Well Now.........Isn't This Interesting?

I'm personally familiar with a coworker who had a family member die from a blow to the head by another's fist. I'm familiar with at least two cases in the past year where individuals have died subsequent to being hit in the head with a fist. A punch to the head that knocks an individual down, followed by slamming someone's head into the ground (sidewalk?) repeatedly, would meet my definition of a high-likelihood of lethality assault.

The fact that there are witnesses corroborating this enhances the probability that the version is accurate, which is important. The most important thing here is that the law is upheld, regardless of participant skin shade. Justice is supposed to be blind so that it is impartial. Which is wildly different from the concept of justice held by those participating in "hoodie marches".

If a large numbers of people are angry, marching, and sloganeering, there's probably some engineering going on behind it.

Lessee,

Two nights of on-call, then National Guard this weekend, then two nights of call, followed by frantic packing while waiting for a purchaser's home inspection for the next week, call, and then load guns, bikes, and clothes for a ride out to North Carolina to (I hope) a new home in need of some serious rehabbing, and starting a new job and a new chapter of life.

No stress. Because after you've been places where people want to kill you, things randomly go boom, and your possessions consist of two duffel bags worth of stuff, there's not that much that's really that bad if you've got all your limbs and your friends are OK.

But Jim Beam does mellow that nagging concern you might have to live in your cargo trailer for a year or so if things don't work out.

Tebow Teapot Tempest

I keep seeing on TV and the web about Tim Tebow. Apparently people are either thrilled someone is finally proud to show their faith openly, or appalled by the same.

As a "small a" atheist (e.g., I don't belong to any organizations, have any agendas, or feel either particularly empowered or marginalized), I'd simply like to say: WTF?

Don't either of these groups of people have more urgent things to attend to in our current economy and social situation?

If you're religious, I can tell you from my perspective the most impressive thing you can do is actually live the tenets of your faith consistently. I've actually known a few folks who've done that, and I've felt privileged to know them.

If you're not religious, unless someone attempts to satisfy their urge to bomb/maim/enslave/force you to pay an "infidel tax", you can practice some that tolerance you're frequently complaining you don't get (aka, live the tenets of your espoused philosophy consistently).

Walk the walk, or STFU.

Everything or Nothing

So there's a bit of controversy about a pledge of allegiance down in Texas.

I thought the instructor's statement about the Mexican pledge activity being "a cultural thing" is interesting. To a degree, she's right. It is cultural. And much more. It's a pledge,or in other words, a statement of fidelity, oath, or promise.

Which means for this individual teacher that either these words mean absolutely nothing, or if they do have meaning, she is directing students to pledge allegiance to a foreign nation. I think it's more likely it doesn't mean anything to her. Reciting an oath to the symbol of a sovereign nation is simply an exercise. Because they're just words, and words don't mean anything unless you believe what you're saying, right?

Unfortunately, I suspect there's a lot of people in the US that believe that. Personally, I won't recite an oath to another nation. It's not an exercise to me. Words have meaning, and consequences.

That's one young lady who has my respect.

Bad Idea

If you work in a hospital cafeteria as a cashier, isn't it a really bad idea to lick your fingers so you can make change faster? It's a bad idea anywhere, but inside a hospital?

Counterpoint

It occurred to me, while I was thinking about yesterday's post, that something was wrong there. As a matter of fact, when I was a younger man, I had an inordinate interest in certain gingers:







As to Lucille Ball: in her younger days, she could rival any of the young ladies in the previous images, and maintained an elegant appearance even when her youth was past.

It appears to me that although there are many very attractive ginger women, it doesn't seem to work for men. Considering the models one sees for television and print advertising, I can't recall seeing ginger males, whereas ginger females frequently show up when there's an implication of something sultry and/or exotic about the product.

As the article more or less stated that it was women selecting donor type, I'm wondering if it's a case of a good percentage of men being attracted to ginger women, but relatively few women being attracted to ginger men?

9/11

As someone who's spent two years in Iraq and Afghanistan, and another year peacekeeping in Egypt because the Regular Army doesn't have the bodies for our international make-nice-with-each-other missions (note: three deployments aren't much compared to many of the RA troops I've served with), everything I would want to say about September 11th was said here.

