You want change, well, it is coming...

  I was asked about I 594 and I 591, and I recommended voting NO on I 594 and YES on I 591, but I only had one friend that asked. So the big bucks folks, some that don't live nor visit the fine State of Washington, bought enough fearful advertising to make sure the eighteen page document would never be read, cause everyone knows it will prevent the death of one person... I am not everyone. Considering Bill Gates and his wife paid for much of the cost, and they have been known to have deep ties to Washington State - I do wonder if their good works have gotten in the way of good sense. But people do get old and fearful, maybe they are thinking that this will protect them. Probably I think well of their intent, they really do want only nice people to have the ability to keep, bear and share arms. Who decides who is nice?

  So, powerful people with fears and money, bought enough ads and advanced their cause to enough uniformed voters that could be swayed by lies and good feelings. That description fits much of modern law, doesn't it? Some organization or two will look to legal opposition, but real people, some of which shouldn't have a weapon and most which really should will immediately gain the weapons outside of stupid laws. I know that there are law breakers everywhere - only because the laws get too many, too stupid, and definitely too exclusive - so Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and other fool places passing said laws end up with criminals armed, quiet good people stealth armed, and everyone else just hoping dialing 911 gets a speedy rescue when one asks for it.  And the murder rate in Seattle got lower with concealed carry, but then the normal fearful anti-gun crowd thinks this I 594 will slow the murder rate down. Only a change in character will make a bad man with a gun into a good man with a gun. Even joining the NRA or a fine institution for worship may not make the character transformation happen, but I am hoping.

   Not off to the YMCA today, my wife says I should hit the yard and dig the french drain some more. All good ideas. Have said prayers for people in hospitals and under intensive care for falling apart unexpectedly, but that was the theme of the post wasn't it? You wanted change and then complain that you were better off as a brick maker in Egypt, and you got thin beer during the heat of the day, so water and manna don't really look good on the way to the promised land.  Yes, you want change, be careful what you ask for. It is like the weather in the plains, it will change - sooner than we are prepared. Shucks! I don't have enough friends to lose another in a hospital ICU or tent in some far away country fighting thankless wars unknown but to God. Be careful out there and spread a little more love, in all directions.

Kind of exciting watching the end of America, killed by stupidity... and kindness...

  I love to read books about America's end, not often is it because of outside influences, but godlike pretenders and their coven or clique or cult - depending on which persuasion they are.  It becomes really fascinating when comparison is made to the reality, or the contrast between what the author presents and the failure to account for irrationality of a free people. Most of the writing tries to see preparation as most crucial, and survival away from the government failures, and expect lots of sex and violence. Hemingway must have written the story - but there is only a normal amount of sex in real life, the violence is sudden and seldom expected, usually fatal and a story end. And no central figure will ever do it without the Centurion and legionnaire with the shovel and pick. Be it General Washington or Julius Caesar - they had to have lots of little people. Most authors can only work with so many characters.

  So I watch election news coverage - and not being a better on horse races, so I don't try to bet on the finish, why do news folks think they have a better idea than a straight count of the results? Why am I putting up with it? This is the same organizations that buy into global warming is a man made event, even knowing that the Earth has been hotter, with more carbon dioxide before than it has in any of the projections. They are smarter about politics... why?  If the projections work, the idea of tossing all the bums out make me wish the entire Senate was up for election. Oh, that isn't a flaw that is a design feature.

   It is 4:03 am, and I am up because of Congressional stupidity, Daylight that was never saved nor invested, sounds like the Social Security Trust funds - government IOUs? There is good that, God and I have quiet time to reflect and plan and pray.  The elk is waiting for me out there. Found an email asking for pray for a friend, and I don't have many. Found that some men, on Facebook, are planning on shooting on Saturday, with the intent of sharing rifles and ammunition - to thumb their noses at rich folks still pretending to own poor folks and fools.  I said it more like 'Rich people without understanding buying the votes of all the poor folks with without understanding.' I am going on an Appleseed this weekend, and taking a loaner rifle - which is exactly the kind of thing that I594 was supposed to instruct the Legislature to stop? Hmm, have to look up Initiative again - the legislature goes around them for tax increases.

What is wrong with those elected representatives? aren't they smarter than us?

