It is not just in what you call it, but how you intend to use it...

  So watching one of the most savage movies I have ever seen on the screen this afternoon, and the doorbell rings. I go answer it to find a large truck on the street with a large guy wanting me to accept his delivery, he says he will get it to my garage door.  Okay, I was expecting a serving tray and a drop leaf table from my aunt in Minnesota. She has been down sizing and sharing her treasures for years and these are the two she hadn't sent me before.

  Now I should have taken a before picture of the half pallet with two large plastic cardboard boxes on it. But I was remiss. If the Armed Forces had had packers and movers like my aunt's money hired, I wouldn't have lost so much broken and bruised or visibly antiqued furniture over my many moves.  Or I could have bought higher quality furniture? Well, it arrived well packed and I easily cut through the plastic wrap, then found the steel bands interesting (forgot what we used in Nam to get through them when unpacking ammunition) all I had on me was my trusty Leatherman Wave, so I opened the pliers and cut through half, then repositioned and cut the other half. Take it off. Back to cutting tape and plastic. Then inside the big box more cardboard triangle supports, and through them to get the drop leaf table out. There was almost three yards of bubble wrap around the serving tray.  After I swam through the plastic foam peanuts to find it.

   They sit in a place of honor in our dining room now. Pictures.

 Which brings me to my point about what you intend to do with it as opposed to what you call it.  As I found the interesting notice on the door of the YMCA telling everyone that it was a safe place - no drugs, alcohol or weapons allowed - I have been carrying the entire time, the police never take their equipment off either.  Why? Because we are carrying tools, tools that could become weapons upon need, but only tools.

   That terrible violent movie I was watching had the main character killing several men with a claw hammer, a most certain result of where he placed it violently.  But that was his intent, he would still call it a claw hammer and a tool.

  I am certain that I will be finding many more dangerous tools in the Home Depot, but it is the intent not the name one must worry about being on the receiving end of.

Awareness is very important... watching or studying something may not be true...

  In the world where someone is going to kill you... you aren't normally aware until you face the pain and the fury and then have to respond to it. Whole courses on survival are taught in the military as a extra level of proficiency in working as a unit in not normal conditions, you have to be aware, get the basics quickly because as water evaporates, cold freezes and more misery is to be forever endured your animal response is hibernation and that doesn't promote awareness. Not much thinking will be done.

   In the normal world everything is hunky-dory, and then it isn't. The policies of the government are mostly behind the times, the reality and looking for more information... and guess what? The government deciders aren't the ones dying. So Katrina comes ashore, Hurricane Sandy slams the boardwalk... people saw the storms coming and clung to what they know best as long as they could.

   If you were in Afghanistan when the Soviets left, or Iraq when the Americans departed, or any country after the last power shift, economic or political disaster - you don't leave until you know you must. Then you look to somewhere safe and you move. There is a fine movie from China :
Remembering 1942, worth your time although it is a hard movie and a real but sad story of a family not being aware, a government that doesn't care, and neighbors that just won't share.

  All immigration is the moving of people to new pastures, but when you consider them refugees you have a better idea of what the people moving are going through. They are on an adventure, not a final journey to the graveyard, they come looking for work, a place of safety, a place to enjoy life remaining. Europe and the almost empty (not crowded) industrialized countries are waiting for them. The Germanic tribes moved into the weakening Roman Empire, the result was different, but they became more civilized as a tribe. People move away from danger and chaos - if you think your nation is safe and you don't need to worry about the crazy leaders of other countries - you don't understand how small Earth is and most of it is water.

   I am wondering where all the civilized citizens are going when the whole thing collapses. Have you a place in your future to flee to, to have shelter, food and water? There will be lots of work, very little law and manners will be frayin' and hearts beating fast. Are you seeing what is going on? Or are we all labeling it something nicer that is nothing to fear and won't solve the problem?  For sure, see where you are before your history is on the Discovery Channel.

Seems to be major image problems... fed by media hype.

   There is a fine fellow out there blogging privately on Dadscribe.com about his views and for sure he had some about the NRA and the sticker many members put on the back of their automobile. Here.
Almost needless to say, Facebook posting of the blog put his blog up for attack from the gun goofs, those of us that would laugh at his fears wouldn't add fuel to his fire. Anyway, it didn't take long for the perception that he was in even more danger to bubble up in his mind and he went private and the post is inaccessible. Nicki at the Liberty Zone wrote a thoughtful rebuttal to his words and fears. Here.

