A reason to go to Nashville

The wife likes country music so Nashville, Tennessee is one of her favorite places to visit. Add in the fact that my sister, her husband, and two wonderful Dobermans live just outside the city and it's a place that we like to go. Ok - I go to visit my sister and play with the dogs.

So I find a reason to go and she doesn't want to. Some whining about a lack of vacation or some other nonsense... :-) Bummer for me as it looks to be shaping up as a excellent event.

Carnival of Cordite #6

Take a look

Good Friday

This has always been a tough day for me. Even more so since I've been trying to explain to Thing2 why it's a good day. I know why but explaining why a death 2000 years ago was good for her and for me - well some days it just doesn't make sense.

It may be that most days I don't feel worthy. I've made my share of mistakes in life. Some were real good ones that I've owned up to - both to my God and my family. Some were just stupid decisions that only God and I know about. To think that my God would sacrifice his only Son for someone like me - why?

I know God has a plan for me. Most of the time I wish He'd clue me in on it. I don't need a burning bush - just a hint or two would suffice.

For my fellow believers in Christ:

May this Holy Week enrich and enlighten you. May His light enter your life and refresh your spirit. I pray that the sacrifice of one man so long ago stay with you forever. Amen

The Office

I think that this was supposed to be a comedy. Now I like dark, dry comedy but this show just sucked. Office Space was funny. The Office is just trying to hard. Best thing - it won't be around long.

Was it Alias

or Point of No Return/La Femme Nikita?
I wasn't sure there for awhile. There main story was Nadia's life and how she became who she was. Runaway who ended up in prision and was recruited by an "intelligence agency". The hair, the training, falling for the boss, etc. Just like the movie. Not complaining mind you - it just seemed a bit strange. Maybe the writer doesn't think that anyone watching has ever seen either of those two movies. Still a nice way to spend an hour watching TV.

Iraqis strike back

Gotta love this. Great way for the Iraqi citizens to help take their city back. The Iraqi Army is getting in on the action as well.

Interesting point in the second link:

"Among the dead are Arab and foreign fighters, including Sudanese, Algerians and Moroccans, as well as other nationalities"

This would make them terrorists not insurgents.

Interesting factoid - wiith all the positive news coming out of Iraq uber-libs Sentors Durbin (D-Il) and Boxer (D-Ca) both look for the dark side. How very sad.

My computer is alive

Withdrawl had almost taken me over. Finally - my machine is back. It's amazing how you get used to something being a certain way and then you have to go live in a different environment for a week. The computer wasn't so bad; it was more a ergonomic thing. My dual monitors are at the right height, keyboard is just right, etc. With the laptop I was looking down, keyboard was smaller, etc. My back hurt at the end of the day.

Now to get my chair readjusted to the right position and things will be just fine...

Returning to Afghanistan

Minus something useful.

Thanks to Blackfive for the link

MilBlogs

I truly enjoy MilBlogs. The insight into America's best at work is eye opening - espicially if all one does is read the paper or watch network TV. BlackFive, 2Slick, and Lt. Smash are some of my favorites. Honest opinions from people who have been there and done that.

I added a new one to my list today - Thunder6. You should too.

Never had a class like this

Thing1 agrees - this would be so cool. Even better if there was a live fire demo.

Via Instapundit

American Standard

Awhile back I replaced our orginal toilet with an American Standard Champion. Expensive but the promise of lower water usage and a proper flush (important when someone with CF lives in the house) were key selling points.

A couple of weeks ago we started having problems. There was these seal on the float that kept coming out of the groove that was supposed to retain it. Not all the time but enough that it was annoying. So I called American Standard's customer support line this morning. A couple of minutes on hold and I was talking to technical support. Two minutes later a new, redesigned, seal was being sent to me. Apparently I'm not the only one who has seen this problem. The newer one is a bit firmer so it shouldn't wiggle out of the groove.

Nice work American Standard.

Wrong part - again

So the tech calls me and says the power supply is here and he's stopping by to replace the dead one in my computer. A few minutes later my computer is open and he's ready to put the new one in. One minor problem - its the wrong supply. Maybe Monday.

Carnival of Cordite #5

It's up at Technogyspy. I even managed to get an entry.

If you're coming here from there - thanks for stopping by!

Still no computer

It's amazing how one gets attached to an inanimate object. I'm entering day 3 of my normal desktop computer being down. And while I'm still getting my job done it's nowhere near as efficent as before. Some software isn't available, the tiny laptop keyboard is annoying, and the dual screen impementation that I have just doesn't work as well as my usual system.

According to the service tech the PC vendor was nice enough to ship the part for arrival on Thursday. Too bad it was a motherboard rather than a power supply. Maybe Friday will be a better day...

A bad way to start the day

Get to work, put my lunch away, and turned on the monitors. Hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and put in my password. Hmmm. Blank screen. Not a good sign. Monitors are on. Look at the computer and it's dark. Ok - power hit. Push the power button - nothing. Check the power cord and strip - ok. Try new power cord. Nothing. Sadness is settling in. My computer had died.

At 6:30am not many people are at work yet. Find one who has a spare laptop to borrow and go about setting that up to use till the service techs get to my machine. Probably just a power supply but its so frustrating to not have the machine you're used to. The laptop is much slower than my desktop and just not as usable. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day...

I'm lost

without Lost. Seems like forever since a new episode and it's not new this week or next. ABC isn't being very nice

This is cool

A first for the Blackhawk drivers in Afghanistan.

