Book Review- Emily Gets Her Gun…

Emily Miller is a senior at the Washington Times, and wrote a series for the paper on her attempts (and finally success) to purchase a gun in DC.  Now that series has been expanded and turned into a book.

Emily gets her gun

Extensively footnoted, and written in the same style as her pungent commentaries for the Times, it’s both enjoyable and educational.  She delves into the ‘mysteries’ of the labyrinth that is DC politics as she tries to complete the 17 ‘steps’ and buy her gun.  She’s also very honest about what she went through, admitting she knew virtually nothing about guns and feared them.

She tells her story, interleaving it with some of the interactions she had with various politicians including Vincent Gray when he was running for Mayor of DC.  That one had me laughing at the way it ended, and I knew I had to keep reading.  She also brings to light other stories of the over-reach of the DC police, including incidents where military personnel have been arrested and prosecuted for having weapons or in one case for simply having ammunition.

Strongly recommended, not only for the story itself, but her links to the various footnotes and the Appendices. If you’re a 2A supporter, you need this book in your library!

Spammers…

They’re BACK… Sigh…

The Dammit post elicited over 100 spams, prior week average of 2 a day. AND I get maybe 1 spam a week on my email, after that one 10 within 24 hours…

You can say what you want, but I’m to the point I’m beginning to believe if you put up something negative to the administration, you’re going to get slammed…

I can’t put it any other way.  I guess at this point it’s becoming poster beware…

Back in the Day…

Not that we were a tad bit sarcastic back in the day or anything…

Here is a famous 4 jet engine aircraft. Perfectly suited for long-range international travel. Spacious accommodations for both passengers and crew. Multiple configurations that precisely match the intended purposed. Proudly owned and operated in numerous national organizations for decades. Has a well-recognized silhouette and reputation for reliability and safety.

P3 Oman

Oh, yea…. there is also a 747 in the shot.

My old squadron, 10 years after I transferred…

We used to stay at the Muscat Intercontinental Hotel, and they had REAL Turkish towels… The hotel automatically added $5 to our bills, knowing we would take the towels (I’m blaming that on the damn Brits… THEY started it)!

And jumping forward, HERE’s the story of the Russian Yankee that blew and sunk off Bermuda in 1986.  This one damn near started WW III… The photo at the top of the article was taken by a good friend of mine the event after the explosion occurred.

I don’t normally do guest posts…

But in this case I am making an exception… Wandering Neurons lost his father this week, and sent me this and allowed me to post it.  I believe it is worth sharing.

This Wednesday morning my father quietly “slipped the surly bonds of Earth” in his sleep. He’d been having problems breathing over the weekend, his doctor had him him admitted to the hospital on Tuesday. According to my stepbrother, he was his usual ornery self, cracking jokes, teasing the nurses, and enjoying a good appetite that evening. Early the next morning the nurse found that his heart had stopped. He was 89 years old and I was making plans to visit him in just a few weeks.
My father was a veteran of WWII, serving in the European Front: Germany and France. He was an enlisted member of the US Army  and served his time in a cannon battery as jeep driver, and communications maintainer (telephone/telegraph wiring) among other things. While serving in the war, he earned a Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge. Returning from the war to his hometown of Nashville, TN, he took over the family’s men’s clothing business after his father died unexpectedly at a young age, and helped the business survive and grow during his 51 years of leadership, until he sold it to my cousin several years ago. Additionally, he actively supported the Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts of America, competed in the Jewish Olympics in Israel in the 1960s on the shooting team (trap and skeet). Even though he was a businessman, he still found time to tinker in his workshop, actively shoot trap, skeet, sporting clays and International Bunker, receiving many awards, supported both public and private shooting fields, sailed, was a horseman, and many other things that I aspire to do.
He will be laid to rest this Sunday in his hometown that he never left, and my wife and I will be in attendance with the rest of our family and friends. I miss my father and am proud to be his son.
Present, ARMS!
Order, ARMS!
 
V/r,
Wandering Neurons
Another of the Greatest Generation has passed… May he rest in peace.

