Stolen link to Leslie's performance...

RoundsandRoses, why I really like Appleseed and the Revolutionary War Veterans Association.

Just sticking my neck out...

Seems the Federal Government in its fear of fanatics of faith, passed the PATRIOT act, no I didn't read it, and now has decided that killing terrorists without due process (because they are at war with whatever they are at war with us over) is okay since they are identified as against whatever we are standing for. I am almost of the opinion that they don't arrest and try many terrorists is because they have lost faith in our justice system, especially the Justice Department, being able to get a conviction and an execution. They could be correct, they are much closer to the problem with the Justice Department than I. More recently the Congress has looked at removing American citizenship, and they haven't fixed the immigration and naturalization process to a point where there is no longer 'illegal immigration'. The Federal government is of the opinion that an old Naval Coaling port left over from the Spanish American War, is not really within the American justice jurisdiction, but the Marines will tell you that they are covered.

Over at the New York Times, a reporter is complaining the NRA hasn't enough causes to pretend to promote so they can get lots more money from the Gun Industry. She would like America to be completely ungunned (my word choice, not hers) like New York City, where total bans and control are promoted as sane and safer. I don't think the rest of America would like the gun death rate of New York City, especially when compared to the number of people legally owning and carrying firearms in that city. Yeah, the ratio is really terrible. I would ask my sister to have some of her students work it out, comparing the numbers of New York city to the rest of us.

But a bit more thought on the Federal Government deciding that it can kill us, and get away with it... because. My only thought, it is time to change the government. Go back to a British Colony, or Commonwealth nation. But that won't work, they want the guns banned, too. Okay, lets move to become part of Canada. They are a Federation. They develop their resources, treat their citizens better, and don't think they are better than the rest of the world. And they speak two languages already, they could learn a third. Oh, to make such a happier union possible, we need to give all of California south of Carmel to Mexico. Only fair. What do you think, Canadians?

Because, I am sure that no one in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, or Lo/as Angeles (transgender) wants to return to a Republic, obey the Constitution, and cut those ugly cancerous growths called agencies and departments back to size. Basically, America is sound - beautiful, rich, full of hard working good citizens, and it is only that ugly growths induced by artificial stimulants or addiction that ruin it. I have to tell myself that I can't be ruled by fear, that only when I risk going out and attempting to make a great life for myself and my people - only then can I do so. I don't really support fighting a rebellion, revolution or war of terror - I vote, I write and I pay some attention (like to this idea whose time has come) . But I have been playing with the idea of a banner to wave or stand under when reminding the government I am not a happy man. The Gadsen Flag was great in the War of Rebellion, but I want one for my days of protest.

I want one that says "LIBERTY under the LORD" has an appropriate symbol (working on it - a bird in flight, since one doesn't fly in a cage, a Phoenix? ) and under that "Come and take it!", an invitation. Says so much about my thoughts.

The World is such a gloomy place...

People don't love each other, so they build protections against their own pain and hurt, and cut themselves off from aid and comfort. Republicans can't work with Democrats, Democrats can't work with Republicans - none of which is true. What is true that you don't need either political party to represent you. None of you, even true Party loyalists, believe exactly the same thing. Just like being used by the Union for your employment benefits, they always get stuff that you didn't want, you would rather have just kept working. You don't even get a chance to address the meeting often. Kind of like having a hundred shares of Exxon Mobil - you think they will listen to you in the shareholders meeting?

The world isn't really that gloomy, but it does seem that most human beings don't get beyond tribalism, clan loyalty and religious intolerance. Do I become a better man in Canada - their government isn't ours, or if I go into the Temple am I closer to God than the local Methodist church? People finally come to the conclusion they aren't going to be strong and handsome forever, that they are getting soft and weaker less vital and virile as they grow old, and prepare to drop off the branch of humanity. Governments and Religions don't seem to accept that, or those in positions of power and leadership don't accept change well. Something new might be to be feared, a strange idea needs to be stifled before it infects us all. The People didn't see a difference between the political parties, and started a protest called the TEA Party --- and the Republicans thought they could absorb them to increase their base. It hasn't worked well, it has worked, but the party should have looked at the why instead of trying to stifle the protest.