Blackfive and Smash have more

Ever consider a career in Southern Law Enforcement?

Those famous words at the end of the premiere of Miami Vice in 1984 were the start of something completely different in television. Yea some of the storylines were stupid and the gun handling was, at times, well incredibly bad the stories still sucked you in.

Thanks to DVD I get to watch them all over again. Thing1 can't wait to see what I watched before he was born.

USMC 1, UAW 0

According to Blackfive (who else) the UAW has withdrawn the restriction on Marine reservists parking on UAW property. One has to wonder how much damage they have done to themselves and the automakers whose factories they work at.

As for me, it'll take a lot for the UAW to win me back.

You'll shoot your eye out

You'll shoot your eye out.

Well at least a certain dinosaurs... Ruger MarkII handheld at 10 yards. 
Yes - I know I'm not a great shot

USMC vs UAW

I grew up fairly poor. Not dirt poor but money was real tight. Seven kids, two parents, (sometimes two grandparents), and a dog in 900 square feet. Mom and Dad both worked long hours so that we had food in our stomachs, clothes, and shoes. No excuses were ever accepted for bad behavior or for not doing our very best at everything.

Things could have been better had my Dad, who was an awsome machinist had chosen to work in a Union shop rather than an independent. Probably could have doubled or even tripled his income. But he had a thing against Unions and I never found out what it was. It may have been something that happened before or after his service in the Marine Corp (1944 - 1948) but he never had a good thing to say about Unions.

As for myself I've never been in one. I'm what is considered a "White Collar Worker" - which is funny as I live a blue collar life. The whole concept of paying to work never made sense to me. I've always preferred to be responsible for my own actions. Add in some less than stellar experiences with Unions on job sites and I'm glad with the path I've chosen. Please don't take this as a dig towards Union labor. Most of these guys (and girls) work their asses off and I respect that. The public face of the Union drives me insane. From the inability to negotiate in good faith to getting involved in politics they portray Unions in a bad way.

So when I came across a post on Blackfive about the UAW denying Marine reservists that either drive foreign made cars or have cars with Bush stickers on them from parking on UAW property I realized that Unions still don't have a clue. What a public relations blunder. These Marines put their lives on the line for all Americans - a little courtesy goes a long way.

So - what to do? I plan on writing a letter to the UAW president (see Blackfives post for an address) asking to to return the parking access to the Marines. If not - well the next car purchase I make won't be one made by UAW labor. It'll still be made in America but it'll mean a Toyota or a Honda. And that hurts me. I've always prided myself on owning cars made in America by American companies. But not if it means supporting asinine policies such as this one.

Carnival of Cordite - Week 4

Like Guns? Be sure to read the Carnival of Cordite.

Range time!

Almost two months had passed since I had last gone shooting. The guns were taunting me. I needed to go shooting. Off to the local range. Started off with a couple of hundred rounds through the Ruger Mark II. The stress bleeds off. Next was 200 rounds through the Glock 17. The more I shoot this gun more the better it gets. About halfway through a group shows up and starts shooting .357 and .44 magnums. Even with ear plugs and muffs it was annoying. I decided to put another 100 rounds through the Ruger. Amazing how the Ruger doesn't move at all after firing the Glock.

Cleaned up and did some browsing. GAT has the full line of Surefire lights at reasonable prices. Still haven't decided on a 6P or one of the LED lights. The Springfield Armory SOCOM16 is a sweet rifle. I just need a place to shoot it. There were a couple of Barrett rifles behind the counter. At $8,000.00ea they cost more than I paid for my first car. I may have to settle for a AK 47 clone.

Home safe and sound. Nice and relaxed. Till next month...

Part of the 35%

InstaPunk has more.

The Ides of March

Thanks to Instapundit I now know about The Third Annual International Eat an Animal for PETA Day

Yummmmmmmm

Loophole for terrorists?

Local news is talking about a "loophole that allows suspected terrorists to buy guns legally". This ought to be interesting...

The Marines want you!

Well actually they want Thing1.

Sat down to read last night while waiting for 24 to come on and the phone rings. The wife answers and tells the caller that Thing1 isn't home and doesn't live here right now as he's away at school. The caller introduces himself as a Sargent in the Marines and tells her that he's been checking up on all the kids in the top 20% of Thing1's graduating class to see what they are up to and if the Marines might be an option. The wife politely explains everything. The recruiter thanks her for the time and asks us to tell Thing1 to consider the Marines after college. Even if he didn't have CF I don't think he's Marine material. Maybe Air Force but not Marines.

Those guys run towards the shooting... Real glad they are on our side.

What girls think of themselves

JimK has a interesting post today about "a sad commentary on Western civilization". As a Dad I couldn't agree more.

Thing2 is 13. Not (thankfully) rail thin she looks like what a 13 year old girl should look like. I'm so glad she hasn't fallen into that trap. I hope we can keep her that way.

I can't understand why girls/women want to be so skinny. Why not just accept the body that you were blessed with and make the best of it? It can't be healthly to deprive the body of the nutrients that it needs. Keeps you healthly.

Weekend Movies

Spent some time watching movies this weekend:

Flight of the Phoenix. The new one with Dennis Quaid. Decent effects but nowhere near as good as the orginal.

Ray. Awsome movie. Jamie Foxx nailed the character. An eye opening story. Worth the time to watch.