Libya

Here's a few brief thoughts from someone who's on his third deployment:

What's there that is worth risking our people? Oil? If we developed our own resources, and partnered more with stable western nations (think Canada), that wouldn't be a factor.

Protecting civilians from a murderous regime? Then we're a bit behind the curve, and best get to work on China, North Korea, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, ad infinitum.

Fostering representative government (I'll address "democracy" in a moment) with free citizens? Outside of Turkey, which is doing a fine job of moving towards theocracy, and Iraq/Afghanistan, where the vote is (poorly) ensured by western guns, Islamic nations generally replace one dictator for another. Whether the stage mask is Arab Nationalism or Islam, the repressive policies and police state are largely interchangeable.

Fostering "good will" in the Arab Street/Islamic World? How dense must one be to not understand that the ASIW will always despise anything different from their way? I would deeply appreciate any examples of long-term gratitude resulting from efforts on the ASIW's behalf that isn't tied to continuing donations to the local economy or political entity.

As to fostering "democratic governments": democracy, in the concept of one person, one vote, is merely a step above mob rule, where demagoguery, ignorance and impulsiveness meet. E.g., the fine results the California referendum system has produced in which the handouts of goodies has no relation in reality to their cost. At least representative government takes time and compromise, if the citizenry hasn't become overwhelmingly addicted to benefits based on borrowing, promises, and cynical manipulation of statistics (which brings us to our current looming disaster economically, but that's for another post).

The one great flaw the current administration committed before taking action now, was in not clearly stating that it was an internal matter. Period. No planes, no troops, no warships. Stand or fall, and seek aid elsewhere. If we were to send them crates of AKs and Chinese-built SAMs with deniability, fine by me. I'm in favor of Q's residence mysteriously being vaporized while he's in it, as we owe him payback several times over. But not at the cost of more pilots, aircrew, Soldiers, or Marines. Not for several more billions in operating costs followed by endless humanitarian aid paid for by increasingly worthless currency and debt leaving our citizens worse off in buying their food and paying their bills, while those we assist accuse us of war crimes, racism, and imperialism.


My family. My community. My nation. My priorities.

"It's On You"

The post title is one of my current unit's cultural sayings. In context, it's generally used as a sham excuse by a select number of higher-ups who are sloughing tasks off to others below them. However, there are times and places where this literally becomes the truth, as much as people wish to believe otherwise.

Some quotes from news reports out of Japan:

"Millions of people spent a third night without water, food or heating in near-freezing temperatures along the devastated northeastern coast."

"People are surviving on little food and water. Things are simply not coming," said Hajime Sato, a government official in Iwate prefecture"

"We have repeatedly asked the government to help us, but the government is overwhelmed by the scale of damage and enormous demand for food and water"

"we simply don't have enough. We just did not expect such a thing to happen."

"I never imagined we would be in such a situation," Watanabe said. "I had a good life before. Now we have nothing"

All cringeworthy quotes. Which is why I have these personal rules:

1) Stockpile sealed food and water. Being foremost in the thoughts and prayers of other nations won't put food in your stomach for at least several days in the best of circumstances. Where I normally live, tsunamis aren't an issue, but flooding, tornadoes, and extreme winter conditions are. I will not survive the initial disaster only to starve in the aftermath. Furthermore, don't store it all in one place. Family, storage rental, or even a secret squirrel stash buried in the woods within a one day foot-travel distance can make the difference between between hoping someone feeds you before you starve versus being able to maintain your health and strength in an extreme situation. For these acute events, I'm a big fan of the lowly MRE, due to being able to consume it cold without added water if necessary (based on experience, hunger truly does make the best sauce). Having at least a week's worth of food and water for a household and extended local family is a must from my perspective.

"An emergency worker in white helmet came over and told him if the (gas) station opens at all, the gas may be allocated for emergency teams and essential government workers."

