Interesting…

Watched Xiden’s presser on ‘epidemic’ gun violence that ‘started during the Covid lockdown’…

His out of the gate… background checks, assault weapons ban, ‘community’ policing all worked, don’t today because the ‘funding’ got cut.

Role of gun dealers in ‘illegal’ sales. 90% of guns found at crime scenes sold by 5% of dealers. So, zero tolerance for illegal sales.

Second amendment ‘limited’ the types of guns a person could own. (interesting statement).

And there was this little gem- “Those who say the blood of Patriots, you know, and all the stuff about how we’re gonna have to move against the government. If you think you need to have weapons to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.” Really??? Shades of Swalwell…

blather, blather, blather- guns coming from ‘other’ jurisdictions is why gun violence is spiking in Chiraq, Bawl’more, Philly, NYC. (yeah, right)… How about the cities NOT enforcing the laws in their own cities!

All folded into the ‘American Jobs Program’… repealing the liability protection against gun manufacturers. Close the ‘stalking loophole’ with bad boyfriends.

Pushed Chipman for director of ATF.

Smart gun technology should be pushed to the top of the list.

Not one word about gangs, proactive policing, illegal drug trade (and ancillary guns), going into the cities, and actually ENFORCING the existing laws, much less arresting, trying, and sending to prison the criminals.

Also, never said a word about defunding push across many blue cities, the no bail/bail reform situations, releasing criminals back to the streets in as little as four hours, and not prosecuting gun crimes… Zip, nada, crickets…

Well, I didn’t expect this…

It appears there is also a ‘significant’ issue with lube oil…

Donegal, PA.  It’s where they store salt, plows, and vehicles for maintenance of the PA Turnpike.
Last week they got a delivery of P.O.L. for their trucks.  Delivery man said “Make it last.  Don’t know when we’ll have more.”
Seems an “ingredient” of the lubricating oil is in short supply and when it becomes available again “it’s gonna cost an arm and a leg.”
As it turns out, apparently the ‘issues’ is additives…
Initially, COVID-19 shut down non-essential manufacturing and travel, greatly reducing finished lubricants demand and, consequently, additive demand. This was softened by lubricants marketers continuing to blend finished product and fill their warehouses in the event that their plants were also shut down. helped ease some of the impacts of shutdowns and restrictions faced by additive manufacturers, but it also threw off their forecasting.
Full article, HERE, from Kline. Also a pretty damning article on JIT, HERE, from the Union of the European Lubricants Industry.
Just In Time (JIT) shipping works well when everything is flowing smoothly. When it’s not… well, there are ‘few’ issues… When you stack 50+ ships off LA harbor, or things like the Evergiven shuts down the Suez Canal, or plants closing due to the WuFlu…
That kinda puts paid to JIT. The simple fact is, be lessening their on hand inventory, companies make money by not having to rent warehouse space, storage, etc. Walmart is famous for using JIT for its stores, famously have computer systems that automatically place orders with regional warehouses on a daily basis, based on sales in the stores. That is why you see so many Walmart trucks on the road. And their regional warehouses are HUGE!
But their stores only have enough storage for basically product on hand plus something like 10% of consumable product. Everything else comes from the warehouses.
As long as the warehouses have it…
Like building products, ammunition, and now gasoline, apparently lube oil is also going to be an issue going forward. Better hope your vehicles/tractors/mowers, etc. don’t have problems for a while.
Sigh…

US Open…

I know most people consider golf as boring as watching grass grow and I understand.

But… Having said that, I’ve played at it since high school and always enjoyed, most of the time enjoyed it… Okay, okay, I played flog more than golf, but still…

Thanks to being the Navy, I did get the chance to play a lot of interesting courses over the years, and was able to work the Players Championship in Jacksonville a couple of years. I’ve also worked a few other tournaments too.

One of the courses I was lucky enough to play was Torry Pines at ‘Navy’ rates a few times over the years, so I’ve actually walked that course just like the pros. It’s a public course, so it gets a good bit of play and when the wind is blowing, it is TRULY a challenge!

I’ll be the first to admit they out hit me with EVERY club in their bags. On a ‘good’ day, I’m barely over 210 yards with the driver, and 100 yards with a wedge. They’re hitting over 320 with drivers, and 150-170 with their wedges.

What really amazes me is their shotmaking ability and accuracy. And their putting… So yes, I’ll admit I watch golf… If for no other reason than to see actual head to head competition, where there aren’t any excuses for how well or badly they shoot. Golf is definitely NOT a team sport, and I know some people say they aren’t athletes, but I’d challenge you to go out and walk 4-5 miles a day, up and down hills, and swinging a club 60-100 times a day, week after week in all kinds of weather.

I believe the quality of the golfers today is a direct result of Tiger Woods and his ascendancy in the golf world. He popularized the sport world-wide that was basically a ‘rich old man’s sport’, and started kids all over the world playing golf. We’re seeing the results of that now on the leaderboards with all the different countries represented. At one point, there was a South African, a Spaniard, an American, and an Irishman in the top four slots. Rahm from Spain won it with two huge puts on the last two holes.

One other point- Lots of folks don’t realize that most of the course workers are volunteers, unpaid other than maybe a round or two of free golf at the location. This allows the tournaments to donate a lot of money, $204 million in 2019 and $3.9 billion over all the years. Philanthropic contributions, including those from professional tournaments, are a huge part of the industry, with the majority of funds going to causes outside of the sport like hospitals, youth development groups, food banks, and programs in local communities the PGA Tour visits.

I don’t believe any of the other ‘sports’ match that…

YMMV…

Oof…

Made too much food…

I made enough for the folks I’d ‘planned’ on making it, but three didn’t… Guess I’ll be eating leftovers…

Oven baked short ribs, smoked beef ribs, shrimp boil, chicken skewers, and coleslaw.

