Random Stuff…

Posted on by August 1, 2014

Too funny…

Apparently Comcast had a major commercial internet outage yesterday morning in the area where I work.

Now you’d ‘think’ this would mean people could actually get stuff done without any interruptions, etc.  right???  I was perfectly happy, as I wasn’t getting interrupted for four solid hours!!!

Not so much, seems like people were running to windows or outside with their phones to check facebook, personal emails etc. about every half hour…

And some people were pretty incensed about it, but I ‘never’ heard a single person complain about their WORK email being down…

Sigh…

Makes you wonder how much actual WORK gets accomplished in some of these businesses everyday…

AND I wonder if they realize their companies are probably monitoring their interwebz usage… 🙂 Can we say firing offense???

In other news-

It appears there are some fractures in the façade of the MSM, with some ‘actual’ coverage starting to be done, much to the administration’s dismay.  One report that popped up and promptly disappeared was apparently how close Charlotte came to getting a person with Ebola getting on an airplane that would have come through there, but apparently the person was diagnosed BEFORE the left Africa…

And Jesse Ventura is a piece of work- Suing the Chris Kyle estate and winning, then complaining about the ‘bad coverage’ he’s been given…  If I were him, I wouldn’t be showing up at any SEAL/UDT reunions or events where SEALS might be present…  Just sayin…

And lastly, on the way in this morning I heard Chief Lanier (DC Police) being interviewed about the WIN for 2A and concealed carry in DC in the Palmer case (Thank you Alan Gura among others); then the stay of the ruling.  She was prattling on about how she ‘respects’ 2A and concealed carry, but has ‘issues’ with it due to her ‘mandate’ to protect all the high rollers, VIPs, yada, yada, yada in DC…

In other words, don’t plan on ANYTHING changing anytime soon…

I’m thinking DC is going to do a Chicago and try to drag this out on appeals until the 12th of never…

I have to go into the District this weekend, so I’ll be doing a concerted search of my truck to ‘hopefully’ get all the ammo/loose rounds/spent cases out BEFORE I cross the 14th street bridge… sigh…

Otherwise, I’ll rent a damn car…

A follow-up to pick a pair…

Posted on by July 29, 2014

Well, THAT post blew up!

I figured I might get 10 comments, not 50+!  Thanks to all who commented and it also started quite an email back and forth with some folks…

Which leads me to today’s post-

Four options have come out of the comments & emails from the earlier post-

Run early, run when you can, walk/bike out, or fort up…

It’s ALWAYS timing…  If you have ‘enough’ lead time, you can make a break early…

While not my ‘primary’ route out of Dodge, one I’ve actually driven a few times-

For example, Fairfax to Front Royal- 58 miles, 53 minutes in ‘normal’ traffic…

Nice little run out I-66, no fuss no muss…  Probably something 95% of the people would try to do, regardless…

Let’s say you aren’t able to beat the rush, but you’re still determined to drive as far as you can.  You ‘have’ mapped out alternate routes, right?

Same trek, Fairfax to Front Royal- 78 miles, 1.5 hours in ‘normal’ traffic…

Same start and finish, but over 50% longer both in distance and time (lots of 2 lane roads, not much connectivity out in the woods either), but I’m doubtful if many people even know there IS an alternative route between the two…

Now the crux of the matter- Have you actually driven your alternate route?  Do you know what to expect in various locations???

I snuck out a couple of days ago and had lunch with Jay G, and no I don’t know what the new S&W toy is… But, we got to talking about bugging out and discussing bug out routes and he came up with a wrinkle ‘I’ didn’t think of…

Have you driven your alternate route at the WORST time?  E.g. rush hour traffic?  Or coming back from (fill in the blank) holiday?

And he indicated they will have an article coming on this soon!

Honestly, no I haven’t driven either of my alternates during worst case times…  But I do know from past experience coming back into DC on I-66 during the holiday season that 58 miles can (and has) taken  THREE @%& hours on I-66 due to idjits…

And I need to go buy a bike, not only can I use the exercise, that is one of the excellent points raised in the previous post about ways to ‘carry’ things like a back pack (pushing it on the bike is a LOT easier than humping it on the back), especially for us old farts.

Thanks again to all those who commented and emailed!!!

Murph’s Pick Two…

Posted on by July 30, 2014

Murph did some digging around in HIS safe, and he’s done Pick Two- Sequel.  You can see it HERE.  I’ll have to admit he ‘does’ have some interesting choices… 🙂

I’m working on a follow-on post based on some of the sidebars/emails I’ve received, and I can’t help but wonder what choices y’all will make at Murph’s place…

The Book of Barkley…

Posted on by July 29, 2014

I know I’m late, but Brigid has her book up on Amazon now in Kindle format!  If you like her blog, you’ll REALLY like the book.