Taxi. Bad acting, bad gun handling (by the cops), decent gun handling (and marksmanship) by the bad guys. The car mods (done at the touch of a button) were laughable. The chase scenes and the 4 bad guys girls make it worth the rental. (well if you like that sort of thing :-) )

Musical tastes

Everyone in our house has fairly distinct tastes in music. I like contemporary Christian and Christian Rock, the wife leans toward Country (mostly the new stuff) and Classic Rock, Thing1 is Punk and Rock (secular and Christian), and Thing2 is mostly Pop (starting to get in to Praise and Worship). Sometimes the competition for the car CD player gets intense on vacation (at least before iPod).

So it was interesting to get a list of Thing1's CD request list (just in case we wanted to buy him something). It's all over the place:

AC/DC - Back in Black (Remaster DigiPak)
AFI - Sing the Sorrow
Bill Engvall - Cheap Drunk: An Autobiography
Bill Engvall - Now That's Awesome
Larry the Cable Guy - A Very Larry Christmas
The Donnas - Gold Medal
Alonzo Bodden - It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
Mitch Hedberg - Mitch All Together
Ray Charles - Ultimate Hits Collection
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way
Relient K - Mmhmm
Ron White - Drunk in Public
Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown
The Ataris - So Long, Astoria
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Fever to Tell"

AC/DC to Ray Charles. And everything in between. Nice open mind

UPS

I'll never look at one of their trucks the same way. Neither will you if you read this.

I survived

3-3-2005: Got home from work early and got Thing2 ready to go out. Had to make a few parental decisions as to what she could wear so as not to make the wrong impression. Took her over to her friends house to meet him and his mom. Very nice people. His mom made a big deal of Thing2 being nice and accepting of her son (he has issues just like Thing2). These two certainly seem to get along. After talking for awhile I left so that they could go. Met the wife for dinner and then home to wait.

And wait. She finally made it home around 9:30. A little late but not bad. Her friend walked her up to the door like a gentleman and said goodnight to both her and me. Thing2 had a great time. The music was loud and the auditorium was filled with praise for Him. They sang, they prayed, they had fun. A good night.

And I survived

Some people are never happy

Part of my day job is to manage the central email systems for our site. We're a semi-large facility with about 4000 people here on a daily basis. We collaborate with other facilities around the world. A lot of this communication is by email so the system has to be reliable.
When it was first designed about 10 years ago we stated that internal mail would be delivered in under 15 minutes. In reality it took about 30 seconds but at that time we had some smtp to (name your low end mailer) gateways that usually accounted for most of the delay. Over the years the non-smtp based mail systems have disappeared and we're pretty much a IMAP based facility. There is a cluster of Notes users and some folks who like to read mail on one of the Unix systems but most have switched to IMAP.
We've also spent considerable effort rebuilding our core infrastructure. Multiple gateways, load balancing, redundant LDAP servers, etc. Throw in 2 levels of AV checks and spam tagging and the average mail message has several hops to make before it gets delivered. Still - the average mail message is delivered in under 5 seconds. If it's list mail it might take 30 to 45 seconds depending on how busy the list machine is.
Yesterday my officemate commented on how slow mail was. Thinking there might be a real problem I started looking. Then I asked exactly what the problem was. A message sent to the list took 72 seconds to be delivered.
Grrrrrrrrrr

It's not really a date

Well that's what Thing2 is telling me. The young man's mom called last night to arrange transportation. A group of teens are going. Still - it seems like a date to me. Must be the Dad part. Thing1 is less than enthused. Much talk about shotguns and shovels...

Keeping the ears warm

Came across this today (Courtesey of Stryker Brigade News). Thing1 likes unique hats. I wonder if he'd like this one?

How do worms and viruses spread?

From a list I'm on. The constant spread of a worm is being discussed.

these pc's were set up by the help desk staff and i know they just use blank admin passwords when setting up a pc because these accounts are never used and if a help desk admin has to boot a pc into safe mode, they don't have to remeber 500 diff passwords.

You get what you ask for. Sometimes without saying a word...

NYPD Blue - RIP

12 years of Blue. I missed one episode. I'm so glad they didn't try and wrap things up nice and neat.

Sipowitz would be a good boss. Back you up the whole way. I've worked for guys like that. They make your life so much easier by insulating you from the crap.

Tuesday evenings won't be the same. Thanks for the ride.

Cool Borelight

I like flashlights. Guns and knives too. Most of time these can be enjoyed together. Well thanks to the Carnival of Cordite I came across this which combines two of my favorite toys. This is very cool. It'll be a challenge to do this in a 9mm case.

The Smallest Minority was the start of this adventure

I'm not ready for this

Thing2 is 13. And she just got asked on her first date. Were it not a school night I'd consider letting her go. Ok - I'd be a chaperone as it's Delirious!

Apple Fan(atic)s

While my computers are all x86 based (mostly AMDs) Thing1 wanted a iBook to take to college so that was his graduation present. Since then he's bought himself an iPod and some other Apple stuff. I admit to liking the iBook (kinda wish someone would dump a dual G5 desktop or a 17" Powerbook in my driveway) but the prices Apple wants are just a bit too steep for my wallet.

So while catching up on my blog reading today I came across this. JimK was right - some people will buy anything.

94 Floors

During the news there was a story on a race up the stairs of one of the skyscrapers in Chicago. The most interesting participant was a man who had Cystic Fibrosis and was running on a new set of lungs. He was carrying a picture of the donor with him. He stated that a couple of years ago he couldn't walk to the kitchen. Now he's running stairs.

Please sign your license. Let those close to you know about your decision. Donate your organs. Give the gift of life.

