USAGI

Be careful what you ask...

2012-02-13T11:51:00.000-06:00

Another Pops-ism:

At the same restaurant, the poor waitress takes our orders.

Waitress: "Sir, how would you like that steak prepared?"

Pops points to the kitchen.

Pops: "On that grill back there."

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Winter Battle Wrapup

2012-02-13T08:57:00.001-06:00

This past weekend, my son (front row, kneeling, right side - green belt) competed in the Winter Battle VIII in Ringgold, GA. Over 200 competitors from no less than five states competed in Olympic Taekwondo sparring. There were no forms competitions at this tournament. My son's school - Spirit Martial Arts - fielded six competitors ranging from white belt to black belt.

I was thankful - my father and sister were able to attend and my sis snapped some great pics and vids of the action. Both were really impressed by the level of competition. Also, my wife's sister was present for much of my son's part of the competition. The boy enjoyed having a cheering section.

Competition:
The competition itself was intense: Two rounds - 1-minute each. Thirty second break. Three judges on corners scoring points (two of three must call a point for it to count) with electronic score keeping. 1 point for kicks to the hogu, 2 points for kick to the helmet (light contact to head only). Punches to hogu are permitted, but score no points.12-point margins will end the match. Double-elimination formats.

My son's day:
My son lost his first match 9-4. He danced around the first 45 seconds, and his opponent made her way around his defenses to score a few points to take an early lead. He chased her around the remainder of the match, and she kept picking spots to score. He finally cornered her and a flurry at the end prevented him from losing 9-1.

Second match was against a boy taller and larger than himself. This time, my son listened to his coach and stayed out of range, then maneuvered in close when the boy closed, used his strength to land powerful punches to knock his opponent backwards, then kicked the hogu upon separation. He built a 4-2 lead by halftime. In the second half, the other boy got very tired from chasing my son and from my son's superior strength, and his defenses dropped. My son moved in and scored in flurries - ending the match with an 11-2 victory.

Third match was almost boring. My son used the same strategy as above to pick apart a different girl. He also added (at his coaches urging) a ploy whereby he would wait for his opponent to lead in with a kick - my son would use footwork to sidestep the kick and would counterkick as the missed attack sailed harmlessly by. Final score was 7-3.

Fourth match was a rematch with the first girl. My son stuck to his strategies - kick on separation, and kick after a sidestep - and won 8-3. This put him in the championship round.

Fifth and final match was against a boy who had not been defeated all day. He was a bit older and larger, but Cael had faced that many times before. This time, though, his opponent was using the same strategy as he was, and was a bit quicker with the kicks on separation. Leo was his name, and he built a 6-2 lead on Cael at the half. Some coaching, and the second half saw a different boy. Where Leo was wearing down a bit, Cael seemed to get stronger. A few flurries and the score was tied 6-6.

Another flurry: 7-7. By this time, the entire crowd in this section was hooting and hollering and generally enjoying the come-from-behind action. Two proud warriors, only 7 years of age, had shown the people in this gym what was by far the best match of the day so far.

Another flurry with less than 15 seconds left, and Cael backed off. He had landed three kicks, and felt he had a lead, but the scoreboard showed Leo with an 8-7 margin. Cael saw this and moved in. Another flurry with no points scored. Cael moved in again, but time expired.

He was very happy and stood very proud when receiving his Silver Medal.
We talked afterwards about how he left everything on the mat. He was exhausted, sweaty, and had a grin that could not have been surgically removed.

Austin:
Austin is a newer boy to classes. He has a white belt with a yellow stripe - indicating about 4-6 months of experience. This was his first tournament. He competed in the 9-10 year old division, and was the junior most rank. Poor guy caught a kick to the mouth 20 seconds into his first match. Still, he pushed forward, and fought bravely. Austin didn't win this time... but with the kind of perseverance he showed, next tournament will be a different story!

Kaylee:
Kaylee is 8 and a yellow belt with orange stripe indicating about a year of experience. She fought hard and was very brave herself. She took home a Bronze Medal. She gets shy when you mention she is Cael's girlfriend!

Sadly, I did not get to see Kaylee's matches, as they happened at the same time as Cael's!

Tyler:
Tyler is 11 and like his sister, Kaylee, is a yellow belt with orange stripe. He is a very solid build (NOT fat), and is extremely powerful. Tyler had the match to end all matches with another powerfully built boy in the opening round. Tyler was down by 4 points at the half, but roared back to tie the match at 7. The two rounds ended with a 12-12 tie.

In sudden-death overtime, Tyler went for a helmet kick against a tired opponent and scored - half a second after being kicked in the hogu. In baseball, they would have called it a "bang-bang" play, as the action happened so close together. Glad I wasn't a judge trying to decide who scored first!

Tyler fought well in his subsequent matches, and even beat the boy who had edged him out in the first match. Tyler fought in the championship match and lost to the AAU regional champion by a slim margin in another exciting match. Though frustrated by losing, he showed great spirit and was a clear cut Silver Medal winner.

Laura:
Laura fought in the teen black belt division. Funny thing - she had been away from Taekwondo for two years, and had only been back a few months. She took Silver!

Sadly, I only saw parts of Laura's matches as they also coincided with Cael's. However, I am told that a secret to her success was the glitter eye shadow.

Mr. Newman:
Mr. Newman, one of the assistant instructors at Spirit Martial Arts, competed in an advanced black belt division. He fought well, but he had to leave shortly after the competition, so I am unsure how it turned out exactly.

Summary:
All in all, a great day of Taekwondo action. A lot of fun, a lot of character building, and a fair share of winning and losing. Can't think of a much better way to spend the weekend.

Funny stuff from the homefront

2012-02-12T18:49:00.001-06:00

Going to start a new topic - "Pops-isms"
My dad has been known to have a funny word or two.

For the inaugural post: setting was at a restaurant. The waitress is taking drink orders shortly after we all sat down.

Waitress: And sir, what would you like to drink?

Pops: Sour Tea

(as opposed to sweet tea)

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False Prophets

2012-02-12T09:40:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Right Minded for the inspiration on this one.

Several months ago, in Sunday School, Right Minded asked the question: what is a prophet?
I had always held that a prophet was one who had been given divine inspiration of events that would come to pass - events in the future. This was an incorrect position to hold. As was pointed out, a prophet is: "A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God." (Definition #1 at this link)

A False Prophet is, therefore, by definition: one who is either not inspired by God, or is not proclaiming the will of God. Included herein would be proclaiming something that is not God's will.

Similar to this is heresy: "Belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (esp. Christian) doctrine." OR "Opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted" (Definition from this link). The singular difference in the terms revolves around whether the concept is against God's will, or against generally accepted doctrine. There exists the possibility that accepted doctrine might be contrary to God's will.

A false prophet would include anyone who teaches something in direct contrast to God's will, as found in the Bible. This would include those who teach:
- Islam (Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."), and other false religions.
- Calvinism (Jesus said: "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. ... He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."), and other false doctrines and teachings not supported by the Bible.
- Atheism (Jesus said: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.")
- Agnosticism (Jesus said: "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."), specifically agnostic theism.
- Christians or those claiming to be, that teach things contrary to scripture.

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Anybody else in 2012

2012-02-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

From the article - 35 reasons why not to vote for Obama in 2012.

All of the reasons are based on facts, not ideology.
Of course, what Obama says and does (facts) give clear evidence of his ideology.

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Concealed Carry in WI

2012-02-11T06:50:00.001-06:00

For a guy like me, this is a "Feel-Good" article. A legislator in WI has carried while in session.

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Good suggestions for life

2012-02-09T11:03:00.001-06:00

I was recently reminded of the following suggestions. Most of them originated as military doctrine for battle. They apply also to business, personal communication (including verbal conflict), and other aspects of life.

Always have a plan.
Always have a backup plan (the first one won't always work)

Flank your opponent.
Protect your flank.

Liberals, politicians, car salesmen, and other people that want you to believe a lie will follow the following guidelines:
- Lie
- Deny
- Make counter accusations.

Never do battle on your opponent's terms.
Set the time and place yourself.

Never wrestle with a pig - you both get dirty, the difference is that the pig likes it.

Understand (and use) the difference between cover and concealment.

Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.
Bring a long gun. Bring friends with long guns.

Never underestimate your opponent.

When victory is certain, give your opponent an honorable way out.

Understand your opponent's motivations, and you will know what he will do next.

A man that understands himself and his opponent will not have to fear the outcome of 1000 battles.

more to come...

Homosexuals as Preachers

2012-02-08T21:16:00.000-06:00

A hot topic these days is whether someone can be a gay preacher. As my former pastor, Ben Haden used to say: "let's talk about that."
(For the record, I do not recall Pastor Haden preaching about gay preachers, or anything on the topic, nor am I aware of his stand on it... just like his phrase and used it here!)

Is homosexuality a sin?
First of all, according to the Bible, homosexuality is sin.

Can a Christian be homosexual? Can a homosexual be a Christian?
Now, some people think that it is impossible to be a Christian and be homosexual. This is fallacy. Being a Christian does not prevent one from sinning. Sadly, some of the most sinful people I've met are Christians. All that being a Christian is guaranteed to do is provide one forgiveness from God for those sins.

Misleading accusations:
Some people point to 1 Corinthians 6:9 as proof that homosexuals cannot enter Heaven. These same people NEVER state that fornicators, idolators, thieves, drunkards, slanderers, or swindlers will be denied going to Heaven. This is because they are being intellectually dishonest about the subject. The entire passage points out that SINNERS cannot enter Heaven without God's forgiveness.

Perfect Grace:
Also, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven by God's Grace. There is no sin that is "worse" than another. The Bible says "For all have sinned..." and "the wages of sin is death."

Preachers:
Now, the New Testament is absolutely silent with regards to what we call preachers. The term is not used at all. Whether there were preachers in New Testament time is unclear, but unlikely. At the time, they had teachers, and most congregations had more than one teacher.

That said, some point to 1 Timothy 3 as guidelines for Preachers. To be accurate, the Chapter deals with Deacons. However, the concept is clearly that of a "leader," and preachers are, as they appear in modern times, leaders (or at least they are supposed to be).

The dilemma:
1 Timothy 3 is pretty strict when it comes to qualifications. Basically, Paul is saying a leader should be free from sin. Paul did not say the person should be free from homosexuality by name, but the intent is clear.

More dilemma:
Preachers these days are guilty of many sins - including homosexuality. But for some strange reason, many people want to say that some sins can be forgiven or worked through (without the preacher losing his position), and other sins are too egregious.

But clearly the Bible does not distinguish certain sins as being "worse" than others.