"large areas of the countryside remained surrounded by water and unreachable. Fuel stations were closed, though, at some, cars waited in lines hundreds of vehicles long"

2) I don't like to let my gas tanks fall below 50% full, and I keep enough fuel in my garage to top up that 50% if needed. Which is great, if you can actually leave the area to get to a relative's place that is agreed upon in advance. But otherwise, gasoline shouldn't be a priority. Why? Because if you run a generator in this situation, you're going to be a refugee and/or looter magnet. Which is why The Wife and I are focused on being able to live in an 1895 technology mode for an extended period of time. Modern fuels, such as Coleman fuel and propane, should absolutely be stocked for easier cooking and emergency short-term heating, because they are silent. But having plenty of aged wood on hand is good if things are going to be extended. Implied is having the means to use these fuels, and cookware (think iron) that is durable over open flame.

3) Even in advanced countries with benevolent governments, you can't count on them to get to you in a timely manner. Ever.

4) Japan is culturally homogeneous with a deep tradition of cooperation and group efforts. The US isn't. After an initial event, culturally diverse areas will experience what is essentially tribalism, with those outside of the local tribe being more at risk for violence of all types. Use resources discreetly, be helpful to your local area as much as safely possible, but be prepared physically (again, discretely, or depending on where you are, extremely discretely) and emotionally to use force in defense of your own and your local community's safety and resources.

5) The will to survive doesn't trump all, but it will take you further in an extreme situation than a passive mindset that waits for someone to take care of matters.

I strongly recommend checking out the Survival Blog website, especially his link "Getting Started" on the left side of the homepage.

Because in the end, we're responsible for ourselves.

Service Announcement

A few blogs have been delisted, due to their not being updated for a considerable period. If you're one of the authors, let me know if you start up again or have a new site. I'll be happy to update the list to reflect those changes.

Legalize Duelling

One of my fundamental beliefs is that American culture began a long slide away from courtesy and responsibility in the '60s, as self-indulgent children of a hardworking generation rejected everything previous generations held valuable: morality, ethics, courtesy, hygiene...........

Bringing us to the present, where mouthbreathers like the one pictured above feel free to engage in these behaviors. There was a time when spitting on a man, let alone his daughter, was cause for a least a crippling beatdown. Now, if law enforcement is available to catch what has become a relatively minor crime, one gets some jail time (more street cred) and community service (detention for adults). Somehow, I doubt this will seriously dissuade the jackass in question from future idiocy. But several smacks to skull with a stout (think brass handle) walking stick would probably cause learning to take place, much as shock collars educate adolescent dogs. Which brings me to a thought I've had for a while now.

The problem with violence in America isn't that there is violence per se; the problem is that violence isn't being administered to those who have earned it.

(H/T to The Rott)

For Today's Relaxation...........

disassembled, tweaked, and reassembled a troublesome ceiling fan, which burned up the morning;

Sanded down the dried joint compound applied to the entry way ceiling, one 2 x 2 foot section at a time perched on a rather old, creaky wooden ladder;

Picked up stuff for more projects out at the local Menards;

Detail cleaned someone else's rifle that was shot well over a year ago and never cleaned.

I remember a time in my 20's when Saturday was the time I'd go out to the range for four or five hours for some leisurely shooting, then some beers out in the backyard while cleaning whatever number of rifles and pistols I'd dirtied that day*. What the hell happened to me?

* Yep, I enjoyed beer while cleaning guns. It's not my problem if some someone else is too thick to completely unload and clear at the range, and then again at home, before breaking down their weapon and popping a bottle. And ammo and cleaning doesn't mix, EVER. Ditto cleaning guns with someone else cleaning theirs; that's asking for trouble all by itself. But then again, I like cigars and riding motorcycles without a helmet in nice weather, so I'm obviously a knuckle-draggin' yahoo with no common sense anyway.

'

Oooooh, Pretty

It's nearly 100 degrees, the humidity is high, and the sky just went from grey overcast to a funky piss-yellow color in the course of five minutes.

It's good to have a basement.

Dystopia

While cruising my links, I ran across this gentleman's site. His post is terribly depressing, negative, and probably spot on. There are certain economic realities that no amount of political theory will defeat. The Left, especially the element supposedly administering policy in our polity, seems to absolutely refuse recognition of this.

The older I get, the more the general population seems focused on bread and circuses, assuming that all will be well, as those smarter than the rest of us have things well in hand. Anyone with some exposure to history know where this eventually leads, and it's not where the complacent think it will be.