Constantine

Thing1 and I went to see this movie yesterday. Reviews were luke warm but its easy to see how a "film critic" would overlook this film.

It's another look at the eternal fight between Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil, with Keanu Reeves trying to keep the playing field level. Plenty of Biblical references and some unique Biblical interpretations. Even the Angel Gabriel wasn't immune to temptation.

The movie is far from perfect but the message in redemption is well done.

Wondering what clothes to wear

Around here SBC has a DSL commmerical with some guy waiting on his significant other to get dressed. He has Eric Clapton playing on his laptop (Wonderful Tonight). He keeps repeating the line "wondering what clothes to wear". Till the S.O. tells him to knock it off. It's great.

The Oscars

I confess. I'm watching them. Well a bit of them. I turned it off after the host told those attending to "sit their asses down". Real class there. Watched Joan and E.R. on tape instead. Turned them back on in time to see Al Pacino, looking like he just woke up in a suit that doesn't fit ramble on.

Almost time for the local news.

I think I just saw Vin Diesel with hair. And it wasn't a baby picture!

Ouch

Instapundit links to a most interesting knifeholder. Perfect if you know someone who is having man problems.

The Wife did it!

My wife doesn't like to drive in expressway traffic. Too many cars, too many lanes, too many exits. She's just not comfortable. Put her out on I80 heading west to Colorado and she can drive all day.

So Thing1 wanted to come home for the weekend. I'm on call at work so I really couldn't leave early to go pick him up. So she went. 290, 355, and lots of local roads - no problem. Well till she almost got on 290E instead of West. Thing1 caught that before they were headed to downtown Chicago. All home safe and sound.

Cutlery for Kings

Or at least Bill G.

I like Victronix knives. I have a few as does Thing1. They are reliable, stay sharp, and don't draw attention when used in public. Here's one that I won't be adding to my collection anytime soon.

Super Mario Brothers

Thing1 brought this to my attention.

Geeks.

So much done

in so little time. When I was 21 I had graduated from college and was planning to get married. Just thinking about myself. Not doing much of anything.

The Daily Herald reported about a Marine from Elk Grove, Illinois who was killed in Iraq recently. At 21 he was on his third tour in Iraq. At 21 he had been part of history - helping to bring freedom and self determination to millions. Thanks Corporal Olson. You have helped to make the world a better place.

Read more

God is good

God is good
All the time
All the time
God is good

I first heard that spoken by Peder Eide at our church during worship the weekend we hosted a senior high PrimeTime event. And then again tonight during a Lenten service. Such a simple phrase with such deep meaning for those who believe. Thing2 has become a fan of Peder since her first PrimeTime a couple of weeks ago. So as we left church tonight she asked if I had any of his CDs in the car for the ride home. It was nice to share music with her. Even nicer when she started explaining the songs to me. :-)

An Army of One

France has it as well. I think we do it better.

What kind of canine are you?

Blackfive has a link to a game to help you decide.

Me - I'm a Irish Red and White Setter. According to the breed web site I'm a loyal, trainable (with patience) loveable clown, and sometimes a downright rebellious devil.

I think my wife would agree

UT 2003 - An Army Training Tool

UT 2003 is one of my favorite games. I play a really good moving target when we have LAN parties.

The Army is using it as a training tool. And not in a way you might expect.

Wal-Mart in Chicago

Not if the locals have anything to do with it.

I'm not sure why. Wal-Mart is building a store in Chicago and the locals are protesting. I guess that jobs with health care, competitive wages, and benefits don't fit into the neighborhood. Maybe the availability of low cost goods isn't right for the area. Does Wal-Mart push other stores out of business? Well - maybe. Maybe the local stores need to improvise, adapt, overcome. Offer value with their products. Service and support sells.

I wonder,if Wal-Mart was a union shop would the opinion change?

A Boy and his Dad

Devil Dog Style

http://right-thinking.com/index.php/weblog/a_family_affair/

Lets be safe out there

I do some work with Computer Security for my employer. I help system admins build safe systems and then help to troubleshoot systems should something bad happen. So I was kind of amused when I read Kevin McCullough's blog, who while blogging from CPAC, talks about Wall Street Journal reporter John Fund going onto bloggers row and using (apparently without permission) the computers of two different bloggers to file stories.

A couple of thoughts here:

• I find it to be inexcusable to use someone elses tools without permission. One would think that the WSJ would have the necessary funds to provide Mr. Fund with his own laptop or that Mr. Fund would have the manners to ask permission.


• The bloggers really should have locked their computers when they left them. Trust no one (Cue X-Files theme song)


• I don't think I would have been as polite as those whose computers were being 'borrowed' when dealing with Mr. Fund. It would have been difficult for me to keep from physically removing this person from my computer. Had I not been there the hacker in me would have been very tempted to have some fun with his email afterwards.

Nice Bloggers.

Insurgents?

When did these scum sucking terrorists become insurgents? I thought insurgents were people from the same country fighting the occuping force? In Iraq there are foreigners attacking Iraqi's. Thats terrorism.

It's just wrong

Ok. I've gotten used to Zepplin's 'Rock and Roll' playing during the Caddilac commercials. There are even a few Caddys that I wouldn't mind having. But now - now Buick is using Aerosmith's 'Dream On'? Dream about a Buick?

Well maybe one of these...

The Chicago Auto Show

We didn't make it last year so Thing1 wanted to make sure we went this year. Even if it interuppted other plans. Since Thing2 was off with Church for the weekend the wife and I went and picked up Thing1 at school and headed off for the show.