Conclusion:

I conclude that the answer is two-fold. Either:

A. Preachers can be guilty of sin (including homosexuality) and still be preachers.

OR

B. Preachers must be removed from their position when they commit any sin.

Of course, option B would leave us with no preachers in very short order.
There cannot be any other solution, as it would be chock-full of hypocrisy, and/or it would be completely unscriptural.

Fail on both sides of the coin

2012-02-08T20:24:00.000-06:00

Link to article where Eric Holder explains that the Obama administration is in favor of reenacting the "assault weapons ban."

Now, we all know already that there is no such thing as a semi-automatic assault weapon. But let's gloss over that for a moment.

Fail #1:
Such a ban is simply a ban due to appearance of the firearm. Not because of any additional lethality.
But Democrats are always biased on looks. Particularly when it comes to people.

Fail #2:
It was Holder's Justice department that funneled thousands of guns to foreigners and illegals in an illegal manner - which resulted in the death of at least one Border Patrol agent, as well as hundreds of Mexicans.

Good Advice 2

2012-02-08T07:47:00.000-06:00

Part 2 of an article I recently blogged on.

Where I blogged on part 1.

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Oh so Appropriate

2012-02-07T19:59:00.000-06:00

Saw this earlier: "Living in a drama free bubble today. Respect the bubble."

This is so appropriate for right now, it's not even funny.

:)

This is why votes matter

2012-02-06T08:41:00.000-06:00

SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated that if she was drafting a constitution, she would not look at the US Constitution as a template. The tone of her comments clearly suggest she feels the document is old and outdated.

Link to article.

This is why votes for President count. The President nominates SCOTUS appointments.

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Good advice

2012-02-04T09:19:00.000-06:00

An article on advice for folks new to concealed carry.

Thanks to SayUncle (again) for this one.

Prices

2012-02-03T10:27:00.000-06:00

When I started the Usagi Dojo, I checked local martial arts school prices before setting my prices.
To this day, I still check periodically - at least annually.

My objective in the martial arts has never been about money.
That said, I've made interesting observations in over 25 years of professional instruction:
- People who do not pay never wind up feeling the value.
- It's hard to say you are not about the money when you have the highest prices around.
- Teaching for free is a guarantee of a short-term student.

So I made the conscious decision several years back to have some of the least expensive instruction around. Currently, I charge $80 per month for tuition. The next least expensive in a 5-mile radius charges $89 - and is actually a good friend.

That way, students feel there is value.

Cons:
Still, the drawback, as I knew it would be, is that I attract those trying to "save a buck" (read: someone who really cannot afford martial arts instruction). I find that a little kind firmness goes a long way, and they eventually realize this is not for them.

Pros:
The plus side is much bigger. As students get more ingrained into the dojo, they sense the value of what I teach, and they realize they are learning more than most. They also realize I am not doing this for the money - and then they appreciate what they have learned that much more. My hope is that one day, my students will have the same love and appreciation of the martial arts as I do.

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Would you look at this

2012-02-02T21:50:00.000-06:00

Seems a man just caught what might be a state record bass.

Good catch!

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ATF gets sued

2012-02-01T22:22:00.000-06:00

A murdered border patrol agent's family has sued the ATF for the wrongful death.

I think the $25 Million isn't even enough.

How embarrassing

2012-02-01T21:30:00.002-06:00

A high school basketball player makes the winning bucket... for the other team.

Neat to hear

2012-02-01T20:57:00.001-06:00

Precept Ministries has announced that Co-CEOs Jack and Kay Arthur will be stepping down and their son David will be taking over as CEO.

My home growing up was about a quarter-mile from Precept Ministries. We would play there growing up as kids. I remember when it was called "Reach Out Ranch." My parents were friends with the Arthurs.

It was funny when Precept would have a seminar or other gathering. The small road in front of our house would be lined with cars when it let out. Often, when this would happen, it was on a Wednesday night. My room was at the front of the house, and I would watch the hundreds of cars go by.

Good news

2012-02-01T20:19:00.002-06:00

Gallup polls show Obama losing the general election this fall based on approval ratings.

Just hope we can get a good replacement, not Romney.

Proof of the elitist mindset

2012-02-01T07:11:00.001-06:00

Congressman Jane Harman (D) - California - expresses outrage that she was wiretapped.
Yet she voted for the Patriot Act extensions - which allowed just that type of wiretapping to happen.

Funny to hear her "demands" to have transcripts released.

Sad that this happens to her - but she helped keep those unconstitutional measures in place!

Amazing how folks in Congress often think they are above the laws they pass to rule We the People.

Post-Edit: For the record, the use of the term "Congressman" for a female member of Congress is correct usage.

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You might be a redneck...

2012-01-30T08:15:00.001-06:00

This conversation took place many years ago. I was in college, dating Mrs. Usagi. My mother, who is quite... eccentric... is trying to convince my brother and I to come to a family reunion.

Moms: You boys should come to the family reunion. There will be pretty girls there.

I stare in disbelief. Exchange looks with my brother and my wife (then, girlfriend).

Usagi: Ummm. I'm already dating someone. Besides, these "pretty girls" would be related to me, so no thanks! I will go to the reunion, though.

Do Babies Go to Heaven?

2012-01-29T09:50:00.000-06:00

Many months ago, a brief discussion broke out in our Sunday School class about whether babies that die go to heaven. One classmate held that babies go to heaven. Another person argued rigorously that they do not.

I know what I believe, and I know the scripture that backs that up - but I wanted more evidence. I wanted to really research this one well.

See, I cannot accept that a loving God would condemn an infant to hell who never had time to grow and develop mentally and spiritually and never had a chance to learn to make a choice of free will to accept or reject God. Turns out, scripture is in my favor, as are the vast majority of publications by Christian authors on the topic.

Wrong, but right:
Catholics believe baptism is required for salvation, and therefore baptized babies go to Heaven. They also believe unbaptized babies go to purgatory, and can be redeemed later. Although both of these beliefs are completely false, the notion that babies go to Heaven is true, so they reach the same conclusion.

Back to what's right:
There are many issues surrounding this concept, and this article touches on almost all the main points. It comes in question-and-answer format, and makes for easy reading.

In fact, in all the research I did, I could only find small segments of people who actually believe that babies who die go to Hell. Of those, the majority were Calvinists. So let me expand on that for a moment.

Calvinism and the fate of babies that die:
First off, Calvinism is heresy. It is an utterly false teaching. Those that teach it are, by definition, false prophets - something the Lord does not look kindly on.

Secondly, from a Calvinists' point of view: God is in Heaven, playing with His dolls (people) and deciding whom to send to Heaven and whom to send to Hell - much like a small boy deciding which toy Army men die and which ones live. Based on this very notion, a Calvinist who was being honest with himself would have to admit that some babies will go to Heaven due to their election. Still, the whole notion is not only absurd, but completely false, but I did want to point out the possibility.

Reality:
Multiple scriptures point to the fact that condemnation to Hell is by way of sin. If someone has not sinned (blameless) then they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. For those of us who have sinned, we can become blameless through Salvation.Yes, mankind has a sin nature, but we are not punished for the nature, but we are punished for the sin!

A great article on the topic.
And another.
And another.
The list goes on.

An alternate idea:
Suggested reading. A really interesting concept. This author points out belief that babies that die go to Heaven for a time - as do people who never heard the Gospel. At the end of the 1000 years predicted in the book of Revelation, these people have the opportunity to choose Christ or reject Him.

Not sure if I believe this or not, but wanted to share, as the article backs up every point with scripture in context.

Conclusion:
I conclude, in absence of any scripture to the contrary, that babies and children not yet at the "age of accountability" who die will go to Heaven.

Funny story

2012-01-26T17:31:00.002-06:00

I've decided to add a new segment - funny stories dealing with people. Many of these will come from time working with the public. Some will come from teaching martial arts. I hope they bring you some fun and entertainment!

Setting: teaching a Jiu-Jitsu class. My son is at Taekwondo as he is every week at that time. This conversation takes place with a student who has severe difficulty paying attention.

Student: Where is Usagi Jr.?

Usagi: At Taekwondo - where he is every week at this time. You should know that, you've been coming here five months now. *smiles*

A minute and a half later...

Student: Where is Usagi Jr.?

Usagi: Same place he was ninety seconds ago.

Setting them straight - one by one

2012-01-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

A recent conversation between myself and a long time friend of the family (one who has leaned ever more liberal), got interesting when her entitlement mentality came shining through in conversation:

LFOF (Liberal Friend Of Family): Here is my rant ... When You pay people $ 7.50 an hour with no benefits ... what do u expect... not to mention the plethora of Women I have met raising kids on their own because NO ONE holds the other party (dead-beat dads) accountable. So, in a world where with 2 incomes it is a struggle how do u expect these women to survive? ... If they are struggling to survive financially as it is, how are they supposed to pay an attorney, and a bounty hunter (lol) to track down said dead beat?

Usagi: Your mindset is all wrong... I did not go after somebody else's wealth (ie - tracking down someone for child support). I have created my own sources of income. Besides, how much would child support be? $800 per month? I can show you how to make ten times that much - all you have to provide is hard work and dedication.

Game - Set - Match.

Oh Rats!

2012-01-25T21:06:00.000-06:00

So tonight, my wife has dinner fixed, and is serving it when the heavy glass dish holding the chicken tenders totally shatters! Glass shards fly all around - into the vegetables, chicken, other food, and even to the floor.

The heavy glass dish was CorningWare - a high quality manufacturer. This is the first I've ever heard of one just breaking suddenly.

As she cleaned the glass up, I took the kids and purchased a meal for us. Cannot risk eating food that might have glass in it!

TSA and Nashville Airport out of line!

2012-01-23T11:56:00.000-06:00

Today, the TSA at the Nashville Airport detained Senator Rand Paul and caused him to miss his initial flight to Washington, DC. Evidently, they had a scanner malfunction, and Paul refused pat down (good for him!).

Though the TSA denies detaining him, they refused to let him be scanned again, and caused him to have to take a later flight to DC. That sounds like being detained to me!

I have documented my personal cases of the TSA in Nashville getting stupid. They have stepped over the line again!
These imbeciles seem to have the Cartman syndrome: "Respect my autoritah!"

Irony on attempts against freedom

2012-01-21T10:47:00.000-06:00

I posted some thoughts on the recent SOPA bill.

Thanks to Say Uncle for this interesting nugget:
The website of the author of SOPA would be in violation of his own law, it seems.

Abstract on SOPA

2012-01-20T08:46:00.001-06:00

I'm going to wax philosophical on SOPA today.

Unless you live in a cave, you heard that Google, Wikipedia, and others went "black" earlier this week in protest of the SOPA bill. The bill, presented by Congress as an attempt to curb piracy, had dangerous language in it that would have allowed the government to restrict online content.

Lesson 1:
Government is not a nanny, nor should it be. This is true with guns, internet, and many other things - some of which the government already plays nanny to, sadly.

