COMPLACENCY

(I was looking through my files for something else and came across this bit of doggerel that I wrote some years ago.  I'd filed it away and forgot about it, but I still agree with it.)

"Man's Inhumanity...." is truth; oh, hear! And share the blame
For Justice limps with blunted sword, and cowards steal her name.
Our children's children bear the brunt, as villains flaunt their shame.

"We care not for the Public Mood; The Public has no sense
And needs us to look out for them and see to their defense."
So "Public Servants" justify their legal violence.

Slow erosion takes our rights, injustice takes our wealth
Innocents are murdered in the name of Public Health
And burglars could take lessons from the bureaucrats in stealth.

"What Country is this in?" you ask, and "Does the U.N. know?"
"Our President should look into that Country's tale of woe."
"How horrifying, when the State becomes the People's Foe!"

Our brethren turn with hunted eyes to Freedom's Torch, now charred.
We shake our heads in disbelief; "Not In My Own Backyard!"
But the truth is that WE are the ones who left the gate unbarred.

Ignorance is NEVER bliss.  And the Vote is not a Right
But a Duty that we owe ourselves, who stand in Freedom's fight
With our Ballot and our Labor and our Love, against the night.

written June 13, 1997

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Happy Mother's Day!

Patriot Humor

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Bravo, Brandon Mississippi!

Brandon, Mississippi will go down in history as the town where the Westboro Baptist Church met its match.

On Saturday USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers, who was killed in action in Afghanistan April 7, was buried in Brandon, Mississippi.  That, by itself, is a sadly unremarkable – though certainly noteworthy and solemn – occasion to mark.

What is most notable about Sgt. Rogers’ funeral in Brandon, however, is what didn’t happen. 

You see, Westboro Baptist Church had threatened to spew their poison at Sgt. Rogers’ funeral.

But the Westboro mob wasn’t on the scene, and Sgt. Rogers was laid to rest without incident – thank God.

Why weren’t there protestors?

Planning ahead by the locals, as it turns out.

Check the link above to read the story from the www.ihatethemedia.com website.  Original article that IHTM quoted from at thehayride.com also available.

Warms my heart, it does.

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Who is He?

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." --British author C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)


"I still can't help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where ... is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time -- possibly to your own home town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He never gets farther than an area perhaps 100 miles wide at the most. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, property-less young man has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived -- all of them put together. How do we explain that -- unless He really was what He said He was?" --President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)

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A quote from C.S. Lewis

 

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Solomon was right; there is nothing new under the sun.

"... a dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants."

Publius, The Federalist Papers #1, Oct 1787

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When all else fails (continued)

Previous post reminded me of this little incident, when I was at Annual Training with the State Guard this past June.

I kept my HT Yaesu radio clipped onto the shoulder strap of my camelback, all through AT; it's not against regulations or "out of uniform" to have it with me so I tend to keep it handy 24/7.

I had just walked out of the chow hall on Saturday evening. An officer from one of the other units stopped me with a scowl on his face and asked, "Soldier, why do you have to carry that radio with you everywhere?"

I replied, "I don't have to, Sir."

He countered, "Well, why do you carry it then?"

"Because, Sir, when all else fails... Ham radio."

He gave me a long, hard stare, then shook his head and turned back to his group with a muttered, "Damn! I've got to get me one of those."

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Because when all else fails....

... ham radio!
Note:  the following phone conversation is not verbatim, but it's pretty close.  Heh.

Hey, Son, you busy this afternoon?
- No, I'm bored.
Well, you want to come down and help me finish installing a couple radios in the truck?  Doug helped me get the power cable through the firewall but I "get to" do the rest myself.
- You're replacing the radio in the truck?
No, I'm not replacing the "stereo."  I'm adding a couple radios. Communications. Got them from Doug.
- Ah.  THAT kind of radio.  Whatcha got?
Multi-band ham radio and basic 40-channel CB. 
- Kewl.  What tools should I bring?
I dunno.  I've never done this before!
- Gotcha.  Leatherman and a roll of electrical tape should handle it; you've probably got everything else already.
Hmmmm...... Judging by the change in background noise, you're already in your car, aren't you?
- Yep...(LOL)  I need to get gas first, so look for me in about an hour.

It was a FUN and interesting afternoon, as my first plan for where to install the radios wasn't workable.  (They didn't fit where I thought they'd fit....)  Finally got something figured out with good working (temporary) installations that will probably be modified over time, and the little truck now has not one, not two, but three antennas.  The original AM-FM antenna has been joined by a pair of three-foot-tall antennas on the roof.  The antenna for the ham radio will be replaced eventually, as it was originally paired with a different radio and isn't optimal for the current unit... but it will do until I find what I really want.