Why so many choices, you might ask?

Well, one person is allergic to shrimp, one can’t eat beef, and everybody can eat chicken. But it was damn sure an all day affair…

Was it worth it? Hell yes, good friends, good conversation, laughter, and everyone relaxed. Definitely worth it.

Signed, sealed, and delivered!!!

Gov. Greg Abbott appeared Wednesday on the grounds of the Alamo to sign seven pieces of legislation loosening firearms restrictions in the state.

The most controversial of those, Senate Bill 1927, allows Texans to carry handguns without a license or training starting on September 1. That so-called constitutional carry proposal was passed over the objections of gun safety advocates and some law enforcement groups.

Full list, HERE.

The one that is really going to be interesting is the suppressor bill…

House Bill 957 (Oliverson/Springer) repeals the criminal offense of possessing, manufacturing, transporting, or repairing a firearm silencer. It also ensures that any firearm suppressor manufactured in Texas, and that remains in Texas, will not be subject to federal law or federal regulation. 

But I won’t be running out and buying one just yet… I KNOW that one is going to be challenged left, right, and sideways…

Of course the left is melting down, and I’m just waiting for the ‘blood in the streets’ wailing to start. Dunno if anyone else has noticed, but those other states that have passed Constitutional Carry haven’t had any blood in the streets…

TBT…

Soooo, PP and family are going camping, and I ran across these…

Family campers

1910 version…

1918 version…

1924 version… Probably the first ‘motorhome’…

Today???

YMMV, and everybody makes their ‘own’ choices… 🙂

Posted in TBT

Words…

They mean things… How we interpret them depends on what our experiences are…
I’ve talked about this before, about ‘Navy Blue’ being the ONLY color you see. The author is unknown, but definitely on the money as far as I’m concerned. I just found out last night that two more of my shipmates have died, and we didn’t even find out about it for over a year, thanks to the WuFlu. 🙁
To understand a Sailor you must know:
We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.
We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.
We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.
We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.
We found new friends and a new family.
We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race, or creed.
We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.
We didn’t get enough sleep.
We smoked and drank too much.
We picked up both good and bad habits.
We worked hard and played harder.
We didn’t earn a great wage.
We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.
We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.
We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.
We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.
Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t.
Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t.
Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.
We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.
We participated in time-honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.
We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.
We have dealt with victory and tragedy.
We have celebrated and mourned.
We lost a few along the way.
When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.
We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand.
We speak highly of our own branch of service and poke fun at the other branches.
We know, however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.
Being a Sailor is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.
It has no monetary value, but at the same time, it is a priceless gift.
People see a Sailor and they thank them for their service.
When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.
So, from myself to the rest of the Sailors out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for your country.
Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times.
Share your stories.
But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a Sailor.
I’m a Sailor.

Hrmmmm…

So apparently the ‘new’ mantra with Xiden is that he wants America to be liked…

He never said anything about America being respected!

Definitions-

To like is to find a person or thing agreeable, enjoyable, or satisfactory.
 
To respect is to hold feelings of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

The problem, if you will, is that being ‘liked’ means that you must be agreeable to all those around you… I don’t know if anyone listened to Xiden’s rambling address/press conference yesterday morning, but it was a horror story.

He couldn’t remember WHO he talked to, much less when/where. One thing he said, that scared the hell out of me, was that the Chinese ‘envoy’ wanted the US to lessen its ties to India, Australia, and Japan. This would impact SEATO, ANZUSMCAS, all critical to the defense of Southeast Asia and our forward deployed assets and bases.

For those who are not familiar with it, WESTPAC is ‘known’ for the ‘tyranny of distance’… And there are a TOTAL of 26 ships and submarines based in either Guam or Japan… 26… to cover 47,876,667 square miles!

A little more ‘scale’ for you…

2 1/4 USAs by 3 USAs… 6300 miles by 8400 miles. One quick example, by being ‘forward deployed’, the ships are 17 steaming days closer to the action/requirements…

Sooooo, under the ‘last’ administration, there was no ‘lessening’ of support for our allies, nor was there any kowtowing to China. China’s stated ‘goals’ of owning out to the second island chain and bringing Taiwan back into their ‘sphere’ were stymied.

Now??? I’m afraid of what Xiden is going to agree to… and whether or not he will even remember it. If China controls to the second island chain, which by the way is all the way out to Guam, they will effectively control ALL shipping in the Pacific ocean. ALL OF IT! What would be the global impact?

Think about it…

Your thoughts?

Oof…

Our American Legion post hosted an IBCA cook yesterday…

Discounting the two plus months of planning, we truly hit the ground running (sometimes literally) Thursday. Sponsors, vendors, cooks, volunteers, and, and, and all had to be coordinated. It was all hands on deck starting Friday morning through the overnight, and most of the day yesterday.

But it came off pretty well, at least in the quick look we had as we were tearing down yesterday afternoon. It never got over 100 degrees, close, but never over. It didn’t rain (skirted us between 0400 and 0600 yesterday morning), and the cooks were able to cook in ‘decent’ weather. We even had mild temps and a nice breeze in the morning.

We had some special guests, including military working dogs (yes, the shepherd on the left is a MONSTER).

Air Evac out of Duncan, OK brought a 206A down, along with one of the Red Cross disaster recovery units in the background.

Me? I was out back fixing hot dogs…

We also served who cooked (starting at 0600 with breakfast burritos), while the ‘real’ cooks were getting their smokers going.

We also had the local FD, PD, Sheriff’s Office and Boy Scouts represented, thanks to them for coming out!

I r tired… I go to bed…ZZZzzzzzz