Lesson 2:
Another lesson we should take from it is this: we the people need to know what is in every bill that Congress puts up for vote. Too many times, a bill is passed that has "unintended consequences" (as SOPA would have had) that leave us with less freedom.

Lesson 3:
Folks in government fear most losing their power (i.e. - not getting reelected). Make them think they will for any topic, and they will vote the way you want them to.

Lesson 4:
Had SOPA passed, it would have resulted in fewer freedoms at the expense of "more security." That's how it always works - they try to get you to sacrifice freedom for security. That's never a good trade.

Lesson 5:
Follow the money. ALWAYS follow the money. This bill would never have made it to committee, much less out of committee, if there had not been money behind it.

This week - January 2012

2012-01-18T20:12:00.001-06:00

"Things Found On Side Of Road:"

A 12-pack case of Mountain Dew. Unopened.

Middle of two-lane highway. Highway 30 - between Athens, TN and Decatur, TN. So, technically, this wasn't the "side" of the road.

Thirteen rules for gun owners

2012-01-18T07:29:00.000-06:00

Credit to this link for them:

1. Guns have only two enemies rust and politicians.
2. It’s always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
3. Cops carry guns to protect themselves, not you.
4. Never let someone or something that threatens you get inside arms length.
5. Never say, “I’ve got a gun.” If you need to use deadly force, the first sound they hear should be the safety clicking off.
6. The average response time of a 911 call is 23 minutes; the response time of a .357 is 1400 feet per second.
7. The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win – cheat if necessary.
8. Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets . . . You may get killed with your own gun, but he’ll have to beat you to death with it, because it’ll be empty.
9. If you’re in a gunfight:
- If you’re not shooting, you should be loading.
- If you’re not loading, you should be moving.
- If you’re not moving, you’re dead.
10. In a life and death situation, do something . . . It may be wrong, but do something!
11. If you carry a gun, people call you paranoid. Nonsense! If you have a gun, what do you have to be paranoid about?
12. You can say ‘stop’ or ‘alto’ or any other word, but a large bore muzzle pointed at someone’s head is pretty much a universal language.
13. You cannot save the planet, but you may be able to save yourself and your family.

I have reposted the meat of this because most of these quotes are credited to others, but they are all certainly true.

Took me a while to stop laughing...

2012-01-16T20:30:00.000-06:00

It took me a while to stop laughing long enough to post this.

President Obama's house in Chicago was foreclosed and sold! And he didn't even know!

And people think this guy has things together enough to lead the greatest country on Earth??? Hope and change my ass!

Strange things afoot

2012-01-14T00:56:00.000-06:00

Very strange, indeed. Strange day. Strange week. Strange past month or so.

In the comments below, post your strange story.

This is a placeholder for mine.

New Rifle for the Marines

2012-01-13T15:51:00.000-06:00

Seems the M249 SAW will be replaced by the HK 416.

If the platform will be the same as in the picture at the link, then it will have a lot of significant advantages in modern combat.

Sign on Road - 2012

2012-01-11T15:32:00.002-06:00

From the "Things Found on Side Of Road" files:

A sign read:

"Drive slow and see our beautiful town.
Drive fast and see our judge."

This was way cool!

2012-01-10T21:20:00.000-06:00

Some time back, a good friend of mine who works in conjunction with the construction industry gave me a bullet proof wall panel. He was helping in a project where a bank was updating their bulletproof walls and windows. The panel was some of the material being removed.

Given the dangerous area, my friend told me this was one of only two panels they removed that had not been shot!

He asked me to shoot it, and see if I could get through the panel. He wanted to see the report on this blog. So of course, I am happy to oblige.

I took the panel to a remote spot in a rural area. I had full permission of the property owner to conduct this "experiment."

A little background - most "bulletproof" materials are designed to stop pistol bullets, not rifle bullets. "Box O Truth" has lots of experiments of shooting bulletproof materials - and several materials are easily penetrated by rifle bullets. Almost everything is defeated by a 12-gauge shotgun slug.

That said, I took my AR 15 rifle, and loaded it up with 20 rounds of .223 caliber PMC Bronze ammo - a middle of the road ammunition. I fired three rounds into the fiberglass material - which was much like the material for sale at this link. Here is the result:

All three bullets penetrated. Here is a picture of the back:

So I shot it with my 9 mm GLOCK:

And here is the back - notice the smaller dimples from the pistol rounds. None of the 9mm shots made it through the material.

So, to channel "Old Painless" (author of the Box O Truth), here are my conclusions:
- A pistol is a pistol and a rifle is a rifle.
- Know the difference between cover and concealment.
- .223 has thousands of documented kills in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and all over. It has put down polar bears, grizzlies, lions, tigers, and many other dangerous animals. It shot through this "bulletproof" fiberglass like a hot knife through butter. It is plenty powerful enough for self defense or "SHTF."
- Shooting stuff is fun!

PS - after taking these pictures, I put about 100 rounds through the fiberglass. It was shredded!

Doing this the right way

2012-01-08T21:00:00.000-06:00

In honor of this.

I present you with this:

Details:
The Brady Campaign against Guns has designated today, January 8, as a day for which they urge people to hold candlelight vigils against "gun violence." This is, of course, a misnomer, as none of the guns involved in violence ever made a decision to become involved (unlike the perpetrators).

Therefore, per the link above, I am holding a candlelight vigil against violence.

Pictured is my violence prevention tool - my (fully loaded) GLOCK 19.

The candle is a Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish scented candle by Hanna's Candle Company of Fayetteville, AR.

Of note: The candle was "won" in a game of Dirty Santa. Right Minded's mother-in-law blindly selected the candle, which does not smell good at all when unlit. When it came to my turn, I opted to take the gift from her, giving her a chance at another selection. I announced my plan: to use the candle as target practice.
Oddly, the candle smells pleasant when lit.

New Nickname in politics

2012-01-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

Michelle "The Vacation" Obama.

Seems like a fitting nickname for someone who has spent $10 Million of taxpayer money on vacations.

Had Laura Bush spent a fraction of that over all 8 years, the liberal media would have been on it like a pack of dogs on a 3-legged cat.

All kinds of FAIL on this one

2012-01-08T12:35:00.000-06:00

Link to story.

Cliff's notes:
A felon stole a gun. He then killed himself with said gun. That by itself is not actually too strange.

Here's where it gets strange... the man's family sets up an estate for him. The estate (read: his family) then sues the gun owner for liability. They also sue the manufacturer (GLOCK) for liability, claiming that the gun was intentionally designed to go off while stored in a case.

Fortunately, the case was thrown out.

It bears repeating folks: this society is headed the wrong way, and crazy like this is just the symptom.

Shooting Stuff - January 2012

2012-01-07T17:23:00.000-06:00

OK, as a follow up from last week. Remember, I was unable to find a good video for Right Minded of crayons getting shot.

Enter a video of a couple of Brits shooting water balloons with a pellet gun.

Coolest thing ever? Nope.
Pretty cool anyways? Yep.

On Cue...

2012-01-07T12:17:00.000-06:00

With 2012 being an election year, recent reports have surfaced that the economy is adding jobs, and that the unemployment rate is dropping.

In the words of ESPN announcer Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!"

Read this article - about how the Obama Administration is cooking the books - then get back to me.

Seems that the Administration calls it a "created job" when everyone else operating in reality calls it "no longer eligible for Unemployment Benefits."

Too bad

2012-01-07T09:30:00.000-06:00

Too bad we can't have a President who does this frequently.

Presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry was spotted relaxing at the shooting range the night before the primaries in New Hampshire.

From looking at the pictures, good grip and good stance. He's done this before.

Know your target... and what is beyond it

2012-01-07T09:26:00.000-06:00

One of the four basic rules of gun safety is to know your target, and what is beyond it.

This guy didn't do that, and wound up shooting a teen who was trying out for a basketball team.

Presidential Politics - Jan 2012

2012-01-05T08:52:00.001-06:00

After the Iowa Caucasus on Tuesday, there has been some shuffling in the field of Republican candidates.

Michele Bachmann is out of the race, much to my dismay.
Rick Perry had to reassess, but decided to stay in it. Problem is, I've never seen a reassessment turn into a successful campaign. Once a candidate *thinks* about losing, they seem to lose steam (if they had any to start with).
Jon Huntsman never really had anything substantial going. That's not changing.

Based on the showing in Iowa, and polls in states soon to hold their primaries, let's look at the candidates:

Rick Santorum - decent. About as decent as anybody left.
No anti-gun votes. No pro-abortion votes. Now that Iowa is over, and along with it, any chance Ron Paul had of winning a state, Paul's vocal supporters will be less vocal (and heard even less) so their attacks on the next fairly conservative candidate will likely prove ineffective at best.

Newt Gingrich - I feel "meh" about Newt.
Not excited about him as he is soft on abortion. He also had an opportunity to single-handedly kill the Lautenberg Gun Ban in committee, but didn't for political reasons.On the positive side, he does know how to play the media, and I feel his appointments to the SCOTUS would be conservative.

Ron Paul - unelectable, and I'm not sure I'd want him in office.
Maybe as Secretary of State. Don't know whether to have an axe to grind with him over the shenanigans of his followers.

Mitt Romney - NOOOOOO!!!
I would call him "Obama-Lite" but that might give you the false impression he might be a bit better than Obama. Romney has a long track record of saying one thing and voting another way. Or changing his stance on a subject. His record is bad on guns, bad on Obamacare (Romneycare, anyone?), bad on taxes, bad on everything worthwhile.

Still undecided? Take this quiz - it's fairly accurate, and might help a bit. compare your opinions to those of the four remaining candidates.

Do your Due-Diligence

2012-01-03T20:29:00.002-06:00

From the Examiner:

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

- Robert Heinlein.

Here is a scenario that plays out all too often in the hiring world:

*****

Employee (interviewing): "May I ask about your benefits package?"

VP: "We have a full package, including health benefits."

Employee: "Great! I have a family and health insurance is a must for us!"

VP: "You will be interested to know that our benefits start from Day 1, then."

A few weeks pass, and Employee is hired at the company.

VP: "And in this email, we explain the benefits package you showed interest in."

Employee: "I can't seem to find the health insurance portion."

VP: "Oh, the health insurance starts after 90 days."

Employee is dismayed, as part of what was expected was health insurance from Day 1, as had been promised.

Several weeks pass. Employee is doing well on the job, and 90 days is coming up:

Employee: "I have heard from the payroll company about the 401k, but still no word from them about health insurance. My 90-day mark is coming up soon."

VP: "Oh, well the health insurance doesn't kick in until the first day of the month following your 90-day mark, so they may not have sent it yet."