Hooky…

Well, this has been such a lousy week a couple of us decided to play hooky today, so we did…

We “telecommuted”… 🙂

Blue Ridge Shadows

At least on ‘this’ hole I stayed out of the water… sigh…

But a day on the golf course STILL beats the hell out of  day in the office.  And I’m not giving up my day job.  If I did, I couldn’t afford the golf balls to play a round…

I hope everyone has a safe and peaceful Labor Day Weekend!

Dammit…

BO did it again…

We’d been hearing ‘rumors’ something got signed for the last couple of days, but nobody could find out what…

Now we know…

The Obama administration unexpectedly announced two new gun control measures on Thursday, including one that would curb the import of military surplus weapons — in a move that could anger collectors. 

Vice President Biden announced the new measures Thursday morning. The new rules, announced while Washington was otherwise focused on the crisis in Syria, took the form of executive actions, which President Obama added to the list of 23 steps the White House already determined the president could take on his own.

Full article HERE.

Once again he’s bypassed Congress and regulated rather than legislating…

At what point does the last straw come???

Points to ponder…

These two short statements tell you a lot about our government.

“We are told NOT to judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics.”

BUT…

We are encouraged TO  judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics”!

Sigh…

Well…

I had this whole rant post written, and decided you know what, I’m tired of posting about the crap going on today…

Soooo…

You get humor instead…

HELLO, OPERATOR, ANOTHER CHAPTER OF “THEY WALK AMONG US AND REPRODUCE!!

Actual call center conversations!

Customer:     ‘I’ve been calling 700-1000 for two days and can’t get through; can you help?’
Operator:      ‘Where did you get that number, sir?’
Customer:     ‘It’s on the door of your business.’
Operator:      ‘Sir, those are the hours that we are open.’

———————————————————————-

Samsung Electronics

Caller:          ‘Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?’
Operator:     ‘I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand who you are talking about.’
Caller:          ‘On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall  socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack?’
Operator:      ‘I think it means the telephone plug on the wall.’

———————————————————————-

RAC Motoring Services

Caller:         ‘Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am traveling in Australia ?’

Operator:    ‘Does the policy name give you a clue?’

———————————————————————-

Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while traveling in Europe)
‘If I register my car in France, and then take it to England, do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?’

———————————————————————-

Directory Enquiries

Caller:       ‘I’d like the number of the Argo Fish Bar, please’
Operator: ‘I’m sorry, there’s no listing. Are you sure that the spelling is      correct?’
Caller: ‘Well, it used to be called the Bargo Fish Bar but the ‘B’ fell off.’

———————————————————————-

Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator:        ‘Woven? Are you sure?’
Caller:             ‘Yes.. That’s what it says on the label –Woven in Scotland …’

———————————————————————-

On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator: ‘I haven’t got a pen, so I’m steaming up the window to write the number on.’

———————————————————————-

Tech Support:      ‘I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.’
Customer:             ‘OK..’
Tech Support:      ‘Did you get a pop-up menu?’
Customer:             ‘No.’
Tech Support:      ‘OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?’
Customer:             ‘No.’
Tech Support:      ‘OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?’

Customer:            ‘Sure. You told me to write ‘click’ and I wrote ‘click’.’

———————————————————————-

Tech Support:      ‘OK. At the bottom left hand side of your screen, can you see the ‘OK’ button displayed?’

Customer:             ‘Wow! How can you see my screen from there?’

———————————————————————-

Caller:  ‘I deleted a file from my PC last week and I just realized that I

need it.  So, if I turn my system clock back two weeks will I get my

file back again?’

———————————————————————-

This has to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the WordPerfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department………….. 


Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the WordPerfect organization for ‘Termination without Cause.’

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee.
(Now I know why they record these conversations!):

Operator:         ‘Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?’
Caller:              ‘Yes, well, I’m having trouble with WordPerfect .’
Operator:         ‘What sort of trouble?’
Caller:              ‘Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words               went away.’
Operator:         ‘Went away?’
Caller:              ‘They disappeared’
Operator:         ‘Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?’
Caller:              ‘Nothing.’
Operator:         ‘Nothing??’
Caller:              ‘It’s blank; it won’t accept anything when I type.’
Operator:         ‘Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?’
Caller:              ‘How do I tell?’
Operator:        ‘Can you see the ‘C: prompt’ on the screen?’
Caller:              ‘What’s a sea-prompt?’
Operator:         ‘Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?’