I'm looking long and hard at buying land with a ruined farmhouse on it. Privacy, distance, and arable land are looking better all the time.

Proportionality......

Dogs don't understand it.

Half Tech, Half Student, Half Soldier.......

Starting the second of three weekends in a row of drill weekends, with this one running Thursday through Sunday. On top of the multiple call-back weekend for work before the drills, and the weekend of being on-call after the drill weekends are over. Given that I have been given the designation of "shit-magnet" by my coworkers for my unparalleled ability to draw long, complicated cases and unpleasant patients almost every weekend on call for the last six months, I'm guessing I'll be at work for the that last weekend also. AKA, six weeks of work with no days off. I had more free time in Iraq in 2003 than I've had in the Midwest since getting home from deployment #2. And if it weren't for having to be away from The Wife, I'd actually be grateful to be going on deployment #3 at this point. Makes me wish we'd bring back the tradition of camp followers.

On an up note, the local hotel I stay at for drill is down the street from a Goodwill store. Which has a fair number of used book racks. Based on past experience, and input from those who've already been to Afghanistan, Internet access can be spotty, especially if you're attached to infantry, who don't spend much time doing the REMF thing. But mail rates for bound material are cheap, and I used to read for actual entertainment or personal interest back when I had personal time. So, it's time to start stocking up on books for $3.88 (hardback) and $0.50 (paperback) for the time when I settled in somewhere, and The Wife can ship a box over for diversion. Two good finds this time around; a large, good-condition hardback of Rand's Atlas Shrugged and a decent paperback copy of Asimov's Prelude to Foundation. Never gotten around to reading the first, and read the other over twenty years ago. A brief perusal of Prelude serves to remind me why I enjoyed it back then; it actually requires attention and thought to follow the story line. Looking at what passes for entertainment currently, I'd wager there's a larger segment of the population that would find this frustrating or uninteresting. Perhaps I'm wrong, but looking out at Facebook and Twitter, I rather doubt it.

DADT

Ragin’ Dave had some thoughts on the recent statements about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. It seems that most people, being of good nature and a live-and-let-live disposition, are willing to have openly homosexual service members. Below is my response, and thoughts, on the topic. But first, some clarifications. First, I have no religious dogs in this fight. I’m an atheist. Not the militant, anti-religion kind, but the “I really don’t give a damn what you believe unless it involves killing/pedophilia/non-consensual sex, in which case a rope and telephone poll are called for” atheist. In short, don’t try to put me in a re-education camp or kill me for the greater glory of Allah, and I won’t use you for marksmanship practice. Live and let live.

(And a short side-note: leftist, political atheists are some of the most humorless, grim, pain in the ass individuals I have ever met. Not everything is about religion, or imposing your particular belief structures on the lumpen-proles. You people (and I mean that in the full sense of the derogatory "you people") need to go drink some beer, eat some grilled red meat, try to get laid, and enjoy life. Because overall, you're a real bummer to be around)

Secondly, I have worked with, served with, and have as family, people who are gay. Call for killing them, or “fixing” them, and I’ll be on the other side from you. With a lead pipe or rifle, if it comes to that. Simply being different, without harming others, is no reason to be persecuted.
That said, here’s my thoughts (with some modifications) as posted at his site.

I'm aware of a number of service members who are gay, past and present service, in my battalion. The reaction to them has been mixed. Some have been exemplary soldiers. Some have been massive headaches due to their uber-dedication to PC principles (EO positions seem to attract pull more than proportional numbers of candidates). The main problem is this: sex (the schtupping kind) is a major force disruption on deployments and in duty environments. That's why I'm a Neanderthal; I'm still opposed to females in any field environment outside nursing, and that MOS only grudgingly. I've witnessed far too many affairs, fights, and unit cohesion issues to ever accept the equal rights/equal opportunity argument. The military is supposed to break things. Period. Sexual tension interferes with that. Sexual tension combined with revulsion, loathing, and misunderstandings won't improve things. What the military should be doing, can only be done properly by a small part of the population. Generally, the part that is willing to hurt, kill, demolish, and inflict pain, while receiving the same in return. It's not representative of society as a whole. And if truly becomes such, it will no longer be effective for its purpose. The military is part of the citizenry; the part that agrees to do what much of the rest of it isn't willing or able to do.