After a short ride on I-55 (never went into Chicago this way before) we pulled into the indoor parking garage 15 minutes before the doors opened. Parked real close to the entrance to McCormick Place. Very strange so far. I was expecting worse as the lines for outdoor parking were huge.

Since I had bought ticked online the night before we got in the long entrance line. The ticket line was much longer. In the doors and right to the Ford display. Thing1 had a list of cars he wanted to see. I just wanted to drool look at cars that'll never be in my garage. We did look at some cars that were in our price range but since we're not really in the market right now this was more for fun. We hit most of the displays. Skipped most of the Japanese makers as, except for the Mazda RX8 and the Mitsubishi Lancer, none of us care much for them.

There were some cool concept cars. Hopefully some (at least parts of them) will actually become production. Horsepower is back. Detroit style. Big motors. No sewing machines. We all had favorites. I'd still like a Z06 Corvette, the wife a 4 door F150, and Thing1 gravitates from a Chevy Colorado to a Ford Mustang and back. Realistically the Ford 500 and Freestyle fit our needs perfectly. Thing1 likes the Chevy Cobalt and Ford ZX3.

Personal highlight of the day - The US Army is present over by the Jeep display. They have one of the Stryker vehicles as well as a tricked out Humvee. Lots of soldiers around answering questions. Kids of all ages were taking pictures and talking to the soldiers. We spent a few minutes talking to one of the soldiers about the Stryker. I asked him if he drove one and he said he will be when he "heads back". I asked if he ment Iraq and he said yes. No hint of fear, no shaking, nothing. Pretty impressive young man. I shook his hand, thanking him and wished him well as others were waiting for a chance to talk with him.

While we were there - 2 to 3 people a minute just walked up to a soldier, shook his hand, and said thanks. It was good thing to see.

A Quiet Weekend

At first it looked perfect. Thing1 is away at college. Thing2 is heading off to a Junior High Primetime event with church. For the first time in years the wife and I would have the weekend to ourselves. Of course it was too good to be true.

Thing1 and I usually go to the Chicago Auto Show every year. It generally starts the second Weekend in February and runs for 10 days. We had planned to go on the last Saturday it was open. Then a concert gets scheduled at school. Kutless, Barlow Girls, and Stellar Kart. Thing1 wanted to go. No problem except that it would interfere with going to the auto show so he asked if we could go the first Saturday. So much for a weekend to ourselves.

We still had Friday evening. Yea right. Both of us managed to catch colds. Oh well - there is always next year.

Bumper sticker

People who are different change the world.
People who are the same keep it that way.

Sure am glad I've always been a little different!

Numbers

Just got some mail from Thing1 at school:

"I just realized something funny when I was looking through the mailbox numbers for fun. Take a guess at one number that isn't in there. (Hint: a 6 is involved"

Hmmm. Small conservative Christian college. What number could that be?

My kind of protest

Lt. Smash and the Protest Warriors doing their thing! Way to go Smash!

Social Security

I've been paying in since I was 16. Thats 30+ years of paying into a system that I'll probably never see a penny from.

So is Social Security in "crisis"? I guess that depends on how one defines crisis. If we, as a country, are going to continue to depend on Social Security to fund peoples retirement then its about as close to a crisis as one can get. If we're going to demand that people fund their own then there is no crisis. And I want my money back. With interest!

Many people want to disband the system. I'm not so sure. They wife and I were talking at dinner tonight about this subject as Lou Dobbs was on the tv in the resturant talking to various "experts" on the subject. I'm in favor of W's plan. It's opt-in and benefits aren't touched for older patients. The wife is worried about those who have spent 20+ years of their "working" life raising kids. They have no income at that time so they don't put any money into social security. Should they get any out? I'm not sure they should but the wife, in her usual intelligent way, made some strong arguments that they should.

How would I fix things? Well if Al was President (that'll make a good entry some day) I'd do the following:

1. Tie the annual increase to the rate of inflation. I read somewhere that the current rate is 2 - 3 times inflation


2. Allow all participants to put up to 10% of their "contribution" into one of 20(?) approved index funds


3. Remove Congress from their savings plan and put them into Social Security like everyone else


4. Allow anyone who wants out to opt out with the understanding they can not come back in at any time


5. While not directly related to social security I'd bring back the IRA deduction for everyone - whether or not one is covered by a employee sponsored retirement program

Are these perfect? Will they fix everything? Nah. But these are five more ideas than I've heard from any Democrat.

The rebuttal

Harry Reid has a kid who wants to be like him? I sure hope that kids aims just a bit higher.

Democrats are committed to National Security? Wasn't it the Clinton administration that gutted our standing Army and Navy.

I wonder if Pelosi saying "God bless" caused her tougue to burn?

If this is the best that the Democrats have to offer - they are in bad shape.

SOTU - Live

So far so good. Nice to the see the Democrats have class. Booing the President. Nice. Dig yourselves a deeper hole.

Immigrant worker bill - on one hand it bothers me alot. Then again I see these immigrants working their asses off at jobs that american kids won't touch.

Tort reform - Yea!

Social security - long term problems take long term solutions. I don't want to wait to fix this when my kids are old.

Dana (?) Reeves applauding the bit about stem cell research. Hmmm - maybe the papers don't tell the whole story.

No more judges legislating from the bench - interpret the law, don't create it.

Up/Down vote - yep!

Respect women? Liberals? hahahahaha

DNA - nice touch. CSI is getting to everyone.

Terrorists - no place to run, no place to hide. Be like Iraq - give them the finger!