Employee is yet again feeling confused. Starting to get angry. Yet, he waits, and asks again after the first of the month following his 90-days.

Employee: "It is the first of June. My 90-day mark was May 8. Should I have heard from the payroll company yet about health insurance?"

VP: "Yes, you should have heard by now. Why don't you give them a call?"

Confused, Employee calls Payroll company, trying to get answers:

Employee: "Hi, my name is John, and I work for RPM Turbo Cash (fictional name, of course). My manager told me to call about when I am eligible for the health insurance. I need to sign up. My family has been without health coverage for nearly four months!"

Payroll Company: "Oh, RPM Turbo Cash does not participate in our health insurance offerings. I'm sorry."

Confused, Employee doesn't know where to turn. He feels misled, and is understandably angry. What's worse, his son needs surgery, and he hasn't the money on hand to pay for it.

*****

What a dilemma!

Readers, this or something similar happens all too often. Most notably, at companies that employ fewer than 100 people. Companies of this size often use payroll and benefit partner companies, like ADP or Insperity. Prospective employees should ask detailed questions about needed benefits. If the hiring influence is unsure, ask more questions! Ask to speak with the payroll company if need be.

Make no mistake, having a suitable benefit package is a huge part of proper fit with any company. Do not be afraid to get clarification. Trust your instincts - if the hiring manager sounds unsure, or just blows over the benefits without detail, ask more! It is your future after all!

OK - need some help on this one

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000-06:00

Was surfing a favorite website when I found this story.

Evidently, a man claims to have found a dead mouse in his can of Mountain Dew.
He sues Pepsi.
Pepsi uses as their defense that the Mountain Dew would dissolve the mouse carcass.

I don't know if this will make it to Mythbusters, so I'll enlist the help of blog followers:

Please, DO NOT use a live mouse. Get a F/T mouse from a vendor that sells them as reptile food (I am not endorsing that particular vendor, just giving an example).
Place it in a container of Mountain Dew.
For science' sake, put a lid on it, I would presume the carbonation would be helpful for any chemical reactions needed to dissolve the mouse. With the lid off, the soda will go flat, and it may lose some of its dissolving properties.
Also, keep it in an aluminum can. Plastic may or may not do. Better yet, try dissolving multiple FT mice in varying containers. Keep a picture record - at least one per day for several days.

BAMF

2012-01-02T16:59:00.002-06:00

US Navy SEAL with 160 confirmed kills.

Public Service Announcement - Jan., 2012

2012-01-02T10:18:00.000-06:00

When you go shooting, if the gun clicks (or the round sounds underpowered at all), make sure to:
A) unload the gun, and
B) check the barrel for obstruction.
(And do it in that order - never look down the barrel of a loaded gun!!!)

A squib bullet, lodged in the barrel, will cause a serious malfunction. Known in common parlance as a "kaboom!" This often destroys the firearm, and will likely cause serious injury. Following are some links to videos of kabooms. To my knowledge, the people in these videos were either OK, or recovered.

As you can expect, there will likely be some language on these - it's not pleasant to have a gun blow up on you:
Clip 1 - M1 Garand kaboom
Clip 2 - AR 15 kaboom
Clip 3 - AK 47 kaboom
Clip 4 - M2 machine gun blows up (in a laboratory setting)
Clip 5 - Shotgun kaboom
Clip 6 - Bolt action rifle kaboom

Also, please note that none of these failures are due to the gun itself. This is an ammo issue.

How did this get passed and why did the media cover it up?

2012-01-02T09:41:00.000-06:00

Over the Holidays, The NDAA bill was signed by Obama. Of particular issue with this bill, is the fact that the language of the bill seems to allow the government to detain a citizen of the United States indefinitely.

As it stands, the bill seems to violate the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments to the Constitution.

Here is a video clip that details what all is wrong with the bill.

Good shoot - Jan 2012 - OK style

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-06:00

A young widow in OK recently was forced to defend herself and her son from an intruder.

Things didn't work out so well for the intruder, as he was shot and killed with a shotgun.

Saw this on Facebook - Jan 2012 edition

2012-01-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

How to start an argument online:

1. Express an opinion.

2. Wait a minute.

Follow Up from Sunday School

2012-01-01T20:49:00.003-06:00

Today in Sunday School we studied Numbers 22. For those unfamiliar, the cliff's notes is: the Israelites are on the border of the promised land. The Moabite king was afraid of them, and summoned a diviner, Balaam, to put a curse on them. Balaam was on his way to do just that when his donkey saw an Angel of the Lord, and refused to go forward, as the angel had a sword drawn.

Balaam beat his donkey when it refused to obey him. The third time, the Lord gave the donkey the gift of speech, and the donkey asked why Balaam was beating her. Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel. A short conversation later, Balaam was convinced not to put a curse on Israel, but instead would go and give four oracles to the king of Moab.

At one point, I was asked to recount a fact for the class, which I did. Problem was, my fact was messed up by my own memory. It had been several years since I'd studied this, and so I'd like to set the record straight here:

I stated that the rulers of the tribes and lands in Canaan were frightened of the Israelites, and the ruler of Jericho had written a letter to the Pharaoh of Egypt for military help. While this did happen, in the form of the Armarna Letters, my timing was not necessarily correct - and it was not necessarily the ruler of Jericho. It is generally thought that the letters of Armarna were written some time after this - perhaps during the time of the book of Judges in the Bible.

Of note in these letters, Canaan leaders requested military help to ward off large bands of roaming "Hapiru's" (Hebrews). This word, since it is translated from Akkadian, might also be spelled "Apiru," Habiru," or "Hapru." There are several other, less common spellings, but the gist is the same.

Also of note, is the fact that these found documents mention Yahweh - God. These are the earliest documents, other than the Bible, to mention Yahweh by that name. In so doing, it is interesting to see that these documents place the time just right with when we know Jericho was destroyed, as well as the reign of Egyptian Pharaohs.

Some might argue the timing, but they cannot account for assumptions made in carbon-14 dating. These assumptions are critical, because if they are slightly wrong, then the whole process is errant. In either event, carbon 14, and the Amarna Letters, date to within 80 years of each other. Practically on the dot given that it was 3500 years ago.

It is also interesting that the Akkadian word "Hapiru" became the standard for roaming nomads that went around fighting. There is evidence that David's band of warriors was referred to as "Hapiru" as were other bands up to the time of Solomon.

This for that

2012-01-01T17:26:00.000-06:00

So I was talking to Right Minded today, and I had seen a video of crayons getting shot. I promised him a post on it. However, I cannot for the life of me find the video of the crayons getting shot (if you read this, and know where one is, send it, please).

What I found when looking was a neat tutorial. I have tried a similar method, using crayon to fill in recesses carved in on a gun. Results look pretty good.

Coloring gun recesses with Crayon

Didn't realize this...

2012-01-01T14:04:00.000-06:00

Back in November, this blog passed 1000 posts.

New Feature... taking suggestions

2012-01-01T08:42:00.000-06:00

On the right of this blog is a new feature... a poll.

Feel free to participate, or not.
I know what the question will be next, after the one about your favorite gun runs its course. But I'm open to suggestions about future poll questions.

Not surprising, really - 2012

2012-01-01T08:26:00.000-06:00

CNN reports that gun sales were up - way up - this Holiday season.

Some interesting stats reported:
Dec. 23, 2011 was the second busiest day on record (in terms of most background checks performed)
Black Friday 2011 was the busiest day on record.
Nearly half a million background checks were performed in the six days prior to Christmas.

Only 1.3% of background checks performed resulted in a denial (had no idea that's what the percentage would be).
The number of background checks performed does not equal the number of guns sold. Per ATF regulation, multiple firearms may be purchased at the same time with a single background check.

Year in review - 2011

2011-12-31T10:17:00.001-06:00

This year has been a surprising one. As with every year, there have been ups and downs. I think the ups have outweighed the downs.

Best:
My nomination for best movie of the year (and I did not see all of them) - Battle LA.
Of course, I liked it for all the M16A4 goodness.
Honorable mention to Muppets.

My nomination for Recession buster of the year is my brother. He clocked $100K more in earnings this year compared to his earnings in 2007. And in 2007, he was above the Tennessee state average. Oh, and he pretty much doubled his earnings from last year.
Not surprisingly, he did not luck out - he busted his buns.

My nomination for best thing of the year overall is reduced ammo prices. I am buying .223 ammo for $5.88 per box of 20, compared to over $12 per same box just two years ago.

My nomination for proudest moment of the year is my son: he is in 1st grade, and is reading on a 4th grade level. In fact, his AR books (not to be confused with the gun of the same name) must all be selected from 3rd and 4th grade levels.

My nomination for heart-warming moment of the year came courtesy of the US Navy SEALs. Oh, and for those that still doubt, it seems the 5.56 mm round did just fine.

My nomination for best entertainment of the year is the TV show: "The Walking Dead."
The wife and I are glued to that.

Worst:
As often happens, we lost many people of note. Some stories were sadder than others.
Of course, my own grandmother died in July, and that had me down for over a month.

I was reminded first hand of my self-imposed rule to avoid getting involved in "teh crazy."
That's a good guideline for anybody, by the way.
But, just as the mythological phoenix rose from the ashes, some of these interactions sparked my new favorite blog topic.

Regular people are getting tired of the crap

2011-12-30T08:53:00.000-06:00

Link to a story where a Wendy's manager shot and killed a robber.

This is why carry permits are proliferating... regular people are fed up with being victims. People also realize that police simply cannot be everywhere. Even if they could, do you expect someone else to run in with a gun pointed at their head on your behalf?

Funny, true, sad, helpful, crude.

2011-12-29T22:02:00.000-06:00

This website is crude. I came across it about 14 or 15 months ago. I saw it, read it, and decided to change myself.

I'm not there yet... but I'm close.

In mid 2010, I was over 300 pounds. I wore a size 44 pants - and those were tight (couldn't carry my GLOCK inside the waistband any more). I was moving from an XXL shirt to an XXXL. I read the website and decided that when you boil it down, it was right on the money.

So I ate less. Recently, I started exercising more. I currently hover between 220-225 pounds. My arms have gained over 3" in diameter. My waist is down to 38" (under 40" is supposed to be the trick to avoiding heart disease). My chest went from 52" to 48" - I currently wear an XL shirt, and can fit in a Large, though the shoulders are too tight.

I have only one chin now... and am no longer appalled at my picture. Even "non-flattering" angles and shots are far better than my best pictures used to look.

I don't break toys I accidentally step on. I can jump... a lot if needed. Would like to see if I'm back to being able to dunk a basketball (could in High School). I can do pushups - nearly 40 now (wasn't able to do 1 before!).

Old friends who haven't seen me in a while immediately comment - whether I tell them or not that I lost weight. I move better on the mat when teaching and practicing martial arts. I don't get sick nearly as often, nor for as long. People can lock their ankles around my waist when working from the Guard.