  I am waking up in Daylight Savings Time, which is longer than needed but I adjusted last Spring forward. So I will now have to fall back harder, duh. No Daylight has been saved, see Einstein for conservation of energy - he never recommended this. It was an elected official with offers of something for nothing - which will get him (or her- no 'war on women' here) re-elected. This one thing, that fools engage in every year since we made those representatives in Congress important (in their own minds), is Daylight Savings Time. There never has been a real reason for it. You can gather eggs and milk cows in the darkness, or bring a lantern or turn on the lights. Hibernation preparation is also based on length of daylight, but we, will fight that for the opportunity to watch an evening football game in Hawaii four hours earlier than normal spectators at the game.

  So, if Congress is serous about doing good things for the nation, they need to repeal Daylight Savings time, they haven't found any of that daylight they think they convinced us they saved. If that were the first thing they fixed after being sworn in to office I might have more hope for change.

  Right after tackling the DST, they could change the relationship with the Federal Reserve Banks, come on the idea of making money out of air only works for the bankers when they are in control. In all other countries of the world, they have to get real currency for their fearless leaders when the system collapses - Swiss Francs, anyone? Gold? Silver? How about some of those eggs and milk for your children in exchange for? What is supposed to establish the value of our money in the United States of America - trick question.

   That idea is probably not on their list, Ron Paul isn't in Congress now. How about remaking the Federal tax code? Five percent from income, no credits no deductions and no adjustments, no lawyers and no accountants and no tax courts. No tax power for the Congressperson to barter for political power. Yeah, that will never happen until the collapse, which is closer every day - but I won't know the hour, cause I am still confused by the Daylight Saving rhythm and mythology.

Just those three things would show me that Congress is intelligent and going to do great things for the country, but if I were a betting man - I would expect that no matter the votes cast and the votes counted (lovely cheating Democrats and Republicans) the first order of business is to establish which fools will be getting paid extra for leading(?) that mess of folks that have just become more than civil servants and representatives of the peoples back home. It is all smoke and mirrors, not real magic.

  

Good morning, Norm Al, how are things in your time zone.... saving any daylight?

I think I will go make some coffee.

And made my breakfast gruel and watched the NEWs, which wasn't much. A drunken argument in Seattle, four folks shot, shooter is gone but described. If I594 passes it won't stop drunken shooters. Put enough money behind a cause, tell enough lies, make promises that can't be kept (even if you were well intended) and it start to sound like snake oil medicine and politics. One may never know the difference. One member of my Bible study group called and asked about the two initiatives on the ballot. I told him the difference between the two, how I voted and what would happen if one passed but not the other. I then talked to the mail carrier, that once worked with me in more exciting times, and found he voted the way they told him it would stop the gun show loophole. In Washington State? What is that loophole? If you attend gun shows you know there is no loophole, but if you don't you have no idea.

Highlight of my last week in October was helping another fellow reassemble his 1903 rifle, he took the bolt out and couldn't put it back in and then it fell into two pieces and he couldn't assemble them either, well I learned some things. Everything I needed to know was a YouTube video away. Like I said, I learned some things.

Time to prepare for church.

Some things about choices never change...

 My cousin, long time resident in the South, probably had it with the hate groups holding up the Confederate Battle Flag, and the 'the South was all racists and slave holders' folks attacking the Confederate Battle flag for the twisted logic that symbols mean whatever we say they do - so there! He calmly suggested if one wanted to fly a real rebel flag one should raise the circle of thirteen five pointed stars on a field of blue with thirteen red and white alternating stripes, Betsy Ross's best, for that was the original 'rebel' flag. Well, I have bought into that, I will fly that flag at Appleseeds, and from my home periodically in celebration, likely will on the 4th and 5h of November. But from Lexington to Yorktown, the rebels had lots of different flags flying to say they were there, and that they were different and very independent. John Paul Jones flew a few.

  Do you remember the effort to remove the Confederate Battle flag from the Georgia State Flag?
Well, I congratulated two Georgia boys on returning the state flag to its Confederate roots in the last rendition. But the simple folks that don't study History have no idea what the Confederate Flag looked like during the Civil War. They only focus on the battle flag, for it represented what they felt - fear of or pride in.
I have always been sure that it should fly proudly above every Confederate soldier's grave, and for the Confederate Veterans that would rejoin the Union they could have it also, along with Old Glory. You do know that one of the commanders in the Spanish American War was a former Confederate Officer? He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

  Symbolism abounds, at 12 Eastern, we are supposed to fire a round or two or three in opposition to the NEW YORK SAFE act. On Saturday, 1 November. Sound like a good idea to me. Like I need an excuse to fire a round or many on a Saturday. They will be on target.