Support the Military.

Stop terror? Spread freedom.

Do not impose our way of life. Wonder how Al-Jazzera will play that one.

Peace in the Middle East? I've heard that before.

Syria still considered bad guys - good!

Iraqi voters deserve our respect. Hell ya! I go vote at Thing2's school. The only real threat is the parking lot.

Peace through superior firepower

Ordinary Iraqis are willing to take over security for the country. Best way for everyone involved.

Freedom in Iraq. No bugging out (Hear that JFK?)

"Now it is my turn to protect you" - sounds like every Marine I've ever met. Words from a Marine who died in Fallujah. The Iraqi woman who got to vote on Sunday hugging the Marine's mom. Tears everywhere at our house. It must have been tough for them to be there. Semper Gratus.

Good speech overall. Made the Dems whine. Made me smile.

A finger for Iraq

What a great idea. A little bit of ink and the ability to vote twice is taken away. I bet this idea would never fly in Chicago.

In my time on this earth I've seen alot. As far as the world goes I've been witness to some wonderful events. The Berlin Wall coming down, the crumling of the former USSR, and now an Arab nation taking the first step towards self determination.

To the people of Iraq: the journey that you have undertaken is not an easy one. America has been on a similar journey for over 225 years. There will be struggles, conflict, and even war. However, if you decide this should be, your future is up to you. You can elect a representative goverment that will participate in the affairs of the world. You can use the riches of your nation to grow an economy that benefits all of Iraq. Your time under the oppression of Saddam should be remembered but, with any luck, as something that no one aspires a return to. If all Iraqi's work together for Iraq - there is no limit to how great your country can be.

Many have sacrificed for your freedom. Please don't let them down.

The Party of the Minority?

Thats what I always hear from the mouth of the Democratic Party. They are the only ones who support minorities. Yet when there are two extremely qualified minority canidates for the Cabinet of the President of the United States - they falter. They attack, they fail to walk the talk.

Sooner or later (hopefully sooner) these folks are going to wake up and tell the Democrats to take a hike.

A Sea Story

Watching the Food Channel right now. They are having a 'Chefs Challenge' on the USS John C. Stennis which is on a 7 day tiger cruise. Three teams of 5 Culinary Specialists making the best food they can with what is available on a carrier. The CSes get on ship training from the top chefs in the industry while on a cruise. The food looks awesome! Grilling on the flight deck while the pilots get to show their stuff for for the 1100 guests. The CSes are competing for an extra 4 days leave.

Sounds like excellent motivation to me.

Birds in my Belfry

For most people it's bats. Tonight, for us, it was birds. Well one bird. Came home to a noise in the furnace room. Tracked it down to a little bird coming out the vent pipe above the hot water heater. The wife and I caught him and set him free. 20 minutes later the same noise was coming out of the same area. A few minutes later the little bird appeared. We caught him again and put him in a box. Hopped in the car and drove a few miles before letting him go. With any luck we won't see(hear) him again.

A cool place to visit

Not far from where I live is one of the neatest places I've ever visited. From buffalo to red tail hawk to acres of restored prairie to the worlds most powerful collider Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is a wonderful place. The Lederman Education Center brings the science of high energy physics to kids. Dozens of American Bison roam hundreds of acres. If you're lucky one of the many deer, hawks, coyote, or foxes will appear and pose for a picture. Even in the winter there is plenty of activity. In the summer the birds and butterflies appear. Those who look for them are treated to a wonderful display of color.

Since 9/11 access has been severely restricted. Recently it's been opened up for visitors again. If you're in the area take some time and visit. It's worth the time.

Nice people everywhere

My father-in-law was at the grocery store the other day. As he and his wife got out to the car he noticed one of the tires was flat. At 80 he's not really up to changing the tire by himself. His wife went back into the store to call the auto club as he started getting the spare out. Just then a 'young man' came up and offered his assistance. The 'young man' change the tire and put the flat back in the trunk. He even told my father-in-law the best place to get the tire fixed. My father-in-law then attempted to pay him for his time and effort. The 'young man' refused the money and told him that changing the tire was "his good deed for the day".

I wonder if this fine young man was a Boy Scout at one time? He certainly sounds like one. Whoever you are - thanks! You made a old mans day.

Still some honest people

The wife went to the local Sams Club to pick up some groceries. On the way out she managed to leave 10 pounds of ground beef in the bottom of the cart as she drove away. After getting a few items at Cub Foods she noticed the ground beef wasn't there. Back to Sams to see if the cart was still there. Nope. Into the store to see if an employee had brought it in. Nope. Another customer had.

Whoever you are - thanks!

A Liberal Media

The MSM claims no bias. Hmmm - Dan Rather?

For a short time today ABC News has a post on their web site looking for a funeral to cover. A funeral of a US Soldier or Marine killed in Iraq. Not Afghanistan or anywhere else in the global war on terror but Iraq. I guess they were looking for balance with the inauguration going on today...

While the orginal has been pulled Captain Ed has it archived.

How low can you go?

Update: Looks like they can go pretty low. They found the funeral they were looking for. See the Mudville Gazette for details.

I've never been a fan of the three 'major' networks news programs. CBS lost my trust years ago. Same with NBC. ABC was on the fence. It's totally gone now.

A Wonderful Day

W's day. The weather clears for the ceremony. A nice start to another 4 years.