It's not all better - there are some drawbacks:
- I am cold more often
- my limbs will "fall asleep" more quickly
- not all beds are as comfortable any more. Nor are all sleeping positions.
- I've had to buy all new clothes (but that gave me a chance to give old clothes away!)

PS - my favorite quote from that website:

"...you’ve got more rolls than a sushi restaurant."

Tough questions... depending on your take:

2011-12-27T20:40:00.001-06:00

Here's a link to 15 tough questions for those who believe in evolution as the origin of life.

Here are the questions, without the comments:

How did life originate?

How did the DNA code originate?

How could mutations—accidental copying mistakes (DNA ‘letters’ exchanged, deleted or added, genes duplicated, chromosome inversions, etc.)—create the huge volumes of information in the DNA of living things?

Why is natural selection, a principle recognized by creationists, taught as ‘evolution’, as if it explains the origin of the diversity of life?

How did new biochemical pathways, which involve multiple enzymes working together in sequence, originate?

Living things look like they were designed, so how do evolutionists know that they were not designed?

How did multi-cellular life originate?

How did sex originate?

Why are the (expected) countless millions of transitional fossils missing?

How do ‘living fossils’ remain unchanged over supposed hundreds of millions of years, if evolution has changed worms into humans in the same time frame?

How did blind chemistry create mind/ intelligence, meaning, altruism and morality?

Why is evolutionary ‘just-so’ story-telling tolerated?

Where are the scientific breakthroughs due to evolution?

Science involves experimenting to figure out how things work; how they operate. Why is evolution, a theory about history, taught as if it is the same as this operational science?

Why is a fundamentally religious idea, a dogmatic belief system that fails to explain the evidence, taught in science classes?

Why the controversy?

2011-12-23T22:38:00.000-06:00

Since the adoption of the M16, controversy has surrounded the platform. When it was first fielded, the military took shortcuts - such as changing the gunpowder and not chrome lining the barrel - that resulted in repeated and catastrophic failures. However, these were fixed, and by the time the M16A2 was released, the US military fielded the most modern and arguably the most reliable small arm on the planet.

Enter the M4A1. In 1994 the US Army adopted the M4 as its general use small arm. It was put to the test in the Middle East. Naturally, problems arose.

The M4 "cheats" its way to a lighter design by reduction of barrel length. Additionally, the gas tube (which operates the bolt, causing the carbine to chamber the next round automatically) is shortened. This creates a harsher environment for the bolt (the main moving part in the carbine). Subsequently, more failures were documented.

In other words, the "cheat" came at a cost. And the harsh environments of the Middle East exposed those costs and weaknesses.

So another controversy was born. This time, other gun manufacturers keep lobbying the US military, with factual claims that they can produce rifles and carbines that do not fail as often as an M4. In practicality, nobody argues the facts, as the M4, even when lubricated properly (something the Army has historically not been fond of doing), still failed once every 120 rounds tested. Most of the other manufacturer's firearms only failed approximately once every 250 rounds (this link - page 101).

What the other manufacturers don't want you to know is this: The M16A4 only suffered stoppages about once every 225 rounds - statistically indistinguishable from the HK and the SCAR.

Why change to a new platform? Why not just run it the way it was designed -as a rifle, with a rifle-length barrel (more accuracy, higher bullet velocity), with a rifle length gas system (more reliability, less recoil)???

Oh, wait... the US Marine Corps already does.

Bullying

2011-12-19T11:37:00.006-06:00

This is a story that was recently recounted to me. Seemed chock-full of lessons to learn.

Enter Grouchy
There once was an unhappy man - we shall call him Grouchy. Nothing seemed to go right in his life. To that end, he consumed himself with poisonous feelings and thoughts. As the unhappy are wont to do, he looked for an outlet in which he could be superior to others. Grumpy was not the physical specimen, nor really the intellectual specimen. But of the two, he fancied himself more intellectual.

Grouchy decided on religion as his outlet. For in religion, he could learn and later make use of knowledge which contains many things which are not absolute. He set about his learning. He learned much, and even came to a place of authority - leading others in their learning.

But as is the case in life, this too came to an end. Grouchy was certainly not happy about it. Of course, truth be told, Grouchy was rarely happy about anything. So Grouchy set out, looking for another outlet of authority. He enjoyed the authority and power given to him in the teaching element.

What Grouchy did not realize is that he did not have the heart of a teacher - he never taught for the love of the subject matter, nor even for the love of teaching. Time after time he was turned away in his bids to gain authority. Yet still, he learned about his religion. He learned how to argue certain points. He specifically chose points of view contrary to modern logic, but that also had less absoluteness to them. And especially he enjoyed points of view that would make him look more worthy than others.

Grouchy, you see, was a bully. Always had been. And now, as an adult, religion had become his bully pulpit.

Grouchy continued his search for the next group of people over which to exert authority. Of course, this group would have to be cultivated and raised up by another, for Grouchy certainly did not have the wherewithal to draw people to him.

Enter Jovial.
Jovial was an eternally happy soul. He had often in life been called on to lead, but had no ambition of leadership. He had found success in life in things physical as well as intellectual. But he sought out neither of these things.

Jovial had lead a great life, but as with everything, that was not always the case. At one point, Jovial's family life became the source of strife for a time. His life was not immune to the stresses of modern society, and so, for a time, he was in the midst of internal conflict. This left him confused and saddened.

While in the middle of the sorrow, Jovial was also attacked from the outside. The Devourer wanted to kick the man while he was down, and bring his jovial nature to an end.

In the midst of these attacks, the paths of Jovial and Grouchy crossed.

Enter the conflict:
As with all bullies, Grouchy was immediately able to discern the weakness - albeit a temporary one - in Jovial. Since their paths had crossed in such a way that Jovial had been leading a small group which Grouchy had attended (looking for his next attempt to unseat leadership and slip into that role again), Grouchy saw his opportunity.

Experience taught Grouchy to bide his time - he waited, he lurked, he observed.

Grouchy learned what he wanted to learn about Jovial. He learned of the perceived weaknesses. He learned of the fact that Jovial had never sought the position of leadership, and had no aspirations to it. He saw his chance to take this form Jovial, and he knew Jovial in the long run would never miss it.

And then it happened. Jovial was leading a meeting and discussed one of the topics that Grouchy had taken to long ago. A topic that was neither here nor there in importance. A topic that had no absolute truth to it.

Grouchy took the offensive, publicly disagreeing with Jovial. Grouchy took it further, and pressed on with attacks on Jovial in person and indirectly.
Grouchy used projection - he claimed Jovial was guilty of things which were in fact, true of Grouchy.
Grouchy sought attention - a problem clearly exhibited by bullies.
Grouchy acted narcissistic.
Grouchy denied the attacks, of course, and immediately counterattacked with feigned claims of victimhood.

But Grouchy failed in one area.

Normally, a bully will not seek out a healthy, confident individual to attack. Bullies prey on the weak. And while Jovial had certainly been weakened at the point in time of his first contact with Grouchy, the fact was that those problems had passed. The time it took Grouchy to bide and wait and lurk and observe had been used by Jovial to right all of the things in his own life, and regain his confidence.

So when Grouchy attacked, Jovial was no longer weak, but he was strong.

Grouchy's verbal and intellectual attacks were thwarted, one after the other. Grouchy was losing battle after battle. Battles that Jovial did not even want to fight - but was forced to by the constant attacks of Grouchy. Grouchy didn't realize that he had made a mistake in selecting his victim until it was too late - and then he was too far committed to turn back.

In desperate fear of losing a battle he so felt he needed to win, Grouchy threatened to take the matter to the pastorship - which Jovial quickly agreed to.

Jovial had learned that the best reaction to bullying, is to meet the bully head-on, with far more force than the bully expected or wanted to deal with. Jovial also knew all of the possible outcomes of taking the matter before the pastorship, and he was perfectly happy with any eventuality. In a manner of speaking, this was a fight he could not lose.

The Unaware:
First, the Mediator was brought in. Mediator had attended this church for quite some time. He was generally respected, and had been a real servant in the ministry for many years. Truth be told, it was his role that Grouchy really would have been after.

It was Grouchy that contacted Mediator, as well as Pastor. It was his side of story that was told first, and most vehemently. It was he that made "all the noise."

Mediator then contacted Jovial, and got his take on the story. Quite a different take, but not entirely surprising to Mediator. In the back of his mind, Mediator started wondering about the validity of any of Grouchy's claims.

Ultimately, the matter went before the Pastor. Though Mediator was the fact-finder, it was neither his place, nor his desire to render judgment in the case. Both Jovial and Grouchy were respectful of the position of the Pastor, and would live with his decision as being final.

The Pastor:
Pastor was young. He had replaced a previous leader who had been a man of great standing both in this congregation, as well as the community. Powers-That-Be within the congregation selected Pastor due to his youth and the fact that he was easily manipulated to do their bidding. The former leader had not been easy to manipulate.

In fact, just prior to this event, Pastor had maneuvered to make appointments of other pastoral positions within the church to be at the sole discretion of himself and another pastor. This was in stark contrast to the popular vote requirement for installation of pastorship that the church had used for many years prior. This was done at the direction of the church's "powers-that-be."
** Note below**

This was all fine with Pastor, as he held higher aspirations than simply being the Shepherd to this congregation for more than just a few years. His aspirations were to lead larger flocks, and have all of the notoriety that came with such a role. This congregation was simply a stepping stone.

The naivete:
Pastor is confronted directly by Grouchy. He sent Mediator on a mission to obtain all the facts. He sees this situation as a chance to show his ability. But in so doing, he makes one crucial mistake: he fails to see that despite the teachings of the Bible he holds so "dear," he refuses to believe there can be a right and a wrong in this case.

Pastor decides in advance that both men must have committed some wrong, and both men must also have some validity to their arguments. He decides in advance that this is the best way to broach the meeting. Pastor is not concerned with the facts of the case, but rather how he might show "resolution" that might bring himself more ability, and to do so in a way that would not put him at odds of his real superiors: the Powers-That-Be within the church.

In other words, he preselects a decision that cannot harm him... regardless of the truth in the case.

Jovial and Grouchy are brought before Pastor in meeting. Mediator is present, too. Each side has a chance to make their case. Pastor asks each man for a simple apology, and to admit his own misgivings.

The problem is that there were no misgivings on Jovial's part. And to apologize would be to grant the bullying Grouchy the very thing he sought most - attention in the case. Furthermore, Jovial was completely aware of the fact that the best way to handle a bully is to confront the bullying directly and avoid giving in to the bully's demands.

Of course, Grouchy denied all the claims of bullying. He tried to make it into a contest of scripture - asking for a scriptural resolution for a problem he himself created!