   As I discuss the coming end of the world with my wife, in front of the cable monitor I remind her and myself that what is on the cable will each time shown be another new incident in our constant recording brain of what we saw and participated in. That normal nice people seldom get on the news nor in front of the camera. That entertainment media will sell sex and violence constantly, to bring attention to its sponsors and their products. The more you listen and watch the media the farther out of norm your perceptions will fall. Way, way far from truth.  We all have someone that watches too much muck, and it colors their lives. Unless the muck is from a local swamp, mud hole and is near the pig wallow - then it is real.

   Two terms from the antigun goofs - it will be like the 'wild west' when everyone has a gun, and 'I support the 2nd Amendment but...' both based on false information in their minds. If they tell you they support the 2nd Amendment ask them to repeat the words, and explain them. If they tell you it will be like the 'wild west' (which has been long an accepted media hype of frontier living), how did most humans die in that wild west? Hunger, thirst, accidents, disease and lack of the big three needs (food, water, rest) not violence. I won't tell you that there wasn't violence, but it was never the big killer. But if you are going to write a book based on the travel journal of John Archer, it won't be a best seller, if it was based upon his daily thoughts about crossing the great desert to get to Oregon. It would be in the University library or State archives for scholars to read.

   The NRA is blamed for a lot that it never does, but then even it wants more members living in fear of losing their firearms - and the people that want everyone to lose their firearms are out there, and working hard to deny them. So it is almost true, I would want the antigun goofs to have to carry a firearm to protect each person they denied the right to keep and bear arms.  But then I really don't, I expect one to take care of themselves first, family and community - in that order. And to live as if they have personal contact with their Creator and are in constant communications with same.

I am wearing two brand new knives today... I am only fifty pounds and a couple IQ points from awesome...

  My two knives showed up, nice enough for my work, will have to sharpen them a bit. For being a major German knife maker they were produced in China, sigh. Well, I have kept them from keeping them until the migration. On Korean news, their President (a woman) was announcing that they would recover from the recession with hard work and virtuous conduct and calm. But Americans haven't figured out they are riding on a bubble and haven't any liquid to make more with... Ah, it will be ugly.  My only advice is to pay off all debts and be prepared to buy land with all rights.

  My progress in fitness was twenty more miles at the YMCA, took my wife to get her time on the track in. The rains were light, the air is heavy with moisture and cool, hope it makes it over the Cascades to the eastern dry burning and dumps a load or two. I think I will read Caesar's Invasion of Britain by Ellis.

Death by recliner... how recliners kill more people every year than guns.

  I have long held that I am dying by recliner use. I can ruin my health by just watching a weekend of football games. From the bench or from the bleachers or from the recliner - needless to say, I can see a lot more football in comfort from my recliner on a big screen.  Just have the kid or a well trained dog go get me another cold beer.

  Okay, you might know I don't have a kid at home now, nor a well trained dog, and that I don't drink beer... but sitting too much is terrible for your health.  My mother loved to read, watch game shows, and sit and sometimes write letters and poetry. She did it with more modern methods as the years went by, but she was the woman that walked to her car, put the dog inside and drove to the dog park, and sat and watched the dogs run and play.  My Dad would get the leash and walk the dog to the park and play a bit (throwing a tennis ball) or stand and talk to other dog walkers about whatevers. Then he would walk back. Now Dad went to his reward sooner than my mother, but all the elder women in my family are widows, just a fact.  In her later years it was more and more difficult from my mother to get around, we even got to the point of a recliner that would lift her to her feet so she could progress around with a walker.

  So, since I am not the slim young fellow from long ago and far away, and I don't feel confident enough to jog enough to burn up all the ice cream and sugars stuffed in my face by automatic stimuli response... I have gone back to standing at the computer, and workbench and in the yard.  For sure it is a big step in the correct direction to over come gravity, the gravity that keeps pulling me down... down... down.

Leader of the FreeWorld... or just another pretty face...

   The pastor was preaching with passion today, got so many of us fired up - I even told the Sunday school fellow I would follow his lead on Sunday school next week.

   It is good to get stirred up, for good things. My wife was working on food for the fellowship all day so I didn't see much of her in church, but we found each other periodically. Old folks don't do much bad, like to think they are so slow that all their energy is for good, would work for me. When I get to the point I realize how old I am, someday.

   That passion the preacher had was way better than most of the politicians and others running for major office, more like the passion of the parades of folks against Planned Parenthood. They seem to be out in force, would be nice to see some leadership, but I notice that it isn't at the top of the list of things wrong with America that we can fix, that most of us aren't supporting so why is the government doing it? Should be the question about all of those troubling things that just aren't right.