   So I did my avatar yesterday, posted it on Facebook and the Revolutionary War Veterans Association forum and have had lots of comments, and on Facebook 'likes'. I am famous(?), but that avatar is a personal one, not the official trade marked one of the re-branding effort. Did I mention I am getting a new shooting jacket for my personal shooting? On the way as I type. Looking for a proper working vest to load up with the embroidery and patches of the Appleseed Project, has to have big pockets, a belt for my slim figure (?) and ammunition loops like the Cossack coats for Sharpie markers for adjusting sights and scoring AQTs

   During the second strike of the match, I like to point out that the alerted militia of Concord all had a voice in what they wanted to do to protect the town from the wrath of the Regulars that were out. The young feisty Minutemen were for marching down the road to meet the regulars before they got to Concord. The older more responsible Militia, (mostly husbands with families, shop keepers, and settled down men) wanted to stay in town and meet them here to protect what was most important. The oldest, many veterans of past warfare against the French or the Indians wanted to go back to the hills where everyone trained and look over the North Bridge at what the regulars were doing in Concord. So after discussion, they all did what they supported - yep, they did all three. In the end the Minutemen got much better ideas after noticing they were outnumbered by the bayonet carrying redcoats, about six to one, so they marched quickly back into Concord like they were leading the parade - joining the regular militia units near the Liberty pole, then all deciding that the old men had spoken wisely.. and they marched out to join everyone on the hills above the North Bridge.  The official record doesn't tell it my way, but then History is now written by Wikipedia.

  So when Congress can't agree, nor fifteen people get the same answer for each problem - we end up compromising, or so I am told. Or, we can just go our own way, we only have to compromise when we need to join together to make something happen, like build a bridge - if we are talking about hunting, it can be done alone, but bridge building is better by group effort.

   So, The Poet, the fella in charge of the rebranding effort has the official unveiling of the new logo - striking but very simple. Lends itself to embroidery on polo shirts and stuff. Having watched Japanese logos for years, simplicity wins when it is unique - it becomes immediately a power projection. Where European heraldry failed was making everything part of the picture - cross of Saint George simple, add Saint Andrew, then add Saint Patrick and you have the Union Jack?

   When you look at the symbolism of the quartered and quartered again coat of arms, you realize that the instant hero commander recognition of the simple signs has been taken over by the clerks and bean counters, folks that aren't on the front lines in the massive hack and slash fests of the middle ages.

So the RWVA oval is:

 
and the newer improved RWVA over musket and powder horn over
www.appleseedinfo.org will continue to change to the final version of something that says it all.




The comments are from the RWVA and Facebook observers with opinions. In the end, history is written by the clerks and bean counters that survive. My challenge to AMERICANS! is to KNOW VERY WELL WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT.

"Looking at the art in Earl's post and at the logo, it seems to me there was something about Isaac Davis that was lost in the translation. In the grayscale on Earl's post we see Davis, square-jawed and resolute, in a position of reluctant determination. In the logo I see an unidentifiable figure leaning back in a casual way, like a modern hipster striking a pose of nonchalance. We see the plow of the citizen-soldier. I know logos are supposed to be simple but to me there is much meaning in the details that is lost in this rendering."

" Great concept. Wording seems a bit off. Who knows "very well what you are about"? Can't be Americans because of the exclamation mark. And whom is the "you" referring to? Is the message supposed to be "Americans know very well what they are about"?" ---
"Maybe the "you" is referring to Americans knowing very well what Isaac Davis is about."

In my mind, it is a call to 'Americans' to know very well what they (you) are about. Ask the youth, they can't understand honor - can they think of themselves as 'Americans' without it? I am concerned enough to go and make the statement and talk in public. I don't have to apologize for being an American, if I am humble it is because I know my weaknesses and am certain that I am not as great as my heroes, but for sure I am still proud to be an American Rifleman.

I did promise to clean off the walks and lawn...

  But I had vertigo after I finished mowing the backyard and cleaning the mower. Wow! That is scary.

  Sit down, till the spinning stops.

  Then since you can, have lovely lunch with wife.