I know a number of folks had a problem with the day. From the weanies promoting "Not another dime day" (I have to wonder if they sat in the dark and didn't turn on the water all day) to the the folks at DU comparing today to 9/11. (Care to guess which was worse in their shallow minds?) I think back to 92 and 96 and, while Republicans were down, they were looking forward to the next election with a positive attitude. That is missing in the Democratic Party. They only thing they are positive about is Iraq is a quagmire and Bush stole Ohio. Since neither is true I guess they'll be pretty sad the next few years.

Cool!

A Warrior Speaks

about the Main Stream Media. And its not good. Blackfive (who else?) has the letter.

Go towards the light

Last time at the range Thing1 and I were looking at SureFire lights. We both have a selection of MagLights but, well, we're looking for something better. I liked the 6P, Thing1 was leaning towards the Aviator. Then there were the lights meant to be mounted on the rail on my Glock. Or maybe on one of the rifles? Buy one and soon I'll need a AR15 to attach it to!

It's strange. Flashlights are a common household item and here I am thinking about how many I can fit into my (limited) toy budget. Add the guns and knives I'd like to have as well as upgrade the computers at home. Oh well - the budget for the rest of the decade is now spent. :-(

So what appears in the mail today? A SureFire catalog. Thing1 requested it and had it sent home rather than to his school address. Will he ever see it? Ha! Well yeah he'll see it. Once I figure out which one to get first. The 6P is just about perfect but the G2 is the same performance at half the price. Maybe one of each and give the one I don't like to Thing1? He'd like that.

Ted

I'm a Ted Nugent fan. Not just the music but of him. From his support of 2nd ammendment rights to hunting and conservation education to his undying love of this great country he is just inspiring.

While watching Tony Snow on Fox News this morning he had Ted on from his farm in Crawford, Texas talking about a fund raiser his band was doing to help pay for a high school bands trip to the inauguration. Ted, being Ted, was talking about his band practicing. From barbeque to music to firing machine guns to playing music - just another day in the life of the Nuge.

Ted's best line - "I'm going to teach Toby Keith how to be a redneck"

Muzik Mafia

While I'm not a country music fan (the wife is) I watched Muzik Mafia on CMT with her tonight. The energy of Big Kenny and John Rich is infectious. Reminds me of how rock was in the late seventies. And Gretchen Wilson is just nice to look at.

The show was just fun. From playing before 20 people in a bar in Nashville to small arenas in college towns these folks are just having fun. Hopefully they'll keep it that way and keep the fans happy.

How do you know?

That the toothbrush was invented in Arkansas?

If it had been invented anywhere else it would have been called a teethbrush. :-)

This was a joke at a variety show at church tonight. Kind of like a run-on joke from Cub Scouts. The show was a fund raiser put on by our high school youth as part of a county wide effort to raise money to support the fight against AIDS in Africa. The amount of talent in our church was amazing. From a 10 year old drummer to a 50ish guitar player to a 5 year old singer - the talent poured out. And the money poured in.

P.S. No offense to anyone in Arkansas intended.

I'm LOST

More like really upset. Set the VCR to tape LOST last night. Even added a extra 2 minutes as ABC seems to have gotten in the habit of running certain shows 61 to 62 minutes rather than 60. LOST went at least 63 so I don't know how it ended! Hopefully the episode will show up on BitTorrent soon so I can see what happened in the last minute. PITA networks.

A pair of hawks

My office at work overlooks a small grove of trees. While watching the snow fall today I noticed a red tail hawk sitting in a tree facing me. A coworker stopped by to see him as she couldn't see the tree from her office and she noticed a second one on the branch above the first. And my camera is at home... :-(

No Prodding Necessary

My oldest sister gave the wife and I a gift subscription to Newsweek. I know she meant well and I do read it but their slant on everything is so far away from mine that I sometimes want to take it to the range with me. One of the more clueless writers is Eleanor Clift. Her piece on MSNBC.COM calls President Bush late to the game with support to the tsunami victims in South East Aisa. She then defines the military as follows: The military doesn’t like to get involved in humanitarian missions, and needed prodding. It’s no small thing to divert an aircraft carrier. Lots of mil-bloggers have responded but the best I've come across was by a former SEAL named Froggy. Smash has a good response too.


Lets see. There are two battle groups there. Thousands of Marines helping. SEAL and Special Forces teams on the ground giving aid. I'll bet not a single one of them needed prodding. America's best never do when a helping hand is needed somewhere.

Something new to do

Where I work we get the opportunity to work with new technology. Well - at least fairly new. On the Windows platform we're a bit behind the times(finally turned off our Windows NT domain this month) and now we need to catch up. License agreements need to be abided by, systems need to be kept secure, and we get less people to do it with. Management finally decided to implement Microsoft System Management Server last year. Progress has been slow as it probably should have been a project for a team rather than something assigned to an individual. Today the boss tripled the amount of people involved. Now if we just all get along and communicate we just might achieve the goals.

Good Dogs

I'm a dog person. I truly believe that there isn't such a thing as a bad dog - just bad owners (they usually have the collars on the dog with the spikes that go into the neck). I also believe that dogs are a gift from God as there is nothing more relaxing than your dog sitting next to you on the couch just wanting to be petted. In return your pulse and blood pressure both go down. Now my sisters Doberman Gracie, well, she'll sit on your foot and lean into you till you're at her level and paying attention to her. Still - it's quite relaxing.


While listening to Kevin McCulloch on the radio today he and blogger Jordan Golson discussed a story that appeared on Jordan's blog about the war dogs of the Iraqi army. Apparently there was a shortage of food for the dogs. Short story - Hill's Pet Nutrition will be sending as much Science Diet as the puppies need. Hill's Pet Nutrition is worthy of your support. While we are an Iam's family I'll be sending them a note of thanks for this wonderful gesture.