There is no way I'm gonna be able to take this truck through a fast-food drive-thru any more.  Their roof overhangs are too low, and the CB antenna won't flex.  It will be a lot easier to find in a crowded parking lot, though!

I've got RADIO!!!

And unarguably the best son in the world! 

73!

It's about time

Statement by Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Attorney General’s Amicus Brief in U.S. v. State of Arizona Case

Wednesday, July 14, 2010   |  Austin, Texas

Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s amicus brief in the U.S. v. State of Arizona case:

“All Americans should support today’s actions by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and other state attorneys general in their efforts to uphold the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the right of states to provide for the public safety and security of their citizens.

“The federal government has failed to secure our borders as drug activity and murder rates soar in many border communities. States are left with no choice. Until the federal government secures the border, I expect more states to legislate in an effort to protect their citizens.

“Regardless of anyone’s feelings on the Arizona law, we must protect the 10th Amendment and right of states to legislate public safety to keep families and communities secure. I join Texas Attorney General Abbott in opposing the Obama Administration’s effort to undermine the right of states to protect their citizens and govern themselves.”

Thank you for catching up with us, Mr. Perry.

I've said it before...

If you have the same problem with different people, maybe they're not the problem.

Drug cartels threaten to kill a US Border Patrol agent over Independence Day Weekend

According to reliable sources at the U.S. Border Patrol, a new threat has been issued by the Mexican drug cartels to kill an agent along the southern border sometime over the 4th of July weekend.

The killing would be in retaliation for the shooting of an alleged teenage human smuggler at the Texas border in June. The Border Patrol agent, who was being attacked with numerous rocks, shot at his attackers in self-defense and has been taken off front-line duty; however the Border Patrol agency is standing by the well-revered agent.

The teen that was killed had suspected ties to the local drug cartels and it appears the cartel bosses want revenge.

Aaannd... in so doing, they have de facto declared that the "suspected ties" and "allegations" are indeed true.  Our agent was being attacked by criminals.  He defended himself with the means legally and practically available to him.  His defense was more effective than their offense, which is, of course, the idea behind defense in the first place.  

I believe "Stand Your Ground" and "Castle Doctrine" laws and policies should apply to one's Country, as well as one's personal property.  Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, and our Founding Fathers had it right.

(photo: BP Agent Robert Rosas' memorial. He was executed yards from the border fence nearly a year ago.)
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Alex

No deployment this time.  But we're on stand-by/ready until hurricane season is officially over in November....

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TS Alex

On alert.  TS Alex is expected to become Hurricane Alex sometime tomorrow.  Depending on its direction, may be deploying.  Prayers coveted for those in the storm's path.

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Be a Volunteer Weather Spotter

SKYWARN® storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time--seconds and minutes that can help save lives.

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication, such HAM radio, to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter.

Click the link above for more information, including how to contact the coordinator in your region.

The training class is free; I took it this past Friday at the K5WPH clubhouse in El Paso, and signed on.

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Honor From Our Fathers

by Doctor Zero

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.
- Jim Valvano

Honor is essential to the maintenance of a free society.  We learn about honor from our fathers.

When the duties of fatherhood are widely dismissed, or rendered poorly, our understanding of honor is diluted… and freedom soon begins to wither.

This is not to belittle the importance of mothers.  Many single mothers do a spectacular job of providing their children with an understanding of personal honor.  We can respect and celebrate the achievements of extraordinary individuals, without blinding ourselves to the effect of broad trends upon vast populations.  Both fathers and mothers are uniquely important.  Our society is suffering from a pronounced deficit of fatherhood.

There are many ways to define honor.  I suggest viewing it as an expression of faith, in both yourself and others.  An honorable man or woman displays honesty and integrity because they believe others deserve such treatment.  It is a sign of faith in other people that we deal honorably with them, and presume they will do the same, unless they prove otherwise.  Honor is also a gesture of respect we offer to ourselves, because we have faith that we can succeed without deceit and savagery.  If you truly respect yourself, you believe you can win without cheating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Go to the link above and read the entire post.  This'n is a keeper.  My favorite quote:
  "Honorable people carry their freedom with dignity.  They understand the difference between charity and dependence."

73

That time of year again....

Got the oil changed, the tires rotated and balanced... the little truck is ready for AT next week.  Now I just need to finish getting myself ready, & make sure I don't forget to pick up the SSG who's going to be riding with me.

Poor husband & dog will have to figure out how to get along without me for a few days.