  Then go out and start the clean up. Until two, when you get to watch The Five on FOXNews... so she starts the vacuum and makes more noise than the five can get over. I turn off the television and leave to finish a project on making myself a new improved Face Book avatar... seems that many of the RWVA folks are hoping on the new re-branded logo - which is just fine, but I am only a volunteer and I have a better idea for my personal avatar.

That does sing to me, took me all of the Five's time, and I even used it to post on the RWVA forum when they were discussing the new logo - left a copy so they could see what I did.

  None of the effort beats the time on the line in all my Appleseeds and all the fine folks I have met along the way.  Next April 19th, in 2015 (which is really closer than you think). I suggest that all my family and friends and readers of this fine blog (LOL!!!!!) sign up and attend a Libertyseed (where the stories are told and no guns are fired) or an Appleseed event where the Marksmanship, History and Heritage can come together in a personal experience for you and your friends and neighbors.

  Now, I will go back to my cleaning up the yard and the walks.

So my weekend was great! how was yours?

 There is a real world outside of what Earl sees from his viewpoint. When I returned home to homemade bean soup and toast with coffee yesterday evening, I noted my wife had slept in the TV room, on the floor with her alarm makers to frighten the badmen off, if they rattled the door. The thought of them already had her rattled. Of course, she is working on the Korean fantasy that making the burglar aware you are awake and alert will make them go away quietly, which has often worked traditionally (in Korea)

- more modern monsters influenced by Hollywood movies are not as quiet nor nice.

  I had gotten up at 3am on Saturday, to drive to the MukilteoClinton ferry, hoping to catch the first run of the morning. Success! First car in line. I had been held up by having to stop at the ATM to transfer some more money into my account. Seems when getting cash I found that I only had $46.79 in my draw account and I had a restless night worried about why it was so low and how to fix it quick (without resorting to Clyde Barrow). So I transferred the money, then looked at the receipt and total amount. So it was $666.79, and I only transferred $120.00 - looking at the yesterday slip I realized that I should only read with reading glasses.  $              546.79 is not what I saw ---       S46.79 was, tiny print doesn't fall into Earl's view.

   So, I am third in line awaiting the gate key keeper to open at the Central Whidbey Sportsmen Association, and she shows up as I am greeting the other instuctors and organizing my thoughts in line with the shoot.   Drive to the range, unload and start set up. Being the fourth Appleseed event on this range in two years, and having a majority of the crew well trained in the Appleseed and the range and POI - I had little to wonder or worry over - and seldom had to say anything except 'thank you' and 'good idea'.

   Because of the rain and the wind, the soaked paper targets melting off their staples or map pins, the shooting only had one scored Appleseed Qualification Test for the first day (and one Rifleman made on that, Logan with a score of 212), two Redcoat targets, two sighting squares used to shrink groups and adjust sights upon. One unscored AQT to train positions, magazine changes, and transitions with, as well as the Ball and Dummy drill of five rounds and many false shots for skill improvement. I would tell two of the Strikes of the Match, and PaulW would get the second strike.  A final call to action, volunteering and commitment to the Revolutionary War Veterans Association seventh stepping - was given, might not have been immediately effective because no one jumped up and hollered for a hat, but they might mull it over in their minds.  T-shirts and homework study packages were handed out and clean up of all equipment - strong gusts of up to sixty miles per hour expected during the night. I would sleep through them and the excitement - but they did happen.

  Second day begins gentler, working on only one large mug of coffee we reviewed everything, shot sighting squares for group shrinkage and new rifles and sights and then knocked out three AQTs before breaking for lunch, only light rains, very brief - like the gusts of wind.  Dangerous Old Men stories told, morning Riflemen honored with grip and grin shots and LOUD HUZZAHS! Grant and Logan repeat their past performance, and Mike has stepped up, not only helping the line boss and the shoot boss, but making his Rifleman with a 210, which calls for christening with the waters of the Charles River. Yes, three more LOUD HUZZAHS!

 
  Two more AQTs after lunch, the scores are shivering along with their shooters. Break to Known Distance instruction then back to the line for two round mags and a peppermink candy to burst (or not and know why), one final AQT then Redcoat, final summation and clean up.  Hand shaking and good wishes passed out along with targets and materials requested to spread the word and work of Appleseed.  Four fine Canadians had crossed the border to shoot with us, and by the end of the weekend I had figured out which one had labeled himself on the forum as 'Cheekyredcoat'.