Even poor Mediator was reluctant to chime in with his personal feelings, as he was truly a bystander in the case.

The naive Pastor did not recognize the situation, primarily because he had preselected a desirable outcome, and secondly because he was young and inexperienced - particularly when it came to recognizing the signs of bullying. He could not see that Jovial was simply applying the tried-and-true tactic of standing up for himself.

Nevertheless, the remedy requested was indeed a victory for Jovial. Remember, Jovial was prepared for any outcome, and had no way to lose. Grouchy on the other hand, didn't even realize that if he got everything he wanted, he still could not win.

Conclusion:
In the end, Jovial refused to apologize to Grouchy.
Grouchy refused to acknowledge his own wrongdoing in the whole matter.
Mediator saw justice done, even if it wasn't in the plan.
Pastor saw himself not damaged, and thus his aspirations remained in play.

Lessons:
- Learn about bullying. It can save a life.
In this case, Jovial was fully prepared to deal with a bully, but so many people are not!

- Approach things in life with an open mind.
Pastor saw this from completely the wrong angle - but that was only due to his youth and inexperience.

- Age is no measure of wisdom.

- However, wisdom comes from experience

- It rains on the just and the unjust alike.

- There is such a thing as right and wrong in this world.

- People's motives must be understood, to understand why they make the decisions they make.

- Stop looking at motives as "right" or "wrong" when all you need to know is "why?"
People naturally want to assume that others want to do the right thing. This is largely true. But motives can differ. And people are often motivated without determining whether what they are doing is "right" or not. Also:

- People have a way. of rationalizing their actions and motives as "right" regardless of the truth of the matter.

- And last but certainly not least: when a bully has exhausted all his means of bullying to no effect, the last-ditch efforts to try to gain some sort of control wind up being very sad and pathetic.

** Note: Since publication, I have been advised that how pastorship decisions are made within this particular church has not changed. Of course, only time will tell if this is accurate.

Shooting Jacket - Product Review

2011-12-17T21:47:00.005-06:00

Recently, I ordered a USMC shooting jacket from Made by mcron. Those of you who follow this site will know I have had an olive drab shooting jacket ordered from Fred's M14 Stocks for about a year and a half. The trouble was, that jacket from Fred's was a XXXL, and I have lost over 80 pounds in the last year or so.

Today, my shooting jacket arrived in the mail. I ordered a khaki colored XL jacket. That's exactly what arrived. A number of people are familiar with Fred's jacket (which he only has been a distributor of, never the manufacturer), so I will write this review as a compare and contrast.

Link to pics on Facebook!

Size:
Currently, I stand 6'3" and weigh around 220 pounds. I wear an XL shirt off the rack from every manufacturer. XL shirts fit me right - not too tight, and certainly not baggy. I can put on a L shirt, but it does not have enough room in the shoulders. Currently, my chest measures 48" and my waist is 38".

This shooting jacket fits me as perfectly as a good Carhartt shirt (which happens to be my favorite).
The sleeves, though a little long, fit me perfectly (I have a "wingspan" of 81" - yes, 6'9").
Length is perfect.

Construction:
The jacket is made from a 100% twill cotton. The material rather resembles an old karate gi I had that was a 10 oz. brushed cotton canvas. Very soft, yet at least twice as thick and durable as the material on the jacket from Fred's. This is my favorite material to wear.

The padding is softer and a bit thicker than the padding on the Fred's jacket. Mary at Made by mcron makes these by hand, and her workmanship is truly professional. I dare anyone to find an unprofessional stitch in these jackets.

The buttons, being sewn on by hand rather than machine, are actually ruggedly attached. With the Fred's jacket, the first thing I had to do was reinforce stitching on the buttons so they wouldn't fall off when hit with the first stiff breeze. Mary made sure these buttons will not be dislodged easily.

Look:
This is a shooting jacket... not a fashion piece. That said, as far as USMC style shooting jackets go, this one certainly looks neat, trim, and professional. A shooting jacket is a tool first, so form definitely outweighs function. But Mary has shown her true skill in blending the form into the function seamlessly (pun intended!).

Price:
Made by mcron offers these jackets for $85 plus shipping. Fred's charges $70 plus shipping.
On the surface, this looks like a win for Fred's... but read on!

Value:
This jacket, for $85 is a steal! With a more durable build than the one from Fred's, the nominal extra price is more than justified.
BUT...
(and this is a big "but")
Made by mcron has fantastic service - and their representatives (read - their owners) will actually call you back and do this little thing called communication. And good customer service.
A quick Google search of Fred's on customer service will yield the ugly underbelly of the fact that so many people feel that "Fred" could care less once he gets your money.

Not only that, but Made by mcron also will make your jacket in different colors (I got khaki, not olive drab green - just like I wanted). Currently they advertise khaki, od green, desert camo, and a woodland digital camo called CADPAT.

Summary:
Would I order from them again? YES. In a heartbeat.
Would I recommend them? YES, in a heartbeat.

Two thumbs up.
Five stars.
"Like" on Facebook
etc...

Post Edit:
Please also note, as pointed out below in the comments by Glocker 21, 10% of the purchase price ($8.50 if my math is correct) is donated to veterans organizations by the nice folks at Made by mcron.

Post Edit 2:
In a Facebook conversation, one of the owners of Made by mcron stated that the khaki shooting jackets are indeed made of a 10 oz. twill cotton, and the Fred's jackets are made with a 5 oz. cotton. (seems I do know my fabrics from all of the karate and judo gis I've seen over the years).
However, he indicated that Made by mcron's OD green jacket is also made from the same 5 oz. material.
Still, given the customer service difference, the difference in attitudes, and the fact that 10% goes to veterans' assistance, my money is on the Made by mcron jackets... by a wide margin.

Post Edit 3:
Added link to pics on Facebook.
Highlighted company name "Made by Mcron"

Did Cavemen go to Heaven?

2011-12-15T23:19:00.000-06:00

Saw this on a forum I frequent, and thought it would make a great topic for my next religion post.
Unlike others, this will be a short post.

Cavemen existed. I don't know of many people that would argue that. The point of contention is when did they roam the earth? Some would say hundreds of thousands of years ago. All of that is without evidence, as there were no observers, and no hard evidence there was anything around more than about 10,000 year ago.

That said, there is debate about how one might be saved prior to Christ's arrival on earth. Here is a link that summarizes it beautifully. So, essentially speaking, if a caveman believed in God, they were saved. Because God had given us a Promise (that Jesus would fulfill), and that promise was His manifested Grace, and there is not scripture that would indicate that salvation is by anything other than God's Grace.

This happened to me on the job once

2011-12-15T21:14:00.002-06:00

Was looking for an insurance agency in a small rural town in Tennessee. Could not find them, so I called:

Usagi: "Hi, I was looking for your agency. Can't seem to find it."
Agent: "We are where we've always been."

I go to the spot they used to be located at - which has been bulldozed and turned into a small retail center.

Usagi: "I am at the old place. Can't seem to find your office."
Agent: "Oh, well we are over by the parts store."

I go to the parts store. No dice. I walk into the parts store and ask. They have no clue, either. Not a good sign in a small town (fewer than 5000 people).

Usagi: "I am at the parts store and cannot seem to locate you. Even the guys here don't know about your agency."
Agent: "Oh, well, the owner now operates the agency out of her house, and she doesn't want anyone over. So, bye!"

From the mouths of babes

2011-12-15T07:31:00.000-06:00

Another funny martial arts story from the past:

Parents who bring their children to me typically do so for one of two broad reasons:
a) To help with behavior issues.
b) To expose their children to real martial arts for self defense and/or fun.

A young lady was a student in my studio. She had arrived early as she often does. Even in the first grade, her mother insists she learn good manners, and this is good. So it completely surprises me when she blurts out:

"Are the demon-children going to be here?"

She was referring to a family whose children attended class at that time - obviously to help with behavior problems - and who were in need of much help and improvement.I mean, these children were really difficult. Of course, it didn't help that mom or dad would sugar them up right before class (for example: half of the time, they had an icee right before class).

I still don't know which is funnier: what she said, or the fact that I was wondering the exact same thing.

Question on power

2011-12-12T09:03:00.001-06:00

Occasionally (not as often anymore), some folks will question whether an AR 15 (chambered in the standard .223 / 5.56 mm) is powerful enough.

Powerful enough for what? I ask.

Clean, one shot kills on animals larger than deer - probably not. There are better choices.

Sniping from 800 meters away - probably not. Again, there are better choices.

But I bet it would do in a pinch in either situation.

Here is a story about a polar bear being put down with an AR15.

Heck, if it can take down a polar bear, I'd say it's good enough for anything in North America.

Good shoot - Dec 2011 version

2011-12-10T08:24:00.000-06:00

A woman in California is on the phone with 911 as an intruder tries to break into her house. Sadly, when seconds count, police are only minutes away. This is not a bash against cops, it is a fact. Police cannot be everywhere at all times.

Listen to the 911 tape of the call. The woman shot twice, that didn't work. So she shot a third time. People, ammo is cheap, life is expensive.

Today, Donna Harper knows this to be true as she is alive.

The most surprising thing of all is the idiot 911 operator, urging Hopper to not fire the gun! The operator states that she doesn't want Hopper to accidentally shoot at police, but Hopper has stated several times that she can't see police anywhere, and the intruder is breaking in at that moment!

Who I am. And why I do what I do.

2011-12-09T23:52:00.000-06:00

Recently I purchased this hat from Life, Liberty, Etc.

While at a hotel on business recently, I was wearing the hat, and it caused one of the hotel employees to approach me. I learned she was raised Muslim, but had converted to Christianity. She asked me why I would wear such a hat, and asked me if I knew what it meant.

The word on the hat is "kafir" - or as we commonly know it, "infidel."

I answered that I knew I was an infidel according to the Qur'an, as I do not believe in Allah. I believe in Jehova (YHWH in the Jewish tradition), whose son is Jesus, the Christ. Some Muslims (this person included), feel that the god of the Islamic tradition is the same - the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. However, Islamic tradition holds that other religions (Judaism, Christianity) who "share the same God" are wrong, or somehow incomplete, since Mohammed is the final prophet and the Qur'an is their sole source of authority.

In other words, they think the Bible is incomplete and inaccurate.

By definition, that is not true - if I am to follow Christian faith (which says clearly that the Bible is God's word), then I must believe that the Bible is entirely true. Furthermore, to say that the Bible is inaccurate and that the Qur'an is the only true message from God would dispel what Jesus himself said: "I am the Way the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

There is no getting to heaven through Allah.

This person could not argue my logic, so then she resorted to stating that in Arabic, the word "kafir" means the same as the English "atheist." Not entirely true. Furthermore, the "infidel" is seen as an enemy to the Muslim. The Qur'an instructs the Muslim to fight the infidel that cannot be turned to Allah.