Update: I used the comments page on the Hill's Pet Nutrition site and send them a thank you. The next day a response was in my Inbox.

Thank you for visiting HillsPet.com and taking the time to contact us to share your kind comments regarding our donations of food to the soldier's dogs. We along with other Americans are concerned with the health and well being and the efforts that these pets are putting forth to support our troops.

Nicely put.

The whole story starts here

Back to school

Thing1 headed back to school for day for Interim. Nine days of classes worth 2 credits. Students use this time to take fun classes. Thing1 will be learning how to run a school science fair. Seems like a good idea for someone who wants to be a teacher! The wife is doing much better this time. No tears at all. Even the dog seems to be ok.

24

In episode 1 there was the best line I've heard on TV in a while. William Devane's character is talking to his son - "spare me your sixth grade Michael Moore logic".

Personally I would have put MMs logic level at the 1^st or 2^nd grade

The first two hours of Jacks bad day were excellent. The stage is set for a bloody fight to stop terrorists. And unlike some in Hollywood the terrorists are (or at least appear to be) Muslims. I can understand how the Muslim community might see this as insulting or a sterotype but... lets look at the the bad guys in the world right now. Middle East, Afghanistan, etc, the bad guys are Muslims. Am I saying that all Muslims are bad? No. Like any other faith there are those that pervert the teachings to justify their actions.

If 24 stays like this then its going to be a wild day. I can't wait!

Quality Time

Thing1 and I hit the range last night. He wanted to try out my Christmas present and get whatever stress was in his system out before heading back to school on Monday. I picked up 250 rounds of 9mm at Gander Mountain beforehand and some .22 at Wal-Mart. Printed out some targets and we were set.

Signed in and setup. Thing1 put a couple of mags through the Glock and decided he'd rather shoot the .22s. I spent the next hour putting the rest of the 9mm ammo through my Glock. Tried 5 different loads in 3 different weights. The lighter weights seem to work best for me. Thing1 alternated between a Ruger MarkII, 10/22, and a old H&R 865. The 865 was my Dads. He gave it to me after I turned 21 and it'll become Thing1s when he turns 21. With any luck he'll have a kid he can pass it on too. After I finished with the Glock I put a 100 rounds through the MarkII. It was like shooting a cap gun.

An hour and half later we were done. The tension of the week was gone. Cleaned up, stowed the guns and did some browsing. The Surefire lights are starting to say 'buy me'. Just need to decide which one.

Talked about all kinds of things on the way home. School, guns, life, movies, whatever. Thing1 is a great kid. I wish I would have been as together then as he is now.

Time together is time well spent.

A smear in the making?

Just saw an ad for Sunday's 60 Minutes. One of the subjects is the recent ban of .50 caliber weapons in California (while video of a Barrett M82A1 semi-auto being fired one handed is shown) and how they are 'available' in the other 49 states. Oh, and this is allowing terrorists to buy them.

You'd think CBS would have learned from the RatherGate incident.

After the good comes the bad

Thing1 got a letter from school the other day. It was his first semester grades. Six A's. Well two were A minuses. (We grounded him for that :-) )

The next day another letter from school shows up. It's the bill for the next semester... Nice setup.

Today we switch back to the good stuff. A letter from the school provost announcing that Thing1 was named to the Deans List. I know that all semesters won't be this good (then again Thing1 has been full of surprises his whole life) but it is a good start.

Sydney's back!

And Wednesday will never be the same. First there is the excellent LOST and now Alias. The first episode was slow at times but, in the Alias tradition, made sense at the end.

Nice thing about Jennifer Garner: (ok - there are a lot of nice things) she is fit but not ultra thin. I can't understand why the women in Hollywood want to be stick figures. Ms Garner just looks right. She is often described as the "girl next door". Thing1 wants to know what neighborhood she lives in. :-)

Reach out

and touch someone. Maybe touch two.

I go shooting on a regular basis. I shoot fairly good out to 100 yards or so. On a quiet range - not in heavy combat. I can't even see someone at 1000 yards much less hit them.

Snipers rule!

Brain Freeze

One way to go for a slurpie. For some reason I was thinking of Michael Gross from Tremors. Thanks to TSM for the link

The kids are alright

LGF brings forth a story about an Iraqi child leading coalition forces to a large weapons cache.

The (Iraqi) kids are the future. And it looks good!

The Navy in Action

Here!

'Stingy Americans' strike again

One of my favorite actresses is Sanda Bullock. She quietly gave a cool million to the American Red Cross to support their work in bringing aid to the victims of the South-East Aisa tsunami. No press release, no media package, nothing. Just gave. Awesome!

Always Giving

Amazon shoppers - 11.5 Million dollars. As always America gives. Nice work everyone!

No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy

Fallujah found out about the latter a few weeks back. Now they are finding out about the former. Go get em Marines!

Feminine Products

Help save a Marine

Movies

 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Watched this tonight with the wife and Thing1. It's not really something for kids the age of Thing2. Anyways - it's not a bad movie. Not great either. At the end they are giving a status of each character. The weatherman, who's IQ was given as 48, was stated to be a senior advisor to the Bush administration. Guess I shouldn't expect much from a Kerry fan like Ferrell.

Dodgeball

Ben Stiller vs Vince Vaugn. 1.5 hours of sillyness. Fun for all.