I did find it interesting that a new birth document from Kenya has surfaced for our President, looks much more like what would have been given at the time of his birth than the NEW one from Hawaii. Doesn't mean too much, President Obama is the President of the United States. I don't even care if he wants to be the Democratic Party Chief for Life. The number of lies won't hold back the flood waters of change - not much is working well in our CULTURE. Thank God that real love hasn't changed - that is something to build upon.

UnGunned Culture... do you know it?

Not unarmed, but ungunned, like England - living down to its fears of Gun Violence, making sure that no one can ever have a gun again. Or so I have been told. Don't look down at them, for we allowed ourselves to be treated like cattle on the way to slaughter in response to Islamic Terrorists, who by my definition have won, since we changed our lives to their threat of repeating their suicidal stupidity... you don't hold them up as martyrs, do you?

I don't think much of 'Reality TV' since it isn't very real, but I enjoyed Top Shot, when they had various firearms or other weapons, and strange cool targets, but then they had to add drama - for those of us that wallow in our overstuffed recliners munching popcorn or chips or cookies and ice cream -- NOT BEING COMPETITIVE, we wouldn't understand if they didn't play up drama and vocalize the secret thoughts. Imagine, Peyton Manning whispering his thoughts before the next play to John Madden (don't bother, that is what color commentators do for those that didn't play the game). We can fast forward past that noise to the next shots and enjoy the shooting. My favorite way to enjoy football now that John Madden is off the air, is to Mute the sound.

Anyway, the Gun Control groupies seem to have noticed that the Gun Culture is changing the public perception of shooting - in the media. No, I don't mean that they will show the Olympic Awards to American shooters in the Summer Olympics, unless they notice that some of them are HAWT! and trend setters with commercial value. What is the name of the woman Indy 500 racer? You mean there has been more than one? But there are several gun sales and manufacture shows - copying the success of Orange County Choppers, and Antiques Roadshow. If I were to predict what the show was about - one or two interesting females wearing clothes for ample display of skin that doesn't do hot brass well, maybe some tattoos, some young guys that don't know everything but think they do, and an older wiser feller that keeps everyone in line. - Oh, and don't forget the piles and bags of cold hard cash (that most of us don't carry any longer) like gold coins in Arabia so much more exotic than debit or charge cards. Oh, and don't forget exploding targets (although I love Boomershoot, most of those shooters have lots of dry fire and normal targets under their belt before hitting something that blows up on impact).

It isn't the Gun Culture that is changing the public perception, it is the entertainment for money group. The Gun Culture is taking folks to the range, cleaning up their language (sometimes), and making it a fun, family thing to do. If we want to succeed, more access to ranges, more safety classes, more open encouragement of new folks, and government support. Less of: we are the only voice of the Gun Culture and 2nd Amendment, we know how to run this range 'you follow our rules', and we want more money for our time and facilities.

Anyway, the Gun Control guys and gals feel a slipping away of the pious looking down on the stupid Rednecks and their firearms by the public, and don't want their against guns in general (because you don't want me to think for myself! squeal!) supporters to fall under the media spell.
I don't want the public to fall under the media spell either, I cringed when someone brought their girlfriend in three inch heels to the range and she swept the line with her less than firm control but obvious glee in having the firearm go Boom!. But I like old folks hovering over their posterity, talking them through the safety rules, the steps in making the shot, the correct position and analyzing the target hits. I will watch and be friendly and helpful as I can -- I know that I would never like living in the UnGunned culture, just like I know I would never like to shoot another human being, again. Doesn't mean I won't if I have to just won't like either.

Scatter-brained...

It can't be just me, an 'Earl'-thing, the human mind must be always moving on to the next big thing. Things change and opportunity doesn't knock twice, may not knock at all.

I woke in darkness, and warmly bundled and thinking about the fleeing dreams, then my wife's father and our almost meeting once. Being a young man trifling with his daughter I was avoiding that mostly. But we did see each other and pass by, not recognizing but remembering the details. He wrote us a couple times after we married, then it stopped... he had passed on and her family wouldn't tell her that news.