She also stated that the Arabic word "Allah" was simply "god" - and did not refer to a specific god. This is equally incorrect.

She also stated that Muslims are not really taught that Jews and Christians are infidels. This, too, is equally incorrect (link from their own wiki!)

Conclusion:
Since I do not (and will never) believe in the Muslim Allah,
And since I know this, and they have a term for someone like me - "kafir"
It is only fitting that I do indeed match their (Muslim) description of the word "kafir" - or "infidel." Since I am unabashedly Christian, and glad for my salvation through the Grace of God, it pleases me to no end to say:

I am an infidel by their (Muslim) definition of the word.

Weight discrimination.

2011-12-07T07:10:00.000-06:00

From the Examiner:

Despite what some might tell you, weight-discrimination does exist. Many supervisors and hiring influences will use this ugly method of discrimination against employees and prospective employees.

Weight discrimination, or weightism, is protrayed in media outlets, and is one of the last forms of discrimination that is still looked on in a "good" light. Fortunately, our society has largely done away with discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, and other trivial matters.

The other side of this coin is that these days, there are more overweight people in America than ever before. And Nashville, being in the Southeast, is right in the middle of a state that is one of the most obese.

Sadly, weightism is not technically illegal in hiring processes. Further, it is often covered up very carefully behind other, legitimate-sounding excuses. So combating weightism during interviews and hiring processes is difficult and often tricky, at best.

If a person feels they have been discriminated against due to their weight, all of the standard rules and procedures apply. Try to work things out in a civil manner. If the company won't, then the job seeker must decide whether to file a claim with the EEOC - being mindful that weightism is not one of the listed types of discrimination.

It might be an uphill battle, so the job seeker must continue to look for other jobs as well. No reason wasting one's whole life on one negative outlet, while passing by all the other wonderful opportunities that are literally right under one's nose.

Another method of combating weightism is really a plain and simple one. Get on a good diet and exercise plan and lose some weight. Not only will the job seeker look and feel better with the weight loss, but will also reap the rewards of all the other health benefits associated with a healthy weight.

Note: The author was once in excess of 300 pounds - morbidly obese by medical standards, and is certain of having been discriminated against due to his weight on more than one occasion. Today, he is over 80 pounds lighter than his peak weight, and has noted that the stigma has all but vanished.

Saw this on Facebook - had to post:

2011-12-06T21:03:00.000-06:00

You might be a redneck if:

- It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God..'

You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same. Some of you are so old you don't have elders to respect.

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

You might be a redneck if: You believe in God & Jesus and believe that others have the right to believe in which ever god they believe in as long as their god does not tell them to kill anyone who does not believe the same as they do!!!!!

College football National Championship 2011

2011-12-05T16:40:00.000-06:00

As I've written before, college football needs a national championship tournament.

If we follow the pattern I suggested almost two years ago, then here is what we would have. Conference champions get selected, then the top 3 other teams according to BCS standings:
1. LSU
2. Oklahoma State
3. Oregon
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. Clemson
7. Southern Miss.
8. West VA
9. Northern Ill.
10. Arkansas State.
11. Louisiana Tech
12. Alabama
13. Stanford
14. Arkansas

Hypothetical of how I think it would turn out, based on this alignment:

Round 1:
#3 Oregon vs #14 Arkansas
In a shootout, Arkansas proves SEC football reigns supreme and ousts the PAC 12 champs 64-62 in 3OT

#4 TCU vs #13 Stanford
The Cardinal, behind Andrew Luck, race out to an early lead and never look back. TCU cuts the margin late, but only against the 3rd string defense and Stanford wins 38-28.

#5 Wisconsin vs #12 Alabama
Wisconsin gets blitzed early and often. Alabama shows why they were the BCS #2 team and pulls away 42-10.

#6 Clemson vs #11 La Tech.
Clemson puts on a show, and dominates 35-7.

#7 Southern Miss vs #10 Arkansas St.
Southern Miss wins the most competitive game of the first round 24-23.

#8 West Virginia vs #11 Northern Illinois
This game provides our first "upset." Of course, the folks in the Chicagoland area know they have a good team on their hands, and West VA proves why the Big East is the most over-rated conference. Northern Illinois wins convincingly 28-10.

Round 2:
The Fiesta Bowl sees #1 LSU face #14 Arkansas in a rematch of the SEC west game.
Unfortunately for the hogs, the rematch has the same story line. 28-13 LSU

The Orange Bowl pits #2 Oklahoma State vs. #13 Stanford.
The Cowboys get all they want of Andrew Luck and then some. Stanford wins a thriller 63-59 in OT.

The Citrus bowl hosts #6 Clemson vs #12 Alabama.
It's all the same, only the names are changed for the Crimson Tide in a laugher. 41-14 Alabama.

The Cotton Bowl offers us #7 Southern Miss vs. #11 Northern Illinois.
This is the best game of the tournament so far with the Eagles eeking out a 27-24 win in 2OT.

Round 3:
In the Sugar Bowl, #1 LSU has "home-field advantage" over #13 Stanford.
But in the end, they didn't need it. Andrew Luck sees his first NFL-speed defense and throws 4 interceptions. LSU wins going away 37-14.

The Rose Bowl pits #7 Southern Miss vs #12 Alabama.
This is no contest. Alabama pulls away like they have against every opponent so far this year except #1 LSU. Richardson runs for 250 yards and the Tide win 45-9.

National Championship Game:
#1 LSU in a rematch against #12 Alabama held at the Orange Bowl.
These two teams show us why they were #1 and #2 in the BCS polls. Again it goes to OT. Again, LSU squeaks away with a field goal victory. All that matters is the final 20-17.

More on why not Romney

2011-12-05T14:51:00.001-06:00

Several have asked me why not Mitt Romney for President - as he seems to be a consistent front-runner.

So here's some basics:
1. Gun Control.
He was for gun control before he was against it. Even when he is against it... he's not really against gun control. He signed a permanent "assault weapons" ban into law as a governor.

2. Romneycare.
Pushed through and signed into law in 2006 (only three years before Obamacare), this law was essentially the template used by the liberals and democrats for the Obamacare plan.
Any questions?

I'm not the only one in the family with a sarcastic edge.

2011-12-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

Frankly speaking, I am probably the least sarcastic of my siblings. I have the second-strongest filter of the three of us. I just happen to have the biggest dose of "I-don't-give-a-crap."

Anyways, one of my siblings has started a blog. Funny stuff.

This is what our conversations are typically like. :)

Pleasant surprise in sports

2011-12-05T09:07:00.000-06:00

Prior to the season, I predicted that my favorite NFL team, the Tennessee Titans, would wind up 6-10. After all, they had just dumped the entire quarterback roster for a free agent and a draft pick. They had also fired the longest-tenured coach in the NFL and hired Mike Munchak - who had never been a head coach on any level before.

After their win yesterday against the Buffalo Bills, the Titans moved to 7-5, and are in the thick of the hunt for the NFL playoffs. Moreover, even if they lose every game between now and the end of the season (unlikely when one looks at the opponents remaining), they have already eclipsed my prediction.

Right now, there are four games left in the season, in order: vs. the Saints, Colts, Jaguars, and Texans.
The Saints and the Texans are both tough. Both sport a 9-3 record as of this article.
On the other side of the coin, the Colts are having a really odd losing year and are 0-12. The Jaguars are 3-8.

Based on those simple stats, the Titans will likely go 2-2. I predict they beat the Jags and Colts, and fall to the Texans and Saints. That gives them a record of 9-7... possibly a playoff berth (if all the cards fall right).

Replacement found

2011-12-04T18:31:00.003-06:00

She doesn't have the best campaign, but she does have the values. That's what we need most of all. Since Herman Cain is no longer in the Presidential race, I am throwing my support behind Michele Bachmann.

Cool quote she had on guns:

"I don’t get as much time to go and shoot as I would like, but my favorite gun is the AR-15. It’s so accurate. It is a big gun!"

Poetic Justice

2011-12-03T22:27:00.000-06:00

A home intruder was shot and killed in Florida.

Details of note:
The shooter was a former beauty queen.
The shooter used a pink handgun.
The intruder was a career criminal.

Sounds like a good shoot to me!

Sad it came to this

2011-12-03T21:29:00.000-06:00

Today, Herman Cain announced he is suspending his bid for President. He cited the damage done to his family by the continued assaults on his character regarding phony sexual misconduct allegations.

Now I gotta go find another candidate to vote for. Sure won't be Ron Paul.

Word analysis for the day:

2011-12-01T22:15:00.001-06:00

"Win"

noun - a victory, especially in competition.

verb - to achieve a victory or finish first

also - To get laid off from one's job - while simultaneously having two other jobs (which more than pay the bills). Especially when one anticipated the layoff within 2 weeks of starting employment there.
see also - Usagi's start to December.

This is so very cool!

2011-12-01T07:15:00.004-06:00

Get your picture taken with Santa and machine guns!

Gun Rights - TN 2012

2011-12-01T07:15:00.003-06:00

Looks like some legislators are thinking about making it legal to carry in TN without a permit... but they will keep the permit system in place so that folks can carry in states that have reciprocal agreements.

Mixed emotions - Dec. 2011

2011-12-01T07:15:00.002-06:00

The state of Ohio has taken a boy from his mother. The boy was in the third grade, and weighs over 200 pounds.

On one hand, the state of Ohio should have no ability to take a child away from a parent. The state also stated that the child is at risk for certain diseases - but that doesn't mean the child has those diseases, however!

On the other hand, the simple fact is that this is the single best thing that has ever happened to this child.

8 wins or he's out

2011-12-01T07:15:00.001-06:00

Can't say I disagree with this article. At all.

New Holiday Song

2011-12-01T07:15:00.000-06:00

In light of the way Black Friday has unfolded in recent years; a tribute, in song, from an email:

Gunshots ring, are you listenin'?
In the aisles, pepper sprays mistin'.
Be ready to fight, on Black Friday night
Shopping in a Walmart wonderland

In the parking lot we can rob an old man
And pretend we bought this on our own
He'll say "Help me", we'll say "No man"
Just kick him, shoot him then we go right home

Later on we'll perspire as we come under fire
Be ready to fight on Black Friday night
Shopping in a Walmart wonderland.

Great read on why not to vote for Ron Paul

2011-12-01T07:14:00.002-06:00

Link to Camp4u. He sums it up better than I ever could.

Post-edit:
Update...
Ron Paul says the Bush Administration was "gleeful" when the 9/11 attacks happened. Paul stated that Bush was looking for a reason to invade Iraq. That was a very irresponsible thing to say.