Caller:              ‘There isn’t any cursor; I told you, it won’t accept anything I type.’
Operator:         ‘Does your monitor have a power indicator?’
Caller:              ‘What’s a monitor?’
Operator:         ‘It’s the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it’s on?’
Caller:               ‘I don’t know.’
Operator:          ‘Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??’

Caller:              ‘Yes, I think so.’
Opera tor:         ‘Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it’s plugged into the wall..
Caller:              ‘Yes, it is.’
Operator:         ‘When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that
there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just  one? ‘
Caller:               ‘No.’
Operator:          ‘Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.’

Caller:               ‘Okay, here it is.’
Operator:          ‘Follow it for me, and tell me if it’s plugged securely into the back of your computer..’

Caller:               ‘I can’t reach.’
Operator:          ‘OK. Well, can you see if it is?’
Caller:               ‘No…’
Operator:          ‘Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?’

Caller:               ‘Well, it’s not because I don’t have the right angle — it’s because it’s dark.’
Operator:          ‘Dark?’
Caller:               ‘Yes – the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.’
Operator:         ‘Well, turn on the office light then.’
Caller:              ‘I can’t..’
Operator:         ‘No? Why not?’
Caller:              ‘Because there’s a power failure.’
Operator:         ‘A power …. A power failure?  Aha. Okay, we’ve got it licked now.  Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff that your computer came in?’

Caller:              ‘Well, yes, I keep them in the closet..’
Operator:         ‘Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.’

Caller:              ‘Really? Is it that bad?’
Operator:         ‘Yes, I’m afraid it is.’
Caller:               ‘Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?’
Operator:          ‘Tell them you’re too damned stupid to  own a computer!’

+++++++++++

And one more…

A Farm Kid Joins the Marines

Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late.. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there’s warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk much.

We go on “route marches,” which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different. A “route march” is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown.

They don’t bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ole bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once… He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5’6″ and 130 pounds and he’s 6’8″ and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in..

Your loving daughter,
Alice

Huh, isn’t THIS interesting…

I didn’t catch this one until it was pointed out by one of my co-workers…

Noticeably absent from the speaker line-up at the Let Freedom Ring event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington today: the nation’s only black Senator, Tim Scott.

Article HERE.

And Hasan got the death penalty, but I personally hope they don’t give it to him, he doesn’t deserve martyrdom or anything more than wasting his life away in Levenworth…

And from the PPP, this from Kalifornia…

They’re going to tax the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and who knows who else including the Little League…

California lawmakers are cruising toward a final vote on a bill that could threaten the tax-exempt status of American-as-apple-pie groups — ranging from the Boy Scouts to Little League — if their membership policies are found to be discriminatory. 

Full article HERE.

So basically unless it’s a blacks only frat or somesuch, based on the typical Kalifornia definitions, all these organizations will lose their tax free status because of ‘discrimination’, which will be determined by the pols in Sacramento… Gee, I wonder how THAT is going to turn out???

Sigh…

Blog Shoot!!!

Murphy is doing it again!

Now it’s 2013, and we’re doing it again. Saturday, September 14th, here in the West Virginia panhandle, we’re going to have the third annual blogshoot.

Come one, come all. If you like guns, gun people, or just want to support a good cause, we’ll be gathering in Summit Point, WV this time, on a larger range that’ll be ours exclusively. (No sharing it with a reality show promo like last year.)

There’s no cost, but we do ask that when you come, you consider making a donation to cover the group range fee, with anything over that amount going to a veterans’ charity, just like the last two years.

Last year, we had people come from as far away as North Carolina, Ohio and Michigan. Please spread the word and let’s see if we can’t make this one bigger and more far-ranging.

Hit me with a comment if you’re interested. I won’t post comments that contain contact info. Area lodging is available and for those who want to, we can do dinner the night before and a meal afterwards is, as always, the capstone to a great gunfire-filled day.

For more info and directions, contact me at: [email protected]

Folks, this is a fun shoot and it’s filled with good people, a WIDE variety of shooty things, and good food afterward!  Sadly, I’ll be out of pocket and won’t make it, but if you’re in the area and want to meet some good folks and shoot some nice guns, drop Murph a line and sign up.