Hit the picture for the link.

Book of Barkley KindleI have actually had the pleasure of meeting Barkley, and he was something special, no question… And he and Brigid have shared many ups and downs, but this book is more than that.  It’s a trip through life lessons and memories, and the changes Barkley wrought on not just Brigid, but those around her.

I’ve known Brigid for a number of years, and I can honestly say I never saw her happier than when she had Barkley in her life.  Even with all the ‘little’ things… but my favorite story is the kids at the back fence… 😀

Go get it and read it, you won’t be disappointed!

 

 

A follow-up…

Posted on by July 29, 2014

My post from Friday (HERE) on the suicide rates elicited some interesting sidebar discussions.  One of those was from Scribbler, and he’s put a very good post up responding to my post.  His post is HERE.

Of note, this is his generation, so I’m glad to get his perspective on the whole mess, and he does have a cogent piece that  is a bit of an eye opener…

Well worth the read.  Scribbler is also a shooter and one of our ‘tribe’ so to speak, we’ve met him at a couple of events over the last two years.

No Connection with Reality???

Posted on by July 28, 2014

I can only watch in amazement at what is going on over the Israel/Gaza incursion…

Hamas stated goal is to destroy Israel/kill Israelis.  They are firing rockets indiscriminately into to kill/maim the population, in addition to sneaking through tunnels to kill or kidnap Israelis…

And they’ve been doing this for a long time, violating all the agreements/peacekeeping accords etc…

AND Hamas is siting the rockets in civilian areas on purpose, using Palestinian citizens as human shields, along with storing rockets in UN and other schools, hospitals and mosques.  And this is okay???

But somehow this gets twisted to be Israel’s fault???

HERE is an article from the LA Times…

WTF???

And Israel is being accused of using “excessive” force?  Since when is war supposed to be fair?  They are doing their best to minimize collateral damage, but it’s rather hard when the rockets are being fired from an apartment complex…

And then there’s this-

The situation facing European Jewry is “simply intolerable, unacceptable and inexcusable,” Israeli Jewish Congress president Vladimir Sloutsker told MKs and foreign diplomats at a special session of the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee on Monday.

Calling the rise in anti-Semitic incidents accompanying Israel’s invasion of Gaza an “SOS situation,” Sloutsker warned that if left unchecked, such behavior could lead to another European genocide.

This is from the Jerusalem Post article HERE.

And this link from PJ Media HERE.

Islam is the religion of peace???  My ass…

How can any rational human being think that firing rockets into your town/country is okay???  Would YOU put up with that without reaction?

I know I wouldn’t and I’d use every means possible to stop it… And I’d bring all my friends with guns, airplanes and anything else I could lay hands on…

Actually I’d have to say I admire the Israelis for their restraint.  I know they have much more capable weapons they could use, if they really didn’t care about loss of life…

But it seems the whole damn world is upside down lately… Makes me think I’ve stepped into Bizarro World or something…

Oh yeah, and Kerry’s ‘input’ to the peace process?  Support a cease fire that gives Hamas every thing they want…

I gotta find that rabbit hole and get back to reality somehow!

Rant off/Kicking soapbox back in the corner…

Pick a pair…

Posted on by July 27, 2014

You have 5 minutes…

The safe is open, the roads are blocked and you’re going to be walking…

For miles… Just you, your BOB (50ish lbs without ammo), and whatever you pick out of the safe…

Which pair do you pick?

Savage .22 and Ruger .22

Savage Ruger 22sM-1 Carbine and .45M1 carbine 1911M4 and Glock 26M4 G26Model 94 and Python94 PythonSCAR 17 and Glock 17SCAR GlockAnd grab a knife too…knivesI’m curious, what would you choose and why???

I’ll post my answer in comments later today…

Go Read…

Posted on by July 27, 2014

The Times of Israel blog pretty much lays it out…

It’s worth the time to go HERE and read it…

And some of the ‘dead baby’ pictures are apparently from Syria earlier in the year…

h/t Dammit

WWII Recruiting Poster…

Posted on by July 27, 2014

It’s the Navy’s turn again…

WWII Navy recruiting 2Very plain by comparison to many of the other posters out there…

But one difference is the ‘reality’ of the face and expression.  The artist was John Falter, an illustrator for magazines that actually enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He left the Navy as a Chief.