Movie Review - Thanksgiving weekend 2011

2011-12-01T07:14:00.000-06:00

The Muppets movie of 2011 was on tab this past Thanksgiving weekend.

It was a Muppet movie. The producers held to the formula (simple comedy, simple plot, entertaining songs) that made the Muppets a favorite of mine, and so many others in my age group.

My kids loved it. I enjoyed it. More than once, the wife was tapping her feet to the beat of a song.

Well, I guess McCain woulndn't have been much better than Obama

2011-12-01T07:13:00.000-06:00

He has co-authored a bill that would violate the constitutional rights of citizens by allowing the government to detain indefinitely and determine what is "enemy action" - and in so doing, imprison American Citizens here in our own country.

What they in power don't get is that the US Military if for fighting people who would bring harm to Americans, not to fight Americans!

In an email from Pops:

2011-11-24T19:10:00.003-06:00

Microchip Implant Allows Islamic Terrorists to Speak to God.
The implant is specifically designed to be injected in the forehead.
When properly installed, it will allow the terrorist to speak to God.

It comes in various sizes: Generally from .223 to .50 cal.
The exact size of the implant will be selected by a well-trained and highly skilled technician, who will also make the injection. No anesthetic is required.
The implant may or may not be painless. Side effects, like headaches, nausea, aches and pains are extremely temporary.
Some bleeding or swelling may occur at the injection site. In most cases, you won't even notice it.
Please enjoy the security we provide for you.
Best regards,

"WE take great comfort in knowing that the last thing Osama bin Laden saw on this earth was an American".

In Memory - November 2011

2011-11-20T22:52:00.000-06:00

She was the adoptive mother of a close friend in High School. May she rest in peace.

Multi-use gun, not an "assault weapon"

2011-11-19T09:51:00.002-06:00

An article on the AR 15 as a precision shooting platform.

Of course, I prefer the term "general purpose rifle" since the AR 15 can fill many roles.

Funny Video - November 2011

2011-11-19T09:49:00.000-06:00

This video is so funny yet so very wrong.

Good Shoot - Chattanooga style

2011-11-18T08:10:00.001-06:00

A frequent reader (and perhaps a member of the family - I'm not tellin'!) sent this article to me.
Basically, a man was leaving for work when he was accosted by two criminals. One of the criminals pulled a gun. The man was a HCP holder, and pulled his own gun. At least one of the criminals was shot - the article mentioned only one "suspect" as having been shot - no mention of the fate of the other "suspect."

Embarrassing moment

2011-11-15T19:16:00.001-06:00

Embarrassing to say the least. When I was new to sales and customer service, working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Dyersburg, TN, I made a really bad error. This happened in 1999.

I was reminded of this by recent conversation with the man who was my manager at the time - Rich. He was an excellent manager, and taught me a lot. However, at the time of this "incident," I simply had much to learn.

A customer had locked a set of keys in a rental car, forcing us to get an additional set of keys cut. Rich informs me that I need to tell the customer that there is a charge for that, as the keys were not free to Enterprise, either. I think the charge was something minimal - $25 or so.

I had trouble thinking of a good way to express this to the customer. Finally, I made up my mind (customer was on hold on the phone at the time):
"Sir, don't be surprised if there is a $25 charge on your credit card to cover the price of the keys."

Rich immediately chided me when I hung up the phone: "that's a terrible way to say that!" His half-smile indicating not only his displeasure with me, but also his incredulity at my lack of tact.

He was RIGHT! That was a terrible way to say that. Not sure I could say it worse if I had to - even now, some 13 years later.

Looking back, all I can do is facepalm myself.

Once Saved Always Saved?

2011-11-14T21:17:00.000-06:00

Summed up - some people believe that once the gift of Salvation has been accepted, that it cannot be undone. Others believe that the gift can be given back. Using that simple analogy, these things seem possible. But are they? If so, which one is true?

Of course, this is another of the "hot topics" in modern Christianity.

On one end, you have the concept that Salvation is perfect, and that God does not do things "halfway." On the other side of the coin, you have the concept that people can reject God (which is true), but also do so after having accepted Him.

This link has a lot of good arguments, pro and con. It even has links - pro and con. The author takes the point of view that salvation can be rejected - which is true. The question, though, is whether salvation can be rejected after it is first rejected.

The link, and the subsequent links, provide more scripture on the topic than I could ever hope to link here.

The basic idea gets down to this: what is salvation? It is the atonement of sin. Essentially - it is God forgiving you. God forgives you for sins - past present and future. If it were not true, then it would be necessary to be saved again and again as future sins were committed.

God's forgiveness is unlimited - if we ask it and accept it. There is not a sin that He will not forgive. On that topic, there is not a sin that is greater or worse than another. "For the wages of sin is death." The Bible never indicates one sin as being more deserving of death than another.

Now, unlike Calvinists, who believe falsely that God chose specific people to be saved ahead of time, I firmly believe we must accept the Gift through our own free will. Some say you can "give that gift back" - but it is not that kind of gift. It is not a tangible gift. It is a gift of eternal forgiveness.

And because the gift is eternal forgiveness, it cannot by definition be given back. God agrees to forgive every sin you might commit when you simply ask Him to. That includes future sin - even the sin of rejecting Him.

Therefore, I conclude, in the absence of scripture to the contrary, that God's plan of Salvation is perfect, and will forgive and atone for any sin - past, present, and future.

That said, I am not about to reject God to test this hypothesis! :)

Bill Clinton as President

2011-11-12T23:48:00.000-06:00

A regular reader recently asked me to sum up thoughts on Bill Clinton as President. In short, I was not yet old enough to vote in 1992, and I voted for Dole in 1996. So you know which way I am going.

Clinton took office Jan. 20, 1993 and left office Jan 20, 2001. During that time, many people attribute much success to him. Fact is that most of the economic success came via balanced budgets and holding steady on taxes via bills passed by a Republican controlled House and Senate in the mid and late 1990's. Another source of the economic boom was consumer debt.

Failure #1: Terrorism
America was attacked on its own soil in 2001 by Islamic extremists. Emboldened by Clinton's lax policy on dealing with violent radicals, these terrorists felt that we as Americans were soft. After all, we had elected and re-elected a soft leader in Clinton.

Fact is, there were several terrorist attacks that went unanswered during the Clinton administration, and this is what gave the terrorists on 9/11/2001 the guts to attack us:
-World Trade Center in 1993.
- Fuel truck bomb in Saudi Arabia in 1996.
- US Embassy bombed in Kenya in 1998.
- Last, but not least was the attack on the USS Cole in 2000.

Failure #2 - NAFTA
Ever notice lately how bad our unemployment is? Can you imagine how much better the US Economy would be if we had about, say, 1,000,000 more manufacturing jobs? Well, thank NAFTA - the "free trade" bill signed into law by Clinton. It was feared in 1992 that such a bill would cripple the US Economy. Sadly, the predictions were true. Even current President Obama was critical of the move in 2008 when he was running against Bill Clinton's wife.

But, if you like sending all our jobs overseas, then you wouldn't understand this criticism.

Failure #3: Socialized Health Care
Nobody wants it now, and nobody wanted it in 1993. Difference was that in 1993, enough politicians were frightened enough to actually not vote for it.

Failure #4: Social Security and Medicare
It is no secret that Social Security and Medicare are out of control. But they weren't always. Back in 1993, the Omnibus Act passed, and removed spending caps. That's all we needed - prevent the government from having any spending limits on something... anything. Jeesh.

Failure #5: Brady Bill
Passed in 1993, this bill required a waiting period on handgun purchases. To date, it has not prevented a single crime. What it was is an attempt to control guns a bit more and take a step toward the removal of the 2nd Amendment. Thankfully, in 1998, an online background checking system became possible, and the asinine law had its sunset.

This law also made it difficult and sometimes impossible for US citizens to purchase surplus firearms from other countries, like the SKS. It was this precedent that is attributed to part of current President Obama's "rationale" for banning the US from taking delivery of our own M1's and M1 Carbines that we had lent South Korea.

Failure #6: "Assault" weapons ban:
Enacted in 1994, as part of this silly law made illegal certain "deadly features" on common use rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Of note, the "deadly features" included magazines that hold over 10 rounds of ammunition, pistol grips, collapsible stocks, flash hiders, bayonet lugs, and muzzle devices that allow for attachment of grenade launchers.

One really silly provision was "semiautomatic versions of automatic weapons." Replicas, in other words.

Thankfully, this law also had a sunset clause, and expired in 2004. However, the damage had been done. Americans wanted freedom - not governmental restrictions. So a Republican majority in Congress was elected later that year.

Failure #7: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Tell me one thing this did. For gays, or for those who oppose gays in the military.

Would you look at this, part II

2011-11-11T16:53:00.001-06:00

It seems Wal Mart now sells AR 15 style rifles and carbines. I've seen them myself, and here's a link to a blog article on the same news.

Prevailing price on a decent Bushmaster carbine seems to run $847 - $897, depending on location. This is far less than the typical gun store - which often sell the same for $1000 or more.

Of course, one could order an AR 15 of equal if not better quality for far less money.

And one could assemble an AR 15 of equal or better quality for even less money.

So funny and shouldn't have been

2011-11-10T22:02:00.000-06:00

So this week I visited several clients (as I do every week).

One client had the postcard my company sent out to introduce me recently. My photo was on the postcard. On my photo, the client had drawn glasses on me.

I snickered inside. It was funny.
Some might have been offended, but I guess I'm just too juvenile not to like it.

Artistically said

2011-11-10T21:59:00.001-06:00

These songs were on my mind recently, for different reasons. None of them is my favorite - but all of them apply to something... somewhere.

Sound Beach
Lyrics

Ph@ri-C 2011
Lyrics

Age is no measure of wisdom
Lyrics

Forever "My Belle"
Lyrics

Funny Sign

2011-11-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

This week I spotted a sign at a place that does oil changes. It read:

"Sign man too lazy - come inside for message."

Multiple great quotes

2011-11-09T18:17:00.000-06:00

I really like the quotes from Clint Smith:
(in part)

"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That’s ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid about?"

"Don’t shoot fast, shoot good."

"You can say ‘stop’ or ‘alto’ or use any other word you think will work, but I’ve found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone’s head is pretty much the universal language."

Fun afternoon

2011-11-06T20:41:00.000-06:00

So part of my son's 7th birthday gifts from my wife and I was tickets to the Tennessee Titans game this afternoon. Mrs. Usagi does not enjoy watching professional football in person (too many TV timeouts), so it was just the boy and myself.

We left early in the afternoon to make the 3:05 start time. We both had fun, even though the Titans did not emerge victorious.

My overall record, watching the Titans in person, is 2-2. Twice I've watched the Titans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. I've also witnessed them lose to the Oakland Raiders, in addition to the loss today.