Word is, the experts are predicting an "active hurricane season" so we may be busy later on this year.  Last year was negligible, storm wise, which is good as it gives those who live in the affected areas a bit of a breather.  We should find out more at AT.
73

Shock - Arrested Gaza Flotilla “Peace Activists” Are Al-Qaeda Members

Hat tip to Infidels Are Cool for the link:

What a shock. A majority of the arrested “peace activists” who brutally attacked with pipes, metal rods. chairs and knives are linked to terror groups including Al-Qaeda. Several are members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The activists include Turks, Yemenites and Indonesians. And, many of the arrested “peace” fanatics have no identification papers.

Click here to read the entire article.

Is anyone surprised?

And is anyone surprised that BHO, contrary to the USA's historical support of Israel, is supporting the flotilla, or that the LSM is only reporting one side of the conflict?

Remember November.  And may God help us all. 

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Medical registry ignores benefits of responsible gun ownership

Snippet of article by David Codrea:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unsurprisingly:

Most victims of gun violence, it turns out, are uninsured, and so academic medical centers...end up spending far more to treat victims than they can ever expect to be repaid.

...Gun violence is...an ailment related quite specifically to such factors as gang violence, domestic and substance abuse, mental illness and accidents that occur just about every day...

"An ailment."  Yeah, I got a bad case of the drive-bys flaring up again and the crack's not helping...

The editorial conclusion?

Gun owners can and must do better.

You know, by accepting more "gun control." And note the imperative "must."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read the rest of the article at the link.  
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Soda Bottle Bombs

Heads up. If it's happening in Michigan, it can happen anywhere. Forwarded to me by a source I trust, and confirmed by Snopes. There's a video on the Snopes page showing one of these bottles exploding. 

Police warn of pop bottle bombs left in yards in York township
snopes.com: Bottle Bombs

Pass it on.
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Memorial Day 2010

"[L]et us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their valor, and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died." --Ronald Reagan at Pointe du Hoc, 1984
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Dear Diary,

Got home after work on Thursday & decided it was time to wash the bike.  Changed my clothes, pulled the gray bike out of the garage, and set to work.

An hour later I had a very clean, sparkly shiny black and chrome motorcycle sitting in the driveway, and no time left to ride that evening.  Showered, enjoyed the K5WPH Multiplex net, went to bed.

Friday evening I took a brief ride out to a friend's house and decided the Harley boots I'd gotten for riding weren't fit for riding... that style might work for someone with larger feet but the height and placement of the heel was too uncomfortable for me for shifting and braking.  If I had the heel behind the peg I could barely reach the lever; if the heel was on the peg my toes were higher than was comfortable & I had to bend my ankle more to move the lever.  My legs were cramping by the time I got home again.   How do some gals manage to ride in high heels??? 

Today I got up early and rode the bike into town for an oil/filter change (I wore my old riding boots this time), and found a new pair of summer-weight riding gloves in the shop as a bonus.  Mechanic said I should easily get another 2k-3k miles from the current tires before I need to start thinking about replacing them. 

After the oil change I rode a few blocks over to one of the local gun stores to pick up a couple more "party favors" - i.e personal OC spray canisters.  I seem to have this tendency to give mine away when I run into female acquaintances who for whatever reason can't or won't pursue a CHL.  I got 2 this time, so I have a backup just in case.

Not a very exciting day, but I got to ride the bike and so it's a good day in my book.
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Bordering on Insanity....

Bordering on Insanity

If you cross the North Korean border illegally you get 12 years hard labor.

If you cross the Iranian border illegally you are detained indefinitely.

If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot.

If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally you will be jailed.

If you cross the Chinese border illegally you may never be heard from again.

If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.

If you cross the Cuban border illegally you will be thrown into political prison to rot.

If you cross the U.S. border illegally you get:

•  a job,
• a drivers license,
• social security card,
• welfare,
• food stamps,
• credit cards,
• subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house,
• free education,
• free health care,
• a lobbyist in washington
• billions of dollars worth of public documents printed in your language
• the right to carry your country's flag while you protest that you don't get enough respect
• and, in many instances, you can vote.

(by way of The Patriot Post, link in the title above.)
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A Carefully Crafted Immigration Law in Arizona

by Byron York

April 26, 2010

"...The law requires police to check with federal authorities on a person's immigration status, if officers have stopped that person for some legitimate reason and come to suspect that he or she might be in the U.S. illegally. The heart of the law is this provision: "For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency…where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person…"

Critics have focused on the term "reasonable suspicion" to suggest that the law would give police the power to pick anyone out of a crowd for any reason and force them to prove they are in the U.S. legally. Some foresee mass civil rights violations targeting Hispanics.