Homosexuality has probably always been present in humanity; certainly it is well documented since classical times. As with other behaviors, it is not always acceptable. The military environment is not the appropriate place for it in our culture.

Before the pillorying commences, let me note this. I believe there is room in our society as a whole for homosexuality. We have plenty of room for all of us to attend to our own preferences that don’t actually harm others. To paraphrase Mr. Garrison from the South Park episode “The Death Camp of Tolerance”: tolerance doesn’t mean you have to like it, just that you’re willing to put up with it. I’m willing to extend the courtesy to others, in return for tolerance for some of my beliefs that aren’t those of the majority. Just recognize, there are some areas where some beliefs or behaviors simply cause more problems than are unacceptable. I don’t attend bible camps or church groups to advance atheism, because those groups have a purpose beyond my personal convictions; my beliefs simply have no place there, and disrupt their intended purpose. “Out” service members would have the same effect in the military. Will we separate gay service members from hetero soldiers of the same gender? Isn't that why we separate the sexes currently? I can speak from experience that it can be a very serious matter to have a member of the opposite sex in one's quarter's as is; what happens when same-sex but different orientation accusations of sexual harassment begin to occur because of living arrangements or authority positions occur? How will we resolve one lawsuit because someone gay is harassed or discriminated against because they aren't put in the barracks with the other males, while another hetero male alleges harassment because he must be in barracks with someone sexually interested in him?

There has to be a line somewhere, and in this case it should be determined by what is most effective for the organizational mission.

That said, let the hatefest commence.

Managers and Modern Times

According to some of my study materials, more than 300 million people now are on Facebook. Many managers and employees have moved beyond their working relationship by friending each other.

This seems like a pretty bad idea from both sides from my point of view. What about when working relationship turns bad? Managers can have far too much personal information if they have friended their employees, including some potentially within a protected category under federal or state employment laws. A dismissed or disciplined employee might later argue that information was the real reason for any adverse employment action. At the same time, managers leave themselves open for an adverse event. Who wants a their staff having access to what and where one was for the last several weekends, or pictures that might show a good time among friends that has the potential for embarrasment later?

Even harder, what to do when the boss is the one who sends the friend invitation? Is it better to say no, and probably insult them, or say yes, and have to double check everything that may be posted for potential conflicts? It's easy to say just don't use it, but the upside of Facebook is the ability to reestablish contacts with old friends and colleagues that would be immensely time-consuming otherwise. Not to mention the potential for networking if you're looking to advance in a career.

Which leads to once the friending is there, should one ever block or delist a supervisor? What kind of results will that have on a work relationship?

I wouldn't be surprised to see employment-related court cases start coming out in the next few years related to this stuff. People seem overly willing to let everything hang out now, without thinking about consequences down the road.

Possibilities

I've expected that any Democrat elected as President would rapidly push for further restrictions on personal ownership of arms. I had expected that this would be in the manner it was done in the past, through the use of various members of Congress best described as socialists, regardless of the party registration. But until some of my recent reading of other's blogs, it had never occurred to me that a President may simply issue an executive order banning firearms, or some subset of them. There are some who feel strongly the incoming President will do exactly this. Personally, I think this could be quite possible. My impression of Barack Obama is of someone who is utterly sure he knows what is best for everyone else, and completely uninterested in what others think. He is someone who is interested in power, exercising it, and little else.

Should he issue an executive order, I have little hope the current Congress would overturn it. The Republicans seem to have become the socially conservative branch of socialists, while the Democrats are merely reactive, opposing anything that was formerly considered conservative for the last century.

The older I become, the more I believe we have been on a long descent into leftism since Roosevelt (the bad one) was elected during the Great Depression.

I'm Guessing You Don't Read English

If you receive an article of clothing from someone that has writing on it in a language other than your native tongue, it's a good idea to find out what it says before you wear it out. Because I'm fairly sure the camp commander wouldn't be pleased that one of the local Egyptian staff is walking around in a hooded sweatshirt with this on the front:

"My Idea Involves Midget Porn"