Turning on the news I find New York covering the tornado threats and facts in the midwest, the warm early Spring in Washington, DC, and only local news covering the snow and icy roads causing spin outs and traffic lock ups on 'the commute'. I haven't opened the home to the frosty morning quiet, as soon as they start covering the hard news and the public outcry about the neighborhood watch shooting, I turn off the sound, checking for my status on Facebook, needing to know if I am still relevant - I am not. I go to make my morning gruel, getting trapped into putting the old coffee grounds into the compost bin, cutting half a banana for my portion of potassium, the peal going with the coffee grounds. It is cold on the back porch, thirty-two exactly on my bare feet. I realize that they have closed the Good Morning America show, they started three hours earlier than I did and saved their best for my delight. I delight in the hot meal and absolute quiet, my wife is not up yet. The frosty outside adds to the solitude and stillness. Time to love the Lord, for He is good.

Seems I need a list, I make short ones sometimes, but I am disorganized and distracted, once I had direction, that was how I got here, but something called me... what was that I went into the garage for? I notice that the young ladies being interviewed outside, have inside makeup on, and it is too thick for picnics. No, I have no idea who they are, they have fans somewhere I have people I do know their names, I once knew all the car styles and years - but that is stuff I grew up and out of and away from. So I am typing away, knowing that I started this post to share that I didn't like the statement 'public outcry' over shooting of teen by the neighborhood watchman... my point being that we are frozen with our fears, frozen into foolishness: having a neighborhood watch, having a 911 service that doesn't get a policeman on the scene before a death occurs, having a media that proclaims there are dangerous darkmen in the darkness, doing damage - which is what gets a fearful fool out looking for them. I slept through all of that, there are strange people wandering the darkness around here - they do steal, break in, rape, rob and run away.

But no one wants me to get the night vision stuff out and my trusty M1 battle rifle and shoot them and let the body lay for the ravens. So, they aren't serious about doing anything for their fears, except form a local limited volunteer TSA and put up a gate at the entrance to our fifty-four home development. I can't control the direction of my own thoughts, I don't think I am the one to chart the course of the community, state or the nation. The picture is my artistic self portrait of a young warrior in Vietnam, the cracked mirror hung on the hot shower stall.

Monday morning.... wasn't that a song theme?

Good Morning, America! Breda says she is cranky, something to do with Monday and having to get to it. Another blogger mentions getting old isn't easy, nor nice, but I am convinced that I have only one chance to get it right - as soon as I stop trying to be whom I thought I once was it will be easier.

NFO did finish his Appleseed and report about it, here! I kept looking at the AAR forum for the official report, and didn't find it. The Shoot Boss and crew were busy with the Appleseed and then back to their real life, so it may take awhile to find pictures and prose - you do know why politicians and celebrities hire publicists? Yeah, no one has tons of time to publish. Still, after years of linking and publishing AARs and pictures of people at Appleseeds for the Revolutionary War Veterans Association - I want so much, although I am doing so little now, but intend to get better. I was interested to find out that all I had written didn't transfer immediately to readers of my blog - when I met them they asked, which was fine - I was happy to answer.

We have icy roads and snow somewhere scattered here in the great NorthWest! Yes, Good Morning America is covering tornadoes in the Center of the country, with the warm Spring in Washington, DC and the cherry blossums. Now, turn the television off and go make gruel. Take care out there!

Reading the Romney writing, not sorry,,,

The first thing that jumped out at me from his book, was that statement: "But in every case throughout modern history in which America has exercised military power, we have acted with good intention -- not to colonize, not to subjugate, never to oppress." To my eyes he has found the problem with current American military actions - there is no thought of defeating the enemy. The only reason to kill people and break things is to win the VICTORY! No victory in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Do you see a pattern here? That of a whining loser?

I have long held that America must vote for War, and the Nation fight it to the end, the enemy's surrender. After that, allow the State Department to establish a better line of communication - but the military doesn't do 'nation building'. And since we believe in Liberty, Freedom - allow the defeated enemy to heal its own wounds, if there is international trade with open borders, the healing and help will arrive. For sure, no one in America knows the dreams and traditions of the defeated country and culture. The same reason that business monopoly doesn't work well, that Sony Beta is long gone with eight track tape players, is the reason that the Federal government should do less and allow the states to find their local answers and better methods. Could you imagine knowing all the ways to tie a knot, but only having the one approved by government far away? We only need one airplane, car, bus, tractor and that is it. The approved one.

IF you really want to change the culture and the hearts and minds of another people - you send missionaries. It is a very long process, you can also support education in our higher institutions of education - but then they don't teach successful American values or value successful America. I am often confused.