What fewer people have noticed is the phrase "lawful contact," which defines what must be going on before police even think about checking immigration status. "That means the officer is already engaged in some detention of an individual because he's violated some other law," says Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri Kansas City Law School professor who helped draft the measure..."

The article asks a valid question: Has anyone actually read the law?

Read the rest of the article at the link in the title.
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Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 - signed!

Bravo, Arizona!  Bravo, Gov. Brewer!  Hold firm!

You can download a PDF of the complete bill at the link in the title.

I've read it through.  And I see nowhere in the bill that anyone's civil rights are being violated or even compromised.  Also, it looks like AZ has carefully worded this bill to work with all Federal laws and enforcement.  There is NO mention of race, ethnicity, or nation of origin.

Read it for yourself.
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Best laid plans... agley, again.

Well, I'm mildly disappointed... The Mesilla Valley Amateur Radio Club is having their annual HamFest / BeanFeed this weekend, and I'd understood that it was going to be Saturday.  I'd had plans to drive up, & the son was tempted to join me as he'd lucked out with a Saturday off this week.

Nope - it's Sunday morning.  I'm not sure now that I'll be able to attend.

On the bright side, I'm less likely to spend money on more radio equipment if I'm not there.

Which is good, as we're paying a bit more to the plumber than I'd anticipated....
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And the door slowly creaks open on rusty hinges...

Whew.

Too long. Waaay too long since I updated here. There's been a lot happen in the last year, including a few immediate & extended family crises that we're still re-grouping & recovering from.

Most of my online posting has been through Facebook, using it to keep in touch just with family and friends I don't get to see very often.

Haven't had a whole lot to say, otherwise, about what's going on in the world that isn't already being said by folks a lot more erudite & analytical than I.

Oh - and I didn't vote for O.

And I love tea.
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Goodnight, Maille

For the first time in 29 years, I am officially pet-less.

I've had a pet of one kind or another, and often more than one, continually since we were married.

We're still feeding two semi-feral cats, but if they truly belonged to anyone it was to Maille, aka The Wag of Mass Destruction. She was the dog who worried when I had a sick ferret. She separated the cats when they started fighting. She got calls to "go outside and play" with the neighbor kids. She was my 50-lb wanna-be lapdog, my pound puppy - the dog that chose me when I wasn't looking for a dog. How she knew that I needed her, I can only credit to God.

I don't know exactly how old she was when we adopted her from Animal Control. We had almost 9 good years with her, watching her muzzle turn greyer every year, the arthritis slowing down her walk but never her Wag.

The house feels lonely now. The cats outside miss her, too.

It's a Boy!

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord."
- Luke 2:11



Merry CHRISTmas!

Ride!

There may be something good about having a "mid-life crisis" after all.


I know I'm having fun!

I did it

I passed the MSF BRC this weekend.

Thank You

Tell a Veteran "Thank You!" now. There will come a time (if it hasn't already) when you'll wish the soldiers you remember on Memorial Day were still around to hear your thanks.

Back...... sort of.

Too long since my last post.... 8 to 5 work days are finally starting to feel "normal" to me again. I only made it to work 4 days in September. My State Guard unit spent the month in East Texas assisting with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Lots of memories from the deployment; many good, and many that I'm still trying to sort out.

And it's been interesting trying to get back into a regular work routine. I'll give that as my "excuse" for not posting.

Who is Sarah Palin?

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin on the Issues

The more I read, the more optimistic I am about our Nation's chances these next four years.

The fact that a McCain-Palin ticket has one-upped the Dems is a bonus.

Horizon City man to face arson charge in church fire

EL PASO -- A 29-year-old man has been arrested and accused of setting the fire that burned the Horizon Bible Church last month, Horizon City police said Friday.

Salazar, of the 1500 block of Oppossum Circle, also faces a charge of burglary of habitation, a jail log stated. He remained jailed Friday night; his bonds were set at $22,500.

I gotta wonder.... the suspect is accused of causing at least $100K damage to the church, and has additional charges against him, and his bail is set at only $22500?

My biggest prayer is that this really is the culprit. If he's not, there's someone out there still laughing.

Thanks to the FBI, at least we know now that it wasn't a hate crime.

(I was under the mistaken impression that most crimes of this nature were caused by hatred of something.... )

Warehouse set to process convention arrests

Individuals arrested at the Democratic National Convention will be processed at an industrial warehouse with chain-link cells topped by razor wire, a facility some have compared to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.

It says something* about a political party when they expect so many disruptions from convention attendees, that they feel they need a warehouse to process them all....

Entire article at the link.

*and that something is most definitely not flattering...