   I have decided that running as the write-in Candidate for President is where I stand - not asking for money, power nor sponsorship - won't owe anyone of y'all anything except to try and do my best to work on things that really need fixed. Government debt, value of the dollar, investing part of the Social Security Trust fund in the broad stock market (as soon as you say that, people start figuring ways to steal from that idea for themselves or to use the power of shares of stock to change the world). Eliminating large government groups of goofs, and just hire some experts for particular jobs.

  I am sure I won't win the election, since it has always been rigged for certain groups at different times. But then to tell the truth, if I were needing to follow a human in office for my best efforts - I would not have a relationship with the LORD, and that would be a very sad day for me and thee. None of us need the government, we designed it because we wanted to be left alone to do our best, and while we were sleeping all kinds of fools and folly took over those good intentions by the founding fathers.  History says we will always go wrong, just the way humans are.

Okay the ladies are now qualified Rangers, but not being assigned to the Ranger regiment or battalions?

 
A lot of people are making noise about the two females who completed Army Ranger school. Can anyone tell me if they both met all the physical standards their male counterparts were expected to meet? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. Thanks.
If both met the same standards before women were allowed in the program, then good on them and congrats. If the standards were changed and they were "accommodated", then I personally think their completions of the program are nothing more than the equivalent of a PC participation trophy. That is all.
       Reply: William Earl Dungey Don't be so hard on them, they are only girls. Why the command believes that they had to graduate to prove something might be as troubling as why any women would believe they have to get a Ranger course to prove they are as tough as men. I don't have a tab, I just have the Ranger Handbook and I can read so I am as or more qualified to be a tough man as they are.   And my brother thinks one tough woman should kick my butt to show me they are better than I am, well, I am just a fat old man. But I would remain too dangerous for a few more years, even as slow and mellow as I am now.

   It is an Army school, where graduating is the norm and not impossible, they should be wearing the Ranger Tab proudly. And should know that won't do them any good in a bar fight, in the real jungle and all our enemies will treat them like they treat all American women.  They will be treated wonderfully by the press, by other women - maybe, by most people that know nothing about combat infantry and small units against stiff odds.  They will also be competing against the male officers for promotions - equally - NOT. Now they have the tab they will stay special, the first. Poor men, that have been graduating the course since 1950 will be second. And as tough and capable as they are, I am not following them. Sure if I were in the military I would have to obey their lawful orders, and disappear as fast as only I know how.  If they are great officers, and work hard and have real leadership, I really might work well with them... but they never had to have a tab for that to happen. You see, I know most officers aren't great, many are just good, and then there are the really stupid ones and the bad ones and the ones no one wants to be around.  Luckily for the American army, that is only a small percentage, very small.

   But the other truth they know and you should know, too. That PFC Smith did everything those two West Point officers did, everything. Also that in combat operations, infantry sergeants are supposed to be able to do all that the ranger course teaches. And if the sergeant dies, some one of his patrol, squad or platoon steps up and accomplishes the mission. This isn't rocket science.

   Two characters from Space Opera combat fiction - Honor Harrington and Adele Mundy - both women, both of noble houses, honorable, and both great fighters and leaders.  I like reading about each, mainly because the male authors treat them as female men... I know nothing about women, like them but women have other values and experiences than I.  Adele Mundy, is a librarian, spy and cold blooded killer - and she I understand best, really. Honor Harrington is the Horatio Hornblower of the Napoleonic Wars moved into David Weber's space future. Adele Mundy is much closer to my values and perceptions than Honor Harrington. I do read the same type of fiction and fantasy from female writers, enjoy them, but never find any understanding of combat, and way too much sex and romance for me to enjoy. And killing is just not the way it got written there.

  Remember, that the first two female officers to graduate from the Ranger Course and get their tabs, they were there, they met the standards and so did PFC Smith.  But it was cheaper to send him to the training than it was the ladies. I have to wish all the graduates of the Ranger Course with their new tabs well, hope they have a very fine future in the US Army.  So glad that I never went to school and earned the tab, would mean that I would have to think it was like a ribbon everyone gets for showing up, and that women could actually now be as good in combat operations as I, which I don't accept. But then I think women are very valuable for civilization, and war has never been civilized nor the best of civilization. Only godless communists and stupids from the PC crowd would waste women, so needlessly. I often am with the Chinese, you don't waste good steel on nails for horseshoes.... iron will do.