don't you?

I could be talking about the Federal Reserve Banking or the Pentagon or the stupidity of Governors of states that are fools in charge -- lots of dangers but they are now coming to a point.

I was left alone yesterday and started watching television between bouts of well written war stories. Sure enough I was traumatized. The telephone rang, but I couldn't answer it.

Seems that the National Security Agency has been conspiring with Verizon to publish my telephone to my enemies. So the twenty times my wife claims to have called the house that I never answered - it was because I was paralyzed by my fears of  being found in contact with her.

I have thought about disconnecting, just cancelling the telephone service entirely. Since the cable company, Comcast, has a telephone and computer connection I could use that - or I could get a dish.... but then upon more paranoid reflection, I now know that they are giving up information, too. They are everywhere, EVERYWHERE!

Only that service, but my free Google and Facebook, seem to have been designed to mine my mind - to know what I am thinking, want to buy, indulge in, or vote for. The Cable companies know what the television is tuned to, they use the information to sell ad space. Control freaks everywhere. So harmless, aren't they?

But if it were only one political party, or two, or one business I wanted to work with, for or against - that is something even very old folks could handle. But it isn't the President, any of the last sixteen or so, but the larger groups of employees of the various levels of government, the unions, the law enforcement forces without work, those depending on government goodness delivered monthly.

You ask how I know there is a problem? The Internal Revenue Service has become the cancer on the Constitution, but the spin offs new caneers in the FBI, FEMA, and the Agriculture Department. It just doesn't pay to play, it isn't the Congresspeople, the Executive Branch - it is the low level wild clerk in the catalog system of the Congressional Library that is conspiring to make you all better, for your own good.

Ron Paul tried to warn you, so did Benjamin Franklin, add Earl - I won't say I told you so, since this communication has been monitored. Pascali's Island is a fine story about what happens to empires that have so much information that 'no one reads it any longer'.